Michael Robert Dyet's Blog, page 56

Mercury in Retrograde: Prepare for Pandemonium

Hmmm, is there a safe place to lay low for the next three weeks while Mercury takes a nap?

I have never paid much attention to the field of astrology. The idea that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and human behaviour has always seemed far-fetched. But if things go awry over the next three weeks, I may jump on the bandwagon.

We are entering into a period which, in astrology terms, is known as “Mercury in retrograde”. Sounds like a great name for a rock band. But that’s another story.

I did a bit of Google research on the subject. Mercury is the planet closet to the sun and therefore has an orbit that is much shorter than Earth`s. Three or four times a year Mercury goes speeding past Earth. The effect we see is that Mercury appears to moving backwards during this period. It is, authorities assure us, purely an optical illusion.

Enter astrology enthusiasts who assert that there is a “fractal relationship” between the movement of the planets and human activity. What is a fractal, you ask. Good question.

Apparently, fractal has something to do with geometrical structures with an irregular or fragmented shape and mathematical or physical properties of their structure and the curve or flow rate in a porous medium. In other words, I do not have a clue what it means.

Back to the subject at hand. In the world of astrology, the planet Mercury rules all types of communications. It also rules all formal contracts and agreements and even has under its domain all types of code including computer codes, transportation, shipping and travel.

So while Mercury is in retrograde, which is a resting or sleeping state, all of the above is at risk of coming unraveled and spinning out of control. Pandemonium will ensue!

One astrologist I came across cautions us to not do anything involving communication (such as launch a magazine, website or advertising or publicity campaigns), sign any contracts or, heaven forbid, have plastic surgery or other elective surgery in this period. Darn – I was just about to check in to the clinic for a nose job and a tummy tuck. Now I will have to delay it.

But it occurs to me that Mercury in retrograde could come in handy as an excuse.

If I screw up at work, I can just throw up my hands and exclaim: Not my fault. That damn Mercury retrograde pulled the rug out from under me!

It will also prove helpful for all of us men when, as we are prone to, we do something thoughtless or inconsiderate in our relationship with our better half. I’m really sorry, sweetheart. It sounded like such a good idea at the time. Mercury is in retrograde and it is making me all confused and befuddled.

Mercury in retrograde, it would seem, is an astronomical metaphor for a “get out of jail free card”. It could literally be a politician’s best friend. Did I really make that promise? When exactly? Oh, that explains it. Mercury was in retrograde. I can’t be held responsible.

So, for now until October 9, tread carefully. Mercury is sleeping. Fractal at your own risk.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Addicted to War: Hope for a Cure in the Power of Metaphor

Hmmm, is mankind addicted to war and, if so, where do we look for a cure?

My father and I took a tour of historic Fort George last week on a day trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake. The tour guide gave a brief but colourful recounting of the War of 1812 – the war fought between the United States and Great Britain primarily along the Niagara River.

The tour guide described it as the most useless war in history for one obvious reason. The pre-war boundary between U.S. and British territory was established as the middle of the Niagara River. In the negotiations that concluded the war, the boundary was established as… wait for it… the middle of the Niagara River.

In truth, there were other issues between the U.S. and Britain that were resolved. But, as that does not make for as good a story, I can forgive the tour guide for leaving out those details.

It does illuminate the larger question of whether war ever results in meaningful and lasting resolution. Let me say here that I do not intend to minimize the contributions and sacrifices of military personnel past or present. Many have given their lives, often in heroic fashion, in the defense of freedom and democracy. We owe a debt to them we can never fully repay.

For the record, war is defined as “an active conflict that has claimed more than 1,000 lives”. By that definition, there have been somewhere in the neighbourhood of 108 million people killed in wars in the twentieth century. In the period since the Second World War, there have been some 250 major wars in which over 50 million people lost their lives.

Let’s put that figure in perspective. The population of Canada is around 35 million. Hence, in the last 70 years alone, war has wiped out the equivalent of the entire population of Canada once and is halfway down the road to realizing that sad statistic a second time.

