Standard Candles

I love this phrase, standard candles, it’s a way of looking at the universe to work out distances in light years.

But I keep getting conspiracy theories about the universe from people on the Internet. I decided to try and explain my point of view.

I explained I’m not a physicist or optical expert. But I’ve read a lot over the years so this is my take on measuring the universe’s size.

This is what I wrote. Please accept my apologies if this is totally wrong. I only have a scant understanding.

I’m no

t an expert in optics but I think they have found the universe is over 13 billion years old based on the time light takes to arrive at earth. The science uses standard candles (globular clusters of stars that have the same light production so they can be used to judge distance because of light intensity). John Gribben explains this well in his popular science books.
Parallax can also be used to measure distance. If you look out of one eye at your thumb at arms length, then at it from your other eye you will see it apparently move. The same can be done from earth observatories. Look at a star at one end of Earth’s orbit around the sun then 6 months later at the other end… Effectively creating a very long thin triangle. The star will move a tiny fraction against the background of other stars. Using simple geometry you can measure the distance. These methods helped to work out how far other galaxies are outside the milky way. I read all of this from books by authors like Issac Asimov, Sir Patrick Moore, Carl Sagan, Brian Cox, and John Gribben among others. Not by watching Fox news.

(the last bit because I was accused of believing things that are on TV)

Food

I took this photo a few days ago and have no idea where it was at and who I was with! How can I have forgotten? I honestly don’t remember and you take a picture because the food is so nice. I don’t even remember what flavour it was!

It’s quite presentable, and I’m sure it was tasty, but after the last few days of problems and activity the whole thing has completely gone….

You know, the whole Internet is full of images of food. I guess you could save a lot of wasted space by not posting pictures of it!

My friend painting.

Quick sketch, crafty group, I wasn’t well so just did this. Pencil on cartridge paper. I think I still have my skill in drawing but Parkinsons makes it harder. I still hope to get better medication and reduce the dopamine breaking down in my brain. I love art and hate the way this disease is making me “stick”, or  shaking uncontrollably.

I’m trying hard to keep going, I do not enjoy how things are. But I realise my life is a lot better than some peoples lives. I’m lucky to live in a country with a universal health service. My eternal gratitude goes to the NHS., without which I would be stuffed!

Accordion

Can you see this… Sketch of an accordion.. On the back of an envelope in pencil. I loved the curve of it. The way the lines flow up through the instrument and into the knitted jumper. Yes I loved drawing the hands as he played. There is a round table with a half empty glass of bass beer (with a triangular trade mark), a notebook and his mobile phone. Plus a bass beer mat. I am not advertising though. It was lovely and welcoming at the Beehive pub in Honeywall, Stoke-on-Trent.

Asterix the Gaul

What’s your favorite cartoon?

I loved the Asterix books when I was a child. I think I read most of them. All the characters were so funny, getafix, obelix. The chieftain who walks around under a shield because he’s afraid the sky will fall on his head. The tiny dog.. The magic strength potion.

They live in the North West of Gaul and are constantly fighting the Romans or the British. The artwork is tremendous. The books by Goscinny and Uderso were translated into English from French I think. It was the first time I had seen swearwords depicted as symbols. Like. X&@#!? £X! For example. I didn’t know about swearing at the time so I assumed it was a coded language!

I learned to draw cartoons by copying the characters. I think that helped develop my hand eye coordination, I was happy.

Missing fine weather

A few months after our driest summer in years we are constantly getting wet weather gales and storms. The rain gets through holes and doen chimneys and overflowing guttering.

I want brilliant white clouds floating in azure blue skies. Sunlight on my head and shoulders. Soft breezes, not howling gales. Scents and smells that lift the spirits, not mould and fungus.

So, the spring will come again. I hope to enjoy the rest of winter and then greet spring with open arms.