Global Warming On Mars

Mars Melt Hints at Solar, Not Human, Cause for Warming, Scientist Says

Climate change hits Mars

Mars is being hit by rapid climate change and it is happening so fast that the red planet could lose its southern ice cap, writes Jonathan Leake.

Scientists from Nasa say that Mars has warmed by about 0.5C since the 1970s. This is similar to the warming experienced on Earth over approximately the same period.

Since there is no known life on Mars it suggests rapid changes in planetary climates could be natural phenomena.

The mechanism at work on Mars appears, however, to be different from that on Earth. One of the researchers, Lori Fenton, believes variations in radiation and temperature across the surface of the Red Planet are generating strong winds.

In a paper published in the journal Nature, she suggests that such winds can stir up giant dust storms, trapping heat and raising the planet’s temperature.

Fenton’s team unearthed heat maps of the Martian surface from Nasa’s Viking mission in the 1970s and compared them with maps gathered more than two decades later by Mars Global

Surveyor. They found there had been widespread changes, with some areas becoming darker.

When a surface darkens it absorbs more heat, eventually radiating that heat back to warm the thin Martian atmosphere: lighter surfaces have the opposite effect. The temperature differences between the two are thought to be stirring up more winds, and dust, creating a cycle that is warming the planet.

from The Sunday Times 29 April 2007

And Tibor R. Machan writes in The Orange Grove, "Well, I don't know about you, but it is my very strong impression that Mars is not teeming with gasoline-powered traffic just now. Exactly what the folks up there are using for fuel I do not know but I have heard on good authority that none of what they use is causing the warming of the planet. Indeed, I have heard rumors that there is no one up there using any fuel combustion for anything, not a soul. The warming seems to be happening quite without the influence of Martians, let alone Earthlings."

"Bloomberg News reports, "At a time when people are concerned about warming of the Earth, the Mars report shows one way that planets can grow hotter."

John Johnson Jr. of Times writes,"It turns out you don't need belching smokestacks and city-choking traffic to heat up a planet. Changes in surface reflectivity may also do the trick, according to research published Thursday in the journal Nature.

The research team, composed of scientists from NASA's Ames Research Center in Northern California and the U.S. Geological Survey, compared images of Mars taken by the Viking missions in the 1970s to pictures taken a quarter century later by Mars Global Surveyor."

I say who does man think he is? Is man so vain that he thinks he controls the Universe? God controls it all. Man's ego has gotten vastly out of control. Human vanity is what pushes the advancement of "Global Warming Fear Induction" and it's laudable. We are not even specks in this universe yet so many think we have such control. Baffling!

Tool Definitions

I would like to consider myself a handyman and a woodworker but, sadly I am not. Some of my family (or perhaps all) accuse me of being a tool 'collector' not a tool 'user' and perhaps they are right. At any rate, a frined sent me an email on tool definitions and it very, much hit home with me. So, what does that say?

DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room , splattering it against that freshly stained heirloom piece you were drying.

WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned guitar calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, "Yeou sh**...."

ELECTRIC HAND DRILL: Normally used for spinning pop rivets in their holes until you die of old age.

SKIL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.

PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters. The most often the tool used by all women.

BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touchup jobs into major refinishing jobs.

HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

WELDING GLOVES: Heavy duty leather gloves used to prolong the conduction of intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub you want the bearing race out of.

WHITWORTH SOCKETS: Once used for working on older British cars and motorcycles, they are now used mainly for impersonating that 9/16 or ?? socket you've been searching for the last 45 minutes.

TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.

EIGHT-FOOT LONG YELLOW PINE 2X4: Used for levering an automobile upward off of a trapped hydraulic jack handle.

TWEEZERS: A tool for removing wood splinters and wire wheel wires.

E-Z OUT BOLT AND STUD EXTRACTOR: A tool ten times harder than any known drill bit that snaps neatly off in bolt holes thereby ending any possible future use.

RADIAL ARM SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to scare neophytes into choosing another line of work.

TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.

CRAFTSMAN 1/2 x 24-INCH SCREWDRIVER: A very large pry bar that inexplicably has an accurately machined screwdriver tip on the end opposite the handle.

AVIATION METAL SNIPS: See hacksaw.

