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White House responds to petition, says cell phone unlocking should be legalized
Posted by Jason Diaz Categories: Smartphones,
It started as a petition needing only 100,000 signatures requesting that the White House make an official response to the right of cellphone owners to lawfully unlock their cellphones. The Library Of Congress deemed unlocking one's cellphone illegal in October 2012; a ruling that would take affect in the new year. Now, the White House has officially announced that they too agree with the 114K petitioners. It recommends that cellphones be unlocked as long as the customers first meet their carrier's contractual agreement. The White House has even included tablets to the list of devices. Consequently, the Library of Congress has agreed and support the review their policy, which was strongly urged by the FCC.
"The White House agrees with the 114,000+ of you who believe that consumers should be able to unlock their cell phones without risking criminal or other penalties. In fact, we believe the same principle should also apply to tablets, which are increasingly similar to smart phones. And if you have paid for your mobile device, and aren't bound by a service agreement or other obligation, you should be able to use it on another network. It's common sense, crucial for protecting consumer choice, and important for ensuring we continue to have the vibrant, competitive wireless market that delivers innovative products and solid service to meet consumers' needs." - White House Administration
Click to continue reading White House responds to petition, says cell phone unlocking should be legalized
Read More | White House
AT&T clarifies throttling rules for unlimited data customers
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Broadband, Smartphones, Corporate News,
AT&T stopped offering unlimited data plans for its cell phone customers long ago, but allowed those who already subscribed to such a plan to be grandfathered in. However, recently it's become very obvious that, grandfathered in or not, AT&T wants you off of the unlimited plan, and that they'd annoy you with slow data speeds in an effort to nudge you towards a tiered plan. Some users were seeing their speeds throttled down after using just 2 GB of data on their "unlimited" plans. After enough people complained, and enough press covered it, AT&T has finally decided upon what the throttling rules will be for unlimited data customers. If you have a smartphone that works on our 3G or 4G network and still have an unlimited data plan:
- You'll receive a text message when your usage approaches 3 GB in one billing cycle.
- Each time you use 3 GB or more in a billing cycle, your data speeds will be reduced for the rest of that billing cycle and then go back to normal.
- The next time you exceed that usage level, your speeds will be reduced without another text message reminder.
- If you have a 4G LTE smartphone and still have an unlimited data plan, the same process applies at 5 GB of data usage, instead of 3 GB.
So, there you have it. If you have an unlimited 3G data plan, then you can use up to 3 GB of data in a given billing cycle before your speeds are throttled down to super-slow for the remainder of the cycle. Once a new cycle begins, the process starts again. As for you unlimited 4G LTE AT&T customers, you get 5 GB instead of 3 GB. Kind of horrible, since 4G LTE is supposed to let you get faster data speeds and all the advertisements around it show customers using it to stream movies and TV shows, and yet AT&T is saying if you do that a couple of times, then for the rest of the month your data speeds will be nowhere near what 4G LTE is advertised as.
AT&T set to deploy self-healing network to ease the pain of overloaded cell towers
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Broadband, Corporate News, Wireless / WiFi,
Like many AT&T users, we have a love-hate relationship with the carrier. The problem is, looking at the other options, I really wouldn't wanna go anywhere else. Despite what they'd have you believe, all networks have their flaws, data usage terms, dropped calls, and pricing structures that can result in paying an arm and a leg for service that doesn't always provide the best coverage. We've all been there. For those on AT&T's network there's a glimmer of hope for improvement in network coverage.
AT&T is partnering with Intucell in producing a "self-healing" technology that its calling a Self Optimizing Network (SON). SON will efficiently maximize each cell towers usage. If a tower is overloaded with users, a signal is sent out to neighboring towers that can lighten the load, all without human intervention. The towers will be able to adjust in real time to help with high traffic usage. What does this mean for the user? SON has been in tested in areas of California along with Georgia, and users have seen a 10% increase in reception and 10% decrease in dropped calls. The technology should be rolled out nationwide sometime during 2012. Check the video below for more details!
Click to continue reading AT&T set to deploy self-healing network to ease the pain of overloaded cell towers
Read More | AT&T
Leaked images of LG Optimus 3D successor CX2
Posted by John Ball Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Rumors,
Thanks to Pocket Now, we have our first look at what is rumored to be the successor to the LG Optimus 3D, currently known as the CX2. From initial information and pictures, the new phone is not much better than the Optimus 3D, having what seems to be a higher focus on form factor rather than function. With an upgraded CPU that goes from 1.0 GHz dual core to 1.2 GHz dual core, and with 8 GB of internal storage, there is not much difference between the two phones in the hardware department.
The thickness of the device, as it stands right now, is 0.39 inches. That's considerably less than the Optimus 3D at 0.47 inches. The width of the display on the CX2 is around 4.7 inches, which matches the original specifications, although it is said that LG swapped out the original display panel for a brighter one. The last morsel of knowledge that we have right now is that the device will, by default, be running Android 2.3 Gingerbread. We can hope to find out more about this phone next month at the Mobile World Conference.
Verizon Wireless will charge you $2 to pay your bill online
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News,
Do you pay your Verizon cell phone bill online or by phone? You might want to look into other options, because starting Jan. 15, those methods of payment will include a $2 fee.
As reported by Droid Life, Verizon will impose a $2 "convenience fee" for one-time online and phone payments, starting next month. The move is intended to "balance the support costs" associated with those payment options, Verizon said in documentation posted by the blog.
Users can avoid the fees by signing up for Auto Pay, which makes automatic monthly payments via a major credit or debit card on the same day every month, or when your account reaches a specific dollar amount. With Verizon, the minimum payment is $15 and the max is $250.
Other ways to avoid the $2 fee include: using an electronic check, which will pull the funds directly from your bank account; paying online via your bank's bill pay site; going to a Verizon Store; using a Verizon gift, rebate, or friends and family referral card; or mailing a paper check.
Verizon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Click to continue reading Verizon Wireless will charge you $2 to pay your bill online
Here's how to get free cell phone service
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Editorial, Hot Deals,
Yes, you can get a free cell phone with government assistance. If you make very little money, or you're part of other federal programs such as public housing, food stamps, SSI, or Medicaid, you can get a free mobile phone paid for by a fee on everyone else's phone bills.
This program has been around for years. According to the FCC, the government has been subsidizing landlines since 1984; the program, now called LifeLine, added mobile phones in 1997. LifeLine was enhanced in 2005 during the Bush administration, and TracFone's SafeLink, the first purely free LifeLine phone brand, started disbursing free phones in 2008.
"The telecoms haven't done a very good job promoting LifeLine, and the penetration rates have been dismal," said Jose Fuentes, Tracfone's director of government relations. TracFone operates SafeLink.
LifeLine is funded by the Universal Service Fund, which you see as a surcharge on your phone bill. Established by a 1996 law, the USF makes sure that people who live in rural and low-income areas, as well as schools and libraries can get phone service. It doesn't make a distinction between wired and wireless phones; you can get a subsidy for either, but you have to choose one.
Click to continue reading Here's how to get free cell phone service
Bleeding Edge TV 384: iPhone 4 iOS 5 over the air update
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Apple, Cell Phones, Features, Podcasts, Product Reviews, Software, Videocasts, Videos,
In this episode we give you a first look at over the air updates in iOS 5! With the release of iOS 5 beta 4, Apple is now testing OTA updates, allowing users to update their iOS devices without connecting them to iTunes. Instead, the update happens right on the device itself, using Wi-Fi or 3G. We give you a look at how the process works on an iPhone 4 running iOS 5 beta 4 on a Wi-Fi network.
Big thank you to Carbonite and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! Carbonite offers off-site backup of your computer, and you can get two free months (no credit card needed!) by visiting Carbonite and using promo code TPN. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like.
Nokia planning to release Windows Phone 7 devices on a frequent basis
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News, Microsoft,
Nokia's Windows Phones will start coming out at a relatively rapid clip after the first one appears later this year, Nokia's executive vice president of smart devices, Jo Harlow said today.
"We should be launching new devices in a rhythm that might be every couple of months, every three months, something like that," she said.
The first Windows Phones came out in October, and we haven't seen many devices since then. According to recent sales figures from Gartner, the phones haven't sold very well, although our Reader's Choice survey shows that the relatively few people who own Windows Phone devices love them.
The slow pace of Windows Phone hardware may be due to Windows Phone 7 being a "secondary platform" for manufacturers like HTC and Samsung, Harlow said. But as Windows will be Nokia's primary platform, Nokia will focus more heavily on Windows Phones, she said.
"We're going to keep coming with new devices in order to have something to talk about," she said.
Click to continue reading Nokia planning to release Windows Phone 7 devices on a frequent basis
Nokia and Microsoft partner up on new Windows Phone 7 smartphones
Posted by Patrick Lambert Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News,
On Friday, Nokia and Microsoft held a press conference to announce a new partnership. It's well known that while Nokia is still the top handset maker worldwide, their main business is at the low and medium end. Their high-end smartphones have had a difficult road lately, especially in the US. Both Android and the iPhone are eating their lunch. After following a failing strategy with Symbian and MeeGo, now Nokia has decided to partner with Microsoft for their upcoming phones. In the announcement, they revealed that this is a broad strategic initiative to make Windows Phone 7 the main smartphone platform for Nokia. They also said a new leadership team would be leading this at the company. It's clear that both companies will benefit from this partnership, but it remains to be seen if it will be enough to compete with the two current market leaders.
Click to continue reading Nokia and Microsoft partner up on new Windows Phone 7 smartphones
The future of Apple's NFC mobile payment strategy
Posted by Reza Malayeri Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Editorial, Rumors,
There is no question that mobile phone payments are very popular, and that many of us can operate our entire financial lives from our mobile phones. Apps from PayPal, and Square can turn our iPhones into portable financial centers, allowing us to exchange money quickly and easily. These new applications are creating opportunities and benefits that will shape the future of mobile payments.
Predictions about the iPhone 5 and the iPad 2 are beginning to heat up, and much of the talk has been about the implementation of NFC (near field communication) technology. What we haven't heard about so far, is anything about native intergration of mobile payment solutions from Apple and Google.
Click to continue reading The future of Apple's NFC mobile payment strategy
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MMMmmmm….Plutonium cake… (Credit: Department of Energy).
(Editor' s Note: We'd like to thank fellow backyard astronomer Clay M. Davis with giving us the "Nuclear Physics 101″ help embedded in this post!)
Amidst the impending decade of transition for the United States space program, a quiet fact is slowly rearing its ugly head, one that will have wide implications for the future of manned & unmanned space exploration. Specifically, NASA is running out of juice to explore the solar system. And thats not a figurative or political metaphor, but we mean juice in terms of real, honest-to-goodness fuel in the form of plutonium-238. But first, a little background/history of this often maligned substance and its role in space;
When leaving our fair planet, mass is everything. Space being a harsh place, you must bring nearly everything you need, including fuel, with you. And yes, more fuel means more mass, means more fuel, means well, you get the idea. One way around this is to use available solar energy for power generation, but this only works well in the inner solar system. Take a look at the solar panels on the Juno spacecraft bound for Jupiter next month those things have to be huge in order to take advantage of the relatively feeble solar wattage available to it this is all because of our friend the inverse square law which governs all things electromagnetic, light included.
To operate in the environs of deep space, you need a dependable power source. To compound problems, any prospective surface operations on the Moon or Mars must be able to utilize energy for long periods of sun-less operation; a lunar outpost would face nights that are about two Earth weeks long, for example. To this end, NASA has historically used Radioisotope Thermal Generators (RTGs) as an electric power plant for long term space missions. These provide a lightweight, long-term source of fuel, generating from 20-300 watts of electricity. Most are about the size of a small person, and the first prototypes flew on the Transit-4A & 5BN1/2 spacecraft in the early 60s. The Pioneer, Voyager, New Horizons, Galileo and Cassini spacecraft all sport Pu238 powered RTGs. The Viking 1 and 2 spacecraft also had RTGs, as did the long term Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) experiments that Apollo astronauts placed on the Moon. An ambitious sample return mission to the planet Pluto was even proposed in 2003 that would have utilized a small nuclear engine.
New Horizons in the laboratory with the RTG (on left) attached. (Credit: NASA).
