Monday, August 5, 2013

Why US senators want tougher sanctions on Iran's new president

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Why US senators want tougher sanctions on Iran's new president

In the US, 76 senators are demanding tougher economic sanctions to force Iran to scale back its nuclear program. President Obama wants to give Iran's President Hasan Rouhani ...

2 days ago | News Analysis (Article)

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Exclusive: U.S. directs agents to cover up program used to investigate Americans (reuters)

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NCAA investigating Johnny Manziel


Talented and reckless, Manziel heading in an unfortunate direction


This time last year 90 percent of college football fans had not even HEARD of Johnny Manziel.
He was a redshirt freshman and just another quarterback in the mix at Texas A&M. The depth chart in the Aggies' 2012 preseason media guide listed "Jameill Showers OR Johnny Manziel OR Matt Joeckel" at quarterback.
I had a couple of conversations with new head coach Kevin Sumlin in the preseason, and in one of them he said: "Jameill Showers was the leader coming out of the spring, but we have a redshirt freshman named Manziel. If we can teach him to throw a little better, he might be able to help us this year."
Kliff Kingsbury, then the offensive coordinator, told me last August: "Manziel is a little different. I think he has a chance to get on the field."
Fast forward 12 months and Johnny Manziel is not only one of the most famous athletes in the world, but through a series of steps and missteps, today the sophomore finds himself intoxicated and ultimately trapped by a TMZ level of fame.
And now comes a report on Sunday that the NCAA is investigating whether or not Manziel took a five-figure payday to sign memorabilia. If he did it, Manziel is looking at a serious suspension at best. Remember that Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green lost four games for selling one of his game jerseys for $1,000. At worst, if he lied to NCAA investigators, he could be done.
There is really no point in fans wringing their hands talking about the injustice of it all and how athletes should be able make money off their signature because everybody else, by God, is making money. That's a valid argument and one that we should have. But it ain't gonna help Johnny Football.
We should have seen this coming.
Last week two very good pieces of reporting and writing, first by ESPN The Magazine's Wright Thompson, and then by Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated, gave us an uncomfortably close look as Manziel's struggles to stay "normal" in what is anything but a normal world that has grown up around him since he became the first freshman in history to win the Heisman Trophy.
Both of these articles paint the picture of an extremely talented young man still trying to grow up under a spotlight that sometimes glows too hot and is always too intrusive. He enjoys the fame when he's sitting court side at the NBA playoffs or throwing out the first pitch at a major league baseball game. He enjoys the fame when he and his dad are playing Pebble Beach (He birdied 18 for a crowd-pleasing 79).
He doesn't enjoy the fame when he gets hammered on Twitter after complaining about College Station when his car got keyed. He doesn't enjoy the fame when video goes viral of him getting tossed out of a fraternity party at his school's bitter rival, the University of By God Texas.
And I'll just bet he's not enjoying the fame right now.
In an age of Twitter, Facebook, and the 24-hour news cycle, Fame is a cruel sword that cuts both ways. Two quotes from Andy Staples' piece summarize where Manziel's head appears to be right now:
"I'm adapting. I'm learning. I'm trying to learn from these mistakes. But I'm not going to change who I am because the media wants me to be this, this or this. I'm not going to do that. . . . You love me when I'm running around being dangerous and a loose cannon. What makes me special on the field is what people don't like off the field. I'm still learning how to put that into perspective."
And this one, which also makes it clear that Manziel is having problems with the idea that Fame should change his lifestyle.
"That probably is what's getting us in trouble ? wanting to be normal," Manziel said. "We want to be just like we've always been, where none of this is a big deal."
So from one perspective Johnny Manziel is a victim of his own success and his difficulty of living up to the demands of his media-created persona. Texas A&M, goes this narrative, is getting rich off the kid while Manziel and his parents wonder if he can make it through another year of this madness and not explode. The family doesn't like the fact that the NCAA is all up in their business. So they really aren't going to like what happens next.
Based on these stories, it's pretty clear that the tension that exists between the Manziel family and Texas A&M is significant. But as our Dennis Dodd pointed out earlier Sunday evening, Texas A&M did everything it could to keep the kid from self-imploding.
I'm not here to downplay the pressures of what it is like to be Johnny Football. As Staples points out, the world in which Manziel now lives didn't exist 10 years ago. Most college football fans are as nice as they can be. Others are flat out crazy and will chase celebrities across the street to get something signed. They either don't recognize boundaries or they recognize them and really don't care. What Johnny Manziel and his family are going through is very real.
But another perspective on this issue takes me back to something my father said to me more than once: "Son, if somebody wants to shoot you, don't hand them the gun and the ammunition."
Johnny Manziel is not the first college athlete to reach icon status at an early age.
I was around when Herschel Walker arrived at Georgia in 1980. As an 18-year-old true freshman, Walker led Georgia to an undefeated season and the national championship. I can promise you that no athlete in my lifetime was more adored and mobbed than Herschel Walker was in his three years at Georgia. But thanks to Claude Felton, Georgia's Hall of Fame Sports Information Director, and head coach Vince Dooley, Walker's fame was managed. Walker played two more years of college football after winning the national championship and then turned pro.
"It got to the point where we had to have two state troopers with our traveling party. One for me and one for Herschel," said Dooley, who won three straight SEC championships (1980-82) with Walker as his tailback. "Everybody wanted a piece of Herschel. But he handled those sorts of things so well."
There has never been an athlete more in demand than Florida's Tim Tebow, who played from 2006-2009. He won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore in 2007 and then played two more seasons for the Gators. But what Florida did -- and we in the media didn't like it at the time -- was put up a wall around Tebow to protect him so that he didn't have to say no to the thousands upon thousands of requests for him to appear in public. And Tebow was willing to live inside those walls.
You don't think the whole world wanted a piece of Bo Jackson when he was playing at Auburn? Jackson played four years of college football, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1985. Bo knew how to handle it because he and his coach, Pat Dye, listened to David Housel, one of the best sports information directors who has ever lived.
Yes the world has changed. The media beast has grown much larger and needs to be fed 24 hours a day. Everybody can be a reporter/gossip columnist with their cell phones. Nothing a high-profile athlete does in public is ignored and most of it ends up on the Internet. I get all that.
The point is that fame, and the demands that come with it from media and fans, cannot be controlled. But it can be managed. You have to have a plan and a client willing to make the adjustments to carry out the plan.
Based on Wright Thompson's reporting, Texas A&M had a plan which included some behavior modification by Manziel. In short, the Aggies quarterback and those around him needed to put up some walls and set some limits. He needed to get off of Twitter, period. Manziel would also see a therapist to deal with his anger and frustration over the issue. In short, the very public life of the 20-year-old quarterback needed to get a lot less public.
The reality, however, is that Johnny Manziel enjoys being Johnny Football. He enjoys sitting at courtside for the NBA playoffs. He enjoys meeting LeBron James and Drake. He enjoys throwing out the first pitch at a San Diego Padres game. There is nothing wrong with any of that.
But on the heels of his early exit from the Manning Passing Academy?and some people will forever be skeptical about his story (I overslept) on that one-- Johnny Manziel absolutely, positively must know that he
CANNOT go to a fraternity party at the University of Texas. That is tempting Fate one too many times. It showed a tone deafness that many people find off-putting.
I don't think Alabama's AJ McCarron goes to frat parties at Auburn. I don't think Tebow spent a lot of time on the Florida State campus knocking back brewskies with his buds.
And Johnny Manziel damned sure knows, whether the rule is fair or not, you can't sign a bunch of stuff that is going to be sold on the Internet.
I really enjoy watching this kid play. He's special. I hope that this turns out not to be true and he has a monster year. I hope he gets back to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation. When the time comes I hope he makes a ton of money in the NFL.
But he has to learn that, at the end of the day, no one is bigger than the game. You have to adjust to the game. The game doesn't adjust to you. And for the elite college athlete, managing Fame and temptation is part of the game.
If he has ignored that fundamental truth, Manziel's college football experience is not going to end well. And that would be a very sad thing to see.

