Potential Sign of Life on Venus

Artist's concept of the thick clouds that obscure Venus’ surface. Image Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser & NASA/JPL/Caltech

An international team of astronomers have confirmed that the cloud tops of Venus contain traces of phosphine, a gas that is produced by microbial life. The gas is also produced by some Earth-based industrial processes. That said, no known non-biological processes can create phosphine in the conditions found on Venus.

The find raises two intriguing possibilities: One, the possibility that Venus may harbor life in its clouds. And two, the phosphine could be the result of some unknown chemical process, which would be an enticing subject of scientific study.

You may read the full article at Astronomy.com

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Being There for Your Family

Are you a parent? Does your job keep you away from your family for long periods of time? Is your family growing up without you? Does your loved one have have dreams that need your support and encouragement? This episode of the Parent Cue Live podcast features dads talking about the importance of being present in their families and the difficult choices that may be required to make that happen. This is powerful stuff. Enjoy!

Parent Cue Live, Episode 64 [Dad Edition] Coming Off The Road with Casey Darnell

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In-N-Out Burger

My first In-N-Out Burger.

Yesterday, I was treated to a new experience: I had my first In-N-Out burger. Possibly not considered as earth-shattering by many. But being a Florida boy, I don't get the opportunity to partake very often. For the record, it was delicious! Curious about this fast-food wonder, I did some digging and learn the following:

In-N-Out Burger is an American regional chain of fast food restaurants with locations primarily in the American Southwest and Pacific coast. It was founded October 22, 1948 in Baldwin Park, California by married couple Harry and Esther Snyder. The chain has 329 locations and is currently headquartered at University Tower in Irvine, California and has slowly expanded outside Southern California into the rest of California, as well as into Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Oregon. The current owner is Lynsi Snyder, the Snyders' only grandchild of the founders.

As the chain has expanded, it has opened several distribution centers in addition to its original Baldwin Park location. The new facilities, located in Lathrop, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Draper, Utah; and Dallas, Texas will provide for potential future expansion into other parts of the country.

In-N-Out Burger has resisted franchising its operations or going public; one reason is the prospect of quality or customer consistency being compromised by excessively rapid business growth. The company's business practices have been noted for employee-centered personnel policies. For example, In-N-Out is one of the few fast food chains in the United States to pay its employees more than state and federally mandated minimum wage guidelines – starting at US$11.00 per hour in California, as of May 2017. The In-N-Out restaurant chain has developed a highly loyal customer base, and has been rated as one of the top fast food restaurants in several customer satisfaction surveys.

To learn more, visit the company website, linked here.

In-N-Out Burger

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The Rings of Saturn Viewed Planet-Side and the Final Days of Cassini

On August 20, Cassini completed one of its final passes between Saturn and its rings. The spacecraft is quickly approaching its  mission-ending dive into the atmosphere of Saturn on September 15. To get a breakdown of the final days of Cassini, click the link below.

RoamingAstronomer.com

Saturn's ring system as seen during the Cassini pass between the rings and Saturn on August 20, 2017. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

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Jesus Made Breakfast for His Helpers

In my class this Sunday, the preschoolers learn that Jesus always cares for His friends. Jesus is your friend, too. Click Here to View.

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August 21, 2017 Total Solar Eclipse

I recently had a great adventure, traveling with a friend to South Carolina to see the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017. The trip was an early birthday present to myself (as I write this, it is now my birthday).

I chronicled the adventure in my astronomy blog, including photos and, also, links to two great videos by friends. I welcome you to check out the blog and relive my journey to the shadow. Click the link below.

RoamingAstronomer.com

Image from video by Scott Wargo.

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Jesus Stopped the Storm

In my class this Sunday, the preschoolers learn that Jesus cared when His disciples were scared. Jesus cares when we’re scared, too. Click Here to View.

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Jesus Knew All about Nathanael

In my class this Sunday, the preschoolers learn that Jesus knew all about Nathanael. Jesus knows all about us, too. Click Here to View.

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A Room for Elisha

In my class this Sunday, the preschoolers learn that Elisha’s friends did a nice thing for him by making a room for him. Friends do nice things for each other. Click Here to View.

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David was Kind

In my class this Sunday, the preschoolers learn that David showed God’s kindness to Mephibosheth. We can show God’s kindness to everyone. Click Here to View.

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Jacob and Esau

In my class this Sunday, the preschoolers learn that God helped Jacob and Esau get along. God can help us get along. To Learn More, Click Here.

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I Can Name That Eclipse in Five Notes

Total solar eclipses have always captivated our attention. They have even made their way into our music. See how many of these songs you recognize. Click Here to Read On.

