Thursday, December 29, 2011

Christmas bonanza decks streets, storefronts of New Delhi

The Christmas 'blitz' is a relatively new phenomenon in New Delhi, but it's a big one.?

After nearly four years living in India, I?m still amazed at what a huge celebration Christmas has become. From the gigantic reindeer that straddles the newly-constructed megamall near my house and hundreds of kids bargaining off light-up Santa hats on the street, to the roadside shops selling all things Christmas, signs of the holiday are everywhere. Though this ancient country of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis, Buddhists, and many other religions has a long history of celebrating each other?s festivals, the blitz of Christmas is still a relatively new phenomenon.

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?When I was a kid we used to sell real pine trees from the Himalayas and fruit cakes,? says Shareel Goyal, the third-generation owner of Kriti Creations, a magnificent gift shop that brims with human-sized Santa Claus statues and reindeer neck ties in Khan Market, a bustling shopping area. ?But after India opened up to foreign imports in the early 1990s, Christmas started booming. We now have everything from custom Christmas trees and nativity straw to every kind of ornament you can imagine.?

Shopping in Mr. Goyal?s little store feels like WalMart on Black Friday. The Christmas music is merry, but the murmurs from shoppers that the place is a "mad house" are hard to miss. However, what makes the scene so unique is that most of the clients are non-Christian Indians. Fascinated by why so many Indians would be interested in Christmas, I ask a mother and daughter who just bought a wreath and big golden horn why they celebrate the holiday.

?We just like to decorate our house for Christmas,? says the mother. ?More and more of our friends have been doing this in the last five years so we like to also.?

Outside, Megha Joneja, a bright-eyed mother of two, selects a four-foot-tall Christmas tree. ?Christmas is mostly a party for us,? says Ms. Joneja. ?But one of the reasons I feel it is so important to celebrate other people?s religious holidays is because I want my children to be exposed to as many different religion?s customs as possible.?

Though it appears the pandemonium so typical of Christmas in the states has now spread to India, essentially, the holiday is still an incredible example of religious understanding and cultural intelligence. Sometimes the spirit of Christmas finds you when you are least expecting it. Such was the case with me this week, when I got a visit from Mr. Singh, a jolly middle-aged Indian man who brings big jugs of drinking water to my house each week.

?This is for you, madam,? says Mr. Singh with a huge smile, handing me a tiny plastic Christmas tree. ?Merry Christmas.?

Thousands of miles away from the place I grew up, my family, and the traditions that are most familiar this time of year, Singh?s gift was a reminder of what Christmas is really about.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/zaoBOlw5rPY/Christmas-bonanza-decks-streets-storefronts-of-New-Delhi

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The number of Florida voters who?ve requested absentee ballots is larger than th...

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

12/28/2011 - University Closure ? Holiday Break

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Program Helps Women With Post-Cancer Fatigue - Health News ...

POSTED: 11:54 am EST December 26, 2011
UPDATED: 1:53 pm EST December 26, 2011

One of the big complaints of cancer patients who have gone through surgery and chemo is that, even a couple years after the fact, there is overwhelming fatigue and not being able to feel like their old selves.As WBAL?s Donna Hamilton reported in Monday?s Woman?s Doctor, there is a program to help women with that. It?s called Be Well, Stay Healthy. Lisa Horton, a 55-year-old pediatrician, went through a mastectomy, chemo and breast reconstruction in late 2007 and early 2008. She couldn?t shake the fatigue.?It was beginning to affect how much work I could get done,? Horton said. ?It was affecting my social life, and I couldn't understand why I was still tired.? Mercy Medical Center Dr. Kath Helzlsouer said that?s a common complaint after cancer. A pilot study was done on ways to get energy back, and it reduced fatigue by almost 40 percent. ?It was quite an impact,? Helzlsouer said. ?It was better than any other intervention we have out there, including depression and mood too. It was quite an impact.?The program deals with the mind-body connection and includes teaching exercise ideas, group support, diet and taking time for one?s self.?People know what they need to do, it?s how do you go about doing it,? Helzlsouer said. ?So exercise is an important thing to do to reduce fatigue. And it's also important for weight control, and weight is a problem a lot of women have, especially with chemotherapy.?The program struck a chord with Horton, who said she previously shied away from the camera.?I lost 70 pounds. I exercise three to five days a week,? she said. ?If I miss it, I feel it. I'm not obsessed with exercise. It's just a part of what I do.?She called what has happened a metamorphosis and said she feels healthier than she did at 26 years old.The Be Well, Stay Healthy program is free and is recommended for cancer patients after they?ve completed treatment.Anyone can attend, not just patients at Mercy, Hamilton said.

? 2011 by WBALTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Contact Us

Source: http://www.wbaltv.com/health/30075851/detail.html

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

number108: RT @owengood: Honk if you play Madden 12 or NCAA 12 and yell FAT GUY TOUCHDOWN!!!!! when a lineman picks up a fumble and runs it in.

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Record NCAA Graduation Rates Don't Tell The Whole Story

