My Clones

Sometimes it feels like I have this many identical Karen's running around. She keeps herself very busy, but still found the time to create this wonderful photo.

A Paranoid, Schizoid Product of the 20th Century

Thank you, Mr. Clarke

I began avidly reading Science Fiction when I was about 11 or 12 years old. I remember visiting the Hyde Park Free Library with my mother, and discovering the wonders of Isaac Azimov, A.E. van Vogt, Robert Heinlein, and of course, Arthur C. Clarke. One of my earliest Sci-Fi memories is of devouring Clarke's Tales from the White Hart, a series of stories that blended real science with tall tales related by denizens of an English pub. Over the years, I wolfed down many more of Clarke's writings, both fact and fiction, and was always amazed by the blend of science and wonder that he wove into everything that he wrote.

My favorite Clarke book is the novel "Childhood's End". In it, Clarke looks to the eventual evolution of the human species to something that transcends mere matter and time. I would like to think that Arthur has now made that leap himself, and hope that his benevolent face is peering down on us, like the final scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Thank you, Mr. Clarke.

Still Life with Dobro and Candlestick

Some pictures from our weekend that we spent following Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines from show to show. The first show was in the Universalist church in Montclair, NJ where these shots were taken
Each show was for a slightly different type of audience, and the set lists and banter varied as well. Marsha had a chance to speak to Terri at the second show at the Towne Crier in Pawling.
We were amazed the next night when Terri and Lloyd walked into the Eggs Nest restaurant before their show in Stone Ridge. Lloyd compared us to Dead Heads following the band from show to show.Here is a final shot of Terri singing A Prayer for my Friends to wrap up the set in Montclair. We are looking forward to their return to the Northeast.

On the Road

We are embarking on a special road trip this Leap day. It will combine visits with friends and family, along with attending three (count 'em. Three!) concerts featuring Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines. We are starting with a show in Montclair,NJ with Terri and Sarah Lee Guthrie (daughter of Arlo, grandchild of Woody) & Johnny Irion. We will then trek to the Hudson valley to see shows in Pawling and at the Stone Ridge center for the Arts. We just hope Terri and Lloyd don't get too nervous when we keep appearing in the audience.

And speaking of the Road - Terri has her own road trip blog at http://TerriHendrix.blogspot.com/

Check it out. Meanwhile, see you on the road.

Thanks for the Opportunity . . .

Like its sister explorer, Spirit, the Mars rover Opportunity has also reached the four year mark on the red planet. Both little machines continue to send back wonderfully detailed pictures of a world that looks both alian and familiar. Sign me up, Mr. Branson, I'm ready to go too.


You can visit Opportunity and Spirit at http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html

Keeping up the Spirit in 2008

Happy 2008! While we have been celebrating the new year on Earth, Nasa's Spirit Rover is about to commemorate its fourth year exploring the Martian landscape.

Along with Opportunity, Spirit has survived intense cold and extreme dust storms while sending an amazing 210,000 photos back to Earth. The two rovers were planned for 90 day missions, but they continue to perform scientific analysis of the red planet far past their planned expiration dates.

While we applaud the good fortune and terrific engineering that allow these machines to perform so magnificently, it prompts us to question the value of manned exploration of space. As robotic devices continue to advance in abilities (right little Rhoomba?), will they be able to replace humans as explorers? Sending men into space is very dangerous and expensive. But is robot exploration as compelling and romantic as human examination of the unknown? Can robots provide the feeling along with the facts? The answer, I suppose, is that a combination of human and robotic exploration will be the best comprehensive way to explore our universe.

Visit: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html

Cassini - Keeps on clicking!

The Cassini spacecraft continues to send back amazing pictures of Saturn, its rings and its moons, after more than three years in orbit. This wonderful shot captures all three (planet, rings and moons) in their enduring dance.
See more at http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm.

Crocodile Tear

This is, quite likely, the saddest thing I have ever seen.

Thanks Matt (and Stiny).

Insane New Jersey Voters

This coming Election Day, New Jersey voters will be asked to approve four state ballot questions. The fourth is a proposed change to the state constitution.

Shall the amendment of Article II, Section I, paragraph 6 of the Constitution, agreed to by the Legislature, revising the current constitutional language concerning denial of the right to vote by deleting the phrase “idiot or insane person” and providing instead that a “person who has been adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting” shall not enjoy the right of suffrage, be adopted?

I am sure that many will aver that idiots have been voting in New Jersey for many years, despite the apparent constitutional ban. This confusion is understandable. The real problem is not who votes, but who they are voting for. What the state really needs is a ban on idiots being elected.