There are countless other tragic results of war. Currently, one we are experiencing is the plight of refugees. Millions of Syrians have fled their homeland, to escape the Syrian Civil War, resulting in the largest refugee crisis since World War 2.

Regrettably, the issue of how many refugees Canada should take in has become a bargaining chip in the federal election. The Liberals and NDP are cranking up the rhetoric to condemn Stephen Harper for his firm stand on how many refugees he would authorize Canada to receive.

Giving asylum to refugees is an act of mercy and compassion that cannot be questioned. Unfortunately, it is an act that only addresses the symptoms of war and not the tougher (some would argue unsolvable) question of how to eradicate the practice of it from our world.

I googled “war metaphors” and got 13 million hits. I then googled “peace metaphors” and got a little over 7 million hits. Metaphor has great power. Perhaps if we can flip that metaphor balance in favour of peace, we can make war purely a matter of history.

I’ll give the final words to John F. Kennedy: “Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.”

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

An Immaculate Swallowtail Befriending an Inhospitable Thistle

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail

Hmmm, is there a lesson in harmony to be learned from a chance encounter in the midst of a summer meadow?

Canadian Tiger Swallowtails are quite common in this area. They are also one of the larger butterflies hereabouts and are hard to miss as they sashay above the meadows. And, as you have already surmised, they are quite photogenic, especially when they are newly emerged and flawless as is the one in this photograph.

But what makes this photograph compelling to me is the juxtaposition of the graceful Swallowtail, which wings spread in its full glory, and the classy but unwelcoming thistle on which it is perched and feeding.

Thistles have evolved to discourage herbivorous animals from feeding on them. But I like to believe that this thistle, which appears to be nodding its approval, made an exception for this winged visitor, entranced as we are by the elegant Swallowtail that came to rest upon it.

An immaculate Swallowtail befriending an inhospitable thistle – a random act of metaphor for the way in which Mother Nature’s countless children find common ground in which to coexist. We have much to learn about harmony from them and much to gain if we choose to do so.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Mating Damselflies and Other Magnitudes of Grace

Mating Damselflies

Hmmm, did that glancing ray of sunlight wait for me to arrive to work its wonders?

A digital camera is a regular part of my gear when I go meandering through meadows, marshlands and forest edges in search of the winged wonders that I so admire. Photographing them is a simple exercise that is more about capturing the moment, so I can relive it later, than about taking great pictures.

My point-and-shoot Olympus does not normally capture the kind of detail that you see in the photo at the head of this post. A fleeting moment of the exact right lighting enabled it to outperform itself. I am so very glad that it did as I can now marvel at what would otherwise have escaped my notice.

The way the whiskery white barbs on the thick, rubbery stem of the weed endow it with a wise old grandfather quality as if it is the anointed patriarch of the field it inhabits…

The looping thread that circles the upper stem like a lifeline for tiny denizens of the meadow that chance to fall from some higher perch…

The decaying, shriveled leaf attached precariously to the looping thread as if that oh so fragile anchor is its last grasp on life…

The intersection of the weed stems which a slight flight of fancy could transform into the horns of a predatory beast trolling the undergrowth for unsuspecting victims…

The mating damselflies entwined in the shape of a heart, which is what I originally set out to capture, as they respond to the relentless call of nature to propagate a new generation…

And finally, the glancing ray of sunlight, which sought out this simple scene, giving it multiple dimensions of light and shade, and elevated it to another magnitude of grace…

Each of these vignettes within the larger scene – itself a masterpiece of natural artistry – is a metaphor for the so often undetected and unappreciated small scale magnificence of nature that hides in untold millions of tiny nooks and crannies .

I have trained my eye to seek out Mother Nature’s winged wonders. But every now and then, She reminds me that there is so much more to see if only I would pause, drop to my knees and recalibrate my perspective. Mating dragonflies entwined by the heart are only the beginning.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

The Ashley Madison Affair: The Death Knell for Online Privacy

Hmmm, what do a condom and a firewall have in common?

One of the hottest news stories of late is the hacking of the Ashley Madison website – the highly successful site for married people seeking partners for infidelity. Hackers reportedly broke into the site’s servers and publicly released a virtual motherlode of company and customer data.

