Photo by Paul Mason 7-22-2010

The brightest comet to appear in Northern Hemisphere skies in nearly a quarter of a century is ending its run in our sky, and you’ll never see it again. So go outside before the end of the month and try to see the Comet NEOWISE before it’s gone.

Comet NEOWISE was discovered on March 27 by astronomers during the NEWVISE mission, which used NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) space telescope to look for near-Earth objects like asteroids and comets.

Joseph Masiero, NEOWISE deputy principal investigator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory says that from its infrared signature, we can tell the comet’s nucleus is about 3 miles across (5  km) across, and is covered with sooty, dark particles left over from its formation near the birth of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago.
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Is NEOWISE a great comet? There’s no strict definition for great comet, but most agree that Hale-Bopp—widely seen by people in 1997—was one. NEOWISE is nowhere as bright as Hale-Bopp, which was clearly visible to the naked eye, but it’s absolutely the best comet we’ve had for casual observers in some time. 

This image is from Bob King – aka AstroBob – in Duluth, Minnesota. He wrote: “My first view of Comet NEOWISE at dusk instead of dawn from a lake near Duluth on July 11. Comets and water naturally go together as they’re thought responsible in part for delivering water to the early Earth.” Thank you, Bob!


​The comet made its closest approach to the sun (called perihelion) on July 3. At the time, it swept to within 29.4 million miles of the sun, or inside the orbit of Mercury, the innermost planet. Unlike some comets, it survived the close encounter with our star. And, although it was moving steadily away from the sun, it was steadily approaching Earth. The comet blossomed, and has been putting on a formidable show widely seen by binocular observers and astophotographers for the last month.

On July 2, NOEWISE passed as close to the Earth as it will come (called perigee), 64.3 million miles away. Because it had been approaching the Earth during the last few weeks, it has been fading very slowly. At one point, it shown at around magnitude +2 (about as bright as Polaris, the North Star). 

ou haven’t yet had a chance to check out Comet Neowise for yourself, you’ll want to get a look at it sooner rather than later, as the comet has been dimming over the last few days.. The comet’s proximity to the Big Dipper will help you locate it. Just remember that your clenched fist held at arm’s length measures roughly ten degrees. About 2 hours after sunset, face northwest to find the Big Dipper. Go approximately 15 degrees (about 1 ½ fists) down and to the lower left of the bottom of the “bowl” of the Big Dipper, and ultimately you will arrive in the vicinity of the comet. If you’re located in a dark location, free of bright lights, you should be able to make out the comet as a pale streak of light with your naked eye. Then train your binoculars on the area for a better look.

After Monday, the moon will reach its first quarter (half) phase, and in the nights thereafter, it will be a waxing gibbous moon, flooding the late night and early morning sky with its own light.

Because of its extremely long, elliptical orbit, the Comet NEOWISE won’t be back for another 6,800 years, NASA has said.

If the comet has whetted your appetite for other astrological and space events, here’s what’s coming up:

July 30 – NASA’s Mars 2020 rover launches to the Red Planet. Lift off is on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. You can watch it live.
August 11-12 – The Perseid meteor shower peaks.

Until next week, good reading and be safe.

Ernest Hemingway said writers should develop a built-in bull**** detector.  I believe the best readers already have their own BS radar. You can tell when a writer is winging it. As a reader, you don't have to believe the story really happened, but you must believe it could have happened.
 
Some writers love doing research. Others avoid it because the very word evokes memories of all-nighters and stale coffee. Dull, dull. But if you’re writing a crime novel, sooner or later you’re going to have to do research.
 
That's why I always begin my writing process with research, and continue researching clear through the final draft. It's fun to find that little detail that gives a scene the ring of verisimilitude—the feeling that the story's world is absolutely and unquestionably real.

I love to research locations, and I do that early on. For example, the suspense novel I'm writing involves human smuggling across the Mexican border into Arizona.

