Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/4BU1EanVmus/a-batman-coffee-table-bruce-wayne-wish-he-had
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Saturday, March 30, 2013
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Friday, March 29, 2013
Pope washes women's feet in break with church law
ROME (AP) ? In his most significant break with tradition yet, Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of two young women at a juvenile detention center ? a surprising departure from church rules that restrict the Holy Thursday ritual to men.
No pope has ever washed the feet of a woman before, and Francis' gesture sparked a debate among some conservatives and liturgical purists, who lamented he had set a "questionable example." Liberals welcomed the move as a sign of greater inclusiveness in the church.
Speaking to the young offenders, including Muslims and Orthodox Christians, Francis said that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion in a gesture of love and service.
"This is a symbol, it is a sign. Washing your feet means I am at your service," Francis told the group, aged 14 to 21, at the Casal del Marmo detention facility in Rome.
"Help one another. This is what Jesus teaches us," the pope said. "This is what I do. And I do it with my heart. I do this with my heart because it is my duty. As a priest and bishop, I must be at your service."
In a video released by the Vatican, the 76-year-old Francis was shown kneeling on the stone floor as he poured water from a silver chalice over the feet of a dozen youths: black, white, male, female, even feet with tattoos. Then, after drying each one with a cotton towel, he bent over and kissed it.
Previous popes carried out the Holy Thursday rite in Rome's grand St. John Lateran basilica, choosing 12 priests to represent the 12 apostles whose feet Christ washed during the Last Supper before his crucifixion.
Before he became pope, as archbishop of Buenos Aires, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio celebrated the ritual foot-washing in jails, hospitals or hospices ? part of his ministry to the poorest and most marginalized of society. He often involved women. Photographs show him washing the feet of a woman holding her newborn child in her arms.
That Francis would include women in his inaugural Holy Thursday Mass as pope was remarkable, however, given that current liturgical rules exclude women.
Canon lawyer Edward Peters, who is an adviser to the Holy See's top court, noted in a blog that the Congregation for Divine Worship sent a letter to bishops in 1988 making clear that "the washing of the feet of chosen men ... represents the service and charity of Christ, who came 'not to be served, but to serve.'"
While bishops have successfully petitioned Rome over the years for an exemption to allow women to participate, the rules on the issue are clear, Peters said.
"By disregarding his own law in this matter, Francis violates, of course, no divine directive," Peters wrote. "What he does do, I fear, is set a questionable example."
The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said he didn't want to wade into a canonical dispute over the matter. However, he noted that in a "grand solemn celebration" of the rite, only men are included because Christ washed the feet of his 12 apostles, all of whom were male.
"Here, the rite was for a small, unique community made up also of women," Lombardi wrote in an email. "Excluding the girls would have been inopportune in light of the simple aim of communicating a message of love to all, in a group that certainly didn't include experts on liturgical rules."
Others on the more liberal side of the debate welcomed the example Francis set.
"The pope's washing the feet of women is hugely significant because including women in this part of the Holy Thursday Mass has been frowned on ? and even banned ? in some dioceses," said the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author of "The Jesuit Guide."
"It shows the all-embracing love of Christ, who ministered to all he met: man or woman, slave or free, Jew or Gentile."
For some, restricting the rite to men is in line with the church's restriction on ordaining women priests. Church teaching holds that only men should be ordained because Christ's apostles were male.
"This is about the ordination of women, not about their feet," wrote the Rev. John Zuhlsdorf, a traditionalist blogger. Liberals "only care about the washing of the feet of women, because ultimately they want women to do the washing."
Still, Francis has made clear he doesn't favor ordaining women. In his 2011 book, "On Heaven and Earth," then-Cardinal Bergoglio said there were solid theological reasons why the priesthood was reserved to men: "Because Jesus was a man."
On this Holy Thursday, however, Francis had a simple message for the young inmates, whom he greeted one-by-one after the Mass, giving each an Easter egg.
"Don't lose hope," Francis said. "Understand? With hope you can always go on."
One young man then asked why he had come to visit them.
Francis responded that it was to "help me to be humble, as a bishop should be."
The gesture, he said, came "from my heart. Things from the heart don't have an explanation."
___
Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-washes-womens-feet-break-church-law-002454620.html
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
PFT: Raiders to cut ties with DT Kelly
Getty ImagesBefore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo appeared at a rally at the Supreme Court, he spoke to Erik Brady of USA Today regarding the question of whether a gay NFL player will come out of the closet.
Ayanbadejo believes that it will happen in another sport first.
?I think it will happen in baseball sooner than in football or basketball,? Ayanbadejo said.? ?The reason I say that is because I think there is less of a connection to religion in baseball.? The religious roots are a lot deeper in basketball and football.? With that being said, I think baseball players are more open minded.?
Ayanbadejo later acknowledged that he ?could be wrong,? but he nevertheless believes baseball players generally are ?open-minded and not so tied to religion as much as football and basketball.?
But he also believes the NFL is ready for an openly gay player, and that the league is ?laying the foundation for a player to be comfortable and safe.?? Ayanbadejo likewise thinks that last month?s ?do you like girls?? controversy from Scouting Combine interviews has helped the situation by forcing the NFL to instruct teams to end potentially discriminatory practices.
Still, the biggest impediment to coming out may come from the external distractions.? The player will have to be willing to bear that burden, and to subject his teammates and others in the organization to questions about the situation.? Most players won?t want that, for themselves or for their teammates.
The media could help reduce that burden by not getting carried away by news of the first gay NFL player.? The reality is that, when a football player comes out of the closet, every media organization will come out of the woodwork in search of sound bites and reactions and, ideally, controversy.
Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/27/raiders-to-release-tommy-kelly/related/
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Wednesday, March 27, 2013
WatchESPN streaming reaches AT&T U-verse subscribers
U-verse News: WatchESPN Now Available to AT&T U-verse Customers
AT&T and ESPN today announced the availability of WatchESPN, enabling AT&T U-verse? customers to access ESPN networks live online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the award-winning WatchESPN app, and through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members.
Just weeks ahead of the start of the MLB season and in advance of major sporting events like The Masters and NBA Playoffs, customers who receive ESPN's linear networks as part of their AT&T U-verse TV subscription can now stream live events and programming from ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPNU from the convenience of their computers, smartphones, tablets or Xbox. Additionally, customers can enjoy ESPN Goal Line and ESPN Buzzer Beater through WatchESPN when those channels are in season.
Customers with a supported smartphone or tablet can download the free app by visiting the iTunes App Store, Google Play Store or Amazon Appstore for Android. The app will prompt customers to enter their AT&T U-verse subscriber credentials before accessing live content from WatchESPN. On computers, customers can visit http://watchespn.com/activate/att and provide their AT&T U-verse IDs and passwords to access live programming online. Additionally, Xbox LIVE Gold members can download the ESPN experience and verify their subscription for access through their Xbox.
