Good Morning Lowcountry

Total eclipse

The second total lunar eclipse of 2007 was so early this morning that GMLc could not wake up to stumble outside and attempt to watch it.

The shadow on the moon started about 5 a.m. Totality began around 6 a.m.

You might have missed it, too. Here in our sky, the show wasn't expected to be much. The moon was low in the sky, almost at moonset, when the eclipse began, and we might have had clouds. Western states and Hawaii were the favored viewing areas.

But College of Charleston astronomy professor Terry Richardson said Monday that those pluffmudders who found a horizon on which to frame the eclipsed moon might get great photographs.

Let us know (gmlc@postandcourier.com) if you did.

A total eclipse is one of our favorite cosmic events, especially a total eclipse of the moon. There is magic in seeing Earth's shadow falling on the face of the moon and awe in the shadow turning the moon from silver to deep red. Down Under, they call it a Blood Moon.

Ancients predicted eclipse cycles and often associated them with earthly affairs ... the downfall of a king, a bad crop, lack of rain or a storm.

"Columbus used an eclipse of the moon to frighten the natives into providing him things he wanted," Richardson said.

Peace rallies

GMLc is a little tired of hearing that the country is divided, the country is in turmoil, the country is split like never before.

The country seems to be either doing business as usual or going on vacation. Citizens might tell pollsters that they are against the war in Iraq. They might write their representatives in Congress, who are also on vacation, and ask them to bring our troops home. In November, they might even have voted, by a thin margin, for new representatives who might try to end the Iraq war.

But the last time the country was truly split, divided and in turmoil that we remember was the 1960s.

The Washington Post noted that 4,000 people marched peacefully against the Iraq war in Kennebunkport, Maine, on Saturday, but that few outside the Portland, Maine, newspaper noticed.

At 7:30 tonight, members of MoveOn.org, Charleston Peace, ThinkingPeople and Code Pink will hold a march and peace vigil on the Arthur Ravenel Bridge. Participants in the vigil will read from a "War Toll Calendar" to honor and remember soldiers who have died in Iraq.

The march and vigil are part of about 600 such events around the country called Stand Up In September to urge Congress members to vote in September to end the Iraq war. MoveOn is also protesting the launch of a $15 million advertising campaign to support the war effort by a group called Freedom's Watch, run by former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer.

We like lists

The Sunday New York Times noted the popularity of "life lists," a sort of to-do list to check off before you check out, as evidenced by books such as "1,000 Places to See Before You Die," "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" and "101 Things To Do Before You Turn 40."

The new trend is that people are making their own life lists ... sometimes with the help of a life coach. GMLc wonders what happens if you don't complete your life list. Do you flunk out of heaven?

However, just for fun, we have made a life list. It includes visiting China, finding a Theory of Everything and cleaning out the garage. The first is possible, the second might be if we were better at math, and we don't really care if we get the third one done or not. If you have a life list, share it at gmlc@postandcourier.com or in a comment online.

GMLc

Call 937-5564. The blog is at gmlc.typepad.com.

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