​Since the 9-11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. Border Patrol has doubled in size to more than 20,000 agents, most of them stationed along the border with Mexico. That's roughly nine agents for every mile of border from Texas to California. Although President Trump has not been successful in fencing the entire border, there are fences at all the major crossing points. Illegal crossers are forced to cross through more remote and dangerous geographic areas. Arizona's Sonoran desert is one of the busiest--and deadliest--border crossing routes. 

​While reading books and articles about Coyote drug smugglers and human trafficking, I began poring over topographic maps and using Google Earth to virtually roam the route my Coyote smuggler will force his customers to walk to their meet-up point. It's a scorching, desolate and arduous route, with summer temperatures topping 115 degrees, so they only travel at night.
 
Interestingly, I found during my research that the smugglers outfit the illegals almost as if they used an assembly line: Same brand and style of backpack, same contents, even the same amount of water—and never enough, so the travelers will be dependent upon their guide.  In my story, one of the characters in the border crossers is a drug mule for the Mexican Sinaloan cartel, so sentries are posted along the route to track his progress. But they're not there to assist, only to monitor. 

Sometimes to ravage.

From that fact, came the little jewel of a scene called “The Real Panty Tree.”

Cartel scouts are known to rape migrant women and summarily execute people who wander into their borderlands territory without approval. One high mountain pass has a “rape tree” draped with the trophy bras and panties of violated women, and migrant bodies have been found decapitated.

If the Covid-19 crisis ends before I get the book finished, my photographer husband, Paul Mason, and I will travel south to visit the locations I'm writing about on both sides of the border. The town of Naco is a small town that spills over onto both sides of the border. I’d like to tour Ft. Huachuca.

And I’ve always wanted to visit Bisbee, where my main character, Rumor Vargas lives and has her antiques store. While I say there will be no paranormal elements in this book, after the haunted sites tour in Bisbee, who knows?
 
It's the physical location visits that really "seal in" the details—especially sensory details like the way things sound, smell, and look in the actual setting. The hubby will take photographs and I'll take notes. If you are familiar with the book's settings, I encourage you to let me know if you have any favorite spot you’d like to have appear in the book. You have another couple of months and then it’s too late!
 
As an author, the hardest part is making sure the research doesn't take over my writing time, especially with the Internet making the world so very accessible. Hours (days!) can go by while I'm happily browsing down one rabbit hole after another, and not one word of the actual book gets written. That's the paradoxical truth about research: While it is absolutely essential, research isn't the story. The story must come from within. From the heart. For me to get into the "flow" requires extended periods of uninterrupted concentration, or wakeful dreaming. It's not an easy state to enter into and maintain. It must be protected.
 
 To keep from getting lost in research, I set the kitchen timer. When the timer goes off, I stop—no matter how enticing that next search link looks. I go back to my blank page, and write. It's the only way to make a book. 

So, if I come to something I don't know, I insert square brackets

[find out the geographic point in the high desert where Saguaros quit growing] or

[how much does a drug mule get paid per trip]. Or

[describe flying a single engine plane. Which plane to use?]  Then, if I get writer's block, or just need a break, I'll research one of the bracket questions, and that helps me get the writing juices flowing again.
 
Can you recall something an author researched so effectively that it pulled you into the story? Please share, I'd love to hear your examples.

In the meantime, I've spent enough time researching about researching. Time to go back to novel writing!

(Parts of this article was adapted from one written by Rachel Zar, relationship and sex therapist, and published in Prevention Magazine in My 2020.)

“Boys to the right, girls to the left.” Ever since we were put into our pink or blue onesies as babies, it’s been drilled into us in countless ways that gender is and either/or thing. For many of us, it’s simple to check the “male” or “female” box at the doctor’s office or choose which bathroom to use.

But for those who don’t fit neatly into the male or female category, such choices become more complicated. The conundrum has come to light more and more in recent years, bringing much-needed attention to something that has always been true: Gender is not a black-and-white binary but a spectrum with many shades of grey.

