Indian Spacecraft Snaps Spectacular Portrait of Mars...

India's first spacecraft to visit Mars has beamed home its greatest photo of the Red Planet yet, a view that reveals the planet from pole to pole. 

The new photo of Mars from India's Mangalyaan probe was unveiled today (Sept. 29) by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It shows Mars as a red globe in space, with the planet's southern ice cap clearly visible, while a huge dust storm blankets part of the northern region. "Something's brewing here!" ISRO officials wrote in a Twitter post for the Mars orbiter. 
 

The Mangalyaan spacecraft used its Mars Colour Camera to capture the amazing photo from a distance of 46,292 miles (74,500 kilometres) above the Red Planet on Sunday (Sept. 28), according to an ISRO photo description. It is the third and best view of Mars from Mangalyaan since the spacecraft arrived in orbit around the planet last week. The Mars Colour Camera is one of five different instruments riding aboard Mangalyaan to study Mars from orbit.

Mangalyaan (the name is Sanskrit for "Mars Craft") is the centrepiece of India's $74 million Mars Orbiter Mission, which launched toward the Red Planet in November 2013 and arrived in orbit on Sept. 24 of this year. The spacecraft arrived at Mars just days after the U.S.-built MAVEN orbiter arrived at the Red Planet on its own mission for NASA. 

India's Mars orbiter circles the Red Planet in a highly elliptical orbit that brings the spacecraft within 227 miles (365 km) of the planet at its closest approach. The orbit reaches out 49,710 miles (80,000 km) at its farthest point. The mission is expected to last between six and 10 months.

Less than 2 weeks ago, UK PLC were fined & ordered to pay a US company £224 million.
Westminster MP expenses for 1 year is over £100 million...
The Indian Space Mission to Mars costs less than £45 million

ELO - Ticket To The Moon

I used the lyrics to pass my English University Entrance Exam - Back in 1984ish, and nobody was any wiser...

"Ticket To The Moon"

Remember the good old 1980s?

When things were so uncomplicated?

I wish I could go back there again

And everything could be the same.

I've got a ticket to the moon

I'll be leaving here any day soon

Yeah, I've got a ticket to the moon

But I'd rather see the sunrise in your eyes.

Got a ticket to the moon

I'll be rising high above the earth so soon

And the tears I cry might turn into the rain

That gently falls upon your window

You'll never know.

[CHORUS:]

Ticket to the moon (ticket to the moon)

Ticket to the moon (ticket to the moon)

Ticket to the moon (ticket to the moon).

Fly, fly through a troubled sky

Up to a new world shining bright, oh, oh.

Flying high above

Soaring madly through the mysteries that come

Wondering sadly if the ways that led me here

Could turn around and I would see you there

Standing there (and I would see you there, waiting...)

Ticket to the moon

Flight leaves here today from Satellite Two

As the minutes go by, what should I do?

I paid the fare, what more can I say?

It's just one way (only one way)...

Liverpool Express - You Are My Love (1976)

I heard that one back in Iraq in 1976 & I loved it...  I hope my brother "Abu Arab" remembers this one...

The Moon is Made of Cheese (Electro Dubstep)

This just makes me happy....

It's 7:30AM and I'm already on....

It's 7:30AM and I'm already on my second McDonald's breakfast....

This morning, my son missed his morning train to work, so he phones me @ 5:30AM to tell me that he'd missed the train and the next one is a little bit too late, so can I give him a lift...

So I leave home, bloody starving - no time to cook and a McDonald's is on the way...

I got there @ 5:45AM and order the usual, a sausage and egg McMuffin with an extra egg, no cheese and a bit of ketchup....

And what do I get, a double sausage and egg McMuffin, with cheese and no ketchup... I eat that on the way, and keep on complaining to my son about how they did not listen to me, and how they got my order wrong...

My son used to work for McDonald's, and I think he still feels some sort of affinity to the brand & the workers, so he angrily states that I would have had what I wanted, if only I asked for it (I thought I did)... 

So we drive the 28+miles to Wilmslow (from Bolton), and get there @ 6:58AM, 2 minutes before he starts work...

I usually work in Hazel Grove during the week, around 8 miles away from Wilmslow, so instead of driving back home, I decided to drive to work and wait until it was time...

On the way to work I passed another McDonald's so I thought why not try the breakfast and this time I'm sure they will get it right... So I drive in, and order the double egg & sausage McMuffin with no cheese, plus ketchup, and what do I get?  2 eggs + cheese, no sausage and no ketchup...

I give up.....