Mountain Views News          Saturday, May 19, 2012

11

THE WORLD AROUND US

 Mountain Views News Saturday, May 19, 2012 


PARTIAL—AND ANNULAR—ECLIPSE OF THE SUN TO SWEEP NORTH AMERICA 

THIS SUNDAY, MAY 20TH

 People with clear skies across 
most of North America will 
experience a partial eclipse of the 
Sun late this Sunday afternoon (May 
20, 2012). Only those near the 
Eastern Seaboard will miss out on 
this awesome cosmic event.

 If you happen to be in a swath 
of land running from Northern 
California to Texas, you’ll get a very 
special kind of partial eclipse: an 
annular eclipse, in which the rim 
of the Sun becomes a brilliant ring 
completely encircling the black 
silhouette of the Moon.

 For Los Angeles area viewers, 
the Sun will be moving down the 
afternoon sky when a dark dent 
begins to intrude into one edge at 
5:24 p.m. The dent is the silhouette 
of the new Moon traveling along its 
monthly orbit around the Earth. The dent will deepen, eventually 
turning the Sun into a thin crescent. Maximum eclipse will occur 
at 6:38 p.m., with the Moon covering 79% of the Sun’s area. The 
eclipse will end at 7:42 p.m., 10 minutes before sunset.

 The eclipse will become annular (a “ring eclipse”) for parts of 
southern Oregon, northern California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, 
New Mexico, and a bit of Texas. The annular aspect makes this the 
first “central” solar eclipse (meaning total or annular) to cross the 
United States since 1994. Untold numbers of people are planning to 
travel to the path of annularity for the grand event.

 Americans are seeing the tail end of this eclipse. Its annular 
part begins at sunrise along the southern coast of China (where the 
local date is May 21st), then crosses parts of Japan, including Tokyo 
on the centerline. It then speeds across the North Pacific through 
much of the day before making landfall on the California-Oregon 
coast in the late afternoon of the 20th (local date).

 “Annular” means “ring-like.” This is the kind of eclipse we see 
when the Moon is at its farthest from Earth, at which time it appears 
slightly smaller in the sky than the Sun does. The Moon will be 
practically at the apogee of its orbit—just two weeks, or half an 
orbit, after it was a “supermoon” (at perigee, or closest approach) 
when full on May 5th.

 Only 88% of the Sun’s surface area will be blocked during 
annularity. “This will cause less change in the daylight than you 
might think,” says Alan MacRobert, a senior editor of Sky & 
Telescope magazine. “Moderately thin clouds would dim the 
sunlight more. And if you’re where the eclipse is only partial, the 
dimming will be less.”

PROTECT YOUR EYES!

 The exposed part of the Sun will remain blindingly bright—
literally so—and anyone viewing any part of this eclipse, partial or 
annular, must use a safe solar filter, such as a #13 or #14 rectangular 
arc-welder’s glass or an astronomer’s filter made specifically for 
Sun viewing. Ordinary dark glasses won’t do. Watching the Sun 
through an inadequate filter (or none) can permanently damage 
your eyesight.

 Sky & Telescope’s website describes several recommended Sun-
viewing methods:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/Safely-View-
the-Upcoming-Eclipse-and-Transit-150863835.html

 Other things to look for during this eclipse include a silvery or 
metallic quality to the light around the time of annularity or when 
the Sun is a thin crescent. Look for images of the crescent or ring 
Sun being cast under leafy trees; small openings between leaves 
make natural “pinhole cameras” that project images of the Sun on 
the ground.

COMING SOON: TRANSIT OF VENUS

 Another sky spectacle is coming up soon. Just 16 days after the 
eclipse, on the afternoon of June 5th, it’s the planet Venus’s turn to 
cross the face of the Sun. The silhouette of Venus will be a small 
black dot with just 3% the diameter of the Sun, compared to the 
Moon’s 94% on May 20th. Read all about the transit of Venus on 
Sky & Telescope’s website:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/Transit-of-
Venus-February-2012-134332798.html

 For an image of how the eclipse will look from Los Angeles:

http://www.griffithobservatory.org/exhibits/special/Special_Event_
Partial_Eclipse_2012.html

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


“DOGGIE 
DOOMSDAY”

Are Your Pets Prepared for 
a Potential Disaster?

