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AmeriGas Partners Reports Second Quarter Results, Updates Guidance
AmeriGas Propane, Inc., general partner of AmeriGas Partners, L.P. (NYSE: APU), reported net income attributable to AmeriGas Partners, L.P. for the second quarter of fiscal 2012 ended March 31, 2012 of $133.9 million compared to $118.0 million for the same period last year. Net income attributable to AmeriGas Partners, L.P. for the current-year period includes the impact of a $13.4 million loss on extinguishment of debt and $8.1 million in acquisition and transition expenses related to the mid-January acquisition of Heritage Propane. Net income attributable to AmeriGas Partners, L.P. for the prior-year quarter includes the impact of an $18.8 million loss on an extinguishment of debt.
The Partnership's adjusted earnings before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (Adjusted EBITDA) increased to $246.0 million for the second quarter of 2012 compared to $176.3 million for the same period last year, reflecting the impact of the Heritage Propane acquisition partially offset by the impact of record warm temperatures. Weather during the quarter was approximately 22% warmer than normal and the prior-year period, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
For the three months ended March 31, 2012, retail propane volumes sold were 389.4 million gallons compared with retail propane volumes of 316.3 million gallons in the prior-year period. The increase in volumes sold was largely attributable to incremental volumes resulting from the Heritage Propane acquisition (approximately 138 million gallons) partially offset by the impact of the historically warm weather.
Revenues for the quarter increased to $1,155.6 million from $906.8 million in the prior-year period, reflecting the incremental revenues from the Heritage Propane acquisition (approximately $404 million) partially offset by a weather-related decline in revenues at AmeriGas Propane's legacy operations. Total margin increased $143.6 million due to the inclusion of Heritage Propane's operations (approximately $194 million) partially offset by the impact of historically warm weather on total margin at AmeriGas Propane's legacy operations. Operating expenses increased $81.8 million including expenses of Heritage Propane (approximately $78 million) and $8.1 million in acquisition and transition expenses partially offset by a decrease in expense at AmeriGas Propane legacy operations. Partnership operating income (which excludes the losses on extinguishments of debt) increased $40.4 million, reflecting the higher Adjusted EBITDA offset by higher depreciation and amortization expenses ($21.6 million) and the Heritage Propane acquisition and transition expenses ($8.1 million).
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Before Kate Middleton married Prince William and became the Duchess of Cambridge, she was a commoner. Join us for a look at her through the years.
Prince William and Kate Middleton attend the naming ceremony and service of dedication of the Hereford Endeavour. This was their first official duty after becoming engaged.


text:
Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News was at the Ron Washington press conference and attempts to describe the scene, although finding out that the manager has used cocaine is not exactly a routine event in spring training.
What's striking is the change in societal attitudes. Twenty years ago any coach or manager would have fired and perhaps kneecapped if it were known he used cocaine. On Wednesday, the Dallas News presented a poll to its readers. Early returns: 219 say don't fire him, 199 say fire him. This is in Texas, remember.
What's also striking is the disappearance of the alcoholic manager, from maybe 33 percent of the total to none that we know of. Not that anyone ever called a press conference about that.
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December 22, 2014
(AP) DECATUR, Ga. - The family of a Florida A&M drum major who died a year ago after being beaten during a hazing ritual plan a candlelight vigil on Monday to mark the anniversary.
Authorities have charged more than a dozen fellow band members in Robert Champion's death. Champion's family, who lives in Georgia, was recently offered a $300,000 settlement from the school. Their attorney has called the offer "substantively low."
In their lawsuit, Champion's parents contend university officials didn't take action to stop hazing, though a dean proposed suspending the famed "Marching 100" band just days before their son died.
Ten FAMU band members face felony hazing charges in the case while two others face misdemeanor counts. The first defendant, Brian Jones, 23, was sentenced on Oct. 22 to six months of community control, two years' probation and 200 hours of community service.
A family spokesman says the vigil for Robert Champion will be held at 7:30 p.m. Monday in Decatur, Ga.
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Rhinitis is a condition that involves a constant runny nose, sneezing, and nasal stuffiness. When these symptoms are not caused by hay fever or allergies, the condition is called non-allergic rhinitis. One type of non-allergic rhinitis is called vasomotor rhinitis.
Rhinitis - nonallergic; Idiopathic rhinitis; Nonallergic rhinitis
Vasomotor rhinitis is not caused by an infection or allergy. The exact cause is unknown. Symptoms are triggered by something that irritates the nose, such as:
The doctor will ask about your symptoms, when they occur, and what seems to trigger them.You will also be asked about your home and work environment. The doctor may look inside your nose and see that the tissues lining the nose are swollen due to inflamed blood vessels.
An allergy skin test may be done to rule out allergies as a cause of your symptoms.If your doctor determines you cannot have skin testing, special blood tests may help with the diagnosis. These tests, known as IgE RAST tests, can measure the levels of allergy-related substances..A complete blood count (CBC) test, called the eosinophil count, may also help diagnose allergies.
The main treatment is simply avoiding the things that trigger your symptoms.
In some cases, decongestants or a nasal spray containing an antihistamine may help. Corticosteroid nasal sprays may be useful for some forms of vasomotor rhinitis.
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Vincci Selección Posada del Patio 5*
Home / Hotels / Spain / Málaga - Ciudad / Vincci Selección Posada del Patio
Vincci Selección Posada del Patio 5* Málaga - Ciudad - Spain
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Peavey Commercial Audio has appointed Mark Coombes as its new European sales manager.
Coombes is now responsible for all direct accounts in the UK and Ireland, along with distribution customers in Iberia, France, Iceland and all of Scandinavia.
Peavey's new recruit has worked in the commercial audio and video sectors for more than 15 years, and steps into the post following a six-month search for candidates.
"Mark has a great mix of experience," said James Kennedy, operations manager at Peavey Commercial Audio. "His track record speaks for itself, having worked in an international sales capacity for a string of major industry manufacturers including Samsung, Opus and Crestron. He fits all the criteria for the role and we're delighted to have him on board."
Coombes added: "Peavey is a world renowned company with an amazing audio heritage. I'm looking forward to developing the brand's reputation as the 'go to' manufacturer of integrated audio solutions and building new, long-term relationships, as well as providing high levels of service and assistance to our existing channel partners."
Keep up to date with the latest developments from the world of pro audio by registering for our free daily newsletter.


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text:
Britney Spears Officially Headed to TV on 'X Factor'
After months of speculation, Britney Spears has been officially confirmed as an X Factor judge, in a reportedly $15 million deal. She'll be joined by fellow new judgeand former Disney starDemi Lovato, as well as returners Simon Cowell and record producer L.A. Reid at the judges' table. Lovato and Spears replace Paula Abdul and The Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger, both of whom left after just one season of the show.
"I'm so excited about this whole experience," Spears said at the announcement, which was met with cheers. "It's going to be so much fun and so different from anything I've ever done. I'm ready to find a true star." Added 19-year-old Lovato: "I'm excited to represent my generation."
Spears then Tweeted the first picture of the four new judges together.


text:
|Mars as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope
|Orbital characteristics (Epoch J2000)[1]
|Semi-major axis
|227,936,637 km (141,632,976 mi)
|Orbital circumference
|1,429,000,000 km (887,900,000 mi)
|0.093 412 33
|206,644,545 km (128,402,967 mi)
|249,228,730 km (154.863,553 mi)
|Orbital period
|686.9600 d
(1.8808 a)
|Synodic period
|779.96 d
(2.135 a)
|Avg. Orbital Speed
|24.077 km/s (53,859 mi/h)
|Max. Orbital Speed
|26.499 km/s (59,277 mi/h)
|Min. Orbital Speed
|21.972 km/s (49,150 mi/h)
|1.850 61°
(5.65° to Sun's equator)
|Longitude of the
ascending node
|49.578 54°
|Argument of the
|286.462 30°
|Number of natural satellites
|Physical characteristics
|Equatorial diameter
|6,804.9 km (4228.4 mi)
(0.533 Earths)
|Polar diameter
|6,754.8 km (4197.2 mi)
(0.531 Earths)
|0.007 36
|Surface area
|1.448×108 km² 55,907,000 square miles (144 798 465 square kilometers)
(0.284 Earths)
|1.6318×1011 km³
(0.151 Earths)
|6.4185×1023 kg
(0.107 Earths)
|Mean density
|3.934 g/cm³
|Equatorial gravity
|3.69 m/s2
|Escape velocity
|5.027 km/s (11,245 mi/h)
|Rotation period
|1.025 957 d
(24.622 962 h)
|Rotation velocity
|868.22 km/h (539.49 mi/h)
(at the equator)
|Axial tilt
|Right ascension
of North pole
|317.681 43°
(21 h 10 min 44 s)
|52.886 50°
|Surface temp.
