Magazine Posts

Photo shared by Heather Cox Richardson from Letters from an American

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

What would it be like to fly free in space? At about 100 meters from the cargo bay of the space shuttle Challenger, Bruce McCandless II was living the dream -- floating farther out than anyone had ever been before. Guided by a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), astronaut McCandless, pictured, was floating free in space. During Space Shuttle mission 41-B in 1984, McCandless and fellow NASA astronaut Robert Stewart were the first to experience such an "untethered space walk". The MMU worked by shooting jets of nitrogen and was used to help deploy and retrieve satellites. With a mass over 140 kilograms, an MMU is heavy on Earth, but, like everything, is weightless when drifting in orbit. The MMU was later replaced with the SAFER backpack propulsion unit.

Listen to the rumble,
listen to the roar.
It's not a new sound,
not new anymore.

The steady beat of a drum,
the snare's rat a tat, tat,
is playing a dirge,
You must understand that.

It's time for sadness,
but also, for joy,
for that little kid,
is now a grown boy.

To humor his parent,
no matter what may,
on this occasion,
celebrating Mother's Day.

Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 - April 15, 1865)

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Our fair planet sports a curved, sunlit crescent against the black backdrop of space in this stunning photograph. From the unfamiliar perspective, the Earth is small and, like a telescopic image of a distant planet, the entire horizon is completely within the field of view. Enjoyed by crews on board the International Space Station, only much closer views of the planet are possible from low Earth orbit. Orbiting the planet once every 90 minutes, a spectacle of clouds, oceans, and continents scrolls beneath them with the partial arc of the planet's edge in the distance. But this digitally restored image presents a view so far only achieved by 24 humans, Apollo astronauts who traveled to the Moon and back again between 1968 and 1972. The original photograph, AS17-152-23420, was taken by the homeward bound crew of Apollo 17, on December 17, 1972. For now it is the last picture of Earth from this planetary perspective taken by human hands.

There was a time,
I remember it well,
when the only noise heard,
was sell, sell, sell.

Sell all your stocks,
sell your house, too,
for big recession,
is coming for you.

Banks will start failing,
they will sometimes do,
run like sheep,
as everyone is telling you to.

Don't trust the banks,
no matter what's said,
for you will lose money,
your cash flow will be dead.

Don't listen to them,
not on this day,
they want all your money,
It is their way.

Now that I’m retired, I’ve been looking for a hobby to keep me busy and get me out of the house. And I think I’ve finally found it: Searching for Bigfoot.You see, I live in the Pacific Northwest, practically Ground Zero for Bigfoot sightings over the past 50 years. Searching for Bigfoot will get me off the couch and out of the house, so I figure my wife will be all for this idea. Plus, I don’t have to get up before 10am, which is ideal for this job because from what I hear, Bigfoot’s not an early morning riser either. Read how I plan to go about searching for the elusive Big Guy. Wish me luck!

Suddenly, I write words,
with abandon and glee.
What in the world
has come over me?

I'm the same person,
of an hour ago,
but I wasn't ready,
not ready for the show.

Love all your neighbors,
even those you hate.
Hate is a strong word,
So please, please, abate.

We have differing opinions,
it's why we are we,
so, no matter your beliefs,
It's about us, not about me.

The edge of night,
begins to appear,
as the light fades
and will disappear.

Why do I not see
your beautiful smile,
when I am away
for a little while.

I miss you,
every waking hour.
You are my strength,
my source of power.