what is virtualization technology: May 2013

Friday, May 31, 2013

Churches grapple with whether to cut Boy Scout ties

Religious groups sponsor nearly 70 percent of Boy Scout troops nationwide. But the reaction among these groups was as diverse as the congregations themselves when the Boy Scouts of America recently voted to allow openly gay boys to join.

Many members of Evangelical and Baptist groups say their affiliation with the BSA is over.

?We believe that the BSA policy change will lead to a mass exodus from the Boy Scout program, as Assemblies of God and many other churches can no longer support groups that are part of an organization allowing members who are openly homosexual,? the Pentecostal denomination stated, after nearly two-thirds of the 1,400 BSA voters affirmed the new policy on May 23.

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While the National Catholic Committee on Scouting issued no immediate position, with plans to confer with bishops and diocesan scouting committees, it also stated: ?Open and avowed homosexuals promoting and engaging in homosexual conduct are not living lives consistent with Catholic teaching.?

By contrast, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the single largest sponsor ? behind nearly a third of the troops nationwide ? deferred to its existing guidelines, saying, ?Young men ? who agree to abide by Church standards? are ?welcomed warmly and encouraged to participate.?

The Mormon church, which had not campaigned for or against lifting the ban, said in a statement: "We have followed the discussion and are satisfied that BSA has made a thoughtful, good-faith effort to address issues that, as they have said, remain ?among the most complex and challenging issues facing the BSA and society today.? "

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Other religious organizations, such as the National Jewish Committee on Scouting, the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Episcopal Church, and the United Church of Christ campaigned for a full repeal of the ban.

?There is a great deal of rhetoric and concern being expressed in church-based scout troops right now,? says William Leonard, professor of church history at Wake Forest University, ?but how that washes out we still don?t know, and it will take a while for these communities to sort this out.?

In the short term, he says, the congregations that close down scout troops will depend on location and ethos. ?There will be some congregations where the membership will insist we have to break with the BSA, and there will be some that exist in locations where they will feel pressured to drop their troops,? he says.

Some effort will be made to offer alternatives, he notes, but such efforts could be limited and difficult for churches because the churches are not in financial shape to start anything as elaborate and significant as the Boy Scouts.

The issue is close to the heart of Daniel Echols, the associate pastor at St. John?s United Methodist Church in Lubbock, Texas. While the national leadership has not taken a stand on the BSA decision, it does not allow church officials to conduct same-sex marriages, nor does it ordain homosexual clergy. But, says Echols, the church has sponsored local Scout Troop 406 for some 30 years, and the congregation supports the new policy.

?Our culture is going through a transition around the issue of homosexuality toward an affirming position,? he says, and the church cannot ignore this change.

While the more vocal church leaders may oppose the change, the shift is apparent among young Evangelicals, says Tom Krattenmaker, author of the new book "The Evangelicals You Don't Know." The question many of the new leaders are asking is different from their elders in the church, he says. ?It is no longer, ?Is homosexuality OK?' ? he says, but rather, " 'What am I called upon to do?' They are saying, 'As a Christian, I am called upon to love my fellow human beings?' ?

Whatever course churches choose as this new BSA policy goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2014, the response has larger implications for religious organizations across the political and denominational spectrum, says Professor Leonard, who points to the rapidly growing segment of the US population that no longer identifies with any church denomination.

A 2012 Pew Research study shows that while one-fifth of the US population claims no religious affiliation, one-third of 18-to 35-year-olds no longer identify with any organized church.

Churches have some soul-searching to do as they take actions that send messages about their willingness to engage with the upcoming generation, Leonard says. ?Many churches see this issue as drawing an important line in the sand about their basic convictions,? he says.

At issue, he says, is how churches remain relevant amid broad societal change. ?Churches are having to face the issue of their sense of Christian conscience and how that appears in the larger culture which is becoming more welcoming," he adds.

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Would-be Chicago backpack bomber gets 23 years

FILE - This Sept. 21, 2010 file photo shows Sluggers Sports Bar and Grill near Wrigley Field, background, before a Chicago Cubs baseball game in Chicago. On Thursday, May 30, 2013, Sami Samir Hassoun, a Lebanese immigrant, is scheduled to be sentenced at federal court in Chicago for placing a backpack he thought held a bomb outside the bar in September 2010. Prosecutors want a 30-year prison sentence for the 25-year-old, who pleaded guilty to weapons charges last year. The defense filing argues Hassoun deserves no more than 20 years, in part because they contend he was egged on by an FBI informant to concoct the bombing scheme. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

CHICAGO (AP) ? A federal judge raised the specter of the Boston Marathon Thursday as he sentenced a young Lebanese immigrant to 23 years in prison for placing a backpack he believed contained a powerful bomb along a bustling city street near the Chicago Cubs' baseball stadium.

Everyone observing Sami Samir Hassoun's sentencing at a crowded federal courtroom in Chicago could not help but think of the bombs that went off a month ago concealed backpacks on the East Coast, killing three people and wounding hundreds more, U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman said.

"Let's give the elephant in the room a name: It's called the Boston Marathon," he said. "What would have happen had (Hassoun's) bomb been real would have made Boston look like a minor incident."

Earlier, prosecutor Joel Hammerman held up the ominous-looking but harmless device fashioned from a paint can that Hassoun put in a trash bin near Wrigley Field, placing it in front of the judge. Hassoun was told by agents, the prosecutor said, that it would destroy half the city block and kill dozens of people.

Minutes before the sentence was announced, Hassoun, a 25-year-old one-time Chicago baker and candy-store worker, apologized for what he'd done in a five-minute statement. Crying, he asked the judge if he could address his family and friends, and then turned to look at them on a nearby bench.

"I am sorry for the actions that I made and the shame I brought on you," Hassoun said, struggling to keep his composure. "I promise I will become a better person ... and make it up to you."

His mother sobbed aloud and when Hassoun finished, she said in an audible voice to her son, "I love you!"

Judge Gettleman said he accepted the defense depiction of Hassoun as a uniquely gullible youth and that an informant may have been eager to please his FBI handlers by leading him on ? though he said that was no excuse for Hassoun's crime.

During the hearing, prosecutors played secret video recordings of Hassoun during the sting in which he excitedly talks about killing people. He explains that one reason to stage the attack along bar-strewn Clark Street is that late-night revelers will be so drunk they wouldn't notice him dropping a bomb into the trash bin.

In another chilling video shown in court, Hassoun smiles and hums a tune to himself on the night of Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010 ? moments before heading off to what he thought would be a major terrorist attack.

"You feel good?" an undercover agent asks.

"Yeah, I'm (doing) great man," Hassoun responds.

In other video, Hassoun rambles almost incoherently about then-Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and the need to overthrow him in a revolution.

"When you see Mr. Hassoun on these tapes, all you can think of is that ? this guy is really out to lunch," Gettleman told the courtroom. But he said his oddness wasn't "an excuse for anti-social behavior."

