WASHINGTON (TheWrap.com) ? Attorney General Eric Holder unveiled a new education campaign Tuesday to raise public awareness about the damaging consequences of intellectual property theft.
The campaign -- which targets everything from illegal movie and music downloads to counterfeit pharmaceuticals -- will consist of TV public service announcements as well as print and print ads.
Flanked by other federal law enforcement authorities at the White House, Holder pointed to the urgent need to combat the illegal online trade, estimated to cost the U.S. economy upwards of $200 billion a year.
"Now, as our country continues to recover from once-in-a-generation economic challenges, the need to safeguard intellectual property rights and to protect Americans from IP crimes has never been more urgent," Holder said. "Through this new public education campaign, we are encouraging the American people to become vigilant partners in identifying and disrupting intellectual property crimes."
Ann Harkins, president and CEO of the National Crime Prevention Council, said the campaign was crucial because surveys show the "lure of the bargain overcomes the moral compass almost every time."
Harkins presented the PSAs, including one called "Premonition," which was created in partnership with MTV Networks.
It portrays how simply purchasing a bootleg video on a street could potentially help finance criminal networks and also drive law-abiding entertainment industry workers to the unemployment line.
Holder's announcements came a day after federal authorities celebrated "Cyber Monday" by seizing 150 websites they say were illegally engaged in selling and distributing a range of goods, from DVD sets to sports jerseys.
The action was part of "Operation In Our Sites," a collaboration between the Justice Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, among others.
According to ICE, the 150 domains were seized after federal agents successfully made undercover purchases through them. In most cases, authorities say, the illicit goods were shipped directly into the U.S. from other countries.
The entertainment industry applauded Monday's action.
"These sites, which traffic in stolen or counterfeit goods, threaten the livelihoods of millions of American workers and businesses, including the 2.2 million whose jobs depend on the movie and television industry," said Sen. Chris Dodd, Motion Picture Association of America Chairman and CEO in a statement.
"Operation In Our Sites," described by ICE as "a sustained law enforcement initiative to protect consumers by targeting counterfeit and piracy on the Internet has led to the seizure of 350 domain names since the operation's genesis in June 2010.
CNBC's Simon Hobbs has the story on France and Germany's efforts to get fiscal integration among euro zone countries, and discussing whether Europe will get it done, with Benn Steil, Council on Foreign Relations; Andrew Busch, BMO Capital Markets; and ...
A?Chicago boy was beaten to death Friday on what family members said was his fourth birthday.
Christopher Valdez died at his home near 51st and South Trumbull Avenue, in the city's South Side. A police spokesman said it's believed the boy died of blunt force trauma.
"My niece's boyfriend beat the baby to death, and I don't know exactly what happened.?I've never even met the man," said Steven Valdez, the boy's great uncle.
Another uncle said he arrived at the home with a birthday cake for the youngster immediately after the incident. He said he restrained the boyfriend until police arrived.
Read the original story on NBC Chicago
The boyfriend, who was described as anti-social and violent, is in police custody. Family members said the boyfriend two weeks ago severely beat a dog for relieving himself in the home. They said they're in shock that a grown man could take out so much anger on a child.
"I just can't understand how anybody could do that,"?said Santiago Valdez, the boy's great-grandfather. "I just can't. It's just a shock to me."
A Canadian Football League reunion turned unexpectedly violent when Joe Kapp, 73, offered a single flower to arch-rival Angelo Mosca, 74, who told Kapp to "shove" his flower.
Researchers use CT to recreate Stradivarius violinPublic release date: 28-Nov-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Linda Brooks lbrooks@rsna.org 630-590-7762 Radiological Society of North America
CHICAGO Using computed tomography (CT) imaging and advanced manufacturing techniques, a team of experts has created a reproduction of a 1704 Stradivarius violin. Three-dimensional images of the valuable violin and details on how the replica was made were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
"CT scanning offers a unique method of noninvasively imaging a historical object," said Steven Sirr, M.D., a radiologist at FirstLight Medical Systems in Mora, Minn. "Combined with computer-aided machinery, it also offers us the opportunity to create a reproduction with a high degree of accuracy."
Antonio Stradivari, an Italian who lived from 1644 to 1737, is regarded as history's greatest violin maker. Of the estimated 1,000 violins Stradivari made, about 650 still exist and are highly prized for their unique sound quality. There are many theories but no simple explanation for the superiority of the Stradivarius. Many factors influence a violin's sound, from the qualities of the wood to the instrument's shape, degree of arching and wood thickness.
To create a violin with the same characteristics as the 1704 instrument known as "Betts," Dr. Sirr worked with professional violin makers John Waddle and Steve Rossow of St. Paul, Minn.
"We have two goals: to understand how the violin works and to make reproductions of the world's most prized violins available for young musicians who can't afford an original," Dr. Sirr said.
The original violin was scanned with a 64-detector CT, and more than 1,000 CT images were converted into stereolithographic files, which can be read by a computer-controlled router called a CNC machine. The CNC machine, custom-made for the project by Rossow, then carved the back and front plates and scroll of the violin from various woods. Finally, Waddle and Rossow finished, assembled and varnished the replica by hand.
"We believe this process of recreating old and valuable stringed instruments may have a profound influence upon modern string musicians," Dr. Sirr said.
Of the Stradivarius and other prized violins still in existence, many are housed in museums and are never played. Others are sold for millions of dollars to top professional musicians. The Betts Stradivarius is held in the U.S. Library of Congress.
Dr. Sirr, an amateur violinist, first scanned a violin with CT out of curiosity.
"I assumed the instrument was merely a wooden shell surrounding air," he said. "I was totally wrong. There was a lot of anatomy inside the violin."
After he shared those first CT images with Waddle in 1989, the two spent years scanning more than 100 violinsincluding 29 valuable instruments pre-dating 1827and other stringed instruments to better understand their composition.
"Just like human beings, there is a wide range of normal variation among violins," Dr. Sirr said. "When you are looking at an instrument that is hundreds of years old, you will see worm holes and cracks that have been repaired, as well as damage from being exposed to all kinds of conditions, from floods to wars."
For owners of authentic Stradivarius or other prized violins, CT imaging not only provides a definitive form of identification, it helps establish a pedigree that may increase the value of their investment.
"CT is useful in measuring wood density, size and shapes, thickness graduation and volume measurements," Dr. Sirr said. "It also provides detailed analysis of damage and repair."
###
Note: Copies of RSNA 2011 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press11 beginning Monday, Nov. 28.
