6/22/09
Flyby sends new photos from the Moon 6.23.09
From the Moon with love?
Space Weather News for June 22, 2009
LUNAR FLYBY: Tomorrow morning, NASA's LCROSS (Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite) spacecraft will fly by the Moon and send pictures back to Earth from only 9000 km above the lunar surface. The purpose of the maneuver is to put LCROSS in an elongated Earth orbit and position it for impact at the lunar south pole later this year.
Live video streaming of the flyby begins at approximately 5:20 AM PDT on Tuesday, June 23, 2009. Visit SpaceWeather.com for links and updates.
NEW SUNSPOTS: Since 2007, it has been unusual to see even a single spot on the sun. Today there are two. A pair of new-cycle sunspots is emerging in the sun's southern hemisphere. This is a good opportunity for readers with solar telescopes to witness sunspot genesis in action.
~~~
Space Weather News for June 22, 2009
LUNAR FLYBY: Tomorrow morning, NASA's LCROSS (Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite) spacecraft will fly by the Moon and send pictures back to Earth from only 9000 km above the lunar surface. The purpose of the maneuver is to put LCROSS in an elongated Earth orbit and position it for impact at the lunar south pole later this year.
Live video streaming of the flyby begins at approximately 5:20 AM PDT on Tuesday, June 23, 2009. Visit SpaceWeather.com for links and updates.
NEW SUNSPOTS: Since 2007, it has been unusual to see even a single spot on the sun. Today there are two. A pair of new-cycle sunspots is emerging in the sun's southern hemisphere. This is a good opportunity for readers with solar telescopes to witness sunspot genesis in action.
~~~
6/20/09
Robert Reich on saving Obama's health care plan
On TPM, economist Robert Reich has blogged a memo to President Obama detailing the Things He Must Do to save his drooping intiative for health care reform including acting like LBJ - Lyndon Baines Johnson, the only president who ever bested the medical and pharmaceutical lobbies.
Yes, once upon a time, LBJ knew how to twist Capitol Hill arms and knock skulls!
And as a former DC resident, I suspect that a smidge of blackmail was applied wherever needed. In most cases, powerful politicians consider themselves sexy beasts and the bevy of lady bees that have always flocked to Washington seemingly prove it to their massive egos constantly (until caught on film in unflattering poses. And nowadays it's cell phone records, too...change your vote?)
Washington has always run on power, money, sex, and blackmail. Did then. Does now.
Update 6.21.09: Actually there is a current example of such goings on with Republican Rep. John Ensign and his opened-to-public-view love affair which is threatening to stain the likes of Tom Coburn and perhaps others who knew but didn't tell.
And the husband of the lady-in-question....well, read it for yourself if you haven't and you want to. It's a sad testimony to some of what goes on around there, but that's DC for ya...and no, I don't thank them for making my point. I only hope there aren't children involved, esp young ones.
Back to health care reform...
Don't you think that many lawmakers on Capitol Hill may hold shares in the very corporations that are fighting against insuring the uninsured? What a racket!
Yet if 51 votes will pass the president's health care reform bill, why bother with lobby-whipped nay-sayers of any stripe?
If you really want it passed, that is.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update Monday 6.22.09: HealthCareForAmericaNow! seems determined to have health care reform...now! What can we do to help?
~~~
Yes, once upon a time, LBJ knew how to twist Capitol Hill arms and knock skulls!
And as a former DC resident, I suspect that a smidge of blackmail was applied wherever needed. In most cases, powerful politicians consider themselves sexy beasts and the bevy of lady bees that have always flocked to Washington seemingly prove it to their massive egos constantly (until caught on film in unflattering poses. And nowadays it's cell phone records, too...change your vote?)
Washington has always run on power, money, sex, and blackmail. Did then. Does now.
Update 6.21.09: Actually there is a current example of such goings on with Republican Rep. John Ensign and his opened-to-public-view love affair which is threatening to stain the likes of Tom Coburn and perhaps others who knew but didn't tell.
And the husband of the lady-in-question....well, read it for yourself if you haven't and you want to. It's a sad testimony to some of what goes on around there, but that's DC for ya...and no, I don't thank them for making my point. I only hope there aren't children involved, esp young ones.
Back to health care reform...
Don't you think that many lawmakers on Capitol Hill may hold shares in the very corporations that are fighting against insuring the uninsured? What a racket!
Yet if 51 votes will pass the president's health care reform bill, why bother with lobby-whipped nay-sayers of any stripe?
If you really want it passed, that is.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update Monday 6.22.09: HealthCareForAmericaNow! seems determined to have health care reform...now! What can we do to help?
~~~
JibJab's 'He's Barack Obama!' video
JibJab's He's Barack Obama! video send-up is now posted on Stars Over Washington, and as my daughter tweeted: love him or hate him, be honest - they nailed him!
6/19/09
Musical landmark in Athens GA burns down 6.19.09
The Georgia Theater in downtown Athens, Georgia, my hometown, has been gutted by flames this morning.
Many a musical group and artist have played wonderful shows there through the years including Dave Matthews Band, Crowded House (when there was one), and many others my brain can't think to mention just now.
Of course, REM is associated with the Theater as well, and our musical landmark with its old-timey marquee will be sadly missed by all.
