Penguins and the Shape of the Galaxies

Greetings all!

If you are really bored at home and/or worried out of your mind, here are two interesting citizen-science projects that will contribute to science research and will pause your worrying about everything that is happening in the world right now.

1) Penguin Detective: You can help scientists better understand and protect penguins by looking at the photographs taken near birds’ colonies and identifying the birds OR by looking for guano on satellite data. If you did not know, guano is penguin poop and is an important scientific tool! Apparently, scientists can estimate the number of birds in a colony by the area covered in guano.  

Image from

https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=287440&picture=penguins

2) Galaxy Discover: If for some reason you do not want to look at penguin poop, then you might be interested in Galaxy Zoo! This project involves guessing the shape of a galaxy by looking at the images from observatory programs. Astronomers use the shape of a galaxy to learn about its history. And we humans are quite good at pointing out “Hey, that’s a weird shape” (in fact, we might be better at that than computers). So take a look and who knows you might discover something new and exciting in the sky!

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/Harvard-Smithsonian CfAhttps://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/multimedia/spitzer-20070604.html

SOURCE:

You can find links to these projects and additional details here: https://www.space.com/penguins-search-galaxy-zoo-citizen-science-during-coronavirus.html

Stay safe and healthy!  

"There's Something Different on This Golden Morning"

Greetings all!

I recently came across an inspiring poem by Amanda Gorman, America's inaugural Youth Poet Laureate. Her words about hope, courage, solidarity, gratitude, and kindness really resonated with me, and I hope you enjoy her poem as much as I did. Stay safe and healthy!

“…When this ends, we'll smile sweetly, finally seeing

In testing times, we became the best of beings.”

  

Image from https://www.pexels.com/photo/flowers-garden-hope-rock-1360015/

I thought I'd awaken to a world in mourning.

Heavy clouds crowding, a society storming.
But there's something different on this golden morning.
Something magical in the sunlight, wide and warming.

I see a dad with a stroller taking a jog.
Across the street, a bright-eyed girl chases her dog.
A grandma on a porch fingers her rosaries.
She grins as her young neighbor brings her groceries.

While we might feel small, separate, and all alone,
Our people have never been more closely tethered.
The question isn't if we will weather this unknown,
But how we will weather this unknown together.

So on this meaningful morn, we mourn and we mend.
Like light, we can't be broken, even when we bend.

As one, we will defeat both despair and disease.
We stand with healthcare heroes and all employees;
With families, libraries, schools, waiters, artists;
Businesses, restaurants, and hospitals hit hardest.

We ignite not in the light, but in lack thereof,
For it is in loss that we truly learn to love.
In this chaos, we will discover clarity.
In suffering, we must find solidarity.

For it's our grief that gives us our gratitude,
Shows us how to find hope, if we ever lose it.
So ensure that this ache wasn't endured in vain:
Do not ignore the pain. Give it purpose. Use it.

Read children's books, dance alone to DJ music.
Know that this distance will make our hearts grow fonder.
From a wave of woes our world will emerge stronger.

We'll observe how the burdens braved by humankind

Are also the moments that make us humans kind;
Let every dawn find us courageous, brought closer;
Heeding the light before the fight is over.
When this ends, we'll smile sweetly, finally seeing
In testing times, we became the best of beings.

~ You can hear Amanda read the poem here: https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/amanda-gorman-youth-poet-laureate-coronavirus-pandemic/

The Mayonnaise Jar and the Two Cups of Coffee

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the two cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things — your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions — and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else — the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

As read here: https://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/Mayonnaise-Jar-Two-Cups-Coffee-Story-34745305

Poems of Hope

Longing (~ by Tony)

Hours fly by,

Days blend from sunrise to sunset,

Loneliness in our desires to escape,

No light to be met.

Sadness around the world,

Strength in right places is scarce, 

All we can pray for is eternal health,

So we can reunite and move boundaries. 

                                                

               

Together but Apart (~ by Irina)

Another week is rolling by,
Month 2 of isolation....
Together but apart we work
While praying for salvation.

We're staying in and wearing masks -
All human touch on ration.
But when we finally can hug,
It's cause for celebration!

                                               

Give Yourself Grace

"You are good, no matter how you are managing this completely new experience."

Image from https://twitter.com/lisaoliveramft/status/1244418556587986946/photo/1

You Will Have Bad Times, BUT…

What aren't you paying attention to today?

As seen at https://www.instagram.com/p/B-nFFZUDG_X/

No-Sew 5-Minute Face Mask

Greetings all!

Image shared by a friend, source unknown

Here is a quick and easy way to make a no-sew mask with fabric and hair ties. You will need a square piece of fabric (e.g., a bandana) and slightly worn hair ties or just regular elastic bands. At the end of the post, I also provide a good resource for those who know how/want to sew! Remember to wash after each wear.

Instructions and images below from: https://nypost.com/2020/04/03/how-to-make-a-diy-no-sew-face-mask-with-fabric-and-hair-elastics/

MY NOTE: If you fold the edges into each other, then the part over your face is not as bulky.

1. Place the scarf or handkerchief facedown on a flat surface.
2. Fold the top half down to the midline of the scarf, then fold the bottom half up to the midline.
3. Flip it over so that the seam faces down.
4. Fold the new top half down to the midline, and the bottom half up.
5. Flip it over again so that the seam faces up.
6. Loop a hair tie over each end of the folded rectangle.
7. Fold the free sides of the rectangle in toward the middle, layering one side over the other. MY NOTE: If you fold the edges into each other, then the part over your face is not as bulky.
8. Flip it over! Loop the elastics over each ear to wear, making sure the mask covers your mouth and nose.

Sources:

• [no sewing required] https://nypost.com/2020/04/03/how-to-make-a-diy-no-sew-face-mask-with-fabric-and-hair-elastics/
• [sewing required] https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/04/health/how-to-make-your-own-mask-wellness-trnd/index.html

Stay safe and healthy!