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Dysnomia, the moon of Eris
On September 10th 2005, astronomers at the Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea took a look at
with a new instrument that allows them to see details as precise as those seen from the Hubble Space Telescope. The images quickly revealed that it has a faint moon in orbit around it!
The team that found the satellite included the original discoverers of Eris plus the
large engineering team at the Keck Observatory
who made the observations possible. Technical details about the discovery can be found in the
scientific paper
recently published.
The discovery of Dysnomia, the moon of Eris, from the W.M. Keck Observatory. Eris appears in the center,
while the moon is the small dot at the 3 o'clock position. Credit: M.E. Brown, W.M. Keck Observatory
How was the moon found?
Eris is so far away that the moon appears quite close to it. So close, in fact, that all of the telescopes that have looked at the planet up until now have completely missed it. The telescopes miss it because the earth's atmosphere blurs the view of the planet as the light makes its way to the ground. In the past few years a technique known as Adaptive Optics has allowed astronomers to measure and then partially correct for the blurring caused by the atmosphere. One limitation of Adaptive Optics has been that you must be looking at a very bright object to be able to measure the blurring, otherwise you can make no corrections. The Keck Observatory has recently commissioned a new cutting-edge addition to its Adaptive Optics system. The new addition uses a laser beam launched from the side of the telescope to make an artificial star in the sky right next to the target. This laser star then allows Adaptive Optics to be used even when the target is not particularly bright. Just one year ago, observations such as these would have required the Hubble Space Telescope. Today they can be made from observatories on earth. T
Artist's concept of Eris and Dysnomia.
The sun and other planets
appear in the distance. Credit: R. Hurt, IPAC
Why is the discovery of the moon important?
While we know that Eris is larger than Pluto, that doesn't neccessarily mean it is more massive than Pluto. For example, a snowball could be bigger than a rock, but still be much less massive. Pluto appears to be a combination of ice and rock. If Eris were purely made out of ice, it could be a good deal less massive than Pluto. Alternatively, if it is mostly rock, it could be much more massive than Pluto. The one way to find out the mass of an object like Eris is to hope to find a moon around it. Finding a moon, and then determining the distance that the moon is from the planet and how long it takes the moon to circle the planet allows us to precisely measure the mass of the body. A more massive body will pull on the moon tightly and it will circle the body more quickly. A less massive body will allow the moon to have a slow lazy orbit around the planet.
From a series of seven observations using the Keck Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope, we have now measured the complete orbit of Dysnomia going around Eris. Dysnomia takes almost 16 days to go around Eris. Using equations for used by Isaac Newton to figure out the mass of Jupiter, we can now tell that Eris has a mass 27% higher than that of Pluto (with an uncertainty of only 2%). The full orbit can be seen below.
Our best images came from the Hubble Space Telescope, and clearly showed (much to our suprise) that Dysnomia is the only moon around. These images, shown below, are so good that you also can see some of the artifacts caused by the Hubble Space Telescope itself. In particualr, the spikes coming out of Eris, the spotty "ring" around Eris, and the slight elongation to the right of Eris are all expected patterns caused by the telescope itself, rather than from anything going around Eris.
A second reason that discovering the moon is important is that understanding how moons form provides insight into the history of the solar system. It is quite surprising the 3 of the 4 largest objects in the Kuiper belt (Eris, Pluto, and
) all have moons. Such a large fraction of objects with moons suggests that some very common mechanism must be responsible. In the scientific paper describing the discovery we suggest the hypothesis that the moons of Eris and 2003 EL61 were both formed from a collision between Kuiper belt objects, much like it is thought the the Earth's moon was formed from a collision between the Earth and an object about the size of Mars. Understanding the orbit of the moon around the planet will help to show if this hypothesis is feasible.
Images of the four largest Kuiper belt objects from the Keck Observatory Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics system. Satellites are seen
around all except for 2005 FY9. Without the adaptive optics system the images of the Kuiper belt objects would he
smeared out so much by the earth's atmosphere that the satellites would not be visible. Credit: M. Brown/Keck Observatory
Why is the moon called Dysnomia?
Dysnomia is the mythological daughter of Eris. Eris is, of course, the Greek goddess of discord and strife. Dysnomia is the daemon spirit of lawlessness.
What is the moon made out of?
It was long thought that all moons were made out of green cheese, but that theory has been generally discredited. Currently we have no direct evidence to tell us what the moon is made out of, but we have some educated guesses. We do know that the moon of 2003 EL61 (the third largest object in the Kuiper belt, after Eris and Pluto) appears to be a ball of almost pure frozen water. We know this because we have been able to look at the sunlight reflected off the moon at infrared wavelengths, and the pattern of the light reflected shows us that there is frozen water and nothing else. From the limited information that we have, Dysnomia appears like it might be similar to the moon of 2003 EL61 (2003 EL61 was code named Santa, by the way, so the satellite is, of course, Rudolph). We are planning to use the Hubble Space Telescope later this year to study Dysnomia in more detail.
How big is the moon?
Right now we are not certain how big the moon is, but we can make some guesses based on how much light it reflects. We know that it is about 500 times fainter than Eris, suggesting that it is perhaps 22 times smaller in diameter than Eris. Eris is about 2400 km in diameter, so Dysnomia is perhaps 100 km in diameter. It is possible, however, that Dysnomia has a darker surface than Eris's very frosty highly reflective surface. In this case, Dysnomia could plausibly be as large as about 250 km. To scale, the Pluto-Eris system looks like this:


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Chris Sale shines in first career start to help White Sox down Indians
CLEVELAND -- After one start, Chris Sale's overriding emotion was appropriate.
Throwing more than twice as many pitches as he ever had in the majors, Sale won his first career start, limiting Cleveland to one run in 6 2/3 innings and leading the Chicago White Sox to a 4-2 win over the Indians on Monday night.
Sale pitched out of Chicago's bullpen the past two seasons but was moved into the rotation after ace Mark Buehrle left as a free agent this winter. The left-hander, who had made 79 relief appearances, took a one-hit shutout into the sixth. In his longest outing, Sale allowed three hits and struck out five.
"First one," he said. "So far, so good."
The 23-year-old had little trouble with a Cleveland team that came in batting .153 and stayed at that feeble level.
A.J. Pierzynski hit a two-run homer in the first, four batters after Alejandro De Aza homered leading off against Josh Tomlin (0-1) to stake Sale to a 3-0 lead. The lanky 6-foot-6 Sale took it from there, handling the Indians with ease and making Chicago's decision to convert him from reliever to starter look good after one game.
"He threw great," said first-year manager Robin Ventura. "We probably could have left him in there. Very happy with what he did tonight. He had velocity and a slider to go with it. He's been kind of doing that all spring and it's kind of nice to see him bring that outside of Arizona."
Rookie Hector Santiago gave up Jose Lopez's leadoff homer in the ninth before getting his second save, closing out Sale's first win.
"That's a view of the future," starter Jake Peavy said to reporters as Sale dressed nearby.
The White Sox hope so.
Indians manager Manny Acta rested some of his left-handed regulars after a long season-opening series with Toronto and because of how tough Sale can be on lefties.
It didn't do much good.
Sale handled Cleveland's right-handed hitters, too.
"He was overpowering at times," Acta said. "He had a good fastball with tail and a sharp slider. He's very deceptive and runs into the 90s with sink."
When the White Sox selected Sale in the first round in 2010, the team's immediate need was for a reliever and he had been reliable in that role. But Buehrle's departure left open a spot in the rotation and the White Sox decided to pulled him from the bullpen. If his first start is any indication, he seems to be in the right spot.
Sale coasted into the seventh before giving up a leadoff single to Shelley Duncan. He came back and got Jason Kipnis to hit into a double play, but Ventura, who said before the game that Sale was not on a strict pitch count, decided 100 was enough and pulled his young lefty.
As he stepped into Chicago's dugout, Sale was warmly greeted by high-fives from his teammates.
Sale credited Pierzynski with calling a good game behind the plate.
"He was huge," Sale said of his catcher. "He called a great game. It sounds stupid, but I was just out there throwing the pitches."
The White Sox needed just five batters to double their home run total for the season in the first.
De Aza connected on Tomlin's fourth pitch for Chicago's first leadoff homer since Oct. 2, 2009. Paul Konerko hit a grounder up the middle that shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera caught up to but didn't field cleanly. Pierzynski followed by rocketing a 2-0 pitch into the lower seats in right to make it 3-0.
The three runs matched the entire amount allowed by Cleveland starters Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez and Derek Lowe in 22 innings.
Tomlin dusted himself off after the rough beginning and recorded his seventh strikeout in the fifth before De Aza doubled with two outs and scored when Brent Morel lined an RBI single off first baseman Lopez's glove.
Sale allowed only Aaron Cunningham's two-out single in the second and carried a 4-0 lead into the sixth before the Indians finally scored.
With two outs, Sale hit Shin-Soo Choo on the left hand, sending Cleveland's right fielder sprawling in the dirt near home plate. Last season, Choo missed eight weeks after his left thumb was broken by San Francisco's Jonathan Sanchez and needed surgery. Choo stayed in and promptly stole second before Carlos Santana brought him home with a single to right.
"That was a big scare," Acta said. "It shattered his thumb protector. He came back and swung well and got a hit. So I don't think there's any fear."
Chicago's bullpen had not allowed an earned run in 8 2/3 innings before Lopez connected in the ninth, hammering a 2-2 pitch off the foul pole in left.
Game notes
White Sox RF Alex Rios had a Little League-like error in the seventh when he dropped a routine fly that bounced embarrassingly off his glove. ... Konerko, who needs four homers to reach 400 for his career, tied Hall of Famer Luke Appling for second place in club history with 3,528 total bases. ... The White Sox plan to tour the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Tuesday. ... Pierzynski is the only catcher in baseball to record 1,000 or more innings caught in each of the last 10 seasons. He's three shy of 1,500 career games.
CHW win 2-0
Game Information
- Umpires:
- Home Plate Umpire - Vic Carapazza
- First Base Umpire - Gerry Davis
- Second Base Umpire - Greg Gibson
- Third Base Umpire - Phil Cuzzi

