Curiosity Tests its Mettle

NASA/JCL Caltech

Mars rover Curiosity, aptly named for its mission to seek data that can prove life existed on Mars,  embarked on its first excursion away from its landing site, now called Bradbury Landing after famed science fiction writer Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles.  The photo above shows the tracks Curiosity made on its short journey the morning of August 22.

The rover moved forward 15 feet, rotated 120 degrees and then reversed 8.2 feet., stopping and recording pictures as it went.  Matt Heverly, the lead rover planner, reported, "This drive checkout, coupled with yestersol's checkout of the steering actuators on sol 15, means we have a fully functioning mobility system on our rover." For those readers who don't know, the term sol refers to one Martian day.

From the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, project manager Peter Theisinger expressed his enthusiasm about the outcome. "It couldn't be more important.  We built a rover. So unless the rover roves, we really haven't accomplished anything ... It's a big moment."

If everything continues to check out, Curiosity will explore its first major science target, Glenelg,  1,300 feet away as early as this weekend.  Three different types of terrain converge there, so it can serve as a science lab for the rover.

The rover's ultimate destination is Mount Sharp, a towering mountain that looms from the ancient crater floor. Signs of past water exist at the base, providing a source to search for the chemical building blocks of life.

Spending time watching this unfold must be more exciting than any TV program.  Curiosity's success thus far is a crowning achievement for all involved.

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Todd Akin Causes a Firestorm with Rape Comments

 

AP Photo

Todd Akin is fighting a losing battle trying to explain his way out of the backlash he created August 19th about rape and pregnancy. Today, the Republican Party pulled its financing from his campaign to unseat Claire McCaskill, his Democratic opponent for a US Senate seat representing Missouri. At this writing, he insists he will not withdraw from the race.

Akin presents a stark example of a candidate who mixes religion with politics and seems to have forgotten the constitutional demand for the separation of church and state.  No one believes you are God, Mr. Akin, so stop insisting that America's citizens bow to your delusion about what is right and wrong when it comes to abortion. 

Readers should also note that Paul Ryan has co-sponsored a number of that bills with Akin that would limit a woman's right to seek abortion, and they have moved to redefine rape in order to restrict some women who seek abortions after being impregnated during a rape.  We have gone down this road before, gentlemen, and we've had a law on the books for four decades that makes abortion legal.  May I suggest that you pay closer attention to the children who have already been born who suffer abuse, neglect, incest, serve as prey for pedophiles and murder at the hands of adults. Your priorities are totally out of whack when you focus on the unborn and don't protect those who live.

Ham on Wry offered a post on Todd Akin's off-the-wall comments about rape and pregnancy in an August 19th post, so readers unfamiliar with the situation can educate themselves by reading it. His reference to "legitimate rape" brought instant criticism from various constituencies, including members of his own party.

Ham on Wry asks voters to return to sanity when the November election arrives.  We have many serious issues facing this nation that are far more important than a focus on women's health issues.  It's time to rid ourselves of a lunatic fringe that has hijacked the American political scene with strident voices.  We must demand more of our leaders to focus on urgent and/or important issues that require attention in order for this country to thrive.  The uber-rich who fund Romney's campaign fervently hope that voters will lose themselves in minutiae, so they don't see what's happening behind the scenes.

Mr. Akin, call it quits before this reaches an even more embarrassing level.

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Todd Akin Belongs on a Wanted Poster, Not in the Senate

Bill Clark, CO Rollcallnews.com

If Todd Akin, a Republican candidate running for the United States Senate, represents the level of compassion and understanding that the Republican Party has to offer for rape victims, this country has big trouble brewing. When asked during an interview on KTVI TV Sunday whether he would support abortions for rape victims who become pregnant as a result , he offered the following enlightened comment.  "From what I understand from doctors, that's really rare.  If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let's assume maybe that didn't work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child."

Oh, really, Mr. Akin.  So you think a woman who has been raped should be forced to bear the child of her rapist?  By the way, what, exactly do you mean by a legitimate rape?  Rape is against the law; therefore it is not a legitimate act!  This blogger suggests that you start checking facts.  For a 65-year-old man to display such total ignorance of the female reproductive system boggles my mind.  Let me say to you, Mr. Akin, if you had been born a woman, you would never make such a ridiculous statement.  No doctor with a license to practice medicine would ever tell you that a female body can shut down conception during a rape.  That can only occur after the fact with preventive medicine or an abortion.

