Wednesday 14 December 2011

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Geminid meteor shower: why spectacular light show puzzles scientists

By now you've probably heard that tonight's the night for what is arguably one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year, the Geminids.
The shower earns its name from its apparent point of origin, or radiant, in the constellation Gemini.
But where many meteor showers represent Earth's encounter with dust from a comet, the Geminids appear to have an odd duck of a source: an asteroid that some now call a rock comet.
And it's not clear from recent observations whether the object, known as 3200 Phaethon, is kicking off enough material to account for the intensity of the meteor shower Earth encounters.
A team of astronomers identified the debris gap in a paper published in the Astronomical Journal in November 2010. And researchers are still puzzling over it.
Although the first recorded observations of the Geminids don't appear until the early 1860s, modeling studies of the debris' orbit suggests that the stream is anywhere from 200 to 6,000 years old.
3200 Phaethon was discovered by NASA's Infrared Astronomical Satellite in 1983. Once scientists determined its orbit, the orbit closely matched with the orbit of the debris stream.
One of the asteroid's key features is its proximity to the sun at closest approach. It comes nearer the sun than any known asteroid, well inside the orbit of Mercury. This allows surface temperatures to reach 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tuesday 13 December 2011

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Clips claim Chauncey Billups off waivers

The Los Angeles Clippers did manage to acquire a point guard even after the collapse of their trade for Chris Paul by unexpectedly claiming Chauncey Billups off waivers.

The league's 30 teams were notified shortly after 6 p.m. ET on Monday that the Clippers had lodged the winning waiver bid for Billups, who was released Friday by the New York Knicksthrough the amnesty clause in the NBA's new labor agreement.
One source with knowledge of the deal told ESPN.com that the Clippers' winning bid to land Billups in the waiver auction was just over $2 million, meaning that the Knicks will still have to pay out the remaining balance of nearly $12 million from Billups' $14.2 million salary this season.
Had no team claimed him, Billups would have become an unrestricted free agent, sure to attract the interest of contenders such as the Miami HeatDallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers. ESPN.com reported earlier Monday that Dwight Howard also planned to lobby Billups to come to Orlando if he decided to stay with the Magic.
But the Clippers ignored the recent threats by Billups and agent Andy Miller that the 35-year-old would retire if he was claimed by a team he didn't want to join, giving their roster a veteran boost along with the recent signing of Caron Butler to a three-year deal worth $24 million.
"Chauncey is a warrior. He's a player. This is a similar situation -- we had this in the best year we had here -- with Sam Cassell. He got traded away from a place he was really comfortable in," Clippers general manager Neil Olshey said. "All we said was, 'Come in with an open mind. Give us a chance. Look at our culture, look at who we were.' The next year Sam becomes the Messiah, got us to the second round of the playoffs, signed a two-year deal for $14 million dollars and finished his career. It's not unlike that.
"There's going to be some work to do. I think Chauncey would've liked to control the process, but unfortunately we have to do what's best for our team. I think once he gets here and sees the resources we have, meets the guys and sees what kind of team we have, hopefully we can do the same thing with him as we were able to do with Sam andMarcus Camby."
Olshey, in a sitdown with local reporters shortly before the Billups news became public, explained that L.A. intended to use its remaining salary-cap space before matching the Golden State Warriors' four-year, $43 million offer sheet to restricted free agent DeAndre Jordan.
The Clippers then went out and did exactly what Olshey hinted at, claiming Billups and then matching the offer to Jordan. NBA rules dictate that the Clippers can't trade Billups this season after claiming him, so he can only play for L.A. if he plays in the NBA season unless he is released.
"There are some sequential transactions that have to happen first," Olshey said when asked whether the team would match Jordan's offer sheet. "We've still got $3.5 million in cap room and before we give up that flexibility we have to exhaust every opportunity that we have to use the remaining cap room we have.
"But I would expect DeAndre to be here smiling and being goofy and doing skits with Blake at some point at media day (Tuesday)."

