Two Space Missions Planned To Look For Killer Asteroids

I'm not sure about the rules involved but doesn't the IAAA (or something) allow the "discoverer" (which in this case I guess will be a corporation) to name minor bodies and maybe even other things like comets.

So they should allow their sponsors to name these bodies in their stead. They're going to find thousands if not tens or even hundreds of thousands depending on the sensitivity of the instruments.

I won't donate money to save the world but to have my own private Idaho, I mean asteroid, would be cool! Especially if I knew it would wipe out all life on earth! I'll be famous (for a short time at least).

Even better would be a U.N. treaty saying that for objects up to say 1km in size, the first person to characterize a body's orbit would get to OWN IT! Not only would this make a lot of people into asteroid hunters but it would really promote the development of technology to exploit them, especially if such ownership would expire in say 20 years if no landings were achieved. It is been said that the best way to get undeveloped countries in like Africa to develop would be to get clear and effective (supported by government) title to land; this provides the incentive to invest. (I don't know what the current laws are, presumably there is something in place to allow the Google guys to profit from their asteroid venture).

By the way, what's the LOWER limit for the size of a minor body (I think the upper limit are "dwarf planets"). 500 meters? 5 meters? 5 centimeters?

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/cWGmqbEJuzA/two-space-missions-planned-to-look-for-killer-asteroids

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Jul 2 - CANADA DAY

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Down 2 sets, Federer comes back, wins at Wimbledon

Roger Federer of Switzerland serves to Julien Benneteau of France during a third round men's singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England, Friday, June 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Roger Federer of Switzerland serves to Julien Benneteau of France during a third round men's singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England, Friday, June 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Julien Benneteau of France returns a shot to Roger Federer of Switzerland during a third round men's singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England, Friday, June 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Roger Federer of Switzerland serves to Julien Benneteau of France during a third round men's singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England, Friday, June 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Julien Benneteau of France serves to Roger Federer of Switzerland during a third round men's singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England, Friday, June 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts after defeating Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic in a third round men's singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England, Friday, June 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) ? A day after Rafael Nadal's stunning exit at Wimbledon, the only other men who have won the tournament since 2003 ? six-time champion Roger Federer and defending champion Novak Djokovic ? found themselves trailing far-less-accomplished opponents, too.

Here we go again?

Not quite.

Federer sure came close to following Nadal out the door, though. The owner of a record 16 major trophies, and a quarterfinalist or better at 32 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, the third-seeded Federer dropped the first two sets against 29th-seeded Julien Benneteau of France, then was two points away from losing six times, before coming all the way back Friday to pull out a 4-6, 6-7 (3), 6-2, 7-6 (6), 6-1 victory in the third round.

"Oh, my God, it was brutal," Federer said. "The thing, when you're down two sets to love, is to stay calm, even though it's hard, because people are freaking out, people are worried for you. ... You don't have, obviously, many lives left out there. You just try to play tough and focus point for point. Sounds so boring, but it's the right thing to do out there."

He should know.

This was the eighth time in Federer's illustrious career that he overcame a two-set hole, including against 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in the French Open quarterfinals 3 1/2 weeks ago.

"Mentally, he's a rock. He's two sets down and he doesn't show anything. And after that, if your level is a little bit lower ? right here, right now, he takes the opportunity," said Benneteau, whose cramping thighs were massaged by a trainer during two final-set changeovers. "At the beginning of the third set, I was not as good as I was in the first two sets, and in 5 minutes, it's 4-0."

Actually, that took about 10 minutes. Still, it hardly was the last key moment. With Federer serving while down 6-5 in the fourth set, Benneteau hit a forehand winner to get to 15-30, putting him two points from the upset. Federer hit a forehand winner that made it 30-all, still two points away for Benneteau. The game had two deuces, too ? each one placing Benneteau that close again. But Federer held there, the crowd roaring with each point he won.

"I appreciate their support for so many years out here," Federer said. "Tonight was special."

In the tiebreaker, Federer was two points from being gone at 5-all, then 6-all. But on the latter, a nine-stroke exchange ended with Benneteau netting a backhand. That gave Federer his second set point ? he already had wasted three others in the second set ? and a powerful forehand forced a Benneteau forehand error. Federer jogged to his chair, showered with a standing ovation.

That was the beginning of the end for Benneteau, and it allowed Federer to avoid the sort of surprise that befell the second-seeded Nadal, whose five-set loss Thursday night to the 100th-ranked and previously unknown Lukas Rosol was still reverberating around the All England Club.

