Mountain Views News          Saturday, October 1, 2011

15

THE WORLD AROUND US

 Mountain Views News Saturday, October 1, 2011 


Huge Sunspots Unleash Solar Flares

A severe “geomagnetic storm” in Earth’s outer 
atmosphere followed the impact last week of a 
coronal mass ejection, or stream of charged particles, 
resulting from a solar flare that occurred 
on Sept. 26. The Goddard Space Weather Lab 
reported a strong compression of Earth’s magnetosphere 
resulting from this impact. Simulations 
indicate that solar wind plasma has penetrated 
close to the altitude of geosynchronous satellite 
orbits. Stationary satellites (such as those used 
for satellite TV communications) could therefore 
be directly exposed to solar wind plasma and 
magnetic fields, resulting in serious disruption of 
service. 

At the peak of this disturbance, auroras were 
sighted around both poles and in more than five 
U.S. states including Michigan, New York, South 
Dakota, Maine, and Minnesota.

A huge sunspot group, designated active region 
(AR) 1302, has been unleashing a series of solar 
flares over the past several days, recorded as extreme 
ultraviolet flashes by NASA’s orbiting Solar 
Dynamics Observatory (SDO).

None of the blasts have been directed squarely 
at Earth, but this could change as the sunspot 
turns toward our planet as the Sun rotates in the 
days ahead. Active region AR1302 is growing in 
size and intensity and shows no immediate signs 
of quieting down.

Each of the Sun’s current active regions, or 
spots, is larger than Earth, and the entire area of 
activity stretches more than 40,000 miles from 
end to end. The sunspot’s magnetic field is currently 
crackling with sub-X-class flares that could 
grow into larger eruptions as the sunspot group 
continues to rotate toward Earth. The Sun takes 
about one month for a complete rotation on its 
axis.

Solar observer Steve Padilla at Mount Wilson 
Observatory, where the Sun has been continually 
monitored since 1905, notes that we’re still at least 
a year away from the time of peak activity in the 
current 11-year sunspot cycle.

“Every Saturday and Sunday, we open the 150-
foot solar tower telescope to the visiting public 
on Mount Wilson’s weekend walking tours, and 
show them the projected, magnified image of the 
Sun—and the people been really excited to see 
these large sunspots,” said Padilla. 

“But even though the current spots seem large, 
they are dwarfed by the image we show the visitors 
of the largest sunspot ever recorded—photographed 
on April 6, 1947,” Padilla added.

Sunspots are temporary phenomena on the 
Sun’s surface that appear visibly as dark spots 
compared to surrounding regions. They are 
caused by intense magnetic activity, which inhibits 
convection and produces areas of reduced surface 
temperature.

Although sunspots have temperatures of roughly 
3000–4000°C, the contrast with the surrounding 
material (which is at about 6,000°C) leaves 
them clearly visible as dark spots. If a sunspot 
were isolated from the surrounding solar surface 
it would appear brighter than an electric arc. 

As a result of their intense magnetic activity, 
sunspots produce secondary phenomena such 
as coronal loops (prominences), solar flares, and 
coronal mass ejections, which usually originate 
in magnetically active regions around visible sunspot 
groupings. 

Similar phenomena, varying in intensity in 
cycles like our Sun, have been indirectly observed 
on stars and are commonly called starspots. Starspot 
cycles were first observed at Mount Wilson 
Observatory, by Olin Wilson half a century 
ago. The magnetic nature of sunspots was also 
discovered at Mount Wilson, by the Observatory’s 
founder George Ellery Hale in 1908.

If you want to see a sunspot for yourself, take 
one of Mount Wilson’s public walking tours, held 
every Saturday and Sunday through the end of 
November. Tours begin 1:00 p.m. at the Cosmic 
Café, which overlooks the parking lot. Tour info: 
www.mtwilson.edu.


Ask jai……


Paul is on vacation...

I’ll be back next week.

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.


Is it a good idea to attend networking events that are designed for people who are unemployed? 
I am unemployed, an introvert and very uncomfortable meeting new people. What should I do to prepare? 
T. J.

Dear T. J.

