from coverage by Washington Post online reporter (Nov. 2011):
Asteroid 2005 YU55 has a name only a scientist could love. They’re also loving the chance to stare at the nearly round, slowly spinning chunk of space debris as it flies by at some 30,000 mph.
“It will be scanned and probed and scanned some more,” said Marina Brozovic, an asteroid researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Starting last Friday (Nov. 4), Brozovic will ping the approaching asteroid with radar from giant dishes at Goldstone, Calif. She wants to map every crater and boulder while refining estimates of the asteroid’s path, which swings inside the orbit of Venus and then out near Mars, crossing Earth’s orbit.
Meanwhile, telescopes in Arizona and Hawaii will analyze light reflected from the asteroid to determine more precisely what it’s made of. Already scientists know it’s darker than charcoal, because it’s a “C-type” asteroid, heavy with carbon and silicate minerals. Astronomers will also look for signs of water.
Similar asteroids that have plunged to Earth — called carbonaceous chondrites — hold within them amino acids and other building blocks of life.
“These are the objects that probably seeded the early Earth with carbon-based materials and water that allowed life to form,” said Don Yeomans, manager of NASA’s Near Earth Object Program, which tracks space objects that veer close to our planet.
Since a humble start at a single telescope in the 1980s, NASA’s $5 million-per-year asteroid-tracking program has matured to the point where the agency said in September that it has detected more than 90 percent of “planet killer” asteroids, those bigger than one kilometer in diameter. None will hit Earth in the foreseeable future, the agency has said.
The tracking program detects hundreds of smaller space rocks each year, closely watching their orbits. So far, none of those pose a threat either.
In the past, giant asteroids have crashed into Earth and devastated life. The most famous, at least seven miles wide, blasted a crater in the Yucatan Peninsula some 65 million years ago, triggering a cataclysm that probably wiped out the dinosaurs.
If a space rock the size of 2005 YU55 ever hit Earth, it would explode like 500 nuclear bombs, trigger a 7.0 magnitude earthquake and, if it splashed down in the ocean, generate a 70-foot tsunami, said Purdue University’s Jay Melosh.
Already, scientists have determined this asteroid poses no threat for the next century or so.
Still, they’re treating the flyby as a drill, a chance to refine their tracking skills. Said asteroid hunter Richard Binzel of MIT: “If one were ever found on an incoming trajectory, we’ll want to apply all the techniques we are learning now.”
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Oakland University (Michigan) debate -- will GOP repudiate the GM & Chrysler bailout of 2010? - AP story Nov. 7
as posted at M Live dot-com (Michigan Live news website):
. . .eight Republicans attending Wednesday's debate at Oakland University in Rochester say they wouldn't have offered government loans to save GM and Chrysler, whose sprawling Auburn Hills headquarters is just a short drive from the university's campus 35 miles north of Detroit.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who won Michigan's 2008 GOP presidential primary, explained during Detroit-area campaign stops in June that his opposition to the bailouts wasn't about hurting the auto industry, but about keeping the U.S. taxpayer off the hook.
"Some people believe in bailouts. I believe in the process of the law," said Romney, whose father led American Motors before becoming Michigan governor in the 1960s. "The idea of just writing a check, which is what the auto executives were asking for, was not the right course ... It would have been best had the auto companies gone through the bankruptcy process without having taken $17 billion from government."
Obama campaign manager Jim Messina told reporters Monday in a conference call that Michigan voters will remember the Democratic president helped the faltering automakers, protecting middle-class jobs.
"Not only did the president extend the loan and restructuring packages that saved 1.4 million jobs up and down the auto supply chain, but he's made investments in innovative technologies like advanced batteries that are creating jobs and new products to export from Michigan," Messina said.
But Michigan GOP Chairman Bobby Schostak said many Republican voters see the federal bailout as a mistake, even though both GM and Chrysler have repaid most of the money and the government has been able to sell most of its investment in the two companies. He claims the federal government could have offered government loan guarantees and let the automakers go through a traditional bankruptcy.
"Don't become the lender. That's not the place for the federal government," Schostak said.
Michigan Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer doesn't buy the argument that the automakers would have survived without the federal funds. He expects voters will be listening closely Wednesday to the 90-minute CNBC-sponsored debate to see what the Republican candidates say about the automakers.