Disney Junior will be available to AT&T U-verse TV subscribers on Friday, March 29.
Additional authenticated products that include WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney XD and WATCH Disney Junior ? accessible across a variety of platforms and devices both in-home and out-of-the-home ? will be coming soon to AT&T U-verse TV subscribers.
WatchESPN is available for use on the following mobile devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad (must have OS 4.0 or later), and Android phones and tablets running version 2.3.3 and above.
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/25/watchespn-streaming-reaches-att-u-verse-subscribers/
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5 Ways to Preserve my Eyesight | Eye Care | Phoenix Optometrist
Your vision is a precious commodity that cannot be replaced once it has been lost. Caring for your eyes properly can go a long way to sustain your eye health, and eye doctors recommend the following best practices.
Annual Eye Exams
The absolute best tactic in maintaining good eyesight is to have a yearly eye exam. Eye doctors are able to identify issues in their early stages and create a plan to prevent progression. This may literally mean the difference between healthy sight and blindness.
Wear Shades
Even during winter, UV rays are everywhere. UV-blocking sunglasses should be a part of your wardrobe worn every day to prevent major vision woes like painful corneal sunburn, cataracts and macular degeneration. As an added bonus, sunglasses minimize squinting and deter eye wrinkles resulting from sun damage.
Health & Wellness
You?ve heard it all before: exercise, eat right, quit smoking. Those great lifestyle choices also help your eyesight. ?Caring for your general health translates to fitness and minimizes your chances of developing diabetes and suffering blindness. Smoking decreases your circulation and puts you at risk for optic nerve damage, cataracts and macular degeneration. Eating foods rich in antioxidants nurtures your eyesight and aids in preventing many age-related vision maladies.
Protect your Eyes
One of the easiest ways to prevent eye injuries and related vision loss is by using the proper protection when performing work. Working with power tools, heavy equipment, or around automobiles means exposure to flying objects, dust, debris, and risk. Make a sensible choice to put on proper safety glasses. Choosing not to wear them can have tragic consequences that are easily avoidable. Set an example and also teach children safe work practices!
Look Away
Working on computers all day can leave you with miserable eyes and a wretched headache. Eye doctors commonly treat patients suffering from eye strain due to their screen-intensive lifestyles. Smartphones, tablets, and laptops may squeeze more work into life, but they wreak havoc on your eye health. Get plenty of sleep, and use the 20-20-20 method: For every 20 minutes of screen work, take 20 seconds to look 20 feet away. Your eyes will feel rested and healthy, and you?ll actually get more done.
The choices you make in other parts of your life often have a great impact on your eye health. Consult your eye doctor today to discuss eye care strategies that fit your lifestyle.
Source: http://valleyeyecareaz.com/5-ways-to-preserve-my-eyesight/
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Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Pakistan appoints caretaker prime minister
ISLAMABAD (AP) ? Pakistan's election commission has chosen a former high court chief justice nominated by the country's outgoing ruling party to serve as caretaker prime minister in the run up to a historic national election this spring.
The head of the election commission, Fakhruddin Ebrahim, announced the decision to appoint Mir Hazar Khan Khoso on Sunday.
Khoso served as the chief justice to the high court in southwest Baluchistan province and also briefly served as the acting governor of the province.
The election commission chose Khoso out of four nominees, two submitted by the recently ruling Pakistan People's Party and two by the main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N.
Pakistan is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on May 11 ? the first transition between democratically elected governments in the country's history.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-appoints-caretaker-prime-minister-074415612.html
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Monday, March 25, 2013
Cyprus bailout deal prompts investors relief
A TV crew reports stock princes in front of an electronic stock indicator of a securities firm in Tokyo, Monday, March 25, 2013. A last-minute package of rescue loans that saves Cyprus from a banking collapse and bankruptcy helped push Asian stock markets higher Monday. Japan's Nikkei 225 index surged 1.9 percent to 12,546.46. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
A TV crew reports stock princes in front of an electronic stock indicator of a securities firm in Tokyo, Monday, March 25, 2013. A last-minute package of rescue loans that saves Cyprus from a banking collapse and bankruptcy helped push Asian stock markets higher Monday. Japan's Nikkei 225 index surged 1.9 percent to 12,546.46. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
A worker restores a damaged door of a branch of a Bank of Cyprus after a bomb attack at Polemidia a suburb of the southern port city of Limassol, Cyprus, early Monday, March 25, 2013. After failing for a week to find a solution to a crisis that could force their country into bankruptcy, Cypriot politicians turned to the European Union on Sunday in a last-ditch effort to help the island nation forge a viable plan to secure an international bailout. (AP Photo/Pavlos Vrionides)
From left, French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde and German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble speak with each other during an emergency eurogroup meeting in Brussels on Sunday, March 24, 2013. The EU says a top official will chair a high-level meeting on Cyprus in a last-ditch effort to seal a deal before finance ministers decide whether the island nation gets a 10 billion euro bailout loan to save it from bankruptcy. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
LONDON (AP) ? Investors breathed a sigh of relief Monday after Cyprus clinched a bailout deal with international creditors that will prevent it becoming the first country to ditch the euro ? a prospect that could have worsened the crisis afflicting Europe's single currency.
In the early hours of Monday morning in Brussels, an agreement was reached in Brussels that capped one of the most tumultuous weeks since Europe's debt crisis started three and a half years ago.
In return for a 10 billion euros ($13 billion) bailout from its European partners and the International Monetary Fund, Cyprus agreed to drastically shrink its outsized banking sector, cut its budget, implement economic reforms and privatize state assets ? a cocktail of measures that mean the country's near-term economic prospects are bleak indeed.
The deal will allow the European Central Bank to continue providing liquidity to the remnants of Cyprus' banking system.
Cyprus' side of the bargain is earmarked to raise 5.8 billion euros. To do so, the country's second-largest bank, Laiki, will be restructured and bond holders and holders of bank deposits of more than 100,000 euros will have to take significant losses. Depositors in the biggest bank, the Bank of Cyprus, with over 100,000 euros will also bear a cost but those with savings up to 100,000 euros will be guaranteed in accordance with the EU's deposit insurance guarantee.
"Equities are enjoying a relief rally this morning as the imminent threat from Cyprus appears to have been abated, but where the markets go from here remains to be seen," said Mike McCudden, head of derivatives at Interactive Investor.
In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 0.6 percent at 6,430 while Germany's DAX rose 1 percent to 7,991. The CAC-40 in France was 1.3 percent higher at 3,819.
The euro was also well-supported, trading 0.3 percent higher at $1.30.
And Wall Street was poised for a solid opening with Dow futures up 0.2 percent and the broader S&P 500 futures 0.3 percent higher.
