Monkey should own copyright of selfies, PETA says in suit 2

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/09/22/peta-sues-to-give-monkey-copyright-of-selfie-photos



David Crary, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tuesday, September 22, 2015 2:03:04 EDT PM




A macaque monkey who took now-famous selfie photographs should be declared the copyright owner of the photos, rather than the nature photographer who positioned the camera, animal-rights activists contend in a novel lawsuit filed Tuesday.

The suit was filed in federal court in San Francisco by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. It seeks a court order allowing PETA to administer all proceeds from the photos for the benefit of the monkey, which it identified as six-year-old Naruto, and other crested macaques living in a reserve on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

The photos were taken during a 2011 trip to Sulawesi by British nature photographer David Slater. Through San Francisco-based self-publishing company Blurb, he has published a book called Wildlife Personalities that includes the "monkey selfie" photos.

However, the photos have been widely distributed elsewhere by outlets, including Wikipedia, which contend that no one owns the copyright to the images because they were taken by an animal, not a person. Slater, who is exploring legal action against some of those outlets, said he was "very saddened" by PETA's lawsuit because he considers himself an advocate of animal rights.

Last year, the U.S. Copyright Office issued an updated compendium of its policies, including a section stipulating that it would register copyrights only for works produced by human beings. It specified that works produced by animals, whether a photo taken by a monkey or a mural painted by an elephant, would not qualify.

However, Jeffrey Kerr, a lawyer with PETA, said the copyright office policy "is only an opinion," and the U.S. Copyright Act itself does not contain language limiting copyrights to humans.

"The act grants copyright to authors of original works, with no limit on species," Kerr said. "Copyright law is clear: It's not the person who owns the camera, it's the being who took the photograph."

Citing Slater's own written accounts of his encounter with the macaques, the lawsuit asserts that Naruto "authored the monkey selfies by his own independent, autonomous actions in examining and manipulating Slater's unattended camera."

Slater has been openly dismayed by the prolonged dispute over the photos, and says the British copyright obtained for the photos by his company, Wildlife Personalities Ltd., should be honoured worldwide.

"The facts are that I was the intellect behind the photos, I set the whole thing up," he said in an email. "A monkey only pressed a button of a camera set up on a tripod -- a tripod I positioned and held throughout the shoot."

Last year, as the dispute simmered, Slater offered copies of a "monkey selfie" photo to purchasers willing to pay only for shipping and handling, and said he would donate $1.70 per order to a conservation project dedicated to protecting Sulawesi's macaques. But he also has defended his right to make money from the photos.

"I sincerely wish my five-year-old daughter to be able to be proud of her father and inherit my copyrights so that she can make my work into an asset and inheritance and go to university," he wrote in his email. "I have very little else to offer her."

PETA has on occasion pursued lawsuits that were widely viewed by other legal experts as offering little chance of success -- for example, a 2011 lawsuit accusing the SeaWorld parks of keeping five killer whales in conditions that violate the U.S. Constitution's ban on slavery. A federal judge dismissed the suit, saying the 13th Amendment applied only to humans.

Regarding the new lawsuit, Kerr said PETA "has a very strong case" that Naruto should be declared the photo's owner. The selfies were introduced as exhibits in the suit.

Joining PETA in the suit is Antje Engelhardt, a primatologist from Germany who has studied the Sulawesi macaques.

David Favre, a Michigan State University law professor who often writes about animal rights, said by email that the copyright issue raised by PETA "is a cutting edge legal question."

"They have a fair argument," he wrote, "but I would have to say it is an uphill battle."

Cheryl Dancey Balough, a Chicago lawyer who specializes in copyright Law, said a key question -- if the lawsuit moves forward -- is whether Slater's creative contribution to the selfies rises to a level that warrants a copyright.

Laurence Tribe, a Harvard Law School professor who supports animal rights, expressed misgivings about the litigation.

"It trivializes the terrible problems of needless animal slaughter and avoidable animal exploitation worldwide for lawyers to focus so much energy and ingenuity on whether monkeys own the copyright in selfies taken under these contrived circumstances," he said.

How Does Fog Form?






By Jon Erdman


Published Oct 14 2013 01:12 PM EDT



While common in some locations, fog can simply amaze us.

According to the Glossary of Meteorology from the American Meteorological Society, fog is a collection of water droplets suspended in the atmosphere in the vicinity of the earth's surface that affects visibility. Specifically, fog reduces visibility below 1 kilometer (or 0.62 miles).