"It seems to me, issue No. 1 is for them to explain, as they hold a debate in the shadow of Chrysler headquarters — the building that now would be a vacant hulk if they all had their way — why they opposed the very successful rescue of the domestic auto industry," Brewer said.
Michigan has the nation's third highest unemployment rate at 11.1 percent, well above the national rate of 9 percent. Four years ago, when GOP candidates gathered for a presidential debate in Dearborn, Michigan had the highest unemployment rate among the 50 states — 7.4 percent.
The candidates want to make a good impression in Michigan, which will hold its GOP presidential primary on Feb. 28, the same day as Arizona. Romney is expected to have an edge in his birth state but it's not a winner-take-all contest, so others could come away with Michigan delegates if they have a strong enough showing.
Many of the leading candidates are gearing up their Michigan campaigns with that in mind, even though Obama won Michigan by 16 points in 2008. The last Republican to win Michigan's presidential contest was then-Vice President George H.W. Bush in 1988.
www.mlive.com/
. . .eight Republicans attending Wednesday's debate at Oakland University in Rochester say they wouldn't have offered government loans to save GM and Chrysler, whose sprawling Auburn Hills headquarters is just a short drive from the university's campus 35 miles north of Detroit.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who won Michigan's 2008 GOP presidential primary, explained during Detroit-area campaign stops in June that his opposition to the bailouts wasn't about hurting the auto industry, but about keeping the U.S. taxpayer off the hook.
"Some people believe in bailouts. I believe in the process of the law," said Romney, whose father led American Motors before becoming Michigan governor in the 1960s. "The idea of just writing a check, which is what the auto executives were asking for, was not the right course ... It would have been best had the auto companies gone through the bankruptcy process without having taken $17 billion from government."
Obama campaign manager Jim Messina told reporters Monday in a conference call that Michigan voters will remember the Democratic president helped the faltering automakers, protecting middle-class jobs.
"Not only did the president extend the loan and restructuring packages that saved 1.4 million jobs up and down the auto supply chain, but he's made investments in innovative technologies like advanced batteries that are creating jobs and new products to export from Michigan," Messina said.
But Michigan GOP Chairman Bobby Schostak said many Republican voters see the federal bailout as a mistake, even though both GM and Chrysler have repaid most of the money and the government has been able to sell most of its investment in the two companies. He claims the federal government could have offered government loan guarantees and let the automakers go through a traditional bankruptcy.
"Don't become the lender. That's not the place for the federal government," Schostak said.
Michigan Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer doesn't buy the argument that the automakers would have survived without the federal funds. He expects voters will be listening closely Wednesday to the 90-minute CNBC-sponsored debate to see what the Republican candidates say about the automakers.
"It seems to me, issue No. 1 is for them to explain, as they hold a debate in the shadow of Chrysler headquarters — the building that now would be a vacant hulk if they all had their way — why they opposed the very successful rescue of the domestic auto industry," Brewer said.
Michigan has the nation's third highest unemployment rate at 11.1 percent, well above the national rate of 9 percent. Four years ago, when GOP candidates gathered for a presidential debate in Dearborn, Michigan had the highest unemployment rate among the 50 states — 7.4 percent.
The candidates want to make a good impression in Michigan, which will hold its GOP presidential primary on Feb. 28, the same day as Arizona. Romney is expected to have an edge in his birth state but it's not a winner-take-all contest, so others could come away with Michigan delegates if they have a strong enough showing.
Many of the leading candidates are gearing up their Michigan campaigns with that in mind, even though Obama won Michigan by 16 points in 2008. The last Republican to win Michigan's presidential contest was then-Vice President George H.W. Bush in 1988.
www.mlive.com/
Monday, November 7, 2011
Verdict returned by Jury (Los Angeles trial of Michael Jackson's doctor): 4:20 p.m. Nov. 7
from USA Today dot-com front page coverage:
Dr. Conrad Murray, cardiologist was convicted Monday of involuntary manslaughter in the drug-overdose death of singer Michael Jackson after a jury deliberated for two days.