"You cannot take for granted anybody. You can't underestimate any opponent. I don't think Rafa did," said the top-seeded Djokovic, who faced Nadal in each of the previous four Grand Slam finals, winning at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open, before losing at the French Open.

"It's Wimbledon. Everybody wants to come up with their best game, especially when you're playing one of the top players, one of the favorites," Djokovic added. "You have nothing to lose."

Like Federer and Nadal, Djokovic fell behind against someone he was expected to beat easily: The Serb ceded the first set, getting broken at love by No. 28 Radek Stepanek, Rosol's Davis Cup teammate for the Czech Republic. But quick as can be, Djokovic turned things around, breaking Stepanek to begin each of the next three sets for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 victory that moved him closer to a semifinal showdown against Federer.

Once Djokovic had Stepanek's serve-and-volley style measured, the passing winners and shoetop-high returns started flowing. Talking about falling behind in the second set, Stepanek said: "Not a good move from my side, because once you get these top guys going, then it's tough to stop them."

Benneteau might have sounded the same lament. For quite a lengthy stretch, he played positively Rosol-esque tennis: hard serves and stinging groundstrokes directed at lines. No fear.

But Federer found an opening and barged through, saved in particular by this: He won 63 of the 80 points he served over the last three sets.

Both Djokovic ? who takes on unseeded Viktor Troicki in an all-Serbian matchup Monday ? and Federer ? who begins Week 2 by meeting 2002 Wimbledon semifinalist Xavier Malisse ? found it odd to be playing with Centre Court's retractable roof closed as a precaution, despite a blue sky overhead.

"That's a bit of getting used to. Indoor grass is not something we're quite familiar with," Federer said.

Here's what happened: A drizzle delayed the start of play Monday, so tournament officials decided to shut the roof. By the time it was closed, and Djokovic headed out to play, the sun was out.

"I was a little bit surprised, when I saw sunshine, that the roof is closed," Djokovic said. "Obviously, they're relying on a forecast that I don't think is very reliable here."

Among those moving into the fourth round on outdoor courts: Denis Istomin, the first player from Uzbekistan to make it that far at any Grand Slam tournament, No. 18 Richard Gasquet, No. 26 Mikhail Youzhny and No. 31 Florian Mayer. Unseeded American Sam Querrey, still working his way back up the rankings after right elbow surgery a year ago, finished off a suspended second-round match, eliminating No. 21 Milos Raonic of Canada 6-7 (3), 7-6 (7), 7-6 (8), 6-4.

Seeded women who won included No. 1 Maria Sharapova, No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 8 Angelique Kerber and No. 15 Sabine Lisicki. Four-time major champion Kim Clijsters got through when No. 12 Vera Zvonareva, the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up, quit in the second set because of what she said was a respiratory infection, while 145th-ranked qualifier Camila Giorgi of Italy defeated No. 20 Nadia Petrova of Russia 6-3, 7-6 (6).

All rather ho-hum, really, when compared to Nadal's loss and Federer's near-loss.

Benneteau has zero tournament titles to Federer's 74, and only once has made it to a Grand Slam quarterfinal (which he lost, by the way, at the 2006 French Open). Ranked 32nd, Benneteau was attempting to become the first man outside No. 30 to beat Federer at a major tournament in more than nine years.

"He proved he is great. The greatest," Benneteau said. "Technically, physically, mentally, he was exceptional."

They've known each other since they were kids on the junior circuit, and Federer credited Benneteau with having played "a wonderful match, from start to finish. ... Could have ? or should have ? gotten me."

Rosol did get Nadal and instantly became something of a curiosity: A player no one had ever heard of before Thursday was a big deal on Friday.

His buddy Stepanek likened the brash Rosol's performance against Nadal to a gambler getting paid time after time at the roulette table.

"If you put a million on red yesterday, it was there every single time," Stepanek said. "He was just swinging, swinging, and, you know, it was very impressive."

A little more than 12 hours after pulling off as shocking a result as tennis has seen in years, Rosol was back in action, albeit under far different circumstances.

Instead of the tournament's 14,979-capacity main arena, Rosol was a short walk away at 318-seat Court 15. Instead of facing 11-time Grand Slam champion Nadal in singles, Rosol teamed with Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan against James Cerretani of the United States and Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France in a second-round doubles match between unseeded pairs.

Normally, a matchup like theirs might be watched by friends, family and some fans mainly interested in a place to sit. Given Rosol's newfound notoriety, though, the place was standing-room only; some spectators sought out spots at adjacent Court 14 and watched from there as Rosol and Kukushkin lost in five sets.