The focus will likely remain on developments surrounding Cyprus for a while yet. In particular, investors will be interested to see if the level of bank withdrawals from the country's banks when they reopen. That's scheduled for Tuesday.
A longer-lasting concern though is how the Cyprus deal plays out in other countries, notably those at the forefront of Europe's debt crisis. Will depositors look to reduce their holdings in Spain, Italy and Greece?
"The risk is contagion and the political fall-out from a badly handled crisis," said Jens Larsen, chief European economist at RBC Capital Markets.
Earlier, investors in Asia had the first chance to respond to the Cypriot developments and there too the response in financial markets was of relief. Japan's Nikkei 225 index surged 1.7 percent to 12,546.46m while South Korea's Kospi jumped 1.5 percent to 1,977.67. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.6 percent to 22,251.15.
However, mainland Chinese shares fell Monday, with the Shanghai Composite Index down 0.1 percent at 2326.72 and the smaller Shenzhen Composite Index falling the same rate to 959.93.
Oil prices tracked equities higher, albeit modestly, with the benchmark New York rate up 36 cents at $94.07 per barrel.
_____
Pamela Sampson in Bangkok contributed to this report.
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Sunday, March 24, 2013
The First Beautiful Android Phone, The Most Accurate Map of NCAA Fandom, The iDumbPhone, And More
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Toenail clippings to measure toxic exposure in NJ
GARFIELD, N.J. (AP) -- The neighborhood looks exceedingly normal: single-family homes and apartment buildings packed together, dogs barking from postage-stamp-size lawns, parents hustling down narrow sidewalks to fetch their children from school. But something with very dangerous potential lies below the surface, officials say.
The residents' toenails will provide confirmation.
A plume of hexavalent chromium, a metal used in industrial production that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls a "well-established carcinogen," has spread under Garfield, putting about one-tenth of the city's homes ? about 600 structures and 3,600 residents ? at risk.
The Environmental Protection Agency is about to start drilling on the spill site to determine how much chromium is pooled beneath and remove tainted soil. The agency is also testing the broader area to determine how it will be cleaned up. Now a group of scientists from New York University is working to assess how much chromium residents may have been exposed to.
Researchers will collect toenail clippings from city residents. The nails will be tested for traces of chromium. Because toenails grow slowly, it is possible to see how much chromium has accumulated in the body over the past 18 months or so, said Judith Zelikoff, a professor of environmental medicine at New York University.
"Our major goal is to try to relieve their fears," Zelikoff said. "With the economy, they can't sell their homes. They don't know if they got exposed."
The contamination started 30 years ago, when thousands of pounds of hexavalent chromium? the same stuff that sickened Californians whose story was told in "Erin Brockovich" ? leaked from a tank at the EC Electroplating Co., a factory surrounded on all sides by houses and apartments. The state started cleaning up the spill but stopped two years later. In 1993, chromium was found at a now-shuttered firehouse and later in homes.
The EPA designated the area as a Superfund site ? marking it as of the nation's most toxic uncontrolled hazardous waste sites ? in 2011, and officials cautioned residents to stay out of their basements to prevent potential chromium exposure. EPA officials removed chromium from the building and demolished it last year, and found that some tanks had holes in them, potentially releasing even more chromium into the groundwater.
Officials say the contamination has not affected the city's drinking water, which is drawn from an outside source. Instead, they worry that people could inhale chromium dust that has been found in basements where groundwater has leached in.
The chromium plume is about three-quarters of a mile wide and slightly more than an eighth-mile long, EPA officials said. The substance has traveled from the site underneath the Passaic River and into the city of Passaic. The agency has installed about 40 monitoring wells to monitor how far the metal has spread.
"We're trying to find out the extent of the plume," said Rich Puvogel, a project manager with the EPA.
High quantities of the metal have been found in 14 homes that have since been cleaned up. Trace amounts were found in 30 to 40 homes. Testing continues, and a nearby school did not show elevated chromium levels.
Cathy Garrone, who bought a house in the neighborhood in 1985, walked her small dog recently across the street from the site where the plant once stood, a lot now fenced off and peppered with mounds of rocks and dirt.
She said she wouldn't have bought there if she had known about the chromium spill, and thinks much more testing needs to be conducted, both of the environment and people.
"I'd like them to do more testing to assure my safety," she said.
The research study is being done in conjunction with the city of Garfield. Officials are hoping the testing can bring some answers to residents.
"It's just been left," Zelikoff said. "A lot of people made mistakes."
Zelikoff and her team hope to test as many as 250 residents; some must live close to the plume and others about 3 miles away as a control group. When residents sign up, they will be given a kit that contains stainless steel toenail clippers (cheap ones contain chrome), instructions on how to clip the nails (samples from all 10 are needed) and an envelope for the clippings. It will take weeks to know the results, and people will be advised by public health nurses and others once the results return.
Test subjects must be between 18 and 65, have lived in Garfield for at least two years, not take chromium supplements, and not smoke.
Many residents are immigrants and relative newcomers, and some don't know about the contamination, Zelikoff said. City officials are working to educate residents, disseminating information about the cleanup to local churches and in four languages: English, Spanish, Polish and Macedonian, said city manager Tom Dutch.
Dutch said an initial health consultation indicates that there's no higher incidence of cancer in the neighborhood than anywhere else in the city, but he thinks the issue needs additional scientific testing.
"I have some concerns," Dutch said. "There are residents who have come to meetings and said, 'This one died, that one died,' and I think it warrants further investigation."
___
Follow Zezima at http://www.twitter.com/katiezez
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/toenail-clippings-measure-toxic-exposure-142640404.html
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Report: Dell likely to receive more takeover bids
Michael Dell may face some competition in his effort to take over the computer maker he founded.
The Wall Street Journal reported on its web site Saturday that buyout specialist Blackstone Group and activist investor Carl Icahn have both notified a special committee of Dell Inc.'s board that they are working on bids for the company.
Michael Dell and a group of investors announced their bid, valued at $24.4 billion, in early February. The Round Rock, Texas, company's board then set a 45-day period to allow for offers that might top that bid. That period expired Friday.
The Journal, citing unnamed sources, reported that the notification will allow Blackstone and Icahn four more days to develop their offers.
A Dell representative declined comment on the report. Blackstone and Icahn representatives did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Icahn and other investors have criticized the $13.65 a share offer from the Michael Dell group as being too low. Several buyout scenarios tying Blackstone to Dell have been leaked to the media this week. Dell shares closed Friday at $14.14, an indication that investors expected to see a higher bid. Some analysts have predicted Dell ultimately will be sold for $15 to $16 per share.
Southeastern Asset Management, Dell's second largest shareholder after Michael Dell, has asserted the company is worth closer to $24 per share.