 Being prepared to successfully endure, survive 
and thrive through a major earthquake, tornado, hurricane or any other type of “doomsday 
disaster” is by no means a new concept to us these days. However, if you are anything like me, you 
will agree that it can’t hurt to re-visit the issue now and then, and allow yourself to subscribe to any 
fresh ideas or suggestions on doomsday preparedness, when and if one should occur.

 I recently read an article in the June 2012 issue of “Dog Fancy” magazine entitled “Ready for 
Anything”, by Kitson Jazynka, about a true experience had by the Anastasias, a Maryland family 
who found themselves dealing with three very frightened dogs, two of which went missing during 
Hurricane Irene last year. For a while, during the ordeal, the Anastasias began to think that they 
might never see their precious pups again. It happened while they were running across the yard, 
trying desperately to escape their home after a huge oak tree had been pushed over by the high 
winds and landed on their roof. They ran to find refuge at a neighbor‘s house, and were making 
their way across the field when two of their three dogs broke away and ran randomly without 
direction in the dark night.

 I could so relate to how the Anastasias must have felt when their dogs got away and ran in fear, 
and I could so imagine that happening at my house if I should find myself in a similar situation. 
That article forced me to face the fact that, although I love my pets, and I like to think I am a 
responsible pet owner, I am no where near as ‘pet-ready’ for a major disaster as I should and could 
be. It also brought to mind the fact that I would never forgive myself if my pets went missing or 
perished during a major disaster, knowing that I had not done everything possible to avoid loss of 
life or limb on their behalf.

 Fortunately, the Anastasias did mange to find their two frightened dogs and gathered them in 
to safety before they were lost or hurt, but the end result could have been grim, considering their 
lack of preparedness. The key element of advantage that came from that experience was the fact 
that the family realized how important pet preparedness is for potential doomsday disasters and 
shared what they learned. First and foremost, they realized that it is very important not to wait 
until the night of the ‘storm’ or disaster, to prepare! To really be ready for a potential disaster, one 
must take the time to plan ahead.

 Preparing your cats and dogs for a “doomsday” event includes several factors and should begin 
with writing out a plan. Ideally, the plan will include a list of various scenarios with corresponding 
actions to be taken. For example, how can you be best prepared to care for your pets in the case 
of a mandatory evacuation due to a fire or flood? Or like in the case of the Anastasias, what if you 
are forced to flee from your home during a raging storm? Conversely, what steps of preparation 
should you take to protect your pets if you are forced to stay inside your house without power after 
a blizzard? We may not have blizzards in Sierra Madre, but this could happen while you are on 
vacation in the mountains, or visiting a friend or family member in another part of the country. 
Preparation plans will vary depending on the specific needs of your pet, but here are a few basic 
tips that will pertain to nearly any home with domestic pets:

. Microchip your dog. Collars and tags can easily fall off and get lost, and the appearance 
of your pet may vary depending on the elements and whether your dog is injured. A registered 
chip implanted under your dog’s skin will ensure its unmistakable identity, should s/he get lost. 
Ask your veterinarian about microchip implants and registering. 
. Crate train your dog, or at least train it to be accustomed to walking in and out of a storm 
cellar or underground crawl space. If a dog if fearful of small spaces, he may not be willing to 
take shelter. 
. Keep extra copies of your pet’s vaccination records and photos on hand to help identify 
and prove ownership of your pet. 
. Establish a buddy system with one of your neighbors to keep your dog out of harm’s 
way in case you are unable to get home during a disaster. 
. Keep a box of extra pet foods and any other pet necessities you may need in case the stores 
are closed for an extended period of time after a disaster. The pet supply box should be stored along 
with your own “human” survival kit for easy retrieval in case of an evacuation. 
. Regardless of the circumstances, it is very important that you secure your pet on a leash or 
in a crate, at the onset of a major storm or earthquake. If your pet is not secured, he is much more 
likely to escape and run out into the street where he could be hit by a car, or roam randomly out 
into the neighborhood or up into the forest where you may not be able to find him.
. 


 Animals often become very nervous during a storm, and they also pick up on our own vibrations 
if we ourselves are nervous or afraid. If you plan ahead, and practice the basic steps of preparedness 
before a disaster hits, you will be much more apt to remain calm throughout the ordeal, and in that 


COBRA WOMAN!