subset: commoncrawl


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This review from our Red Pill Documentaries page covers Police State 4-The Rise of FEMA which was released in 2010. The Rise of FEMA is the latest version of the Alex Jones Police State documentaries, and centers around the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
In this film Jones points out that this government agency has been building internment camps all over the United States, for purposes that include detention of U.S. citizens. The film also shows the executive orders, which allows FEMA to suspend the bill of rights and place us under martial law with no authority from Congress.
Jones jam-packs this documentary with tons of great information regarding the loss of our rights and freedoms. He also gives us government documents that show for a fact that through executive order after executive order following 911, our Bill of Rights has been completely dismantled. The fact that the film shows the government's own documents and gives the viewers the government's own web sites where they can research this information, makes it a must watch for anybody who still believes that our government upholds the Constitution.
Jones points to many recent incidences wherein the U.S military was used against our fellow citizens, including the disarmament of the citizens of Louisiana following hurricane Katrina. The very fact that our soldiers have busted into our homes and forcefully taken our weapons is an act of war and must not be tolerated.
Any soldier who acts out against his own people is a traitor and guilty of the worst kind of treason. Anybody who believes that following orders excuses them from wrong, needs to look into the Nuremburg Trials and see what happens to soldiers who betray the citizens of their country.
Jones also points out the use of our military to break up peaceful protests being performed by law abiding citizens. It really blows me away too see U.S. soldiers standing against their own people. Are they so brainwashed that they will follow orders to the point of attacking what they have sworn to defend? Do they not understand that the American people have the right to protest?
Perhaps we should request that our soldiers read our Constitution and Bill of Rights, so they will know what they are swearing to uphold.


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Received from the Publisher
From the BLURB:
Hilarious and heartbreaking, Creepy & Maud charts the relationship between two social misfits, played out in the space between their windows.
Creepy is a boy who watches from the shadows keenly observing and caustically commentating on human folly.
Maud is less certain. A confused girl with a condition that embarrasses her parents and assures her isolation.
Together Creepy and Maud discover something outside their own vulnerability — each other's. But life is arbitrary; and loving someone doesn't mean you can save them.
Hilarious and heartbreaking, Creepy & Maud charts the relationship between two social misfits, played out in the space between their windows.
Creepy is a boy who watches from the shadows keenly observing and caustically commentating on human folly.
Maud is less certain. A confused girl with a condition that embarrasses her parents and assures her isolation.
Together Creepy and Maud discover something outside their own vulnerability — each other's. But life is arbitrary; and loving someone doesn't mean you can save them.
Creepy & Maud is a blackly funny and moving first novel that says; 'You're ok to be as screwed up as you think you are and you're not alone in that.'
Creepy and Maud are neighbours and on the outskirts, of everything.
So, they watch everything.
They watch their parents like they're observing a particularly gruesome animal documentary. Creepy watches them yell blue murder at one another; he monitors the half-empty glasses of wine his mum stores around the house, and he quietly observes his dad training their dog, Dobie Squires, to attack his wife with a yelled "Gitah!" (get her). Maud watches her quiet mother, her mother who never cries. She sees her father lurking around the house, seeking out her mother's cat to kick.
Creepy watches the people at school. He notices how the clique of beautiful girls are currently obsessed with Pandora bracelets, wrapping all their hopes and dreams up in tiny charms. Maud sees the shaking, sweating hands of their French teacher.
Creepy and Maud are on the outskirts, quietly watching.
And then, one day, Creepy starts watching Maud. From across the way he sees that his bedroom window looks into hers (if her curtains are open and Creepy stands a certain way and uses a pair of relic binoculars). Creepy watches Maud pulling on her hair – the hair atop her head, on her eyelashes, even the hair . . . down there. He watches Maud draw. He watches Maud's father yell at her. He watches Maud being . . . Maud. And Creepy falls in love.
So he holds a note up to his window for her to see . . .
. . . And then Maud starts watching Creepy right back.
'Creepy and Maud' is the debut young adult novel from Australian author, Dianne Touchell.
Creepy and Maud take turns narrating their unfolding romance, beginning with Creepy observing the decidedly unromantic life of his parents who have not set a very good example for their young son. In fact, Creepy begins so sceptical about love that he does not like to be touched, by anybody. But then he starts observing Maud across the way, he takes note that she has Trichotillomania – enjoys pulling her hair out – and he is intrigued at her manifestation of pain. He's also intrigued by her drawing, her cat's eye glasses and eventually everything about her.
Creepy is Creepy partly because he's invisible – always with his head in a book, his superior mind doesn't leave him much room to tolerate most kids his age. He reads the classics, from Kerouac to Thomas Hardy, 'The Man in the Iron Mask' and 'Peter Pan'. He quotes Lewis Carroll to Maud via a written message held up to his window, inadvertently appealing to her love of five's (five letters, five-word sentences, five syllables. . .) But he's also Creepy because he falls in love with Maud, fast and from a distance;
All right, so I have spent a bit of time looking in there. It's funny how when you watch someone for a while, as you learn them, you begin to feel as if they're complicit in the observation. As if you have their permission. As if they actually feel you watching, and like it. That's when I got careless, though. That's when I got comfortable.
Am I sounding creepy? Love is sort of creepy.
When you fall in love, you presuppose all sorts of things about the person. You superimpose all kinds of ideals and fantasies on them. You create all manner of unrealistic, untenable, unsatisfiable criteria for that person, automatically guaranteeing their failure and your heartbreak. And what do we call it? Romance. Now, that's creepy.
This is such a lyrical, beautiful novel about a kooky suburban love story between teenage neighbours. It's really a very simple story, insomuch as a love story can be simple, but it's the characters of Creepy and Maud that make this book seem rather grandiose. And it's Touchell's fresh and delicious prose that makes this novel truly unforgettable.
Creepy is a very articulate, observant young man with a dark, dark, dark sense of humour. He starts out seeing the world in such a wonderfully austere way, but he starts to slowly and subtly change when he begins watching Maud. Suddenly, all those romantic books he reads come in handy. One day he sees Maud not looking her usual gloomy self, and he describes the image thus; "With a smile like a shiver on a landscape." Urgh! He's gorgeous; even more so for being a little bit mysterious to both Maud and the reader.
Creepy falling for Maud is a little bit of a miracle, considering the romantic role models his parent's aren't. So when he does fall, it's a little bit spectacular;
And I wonder what would happen if we touched each other. Would we repulse each other like charged magnets held south to south, or would we short each other out and curl together like the knuckles of bone in the spine of a sleeping cat?
Maud is equally fascinating. She doesn't think she's as articulate as Creepy, or as smart (what with all those books he reads). Maud understands the world through drawing, her grandma and the sweet sensation of 'pulling'. She yearns for a real friend, but doesn't know how to get one. And she thinks Creepy's parents love each other, since they still have enough passion to yell at one another. Each of her chapters ends with a Coda – the sum of her thoughts that reveal Maud is a lot smarter than anybody gives her credit for;
Coda: I wait for the light to fascinate me.
'Creepy and Maud' is a disarmingly wonderful novel. It's funny, dark and weird; a neighbourly love story across the ways that contrasts the horrors of suburban family values with the seismic tremors of first love. Creepy is severely witty, and Maud a fascinatingly complex young woman. Dianne Touchell is most certainly a sharp new voice to look out for on the Australian YA scene.


