I am sorry for the colors Sikander. I found that your photo is clearer by this way. It is very interesting finding. I don�t know almost anything about Paleontology. I wonder if it is small in order to appertain to a Dinosaur. John

Yes John, the photo is much clearer this way. You see it is broken and in view of the girth I suppose the entire tooth should be bigger. Perhaps is belongs to a baby dinosaur i.e. if baby dinosaurs used to have teeth. It is much larger to be of the two other large animals of the area i.e. camels and buffalos. Once again John, thanks for your help.

John, there seem to be a lot of earthquakes going on these days. Is my area safe? By the way I did a little checking. There were a lot of little dinosaurs too and the front teeth of the Tyrannosaurus were also much smaller than its canines. Best Wishes

your tooth is strange to behold. how'd you know it was one?

Hello friend Sikander and all geo-family. It appears that Earth is enough anxious these days. I received five world signals during eighteen days. The last one was yesterday. You can see them in topic 67. A last 40-days summarise of my signals is appeared on the graph of my last world signals in Geo portal:WORLD SIGNALS. (They are updated every day). Unfortunately I can't determine the source position of anyone of them. I will know if someone of them is near to me (Greece and part of the surrounding area), only a few days before the EQ. It will become clear by the 24-hour oscillation period signals. I hope and pray for gentle events away from human. I am not so familiar with the history of life on Earth. But it is a mysterious the sudden disappearance of dinosaurs from the face of Earth the moment that they were the prevalent genus on it. Possibly, the reason was a natural catastrophe. I wonder if a similar reason can destroy also the human genus in the future. Be safe all of you. John

Hi Wolfie. Yes it does seem strange by looks because it is broken. If you look at the real thing it is nothing other than a tooth of some kind.

John I looked at the "World Signals". The signals for Russia-China border were very strong in the last week of June. I would say Amen to your prayers for safety. You too look after yourself.

Congratulations, Sikander! And thanks to John for assisting you with the Html code for posting your tooth. I am sending it on to those I know who are wiser than I am with Paleontology. This is a strange tooth for a dinosaur. Most that I have seen are pointy and conical in shape. Mammoth and Mastodon teeth are great monstrous grinding molars which are two hands full in size. You assuredly have a tooth or some remnant of animal life past. Exactly what is the puzzle. Let me check with a few sources! Thanks and again, congratulations! Broken??? Of course!!! That is the part of the conical structure missing! I studied the dinosaur fossils on exhibit in the Falls of Ohio Museum and the greatest of them had small incisors. The Canines did the killing while the molars did the grinding. Just thinking of this broken tooth with the core exposed makes mine hurt with sympathy! Back to checking with someone far better versed in these things than I am.

someone send me good ftp software! i can't believe this brand new computer doesn't have it already installed (if it does, i still can't find it anywhere)*SIGH*

The best ftp software is here: http://cws.internet.com/ftp.html

Large-scale police operation uncovers ''Nov. 17'' hideout in Athens 03/07/2002 23:31:05 Police launched a large-scale operation on Wednesday, locating a ''November 17'' terrorist organisation hideout in the Athens Patisia neighborhood, discovering weapons, rockets of all types, printed material and a computer. Among the arms were military rockets of several types and firearms, while tests will be conducted on the computer to assess whether it was the one used to write the shadowy murderous terrorist organization's latest proclamations. Initially, police evacuated the apartment complex and then entered the basement apartment, where the weaponry was discovered, with police bomb disposal experts entering first in the event that the apartment was booby-trapped. http://zeus.hri.org/news/greek/apeen/2002/02-07-04.apeen.html#03 John

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO ALL MY AMERICAN FRIENDS. May the Bells of Freedom ring for all the thirsty freedom seekers in the world. Marcia, thanks for doing research on the mysterious tooth. Looking at the real thing does make one think that it must have been conical. And, of course, thanks again to John for helping me out.

Thanks for the good wishes, Sikander. Time to go and shoot off some fireworks!

Thanks all for fond wishes for America's Birthday. Sikander, I thought of you while spending the day hunting for fossils. I will photograph them and as soon as my fully repaired computer gets here early next week, I will ftp them to Geo and post them. Tomorrow we go back out again looking for more gravel bars in the nearby streams to hunt for more fossils. This is far too easy. They are just about where you can fall over them as you walk! Terry, toured the Court where you once lived. LOVELY!!! Yes, they still have Shakespeare in the park nearby! John, you are very dear to me for keeping Geo running smoothly. I will be back at work shortly and back on Yahoo too =) I can hardly wait !!!

That's great that you stopped by there, do they still have the fountain in the middle of the median on St. James Court? The house where I lived was right by that fountain. Ah, memories.

Hi all Nice to be able to post here again. Marci, how is the tour going? Just got back from a whirl wind tour of Tx (missed the flooding...) Back up in the north country finally. Waiting for my weather balloons to come in - bought two surplus 6 to 8 ft balloons for experimenting with launching amateur payloads (radio, gps, camera, etc...). Also just picked up the microcontroller for controlling the mess. 73 de aa9il mike in IL r-c-i

That sounds like great fun, launching ballons with transmitters. Are you going to keep them on some kind of tether or will they just float away?

