Famously loquacious Fidel Castro discovers brevity

Local newspapers Granma and Juventud Rebelde from various dates show Fidel Castro's "Reflections" published on their front pages in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, June 19, 2012. Castro's normally loquacious opinion pieces in the local press have lately been short enough to tweet, and sometimes as vague and mysterious as a fortune cookie. So acolytes and detractors alike have met the latest musings of the Cuban revolutionary, long famed for five-hour speeches, with befuddlement. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)

Local newspapers Granma and Juventud Rebelde from various dates show Fidel Castro's "Reflections" published on their front pages in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, June 19, 2012. Castro's normally loquacious opinion pieces in the local press have lately been short enough to tweet, and sometimes as vague and mysterious as a fortune cookie. So acolytes and detractors alike have met the latest musings of the Cuban revolutionary, long famed for five-hour speeches, with befuddlement. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)

FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2012 file photo, released by the state media website Cubadebate, Cuba's former president Fidel Castro speaks during the presentation of his book,"Guerrillero del Tiempo," or Time Warrior, in Havana, Cuba. His normally loquacious opinion pieces in the local press have lately been short enough to tweet, and sometimes as vague and mysterious as a fortune cookie. So acolytes and detractors alike have met the latest musings of the Cuban revolutionary, long famed for five-hour speeches, with befuddlement. (AP Photo/Cubadebate, Roberto Chile, File)

A man carries local newspapers, Granma and Juventud Rebelde, on his bicycle to a newspaper stand in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, June 19, 2012. Fidel Castro's normally loquacious opinion pieces in the local press have lately been short enough to tweet, and sometimes as vague and mysterious as a fortune cookie. So acolytes and detractors alike have met the latest musings of the Cuban revolutionary, long famed for five-hour speeches, with befuddlement. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)

FILE - In this Feb. 10 2012 file photo released by the state media website Cubadebate, Cuba's leader Fidel Castro smiles during a meeting with intellectuals and writers at the International Book Fair in Havana, Cuba. His normally loquacious opinion pieces in the local press have lately been short enough to tweet, and sometimes as vague and mysterious as a fortune cookie. So acolytes and detractors alike have met the latest musings of the Cuban revolutionary, long famed for five-hour speeches, with befuddlement. (AP Photo/Cubadebate, Roberto Chile, File)

(AP) ? Fidel Castro has been called many things during his long turn on the world's stage, but "succinct" has not been one of them.

So acolytes and detractors alike have met the latest musings of the Cuban revolutionary, long famed for five-hour speeches, with befuddlement. His normally loquacious opinion pieces in the local press lately almost have been short enough to tweet, and sometimes as vague and mysterious as a fortune cookie.

Since he left office in 2006, the former Cuban president has kept himself busy publishing thoughts on whatever topics might interest him: from dire warnings of a looming nuclear Armageddon, to disgust at U.S. politics and to fond memories of his swashbuckling past.

Whatever he writes is reprinted in its entirety in every Cuban newspaper, and read out in serious tones by anchors on television and radio broadcasts. Often, comments or newspaper articles that catch Castro's fancy are quoted nearly in their entirety, with only brief fresh comment. Occasionally, Castro even quotes his own past columns, entitled "Reflections" verbatim from beginning to end.

The pieces come irregularly, but almost all have one thing in common. They are long. Or at least they were until last week, when the 85-year-old began a flurry of bite-sized ruminations that have Cubans and Cuba-watchers alike scratching their heads.

"What are the FC?" Castro asked in a one-paragraph offering on June 10, before answering himself cryptically: "These comprise a method with which I try to transmit the modest understandings I have acquired during long years, and which I consider useful for Cuban officials responsible for the production of foodstuffs that are essential to our people's lives."

Nobody on the island seems to have any idea what the "FC" stands for, or what the former leader is referring to. The Cuban government has not responded to requests for an explanation.

In comments posted on the government's Cubadebate website beneath the "Reflection," Cubans took turns trying to decipher its meaning, or asking for help.