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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE:TWC) said today that its Board of Directors has unanimously rejected a third grossly inadequate proposal from Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR) to acquire TWC. The proposal was described only generally in a letter received today from Charter as being in the "low $130s." Based on an interview with Charter CEO, Tom Rutledge, Bloomberg reported that the offer was for $132.50, consisting of $83.00 in cash and $49.50 in Charter stock. Charter had previously offered cash and stock nominally valued at approximately $114 in June and approximately $127 in October.
Rob Marcus, Time Warner Cable's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said: "Charter's latest proposal is a non-starter. First and foremost, it substantially undervalues TWC and would represent an EBITDA multiple of approximately 7X, well below past transactions in the cable sector. Indeed, our high-quality assets, unique scale, synergy potential, growth opportunities and strong financial position should command a premium valuation compared to precedent transactions, not the discount offered by Charter. Not only is the nominal valuation far too low, but because a significant portion of the purchase price would be in Charter stock, the actual value delivered to TWC shareholders could be substantially lower given the valuation, operational, and significant balance sheet risks embedded in Charter's stock."
"TWC is a one-of-a-kind company. We are the only large pure-play, non-family controlled cable operator in the United States, with 15 million customers in some of the country's best markets. We have an incredibly robust network, having invested almost $15 billion in CapEx since our separation from Time Warner Inc. in 2009. We are continually enhancing the capacity of that network to support future growth and expansion of our product offerings, adding significantly faster data speeds and advanced multi-platform video offerings. In short, we're in a great business and confident we have the right assets, the right people and the right strategic plan to deliver great experiences to our customers and create significant value for our shareholders. Our shareholders deserve to realize that value and benefit from the unique position of the company."
Marcus continued, "Our job above all is to act in the best interests of our shareholders. We are not seeking to sell the company, but consistent with what we have always said about maximizing shareholder value, on December 27 we made it clear to Charter that our Board is open to a transaction with Charter at a price of $160 per TWC share, consisting of $100 in cash and $60 per share of Charter common stock, subject to a symmetrical 20 percent collar to protect our shareholders on the value of Charter shares, which currently trade at a historically high multiple. The $160 price represents a forward multiple of only approximately 8X. We gave Charter our bottom line, but rather than pursuing this path, Charter has chosen to go public with its third low-ball offer trying to pressure TWC's Board into selling the Company at a grossly inadequate price."
N.J. Nicholas, Jr., the independent lead director of the TWC Board, added, "The Board takes very seriously its obligation to maximize shareholder value and, on that basis, we gave Charter our bottom line. The Charter proposal doesn't come close to providing our shareholders with the kind of value and protections they should expect in a transaction. In fact, it would transfer significant value from our shareholders to Charter shareholders, while dramatically increasing the risk profile for our shareholders. As such, it is wholly inconsistent with the interests of our investors and our responsibilities as a Board."
Morgan Stanley, Allen & Company and Citigroup are serving as financial advisors to Time Warner Cable, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is legal counsel.
About Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC) is among the largest providers of video, high-speed data and voice services in the United States, connecting more than 15 million customers to entertainment, information and each other. Time Warner Cable Business Class offers data, video and voice services to businesses of all sizes, cell tower backhaul services to wireless carriers and enterprise-class, cloud-enabled hosting, managed applications and services. Time Warner Cable Media, the advertising arm of Time Warner Cable, offers national, regional and local companies innovative advertising solutions. More information about the services of Time Warner Cable is available at www.twc.com, www.twcbc.com and www.twcmedia.com.
Time Warner Cable expects to file a proxy statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and to provide any definitive proxy statement to its security holders. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF TIME WARNER CABLE ARE URGED TO READ THIS DOCUMENT AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED BY TIME WARNER CABLE WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the definitive proxy statement (when available) and any other documents filed with the SEC by Time Warner Cable through the web site maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.
Time Warner Cable and certain of its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in a solicitation under the rules of the SEC. Security holders may obtain information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of Time Warner Cable's directors and executive officers in Time Warner Cable's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, which was filed with the SEC on February 15, 2013, and its proxy statement for the 2013 Annual Meeting, which was filed with the SEC on April 4, 2013. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above. Additional information regarding the interests of these participants in any proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will also be included in any proxy statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC if and when they become available.
This communication does not constitute an offer to buy or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities. This document includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and we intend that all such statements be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the federal securities laws. Statements herein regarding future financial and operating results and any other statements about future expectations constitute "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "believe," "expects," "anticipates," "projects," "intends," "should," "estimates" or similar expressions. These statements are based on management's current expectations or beliefs, and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements herein due to changes in economic, business, competitive, technological, strategic and/or regulatory factors, and other factors affecting the operations of Time Warner Cable. More detailed information about these factors may be found in filings by Time Warner Cable with the SEC, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Time Warner Cable is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.


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Serving as the northern gateway to Orange County's 42 miles of coastline, this quiet, down-to-earth community is the perfect seaside destination to call home, visit, or locate your business. Seal Beach is named after the seals that once frequented its beachfront. Today, the city is filled with quaint neighborhoods and hometown appeal.
Wide, sandy expanses and several great surf spots make Seal Beach a favorite community among locals, and conditions are ideal for kitesurfing, windsurfing, and building sandcastles.
Location: On the coast, approximately 28 miles south of Los Angeles - between the cities of Long Beach and Huntington Beach.
County: Orange
Airport: Seal Beach is served by the John Wayne (Orange County) Airport (SNA), the Long Beach Airport (LGB), and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Seal Beach is 20 miles north of SNA, six miles south of LGB, and 27 miles south of LAX.
City Area: Seal Beach has a total area of 13.1 square miles. 11.3 square miles of this is land and 1.8 square miles is water.
Beach: 1.5 miles of beach, from 1st Street through Surfside
Pier: Seal Beach is home to the second longest wooden pier in the state of California. Originally built in the early 1900's, the pier was rebuilt in the 1980's after a storm destroyed two sections.
Parks: The current park system, as of May 2013, includes the operation of 18 parks for a total of 75.45 acres, four Community Centers, one Tennis Center, one Gymnasium (Indoor Sports Facility), and one Aquatics Facility.
Elevation: 15 feet above sea level
Rainfall: Average annual rainfall of 14 inches
Temperature: Average temperature ranges from 70º F in summer to 55º F in winter
Population: The population according to 2020 census is 25,282
City tree: Carob tree
City flower: Chrysanthemum
Government: Seal Beach is a Charter city, operating under the City Council-City Manager form of government.
City Council: The Seal Beach City Council is comprised of five members. Seal Beach's mayor is selected annually from among the City Council Members.
Employees: The City has approximately 100 full-time employees
Did you know that the City of Seal Beach was first known as Bay City, but there was already a Bay City located in Northern California? When the time came to incorporate on October 25, 1915, the town was named Seal Beach.


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- February 20, 2024
Linda Nesselhauf has assumed the top post at Lakewood Ranch High School.
An original member of the Mustang administrative team, Nesselhauf has spent the last two years as assistant principal at Manatee High School.
Nesselhauf, a Braden Woods resident has spent her entire educational career in Manatee County. She began as a middle school English teacher at Lincoln Middle in 1976 and began assuming administrative roles in 1985 as the coordinator teacher/advisers program at Bayshore High School and then as a grade level administrator at Harllee Middle School.
In 1996, she became an assistant principal on assignment for Manatee, meeting with parents, assisting in reviewing and monitoring of school improvement plans and substituting for absent principals in schools without assistant principals, among other responsibilities.
She formally began her administrative career as an assistant principal at Lakewood Ranch High School in 1998, where she served until 2007.
"My first core value is that you should have honesty and integrity," she said. "I believe in being upfront. You have to be trustworthy."
Nesselhauf said her top two priorities as an administrator are student safety and education. She said she would look at best practices for improving safety on campus and look at data to make sure that Lakewood continues as an "A" school.
Nesselhauf also said she wants to better implement the district's strategic plan by encouraging students to set goals for themselves and making learning relevant.


