SpaceX has unveiled a re-useable spacecraft which it says will be able to
take-off and land anywhere on Earth, "like a helicopter".
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014
Our Planet is on the verge of the 'Sixth Extinction'
Species of plants and animals are becoming extinct at least 1,000 times faster than they did before humans arrived on the scene, and the world is on the brink of a sixth great extinction, a new study says.
The study looks at past and present rates of extinction and finds a lower rate in the past than scientists had thought.
Species are now disappearing from Earth about 10 times faster than biologists had believed, said study lead author noted biologist Stuart Pimm of Duke University.
HOW THEY DID IT
The study focused on the rate, not the number, of species disappearing from Earth.
It calculated a 'death rate' of how many species become extinct each year out of 1 million species.
In 1995, Pimm found that the pre-human rate of extinctions on Earth was about 1.
But taking into account new research, Pimm and his colleagues refined that background rate to about 0.1.
Now, that death rate is about 100 to 1,000, Pimm said.
'We are on the verge of the sixth extinction,' Pimm said from research at the Dry Tortugas.
'Whether we avoid it or not will depend on our actions.'
The work, published Thursday by the journal Science, was hailed as a landmark study by outside experts. Pimm's study focused on the rate, not the number, of species disappearing from Earth. It calculated a 'death rate' of how many species become extinct each year out of 1 million species.
In 1995, Pimm found that the pre-human rate of extinctions on Earth was about 1.
But taking into account new research, Pimm and his colleagues refined that background rate to about 0.1. Now, that death rate is about 100 to 1,000, Pimm said.
Numerous factors are combining to make species disappear much faster than before, said Pimm and co-author Clinton Jenkins of the Institute of Ecological Research in Brazil. But the No. 1 issue is habitat loss. Species are finding no place to live as more places are built up and altered by humans.
Add to that invasive species crowding out native species, climate change affecting where species can survive, and overfishing, Pimm said.
A map of the distribution of threatened bird species in the Americas, showing their concentration in the coastal forests of Brazil and in the northern Andes. Red means more species.
The oceanic white-tip shark used to be one of the most abundant predators on Earth and they have been hunted so much they are now rarely seen, said Dalhousie University marine biologist Boris Worm, who wasn't part of the study but praised it.
THE FIVE GREAT EXTINCTION EVENTS
Five times, a vast majority of the world's life has been snuffed out in what have been called mass extinctions, often associated with giant meteor strikes.
End-Ordovician mass extinction
The first of the traditional big five extinction events, around 440 million years ago, was probably the second most severe. Virtually all life was in the sea at the time and around 85% of these species vanished.
Late Devonian mass extinction
About 375-359 million years ago, major environmental changes caused a drawn-out extinction event that wiped out major fish groups and stopped new coral reefs forming for 100 million years.
End-Permian mass extinction (the Great Dying)
The largest extinction event and the one that affected the Earth’s ecology most profoundly took place 252 million years ago. As much as 97% of species that leave a fossil record disappeared forever.
End-Triassic mass extinction
Dinosaurs first appeared in the Early Triassic, but large amphibians and mammal-like reptiles were the dominant land animals. The rapid mass extinction that occurred 201 million years ago changed that.
End-Cretaceous mass extinction
An asteroid slammed down on Earth 66 million years ago, and is often blamed for ending the reign of the dinosaurs.
A Brazilian Buff-tufted-ear marmoset which is listed as a vulnerable species because of habitat loss.
Once biologists know where endangered species are they can try to save habitats and use captive breeding and other techniques to save the species, they said. One success story is the golden lion tamarin.
'Now there are more tamarins than there are places to put them,' he said.
Many thanks to my NASA Junior Scientists....Chris and Jonny
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Ask Maxy
My 95-year-old father,"Fred" lives on his own, far away from his three children . Until now, Dad has been in good health, even still driving . My siblings and I have been trying to convince Dad to move near to one of us so we can care for him, but he refuses .
Dad has a girlfriend name "Gina," whom he met right after Mom died seven years ago . Gina is 20 years younger than Dad. At first it was companionship that kept them together but recently Gina is more of a caregiver . Dad is increasingly dependent on this woman and seems unable to make a decision without consulting her first .
We see Dad's health deteriorating, both mentally and physically and don't think he is getting the basic care he needs. How do we get him to give up Gina and come live with one of us ? Are we doing the right thing to even ask it of him ? We worry we aren't doing our best for our father . What do you think ?
Confused Daughter
Dear Confused,
I think you are caring children who want what's best for your father, but it can be traumatizing and frightening to move to a new city, especially at the age of 95 . Dad has been with Gina for seven years and is undoubtedly quite attached to her . She is trying to care for him, but this is a big job.
Making these decisions and knowing when Dad is no longer capable of doing so on his may require professional assistance . I suggest you pay an in-person visit to Dad as soon as possible and assess the situation . Does he need a housekeeper ? A full-time caregiver ? If he cannot afford in-home services, could you move him to a continuing care facility near Gina ? Are there day-care facilities nearby ? Would Dad visit you for an extended stay, perhaps becoming familiar with your neighborhood and less resistant to relocating ? Contact the Eldercare Locator ( eldercare.gov) at 1-800-677-1116 or a private geriatric care manager ( caremanager.org ) to help you figure out the best plan.
