Magazine Posts

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

The most massive young star cluster in the Small Magellanic Cloud is NGC 346, embedded in our small satellite galaxy's largest star forming region some 210,000 light-years distant. Of course the massive stars of NGC 346 are short lived, but very energetic. Their winds and radiation sculpt the edges of the region's dusty molecular cloud triggering star-formation within. The star forming region also appears to contain a large population of infant stars. A mere 3 to 5 million years old and not yet burning hydrogen in their cores, the infant stars are strewn about the embedded star cluster. This spectacular infrared view of NGC 346 is from the James Webb Space Telescope's NIRcam. Emission from atomic hydrogen ionized by the massive stars' energetic radiation as well as and molecular hydrogen and dust in the star-forming molecular cloud is detailed in pink and orange hues. Webb's sharp image of the young star-forming region spans 240 light-years at the distance of the Small Magellanic Cloud.

"When I say the word “Amazon,” what is the first thing that comes to mind? Okay, I figured you’d probably say Amazon.com, the giant online retailer. But believe it or not, there is another Amazon that has nothing to do with next-day delivery of sporting goods, pet food, or wireless headphones...... I’m talking about the Amazon rainforest."... Read more

What words
are these
on my plate?
Must I cease
and write,
no more?

I'll stop,
these words inane,
for when I write,
I feel disdain.

Are these feelings,
I have now,
real or should
I resign and disavow?

It was a beautiful life,
when I was living
with my lovely wife.
Things began to
unravel when she
was diagnosed with
Lung Cancer, Stage 3.
Treatment successful,
in remission eight years
but the ravages of Chemo,
took its toll. Diagnosed
with Early Onset Dementia,
January 2017. Early warning
signs, of memory loss,
unable to balance the check book,
appeared in 2015.
New diagnosis of Advanced
Vascular Dementia-Alzheimer
Disease. Moved to a Memory
Care facility, January 2022.
I live in the same facility
but one floor separating us.
I see her, almost every day,
trying to have dinner with
her. It is a moment I need,
probably more than she.
There is no recollection of
being at the same Dining Room,
same table, for over a month.
It has become difficult for her
to make small decisions when
eating food. She will say,
"What do I do?" I help her
and explain what she is eating.
She won't remember that in the
next few minutes. I see her
frustration and it pains me,
knowing I have lost this person
who I love.

Be still the night,
free up the pain.
Brighten my soul,
once more. Again.

The ravages of Hell
have seized my life.
The pain within me,
Dementia in my wife.

What will I do
when I can't see,
you beside
heartbroken me?

I love you so,
my sweet wife.
I will always love,
until the end of life.

Alone, now am I,
seeing you in evening time.
It's always my wish
to be with you to dine.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

This cosmic expanse of dust, gas, and stars covers some 6 degrees on the sky in the heroic constellation Perseus. At upper left in the gorgeous skyscape is the intriguing young star cluster IC 348 and neighboring Flying Ghost Nebula with clouds of obscuring interstellar dust cataloged as Barnard 3 and 4. At right, another active star forming region NGC 1333 is connected by dark and dusty tendrils on the outskirts of the giant Perseus Molecular Cloud, about 850 light-years away. Other dusty nebulae are scattered around the field of view, along with the faint reddish glow of hydrogen gas. In fact, the cosmic dust tends to hide the newly formed stars and young stellar objects or protostars from prying optical telescopes. Collapsing due to self-gravity, the protostars form from the dense cores embedded in the molecular cloud. At the molecular cloud's estimated distance, this field of view would span over 90 light-years.

Photo by Jack Groves

This enchilada recipe is a tasty way to repurpose carnitas or pork leftovers and transform them into another delicious meal for the family. Read more

Demented the soul,
before it began.
Demented the soul,
the aged man.

Cure all your ills,
before it began.
If you are guilty,
it's good you ran.

Dry the flame of jealousy's
internal heat supply,
for the interest of another,
causing tempers to fly.