A Fine Story of Real Humans…

Folks,

If you were a kid back in 1966, you might remember the grownups being a little freaked out that the Captain of a star ship, a white fellow, kissed a black lady on television. Now, it was quite obvious that the beautiful woman was quite deserving of a kiss by any man that would dare approach a proud striding Human, one such as Lt. Uhura. A guy with the best star ship in the galaxy was an appropriate candidate to deliver that smooch. No big deal. Well, except he did get to kiss her. Our nation's knees turned to jelly with that momentary embrace before the commercial for Jiffy Peanut Butter.

As we approach the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr, it is interesting that MLK had a little something to do with arranging that kiss. History is fun! Who knew?

May Nichelle Nichols Live Long and Prosper.

S

Folks,

Look to the skies! This sort of show happens most every night, and you can see it if you are patient. Likely, it will not be as grand on demand as the attached photo, but the heavens are alive with sparks and fire. Happily, we get to enjoy sitting on a presently quiet cinder in the vastness. Thus, if you've got an adequate camera and a tripod, or even a rail on your porch to perch the gadget, you can make a picture like the one below. If not, you can simply look up and wait. The Universe is very patient. It waited for you.

The Quadrantid Meteor Shower is an annual event for planet Earth's northern hemisphere skygazers. It usually peaks briefly in the cold, early morning hours of January 4. The shower is named for its radiant point on the sky within the old, astronomically obsolete constellation Quadrans Muralis. That position is situated near the boundaries of the modern constellations Hercules, Bootes, and Draco. In this haunting time exposure, two quadrantid meteor streaks are captured crossing trails left by rising stars of the constellations Virgo and Corvus, but Saturn leaves the brightest "star" trail.

The meteor streaks, one bright and one faint, are nearly parallel above and right of center in the frame. Fittingly, the old cistern structure in the foreground lies above the now buried city of Qumis. Known as a city of many gates, Qumis (in Greek history Hecatompylos), was founded 2300 years ago in ancient Persia.

S

No More Fun and Games?

Well, folks,

No more fun and games? It seems that we've built a machine to better our own minds at some things that we have always claimed as our own, alone. When will we have to tussle with a gadget that claims to have emotions? Can we ethically hit the off switch? We are coming up close to such a decision.

Watson in Jeopardy

S

The First "Real" Computer…

Ladies and Joymz,

A bunch of true British loonies are about to rebuild the first machine that might be called a modern, electronic computer. At the risk of delving into ethnic stereotyping, I must say that geekiness is best conveyed with an English accent. Think Q from the Bond films. John Cleese. It's just better done with those clipped consonants and the sneering tone attached to even a friendly greeting.

Anyhow, our cousins in Great Britain have taken on a fine enterprise. They are rebuilding, as best as one can today, the very first machine that we might recognize as a modern, electronic computer. The thing will have the power of, oh, say a wrist watch. It will fill a big room. But, if there is a heaven, Allen Turing is smiling, saying "I told you so!" as he twiddles the knobs on a truly Universal Computer.

The Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator

S

Scarlet Slathered in Begonias on The Golden Shore…

Folks,

Well, well, well, here we go… you might want to take about a quarter hour out of your future to look a little furthur. The boyz and The Grateful Dead Show step deep into this little jam. Keep you sneakers laced, 'cuz it will get messy.

Scarlet Dances to the Golden Shore

S

Hello, Earth!

Folks,

Morning and Evening meet over Graz, Austria, about a week ago. Thank you Robert Pölzl.

Eclipse Seen from Graz…

S

A Luscious View…

Folks,

Here's what you get with a friendly Home Star, lot's of ice crystals in the air, and a view from near our World's poles… if you look to the sky at just exactly the perfect moment of a certain hour on a certain day in all the history of Creation, you get to see a circle 'round the Sun.

The specific location was Stockholm, Sweden, a few days ago.

S