D A R E 💥 T O 💥 T H I N K
Tonight, 12/31, you can make a try to see what we could not glimpse here last night, but Europeans will have the best chance of seeing - Luna getting ready to take a leap up and join Venus, as seen from the North American latitudes. Scope in on the Southwest. By tomorrow night, from the map you can see how close Luna and Venus will be, such a stunning light in a hopefully cloudless sky best seen over London. They will only be 3 to 4 degrees apart as seen from North America and I'm wishing on a star for a good view here.
Europeans are in the most advantageous place for the best of both events. The Mercury-Jupiter conjunction is c. 14.40 UT and the Venus-Luna conjunction is c. 17.25 UT. So the best time, the "middle of the two" would be to watch at 16.00 UT which is about sunset in London.
Also, the brief Quadrantid meteors may peak around Saturday morning (coldest time of night, coldest time of year - if you want to get a glimpse, dress for it) These are not our beloved Perseids, so don't expect much. But meteor watching in winter is truly an adventure. The best vantage due to its timing would 
be Pacific time zone, North America.
The uniqueness about Friday's perigee of Luna is that it's the nearest to Earth since 1993. Not only that but according to Griffith Observatory, this event is very special because a perigee and full moon do not occur at the same time. That makes Friday's event extremely rare.
So get our there and howl!!!
Some absolutely adore Christmas! I'm a humbug, but malleable lol. And all that is just better left for me to sort out. I'd like to discuss something about the season, and hopefully you'll remember I only have an opinion, sprinkled with a bit of fact. I'd really like you to read this whole entry, it's interesting:
A friend chastised me saying there'd be no Christmas without Christ. I did beg to remind her of the thousands of years b.c. man has celebrated the Winter Solstice, and in many a differing tradition. By any other name, a time of celebration and worship. So anyway:
As families gather round the mummified tree with gifts asunder, merriment galore, sooner or later someone will whisper, "Let's not forget what this day is really about!"
And with duly bowed heads, we celebrate the birth of a King. If you're of the Christian persuasion, this is the time of year to rejoice in the coming of a foretold Savior, who brought the good news that indeed, our Father God truly is a Living God, who loves and forgives us, and if we just love Him and play nice, things will go alot smoother for Jews, and everyone else if truth be told. Remember, Jesus was a good and obedient Jew with some odd ideas to those who heard them.
How did it happen that we celebrate two occasions on the same day? I'd like to offer that man has celebrated the Winter Solstice for ages unrecorded. Every country celebrates differently, and going back into history I'll just use one little example, the ancient Roman holiday of the Sun, "Saturnalia", also celebrated at this time. We still celebrate the Winter Solstice on the 22nd, the longest night of the year - the shortest day. With the sun at lowest, it's the turning point of the year. The Romans called it Dies Natalis Invicti Solis or "The Birthday of the Unconquered Sun." For many a modern year we've called it "The Birthday of the Son of God." The birth of Jesus. Isn't that intriguing?
All the traditions of Roman midwinter's Saturnalia are still performed today, depending on your country: it's a huge festival of hearth and home. The Romans took to making merry, halls of their homes decked with the boughs of laurel and evergreen trees, oil lamps were kept burning (we light our candles, in some ages directly on the tree), all meant to ward off the spirits of darkness and death, for many died of cold and starvation this time of year.
Schools were closed, the army rested, and no man was executed. Friends visited each other, bringing gifts of good luck such as incense, fruits, candles, cakes. In each Temple stood an evergreen, symbolizing the continuity of life, and all of this we continue to do. Did you know your Christmas tree has that meaning? Isn't this symbolism nice to know? And there are myriad other traditions for as many countries, but where amongst all this is the place set aside for a child, newly born to the world, Jesus, and why now? Please read on:
In the 3rd century, many dates between December and April were celebrated by Christians as Mistlemas, now called Christmas (roughly translated as "blessed time") and meant to honor Christ's birth. The 6th of January was the most favored as it was thought to be the baptismal day of Our Lord as a grown man. It is still a widely held belief that indeed, it was not the Winter Solstice when Jesus came into the world but October, the basis of which many theologians and bible scholars have determined, as Julius Caesar did add those two months during harvest to the 10-month calendar. Either or. I think anyday is a good day to remember the birth of Christ, anytime a good one to honor Him whether you hold belief in your heart or not. I doubt any God needs our faith in order to exist. I know it's a bit boring but back to the story:
It was c. 350 a.d. that December 25th was adopted in Rome and gradually almost the entire Christian Church agreed to it. The Greek Orthodox Church still celebrates Christmas on January 6th, however. But the 25th coincided with the Winter Solstice, The Yule, and the Saturnalia. All the merriment of Saturnalia was adopted into the observance of the birth of Christ. The mixings are now becoming soup. The tree and the manger are coalescing. By 1100 a.d. Christmas was the peak celebration of the year for all of Europe. Although it went through many changes, especially during Reformation, such as the banning of mistletoe for its pagan connotations (still held by today's Christian church) the mix held fast to this day - the combination of Saturnalia's merrymaking with the celebrations of the Winter Solstice, and the agreed-upon day of Christ's birth (with no historical basis and none really needed). 
