Ben Henderson Retains Belt in Controversial Split Decision: The UFC 150 Main Card Rundown

When they first met, they went the distance and the judges gave it to Benson Henderson.? But this time, when former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar and reigning champ Henderson scrapped, it seemed just a little more clear-cut, and it appeared as if "The Answer" had done enough in their five-rounds of hard-fought conflict to reclaim that precious belt that was once his.? But the judges ? in their infinite wisdom, or lack thereof ? disagreed.? That's the story of UFC 150 main event.? More after the jump.

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  • The youngest man on the UFC's roster also just happens to possess a wicked body shot, as TUF veteran Justin Lawrence found out much to his dismay.? In the bout between 20-year-old striker Max Holloway and 22-year-old striker Lawrence, there was zero grappling on the ground and tons of lightning-quick exchanges on the feet, with both fighters dinging each other up throughout all of the first and most of the second round.? But Holloway was relentless in his pressure, and when he softened Lawrence up with a knee to the body, then followed it up with a pair of hooks to the ribs, Lawrence folded in pain against the cage.? The ensuing storm of punches had referee Josh Rosenthal stepping in and making the TKO official at 4:49 of Round Two.

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  • Buddy Roberts established early on that standing and trading with him would be a very dangerous prospect ? established with hard jabs, crosses and kicks that clearly hurt ? so former middleweight contender Yushin Okami made every effort to make this match a ground war.? And he was successful, pulling Roberts down and punishing him with punches from back-mount at the end of the first round, and doing the same early on in the second.? The American had no answer for the predicament Okami put him in, and the referee was forced to end it at 3:05 of the round, giving the Japanese fighter the win via TKO.

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  • For some odd reason, Ed Herman felt that his best chance at beating Jake Shields was to pretend the walls of the Octagon were a giant cheese grater and the former Strikeforce champ was a piece of cheese.? That was the uneventful story of Round One, and Shields avoided being the cheese in Round Two by taking the TUF runner-up down and trying to methodically jiu-jitsu him to death.? The third round was pretty much the same as the second, and though it was the farthest thing from an exciting, crowd-pleasing battle, for Shields, it got the job done.? He took the unanimous decision (29-29, 30-27, 30-27) when time ran out.

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  • It was quick, but damn was it fun.? In the lightweight co-main event between former teammates Donald Cerrone and Melvin Guillard, Cerrone came out full of confidence and walked into a left hook that had him stumbling and in grave danger of going to sleep.? But even though Guillard pursued him and tried to land the coup de grace, Cerrone recovered ? at least, well enough to clip the "Young Assassin" with a high-kick and finish him with a devastating right.? Guillard was out cold at 1:16 of the first round, and while it lasted, this one was a thriller.

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  • Whenever Henderson and Edgar fight, they're destined to go five rounds.? No if's, and's or but's about it.? That's simply what they'll do.? Round One saw the former champ eating low-kicks to the calf that had him stumbling and falling, and though he scored a takedown in the late seconds of the frame, Edgar was caught in a tight guillotine.? He survived, and in Round Two, he dropped Henderson with a right and threatened with a guillotine of his own while sprawling away from the champ's takedown attempt.? With Henderson and Edgar picking and choosing their shots and neither really hurting the other, the third was extremely tough to score, but "The Answer" made it a little easier in the fourth by landing a takedown.? If we've learned anything from watching these two fight for so many rounds, it's that they'll never make it easy for the judges, and Round Five was true to form, as both pecked at each other and neither took the definitive lead.? However, when it came to scoring, his unerring right hand seemed to be at least racking up points, it did seem like Edgar took the round? The end result?? A split decision (46-49, 48-47, 48-47) in favor of Henderson, who retained his belt but was showered by boos from a crowd that thought Edgar had deserved the "W".

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ben-henderson-retains-belt-controversial-split-decision-ufc-050451883--mma.html

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Imo rolls out free voice calling for iOS users, hopes you'll use it to talk about free voice calling

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Imo has no doubt gotten a bit of boost in the last couple of months, when Meebo finally shuttered its Messenger offering ahead of its social-boosting Google integration, and now the service is getting a bit more robust for iOS users. The instant messaging aggregator (AIM, Google Talk, Facebook chat, et al.) is bringing free voice calling to iPhones running iOS version 3.1 and higher, a feature already available on its Android offering. Interested parties can check out a press release and not particularly informative video of the new feature after the break.