Talented and reckless, Manziel heading in an unfortunate direction - CBSSports.com

Source: http://forum.askthebookie.com/showthread.php?t=48403&goto=newpost

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Sikh temple attack united victim's son, ex-racist

In this July 31, 2013, photo, Pardeep Kaleka, right, and Arno Michaelis pose for a photo at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, Wis. At left is a bullet hole from a shooting at the temple a year ago when a white supremacist shot and killed six temple members, including Kaleka's father, Satwant Singh Kaleka. Michaelis, a former skinhead, reached out to Kaleka after the shooting and since then the pair have formed an unlikely alliance, teaming up to preach a message of peace throughout Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

In this July 31, 2013, photo, Pardeep Kaleka, right, and Arno Michaelis pose for a photo at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, Wis. At left is a bullet hole from a shooting at the temple a year ago when a white supremacist shot and killed six temple members, including Kaleka's father, Satwant Singh Kaleka. Michaelis, a former skinhead, reached out to Kaleka after the shooting and since then the pair have formed an unlikely alliance, teaming up to preach a message of peace throughout Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

In this July 31, 2013, photo, Pardeep Kaleka, left, and Arno Michaelis show what remains of tattoos on their palms at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, Wis. A year ago a white supremacist shot and killed six temple members, including Kaleka's father, Satwant Singh Kaleka. Michaelis, a former skinhead, reached out to Kaleka after the shooting and since then the pair have formed an unlikely alliance, teaming up to preach a message of peace throughout Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

In this July 31, 2013, photo, Pardeep Kaleka, left, and Arno Michaelis talk at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, Wis. A year ago a white supremacist shot and killed six temple members, including Kaleka's father, Satwant Singh Kaleka. Michaelis, a former skinhead, reached out to Kaleka after the shooting and since then the pair have formed an unlikely alliance, teaming up to preach a message of peace throughout Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

OAK CREEK, Wis. (AP) ? Six weeks after a white supremacist gunned down Pardeep Kaleka's father and five others at a Sikh temple last year, Kaleka was skeptical when a former skinhead reached out and invited him to dinner.

But Kaleka accepted, and he's grateful he did. Since then, the grieving son and repentant racist have formed an unlikely alliance, teaming up to preach a message of peace throughout Milwaukee. In fact, they've grown so close that they got matching tattoos on their palms ? the numbers 8-5-12, the date the gunman opened fire at a Milwaukee-area Sikh temple before killing himself minutes later.

It wasn't easy for Kaleka to meet Arno Michaelis, a 42-year-old who admits he contributed so heavily to the white-power movement that he might have helped influence the shooter. Kaleka knows Michaelis' history ? his lead singing in a white supremacist band, the white-power and swastika tattoos, the countless fights and more than a dozen arrests.

But he also saw the good work Michaelis has done since he quit the racist movement in the mid-1990s. Kaleka, 37, wanted his father's death to be a catalyst for peace, and he saw in Michaelis a partner whose story could reinforce the message that it's possible to turn hate into love.

"We were both hoping ... we could take something tragic and turn it into something positive ? a learning experience for the entire community," Kaleka said. "We were both on that same mission, in our different ways."

Michaelis had written a book called "My Life After Hate," in which he describes how he lashed out at the world starting in kindergarten and how the birth of his daughter made him realize he needed to change. He also works with kids on community service projects.

Kaleka still has lingering fears that Michaelis might relapse and return to his old ways. But as he's gotten to know Michaelis, he says the boulder of doubt has become a pebble.

Michaelis, an information technology consultant, understands the skepticism. He knows he hurt so many people during his seven years in the white-supremacy movement that his sincerity will always be questioned, which is why he works even harder to regain people's trust.

The two men have teamed up to create Serve2Unite, a community group that works to counter violence with peace. Kaleka, Michaelis and others visit middle schools and high schools, where Kaleka describes how gunman Wade Michael Page walked into the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin last year and killed six people he didn't know. Then Michaelis describes how the gunman's white-supremacist background was nearly identical to his own.

Invariably, the children are riveted, Kaleka said. Afterward several will come up and ask how they can get involved.

Kaleka and Michaelis look nothing alike. Kaleka is a clean-cut Indian who teaches high school social studies. Michaelis, who's white, has both arms covered in tattoos that mask earlier racist messages. But as they sat together in the temple recently, just down the hallway from the bedroom where Kaleka's father was shot, they seemed like brothers, insulting each other good-naturedly and arguing over who was more handsome.

