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An old voice, with an appropriate
message this morning.

A vertical response to
those who haven't a clue,
when words won't cut it,
so, a fingered gesture will do.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Peering from the shadows, the Saturn-facing hemisphere of tantalizing inner moon Enceladus poses in this Cassini spacecraft image. North is up in the dramatic scene captured during November 2016 as Cassini's camera was pointed in a nearly sunward direction about 130,000 kilometers from the moon's bright crescent. In fact, the distant world reflects over 90 percent of the sunlight it receives, giving its surface about the same reflectivity as fresh snow. A mere 500 kilometers in diameter, Enceladus is a surprisingly active moon. Data and images collected during Cassini's flybys have revealed water vapor and ice grains spewing from south polar geysers and evidence of an ocean of liquid water hidden beneath the moon's icy crust.

Look at me,
just one moment to say.
How did our life become
such a disarray?

What has life brought
to this circle of many?
When nothing you say,
is worth a farthing or penny.

I wish I knew,
the answer to life,
especially when it's
the health of my wife.

You brighten my life,
with your nice smile.
My Soul will soar,
at least for a while.

There should be no confusion
about a relationship like ours,
for it is simple enjoyment,
during this trip to the stars.

Friendships happen, usually by fate,
so don't be upset or sad
for it's all a good thing.
There is nothing bad.

Isolation of the mind,
believe as you would,
can change your life,
to something better or good.

Try being yourself,
as you do something good,
for there is no reason,
for you to be misunderstood.

Life is short.
Shorter as we age.
Make the best of your time,
it's time to turn the page.

Should I ask you today,
to not worry about the morrow,
for remembering our friends,
who are gone now in sorrow.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Asteroid 319 Leona cast a shadow across planet Earth on December 12, as it passed in front of bright star Betelgeuse. But to see everyone's favorite red giant star fade this time, you had to stand near the center line of the narrow shadow path starting in central Mexico and extending eastward across southern Florida, the Atlantic Ocean, southern Europe, and Eurasia. The geocentric celestial event was captured in these two panels taken at Almodovar del Rio, Spain from before (left) and during the asteroid-star occultation. In both panels Betelgeuse is seen above and left, at the shoulder of the familiar constellation Orion. Its brightness diminishes noticeably during the exceedingly rare occultation when, for several seconds, the giant star was briefly eclipsed by a roughly 60 kilometer diameter main-belt asteroid.

Photo by Sebastian Voltmer

Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (1884 – 1920)  Italian painter and sculptor known for portraits and nudes in a modern style characterized by a surreal elongation of faces, necks, and figures that were not received well during his lifetime, but later became much sought-after. Modigliani spent his youth in Italy, and moved to Paris in 1906, where he came into contact with such artists as Pablo Picasso and Constantin Brâncuși. More