Florença (Florence) (Florenz)

Florença é das cidades artísticas que deixa maiores marcas na memória dos apreciadores. Dificilmente se esquecem alguns dos seus monumentos: Baptistério de São João, Catedral, Palácio da Senhoria, Galeria dos Uffizi, Igreja de Santa Maria Novela, a ponte velha. A Basilica de Santa Croce guarda o túmulo de Galileu.
Elementos da família Médicis ganharam preponderância como banqueiros, tornaram-se Grão-duques da Toscana e colocaram duas rainhas no trono de França: Maria (1519-1589) casou com Henrique II; Catarina (1575-1642), mulher de Henrique IV e mâe de Luís XIII.
O dominicano Girolamo Savonarola (1452-23.V.1498) gosou de grande prestígio devido à influência de Pico della Mirandola e Lourenço de Médicis. Instaurou regime democrático e teocrático, queimou livros de Boccaccio e Petrarca. Alexandre Vi excomungou-o (1497). Os seus partidários revoltados com a ditadura imposta, acusaram-no de heresia, torturaram-no e queimaram-no.
Na Basilica di San Miniato al Monte existe a Cappella del Cardinale del Portogallo. D. Jaime, filho do Infante D. Pedro e de D. Isabel de Urgel, faleceu a 27 de Agosto de 1459 com 25 anos.

Anónimo--Savonarola's (dominician friar) execution in the Piazza della Signoria - Firenze-Museo di San Marco

Bernardo Bellotto (1720-1780)-'Piazza della Signoria'- oil on canvas-ca 1740 Budapeste- Szépmûvészeti Múzeum

Bernardo Bellotto (1720-1780)-'bridge and the river Arno'-oil on canvas-ca 1740 Budapeste-Szépmûvészeti Múzeum

Frederic Leighton (1830-1896)-'Cimabue's celebrated Madonna's carried in procession through the streets of Florence'-oil on canvas-(1853-1855) London- House Museum

Giuseppe Zocchi (ca 1717-1767)-'Piazza della Signoria'-oil on canvas Private collecion

NASA Spacecraft Burns for Home, Then Comet

Artist's concept of Epoxi spacecraft. › Full image and caption

NASA's Deep Impact/Epoxi spacecraft has successfully performed a trajectory correction maneuver to refine its orbit prior to an upcoming Earth flyby June 27. The maneuver, along with the Earth flyby, will place the spacecraft on a trajectory to fly past comet Hartley 2 on Nov. 4.

The maneuver began at 2 p.m. EST (11 a.m. PST) today, when the spacecraft fired its engines for 11.3 seconds. While the burn changed the spacecraft's velocity by only 0.1 meters per second (less than a quarter mile per hour), that was all the mission's navigators requested to set the stage for an Earth gravity assist on June 27.

"While it was a small burn, it was a big step in getting us to Hartley 2," said Tim Larson, project manager of NASA's Epoxi mission. "Humanity's fifth close-up view of a comet is less than five months away."

Epoxi is an extended mission of the Deep Impact spacecraft. Its name is derived from its two tasked science investigations -- the Deep Impact Extended Investigation (DIXI) and the Extrasolar Planet Observation and Characterization (EPOCh).

The University of Maryland is the Principal Investigator institution. JPL manages Epoxi for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The spacecraft was built for NASA by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo.

For information about Epoxi, visit http://www.nasa.gov/epoxi.

View my blog's last three great articles...

• X-51A Makes Longest Scramjet Flight
• AVIRIS
• NASA Sensor Completes Initial Gulf Oil Spill Fligh...

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X-51A Makes Longest Scramjet Flight

An engine first validated in a NASA wind tunnel successfully made the longest supersonic combustion ramjet-powered hypersonic flight to date off the southern California coast on May 26.

The air-breathing scramjet engine, built by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, burned for more than 200 seconds to accelerate the U.S. Air Force's X-51A vehicle to Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound. It broke the previous record for the longest scramjet burn in a flight test, set by NASA's X-43 vehicle.

"This is great news for the hypersonics community," said Jim Pittman, principal investigator for the Hypersonics Project of NASA's Fundamental Aeronautics Program. "It's also good for NASA's research into flight at Mach 5 or faster. We will receive the X-51 flight data for analysis and comparison to the data we obtained during ground tests at NASA Langley's 8-Foot High Temperature Tunnel and to predictions from our propulsion codes."

Air Force officials called the test -- the first of four planned -- an unqualified success. The flight is considered the first use of a practical hydrocarbon-fueled scramjet in flight.

"We are ecstatic to have accomplished most of our test points on the X-51A's very first hypersonic mission," said program manager Charlie Brink of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. "We equate this leap in engine technology as equivalent to the post-World War II jump from propeller-driven aircraft to jet engines."

The X-51A launched from Edwards Air Force Base in California, carried aloft under the left wing of an Air Force Flight Test Center B-52 Stratofortress. It was released while the B-52 flew at 50,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center Sea Range. After release, an Army Tactical Missile solid rocket booster accelerated the X-51A to about Mach 4.8 before it and a connecting interstage were jettisoned. The launch and separation were normal, according to Brink.