Do this country a favor and withdraw from the race!  Women don't need someone like you in office who would cause us to regress to a time when barbaric abortions were performed with coat hangers or with dirty surgical instruments in makeshift offices.  You should be ashamed of yourself for displaying such total disregard for studies that reflect the terrible consequences facing girls and women who have been raped.  Perhaps if you had ever talked to rape victims unfortunate enough to wind up pregnant, you wouldn't make women sound as though they're criminals in wanting to end the pregnancy.  Your supposed moral judgment is nothing more than the basest form of ignorance.  Educate yourself before you open your mouth again!

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Thousands Gather at Graceland to Honor Elvis Presley



Long live the King! Elvis Presley died August 16th 35 years ago, but he has definitely not been forgotten. His fans appeared in droves to honor him and his contributions to establishing rock and roll as the dominant music form of his day. If he were alive today, he would be 77.

A large crowd formed outside the walls of his famed home, Graceland, August 15th for a candlelight vigil to pay tribute to the man they still idolize . Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis and Priscilla's only child, appeared with her mother at the gathering. Tonight, they will host a concert at the Fedex Forum in honor of his memory.

Mark Humphrey/AP

Ham on Wry usually wouldn't write a post about this event, but one of her best friends has a thing for Elvis and attended several of his concerts "back in the day." She still treasures his music and often blasts it from the car singing along at the top of her lungs. You know who you are Elvis fan!  This is for you!

The picture below right from wikipedia.orf shows Elvis in Jailhouse Rock, a movie we saw together if I remember correctly. The other one from satelliteradioplayground.com you drooled over.

Harry Chase/LA Times



So, readers, this bit of nostalgia will appeal mostly to those who bought his albums and became fans before he had problems with prescription drugs, which were said to have caused his heart to beat irregularly and eventually cease to function. Although he has been sighted in several states eating at Burger King, he's not coming back, but his music and his memory will live forever.

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Gargantuan Python Discovered in Everglades

University of Florida/Kristen Grace, Florida Museum of Natural History

Weighing in at 164 pounds, the 17.5 foot Burmese python picture above was captured by researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey in the Florida Everglades. 

Dr. Kenneth Krysko, Florida Museum of Natural History's herpetology collection manager, revealed that the python had a girth of nearly a foot. The Gainesville museum accepted the python, allowing UF staff to perform a necropsy for research purposes. During the exam, the team found that the female python had 87 eggs inside.

Yikes! Florida has more Burmese pythons thnt it needs. The snakes rule the Everglades and consume everything they encounter, essentially destroying the natural balance there because no natural predators exist to stop them. People purchase the pythons, and, when they’ve had enough of the care and feeding of such monstrous reptiles, many dump them at the Everglades, creating a huge problem for the ecosystem.

Biologists and researchers including those at USGS and UF are working exhaustively to find a means of limiting the snakes' reign. Many believe that the pythons have caused the vastly dwindling population of native animals, such as raccoons, opossums, and bobcats, and researchers are studying that as well. Ham on Wry suggests that we return the pythons to their environment and let the  government of Myanmarn (formerly Burma) deal with them.

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Ugandan Stephen Kiprotich Wins Men's Marathon

Mike Groll/AP

For the first time in modern Olympic marathon history, Uganda claimed gold in the Men's Marathon Sunday. With a little over three miles to the finish line, Stephen Kiprotich surged ahead of two  better known Kenyans, Abel Kirui and Wilson Kiprotich Kipsang and remained in the lead for the remainder of the course. He finished with a time of two hours, one second and waved the Ugandan flag in jubilation for his accomplishment.

During an interview, he told the reporter, "I made history with my people.They didn't expect me to win. I was keeping behind them, keeping the fire burning. When they go, they thought they'd left me, but I was there. I kept in touch. Later, I said, 'I believe in myself.' Then, I made my move."