This is not without risks; for example, the aborted Apollo 13 mission had to ditch their Lunar Module Aquarius in the Pacific Ocean near Fuji along with its nuclear fueled payload on return to Earth reentry (which by the way survived intact as intended and is somewhere in the deep ocean where it can do no harm). Pu238 has a half life of 87.7 years and a 55 kg mass can power a spacecraft like the Pluto-bound New Horizons mission for decades. The next spacecraft headed for Mars, the SUV sized Mars Science Laboratory, will also contain an RTG as it explores the environs of Gale crater, and doubtless this launch slated for late 2011 will draw a scattering of protesters as did the Galileo, New Horizons, and Cassini missions
Yes, plutonium is nasty stuff. It is a strong alpha-emitter and a highly toxic metal. If inhaled, it exposes lung tissue to a very high local radiation dose with the attending risk of cancer. If ingested, some forms of plutonium accumulate in our bones where it can damage the body's blood-forming mechanism and wreck havoc with DNA. NASA had historically pegged a chance of a launch failure of the New Horizons spacecraft at 350-to-1 against, which even then wouldnt necessarily rupture the RTG and release the contained 11 kilograms of plutonium dioxide into the environment. Sampling conducted around the South Pacific resting place of the aforementioned Apollo 13 LM re-entry of the ascent stage of the Lunar Module, for example, suggests that the reentry of the RTG did NOT rupture the container, as no plutonium contamination has ever been found. The same went for another failure, that of the nuclear powered Nimbus B-1 weather satellite in 1968, in which case the RTG was recovered intact. Yes, the Soviets have had a few release failures historically (see below), but NASA knows its business and has a long standing track record of safely handling nuclear material. RTGs are designed to withstand intact uncontrolled re-entry, spacecraft explosion, booster explosion, and a host of other high energy events without releasing the contents of the fuel package. Of course, all stats are highly speculative. The black swan events such as Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima have served to demonize all things nuclear, much like the view that 19th century citizens had of electricity. Never mind that coal-fired plants put many times the equivalent of radioactive contamination into the atmosphere in the form of lead210, polonium214, thorium and radon gases, every day. Safety detectors at nuclear plants are often triggered during temperature inversions due to nearby coal plant emissions radiation was part of our environment even before the Cold War and is here to stay. To quote Carl Sagan, Space travel is one of the best uses of nuclear weapons that I can think of Whether it is as use as a thermal electric power plant, a nuclear propulsion engine, or even an Orion style bomb-propelled spacecraft, nuclear fission and the energy it produces provides us a way to get out into the solar system, now. Ideas such as fusion engines and Bussard ramjets are all well and good and should be researched, but for now are on the drawing board only. The joke is that contained fusion capability is always 20 years down the road and may remain there for some time.
Any science fiction "space ark' will likely include an RTG or two…(Amazing Stories cover/In the Public Domain).
And therein, as they say, lies the rub. But first let's look at some basic nuclear physics. We promise, it will only hurt for a little bit…
Plutonium is an artificial element that does not occur in nature. First produced by Glen Seaborg and friends in 1940, plutonium is created in the modern day laboratory by the beta decay process which occurs when uranium238 is bombarded with neutrons and decays into unstable neptunium and then plutonium239, the weapons grade isotope of the stuff. If neptunium-237 is used as target (fertile material) instead of U238 in a fast reactor the product is plutonium238. Likewise, bombard uranium-238 with deuterium (2x hydrogen nuclei) in an accelerator and the decay result is Plutonium-238 Pu-238 produces 560 watts per kg of decay heat, 280x times that of Pu239. The United States ceased production of plutonium in 1989 as the Cold War ground to an end, (more on the political aspect in a moment) and starting that production train back up would be no easy process. The United States and Russia have tiny dwindling reserves, and at best NASA has enough for one more Cassini-style mission and perhaps a small scout style mission like New Horizons past the launch of the Mars Science Laboratory. And as you can see, utilizing the pre-existing weaponized Pu239/240 would do little good beyond perhaps as part of an Orion-style propulsion system, as the energy of decay or the specific power yielded is just too low. Reading the writing on the cosmic wall, things look pretty grim for the recent Planetary Exploration Decadal Survey published earlier this year; a Uranus probe, Titan blimp, and Enceladus or Europa orbiter plus lander would all require RTGs, as would the shelved Jupiter Icy Moons Mission. Contrast the problems the spunky Mars Rovers had with dusty solar panels, as well as the eventual lack of solar power that did the Mars Phoenix polar lander in…
One of the RTGs that flew on the Voyager spacecraft. (Credit: NASA).
Are there alternatives in the nuclear area? Yes, but not without cost; for example, there are difficulties with the use of thorium isotopes. Relatively abundant in the Earths crust compared to uranium, the preferable thorium232 & thorium230 isotopes have a low abundance and a relatively low specific power in comparison to plutonium, again, making it a very poor heat source. In addition, thorium232 is bread to uranium233, which is nasty stuff and emits a very penetrating dose of gamma radiation as it decays further to thallium208. (Remember the Hulk?) Weaponized plutonium 239/240 also has too low a specific power, creating a huge mass penalty for outgoing spacecraft with its very short 30 year half-life. Strontium90 can be used as a RTG, but also at a great mass penalty. Same goes for any prospects of a pulsed fission reactor. In the 50s through 70s, NASA and the Department of Energy looked into the possibility of building a nuclear engine via Project Rover. This phases included Kiwi, Phoebus, and Pewee engines which were tested at the Nevada Test Site Area 25 desert complex facility several extreme high altitude nuclear detonations where also conducted, most notably the Starfish Prime project in 1962. The Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1967 put the lid on further weapons testing in space, along with the prospects for a development of a nuclear propulsion engine.
Small high power solid core fission reactors have been used in space as the heat source for turbo-electric high power applications (primarily Soviet radar-satellites for intelligence purposes). One accidently returned to Earth landing in Canada in the 1970s causing much political uproar and very little environmental damage. Solid core propulsion reactors have been designed and tested in both the United States (NERVA) and Russia and have a solid theoretical and practical engineering foundation. None have been tested in space. This concept still stands as our best bet to get humans quickly to Mars.
Nuclear-fueled & ready to roll; the Mars Curiosity Rover. (Credit: NASA JPL/CalTech).
Currently, NASA faces a dilemma that will put a severe damper on outer solar system exploration in the coming decade. As mentioned, current plutonium reserves stand at about enough for the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity, which will contain 4.8kilograms of plutonium dioxide, and one last large & and perhaps one small outer solar system mission. MSL utilizes a new generation MMRTG (the "MM" stands for Multi-Mission) designed by Boeing that will produce 125 watts for up to 14 years. But the production of new plutonium would be difficult. Restart of the plutonium supply-line would be a lengthy process, and take perhaps a decade. Other nuclear based alternatives do indeed exist, but not without a penalty either in low thermal activity, volatility, expense in production, or short half life.
The implications of this factor may be grim for both manned and unmanned space travel to the outer solar system. Juxtaposed against at what the recent 2011 Decadal Survey for Planetary Exploration proposes, well be lucky to see many of those ambitious Battlestar Galactica style outer solar system missions come to pass. A mission like Juno headed to the environs around Jupiter gets around this somewhat by utilizing huge solar panels; Juno is scheduled to leave the pad at Cape Canaveral next month on August 5th and this will mark the first non-nuclear powered mission to the outer solar system. This will occur, however, at a huge cost; Juno must drag its panels along for the ride and will only operate in a wide 11-day Jovian orbit. This is necessary to keep Juno exposed to the Sun and will preclude exploration of the Jovian moons during its projected 32-orbit life span. The three solar arrays on Juno also equal an area of 650 sq ft, a large target for any debris in the Jovian system that makes engineers cringe. Solar cells are also sensitive to high radiation fields such as those encountered in Jupiter space. This is one of the factors behind Junos short mission life.
Landers, blimps and submersibles on Europa, Titan, and Enceladus will all operate well out of the Suns domain and will need said nuclear power plants to get the job done contrast this with the European Space Agencys Huygens probe, which landed on Titan after being released from NASAs Cassini spacecraft in 2004, which operated for scant hours on battery power before succumbing to the -179.5 C° temps that represent a nice balmy day on the Saturnian moon.
One of the "other" uses for plutonium; Fat Man on Tinian. (Credit: US Govt image in the Public Domain).
Part of what has always complicated matters is what is known as the Outer Space Treaty, or in its long-form, The Treaty on Principles Governing Activities of States in the Exploration and the Use of Space. Signed and ratified by the U.S., U.K. and the Soviet Union on January 1967, this treaty seeks to curb the militarization of space and specifically the use of space-based nuclear weapons as well as nuclear detonations in space. This has formed the basis of a broad amalgam of what been termed over the years as Space Law which covers such things as the international use of space, salvage rights and claims, and the non-recognition of any territorial claims on a celestial body. And while Space Court hasnt become filler for afternoon or late-night cable TV, the Treaty did largely keep nuclear weapons out of space during the Cold War. Some of the ideas for an EMP shield over the US from the 50s are slightly frightening to read about today, as we would be now reaping the environmental consequences. While said treaties never specifically limited the use of fissile material for deep space exploration, the very concept and stigma of Nukes in Space made it suffer by extension. Whenever a launch with an RTG occurs, a small band of protesters gather outside the gates and grab the media spotlight until the payload has cleared Earth orbit. Modern day fears of all things nuclear can be likened to the 19th century suspicion of electricity, which to date has taken far more victims than the peaceful use of radioactive isotopes in space.
So, whats a space-faring civilization to do? Certainly, the not going into space option is not one we want on the table, and warp or Faster-Than-Light drives ala every bad science fiction flick are nowhere in the immediate future. In our highly opinionated view, NASA has the following options;
3. Exploit other RTG sources at penalty. As mentioned previous, other nuclear sources in the form of Plutonium, Thorium, and Curium isotopes do exist and could be conceivably incorporated into RTGs; all, however, have problems. Some have unfavorable half-lives; others release too little energy or hazardous penetrating gamma-rays. Plutonium238 has high energy output throughout an appreciable life span, and its alpha particle emissions can be easily contained.
MER's curium-containing spectrometer. (Credit: NASA/JPL).
2. Design innovative new technologies. Solar cell technology has come a long way in recent years, making perhaps exploration out to the orbit of Jupiter is do-able with enough collection area. The plucky Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers (which did contain Curium isotopes in their spectrometers!) made do well past their respective warranty dates using solar cells, and NASAs Dawn spacecraft currently orbiting the asteroid Vesta sports an innovative ion-drive technology. Solar sails have made their debut on JAXAs IKAROS spacecraft in the inner solar system, and perhaps a technology employing the use of space-based lasers could do double duty propelling spacecraft through the outer solar system like something out of a Larry Niven novel. Fusion of deuterium or helium3 resources could also provide a powerful light weight energy source, but of course this is all strictly drawing board stuff the standing joke is that controlled fusion stated above is that its always 20 years away, which leads us to option #3;
1. Push to restart plutonium production. Again, it is not that likely or even feasible that this will come to pass in todays financially strapped post-Cold War environment. Other countries, such as India and China are looking to go nuclear to break their dependence on oil, but it would take some time for any trickle-down plutonium to reach the launch pad. Also, power reactors are not good producers of Pu238. The dedicated production of Pu238 requires either high neutron flux reactors or specialized fast reactors specifically designed for the production of trans-uranium isotopes. Going along with such specialized reactors are adequate safe facilities for the separation, concentration, and preparation of the final product. Since the end of the Cold War, the United States and Russia have closed and decommissioned the vast majority of their plutonium production facilities and reactors. The reconstitution of these cold war process plants is as of this writing beyond reasonable consideration. The huge plants at Hanford Washington and Savanna River South Carolina made sense during the Cold War, where Pu238 was a minor byproduct in the production of many tons of weapons grade plutonium. Practically, specialized research reactors at Oak Ridge Tennesse and Idaho National Laboratory can breed Pu238 and special separation and processing facilities there could produce gram per cycle quantities. However about 5kg/yr would be required to meet anticipated needs requiring a retool of currently available reactors and processing labs. Such a mission deviates critical research facilities from their primary missions that are themselves vital to understanding materials for spacecraft. Construction of new reactors and facilities for the production and processing of fissile materials is also fraught with significant funding, environmental, treaty, and local / national opposition hurdles. This can lead to very significant increases in cost over initial estimates and multi-decade delays prior to construction or production. Based on the realities of nuclear materials production the levels of funding for Pu238 production restart are frighteningly small. NASA must rely on the DOE for the infrastructure and knowledge necessary and solutions to the problem must fit the realities within both agencies.
And thats the grim reality of a brave new plutonium-free world that faces NASA; perhaps the solution will come as a combination of some or all of the above. The next decade will be fraught with crisis and opportunity plutonium gives us a kind of Promethean bargain with its use; we can either build weapons and kill ourselves with it, or we can inherit the stars.

