Yves Behar's August Smart Lock Lets Users Open Doors With A Mobile App

The smart home has grown in importance over the years, with new technologies being used to connect users with what used to be dumb objects. A startup called August, which provides a $199 keyless lock system powered by a mobile app, was founded by tech entrepreneur Jason Johnson and industrial designer Yves Behar, who were searching for a new way to give users access to their homes.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/syyBzjf95AM/

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Meanwhile, Big Investors Quietly Slip Out The Back Door - Zero Hedge

Last September, one of the original institutional investors in the housing-to-rent strategy, multi-billion hedge fund Och-Ziff called it quits on the landlord business. The reason: "the New York-based hedge fund is looking to sell now because the returns it is generating from rental income are less than expected and it is looking to take advantage of a recent rebound in home prices in northern California." As a reminder, the REO-to-Rental subsidized investment program, which led to an epic surge in demand for multi-family housing, i.e., rental, units was, together with offshore investors parking their cash in the US for safekeeping (taking advantage of the NAR's anti-money laundering check exemptions)? and the big banks Foreclosure Stuffing, the key reason for the recent, stimulus-fueled and quite transitory bounce in house prices in assorted markets.

Still, OZ's exit of the business did not spook too many of the other remaining investors who simply had no better investment options, and in a world of POMO and FOMO, they saw no choice but to become ever bigger landlords.

Today, another one of the original "big boys" has called it curtains: "We just don?t see the returns there that are adequate to incentivize us to continue to invest", according to the CEO Bruce Rose of Carrington, one of the first investors to use deep institutional pockets (in this case a $450 million investment from OakTree) and BTFHousingD.

Rose's assessment of the market? "There?s a lot of -- bluntly -- stupid money that jumped into the trade without any infrastructure, without any real capabilities and a kind of build-it-as-you-go mentality that we think is somewhat irresponsible."

Of course, one can say exactly the same thing about virtually every other market where those gambling with "other people's money" have no choice but to ride the tide and dance as long as the music emanating from the Fed is playing. However, it is rare to see one (technically, another) voluntarily step out even as others are still locked into a market where the returns are no longer worth the effort.

One such gambler is Blackstone:

Blackstone Group LP (BX), the largest investor in single-family rentals, has spent $4.5 billion to amass more than 26,000 homes and continues to buy, according to Eric Elder, a spokesman for Invitation Homes, the rental housing division of the world?s largest private equity firm.

?

Blackstone?s net yields on its occupied houses are about 6 percent to 6.5 percent, Jonathan Gray, the firm?s global head of real estate, said during a May 3 conference call with investors. That?s before using leverage from a $2.1 billion line of credit the private-equity giant arranged in March from a lending syndicate headed by Deutsche Bank AG.

?

While about 85 percent of Blackstone?s renovated homes were leased, Gray said, ?we?ve got an awful lot of homes to continue renovating.?

Blackstone can have its homes: it's a different question if it will have the rental cash flow also needs to make these investments a reasonable investment. According to Carrington at least, the answer is a resounding no. And if people think the bottom will fall out of the market when the Fed pulls the curtain, just wait to see what happens to housing when the day comes that Blackstone announces it is shifting from the net buyer to net seller.

Back to Carrington's rationale:

Carrington, which started in 2003 as a mortgage investment fund and has managed almost 25,000 rental homes for itself and others, has been joined by hundreds of institutional and international investors buying single-family homes after prices plunged following the housing crash. The firms are building a new institutional real estate asset class from the 14 million leased single-family residences that are worth an estimated $2.8 trillion, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

Even as demand for rentals rises amid a falling homeownership rate, yields are declining and companies formed to buy the homes that have gone public haven?t yet been profitable.

?

Funds are buying property now, including homes sold by Carrington, for rents that yield 6 percent to 8 percent a year, before costs such as insurance, taxes and vacancies, according to Rose. Carrington?s model called for mid-single digit net returns on annual rents on an unlevered basis, according to Rose. While returns would vary by market, they would generally be in the mid- to high teens over the duration of the holding period, with the profit from home price appreciation.

Others' experience justifies the logic:

Colony American Homes Inc., a division of Thomas Barrack Jr.?s Colony Capital LLC, has found tenants for only 51 percent of the 9,931 homes it bought for $1.4 billion, according to a filing yesterday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

?

American Residential Properties Inc. (ARPI), a Scottsdale, Arizona-based real estate investment trust, and Silver Bay Realty Trust Inc., a New York-based single-family REIT, both reported losses in the quarter ending March 31. Owen Blicksilver, a spokesman for Colony Capital, declined to comment. Silver Bay CEO David Miller was unavailable to comment, according to Tricia Ross, a spokeswoman at Financial Profiles Inc. American Residential CEO Steve Schmitz and President Laurie Hawkes didn?t reply to e-mails seeking comment.

If nothing else, everyone now knows where the incremental "bubble" demand for housing has come from: not from the distressed end user of thes properties, for whom as we showed yesterday, the disconnect between real income and new home sales has never been wider: it was all large institutions who invested OPM, and chased any upward moving price with the fervor of a rabid dog.

But all things come to an end:

?All the people who made money during the gold rush in California, they were selling the buckets and shovels,? Gordon said. ?I think there is gold in them there hills, but you?re going to have to dig deep. And hopefully you?re going to need more than one shovel.?

?

Carrington may start buying rental homes again when other large investors decide to sell after learning they can?t make returns that justify the prices they paid, Rose said.

?

?We?ll sit back in the weeds for a while and wait for a couple of blowups,? he said. ?There?ll be a point in time when we?ll be happy to get back into the market at levels that make more sense.?

If the Chairman is serious about tapering, or even hinting of tightening at some point in the future, those blowups won't take too long. And so will the blowup in the illusion that the housing market is "recovering" on anything more than yet another cheap-money fueled bubble afforded to a select few who now have no choice but to "hot potato" properties amongst each other first on the way up, and soon, going down.