Some Common Types of Fog



The most common form of fog, known as radiation fog, typically occurs on clear nights as the earth's surface cools moist air immediately above it. If just enough light wind is present – a couple of mph, at most – this chilled air can be gently stirred through a deeper layer, forming a deeper radiation fog.

Often in the fall, you'll see morning fog hug lower valleys of the Appalachians. This valley fog, really just a type of radiation fog, results from cold, dense air draining down mountain slopes at night, collecting in the valley floors, then forming as any other radiation fog described above.

Incidentally, let's dispel a myth. Fog does not burn off, per se.

As solar energy heats the ground near the fog's edge, vertical mixing brings drier air into the fog's edge, evaporating it. A typical ground fog will dissipate first at its edges, where its depth is more shallow, working its way toward the thicker center of the fog.

Sometimes fog forms when warm air moves over a cold surface. Warm air moving over snow-covered ground in winter and sea fog drawn inland over a cool land surface along the West Coast are two prime examples of so-called advection fog. Unlike radiation fog, advection fog can sometimes be seen as moving laterally along or near the ground.

When surface temperatures are below freezing, water droplets in a fog are supercooled, waiting to freeze on contact with any subfreezing surface. These freezing fog events can be dangerous not only for a reduction in visibility but also for a light accumulation of ice on roads, particularly bridges and overpasses.

At even colder temperatures, fog made up solely of tiny ice crystals will form. This ice fog is common in the winter months in parts of Alaska's interior, among other locations closer to the poles.

You may also notice steam fog from some lakes in the fall or early winter. Cold air overlaying warm air near the warm lake surface is an unstable configuration, lending itself to rising air. The mixing of cool air chills the warmer, more moist air immediately above the lake to allow condensation and a cloud to form. You can typically see wispy, vertical currents of fog rising from the lake.

Some other, less common fog types include:
•Frontal fog: If warmer raindrops fall into colder, drier air, evaporation occurs. Eventually, the cold air moistens sufficiently to produce fog.
•Upslope fog: Air moving gently upward in elevation enough for the layer to reach saturation, such as behind a winter cold front in the High Plains and Front Range of the Rockies.
•Hail fog: On rare occasions, accumulated hail at the surface can chill the near-surface air enough to produce a shallow veil of fog. We have an example in the slideshow above.




Average days per year with dense fog (defined as reducing visibility to one-quarter mile or less) in the U.S. Areas with most frequent fog are shown in darker gray, red shading. (Image courtesy: NOAA)


Most Fog-Prone Areas

The Appalachians, parts of northern New England and the Pacific Northwest each typically see at least 40 days a year with dense fog (at least one-quarter mile visibility or lower). Of course, morning fog makes up the lion's share of these days, after which late-morning/afternoon sunshine is plentiful.

Parts of the northern Gulf Coast and California coast can also have frequent fog, if not always dense fog.

In winter, valley fog can hang stubbornly in lower elevations of the Great Basin, as well as California's Central Valley, as the combination of warmer air aloft moves over an area just soaked by the storm. Add an Arctic air mass spilling over the Continental Divide into the Great Basin, and this so-called "inversion" fog can hang in for days in places like Salt Lake City and Boise, trapping pollution near the ground, as well.

What about the least foggy location in the Lower 48 States? That would be the Desert Southwest, from southern Nevada and southwest Utah into Arizona and southwest New Mexico, averaging only a few days a year of dense fog.

For single parents you can ask for subsidy on child care. It depends how much the person is making.

Was a so so movie.

Most daycares in Ontario are open 7 am to 6pm so sometimes I need a sitter to pick the kids up from daycare lol.

fingers crossed for a clear night :) Last few sky watching events have been overcast :(

That's good take it easy don't over due things to much. Off to pick up the boys soon.

Hope the rest of the day goes well for you.

Neat I will have to take some time to watch that :)

For working mothers flextime, childcare, paid leave are key issues

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/09/22/for-working-mothers-flextime-childcare-paid-leave-are-key-issues



Patricia Reaney, REUTERS


Tuesday, September 22, 2015 10:31:20 EDT AM


NEW YORK - Flextime, childcare options and paid maternity leave are the keys issues for working mothers in the United States and what set companies apart as the best places to work, employment experts said on Tuesday.