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HII Regions - Stellar Nurseries
Hidden in the sword of Orion the hunter, a weapon and symbol of death, lies the birthplace of new stars - the stunning Orion Nebula, one of the many objects catalogued by Charles Messier in the 18th century during his hunt for comets. Messier noted the position of the nebula because he didn't want to mistake it for a comet. Too bad he didn't notice the spectacular event taking place in the nebula, which he named M42. Nestled in the center of M42 is a group of stars, known as the Trapezium, which have formed from the gas in the nebula.
From their spectra, we can determine that these stars are blue and hot. We can determine the distance to these stars and thus figure out that they are quite bright. The theory of stellar evolution tells us that hot, bright, blue stars are very young. So by studying the stars in the centers of objects like the Orion Nebula, we realize that HII regions are the birthplaces of stars.
The Orion nebula is more or less circular in shape, and it glows
with a characteristic red color. All these types of stellar
nurseries, called HII regions, have this color. There are many HII
regions with young stars in the disk of our Galaxy.


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Written By Michael B. Farrell | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
Dara O'Rourke wants to change the way we shop. He already is spurring a growing number of cautious consumers to think twice about what they buy – from soap to soup, detergent to deodorant. Mr. O'Rourke is cofounder of a website and iPhone app called
GoodGuide, a sort of CliffsNotes to the confounding and complex world of ingredients typically – but not always – found listed on the back of everyday products.
In less than a year, O'Rourke and a team of scientists and engineers working out of an office in downtown San Francisco have analyzed the ingredients in more than 75,000 products. And they have rated them from 0 to 10 – with 10 being the best score – based on their environmental impact, as well as on health and social factors.
It's all in the name of transparency, O'Rourke says. Even the savviest shopper knows little about most ingredients listed on the most common grocery store items. With GoodGuide providing better information, the public "will make better choices about what they buy," says O'Rourke, a professor of environmental and labor policy at the University of California, Berkeley. "Transparency will make the world better."
For instance, who knew that aluminum starch octenylsuccinate, an ingredient often found in men's grooming products, was a neurotoxin – or that an active ingredient in most sunscreens is oxybenzone, which, when exposed to sunlight, is potentially carcinogenic?
"We basically don't know anything about the products we buy. In some ways, we live in the Dark Ages when we go shopping," he says.
For most of his academic career, O'Rourke has analyzed the environmental and social impact of the massive global supply chain by which most goods end up on American shelves. He's worked in Chinese factories and with major American corporations.
But when he began thinking about the products in his own house, he realized he knew very little about what he was actually using.
O'Rourke began by investigating the contents of the sunscreen and shampoo he purchased for his daughter. He was surprised about what he found – skin irritants and carcinogenic properties.
Along with his Berkeley students, he started examining other products. They found that a fruit drink, which advertised itself as healthy, contained more sugar than a soft drink. They found toys covered in toxic lead paint. And they developed a database – which sparked the idea for GoodGuide.com. While they were discovering bad stuff, they also started looking for alternatives. "Almost immediately I moved from the bad news...," O'Rourke says. "I wanted to find the good products."
Items are rated from 0 to 10, but few land at those extremes. A rating between 6 and 8 would be good, while 3 to 5 would be not-so-good. GoodGuide says it uses more than 600 criteria to evaluate products. When considering environmental impact, for instance, it looks at data on the product's entire life cycle – from how it's manufactured to how it decomposes in a landfill. In terms of corporate social values, GoodGuide looks at worker pay, disclosure policies, and charitable contributions.
An item might receive a high health score but an average environmental rating. For instance, Burt's Bees Medicated Lip Balm scored a perfect 10 in health but 7.6 in environmental impact for an overall score of 8.6. Consumers can decide which categories they value most.
GoodGuide has arrived at a time of growing consumer consciousness about the health and environmental effects of consumer goods. It also comes as more and more companies are marketing their products as being "green" – organic, ecofriendly, natural, or nontoxic. Part of the role of GoodGuide is to be a fact checker for consumers and ensure that advertisers and manufacturers aren't "greenwashing" their wares.
"It is currently virtually impossible for an average consumer to access the information they need to evaluate if a product is truly green or healthy," O'Rourke recently told a congressional panel looking into "green" marketing.
Consumer advocates are calling for new federal green-marketing standards – similar to guidelines the United States Department of Agriculture uses for organic certification. While the Federal Trade Commission has gone after companies for falsely marketing products as green and has said it will issue new guidelines for environmental marketing, critics say that the FTC isn't moving fast enough.
Kevin Tuerff, president of the environmental-marketing agency Enviromedia, says the government could offer a "green seal" that would verify a product's environmental claims. "If you can make green purchasing easy, then I think more and more people will do it," he says.
That's where GoodGuide's iPhone app comes in handy, O'Rourke says. He is in talks with several grocery retailers to sync their inventory with his database to allow GoodGuide users to quickly find the products they care about. He envisions GoodGuide users walking into a market and their iPhone's location-tracking software recognizing that they just entered the store. From there, the phone tells them which aisle has highly rated organic pasta or an ecofriendly bottle of shampoo.
"We want to help people find the products that match their values," O'Rourke says.
Companies are beginning to see that a world of "radical transparency" about their products is coming, O'Rourke says.
"Product-ratings tools like the GoodGuide are creating awareness for consumers...," Drummond Lawson, environmental strategist of the San Francisco-based home care and personal products company Method, said in an e-mail response to questions. "In March of 2009, we published the technical names on our website product pages. This was part of a strategy to empower consumers to better validate the health and environmental effects of the products they purchase."
"There's a whole world asking for this information," O'Rourke says, and GoodGuide is trying to keep up with the demand. It will keep reviewing new products, tweaking its website, and improving its iPhone app – all in an effort to help people become smarter shoppers.


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A First Nations chief from British Columbia's Interior region says the COVID-19 pandemic has made it easier to explain how important high-speed communications are for keeping small communities connected.
Williams Lake First Nation Chief Willie Sellars says artisans in his community have been able to use TikTok and Facebook to promote their products while physical marketplaces are shut due to public health restrictions.
But he says faster, more reliable internet can't come quickly enough for businesses and people outside major urban centres.
Indigenomics Institute founder and CEO Carol Anne Hilton agrees. She says a number of digital platforms have emerged during the pandemic, including the ShopFirstNations.com portal that acts as a gateway between customers and Indigenous businesses.
But she says the pandemic has also illustrated the great disparity in digital technologies, which many rural communities cannot reliably access.
The remarks came during a panel discussion hosted by the Logic to discuss internet connectivity for Indigenous communities in British Columbia.
The Canadian Press
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Fundraiser Prizes + An Essential + Giveaway
(Quick note: I had mentioned yesterday that I would have a fun surprise on March 1. But time wasn't on my side today and I had to delay it until Monday. Sorry!)
Hello! Hope your Monday was fabulous.
First, I wanted to let you know that my friend, Kristina, is doing a fundraiser for MS and has some great prizes, including some from me. Click HERE to check it out.
I get a lot of questions about the most essential crafting product that exists: white cardstock.
I only have one white cardstock in my house and I used it for everything: Neenah Classic Solar White.
I buy it in bulk. Want proof? 1,000 sheets…
I use this cardstock because it is bright white, nice and thick, works great with inking techniques, perfect for stamping and my fave for Copics. So, basically, you can use it for everything.
I get my cardstock HERE at Ellen Hutson. (She has excellent customer service.) You can buy it in reams – 250 sheets – which gives a great price. Or, you can packs of 25 HERE.
Want to give Neenah a try? Just leave a comment here by Wednesday night and I will pick a winner of 50 sheets of this delicious white cardstock. Good luck!