TROUBLE LIGHT: The home mechanic's own tanning booth. Sometimes called a drop light, it is a good source of vitamin D, "the sunshine vitamin," which is not otherwise found under cars at night. Health benefits aside, its main purpose is to consume 40-watt light bulbs at about the same rate that 105mm howitzer shells might be used during, say, the first few hours of the Battle of the Bulge. More often dark than light, its name is somewhat misleading.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids and for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads. Women excel at using this tool.

STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws.

AIR COMPRESSOR: A machine that takes energy produced in a coal-burning power plant 200 miles away and transforms it into compressed air that travels by hose to a Chicago Pneumatic impact wrench that grips rusty bolts which were last over tightened 30 years ago by someone at Ford, and instantly rounds off their heads. Also used to quickly snap off lug nuts.

PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.

HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short.

HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. Women primarily use it to make gaping holes in walls when hanging pictures.

MECHANIC'S KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts.
Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.

DAMMIT TOOL: Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling "DAMMIT" at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.

emailed to me by a friend

Carlin's Solution To Gasoline Shortage

George Carlin's Solution to Save Gasoline:


Bush wants us to cut the amount of gas we use. The best way to stop using so much gas is to deport 11 million illegal immigrants! That would be 11 million less people using our gas. The price of gas would come down. Bring our troops home from Iraq to guard the border. When they catch an illegal immigrant crossing the border, hand him a canteen, rifle and some ammo and ship him to Iraq . Tell him if he wants to come to America then he must serve a tour in the military. Give him a soldier's pay while he's there and tax him on it. After his tour, he will be allowed to become a citizen since he defended this country. He will also be registered to be taxed and be a legal patriot. This option will probably deter illegal immigration and provide a solution for the troops in Iraq and the aliens trying to make a better life for themselves. If they refuse to serve, ship them to Iraq anyway, without the canteen, rifle or ammo. Problem solved.

emailed to me by a friend

Sad, Sad Day

It was a very, sad day for me yesterday. We lost a very, special and trusted member of the family. She was a beauty. She never let us down. She never turned on us. She was always there when we needed her. I always cared very, much for her and life without her will truly be excruciatingly difficult. Life can be so crazy and understanding it's complexity can be mind boggling. Her demise was slow and difficult to watch! Things one day appear normal and then suddenly something changes.


Alas, she started giving me problems recently. For a while now she hasn't been acting as she should. She wasn't acting like her old self (or perhaps she was) and behaved very, erratically. She was becoming bizarre, actually. I almost felt like she intentionally turned on me and the rest of the family. Yes, family and friends have, also, enjoyed her over the years. Eventually, after a period of much abnormal behavior she finally died on me. Perhaps it's true that good things never last! At any rate, the end was inevitable and after she exhaled her final breath we had to bury her. The cycle of life, I guess.




I had to bury her (at the landfill) with a great tear in my eye. Yup, it was my trusty DeWalt garage fridge. Now, about a replacement . . .

Another Famous Idiot

Sheryl Crow is coming up with some ingenious ways to curb the impending global warming crisis. Sheryl is currently on a 2 week "global warming college tour", which to me is designed for scaring the shit out of young people. Which fits right in with one of her major global warming cures. Ingeniously, she proposes we all use one square of toilet paper per visit! Wow, Sheryl, problem solved!


Here is a direct insert from her waste of a web space-

"I have spent the better part of this tour trying to come up with easy ways for us all to become a part of the solution to global warming. Although my ideas are in the earliest stages of development, they are, in my mind, worth investigating. One of my favorites is in the area of conserving trees which we heavily rely on for oxygen. I propose a limitation be put on how many sqares {sic} of toilet paper can be used in any one sitting. Now, I don't want to rob any law-abiding American of his or her God-given rights, but I think we are an industrious enough people that we can make it work with only one square per restroom visit, except, of course, on those pesky occasions where 2 to 3 could be required. "

I hope no one has too many of those special "pesky" occasions. Good plan Sheryl. Scare the shit out of the college students and then give them one little square to clean up your smelly, induced mess! Thanks for your caring.

Her brother ( whose judgement she trusts completely) took it one step further by saying: "how bout just washing the one square out." Now there's an idea. I hope he's only five or has some mental disorder for an excuse. Not to be outdone by brother-dearest Sheryl has designed a clothing line with detachable "dining" sleeves, to save on paper napkins! All the 'Hollywood' idiots should be wearing these at their next red carpet affair! Keep an eye out.