Tuesday 6 December 2011

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NASA: New planet just about right for life

A newly discovered planet is eerily similar to Earth and is sitting outside our solar system in what seems to be the ideal place for life. The planet's confirmation was announced Monday by NASA along with other Kepler telescope discoveries. (Dec. 5) (The Associated Press)



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Kim Richards: ‘The Real Housewives of 


Beverly Hills’ Star Enters Rehab!


“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Kim Richards has entered rehab at an undisclosed treatment center.
The news that the 47-year-old reality TV star and aunt to fellow TV personality Paris Hilton entered the facility was first reported by “Entertainment Tonight,” which said that multiple sources confirmed the news.
The drinking problems suffered by Richards, who is a former child star, became a focal point of the hit reality series that follows, amongst other wealthy socialites, sisters Kim and Kyle Richards and Kelsey Grammer’s former wife Camille Donatacci.
During the shows first season Kim and Kyle Richards argued while in a limousine, with Kyle calling Kim “sick” and “an alcoholic.” This season new cast member Brandi Glanville accused Kim of being “wasted out of her f***ing mind.”
As a child, Kim Richards starred in hit films like “Escape to Witch Mountain,” and “No Deposit, No Return.” In November she revealed on the smash reality series that she is currently taking anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications.
The season premiere of the series made headlines earlier this year when “Real Housewife” Taylor Armstrong’s estranged husband Russell committed suicide in August.
Source: ABCNews

Monday 21 November 2011

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If you really want to save this Black Friday, do your research. The post-Thanksgiving shopping push kicks off the retailers' holiday season, which provides about 20 percent of annual sales every year.
Toys "R" Us will open at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving night for the first time, the retailer announced last week. So will Macy, Kohl's, Target, Best Buy, Gap and Banana Republic. Eighty percent of Old Navy stores will be open at midnight.
This Black Friday, shoppers who are tech-savvy will have the biggest advantage with coupons and smartphone promotions, according to Jennifer Black, CEO of the independent research firm, Jennifer Black and Associates.
What's the best reward for purchasing an Apple MacbookPro online?
Sites like Ebates.com and NerdWallet offer tools for online shoppers to see the best reward for them, whether it's airline miles, hotel points or cash.
Ebates.com gives online shoppers cash back for making purchases from over 1,500 retail websites. Shoppers can compare offers and earn a percentage of their purchase in a cash reward.
Robert Smahl, Ebates.com chief marketing officer, said, "Even the biggest names are competing for customers." When any of the site's 1,300 users make a purchase at say, Apple or Macy's, through Ebates.com, the retailer pays Ebates.com a commission. That commission is split with the customer in the form of a mailed check. Smahl said new users should receive their first check within the first month of a purchase. Otherwise, checks are mailed quarterly.
On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, JC Penney, Nordstrom, Old Navy, Barnes & Noble and 500 more stores will offer double cash-back on Ebates.com.
Nerdwallet.com has an online discount tool that allows you to compare the best rewards for online shopping. NerdWallet, which focuses on comparing credit card offers and rewards, created the tool to spit out a simple list of deals from credit card "malls," such as ShopDiscover and American Express Bonus Points Mall. Almost every major credit card has its own "mall" that offers cash back or rewards for using your card for purchases.
Ebates.com is one of 16 malls that NerdWallet analyzes. NerdWallet also compares purchase rewards through airline mileage programs, such as American Airlines AAdvantage program, which allows you to earn extra miles for making purchases through AAdvantage eShopping Mall.
"It's a way to see what sorts [of deals are] available to you as a credit card holder that you wouldn't get elsewhere," Jacon Gibson, chief operating officer of NerdWallet said.
Companies that have invested heavily this past year in IT systems "will get the biggest bang for their buck as more and more consumers do their homework before heading out to do their holiday hunting," Black said in a research note.

