Put on your thinking caps! It's question and answer time.

[[sa...]]

Wow! Sara,

 

What a thrill it must have been to see the original portrait of the Mona Lisa!

 

 

Some say that the (spiral) shown in Van Goghs, The Starry Night, resembles what Galaxy?

 

PJ,

 

it was a thrill.  I went to Europe in 1987 - I was 25 and had never been anywhere else besides Disney World.  I loved the Louvre - I loved Paris and as I stood there looking at the Mona Lisa I was mesmerized.  I even took some pictures of her.  The painting showed "her age" - how many hundreds of years, I forget but I'll never forget standing there in absolute awe.

 

Oh, you gotta a good one about Van Gogh...  I had to cheat and look it up again (sorry) this is from Wiki:

 

Simon Singh, in his book Big Bang, says that The Starry Night has striking similarities to a sketch of the Whirlpool Galaxy, drawn by Lord Rosse 44 years before van Gogh's work.

The painting has been compared to an astronomical photograph of a star named V838 Monocerotis, taken by the Hubble in 2004. The clouds of gas surrounding the star resemble the swirling patterns van Gogh used in this painting.

 

I also read that he painted it from the view of his cell in the Asylum.  Makes us feel humble - all the creativity in the world and how many of the great artists and classic writers lead emotionally tortured lives.  OK here's a question...

 

What book was banned by the US congress written by James Joyce?

 

Sara

[[sa...]]

 

 

 

 

 

I actually knew the answer to the Mona Lisa question because I saw it in person at the Louvre many, many years ago.  It was behind glass or plexy on all sides and guarded at all times.

 

As far as the sunset question I cheated and looked it up on Wikipedia but it's still too complicated for me to understand   but it's because, "The ray path of light from the setting Sun is highly distorted near the horizon because of atmospheric refraction, making astronomical sunset occur when the Sun's disk is already about one diameter below the horizon. Sunset is distinct from dusk, which is the moment at which darkness falls, which occurs when the Sun is approximately eighteen degrees below the horizon. The period between the astronomical sunset and dusk is called twilight."

 

Sorry for cheating but that's allot for a benzo brain to remember.

 

Sara

 

 

 

Sara, I saw the Mona Lisa at the Louvre too, in 1994.

 

Your answer is right, but just wanted to add that my hubby has said that the red colour in a sunset is due to light reflection off dust particles, and I had to look it up, too.  The blue/green light has a shorter wavelength than red, so when  the sun is near the horizon, it has to pass through more atmosphere (particles), causing the shorter blue/green  to sort of dissipate, leaving the red colour.  Maybe this makes sense..I am not sure with my benzo brain and insomnia at 2:30 a.m.

 

Here's another explanation:

 

Blue light has a shorter wavelength than red light and, at sunset when the sun is low on the horizon, the sunlight has hito pass through more atmosphere than it does when the sun is directly overhead. This means that as the sun sets the blue light has been filtered out by the thicker layer of atmosphere, leaving only the red, orange and yellow light for us to see.

 

Kat

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Kat - how awesome that you got to see the Mona Lisa too!  By that time was the glass structure designed my I. M. Pei up?  Some people say it spoils the whole experience of the entrance.

 

your husband's explanation fills in the gaps - thank goodness.  I'm still having trouble wrapping my brain around it!

 

Speaking of Sunsets...  One of (if not) the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen was at the Grand Canyon.  The colors were magnificent!  I'm sorry, I'm on this like one thing leads to another thing.  I took a trip out west in 1995 I think  - flying to Las Vegas then driving this huge loop to the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Natural Bridges and Zion National park.  God, we stayed at some flea bag motels with horrible accommodations - I remember staying at this yucky Motel right on route 66  and a frieght train ran by every hour! By the time we woke up (after having never slept) the water was contaminated by some sewer breakage!  Had to buy gallons of water to drink  and bathe with!

 

It's like everything is red soil out there, with smatterings of green cactus against the bluest sky.  It was jaw dropping.  Sometimes when you're driving, you don't see another car for another hour - Hmmmm, maybe I should start a travel page?  Before this benzo mess I used to get around quite a bit - I feel fortunate that I did travel.

