planet

Talk about a “dog with a bone”!

The Republican House of Representatives has once again voted to eliminate the Corporation for National and Community Service (“CNCS”). The first time they did this, the Senate voted it down and you would have thought that’s that.

The public is invited to be entertained and educated with Bill Nye the Science Guy Sept. 6, the first of several presentations in the annual Discover Science Lecture Series at the University of Nevada, Reno. The College of Science and Associated Students of the University of Nevada are bringing Nye to the University’s Lawlor Events Center at 7 p.m. All tickets are $5 per person, available through the Lawlor box office.

Heavenly Mountain Resort at South Lake Tahoe will host the U.S. Freestyle Championships in 2012-13 and 2013-14. The two-year deal brings the women’s and men’s moguls, aerials and dual moguls back to Lake Tahoe's South Shore for the second time. Heavenly also hosted the U.S. Freestyle Championships in 2004, as well as FIS World Cup Freestyle events in 1999 and 2000.

More than 50 Carson City and nearby residents are planning to gather on Monday, April 9, to take part in an unprecedented week-long nationwide progressive mobilization, called 99% Spring, to take back the country for the 99%. Reno area residents will also be meeting on Saturday and Sunday, April 14 and 15.

The study of climate change through Earth history has produced a wealth of information on the operation of the ocean-atmosphere system during climate transitions as well as the feedbacks that impact the magnitude and rate of climate change on the planet. A public lecture on Thursday at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences will address some of what has been found.

This lecture presentation tells the story of the two Mars Rovers, Spirit & Opportunity, and their ongoing eight year mission. The slideshow includes incredible images of the surface of the Red planet, and provides the latest information about the status of the rovers. The presentation includes the latest update on the mission status, and the future explorations of Mars.

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and lectures will begin at 8 p.m.

NOTE: LECTURES WILL BE CANCELLED AND RESCHEDULED IF SNOW IS FALLING ON THE VALLEY FLOOR IN THE CARSON CITY AREA, OR IF THERE IS SNOW ON THE ROADWAYS.

I was busy some other place when "Star Wars, The Phantom Menace" opened in 1999 in the USA. Lucky me. Not so lucky now when I went to see the reworked original decked out in 3D. It's a corny movie and the 3D adds little to the viewing except for the $3 extra per ticket. At the Galaxy Fandango in Carson City you can see the release without 3D and you won't be missing much.

By the Nevada Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources
Washoe Lake State Park is hosting a summer stargaze August 27, 2011.
Astronomy experts Adam Kremers and Jay Lawson will lead participants in an evening of star and planet gazing through high powered telescopes. A light jacket is recommended as late summer evenings can be cool.
The public is invited to attend.
Call: 775-687-4319 for more information.
WHAT: Summer Stargaze

"The Help," currently playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City, is a welcome relief from such summer films as the ugly "Change-Up." No explosions, no car chases, no exploitive scenes for the teens among us. Instead it's a portrait of life in Mississippi in the 1960s and the near-infinite gap between the whites and their black maids and cooks.

"The Change-Up," an R-rated film now playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City and elsewhere, plays concurrently with "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" at the Galaxy.

"Apes" is probably the best summer fare this year. No way "Change-Up" is going to be on anyone's "best" list, unless it's that of the sophomore class at Carson High. But even young teens, at whom this movie is aimed, surely will know better. It's a lousy take on contemporary American men and society. Director Dave Dobkin makes the trains run on time but with such a lousy load of freight.

"The Rise of the Planet of the Apes,' now playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineplex in Carson City, may well be the best of the summer popcorn fare. It is not an extension of the "Apes" series of the 1970s and '80s but the beginning of a new franchise of films. And its primate hand is there for all of us.

It's been a couple of weeks since I wrote about our local GOP candidate for Congress Mark Amodei and his politically opportunistic attempt to shed his moderate past and prove he's just as crazy as the other Tea Party people by declaring he would vote against raising the debt ceiling.