No one seems to know for certain how many customers Ashley Madison actually possesses. The site claims it is in the millions but many people believe that figure is inflated. The one thing that is clear is that there are a lot of very nervous married people wondering if there supposedly off-the-record liaisons are going to come back to bite them in the ass.

There are a variety of issues to be explored within this story – the insidious practice of hacking and how to curb it, just how common is infidelity and is it still the taboo it once was, how much money (in the millions) remains to be tapped into from variations on social networking sites.

I may pursue those themes in future posts. For now, I merely want to declare that the Ashley Madison affair is a random act of metaphor for the official and undisputed death of privacy in our wired world. Go ahead and write the obituary. It is officially brain dead. No life signs. All chances of it being resuscitated are gone.

Anything you put online is by default for public consumption. Firewalls are about as foolproof as a condom. If you don’t want the world to know, lock it up in your head – not in your Dropbox.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Midnight Curfew for Night Owl Kids: A Round Answer to a Square Problem

Hmmm, will putting kids on the clock keep them from getting into mischief?

The field of ethics has always been a cloudy area with considerably more gray space than black and white. Accordingly, I try to maintain an open mind on ethical issues. But I am having difficulty doing so on a particular situation that came to my attention via a Facebook post.

The OPP in Haldimand Norfolk, neighbouring counties in Southern Ontario that just happen to be where I was born and raised, have issued a midnight curfew on youth under 16.

Their rationale is that they have noticed more young people, under the age of 16, out and about on the streets at night and hanging out in parks after hours. They maintain that this leads to vandalism, vehicle theft, underage drinking and illegal drug activity.

Consequently, any youth under the age of 16 caught in a public place without an adult between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. will be detained. Their parents will have to pick up the child at one of the local OPP detachments.

This controversial decision is well intentioned and does have arguments in its favour. Youth under the age of 16 should arguably not be out unescorted after midnight for their own safety.

But the step the OPP has taken falls deep inside the ethical gray space. It has the earmarks of a violation of basic human rights and raises the age old question: Does the end justify the means? I am going to steer clear of that loaded question.

My concern is that this short-sighted solution does nothing to uncover the root cause of the problem. Why are young kids able to roam around after midnight? Is it irresponsible parents who are negligent in keeping tabs on their children? This may be the case in some instances.

But I venture to suggest that in many cases it may be the result of financially overburdened parents, working night shifts or even double shifts to make enough money to take care of their family, who simply cannot be home when they want to be.

 Furthermore, if indeed these young kids are committing crimes under the cover of darkness, someone needs to find out why. There are socio-economic factors at play that need to be identified and dealt with more directly. A curfew is no more than a band aid solution.

The midnight curfew for youth is akin to using a sledge hammer to pound in a one inch nail to put up a caution sign that states the obvious. In the realm of metaphor, it is a convenient, round answer to a square problem.

The problem will not go away just because kids are put on the clock. It will only be solved when someone takes the time to understand how it got started in the first place.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Monarch Butterflies: The Fragile Intersection of Humans and Nature

Monarch Butterfly

Hmmm, will Monarchs still make their inspiring cross-continent migration five years from now?

I have been watching and studying butterflies for about a decade. In the early years of that period, it was a safe bet that Monarchs would arrive in these parts sometime in June from their cross-continent migration.

In recent years, they have been arriving later and later and in progressively smaller numbers. My first sighting of one this summer was August 1. I had begun to wonder if I would see any Monarchs this year.

The sad reality is that the Monarch butterfly population is in serious decline – as much as 80% below historic averages as measured in their wintering grounds. There are several reasons for this decline including deforestation and other socio-economic pressures in the mountain region of Mexico where the entire North American population spends the winter.

In recent years, one of the major factors relates to their dependence on the Milkweed plant for survival. Monarchs feed and lay their eggs exclusively on Milkweed making it critical to their arduous migration north in the spring, which spans several Monarch generations, and south in the fall when the last brood of the year makes the entire trip.