subset: commoncrawl


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Bullpen the beneficiary of Alvarez's gem
MIAMI -- There was still a buzz Sunday about the complete-game two-hitter that Henderson Alvarez threw Saturday night in a 7-0 Marlins win against the Mariners.
Alvarez's performance -- he needed just 90 pitches to complete the shutout, the fewest ever by a Marlins pitcher in a complete game -- certainly should be a confidence booster for him. It also was helpful for a Marlins bullpen that has struggled and could benefit from the rest afforded by Alvarez's gem.
"Of course, it was important," Marlins closer Steve Cishek said. "It's a long season, so any time a starter throws a complete game, it takes a lot of stress off us. Some of the guys needed a couple days off."
Cishek said he's not concerned about the bullpen's recent inability to hold leads.
"It's early in the season," the closer said. "Just got to work some stuff out. We have a great bullpen. Things will iron itself out. We did it last year and we're capable of doing it again this year. We'll be fine, I think."
Cishek also said that the Marlins' offensive output has been a good sign, particularly the current home run streak.
"Last year, we struggled with offense," Cishek said. "This year, we've put all that behind us. If we give up a couple of runs, we know [the hitters] are going to punch the other right back in the face and go after them. It's encouraging to see."


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Here is the promotional wording from the shoebox.ancestry.com website:
Simply use the app to photograph an old paper photo using your phone's camera. Our special technology automatically spots the edges of the photo and auto-corrects the perspective. The result looks just as good as a photo scanned by a traditional flat-bed scanner.In order to make this as close a comparison as possible, I took a digital image of the following photograph with my iPhone 4S with its 8 Megapixel camera:
You might have to click on the image to enlarge it and get any detail. The Shoebox app worked flawlessly. Within less than a minute, I had a copy of the photo attached to the person in my Ancestry.com Public Member Tree. For ease of use, this app gets my high rating. But how does the quality of the image compare to one scanned on my flatbed scanner?
Well, the first issue is that I scan photos at a high resolution, 400 dpi, and save them as TIFF files. But in order to upload the image to my blog, I have to covert the image to a JPEG file. Here is the image converted after scanning with my Canon Canoscan 8800F:
What about the detail? Here is the photo from the iPhone, opened in Adobe Photoshop and enlarged 600%:
The photo is tiny and it took enlarging it 600% to see the detail, which, of course is pixelated. Now, what happens with the scanned image is we zoom in? Here is the scanned image:
A last note: I don't care about the quality of scanned documents. There the issue is readability. It is really nice to have a 300 dpi scan but not absolutely necessary. But don't throw away your photos if you are scanning them at less than 300 dpi on a flatbed scanner. But all this said, I really like the app and will probably end up using it to put documents (not photos) on my Ancestry.com family tree.