That brotherhood began at their first dinner. Sitting in his car outside the restaurant, Kaleka watched Michaelis walk inside and wondered if he was crazy to be meeting with a former skinhead. Still, he summoned the courage to do it.

Michaelis immediately asked about a bandage on Kaleka's eye, the temporary remnant of a mishap Kaleka suffered while bathing his daughter.

"There was no, 'Hi, how you doing?' He went straight from seeing me to showing concern," Kaleka said. After Kaleka told him what happened, Michaelis admitted that he too was a klutz, and a friendship was born.

Michaelis doesn't shy away from discussing his past. He grew up in an alcoholic, emotionally cold household. He began to rebel as early as kindergarten, bullying other kids on the bus and picking fights on the playground. He eventually got into the white-power movement for the shock value, but the more he associated with haters, the more he began to hate.

But hating was exhausting. He couldn't watch Green Bay Packers games because black and white players were playing together. He couldn't watch TV because Hollywood was a Jewish conspiracy. He loved "Seinfeld" but he had to record it on a videotape labeled "Amber's second birthday party" so his white-power friends wouldn't know he thought a Jew was hilarious.

Eventually, the combination of his daughter's birth and a friend dying in a street fight was the catalyst for him to move on.

His past never really left him, though. When he heard that the gunman who killed six people at a Sikh temple was a white supremacist, he lay awake that night agonizing that the gunman might have been someone he'd recruited into the white-power movement or inspired as the lead singer of the hate band Centurion. It turns out he hadn't known Page but he still felt responsible for his actions.

"We were both white-power skinheads. We were both in white-power bands," Michaelis said. "In just about every sense, I used to be him."

That's why his message now is one of peace. He tells kids they're not being tough when they counter aggression with aggression ? what takes real strength is walking away. He acknowledges that his younger self would have ignored that message, but he still hopes to make a difference with a new generation.

Connecting with children became so much easier after he and Kaleka teamed up. When kids hear from someone who used to be a violent hater, and then from someone whose father fell victim to that very hatred, the message is sobering.

"We realized the reason this (temple shooting) happens is that we magnify the differences between people. We don't magnify the similarities," Kaleka said. "So one of our main goals is to magnify those similarities and say, 'Hey, I'm not so different from you. So let's come together in a common cause."

___

Dinesh Ramde can be reached at dramde@ap.org.

___

Online:

Serve2Unite: http://serve2unite.org

My Life After Hate: http://mylifeafterhate.com

Sikh Temple of Wisconsin: http://www.sikhtempleofwisconsin.com

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-08-04-Sikh%20Temple%20Shooting-Unlikely%20Alliance/id-4759c0a7b101412b86349a40d5022bf6

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Japan Sends Talking Humanoid Robot Into Space

The robot is meant to be a communication connection between humans and machine (inquirer)

The robot is meant to be a communication connection between humans and machine (inquirer)

While sending humans to space has been going on since Neil Armstrong took his first step on the moon, Japan has made a new step by sending out the world?s first humanoid, talking robot.

READ MORE: MacGyver Bot In Production From Georgia

Named Kirobo, a play on the Japanese words for ?Hope? and ?Robot,? the robot took to space in a rocket ship on Sunday from the International Space Station from Tanegashima, southwestern Japan, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA.

From Associated Press:?

?The childlike robot was designed to be a companion for astronaut Koichi Wakata, and will communicate with another robot on Earth, according to developers. Wakata is expected to arrive at the space station in November.

Robot designer Tomotaka Takahashi, of the University of Tokyo, advertiser Dentsu and automaker Toyota Motor Corp. worked on the robot.

The challenge was making sure it could move and talk where there was no gravity.?

The robot is only 13 inches tall (34 centimeters to be precise) and has a childlike image. When talking to reporters, it stated ?one small step for me, a giant leap for robots."

The robot, while serving as a companion for the human astronaut, Wakata, will also be communicating with an earth-stationed robot at the command center.?

The designer, Takahashi, said "I wish for this robot to function as a mediator between person and machine, or person and Internet and sometimes even between people.?

The rocket was reported to have launched successfully without any damage to the cargo or passengers.

?

Reach executive producer Eric Parra here.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/neontommy/hTJi/~3/QgD-3qpi0hY/japan-sends-talking-humanoid-robot-space

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Sunday, August 4, 2013

Energy Efficiency Bill

Source: http://www.republican.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/senate-calendar?ContentRecord_id=7b60ca8c-3a2b-4084-ae50-49b284c34b82

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Union: Deal reached to end bus drivers' strike

PHOENIX (AP/CBS5) -

A union leader says the four-day bus strike in suburbs east of Phoenix has ended with tentative deal.

Specific details of the pact weren't immediately available.

"A service that so many rely on will run tomorrow (Monday), connecting our residents to work, and our students to their first day of school," said Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell. "We're pleased that First Transit and ATU reached an agreement that unifies bus service in the East Valley."

The two parties, that have been negotiating to resolve the strike, met Friday and Saturday with the federal mediator and Chief Justice McGregor.

Nick Promponas, senior vice president of?First Transit, issued the following statement:

"As you know, First Transit and the ATU recommenced negotiations yesterday at 1 p.m. under the mediation of Chief Justice McGregor. After 24 hours of continuous and productive discussions, both parties came to a resolution on an agreement with a three-year term. We are confident that this agreement serves the best interests of our Union employees, the riding public, Valley Metro, and First Transit.

"While we regret that a strike was not averted during the course of the negotiations, we appreciate that the ATU has shared our desire to resume transit service throughout the community as quickly as possible. We would especially like to thank Chief Justice McGregor for mediating the session that has led to this mutually beneficial agreement.

"We would also like to thank Mayors Mitchell, Smith and Stanton, as well as Steve Banta, CEO of Valley Metro, for their support. We are eager to move forward in providing service to the East Valley."

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton?applauded the leadership of ATU and First Transit for negotiating nonstop. "They owed it to this community and our bus passengers who keep our economy going every day," Stanton said in a statement.

First Transit and ATU 1433 inked a tentative three-year agreement Sunday afternoon that defines the labor wages, benefits and work rules for the more than 500 operators who serve 57,000 daily riders in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa and Tempe. These riders also travel into Phoenix and Scottsdale.?

