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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) ? Geovany Soto hit a game-ending homer for Texas after A.J. Pierzynski had already gone deep in the ninth off Los Angeles Angels closer Ernesto Frieri, and the Rangers snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory Monday night.
Pierzynski led off the ninth by pulling a pitch into the right-field seats, his 11th homer this season snapping a 4-for-27 slump and tying the game. Nelson Cruz followed with a single off Frieri (0-3) before David Murphy grounded into a double play. Soto, who entered the game hitting only .198 this season, then hit a towering flyball to left that easily cleared the wall.
Jason Frasor (1-2) pitched a scoreless ninth for Texas, three days after he gave up a game-ending homer in an 11-inning loss at Cleveland.
Texas had gone 26 innings without scoring a run, two short of the 41-year-old team record, until Ian Kinsler's RBI single in the sixth to get the Rangers within 3-1. They had played 46 innings without leading a game until Soto's second career game-ending homer.
The Texas comeback spoiled another solid effort for Angels starter Jered Weaver, who allowed only one run with six strikeouts over seven innings. The right-hander has a 1.31 ERA (seven runs in 48 innings) his last seven starts.
Dane De La Rosa allowed an unearned run in his inning of relief before Frieri's third blown save in 28 chances.
J.B. Shuck hit his first major league homer for the Angels, who have lost four in a row. Josh Hamilton had a two-run single against his former team.
Matt Garza (1-1) struck out six and allowed three runs over seven innings in his second Texas start since getting traded. The right-hander had won six starts in a row, including his last five for the Chicago Cubs before a winning debut for the Rangers last Wednesday against the New York Yankees when the only run he allowed was unearned after his throwing error.
Weaver had retired 12 in a row before Leonys Martin, in the leadoff spot for the first time in his 124 major league games, had a drag bunt in the sixth. The pitcher fielded the ball along the first-base line, but didn't even attempt a throw since Martin had already run past him.
Martin got to second when Elvis Andrus unsuccessfully tried to bunt for a hit. Ian Kinsler, who went to No. 3 in the order with Martin leading off, followed with an RBI single for the first Texas run in three games, and also ended a scoreless streak of 19 2-3 innings for Weaver.
Andrus extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the eighth, then stole second, went to third on catcher Hank Conger's throwing error and scored on Kinsler's sac fly.
Shuck homered in the fifth, homering in his 323rd career at-bat and 115th game. Later that inning, Erick Aybar drew a walk and Mike Trout had a two-out double before both scored on Hamilton's opposite-field grounder to left against a shifted Rangers infield to make it 3-0.
Hamilton was a five-time All-Star and the 2010 AL MVP during his five seasons in Texas before going to the Angels with a $125 million, five-year contract over the winter.
Just like when the Angels were the opponent for the first Rangers home series in early April, Hamilton was booed each time he came to the plate. He came in hitting only .220 overall, but had two hits Monday and is 11 for 29 (.379) against his former team.
NOTES: Weaver is 15-2 with a 1.72 ERA in July games since 2011. ... The Rangers second ended on a 6-4-3 grounder ? for one out, not the double play usually associated with that sequence. Soto hit a grounder that SS Aybar fielded in the hole and threw to second base, where runner Cruz had already reached. But 2B Howie Kendrick still had plenty of time to get Soto out at first. ... Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson, 7-1 with a 1.96 ERA his last eight starts, is scheduled to start against his former team Tuesday night. He is 0-2 with a 7.65 ERA in five starts against the Rangers, all last season.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rangers-homer-twice-9th-beat-angels-4-3-022940725.html
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United States vs. Panama: The US national soccer team beat Panama 1-0 to win the Concacaf Gold Cup Sunday. The United States? outscored opponents 20-4 in the tournament.
United States' Landon Donovan, left, controls the ball against Panama's Alberto Quintero during first half of the CONCACAF Gold Cup final match at Soldier Field on Sunday, July 28, 2013, in Chicago. The US won 1-0.
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
EnlargeIt took Brek Shea less than a minute to give the United States a goal. And the Gold Cup title.
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Shea scored 42 seconds after coming into the game as a substitute, and his goal in the 69th minute gave the United States a 1-0 victory over Panama in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final. It is the fifth Gold Cup title for the U.S., but it's first since 2007. The victory also extended the Americans' winning run to a record 11 games, four more than their previous best.
When the final whistle sounded, the Americans on the bench raced onto the field to join their teammates. Several players jumped up and down, and hugs and high-fives were exchanged. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who watched the game from a luxury box after being suspended for his tirade over the officiating in the semifinals, quickly made his way down to the field, pumping his fists in the air as he walked.
The Panamians, meanwhile, could only watch in disappointment. They came into the game full of confidence after beating Mexico twice during the tournament, but never really threatened the United States.
The only downer on the day for the Americans was another injury to Stuart Holden's right knee. He collapsed to the ground after colliding with another player in the first half and grabbed at his right knee. He was able to walk off the field on his own, but U.S. Soccer later said he had sprained the knee and it would need further evaluation.
Holden missed almost 2 ? years because of injuries to his right knee, only returning to the U.S. squad in late May.