- min
- mean
- max
|Atmospheric characteristics
|Atmospheric pressure
|0.7–0.9 kPa
|Carbon dioxide
|Carbon monoxide
|Water vapor
|Nitric oxide
|2.5 ppm
|300 ppb
|80 ppb
|30 ppb
|10.5 ppb
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in our solar system and is named after the Roman god of war. It is also known as the "Red Planet," due to its reddish appearance when seen from the Earth.
Like the Earth, Mars has a rocky surface and polar ice caps. Its rotational period and seasonal cycles are similar to those of the Earth. Of all the planets in the Solar System, it has the highest mountain, Olympus Mons, and the largest canyon, Valles Marineris. The availability of Mars samples in the form of Martian meteorites gives "ground-truth" data to researchers, just as in the case of studying meteorites from the Moon. In addition, Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos, both of which are small and oddly shaped.
Until the first flyby of Mars by Mariner 4 in 1965, many thought that the planet might have ample liquid water. This belief was based on early observations of Mars, showing periodic variations in light and dark patches, particularly in the polar latitudes, and long dark striations that suggested the presence of irrigation channels of liquid water. Subsequent analyses indicated that the striations were optical illusions.
Nonetheless, of all the planets in the solar system other than Earth, Mars is thought to be the most likely to harbor liquid water, and perhaps some life forms. Consequently, popular attention has been drawn to Mars, and probes to this planet continue to be equipped with instruments to attempt to discover microscopic life. In addition, some think that we may be able to make Mars habitable in the future—a concept known as "terraforming."
As of early 2009, Mars is host to three orbiting spacecraft: Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. It is also home to two Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity.
Viewing Mars
When seen from Earth with the naked eye, Mars usually appears to have a distinct yellow, orange, or reddish color. Its brightness varies over the course of its orbit, more so than the brightness of any other planet. The apparent magnitude of its brightness can be as high as -2.9, a value surpassed only by Venus, the Moon, and the Sun. For much of the year, Jupiter may appear brighter to the naked eye than Mars.
During its orbit, the farthest point of Mars from Earth is more than seven times its closest point. When least favorably positioned, it can be lost in the Sun's glare for months at a time. It is most favorably positioned twice every 32 years, alternately at 15- and 17-year intervals, and always between late July and late September. During those times, a wealth of surface detail can be observed through a telescope. Especially noticeable, even at low magnification, are the polar ice caps.[1]
Approximately every 780 days, opposition occurs, which is about when Mars is nearest to Earth. Given the eccentricities of the orbits, the times of opposition and minimum distance can differ by up to 8.5 days. The minimum distance varies between about 55 and 100 million kilometers, due to the planets' elliptical orbits.[2]
On August 27, 2003, at 9:51:13 UT, Mars made its closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years: 55,758,006 kilometers (approximately 35 million miles). This occurred when Mars was one day from opposition and about three days from its perihelion, making Mars particularly easy to see from Earth. The last time it came so close is estimated to have been on September 12, 57,617 B.C.E., and the next time will be in 2287. However, this record approach was only very slightly closer than other recent close approaches. For instance, the minimum distance on August 22, 1924 was 0.37284 astronomical units (AU) (compared to 0.37271 AU on August 27, 2003), and the minimum distance on August 24, 2208, will be 0.37278 AU.[3]
The orbital changes of Earth and Mars are making the approaches nearer: the 2003 record will be bettered 22 times by the year 4000.
Historical observations of Mars
The history of observations of Mars is marked by the oppositions of Mars, when the planet is closest to Earth and hence is most easily visible, which occur every couple of years. Even more notable are the perihelic oppositions of Mars, which occur approximately every 16 years and are distinguished because Mars is close to perihelion, making it even closer to Earth.
By the nineteenth century, the resolution of telescopes reached a level sufficient for surface features to be identified. A perihelic opposition of Mars occurred on September 5, 1877. In that year, Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli used a 22-centimeter telescope in Milan to help produce the first detailed map of Mars. These maps notably contained features he called canali, which were later shown to be an optical illusion. These canali were supposedly long straight lines on the surface of Mars to which he gave names of famous rivers on Earth. His term was popularly mistranslated as "canals."
Influenced by the observations, the orientalist Percival Lowell founded an observatory that had 12- and 18-inch telescopes. The observatory was used for the exploration of Mars during the last good opportunity in 1894 and the following less favorable oppositions. He published several books on Mars and life on Mars that greatly influenced the public mind. The canali were also observed by other astronomers, such as Perrotin and Thollon in Nice, using one of the largest telescopes of that time.
The seasonal changes (consisting of the diminishing of the polar caps and the dark areas formed during the Martian summer) in combination with the canals led to speculation about life on Mars, and it was a long-held belief that Mars contained vast seas and vegetation. The telescope never reached the resolution required to give proof to any speculations. However, as bigger telescopes were used, fewer long, straight canali were observed. During an observation in 1909 by Flammarion with a 33-inch telescope, irregular patterns were observed, but no canali were seen.[4]
Even in the 1960s, articles were published on Martian biology, putting aside explanations other than life for the seasonal changes on Mars. Detailed scenarios for the metabolism and chemical cycles for a functional ecosystem were published.[5]
It was not until spacecraft visited the planet during NASA's Mariner missions in the 1960s that these myths were dispelled. The results of the Viking life detection experiments started an intermission in which the hypothesis of a dead Mars, hostile to life, was generally accepted.
Some maps of Mars were made using the data from these missions, but it wasn't until the Mars Global Surveyor mission, launched in 1996 (and operational as of 2006), that complete, extremely detailed maps were obtained.[6]
Mars in early human culture
In Roman mythology, Mars was the god of war and patron of warriors. The symbol for Mars is a circle with a small arrow pointing out from behind it, which is a stylized representation of a shield and spear used by the Roman god. This symbol is also used in biology to denote the male sex.[7]
In Babylonian astronomy, the planet was named after Nergal, their deity of fire, war, and destruction, most likely due to the planet's reddish appearance.[8] When the Greeks equated Nergal with their god of war, Ares, they named the planet Areos aster, or "star of Ares." Then, following the identification of Ares and Mars, it was translated into Latin as stella Martis, or "star of Mars," or simply Mars. The Greeks also called the planet Pyroeis, meaning "fiery."
In Hindu mythology, Mars is known as Mangala. It is also called Angaraka in Sanskrit. He is the god of war and is celibate. He is the owner of the Aries and Scorpio signs, and a teacher of the occult sciences. The planet was known by the ancient Egyptians as "Horus the Red." The Hebrews named it Ma'adim, or "the one who blushes." This is where one of the largest canyons on Mars, the Ma'adim Vallis, gets its name. It is known as al-Mirrikh in both Arabic and Persian, and Merih in Turkish. The etymology of al-Mirrikh is unknown. Ancient Persians named it Bahram, the Zoroastrian god of faith. Ancient Turks called it Sakit. The Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures refer to the planet as fire star, a naming based on the ancient Chinese philosophical group of Five Elements.
Physical characteristics
The red/orange appearance of Mars' surface is caused by iron(III) oxide (rust).[9] Mars has half the radius of the Earth and only one-tenth the mass. It is less dense, and its surface area is only slightly less than the total area of Earth's dry land.[10] While Mars is larger and more massive than Mercury, Mercury has higher density and therefore has slightly stronger gravity at its surface.
The surface of Mars is thought to be primarily composed of basalt, based upon the Martian meteorite collection and orbital observations. There is some evidence that a portion of the Martian surface might be more silica-rich than typical basalt, perhaps similar to andesitic stones on Earth, though these observations may also be explained by silica glass. Much of the surface is deeply covered by iron(III) oxide dust as fine as talcum powder.[11]
There is conclusive evidence that liquid water existed at one time on the surface of Mars. Key discoveries leading to this conclusion include the detection of various minerals, such as hematite and goethite, which usually form only in the presence of water.[12]
Although Mars has no intrinsic magnetic field, observations have revealed that parts of the planet's crust have been magnetized. This magnetization has been compared to alternating bands found on the ocean floors of Earth. One theory, published in 1999 and reexamined in October 2005 with the help of the Mars Global Surveyor, is that these bands are evidence of the past operation of plate tectonics on Mars.[13] It is also possible to explain this "paleomagnetism" (record of the past magnetic field in certain magnetized minerals) based on shifting of the magnetic poles.
Current models of the planet's interior infer a core region approximately 1,480 kilometers (km) in radius, consisting primarily of iron with about 15-17 percent sulfur. This iron sulfide core is partially fluid, with twice the concentration of light elements that exist in the Earth's core. The core is surrounded by a silicate mantle that formed many of the tectonic and volcanic features on the planet, but now appears to be inactive. The average thickness of the planet's crust is about 50 km, and it is no thicker than 125 km.[14]
The geological history of Mars is split into three broad epochs:
- Noachian epoch (named after Noachis Terra): From the formation of Mars to between 3,800 and 3,500 million years ago. Noachian age surfaces are scarred by many large impact craters. The Tharsis bulge is thought to have formed during this period, with extensive flooding by liquid water late in the epoch.