For its part, the four-member board committee maintains it's selling Dell at a fair price, one that reflects the dimming prospects for the PC industry as more technology spending shifts to smartphones and tablet computers.
Dell, the world's third-largest PC maker, has said Friday's deadline for competing offers could be extended if its board believes other suitors would benefit from more time to examine Dell's books and hash out other details.
The company has promised to provide extensive details about the sales process in regulatory documents that are supposed to be filed next week.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/report-dell-likely-receive-more-takeover-bids-173004450--finance.html
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Predicting comet brightness: Why some of them don't exactly pan out
Victor C. Rogus
Astrophotographer Victor C. Rogus sent in a photo of Comet Pan-STARRS taken March 20, 2013, in Jadwin, Mo. He writes: "As I look over my collection of images starting with March 11 until now, I see nightly changes in the comet. The direction of the tail comes to mind first, always away from the sun. Changes in color, at times, and also changes in the size of the coma."
By Joe Rao
Space.com
The newfound Comet ISON has the potential to be one of the brightest ever seen when it streaks through the inner solar system this November, but whether it will live up to the hype is anybody's guess.
Astronomers have a tough time forecasting the brightness of incoming comets. Ballyhooed "comet of the century" candidates sometimes fizzle out, as Kohoutek did in 1973, while some icy wanderers put on a surprisingly good show for skywatchers.
Why is it so difficult to predict?comet?behavior? For starters, comets are like snowflakes ? no two are alike.
Dirty snowballs
While comets have been called "dirty snowballs," recent observations by unmanned space probes suggest that they may not be too different from?asteroids?on the outside. Comets appear to have rocky surfaces that in most cases are probably not much more than several miles across. [Amazing Comet Photos of 2013]
What makes them much different from asteroids, however, is that frozen reservoirs icy material are hidden beneath the crust or contained in fissures and craters that pockmark the surface.?
Such comet "snow" is composed of ordinary water ice plus frozen ammonia and some other more exotic compounds, with dust grains of different sizes and compositions mixed in. These pools of volatile materials are called "active regions."?
Comets spend most of their time far out in space, billions of miles from?the sun. Out there, the nucleus is completely stable because it?s in a state of deep freeze where temperatures barely hover above absolute zero (minus 460 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 273 degrees Celsius). ?
But when a?comet nears the sun, its frozen gases react to the increasing heat by vaporizing and expanding into a huge tenuous cloud around the nucleus called the coma. The nucleus and the coma make up the head of the comet, which may swell to more than 100,000 miles across.
It is sunlight that causes the comet's head to shine, in much the same manner that luminous paint reacts to ultraviolet light. The comet?s tail is produced by the?solar wind?? a thin supersonic breeze of atomic particles blowing from the sun ? and the pressure of sunlight, which pushes the gas and dust out ahead of the coma.
Old versus new
One clue about how a comet will ultimately perform is whether it?s a "new" comet, making its very first approach to the sun, or whether it?s an "old" one that has zoomed close to our star before.?
New comets might be covered with a load of very light, volatile material such as frozen nitrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Such ices can vaporize far from the sun, giving a distant comet a short-lived surge in brightness that can raise unrealistic expectations. This happened with ultimately disappointing comets such as Cunningham in 1940, Kohoutek 1973 and Austin in 1990.
But some new comets live up to the hype. In January 2007, for instance, Comet McNaught became the brightest comet in more than 40 years, eventually becoming luminous enough to be visible in broad daylight.
Unpredictable!
Some small, faint comets have suddenly and unexpectedly become incredibly bright literally overnight. In October 2007, Comet Holmes brightened by a factor of 500,000 in less than two days, going from an object visible only with very large?telescopes?to becoming easily visible to the naked eye.?
Its sudden flare may have been caused by a buildup of gas inside the comet's nucleus that eventually broke through its surface, astronomers say. Incredibly, this all took place far out in space when the comet was nearly 230 million miles (370 million kilometers) from the sun. Who knew?
Even the most recent skywatching sight,?Comet Pan-STARRS,?had some surprises in store. When the comet was discovered in June 2011, forecasts indicated it might get as bright as first or even zero magnitude ? in other words, as bright as the brightest stars.?
Then, it was surmised that the comet was "new" and might possibly lag behind the original optimistic predictions. Until recently, that seemed to be the case; PanSTARRS was running about one-quarter as bright. Some suggested it might not get much brighter than third magnitude, which would be less than half as bright as Polaris, the North Star.?
Then without fanfare, in late February, it made a surprising comeback, reaching first magnitude as it rounded the sun on March 10.
Be careful!
While you might have gotten the idea by now that comets are notoriously bad actors and do not always follow their scripts, I should stress that many of them are well-behaved and do what is expected in a broad sense. Still, caution is advised when reading any predictions of their brightness.
That brings us back to?Comet ISON, which is expected to sweep less than three-quarters of a million miles above the sun?s surface on Thanksgiving Day, ?Nov. 28. Already there have been a plethora of articles promoting ISON as the ?Comet of the Century.?
For an interesting analogy, baseball scouts like to catalog the talents of players by looking at five general areas of performance in which one may define potential talent. Great ballplayers can hit for average, hit with power, field, run and throw. [Photos of Comet ISON in Night Sky]
Similarly, astronomers who catalog potential great comets look at four general areas of performance: comets that closely approach the sun, closely approach Earth, have a favorable projection angle for viewing the tail and high intrinsic brightness.?
From these criteria, Comet ISON certainly appears to be a "can't miss" prospect, though it is a new comet, which makes it more of a wild card.
But then again, like countless numbers of young ballplayers who had unlimited potential but failed to make the big leagues, ISON too could falter.?
It could unexpectedly exhaust all of its volatile material, leaving just a small, dark solid lump to ultimately swing around the sun ? meaning we may not see it all. Or perhaps upon passing through the sun?s outer atmosphere and being subjected to a temperature of around 1 million degrees Fahrenheit (555,000 degrees Celsius) or more, the comet nucleus might shatter or disintegrate.?
The saga of ISON is not yet fully written, and it could still go either way. We?ll keep track of its progress in the weeks and months to come.
In the meantime, it might be worth ending with an oft-quoted axiom by the legendary comet expert Fred Whipple: ?If you must bet, bet on a horse, not a comet!???
Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for The?New York Times and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, New York.?Follow us?@Spacedotcom,?Facebook?or?Google+.?Originally published on?SPACE.com.
Copyright 2013?SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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After violence, Egypt groups blame each other
CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's powerful Muslim Brotherhood says it holds the opposition and "thugs" responsible for the most violent clashes yet outside the Islamist group's headquarters in Cairo.
Meanwhile liberal opposition groups say the president, who hails from the Islamist group, is responsible because his government has failed to stabilize Egypt.
Fighting between opponents and supporters of the Brotherhood on Friday wounded around 175 people. The Brotherhood says six of its offices across the country were also attacked.
