Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 13, 2011

12

THE WORLD AROUND US

 Mountain Views News Saturday, August 13, 2011


NASA’s Juno Spacecraft Launches to Jupiter


NASA’s solar-powered Juno spacecraft 
lifted off from Cape Canaveral Friday, August 
5, to begin a five-year journey to Jupiter.

Juno’s detailed study of the largest planet 
in our solar system will help reveal Jupiter’s 
origin and evolution. As the archetype of 
giant gas planets, Jupiter can help scientists 
understand the origin of our solar system and 
learn more about planetary systems around 
other stars.

“Today, with the launch of the Juno 
spacecraft, NASA began a journey to yet 
another new frontier,” NASA Administrator 
Charles Bolden said. “The future of 
exploration includes cutting-edge science 
like this to help us better understand our 
solar system and an ever-increasing array of 
challenging destinations.”

Juno covered the distance from Earth to the 
Moon (about 250,000 miles) in less than one 
day’s time. It will take another five years (and 
1,740,000,000 miles) to complete the journey 
to Jupiter. After arrival, the spacecraft will 
orbit the planet’s poles 33 times, using its 
collection of eight science instruments to 
probe beneath the gas giant’s obscuring 
cloud cover and learn more about its origins, 
structure, atmosphere, and magnetosphere—
as well as looking for a potential solid 
planetary core.

With four large moons and many smaller 
moons, Jupiter forms its own miniature 
solar system. Its composition resembles a 
star’s, and if it had been about 80 times more 
massive, the planet could have become a star 
instead.

“Jupiter is the Rosetta Stone of our solar 
system,” said Scott Bolton, Juno’s principal 
investigator from the Southwest Research 
Institute in San Antonio. “It is by far the 
oldest planet, contains more material than 
all the other planets, asteroids and comets 
combined and carries deep inside it the story 
of not only the solar system but of us. Juno 
is going there as our emissary—to interpret 
what Jupiter has to say.”

Juno’s name comes from Greek and Roman 
mythology. The god Jupiter drew a veil of 
clouds around himself to hide his mischief, 
and his wife, the goddess Juno, was able to 
peer through the clouds and reveal Jupiter’s 
true nature.

SPACECRAFT CARRIES PLAQUE 
HONORING GALILEO

A plaque dedicated to the famous 
astronomer Galileo Galilei will be carried to 
Jupiter aboard the Juno spacecraft. 

Among his many achievements, Galileo 
Galilei discovered four moons orbiting 
Jupiter, when he turned his newly built 
telescope to the sky in 1610. These moons—
Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto—are also 
known as the Galilean satellites.

The plaque, which was provided by the 
Italian Space Agency, measures 2.8 by 2 inches, 
is made of flight-grade aluminum, and weighs 
six grams (0.2 ounces). It was bonded to 
Juno’s propulsion bay with a spacecraft-grade 
epoxy. The graphic on the plaque depicts a 
self-portrait of Galileo. It also includes—in 
Galileo’s own hand—a passage from notes he 
made in 1610 of his observations of Jupiter, 
archived in the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale 
in Florence, Italy.

More information about the Juno mission:

http://www.nasa.gov/juno

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


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 your questions, but I will be totally honest. My objective is to help you achieve 
your employment goal.

ONE DAY SOON

 What if nearly everything you usually 
keep on your computer was stored 
online? Your machine would be much 
speedier and perhaps needed a lot less 
because you could simply use another 
machine to access your data should 
you lose your laptop. This liberating 
premise is behind Google’s upcoming 
Chrome OS, which will make notebook 
computers more like netbooks than most 
actual netbooks. The software powering 
Chrome OS, which is based on Google’s 
Chrome browser, serves mainly as a tool 
for connecting your computer to the 
Web. Since much of what many people 
currently use is housed, the day when 
true cloud computing is the norm is 
getting closer and closer. 

 In Google’s Chrome OS, users would 
have to login into a Google account (if 
you already have a Gmail account those 
credentials would suffice) leading to a 
homepage that would show the apps 
the user had previously purchased and 
“installed” from the Google Web Store 
(http://chrome.google.com). There 
appears to be a healthy market already 
for these apps and the introduction of 
the Chrome compatible computers will 
probably boost public demand for more 
in the near future. Many of these apps 
work independent of the Chrome OS but 
analysts expect that number to decrease 
in the future as Google promotes the 
widespread use of its new OS. 

 As to be expected some industry critics 
and analysts are not exactly gushing 
with high expectations for what this 
new mode of computing is attempting 
to do to business as usual. While fans of 
cloud computing will point to the speed, 
simplicity and security that appear to be 
built into Chrome OS, naysayers point 
out the fact that not everybody wants to 
be online all the time. For all of its speed 
and new-fangled slickness, Chrome 
OS is absolutely nothing without an 
active connection to the internet. When 
Chrome OS is not connected to the 
internet the entire concept of cloud 
computing is hobbled. And then there’s 
the whole issue of just who the target 
market for this new OS is in reality. 