- Hesperian epoch (named after Hesperia Planum): From 3,500 million years ago to 1,800 million years ago. The Hesperian epoch is marked by the formation of extensive lava plains.
- Amazonian epoch (named after Amazonis Planitia): From 1,800 million years ago to the present. Amazonian regions have few meteorite impact craters but are otherwise quite varied. Olympus Mons formed during this period, along with lava flows elsewhere on Mars.
An alternative series of classifications has also been put forward, based on data from an instrument (the OMEGA Visible and Infrared Mineralogical Mapping Spectrometer) on board the Mars Express orbiter.
Geography of Mars (Areography)
Although better remembered for mapping the Moon starting in 1830, Johann Heinrich Mädler and Wilhelm Beer were the first "aerographers." They started off by establishing once and for all that most of Mars' surface features were permanent, and pinned down Mars' rotation period. In 1840 Mädler combined ten years of observations and drew the first ever map of Mars. Rather than giving names to the various markings they mapped, Beer and Mädler simply designated them with letters; Meridian Bay (Sinus Meridiani) was thus feature "a."[15]
Today, features on Mars are named from a number of sources. Large albedo (visible reflectivity) features retain many of the older names, but are often updated to reflect new knowledge of the nature of the features. For example, Nix Olympica (the snows of Olympus) has become Olympus Mons (Mount Olympus).[16]
Mars' equator is defined by its rotation, but the location of its Prime Meridian was specified (as was Earth's) by choice of an arbitrary point. Mädler and Beer selected a line in 1830 for their first maps of Mars. After the spacecraft Mariner 9 provided extensive imagery of Mars in 1972, a small crater (later called Airy-0), located in the Sinus Meridiani ("Middle Bay" or "Meridian Bay"), was chosen for the definition of 0.0° longitude to coincide with the originally selected line.
Since Mars has no oceans and hence no 'sea level,' a zero-elevation surface or mean gravity surface must be selected. The zero altitude is defined by the height at which there is 610.5 pascals (Pa) (6.105 mbar) of atmospheric pressure (approximately 0.6 percent that of Earth's). This pressure corresponds to the triple point of water.[17]
The dichotomy of Martian topography is striking: northern plains flattened by lava flows contrast with the southern highlands, pitted and cratered by ancient impacts. The surface of Mars as seen from Earth is thus divided into two kinds of areas, with differing albedo. The paler plains covered with dust and sand rich in reddish iron oxides were once thought of as Martian 'continents' and given names like Arabia Terra (land of Arabia) or Amazonis Planitia (Amazonian plain). The dark features were thought to be seas, hence their names Mare Erythraeum, Mare Sirenum, and Aurorae Sinus. The largest dark feature seen from Earth is Syrtis Major.[18]
The shield volcano, Olympus Mons (Mount Olympus), with a height of 26,000 meters, is the highest known mountain in the solar system. It is an extinct volcano in the vast upland region Tharsis, which contains several other large volcanoes. It is over three times the height of Mt. Everest, which stands at 8,848 meters.
Mars is also scarred by a number of impact craters. The largest of these is the Hellas impact basin, covered with light red sand.[19] Despite being closer to the asteroid belt, there are far fewer craters on Mars compared with the Moon, because Mars' atmosphere provides protection against small meteors. Some craters have a morphology that suggests that the ground was wet when the meteor impacted.
The large canyon Valles Marineris (Latin for Mariner Valleys, also known as Agathadaemon in the old canal maps) has a length of 4,000 kilometers and a depth of up to 7 km. The length of Valles Marineris is equivalent to the length of Europe and extends across one-fifth the circumference of Mars. By comparison, the Grand Canyon on Earth is only 446 km long and nearly 2 km deep. Valles Marineris was formed due to the swelling of the Tharis area, which caused the crust in the area of Valles Marineris to collapse. Another large canyon is Ma'adim Vallis (Ma'adim is Hebrew for Mars). It is 700 km long and again much bigger than the Grand Canyon, with a width of 20 km and a depth of 2 km in some places. It is possible that Ma'adim Vallis was flooded with liquid water in the past.
The atmosphere of Mars is relatively thin; the atmospheric pressure on the surface varies from around 30 Pa (0.03 kPa) on Olympus Mons to over 1,155 Pa (1.155 kPa) in the depths of Hellas Planitia, with a mean surface-level pressure of 600 Pa (0.6 kPa)[20], compared to Earth's 101.3 kPa. The equivalent pressure of Mars' atmosphere can be found at a height of 35 km above the Earth's surface. The scale height of the atmosphere is about 11 km, higher than Earth's 6 km.
The atmosphere on Mars consists of 95 percent carbon dioxide, 3 percent nitrogen, 1.6 percent argon, and traces of oxygen and water.[10] The atmosphere is quite dusty, giving the Martian sky a tawny color when seen from the surface; the particulates responsible are about 1.5 µm across.[21]
Several researchers claim to have detected methane in the Martian atmosphere, at a concentration of about 10 parts per billion (ppb) by volume.[22] Methane is an unstable gas that is broken down by ultraviolet radiation, typically lasting in the atmosphere for about 340 years,[23] and its possible presence on Mars could indicate that there is (or has been within the last few hundred years) a source of the gas on the planet. Possible sources include volcanic activity, comet impacts, and microorganisms such as methanogens. It was recently shown that methane could also be produced by a nonbiological process involving water, carbon dioxide, and the mineral olivine, which is believed to be common on Mars.[24]
In the winter months when the poles are in continuous darkness, the surface gets so cold that as much as 25–30 percent of the entire atmosphere condenses out into thick slabs of CO2 ice (dry ice).[25]
When the poles are again exposed to sunlight, the CO2 ice sublimes (is converted directly to gas), creating enormous winds that sweep off the poles as fast as 400 kilometers per hour (km/h) (250 miles per hour (mph)). These seasonal actions transport large amounts of dust and water vapor, giving rise to Earth-like frost and large, cirrus clouds. Clouds of water-ice were photographed by the Opportunity rover in 2004.[26]
Evidence indicates that in Mars' distant past, it may have had a strong enough magnetosphere to deflect the solar wind (from the Sun). However, about four billion years ago, Mars' planetary dynamo ceased, leaving only remnants of the planetary magnetic field to be frozen into magnetically susceptible minerals. Over time, most of this material was reprocessed through various geological events leaving only sections of the ancient southern highlands with remnant magnetic fields. Because of this, the solar wind interacts directly with the Martian ionosphere and thus the Martian atmosphere has been slowly stripped off into space, although the exact amount lost remains uncertain. Both Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Express have detected ionized atmospheric particles trailing off into space behind Mars.[27][28]
Of all the planets, Mars' seasons are the most Earth-like, due to the similar tilts of the two planets' rotational axes. However, the lengths of the Martian seasons are about twice those of Earth's, as Mars' greater distance from the sun leads to the Martian year being approximately two Earth years in length. Martian surface temperatures vary from approximately -140 °C to 0 °C[29] Recent evidence has suggested that Mars is subject to short-term regional climate changes.[30]
If Mars had an Earth-like orbit, its seasons would be similar to Earth's because its axial tilt is similar to Earth's. However, the comparatively large eccentricity of the Martian orbit has a significant effect. Mars is near perihelion (closest point to the Sun) when it is summer in the southern hemisphere and winter in the north, and near aphelion (farthest point from the Sun) when it is winter in the southern hemisphere and summer in the north. As a result, the seasons in the southern hemisphere are more extreme and the seasons in the northern are milder than would otherwise be the case.
Mars also has the largest dust storms in the solar system. These can vary in size from a storm covering a small area to gigantic storms that cover the entire planet. They tend to occur when Mars is closest to the Sun, which increases the global temperature.[31]
Mars possesses polar caps at both poles, which mainly consist of water ice. Frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice) accumulates as a thin layer (about one meter thick) on the north cap in the northern winter only, while the south cap has a permanent dry ice cover, about eight meters thick.[32] The northern polar cap has a diameter of approximately 1,000 kilometers during the northern Mars summer, and contains about 1.6 million kilometers3 of ice, which, if spread evenly on the cap, would be 2 kilometers thick[33] The southern polar cap has a diameter of 350 kilometers, and a thickness of 3 kilometers.[34] Both polar caps show spiral cuts, which remain unexplained. Both polar caps shrink and re-grow following temperature fluctuations of the Martian seasons.