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Thelma Schoonmaker was in town (yay!), participating in a forum on digital restoration. As a sort of discussion piece (but much more than that), we got to see the 8K restoration of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, which has been fine-tuned since its appearance in Cannes (which makes this a world premier, in a way). Which inspired me to make the following geeky observation —
Gasim (I.S. Johar) abandons his belt and gear in the desert as he wanders, lost in LAWRENCE —
David Niven dreamily discards his kit on the beach in A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH.
Lean's contribution to Powell's films as editor is well known (49TH PARALLEL, ONE OF OUR AIRCRAFT IS MISSING), but maybe there's room for further consideration of Powell's influence on Lean? Here, the shot height and framing isn't the same, but there's a similar feeling of the distracted character being towed along by the tracking camera, as if on invisible wires.
Lean's camera takes the position of the sun, beaming brutally down on poor old Gasim from on high, whereas Powell's hugs the earth as if afraid of falling upwards to heaven — the frame positions Niven as caught precisely between heaven and earth, wearing the horizon as a belt.
When Gasim is lost, Niven makes the desert as abstract as possible — there's the giant painted sun, and shots which lay a featureless blue rectangle atop a featureless manilla rectangle with a straight flat horizon joining them like to slices of cut card. In Gasim's shot, even the horizon and sky have been mislaid. Yet Gasim is traveling left-to-right, and Lawrence is going right-to-left, so in such a flat world they MUST find each other.
Freddie Young, ace DOP, talked about LAWRENCE containing only one special effect shot, a painting of the sun. And indeed, the commitment to doing everything for real is still awe-inspiring. If a filmmaker tried some of these shots today, the audience would simply assume they were digital effects. But Young didn't quite tell the truth — there's also a shot of twinkly stars which is faked up (skillfully), and if we want to really nitpick there are some studio scenes with fake backdrops by production designer John Box and his team. The various solutions to filming at night also involve some trickery —
PROBABLY this whole shot is an interior set, but even if not, that moon is definitely on a stick. Gorgeous, though, isn't it? MUCH gorgeouser in 8K, though…


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First, she gave me full reign in redesigning this guy in my own style, which basically meant he was going to become a gumdrop shape ;) Here are some of the passes I took on him:
Next was the felting stage. I built him over a wire armature and embedded wire in the ears, so they can be posed. I try to do something new with each commission that I take on and for this guy it meant sewing him some duds. I am not very capable when it comes to machine sewing. I knew this, but wanted to try anyway. I have mixed feelings about the results but I think it's good for a first pass. I learned a ton about needle types and got a little better at understanding pattern making, but I have a ways to go yet.
Still, he was crazy fun to do and I always love doing these sorts of commissions; that is, the ones that are intended to be special gifts. It is an honor when a friend entrusts me with making a gift like this and I am always sure to thank them for the opportunity :)
So on that note, I have a few more commissions to finish up, then I am closing out commissions until next year. I start my advanced character design class next week and have a couple of events to make inventory for in the fall, so free time is a luxury I won't have for felties :[ It's for the best, my 2D skills have been atrophying in the last few months and it's time to work those art muscles again.
Oh yes, on the rat front, everyone is doing well at the moment and I am welcoming another rattie into my home this weekend. He is a gentle, old soul and has quite a story, which I will be happy to share in the near future. <3 p="p">3>


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Atlanta, Ga. – With NCAA East Preliminaries just two weeks away, nine members of the Tennessee State track and field teams took part in this weekend's Georgia Tech Invitational in hopes of qualifying for the regional tournament.
On Friday of the Invite, the jumpers of TSU were showcased including Clairwin Dameus who finished third in the women's long jump. Her leap of 6.14 meters bested those of competitors from the University of North Carolina and Florida State.
Dameus's teammate Ashontae Jackson, who will most likely compete in the East Preliminaries later this month, finished sixth in the long jump with a hop of 6.02 meters.
On the men's side, Royce Dates finished ninth with a jump that spanned 7.12 meters. He narrowly edged teammate Tyler Anderson whose 7.04 meters placed him 11th.
A couple of runners also made the trip to Atlanta including Quanisha Sales who placed 10th in the women's 100-meter dash after completing the run in 12.04 seconds. TSU's Leslye Williams came in 30th in the event with a time of 12.56.
On Saturday, Sales continued her strong performance as she finished in 12th place in the 200-meter dash after a time of 24.68 seconds. Diera Taylor placed 36th after clocking in at 25.74.
Dameus also had a solid day two, coming in 18th in the 400-meter hurdles by completing the event in 1:03.11. She then teamed with Jackson, Taylor and Sales to place finish second in the 4x100 meter relay after a time of 45.20 seconds.
For the Flying Tigers, day two started with Emmanuel Thornton notching a 20th place finish in the 400-meter hurdles, clocking in at 54.74 seconds.
Daryl Rice followed by coming in 10th in the men's high jump with a leap of two meters.
The Invite came to a close with Anderson placing seventh in the triple jump after his third skip spanned 14.66 meters.
The Tigers will await their fate and continue to train for the NCAA East Preliminaries on May 23.


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Trade Shows and Industry Events
What Are They?
Trade Shows are gatherings of individuals within industries that enable networking and commerce. While many shows are open to the public, most that serve manufacturing strictly control attendance to ensure that buyers and suppliers encounter as many valuable prospects or potential partners or suppliers as possible
Shows can be focused locally, regionally, nationally or globally. For most small and medium sized manufacturers, the first two options have traditionally held the most opportunity. As manufacturing and supply chains have expanded, all can offer today's small machining and manufacturing business opportunities to export or supply to customers anywhere, depending on your business goals. Like many online models such as Online Marketplaces, Online Directories, and the Web itself, Trade Shows offer you the opportunity to meet with buyers that match your business and capabilities, and to educate them on your products, capabilities and value.
Why Are They Important?
While the Web has been forecast to render them obsolete for many years, Trade Shows remain a viable industrial marketing tool and can offer tremendous opportunities to meet strong prospects for job shops that choose the right event and location. The reality is that in industries like manufacturing, where product design & development are often tightly controlled via qualifications, strict quality demands and regulations, nothing will replace a 'handshake.' Buyers must, at some point, verify the physical qualities and veracity of a potential supplier. What the Internet has done is to put off that assessment until later in the relationship, after the buyer has identified and researched the potential supplier online. Trade Shows allow for that qualification to take place at the beginning of the relationship, and provide the opportunity to create valuable leads from first impressions in person. Also, Trade Shows can allow for a convenient point to meet prospects with which your business has already been in contact.
Key Elements & Considerations:
Just as it's important to build & prepare your Website correctly before launching an integrated marketing plan, it's important for you to prepare yourself before attending an industrial trade show. Here's a link to some general, best practices to maximize your investment
And like your entire Web strategy, the primary goal of exhibiting or attending a Trade Show is to establish contacts from which to develop business relationships. Get business cards or log prospects' contact info. Add this information to your Leads database to contact them after the event, and to send periodic updates or email newsletters to maintain contact and sustain top-of-mind branding for when they may need your services in the future
Trade Shows can be expensive, when you factor in the costs of travel, per diem, transportation of materials, and loss of resources from your shop floor or front office. Scrutinize these costs closely as you assess an event's value to your business.
An excellent event organization that manages several regional Trade Shows for job shops & contract manufacturers to meet buying prospects is Design 2 Part Shows


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Bridging American Indian students' scientific achievement gap
Michael Ceballos' grandfather dropped out of school at 13 to help support his family. He worked for the Santa Fe Railroad, first laying track, then as a foreman. When he retired, his grandchildren thought he might spend his pension and bonus on a new car.
Instead, he enrolled in college. Today, his grandson, a genial man of Tepehuan descent who wears a bolo tie and a long braid, remembers his surprise: "He told me, 'When you go to the university, there are going to be people who don't think you should be there. And when it's difficult, I want to be able to help you.' "
Ceballos did go on to college, completing a bachelor's in physics while holding down a day-job as a draftsman for Boeing, and recently earning a Ph.D. in integrative microbiology and biochemistry. And he's taken his grandfather's spirit to heart: In 2007, he founded the Native American Research Lab (NARL) at the University of Montana-Missoula -- the first lab of its kind at a national university -- to mentor Native students working in the sciences, who often lag academically due to socioeconomic disadvantages.
As a child growing up in multicultural San Diego, Ceballos felt accepted, but a high school stint in Georgia showed him a different world. Racism was common and held non-whites back: A teacher tried to put him in special education, but Ceballos fought his way into the gifted program, where he belonged.
When Ceballos began teaching at the Salish Kootenai Tribal College on western Montana's Flathead Indian Reservation in 2004, he discovered that many of his students lacked confidence. "I've had Indian students come to me and go, 'I can't do math, I'm an Indian,' " Ceballos says. "What the heck are you saying? Native people may have been the first people to discover the number zero as an operable numeral. Science is an intrinsic part of who you are as an indigenous person. And having students realize that -- it's not because of my race, it's because I'm not studying -- is half the battle."
Ceballos and other instructors tried to arouse interest by linking science lessons to Native traditions, says Salish student Josh Marceau. But the school needed a lab. "Students weren't jazzed about science because they weren't doing it," Ceballos says. So he raised $200,000 from the Department of Defense and the National Institutes for Health and built the first working tribal college lab, focusing on molecular biology and biochemistry.
Ceballos became a mentor, offering help with scholarship applications. Marceau was working full-time as a garbage collector when the lab opened. After winning a scholarship, he quit and enrolled full-time while working at the lab. Marceau studied a virus that infects mountain lions in Yellowstone National Park, and with Ceballos' help, transferred to a four-year university to complete his bachelor's degree.
Meanwhile, in 2007 Ceballos was hired by the University of Montana and founded NARL, which has drawn indigenous people from all over the Americas as well as non-Native and international students. "Native students come from different backgrounds: Some come off the reservation, some come from cities," says chemistry professor Sandy Ross, a lab adviser. "But often (they) are the first generation to be seeking advanced degrees." NARL provides career support, hands-on lab experience, interaction with peers from around the world, and culturally relevant role models, including Ceballos himself, so that students see Native people working as scientists.
Currently, the lab's exploring the microbial diversity of "extreme" habitats, like volcanic hot springs. And students are studying viral evolution to understand why viruses like HIV, SARS, West Nile, and H1N1 can be particularly powerful when they jump species barriers but become less deadly over time. Other projects target biofuel development and the impacts of climate change on Southwestern tribes.
Work is primary in Ceballos' life right now, but he enjoys woodworking in his spare time and is building a house on the Flathead Reservation. His two youngest kids live with him and his wife; the two oldest are pursuing science and medical degrees.
Ceballos' student Marceau is now in graduate school at the University of Montana and works at NARL. After earning his Ph.D., he hopes to set up a biotech company on the Flathead Reservation so he and other Native Ph.D.s can work close to home.
That goal is surely made more possible by NARL. In its first three years, NARL has served more than 70 students, including Native Americans from 25 tribes. Several students have been accepted to master's and doctoral programs in chemistry, biology and biomedical sciences.
"Education is power," Ceballos says. "Native people should have a voice in the global scientific community. The way you get there is by finishing the Ph.D.s, by proving yourself as a bona fide scientist, and by maintaining your cultural ties. That's the way we can move forward as a people."


