Jumat, 11 Mei 2012
Section - FederalNewsRadio.com at Current News
National Defense University's Dr. Paulette Robinson will talk about the upcoming "Inspire the Future" conference in Washington D.C.
May 11, 2012
Posted 53 minutes, 06 seconds ago
If you ask the typical federal/postal worker what his or her greatest job-related fear was, many would answer they are afraid Congress will change their retirement rules and base their benefits on their highest five-year average salary. Yet the likelihood of losing the current high-three system is small compared to other, more real threats, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
Friday - 05/11/2012, 02:00am EDT
Drowning in red ink, the U.S. Postal Service on Thursday reported a quarterly loss of $3.2 billion and blamed Congress for blocking the agency's cost-cutting efforts to offset declining mail volume and mounting costs for future retiree health benefits.
Thursday - 05/10/2012, 03:14pm EDT
The Pathways Program aims to help federal agencies compete with other sectors that recruit and hire interns and recent graduates. The program targets current students, recent graduates and professionals interested in becoming federal managers.
Thursday - 05/10/2012, 05:39am EDT
ListenAre naughty, stupid or arrogant federal workers any different than their private-sector counterparts, who have also been known to do naughty, stupid or illegal things while on the job? The short answer: It depends, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
Thursday - 05/10/2012, 02:00am EDT
As part of a cost-savings plan designed to halt the closings of rural postal facilities, the U.S. Postal Service said it would offer $20,000 buyout incentive payments to 21,000 full-time postmasters.
Wednesday - 05/09/2012, 08:44pm EDT
Ahead of the markup of the annual defense policy bill by key House committee, hundreds of survivors of military sexual assault take to the Capitol to demand change.
Wednesday - 05/09/2012, 11:17am EDT
ListenSome departments are improving personnel practices around recruitment and knowledge management even in the face of pay freezes and criticisms of public servants. DHS created a higher education engagement group to bring in college students. GSA finds quality of applicants still strong. Senior leaders highlight successes during Public Service Recognition Week.
Wednesday - 05/09/2012, 05:20am EDT
ListenThe number of federal workers who retired last year was up big-time. Many experts thought the long-awaited retirement tsunami was upon us, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. Until last month when it slowed dramatically. So what does that mean for you?
Tuesday - 05/08/2012, 02:00am EDT
As part of the annual Defense authorization bill, House lawmakers will take up a provision designed to let federal employees gain experience and share expertise while working temporarily in other agencies.
Monday - 05/07/2012, 05:51pm EDT
After more than two years of tough negotiations, the Social Security Administration and its largest union, The American Federation of Government Employees, have signed off on final contract. The contract includes changes to office travel and vision benefits.
Monday - 05/07/2012, 05:27pm EDT
The Telework Exchange released a report last week saying that feds who participated in the 2012 Telework Week saved more than $5.6 million. The report not only showed a greater adoption of teleworking, but that feds were leading the way.
Monday - 05/07/2012, 01:09pm EDT
The Partnership for Public Service announced the 33 finalists contending for Service to America Medals for 2012.
Monday - 05/07/2012, 06:42am EDT
ListenWhen government workers foul up we know their name, rank and serial number, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. But when someone in the media makes an inexcusable 'mistake' his — or her — name is kept secret for privacy reasons. So, what's wrong with this picture?
Monday - 05/07/2012, 02:00am EDT
Every week, Federal News Radio's Ruben Gomez speaks with Recreation News Editor Marvin Bond about fun things to do in and near the nation's capital.
Saturday - 05/05/2012, 01:49pm EDT
ListenHost Derrick Dortch is joined by Evan Lesser, founder of ClearanceJobs.com. They will discuss a new survey conducted by the organization.
May 4, 2012
Saturday - 05/05/2012, 12:34am EDT
ListenNational Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund chairman Craig Floyd and David Weisz from Motorola Solutions, join host Debra Roth to talk about 2012 National Police Week and the latest on the National Law Enforcement Museum.
May 4, 2012
Friday - 05/04/2012, 09:21pm EDT
ListenThe Thrift Savings Plan's Roth option rolls out today. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board has been preparing for the new program for two years now, but despite the big push today many federal employees will actually have to wait to enroll in the new program. One of the largest federal payroll processors needs more time to upgrade its systems in preparation for the Roth option. Find information about which agencies are affected, as well as the five things feds should know about the Roth TSP below.
Friday - 05/04/2012, 04:10pm EDT
Hiring managers at the Air Force have 15 days — instead of 30 days — to choose the best candidates to fill civilian vacancies.
Friday - 05/04/2012, 10:56am EDT
The Shared Services Strategy is the latest way agencies can reduce spending on infrastructure technology and spend more on mission-critical IT. Federal CIO Steven VanRoekel said PortfolioStat is the lynchpin to the entire process for agencies. He held the first meeting with agencies leaders to discuss expectations.
Friday - 05/04/2012, 05:18am EDT
Felicia Day Gets Her Geek On In 'The Girl With The Dungeons And Dragons Tattoo' at Current News
Note: Do not read on if you have not seen Season 7, Episode 20 of The CW's "Supernatural," entitled "The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo."
It's "Supernatural" custom to follow emotionally heavy episodes with lighter installments, but in the right hands, even an episode laden with humor can propel the mythology forward. Such was the case with the witty, quippy "Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo," confidently scripted by Robbie Thompson.
Thompson has fast distinguished himself as the MVP of Season 7's writing staff -- though he's a newcomer this year, he's already written two of the strongest episodes of the season: "Slash Fiction" and the phenomenal time-travel story "Time After Time." Ably assisted by first-time director John MacCarthy (who has served as First Assistant Director on 15 episodes of the show since Season 2), Thompson's script was full of energy, balancing humor and pathos in a believable fashion, and nailing the Winchester brothers' inimitable voices in a way that some of the more established writers still struggle with.
While I'm certain that MacCarthy's choice of non-linear narrative and "24"-esque split-screen effects probably didn't work for everyone, I found his directorial decisions to be engaging, and in-keeping with the tone of Thompson's script. There were plenty of amusing character beats that were well-served by the flexible direction -- Felicia Day's entrance (and subsequent elevator dance) to "Walking On Sunshine" springs immediately to mind.
I find it interesting that "Tattoo" worked so well for me this week after I was left cold by "Party On, Garth," which, at least superficially, shared some similarities with this week's episode. I think my dislike for "Garth" stemmed from the episode focusing more on a Monster Of The Week hunt than a mythology story, and because that episode felt tonally imbalanced when switching between horror and humor --something that Thompson apparently doesn't have a problem with. While certain scenes in "Garth" seemed unnecessarily long or convoluted, "Tattoo" seemed to have a sharper sense of pacing, which helped the hour fly by for me.
Then again, as with "Garth," perhaps your enjoyment was meted according to your appreciation of Felicia Day instead of DJ Qualls, since the episode did place the narrative focus on Charlie rather than Sam and Dean. While I wouldn't describe myself as a die-hard fan of Day (having only seen her in her Whedonverse projects), the character was sufficiently three-dimensional to make me care about her fate and want to hang out with her. Still, I can understand viewers who might've been eager to spend more time with Sam and Dean so close to the finale, especially since the last three episodes have all seen the boys taking something of a backseat to secondary characters. (I wonder if the writers were trying to script Sam and Dean light in deference to Jared Padalecki's impending fatherhood -- while I was scheduling my set visit, I was warned that he might have to dash off at a moment's notice in case his son made an early appearance.)
Geeky "Charlie Bradbury" was a wonderfully welcome addition to the roster of strong female characters on the show; made all the more distinctive not just because of her sexuality, but because she actually survived the episode. It's both realistic and sensible to add a canonical lesbian into the mix -- especially given how certain subsets of fandom seem to react to the inclusion of heterosexual women in Sam and Dean's lives -- and Dean's attempt to guide her through flirting with the security guard was an inspired moment.
