NASA's mission to the Sun

NASA plans to launch a mission to the sun at the earliest in 2015. The project has sparked a great deal of interest at NASA as the sun's atmosphere is one of the most foreign and unknown to humankind. As program scientist Lika Guhathakurta of NASA Headquarters states, "This is an unexplored region of the solar system and the possibilities for discovery are off the charts." The probe, even at the closest point will only come within 7 million km of the sun where it will have to contend with heat and radiation levels never experienced by any spacecraft. The heat shield on the probe (which is solar-powered thank god, if it wasn't someone should be killed, it is afterall the sun) will have to tolerate temperatures above 1400 degrees celsius, and at the distance mentioned, the sun will appear 23 times wider than it does here on Earth. The depth of the sun's atmosphere of which the solar probe is to penetrate will supposedly answer two very prominent questions in astrophysics, so the project has good reason for such high-interest. Personally, I envision a slight miscalculation, sending the probe a few km too far into the sun's atmosphere where it will melt or explode (hopefully explode, since explosions are just better). Although, I hope this doesn't occur as this would render various people's hardwork for the better half of a decade useless.

We're going to tax ya... for da bearz kthx <3

Look at that polar bear! His home melted around him while he was sleeping because you drive your car too much, fly on planes too much, and buy from those nasty factories too much. Shame on you.

At least, that's what the politically-driven scientists and politicians want you to think. They want you to look at pictures like this and get all worked up, but why? So they can tax the hell out of us and get away with it. Some people are even asking them to tax us!

Take, for example, recent attempts at regulating air-traffic. Last year, the Chief of Treasury in the U.K. increased taxes on air travel in order to help fight global climate change. When asked what the money would be spent on, Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair, couldn't get an answer. It would seem the new tax is just another reason for government to reach inside people's pockets, a practice that's become a little more than habitual. After all, air-traffic adds up to only 2% of carbon dioxide emissions globally.

It's obvious that the politicians aren't really after saving our friend Mr. Polar Bear up there, but are instead after your pocket book. Consider good ol' Al Gore, the high priest of global warming hype, and his own energy consumption. Last year, his house used a shocking 213,210 kilowatt-hours of electricity, which, according to the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, is enough to power 232 average American households for a month. In fact, his personal energy consumption has INCREASED since the release of "The Inconvenient Truth." Whoopsie.

Soure material: Here and Here

Mar's Alien Life!

If you are unfortunate enough to not have seen this photo yet, well... here it is (taken from innocenenglish.com but originally from NASA). This is a photo taken by  the Mars Rover Spirit that was recovered awhile back. It sparked all kinds of theories and made Star Wars' fanboys go nuts. People basically went, as I like to say, ape shit. It looks a great deal like the blurred form of a Sandman from Episode 1 (I think that's what they're called, whatever those things are that wield snipers and have those gasmask... thingies, they're probably in other episodes as well). Just like all my disheartening posts of late, here's some bad news, it is not a life form. It is rather an oddly-shaped rock, that has eroded in a very unique way from the extreme wind on Mars. Quite a coincidence on the whole eroding shape though, huh? If you take a look at the original photograph (this is a part of the original though cut down) you can see the size measurement doesn't add up. I couldn't find the original image, but I'm sure if someone was interested enough they could. This rock in reality, is tiny compared to the Mars Rover Spirit. If only the Science-Fiction community could get a break =/.

Second Black Hole Misconception

Now on to the second misconception that black holes contain worm holes to outer reaches of space. Worm holes, unfortunately, are purely theory. A far-fetched theory at that. While it would be undoubtedly cool to enter a black hole and be transported to other parts of the universe, thus allowing us to even travel to other galaxies and solar systems (as this is recognized as an infeasible notion, even if we were allowed to travel around the speed of light which is seemingly impossible, the closest galaxy to ours is Andromeda, which is some 2 or 3 million light years away (note that one light year is about 5,878,625,373,183.61 regular miles), and at this speed would take us from earth approximately 2 million years), they simply don't exist to our knowledge. I recently watched Event Horizon, which plays somewhat with this idea. The core of a ship creates an imitation black hole to use for accelerated speed, although they don't know exactly "where" it travels to. It turns out that it has ripped open a whole in our dimension and has entered hell. This entire movie was based off an idea some crazy astronomer thought up, and has yet to be proved in any manner. Good one.