RSNA is an association of more than 48,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)
Editor's note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the published abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting. To ensure you are using the most up-to-date information, please call the RSNA Newsroom at 1-312-949-3233.
For patient-friendly information on CT, visit RadiologyInfo.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Researchers use CT to recreate Stradivarius violinPublic release date: 28-Nov-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Linda Brooks lbrooks@rsna.org 630-590-7762 Radiological Society of North America
CHICAGO Using computed tomography (CT) imaging and advanced manufacturing techniques, a team of experts has created a reproduction of a 1704 Stradivarius violin. Three-dimensional images of the valuable violin and details on how the replica was made were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
"CT scanning offers a unique method of noninvasively imaging a historical object," said Steven Sirr, M.D., a radiologist at FirstLight Medical Systems in Mora, Minn. "Combined with computer-aided machinery, it also offers us the opportunity to create a reproduction with a high degree of accuracy."
Antonio Stradivari, an Italian who lived from 1644 to 1737, is regarded as history's greatest violin maker. Of the estimated 1,000 violins Stradivari made, about 650 still exist and are highly prized for their unique sound quality. There are many theories but no simple explanation for the superiority of the Stradivarius. Many factors influence a violin's sound, from the qualities of the wood to the instrument's shape, degree of arching and wood thickness.
To create a violin with the same characteristics as the 1704 instrument known as "Betts," Dr. Sirr worked with professional violin makers John Waddle and Steve Rossow of St. Paul, Minn.
"We have two goals: to understand how the violin works and to make reproductions of the world's most prized violins available for young musicians who can't afford an original," Dr. Sirr said.
The original violin was scanned with a 64-detector CT, and more than 1,000 CT images were converted into stereolithographic files, which can be read by a computer-controlled router called a CNC machine. The CNC machine, custom-made for the project by Rossow, then carved the back and front plates and scroll of the violin from various woods. Finally, Waddle and Rossow finished, assembled and varnished the replica by hand.
"We believe this process of recreating old and valuable stringed instruments may have a profound influence upon modern string musicians," Dr. Sirr said.
Of the Stradivarius and other prized violins still in existence, many are housed in museums and are never played. Others are sold for millions of dollars to top professional musicians. The Betts Stradivarius is held in the U.S. Library of Congress.
Dr. Sirr, an amateur violinist, first scanned a violin with CT out of curiosity.
"I assumed the instrument was merely a wooden shell surrounding air," he said. "I was totally wrong. There was a lot of anatomy inside the violin."
After he shared those first CT images with Waddle in 1989, the two spent years scanning more than 100 violinsincluding 29 valuable instruments pre-dating 1827and other stringed instruments to better understand their composition.
"Just like human beings, there is a wide range of normal variation among violins," Dr. Sirr said. "When you are looking at an instrument that is hundreds of years old, you will see worm holes and cracks that have been repaired, as well as damage from being exposed to all kinds of conditions, from floods to wars."
For owners of authentic Stradivarius or other prized violins, CT imaging not only provides a definitive form of identification, it helps establish a pedigree that may increase the value of their investment.
"CT is useful in measuring wood density, size and shapes, thickness graduation and volume measurements," Dr. Sirr said. "It also provides detailed analysis of damage and repair."
###
Note: Copies of RSNA 2011 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press11 beginning Monday, Nov. 28.
RSNA is an association of more than 48,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)
Editor's note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the published abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting. To ensure you are using the most up-to-date information, please call the RSNA Newsroom at 1-312-949-3233.
For patient-friendly information on CT, visit RadiologyInfo.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
BERLIN (Reuters) ? Euro zone countries could create a Stability Union to secure deeper fiscal integration relatively quickly, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Sunday.
"One can do that quickly," he told ARD television, referring to changes to the Lisbon Treaty that Germany has wanted to allow much tighter budget controls in the 17 euro zone countries.
"The goal is for the member states of the common currency to create their own Stability Union and to concentrate on that," Schaeuble said.
In Brussels earlier on Sunday, EU officials said Germany and France are exploring radical methods of securing deeper and more rapid fiscal integration among euro zone countries, aware that getting broad backing for the necessary treaty changes may not be possible.
Germany's original plan was to secure agreement among all 27 EU countries for a limited change to the Lisbon Treaty by the end of 2012, a way of shoring up the region's defences against the debt crisis.
But in meetings with EU leaders in recent weeks, it has become clear to both German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy that it may not be possible to get all 27 countries on board, EU sources say.
Even if that were possible, it could take a year or more to secure the changes while market attacks on Italy, Spain and now France suggest bold measures are needed within weeks.
As a result, senior French and German civil servants have been exploring other ways of achieving the goal, either via an agreement among just the euro zone countries, or a separate agreement outside the EU treaty that could involve a core of around 8-10 euro zone countries, officials say.
Schaeuble said a Stability Union could be a decisive step to winning more confidence from the markets.
"The important signal, to convince financial investors in the world, is and remains a stable currency," Schaeuble said. That means that every euro zone member has to do its homework on its budget discipline.
"We want to ensure that through treaty changes," he said.
(Reporting by Erik Kirschbaum; editing by David Stamp)
MUMBAI (Reuters) ? Seven years ago, when India's Future Group retail giant sent shipments from Mumbai on the country's west coast to Kolkata in the north-east, the products took 10 nervous days to arrive.
"You sent the goods, and until you received them, you just prayed," said Anshuman Singh, managing director and chief executive officer of Future Supply Chains. "There was just a black hole until they finally reached the destination."
Since then, he has wrestled with shoddy roads, minimal cold storage capacity and a myriad of state regulations and taxes to cut the journey to 72 hours. That challenge is all to come for foreign retailers eyeing a slice of India's $450 billion market.
Major cities in Asia's third-largest economy are thousands of miles apart, connected by pot-holed and clogged roads or creaking railways where wagons are in short supply.
Global giants such as Wal-Mart may be eager to start selling their wares to 1.2 billion people, but a need to first tackle India's logistical headaches will likely mean they will be heavily dependent on local expertise.
The government last week approved 51 percent foreign direct investment in supermarkets, ending years of legislative hand-wringing over a policy seen modernising the industry.
To appease those who say it will destroy local shopkeepers, rules mean foreign retailers must source almost a third of their produce from small industries, invest a minimum of $100 million and spend half of that on "back end" supply infrastructure.
"Global retailers have expertise from around the world, but in India they will have to develop it," said Singh, who ships 2 million items a day, including 95 percent of the goods sold by Future Group's retail arm, Pantaloon Retail India Ltd.