Dr. Conrad Murray, cardiologist was convicted Monday of involuntary manslaughter in the drug-overdose death of singer Michael Jackson after a jury deliberated for two days.
Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor handed the case to the seven-man, five-woman jury Thursday after closing arguments by prosecutor David Walgren and lead defense lawyer Ed Chernoff. Over nearly six weeks of testimony, jurors heard from 33 prosecution witnesses and 16 defense witnesses. More than 340 exhibits were available in the jury room as the panel mulled a verdict.
Michael Jackson, 50, died on June 25, 2009, of an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol, aggravated by effects of the sedative lorazepam. Murray, 58, was charged with a single count of involuntary manslaughter. He pleaded not guilty.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Eid al-Adha (Presidential greetings - Holiday) - Sat. Nov. 5, 2011
from OBAMA Food-o-rama (Google blogger):
President Obama today issued greetings on behalf of himself, First Lady Michelle Obama, and the American people to Muslims around the globe who are celebrating Eid, and he offered congratulations for those performing Hajj, saying that thousands of American Muslims are making the pilgrimage to Mecca. He also noted US relief efforts for the devastating Oct. 23 earthquake in Turkey and the ongoing famine in the Horn of Africa, and said that Muslims celebrating Eid will "commemorate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son by distributing food to those less fortunate around the world."
"The Eid and Hajj rituals are a reminder of...the powerful role that faith plays in motivating communities to serve and stand with those in need," President Obama said.
The President's full message:
"Michelle and I extend our greetings for a happy Eid al-Adha to Muslims worldwide and congratulate those performing Hajj. Thousands of Muslim Americans are among those who have joined one of the world’s largest and most diverse gatherings in making the pilgrimage to Mecca and nearby sites.
As Muslims celebrate this Eid, they will also commemorate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son by distributing food to those less fortunate around the world. They join the United States and the international community in relief efforts to assist those struggling to survive in the Horn of Africa and those recovering from the devastating earthquake in Turkey.
The Eid and Hajj rituals are a reminder of the shared roots of the world’s Abrahamic faiths and the powerful role that faith plays in motivating communities to serve and stand with those in need. On behalf of the American people, we extend our best wishes during this Hajj season. Eid Mubarak and Hajj Mabrour."
http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2011/11/obamas-statement-on-hajj-eid-al-adha.html
President Obama today issued greetings on behalf of himself, First Lady Michelle Obama, and the American people to Muslims around the globe who are celebrating Eid, and he offered congratulations for those performing Hajj, saying that thousands of American Muslims are making the pilgrimage to Mecca. He also noted US relief efforts for the devastating Oct. 23 earthquake in Turkey and the ongoing famine in the Horn of Africa, and said that Muslims celebrating Eid will "commemorate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son by distributing food to those less fortunate around the world."
"The Eid and Hajj rituals are a reminder of...the powerful role that faith plays in motivating communities to serve and stand with those in need," President Obama said.
The President's full message:
"Michelle and I extend our greetings for a happy Eid al-Adha to Muslims worldwide and congratulate those performing Hajj. Thousands of Muslim Americans are among those who have joined one of the world’s largest and most diverse gatherings in making the pilgrimage to Mecca and nearby sites.
As Muslims celebrate this Eid, they will also commemorate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son by distributing food to those less fortunate around the world. They join the United States and the international community in relief efforts to assist those struggling to survive in the Horn of Africa and those recovering from the devastating earthquake in Turkey.
The Eid and Hajj rituals are a reminder of the shared roots of the world’s Abrahamic faiths and the powerful role that faith plays in motivating communities to serve and stand with those in need. On behalf of the American people, we extend our best wishes during this Hajj season. Eid Mubarak and Hajj Mabrour."
http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2011/11/obamas-statement-on-hajj-eid-al-adha.html
Conference on 400th Anniversary of KJV Bible: Felician College, NJ - Nov. 16, 2011
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Time: 11:30-2:30 PM
Location: Felician College: The Franciscan College of New Jersey, 260 South Main St., Lodi, New Jersey, United States
Organisation: Felician College
Topic: Bible
Details:
Holy Words: The Felician College Conference Celebrating the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible
On November 16, 2011, Felician College is sponsoring a conference celebrating diverse perspectives on the King James Bible. Scholars from the departments of English and Religious Studies and guest experts will give readings and lectures.Topics include the history of the King James Bible; the KJV and Tyndale; a poet's view of the KJV; Limits of Language: Genesis and Unintended Mysogyny; Creation and Ecocriticism, a Franciscan View; Martin Luther King's Use of the KJV. There will also be a poetry reading, a reading of selected Psalms, a slide show, and presentation of the King James Bible Bibliography. Personal refllections and appreciations of the KJV will also be shared.
