Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 1, 2011

12

THE WORLD AROUND YOU

 Mountain Views News Saturday, January 1, 2011 


It’s COLD and WET at The Moon’s South Pole

 Frozen water just inches below the Moon’s surface has been 
confirmed by an international team of scientists.

 Based on data the group obtained with an instrument aboard 
the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, NASA chose the 
impact site for the LCROSS probe, which slammed into the 
Moon’s surface last year in October in an attempt to kick up dust 
that could be analyzed for the presence of water ice.

 “We found significant amounts of water around the north 
and south poles, in places where previously we were only 
tentatively thinking of it,” said University of Arizona 
professor William Boynton.

 In addition to confirming water and its distribution in 
unprecedented detail, the data included an unexpected 
finding.

 “To our surprise, some of the permanently shadowed 
regions had no water, but some of the areas that receive 
sunlight occasionally did have water,” Boynton said.

 In other words, water was found not only where it is 
supposed to be, but also where it is not supposed to be.

 Previously, scientists were convinced water ice could only 
persist in so-called Permanently Shadowed Regions, or 
PSRs — places on the Moon’s surface where the Sun never 
reaches. Unlike Earth, whose tilted axis ensures that any 
spot on the surface receives sunlight at some point during 
our year-long journey around the Sun, the Moon’s axis is 
hardly tilted at all. As a result, some places on the lunar 
surface are never exposed to sunlight.

 “In some of the craters that are close to the north or 
south pole and have very steep walls, no direct sunlight ever 
reaches the bottom of the crater,” Boynton said.

 “At down to minus 370 degrees Fahrenheit, those PSRs 
are colder than Pluto,” added Karl Harshman, a software 
engineer with UA’s Lunar and Planetary Lab.

 But according to the measurements the group obtained using 
the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector, or LEND, aboard the 
LRO spacecraft orbiting the Moon, there is water even in areas 
that are exposed to the Sun’s warming rays every once in a while.

 To trace the abundance of water on the Moon, the scientists 
took advantage of cosmic particles constantly bombarding every 
object in space. Since the Moon lacks a protective atmosphere, 
the particles strike the surface at close to the speed of light. 
When they collide with the atomic nuclei in the dusty soil, they 
knock particles off these atoms, mostly protons and neutrons, 
some of which escape into space. If one of these particles hits a 
hydrogen atom, which is most likely part of a water molecule, it 
slows down dramatically, leaving fewer particles fast enough to 
escape to space.

 By measuring differences in the flow of neutrons coming 
from different places on the Moon’s surface, the researchers were 
able to infer the amount of water present in the soil: Areas 
emitting low neutron radiation indicated that water was 
capturing and retaining most of the neutrons, while areas 
reflecting high neutron radiation identified themselves as 
dry.

 In the PSRs near the LCROSS impact site at the Moon’s 
south pole, the soil was found to contain up to four percent 
water.

 “The water might be like some form of ice mixed with the 
soil, possibly similar to the slightly damp, frozen soil found 
in Alaska,” Boynton said. “We think that in the PSRs, water 
ice might be present on the surface, but the fact we found 
it in the partially sunlit areas, too, means the upper three 
inches or so must be dry dirt; otherwise the sunlight would 
cause the water to evaporate.”

 Possible origins of the water on the Moon include impacts 
of icy comets or hydrogen deposited from solar wind, the 
authors noted.

 The study was led by Igor Mitrofanov at the Institute 
for Space Research of the Russian Academy of Science in 
Moscow, the agency that supplied the LEND instrument 
used in this study. LRO is managed by NASA’s Goddard 
Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

 

 You can contact Bob Eklund at: b.eklund@MtnViewsNews.com.


The white contour surrounds the largest permanently shadowed region 
in the Cabeus crater, with the red asterisk marking the location 
of the LCROSS-Centaur impact. The colors indicate how much water 
is present in the soil, ranging from dry (red) over intermediate (green) 
to areas with relatively high water abundance (blue). The white marker 
in the foreground points to the Moon’s south pole. (Image: G. Droege, 
University of Arizona)

Ask jai……


Ask jai is a weekly column that will strive to honestly answer your job search questions relating 
to job searching techniques, networking skills, resume writing and interviewing. The employment 
situation is getting better, however, it is still a challenge finding were the jobs are located and how to 
get pass the “gate-keepers”. As an Executive Recruiter I was privy to working directly with Corporate 
Recruiters and understanding their process in selecting which candidates to interview and hire. I will 
candidly answer your questions, possibly bluntly answering you questions, but I will be totally honest. 
My objective is to help you achieve your employment goal.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Job Seeker New Year Resolutions

1. I will get a job within six months that will be a perfect fit and matches my skills, 
experience, education, and my financial needs.

2. I will write a dynamic resume to include all my skills, accomplishments and 
education to get me noticed and interviewed. 

3. I will create and deliver a 15-second elevator speech which will grab everyone’s 
attention and make them take an interest in what I have to offer.