Continue reading Imo rolls out free voice calling for iOS users, hopes you'll use it to talk about free voice calling

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/13/imo-rolls-out-free-voice-calling-for-ios-users-hopes-youll-use/

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98% The Imposter

All Critics (48) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (47) | Rotten (1)

This is one creepy mystery.

"The Imposter" initially seems to be a tutorial in identity theft, as well as a cautionary tale about the susceptibility of people who have lost a loved one. But that's not the half of it.

Layton's film joins the top ranks of nonfiction films because he recognizes that in this case no solution could be as engrossing as the questions.

This is as much a film about self-deception as it is about deception, and as such, it is a study in pain.

This is a train wreck you think you see coming, but no matter how prepared you are the nature and extent of the damage will overwhelm you.

As fiction, it would never fly. But "The Imposter" happens to be true, and it's a jaw-dropper.

It's ... practically unbelievable, but you won't be able to look away.

Stranger than fiction...simply by presenting us with the facts as they unfolded, Layton winningly encourages more questions than answers.

Only an extraordinary documentary ... can create such a sense of intrigue, tension and mystery.

Layton, a television documentarian, uses familiar Errol Morris-style techniques to wrap us in the mystery of Nicholas Barclay.

Creepier than Catfish and as cinematic as Man On Wire, this is an unnerving story immaculately told and a strong contender for doc of the year.

Truth that is undeniably stranger than fiction. A film that shows us that we may have found the enemy, and it may be us.

The greatest mystery of all -- why this family believed the imposter and welcomed him "home" -- remains hauntingly unsolved

The dense storytelling, heavy thematic burdens and endlessly conflicting perspectives could have spun The Imposter right off the rails had Layton's hold not been so assured.

The movie benefits from an abundance of colorful characters of mixed intelligence.

More Critic Reviews

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_imposter_2012/

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Why does my dog lick me | Love My Pets GPS Pet Safety Products ...

August 12, 2012 ? Jerry Welsh

Gee, my dog is licking my face again. Dogs are well loved pets and this baby certainly receives much love and affection from me but the icky drool in my nose, ears and lips is simply disgusting. Licking is one of the ways by which dogs can learn about their environment but this pet of mine really takes a big slice of the cake when it comes to licking.

Licking is a habit learned by dogs from puppyhood. The mother dog?s tongue is used not unlike a washcloth to clean the puppies. The puppies will be licked clean by the dam after they have pooped and peed. Mother dogs licking is aimed to aid in the circulation and digestion process of the puppies. Puppies on the other hand, have learned to lick the mother dog whenever they want to nurse. Puppies will be seen licking the mouth of the dam to encourage regurgitation. You can be sure that your pet loves you because licking is done to show affection. Mother dogs would instinctively lick puppies that have crawled away from the littermates. Puppies would lick not only the dam but also their siblings.

It is perfectly normal for dogs to show affection through licking. Dogs are affectionate creatures that consider humans as their family. The mother dog and the littermates that were once the recipient of the dog?s wet tongue are now replaced by the human family. You are now the family of the dog so be prepared to feel the wet raspy tongue of the pet. It will be noted that dogs that do not receive the same care and affection from their owners would not have the inclination to lick their owners.

You know that your pet is a pack oriented animal. You may have made your dog understand that you are the alpha male ? the leader of the pack. Your pet recognizes you as the leader of the pack because licking is a sign of submission. Licking can also be the dog?s way of gaining your approval or attention. This is most common in households with two or more dogs. The pets would vie with each other for the attention of the master.

You may be annoyed by the dog?s licking behavior because you know that the pet also has the habit of eating disgusting things like feces and rotting animals. This concern will be aggravated by the dog?s inclination to drink from the toilet bowl. Because of these habits, the pet would not think you do not value its affection by trying to curb its licking behavior.

Learn more about why dogs lick at Sarah?s Dogs.

Source: http://lovemypetsgps.com/blog/2721/why-does-my-dog-lick-me/

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Wall Street Week Ahead: Bulls, bears and wallflowers

NEW YORK (Reuters) - It's another one of those moments that always follow a big move in the stock market: Either you're a believer - or you're not. Right now, the market has its fair share of both.

The S&P 500 is up 12 percent so for this year. Through July, it had its best first seven months since 2003 and its second- best seven-month run since 1998. That sounds like a bull market.

