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The Curiosity lander has successfully reached the surface of Mars and appears to be intact. Images began appearing at 10:40 PM PDT. Curiosity is the most complex automated space mission every attempted by mankind.

The craft’s descent-stage retrorockets fired as it descended, slowing its approach to the surface. In the most difficult part of the landing, nylon cords lowered the rover to the ground in the "sky crane" maneuver. When the spacecraft sensed touchdown, the connecting cords were severed, and the descent stage flew out of the way. The landing took place at about three o’clock in the afternoon Mars time at the landing site, and 10:31 PM PDT at JPL mission control.
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I had an unusually vivid dream at about three this morning. (August 5, 2012) In it, I was observing a committee of some sort discussing the way that the Nazis had created the deception that Polish border guards had attacked Germans in September of 1939, and used this as a pretext for invading Poland. The discussion involved the use of women in some sort of subterfuge that would justify the use of nuclear weapons.

I can’t say who was in this meeting, but I had the impression that it involved people from a number of different countries. They were laughing and having a good time. But it was a meeting about the ultimate terrorist act, no question.
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