What's wrong with the number three?Babe Ruth wore it. Dale Earnhardt stuck it on the side of his race car. The planet Earth, afterall, is the third rock from the sun. You can't get a hat trick with...

"Green Lantern," the current DC Comic ripoff now playing at the Fandango Galaxy cineflex in Carson City, is all about a corps of Green Lantern good guys who protected the universe from evildoers such as Parallax, the baddest bad guy around.

Movie starts with Temuera Morrison as Abin Sur getting hit by Parallax while sledding through space and crashing on a rocky beach. With his dying breath he send his powerful Green Lantern out to find someone to replace him in guarding Earth from Parallax.

This lecure presentation by Mike Thomas tells the story of the two Mars Rovers
spirit and opportunity and their ongoing seven year mission. The slide show
includes many incredible images of the surface of the Red Planet and provides
the latest information about the status of the rovers.

Courtesy of GrandViewOutdoors.com
A caribou herd shared by Alaska and northwest Canada has rebounded after a near one-third decline, according to a photo census announced by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

State biologists said the Porcupine Caribou Herd has grown to an estimated 169,000 animals.

"People on both sides of the Alaska-Canada border are pleased,'' said Jason Caikoski, an assistant area biologist.

By Nicoletta Florio /Big George Green Consulting
Traveling green is no mean feat. We can walk, cycle, skateboard or even pogo to a destination. Getting in our accustomed vehicles however, presents a challenge when we are trying to minimize our carbon footprint.

By Nicoletta Florio / Big George Green Consulting
Living Sustainably is good for the planet and, in turn, is good for us. Whether or not we believe in global warming, it is irrefutable that an unhealthy environment causes illness to its inhabitants. The environment can be a region, a block, a building, or even just a room.

Carl Kuhl, a state Parole and Probation employee of six years, has created a plan that he claims will eliminate Nevada's budget deficit within two years.

In a news release issued on Tuesday, Kuhl said his plan not only will reduce the budget deficit but also help repair Nevada's economy at the same time. It is a pretty big claim, he admits, coming from an Accounting Assistant I, an entry level position.

We have word that there will be a Tea Party event at Mills Park at 11 this morning, and that U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle will be making an appearance. There is also supposed to be a counter-protest by Harry Reid supporters. Should be an interesting morning.

Update: Just went by Mills Park, and the Angle event doesn't start until noon. But there's already several dozen Harry Reid supporters lining the highway in front of the park. We'll have some photos of the Angle people once they get up and running with their event.

PS, if the Internet gods cooperate, we'll try to broadcast some live video from the event. You can watch it here. You can also follow updates on our Live Updates page, or via Twitter @carsonnow

CARSON CITY – A proposal by an out-going Nevada lawmaker to officially recognize an alternate pronunciation of the name of the state as an acceptable second-choice has generated a lot of comment, with most residents not surprisingly opposed to the idea.
But some of those posting comments on various news sites also support the idea that maybe Nevadans should be more tolerant of those who “mispronounce� the state’s name.
Others have suggested the resolution sought for drafting by Assemblyman Harry Mortenson, D-Las Vegas, is a waste of time and money.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – If there is one thing near and dear to the hearts of many Nevadans, it is the pronunciation of the name of their state.
For most Nevadans, it is pronounced Ne-vaaa-da. The middle syllable rhymes with glad. It is not pronounced Ne-vah-da. And many Nevadans don’t mind letting people know when they err.

The idea of planets has evolved over its history, from the divine wandering stars of antiquity to the earthly objects of the scientific age. The concept has expanded to include worlds not only in the Solar System, but in hundreds of other extrasolar systems. The ambiguities inherent in defining planets have led to much scientific controversy.

Unfortunately it is becoming more and more apparent that the countries and environments of the world are much more tightly connected than we’ve been willing to acknowledge.

Well presented. Compelling. I do understand a call for a book repository. Not only for books but for anything recorded in any medium.

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino has agreed to pay a $750,000 fine to Nevada gambling regulators for failing to provide oversight to an independently operated nightclub that leases space in the resort.