"I WOULD APPRECIATE IF THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF, OR ONE OF HIS AIDES, EXPLAINS WHAT ARE THE FC," wrote a reader identified as Orestes.

"For me it's clear what FC stands for," said a bold poster named Armando. "Corrupt functionaries, dung-eating functionaries, cretinous functionaries, outdated functionaries, quasi-stupid functionaries, complicit functionaries." In Spanish, all of those possibilities bear the initials FC.

Exiles in Miami have long-monitored Castro's writings, and false rumors of his demise pop up whenever a few weeks go by without a new essay. The latest batch have raised questions of another kind.

"Every day his comments are getting smaller. Like someone who is fading out," said Miami political consultant and Cuban exile Gus Garcia. "I keep thinking the whole philosophy now is from a gentleman who is no longer in touch with reality."

The day after the FC essay, Castro published a 65-word blurb on former East German leader Erich Honecker, whose communist regime collapsed in 1990 as reforms in the Soviet Union led to uprisings that swept away socialist governments across Eastern Europe.

"I maintain feelings of profound solidarity with Honecker," Castro wrote, following a dig at an unnamed world leader who "sold his soul for a few fingers of vodka," an apparent reference to reformist Russian president Boris Yeltsin. Another, three-line offering sent June 14, criticizes Deng Xiaoping, considered the architect of China's economic reforms, for a long-ago slight against Cuba.

One "Relfection" consisted solely of reproducing six-lines of poetry about deceased revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara.

This week's offerings are even more esoteric.

A 51-word dispatch on Monday talked up the benefits of a tree used in many developing countries to boost nutrition and feed livestock.

"The conditions exist for the country to begin massive production of moringa oleifera and white mulberry which, in addition to being an inexhaustible source of meat, eggs and milk, have silky fibers that can be woven artisanally and are capable of creating well-paid work in the shade, regardless of age or sex," reads the entire piece.

On Tuesday, Castro wrote two sentences noting that yoga masters "can do things with the human body that can hardly be imagined." He urged his countrymen to watch an upcoming television program on the subject, before signing off.

Ted Henken, a Cuba expert and professor of Latin American studies at Baruch College in New York, said the mini-reflections read like something between a tweet and a haiku.

"They either mean nothing at all or are like reading tea leaves," he said. "It's like that crazy uncle who says inscrutable things, either full of hidden meaning or full of something else."

Islanders have grown accustomed to Castro's circuitous manner of speaking, with philosophy and bold ideas interrupted by long, tangential asides. In his heyday, Castro could speak for hours under the blazing Caribbean sun, and still holds the record for the longest speech (4 hours, 16 minutes) ever given to the U.N. General Assembly.

But Cubans say the randomness of the new, mini-dispatches is unsettling, and reactions have ranged from puzzlement to outright derision.

"I don't understand what he is trying to say but it must be something, because Fidel never does anything just to do it," said Julio Romero, a 67-year-old retiree. "There's always a reason, so we'll see."

Many younger Cubans were less charitable, if reluctant to go on the record for fear of getting into trouble.

"I think he's toasted," said Pablo, a 20-something Havana resident. He smiled and twirled his finger next to his ear as he used the slang term for crazy, then walked briskly away.

____

Associated Press writers Anne-Marie Garcia in Havana, and Laura Wides-Munoz in Miami, contributed to this report.

____

Follow Paul Haven on Twitter: www.twitter.com/paulhaven

Associated Press

oceans 11

A reality check for sexy summer read | UWM News

Robin Poedel with this summer?s hot read, ?50 Shades of Grey? and her collection of stuffed microbes used in teaching about various venereal diseases such as Chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, gonorrhea and HPV. (Photos by Peter Jakubowski)

Robin Poedel wasn?t too surprised when students in her class got into a discussion about this year?s hot new novel, E.L. James? ?Fifty Shades of Grey.?

