Banal Monday

It's been a slow day.

Having been out at Kirk yesterday, where I had to do the intercessions, and stand around chatting while the young folks stacked the chairs.  I was afraid if I sat there I may have been found piled on top and stacked in the corner somewhere!  Enthusiasm is their thing.

Anyway, the service followed the usual routine, no-one objected, jeered or slow handclapped, like last time, and I made it through.  Whether that prayer was Spirit filled is a question I could not answer, however, some praised the way I said it, clear and slow so they could understand.  At least they were awake.  

Sloth today.  

Much time on Twitter watching the USA prove it is not of any worth anymore.  People telling us how Trump understands the working class because he staged a fake McDonalds work experience, though how many times it had to be reshot is unclear.  A closed shop, supporters rehearsing their bit, and thousands now love him!  Really, the US requires a proper dictator, or with a heart and an efficient military machine, otherwise they are lost.  

I suspect however, most people in the UK were to busy being entranced by 'Sickly Come Dancing,' a programme designed for the 'Bread & Circuses' brigade.  Most TV is these days.  Anything that speaks of thinking is pushed to the side, especially if it may 'offend.'

So I have just returned to playing Solitaire or reading my book. 

I might have a life tomorrow...

Mars!

That may be a dirty blob to you, however, to those in the know that blob is my first picture of the planet Mars!  Being unable to sleep, aching from preparing the place for the workmen, my aching muscles forced me up just after one am.  In spite of a slight cloud cover it was possible to see many stars glinting above.  I was looking for the latest comet that is supposedly passing by but failed to observe it, however, it is quite wonderful to be able, even through a dirty window, to see so many stars.
While in my teens I was often able to see stars.  Having a cat meant that at unearthly hours one of us would be forced up, downstairs, through the back door, and while the cat stared suspiciously into the void I could look up into the very dark sky, well hidden from street lights, and observe Orion among others.  Always good, even if frostbite was waiting.  The cat would suddenly move, I would close back stair door, open the front door for the cat to enter halfway and glare back at his patch.  We would then return to bed, he satisfied his land was secure from threats no-one but him could see, we happy just to be warm again.
On one occasion on the north coast of Kent a crowd of us stood and stared at the Milky Way.  Vast numbers of stars, clear as can be ranged overhead.  Wonderful sight.
Last night I managed to capture Mars, not easy while holding the camera half way out the window, but another achievement to equal a similarly poor image of Venus obtained a while ago.  If I could understand half of what they say on these star maps I might find others.  Why are they so often confusing?     

OSIRIS

A wee bit better than mine.

As Well as can be Expected....

There were no stars in this bit...

I failed to rise at three a.m. to see the moon last night, as it would be behind the house it made no difference in the end.  However I did wake at four thirty and was struck by the stars above.  I was not exactly struck by them, they being many light years distance but I was struck by their brightness.  You see the local council switch off the street lights at midnight to save money, much to the joy of the light fingered amongst us, and they remain off until five in the morning.  With the skies being clear I was able to see the stars in a manner I have not noticed for many years.  I stood, half dressed obviously, at the window staring into the sky above.  The brightness surprised me and it was as if I could reach out and touch them.  How strange.  I suppose the street lights have hidden the sky from us except for those in country areas.  Luckily this small market town in rural enough to allow for some sky to be seen and a clear sky being a rarity it became a fun time for me.
In London I had the habit of leaning out my fourth floor window and staring upwards.  This took me above the street lights and on many occasions satellites or space craft of one sort or another could be seen making their way across the skies.  However the stars appeared further away than they did last night.  very bright star (Acturus) or possibly Saturn itself shone brightly last night.  I know the names because I made use of 'Stellarium' to check up this morning.  This is a FREE offering and well worth it if you like the stars and can understand how to work it (I can't!). 
I was freezing when I got back into my pit!

 EAR

The day has been spent on my side.  I have been inserting 'Otex' into my ear to clear the wax which is making me deaf and beginning to pain me.  However having looked at the diagram of the ear I am left amazed at how complicated the structure is.  In the 60's the 'Tomorrow's World' programme on BBC offered an insight into inventions and interesting science type stuff that even dumb folk like me could understand.  However such TV is not tolerated today, only house programmes, cooks and dumb soap operas are allowed, thinking is frowned upon!
One programme revealed the fibre optic cable, or whatever it was called then.  This this wire was inserted into a woman's ear and attached to a camera and revealed the inner working of an actual ear.  Such equipment is used daily in hospitals world wide but at the time it was revolutionary.  It was shoved down her throat also and offered an insight into her lungs which we normally never saw.  I don't suppose she saw much of her insides either come to think of it. Of course she had no wax in there at the time, which was fortunate I suppose.  I am trying to ensure I can hear tomorrow at work, at least until one when I shall run back home to bed.  How I miss that.

Look Up!

Hubble

I was listening to Heather Couper blethering away on her 15 minute programme Cosmic Quest earlier and it struck me how rarely we see the stars today.  Even on dark winters nights we rarely consider the heavens above us, rushing to and fro, wrapped up against the cold we tend not to stop and stare upwards.  Even if we were to do so would we see anything?  Our world is so polluted by light, necessary light at that, that the wonders of the stars are rarely observed.  Few of us live in areas isolated enough from those orange streets lights enabling us a glimpse of what is above.  The park opposite does offer the possibility of such sights of course, however the abundance of brats loitering there tends to make this difficult unless a Kalashnikov is in ones possession.  

The heavens declare the Glory of God they say, and indeed they do!  Vast numbers of planets, stars, galaxies and who knows what out there.  Huge clouds of dust cover thousands of miles either forming planets or the remnants of collapsed ones.  The only thing not seen are space ships carrying wee green men.  Such as they are found only on earth.  Some years ago, during the Soviet days, reports of aliens appeared regularly from the far reaches of the Soviet Union.  At the same time young girls were reporting visions of the Virgin Mary in Latin countries, while in the UK people were constantly finding Elvis Presley at work in local Burger bars.  I feel these may all be one and the same thing myself.

Go out and find a clear sky and see if you can find these images near you!  Hubble Images