"They will all have to go through the learning curve on their own."
Today, GPS tracking means each of his firm's consignments are monitored every metre, from a vast warehouse outside Mumbai to the bright aisles of an air-conditioned Kolkata supermarket.
CHAOTIC SUPPLY
At 4 a.m. every day, hundreds of vegetable traders begin to pack the pavements of one of Mumbai's trunk roads. Hours later, milling retail customers and piles of pungent produce bring three lanes of traffic to a halt in the morning sunshine.
Mounds of potatoes lie inches from the tyres of trucks and cars trundling past, as traders dodge commuters to carry sacks of coriander and boxes of cabbages on their shoulders through clouds of exhaust fumes and the stench of rotting produce.
Around 30 percent of India's vast fruit and vegetable production goes to waste due to a traditional supply network that uses hand-pulled wooden carts more than refrigerated freight wagons and keeps fresh produce highly regionalised.
"India cannot be seen as easy," Viney Singh, managing director of Max Hypermarkets, a six-year old local supermarket chain with a licence from European retailer Spar told Reuters.
"There are some players that have been in the retail business for more than 10 years, and til date there is no hypermarket player that has made any money."
The chaos of Mumbai's Dadar market is a universe away from Future Supply Chain's chilled 125,000 square foot (11,600 sq metre) warehouse 50 km (30 miles) from the city, where fork-lifts move crates on shelves rising up to the 17 metre-high (53-foot) roof, and 150 workers feed hundreds of metres of computer-controlled conveyor belts.
"Retail is all about filling the shelves, on time, every time," said Future Supply Chain's Singh.
"In India, the technical know-how, expertise... requires a lot of learning, it is not common knowledge here."
His six-month old site in Bhiwandi is one of 50 warehouses across the country that supply the Future Group's outlets in 300 cities -- attracting over 300 million footfalls a year.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Some global players with sourcing operations in India, such as London-listed Tesco Plc, have first-hand experience of the country's poor warehouse space, unreliable transport links and chronic lack of cold-chain storage.
Without local expertise or a huge amount of investment, domestic retail executives say overseas players could struggle to stack the shelves.
"It certainly will not be easy for players coming in," said Max Hypermarket's Singh, whose chain has nine stores in India and plans for five more before March 2012.
A race to gain market share in one of the world's largest untapped markets is likely to spur lucrative deals for local players with established supply chains, industry analysts say.
That could mean a windfall for firms such as Pantaloon, the Tata Group's Trent Ltd and Shopper's Stop Ltd, and make local expertise a valuable currency in getting products to market quickly and cheaply.
"If some of them want to throw dollars, burn some cash to build it, they can," said Future Supply Chain's Singh.
(Reuters) ? Retailers were hoping for more shoppers like Shawn Elzia as the annual Black Friday bargain stampede marked the unofficial start of what is widely expected to be a middling holiday shopping season.
The Brooklyn, New York teacher, one of hundreds of thousands of shoppers jostling for deals around the country, said he ended up spending about 25 percent more than he planned, even while worrying about the state of the economy.
"I did not expect such deals," the 33-year old said as he left a Macy's store in Jersey City, New Jersey clutching bags full of clothing for himself and his family.
"It's slashed down to the bones," he said. "There were some great discounts if you showed up early."
Even as eager shoppers emerged from stores lugging big-screen TVs and bags full of video games and toys, it was far from certain that stretched consumers will be pulling out their wallets for much more than the best deals this year.
"Americans are still worried about jobs, still worried about the economy, they're still worried about debt of the country," said Mike Thielmann, group executive vice president at J.C. Penney.
"I don't think you can take for granted that they've got more money in their pocket or they're interested in buying this year or you can take your prices up," he said. "I don't think our economy or the consumer confidence is there yet."
(For a graphic on shopping trends see, http://link.reuters.com/tag35s)
Shopper-related injuries were popular topics on social networks such as Twitter. A shopper at a Los Angeles-area Walmart used pepper spray on a throng of shoppers and there was a shooting in a Walmart parking lot in the Oakland area.
In 2008, a security officer working at a Walmart on Black Friday was trampled to death by a crowd.
Competition among the retailers was fierce as it was among shoppers, with some stores pushing their openings and specials up to Thanksgiving night on Thursday.
The term "Black Friday" is generally accepted to refer to the time when retailers start to turn profitable for the year, although the phrase's origin is unclear.
What is clear is that while it is the busiest day of the year in terms of store traffic, it does not always mean that sales will soar for the season.
Despite brisk sales right after Thanksgiving in 2008 and 2009, total holiday season sales fell as the recession gripped the country.
The National Retail Federation, an industry trade group, expects 152 million people to hit stores this weekend, up 10.1 percent from last year.
Yet it expects sales for the full November-December holiday season to rise just 2.8 percent, well below the pace of last year when sales rose 5.2 percent.
Shares of most retailers were flat to up slightly in early trading on Friday.
LUXURY STORES BIG WINNERS
Luxury chains such as Saks Inc and those catering to lower-income shoppers, such as dollar stores, are expected to do well this shopping season. Those in the middle are expected to have a tough time winning over shoppers without the cache of the high-end set or the deep discounts others offer.
Opening early appeared to work, judging from the long lines at stores such as Toys R Us, Best Buy, Walmart and Target.
Even after a Toys R Us in New Jersey had been open for nearly an hour, at 9:50 p.m. EST on Thursday night, there was still a line of about 300 people waiting to get inside.
"It was like 'Club Toys R Us' -- one cart out, one cart in," said Charlie O'Shea, a senior retail analyst at Moody's. "People are looking for the big ticket item, which is where they're going to get the most bang for their buck."
Overall, retail executives and analysts expect a more competitive shopping season than in 2010. Unemployment remains at 9 percent, European debt woes are weighing on the stock market, and consumer confidence remains spotty.
Walmart, Gap Inc's Old Navy, and Kmart, owned by Sears Holdings, were among the few retailers open on Thanksgiving day.
Walmart began offering Black Friday deals at 10 p.m. on Thursday, while Target, electronics chain Best Buy and department store chains Macy's and Kohl's opened at midnight, their earliest starts ever.
Marta Marchado, 46, who works in construction, arrived at The Mall at Prince Georges in Hyattsville, Maryland at 4 a.m. to buy a television.
"Target has good prices," she said, almost too tired to speak as she sat on a bench in the mall courtyard. Her boyfriend was fast asleep as he leaned on her shoulder.