Muslim Brotherhood secretary-general Mahmoud Hussein told journalists Saturday that some media are falsely portraying what took place as a fight. He says what happened near the group's headquarters was an attack on Brotherhood members by "thugs."
Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei says the violence is due to the regime's failure to address root causes of anger.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/violence-egypt-groups-blame-other-190700133.html
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Tuesday, March 19, 2013
White blood cells found to play key role in controlling red blood cell levels
Mar. 17, 2013 ? Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that macrophages -- white blood cells that play a key role in the immune response -- also help to both produce and eliminate the body's red blood cells (RBCs). The findings could lead to novel therapies for diseases or conditions in which the red blood cell production is thrown out of balance.
The study, conducted in mice, is published today in the online edition of the journal Nature Medicine.
"Our findings offer intriguing new insights into how the body maintains a healthy balance of red blood cells," said study leader Paul Frenette, M.D., professor of medicine and of cell biology and director of the Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research at Einstein. "We've shown that macrophages in the bone marrow and the spleen nurture the production of new red blood cells at the same time that they clear aging red blood cells from the circulation. This understanding may ultimately help us to devise new therapies for conditions that lead to abnormal RBC counts, such as hemolytic anemia, polycythemia vera, and acute blood loss, plus aid recovery from chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation." Einstein has filed a joint patent application with Mount Sinai related to this research, which is currently available for licensing and further commercialization.
Previous studies, all done in the laboratory, had suggested that macrophages in the bone marrow act as nurse cells for erythroblasts, which are RBC precursors. But just how these "erythroblastic islands" (macrophages surrounded by erythroblasts) function in living animals was unclear.
A few years ago, Andrew Chow, a Mount Sinai M.D./Ph.D. student in the laboratories of Drs. Frenette, and Miriam Merad, M.D., Ph.D., professor of oncological sciences and immunology at Mount Sinai found that bone marrow macrophages express a cell surface molecule called sialoadhesin, or CD169 -- a target that could be used for selectively eliminating macrophages from bone marrow. Doing so would help pinpoint the role of macrophages in erythroblastic islands in vivo.
That's what Drs. Frenette and Merad did in the current study involving mice. They found that selectively eliminating CD169-positive macrophages in mice reduces the number of bone marrow erythroblasts -- evidence that these macrophages are indeed vital for the survival of erythroblasts, which develop into RBCs.
"What was surprising is that we couldn't see any significant anemia afterward," said Dr. Frenette. The researchers then analyzed the lifespan of the red blood cells and found that they were circulating for a longer time than usual.
"After we depleted the macrophages in the bone marrow, we discovered that we had also depleted CD169-positive macrophages present in the spleen and liver. It turns out that the macrophages in these two organs are quite important in removing old red blood cells from the peripheral circulation. Taken together, the findings show that these macrophages have a dual role, both producing and clearing red blood cells," he said.
The researchers also examined the role of macrophages in polycythemia vera, a genetic disease in which the bone marrow produces too many RBCs, typically leading to breathing difficulties, dizziness, excessive blood clotting and other symptoms. Using a mouse model of polycythemia vera, they found that depleting CD169-positive macrophages in bone marrow normalizes the RBC count. "This points to a new way to control polycythemia vera," said Dr. Frenette. "Right now, the standard of care is phlebotomy [periodic blood removal], which is cumbersome."
The title of the paper is "CD169+ macrophages provide a niche promoting erythropoiesis under homeostasis and stress." The first author of the paper is Dr. Andrew Chow. Other co-authors of the study include Matthew Huggins, Daniel Lucas, Ph.D., Jalal Ahmed, B.S., Sandra Pinho, Ph.D., Yuya Kunisaki, M.D., Ph.D., and Aviv Bergman, Ph.D., of Einstein, and Daigo Hashimoto, M.D., Ph.D., Clara Noizat and Marylene Leboeuf of Mount Sinai, New York, NY. The study was done in collaboration with Nico van Rooijen at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Masato Tanaka at RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, Yokohama, Japan, and Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo, Japan; and Zhizhuang Joe Zhao, Ph.D., at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK.
The study was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01 HL097700, R01HL069438, and R01HL116340); the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK056638); and the National Cancer Institute (R01CA112100), all part of the National Institutes of Health.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Andrew Chow et al. CD169 macrophages provide a niche promoting erythropoiesis under homeostasis and stress. Nature Medicine, 2013
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/BJ0M8zNFbcI/130317154727.htm
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Monday, March 18, 2013
Justin Timberlake Gets Crowd 'Turned Up' At SXSW 'Secret' Show
While 'Suit & Tie' partner Jay-Z didn't appear, JT more than held his own Saturday night.
By Maurice Bobb
Justin Timberlake
Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1703820/justin-timberlake-sxsw-secret-show.jhtml
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Dashon Goldson and Mark Barron Could Be the NFL?s ?Bash Brothers? Next Season
Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made an excellent draft choice last season when they selected safety Mark Barron out of Alabama. In Barron, they received a guy who was NFL-ready. He could come in and be an instant starter with the Bucs, and that?s just what he did.
Racking up 89 tackles as a rookie, Barron established himself as a guy who would be all over the field, all the time. He also added in a forced fumble and an interception for good measure.
But, the most important aspect about Barron is that he is a guy with a motor. Barron came from a fantastic Crimson Tide college football program, playing for head coach Nick Saban, who won?t allow their players to take plays off, nor be satisfied with simply being ?good.?
Thankfully for Tampa Bay fans, Barron has adopted this mentality. As a rookie, he was seen flying around the field on defense constantly, always dashing to wherever the ball was. This is how you know you?ve got yourself a solid football player on defense. In the Tampa Two scheme, guys will flock toward the ball after it has been released by the quarterback. Wherever that football goes, the entire defense should be coming soon after.
Barron also established himself as a heavy hitter, while trying to maintain legal hits. There was none more famous of Barron?s tackles last year than when he met with Washington Redskins?rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III on two notable plays in Week 4.
On the first play, it looked to be a designed quarterback draw by Griffin, and Barron was seen sneaking up for a blitz. When Barron met the quarterback, he stuffed him while picking him up and slamming him to the ground. After the play, Griffin was seen clapping his hands in appreciation of a phenomenal play by the safety.
The second play came later in the game when Griffin ran up the middle and Barron crashed into the quarterback, causing him to fumble. The ball was recovered in the end zone by Washington for a score, but it surely could not take away from the magnitude of that hit.
In the Buc?s biggest move of free agency so far, they brought in their No. 1 target, former San Francisco 49ers safety Dashon Goldson. Last year, Goldson earned a trip to the Pro Bowl after compiling 69 tackles, three interceptions, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
Did I mention that you know a good football player by the way he collapses on the ball? Goldson played very similarly to Barron last year for his former team, racing all over the field in efforts to make a play on every single down.
