Weather ~ Deer ~ Picture of the Day ~ First Color Photograph ~ Prime Rib Roast ~ Jo Ann Kirk ~ Winter Solstice

  

Good 30º cloudy everything is frozen morning.

 

Yesterday started cloudy and then a little blue sky and sunshine...

 

 

Then the dark clouds moved back in. They came and went. 

 

We topped at 53º.

 

Out in my pasture were some deer....

 

 

Picture of the day... architecture failure

 

 

 

 

Interesting about the first color photograph....

 

 

James Clerk Maxwell  (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879) was a Scottish mathematician and scientist responsible for the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, which was the first theory to describe electricity, magnetism and light as different manifestations of the same phenomenon. Maxwell's equations for electromagnetism have been called the "second great unification in physics" where the first one had been realized by Isaac Newton.

 

With the publication of "A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field" in 1865, Maxwell demonstrated that electric and magnetic fields travel through space as waves moving at the speed of light. He proposed that light is an undulation in the same medium that is the cause of electric and magnetic phenomena. The unification of light and electrical phenomena led his prediction of the existence of radio waves. Maxwell is also regarded as a founder of the modern field of electrical engineering.

 

His discoveries helped usher in the era of modern physics, laying the foundation for such fields as special relativity and quantum mechanics. Many physicists regard Maxwell as the 19th-century scientist having the greatest influence on 20th-century physics. His contributions to the science are considered by many to be of the same magnitude as those of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. In the millennium poll—a survey of the 100 most prominent physicists—Maxwell was voted the third greatest physicist of all time, behind only Newton and Einstein. On the centenary of Maxwell's birthday, Einstein described Maxwell's work as the "most profound and the most fruitful that physics has experienced since the time of Newton". Einstein, when he visited the University of Cambridge in 1922, was told by his host that he had done great things because he stood on Newton's shoulders; Einstein replied: "No I don't. I stand on the shoulders of Maxwell."

 

In the early days of photography, dating back to the oldest surviving photograph taken in 1826, images depicted the world in black and white. It wasn't until 1861 that Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell produced the world's first color photo.

 

 

Maxwell choose to take a picture of a tartan ribbon, “created,” writes National Geographic, “by photographing it three times through red, blue, and yellow filters, then recombining the images into one color composite.” Maxwell’s three-color method was intended to mimic the way the eye processes color.

 

Since my Jerry's family history goes back to Scotland, so possibly he had been related to this Maxwell. My Scottish family history centers around the names Dunbar and Mills.

 

If you want to read a lot more about this man, go here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Clerk_Maxwell

 

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

Whether you plan ahead, or wait till the last minute, we know this prime rib recipe will be perfect for your menu! This melt-in-your-mouth Christmas-favorite will have everyone "oohing" and "aahing" at the dinner table, but what really makes it special is the crunchy flavor-packed coating! Our Roasted Holiday Prime Rib will be the centerpiece of a Christmas dinner the family won't soon forget.

 

• 1 (5- to 6-pound) boneless beef prime rib
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

 

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Coat roasting pan with cooking spray. Place beef fat side up in pan. 
2. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients; mix well. Rub mixture evenly over beef. The mixture will be kind of thick, so you will need to sort of pat it on. 
3. Roast beef 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees. Continue cooking 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours (or about 15 minutes per pound), or until a meat thermometer reaches 135 degrees for medium-rare, or until desired doneness beyond that. (Even though medium rare is 145 degrees, the meat will continue to cook once you take it out of the oven, so after it rests for about 10 minutes, it should be perfect.)
4. Remove beef to cutting board and let stand 15 minutes before carving into thick slices.
    

***To give the roast a crispier crust, broil it for the last few minutes of cooking.

***Don’t let all those drippings go to waste; add a splash of dry red wine and/or beef broth to the pan and give it a good stir. If your pan is stovetop-safe, you can simmer it to bring all those flavors together. Then serve this on the side and you’ll have the most flavorful roast ever.

 

 

Special birthday today, Jo Ann Kirk, wife of the infamous Joe Kirk (LASD ret.) HAPPY BIRTHDAY JO ANN!!!

 

 

Historically this date........

1913 – Arthur Wynne's "word-cross", the first crossword puzzle, is published in the New York World.

1937 – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the world's first full-length animated feature, premieres at the Carthay Circle Theater.

1968 – Apollo program: Apollo 8 launched from the Kennedy Space Center, placing its crew on a lunar trajectory for the first visit to another celestial body by humans.

1988 – A bomb explodes on board Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, killing 243 and 16 crew. 

2004 – Iraq War: A suicide bomber killed 22 at the forward operating base next to the main U.S. military airfield at Mosul, Iraq, the single deadliest suicide attack on American soldiers.

 

 

 

 

And births this date include....

1922 – Paul Winchell, American ventriloquist (d. 2005)

1935 – Phil Donahue, American talk show host

1946 – Carl Wilson, American musician (The Beach Boys) (d. 1998)

L-R Mike Love, Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson (d. at 39), Carl Wilson (d. at 51)

 

1954 – Chris Evert, American tennis player

1957 – Ray Romano, Italian-American comedian

1959 – Florence Griffith Joyner, American sprinter (d. 1998)

1966 – Kiefer Sutherland, British-born Canadian actor

He's got the longest name of anyone I ever heard of! Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland!

 

 

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Happy Tuesday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

 

The winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. It occurs annually between December 20th and December 23rd.

The winter solstice is marked by the point at which the North Pole is at its farthest from the sun during its yearly orbit around the sun. It will be approximately 23 degrees away from the sun.  Despite the temperature outside, the winter solstice is considered the astronomical beginning of winter. Meteorological winter begins December 1st and lasts until the end of February. It’s marked by the coldest average temperatures during the year.

Depending on how far north a person is in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter, their day can range from 9.5 hours to absolutely no sunrise at all.  On the bright side, the days will gradually become longer in the Northern Hemisphere until the summer solstice in June. In the Southern Hemisphere, this same day marks the summer solstice and the Southern Hemisphere’s longest day of the year.

The vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox conventionally mark the beginning of spring and fall respectively and occur when night and day are approximately equal in length.

Around the world since ancient times to modern-day, celebrations, festivals, rituals and holidays recognizing the winter solstice have varied from culture to culture.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Winter lovers, enjoy the shortest day of the year. Those longing for more sunlight, prepare to celebrate. Longer days are ahead. 

WINTER SOLSTICE HISTORY

Since the marking of time and the earliest calendars, this day marked the hardest time of the year for early people.  Survival was paramount when food and heat are not reliable.  In all corners of the Earth, there are ancient remains that seem to have been built around marking the winter solstice.

• Probably the most famous of these is Stonehenge, England. Every year when the sun sets on the winter solstice, the sun’s rays align with two of the giant stones known as the central Altar and the Slaughter stone.
• As the sun rises the day of the winter solstice, its rays illuminate the main chambers of the monument dating back to 3200 B.C. at Newgrange, Ireland.
• In Tulum, Mexico an ancient Mayan city stands deserted. At the top of one of these buildings, a small hole casts a starburst when the sun rises on the winter and summer solstices.