The following scholars will make presentations: wing: Dr. Kristen Abbey, Dr. George Cronk, Dr. Anthony Demarest, Dr. Margaret Gardineer, Prof. Margaret Johnston, Dr. Robert McParland, Prof. Dorothy Noble, Mr. Gerard O'Shea, Prof. David Swartz, Dr. Sherida Yoder, Dr. Mara Zukowski.
The event will be held at Felician College: The Franciscan College of New Jersey, at 260 South Main St., Lodi, New Jersey, USA, from 11:30-2:30 PM, in Harmony Hall. It is free and open to the public. Contact: Sherida Yoder, Ph.D., 201-559-6110 or email yoders@felician.edu for further information
Catherine Asaro, Ph.D. -- also Sci-Fi writer (Born Nov. 6, 1955)
from Writer's Almanac (Garrison Keillor, Minnesota Public Radio):
Today (Nov. 6) is the birthday of sci-fi and fantasy novelist Catherine Asaro. She was born in Oakland, California, in 1955. She's the daughter of Frank Asaro, a nuclear chemist who discovered what's known as the "iridium anomaly," an unusually high level of iridium in one particular stratum of rock dating to the end of the Cretaceous Period. Iridium is otherwise quite rare on Earth, but it's common in meteorites, and this discovery led his team of scientists to hypothesize that an asteroid may have struck the Earth 65 million years ago and caused the mass extinction of -- among other organisms -- the dinosaurs.
Catherine Asaro is best known in science fiction circles for her series of novels and novellas, Saga of the Skolian Empire. She also holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University in the field of chemical physics, and is a member of a think tank called SIGMA, which is made up of authors of speculative fiction who advise the government on future trends that may affect national security. She often introduces complex mathematical concepts in her fiction, based on her numerous research publications in that field. Sometimes she includes an essay in the back of the book that explains the concepts more fully, and in lay terms. Here's an example of how her mind works: "When I was making up the story for The Quantum Rose, I was also writing my doctorate, which used quantum scattering theory to give a coupled channel formalism for describing polyatomic photodissociation (such a catchy subject, soon to be a major movie ... or maybe not). I used to lie in bed at night, thinking about my work. The way I relaxed was to let stories evolve in my mind, so the story for The Quantum Rose evolved right along with my thesis work. Pretty soon I was associating characters in the book with quantum scattering processes. It was fun, like putting together a puzzle."
Today (Nov. 6) is the birthday of sci-fi and fantasy novelist Catherine Asaro. She was born in Oakland, California, in 1955. She's the daughter of Frank Asaro, a nuclear chemist who discovered what's known as the "iridium anomaly," an unusually high level of iridium in one particular stratum of rock dating to the end of the Cretaceous Period. Iridium is otherwise quite rare on Earth, but it's common in meteorites, and this discovery led his team of scientists to hypothesize that an asteroid may have struck the Earth 65 million years ago and caused the mass extinction of -- among other organisms -- the dinosaurs.
Catherine Asaro is best known in science fiction circles for her series of novels and novellas, Saga of the Skolian Empire. She also holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University in the field of chemical physics, and is a member of a think tank called SIGMA, which is made up of authors of speculative fiction who advise the government on future trends that may affect national security. She often introduces complex mathematical concepts in her fiction, based on her numerous research publications in that field. Sometimes she includes an essay in the back of the book that explains the concepts more fully, and in lay terms. Here's an example of how her mind works: "When I was making up the story for The Quantum Rose, I was also writing my doctorate, which used quantum scattering theory to give a coupled channel formalism for describing polyatomic photodissociation (such a catchy subject, soon to be a major movie ... or maybe not). I used to lie in bed at night, thinking about my work. The way I relaxed was to let stories evolve in my mind, so the story for The Quantum Rose evolved right along with my thesis work. Pretty soon I was associating characters in the book with quantum scattering processes. It was fun, like putting together a puzzle."