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Source: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-05-29/meanwhile-big-investors-quietly-slip-out-back-door-housing-stupid-money-jumps

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James scores 30, Heat take Game 5, 90-79

Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) defends Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (24) during the second half of Game 5 in the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals, Thursday, May 30, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) defends Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (24) during the second half of Game 5 in the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals, Thursday, May 30, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Miami Heat forward Chris Andersen (11) is restrained by official Marc Davis as coach Erik Spoelstra yells at him during the first half of Game 5 in the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers, Thursday, May 30, 2013, in Miami. Andersen was charged with a flagrant foul. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

David Beckham, right, sits courtside with Marcelo Claure, founder of Brightstar Corp., during the first half of Game 5 of the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals between the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat, Thursday, May 30, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Official Marc Davis (8) and Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra restrain Heat's Chris Andersen during the first half of Game 5 in the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals, Thursday, May 30, 2013, in Miami. Andersen was charged with a flagrant foul. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Miami Heat forward Chris Andersen reacts after blocking a shot by Indiana Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough during the first half of Game 5 in the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals, Thursday, May 30, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

MIAMI (AP) ? The game was very much in doubt. A sold-out arena was basically silent. The chance of getting back to the NBA Finals for a third straight year could have slipped away.

Cue LeBron James.

A third quarter for the ages by the four-time MVP turned the game, and perhaps the entire Eastern Conference finals, around. James scored 16 of his 30 points in the quarter, fueling what was a 20-point turnaround at one point, and the Heat beat the Indiana Pacers 90-79 in Game 5 on Thursday night.

The Heat lead the series 3-2, with a chance to finish it off in Indiana on Saturday night and move on to a finals matchup with the San Antonio Spurs.

"That's what I came here for, to be able to compete for a championship each and every year," James said. "I'm one step away from doing it once again. It's not promised. It's not promised at all. I made a tough decision. Obviously, I think we all know the story. I envisioned something that was bigger as far as a team ... and we've got an opportunity as a team, once again, for the third year straight to make a trip to the NBA Finals."

Indiana was up 46-40 early in the third, surely sensing a chance to grab total control of the series. Over the next 11 minutes, the Heat outscored the Pacers 30-10, with James either scoring or accounting for 25 Miami points. He shot 7 for 10 in the third quarter; the Pacers shot 3 for 14. He had four rebounds in the quarter; the Pacers, as a team, grabbed six. He had four assists in the quarter; the Pacers had one.

"That's LeBron showing his greatness and making it look easy," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "What we talked about was doing whatever it takes and competing for each other without leaving anything out there. His engine in that third quarter was incredible. He was tireless, he was making plays on both ends of the court, rebounding, covering so much ground defensively and then making virtually every play for us offensively. It's really remarkable."

James added eight rebounds and six assists, and Udonis Haslem made his last eight shots on the way to a 16-point night. Mario Chalmers scored 12 and Dwyane Wade added 10 for the Heat, who ousted the Pacers in six games in a second-round matchup last season and will look to do the same this time around, albeit one round deeper.

Paul George had 27 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers, who got 22 points from Roy Hibbert and 17 from David West. The Pacers led by as many as seven at one point, but had no answer for the Heat in the third and now have to win back-to-back games ? against a team that hasn't lost consecutive games since early January.

"I don't really know," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said, when asked if there's anything a team can do when James gets on a roll like the one he had in the third quarter. "He was pretty special tonight. There's no question about it. This whole team is special. It's one of the best teams that this league's ever seen and we're enjoying competing against them. We know we can beat them, but we've got to play better than we did tonight."

Haslem said Juwan Howard threw a few things in the locker room and had a few choice words for teammates at halftime ? "a lot of bleeps and stuff like that," Haslem said ? and that James echoed the same remarks just before the start of the third.

"We had 24 minutes to play for our livelihoods," Haslem said. "And that's how we played in the second half."

Haslem's first shot of the night was a complete brick, bouncing off the top of the backboard. He was perfect the rest of the way, including going 5 for 5 in the third.

For the second time in the series, Haslem ? who has struggled with his shot for the better part of two years ? finished 8 for 9.

"That burned us," Vogel said.

Haslem got past Hibbert easily and into the lane for a dunk that put Miami up 47-46, the first Heat lead since 4-2. The Pacers were back on top by a point with 6:58 left in the third when fighting words reappeared, on a play where George Hill was called for an offensive foul after getting caught pushing off on a drive. West angrily approached Chalmers after the play and both of those players, along with Haslem, got technicals when it was all said and done.

It clearly fired up Miami.

James and Haslem combined to score 18 of their team's 21 points in the final 6:04 of the third. Everything came on jump shots, including a 3-pointer from Chalmers, three jumpers averaging 20 feet from Haslem, and five more from James, including a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left in the quarter that put Miami up 70-56 and had him yelling at no one in particular as the arena roared.

"We didn't have enough fight," West said. "We stalled."

George didn't sound overly impressed even after James' third-quarter numbers.

"He just came out and make some shots," George said. "You take away that third, and we're in the ballgame."

As if this one needed any more buildup, there was plenty of news long before tipoff.

The NBA announced Thursday morning that it fined James, West and Lance Stephenson $5,000 each for flopping in Game 4, plus upgraded a foul that West committed against Wade in the fourth quarter of that game to a flagrant-1. Then Hibbert and West, speaking after Indiana's morning practice, said they have to protect their knees when Shane Battier is in the game for Miami, though neither flatly accused the Heat forward of dirty play.

And all that happened more than eight hours prior to game time.

Things didn't exactly calm down once the ball went into the air.

Indiana was blown out in Game 5 of a tied-up series at Miami last season, never holding the lead and losing by 32 points. This one took a much different tone from the outset, with the Pacers running out to a 15-9 lead that could have been worse for Miami given that West and Hibbert combined to miss three easy layups in the opening minutes.

"There's no question, we blew some opportunities in the first quarter," Vogel said.

George and Hibbert combined for all of Indiana's 23 points in the first quarter. Indiana's lead was four after the period, and when the second began, the reminders that these teams simply do not like each other started coming fast and furious.

Chris Andersen and Tyler Hansbrough needed to be separated early in the second, and both got technicals after Andersen appeared to hit Hansbrough twice, first with a shoulder and then with a two-hand shove. Andersen also picked up a flagrant-1 for his efforts, things cooled off a bit for the rest of the half, and Indiana went into the break up 44-40.

The Pacers then scored the first basket of the third.

After that, all Heat. Or more specifically, all James and Haslem, who put together a burst that the defending champions desperately needed.

