posted August 26, 2010 05:05 PM         

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The Mutating Mars Hoax
August 25, 2010:
It spreads,
it mutates,
it refuses to die.

For the seventh year in a row, the Mars Hoax is infecting email boxes around the world. Passed from one reader to another, the message states that on August 27th Mars will approach Earth and swell to the size of a full Moon. "NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN," the email declares--always in caps.

News flash: It's not true.

Here are the facts. On August 27, 2010, Mars will be 314 million km from Earth, about as far away as it can get. Mars will shine in the western sky after sunset like a tiny red star of ordinary brightness. If you didn't know it was there, you probably wouldn't notice.
The only way to see Mars as large as the full Moon is to board a spaceship
The origins of the Hoax can be traced back to 2003 when Mars really did swell to unusual proportions. On August 27th of that year, Mars came within 56 million km of Earth—the nearest it has been in 60,000 years. People marveled at the orange brilliance of Mars in the night sky and crowded around telescopes for clear views of the planet's towering volcanoes, ruddy plains and glistening polar ice caps. At the height of the display, Mars was about 75 times smaller than the full Moon.

That's when "the virus" was born.

Someone, somewhere, reasoned as follows: If Mars is 75 times smaller than the Moon, then magnifying it 75 times should make it equal to the Moon. Early versions of the Hoax encouraged readers to get out their telescopes and insert a 75x eyepiece: "At a modest 75 times magnification," the message stated, "Mars will look as big as the full Moon to the naked eye."
Soon, the Hoax was vectoring around the internet, making copies of itself and mutating. Advanced versions of the virus, sleeker and less wordy than its ancestors, omitted the magnification and simply stated, "Mars will look as big as the full Moon to the naked eye!" Before long, the year was omitted, too. August 27, 2003, became August 27, and the Hoax became immortal. Indeed, years of stories contradicting the Hoax have failed to stamp it out.
This is the fourth vaccination by Science@NASA alone.

Tolerant readers point out that the Mars Hoax is not really a hoax, because it is not an intentional trick. The original composer probably believed everything he or she wrote in the message. If so, even the name of the Mars Hoax is wrong!

Here's what you should do on August 27th. Go outside at sunset and face west. The bright light you see shining through the twilight is lovely Venus. Grab a pair of binoculars and scan the sky around Venus. A few degrees to the right, you'll come across a little orange star-like object. That is Mars.

Now go back inside and delete that email.

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Beware the Mars Hoax
Earth and Mars are converging for a close encounter--but not as close as some people think.

July 7, 2005: Just when you thought it was safe to read your email....

There's a rumor about Mars going around the internet. Here are some snippets from a widely-circulated email message:

"The Red Planet is about to be spectacular."

"Earth is catching up with Mars [for] the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history."

"On August 27th … Mars will look as large as the full moon."

And finally, "NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN."

Only the first sentence is true. The Red Planet is about to be spectacular. The rest is a hoax.

Here are the facts: Earth and Mars are converging for a close encounter this year on October 30th at 0319 Universal Time. Distance: 69 million kilometers. To the unaided eye, Mars will look like a bright red star, a pinprick of light, certainly not as wide as the full Moon.

Disappointed? Don't be. If Mars did come close enough to rival the Moon, its gravity would alter Earth's orbit and raise terrible tides.

Sixty-nine million km is good. At that distance, Mars shines brighter than anything else in the sky except the Sun, the Moon and Venus. The visual magnitude of Mars on Oct. 30, 2005, will be -2.3. Even inattentive sky watchers will notice it, rising at sundown and soaring overhead at midnight.

You might remember another encounter with Mars, about two years ago, on August 27, 2003. That was the closest in recorded history, by a whisker, and millions of people watched as the distance between Mars and Earth shrunk to 56 million km. This October's encounter, at 69 million km, is similar. To casual observers, Mars will seem about as bright and beautiful in 2005 as it was in 2003.

Although closest approach is still months away, Mars is already conspicuous in the early morning. Before the sun comes up, it's the brightest object in the eastern sky, really eye-catching. If you have a telescope, even a small one, point it at Mars. You can see the bright icy South Polar Cap and strange dark markings on the planet's surface.

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posted August 27, 2010 03:32 PM         

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heres an idea...maybe you could freak out and post it in five or six more places!

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But 5 or6 times?????????????
Why are you exaggerating and accusing me of something I did not do just because you are upset. And freak out??
You are the one freaking out here, not me.

I honestly meant no offense.

posted August 27, 2010 03:51 PM         

for some reason i think my just breathing irks you anymore.

this place used to be somewhat interesting and fun...not so much anymore, which is why i rarely log in.

not because of you, but in general all it seems to be is a b!tchfest with everybody picking each other apart. everytime i think i am done with it, i wait a week and log in, and then sure enough, same as it ever was, more of the same. seriously, soon i am just going to fugget about it completely. i used to get tibits that enlightened me here, that has n ot happened in a very long time.

posted August 27, 2010 03:54 PM         

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for some reason i think my just breathing irks you anymore.

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I do not feel that way about you at all.

So go ahead and hate me. I did nothing wrong.

AND...I got dozens of copies of the hoax spam in my e-mails down through the years....but you did Not know that so snapped at me because you thought I was attacking you personally.
Which I was not!

posted August 27, 2010 04:14 PM         

in 3 threads. i seriously don't think it was worth all that.

posted August 27, 2010 04:23 PM         

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for some reason i think my just breathing irks you anymore.

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for some reason i think my just breathing irks you anymore.

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posted August 27, 2010 04:28 PM         

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no lexx, not true. not mad at you for exposing it. i relly and truly could care less.