 What has snakes, dancing girls, 
and a human sacrifice-hungry 
island volcano? You guessed it 
--”Cobra Woman!” This 1944 
cult classic has all the corniness 
of camp films, short of starring 
Vincent Price. It was also recently featured as an 
“At the Movies Flick Pick” in the L.A. Times. So 
I’m not the only weirdo who saw it! 

 Here’s the story in a nutshell: Ramu, our love 
interest (with an American accent), is engaged 
to Tollea, a beautiful redhead (with a South 
American accent) on a quaint island in the South 
Pacific. They never tell you it’s the South Pacific, 
but you get that drift. Much of this movie was 
shot at the Arcadia Arboretum. Anyone who’s 
been there in the last 10 years will recognize the 
pool, palm trees, and steps leading into the water. 
Back to the story... Just before the couple hits 
the alter, Tollea is kidnapped! Her step-father 
(who has a Scottish accent. Go figure!) seems 
totally cool with this, and suggests to Ramu 
that he forget all about her. With relatives like 
that who needs enemies? Ramu, however, isn’t 
willing to give up his bride so easily. Her step-
father explains that she was rescued from “Cobra 
Island” as an infant, and now her people have 
come to take her back.

 Ramu sets off for Cobra Island in a small 
dingy. Little does he know that Kado, his trusty 
native guide, has followed him despite Ramu’s 
strict instruction to not get involved. ( Like 
all English-learners in old movies, Kado has 
problems with noun/verb agreement. “I are your 
friend!”) Having arrived at Cobra Island, Ramu 
witnesses Naja, Tollea’s evil twin sister, strutting 
with a throng of pretty girls in tow to the “royal 
lagoon.” Ramu naturally assumes that this is his 
beloved Tollea, and dives into the water after her. 
They frolic around in an impressive under water 
scene --reminiscent of Esther Williams. 

 To make a long story a bit shorter, Ramu 
gets imprisoned. The dungeon looks exactly 
like the one from “The Wizard of Oz.” In fact, 
Cobra Island is patrolled by guards who look 
as if they lifted their outfits from the Wicked 
Witch’s bodyguard. And as if they didn’t borrow 
enough from Oz, when the royal priest comes to 
interrogate him, Ramu overtakes him and steals 
his robe as camouflage. You almost expect to see 
the Cowardly Lion’s tail wagging behind him.

 Meanwhile, Tollea’s grandmother explains 
the situation to her. (Granny’s also an American. 
One wonders where Tollea got her Spanish 
flare.) Both Tollea and her sister were subjected 
to the bite of the Cobra King at birth, but Tollea, 
the elder, was sickened. So Naja, deemed the 
stronger one, and was granted the priesthood. 
Fire Mountain has been rumbling all this time, 
so Naja calls an assembly of the people and does 
a hilarious sensuous dance, circling round a 
live cobra. At first she’s wearing something like 
Queen Amidala’s getup in Star Wars: Episode 
1. Then she sheds it down to a shimmery hip-
hugging sequined dress. This is the highlight 

of the whole film --HIL-LAR-I-OUS!! As her 
gyrations grow in intensity, she starts pointing at 
members of the audience, who are immediately 
carried away to become sacrifices to Fire 
Mountain.

 Tollea and Naja eventually duke it out, Tollea 
demanding, “Geeve me the cobra jewl” (which 
sound like “yule” in her Cobra Island accent). 
Everything on Cobra Island is righted at the end, 
but Ramu must return to the Scottish colony and 
let Tollea rule her people as the rightful heiress. 
(Naja’s fiancé speared her grandma.) Ramu and 
Kado sigh heavily, sailing back to the Scottish 
Isle on their dingy. Suddenly Tollea appears 
from under the rigging! She and Ramu embrace, 
and she assures him that she set up her lady-in-
waiting as the head of church and state. Nothing 
to worry about! They happily sail away into the 
open sea.

 You gotta love campy old movies! And 
“Cobra Woman” does not disappoint. The only 
suggestion I have is that you start the movie on an 
empty bladder. Otherwise your violent laughter 
might cause embarrassment. Happy viewing! 

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

$5.00 off any service(at regular price)