I wanted to take a moment to tell you how sorry we were not to be here yesterday on Memorial Day. I know we did do Memorial Day postings on Sunday, which now I am so glad we did. Everyone thought I was getting an early jump around here but I was planning on celebrating Memorial Day for two days instead of one. Our veterans who gave so much for our country and our freedom, deserve more than just one day a year to be honored. In fact, I believe we should make an effort every day to say a silent prayer for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and those that are fighting today. Without them, our country would be nothing, no freedoms, no right and no telling what kind of government we would have. I hate it we were not here but we love all our servicemen and women and pray for their safety every day.

Now, something you need to pay attention too. I have been in this business long enough that I have developed all sorts of friends who can do anything on a computer. I have always heard grapevine stories and not too long ago I heard one that upset me. This rumor involved Microsoft and as you know, when Microsoft did their upgrade from 7 to 8, we lost five computers. I no longer trust Microsoft and I would not download anything they offer. That is just my personal opinion and they have costed us a lot. Anyway back to the grapevine rumor, apparently Microsoft has been pushing a security program for the past few months. This program is due to end today. A whistle-blower came forth and acknowledged that Microsoft had viruses, trojans, worms, you name it ready to be released tomorrow. Because today is the last day this program Microsoft is offering will be available for sale. What the purpose of this is, I have no idea. I do not trust Microsoft and the few computers that we do have Microsoft software on them, I spent yesterday updating and upping the firewalls and security on everyone of them. It is public knowledge that Microsoft wants to get out of the software business. But to actually destroy so many computers is beyond me. They won’t give updates to any of their software, they won’t give patches for any viruses, you are just left out there to sink or swim. We are not sinking this time. As I stated our firewalls are maxed out and all our security software is up-dated as well.

I wouldn’t be telling you this unless Microsoft did eventually mention that the upgrade that destroyed so many computers did cause it. They admitted it but they did not offer to replace a one of the computers that were destroyed at that time. Now this current threat that has appeared, I take it very seriously and I hope you will too. Do all your security software updates today, set your firewalls up and do not download a thing from Microsoft. After today, there is no telling what you will be downloading. It was also told to me that Microsoft has tracking cookies that will be in this mess that is sent out. These cookies can track your movements, get your passwords, your credit card info and any personal information. They will able to tell every place you go on the net and if you log into your bank or a credit card site, they can steal your password and have full access to everything at that site. So, please, please, take this very seriously. The only real reason I can think of a company doing this is to sell more computers. Business must be bad. The truth is coming out about these companies and some of the tricks they pull to boost their sales is unreal. They prey on the poor and uninformed. I beg you to take this very seriously, if I did not know my source well enough to believe this, I would not be relaying it to you. Please take every precaution you can today to protect yourself. We don’t want you to lose your computers because we love having you here. We also believe that everyone has a right to know when a company does such under-handed tricks just to make a dollar.

We will see you shortly……

Love ya,

Lady A

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2016 May 29

Valles Marineris: The Grand Canyon of Mars
Image Credit: Viking Project, USGS, NASA

Explanation: Mars will look good in Earth’s skies over the next few days — but not this good. To get a view this amazing, a spacecraft had to actually visit the red planet. Running across the image center, though, is one the largest canyons in the Solar System. Named Valles Marineris, the grand valley extends over 3,000 kilometers long, spans as much as 600 kilometers across, and delves as much as 8 kilometers deep. By comparison, the Earth’s Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA is 800 kilometers long, 30 kilometers across, and 1.8 kilometers deep. The origin of the Valles Marineris remains unknown, although a leading hypothesis holds that it started as a crack billions of years ago as the planet cooled. Several geologic processes have been identified in the canyon. The featured mosaic was created from over 100 images of Mars taken by Viking Orbiters in the 1970s. Tomorrow, Mars and Earth will pass the closest in 11 years, resulting in the red planet being quite noticeable toward the southeast after sunset.

Best time to see Saturn is here!

Tonight – or any night in late May 2016 – watch for the ringed planet Saturn. It’s found near the brilliant planet Mars (which is closest to us on May 30 for the first time in two years) and the star Antares. It’s not just Mars that’s closest around now. Saturn also comes closest to Earth for the year on Friday, June 3 – only four days after Mars’ closest approach on Monday.

Both Mars and Saturn are coming up fairly early in the evening now. Mars has been awesome for weeks, and the best time to observe Saturn in all of 2016 is also upon us.

Earth will pass between Saturn and the sun on June 3, 2016. That is Saturn’s yearly opposition, and it marks the middle of the best time of year to see this planet.

After coming up in the eastern part of the sky in early evening, Saturn will continue to climb upward throughout the evening hours. This world will soar to its highest spot in the sky after the midnight hour. It’ll be low in the west at morning dawn.

As with all the planets, you’ll find Saturn along the same path that the sun and moon travel across the sky. Look generally eastward after nightfall. Try looking first for brilliant Mars in the east at nightfall or early evening, and then look for fainter Saturn and the star Antares below Mars.

Golden Saturn is fainter than Mars but brighter that the ruddy-colored Antares.

I know the focus has been on Mars in recent weeks. But start watching Saturn now! You’ll enjoy it and Mars for many weeks to come.