Top corporations are already providing those benefits and more to some of the 24 million mothers with children under the age of 18 in the U.S. workforce, but many other firms still do not have policies in place.

"Sadly, paid leave and flexibility is still innovative for a lot of employers in this country," said Jennifer Owens, the editorial director of "Working Mother' magazine, which released its list of the 100 best companies for working mothers on Tuesday.

"The smart companies are thinking about how they are serving their workforce and realize that their greatest resources are the people who work for them," she added in an interview.

When the annual list began 30 years ago, only five of the 30 best companies offered fully paid maternity leave and none had leave for new fathers or adoptive parents. Only seven had flextime.

Today the 100 best companies offer an average of eight weeks of leave, as well as flextime, telecommuting and other benefits.

But across the country only 5% of companies have fully paid maternity leave, and 58 percent have some paid leave, according to a 2014 study by the Families and Work Institute.

Many companies also do not provide flextime and childcare assistance.

"Broadly in the United States we have come a long way in our working environment, but we still have a way to go," said Wanda Hope, chief diversity officer at health products and pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson.

"It will be wonderful when all companies support women in a way that allows them to really succeed and thrive at work."

Family-friendly culture, milk delivery service

Johnson & Johnson and technology giant IBM Corp are the only two companies that have made the list for all 30 years.

Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, human resources vice president for IBM and a mother of three young children, attributes the company's long-standing on the list to its family friendly culture.

"Corporations that are the best for working mothers have to have a family-friendly culture at the core of who they are," she explained.

In addition to expanding its paid leave for new mothers and fathers, this month IBM is launching a concierge-type milk delivery service for nursing mothers who are away on business.

Owens said the most advanced companies are providing benefits that were not even considered 30 years ago, such as subsidized childcare at company headquarters, elder care at a center or at home and in-vitro fertilization and adoption assistance.

With 70% of mothers with children working, Owens believes companies cannot afford to ignore the needs of their employees, both men and women.

"What these companies are doing to support working mothers, typically helps everyone," she added. "To retain the best employees they need to be thinking about the big questions, surveying them, finding out what the challenges are."

The full list of the 100 best companies can be found here.

Hey tulip2633

Hope that today is going all right and that you and your family are not to busy.

Supermoon Lunar Eclipse 2015: Full 'Blood Moon' Coverage

by SPACE.com Staff | September 21, 2015 02:00pm ET


http://www.space.com/30546-supermoon-blood-moon-total-lunar-eclipse.html?cmpid=NL_SP_weekly_2015-09-21



A total lunar eclipse will spawn a rare and dramatic 'supermoon' blood moon on Sept. 27, 2015.

Supermoons occur when the moon reaches its full phase at or near the satellite's closest approach to Earth, and appears abnormally large and bright as a result. The Sept. 27 event is quite special; the last supermoon eclipse occurred in 1982, and the next won't take place until 2033.

Latest Update (Sept. 21):


Rare Supermoon Lunar Eclipse Is Just One Week Away
With the huge supermoon lunar eclipse just one week away, it's time to dust off your small telescopes and binoculars, track down an observatory event or webcast, and draft your invitations for a moon-cake party.



Check out our super moon deals for the rare Supermoon Lunar Eclipse of 2015.
Credit: Space.com

Video:
• Rare 'Super-Harvest Blood Moon' To Shine On September 27, 2015
• Rare Super 'Blood Moon' Lunar Eclipse Coming, Last Until 2033
• Constellations, Planets And A Super Lunar Eclipse - Sept. 2015 Skywatching Video
• Supermoon Science: Inside Scoop on the Biggest Full Moon
• Full Moon: Why Does It Happen? How Does It Affect Us?
• Moon Turns 'Blood Red' - Lunar Eclipse Time-Lapse Video

Infographics and Multimedia:
• How Lunar Eclipses Work
• How the 'Supermoon' Looks
• How to Observe the Moon
• Earth's Moon Phases, Monthly Lunar Cycles
• 'Blood Moons' Explained: What Causes a Lunar Eclipse Tetrad?
• Amazing Supermoon Photos: Biggest Full Moon of 2014
• Supermoon Photos: Biggest Full Moon of 2013 in Pictures

Story Coverage:

Supermoon Lunar Eclipse: How Science Explains the Epic Night Sky Event
Check out the science behind the upcoming supermoon lunar eclipse on Sunday, Sept. 27, straight from a NASA scientist.