 

Well, thanks for letting me babble about traveling down memory lane.

 

Sara

 

 

[[...]]

Wow! Sara,

 

What a thrill it must have been to see the original portrait of the Mona Lisa!

 

 

Some say that the (spiral) shown in Van Goghs, The Starry Night, resembles what Galaxy?

 

PJ,

 

it was a thrill.  I went to Europe in 1987 - I was 25 and had never been anywhere else besides Disney World.  I loved the Louvre - I loved Paris and as I stood there looking at the Mona Lisa I was mesmerized.  I even took some pictures of her.  The painting showed "her age" - how many hundreds of years, I forget but I'll never forget standing there in absolute awe.

 

Oh, you gotta a good one about Van Gogh...  I had to cheat and look it up again (sorry) this is from Wiki:

 

Simon Singh, in his book Big Bang, says that The Starry Night has striking similarities to a sketch of the Whirlpool Galaxy, drawn by Lord Rosse 44 years before van Gogh's work.

The painting has been compared to an astronomical photograph of a star named V838 Monocerotis, taken by the Hubble in 2004. The clouds of gas surrounding the star resemble the swirling patterns van Gogh used in this painting.

 

I also read that he painted it from the view of his cell in the Asylum.  Makes us feel humble - all the creativity in the world and how many of the great artists and classic writers lead emotionally tortured lives.  OK here's a question...

 

What book was banned by the US congress written by James Joyce?

 

Sara

 

The book was Ulysses. I had to look this one up on Wiki.  A lot of books have been banned, I was quite surprised  to see, one of my favorites, Of mice and Men, had been banned at one time!

 

I Have Starry Night as my screensaver, I really love that painting! I saw it in New York, at the Museum of Modern Art, as I understand it, the painting is on permanent display there.

[[...]]

Two part question: Do you know how to perform the Heimlich Maneuver, and what are two foods that young children most often choke on?

[[Mi...]]

Question 1: I learned a long time ago but have never used it.

 

Question 2: My guess would be peas or cheerios?

[[...]]

Hi Missy,

 

Hotdogs and grapes top the list. They are both fun to eat, so kids tend to not chew them as they should. Little Kids will often be laughing and acting silly as they toss a grape in their mouth, of course, not aware of the danger of doing so.

 

I would caution parents to please, if you do have small children, cut their hotdogs into bite-size pieces, grapes should be cut in half.

 

Many daycare facilities have banned grapes, and I have read where food processors are working on developing a 'kid friendly hotdog'....

[[Ka...]]

Hedy Lamarr, once considered the most beautiful woman in Hollywood, also had brains. What did she invent? 

 

When Hedy Lamarr died,  I remember there was some news on TV about her playing quite a large part in inventing a portable military-type radio, which is in many ways is unchanged today.  'Hope my memory serves me on that one.

 

Kat

 

 

[[Ka...]]

 

Hi Kat - how awesome that you got to see the Mona Lisa too!  By that time was the glass structure designed my I. M. Pei up?  Some people say it spoils the whole experience of the entrance.

 

your husband's explanation fills in the gaps - thank goodness.  I'm still having trouble wrapping my brain around it!

 

Speaking of Sunsets...  One of (if not) the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen was at the Grand Canyon.  The colors were magnificent!  I'm sorry, I'm on this like one thing leads to another thing.  I took a trip out west in 1995 I think  - flying to Las Vegas then driving this huge loop to the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Natural Bridges and Zion National park.  God, we stayed at some flea bag motels with horrible accommodations - I remember staying at this yucky Motel right on route 66  and a frieght train ran by every hour! By the time we woke up (after having never slept) the water was contaminated by some sewer breakage!  Had to buy gallons of water to drink  and bathe with!

 

It's like everything is red soil out there, with smatterings of green cactus against the bluest sky.  It was jaw dropping.  Sometimes when you're driving, you don't see another car for another hour - Hmmmm, maybe I should start a travel page?  Before this benzo mess I used to get around quite a bit - I feel fortunate that I did travel.

