Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Chocolate Rocks on Mars

chocolate.jpgCubical rocks lie in a spot designated “Chocolate Hills” by the JPL team. These remind me of stones quarried to build ancient structures on our planet.

Excerpt from the Mars Rover website:

Opportunity at a sweet spot on Mars

This rock has a thick, dark-colored coating that is interesting to scientists because many of the rocks in the surrounding area have the same mysterious dark stuff. The coating could be remnants of a layer that was changed by the action of water and weather or, it could be a layer of rock that melted when a meteor (less than a foot across) impacted Mars, ejecting this rock and others and creating the crater “Concepcion”. Knowing its origins will help them understand the history of Mars. Opportunity’s mission is to figure out the “ingredients” of this morsel by studying the chemicals in it.

The article is silent about the shape of the rocks.

16 Feb 2010 by Aerospace Rocket Science

Teaching Responsibility

responsible.jpgWe often discuss the topic of parenting, or the lack of it these days. We look around our neighborhood and see a mixed bag of the products of modern parenting. Some families seem to have their act together, with well-disciplined and polite children and teens. Others, most of them in fact, are rude, inconsiderate and irresponsible. I have no idea whether they are ‘victims’ of California public education or not, but the schooling here doesn’t help matters any.

We like it when we’re at the range and see gun-owning parents teaching their children about guns and shooting them. Occasionally, we see a group of scouts and their mentors at the range. That’s a good thing too. Learning about shooting and guns is a much better investment than developing a skill set only suitable for X-Games like skateboarding down a stair rail or something.

I saw this cute poster on a forum yesterday and it got me thinking how parents and schools are letting kids down these days.

Click on the poster for a larger view.

15 Feb 2010 by California Culture Firearms People

Snow Capped San Gabriel Mountains

snow

In this El Niño year, the snow levels dropped to below 5000 feet in the San Gabriels, normally not seen with snow on the southern slopes. Damsel took this image (cropped to make a panorama) after the rain passed the other day. Lingering clouds can be seen topping some of the peaks. Click on the image to see the full-sized panoramic image – don’t forget to use the scroller to see the whole image.

13 Feb 2010 by Environment Panorama Photography

Abraham Lincoln

Abe Lincoln“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” — Abraham Lincoln

Today is the 201st anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, one of the nation’s greatest presidents.

Abraham Lincoln

16th President of the United States, 1809 – 1865

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in a log cabin in Hardin County (now LaRue County), Kentucky. He rose from humble origins and less than a year of formal education to become the 16th President of the United States, and one of the great men of American history.

Lincoln was elected President on November 6, 1860, and led the United States through the nation’s greatest crisis, the Civil War (1861-1865). He is credited with saving the Union from disintegration and eliminating slavery in America.

On the evening of April 14, 1865 Lincoln was assassinated as he watched a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C. He was the first American President to be assassinated. Thousands of mourners lined the tracks as his funeral train moved him from Washington to his final resting place in Springfield, Illinois.

12 Feb 2010 by Patriotism People Politics

Shadow Stargazer

Last week, we bought a potted Asian “stargazer” lily. The flowers started opening this week. The morning light from the window over the staircase was at a great angle to get this shadowed effect.

gazer-lily.jpg

As usual, you can click the image for the 1024 X 768 pixel version.

10 Feb 2010 by Home & Garden Photography

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