Other retailers, including J.C. Penney opened early Friday morning as they did last year.
Nelson Sepulveda, a building superintendent from Manhattan, was the first person in line at the Best Buy in Union Square, having queued up at 8 p.m. on Wednesday -- 28 hours before the store opened -- to get the $200 Sharp 42-inch LCD television, Play Station 3 games and other items he wanted.
This year, the heavy push by retailers got an even earlier start, as chains such as Walmart and Toys R Us started offering holiday layaway programs as early as October.
Retailers from Amazon.com to Walmart were also offering online deals as Thanksgiving has become one of the biggest online shopping days of the year.
Some shoppers, though, said they felt as if the economy was back in a recession, making them reluctant to spend.
"Because of the recession, we are not going to shop as much," said Desiree Schoolfield, 49, a public service professional from Queens, who was shopping at the Toys R Us in Times Square.
About 1,000 people were waiting in line at the midnight opening of a Target store in Farmingdale, New York.
Those midnight openings drew online petition protests from store workers, and there were shoppers too who said they did not like the early openings.
Dwayne Dickson, a 19-year-old college student who works part time at Target, decided to stand in line to try and snag some small items, such as jewelry and clothing, before his Black Friday shift began.
"I will probably accidentally spend more this year on the holidays than I did last year," said Dickson, who, as a Target employee, gets an extra 10 percent discount.
For some shoppers, staying up late beat waking up for a 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. opening. "Nobody really has to be out so early to come into the store. I really feel like that's better," Tosha Smith, a 21-year-old hotel attendant from Queens, said while shopping at Macy's in New York.
Outside, four Occupy Wall Street activists chanted "boycott Macy's" and "stop supporting big corporations" even as about 9,000 people lined up to shop at the store.
(Reporting by Dhanya Skariachan, Liana B. Baker and Phil Wahba in New York, Mihir Dalal in Jersey City, New Jersey, Jessica Wohl in Chicago, and Diane Bartz in Hyattsville, Maryland; Writing by Brad Dorfman in Milwaukee; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter, Phil Berlowitz)
President Barack Obama, left, chats with First Lady Michelle Obama in the first half of an NCAA basketball game between Oregon State and Towson in Towson, Md., Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
President Barack Obama, left, chats with First Lady Michelle Obama in the first half of an NCAA basketball game between Oregon State and Towson in Towson, Md., Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Actor Bill Murray, center, chats with President Barack Obama, left, and first lady Michelle Obama before an NCAA basketball game between Oregon State and Towson in Towson, Md., Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama attend the Oregon State versus Towson NCAA college basketball game at Towson University, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011, in Towson, Md. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Barack Obama waves and and first lady Michelle Obama, top left, talks during the Oregon State versus Towson NCAA college basketball game at Towson University, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011, in Towson, Md. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Barack Obama, left, and first lady Michelle Obama talk during the Oregon State versus Towson NCAA college basketball game at Towson University Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011, in Towson, Md. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
TOWSON, Md. (AP) ? President Barack Obama was just a fan at this basketball game.
Obama, who plays in pick-up games as often as he can, including one Saturday morning, brought his family Towson University near Baltimore for an afternoon game that pitted the Towson Tigers against the Oregon State Beavers.
Obama's brother-in-law, Craig Robinson, is Oregon State's head coach.
The crowd inside Towson's arena erupted in cheers as Obama and first lady Michelle Obama entered and shook fans' hands as they made their way to a pair of courtside seats.
Daughters Malia and Sasha sat in the first row of the bleachers. Also attending were Obama's mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, and Education Secretary Arne Duncan, a former professional basketball player and friend of Obama's from Chicago.
"Groundhog Day" actor Bill Murray, was in attendance, too, and he greeted Obama before play got under way.
At halftime Saturday, with Oregon State leading 32-20, Obama stepped onto the court to greet Towson football players.
Catching an Oregon State game has become a post-Thanksgiving tradition for the Obamas.
Last year, the Beavers came to Washington and defeated Howard. The year before that, Oregon State traveled east and scored a win against George Washington.
From the first family to rookie NFL players, many with big hearts have been moved to give back this Thanksgiving season.
Check out the top volunteer efforts across the country, taking place at locations ranging from homeless shelters to "Occupy" camps.
And it's not too late for you to take part in the season of giving thanks and giving back. See Huffington Post Impact's list of ways to volunteer this Thanksgiving season.
SLIDESHOW:
?? BACK TO ARTICLE
President Barack Obama hands out food for Thanksgiving at the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011. He is joined by his family including first lady Michelle Obama and daughter Sasha.(Susan Walsh, AP)
Nick Mackara poses for a photograph with cans of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011 in Clementon, N.J. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Nick Mackara poses for a photograph with cans of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011 in Clementon, N.J. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Nick Mackara poses for a photograph with cans of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011 in Clementon, N.J. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Nick Mackara poses for a photograph with cans of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011 in Clementon, N.J. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
CHICAGO (AP) ? In an era where there are television networks devoted to home cooking and dietitians warn against the dangers of processed foods, the love of canned cranberry seems to be a bit of dietary discord.
Devotees of canned cranberry sauce say the reasons begin and end with the past, and that the sight of the glistening can-shaped tube of jelly conjures up memories of Thanksgiving meals of long ago.
"It looks like a log of happiness," said Shannon Ervin, a 24-year-old mother of three in Harahan, La., who can't remember a Thanksgiving when canned cranberry sauce wasn't served.
Ocean Spray, the nation's largest producer of cranberry sauce, reports that of the 86.4 million cans it sells a year, 72 million of them are sold between September and the end of December.
On Facebook, groups devoted to canned cranberry sauce have popped up. Nicholas Mackara and a friend, Alexandra Shephard, launched one a few years back called, "Cranberry Sauce in the shape of the can makes my Thanksgiving."
There's also one entitled, "When Cranberry Sauce comes out of the can with ridges," and another called "Cranberry Sauce is only good if it's in the shape of a can." That one includes the motto: "If it ain't from a can, it's garbage."
"I think the ridges are the most important part," said Mackara, 21, of Clementon, N.J. "Then you know it definitely came from a can and our mom didn't make her own (cranberry) sauce and put it in a cylinder shape before we got there."
Sandy Oliver, a food historian, said it would be hard to overstate the importance of canned cranberry sauce to some families, particularly for a holiday in which even the slightest change in the menu is viewed as a treasonous offense.