Black Hole Misconceptions

There are many older movies based upon black hole misconceptions and beliefs. Just recently I was browsing the internet and came across a great deal of information upon them and thought it interesting! Two of the largest misconceptions are that black holes are cosmic vacumm forces of death and that they contain worm holes to outer reaches of space. This, while very entertaining, is sadly untrue. Black holes are simply stars that have undergone a supernova (death of a star) and essentially, implode. While it does consume all light the star previous had (hence the title black hole), and does have "sucking power" it is not a sucking deathmachine. It does have a gravitational pull, just as any star or planet or moon, and to be pulled into this you would have to cross what is called the Schwarzschild Radius. To escape such you would have to be moving at the speed of light. Thus, if anyone has told you that if the sun was replaced with a black hole, or that if the sun turned into a black hole it would consume all the planets or perhaps even earth in its sovereign sucking-power, call them foolish. Earth's orbit would be unaffected by such. The Schwarzschild Radius, if this event did happen, would be approximately 3km. So the Earth would have to be very, very close to this newly-created black hole to be caught by it.

Nubians are an Awesome Kind of Caprine

Well the whole garden thing...my mom kinda took over, and claimed to sell most of the produce for the farmer's markets. So I had to cross-out that plan. Oh well I still have plenty of things to talk about in my blog entries. Like, my goats for example. The breed that I raise is called "Nubian" [noo-bee-an] for those with a sound it out kinda mind (hey just like mine!). I have been raising this breed since I was 12 years old. I purchased my first goat, Baliegh Sue when she was about 10 minutes old, along with her brother Barnabee. I bred "Sue" when she was 1 1/2 years old and 5 months later, she kidded triplets! Unfortunately they were all boys, but I still named them: Baysel, Bernaughrd, and Beau (yes I do spell their names weird). After I sold the triplets, and Barnabee, I purchased 2 more Nubians which I named, Natty-Gann and Nadiene. When those two were at the age to breed, I bred them, and they kidded (terminology for "giving birth) 5 kids (Natty-Gann had triplets, and Nadiene had twins) all of those were named: Normah Jean, Natalia, Nate, Noahle, and Nellie. Then just last year, when the girls out of that batch were old enough to breed, they kidded along with Nadiene and Baliegh Sue: Bella Sue, Nelson, Namelia, Nessie, Nella, and Nash (short for Nashton).

As you can tell I love my goats...alot! Nubians are awesome. They produce about 1 to 2 gallons of milk per milking, and personable and sweet/loving, and also yield the highest butter fat content as well. There are 7 breeds of dairy goats including: the Oberhasli, Alpine, Toggenburg, Sannen, Lamancha, and the Nigerian Dwarf, and of course the Nubian! Goat milk id lactose free, so it's easier to digest than cow's milk. All I have to say is Goats Rock!

The New In Flames

In Flames released their most recent album A Sense of Purpose on April 1st of 2008. Interesting enough that it was released on April fools day, this was not April fools joke. This album set records for the band. It hit 28th on the United States charts, 1st in Sweden, 7th in Canada, amongst many others. Overall the album is balanced very well with some heavy songs like The Mirror's Truth, Condemned, Disconnected and Sober and Irrelevant. They have less heavy songs such as Delight and Angers, Alias, Sleepless again. The cd is rock solid and I would say that it is their second best album right behind Come Clarity. In Flames sounds great in this album, and I can't wait for future albums to come.

Shark Attack tips

We've all thought about it. When we're at the ocean and in the water the thought of being attacked has always came to mind. The fact is that your more like to be killed by a bee sting than by a shark attack. You're even more likely to be struck by lightning when playing golf! The main cause of shark attacks are not because of the sharks...its because we act like prey when we are in the water. Humans are not made for the ocean: we cant see underwater without help, we cant breathe, and our swimming ability is poor compared to all the creatures of the deep. The plain and simple fact is If you act like prey, you're going to be prey. Here are some tips from national geographic to help reduce your risk of shark attack.

Stay away from the mouths of rivers after heavy rains, when freshwater fishes and other animals are swept out to sea.

• Swim clear of fishing boats. They often trail fish remains and blood, which can draw sharks.

• If you're bleeding, including menstruating, stay on the beach. Sharks can smell and taste even the smallest amount of blood from over a mile (1.6 kilometers) away and trace it back to its source.

• If you cut or injure yourself in the water, get out! Do not stay in the water with blood around you.

• Stay out of the water if fish blood or baitfish are present. In other words, steer clear of fishers.

• Avoid large groups of fish, seals, or sea lions. They all are prominent on the shark's menu.

• Stay away if you see large groups of dolphins and seabirds. They are attracted to the same food sharks eat. And don't make the mistake of thinking that if dolphins are present, there won't be any sharks around. Dolphins can be prey for large sharks.

• Stay away from dead animals in the water.

These last few seem logical as well...