 

Well, thanks for letting me babble about traveling down memory lane.

 

Sara

Hi Sweet Sara..The glass entrance was up, and we didn't really see much of it, as there were crowds, I mean massive crowds of people there, and we were fortunate to see the Mona Lisa...we had no guide, so  really had to work ourselves around...

 

We actually passed the Grand Canyon  on our way to Mexico...it was hard to do that, but promised ourselves we'd make a special trip there some day; also Route 66!  I wanted to go there on my (66th)  year, but situations came up, so haven't made it there yet.

Some day, we hope to get to those places, and I feel we will...

 

Yes, it's great to travel down memory lane...it's the only travelling we do now..

 

I'd love to go to Paris again and have Peach Melba and a glass of Muscat Blanc.

 

Kat

 

[[Cr...]]

I have always heard of children choking on jolly ranchers and pennies.  Although I always seemed to have a problem with corn flakes when I was a kid.

[Guest [Si...]]

Time for Baseball.

 

What slugger did Boston name its third harbor tunnel after?

[[...]]

Ted Williams.  Wasn't he frozen after he died?

 

 

DDT was used with reckless abandon in the 40's -the early 70's. During the polio epidemic, sometimes  an entire city would be sprayed with DDT.

 

Who wrote the book, Silent Spring, laying out the reasons why the use of DDT must be stopped?

[[Gr...]]

Ted Williams.  Wasn't he frozen after he died?

...

Who wrote the book, Silent Spring, laying out the reasons why the use of DDT must be stopped?

 

Rachel Carson wrote "Silent Spring"

 

I think Ted Williams' head is what is frozen cryogenic-ally. Too weird. My head feels like it's cryogenic-ally frozen right now, with dry ice packed around it with the fog from it being  emitted directly into my cerebral cortex particularly the frontal lobes. Thanks for letting me share.

 

In what country is Transylvania located?

[[Ka...]]

I read ''Silent Spring".  Rachel Carson was ahead of her time.  Transylvania is located in Romania.  We passed through there...no vampires to be seen.

 

What does GMT stand for in reference to time zones?

[[...]]

Ted Williams.  Wasn't he frozen after he died?

...

Who wrote the book, Silent Spring, laying out the reasons why the use of DDT must be stopped?

 

Rachel Carson wrote "Silent Spring"

 

I think Ted Williams' head is what is frozen cryogenic-ally. Too weird. My head feels like it's cryogenic-ally frozen right now, with dry ice packed around it with the fog from it being  emitted directly into my cerebral cortex particularly the frontal lobes. Thanks for letting me share.

 

In what country is Transylvania located?

 

Hi Grace,

 

You seem to be a very nice person, with a great sense of humor!

[[...]]

I read ''Silent Spring".  Rachel Carson was ahead of her time.  Transylvania is located in Romania.  We passed through there...no vampires to be seen.

 

What does GMT stand for in reference to time zones?

 

Greenwich Mean Time.

 

When we think of tulips, we think of Holland. Why has The Netherlands  become the tulip growing region of the world?

[[ar...]]

Tulips were introduced into the Netherlands from Asia at the end of the 16th century by Carolus Clusius. People in the Netherlands were quick to take an interest in these bulbs and started experimenting with growing them in the gardens around their homes. Because the demand for tulips grew, an increasingly professional approach was devoted to their cultivation, and it turned out that the coastal area – and especially the strip of land just inside the Dutch dunes - had the perfect conditions for this. The marine climate with its mild winters and cool summers, proper drainage with a consistent water level, the right type of soil and the fact that the Netherlands was a centre of trade were all very beneficial factors. With the increasing urbanisation occurring in the traditional bulb growing regions, the most important growing areas today are located in the northern regions of the Netherlands where there is still enough land available for bulb growing. This will assure their cultivation in the Netherlands for a long time to come.

 

PJ- Hubbby is of Dutch descent & was born in Holland, although he came in Australia, at the age of 3. 

[[...]]

Thank you, arafurapearl.

 

My tulips are done blooming now, I wish they wouldn't dwindle away so fast.