Hi Terry These will be free flying balloons - hence all the gps/radio gear to track it. Dont plan to really do anything until next year tho as far as launching with a real payload. Mike

Terry, have y'all been affected by the flooding? Yup, the fountain is in the middle of the grassy strip of lovely landscaping running the length of St James Court. The homes are NOT your usual town houses. These have large crystal chandeliers inside and pillars out front. Your house was on the left or right going in? I'd love to photoggraph it for you and post it. It is not far from where I am. We are close to the U of Louisville campus. Beautiful!

Mike! You are flying baloons now? Excellent on the GPS. I am currently the only one in my family without one. I think that needs to be my next purchase since I did not need to buy a whole new laptop. Besides, I can navigate around the Appalachians better and find my sources of specimens far better if I have one such modest instrument. They can be had for $100 online.

Not nearly as much flooding here as there has been down South in San Antonio. My house was to the left going in, the Salyers owned it I believe. If you take shots, shoot several and I'll pick it out! Great story on NPR tonight about how some folks are starting a project to photograph every major latitude and longitude intersection (except those in the ocenans), I'll look for it on NPR's site.

Hi all I missed all the excitement by the time I passed thru Austin last week although the news showed the flood waters rising. When I got to the home qth west of Houston, it was clear except for plenty of mosquitos. Marci - this is a secret background project I have had some interest in for a long time. When I was shopping at a surplus electronics store in Houston, I was only going to buy a microcontroller board - imagine my suprise when I found a stack of 6ft diameter surplus weather balloons still in the box. These will be slated strictly for proof of concept testing of designs although the long term goal is for high altitude. I plan to hang the usual meteorlogical sensors but also plan to maybe do something like carry a vlf/elf receiver aloft to record whistlers from 50000 ft or something like that. Anyway, will have some real data to post to the Geo board then. 73 de Mike AA9IL r-c-i

terry, how does that work? how do they know where the intersects are? will gps tell them?

I just googled and found out more. + Searching With Latitude Ever wondered what the scene looks like at 47�N latitude, 21�E longitude? Or 42�S 147�E? Searching by geographic location, especially for areas in our examples (near Transylvania and Tasmania, respectively) isn't something you'll want to try with most search engines. But if you're just dying to get a look at 37�N 109�W (near the four corners monument in Colorado), The Degree Confluence Project is your search resource of choice. The goal of the project is to visit each of the latitude and longitude integer degree intersections (confluences) in the world, and to take pictures at each location. There are 64,442 latitude and longitude degree intersections in the world (counting each pole as one intersection). Of these, 47,650 meet the goals of the project after removing many confluences near the poles. Of these, about 12,000 are actually on land, which the project either has or plans to catalog in its database. The project welcomes submissions -- if you live near a confluence, or plan to travel near one, consider submitting your own photograph and story to the project. The Degree Confluence Project http://www.confluence.org/index.php Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/tgn/index.html Enter the name of a geographic place and your results will include latitude and longitude information. Host Name to Latitude/Longitude http://cello.cs.uiuc.edu/cgi-bin/slamm/ip2ll/ This utility searches the Whois database for the location of web hosts or IP addresses. US sites are resolved to the city; Canadian sites are resolved to their province, and non-US sites are resolved to the country's capital.

Here's one close to home, well, my home anyway. visited by Craig Davidson) 17-Sep-2000 -- After a weekend of partying in Austin, Texas it was time to head home to Houston. The 30N 98w Confluence is just a few miles south of Austin so I just had to go take a look. It's located on the Blanco River between Wimberley and San Marcos Texas. Both towns are recreational and retirement communities for nearby Austin and San Antonio. The Texas hill country is a beautiful place to live. We will have to mark this one up as another attempted confluence because I was unable to get within 2 miles of the spot. The H-O Ranch is on the north side of the confluence with a locked gate and the Freeman Ranch is to the south of the confluence. The Freeman Ranch gate was open but I was concerned that someone would lock the gate behind me so I didn't go in today. I noticed that the Freeman Ranch is owned by Southwest Texas State University so I would think it would be easy to get permission to enter the property on another day. I will be back.

Amazing stuff here! Terry, I'll take several shots of St James Court for your pleasure and deja vu. The carriage trade must have had their enclave there because it is still regal and lovely inside the gates. When did you live there? Interesting about the intersections. I'll be taking some photos of such when I am in California using my son's GPS. Mike, your secret is safe with us. How amazing this might prove to be. I like the way you think!!! keep us posted, and I hope the wx keeps your balloons still aloft on course. Transponders are a wonderful thing!

I lived there from 1969 to 1971. I was a freelance photojournalist for the Louisville Courier Journal and Times and a City Planner.

Oh, how interesting!! (Somebody actually planned this city?! Sorry, I couldn't resist!) I'll be taking photos next time we go out. Don, my host, is also interested. He was gracious enough to post on Geo 17 (archaeology, of course!) He will be an excellent addition to our Geo family and is eager to join in discussions or to answer questions.

