Featured Blog Posts (759)

  I’m not sure how to write about who my father is in a way that will be clear enough for others to understand how incredible he is.   He is crazy—but the good kind of crazy.  He is generous.  He is compassionate.  He has always given me the space to explore and believe things that didn’t line up with what he believes.  He is always on “my side” even when he is trying to give…

The sun beats down on my head

The sweltering heat makes it hard to breath

But the gentle breeze blows

Giving me random moments of relief

Cooling off my skin

Top down

Chevelle blaring…

'Home from the War'

copyright 2012 by Rick Reiley

Three months til Christmas

Then we'll see her again

If the war doesn't interfere

With her plans to fly in

But war keeps you guessing

You know what that means

Someimes it takes the wind out of

Our sweetest dreams

(Refrain)

'Jingle Bells' takes on a whole new…

On the wings of a butterfly

I soar into the air

Feeling the rain on my nose

The clouds touch my fingertips

The air is cool

Yet, I find that I am not cold

Birds fly by

Curiously they tilt…

Scratching at the dirt

Embedding it deep within my fingernails

The ground is cold

The sky is dark

I find myself afraid

But I know that I'm not alone

I hear voices all around me

Some…

I'm excited to announce that I've been invited to blog for NOVA, the excellent PBS series about science.  I've been a fan of PBS, and the station that produces NOVA, since childhood, watching shows such as Masterpiece Theater.  So my blogging invitation is a true honor.

NOVA Nature of Reality Blog

It's yard sale time! Spot the librarian... Nancy expertly categorizes and displays the many books on sale. Good job! The yard sale raised a total of $885 for the MS Society!

A batch of banana chocolate chip muffins fresh from the oven, which will be taken to the MS fundraiser yard sale tomorrow.

Everytime I think of writing about my mother on here, I change my mind.  I have so many mixed feelings, esp. right now when things are so difficult for me, my sister and my father.   I have been playing the role of my mother, which she abandoned, in part, years before she passed away.   I think she'd be here for me now and there is a part of me that helps me from beyond in getting through another day, another week, another year.  She lost her mother young, at age 13, and it affected her for…

Mom, that is a simple term and yet, not so simple. What is a mom? Some think that you're a mom just by giving birth to a child, but I feel it's more complex than that. But, we're not here to talk about that. We're here to talk about my mom, so let's do that, shall we?

Let's start with a little history. My mom, Danette Marie was born on May 23rd, 1958 in Milwaukee, WI. She is the middle child, sort of. My grandma had a child when she was 16 and gave her up for adoption. We…

My mother is one of my best friends. We definitely did not start out that way. We probably butted heads from the time I slipped into this world. From what I was told, I even gave her hard time then. I am sure having the doctor have to slip his hand up her and work her like a puppet to  turn me did not make me very endearing to her . If any one thinks this will be dripping with sugary sentiment you will be dead wrong.

What I can say is that although very flawed ( and who isn't?) she is…

I try a drawing practice trick of drawing an object without looking at the paper. This chair and lamp were more recognisable than I thought they'd be!

Rick answered the wiffledust individual creativity assignment where he was given this photo, two names,  and asked to write a song.

Mason smiled at Claire though there were many years between them

She saw him holding violin and bow

She stood there transfixed with a child's anticapation-

That only childlike innocence can…

    Who is it that started this?  When did we, as a society, decide to embrace this unyielding, brutally bizarre

 concept of the female form?  Why would we offer up our daughters,

 wives, sisters and mothers to such base contempt at the hands of

 strangers ?  Who are they (whomever THEY may be) to dictate that

 your daughter is to fat  or your…

http://vi.sualize.us/tag/brick%20wall/

There are times when I am totally unaware of a prejudice I may have until I am up against the proverbial wall…

I had fun at the Philadelphia Science Festival several weeks ago.  I gave a talk about particle physics right in front of the new Sister Cities Cafe on Logan Circle.  The cafe wasn't open yet so the talk was outside.  Here is a photo of the event.  (That's me on the left.  The woman on the right is the moderator, Katie Winkler.  Photo by Arthur Stoppe.)…

Greetings to all!  I'm pleased to announce that a creative project I've been working on for the past two years has finally reached fruition.  It is a new book called Edge of the Universe: A Voyage to the Cosmic Frontier and Beyond, and explores cutting-edge discoveries about the universe.  Here is the cover photo:…

Project 30 - Apr 22: In some kind of attempt to improve my productivity and ability to focus, I print out information on this interesting technique. I won't tell you if I've managed to get through it all yet...

will it hurt?...

Skinny or die?...…