 

Living in Austraila, I imagine that you go sailing on occasion.

 

 

In what Euorpean city did Benjamin Franklin and Capt. James cook occasionaly meet and dine together?

[[ar...]]

London?

 

Who said this?

 

"All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the present but neither see nor feel those of the future; and hence we often make troublesome changes without amendment, and frequently for the worse."

 

[[Mi...]]

You guys are either really smart or you're really quick with wiki

 

I just have to insert here that I love tulips!  When we lived up north, I planted 225 tulip bulbs of various colors one year - almost killed me.   The first year - nothing.  The second year, they all came up and there were lines of cars driving by our house to see them.

 

In response to the question about Ben Franklin and Capt. Cook, I was thinking Greenwich, London?  Just guessing...

 

 

[[...]]

London?

 

Who said this?

 

"All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the present but neither see nor feel those of the future; and hence we often make troublesome changes without amendment, and frequently for the worse."

 

 

Yes, it was London.

 

 

James Monroe?

[[...]]

You guys are either really smart or you're really quick with wiki

 

I just have to insert here that I love tulips!  When we lived up north, I planted 225 tulip bulbs of various colors one year - almost killed me.   The first year - nothing.  The second year, they all came up and there were lines of cars driving by our house to see them.

 

In response to the question about Ben Franklin and Capt. Cook, I was thinking Greenwich, London?  Just guessing...

 

 

 

Missy, what is Wiki? ...........London, you're right. Good job!

 

 

That is a lot of Tulips!, they really look pretty, in mass plantings. I bet you had a sore back.

 

One year the neighbor's little girl picked all tops off my tulips, when I saw her out in the yard, she said,'I picked all your flowers for you'. I thanked her and we had a good laugh together!

 

 

"a bird in the hand is worth more then two in the bush", what does this mean?

[[Ka...]]

The deer would have eaten all our tulips if not for hubby's intervention...no, he didn't shoot them, but did spray the plants.

 

"a bird in the hand is worth more then two in the bush", what does this mean?

 

It's better to have one window  and realize it for what it is then to keep searching for a few...just kidding

 

Value what you have right now than search for more and risk losing what you have...sorry with 1.5 hours  last night, my brain is  fried, but hope you get the idea.

 

What plant spends its entire life cycle underground?

[[Mi...]]

 

What plant spends its entire life cycle underground?

I can't wait for the answer!

[[Ka...]]

Rhizanthella gardneri, also known as Western Underground Orchid, was discovered in the spring of 1928 in the wheatbelt of Western Australia.

 

Jack Trott had bent to investigate an odd crack that had appeared in his garden's soil, and had noticed a sweet smell that arose from the ground. Scraping away the soil, he soon uncovered a tiny white flower, about half an inch across, growing underground. What he had found was an entirely new type of orchid.

 

The white leafless plant is made up of a tube which produces a flowerhead. Unlike any other orchid in Australia, the Western Australian underground orchid remains completely underground for its whole life. Not being able to obtain the sun's energy, it instead feeds on the broom honey myrtle, a shrub. It is linked to it by a fungus named Thanatephorus gardneri.[1]

 

This particular orchid is a myco-heterotroph as it relies completely on the Melaleuca uncinata and a mycorrhiza fungus for its nutrients and carbon dioxide. Having received this from the fungus the plant is then able to convert the water, nutrients and carbon dioxide into the energy needed for growth and maintenance.

 

The plant blooms in May and June and measures 2.5–3 cm. The flower head contains 8 to 90 small dark maroon flowers.

 

Rhizanthella gardneri reproduces vegetatively by which it can produce three daughter plants, as well as sexually. In the latter case the pollinated flower will then take six months to mature - pollination is thought to be effected by some animal species attracted by the fragrance. The seed is thought to be dispersed by Marsupialia, who eat the fruit, but substantial findings are hard to come by as only 19 mature specimens of the orchid are known to currently exist in the wild and only 300 specimens have been collected to date.

 

Maybe I'll grow this one too!  

 

 

[[ar...]]

Pj It was Benjamin Franklin.