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Terrible's Gold Dealer
Gold Dealers Las Vegas, NV
Looking to turn your unwanted gold into cash? Look no further than Terrible's Gold Dealer! Our knowledgeable and experienced team will help you get the most for your gold. Whether you have old jewelry, coins, or bullion, we'll carefully evaluate each piece to determine its worth and offer you a fair price. At Terrible's Gold Dealer, we understand that selling your gold can be a daunting process. That's why we've created a comfortable and professional environment where you can feel confident in your decision to sell. Our team will answer all your questions, give you a detailed explanation about the evaluation process, as well as work with you to ensure a smooth transaction. Terrible's Gold Dealer is the best place to sell your gold. With our friendly service, fair prices, and commitment to customer satisfaction, you can trust us to make your selling experience a positive one.
Las Vegas (US: ; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area and is the largest city within the greater Mojave Desert. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city, known primarily for its gambling, shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife. The Las Vegas Valley as a whole serves as the leading financial, commercial, and cultural center for Nevada. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its luxurious and extremely large casino-hotels together with their associated activities.
Amber Hills, Appaloosa Canyon Quarterhorse Falls, Berkley Square, Beverly Green, Bradley Ranch, Briar Hill Park, Canyon Creek North, Centennial Heights, Centennial Hills, Centennial Point, Charleston, Charleston Heights, Charleston Preservation, Copperfield, Desert Park


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This is the first year that I won't get to spend Mother's Day with my mom. I'm pretty bummed. Flights were just too expensive ($800 to fly east?! really?) and I'm flying to Michigan later this month for a family wedding anyway. Ann Arbor friends! I'm coming your way….it will be my first trip ever to the great state of Michigan! I'm going to take my "mature dress" for a test run—thank you all so much for the great ideas on what to wear with it. Right now, I'm thinking hot pink pumps…
So even though I don't get to spend Mother's Day with my mom (I get to spend it teaching yoga to cyclists), I wanted to share a fun brunch idea with you guys that will be perfect if you're lucky enough to spend Sunday with your mom.
Let's be honest, who doesn't pick the top off their muffin and eat that part first? (Hand raising high)
What I really like to do, though, is "split" a muffin with Adam. I break off the entire top, stuff it in my mouth and give him the bottom. Totally fair, right? I think so.
Well, muffin top lovers rejoice! Now you can bake an entire batch of just the crunchy, sweet, fluffy tops! Whatever the question is, I think these muffin tops are the answer.
Serve with iced tea (or mimosas!), skillet baked eggs and some bacon for breakfast or brunch! Then, invite me over because that's a meal I really want to be a part of.
If blueberry and coconut isn't your thing, try your own variation! Raspberries would be nice…or blackberries…even chopped strawberries! Or you could just skip all that fruit nonsense and load these suckers down with chocolate chips.
Coconut Blueberry Muffin Tops
adapted from blackberry orange muffins
makes about 14 muffin tops
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp orange zest
12 oz blueberries
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
2 eggs
for topping—
2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 tsp slivered almonds
Preheat your oven to 375.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, orange zest, baking powder, coconut and salt together. Gently add the blueberries and stir so that the berries are covered with flour. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, one by one, until thoroughly combined. Add the milk and blend.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and toss gently, being careful not to crush the berries. Scoop 1/4 cup amount of batter onto a lined baking sheet, about 3 inches apart.
Combine the sweetened flaked coconut and slivered almonds to make the topping. Set aside (do not immediately top muffin tops).
Bake muffin tops for 10 minutes then carefully sprinkle about a tablespoon or so of topping on each. Bake for another 10-12 minutes until golden.
Let cool for five minutes on the sheet pan then use a spatula to remove.
40 minutes


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When it comes to truly enjoying summer, spending time outside having fun in the sunshine is always at the top of the list. After the long, never-ending winter around here, we're ready to take on the great outdoors as much as possible while we have the chance.
And, with kids, that of course means toys. Whether we're in the kiddie pool, at the beach, playing at the park or just hanging out in the backyard, I'm always on the lookout for the items that are going to keep my girls entertained and happy all summer long.
This year that has been even easier thanks to Prime Time Toys and their latest and greatest outdoor and pool toys that are fun for all ages.
When it comes to having fun in the sun, Prime Time Toys has a wide selection of products that are designed to help kids get active and get the most out of summer. Whether you are looking for something small and simple or large and intricate, they are sure to have a toy for every age and interest.
This year, the company has a variety of new toys that are sure to be a big hit with any kid. Adding items like Splash Pets, Golf Set, Splash Sword, Battle Gear and rapid-fire foam blasting products to their lineup, these are just right for providing entertainment for the whole family. When the Splash Disc, 6-Piece Splash Combo, and the DartZone Dartstorm Gatling Blaster arrived, we were sure ready to head outside and enjoy the fun!
Prime Time Toys' water toys are super-absorbent, in that they can hold up to 10 times their weight in water. Whether in or out of the water, these soft, high performance items can be thrown, caught, dunked, flung, and more with ease.
Right away the bright colors and cute designs of the Splash Disc and the 6-Piece Splash Combo (including 2 Splash Pets, 3 Splash Cubes and 1 Splash Ring) caught the attention of my kids, who couldn't wait to get them out into the yard.
They immediately liked how easy they were to hold in their hands, while I appreciated that the soft, squeezable nature of them ensured no one would get hurt if accidentally bonked with one.
They loved bringing the Splash Pets on a variety of water adventures...
...using the Splash Disc as a throwing disc...
...but also as more creative things such as a boat or a seat to slide on.
Whether used as intended or in an imaginative new way, Prime Time Toys' water toys are really great for endless entertainment in the pool and backyard. Whether you are actually in the water tossing them around or just standing nearby dipping them in and out, these work for keeping kids cool while providing a great time for all.
For a twist on the enjoyment outdoors, however, Prime Time Toys has taken things up a notch this summer with the introduction of two new ways to have a backyard battle: the DartZone Quickfire 12 and the DartZone Dartstorm Gatling Blaster, the latter of which we pulled out in awe.
Designed for ages 6 and up, the Gatling Blaster is a rapid-fire machine gun toy that is for kids who are looking for some serious fun! With 25 foam darts, an ammo belt to hold them in, and a power trigger that causes sound effects and packs some definite shooting power, this is one way to ensure there is a lot of laughing and happy times to come.
Simply insert 6 AA batteries (not included) and you're ready to load up the ammo belt with the foam darts.
Once they are all loaded in and pushed down into their slots (which is easy for kids to do), the belt is easily loaded into the middle and ready for action.
Turning on the power switch and pulling the trigger, the rotating barrel and continuous shooting (25 darts can fly in 15 seconds!) make Big Sister E and Little Sister B laugh every time. Even though we don't do a lot with toy guns around here, they have been able to easily incorporate this into their love of pretend play.
As well as getting a kick out of the rotating barrel and watching the darts fly all over the yard (then turning into a game of search to find them all), they love giggling at themselves as they come up with various scenarios about keeping our house and yard safe from "the bad guys."
Known for receiving multiple awards for their top products, Prime Time Toys has done a great job of including sturdy quality and durability with their 2011 collection. Retailing from $7.99 to $16.99 for their foam water toys, $24.99 for the Dartzone Quickfire 12, and $49.99 for the Dartstorm Gatling Blaster, you're sure to find just the item for the children in your life.
When you are in need of a fun way to cool off or have fun in the pool or backyard, Prime Time Toys has been entertaining families for 20 years and isn't stopping now! You'll find their products available at retailers near you as well as online at Amazon, Toys 'R Us, and more.
And, thanks to their generosity, one person will be able to provide a summer full of creative laughter as well, because...
To enter to win: Visit Prime Time Toys and tell me something that you thought was interesting or that you learned there.
Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).
1 Extra Entry if you head over to A Mom's Balancing Act and enter to win a Splash Golf toy and a 2-pack of Splash Pets from Prime Time Toys!
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the Fun in the Sun giveaways (Fun in the Sun giveaways ONLY) running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!
2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email or become a fan on Facebook.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you have our Fun in the Sun button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.
Giveaway will end on July 15th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.
A big thank you to Prime Time Toys for providing outdoor and water toys for me to review as well as a DartZone Dartstorm Gatling Blaster for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.