Articles Found : 2359
Page 1 of 95

1. Outdoor Sports Lighting Projects Don't Need to Rile the Neighbors (January 2012 - Michael Popke)
The Westport (Conn.) Planning and Zoning Commission, in granting the Installation of permanent lights at the Staples High School football field in November, brought to a close nearly 35 years of often-contentious debate between city leaders, sports boosters and school neighbors over spill and glare issues.
2. Record NCAA Graduation Rates Don't Tell The Whole Story (January 2011 - Paul Steinbach)
Nearing the end of a year marked by scandal and scrutiny, the NCAA finally had some good news to share.
3. How High School ADs Can Rein in Questionable Coaching Behavior (January 2012 - Michael Popke)
The final months of 2011 brought almost weekly stories of high school coaches misbehaving.
4. Efficient Locker Room Design Maximizes Use of Small Spaces (January 2012 - Emily Attwood)
From high-tech lock technology to plush lounge areas, whirlpools, Internet access and private showers and dressing areas, it's easy to sink a significant amount of money into creating the ultimate locker room.
5. Universal Truths in Fitness Facility Management (January 2012 - Rob Bishop and Barry Klein)
We may be showing our age here, but we regularly invoke Bill Murray from Groundhog Day, the 1993 film in which his hapless weatherman, Phil Connors, relives the same day over and over until he gets things right.
6. Drought-Ridden Field Owners Reconsider Maintenance Practices, Synthetic Turf (January 2012 - Andrew Cohen)
Robert Lee, Texas, population 1,106, got three inches of rain in the first 11 months of 2011.
7. Student-Athlete Advocates Comment on Latest NCAA Reforms (December 2011 - Paul Steinbach)
Among the reforms approved Oct. 27 by the NCAA's Division I Board of Directors, two address longstanding concerns regarding the welfare of student-athletes receiving full scholarships.
8. New Projects: University of Washington; Ithaca College; FAU (December 2011 - Emily Attwood)
The University of Washington's Husky Stadium will have a new look for the 2013 football season.
9. AED Advocate Rachel Moyer Keeps Working the Beat (December 2011 - Paul Steinbach)
Greg Moyer's grave is marked by a homemade cross. Rachel Moyer vowed not to purchase a headstone until every school in America had an automated external defibrillator, the emergency heart-rhythm equipment that might have saved her 15-year-old son from sudden cardiac arrest during a basketball game in December 2000 ? if only his high school had owned one.
10. Rec Department and YMCA Team Up for Youth Weight Loss Contest (December 2011 - Emily Attwood)
Childhood obesity has tripled over the past 30 years. It's a problem being addressed by schools, communities, families and government programs, with the clear consensus that our kids need to be eating better and exercising more.
11. Bringing Natural Light into Subterranean Spaces (December 2011 - Andrew Cohen)
Although adaptive reuse of an old structure typically involves the specification of state-of-the-art building systems and components, architects sometimes reach into the past for an idea that has withstood the test of time.
12. How to Succeed in Membership Sales (December 2011 - Rob Bishop and Barry Klein)
Your club is terrible at selling memberships. We know this because we?re all terrible at selling memberships, and even if you think your club isn?t, you are best served by thinking you are.
13. Pool Enclosures with Operable Systems Combine Benefits of Indoor and Outdoor Pools (December 2011 - Emily Attwood)
Once limited to a few short months of swimming during the summer, patrons of the aquatic facility at the Royal Glenora Club in Edmonton, Alb., now comfortably enjoy the water ? and the surrounding landscape ? year-round.
14. Schools Struggle to Find Where Fitness Fits (December 2011 - Michael Popke)
If you want to know just how desperately educators in New York City are trying to make fitness a priority for their students, look no further than Public School 197 in Queens.
15. Announcing the Twelfth Annual Excellence in Youth Sports Award Winners (2011) (December 2011 - Michael Popke)
Two parks and recreation agencies and three military installations are recipients of the 2011 Excellence in Youth Sports Awards.
16. Software Helps Facilities Enhance Relationships with End-Users (December 2011 - Paul Steinbach)
Whether you run a health club, a recreation center or a martial arts studio, you do what you do well and with an entrepreneurial esprit unrivaled in most other professions.
17. Arizona and Hawaii Introduce High School Sand Volleyball, Surfing (December 2011 - Emily Attwood)
Athletes in Hawaii and Arizona will soon be taking their game to the beach ? well, in Hawaii, anyway.
18. League of Fans' Ken Reed Talks Sports Reform (November 2011 - Paul Steinbach)
Ken Reed doesn?t hate sports. He enjoyed a full scholarship to the University of Denver, where he played baseball and basketball, and holds a doctorate in sports administration.
19. Rotating Panels Add Flexibility to Rec Center (November 2011 - Andrew Cohen)
Subdividing gymnasiums and multipurpose rooms is a standard design gambit in recreation centers, allowing for maximum flexibility.
20. Universities Make Mark With Basketball Court Aesthetics (November 2011 - Michael Popke)
After a 12-year absence, the California State University Bakersfield men?s basketball team returns to the on-campus Icardo Center this month for its home opener against Pepperdine.
21. New Projects: St. Mary?s University, Florida State, University of Nebraska (November 2011 - Emily Attwood)
In a partnership with Bexar County, Texas, St. Mary's University has begun construction on the $15 million Outdoor Sports Complex.
22. Community-Built Playgrounds Popular Solution to Budget Constraints (November 2011 - Emily Attwood)
In April, the Jefferson Parish Parks and Recreation Department in Metarie, La., set to work removing playground equipment that had sat, damaged and unusable, at Waggaman's Thomas Jefferson Park for years.
23. Athletic Departments and First Amendment Rights of Student Journalists (November 2011 - Paul Steinbach)
Aaron Smith was looking forward to joining a dozen or so members of the mainstream media at a scheduled gathering of University of Kentucky men's basketball players, each of whom would be available for eight-minute one-on-one interviews.
24. High-Intensity Training Readies Today's Marines for Combat (November 2011 - Paul Steinbach)
You remember the recruiting commercial: The United States Marine, filling out his dress blues, having been forged to be every bit as hardened and sharp as the gleaming saber he snaps to his shoulder. The Few. The Proud.
25. 'Life of an Athlete' Helps Kids Make Smart Choices (November 2011 - Michael Popke)
On the final Saturday night in September, a group of student-athletes from Sun Prairie (Wis.) High School hosted the first all-school "dry party" ? three hours of open gym and swim, inflatable jousting, plenty of pizza and college football on TV in the commons, with members of the football, soccer, volleyball and dance booster clubs donating their time and resources.
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Source: http://athleticbusiness.com/articles/?z=0&a=3830&rss=true

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Monday, December 26, 2011

Girl's plight deepens Israel debate on zealot Jews (Reuters)

JERUSALEM (Reuters) ? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped up pledges to curb Jewish zealotry in Israel on Sunday after an 8-year-old girl complained of being menaced by ultra-Orthodox men who deemed her dress immodest.

While his conservative government insists such incidents are fringe phenomena in the mostly secular country, Netanyahu's repeated announcements on the matter reflected concern about widening religious and political schisms.

"In a Western, liberal democracy, the public realm is open and safe for all, men and women both, and neither harassment nor discrimination have any place there," he told his cabinet in broadcast remarks.

Netanyahu said he had ordered law enforcement authorities to crack down on "whoever spits, whoever lifts a hand (in violence), whoever harasses" and to remove street signs segregating men from women in some ultra-Orthodox districts.

The statement appeared to have been prompted by an expose on Israel's top-rated weekend news about intra-Jewish friction in Beit Shemesh, a town of about 87,000 people near Jerusalem.

Naama Margolese, 8, told Channel Two television she was terrified of walking to her moderate Orthodox school because of passersby who want her "to dress like a Haredi" - the Hebrew term for the ascetic, black-coated Jews who are in "awe" of God.

"I'm afraid I might get hurt or something," the girl said.

