Imbolc                                          Woodpecker Moon

And if all that business about time wasn’t enough, Scientific American sticks its nose in the apocaplypse business:

NASA Crushes 2012 Mayan Apocalypse Claims

The agency’s Near-Earth Objects Program head points out many fallacies, including the claim that an imaginary planet will collide with Earth in December. Thousands of astronomers have not seen this

Imbolc                                                   Woodpecker Moon

10:00 PM.  March 16th.  The day before St. Patrick’s Day.  St. Patrick’s eve.  That’s 10:00 PM.  AND IT IS 70 DEGREES OUT!

Garden Planning Moon   moon photograph from erinfrost.com.

How ’bout those Republicans?  If they work hard enough, they can give Obama the room he needs to squeeze in a second term.  If the economy markedly improves and unemployment begins an appreciable drop, then the Osama card and health care reform might give him the impetus he needs.

Rick Santorum did well in Iowa.  He prides himself on being a conservative on social issues.  Back in the day, conservatives wanted the guberment to keep out the bedroom, not legislate morality and focus on the economy, stupid.  Now they vote, as Santorum did consistently under GW, for deficit budgets to fight wars and promote a right wing agenda.  And they want marriage limited to a man and a woman, abortion made illegal again, guns in your hand whenever and wherever, immigrants treated like criminals instead of an economic necessity and the future of our country and whatever other bible bangin’ notion might occur to someone later on.

Oh, my.

Samain                                     Moon of the Winter Solstice

Quotables

Bumper sticker today:    Think about honking if you love conceptual art.

Bumper sticker in Stanley, capitol of the Falkland islands (2,500 people):  For such a small town there sure are a lot of assholes.

Heard on the cruise:  Hope you have a good day.  Reply:  It already is a good day, we both woke up.

Spring Moon of the Southern Cross

In spite of my desire to see the Southern Cross we’ve not had a clear night, even out of Coquimbo with 300 clear skies a year; the Humboldt Current kicks up enough moisture to create cloud cover over the ocean. Over head, too, is the Larger Magellanic Cloud, a naked eye galaxy only 200,000 light years from earth and named after Ferdinand Magellan.

Ferdinand figures into tonight’s sailing since the Captain estimates we will hit the Straits of Magellan about 7 pm Santiago time. The Straits of Magellan will take us to Punta Arenas, the big city around these parts, where Kate and I take off for Ottway Bay and penguins up close.

The next three days will find us still sailing in the mass of islands and peninsulas that make up the end of the Americas in the south. On the 12^th we will round Cape Horn.

Our ship has instituted biological control measures, meaning more frequent washing of hands, crew serving food on the normally cafeteria Lido deck, closing the self-service laundries and isolating sick passengers in their staterooms until 24 hours of disease free time has passed. Though I had a cold, neither Kate nor I (so far) have succumbed to a GI illness making the rounds, something on the order of turista.

It’s hard to fault Holland America since they push hygiene and have done since the cruise started. Still, it’s a difficult situation for all concerned.

Fall                                                         New Autumn Moon

Quick note.  Couldn’t sleep.  Up at 2:45 a.m.  Feeling rested and alert, more’s the pity.

This happens sometimes.  Sometimes I wonder if I should work more at night and sleep during the day.  But not often.

This Youtube video is extraordinary.

Passers by lift car off motorcyclist