While phoenixes normally arise, the Phoenix spacecraft has landed on Mars and the BBC reports Historic pictures sent from Mars

A Nasa spacecraft has sent back the first historic pictures of an unexplored region of Mars.

The Mars Phoenix lander touched down in the far north of the Red Planet, after a 680 million-km (423 million-mile) journey from Earth.

The probe is equipped with a robotic arm to dig for water-ice thought to be buried beneath the surface.

It will begin examining the site for evidence of the building blocks of life in the next few days.

A signal confirming the lander had reached the surface was received at 2353 GMT on 25 May (1953 EDT; 0053 BST on 26 May).
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The man is absolutely disconnected from the reality of the situation: Obama: Florida, Michigan are Clinton’s ‘last slender hope’

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama accused Sen. Hillary Clinton of stoking anger in Florida and Michigan over the Democratic Party’s decision not to recognize the states’ primary votes.

“They weren’t stirring it up when they didn’t need the delegates,” he said. “Let’s not sort of pretend that we don’t know what’s going on. This is, from their perspective, their last slender hope to make arguments about how they can win.”

I can’t speak for Michigan, but we damn sure don’t need Hillary Clinton to be pissed off about what the Democratic Party did to us in Florida. She isn’t stirring anything up – she’s has recognized the reality.

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I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

Frank Herbert, Dune

To all of you thrown into a paroxysm of paranoia by any historical reference which you only marginally understand, your letter of appreciation from Messrs Rove and bin Laden will be arriving shortly. You just can’t have terrorism without unreasoned fear.

CNN reports that 70,000 homes ‘damaged’ in new China quake

CHENGDU, China (CNN) — A powerful 5.8 magnitude aftershock hit China’s Sichuan province Sunday, reportedly damaging more than 70,000 homes in the region where at least 60,000 people were killed by a powerful earthquake on May 12.

State media said at least one people died and 400 were hurt as a result of the latest seismic jolt, which came as Chinese officials warned that 69 dams in the province damaged in the original quake were in danger of bursting their banks.
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Meanwhile, the death toll from this month’s earthquake in China reached 62,664, a government official said Sunday. Another 23,775 are still missing.

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Towel Day

Florida License Plates

Beneficiary

A weekend feature of Why Now.