Orbit and rotation
Mars has a relatively pronounced orbital eccentricity of about 9 percent. Of the other planets in the solar system, only Mercury shows greater eccentricity. Mars' average distance from the Sun is roughly 230 million kilometers (1.5 AU) and its orbital period is 687 (Earth) days. The solar day (or sol) on Mars is only slightly longer than an Earth day: 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35.244 seconds.
Mars' axial tilt is 25.19 degrees, which is similar to the axial tilt of the Earth. As a result, Mars has seasons like the Earth, though Mars' are about twice as long given its longer year.
The image to the right shows a comparison between Mars and Ceres, a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt, as seen from the ecliptic pole (upper image) and from the ascending node (lower image). The segments of orbits below the ecliptic are plotted in darker colors. The perihelia (q) and aphelia (Q) are labeled with the date of the nearest passage.
Mars has two tiny natural satellites, Phobos and Deimos, that orbit very close to the planet. These moons may be captured asteroids, similar to 5261 Eureka, which has been labeled a "Trojan asteroid" of Mars.[35] [36] Phobos and Deimos are believed to have generated a dust ring around Mars, and thus have been highly space-weathered by repeated impacts of their own dust particles.
Both satellites were discovered in 1877 by Asaph Hall and are named after the Greek mythological characters Phobos (panic/fear) and Deimos (terror/dread), who accompanied their father Ares, the god of war, into battle. Ares was known as Mars to the Romans.[37]
From the Martian surface, the motions of Phobos and Deimos appear very different from that of our own Moon. Phobos rises in the west, sets in the east, and rises again in just 11 hours. Deimos, being only just outside synchronous orbit, rises as expected in the east but very slowly. Despite its 30 hour orbit, it takes 2.7 days to set in the west as it slowly falls behind the rotation of Mars, and it takes as long again to rise.[38]
Because Phobos' orbit is below synchronous altitude, the tidal forces are lowering its orbit. It has been predicted that in about 50 million years, it will either crash into Mars' surface or break up into a ring structure around the planet.[38]
Famous literary author Jonathan Swift made reference to these moons of Mars approximately 150 years before their actual discovery by Asaph Hall, detailing reasonably accurate descriptions of their orbits in the nineteenth chapter of his novel Gulliver's Travels.
Some evidence suggests that the planet was once significantly more habitable than it is today, but it is still an open question whether living organisms ever existed there. The Viking probes of the mid-1970s carried experiments designed to detect microorganisms in Martian soil at their respective landing sites. They gave some apparently positive results that were later disputed by many scientists, resulting in a continuing fight.
At the Johnson space center lab, organic compounds have been found in the meteorite ALH84001, which is supposed to have come from Mars. They concluded that these were deposited by primitive life forms extant on Mars before the meteorite was blasted into space by a meteor strike and sent on a 15 million-year-voyage to Earth. Small quantities of methane, and formaldehyde are both claimed to be hints for life, as these particles would quickly break down in the Martian atmosphere.[39][40] It is possible that these compounds may be replenished by volcanic or geological means, such as serpentinization.[41]
In general, Mars shows some promise in terms of habitablity but also several handicaps. It is half of an astronomical unit beyond the Sun's habitable zone and water is thus frozen on its surface, although liquid water flows in the past suggest the planet's potential. Its lack of a magnetosphere and extremely thin atmosphere are a greater challenge: the planet has little heat transfer across its surface, poor insulation against bombardment and the solar wind, and insufficient atmospheric pressure to keep water in liquid form—instead, it sublimates to a gaseous state. Mars is also nearly, or perhaps totally, geologically dead. The end of volcanic activity has stopped the recycling of chemicals and minerals between the surface and interior of the planet.
Dozens of spacecraft—including orbiters, landers, and rovers—have been sent to Mars by the former Soviet Union, the United States, Europe, and Japan to study the planet's surface, climate, and geology.
Roughly two-thirds of all spacecraft destined for Mars have failed in one manner or other before completing or even beginning their missions. Part of this high failure rate can be ascribed to technical problems, but enough have either failed or lost communications for no apparent reason that some researchers half-jokingly speak of an Earth-Mars "Bermuda Triangle", or a Mars Curse, or even a reference made to a "Great Galactic Ghoul" that feeds on Martian spacecraft.[42]
Past missions
The first successful fly-by mission to Mars was NASA's Mariner 4, launched in 1964. The first successful objects to land on the surface were two Soviet probes, Mars 2 and Mars 3, from the Mars probe program launched in 1971, but both lost contact within seconds of landing. Then came the 1975 NASA launches of the Viking program, which consisted of two orbiters, each having a lander. Both landers successfully touched down in 1976 and remained operational for 6 and 3 years, for Viking 1 and Viking 2 respectively. The Viking landers also relayed the first color pictures of Mars.[43] They also mapped the surface of Mars so well that the images are still sometimes used. The Soviet probes Phobos 1 and 2 were also sent to Mars in 1988 to study Mars and its two moons. Unfortunately, Phobos 1 lost contact on the way to Mars, and Phobos 2, while successfully photographing Mars and Phobos, failed just before it was set to release two landers onto Phobos' surface.
Current missions
Following the 1992 failure of Mars Observer orbiter, NASA launched the Mars Global Surveyor in 1996. This mission was a complete success, having finished its primary mapping mission in early 2001. Only a month after the launch of the Surveyor, NASA launched the Mars Pathfinder, carrying a robotic exploration vehicle, which landed in the Ares Vallis on Mars. This mission was another big success, and received much publicity, partially due to the many spectacular images that were sent back to Earth.[44]
In 2001 NASA launched the successful Mars Odyssey orbiter, which is still in orbit as of August 2006. Odyssey's Gamma Ray Spectrometer detected significant amounts of elemental hydrogen in the upper meter or so of Mars' regolith. This hydrogen is thought to be contained in large deposits of water ice.[45]
In 2003 the European Space Agency (ESA) launched the Mars Express craft consisting of the Mars Express Orbiter and the lander Beagle 2. Beagle 2 apparently failed during descent and was declared lost in early February 2004.[46] In early 2004, the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer team announced it had detected methane in the Martian atmosphere. ESA announced in June 2006 the discovery of aurorae on Mars.[47]
Also in 2003, NASA launched the twin Mars Exploration Rovers named Spirit (MER-A) and Opportunity (MER-B). Both missions landed successfully in January 2004 and have met or exceeded all their targets. Among the most significant science returns has been the conclusive evidence that liquid water existed at some time in the past at both landing sites. Martian dust devils and windstorms have occasionally cleaned both rovers' solar panels, and thus increased their lifespan.[48]
On August 12, 2005, the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter probe was launched toward the planet, to conduct a two-year science survey. The purpose of the mission is to map the Martian terrain and find suitable landing sites for the upcoming lander missions. It arrived in orbit on March 10, 2006.
Astronomical observations from Mars
Given the various orbiters, landers, and rovers, it is now possible to study astronomy from the Martian skies. In particular, the Earth and the Moon would be easily visible to the naked eye from Mars. Also, one could observe the two moons of Mars. The moon Phobos appears about one-third the angular diameter that the full Moon appears from Earth, and when it is full it is bright enough to cast shadows. On the other hand, Deimos appears more or less star-like, and appears only slightly brighter than Venus does from Earth.[49]
There are also various phenomena well-known on Earth that have now been observed on Mars, including meteors and auroras. The first meteor photographed on Mars was on March 7, 2004, by the rover Spirit. Auroras occur on Mars, but they do not occur at the poles as on Earth, because Mars has no planet-wide magnetic field. Rather, they occur near magnetic anomalies in Mars' crust, which are remnants from earlier days when Mars did have a magnetic field. They would probably be invisible to the naked eye, being largely ultraviolet phenomena.[50]
A transit of the Earth as seen from Mars will occur on November 10, 2084. At that time, the Sun, Earth and Mars will be exactly collinear. There are also transits of Mercury and transits of Venus, and the moon Deimos is of sufficiently small angular diameter that its partial "eclipses" of the Sun are best considered transits.
The only occultation of Mars by Venus observed was that of October 3, 1590, seen by M. Möstlin at Heidelberg.[51]
Future plans
Future plans for unmanned Mars exploration include the sending of the Phoenix Lander in 2007,[52] followed by the Mars Science Laboratory in 2009, the Phobos-Grunt sample-return mission, to return samples of the Martian moon Phobos. Other missions have been proposed but not yet confirmed.
Manned Mars exploration by the United States has been explicitly identified as a long-term goal in the Vision for Space Exploration announced in 2004 by President George W. Bush.[53]
The European Space Agency hopes to land the first humans on Mars between 2030 and 2035. This will be preceded by successively larger probes, starting with the launch of the ExoMars probe in 2013,[54][55] followed by the 'Mars Sample Return Mission.' Likewise, astronauts will be sent to the Moon between 2020 and 2025 in preparation for this mission.
