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Mr Jaoslav Houba
Below
Mr Houba’s successful UCT Tennis team 1966
“Mr Houba” – Remembered with great appreciation and fondness
The late Jaroslav Houba – Much loved, highly respected, world famous tennis coach
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How to find different subjects in the blog site
Thank you for visiting this website.
A new tool for visitors!
I have added to the main menu a guide to finding different subjects/categories in the blog. Here is a picture showing where it is. Try it!
“This and That” celebrates the wonder and diversity of existence.
Categories are (so far): Animals, antinomy, Art, Astronomy, Birds, ethics, Faith, flowers, food, Humour, logic, Music, MusicJB (music I have composed), people, persuasion, pholosophy, Poetry, Quotations, Sensible Advice, Shakespeare, Sport, Story, Travel, Trees, Wild Life, WordPress Tips, and Words. I hope to add more categories. Existence is so interesting!
Praise the Lord
Go to the new tool
A Hedgehog Sanctuary
Three little one year old hedgehogs have been given sanctuary in a beautiful East Sussex garden. They came from an Animal Rescue Center. All three for various reasons, are vulnerable. One of the hedgehogs is blind. Another is partially sighted. They will never survive in the wild.
Below is the beautiful garden which has become their new home. The garden has been made badger proof – important because a badger with its sharp claws could easily kill the tiny hedgehogs, now named Bluebell, Blossom and Buddy.
When they first arrived, the family had to feed them. Now they feed themselves, using no doubt their keen sense of smell. Apparently slugs and beetles are at the top of their menu. Hence they are called “the gardener’s best friend.
East Sussex
When not in their straw filled box in the garden the three new members of the family can be seen rolling at great speed across the small lawn. Clearly the three are bringing great joy to the kind family.
When I heard of the family’s love for these three vulnerable creatures it reminded me of the words of Emily Dickenson:
“If I can …help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.”
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Two Faith Centring Articles
I honestly believe that reading the two articles below will strengthen the faith of any Christian.
Especially now during the (lets be honest) frightening pandemic.
Remember the saying “it’s where the rubber hits the road”?
The author of the articles, Dr Kathryn Butler, cannot be closer to the “road”. She is a trauma and critical care surgeon turned writer and home schooling mom. Currently she is out of retirement and serving in the ICU of an American Hospital caring for COVID19 patients. She lives north of Boston.
I suggest you read the first article first and then the second article.
The first article is: “If God Doesn’t Heal You” Click
The second article is: “Even in the ICU – Why hope will conquer death” Click
If you find the two articles helpful, please tell others about them.
Keep safe.
Speckled mousebird feeding
This beautiful photo of a speckled mousebird was taken in the garden of a good friend of mine in Port Elizabeth in May 2020.
What a long tail!
As can be seen from the photo, speckled mousebirds love fruit.
Here the mouse bird is enjoying a guava.
Professor Google tells me that mouse birds can be found all the way down Africa from around Ethiopia to South Africa. Read more here.
Is it ok to become disillusioned?
It depends what you mean by “disillusioned.
Let’s start with the word “illusion”. What does it mean?
One if the meanings according to Professor Google is that it is “a false idea or belief”.
Taking this as the definition, it follows that if you are under a an illusion, you believe something which is false.
For example you may believe that the moon is made of cheese. We can safely say you are under a delusion.
If you go to the moon (compliments of NASA) and find out that the moon is not made of cheese, your false belief is gone. You have been disillusioned. You are no longer deluded.
So, becoming disillusioned is a good thing!
These days people believe plenty of things that are false.
Not good!
Black Sunbird on alert
Beauty in a Port Elizabeth Garden, May 2020
This black sunbird was photographed recently by a good friend in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The bird has been drinking at the bird feeder.
According to Professor Google these beautiful birds can be found mainly in Africa, south of the equator.
The fancy name for the black sunbird is the Amethyst Sunbird.
Have a look at this site to read more about these wonderful little birds. On the site there is also a map showing where the birds can be seen.
A really great picture!
Questioning “probably”
Digging for more information
When a person says that something will probably happen or probably not happen, the statement does not mean much unless the person speaking answers three important questions.
Take for example.
A person says: “Those plants will not grow”.
First Question: What is the probability of the plants not growing? Is it”low probability”, “medium probability” or “high probability”?
This first question seeks a rough indication of the degree of probability.
The answer might be:'”Low”.
Second Question: Why do you say “low”?
The second question looks for the evidence that led to the degree of probability.
The answer might be: “Low, because you have planted them in a bed that gets sun all day and those plants like the shade.”
Third Question: What evidence would change your mind?
This third question wants useful information on the way forward.
The answer might be: If you replant the plants in a shady part of the garden, they will have a better chance of success.
Comment
These three questions can be used any where. It would be useful for a reporter to use them at a news briefing by a politician.
Paw prints under the Golden Gate Bridge
If you go the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco go to the Warming Hut at Crissy Field. Get some coffee and walk along the waters edge towards the base of the Bridge. You will see plenty of joggers, cyclists and many walkers.
You will also see dogs with their owners, all enjoying the walk .
Below is a picture showing you where to walk.
You can walk almost to the end which is at the bottom right of the brown building in the picture.
At this end point is a sign with two hands on it which joggers, cyclists and walkers can touch, turn round and go back..
But, guess what?
The dogs have got their own sign as well to touch before they turn and trot back.
Below is a picture of “Yours truly” fist pumping the dogs sign.
Oh yes, I must say this:
We really love San Francisco. It is so special in many, many different ways.
Thank you San Francisco.
Enjoy.
The lesson of the trains and the fly
When you are faced with solving a problem make sure you choose the best method to solve it.
Often there is more then one way to get the correct answer.
And, often one way is more difficult that another.
Always ask: Are there several ways to get the answer?
Do you remember the famous example of the fly flying between two oncoming trains?
- Two trains are approaching each other.
- Each train is travelling at 50 mph.
- They are on the same single track.
- They are 100 miles apart.
- A fly is on the front of the engine of one of the trains.
- As the trains approach each other, the flies to and fro between the two approaching trains – going from engine to engine.
- The fly flies at 72.7 mph.
- The trains crash and the fly is killed.
- The total distance the fly flies is the total of the diminishing distances between the two trains up to the moment of impact.
The question is: What is the total distance flown by the fly?
There are two ways of working out the answer
The first way is mathematical.
Good luck doing it this way. You are going to struggle. Unless of course you have a brain like John Newmann the physicist and mathematician who apparently worked it out mathematically in seconds.
The second way is to use logic.
- How long does it take for the trains to collide? Answer: 1 hour
- How fast is the fly flying? Answer: 72.7 mph.
- How far does the fly fly in one hour: Answer: 72.7 miles
- And that of course is the answer: 72.7 miles
(Tough luck John Newmann)
So, what is the lesson of the trains and the fly problem?
The lesson
When you are faced with solving a problem make sure you choose the best method to solve it.
Finally. Just for fun.
Have a look at what may gone through mathematician John Newmann’s head in seconds https://mathworld.wolfram.com/TwoTrainsPuzzle.html
Enjoy!
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johnbartels.com 