Prosecutors also played a surveillance video of Hassoun, wearing a black hoodie, dropping the device into a trash bin at about 12:20 a.m. on Sept. 19, 2010 ? while people crowded the sidewalk and music blared from area bars. FBI agents arrested him moments later.

As part of a plea deal with the government, Hassoun pleaded guilty last year to two explosives counts. In return, he faced a sentencing range of 20 to 30 years, rather than a maximum term of life in prison.

One of Hassoun's attorneys, Alison Siegler, argued in court Thursday that the difference between two decades and three decades behind bars was enormous ? and that a sentence of around 20 years would give Hassoun the chance to start a family, to go to school and see his parents as a free man again.

After court adjourned, Hassoun appeared to express relief as he smiled and hugged his attorney.

Before Thursday's sentencing, Hassoun also apologized in a seven-page letter to Gettleman. He also insisted he's worked hard at becoming a better person, including by doing yoga in jail.

The Beirut-born Hassoun blamed his actions in part on childhood trauma living in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. During civil strife there, Hassoun, then 11, witnessed machete killings from an apartment balcony, he wrote.

His family emigrated from Lebanon to the U.S. in 2008.

To dampen his lingering emotional pain, he wrote that he drank alcohol "all day, every day" for months before the would-be stadium attack in 2010. He favored whole bottles of Johnnie Walker Black, he wrote.

The defense suggested investigators may have come close to entrapping Hassoun, arguing the paid informant egged Hassoun on to acquiesce to ever-more ominous-sounding plots.

"(The informant) prayed on Sami's fantasies ... and agents helped make that fantasy come true," another of Hassoun's attorney's, Matthew Madden, told the court Thursday. "If left to his own devices, nobody would ever have heard of Sami Hassoun."

Prone to boasting and eager to impress, Hassoun even made what the defense describes as absurd claims he could make a gun out of two pieces of wood and a spring, and a bomb out of baking soda, Madden said.

But so inept was Hassoun, he bought a backpack, walkie-talkies and some batteries agents asked him to buy and the FBI then incorporated it into the dud bomb fashioned at its lab in Quantico, Va., he added.

Prosecutors concede Hassoun did waffle about his plans, allegedly talking about profiting monetarily and then broaching the idea of poisoning Lake Michigan or assassinating Daley.

But prosecutors say Hassoun himself concluded that maximum damage could be inflicted by a blast next to the popular Sluggers World Class Sports Bar, just steps from Wrigley Field.

Undercover agents also repeatedly asked Hassoun if he wanted to back out, telling him there would be no shame in doing so. But he repeatedly declined, saying he wanted to press ahead, Hammerman said.

"It was his understanding that in 15 minutes (after placing the backpack in the bin), there would be death and carnage all over Clark Street," Hammerman told the court Thursday.

___

Follow Michael Tarm at www.twitter.com/mtarm

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-05-30-Chicago%20Bomb%20Arrest/id-e3624e7da4dc47a9be4eb2cdef777e96

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Sports On TV: The Munsters' 10 Greatest Sports Moments | With ...

Because they're monsters. Get it.

This week, Sports On TV looks at the 10 greatest sports moments from the hit 1964 sitcom 'The Munsters,' about a family of Universal Monsters who live in a creepy old mansion and try (and mostly fail) to interact with the normal people in their community. Sure, it's the Go-Bots to 'The Addams Family's' Transformers, but it was a fun show and a great example of 1960s sitcom joy, and come on, I know at least one of your parents loved this and made you watch it. Hopefully the same parent who made you watch 'The Brady Bunch.'

If you've never seen the show, check out the list anyway, because it is all about a Frankenstein making life difficult for strangers. The list features appearances from Hall of Fame baseball players, legendary MMA instructors and a drag racing coffin that Rob Zombie made famous to a new generation. So yeah, click through to enjoy the 10 greatest sports moments from 'The Munsters.' And don't forget to unlock our commenting badge while you're at it.

How To Unlock:

Log into UPROXX (or create an account), then share Sports On TV: The Munsters' 20 Greatest Sports Moments on Facebook and Twitter to unlock the 'DRAG-U-LA' badge.

Episode: "Herman's Peace Offensive" (season 2, episode 13)

What Happens: Poor little Eddie Munster is being picked on at school, and because this is the 1960s, he's able to say things like I'LL KILL HIM. His parents, a vampire and a Frankenstein, encourage Eddie not to fight, and to take the peaceful way out. This leads to Eddie getting a black eye, like it always does. Meanwhile, Herman (who is a shoot Frankenstein) is being harassed by a prankster at the morgue (where he works), and things escalate until the guy's just trying to hurt him out of cruelty. When Herman and Eddie's stories meet, it's time for BOXING TRAINING, courtesy of a heavy bag hanging in the downstairs lab/dungeon. For extra emphasis, Herman draws both Eddie's bully and his own on the bag, which leads to lots of FRANKENSTEIN PUNCHES SHIT SO HARD laughs. Eddie knocks out his bully (who looks like one of the fatter members of 'Our Gang' time-traveled into the 60s), and Herman finally utilizes his ability to BE A GIANT FRANKENSTEIN (and also a joy buzzer) to emasculate his. Violence DOES solve problems, everybody!

Key line: "Eddie, as Sonny Liston said after his last fight: I think it's time to sit down and reevaluate our philosophy."

"Parents encourage their kid not to fight the bully, but then the bully gets physical so they decide to give him boxing training to whomp the shit out of the kid" is one of the best of the 1960s sitcom tropes, best exemplified by that one episode of 'The Brady Bunch.' In the broader sense, "nerd must prep to fight the bully" is one of the best sitcom tropes of ALL, and lives on in shows as good as 'Freaks and Geeks' or as Urkel as 'Family Matters.' I don't blame the sour-faced Little Rascals kid for picking on Eddie, though. Eddie only has one outfit, and it looks like it should only be worn by a porcelain doll on QVC.

Another thing I learned from this episode is that I've been mad at the colorization of 'The Munsters' for DECADES for the wrong reason. I was always mad that they made Eddie green (because he's supposed to be a werewolf, right?), but in this episode the bully's all WHAT'RE YA, YELLA, and Eddie responds with "no, I'm green." So it's canon. That horrible, inaccurate colorization is canon. Ah well, I guess now I can just get back to worrying about how a vampire had sex with a Frankenstein and made a werewolf.

Herman Munster Masked Marvel

Episode: "Herman The Great" (season 1, episode 8)

What Happens: Yes, 'The Munsters' had a pro wrestling episode, and it happened only 8 episodes into the run of the show. They only had 7 better ideas than "Herman moonlights as a pro wrestler to earn extra money, because he's worried that he won't be able to pay for Eddie's college tuition one day." Don't get me wrong, that is the best idea, I'm just saying.

