Jupiter !

Look to the right of the stunning full Harvest Moon and you will see what appears to be a large brilliant star. It is Jupiter at its brightest! Using a simple student telescope, you can easily see Jupiter's stripes and big red spot. Don't stop there! Clearly visible, off to the right of our biggest planet, you'll see two tiny spots. These are Jupiter's moons Ganymede and Callisto. (See Jim Lu's wonderful picture on the left.) Good eyes and telescopes can also see the moon Io just at the right edge of Jupiter itself. Looking for more fun? Slightly higher in the sky and off to the left you can find Uranus asking for your attention. Take a look at the brilliant Harvest Moon while you are at it. I never seem to grow old of looking at it's impact marks, craters and varied topography. What a show tonight!

Just A Lot Of Hot Air

Mailbox Wars

Twice a year we declare war. Right before school begins and right after school ends, deep-rooted neighbors chase defiant teenagers. Save your bets. Deep into the night, when no one is watching, the damage will be done. Baseball bats raised and pickup trucks ready to ram, mailboxes will be falling fast. Battered, crushed or in pieces, disgusted homeowners will discover the result in the morning. Another battle has been lost, but there is hope.

Mailbox bashing really hits home to all that suffer it. I have a 98 year old neighbor who found her large mailbox bashed and tossed on her lawn. Her mailbox has been in place since about 1950 and still shows the names of former owners of her house – a legacy from decades and decades ago. It took me about two hours of body work and replacement mounting to return her box to service. She wants to know why someone would hate her so much. I tried to assure her the attack was not personal. Nice prank, guys.

According to The United States Postal Service: ‘It’s a criminal act that hurts our neighbors and our community. Mailboxes are protected by federal law, and crimes against them and the mail they contain are considered a federal offense. Violators can be fined or imprisoned for each act of vandalism.’

A Clint Eastwood approach comes to my mind: Inspired by his latest release, Gran Torino, I vision myself sitting every night with a large gauge shotgun on my front porch. I’m waiting for the mailbox bashers. They arrive, laughing and vulgar, ready to do their evil deed. I cock my shotgun, walk over and say ‘Make my day!” They fall to the ground, groveling and wetting themselves in disgrace. I hold my aim as I call 911. I know this is irrational thought. My anger reminds me of a children’s book by Mercer Mayer called ‘I Was So Mad!’ A cartoon character remains frustrated time and time again. Oh, I was so mad!

A good friend offered an alternate approach. Be indestructible. Purchase two mailboxes – one large and one standard size. Carefully take the door off the small one and position it inside the large one. Pour ready-mix concrete, like Sakrete, between the large and the small box and let dry and harden. Mount the box proudly on your post. They will never be able to dent it again! One of my neighbors took another approach (see the picture above.) Whatever works for you!

I’m too old for this stuff. I have much better things to do than spend time and money repairing basher outbursts. In my angry dreams, I want them captured. I want them stoned by their peers in the town square without trial. I want them to repair the damage. I know they will continue. Destroying the property of neighbors means nothing to them. I can only hope that they are someday recognized and caught. Keep half an ear on the outside of your home and keep a phone near your bed. We will catch them yet! It would make my day to add my name to those willing to prosecute them. Maybe my day will come.

It's Summer

All Things iPod

Not since the advent of FM radio, (remember radio?) has technology changed the way we listen to music like the Apple iPod. White earphones are everywhere and the era of purchasing music that you can hold in your hand is over. Music now arrives by download and it comes in a variety of style choices. One thing for sure: iPods are enormously popular and they’re here to stay.

From a technical point-of-view, an iPod is simply a fancy USB memory stick. (You might call them flash drives or jump drives.) The latest generation of iPods are particularly amazing – maybe even magical. They can entertain you with movies and music, tell the time and display your event calendars. Built-in pedometers can measure your walking and some of them even have FM radios (of course, they are linked to the Apple iTunes store!)

The heart and soul of iPods are actually in their host computers and not the little device in the palm of your hand. You do all your asset management, downloading, adjustments and set your preferences with your mothership computer (your desktop or laptop.) When you’re done, the iPod stores a transportable copy of the results. It truly is a hand-off!

Lo-Fi

An iPod can sound very, very good with professional headphones or connected to a superior quality sound system, but this is often not the case. I think my first AM-only transistor radio sounded better than iPod headphones. If you really want to reach new lows in fidelity, crank up your iPod and try using these ear buds as teeny tiny speakers. The only way you can get worse sound is to damage the mini-headphones and still use them – or go out and buy cheap knock-off ear buds. Physics hold back the fidelity. You need a good-sized transducer to produce good sound. Tiny headphones just don’t have it!