Once the X-51A was free of its booster and interstage, its SJY61 engine ignited, initially on a mix of ethylene, similar to lighter fluid, and JP-7 jet fuel then exclusively on JP-7 jet fuel. The flight reached an altitude of about 70,000 feet and a peak speed of Mach 5.

Onboard sensors transmitted data to an airborne U.S. Navy P-3, as well was ground systems at Point Mugu, Vandenberg and Edwards Air Force bases in California. The flight was terminated after about 200 seconds of engine operation because of a technical issue. The X-51A was not designed to be recovered for examination, so engineers are busily examining the data to identify the cause of the problem.

Four X-51A cruisers have been built for the Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency by industry partners Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, West Palm Beach, Fla., and The Boeing Company, Palmdale, Calif. Brink said the Air Force intends to fly the three remaining X-51A flight test vehicles this fall on virtually identical flight profiles, building knowledge from each successive flight.

"This first flight was the culmination of a six-year effort by a small, but very talented AFRL, DARPA, NASA and industry development team," Brink said. "Now we will go back and really scrutinize our data. No test is perfect, and I'm sure we will find anomalies that we will need to address before the next flight. But anyone will tell you that we learn just as much, if not more, when we encounter a glitch."

The engine can produce between 400 and 1,000 pounds of thrust. Like a conventional jet engine, the SJY61 is capable of adjusting thrust throughout the X-51's flight envelope.

Hypersonic flight presents unique technical challenges with heat and pressure, which make conventional turbine engines impractical. Program officials said producing thrust with a scramjet has been compared to lighting a match in a hurricane and keeping it burning.

View my blog's last three great articles...

• AVIRIS
• NASA Sensor Completes Initial Gulf Oil Spill Fligh...
• Small Near-Earth Object Probably a Rocket Part

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Atletas da Grécia antiga (séc. V aC) (ancient Greek athletes)

Os antigos gregos tinham o culto da beleza física e intelectual. Por ocasião de certas festividades faziam concursos  de várias modalidades atléticas.
Em honra de Apolo, deus oracular, efectuavam em Delfos, a 900 metros de altitude, corridas de carros durante os Jogos Píteos.
Os jogos mais conhecidos realizavam-se, de 4 em 4 anos, junto ao santuário de Zeus em Olímpia, no sul do Peloponeso. Era igualmente um festival religioso e atlético.
As esculturas e a cerâmica da época mostram os atletas e as práticas desportivas a que se dedicavam. As moedas indicam os desportos mais notáveis nas cidades que as cunhavam.

Euphronios (potter), Onésimos (painter)-attic-red-figure-cup-Vulci-(520-490 aC) interior 'rider'  Paris-Musée du Louvre (G 105)

Eufrónios (ceramista), Onésimos (pintor)-interior 'Athlet'-kylix-attic-red figures-Vulci-ca 490 aC  Paris-Musée du Louvre (G 291-G 298)

Onésimos (Maler)-'die drei wichtigsten Sportarten des Fünfkampfes' 'pentathlon with three athletes'-attischen-rotfigurigen-kylix-Vulci-ca 490 aC   München-Staatliche Antikensammlungen 2637 

Grupe-E-'hoplitodromos (Waffenlauf)'-attischen-schwartzfigurigen-Halsamphora-Vulci-550 aC   aC   München-Staatliche Antikensammlungen 1471

Peintre d'Antyphon-'jeune athlete portant des sauts. En arrière-plan, un sac contenant un disque et des javelots'-interieur-kylix-attique-figures rouges-Vulci-ca 490 aC   aC   München-Staatliche Antikensammlungen 2635

The Mummy (dir. Stephen Sommers, 1999)

I absolutely love The Mummy. It’s a perfect action-adventure film, with lots of humour, gorgeous set design, extremely attractive leads (not to mention the supporting cast) and a story that, despite a certain inherent silliness, is rooted in strong characters and well-structured plotting. I’ve read a lot of reviews that see it as derivative of the Indiana Jones movies, but since I saw The Mummy long before I saw any Indiana Jones, that doesn’t bother me and I much prefer The Mummy (it probably helps that, unlike Indiana Jones, I saw The Mummy in the cinema). This is also the film that includes the classic line ‘I’m proud of what I am – I’m a librarian!’ which is fun to quote, with optional substitution of ‘archaeologist’, ‘classicist’, ‘historian’ etc for ‘librarian’.

I don’t know much about the history of Mummy-stories, but as far as I know in their current form they date back to the horror movies of the 1930s, themselves inspired by the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 (though of course stories about the undead and zombie-like creatures in general are much older). This film is a loose (very loose) remake of the 1932 original, which is why it’s set in the 1920s. The setting is a brilliant move, as being limited to 1920s technology makes escaping across the desert that much more difficult, and provides an opportunity for some lovely costumes. The whole thing looks fantastic (yes, even the CGI, which may look ropey now but was groundbreaking way back in 1999) and reminds me of how much I want to visit Egypt some day (I’ve wanted to see Egypt ever since I saw Death on the Nile when I was little). John Hannah still can’t quite master any accent other than Scottish, but his Jonathan is so endearing, we don’t care.

