It would have made a great answer on Jeopardy. For all we know, maybe it was: “I will take MAP WORDS for $200, Alex.” “An instrument used for measuring curved lines on a map.” “Buzz – What is an ‘opisometer’, Alex” “Correct!” According to Merriam-Webster (defining words since 1828!), the pronunciation is rendered as ‘op-i-som-e-ter’ […]
When my folks finally moved from their last home at the age 93 and 89, they had owned three different homes in Marquette over a fifty year span. They had toyed with the idea of downsizing to an apartment when both were in their late seventies, but we pointed out, a) they were doing fine […]
Let us start this month’s AstroCal with a lesser known object visible in the evening sky one hour after sunset. The constellation it is found in is an easily recognized Sign of the Zodiac, Pisces, the Fish. Pisces forms a rather large ‘V’ shape that is tilted somewhat to the right. At the end […]
When I read the front page article in what was to prove to be the last daily issue of the Ironwood Globe (August 31, 2022), it hit me like a line-drive to the forehead. The sudden turn of events took what their publisher described as a ‘thriving, profitable business’ and changed their business model […]
If you are old enough to remember Johnny Carson’s ‘Carnac the Magnificent’, you can skip the explanation. Carson, decked out with his cape and oversized headgear as Carnac, would hold a sealed envelope to his forehead and predict the answer to the question posed on a slip of paper inside. For example, Carnac would […]
A while back, we chronicled the life of Jimi Hendrix from his childhood in Seattle, Washington to the first meeting with his future manager and producer, Chas Chandler in New York City in 1966 (FTV: Johnny Allen Hendrix 5-25-22 and Johnny Allen Hendrix – Part 2 6-1-22). While musicians in the United States were just […]
AstroCal – September 2022 Before we get too deep into the fall observing highlights, let us give two thumbs up and a generous pat on the back to all of the intrepid photographers who have been posting auroral displays this summer. There have been some spectacular displays of northern lights and we need to […]