The episode was a veritable cornucopia of nerdy references, homages and easter eggs -- so much so that it would be almost impossible to list them all. Some of my favorites included Charlie's Hermione Granger fixation (and Sam's equally geeky "Harry Potter" knowledge); her "Lord of the Rings" Arwen laptop background; her Han and Leia "I love you," "I know," exchange with her co-worker; Dean's "Veronica Mars" reference; "What the frak is a Leviathan?"; the "Star Wars" bobbleheads; "I was drunk, it was Comic-Con," "We've all been there," and Charlie's sassy Vulcan farewell, to name a few. Feel free to chime in with your stand-outs in the comments. I also enjoyed seeing the boys shake things up by revisiting their penchant for unusual disguises -- it was great to see them dressed as ground crew at the private airfield when they switched out Dick's package for a Borax bomb.
The episode was not without its minor niggles, however. Having Bobby pop back in to info-dump on the Winchesters only lends credence to the "deus ex machina"/exposition criticisms that have been leveled at the character for the past few seasons. Frank's handy automated email and the tracking device on his hard-drive also fall into that category, although the character is so canonically paranoid that at least it makes narrative sense.
On the other hand, I am interested in Bobby's ongoing struggle with the vengeful side of his new form. He certainly proved that he can still make himself useful as a ghost, but that those darker impulses are clearly too tempting to ignore. It seems fitting that, just as Sam and Dean have struggled with their own dark sides -- demon blood addiction and hell-inspired torture, respectively -- the past couple of seasons have allowed the show's two main supporting characters, Castiel and Bobby, to explore those facets of their personalities too. We didn't see too much of it with Castiel (although it was enough to be chilling), but it seems that Bobby's anger will be an ongoing concern in the lead-up to the finale. I wish we'd had another scene with Bobby to explore his feelings of remorse -- or lack thereof -- for breaking Charlie's arm, but perhaps we'll see that carry through to next week's episode.
We also got to see a lot more of Dick this week (get your minds out of the gutter). While Dick is lacking the gravitas and obvious menace of Azazel or Zachariah, I do appreciate that the writers are trying to switch things up and offer us a villain unlike anything we've seen before. The slick, charismatic one-percenter is a timely antagonist, although I'll admit, the "Soylent Green" endgame doesn't exactly fill me with dread the way the apocalypse or Dean being sent to hell did in earlier seasons. It's a far more insidious plot, in that it plays on modern fears of big brother surveillance and businesses or governments conspiring against the general population, but now that the show has been to hell and back, I think it's natural to expect that nothing else will quite measure up to the impact of Eric Kripke's original five-year plan. I'm hoping the season finale will surprise me on that front, of course, because I'm sure there are potential outcomes that I never could've predicted, but for now, I remain ambivalent about the grandeur of Dick Roman's nefarious scheme. I did enjoy the mock SucroCorp ad, even if it wasn't quite as hilarious as the variations we saw back in "Changing Channels."
Overall, "Tattoo" was an engaging and enjoyable hour, one that was buoyed by Felicia Day's spunky, geektastic performance -- I hope we'll have the opportunity to see her again next season.
What did you think of "The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo"? Did you enjoy Felicia Day's performance, or would you have preferred to see more Sam and Dean? Weigh in below!
"Supernatural" airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.
Follow Laura Prudom on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lauinLA
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Kamis, 10 Mei 2012
Two Vermont Youth Honored for Volunteerism at National Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C. at Current News
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Vermont's top two youth volunteers of the year, Emery Tillman, 18, of Cornwall and Todd Boisjoli, 13, of Shelburne, were honored in the nation's capital last night for their outstanding volunteer service during the presentation of The 2012 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. The two young people – along with 100 other top youth volunteers from across the country – received $1,000 awards as well as personal congratulations from New York Giants quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning at the 17th annual award ceremony and gala dinner reception, held at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
Emery and Todd were named the top high school and middle level youth volunteers in Vermont in February. In addition to their cash awards, they received engraved silver medallions and an all-expense-paid trip with their parents to Washington, D.C., for this week's recognition events.
Emery, a senior at Middlebury Union High School, has undertaken a variety of volunteer activities as she has traveled around the United States and the world competing in freestyle kayaking events. As a whitewater kayaker, Emery is very sensitive to the condition of the world's waterways, and initially just wanted to clean up river trash. But after helping to organize a cleanup project on the Ottawa River with her boarding school, "I knew I had to continue giving back to the community, wherever that community may be," she said.
So, she has found ways to make a difference everywhere she travels. In Chile, she taught English to middle school students. In Zambia, she helped prepare meals and coached soccer at an orphanage. In Uganda, she volunteered at a malaria clinic. In New Zealand, she participated in a river cleanup. And in the U.S., Emery has organized trash removal projects in most of the rivers where she has competed. In addition, she has worked with a program that encourages young people to choose outdoor activities instead of drugs, and participated in a project to keep trash out of the ocean and Lake Champlain.
Todd, an eighth-grader at Shelburne Community School, has been an active volunteer since he was 5 years old by helping out at his school and by contributing in important ways to the broader community. Todd's volunteerism began when his mother suggested that he help with a fundraiser for the Vermont Children's Trust Foundation. He then began looking for ways to make a difference at school.
Over the years, Todd has helped organize school fundraisers, managed the school store, assisted with the elementary school lunch program, participated in a recycling program, educated students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and worked on other volunteer initiatives as a member of his school's student leadership council. Outside of school, Todd helps referee soccer games in his community and teaches soccer skills to those who want to learn to play. In addition, Todd recently shoveled mud out of homes devastated by Hurricane Irene. Todd said volunteering has given him "a view of how lucky my life is compared to other people in the world. I learned how even doing a few hours of work can make a huge difference to the people who needed the help."
"Through their extraordinary acts of volunteerism, these students are powerful examples of the way one young person can make a big impact," said John R. Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "We are proud to honor them for their achievements, and hope their stories inspire others to consider how they, too, can make a difference."
More than 26,000 young people participated in the 2012 awards program last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of the HandsOn Network. The top middle level and high school applicants in each state were selected in February, and flown to Washington this week with their parents for four days of special recognition events.
Conducted in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards were created 17 years ago by Prudential Financial to encourage youth volunteerism and to identify and reward young role models. Since then, the program has honored more than 100,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level.
"These young people have demonstrated remarkable leadership, selflessness and compassion, and they set a fine example for thousands of other students across the U.S. who want to make a difference," said Ken Griffith, president of NASSP. "The actions of these young volunteers exemplify the best of what America's youth have to offer."
More information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year's honorees can be found at http://blogshots.org/spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit.
NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Principals) is the leading organization of and national voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and all school leaders from across the United States and more than 45 countries around the world. The association provides research-based professional development and resources, networking, and advocacy to build the capacity of middle level and high school leaders to continually improve student performance. Reflecting its longstanding commitment to student leadership development as well, NASSP administers the National Honor Society™, National Junior Honor Society®, National Elementary Honor Society®, and National Association of Student Councils®. For more information about NASSP, located in Reston, VA, visit www.nassp.org.
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU - News), a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit http://blogshots.org/www.news.prudential.com/
[Editors: Full-color pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallions are available at http://blogshots.org/spirit.prudential.com.]
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://blogshots.org/www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50265489&lang=en
MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:http://blogshots.org/www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50265489&lang=en
Obama honors Alabama for its 2012 BCS National Championship at Current News
Obama Honors Alabama for Title
&
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama honored the University of Alabama football team for winning the BCS championship to culminate what he called a ``deeply meaningful season for the Tide.''
& &Obama's message to the Crimson Tide went beyond the team's second national title in three seasons and a 21-0 shutout of LSU in the BCS championship game in January.