?It?s controversial and explicit, but it?s about sexual practices that are actually happening,? says Poedel, clinical assistant professor in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee?s College of Nursing. ??People are always curious about sex and sexual relationships, and this is the story of a relationship. It?s dark and weird, but we can learn about different types of behavior.?

It?s the kind of behaviors readers won?t find in the S&M-inspired romance novel that makes Poedel uncomfortable. The ?Fifty Shades? trilogy refers briefly to condom use in a discussion of pregnancy prevention, but doesn?t touch on the topic of safe sex until long after the characters are in a relationship. In fact, the main characters don?t ask much ?about their new partner?s previous sexual relationships until near the end of the first book. All of this worries Poedel, who teaches and researches on sexual behaviors and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

Robin Poedel in the classroom

The focus of the nursing class is on human sexuality and related topics such as sexually transmitted infections.

The class ? Nursing 262 ? where the discussion came up, focuses on human sexuality and covers topics like love, intimacy, sexual relationships, pregnancy, birth and variants of sexual expression, as well as STIs. The class also looks at sexual power in relationships, also a theme in the books.

Encouraging safe-sex practices gets even more difficult when books and films, from ?Fifty Shades? to ?9? Weeks,? portray random sex without protection as acceptable, she says.

To her students in the College of Nursing and in her research on sexual health and STIs, Poedel remains honest and passionate about the importance of safe-sex education in both entertainment and health contexts.

Sexy media can entertain, educate

Like earlier erotic phenomena, the ?Fifty Shades? books offer both teaching opportunities and concerns for nurses and educators. On the one hand, the books and earlier movies give insights into variations of sexual behavior and the role of sexual coercion in relationships.

?They are the types of works that both attract us and repulse us,? she says.

And though erotic novels aren?t meant to be sex education manuals, popular media does shape public views and ideas about sexual behavior.

?It?s easy to become desensitized,? says Poedel.

Desensitization can be dangerous, especially if it leads to misinformation. An example: the prevailing misconception that STIs like chlamydia and gonorrhea can be easily treated, or that HIV/AIDs is no longer a deadly disease. A new World Health Organization statement cautions that, around the globe, gonorrhea is becoming more and more resistant to antibiotics.

?People have this attitude that STIs are no big deal, and they can just get an antibiotic for it. That?s not true, and that?s nothing to laugh about.?

While untreated STIs primarily affect young people, those who aren?t treated can face lifelong consequences. Untreated gonorrhea and chlamydia can result in infertility. Untreated syphilis can cause serious complications, particularly in babies born to women with the infection. The rates of STIs are also rising rapidly among older adults, 40-65, as they forgo safe-sex practices as the danger of pregnancy fades, according to research data.

Diversity, honesty in sex ed is important

Education efforts can be challenging, and even some well-intentioned media efforts can backfire, says Poedel. One of the initial focuses of the reality show ?Teen Mom,? for example, was to show the hardships teenagers face in trying to raise a baby. However, she notes, soon reports surfaced that teens were getting pregnant so they could try out for the show and become celebrities.

Abstinence-only sex education programs are also a factor in the approach to STIs, says Poedel.

?Abstinence is great and it?s the only 100 percent safe way to avoid contracting an STI, but we also have to empower our young people with the knowledge they need.?

Poedel says many of many of the young and sexually active don?t stop to think that when they have sex with someone, they?re also in intimate contact with everyone that person has ever had sex with.

?It can be very frustrating to try to get the word out to young people about safe sex practices. If we could find a way to make safe sex sexy, maybe we?d see some changes.?

?

?

deviled eggs pie crust pie crust stuffing recipe happy thanksgiving kennedy assassination kennedy assassination

False Creek Living Means Easy, Green Ways of Getting Where You ...

False Creek Real Estate

One of the best things about owning real estate around False Creek is how easy it is to get around.

The real estate around False Creek is so conveniently located to many transportation options, you may not even need a car!

Our favourite way to get anywhere from False Creek is to walk the seawall, but if you don?t have that kind of time on your hands, there are still many green options.