~~
Many a musical group and artist have played wonderful shows there through the years including Dave Matthews Band, Crowded House (when there was one), and many others my brain can't think to mention just now.
Of course, REM is associated with the Theater as well, and our musical landmark with its old-timey marquee will be sadly missed by all.
~~
6/17/09
View from Cave Observatory
On my Facebook wall you'll discover View from Cave Observatory which is one of the larger of my drawings from the 1995/96 period - the days of Timeless Path which you see at the top of the sidebar to your left. Timeless Path is one of two drawings accepted into a city exhibition during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, GA. Fun!
Be that as it was, check out a celestial scene by clicking the link above - and you don't have to climb the many stairs leading to Cave Observatory because I've put you, dear viewer, in place for the best peek already!
Astrology note: Pluto is the (dwarf) planet of caves, but you knew that!
All art images are copyrighted by artist; Use by express permission only. jc
~~
Be that as it was, check out a celestial scene by clicking the link above - and you don't have to climb the many stairs leading to Cave Observatory because I've put you, dear viewer, in place for the best peek already!
Astrology note: Pluto is the (dwarf) planet of caves, but you knew that!
All art images are copyrighted by artist; Use by express permission only. jc
~~
Mask of the Cosmos~Art & Astrology's mask
Mask of the Cosmos is my small art attempt at a drawing meant to represent the Ascendant which is the rising sign and degree, or the WHAT? Point of any horoscope.
Everything that is has a beginning, and so the Ascendant may describe the beginning of an event, a nation, a day, or an individual and tells us how the world is seen and how the world sees the entity the chart describes. It is a major point in Astrology which, along with Sun and Moon, are primary factors to consider.
And the Ascendant degree's Sabian Symbol fills out the picture as well.
As you know, with Astrology a horoscope may be drawn for any place or time on earth. A good example of the impersonal use of this concept is a sunrise chart (aka a solar chart) which tells the flavor or quality that will unfold through the rest of the day in that locality.
On my Political Astrology blog, Stars Over Washington, I have often used this method for 'taking the temperature' of certain days on Capitol Hill or for the White House, and find this technique especially useful in mundane work when one doesn't know the exact timing of an event's occurrence but wishes to see how things will 'get on' for a particular day.
The chart-ruler (planet ruling the sign of the Ascendant) may then be checked for applying aspects, if any, and clues garnered. No applying aspects most often means, 'no action' (although aspects to other charts' planets or points may have something to say about things, if applicable.)
Seeing planets as 'actors' helps, too - Sun is 'the leader', Moon is 'the public' or 'the people', Mars represents males between the ages of 25 and appr 35, Mercury = young people; of course, Mars is also military personnel, police officers, firefighters, etc, and Mercury is anyone associated with communications such as reporters, speech-writers and speakers, etc.
Yet the planets retain all their other astrological correspondances simultaneously (Mercury for trade, commerce, agreements, Mars for quarrels and fires, etc) for Astrology describes a complex world occurring on many levels all at once - inner, outer, and in between the cracks.
With the sunrise/solar chart set for a particular location we may view what the universe in any area of the globe is impersonally offering at that time. As Above, So Below, and 'the end is in the beginning' as Astrology teaches.
And thus on a personal level, a baby is born into earth's flux at a particular place and time in his/her uniqueness as a genetic flowering of generations...unless, of course, another woman was on top of or underneath our mothers having a baby at precisely the same moment! But even twin births can't do that for one child must precede the other.
And so each one of us is a unique individual with a natal or birth chart all our own, and the rising Ascendant in our charts tells us much about the masks we wear as we accept the mission for which we are born, and immediately after birth begin to learn how to 'speak through the mask' of the Ascendant.
In addition, planetary aspects in natal charts help to 'fix' us in space while the qualities of the chart's aspects give a frame of reference that aids in understanding our unique potential - especially if we study our charts or have them explained to us.
The Ascendant shows our meaningful contact with the environment so that we may express ourselves fully in our lives (if we choose to accept our missions!) through the doorway of our Ascendant...the 'door' we entered by!
~~
6/16/09
A few more days until Summer Solstice 2009!
Summer Solstice 2009 is almost upon us and for some reason, this one seems to be sneaking up on me too quickly especially with the 90+ degree weather we're already having in Georgia. This is obviously to prepare us for the extreme heat of July and - my least favorite month - the dreaded August.
Can tall glasses of iced tea with slices of lemon be on the menu? Oh yeah.
So click above for astrological info along with a few brief notes on the New Moon in Cancer the day after Solstice. This New Moon brings fresh beginnings relating to Cancerian themes such as mama, home, domestic scene, real estate, products used in the home, and security issues...even the crab-filled oceans may be involved.
Plus, FactMonster has some Solstice info if you're wanting more technical details about this annual solar event and its first cousin, the Winter Solstice.
So stay cool if you can get cool!
~:~
Can tall glasses of iced tea with slices of lemon be on the menu? Oh yeah.
So click above for astrological info along with a few brief notes on the New Moon in Cancer the day after Solstice. This New Moon brings fresh beginnings relating to Cancerian themes such as mama, home, domestic scene, real estate, products used in the home, and security issues...even the crab-filled oceans may be involved.
Plus, FactMonster has some Solstice info if you're wanting more technical details about this annual solar event and its first cousin, the Winter Solstice.
So stay cool if you can get cool!
~:~
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