Attending networking events is a great way to find job leads, expand your network of contacts and hopefully find 
a position. Think of networking events as a group interviewing session and not just as a social event. Dress professionally 
or business casual. Hand out networking cards instead of your resume. Networking cards are similar to 
business cards. Networking cards should include your name, contact information and any thing that you feel would 
be relevant. Networking cards should be inexpensive and can be printed in black and white. Hand out networking 
cards to people that you meet and be sure to ask them for their card or contact information. You can drink alcohol 
at these events but don’t get drunk. Networking events are not a party. You are there to find job leads and increase 
your referrals. 

Develop an “elevator speech” to introduce yourself at networking events. The speech should be short enough (about 
2 minutes) to say your full name, your experiences and accomplishments. This should help open up dialogue and began 
discussions. Prepare and practice your elevator speech with family members or friends until you are comfortable. 

Good manners, eye contact and a firm hand shake are important at networking events. Show honest interest in the 
person you are meeting. This is the right time to ask a person “What do you do?” Show genuine interest in the person 
you are meeting and hopefully they can assist you or you might be able to assist them in their job search. Everyone 
should be there to network so spend enough quality time with each person, eventually excuse yourself and then move 
to the next person or group of people. 

Always follow-up and stay in contact with people you meet at networking events. Ask them to let you know about 
any positions that they may come across that fits your profile and that you will be more than happy to do the same for 
them. Keep in touch with them by e-mail, social internet sites or telephone at least once a month. You should attend 
at least two networking events a month. Enjoy yourself but do not let them turn into social events for you. Networking 
events can result in a position if you have an objective, stay focus, smile, shake hands, give and take information, 
and follow-up. 

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 HYPERLINK “mailto:jai@resumeandcareerservices.com” jai@resumeandcareerservices.com or HYPERLINK 
“http://www.resumeandcareerservices.com” www.resumeandcareerservices.com .


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


Pardon My Mirth!

VIVA, LA TORONTO!

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc.

Canyon Canine Dog 

Walking & Pet Sitting Services

“Rejoice with those 
who rejoice and weep 
with those who weep.” 
Good advice from Romans 
12, but not always 
easy to follow. Weeping comes easily, 
but when your friend is rejoicing over 
something you have no hope of attaining 
in the foreseeable future, rejoicing takes 
effort. I have many friends and relatives 
in education, and it’s around this time of 
year that new retirees can get particularly 
gleeful in a snide sort of way. 

The other day I had to meet with a coworker 
with whom I rarely have contact. 
He managed to sneak into the conversation 
his joyous proclamation that he 
is retiring this year. He informed me 
that the company is offering an impressive 
retirement incentive, and, with the 
tanked economy, such a generous bonus 
is not likely to occur again in the next 
50 years or so. I congratulated him and 
tried not to think about the 30+ years in 
the saddle remaining for me.

Some retired teachers rub salt in the 
wound by parking outside the school 
and waving to the staff on their first 
week back. Then there are those who 
listen blissfully to horror stories of students 
in the upcoming class. “I had to 
bench Frank again for pushing a girl to 
the ground and yelling profanities to the 
yard duty aides,” a fourth grade teacher 
might bemoan. The retiring fifth grade 
teacher nods sympathetically... and later 
snickers that some chump, other than 
she herself, will be getting the infamous 
child in the fall.

This being the season for Back to 
School Night, retirees enjoy basking in 
their freedom from meeting another 
crop of parents. It’s not that they don’t 
like them; oddly enough, most teachers 
I know dread speaking in front of large 
groups of adults. One teacher said she 
believed the anxiety came from actually 
having an audience paying attention to 
you --something many teachers rarely 
experience with their students. 

This is my mom’s first year of retirement, 
and I couldn’t be happier for her! 
I am literally her alarm clock when I call 
her on my way to work (hands free, of 
course). Otherwise she sleeps in until 
ungodly hours, such as 9 or 10:00. But at 
least she’s busier now than she was when 
she was working; helping my dad with 
the remodeling plans for their home, reviving 
the garden, weaving, experimenting 
with new vegan oil-free recipes, and a 
host of other creative endeavors. 

