• NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

A new twist on the images snapped by the UA's HiRISE camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter: An enhanced 3-D image of the Mojave Crater on Mars:

The vertical dimension is exaggerated three-fold compared with horizontal dimensions in the synthesized images of a portion of the crater's wall. The resulting images look like the view from a low-altitude aircraft. They reflect one use of digital modeling derived from two observations by the orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera.

This enhanced view shows material that has ponded and is backed up behind massive blocks of bedrock in the crater's terrace walls. Hundreds of Martian impact craters have similar ponding with pitted surfaces. Scientists believe these "pitted ponds" are created when material melted by the crater-causing impacts is captured behind the wall terraces.

David Hasselhoff was on campus yesterday, but we missed it! Matt Lewis of the Wildcat got the scoop:

Cindy Cain, who teaches Sociology of Popular Culture, also met with Hasselhoff.

They discussed how Western popular culture has influenced other countries. Hasselhoff expressed interest in the ways in which popular culture could improve women’s rights and bring birth control and other types of progressive agendas to other countries.

“I thought it was very interesting, but there have also been some studies that have been done that show that Westernized media brings a lot of negative effects to some of these regions as well, like increased body-image issues for women and a lot of Western ideals that are not appreciated by the indigenous cultures,” Cain said.

“There is more rights for women and better birth control and the economy is better,” Hasselhoff said when talking to Cain about popular culture’s influence. “If you go to Abu Dhabi or Dubai, all those women are in burkas. Man, if you go to a party, they take that stuff off. They’re all wearing lingerie.”

If you're heard Sen. John McCain's radio ad attacking J.D. Hayworth, you know it featured a creepy woman whispering about how rotten the former congressman for funding fruit-fly research and snake eradication in Guam.

Hayworth is taking a more humorous approach with his first video ad. It kind of matches Hayworth's approach so far: Saying nice things about McCain even as he tears him down. The message: McCain is a nice guy who served his country, but it's time for Arizona to have a consistent conservative.

When he lost his congressional seat in 2006, J.D. tried to use a hammer against Democrat Harry Mitchell; in this race, he's starting out with a scalpel.

Perhaps heartened by the fight that U.S. Sen John McCain has against upstart J.D. Hayworth, Democrat Rodney Glassman appears to be moving closer to launching a campaign. The Tucson City Councilman has a new Web site for his exploratory campaign.

Genial state Rep. Dave Bradley wants to run for the Arizona Corporation Commission. Az Blue Meanie has the scoop.

OK, so it's only three hours old, but here's the speech U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood gave during his visit to Tucson today in which he gave the city $63 million of that sweet, sweet stimulus money for the modern streetcar project.

• Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University

Whatever disagreements we might have with our fellow citizens, we imagine most of us agree that the writing of this document was a landmark moment in the history of freedom.

One of the 25 remaining Dunlap broadsides of the Declaration of Independence is coming to Tucson this weekend. You can see it at the Arizona Historical Society’s Arizona History Museum, 949 E. 2nd St., between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.on Sunday, Feb. 21, and between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 22.

Museum admission is free both days. Info: 520-628-5774

They're looking for volunteers. If you want to help out, call Carol at 520-617-1158.

Details from the Arizona Historical Society:

• NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Gorgeous new HiRISE shots from the UA's Lunar and Planetary Lab are up, including this shot of gullies in a crater in Terra Sirenum.

HiRISE team member Kelly Kolb tells us:

This observation shows gullies in a crater in Terra Sirenum. The gullies unusually emanate from different elevations along the crater wall. Several of the gullies are extremely developed and incised, while others have very narrow, shallow channels.

Many of the gullies appear to have extensive debris aprons, but that could be deceiving. Based on