Maxy
Dear Maxy,
Over the years , I have always been the poor one in our family . My siblings have made a lot more money than me, and they have supported me in all kinds of ways . Of course, I appreciate their generosity, but I want to pull my own weight too. The other day I had lunch with my brother at a local restaurant and the meal was quite affordable, so when the check came, I immediately reached to pay for it . My brother shrugged me off and paid the tab . I tried to tell him that I wanted to take care of it, but he wouldn't listen . Should I leave well enough alone or follow up and let him know that I am making an effort to contribute more now that I am earning a little more .
Not totally Broke
Dear Not Totally Broke,
There is no need to go to your siblings to complain about not being allowed to foot the tab for a meal . They have become accustomed to paying for your tab and expect that they will handle it . Since you are not in a position to pay regularly for whatever may come up, don't protest this . Instead, do little things that show your appreciation to your family members . You can write them notes expressing your gratitude . You can send or give them small, personal gifts (perhaps flowers) to show you care . And next time you go to an affordable restaurant, you can announce in advance that you will be picking up the check .
Maxy
Dear Maxy,
It is the end of the school year and it is customary to give gifts to the teachers . I have gotten emails from other parents asking for money for a group gift .While I know this is what people do, I feel uncomfortable about being forced to participate . Is it wrong for me to buck the group plan and give on my own ? I understand that we have a limit on the amount of money that each family gives but what if I decide to give a small amount or even if my child gives something she makes rather than money ? How can I present this to the class parents so that my child doesn't end up being the outcast ?
Against the Shakedown
Dear Against the Shakedown,
Each school has a particular culture. You should be crystal clear about yours before you make a decision . Check school policy . It may be that classes typically give as a unit . If so, you can tell the class parents that rather than giving cash, you choose to give a different type of gift.
That said, you may want to give a small monetary gift just so that you can be at least peripherally part of the class culture .
Remember that children want and need to feel part of their class.
Maxy
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Pregnant Woman Stoned to Death in Pakistan by Family....Honor Killing
Mohammad Iqbal sits in an ambulance Tuesday with the body of his wife, stoning victim Farzana Parveen, 25.
The woman was killed while on her way to court to contest an abduction case her family had filed against her husband. Her father was promptly arrested on murder charges, police investigator Rana Mujahid said, adding that police were working to apprehend all those who participated in this "heinous crime."
Arranged marriages are the norm among conservative Pakistanis, and hundreds of women are murdered every year in so-called honor killings carried out by husbands or relatives as a punishment for alleged adultery or other illicit sexual behavior.
Stonings in public settings, however, are extremely rare. Tuesday's attack took place in front of a crowd of onlookers in broad daylight. The courthouse is located on a main downtown thoroughfare.
A police officer, Naseem Butt, identified the slain woman as Farzana Parveen, 25, and said she had married Mohammad Iqbal, 45, against her family's wishes after being engaged to him for years.
Her father, Mohammad Azeem, had filed an abduction case against Iqbal, which the couple was contesting, said her lawyer, Mustafa Kharal. He said she was three months pregnant.
Nearly 20 members of Parveen's extended family, including her father and brothers, had waited outside the building that houses the high court of Lahore. As the couple walked up to the main gate, the relatives fired shots in the air and tried to snatch her from Iqbal, her lawyer said.
When she resisted, her father, brothers and other relatives started beating her, eventually pelting her with bricks from a nearby construction site, according to Mujahid and Iqbal, the slain woman's husband.
Iqbal said he started seeing Parveen after the death of his first wife, with whom he had five children.
"We were in love," he told The Associated Press. He alleged that the woman's family wanted to fleece money from him before marrying her off.
"I simply took her to court and registered a marriage," infuriating the family, he said.
Parveen's father surrendered after the attack and called his daughter's murder an "honor killing," Butt said.
"I killed my daughter as she had insulted all of our family by marrying a man without our consent, and I have no regret over it," Mujahid, the police investigator, quoted the father as saying.
Mujahid said the woman's body was handed over to her husband for burial.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, a private group, said in a report last month that some 869 women were murdered in honor killings in 2013.
But even Pakistanis who have tracked violence against women expressed shock at the brutal and public nature of Tuesday's slaying.
"I have not heard of any such case in which a woman was stoned to death, and the most shameful and worrying thing is that this woman was killed outside a courthouse," said Zia Awan, a prominent lawyer and human rights activist.
He said Pakistanis who commit violence against women are often acquitted or handed light sentences because of poor police work and faulty prosecutions.
"Either the family does not pursue such cases or police don't properly investigate. As a result, the courts either award light sentences to the attackers, or they are acquitted," he said.
US Foreign Policy...Has it Become Weak and Ineffective ?
President Obama is proud of ending America's foreign
wars, but there is a growing chorus of criticism of his foreign policy
Under the blazing South Carolina sun on Parris Island,
young men and women march in smart formation to the
drums of a military band. These are the Marine Corps' newest graduates, the freshest faces in the most
powerful fighting force the world has ever known, the United States military.
A disembodied voice from a loudspeaker reminds them they are heirs to past
battles in far-flung places.
Maybe Iraq and Afghanistan are of too recent memory to qualify as past battles. Certainly, their sad reminders are ever present in grieving families and wounded heroes.