Imhotep, named for the mummy in the 1932 The Mummy, is the name of a very, very early Egyptian architect who designed the first Egyptian pyramid, the Step Pyramid of Djoser, and was later one of very few non-royal Egyptians to be deified. The connection with pyramids and, therefore, mummies and with the meeting of human and divine makes his name rather suitable for The Mummy, though of course the real Imhotep was not thought to be undead, nor a demon-creature – he was a god of wisdom, writing and medicine. One of the many great things about this movie is the strong backstory given to the Mummy himself. You genuinely feel sorry for Imhotep and Ankh-su-thingy and I especially love her line as she kills herself – ‘My body is no longer his temple’. It’s quite a powerful line (if anachronistic for ancient Egypt)and you can’t help rooting for her a little bit there.

A mummy, currently in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York

I’m not sure how we’re spelling the name of Pharaoh’s bodyguards, but it sounds like ‘Magi’ (edited: but see comments below). The Magi were Persian priests, whom the Romans associated with magic and magical practices, and we get the words ‘magic’ and ‘mage’ from them. They are mostly known now as the ‘wise men’ from the Christmas story; astrology was an important aspect of Persian religion and they were priests rather than philosophers, though ‘wise men’ isn’t as far off the mark as ‘three kings’. (By the way, listen to the actual words spoken by the very sexy lead Magi whose name escapes me – my old housemate has pointed out that he says exactly the same thing every time, just with slightly different emphasis).

The Book of the Dead is a real thing, but rather less exciting than the one seen here – it’s a book of funerary rituals. I’m not aware of a real Book of Amun-Ra, though there may be one I haven't come across. Our heroes find Imhotep’s coffin buried at the base of a statue of Anubis, the canine god of mummification known as Mr Jackal in American Gods. The Book of Amun-Ra is at the base of a statue of Horus, a bird-god of the sky and of the reigning deified Pharaoh.

Evie’s library seems to be stocked with a combination of classical and Egyptological material, including Socrates as well as what are presumably books about people called Tuthmosis (the name of four Egyptian Pharaohs) rather than by them. Those library shelves really should have been pinned in to the floor though.

The film is full of little things that enrich it, from poor Winston, suffering from survivor guilt following World War One, to the Mummy recognising ‘the language of the slaves’ when cowardly Benny, having gone through most of the world’s major religions in a desperate attempt to save himself, says a Hebrew prayer (and to the best of my knowledge, this is historically plausible, as the Pharaoh seen in Exodus has been variously identified as this Pharaoh's son, grandson or father, among others). The ‘Bembridge scholars’ are clearly standing in for Oxbridge without actually having a go at Oxford or Cambridge and one can empathise with Evie’s frustration at her rejection given the period - in the early twentieth century, women in archaeology and anthropology and related areas were not unknown, but scholars like Jane Harrison had to combat a lot of prejudice and were not always afforded as much respect as their peers. Her ‘take that Bembridge scholars!’ is particularly satisfying.

Quite why the Biblical plagues, part of Judaeo-Christian tradition and caused by the anger of God, would be brought down on Egypt by the resurrection through Egyptian ritual of an Egyptian mummy is not explained, but these are probably questions we’re not supposed to ask. Also, we have the usual issues with the movies thinking translation is a rather more precise art than it really is, which no ancient-themed fantasy adventure is complete without.

The Mummy is a brilliant film, and the first of the sequels, though not nearly as good, isn’t too bad either. I haven’t seen the most recent film in the series, but I’m suspicious of a Mummy film without Rachel Weisz – her chemistry with Brenden Fraser is part of what makes the film so good. Well, that and the many gorgeous shots of camels in the desert of course!

Photo taken by another best friend/ex-housemate, from atop a camel in Tunisia

Povo Cigano ou Rom (Roman people)

O filólogo alemão Johann Christian Rüdiger (1751-1822), catedrático da Universidade de Halle baseou-se em provas linguísticas para levantar a hipótese sobre a origem indiana (Punjab, Rajastão) da etnia dos Rom. As provas genéticas efectuadas com Búlgaros, Bálticos e Valacos mostraram que 50% dos cromossomas Y (Y Chromosomes) e ADN mitocondrial (mitochondrial dna) pertence ao haplogrupo (haplogroup) vulgar na Ásia Central e Meridional.
No final do I Milénio da nossa Era atravessaram o planalto do Irão e os Sintos chegaram à Europa Central (Hungria, Áustria, Boémia) por volta do séc. XII. Os povos da diáspora europeia  falam diversos dialectos, um deles o Romani, muito próximo das línguas indo-europeias. Essencialmente nómadas caminham em Kumpánia ou conjunto de famílias dos mesmos subgrupos (Sintos, Caló, e outros). Não possuem religião própria. Conservam a sua identidade cultural (dança, música, narrativa). Sofreram graves problemas de intolerância sobretudo: anos de 1550 e 1780; morreram cerca de 250 mil durante o domínio do Nacional-Socialismo, nomeadamente no campo de concentração de Belzec na Polónia.
Serão 12 a 15 milhões na Europa, dos quais 10 milhões na União Europeia e 40 mil em Portugal.

