ET...Is that you?

Aliens, cosmic phenomena or humans? Astronomers are puzzled as to what the true origins are of a series of so-called Fast Radio Bursts (FSBs) detected eleven separate times over the past decade.

While media reports this month have focused on how radio astronomers have pinned down the source of one type of radio signal known as perytons emanating from lowly microwave ovens right here on Earth, the mystery and excitement over FRBs has only deepened.
“People are now largely convinced that perytons are local signals. Yet the microwave oven does not explain all,” said co-author of the new study and astronomer John Learned from the University of Hawaii in Manoa.
“This is why we put our hypothesis out there… to test it in a scientific manner.  When we see new data we will know better.”
Since 2001 radio telescopes have been picking up these rare bursts that last only a few milliseconds but are thought to be generated by some kind of source that releases as much energy as the sun and is no more than a few hundred kilometers across.  Evidence in the past has also indicated that they may have emanated way outside of our galaxy—possibly as much as three to four billion light years away.

The latest addition to the mystery is a team of scientists who have identified 11 FRBs over the years, and who say that the signals appear to fit a mathematical pattern that just doesn’t seem to be explainable by any kind of ordinary astrophysics we know of.

While theories bandied about so far have included everything from colliding neutron stars, evaporating black holes and even our own satellites mimicking a distance source, even the most provocative explanation of alien civilizations however have not been ruled out.
To determine the distance to these pulses astronomers use something called a dispersion measure, the dispersion in time it takes low and high frequencies of radio waves generated by the mysterious sources to arrive at Earth. The more time that separates the arrival of these two signals the farther away the unknown object is thought to be from our planet.
What has left astronomers scratching their heads however is that it seems the time dispersion measured in each case appears to be multiples of exactly the same number, 187.5.
The chance this line-up is pure coincidence is estimated to be 5 in 10,000, making this phenomenon quite a challenge to explain away.
There is a possibility that these FRBs are caused by some unknown natural source, but the team does conclude that it could also very well be of an artificial source. Maybe an undisclosed military satellite perhaps? Or ET technology?
Mathematically coded messages from extraterrestrials—as in encoded messages in pi or prime numbers—have long been speculated by astronomers and have even made it to Hollywood (any fans of the film Contact starring Jodie Foster out there?).
But this wouldn’t be the first such excitement over a weird radio signal received by radio telescope.
Back in 1977 the Ohio State Big Ear Telescope picked up a very strange 72 second long signal dubbed the Wow! signal by the astronomer at the time that circled the printout identifying it as such.



So are we alone in the universe, or are there other advanced civilizations out there capable of communicating?
Some leading scientists believe that life might be quite common across the universe, with some figuring as many as tens of thousands of technologically-advanced civilizations.
Thanks to ground based and space telescope surveys of the night sky, planets beyond our solar system are being discovered at an ever increasing rate and current estimates are that our Milky Way alone may be home to a billion Earth-like worlds.  We are also finding that the basic ingredients of life, such as water and organic molecules, appear to pepper our solar system.
So the odds are in favour that at least simple, microbial life might be widespread across our Milky Way. However technological civilizations, according to some radio astronomers who have been listening for decades, may be quite rare simply because if they were common, we would have probably picked up their signals by now. Or perhaps there are simply no chatterboxes out there, and everyone is too shy to speak up.
In terms of these weird fast radio busts however, while astronomers don’t rule out the possibility that they could by ET calling, it likely is a very remote outside chance only and most likely is caused by something less exotic.
“At this moment, I still would place money on an anthropogenic origin…. but not much money,” said Learned.

“If they really are cosmological objects however… then they would seem to be something new and no doubt important, but what I do not know.”

Justice Arrives Frustratingly Slowly But it is Thorough....Nazi Criminal

 Oskar Gröning has admitted witnessing the murder of 300,000 prisoners at the Auschwitz death camp

The wheels of justice for the victims of Nazi crimes move in a zig zag and at a frustratingly slow pace, even at this late date in time, when every day that passes can spell the difference between a perpetrator being convicted and punished and a case being dropped for reasons of physical or mental infirmities.

