All posts tagged: astronomy

Strange Happenings in December

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December is typically a month that horror fans and Halloween enthusiasts bemoan as the glitter encrusted, eggnog soaked, saccharine month of Christmas. I myself don’t mind the holiday itself, but the commercials, crowds, parties, and over wrought feel goodness that leads up to it can really wear me out. Well fear not grinches, because there are plenty of things in December for us to look forward to. There’s Krampusnatch and the winter solstice to celebrate ( I’ll show you how as the month goes on), one more Friday the 13th, the brightest meteor shower of the year, and darker entertainment to enjoy. I’ve even got a list of Christmas horror movies at the bottom of this post. So muster up some enthusiasm worthy of Gomez Addams, and enjoy December your way. December 5th Not much is known about the origins of the European holiday Krampusnatch, but we do know that it is celebrated the night of December 5th, before the feast of Saint Nicholas. The holiday pays homage to Krampus, the hairy, horned companion of …

Strange Happenings in September

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Each month I look for TV shows, movies, and events to look forward to.  September 2 Labor Day September 3rd Søren Sveistrup’s new book Chestnut Man on shelves. Known for writing the global hit television show The Killing, this Sveistrup’s debut novel. September 6 IT Chapter 2 in theaters. 27 years later, Pennywise rises again to taunt and terrifying the grownup Losers Club. September 10th Stephen King’s The Institute on shelves. King has written over 60 best sellers, and his latest offering is set in a mysterious institute in Minneapolis conducting terrifying experiments on children with paranormal gifts. September 13 Freaks released in theaters. According to imdb.com, Freaks follows Chloe, who “discovers a bizarre, threatening, and mysterious new world beyond her front door after she escapes her father’s protective and paranoid control.” Apparently the less you know going in the better. September 14 Full Moon September 18 Fathom Events Three from Hell and Devils Rejects double feature in theaters. The latest chapter in Rob Zombies ultra-violent saga, 3 From Hell will reunite Baby Firefly, Captain …

Strange Happenings in August

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Each month I look for TV shows, movies, and events to look forward to.  August 1 No One Saw a Thing premieres on SundanceTV. The 6 part series examines an unsolved and unusual death in the 1980s. A resident was shot dead in front of almost 60 townspeople in Skidmore, Mo. All of them continue to claim they didn’t see a thing. August 2nd Them That Follow in theaters. The film centers around a forbidden love in a Pentecostal church in the Appalachia that uses the reptiles to worship. August 5th Harry Houdini stays underwater for 1.5 hours in a casket before escaping in 1926. August 8 Two Sentence Horror Stories, a new horror anthology series, premieres on the CW. The series will be comprised of eight half hour episodes focusing on universal social and primal fears. August 9th Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark in theaters. In her family mansion, young Sarah Bellows turns her tortured life and horrible secrets into a series of scary stories. These terrifying tales soon have a way of …

Earthshine

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Every month I post a list of events to look forward to; offbeat holidays, astronomy events, new movies, TV show, and book releases. My favorite item to research are the astronomy events. I’m always looking for something anyone can spot with the naked eye, no special equipment needed. I do look for the astronomy events that I list, and even manage to capture a few with my camera phone. One of my best shots is from last spring, a crescent moon aligned with Venus. I also caught a glimpse of earthshine, sunlight that is reflected off the earth onto the dark side of the moon, slightly illuminating it. You have the chance to see it any time the moon is in a crescent phase, but the best months to spot it are April and May. Although I didn’t quite capture it last night, I realized I had another photo where I did last winter, without even knowing quite what I was capturing. This is why I enjoy writing the Strange Events segment so much each …

Strange Happenings in June

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Each month I look for TV shows, movies, and events to look forward to. June, 2nd: NOS4A2, a new horror series based on Joe Hill’s terrifying novel about a woman who battles a supernatural killer and has her own unusual way of finding things. Luther returns for a 5th season on BBC America, with Ruth Wilson back to reprise her popular character Alice. June 4th: The Oslo Killing, a new true crime docu-series from Sundance, chronicling the 40 year investigation of Anni Nielsen Iranzo’s murder. June 9th: Legends of the Deep, docuseries from the Science Channel, following Céline and Fabien Cousteau as they pursue mysteries in the ocean deep. June 10th: Jupiter at Opposition. The planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and will be brighter than any other time of the year, staying visible all night long. This is the best time to view Jupiter, a good pair of binoculars should allow you to see Jupiter’s four largest moons, appearing as bright dots on either side of the planet. June 14th: The …

Strange Happenings in May

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Each month I look for TV shows, movies, and events to look forward to. Keep checking back, as I plan on adding more events as I discover them.   Touring: The Oddities & Curiosities Expo is a traveling oddities event established in 2017, and quickly growing. Doubling from eight cities in 2018 to sixteen in 2019, each stop features a full spectrum of local and national venders offering all sorts of strange and unusual offerings. Some of the stops will feature  Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! mini museum. I already have my tickets for their June 29th stop in Charlotte, which will also feature a side show and live human suspensions. Thursday, May 2nd– Catch Venus and a crescent Moon aligning close to each other before twilight. Saturday, May 4th– The post time for 2019’s Kentucky Derby may not be until 6:50pm, coverage will start on NBC at 2:30pm. I plan on making the most out of watching the two minute race by enjoying mint juleps and taking some free guesses at some of the most …

Smoke and Ashes

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The first month my husband and I lived in our current neighborhood, we watched a house across road from us burn to the ground. The scent of smoke began to pervade the street around 8pm, and at first, could have been mistaken for a campfire or barbeque. Soon the air became hazier and it was obvious something was wrong. Neighbors and volunteer firefighters walked up and down the street looking for the source of the smoke for a half an hour before visible flames began to shoot out from the house across the road and three houses down from ours. Within another 10- 15 minutes the house was engulfed in flames. I had never met the owners of the house or been inside their home, but I knew they had lived a lifetime in it. I could tell by their back yard. It faced a stretch of the walking trail my husband and I walk every evening. We were  just learning how hard it is to maintain a green lawn, and theirs was thick and …

Star Wars at the Symphony

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This past weekend I attended a screening of Star Wars; A New Hope hosted by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. Just like a previous showing I attended last November of Home Alone,  the orchestra performed the soundtrack live. Once again, it was a fantastic experience. Every time I see John Williams’s music performed live, I really appreciate how intricate the music is, and how difficult it is to perform live. Seeing the score to Star Wars performed live was also very nostalgic, since I was introduced to the movies by my grandparents as a child. I have a lot of fond memories of watching and re-watching all three films while staying with them for visits. I would highly recommend seeing a movie screening with the score performed live if you ever have the chance. I’m looking forward to seeing the Empire Strikes back in 2020! Give Back: Dress for Success is a national organization that distributes suits and business attire to women across the country. Each client gets a suit, shoes, and accessories to wear on …

Creating a Writing Soundtrack

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I’ve always found it difficult to write in silence. Even as far back as high school, if I was writing an essay or report, I needed music in the background or my mind would wander. Now, when I’m working on poetry and short stories, I like to listen to classical music written or featured in soundtracks for movies and TV shows. I’ve been compiling a playlist with a mix of pieces from soundtracks that stand out to me when I first hear them. I keep adding to and rearranging the songs, but I can still remember the scenes in which I heard them. Below is my writing playlist in its current form, let me know if you have any suggestions to add! Give Back: Random Acts of Flowers mission is two fold, to deliver flowers to patients, and to prevent waste by recycling elements of flower arrangements.  Consider donating funds, or volunteering at a local branch. Read:  If your a fan of spoken word poetry, read this comparison of Ann Sexton’s two performances of Music …