Margolese's mother Hadassa, an American immigrant who wore a headscarf and skirt in deference to religious Jewish tradition, said the sidewalk abuse could include spitting, curses like "whores" and "bastards" and calls to "clear out of here."

"If that's what happens now, and they (authorities) don't do anything, what will happen in another few years?" she told Israel's Army Radio on Sunday. "This is a terrorist group."

Returning to Beit Shemesh on Sunday, a Channel Two crew was mobbed by ultra-Orthodox Jews who stoned their car, wounded a reporter and stole equipment, police said. The crew was rescued by police, who said they were questioning suspected assailants.

WIDE MARGIN

Separately, police said they had arrested a Beit Shemesh man for spitting at a woman, and that he could face assault charges.

In the report broadcast on Friday, Channel Two showed a Beit Shemesh street sign instructing women to keep to one side, away from a synagogue. A few ultra-Orthodox men who agreed to be interviewed sought to justify their forcible occlusion of women.

Israeli media have debated the impact of religious gender segregation on public transport and the conscript army, where some pious troops prefer to shun female instructors and singers.

The ultra-Orthodox make up only about 10 percent of Israel's population of 7.7 million. But their high birthrates and bloc voting patterns have helped them secure welfare benefits and wider influence. One of Netanyahu's biggest partners in the coalition government, Shas, is a party run by rabbis.

According to Channel Two, its Beit Shemesh story has generated momentum for a demonstration against ultra-Orthodox coercion in the town, scheduled for Tuesday.

Moshe Abutbol, the Shas mayor of Beit Shemesh put the number of townspeople involved in the abuse at between 20 and 50.

Emulating Israeli commandos who disguise themselves as Arabs for missions in Palestinian areas, the police have officers who work undercover among the ultra-Orthodox. Israeli television showed them raiding a religious protest in Jerusalem on December 17.

Netanyahu has also condemned radical Jews behind a spree of vandalism against Palestinian property and Israeli garrisons in the occupied West Bank, attacks designed to bog down government moves to raze settlements built without a permit.

"Beit Shemesh shocked Netanyahu not because of new facts but because of old facts that were recounted by a lovely little blond-haired girl with blue eyes," said Nahum Barnea, senior commentator for the biggest-selling newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Alistair Lyon)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111225/wl_nm/us_israel_religion

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McIlroy Jump-Starts Good Year for Golf

Compared with last year, 2011 was a feel-good stretch for golf. In 2010, the themes were Tiger Woods's feckless efforts to rebound from scandal, Dustin Johnson's final-round botches in two majors, and the U.S. Ryder Cup team's disappointing loss in Wales. By contrast, this year was full of triumphs, and tees up the coming season for more high drama.

The most resounding triumph was 22-year-old Rory McIlroy's runaway victory at the U.S. Open at Congressional. Both his record 16-under-par total of 268 and his eight-stroke margin on the field were Tiger-like in scale, and seemed to confirm the predictions of many that the mopheaded lad from Northern Ireland is destined to become one of the game's all-time greats.

Less sensational, perhaps, but just as impressive...

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

Seeking to Circumvent Possible U.S. Trade Sanctions, China Buys Hawaiian Solar Company

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Chinese investment in the U.S. economy up to now has been primarily in the form of U.S. Treasury bills.
?
But, reading the U.S. press and conservative calls for punitive trade tariffs against China, Beijing?s investors have taken a leaf out of Tokyo?s 40 year-old playbook, when similar concerns were raised about Japanese imports. Four decades ago Japan cannily began not only to establish factories in the U.S. for its major U.S. exports, primarily automobiles, but began a cautious policy of investing in struggling U.S. companies, so if and when Congress got more xenophobic Japanese manufacturers could point out that trade barriers would harm American workers as well as Japanese ones.
?
The net result on punishing Japan with restrictive tariffs quickly became the daunting possibility of throwing U.S. workers into unemployment, then, as now, the third rail of American politics, and what Congressman want to be seen as increasing unemployment?
?
The above scenario is behind the recent acquisition by Tianwei New Energy Holdings Co., Ltd. (Tianwei) of Hawaii?s troubled Hoku Corporation, a solar energy product company, a leading provider of silicon wafers, photovoltaic (PV) cells, modules and systems.
?
Last month Tainwei announced the signing of a definitive reseller agreement establishing Tianwei Solar USA, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of, as the primary distributor of Tianwei New Energy's PV modules to the North American market.
?
On 1 December Tianwei started its polysilicon production via Hoku Corp. with an annual capacity of 2,500 tons. Last year China?s National Development and Reform Commission approved Tianwei purchasing 60 percent of Hoku Corp.?s outstanding shares.
?
According to Hoku Corp., ?During the three months ended September 30, 2011 Hoku Materials incurred an operating loss of $7.6 million,? as even as of ?September 30, 2011, Hoku Materials has capitalized $575.6 million related to construction costs for the Polysilicon Plant and had received $140 million in customer deposits as prepayments under long-term polysilicon supply agreements.?
?
Can you say cash flow problems?

Under the terms of the agreement, Hoku's newly formed subsidiary will market, distribute and sell Tianwei New Energy's full range of UL-listed PV modules in North America. Hoku established offices in Southern California for Tianwei Solar USA, Inc and will initially focus on developing key sales channels within the commercial and residential segments of the distributed generation solar market. Tianwei New Energy already has an established customer base in Europe, in 2010 delivering more than 200 megawatts of PV modules.