Romani migrations-Europa

Persecution nazi

Diebold Schilling der Ältere (ca 1445-1485)-'first arrival of Gypsies outside the city of Bern' 'erstes Ercheinen von Roma vor der Stadt Bern'-miniature-1485 in Getouften Heiden (baptized heathens) Amtliche Spiezer Chronik

Jan Brueghel, the Elder (1568-1625)-'gathering of Gypsies in wood'-oil on panel   Madrid-Museo del Prado

Yevgraf Semenovic Sorokin (1821-1892)-'Spanish roman people'-oil on canvas-1853

New GIVEAWAYS !!! @ Sweeps4Bloggers

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Loucura (remove stones of madness and demons: medieval psychotherapies)

Na opinião de Platão em Fedro (244a) «as maiores bênçãos chegam-nos por via da loucura se esta for um dom divino».  No seu tempo era algo de ignominioso.
Distinguiu 4 tipos de loucura (id. 265a): profética, a proveniente de Apolo, prometia segurança; ritual ou mistérica, a ligada a Dioniso, oferecia liberdade; poética, a difundida pelas Musas; erótica, a comunicada por Eros e Afrodite.
Para Heródoto (VI, 68) a loucura de Cleomenes, de origem alcoólica, encontra-se vinculada a Dioniso; enquanto a de Cambises (III, 33) tem origem na epilepsia. Por esta altura (séc. aC) não se distinguiam as duas situações. Hipócrates (460-377 aC) escreveu sobre a epilepsia e chamou-lhe morbo sacro. Incluiam ainda a esquizofrenia devido às manifestações de delírio e perda de contacto com a realidade.
Na Idade Média e início da Renascença os charlatães procediam a pequenas cirurgias para "extracção ou corte da pedra da loucura" da cabeça dos endemoninhados.

Hieronimus Bosch (ca 1450-1516)-'the cure of folly, the stone cutting, extracting the stonemadness', 'die Steinoepration, entfernung der Wahnsinnstein'-oil on wood-(1475-1480)   Madrid-Museo del Prado

Jan Sanders van Hemessen (ca 1500-ca 1566)-'the surgeon: the etone-cutter'- oil on panel-(ca 1555)  Madrid-Museo del Prado

Pieter Brueghel, the Elder (ca 1525-1569)-'cutting out the stone of madness or an operation on the head'-oil on canvas   Saint Omer (France)-Musée de l'Hôtel Sandelin 

David Teniers, the Younger (1610-1690)-'surgical extratio of stones nof madness'-oil on canvas

David Teniers, the Younger (1610-1690)-'surgical operation on  a man's head (fool's stone)'-oil on wood   Madrid-Muso del Prado

Cafe Mam ~ 100% Organic, Fair Trade & Shade Grown Coffee ~ GIVEAWAY!!! ~ Ends 6/07

I love my coffee. I love good coffee and when it's considerate of the environment and the people who grow it, I love it even more. That's where Cafe Mam comes in.



Each cup is full and rich, no bitterness, just smooth. Very nice flavor. I am enjoying the blends and roasts I chose -



Italian roast - which is their original -a roast well suited to Café Mam beans. It is rich and dark in flavor with a bold, complete taste.



Mochó - is a three to two blend of Medium and Italian. It is fruity with a good body and clean aftertaste. Mochó is excellent served with food.



Othello - has 1 part French, 1 part Italian, and 2 parts Light. It is full-bodied with a mellow, herbal aftertaste.



I allow myself one cup of Java a day and I'm glad it will be Cafe Mam :)



It's a feel good product, allowing me to fully enjoy my cup.



Café Mam (say 'mom') coffee is grown by fair trade cooperatives of native Mayan farmers living in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico and Guatemala. The growers, primarily of the Mam, Tzetzal and Mochó peoples, are organized according to egalitarian democratic ideals that emphasize hard work, responsibility to the cooperative, and high standards. The cooperative’s programs provide countless benefits to outlying native communities.



The farmers believe that by taking care of the soil, they are taking care of the entire bio-system. Their beliefs and sustainable approaches to agriculture benefit their communities in many positive ways. Café Mam farmers seek to conserve and rebuild the natural environment and work toward a higher quality of life for their families.



Each purchase of Café Mam coffee helps support goals of:



• Honoring and healing the earth



• Self-sufficiency and political independence



• Sustainable development of rural communities



• Child welfare, including education & nutrition



• Defense of indigenous cultural identity



• Education in organic agriculture



• Promotion of progressive groups





100% Organically Grown



The farmers of Café Mam coffee encourage growth by practicing terracing, composting, and regenerative pruning. They must also plant leguminous shade trees and establish a seedling nursery before their harvest is classified as organic. Beneficial insects are used to control one of the most damaging coffee pests, la broca - a tiny beetle. The farmers use biological remedies for plant diseases and pests.



Each sack of coffee has an 'audit trail' to ensure that it does not contact any chemicals in the growing, cleaning, drying, milling, bagging, transport, shipping, import customs, USDA inspection, warehousing, roasting or packaging process. The entire process is certified 100% organic by Oregon Tilth. In many years of residue testing, no pesticides or herbicides have ever been detected. Café Mam's decaf, 'Swiss Water Process', is also a certified organic process. We feel confident in stating that our coffee is free of contaminants.





100% Fairly Traded



The cornerstone of Café Mam's social responsibility has been our recognition of a living wage based coffee price. The price per pound of coffee paid to the farmers has been calculated to sustain and support a family in the region. Café Mam supports farmers who have made a commitment to better their social and natural environment.