And what a move that was! Kirui and Kipsang drew nearer in the final few minutes, but they couldn't catch Kiprotich.

Rather than following the traditional path for laying the marathon course, the 2012 Olympic competitors followed a route that took them to many of London's most famous sights: Big Ben, St. Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, London Bridge and the Tower of London. The finish line was drawn in an area near Buckingham Palace, a fitting ending to a magnificent show of endurance.

Ham on Wry loves reporting on underdogs who create surprise endings. Congratulations to Stephen Kiprotich and his home country of Uganda.



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Usain Bolt Seals the Deal in the 400 Meter Relay

AAP Photo

Usain Bolt won his third gold medal Saturday when he led the Jamaican men's 4x100m relay team to win in a world record time of 36.85seconds. Yohan Blake, Nesta Carter and Michael Frater celebrated their victory along with Bolt and established themselves as Jamaica's ambassadors of speed.








Jamaican 4x100 Relay Team/Getty Images



Bolt deferred to his teammates, allowing them to express their joy in winning the gold medal. He then opined, "It was a wonderful feeling to end on a high note. It was a great championships, I'm happy, the team came out and gave it their all. I wish we could have gone faster,but we leave room for improvement." Not one to hold back on touting his superior performance at the London Olympics, he has earned the right to show his pride. His impressive accomplishments have made his name globally recognized.

What's next for Bolt?  He alluded to the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, but he recognizes that younger runners might overtake him by then. Ham on Wry honors his dominance on the track at the London Olympics and his perseverance in reaching this level of performance.




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Ann Curry Appears on Today Show

Photo from New York Daily News

Ham on Wry believes that readers will understand the gist of today's post by simply concentrating on Ann's expression in the shot on the left from her appearance on the Today Show August 9. Ann left the show in June and returned for the first time to deliver a report on a still photographer Adam Pretty from Australia, noted for his unique Olympic shots.

Ann remained quiet as she sat with Matt at the end of her segment and didn't engage in banter. Clearly, both felt awkward.

Ann is shown at left during happier times in a photo from nationalconfidential.com. While speculation surrounding her removal as co-anchor of the Today Show still swirls, Ann believes that her refusal to dye her hair and hide signs of aging played a significant role in the decision to replace her with Savannah Guthrie. Readers might never know all of the reason that it occurred, but this blogger can take issue with the manner in which NBC executives chose to handle it on-air. This avid viewer stopped watching the show after that debacle. NBC chose to give her under five minutes to say good-bye. No video career retrospective, no cake and champagne, no songs in tribute gave her a rousing send-off. Note to NBC, let her go, already! Pay out her contract and free her to pursue something else.

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Curiosity Landing on Mars Exceeds Expectations

NASA/Bill Ingalls

A jubilant Christopher J. Scolese, Director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, arms outstretched, congratulates Adam Steltzner, a mechanical engineer who led the  Mars Science Lab Entry, Descent, and Landing project. They are glimpsing the first images of Mars sent from Curiosity rover after its remarkable landing last night. In the background behind Steltzner, two men are embracing as they revel in the triumphant conclusion to just under eight years of waiting for this moment.

NASA scientists revealed Monday that Curiosity had landed on a slope of just 3.6 degrees, with its nose pointed slightly down, but initial checks indicated that Curiosity's suite of geochemistry instruments survived the landing sequence.  Great news for NASA and something akin to a miracle for the rest of mankind.

The shot above taken from NASA TV shows the Curiosity rover attached to its parachute on its descent.

The NASA picture above has been enlarged from its original version to clearly show the Curiosity rover's shadow near its landing site. Ham on Wry is struck with a sense of awe at this amazing feat.





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NASA's Mars Space Lab Set to Land

Curiosity Approaches Mars/NASA graphic

The aptly-named Curiosity rover will land on Mars at 10:31 Pacific Daylight Time Sunday night, if all goes as planned. Its 13,200 mph plummet into the Red planet's atmosphere will require a seven-minute descent with the assistance of a sky crane to ensure a successful touchdown. Engineers call that descent "Seven Minutes of Terror"because they had create the plan for its landing. Adam Seltzer,

explained, "The big trick is you are going 13,000 miles an hour. You slam into the Martian atmosphere and you want to gracefully get the spacecraft down sitting quietly on the surface on her wheels, and all of that takes different changes in the configuration of the vehicle, 79 events that must occur."