"We are gratified that the parties were able to come to an agreement and the buses will be rolling again," said Mesa Mayor Scott Smith.

The work stoppage began Thursday.

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. ?CBS 5 (KPHO Broadcasting Corporation) contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.kpho.com/story/23038149/union-deal-reached-to-end-bus-drivers-strike

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Australians to go to the polls on Sept. 7

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) ? Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called an election on Sept. 7 and said Sunday that it will be fought over who can be trusted to manage the Australian economy as it transitions from a decade-old mining boom fed by Chinese industrial demand that is now fading.

In starting the five-week election campaign, Rudd said the economy can no longer rely on Chinese demand for iron ore and coal that made the country one of the few wealthy nations to avoid a recession during the global economic downturn.

"The boom, of course, has fuelled so much of our nation's wealth," he told reporters at Parliament House. "That boom is over."

"Who do the Australian people trust to best lead them through the new economic challenges that lie ahead?" he asked.

Rudd conceded that his center-left Labor Party was the underdog, saying his advisers had told him that if the election had been held this weekend, his government would have lost.

But opinion polls also show that more voters prefer Rudd as prime minister than opposition leader Tony Abbott.

The latest economic figures show the trend, with the Treasury Department on Friday raising its estimated deficit for the current fiscal year to 30.1 billion Australian dollars ($26.8 billion) due to the mining slowdown. The new forecast for the year ending June 30, 2014, reveals a substantial deterioration in Australia's finances since May, when the department forecast a deficit of AU$18 billion.

The government also announced a AU$33.3 billion shortfall in the revenue forecast over the next four years ? a deterioration of about AU$3 billion a week since the May forecast.

Rudd said Sunday that the date meant he would not attend the G20 meeting in Russia that week, but Australia would likely be represented by Foreign Minister Bob Carr.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/australians-polls-sept-7-063206662.html

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A Look at South Africa?s Carbon Trading Potential

Glenn Hodes,
Senior Program
Manager, UNEP

2 August 2013 - According to Glenn Hodes-senior program manager (UNEP), the carbon market in South Africa will help to level the playing field by making renewable projects more attractive to investors. Small-scale renewable projects (less than 50 MW) which are pursued in South Africa due to dispersed populations, have struggled to obtain finance from large companies and banks. However, with carbon trading, more attention will be brought to these projects. ?This would certainly deal with the poverty issue more effectively as the power is closer to where the demand is,? Hodes says.

But, how will carbon trading benefit South Africa?s renewable energy projects? Hodes says that if there is a price on carbon, whether through tax or a trading regime, private companies will be incentivised to invest in renewable energy projects and technology. ?I think the private sector is for carbon trading. It sets a clear market signal.? ?
?
But why hasn?t carbon trading taken off? Hodes blames this on uncoordinated attempts, regulatory and policy challenges. He explains that the implementation thereof and global connections can make it a challenge for carbon trading to work. There have also been circumstances under which baseline-and-credit CDM schemes have resulted in the maltreatment of indigenous peoples and their environment. There have also been cases of trade fraud and accounting discrepancies.

Low levels of awareness as to how to access this market as well as a poorly resourced department are also to blame, according to the experts. South Africa has already missed a number of opportunities as it failed to capitalise on the first commitment period (2008 to 2012) of the Kyoto Protocol. Until the 17th international annual climate conference, COP17 in 2011, opportunity for South African carbon project developers was mostly to generate and sell carbon offsets (CERs). These CERs were sold from countries classified as developing countries to companies in developed countries which are bound by the emissions reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions. The Clean Development Mechanism has in the past given South Africa the opportunity to benefit from registering carbon credits or CERs. Other developing countries such as China, India and Brazil managed to register hundreds of emissions reduction projects under the CDM and got developed European countries to finance sustainable development in their countries.

Currently, only 22 South African Project Design Documents (PDDs) have been registered by the CDM executive board as CDM projects, with only nine having actually issued CERs. In comparison to other developing countries, South Africa seems to have missed out on significant clean development opportunities.

However, when the 2015 South African carbon tax comes in to effect, the demand for carbon credits via the voluntary market in South Africa will impact the country?s carbon trading. To ensure increased tax free thresholds, companies will be encouraged to reduce their CO2 emissions. To help them reduce their emissions to reduce tax liabilities, South African companies will most likely be able to purchase carbon credits from verifiable projects to offset a proportion of their carbon obligation. This means that there is scope for South African carbon projects to sell their credits in South Africa to local companies via a regional carbon trading scheme. There is talk that companies will be able to offset their tax liability by buying local carbon credits equivalent to 5% to 10% of their carbon tax liability. This will have an impact on the liquidity of the local market as a result of increased demand for local credits which will see a boost to local carbon project development.

Source: http://www.esi-africa.com/node/16669

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Confident Raiders excited for football practice

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Disappointing U.S. Jobs Report Weighs on European Equities

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Source: webdev.credittrends.moodys.com --- Saturday, August 03, 2013
But major European currencies strengthened against the greenback. ...

Source: http://credittrends.moodys.com/pro/article.asp?cid=241673

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Jupiter's moon Europa: Send a submarine to explore it?

Jupiter's moon Europa is a icy shell with an underground ocean. The new movie 'Europa Report' is based on real science, and NASA ideas about how to explore Jupiter's fourth largest moon.

By Miriam Kramer,?Space.com / August 3, 2013

With a cold ocean under an icy shell, some have theorized that Europa is the most likely place to find life in the solar system.

NASA/JPL/Ted Stryk

Enlarge

Jupiter's icy moon Europa is shrouded in mystery.

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Scientists have long been intrigued by Jupiter's fourth largest moon with its underground ocean and icy shell. Researchers have said that Europa's saltwater ocean could harbor life, and some have theorized that it is the most likely place to find life in the solar system.

"[Europa] is one of the premier places to search for living life, that is, life that's alive today, life that we can poke and prod at and ask this fundamental question of what makes it tick," said Kevin Hand, the deputy chief scientist of solar system exploration at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "Is its fundamental biochemistry the same as that on Earth or is it different? Is the origin of life easy or hard? There are all questions that Europa could potentially answer." [See Photos of Europa, An Icy Moon of Jupiter]

Unmanned robotic landers, deep space probes and even manned missions could help researchers answer some of those outstanding questions.

