It is time for change, renewal, and celebration.
The great thing about today is that yesterday is gone.
You can't go back and undo things you have done, but you can embrace today and look toward the future with hope.
Build on yesterday's success and learn from yesterday's failures.
Live in today.
Have a "Great and Prosperous" New Year!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Birmingham area night owls can catch total lunar eclipse tonight
If the weather is clear tonight, the sky may turn spectacular after midnight as the moon sails through a total eclipse.
Total lunar eclipses are dramatic and visually compelling. Often the moon looks red-orange because sunlight, which is bent as it moves through the Earth's atmosphere, has its blue wavelengths scattered away, leaving only the warmer hues.
"Many people also find that the eclipsed moon looks much more three-dimensional, hanging in front of the background stars, than the dazzling full moon does," said Bill Keel, professor in the physics and astronomy department at the University of Alabama. "There is much more of a sense that this is a ball."
Depending on the amount of clouds and volcanic dust in the atmosphere where the sunlight is bent, the moon could also appear dark gray.
Keel will hold a public eclipse watch beginning at 11 tonight and continuing through 3 a.m. Since the moon doesn't begin to move into the Earth's shadow until 12:33 a.m., visitors will first have a chance to look at the massive planet Jupiter.
Total eclipse begins about 1:41 a.m. and lasts until about 2:53 a.m., according to the website MrEclipse.com.
If people stay late enough, they will also have the chance to see the massive ringed planet Saturn after it rises, Keel said.
"The eclipse is a chance to watch orbital motions play out," Keel said. "And lunar eclipses were the first evidence that the Earth is round, because the shadow of Earth is curved as it moves across the face of the moon."
Also tonight, University of Montevallo professors will photograph the moon at the James Wylie Shepherd Observatory, said Michael Patton, one of the professors. The observatory's 20-inch scope will be tied up with cameras, but public visitors can look at the eclipse through a smaller telescope and some very good binoculars, Patton said. The observatory is three miles from the main campus.
"Weather permitting, we will be there by 12:30 a.m. and will stay until the end or until we fall asleep," Patton said. "If it is cold, visitors should dress appropriately and consider bringing hot chocolate."
A lunar eclipse is a long event, and most people just view part of it, Patton said.
"The most exciting parts for most people are the very beginning and the end," he said, "along with the exact halfway point."
Total lunar eclipses are dramatic and visually compelling. Often the moon looks red-orange because sunlight, which is bent as it moves through the Earth's atmosphere, has its blue wavelengths scattered away, leaving only the warmer hues.
"Many people also find that the eclipsed moon looks much more three-dimensional, hanging in front of the background stars, than the dazzling full moon does," said Bill Keel, professor in the physics and astronomy department at the University of Alabama. "There is much more of a sense that this is a ball."
Depending on the amount of clouds and volcanic dust in the atmosphere where the sunlight is bent, the moon could also appear dark gray.
Keel will hold a public eclipse watch beginning at 11 tonight and continuing through 3 a.m. Since the moon doesn't begin to move into the Earth's shadow until 12:33 a.m., visitors will first have a chance to look at the massive planet Jupiter.
Total eclipse begins about 1:41 a.m. and lasts until about 2:53 a.m., according to the website MrEclipse.com.
If people stay late enough, they will also have the chance to see the massive ringed planet Saturn after it rises, Keel said.
"The eclipse is a chance to watch orbital motions play out," Keel said. "And lunar eclipses were the first evidence that the Earth is round, because the shadow of Earth is curved as it moves across the face of the moon."
Also tonight, University of Montevallo professors will photograph the moon at the James Wylie Shepherd Observatory, said Michael Patton, one of the professors. The observatory's 20-inch scope will be tied up with cameras, but public visitors can look at the eclipse through a smaller telescope and some very good binoculars, Patton said. The observatory is three miles from the main campus.
"Weather permitting, we will be there by 12:30 a.m. and will stay until the end or until we fall asleep," Patton said. "If it is cold, visitors should dress appropriately and consider bringing hot chocolate."
A lunar eclipse is a long event, and most people just view part of it, Patton said.
"The most exciting parts for most people are the very beginning and the end," he said, "along with the exact halfway point."
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
A BURNING DESIRE TO BE AND TO DO IS THE STARTING POINT FROM WHICH THE DREAMER MUST TAKE OFF.
Many years ago, the commencement speaker at a prestigious university asked all members of the graduating class who had a definite plan for their lives to hold up their hands. As he looked around the room, only three hands were raised. Twenty-five years later, when the class held a reunion, the combined net worth of those three individuals exceeded that of the remainder of the class. People who know where they are going always achieve far greater levels of success than those who merely drift through life, expecting circumstances to create opportunities for them. Successful people create their own opportunities by focusing on goals with an intensity that borders on obsession. In this way, every action moves them toward their goal.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Recipe for Christmas All Year Long!
Recipe for Christmas All Year Long
Take a heap of child-like wonder
That opens up our eyes
To the unexpected gifts in life—
Each day a sweet surprise.
Mix in fond appreciation
For the people whom we know;
Like festive Christmas candles,
Each one has a special glow.
Add some giggles and some laughter,
A dash of Christmas food,
(Amazing how a piece of pie
Improves our attitude!)
Stir it all with human kindness;
Wrap it up in love and peace,
Decorate with optimism, and
Our joy will never cease.
If we use this healthy recipe,
We know we will remember
To be in the Christmas spirit,
Even when it's not December.
By Joanna Fuchs
Have a Merry Christmas and a Outstanding New Year!
Take a heap of child-like wonder
That opens up our eyes
To the unexpected gifts in life—
Each day a sweet surprise.
Mix in fond appreciation
For the people whom we know;
Like festive Christmas candles,
Each one has a special glow.
Add some giggles and some laughter,
A dash of Christmas food,
(Amazing how a piece of pie
Improves our attitude!)
Stir it all with human kindness;
Wrap it up in love and peace,
Decorate with optimism, and
Our joy will never cease.
If we use this healthy recipe,
We know we will remember
To be in the Christmas spirit,
Even when it's not December.
By Joanna Fuchs
Have a Merry Christmas and a Outstanding New Year!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
What is the History of the Poinsettia Plant???
Click on this link to learn more about the interesting history.
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