&He praised the Tide coaches and players for their efforts in the Alabama community, noting their role in helping rebuild Tuscaloosa, Ala., after devastating tornadoes touched down in April 2011.
&View 2013 BCS National Championship Odds
&``Now, obviously this is a team that knows something about adversity,'' Obama said. ``It was one year ago next week that an F4 tornado carved a path right through the town of Tuscaloosa. I traveled down there two days later to see the devastation with the mayor and the governor. And I've got to tell you, I'd never seen anything like it.''
&The team emerged from the second floor of the White House onto the balcony while a U.S. Marine Corps combo played the fight song ``Yea Alabama.''
&Obama emerged from the Oval Office in the West Wing with Nick Saban. Among those present were Sens. Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions and Rep. Spencer Bachus.
&Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones presented Obama with a crimson and white jersey with his name on the back and the No. 14 representing the total national titles the Tide counts. He also got an Alabama helmet.
&``I'm probably going to need a helmet between now and November,'' Obama joked
&The president also made reference to last weekend's accidental shattering of the $30,000 Waterford Crystal trophy from the title.
&``So this team didn't just shatter records,'' Obama said. ``I hear the championship trophy also took a bit of a spill earlier this week.''
&The combo played ``Sweet Home Alabama'' as he shook hands with the Tide contingent.
&Want More From TheSpread.com? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!
Carolina Panthers sign all seven draft picks, source says - NFL at Current News
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- A person familiar with the situation says the Carolina Panthers have agreed to terms with each of their seven draft picks on the eve of their rookie minicamp, including linebacker Luke Kuechly, their first-round selection from Boston College.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deals have not been announced.
All seven draft picks agreed to four-year contracts
Kuechly will get $12.58 million over four years. The Panthers have an option for the fifth year of his contract because he's the ninth overall pick.
In past years it's taken most NFL teams until late July to get rookies under contract but the new collective bargaining agreement has made it much easier to sign rookies since they're all slotted.
The Panthers open a three-day minicamp on Friday.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
'Dark Knight Rises' star Juno Temple joins Nic Cage for 'Wild Side' - National Comic Book Movies at Current News
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Does Time magazine’s breastfeeding cover go too far? | The Mommy Files
Is breastfeeding a 3-year-old freakish or natural? (Martin Schoeller/Time)
This week's issue of Time magazine features a mom breastfeeding her son who looks old enough to pour himself a glass of milk. The boy, just shy of 4 years old, is standing on a chair to reach the breast falling out of his mom's tank top. The pose makes the point that this boy is too big and old to be held in his mother's arms—but he can still breastfeed.
Shocking?
Time clearly picked this provocative cover image to sell magazines and attract media attention. The actual story inside the magazine is titled The Man Who Remade Motherhood and it's about Dr. Bill Sears, an internationally recognized pediatrician who's known as the leader behind the attachment parenting movement that calls for extended breastfeeding (as well as co-sleeping and baby-wearing).
But the grey-haired doctor isn't pictured on the cover. Jamie Lynne Grumet, a 26-year-old California mom, and her breast-sucking son made the cover instead.
Makes sense from a need-to-sell-magazines standpoint. A mother nursing a preschooler is more arresting—and bound to spark a heated debate around the topic of extended breastfeeding.
And the cover has been successful in doing that. Today, every mom blogger seems to be asking, Is breastfeeding a 3-year-old freakish or natural?
My personal feelings about the cover image are conflicted. A part of me loves this bold photo that promotes breastfeeding, the best-known way to feed a baby. The image seems to be blazing trails for women by helping prudish Americans become more comfortable with the sight of a nursing mom. We live in a country where bus drivers kick nursing moms off buses, and maybe Time is helping stop that ridiculousness.
What's more, the image gives U.S. mother's permission to nurse well past that widely accepted 1-year point. While mothers in many countries openly breastfeed their toddlers, here in America we're squeamish about extended nursing and moms often feed their 2-year-olds behind closed doors to avoid disapproving looks (I did with my son). This image challenges that thinking and invites breastfeeding moms of older kids to come out of the closet. Suddenly extended nursing seems cool!
But another part of me hates this image because I fear that it will put yet more pressure on moms to achieve unobtainable goals. While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that moms breastfeed until 12 months, only 44 percent of moms make it to 6 months. And the gorgeous, thin blonde, standing proudly with her hands on her hips on the Time cover seems to be challenging moms to go longer. "Girls, you can do more!," she seems to be saying in a super annoying, competitive way.
Moms are already overwhelmed with societal pressures that leave them feeling like failures if they don't make their own baby food, get their kids to bed on time, and start touring preschools before the first birthday. Do moms really need the added pressure to nurse for three years?
For many of us, getting a child to latch to the breast in the first place is a challenge and nursing becomes more about chapped, cracked, bleeding nipples than sweet cuddly moments. And some babies don't want to continue nursing. A few weeks before my daughter turned 1, she started refusing my breast. I remember sobbing as she screamed out at me and slapped my chest while I tried to force her mouth on my breast. I so badly wanted her to make it to the 1-year mark and was overcome with guilt when it didn't happen. I can't imagine how badly I would have felt if my mind had been set on 3 years?
Read more: Attachment parenting: Is it imprisoning?
Dark Matter vs. Modified Gravity: A Trialogue | Cosmic Variance at Current News
It's well known that all of our evidence for dark matter (and dark energy too, but that's not the subject here) at the present time is indirect: it comes from observing the gravitational influence of the hypothetical stuff, not from detecting it "directly" (i.e., using some interaction other than gravitational). So it's natural to ask whether we can do away with dark matter by positing some modification of the behavior of gravity; I've certainly wondered that myself.
And it may very well turn out that the behavior of gravity on large scales does not precisely match the prediction of ordinary general relativity. Nevertheless, I think that by now we've accumulated enough data to conclude that the universe cannot be explained solely by modifying gravity; there is ample evidence of gravitational forces pointing in directions where there isn't any (ordinary) "stuff" to create them, leading us to accept the existence of some form of dark matter. About a year ago I put up a post that explained this point of view, and took aim in particular at the popular framework known as MOND.
This led to some good discussion in the comments, and also to a behind-the-scenes email exchange between Rainer Plaga, Stacy McGaugh, and me. It's a bit of old news, but I thought there would still be some interest in our discussion, so (with permission) I'm posting our emails here. Seeing how the sausage is made, as it were. It's a bit of a long read, sorry about that.
——————————————————————————
Rainer, March 1:
Dear Sean,
I discussed your recent vigorous defense of CDM your blog with Stacy, and he encouraged me to send you my – absolutely objective 
On the one hand I am with you that if Stacy uses terms like "serious fine-tuning problem for LCDM" in his newest paper's abstract (which are then interpreted by science journalists in the way you exhibit), he had to quantitatively compare the expected properties of galaxies under the assumption of \LambdaCDM with his data set. If he wants to criticise an idea he has to deal with the idea not with alternatives to it. Alas, he does not do that in this paper.
On the other hand I strongly disagree out of principle to require statements like: ?of course we have more than sufficient evidence to conclude that dark matter exists, we?re just trying to understand how it works and what else might be going on.? from anybody. Really Sean, this sounds like a caricature of the holy inquisition to me, "philosophers can speculate as long as they accept that the final truth is already known from the holy scriptures
Your statement: "Dark matter is real … there's no reasonable doubt about the dark matter." is misleading. Stacy and I of course know that dark matter in the form of massive neutrinos does exist beyond reasonable doubt. But that does not answer a crucial question. Crucial questions are: what flattens the rotation curves in galaxies? What creates the third CMB peak? CDM, MOND or something else?
In my opinion the final verdict on these questions is not in, yet. Allow me to argue why your top 3 arguments for the existence of CDM do not convince me, perhaps yet.
1. "MOND is ugly": The alternative is not "theory for MOND" vs. GR but "theory for MOND" vs. GR + "theory for CDM particle". The number of exhibited equations then becomes similar. How do you know that TeVeS is uglier than the "theory for CDM particle"?