So Christmas is truly not really one or another, but a combination of many. Merriment, joy, and respectful honor. A most important day of the year no matter how you honor it.
In 1647 England, Parliament passed a law abolishing Christmas altogether, how bout that?! Even though Charles 2 revived it, the feasting and merrymaking were more worldly than religious. Bit of a dark time.
It's clear our Christmas traditions arose from what some would call "pagan" ceremonies but which we all still perform and take great joy in following, such as decking the halls and setting up our tree, having family gather, friends visit, exchange gifts, all the favors this greatly evolved time brings. It's the Winter Solstice. A duly recognized time of year. It's Saturnalia, the time to get a little nutty and just live to the fullest with those you love under the sun, which orb is honored. It's also the time the Holy Mother Church, founded on the life of Christ, has declared to be the recognition of the birth amongst us of a Savior and King, humble, loving, 100% human, 100% divine, the anointed One, whose destiny was the foundation of the Christian faith. Why not celebrate anytime we want? you may ask. Why can't we chose another date? Well, you can. This is simply the time other feasts come together and join in one great day of joy and protection from the cold and dark, love of family and neighbor. Those in more educated places who know the byways of historical fact have spoken and so was it writ. Who knows what the 30th century will bring.
I have always been a person of science. I have found no science to disprove a man Jesus Christ was born on earth and died here as well. After that, it's my personal choice as to what I embrace in my heart. Yours too. No one can take that from the human soul and its need for something higher, something finer and Divine.
When you celebrate with joyous merrymaking your Saturnalia feast, and meditate on the mysteries of the Winter Solstice, as you gather at the fireplace and Yule Log for warmth, take a moment at the creche, the manger we all know so well, and pay your respects. If you don't believe it means anything, it can't hurt you I promise. (If I don't believe there's a monster under my bed, it can't hurt me.) Christmas seems to be, indeed, a combination of ancient traditions, and the Church declared it would also be the best time to recognize the Savior's birth. Whether the concept of such a Man is within your ethic or not, the way I see it and in my humblest of opinions, God requires no one's belief in Him to exist.
So to every dear soul in Blogtown, I wish you:
WARM WINTER SOLSTICE
SWEET SATURNALIA
A CHERISHED CHRISTMAS
and to Jesus,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY !
"I see that you have at last found the secret of true peace: not to examine your present state, and to abandon the past and future entirely to God's mercy; to have a great idea of God's goodness, which is infinitely greater than you can express, and to believe, in spite of anything that tries to persuade you to the contrary, that YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD in spite of all your miseries."
St. Claude De La Colombiere
You know, my sweet Journal friends, I believe it's not how far we've come in this world that matters - it's how far we've come from where we were. And I feel that no matter where we are, it's the exact place God expects us to be. God by any other name would love us just as fiercely. And I love you, too.
I didn't know his true importance until he died, but I knew he was a genius about to enter his second renaissance. I knew his favorite color was "the absence of color" as he once said, meaning he loved all color - since color is simply the reworking of light.
He wasn't my favorite of the four, in fact I thought him rather "unpretty" at first. All the others had a cuteness about them any 13 year old in 1963 would spot and react to, and I did. Tennis racket in hand, I played that 'guitar' and sang "Love, Love Me Do" until the needle broke. We only had 45s and LPs then, and if I had just one of that collection I came to own, nothing could part me from it.
There was a time during the 1970s he confused and maddened me. I wasn't on his level but didn't know that was the reason, even while studying for my future career which allowed me no second of relaxation. I listened to his words, the music he formed, and in frustration would wonder "Why did he say that?" One little thow-off remark and a completely loving world suddenly wanted to crucify him (pun intended). Years later when I had a brain, I realized it was a toss-off thing one says a billion times in ones' life, but he was no ordinary man allowed to make toss-off remarks at his leisure. No, the man who only wanted a little peace started a small war.
There was talk everywhere, even of deportation, so this man of no small street-smarts got out of Dodge.