Scientists know that Europa is covered in a shell of ice, and data suggest that an ocean of liquid water also lurks below the surface. Some hope to send a submersible with the ability to dive beneath the ice to explore Europa's salty interior.

Building a submersible

In 2011, NASA awarded Stone Aerospace $4 million to continue the development of its "cryobot" project designed to autonomously explore the ocean of the moon.

"When we speak of the Europa mission at our shop we are talking about going for the gold ring: landing on the surface of Europa; sending a nuclear-powered cryobot carrier vehicle through the ice crust; discharging a nuclear-powered 'fast mover' autonomous underwater carrier vehicle that has planet-scale range, and selectively launching a series of miniaturized, highly intelligent AUVs [Autonomous Underwater Vehicles] to go into the more dangerous areas (e.g. around black smokers, up into ice cracks, into corrosive chemical plumes) to search for and collect biological samples and bring them back to the mother ship," Stone Aerospace CEO Bill Stone wrote told SPACE.com in an email.

Ideally, the robotic instruments included with the lander would come equipped with life-detecting instrumentation. [6 Most Likely Places for Alien Life in the Solar System]

Scientists are getting closer to developing viable versions of these scientific instruments that could travel to Europa, Stone said.

"The U.S. science community is today, thanks to NASA funding, on the verge of having available portable molecular DNA sequencers that could allow a Europa AUV to characterize life found on Europa at the microbial scale and then to return to the cryobot and uplink the information to the lander and back to Earth," Stone said.

Flybys and remote sensing

Scientists can also learn about Europa through remote sensing, using spacecraft flybys of the moon like NASA's Galileo spacecraft did after it arrived at Jupiter in 1995.

"There's a vast array of things you can learn from satellite observations of a planet," said Jeffrey Plaut, a NASA scientist at JPL. "If you're talking about Europa specifically, the science objectives have been laid out pretty clearly over the years for various space-born observations of Europa. Some very fundamental things like: How thick is the ice shell? Where is the ocean?"

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/cgBLga8xhqA/Jupiter-s-moon-Europa-Send-a-submarine-to-explore-it

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The #Titans and Metro Police held a press conference today to explain the NFL's...

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AP PHOTOS: Bahrain history slowly rises from sands

SAAR, Bahrain (AP) ? More than 4,000 years ago, Dilmun merchants traveled from Mesopotamia to the Indus River, titans of trade and culture before rise of the empires of the Persians or the Ottomans

Over a millennia, the civilization that Dilmun created on the back of trading in pearls, copper and dates as far as South Asia faded into the encroaching sands. It wasn't until an excavation by Danish archaeologists in the 1950s that its past was rediscovered.

Now, with Bahrain in a deepening political crisis between its Sunni rulers and majority Shiite population, the connection to ancient Dilmun is one of the few unifying symbols on the island. It also is a rare and vivid look at pre-Islamic life in a region with few sites celebrating cultures before the time of the Prophet Muhammad.

A distinguishing feature of Dilmun civilization was extensive burial mounds, which are still visible today ? but under threat.

In the ancient settlement of Saar, about 10 kilometers (six miles) southwest of Bahrain's capital, Manama, archaeologist and researcher Abdul Aziz Suwalih worries about modern developments that have chipped away at the honeycomb-patterned burial mounds. The mounds have been proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage site to join Bahrain's ancient Dilmun harbor on the list.

"Bahrain was famous for holding the largest cemetery in the world by having more than 100,000 burial mounds. Now we have around 60,000 burial mounds. There are threats," Suwalih told The Associated Press. "Protecting the archaeological sites in Bahrain is a big issue."

In May, Bahrain hosted a conference by UNESCO ? the U.N.'s educational, scientific and cultural body ? that included discussions about preserving the burial mounds and other remnants of Dilmun civilization, as well as prospects for future digs and explorations.

The Saar settlement was excavated between 1990 and 1999 by the London-Bahrain Archaeological Expedition, though more work remains.

"It is the only Dilmun settlement that has been extensively investigated by archaeologists," Suwalih said.

There are more than 70 buildings in the settlement, some of which were extraordinarily well-preserved and showcases domestic life and worship in a society that followed the rhythms of the moon. Here's a gallery of images from archeological sites in the ancient settlement of Saar in modern-day Bahrain.

___

Follow AP photographers and photo editors on Twitter: http://apne.ws/15Oo6jo .

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-photos-bahrain-history-slowly-rises-sands-063753191.html

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Cowboys coach gets the blues

IF you are looking for angry, bitter and twisted, then you might as well forget hunting down Neil Henry.

As he sips his coffee and crunches into some toast at a Townsville coffee shop, Henry gives off an aura of contentment. It shouldn't be confused with being happy, mind you.

During a 110-minute chat, the deposed Cowboys coach smiles twice and laughs just once.

After being told this week that his services at the NRL club he clearly loves so much won't be required beyond this season, there is obvious disappointment and sadness and a distinct feeling of unfinished business.

But not resentment.

"As a coach there are a couple of things that you are reluctant to do and one is to make excuses," Henry said.

"The board gather information and make a decision that is in the best interests of the club and I can wear that.

"It's a bit of a bitter pill, but I understand their position and go 'well, ultimately, we're not where we want to be' and they have made a decision.

"Purely on results alone, I haven't got a leg to stand on."

North Queensland head into tonight's game in 13th with just six wins from 18 games.

It's far from where the team was expected to be after being touted among the premiership favourites at season's start.

But should 2013 results alone after two previous finals appearances be all that Henry's tenure at the Cowboys was based on?

"Jack Gibson once said 'when a team is going well it's not always because of the coach and the same applies when the team is going poorly', and it's true, you can't just put it down in black and white," he said.

And there are things that have worked against the club in 2013.

Perhaps most significant has been Matt Bowen, so crucial to the Cowboys' attack clicking, being hamstrung by his knee, then lack of continuity at hooker and in the halves along with some of their young guns failing to live up to expectation.

Off the field, the tragic death of Alex Elisala in April hit hard.