The U.S. had been the class of the Gold Cup, outscoring opponents 20-4 in the tournament. Klinsmann used a mostly young team, and its confidence appeared to grow with every victory.
Though Klinsmann and his players had insisted his one-game suspension wouldn't change anything ? "We're going to use it a little bit as a rallying cry," Landon Donovan said Saturday. "We want to win the trophy for him." ? they lacked their usual sharpness early on. Donovan and Eddie Johnson both struggled to get free, covered closely by Panama's dogged defense.
But they found their rhythm in the second half, creating several chances. The best came in the 56th minute, DaMarcus Beasley chipped a ball into Donovan, who was in front of the goal at the near post. Donovan got his head on the ball, but not at the angle he wanted and it flew wide of the net. As the crowd groaned, Donovan threw back his head and Beasley swatted the red flag in the corner.
The Americans were still scratching to create something ? anything ? when Shea replaced Joe Corona in the 68th minute. He didn't waste any time making his presence felt as the Americans pushed forward again.
Alejandro Bedoya fed Donovan, but he muffed the shot. The ball continued to roll past Panama's Roberto Chen and on toward the net. Parked inches from the goal line, Shea stuck out his left foot and tapped the ball past goalkeeper Jaime Penedo for his second international goal.
The Americans had a chance to double the lead in the 84th minute when Shea fed a wide-open Eddie Johnson 2 yards from the goal. But Johnson couldn't finish it, sending the ball flying over the cross bar.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
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Source: http://www.mypawsitivelypets.com/2013/07/unique-activities-and-games-for-pets.html
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Dunking your phone in three feet of water might sound crazy, but with the Galaxy S4 Active, it?s something Samsung actively encourages.
So why doesn?t Samsung?s warranty for the device cover water damage?
Early owners of Samsung?s durable device are finding that, just because Samsung says the phone can survive a dip in a fish tank, that doesn?t mean the company is responsible for any potential damage resulting from the plunge.
Here?s how Samsung frames its liability in?the phone?s user manual (PDF):
This Limited Warranty does not cover: (a) defects or damage resulting from accident, misuse, abnormal use, abnormal conditions, improper storage, exposure to liquid, moisture, dampness, sand or dirt, neglect, or unusual physical, electrical or electromechanical stress [...].
While owners may take Samsung?s advertising as evidence that the Galaxy S4 Active is ?waterpoof,? it?s really just ?water-resistant.? As Samsung points out in the device?s manual, the S4 Active is rated IP67, which means that it?s resistant to water only up to depths of a little over three feet (and only for thirty minutes).
Samsung?s biggest mistake with the Galaxy S4 Active might just be Aqua Mode.
But it?s a bit more complicated than that. In order to keep the device sufficiently safe from water damage, owners must first make sure the phone?s series of??snap points? and port covers are secured. ?As Samsung says: ?It is important that all compartments are closed tightly. Follow these tips carefully to prevent damage to the device.?
The problem, however, is mostly in the way Samsung is advertising the phone: While some advertisements for the S4 Active?bill it as ?whoops-proof? ? i.e., it can survive an accidental dunk in a pool ? features like the device?s ?Aqua Mode? paint a different picture: This is a device, Samsung says, that can ? and should?? be used underwater, regardless of how conventionally stupid doing such a thing is.
As a result, there seems to be something profoundly wrong with encouraging underwater photography while simultaneously denying liability if things go wrong after users actually take advantage of the feature. When you give people a false sense of security, bad experiences are inevitable.
That stance is not a unique one among owners of the S4 Active. All of?the reviews for the S4 Active on AT&T?s website, for example,?mention bad experiences with the phone?s supposed water resistance. ?Here?s one reaction:
Phone was working great but of course the first thing i wanted to do was take an underwater picture. Followed all instructions. within 10 seconds phone had water in it and most of the systems shut down.
Another review, this one via Amazon,?tells a similar tale: ?Why have this feature if your product isn?t actually guaranteed to work under water? I had it for less than a week made sure all instructions followed (back and usb port properly sealed) yet it still leaked water and therefore is now worthless.?
We?ve contacted Samsung and AT&T for comment on their warranty policies and will update when the companies respond.
Source: http://venturebeat.com/2013/07/29/samsung-galaxy-s4-active-water-damage/
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SEOUL, South Korea ? World stock markets rose Tuesday as fears of a sharp economic slowdown in China eased.
Chinese media said Premier Li Keqiang had vowed growth wouldn't go below 7 percent, suggesting Beijing will take measures to support the world's second biggest economy after two straight quarters of deceleration.
Stocks rose across the board in Asia and European benchmarks also posted gains.
Li told Cabinet that China's economic growth needs to be kept above a minimum of 7 percent, according to Beijing News. The premier also reaffirmed 7.5 percent as this year's growth target.
The report cleared uncertainty about how much China's government would let the economy slow as it tries to shift the basis of growth toward domestic consumption and away from reliance on exports and industrial investment.
"Premier Li's latest talk contains important information and will surely clarify much confusion," analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a report. "He could introduce a small scale fiscal expansion by tapping the central government coffer."
China's Shanghai Composite jumped 2 percent to 2,043.88 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng surged 2.3 percent to 21,915.42.