Hi all One of the things that the vhf and up amateur group uses for contest scores is based on maidenhead grid squares. Thus, when you make a microwave contact in one grid square then move to the next, it counts for another point. I'll have to pull out the map and see if there are any major lat/lon convergence points near by. Also, re the balloon project - I would suspect that there should be some interesting observations 75000 ft up. There is a good web page for Edge Of Space Sciences www.eoss.org which goes into quite a bit of detail of amateur launched balloons and payloads. 73 de Mike aa9il r-c-i

http://www.eoss.org for those who wish to use a hot link. I have always wondered what a maindenhead grid looked like. Please do add it to Geo. I am as curious as the rest. If you need the html command, email me and I will send it to you!

Hi there A good link on grid squares and how they apply to ham radio is: http://www.arrl.org/locate/gridinfo.html On the frequencies I work at, contacting a station in 5 different grids is enough to claim an award. Of course, the clever ones would go to a 'four corners' and hand out 4 easy contacts (sometimes!) but you still have to do that 80+ mile contact to get that 5th grid. When you 'rover' during a vhf-microwave contest, usually you drive around in the most efficient course to hit major grid squares to hand out contacts. Of course, you have to find a high point to park and set up the radios/antennas. This is a good practice for a road rally. For the 10ghz and up microwave contest that I will participate in, you can move 10miles and that will suffice as a new location to count for a contact. One strategy I plan to do is work up and down the Lake Michigan shore line and give out a contact every 10 miles (if I can find access to the lakefront without cutting through someones yard). 73 de Mike AA9IL r-c-i Hopefuly I might even have some pictures of this foolishness during the contest....

Oooh YES!!! Photos please! QSL card too if you can scan one for us. I think many are not familiar with how they look. There are several rare isolated unpopulated counties in California. When they hcve county DX contests, a guy locates at the for corners of the junction of these counties and moves slightly to allow all to catch these rarities. Is that cheating? At least the guy out there with the drinks cooler and fast food is working hard! he is also usually alone or with one single other guy using one rig. Good luck, Mike!!!

Hi there Doing the four corners of a grid is totally legit - I have done the equivalent during contests by going to the next grid line. The only catch is to make sure these points have some elevation for a line of sight contact. BTW, is there any IM or IRC for the geo site? 73 de Mike AA9IL r-c-i

Not really. We should do that. Most of my contacts are on Yahoo IM but a few are on AOL (Please save yourself some anguish and use the AOL IM for non AOL users even if you use AOL for your connection to the internet!) Only Wolfie uses MSN. Suggestions, Mike? I have found ICQ too RAM intensive to be practical. Even on my home monster computer ICQ tends to make it freeze. Suggestions from all are welcome. Currently I am bluegrassHula on AOL IM. I will be back to Kilauea83 on Yahoo as soon as my laptop gets here!

Ok, dont really have an IM id yet but can always get one - via aol or yachoo I think I hit the IRC channels once but the conversation ratio was pretty dead - I have also endured the yachoo chat pages (supposedly created for scientific chat topics) but it was full of teeny bop's flaming each other as well as 'the end of the world is near' ranting, and general boorishness. There is better signal to noise ratio on the bar car I sometimes ride on when taking the train home. Once I get an id (mostlikely very soon - like today...) I can pass it along. Thats one of the reasons I like the board so much is that it has a great S/N ratio. More details as they happen! 73 de Mike

Ok Mike. I'd really suggest Yahoo, but private room chat or one on one seems to work best (one on one, that is.) This night finds me still laptopless and is more than a little discouraging. I will email son and have him trace it. Untill I have it I am not on Yahoo but on Don's computer. Stay tuned!

VILLAGES OF THE LAND BEHIND THE MOUNTAINS, ZAGORIA, GREECE Evidence of human existence goes back to more than 40,000 years B.C. in the Epirus region of Northwest Greece. Covering some 9,203 square kilometres, it has a unique environment with its very own identifiable culture. The first Greeks settled in Epirus as early as 2000 B.C. Its name has derived from the meaning "Infinity" and has been described as the very roof of the Greek race. Tucked away deep in the Pindos Mountains, North of Ioannina, there is a part of Epirus known as Zagoria, a place of immense natural beauty. The villages of Zagoria are uniquely endowed with extraordinary natural beauty, a vast temperate forest ecosystem, distinctive architecture, cultural wealth and the sheer romance of an ancient way of life. From the Slavic word meaning "behind the mountains," Zagoria is defined by the Gamila (Tymfi) and Mitsikeli Mountains as well as the Aoos River. It is a part of the massive Pindus Mountain Range that stretches from Albania to Central Greece. A vast proportion is heavily wooded, surrounded by a truly exciting geography, showing a remarkable diversity for such a relatively small area. Imposing mountains, luxuriant valleys are interspersed with rivers, waterfalls and streams. Towering cliffs and breathtaking ravines are around every bend, each one steeper and deeper than the next. None make a more lasting impression than the beautiful Vikos Gorge does - reputedly, Europe's largest ravine. The gorge is often described as Europe's Grand Canyon, which perhaps is a little misleading. The main Vikos Gorge is just 12 kilometres long and approximately 2 kilometres wide - much smaller than the Grand Canyon. It does, however, plunge vertically for over a kilometre. It is this more tangible, more concentrated, but still awesome scale that makes the Vikos Gorge such an intense and involving experience. One of the bridges in Zagoria Villages As stone is one of the main natural local resources, it features strongly in all other construction. Some of the most striking, of this love affair with arches, are the famous Kipi bridges, possibly the best surviving example of a craft that flourished throughout the region during the Ottoman rule. The most amazing feat of engineering are the Vradeto steps, which took years to complete. This snaking, paved, banistered staircase skilfully conquers a palisade, winding up a near vertical cliff face. Until recent times, this was the only link between the village of Vradeto and the rest of the region. http://www.travelux.co.uk/zagoinfo.html John