"It's the playoffs," Wade said. "Shane Battier said this is when you feel alive, when your back's against the wall. ... You've got to go out there and play. This is what we prepared for all season."

A year ago, the Heat lost Game 5 of the East finals to Boston, and needed a 45-point game from James in Game 6 just to extend their season.

Not this time.

The finals are now one win away.

"We were able to respond," James said.

NOTES: The last time Haslem had a 10-point third quarter was also against Indiana ? but in March 2009. ... David Beckham was courtside near the Heat bench, Floyd Mayweather Jr. was courtside near the Pacers' bench. ... Hansbrough left in the fourth quarter with a sprained right ankle after falling over Battier, who was down on the court after going for a rebound. ... Both teams seemed a tad nervous in the opening moments. Wade had two airballs in the first quarter, Haslem had a jumper bounce off the top of the backboard, and Hill tossed an alley-oop that missed everybody and bounced off the backboard like a fastball.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-05-31-BKN-Pacers-Heat/id-958b89cab126414d8153523ceb6cba28

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The Military's Sexual Assault Crisis: Our Women in Uniform Deserve ...

FlaglerLive | May 28, 2013

Not pictured: their rapists.

By Martha Burk

Americans have honored our soldiers and those killed in U.S. wars in late May for nearly 150 years. Memorial Day, which became an official holiday in 1868, was originally called Decoration Day and got started when civilian women decided to decorate military graves from both sides of the Civil War.

Martha Burk

There were already female warriors in our military back then, mostlydisguised and fighting as men. In today?s armed forces, women no longer need to hide their gender. But lately it seems like our women in uniform might be better off if they did.

While men still comprise the overwhelming majority of our troops and officers, the number of women has risen substantially in the last decade. Unfortunately, so has the numbers of rapes and other sexual assaults. In fact, military women are much more likely to be sexually assaulted by a fellow soldier than?killed by an enemy.

This month, the Pentagon released the latest?grim statistics?on this front: There were 3,374 reported cases of sexual assault in the ranks over the course of the 2012 fiscal year, and officials believe an additional 26,000 sexual assaults went unreported. Despite all the attention this problem has garnered for years, sexual assault is growing more common. The official rate is up by 13 percent and the unreported estimated rate has?climbed 35 percent?in the past two years.

Those shameful numbers don?t have to speak for themselves. The Pentagon?s report came just two days after?Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski, the Air Force officer in charge of sexual assault training, was arrested for ? you guessed it ? getting drunk and sexually assaulting a complete stranger in an Arlington, Virginia parking lot.

A week later, the military said it was investigating whether?Sgt. 1^st?Class Gregory McQueen, a man whose job it was to?prevent?sexual abuse and harassment at Ft. Hood in Texas, was himself committing a battery of sexual offenses ? and even running a prostitution ring.

Soon after, Lt.?Col. Darin Haas?was relieved of his duties running the sexual assault response program at Ft. Campbell in Kentucky after he was arrested for sending his ex-wife threatening texts and stalking her in violation of a court order.

It sure looks like the military has a systemic problem with foxes guarding henhouses.

Most of the victims were afraid of being punished by superiors if they reported what happened. And for good reason. In virtually every case, senior officers ? not civilian law enforcement ? get to decide guilt or innocence. They can even overturn jury decisions in the very few cases that actually go to trial.

President Barack Obama gets that this must change. He took to the airwaves to denounce a system that?s clearly not working. Meanwhile, Air Force Chief of Staff?Gen. Mark A. Welsh III?was busy blaming the victims in testimony before the Senate Armed Services committee. He said the assaults were the result of a ?hook up mentality,? and besides, many of the women had already been raped once before they joined the military. Wow.

The reality is that?one in four U.S. military women?experience sexual trauma in the ranks sooner or later? and about 1 percent of?military men are raped or assaulted each year.

Members of Congress are pressing for a thorough overhaul of the way military assaults are prosecuted.?Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel?is still defending the good-ol?-boys-decide system now in place, although he has given some hints that he might be more open to letting non-military prosecutors take over that role.

Let?s hope when the next Memorial Day rolls around, the good news will be that changes have been made. Our military women and men deserve to be safe from assault by their own ranks. Those who assault their peers and their own country in the bargain deserve to be punished, not protected. It?s a matter of simple military justice.

Martha Burk is the director of the Corporate Accountability Project for the National Council of Women?s Organizations (NCWO) and the author of Your Voice, Your Vote: The Savvy Woman?s Guide to Power, Politics, and the Change We Need (CreateSpace, 2012). Follow Martha on twitter @MarthaBurk.

Please support FlaglerLive. Go to our Contributions/Donations Page.

Source: http://flaglerlive.com/54757/military-sex-assaults-gc/

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Dog Playing In Hail Tries To Eat All The Pieces (VIDEO)

Somebody tell this dog he can't possibly eat every piece of hail.

Uploaded by YouTube user Doug Burg on May 29, this video shows "Nemo the Lab playing in the hail storm." The video was taken south of Denver, Colo. in Castle Rock. Burg also uploaded another video of the hailstorm.

If you're looking for your own companion to chase hail, and are ready for the responsibility, take a look at the ASPCA adoption site or Petfinder.com.

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/29/dog-playing-in-hail-video_n_3354869.html

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NCAA regional tickets on sale for season ticket holders

• Independence H.S. grad killed in Afghanistan

  Louisiana soldier killed in Afghanistan

  Updated: Tuesday, May 28 2013 5:42 PM EDT2013-05-28 21:42:30 GMT

  A Louisiana serviceman has died overseas. Family members said Chris Drake, 20, of Tickfaw was killed in Afghanistan. According to relatives, the Army soldier graduated from Independence High in 2011. Copyright 2013More >>A soldier from Louisiana died in Bagram, Afghanistan on Sunday after his vehicle was attacked by a rocket propelled grenade. According to the Department of Defense, he was part of Operation Enduring Freedom.More >>

• Best of the Class 2013

  Best of the Class 2013

  WAFB congratulates our areas shining stars. It's the Best of the Class - 2013.More >>As another school year ends, WAFB wants to congratulate our areas shining stars. It's the Best of the Class - 2013.More >>