In Europe, France's CAC-40 added 0.2 percent to 3,948.11. Germany's DAX inched up 0.2 percent to 8,345.32 and Britain's FTSE 100 gained 0.1 percent to 6,626.77.
Futures augured slight gains on Wall Street. Dow futures advanced 0.1 percent to 15,513 and S&P 500 futures added 0.2 percent to 1,693.20.
Analysts said the previous day's downbeat news on the U.S. economy was double-edged for financial markets.
On one hand, the surprising drop in U.S. existing home sales in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.08 million dampened optimism about the U.S. economic recovery. But investors could also interpret the weak data as ensuring continued bond-buying by the Federal Reserve.
Emerging market stocks have lost ground since Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank will wind down its stimulus when the U.S. economy recovers. The remarks rattled financial markets in Asia, as it prompted foreign investors to pull out their funds from the emerging markets.
"As the U.S. economic data slows down, it could delay the talk on the so-called exit strategies, relieving investors who are worried about emerging markets," said Lim Dong-min, an economist at Kyobo Securities in Seoul.
Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.8 percent to 14,778.51, its second day of gains since Prime Minister's Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition gained control of the upper house in weekend elections. That could make it easier for Abe's administration to implement reforms aimed at lifting the world's No. 3 economy out of its long slump.
On Monday, Abe pledged that economic recovery will be the government's top priority.
Since Abe took office following a lower house election victory in late December, aggressive monetary easing and government spending have helped push stocks higher while business confidence has improved and the weaker yen has eased pressure on exporters.
South Korea's Kospi rose 1.3 percent to 1,904.15. South Korea's government said it will unveil a new set of measures to boost the stagnant real estate market including lower taxes on purchases of properties.
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.3 percent to 5,017.10.
Investors are looking ahead to a week of corporate earnings reports. Apple Inc. will release its quarterly results after the U.S. market closes on Tuesday. In Seoul, Asian tech titan Samsung Electronics will announce its quarterly performance before trading starts on Friday.
In currency markets, the dollar rose to 99.47 yen from 99.32 yen. The euro rose to $1.3193 from $1.3186.
Benchmark crude for September delivery was down 67 cents to $106.25 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
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Online ad revenues growth in Mexico continued to gain speed for a third consecutive year, according to a June 2013 Interactive Advertising Bureau M?xico (IAB M?xico) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report. After dropping from an impressive 91% growth in 2008, the expansion has exceeded 30% each year since 2009, reaching MXN6.4 billion ($486 billion) in 2012, when it registered a solid 38% improvement.
eMarketer benchmarks its digital ad spending estimates, which include online and mobile ad spending, against IAB M?xico figures. For the year 2012, digital ad spending amounted to $542.2 billion. Boosted by a growing smartphone user base that will represent 45% of all mobile phone users in 2014 and TV broadcasters? plans to live-stream FIFA World Cup matches via online and mobile properties that year, digital ad spending will nearly double to break the $1 billion mark for the first time by next year.
But not all news has been positive in the advertising industry in Mexico. According to a June 2013 ZenithOptimedia report provided to eMarketer by Starcom MediaVest Group, TV ad spending registered negative changes of 4.8% and 5.6%, respectively, in 2011 and 2012.
The ZenithOptimedia finding, while an outlier, reflects a slowdown consensus over TV ad spending in Mexico. In June 2012 PwC estimated that TV ad spending will post single digit growth rates between 2011 and 2013?down from 23.8% in 2010?and will return to until 2014 when double digit rates (22.8%) will return. Similarly, a December 2012 GroupM estimate also predicted that growth in the category will remain in the single digits through 2013.
Despite the recent slowdown, TV advertising is set to rebound this year and will certainly keep taking in the bulk of advertising dollars in Mexico, especially considering that 94.9% of households in Mexico had a TV in 2012, according to Instituto Nacional de Estad?stica y Geograf?a (INEGI) data. By comparison, only 32.2% of households had a computer and a lower 26% had an internet connection.
Corporate subscribers have access to all eMarketer analyst reports, articles, data and more. Join the over 750 companies already benefiting from eMarketer?s approach. Learn more.
Source: http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1010069
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By Alistair Barr
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Zulily hired investment banks in recent weeks to advise the fast-growing e-commerce company on a possible initial public offering, according to two people familiar with the situation.
(Reporting by Alistair Barr; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-zulily-hires-banks-possible-ipo-sources-175005880.html
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By Rachelle Younglai and Caren Bohan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Architects of the Senate's immigration bill on Monday canceled a meeting that had been planned with business groups and other supporters to try to rally momentum for the legislation, in a sign of how difficult it will be to enact the reforms.
Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, Republican Senator John McCain and other members of the "Gang of Eight" that shepherded a sweeping immigration bill through the Senate want to enlist business, labor and religious groups to help persuade members of the House of Representatives to back reform.
All members of the bipartisan group of senators except Republican Marco Rubio held a meeting with business groups last Tuesday to talk about strategy in the Republican-dominated House, where immigration reform faces strong resistance, especially for the pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants contained in the Senate bill.
But some of the business groups were uneasy with the strategy, which included trying to persuade more than 100 Republican House lawmakers to pass a comprehensive immigration bill.