Boom boxes designed for iPods have not proved to be anything but loud. Few are worthy of serious listening. Most everything you listen to or watch on an iPod is digitally compressed, so it will never be full fidelity or full quality. Still, it’s a good trade-off. Did you ever think you could carry your entire music library and movies in the palm of your hand? Solve the problem. Use good headphones or hook up to your old stereo system. You are worth it! Your ears deserve it!

Your Personality Profile

iPods are also a very, very personal reflection of your taste in music and your personality in general. Would you really want other people to know what’s on your iPod? Do you have Alvin and the Chipmunks or other embarrassing guilty pleasures in your collection? Dating someone special? If you looked at their iPod, would your opinion change? What podcasts do they listen to? What artists dominate their music? What are their playlists like? Have they been able to find 1,500 or more ‘good’ songs that you like too? It really is like peering into someone’s psyche!

I thought I had a pretty big collection of music until I bought an iPod. My entire music library didn’t even come close to filling it up. Years later, I am still adding more and more material and trying to whittle down the clunkers in favor of the songs I really like. My iTunes music registry now has passed 5500 tunes. It would take over 15 days to play them all back to back. I still see room for improvement! Many more tunes need to be added and new artists are discovered all the time.

Your iTunes library can be derived from many sources. Initial entries usually originate from your CDs and those of friends. MP3 files are easy to trade through e-mail, iChat and AIM. Pulling additional material from YouTube and proxy sites is incredibly easy if you can handle varying quality. Public libraries have endless stacks of CDs especially rich in older archival material which might not be found elsewhere. If you are into music, building an iTunes library can become a passion that can last years. I also have great fun adding pictures and graphics to display while playing my songs. You can spend a lot of time with iTunes!

Radio is no longer a good source for music discovery. Stations only play songs that are painfully familiar. Even songs from the 80s are now 30 years old. That’s a really long time! If I find an artist I like, I research their influences and their universe of friends. The more you know, the deeper you’ll get and the more you’ll find. (Don’t forget MySpace Music and Amie Street.) It’s like digging for gold! Great gems are out there!

I don’t really care if a song is unknown if I really like it. Some of my absolute favorites will probably never be heard by the masses. It doesn’t matter to me if it’s been heavily promoted and marketed. Good music is good music! Also, don’t be afraid of leaving the country. There are great grooves being recorded all over the world ready for your experimentation.

Add podcasts, movies and video clips and the possibilities are endless. Why just listen to music when you can watch it too? I don’t really consider iPods as being gaming centers, but many people do. Even a little iPod Nano can keep you occupied with multimedia for extended periods of time while waiting for a plane or an appointment.

You’ve Got a Case!

If you have always been looking for the ultimate iPod carrying case, may I offer this simple solution: If you wear glasses, chances are that you have at least one hard-shell case for your spectacles that has never been used. An iPod Nano or Shuffle fits perfectly into clam-shell case for glasses and will prevent it from being crushed or scratched. I find the popular rubbery-plastic overlay cases for iPods have their merits, but if you are looking for a hard road case for your tunes, nothing beats an old case for glasses. One has kept my Nano looking new for years and has saved its life many more times than once.

I’ve Got Your Back

The iPod was first introduced in October of 2001. In the beginning, iTunes had a nasty habit of dropping everything you had added in one button press. Poof! Gone! I remember spending days loading a Classic, complete with individual pictures for each song instead of just album covers. One day, I made the fatal mistake and started iTunes fresh. It was all lost in a heartbeat. Thankfully, iTunes is now much improved. Each and every updated version has me shaking my head about some of the ‘refinements,’ but it continues to serve as an impressive database and storage solution for all your media.

Do yourself a favor: Removable storage is now very, very inexpensive. Periodically, save your entire iTunes folder to an external hard drive. Don’t let your life’s work slip through your fingers. (While you are at it, copy all your family pictures and anything else you value.) Archiving my iTunes now takes about an hour of patient waiting. It is a worthy investment! Should a hard-disk crash ruin my main laptop, I won’t be back to square one. I love music and it’s important to me. Back it up!

Look to the Future

As time goes by, iPod technology will continue to improve. More and more features are bound to be added. For example, the latest fifth generation of Nano brought back the bass response lost a couple of years ago due to the need for component miniaturization. I look forward to the day when compressed music and video formats will not be necessary. Beyond the technology, iPods have restored the world’s interest and passion for music – especially independent music. Posted on-line, a digital song file can be included instantly to anyone’s library. Start-up bands and solo performers now have opportunity to be heard and succeed via millions of iPods worldwide. Ready to be heard? We are listening! Thanks, iPod!

Lessons Learned

The experience of life changes greatly when you become handicapped. I lost the use of my right leg for four months due to a skiing accident. I also aggravated my bad back further reducing my mobility. I entered a new world that required grand adaptation and produced frustration. Life is not easy when you do not have a full spectrum of physical resources.

