Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/164265620?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Monday, November 21, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
95% Weekend
All Critics (63) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (59) | Rotten (3)
It's a definitive example of naturalistic moviemaking -- you feel you're breathing the air that the characters are breathing.
Its final moments offer a vision of what a contemporary romance can achieve: an appreciative gasp of truth, a wet-eyed hope for more.
One of the truest, most beautiful movies ever made about two strangers.
If you've ever met someone who changed your life in the space of days, you'll relate to something in this movie.
The organ that "Weekend" is most concerned with isn't the one you might think, but the human heart.
In just a short period of time, a weekend hookup tests the boundaries each man has set for himself.
It's splendidly played with an understated intensity that deftly captures the shifting emotional tone of the relationship.
Offers up the kind of subtle, truthful relationship drama that's all too rare in cinema.
There's a fresh, sweaty, honest, unpretentious air to it, and when they part, with Glen on his way to spend a year working in Portland, Oregon, we genuinely believe that something like love has come into their yearning lives.
Writer-director Andrew Haigh has a delicate, sensitive touch, and this is appealing as a simple peek into modern romance... but there's a sense of wishful thinking -- or even desperation -- that I suspect is not intended here.
There's a deceptive simplicity to British writer-director Andrew Haigh's poignant, fluent character study, which has already earned comparisons to Before Sunrise.
Haigh treats his subject matter with matter-of-fact realism. If this is a new voice on the British film scene, it's a refreshingly adult one.
It is a tender, humane film, with an easy, unforced cinematic language: a film that doesn't need to try too hard.
Haigh's film is written with a shrewd, unpretentious feel for the way young people behave when they're getting to know each other, shot with a keen eye for urban solitude, and completely nails its seemingly modest tasks...
Haigh, writing, directing and producing, drives through the meeting-cute introductions and the medium-molten sex scenes as if they were merely marks on the map, to follow the simple, complex arc of an evolving love affair.
Impressively directed and superbly written, this is an emotionally engaging and strikingly naturalistic romantic drama with terrific central performances from newcomers Tom Cullen and Chris New.
A remarkable film that signals an exciting new voice in the LGBT landscape.
Sexy, provocative, engrossing and occasionally ornery, it should appeal to anyone whose curiosity about someone new has provoked them to question their own identity.
Terrific low-key turns from the two leads inject their growing bond with genuine emotion, making this a love story that will get under the skin of romantics everywhere.
Cullen and New are British stage actors with little background in film. Haigh's only previous film was a documentary. Perhaps because they don't feel bound by a set of rules, they've created one of the year's most enjoyable surprises.
Weekend is the year's wittiest hymn to romance.
Weekend might be a small film recounting an intimate relationship, but it speaks to the grandest of ideas.
By the end of their weekend together, it feels like you know these guys and, even better, like you're rooting for them.
A heartfelt romantic comedy, a touching rumination on sexual identity and a striking look at what it is to be gay in 21st Century Britain.
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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/weekend_2011/
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Monday, October 24, 2011
No Word Yet On Where German Satellite Fell
Scientists were trying to establish how and where a defunct German research satellite returned to the Earth Sunday, after warning that some parts might survive re-entry and crash at up to 280 mph.
There was no immediate solid evidence to determine above which continent or country the ROSAT scientific research satellite entered the atmosphere, said Andreas Schuetz, spokesman for the German Aerospace Center.
Most parts of the minivan-sized satellite were expected to burn up, but up to 30 fragments weighing a total of 1.87 tons could have crashed.
The center said the satellite entered the atmosphere between 9:45 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. Saturday EDT and would have taken only 10 or 15 minutes to hit the ground.
Schuetz said it could take days to determine exactly where pieces of the satellite had fallen, but that the agency had not received any reports that it had hit any populated areas.
"I don't think that we'll have a confirmation of any sort today," he said, pointing out that it also took NASA several days to establish where one of its satellites had hit last month.
Scientists said hours before the re-entry into the atmosphere that the satellite was not expected to hit over Europe, Africa or Australia. According to a precalculated path it could have been above Asia, possibly China, at the time of its re-entry, but Schuetz said he could not confirm that.