Sex vs Gender
First it’s important to understand the differences between sex and gender. Sex refers to biological characteristics of maleness or femaleness (indicated by chromosomes, gonads, hormones and genitals), while gender refers to a person’s internal sense of their own maleness or femaleness. Gender is internal; you can’t see it, and a doctor can’t predict it at birth. Neither what someone wears nor what’s between their legs tells you that person’s gender. You can only truly know if they tell you. (And FYI: Someone’s sex or gender tells you absolutely nothing about their sexual orientation, meaning the sex or gender of people a person is attracted to.)
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Cisgender (cis) is a term meaning that the sex someone was assigned at birth—what the doctor puts on the birth certificate—matches the gender they identify with. For example, someone born with a vagina, ovaries and XX chromosomes who identifies a female is cisgender. 

Transgender (trans) people have a gender identity not aligned with the sex they were assigned at birth. For example someone born with a vagina, ovaries, and XX chromosomes who identifies as male is transgender. Studies have shown that about one in every 250 American adults identifies as transgender (although, because of reporting bias, that number  is lower now that it is expected to be in future studies).

Though we were taught that there were only two sexes and two genders, the truth is that both sex and gender exist on a continuum. A 2015 Fusion Millennial poll of adults ages 18-34 in the USA found that the majority see gender as a spectrum, rather than a man/woman binary. And a 2017 Harris   poll of millennials found that 12% identify as transgender or gender non-conforming.

For people who have both male and female sex characteristics, the term intersex applies. For those who don’t identify as 100% male or 100% female on the gender spectrum, many terms exist, including nonbinary, gender fluid, gender non-conforming, pangender, demi-girl, two-spirit, and all, none or a combination of these. If you’re curious, do a little more digging. You might start answering the questions posed, and find a gender that feels like it’s always been you, regardless of your age.

The Importance of Respect
If you’ve never conceptualized gender in this way, relearning what seemed so simple can be difficult. But when your coworker your in-law, your friend, or your child lets you know that they identify as, say, nonbinary, I’s important that you don’t  let the confusion over something new to you get in the way of being respectful and supportive. If you are cisgender, you may never had had to think about what your gender was. Having that privilege offers you the opportunity to be an ally for those who do not have it.

Transitioning
Transitioning is a term commonly used to refer to the steps a transgender, or non-binary person takes in order to find congruence in their gender. But this term can be misleading as it implies that the person’s gender identity is changing and that there is a moment in time when this takes place. What people see as a “transition” is actually the alignment in one or more dimensions of the individual’s gender as they seek congruence across those dimensions. A transition is taking place, but it is often other people (parents and other family members, employers, etc.) who are transitioning in how they see the individual’s gender.

Transitioning can also refer to social, legal, and/or medical steps individuals take to affirm their gender identity or gender expression.

Not everyone wants to take some or any of these steps, and that’s okay. Transitioning for some looks like using a new set of pronouns or wearing different clothing. It can be changing one’s name on legal documents or changing one’s gender marker on a drivers’ license. Or going on hormones. Or getting surgery to affirm one’s gender. Not all people who identify with gender(s) other than the one they were assigned at birth choose to transition. And for those who do, the process can look a million different ways.

If you are involved in a transition, first and foremost, when someone tells you their gender, your only job is to believe them.  Treating this as a fad or a phase they’re going through is disrespectful and incorrect. Try your hardest to reflect back the language they use about themselves. If they tell you they’re now going by a different name, use it.

The Issue of Pronouns
We’re very accustomed to gendering everyone we meet—thinking of a person as either a he or a she. But for those who are trans or gender nonconforming, these pronouns don’t always fit.  This may take some getting used to, and that’s OK. Not sure? People usually welcome being asked, “Say, what pronouns do you use?” or “What are your affirming pronouns?” Or I could say, “My pronouns are she/her/hers. May I ask what yours are?”