Goldson, like I said, was Tampa Bay?s number one target in free agency, and they went after him hard. Agreeing to a five year, $41 million contract, Goldson granted their wish to the delight of Buccaneer fans everywhere. With Barron and Goldson manning that Tampa Bay secondary, I can imagine offenses are going to think twice before they send a guy their way.
Ryan Heckman is a Minnesota Timberwolves writer and?NFL contributor for?RantSports.com. Follow him on?Twitter, ?Like? him on?Facebook,?or add him to your network on?Google
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Sunday, March 17, 2013
St-Pierre manhandles Diaz at UFC 158
MONTREAL (AP) ? UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre manhandled Nick Diaz for five rounds en route to a lopsided unanimous decision at UFC 158 on Saturday night.
St-Pierre (24-2) pitched a shutout, winning 50-45 on all three judges' cards.
"Nick Diaz is a good guy," said the champion, looking to end the bad blood between the two.
Diaz, who said he was flat after a 13-month layoff, thanked St-Pierre "for giving him the credit I think I deserve."
Diaz came to the fight with a chip on his shoulder and plenty of attitude. He leaves with a loss and lumps on his face, although he showed the champion respect after the fight.
As expected, St-Pierre used his wrestling to control the chirpy challenger, rag-dolling him at times and bullying him on the ground. But he also used his jab and kicks to pick apart the challenger on his feet.
A calm, calculating St-Pierre won almost every battle during the fight without putting himself in harm's way. Diaz (27-8-0 with one no contest) never quit, but showed less of his trademark trash-talking. He had his hands full.
The main event had been rife with animosity, with Diaz showing St-Pierre little respect. The normally calm champion was red-hot coming into the fight, saying he wanted to "retire" Diaz.
After the bout, Diaz said his fighting days may be over. He backed off the statement after coming late to the news conference and added he wanted a rematch with St-Pierre or perhaps Carlos Condit.
In another strange admission, he said he had never paid taxes.
In the lead up to the fight, Diaz skipped a public workout, then put on a strange one-man show at the pre-fight news conference that managed to befuddle and antagonize St-Pierre.
"I never took it personally," the champion said after the fight.
The antagonism continued right up to the fight with fellow fighter Jake Shields, a member of the Diaz entourage, complaining about St-Pierre's hand wraps.
"I checked GSP's glove and the wrap looked shady," Shields, beaten by GSP at UFC 129, tweeted before the fight.
UFC President Dana White said Shields had OK'd the wrap, only to have another member of Diaz's camp complain later.
The 31-year-old from Montreal was looking for his eighth straight successful title defense since winning his 170-pound championship back from Matt Serra at UFC 83 in April 2008. Only middleweight champion Anderson Silva has more title defenses (10).
The welterweight contenders' picture grew clearer earlier in the main card as Jonny Hendricks (15-1) won a unanimous 29-28 decision over Condit (28-7) in a wild co-main event that left both men blooded, and with the respect of their boss.
"These boys are holding nothing back," tweeted an appreciative White.
Condit and Hendricks earned $50,000 each for the fight of the night.
Hendricks, who said he broke his left hand in the fight, was promised a title shot if he won.
"Guess what, I earned it," said Hendricks.
And welterweight Jake Ellenberger knocked out former Strikeforce champion Nate Marquardt in the first round.
Ellenberger's blow was picked as the KO of the night, earning him a $50,000 bonus.
Diaz came out to a chorus of boos, one man against a champion backed by thousands in the stands. He calmly walked inside the cage, his four corner men urging him on.
Then the lights dimmed and St-Pierre followed, bouncing up and down in his traditional karate garb to pulsating French-language rap. The crowd erupted.
Diaz walked over to the cage and yelled something as St-Pierre prepared to enter. It didn't seem like a hello. Montreal referee Yves Lavigne then moved over to keep a close watch on the challenger.
The place was rocking before the cage doors closed.
St-Pierre's first takedown came seconds later. Diaz looked to work a submission, but the champion controlled him, firing punches as Diaz tried to get up. A pair of elbows produced a knot on the challenger's forehead.
The crowd started chanting "Ole! Ole!" St-Pierre responded by dropping Diaz on his head, capping a dominant first round.
St-Pierre landed another takedown 40 seconds into the second round and soon had Diaz on his knees face down again, hitting him with knees and punches. Diaz's face was showing damage.
Diaz tried to get in the champ's face as the round ended.
Diaz went down again in the third, after eating some punches. When Diaz got back up, he fired some leg kicks and scored with some jabs. Then St-Pierre dumped him, battering him on the ground.
Diaz flicked a punch after the bell at St-Pierre, whose face was bloodied.
Both men looked tired in the fourth, but St-Pierre scored another takedown and Diaz soon had the champion clamped to him again.
The two clinched in the fifth before Diaz fell attempting a kick. St-Pierre jumped on him and Diaz was again face down on the mat. The fight finished fittingly with St-Pierre on top and the crowd roaring.
The two shook hands, hugged and Diaz raised St-Pierre's hand.
The champion came into Saturday's fight on a 10-bout win streak. And needing just three rounds to erase Randy Couture's UFC record of 44 championship rounds fought.
It was St-Pierre's 13th championship fight, second only to the retired Couture (15).
Condit was initially due to face Rory MacDonald but the Montreal fighter had to pull out with a neck injury. That forced a reshuffle of the welterweight bouts with Hendricks moved to face Condit and Marquardt brought in to take on Ellenberger.
Ellenberger (29-6) made short work of Marquardt (35-12-2), knocking him down with a left-right and then hurting him with another. Marquardt did not seem to like the stoppage by Philippe Chartier, at 3:00, but he was dazed and vulnerable.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/st-pierre-manhandles-diaz-ufc-158-051153123--spt.html
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Transcript: Mitt Romney's Speech at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference
The following is Mitt Romney's address as prepared for delivery Friday, March 15, at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md.:
What an honor to be introduced by Governor Nikki Haley, a woman of uncommon courage and conviction; whose principles have guided her governance. We need more governors like her!
I've also had the honor of your support from the very beginning. You gave my campaign an early boost. You worked on the front lines?promoting my campaign, turning out voters. Thank you.
With help from so many of you, I had the honor of becoming my party's nominee for president. I was given the privilege of experiencing America in ways Ann and I had never imagined. Across this great country, our fellow citizens opened up their homes and hearts to us.
Of course, I left the race disappointed that we didn't win. But I also left honored and humbled to have represented values we believe in and to speak for so many good and decent people. We've lost races before, and in the past, those setbacks prepared us for larger victories. It is up to us to make sure that we learn from my mistakes, and from our mistakes, so that we can win the victories those people and this nation depend upon.