But there is clearly a disconnect between the way markets have performed and the high level of caution among many investors. That is mainly due to the perception that things have the potential to go horribly wrong - incredibly fast.

The danger for investors is that they focus too much on the potential risks, such as the break-up of the euro zone, and end up getting left on the sidelines when markets move higher as they have done since the start of June, said Doug Cote, chief market strategist at ING Investment Management, in New York.

"We are in a bull market," he said. "The mistake investors have made is too much attention on global risk, and not enough attention on fundamentals that are very resilient."

Cote believes that record high aggregate earnings for S&P 500 companies this year and signs of improvement in the labor market mean investors should be taking on more risk rather than fretting about the dangers stemming from Europe's debt crisis.

NO EASY CHOICES

But for the more equivocal souls, the market is presenting a difficult dilemma, and strong convictions either way are elusive.

David Joy, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial in Boston, says it's an uncomfortable time for many investors, who are caught between missing a rally and getting blindsided by some nasty event that sends markets into a tailspin.

"It's a dilemma that is uncomfortable to watch and to function in," said Joy, who helps oversee $571 billion in assets. "It's one of those markets where you're running a big risk being out."

Joy says the rally is being driven by the hope of more "easy money" policies from central banks in the United States, Europe and China.

He has had doubts about the strength of the economy for many months. At the same time, he has been worried by the recent spate of cautious outlooks from corporate managers. But he also knows what investors ignore at their peril: "You can't fight the Fed."

"I don't like the fundamentals, I don't like what I'm seeing economically, I don't like what I'm seeing in terms of earnings forecasts going forward, but I recognize that central banks can trump all of those things," Joy said. "You may be right on the fundamentals, but wrong on the price action of the market."

Both the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve are due to meet during the first half of September. Investors are hoping the ECB will buy bonds of troubled European nations in a bid to ease the debt crisis.

CAUTION CUTS BOTH WAYS

But Joy is also cautious about what many are describing as early signs of stabilization in the U.S. economy after a soft patch earlier in the spring and summer.

The July nonfarm payrolls report, which showed U.S. employers had done the most hiring in five months, is not enough to convince investors like Joy who want to see more confirmation before unwinding their defensive stance and getting more aggressive.

That cautious view that led him to cut his bond-equity allocation and lean more toward defensive areas of the stock market, such as consumer staples, healthcare and utilities, helps explain an oddity of the market's rally since June.

Much of the money heading into U.S. equity markets over the last two months has been heading into defensive sectors, some of it in a flight to safety from overseas markets, especially Europe.

Of two classically defensive sectors - utilities and telecoms - the utilities sector is trading at a 24 percent premium to the S&P 500, compared with an average 5 percent discount over the last 10 years, while the telecom sector is trading at a 50 percent premium compared with the usual 5 percent, according to data cited by UBS Wealth Management.

For Jeremy Zirin, UBS Wealth Management's New York-based head of U.S. equities and chief U.S. equity strategist, that is both a red flag highlighting the market's misgivings and a potential opportunity, should that differential start to narrow.

"We have a bit of a pro-cyclical tilt in our sector strategy within U.S. equity markets, largely because the market seems to be positioned so defensively," Zirin said. "We have seen this flood of flows going into defensive safe havens with high yield, and we just think they are very highly priced.

"Cyclical sectors seem to be pricing in something of a more dire economic scenario than we envision," he said. "Cyclical sectors are trading at a nearly two-decade valuation low relative to defensive sectors."

Of course, the market could also be setting itself up for a fall. Betting on what central bankers will and won't do is a risky game.

"Investors who have been hopeful that policymakers will take stronger action through this entire sovereign debt crisis have been consistently disappointed," Zirin said. "The notion that someone with very deep pockets will come along and pay the bills without conditionality is likely to be a foolish one."

That is why many are still erring on the side of caution.

Harris Private Bank in Chicago has been using the U.S. stock market's rally to cut its remaining exposure to stock markets in developed European economies.

They have repatriated the money to the United Stated where they have invested in U.S. equity positions, cautiously hedged with options. They now have higher-than-normal exposure to both U.S. and emerging market equities.

"We are certainly well overexposed to dollar assets," said Harris Private Bank's chief investment officer Jack Ablin. "We are sanguine on equities in general, but still very concerned about the outcomes in Europe."