Now everyone will be eager to find out how Rosol fares Saturday in singles on Court 12 against No. 27 Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany.

"I'm curious to see how he's going to play tomorrow. ... To me, he looked a little bit arrogant out there, so I wonder how he'll react in his next match, if he can stay grounded," Clijsters said. "You can beat Nadal, but if you lose the next round. ..."

___

Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-06-29-TEN-Wimbledon/id-45287e02765f439fb5782fc2894f9f50

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Slow News Day (talking-points-memo)

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Japan zoo finds 'missing' squirrels

Tokyo Japanese zookeepers who lost 30 squirrels after a typhoon damaged their enclosure said Thursday their recovery efforts had exceeded expectations - with 38 animals back in captivity.

The bushy-tailed rodents made a break for freedom when a tree felled by a typhoon last week cut through netting at Tokyo's Inokashira Park Zoo.

But after days of trapping the sharp-toothed creatures, a spokeswoman for the zoo said the haul had been more successful than expected and a total of 38 had been ?recaptured?.

?We still receive about four to five reports a day from witnesses,? said Eri Tsushima. ?We will continue setting traps as long as people keep reporting squirrel sightings to us.?

Article continues below

Most of the animals were caught in the surrounding park area, and Tsushima said keepers would be checking that all of those taken into captivity had the microchips the zoo implanted into its own squirrels.

She acknowledged that the ranks of recaptured animals could have been swollen by the wild squirrels who live in the park.

?We simply don?t know yet,? she said.

The mass breakout came a month after the recapture of a Humbolt penguin that spent 82 days at large in and around Tokyo Bay after bolting its aquarium, garnering a large media following around the world.

The aquarium is now holding a contest asking visitors to suggest a name for that runaway, which so far has only been known as penguin number 337.

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'People Like Us' Review: Adult Drama In Action Film Clothes

NEW YORK ? "People Like Us" is that increasingly rare kind of film: an adult drama. The filmmakers seem so nervous about this prospect that they fill the movie with action-film editing and a camera that moves so restlessly through domestic life that you'd think it lost its keys.

At one point, I was sure the dramatic opening of a door was going to reveal a Klingon, not complicated memories of a deceased parent.

That's not a coincidence: "People Like Us" is directed by Alex Kurtzman, who co-wrote the script with Roberto Orci (along with Jody Lambert). Kurtzman and Orci are the same duo that wrote the 2009 "Star Trek" reboot, as well as the blockbusters "Mission: Impossible III" and "Transformers," and the TV series "Alias" and "Fringe."

If, in their knack for suspense, they imbue "People Like Us" with impatience, they also keep it entertaining, rendering a familiar, heart-rending melodrama as a gauzy and mostly pleasant diversion.

Sam (Chris Pine, who played Capt. Kirk in "Star Trek") is a slick New York deal-maker, specializing in bartering excess goods between companies. But trouble (and a federal trade investigation) loom after he ruins a shipment of tomato soup by cheaply skimping on transportation. His emotional remove is clear when his girlfriend, Hannah (the striking but underused Olivia Wilde), informs him that his father has died, and he replies: "What's for dinner?"

Hannah drags Sam to the Los Angeles funeral, where his mother (Michelle Pfeiffer) greets him with both a hard slap to the face and directions to the linens. It's a rare return home for Sam, who ignored his mother during his dad's illness and harbors a long festering anger for his uninterested father, a 1960s record producer.

The lawyer executing the will (Philip Baker Hall) informs Sam that he's inherited his father's extensive vinyl collection, with the advice to, "Get your groove back." He's also given a shaving kit stuffed with $150,000 and instructions to give it to an unfamiliar name: Josh Davis.

The reveal is that Sam's father had a secret, second family, of which is now left his daughter, Frankie (Elizabeth Banks), and her sarcastic mop-head 11-year-old, Josh (Michael Hall D'Addario). She's a recovering alcoholic working as a bartender and trying desperately to keep their lives together, a feat made harder by Josh's troublemaking at school.

Sam first shadows Frankie and after a few encounters (he feigns a fellow Alcoholics Anonymous member), he quickly becomes a close friend to Frankie and Josh. He's reluctant to confess their shared father or bequeath the money, a suspense prolonged artificially.

"People Like Us" (a generically meaningless title) owes much of its charm to Banks. She enters the film like a powerhouse, striding in heels and a black mini-skirt to the principal's office to pick up her son, while chastising a pair of ogling students: "I know your mothers," she says. As a working single mom, she plays Frankie as heavy with the bitterness of being abandoned by her absent father.

