Magazine Posts

What is this Din of noise, of late,
Filled with the rhetoric of racial hate?
Who are you to cast aspersions,
to cloud the news, is that your diversion?

I'm telling you the truth.
To you I won't lie,
but this journey here
brings forth a deep sigh.
A sigh of relief,
a sigh of joy,
a time when I said "Ahoy."
Anchors aweigh, don't you see,
when I joined the US Navy
and then went to sea,
on board an Destroyer Escort,
life was never harsh,
for I was a crewman
on the USS Marsh.
Over the water, Pearl Harbor we went,
free of charge, cost not a cent.
Many a Port visit we did,
of that news I would not kid.
One year the trip far away
to Truk Island, Bikini and Ponape.
The tropics were nice not the least icky
so long as you like your skin sticky.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Why would these clouds multi-colored? A relatively rare phenomenon in clouds known as iridescence can bring up unusual colors vividly or even a whole spectrum of colors simultaneously. These polar stratospheric clouds clouds, also known as nacreous and mother-of-pearl clouds, are formed of small water droplets of nearly uniform size. When the Sun is in the right position and, typically, hidden from direct view, these thin clouds can be seen significantly diffracting sunlight in a nearly coherent manner, with different colors being deflected by different amounts. Therefore, different colors will come to the observer from slightly different directions. Many clouds start with uniform regions that could show iridescence but quickly become too thick, too mixed, or too angularly far from the Sun to exhibit striking colors. The featured image and an accompanying video were taken late last year over Ostersund, Sweden. Follow APOD in English on: Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, or Twitter

Photo by Goran Strand

"Sleeping at noon
the body of the Blue Heron
poised in nobility"

Earl Mines, Professor of Japanese at Princeton
University. Japan linked poetry
Princeton University Press, 1979

Hey, my friend, all kidding aside,
Life has been a bumpy ride.
Sometimes so smooth, it's scary,
That's the time to begin to worry.

What must I do
to keep you
lying safe, beside me?

It matters not, the things you've bought
When your memory goes, they're all forgot.

You might think I am bold,
but on this day, my Soul is cold.
The coldest of air, with icy grip,
my feet are numb, I best not trip.

Coldness of days
frigid nights of snow
warmest of heart

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Are volcanoes still active on Venus? More volcanoes are known on Venus than Earth, but when Venusian volcanoes last erupted is not directly known. Evidence bolstering very recent volcanism on Venus has recently been uncovered, though, right here on Earth. Lab results showed that images of surface lava would become dim in the infrared in only months in the dense Venusian atmosphere, a dimming not seen in ESA's Venus Express images. Venus Express entered orbit around Venus in 2006 and remained in contact with Earth until 2014. Therefore, the infrared glow (shown in false-color red) recorded by Venus Express for Idunn Mons and featured here on a NASA Magellan image indicates that this volcano erupted very recently -- and is still active today. Understanding the volcanics of Venus might lead to insight about the volcanics on Earth, as well as elsewhere in our Solar System. New: APOD now available in Turkish from Turkey

Across the meadow; a meadow so keen,
a beautiful setting if you know what I mean.
Follow the trail, don't cut through the weed,
and you'll be rewarded, oh yes indeed.
A little sound, could be heard, perhaps a bee,
flying from flower to flower, with great speed.
The Glen was as pristine as you could see,
as I waited patiently; waiting for thee.
A romantic setting, is what I recall,
a precious spot for one and all.