The Ferry system for instance is not only fast and inexpensive, it?s also like taking a mini-sightseeing cruise. There are two options to choose from ? False Creek Ferries and the multi-coloured Aquabus.

Here?s a great article in The Vancouver Observer breaking it down for you:

False Creek Ferries, known as the ?little blue ferries? which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, is the older service of the two, running daily, year-round from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Routes extend from Kitsilano all the way to Main Street with a twelve vessel fleet. The route stretches two stops longer than Aquabus does to stations at the Aquatic Centre and Maritime Museum.

Fares range from $3.25 to $6.50, depending on the zones travelled.

Sightseeing cruises are also available with the company at 20 and 40 minute tours. Commuters can buy a book of 10 tickets for $20 or all-day passes, ranging from $9 to $15 for kids, seniors and adults.

Aquabus operates daily, year-round from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a frequency of three and 15 minutes. It travels from Hornby Street in downtown Vancouver to the Village near Science World and back again.

Ticket fare is between $3.25 and $5.50 one-way, depending on the number of zones.

Another great option to make your way around False Creek is biking. You can ride all the way around the seawall as far as Stanley Park or Kits Beach.

Recently, there has also been talk about adding bike lanes to the Granville Street Bridge and the Cambie Street Bridge. An article in News1130 discusses this option in more detail:

A concept diagram shows two lanes on the Granville Bridge replaced with a greenway ? a wide promenade fit with trees and benches to take in the view as traffic whizzes by on either side.

The focus will continue to be on making the city safer and accessible for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users.

No matter which transportation mode you choose, owning real estate around False Creek means getting where you need to go is easy!

If you?d like to know more about buying and selling real estate around False Creek, please contact Vancouver Realtor Justin Leigh.

moonshine news channel 4 radar weather weather channel noaa mike brown jacoby ellsbury

Finance minister defends RBI, 'India Inc' dismayed

While Indian finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee, sought to defend the Indian central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), decision to keep key interest rates unchanged in its monetary policy review, corporate India was disappointed and expressed dismay that the apex bank has missed ?the bigger picture?.

According to Mukherjee, inflation weighed on the mind of the RBI in its decision to keep key interest rates unchanged. High inflation numbers "might have influenced their [RBI?s] decision-making process. And normally in mid-quarter review, it is not necessary for the governor to consult the minister,? Mukherjee told reporters.

India Inc (Indian firms) slammed RBI?s ?inflation-centric policy? to keep interest rates unchanged, with the Confederation of Indian Industry director general, Chandrajit Banerjee, saying the central bank has missed the bigger picture at a time ?when millions of livelihoods are under threat due to declining GDP growth?.

In a scathing attack on the RBI, Ficci said: ?The RBI decision to not reduce the repo rate is even more difficult to understand in light of its own admission that the persistence of overall inflation both at the wholesale and retail levels, in the face of significant growth slowdown points to serious supply bottlenecks and sticky inflation expectations.?

The RBI, however, defended its decision of not tinkering with the rates, saying in the current growth-inflation dynamics, several factors were responsible for the slowdown in activity, particularly in investment, "with the role of interest rates being relatively small?.

It is not clear at all how the supply bottlenecks and high levels of vegetables and protein prices, which is the main cause of persistent inflation, will be tackled by keeping interest rates high, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) said.

Due to lack of reforms, coupled with continued high interest rate policy of the RBI, the economy is headed for a long period of ?slowflation? which will bring us closer to a major crisis, the chamber added.

"Therefore, a cut in the repo rate would have been very timely and may have provided some boost to the already flagging growth,? Ficci said.

"A cut in the policy rates could have given some boost to the industrial sector, particularly when the growth rates had plummeted to 5.3 per cent in the last quarter,? said Rajkumar Dhoot, president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham).