There's little reason Banks shouldn't be a top star in Hollywood: She's funny, sexy and sharp. The movies haven't always lived up to her talent ? TV's "30 Rock" is still the best example of her capabilities.

Pine is a more standard protagonist, with a handsome if bland swagger. Still, he keeps the film grounded. The weakest hinge to the film is Pfeiffer, who has little motherly chemistry with Pine and whose character feels underwritten.

"People Like Us" is partly based on the life of Kurtzman, whose father was Dennis Lambert, a producer for the Commodores and others. The film, Kurtzman's directorial debut, is too shiny and drenched in California glow to feel very personal. It grows increasingly sentimental, and by the end, lays it on especially thick.

It works best in its moments of humor amid the soapy plot: the discovery and awakening of a sibling relationship, forged as much over tacos as through blood.

"People Like Us," a Touchstone Pictures release, is rated PG-13 for language, some drug use and brief sexuality. Running time: 114 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

___

Motion Picture Association of America rating definitions:

G ? General audiences. All ages admitted.

PG ? Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

PG-13 ? Special parental guidance strongly suggested for children under 13. Some material may be inappropriate for young children.

R ? Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

NC-17 ? No one under 17 admitted.

Also on HuffPost:

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Zynga Unleashes Gaming Network, Brings Multiplayer to Games

At a special dog-friendly press conference at its headquarters in San Francisco, Zynga announced some of its plans for the future, including an API for both Zynga developers and third parties.

The company is also launching its own gaming network: Zynga with Friends. Already available on Zynga.com, zFriends helps gamers find players who have the same gaming interests and play styles as they do. Connecting all of the games on the network.

Zynga is also rolling out a new chat experience, and profiles that allow you to keep track of records for a game. Zynga Multiplayer is also on the way. It will first launch with Bubble Safari and then come to other titles in the Zynga With Friends network in the future.

A new Zynga With Friends lobby will give you all the information you need to know about the games you play in one place. For instance, you can see the challenges you currently have, gifts you?ve received, and what zFriends you currently have online to play with.

A Social stream will give you a list of things your friends need?like a sheep ? so you can help friends progress in games. The Social Stream might also suggest players like you that you should challenge to a game.

Zynga has come a long way since launching its first game, Zynga Poker, a Facebook-only game and one of the first social games ever on July 1, 2007. The company followed that game in November 2008 with Zynga Poker for iPhone.

In June 2009, the company launched FarmVille. This year the company has seen mobile social gaming grow. Words With Friends is now a household name, and is currently the No. 3 game on online.

?We founded Zynga with the simple premise that people could put play back in their lives, ? Zynga CEO Mark Pincus said at the event. ?We started with some pretty simple ideas, that today seem even more simple. We started with a poker table where you could send your friends drinks and dancing gnomes.? Games have grown considerably more complex since then, and Zynga games into some of the most popular in the world.

In the past minute 64,000 words have been played in the game. Zynga game players have drawn 43,000 pictures, played 38,000 hands of poker, opened 250,000 gifts from friends, played 140,000 turns of games together, and have sent more than 5,000 chats. Zynga releases 100 updates across its games each day, adding up to over 1,000 updates per week.

What do you think about Zynga With Friends? Let us know what you think about the new gaming network in the comments.

View As Slideshow ?

Zynga Unleashed

Zynga CEO Marc Pincus talks about how far Zynga has come in the last year.

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Zynga Unleashed

Zynga's API runs in all its games, unifying them.

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Zynga Unleashed

Zynga announced their own social portal at Zynga.com, which will tie into many of their games.

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Zynga Unleashed

Zynga is also partnering with other game companies to include them in their social network.

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Zynga Unleashed

Zynga Social also includes chat functionality between friends

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Zynga Unleashed

Now you can connect to any friends across social networks playing Zynga games.

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Zynga Unleashed

Zynga also introduced its new game: Matching With Friends

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Zynga Unleashed

It involves matching colors to solve puzzles.

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Zynga Unleashed

In the new The Ville, Zynga asks players to build their own home.

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Zynga Unleashed

More home ideas for The Ville.

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Zynga Unleashed

Players also create an avatar for the The Ville.

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Zynga Unleashed

The Ville integrates with Zynga.com and other social networks for play.

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Zynga Unleashed

There will be other social and chat features as well.

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Zynga Unleashed

The game invites players to see how their avatars interact with each other.