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lexx - you have no idea how i feel. my thoughts and feelings belong to ME.

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for some reason i think my just breathing irks you anymore.

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I have better things to do than argue with you
when I did nothing wrong.
Are you irking me? No, but hurting me, yes. Well your unkindness and untrue accusations today are hurtful and uncalled for.

Apparently you are in a strange mood today because you out of the blue are also poking at yin and Valus too which had nothing to do with the hoax posts.

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isn't this about the time yin is supposed to pop in and make it about valus?

something like...
and everyone says valus starts all debates or something to that effect?

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Whatever is bugging you has nothing to do with me nor yin nor Valus...nor the hoax thread they were NOT involved in.
Please try to find out what is really upsetting you.

posted August 27, 2010 04:41 PM         

it would have been so easy to say, nah, thats just an old rumor.

if i took something you said, and referenced it in three threads, starting one with a thumbs down and several negative statements, you might be inclined to think i was not your favorite person either. as a simply reply stating the truth would suffice.

posted August 27, 2010 04:52 PM         

yeah i am in a strange mood anymore lexx.
in a strange "i'm not putting up with bullshite and letting it slide without calling it out mood anymore"

something that happens when people push you past a certain point and then you don't ever go back, you can't. of course it has nothing to with this and here, but everything overflows in every area of life doesn't it.

well, i have been pushed past that point lexx. and if i think it could have been said without references in three threads, then i'm going to say it.

if you thought it took three threads, then there, we found a point where we disagree. i think friends don't do such to each other. friends are kinder than that. the last thing i want is to fight with you, but i have no intentions on rolling over for anyone anymore on anything. i have had my share of it, no thanks, from now on, if i have something to say, i say it. be it boss, cop, or the president of iraq.

enjoy your evening, i said what i had to say.

posted August 27, 2010 04:58 PM         

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why would i think differently when you referenced in three separate threads how much it irked and irritated you.

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it would have been so easy to say, nah, thats just an old rumor.

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if i took something you said, and referenced it in three threads, starting one with a thumbs down and several negative statements, you might be inclined to think i was not your favorite person either.

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as a simply reply stating the truth would suffice.

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you might be inclined to think i was not your favorite person either

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i don't expect you to be able to put yourself in my shoes, so very few people have the ability to look at things from another perspective than the one they persoanlly own anymore.

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And get this...
I was thinking about starting a thread concerning such hoaxes long before you posted about it at LLC2!

I do not deserve this.
I did nothing wrong to you.
You do not seem like me it is clear.
I only posted the truth.
No offense was intended.
I explained repeatedly why I posted what I did but you feel I was attacking you instead, when that was not my intention in the least bit.

posted August 27, 2010 05:04 PM         

I just thought it was overkill and quite negative, which i still think. (and perhaps quite a bit more forceful than a friend would BE)

lets just let it go.

please don't mix up both of our words in quotes, that is confusing and people will assume all of those words are mine,which they are not.
if quoting me, please, use direct quotes only. thank you.

posted August 27, 2010 05:25 PM         

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i DO NOT think badly of you
NOR do I hate you.

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I just thought it was overkill and quite negative, which i still think.

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(and perhaps quite a bit more forceful than a friend would BE)

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lets just let it go.

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please don't mix up both of our words in quotes, that is confusing and people will assume all of those words are mine,which they are not.
if quoting me, please, use direct quotes only. thank you.

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posted August 27, 2010 05:36 PM         

On that note, l am still ill, been posting when I can, posting to keep my sanity whilst being mostly bed bound in pain for a week, feeling weak, dizzy, still recovering from a mini stroke, frankly just do not want to deal with LL drama at this time.
This latest drama was just too unexpected and uncalled for.

Edit to add:
she said:

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i DO NOT think badly of you
NOR do I hate you.

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posted August 27, 2010 05:51 PM         

As to any perceived hostility in defending myself, because I did nothing wrong....
it is because to my shock I was accused of things I did not feel or do.

I only posted proof of a hoax,
and never expected such a lambasting over doing so.

I thought the hoax amusing years ago, and it was!, but have heard it too many times.

posted August 27, 2010 06:12 PM         

The hoax comes up every year and was going to post about the annual hoax, but cpn had posted about it at LLC2 and beat me to it!!!!!!!!!!
THE

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Oh geeeeez not again.

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Seriously, not my fault she believes I was attacking her!

Sigh...
I'd rather I could have been doing aura readings or such instead of wasting my precious time defending myself today.
OK..
tired..this is depressing.

Thanks again NickiG.

posted August 27, 2010 06:57 PM         

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heres an idea...maybe you could freak out and post it in five or six more places!

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Cpn, (pls dont take this the wrong way) If you know Lexx like I think I do, she would be a bit hurt by that, she wasn't being offensive.

(I hear the same hoax every year too)- it's not an attack on those who believed it for a minute. It's just undoing a hoax.

posted August 28, 2010 05:24 PM         

lexx, please accept my sincere apology.
i totally took you way way wrong. i will email you on fb.

posted August 28, 2010 05:35 PM         

cpn....
Apology accepted

but I am still feeling rather singed.
Also, since you dropped me as a friend at fb....your message may not go through that way.
My e-mail is on the Labors Of Love homepage however.
I am not doing well so kindly please bear with me if I do not reply immediately.....
it has nothing to do with you personally.
I am terribly behind on replying to many folks since the mini-stroke a few weeks ago.
I hope to get a second hand laptop so I can go online even when mostly bed bound as I have been this past week,
On that note, must lie down again.