Café Mam beans are Fair Trade Certified™ by TransFair USA, an independent certifying agency. Fair trade guarantees livable wages for farmers and their families, improving their opportunities for better healthcare, housing, and education. By choosing this Fair Trade Certified™ coffee, you are directly contributing to the livelihood of coffee growing communities. To learn more about our commitment to fair trade, read "Fair Trade: Changing the World with Every Cup."



Saving the Rainforest; Shade Grown = Healthy Birds



Most high-yielding coffee trees are sun-grown and sprayed aerially. Such farming techniques destroy the forests, which are winter homes to millions of North American songbirds. Café Mam farmers preserve the jungle canopy by growing in the shade, which protects the biological diversity of plants and animals vital to the migratory bird population. Farmers build terraces to conserve rainwater and reduce run-off, which in turn prevents erosion, and protects paths and creeks.



Sustainability



The principles of sustainability influence all aspects of our business. The exclusive use of certified organic coffee is essential. We are committed to using recycled materials or materials that are readily recycled everywhere we can.



The bulk of our coffee is packaged in glassine-lined (not plastic) Kraft bags, which is both recyclable and compostable. For more information on recycling/composting our packaging, please see here. Our steel cans are made of recycled steel and can be reused or recycled. We also use recycled, unbleached boxes, and all of our paper is made from 100% post consumer recycled office waste.



To lessen our dependence on petroleum based economy and transportation, we are now fueling our main delivery truck with biodiesel, a clean burning diesel fuel made from vegetable oil.



As individuals, we not only strive to bring sustainability into the world through our work place, but also in our lives outside of work.



Cafe Mam is all around GOOD coffee. And knowing that it's responsible coffee makes Cafe Mam 100% enjoyable.



Also, Happy 20th year to Cafe Mam! From 1990-2010!



BUY IT:



You can purchase Cafe Mam online @ http://www.cafemam.com/store



WIN IT!!!



One very lucky winner will recieve their choice of roast & blend in a 1.5 lb. size



MAIN ENTRY:



Visit Cafe Mam, and tell me which roast & blend you think you'd choose :)



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* follow me @ Twitter & tweet this contest - RT @jamaise {GIVEAWAY} WIN Cafe Mam ~ 100% Organic, Fair Trade & Shade Grown Coffee ~http://bit.ly/bcV6Hf ~ Ends 6/07 ( 2 bonus entries)



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Giveaway will end on June 7th at 11 :59 am EST. Winner will be selected using Random .org. I will email the winner & you will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner . Please remember to leave me your email address if it is not visible on your profile so that I can contact you if you win. Good luck to everyone :)





Disclaimer: Cafe Mam has provided me with the product I reviewed. They are also providing a a prize for one winner. These views are my own.

AVIRIS

AVIRIS flew over the Gulf oil spill in a NASA ER-2 aircraft from NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.

NASA Sensor Completes Initial Gulf Oil Spill Flights

AVIRIS airborne measurement acquired May 17, 2010, over the site of the Deepwater Horizon BP oil rig disaster. The oil appears orange to brown.
› Full image and caption
› View related images

NASA's Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) instrument collected an image over the site of the Deepwater Horizon BP oil rig disaster on May 17, 2010. Crude oil on the surface appears orange to brown. Scientists are using spectroscopic methods to analyze measurements for each point in images like this one to detail the characteristics of the oil on the surface.

AVIRIS extensively mapped the region affected by the spill during 11 flights conducted between May 6 and May 25, 2010, at the request of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In total, AVIRIS measured more than 100,000 square kilometers (38,610 square miles) in support of the national oil spill response. The instrument flew at altitudes of up to 19,800 meters (65,000 feet) aboard a NASA ER-2 aircraft from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.

AVIRIS is using imaging spectroscopy to map the occurrence and condition of oil on the surface of the Gulf, and to estimate the amount of oil on the surface to help scientists and responding agencies better understand the spill and how to address its effects. In addition, coastline maps created from the AVIRIS overflights will be used to provide a baseline of ecosystems and habitats that can be compared with data from future AVIRIS flights to assess the oil spill's impacts.

Figure 1 depicts AVIRIS imaging spectrometer measurements along the Gulf coast to measure the characteristics and condition of the ecosystem and habitat prior to possible oil contamination and impact. The location is near Johnson's Bayou and along the Gulf Beach Highway, between Port Arthur, La., to the west and Cameron, La., to the east. The west corner of the image includes part of the Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge. The 224 wavelengths of light measured by AVIRIS from visible to infrared are depicted in the top and left panels. The spectrum measured for each point in the image will be used to help assess the characteristics and conditions of the coastal ecosystems and habitats.

AVIRIS data provide scientists with many different types of information about the spill. Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey's Spectroscopy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., are working to determine the characteristics of the oil based upon the AVIRIS measured spectral signature. As shown in Figure 2, acquired May 17, 2010, the signature of the oil measured in the infrared portion of the spectrum allows scientists to measure the occurrence and condition of oil and estimate the thickness of oil on the water's surface, Figure 3 depicts AVIRIS oil spill flight line measurements acquired on May 17, 2010, superimposed on a background regional image.

For more information on AVIRIS, visit http://aviris.jpl.nasa.gov/.

To read more and see related images, visit: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/?IDNumber=pia13167

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• Small Near-Earth Object Probably a Rocket Part
• NASA Takes to the Air With New 'Earth Venture' Res...
• Spinoffs Reveal Earth Benefits of NASA Technologie...

