The "Long Count" ended today

[giddyap 1,569]

It was 12-21-2012 when we all survived the end of the world. Who could forget? So now 9 years later on this day of the winter solitice I took a couple scientific notations. I marked my flag's shadow on the ground to show where the sun was in the sky and I measured a 11'5 shadow from my 5'8 frame at high noon.

 

So what went wrong with that crazy Mayan prediction or more correctly their calculation? Nothing! Their 26,000 year measure was right on target when the earth crossed the plane of our MilkyWay   galaxy.  Earth does not have a stable position, instead it wobbels as if it bounces  up and down on it's 240 million year journey around the galaxy. It was only the end of a cycle.

 

The Mayan civilization was about a 1000 years ago and their observations so precise their 3 part calendar measured astrological events. And today the 5126 year section cycled out. I'm so impressed that these two dates and Appllo 11 occured in my lifetime. As I wrote this I discovered the precise time the sun was directly over the Tropic of Cancer was 10:29am. That ruins my calendar project. 

 https://hhsancientmaya.weebly.com/calendar.html     

[stevasaurus 22,764]

Fascinating things going on there.  Without looking it up...that passing of the Earth through the plane of the galaxy happens every so often.  Looking back, that event matches up with many significant changes...like the dinos passing, the ice age, and others.  

[stevasaurus 22,764]

Good timing..."How the Universe Works" is on the Science Channel all day today.  

[giddyap 1,569]

4 minutes ago, stevasaurus said:

Good timing..."How the Universe Works" is on the Science Channel all day today.  

 

8 pm is new "Hubble:30 years of discoveries" 

[stevasaurus 22,764]

I'm thinking it is this series that talked about the Earth passing through the plane of the Galaxy...don't know for sure or iff they will show that today.  

[stevasaurus 22,764]

https://www.google.com/search?q=earth+and+the+plane+of+the+galaxy&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS865US865&oq=earth+and+the+plane+of+the+galaxy&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i22i29i30i395.22372j1j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[WHX?? 48,828]

Gimme about 3 1/2 more hours and I'll ponder all this at cocktail hour ... I can see you guys started a little early! 

[giddyap 1,569]

43 minutes ago, stevasaurus said:

 passing of the Earth through the plane of the galaxy happens every so often.  Looking back, that event matches up with many significant changes...like the dinos passing, the ice age, and others.  

 

Aha, now I know what you meant "every so often." Earth passes thru the galaxy's equator every 26000 years. 30 million years from now we will pass thru the plane and that contains most of the galaxy's mass.  

[stevasaurus 22,764]

I did not remember the time frame, that's why I said "every so often".  26,000 years...a blink of an eye in galactic time.  

@WHX??  didn't you retire once already...Navy.  Ever stand out on that ship and look up and wonder how things work...that is the Myan blood in you.  

[WHX?? 48,828]

4 minutes ago, stevasaurus said:

Ever stand out on that ship and look up and wonder how things work...

Many times Dino many.... since there was no booze on board tho I always just thought it was too much blood in my alcohol system. 

[stevasaurus 22,764]

I envy you being in places where you can look up and see that, Jim.  I had that stationed in Maine in the 70's, but I can't get away from the light anymore around here.    Sometimes, up in the UP, Michigan we could do that.  Fishing trips to Canada- Lac Soul was great for star viewing.  New Mexico, Philmont Scout Ranch was top notch also.

 

[squonk 41,150]

I used to go down to the Sampson Naval Base (Now a state park) and be able to get away from the light. The first time I did it I couldn't believe it.

[ebinmaine 67,593]

2 hours ago, stevasaurus said:

Maine

Every cloud free night here brother man. Stop by anytime.   

[953 nut 55,298]

5 hours ago, giddyap said:

Earth does not have a stable position, instead it wobbels as if it bounces  up and down on it's 240 million year journey around the galaxy.

Watched a PBS program a year or so back that said the earth's axis is shifting at a predictable rate, they calculate our next ice age will begin in about 10,000 years. I don't like extreme cold weather so I'm glad I won't be here. Seems the foreseeable movement of the earths axis has a lot more to do with climate change than anything else. The Vostok, East Antarctica ice core demonstrates 420,000 years of climate change. Here is a link to a short article on the ice core.

https://cdiac.ess-dive.lbl.gov/trends/co2/vostok.html 

[WHX?? 48,828]

3 hours ago, stevasaurus said:

I envy you being in places where you can look up and see that, Jim. 