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Zynga Unleashed

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Wolfson confirms the Samsung Galaxy S III uses its audio chip

The Galaxy S III was widely tipped to possess a Wolfson digital-to-analog converter for high quality audio output -- a feature not seen in this range since the first Galaxy S. That notion has just been confirmed by the Scottish electronics firm itself, which says its WM1811 Audio Hub has been selected for use in Sammy's flagship. The chip promises "crystal clear voice call quality" and "enriched audio playback for music and video" thanks to its 24-bit hi-fi DAC, active noise reduction circuits and other wizardry. The GS II, meanwhile, used a Yamaha DAC to convert digital data (e.g. in an mp3 file) into an analog signal that could drive a speaker (for example in your headphones), but even if most people couldn't hear the difference, audiophiles have insisted they preferred the sound in the older Galaxy. The only question remaining, which the PR after the break does not expand upon, is whether the Wolfson hardware is found in all variants of the new phone. Check out the More Coverage links for further reading.

Update: Francois Simond (aka Supercurio) tweeted us to say that the US variant of the GS III uses Qualcomm's own WCD9310 for audio, not the Wolfson. Yup, it's that multi-talented Snapdragon S4 again.

Continue reading Wolfson confirms the Samsung Galaxy S III uses its audio chip

Wolfson confirms the Samsung Galaxy S III uses its audio chip originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 05:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Presidents approve college football playoff

FILE - In this Jan. 9, 2012, file photo, the Coaches' Trophy is displayed before the BCS National Championship game between the LSU and Alabama in New Orleans. College football will finally have a playoff. Come 2014, the BCS is dead. A committee of university presidents on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, approved the BCS commissioners' plan for a four-team playoff to start in the 2014 season. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 9, 2012, file photo, the Coaches' Trophy is displayed before the BCS National Championship game between the LSU and Alabama in New Orleans. College football will finally have a playoff. Come 2014, the BCS is dead. A committee of university presidents on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, approved the BCS commissioners' plan for a four-team playoff to start in the 2014 season. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? College football will finally have a playoff. Come 2014, the BCS is dead.

A committee of university presidents on Tuesday approved the BCS commissioners' plan for a four-team playoff to start in two years.

"A four team playoff doesn't go too far," Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger said. "It goes just the right amount."

The move completes a six-month process for the commissioners, who have been working on a new way to determine a major college football champion after years of griping from fans.

"There were differences of views," Steger said. "I think it would be a serious mistake to assume it was a rubber stamp."

Instead of simply matching the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 teams in a championship game after the regular season, the way the Bowl Championship Series has done since 1998, the new format will create a pair of national semifinals. No. 1 will play No. 4, and No. 2 will play No. 3. The sites of those games will rotate among the four current BCS games ? Rose, Orange, Fiesta and Sugar ? and two more to be determined.

The winners will advance to the championship.

The teams will be selected by a committee, similar to the way the NCAA basketball tournament field is set.

The commissioners want to lock in this format for 12 years with a television partner. The current BCS deal with ESPN runs through the 2013 season. The new format will be presented to potential TV partners in the fall, starting with ESPN.

There are still some details to work out, but all the decision-makers are on board.

Lower divisions of college football already have a playoff, but the highest level has always used bowls and polls to determine its champion. Those days are coming to an end.

"By making this change we felt we could enhance the regular season but at the same time provide the fans with the kind of postseason that will contribute to the regular season," Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive said.

___

Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphdrussoAP

Associated Press

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Keep Dogs Safe and Secure during Fireworks Season | Best Friends ...

June 25th, 2012

The upcoming Fourth of July holiday week can be a difficult time for dogs afraid of loud noises. Fireworks can cause a dog to hide, bark excessively and even run away.

Because Independence?Day is a?peak time for lost dog reports, we asked our panel of professional trainers for advice on helping pets make it through the noisy celebration.?

Most importantly, they say, do NOT take your dog to a community fireworks display or backyard celebration that includes fireworks.? Even if your dog hasn?t been troubled by noise in the past, this could be the time that she runs off to escape the scary sounds.

Instead, they advise the following:

• Create a den for your dog in a quiet area of your home ? an interior or lower level room where noise is muffled. Move his bed and favorite toys into the space for comfort.?A radio or TV can help mask outside sounds. It?s a good idea to condition your dog to the space for a few days before the fireworks.
• Give him plenty of exercise that day. Get out for a long run, go to the dog park or send him to doggy day camp. A tired dog will be more relaxed andlessbothered by the bombs burstinginair.? He may even sleep through them!
• Some dogs with mild to moderate anxiety are helped by stress-reducing devices like anxiety wraps, like the Thundershirt, or a DAP diffuser,which releases a calming pheromone.?
• During the fireworks, distract your pet by playing a game or practicing obedience skills (be sure to reward him with favorite treats). Speak calmly and reassuringly, but don?t go overboard; you will make his anxiety worse if you seem anxious.
• If you can?t be home with your pet, don?t leave him alone. Find someone to stay with him or take him to a boarding kennelthathasindoorrooms. Thecompanyof other dogs and the attention of caring humans can help distract and reassure him.

