THE SOLAR SYSTEM: DISTANCES & TRAVEL TIMES

by | May 21, 2025 | Life

THE SOLAR SYSTEM – TRAVEL NUMBERS

When I was 10 years old, my entire universe was something we call Planet Earth. It is made up of continents, islands, and oceans. That was all I knew, and at that point in my young life, I thought I knew everything I needed to know.

But my life changed forever when our 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Seligson, took our class on a trip to the fantastic Hayden Planetarium. I was both stunned and impressed to learn the planet earth was just one of 9 planets, which orbit around a star we call the Sun. The Sun and those 8 planets make up the Solar System.

Note: Many scientists don’t consider Pluto a planet. They describe Pluto as a “Dwarf Planet”.

That fascinating new information rocked my world, but what I would learn next, was absolutely stunning. I also learned during our trip to the Hayden Planetarium, the Solar system, as large as it is, makes up just a tiny fraction of something much larger, called the Universe. Wow!

Prior to that trip, I had no idea that our planet, along with the entire Solar System, make up just tiny part of that amazing, but impossible to imagine Universe. From that point on, I read every book I could find in the public library about the Universe.

I quickly learned the Solar System resides in something called a Galaxy, and our galaxy is called the Milky Way. I will write about mind-boggling numbers on the Milky Way Galaxy in another article. But just for now, you need to know there are billions of other solar systems just in our galaxy.

What does that tell you about the odds of finding human life on other planets?

It’s been a long time since I was a fifth grader, but even today, there are still many unanswered questions about the Universe. But thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope, we continue to learn so much that is literally mind boggling. That telescope will continue to reveal more information for years to come.

I’m happy to say I’m just as excited today, learning about the Universe, as I was as a 5th grader during that first visit to the Hayden Planetarium. Thank you, Mrs. Seligson, for changing my life forever.

Before we move on to some mind-boggling numbers, let me say the following. Here is the best scientific estimate, which tells us the Universe is approximately 13.7 billion years old. Please don’t ask me what was there before the universe. One interesting theory is the concept of parallel universes.

The James Webb Space Telescope has definitely helped us understand, to some extent, the size and magnitude of the Universe. However, there is still so much we don’t know and will never know. But there is a lot we’ve learned recently, and some of those facts are mind boggling. If you’re interested, keep reading my future articles.

Before we get into the truly incredible numbers you will learn about in my next article, let’s start with trying to comprehend numbers just for the Solar System. Please keep in mind, we are using manned spacecraft numbers. Unmanned rockets can travel much faster.

In addition, the numbers posted below are all estimates, which can vary, depending on where the planets are in their orbits. It also depends on the source and methodology used to calculate the time. Therefore, the numbers can vary by a wide margin, depending on who is making the calculations and when the trip is made.

However, these approximate numbers will give you a pretty good idea of how far away the other planets are from earth. Remember, the planets are always orbiting the sun, so their distance from earth is changing non-stop.

Even though the Solar System makes up just a tiny fraction of the Universe, the numbers are still massive.

SOLAR SYSTEM NUMBERS

  • As most of you probably already know, the earth is approximately 94 million miles from the Sun.
  • It takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds for sunlight, obviously traveling at the speed of light, to travel from the Sun to Earth. 
  • Even though it appears as if you could travel in a helicopter to the moon, the journey would take 3 Days in a manned spacecraft.
  • The 2 closest planets to Earth are Mercury and Venus.
  • MERCURY: Although it’s actually far more complex, in theory, it would take a manned spacecraft 7-9 months to travel approximately 49 million miles from earth to Mercury.
  • VENUS: It is approximately 38 million miles from earth to Venus. The trip would take about 3-5 months in a manned spacecraft.
  • MARS: It is approximately 51 million miles from earth. It would take about 7-9 months to travel from Earth to Mars in a manned spacecraft.
  • JUPITER: It is about 367 million miles from earth. It would take approximately 4-6 years to travel from Earth to Jupiter in a manned spacecraft.
  • SATURN: It is about 750 million miles from earth. It would take about 5-7 years to travel from Earth to Saturn in a manned spacecraft.
  • Uranus: It is about 7 billion Miles from earth. It would take about 9.5 years to travel from Earth to Uranus in a manned spacecraft.
  • NEPTUNE: It is about 7 billion miles from earth. It would take about 11-12 years to travel from Earth to Neptune in a manned spacecraft.
  • PLUTO: It is about 2 billion miles from earth. It would take approximately 12-15 years to travel from Earth to Pluto in a manned spacecraft.