But yeah, that's the plot here. A friend of Eddie's sees Herman twist a metal bar into a knot and takes it home to show his dad, who turns out to be a fight promoter. Friend's Dad convinces Herman to wrestle on his weekly TV show as "The Masked Marvel," and Herman is clearly physically superior to his opponents (because he is a GODDAMN FRANKENSTEIN), but keeps losing because he has a soft heart and can't bear to beat up wrestlers with such believable sob stories. They've got kids to support! I like to think this is what happens on Raw. Dolph Ziggler's about to pin John Cena in the main event, but then Cena's like "oh man, I feel so bad, I just got divorced and everybody's booing me." Ziggler goes "well gee, I'm sorry" and just lies down.

Eventually the matches get a "we'll pay you for every minute you can last in the ring with The Masked Marvel" stip, and a carny promoter brings in a ringer to extort the company. Grandpa Munster overhears the plan, exposes the fraud, does magic to make Herman airplane spin the guy to death and saves the day. Note to all create-a-wrestler fans making Munsters characters in WWE 13: Herman's finish is the airplane spin.

Key line: "I saw the match on television, I haven't seen such a dive since I was forced down by a vulture over Transylvania!"

Important note here: Herman's first opponent is "Tarzan McGuirk," played by none-other than Grandfather of MMA, former pro wrestler and instructional legend Gene LeBell. Modern wrestling fans may know him as the guy Daniel Bryan originally named his "LeBell Lock" submission move after. Gene is also a Sports On TV legend, having previously appeared as the referee in the wrestling episodes of 'Married... With Children' and the wrestling episode of 'Family Matters.' The lesson here: If you made a TV show between 1960 and 1995 and it had a wrestling episode, Gene LeBell was probably involved.

The Munsters Herman Munster baseball

Episode: "Herman The Rookie" (season 1, episode 29)

What Happens: Herman teaches his son the finer points of baseball by hitting pop flies at the local park. Because he is a Frakenstein, Herman has the ability to hit home runs that not only clear the fence, but travel eight blocks away and strike people in the face. Today, he banks a ball off the face of Hall of Fame manager Leo Durocher (playing himself, between managerial stints in New York and Chicago). Durocher is so impressed by the moonshot that he visits the Munster mansion and offers Herman a tryout with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Well, the Dodgers are MENTIONED. When they actually get to the field, everybody's wearing generic "baseball" uniforms, like the ones players wear when they get macaroni and cheese box cards.

One of the enduring themes of 'The Munsters' is that Herman is a nice, gentle guy, but he is also a f**king Frankenstein, which means he doesn't know his own strength and can't participate in sports with human beings because he'll literally murder them by accident. He puts a hole in the outfield fence, destroys the scoreboard with a home run and causes his teammates to forfeit the practice because they don't want to get injured. Ultimately the Dodgers decide that Herman isn't worth the thousands of dollars of repairs they'd have to make to Dodger Stadium after every game.

Key line: "I think this whole thing is ridiculous! Imagine, Herman, a grown man of a 150 years old, playing baseball with young men of 55 and 60."

The episode ends with a play on its opening, with Herman giving up baseball to teach Eddie football, punting a ball 8 blocks and hitting the owner of the Los Angeles Rams in the face.

Also in this episode: Herman hits a grounder so hard it literally goes through the third baseman's hand (!!) and Leo Durocher has to decide whether or not to sign Herman to the Dodgers or SEND HIM TO VIETNAM. This is the best "hahaha oh shiiiit" line in The Munsters history, especially if you're a weird guy on the Internet watching episodes in 2013.

ALSO also in this episode, Durocher lands one of the great "whoops, people in the 60s were awful" lines in sitcom history during this exchange, where he throws hilarious racist shade at the poor Munsters:

"Hey Leo, where's this great prospect you were telling me about?"
"He's in the clubhouse, getting his uniform on. He'll be right out."
"Hey, what's he like?"
"Well, he's no matinee idol, but oh, you, know, it's a whole family, it's a weird set up. Eh, they all look like a bunch of wetbacks from the petrified forest."

eesh.

Eddie Munster baseball bat

Episode: season 2 intro

What Happens: In the opening credits of season 1, Lily Munsters stands at the bottom of a staircase and greets the members of the family as they're leaving. In season 2 we jump to the front porch, where everybody walks through the door and does something silly. Herman leaves a Herman-shaped hole in the door, for example. For whatever reason, Eddie Munster emerges from the Herman hole with a gigantic baseball bat, strikes a weird bunting pose, then continues on his way. So yeah, I get that the Munsters are monsters so they do monstrous things, but where the hell did he get a twice-his-size baseball bat? They did a baseball episode in season 1, and Frakenstein-ass Herman was even using regulation bats. You are weird, Eddie. Why do you need a bat that big if you're just gonna bunt? Are you worried you're going to miss the ball?

Key line: Here's the intro:

That really is one of the best TV show themes ever. And while I'm talking about the opening credits, can I point out how I think "Pat Priest" was just the stage name of Betty Hofstadt Draper Francis from back in her modeling days? 'The Munsters' started in 1964, so the timeline almost works. And seriously, look at them:

marilyn-munster

betty-draper

Episode: "Country Club Munsters" (season 1, episode 30)

What Happens: Remember that thing I mentioned about how the show is mostly about a community of people who have their possessions destroyed and their lives threatened because a Frakenstein won't stop showing up and accidentally wrecking shit? In "Country Club Munsters," the family wins a membership to a prestigious local country club, so Herman decides to go golfing. HE IS A FRANKENSTEIN FOR CHRIST'S SAKES so when he swings at balls he destroys them, drives the ball 1500 yards with an 8 Iron and digs up 80% of the green by stomping around on it with his godless Frankenstein feet.

He goes home happy about how fun golf is, but reads in the paper about how a "madman" destroyed the country club's golf course. He decides he doesn't want his family to go back if there are madman roaming around. Oh, to be a Frankenstein.

Key line: "Grandpa, this place is depressingly cheerful. But I suppose this modern decor is what they go in for."

It's not quite Moe Howard murdering people with a shower of angry golf balls, but it'll do.

The Munsters Dragula

Episode: "Hot Rod Herman" (season 1, episode 36)

What Happens: In an episode that originally aired in 1960-five-five-five, Eddie gets Herman involved in a bet with a professional race car driver, and they plan to drag race for the ownership of the Munster Koach. The driver doesn't seem to care that Herman is a Superbeast who is More Human Than Human, so Grandpa Munster steps in and takes Herman's place in the race. Grandpa's car is a high-speed racing coffin known as DRAG-U-LA, which he built after looking through Satan's blueprints, choosing a few of The Devil's Rejects and using some of the creepier things from his House Of 1,000 Corpses. Grandpa uses DRAG-U-LA to dig through the ditches, burn through the witches and win. But wait! It turns out the pro racer is the Scum Of The Earth and has removed Grandpa's brake chute! Suddenly Grandpa is a Demon Speeding, and when he realizes the car is Never Gonna Stop, gets Herman to grab it, plant his feet on the asphalt and Bring Her Down.

And scene.

Key line: "You know, Eddie, I used to be a great racing fan back in Transylvania. Oh, I had such gay times going to the wolf tracks and betting on our family."

Jokes aside, this is where Rob Zombie got that song title. The techno remix is actually called the "Hot Rod Herman" remix.