Unsettled global economic outlook and tight monetary stance by the RBI have weighed on the investment scenario and overall growth prospects of the Indian economy, said Sandip Somany, president, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The tight monetary policy stance will lead to a period of stagnation and falling business confidence in the Indian economy, he said.

thomas kinkade paintings easter bunny navy jet crash virginia beach isiah thomas passover easter recipes live free or die hard

SLU designs new NIH-funded program to help institutions address research wrongdoing

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 18-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Carrie Bebermeyer
bebermcl@slu.edu
314-977-8015
Saint Louis University

ST. LOUIS -- A $500,000 grant to Saint Louis University's Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics will fund the first ever remediation program to aid institutions when they discover researchers who have engaged in wrongdoing or unprofessional behavior. The Restoring Professionalism and Integrity in Research (RePAIR) program is expected to launch in November 2012.

The one-year grant from the National Institutes of Health comes to SLU through its partnership with the Washington University Institute for Clinical and Translational Science.

"Maintaining the public's trust and support is critical to the success of research. As the first program of its kind aimed at correcting problematic research practices, RePAIR will provide an important mechanism to support ethical researcher practices and maintain the public's trust," said Raymond Tait, Ph.D., vice president for research at SLU and a member of the RePAIR advisory committee.

James DuBois, Ph.D., D.Sc., project director and the Hubert Maeder Professor of Health Care Ethics at SLU, and his team kicked off the project in January with a needs assessment that was sent to 194 medical schools and comprehensive doctoral institutions. Of the 129 institutions that responded, 96 percent had investigated cases of wrongdoing in the past two years. On average, these institutions investigated four cases per year. Offenses ranged from minimal procedure violations to more extreme cases of data falsification, fabrication or plagiarism.

"The results of the assessment confirmed that wrongdoing in research is a widespread problem. It also highlighted the fact that institutions have very few options for responding to these cases," DuBois said.

Overall, the consequences for the accused researcher are minimal. According to DuBois, on one extreme, researchers get a slap on the wrist -- the institution issues a letter of reprimand and may increase oversight of the wrongdoer. Some institutions also offer limited internal training for researchers accused of wrongdoing. Universities can choose to fire the researcher, but this has financial implications including the loss of grant funding and the elimination of support positions. Only 30 percent of institutions that responded to the needs assessment indicated that they were very satisfied with their options for responding to research wrongdoing.

"We're hoping the RePAIR program will provide a good middle ground. It will be a substantial educational program that addresses the major causes of research wrongdoing and fosters good research practices and decision making skills," DuBois said.

"No one has ever attempted a formal program like this for researchers, but we're inspired by the success of physician remediation programs at the University of California San Diego and at Vanderbilt University, which have demonstrated that remediation programs can work."

About the program

The RePAIR program will offer two courses. The first course, RePAIRing Research Integrity, will address a variety of research integrity violations including falsification or fabrication of data, plagiarism, conflict of interest violations, fraud, questionable research practices and mentoring or oversight failures.

The second course, RePAIRing Human Subjects Protections, will address offenses such as informed consent violation, inadequate management of risks, improper recruitment or enrollment and privacy and confidentiality violations.

After completing a preliminary online assessment and education module, participants in both courses will attend a three and a half day onsite workshop that will focus on promoting thinking patterns, decision making skills and work habits that support ethical research. Each participant will leave the program with an individualized work management plan to implement as they return to their institutions. Participation in the program will be confidential.

The RePAIR program is being developed by a team of psychologists and ethicists including DuBois and John Chibnall, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at SLU; Elizabeth Heitman, Ph.D., associate professor of medical ethics at Vanderbilt University; and Michael Mumford, Ph.D., professor of industrial-organizational psychology and director of the Center for Applied Social Research at the University of Oklahoma. Tessa Gauzy serves as program coordinator.

RePAIR's advisory committee, which has played a major role in shaping the program, includes experts who lead remediation training programs with physicians, liaisons from national organizations, including the American Association of Medical Colleges and the U.S. Office of Research Integrity, lawyers, clinical psychologists and research administrators. The RePAIR program will be offered in cooperation with the office of research at SLU.