• Autopsy scheduled to determine cause of death of body pulled from river

  Autopsy scheduled to determine cause of death of body pulled from river

  Updated: Tuesday, May 28 2013 1:05 PM EDT2013-05-28 17:05:46 GMT

  The investigation into a possible drowning that left a 21-year-old man dead is ongoing. The Livingston Parish Coroner's Office said an autopsy will be performed Wednesday morning to help determine theMore >>The Livingston Parish Coroner's Office said an autopsy will be performed Wednesday morning to help determine the exact cause of death.More >>

• Teen dies from injuries suffered in house fire

  Teen dies from injuries suffered in house fire

  Updated: Tuesday, May 28 2013 1:15 PM EDT2013-05-28 17:15:09 GMT

  Authorities said a teen who was hospitalized after a house fire early Sunday morning has died. The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office said Antonio Collins, 16, died Monday night. According to a friend ofMore >>Authorities said a teen who was hospitalized after a house fire early Sunday morning has died. The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office said Antonio Collins, 16, died Monday night.More >>

• Mom says West Albany bomb plot teen suffers from rare form of OCD

  Students back at West Albany HS after bomb plot arrest

  Updated: May 28, 2013 07:30 AM 2013-05-28 15:47:22 GMT

  A 17-year-old boy who police said planned a Columbine-style attack at West Albany High School will be arraigned Tuesday on a long list of charges, including attempted aggravated murder. Grant Acord, whoMore >>Grant Acord is facing a number of charges, including attempted aggravated murder, after prosecutors say bombs were found in his bedroom.More >>

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -

Tiger baseball fans are gearing up for the start of the NCAA regionals this weekend at Alex Box Stadium. That means getting in line early for tickets. Season ticket holders got first dibs Tuesday on regional ticket booklets, some buying more than others.

"I sell all but two tickets to friends. But I have been able to pick up tickets to help people who can't get them," said Donei Lacomb who bought 14 tickets.

Regional booklets are on sale for $50 to $100 for a weekend pass to all the games, depending on where you sit. ? The general public will have the opportunity to buy leftover seats beginning Thursday at 8 a.m.

"When Skip came I took a chance. I said maybe we'll have something and we did. So I've been coming every year since," said 84 year old Joseph Scardino, who's has been buying tickets for 30 years.

Individual game tickets will go on sale Friday morning for $10. Some fans have already prepared for their team to make it to Omaha. Lacomb already has his seats for the World Series.

"I normally go almost every year and watch the first four or five days, because all the teams are in it. It's the best time to if you haven't gone," says Lacomb.

Copyright 2013 WAFB. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.wafb.com/story/22441606/regional-tickets-on-sale-for-season-ticket-holders

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Ad hoc 03: Xbox One and the state of the living room

Take a bunch of tech geeks who also happen to get their game on, power them up, put them in front of mics, hit the record button, and what do you get? Another impromptu episode of hardest core casual podcast on the system.

Join John Siracusa, Guy English, and Rene Ritchie as they talk all about the just-announced Xbox One, how it compares to the kinda-announced PS4, the perplexing Wii U, and what's left for Google and Apple in the TV space.

• Subscribe via RSS
• Subscribe via iTunes
• Download Directly

Show notes

• ATP 14: Pouring Champagne onto rap stars
• Three things that should trouble Apple
• Meet Xbox One

Panel

• Guy English of Kickingbear
• John Siracusa of Hypercritical
• Rene Ritchie of iMore

Feedback

Yell at us via the Twitter accounts above. Loudly.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/z-9pi5QkhDE/story01.htm

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Communications Meme - StrawberrySingh.com | StrawberrySingh.com

(click here for raw shot)

For the past few weeks I?ve chosen somewhat difficult memes and for next week I have something really challenging planned. Therefore, I thought that this week I would keep it short and simple. I?m going to be nosy again and ask a series of questions about how you communicate and socialize inworld, I hope you guys participate.

Meme instructions: Copy and paste the following questions and answers into your post, delete my answers and input your own. All of your answers should reflect your activity within Second Life. Remember to leave your link in this meme?s comments so others can come by and read your answers as well!

1. Who did you speak to last inworld today? Harlow Heslop
2. Who has taught you most about SL? Probably Roosevelt Dagger and Catero Revolution
3. Who do you turn to for help? Zaara Kohime mostly however, I do want to add though that the people on my plurk timeline have also helped me tremendously over the years with finding things I need inworld, getting more information about SL, helping me decide on inworld purchases, etc?
4. Who is the most entertaining person on your friend list? Winter Jefferson
5. Do you speak to your SL friends outside of SL? I do, on social networks, via email and other chat/im programs such as gtalk and skype.
6. Are you part of a community or family inworld? No, I?m not. I used to be a regular/hostess at certain clubs back in 2007/2008 and had a group of people I used to hang out with on a regular basis but that sim is no longer and we?ve all seemed to have gone our separate ways. I?ve never been part of a family or roleplay community though.
7. Are you usually around a lot of people or do you spend most of your time alone inworld? I would say I am mostly alone (when I can be). However, I do spend a lot of time with clients as I have a few photoshoots each day. But I don?t consider that as socializing, just work. I do try to get as much alone time as possible though, as I like peace and quiet so I can concentrate on my pictures and blogging. I was a lot more open to being social earlier in my SL but lately I prefer to be on my own. I guess I like the solitude because I?m usually surrounded by my family in real life so SL to me is kind of an escape from people and things.

I know it?s rather strange of me to not be as social inworld, especially since SL is a virtual world where people go to be more social. But I guess I?m kind of over that aspect of it and I just want to focus on other things. I do try to participate with community projects and challenges though within the blogger community. One challenge that I am kind of looking forward to trying is the Avatar Blogger Month in June. You can check the iRez blog for all of the details about that and I hope you participate in it as well!

For this post I wanted to create a soft and peaceful image with a relaxed theme, because that?s what I crave in my virtual world. The pose and arbor in this picture are from this month?s Zodiac Gemini. The dress was at FaMESHed this month but now you can find it in the Zaara mainstore.

Please remember that you can participate in any of the memes at any time. You?ll find them all under my Blog Challenges category along with other memes and challenges I?ve done over the years.