(Wall St Week Ahead runs every Friday. Comments or questions on this column can be emailed to: edward.krudy(at)thomsonreuters.com)

(Editing by Jan Paschal)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wall-street-week-ahead-bulls-bears-wallflowers-003704389--finance.html

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Urban poor plagued by 'burdens of place'

Friday, August 10, 2012

Most of America's urban cores were designed for walking but offer little in the way of supermarkets, healthy restaurants and other amenities for residents to walk to, according to a study led by a Michigan State University scholar.

The study is one of the first to show that poor residents living in declining urban neighborhoods want healthy food choices ? evidenced by their willingness to travel long distances to find them. Past research has generally assumed that poor people will shop at whatever store is closest.

But compared with suburban residents, the urban poor are more overweight and must travel farther to find healthy food and access personal services, said Igor Vojnovic, associate professor of geography and lead author on the study.

"This research reveals that the lack of access to basic amenities in declining inner-city neighborhoods ? what we call the 'burdens of place' ? is an important variable in shaping travel and diet," Vojnovic said.

Vojnovic and colleagues studied the Lansing, Mich., area by surveying urban and suburban residents, collecting socioeconomic data and using digital mapping to plot average distances to stores, restaurants, doctors' offices, banks, skating rinks and other amenities.

Their findings, published in the Journal of Urban Design, found that poor urban residents were significantly overweight, with an average body mass index of 28.73, while wealthy suburbanites were only slightly overweight, with an average BMI of 25.05. (For adults, a BMI of 25 is considered overweight and 30 is obese.)

Other findings included:

  • Fast food restaurants were more plentiful in poor neighborhoods. In addition, residents there reported that 55 percent of all dining-out experiences were at fast food eateries, compared with only 13 percent for those in the suburbs.
  • Poor urban residents had to go nearly twice as far as suburbanites to shop at supermarkets.
  • The urban poor made about five trips per month to convenience stores (which aren't known for stocking healthy foods) compared with only one trip per month for suburbanites.

"Even though the inner cities were designed to improve access, homeowners in the wealthier suburbs were actually closer to the stores and restaurants that offer healthier foods," Vojnovic said. "In other words, opportunities depend on where you live."

During the past 30 years, urban planners and business investors have largely ignored poor communities, instead focusing policy, research and investment efforts on wealthier neighborhoods, Vojnovic said. As a result, little is known about resident behaviors in declining communities, even as the number of poor people increases in the United States, he said.

The current study shows that the fundamental principles in city planning and design that have been developed around wealthy communities do not necessarily hold in poor neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, some have advocated an "obesity tax" on unhealthy foods to help pay for the health-care system overhaul or as a policy to curtail obesity. But Vojnovic said such a tax would disproportionately burden the urban poor and noted that this population has little power to influence the location decisions of healthy food suppliers.

Vojnovic said a better option might be for states to give subsidies to major supermarket chains, restaurants serving healthy food and other needed establishments that locate in poor neighborhoods.

###

Michigan State University: http://www.newsroom.msu.edu

Thanks to Michigan State University for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/122474/Urban_poor_plagued_by__burdens_of_place_

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Eastin breaks NFL's on-field gender barrier

Line judge Shannon Eastin, left, takes the field prior to an NFL preseason football game between the San Diego Chargers and the Green Bay Packers, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012, in San Diego. Eastin is a replacement line judge who will make her NFL debut in the exhibition game. The regular officials are locked out by the league after their contract expired. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

Line judge Shannon Eastin, left, takes the field prior to an NFL preseason football game between the San Diego Chargers and the Green Bay Packers, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012, in San Diego. Eastin is a replacement line judge who will make her NFL debut in the exhibition game. The regular officials are locked out by the league after their contract expired. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

FILE - In this Aug. 4, 2012, file photo provided by the Seattle Seahawks, NFL official Shannon Eastin works during the Seahawks' NFL football training camp in Renton, Wash. The Associated Press examines six of the top questions that will be answered in the preseason starting on Thursday, Aug. 9, including how replacement referees will perform while traditional officiating crews are locked out due to labor negotiations. (AP Photo/Seattle Seahawks, Rod Mar, File)

In this photo taken on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, and provided by the Seattle Seahawks, NFL official Shannon Eastin works during the Seahawks NFL football training camp in Renton, Wash. Eastin makes her NFL debut Thursday night as the line judge when the Green Bay Packers play at San Diego in the preseason opener for both teams. (AP Photo/Seattle Seahawks, Rod Mar)