Saturday, November 5, 2011
State Xmas Tree delivered to Lansing, Michigan (Saturday 11/5/11)
from M LIVE dot-com coverage (story posted online during Saturday evening):
A 61-foot mighty blue spruce that didn't start its life with much promise nearly a half-century ago was delivered Saturday to the Capitol lawn as Michigan official Christmas tree.
Found in the middle of a two-lane highway in 1955, the tree donated by Jerry and Beverly Kilburn of Houghton Lake was hoisted in Lansing one day after being chopped down roughly 110 miles north on the family's property. The tree was selected by state officials after nominations were taken from across Michigan.
Beverly Kilburn, 73, said her father noticed the tree lying in the middle of Old 27 after apparently falling off a truck.
"He went out there and got it — and that orphan tree turned into the state Christmas tree," Kilburn told The Associated Press by phone from her home.
Kilburn said she and her 71-year-old husband were approached about their tree honored to donate it. They were excited that a school band and elementary school students showed up Friday armed with poems about the tree.
Making the event even more special, she said, is that Saturday was the couple's 51st wedding anniversary. The 61-foot blue spruce donated by Jerry and Beverly Kilburn of Houghton Lake, MI was hoisted one day after being chopped down roughly 110 miles to the north."I said, 'I'll tell you what, fellas, this is an anniversary present for us,'" Kilburn said she told the timber crew, adding that she asked them to return with a little replacement spruce and they agreed.
The state typically seeks a spruce or fir tree that's about 65 feet tall, with a maximum crown of 30 feet and a maximum 30-inch trunk diameter. It should be available at no cost and must have easy access from a road with no interference from wires.
The Michigan Association of Timbermen and Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association helped cut and transport the tree at no cost to the state. Lansing-based Hi-Ball Co. volunteered a crane and crew to set the tree.
A tree-lighting ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 18 as part of the 27th annual Silver Bells in the City celebration. The tree-lighting has been part of the event since its third year.
The event includes a parade and a performance by Radio Disney pop star Cody Simpson. It culminates with a fireworks display over the Capitol dome, as long as weather permits.
A 61-foot mighty blue spruce that didn't start its life with much promise nearly a half-century ago was delivered Saturday to the Capitol lawn as Michigan official Christmas tree.
Found in the middle of a two-lane highway in 1955, the tree donated by Jerry and Beverly Kilburn of Houghton Lake was hoisted in Lansing one day after being chopped down roughly 110 miles north on the family's property. The tree was selected by state officials after nominations were taken from across Michigan.
Beverly Kilburn, 73, said her father noticed the tree lying in the middle of Old 27 after apparently falling off a truck.
"He went out there and got it — and that orphan tree turned into the state Christmas tree," Kilburn told The Associated Press by phone from her home.
Kilburn said she and her 71-year-old husband were approached about their tree honored to donate it. They were excited that a school band and elementary school students showed up Friday armed with poems about the tree.
Making the event even more special, she said, is that Saturday was the couple's 51st wedding anniversary. The 61-foot blue spruce donated by Jerry and Beverly Kilburn of Houghton Lake, MI was hoisted one day after being chopped down roughly 110 miles to the north."I said, 'I'll tell you what, fellas, this is an anniversary present for us,'" Kilburn said she told the timber crew, adding that she asked them to return with a little replacement spruce and they agreed.
The state typically seeks a spruce or fir tree that's about 65 feet tall, with a maximum crown of 30 feet and a maximum 30-inch trunk diameter. It should be available at no cost and must have easy access from a road with no interference from wires.
The Michigan Association of Timbermen and Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association helped cut and transport the tree at no cost to the state. Lansing-based Hi-Ball Co. volunteered a crane and crew to set the tree.
A tree-lighting ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 18 as part of the 27th annual Silver Bells in the City celebration. The tree-lighting has been part of the event since its third year.
The event includes a parade and a performance by Radio Disney pop star Cody Simpson. It culminates with a fireworks display over the Capitol dome, as long as weather permits.
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