Fans, have you been feeling a little willy-nilly as of late? Has life been a bit haphazard/impetutuous/utterly BLAH/confusing? Lost your sense of drive, even? Do you find yourself late at night, unsleepable, gnawing on your cellular?

Delayed teen angst? Naw, Dog. It’s Mars, say the Science people. Apparently, last night, Mars,

a Giant Planet situation far – far – far away –

was closest to earth as it as has been in hundreds of years. Now, if you remember from the acronym Zack Morris

implemented on HIS exam – or was it screech – eh – MVENNSNUP – or something – or other – Mars closest to earth. Eh? Right? Eh.

So – At precisely 12:30 last night, Mars came within 34,649,589 miles of earth – making it as bright as the moon, even. This will not happen again until the year 2287.

This info I heard from the lovely ms. Annie MacRae, friend and Lit Manager of Manhattan Theater Club – who had heard said tale from her father, set her alarm, and hit the street to view the red devil at its best.

I of course had to run home and google this sky situation. I am, at the moment, working on a show in which a character happens to know lots about the stars and planets. While writing this play, I have enjoyed the googling and the lack of understanding of celestial business very much – I got a D in Astronomy. An A in the Lab, mind you, but a bigbutted D in the actual class. My mind, regretfully, just does not work that way. (Numbers; space things.) Do I wish that it did? Well, yes.

Point being: I googled the Mars thing. Apparently, there is dissent as to whether the circulating rumors about Mar’s personal business last night is actually true. Did it indeed come close? To say hi, even? To say – I am here – I am close to you – I am red – I am hot – Hi. Some argue that it was a rumor circulated via email; that actually earth-closeness occurred in 2006.

Either way, folks, here is my thought: I really like this about people. I very much dig how we attempt to understand the planets. How we get excited by sky-things, be them true or not.  I remember Eclipses and first understanding them. I like this about being alive.