New Lyme documentary showing this Saturday!

A special screening of the new documentary "Under Our Skin: The Untold Story Of Lyme Disease" will show Saturday, July 26th at the Alamo Drafthouse downtown. The CDC reports approximately 20,000 new cases of Lyme disease a year. Factoring in underreported cases, the CDC says the actual number could be 3 - 10 times higher. You can purchase tickets online. For those not in central Texas, here is a link to other cities where the movie is being shown. A blurb about the film:

" Bigger than AIDS, West Nile Virus and Avian Flu combined, yet most physicians don't recognize it or are afraid to report it. Insurance companies pay experts to say it's all in your head. And the mainstream medical establishment won't want you to see this film.

One of the most misunderstood and controversial illnesses in the history of medicine, Lyme disease is among the fastest growing infectious diseases in the United States. Yet each year tens of thousands go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with such conditions as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and even autism, MS and Alzheimer's. This groundbreaking documentary investigates the human, medical and political dimensions of Lyme disease, an emerging epidemic destroying countless numbers of lives. Following the stories of patients and physicians as they battle for their lives and livelihoods, the film brings into focus a haunting picture and its inability to cope with a growing terror under our skin."

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Space Stuff for July (Geek Alert!)

Some interesting astronomy events happening this month... and that's astronomy, NOT astrology, for all you crystal ball folks...

Tomorrow, July 9th, Jupiter will be at its closest to Earth for 2008, which means it's at its biggest and brightest. Just look southeast after sunset and you can't miss it. (Well, I know some who can, but... they aren't reading this anyway.) For those with telescopes, you may be able to see some of Jupiter's moons and the Great Red Spot.

Which brings me to the next interesting event: About one week ago, the Great Red Spot collided with the Little Red Spot (LRS). Most astronomers thought the LRS was destroyed (great photos here). However, scientists now think the LRS may have survived the collision and is re-forming. Considering that the "Little" Red Spot is actually about the size of Mars, it figures that it would be a tough contender.

Also, a solar wind stream flowing from a coronal hole in the sun should reach Earth around July 13th. Solar wind streams tend to trigger geomagnetic storms, which means an increased chance of amazing Aurora displays even in more southern regions of the U.S.A. Or, for those who are "EMF sensitive", it means a flare of weird symptoms!!