White House officials say that the time is now right
for the president to explain how he will project a US that is interventionist
and internationalist
Some argue that that the best way of preventing
conflict in the world is retaining American power in the world
The most senior Republican on the Senate Foreign affairs committee, Bob Corker, says there are "questions about the United States presence in the world that haven't been there in the past. And I think that creates a vacuum and other powers may step into that vacuum." ( he might have been referring to Russia's recent aggressiveness )
"I am very concerned about the lack of a clear-sighted foreign policy in our country. I will go a little further and say the administration is doing everything they can to skate until 17 January (when the president leaves office) to ensure that nothing, nothing happens on their watch. In essence, sweeping big issues under the rug."
He says that on recent trips abroad - to the Far East and the Middle East, he found the same story - allies who no longer fully trusted the US.
US Marines have served in conflicts in all parts the
world
"It looks like Assad is cruising to another five years in office," Mr Corker said,
"We validated him by those steps. We could have affected the balance on the ground and we chose not to do that, and I think that was a significant misstep - and what that did was send signals around the world that we really aren't a force to be counted on." Mr Corker says that has had serious consequences.
Quote
"It's that lack of credibility that has send a sense of permissiveness around the world so when you see"We don't want conflict but the best way of preventing conflict in the world is retaining American power in the world” (End Quote Professor Nick Burns Harvard professor of international relations)
Mr Corker says that he is no warmonger, but sometimes there must be the threat of force to prevent war.
"What I fear is that this president's actions, or lack of actions, on foreign policy actually are creating a very unstable world."
President Obama seems stung by this growing chorus of criticism - he has chosen the graduation ceremony at the prestigious West Point military academy to set out his foreign policy priorities for his remaining time in the White House.
Officials say, rather defensively, that after a year of responding to big events this is the right time for this speech - and he will set out how to engage with the world without over-reaching - how to project a US that is interventionist and internationalist not isolationist or unilateral.
The president too, may sometimes seem frozen, but is perhaps just very aware of the dire consequence of missteps. But even those who admire much of what he has done think that this big policy speech is necessary.
One of them is Professor Nick Burns, a former member of the National Security Council with responsibility for Russia under presidents Clinton and Bush senior, then ambassador to Nato and now professor of international relations at Harvard.
Prof Burns says that after a "fairly impressive first term" President Obama has "hit a number of roadblocks". He talks of the problems in Syria, the Pacific and Ukraine.
"These three incidents have created the impression the United States is not as assertive as it used to be, and probably ought to be."
He thinks the president should use the West Point speech to "plant a flag in the sand" - promise tougher sanctions against Russia, restore spending on defence and diplomacy and call a special Nato summit to reassure members in the East, and send the same signal to allies in the Pacific.
"At a time when Russia and China are clearly being more assertive we need to show our own power," Prof Burns said.
"We don't want conflict but the best way of preventing conflict in the world is retaining American power in the world, which Russia and China will respect if it is visible and led purposefully."
He feels the president is not sending a clear message to other world powers.
In the next 10 days the White House promises a new push to clarify what the president wants to do in the world - and articulating his complex, subtle vision may be difficult. But what is even harder is acting decisively, without resorting to military might and being a defining force in the world without hectoring or bullying.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Thieves Hacking Giant Redwoods for Drug Money
Some of the tallest trees in the world are under threat from poachers who
have found an unlikely target. Huge knots of wood, or burls, which grow out of ancient redwood trees in
northern California can be amputated from the tree, polished, then sold for
thousands of dollars as table-tops and ornaments.
Parts of the Redwood National and State Park have been closed off after a
400-year-old tree was cut down and as more and bigger burls are being taken near
former logging towns where the economy has collapsed. Some of the redwoods in the park are close to 2,000 years old, and are some of the tallest trees on earth, reaching up to 379 feet into the sky. These coastal redwoods occupy a thin strip of land 470 miles in length along the Pacific coast of North America, from the extreme southwestern part of Oregon, reaching down to a southern grove of redwoods in Monterey, California.
One law enforcement Ranger, Laura Denny said on Tuesday that poachers have been coming into the forest at night with their chainsaws and ATV's with increasing frequency lately. "When I interview suspects, that is the (reason) they say: their addiction to drugs and they can't find jobs," she said.
Poachers, mainly drug addicts and people with criminal records, have been sneaking into the park at night and hauling off burls, (knotted pieces of wood that protrude from the trunks), and chunks they have chopped off of the massive trees. These poachers are using the money earned from the sale of the redwood pieces as an alternative way to support their habits.
The illegally poached redwood can sell for as much as $2 to $3 a pound, says Lorin Sandburg from Oregon. Sandburg is a licensed dealer in redwood who occasionally goes to Northern California to buy redwood burls, but all the trees with really good burls are now on protected public lands.
Finished redwood dining-room tables can go for as much as $1,300 on E-Bay. "I don't buy them unless they have proof of where they got it," Sandburg said. " If there are no papers, it can stay in their yard."
Burl poachers are very difficult to catch, and while charges can be a felony, resulting in prison time, most convictions usually end up as misdemeanors with only a fine. Law enforcement rangers have been following up on the theft of a massive burl from a redwood near the mouth of the Klamath River. The removal of the burl left an open wound measuring 8 feet by 10 feet.
Only about five percent of the old growth since the time of western settlement are still standing today. Logging had decimated almost 90 percent of the original redwood forests by 1960, and it wasn't until after a lot of controversy and even more compromise with timber companies that Congress authorized the establishment of the Redwood National Park in 1968.