Rare 'Supermoon' Total Lunar Eclipse Coming This Month
The first "supermoon" lunar eclipse in more than three decades will grace Earth's skies this month, as will a partial solar eclipse that most of the world will miss.

Forget the 'Supermoon': What's Actually Happening at Lunar Perigee
You'll probably hear a lot about a "supermoon" over the next few months. This is not a term that astronomers use, but here are some facts about what will actually happen.

Supermoon vs. Minimoon: Sizing Up Earth's Satellite
The so-called "supermoon" has an impressive name, but just how super is the actual event? Taking the true measure of the supermoon means following Earth's satellite at different points on its trip around the planet.

Full Moon Tonight Offers Sneak Preview of September Lunar Eclipse
A full moon will grace the sky tonight (Aug. 29), but it is only a dress rehearsal for next month, when the full moon will undergo a total lunar eclipse.

Editor's note: If you capture an amazing view of the supermoon lunar eclipse or any other night sky view that you would like to share with Space.com for a possible story or gallery, send images and comments in to managing editor Tariq Malik at: spacephotos@space.com.

Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.

Arctic Ghost Ship

An astonishing find could solve the mystery of Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition. Airing September 23, 2015 at 9 pm on PBS

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/arctic-ghost-ship.html


NOVA presents an exclusive breakthrough in the greatest unsolved mystery in Arctic exploration. In 1845, British explorer Sir John Franklin set off to chart the elusive Northwest Passage, commanding 128 men in two robust and well-stocked Royal Navy ships, the Erebus and Terror. They were never heard from again. Eventually, searchers found tantalising clues to their fate: a hastily written note left on an island, exhumed bodies suggesting lead poisoning, discarded human bones with marks of cannibalism and Inuit legends of ghost ships. But no trace of the ships was ever found. Then, in 2014, after seven years of searching, an official Parks Canada expedition finally located the Erebus, intact and upright on the sea floor. With exclusive access, NOVA tells the inside story of the risky Canadian expedition, which involved constant battles with crushing sea ice, bad weather, and disappointing dead ends. Culminating in the historic discovery of the Erebus, NOVA tells the gripping story of the ill-fated expedition and reveals exclusive new clues from the sea floor that may finally unravel what happened to Franklin’s men more than 160 years ago.

lol, If I was an alien on earth I would be pretty bored as well. The disks would also make awesome Frisbees.

Could be from erosion Or as suggested in parts of this article made from an unidentified ancient civilization. They may have been used for wheels.


Super-megalithic Site Found in Russia: Natural or Man-made?

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2014/02/super-megalithic-site-found-in-russia-natural-or-man-made/

At the release of this story, some are excitedly claiming that the Shoria site is evidence of an ancient lost civilization; a civilization capable of incredible feats of engineering that even with our modern technology would be virtually impossible. Others though are wisely urging caution. The pictures are compelling, and the typical observer would be hard pressed to come up with a natural explanation, but there may be one.

In 1987 a group of recreational scuba divers stumbled onto another apparent super-megalithic site in Japan. The Yonaguni Monument, which sits off the coast of Yonaguni, which is the southern-most island of the Ryukyu Island chain, is considered by some to be the most compelling evidence for a lost civilization in our past. Others are less convinced, however.

Boston University geologist Robert Schoch believes that the features of Yonaguni are the result of natural geological processes. He cites well-defined parallel bedding planes and earthquake activity, and since there are similar formations in the region that are known to be completely natural, this seems a safe bet.

There are several vaccines that I am comfortable with that my boys had to have before starting school as well as while attending school. The Gardasil vaccine and yes it is recommended for boys to have them has me a bit uncertain I would rather have the choice for these vaccines. Would I choose to have my oldest vaccinated I would need more information first.

http://www.cdc.gov/hpv/vaccine.html


HPV vaccines are given as a series of three shots over 6 months to protect against HPV infection and the health problems that HPV infection can cause. There are three HPV vaccines (Cervarix, Gardasil, and Gardasil 9). Girls and young women should get any of these HPV vaccines to prevent cervical cancer.

Two of the HPV vaccines (Gardasil and Gardasil 9) also protect against genital warts and **** cancer in both females and males. Boys should get one of these HPV vaccines to prevent **** cancer and genital warts. Girls can get either of these vaccines to prevent cervical cancer, vulvar cancer, vaginal cancer, **** cancer and genital warts.