2. "Clusters require DM anyway" If one could make a case that they require nonbaryonic cold dark matter, I would consider the case settled in favour of CDM. However, the dark matter required for MOND in clusters might be the ca. 40% fraction of baryonic matter that we anyway know is currently missing in clusters (even in LCDM). Do we agree? How can the argument be clinching then?
3. Your strongest argument is the one from the CMB. But still, replacing "MOND" with "CDM", couldn't your statement:
"Can some clever theorist tweak things so that there?s a MOND version that actually fits? Probably. Or we could just accept what the data are telling us."
be used just as well to comment on the well known problems of CDM to reproduce the detailed properties of galaxies?
Wouldn't this be a great topic for another "great debate" a la Shapley/Curtis 1920 between u and Stacy? In that case it turned out both were partly right and wrong, my personal bet: it would be the same this time
——————————————————————————
Sean, March 1:
Hi Rainer–
Ten years ago, it was perfectly respectable to speculate that there was no such thing as dark matter, just a modification of gravity. (It couldn't have been MOND alone, which was ruled out by clusters, but it could have been some more elaborate modification.) That's no longer true. The Bulltet Cluster and the CMB both provide straightforward evidence that there is gravity pointing in the direction of something other than the ordinary matter. The source for that gravity is "dark matter." It could be simple, like an axion or a thermal relic, or it could be quite baroque, like TeVeS + sprinkles of other dark matter as required, but it's definitely there.
If people want to contemplate that there is dark matter and also a modification of gravity, that's fine. If people want to point to features of galaxy/cluster phenomenology and say that these features must be explained, that's absolutely fine. But if people want to cling to the possibility that dark matter doesn't exist, that's not being appropriately cautious, it's just ignoring the data, and it's a disservice to the public to pretend otherwise.
——————————————————————————
Rainer, March 2:
Dear Sean,
I do not fully understand your argument: do you argue that the bullet cluster proves that _nonbaryonic_ DM exists? To me Stacy's argument – that MOND might work only with the baryonic cluster DM which is an additional problem even within LCDM – cannot be currently excluded (see 2. in my previous e-mail). Do you disagree with his argument, and if yes, why?
For your convenience let me summarize Stacy's general argument in my own words (Stacy please protest if I misrepresent it):
a. even within LCDM generally uncontested facts are that in clusters of the size of the bullet cluster ( 1. ca. 50% of the cluster's _baryonic_ matter is probably in some invisible form
2. the hot gas is a minor component of the total baryonic matter (see e.g. fig.1 here: http://blogshots.org/arxiv.org/abs/1007.1980)
b. suppose that this baryonic cluster DM is in some non-collisional form (e.g. jupiters). Then a.1. would quantitatively explain MOND's missing cluster DM and a.2. the observational fact that the bullet's cluster mass is concentrated on the galaxies and not the hot gas.
It is somewhat paradoxical, but seems clear: if you want to rule out MOND you have to deal with its details, if Stacy wants to rule out CDM he has to deal with its details. Neither of you guys is really doing this, and I can understand why: both of you would feel you are wasting time on a wrong concept. But you would not
——————————————————————————
Sean, March 2:
Hi Rainer–
We know how much baryonic matter there is from BBN. It's not enough to explain the Bullet Cluster or the CMB, even with MOND. Not to mention that you would have to come up with some way to turn the large majority of baryonic matter into some collisionless form. (The paper you just cited says " the baryons are not missing, they are simply located in cluster outskirts" right there in the abstract.)
——————————————————————————
Rainer, March 2:
Hi Sean,
We know how much baryonic matter there is from BBN. It's not enough to explain the Bullet Cluster or the CMB, even with MOND.
They claim ca. a factor 2 more dark baryonic matter than seen is needed in the clusters. What problem would that pose with BBN? (Don't forget that the baryonic matter/CDM ratios derived from LCDM in clusters are meaningless if MOND were the answer).
Not to mention that you would have to come up with some way to turn the large majority of baryonic matter into some collisionless form.
Yes, this would need some ad-hoc gastrophysics to produce enormous amounts of e.g. jupiters especially in the cluster centre. Not nice, but not impossible, cooling flows etc… But if all that were true, the bullet cluster would be OK.
(The paper you just cited says " the baryons are not missing, they are simply located in cluster outskirts" right there in the abstract.)
But that's exactly what is needed also for MOND: the dark baryons are really hiding somewhere… They are not claiming a detection of these baryons! But let us take a step back on this paper:
What it discusses is the fact that clusters need some dark baryonic matter even in LCDM, ca. 30% of the baryonic matter is apparently unseen. This was unexpected, some gastrophysics will be needed to explain it. (They mention "AGN feedack" and stuff…)
MOND's problem is more severe, ca. 70% of the baryonic mater would apparently be unseen in the central parts of the clusters. This was unexpected some gastrophysics will be needed to explain it.
Sorry, Sean, this seems like an open problem to me both for LCDM and MOND, admittedly a bigger one for MOND (but then clusters are their worst problem…), but not the ultraclean evidence for CDM that you are claiming…
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Stacy, March 2:
OK, I think at least we all agree that BBN tells us the baryon density of the universe. Lets deal with one thing at a time, the dark matter in clusters. If I understand you, you are saying MOND is falsified because there is dark matter in clusters. Rainer is suggesting that a logical way out of this is if the excess mass in clusters is in some dark, baryonic, collisionless form. I agree it is tough to imagine what that would be (and have consistently said as much) but I am not willing to grant that I know it to be impossible. So the real leap to falsify MOND is to say that the dark mass in clusters is not just dark baryons, but WIMPs (or whatever non-baryonic particles compose CDM). And that follows how? Because Omega_m > Omega_b?
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Sean, March 3:
MOND without non-baryonic DM is falsified by clusters, because you can't fit them with the baryons implied by BBN regardless of what form they take. That's admitted by most people, e.g. Sanders' paper.
More interesting is the question of whether you could get around the need for non-baryonic DM with some other theory of modified gravity. The Bullet Cluster and CMB, again to most people, imply not. Could you wriggle out of that conclusion by combining some new as-yet-unformulated modification of gravity with a huge population of mysterious intergalactic Jupiters? No, because you would still be completely wrong on the CMB. It's time to accept what the data are telling us and move on.
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Stacy, March 3:
MOND without non-baryonic DM is falsified by clusters, because you can't fit them with the baryons implied by BBN regardless of what form they take. That's admitted by most people, e.g. Sanders' paper.
Ah. I thought this was the conceptual error you were making. Clusters you certainly could fit just with baryons. They're rare systems. If that is the only place we need dark baryons, then do the integrals. You can satisfy the residual mass discrepancy in clusters in MOND without making much dent in the BBN missing baryon budget.
Do I *like* such a solution? Certainly not. Neither do I like that fact that clusters are the only systems that come close to having the right baryon content in LCDM. Whay are galaxies missing more than half of their baryons? Dwarfs > 90%? I can imagine how this might happen, but the solutions are comparably contrived. The more basic point is that I am not willing to condemn a theory for needing some dark baryons if its competitor also needs dark baryons.
More interesting is the question of whether you could get around the need for non-baryonic DM with some other theory of modified gravity. The Bullet Cluster and CMB, again to most people, imply not. Could you wriggle out of that conclusion by combining some new as-yet-unformulated modification of gravity with a huge population of mysterious intergalactic Jupiters? No, because you would still be completely wrong on the CMB. It's time to accept what the data are telling us and move on.
The CMB is really interesting. I correctly predicted the amplitude of the second peak (a prediction that is still quantitatively correct) by making the ansatz that there was whatever generally covariant theory might grow out of MOND looked just like GR in the early universe. Obviously that has to change later in order to grow structure, but at least it gives some proxy for what MOND might do with the CMB. At the time, I discussed some of the ways in which this would inevitably fail.