###

For more information about the program, visit: www.repairprogram.org or contact the coordinator at repair@slu.edu.

Saint Louis University is a Catholic, Jesuit university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 13,000 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Through teaching, research, health care and community service, Saint Louis University has provided one-of-a-kind education, leadership and service for nearly two centuries.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 18-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Carrie Bebermeyer
bebermcl@slu.edu
314-977-8015
Saint Louis University

ST. LOUIS -- A $500,000 grant to Saint Louis University's Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics will fund the first ever remediation program to aid institutions when they discover researchers who have engaged in wrongdoing or unprofessional behavior. The Restoring Professionalism and Integrity in Research (RePAIR) program is expected to launch in November 2012.

The one-year grant from the National Institutes of Health comes to SLU through its partnership with the Washington University Institute for Clinical and Translational Science.

"Maintaining the public's trust and support is critical to the success of research. As the first program of its kind aimed at correcting problematic research practices, RePAIR will provide an important mechanism to support ethical researcher practices and maintain the public's trust," said Raymond Tait, Ph.D., vice president for research at SLU and a member of the RePAIR advisory committee.

James DuBois, Ph.D., D.Sc., project director and the Hubert Maeder Professor of Health Care Ethics at SLU, and his team kicked off the project in January with a needs assessment that was sent to 194 medical schools and comprehensive doctoral institutions. Of the 129 institutions that responded, 96 percent had investigated cases of wrongdoing in the past two years. On average, these institutions investigated four cases per year. Offenses ranged from minimal procedure violations to more extreme cases of data falsification, fabrication or plagiarism.

"The results of the assessment confirmed that wrongdoing in research is a widespread problem. It also highlighted the fact that institutions have very few options for responding to these cases," DuBois said.

Overall, the consequences for the accused researcher are minimal. According to DuBois, on one extreme, researchers get a slap on the wrist -- the institution issues a letter of reprimand and may increase oversight of the wrongdoer. Some institutions also offer limited internal training for researchers accused of wrongdoing. Universities can choose to fire the researcher, but this has financial implications including the loss of grant funding and the elimination of support positions. Only 30 percent of institutions that responded to the needs assessment indicated that they were very satisfied with their options for responding to research wrongdoing.

"We're hoping the RePAIR program will provide a good middle ground. It will be a substantial educational program that addresses the major causes of research wrongdoing and fosters good research practices and decision making skills," DuBois said.

"No one has ever attempted a formal program like this for researchers, but we're inspired by the success of physician remediation programs at the University of California San Diego and at Vanderbilt University, which have demonstrated that remediation programs can work."

About the program

The RePAIR program will offer two courses. The first course, RePAIRing Research Integrity, will address a variety of research integrity violations including falsification or fabrication of data, plagiarism, conflict of interest violations, fraud, questionable research practices and mentoring or oversight failures.

The second course, RePAIRing Human Subjects Protections, will address offenses such as informed consent violation, inadequate management of risks, improper recruitment or enrollment and privacy and confidentiality violations.

After completing a preliminary online assessment and education module, participants in both courses will attend a three and a half day onsite workshop that will focus on promoting thinking patterns, decision making skills and work habits that support ethical research. Each participant will leave the program with an individualized work management plan to implement as they return to their institutions. Participation in the program will be confidential.

The RePAIR program is being developed by a team of psychologists and ethicists including DuBois and John Chibnall, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at SLU; Elizabeth Heitman, Ph.D., associate professor of medical ethics at Vanderbilt University; and Michael Mumford, Ph.D., professor of industrial-organizational psychology and director of the Center for Applied Social Research at the University of Oklahoma. Tessa Gauzy serves as program coordinator.

RePAIR's advisory committee, which has played a major role in shaping the program, includes experts who lead remediation training programs with physicians, liaisons from national organizations, including the American Association of Medical Colleges and the U.S. Office of Research Integrity, lawyers, clinical psychologists and research administrators. The RePAIR program will be offered in cooperation with the office of research at SLU.