Mars in fiction
The depiction of Mars in fiction has been stimulated by its dramatic red color and by early scientific speculations that its surface conditions might be capable of supporting life. Until the arrival of planetary probes, the traditional view of Mars derived from the astronomers such as Giovanni Schiaparelli and Percival Lowell, whose observation of supposedly linear features on the planet created the myth of canals on Mars. For many years, the standard notion of the planet was a drying, cooling, dying world with ancient civilizations constructing irrigation works.
Thus originated a large number of science fiction scenarios, the best known of which is H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds, in which Martians seek to escape their dying planet by invading Earth. Of considerable note is the release of a radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds on October 30, 1938. It was broadcast as a news release, and many people mistook it for the truth. Also influential was Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles, in which human explorers find a dying Martian civilization, as well as Burroughs' Barsoom series and a number of Robert A. Heinlein stories prior to the mid-sixties.
After the Mariner and Viking spacecraft had returned images that showed Mars to be an apparently lifeless and canal-less world, these ideas about Mars had to be abandoned. Since then, a vogue for realist depictions of human colonies on Mars developed, the best known of which may be Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy. Nonetheless, pseudo-scientific speculations about the Face on Mars and other enigmatic landmarks spotted by space probes have meant that ancient civilizations continue to be a popular theme in science fiction, especially in film.
Another popular theme, particularly among American writers, is the Martian colony that fights for independence from Earth. This is a major plot element in the novels of Greg Bear and Kim Stanley Robinson, as well as the movie Total Recall (based on a short story by Philip K. Dick) and the television series Babylon 5. Many video games also use this element, such as Red Faction and the Zone of the Enders series. Mars (and its moons) were also the setting for the popular Doom video-game franchise and the later Martian Gothic.
See also
- Astrobiology
- Earth
- Planet
- Solar System
- Sun
- ↑ "Mars." Access date: June 15, 2006.
- ↑ "Mars Fact Sheet", NASA Planetary Factsheets. Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "NightSky Friday - Mars and Earth: The Top 10 Close Passes Since 3000 B.C.E." Space.com. Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ Zahnle, K. (2001). "Decline and Fall of the Martian empire." Nature 412.
- ↑ Salisbury, F. B. (1962). "Martian Biology." Science 136.
- ↑ These maps are now available online at Google Mars.
- ↑ "Planet Symbols." NASA Solar System Exploration. Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "Motions of Mars." The Planet Mars: A History of Observation and Discovery. Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ Peplow, M. (2004). "How Mars got its rust." Nature. Access date: April 18, 2006.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Williams, D. R. (2004). "Mars Fact Sheet." Access date: June 24, 2006.
- ↑ NASA Mars Page: "Volcanology of Mars." Accessed in 2006.
- ↑ "Mineral in Mars 'Berries' Adds to Water Story." NASA Press Release. March 18, 2004. Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "New Map Provides More Evidence Mars Once Like Earth." NASA Press Release. October 12, 2005. Access date: March 17, 2006.
- ↑ Jacqué, D. (2003). "APS X-rays reveal secrets of Mars' core." Argonne National Laboratory. Access date: July 1, 2006.
- ↑ "The Planet Mars: A History of Observation and Discovery." Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "Olympus Mons (Nix Olympica)." Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "Mars." Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "Syrtis Major." Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, Astronomy & Spaceflight. Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "Mars Global Geography." Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "Martian Weather Observation." MGS radio science measured 11.50 mbar at 34.4 degrees S 59.6 degrees E -7152 meters.
- ↑ Lemmon et al., "Atmospheric Imaging Results from the Mars Exploration Rovers: Spirit and Opportunity."
- ↑ "Mars Express confirms methane in the Martian atmosphere." ESA Press Release. March 30, 2004. Access date: March 17, 2006.
- ↑ Baucom, M. (2006). "Life on Mars?" American Scientist 94.
- ↑ Oze, C., Sharma, M. (2005). "Have olivine, will gas: Serpentinization and the abiogenic production of methane on Mars." Geophysical Research Letters 32, L10203.
- ↑ Mellon, J. T., W. C. Feldman, and T. H. Prettyman. (2003). "The presence and stability of ground ice in the southern hemisphere of Mars." Icarus 169: 324-340.
- ↑ "Mars Rovers Spot Water-Clue Mineral, Frost, Clouds." NASA Press Release. Dec. 13, 2004. Access date: March 17, 2006.
- ↑ "The Solar Wind at Mars." - Science@NASA. Jan. 31, 2001. Access date: September 8, 2006.
- ↑ Lundin, R., et al. (2004). "Solar Wind-Induced Atmospheric Erosion at Mars: First Results from ASPERA-3 on Mars Express." Science 305: 1933-1936.
- ↑ "Temperature on the Surface of Mars." Access date: November 22, 2006.
- ↑ "Orbiter's Long Life Helps Scientists Track Changes on Mars." NASA Press Release. Sept. 20, 2005. Access date: March 17, 2006.
- ↑ "Planet Gobbling Dust Storms." Access date: June 7, 2006.
- ↑ Darling, David. "Mars, Polar Caps." Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, Astronomy, and Spaceflight. Access date: January 29, 2007.
- ↑ Carr, M. H. (2003). "Oceans on Mars: An assessment of the observational evidence and possible fate." Journal of Geophysical Research 108: 5042 (.pdf file). Access date: January 29, 2007.
- ↑ Phillips, T. "Mars is Melting." Science at NASA. Access date: January 29, 2007.
- ↑ 5261 Eureka appears to be an asteroid that has the same orbit as Mars, trailing behind Mars at a nearly fixed distance.
- ↑ "Close inspection for Phobos." Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "Ares attendants: Deimos & Phobos." Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 "Phobos." Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ Krasnopolsky, V.A., J.-P Maillard, T. C. Owen. (2004). "Detection of methane in the Martian atmosphere: Evidence for life?" Icarus 172: 537-547.
- ↑ "Formaldehyde claim inflames martian debate." Nature.com. February 25, 2005. Access date: March 3, 2006.
- ↑ Oze, C. and M. Sharma. (2005). "Have olivine, will gas: Serpentinization and the abiogenic production of methane on Mars." Geophysical Research Letters 32: L10203.
- ↑ "Is the Great Galactic Ghoul losing his appetite?" Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "Other Mars Missions." Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "Mars Global Surveyor." CNN - Destination Mars. Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "Odyssey Spacecraft Generates New Mars Mysteries", Space.com. Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "Europe's Beagle 2 Mars Probe Stays Ominously Silent." Space.com. Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "Mars Express discovers aurorae on Mars." ESA Mars Express. Access date: November 2, 2006.
- ↑ "Mars Exploration Rovers – Science." NASA MER Website. Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "Deimos." Planetary Societies's Explore the Cosmos. Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "Discovery of an aurora on Mars." Nature. Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ Breyer, S. (1979). "Mutual Occultation of Planets." Sky and Telescope 57 (3): 220.
- ↑ "MRO: Science", NASA's MRO website. Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "When do we get to Mars?" Space.com FAQ: Bush's New Space Vision. Access date: June 13, 2006.
- ↑ "ExoMars", Homepage of Aurora Project at ESA. Access date: June 20, 2006.
- ↑ "European Mars launch pushed back." Access date: November 10, 2006.
- Sheehan, William. The Planet Mars: A History of Observation and Discovery. Tuscon, AZ: The University of Arizona Press, 1996. Access date: December 7, 2006.
- Nine Planets Mars page. Access date: December 7, 2006.
- Space.com: All About Mars. Access date: December 7, 2006.
- Squyres, Steve. Roving Mars: Spirit, Opportunity, and the Exploration of the Red Planet. New York: Hyperion, 2005. ISBN 1401301495
External links
All links retrieved September 19, 2014.
- NASA's Mars fact sheet
- 3D maps of Mars - WorldWind Central
- Google Mars - Interactive image of Mars
- Flight Into Mariner Valley - NASA/JPL/Arizona State University 3D flythrough of Valles Marineris
- FU Berlin: HRSC (camera) experiment at Mars Express - Press releases and high resolution images
- Technical Notes about Time on Mars
- On Mars: Exploration of the Red Planet 1958-1978 from the NASA History Office.
- A Trip Into Space - Photos and descriptions of Mars
- Martian Law - a CATO white paper
- 3D VRML Mars globe
- Ralph Aeschliman's Online Atlas of Mars
- Planets - Mars A kid's guide to Mars.
- BBC: Wheels turn on Mars rover project
- Geody Mars World's search engine that supports NASA World Wind, Celestia, and other applications.
- Ice lake found on the Red Planet - BBC
- Dr. Tony Phillips: "Making a Splash on Mars", Science@NASA article, June 29, 2000. Phillips describes the Martian "gullies" and explains the conditions under which liquid water can exist on the surface of Mars.