In this photo taken on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, and provided by the Seattle Seahawks, NFL official Shannon Eastin works during the Seahawks NFL football training camp in Renton, Wash. Eastin makes her NFL debut Thursday night as the line judge when the Green Bay Packers play at San Diego in the preseason opener for both teams. (AP Photo/Seattle Seahawks, Rod Mar)

In this photo taken on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, and provided by the Seattle Seahawks, NFL official Shannon Eastin works during the Seahawks NFL football training camp in Renton, Wash. Eastin makes her NFL debut Thursday night as the line judge when the Green Bay Packers play at San Diego in the preseason opener for both teams. (AP Photo/Seattle Seahawks, Rod Mar)

(AP) ? Shannon Eastin has become the first woman to officiate an NFL game.

Eastin broke the NFL's on-field gender barrier Thursday night, serving as the line judge for a seven-man crew working a preseason game between the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers.

Wearing No. 27 on the back of her official's uniform, Eastin was dwarfed by the players as she lined up in front of San Diego's sideline and had a camera following nearly every move before the game.

The 42-year-old from Tempe, Ariz., seemed at ease in the spotlight, though, and had at least two players shake her hand right before the opening kickoff.

Though she wasn't involved in many calls until late, Eastin stayed steady among the giants and the national spotlight, earning her stripes by receiving the ultimate officials' compliment: It was almost as if she wasn't there.

It's no surprise.

She's a referee in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, college football's second-highest level, and a 16-year veteran of officiating. Eastin got her NFL shot as a replacement official, among a group taking the place of the regular refs, who are locked out.

And now, she'll have a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Well, at least her cap will; the one she wore Thursday night is headed to Canton.

Replacement officials are working games for the first time in 11 years. Beginning with six games Thursday, they're scheduled to work 16 games this weekend.

The crew working the Hall of Fame game last Sunday had some shaky moments and the officials at Thursday's game between Buffalo and Washington were booed after muffing a touchback call. That added to Eastin's pressure of being the first woman to officiate an NFL game ? in front of millions of viewers, no less, with the game on national TV.

Eastin is no stranger to breaking barriers, though.

A multiple national judo champion as a child, she started officiating high schools games, moved up to colleges and eventually to the MEAC, where she became the first woman to be a crew chief.

Eastin also owns a company called SE Sports Officiating, which trains officials in football and basketball.

Other than her size, Eastin seemed to fit right in before the game, chatting with the other officials, members of the chain crew and a couple of players. Chargers tackle Jeromey Clary and linebacker Antwan Barnes sought her out just before kickoff, shaking her hand and saying a few words before she ran down the sideline for the first time.

Eastin spent most of the first half straddling the line markers and keeping track of the time, without much action on her side of the field.

Things picked up in the second half, when she had to break up a small skirmish between players on a punt and whipped her flag to the middle of the field for a holding call late in the third quarter.

Eastin heard a few boos early in the fourth quarter from the hometown fans for a pass interference call on San Diego's Corey Lynch ? a call she appeared to get right ? and later signaled touchdown when Green Bay's Marc Tyler dived in from 1 yard out.

Eastin added final TD signal on a 1-yard run by San Diego's Curtis Brinkley and was on the spot for a fumble recovery by the Chargers near Green Bay's bench in the closing seconds, though she didn't have to climb into the pile to make the call.

Eastin joins a small group of women to crack the officiating ranks at the highest levels of sports.

Violet Palmer, one of Eastin's inspirations, began officiating NBA games in 1997 and is still in the league.

Bernice Gera became the first woman to work in baseball's minor leagues, serving as an umpire in a New York-Penn League game in 1972.

Pam Postema umpired major league spring training games in 1989 and, thanks to a push by commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti, made it up to Triple-A for six seasons. She was fired a few months after Giamatti's death, filed a sex discrimination suit against baseball and settled out of court 5 1/2 years later.

The locked-out NFL Referees Association said earlier Thursday that Eastin should be barred from working any league games because she once participated in the World Series of Poker. Should she be hired permanently, Eastin would be barred from such events in the future as part of the NFL's gambling policy.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-08-09-Female%20Official/id-8377e514a8894c42bb84f70847e4fba3

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Asia Writes: Job Vacancy: Staff Writer for ABS-CBN Publishing ...

