Snowy Bank
Why are Neptune and Uranus Different Colors? — Universe Today
Uranus and Neptune are similar planets in many ways. Both are ice giant worlds, both have atmospheres rich in methane, and both have a bluish color. 567 more words
Why are Neptune and Uranus Different Colors? — Universe Today
This Day in History
February 9, 1971:
Satchel Paige is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Paige was the first player from baseball’s Negro League to be selected to join the Hall of Fame, having played for such notable Negro League teams as the Kansas City Monarchs and Philadelphia Stars. At age 42 he had become the oldest rookie in Major League Baseball, Pitching for Cleveland. His earned run average of 3.29 remains one of the best in history.
Taken From: This Day in History by Jim Daley; Copyright 2019; Publications International, LTD
My Band, Blabpipe
Random Thoughts: On the 2022 Oscar Nominations
Some Oscar talk here.
A peculiar 2021 movie year semi-officially comes to an end with the 2022 Academy Awards. This morning the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced their much anticipated nominees for this year’s Oscars. As is the case every year, this batch has its share of surprises – a few good, plenty of bad, and some that are downright perplexing. Needless to say they’ve left us with plenty to talk about. Here are a few random thoughts about the 2022 Oscar nominations.
- It was a big morning for “Dune” which I loved to see. It ended the morning with a total of 10 Oscar nominations. It was my favorite movie of the year so clearly no arguments here.
- Except in Best Director! How on earth did Denis Villeneuve not get a directing nomination for “Dune”? It scores a nod in so many other eligible category but not Best Director? Anderson…
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Winter Hiking Is for the Rest of Us
It is possible (and therapeutic) to get out there this time of year!
I went winter camping for the first time this past weekend. It was really amazing, and yes, it involves a tent stove. This was not me against the elements on a snowy cliff with just a sleeping bag, food pellets, and a death wish.Warm food, fire and a comfortable bed were involved. I may be crazy, but I’m not that crazy. I will blog about it soon, but in the meantime. I’m reposting this piece from 2 years ago. You can enjoy it as uplifting encouragement to get outside in winter with minimal equipment. Or you could also view it as a dangerous gateway drug. I did those hikes 2 years ago and look at me now, camping in winter. Who knows where this will lead in 2 more years. Maybe a snowy cliff?
I was in New Hampshire earlier this week, primarily to cozy up to a fire…
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‘The Beatles: Get Back’ Review: Peter Jackson’s Documentary Epic Is an Addictive Look at Who the Beatles Were — Variety
How does anyone, especially a Beatle, write a melody? The answer may be as simple as it is mysterious. In “The Beatles: Get Back,” Peter Jackson’s sprawling and revelatory fly-on-the-studio-wall documentary, there’s a great moment when we get to see it happen. It’s January 1969, and the Beatles — long-haired, scruffy, bearded, looking less like […]
‘The Beatles: Get Back’ Review: Peter Jackson’s Documentary Epic Is an Addictive Look at Who the Beatles Were — Variety
Winter Mood Watercolor
After the main part of the preparation for the FabrianoInAcquarello 2022 festival is done and my workshop in Hannover is over I had a bit more time to paint. I decided to paint this winter mood watercolor landscape as a warm-up. I have overdone it a bit at the end but I like the colors and the mood. Painted on Fabriano Ingres paper 150g, 50x70cm with Lukas Watercolor 1862 paints.
Nachdem der Hauptteil der Vorbereitung für das Festival FabrianoInAcquarello 2022 erledigt ist und mein Workshop in Hannover vorbei ist, hatte ich etwas mehr Zeit zum Malen. Ich habe mich entschieden, diese winterliche Aquarelllandschaft zum Aufwärmen zu malen. Ich habe es am Ende etwas übertrieben, aber ich mag die Farben und die Stimmung. Gemalt auf Fabriano Ingres Papier 150 g, 50 x 70 cm mit Lukas Aquarellfarben von 1862.
Celebrating winter in vivid watercolors! The Watercolor Season Series is complete with…
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Super Bowl 56 Prediction
Los Angeles Rams vs Cincinnati Bengals
February 13, 2022:
Ever just go with your gut? I mean, go against all common reasoning, and stick with this persistent feeling you have about something? I am so tempted to do so with my Super Bowl prediction.