Credits:
Skin: League Aria Golden -Special Edition -Chest C by Nena Janus
*Hair: ??D!va?? Hair ?Asami? (Type A)(Brown diamond) by Marisa Kira
*Dress: Zaara : [Mesh] Chaitra chiffon dress (S) *ivory* by Zaara Kohime
*Mesh Feet & Hands: SLink by Siddean Munro
Sandals: Slink Ilena Sandals Large White by Siddean Munro
*Pose: aDORKable Poses: Smart Pack by Adorkable Peapod (@ Zodiac Gemini)
*Arbor: *Solange!* Gemini Arbor by Solange by Solange Cerveau (@ Zodiac Gemini)
*Flowers: meadowWorks Opium Poppy Flowers Lots 01 by Garvie Garzo

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Source: http://strawberrysingh.com/2013/05/27/communications-meme/

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Everyday Carry Gear ? Ian Lim

This entry is part 12 of 12 in the series

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/05/28/everyday-carry-gear-ian-lim/

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'Fast & Furious' leads 'Hangover' in big-budget movie battle

By Lisa Richwine and Chris Michaud

(Reuters) - The speed demons of "Fast & Furious 6" raced ahead of the hard-partying "Hangover" gang in a battle between two male-oriented movie franchises, setting up the car chase sequel for a big holiday weekend win at U.S. and Canadian box offices.

"Fast & Furious 6" rang up an estimated $98.5 million in domestic ticket sales from Friday through Sunday and was speeding toward $122.5 million by the end of Monday's U.S. Memorial Day holiday, distributor Universal Pictures projected.

Comedy sequel "The Hangover Part III" brought in $42.4 million from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates, and was likely to finish with $64 million through Monday, after a Thursday opening.

Last weekend's box office leader, sci-fi sequel "Star Trek Into Darkness," fell to third place with $38 million through Sunday and was headed toward $48 million through Monday.

The movies charged up the North American box office, putting ticket sales on pace for a Memorial Day weekend record. Receipts for all films could reach $323 million through Monday, according to Hollywood.com, shattering the 2011 record of $276.3 million.

"A perfect storm of hits led to this incredible weekend with going out to the movies proving itself to be the first choice for outside-of-the-home entertainment," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com's box office division.

The sixth installment of "Fast & Furious" blew past pre-weekend forecasts for $80 million in domestic sales over four days by nearly 50 percent. The five previous films grossed $1.6 billion combined.

Set in London, the new film stars Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto, a now-retired professional criminal who reunites his crew with U.S. Diplomatic Security Service agent Luke Hobbs, played by Dwayne Johnson. The group works to take down a criminal outfit of mercenary drivers scattered across 12 countries.

The new movie built a massive online fan base with more than 34 million "likes" on Facebook. It cost $160 million to produce.

"To do this again, and have critics rave which is so unusual for this type of film ... that's unbelievable," said Nikki Rocco, president for domestic distribution at Universal Studios, a unit of Comcast Corp.

"And it's really extraordinary that 49 percent of the audience is female. Older females really love the film," she noted, adding that its appeal is "very broad and very diverse."

"Fast & Furious 6" added $177 million in international markets, bringing global sales through Sunday to $275.5 million, Universal said.

With the franchise showing no signs of slowing, Universal has already announced the "Fast & Furious 7" release for July 2014.

EXTENDED HANGOVER?

"The Hangover Part III," meanwhile, brings the hard-partying saga to a close. The third movie takes friends played by Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis back to Las Vegas for a new round of escapades as they hunt for the elusive and eccentric Mr. Chow, played by Ken Jeong.

The third installment looked likely to miss forecasts for sales of at least $70 million including Thursday sales of $11.8 million. Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment produced "Hangover Part III" for $103 million, according to the Box Office Mojo website.

Dan Fellman, president of theatrical distribution for Warner Bros, said that while the film "underperformed just a little bit," the big weekend numbers all around were a good sign, and "Hangover III" was the second-largest opening ever for an R-rated film with $64 million projected through Monday.

"The market expanded enormously this weekend," Fellman noted, "so we expect we'll be getting some of the 'Fast & Furious' fans in the next week."

The weekend's other new nationwide release, animated family film "Epic," landed in fourth place with $34.2 million through Sunday and an estimated $44 million through Monday.

"Epic," released by News Corp's 20th Century Fox studio, tells the story of a teenage girl who discovers a battle between good and evil taking place deep in the forest. Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson and Beyonce provide voices for the characters. The 3D movie, which cost $93 million to produce, is the first new family film to reach theaters since "The Croods" debuted on March 22.

Third-place film "Star Trek Into Darkness" dropped 46 percent from its debut a week earlier. Global sales through Sunday neared $260 million, according to distributor Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc.

In fifth place, blockbuster superhero movie "Iron Man 3" from Walt Disney Co's Marvel Studios earned $19.4 million through Sunday. Its cumulative global sales topped $1.1 billion, Disney said, the fifth-highest total of all time.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Chris Michaud; Editing by Sandra Maler and Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fast-furious-leads-hangover-big-budget-movie-battle-185843855.html

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Ants Will Give You Free Advertising If You Pee On The Billboard

Most people don't take a trip to the Amazon looking for publicity opportunities, but if you stumble on one you have to run with it, right? At Smarter Every Day, Destin and his rainforest guides took advantage of the complicated process leafcutter ants go through to forage for salt and got the ants to carry a little Smarter Every Day sign instead of the leaves they normally tote.

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Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/c4vZiVTiCdA/ants-will-give-you-free-advertising-if-you-pee-on-the-b-509949982

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On Memorial Day, Obama pays tribute to fallen

By Jeff Mason

ARLINGTON, Virginia (Reuters) - President Barack Obama paid tribute on Monday to fallen men and women of the U.S. armed services during a Memorial Day ceremony in which he reminded Americans that the country was still at war.

During a solemn visit to Arlington National Ceremony, the resting ground for many military casualties, Obama noted in remarks to visitors that next year would mark the last Memorial Day of the U.S. war in Afghanistan.

"But even as we turn the page on a decade of conflict, even as we look forward, let us never forget, as we gather here today, that our nation is still at war," Obama said.

Unlike World War Two or the Vietnam War, conflicts that touched nearly every American, today most U.S. citizens were not directly affected by the military conflicts overseas, the president noted.

