My sister has Chronic Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis. Her lungs are so damaged from having birds in her home that getting rid of them might make her feel better, but she won't get better. FUCK!!!

The video from the meteor hit in Russia is NUTS! Prayers going out to those injured - and those who are totally bugging from the blast. Its NUTS I tells ya! Lets hope the "fly-by" does just that! How did they not see that one coming and warn people?

NASA to Chronicle Close Earth Flyby of Asteroid

PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA Television will provide commentary starting at 2 p.m. EST (11 a.m. PST) on Friday, Feb. 15, during the close, but safe, flyby of a small near-Earth asteroid named 2012 DA14. NASA places a high priority on tracking asteroids and protecting our home planet from them. This flyby will provide a unique opportunity for researchers to study a near-Earth object up close.

The half-hour broadcast from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., will incorporate real-time animation to show the location of the asteroid in relation to Earth, along with live or near real-time views of the asteroid from observatories in Australia, weather permitting.

At the time of its closest approach to Earth at approximately 2:25 p.m. EST (11:25 a.m. PST/ 19:25 UTC), the asteroid will be about 17,150 miles (27,600 kilometers) above Earth's surface.

The commentary will be available via NASA TV and streamed live online at:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

and

http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2

In addition to the commentary, near real-time imagery of the asteroid's flyby before and after closest approach, made available to NASA by astronomers in Australia and Europe, weather permitting, will be streamed beginning at about noon EST (9 a.m. PST) and continuing through the afternoon at the following website:

http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2

A Ustream feed of the flyby from a telescope at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., will be streamed for three hours starting at 9 p.m. EST (8 p.m. CST). To view the feed and ask researchers questions about the flyby via Twitter, visit:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-msfc

The NASA Near Earth Objects (NEO) Program at the agency's headquarters in Washington, manages and funds the search, study, and monitoring of NEOs, or asteroids and comets, whose orbits periodically bring them close to the Earth. NASA's study of NEOs provides important clues to understanding the origin of our solar system. The objects also are a repository of natural resources and could become waystations for future exploration. In collaboration with other external organizations, one of the program's key goals is to search and hopefully mitigate potential NEO impacts on Earth. JPL conducts the NEO program's technical and scientific activities.

For more information, including graphics and animations showing the flyby of 2012 DA14, visit:

www.nasa.gov/asteroidflyby

For more information about asteroids and near-Earth objects, visit:

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch

Wondering how many of us would have spent this day had the asteroid been meant to hit us. In panic & chaos? Or Calmly accepting & holding our loved ones close? Just a random thought I had.

Hi joe my depest condolence to your mom.....wish n pray take care:-)

P. Lily, I thought the same thing. I still can't believe it actually happened!

Skippy, Thanks! She has had a "bird room" for probably almost 20 years. It's not just having birds - it's having to many birds. For years people took advantage of her kind nature toward animals, and every time they would see an injured bird, etc, they would take it to my sister's house. She would rehabilitate them, and there they would stay, so not only did she have her big birds like cockatoo's and African grays, but also starlings, sparrows, and who knows what else. To many! She just called me to say she talked to her lung specialist, who unlike the prognosis she got from the surgeon, believes she will get better, and her lungs will heal once she gets rid of the birds and everything they leave behind. Her lungs have a lot of scarring and disease and will never be "good", but he says she will improve over time with help from steroids and cleaner air. She's had so many people praying for her. First thing I said when she told me the good news was "thank you Jesus!". The last news had me gutted. This is such a relief. Going to see her on Sunday - her 54th birthday.

No new Joe, but here's a bita La Grange for ya!

Apologies for the personal stuff on the board, but...ya know. *shrugs*

Iceman, she's a beauty! Like I said, cats are good people. I bet it would do your heart good to go to the local shelter and rescue a little kitty...maybe a Mr Bean? I know she's not replaceable, but nothing warms your heart and fills it with love like a precious kitten does. Hugs to ya!

Damn...now i want another one!

