44th President -- Happy Birthday!

from Writer's Almanac -- (American Public Media - Garrison Keillor) -- adapted for this notice: August 4 is the birthday of President Barack Obama, born in Honolulu, Hawaii (1961). He's the author of the New York Times best-selling books Dreams from My Father (1995) and The Audacity of Hope (2006) and Of Thee I Sing (2010).

Eid al-Fitr (feast that ends month-long Ramadan fasting) -- for Muslims in U.S. and "Muslim World"

from "Time and Date" dot-com website _________________________________________________ Eid al-Fitr is an important Islamic holiday that involves many Muslims waking up early and praying either at an outdoor prayer ground or a mosque. Many Muslims dress in their finest clothes and adorn their homes with lights and other decorations. Old wrongs are forgiven and money is given to the poor. Special foods are prepared and friends or relatives are invited to share the feast. Gifts and greeting cards are exchanged and children receive presents. Eid al-Fitr is a joyous occasion but its underlying purpose is to praise God and give thanks to him, according to Islamic belief. Some Muslim groups in the United States campaign for schools in some parts of the country to allocate Eid al-Fitr as a day off without being penalized on Eid al-Fitr. For example, the Coalition for Muslim School Holidays, which is a group of more than 80 religious and ethnic organizations, have been lobbying to have the two Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha designated as days off in New York City schools. For 2013 -- the eve of the Feast is Wednesday August 7, 2013. Note: Regional customs or moon sightings may cause a variation of the date for Islamic holidays, which begin at sundown the day before the date specified for the holiday. The Islamic calendar is lunar and the days begin at sunset, so there may be one-day error depending on when the New Moon is first seen. Public life Eid al-Fitr is not a federal public holiday in the United States. However, many Islamic businesses and organizations may alter their business hours during this event. There may be some congestion around mosques around this time of the year. Background Eid al-Fitr is also known as the Feast of Fast-Breaking or the Lesser Feast. It marks the end of Ramadan and the start of a feast that lasts up to three days in some countries, such as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. It is one of Islam’s two major festivals, with Eid al-Adha being the other major festival. Eid al-Fitr celebrates the end of the fasting that occurs during Ramadan. It is not possible to predict the date of Eid al-Fitr according to the Gregorian calendar accurately. This is because the month of Shawwal begins, and hence the month of Ramadan ends, after a confirmed sighting of the new moon. The new moon may be sighted earlier or later in specific locations. Hence, Muslims in different communities, for example on the east and west coasts of the USA and Canada, may begin the Eid-al-Fitr celebrations on different dates. http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/eid-al-fitr

Tuesday Aug. 6 - "Five Carvings, Five Stories" - Niles Library (Niles, Michigan) presentation (Art Association)

Further details are Niles Art Association website -- http://nilesartassc.webs.com/ _______________ NAA Meetings The meetings are held at the Niles District Library at Main and Seventh St. Niles, Michigan downtown, 49120; from 7:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. John Van Dyke, teacher and sculptor, will explain the process through which he created sculptures in wood, based on verses and characters from the Old Testament stories. Presentation in the Niles Library Community Room (basement: elevator available) is free and open to the public. Telephone (269) - 683-6415 for details beyond the Web posting.

70 Shooting Stars per hour -- peak of Perseid Meteor Showers (Aug. 11 - 12, 2013)

from Detroit Free Press newspaper online article (Aug. 3, 2013): Summertime, and the shooting stars are easy. Just pack a lawn chair and save yourself a few hours long past bedtime for the watch party. Here comes the Perseid meteor shower, which promises about 70 shooting stars an hour this year and peaks on Aug. 11-12. Appearing every August, the meteors take their name from their apparent origin in the constellation Perseus, the hero of ancient Greek myth born from a shower of heavenly gold. “The Perseids are the good ones,” says meteorite expert Bill Cooke of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Known for producing fireballs that might streak across a third of the sky, the Perseids owe their brilliance to the speed — nearly 134,000 mph — with which they smack into the upper atmosphere. “It’s also because of the size of the meteors,” Cooke says — dust grains about one-fifth of an inch across that burn nicely as they zip overhead. Those dust grains come courtesy of Comet Swift-Tuttle, which circles the sun once every 133 years and leaves behind a debris trail. (Comets are basically dirty snowballs that develop tails when they approach the sun and start to melt. Different ones are responsible for other regular meteor showers, such as April’s Lyrids brought by Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, and November’s Leonids brought by Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle). You will have to stay up late to see the Perseids at their peak; the best viewing comes from midnight to dawn, particularly after the half-full moon sets at 1 a.m. on Aug. 12, says Astronomy magazine’s Michael Bakich. But they should appear nights in the week before and after the peak, as well. “Get out of the city and the lights to give yourself a chance to see them,” he says. The rule of thumb is that you should be able to see all the stars of the Big Dipper — seven stars if you are counting — to give yourself enough darkness to catch the shooting stars. And give your eyes an hour to adjust. “There will be a dozen ‘ooh’ moments in that hour,” Bakich says. “Ones when everyone will say, ‘Did you see that?’” Although the shooting stars seem to come from the constellation Perseus, don’t look there to see them, Bakich advises. Instead, look about one-third of the sky down and away from the constellation to spot meteors streaking across the sky. “That makes them easier to pick out,” he says. http://www.freep.com/article/20130803/FEATURES01/308030036/Perseid-meteor-shower

August 9 - 11: Upcoming intra-Michigan Longest Yard Sale

further information at this blog: www.usheritagetrail.org/garagesale.asp If you love to shop and love searching for hidden treasures and finding great bargains, this is sale and trip for you! You will find everything from antiques, collectables, furniture, dishware, fresh garden produce, homemade jams and jellies, live entertainment, and much more. Perhaps even more interesting than the "junk" are the people you will meet along the drive. The sales can be found along the highway at homes, farms, businesses, parking lots, and fields. Some areas will have large numbers of vendors while others may be scattered and in some instances a traveler will have to go several miles or more without seeing a yard sale because of the rural nature of the highway. August 8 - 11, 2013

Lunar Communion Sunday (July Sunday nearest July 20 annually)

from Church Website [ Webster Presbyterian Church, 201 W. NASA Parkway, Webster, TX U.S.A. ]: Webster Presbyterian Church was nationally known as the Church of the Astronauts while John Glenn, Buzz Aldrin, Jerry Carr, Charlie Bassett, and Roger Chaffee were active members during their service with NASA. On July 20, 1969, when the first Apollo mission landed on the moon, ruling elder Buzz Aldrin, as an act of thanksgiving, celebrated Holy Communion as an extension of the WPC congregation with the chalice and elements given to him by the church before he left Earth. WPC members were unique participants during the historic service as they gathered for communion in the same hour. Lunar Communion Sunday continues to be celebrated annually at Webster Presbyterian Church on the Sunday nearest the anniversary of the first moon landing. - - - - - - - - - - more information about the Astronaut Connection of this local church at ___________ http://www.websterpresby.org/history.asp

August 1974: 39 years ago

The 37th President of the U.S.: from WHITE HOUSE dot-gov biographical summation Faced with what seemed almost certain impeachment, Nixon announced on August 8, 1974, that he would resign the next day to begin "that process of healing which is so desperately needed in America." http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/richardnixon