Spinning the news, Hoku Corp. CEO Scott Paul said, "We are extremely pleased to continue strengthening our relationship with Tianwei. This new PV products division represents the first of several steps forward in our continued expansion of Hoku's global market presence. It will provide a strong complement to our existing solar projects business, and we look forward to supplying Tianwei New Energy's modules to project developers, PV integrators and utility customers throughout North America."
?
Reciprocating the back rub, Tianwei general manager and now Hoku Corp. director Zhengfei Gao purred, "We recognize Hoku Solar's PV integration expertise, brand strength and market presence in the U.S. North America is an important, growing market in the solar industry, and Tianwei is very pleased to have Hoku leadership in our strategic North American expansion."
?
So, what has China bought?
?
Hoku Corp. consists of three business units: Hoku Materials, Hoku Solar, and Tianwei Solar USA, Inc., manufacturing polysilicon for the solar market from its plant currently under construction in Pocatello, Idaho and now Hoku Solar markets and sells PV modules manufactured by Tianwei New Energy.
?
And the future looks sunny. Tianwei chairman Ding Qiang said that Tianwei signed a distribution agreement with Hoku Corp. to be its distributor for its sales of modules not only in the U.S., but Canada and South American regions as well.
?
And Tainwei is already garnering allies. On 21 December, according to Ding, the U.S.-based Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy wrote to Hoku competitor solar-panel maker SolarWorld asking it withdraw its petition asking the American government to impose heavy tariffs on Chinese solar energy products for unfair trading practices, commenting, "By asking government to interfere and artificially increase the price will only hinder the deployment, cost thousands of jobs, reduce our energy security, and further negatively impact an already shaky economy."
?
Two months ago SolarWorld Industries America, an Oregon company, and six other undisclosed partners filed an appeal to the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) alleging unfair Chinese business practices and the DOC replied in November that it would conduct an investigation to determine whether Chinese firms have been selling solar panels in the United States at unfair discounts and receiving illegal government subsidies and a ruling earlier this month by the International Trade Commission concluded that U.S. solar companies were being harmed by Chinese solar imports.
?
Interestingly, SolarWorld Industries America, the largest U.S. solar manufacturer, is now owned by a German company
Many energy analysts have commented that acquisitions of American companies provide a way for Chinese solar energy companies to avoid U.S. trade barriers.
?
Well, duh!
?
The question remains ? where were U.S. investors when Hoku Corp. was struggling?

By. John C.K. Daly of Oilprice.com

Source: http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Solar-Energy/Seeking-to-Circumvent-Possible-U.S.-Trade-Sanctions-China-Buys-Hawaiian-Solar-Company.html

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Swype Android Keyboard App Features Dragon Dictation

The Swype for Android keyboard application has received an update which?provides support for Nuance's Dragon Dictation.

The app, first launched in a TechCrunch, provides users an easier way to type on the virtual keyboard - allowing them to type without lifting their fingers. These new features are the result of a business deal in which Nuance acquired Swype for $100 million?this past?October.

The first, most notable feature, is the integration with Dragon Dictation, Nuance's voice activated typing solution. This feature allows users to dictate messages to the Swype keyboard which types it out.

Swype?claims the updated version comes with 40 percent improvement in voice transcriptions and is capable of improving as it learns. The app includes support for English, French, Spanish, Italian and German - more languages to be added soon, reports AndroidOS.in.

The company also?claims the update also includes new abilities that let the app analyse what users have already typed in the past and make word suggestions accordingly, to make typing via Swype much faster.

The update, however,?is not available for versions of Swype that come pre-installed on some Android smartphones.

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Saturday, December 24, 2011

TimSeibel: And a City of Commerce as well. Both are California ghost towns RT @TXTrendyChick: There's a place called City of Industry, CA??

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And a City of Commerce as well. Both are California ghost towns RT @TXTrendyChick: There's a place called City of Industry, CA?? TimSeibel

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Friday, December 23, 2011

PS3NewsDOTcom: Sony Announces PlayStation Network Store Festive Holiday Sale http://t.co/OxhDJeyG

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Sony Announces PlayStation Network Store Festive Holiday Sale goo.gl/fb/HWwD2 PS3NewsDOTcom

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Star Wars: The Old Republic Released; Can it Complete With World of Warcraft?


Star Wars: The Old Republic, the multi-player RPG, has just been launched, and represents an ambitious effort to provide an online gaming alternative to World of Warcraft.

Can it succeed?

The game comes from BioWare, a company with experience crafting galactic space operas, and of course Lucasfilm, with an estimated production cost of $135-150 million.

Easily one of the most expensive in history, it has the largest voice cast of any game, and Storm Troopers even rang the NASDAQ bell Tuesday to promote the launch.

World of Warcraft has dominated the genre for seven years and counting, but Star Wars saga remains one of the most viable pop-culture franchises after 35 years.

Plenty of geek cred, to say the very least.

It’s possible that the two can co-exist with equal popularity, or that SW:TOR will be completely overshadowed ... or Farmville and Angry Birds will dominate both.

Tell us, will you be picking up Star Wars: The Old Republic?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/star-wars-the-old-republic-released-can-it-complete-with-world-o/

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

Japan prosecutors raid Olympus (AP)

TOKYO ? Japanese prosecutors raided the headquarters of Olympus Corp. and the home of its former president Wednesday as part of an investigation into the cover-up of massive losses at the camera and medical equipment maker.

A trail of dark-suited officials was shown on national television marching solemnly into the company's downtown Tokyo office building.

Olympus said it would fully cooperate with the investigation by prosecutors, police and financial authorities.

"We apologize deeply again for the great troubles and worries we have caused our shareholders, investors, customers and others," it said in a statement.

Tokyo prosecutors said the home of former President Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, suspected of helping to orchestrate the cover-up, was also raided, as were the offices of three companies used in the scheme.

The deception at Olympus dates back to the 1990s and involved an elaborate scheme to hide 117.7 billion yen ($1.5 billion) in investment losses. It only came to light in October when then President Michael Woodford blew the whistle on what he thought was strange and excessive spending.

Woodford, a Briton, had been a rare foreigner to head a major Japanese company.

The scandal has raised serious questions about corporate governance in Japan, and whether major companies are complying adequately with global standards.

Woodford was fired after he confronted the company's board of directors with his doubts. In recent weeks, he has been trying to stage a comeback to the top, by appealing to shareholders, employees and others that his return will work to clean up Olympus.

Woodford had questioned exorbitant fees for advice on the acquisition of British medical equipment maker Gyrus Group and other expensive acquisitions in 2008.

Woodford is demanding the resignation of the entire board, including President Shuichi Takayama, who replaced him and initially declared in a news conference that the spending was legitimate.

The battle over who will lead the camera and medical equipment maker and its 40,000 employees could come to a head at the next shareholders' meeting. A date has not been set.

The new Olympus management has expressed a willingness to consider alliances in an effort to get its finances back in order.

Olympus delayed reporting earnings because of the accounting irregularities, but met the stock exchange's deadline earlier this month, averting automatic removal from the market.

The company could still be delisted if the criminal investigation discloses major misbehavior.

In the past, erring executives have rarely got prison time for their roles in shady bookkeeping.

Covering up for investments that went sour after the 1980s "bubble" economy burst was so widespread in Japan that a special term describes the practice, "tobashi."

Olympus stock plunged amid the scandal but has recouped some of those losses in recent weeks. On Wednesday it was trading down 1.5 percent at 1,049 yen.