- Ice reservoirs found on Mars - BBC
- Long history of water and Mars - BBC
- Mars Rover Scientists Wring Water Story from Rocks - This image taken by Mars Rover Opportunity shows microscopic rock forms indicating past signs of water. Courtesy: NASA
- Mars pictures reveal frozen sea BBC
- The Political Economy of Very Large Space Projects (Journal Of Evolution and Technology)
- exploreMarsnow - Interactive Mars base simulation. Winner of 2003 Webby Award for Science.
- NASA Mars Exploration Rover Home Page
- Be on Mars - Anaglyphs from the Mars Rovers (3D)
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The corporate media more and more resembles some of the old issues of Mad magazine and National Lampoon I read many years ago. The morning rag had this headline today on Page 4: "Bush Visits Strategic Mongolia."
I wonderif the words "Mongolia" and "strategic" have ever been uttered with a straight facein the same sentence before now. The first lineof the story, by two Los Angeles Times employees, reads, "Calling the United States and this tiny new democracy 'brothers in the cause of freedom,' President Bush yesterday capped a week-long Asia tour with a highly symbolic visit to a strategically placed ally."
Let's ignore the fact that Bush had probably never heard of Mongolia before visiting it and most certainly wouldn't be able to locate it on a map. If Mongolia is "strategically placed," then what country in the world isn't in one way or another, which means every country in the worldis a "vital interest" of the madcapImperial American Empire.
Editor, The Nationalist Times, Voice of the Real America since 1985
Originally Posted by Don Wassall
Well, that's it -- it's the Bushoviks' SUBTLE little way of saying every time they mention any country smaller than Texas, "WE OWN IT ALL -- GOT THAT?"Edited by: rellaw
Hehe, yeah, I dug those headlines, too. Strategically placed goatskin yurts and nomadic herdsmen could be a boon to the War Against Terror. How about that.
Well, I guess you could make this case if ya wanted to: Mongolia lies right between Russian Siberia and Northern China. China knows Russia has mineral resources, lots of them, in Siberia. China also knows Russia lacks the numbers in her (decrepit) standing army to defend herself from a Red Chinese invasion. China would probably really appreciate owning the rights to Russia's Siberian oil. Mongolia would have to take sides or at least let the Chinese use their land as a front porch to Siberia. But who knows?
That's a plausible case Marlow, but that's the whole point of having an Imperial Empire -- a plausible case can be made that every country on earth has strategic value of some kind. Even the most obscure Black African basket case "nations" have natural resources, ports, etc.
If we ever have our own network we could have a sarcastic game show that has fun with the many excesses of doomed empires, our own takeoff on "Jeopardy" or some such. Ah, to dream. . .
Editor, The Nationalist Times, Voice of the Real America since 1985
With the empire now established everywhere on Planet Earth, not a single sparrow falls to the ground without an American sentry taking notice.
That's the way it is nowadays; even Aunt Ida's broom closet has some strategic importance.
The greatest threat to freedom is not foreign governments. It is our own.
Don't get me wrong DW, I wasn't making a case for Bush's sphere of influence including Mongolia. I was just pointing out how MOngolia could be seen as strategic. Don't mistake that for my actually caring about it! [img]smileys/smiley36.gif[/img]
I didn't take it that way, was just trying to add to your train of thought. I don't think we have any Empire supporters here -- except for the fellow from the one-member "Falconist Party," who disappeared months ago.
Editor, The Nationalist Times, Voice of the Real America since 1985
Falconist Party. Sounds like something that would have been on some cheesy 80's action show like Airwolf or Knight Rider. [img]smileys/smiley36.gif[/img]
Apparently the party is failing to sweep to power. If you want a good laugh, go to the "party's" website and see what's there now:
Editor, The Nationalist Times, Voice of the Real America since 1985
. . . . . . . . especially if you're not already getting enough X-rated junk email. [img]smileys/smiley5.gif[/img]
I'm not surprised...would have guessed that to be about his speed.
The greatest threat to freedom is not foreign governments. It is our own.
It's a bit reminiscent of the character who fashioned himself the leader of a Nazi party in South Carolina a few years back. He called himself Wolfgang Hawke, but when his Jewish ancestry and name was exposed, he quickly headed to New Hampshire where he became one of the kings of sending mass junk e-mails while still in his 20s. He was indicted on charges relating to his new trade a year or two ago but I haven't heard anything since.
Editor, The Nationalist Times, Voice of the Real America since 1985
One must control all the land to rule the world so "Every Inch of Land a vital Interest" to the mad men and women who envision themselves as masters of the world. The same thing has been going on for thousands of years with megalomaniacs.
An article entitled "US Congress passes Russia sanctions, arms for Ukraine"


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RIO DE JANIERO -- Estaleiros do Brasil (EBR), a Brazilian company owned jointly by Toyo Engineering and Brazlian engineering company SOG - óleo e Gás, has been awarded an engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract to install topsides units for an FPSO system. The contract has been awarded by Petrobras subsidiary Petrobras Netherlands B.V.
The FPSO, called P-74, is scheduled to be deployed in 2016 to an offshore oil field located in the pre-salt deepwater layer in the Franco 1 area off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.
EBR is primarily engaged in EPCI-related offshore facilities and is constructing yard facilities in Estado de Rio Grande do Sul in the southernmost part of Brazil, in line with the policy of "increasing the ratio of local content" promoted by the Brazilian government and Petrobras. The yard facilities will be used to assemble the modules of the topsides and to integrate them on the hull.
Over the past 15 years, TOYO has more than 30 project experiences in Brazil. Now, TOYO is constructing the utility facilities for a refinery a gas processing plant, and more. Petrobras has a target to increase oil and gas production from 2.4 million boed today to 5.2 million boed by 2020, and intends to deploy a number of FPSO units to develop its offshore resources.
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Waterbury school budget shows $1.2M increase
Subcommittee supports plan; school board now takes a look
|The Waterbury Career Academy, seen here in March, is still under construction. The $1.9 million cost for staff to launch with just a freshman class is the largest new expense anticipated in the school district's budget proposal for 2013-14. RA Archive
WATERBURY -- The Board of Education's Finance Subcommittee unanimously supported a proposed $166.6 million operating budget request Monday.
That's up from $165.4 million in operations spending this year, a $1.2 million increase.
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someone wrote on Apr 23, 2013 12:07 AM:
oh but we do need to make sure that we have a skilled work force...
uhh... wait a second. waterbury DOES NOT produce skilled workers. it also does not have jobs for the few that there are.
so we throw another extra 1.2 million into the abyss.
great job waterbury, great job. "
SUPRIZED OH NO wrote on Apr 23, 2013 8:53 AM:
This school board spends, spends and spends some more all the time! On us the city tax payers backs continuiously!
The school board budget is 58% of the pie chart, more then half of the fiscle pie chart! Five departments on one side of the pie chart and EDUCATION 58% of the other side of the pie chart.
This school board does not stop spending everytime we tax payers turn around is going to collapse of our dollar and cause bakruptcy to happen!
Suprized, oh NO, spending our money is what they seem to ONLY know how too do!!!!!! "
conservative1 wrote on Apr 23, 2013 1:32 PM:
It's less than a 1% increase. With prices of EVERYTHING going up, I doubt they can even make the year with this small increase. They will be back 6 months into the year with hat in hand. "
John Annon wrote on Apr 23, 2013 2:39 PM:
wtbywtchdog wrote on Apr 23, 2013 11:18 PM:
What this says is guidone runs the ED and NOBODY stands in his way not even the board. Shame on each and everyone of them because this is more than half the city budget and as taxpayers we deserve more.
When things fly past these boards it usually means there is a huge problem in the system. "
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- Connecticut gets mixed surplus message
- Flags will decorate graves in Winsted
- Winsted man captures suspect after officer goes down
- Vietnam veterans honored with pancakes in Canaan
- Large turnout expected Sunday for Cheshire race
- Allergy alert on high
- Outdoor dining coming to Shoppes at Whittemore Crossing in Middlebury
- Community garden idea scrapped in Plymouth
- Waterbury school budget shows $1.2M increase
- Region 6 superintendent, Warren leaders praise school district's proposed budget


text: 4 Well worth the price.DiodeMatrix | 10/07/2009 | See all DiodeMatrix's reviews (2)"Good charger, good price, seems well made and does the job! The connector is marked so you know the correct way to insert it (as Apple) and then locks into position. The seller (Fortynine) delivered this very quickly and it was well packaged."


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Yesterday I was lucky enough to have been invited to be a keynote speaker at an event arranged by Neil Griffiths and hosted by Simon Barry at Walsall Fire Station.
The aim of the session was to help show senior staff from around West Midlands Fire Service of the benefits of using social media to communicate with the public. I had been asked to speak about how we've been successful in West Midlands Police using social media to keep people informed about what we're doing.