"For us to live up to the pre-season hype, it relies on the players playing at the standard that they were playing last year and the coach's role is to get that, too, but we also had unforseen things happen," Henry said.

"Things have transpired that have really upset our momentum. But if you don't look deeply into that sort of stuff then the easy thing is to say 'they're just not performing, why?' 'The coach'," Henry said.

"The season has been disappointing, but there are some pretty valid reasons for the team lacking cohesion.

"That's where I'm disappointed not to get another opportunity to prove they were the main reasons for this season."

Execution and errors have frustratingly let the Cowboys down often as they have lost numerous games by agonisingly close margins, but that fight from his players means Henry is confident he has never "lost the dressing room".

If he had, he doubts he would have been asked to see out the season. However, rugby league is a business and results are the bottom line.

Rumours got stronger with each game from May until after a June 30 board meeting when they appeared more like fact.

Henry took it in his stride, kept working his ridiculously long hours, but he admitted he felt for those around him - his wife Cath and two children and other coaching staff - as they were confronted with headlines and gossip that impacted on them as much as him.

"There's a real human element to coaching and it can be quite confronting to your family," he said. "But ... for all the criticism you get from the armchair critics ... 99 per cent of it is rewarding.

"You're putting smiles on people's faces and I've loved my time here."

When Henry rides into the sunset he will do so proud and hopeful of seeing the club achieve premiership glory.

"If we've got some men that can perform better and I'm not getting that out of them, well, I hope the new coach - for me and for this town - does do it because I want the club to be successful," he said.

Source: http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2013/08/03/386659_news.html

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Saturday, August 3, 2013

Showtime goes dark for Central Texas TWC subscribers

Time Warner Cable has pulled the plug on Showtime in Central Texas after the cable provider and CBS could not agree on carriage fees.

After pushing back the deadline several times earlier this week, Time Warner Cable, YNN?s parent company, dropped CBS in New York City, Los Angeles and Dallas?three of the five largest television markets in the nation.

Time Warner Cable says CBS wants 600 percent more in fees than what it pays other stations while CBS says it was getting a smaller share of what Time Warner Cable pays other networks.

"Time Warner Cable has conducted negotiations in a combative and non-productive spirit, indulging in pointless brinksmanship and distorted public positioning,? CBS said in a statement. ?CBS, for its part, is eager to make an agreement in line with the kind it has struck with every other cable, satellite and telco provider."

"Showtime has been working in good faith with Time Warner Cable to work out a contract, and is deeply disappointed with Time Warner Cable's decision to pull Showtime channels," a spokesperson said in a statement.

Time Warner Cable released its own statement saying "CBS has refused to have a productive discussion. It?s become clear that no matter how much time we give them, they?re not willing to come to reasonable terms."

Source: http://austin.ynn.com/content/news/294629/showtime-goes-dark-for-central-texas-twc-subscribers

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Rome hosts 35th annual Drums Along the Mohawk

This section displays the last 50 news articles that were published.

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1 protester killed in Sri Lanka military shooting

One person has been killed and about 15 wounded when Sri Lanka's military shot at protesters demanding clean drinking water, according to television footage and demonstrators.

The shooting happened Thursday evening in Weliweriya, 12 miles (20 kilometers) northeast of the capital, Colombo, when more than 4,000 protesters had gathered to demand action after chemical emissions from a factory had polluted drinking water in about 15 local villages, said one protester, who spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals.

Residents have been demanding for more than a month that authorities close the factory, the protester said.

He said police used tear gas to break up the protest, but when protesters clashed with police, the army shot at them. He said soldiers shot at some protesters as they tried to flee.

Military spokesman Brig. Ruwan Wanigasooriya said Friday that the army did not aim their guns at the protesters but shot in the air to disperse them. He said "people with other agendas" were behind the protesters and had armed them with firearms and petrol bombs. He did not say who the instigators were or what their motives were.

However, footage from a local television station showed soldiers shooting at running protesters. One scene shows a wounded man being dragged away by another. Another man appears to be hit by a bullet while he tries to rescue a man lying on the ground.

Protesters are shown hurling rocks at the army.

Police spokesman Buddika Siriwardene confirmed that one person had died and 15 were hospitalized but declined to comment on the nature of the injuries.

Siriwardene said the situation arose because protesters blocked a main road, obstructing traffic, despite agreeing with authorities to call off the demonstrations until investigations into the possible chemical leak were complete.

He said the demonstrators struck police with stones and bottles.

Reporters said soldiers beat up several reporters and photographers covering the incident and smashed their cameras.

Kanchana Dissanayake, editor of Sinhala-language "Ada" (Today), said a photographer from the newspaper was admitted to a hospital after being beaten by soldiers.

Human rights activists have accused the Sri Lankan government of reacting sharply to any opposition to its rule since defeating Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009, ending a nearly three-decade civil war.

The incident is the third in two years in Sri Lanka where police or military have used firearms on protesters. In 2011, a factory worker was shot dead during a demonstration, and in 2012 police shot and killed a fisherman who was protesting against rising fuel prices.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/02/3537927/1-protester-killed-in-sri-lanka.html

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A-Rod May Lose $100 Million if Banned

As Major League Baseball reportedly prepares to penalize Alex "A-Rod" Rodriguez for his connection to defunct clinic Biogenesis, the New York Yankees' third baseman, baseball's highest-paid player, stands to lose millions.

Rodriguez, 38, earned $30.3 million from June 2012 to June 2013, mostly from his salary, according to Forbes. He ranks 18th overall on Forbes' list of the highest paid athletes in the world. He also has stakes in businesses and real estate holdings.

Rodriguez, who has dated actresses Cameron Diaz and Kate Hudson, is notorious for his high-flying lifestyle. His car collection includes a luxurious, black Maybach 57s, known to have a price tag of more than $400,000.

Though Rodriguez signed the two biggest contracts in baseball history -- $252 million with the Texas Rangers in 2000 and $275 million with the Yankees in 2007 -- he earns very little in endorsement deals.

Rodriguez did sign an endorsement deal with Vita Coco in 2011 even though he was in investor in that coconut water's biggest competitor, Zico.

Rodriguez could not be reached for comment. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

He previously had endorsement deals with Nike and Rawlings, but those companies dropped him in recent years, said Forbes' Kurt Badenhausen.