ABS-CBN Publishing completes ABS-CBN?s tri-media offering with 14 glossy magazine titles, addressing the needs of the Philippine upscale market with features on fashion and lifestyle, gossip and entertainment, culinary arts, interior design, sports, and male-specific interests

Staff Writer for ABS-CBN Publishing, Inc. (National Capital Reg)

Responsibilities:

  • Assist Associate Editor in monitoring the pulse of the readers and translate this into content.
  • To generate at least five articles a month, including press release pages, for each issue of the magazine;
  • To attend photo shoots for the cover and inside pages;
  • To support and help the team in closing of the Magazine during the press work;
  • Prepare captions
  • Attend to meeting and participate in editorial meetings or when the Managing Editor so requires;
  • To oversee and supervise contributing writers to be consistent with the brand bible.
  • To Input corrections;
  • To constantly learn, contribute and seek ways to improve editorial content quality;

Requirements:
  • Candidate must possess at least a Bachelor's/College Degree in Mass Communications, Advertising/Media, Humanities/Liberal Arts, Linguistics/Languages or equivalent.
  • Required skill(s): speaking, reading comprehension, MS Office.
  • At least 1 year(s) of working experience in the related field is required for this position.
  • Preferably 1-4 Yrs Experienced Employees specializing in Journalist/Editor or equivalent. Job role in Journalist/Writer or equivalent.
  • 1 Full-Time position(s) available.

Preference will be given to candidates who APPLY ONLINE.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For submissions: apply via ABS-CBN's official career partner

Website: http://www.abs-cbn.com/

Source: http://www.asiawrites.org/2012/08/job-vacancy-staff-writer-for-abs-cbn.html

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NASA's 'green' planetary test lander crashes

In this still image made from video provided by NASA, the methane-powered Morpheus lander burns after it crashed in a test flight at Kennedy Space Center in Florida Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012. NASA spokeswoman Lisa Malone says nobody was hurt, but it appears the prototype lander is a total loss. (AP Photo/NASA)

In this still image made from video provided by NASA, the methane-powered Morpheus lander burns after it crashed in a test flight at Kennedy Space Center in Florida Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012. NASA spokeswoman Lisa Malone says nobody was hurt, but it appears the prototype lander is a total loss. (AP Photo/NASA)

(AP) ? Earlier this week NASA safely landed a robotic rover on Mars 350 million miles away. But on Thursday here on Earth, a test model planetary lander crashed and burned at Kennedy Space Center in Florida just seconds after liftoff.

The spider-like $7 million spacecraft called Morpheus was on a test flight at Cape Canaveral when it tilted, crashed to the ground and erupted in flames.

NASA spokeswoman Lisa Malone said it appears that the methane-and-liquid oxygen powered lander is a total loss. Nobody was hurt in the unmanned experiment and the flames were put out, she said.

In a statement, NASA said it was probably more a mechanical failure than some type of control issue.

Morpheus is a prototype for a cheap, environmentally friendly planetary lander. Thursday was the first time it had been tested untethered in a free flight. It had performed about 20 flights at Johnson Space Center in Houston, where it was designed and made, but it was always tethered to a crane, NASA spokesman Kelly Humphries said.

The testing moved from Texas to Florida last week and Morpheus had a successful tether test on Friday. NASA had planned to run tests for three months. The plan was for flights over a specially created field designed to mimic the surface of the moon, with boulders, rocks, slopes and craters.

The lander was built mostly with low-cost, off-the-shelf materials. It was an attempt by NASA to use cheaper, more readily available and environmentally friendly rocket fuel. The space agency was considering it as a potential lander for places like the moon or an asteroid, figuring it would carry a human-like robot or small rover.

NASA promoted Morpheus as a "green" project because methane is more environmentally friendly than the toxic rocket fuels it uses. Methane, which is the main component of natural gas, is also cheaper and could even be made from ice on the moon or Mars, NASA figured.

Morpheus was early in the NASA experimental "test bed" process and the space agency hadn't committed to using the lander in any specific flight, Humphries said.

___

Online

Project Morpheus: http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/

___

Seth Borenstein can be followed at http://twitter.com/borenbears

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-08-09-NASA%20Lander%20Crash/id-03dd09e3f95445ab8515fade9b4e42f0

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