"You don't mess with Thanksgiving," said Oliver, co-author of "Giving Thanks: Thanksgiving Recipes and History, from Pilgrims to Pumpkin Pie." "If you grew up with canned cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving, that is what will taste right for you at the table and if you do something else it is going to be at variance with your childhood memory."
As a result, normally sophisticated eaters load up their plates with the same green bean casseroles, Jell-O salad ? heavy on the mini marshmallows ? and the white bread stuffing their parents piled on their plates when they were busy kicking their brothers and sisters under the table.
"My aunt one year brought over the homemade kind and nobody but her ate it," said Heather Hoffman, a 24-year-old Chicago teacher, who has had canned cranberry sauce since her grandmother served it when she was a little girl.
Robert Sietsema has heard those kinds of comments before. The New York writer recently included canned cranberry sauce among his five worst Thanksgiving dishes for a blog on the Village Voice and can't believe anybody would eat canned cranberry sauce if they didn't have to.
"I hate it, it's just awful," said Sietsema. "To begin with, nobody eats things from cans any more if they can afford not to." Especially, he says if it's "some kind of freak Jell-O."
Maybe so. But Alexandra Shephard arrived at her parents' house in Williamsburg, Va. from her home in Orlando, Fla., this week fully expecting the familiar sight of cranberry sauce sliding from the can to a dish.
"I remember how intrigued I was at the lump of red jelly stuff that retained the shape of a can," said Shephard, who started the Facebook page with Mackara a couple years back. "I don't remember actually eating it (but) I remember it was always at the table."
Her father, she said, would only eat the canned sauce so eventually she got her courage up and tried homemade cranberry sauce even though she knew she didn't like the taste of the bitter little red berries. And she liked them, precisely because it didn't taste like cranberries.
She looks at it as a feat of engineering that the can-shaped sauce can keep its figure for hours. And she eats it because, just as Oliver suggested, she likes the uncranberryness of sauce, from the texture to the sweet taste.
For Bruce Scheonberger, presentation is everything. That helps explain why the 54-year-old Toledo attorney was eager to share a technique that ensures the cranberry sauce he puts on the table this Thanksgiving will look exactly the same as it always has.
After completely opening one end of the can, he makes a small opening in the other end. "You blow in it gently and it slides out and retains all of its ridges," he said. "I have it sitting straight up like a can."
If you?ve never done Black Friday before there are some things that you should know and think about before you make your plan. First, if you?re going to go, you should make a plan. Second, you should expect craziness and no less. Don?t get up at 4 am on friday morning thinking that just because you?re an hour early you?ll get exactly what you want with no problems at all. No matter where you are, there are sure to be lines, crowds, and a few crazy people. But if you have the right attitude, and preparation, Black Friday can be a fun tradition for you and your friends or the whole family. Make a plan ahead of time and decide for yourself whether you are going to be a die-hard participant sprinting for the TV section or a casual shopper who will get up early but not battle someone for a Blu-ray player. You can have a good time and be successful either way, but it?s best to decide ahead of time what your strategy is and just how far (or not) you?ll go to get that deal.
Know what you want
The first step to have a successful Black Friday go is figuring out exactly what you want to get before you head out. Scan forums online, check official websites for important info on deals, and circle your favorites in the ads that come with your paper. Prioritize your items based on just how good the deal is; if it?s priced at a serious discount, put it at the top of our list; if it?s only $30 off of the regular price, keep it as a lower-priority item. This will help you make sure that you get what you want most first and don?t just go for that low-priority item first just because it?s closer to the door. Do your homework on what deals are worth the effort as well. Check online prices for the item to make sure that the price advertised in the Black Friday ad is worth putting yourself through a tiring early-morning run to get.
Know where to get it
Just like you prioritized your desired items in order of importance and biggest discount, you?ll have to prioritize just which stores are at the top of your list. It?s possible to get great deals at multiple stores, but you should still have a priority list, unless you are shopping as a group and can split up to get all of the deals you want. Check out all of the big-box-stores? ads and compare prices on big-ticket items like cameras and TVs. Head to your number one store first and worry about the others later. Many stores (like Best Buy) hand out coupons for specific items to the folks in line, making for a less-frantic experience once the doors open and ensuring that you?ll get your coveted item if you?ve been waiting for hours. Most heavily-advertised discount items will have a limited supply, so put the most effort into your top-priority items and you won?t be as disappointed if the lesser items run out of stock.
Know when to be there
This might be the most important part of the whole Black Friday experience. Like we said before, that heavily-discounted TV (or other in-demand item) most likely has a very limited stock. The earlier you get to the store (even before it opens), the more likely you are to score that coveted deal. You?ll have to decide for yourself just how early you?re willing to get up (or stay up) to wait in line, or whether you?d rather sleep in until 7 am with the hopes that maybe there will be a camera left by the time you make it to the store. It?s all about your level of commitment, people. Either way, it?s important to know what time stores open and to decide just how early you are going to get to your number one store. If you?re going to camp out all night, we?ve got more advice for you ahead. For now, here are some opening hours for the most popular Black Friday stores.
Toys R Us ? 9 PM Thanksgiving day
Walmart ? 10 PM Thanksgiving day
Target ? 12 AM friday
Best Buy ? 12 AM friday
Old Navy ? 12 AM friday
Kohl?s ? 12 AM friday
JC Penney ? 4 AM friday
Sears ? 4 AM friday
Macy?s ? 4 AM friday
Sports Authority ? 5 AM friday
KMart ? 6 AM friday
Office Max ? 6 AM friday
Come prepared
The list of supplies you?ll need for your Black Friday excursion will greatly depend on just how long you?re planning to be out in the cold, but we?ve got some suggestions for what you might want to bring along. The most important things are to stay warm, dry, fed, and hydrated. Being comfortable is just icing on the cake if you can manage it.
Overnight: If you want to ensure that you get the really good deals, that sometimes means camping out in line overnight to make sure that you?re one of the first let through the doors in the morning. If you are hardcore enough to spend part of your Thanksgiving night sleeping (or staying awake) on the sidewalk, you?ll want a tent, a comfortable sleeping pad, a cozy sleeping bag, plenty of food and water, and some entertainment. Dress in warm layers and bring chairs and a lantern or flashlights. A camping stove with a warm meal on it will make the experience a little more enjoyable and might make you some friends if you?re willing to share.