A follow-up meeting was to have been held this Thursday but the senators canceled it, citing scheduling issues.
Several business representatives who participated in the meeting said they were concerned that the Senate's involvement would not play well in the House. Republican members of the House have repeatedly rejected the Senate's bill and are working on smaller enforcement and work-visa bills that do not include a path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States.
Some of the business groups "were outraged," said one lobbyist, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were private. "Even if what (the senators) said was right, they know how unpopular they are in the House," the lobbyist said.
Other lobbyists who attended the meeting also said they had concerns.
House Republicans are deeply divided over how to rewrite the country's immigration laws and have no clear strategy or timeline for passing legislation that could eventually be merged with the Senate bill.
Lobbyists said the majority of the groups that participated in Tuesday's meeting had already been working with the House Republicans they thought could be persuaded and felt that the Senate's involvement could backfire.
Not everyone was comfortable with the Senate's approach and as a result some of the groups were not planning to attend the second meeting scheduled for Thursday because they did not think it would be useful, participants said.
A Democratic congressional aide said the meeting was canceled because of scheduling problems and that the senators would continue to work closely with immigration reform groups.
But even before the meeting was canceled, some participants said they did not plan to attend the second meeting because of concerns about the strategy.
Underscoring the difficult politics of the issue in the House, Republican Speaker John Boehner, in an interview with the CBS program "Face the Nation" on Sunday, refused to say whether he thought a bill should include a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
Boehner said taking a personal stand on the issue would make it harder for him to find consensus on immigration in the House.
"If I come out and say, 'I'm for this and I'm for that,' all I'm doing is making my job harder," Boehner said. "My job in this process is to facilitate a discussion and to facilitate a process."
(Reporting by Rachelle Younglai and Caren Bohan; Editing by Eric Beech)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senators-cancel-immigration-meeting-lobbyists-amid-backlash-003351670.html
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By Iain Rogers
MADRID (Reuters) - Barcelona's swift decision to replace Tito Vilanova with Gerardo Martino is a bold move not without risk but should at least allow the players to refocus on football after the unwelcome distractions of recent months.
The Spanish champions announced on Friday that Vilanova, 44, was unable to continue because of the demands of his cancer treatment and the club said on Tuesday they had hired 50-year-old Argentine Martino, a former Newell's Old Boys coach in his native Rosario, on a two-year contract.
Barca's Argentina forward Lionel Messi is also from Rosario and the 26-year-old World Player of the Year, increasingly influential thanks to his phenomenal goalscoring record in recent years, reportedly had a hand in Martino's appointment.
The silver-haired former Newell's player is a self-confessed admirer of Barca's most successful coach, Pep Guardiola, who handed the reins to his friend Vilanova at the end of the 2011-12 season and is now at Bayern Munich.
Martino's football philosophy, rooted in ball possession and relying on players with outstanding technical ability, is considered a snug fit with Barca's playing style.
"My priority is possession," Martino said in an interview in May 2012, according to Barca's website (www.fcbarcelona.com).
"Attack, get a lot of players in the opposition half, take risks," he added.
Vilanova's debut season after succeeding Guardiola was a disappointment by Barca's high standards even though they wrested the La Liga title back from arch rivals Real Madrid with a record-equalling points haul.
Towards the end of the campaign, there was a sense some of the players had lost their focus because of Vilanova's illness.
He was away in New York having treatment for two months in February and March and although he was back on the bench for the end of the season Barca's Champions League campaign was brutally cut short by Bayern Munich.
The players seemed spent and barely put up a fight against the aggressive Bundesliga side in the two-legged semi-final and their 7-0 aggregate reverse was the club's worst in Europe by some distance.
HOTTEST PROPERTIES
In recent weeks as Real began to regroup for next season under new coach Carlo Ancelotti, Barca's preparations were again overshadowed by the issue of Vilanova's health.
Guardiola, the club's most successful coach, accused the Barca board of using Vilanova's illness to damage him and the issue dominated media coverage for several days.
When it became clear Vilanova could not continue, president Sandro Rosell and sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta knew they had to move rapidly to fill the gap with the new La Liga season less than a month away.
Luis Enrique, a former Barca player who has just taken charge at Celta Vigo, was said to be in the running but they opted instead for Martino, a relative unknown in Europe but who won plaudits for taking Paraguay to the last eight of the 2010 World Cup.
Martino's link to Messi will help him settle and win the confidence of the other players, while in new signing Neymar he has one of the hottest properties in the game.
With Real having reinforced their squad with a couple of astute purchases and apparently recovering quickly from the turbulence of the Jose Mourinho years, Barca will have to be at the top of their game if they are to defend their La Liga title.
It is the Champions League that counts, however, and one of Martino's first jobs will be to make sure Barca find the centre back they need to strengthen the defence that let them down badly at times last season.
When the action starts, maintaining Barca's entertaining, attacking style while making sure the players are not bullied out of a match like they were against Bayern is likely to be his main challenge.
"I think he will fit in with our model," Barca's Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta told Marca on Tuesday. "Whatever the club decides is best for Barca."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/barca-refocus-football-under-martino-122328326.html
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Billions of dollars.