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Public Lab is open for anyone and will always be free. By signing up you'll join a diverse group of community researchers and tap into a lot of grassroots expertise.


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The George Meany Award
It is estimated that one out of every four top unit leaders of Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops, Varsity Scout teams, and Venturing crews in the United States is a union member. That's a lot of union Scout leaders. Thousands of other union members serve youth through the Boy Scouts of America in local districts and councils, and on the regional and national levels.
In recognition of their contributions to America's future, the AFL-CIO Executive Council established the George Meany Award. It recognizes union members—men and women—who have made a significant contribution to the youth of their communities by volunteering in the programs of the BSA. The award is named for the AFL-CIO's first president, who gave strong support to Scouting over the years.
Since the George Meany Award was introduced in 1974, more than 2,100 have been presented by AFL-CIO central labor councils and state federations throughout the U.S. The award, a recognition approved by the national AFL-CIO Executive Council, gives organized labor an opportunity to recognize members for their service to youth, and also makes the public aware of the important role union members play in the community.
George Meany Awards may be presented annually by each AFL-CIO central labor council and by each AFL-CIO state federation. The central labor council will select its own recipients.*
Applications may be downloaded here or obtained from your AFL-CIO central labor council, state federation, or your area's AFL-CIO Community Services liaison, or from your BSA local council or Labor Relationships, S226, Boy Scouts of America, 1325 West Walnut Hill Lane, P.O. Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079.
The recommended procedure for selecting a recipient of the George Meany Award is as follows:
The central labor council invites all local unions to submit their candidates for the award. Any person, group, affiliated council, or local union may nominate a Scouter/member for the George Meany Award. The nominees may be submitted through their local unions or directly to the labor council. In any event they must have the local union's recommendation as well as BSA council certification.
The central labor council makes the final selection of its recipients from the candidates submitted. The selections and approvals are normally the responsibility of the Community Services Committee of the central labor council in conjunction with the Executive Board.
The central labor council forwards the recipient's completed application, containing all of the appropriate signatures and the processing fee, to the Labor Relationships, S226, Boy Scouts of America, 1325 West Walnut Hill Lane, P.O. Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079.
Labor Relationships will mail the medal, certificate, patch, and all appropriate materials.
The central labor council or state federation may develop its own standards for judging, but will consider such factors as the nominee's record in (see the front page of the George Meany Award application):
Promoting and expanding the use of the American Labor merit badge.
Recruiting youth to earn the American Labor merit badge.
Forming Scouting units, especially those to be operated by local unions or other labor groups.
Recruiting union members to become Scout leaders, especially to become American Labor merit badge counselors and to be involved in units operated by union organizations.
Contributing to Scouting in the field of labor relationships, and bringing the Scouting and labor movements together to serve the community.
Taking Scouter training and setting a good example for youth.
Promoting Scouting for all youth, regardless of race, creed, or disabling condition.
Although a nominee's length of service in Scouting may be considered, no specific number of years should be required. A person's record of accomplishment and dedication should weigh more heavily than longevity.
The presentation should be made at one or more appropriate functions of the AFL-CIO central labor council, such as the following:
- Labor Day celebration
- Union counselor graduation dinner or awards banquet
- State convention
- Membership meeting
In addition, a presentation may be made at a BSA local council or district function, such as an awards dinner or an annual meeting.
The principal officer or the designated labor official representing the AFL-CIO labor council giving the award should make the presentation in all cases.
*The state federation may also have a George Meany Award program; their application process is the same, but their program and selection is separate from that of the central labor council.


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Water Activities
The City of Kenmore is very fortunately located on the north end of Lake Washington, and is therefore a hub for waterfront activities for people of all ages. What's Up Stand-Up Paddle and Surf operates at Log Boom Park from late spring to early fall and offers stand up paddleboards and kayak rentals and lessons.
Kenmore Waterfront Activity Center (KWAC) is a local non-profit group partnering with the City of Kenmore to provide a strong, hand-powered watercraft community located at Squire's Landing. KWAC offers sprint canoe and kayak training for youth, rowing, and dragon boat practices for youth and adults.
Kenmore also features one of the only state-owned boat launches on North Lake Washington, open year-round.


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Marbling, simply put, is the distribution of fat within a cut of beef. The USDA measures this "Marbling" and assigns a grade to the beef. Many recognize that without a degree of marbling, a steak or beef cut just doesn't taste very flavorful, and may even be tough and dry after cooking. There is a commonly accepted relationship between the amount of marbling in a beef cut, and it's inherent flavor. There is also a direct corollary between marbling and price per pound of beef. This chart explains why a "Select" grade Rib Eye steak will taste remarkably different than a "Prime" Rib Eye steak – and cost more too.
These are excerpts from the USDA marbling chart. I wanted to post this as an example of the differences that exist between meat grades that we commonly see in the store. The standard USDA grades are labeled, Kobe Beef falls between "Prime" and "Marble Score 4". The "Marble Scores" come from Australian Wagu Beef, or other unique breeds of cattle. Draw your own conclusions about the grade of beef and the fat content of each.
So, next time a "Select" New York steak steak goes on sale at you local market , realize that a "Prime" sirloin may be the more flavorful cut at a similar price. Keep in mind that all steaks or beef cuts are NOT created equal. One simply cannot cook the same steak at home as was had at a restaurant unless the grade is the same or similar…no matter how amazing your BBQ skills are.
I thought is was visually interesting to see all of the beef grades together for a quick comparison. I hope this leads to a more well informed beef purchase and better quality BBQ.


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After hiking Cowles yesterday evening, I saw a friend who had a day full of calamities. Her leg was bandaged for a cut, her knee was bruised from banging it into a rock and her back was hurting from another injury. She sighed, "I am glad the eclipse is over."
Personally, I visited a chiropracter during the beginning of the eclipse, simultaneous alignments, if you will. Walking back home, I passed some construction workers looking through a couple of welding lenses at the sun. They offered me a look. It was at its peak, a beautiful green crescent.
Several blocks ahead I saw a couple planting flowers. It has been said for centuries that such flowers will bloom profusely. I saw a friend a couple of blocks further up the street watering his garden and mentioned the saying about flowers. He said something like "humbug, superstition." He said he had not bothered to look at the eclipse.
I enjoyed the lower intensity of the light while it lasted and observed the world during the eclipse. I wish they came more often, without calamity though.
Did you see anthing interesting?