Monday 14 November 2011

Gloria Cain Says Allegations Don’t Square With Her Husband


Gloria Cain with her husband, Herman, in May. Of sexual harassment allegations against him, she said: “I'm thinking he would have to have a split personality to do the things that were said.”David Goldman/Associated PressGloria Cain with her husband, Herman, in May. Of sexual harassment allegations against him, she said: “I’m thinking he would have to have a split personality to do the things that were said.”
Two weeks after accusations of sexual harassment against Herman Cain emerged, his wife, Gloria Cain, has opened up publicly about the matter, saying, “I’m thinking he would have to have a split personality to do the things that were said.”
In an interview conducted Sunday with “On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren” on Fox News, Mrs. Cain said the descriptions from women accusing her husband of sexual harassment did not square with the man to whom she has long been married.
“You hear the graphic allegations and we know that would have been something that’s totally disrespectful of her as a woman,” she said. “And I know the type of person he is. He totally respects women.”
Fox News released excerpts of the interview Sunday night. The interview is to be broadcast Monday evening.
Mrs. Cain has been barely visible throughout her husband’s candidacy, appearing with him only a handful of times. “You won’t see my family out on the campaign trail on a day-to-day basis,” Mr. Cain told Fox News this month.
What’s known about Mrs. Cain, whose maiden name is Etchison and who has been married to Mr. Cain for more than 43 years, is limited almost completely to her husband’s remarks and a chapter about her in his book, “This Is Herman Cain! My Journey to the White House,” published earlier this year. Titled “Gloria,” it spans four pages.
In the book, he explains her role in his campaign: “Gloria continues to be a steady source of devotion and inspiration,” he writes.
“Some people have certain expectations concerning the traditional politician’s wife, though,” he writes, “and I’m often asked: ‘Where is your wife? Why isn’t she campaigning with you?’ ”
“ ‘She is at home,’ I answer.
“And Gloria will tell them that she’s not running, but she supports me 100 percent. That’s all I need.”
The Cain campaign has been struggling to regain its focus after it was revealed that two women who worked for the National Restaurant Association received monetary settlements in the 1990s relating to allegations of harassment by Mr. Cain when he was its chief.
One of the women, Karen Kraushaar, has spoken out publicly in recent days. Another woman, Sharon Bialek, recently claimed she was groped by Mr. Cain in 1997 after she asked for employment help after being fired from the association’s education foundation. Mr. Cain has denied the accusations.

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Joe Frazier dies at 67

 Joe Frazier and Russian Vadim Yemelyanov fight in a semifinal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964. Frazier went on to win gold.


Joe Frazier, the hard-hitting boxing heavyweight who handed the legendary Muhammad Ali his first defeat, died Monday, shortly after being diagnosed with liver cancer, his family said in a statement.
The former heavyweight champion, who was 67, became a legend in his own right and personified the gritty working-class style of his hard-knuckled hometown, Philadelphia -- a fitting setting for the "Rocky" film series, starring Sylvester Stallone as hardscrabble boxer Rocky Balboa.
"You could hear him coming, snorting and grunting and puffing, like a steam engine climbing a steep grade," Bill Lyon wrote in a Philadelphia Inquirer column about Frazier, nicknamed Smokin' Joe.
"He was swarming and unrelenting, and he prided himself that he never took a backward step, and he reduced the Sweet Science to this brutal bit of elemental math: 'I'll let you hit me five times if you'll let me hit you just once.'"
Frazier's family issued a brief statement about his death.
"We The Family of ... Smokin' Joe Frazier, regret to inform you of his passing," the statement said. "He transitioned from this life as 'One of God's Men,' on the eve of November 7, 2011 at his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."