How absolutly lovely! John, you live amongst the most stunning vistas on earth.I wonder if you get time to look at them. Thank you for sharing! I am now on my newly restored laptop and logged in on my host's line.I will work on networking with him so we can both used the phone connection at the same time.Meanwhile I have downloaded the pictures I have taken and am ready to post a few of them. I am very happy to be back in contact and with my own computer! My marci@aloha.net email is working again. Thanks to David for resurrecting my laptop at such minor expense!

Howdy howdy Glad you had your PC woes corrected! Looking forward to seeing your pictures. Also, still am planning to get some shots at various grid locations during the upcomming 10ghz contest. 73 de AA9IL Mike r-c-i

Congratulations on getting your laptop restored Marcia. Wow! it did take a long time. What part of the earth are you enjoying at this moment, I mean your location. A warm Aloha to you.

High eventuality for thunderstorms in Louisville, Kentucky this afternoon! This radar weather image is special dedicated to Geo hostess and to our friends there. (It is always updated) From http://www.wunderground.com/radar/station.asp?ID=LVX19 John

Thank you for the updating weather graphic.I am still in the southeast and inthe area covered by the map John posted. I have been listening to aircraft reporting uneven flying conditions due to these cells moving through the area. It is overcast, so if I go missing again it is only temporary and I shall return! As soon as the sky settles down again. Aloha Sikander!I am very happy to be back. I missed my family in Geo more than you can imagine! HUGS!

It will be nice to read your many postings to all the topics. Now, if I can get in the habit of posting more! Mike

Mike, for a guy who is used to keying in CW, you do a splendid job of posting! (CW for those not radio-oriented stands for Morse Code in the lingo of Hams.) I have tons of backload to post and comment on. There is no stress in GEO. Take off your shoes and get comfy. That is what family is all about!

Yes Marcia we'll wait for you. John, what a fantastic way to show Marcia's location. Thanks, you're just as great as Marcia. Warm wishes to everyone in GEO.

Sikander, this sort of kudos is surely not earned by me, but John is most worthy. I have saved John's image to my desktop so I can watch the storms appreoach. I have not had this luxury for a very long time. I think it is veryt exciting - even if it gets a bit frightening on occasion. I really do not need to become part of a tornado to have fun!

However, I am always grateful for support of any kind in word and deed. Thanks for posting. Many wonderful hugs of Aloha for staying around Geo!

Thus far into the night, no thunder storms have materialized. I think they are waiting for me to go to bed! Again, thank you John! You have provided me with an "active desktop!"

The rains go on and on here, this may turn out to be the rainiest month in the history of Austin. We're on the verge of major floods if the "big one" hits us again. Definitely we're on watch down here in central Texas.

Worrying for you, Terry. I know you are on a major creek in one of your houses. We could sure use the rain, though we got none last night. It is waiting for me to go out to lunch, I'll bet! Still overcast but pleasantly cool outside if you don't have to work hard. Otherwise it is very humid and one gets damp in short order from exertion. That is rare for me. In Hawaii, it just evaporates. California is the same. Watching your weather on the portal page weather link John so kindly and expertly set up. You are there, too!

didn't houston just get some major rain too?

San Antonio did ! When I was through Dallas it looked VERY dry. I hope it moderates soon. Too much rain is a serious problem, anywhere! But, especiallyh in the location of central Texas where it is usually so hot and dry. Feast or famine just like the rest of the world with the odd weather happening. Send some east, Terry. We can use it in Louisville!

We need some rain here too. Karachi seems to be on the verge of having extreme water shortage problem.

Texas is a BIG state, but it surely has more than its share of the rain lately.I will get out my ethnographic material and summon up a Native American rain dance. It might not work, but it also could not hurt !

Perhaps if we invite Gene Kelly to the rain dance, it might work. "laugh"

Oh Sikander, you are brilliant! If I could sing and dance as well as GeneKelly did in Singin' in the Rain we would have deluges wherever I go. Alas I do not. In Hawaii, where rain is abundant, they have an old Hawaiian tradition that rain is a blessing, and if you pick certain flowers it will rain. Ithink it just rains as a part of the climate and atmspheric flow patterns. But,Like all mythology, they have a reason for each phenomenon they cannot explain. Back when these superstitions were created, there was MUCH we did not understand! Are we so different today? Have you knocked on wood lately? It was fantastic talking to you in my evening yesterday, Sikander, and John, welcome back to my monitor. I have missed talking less formally and getting to know how the world is treating you all.