Wearing shiny jewelry is discouraged because the reflected light resembles the sheen of fish scales.

Refrain from excess splashing and do not allow pets in the water because of their erratic movements.

Exercise caution when occupying the area between sandbars or near steep dropoffs - these are favorite hangouts for sharks.

Favara's "Soups"

We live in a world
Where we forget about Favara's "Soups"
Pen to paper, hand to forehead
Can I take it anymore?
Too many commas, too few students
Where do I go from here?

Chorus:
What can they learn from Favara's "Soups"?
To be what they can be?
Too many mistakes, I can't take it anymore!!

Persuasion, outlines and proposals
tools needed to succeed
All at their fingertips they choose not to use

Chorus:
What can they learn from Favara's "Soups"?
To be what they can be?
Too many mistakes, I can't take it anymore!!

Fragments and F.A.N.B.O.Y.S. in pursuit of perfection
i'm going insane because they ignore Favara's "Soups"
Should I follow the guidelines?
How much longer can I go?
Soup, is not in possession of the Day!!

Chorus:
What can they learn from Favara's "Soups"?
To be what they can be?
Too many mistakes, I can't take it anymore!!


There it is classmates. I tried my hardest to write this song as best as I could From Mrs. Favara's point of view. Enjoy, and i'll see all of you on Wednesday.

Deep Sea Creatures

Deep sea creatures are fish and other creatures that live down in the deepest part of the ocean. It is very cold down at the bottom and there is no sunlight only the light produced by the some of the creatures. Almost every deep sea creature has a cell in their body that makes a light. Frankly we know more about our solar system then we do about our own oceans. About 1-2% of the oceans have been fully researched, so who knows what could be out there.

Many species like the Giant Squid and Angker Fisher, have been found. But here are some other deep sea fish that are quite hideous and less known to many.

1. Gulper EelGulper eels have huge heads and tails to catch their prey. Gulper eels look like huge heads they have gaping wide jaws and an elastic stomach which allows them to swallow fish bigger than themselves.Gulper eels have little eyes and huge tails connected to them and they grow to be about 4 feet long. They live at about 10,000 feet beneath the sea.

more strange fish of the deep check out: http://www.who-sucks.com/animals/real-life-sea-monsters-24-bizarre-creatures-of-the-deep

This toad is ugly, but it is interesting because it is one of those frogs you can lick to hallucinate. I thought that was just a joke! I had heard people talk about it but I didn’t think it was real. This frog is carnivorous. It eats small rodents, small reptiles, and other toads. It lives mainly in desert areas, but can also live in water part time. They are nocturnal. They can grow to be up to 4-7 inches long. The frog’s defense is the venom it produces and is potent enough to kill a full grown dog. I guess you don’t really lick the frog, but you have to milk the frog and dry out its venom and then smoke it to get high, but wow the things people will do! The possession of this frog is illegal in some states and legal in others, but it is definitely illegal to have the venom in your possession and will land you with a charge of possession of a controlled substance. WOW!!!

I really like the looks of this frog, very colorful and pretty. They have the red eyes, bright green color and orange toes. These frogs are from the rain forest of Costa Rica. These frogs are nocturnal and that is why their eyes are red, because the color helps them to see better in the dark. People also believe their eyes are red so that if a predator wakes them during the day the bright color when their eyes open will startle the predator and give the red eyed tree frog time to escape.

I was going to do a blog today on one of the really colorful frogs, because I think they look really neat, but then I came across this frog and thought it was pretty cool, so I will do a blog later on some colorful frogs. This is a Gastric Brooding Frog. The picture to the left is a tiny frog coming out of the mommy frog’s mouth and that is a thumb behind the mommy frog’s head. It is sooooo tiny! The mommy frog actually keeps the baby frogs in her stomach until they grow legs and come hopping out, weird huh? This species of frog has baffled scientist, because they can’t figure out how the mommy frog turns off the production of hydrochloric acid while the baby frogs are growing in her actual stomach. This frog was found in Australia, but scientist think they are extinct, because they disappeared shortly after they were discovered. I think this is the strangest thing I have found on frogs so far.

Looking for a great family movie?

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian takes place centuries after Peter(William Moseley) , Susan(Anna Popplewell) , Edmund(Skandar Keynes), and Lucy‘s(Georgie Henley) first adventure to Narnia (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). The land that once belong to the Narnians is now ruled by the evil King Miraz. After King Miraz’s son was born, Miraz attempts to kill his nephew so his own son can have the thrown. Young Prince Caspian(Ben Barnes) escapes his uncles executioners and goes into hiding in the woods where he discovers the Narnians are just not a fairy tail. Prince Caspian, with the help from Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, Aslan, and the Narnians, plan to over throw King Miraz and claim back the land. It’s a great movie full of adventure and gets your imagination going with many fictional creatures. Good family movie although I don’t suggest it for very young children. I recommend seeing this movie.