As Large as the above numbers are, our Solar System is just one of billions located in the Milky Way Galaxy. Human beings cannot comprehend how large our galaxy is. But as large as it is, the Milky Way Galaxy encompasses just a tiny fraction of the Universe. Wow!

A Letter to an Intelligent Female Trump Supporter

by | Nov 16, 2024 | Life, Politics

WOMEN WHO SUPPORT DONALD TRUMP

This is part of an email I sent to an obviously intelligent author who recently wrote an article for “The Hill”, advising she doesn’t like Trump personally, but she was excited by his victory. Prior to sending the letter, I asked if I could in fact give her my opinion on her position. She said yes, as long as I was respectful and did not attack her personally.

The fact that any intelligent woman could possibly support a piece of human trash like Trump, who has no respect for women’s rights, is mind boggling to me. Here is the letter I wrote to her earlier today, with some minor edits. I am not going to identify the woman by using her name.

Hi:

I am not interested in disrespecting you, I am interested in trying to figure out how someone who is obviously very intelligent, could possibly get excited over a Trump election victory, which endangers our democracy and constitution.

Therefore, I hope you will take the time to read the following and give me the courtesy of a reply.

Let me start by saying I am NOT a Democrat and never was. I agree with you, the Dems do many stupid things. But unlike today’s seriously warped version of the Republican Party, despite their numerous flaws, at least

  • Democrats understand everybody is different. As long as people don’t break the law or hurt anyone else, we should accept them for who they are. In other words, everybody is a citizen who deserves respect.
  • Democrats respect our Democracy, the Constitution, and the Rule of Law.
  • Democrats read books, they don’t ban them.
  • Democrats support Ukraine in their war against the evil Vladimir Putin and Russia.
  • Democrats want everyone to have quality health care / insurance.
  • Democrats respect Science.
  • Democrats don’t support a pathological liar, crime boss, criminal, and a traitor for President.

Now, let’s compare the above with Trump, who is the Supreme Leader of the largest and most dangerous cult since Hitler amassed power in Germany.

Trump is:

  • A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR
  • A CON ARTIST
  • A CRIME BOSS
  • A CONVICTED FELON with 91 Felony Indictments, and 34 Felony Convictions so far.
  • A MORON
  • A SEXUAL PREDATOR, who was accused of sexual assault by 26 different women.
  • A man who has no respect for women’s rights to choose what they do with their own bodies.
  • A TRAITOR who stole hundreds of Top Secret-Classified Document and refused to return them to the federal government.
  • He’s the leader of a virtually ALL WHITE PARTY!
  • Trump is loved and admired by NAZIS and the KKK! Trump admires Hitler.
  • VLADIMIR PUTIN is Trump’s Hero and Idol.
  • Trump did everything possible to help Vladimir win the war in Ukraine and to destroy our NATO alliance.
  • Trump wants to destroy our Civil Service System and replace with a TRUMP LOYALTY PROGRAM in the RED STATES
  • Trump will demand that his cabinet members swear loyalty to him instead of the Constitution.
  • Trump promised to use the Justice Dept. to imprison his political opponents. Please note, I didn’t say criminals, I said his opponents.
  • Trump repeatedly called the “FREE PRESS”, An Enemy of the People”. He sounds just like Hitler and Vladimir.
  • Eliminate-Purge Generals who might stand up for the Constitution. Sounds just like Hitler and Vladimir
  • Now that Trump has both the Senate and the House under his power, you will see the end of American Democracy and our Constitution
  • No member of the Republican Party is allowed to disagree with or challenge the head of the party.  They saw what happened to Liz Cheney, who placed the Constitution ahead of Trump. Liz Cheney had the most conservative voting record in Congress, but she was banned from the Republican Party because she didn’t click her heels and obey their Supreme Leader, Donald Trump. Sounds like Russia and Vladimir. It doesn’t sound like the American we grew up in and loved.

We can agree the Dems have numerous flaws which neither one of us likes. However, destroying our democracy and constitution we grew up loving and respecting, isn’t one of them.

Thanks for listening,

Robert

 

END of AMERICA

by | Nov 1, 2024 | Politics

THE END of AMERICA

It is currently November 1, 2024.  I carefully follow the polling analysis of a site called FIVETHIRTYEIGHT, which uses a wide array of statistics to predict the outcome of elections. Up until two weeks ago, it was a close race, but Kamala was leading since the day she announced her candidacy. However, In the last 2 weeks, the momentum has completely shifted over, big time, to Trump. As of today, it appears almost certain he will win.