Milkweed is considered a nuisance plant in agricultural areas. It is being eradicated in corn and soybean cropland by increased use of pesticides – particularly in the U.S. Corn Belt. This gap in the Monarch’s migration path is a serious problem for them.

Monarchs have become a metaphor for the hot, hazy and lazy days of summer in this part of North America. But they are also becoming a metaphor for the fragile intersection of humans and nature and what can happen when that intersection is not respected.

We can live in harmony with nature and enjoy the beauty and serenity it offers us. But only if we value that relationship enough to make the sometimes tough choices it demands. The choice is ours and the time is now. Tomorrow may be too late.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

 

Federal Election Advertising: Antidotes for the Bile and Venom Virus

Hmmm, who wins the “worst in show” prize for federal election advertising?

The  Canadian federal election is still a couple of months away. But I am already fed up with the radio and television advertising by the major parties. I may have to go cold turkey without any media until Election Day to preserve my already fragile sanity.

The Conservatives have been hammering away at Justin Trudeau for what seems like years. If I see or hear the resume commercial one more time, I may break down and run naked through the streets screaming “But he has such nice hair!”

Is it just me overreacting or have the Conservatives already shot themselves in the foot with their Jackknife Justin strategy? All they have really accomplished with their Trudeau fixation is convince us all of that they are scared to death of him and the legacy he carries with him.

I am well aware that Justin does not have enough experience to be Prime Minister. But if all the Conservatives can tell me is why I should not vote for Trudeau, why in heaven’s name would I vote for them? I cannot have much faith in a party whose election platform is “At least we’re better than the guy who says the budget will balance itself.”

The Liberals were slower out of the gate. But they are making up for lost time with what I can only assume is their Codename Robin Hood strategy: “Those profligate Conservatives keep taking from the poor and giving to the rich. For shame! For shame!”

It is the unrelenting negativity in political advertising that bothers me. We are up to our eyeballs in bad news in these challenging times. The last thing we need is commercial after commercial hurling more pessimism at us.

Fortunately, I have a few antidotes to curb the Bile and Venom Virus:

Mudslinging for Charity: Every time any of the political parties runs a mudslinging ad, they must put $1,000 into a trust account. Kind of like a swearing jar. The rapidly accumulating funds will be distributed amongst a list of reputable charities.

Scandals for Sandals: Every time a political party dredges up an old scandal from their opposing party, they must buy 100 pairs of sandals for needy children. (Let me switch my investments to a shoe company before we initiate this one.)

Ditch the Deficit Tax: Every negative radio or TV ad is taxed at a rate of 15% of what it cost to make and broadcast the ad. The funds collected go toward reducing the federal deficit. The deficit should be wiped out in about three weeks by my estimations.

And finally, a Smack a Party Leader Upside the Head Lottery: Every time one of the party leaders insults his or her opponent in any manner, a name is drawn in the lottery. The winner gets to give the offender a Leroy Jethro Gibbs slap to the back of the head.

You get to choose which one of these schemes is the most fitting metaphor for the sorry state of federal election advertising. The polls are now open.

But back to my original question. The “Worst in Show” award goes to the Conservatives. Justin may be riding on his famous father’s coattails. But the millions of public dollars being spent on discrediting him is the real shame.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Smiled on By Serendipity in a Wildflower Meadow

Hmmm, you never know what you might find taking a nap in the middle of a meadow.

July is usually the peak period for the winged wonders I spend my summers pursuing. But butterfly and dragonfly numbers are down noticeably this year for reasons that are not clear. In these circumstances, I hope for one good sighting to put an exclamation point on my day. However, last Sunday turned up something I was not expecting.

Tag along with my thought processes on that day. I’m in a wildflower meadow following cut trails through growth five to six feet high. Up ahead I spot a green blob on a large plant leaf.

Michael: What the heck is that? Michael’s Brain: Visual input received. Processing… Green blob. Possible explanations: fungus or mold. Closer observation required.

Michael: Okay, I’ll look through my binoculars. Ah, the green blob appears to have eyes. Michael’s Brain: Visual input received. Processing… Eyes do not correlate to mold or fungus. Possibility: small mammal. Closer observation required.

