Contributor Posts

"In the last 10 years, Herasimtschuk has photographed forests across the Pacific Northwest, documenting the inhabitants of these last remaining old-growth ecosystems. From salamanders and salmon to bears and mountain lions, his images illustrate not only the beauty of the forests and their creatures but the symbiotic relationships which are vital to the forests’ health and the planet’s welfare" More at NPR ➜

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Why does this large crater on Mercury have two rings and a smooth floor? No one is sure. The unusual feature called Vivaldi Crater spans 215 kilometers and was imaged again in great detail by ESA's and JAXA's robotic BepiColombo spacecraft on a flyby earlier this month. A large circular feature on a rocky planet or moon is usually caused by either an impact by a small asteroid or a comet fragment, or a volcanic eruption. In the case of Vivaldi, it is possible that both occurred -- a heavy strike that caused a smooth internal lava flow. Double-ringed craters are rare, and the cause of the inner rings remains a topic of research. The speed-slowing gravity-assisted flyby of Mercury by BepiColombo was in preparation for the spacecraft entering orbit around the Solar System's innermost planet in 2026.

Was there ever a time,
when life was, OK?
I am uncertain,
and know not what to say.

Life's great journey,
may blow hot or cold,
but uncertainties,
will never grow old.

Dorothy Ann Richards (1933 – 2006) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995. A Democrat, she was elected to become Texas State Treasurer and then the second female governor of Texas (the first being Miriam A. Ferguson), and was frequently noted in the media for her outspoken feminism and her one-liners.
This quote is from her keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention

The wind came tumbling,
down the hill where I sat.
Picking up debris which,
lay on the ground, yet,

down the hillside,
it did rapidly go,
until the grass in
the broad meadow,

began swaying and all
many trees where they stood,
buffeted by the winds and
composed of decayed wood.

Branches snapped,
while limbs fell,
the oldest tree,
was not faring well.

It's surprising how are
bodies are like trees,
for when a strong wind strikes,
it a medical disease.

Our limbs are quite fragile,
and our spirits may be weak,
for as we age, parts of our body,
looks for strength it can seek.

No matter the reason,
no matter the cause,
our life may change or worsen,
for it has many flaws.

Love you all, who are with me
on this weird ride.
My body feels strong,
when you are by my side.

Black in the east,
the sun set, long ago,
now for the curiosity,
from the traveling show.

Many moves, so many,
best with sleight of hand,
from a magician, who is
on a one-night stand.

He dazzled the crowd,
with his visual display,
went behind a curtain
an vanished, flying away,

Never the story, to recall,
without a visual display,
curiosity was present when
he disappeared that day.

when the love,
of which you have spoken,
has been replaced by,
an aged, tarnished token,

then you too,
will have found love,
through the blessing,
of God above.

Think ye not,
of worldly claim.
Be at peace
staying the same.

If you would care
to come to me,
be the person,
you want to be.

My heart began beating,
with a regular heart rate,
Why this happened,
I can only pontificate,

There won't be another tomorrow,
were words well said,
for there is a problem.
Many of us may be dead,

What was the question,
another voice, chimed in,
for at this rate, it will only be
an ordinary, simple, venial sin.

Bruno Catalano is a French Sicilian artist born in Morocco in 1960. When he was 15, he left his homeland and arrived in Marseille. At the age of twenty, he became a sea traveler, working on boats. In 1990, He started working in sculptures. In 2004, a casting accident created a gap in his work and the artist decided to make this "tear" a central element of his sculptures. You can now find his work all over the world, some in permanent locations and some as part of temporary exhibits in different cities.
His "incomplete" sculptures of men and women, luggage in hand, moving ahead in unknown directions, have been interpreted by many as traveling humans carrying their "baggage" and showing the "emptiness" left by whatever they left behind, as they moved on their life journey. More

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Have you ever seen the Man in the Moon? This common question plays on the ability of humans to see pareidolia -- imagining familiar icons where they don't actually exist. The textured surface of Earth's full Moon is home to numerous identifications of iconic objects, not only in modern western culture but in world folklore throughout history. Examples, typically dependent on the Moon's perceived orientation, include the Woman in the Moon and the Rabbit in the Moon. One facial outline commonly identified as the Man in the Moon starts by imagining the two dark circular areas -- lunar maria -- here just above the Moon's center, to be the eyes. Surprisingly, there actually is a man in this Moon image -- a close look will reveal a real person -- with a telescope -- silhouetted against the Moon. This well-planned image was taken in 2016 in Cadalso de los Vidrios in Madrid, Spain. Observe the Moon Night: NASA Coverage

Photo by Dani Caxete