Yes, Kamala will probably win the popular vote, but for a variety of reasons, it appears as if Trump will win in the stupid Electoral College system.  The election is still very close, so Kamala does have a very small chance of winning and preserving our cherished democracy and constitution. But a Kamala victory, as of today, is highly unlikely.

Unless something totally unexpected happens within the next 4 days, America will no longer be a Democracy. Both our Constitution and our Democracy will be decimated by a man who idolizes Hitler and Vladimir Putin. Trump will change America into a FASCIST STATE.

In the early 1930s, millions of brainwashed cult members, worshipped a piece of human trash named Hitler. Students of history know that changed their country and the world.  In 2024, millions of brainwashed cult members in America, worship another piece of human trash named Donald Trump. Just like Germany, they are about to destroy the country we grew up in and loved. They have no respect for our constitution or our democracy. The one and only thing they care about is making Trump America’s first dictator.

In Germany, Hitler told his cult members that Germany’s problems are caused by the Jews. Get rid of the Jews and Germany will be great again.

The Fox Propaganda Network and Trump, are telling their cult members America’s problems are caused by Liberals and Immigrants. Get rid of the liberals and immigrants, and America will be great again.

THE TRUMP CULT

They are a massive and dangerous cult. The cult is made up of people who are angry, bitter, vengeful, and vindictive. Unfortunately, they have been totally brainwashed by the FOX PROPAGANDA NETWORK. Inside of a cult, brainwashed members have no relationship with logic. The one and only thing which matters is what their Supreme Leader wants or orders them to do 

Here are two quick illustrations of pure cult behavior where logic plays no role and could only happens inside of a cult. They are, in my opinion, perfect examples, illustrating the extreme danger and terrifying power of cults.

JIM JONES CULT

In Guyana, Jim Jones ordered members of his cult to give poison to their children, and they did.  Can you believe they killed their own children? He then ordered his followers to take the poison themselves. Around 1,000 Jim Jones Cult members died solely because they were following orders from their Supreme Leader.

If they were using logic, they would have never given poison to their children and themselves. But logic is not part of the skill set of brainwashed members inside a cult.

HEAVEN’S GATE CALIFORNIA CULT

In 1997, members of another cult worshipped a man named Applewhite.   He told his dedicated followers to wear Nike Sneakers, come to a house one evening, where they would all commit suicide with Applewhite.

Applewhite told them if they wear Nike Sneakers and commit suicide together, an alien spaceship will come down to earth and transport their souls to a comet. Many of the people in the group were college graduates. I say that to point out even educated people can easily become brainwashed. This type of blind obedience and total disregard for logic is what makes cults so dangerous.

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

The Republican Party, and their supporters, make up the largest and most dangerous cult since Hitler took power in Germany during the early 1930s. Everyone in the party, just as with Hitler, will click their heels and obey every order and directive coming from Trump.

In America, only members of a cult could possibly worship someone like Trump, who is:

  • A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR
  • A CON ARTIST
  • A CRIME BOSS
  • A CONVICTED FELON with 91 Felony Indictments, and 34 Felony Convictions so far.
  • A MORON
  • A SEXUAL PREDATOR who was accused of sexual assault by 26 different women.
  • Trump repeatedly said, the FREE PRESS is An Enemy of the People! Only dictators talk about the free press like that.
  • If Trump applied for a federal job which required a security background check, he would immediately be rejected. But he can run for President?
  • Trump will make his cabinet members swear loyalty to him, as opposed to the Constitution.
  • A TRAITOR who stole hundreds of Top Secret-Classified Documents and repeatedly refused to return them to the government.
  • He’s the leader of a virtually ALL WHITE PARTY! I think there is only one black Senator in Congress.
  • VLADIMIR PUTIN is Trump’s Hero and Idol.
  • Trump also idolizes Hitler and is loved by Nazis and the KKK.
  • Trump does everything possible to help Vladimir win the war in Ukraine and to destroy our NATO alliance.
  • Trump wants to destroy our Civil Service System and replace it with a TRUMP LOYALTY PROGRAM in the RED STATES The federal government will no longer ignore political preferences in their policy decisions.
  • Trump said he will use the Justice Department to imprison his political opponents. Sounds just like Vladimir, doesn’t it?

While growing up in America, did you ever imagine such a piece of human trash could even run for president, let alone become the leader of a cult with millions of members? Any one of the above elements should disqualify Trump from being President. But remember, logic does not apply inside of a cult, where the members are obsessed with pure dedication and worshipping of their Supreme Leader. It doesn’t matter to them what he says or does, he is never wrong!