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Home » Kantha Stitched Bamboo » Ethical Fairtrade Handmade Kantha Stitched Reversible Bamboo Shawl Wra
Ethical Fairtrade Handmade Kantha Stitched Reversible Bamboo Shawl Wrap Oversized Scarf Pashmina Throw In Bright Red
Vegan Lanolin Free Shawl, Wrap, Oversized Scarf & Throw in Bright Red.
Ethically sourced, fairtrade & handmade in Nepal. Made with bamboo yarn & organic cotton using only natural plant extract dyes. A gorgeous blend of vegan friendly fibres woven into a framework on a handloom. Brushed with stiff bristles to create a gorgeous soft texture. Kantha stitched on one side with multi-coloured threads and a reversible plain side. Warmer than cashmere. Lightweight, versatile, super-soft and very durable. Great for all seasons, the cold winter days/nights and for the summer evenings. Looks great with any outfit or as a throw over the sofa or bed in your home/campervan.
Incredibly comfortable for yoga and meditation and a must to take with you on your travels.
Perfect for those allergic to wool and not itchy.
Size 180 x 90 cm including tassles.
Machine washable on a delicate cycle then air dry. For further information please look under 'Materials' and 'Handling & Care'.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
More in this Collection
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COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – It was a short stay in the Western Conference cellar for the Colorado Rapids.
After dropping down to last place for the first time all season on Friday night, the Rapids moved out of the basement with a convincing 3-0 win over the Portland Timbers at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Wednesday night, riding goals from Andre Akpan, Tony Cascio and Jaime Castrillon to collect all three points.
The Timbers returned to last place in the West and saw their two-game win streak come to a close as well, while the Rapids won for the first time since a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake on August 4, snapping a four-game winless streak and keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.
It didn't take long for the action to get the action going on a mild evening in suburban Denver. Tyrone Marshall's first minute long ball found a streaking Cascio, who fired off the goalpost just 50 seconds after the opening whistle. But less than five minutes later, the Rapids got on the scoreboard.
Right back Drew Moor's cross into the box was met by Cascio, who deflected it right into the path of Akpan. The third-year forward easily fired home for his first MLS goal of the season and the second of his career.
After Moor's 21st minute header was spectacularly saved by Timbers 'keeper Donovan Ricketts, the Rapids doubled their advantage just a few minutes later. While breaking on a counter-attack, Rapids Castrillon crossed for Cascio, whose sliding shot was initially saved by Ricketts, but after Cascio regained his footing, the rookie fired home for his third goal of the season.
The Rapids closed ranks in the second half, daring Portland to beat them for distance or on the break.
One of the few times it looked like the Timbers might strike paydirt, 'keeper Matt Pickens was there to snuff it out. The veteran came off his line quickly in the 75th minute to deny Diego Chara on a breakaway, getting a toe to the shot to keep the zero on the board.
Colorado sealed the game on Castrillon's 86th minute close-range header, which went between Ricketts' legs for the Colombian's team-leading seventh goal of the season.
The Rapids will enjoy a nine-day break before battling the surging Galaxy in LA next Friday night (11 pm ET, MLS Live), while the Timbers will also enjoy an extended break before hosting Cascadia Cup rivals Seattle on Saturday, Sept. 15 at Jeld-Wen Field (3:30 pm ET, NBC).
Scoring Summary:
COL - Andre Akpan 1 (Drew Moor 1, Tony Cascio 3) 6
COL - Tony Cascio 3 (Jaime Castrillon 2) 27
COL - Jaime Castrillon 7 (Drew Moor 2, Kamani Hill 2) 86
Disciplinary Summary:
COL - Luis Zapata (caution) 14
POR - Diego Chara (caution) 42'
COL - Hendry Thomas (caution) 46'
POR - Steven Smith (caution) 74'
POR - Jack Jewsbury (caution) 83'
Colorado Rapids lineup: Matt Pickens, Drew Moor, Marvell Wynne, Tyrone Marshall, Luis Zapata, Hendry Thomas, Jeff Larentowicz, Jaime Castrillon, Tony Cascio, Martin Rivero, Andre Akpan
Subs not used: Stew Ceus, Tyson Wahl, Jamie Smith, Conor Casey
Referee: Juan Guzman
Attendance: 13086


text: Ratts Tyerell was originally supposed to be included as a 2 pack with BD11 Clegg Holdfast but was held back to be released in 2012 as part of The Vintage Collection. The date stamp on the figure even indicates 2009. How does he hold up over 2 years later? Hasbro executed a decent design and sculpt albeit we would have liked to have seen the "screaming" face instead of a calmer, grinning Ratts. The included Pit Droid has a nice new deco and is a re-used mold from the Bonus Pit Droids packed in place of Commtech Chips that were only released in Asia for The Episode I Collection.


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Home Bodleian Libraries Ask a librarian Contact
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Through Ask an Oxford Librarian you can contact Oxford University�s main research and teaching libraries, including the Bodleian Library, English Faculty Library, Bodleian Law Library, Radcliffe Science Library, Sackler Library, Social Science Library and Taylor Institution Library.
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Ask an Oxford Librarian is an enquiry service provided by the Bodleian Libraries. We will respond promptly, usually within three working days (Monday to Friday), and often within 24 hours. More complex enquiries may take longer to answer where it is necessary to consult several sources and/or colleagues.
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Mitt Romney isn't the only Republican candidate in an important race who faces smears based on business dealings of a company that occurred when he had no role in its operation. In the North Dakota Senate race, Democrat Heidi Heitkamp has run an ad that attempts to hold Republican Rick Berg responsible for alleged misconduct by a residential property rental company called Goldmark Property Management, Inc. Goldmark Property Management has been the target of tenant complaints and has been cited for alleged fire safety violations.
But Berg, part of the Power Line Pick Six, does not own Goldmark Property Management; nor has he ever had a management, shareholding, invested interest, or even employment relationship with it. He did own a predecessor company, but ended that relationship in 1987 to venture into commercial real estate, rather than residential rentals.
In 1996, Berg founded Goldmark Commercial Corporation, which later became Goldmark Schlossman Commerical Real Estate Services. According to the Berg campaign, this company does not rent residential apartments, does not work with residential residents, and does not have any ownership interests, fiduciary responsibilities, or legal affiliation with Goldmark Property Management, Inc. Berg ended his ownership and management involvement with it in 2011 when he began serving in Congress.
Accordingly, Politico, hardly a pro-Berg source, has concluded that "Berg does not, as alleged by Democrat Heidi Heitkamp, have any formal legal ties to or control over Goldmark Property Management." And Politico finds laughable Heitkamp's claim that Berg's business relationships somehow is connected to his views on Social Security reform, a claim that has made "even some Democrats. . .wince."
Heitkamp's ridiculous attack smacks of understandable desperation. North Dakota is a conservative state, making Berg, a conservative congressman, the odds on favorite to win this seat for the Republicans. But Heitkamp has managed to hang in the race (the RCP average has Berg up by only 5 points) by posing as a moderate. Now, she hopes to close the remaining gap by smearing Berg in basically the same way Team Obama has smeared Romney.
This is a critical race for Republicans. Without picking up the North Dakota seat (held now by Democrat Kent Conrad), the Republicans have virtually no shot at winning control of the Senate.
You can fight back against the smearing of Rick by supporting his candidacy here.


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Ceuta's sporting coast
Port of Ceuta
In Ceuta, lovers of water sports will find sea bottoms teeming with life, where the waters of the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic Ocean mingle together. This is the reasons its flora and fauna are constantly regenerating, and why its coastline is a scuba-divers' paradise. For example, in shorter dives you'll be able to see pollack, bream, grouper and octopus, and if you go a little deeper, down to around 20 metres, you'll find beds of king crabs and an artificial reef formed by sunken boats. You'll even be able to see the ever-more scarce red coral if you dive to the deepest points. Other options on offer in the sea around Ceuta –this time on the surface– include fishing, sailing in the recreational boats available at the Marina, or rowing in a kayak with views over the Royal Walls. What's more, thanks to the climate, you can spot turtles, dolphins, and whales all year round.
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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) A study of the 70 schools selected for college football bowl games this season showed football teams maintained high recent academic progress, but the gap between African-American and white players persists.
The annual report released Monday by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport showed overall Graduation Success Rate improvement from 68 to 69 percent for football players at the bowl-bound schools.
Also, 97 percent of schools received a score higher than the target 925 (equal to an expected graduation rate of 50 percent) on the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate. Teams with a four-year APR of 925 or below face penalties including loss of scholarships. A new APR standard of 930 started to take effect for the 2012-13 academic year, though it won't be fully in place until 2014-15.
Primary study author Richard Lapchick said he thinks the recent awareness raised by Education Secretary Arne Duncan and NAACP President Ben Jealous has been instrumental in pushing schools to make academic progress by athletes a priority.
``I think the threat of the loss of scholarships has great meaning for coaches today,'' Lapchick said. ``Even with football teams being so much bigger than in basketball, coaches want to protect those slots. They have become more engaged themselves and are getting the resources into academic affairs to get students who maybe weren't as engaged in high school to be more successful at their universities.''
This year's numbers show a 20 percentage point gap between the graduation rate of white and African-American athletes, 82 percent to 62 percent. The numbers were 81 and 61 percent last year. But Lapchick is encouraged that the rate for African-American athletes has risen consistently recently.
As recently as 2009, those rates were 58 percent for African-American and 77 percent for white athletes.
``There are a few perspectives on that gap,'' Lapchick said. ``Graduation rates have significantly gone up annually a few points each year, and that's the good news.''
Lapchick noted that across the NCAA, African-American football players graduate at higher rates than male African-American students as a whole. Another study released Monday, though, found less success by that measure among schools in the six BCS automatic qualifying conferences.
The report from the Penn Graduate School of Education Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education looked at all athletes at those schools, not just football players. Using federal graduation rates, it found that at those schools, 50.2 percent of African-American male athletes graduated within six years, compared with 55.5 percent of African-American undergraduate men.
The GSR measures graduation rates of Division I schools after four years and includes students transferring into the institutions. The GSR also allows schools to subtract athletes who leave before graduation, as long as they would have been academically eligible to compete if they remained.
At the bowl-bound schools, 66 of 70, or 94 percent, had at least a 50 percent GSR for their football teams. That's down from 97 percent in 2011, though Lapchick praised the high figure.
While the racial gap is a complex issue, Lapchick said, small things can make a difference.
``I think you continue to apply as many resources as you can, but (universities) also have to engage the public school systems where they are,'' he said. ``Now you see student-athletes volunteering in their communities, which is something that hasn't always been the case.
``If those resources were directed at middle schools and elementary schools, then their leadership could help young people at those schools and inspire them to plot an academic course for their future so that they will have more opportunities.''
Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter athttp://www.twitter.com/khightower.