It's fashionable in some circles to be pessimistic about America, about conservative solutions, about the Republican Party. I utterly reject that pessimism. We may not have carried the day last November 7th, but we haven't lost the country we love, and we haven't lost our way. Our nation is still full of aspirations and hungry for new solutions. We're a nation of invention and of reinventing. My optimism about America wasn't diminished by my campaign; no, it grew?It grew as I came to know more of our fellow Americans.
I have seen American determination in people like Debbi Sommers. She runs a furniture rental business for conventions in Las Vegas. When 9/11 hit and again when the recession tanked the conventions business, she didn't give up, close down, or lay off her people. She taught them not just to rent furniture, but also to manufacture it.
I've seen perseverance. Harold Hamm drove a truck for ten years so that he could afford to go to college. He majored in Geology. Studying geological surveys, he concluded that there should be oil in North Dakota. He went there and drilled a well. It was dry. I'm told that it costs about $2 million to drill a dry hole. But he kept on drilling. 16 dry holes later, they called it Harold's folly. That changed with the 17th. The Bakken range he discovered is estimated by some to hold as much as 500 billion barrels of oil.
I've seen risk taking. The flagging lumber business and mounting losses convinced International Paper Corporation that they needed to shut down their lumber mill in Ossipee, New Hampshire. Into the breech stepped Jim Smith and Kim Moore, the plant manager and sales manager. They borrowed and invested everything they could, to buy the broken business. They saved their jobs and 30 other peoples' jobs, growing sales from $5 million a year to $50 million.
I've met people of great faith. I sat in the home of Billy Graham and in the residence of Cardinal Dolan and prayed with these men of God.
I met heroes in our armed forces: men and women who re-signed with the National Guard after multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan, knowing that in all probability, they would be going back again.
I met heroes in the homes of the nation: single moms who are working two jobs so that their kids will have clothes like those that the other kids wear, dads who almost forget what a weekend is, because of all the jobs they've taken on to keep the house.
We are a patriotic people. The heart of America is good. Our land is blessed by the hand of God; may we as a people always be worthy of His grace, and His protection.
Like you, I believe a Conservative vision can attract a majority of Americans and form a governing coalition of renewal and reform. As someone who just lost the last election, I'm probably not the best person to chart the course for the next election. That said, I do have advice. Perhaps because I am a former governor, I would urge you to learn the lessons that come from some of our greatest success stories: the 30 Republican governors.
Yes, they are winning elections, but more importantly, they are solving problems. Big problems. Important problems. Governor Nathan Deal of Georgia secured a constitutional amendment to expand charter schools. Governor Rick Snyder signed Right to Work legislation?in Michigan! Several secured tort reform. Many turned huge deficits into surpluses. Republican governors reached across the aisle, offered innovative solutions and have been willing to take the heat to make tough decisions.
We need the ideas and leadership of each of these governors. We particularly need to hear from the Governors of the blue and purple states, like Bob McDonnell, Scott Walker, John Kasich, Susanna Martinez, Chris Christie, and Brian Sandoval because their states are among those we must win to take the Senate and the White House.
We can also learn from the examples of principle, passion and leadership that we have seen during these last several weeks from fellow conservatives here in Washington. I may be a little biased, but I applaud the clear and convincing voice of my friend, Paul Ryan.
If I were to offer advice to any president of the United States, it would be this: do whatever you can do to keep America the most prosperous and free and powerful nation on earth.
It is no secret that the last century was an American century. And it is no secret that over the span of the 21st century, America's pre-eminent position is far from guaranteed. The consequence if America were to be surpassed would be devastating. Why? Because among the primary rivals for world leadership?China, Russia, and the Jihadists?not one believes in the freedoms we take for granted. Freedom depends on American leadership.
American leadership depends on a military so strong, so superior, that no one would think to engage it. Our military strength depends on an economy so strong that it can support such a military. And our economy depends on a people so strong, so educated, so resolute, so hard working, so inventive, and so devoted to their children's future, that other nations look at us with respect and admiration.
That is the America we grew up in, and it is the America our children deserve.
What other nation would have enjoyed hegemonic military power for a quarter of a century, and never have used it to seek revenge against its former foes or to seize precious natural resources from the weak?
What nation is the most philanthropic in the world, the first to bind up the wounds of the injured from hurricanes, tsunamis, and war?
What nation is the largest contributor to the fight against AIDS in Africa?
Who came to the rescue of Europe when it faced its darkest hour and came to the rescue of others under the threat of tyranny, in Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Bosnia, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq? Whatever you think of these interventions, the impulse behind them was liberation, not conquest. In all of human history, there has never been a great power that has so often used its power to liberate others from subjugation, to set the captives free. This we must teach our children, and never ourselves forget.
I'm inspired by a people who believe in and live for something greater than themselves?whether their faith, their country, their family, their school.
I marvel at the prescience, the brilliance and the sacrifices made by the nation's Founders.
I'm proud of our immigrant heritage, proud that so many of us and of our ancestors came here because they wanted to be here, to build a better future for their children here, to worship their God here.
At a campaign stop in Texas, I met a Cambodian-American named Sichan Siv. Sichan came here in 1976, escaping the killing fields of Cambodia. His first job was picking fruit, then he drove a cab in New York City. He later volunteered on the campaign of George H.W. Bush. Thirteen years after coming to America he went to work in the White House. And then, he was appointed as a United States Ambassador to the United Nations. He said that whenever he stood to speak in behalf of America, his emotions choked, and he asked himself in what other nation could an impoverished Cambodian refugee have become its Ambassador.
America began with an idea, a noble one. That idea was that every person is endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights. Freedom flows in American veins. It invigorates our many enterprises, it inspires us to live beyond ourselves, it calls us to care for the suffering and downtrodden. It has made us a great nation.
Today, history and duty summon us again. The country is imperiled by mounting debt, by failing institutions, by families stressed beyond their limits, by schools that fail to make the grade, and by public servants who are more intent on scoring political points than on national renewal.
Each of us in our own way will have to step up and meet our responsibility. I am sorry that I will not be your president ? but I will be your co-worker and I will stand shoulder to shoulder with you. In the end, we will win just as we have won before, and for the same reason: because our cause is right...and just.
Thank you again for your help and support along our journey. Ann and I will treasure these memories all the days of our lives. God bless you, and God Bless the United States of America.
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Man who caused $450M in damage to sub gets 17 years
Dover Police Department / AP
Casey Fury, of Portsmouth, N.H., a former shipyard worker.
By Matthew DeLuca, Staff Writer, NBC News
A shipyard worker was sentenced to 17 years in prison by a Maine court on Friday after he admitted setting fire to a docked nuclear sub and causing $450 million in damage last year.
Casey James Fury, 25, was ordered to pay $400 million in restitution, the Associated Press reported.