"As we gather here today, at this very moment, more than 60,000 of our fellow Americans still serve far from home in Afghanistan," Obama said.

"They're still going out on patrol, still living in spartan forward operating bases, still risking their lives to carry out their mission. And when they give their lives, they are still being laid to rest in cemeteries in the quiet corners across our country, including here in Arlington."

Most U.S. combat troops are slated to exit Afghanistan by the end of 2014. Obama formally ended the U.S. war in Iraq earlier in his White House tenure.

In a major policy speech last week, Obama said the United States would shift its focus away from a "boundless global war on terror" that began under his predecessor, Republican President George W. Bush.

After his remarks on Monday, Obama and his wife, first lady Michelle Obama, visited Section 60 of the cemetery, where the newly slain are buried.

"Today, just steps from where these brave Americans lie in eternal peace, we declare, as a proud and grateful nation, that their sacrifice will never be forgotten," Obama said.

"And just as we honor them, we hold their families close. Because for the parents who lose a child; for the husbands and wives who lose a partner; for the children who lose a parent, every loss is devastating. And for those of us who bear the solemn responsibility of sending these men and women into harm's way, we know the consequences all too well."

The first lady has made helping military families one of her primary causes, along with fighting childhood obesity.

During the ceremony, Michelle Obama leaned forward to watch as an Air Force singer delivered a powerful rendition of "America the Beautiful."

Earlier, the president laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, placing his hand over his heart while taps was played.

Entering and exiting the cemetery, Obama's motorcade snaked down a street lined with uniformed military members while the boom of a ceremonial canon sounded off in the background. It passed rows of white gravestones with small American flags planted beside them, along with onlookers and family members who had come to visit fallen loved ones.

(Editing by Philip Barbara)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/memorial-day-obama-pays-tribute-fallen-175529828.html

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HBT: Mets rally late vs. Braves to snap losing streak

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Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/26/mets-rally-late-against-the-braves-to-snap-losing-streak/relate/d

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Amadou & Mariam: Si Ni Kan

Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia are the couple that make up Amadou & Mariam, an afro-blues group from Mali. The pair has been performing for decades and have released seven albums, including last year's Folila, along with a number of compilations. Both musicians are blind and they are sometimes called "the blind couple from Mali," which is sort of more informational than it is a nickname.

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Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/VZsnEDOtBRs/amadou-mariam-si-ni-kan-509953255

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NASA creates the first topographic map of Titan, Saturn's largest moon

Scientists observing Saturn's moon Titan with NASA's Cassini spacecraft have boldly gone where no man has gone before -- visually, anyway. Using radar imagery collected from nine years of Cassini flybys, researchers were able to patch together the first global topographic map of Titan, published in the July 2013 issue of Icarus. Ralph Lorenz, a member of the Cassini radar team at Johns Hopkins, said, "Titan has so much interesting activity -- like flowing liquids and moving sand dunes -- but to understand these processes it's useful to know how the terrain slopes." In particular, understanding the moon's terrain can reveal a lot about its dynamic climate system. Like Earth, Titan's atmosphere is composed primarily of nitrogen, but the liquids and vapors on the moon's surface are made of methane and other organic chemicals integral to the creation of complex life. By studying the relationship between atmosphere and terrain, researchers hope to learn more about the evolution of life in its earliest stages, and inspire curious minds to turn their eyes toward Titan.

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'Big Bang Theory' cast shares favorite moments

TV

Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter

8 hours ago

Michael Yarish / CBS

Cast of "The Big Bang Theory."

"The Big Bang Theory" wrapped up its sixth season with a breakthrough for Raj. Overcoming selective mutism was one of scores of watershed moments the CBS comedy celebrated under first-year showrunner Steve Molaro.

While the writer/executive producer has been with the series since season one, Molaro says this year the characters -- because the audience knew them so well -- were in a place where the series was ready to go deeper and "tell stories where things really happen to them and things matter more."

"I'm really proud of season six; it's been really satisfying and fun to see how we've been able to go deeper and push these characters," Molaro says. The Hollywood Reporter was on set for the season finale and polled the cast on their favorite moments from the season that helped propel the series to become TV's No. 1 scripted comedy on TV.

More from THR: 'Big Bang Theory': A behind the scenes diary of the sweet season 6 finale

Steve Molaro

"I can't pick one. Leonard and Penny saying, 'I love you'; Raj's speech in the comic book store about how they're all a community, if they have each other; Sheldon making Amy his emergency contact; Howard coming back from space. Every character has had these incredible moments this season. Raj standing in the hall convincing Lucy to go out with him because he swears he's messed up in the head. The end of the closet episode when they all tell Howard what might be in the letter and one of them is true."

Jim Parsons (Sheldon)

"I did really enjoy the episode where Amy was sick. Her lassoing Sheldon into taking care of her goes to my point of Sheldon doing almost anything that is justified in the name of science or reason. In that case, she was sick enough that she needed to be bathed; she needed to have something rubbed on her bare chest; and by the end, she'd done so wrong that when Sheldon found out that she'd lied that she needed to be spanked. The young lady gets exactly what she wants by a young man who's doing it for different reasons. It's really brilliant."

Mayim Bialik (Amy)

"The spanking episode. That was fun largely because it was supposed to be off-camera, and at the last minute, Chuck Lorre decided to film it. That was really fun and awkward, right in front of the audience letting it come alive."

Photos from THR: 'The Big Bang Theory's' nerdiest guest stars

Johnny Galecki (Leonard)

"Penny telling Leonard she loves him is pretty big. We didn't play it as a watershed moment. It was played as if she's always known this. It was touching. I also love the moment when Leonard says, 'I know I propose a lot,' and then promises that he won't. It's one of my favorite Leonard lines to say. To put his own desire aside and say, 'You tell me when you're ready, despite what I want in my life right now and with you right now.' That's unconditional, selfless love."

Kaley Cuoco (Penny)

"When Penny said, 'I love you' to Leonard. It took her more than five years to say it. That's why now you know with Penny that whatever she does is real. You know when she said it she truly meant it. That's why now Leonard is OK with going away and knowing that they're going to be OK. We did that in one take. Steve came out and said, 'We're really happy with that. Do you want to do it again?' We didn't want to; it felt perfectly right. I told Johnny: 'It was so weird -- I became Penny in that moment.' There was no audience, just Leonard and Penny. It was a moment I'll definitely never forget."