One thing I haven't mentioned yet is how super gay Herman Munster is. I don't mean that in the pejorative, he's just extremely gay. In this episode, his drag racing outfit is almost exactly what Tobias Funke bought to be a leather daddy on 'Arrested Development.' He looks like a member of the Village People, if one of them was a Frankenstein. Just an observation. In the world of 'The Munsters,' almost any problem or solution to a problem can be excused with A GAY FRANKENSTEIN DID IT. Love it.

Munsters rodeo

Episode: "Bronco-Bustin' Munster" (season 2, episode 2)

What Happens: speaking of a gay frankenstein

The township of Mockingbird Heights is celebrating "Frontier Days," which will feature a rodeo. Eddie gets into the spirit of things (because if there's one thing we all know, it's that child werewolves love cowboys ... I think this is what the fourth Twilight book was about) and signs Herman up for a bucking bronco contest, talking to anyone who'll listen about how great his dad is. Herman ISN'T great and is terrified of riding a horse, so Grandpa agrees to use magic, transform HIMSELF into a horse, let Herman ride him and take the prize without getting hurt. Meanwhile, crooked Frontier Days promoters hear Eddie's boasts and decide to give Herman "Volcano," the most dangerous bronco of all. Things go well until Grandpa's horse spell wears off and Herman ends up riding the dangerous horse, but don't worry, he weighs like 2,000 pounds and has no trouble taming Volcano. He wins the prize, then faints when he realizes he hadn't been riding his father-in-law. Yeah, 'The Munsters' was pretty weird sometimes.

Key line: "Uncle Herman is certainly showing the spectators what he's made of." "Yes, and I hope we can replace the parts!"

One of my favorite things about Herman is how eager he is to fit in with people, even young people. He just wants to be accepted for who he is on the inside ... a calm, gentle, helpful man who just happens to be godless, possess the ability to make werewolf babies, performs black magic on the regular and may or may not eventually drown a little girl in a lake.

I also love how wonderfully 1960s he is. You know how Adam West's Batman would just randomly break out into 60s dances or whatever? Herman is fresh with 60s lingo, and if I get anything out of writing a column about 'The Munsters,' it'll be a desire to use the word "wizard" to mean "cool." Why is that still not a thing?

Munsters Track & Field

Episode: "Herman, Coach Of The Year" (season 2, episode 4)

What Happens: Eddie Munster is the worst performer on his school's track and field team (because he is baby-sized and wearing baby doll clothes, and/or because he doesn't just go into wolf mode and Teen Wolf the shit out of everybody), so Herman resolves to each him the finer points of Olympic track and field, including the shot-put, discus and pole vault. Herman gets overbearing about it and Eddie isn't producing results, so Grandpa goes behind Herman's back and gives Eddie "special vitamins," aka magic PEDs that make him spazz out and run in fast forward. Herman is sad when the event day arrives, but Eddie outperforms everybody on the field, wins everything and makes his dad proud.

The very end of the episode reveals that Eddie only took the magic pills once, and it was his drive to make his father happy that propelled him to greatness. Also, the lingering effects of f**king magic pills. The moral: PEDs are fine, if you only take them sometimes.

Key line: "o far Herman has had him praticing at three events this morning, and he's gotten worse at each one."

This episode has one of the cheapest cheats ever in it. Whenever Herman plays a sport, the joke is that he hits the ball way too far. When he hits a baseball, he hits it eight blocks, and we see it zip away over a line of trees. When he golfs, we see the golf ball zip away over a line of trees. When he kicks a football, same thing. But when he throws a shot-put, we see a BASEBALL fly over a tree line. Okay, close enough, I guess. And then he throws a discus, and WE SEE A FOOTBALL FLYING AWAY END OVER END OVER SOME TREES. COME ON, THE MUNSTERS, A FOOTBALL AND A DISCUS DO NOT LOOK LIKE THE SAME THING.

Oh well. The best part of the episode is that when Eddie is playing sports, they make him change out of his velour hotpants.

Munsters horse racing

Episode: "Herman Picks A Winner" (season 2, episode 14)

What Happens: this is an episode about Herman digging for boogers

Key line: "Let's see. To pick a loser..." "Herman. Why don't you let Lily pick one for you? She picked a loser when she married you."

Just kidding. This episode is about Herman and Lily discovering that Eddie has been "pitching pennies" at school, and decide to teach him a lesson about the dangers of gambling by busting open his piggy bank and betting his life savings (10 bucks) on the worst horse they can find. But whoops, the horse wins! So they have to do it again. They pick the worst horse again, but the worst horse wins again. This draws the attention of THE MOB, who are in charge of horse racing because 1960s Television. They think Herman's either a genius or a criminal, and vow to take care of him either way. It starts with the mob enlisting the help of a "beautiful dame" to seduce Herman and ends with them shooting guns at him. He escapes by walking down the side of a building, because ... Frakensteins can do that, I guess.

Anyway, the episode ends with Herman having TAKEN DOWN THE ENTIRE MOB by snitching on them, everyone feeling great about themselves, and Eddie (I'm assuming) planning to gamble his ass off at every opportunity.

Episode: "All-Star Munster" (season 1, episode 17)

What Happens: Marilyn comes home from college crying, having been kicked out of school on a tuition technicality. Thankfully her Uncle Herman IS A FRANKENSTEIN and decides to visit the college himself and straighten things out. He doesn't know how to find the dean, and ends up talking to the college's basketball coach, who mistakes him for a star recruit who is late for his scholarship tryout. Herman dazzles them with his hilarious basketball skills, doing a little Globetrotter dribbling, dunking several times and banking in a full court shot over his shoulder without looking. I guess you have a lot of time to practice sports when you're a social pariah.

Herman signs a scholarship agreement with the school thinking it'll resolve Marilyn's problems, but finds out that he's accidentally stolen some kid's college education. He tries to make it right, but the coach bullies him about it and forces him to play. Herman accidentally gets upset and pounds the guy's desk into the ground without breaking it, which lets the college wise up to the fact that they are f**king with a murderous monster, and they make everything right.

Key line: "Jerry, our scout's report show that this guy's got everything: footwork like a gazelle, hands like a gorilla and he's tall as a giraffe!" "Who's sponsoring him, the SPCA?"

One of the best parts of this episode (besides Herman suddenly turning into a lithe black guy in Frankenstein makeup when it's time to play basketball well) is Pat Buttram as the "paw" of the kid getting boned out of a scholarship. If you don't know him, he's Mr. Haney from 'Green Acres,' sorta looks and sounds like Slim Pickens and voiced a character in everything Disney did for 2 1/2 decades. You'll recognize him when you hear his voice.

I hope somebody else watched shows from this time period, because they're the most fun thing to write about. A FRANKENSTEIN DID IT.