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Small Near-Earth Object Probably a Rocket Part

Graphic depicting the trajectory of near-Earth object 2010 KQ.
› Larger view

Scientists at NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., have determined that a small object that safely passed Earth on May 21 is more than likely an upper-stage of a rocket that carried a spacecraft on an interplanetary trajectory.

"The orbit of this object is very similar to that of the Earth, and one would not expect an object to remain in this type of orbit for very long," said Paul Chodas, a scientist at NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

Observations by astronomer S.J. Bus, using the NASA-sponsored Infrared Telescope Facility in Mauna Kea, Hawaii, indicate that 2010 KQ's spectral characteristics do not match any of the known asteroid types, and the object's absolute magnitude (28.9) suggests it is only a few meters in size.

2010 KQ was discovered by astronomer Richard Kowalski at the NASA-sponsored Catalina Sky Survey in the mountains just north of Tucson, Ariz., on May 16. Five days later, it made its closest approach to Earth at a distance just beyond the moon's orbit. The object is departing Earth's neighborhood but will be returning in 2036.

"At present, there is a 6 percent probability that 2010 KQ will enter our atmosphere over a 30-year period starting in 2036," said Chodas. "More than likely, additional observations of the object will refine its orbit and impact possibilities. Even in the unlikely event that this object is headed for impact with Earth, whether it is an asteroid or rocket body, it is so small that it would disintegrate in the atmosphere and not cause harm on the ground."

NASA detects, tracks and characterizes asteroids and comets passing close to Earth using both ground- and space-based telescopes. The Near-Earth Object Observations Program, commonly called "Spaceguard," discovers these objects, characterizes a subset of them, and plots their orbits to determine if any could be potentially hazardous to our planet.

JPL manages the Near-Earth Object Program Office for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

More information about asteroids and near-Earth objects is at: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch.

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NASA Takes to the Air With New 'Earth Venture' Research Projects

JPL's Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment will bridge critical gaps in our knowledge and understanding of Arctic ecosystems, links between the Arctic water and terrestrial carbon cycles, and the effects of fires and thawing permafrost. › Larger view

Hurricanes, air quality and Arctic ecosystems are among the research areas to be investigated during the next five years by new NASA airborne science missions announced today.

The five competitively-selected proposals, including one from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., are the first investigations in the new Venture-class series of low-to-moderate-cost projects established last year.

The Earth Venture missions are part of NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder program. The small, targeted science investigations complement NASA's larger research missions. In 2007, the National Research Council recommended that NASA undertake these types of regularly solicited, quick-turnaround projects.

This year's selections are all airborne investigations. Future Venture proposals may include small, dedicated spacecraft and instruments flown on other spacecraft.

"I'm thrilled to be able to welcome these new principal investigators into NASA's Earth Venture series," said Edward Weiler, associate administrator of the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "These missions are considered a 'tier 1' priority in the National Research Council's Earth Science decadal survey. With this selection, NASA moves ahead into this exciting type of scientific endeavor."

The missions will be funded during the next five years at a total cost of not more than $30 million each. The cost includes initial development and deployment through analysis of data. Approximately $10 million was provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act toward the maximum $150 million funding ceiling for the missions.

Six NASA centers, 22 educational institutions, nine U.S. or international government agencies and three industrial partners are involved in these missions. The five missions were selected from 35 proposals.

The selected missions are:

1. Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment. Principal Investigator Charles Miller, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

The release and absorption of carbon from Arctic ecosystems and its response to climate change are not well known because of a lack of detailed measurements. This investigation will collect an integrated set of data that will provide unprecedented experimental insights into Arctic carbon cycling, especially the release of important greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. Instruments will be flown on a Twin Otter aircraft to produce the first simultaneous measurements of surface characteristics that control carbon emissions and key atmospheric gases.

2. Airborne Microwave Observatory of Subcanopy and Subsurface. Principal Investigator Mahta Moghaddam, University of Michigan

North American ecosystems are critical components of the global exchange of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and other gases within the atmosphere. To better understand the size of this exchange on a continental scale, this investigation addresses the uncertainties in existing estimates by measuring soil moisture in the root zone of representative regions of major North American ecosystems. Investigators will use NASA's Gulfstream-III aircraft to fly synthetic aperture radar that can penetrate vegetation and soil to depths of several feet.

3. Airborne Tropical Tropopause Experiment. Principal Investigator Eric Jensen, NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.

Water vapor in the stratosphere has a large impact on Earth's climate, the ozone layer and how much solar energy Earth retains. To improve our understanding of the processes that control the flow of atmospheric gases into this region, investigators will launch four airborne campaigns with NASA's Global Hawk remotely piloted aerial systems. The flights will study chemical and physical processes at different times of year from bases in California, Guam, Hawaii and Australia.

4. Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality. Principal Investigator James Crawford, NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va.

Satellites can measure air quality factors like aerosols and ozone-producing gases in an entire column of atmosphere below the spacecraft, but distinguishing the concentrations at the level where people live is a challenge. This investigation will provide integrated data of airborne, surface and satellite observations, taken at the same time, to study air quality as it evolves throughout the day. NASA's B-200 and P-3B research aircraft will fly together to sample a column of the atmosphere over instrumented ground stations.

5. Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel. Principal Investigator Scott Braun, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

The prediction of the intensity of hurricanes is not as reliable as predictions of the location of hurricane landfall, in large part because of our poor understanding of the processes involved in intensity change. This investigation focuses on studying hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean basin using two NASA Global Hawks flying high above the storms for up to 30 hours. The Hawks will deploy from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia during the 2012 to 2014 Atlantic hurricane seasons.

"These new investigations, in concert with NASA's Earth-observing satellite capabilities, will provide unique new data sets that identify and characterize important phenomena, detect changes in the Earth system and lead to improvements in computer modeling of the Earth system," said Jack Kaye, associate director for research of NASA's Earth Science Division in the Science Mission Directorate.

Langley manages the Earth System Pathfinder program for the Science Mission Directorate. The missions in this program provide an innovative approach to address Earth science research with periodic windows of opportunity to accommodate new scientific priorities.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov .

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Spinoffs Reveal Earth Benefits of NASA Technologies

Congressional staffers in the Rayburn House Office Building on May 20 were wondering why a robot was roaming the halls. Those who followed the robot were led to further surprises: an igloo-shaped life raft, long socks full of fine powder, an inflatable antenna shaped like an enormous beach ball -- all NASA technologies that, through commercial partnerships between NASA and industry, are improving life on Earth.

The second annual Spinoff Day on the Hill, hosted by Representative Suzanne Kosmas of Florida, featured seven companies who have partnered with NASA to bring innovations to market that are saving lives, protecting the environment, and enriching how we experience our planet.

The 1958 Space Act that created NASA mandated that the Agency transfer as much of its technology as possible for the benefit of the public. To date, NASA has documented more than 1662 of these technologies, called spinoffs, in its annual Spinoff publication (http://spinoff.nasa.gov), launched in 1976.

"We invest in technologies for what they will bring to NASA in terms of future missions of science and of exploration, but we can never forget that we also invest in these things because of what they do for us right here on Earth," said NASA chief technologist Bobby Braun, who presented remarks at the event.

The products on show at Spinoff Day on the Hill all trace their origins back to space. The igloo-shaped life raft? Engineers at Johnson Space Center originally developed the self-righting raft design to prevent life rafts holding astronauts from capsizing from the downdraft of helicopters after Apollo-era splashdown landings. Now manufactured by Givens Marine Survival Co. Inc. of Tiverton, Rhode Island, the raft is credited with saving the lives of over 450 sailors.

Unirem Inc., managed by Summit International/Rasstech Industries, of Houston, exhibited its Petroleum Remediation Product, or PRP, developed through the collaboration of industry scientists and NASA researchers. The powder technology, which absorbs and captures oil as it floats on the water's surface, may soon play a role in the cleanup of the catastrophic oil spill currently endangering the nation's Gulf coast.

GATR Technologies of Huntsville, Alabama, displayed one of its inflatable antennas, developed under NASA's Small Business Innovation Research program. Quickly deployable from two suitcase-size containers, GATR's antennas enabled communications during wild fires in southern California, after Hurricane Katrina, and following the earthquake in Haiti.

Airocide, a unique air purifier that helps preserve perishable foods and destroys airborne pathogens, was presented by KES Science and Technology Inc. of Kennesaw, Georgia, and Akida Holdings of Jacksonville, Florida. Originally developed by NASA-funded researchers to help preserve plants grown in space, the technology is improving food storage and distribution in remote regions of the world, as well as helping sanitize operating rooms and doctors' offices.

Also on display was Menlo Park, California-based Allocade Inc.'s OnCue scheduling software. The technology was invented by a former Ames Research Center computer scientist who helped design scheduling software for the Hubble Space Telescope. OnCue now helps hospitals operate more efficiently by optimizing constantly changing schedules for imaging procedures.

Gigapan photographic technology, derived from the panoramic camera mast assemblies on the Mars Exploration Rovers, awed attendees with its ultra-high resolution imagery, while the Webby Award-winning NASA@Home and City interactive Web site (http://www.nasa.gov/city) shared information about spinoff technologies that can be found in homes and hometowns across the Nation.

Braun noted the economic impact NASA’s technological advancements can create, leading to "more Earth-based spinoffs, more technology-oriented jobs, and more business and industries that can compete in the global marketplace." He also highlighted the inspiration such innovation provides to students exploring education and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

"What we have here are just a few outstanding examples, but there are so many others to learn about," said Doug Comstock, director of NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program. "The fabric of our everyday lives benefits from these space technologies."

One such example zipped along the halls of the Rayburn building even as Spinoff Day on the Hill came to an end. The Multi-function Agile Remote Control Robot, or MARCbot, was enhanced by NASA engineers and is now manufactured by Applied Geo Technologies Inc. of Choctaw, Mississippi. More than 300 of the robots are now in service overseas, keeping soldiers safer by helping identify possible explosive devices.