On paper this is not a favorable matchup for the Cincinnati Bengals. The Los Angeles Rams’ front seven, featuring Aaron Donald, Von Miller, and Leonard Floyd offer a fearsome proposition for a beleaguered Bengals offensive line. Common sense would tell you that the Rams can tee off on the OL and force Cincy quarterback Joe Burrow to get rid of the ball in a hurry.
But alas, one of Burrow’s strengths is doing just that; taking what the defense gives him and utilizing screens and dump offs to combat the pressure. This could one of those games where we hear a lot out of receivers Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins. Look for quick strikes to running back Joe Mixon, as well.
On the other side of the ball, who would have thought Cincinnati’s defense would limit Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs to just three points after halftime at Arrowhead Stadium? The Bengals’ defense is one that I have attacked in the past, but when the team lost the overtime coin toss in Kansas City, the defense made a play and got Burrow the ball.
I’m a fan of Rams’ quarterback Matthew Stafford. I have a soft spot for someone who has endured adversity and consistent losing as Stafford has with the Detroit Lions. I like how he has utilized his wideouts Cooper Kupp and a rejuvenated Odell Beckham Jr. I look for the Rams to score plenty of points, but will Stafford commit that costly mistake that he has a reputation for, fair or unfair? Another question mark for the Rams is the status of tight end Tyler Higbee, much more than a mere security blanket for Stafford.
So how will this game play out? The easy way would be to expect the Rams to force Burrow out of his comfort zone with a consistent pass rush. But Burrow just has a knack for doing something to defy the odds, especially this postseason. So, going with my gut tells me to pick the Bengals. But common sense says the Rams. Ugh!
Here it is. Lots of points will be scored. Burrow will adjust to the LA defensive pressure and lead the Bengals up and down the field. Stafford will make plays to the usual suspects as the Rams keep up. In the end, the Rams, at home, will capitalize on one huge defensive play, such as a strip sack that will end a last gasp Bengals drive to tie the game.
LA Rams 31 Cincinnati Bengals 24
Super Bowl MVP: Matthew Stafford
This Day in History
February 8, 1943:
Americans secure Guadalcanal.
On February 8, 1943, Japanese troops evacuate Guadalcanal, leaving the island in Allied possession after a prolonged campaign. The American victory paved the way for other Allied wins in the Solomon Islands.
Guadalcanal is the largest of the Solomons, a group of 992 islands and atolls, 347 of which are inhabited, in the South Pacific Ocean. The Solomons, which are located northeast of Australia and have 87 Indigenous languages, were introduced to Europe in 1568 by the Spanish navigator Alvaro de Mendana de Neyra (1541-95). In 1893, the British annexed Guadalcanal, along with the other central and southern Solomons. The Germans took control of the northern Solomons in 1885, but transferred these islands, except for Bougainville and Buka (which eventually went to the Australians) to the British in 1900.
The Japanese invaded the Solomons in 1942 during World War II and began building a strategic airfield on Guadalcanal. On August 7 of that year, U.S. Marines landed on the island, signaling the Allies’ first major offensive against Japanese-held positions in the Pacific. The Japanese responded quickly with sea and air attacks. A series of bloody battles ensued in the debilitating tropical heat as Marines sparred with Japanese troops on land, while in the waters surrounding Guadalcanal, the U.S. Navy fought six major engagements with the Japanese between August 24 and November 30. In mid-November 1942, the five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, Iowa, died together when the Japanese sank their ship, the USS Juneau.
Both sides suffered heavy losses of men, warships and planes in the battle for Guadalcanal. An estimated 1,600 U.S. troops were killed, over 4,000 were wounded and several thousand more died from disease. The Japanese lost 24,000 soldiers. On December 31, 1942, Emperor Hirohito told Japanese troops they could withdraw from the area; the Americans secured Guadalcanal about five weeks later.
The Solomons gained their independence from Britain in 1978. In the late 1990s, fighting broke out between rival ethnic groups on Guadalcanal and continued until an Australian-led international peacekeeping mission restored order in 2003. Today, with a population of over half a million people, the Solomons are known as a scuba diver and fisherman’s paradise.
Taken from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history
Whipped Owl 