Desert Messenger

May 30, 2012

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Page 22 Today in History, May 30th Mariner 9 departed for Mars in 1971. Mariner 9 was the final mission in NASA's Mariner series, which flew in the 1960s and early 1970s. Mariner 9 went into orbit around Mars in November of 1971, becom- ing the planet's first artificial sat- ellite. It orbited Mars for almost a year, sending back images and photo-mapping the entire planet. From Mariner 9's images, scien- tists learned for the first time of Mars' giant volcanoes and huge canyon, as well as its ancient dried riverbeds. Later missions, such as the Viking missions and Mars Pathfinder, used more advanced technology, including a lander and a robotic rover, to further explore the planet. http://thinkfinity.org www.DesertMessenger.com Strange but True By Samantha Weaver It was Canadian actor and come- dian Leslie Nielsen who made the following sage observation: "Doing nothing is very hard to do ... you never know when you're finished." A 22-year-old man who was try- ing to board a flight in Cairo, Egypt, bound for Saudi Arabia was recently stopped by security officers when the X-ray of his hand luggage showed some strange results. It seems that the man was attempting to transport 250 baby crocodiles and -- wait for it -- a live cobra. (Animal lovers will be pleased to learn that the creatures were not harmed; they were turned over to the Cairo Zoo.) In Thailand, it is illegal to step on any of that nation's currency. Are you a cacographer? You may not be, but if you spend any time at all online you've certainly run across a few. A cacographer is someone who can't quite grasp the rules of spelling. Researchers in Greece who recently completed a study on napping found that men who nap at least three times a week were at a 37 percent lower risk for heart-related death. So now you have an excuse to do what you want to do anyway. If you've ever had to navigate the transportation systems throughout Walt Disney World in Florida, you might not be surprised to learn that the theme park complex covers 47 square miles. To put the figure in perspective, that's twice the size of Manhattan Island. It's possible for a nectarine tree to grow from a peach pit, and vice versa. A man named Robert Boyd entered a lingerie shop and attempted to hold up the store using a Japanese sword. A fan of video games, Boyd claimed in his defense that at the time of the holdup, he believed he was an elf. Thought for the Day: "Only the madman is absolutely sure." -- Robert Anton Wilson (c) 2009 King Features Synd., Inc. NOTICE to Advertisers: Please check your ad(s). Errors/corrections must be submitted before deadline, to be published in the next avail- able edition of the Desert Messenger. DEADLINES are printed - in multiple locations - in EVERY issue of the Desert Messenger! For rates and deadlines visit www.DesertMessenger.com PUZZLE PAGE ANSWERS (from page 20) of the Desert Messenger Email: desertmessenger7@yahoo.com DEADLINE is WED. June 6 for June 13th issue Phone: 541-218-2560 www.DesertMessenger.com May 30, 2012 Don't keep your heap! The economy is showing signs of recovery even with the rising cost of gas. Many people who held on to their car during the recession are now looking to replace it with a more fuel efficient one. If you are one of those people, you have to figure out what to do with your car. If your vehicle does not get good gas mileage, has a lot of miles, is more than 5 years old or is not in good condition, the dealership won't offer you much for it as a trade in. They won't want it because there is no demand for it. It will be difficult to sell it privately for the same reason. One alternative is to sell it for a couple of hundred dollars to a junk yard. A better alternative is to donate your car to charity. Cars4Charities will gladly take your old car, no matter what shape it is in. In return for your generosity, you will get a tax deduction of $500 or more. They have hundreds of charities that can be helped by your car donation. For details, please go to http://www.cars4charities.org/ or call 866.448.3487.

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