The Full Moon of Saturday, Sept. 17 also carries the title of the Harvest Moon for those living in the Northern Hemisphere. The Moon officially turns full when it reaches that spot in the sky opposite (180 degrees) to the Sun in the sky.

This moment will occur on Saturday at 6:01 p.m. EDT (3:01 p.m. PDT).

Saturday's Full Moon is the one that comes the closest to the Fall equinox so this year it falls in September, although in one out of three years this title can be bestowed upon the October Full Moon. The 2005 version of the Harvest Moon comes just five days prior to the Autumnal Equinox, although it can occur as early as September 8 (as in 1976) or as late as October 7 (as in 1987).

Many think that the Harvest Moon remains in the night sky longer than any of the other Full Moons we see during the year, but that is not so. What sets Saturday's Full Moon apart from the others is that farmers at the climax of the current harvest season can work late into the night by the Moon's light. It rises about the time the Sun sets, but more importantly, at this time of year, instead of rising its normal average 50 minutes later each day, the Moon seems to rise at nearly the same time each night.

9:11:19 PM    comment []  trackback []  

After moving to Santa Ana, California, starting a family, and working various factory jobs, Martínez opened a barbershop in the 1970s. To spread his love of literature, he would bring books for his customers to borrow. Most of the "borrowed" books were never returned, so he opened Librería Martínez Books and Art Gallery--inside the barbershop. The librería (bookstore) eventually overtook the barbering business and moved in 1999 to its present Santa Ana location--with an area set off for barbering. Today, the librería carries one of the country's largest collections of Spanish-language books, with stores in Santa Ana and Lynwood, California. The Santa Ana location has a children's bookstore next door.

"We started out with two books, then 10, then 25. Little by little, we've sold over 2 million books. That's what happens if you dare to dream."
...
As he walks through the aisles of the glass-front librería in Santa Ana, he straightens rows of biographies, best-selling novels, classics, travel books, self-help books, cards, and small art works. "The Latino people are readers; we just don't know where to buy books. Our stores have shown that it's possible to run a successful bookstore in low-income Latino neighborhoods," Martínez says. ...

Click here for the whole thing.

[Thank you Karen Murphy for the link to this story! I am so reinspired now. Why do we doubt our instincts?]
10:28:25 AM    comment []  trackback []  

See the BBC News, Calcutta, for the rest of this story:

An Indian court has ordered a leading Bengali poet to stand trial on charges of defiling a Hindu goddess. The court in India's West Bengal state was ruling on a lawsuit filed against Sunil Gangopadhyay by an ex-policeman. In an article in Bengal's biggest newspaper this year, Mr Gangopadhyay was quoted as saying he was "sexually aroused" by an idol of Saraswati. Retired policeman Bhibhuti Bhusan Nandy filed a lawsuit saying the comments had hurt his religious sentiments. ... Mr Gangopadhyay, 71, was quoted in Anandabazar as saying he had kissed an idol of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning, to satisfy his desire. ... "Some religious zealots are playing this up - mine was a light-hearted remark on Goddess Saraswati. Her idol did not evoke devotion in me when I was young. I found her very attractive and that is what I said," said Mr Gangopadhyay. "In Bengal, Hindus are known to crack jokes at the expense of their gods and goddesses and that's what I did," he said. ... Mr Gangopadhyay is West Bengal's best known living poet and novelist with more than 250 books to his name. But he is no stranger to controversy. Two years ago, there were protests outside a newspaper office in Calcutta after he wrote about the sex life of Indian spiritual leader, Ramakrishna Paramhansa. He also described Kali, the Hindu goddess of power, as a "tribal whore", triggering protests by Santhal tribes people and Hindus. Last year, the Bangladesh government banned an issue of an Indian magazine which carried a story by Mr Gangopadhyay in which he wrote about the sex life of the Prophet Mohammad.

12:25:42 AM    comment []  trackback []