Two decisions by German courts this month reflect the status of the current efforts to bring Nazi war criminals to justice in the Federal Republic, one of the last countries in the world whose judicial authorities are still trying to hold perpetrators of Nazi crimes accountable.

In the first decison, taken a week and a half ago, a court in Cologne threw out a case against Werner C, who was accused of being a member of an execution squad which in 1944, shot 25 men in the French town of Oradour-sur-Glane, and helped blockade and set fire to a church in which dozens of the town's residents were burnt alive, in one of the biggest Nazi atrocities committed in France during World War II.


Although the defendant admitted that he was in Oradour on the day of the massacre, he claimed that he did not not shoot anybody, nor did he participate in any of the murders. The court ruled in his favor and dismissed the case on the grounds that no corroborative witness testimony or documentary proof had been presented to prove Werner C's personal participation. At the moment, the prosecution is deliberating whether to appeal the decision, but the initial verdict and a decision taken a few days ago in a second Nazi war crimes case clearly delineate the current legal situation vis-a-vis the potential chances for the prosecution of Nazi war criminals in Germany.


The latter decision, taken just this week, was the acceptance by a court in the northern German city of Lueneburg of an indictment against a former Auschwitz guard named Oskar Groening, who served in the largest of the Nazi death camps from September 1942 until October 1944. During most of this time he was involved in managing the money confiscated from the deportees.
The charges in his case relate to the period from 16 May until 11 July 1944, when 137 trains with approximately 437,000 Jews from Hungary aboard arrived in Auschwitz, of whom at least 300,000 were immediately murdered. Groening was on the ramp during the selection process and assisted in handling the deportees' belongings, a process through which the National Socialist regime gained economically, and which therefore supported the systematic murder of European Jewry being carried out by the Nazis.

The Groening case is very unusual in many respects. Years ago, he gave several interviews, among them for a BBC film and for the German news magazine Der Spiegel, in which he admitted his service in Auschwitz, although he did not confess to any physical crimes, claiming that "legally" he was innocent. He also spoke openly of the terrible crimes he had personally witnessed while at the camp and expressed his willingness to speak out against Holocaust denial.

It was only after the conviction of Sobibor death camp guard Ivan Demjanjuk in Munich in 2011, however, that a dramatic change in German prosecution policy has enabled bringing Groening to trial.
Demjanjuk was the first case in Germany in almost fifty years in which a Nazi war criminal/collaborator was charged and convicted, even though no evidence of a specific crime against a specific victim by the defendant (which for the previous almost five decades had been the basic requirement for filing such a case) was submitted to the court.
The verdict against Demjanjuk in effect meant that any person who had served either in one of the six Nazi death camps - Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, Belzec, Chelmno, Sobibor and Majdanek - or in the Einsatzgruppe A,B, C, or D (special mobile killing squads) which operated on the Eastern front, could be convicted of at least accessory to murder, the punishment for which is five years' imprisonment, based on service alone.

There no doubt will be those who wonder what use bringing middle or lower-level Nazis to justice is, when so many higher ranked Holocaust perpetrators eluded justice completely, but ignoring their crimes because of the past failures of the German and Austrian justice systems is only adding more injustice, when the opposite is required, and is an insult to their victims. One can only wonder what a difference the Demjanjuk precedent might have have had on the record of German prosecutions of Nazi war criminals had it been applied not in 2011, but many years earlier.

In the meantime, all we can do is hope that a basis for an appeal against Werner C will be found and that Groening will indeed be prosecuted successfully, and in that respect, every moment counts.

The Earth is not dying, it's being killed. And the people who are killing it have names and addresses.