Noise phobias are common among dogs, say our experts, and include thunderstorms, emergency sirens and evans vacuum cleaners.? It is possible to de-sensitize a dog to loud sounds, but it needs to be done gradually over a period of time.? If your pet is severely troubled, get help from your veterinarian or a professional trainer

For more advice on dog behavior and training, visit the Best Friends Pet Care resource library.

?_ _ _ _

Our panel of experts for this blog:

? Kimberly Mandel, CPDT, a trainer and behaviorist with 15 years of experience, can be reached at Best Friends North Plainfield NJ Pet Care center;

?? Lauren Cannon, of Best Friends in Wakefield MA, an animal behaviorist with more than 12 years of experience, is the trainer.

? Jamie Ianello specializes in advanced training and aggression issues, and trains for Best Friends in White Plains NY, and

? Greg Boron, who has been training for 20 years, specializes in rehabilitating ?unadoptable? dogs. He is with Best Friends in Windsor, NJ.????????????

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Greece's designated finance minister resigns

FILE - In this Wednesday, June 20, 2012 file photo shows Greece's newly sworn-in Prime Minister Antonis Samaras looks on after his meeting with outgoing caretaker Prime Minister Panayiotis Pikramenos at Maximos Mansion. Greece's new prime minister was released from hospital on Monday, June 25, 2012 two days after undergoing eye surgery that will prevent him from traveling to a European Union summit in Brussels this week. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis, file)

FILE - In this Wednesday, June 20, 2012 file photo shows Greece's newly sworn-in Prime Minister Antonis Samaras looks on after his meeting with outgoing caretaker Prime Minister Panayiotis Pikramenos at Maximos Mansion. Greece's new prime minister was released from hospital on Monday, June 25, 2012 two days after undergoing eye surgery that will prevent him from traveling to a European Union summit in Brussels this week. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis, file)

ATHENS, Greece (AP) ? Greece's designated finance minister resigned Monday after being rushed to the hospital on Friday, the prime minister's office said.

Vassilis Rapanos, chairman of the National Bank of Greece, had been named finance minister last week in the country's new three-party coalition government. But he was taken ill before he could be sworn in Friday and has been in hospital ever since.

Rapanos has sent a letter of resignation to Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and that was accepted.

The startling development came as Germany tamped down expectations that this week's European Union summit would emerge with any significant action on Greece as the debt-strapped nation's two key politicians struggled with health problems.

Samaras himself was released from hospital Monday after undergoing eye surgery to repair a detached retina over the weekend, but will have to stay home for several days and won't be able to travel to Brussels for the EU summit. He was still planning to speak by telephone later Monday with President Barack Obama.

The EU summit this Thursday and Friday comes just a week after Greece's new coalition government was formed following months of political turmoil and two inconclusive elections. It was to have been a key test of Athens' hopes of renegotiating some of the austerity measures it has agreed to in return for billions of euros in rescue loans from the International Monetary Fund and other European Union nations that use the joint euro currency.

It was to have been preceded by a visit to Athens starting Monday of Greece's debt inspectors, known as the Troika ? representatives from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF. But that visit was postponed until Samaras and Rapanos can recover.

Rapanos, meanwhile, remained in the hospital after being admitted Friday complaining of severe abdominal pain, dizziness and nausea. The hospital said he would be released on Tuesday but did not elaborate.

Without the troika report on Greece's progress in economic reforms required by its international bailout, Germany said it would be premature to expect any new decisions this week. Samaras has been pressing Greece's creditors to revise the bailout deal, which is despised by many ordinary Greeks.

"The troika needs to go to Athens, they need to assess the status of the program, then they need to brief the eurozone and IMF leadership," said Steffen Seibert, the spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "On the basis of this assessment, one can talk about necessary updating of the program ? that is the road map that everyone in Europe is following and that's why we don't expect any sort of a resolution on Greece at the EU council."

With fears that Greece's problems are not getting resolved soon, the Athens Stock Exchange general price index closed 6.84 percent down Monday.

Greece will still be present at the EU summit, sending a delegation with outgoing Finance Minister Giorgos Zanias, one of the key negotiators in Greece's bailout agreement. As Rapanos fell ill before he could be sworn in, Zanias still holds the title.