 A large percentage of the market is 
comprised of the very young and the very 
geeky. These groups would probably have 
very little difficulty adjusting to a totally-
plugged-in lifestyle and in many ways 
are already living and working as such 
now. These people would probably enjoy 
testing the bells and whistles of this new 
mode of computing. Then you have the 
“Will-This-Thing-Help-Me-Do-My-Job-
Better” group. These people may or may 
not personally be interested in a new toy 
but if the new toy offers the real promise 
of being a better work platform than what 
they currently may be using, this group 
will not be shy about voting with their 
dollars and desktops for the new system. 

 At this early stage of the game even the 
best release of the new OS will not be 
able to win over a significant share of this 
crowd for the simple fact that it won’t 
be ready to do what so far the iPad and 
other platforms of great promise have 
been unable to do and that is replace the 
traditional workplace desktop. 

Ask jai 

In addition to submitting my resume and cover letter to employers on-line and in person, I am being asked to 
complete an application form. It seems like I have to do this for almost every position and employer. Why do I 
have to complete an application when I have submitted a resume? Is it absolutely necessary that I answer every 
question and completely fill out every line? Janice

Dear Janice

 The job application form is a document that employers use to assess and screen candidates. This a very important 
document that you should take seriously. Print out a copy of a blank job application form and practice completing 
it. This will prepare you when you apply for jobs on-line and in-person. The job application is essentially for 
employers to review and identify the accuracy or inaccuracies regarding your work history. Completing the 
application form demonstrates to an employer that you can follow instructions and possibly what kind of employee 
you might be. Some job applications will ask for personal information. This is legal as long as it relates to the 
position that you are applying for. There is usually an Equal Employment optional section that will ask for your 
gender and race. Contact your State Department of Labor with any questions that you feel are inappropriate. 
However, only you can make the decision as to which questions and lines you are comfortable about completing. 
You will be asked to sign the application form which declares that everything you have written is, to the best of 
your ability, true and accurate. The employment application is the employer’s confirmation that you are “telling the 
truth” about your work history and that you can be trusted. Employers frequently use this document to conduct 
background checks. Be aware that if you are hired, you can be terminated immediately at anytime if the employer 
eventually discovers any misrepresentations or omissions in your application. 

Review and use your resume when completing the application form. Always use a pen, and print neatly when 
completing a job application in person or mailing it to the employer. Practice printing and be neat. Try to answer 
every question. Make sure that the work history section consistently mirrors your resume and is in chronological 
order. Be sure that you spell all names, cities and companies correctly. Completing the work history section will 
help the employer find out the reason why you left previous employers, why you are currently seeking employment 
and job responsibilities. Tell the truth, even if you left an employer unfavorably, because they will eventually find 
out. The best response that I’ve seen on an application if you were fired or have a criminal record was “Please see 
me”. This response leaves it open for the employer to ask questions and for you to explain. You will be asked about 
your salary expectation and to list your previous salary history. You must put in your previous salaries. Employers 
do have the right to contact your former employers and ask questions about your salary. You will need to include at 
least three references. They will request information about you educational background, years attended, program 
and addresses. Last read, review and sign the application agreement or check the appropriate acknowledgment 
on-line. 

Everything you ever wanted to know about how to get a job but did not know who to ask…ASK Jai. Send your 
questions to jai@resumeandcareerservices.com or web site www.resumeandcareerservices.com. 


KATIE Tse..........This and That


ONE YEAR!

Yay! “This & That” 
turns one year old 
today! Phew! Never 
thought I’d make it! 
And I couldn’t have 
made it without the 
help of some very 
special people I’d like to 
take this opportunity 
to thank! First, God, because I thank 
Him for everything. Second, Stephanie 
Vitale, my unofficial literary mentor who 
first encouraged me to submit a story I 
wrote about “Scary Dreams.” Next, my 
wonderful editor, Susan Henderson, 
who graciously allowed me to join the 
Mountain Views News team. (And she 
throws a great New Years party! I’m sad 
that I had to miss her famous 7/4 BBQ. 
Next year I hope to be there!). Susan 
was the one who dubbed my column 
“This & That,” which has proven to be 
a very appropriate title for my weekly 
digressions. 

It always helps to have an extra pair of 
eyes look over a piece before it gets sent 
off to the press, so I have three people to 
thank for that. The first is my husband, 
my most scrupulously honest critic (that I 
know of), who has saved you from reading 
some very dull material. I also send out a 
special thanks to my parents! They don’t 
always get around to looking at my stories 
before they’re printed, but they put forth a 
good effort, and have saved me from some 
embarrassing mistakes (e.g., casadilla, 
Crispy Cream doughnuts, vermin coat, 
and voi-la!). Of course my biggest fan 
has, and always will be, my mom, who 
has chronicled all my articles in a file 
and mailed clippings to my relatives in 
Michigan and the Netherlands (this isn’t 
to say that they actually requested them, 
but it was still supportive of her).

Special thanks also go out to James 
Carlson, Management Analyst at City 
Hall and my trusty informant for all my 
questions regarding happenings in Sierra 
Madre. James’ emails are so vivid that 
they could be articles themselves! I look 
forward to his updates on the restoration 
of the fire horn.