24 dead, 28 safe, hundreds missing as Med migrant boat sinks

Map locates Lampedusa island in the Mediterranean Sea, where 700 migrants capsized their boat; 1c x 2 1/2 inches; 46.5 mm x 63 mm;

ROME (AP) - A boat believed to be crowded with 700 migrants capsized in the waters north of Libya overnight, leaving at least 24 confirmed dead and sparking fears for what could become the Mediterranean's deadliest known migrant sea disaster, Italy's Coast Guard and other officials said Sunday.

The Coast Guard said in a statement that the migrants' 20-meter (66-foot) vessel may have overturned because migrants rushed to one side of the craft when they saw a Portuguese merchant vessel approach it late Saturday night. The cargo ship had been dispatched to come to the migrants' aid.

The Coast Guard said at least 28 survivors had been rescued by Sunday morning. Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat put the number of survivors at 50.

It was not clear whether Muscat's figure included the 28 survivors reported by Italy. Maltese search units were aiding rescue efforts. 

Muscat said rescuers were seeing people in the sea and were "checking who is alive and who is dead."

The capsizing of such a crowded boat represented the "biggest human tragedy of the last few years," Muscat said.

A United Nations refugee agency spokeswoman Carlotta Sami tweeted that according to one survivor, the boat had set out with 700 migrants aboard.

But the Coast Guard and other authorities said they had no immediate way to determine how many were aboard or how many might still be rescued. The total number of passengers was expected to be clarified as officers interviewed survivors. Given the depth of the sea - as deep as 3 miles (5 kilometers) or more in the area - it was possible that many bodies would never be recovered. This has commonly been the case in similar tragedies off the coasts of Libya, Italy, and other Mediterranean nations in recent years.

Pope Francis was among those following the news. "There are fears there could be hundreds of dead," Francis told the faithful in St. Peter's Square. He bowed his head in silent prayer as did many of the tens of thousands in the crowd. For a second day running, he called on Europe to do more to help Italy manage its continent-leading flow of migrants.

Italian Premier Matteo Renzi summoned his top ministers to a Sunday night meeting in Rome to discuss the latest tragedy.

"The numbers (of the dead) are still provisional but the numbers are destined to rise," Renzi said. "How can it be that we daily are witnessing a tragedy?"

Rescuers reported seeing wreckage in the sea.

"There are large fuel stains, pieces of wood, life jackets," Italian Border Police Gen. Antonino Iraso, whose force has boats deployed in the rescue effort, told Sky TG24 TV.

When asked whether the boat capsized because the migrants rushed to one side as the Portuguese vessel pulled alongside, Iraso replied: "The dynamics aren't clear. But this is not the first time that has happened."

The numbers of migrants attempting the dangerous crossing by sea from Libya swells as the springtime weather improves, providing calmer seas and warmer water temperatures. But the smugglers' boats are frequently overcrowded or un-seaworthy

So far this year, more than 900 have died in failed crossings. Last week, 400 people were presumed drowned when another boat capsized.

Mr. Humble  sez ;  

You thought  it  was  bad  in your  neck of  the  woods ,  what a  hell'va  year  this  has  been  so  far  , not  to worry  , there's  eight  more  months  to  go . 

At  your  service 

Fascinating Photos

 Where the Great Wall of China ends A geyser right before eruption Bavarian town of Nordlingen built in a 14 million year old meteor impact crater A huge dust storm that hit Western Australia in early 2013 A rare 360 degree rainbow captured from an airplane Climbers going up Mount Everest in May 2013 Daytona Beach 1957 An aerial view of a scrap tire dump Bagger 288, the largest land vehicle in the world A cross-section of an undersea cable Inside one of Google’s data centers Overcrowded prison in El Salvador Hitler’s office Enormous statue of Genghis Khan in Mongolia Octopus eggs George Washington’s teeth A watch belonging to Akito Kawagoe which stopped at 8:15, the exact time of the Hiroshima bombing in 1945 A microscopic image of a human tongue Five pounds of fat compared to five pounds of muscle Cancer cells under an electron microscope X-rays before and after treatment for scoliosis The clearest photo of Mercury ever taken Mars in true color from the Curiosity Rover The northern lights from space

