Latitude

Bill Newhall of Baltimore glanced at our weather map recently and was startled to find TWO jet streams. "For real? Are there two jet streams?" he asked. One Santa, Bill, but two jet streams that affect the continental U.S. The "polar jet" meanders between 30 and 70 degrees north latitude, the "subtropical jet" between 20 and 50 degrees north latitude. Winds in these jets, 6 to 9 miles high, blow between 35 mph and 250 mph. They form between warm and cold air masses, and steer and energize storms.

Bob Bost of Havre de Grace asks: Sometime back (maybe a few months) I read an article in the Sun on Sunday, regarding the placing of reef balls off Hart-Miller Island. I can't seem to fine the article or any information on the Sun's web page. However, if I was not dreaming and this did happen, would you have the GPS information for this new project? Outdoors Girl responds: No, you weren't dreaming. There's been a lot of activity over recent years by Boy Scouts, school science classes and other conservation-minded citizens who want to provide habitat on the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay to attract fish, oysters and crabs.

Leg 2, Day 12: Cape Town to FremantlePos. -- 1Pts. at stake for Leg 2** -- 113Boat -- Swedish MatchDistance to leader* --Distance to leg finish* -- 1445.9Latitude -- 47.22SLongitude -- 91.33EPos. -- 2Pts. at stake for Leg 2** -- 98Boat -- Innov. KvaernerDistance to leader* -- 306.2Distance to leg finish* -- 1752.1Latitude -- 48.39SLongitude -- 83.56EPos. -- 3Pts. at stake for Leg 2** -- 85Boat -- ToshibaDistance to leader* -- 421.4Distance to leg finish* -- 1867.3Latitude -- 50.11SLongitude -- 81.44EPos.

Baltimore voters will decide in November whether to allow city officials to make more purchases without a public announcement. Under the charter amendment, which was approved by a 9-6 vote of the City Council on Monday evening, expenses less than $25,000 would no longer require approval from the Board of Estimates. Currently, all expenditures greater than $5,000 require spending board approval. The measure, which was introduced at the request of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, would also change the threshold at which city contracts would have to be advertised.

Bob Bost of Havre de Grace asks: Sometime back (maybe a few months) I read an article in the Sun on Sunday, regarding the placing of reef balls off Hart-Miller Island. I can't seem to fine the article or any information on the Sun's web page. However, if I was not dreaming and this did happen, would you have the GPS information for this new project? Outdoors Girl responds: No, you weren't dreaming. There's been a lot of activity over recent years by Boy Scouts, school science classes and other conservation-minded citizens who want to provide habitat on the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay to attract fish, oysters and crabs.

So maybe Jay Gibbons should give Brian Billick a call. After all, they now have something in common: Each man is going to get millions from a Baltimore team that has decided it would rather eat the rest of a contract than keep him around. Billick could advise Gibbons about what to do when you're paid a lot for doing nothing. (Take out the words "a lot" and that could describe Mr. Flip, as a matter of fact.) But here's the important thing: If Orioles fans had any doubt - even after the Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard trades - that club president Andy MacPhail is being given the latitude to reshape the team without undue interference from ownership, releasing Gibbons should remove those thoughts.

Get out of bed early enough this weekend, find a spot with a wide view of the sky, and you may get a rare glimpse of a U.S. space shuttle streaking across the sky.Usually the shuttle flights circle Earth no farther north than Cape Canaveral, too far south to be spotted from Baltimore.But this time, thanks to its Star Wars mission, the shuttle Discovery was launched into an orbit that takes it as far north as Moscow and as far south as the southern tip of South America.That means it should be visible here, just before dawn on Sunday and Monday.

French Louisiana Damon Hersh, executive chef of the soon-to-be-opened Louisiana (1708 Aliceanna St.), says he plans "to buy the best ingredients and do a little magic in the kitchen." What more could you ask? If you want atmosphere, owner John Saki has created a white-tablecloth restaurant on two levels with high ceilings, deep colors, mahogany trim, a wrought-iron spiral staircase, chandeliers and ceiling fans. The food will be French "with some of the influences of New Orleans," says Hersh, who was last a chef at the Occidental Grill in Washington.

Far away to the north, this is the nightless season. Since winter, the days have been growing longer and now, above 66 degrees, 33 minutes North latitude, evenings and mornings have bridged the gap of darkness altogether. The sun circles round and round in the sky. At midnight, on an Arctic shore, the sun lies due north. It's neither magical nor invigorating, though the mosquitoes love it. Light all day, all the time, is by turns fascinating, exhausting, troubling. Unusual, yes, but something seems out of kilter - it's the Earth itself, in fact.

L eonard of Pikesville writes: "For as long as I can remember, Baltimore's earliest sunset has always been 4:44 p.m., starting around Thanksgiving. Now I see everywhere it's 4:43 p.m. What has changed?" Nothing, really. Officially, it was 4:43 p.m. EST on Dec. 7. But it will vary with the latitude, and especially the longitude your sources use for "Baltimore." The earliest sunset in Essex was at 4:42 p.m. In Catonsville, it was at 4:44 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department has told Congress that U.S. intelligence operatives attempting to thwart terrorist attacks can legally use interrogation methods that might otherwise be prohibited under international law. The legal interpretation, outlined in recent letters, sheds new light on the still-secret rules for interrogations by the CIA. It shows that the administration is arguing that the boundaries for interrogations should be subject to...

So maybe Jay Gibbons should give Brian Billick a call. After all, they now have something in common: Each man is going to get millions from a Baltimore team that has decided it would rather eat the rest of a contract than keep him around. Billick could advise Gibbons about what to do when you're paid a lot for doing nothing. (Take out the words "a lot" and that could describe Mr. Flip, as a matter of fact.) But here's the important thing: If Orioles fans had any doubt - even after the Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard trades - that club president Andy MacPhail is being given the latitude to reshape the team without undue interference from ownership, releasing Gibbons should remove those thoughts.

WASHINGTON -- The top two U.S. intelligence officials traveled secretly to Pakistan early this month to press President Pervez Musharraf to allow the CIA greater latitude to operate in the tribal territories where al-Qaida, the Taliban and other militant groups are all active, according to several officials who have been briefed on the visit. But in the unannounced meetings on Jan. 9 with the two U.S. officials -- Mike McConnell, the director of national intelligence, and Gen. Michael V. Hayden, the CIA director -- Musharraf rebuffed proposals to expand any U.S. combat presence in Pakistan, either through unilateral covert CIA missions or by joint operations with Pakistani security forces.

Globalization, a hot-button issue known to send thousands of protesters into the streets, can also bring people into a concert hall for a totally peaceful, compelling experience. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's first Explorer Series program of the season provides a welcome example of cultural fusion, with the help of Tan Dun. The Chinese-born composer, perhaps most widely known for his multiple award-winning film score Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has a rare gift for bringing together East and West in his work to often astounding effect.