Mountain Views News          Saturday, October 5, 2013

The World Around Us

15

 Mountain Views News Saturday, October 5, 2013 


MARTIAN IGNEOUS ROCK IS SURPRISINGLY EARTH-LIKE

 During the nearly 14 months that it has spent on the red planet, Curiosity, the Mars 
Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, has scooped soil, drilled rocks, and analyzed samples by 
exposing them to laser beams, X-rays, and alpha particles using the most sophisticated 
suite of scientific instruments ever deployed on another planet. One result of this effort 
was evidence that ancient Mars could have supported microbial life.

 But Curiosity is far more than a one-trick rover, and in a paper published today in 
the journal Science [http://www.sciencemag.org/content/341/6153/1239463], a team of 
MSL scientists reports its analysis of a surprisingly Earth-like Martian rock that offers new 
insight into the history of Mars’s interior and suggests parts of the red planet may be more 
like our own than we knew.

 The paper—whose lead author is Edward Stolper, Caltech’s William E. Leonhard 
Professor of Geology, provost, and interim president—examines in detail a 50-centimeter-
tall pyramid-shaped rock named “Jake M” (after MSL surface operations systems chief 
engineer Jacob “Jake” Matijevic, who passed away two weeks after Curiosity’s landing).

 The rock was encountered by Curiosity a few weeks after it landed, during its slow 
drive across Gale Crater on the way toward the crater’s central peak, Mount Sharp. Visual 
inspection of the dark gray rock suggested that it was probably a fine-grained basaltic 
igneous rock formed by the crystallization of magma near the planet’s surface. The 
absence of obvious mineral grains on its essentially dust-free surface further suggested 
that it would have a relatively uniform (i.e., homogeneous) chemical composition.

 For that reason, MSL’s scientists decided it would be a good test case for comparing 
the results obtained by two of the rover’s scientific instruments, the Alpha Particle X-ray 
Spectrometer (APXS) and ChemCam, both of which are used to measure the chemical 
compositions of rocks, sediments, and minerals.

 However, the APXS came up with some unanticipated results. Far from being similar 
in its chemical composition to the many Martian igneous rocks analyzed by the Spirit and 
Opportunity rovers on the surface of Mars or to Martian meteorites found on Earth, Jake 
M is highly enriched in sodium and potassium, making it chemically alkaline.

 Although Jake M is very different from known Martian rocks, Stolper and colleagues 
realized that it is very similar in its chemical composition to a relatively rare type of 
terrestrial igneous rock, known as a mugearite, which is typically found on ocean islands 
and in continental rift zones.

 “We realized right away that although nothing like it had ever been found on Mars, Jake 
M is similar in composition to terrestrial mugearites, which although uncommon are very 
well known to igneous petrologists who study volcanic rocks on Earth,” Stolper says. “In 
fact, if this rock were found on Earth, we would be hard pressed, based on its elemental 
composition, to tell it was not an Earth rock.” 

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


Image of the martian rock "Jake Matijevic" obtained by Curiosity's Mast CameraCredit: NASA/JPL-
Caltech/MSSS - See more at: http://www.caltech.edu/content/scientists-find-martian-igneous-rock-
surprisingly-earth#sthash.hxWBYnxl.dpuf

BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS


GOVERNOR SIGNS HOLDEN’S INNOVATIVE 
BUSINESS BILLS 

AB 201 Small Business Loan Guarantee and AB 250 CA Innovation Initiatives 

Sacramento – Governor Brown today signed two 
innovative business bills authored by Assemblymember 
Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) and designed 
to boost California’s economy.

AB 201 makes the Small Business Loan Guarantee 
program more accessible and user friendly 
and AB 250 expands opportunities for pioneering, 
start-up technology in California. 

“I applaud the Governor for signing these bills 
which will play a pivotal role in making much 
needed capital more accessible to thousands of 
small businesses so they can enlarge, create new 
jobs, and save the jobs of existing employees,” 
stated Assemblymember Holden. 

AB 201 requires the Office of Small Business Advocate 
to include on its website information on 
the Small Business Loan Guarantee program’s 
(SBLGP) loan guarantees, direct lending, surety 
bond guarantees, and disaster loans. 

AB 250 will expand the development of iHubs 
across California and develop more economic 
opportunities for start-up companies, promoting 
greater collaboration between innovators and 
venture capital investment within the state. 

“We want to put California in a position to cultivate 
and incubate young companies that are 
developing new technologies that will promote 
conservation and other public policy goals,” explained 
Assemblymember Holden. “Establishing 
the iHub Accelerator Fund will allow the state to 
compete for grant funding from the federal government, 
private sector and foundations to encourage 
innovation.”

THE MARKET WHERE 
YOU MOVE

As we see some market recovery, the scales become a little more balanced be-tween buyers and sellers. 
However, if you're a buyer moving out of the area, local conditions here aren't relevant. You need 
to investigate whether it's still a strong buyer’s market in the area where you are relocating.

If long listing times and price reductions are prevalent, then you have the luxu-ry of exercising some 
of the following options when you search and eventually make an offer. First of all, you needn't 
jump at the first suitable home you find, because inventory will be high and price reductions open to 
discussion.

When you finally decide to make an offer, play the time card to your ad-vantage, asking for a speedy 
seller response, perhaps within 24 hours. Pres-sure to accept is one thing, but do allow a reasonable 
amount of time for in-spections, repairs, etc. Speaking of which, don't be shy about stipulating ma-
jor repairs in your offer, and the inclusion of a "home warranty" policy for the first year.