The 2.69-ton scientific ROSAT satellite was launched in 1990 and retired in 1999 after being used for research on black holes and neutron stars and performing the first all-sky survey of X-ray sources with an imaging telescope.
The largest single fragment of ROSAT that could hit into the earth is the telescope's heat-resistant mirror.
During its mission, the satellite orbited about 370 miles above the Earth's surface, but after its decommissioning it lost altitude, circling at a distance of only 205 miles above ground in June for example, the agency said.
Even in the last days, the satellite still circled the planet every 90 minutes, making it hard to predict where on Earth it would eventually come down.
A dead NASA satellite fell into the southern Pacific Ocean last month, causing no damage, despite fears it would hit a populated area and cause damage or kill people.
Experts believe about two dozen metal pieces from the bus-sized satellite fell over a 500-mile span.
The German space agency put the odds of somebody somewhere on Earth being hurt by its satellite at one in 2,000 ? a slightly higher level of risk than was calculated for the NASA satellite. But any one individual's odds of being struck were one in 14 trillion, given there are 7 billion people on the planet.
Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/10/22/141623516/pieces-of-german-satellite-expected-to-hit-earth?ft=1&f=1007
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Sunday, October 23, 2011
Saudi heir's death brings conservative to fore
Saudis watch a TV broadcast on the death of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011. Prince Sultan died abroad Saturday after an illness, state TV said. Sultan, who was the kingdom's deputy prime minister and the minister of defense and aviation, has had a string of health issues. He underwent surgery in New York in February 2009 for an undisclosed illness and spent nearly a year abroad recuperating in the United States and at a palace in Agadir, Morocco. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Saudis watch a TV broadcast on the death of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011. Prince Sultan died abroad Saturday after an illness, state TV said. Sultan, who was the kingdom's deputy prime minister and the minister of defense and aviation, has had a string of health issues. He underwent surgery in New York in February 2009 for an undisclosed illness and spent nearly a year abroad recuperating in the United States and at a palace in Agadir, Morocco. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
File - In this Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008 file photo, Saudi Arabia's Crow Prince Sultan bin Abdel Aziz arrives at the awards ceremony of the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud International Prize at King Fahd Cultural center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi TV said Saturday morning Oct. 22, 2011 the kingdom's heir to the throne has died abroad after an illness. He was 85 years old. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)
FILE - French President Jacques Chirac, right, walks with Saudi Arabia's crown prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz, after they signed a defence cooperation agreement at the conclusion of the prince's three day visit in France, at the Elysee Palace in Paris in this July 21, 2006 file photo. The heir to the Saudi throne, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdel Aziz, died abroad Saturday Oct. 22, 2011 after an illness, state TV said. He was 85 years old. (APPhoto/Remy de la Mauviniere, File)
FILE - Then U.S. Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger takes leave of Saudi defense minister Prince Sultan bin Abdel Aziz after a meeting at the Saudi minister's residence in Paris in this May 12, 1983 file photo. The heir to the Saudi throne, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdel Aziz, died abroad Saturday Oct. 22, 2011 after an illness, state TV said. He was 85 years old. (AP Photo/Cironneau, File)
FILE - Saudi Arabia's crown prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz, waves to reporters as he leaves the Elysee Palace after signing a defence cooperation agreement with french President Jacques Chirac, visible at top right, at the conclusion of the prince's three day visit in France, at the Elysee Palace in Paris in this July 21, 2006 file photo. The heir to the Saudi throne, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdel Aziz, died abroad Saturday Oct. 22, 2011 after an illness, state TV said. He was 85 years old. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) ? Saudi Arabia's ruling monarchy moved into a critical period of realignment Saturday after the death of the heir to the throne opened the way for a new crown prince: most likely a tough-talking interior minister who has led crackdowns on Islamic militants but also has shown favor to ultraconservative traditions such as keeping the ban on women voting.