Migrant tragedy, Religious Clash Results in Death off Italian Coast

About 1,000 people a day are being rescued at the moment trying to reach the Italian coast
               

Italian police say they have arrested 15 Muslim migrants after they allegedly threw 12 Christians overboard following a row on a boat heading to Italy. The Christian migrants, said to be from Ghana and Nigeria, are all feared dead.
In a separate incident, more than 40 people drowned after another migrant boat sank between Libya and Italy.   Almost 10,000 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean have been rescued in recent days. Italy has called for more help from the EU to handle the crisis. More than 500 people from Africa and the Middle East have died making the perilous crossing since the start of the year. Earlier this week, 400 people were believed to have drowned when their boat capsized
The 15 Muslim migrants involved in the row with Christians were arrested in the Sicilian city of Palermo and charged with "multiple aggravated murder motivated by religious hate".
Italian police say they have arrested 15 Muslim migrants after they allegedly threw 12 Christians overboard following a row on a boat heading to Italy. The Christian migrants, said to be from Ghana and Nigeria, are all feared dead.  In a separate incident, more than 40 people drowned after another migrant boat sank between Libya and Italy. Almost 10,000 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean have been rescued in recent days. Italy has called for more help from the EU to handle the crisis.

Many migrants picked up by the Italian navy in recent days have been brought ashore to Sicily
 

The suspects, who are from the Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali and Guinea, were among 105 migrants travelling in an inflatable boat that left Libya on Tuesday. Eyewitnesses told police how the altercation resulted in Christians being thrown overboard, and that some of the survivors had formed human chains to avoid a similar fate. What a sad, sad world.