 

Thank you Steve.... once when I was on  Great Lakes cruise coming out of the St. Larry seaway it made one wonder.  (another whole sea story) the northern lights.  

Getting back to Giddys orginal thoughts remember  the Y2K thing when all computers were supposed to stop? Didn't that have to do with something about the end of the Mayan calendar Giddy ? Or am I on crack? 

No matter ... calls for a pic.... L to R Giddy, Dan , Caleb ( @PeacemakerJack) boy and I.  I'll never forget this ...it was raining pitchforks and hammer handles and we dodged inside to load Giddy's trailer. Had to remove some front wheels if I recollect right to get her loaded.  BS 2018. To me friendships is what this is and what the universe is made of. 

[Handy Don 12,235]

4 hours ago, squonk said:

I used to go down to the Sampson Naval Base (Now a state park) and be able to get away from the light. The first time I did it I couldn't believe it.

Just up the road from Babcock Hovey Scout Camp where I worked as a counselor. We'd do star walks with the campers on the parade field and it was just amazing to me.

[Handy Don 12,235]

1 hour ago, WHX?? said:

remember the Y2K thing when all computers were supposed to stop?

Vividly.

I spent 1999 leading a five-person coding team that did nothing else but make sure that it would be a non-event at our company and we succeeded. Then more than a couple of folks asked "Hey, nothing broke, what was the big deal?" Sigh.

[giddyap 1,569]

10 hours ago, WHX?? said:

the Y2K thing when all computers were supposed to stop? Didn't that have to do with something about the end of the Mayan calendar

 

I could be wrong but I believe Y2K and 12/21/12 were seperate doomsday predictions. The two events may have blended together being only 12 years apart. I haven't heard a thing about 2/22/22  https://www.timeanddate.com/date/doomsday-rule.html

 

I remember that rainey day, it was the first time I met everybody. I bought a parts tractor and Dan wanted the tires. My offer still stands if you want to stop and rest on your way to the Big Show. I'm about 10 hours from Oshkosh and 6 hours to the BS

[953 nut 55,298]

12 minutes ago, giddyap said:

I haven't heard a thing about 2/22/22

Here ya go! Tutu, tutu, tutu, tutu, tutu.                                    

11 hours ago, WHX?? said:

To me friendships is what this is and what the universe is made of. 

Those are words to live by.                    I remember meeting all four of you for the fist time at the 2018 Bis show. The rain didn't diminish the enjoyment of sharing time with new friends.

[WHX?? 48,828]

59 minutes ago, giddyap said:

My offer still stands if you want to stop and rest on your way to the Big Show. I'm about 10 hours from Oshkosh and 6 hours to the BS

Just may take you up on that sometime. Dan and I may do a BS speed run to sell parts and hob nob with Hosen n the boys. 

[Handy Don 12,235]

We're just about over the hump waiting for the next BS. Six months down and six to go!

[giddyap 1,569]

Sidebar:

I include these marbles in my Apollo tribute. The Yellow arch in the corner of the room is the 15 foot sun to scale but should be located down the street

https://www.ebay.com/itm/124703675329?hash=item1d08eb13c1:g:2RMAAOSwkPRgjBUu

[stevasaurus 22,764]

I think the computer thingy in 2000 was all about the computer clock being able to recognize time past 1999.  

[Handy Don 12,235]

29 minutes ago, stevasaurus said:

I think the computer thingy in 2000 was all about the computer clock being able to recognize time past 1999.  

1999 to 2000 is what we needed--easy to distinguish.

What we had all over the place in the code was "99" going to "00". Oops.

When my team tested our payroll applications in January 1999 (on a computer we had set up to think it was January 1, 2000) the apps  failed within seconds. I can tell you that explaining that no one is getting paid because of a "computer glitch" was not an appealing option.

Edited December 22, 2021 by Handy Don

[953 nut 55,298]

6 hours ago, stevasaurus said:

I think the computer thingy in 2000 was all about the computer clock being able to recognize time past 1999.  

I was an operator at a nuclear power plant when Y2K was such a big concern. The entire transition had been rehearsed on the training simulator several times and everyone was satisfied that it wasn't going to be a problem. Just to be on the safe side a plan was developed to eliminate the possibility of a computer malfunction.

We had three shifts on site and everything was placed in manual control (took about ten hours) during the day on 12/31/1999. As midnight came and went we found that every automatic action that was controlled by a computer would have functioned just fine. Now everything had to be taken from manual back to automatic, this process took much longer because every transition had to stabilize before the next step could be made.