The response initially was that MOND itself made no prediction for the CMB, therefore we should disregard the chance success of this prediction. Now you want to treat the low third peak as an absolute prediction of MOND. You can't have it both ways. Which is it?
A low third peak would have falsified LCDM. It survives that test. That does not automatically falisify MOND. It just means that the relativistic parent theory (whatever that might be – it is not obvious to me it has to be TeVeS) has to have a net forcing term a la CDM. Does that seem reasonable to me? No, and (as I said with the ultrafaint dwarfs) I too was ready to write off MOND on this point. But Skordis & Ferreira showed that the scalar field in TeVeS might have just such an effect. So I can not, in good conscience, say it is impossible.
You should not accuse me of ignoring data. I have written papers on these subjects. Indeed, one of the things that surprised and impressed me about MOND, when I first got over my initial revulsion and started to look into it, was what a great breadth and wealth of data it did quite in explaining. From the tone of your statements, I imagine you have no idea what I'm talking about. You really ought to check your facts before making ignorant statements to the effect that "MOND only does rotation curves."
Indeed, you yourself appear to be ignoring facts. Why do any MOND predictions come true? Let's suppose it is only true that all MOND does is fit rotation curves. That demands an explanation – one you nowhere attempt to provide. Your reasoning appears to boil down to "We're sure that CDM exists, so somehow it must work out." Well, I've tried – very hard – to see how it could work out. It aint easy. I won't say it is impossible. But it is as absurd as some of the above dodges are with MOND. Dark matter in galaxies is like epicycles – you can fit anything you like, but it doesn't explain why a simple formula does better.
You may find it hard to believe, but I started from exactly the same perspective as you. I am far more comfortable with CDM than with MOND. I will breathe a great sigh of relief if and when WIMPs are detected in the laboratory. Then we'll know the answer, and we won't have to have these bitter debates. However, I am not being unreasonable in holding the theory to a high standard of proof. If you want to convince me that, for sure, the universe is filled with some till-now hypothetical particle from a hypothetical dark sector outside of the Standard Model of particle physics, then show me a piece. Until then, you are over-reaching.
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Sean, March 3:
You can't just wave your hands and say that a mysterious "forcing term" will help explain the CMB. If there is no non-baryonic dark matter, there is no way that even-numbered peaks can be different from odd-numbered peaks; the configuration of baryons is precisely analogous. You can mimic the situation in TeVeS (although the numbers don't seem to work out) because you've introduced an independently propagating scalar degree of freedom whose energy density doesn't follow the baryons. You can give that scalar whatever name you like, but it is "non-baryonic dark matter." A particularly contrived version, but that's what it is.
You can't explain the third peak without a source for gravity that propagates independently of the baryons.
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Rainer, March 3:
MOND without non-baryonic DM is falsified by clusters, because you can't fit them with the baryons implied by BBN regardless of what form they take.
Why is that? I just don't get it, and am very open to be persuaded. 90% of all cosmic baryons are presently undetected, right? Only a fraction of the baryonic matter we see directly is in clusters (O(a few percent), let's say 10%) So why can't a small fraction, say O(2%), of all the cosmic dark baryons be in the form of e.g. jupiters in the central parts of clusters? They and stars would then dominate the cluster mass and be dissipationless —> no problem with the bullet cluster in MOND.
That's admitted by most people, e.g. Sanders' paper.
Where? In http://blogshots.org/arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0703590 he states about cluster dark matter in MOND: "For example, there are more than enough undetected baryons to make up the missing dark component; they need only be present in some non-dissipative form which is difficult to observe."
He also likes massive neutrinos, but not to the exclusion of baryonic dark matter.
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Stacy, March 4:
Hi Sean,
OK, now we are discussing science again.
I take your point about the CMB very seriously. It seems to me that you are putting a lot of weight on the third peak, which is not all THAT well constrained. WMAP really has to scrape to get there, so the result is dominated by the systematics of PSF modeling. I presume they've done that right, but there are double exponential corrections involved in subtracting the foreground and then getting back to the cosmic signal, so they don't have to go far wrong to make a bad mistake with the third peak. Presumably PLANCK will clarify this soon, though a glance at their first release images does not provide a lot of confidence about the foreground MW masks that WMAP used. I also wonder, given the visceral reaction you and others have at any suggestion that LCDM might be questionsed, if the PLANCK team would let themselves admit a low third peak even if the saw it.
For now, we have an apparently clear detection of a high third peak in WMAP, and we need to explain the data we have rather than the data we hope soon to have. And honestly, I expect the most likely outcome to be a confirmation of WMAP, with only minor tweaks. So we have to understand the third peak along with clusters and rotation curves and dwarf spheroidals and everything else.
I freely admit that I don't know how to make the third peak high. I also don't know that a high-ish thrid peak can't be obtained in a more general theory. I agree with your point that pure baryons shouldn't do that – the vector is wrong, as you say. I'm not even convinced TeVeS can do it. But lots of theories (not just MOND-inspired ones) invoke scalar fields, so I can't exclude the possibility.
I also agree that this is contrived. But we are WAY into contrivance with LCDM, a point I believe you've made yourself on occassion. We've just gotten familiar with the contrived parts so that they no longer bother us. That doesn't make them any less contrived.
You make the point that the scalar field solution in TeVeS is just a contrived form of non-baryonic dark matter. But even in pure GR we could use some form of non-baryonic dark matter that gives us the MOND phenomenology. Why not consider an effect due to the physical nature of the particles? Until we detect WIMPs, surely you at least agree that we don't really know what the dark matter is?
I know everybody invokes feedback to "fix" galaxies, but those models are just as contrived. Actually, they are considerably more contrived, as they inevitably require many more parameters, and those parameters are simply tuned to match observations. Any competent theorist can tune any model to fit a given set of data.
I must have said this to you before, but I will say it again. The MOND formula provides an apparently correct description of the effective force law in galaxies. How does the dark matter "know" to arrange itself just so as to look like MOND? If it manages this trick in galaxies, why not in the solar system? How would we know that the solar system isn't really run by an inverse-cube force law, but there is dark matter arranged just so as to make it look like an inverse-square law?
Could anything be more contrived?
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Sean, March 6:
Hi Stacy–
I'm not sure what you are saying about the third peak in the CMB. We agree that "pure baryons shouldn't do that." I can only think of three possibilities.
(1) There is some sort of source for gravity other than baryons.
(2) There is a modification of gravity that doesn't include new sources, but also doesn't respond directly to where the sources actually are.
(3) The data aren't good enough to say that the odd-numbered peaks are boosted relative to what we would expect from damped oscillations of baryons alone.
If it's (1), then that's non-baryonic dark matter and we should just admit it. I think that (2) is physically implausible, and as far as I know nobody has suggested otherwise. And I think that the time is past when anyone could credibly hang on to (3). Here's a relatively recent figure (2 years ago) from Ned Wright's web site.
Am I missing a possibility, or would you buy one of these three?
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Stacy, March 7:
Hi Sean,
I basically agree with the 3 possibilities you list. Indeed, I thought that was pretty much what I said.
You imply that it is hanging on to vain hope to explain the third peak of the CMB by anything other than a new source. I am saying that it is a vain hope to imagine that turning the crank on any number of CDM numerical simulations is ever going to spit out the observed MONDian phenomenology. Just because LCDM works for the CMB does not automatically guarantee that it'll work in galaxies, any more than MOND's success in galaxies means it must inevitably succeed as a the basis of a cosmological theory.
There is a very simple empirical result in the data for galaxies that cosmologists have, by and large, simply ignored. The stated excuse is usually something like "well, galaxies are complicated, non-linear structures" and so we should be excused from explaining them. Indeed, in LCDM galaxies probably should be complicated. But they're not. They're simple. So simple, the obey a single effective force law. Fitting that with dark matter is like fitting epicylces to planetary orbits. Of course you can do it – you have an infinite number of free parameters. But it don't make no sense.