Just a few hours: If you?re only waiting in line for a few hours, your supplies will be less extravagant. Dress in warm layers and hit up a Starbucks for a hot drink on your way. Put some handwarmers in your pockets, wear your most comfortable shoes, and bring a few stadium chairs if you want to get comfortable and chat with your line neighbors.
Be patient and civil
Take Black Friday as it comes. Try not to complain when you?re waiting in line because, guess what? Everyone is in the same boat. Whether you are playing it serious or more casual, use your time waiting in line to spend quality time with your buddies or make new friends in line. We?ve met some very interesting people in Black Friday lines, and that?s half the fun of the whole experience. You might even get more of the things on your list if you can make a few line buddies along the way. The doors will open eventually, but before that time, be patient and try to have a little fun instead of chomping at the bit or complaining about the cold.
Be considerate of your fellow shoppers in line. If you?re leaving to go to the bathroom, make sure someone is saving your place. Tell people ahead of time if you?ve got friends coming to join you in line so that they don?t accuse you of cutting. And don?t try any sneaky moves yourself. Fair is fair and those who make it to the line the earliest should have first dibs on the deals. Once you?re in the store, go after what you want but play nice. It won?t feel nearly as good to get that laptop at a good price if you grabbed it out of someone else?s hands. Think of it as shopping karma. We?re confident that if you?re civil to your fellow shoppers it will come back around to you sometime.
Work as a team and have fun
The best Black Friday experiences will come when you?ve got a fun group of people to go through all the craziness with you. Whether it?s friends or family, working together as a team on friday will help you get more of what you want and make it all more fun. If you plan ahead, you and your friends or family can split up and wait in line at different stores, ensuring that everyone gets their top-priority items, even if they are at different stores. If you?re all going to the same store, designate jobs and items for each person. Deciding ahead of time which items each person will be in charge of will prevent all of you from running for the same thing at once and missing out on all the other deals.
Whether you?re in a group or going it alone, try to have fun with the craziness. You?ll end the morning with a saner head and a better attitude if you can poke fun at the whole thing a bit. Make friends with people in line, bring games to play with your friends, and help everyone get the top thing on their list. If everyone in your group lands one great deal, you can call it a successful trip even if you didn?t score every last thing you wanted. There?s always next year, after all.
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This article was originally posted on Digital Trends
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During the first two months of the nationwide Occupy protests, the movement that is demanding more out of the wealthiest Americans cost local taxpayers at least $13 million in police overtime and other municipal services, according to a survey by The Associated Press.
The heaviest financial burden has fallen upon law enforcement agencies tasked with monitoring marches and evicting protesters from outdoor camps. And the steepest costs by far piled up in New York City and Oakland, Calif., where police clashed with protesters on several occasions.
The AP gathered figures from government agencies in 18 cities with active protests and focused on costs through Nov. 15, the day protesters were evicted from New York City's Zuccotti Park, where the protests began Sept. 17 before spreading nationwide. The survey did not attempt to tally the price of all protests but provides a glimpse of costs to cities large and small.
Broken down city by city, the numbers are more or less in line with the cost of policing major public events and emergencies. In Los Angeles, for example, the Michael Jackson memorial concert cost the city $1.4 million. And Atlanta spent several million dollars after a major snow and ice storm this year.
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Occupy Wall Street has a benefit album planned with Jackson Browne, Third Eye Blind, Crosby & Nash, Devo, Lucinda Williams and even some of those drummers who kept an incessant beat at Manhattan's Zuccotti Park.
Participants in the protest movement said Wednesday that "Occupy This Album," which will be available sometime this winter, will also feature DJ Logic, Ladytron, Warren Haynes, Toots and the Maytals, Mike Limbaud, Aeroplane Pageant, Yo La Tengo and others.
Activist filmmaker Michael Moore is also planning to sing.
Jason Samel, a musician who is putting together the disc, said the goal is to raise $1 million to $2 million to help fuel the movement.
___
Protesters want shoppers to occupy something besides door-buster sales and crowded mall parking lots on Black Friday.
Some don't want people to shop at all. Others just want to divert shoppers from big chains and giant shopping malls to local mom-and-pops. And while the actions don't appear coordinated, they have similar themes: supporting small businesses while criticizing the day's dedication to conspicuous consumption and the shopping frenzy that fuels big corporations.
Nearly each one promises some kind of surprise action on the day after Thanksgiving, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season.
Some business experts note that trying to shop exclusively local neglects economies of scale, job specialization and other benefits that big, multi-state corporations can bring. They also say small businesses aren't necessarily better employers in terms of wages, benefits, opportunities for advancement and other measures.
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NEW YORK
Demonstrators are complaining that thousands of books they had stored in a "people's library" were thrown out or destroyed when police officers raided their encampment last week.
The activists say city sanitation workers carted away about 4,000 volumes when they helped police dismantle the camp on Nov. 15. City officials say 26 truckloads of stuff were removed from Zuccotti Park, including the books, and that all of it was taken to a garage for safekeeping.
But the demonstrators say that only around 1,300 books have turned up at the garage so far, and that hundreds are mangled beyond repair. They want the city to buy replacements.
A spokeswoman for the mayor says protesters had "ample opportunity" to remove their property from the park prior to the raid.
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CALIFORNIA
The first female chancellor of the University of California, Davis, has found herself in the middle of a national debate over police use of pepper spray to subdue protesters and the way colleges balance free speech and public safety.
Linda Katehi, 57, has come under intense pressure after viral online videos showed police officers dousing a row of protesters with pepper spray as they sat passively on the ground with their arms linked.
Eleven students were hit by pepper spray, including two who were treated at a hospital and later released, university officials said.
Katehi has placed the campus police chief and two pepper-spraying officers on administrative leave. She also asked prosecutors to drop charges against nine students who were arrested and said the school would reimburse students for medical expenses.
She has publicly said she was horrified when she watched the videos. Even so, she is fighting calls for her resignation.
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LONDON
The City of London corporation took a step Wednesday to evict protesters camped outside St. Paul's Cathedral, insisting in court that the issue is not about protecting banks but protecting the rights and freedoms of others.
The organization ? which controls the area around St. Paul's ? says the ongoing Occupy London protest camp is harming nearby businesses. It also says protesters are drinking late into the night and creating an unpleasant atmosphere. It wants Britain's High Court to issue an eviction notice to force the protesters to move.
Protesters have camped outside St. Paul's since mid-October and say they will fight any legal bid to evict them.
Their proximity to Christopher Wren's 300-year-old icon has embroiled the church in a conflict between bank-bashing protesters and the city's finance industry. The church's position on the protesters has shifted several times, and the cathedral's dean and a senior priest have both resigned over the crisis.
