Got an email today that included the following information for those who are interested:

“The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.

Due to the way Jupiter’s gravity tugs on Mars
and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be
certain that Mars has not come this close to
Earth in the last 5,000 years but it may be
as long as 60,000 years.

The encounter will culminate on August 27th
when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles
and will be (next to the moon) the brightest
object in the night sky. It will attain a magni-
tude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc seconds
wide.

At a modest 75-power magnification Mars will
look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.

Mars will be easy to spot. At the beginning of
August Mars will rise in the East at 10 p.m. and
reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m.

But by the end of August when the two planets
are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach
its highest point in the sky at 12:30 a.m.

That’s pretty convenient when it comes to seeing
something that no human has seen in recorded history.

So, mark your calendar at the beginning of August
to see Mars grow progressively brighter and brighter
throughout the month.”

There is a spectacular photo at cnn.com under the “Space Chronicles” story.

Nifty!

I have a good friend, someone with whom I have shared hundreds of memories and hundreds of hours, whom I have never met, whom I love dearly, who is in the hospital fighting a life-threatening liver condition.

I have another friend, someone with whom I have shared hundreds of memories and hundreds of hours, whom I met once, whom I infinitely adore, who is dealing with some pretty serious health issues.

Today, I found out that someone I have admired for years and years, part of a group of industry gals that gets together maybe once a year to celebrate the fact that we’re…well, getting together…has been diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. Last week they did all they could do for her surgically. The rest is up to God and to chemotherapy.

For them, I offer up my prayer to the Lord of my life, that they will be healed in the manner that gives the most glory to God and will inspire and ignite the best in the rest of us. A lot of people I know are pagans, and they will pray to the powers in their lives for the healing that is needed here, too. Still others will “keep a good thought,” because that is what they have to offer.

Beyond the boundaries of our faiths, what matters now is that friends are made whole. It is a prevailing human trait to want to right what is wrong, to do what we can, to rally together. In the midst of this, whether we know it or not, we also experience one of the most lucid self-realizations a being can have — that we are, as mortals, pretty flippin’ impotent.

Whatever your belief, whether it’s Christianity or Elivisism, please send the message out that Karen, Erik and Nella could use some good, old-fashioned healing.

And love each other, for what you are and are not.

People have been hounding me to write lately. So I am.

There is a new link under the category lateral disquisition that is called “virtual editing.” Click here to get right there.

There are many chapters of many stories nestled on my hard drive. The one you will find on my website, however, is the one I want to work on first. Comments and critiques are welcome, but I’m not blogging the story. As the sign says on the front door, you know how to reach me.

George Chun, who heads our recording department, celebrated his (mumbletieth) birthday last night with a grand surprise party at Ryan’s (his regular hangout). Andrea, his assistant, did a superb job of keeping several entertainers, a slew of family members and our entire staff from spilling the beans. When George arrived, he looked like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. I think he enjoyed himself thoroughly. It was good to see him smiling that wide.

Sitting with me last night was an entertainer I have greatly admired through the years, Jan Brenner. I first met Jan a long time ago when she sang at a fundraiser for Tom’s then-secretary, Liz Hudson. Not only was I blown away by her beauty and personality, the woman could belt out a song like nobody’s business. A few years ago she married my friend Steve Ozark, who caters all the concerts that matter for every promoter in the state (ask me about his barbequed chicken…go ahead, ask me), and while the marriage recently ended, Jan remains on my top ten list of favorite people I know. It’s not like we hang at each other’s house or anything, but an opportunity to visit with Jan at any social function is spiritual refreshment for me. Plus I’m so jealous of her naturally curly hair.

Part of our conversation centered around my writing as my form of worship. It’s what I do that brings me joy, and I’ve always viewed it as a gift from God. Most of you see my writing all the time, it’s not as if I actually hide it from anyone. But I’d never thought of it as a spiritual imperative to expose what lives in my imagination. Jan, also a minister, stated quite plainly that the talent isn’t there for squandering nor is it necessarily to be used in a “non-secular” way. We are supposed to praise and glorify, yes…but we are also supposed to inspire and provoke thought. Can’t light up a room if you don’t set match to candle, so to speak.

It has been eating away at me the past couple of years to get this story on paper. Y’all can judge whether it deserves to get there or not by reading Chapter One.

I’m waiting for Steph’s Chapter One…and Two…and Three… Go sis-o!!!!