I could not walk without crutches. I could not bend over very easily. I could not drive or wash or go to the bathroom as I used to. Dropping something on the floor was a disaster. Reaching for an object high or low presented big problems. Going up long flights of stairs was impossible. Venturing out to the store or the library now became tasks I’d ask other people to do.

The world became much smaller. Several steps from my home-base bed to the bathroom were an unpleasant challenging journey. I would first have to garner the strength to sit up and then boost myself up onto my crutches. I was very cognizant of my balance. If you suddenly sway back or forward, you might crash and bruise. I always wore shorts to make undressing possible. Each and every move required deciding what my next hand hold would be.

Washing came after the first few weeks. Since I could not rely on both legs, I developed a method of leaning on my elbows and washing myself with a bath towel. A large white plastic cup brought water over my head so I could wash my hair. My feet were especially hard to reach and clean. This required assistance. Graceful I was not. The day I became full weight bearing and could finally take a shower was a triumph.

I could no longer control my destiny. Trips to and from physical therapy had to be handled by my very patient wife. The library became a place where I could order things but then would have to patiently wait until someone else could pick them up. Even small things, like getting something off the shelf, would require a request of another. It was frustrating, depressing and demeaning.

Food also became an issue. I could not stand long enough to cook. If I dropped a crutch, I would have to slowly hop and lean to retrieve it. On a couple of sorry occasions, I had to crawl dragging my body on the floor. What a horrible fate. I remember, early on, being very hungry nearly constantly. I would have muffins on the side of my bed during overnights for a quick snack that required no mobility. If my dog ate my muffin, it would be a long night.

I listened to a lot of radio; more than I could ever imagine. National Public Radio, our treasure, was a good companion. My old pal, Steve LeVeille, hosts a talk show overnight on WBZ 1030 AM from Boston. I had nights where I would listen for his full five hours and then some. Television has become simply unwatchable except for re-runs of M.A.S.H and Cheers. My timing was excellent in one respect. I got to see every minute of the Vancouver Olympics.

Deep concentration was not possible for long periods of time. I became quickly distracted by discomfort, boredom or pain. I read in short passages. My writing came to a standstill. Days were very long. Often, I would start with several hours of physical therapy followed by a short lunch and then sleep. I would work out two or three hours a day at home. I’d have dinner and then feel restless until dawn. I slept poorly waking many times at night. Being awake and sitting quietly in the dark became a regular passage daily.

I also developed a tough hide receiving well-wishers comments. One old friend remarked: "You know, we are at the age where sometimes we won't completely recover from serious injuries like that." Thanks for the words of encouragement! I had to pinch myself to remember to find new compassion in what I said if our roles were reversed - if I were making the comments. People who are struggling are very sensitive to words. Kindness amplifies. Harsh truth sometimes bites.

Physical therapy was a pivotal event that required great stamina. My early morning visits would last as long as four hours. I would endure difficult exercises with lasting repetition. My therapists did incredible work that produced amazing results. They had one not-so-simple task: Teach me to walk again. There was a time where it was hard to believe that I ever would. I lost all musculature in my leg and especially around my knee. After months of work, my first steps were worthy of a bad TV movie. It was the first light at the end of the tunnel.

I was blessed with good fortune. I knew, after months of hard work and patience, I would be whole again. What if I didn’t repair? What if this became the way of life I would always have? I became very aware of handicap parking spots and handicap access in buildings. Ramps, lifts or elevators are essential for feeling equal with the rest of humanity. How important these installations truly are. Now I understand why.

One morning, I was being dropped off at physical therapy somewhat worried about slipping, with my crutches, in the snow. Two chatty ladies, cozily sitting in a big, white luxurious SUV, occupied the convenient handicap spot having their coffee and using their cell phones. I had to limp many more steps uphill to reach the entrance of the therapy center. I waved my crutches at them in anger. They looked guilty as if they had just been busted. Hopefully, they learned a lesson.

I’m still coping and adapting to my inabilities. I put my shoes up on a counter every night to be assured that I’ll be able to reach them in the early morning as I get ready for work. I always have Advil and aspirin available for pain control. I constantly calculate what I can reach or achieve. I’m much less shy about asking for help.

I have a great new respect to all who thrive in spite of handicaps. They are strong willed, brave and resilient. They inspire me to do better, to be thoughtful of everyone around me and to be very thankful for all the capacities I have. I woke up this morning. I could walk, talk, see and hear. Now, more than ever, I am truly thankful.

Bush Tree? Tree Bush!

The world - renowned bush tree of Port Austin, Michigan
continues to grow unabated!