TUCSON, Ariz. -- NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander used its Robotic Arm to deliver a second sample of soil for analysis by the spacecraft's wet chemistry laboratory, data received from Phoenix on Sunday night confirmed.
Results from testing this sample will be compared in coming days to the results from the first Martian soil analyzed by the wet chemistry laboratory two weeks ago. That laboratory is part of Phoenix's Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer.
The main activity on the lander's schedule for today is testing a method for scraping up a sample of icy material and getting it into the scoop at the end of the Robotic Arm. Photography before, during and after the process will allow evaluation of this method. If the test goes well, the science team plans to use this method for gathering the next sample to be delivered to Phoenix's bake-and-sniff instrument, the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer.
The Phoenix mission is led by Peter Smith of The University of Arizona with project management at JPL and development partnership at Lockheed Martin, located in Denver. International contributions come from the Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the...
Although the name Litha is not well attested, it may come from Saxon tradition -- the opposite of Yule. On this longest day of the year, light and life are abundant. At mid-summer, the Sun God has reached the moment of his greatest strength. Seated on his greenwood throne, he is also lord of the forests, and his face is seen in church architecture peering from countless foliate masks.
The Christian religion converted this day of Jack-in-the-Green to the Feast of St. John the Baptist, often portraying him in rustic attire, sometimes with horns and cloven feet (like the Greek Demi-God Pan)
Midsummer Night's Eve is also special for adherents of the Faerie faith. The alternative fixed calendar date of June 25 (Old Litha) is sometimes employed by Covens. The name Beltane is sometimes incorrectly assigned to this holiday by some modern traditions of Wicca, even though Beltane is the Gaelic word for May.
Traditional Foods:
Garden fresh fruits and vegetables are made into a variety of dishes and eaten by Pagan's who choose to celebrate this day.
The year of the Rat is upon us. The year of the Earth Rat to be precise. An Earth year is said to be calmer, but don't be deceived, it is also a Rat year and Rats never stop moving. Especially mentally.
The year of the Earth Rat is not a year to rely on luck. It is a year for new beginnings, productivity and stability. A year to deal with practical matters and perform spiritual work. This year favors new directions, ideas and ways of doing things.
The year of the Earth Rat is the year to consider the far reaching, long term consequences of that which is begun now. It is a time focused on self improvement, leaning towards career, so consider the consequence that will have on family.
Enjoy the Year of the Earth Rat, and add something new to your life.
I keep sitting down to write Pucks Blog for the month. Each time I've either stared at the blinking cursor on the page, or only made a few sentences. I've waffled on breadth of subject, and insisted I could 'write it better'. Now, this blog entry is an excellent example of its intended topic: "Perfection is not an option". As I've now had more than apmle time to study my affirmation, it would more appropriately read; "perfection is not an option, it is a place to hide."
Allow me to try to explain. When doing something, anything, it's no good unless you finish. Unless you try. No matter how exacting one may be, there will always be errors. No matter the artists skill, nor how much like the actual person the painting may look, there will always be errors. A speck in the reflection missed. A play of light lost on the pallet. Or a stroke missed for an errant strand of hair. Yet the artist paints anyway, and people are enamored with how the eyes follow you around the room. How life like the painting. Even though it is not perfect, it is exquisite, and worthy...
In these pages you'll find poetry, photos, ideas & ideals both ancient and new. You will find articles of history and myth brought forward through time. Articles and commentary of a skewed world view. We are firm believers in 'if you don't like it change it'. We also know you can not force anyone to "see" anything, and that you can not change another person; they have to do it themselves.
Each of us (as humans) are irrationally unique. No two people see the same event/thing in the same way. Each word is translated from intent to cognition. From what I say to what you mean. Our answer was Pucks Pages. A place for us to say what we wanted. To define that word that everyone uses and no one knows what it means. A place for us to carefully ( or not so carefully ) choose our words, and feel we've been heard. We tired of asking the question, 'don't people know...?', and Pucks Pages was born.
Originally a 'neighborhood paper' funded by ourselves and our friends. Now it has evolved to a small website intended to give voice to the unorthodox. To the little known. To that which would be...