There are more, but here are 3 classic examples of how brainwashing destroys one’s ability to think logically or use facts.

WOMEN

As mentioned above, millions of brainwashed women worship a man who was accused of sexual assault by 26 different women.  Can you believe that? I guarantee you, if those same women had a daughter who wanted to date someone like Trump, they would do everything in their power to block the relationship. But when it comes to being President, they are just fine with a man who has no character, abuses women, and has no respect for women.

Abortion, they totally ignore Trump’s abusive treatment of a woman’s right to decide what is best for her own body.

JEWISH PEOPLE

When I was growing up, I lived in a neighborhood which was very diverse, but the majority of my neighbors and friends were Jewish. Remember the expression, “Never Again!”

Among the people I grew up with, I never imagined I would see the day where a Jewish person could possibly support someone like Trump. He is admired and loved by both NAZIS and MEMBERS of the KKK. This is a classic example of pure brainwashing.

It’s a waste of time, but I foolishly try to point out this form of insanity to my Jewish friends. I ask them how could you possibly support someone who is admired and loved by NAZIS and members of the KKK? But they incredibly think I’m the one who is brainwashed.

Jewish people on the same team as Nazis and the KKK? This is unbelievable!

Trump is a con artist who managed to convince a large number of Jewish people that he somehow cares about Israel. Meanwhile, even though the Biden Administration has provided over $22 BILLION in critically needed military aid to Israel, they use Trump Propaganda to demonize Biden and Harris as being Anti-Israel. Talk about chumps who have no relationship with facts or the truth! If they were really anti-Israel, would they give more than $22 Billion to Israel? Unfortunately, cult members  believe every word uttered by a pathological liar.

There are only 3 things in the world which Trump cares about. They are POWER, MONEY, and his relationship with VLADIMIR PUTUN. Trump doesn’t care about Israel, but he knows how to con Jewish people into believing that. Why does he do this? He does this only because they can help him get elected.

The Jewish people I know were outraged when they read history book stories of Hitler rounding up large numbers of Jewish people.  But those very same Jewish people who are outraged by Hitler’s actions, will stand up and cheer when Trump starts rounding up immigrants and liberals.

BLACK PEOPLE

How in the world could any black person be dumb enough to support the leader of a virtually all white party, which I believe has only one black Senator? Trump’s national base is made up primarily of White Christians, many of whom don’t like blacks or Jews.  Just as Jewish people are aligning with Nazis and members of the KKK, there are black people aligning with a large group of racists. Black people are not welcome in the Republican Party.

AMERICA’s FUTURE

We grew up in a country where we cherished our freedom, democracy, and our constitution. Once Trump becomes our first dictator, everything we cherished will be decimated. Every member of the cult, who worships this piece of human trash, will be responsible. Sounds just like Nazi Germany where millions of cult members worshipped Hitler until the very end, doesn’t it?

Here is just a small preview of what will happen after January 20, 2025.

  • As Trump promised, he will do away with the Civil Service System and replace it with a Trump loyalty program in the red states.
  • Trump will force his cabinet members to swear loyalty to him, as opposed to the Constitution.
  • Trump will free all the thugs who attacked the nation’s capital and our democracy on January 6.. They inured 141 police officers, while threatening to overturn our democracy. If they found Pelosi or Pence, they would have hanged them. They will soon be free again, so they can  wreak havoc on our democracy.
  • Trump will go after both liberals and immigrants, just as Hitler went after the Jews in Germany. Of course, his cult members, just like Hitler’s supporters, will see nothing wrong with that.
  • Trump will do everything he can to help Vladimir take over Ukraine.
  • Trump will do everything he can to destroy NATO for Vladimir.
  • Trump promised he will use the Justice Department to imprison his political opponents, just like Vladimir.
  • Trump and his Project 2025 will implement programs to weaken Social Security, decimate Medicare, destroy Obamacare, which has millions of Trump Cult members enrolled. Yes, they will vote for a man who wants to take away their healthcare. That’s what happens inside of a cult where logic plays no role.

Link Between Alcohol and Cancer

by | Oct 24, 2024 | Health, Life, Science

Link Between Alcohol and Cancer

New studies were recently published which revealed a very strong link between alcohol consumption and several types of cancers. However, before I discuss those medical studies, allow me to relay several personal experiences and observations from my earlier years.