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Solar Viewing Safety

When it comes to looking at the sun, safety comes first! I've posted some important questions and answers about solar viewing safety. Click Here to View.

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Isaac Didn't Fight

In my class this Sunday, the preschoolers learn about Isaac. They learn to trust in God to take care of conflicts and to leave the issue of fairness to God. He will make all things right. To Learn More, Click Here.

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The Sun, a Primer

Here is a primer on our favorite star, the sun. This article is part of my preparations for the total solar eclipse which will cross the continental United Status on August 21. Please follow the link, and enjoy!

The Sun, a Primer

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The Invisible Hand

A theatre company in the Tampa Bay area just completed its run of a very intriguing play. It's called The Invisible Hand, a 2012 play written by Ayad Akhtar.

In remote Pakistan, Nick Bright, an American and Citibank employee in his 30s, awaits his fate. A successful financial trader, Nick is kidnapped by an Islamic militant group, but with no one negotiating his release, he agrees to an unusual plan. He will earn his own ransom by helping his captors manipulate and master the world commodities and currency markets.

The play's language is salty and the story is adult in nature. But the material is thought provoking. I encourage you to check it out!

Find on:

• Amazon
• Barnes and Noble
• Audible

Learn more:

• The American Stage Theatre Company
• Wikipedia article

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Better Than Biscuits

(This story was shared with the Chancel Choir of my church by our amazing organist. Thanks, Doug!)

One Sunday morning at a small southern church, the new pastor called on one of his older deacons to lead in the opening prayer. The deacon stood up, bowed his head and said, “Lord, I hate buttermilk.”

The pastor opened one eye and wondered where this was going. The deacon continued “Lord, I hate lard.” Now the pastor was totally perplexed. The deacon continued, “Lord, I ain’t to crazy about plain flour. But after you mix ‘em all together and bake ‘em in a hot oven, I just love biscuits.”

“Lord help us to realize when life gets hard, when things come up that we don’t like, whenever we don’t understand what You are doing that we need to wait and see what You are making. After you get through mixing and baking, it’ll probably be something even better than biscuits. Amen."

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How To Repair A Suspect Database In Microsoft SQL

Here is a Microsoft SQL tip. A fellow team member recently dealt with this issue. The recommended steps come from the support articles of Managed.com.

Symptom:

In Microsoft SQL Server, you have a database that is tagged as "suspect" and you are unable to connect to the database.

Possible Causes: 

• The database could have become corrupted.
• There is not enough space available for the SQL Server to recover the database during startup.
• The database cannot be opened due to inaccessible files or insufficient memory or disk space.
• The database files are being held by operating system, third party backup software etc.
• There was an unexpected SQL Server Shutdown, power failure or a hardware failure.

Resolution:

These steps require you to have Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio installed on your computer. Once this is done, proceed as follows.

1. Open Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio and connect to your database. 

2. Click the New Query button.

 

3. Paste the following SQL script into your New Query page replacing [YourDatabase] with the name of your database.

  EXEC sp_resetstatus [YourDatabase];
ALTER DATABASE [YourDatabase] SET EMERGENCY
DBCC checkdb([YourDatabase])
ALTER DATABASE [YourDatabase] SET SINGLE_USER WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE
DBCC CheckDB ([YourDatabase], REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS)
ALTER DATABASE [YourDatabase] SET MULTI_USER

4. Click Execute. Your database should no longer be tagged as "suspect" and you should be able to access it.

To learn more, see these articles:

• How To Repair A Suspect Database In MSSQL
• How To Connect to Your MS SQL 2012 Database and Disable Collation

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The Jim Henson Exhibition

The Jim Henson Exhibition will open July 22 at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City. The exhibit will show how Henson and his team created the world’s of The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth.

The exhibit will feature nearly 300 objects, including 47 puppets, character sketches, story boards, scripts, photographs and costumes. Film and television clips will be presented on more than 27 monitors.

Attendees can become puppeteers and design their own puppet character. And material from lesser known Henson projects will also be on display. In addition to the permanent exhibition in New York, the museum will also host a traveling exhibit.

The gallery for the exhibition was made possible by a grant from the City of New York. The funding for the exhibition is the result of a Kickstarter campaign, which exceeded its stretch goals and raised $144,230.

As I’ve said before, Jim Henson is one of my heroes. His creativity, gentleness and work ethic inspire me. With the opening of the Jim Henson Exhibition, I’m excited to think that Henson’s legacy will delight and inspire many generations to come.

Read more about the exhibition here.

Read about the Kickstarter campaign.

Learn about the Jim Henson Legacy here.

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Lydia Shared Her Home

Check out this week's preschool Bible story HERE.

And read the adult Bible study HERE.

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