It is an awe-inspiring experience to gaze upon the giant redwoods, and even more amazing to touch one of these ancient trees. They truly are a treasure, belonging to everyone, a living species from the past.
Redwood Lumber Industry Film - Circa 1947
Google is to start building its own self-driving cars
Google is to start building its own
self-driving cars, rather than modifying vehicles built by other manufacturers.
The car will have a stop-go button but no controls, steering wheel or
pedals. Pictures of the Google vehicle show it looks like a city car with a
"friendly" face, designed to make it seem non-threatening and help people accept
self-driving technology.
Co-founder Sergey Brin revealed the plans at a conference in California.
"We're really excited about this vehicle - it's something that will allow us
to really push the capabilities of self driving technology, and understand the
limitations," said Chris Urmson, director of the company's self-driving project.
He added that the cars had the ability to "improve people's lives by transforming mobility".
But some researchers working in this field are investigating potential downsides to driverless car technology. They believe they could make traffic and urban sprawl worse, as people accept longer commutes because they do not have to drive themselves.
Early renderings of the car makes it look almost cartoon-like, it has no traditional hood at the front, and the wheels are pushed to the corners.
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Google says it will initially build 100 prototype
vehicles. It will seat two people, propulsion will be electric, and at the start it
will be limited to 25mph (40km/h) to help ensure safety.
The most significant thing about the design is that it does not have any
controls, apart from a stop/go button. For early testing, extra controls will be fitted so one of Google's test
drivers can take over if there is a problem. The controls will simply plug in, and Mr Urmson believes that over time, as
confidence in the technology grows, they will be removed entirely.The front end of the vehicle is designed to be safer for pedestrians, with a soft foam-like material where a traditional bumper would be, and a more flexible windscreen, which may help reduce injuries. The vehicle will use a combination of laser and radar sensors along with camera data to drive autonomously. It will depend on Google's road maps, built specifically for the program, and tested on the company's current fleet of vehicles.
Google says it expects its self-drive cars to be on
the road 'within a year'
"We'll see these vehicles on the road within the year," says Mr Urmson.
Advocates claim that autonomous cars have the potential to revolutionize transportation, by making roads safer, eliminating crashes, and decreasing congestion and pollution.
The view from Google's self-drive car and its
computer during tests
"I think it has the potential to be the most important safety technology that the auto industry has ever seen," he said.
But Sven Beiler, executive director of the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford cautions that driverless cars may still require human input in extreme circumstances and that people may forget how to operate their vehicles if they do not do it regularly. This could be particularly dangerous in an emergency situation where the computer does not know how to react, and asks for input from a human who may not have been paying attention, he warned.
"You will not be able to fiddle around looking for the instruction manual in the glove compartment that you've never looked at before," he said. He equates it to people who drive automatics forgetting how to drive a car with a manual gearbox.
But this is what the future hold. We will rely more and more on technology to transport us, work for us and generally serve us in every way. Is it a good thing? The jury's still out.
Why Whale Poo is Good for the Ocean ...and Us
We thought whales were our competitors, feeding off the same fish we rely on. But now we know how much they benefit our lives, in an unusual manner.
Oceans envelop three-quarters of our planet's surface. The survival of three billion people depends on their incredible bounty. Only now are we discovering how the ocean's largest inhabitants are helping to enhance this.
Just like on land, most of life in the ocean ultimately runs off plants and photosynthesis. In the ocean, the plants that live there are microscopic, called phytoplankton. The whole ocean ecosystem is driven by these plants which grow on the surface -- and as phytoplankton produce half of the oxygen that we breathe, we rely on them too.
When phytoplankton use up all the nutrients in the water, this vital growth goes into decline. But nature provides an unexpected lifeline, in the form of whale excrement. Whales excrete near the surface, releasing huge amounts of nutrients. It's the perfect place to put fertilizer to grow phytoplankton, at the level where there is the most amount of sun and oxygen.
In this film, wildlife cameraman Doug Allan, Dr M Sanjayan and Stephanie Wear at The Nature Conservancy, and Dr Joe Roman, conservation biologist at Duke University, describe how this is changing our view of whales. We thought that they were our competitors but now we know they are our allies by recycling nutrients, helping sustain our ocean's precious plant life.
Just like on land, most of life in the ocean ultimately runs off plants and photosynthesis. In the ocean, the plants that live there are microscopic, called phytoplankton. The whole ocean ecosystem is driven by these plants which grow on the surface -- and as phytoplankton produce half of the oxygen that we breathe, we rely on them too.
When phytoplankton use up all the nutrients in the water, this vital growth goes into decline. But nature provides an unexpected lifeline, in the form of whale excrement. Whales excrete near the surface, releasing huge amounts of nutrients. It's the perfect place to put fertilizer to grow phytoplankton, at the level where there is the most amount of sun and oxygen.
In this film, wildlife cameraman Doug Allan, Dr M Sanjayan and Stephanie Wear at The Nature Conservancy, and Dr Joe Roman, conservation biologist at Duke University, describe how this is changing our view of whales. We thought that they were our competitors but now we know they are our allies by recycling nutrients, helping sustain our ocean's precious plant life.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Pope to meet abuse victims at the Vatican
Pope Francis spoke to reporters on his way back from the Middle East
Pope Francis has announced he will
meet a group of sex abuse victims next month after comparing the "ugly crime" to
performing "a satanic Mass". Speaking after his Middle East tour, Pope Francis said he will show zero
tolerance for anyone in the Roman Catholic Church who abuses children.