A state funeral is planned for Tuesday in Riyadh for crown prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, who died in New York at the age of 80 after an unspecified illness, the official Saudi Press Agency said.
Now, Saudi rulers are expected to move quickly to name the new king-in-waiting ? which royal protocol suggests will be Sultan's half brother, Prince Nayef.
Moving Nayef to the top of the succession ladder would not likely pose any risks to Saudi Arabia's pro-Western policies and, in particular, its close alliance with Washington. But Nayef cuts a much more mercurial figure than Saudi's current leader, the ailing King Abdullah, who has nudged ahead with reforms such as promising women voting rights in 2015 despite rumblings from the country's powerful religious establishment.
Nayef, 78, has earned U.S. praise for unleashing the internal security forces against suspected Islamic extremist cells in Saudi Arabia, which was home to 15 of 19 of the Sept. 11 hijackers. Yet he brought blistering rebukes in the West for a 2002 interview that quoted him as saying that "Zionists" ? a reference to Jews ? benefited from the 9-11 attacks because it turned world opinion against Islam and Arabs.
Nayef also has expressed displeasure at some of Abdullah's moves for more openness, saying in 2009 that he saw no need for women to vote or participate in politics. It's a view shared by many Saudi clerics, who follow a strict brand of Islam known as Wahhabism. Their support gives the Saudi monarchy the legitimacy to rule over a nation holding Islam's holiest sites.
"Nayef is more religious, and is closer to the Saudi groups who are very critical of the king's decisions regarding women and other steps he's taken to balance out the rigid religious practices in society," said Ali Fakhro, a political analyst and commentator in Bahrain.
But it remains doubtful that Nayef ? if ever made king ? would outright annul Abdullah's reforms, which include the establishment of a coed university where both genders can mix. More likely, Nayef would put any further changes on hold, said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a political affairs professor at Emirates University.
"It's not good news for Saudis or for the region," he said. "(Nayef) is the security guy. He is the mukhabarat (secret police) guy. He is the internal affairs guy."
Although it's not certain that Nayef will be selected to succeed Sultan, the signs point clearly in that direction.
After Sultan fell ill two years ago, Nayef was named second deputy prime minister, traditionally the post right behind the crown prince. For the first time, however, the mechanism of picking the next No. 2 in the royal succession is not entirely clear.
Traditionally, the king names his successor. But this time it is possible that Abdullah will put the decision to the Allegiance Council, a 33-member body composed of his brothers and cousins. Abdullah created the council as part of his reforms and gave it a mandate to choose the heir.
Abdullah formed the council in order to modernize the process and give a wider voice. When it was created, it was decided that the council would choose the heir for the first time when Sultan rose to the throne, and his crown prince would need to be named. But it was not specified whether it would be used if Sultan died before the king.
The choice of whether to convene the council now will likely be made by the 87-year-old Abdullah, who is currently recovering from his third operation to treat back problems in less than a year.
"It is with deep sorrow and grief that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah mourns the loss of his brother and Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Sultan," the palace said in a statement announcing Sultan's death.
The announcement did not elaborate on his illness. According to a leaked U.S. diplomatic cable from January 2010, Sultan had been receiving treatment for colon cancer since 2009.
Sultan was the kingdom's defense minister in 1990 when U.S. forces deployed in Saudi Arabia to defend it against Iraqi forces that had overrun Kuwait. His son, Prince Khaled, served as the top Arab commander in the 1991 operation Desert Storm, in which U.S.-led troops drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait.
As defense minister, Sultan closed multibillion-dollar deals to establish the modern Saudi armed forces, including land, air, naval and air defense forces. On more than one occasion, the deals implicated several of his sons in corruption scandals ? charges they have denied.
Sultan is survived by 32 children from multiple wives. They include Bandar, the former ambassador to the United States who now heads the National Security Council, and Khaled, Sultan's assistant in the Defense Ministry.
U.S. President Barack Obama called the prince "a valued friend of the United States" in a statement of condolence. "He was a strong supporter of the deep and enduring partnership between our two countries forged almost seven decades ago."