Michael: Okay, I’ll move closer and scope it again. Michael’s Brain: Visual input received. Shape and contour now discernable. Processing… Shape and contour correspond to frog.

Michael: Frog? In the middle of a wildflower meadow? The nearest pond is twenty yards away. What’s up with that? Michael’s Brain: Request for clarification received. Processing… Possible explanation: tree frog.

Michael: Tree Frog? Interesting. But do tree frogs actually occur in Ontario? Michael’s Brain: Query received. Processing… Insufficient data to answer query.

It did indeed look like a frog. So I snapped a couple of photos – one of which you see below – and did some Google research when I got home.

Gray Tree Frog

It is indeed a Gray Tree Frog. Yes, I know that it’s green, not gray. Gray tree frogs have a chameleon-like ability to change their colour and can appear gray, green or brown. This one changed to green to match the comfortable leaf it had settled on.

I learned that Gray Tree Frogs can be found in many types of trees and shrubs near a permanent water source. They descend to the water to breed in late spring and early summer. Outside the breeding season they are rarely seen. They hide in tree holes, under bark, in rotten logs or under leaves and tree roots.

The one I happened upon elected to remain hidden in plain sight on a very comfortable, curved leaf which, by all appearances, makes for quite a comfortable bed.

Nature provides me with an abundance of metaphors. On this day, she offered up the Gray Tree Frog as a metaphor for serendipity – for it was pure serendipity that I caught sight of this Gray Tree Frog. Sometimes serendipity is a nature lover’s best friend.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe o this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

 

Waving Hello to Pluto: Mankind’s Enduring Quest for Knowledge

Hmmm, who would have imagined a quarter century ago that we would be waving a virtual hello to Pluto and its five small moons?

History was made earlier this week when the NASA space probe New Horizons completed a flyby of Pluto. It was the first spacecraft to reach the region of the distant “dwarf planet”.

A little context to shed light on the scope of this accomplishment. Astronomers have divided the universe into three zones. Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars occupy the first zone of space. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune occupy the second zone of space. Pluto is located in the third zone of space.

Simply put, Pluto is at the edge of the known solar system – 7.5 billion kilometres from earth. As a point of reference, the earth’s circumference is 40,000 kilometres. Do the math, if you are so inclined.

It is difficult to wrap our minds around distance figures that large. So let’s use a different point of reference. The New Horizons probe blasted off in January 2006. It has taken over nine years for it to reach Pluto. Suffice to say, Pluto is way, way out there.

Building a spacecraft that can sustain a mission of close to a decade and programming it to travel unmanned for over 7 billion kilometres and send photos and data to scientists back on earth – what an astounding technological achievement.

NASA has had its share of milestone accomplishments over the years, such as:

July 20, 1969: Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong takes man’s first steps on the moon. I was 11 years old at the time. I do not have a good memory for events that far back. But I do remember sitting in a grade school classroom watching the historic moment unfold on television.

April 24, 1990: The launch of the Hubble Space Telescope on the space shuttle Discovery. It continues to orbit 600 kilometres above Earth and open our eyes to the wonders of space.

1998: The first component of the International Space Station launched into orbit. Crews have staffed the station since 2000 including Canadian icon Commander Chris Hadfield.

On the more sobering side of the equation, NASA has also had its share of tragedies:

January 27, 1967: A flash fire during a launch pad test took the lives of three crew members.

January 28, 1986: The space shuttle Challenger exploded just over a minute into flight. All seven crew members lost their lives.

February 1, 2003: The space shuttle Columbia broke up over Texas during re-entry. Again, all seven crew members were lost.

And, of course, the near tragedy of Apollo 13 – immortalized in the Ron Howard movie – when an explosion forced the crew to return to earth using the Lunar Module as a lifeboat.

The New Horizons Pluto Flyby is a technological metaphor for mankind’s enduring quest to expand the boundaries of our understanding and unlock the mysteries of the universe. This knowledge sometimes comes at a high cost. We need to celebrate the successes, accept the failures and, above all, honour those who gave their lives in the quest.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ Subscribe to “Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm” at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the “Subscribe to this Blog: How To” instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.