And the delegation will be led by the country's president, 83-year-old Karolos Papoulias, the government announced Monday. While the presidency in Greece is a largely ceremonial post, his presence would adhere to EU regulations about summits.

It was unclear when the postponed troika visit would take place.

"First, our concern is for the health of the prime minister and finance minister," European Commission spokesman Amadeu Altafaj Tardio said in Brussels, adding that debt inspectors would head to Greece "as soon as possible."

Samaras' government, comprised of his New Democracy conservatives, their long-time socialist rivals PASOK and the small Democratic Left party, has issued a policy statement outlining changes it would like to make to the terms of its international bailout. Those include repealing certain tax hikes, freezing public sector layoffs and extending by two years the mid-2014 deadline for tough austerity measures.

Whether Greece can amend the terms of its loan agreement will depend on how the proposals are viewed by its international creditors. Germany, the largest single contributor to eurozone bailouts, has repeatedly said Athens must stick to its austerity pledges.

"One thing is clear," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said from Luxembourg. "We cannot allow everything to be negotiated again. We can also not allow discounts to be granted. What has been decided upon stands. That the (Greek) election campaigns have cost time is obvious. That's the situation and we have to deal with it. But the fact remains that the agreements must be implemented."

Seibert also stressed that Greece must stick to its commitments.

"A program has been agreed upon, a program goes for every government, no matter if it's a new government, and the program is the best way to see Greece return to economic health," he said.

In Brussels, Altafaj Tardio also stressed that "Greece has to face its financial obligations," adding that before any further funds can be disbursed "there has to be a thorough analysis."

"It's no secret that there have been delays in several areas of implementation," he added.

The latest figures released by the finance ministry Monday showed that Greece's budget deficit for the first five months of the year was better than expected, standing at ?10.87 billion ($13.63 billion) instead of the target of ?12.89 billion ($16.17 billion) on a modified cash basis.

Revenue, however, was below target with the state budget net revenue standing at ?19.67 billion ($24.56 billion), ?926 million ($1.15 billion) short of the targeted ?20.6 billion ($25.73 billion), due in part to lower domestic consumer demand and lower tax revenues.

The ministry said "this revenue shortfall was more than compensated for by the savings in State Budget expenditures for the first five months of 2012."

____

David Rising in Berlin and Toby Sterling in Brussels contributed.

Associated Press

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Dragon Ball: The Search Is On!

Set approximately five years after the last Dragon Ball series. Trunks, Pan Goten , and Bra all set out on an adventure looking for the newly restored dragon balls.

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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
"Dragon Ball: The Search Is On!"

Character sheet:

Name- (If your a cannon character you know this.)
Age- (If you are Trunks or Goten and you don't mind romance between you and the girls with the current age diff thats fine. But if it bothers you that the guys are so much older then them go ahead and make them in their late teens like the girls. I personally don't care.)
Gender- (If you want to be Namekian I will not restrict the gender. Never liked the whole asexual thing)

Description- (It doesn't have to be extensive, especially if you're a cannon character but try to be descriptive, a paragraph will do just fine. Please try to find an anime pic.)

Personality- (Once again it doesn't have to be extensive and if you are a cannon you can differ somewhat from the character. But don't go overboard and totally change the character. Their personality's is why we love them. A paragraph or two is fine.)

Equipment/Weapons- (You don't have to go into too much detail and be realistic your not gonna have a gun that saps peoples powers away thats just not nice XP. But swords and stuff are cool.)

Powers/Attacks- (This is important for our fighters, but be realistic we all cant go super saiyan level four. Or have something like to that. But don't think you have to be weak either.)

History- (If your cannon you know where you can find this wiki is your friends, just keep in mind like I said before if you want to make Trunks and Goten younger that's cool. This is supposed to be for fun not for trying to get approval from Akira Toriyama or something. One to three paragraphs but don't go over board.)

Other- (This is for anything else you can think of Theme songs whatever you like.)

If you read the rules all the way through you know what to put here

Saiyan Princess

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The WDL: Ranks, Weapons and other stuff

You should click this, seriously!

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This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?A Tale of Seven Children?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.

This is the WDL's, or the Warriors of the Divine Light's version of the Demon's Thread. Affter this, I plan on making one about the Children and their Powers, along with tidbits of Information on them, if that's alright with their Creators.