That's what's at stake for BP as a result of the damage caused to ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
News of that spill -- which began on April 20, 2010, with an explosion onboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that killed 11 people and injured 17 -- dominated the media for weeks. Millions watched with a feeling of helplessness as the rig sank and over the next 86 days over 200 million gallons of oil spewed out of the Macondo well and into the ocean.
Five months after the spill was capped, the federal government estimated the marine animal death toll at 6,104 birds, 609 sea turtles, and 100 mammals, including dolphins. But what of the deep-water corals that provide habitat and reproductive grounds for numerous species of fish, shrimp, and crabs?
According to Charles Fisher, professor of biology at Penn State, these corals and the organisms they support are important components of a healthy deep sea and open-ocean ecosystem. That's why both BP and the government are closely collaborating with him on his investigation of the disaster's impact.
"It's a new experience for me to conduct research that could have such a dramatic financial impact and also to have so many people involved in everything we do," says Fisher. "You have to be very careful to document all the details and be very sure that you're right with your interpretations. We're always careful, but every little comment we make could be misinterpreted, so we're being extra conservative with this data set."
It was the middle of May, about a month after the oil spill began. With classes over, Fisher was looking forward to spending a little extra time on his farm, located 25 miles east of State College. But that was before the calls started to come in from federal agencies.
Over a period of about a week, Fisher was contacted independently by program officers from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). All had financially supported Fisher's research in the Gulf in the past, and all were now calling on him to help assess the impact and damage of the oil spill to the deep-sea ecosystems he knows so well.
Fisher "was selected as an expert based on his extensive and unique experience working on the ecology of the cold seep and deep-sea coral communities in deep-sea, hard-bottom habitats in the Gulf of Mexico," says Robert Ricker, southwest region branch chief of NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration. "He is a recognized leader in his field, and we pick leaders."
Fisher agreed to help. After all, he already was leading another big research program that had overlapping goals -- to locate, describe, and study deep-water coral communities throughout the Gulf of Mexico that could potentially be impacted by energy company activities.
For nearly three decades, Fisher has been studying the physiology and the ecology of the communities of animals that inhabit cold seeps -- areas of the ocean floor where methane and other hydrocarbon-rich fluid seeps out -- and hydrothermal vents -- underwater fissures in the Earth's surface that emit geothermally heated water rich in reduced chemicals -- in the deep sea. Marine invertebrates such as clams and tubeworms live in these dark places, surviving the lack of sunlight by forming symbiotic associations with bacteria. The bacteria use the reduced chemical compounds contained in the water as an energy source and, in turn, supply nutrition to their animal hosts.
Fisher has visited these deep places in submarines some 120 times. "When you're down there, you feel like you're on another planet because the landscape is like nothing you'll see on the surface of the Earth," he says. "You're oftentimes in a place where nobody has been before, so you have in the back of your mind that you may see something that nobody has ever seen. Every once in a while you do."
Among his accomplishments are the discovery of ice worms living on methane-rich ice at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and the unraveling of the complex physiological ecology of giant hydrocarbon-seep tubeworms, among the longest-lived animals on Earth. The bizarre two-meter-long tubeworms use their buried roots to suck up toxic hydrogen sulfide that lies deep in the sediments of the seafloor. They then pass the hydrogen sulfide to symbiotic bacteria living inside their bodies. These bacteria, in turn, oxidize the sulfide and provide nutrition back to the worms. The end product is sulfuric acid, which the tubeworms pump back into the sediments, where yet other bacteria use methane to remake the sulfide and supply it back to the worms.
Whenever possible, he works with Jim Brooks, president and CEO of TDI Brooks International, a company that specializes in conducting offshore surface geochemical exploration for petroleum producers.
"Jim's group discovered seep communities in the Gulf of Mexico in the 1980s when he was on the faculty at Texas A&M University," says Fisher. "I've been involved in multiple projects with him over the years. In addition to his expertise in oil geochemistry and prospecting, his company can handle all the administration, travel, budgets, and reporting, and I get to just concentrate on the science."
So in October 2010, with TDI Brooks International managing the expedition, Fisher and his colleagues set out for the Gulf of Mexico on board the NOAA ship, the Ronald H. Brown.
For nearly a month, the team revisited deep-sea coral sites all over the northern Gulf of Mexico that they had discovered the year before during a previous project. Each time they stopped, they used Jason II -- a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) or submersible designed for scientific investigation of the deep ocean and seafloor -- to sample and study corals and associated animals.
"We revisited all of the sites for which we had good baseline data," says Fisher. "We were all quite pleased to find that there was no obvious damage to the deep-water coral communities at any of these sites."
Although they had covered a four hundred-mile span east to west and a depth range from 1,300 feet to almost 6,500 feet, Fisher and his colleagues had observed only a couple of coral sites close by the Macondo well. So, on the last dive of the expedition they decided to check out a very promising area they had identified about seven miles southwest of the well and 45 miles from shore.