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Media Options
- Josh Foxdirector of the Academy Award-nominated film Gasland. He is currently helping the campaign to stop natural gas fracking in the Delaware River Basin.
This week the Delaware River Basin Commission released draft regulations to allow for the natural gas drilling technique hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, in the river's watershed, which provides water to 15.6 million people in New York City, Philadelphia and New Jersey. The proposed plan would allow for some 20,000 gas wells to be developed in the watershed. A vote on the regulations is set for Nov. 21 and could prompt a battle between activists and the White House, which holds a seat on the commission and may cast the deciding vote. We speak with Josh Fox, whose documentary about fracking, "Gasland," was nominated for an Academy Award, and play an excerpt of his new video about the possible impacts natural gas fracking could have in the Delaware River Basin. [includes rush transcript]
AMY GOODMAN: While environmentalists are claiming a temporary victory after the Obama administration put off approving the tar sands oil pipeline, another major fight between environmentalists and the White House is brewing in the Northeast. Earlier this week, the Delaware River Basin Commission released draft regulations to allow for the major natural gas drilling technique known as "fracking" in the river's watershed. The Commission is expected to vote on the rules on November 21st. With one seat on the Commission, the White House may cast the deciding vote. The states of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware also each have a representative on the board.
In a moment we'll be joined by the film director and activist Josh Fox, who made the Academy Award-nominated film Gasland. But first let's turn to his new short web video about this upcoming vote.
JOSH FOX: The Delaware River has never been in greater danger. There's never been a more decisive or important moment in the fight against fracking and the Delaware River Basin than right now. Gas drilling companies have leased over 200,000 acres that border the Delaware River and its tributaries. For the past three-and-a-half years, thousands upon thousands of citizens and scores of organizations have fought to keep gas drilling of the Delaware River Basin. And for the past three-and-a-half years, the region has been in moratorium. On November 21st, all that could change.
On November 21st, the Delaware River Basin Commission will decide whether or not to end that moratorium and pass a plan that would allow for 20,000 gas wells in the Delaware River Basin. The Upper Delaware is one of the Northeast's most important watershed areas, providing clean water to Trenton, Philadelphia, southern New Jersey, and it is part of the interconnected watershed system that provides water to New York City—altogether, providing water to 15 million people.
Gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing is an inherently contaminating industrial process that injects millions of gallons of water, laced with toxic chemicals, at enormous pressure to break apart rock and release gas from underground formations. Watersheds across the nation have been contaminated with plastics, carcinogens, neurotoxins and endocrine-disrupting chemicals—and with explosive natural gas. It causes massive land scarring, air pollution, a public health crisis, massive truck traffic, miles and miles of pipelines, blowouts, spills, accidents. It is a whole-scale industrialization. Now, we face our most urgent crisis to date.
AMY GOODMAN: A new short web video made by Josh Fox, director of the Academy Award-nominated film Gasland. Josh Fox was also arrested, along with his mother, among the more than 1,200 people who were protesting the Keystone XL pipeline in Washington, D.C.
Josh, why fight on the Keystone issue, as you take on the issue of fracking?
JOSH FOX: Well, actually, the Keystone issue is related to fracking. They use an enormous amount of natural gas to boil down the tar sands, along with huge quantities of water. So they're taking fracked gas from southern Alberta, they're taking fracked gas from all across Canada, to create tar sands oil, and then they're pipelining it to several refineries already in the United States right now, where they have a waste product, which is natural gas, which is typically just flared off and not even counted. So this is an enormously wasteful process. But it's in the context of extreme energy. When you're talking about tar sands development, fracking, mountaintop removal, deepwater drilling, all these things that are disastrous, that are very, very dangerous, it's part of a suite of this so-called new energy technology.
AMY GOODMAN: So were you surprised by the announcement by the Obama administration that they're putting off fracking—they're putting off the Keystone XL decision for at least a year, and what Naomi Klein was just saying was, since the investors—TransCanada said they will not stay with them, it could mean the death of the pipeline?
JOSH FOX: It restored my faith in America. I mean, protest works. That's clear. People made an enormous amount of noise about the Keystone XL. And if anything is an encouragement to go ahead and protest at the Delaware River Basin Commission their regulations to frack the Delaware, frack 20,000 gas wells into the Delaware River watershed, the watershed that basically defines the word "watershed," it's that. So I think that there's an enormous amount of momentum right now.
AMY GOODMAN: There's been a moratorium until now?
JOSH FOX: Yeah, there's been a moratorium. The Delaware River Basin Commission is a five-member interstate body: the governors of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania and a representative from the federal government, the Obama administration, in this case, the Army Corps of Engineers. So, there have been—there's been a slow process, but I've been witness to thousands of citizens going to those River Basin Commission hearings over the past three-and-a-half years as I've gone. Every three months, they have public hearings. And you've been watching these regulations advance.Just last February, they came out with their draft regulations. They got 69,000 public comments, overwhelmingly in opposition to drilling the Delaware River Basin at all. And just to put that in context, for the entire New York State review, they got 14,000 public comments. It took New York State two years to get through 14,000 public comments. The Delaware River Basin Commission, however, is now saying that in just seven months they've gone through all 69,000, and they've come out with a regulatory package which would allow for upwards or more than 20,000 gas wells in the river basin. And the regulations are in fact weaker and worse than the first regulation package. So this is extremely shocking, extremely surprising, and it amounts to what is the industrialization of a national treasure, the Delaware River.
AMY GOODMAN: The New York attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, is suing over fracking?
JOSH FOX: That's right. The Delaware River Basin Commission is required to conduct a cumulative impact study. That is to say, a study of all the effects of what this proposal would mean, according to the National Environmental Policy Act, NEPA. So that—Eric Schneiderman took a look at this and said, "They are in violation of their own mission as a commission, and we're" —
AMY GOODMAN: And Eric Schneiderman is the crusading attorney general, along with Delaware's Beau Biden.
JOSH FOX: OK, yeah. Well, they—
AMY GOODMAN: Right? Vice President Biden's son.
JOSH FOX: And it seems that they're working together on this.
AMY GOODMAN: Around going after Wall Street.
JOSH FOX: Uh-huh, OK. Well, and I know there's a conversation going on between Schneiderman and Beau Biden on the Delaware River Basin. However, it's crucial that the Obama administration, represented by the Army Corps, and the state of Delaware reject this proposal, reject these draft regulations. It's really coming down to those two votes. It's a five-member commission. Three out of five wins. New York has already stated that they're going to vote against the plan. Very surprising that they would come out and tell people. Indications are that New Jersey, Chris Christie, and Tom Corbett, the governor of Pennsylvania, will vote for it. So these two votes, with the Obama administration—
AMY GOODMAN: Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey.
JOSH FOX: Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey. But the Obama administration and the governor of Delaware, Jack Markell, they both have to vote "no" for this proposition to be defeated. We have information about this vote and all these things that people—we want people to do at savethedelawareriver.com, a new site that was started by myself and 350 and Delaware Riverkeeper Network and Democracy for America and United for Action. The list of organizations goes on and on.
AMY GOODMAN: 350.org, of course, instrumental in this Keystone—what environmentalists are calling a tremendous victory, the putting off of the decision. Where will all the efforts of the thousands of people, more than 10,000 just this past Sunday in Washington, who have just experienced this victory, go?
JOSH FOX: Well, I got an email last night from Bill McKibben, who took time out of an incredible day of people congratulating him, Bill McKibben, the leader of 350. And he sent a message very clearly: fracking is next, the Delaware River will play a major role. So we're hoping that all of the people—and a lot of the fracktivists out there took part in that initial demonstrations in front of the White House. This movement has to turn towards the Delaware River Basin right now as the most important battleground for fracking, both nationwide and worldwide.
AMY GOODMAN: There have been a series of commercials that have come out on television. I want to play just a clip of one. These are for fracking.
EXXONMOBIL AD: America is facing some tough challenges right now. And two of the most important are energy security and economic growth. North America actually has one of the largest oil reserves in the world. A large part of that is oil sands. This resource has the ability to create hundreds of thousands of jobs. But our Kearl project in Canada will be able to produce these oil sands with the same emissions as many other oils, and that's a huge breakthrough. That's good for our country's energy security and our economy.
AMY GOODMAN: That's actually an ExxonMobil ad that was for the tar sands pipeline. But there are similar ones around fracking.
JOSH FOX: Well, yeah, it's part of the same campaign. You can't turn on the television without seeing a natural gas ad. You can't open up a magazine without seeing a natural gas ad. And they're playbook is very, very clear. They've stated it. You have—at first, they attacked the hell out of the film. They sent a letter to the Oscars trying to rescind the nomination. And they realized that this—these brazen tactics—
AMY GOODMAN: And who is "they"?
JOSH FOX: Well, it's hard to say who "they" is. There is an attack dog group, sort of like a rabid pitbull who drank too much Red Bull, called Energy in Depth. And they go out and attack families, and they've attacked Gasland. They attacked the New York Times. They attacked ProPublica, the Pulitzer Prize-winning news source. I'm sure they've probably attacked you at one point or another. And there was a very brazen kind of attack strategy. I think that backfired on them. And what they're saying now is—this is a charm offensive on behalf of the gas industry, but it's just as insidious, if not more. What they're saying is, fracking is the road forward, this is the way to go.
But when you're talking about the watershed for 16 million people, 15.6 million people, the Delaware River, that provides water to New York City, Philadelphia, southern New Jersey, Trenton—and what this regulation package amounts to is the permanent industrialization of that river, something it would never, ever recover from. This protest on November 21st, which you can find out more again about at savethedelawareriver.com, will happen at the—across the river from the barracks that George Washington left behind when he crossed the river to defeat the British to start the United States of America.
AMY GOODMAN: Maybe the most shocking piece in your film, in Gasland, that really ignited a nationwide movement against fracking, was the water exploding, that when someone lights—that people could light up their water.
JOSH FOX: Yeah. Well, this is incredibly distressing. You have—that was several families in that one segment of the film Gasland who could do that, and that was out in Colorado. We had reports of it in Dimock, and since that's—Dimock, Pennsylvania, which is just 50 miles from the Delaware River Basin. And in Bradford County, just one county in Pennsylvania, over a period of one year's worth of drilling, they had reports of 130 different incidents of families who could light their water on fire. It is an epidemic. Just three days ago in Pavillion, Wyoming, which is a segment of the film Gasland, EPA came in and showed, in that aquifer, where there's quite a lot of drilling, they have 50 times the safe levels of benzene and other fracking chemicals in the aquifer. I mean, the evidence mounts time and time and time again. And the science, which is trailing, I think, the journalism a little bit, continues to prove and show that there is a relationship between fracking and flammable water, and fracking and contamination of groundwater with very, very serious chemicals and carcinogens.
AMY GOODMAN: Josh Fox, thanks for being with us, director of the Academy Award-nominated film Gasland . We will link to the website savethedelawareriver.com and keep people updated on this debate. We did have a debate last Friday when we were up in Syracuse, because the Syracuse Common Council, their city council, has banned fracking.