 I’d also like to thank Rich Johnson, 
whose articles make me laugh, and who’s 
always been encouraging when we’ve run 
into each other around town. Howard 
Hayes has also been friendly to me at the 
newspaper events I’ve attended, and he 
politely overlooks my total lack of political 
knowledge in regards his column.

Special thanks also go out to Stuart 
Tolchin. We’ve never met, but I was so 
excited when he quoted my article about 
the little-publicized film, “Forks Over 
Knives,” and actually went to see it! This 
deeply inspirational documentary exposes 
the medical and pharmaceutical industry’s 
interest in keeping us dependant on drugs 
and costly surgeries, and details the power 
of a vegan diet to control or REVERSE 
heart disease, breast cancer, diabetes, and 
a host of other “degenerative” diseases. 
If only one person saw this paradigm-
shattering film as a result of my column, 
all my efforts have been worth it. That 
said, see the film if you haven’t already! 
(Okay, I’m stepping off my soap box now.)

Finally, I’d like to thank you for reading 
this! Some of my stories have definitely 
been better than others: “Oktoberfest” 
-yes, “Exploding Fish” -not so much. 
Nonetheless, I hope you’ve had as much 
fun as I have with this column. At least 
you’ll be able to feel better about yourself 
by comparison to my shortcomings 
in technology, fashion, math, and the 
modern world in general. (If this is your 
first time, please come again next week 
and I’ll have something more gripping 
for your perusal). Well, it’s been a great 
year. I can’t say I’m healthier, wealthier, or 
wiser, but there’s still plenty to be thankful 
for!

Science for 

Social Survival

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc.

Canyon Canine Dog 

Walking & Pet Sitting Services


Is 
it just me, or has the study of life sciences become 
increasingly more interesting and intriguing over 
time? It could be related to the swift forward-motion of 
information technology allowing access to fascinating 
scientific facts that, just 10 years ago would have required 
a trip to the library or a consultation with someone who 
“knew“. Or perhaps the social metamorphosis that is 
taking place in this age, apparently prompting people to 
gain a higher level of self importance, is driving me to 
gain a higher level of understanding about nature and 
science. 

I must admit, I always have been one to “go against 
the flow”. Whatever the reason, I feel more inspired 
than ever to recall what I learned in my high school and 
college biology classes, research the interesting facts 
that I do not recall, and apply that knowledge to my 
daily walk of life. I guess you could say it is my means 
of social survival, via science. I can’t think of anything 
more important than having a good understanding of 
who and what we are, where we came from, and how 
we can better relate to the creatures that surround us 
and the planet that sustains us. With so many radical 
changes occurring in our society over the past several 
decades, and amazing new technological concepts 
constantly appearing on the horizon, “simple” scientific 
truths such as the origin of life, the study of living 
organisms and how they thrive through symbiotic 
relationships, may, to some, seem like rather boring or 
mundane subjects to be pondered. It’s old news, so who 
cares anymore, right? For me, not so much. 

In fact, I feel more inspired now than ever to 
understand how my existence fits into the “big picture” 
on this magnificent planet and I hope to learn more 
about how I can have a positive impact. To be completely 
honest, my perspective as an adult differs greatly from 
that of when I was a young child. Back then, I harbored 
frightful fears of wild animals that lived in the woods 
behind my house, and I did my best to avoid contact 
with the creepy crawling insects and spiders that lived 
in the basement. These days, I view all living creatures 
as an interesting and very important component of 
the universe that I live in, and that universe requires 
an environment of mutual appreciation and respect 
to maintain an healthy balance. It all boils down to 
the fact that I am no more than an integral part of an 
immense universe, and that, my friends, is indeed the 
“big picture“. 

When I started to look at life from this perspective, I 
soon found myself free of the childhood fears, and the 
fears were replaced with curiosity and a craving to learn 
more about the organisms that surround me. Another 
result of my perspective adjustment was a realization 
that regardless of what we humans like to think in terms 
of property ownership, and our own personal rights on 
this earth, the bottom line is that we are here for a very 
short time, and the earth cannot be owned. We can 
borrow it for a while, and we can mark our territory just 
as other animals do, but we will never really own any 
part of this globe. What we humans need to be doing 
is appreciating every single element of the dirt that we 
“camp” on, and be careful to tend to it like a garden 
that we depend on to feed us. For now, we may have a 
grocery store just down the street where we can choose 
from a numerous plethora of edible products, and for 
now we may have fuel for our vehicles that take us from 
point A to point B within moments, but let us not forget 
that we are most definitely dependant on the earth, and 
the resources are limited. 

By learning more about the living organisms that 
surround me, I have inherently become more aware of 
my responsibility as an important component, to take 
good care and to not exploit the treasures that earth 
has to offer, because no one is an island unto himself. 
I believe in creation, and I believe that God gave the 
human a very tall order of obedience to respect the 
earth and the other animals that He created. This is 
no small command, and I take it very seriously. All 
living things were made by Him, and we humans have 
a tendency to forget that we are responsible for our 
position in the system. So, before I come down from 
my “soap box”, I will end with a reminder to all of us 
to keep good thoughts about our surroundings, and 
learn to appreciate other life forms as an integral part of 
ourselves. Love and let live!