Sharon Bialek accuses Cain of "sexually inappropriate" behavior


A Chicago woman accused Herman Cain on Monday of trying to get sexual favors more than a decade ago in exchange for his help finding her a new job just after she had lost her post at an arm of the restaurant association he was then running.
The woman, Sharon Bialek, is the fourth woman who has accused Cain of sexually inappropriate behavior in the late 1990s and the first to go public with her charges. She outlined her story at a high-profile New York City press conference at the Friars Club.
"I want you, Mr. Cain, to come clean," she said with her attorney, Gloria Allred, at her side. Allred is known for her media savvy and for representing women who have had legal issues with the rich and powerful.
Bialek said Cain put his hand under her skirt and pushed her head toward his crotch after a dinner together in 1997 after she asked to meet him to discuss ways he might be able to help her find employment. She said he backed away after she asked him to stop. Her boyfriend at the time on Monday issued a statement released by Allred confirming that she told him about the incident at the time. Allred did not release the boyfriend's name.
Bialek does not plan to sell her story or file a lawsuit against the Republican candidate for the White House.
"Just admit what you did. Admit you were inappropriate to people. And then move forward. America is in a horrible turmoil as we all know. We need a leader who can set an example which exemplifies the standards of a good person and moral character. Mr. Cain, I implore you, make this right. So that you and the country can move forward and focus on the real issues at hand," Bialek said.
She said she was let go from the National Restaurant Association's Educational Foundation in the summer of 1997 and asked to meet him for coffee a month or so later in Washington, to ask for his assistance with her job search.
She said she booked herself a room at a hotel two blocks from the White House and when she checked in, it was upgraded to a suite by Cain. They went to dinner at an Italian restaurant and after dinner Cain made unwanted advances toward Bialek in the car.
When she asked what he was doing, she said he responded by rhetorically asking her: "You want a job, right?"
She said Cain stopped when she made it clear she was not interested.
Bialek said she saw Cain for the first time since the incident last month at a Chicago Tea Party event and asked the candidate if he remembered her.
"I guess he wanted to see if he was going to be man enough to own up to what he had done some 14 years ago. He acknowledged that he remembered me from the foundation but he kind of looked uncomfortable and he said nothing as he was whisked away for his speech by his handlers," she said.
Three other women have reportedly accused Cain of inappropriate behavior while he was running the National Restaurant Association, but none of them has made public charges against him.
Allred last year represented Nicky Diaz Santillan, the housekeeper California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman fired because of her immigration status. She also represented one of the women who had an affair with golf legend Tiger Woods.


Thursday 3 November 2011

groupon ipo - Angie's List Schedules IPO Launch for Nov. 17


Local-business reviewer Angie's List Inc. became the latest consumer Internet company to launch an IPO in the U.S. in the narrow window left before the end of 2011, scheduling a potential $114 million offering for the week before Thanksgiving.
‪Angie's List, which plans to trade on the Nasdaq under the symbol ANGI, will come on the heels of daily deals Internet site Groupon Inc.'s initial public offering, which is set to begin trading this Friday. (If all goes as planned, Angie's List will price on the evening of Nov. 16 and begin trading on Nov. 17.)
The two companies will likely be among a dozen IPOs that attempt to sashay in front of investors before everyone takes a break during Thanksgiving week in the U.S., which starts Nov. 21. After three months of chilly conditions for new stocks--there were none in September, and two in each of October and August--the next few weeks represent a brief opportunity to get IPOs done prior to the end of the year.
‪Following a period of broader market strength in October--the month ended with the largest point gain in the Dow Jones Industrial Average's history--bankers and issuers are planning for a busier IPO calendar in November. After Thanksgiving week, there will be about 2 1/2 weeks in December left during which IPOs can price, and no one can say how market conditions might change before then.
‪Besides Angie's List, another widely recognized consumer Internet offering that is expected to launch an IPO in coming weeks is online games developer Zynga Inc.

Wednesday 26 October 2011

Occupy oakland


Police fired tear gas at least five times Tuesday night into a crowd of several hundred protesters backing the Occupy movement who unsuccessfully tried to retake an encampment outside Oakland City Hall that officers had cleared away more than 12 hours earlier.