"He will be missed," said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a visit to Tajikistan. "Our relationship with Saudi Arabia is strong and enduring and we will look forward to working with the leadership for many years to come."
Britain's foreign secretary, William Hague, said Sultan served his country with "great dignity and dedication."
Saudi Arabia has been ruled since 1953 by the sons of its founder, King Abdul-Aziz, who had more than 40 sons by multiple wives. Sultan was part of the aging second generation of Abdul-Aziz's sons, including Nayef, the full brother of the late King Fahd, who died in 2005.
While Nayef has taken only minor roles in foreign affairs, he has been outspoken in one of Saudi Arabia's chief regional concerns: ambitions by rival Iran to expand its influence in the Middle East.
Earlier this year, he blamed the Shiite power for encouraging protests among Saudi Arabia's minority Shiites.
Nayef also was involved in the kingdom's decision in March to send military forces into neighboring Bahrain to help crush pro-reform demonstrations led by tiny island nation's majority Shiites against its Sunni rulers ? which Gulf Arab leaders accuse of having ties to Iran.
With Yemen, he has called for Saudi Arabia to take a harder line with embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was treated in Saudi Arabia after surviving a blast in June and later returned to Yemen.
In August, Nayef accepted undisclosed libel damages from Britain's newspaper The Independent over an article which accused him of ordering police chiefs to shoot and kill unarmed demonstrators in Saudi Arabia.
Nayef has chaired Cabinet meetings in place of Abdullah and Sultan. He also draws considerable prestige from being among the sons of Abdul-Aziz's most prominent wife, known as the Sudeiri Seven. Abdullah's predecessor Fahd also was among the seven.
"Nayef's closer links to the Wahhabi establishment may see a reversal of some recent reforms, especially regarding women," said Christopher Davidson, a lecturer at Britain's Durham University and an expert on Gulf affairs. "But more likely business as usual, I think, with no further major reforms."
___
Murphy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Maggie Michael in Cairo and Barbara Surk in Manama, Bahrain, contributed to this report.
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Saturday, October 22, 2011
Video: Harold Camping predicts end of world ? again
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Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44987554#44987554
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NASA To Test New Atomic Clock
Were you a Payload Officer at 2 SOPS? And, are you referring to the Space or Ground segment? If you mean the backup clocks in the Mod, then that's slightly outside my knowledge. As far as the Space Segment, they've been reliably using Cesium and Rubium (atomic) clocks for over 3 decades. They don't want to change because it's known, reliable, etc. I was curious to note the newest generation of satellites dropped the 4th clock, and now launch with only 3. Since each clock is only usable a number of years (varies too much for me to generalize), I'd have thought they kept all four just in case the electrical system outlives normal design life, and you end up needing to go with a 4th clock when the 3rd one becomes too "deviant".
I think the GPS relevence is buried at the bottom of the article. Cesium and Rubidium clocks are both accurate to the nanosecond. That's just about as accurate as can be practical. The new atomic clock, however, they're saying is accurate LONGER. On GPS Satellites, the original satellites (Block I, II, IIA, IIR) launched with Cesium and Rubidium, 2 each. Usually you have one operational, sometimes one on "ready standby", and the other two off. As each atomic clock reaches the end of its mission-usable life, it's turned off. It become's "mission-unusable" (not a real term, I just made that up) when it's signal varies outside a normal window of acceptable predictability in terms of its output signal. There are design differences, such as Rubidium clocks have to stay within a tenth of a degree (F) in temperature stability (if memory serves correct). So, if they can create a clock that's more stable, for a longer period of time, this has huge potential for future GPS satellites. However, since we just awarded contract to Boeing the contract for IIF birds, with only 2 of 12 launched, it's going to be a very long time (decade at best) before you'd see this in a GPS satellite. Design life has also expanded from 7 to 12 years for each satellite (for point of reference Block I only had a design life of 3 years since they were R&D), so this pushes any usage even farther out since we're going to go longer before replacements need to be launched.
Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/j14-05S4B5o/nasa-to-test-new-atomic-clock
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