Source: http://withleather.uproxx.com/2013/05/sports-on-tv-the-munsters-10-greatest-sports-moments

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Phone Booths Are Terrible Places to Be in Movies (And Real Life)

When was the last time you stepped inside a phone booth? Like an actual walled-up, door closing, clear porta-potty type booth to make telephone calls? Those fake stalls don't count! I really can't remember. Slacktory culled up various phone booth scenes in movies and reveals what we've always kind of known (and smelled) about phone booths: they are terrible places to be. You're almost guaranteed to get run over by a car. The only guy who needs a phone booth is Superman. [Slacktory]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/phone-booths-are-terrible-places-to-be-in-movies-and-r-510577516

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Thursday, May 30, 2013

Westpac and MYOB launch 'Ready for Business' New industry ...

Westpac and MYOB have recently launched a number of services which they hope will help up to 100,000 Australian small businesses get online to make the most of the opportunities being offered by the digital economy.

The Ready for Business services come on the back of research Westpac conducted to assess how business and consumers are engaging online. The research found that while more than half (53%) of the surveyed Australian small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) did not have a website, 53% of the consumers surveyed said they were spending more than one hour a week shopping online. This suggests that businesses may be missing out by not meeting customers where they want to shop.

Westpac?s General Manager Retail Banking Gai McGrath stated ?the results demonstrate a divide between the ?digital haves? and the ?digital have-nots?. Many businesses without digital tools such as a website and online invoicing and payment capabilities are competitively disadvantaged?.

The SMEs who responded to the Westpac survey said that their biggest barriers to getting online were getting set up (28%) and knowing where to start (22%). In light of this, Westpac and MYOB say they have developed their Ready for Business services with the aim of providing SMEs with tools and information to help them get started online.

According to its website, Ready for Business offers services which aim to help SMEs:

attract customers by building an easy to use website with MYOB Atlas;
manage their earnings with a Westpac Business Account;
get paid faster with the MYOB LiveAccounts online accounting tool; and
plan ahead with online tutorials from Westpac?s Davidson Institute and complimentary sessions with MYOB consultants.

Of course, it is always a good idea to review the terms and conditions associated with services (including the applicable fees and charges) in light of your own particular circumstances, objectives and needs before contemplating signing up as a customer.

More information about Ready for Business services (including terms and conditions) is available at http://alliance.westpac.com.au/myob/ .

We also have information about other industry initiatives on the Digital Business website, including Getting Aussie Business Online and Driving Business Online.

By Natalie, DBCDE

*Disclaimer
This blog post should not be taken as an endorsement of any particular product or service.

Source: http://www.digitalbusiness.gov.au/2013/05/30/westpac-and-myob-launch-ready-for-business-new-industry-services-aims-to-get-100000-smes-online/

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Here's Your Smart Lock of the Future, Today

In an ever increasing world of connected smart things, the most important home appliance, the front door lock, is just now getting automated. August, co-founded by Yves Behar and Jason Johnson, today announced the company's first product, a $200 lock aptly named Smart Lock. Now you never have to pull out your key or even your phone when your hands are full. You don't even need extra copies to dole out to friends and family.

The keyless entry system connects to your iPhone through Bluetooth?the low energy kind?-allowing you to control who gets to come or go, straight from your phone or desktop. Best of all, you don't even need to replace the entire lock to make it smarter.

Though he wouldn't say it out loud, co-founder Jason Johnson, told me that a few partnerships are in the works for Smart Lock and that it just might end up being picked up by a popular social network centered around subletting.

Scheduled for launch later this year, Smart Lock replaces the inside of your door's lock, requires no wiring and works with virtually any deadbolt (90 percent compatibility, says August) on the market today. And unlike Kwikset's Kevo system, for instance, the system is completely hands-free. When Smart Lock senses that your connected phone has entered a set parameter, the door unlocks like magic. The system also runs completely independent of your home's power source and runs off of four AA batteries. And when those batteries eventually die?six months to a year?you can still use your physical key to get in. August gives you plenty of prompts through the app before that even happens. So shame on you if you ignore those motherly warnings.

Even cooler, is the ability to invite and issue virtual keys to anyone within seconds right from your phone. This also allows you to control when said keys work and when to put the kibosh on them altogether. So, for instance, you'd probably issue your family members or BFFs with a key that works all the time. But you might only grant your cleaning service access a few hours a week. Smart Lock also keeps a log of every entry and exit for every issued digital key, which you can access anytime from either your phone or computer. It even sends a push notification in case you're that overbearing about who is in your house and which Smart Locked door they entered through.

The obvious concern is that if you lose your phone, someone will have instant access to your house but you can remotely wipe any device with a working key. The app doesn't explicitly say where your house is either.

And unlike Nest, for instance, August has an open API and is apart of the Internet of Things Consortium, which is dedicating to getting all these IoT devices to talk to each other as more and more of them enter the market.

Of all the smart things on the market today, Smart Lock might actually be the dumbest thing and that's an honest compliment. It's easy to install?two screws and you're golden?and solves the simplest of things at home. Who needs Evernote on the fridge? Just unlock the damn door when my hands are full of groceries or I'm too drunk to find my keys. [August]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/heres-your-smart-lock-of-the-future-today-510358843

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HP Envy 27

Let's face it: Most desktop monitor speakers are so underpowered and tinny sounding that they are virtually unlistenable at high volumes. If you like your music loud but don't have a good set of external speakers handy, the HP Envy 27 27-inch IPS LED Backlit Monitor has you covered. This beautifully crafted monitor uses Beats Audio technology and a carefully positioned built-in speaker bar to deliver loud, full-bodied audio. It's also equipped with a bright IPS panel that does a good job of displaying accurate colors, and it features both HDMI and DisplayPort inputs. It's relatively expensive for a monitor that lacks features such as USB connectivity and height adjustability, but if you're a music or movie aficionado, the Envy 27 is worth the extra cash.

Design and Features
The Envy 27 is a gorgeous-looking monitor. It uses a bezel-less design similar to that of its less expensive sibling, the HP Pavilion 27xi, that makes the 1,920-by-1,080 panel appear larger than its 27 inches. The glossy coating gives colors lots of pop but can be reflective when viewing a dark background. The matte black cabinet is only 1.4 inches thick and it is supported by a stand consisting of a silver metal base that is a little over 20 inches wide and 4.25 inches deep and a silver hinge attachment on the right. The hinge allows you to tilt the screen forward and backward but does not support height, swivel, or rotation adjustments.

Positioned along the bottom edge of the cabinet is a panel containing four 3-watt speakers (6 watts per channel). The bar is tilted slightly upward for maximum projection and the speakers are nice and loud. However, once you press the small red button on the bottom edge of the bar, the Beats Audio technology kicks in. The difference is amazing; high and mid tones are much more pronounced and there's more bass response than I expected. The audio quality rivals that of some 2.1 channel speaker systems and saves a good deal of desktop real estate as well.

In addition to the Beats Audio button there are five touch sensitive function buttons and an ambient light sensor positioned along the lower edge of the speaker bar. The OSD (on-screen display) menus are easy to navigate and include brightness, contrast, gamma, color temperature, sharpness, and dynamic contrast ratio settings. Management controls include audio settings, a sleep timer, and an ambient light sensor setting that adjusts screen brightness according to your current lighting conditions.