"Sexual abuse is such an ugly crime ... because a priest who does this
betrays the body of the Lord," he said.The Pope, 77, spoke to reporters for nearly an hour on his flight to Rome. Many Catholics will be glad to hear Pope Francis taking a tough stance. But it remains unclear if the Pope's zero tolerance policy will extend to bishops who are accused of turning a blind eye to abuse by priests in their dioceses.
The Pope was feted by both the Israelis and the
Palestinians on his visit to the Middle East
Pope Francis said he would meet eight victims and Cardinal Sean Patrick
O'Malley, who is head of a commission set up by the Vatican to investigate sex
crimes committed by priests and to care for victims. Cardinal O'Malley said last month he will recommend that negligent clerics be
held accountable regardless of their rank in the Church - a move that victims'
groups have pressed the Vatican on.
On the plane back to Rome, Pope Francis said that
the sexual abuse of children by priests was as bad as performing a satanic Mass.
Scandals involving priests abusing children sexually and in other ways have
caused enormous damage to Catholicism. Secular people might say that pedophilia is actually much worse than a
satanic rite. But for a pope to compare crimes carried out by Catholic priests
to worshipping the devil counts as strong language.
The Pope is saying what many Catholics who have been horrified by
repeated child sex abuse scandals want to hear. But he will have to follow his
words with actions if he wants to stop scandals doing any more damage to the
church. For his pledge of zero tolerance to mean anything he will, eventually,
have to punish the guilty men - and those higher in the Catholic hierarchy who
covered up what they did.The Pope is under pressure to act after the UN recently published a report accusing the Vatican of systematically placing the "preservation of the reputation of the Church over the protection of child victims."
Earlier on Monday, the Pope called for an end to religious intolerance during a mass in Jerusalem at the room where Christians believe Jesus held the Last Supper.
Earlier on Monday, the Pope visited the Western Wall
in Jerusalem and met Holocaust survivors
He visited the most important holy sites for Muslims and Jews in Jerusalem's
Old City on the final day of his Middle East tour.
The pontiff has been feted by Israel and the
Palestinians, and has invited their presidents to the Vatican. Both Israel's Shimon Peres and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas have given a
positive response. But Pope Francis sought to play down the importance of his invitation, saying
he was not qualified to be a mediator and that proper negotiations were
necessary for a peace deal.
"We are coming just to pray, then everyone goes home," he said. "But I think
prayer is important....
praying together."
praying together."
Catholic Church abuse scandals
- Germany - A priest, named only as Andreas L, admitted in 2012 to 280 counts of sexual abuse involving three boys over a decade
- United States - Revelations about abuses in the 1990s by two Boston priests, Paul Shanley and John Geoghan, caused public outrage
- Belgium - The bishop of Bruges resigned in April 2010 after admitting that he had sexually abused a boy for years
- Italy - The Catholic Church in Italy admitted in 2010 that about 100 cases of paedophile priests had been reported over 10 years
- Ireland - A report in 2009 found that sexual and psychological abuse was "endemic" in Catholic-run industrial schools for most of the 20th century
We Are Made of Stardust
Huff Post Science:
NASA astronomer Dr. Michelle Thaller explains how the basic elements in our blood and bones connect us to one of the most violent acts in the universe—a supernova explosion—and what the universe might look like when all the stars die out.
Every single cell in our bodies contains elements created in the burning center of a collapsing star -- from the iron in our blood to every bit of calcium in our bones and keratin in our hair. That's because in the very early days of the universe that followed the Big Bang, only the simplest elements existed, like hydrogen.
"The only thing in the universe that can make a bigger atom is a star," Thaller says. "The entire periodic table, every element you've ever heard of, was processed inside the body of a star. And that star then unraveled or exploded, and here we are." Watch the video above to learn more.As celebrated astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson said, (echoing Carl Sagan): if you feel insignificant given the immensity of the cosmos, you're not looking at it in the right way.
" We are not just figuratively, but literally made of stardust".
And that is no small thing.
Many thanks to my Junior NASA Scientists, Jonny and Chris
New Crater Impact Site On Mars
Borrowed from space.com
http://www.space.com/25980-huge-mars-crater-photos.htmlAn eagle-eyed NASA spacecraft has spotted a fresh crater on Mars large enough to cover half of a football field, and it's no puny Martian pockmark. In fact, the crater is the largest new impact site ever seen on the Red Planet using orbiter photos.
NASA's powerful Mars Reconaissance Orbiter captured the photo of the new Martian crater after it suddenly appeared in March 2012. Mission scientists say it is the biggest fresh impact crater scientists have confirmed on any planet by using before-and-after images.
The crater likely was carved by a car-size asteroid in an impact event similar to last year's meteor explosion over Chelyabinsk, Russia, which shattered windows, damaged hundreds of buildings and left more than 1,000 people injured, NASA officials said.
Many thanks to my Junior NASA Scientists, Jonny and Chris
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Mass Drive-by Shooting...California
Huffington Post: Davide Mastracci (not necessarily the opinions of the blog hosts)
A man killed six people in a drive by shooting on Friday night in California (and ultimately ended up dead himself). On Thursday night the apparent shooter made a video explaining why he was going to embark on the murderous rampage. In this video the man stated that he was a 22-year-old virgin who couldn't attract women. He explained that women made his life an "existence of loneliness, rejection, and unfulfilled desires" by not loving or sleeping with him. He stated that he would seek "retribution" against women for this supposed crime. His plan was to enter a sorority house and kill all of the women inside.