Ask Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
I have a close acquaintance who is a fitness instructor at a health club where I often work out . Two years ago , I saw her at a local peace parade and got very worked up over something she wrote on the signs she was wearing . I became so crazed over it that that I forgot myself and said some awful things about her . I also stopped going to her workout classes for a month and deleted her Facebook pages . Then I found out her husband had had a stroke the day of the parade . 
I realize how hideous my behavior had been I returned to her workout class and intended to apologize profusely to her , but she wasn't there that day . When she finally came back , I told her I'd been praying for her and her husband .
Sometimes it seems she has forgiven me and everything is the same between us but on other days , I'm not so sure . I apologized to her in a general way , in a holiday greeting card , not mentioning the parade . I've lost countless hours of sleep crying from quilt , shame and regret . I've finally decided I have to do something . Please print this so she can see it and we can talk about it . She reads your column .
Distraught 
Dear Distraught ,
Printing this in my column  and  hoping  she  sees it  is  a cop-out.  You need  to work up some courage  and  talk to her directly .  It is hard to atone for a wrong-doing and harder to apologize for it. A semi-apology in a greeting  card doesn't  cut it  and  telling  her  you will pray  for  her is  kind ,but  insufficient .
Ask your  friend  whether  she  is  available  for  coffee, or  find a time  when neither of  you  is  rushed  and  can spend a few minutes privately . You need  to tell you how  sorry you are for  your  behavior  at the  parade  and  afterward . She needs to know  that you are ashamed about the things you said  and for waiting so long to apologize .  Let her know you value  her  friendship and  that you hope she will forgive
you . Whatever  happens after that , at least  you will know  you did the correct thing and tried  to make  it  right .
Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
"Grandma" has every right to be concerned about her stepson's nearly 3-year-old child who barely speaks . She should follow her instincts and strongly encourage that the girl be assessed by a speech therapist. The lack of expressive language could be a sigh of autism . 
While the suggestions to spend more time interfacing with the child are great , professional intervention might be necessary . It is deplorable that the pediatrician has not caught this , an early intervention can change the trajectory of a child's life .
As a special education teacher over the past 10 years , I've seen the terrible repercussions caused by the lack of early intervention and the overworked school systems that regularly miss identifying these needs. 
Special Ed Teacher 
Dear Teacher ,
Several  readers  pointed  out  that the  lack  of  speech  could  be a sign  of  autism . Others  told  me  that their  kids  didn't  speak  much  at that age  and  turned  out  just fine . There's  no way  for  me  to evaluate  what's  going on , but  I absolutely  concur   that the child   should  be  evaluted  by a  speech  therapist  to find  out. 
Unfortunately , that is  Dad's  call , and  he  seems  disinclined  to do anything . If "Grandma " can convince the father to let her take the child to a specialist for an assessment,  wonderful . If  not , talking to and reading to the little girl will definitely help . Even children's television programs can provide stimulation.
Engaging the child's mind in any way, with crafts or drawing or picture books and encouraging verbal responses from her
is beneficial . Socializing with other kids her age may be the best way to draw her out.
Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
My cousin lives in the Caribbean with her family . She and I are pretty close , so we've emailing back and forth all winter . Normally she is very friendly and thoughtful but for some reason this year she got kind of mean with her commentary about the weather . While we was having the worse snow and cold you could imagine , she was having sunshine and 80 -degree temperatures .
That's not news , but more the way she  rubbed it  in  , I'm thinking she  really didn't  know how  bad  it was for my family . We had a few power outages .We had so many missed days at school that the family couldn't have any kind of vacation time off.  I don't mean to be a complainer , but I really want my cousin to know that she was horribly insensitive to us and I don't appreciate it . Am I being too sensitive ? 
Deep Freeze --- Boston 
Dear Deep  Freeze ,
I think you are  being overly sensitive. It  may seem justifiable to you, but I think your cousin was just pulling your leg or trying to tease you. There is no way for her to really understand how bad your winter was. Your  state  got  brutal weather and record low temperatures this year, like so many northern  states and also Canada. We are all still recovering  from that frigid reality. People living in tropical climates don't have a clear sense of what we go through in a particularly nasty winter. 
Don't scold her; just explain how extreme your weather was and how much snow and mind numbing cold you had to deal with. Also tell her how lucky she is that she doesn't have to endure winters like that. Ask her if she would like to trade places next winter so you can torment her  from a nice warm Carribean island. Treat it with humor and tell her quit the weather comments.
 It is not worth jeopardizing a great relationship over.
Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
I have hired a baby sitter for my son ever since he was born . He is now 6 years old . I never reported this to the IRS because I wrote a check . I didn't pay illegally . Now I have learned that I am suppose to report it . My son's babysitter is upset because it means she will have less take home pay , but I don't want to have a problem with the government . What should I do ? 
Paying Taxes , Baton Rouge , La.
Dear Paying  Taxes ,  Baton Rouge , La.,

The law is pretty clear; you have to report your expenditures and the baby sitter must declare all her income. You need to explain to her that you wish to abide by the law and that she really should be paying income taxes on her earnings.
The federal requirement is based on amount earned per year. If you pay a sitter as a subcontractor,  you must file a 1099 at end of the year if  she makes more than $600. You can read IRS Publication 926 which breaks down household employment liabilities.
 If you pay someone for work in your house and pay more than $1000 per year,  you are required to do payroll. This is from information on the IRS website.  This means you have to with-hold some of the pay for expenses like unemployment, social security and medicare and you pay the employer portion of said expenses. The up side is that it doesn't cost much, it is the right thing to do and you do not risk being fined. The fines can be high for non-compliance. You can get some of the money rebated by claiming for child care on your tax form.
There are no such corresponding requirements for reporting income: a baby sitter has to declare all of her income, from whatever source, unless it’s otherwise excluded.

If  you have  the resources and are able to  give her a little extra, by all means do so . 

It is up to her whether she declares  her income or not.  You are not responsible . You are doing the right thing by reporting your expenses and explaining the situation to her.

I hope she complies and you don't lose a good baby sitter.

Maxy