Apr 202020
 

… So I was just trying to mind my own business and sort out this danged rayality, and now with so much danged time on my hands and out of household projects, I’ve got to resort to this crap again! “Oh, type something funny blog monkey, entertain us!”

Ugh. I hate you people, even when you’re not around!

So having extra time to contemplate the Universe, I’ve decided to … uh … contemplate the Universe!

Hey, I’ve always loved space and astronomy, and all the wonder of the endless cosmos that surround this tiny blue marble. In fact, it was just about a year ago in this space that I was trying to wrap my mind around the first-ever images of a black hole in outer space, among other cool features and images from well beyond our earthbound existence.

If you’re inclined to notice, the pace of the discoveries being made by astronomers and astrophysicists around the globe is continuing unabated. It seems as if every day they’re finding new exoplanets (more than 50 already in 2020), spotting interstellar objects (such as Oumuamua), and unraveling more and more mysteries about dark matter, black holes and all manner of interstellar mystery.

Oh, and what about all the new constellations! It doesn’t get as much notice as some of the other space stories out there, but there’s been a slew of new connect-the-stars drawings. In 2018, NASA made headlines when it named 21 new constellations that have been identified using the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The Hulk (because of the gamma-ray connection), Godzilla, the Starship Enterprise, and Dr. Who’s Tardis are among the latest official additions to the lore of the night sky. Such mirth and madcappery! Who says scientists are boring? Pah!

Of course, with all the other news as of late, you may have missed some of the brandy-new ones that were recently added. Always eager to spread knowledge, let me share a few with you:

First up, if you look to the Western spring sky, is Manny the Manatee—

Manny

A bit crude, but you can see him … you know, if you squint a bit.

Next is Steve, the Fisherman …

steve_fish

Again, a tad of imagination is needed, but you can see it. Sort of.

Now if you’re worried that Steve is lonely up there in the Heavens all by himself, don’t worry! Just a few galaxies over is Bertha the Librarian.

bertha_librarian

Awww … she’s a cutie, right? And I bet she’s a lot of fun when those glasses come off—watch out, Steve!

Speaking of more fun, to the Far North, there’s Squatchy the Sasquatch!

Squatchy

Not exactly a looker, but hey, I’m sure to the right Bigfoot, she’s a  … uh … another Bigfoot. I’m not one to judge. Love is love.

And everyone loves dogs, right? Turn South and say hi to Hector, the Support Chihuahua!

Hector

He looks sorta mean for support pup, no? Well, I’m sure he makes some nervous frequent flyer happy, even if he’s not all that friendly.

Oh, you know who’s always a friendly? Dorothy the Dinosaur!

dorothy

Romp-pomp-a-chomp!

And while we’re on iconic children’s figures, how can we have a party in the sky without Fudgie the Whale?!

fudgie

And, of course, a quasar to the left, his good friend Cookie Puss!

cookiepuss

Hmm … not sure why, but do they kind of look … oh, never mind! I’m just seeing things.

Okay, I’m not going to pretend to understand this one, but hey, it’s Flappers the Two-Headed Goat!

flappers

Yay? Hmmm …

Finally, this one over the night skies of Philly is simply called Ongo the Influencer.

Ongo

Derivative!

Anyway, always happy to drop some knowledge on you all. Sweet dreams my little blogaroos!

Dec 182012
 

In case you haven’t heard, according to the Maya, the End Of The World is forecast for this Friday. Oh sure, plenty of learned men, such as my old pal Dr. Kenny Feder, have absolutely debunked the ridiculously misunderstood “prophecy”—science works like that—but you know me. As an old boy scout, I like to be prepared.

As such, here are

The Top 10 Things on My To-Do List Before the End of the World This Friday, December 21, 2012

1. Buy new underwear – You know, like how your mother has warned you to not go out without clean underwear in case you get hit by a bus, the same applies here—no one wants to go out wearing nasty and tattered old undies.

2. Empty the freezer of all ice cream – Although this is something I routinely do on any given week, there’s probably a good chance that there’s going to be issues with power if the world ends, which means no electricity to run refrigerators. Rather than watch all those helpless Klondike bars melt, I might as well put them out of their misery. I’m good like that.

3. Get around to making all those charitable donations — Just in case there’s something to karma/heaven, I should make sure that I have a few extra “pluses” in the “good” column. So, let’s say the checks are in the mail. (Just don’t cash anything until Saturday, thanks!)

4. Print out that email from Salma Hayek — The one where she tersely said, “Not unless you were the last man on Earth.” May come in handy on Saturday if somehow it’s just her and I hanging out where the Shake Shack and most of our known civilization used to be, and she forgets that whole kerfuffle with the restraining order. (“But you’re on *my* list!”)

5. Get to work finishing that next manuscript — Okay, by “finishing” I mean “actually starting”—I’d hate to be a one-hit wonder, although I’m not even quite sure I’d qualify for that yet as it’d technically require “a hit.” (You all should probably buy a few extra copies now as it might be tricky to get after Friday’s ultimate destruction.)

6. Climb Mt. Everest — You know, to say that I did. Given the time constraint, however, That Gently Sloping Hill A Few Blocks Over might have to do. Or I could just drive up it—pretty much the same thing, right? Man conquers Nature, yet again!

7. Collect a few old debts — Okay, Billy Olah, if you’re out there, you still owe me 35 cents for that chocolate eclair I bought you at the trading post at summer camp in 1978 and you promised you’d pay me back. I know it sounds petty to remember something 30-something years later, but by buying him that one, it was one less I was able to have. Not a big deal now, of course, but when you’re a growing teenager stuck at summer camp with a budget of less than a dollar a day to supplement the “food” from the mess hall, it’s matters.

8. Fix that leaky faucet in the bathroom — Seriously, how am I supposed to enjoy Eternity if I know that thing is still dripping?

9. Rent Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter —  I really enjoyed the book and I haven’t heard too many great things about the movie, but I feel like if I’ve got time for just one movie this week, I might as well make it one I was vaguely interested in seeing, especially since my buddy Bob already made me watch Human Centipede.

10. Gear up for that New York Jets Super Bowl that would have been this year — Because the way they’ve embarrassed themselves the past few years, it’d have to be the end of the world if they had a serious chance of getting to the Gig Game.

Enjoy The End everyone! And whoever is last, remember to turn out the lights.