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SOUTH CAROLINA
Several Occupy Columbia protesters arrested last week for refusing to leave the Statehouse grounds sued South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and state public safety officials, saying their First Amendment rights were trampled when they were arrested for demonstrating on public property.
The suit alleges that Haley blames the protesters for damage to Statehouse grounds because she doesn't agree with their message. A spokesman for the Department of Public Safety had no comment, and Rob Godfrey, a spokesman for Haley, said the governor would fight the lawsuit.
The seven people who brought suit were among 19 protesters arrested Nov. 16 after Haley said anyone attempting to camp out on the Statehouse grounds after 6 p.m. would be arrested for trespassing.
Very few shoppers set a strict holiday budget, according to a new survey.
By Allison Linn
Given the state of the economy, it comes as no surprise that many Americans are worried about how they?ll be able to pay for all their holiday expenses.
The trouble is, most of us don?t seem to be doing much to plan for it.
A new survey from the National Endowment for Financial Education finds that just 31 percent of consumers plan to set a budget this holiday season. That?s only slightly more than last year, when 27 percent said they were making a budget.
The vast majority said they weren?t going to set a holiday spending budget. Still, only 10 percent said they often spend more than they want to. That?s about the same as last year.
The wealthier the household, the less likely they were to set a budget.
Half of the people NEFE surveyed said they were more worried about being able to afford holiday expenses than they were five years ago. Nearly 4 in 10 are just as concerned about holiday spending as they were five years ago.
Harris Interactive conducted the survey of about 2,800 adults earlier this month on NEFE?s behalf.
"So I'll see you next week, same time as today. And if anything happens, then you--"
"Yeah, I know... call you immediately."
"Alright, Charlie. Keep at it, you're doing great at this, You're improving a lot from when I first started seeing you."
"Thanks doc. I'll see you next week."
Charlie sighed as he closed the door to his psychologist's office. He had been seeing her for the past month and a half after trying to go sober for the fourth time. The last time he had gone into rehab, it went well until they finally let him out, thinking he was going to be okay. But of course, he wasn't.
After getting a call from the hospital he had left his father at just before going into the rehabilitation center, he had found out that his father was in terrible shape. And then things only seemed to get worse. Not only was his father in bad shape, but because of all the drinking he had done in the past twelve years, most of his vital organs were failing. Of course, the doctors had told Charlie they were going to do everything they could, but Charlie knew better. Even if his dad got a liver replacement he'd waste the new one away with alcohol, of course. He'd never stop. Three weeks later, he got the terrible, but obvious news... his father had died.
So once again for the next few months, Charlie spiraled back out of control, back to drinking excessively. And of course, just like the last time, his friends, the few he had left, staged an intervention for him. begging him to get and stay sober. It took some time, but Charlie finally obliged. But rather than going to rehab once more, he decided to just instead go see a therapist and talk out his problems, and keep up with once of his sober friends for support. So far, it was working. He felt like he finally had control over his addiction, more control than he ever had before. All because he decided to talk out his problems, and find out the real cause of his addiction.
After walking out of the building, Charlie headed down the street to the local coffee shop to grab a quick cup of coffee, then go home, get some rest before going back to work tomorrow.
A team of University of Missouri researchers have found that targeting a synthetic molecule to a specific gene could help the severity of the disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) ? the leading genetic cause of infantile death in the world.
"When we introduced synthetic RNA into mice that carry the genes responsible for SMA, the disease's severity was significantly lowered," said Chris Lorson, researcher at the Bond Life Sciences Center and professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology and the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. "The mice that receive synthetic RNA gain more weight, live longer, and had improvements in motor skills. These results are very exciting."
SMA is a rare genetic disease that is inherited by one in 6,000 children, who often die young because there is no cure. Children who inherit SMA are missing a gene that produces a protein which directs nerves in the spine to give commands to muscles. Lorson's lab focuses on targeting a partially functioning back-up copy of the missing gene, known as SMN-2, into producing the needed protein.
While the results are promising, Lorson notes additional research is needed before synthetic RNA could be used on humans for SMA. Clinical trials for similar synthetic RNAs are currently being performed in other neurodegenerative disease such as Lou Gehrig's or ALS. In SMA, there are clinical trials taking place in many labs across the country that are investigating drug compounds to increase SMN-2 protein production.
"It's been remarkable to watch how quickly SMN-2 knowledge has transformed from basic molecular biology to being modified targets for novel therapeutics," Lorson said. "SMN-2 is like a light that's been dimmed, and we're trying anything to get it brighter. Even turning it up a little bit would help dramatically."
###
University of Missouri-Columbia: http://www.missouri.edu
Thanks to University of Missouri-Columbia for this article.
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.
Very few shoppers set a strict holiday budget, according to a new survey.
By Allison Linn
Given the state of the economy, it comes as no surprise that many Americans are worried about how they?ll be able to pay for all their holiday expenses.
The trouble is, most of us don?t seem to be doing much to plan for it.
A new survey from the National Endowment for Financial Education finds that just 31 percent of consumers plan to set a budget this holiday season. That?s only slightly more than last year, when 27 percent said they were making a budget.
The vast majority said they weren?t going to set a holiday spending budget. Still, only 10 percent said they often spend more than they want to. That?s about the same as last year.
The wealthier the household, the less likely they were to set a budget.
Half of the people NEFE surveyed said they were more worried about being able to afford holiday expenses than they were five years ago. Nearly 4 in 10 are just as concerned about holiday spending as they were five years ago.
Harris Interactive conducted the survey of about 2,800 adults earlier this month on NEFE?s behalf.
DENVER (Reuters) ? A U.S. airman facing possible discharge barricaded himself in a building on a Colorado air force base with a gun on Monday but later surrendered to authorities after a 10-hour standoff, base officials said.
The airman barricaded himself in a deployment processing building at Schriever Air Force Base at about 10 a.m. local time and surrendered willingly at 8 p.m. following talks with negotiators. No one was injured.
"We are grateful for all our first responders in their professionalism that was critical to the peaceful resolution of this situation," Colonel James P. Ross, 50th Space Wing commander, said in a statement.
Base spokeswoman Lieutenant Marie Denson said the 21-year-old airman, whose name was not immediately released, had been facing legal action in civilian court and a possible discharge.
He had been in the service for two years and nine months and had his own handgun as a member of "security services" for the base, Denson said. She had no further details on the legal action the airman had been facing.