I have said for years now that they conclusion you come to depends on how you weigh the evidence. The CMB is an important piece of that evidence. So are rotation curves. It is not obvious to me that the third peak should count 100% and galaxies zero. Yet that is in effect the weighting that lots of people appear to be using.
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Sean, March 8:
Hi Stacy–
I think we've reached the end of what needs to be said. You agree with my three possibilities, and you agree (I think) that the CMB data are good enough to draw some conclusions. It comes down to whether you are willing to entertain the possibility that there is a mysterious new force that does not involve any new sources, yet also does not respond directly to where the actual sources are. (And in the process reproduces exactly what we would see if there were CDM.) You may think that is plausible — I, and most people in the field, do not. Therefore, we believe that there is non-baryonic DM, and the question is how it behaves.
You seem to think I am defending LCDM, when I have never mentioned it. I am defending the claim that "non-baryonic dark matter exists." As I said in the original post, we certainly have to explain the phenomenology of galaxies and clusters, and the right explanation may very well involve a modification of gravity or interesting new physics in the dark sector — both of which I've written papers about. Nobody is suggesting that we ignore data from galaxies and clusters. But none of that data straightforwardly implies "non-baryonic dark matter does not exist." It's a complicated dynamical problem. The CMB — an enormously simpler system, where everything is in the linear regime — does straightforwardly imply "non-baryonic dark matter exists." Admitting that will improve our chances for future progress.
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Stacy, March 8:
Yes, we've said what we're going to say. But you still don't seem to get it. The CMB is simple. It is not enormously simpler. Galaxies are also simple. One must invoke absurdly complex mechanisms to make that happen. The argument against dark matter doing this boils down to fine tuning. I don't like fine tuning problems, especially when a theory is not otherwise falsifiable (e.g., epicycles). Note that as you claim not to be specifically defending LCDM, I am not specifically defending MOND. There is an empirical phenomenology that constitutes a fine tuning problem for ANY dark matter picture (that does not some how build it in).
Since we can't explicitly falsify the existence of dark matter, what could be worse than this mother of all fine-tuning problems? I understand the implausibility of what you are saying in the CMB, but you seem to miss the same kind of point in galaxies. I worry that we won't find WIMPs and keep pursuing other DM candidates indefinitely – how do we know when to stop? How would this be different from another millenium of dark epicycles?
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Rainer, March 18:
Dear disputants,
Thanks for this really informative and nearly polemic free (Stacy please stop blaming your colleagues to construct epicycles
To me (and it seems also to Stacy) Sean's concentration on his main argument, makes his case for some kind of "dark non-baryonic field that enters the stress-energy tensor in GR" quite convincing. It then stands to reason (but is not absolutely necessary) to identify it with a quantum field for some new massive particle.
If I may make Stacy's main point in my own words: galaxies are observed to be simpler than they would be expected to be: at least a large fraction of them obeys a strange simple MOND rule, which is without a simple plausible motivation in known physics. In addition there are indications that galaxies sometimes behave in ways that they should not in LCDM (tidal dwarves should not contain dark matter but they seem to do).
This reminds one of atoms in classical physics, which were expected to show a very complex behaviour but obeyed strange simple rules, sometimes in contradiction to the known physical laws at the time. The old quantum condition comes to mind as somewhat analogous to MOND's law of motion. Initially it was attempted to explain these rules within the known concepts, and that was all right and necessary.
But, as quantum mechanics showed, there is _also_ the possibility that strange simple rules for basic objects of the theory are first clues for really new concepts.
Sean, don't you have at least a little bit of sympathy for this possibility?
I close with following proposal: CDM or MOND? is not a good question. A better question is: are the successes of the MOND rule _perhaps_ a first clue to new concepts which will modify our understanding of the "dark non-baryonic field that enters the stress-energy tensor in GR" in the sense that it is not only a new quantum field within standard QFT?
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Sean, March 18:
Hi Rainer–
Sure, I'm happy to agree with that. In fact, you will find exactly those sentiments way back in my original blog post on the topic. I just think we're past the point where we can conclude that non-baryonic dark matter exists — what form it takes, how it interacts, and what additional things might be going on, are all crucially important questions. Of course DM faces important challenges from the phenomenology of complex structures, and that should be taken seriously; but no-DM alternatives are ruled out by the data, which should also be taken seriously.
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Stacy, March 19:
Science is dead.
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John Wood, Founder of Room to Read, to Speak at Walden University Academic Residency at Current News
MINNEAPOLIS, May 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- John Wood, founder and board co-chair of Room to Read, will speak to more than 650 doctoral students at Walden University's academic residency on May 12, 2012, at the Hilton Americas-Houston. Combining his passion for social change with the discipline required to run a global company, Wood strives to bring the lessons of the corporate world into the nonprofit sector.
(Logo: http://blogshots.org/photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110920/MM71012-b )
At age 35, Wood chose to walk away from a successful corporate career to dedicate his life to a social cause. Deeply concerned about the fact that nearly 800 million people are not literate and more than 67 million primary school aged children in the developing world are not enrolled in school, he left an executive career track at Microsoft Corporation to create Room to Read, an award-winning global organization seeking to transform the lives of millions of children in the developing world by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education.
Since its start in 2000, Room to Read has sponsored the opening of more than 1,550 schools and more than 13,000 multilingual libraries across the developing world. The organization has distributed more than 11 million children's books in 27 languages and supports nearly 15,400 girls' education scholarships. Wood plans to increase this literacy network to reach at least 10 million children by 2015.
In his 2006 award-winning memoir, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, he shares the incredible story of how he raised more than $150 million in financial commitments from a "standing start" to develop one of the fastest-growing nonprofits in history. Wood has been described by Fast Company magazine as "all heart, all business."
Academic residencies at Walden, an accredited online university, support students' academic and professional goals by connecting them with faculty mentors and diverse groups of peers to encourage the vibrant exchange of ideas and perspectives. During residencies, students from select doctoral and master's programs have the opportunity to conceptualize and develop research initiatives that contribute to positive social change.
Walden's plenary sessions are an integral part of the residency experience and feature speakers from around the world who share their stories and viewpoints with the hope of inspiring debate and lively conversation. These sessions are intended to provide Walden students, faculty, and staff members with the opportunity to hear perspectives on a variety of topics that are meaningful and relevant to their lives as scholars and practitioners.
Visit www.WaldenU.edu/perspectives for an archive of past Walden speakers.
About Walden University
For more than 40 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 48,500 students from all 50 states and more than 140 countries are pursuing their bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees online at Walden. The university provides students with an engaging educational experience that connects them with expert faculty and peers around the world. Walden is the flagship online university in the Laureate International Universities network—a global network of more than 55 campus-based and online universities in 28 countries.
Walden offers more than 65 degree programs with more than 330 specializations and concentrations. Areas of study include health sciences, counseling, human services, management, psychology, education, public health, nursing, public administration and information technology. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.ncahlc.org.
State Winners Announced in Communities In Schools of Georgia Contest at Current News
At-Risk Students Depict How They Achieve Academic Success
ATLANTA--()--Communities In Schools (CIS) of Georgia is proud to announce the winners of an annual statewide contest for at-risk students who are sometimes overlooked and often expected to underachieve. The Student Achievement Month (SAM) contest challenges students to create art, write essays, present speeches, develop computer technology entries, and depict how CIS has helped them excel in school and set new goals. Additionally, SAM boosts their confidence and helps them understand the importance of succeeding in school. Every year this competitive month-long contest has over 150 students who showcase their talent. There were three levels of competition: local, regional, and state. Local entries were judged by community leaders. A local college chose regional winners, and Atlanta business leaders and media chose the 10 state winners. Each state winner will receive a laptop computer, printer, educational software applicable to their grade level and a Kindle Fire. High school seniors can opt for a $1,000 scholarship to an accredited college in lieu of prizes.