If you slip up, apologize and correct yourself, but please don’t tell a nonbinary person that their affirming pronouns are grammatically incorrect or hard for you to use. Remember, this is not about you, it’s about supporting them.

This is important: Don’t ask anyone what genitals they have or if they plan to take hormones or have surgery. Some, but not all, trans or nonbinary people have surgery or take hormones to help make their bodies more congruent with their gender identity. For many, this is crucial and even lifesaving. For others, medical intervention doesn’t feel as important. Regardless of their choice, other people’s genitals are none of your business.

While some nonbinary folks—especially those you’re very close to—may welcome questions, it may be better to turn to Google or a therapist to work through any confusion or anxiety you may have. No one should need to justify their gender to you or compromise who they are to make you more comfortable. Remember, knowing someone is transgender or nonbinary tells you only a little bit about them. So continue to treat them with respect, curiosity, and compassion, just as you would any other human acquaintance.

Q: What’s the difference between being transgender and being gay?
A: As we’ve said, being transgender is about an individual’s gender identity, while being gay is about an individual’s sexual orientation, or attraction. Attraction is the combination of the physical and personality traits that happen to turn your crank. Someone may identify as trans and straight, or they may be trans and gay, or they may identify as something else. Two separate issues, two separate personal decisions. We get to decide who we know ourselves to be, and who we are attracted to.

Q: Is there a difference between cross-dressing and being transgender?
A: Yes, cross-dressing refers to people who wear clothing and/or makeup and accessories that are not traditionally associated with their biological sex.
Many people who cross-dress are comfortable with their assigned sex and generally do not wish to change it. Cross-dressing is a form of gender expression that is not necessarily indicative of a person’s gender identity or sexual orientation.

Q: Are children too young to truly know their gender?
A: Understanding our gender comes to us fairly early in life. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “By age 4, most children has a stable sense of their gender identity.” This core aspect one one’s identity comes from within each of us; it is an inherent aspect of a person’s make-up. We don’t question when cisgender children know their gender at a young age, so why do we question when transgender or nonbinary children know their gender at the same age?

Q: We shouldn’t talk to young children about gender diversity.
A: We communicate with kids about gender identity from the moment they’re born. They are receiving messages and stereotypes about how boys and girls are supposed to look and behave, not only from adults, but also from peers, books, media, product marketing and advertising. Research indicates that these messages place them in strict boxes that can prevent them from reaching their full potential. For example, one study published in Science in 2017 showed that, “At age 5, children seemed not to differentiate between boys and girls in expectations of ‘really, really smart’—childhood’s version of brilliance. But by age 6, girls were likely to lump more boys into ‘really, really smart’ category, and to steer themselves away from games intended for the smartest children. If we don’t proactively teach different message to children about gender, they will simply absorb the messages out there—and we all lose.

Q: When do children discover they are transgender?
A: While many transgender people say they knew they were trans at an early age, for many others the journey to living openly as their affirmed gender was longer. Some say the process lasted until their teens, adulthood, or even old age. Many people have a general feeling of being “different” but don’t connect their feelings to their gender until they are exposed to new language or find role models in whom they can see themselves reflected. In one study, the average age of self-realization for the child that they were transgender or non-binary was 7.9 years old, but the average age when they disclosed their understanding of their gender was 15.5 years old.

Q: Is being transgender or nonbinary a sign of mental illness?
A: No. Some gender-diverse people experience gender dysphoria which is a diagnosis in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). However, this refers to the distress some people experience as a result of a disconnect between their gender and their sex. Other minority stress factors often take a toll on transgender and nonbinary youth, who then experience levels of depression and anxiety as a result of harassment, discrimination, bullying and stigmatization they experience. Gender-diverse youth who have parental support and are affirmed in their gender have similar mental health profiles as their cisgender peers.