Saturn is the most distant world we can easily see with unaided eye. It shines as brightly as as a bright star. But it does not shine as brightly as evening’s two brightest planets, Mars and Jupiter.

As Earth moves around the sun, the Earth’s change of position will cause Mars, Saturn and Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion, to rise some four minutes earlier daily, or one-half hour earlier each week. Best of all, you can use Mars to locate Saturn for months to come. In fact, Mars and Saturn will stage their conjunction in the evening sky on August 25, 2016, whereby both worlds will fit within a single binocular field.

When the Earth finally passes in between Saturn and the sun on the night of June 2-3, Earth will come closest to Saturn for the year, and Saturn, in turn, will shine at its brilliant best for 2016.

So, in less a week from now, the planet Saturn will be at opposition (opposite the sun in Earth’s sky). Saturn will be out all night long at that juncture, rising in the east around sunset and setting in the west around sunrise. Note the beautiful contrast of color between golden Saturn, red Mars and ruddy Antares! It won’t be too much longer before Saturn stays out from dusk until dawn.

Bottom line: Earth will pass between the sun and Saturn on June 3, 2016. The best time of year to see the planet is here.

Author

Bruce McClure

Bruce McClure is the chief writer for the popular EarthSky Tonight pages. Since joining EarthSky in 2004, he has written thousands of astronomy articles, enjoyed here by millions. He also writes, gives planetarium shows and hosts a wide assortment of public astronomy programs in and around his home in upstate New York. If you ask an astronomy question on our site, it’s likely to be Bruce that answers it. His love for the heavens has taken him to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, and he has sailed the North Atlantic, earning his celestial navigation certificate through the School of Ocean Sailing and Navigation. Bruce is also a sundial aficionado. He says his number one passion – besides his wife Alice – is stargazing.

By Tarot.com Staff

Videos, Scorpio, Mars, Astrology

Part of the Daily Insight Group

The Wisdom of Buddha

There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.

Your Daily Influences
May 29, 2016 

The King of Wands
Passionate, a spry body and mind, honesty and friendliness.

Raidho
Raidho may mark the coming of a physical or spiritual journey. Whichever the case, changes in your life are soon to come. Spiritual or material goals may be attained.

The Scarab
The Scarab is a symbol of creation. Someone close to you will soon announce the conception of new life, life that will positively affect you within this aspect.

Your Daily Influences represent events and challenges the current day will present for you. They may represent opportunities you should be ready to seize. Or they may forewarn you of problems you may be able to avoid or lessen. Generally it is best to use them as tips to help you manage your day and nothing more

Your Charm for Today

Today’s Meaning:
You are distracted from this aspect by other areas of your life you feel are more pressing. This aspect is suffering from this lack of attention. You must ask yourself how much more you can let it suffer before you give it due attention.

General Description:
From remote times the terrors of the arts of fascination have been dreaded, and by wearing this charm, which contained a written invocation to their gods, it was believed that full protection was obtained. The Bulla was popular in Rome from a very early period. It was worn on a necklace, or upon the girdle. The Gorgons head, with hair of writhing snakes, was believed to terrify and drive away the power of the bewitched. Even today in many countries, the magic power of the evil eye is still believed in.

Today’s Witches Rune

Man

Meaning: The Man rune demands action. It’s not longer time to quietly sit and think, or to hide yourself and heal. No, it’s time to get up and fight for what you want. If things are slow or stagnated, change them. Begin something new. It’s not a moment to let things flow as they will, but to grab the reigns and gain control over the situation. Be the leader and defend your stand.

While the Woman rune is about healing, this one can be about defending yourself, and, sometimes, hurting or getting hurt in the process. You may have to defend your opinions, your actions or choices against some aggressive people. This rune offers you a challenge, but is also shows that you have the resources needed to face it. Naturally, this rune has very aggressive potentials in it, and they need a good deal of discipline in order to not become sorely destructive.

The Man rune also accelerates everything… nothing stays still when its around. The outcome of your question may happen sooner than you expected, but the result will probably be unexpected. It does not mean that all will go wrong, no – things will simply develop in unseen ways.

In relationship readings, the Man rune promises a period of instability, so it’s important to not have high expectations. Under the influence of this rune, the relationship can be a stairway to Heaven or a ticket to Hell… and sometimes both, in a short period of time. It promises a bumpy journey for the heart, but with a great level of intensity. The Man rune can stand for love/hate relationship, cat and rat games and obsessions… the kind of things that turns one nuts (for good and for bad). This rune is good in questions concerning sexuality.

Additional information about Today’s Witches courtesy of Your Spiritual Journey Australia

Your Rune Reading for the Upcoming Week

The Past That Will Revisit You This Week
Mannaz

Now is the time for you to explore your inner self and those of others. Your intelligence and creativity are very well honed at the moment. Cooperation from and with others should be very easy to attain.

The Present Circumstances That Will Present Themselves
Hagalaz

Hagalaz is the hail Rune. It denotes chaos, destruction and disruption on a primal level. You may experience delays in moving toward your goals.

A Glimpse of the Future That Will Be Revealed
Dagaz

Dagaz represents the fresh light of a new day. You are close to making a breakthrough. You have the will to change whatever you deem necessary. You may see the world with absolute clarity at this time.