"We applaud these students for overcoming the challenges brought upon them and persevering to stay in school and set an example for others to follow"
"We applaud these students for overcoming the challenges brought upon them and persevering to stay in school and set an example for others to follow," said Carol Lewis, Communities In Schools of Georgia Chief Operating Officer.
This year's winners are as follows:
Atlanta:
Shannon Byrd (8th grade)
Burke County:
Diana Decade (6th grade)
Jamecia Dukes (11th grade)
Antonio Williams (3rd grade)
Fitzgerald/Ben Hill County:
Michael Martinez (2nd grade)
Ashley Olivares (2nd grade)
Marietta/Cobb County:
Lauren Robinson (12th grade)
Amy Sanchez (12th grade)
Cesar Sanchez (12th grade)
Turner County:
Taylor Terrell (6th grade)
A luncheon has been scheduled to honor the students on Thursday afternoon. The event will include speeches presented by the elementary and high school state winners in the public speaking category, a presentation of the CIS Education Leadership award to Walmart, and remarks by Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.
There are four winners from the Atlanta metro area. Interviews with students and parents can be arranged. Find out how this dropout prevention organization is helping to make a difference in students' lives and working with Georgia educators to increase graduation rates. To view SAM winning entries, visit www.cisga.org.
About Communities In Schools of Georgia
Communities In Schools (CIS) is the nation's leading dropout prevention organization. CIS partners with local school districts and community organizations to connect resources and services to kids at-risk of dropping out and their families. Through the CIS model, local affiliates promote student achievement by meeting the unique needs of each youth, which might entail providing social services, mentoring, after-school tutoring, to name a few. Third-party experts validated that the CIS model is one of only a few programs that reduces dropout rates and increases student achievement, which leads to stronger economies and communities. In Georgia, 41 CIS local affiliates and 18 Performance Learning Centers® (PLCs) provide services to more than 140,000 students in hundreds of school and community-based sites. PLCs provide another learning option for high school students who are not succeeding in the traditional school setting. In addition to PLCs, other key programs include mentoring, tutoring, parent education, literacy, after-school programs and youth leadership. Communities sponsoring CIS programs have seen an increase in their school graduation rates, a decrease in violence and disruptions, and an increase in attendance and academic achievement. For more information, visit www.cisga.org or call 404-897-2955.
Join dino-mite festivities at Earth Day celebration at Current News
Children will get a chance to become geologists and paleontologists during this year's annual Earth Day celebration.
The Pacific Science Center's Science on Wheels will bring in dinosaur fossils, gem stones and magnetic rocks to touch and study as part of an eight table "Rock and Roll" exhibit.
"We want to make sure everyone has an understanding of what they're seeing," said Eve Kline, outreach education supervisor for the Seattle-based center. "We live in a geologically diverse area. So getting a chance to see why that is, is interesting. ... And everyone loves dinosaurs."
The exhibit at the Cowlitz Expo Center on Saturday will also will feature a "shake table" that will demonstrate how earthquake rattles a house.
However, attendees will not only learn about what's below their feet at the exhibit. There will also be a mobile planetarium that will project constellation and planet locations in the cosmos.
"Most of us will never have access to a telescope, but this will allow us to zoom in on any planet," Kline said. "The goal is to get everyone outside and looking up (after the event) and to wonder what they can't see with their eyes."
The planetarium has 40-minute show times starting at 10:30 a.m., 11:20 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:20 p.m., 2:10 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Mad Science from Portland also will have an interactive exhibit on display about magnets. Their "mad scientists" will demonstrate how magnetism is used, while teaching attendees about levitating tops and magnetic liquids, among other things.
"They're really good at knowing the science and making it fun for the kids," said Dave Tomez, spokesman for the Portland-based Mad Science.
Mad Science is one of the new elements to this year's Earth Day Celebration. Another new act is stilt walker Heather Pearl of Portland. She touts her ability to perform magic and juggling acts while standing over 8 feet tall. Other acts — such as old favorite Eartha the Environmental Clown — have appeared before, but there are several new exhibitors.
This is the 19th year the city of Longview has sponsored an Earth Day celebration, and it typically attracts 3,000 to 4,000 people, said Karry Williquette, the city's Earth Day Committee organizer.
The idea of the event, Williquette said, "is to bring the community in to educate and teach them about what we can do to conserve and sustain our Earth."
Besides the city, the event is co-sponsored by PNE Corp., Cowlitz PUD, Emerald Kalama Chemical, Green Tree Landscaping, Longview Fibre Paper & Packaging, PeaceHealth, Port of Longview, Solvay Chemicals, The Daily News, Waste Control Recycling, Speedy Litho and Kalama CAER.
Drop off old electronics at Earth Day event, get coupon for pizza
An Earth Day Recycle Event to benefit Lower Columbia CAP will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in the Three Rivers Mall parking lot near Izzy's Pizza.
EchoTech Recycling, CAP and the mall are sponsoring the recycling event.
Old computers, laptops, CPU towers, cell phones, monitors and any size old televisions can be dropped off. Donors will receive a discount coupon from Izzy's.
For details, call 577-5218 or visit www.threeriversmall.com.
Lions Club giving away trees for Earth Day
To celebrate Earth Day, Longview-Kelso Early Bird Lions Club will give away fir trees Saturday at the Cowlitz County Expo Center, 1900 Seventh Ave., Longview.
The trees are donated by Weyerhaeuser Co. and have instructions on how to plant them.
The group recycles glasses and hearing aids and will have boxes available for the public to drop off those items.
2012 NFL Mock Draft: Day 2 Predictions for the Bears, Packers, Lions and Vikings at Current News
We're heading at breakneck speed towards the second round here on day two and at this point it looks to be as bonkers as last night.
Aside from the odd Packers-Colt McCoy connections, things are quiet in the NFC North now but I don't know how much longer that holds.
With that, let's take a quick look at what we could expect tonight.
I wouldn't be shocked if they traded back into the second with all the talent sitting there right now and all their needs. They could also just stockpile more late round picks, but I'd wager they try to move up into the second or add another third.
If that doesn't happen, come third round (pick 66 overall), I still like wide receiver Brian Quick who has repeatedly proven his ability despite the perception that his numbers were inflated by a lower level of competition.I would love to see him across from Percy Harvin in an offense that needs weapons.
The Bears have one pick in both the second and third round. McClellin was a bit flashy by their standards—unexpected and bold—but I don't expect any craziness tonight. We are getting a sense of what GM Philip Emery approaches the Draft—wait your turn and jump on the guy you love.
I liked cornerback Alfonzo Dennard here and maybe he's still a possibility but his arrest last week probably killed that. If they are going cornerback, Janoris Jenkins is a guy to look at. He has some off-the-field concerns but not enough to pass on here. If that doesn't work, the offensive line is a place to think about.
Any of the following could be there: Cordy Glenn, Peter Konz, Mike Adams, Jonathan Martin, Bob Massie. All could improve the Bears on the line.
For their round three pick (pick 79 overall) I'd like to see them grab a value wide receiver. If a great one drops, go get him but right about now 6'3", 223lb Juron Criner should be available and the Bears could grab him.
Like the Bears, the Lions have one pick in both the second and third rounds.
Having grabbed an offensive lineman early, and with both top safeties off the board, perhaps the second round might be the time to grab cornerback Janoris Jenkins. Yes, he has off-the-field issues, but the Lions have said they aren't worried about that in general and they very much need a cornerback. I'd like to see them grab one and Jenkins is one of the better cover corners out there.
For their third round pick, a back like LaMichael James or Isaiah Pead might be there in which case I'd jump on him.