At the rear of the cabinet facing outward are VGA, HDMI, and DisplayPort inputs. There's also an audio input, a subwoofer jack, and an SPDIF port. A headphone jack is conveniently mounted on the right side of the cabinet for easy access. The Envy 27 comes with all necessary cables with the exception of an SPDIF cable. HP covers the monitor with a one year parts and labor warranty.

Performance
The Envy 27's IPS panel performed admirably, delivering rich colors and inky blacks. Red and blue color reproduction was very accurate but greens were slightly oversaturated, as shown on the CIE 1931 chromaticity chart below (the closer each dot is to its corresponding box, the better the color accuracy). The green saturation level had no effect on overall color quality and did not result in tinting or cause a green cast.

The panel did a good job of displaying most of the swatches from the DisplayMate 64-Step Grayscale test but struggled at the dark end; the two darkest shades of gray appeared black. Light grayscale performance was much better, though. Viewing angles were wide; there was no color shifting or loss of luminance when viewed from top, bottom, and side angles.

The 27-inch screen and Beats Audio combine to deliver an outstanding high definition movie experience. The movie 2012 on Blu-ray looked great; image detail was sharp and the picture was crystal clear. The enhanced audio was loud and distortion-free.

The Envy 27 used 30-watts of power during testing, which is exactly what the AOC i2757fh used. While not what you would consider a power hog it can't match the energy efficiency of the Dell S2740L (21 watts) and the HP 27xi (22 watts).

Conclusion
The HP Envy 27 27-inch IPS LED Backlit Monitor may cost a bit more than most 27-inch IPS monitors but it offers something that the others don't; a Beats Audio-powered speaker system that does away with the need for desktop speakers. The panel delivers a bright, highly detailed picture and the Envy 27's sleek lines are aesthetically pleasing. However, a few USB ports and a more flexible stand would be welcome. If powerful audio output is not a priority you can save around $170 with our Editors' Choice for mainstream big-screen monitors, the AOC i2757fh.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/oDc3qXTSXd4/0,2817,2419525,00.asp

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Builds of Paranoid Android and AOKP are up for Verizon?s Samsung Galaxy S4

verizon galaxy s4

As recent buyers of the Galaxy S4 on Verizon are receiving their devices, it?s about that time to start rooting and ROM?ing! If you are currently looking for the newest builds of the community?s most popular custom ROMs, you will be happy to learn that both Paranoid Android and AOKP have unofficial nightly and beta builds up for flashing.?

Both custom ROMs allow users to greatly customize the look of their device, as well the fact that they both get rid of Samsung?s TouchWiz interface. That might be reason enough to flash them. For a full list of features (the list would go on and on forever), check out the forum pages.

If your device is already unlocked and rooted, then follow the via links below to their respective forums to see links for download and flashing instructions.

Via: XDA (Paranoid Android) | RootzWiki (AOKP)

Cheers Brendon!

Source: http://www.droid-life.com/2013/05/28/builds-of-paranoid-android-and-aokp-are-up-for-verizons-samsung-galaxy-s4/

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Tim Cook: 13 million Apple TVs sold, half in the last year; 'grand vision' for TV

Speaking at AllThingsD's D11 conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook just dropped the latest sales figure for the Apple TV: 13 million (compare that to Roku's sales of 5 million in the US), with "about half" sold in the last year. Despite being prodded by interviewers Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, Cook repeated his "area of great interest" line (again) regarding TV, only mentioning that the company does have a "grand vision" in place. Surprised by the hockey puck's popularity? You're not the only one, as Cook followed up on Steve Jobs' proclamation that" no one wants to buy a box," claiming "Frankly, the popularity of the Apple TV has become much larger than we thought it would. We aren't marketing it."

Last year at the conference he reported sales of 2.7 million Apple TVs for the year, and the company noted 2 million sold in Q1 2013. He also followed his predecessor's stance that the current TV experience needs remodeling "When you look at the TV experience, it's not an experience that I think many people love...still an experience that is too much like 10 or 20 years ago." As usual however, despite the "interest," if you're looking for a hint that Apple is going to join the likes of Google and Microsoft in trying to shift the balance of the TV market, Cook -- like Jobs before him -- is keeping those details to himself.

Follow along with our D11 live blog right here.

Filed under: HD, Apple

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/28/13-million-apple-tv-d11/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Kofi to undergo surgery following a Ryback attack during SmackDown taping

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. ? 2013 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & ? 2013 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2013-05-31/kofi-injury-update

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GSK bets on chimp virus with $321 million vaccines buy

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline is betting on a new vaccine technology based on chimpanzee viruses by acquiring Swiss-based Okairos for 250 million euros ($321 million) - the latest bolt-on biotech buy by a big drugmaker.

Britain's largest pharmaceuticals group said on Wednesday that the privately owned company's know-how was expected to play an important role in GSK's development of vaccines to both prevent and treat diseases.

Okairos was spun out from Merck & Co in 2007 and has laboratories in Rome and Naples, with headquarters in Basel.

It specializes in making vaccines that target the immune system's CD8 T-cells - an approach that could yield preventative vaccines against several intractable infectious diseases, including hepatitis C, and also help fight cancer.

It does this by delivering genetic material using deactivated chimpanzee-derived adenoviruses that produce a very strong response against target diseases.

Adenoviruses, which cause the common cold, have long been studied as a useful delivery vehicle for genetic material - but they are so common that many people already have antibodies against them.

Chimp viruses, which are not so easily detected by the body's immune system, have an advantage since they can operate for longer and therefore elicit a powerful T-cell response.

The Okairos technology has already been tested in clinical studies involving more than 700 subjects, including mid-stage Phase II programs in hepatitis C and malaria.

A hepatitis C shot could be particularly promising commercially, since there is currently no vaccine and treating the condition with drugs has become a multibillion-dollar business.

Okairos also has early stage products for diseases such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), tuberculosis, ebola and HIV.

NEW GENERATION OF VACCINES

The real attraction lies less in individual products than in the company's technology platform, which GSK hopes to exploit within its own vaccine development programs.

As such, the deal represents a long-term investment in a promising new scientific area, rather than one that will yield immediate financial rewards.

Christophe Weber, GSK's head of vaccines, said the acquisition of Okairos was "expected to contribute to the development efforts for an exciting new generation of vaccines".

GSK's Chief Executive Andrew Witty said earlier this year he had a "very low appetite" for acquisitions but, like many rivals in the industry, his company is constantly looking for bolt-on transactions to boost its pharmaceuticals, vaccines and consumer healthcare operations.

Last November, for example, GSK agreed to spend $1 billion to raise the stakes it holds in Indian and Nigerian consumer healthcare subsidiaries.

Smaller British rival AstraZeneca has a more urgent need for acquisitions, given its thin pipeline of new medicines to replace those losing patent protection. It agreed on Tuesday to pay up to $443 million for Omthera Pharmaceuticals, a U.S.-based specialist in fish oil-derived medicine.