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A Kansas City couple charged with child abuse Tuesday told authorities they handcuffed the husband's malnourished teenage son to a basement pole because he was bipolar and they had run out of options in handling him, court documents said.
Police went to the home Feb. 4 after a neighbor called social services. They found the 17-year-old boy locked to a steel pole in the dark basement. He was curled in a fetal position, shivering on the cold, concrete floor and weighed only 103 pounds, according to a probable cause statement.
The teen's father, David Martin, 42, and stepmother, Pamela Martin, 41, were charged in Clay County Circuit Court with child abuse and felonious restraint. Bond was set at $50,000. Jim Roberts, a spokesman for the Clay County prosecutor's office, said he didn't know whether the couple had attorneys.
The boy told investigators he had been kept in the basement since his father took him out of school in late September. Initially, he was just locked in but later he was handcuffed to a bed rail. The teen said in November, after the second time he tried to escape for food, he was handcuffed to the steel support pole. He was allowed to shower once every four weeks, the probable cause statement said.
The teen said he was fed oatmeal each morning, a pack of noodles during the day and bologna sandwiches at night. His weight dropped from 130 pounds to 103 pounds, and he had sores on both wrists, according to the probable cause statement.
A Kansas City police officer who responded to the home wrote in a police report that the teen repeated, "I didn't do anything" several times when officers entered the basement. The teen was wearing dirty clothes and had only a few thin blankets to keep warm, he said.
The Martins told authorities the boy is bipolar and has attention deficit disorder, according to the probable cause statement. David Martin said they hadn't been able to afford the teen's medication and had run out of solutions to help him. David Martin said he needed to keep his son within reach and the handcuffing had lasted only three weeks.
Pamela Martin told authorities that the boy was moved into the basement in September, when her son and his child moved into the couple's home. She said they began using handcuffs to restrain the teen in December so he wouldn't sneak food or leave the home. She said her stepson was allowed to eat dinner with the family and returned to the basement at bedtime. She said she didn't remove the handcuffs because the teen was "verbally abusive and would try to kick her."
Juvenile court officer Alan Gremli said previously that the boy has been placed with a foster family and enrolled in school.


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Film Offers Fresh Take on Racism in Obama's America
Too often, consciousness-raising efforts in the area of racism (particularly when carried out by well-meaning white progressives) have some degree of self-righteousness, and appear to be tackling social change through breast-beating or blame.
Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity
Produced and directed by Shakti Butler and distributed by World Trust Education Services, 75 minutes, 2012.
Purchase includes a conversation guide and subscription to learning modules for a deeper understanding of systemic inequity, developing skills in communication and healing, and teaching the fundamentals of democratic movement building.
So it's an unexpected delight when the educational film, Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity, reveals itself to be deeply thoughtful and affecting. It develops into a powerful account of how the signifiers of racism continue to operate in our society, and how the fear and stereotypes behind these "codes" harm Americans of all races.
Talking directly to camera, and thus to the viewer, interviewees across the skin-color spectrum open up to recount outrageous yet ordinary encounters with institutionalized and personal racism. They specifically explain how interactions reveal assumptions, ignorance, and privilege. Best of all, the interviewees include activists and educators like Joy DeGruy and Peggy McIntosh who explain how, in specific instances, they have challenged racism in a way that facilitates direct but respectful communication—and change.
The insightful interviews are edited into short sections that allow time to pause for reflection and discussion, making Cracking the Codes an excellent resource for education, training, and facilitating dialogue. It's the most dignified and evidenced response possible to the blithe assertion that we now live in a "post-racial" America.
- At the time of his death, Martin Luther King Jr. was planning a campaign around economic injustice—including a mass encampment of poor people in Washington, D.C.
- An interview with the activist who made headlines when he was arrested while meditating at Occupy Oakland.
- Youth take the promise of Obama and put it into practice.


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Pittsburgh police officer found unconscious in car at West End Bridge
Pittsburgh police and paramedics were called to the West End Bridge because a police officer was unconscious and slumped over the wheel of a car, possibly suffering a heart attack.
Several police cars were seen pulling away from the West Carson Street ramp when Channel 4 Action News arrived on Tuesday afternoon.
Police at the Zone 6 station said the officer is from the traffic division and was on duty in a marked car with another officer at the time of the medical emergency around 1:30 p.m.
The officer was taken to UPMC Mercy hospital, where police spokeswoman Diane Richard said he was being treated in the cardiac intensive care unit. The officer's name has not been released.
Emergency officials credited the cooperation between police and paramedics for getting the officer medical attention quickly.
Public safety officials told Channel 4 Action News that acting Police Chief Regina McDonald was en route to the hospital earlier in the day to visit the officer.


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Wire Gauge Sizes.
135º Degree Split Point - Surface Treated.
Good for Automotive Body Work.
Popular for sheet metal use and in automotive body work, the CRL Double End Drills are stub length and surface treated.
They have a flat precision ground 135 degree split point design for fast starting when drilling aluminum or sheet metal.
Wire Gauge: No. 11


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Market Scene: It's Still Summer at the Grove Street Market, San Francisco
We're pretty spoiled when it comes to farmers markets in San Francisco. There is, of course, the Ferry Building—the arguable Big Daddy of all markets everywhere (well, other than the one in Marin, and the one in Berkeley... we've got much produce to go around in these parts)—is certainly worth a weekly (or tri-weekly) visit, but there are an amazing number of little market gems all over the city.
The Grove Street Farmers Market, holding court between Divisadero and Broderick every Sunday, is one of my favorites. In addition to the usual bounty of fruits and vegetables, you can stock up on cheese curds, fresh honey by the jar, and cheese curds; not to mention burgers grilled to order.
Seeing as this is a farmers market, is is the produce that really has us coming back every Sunday. Last weekend, summer was still in full swing, despite the chilly wind coming off the Pacific. Piles of tomatoes, corn, and baskets of strawberries beckoned from the stalls. Apparently, this year we're in for a long season of summer produce thanks to consistently warm, dry weather; as a vocal lover of all things tomato, I consider this to be the best kind of news.
But eggplants are making appearances as well, alongside a wonderful selection of root vegetables including Japanese sweet potatoes, beets, and carrots.
Check out the goods from Grove Street in the slideshow above!
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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OH My. Puttin A Whole New Meaning To Throwing A Fit: Cousin Steals Lil Homeboy's Noodles & Ol Boy Spazzes Out! "I Put These Noodles On My Grandmamas Grave"
Those noodles must be serious
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It's Still Jon Huntsman's Moment
House Speaker John Boehner is whining about how President Barack Obama wants to annihilate the Republicans and discard them to the dustbin of history, and the Democrats are warning that the results of the 2012 presidential race were harbinger of things to come and that the GOP is destined to go the way of the Whig Party. But they should consider the following proposition: if former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman had been nominated as the Republican presidential candidate last year, Barack Obama would not have delivered his second inaugural address last week (which suggests that Obama made a smart move by sending Huntsman to China as the U.S. ambassador).
Unlike Kevin Phillips I cannot recall how each of the districts in Oklahoma had voted in presidential elections in the last 100 hundred, but I am quite confident that unless it is discovered that Huntsman violated Edwin Edwards's First Rule of Politics, there was a better-than-even chance that Huntsman would have won Colorado, Nevada, and Virginia, and under the best case scenario could have carried several states in New England, including Connecticut (and perhaps even Massachusetts), and on the West Coast, including Oregon.
And Huntsman would have won the race for the White House by running as a conservative committed to the principles of fiscal responsibility and prudent foreign policy, in contrast to an incumbent president with mediocre record of success in most policy areas.
The fact that Huntsman had been the Governor of Utah is by definition an indication that he is a conservative Republican. And he's one who can also win the votes of independents and Democrats.
But then, one would ask, wasn't that the political brand that former Governor Mitt Romney was supposed to sell in 2012?
The problem was that under the pressure of the ideologues in his party Romney failed in getting that marketing campaign going and instead let Obama and the Democrats design his political brand.
No less important, Romney may have the presidential look that would have gotten him hired to play the commander-in-chief for a movie in the 1980s. But he was too boring, too wooden, too uncool, and lacked that—je ne sais qoi? mean streak?—to play the president in a 2012 film. A former keyboard player in a rock band called "Wizard," Huntsman could have given Obama a run for his money in the "coolness" department.
Bottom line: Huntsman would have won more independent voters, suburban and professional women, Hispanics and Asians, which was all Republicans needed to carry northern Virginia or Colorado. Case closed.
I am pointing all this out not because of my interest in Huntsman and his political career, but in response to the avalanche of op-eds and speeches about What Must Be Done about the GOP. Before you know, we're going to have new think tanks, magazines and websites devoted entirely to "fixing the Republican Party."
Well, it's not nuclear physics. Yes, there are the demographic trends (which I discussed here and here and here) that require paying more attention to voters in the Northeast and the West Coast, to Asian American, young professionals, and women.
But overall, becoming Jon Huntsman's Republican Party doesn't require a Big Bang political-electoral revolution. Here are some simple ideas that can be packaged into five fortune cookies.
- The central focus on national debate in coming years would be on finding ways to fix (as opposed to abolish) the welfare state and readjusting U.S. strategy to the changing global balance of power. Republicans should understand that what Ayn Rand and John Bolton have to say about these issues is irrelevant and cannot be sold to the American people. Period.
- Not unlike George W. Bush, just be nicer to immigrants and especially to Hispanics and stop patronizing women.
- Come up with business-friendly proposals on climate change and practical ideas on guns, instead of in-your-face rhetoric.
- The "gay thing" is a done deal. So get over it and move on.
- And, yes, select an attractive presidential candidate.
Leon Hadar, a Washington-based journalist and foreign policy analyst, is the author of Sandstorm: Policy Failure in the Middle East.