Fury pleaded guilty to two arson counts in a plea agreement. He faced up to 19 years for setting the May 23 fire that damaged the USS Miami, a Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine, at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.
Repairs to the USS Miami have been delayed because of sequestration defense cuts, according to the AP. The blaze drew more than 100 firefighters. Seven people were injured fighting the flames, but there were no deaths.
Fury, who worked as a civilian painter and sand blaster, told investigators he had set the May 23 fire in an affidavit filed on July 22, 2012 in the York County District Court. Fury told investigators that he was taking medications for depression and anxiety, according to the complaint.
Fury also admitted to setting a second fire outside the docked submarine on June 16. After initially denying setting the June fire, he admitted to starting the second blaze after being pressed by investigators, according to the July complaint. He had been anxious to leave work after he ?began texting his former girlfriend and attempted to convince her that the guy she was seeing was not just a friend like she had been claiming,? according to the complaint.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Saturday, March 16, 2013
2012 IFBB Pro World Championship Finals:IFBB Pro Figure Division ...
Competitors will walk to the center of the stage alone and perform model turns, starting by facing the judges before moving into their model turns then proceed to the side of the stage. Competitors will be judged wearing a two-piece swimsuit and high heels. The competitors will be brought back out in a group and directed to do quarter turns.Judges will have the opportunity to compare competitors against each other in quarter turns.Judges will be scoring competitors using the following criteria:Small degree of muscularity with separation, no visible striations.Overall Muscle Tone with shapely lines, overall firmness and not excessively lean
Full general assessment.
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Michigan takes over Detroit in "Olympics of restructuring"
By Steve Neavling
DETROIT (Reuters) - Michigan Governor Rick Snyder on Thursday announced a state takeover of Detroit's finances and appointed as manager a corporate bankruptcy expert who took a can-do attitude toward turning around the destitute city, calling it the "Olympics of restructuring."
Kevyn Orr, an attorney who worked on the restructuring of Michigan-based automaker Chrysler, said as the city's emergency financial manager he hoped to avoid a bankruptcy filing by Detroit, something that would rank as the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.
"Let's get at it and work together because we can resolve this, people of good faith. Don't make me go to bankruptcy court," Orr told a news conference, where he was introduced by Snyder and flanked by Detroit Mayor Dave Bing.
Snyder's move amounts to the biggest state takeover of an American city in over two decades. Orr, who was officially approved by a committee of state officials on Thursday, is expected to assume financial management of Detroit on March 25.
As the emergency manager, he will supplant the authority of Detroit's elected officials, both the mayor and the city council. Orr will have broad powers, including the ability to renegotiate labor contracts, privatize services and sell certain city assets.
The announcement marked a watershed moment in the history of Detroit, which has been in a long economic decline. The city was the birthplace of Motown music and once the thriving center of the U.S. auto industry. In the 1950s, it was the fifth largest American city at 1.8 million people, but now ranks 18th with 700,000.
Snyder praised Orr, 54, as the right person for the job.
"He's had a very successful career in restructuring and bankruptcy. He's one of the leading experts in the country," Snyder said.
In addition to his work with Chrysler - for which Orr billed $1 million in fees during the first year of the restructuring of the smallest of the three major U.S. automakers - Orr has other Michigan ties. He received both undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Michigan.
He is African-American, which some politicians have said could help him deal with community leaders in a city that is 83 percent black.
The emergency manager will face the huge and controversial task of repairing the finances of a city in crisis. Detroit has run operating deficits for nearly a decade, is starved of cash and facing a crushing burden of debt from commitments such as pensions and health insurance.
Outside the building where Snyder spoke on Thursday, several dozen Detroit residents protested the state takeover, waving American flags and holding signs that read "Fighting for Justice." Some Detroit residents feel that their right to vote for their own leaders is being usurped by an unelected manager.
More than a third of Detroit residents are officially classified as living in poverty, and it has an unemployment rate of 18.2 percent, far above the U.S. jobless rate of 7.7 percent, according to government figures.
Basic services such as street lights and police protection have broken down, and the city has suffered from mismanagement and political corruption. Just this week, former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was convicted of two dozen federal charges of corruption and bribery linked to kickbacks on city contracts.
And while the auto industry has shown an impressive recovery, little of that has trickled into Detroit's coffers. General Motors is headquartered in the city, but only one major assembly plant, operated by Chrysler, is left inside the city limits.
'THE GREATEST TURNAROUND'
Orr said if the emergency takeover of Detroit succeeds, "it will be one of the greatest turnarounds" in U.S. history. He said his contract as emergency manager was for 12 to 16 months, but he hoped to finish the job faster.
It is rare for such a large American city to come so close to bankruptcy. The best known case was New York City, which was nearly forced into bankruptcy in 1975 after it ran up huge debts. The state of New York appointed an oversight board to guide its finances.
The most recent major city to face such a crisis was Philadelphia in 1991, which was managed by the state of Pennsylvania for a time.
Neither of those cities officially filed for municipal bankruptcy.
James Spiotto, law partner at Chapman and Cutler in Chicago and one of the nation's top experts on municipal restructuring, said Detroit has a good chance of avoiding bankruptcy.
"I am optimistic that you have good people at the city, good people at the state and a good emergency financial manager. It's got all the ingredients for being successful," he said.
Some investors remain wary of owning Detroit's debt.
"We need to have a clearer picture of what their liabilities are," said Guy Davidson, a prominent institutional investor as the director of municipal bonds at Alliance Bernstein.
"We need revenues in line and to see basic services delivered at costs that fit their economy," Davidson said. "When we see that ... we can think about being investors again."
Snyder has advocated talks involving Detroit bondholders and other interested parties to reach new debt terms, but the timing for such sessions appears far from imminent.
"Quite frankly, until I get into and understand the rights and obligations and the willingness of the bondholders to work in a consensual way, I really won't have an understanding of what truly needs to be done," Orr told Reuters on Thursday.
Detroit city leaders have long opposed a state takeover, saying they were making progress on improving the financial situation. The mayor, a former professional basketball player and steel executive, said on Thursday he would work with the new emergency manager.
A defiant city council had called on residents to fight the move, but council President Charles Pugh said on Thursday he would try to work with Orr.
Detroit could challenge the takeover in state court. Such attempts have failed in Michigan in the past.
Michigan state law grants emergency financial managers broad powers and a new law going into effect later this month allows the manager to terminate collective bargaining agreements with the city's 48 unions.
(Reporting by Steve Neavling in Detroit; Additional reporting by Dawson Bell in Lansing, Michigan, Karen Pierog in Chicago, Paul Lienert in Detroit, and Michael Connor in Miami.; Writing by Greg McCune; Editing by Mary Milliken and Leslie Adler)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/michigan-expected-announce-takeover-detroit-finances-100424650.html
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