Kunal Nayyar (Raj)

"I'll always remember this season. This is the season where these guys are getting to the point in their lives now where their priorities are not, 'Let's have video game night.' It's, 'I want love. I want a family. I want a relationship. I need a partner in my life.' That is the season for me; watching them shift from, 'Let's buy a time machine,' to, 'Am I going to get married to this girl? Am I going to ever find love? Am I ever going to find a partner?'"

Photos from THR: Behind the scenes: 'The Big Bang Theory'

Simon Helberg (Howard)

"Sheldon and Amy deciding to get physical -- but in the context of Dungeons and Dragons. It's a really brilliantly constructed scene where they're rolling the dice to figure out which article of armor, or clothing, comes off. It's really an amazing moment and a microcosm of the show. It is the reality of these characters, yet it's very universal. It's real to them and what maybe is a small step to other people, is as big of a step to these characters as you can find."

Melissa Rauch (Bernadette)

"The letter episode was so special. I really loved how they showed that aspect of Howard and Bernadette's marriage. It showed the emotional component of marriage and how Howard was going through this really traumatic event, and they did it together. They've always done a good job of showing the love between Howard and Bernadette -- even though they bicker and they don't always see eye to eye at exactly the same time. I just loved how that was a dual effort of helping them come to Howard's resolution and him talking it out with her."

Which was your favorite moment from the season? Click on "Talk about it" below and tell us!

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/big-bang-theory-cast-shares-their-favorite-moments-6C10067267

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10 things to know for the Champions League final

Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski of Poland controls a ball during a training session at Wembley Stadium in London, Friday May 24, 2013. Dortmund will face fellow German soccer team Bayern Munich in the final of the Champions League at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski of Poland controls a ball during a training session at Wembley Stadium in London, Friday May 24, 2013. Dortmund will face fellow German soccer team Bayern Munich in the final of the Champions League at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Heavy rain falls during a Dortmund training session at Wembley Stadium in London, Friday May 24, 2013. Dortmund will face fellow German soccer team Bayern Munich in the final of the Champions League at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Dortmund head coach Juergen Klopp reacts during a training session at Wembley Stadium in London, Friday May 24, 2013. Dortmund will face fellow German soccer team Bayern Munich in the final of the Champions League at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

LONDON (AP) ? It's time for the biggest game in club soccer ? brought to you by Germany.

This year's Champions League final will be an all-German affair played out before a global TV audience, as Bayern Munich takes on Borussia Dortmund at London's Wembley Stadium.

Here are 10 things to know about Saturday's game:

1. WHY IS IT A BIG DEAL?

Well, this is the Super Bowl of club soccer and the highlight of the season for European fans. The Champions League pits the best teams from Europe's major leagues against each other every season, starting with a 32-team group stage before the top 16 clubs advance to the knockout rounds. The tournament began in 1955, originally known as the European Cup, before changing name in 1992 when it was expanded to include more teams. With no World Cup or European Championship on this summer, this is the biggest soccer game of the year.

2. GERMAN DOMINATION

Many had expected Spain to have two teams in the final after Barcelona and Real Madrid both made the semis. Instead, Bayern and Dortmund showed that this is the year of German domination, beating the Spanish powers convincingly over two legs. Bayern dismantled Lionel Messi's Barcelona 7-0 on aggregate, while Dortmund beat Madrid 4-1 at home before hanging on for a 4-3 aggregate victory.

3. KEEPING IT DOMESTIC IS RARE

While Germany has always been one of soccer's biggest powers, this is the first time the country has put two teams into the final of the Europe's top club competition. In fact, it's only the fourth time that two teams from the same country clash for the trophy. The last time it happened, Manchester United defeated English rival Chelsea on penalties in 2008. Milan got the better of Italian rival Juventus in 2003, and Madrid defeated Valencia in 2000 in what was the first final between teams from the same country.

4. BUT BOTH TEAMS HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE

In fact, Bayern is playing in its third Champions League final in four years, but is looking for its first title since 2001. The German team lost last year's final to Chelsea on penalties in its home stadium in Munich, and fell to Inter Milan in the 2010 title game. Dortmund has not made the final since 1997, when it won its only title in the competition.

5. WHICH TEAM IS THE FAVORITE?

Most people, including bookmakers, say Bayern. The Bavarian side desperately wants to erase the painful memories of losing last year's final in its own stadium, and has arguably been the best team in Europe all season. It obliterated the competition in the German league, where it finished a record 25 points ahead of second-place Dortmund, and its demolition of Barcelona was hugely impressive. But Dortmund certainly has a decent chance. The team won the previous two Bundesliga titles and is one of the few sides that can get under Bayern's skin. Both league games between the teams this season ended 1-1, and the last time they met in a final, Dortmund routed Bayern 5-2 to win last year's German Cup.

6. WHO ARE THE PLAYERS TO WATCH?

Both sides have a slew of star players capable of being the deciding factor. Bayern has the biggest wealth of talent, including the backbone of Germany's national team with players like Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm and Thomas Mueller. But the two biggest stars are French winger Franck Ribery and Dutch counterpart Arjen Robben. Either can decide the game in an instant.

Dortmund has decisive players too, like Germany international Marco Reus and Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, who scored all four goals in the 4-1 win over Madrid in the semifinals. But rising star Mario Goetze, who is joining Bayern next season, is out with a hamstring injury.

7. WHO ARE THE COACHES?

Bayern is led by the experienced Jupp Heynckes, a former Germany striker who now prides himself on the team's staunch defensive ability. This will be his last chance to lead Bayern to the title, as Heynckes is leaving the club at the end of the season and has given strong hints he will retire. The 68-year-old coach already won the Champions League in 1998 with Real Madrid.

Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp, meanwhile, has drawn wide praise for leading his team to back-to-back domestic league titles with a young team that plays an exciting and attack-minded style of soccer. Should Dortmund win on Saturday, the 45-year-old "Kloppo" will be one of the most in-demand coaches in Europe.