___

Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at http://twitter.com/yurikageyama

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111221/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_olympus

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Monday, December 19, 2011

Fuel leaks off cargo ship beached off French coast (AP)

ERDEVEN, France ? High winds beached a cargo ship on France's jagged Atlantic coast and some of the 220 tons of fuel on board leaked out, threatening a local beach.

The 19-member crew of the "TK Bremen" was evacuated by helicopter early Friday as the vessel ran aground off Erdeven beach in southern Brittany, on the northwest coast of France.

The prefecture of the Morbihan region said in a statement that a kilometer-long (0.6 mile) strip of fuel was headed toward the beach. A giant nature preserve of dunes and wildlife runs through Erdevan, one of many small coastal towns that attracts tourists for its natural beauty.

The local government warned people to stay indoors as rescuers pumped fuel from the hold of the Maltese flagged ship in a bid to empty it.

The French electric company said Friday some 320,000 homes were without electricity as winds of up to 130 kilometers per hour (81 mph) blew across France, triggering alerts in numerous regions. Most of the outages were in the country's west, but some areas in the east and southeast were hit as the storm moved across France.

Heavy rains in low-lying areas and hurricane-force winds of up to 150 kilometers per hour (93 mph) lashed neighboring Switzerland, and train connections and boat services on some lakes in the Alpine country were disrupted. Swiss airports canceled or diverted dozens of flights ? with more than 100 called off at Zurich's hub alone.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weather/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111216/ap_on_re_eu/eu_france_weather

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Sunday, December 18, 2011

Grinch Steals Cancer Patient's Donation Jar ? CBS Chicago

Surveillance video shows a man walking off with a collection jar for a cancer patient in Crestwood. (CBS)

Surveillance video shows a man walking off with a collection jar for a cancer patient in Crestwood. (CBS)

CRESTWOOD, Ill. (CBS) ? It?s a theft that has one Crestwood family asking: Why?

Surveillance video at a Crestwood convenience store shows a male customer paying for items before swiping a collection jar and casually walking out the door.

The collection jar was supposed to raise money for 28-year-old Kelly Stawicki, who is battling stage-3 colon cancer. The unemployed patient is uninsured and has racked up tens of thousands of dollars in hospital bills, her stepfather tells CBS 2.

Stawicki?s family is shocked at the theft.

?I?d tell him it?s like the lowest thing you could do. If your child was sick like that, how would you like it if somebody stole it?? Kelly?s aunt, Claudette Bernatowicz, says.

People with information about the suspect should call Crestwood police at (708) 385 5131.

?I?m sure somebody?s going to recognize him. It?s a very clear video. I?m sure he?s from the area. He seems familiar with the store,? Crestwood Police Detective Chris Soderlund says.

The incident happened Dec. 5. Police on Saturday reached out to media outlets in hopes that releasing the surveillance video will crack the case.

Source: http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/12/17/grinch-steals-cancer-patients-donation-jar/

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Browns' McCoy out with concussion, Watson on IR (AP)

BEREA, Ohio ? Colt McCoy is expected to recover from his concussion and play for the Browns again this season. Benjamin Watson isn't as fortunate.

Watson was placed on injured reserve Friday, ending the tight end's season after he sustained his third concussion since July in last week's loss at Pittsburgh. Watson was injured when he banged his head on the ground following a tackle in the first half, couldn't get his balance and had to be helped to the sideline.

Watson who was Cleveland's leading receiver last season and had 37 catches for 410 yards and two touchdowns this year, visited a specialist on head injuries earlier this week.

Browns tight end Evan Moore was disappointed Watson's season ended prematurely, but understood the choice.

"That's a big loss," Moore said. "All of us are really close with Ben. He's doing well. I don't know the ins and outs of how the decision was made, but I know when it comes to the head, it's not something you mess around with. So I think he not only has to think about himself but his family. And Ben's a smart guy, so I'm sure he wanted to go with the right decision."

Shurmur said Watson, a father of three who will turn 31 on Sunday, has not discussed with him the possibility of retiring.

Watson was not available for interviews as players packed following practice for their flight to Arizona. A team spokesman said per league policy, "players are not available until cleared from a medical standpoint."

McCoy, who was flattened last week on an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit by Steelers linebacker James Harrison, has not yet been cleared to play by Cleveland's medical staff, which came under heavy criticism for its handling of the QB's head injury.

McCoy is still experiencing headaches and was sent home Friday for the fourth time this week to rest. He was seen driving away from the team's facility in his pickup truck and will not accompany the team to Arizona.

Shurmur said there has been no discussion about placing McCoy on IR.

"He's still having some symptoms and that's why we sent him home," Shurmur said.

With McCoy sidelined, backup Seneca Wallace will make his first start this season against the Cardinals. Wallace went 1-3 in four starts last season, and Shurmur expects the nine-year veteran who will be making his 19th start in the NFL to play well.

"I'm anticipating that Seneca's going to go out and execute efficiently and I think we saw Colt do that at times this year," he said. "As a quarterback, you're trying to go out and do everything right all the time. Every once in a while you'll make a bad throw or a poor decision and then you get right back on the horse and try to correct it.

"I would anticipate, based on what I saw in practice, Seneca will do a good job."

Shurmur added that rookie fullback Owen Marecic is also out this week. Like McCoy and Watson, Marecic sustained a concussion against the Steelers, his second concussion in a month.

To replace Marecic, the Browns activated fullback Eddie Williams.

The Browns' handling of McCoy's injury ? he was not given the standard sideline concussion test until the next day ? prompted the league to send medical personnel to Cleveland to meet with the Browns. Representatives of the Players Association also attended the meeting to discuss the team's treatment of McCoy and possible changes to the league's policies on head injuries.

Team president Mike Holmgren said the team did not check McCoy for a concussion on the sideline because he was not displaying symptoms and because the medical staff did not see Harrison's vicious hit while attending to other injured players on the sideline.

Shurmur said the team is not planning any major changes to their procedures on concussions this week, but that McCoy's injury "made an impression on us."

On Friday, the league denied Harrison's appeal of his suspension, which the league handed down for his fifth illegal hit on a quarterback in three years. Harrison is the first player suspended under stricter guidelines for player safety.

Moore, who sustained a concussion earlier this year, is pleased there is increased awareness on concussions and more emphasis on player safety. He's also in favor of the league using independent neurologists at games to help assess head injuries.

"That's something that we could've addressed in the CBA before we finished things up," Moore said. "I think we as players tried to push for health issues but I think we sacrificed a couple things in the interest of getting the business side of it done.