4. I will improve on my interviewing skills to project my self-confidence and an 
eagerness to add value to a company. 

5. I will develop a job search plan and tracking system.

6. I will commit and devote at least 30 hours a week to finding a job.

7. I will mail and e-mail out over 50 resumes a week to employers. 

8. I will expand my job search and not just focus on positions listed on the 
internet.

9. I will register with 20 or more temporary and staffing agencies to increase my 
employment options and opportunities

10. I will register and post my resume on more than 25 job boards and portals.

11. I will relentlessly expand my network by attending “real live” social networking 
events, contact employers, talk with family, friends and former co-workers, and 
use the internet social networks to increase my odds of finding a job.

12. I will surround myself with positive and supportive people to encourage me to 
job hunt until I find a job or position I like and is in line with my budget and 
financial needs.

13. I will help others who are searching for employment.

14. I will be optimistic and not get discouraged: there is a job out there for me.

15. I will find the right employer and position suitable for me.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, prosperous, and much success-at -finding the- right-job 

NEW YEAR!!! jai

Everything you ever wanted to know about how to get a job … but didn’t know who to ask. 
ASK jai. Send your questions to: jai@resumeandcareerservices.com


Walking Miss Daisy 

 It is 7:30 AM when my neighbor’s cell phone 
comes to life, breaking the serene silence of 
dawn and rudely awaking all who sleep. The 
custom, voice-recorded ring tone resounds 
loudly with a chime of “Chris, dog walker….
Chris, dog walker…Chris, dog walker”! 
Immediately, Daisy snaps to attention, plants 
herself at the foot of the bed, and places one 
paw on top of the bed sheet with her fluffy 
white ears and tail fully engaged. Next she 
begins her usual routine of pacing back and 
forth from the bedroom to the leash that 
hangs on the hook by the front door, whining 
softly as she paces, as if to say, “Please hurry, 
get me ready, Chris will be here any minute”. 
Soon she is greeted on the front porch by her 
beloved walker who gives her a hug and a 
pleasant verbal greeting, and off we go. Daisy 
is absolutely elated to be leashed and heading 
out on yet another exploratory pilgrimage 
through the local neighborhood and hillsides!

 Within moments, we are well on our way 
up the steep hill that takes us to the upper 
canyon and ultimate apex of our vigorous 
hour-long hike. The sun has just made its way 
over the eastern horizon, and has begun its 
typical daily task of steaming the pavement 
and warming the windows of the houses as 
we pass by.

 Suddenly, Daisy stops in her tracks; her body 
stiffens and she stares ahead, fully focused on 
the hillside adjacent to us. Her ears are perked 
to a point, her tail is bent forward and the hair 
on her back begins to rise up like a porcupine. 
I follow her gaze, hoping to see what may 
have caught her eye and caused such a sudden 
change in her countenance, but I see nothing 
out of the ordinary among the massive, 
meandering oak trees and low-growing fauna 
covering the open area between the houses on 
the hill. Seconds later, Daisy relaxes enough 
for us to resume our steep upward climb and 
I begin wondering to myself what could have 
caused her momentary change in behavior. It 
crosses my mind that she might have nervous 
tendencies due to a traumatic experience that 
occurred when she was a puppy, before she 
was rescued and adopted. As I ponder the 
possibilities, we make our way further up and 
around the curve toward the fire road, where 
the pavement ends abruptly at the trail head. 
It is then that I look up to see a small pack 
of coyotes standing in the middle of the trail 
just a few yards ahead, looking directly at us! 
I am a bit surprised to see so many of them 
standing so close, but having seen coyotes 
in the neighborhoods and canyons multiple 
times before, I know enough to slowly 
back away and leave them alone, to avoid 
confrontation.

 As we head back down the hill, it occurs to 
me that Daisy’s sudden change in demeanor 
on our way up the hill, had nothing to do with 
neurosis, nor was it prompted by something 
she saw far away in the distant woods. Daisy’s 
brief behavioral interlude had clearly been a 
natural response to her inherently keen sense 
of olfaction. I had recently read an article that 
mentioned a dog’s sense of smell is said to be 
1,000 times stronger than that of a human 
being, mainly attributable to a vomeronasal 
organ that is housed in the dog’s olfactory 
chamber. This specialized anatomical 
feature, unique to the canine, was no doubt 
what allowed Daisy to sense the presence of 
the coyotes from so far away, and exhibit a 
physical response long before they came into 
her field of vision.