Over Evripos channel, at the centre of the city Halkis. I was there the past Thursday and Friday. I saw the amazing strong tidal phenomenon under this bridge. It is as a river inside the sea. Many legends exist, trying to justify the almost unique tide phenomenon. Some researchers stayed on the illusion of explaining it while some others, unable to explain it, stayed admiring its magnificence. The water-flow in Evripos channel is changing direction about every 6 hours, a rare physical phenomenon, triggering the imagination and the curiosity of humans since the prehistoric times, searching for mythological, astronomical, physical and philosophical explanations. The place where the old bridge is built, is the narrowest point of the channel, and the water current can reach the speed of 15km (9 miles) per hour! It is really interesting to watch the reversion of flow direction that happens about every 6 hours. The exact time of reversion is determined by the position of the moon. http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/.142118/1129/?s=H John

I was here during my weekend with an old good friend. It is at the east Mt Pelion. More photos here: http://www.pilion.net/papanero/pne-pict.htm John

Be they legends or traditional beliefs or superstition in scientific terms, I find them to be romantic. So Marcia, whether it rains or not after picking that special flower, I would look towards heaven, close my eyes and imagine that drops of rain were falling on my face; I love traditions. The same goes for legends John. By the way John I saw all the pictures. Papa-Nero beach looks a beautiful place for spending the week-end. Lucky you.

John, Hawaii's beaches hide in shame compared to the spendors of Greece's lovely silicate beaches. This truly is beautiful. AND, If I had all the time in the world and access to the necessary resources, I could happily spend the restof my life hunting down the scientific reason behind myth and folklore of phenomena found on earth. I also find traditions wonderfully imaginative and containing much truth as they understood it at the time. Skiander, perhaps we might post what is traditional explainations in Pakistan...?! I suspect GeoMysteries might be a good place to begin. Beautful Pictures. I will try to find a saiche or tidal bore on another river or yours depending on the availability. I have also witnessed this and it amazingly powerful. The entire Bay of Fundy in Maine is involved in one of the world's strongest. More as I find it.

I think that there is also a river mouth in northern China which is subject to something similar. The highest tides in the world have reportedly been measured in the Bay of Fundy.

Hi all, Hawaii is the place where Earth gives birth to a new baby... land. Do you know any new-born infant that is beautiful? From the other hand, Hawaii can show to human eyes, how is paradise and hell simultaneously! The hell of fire in your volcanoes has also its unique beauty. My poor opinion is that a place can be part of paradise or hell, depending on our company. Hell can be paradise if we have the appropriate company. John

Hi Cheryl and all, You have right. Here is additional information about the highest tides on Earth. The Highest Tides on Earth occur in the Minas Basin!! The tides on Earth are strongly influenced, in addition to astronomical factors, by the sizes, boundaries, and depths of ocean basins and inlets, and by Earth's rotation, winds, and barometric pressure fluctuations. Tides typically have ranges (vertica high-to-low) of a metre or two, but there are regions in the oceans where various influences conspire to produce virtually no tides at all, and others where the tides are greatly amplified. Among the latter regions are the Sea of Okhotsk, the northern coast of Australia, the English channel, and in Canada at the Ungava Bay in northern Quebec and the Bay of Fundy between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The tidal ranges in these regions are of the order of 10 metres. The highest tides on Earth occur in the Minas Basin, the eastern extremity of the Bay of Fundy, where the average tide range is 12 metres and can reach 16 metres when the various factors affecting the tides are in phase (although the highest tides occur typically a day or two after the astronomical influences reach their peak). The primary cause of the immense tides of Fundy is a resonance of the Bay of Fundy-Gulf of Maine system. The system is effectively bounded at tis outer end by the edge of the continental shelf with its approximately 40:1 increase in depth. The system has a natural period of approximately 13 hours, which is close to the 12h25m period of the dominant lunar tide of the Atlantic Ocean. Like a father pushing his daughter on a swing, the gentle Atlantic tidal pulse pushes the waters of the Bay of Fundy-Gulf of Maine basin at nearly the optimum frequency to cause a large to-and-fro oscillation. The grestest slosh occurs at the head (northeast end) of the system. Because Earth rotates counterclockwise in the Norhern Hemisphere, the tides are higher in Minas Basin (Wolfville-Truro area) than in Chignecto Bay (Amherst-Moncton area). Although it is the gravitation of the Moon and Sun that raises the tides, the energy in the churning waters is extracted from the rotational energy of Earth spinning on its axis. Near Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, a tiny portion of this energy is being converted into commercial electrical energy in the only tidal power plant in the Western Hemisphere. The peak output of the Annapolis Basin generator is 20 megawatts, about 1% of Nova Scotia's electrical power capacity. Tidal friction both lengthens the day and increases the size of the orbit of the Moon. The day is lengthening by about 1 second every 50,000 years, imperceptible on a human time scale, but of profound significance to Earth's rotation over a few billiion years. If the Sun does not first incinerate our planet, in the distant future there will come a day that is as long as the lunar month (each then equal to about 40 present days) and a more distant Moon will stand stationary in the sky, as does Earth now in theh lunar sky. But this situation will not endure, for solar tides will still be present and will cause the Moon to approach Earth once more. More http://www.valleyweb.com/fundytides/ John

Thanks for the detailed information on the Bay of Fundy tides, John.