The research vessel coasted to a stop with nothing but the occasional seabird in flight to break the monotony of the view. Six hours into the ROV's dive, Fisher was working in the ship's laboratory, glancing up every now and then at the 36-inch screen through which video was streaming from the vehicle's camera, now positioned 4,500 feet below the ocean's surface. As the ROV moved across the seabed, the camera recorded scenes of mud, mud, and more mud, he remembers. Then, all of a sudden, a coral popped into view, and another and another. But something was wrong. The animals were not brightly colored as they are supposed to be.
Fisher recalls jumping up and sprinting across the deck of the ship to the control van. "Stop!" he warned. "Don't touch anything!"
The ROV pilots were about to take a sample, but he asked them instead to zoom in with the camera. What he saw were corals covered in dark gunk and dripping snot. "When a coral is physically insulted, it reacts by exuding mucus," he explains. "It's a normal stress reaction. It helps to clear the surface if there's something irritating or sticking on it." To avoid stressing the animals further, the team decided to minimize sampling.
"Normally we would take little pieces of lots of different corals for genetic identification and population genetic studies," Fisher says, "but we decided to back off on that and try to do our sampling around the edges, taking only samples of corals that we didn't recognize. We also collected one of the impacted corals so we could take a closer look at the gunk and what was underneath and determine whether the coral branch was dead or alive."
By the end of the cruise, the team had visited 14 sites, all but one of which were at distances greater than nine miles from the Macondo well. Only corals at that last site, just under seven miles southwest of the well, had clearly been impacted.
As the researchers headed home with their samples, they began to discuss future expeditions. They knew that impact to at least some corals could be readily identified visually and, since the organisms are attached to rocks and don't swim or float away when impacted, they provide a record of past events. Their next steps would be to discover the full extent of the oil spill's reach with regard to corals, and to determine the animals' ultimate fate. Would they live or would they die?
Learn how Fisher's colleague Iliana Baums is investigating the use of molecular tools to detect signs of stress in corals before they become ill.
On five subsequent cruises over the next two years, Fisher and his team have explored for additional sites and revisited the established ones to check the corals' statuses. They have carefully monitored about 50 of the corals that they first discovered in November 2011. Those that were not too heavily impacted seem to be recovering.
"When I say recover," notes Fisher, "I don't mean that tissue died and the coral got better. I mean they were covered with slime, but they never died. These corals still do not look as healthy as corals at other sites, and we may have to monitor them for several years before we will know their ultimate fate."
The corals that were heavily impacted, on the other hand, are largely not recovering. "We are seeing absolute proof of total death of parts of them," says Fisher. Since corals are colonial, branching animals, parts of them can die while other parts remain alive.
Specifically, at the first damaged site they witnessed -- the last site of the October cruise -- the researchers have discovered that 86 percent of the coral colonies show signs of damage, with 46 percent exhibiting impact to more than half the colony, and 23 percent displaying more than 90 percent damage.
At each site visited, the researchers deployed markers and set up permanent monitoring stations with a goal of returning to them again and again to monitor both natural processes and, potentially, long-term effects.
"At that depth and at those temperatures in the deep sea, life passes at a slow pace," notes Fisher. "These are animals that often live 500 years. They live slow; they die slow. We'll have to monitor the sites for a decade before we'll have very much confidence we know the full extent of the impact."
The team's second cruise, which took place in December 2010 and made use of the Alvin deep-diving submarine, included Helen White, a geochemist from Haverford College. White used state-of-the art oil fingerprinting technology and determined that the brown muck on the corals did, indeed, include oil from the Macondo well.
Fisher's research to date has demonstrated that the Deepwater Horizon oil spill killed some corals. As a result, BP is going to have to pay. But how much and to whom?
"People have asked me how much a dolphin is worth, and there is no clear-cut answer," says Timothy Zink, spokesperson for NOAA, the organization that oversees natural resource damage assessments performed by researchers like Fisher, tabulates the check for the parties responsible, and formulates and carries out a plan for restoring the ecosystem.
"The public needs to be compensated for its losses, and not just for the resource itself, but for the human use of the resource -- such as recreational fishing, bird watching, and going to the beach -- as well," said Zink. "The final price that BP will pay will be based on the full cost of restoring the environment back to what it was on the day the oil spill happened."
Unfortunately for deep-water corals, the full effects of the spill may not be felt for many years, too late for any near-term settlement to fully cover them.
"I believe everyone involved would like to settle as soon as we can," says Fisher. "However, the full extent of damage to deep-sea ecosystems may not manifest itself until after a settlement is reached. If corals all over the deep gulf start dying, and we thought only those very close to the Macondo well would die, then we have to reassess the situation." In that case, Zink says, the investigation could be reopened.
BP has already paid over $20 billion to cover some of the damages from the spill, and in a November 2012 settlement with the Justice Department, agreed to pay $4 billioon in criminal fines. The company has also committed hundreds of millions to research into understanding the effects of oil spills on ecosystems and preventing future disasters.
Despite the trouble the oil spill caused for deep-sea ecosystems, Fisher says he's not against deep-water drilling for oil. "As much as I love the ocean, there are a lot of resources in the ocean, and as long as I drive a car, it would be pretty hypocritical of me to say that we shouldn't obtain those resources for human use," he notes. "I'm conflicted in the way I feel about it, but I don't think this means we should stop accessing oil in the marine environment.