Men will react to this story in many ways. Most men will probably be disturbed, and condemn the murderer for his actions. Some will call the murderer a "mad-man," who was in "desperate need of help ." Others might crack jokes about the alleged murderer's inability to pickup women. Perhaps they need to react in a different way. The shooter should undoubtedly be condemned for his actions, but it's not enough.
We should not think of the murderer as an alien with no similarities to the average man. Of course, most men won't take part in shooting women. Regardless, if you cut out the murderer's claim to be a deity, and his creepy Batman-villain like tone, a lot of what he said is part of a pretty normal trope that can be found in male discourse everywhere. I call it the 'Nice Guy' trope. A sizeable chunk of men claim that women always pick the "assholes" instead of the "nice guys." The implication here is that women aren't smart enough to make their own choices, and that they're doing an evil deed by withholding something these "wronged" men supposedly deserve. We should realize the murderer's narrative is not so different, and understand why it is misogynistic and dangerous.
We should avoid reducing the murderer to a crazed individual whose actions can be explained solely by his mental state. Instead, we should analyze how the misogynistic societies we live in enabled the murderer's killing spree. Our society tells us that it's OK to see women's bodies as objects, to see women as creatures requiring our guidance, to see women as owing us their bodies, their conversation, and their smiles. The murderer's mental state may have pushed him over the edge, but our society brought him there.
We need to think about how our actions hurt women, and never repeat these actions again. We need to stop harassing women. If you do approach a woman, and she isn't interested, respect her decision and move on. Don't swear at her, insult her, or make her feel like continuing to talk to you is safer than the consequences of rejecting you. Don't let it slide when your friends do any of these things. Call them on it, even if they get pissed off; especially if they do.
We can't rely on society to encourage, or help us, change the problematic ways we treat women. There are nowhere near enough forces in our society dedicated to challenging the misogynistic views and actions that lead to these sorts of mass murders. For example, the media covering this story will probably focus on the murderer's potential mental problems instead of the root causes of his behavior.
We can't use this an excuse to keep acting the way we have. There is no excuse. We need to do our best to stop making the world an unsafe place for women. We need to do it now.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Friday, May 23, 2014
Argument Over Richard III Remains...Settled by British High Court
This undated photo made available on Monday Feb. 4, 2013 by the University of Leicester, England, shows the remains found underneath a car park in Leicester, which have been declared "beyond reasonable doubt" to be the long lost remains of England's famous, hunched backed King Richard III, missing for 500 years.
In the battle royal over Richard III's bones, Britain's High Court has given the victory to Leicester. The court ruled Friday that the 15th-century monarch should be buried in the city in central England where his skeleton was found under a parking lot in 2012. A group of distant relatives had wanted Richard interred in the northern England city of York, to which he had strong ties.
Calling the case "unique and exceptional," three judges ruled there were no grounds to overturn the government's decision to grant a burial license to Leicester. Richard's remains are due to be enshrined in the city's cathedral. That decision had been challenged by Stephen Nicolay, the king's 16th great-nephew, and a group called the Plantagenet Alliance. They claimed the government did not consult widely enough or consider the wishes of Richard or his living relatives.But the judges, led by Heather Hallett, said there was "no direct evidence of any definitive wishes expressed by Richard III as to his place of burial."
And they said the claimants "represent but a tiny fraction of Richard III's descendants," who are estimated to number between 1 million and 10 million.
"It is time for King Richard III to be given a dignified reburial and finally laid to rest," the judges said.
Richard was deposed and killed in a battle near Leicester in 1485 and quickly buried without a coffin in a now-demolished church in the city. A skeleton, with a deformed spine, found under a Leicester parking lot was identified as the king through DNA tests, bone analysis and other scientific scrutiny.
He remains one of England's most controversial kings, portrayed as a hunchbacked villain in Shakespeare's play "Richard III." Some historians claim he was a relatively enlightened monarch whose name was besmirched by his opponents.
India: Police investigate pizza deliveries by drone
Police in the Indian city of Mumbai
are reportedly looking into why a restaurant started using a drone to deliver
pizzas without letting them know.
Francesco's Pizzeria says it successfully used a remote-controlled
four rotored drone to send an order to a skyscraper about 1.5km (1 mile) away. In a city that's famous for its snarling traffic
jams, the restaurant says drone deliveries could be a green solution that saves
on time too. A video
the pizzeria put together shows footage from one of the test
flights.But the city police now say they're checking whether the restaurant asked permission from the civil aviation authorities. A local police chief said "We are very sensitive towards anything that flies in the sky with the help of remote control." Indian security forces are nervous about the possibility of terror attacks using paragliders or drones. But Francesco's insists the experiment was safe. A source told the Economic Times the drone never went higher than 130m (400ft) to avoid interfering with other traffic, and the craft was never out of the reach of the controller. Last year, Amazon said it was testing unmanned drones for deliveries, but said it could take up to five years for the service to actually start.
After a permit is issued to the pizzeria by the civil aviation authorities, there is no impediment to using the drone to deliver pizzas. This is precedent setting for India. If the pizzeria encounters no bureaucratic holdups we can be sure that the sky over that city will soon be full of drones delivering everything from pizzas to newspapers. I would like to know if there will be some kind of traffic control to prevent the thousands of collisions which are bound to happen.