"I thought we could have done a better job as a union -- that's how I personally feel -- of making sure we look after players first. It's something we could have done better and the unfortunate thing is we have a 10-year CBA with no opt out, so we've gotta try to find a way to get it done before then."

Notes: K Phil Dawson was pleased to learn general manager Tom Heckert wants him back next season. "It's nice to hear that. It beats the alternative," Dawson said with a smile. "It's good to know they're not looking for a young guy in the draft." The Browns placed their franchise tag on Dawson this season and could do so again. The 36-year-old is having another solid season, his 14th with the franchise. ... Williams, who wears No. 44, has been popping pads at practice for weeks. "He can drop his weight and block a guy so he'll get a chance to do it live on Sunday," Shurmur said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111216/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_browns_mccoy

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Saturday, December 17, 2011

Jury deliberates fate of Utah man in gang- related golf course slaying

The gang-related shooting death of 18-year-old JoJo Brandstatt at a West Valley City golf course nearly three years ago was fueled by greed and an "insatiable lust for drugs," prosecutors said Wednesday during closing arguments at a trial for one of the alleged accomplices in the slaying.

The killing also illustrates the "dangerousness" of gang life in Salt Lake County," prosecutor Stephen Nelson told a 3rd District Court jury.

Spencer Isaiah Cater did not pull the trigger, but he is on trial for first-degree felony murder for allegedly urging a 14-year-old boy to do so.

"Hurry up and do it," Cater, 20, allegedly told Antonie "Hunter" Farani.

Jurors began deliberating Cater?s fate around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, were sent home for the day about 7 p.m. and were to resume deliberations 9 a.m. Thursday.

Cater, Farani and two others had gotten together that night of Feb. 6, 2009, with plans to pull some robberies to get money for drugs.

To that end, the group allegedly kidnapped Gregory Brown, 21, when he met them at a West Valley City Wendy?s to trade marijuana for a gun.

Brown was told that if he was able to get $2,000 by the end of the night through robberies, they wouldn?t kill him, according to trial testimony.

Story continues below

According to Brown, he called Brandstatt, who agreed to meet up with the group at Kearns Junior High School with the address of a gang member they could rob.

But when Brandstatt arrived, he was wearing a red T-shirt and red shoelaces, a color that indicated a connection to Norte?o gang members.

Farani reportedly said, "Let?s just finish off this Norte."

Cater allegedly tied the victim with duct tape. The group then drove to the golf course where Farani allegedly shot Brandstatt three times.

Nelson noted that Brandstatt?s red T-shirt was printed with the slogan, "King of the streets." But Nelson said Brandstatt was no king in the last moments of his life.

"He was a cold, lonely, frightened young man [who was] resigned to his fate," Nelson told jurors.

The killers did not even grant Brandstatt?s request to call his mother to say goodbye.

Afterward, the group then allegedly coerced Brown into using a pellet gun to rob three convenience stores.

Next Page ?

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53115245-78/brandstatt-allegedly-cater-farani.html.csp

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Hezbollah, terrorist financing, and Venezuela: Don't panic

Ayman Joumaa was indicted in Virginia this week for laundering Hezbollah money and helping smuggle drugs out of Latin America.? Blogger James Bosworth argues this is not a reason to worry.

The New York Times and ProPublica have details on the indictment of Ayman Joumaa, a Lebanese citizen who has laundered millions of dollars for Hezbollah while assisting with cocaine-trafficking routes out of Colombia and Venezuela. It appears his focus was routes through Europe, but he has also moved drugs through Mexico in coordination with the Zetas.

Skip to next paragraph

The case is notable for having all the key words that people get excited about: Hezbollah! Terrorist-financing! Cocaine! Zetas! Venezuela! And all of that appears to be true.

At the same time, in spite of all the red flag key words, the details within these articles and the indictment show how the US government can deal with the issue of Hezbollah in the hemisphere without panic and over-reaction.

It's important to take down the hemisphere's Hezbollah money laundering networks because they do finance terrorism in the Middle East and violent criminal organizations like the Zetas in this hemisphere. However, in some ways, it's just one more criminal network to take down. As one official told ProPublica, "It?s not like there?s a sit-down between the leaders of Hezbollah and the Zetas." Nor is this about Presidents Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran plotting together. It should not be portrayed as such.

Hezbollah has been laundering drug money in the hemisphere for well over a decade, which is an intelligence and law enforcement issue. The US and other governments have used civilian investigators to track down the money routes and build a case to indict top personnel and seize funds. The US Congress, which has often expressed concern over Hezbollah's activities, should see this indictment as a sign of success by the US government and an argument to fully fund and support US civilian law enforcement efforts by DEA, ATF, Treasury, and others to track and halt money laundering and other criminal activity in this hemisphere.

--- James Bosworth is a freelance writer and consultant who runs Bloggings by Boz.

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of Latin America bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/suH60BuyJcE/Hezbollah-terrorist-financing-and-Venezuela-Don-t-panic

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Friday, December 16, 2011

Rodney Atkins Divorce Details: All About Safety


We have an update on the ugly Rodney Atkins situation.

As previously reported, the country singer was arrested last month on a charge of domestic violence that included trying to smother his wife with a pillow, an allegation Atkins denies. Now, TMZ has obtained the divorce documents between Rodney and Tammy Atkins and they at least prove the couple can agree on something.

Rodney Atkins Mug Shot

Both sides acknowledge they are "unable to live together successfully as husband and wife," while each says the other is "guilty of such inappropriate marital conduct as renders further cohabitation unsafe and improper."

Tammy is asking for sole custody of the pair's 10-year old son (who she also says witnessed his dad's attack), along with alimony and child support payments.

The judge has agreed on a restraining order for the time being, barring Rodney and Tammy from "harassing, threatening, assaulting or abusing the other party." That seems like a start.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/rodney-atkins-divorce-details-all-about-safety/

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Jury deliberates in $1B lawsuit against Microsoft

FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2011 photo, Bill Gates arrives to testify at the Frank E. Moss federal courthouse in Salt Lake City. Closing arguments are set Tuesday Dec. 13,2011 in a $1 billion federal antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft Corp. Novell Inc. claims the software giant duped it into working on a new version of the WordPerfect writing program only to withdraw support months before Microsoft's Windows 95 was released. Novell claims it was later forced to sell WordPerfect for a $1 billion loss. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart,File)

FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2011 photo, Bill Gates arrives to testify at the Frank E. Moss federal courthouse in Salt Lake City. Closing arguments are set Tuesday Dec. 13,2011 in a $1 billion federal antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft Corp. Novell Inc. claims the software giant duped it into working on a new version of the WordPerfect writing program only to withdraw support months before Microsoft's Windows 95 was released. Novell claims it was later forced to sell WordPerfect for a $1 billion loss. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart,File)

(AP) ? Jurors deliberating Wednesday in a Utah company's $1 billion federal antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft Corp. appeared confused, sending at least five questions to the judge, one of which couldn't be answered.

