So you may have noticed that it's been a while since I've posted something of any substance here. There are many reasons for it. My mother's passing took an emotional toll that took some time to deal with so for many weeks I just haven't been in the mood to do much blogging. I also started a masters program so that has also taken up much of my energy. Well September is upon us and hopefully the sliding back into the routine of work will punch up my blogging energy, or at the very least push me past the bit of writer's block that seems to have set upon me like some kind of malaise. Heck with an election on the horizon, there should be plenty to blog about, now just to find the motivation!

... is how I see Harper's latest election maneuvering. Stephen Harper has wanted an election so bad for years now, but the opposition has defied his wishes so far, how dare they! So Harper is willing to break the spirit, if not the letter of his own law on fixed election dates. Not that the Tories are sticklers for obeying the law, as one Tory staffer put it, laws are for criminals.

NGC 6625 - Open cluster in Scutum

NGC 6605 - Open cluster in Serpens

Instructions: Go over to Wikipedia and enter the day you were born (such as "March 11") and then pick 3 events, 2 births and 1 holiday that occurred on your birthday.

M 15 - Globular cluster in Pegasus

NGC 6940 - Open cluster in Vulpecula

NGC 6934 - Globular cluster in Delphinus

M 27 - Planetary nebula in Vulpecula

M 71 - Globular Cluster in Sagitta