I have only seen the lower Bay of Fundy tidal bores. That is awesome in itself. Thank you for not only the information but also for the excellent map. I know people who have wanted to surf that wave all those miles to the inland terminus!

Australia's first camel dairy to open An Australian man plans to set up business milking camels. Neil Waters will open the country's first camel dairy near Alice Springs. Neil, who runs Camels Australia, says the milk has a similar nutritional quality to goats' milk. He told the ABC website: "Hopefully we'll be milking half a dozen this year - and once we can sort that out we can find out how many camels it's going to take to get plenty of litres of milk. "It'll take a while before we can actually train them up to milking - they generally don't like you playing with their teats." Story filed: 10:37 Thursday 25th July 2002 Animal tales Farming orange.co.uk/today

THE BRAIN WORKOUT Research shows that exercise boosts more than your butt: It makes you smarter, too By JUDI SHEPPARD MISSETT The connections between physical, emotional and mental health are widely accepted, and scientific research indicates that regular exercise plays a vital role in achieving optimal health in all three areas. Physically, exercise has a positive influence on everything from weight control to cancer and heart-disease risk. Mentally and emotionally, exercise is a natural stress reducer, self-esteem-booster and anti-depressant. But here's a benefit that is often overlooked: Exercise stimulates mental acuity, as well. The biological changes prompted by exercise improve our "capacity to master new, and remember old, information," says Dr. John J. Ratey, Harvard University professor of clinical psychiatry and author of "A User's Guide to the Brain." Ratey explains that "physical movements call upon many of the same neurons used for reading, writing and math" and that "physically active people reported an increase in academic abilities, memory retrieval and cognitive abilities." Scientists once believed that people lost brain function as they aged, due to an outright loss of nerve cells. Today, research indicates that memory lapses are more likely due to a breakdown in the synapses or connections between nerves. In fact, researchers from the University of California at Irvine found that a healthy brain continues to grow new neurons indefinitely, which can actually slow the brain's aging process and even reverse existing damage. But a healthy brain is a product of a balanced lifestyle that includes proper nutrition, stress management and mental and physical exercise. Stimulate your mind What makes physical exercise so important? In addition to reducing stress, aerobic exercise washes the brain in fresh oxygen and increases the production of growth agents for nerve cells. Study participants at the Beckman Institute for Science and Technology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who moved from a sedentary to active lifestyle (three 45-minute aerobic workouts per week) improved their mental performance by as much as 25% in six months. A diet rich in antioxidants is also helpful. Reactive forms of oxygen, called free radicals, are a natural by-product of our metabolism. Free radicals break down cell membranes throughout the body and can affect cell connections in the brain. While our bodies produce antioxidants to protect and repair cells from this process, the production slows with age; hence the need for dietary assistance. People whose diets included Vitamins C, E, B and beta-carotene scored higher on memory tests and appeared to maintain mental function better than those who did not get adequate amounts of these nutrients. Fruits and vegetables are a great source of antioxidants. Finally, experts recommend giving your brain a mental workout as well. Word puzzles, hobbies, socializing, reading, travel (any thought-provoking activities) stimulate the brain, increasing blood flow and strengthening both brain cells and the connections between them. The following exercise is an excellent addition to any program. It strengthens the muscles of your hips, while improving balance and challenging your posture stabilization muscles. Begin by standing tall with your feet hip-width-apart. Point your right foot out to the side, as you reach your arms out for balance. Keeping your hips level, slowly lift your right leg a few inches off the floor. Pause briefly, standing tall and balancing on your left foot before lowering your right foot back to the floor. Repeat 10 to 15 times before repeating the movements on the opposite side. http://www.nydailynews.com/city_life/health/story/5046p-4688c.html John

*sigh* I hate sweating. Is there any other way to bathe the brain in Oxygen by hiking in a cool climate? It seems we have to be miserable to achieve anything. I personally find a good lively night-long discussion more stimulating than a hot run. And, plenty of sleep is also necessary.

for John: Pre-Olympic sailing event to be held this month Athens, 02/08/2002 (ANA) An Athens 2004 pre-Olympic sailing regatta will be held from Aug. 16-23 off the Aghios Kosmas coastal district in southeast Athens. The event is designed to allow athletes to be familiarized with the maritime and weather conditions at the specific sailing venue. The regatta is the first of two sailing test events. The first pre-Olympic regatta will be held at temporary facilities of Aghios Kosmas, while a new Olympic Sailing Center is under construction and is expected to be ready for a second test event in August 2003. The Athens 2004 organizing committee (ATHOC) has promised to conduct a series of test events based -- as closely as possible -- on a real event environment. Although only one test event is scheduled for each competition at each Olympic facility, sailing is the only sport for which two pre-Olympic events have been scheduled. http://www.goGreece.com/news/headlines/story.html?id=7203

julie: not geo-related, since i know you're in the so cal area, please be on the lookout for stolen birds from local petstores (in the past week or so): http://www.beakstreet.com/alert.htm

Good grief, Wolfie!!! I suspect they have left the state by now just like stolen cars!

actually, they think they're looking for a quick buck....very sad since some are babies and will need to be handfed every two hours.