Catch-up vaccination

This vaccine is recommended for the following people who have not completed the 3-dose series:
•Females 13 through 26 years of age.
•Males 13 through 21 years of age.

This vaccine may be given to men 22 through 26 years of age who have not completed the 3-dose series.

It is recommended for men through age 26 who have sex with men or whose immune system is weakened because of HIV infection, other illness, or medications.

HPV vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines.



Who else should get the HPV vaccine?

All kids who are 11 or 12 years old should get the three-dose series of HPV vaccine to protect against HPV. Teen boys and girls who did not start or finish the HPV vaccine series when they were younger should get it now. Young women can get HPV vaccine through age 26, and young men can get vaccinated through age 21. The vaccine is also recommended for any man who has sex with men through age 26, and for men with compromised immune systems (including HIV) through age 26, if they did not get HPV vaccine when they were younger.

The little things add up I guess . Too much drama can be stress full and when talking things out does not work or in a long term relationship counseling does not work then it is time to move on.

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Why We Explore
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News & Media ResourcesFuture of Human Spaceflight

This is the beginning of a new era in space exploration where we will build the capabilities to send humans deeper into space than ever before.
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Learn how NASA is changing the way it does business: investing in commercial space transportation and making the National Laboratory aboard the International Space Station available for research.

Follow along with this story from the NASA Kids' Club about why and how we explore new places!
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Beyond EarthExpanding Human Presence Into the Solar System
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.Why We Explore
Human Space Exploration
Humanity's interest in the heavens has been universal and enduring. Humans are driven to explore the unknown, discover new worlds, push the boundaries of our scientific and technical limits, and then push further. The intangible desire to explore and challenge the boundaries of what we know and where we have been has provided benefits to our society for centuries.
Human space exploration helps to address fundamental questions about our place in the Universe and the history of our solar system. Through addressing the challenges related to human space exploration we expand technology, create new industries, and help to foster a peaceful connection with other nations. Curiosity and exploration are vital to the human spirit and accepting the challenge of going deeper into space will invite the citizens of the world today and the generations of tomorrow to join NASA on this exciting journey.



A Flexible Path
This is the beginning of a new era in space exploration in which NASA has been challenged to develop systems and capabilities required to explore beyond low-Earth orbit, including destinations such as translunar space, near-Earth asteroids and eventually Mars.
NASA will use the International Space Station as a test-bed and stepping stone for the challenging journey ahead. By building upon what we learn there we will prepare astronauts for the challenges of long-duration flight and the permanent expansion of human exploration beyond where we have been before. Explorers may visit near-Earth asteroids where we may get answers to the questions humans have always asked. Visiting an asteroid will provide valuable mission experience and prepare us for the next steps–possibly for the first humans to step on Mars.
Robotic exploration continues to deliver profound answers about our Universe by visiting far-off destinations, providing reconnaissance and collecting scientific data. When combining both human and robotic exploration methods we will use technology and our senses to increase our ability to observe, adapt, and uncover new knowledge.



Why the International Space Station?
The first step in embarking on a long and challenging journey involves laying solid groundwork for a successful endeavor. The International Space Station serves as a national laboratory for human health, biological, and materials research, as a technology test-bed, and as a stepping stone for going further into the solar system. On the International Space Station we will improve and learn new ways to ensure astronauts are safe, healthy and productive while exploring, and we will continue expand our knowledge about how materials and biological systems behave outside of the influence of gravity.
NASA will continue its unprecedented work with the commercial industry and expand an entire industry as private companies develop and operate safe, reliable and affordable commercial systems to transport crew and cargo to and from the International Space Station and low Earth orbit.



Why Translunar Space?
Translunar space is vast expanse surrounding the Earth-moon system, extending far beyond the moon’s orbit and dominated by the two bodies’ gravity fields. Exploring in translunar space, beyond the protection of the Earth’s geomagnetic field, will provide unprecedented experience in deep-space operations. Operating in translunar space, NASA can research galactic cosmic radiation–potentially the most threatening element to humans exploring deep space–and develop mitigation strategies that may also lead to medical advancements on Earth.
The Lagrange points–places in cislunar space where the gravitational influences of the Earth and moon cancel each other out–are advantageous areas for exploration and research in which almost no propulsion is required to keep an object or spacecraft stationary. The Lagrange point on the far side of the Earth-Moon system, called L2, also provides a “radio silence” zone for astronomical observations.
Missions to translunar space will give NASA and its partners the opportunity to develop tools and operational techniques to support decades of future exploration, while remaining in relative proximity to Earth.