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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For the second year in a row, Tennessee football linebacker A.J. Johnson is on the preseason watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, presented to the top defensive player in the nation.
Last season, Johnson and teammate Daniel McCullers were on the preseason watch list. They were the first Vols on the preseason watch list since Prentiss Waggner was named to the list in 2011. The Bednarik Award, which was first presented in 1995, has seen two Vols earn semifinalist honors. Kevin Burnett was UT's first Bednarik Award semifinalist in 2004, while Eric Berry advanced in 2008.
As a senior, Johnson has already been named to the preseason watch lists for the Lott IMPACT Award and CFPA Linebacker of the Year Award. He is a consensus preseason All-American, earning recognition as a first and second teamer from various outlets.
Johnson returned to Tennessee for his senior season after another stellar campaign as a junior. A 2013 AP and Coaches All-SEC first-team selection, Johnson became the first Vol to record 100 tackles in back to back seasons since Earnest Fields did so in 1990-91 finishing his 2013 campaign with 106. Johnson also notched 8.5 tackles for a loss of 17 yards, tying a career high, while also recovering a fumble and breaking up three passes. Johnson notched five double-digit tackling efforts in 2013, bringing his career total to 18.
He currently sits in third place on the UT career assisted tackles list with 164. The Gainesville, Ga., native enters his final season on Rocky Top with 324 career tackles in 36 career games.


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Are TV dinners grand or gauche? David and Renee share their experiences and opinions on the iconic American meal.
He Said:
I sit at the counter, tracing the copper veins of the marble Formica, waiting. What's it going to be today? I ask myself. My grandmother trundles over and slides a bowl thick with purple broth in front of me, then sits down with my mother, father, and me. I poke at the stew, and then I see them. Suction cups! Not just one, but a million. Rows and rows laid out like morse code sending a secret message.
"I can't eat this!" I say, pushing away the octopus stew and leaving the table. "I just can't."
My mother points to my stool and gives me the vigneta look, the do-not-cross-me-now-young-man stare."Sit," she commands. I obey.
I push the chunks of demon food around my bowl, occasionally forcing some down in between huge, sloppy gulps of water. I shoot her some of my own vigneta looks, but I'm still in training, and they sluice off her like rain on a roof as she talks with my father.
And so it went every night: a parade of salt cod, my aunt's blood sausage, my mother's calf's liver, my grandmother's chicken necks. And my theatrics.
Growing up Portuguese in a time when the American ideal was Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby, and Cindy (Brady, of course), nothing in my world resembled theirs. And for years, I dreamt I was the seventh kid. Sure, we had low-slung Danish furniture in our living room and my mother wore shortish polyester dresses and shoes with chunky heels, but that's where the similarity ended. Especially at the table. Until I was ten, it was a full-frontal assault of odd bits and bobs from every part of every kind of animal.
Then something happened. Something miraculous. Something utterly unexpected. My mother and I were shopping at Fernandes, where she worked as a courtesy booth girl. (This was in an era when someone in a supermarket actually smiled, asked after your husband, and helped you find the peas on sale.) I stood in front of the frozen food section pointing to Swanson's TV dinners. I locked eyes with her and held my ground.
"No!" We both knew that all I had to do was make the slightest scene–in a place where she knew just about everyone by name–and, well, how courteous would that be?
"Fine," she said. I won. I stood my ground and I won. From that day forward, I was allowed to eat my own food and could leave the awful offal behind.
And eat I did. I ate my way through just about every dinner Swanson's made–turkey with stuffing, classic fried chicken, chopped beef–not to mention Hungry Man offerings, and a bizarre line of dinners that promised concerned mothers that their kids would get a full serving of vegetables. How? By making carrot fries and beet fries. I ate them all, ghastly orange and red fries included.
TV dinners were more than a tentative step of filial independence. They were my conduit to becoming an air-brushed, scrubbed-of-all-ethnicity American Me. They drew a line in the cultural sand and separated me from my Boston cousins and countless other children of immigrants who daily bowed over bowls of Old World frugality. They were my ticket into the closed circles of tow-headed kids I went to school with–the Ledouxes, the Fitzgeralds, the Hazels. They said, "Hey, I may be Portuguese, but you and me, we're the same."
The irony is I never once enjoyed my dinner in front of the TV, like my godmother did, eating her homemade French stuffing with one hand and smoking a Pall Mall in between bites with the other. My father insisted we eat at the table as a family. So while my parents and grandparents prattled on about parental concerns, I busied myself with emptying each precisely formed well of my tray. With each bite I imagined that I was the seventh Brady child, getting caught up in all kinds of shenanigans that ethnically neutered children do.
Are frozen TV dinners the paragon of culinary virtue and millennial food politics? Hardly. But for a few brief years in the early '70s, they helped ease the pain of feeling different, ostracized, ignored. And all for 85 cents.
She Said:
Know how when you were a little kid you somehow had to manage to behave yourself for the seeming eternity that was Sunday mass? I spent a lot of those church hours parachuting Fisher-Price people from the backs of pews into the hymnal holders. The rest of the time I spent silently pleading with the man upstairs to do something about my supper situation.
My mom loathed cooking. Still does. Just was never her thing. Whereas in the morning she and I would giggle our way across the gold linoleum kitchen floor, waltzing to AM radio, come 4:00 p.m. she'd pace alone from cabinet to deep freeze to fridge and back again, lost in thought about what to make for dinner. Her demeanor changed, her laughter swayed to indecision, and much rumination and self-recrimination ensued. It was as if her entire being was consumed by the thought, "Oh god. Not again."
Her coping strategy was a dented recipe tin containing handwritten cards yielding a small rotation of recipes, mostly casserole recipes. That and a deep-freeze she kept crammed full of butcher paper-wrapped bundles of ground beef. Most nights began with her tossing a pale pink brick of beef in a flowered casserole and cooking it over medium heat, impatiently scraping off the barely thawed bits as they browned, draining off the grease, and glopping in rice, canned tomatoes, cream of mushroom soup, and the like. The resulting creation was infallibly mushy and brown and, uh, aromatic in its own distinct way. Each of these is forever etched on my palate.
What complicated the cooking was the timing—or lack thereof. We never knew exactly when my dad would come in from the fields. So we'd wait…and wait…and wait. Mom would guess anew each night as to whether or when we ought to sit down to dinner without him, which didn't exactly do much to remedy her mood. Or her tendency to overcook things. At some point, we'd hear the door slam in the washroom off the kitchen where we kept the deep-freeze. While Dad stomped the dirt from his boots and scrubbed his hands with the gritty green soap that erased all trace of tractor grease, Mom would flurry to call my big brother to the table and I'd rush to clear any textbooks and homework papers, replacing them with a hot pad and a casserole dish before we'd all murmur grace and then fall into place. Dad would glower about soybean prices. Mom would gallantly pretend that everything was hunky dorey until Dad's complaints wilted her to a seething silence. Big brother would goad me into misbehaving. And I would pout and push my casserole around on my plate, wishing instead for a hot dog. Or, even better, a real dog that would lick my plate clean beneath the table.
At some point my dad would boom, "Kids, you're excused." My brother and I would race outside to lose ourselves in chasing fireflies in the twilight, trying hard not to hear the barely hushed words thrown back and forth across the table.
That was my supper situation.
One afternoon things were unusually quiet, the kitchen bereft of drama even in the minutes leading up to dinner. That evening Mom had slid Swanson's TV dinners onto the kitchen table, flopping her favorite burnt orange and lime quilted hot pad in front of me and placing a steaming foil tray on top. At last, I thought, my Sunday prayers were answered…by what seemed a divinely inspired, albeit pathetically packaged, frozen dinner. I was giddy with my grand expectations—and not just for what lurked beneath that foil lid.
No amount of cold milk could squash the metallic twang that Swanson's left in my mouth, although my biggest disappointment wasn't what I found in the tray. It was the dynamics surrounding the TV dinner that I found most disheartening. I'd assumed anything that circumvented my mom's afternoon angst would change things. That my dad wouldn't act like a stranger. That my mom would laugh like she did when it was just the two of us. That my brother wouldn't be a brat. That my parents would make it through a meal without tense voices and heavy sighs. That I wouldn't feel that brick in my stomach.
Nothing changed. Ever.
In retrospect, the only one doing any deceiving that night was my naive five-year-old self, ascribing super-hero powers to a flimsy tray of pulverized potatoes and disappointingly cardboard-like fried chicken. Thinking that Swanson's was sufficient to fix all that was wrong at our table was the culprit. I was a kid. I needed more than a TV dinner—even a divinely inspired one. I needed an actual caped crusader. One who liked to cook. Originally published September 21, 2011.
How about you, dear reader? Do you love or loathe classic TV dinners?
Tell us about it below in the comments.


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WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with EB Brands, Yonkers, NY, announced a voluntary recall of 3 million fitness balls sold under the Bally Total Fitness, Everlast, Valeo and Body Fit brands.
When overinflated, the fitness balls can unexpectedly burst while in use, causing the user to fall. EB Brands has received 47 reports of fitness balls bursting, including reports of a fracture and multiple bruises.
The recall involves rubber fitness balls sold in 55-, 65- and 75-centimeter diameter sizes in various colors and with a pump and inflation instructions. Advertised as "burst-resistant," the fitness balls were sold in department stores and by fitness retailers nationwide from May 2000 to February 2009 for between $15 and $30.Consumers are being asked to call EB Brands at (800) 624-5671 or visit the company's Web site for more information.