In this heat (if it is close to being as hot as here) they will not survive, I fear. Babies need special handling and temperature controls. How terribly sad.

indeed!

Skywatchers await celestial display The Perseids are particularly spectacular and appear in the constellation Perseus. Astronomers are predicting a spectacular display of shooting stars over the next few days. Dozens of meteors are expected to shoot across the sky every hour. The Perseids should be visible as streaks of coloured light in the night sky before dawn on Tuesday. "Tonight we'll probably see - if we're lucky and there's a good clear sky - an increased number of shooting stars, or meteors as astronomers prefer to call them," Robin Scagell, of the Society for Popular Astronomy, told the BBC. "It happens at this time of year each year and it's been happening like this as long as people can remember, certainly way back until around the beginning of the Christian era." Comet trail Meteors are streaks of light in the sky caused by small pieces of comet dust disintegrating in the Earth's atmosphere. When comets pass close to the Sun, they begin to evaporate and leave behind a trail of gas and dust. They are among the fastest meteors, hitting the atmosphere at 60 kilometres per second. They occur each August when the Earth runs through the dusty debris from comet Swift-Tuttle. How to see the Perseids: Choose a dark location, away from city lights. Look up towards an unobstructed part of the sky. Face away from the Moon. When the Earth passes through this trail, we have a meteor shower. Source: BBC NEWS (Monday, 12 August, 2002, 10:51 GMT 11:51 UK). Note for Geo friends: To find where is the constellation Perseus, you can use your local night sky map, which included in our Geo Portal pages for you. John

Did anyone get to see the Perseids? Thanks for putting it in the Portal page. I was in the mountains of Tennessee with just about total sky availability but nothing showed up due to high cloud cover.

alas, no. i was too tired to get up at 2AM!

I did hear to amateur radio operators talking about their success. One saw "more than one hundred" during his time outdoors. I guess it was pretty good if you had the energy and skies to view it. ...Next time!

AURORA ALERT: Middle Latitudes should be able to view Aurora. Go look. Radio users should be able to work some Aurora-mode propagation. More at http://prop.hfradio.org/

Auroral Activity Extrapolated from NOAA POES Left: North pole, Right: South pole The above plots show the current extent and position of the auroral oval at each pole, extrapolated from measurements taken during the most recent polar pass of the NOAA POES satellite. "Center time" is the calculated time halfway through the satellite's pass over the pole. Source: http://www.sel.noaa.gov/pmap/index.html Note: The above images are continuously updated. John

I suspect we are all too far south except for Cosmic Mike. Auroras over North America http://www.spaceweather.com As night fell across North America on Tuesday, August 20th, the interplanetary magnetic field near Earth turned south--a condition that favors geomagnetic activity and Northern Lights. At the time this notice was issued (Aug. 20th at 8:30 p.m. PDT) a geomagnetic storm was in progress with observers in New Hampshire reporting colorful auroras. Sky watchers should remain alert for Northern Lights so long as the storm continues (visit spaceweather.com for updates). Canada, Alaska and the northern tier of US states (from Maine to Michigan to Washington) are favored; the hours around local midnight are usually the best times to look.

Hi all must be aurora time - we had thunderstorms all last night and today... 73 de Mike

That is precisely what relatives in the Northeastern US said! A sure indication of cloudy or stormy weather is a CME event!

I think that it is not CME�s result. We have also CRAZY WEATHER in Greece. Temperature was only 17 degrees last night. I never remember such low temperatures in the August. We have strong rain every evening! But we are OK. Instead, the rest planet counts many deaths from unexpected natural disasters. John

had no idea that yucky weather could indicate CME!

It means if there is an aurora to be seen, and we want to see it, it rains so we can't see it.Auroras are caused by CMEs. Therefore, from a very strange set of logical thoughts comes an invalid conclusion that CMEs cause bad weather. Just like eclipses do and meteor showers. *Sigh*

and anytime the space shuttle rips itself through our atmosphere (my dad's theory)

Your dad is an original and independent thinker, is he not?! I had never heard that theory. Of course, On certain bad days I may be wearing blue socks. Does that mean....?? *;)

Is NOTHING sacred anymore? Womens' knickers could have protected kilt-wearing soldiers Scientists experimented with women's underwear impregnated with chemicals as protection for Scottish soldiers wearing kilts. Newly declassified documents from the Public Record Office show the research was carried out in 1939 amid fears that Highland regiments could be vulnerable to mustard gas burns. The Sunday Times reports they have traditionally worn nothing under their kilts. It reports experts at Porton Down in Wiltshire, the government's chemical weapons research establishment, carried out experiments using woollen stockings and knickers soaked in chemicals. They were designed to protect the soldiers from gas attacks which inflicted serious burns during the First World War. The documents reveal five volunteers were kitted out in long golf stockings with extended woollen tops, tucked into ladies "Vedonis woollen knickers impregnated with protective chemicals dissolved in white spirit". They were exposed to mustard gas intermittently for five days. Although they were protected against burns, it was decided the plans were impractical and too expensive. The paper reports it was also accepted the soldiers would be unlikely to agree to wear such undignified clothing. The kilt was withdrawn as official battle dress in 1940. British soldiers were not subjected to German chemical attacks in the Second World War. http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_657072.html?menu=news.scienceanddiscovery