Why Asteroids?
Asteroids are believed to have formed early in our solar system's history–about 4.5 billion years ago–when a cloud of gas and dust called the solar nebula collapsed and formed our sun and the planets. By visiting these near Earth objects to study the material that came from the solar nebula, we can look for answers to some of humankind's most compelling questions, such as: how did the solar system form and where did the Earth's water and other organic materials such as carbon come from?
In addition to unlocking clues about our solar system, asteroids may provide clues about our Earth. By understanding more about asteroids we may learn more about past Earth impacts and possibly find ways to reduce the threat of future impacts.
Future robotic missions to asteroids will prepare humans for long-duration space travel and the eventual journey to Mars. Robotic missions will provide reconnaissance information about asteroid orbits, surface composition, and even return samples to Earth for further evaluation. These robotic missions are a critical step in preparing humans to visit asteroids where we will learn about the valuable resources available in space, and further develop ways to use them in our quest for more efficient and affordable exploration.



Why Mars?
Mars has always been a source of inspiration for explorers and scientists. Robotic missions have found evidence of water, but if life exists beyond Earth still remains a mystery. Robotic and scientific robotic missions have shown that Mars has characteristics and a history similar to Earth's, but we know that there are striking differences that we have yet to begin to understand. Humans can build upon this knowledge and look for signs of life and investigate Mars' geological evolution, resulting in research and methods that could be applied here on Earth.
A mission to our nearest planetary neighbor provides the best opportunity to demonstrate that humans can live for extended, even permanent, stays beyond low Earth orbit. The technology and space systems required to transport and sustain explorers will drive innovation and encourage creative ways to address challenges. As previous space endeavors have demonstrated, the resulting ingenuity and technologies will have long lasting benefits and applications.
The challenge of traveling to Mars and learning how to live there will encourage nations around the world to work together to achieve such an ambitious undertaking. The International Space station has shown that opportunities for collaboration will highlight our common interests and provide a global sense of community.


http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/whyweexplore/why_we_explore_main.html

Suspect charged in Arizona highway shootings, held on $1 million bond 2





David Schwartz, Reuters

Saturday, September 19, 2015 10:34:01 EDT PM


PHOENIX - A 21-year-old man arrested in connection with a spate of shootings along a major highway through Arizona made his initial court appearance on Saturday and said authorities had "the wrong guy."

Leslie Allen Merritt Jr of the Phoenix suburb of Glendale faces a range of charges that include four counts each of drive-by shooting, intentional acts of terrorism and aggravated assault involving a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument.

Merritt was arrested on Friday evening as he entered a Wal-Mart store in Glendale with a woman and a 5-year-old child, said Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves.

Authorities had been monitoring him for most of the day.

Wearing gray and white prison stripes, Merritt on Saturday made his initial appearance before a commissioner in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix.

He denied involvement in the shootings that began on Aug. 29 and have generated fear among motorists in Phoenix, the nation's sixth most populous city.

"All I have to say is that I'm the wrong guy. I tried telling the detective that," said Merritt, who said he has two children.

"My gun's been in the pawn shop for the last two months. I haven't even had access to a weapon," he added.

Authorities have been investigating 11 possible vehicle shootings in Arizona, mostly on a 10-mile (16-km) stretch of Interstate 10 through Phoenix.

A 13-year-old girl with a slight cut to her ear is the only person injured in the spate of attacks.

Merritt, who has a criminal record for minor offenses, is suspected in the first four vehicle shootings that took place on Aug. 29 and Aug. 30.

Authorities have said a gun Merritt owned was "forensically linked" to the shootings. On Saturday, Graves revealed at a news conference that investigators found the weapon, a handgun, after canvassing pawn shops throughout the area.

Bullets shot from a handgun the investigators discovered at one shop matched fragments from some of the shootings, linking those to Merritt, Graves said.

He would not say how long the gun was at the pawn shop.

Graves said the investigation continues and reiterated that police still believe copycats could have carried out some of the other attacks.

He said authorities are still offering a $50,000 reward for information on the shootings and freeway message boards will continue to display a hotline number for tips.

Graves said there is no known motive for the attacks.