###

For more information about the program, visit: www.repairprogram.org or contact the coordinator at repair@slu.edu.

Saint Louis University is a Catholic, Jesuit university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 13,000 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Through teaching, research, health care and community service, Saint Louis University has provided one-of-a-kind education, leadership and service for nearly two centuries.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


amber portwood cujo greg kelly karen handel hangout todd haley kareem abdul jabbar

Video: First Lady talks parenting, jumps rope

Germy hot spots in hotels? Remote, light switch

Next time you enter a new hotel room, you might think twice before touching the light switch or reaching for the remote. Those are two of the top surfaces most likely to be contaminated with bacteria, according to a study aimed at boosting hotel cleaning practices.

malin akerman jeff carter chomp national enquirer kate gosselin helicopter crash matt jones

Air Force video reveals X-37B space plane landing

The U.S. Air Force's robotic X-37B space plane came back to Earth Saturday after 15 months in orbit on a mystery mission, and its much-anticipated landing was caught on video.

The X-37B spacecraft touched down at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base at 5:48 a.m. local time Saturday (8:48 a.m. EDT; 1248 GMT). Several hours later, Vandenberg officials released a short video of the event (seen above).

The first part of the 80-second video was apparently shot in infrared light. It shows the X-37B space plane cruising in for an automated landing, its belly and nose glowing a bright orange-yellow, presumably from the heat generated during re-entry to Earth's atmosphere.

The video switches over to visible wavelengths about 35 seconds in, after the space plane has touched down, and shuts off shortly after the X-37B rolls to a stop on the runway. [ Photos: Air Force's 2nd Secret X-37B Mission ]

The X-37B, also known as Orbital Test Vehicle-2 (OTV-2), launched on March 5, 2011, from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Its flight was the second-ever mission for the X-37B program; the first was flown by OTV-2's sister ship, OTV-1.

OTV-1 blasted off in April 2010 and stayed aloft for 225 days, well below the supposed 270-day orbital limit for the space plane. But OTV-2 smashed that limit, zipping around our planet for 469 days before finally coming down today.

Just what OTV-2 was doing up there for so long remains a mystery. Details of the vehicle's mission are classified, as are its payloads. The secrecy has spurred speculation ? notably from China ? that the X-37B may be a space weapon of some sort, but Air Force officials have long insisted that the spacecraft is simply testing out technologies for future satellites.

The X-37B looks like NASA's recently retired space shuttle, but it's far smaller. The X-37B is 29 feet (8.8 meters) long and 15 feet (4.5 m) wide, with a payload bay about the size of a pickup truck bed. For comparison, two X-37B vehicles could fit inside the payload bay of a space shuttle.?

The 11,000-pound (5,000-kilogram) space plane's orbital longevity is enabled by its solar array, which generates power after deploying from the payload bay.

The X-37B is built by Boeing, though NASA originally used the vehicle as an experimental test bed until funding for the project ran out in 2004. The space plane then passed to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and it was ultimately turned over to the Air Force in 2006.

Follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter@michaeldwallor SPACE.com@Spacedotcom. We're also onFacebookandGoogle+.

oh the places you ll go blunt amendment justin bieber birthday read across america vikings stadium breitbart dead db cooper

Start your week with the Greatest Android Podcast in the World!

Android Central Podcast

Wake up worried about Verizon's new data plans? Wondering what all the fuss is about? We gotcha covered on Episode 99 of the Greatest Android Podcast in the World. Plus, the latest Android news, and more of your e-mails and voicemails.

The Android Central Podcast is your weekly peek into the world of Android, where we break down the news that really matters, and explain what's just a bunch of hype. Plus, we answer your e-mails and voicemails. You don't want to miss it. Check out the Android Central Podcast.

chris kreider correspondents dinner 2012 white house correspondents dinner 2012 whcd 2012 nfl draft kevin durant jazz fest