 We finished our hike, and I delivered 
Daisy back to the safety of her home with 
lots of hugs and praise. Later that day, I was 
reflecting on our walk and I realized that my 
initial assumptions about what could have 
caused Daisy’s unexpected behavior had been 
a prime example of how the domestic dog is 
often misunderstood by the human being. 
Daisy’s response to the scent of the coyotes 
that morning, reinforced my appreciation for 
the dog’s sense of smell, but more importantly 
it taught me that, if acknowledged from the 
proper perspective, a dog’s sensual abilities 
and responsive behavior can act as a very 
important tell-tale for the human’s safety in 
the wilderness. Finally, it was a reminder to 
avoid trying to anthropomorphize the dog. 
To expect a dog to think and behave the way 
a human thinks and behaves is to foolishly 
discount the remarkable unique qualities of 
the dog that can be of great value and benefit 
to the human. In retrospect, my experience 
that morning taught me 2 very valuable 
lessons; to respect the dog and its inherent 
sensual abilities, and to allow myself a healthy 
helping of humility as a human being. Who 
knew a simple morning walk with a dog could 
offer lessons of such value and importance?

Happy Tails is a new feature of the Mountain 
Views News brought to you by Chris LeClerc an 
avid animal lover and pet owner who operates 
Canyon Canines in Sierra Madre. For more 
info on Chris go to: www.canyoncanines.com.

Happy Tails

by Chris LeClerc


Blood & Tea Bags

 Can you take pain? When 
you slip while cutting melon 
do you laugh off the fact that 
your left forefinger is now three 
millimeters shorter than your 
right? Or do you scream if grease 
flies from the frying pan and 
singes your arm? I can’t bear 
nausea or having my blood drawn (the suction 
sound grosses me out), but other than that, I tolerate 
pain pretty well. I should warn you; this article is 
not for the faint of stomach. If you get woozy at the 
mention of blood, continue on to another section of 
the paper!

 January is a time for renewal 
of health insurance, and it 
was about this time last year 
when my dentist’s receptionist 
called to cheerily inform me 
that my health care provider 
had approved yet another 
periodontal (gum) surgery. Oh 
joy! I’d been through a number 
of these operations before my 
dentist referred me to my current 
specialist. He’s a tall, dark and 
suave Spanish guy with an exotic 
accent. We’ll call him Dr. Suave.

 Inspecting my previous 
surgical site, he remarked on how 
nicely his last operation turned 
out. With my mouth pried open 
I managed a weak “Uh huh.” He 
said next he’d tackle the upper 
front left quadrant of my mouth. For this, he’d need 
to harvest tissue from the deep part of my palate, 
which might be more painful. If you’re blissfully 
ignorant of what these surgeries entail, let me 
enlighten you. The surgeon “harvests” some nice 
living tissue from the roof of your mouth, then cuts 
open your gums and stitches it in like a patch.

 Yeah, yeah, I thought, listening to his prediction 
of pain. I’d never had to follow any precautions 
before. He told to me pick up some vitamin C and 
zinc supplements, along with frozen peas to lessen 
the swelling. “Uh huh,” I replied, with no intention 
of heeding his advice.

 The surgery came and went; my eyes closed to 
the torture devices being sawed and drilled in me. 
I only wish they provided earplugs. Afterward, Dr. 
Suave fitted me with a rubber retainer to protect the 
harvested area. Underneath was a wad of gauze to 
soak up the blood. I numbly drove home, planning 
to take it off the next morning.

 To my surprise, some blood oozed out the back 
of the retainer. The gauze was starting to unravel, 
and long strings tickled the back of my throat. 
Also, the pain was greater than before. I popped 
a couple Motrins and tried to determine if my face 
was as swollen as it felt. I attempted eating steamed 
veggies, but nearly gagged when I realized the gauze 
had come loose and slid down my throat with a 
swallow of cauliflower.

 By dinner I was tired of wearing the retainer. As 
I gingerly removed it my husband asked if I wanted 
something soft to eat, but I 
cavalierly responded that I was 
fine! The first bite of chicken 
was okay, but the next had a 
distinctly iron flavor, and felt 
as if it was warmly expanding 
as I chewed. Oh #*! I spit out 
the bloody food in a napkin 
and grabbed a fresh one to 
staunch the bleeding. By then 
my husband was trying to be as 
helpful as one can be when one’s 
spouse’s palate is hemorrhaging. 
After a minute of applied 
pressure I carefully peeled away 
the napkin, but was met with a 
fresh torrent of blood issuing 
from my mouth like a miniature 
geyser. I ran to the kitchen 
and held my head over the 
wastebasket. Tears came, not because of any pain, 
but because the steady spattering wouldn’t stop. 
My husband called Dr. Suave, who recommended 
compressing tea bags. Since neither of us are big tea 
drinkers, my husband called my parents, and they 
arrived shortly with a variety of teas. “Oh, yeah…” 
my mom nodded as I stuffed bags in my mouth like 
a chipmunk, “I had to use tea bags when I had my 
wisdom teeth out. I bled like a stuck pig for days.”

 When the flow finally ended, I downed vitamin C 
and zinc tablets like they were candy, and consumed 
nothing but yogurt and lukewarm tea for a week. 
Recently a coworker asked me how my gum grafts 
went, since she is scheduled to have a similar 
procedure. Did it take a long time? Was it painful? 
I smiled a thin-gummed grin, “Nah, piece of cake!”