Novell Inc. sued Microsoft in 2004, claiming the Redmond, Wash.-based technology giant duped it into developing a version of its WordPerfect writing program for Windows 95 only to pull the plug so Microsoft could gain market share with its own word program.

Jurors started deliberating at about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday and didn't go home until about 7:45 p.m., the Salt Lake Tribune reported. They'll resume their discussions Thursday.

During the day, the judge received notes from the panel seeking clarification on some of the technical testimony throughout the two-month trial.

One message so baffled U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz that he told jurors to simply disregard their own question in deliberations.

Tensions were high among lawyers waiting for what could be an enormous verdict. Novell is seeking up to $1.3 billion from Microsoft.

If the jury rules against Novell, its attorneys will have little to show for a decade of effort.

Throughout the trial, Novell lawyers argued that because its office products worked on multiple operating systems, Microsoft's snub of WordPerfect for Windows 95 was an illegal effort to maintain its monopoly.

Microsoft countered that it had valid business reasons to deny WordPerfect a set of software tools that threatened to crash new Windows technology. They say Novell could have worked around the problem but moved too slow.

Microsoft says Novell's ensuing loss of market share was its own doing because the company didn't develop a compatible WordPerfect program until long after the Windows 95 rollout. WordPerfect once had nearly 50 percent of the market for word processing, but its share quickly plummeted to less than 10 percent as Microsoft's own Office programs took hold.

"Novell was late. It was always behind. It was playing catch-up," Microsoft attorney David Tulchin said during closing arguments Tuesday.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates testified last month that he had no idea his decision to drop a tool for outside developers would sidetrack Novell. He denied Novell's claim that Microsoft intentionally deceived the company.

Gates also said Novell just couldn't deliver a compatible WordPerfect program in time for the rollout, and that Microsoft's own Word program was actually better. He said that by 1994, the Word writing program was ranked No. 1 in the market, above WordPerfect.

Novell argued that Gates ordered Microsoft engineers to reject WordPerfect as a Windows 95 application because he feared it was too good.

Novell's lawsuit is the last major private antitrust case to follow the settlement of a federal antitrust enforcement action against Microsoft more than eight years ago. The trial began in October in federal court in Salt Lake City.

Novell is now a wholly owned subsidiary of The Attachmate Group, the result of a merger that was completed earlier this year.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-12-14-Antitrust%20Lawsuit-Microsoft/id-7688c7d5b30645e5a2366f2bac759220

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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Botnet Lair in Ukraine Demonstrates Dangers of Infection (NewsFactor)

A recently discovered server in Ukraine demonstrates the danger -- and volume -- of industrial-level identity theft. The server, located by the United Kingdom-based security firm Prevx, was a storage site for data stolen from 160,000 computers that had been infected by viruses.

The server remained online for a month after the Internet service provider, and legal authorities, were alerted to its presence. During that time, it continued to steal data from about 5,000 computers daily, which were harvested through the use of viruses that collect and transmit data. A network of such infected computers is known as a botnet.

'Keys to the Castle'

The stolen data found in the server included e-mails, Facebook passwords, Social Security numbers and log-on info for banks. Prevx was able to find and probe the server because of its poor security protection.

Some of the data came from the infected computer of a U.S. community bank, Metro City Bank in Doraville, Ga., which apparently was not well protected. Such lax protection, said Prevx's director of malware research Jacques Erasmus, is like "giving criminals the keys to the castle." Metro City Bank has said that it is notifying customers and looking into the security breach.

Erasmus told news media that getting into a system may not initially result in "the biggest data heist ever," but this is how hackers get into a network, where they can increase their haul. An entry point through a lightly protected computer serves as a beachhead to launch a full-blown invasion.

In addition to relaying data, the botnets can also capture a stream of user activity. For instance, according to the Associated Press, the server in Ukraine had continuing information on a 22-year-old in Southern California, including registration of a domain name with GoDaddy.com, changing of a Yahoo e-mail password, and ordering from Pizza Hut -- along with data used for those transactions, such as his credit card number, birthdate, phone number and other confidential information.

Checking Net Usage

Prevx, which makes anti-botnet protective software, said thousands of PCs are infected every day and become part of botnets -- including computers protected by respected anti-virus and other security suites.

The security firm said that signs of infection include slow performance when doing some minor task, such as checking e-mail or surfing the Web. On a PC, the company recommends, open Task Manager by simultaneously pressing CTRL, ALT, and Delete keys, and then select Network. If the Internet network connection is more than a few percent usage, this could be a sign that extra transmission is going on.

Prevx suggests that the user then obtain a security product from a maker other than your current security suite, since it is obviously not doing a complete job. In addition to its own Prevx Edge, the company suggests products from AVG, Kaspersky, Panda or Sophos. In some cases, professional services may be required to remove the infection.

Security firm Symantec recommends that security software be configured to update automatically, since viruses change frequently. For Windows users, the company suggests that the most recent operating system update be installed, and that browser security settings by increased.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20111206/bs_nf/81265

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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Giant super-earths made of diamond are possible

Giant super-earths made of diamond are possible [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 5-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Wendy Panero
Panero.1@osu.edu
614-292-6290
Ohio State University

SAN FRANCISCO A planet made of diamonds may sound lovely, but you wouldn't want to live there.

A new study suggests that some stars in the Milky Way could harbor "carbon super-Earths" giant terrestrial planets that contain up to 50 percent diamond.

But if they exist, those planets are likely devoid of life as we know it.

The finding comes from a laboratory experiment at Ohio State University, where researchers recreated the temperatures and pressures of Earth's lower mantle to study how diamonds form there.

The larger goal was to understand what happens to carbon inside planets in other solar systems, and whether solar systems that are rich in carbon could produce planets that are mostly made of diamond.

Wendy Panero, associate professor in the School of Earth Sciences at Ohio State, and doctoral student Cayman Unterborn used what they learned from the experiments to construct computer models of the minerals that form in planets composed with more carbon than Earth.

The result: "It's possible for planets that are as big as fifteen times the mass of the Earth to be half made of diamond," Unterborn said. He presented the study Tuesday at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco.