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Rockbox Ports are now being developed for various digital audio players!
Just a question, I don't understand these new functionnalities : the audio mixer and the lists "drawn using the skin engine" ... What possibilities do they give ?
I've got Sandisk Sansa clip+ player and I use Rockbox 3.10 version (stable).In this version was added option "USB Hide Internal Drive", but I can't see it (there is no option in menu).
Theres no USB driver in 3.10 for the Clip+, so USB related options are not available.
My Clip+ has a working USB mode. When I plug it into a USB port when RB is running the +'s screen goes blank and then shows a large USB plug icon. Transfers work.
Page created in 0.055 seconds with 22 queries.


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Some teams are anxious to learn more about the rules and team agreement for the Sample Return Robot Challenge:
Update on Challenge
Status Update - Sample Return Robot Challenge
As you can see, starting a major prize competition can be quite a challenge in itself.
Team Phoenicia to hold 2nd Nanosat launcher seminar - RLV News - From the Team Phoenicia post:
This will be upgraded to a two day event based on the feedback that we have received. Food and drink will be provided. There will be speakers in the vein of last time, but additionally all potential teams that wish to present will be able to do so on a first come, first serve basis until the slots are filled. Potential suppliers for the teams will also be given time to present as well.
Tech Could Beam Power to Drones - Lasers could power drones in flight and remove the need for gas deliveries to army bases. - Discovery News covers LaserMotive, the winner of the most recent Beam Power Centennial Challenge.
Also check out the recent tweets from @LaserMotive at the Unmanned Systems North America 2011 conference. The conference had some other prize events, including a student competition pavilion, a photo contest, awards, and the following X PRIZE hint:
@AUVSI: Diamandis: will announce $10M purse James Cook X Prize next month for AUV that can circumnavigate the globe collecting certain data.
Move Over DARPA: X Prize is Here - National Defense Magazine - This covers the Peter Diamandis talk at the conference. It includes a bit more information about potential prizes, including the James Cook X Challenge for a long-range autonomous underwater vehicle with a sensor suite and an Autonomous Auto X PRIZE that would pick up where the DARPA Challenges left off.
Google to Sponsor Green Flight Challenge - CAFE Foundation Blog:
CAFE (Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency) will conduct the event from September 25 through October 2, 2011 at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport. ... All competing aircraft will be shown to the public at the Google Green Flight Challenge Exposition hosted by NASA at Moffett Field–NASA Ames Research Center, from 9 AM to 4 PM on October 3, 2011. ... In addition to the main prizes for highest scores, the competition includes a bio-fuel prize and plans for a special Lindbergh Prize for Quietest aircraft, to be presented by Erik Lindbergh, grandson of the renowned winner of aviation's Orteig Prize, Charles Lindbergh.
In addition to the Centennial Challenge news, the CAFE Foundation also has an announcement from Oshkosh 2011: PC-Aero Wins Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Vision Award
The Tether Strength Competition was held at the Space Elevator Conference a few days ago:
Space Elevator: Going Down? - Seattle Weekly
The 2011 Strong Tether Competition - The Space Elevator Blog
Many competitors in past Centennial Challenges continue their contributions. The Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge is a great example of this:
Thoughts on small sat and cube sat market size. - Unreasonable Rocket
Team Prometheus on Carmack 100kft Micro Prize - Team Prometheus:
Team Prometheus officially entered the Carmak Micro Challenge today. Our launch date is set for March 10th 2012. That's the date for our Space Shot. Going to be crazy here for a while!
Masten Space Systems Wins NASA Suborbital Flight Contract
Masten Space Systems Announces Management Additions - Masten Space Systems
'Sticky Boom' made for space dockings - Boulder County Business Report on the 2011 Heinlein NewSpace Business Plan Competition win by Altius Space Machines
Biz Plan Pitch Video - Altius Space Machines


