AZein

Tweets by AzEIN

Are we alone?

.....but where are they? This is our location in the Milky Way galaxy.

Have you ever looked up into the night sky and wondered what/who else is out there? Are we alone in the Universe? I have, dozens of times. All of our efforts to answer the question ‘Is there life on other planets?’ are based on finding life that is similar to life as we know it on Earth. That is an extremely arrogant line of research. Where is it written that the Earth type of life form is pervasive, and that this is the only type of life that can exist? All life forms on our planet are carbon-based. So, as exobiologists and xenobiologists go forth in the search for extraterrestrial life, they are most likely going to look for life forms that are made up of the same components as life on earth, because that is all we know. But what evidence do we have that proves all other forms of highly-intelligent life, if they exist, have to be similar to what we know? None. It is quite possible that the conditions required for life forms with which we are familiar may not be required for other forms of life. The universe is widely believed by physicists to be infinite in size, and even if it is not, the number of galaxies we can observe is astoundingly large. Based solely on the sheer vastness of the Universe, it is much more likely that there are many other planets inhabited by highly-intelligent forms of life, than to be so foolish and narcissistic to believe we are alone. Earth, after all, is nothing more than a tiny speck in the Milky Way galaxy (Earth rotates around merely one of at least 200 billion stars in the galaxy), and our galaxy is one of at least 170 billion. So, If only a tiny fraction of planets formed life, and if only a tiny fraction of those planets went on to evolve intelligent life, there is still a high probability that intelligent life exists out there on extraterrestrial planets. This does not mean, however, that they are visiting Earth in UFOs. The vast distances of space make interstellar travel extremely impractical and communications very difficult. For example, if there are intelligent life forms even just a few dozen light years away, using the technology we currently have, they would not be able to discover the intelligent life here on Earth. So, we may remain isolated for a very long time, if not forever.

Stung!

The view from my towel before the vicious attack. Looks safe enough...

Have you ever been attacked by a Jellyfish? Well I have...it happened last Saturday down at Haulover Beach in Sunny Isles, FL. I was having a great afternoon. I had rode my new bike 10 miles down to the beach and was ready to cool off and play in the waves. After reading a few chapters in my new Agatha Christie novel and enjoying a few minutes of sunbathing I was ready for the water. I had been frolicking in the waves for about 20 minutes when suddenly it felt as if the entire left side of my body were on fire. It was an electric shock of pain that is can only be described as if a sea of flames were licking up my side, trying to devour me. I hadn't been informed that there were vicious Jellyfish prowling the waters, so I had no idea what it was. I tried to play it off, but the pain only worsened and my left arm began to go numb. I decided it would be a good idea to get out of the water...since I didn't really know what was going on AND I was beginning to feel a bit dizzy and lightheaded. I slowly made my way back to my towel. I took a peek at my side and saw that it had turned the color of a ripe tomato. Large welts were forming and something slimy was stuck to me. Seeing this, combined with the rest of the of my ailments, sent me into a tizzy. I panicked. I began hyperventilating. My throat closed up. Tears streamed down my cheeks. Not knowing what else to do, I stumbled over to the lifegaurd station. By this time I had realized something in the water had attacked me and I had convinced myself I was about to die, as a result. The lifegaurd rushed down to me and I showed him my side. He promptly sprayed me down with the bottle of vinegar he was carrying, peeled the slimy stuff off (the Jellyfish tentacle. Yuck!) sat me down and slung a breathing mask over my face. He called for backup, while explaining to me that I had been stung by a Box Jellyfish.

Getting Past Your Past

The scars nobody can see...the ones only you know exist; These are the scars of past experiences and they are the hardest to heal. There is no ointment to apply, no medicine to take. The only remedy for these blemishes is time and acceptance. The thing about time is that it's going to pass, regardless of what you do, so you might as well make the most of it. Sometimes though, even after many years, you find yourself brooding over painful experiences, unable to get past them. You become so consumed with what has been or could have been, when instead you should be focusing on the future. We all know it's not possible to turn back the hands of time, but you can contrive your future. Sometimes people believe that who they were before, is all they will ever be. Of course that's ridiculous.You really can do whatever you set your mind to, but first you have to drop the weight of the past. Letting who you were yesterday, define who you are today and who you will be tomorrow will put a damper on your personal growth, and may rob you of happiness in the present. Understand that letting go of your past doesn't mean forgetting or denying who you are. It's important to remember; you should use life experiences as motivation to transform into the best you can be. Even the traumatic events you've experienced allowed you to learn and grow into the person you have become. Self perception has an incredible affect on your behavior, the decisions you make and the way you choose to live your life. The way you think tends to be the way you act. So if you think you are undeserving of the things you want, you most likely will not achieve them. If you have high self-esteem, confidence and a good opinion of yourself, you will more than likely accomplish your goals and create the changes you want. Think better, do better, be better.

"What you need to know about the past is that no matter what happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new."
                                                                                                          ~Unknown

Fresh Pressed

This is my first experience with blogging and I'm pretty excited about it. I am using my blog as a tool to learn more about the world, expand my insight, explore the views and ideas of others and as a place to discuss just about anything that comes to mind. I want to thank those of you who take the time to read my posts and are interested in joining me on this journey. Welcome to The Espresso Bar.