"Our results are striking, in that they suggest carbon-rich planets can form with a core and a mantle, just as Earth did," Panero added. "However, the cores would likely be very carbon-rich much like steel and the mantle would also be dominated by carbon, much in the form of diamond."

Earth's core is mostly iron, she explained, and the mantle mostly silica-based minerals, a result of the elements that were present in the dust cloud that formed into our solar system. Planets that form in carbon-rich solar systems would have to follow a different chemical recipe with direct consequences for the potential for life.

Earth's hot interior results in geothermal energy, making our planet hospitable.

Diamonds transfer heat so readily, however, that a carbon super-Earth's interior would quickly freeze. That means no geothermal energy, no plate tectonics, and ultimately no magnetic field or atmosphere.

"We think a diamond planet must be a very cold, dark place," Panero said.

She and former graduate student Jason Kabbes subjected a tiny sample of iron, carbon, and oxygen to pressures of 65 gigapascals and temperatures of 2,400 Kelvin (close to 9.5 million pounds per square inch and 3,800 degrees Fahrenheit conditions similar to the Earth's deep interior).

As they watched under the microscope, the oxygen bonded with the iron, creating iron oxide a type of rust and left behind pockets of pure carbon, which became diamond.

Based on the data from that test, the researchers made computer models of Earth's interior, and verified what geologists have long suspected that a diamond-rich layer likely exists in Earth's lower mantle, just above the core.

That result wasn't surprising. But when they modeled what would happen when these results were applied to the composition of a carbon super-Earth, they found that the planet could become very large, with iron and carbon merged to form a kind of carbon steel in the core, and vast quantities of pure carbon in the mantle in the form of diamond.

The researchers discussed the implications for planetary science.

"To date, more than five hundred planets have been discovered outside of our solar system, yet we know very little about their internal compositions," said Unterborn, who is an astronomer by training.

"We're looking at how volatile elements like hydrogen and carbon interact inside the Earth, because when they bond with oxygen, you get atmospheres, you get oceans you get life," Panero said. "The ultimate goal is to compile a suite of conditions that are necessary for an ocean to form on a planet."

This work contrasts with the recent discovery by an unrelated team of researchers who found a so-called "diamond planet" which is actually the remnant of a dead star in a binary system.

The Ohio State research suggests that true terrestrial diamond planets can form in our galaxy. Exactly how many such planets might be out there and their possible internal composition is an open question one that Unterborn is pursuing with Ohio State astronomer Jennifer Johnson.

###

This research was funded by Panero's CAREER award from the National Science Foundation.

Contact: Wendy Panero, 614-292-6290; Panero.1@osu.edu
Written by Pam Frost Gorder, 614-292-9475; Gorder.1@osu.edu



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Giant super-earths made of diamond are possible [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 5-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Wendy Panero
Panero.1@osu.edu
614-292-6290
Ohio State University

SAN FRANCISCO A planet made of diamonds may sound lovely, but you wouldn't want to live there.

A new study suggests that some stars in the Milky Way could harbor "carbon super-Earths" giant terrestrial planets that contain up to 50 percent diamond.

But if they exist, those planets are likely devoid of life as we know it.

The finding comes from a laboratory experiment at Ohio State University, where researchers recreated the temperatures and pressures of Earth's lower mantle to study how diamonds form there.

The larger goal was to understand what happens to carbon inside planets in other solar systems, and whether solar systems that are rich in carbon could produce planets that are mostly made of diamond.

Wendy Panero, associate professor in the School of Earth Sciences at Ohio State, and doctoral student Cayman Unterborn used what they learned from the experiments to construct computer models of the minerals that form in planets composed with more carbon than Earth.

The result: "It's possible for planets that are as big as fifteen times the mass of the Earth to be half made of diamond," Unterborn said. He presented the study Tuesday at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco.

"Our results are striking, in that they suggest carbon-rich planets can form with a core and a mantle, just as Earth did," Panero added. "However, the cores would likely be very carbon-rich much like steel and the mantle would also be dominated by carbon, much in the form of diamond."

Earth's core is mostly iron, she explained, and the mantle mostly silica-based minerals, a result of the elements that were present in the dust cloud that formed into our solar system. Planets that form in carbon-rich solar systems would have to follow a different chemical recipe with direct consequences for the potential for life.

Earth's hot interior results in geothermal energy, making our planet hospitable.

Diamonds transfer heat so readily, however, that a carbon super-Earth's interior would quickly freeze. That means no geothermal energy, no plate tectonics, and ultimately no magnetic field or atmosphere.

"We think a diamond planet must be a very cold, dark place," Panero said.

She and former graduate student Jason Kabbes subjected a tiny sample of iron, carbon, and oxygen to pressures of 65 gigapascals and temperatures of 2,400 Kelvin (close to 9.5 million pounds per square inch and 3,800 degrees Fahrenheit conditions similar to the Earth's deep interior).

As they watched under the microscope, the oxygen bonded with the iron, creating iron oxide a type of rust and left behind pockets of pure carbon, which became diamond.

Based on the data from that test, the researchers made computer models of Earth's interior, and verified what geologists have long suspected that a diamond-rich layer likely exists in Earth's lower mantle, just above the core.

That result wasn't surprising. But when they modeled what would happen when these results were applied to the composition of a carbon super-Earth, they found that the planet could become very large, with iron and carbon merged to form a kind of carbon steel in the core, and vast quantities of pure carbon in the mantle in the form of diamond.

The researchers discussed the implications for planetary science.

"To date, more than five hundred planets have been discovered outside of our solar system, yet we know very little about their internal compositions," said Unterborn, who is an astronomer by training.

"We're looking at how volatile elements like hydrogen and carbon interact inside the Earth, because when they bond with oxygen, you get atmospheres, you get oceans you get life," Panero said. "The ultimate goal is to compile a suite of conditions that are necessary for an ocean to form on a planet."

This work contrasts with the recent discovery by an unrelated team of researchers who found a so-called "diamond planet" which is actually the remnant of a dead star in a binary system.

The Ohio State research suggests that true terrestrial diamond planets can form in our galaxy. Exactly how many such planets might be out there and their possible internal composition is an open question one that Unterborn is pursuing with Ohio State astronomer Jennifer Johnson.

###

This research was funded by Panero's CAREER award from the National Science Foundation.

Contact: Wendy Panero, 614-292-6290; Panero.1@osu.edu
Written by Pam Frost Gorder, 614-292-9475; Gorder.1@osu.edu



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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/osu-sg120511.php

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