He left his buddies, his hearth and home, and tried to find meaning and solace in another way of life. But he couldn't make music and it changed him - it pained him. Eventually he returned to the only love he could trust and wrote some of the world's most beautiful songs - love songs, ballads that plead for understanding and acceptance, melodies that forced the listener to really listen this time, here was someone who really experienced a life-change. We knew exactly what he meant. And we were the wealthier for it.
It was 8 a.m. on 12/9/80 when, driving to work, my car radio spat out the incredible news.
He was lost in the previous night, 12/8/1980, lost in that night to five obscene bullets that ripped through us all. His last words: "I've been shot!" A brief look of naked human surprise, then coma. There was nothing heroic about his death. He never regained a second of life. And all we need is love? It was a hard concept to believe when he was gone.
John Lennon had so much more to do. It hurts to think about the music, the words, books, the voice he gave to the voiceless - all left undone. John was one step from an apex in a career so full of the love of life, of peace, of innocence. Anyone who heard "Double Fantasy" knows the utter frustration and aching tears felt in the knowledge that we'll never have a genius of his kind again.
I could never do John Lennon homage to my satisfaction. So I'll put these words away for now, dust off an old album or two, and just listen. And remember.
And IMAGINE ........
There comes a time when a person just needs to PONDER, you know? I was doing that today, (note: "today" was in October of 2006, this is a repost) and arrived at some redundancies, pedadilloes, assorted lunacies and just plain funnies. Think about this:
How redundant are these:
Moisturizing mouth wash
Spray-on salad dressing
Plans for a WALL to be built around our southern border (true!)
Infant-sized safety equipment (tiny helmets, mini-knee pads, etc) think about what this mother is planning for her baby!
A guy is robbing a store, puts a PLASTIC bag over his head, goes in and demands the dough. That's - plastic!!! TV news, can't beat it.
Some things I actually heard:
"I knew it was dangerous before I tried it."
"There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers." (I swear, this was an adult!)
"Although the jockey fell off the horse, the judges have ruled that if it gets past the finish line, a rider-less horse still wins the race."
Biggest quote gaffe of all time
"One step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Now, you'd THINK we'd get it right for the first MOON LANDING for Pete's sake but nooo, I think Mr. Armstrong was so nervous about little green men coming at him with ray guns he just forgot that all important "a" in "one step for a man"...etc. Redundant gaffe.
Actual Everyday Sayings I Got Mixed Up As a Kid
KILLER BE KILLED ("Kill or be killed")
STICKY END OF THE SHORTS (I couldn't find "the short end of the stick" nor grasp why it would be bad luck - to me, REAL bad luck would be the reverse - having sticky ended shorts)
HEY, LET'S STALK ("Hey, Let's Talk")
MEN WALK PAST GIRLS MADE OF GLASS (ok laugh)
HI! It's me, Froggy. This is a repost from Nov. 19, 2006. Remember my pal Jerry B? No? Well, he'd like me to laugh as often as possible. So courtesy of Jerry in 2006, these are real bumpers stickers, have a read and a chuckle:
I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.
WANTED: Meaningful overnight relationship.
You're just jealous because the voices only talk to MEEE!
Beer - not just for breakfast anymore.
And beauty is still in the eye of the beer-holder.
All men are idiots and I married the king.
The longer you complain, the longer God makes you live.
Hard work has future payoff. Laziness pays off NOW.
Reality is a crutch for people who can't handle drugs.
As long as there are tests, there'll be prayer in public schools.
Hang up and drive!
God must love stupid people - look at them all!
I said "no" to drugs, they didn't listen.
Smile, it's the 2nd best thing you can do with your lips.
I took an I.Q. test, the results were negative. Whew!
Where there's a Will . . . . . . I want to be in it.
Consciousness: that annoying time between naps.
Always remember you're unique - just like everybody else.
I don't have a license to kill, only a learner's permit.
Alcohol and calculus don't mix: never drink and derive.
If we are what we eat, I'm cheap, fast and easy.
My wife keeps complaining I never listen - or something.
Jack Kervorkian for White House physician! (Ok now obviously this joke no longer applies, seems Junior is leaving the usual way - by vote of the people!)
If you can read this, I can hit my brakes and sue you.
EARTH FIRST! We'll strip-mine the other planets later. (This will only be funny to people who can laugh at themselves)
Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change.
Who were the testers for Preparations A through G?
Keep honking so I can re-load.
Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?
and the worst, most rude of all:
Have a nice day!
You're looking at a dying star with gamma rays exploding out of either side of the orbit of space dust it's creating. I'd like to bring you into a dimension of thought, and if you just allow your learned behaviors to stay still, open yourself to ideas and science, we can enjoy this I promise!
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