One of her coworkers turned in his 
spurs the same time my mom did. She 
told me that she received an exuberant 
call from him in Golden River, Colorado, 
his retirement paradise. My mom 
felt the need to send her old coworkers 
at school some “thinking of you” gesture, 
and decided upon a picture I snapped 
of her and my dad sitting on the porch, 
cracking up at some joke one of us told. 
My mom asked if she shouldn’t send it 
because it might look as if she were gloating 
at them. “Naw....” I told her, “Go for 
it!”

When I heard the breaking news that the city of Toronto, 
Ontario Canada succeeded in passing new legislation 
banning the sale of commercially bred dogs and cats in 
pet stores this past week, I literally jumped for joy! Toronto’s 
new law prohibits pet stores from selling any cats 
or dogs other than those adopted from a shelter, a Humane 
Society or a registered rescue group. The main goal 
behind the new law is to help curb commercial “kitty & 
puppy mill” breeding activities by restricting sales and, 
hopefully, shrinking the market demand for commercially 
bred pets. The Toronto city council was prompted 
to pass this legislation soon after a shocking discovery of 
mass animal cruelty at a puppy mill in Quebec, leading to 
the arrest of the owners, confiscation of over 500 dogs and 
closure of the facility. The pets were taken to the Humane 
Society for medical treatment and emotional nurturing 
before they were ultimately 
put up for adoption. 

Several other similar 
cases of neglect and cruelty 
had occurred previously in 
the city of Toronto, but apparently 
the epically tragic 
case in Quebec proved 
to be the “last straw” for 
many animal rights activists 
who had been ‘pounding’ 
the pavement for the 
cause in Canada’s largest 
city for years. I am so proud 
of our fellow Canadian 
North Americans for setting 
a precedent and a fine 
example for others, such as 
ourselves, to follow with regard 
to the protection and 
humane treatment of domestic 
animals. 

So, what’s up with our legislation in California? I have 
always held our state in high regard for being the cutting-
edge trend setters when it comes to promoting important 
environmental causes, yet I cringe when I think of the 
bare-bones pet protection by-laws that exist in our state 
and more locally, in LA County. Countless initiatives, for 
which numerous avid animal lovers and activists have 
worked very hard to gain support over the past several 
years, made it all the way to Sacramento only to be tabled 
or shot down by the powers that be. It is simply unbelievable! 
Where is our sense of priority when it comes to protecting 
the most vulnerable members of our society - the 
ones who depend on us the most? I realize not everyone 
loves animals as much as I do, but legislation against cruelty 
toward the ones who bring us so much joy in our lives 
should be a no-brainer, even for passive citizens who are 
less apt to take action. The law makers in Canada, who 
took part in passing this epic law are very dear to my 
heart. 

There are many such members of our local and state 
governments as well, so please believe me when I say I do 
not mean to bash those who do have the right motives and 
goals with regard to animal rights in this state, however 
it seems we animal lovers are outnumbered by those with 
motives that are more money-related. Regardless of the 
frustration that comes with loosing a battle, we all must 
remember that we have not lost the entire war. 

Animal lovers in California must unite and continue 
the quest for humane treatment and proper care of all 
pets and wildlife in this state. Although I am a supporter 
of several non-profit organizations that benefit animals, I 
plan to get on-board in a more meaningful way this coming 
year, by 
working with 
my local fellow 
animal 
rights activists 
in collecting 
signatures 
for the 
animal rights 
initiatives 
currently underway, 
and 
possibly even 
drafting a few 
initiatives of 
my own. The 
folks on the 
Toronto city 
council, who 
ensured that 
this new law 
would be put into place, have no idea what kind of Pandora’s 
box they opened all the way over here on the opposite 
corner of the continent! 

I hope this news incites a similar reaction from other 
animal lovers in California. Get on board, and do what 
you can to show the rest of our nation that we love and 
respect our animals. If we can be a fore-runner as nature 
lovers, why can’t we show that much love for the wildlife 
that lives in the wilderness? I challenge all citizens of LA 
County and the State of California to stand up and take 
action. We say we love our pets, and I believe we really 
mean it, so let’s follow Toronto’s example and prove it by 
continuing the fight for their rights, eh?