The Curiosity Rover shown in a NASA graphic at right, enters the planet’s atmosphere on its journey to the its final destination. At this angle, it resembles the flying saucers depicted in science fiction decades ago.

 

 

The NASA graphic above portrays the ideal outcome of the last hundred feet of Curiosity's journey to the bottom of the Gale Crater, a depository of evolutionary data about the planet. At that point, the sky crane will drop its cables, leaving the space lab to gather data for the next two years. Scientists hope it will discover signs of microbial life that might indicate higher forms of life might also have existed there.

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Gabby Douglas Win Gymnastic All-Around Gold

AP

Gabrielle (Gabby) Douglas outshone all the other competitors today to claim the Women's Gymnastics All-Around competition's Gold Medal. Seen above in what is deemed her best sport, she appears to float aloft above the balance beam with a combination of grace and precision. That might explain her nickname, "the flying squirrel." Her final score, 62.232, topped Russian silver medalist Victoria Komova's score of 61.973 by almost three-tenths of a point. Komova collapsed in tears when she saw the posted scores.

Josh Haner, New York Times

Gabby, the first woman of color to win all-around gold, flashed her signature smile as she performed a floor exercise that brought the spectators to their feet roaring approval. Aliya Mustafina and Aly Raisman finished with identical scores of 59.566, but the Russian got the bronze on a tiebreak. New rules created in June required judges to drop the lowest scores for both gymnasts and total the remaining three, which gave Mustafina a total of 45.933 and Raisman 45.366.

Douglas, whose family lives in Virginia Beach, moved to West Des Moines, Iowa two years ago to train with Liang Chow, who coached Shawn Johnson in 2008. Her mother nixed the idea of a 14-year-old moving away from home, but Douglas eventually prevailed with the help of her sisters. Her mom, Natalie Hawkins, can count herself lucky that she lost that battle. Her daughter has won global fame, and the United States can take pride in her accomplishments as well as those of the entire women's gymnastics team. 

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Mitt Romney's Tax Plan Strategy: Help the Rich; Hurt the Rest

Charles Dharapak/AP

The Tax Policy Center, a joint project of the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, found that if Romney keeps his tax plan revenue neutral, as he has promised to do, his plan will provide "large tax cuts to high-income households, and increase the tax burdens on middle- and/or lower-income taxpayers."

Romney has achieved master status at making general statements without providing the specifics of how he will achieve his aims. He promises to cut tax rates by 20 percent for all taxpayers, repeal the estate tax, and eliminate taxes in investment income for those earning up to$200,000. He says the reduction these tax cuts will have on tax revenue will be partially offset  by eliminating deductions and loopholes. However, he has not revealed which deductions and loopholes would disappear.

The Romney campaign quickly dismissed the information because they claimed the study had a liberal bias. Readers might find it interesting to note that the Brookings Institute was formed 90 years ago and identifies itself as non-partisan, stating that its scholars represent diverse viewpoints. In the case of this particular study, three Brookings economists, including William G. Gale, an economic adviser to President George H. W. Bush, conducted the study.They determined Romney’s tax plan, which would extend all Bush-era tax cuts, cut all income tax rates by 20% and reduce the corporate tax rate to 25 percent, would decrease federal revenues by $456 billion in 2015.

Ham on Wry wonders how long it will take for the average citizen to realize that when Romney speaks about America and Americans, he means America for the rich and Americans who comprise only a small percentage of the citizens in this country. He uses doublespeak to answer questions and circumvents hard issues with condescending comments designed to placate the masses. This blogger fervently believes that a Mitt Romney presidency would sharpen the divide between the classes, and the most impoverished citizens would be left in a heap. For those readers who have reached middle age, think back to the America of your youth and compare it to what your children and grandchildren are facing. We will gain nothing by electing Mitt Romney as President; instead, we will take a giant step backward. It seems the Brits provided an apt nickname, "Mitt the Twit."

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