ICEMAN II- Your ms. Bean was gorgeous, such pretty eyes. Thank you for sharing your pictures.

Michelle- So glad you got good news about your sis. I hope those birds are re-homed ASAP.

My take on the personal stuff. I like to think we have a community that can be here for each other as need be..... life's to tough to do on your own. .Encouragement I have received here has bolstered me in the toughest of times & I hope I can do the same for others.

Iceman - she was a beauty indeed.

Chelle - well that's good news. If she rehab her lungs that will be great and no doubt her overall health will improve too.

Peace - I agree. Sometimes it's just to put something out there to the universe you know? I don't expect anyone to pay attention to anything I might post, it somehow just feels good to "tell" someone/everyone when sh*t happens.

Any Joe Bonamassa fans here? Check out a new live acoustic tune.

Joe...I recently posted a video on you tube and had some of your music in the background, and since I am 55 and dont know what the heck I am doing, I hope this is allright with you. The track was "into the light". Been a fan for years and always loved your music. Even got to see you live once at a Blues fest here in Fargo ND. Still dont know how they pulled that off but I wish they could do it again. Please let me know if I need to pull that youtube upload.

Cyber John, DW just released an acoustic, and now JB has one coming out. I love acoustic! The downloadable track is a bit country (fiddly), but I'm anxious to hear the rest of it. Have you heard Dave Weiner's latest? It's a slice of heaven!

Sis update - she got the drainage tube out tonight and she might be released tomorrow. A bunch of us went to see her for her birthday today. Cake and presents and a few hours of laughs. Just praying that her lung behaves when she gets home. She must say goodbye to all of her birds, so this next week will be harder for her than this past week (believe it or not).

Think my family has busted up... my dad who is 89 has told them what he wants when he goes, and all hell has broken... wont explain on here.. way too personal, and it hurts cause I have been looking after him since my mum died six years ago... and now all for nothing...... .. so fraking nuts ... life is just bloody crazy... I havent seen him since the weekend since all this started... treasure your time with your family , I thought mine was going strong... who the ***** knows....

Jason, fractures heal over time. Be proud of everything you've done for your dad since your mom passed. As we usually learn the hard way, we can only control ourselves, and others will do what they will. Sorry you're going through it.

Some days are just more of a struggle

Dear Joe, It feels great to be communicating with you. I hope that you get this message. My name is Kailash Prasad Upadhyaya. I am a great fan of yours ,and I never get bored of listening to your great creations. I feel that they aren't strange to me anymore since I listen to them a lot and have played some of them in schools concert. Actually, my nine months old son sleeps while I dance holding him in my arms while your music is playing. I just cant believe that he has become addicted to your songs from such an early age. But anyway, I have been trying to contact you hoping that you will donate some of your used up gadgets to my fathers school. He runs a mediocre school in Kathmandu valley of Nepal. Its name is Scholars' Home Academy. The boys there get really interested while I play songs like starry night, train of angles, and love thing. Actually, I had been to the UK once and got the opportunity to buy some of the gadgets like cry baby, distortion, compression sustainer,and a zoom regardless of the dreadful situations I have faced there. I have a mediocre electric guitar that I bought in the UK too. But anyway, I believe that this is a wonderful opportunity to leave your mark on one of the underdeveloped countries of the world and to bring happiness on some of the students living there. It can also be of some importance if you possibly think of giving a concert in Nepal like MLTR and Bryan Adams have done in the recent years. It would be a great honor to have someone whom you really admire step in your own country. So, if you are up for it, please let me know about it. Right now, I am uncertain that you would even get a chance to read this message, but I really hope that you would. Please send me an email on kailash2p@gmail.com to let me know about your opinion. I have spent every moment of my adult life listening to your songs. I have never given up on you. In times when I was alone, lonley, and tired to move on, your songs have given me the will to hang on. I have actually created vocal on your lead guitar which I did while walking back to my room 2 'o' clock at night from a fucking sick restaurant shift. So, I believe that you would actually read this message and reply to me. With love. Kailash Prasad Upadhyaya