I vividly remember a Sunday morning when I was 12 years old, in the schoolyard playing basketball with the guys.  There was a 19-year-old guy named Jimmy, who always played with us. However, on this Sunday morning, Jimmy was sitting on the bench looking like a very depressed, sick young man. By the way, when you’re 12 years old, a 19-year-old guy seems so old.

I asked the guys why Jimmy wasn’t playing basketball with us and what was wrong with him. They told me he went out drinking Saturday night and he has a hangover. I asked, what is a hangover? They said you’re looking at it.

I then asked, if drinking leaves you with a nasty hangover, why do people go out drinking? There was no answer, but that brings me to another experience when I was around 18 or 19 years of age. This was during the Disco era and I started going to parties on weekends, where we would dance to disco music, LOL, and have tons of fun.

At almost every dance party, I would often see 2 or 3 guys who were drunk and slobbering all over themselves. I noticed the girls were doing everything they could to avoid those drunks. Once again, if that’s what happens when you drink, I repeatedly asked myself why they were doing that to themselves. I also realized, I was having so much fun on the dance floor, without touching a single glass of alcohol, obviously, I didn’t need it. Why would I ever be dumb enough to start drinking?

In our culture, alcohol is closely related to an array of different celebrations. When you watch TV shows, when a guy meets a woman, he almost always asks her if she wants to go out for a drink? Really? I’ve never done that because I never once tried any form of alcohol, and never missed it.

As we already know, DWI is one of the leading causes of death in America. We also know that drunkenness is often related to various types of violent incidents and/or crimes, especially violence by men towards women.

When I was younger, I read many research articles on health and fitness and several of them had very strong warnings about the negative effects of alcohol on your body and your brain. I realize I’m probably only one in a million who followed that advice, but I wish more people would put their health before drinking.

I want to point out, there was a famous French study which came out in the seventies.  That study came to the conclusion that a glass of wine, once a day was actually good for the health of your heart. Unfortunately, that became a golden rule for many people who thought one or two drinks of wine was actually good for you.

Guess what? Several years ago, scientists decided to revisit that famous study where they learned the study had a serious flaw which was overlooked 50 years ago. They no longer claim that one or two glasses of wine every evening is good for you.  Drinking certain types of alcohol is beneficial for your heart? The new scientific rule, that is a myth.

OK, we can finally discuss the recent medical studies on the relationship between alcohol and cancer.

NIH tells us that alcohol increases the risk for cancers, includi8ng:

  • Oral Cancer
  • Pharynx and Larynx Cancers
  • Colorectal Cancer
  • Liver Cancer
  • Breast Cancer
  • Esophageal Cancer
  • Stomach Cancer

Why does drinking alcohol increase your cancer risk?

There are many reasons why alcohol can increase your cancer risk. These include:

Acetaldehyde: Alcoholic beverages contain ethanol. When the body breaks down ethanol, it becomes acetaldehyde, which is a dangerous carcinogen. “This compound damages DNA and stops our cells from repairing the damage. This matters, because this process allows cancerous cells to grow.

Hormonal effects: Alcohol can affect the levels of hormones like estrogen. The hormones act as messengers that tell our cells to grow and divide. “The more cells divide, the more chances there are for something to go wrong and for cancer to develop.

Reduced nutrient absorption: Alcohol makes it harder for the body to absorb and use nutrients that protect it from cancer. These include vitamins A, B1, B6, C, D, E, K, and folate, iron and selenium. “These are just a few vitamins and minerals that are responsible for immunity, protecting cells from oxidative damage, reducing inflammation and aiding in DNA synthesis and repair.

Why would anyone want to ingest something into their body which damages their immune system?

Weight gain: Consuming more calories than your body burns leads to weight gain. Alcohol can contribute to weight gain from excess calorie intake. Excess weight is linked to over 12 types of cancers.

It increases the risk of tobacco-related cancers: If you drink and smoke, you are probably at an even higher risk for certain cancers including oral and throat cancer. Alcohol may make cells more sensitive to other substances that cause cancer. “The combination of drinking and smoking increases the risk of developing mouth or throat cancer far more than drinking or smoking alone.

What is the best thing to drink if I’m going to have alcohol?

When it comes to managing your cancer risk, there is no alcoholic drink which is better than the others. All of them, including beer, wine and whiskey contain ethanol, which, as described above, is linked to increased cancer risk. Therefore, do not believe the myth that drinking beer or wine is somehow safer than drinking more powerful forms of liquor.

Will it Help if I Stop Drinking?

Research has shown that when you stop drinking, the risk for alcohol-related cancers declines over time,