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/09/19/suspect-charged-in-arizona-highway-shootings-held-on-1-million-bond

Newfound Earth-Like Planet, Kepler-186f, Is 'Best Case' For Hosting Life, Astronomers Say



AP | By ALICIA CHANG

Posted: 04/17/2014 3:06 pm EDT Updated: 06/17/2014 5:59 am EDT


LOS ANGELES (AP) — Astronomers have discovered what they say is the most Earth-like planet yet detected — a distant, rocky world that's similar in size to our own and exists in the Goldilocks zone where it's not too hot and not too cold for life.

The find, announced Thursday, excited planet hunters who have been scouring the Milky Way galaxy for years for potentially habitable places outside our solar system.

"This is the best case for a habitable planet yet found. The results are absolutely rock solid," University of California, Berkeley astronomer Geoff Marcy, who had no role in the discovery, said in an email.


The planet was detected by NASA's orbiting Kepler telescope, which studies the heavens for subtle changes in brightness that indicate an orbiting planet is crossing in front of a star. From those changes, scientists can calculate a planet's size and make certain inferences about its makeup.

The newfound object, dubbed Kepler-186f, circles a red dwarf star 500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. A light-year is almost 6 trillion miles.

The planet is about 10 percent larger than Earth and may very well have liquid water — a key ingredient for life — on its surface, scientists said. That is because it resides at the outer edge of the habitable temperature zone around its star — the sweet spot where lakes, rivers or oceans can exist without freezing solid or boiling away.

The find "is special because we already know that a planet of this size and in the habitable zone is capable of supporting life as we know it," lead researcher Elisa Quintana of NASA's Ames Research Center said at a news conference.

The discovery was detailed in Friday's issue of the journal Science. It was based on observations that were made before the Kepler telescope was crippled by a mechanical failure last year.

The planet probably basks in an orange-red glow from its star and is most likely cooler than Earth, with an average temperature slightly above freezing, "similar to dawn or dusk on a spring day," Marcy said.

Quintana said she considers the planet to be more of an "Earth cousin" than a twin because it circles a star that is smaller and dimmer than our sun. While Earth revolves around the sun in 365 days, this planet completes an orbit of its star every 130 days.

Scientists cannot say for certain whether it has an atmosphere, but if it does, it probably contains a lot of carbon dioxide, outside experts said.

"Don't take off your breathing mask if you ever land there," said Lisa Kaltenegger, a Harvard and Max Planck Institute astronomer who had no connection to the research.

Despite the differences, "now we can point to a star and know that there really is a planet very similar to the Earth, at least in size and temperature," Harvard scientist David Charbonneau, who was not part of the team, said in an email.

If the planet is habitable, photosynthesis may be possible, said astronomer Victoria Meadows of the University of Washington, Seattle.

"There are Earth plants that would be quite happy with that," she said.

Since its launch in 2009, Kepler has confirmed 961 planets, but only a few dozen are in the habitable zone. Most are giant gas balls like Jupiter and Saturn, and not ideal places for life. Scientists in recent years have also found planets slightly larger than Earth in the Goldilocks zone called "super Earths," but it is unclear if they are rocky.

The latest discovery is the closest in size to Earth than any other known world in the habitable region.

Astronomers may never know for certain whether Kepler-186f can sustain life. The planet is too far away even for next-generation space telescopes like NASA's James Webb, set for launch in 2018, to study it in detail.

NASA has not yet decided whether to keep using the crippled Kepler telescope on a scaled-back basis. While the instrument may never detect another planet, scientists have a backlog of observations to wade through.

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AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein contributed to this report.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/17/earth-like-planet-hosting-life_n_5168843.html

Holiday budgeting boy is that a must lol especially when my oldest birthday is in October and Halloween is coming up. Fortunately the school asks parents to bring in clothing so clothes can be exchanged at the school some churches do the same. Also a church near by has a program every year were you bring in a financial donation and a child brings a list of items they want to give to family, friends and pets then a elf takes the kids to the already purchased items in the church to pick what would be an appropriate gift. Teaching children that Christmas is not about just receiving. During that time there is also other items to be purchases like bake goods, crafts, a draw and so on something for the parents to do while the kids are shopping. Of course Santa and Misses Clause is there for pictures.

Community Care has a tree of angels were you can pick a name of a child that is an age of your choosing then buy them a gift. Community Care has other programs during the holidays as well. There is a Santa clause parade that the boys enjoy watching.The kids and I like to bake cookies ,decorate Christmas decorations and spend time with family and friends. I enjoy cooking dinner as well :)