Police gave repeated warnings to protesters to disperse from the entrance to Frank Ogawa Plaza at 14th Street and Broadway before firing several tear gas canisters into the crowd at about 7:45 p.m. Police had announced over a loudspeaker that those who refused to leave could be targeted by "chemical agents."

Protesters scattered in both directions on Broadway as the tear gas canisters and several flash-bang grenades went off. Regrouping, protesters tried to help one another and offered each other eye drops.
One wounded woman, who others said had been hit by one of the canisters, was carried away by two protesters.

One protester, 35-year-old Jerry Smith, said a tear gas canister had rolled to his feet and sprayed him in the face.

"I got the feeling they meant business, but people were not going to be intimidated," Smith said. "We can do this peacefully, but still not back down."

Police forcibly dispersed the crowd with tear gas again about 9:30 p.m., when protesters began throwing objects at them. As protesters scattered, police closed off Broadway between 13th and 16th streets.

Minutes later, protesters regrouped at the 15th Street entrance to the plaza. Protesters began throwing objects again. Police responded by firing more tear gas canisters.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/25/BAUB1LLTC9.DTL#ixzz1bsfccOch

Wednesday 19 October 2011

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Carson Palmer went to bed a retired football player resigned to the fact that the Cincinnati Bengals would never grant his wish to be traded.
He woke up to a text message early Tuesday morning telling him to fly to Oakland to complete a trade with the Raiders, who are counting on Palmer to replace the injured Jason Campbell and lead the team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2002.
The Raiders are hoping he can do a lot, having traded a 2012 first-round pick and a conditional second-rounder in 2013 that can become another first if Oakland makes it to the AFC title game in either of the next two years.
Coach Hue Jackson believes Palmer is the ideal fit, having recruited and coached him at Southern California and been an assistant in Cincinnati with Palmer.
Jackson said Palmer has the strong arm and athleticism that late Raiders owner Al Davis always wanted in a quarterback.

Monday 17 October 2011

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Dan Wheldon, Indy 500 Winner, Dead in Wreck at 33

VIDEO: A fiery crash involving 15 cars claims the life of Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon.
Dan Wheldon, who moved to the United States from his native England with hopes of winning the Indianapolis 500 and went on to twice prevail at his sport's most famed race, died Sunday after a massive, fiery wreck at the Las Vegas Indy 300.
One of the most well-liked drivers in the paddock, Wheldon was 33.
He called the Indy 500 "the biggest sporting event in the world," and his second and final win there came in a most unexpected fashion. Trailing rookie JR Hildebrand with only one turn remaining, Wheldon was resigned to finishing second for the third straight year.
Then Hildebrand brushed the wall just seconds away from what seemed like certain victory, giving Wheldon one of the luckiest breaks ever at the Brickyard. He crossed the line in front, making the final lap the only one he led in the entire race.
Wheldon returned to the track the next morning for the traditional photo session with the winner, kissing the bricks as his 2-year-old son Sebastian sat on the asphalt alongside him, and his wife, Susie, held their then-2-month-old son Oliver.
"That's Indianapolis," Wheldon said after this year's Indy win. "That's why it's the greatest spectacle in racing. You never know what's going to happen."
http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/indycar-driver-dan-wheldon-dead-33-14749326

Tuesday 11 October 2011

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Christopher Columbus: Hero or villain?



He sailed for the Queen of Spain more than five centuries ago and is credited with discovering the Americas. But on Columbus Day, some say Christopher shouldn't be celebrated.

We've all heard the rhyme: "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue." For centuries the famous mariner was hailed a hero and in 1937 Columbus Day became a federal holiday. For more than seven decades the second Monday in October means a paid holiday for some people and a good shopping day for others. So Channel 3 decided to catch up with some of these bargain hunters bustling on Burlington's Church Street to get their opinion. Christopher Columbus -- hero or villain?