Believe it or not she's a little worried you might steal some of her great ideas! She boldly states in her blog, "This next idea I have been saving but I will share it with you if you promise not to steal it". Let's be fair here and develop our own idiotic ideas, people.

Remember, also, that she may be using a diesel bus for this particular tour but, her normal tour equipment consists of 3 tractor trailers, 4 buses and 6 cars! Hypocrite? You decide.

Mimobots

"mimobots are silicon-based inhabitants from the planet blõôh in galaxy 4210 and are as old as time itself. Each one experienced a ‘flash event’ (different depending on the individual ‘bot) that wiped its memory and left it confused and ill. Fortunately, the ‘maddest genius’ of blõôh, Knowledgeus, devised a way to restore the poor ill mimobots’ memories: by sending clones of the stricken ‘bots to Earth, where the kindly humans would share their data with the clones. This data, while being protected for the humans—this is a symbiotic relationship, after all—would also be sent back to RALF computer on blõôh and used to restore the memories of the original mimobot and nurse it back to health."


Mimobots are a line of Universal Serial Bus (USB) Flash Drives. With their cute toy like structures, animal designs, and bright colors, Mimobots bring life to the everyday USB stick. They are all hi-speed USB2.0, Mac and Windows compatible, and range from 256 MB to 4 GB. These little guys are also preloaded with extra goodies such as games, music, and animated content. These tiny technology toys cost from $44.95 to $169.95.


These babies were first created in 2005. Having just discovered these gadgets tonight, I realize how behind the times I must be. These USB flash drives not only hold data, but are designed by talented illustrators from around the globe. They have really taken off in the right crowds and have very, much become collectibles. They are produced in limited numbers with new ones constantly being introduced. The latest creations are a Star Wars Series and they even have a series which comes blank. I guess the consumer supplies his own talent and artwork.

Mimobots bring the old Fez candy/toy creations (I think they were called Fez) to my mind and I guess these, too, are sought out by collectors. The Fez candies never had a storyline, though, nor did they serve such a noble purpose. I believe these drives will have a market and following for many years to come. Although, I have never personally seen a Mimobot there must be a hoard of geeks floating around somewhere sporting these flashy flashes.

Good Advice Here

If you see this guy, maybe you should get a head start!

Add A Caption 19

This pic needs a caption. Who has one?

Pocket Surprise

Have you ever been surprised when putting on your jacket or pants, that perhaps you haven't worn in a while, by finding money in the pocket? Maybe a twenty or maybe a couple of ones. It happens to me once in a while and it's always a welcome event. It's a good way to start your day and I wish it would happen more often. A Florida boy seems to have gotten a similar surprise, today.

Boy, 7, Finds Crack Cocaine in Pocket
Thursday, April 19th, 2007 at 2:46am TAMPA, Fla.

A first-grader searching his jacket pocket for money found a bag of crack cocaine worth $8,900, authorities said Wednesday.

The 7-year-old boy found the bag Tuesday at Forest Hills Elementary School. It contained 89 grams of crack, said Tampa police spokeswoman Lisa Parashis.

The boy had been reaching in his jacket when he felt the bag, "got scared and told his teacher," Parashis said.

Authorities were interviewing the boy and his relatives.

Thankfully I've never had to go through an interview prosscess when I find my 'surprise'!

Here is an email I received lately. This email made me think hard about everyday life See what you get out of it.

I met this man.. who at 26 have accomplished more than most 40-year olds have. He can be simply described in two words. Workaholic Geek. And that's a big compliment.

He came from a simple family, studied in the province and earned his degree and his first work there. Let's just say he had a big break at an early age, and grabbed all opportunities to learn and earn. He worked in different countries, enhancing his craft. Presently, he handles several independent projects and is employed under 3 different companies. At one of his jobs, he arrives hours before his shift and leaves at even more hours after.

Not personally knowing him tho, he's often seen untalkative but he can easily be seen smiling at anyone, firm but soft spoken, and when it comes to his duties, he's really dedicated and highly analytical.

He may have all the success anyone couldn't even imagine of attaining.. but I'm afraid he has left something important behind . . .

Life

Bagvertising

Here are some truly clever shopping bags.

I guess we can find advertising anywhere we look today.



These handles form necklaces.


This one's for "reaching out to children with autism".



Plan on doing some heavy shopping?



Be careful when shopping with this one!



Remember -
these bags must be worn properly.



This one's for a nail biting deterrent product.