For now, at least, please go to the polls this year and vote for the idiot of your choice.

Squirrels safe to eat again in New Jersey

According to the N.Y. Daily News:

TRENTON - You may now resume eating the squirrels.
In January, the Garden State warned hunters and residents near a toxic waste dump in Ringwood in North Jersey to limit their consumption of squirrel after the feds thought they found lead in a dead squirrel. Officials now say it was a false alarm.
The Environmental Protection Agency said a blender used to process the squirrel's tissue samples was defective - and that the lead believed to be in the squirrel actually came from a part of the blender.
That's good news for members of the Ramapough Mountain Indian Tribe and others who like squirrel meat.
It's bad news, however, for the squirrels.

Bon Chance!

"Chance favors the prepared mind.” - Louis Pasteur

Happy Launch-aversary!

The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft was launched 10 years ago. It settled into orbit around Saturn about three and a half years ago and has sent spectacular pictures back to Earth.

The Cassini orbiter has provided beautiful views of Saturn, its rings, and its many moons. It has also helped discover new moonlets which give the rings some of their structure.

The Huygens probe descended to the great moon Titan and sent back the first ever pictures of this world beneath its shroud of clouds.

Visit the NASA site for more great photos.

Another day, another thought

"If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside."

Thought for the day

Shake your head like an Etch-a-Sketch every morning and pretend it’s all brand new.

Buy me some peanuts . . .

It was a gloomy evening, but hey! We're playing baseball!

The crew gets the field ready.
The wind was blowin' to left field.
Play Ball!
The Dodgers kept hitting those early pitches . . .
But we were able to get some me on base . . .

And Aaron Rowand was on a streak . . .

Homerun! Light up that bell!Later, the bases were full . . .
And the big first baseman was up . . . I think I'll go for a double, over there.

We left when the rains came, but the Phillies held on to win 5-4.

Thanks to Boss Rick for the pictures.

The Spiritual Kind

We had another opportunity to see and hear Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines perform at a free concert in Exton, PA. They were simply terrific, as usual, and we are continually impressed by how congenial, friendly and just plain nice these people are.

Lloyd on papoose

Terri is about to release a new CD, "The Spiritual Kind" (which we have already obtained through her web site: http://www.terrihendrix.com/). This is sort of a throw back to an old style, hippie-folk blend of songs, with some swing music thrown in for good measure.

Terri on guitar

The show at Exton featured some of the new songs, along with a mix of Woody Guthrie, Texas swing, kid's tunes, and a wide selection of Terri's songs from previous CDs. Terri got all of the kids to sing and dance along to "Car Car" and other hip kid's tunes. Lloyd's virtuosity on the guitar, dobro and mandolin amazed the entire crowd.

Terri frowning at the kids

We had a wonderful night, and we look forward to seeing Terri and Lloyd again soon. They are planning a show in the Virgin Islands next January . . . hmmmmmmm?

Visit Terri's site to hear sound clips from all her CDs.

Leipzig

The beautiful East German city of Leipzig has been the home to many famous writers and musicians. We visited a modest home where Schiller lived when he penned the "Ode to Joy".
Leipzig was also the site of one of Napolean's first defeats. The enormous Monument to the Nations commemorates the 1oo,ooo who died there.

Here is the church where Bach served as choir master and organist. The Glee Club sang there for vespers on Pentecost Monday.
Martin Luther preached here, as well.

Our tour group in front of the statue of Bach. We also ate in a cellar restaurant named after a location in Goethe's Faust. And, as usual, the Glee Club sang for their supper, with some of our alumni joining in.

Meissen

We traveled to Meissen on Pentecost to hear the Glee Club perform at Dom of Meissen. The cathedral was perched atop a large hill, enclosed by a walled bastion.

The boys sounded wonderful in the great expanse of the Dom. Their voices hung in the air for several seconds after they finished singing, reverberating between the tall arches and stained glass windows.

We had to climb what seemed like hundreds of steps to reach the tall buildings that surrounded the Dom, but the views of Meissen were well worth the effort.

Meissen on the Elbe

The Dom of Meissen

Dresden

The Elbe

Dresden survived one of the worst bombing attacks and fires of WWII. The city then spent 40 years under Soviet domination. We were thrilled to see what a beautiful city now exists. We had a great tour of the city and the surrounding Elbe valley, A visit to the Museum of the Old Masters, ate terrific food, and attended perhaps the best of the Glee Club concerts there.

Here are some highlights:

A Palace? No. A cigarette factory.

The Semper Opera House

The Museum of Old Masters

In front of the Catholic cathedral

The Glee Club wows Dresden!