Okairos's venture capital investors include BioMedInvest, the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, LSP, Novartis Venture Funds and Versant Ventures.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gsk-boosts-vaccines-250-million-euros-okairos-acquisition-101645445.html

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HBT: Mets hand Rivera worst blown save of career

After 626 saves in 19 seasons, Mariano Rivera doesn?t have many firsts left. The Mets, however, tagged him with an unfortunate one Tuesday, collecting three straight hits off him in the ninth to overcome a 1-0 deficit and beat the Yankees 2-1.

It was the first time Rivera had ever taken a blown save or a loss in an appearance without recording an out. It was just the third time that he?s appeared in a game and failed to get an out.

The Mets were fortunate to have the right part of their order up against Rivera tonight. Daniel Murphy started the bottom of the ninth with a double the other way. David Wright then singled up the middle, plating Murphy and tying the game. When the throw home got away from catcher Chris Stewart, Wright moved up to second. He then raced around ahead of Ichiro Suzuki?s throw home on Lucas Duda?s game-winning single to right.

The only previous times Rivera had appeared and not gotten an out came on Sept. 26, 1995 and Aug. 10, 2008. In the first, he was making just his eighth career relief appearance. He allowed a single to the Brewers in the eighth inning and was immediately replaced by Rick Honeycutt. The latter appearance came in the ninth inning in a tie game against the Angels. Rivera entered with two on and gave up a game-winning single to the first batter he faced.

Rivera?s blown save and loss tonight were his first since April 6, 2012. The Yankees prevailed in his each of his previous 28 appearances, with Rivera picking up saves in 23 of those games.

The defeat tonight came after the Mets honored Rivera prior to the game and had him throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/28/mets-get-to-mariano-rivera-in-9th-beat-yankees-2-1/related/

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Job Opportunity: Ross Business Management | Vassar Venturers

Ross Business Management

The following is a job opportunity from Kate Ross , principal of Ross Business Management.

Project Manager
http://www.indeed.com/job/project-manager-2ec04c8be143ffd8

Ross Business Management ? Washington, DC

Small, fast-growing DC business management firm is seeking a resourceful project manager with administrative, bookkeeping, and human resources expertise to handle various responsibilities for the firm and its clients. This firm specializes in business and financial management for artists, musicians, restaurateurs, DJs, chefs, consultants and professional service firms.

Candidate must be a detail-oriented problem solver who can work effectively with minimal direction and thrive in a high-stress environment. Must be organized, willing to take initiative, and have the capacity to manage multiple projects for multiple clients. Duties will include administrative tasks, bookkeeping, managing human resources, and supervising at least one employee.

There will be opportunity to grow within the company. The project manager will be given the chance to learn new skills, take on new responsibilities, and earn pay increases as he or she takes on more responsibility.

This is a busy, open-area office. Employees are faced with constant interruptions and must meet with others on a regular basis. The culture is professional and hard working, but also fun and friendly. The Principal brings her dog to work every day, so candidate must be ok with dogs. Office is located one block from the Petworth/Georgia Ave. metro station, green and yellow line. Must be available during core office hours of 9:30AM to 5:30PM.

Education and Experience Qualifications Required:

Bachelor?s degree or equivalent experience required. Recent college graduates with internship experience will be considered. Applicants with at least two years of experience in office management, employee management, accounting, human resources and/or operations are preferred.

Job responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Assisting Principal with meeting the unique needs of each of our clients, ensuring that each need is handled quickly and accurately
Managing special projects for our clients from start to finish, such as researching and presenting options, planning and arranging events, and generally taking on projects that will help our clients achieve their goals
Be a point of contact for particular clients
Assisting Associate Principal with bookkeeping tasks, including accounts payable, bank reconciliations, invoicing, payroll, taxes, and reporting
Supervising human resources, including collecting new hire forms, maintaining employee records, ensuring proper expense reimbursement, and supervising retirement plan contributions and healthcare coverage
Supervising Office Manager, including delegating tasks and ensuring task completion

Skills and Competencies Required:

Strong administrative and analytical skills
Must be computer literate, with a mastery of Excel, QuickBooks, Gmail, and web-based applications. (We use Apple computers.)
Able to prioritize and plan work activities, use time efficiently, and develop realistic action plans
Be proficient in handling complex assignments
Must be able to write and communicate professionally
Possess ability to work independently, as well as part of a team
Must be self-driven and resourceful with minimal supervision
Able to adapt to changes in the work environment, manage competing demands, and deal with frequent changes, delays and unexpected events
Maintain confidentiality
Salary between $33k-$40k/year, commensurate with experience.

Please include a cover letter in the body of the e-mail and attach your resume.

Indeed job description:?http://www.indeed.com/job/project-manager-2ec04c8be143ffd8

Edit: The job posting is no longer available on Indeed. ?However, you can use Indeed to find similar job postings.

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Source: http://vassarventurers.com/2013/05/28/job-opportunity-ross-business-management/

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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Here's Your Chance to Become One of the First Asteroid Prospectors

It was just over a year ago, back in April 2012, that we first learned the intentions of a company known as Planetary Resources: Asteroid mining. As in going into space, finding an asteroid that's not-too-far from Earth, and mining it for precious minerals and/or water which could be used as space-fuel for other missions. In a word: Ambitious.

A couple months later, we learned that Planetary Resources was considering letting your average Joe in on the action by using the crowd-funding site Kickstarter. A little odd for a company whose investors include Google's Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, James Cameron, and Ross Perot Jr, but part of the idea seemed to get people really interested (and, literally, invested) in space exploration, and rumored backer rewards included things being able to take photos with one of the exploratory satellites All has been quiet since last June, but we just got a hot tip that it's now officially official, and the Kickstarter Project has just gone live.

See, in order to mine asteroids, Planetary Resources are going to deploy several different types of spacecraft. The first step is the Arkyd 100, a small, relatively inexpensive satellite with a telescope that will be put into Earth's orbit. These satellite telescopes are what they will use to identify the best potential asteroids. This Kickstarter is doing something unique, though: they are putting the controls of one of Arkyd 100s into your hands.

The lower-end rewards include a space "selfie." For $25 a picture of your choosing will display on the Arkyd's screen, and it will take a picture of itself with the Earth in the background. That doesn't give you any actual control over the Arkyd, but for 25 bucks, that's still pretty damn cool. As you get into higher pledges, you get to stuff like the ability to use the Arkyd to take a picture of anything you want, in space or on Earth. For more money, you can keep track of that spot, or take a series of photos. You can also donate your time to science, or to schools. Planetary Resources is going to make extra time available for educational endeavors.