"I think, in general, oil companies try pretty damn hard to be responsible." Fisher adds. "It's in their best interest to be responsible. This has cost BP billions of dollars; they don't want it to happen again. In a way, this oil spill has been a beneficial wake-up call in that it tells us that the unthinkable can happen. I think a result of it will be better oversight by oil companies and the federal government."
Charles R. Fisher is professor of biology, cfisher@psu.edu.
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Back Story -
Azielia was said to be one of God's most beautiful and devoted angels. Any man who saw her was said to fall in love with her at first sight. Even other gods lusted after her, but no one expected she would ever fall from grace.
Everyone knows of the rivalry between Zeus and Hades. It's literally the stuff of legends. Neither can stand to see the other one happy, especially if it means the other got something that they wanted.
Zeus fell in love with the angel Azielia and decided to attempt to woo, and possibly seduce, her. Hades heard of his brother's intentions and, being against anything that might make his brother happy, decided that he, too, would attempt to woo and seduce the lovely little angel.
The two fought over her and used their best tricks to seduce the poor girl, but in the end it was Hades who won. He used his dark charm to woo and seduce Azielia, and it wasn't long after that the angel became pregnant with his off-spring.
Of course this started a chain of events that would turn the poor angel's life up-side-down in a matter of days. Angels were forbidden to have sex, and for one to cross that line and end up pregnant was even worse. Not to mention that she was pregnant with a Greek god's offspring and that particular god was the ruler of the underworld.
Azielia fell from grace and was sent to live in the human world, her wings clipped. Hades, having only seduced the poor angel to circumvent his brother's happiness, did nothing to help make her feel better about what had happened. Instead he made things worse by calling her a whore and claiming that there was no way the baby was his. From that day, until she died many years later, Azielia prayed and begged for forgiveness from God.
The day came when she went into labor. It was long, excruciating, shocking, and almost a death sentence for poor Azielia. She gave birth to five children; three boys and two girls. Then, as if she hadn't gone through enough, she found herself facing most of the Olympian gods. They had come to bind her children's powers and take them from her, they said. A prophecy had been made by their fates that the children would bring about the apocalypse; four of them being destined to become the horsemen, and one being the key to their transformations.
With their powers sealed, the gods took them to different city-states in Greece and fitted them with families wanting children of their own, but thus far having no luck. Each babe was named for one of five rivers of the Greek underworld.
Styx was the first born, and a baby girl. She was given to a young Spartan general and his new wife. Acheron was second, and a boy. He was given to a peasant family in Corinth. Cocytus was the third born, and another boy. He was given to a royal Athenian family. Phlegethon was the fourth child and last boy. He was given to a potter's family in Argos. Lethe was the last born child and the only other girl. She was given to a royal family in Megara. Though they were raised apart, and their powers were bound as babes, the siblings always knew that the other's exited. Whether it was because some part of who they were shone around their bound powers, or because they had shared a womb for nine months remains uncertain.
Plot --
It's been 2,500 years since the children were taken from their mother, their powers bound, and given to separate families. They all chose to live their lives separately, even when they got older, until recently. Perhaps it was a combination of losing everyone they grew close to to old age and loneliness, or perhaps it was fate. Either way, they've all recently decided it's time to move to somewhere new and start over fresh.
But they're not the only ones deciding it's time to take action. After 2,500 years, Hades has finally found a way to un-bind the powers of his children. Of course, he's not doing it for them as much as he's doing it to piss off the other gods.
To make things more interesting, the paranormal world is stirring. Demons are crawling out of their pits, fights are breaking out between sects that had alliances, and general discord is slowly, but steadily, spreading through the paranormal community. Something really dark and nasty has it out for the siblings; well, either that or it's trying to bring about the apocalypse, and what better time to strike than when the siblings are finally going to be in the same place all at once.
Can Hades unlock their powers in time for them to save their own asses? If he does unlock their powers, will that automatically start their transformations? Is there a way to stop them from becoming the horsemen, or will the prophecy be fulfilled?
Q&A --
1.) Do the siblings know anything about their heritage or what's after them?
A.) Not in the beginning. All they really know is that they have siblings because of the connection that they have to one another. Obviously that means they know that the families they grew up with weren't their blood relatives, but they have no idea who their blood relatives are. They won't learn anything about their heritage/who they truly are until Hades and his minions decide to crash their lives and spew details.
As per what's after them; that they will have no warning of. As powerful of a god as their father is, and as great of future sight as he may have, they're blood of his blood, so he can't see anything pertaining to them except maybe what's going on at that exact moment via whatever tools he might use to spy on them.
2.) After all this time, why choose now to come together?
A.) Mostly it's because as immortals they have to start over in a new place every so often so that the humans who are around and don't know about the paranormal world don't start to ask questions about them not aging. There's a side of loneliness in there. After 2,500 years of watching everyone (or most everyone) they grew close to grow old and die, life is looking pretty bleak to them right now. I can't say I blame them for finally deciding to go find the siblings they've sensed they had their whole lives; if for no other reason than knowing their siblings won't grow old and die on them.
3.) Are the siblings the only characters available to be played in this roleplay?
A.) Absolutely not. We need people to play the siblings, Hades, his minions, a few other Olympians (possibly other gods from other pantheons), and other creatures from the paranormal world.