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Pedintes (Beggars)

Depreende-se das provas arqueológicas que os seres humanos foram recolectores de alimentos antes de se sedentarizar-se. A instalação em local fixo e o desenvolvimento tecnológico levaram ao aparecimento de profissões diferenciadas e à organização das sociedades rurais e urbanas.
Para a organização social foram encontradas várias formas e projectos de organização social numa tentativa de excluir o problema da pobreza e da mendicidade. O problema sempre ficou por solucionar por parte dos governantes.
Neste mundo global as sucessivas crises financeiras arrasaram diversas economias e sistemas e a exclusão social ficou por resolver. A pobreza e os pedintes são cada vez mais. É difícil encarar tanta miséria. 

Pieter Brueghel, the Elder (ca 1525-1569)-'the beggars'-oil on wood-1568   Paris-Musée du Louvre

Sébastien Bourdon (1616-1671)-'the beggars'-oil on wood-(1635-1640)  Paris-Musée du Louvre

Giacomo Cerutti (1698-1767)-''two beggars-oil on canvas-(1730-1734)  Brescia-Pinacoteca Civica Tosio-Martinengo

Rembrandt Harmeszoon van Rijn (1606-1669)-'beggars receiving alms at the door of a house'-etching and drypoint-1648   Amsterdam-Rijksmuseum

Ivan Tvorozhnikov (1848-1919)-'a beggar boy with basket'-1876 Kozimodemiansky- Museum

Onesta Organics ~ Whole Foods Treats for Cat or Dog ~ GIVEAWAY!!! ~ Ends 6/05

Santos is very excited about this one! And she should be - this is one crazy picky pooch. Before our beloved cat passed recently, she would only eat cat food. I tried every kind of dog food on the market, spared no expense, and still she would only eat cat food.



Now that Brutus is no longer with us, she has no cat food left to eat. I started out with some pricey fish based dog food thinking this would suit her - of course not! She is currently eating some super market dog food and although she is eating it, I know it's not that good for her so I supplement with raw meats, fruit & veggies, and kefir. Yep fruits & veggies - cooked vegetables and she loves fruit - her favorite is mango & banana.



But, my crazy dog won't eat canned dog food ( I thought all dogs liked that ), and I've tried all dog treats and she says no to them too.



Until Onesta Organics!!! We got to sample each of the treats for dogs - Veggie-Hides, Hearty Treats, Liver Hides, & Gizzard Chews. She loves them all!! Woo Hoo!! Her favorite, is the Veggie Hides - Banana :)



Onesta products are:

- Certified organic (only certified organic pet food claims are regulated and

enforced by the government and therefore verified by an unbiased 3rd party).

- Human grade

- Whole food-based (i.e., 'unrefined')

- GMO-free

- Free of synthetics

- Free of preservatives

- Raw (dehydrated)

- Handmade in the USA



- From meats of pasture raised animals that are raised for human consumption

- Vegan options



Treat lines for cats (in Plain/Original, Cinnamon, and Kelp flavor):

- Gizzard Chews: Chewy treats from chicken or turkey gizzards

- Heart Treats: Treats from chicken or turkey hearts

- Liver-Hides: Treats from chicken or turkey livers



Treat lines for dogs (in Plain/Original, Cinnamon, and Kelp flavor):

- Veggie-Hides: Grain-free, gluten-free vegan biscuits

- Gizzard Chews: Chewy treats from chicken or turkey gizzards

- Heart Treats: Treats from chicken or turkey hearts

- Liver-Hides: Treats from chicken or turkey livers



Treat lines for pocket pets (in Cinnamon, Banana, and Carrot flavor):

- Pet Pasta: The first certified organic, whole food-based raw food products for pocket pets. These are nutritious vegan treats that also satisfy the gnawing instincts of rodents.



Onesta Organics' organic pet foods are inspired by the latest advances in veterinary medicine and nutritional science. Raw, certified organic pet food products are handcrafted from fresh or dehydrated, nutritious, and human grade organic ingredients. Our gentle dehydration process preserves the natural nutrients contained in these organic ingredients, yielding raw pet foods, which are formulated to support your animal's health and help prevent disease.



Onesta Organics was founded by Dr. Heidi Junger, a zoologist and life-long animal lover, who became frustrated with the low quality of commercially available pet foods . The ingredients used in conventional (i.e., non-certified organic) pet foods are often contaminated with residues from pesticides; many of these foods also contain genetically engineered ingredients. But, even some certified organic pet foods contain unhealthy ingredients, such as sweeteners or allergens. As well, the nutritional value of most ingredients used in pet foods is often compromised by cooking or baking at high processing temperatures.



It's good quality stuff - good enough that I could eat it myself & my dog notices.



Onesta Organics is the only both certified organic and Green America-approved pet food company in the US.



*Veggie-Hides have received the Animal Wellness Magazine stamp of approval.

* Hearty Treats have received the Feline Wellness Magazine stamp of approval.



Thank you Onesta Organics for considering our pets important enough to feed them right!



BUY IT:



You can purchase Onesta Organics online @ http://onestaorganics.com/index.php



WIN IT!!!



One lucky winner will receive two packs of pet treats in their choice of cat or dog !!!



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Giveaway will end on June 6th at 11 :59 am EST. Winner will be selected using Random .org. I will email the winner & you will have 48 hours to reply back before I draw a new winner . Please remember to leave me your email address if it is not visible on your profile so that I can contact you if you win. Good luck to everyone :)





Disclaimer: Onesta Organics has provided me with the product I reviewed. They are also providing a a prize pack for one winner. These views are my own.