The Packers have a very busy day three, but today is mellow by comparison with just—wait for it—one pick per round tonight.
They could do some maneuvering though—they have ample ammo for it with nine picks tomorrow, five of which can be traded (compensatory picks cannot be traded).
Assuming they stay where they are, I still like Trumaine Johnson, the small school corner from Montana.
Johnson can cover in man or zone, and has a frame which can make life difficult for receivers one-on-one. As I have said before, there are some off-the-field issues, but under the care of the secondary already there, he could flourish.
For the third round pick (No. 90) I think adding some safety help would be wise. Markelle Martin is recovering from an ankle injury but is a big hitter with great anticipation and who sees the ball well. I don't foresee him as a day one starter but an immediate role player for sure.
Direction my final destination: John Abraham at Current News
Actor John Abraham, whose first production "Vicky Donor" is receiving a positive feedback from all quarters, is now planning to try his hand at direction.
"If god wishes, I'll turn director three years down the line. That is my final destination and I will definitely do it," the 39-year-old said.
"If god wishes, I'll turn director three years down the line. That is my final destination and I will definitely do it," the 39-year-old said.
John, who cast Ayushmann Khurrana and Yami Gautam in "Vicky Donor", already has his further plans as a producer in place.
"I am doing a dark comedy under my production with Kunal Roy Kapoor. It will be directed by Aditya Bhattacharya, who had made 'Raakh' (1989) with Aamir Khan. Kunal plays the lead in the film and I would be there as a supporting actor," said John.
"Then there is 'Jaafna' with Shoojit Sircar, and then we will make another film with Ayushmann called 'Hamara Bajaj'. It's a beautiful film," he added.
On the acting front, the handsome hunk is busy shooting for "I, Me aur Main", which also features Chitrangada Singh and Prachi Desai.
But John's most awaited project this year is "Shootout at Wadala", where he plays gangster Manya Surve.
OilVoice | Rialto Energy provide weekly drilling progress report at Current News
& & & Tuesday, May 08, 2012&
Rialto Energy Limited (ASX: RIA and AIM: RIA), provides the following weekly update on drilling operations at the Gazelle-P3 ST Well.
The Gazelle-P3 ST well was spudded on 12 March 2012 using the Transocean GSF Monitor jack-up drilling rig. The well is the first of an overall three well drilling programme on CI-202 that is anticipated to take six months to complete, together with testing.
Since the last report, the well has been drilled to a depth of 2181m MDRT (1847m TVDSS). Rialto is expecting to drill and wireline log the Upper Cenomanian reservoir section during this week.
This article is for information and discussion purposes only and does not form a recommendation & to invest or otherwise. The value of an investment may fall. The investments referred to in this & article may not be suitable for all investors, and if in doubt, an investor should seek advice from & a qualified investment adviser. More
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Chardon to vote on rezoning request for Water Street site (with document) at Current News
Loreto Iafelice hopes that after tonight he can finish at least some of what he started about 20 years ago in Chardon.
That's when he sought to develop his Water Street property, opposite the south end of Meadowlands Drive.
At the time, he was negotiating with Walmart, but the restricted-business zoning classification limited the square footage and number of employees.
In 1993, he sued the city over the zoning issue, and it went to the Ohio Supreme Court, which ultimately affirmed the 11th District Appeals Court's reversal of a decision in his favor.
A rezoning request — changing about 24.5 acres to C-4 general commercial — is before city officials again. A public hearing on the request is at 6 p.m. today in City Council chambers, but the change is pretty much a foregone conclusion this time.
That is because the rezoning was agreed to in December as part of a settlement in another lawsuit between the parties.
Iafelice had sued the city in April 2011 seeking compensation because the city comprehensive plan shows a thoroughfare through his property, which he said hindered its marketability.
To settle, council agreed to pay $300,000 to purchase about an acre of his land, to make way for the long-sought connector between Water Street and Wilson Mills Road. The amount includes $210,000 for loss of use of part of the property.
It's too late for Walmart, which ended up locating across the street, but Iafelice said he is beginning to market the site once again, as a prime spot for a potential shopping center, restaurants, banks and/or medical uses.
"We're going to put it in high gear here and hopefully get some good users," he said. Continued...
Law Director James M. Gillette recommends that council approve the rezoning.
"They can always vote 'no,' but it would be in violation of the settlement agreement," he said.
The public hearing is required by law, he said.
Iafelice said he will rest easier after the vote.
"It's a done deal, but it's not done until it's done," he said.
The city needs the land to construct a 700-foot "stub" street across from Meadowlands. Negotiations are ongoing with other property owners to allow extension of the street to Wilson Mills Road at Park Avenue — a highly valued traffic-reliever project that has been in the comprehensive plan for more than 40 years. The project will be paid for out of the capital improvement fund.
The Iafelice portion of the road is expected to be done within the next three years. He proposed a similar road in the Walmart plans. He took the zoning issue to the ballot twice, but it narrowly failed.
View Iafelice property in a larger map Chardon commercial zoning code
Guild Wars 2 hosting a surprise stress test next Monday at Current News
Are you in withdrawal after the last Guild Wars 2 testing weekend? Feeling the need to get back in the game, even if it's just for one night? If so, you're in luck, as the team has just recently announced that the game will be performing a surprise stress test on Monday, May 14th between 2:00 p.m. EDT until 9:00 p.m. EDT. It's a chance to log back in, play for a bit, and get more of a taste for the game over those seven hours.
Worth noting is that the stress test is only for pre-purchasers, but beyond that there are no specific test requirements -- you can continue using the characters you created during the beta weekend. Players may experience some slight performance issues, since the purpose is to try and alleviate issues before the next beta weekend rolls around. So if you've pre-purchased the game, get ready to head back to Tyria in less than a week's time.& & & &
Ron Paul Still Raking in Big Fundraising Bucks at Current News
In case you've forgotten, Ron Paul is still running for president. And based off his latest fundraising reports, his campaign looks healthy for a candidate who has failed to win even one state contest this primary season.
Paul's National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton told Whispers the Texas Rep. collected $10.4 million in the initial months of 2012, down slightly from the record $13 million he raised in the fourth quarter of 2011.
The momentum shows no sign of stopping. Paul collected over $1 million during an April 15 money bomb. With Rick Santorum out of the picture, Benton says the future is looking even sunnier.
"We finally got to the place where we finally thought we'd be," Benton says. "It was always our goal to set Ron up as the limited government alternative to the established moderate. And we finally reached that point. Ron's the last man standing."
The Paul campaign isn't backing off. Politico reported Thursday that after Santorum announced he was exiting the nomination fray, Romney pulled ads leading up to state primaries. Paul, however is dishing out $110,000 for television spots.
"It is always an advantage when you don't have to yell over other political ads," Benton says. "They are in primary states where we can win delegates."
Looking forward, Benton tells Whispers the campaign will launch an aggressive ad series Monday, focused on earning a good number of delegates in Paul's home state of Texas. With Santorum out of the way, the campaign sees new possibilities in states like Colorado, a place the campaign had written off as Santorum and Romney territory. The caucus in Colorado already happened, but official delegate selection is still underway. [See a collection of political cartoons on Mitt Romney]
"We are fighting really hard in many states on our convention strategy," Benton says. "The exit of Santorum has opened up any more delegate opportunities for us."
Benton admits Romney's well positioned, but says the campaign still thinks Paul has a shot.
"I am not going to try to deceive you, and say that Romney doesn't have some advantages," Benton says. "But until he has 1,144 delegates, we are going to press on with our campaign."
As far as moving former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich out of the way, Benton says there is no saying how long he will hold on. The Paul campaign is not forming their strategy on the belief that Gingrich is exiting the race any time soon.
"Who knows with Newt," Benton says. "He is millions in debt, he has no convention organization. I don't understand why he continues, but that is his prerogative."
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