"You think you know hate, misery, sorrow, loneliness and anger? Take all of these emotions you'd feel in your lifetime and times them by 100, then you know me." - Me

"People will hurt you in life, but when they do, just shrug it off, tell em to get f**ked and keep your head high, soldier" - My Grandad

"You know me? Do you really? I'm like a poisoned lolly, nice out the outside, but on the inside I could kill you easily." - Me

zody

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Egypt's Brotherhood hails historic presidential win

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

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Opinion: Euro 2012 gets its best game?? and pain

By JOHN LEICESTER

AP Sports Columnist

Associated Press Sports

updated 7:27 p.m. ET June 24, 2012

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) -In world football, there surely is no greater anguish than a penalty shoot-out involving England.

It's agony to watch because you know in advance how it will end - with England players, proud men like Steven Gerrard, walking like the dead off the pitch, alone in a world of torment, regret and what-ifs after falling short once again in the toughest, cruelest test this sport, any sport, has devised for players' minds.

This time, against Italy in the most enthralling of the four Euro 2012 quarterfinals, the names that got added to England's hall of penalty infamy were both Ashleys, Young and Cole.

The winger and the left back swelled the sorry group of England players who cracked while faced with just an opposing goalkeeper and their own fear of failure. Their predecessors included the likes of David Beckham and Gareth Southgate, who managed to turn the shame of his missed penalty at Euro '96 into a joke, appearing in a pizza commercial with his head hidden in a paper bag.

And Cole and Young won't be the last. Because England's record of failure in shootouts is now so consistently awful that it has become a running sore on the national psyche.

The loss to Italy took England's record in seven World Cup and European Championship shootouts to: Rest of the world 6, England 1.

One.

Uno.

Ein.

No matter the language, that is the astounding number.

Luck is part of it. So is preparation. But mostly, penalty shootouts are won between the ears. They are about confidence, belief and being able to shut out that inner voice whispering, "You are going to miss this." The goal looks smaller than it is, the 'keeper looms like a giant.

Gerrard, who slotted home England's first penalty early Monday morning after 120 minutes of football ended 0-0, has described England's penalty curse as a "mental block." In his biography, he suggested England must start practicing shootouts at the end of friendly matches, while the stadium is still full.

"It's the only realistic way of practicing penalties. That draining walk from the halfway line. The tension. That feeling that everyone is watching, jeering or cheering," the England and Liverpool captain wrote.

So that's an idea for the future. But, in Kiev's Olympic Stadium, it was just pain.

"We have done the country proud but again we go home with heartbreak and it's difficult to take," said Gerrard.

This was the 8th time that Italy has faced a shootout in World Cups and the Euros. It has now won three.

FIFA boss Sepp Blatter isn't a fan of shootouts, saying this May that "when football goes to penalty kicks, it loses its essence as a team sport."

He has asked German great Franz Beckenbauer to see if an alternative is possible.

But shootouts are unbeatable drama. This one was no exception.

Like gladiators about to face the lions together, the two 'keepers, Joe Hart and Italy's Gianluigi Buffon, shared a hand-slap of mutual respect before the shooting began.

England assistant coach Gary Neville threw a pen in anger into the turf - as if he knew that this would end in English tears again.

"Send us victorious, happy and glorious" the England fans sang. Two physios pounded and massaged Gerrard's legs like pizza dough, readying the England captain's tired muscles for the torture ahead.

Italy's Riccardo Montolivo was the first to crack, firing his penalty wide of Hart's right-hand post. He buried his head in his hands. Perhaps, just perhaps, this might be England's night after all.

But no.

Young shot high, his penalty slamming off Buffon's crossbar. England manager Roy Hodgson chewed his lip.

Next up for England was Cole. The Chelsea player nervously licked his lips on the long walk from the center of the pitch to the penalty spot. He placed the ball on the turf, took seven steps back and stood hands on hips.

Uh-oh, clearly, he was thinking about it too much. Sure enough, his run-up was slow and his shot to Buffon's left was tame. The Italian guessed correctly, making the block.

Alessandro Diamanti then finished the job, ramming the dagger through English hearts by shooting cleanly past Hart.

Cue Italian delirium.

Buffon puffed out his cheeks in relief.

Neutrals would say that justice was done. Italy was the better team.

But that will be of no consolation to the English.

"Penalties has become an obsession for us in English football and in training they have done extremely well," Hodgson said. "But you can't reproduce the tired legs. You can't reproduce the pressure. You can't reproduce the nervous tension."

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Italy beats England in shootout

Alessandro Diamanti scored the decisive penalty kick Sunday to give Italy a 4-2 shootout win over England and a spot in the European Championship semifinals.

PST: Pirlo looks strong in Italy's win

PST: Alessandro Diamanti scored the decisive penalty kick Sunday to give Italy a 4-2 shootout win over England and a spot in the European Championship semifinals.

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