This isn't to say that the fire service are not already using social media to good effect – several stations have their own twitter feeds on which information about incidents is published and there are many staff operating accounts too. Oldbury Fire Station is a good example, as is the station in Erdington and their official twitter stream, @WestMidsFire.
In planning my presentation, the reflection on how we are using social media I found very useful in summing up how it has benefited us and how, given the right approach, it can help further the aims of any organisation willing to embrace it.
I'd talked about how we use it and gave some examples of what sort of accounts we have operational. Twitter was a given, also mentioned were our accounts on YouTube, Facebook, Flickr, our blogs and even some presence on Google+.
We've used social media to promote initiatives, give information of major incidents, make appeals and much more. As for who uses it, we have officers from PCSOs and police staff right the way up to the Deputy Chief Constable signing up to Twitter and writing blogs, and also a range of accounts for specialist departments such as the helicopter.
I'd discussed the uptake of social media by forces around the country (over six hundred officers and rising, not to mention corporate accounts) and how successful our Twitter streams had been in terms of public response and recognition in national competitions.
As some of the commanders were new to social media, we also discussed some concerns over the medium – that updates might be taken out of context or accounts used unprofessionally and hopefully made some progress with regards to offering assurance that the capability of social media for positive benefit far outweighs any potential negatives.
I think that the meeting took place at all demonstrated the power of social media for communication and bringing people closer together as my only contact with both Neil and Simon beforehand had been through our Twitter accounts.
I'm hopeful that I'd been able to influence those present that further embracing social media could be of a real advantage to organisations such as the fire service and want to thank both Neil and Simon, as well as the delegates themselves for being so open minded.
I think any feedback about how organisations like the fire service could use social media would be very useful. Would you, for example, like to see more fire stations or firefighters using Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to communicate? What sort of content would you be interested in and what do you think you'd find useful?
Please feel free to leave any suggestions as a comment on this blog post or instead, contact directly via Twitter either Neil or Simon and give them your views.


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No trailer is available
Interesting... This is probably the saddest film I've seen so far on LBP... It's not easy to make something dark or sad here on LBP - a game that almost exudes positivity - and have it achieve its goal. You sir, have done just that. The only thing you could improve on here would be the grammar of the subtitles, but that's just me being picky. Good job!Good grief!
I really don't hear many good voice work films on LBP2 'mostly due to shoddy quality' here however was pretty darn good, but more importantly the short movies message got across nicely. I believed the passion in your speech pattern, & dare I say it was moved deeply. We all have love and heartbreak in our lifes 'comes in many forms'. Great watch.Good grief!
Wow! I'm astounded by the voice-acting! Your deep range definitely fits the character, and the emotion poured into the acting was phenomenal! I can feel the sadness, and that's one of the marks of a good voice actor!Good grief!


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Showcase Sponsor at DEMO Spring 2012
After winning DEMO Asia, which was held in Singapore 2 months ago, we now fly 13,642 km to DEMO Spring, which will be held in Santa Clara from April 18-19.
This time round, Hoiio API will not be doing a 6 minute launch pitch, and will not be contesting for the $1 million grand award (too bad).. However, we are there as a showcase sponsor.
If you missed our 6 minute winning pitch during DEMO Asia, here it is:
We look forward to talking to you at the conference.
And if you are in the bay area, do give us a ping if you like to catch up!
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Branislav Ivanovic scores the second Chelsea goal, Leeds United v Chelsea, Capital One Cup, Elland Road, December 19, 2012
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Career Services
FOCUS 2 is an online career and education planning tool for university students. It enables students to self-assess relevant personal qualities and explore career fields and majors that are most compatible with assessment results. Students who use FOCUS 2 make better decisions about their goals and plans and learn how to self-manage their careers.
Use FOCUS 2 to help you choose or change your major and also to verify your preferences or early choice of a career field. Read a list of FAQs. Click here to download a detailed student workbook.
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Want your own card? You can have one too!
You can share it to your friends, family, and colleagues, just like Tim did.
Tim Hall
DBA, Developer, Author, Trainer, ORACLE-BASE.com
Oracle DBA / Developer
Save Tim's info. It's easy.
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Teaching us How to Listen, Lead… and Live
When your child…, strike that… when your daughter … goes off to college, you hold your breath. You hope that she connects with friends and gains a sense of community – in a hurry. You wish for peace of mind (both hers and yours) about an environment that is safe and nurturing. And you pray for friends who will be a positive influence on her.
And then someone like Peggy Gasior walks in the door and you realize that you've hit the trifecta. Hope realized. Wish granted. Prayer answered.
My daughter Carla, and her freshman roommate, Lisel Allbee, hadn't been on campus for a full day yet at the University of Miami when they received a visit from Peggy, the College Ministry leader at Granada Presbyterian Church. She wanted to welcome them to the U and invite them to church. She'd gone through the same freshman drill years before. She was a Miami alumnus. A Cane. She was also friendly. She was engaging. She was cool.
Carla and Lisel checked out Wednesday night Bible Study where Peggy introduced them to the rest of the crew. They then went to church on Sunday, and Peggy made them feel at home. The College Ministry group was a mix of students, both undergraduate and graduate, who came from all over the world, and attended not only UM, but also FIU and Miami-Dade.
Soon we heard reports about the group's activities, like a Habitat for Humanity project and a missions trip to the Bahamas. There were excited updates about the weekly routines, like Sunday lunches and Wednesday night Bible Study. Over the next four years there were countless football games, cooking adventures, local sightseeing trips, and spontaneous dinners or movie marathons. Suddenly, Carla didn't have just friends, she had family. Everyone in the family had a big sister named Peggy. And they loved her.
Peggy is optimistic, but grounded enough that she can empathize with students going through struggles. She is always on the go, but never at a frenetic pace. She can carry on a conversation with anyone, but is even a better listener. She has a foundation of faith that gives her perspective and a kind of strength that people are drawn to.
Peggy is quite a photographer, and is always ready to capture the proud moment, the priceless expression, or document the event. In the book Nuts, Kevin and Jackie Frieberg describe the corporate culture at Southwest Airlines. They tell how the company's Culture Committee tried to identify specific ways that Southwest could promote a powerful sense of family. Employees recognized that one thing that families do is memorialize events with pictures and then put those pictures all over their houses. So when you walk through the halls of Southwest Airlines' headquarters, you will see hundreds of pictures of team members at corporate and community events. Likewise, Peggy has taken thousands of pictures of her students and chronicled them having fun, doing ministry, and living life. The camera captures her pride…and her love. In this digital age, those pictures get shared on Facebook from person to person and continent to continent.
The College Ministry has had quite an introduction to music, and jazz in particular. Peggy's husband Jim is an accomplished jazz pianist, composer and arranger. Jim has recorded and / or performed with such musicians as Arturo Sandoval, Smokey Robinson, Jane Oliver, and Kelly Clarkson. When Peggy puts the word out that Jim is performing locally, the College Ministry crew turns out.
Peggy is passionate about her students, her church … and her Canes. She has season tickets for Miami Hurricanes football and regularly joins her brother, Paul Ting, for road games. The two recently flew to New York to see Jimmy Johnson and Russell Maryland get inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Through her example, students see that ministry isn't tame, and it isn't lukewarm. The energy she brings to cheering on Duke Johnson on a touchdown run, she brings to encouraging students to persevere through difficulties and to make a difference in the world.
When you think about undergraduate and graduate students coming together you have a group of students who simultaneously are dealing with: living away from home for the first time in their lives, while others are seeking their first full-time job and preparing for life beyond college. You also have those who are dealing with fragile new relationships, while others are preparing for marriage and babies. But everyone knows they have a friend they can talk to, and who will keep them spiritually grounded. She's part coach, part mentor, and always a friend. The lessons learned in the ministry provide a foundation for the future, and the relationships among members become lasting.
Donna and I have been able to spend time with Peggy – tailgating before a Canes game, listening to Jim play piano at Joe's Stone Crab, and over breakfast in South Miami. She has a personality that seems to put her at ease in front of people of any age and in any setting. She is comfortable in her own skin. She laughs. She learns. And most of all, she listens. She has the Bill Clinton-esque ability to have you believe that you are the most important person in the world when you speak to her.
Several weeks ago I was moving boxes in our garage, and a book fell out of one of Carla's many (many, many) storage boxes from College. It had a plain green cover, and looked like it had been handled often. I opened it up to typed notes glued to the pages in the book. My eyes caught Carla's name and I saw that she was requesting prayers for her mother and brother, who were dealing with health issues at the time. I felt like I was intruding looking at this prayer journal. But before I closed the book, I saw the names of other people and appreciated that parents, siblings, and friends were being prayed for by a special group of students. I had a lump in my throat recognizing that my daughter and her friends had been praying for my family. Week after week. And I immediately thought of Peggy and her role as a conductor of this symphony of prayer and thanksgiving.