The Kickstarter attempting to raise $1,000,000 in 32 days, which is obviously a lot, but hell, we've seen video games reach for (and achieve) $2M goals before. What's interesting is that for that relatively small amount, it seems that Planetary Resources isn't looking to fund its loftier goals (asteroid mining), it seems more that they are trying to cover the costs of giving an open space satellite to the world, which is something we've never seen before. At a time when NASA budgets are getting slashed like crazy, we're dying to get people more interested in science and space exploration. By democratizing a part of it, that might just be the spark needed to fuel the imagination of a new generation of scientists. At least we hope so. How many more stockbrokers do we need? [Planetary Resources / Kickstarter]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/heres-your-chance-to-become-one-of-the-first-asteroid-510285942

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NASA's HS3 mission may target Cape Verde Island hurricanes in 2013

Public release date: 29-May-2013
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Contact: Rob Gutro
Robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov
301-286-4044
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

The Cape Verde Islands off the coast of western Africa are well-known to hurricane scientists because that's a region where a number of tropical cyclones form during the Atlantic hurricane season. NASA's multi-year Hurricane and Severe Storms Sentinel, or HS3, mission may explore tropical cyclones of Cape Verde origins when it takes to the skies again this August.

HS3 returns this summer after several successful flights in 2012 by one of NASA's unmanned Global Hawk aircraft gathered data from hurricanes Leslie and Nadine. This year NASA will be sending two Global Hawks above stormy skies to help researchers and forecasters uncover information about hurricane formation and intensity changes. HS3 will use the two aircraft carrying an array of instruments this summer, flying from a base of operations at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Va.

The tropical cyclones HS3 will explore may include Cape Verde storms, like Hurricane Nadine in 2012. For more information about how the HS3 mission explored Nadine during the 2012 mission, visit NASA's Hurricane Nadine web page.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Cape Verde-type hurricanes are those Atlantic basin tropical cyclones that develop into tropical storms fairly close (600 miles, or less than 1,000 km) to the Cape Verde Islands and then become hurricanes before reaching the Caribbean. This type of storm typically occurs in August and September, but in rare years there may be some in late July or early October. The number of this type of storm ranges from none up to five per year - with an average of around two.

NASA conducted a Cape Verde hurricane research campaign in 2006. The two-month research project known as NAMMA-06 (short for NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Activities) flew NASA's DC-8 aircraft into small disturbances in the eastern Atlantic that had the potential to become Cape Verde hurricanes. NAMMA was NASA's contribution to the European- and African-led African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Activities (AMMA) experiment carried out in and near West Africa in 2006.

The HS3 campaign constitutes a significant advance over the earlier NAMMA, given the ability of the Global Hawk aircraft to loiter over the Cape Verde/East Atlantic region for much longer periods of time than the DC-8 could.

"The DC-8 data in NAMMA were very limited and we had to rely more on satellite data and NOAA G-IV data," said Scott Braun, HS3 principal investigator and research meteorologist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "With the HS3 mission, we hope to obtain a more complete data set that can better answer some of the questions raised in that study."

The Atlantic hurricane season runs primarily from June 1 through Nov. 30, peaking in mid-September.

The HS3 mission is supported by several NASA centers including Wallops; Goddard; Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif.; Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.; Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.; and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. HS3 also has collaborations with partners from government agencies and academia.

###

HS3 is an Earth Venture mission funded by NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Earth Venture missions are managed by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program at the agency's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. The HS3 mission is managed by the Earth Science Project Office at Ames.

For the NASA HS3 page: http://www.nasa.gov/HS3

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

NASA's HS3 mission may target Cape Verde Island hurricanes in 2013 Public release date: 29-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Rob Gutro
Robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov
301-286-4044
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

The Cape Verde Islands off the coast of western Africa are well-known to hurricane scientists because that's a region where a number of tropical cyclones form during the Atlantic hurricane season. NASA's multi-year Hurricane and Severe Storms Sentinel, or HS3, mission may explore tropical cyclones of Cape Verde origins when it takes to the skies again this August.

HS3 returns this summer after several successful flights in 2012 by one of NASA's unmanned Global Hawk aircraft gathered data from hurricanes Leslie and Nadine. This year NASA will be sending two Global Hawks above stormy skies to help researchers and forecasters uncover information about hurricane formation and intensity changes. HS3 will use the two aircraft carrying an array of instruments this summer, flying from a base of operations at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Va.

The tropical cyclones HS3 will explore may include Cape Verde storms, like Hurricane Nadine in 2012. For more information about how the HS3 mission explored Nadine during the 2012 mission, visit NASA's Hurricane Nadine web page.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Cape Verde-type hurricanes are those Atlantic basin tropical cyclones that develop into tropical storms fairly close (600 miles, or less than 1,000 km) to the Cape Verde Islands and then become hurricanes before reaching the Caribbean. This type of storm typically occurs in August and September, but in rare years there may be some in late July or early October. The number of this type of storm ranges from none up to five per year - with an average of around two.

NASA conducted a Cape Verde hurricane research campaign in 2006. The two-month research project known as NAMMA-06 (short for NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Activities) flew NASA's DC-8 aircraft into small disturbances in the eastern Atlantic that had the potential to become Cape Verde hurricanes. NAMMA was NASA's contribution to the European- and African-led African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Activities (AMMA) experiment carried out in and near West Africa in 2006.

The HS3 campaign constitutes a significant advance over the earlier NAMMA, given the ability of the Global Hawk aircraft to loiter over the Cape Verde/East Atlantic region for much longer periods of time than the DC-8 could.

"The DC-8 data in NAMMA were very limited and we had to rely more on satellite data and NOAA G-IV data," said Scott Braun, HS3 principal investigator and research meteorologist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "With the HS3 mission, we hope to obtain a more complete data set that can better answer some of the questions raised in that study."

The Atlantic hurricane season runs primarily from June 1 through Nov. 30, peaking in mid-September.

The HS3 mission is supported by several NASA centers including Wallops; Goddard; Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif.; Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.; Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.; and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. HS3 also has collaborations with partners from government agencies and academia.

###

HS3 is an Earth Venture mission funded by NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Earth Venture missions are managed by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program at the agency's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. The HS3 mission is managed by the Earth Science Project Office at Ames.

For the NASA HS3 page: http://www.nasa.gov/HS3

[ | E-mail | Share ]
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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/nsfc-nhm052913.php
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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Angelina Jolie's aunt dies of breast cancer, two weeks after star ...

Angelina Jolie made headlines earlier this month when she penned an article in The?

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Angelina Jolie made headlines earlier this month when she penned an article in The New York Times which explained her decision to have a double mastectomy as a preventative measure due to a family history of breast cancer and the fact that a test showed she has the BRCA1 gene mutation, which put her at a higher risk for the disease.

Now, Jolie?s aunt has died of breast cancer.

Debbie Martin, 61, died in a San Diego, California-area hospital on Sunday, according to reports Monday morning.

Martin was the sister of Jolie?s mother, who died from ovarian cancer in 2007.

?Angelina has been in touch throughout the week and her brother Jamie has been with us, giving his support day by day,? Martin?s husband, Ron, told E!. ?They both loved Debbie very much and although Angie is not able to come right now she has sent her love and support which was very nice.?

Source: http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/05/27/angelina-jolies-aunt-dies-of-breast-cancer-two-weeks-after-the-star-writes-about-double-mastectomy/

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