Schriever Air Force Base spokeswoman Staff Sergeant Patrice Clarke said the airman was armed with a handgun during the standoff but had not fired his weapon.
Denson said that while Schriever Air Force Base, 10 miles east of Colorado Springs, houses military satellite operations, those facilities were in a separate restricted area and were not affected by the standoff.
(Additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb and Mary Slosson; Writing by Mary Slosson; Editing by Greg McCune and Cynthia Johnston)
NEW YORK (Reuters) ? What's in a name? About $3 billion, if you happen to spell it T-r-u-m-p.
Real estate mogul, reality television star and author Donald Trump estimates his net worth at $7 billion in a forthcoming book.
In his latest tome, Trump, known for promoting everything from his real estate projects to board games, vodka and reality TV shows, spells out his net worth, coming up with a figure billions more than Forbes magazine, which in September put the amount at $2.9 billion.
Much of the $4 billion-plus discrepancy lies with something Trump calls "brand value," in the financial detail contained in "Time to Get Tough," due out December 5.
On page 182, Trump lists holdings including $1.37 billion in New York City commercial properties and $1.22 billion in club facilities and related real estate. Liabilities include some $374 million in loans and mortgages.
At $3 billion his biggest asset -- by far -- is brand value, which according to a note "has been established by Predictiv, the highly respected brand valuation company."
The company, the note continues, "measures the financial impact of intangibles such as brand, strategy execution, innovation and post-merger integration."
In its latest look at his finances Forbes conceded that "yes, Trump remains adamant that Forbes is underestimating his brand value" -- which they put at $200 million.
His response: "You're ridiculous," Forbes reported.
(Reporting by Chris Michaud; editing by Mark Egan and Cynthia Osterman)
In a bid to break the world record for the longest distance travelled by an unmanned vehicle, four?robots called?Wave Gliders recently left San Francisco to journey 33,000 nautical miles (or 38,000 miles) across the Pacific. The 300-day voyage called Pacific Crossing (PacX) can be tracked by anyone through Google Earth's Ocean Showcase feature.?Google Earth manager Jenifer Austin Foulkes calls them "R2-D2s of the sea."
True to their name, the machines created by Liquid Robotics float on the surface of the ocean instead of traveling underwater. Waves both power their propulsion systems and present a potent threat to their journey, as the floaters could be destroyed by particularly strong ones. The four robots will travel to Hawaii, before splitting up in pairs ? two of them will continue their journey toward Australia, while the other two will head to Japan.
Aside from attempting to break a world record, the Wave Gliders will collect oceanic data such as salinity, temperature, clarity, oxygen content, weather, and wave features and currents. The sensors that collect all this information are powered by the sun through the?solar cells that cover the floater's surface. Transmitters then send all the information back to Liquid Robotics through a satellite network.
While some of the data can be accessed through Google Earth, only researchers who register with the company will have access to everything. Liquid Robotics is asking the scientific community for project abstracts, and will grant 6-month carte blanche use of the Wave Gliders to the top five proposals. After this initial launch, Liquid Robotics hopes to make the Wave Gliders available for commercial purposes. Possible applications include monitoring currents in shipping lanes, running offshore fish farms, guarding wild fisheries, and collecting data to better understand the role of the ocean in the earth's carbon cycle.
Liquidr via?PopSci,?IEEE
This article was written by Mariella Moon and originally appeared on Tecca
It?s a nice, feel-good Thanksgiving week story.? Bears quarterback Jay Cutler breaks a thumb.? The Broncos have cut a former Bears quarterback who?d like to play in Chicago again.? And there?s nothing more natural than a homecoming on the fourth Thursday in November.
The only problem?? At least 22 teams can provide the flight delay and/or the traffic jam that prevents Kyle Orton from scarfing down sausage with the Superfans.
After the trading deadline, all players who are released must pass through waivers.? Priority is determined by record.? And so every team higher than the Bears in the pecking order will have dibs on Orton, if they choose to exercise it.
The Bears reportedly are No. 30 on the list.? Which means that every team except the 49ers and Packers will be able to grab him.
It doesn?t matter whether Orton ?wants? to play for the Bears.? If another team claims him, he has 2.5 million reasons to show up.
At the top of the stack, what better way to test whether the Colts are in full-blown ?Suck for Luck? mode than to see whether they?d bring in a quarterback who is significantly better than Curtis Painter or Dan Orlovsky?? They?d be crazy not to make a claim.? Unless they?re truly crazy for Andrew Luck.
The 4-6 Chiefs also need help, given the performance of Tyler Palko on Monday night.? (And with the Chiefs playing the Broncos again on January 1, there could be some strategic benefit to having him around.)? Ditto for the Redskins, whose head coach could be coaching for his job, with Rex Grossman and John Beck as the blanks in the bazooka.
And how about NFC teams that hope to pick off a wild-card berth if/when the Bears slide with Caleb Hanie or Nathan Enderle?? The 7-3 Lions, 6-4 Falcons, the 6-4 Cowboys (whose primary backup, Jon Kitna, is banged up), the 6-4 Giants, the 4-6 Bucs, and even the 4-6 Dream Team would have an incentive to block the Bears from getting their way.
Let?s also not forget about the Texans, who may not be completely sold on Matt Leinart, despite the decision to put all their eggs in a beer bong.
Finally, it would be foolish to overlook good, old-fashioned spite.? In 2002, Deion Sanders wanted to emerge from retirement and hop onto the silver-and-black bandwagon.? So the Redskins released his rights.? And former Redskins coach Marty Schottenheimer, the man whose presence in 2001 prompted Sanders to pick retirement over playing, put in a waivers claim on Sanders, short-circuiting his plan.? With three NFC North teams on track to make it to the playoffs, maybe the 2-8 Vikings would be tempted to keep the Bears from getting Orton, in the hopes that they?ll have company in the non-playoff party.
That?s highly unlikely.? But the point is that there are many possible motivations, and just because the Bears want Orton and Orton wants the Bears, it doesn?t mean he?ll end up there.? Indeed, the fact that the Bears and Orton are trying to rendezvous could be the tiebreaker for a team that is thinking about disrupting that plan.
UPDATE 10:35 p.m. ET:? As a reader pointed out on Twitter, claiming Orton has another benefit.? When he leaves as a free agent in March 2012, the team that employs him for six weeks would be in line of a compensatory draft pick.? So there?s one more good reason to consider doing it.
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Public release date: 28-Nov-2011
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