8. WILL THIS BE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE BORING NIL-NIL GAMES?

Chances of that are slim to none. These are two teams that both want to attack from the start of any game, and neither is likely to change its style for the big occasion. In contrast to Chelsea's defensive-minded tactics in last year's final, don't expect Dortmund to sit back and be content with protecting its own net. You're more likely to see end-to-end attacking play ? and probably plenty of goals.

9. WHY ARE RELATIONS STRAINED BETWEEN THE CLUBS?

These teams were already big rivals after regularly dueling it out for domestic titles over the last few seasons, but tempers have been frayed even further following Goetze's decision to join Bayern, which is paying 37 million euros for the star midfielder. Dortmund also faces the prospect of losing Lewandowski to its biggest rival.

10. SO WHO'S GOING TO WIN?

Judging by statistics, the team that scores the first goal. In this year's competition, 82 games have been won by the team that scores first, with only 15 come-from-behind victories.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-05-25-AP-SOC-Champions-League-Final-10-Things-to-Know/id-90d7cf3c183742b98c0e3e64eac7c456

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PFT: Bears will retire Ditka's No. 89 in December

AP

With last year?s leading receiver, Michael Crabtree, out an estimated six months with a torn Achilles tendon, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh says he?s confident someone will step up to fill the void.

Harbaugh isn?t totally sure who that ?someone? will be, though.

Harbaugh said on 95.7 The Game that he believes the most likely candidates to take Crabtree?s place in the offense are last year?s first-round pick A.J. Jenkins and this year?s fourth-round pick Quinton Patton as well as Ricardo Lockette, who has never played in a game for the 49ers but spent most of last year on the roster and has reportedly looked good in practices.

?We?ll put Jenkins, Patton, Ricardo Lockette at the same position and let them compete and emerge,? Harbaugh said. ?The good news is that somebody will emerge because they have to.?

Harbaugh also said he believes the 49ers have a lot of depth at the receiver position.

?Then on the other side, Anquan Boldin, Chad Hall, Marlon Moore has been doing some really nice things in the offseason,? Harbaugh said. ?Joe Hastings will compete on the other side. Kyle Williams eventually will come back from his injury. He?s doing real well, coming along very nicely. And Mario Manningham ? probably a little bit later than Kyle, but he?s on track to be healed up and ready to go, as well. A real good chance for some young guys to emerge, get some reps and contribute. I very much anticipate that will happen.?

For the 49ers, it needs to happen. Crabtree was the 49ers? best wide receiver and a big reason that Colin Kaepernick settled into the starting quarterback job so smoothly last year. He won?t be easy to replace, but the 49ers have no choice but to find someone who can do it.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/24/bears-to-retire-mike-ditkas-number-in-december/related/

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Accurate distance measurement resolves major astronomical mystery

May 23, 2013 ? Sometimes astronomy is like real estate -- what's important is location, location, and location. Astronomers have resolved a major problem in their understanding of a class of stars that undergo regular outbursts by accurately measuring the distance to a famous example of the type.

The researchers used the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) and the European VLBI Network (EVN) to precisely locate one of the most-observed variable-star systems in the sky -- a double-star system called SS Cygni -- at 370 light-years from Earth. This new distance measurement meant that an explanation for the system's regular outbursts that applies to similar pairs also applies to SS Cygni.

"This is one of the best-studied systems of its type, but according to our understanding of how these things work, it should not have been having outbursts. The new distance measurement brings it into line with the standard explanation," said James Miller-Jones, of the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research in Perth, Australia.

SS Cygni, in the constellation Cygnus the Swan, is a dense white dwarf star in a close orbit with a less-massive red dwarf. The strong gravity of the white dwarf pulls material from its companion into a swirling disk surrounding the white dwarf. The two stars orbit each other in only about 6.6 hours. On an average of once every 49 days, a powerful outburst greatly brightens the system.

This type of system is called a dwarf nova, and, based on other examples, scientists proposed that the outbursts result from changes in the rate at which matter moves through the disk onto the white dwarf. At high rates of mass transfer from the red dwarf, the rotating disk remains stable, but when the rate is lower, the disk can become unstable and undergo an outburst.

This mechanism seemed to work for all known dwarf novae except for SS Cygni, based on previous distance estimates. Hubble Space Telescope measurements in 1999 and 2004 put SS Cygni at a distance of about 520 light-years.

"That was a problem. At that distance, SS Cygni would have been the brightest dwarf nova in the sky, and should have had enough mass moving through its disk to remain stable without any outbursts," Miller-Jones said.

The closer distance measured with the radio telescopes means that the system is intrinsically less bright, and now fits the characteristics outlined in the standard explanation for dwarf-nova outbursts, the scientists said.

The astronomers made the new distance measurement using the VLBA and EVN, both of which use widely-separated radio telescopes that work together as a single, extremely precise, telescope. These systems are capable of the most accurate measurements of positions in the sky available in astronomy.

By observing SS Cygni when Earth is on opposite sides of its orbit around the Sun, astronomers can measure the subtle shift in the object's apparent position in the sky, compared to the background of more-distant objects. This effect, called parallax, allows scientists to directly measure an object's distance by applying simple, high-school trigonometry.

The astronomers knew that SS Cygni emits radio waves during its outbursts, so they made their radio-telescope observations after receiving reports from amateur astronomers that an outburst was underway. They observed the object during outbursts from 2010 to 2012.

The difference in the distance measurements between the Hubble visible-light and the radio observations may have several causes, the scientists said. The radio observations were made against a background of objects far beyond our own Milky Way Galaxy, while the Hubble observations used stars within our Galaxy as reference points. The more-distant objects provide a better, more stable, reference, the astronomers pointed out. The radio observations, they added, are immune to other possible sources of error as well.

Discovered in 1896, SS Cygni is a popular object for amateur astronomers. According to the American Association of Variable Star Observers, not a single outburst of SS Cygni has been missed since its discovery. It has been observed nearly half a million times, and its brightness variations carefully tracked, making it one of the most intensely studied astronomical objects of the past century.

Miller Jones worked with Gregory Sivakoff of the University of Alberta and the University of Virginia, Christian Knigge of the University of Southhampton in the UK, Elmar Kording or Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands, and Matthew Templeton and Elizabeth Waagen of the American Association of Variable Star Observers, headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. The researchers published their findings in the journal Science.

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/space_time/nasa/~3/IKqltBjVd9Y/130523143006.htm

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