Offer below asking price, but don't lowball and insult the seller. You can al-ways reject their counteroffer 
in a strong buyer’s market, as long as you can accept the risk and move on to the next property. 
Have your representative assemble a good selection of suitable properties and take one step at a time!


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

THE SUMMER IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR

 
I awoke last Tuesday with a 
strange feeling I had missed 
something. Not only that, 
but I was shivering like 
a polar bear without his 
pajamas. I knew something was wrong, but to put 
my finger on it was just too early in the morning for 
me. I like starting my days slowly. At my age just 
getting up is quite an accomplishment.

 I felt my forehead to see if I had a fever. I found my 
forehead easily enough, just above my eyes, but I can 
never tell if I am hot, cold or lukewarm.

 The condition progressed to such a degree I had 
to swallow my pride and inquiry of the Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage. She can look at me and 
tell me if I am sick or not. Usually, I’m sick.

 So I approached her and said, “Am I sick or what?”

 Quick as a wink she said, “Off the top of my head 
I would say you are ‘or what.’”

 And this was just the beginning of my day.

 Then my wife looked at me and said, “Why do 
you ask?”

 So I explained to her about the feeling I had that 
something was missing and on top of that, I could 
not stop shivering. She felt my forehead to see if I 
had a fever, and I did not. When she turned her back 
on me, I was tempted to stick out my tongue and say 
“AHH.”

 “Well,” she said, “you’re not sick and I don’t 
understand how you could be cold.”

 I looked aimlessly out the window and began 
to shiver more. “It looks like it’s cold out there,” I 
complained.

 My wife looked at me with one of those looks that 
every husband knows and fears, and said, “It should 
be cold outside, it’s winter, for Pete’s sake.” 

 “Winter? What happened to summer?”

 “Oh you silly boy,” my wife chuckled, “summer’s 
over and winter’s brewing.”

 I just stared out the window at the bleakness of the 
morning, wondering where in the world summer 
went. At the moment, it did not seem possible to me 
that summer was over. Is not that the way things go? 
Just as soon as you get used to something, it is over.

 I suppose it is because a person becomes so busy 
doing the mundane daily things he fails to consider 
the whole picture. If you do not enjoy what you are 
doing right now, one day you will look back and 
wonder where in the world it disappeared.

 At my age, it seems that looking back has become 
quite a career. I remember when I was young the old 
folks used to say, “I remember the good old days.” 
I’ve often wondered what they were talking about. 
Now I know.

 When I was young, my whole life was looking 
forward, but now that I am old, I spend part of my 
time looking at the rearview mirror. That is the 
wonderful advantage of getting older. When you are 
young, you do not have anything to look back to. 
The older you get the more you have to look back on.

 I have a few things I reflect on. One of these is the 
memories I have made throughout the years. Often 
when my wife and I are sitting together one of us will 
say, “Do you remember when...?” Then one of us will 
recite a wonderful memory from the past and have a 
good laugh together.

 Maybe this is why older people laugh so much. I 
know it is why I laugh a lot.

 One of the wonderful things about a person’s 
memory is that it is personal. I will not say that I 
enhance my memories (of course I do) but I will not 
confess to it. If it is my memory, I should be able 
to recite it any which way I please. I particularly 
enjoy those memories that I share with no one else. 
Because then, I have the freedom to remember it any 
which way I please.

 I once listened to a very old woman share 
memories of her childhood. At the time, she was in 
her early 90s. As I drove away from listening to her 
I thought to myself, I wonder how much of those 
memories were really true. Then again, they were 
her memories not mine. Who am I to judge?

 Also in looking back, there are those things we 
refer to as regrets. I suppose everybody tries to live 
in such a way to keep regrets to a minimum. I have 
a long list of things I regret doing or saying or not 
doing or not saying.

 The one category of regrets I have is those things 
that I have done that my wife knows about. Talk 
about memory?

 This brings up the difference between a husband 
and a wife. A husband cannot remember anything 
and his wife cannot forget anything. But between the 
two, they lick the platter clean.

 The apostle Paul practiced the fine art of forgetting. 
He wrote, “Brethren, I count not myself to have 
apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting 
those things which are behind, and reaching forth 
unto those things which are before, I press toward 
the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in 
Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14 KJV).

 My rearview mirror is full and the temptation is 
to focus solely on them, thus missing the scenery in 
front of me.

 
THE FIRST TWO WORDS 

Studies show that the key to getting your messages and emails read depends on 
the first two words of a subject line or social media post. 

Because we are rapidly scanning emails and news feeds, we only have about 2-3 seconds to grab 
someone’s attention. These words need to convey value in order to get the reader to put on the breaks 
and look through the rest of your message. 

The best performing subject lines often begin with these types of phrases:

How to, Top 10, Update on, 3 Steps, You can or other key trigger words that express some type of 
usefulness. 

I tend to open up emails from businesses if they have a good subject line. I always open up emails from 
Anthropology because they have subject lines like “the blouse you can’t live without this summer.” 
Whoaaaa! Something about that subject line makes me take action because “I gotta see that!”

Go through your emails and social media news feeds and write down the phrases that catch your 
attention. The next time you send out an email campaign or write a social media post, look at the list 
and see if there are words you could be using.

About MJ: MJ and her brother David own HUTdogs, a creative services business that specializes in 
Internet Marketing strategies. They are known for providing valuable information at their Social Media 
and Email Marketing classes. “Like” them on Facebook for trending news in social media, internet 
marketing and other helpful tips, www.facebook.com/hutdogs.

Sign up for their upcoming classes and presentations at: www.hutdogs.com/workshops/schedule