Magazine Posts

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

In this Hubble Space Telescope image the bright, spiky stars lie in the foreground toward the heroic northern constellation Perseus and well within our own Milky Way galaxy. In sharp focus beyond is UGC 2885, a giant spiral galaxy about 232 million light-years distant. Some 800,000 light-years across compared to the Milky Way's diameter of 100,000 light-years or so, it has around 1 trillion stars. That's about 10 times as many stars as the Milky Way. Part of an investigation to understand how galaxies can grow to such enormous sizes, UGC 2885 was also part of An Interesting Voyage and astronomer Vera Rubin's pioneering study of the rotation of spiral galaxies. Her work was the first to convincingly demonstrate the dominating presence of dark matter in our universe.

Let's tell the others,
we are Lovers
and watch the
tounge speak to the ears,
while we are laughing
those large "crocodile tears."

There isn't any future,
in "Let's pretend."
A World of fantasy,
without any end.

I have lost her, totally.
I was watering plants
in the front, by the driveway.
My wife said, "Are all these yours?"
Then she asked me who I was.
"Do you belong to me?"
I told her I was her husband.
I shouldn't have but did ask
her, "What is my name?"
She replied, "Joe", who is our
eldest Son. I said, "You are his mother."

When your World has gone asunder
and your troubles are so many;
When roiling clouds of lightning/thunder,
lock in the World, on this very night,
do you worry about each other
or do you cry for your mother?
Brace up, stand ye strong,
for in this World you belong.
Stay the course, join the fight,
defy the doubters and their might.
See tomorrow as a better day.
Work thee hard, the time for play
will arrive in due course
and join with Justice, in the fray.

The mountains puncture the sky,
snagging clouds as they pass.
The green-yellow of decidious trees,
changing colors before the
leaves fall to the ground.
A most wonderous time of the year,
when a trees skeletal remains,
rattle the brain and senses.
An old, natural disaster;
no flowers except the Aster.

Tonight you said,"I need to ask
you a question?"
I said, "Go ahead."
She said, "Am I married?"
I said, "Yes you are."
"Are you my husband?"
"That I am",said I.
A changed person, indeed?
Probably not. Just a flashback,
to a time long ago,
which she has since forgotten.

How does a person
make life whole again?
Is it done by writing
in a book with a pen?
I'm writing the words,
which are entering my head,
without benefit of rules,
or a guide, in good stead.
Some words are strong,
like a good grade of steel,
while many words are weak,
with little writer's appeal.
I must decide, the words to use
is what would be ideal.
Here I remain, wasting time,
as I search for words,
which will fit into this rhyme.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

There has been a flash on Jupiter. A few days ago, several groups monitoring our Solar System's largest planet noticed a two-second long burst of light. Such flashes have been seen before, with the most famous being a series of impactor strikes in 1994. Then, fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 struck Jupiter leaving dark patches that lasted for months. Since then, at least seven impacts have been recorded on Jupiter -- usually discovered by amateur astronomers. In the featured video, variations in the Earth's atmosphere cause Jupiter's image to shimmer when, suddenly, a bright flash appears just left of center. Io and its shadow are visible on the right. What hit Jupiter will likely never be known, but considering what we do know of the nearby Solar System, it was likely a piece of rock and ice -- perhaps the size of a bus -- that broke off long-ago from a passing comet or asteroid.

Video by T. Humbert, S. Barré, A. Desmougin & D. WalliangSociété Lorraine d'AstronomieAstroqueyras

I don't love you anymore,
which I now confess,
but I find in my heart,
I don't love you any less.

The closing days of Summer,
rapidly pass,
perhaps it will rain
and put green into my grass.

Just received an e-mail from Brecks.
"Your bulbs are on the way."
Once again I got carried away and
ordered too many bulbs.
Now I just have to remember
where the old ones are located.
Shouldn't be a problem as I
use chicken wire, which I cut
to cover the bulbs. I know it
dissapoints the squirel helpers,
but it's the way it has to be.