The Grapes of Wrath

Brittney Hickman

The Grapes of Wrath is a classic novel published in 1939 and written by John Steinbeck. It is a story of greed, poverty, and a family that is torn apart. The Joad family lived in Oklahoma before they are forced from their homes/farmlands by the banks. During the great depression, the farmlands in that area became unprofitable due to years of over farming. The land had been sucked dry of all nutrients and nothing would grow. Farmers and families starve on their lands while the banks are pressured by the eastern companies to make money. In order to make the land profitable again, the banks flatten the farmer’s houses and give them handbills that advertise work picking grapes in California. But the desprate families were mislead, there was not enough work in California. Hundreds of thousands of people move there because they are kicked out of their homes. With no other choice the families desert their homes to move west, where the wages are low and the people are cruel.

This book is enjoyable because when reading the book you become part of the Joad family, wanting to learn more about the characters and wonder what is going to happen next. But while reading the story you learn much about America at that time. Even though the Joad family is fictional, the hardships endured actually happened to people who moved to California with the hope to pick grapes.

I recommend The Grapes of Wrath because it is fun to read and it makes you think about what it was like to be an “Okie” in California. Most starved, and anyone who demanded fair wages ended up as a “vagrant found dead” in the newspaper. Everywhere they turned they were underpaid, for work and items they sold, too little to feed a family. Many children died, it was impossible for parents to support them. Anyone who reads for entertainment would enjoy this fascinating tale.

Indiana Jones, a big disapointment!

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is set in the 1950s. Professor Jones is a teacher at Marshall College. When he looses his teaching job and tries to leave town. He is stopped by a young man named Mutt Williams. Mutt needed Indy’s help to get his mother back from the Soviets. But first they needed to find the Crystal Skull of Akator to keep it out of the hands of the Soviets who believe the skull can help the Soviets dominate the world if they can unlock its secrets. In the end, the soviet leader is destroyed and Indy discovers Mutt is his biological son. The movie was ok but a big disappointment. I expected more adventure and a storyline that was put together, not thrown together. I lost interest early on in the movie. The animation in this movie was to much and then to find out the skulls belong to aliens. Come on! Definitely not worth the money to go see. Save a few bucks and rent it comes out on DVD!!!

Giant Squid: Fact or Fiction?

For centuries many have wonder of what lurks in the depths of the ocean. One of the most famous creatures is the fabled giant squid. However in recent years we have come to discover that this fabled creature is more than that. The giant squid is real.

The shot above was taken from Tsunemi Kubodera from the National Science Museum of Japan. Back in 2004 he and several others had led an expedition to photograph this sea creature. This was aired on the Discovery Channel. They succeeded in retrieving a picture that was not as good as the one above, but were happy to finally have prove of its existence. The current picture is 2006 and there is now video taken from Tsunemi.

Here are some facts about giant squids: Giant squid are very widespread, occurring in all of the world's oceans. They are usually found near continental and island slopes from the North Atlantic Ocean. Recent studies show that giant squid feed on deep-sea fish and other squid species. They catch prey using the two tentacles, gripping it with serrated sucker rings on the ends. Then they bring it toward the powerful beak, and shred it with the radula (tongue with small, file-like teeth) before it reaches the esphogus . They are believed to be solitary hunters, as only individual giant squid have been caught in fishing nets. It is thought that they reach sexual maturity at about 3 years; males reach sexual maturity at a smaller size than females.

The rest of this and more facts about the giant squid see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_squid

thanks for reading.

My meet and greet with In Flames!

Since I am a member of In Flames fan site, www.Jesterhead.com, I had the opportunity of a lifetime. On May 17th 2008, I got to meet my favorite band at Gigantour in Salem at the Salem Armory. I arrive at the Armory at about 3:10pm and get a call from the guy that is setting it up telling me that we will meet at the merch booth at 6:20pm. So, that time arrives and he comes up to us and gives us our backstage passes and we go backstage. When we get to the tour buses there is the band just standing there. It was insane! They came up and introduced themselves, and once that was done we got to take pictures with them, and have so e of our stuff signed as well. I spoke with them for about an hour, mainly with the drummer. I spent about half an hour talking with him about just random stuff like video games, and other music as well. Long story short it was an unforgettable day. After the meet and greet was the show and that was amazing. It was my first time seeing them live and I lost my voice the next day. It was the best experience I have ever had.