Type with your eye The eyetracker can work out where you are looking Software which allows computer users to write without touching the keyboard has been developed by scientists at Cambridge University in the UK. Dubbed Dasher, the text entry system could transform computing for people unable to use a normal keyboard. Designed by David MacKay and David Ward in the University's Department of Physics, the system uses an eyetracker which can deduce where the user is looking on the screen. Letters continuously appear on the screen, with Dasher displaying the most likely pairings or triplets of letters. It can even guess whole words. Few spelling mistakes Dasher's knowledge of English is cumulative so it will remember new words and has already digested some classic authors such as Jane Austen and Lewis Caroll in its attempt to help users write quickly and accurately. "The software works like a video game in which the user steers ever deeper into an enormous library," explained Dr MacKay. The system is faster than other eyetracking systems producing up to 25 words per minute compared to the 15 word per minute currently possible. "Not only is this faster than any alternative writing system driven by an eyetracker, the frequency of spelling mistakes is about five times smaller and the new system is also less stressful to use," added Dr MacKay. Its inventors stress that Dasher has not caused any eyestrain in experiments. Useful in China But users preferring not to rely on their eyes can also use a mouse, rollerball or touchpad. Dasher will be developed as an open source software project, Dr MacKay said. It is hoped that the software will be useful for handheld computers or mobile phones where there is no space for a keyboard. It could also prove invaluable in the burgeoning markets in Japan and China. Both languages have thousands of characters meaning they are poorly suited to conventional keyboards. The research was published in the journal Nature. Source: BBC NEWS

I hope this is more successful than the voice typing software I have used. The one I tried could not even get my name right. This eye-typing sounds very promising for the handicapped. I am most hopeful for its success.

Meteorite' hits girl Siobhan Cowton: "I saw it fall from above roof height" The odds against being hit by a meteorite are billions to one - but a teenager in North Yorkshire may have had one land on her foot. Siobhan Cowton, 14, was getting into the family car outside her Northallerton home at 1030 BST on Thursday when a stone fell on her from the sky. Noticing it was "quite hot", she showed it to her father Niel. The family now plan to have the stone analysed by scientists at Durham University. "I saw it fall from above roof height," Siobhan told BBC News Online. "It looked very unusual, with a bubbled surface and tiny indentations like volcanic lava. 'Shiny' "It was shiny on one side and looked rusty as if it contained iron. "I've seen shooting stars before - but nothing like this. This does not happen very often in Northallerton." Mr Cowton, 45, told BBC News Online he would take the stone to be analysed himself. "It is not going to leave my sight because it is a very rare find," he said. "It is worth a lot to Siobhan. "We will have it mounted in a glass presentation case so she can keep it for the rest of her life. "After all it is not every day you get hit by a meteorite. "The odds of winning the Lottery are better." The stone could have come from Mars, according to expert on Earth impacts Dr Benny Peiser, of Liverpool John Moores University. "It could be billions of years old and come from the earliest formation of the solar system," he told the Daily Mail newspaper. Most meteors are between five and 60 centimetres (1.95 in and 1 ft 11.5 in) long, according to Durham University physical geography lecturer Dr Ben Horton. "Sometimes they have shallow depressions and cavities," he said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2218755.stm

I'm afraid for how can learn correct language the new generations. Is it possible only with eyes? They will lost the second way of communications!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They have already lost the voice way because they communicate typing messages on its Cell Phones!!!!!!!!!!!!! John

Okay, this is just for fun. It's a link to the Celtic Zodiac, which is based on a 13 sign lunar calendar. The signs are mostly trees, atleast all are plants; as it was originated by Druids that would make sense. I just find astrology fun in general and hope that this site being essentially a Wiccan site doesn't upset anyone. http://www.ladytia.com/celt/zodiac.htm

I found that site long ago and lost track of it in the meanwhile. Thanks for posting it. I seem to be a Hawthorn and my planet is Vulcan As for the rest, you will have to judge that for yourselves. I find it very amusing! Thanks, Cheryl.

and as your twin, marica, i'm a hawthorn too!

Indeed, and for you it is fitting that what applies to me also applies to you. Btw, it got Geo's resident Geologist right on target!

Hi all Interesting zodiac site - seems I'm an Ash person! 73 de Mike

The site is fun to visit. I'm a Rowan.

If you ever lived in an apartment and thought that you had irritating neighbors. Can you imagine living in this building. Relief as the Cows Upstairs Move Out Fri Aug 30,10:26 AM ET ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Turkish woman has begun selling the cows she kept in upstairs apartments in the city of Trabzon, to the relief of her neighbors. Local alderman Osman Terzi said health and safety officials had ordered the cows to be cleared out of the first and third floors of the building in the Black Sea port city. "I have learned that Fatma Kocaman has started selling her cows, which is a very pleasing development," the Anatolian news agency quoted him saying on Thursday. It said she had kept "a large number" of cows there. "It's hard to believe someone would keep cows in an apartment. For years me and the locals have wondered what to do...The area has suffered a lot. Noise, smell and manure everywhere make a very ugly scene," Terzi said.