Badenhausen said Rodriguez's assets are "small potatoes" compared to his baseball income.

Watch: A-Rod Could Receive Lifetime Ban From Baseball

Despite being sidelined for the start of the 2013 season following hip surgery, Badenhausen said Rodriguez now has more than $100 million in future salary obligations on the line with the Biogenesis case.

"His endorsements have completely dried up and are almost certainly never coming back," Badenhausen said.

Read More: The Surprising Highest-Paid Athlete in the U.S.

ESPN's Darren Rovell said Rodriguez' earnings will be affected based on whether he is suspended and for how long. A lifetime suspension would cut off his major source of income, but not his only source. He also has real estate holdings, a construction company, Newport Property Construction, and a Mercedes-Benz dealership in League City, Texas, near Houston.

"But he has his name on these things, and any other negative damage to his name could affect them," Rovell said.

The slugger poured millions into custom renovations at his nine-bedroom, Miami Beach, Fla., home, which he sold for $30 million this year. He bought it for $7.4 million in 2010.

If the league imposes a major ban on Rodriguez, such as a lifetime suspension, Rovell said, there will bound to be a major legal battle with not only A-Rod's legal team, but the Major League Baseball Players Association.

"Baseball has the strongest union of all major sports unions," Rovell said.

Read: MLB Releases List in Performance-Enhancing Drug Scandal to Union

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rod-may-lose-100-million-114324084.html

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Cleveland kidnapping victim: I cried every night

Ariel Castro listens in the courtroom during the sentencing phase Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013, in Cleveland. Three months after an Ohio woman kicked out part of a door to end nearly a decade of captivity, Castro, a onetime school bus driver faces sentencing for kidnapping three women and subjecting them to years of sexual and physical abuse. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Ariel Castro listens in the courtroom during the sentencing phase Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013, in Cleveland. Three months after an Ohio woman kicked out part of a door to end nearly a decade of captivity, Castro, a onetime school bus driver faces sentencing for kidnapping three women and subjecting them to years of sexual and physical abuse. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Images from the video provided by Hennes Paynter Communications shows from left: Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight. The three women held captive in a Cleveland home for a decade broke their public silence in a 3-minute, 30-second video posted on YouTube at midnight Monday July 8, 2013. They said the support and prayers of family, friends and the public is allowing them to rebuild their lives after what Berry called "this entire ordeal." (AP Photo/Hennes Paynter Communications)

Ariel Castro enters the courtroom during the sentencing phase Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013, in Cleveland. Three months after an Ohio woman kicked out part of a door to end nearly a decade of captivity, Castro, a onetime school bus driver faces sentencing for kidnapping three women and subjecting them to years of sexual and physical abuse. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Ariel Castro sits in the courtroom during the sentencing phase Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013, in Cleveland. Three months after an Ohio woman kicked out part of a door to end nearly a decade of captivity, Castro, a onetime school bus driver faces sentencing for kidnapping three women and subjecting them to years of sexual and physical abuse. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Ariel Castro, center, listens in the courtroom during the sentencing phase Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013, in Cleveland. Defense attorney's Craig Weintraub, left, and Jaye Schlachet sit beside Castro. Three months after an Ohio woman kicked out part of a door to end nearly a decade of captivity, Castro, a onetime school bus driver faces sentencing for kidnapping three women and subjecting them to years of sexual and physical abuse. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

(AP) ? One of the victims of convicted Cleveland kidnapper and rapist Ariel Castro says at his sentencing hearing that she cried every night and that her years in captivity "turned into eternity."

Michelle Knight says she spent 11 years in hell and that Castro's hell is now beginning.

Her appearance is the first time she's been seen publicly since her rescue from the house where she was held captive for 10 years.

The 32-year-old Knight was the first woman abducted by Ariel Castro in 2002 after he lured her into his house with the promise of a puppy for her son.

Castro has pleaded guilty to charges that he repeatedly raped Knight and two other victims, and also forced Knight to miscarry after he impregnated her.

Knight was the only victim to testify. Relatives spoke for the other two victims.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-08-01-Missing%20Women%20Found/id-00bcee5877cb4f5dbb43fe26b878b9fa

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Ravens CB Asa Jackson suspended for PED use

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) ? Baltimore Ravens cornerback Asa Jackson has been suspended without pay for the first eight games of the regular season for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

"My reaction to that is that you've got to follow the rules," coach John Harbaugh said after practice Friday. "If you don't follow the rules, you get suspended. That's a fair rule, there's no place for that, and he's getting what he deserves.

"As far as what it does to our corner depth, that's one less corner that we have. We'll be missing Asa those first eight weeks. Whether he'll back after that, time will tell."

Jackson received a four-game suspension as a rookie last season for the same reason. This suspension is for eight games because it's his second violation.

Drafted in the fifth round out of Cal Poly, Jackson played in only two games last season for the Super Bowl champions.

Jackson will be eligible to return to the active roster Nov. 4 after the team's game against Cleveland on Nov. 3. He is eligible to participate in all preseason practices and games.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ravens-cb-asa-jackson-suspended-ped-205803611.html

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S&P surpasses 1,700 on data, central bank support

By Alison Griswold

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks climbed on Thursday, with the S&P 500 topping the 1,700 level for the first time, after economic data pointed to a modestly improving economy and the Federal Reserve kept its loose money policy in place.

In its latest policy statement on Wednesday, the Federal Reserve gave no hint that a reduction in the pace of its bond-buying program was imminent, as the economy continues to recover but is still in need of support.

Global central banks on Thursday also remained accommodative with the European Central Bank's President Mario Draghi reiterating the ECB's rates will remain at their present level or lower for an "extended period" of time.

Data on weekly U.S. initial jobless claims and national manufacturing came in better than expected, while construction spending dropped 0.6 percent in June, below forecasts calling for a 0.4 percent rise.

"There is an ongoing recovery in the economy," said Leo Kelly, managing director and partner at HighTower's Kelly Wealth Management in Hunt Valley, Maryland.

"It is not an economy that's growing at a break-neck pace, but it's an economy that continues to move forward and that's why you're seeing stocks react positively today."

The market's advance was broad, with all of the 10 S&P 500 industry sectors moving higher. Growth-sensitive financials, industrials and consumer discretionary shares registered the biggest gains.

