Billlons
and Billions of Stars
 Astronomers
have discovered possibly the most amazing object in the known
universe. It's a black hole (NGC 1277) that's four light days
across. It's bigger than 17 billion of our suns crammed into
a ball. Click
the thumbnail to get a better idea of just how humongous this
thing is.
I present this to you not just because it's so stultifying immense
but because it's an opportunity to better understand the concept
of "billions". In the larger image you'll note that a single
white dot serves as the measure of the orbit of the Earth. You
cannot even see the Sun at this scale, yet 17 billion of these
unseen suns fill this immense space in three dimensions.
So think of that the next time you hear the military needs $500
billion dollars, or 29 of these sun-filled black holes, in the
next fiscal year and consider what a ridiculous, pointless sinkhole
of death
it
is.
----------------
 Every
day in this country young adults are forced
into the streets with
no place
to go
and little
to eat. Luckily for them there's places like Covenant
House. It
not only meets the immediate needs of homeless kids
but
also helps guide them to a self-sufficient future.
So if
you have a few bucks left over after buying Aunt Thelma
that new snood please consider making a small donation
this holiday season to this worthy organization. Thanks!
----------------
Uncle Lefty's Saturnalian Shopping Tips
Looking for that special example of commercial excess
to impress the jaded kin on your Xmas list? Well howzabout
one of these?
 Magical Mystery
Item
By the time most of us reach maturity we've been exposed
enough to the wonders of the world to be safely able
to name the consumer goods common to the lives of all
Americans. Like toasters, or
TVs, or
double-ended dildos. Sometimes, though, you encounter
something that jolts your "What the heck is that"
gland. And
this is one of them. See if you can guess the proper
function of this weapon of destruction is before you click
here and find out.
=Lefty=
Republican Job Creation Update
 11-28-12: The
House named six post offices and two federal buildings.
That's ALL they did the entire day. No jobs were created.
11-29-12: The House debated and ultimately
failed to pass a minor immigration bill. They then went
home early. No jobs were created.
For the full list of Republican
sloth please visit republicanjobcreation.com.
|