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All perished in the Holocaust after the Harabju family from Dorohoi, Romania, was rounded up in 1944 and sent to ghettos and camps. Only Rivka and her brother Marco survived, and like many others, they spent the rest of their lives trying to move on and forget.
Video courtesy of jn1.tv
Now, Yad Vashem, Israel's national Holocaust memorial and museum, is asking them to remember.
Decades after the Holocaust, experts have documented the names of about 4.2 million of the roughly six million Jews who were killed by the Nazis in World War II, and officials are going door-to-door in a race to record the memories of elderly survivors before their stories are lost forever.
It is a painstaking process, complicated by trauma, attempted cover-ups and limited record-keeping.
The Names Recovery Project has been Yad Vashem's flagship mission in recent years. It's a vigorous campaign to complete a central database of Holocaust victims' names by encouraging survivors to fill out pages of testimony about those they knew who were killed.
The outreach effort has taken on a greater sense of urgency, with volunteers spanning the country to engage the fewer than 200,000 remaining survivors in Israel and etch the names of their dead relatives into the pages of history. Elsewhere – primarily in the United States and the former Soviet Union – testimony also is being collected from those unable to do so online.
Emotions remain raw
With the passage of the years, Fringeru's recollection of the details of her traumatic past has become sketchy, but the emotions remain raw. Her voice quavered as she tried to trace her memory, often taking a break to compose herself with a sip of water. Her voice was low and her gaze was pained as she stared at her lone memento – a faded family portrait on a cracked piece of cardboard. When she recalled the last time she saw her brother before they were separated in the Mogilov ghetto, she grabbed her chest again.
"It's hard. I never thought we were going to part so quickly," she said, her voice cracking. "I wish I would have wondered with them. I wondered on my own."
Rivka Fringeru speaks to director of Yad Vashem names collection project (Photo: AP)
After the war, she moved to Israel and later married, had a daughter, two granddaughters and six great-grandchildren. On occasion, she would bring up an old memory with Marco, who died 10 years ago, but largely kept them to herself, even shielding stories from her immediate family. The memories mainly surfaced in her sleep, she said, as nightmares, and she saw no reason to delve further into them.
"Why suffer? Why go back into that trauma?" Fringeru said.
Now widowed, she lives with her partner Baruch Bruner, 88, a widower and fellow Holocaust survivor. Only after he sought out Yad Vashem and filled out pages of testimony about his extended family did she relent and do the same.
To help them through the process, the director of the names project, Cynthia Wroclawski, made a pair of house calls to their modest home in this city south of Tel Aviv.
Wroclawski, who oversees a staff of some 300 volunteers in Israel, held Fringeru's hand, hugged her often and patiently waited for the details to emerge. Eventually, some did. Fringeru's father owned a grocery store, one brother was a shoemaker and had six young children who also died. The other brother's wife was named Malka. Wroclawski added each smidgen of data onto the single black-and-white page.
"This is a virtual tombstone, this is a place where we can remember the person," she said. "We are bringing that person back to life in a sense, their memory at least, in the act of recording and gathering information."
Yad Vashem's goal is to collect the names of all six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. The memorial's very name – Yad Vashem is Hebrew for "a memorial and a name" – alludes to its central mission of commemorating the dead as individuals, rather than mere numbers like the Nazis did.
It hasn't been an easy task.
The project began in 1955, but over the following half century, fewer than three million names were collected, mostly because the project was not widely known. Many survivors refrained from reopening wounds, or they clung to hopes that their relatives might still be alive.
Later, Yad Vashem began incorporating names from other collections around the world. A big boost in names came from archival sources, such as prewar census records and data derived from analysis of books, documents and tombstones.
The names are commemorated in the museum's Hall of Names, a cone-shaped room whose walls are lined with bookshelves containing folders upon folders of testimonies. Still, until 2004, more than half of the allotted folders remained empty.
That year, the online database was launched, providing easy access to information in English, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish and German. The number has since surged to 4.2 million names, and the Internet search function has allowed tech-savvy grandchildren to research their families, leading to several emotional reunions between relatives who had thought the other to be dead.
'It's important that people know'
Yad Vashem hopes that in the next five to six years, it will be able to reach the six million mark. Even the most optimistic, however, don't believe it will go much higher.
Contrary to popular belief, the Nazis did not keep meticulous records. They kept tabs on the identity of Jews in Germany, Austria and elsewhere in central Europe, but ordered the wholesale murder of communities elsewhere that were not documented. They also tried to cover up many of their crimes.
Yad Vashem has essentially completed its database on German Jewry during the Nazi era. Its main struggle has been documenting the victims in Poland and eastward, primarily in the former Soviet Union, the site of large scale executions and mass destruction of villages where records were not kept. Limited archival material has allowed researchers to retrace some of them, but the names of many have probably been lost forever.
Because of these difficulties, the actual number of victims remains unclear. Based on records, census data, deportation orders and other documents, most scholarly research estimates the number of Jewish victims of the Holocaust at 5.5 million to six million. More estimates run higher, and some lower.
The figure of six million that is commonly used is attributed to Adolf Eichmann, the mastermind of the Nazi "Final Solution" to destroy European Jewry.
"Our goal is to keep collecting name after name to get as close as we can to six million and we will continue to invest time and resources into getting there," said Yad Vashem Director Avner Shalev, whose voice is often heard in radio ads beseeching survivors to come forward. "This has huge historical and emotional significance ... it makes the historical record more accurate and by having a name it helps give a human face to those who weren't treated like humans."
While the main goal is for commemoration and research, Yad Vashem says the database also serves to combat Holocaust denial. The emphasis on filling out a signed testimony in person, rather than submitting a name, gives the database more detail, depth and authenticity – like sworn testimony in court.
"It is of incredible importance that we have the documentation," Wroclawski said. "Usually when we are finished, you can really see that it's almost like a stone has been lifted from their hearts. They know that it is being passed on."
Despite the draining effort, Fringeru said she was pleased she did it and left behind a remnant that would outlive her.
"It's important that people know," she said. "I hope that now they (my family) won't be forgotten."
The database for Holocaust victims can be searched and updated at http://www.yadvashem.org. For more information contact names.outreach(at)yadvashem.org.il


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Beijing: 10 Things to Do
For centuries, the city's hulking official buildings served as reminders of the awesome power of the imperial state. That didn't change much when the Communist government took over in 1949. Then, with the reform and opening of China, which began some three decades ago, the new elite corporate chieftains and their bureaucratic allies began erecting capitalist monoliths to showcase their newfound wealth and influence. There's a lot of architectural swagger in Beijing, but between and behind it there's also a lot for the tourist to enjoy.
At the physical and metaphorical center of Beijing is the Forbidden City, the vast palace complex of former emperors that is now one of the greatest museums in the world. From here, most of the city's other major sites except, of course, the Great Wall are within a radius of a mile or two.


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Long ago, a friend of mine referred to Colorado as my "spiritual homeland." I frequently jest that I'm spiritually bankrupt except when it comes to the outdoors, and she was referring to my long-held love affair with the Centennial State.
My friend was right. There are parts of Colorado that are my "happy place," where I immediately feel I can breathe more deeply, shelve my neuroses and just live in the moment. Places like Aspen's Maroon Bells, Telluride, and Clark, near Steamboat Springs, are my cure for existential angst. I love the mountains and rivers, but when combined with shimmering aspens, wildflower-festooned meadows and crystalline skies and alpine lakes, it's pure magic.
There are other places in the world that have a similar soporific effect on me: Hanalei, Kauai; almost anywhere in Australia; Krabi, Thailand; Atacama, Chile.
I've been in Colorado for work the last two weeks, and have devoted a lot of thought to this topic. Everyone, even if they've never left their home state, must have a happy place. Not a hotel or spa, but a region, town, beach, park, or viewpoint that melts stress, clears the mind and restores inner peace.
I asked a few of my Gadling colleagues this question, and their replies were immediate. Check them out following the jump.
Pam Mandel: Ruby Beach, Olympic Peninsula, Washington.
Kyle Ellison: Playa Santispac, Baja, and Kipahulu, Maui.
Grant Martin, Editor: "Happy place number one is a fifth-floor patio in the West Village with my friends, and a few beers. A garden and a quiet spot in a city surrounded by madness. Number two is at the sand dunes at Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon, Michigan. Hop over the fence in the large camping loop head up the hill and towards the lake and you'll find the quietest row of sand dunes in West Michigan. It's a great place to camp out and gaze over lake, and also a good spot to take a date."
Jeremy Kressman: "There's a tiny little park buried in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona – one side of it is flanked by a Roman wall and there are balconies all around. It's far enough off Las Ramblas that there's not a lot of tourist foot traffic and the little side alleys off it are lined with little tapas bars and fire escapes thick with little gardens. I'd like to be there right now!"
Meg Nesterov: "Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. My family has a 100-year-old cabin on the lake with very basic plumbing and a very wonderful view. I've spent many childhood summers there and honeymooned there, like my parents did 35 years ago. I travel a lot to find great beach towns, but few match the bliss of bathing in the lake and eating fresh blueberries from the forest."
Jessica Marati: The banks of the Tiber just outside Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome.
David Farley: "I grew up in the Los Angeles suburbs where the gridded streets were flanked by nearly identical houses and the stripmalls were dominated by the same chain stores that were in the next town (and the next town and the next ..). Few people walked anywhere. The civic planning implicitly left little room to stimulate the imagination.
So when I moved to a medieval hilltown near Rome, I felt like I'd found the place – my happy place, the spot I'd been looking for. Calcata, about the size of half a football field, is a ramshackle of stone houses, a church and a diminutive castle that sits atop 450-foot cliffs. There's only one way in and out – which is not even big enough to fit an automobile – making the village completely pedestrian free. I would often stroll its crooked cobbled lanes or sit on the bench-lined square thinking that I was literally thousands of miles, but also a dimension or so from my suburban upbringing. I don't live there anymore but I'll be going back later this year to participate in a documentary that's being made about my book (which was set there)."
Melanie Renzulli: The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.
Chris Owen: "Predictably, mine would be at sea, on any ship, completely surrounded by water in all directions as far as the eye can see."
Jessica Festa: Sydney, Australia.
McLean Robbins: Telluride. "Descending into town on the gondola, in the middle of falling snow and pure silence, felt like heaven."
Alex Robertson Textor: "My happy place is La Taqueria, at 2889 Mission Street in San Francisco." To which I add, "Hell, yes."
Where's your happy place (keep your mind out of the gutter, please)? Let us know!
[Photo credit: Maroon Bells, Laurel Miller; Ruby Beach, Pam Mandel; cabin, Meg Nesterov; Calcata, David Farley]