Another for nail biters.



One for jumping rope


True, these aren't designer bags
but, I thought I'd show some bags
which must be made to embarrass you!


Or to -
REALLY embarrass you!



Back to designer bags here's
my personal favorite -
What happens when you lift these handles?



And after fighting the shopping crowds -
there's even one for a pain reliever product!

My son-in-law and I started installing the new laminate floor in the northeast room of my basement. I finished the little bit that was left on Sunday. This was the easiest home improvement material I ever worked with. If anyone has any doubts about their ability to install this stuff, do not worry. Anyone can do this.

Things left do do in this room -

1. trim out the windows
2. install ceiling in closets
3. install closet rods & shelving
4. install closet doors
5. install baseboard
6. paint all trim
7. extend heat ducts
8. install window handles
9. and finally hang entrance door w/lock set.
   

Kevin's Wedding Dance

Yesterday we went to my cousin's wedding. It was a great time in spite of his voluntary suicide! I was puzzled by one thing though. Who convinced the man in this photo that he was only there to hold up the ceiling?

Add A Caption 18

Anyone have a good caption for this pic?


a repeat winner -
Anderson Nation said...

What's this?!? I hear no snap, I hear no crackle, and there darn sure ain't no pop!

My NEW Wider Lens

I received my new lens this afternoon. This lens will give me the much needed lower focal lengths, I have been looking for. I have had nothing at the shorter length since I replaced my non-digital equipment. This was especially important because my camera today has an ASP-C sensor. Sure, it might not be the 'best' lens but, it will get me in the lower end today and perhaps I can find something faster in the future. In the future I will even go wider and I can worry about speed and other factors then. In the mean time this fills a gap and I will put it to good use.

Konica Minolta AF DT Zoom 18-70mm lens : As the new standard for digital SLR cameras, DT lenses are ideally suited to digital SLR cameras such as the Konica Minolta Dynax 7D and Dynax 5D that are equipped with APS-C sized (23.5x15.7mm) CCD’s. The Konica Minolta AF DT Zoom 18-70mm lens will be available in September 2005. The Konica Minolta Dynax 5D uses an optical system ideally suited to a APS-C sized (23.5 x 15.7 mm) CCD, in addition to spherical lenses to reduce spherical aberrations, AD (anomalous dispersion) glass, and a special lens coating that reduces flare that can occur in digital SLR cameras. Effective Anti-Shake compensation equivalent to a shutter speed 2 - 3 stops slower with Dynax digital SLR camera.
Konica Minolta - ADI flash metering
Using information obtained from the lens’ built-in distance encoder, Advanced Distance Integration (ADI) flash metering calculates the optimum exposure settings and flash brightness needed to obtain a beautiful image when using either the internal flash or external flash units such as the Konica Minolta Program Flash 5600HS(D) or 3600HS(D), and 2500(D). A round aperture makes it possible to enhance a defocused image with smooth grada- tions and depict a scene naturally, for example, sunshine filtering through foliage or grass glistening with morning dew.

Konica Minolta AF DT Zoom 18-70mm specifications
- Focal length: 18-70mm
- Angle of view: 76° (18mm) - 23° (70mm)
- Aperture: Maximum: f/3.5(18mm) - 5.6 (70mm) Minimum: f/22(18mm)-36(70mm)
- Blades: 7-blade circular
- Optics: Construction: 11 elements in 9 groups
- Includes one AD (anomalous dispersion) glass elements and one Aspheric element.
- Focusing: AF motor: Camera body (coupler)
- Method: Front focusing
- Minimum focus distance: 0.38m
- Maximum magnification: 1/4
- Filter diameter: 55mm
- Lens hood: Petal-type hood with bayonet mount
- Dimensions: 66 (dia.) x 77 (length) mm
- Weight: 240g
- Lens mount: Minolta A mount
- Standard accessories: Front cap, Rear cap, Lens hood
- Optional accessory: Soft case.

Global Warming Settling In

Yesterday my lawn was finally devoid of all snow and moisture. Today I wake up to this! I must live in Minnesota. Is global warming rearing it's ugly head?

Music Trivia 9

From what song does the following verse come from and from what album?

It's amazing how fast our lives go by,
like the flash of the lightning or the blink of an eye.
We all fall in love, and we fall into life,
we look for the truth on the edge of a knife.
Heavens turn around the river still flows,
spirit keeps going, nobody knows.