"I don't think he was such a wonderful guy but at the time he was quite an explorer and adventurer," Steve Silberberg

"As a discoverer, someone who went off to sail the world and find what he could, then I guess he's a hero and a brave guy," Susen Shapiro. But Shapiro's not so sure his arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492 should be celebrated. "I don't know if he's more of a villain. Anybody who destroys another people is not good. Let's put it that way."

"Symbolically, he brought disease and death," said Gil McCann, a sociology professor with the University of Vermont. He studies race relations and says over time this holiday has become less popular with many and certainly does not sit well with Native Americans. "From a Native American perspective there was nothing to discover. They were here. It was their land... and so it's a misguided celebration."

"It's important to us that we're teaching Columbus Day as one of the points in history in the evolution of America," said Jeanne Collins, Burlington's Superintendent of Schools.

In Burlington educators say over the past decade the in-class conversations about Christopher Columbus have evolved. Collins says teachers recognize that some students still consider Columbus to be a hero but in one of the most culturally diverse districts in the state, the Queen City has veered away from teaching holiday curriculum. Instead, students learn about Columbus when studying the discovery of the Americas in history class, and it's a more inclusive message than it used to be.

"There's a greater understanding of the diversity of viewpoints and a greater understanding of the number of different cultures who were involved in the evolution of America," Collins said.

In Vermont, Columbus Day is not a state mandated school holiday. As long as each district meets its 175 day requirement, holding classes on Columbus Day is optional. So Burlington, along with the many districts in the state, keep kids in the classroom on this day and keep the conversation going.


Tuesday 4 October 2011

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Amanda Knox thanks supporters, heads for home


Amanda Knox, left, leaves the Perugia court following the verdict overturning her conviction and acquitting her of murdering Meredith Kercher, Oct. 3, 2011. (AP)

Amanda Knox on Tuesday thanked those Italians who supported her throughout her four years of prison, a day after an appeals court cleared the young American of murdering her British room mate and freed her to return home to the United States.

Knox left her prison outside Perugia Monday night, less than two hours after the verdict was read out in a packed court acquitting her and her Italian one-time boyfriend of the brutal murder.
The Italy-US Foundation, which has championed Knox's cause, said the American was at Leonardo da Vinci airport in Rome boarding a flight to London, where she will catch a connecting flight to the United States.
AP photographers and camera crew at Leonardo da Vinci airport in Rome saw Knox family members in a terminal. Knox was not immediately seen, and was believed to have been escorted by police through a non-public entrance to the airport.
The freed American thanked those "who shared my suffering and helped me survive with hope," in a letter to the foundation, which seeks to promote ties between Italy and the United States.
"Those who wrote, those who defended me, those who were close, those who prayed for me," Knox wrote. "I love you, Amanda."
Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted in 2009 of sexually assaulting and murdering Meredith Kercher, a 21-year-old British student who shared an apartment with Knox in Perugia. Knox was convicted to 26 years, Sollecito to 25.
In a stunning reversal, the appeals court in Perugia overturned those convictions and set the two free. They had been in prison since Nov. 6, 2007, four days after Kercher's body had been found at the apartment.
The prosecutor in the case announced Tuesday morning that he would appeal the acquittal to Italy's highest court, but that process won't begin until the appeals court issues a complete explanation as to how it arrived at Monday's decision.
The 24-year-old Knox dissolved into tears as the verdict was read in a packed courtroom after 11 hours of deliberations, and needed to be propped up by her lawyers on either side. (Click player at left to see Knox's tearful appeal to court)
Two hours later Knox was in a dark limousine that took her out of the Capanne prison just outside Perugia, where she had spent the past four years, and headed to Rome.
"During the trip from Perugia to Rome Amanda was serene," said Corrado Maria Daclon, the secretary general of the Italy-US Foundation, who was with Knox in the car. "She confirmed to me that in the future she intends to come back to our country."
The prosecution's case was blown apart by a court-ordered DNA review that discredited crucial genetic evidence used to convict the two in 2009.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/10/04/501364/main20115168.shtml