Bank of America and Wells Fargo were among the companies giving the greatest boost to the S&P 500. Shares of Bank of America rose 2.3 percent to $14.93, while Wells Fargo added 1.8 percent to $44.30.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 125.40 points, or 0.81 percent, to 15,624.94. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index climbed 16.82 points, or 1.00 percent, to 1,702.55, and the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 36.80 points, or 1.01 percent, to 3,663.17.

Earlier in the session, the benchmark S&P rose to a new intraday high of 1,704.97.

Yelp Inc surged 23.2 percent to $51.47 after the consumer reviews website posted a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss and forecast third-quarter revenue above analysts' expectations.

Pioneer Natural Resources was the S&P 500's biggest percentage gainer after reporting its second-quarter results. The company's shares jumped 13.3 percent to $175.32, after hitting an all-time high of $180.99 earlier in the session.

On the downside, Exxon Mobil Corp dipped 2.2 percent to $91.70, the biggest drag on the Dow and the S&P 500, after reporting a sharp drop in quarterly profit on lower oil and gas output production and weaker earnings from its refining business.

Of the 375 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings for the second quarter, 67.5 percent have topped analyst expectations, in line with the average beat over the past four quarters. About 55 percent have reported revenue above estimates, above the average beat of the past four quarters but below the historical average.

Weekly initial jobless claims data showed a drop of 19,000 to a seasonally-adjusted 326,000, the lowest since January 2008 and better than the 345,000 forecast.

The drop in initial claims, coupled with Wednesday's better-than-expected ADP employment report, bodes well for payrolls data on Friday.

The Institute for Supply Management said its index of national factory activity rose to 55.4 in July, its highest level since June 2011.

Financial data firm Markit said its final U.S. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index for July rose to 53.7, the highest since March.

(Reporting by Alison Griswold; Additional reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Chris Reese)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/p-surpasses-1-700-data-central-bank-support-160834896.html

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Hired Guns: US Troops Kill for Cartels (Fox News)

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New Rebels coach sends real message

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Friday, August 2, 2013

When would global warming destroy life on Earth? Study hazards a guess.

Two new studies look at when a runaway greenhouse effect makes a planet uninhabitable. For Earth, the data suggest that time is still distant, even with current levels of global warming.

By Pete Spotts / July 30, 2013

This is a picture of the surface of Venus, which is hot enough to melt lead, thanks to a runaway greenhouse effect at some point in the planet's past. Two recent studies look at how such processes might occur.

JPL/AP/File

Enlarge

A runaway greenhouse effect ? where a planet's atmosphere traps so much heat that temperatures rise to life-snuffing levels ? may be easier to achieve than previously believed. And there may be more than one way to drive the increase.

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Those are the implications of two recent studies looking at what planetary scientists describe as one of the fundamental processes that can render a planet uninhabitable.

In the sun's neighborhood, Venus is the textbook example. It is thought to have had oceans on its surface early in its history, but the planet's proximity to the sun and the relatively high concentration of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in its atmosphere combined to evaporate the oceans, triggering runaway warming that drove surface temperatures to levels that can melt lead.

The most recent of the two studies, published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience, found that the amount of energy needed to shift a planet's climate into thermal overdrive at Earth's distance from the sun was about 10 percent less than estimates many scientists have been using for more than two decades.

The research suggests that from a standpoint of Earth's climate, it would likely take another 1.5 billion years, even accounting for the pace at which human activities are pumping greenhouse gases into the air, for a runaway greenhouse effect to take over, says Colin Goldblatt, an assistant professor at the University of Victoria in British Columbia who studies the evolution of Earth's climate.

The results also imply that a star's habitable zone ? where a planet could capture enough warmth from its sun to allow liquid water to remain stable on the surface ? may be smaller than previously estimated. If the results hold up, this would reduce the number of extrasolar planets deemed potentially habitable.

The study serves as a useful reminder that scientists can't determine habitability only from estimates of how much radiation reaches a planet, says Larry Esposito, a researcher who studies planetary atmospheres at the University of Colorado at Boulder. A planet's current climate and the history of that climate play key roles, too.

The atmospheric model used in looking at the greenhouse effect on Earth represents "a first pass at doing the problem again," says Dr. Goldblatt. It doesn't account for clouds, which would be crucial to determining the mount of sunlight reaching Earth's surface. Instead, the model operates assuming clear skies.

"You start off with simple models. You try to understand the answers. Then you go on to more complex models," he says.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/YkdlqBARSAo/When-would-global-warming-destroy-life-on-Earth-Study-hazards-a-guess

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US Senator blasts ?outrageous? Russian threat against gay Olympic athletes (Americablog)

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10-year-old Whitby girl, Francesca LoGiacco, fundraising for ...

CTV Toronto
Published Thursday, August 1, 2013 11:30AM EDT
Last Updated Thursday, August 1, 2013 8:52PM EDT

A 10-year-old Whitby, Ont. girl is using her summer break to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society, one odd job at a time.

Francesca LoGiacco, who recently launched the "My Summer?s Not Gonna Be A Bummer", has already raised more than $1,500 by doing a number of chores for people in her community and running a lemonade stand in her school?s parking lot.

Since last month, LoGiacco -- who has been blogging about her campaign -- has baked cookies for a senior?s home, feed cats and helped a mom walk her dog.

Some of the tasks LoGiacco suggests on her blog include: washing cars, pulling weeds, visiting seniors in long-term care homes, and flower pruning.

"I will do tasks asked by my donors ? and donate all the money I have made to the foundation," LoGiacco says on her blog, which is managed by her mom.

The self-described "worker bee" has already lost five family members to cancer, including her aunt, two great-grandparents, her grandmother and her 21-year-old cousin.

LoGiacco, who will be entering Grade 5 this fall, has been posting pictures of herself doing various odd jobs, as well as thank you notes from her "clients."

"Thank you for making me my cookies. It will help me recover faster especially since I can?t bake!" reads a note written by a donor named Jessica.

"What you are doing is amazing, raising money for cancer! You are an inspiration."

Source: http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/need-a-hand-whitby-girl-fundraising-for-cancer-research-one-odd-job-at-a-time-1.1393546

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