I think we all strive to identify God's calling for our lives. There is tremendous peace and power when we feel that we are doing what we were meant to do. I can't imagine Peggy doing anything else. She is impacting students, families, and the local community in a powerful, palpable way.
Anyone who plays a positive role with our kids deserves special recognition. But we all need a Peggy. Someone who will encourage us. Someone who will listen to us. Someone who will pray for us. Someone who will be our friend.
My hope is that you will find your Peggy and that you, too, hit the trifecta. Hope realized. Wish granted. Prayer answered.
As I read through this post, I recalled my trepidation at sending my daughter to college. The night before , my daughter and I sat in the kitchen, in silence as the awareness of this monumental milestone hung heavy in the air. I remember having a lump in my throat and not even being able to verbalize everything I wanted to say to her. I needed a "Peggy" to help me with the transition! All turned out well in the end but having someone like Peggy to help us both with the transition would have made all the difference in the world as you have shown here. I love how you showcase the positive impact people can have on each other just by being themselves. Hurray to Peggy and hurray to you for sharing her with us. Happy New Year!January 1, 2013


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Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Reviews
Book Review: Eternal Kiss
By Sandy Amazeen May 17, 2011, 7:05 GMT
Raised by the Breed, Nicholas Roman wants to stop the Eternal Order of Vampires from controlling his life, and using other males from his bloodline-including possibly his son-for their vicious reign. Only a beautiful vampire stranger can help him. But what are her true motives? ...more
The Eternal Order of vampires who make no secret of abusing their power to maintain complete control has artificially forced one of three brothers, Nicholas Roman into early vampire maturity or morpho. After receiving the marks of his maturity including the mating marks, the Order charges Nicholas with killing Ethan Dare an Impureblood who threatens their carefully laid plans. It is a task his brother Alex was unable to carry out which led to the Order forcing Nicholas through morpho and should he fail, his younger brother Lucien will suffer the same fate.
Kate Everborne braves the consequences of leaving her credenti in order to deliver Ladd, a newly orphaned boy to his supposed father after the witnessing the murder of his mother. Sparks fly as soon as Nicholas meets Kate and the existence of a son comes as a complete surprise to the newly matured male who suspects Dare is behind the obvious lie. After Kate is attacked on the train home, Nicholas begins believing that there is something larger at work, especially as he cant seem to keep his hands off her. Determined to protect his brother, Nicholas has no option but to work with the frustratingly secretive Kate, attempt to bond with Ladd and carry out the Orders decree even if it kills him.
Book two of the Mark of the Vampire series expands on the Order and their agenda as well as the ongoing insurrection of the Impurebloods. The romance between Nicholas and Kate is a treat to watch as they both have plenty of issues but that doesnt keep them from feeling an incredible attraction. The inclusion of Ladd adds an interesting subplot as does Luciens future because he might well damn himself before the Order gets a chance to. One of the twists at the climax will not come as much of a surprise but adds another layer to the rift between Purebloods and Impurebloods that is likely to play a large role in the next installment.
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Head, Serials Acquisitions Unit, Collection Development and Acquisitions Section, Technical Services Division, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda MD
posted January 29, 2014 4:23 PM
We anticipate that on Thursday, January 30 there will be an announcement on USAJOBS.gov https://www.
Head, Serials Acquisitions Unit, Collection Development and Acquisitions Section, Technical Services Division, National Library of Medicine
This position will be listed as Supervisory Librarian GS-1410-13, with a salary range from $89,924 to $116,901 including locality pay per annum.
The Serials Acquisitions Unit Head in the Collection Development and Acquisitions Section serves as the head of one of four units and directly supervises a staff of three professional acquisitions librarians whose grades range from GS 9 to GS 12 level and five library technical support staff whose grades range from GS 7 to GS 8 level. The incumbent is responsible for managing operations of the Unit which acquires approximately 18,000 print and electronic biomedical and related serials, including providing preliminary bibliographic control for serial titles; managing accounts and communication with commercial subscription vendors worldwide; physical processing of print serial issues; creating and maintaining purchase order, receiving, payment and holdings records in an integrated library system; monitoring expenditures on the serials budget; and preparing reports to support analysis of the NLM collection.
The incumbent will be a member of the Collection Development and Acquisitions Section management team, reporting directly to the Section Head, and serves on working groups within NLM and represents NLM to various professional and government organizations.


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Blue Microphones' Nessie now available, promises enhanced sound in real time
Blue Microphones' Nessie is now out on the market, months after we took it for a spin at this year's CES. Named after a cryptid like its older sibling the Yeti, Nessie comes with three modes — one for raw audio, another optimized for richer vocals and one that enhances instrumental music. The company claims the USB microphone delivers studio-enhanced sound in real-time, and you don't need to go through manual post-production unless you chose to record in raw audio. Made to work directly with both PCs and Macs, you can also use Nessie with iPads using a 30-pin to USB or a Lightning to USB adapter. Available now for $99 at Apple's retail and online stores, Nessie will also surface on Best Buy, Guitar Center, and other Blue retailers at a later date. Before you whip out those credit cards, though, check out the sound samples and comparisons recorded using the device after the break.
Filed under: Peripherals
Source: Blue Microphones
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Lavazza Qualita Oro Gold Coffee 3 3
PLEASE BRING BACK THE BEANS FOR LAVAZZA We love Lavazza Oro beans and in the past they have been available from the World Market. Now it is only the grounded coffee which has a different taste. If one wants to make an espresso the coffee beans provide the full pleasure in the experience, so PLEASE BRING BACK THE BEANS! March 24, 2012
Amazing I use this for my espresso machine at home. It is the best tasting espresso I have ever had. I work for starbucks and it's way out of their league. July 11, 2011
Wonderful Coffee LavAzza is filled with a wonderful blend of aromatic coffee beans coupled with impeccable taste. It is the blend of beauty and taste that earmarks LavAzza as an intense epicurean experience unlike any other. July 1, 2011
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Home News Local News Jobs outlook brightens in Wallowa County
Jobs outlook brightens in Wallowa County
Unemployment rate drops to 11.8% in April compared to 14.3% in March
Unemployment fell a little in Union County in April, and took a healthy downward dip in Wallowa County, according to preliminary figures from the Oregon Employment Department.
Union County joblessness inched downward in April to 9.2 percent, compared to 10.3 percent in March.
Wallowa County unemployment improved to 11.8 percent, compared to 14.3 percent in March.
Overall job numbers in Union County held steady, with a total of 9,780 non-farm jobs filled. Non-farm employment in Union County tallied 9,790 in March. In April 2011, the Union County job count stood at 9,760.
By employment sector, retail trade and trade, transportation and utilities showed the most gains, adding 30 jobs apiece in Union County in April of this year. Jobs in retail trade totaled 1,370 in April. Trade, transportation and utilities had 2,100.
Union County's closely watched manufacturing sector, which includes wood products and recreational vehicle manufacturing, shed 20 jobs between April and March. However, employment in manufacturing is holding steady in year-to-year totals. In April 2012, the sector employed 1,040 people, a number identical with that of April 2011.
Wallowa County added 50 non-farm jobs in April, bringing the total to 2,170. Government accounted for a big portion of the gain, adding 20 positions. Most other employment sectors added a few jobs or showed no change.
Elsewhere in the region, Baker County's unemployment rate came in at 9.8 percent for April. In Grant County the rate was 14.6 percent and, in Umatilla County, it was 8.2 percent.
In Oregon for April, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.5 percent, down a bit from 8.6 percent in March.
In the United States, seasonally adjusted unemployment registered 7.7 percent, an improvement over March's 8.4 percent.


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Despite a challenge by upstarts with cords, the Toyota Prius remains the unofficial car of green-ness. What's sometimes difficult to remember is that the car has been on the market for over a decade, so it's nowhere near an overnight success. We're not sure if we'll ever see the day when half of Santa Monica is driving around in Nissan Leaf electric vehicles, but at least one publication sees history repeating itself – this time with plug-ins in the Prius role.
A new article in Scientific American downplays worries that sales of plug-ins such as the Leaf and Chevrolet Volt have been disappointing. In fact, the publication says electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are "on track or doing better" than hybrid sales were at the same stage of market introduction.
"We are seeing impressive year-on-year sales, declining battery costs, a decarbonizing power sector, and cities around the world committed to reducing congestion and local air pollution," writes Tali Trigg in Scientific American. Supporting the claim are the cold, hard numbers: about two years after their US introduction, both the Leaf and Volt are selling at almost twice the pace as the Prius did two years after it debuted in the States. And such plug-in numbers, which more than doubled to about 120,000 units worldwide last year, may surge further as volume production rises and battery costs fall.