Q: Can someone be fired for being transgender?
A: Twenty one states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico have statutes that protect against both sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in employment in the public and private sector: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah,  Vermont, and Washington. Two states Michigan and Pennsylvania have acquired such protections through executive orders, court rulings or binding decisions by their respective civil rights commissions.

Q: What’s next?
A: There is a generation divide in how we think about gender. I know I’m on the far side. Are you? In order to bridge this gap, those of us who were raised with a more limited view of gender can take this opportunity to explore gender with new eyes, to read and ask questions to better understand gender’s complexity. As with any new learning experience, you’ll learn more about the world around you and about yourself in the process.
Gender diversity has existed throughout history and all over the world. As one of the most fundamental aspects of a person’s identity, gender deeply influences every part of our life. Where this crucial aspect of self is narrowly defined and rigidly enforced, individuals who exist outside of its norms face innumerable challenges. Even those who vary only slightly from norms can become targets of misunderstanding, disapproval, or even violence.
This doesn’t have to be the case. Through a thoughtful consideration of the uniqueness and validity of every person’s experience of self, we can develop greater acceptance for all, and make space for all individuals to more fully explore who they are.

Blessed Be!

I have never considered myself a “prepper” who stockpiles goods and materials for a future disaster. But I think this year has made all of us preppers to some extent. And judging by the new infection numbers being racked up (more than 4,400 new cases today) in Arizona, it looks like we’re in for another lockdown.

We will be smarter this time. Won’t we?

Look at what FEMA has recommended for survival situations in the past. Their stance is you only need to be ready to take care of yourself for three days. That’s their target reaction time. At the end of three days, FEMA supposedly will have assistance in place. There’s only one problem: That model doesn’t work. There were people digging in dumpsters, looking for food, six weeks after both Hurricane Katrina and Sandy. And I have even less faith that it will be safe to resume normal shopping activities any time soon during this pandemic, even if the stores remain well-stocked.
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When selecting food for a lock-down situation, there are several things to take into consideration. This isn’t buying your regular week’s groceries multiplied by 10, but rather buying food that you will use instead of your regular groceries. As you are selecting food for your emergency stash, consider the following:

• You can’t depend on having refrigerator and/or freezer space for two or three months’ worth of convenience and junk food.
• Most foods aren’t packaged for long-term storage, with the exception of canned foods.
• You want foods that will give you the maximum nutrition for minimum bulk.

 
What you really need to store are staple foods. You can make a fairly nutritious diet out of grains, beans and canned goods. Properly packages for storage, these foods will keep for years, and still be as tasty and nutritious when you take them out, as they were when you bought them.
Here is what I consider the most important ones:

1. Beans. This is one of the more common survival foods. Not only are beans plentiful and cheap, but they provide a lot of protein—something hard to find without eating meat.
2. White rice. The perfect companion to beans, it’s an excellent source of carbohydrates, and it stores well.  (Note: don’t store brown rice, which contains oil and will spoil.)
3. Canned vegetables and fruit. A good way of adding micro-nutrients to your lock-down diet. Canned goods keep well, long past the expiration date on the label. Don’t throw the packing water away, as it contains vitamins also, and you can use it to make soup stock.
4. Soups. The nice thing about having soup on your shelf in a lock-down situation is that you can use it in almost anything. Think beyond chicken noodle and check out others, such as cream of mushroom.
5. Canned meats. Of all the ways of preserving meat, canning is the most secure in protecting the meat from decomposition. While it doesn’t typically have as good a flavor as fresh meat, it still provides animal protein at the most reasonable price you’ll find. Consider chicken, tuna, and salmon as well as spam and deviled ham. Meat may be the hardest type of food to find during a crisis, so stock up.
6. Powdered milk. While most people don’t particularly like the flavor of powdered milk, when you don’t have access to other milk, it’s wonderful. It’s also necessary for baking and provides needed calcium for proper bone growth.
7. Cheese. Another great source of protein. To store cheese, it needs to be triple dipped in wax, making an airtight seal around the cheese. In this form, it can be kept, without refrigeration, for years. Even if the cheese forms mold, it will only be on the surface. Simply cut that part of and the rest of the cheese is still good.
8. Sugar. Yes, we try and stay away from eating too much sugar, but it’s an essential ingredient in making jam and for preserving fruit. You will also need it for baking. And sugar will keep pretty much indefinitely if stored properly.
9. Molasses. (Note: If you want brown sugar, just combine your molasses and white sugar).
10. Honey. Whereas sugar will last indefinitely, honey will really keep forever, as long as you keep the ants out of it. Plus, it is beneficial to help stave off colds and infection.
11. Salt. Most means of preserving foods require the use of salt, and our bodies need it for survival.
12. Spices. Stock up on the spices your family likes, as well as any you’ll need for cooking and baking.
13. Nuts. A good source of both protein and fat, nuts store well.
14. Cooking oil and vegetable shortening. Our family doesn’t normally use Crisco, but an unopened metal can of it will last for 5 years! It can also be used to make emergency candles. If you’d prefer a lighter oil for your food, coconut and olive oil both last about 24 months tightly capped in a cool, out of the light location.
15. Coffee and tea. Comfort food for adults. Keep your favorites on stock at all times.
16. Rolled Oats. You can prepare breakfast cereals and other dishes. Store in dark, airtight container with an oxygen absorber.
17. Pasta products. Pasta is a great source of carbohydrates, and it allows a wide variety of eating. Even your kids will eat it.
18. Spaghetti sauce. Obviously, you need this to go with the pasta. But it’s also great for hiding the flavor of things your family doesn’t like to eat—whether you’re talking about an unusual vegetable or leftovers you’re re-presenting.
19. Jerky. While expensive to buy, jerky is pure meat with only added spices. Its high salt content allows it to store well, making it a great pandemic food. It can be reconstituted by adding it to soups and allowing it to cook.
20. Summer sausage. Like many ‘cured meat products’, it’s created to keep for a long time.
21. Peanut butter. Another good source of protein and a great comfort food, especially for the kids. Maybe you should stockpile some no-sugar-added jelly with it.
22. Wheat flour. For baking, especially baking bread. Flour also allows you to shake up the diet with the occasional batch of cookies or a cake.
23. Baking powder & baking soda. Also good for making bread, cookies and cakes.
24. Bouillon. This ‘soup starter’ allows you to make broth without having to boil bones on the stove for hours. Soups will probably be an important part of anyone’s diet in a stay-home situation, as it allows you to eat almost anything. Just throw it together in a pot and it’s soup.
25. Hard candies. These are useful as a reward for kids and also for quick energy (or emergency sugar if you have a diabetic in your household). The candy will keep for years as long as they are protected from moisture.
26. Most essential paper products: Toilet paper and tissues are my “must haves.” You may want to add paper towels if you don’t have a huge supply of cleaning rags like I do.
27. Light bulbs. Take an inventory of your home, and have a package of every kind you use in your lights.
28. Batteries. Again, inventory your electronics, medical supplies, and so on. Don’t forget your keyboard and mouse, as well as the TV remote!
29. Battery charger for your car.
30. Hand sanitizer, household wipes, and soap.
31. Water. Don’t forget to stockpile a good supply of water. You’ll go through much more than you expect. Experts recommend a minimum of one gallon per person per day, but remember: That’s just for drinking.

 
Try creating a three-week menu, with the idea of repeating that menu over and over. If you have the supplies you need to cook everything on that menu, you’ll have a fair assortment of food, and enough so your family shouldn’t grow tired of it.
 
Whatever you do, don’t try to run out and buy a year’s worth of food in one week. Take your time. Start by building a 2-week stockpile; then increase it to a month. Keep your eyes open for sales and other opportunities to save money.