Sterling's Wife 'to negotiate Clippers sale'
Shelly Sterling (left) is an alternate governor for
the team and is a partial owner through a trust
Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald
Sterling is authorizing his wife to negotiate the sale of the basketball team. She may seek to retain partial ownership of the club, reports say. Mr Sterling was banned from the National Basketball Association (NBA) for
life and fined $2.5m after racist comments he made went public.
The sale could pre-empt a move by the NBA to force Mr Sterling to sell his
interest in the basketball team. The league has charged him with damaging the reputation of the NBA and its
teams. Three-quarters of the team owners must vote to force the sale. The owners
are meeting on the 3rd of June to consider the matter.Shelly Sterling wants "meaningful control" over the sale. She and her husband own the team through a trust. In a press conference on Tuesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he would consider a sale before the June 3rd hearing. However, USA Today reported Mrs Sterling wanted to retain some ownership of the team. It is unclear whether the NBA would allow this.
Last week, Mr Sterling said through his lawyer he would refuse to pay the fine and was considering suing the NBA. Maxwell Blecher said his client had done nothing to deserve the NBA's punishment. The league announced the ban and fine soon after an audio recording of Mr Sterling emerged in the US media in which he was heard asking a woman not to associate in public with black people nor to bring them to games.
Mr Silver said Mr Sterling's "hateful opinions... simply have no place in the NBA".
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Espionage? US Accuses China of Cybertheft
FBI Director James Comey told NBC News, “For too long, the Chinese government has blatantly sought to use cyber-espionage to obtain economic advantage for its state-owned industries.”
The FBI tracked the computer attacks to Unit 61398 of the Third Department of the People's Liberation Army, headquartered in a building in Shanghai, officials said.
Authorities said what amounted to "21st century burglary" benefited the Chinese competitors of the U.S. victims, including state-run enterprises, and led to the loss of American jobs.
As one example, the hackers stole cost, pricing and strategy information from SolarWorld at the very time the company was losing market share to Chinese rivals, officials said.
Other allegations from the indictment:
- In 2010, one of the hackers swiped specs for pipes in power plants that Westinghouse was building in China and also peeked at sensitive emails from senior company officials making decisions about other business ventures with the Chinese company.
- While U.S. Steel was locked in trade disputes with Chinese firms in 2010, the unit used phishing emails to install malware on company computers that it used to exploit vulnerable servers.
- The unit stole emails about internal strategy from union leaders while they were involved in disputes over Chinese trade practices.
"These victims are tired of being raided," said Assistant Attorney General John Carlin.
He said that in the past, when the U.S. has complained about the hacking to China, "they repsonded by publicly challenging us to provide hard evidence of their hacking that could cstand up in court.
"Well, today we are," Carlin said.
China's Foreign Ministry issued a strongly worded statement, saying the indictment was "made up" and would "damage Sino-American cooperation and mutual trust".
"The Chinese government's stance on the issue of Internet security is consistent and clear," said the statement from Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang, which urged "immediate rectification".
"China is a staunch defender of network security, and the Chinese government, military and associated personnel have never engaged in online theft of trade secrets," the statement said.
It's unclear how the hackers would be brought to justice in the United States. In a separate case, the feds also have charged the makers of malicious software used by hackers, Holder announced at the press conference.
In a statement, Alcoa said "no material information was compromised" during the Chinese intrusion. The United Steel Workers said, "we find the matter troubling and take it quite seriously."
The Obama administration has long considered China the most aggressive nation in obtaining industrial secrets through spying.
"Chinese actors are the world's most active and persistent perpetrators of economic espionage," said the Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive, a U.S. government agency, in a 2011 report.
A year ago, several U.S. newspapers, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, said hackers traced to China attacked their newsroom computer systems.
A spokesman for China's foreign ministry called any suggestion that the Chinese were involved in those intrusions "irresponsible," though U.S. security experts said China targeted news organizations in the U.S. and overseas to try to identify the sources of news leaks within the Chinese government.
Those disclosures prompted a computer security expert and former Justice Department lawyer, Marc Zwillinger to say, "the only computers these days that are safe from Chinese government hackers are computers that are turned off, unplugged, and thrown in the back seat of your car."
Taken verbatim from NBC News
Taken verbatim from NBC News
Ask Maxy
I just found out my best friend's parents are getting a divorce . Our parents have been friends for years and they are like a second family to me . Her dad cheated on her mom and her mom has turned the kids against their dad . When my friend tries to talk to me about this situation , I feel very uncomfortable because I think that it is wrong that she does not communicate with her dad. She asks me for advice , but I don't want to go against what she believes is right . I know she is very upset about this situation and I really don't know what to say to her when she brings up the divorce .
Should I try to avoid this subject completely or try and comfort her without giving any opinion ?
Uncomfortable
Dear Uncomfortable ,
You are doing the right thing by not taking sides . There is no winning in this situation if you become too vocal about your opinions . Do your best to simply be there for your friend . Remind her that you love her and want to support her through everything . Suggest that she see a counselor to get professional support as she goes through this incredibly difficult period .
If she asks you to take sides or agree with something that makes you uncomfortable, tell her no . It is OK for you to say that you refuse to speak badly about either of her parents .
Maxy
Dear Maxy ,
Six years ago, I gave up my job to take care of my mother , while my siblings went off and had fun . After Mom passed , I still had the house to clean and laundry to do . I never asked for a dime But as my own health has declined , everyone continues to treat me like a servant .
My father and brother both say demeaning things to me . My sister-in-law is a know it all and makes it clear she thinks I am an idiot . My son-in-law makes me the butt of his jokes . They all behave as if I am nothing .
I am 60-years-old and tired of this . All I can think of is getting away from every single one of them . Should I ?
Kay
Dear Kay,
Is there a reason you should continue living in your mother's house? Your relatives treat you like a servant because you permit it . It's OK to say no to them . If you can find any type of job that pays, I highly recommend that you start putting money aside and make a life for yourself that you can enjoy . You don't have to cut off contact . You simply need them to see that you no longer will tolerate such treatment .
Maxy
Dear Maxy ,
Recently , I have been trying to eat healthier so I can lose weight . I join a gym and have been working out at least four times a week . Most of my friends have been understanding and supportive of this goal ; however , one of my best friends is treating me as if it's a joke . She has not taken me seriously at all , and all she does is talk about food ... whether it's a new dessert place we need to try or the mac and cheese she had for dinner the other night . I am insecure about this and she makes me feel uncomfortable because I feel all she does is judge . She is very manipulative and it seems as if she does not want me to reach my goal .
It stresses me out because she is always asking for plans, but I do not want to associate myself with someone so negative .
How can I confront her about this in a nice way .
Texas
Dear Texas ,
Drum up the courage to speak directly to her . Tell her it hurts your feelings knowing that she has been unsupportive of you in your efforts to get healthier and lose weight. Point out the things that she has said that have been hurtful . Remind her that you need her as your friend to be a cheerleader rather than a naysayer . Tell her that if she is not able to be supportive , you will not be able to spend as much time with her .
Do not feel bad about taking care of yourself . In order to make the huge step that you have embarked upon , you need to be completely focused . Surround yourself with supporters .
Maxy
Get Your Rob Ford Souvenirs Right Here
We have the deluxe Rob Ford Crack Pipe
Rob Ford full face mask ...comes with strap-on, inflatable belly
Free Tattoo with any purchase of a hundred dollars or more
Of course, everyone wants one of these Rob Ford 'bobble head dolls' ( very flattering...not such a fat head)
Rob Ford Tee Shirts
Posters of Rob Ford and Friends
**************
And Finally, a few of my favorite candid shots of the man himself
The End
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Iran 'releases' ( formerly arrested ) dancers who made 'Happy' tribute video
The video shows Iranian people dancing to Pharrell's single in and around Tehran
A group of Iranians who were arrested
for filming a video tribute to Pharrell Williams' song 'Happy' have been released
on bail, reports from Tehran suggest. One of the fans, fashion photographer Reihane Taravati, posted a photo on Instagram, saying: "Hi, I'm
back." She and her colleagues were arrested on Tuesday. Police said their "vulgar
clip" had "hurt public chastity". The video showed three men and
three unveiled women dancing on the streets and rooftops of Tehran.
Williams, whose song was nominated for an Oscar earlier this year, protested at the arrests.
"It is beyond sad that these kids were arrested for trying to spread happiness," the singer wrote on Facebook. Many Twitter users had used the hashtag #freehappyiranians to put pressure on the Iranian authorities to release the dancers.
One of the dancers updated her Instagram profile to
say she had been released
Announcing her release, Taravati wrote: "Hi I'm back. Thank you @pharrell and
everyone who cared about us... love you all so much and missed you so much."
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (ICHRI) reported that the
other dancers seen in the video had also been released."All people who made the Happy video were released today, except the director of the video," the organization tweeted.
The "Happy we are from Tehran" video, originally posted in March, has now been seen more than 40,000 times. At the end of the clip, the credits read: " The song 'Happy' was an excuse to be happy. We enjoyed every second of making it. Hope it puts a smile on your face."
According to some reports, a total of 13 people were arrested in connection with the video, but official sources have not confirmed the exact number of detainees. Iran's state-run TV broadcast a program on Tuesday, which apparently showed the men and women confessing on camera. A subtitled edition of the TV clip, posted on YouTube, identified the detainees as "actors" who claimed they were tricked into making the Happy video for an audition.
"They told me they are making a feature film and they had a permit for it," said one man in the video. "They said those things and they fooled me."
The participants were shown on state television
said they had been duped into taking part. Under Iran's interpretation of Islamic law, women must cover their hair and
wear loose-fitting clothing meant to preserve their modesty. Patrols of so-called "morality police" regularly enforce standards of Islamic
dress on Iran's streets. However, the rules are widely flouted.
The internet is also heavily filtered in Iran, with the authorities blocking
access to popular social networking sites. But Arash Sobhani, lead singer of the Iranian underground rock group Kiosk, said that attempts to suppress music and freedom of
expression were not working."They banned our music, broke our guitars, attacked our parties and stopped our concerts," he said. "But did we stop? No!"
The video has been watched more than 40,000
times
Williams performed the song at the Oscar ceremony in
March
Imagine being arrested for trying to spread a little happiness. We are so lucky to live in a democratic country. We don't appreciate it enough
Williams' song has inspired hundreds of tributes since it was released last
year on the soundtrack to hit animation Despicable Me 2.
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