4.) Are any of the siblings actually going to become the horseman they were prophecied to be?
A.) I'd like to have at least one of the siblings turn into the horseman they're supposed to become. I think it would make things more interesting. -- As a side note to that, I think you should know that whichever sibling happens to turn into the horseman they're supposed to be, the ones who haven't turned yet will be drawn to large scenes of war, death, pestilence, or famine (depending on who turns and who doesn't right away.) It'll be something they can't control, too, which might give the one who has turned the opportunity he/she needs to try to force their siblings to become the other horsemen.
5.) Which sibling turns into what horseman?
A.) I was going to just message that information to the person who chose to play each character, but I suppose I could let everyone know on an OOC basis. Styx becomes War, Acheron becomes Death, Cocytus becomes Pestilence, Phlegethon is the key, and Lethe becomes Famine. (Or at least according to prophecy.)
6.) You said their powers were bound as babies; that means that the only thing different about them is their immortality, right?
A.) For the most part, yes. However, considering that they're half-god/half-angel, binding their powers is a little bit different than binding the powers of a less powerful being. There will have been times throughout their lives when a little bit of their powers would have shown through. (Example: It wouldn't be going too far to say that they may have precognitive dreams once in a while.)
Rules --
1.) I know this is going to seem like a pain in the butt, but I do want you to fill out a small character sheet and send it to me or post it in the Out of Character thread (do NOT post it in the In Character thread or you will automatically NOT be allowed to join) and wait for me to approve it before you start playing.
2.) You may play up to three characters, but there are a few stipulations. First, you must be able to keep up with all characters that you choose to play. Second, you may only have ONE main character. (Ex.: Your first character is Styx, this means that you cannot have any of the siblings or any gods as your second or third character.) You may choose to play three minor characters if it suits your fancy.
3.) Do not god-mod. Yes, I get that some of us will be playing gods/god-like beings, but the fact is that everyone (yes even gods) have weaknesses. (Consider, for example, the fact that it's modern times. The gods from the greek pantheon will have less power because only the paranormal world believes in them these days instead of both the paranormal and human worlds.)
4.) Have fun. (Yes, this is a rule...)
5.) Most important : Do NOT kill another person's character without permission (and proof of said permission) from both the player and myself!
6.) I'm not one to ask for ridiculous amounts of activity, but please post at least once a week so we can make sure to keep the roleplay moving forward.
Races --
Demons: In this area I'm giving roleplayers a little bit of creative freedom. Do NOT go over-board with your demon. If they're stronger than a god, you need to bring them down a few pegs.
Creatures from mythologies: I get that in Greek mythology, for example, things like the hydra exist, but consider that they would have a hard time blending in to human society unless they purely exist in an underworld or have the ability to shape-shift into human form.
Angels: Arch angels, guardian angels, and fallen angels are the only types I want to see in this roleplay. (I know there's more sects than that, but a poor seraphim would get ripped to shreds if they were on earth with all the demons walking around and no knowledge of how to fight them.)
Vampires: Soulless, immortal, night-walking, and blood-drinking. This does not necessarily mean they *have* to be evil (I'd go with neutral before I'd go with "good", though), I'll leave that decision up to the players. Also it should be noted that the vamps in this roleplay have the super-human speed/agility/reflexes/strength/etc..It kind of helps keep them from getting slaughtered too often, unless they don't know how to use their abilities.
Daemons: Imagine them as vampires, only instead of drinking blood to survive they steal human souls. (I guess that would mean they don't really need fangs, either.)
Weres: Werewolves, werebears, weretigers, and werelions are what is acceptable for this roleplay. The whole transforming on the full moon with little control or memory of what happens thing applies. These guys don't die of old age, but they're not immortal in the same sense that vampires are. They heal more quickly than humans do, but it doesn't take as much to kill one of them as it does a vampire. In human form they have the speed, strength, agility, reflexes, etc to be able to keep up with vamps. Yes, the age-old feud between vampires and weres still exists.
Main Character Slots --
Styx (Wytch)
Acheron (Open)
Cocytus (Open)
Phlegethon (Open)
Lethe (Open)
God(Open)
Hades (Open)
Zeus (Open)
The Fates (Open)
Persephone (Open
Hera (Open)
Psyche (Open)
Cupid (Open)
(Other gods can be played, but these are the ones that will have the biggest roles in this rp.)
Character Skeleton --
][Character Info][
Name:
Age:
Race:
Gender:
Powers/Abilities: (Don't go over-board.)
Personality: (At least a solid paragraph.)
History: (At least 2 solid paragraphs.)
Appearance: (Describe their usual attire. If you wish to use a picture please use a realistic one. If you'd rather not use a picture then give detail (at least a solid paragraph) of their appearance.
][Human Info][
Username:
Have you read all the rules and are you in agreement to abide by them?:
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/VQPO_FQWn4o/viewtopic.php
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Source: http://thetowntalk.com/article/20130706/NEWS01/130706004/-1/rss01
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For hours, there was no security in sight as the fighting ensued. Guns, stones and even fireworks were used as weapons but Morsi's supporters were driven back by the anti-Morsi demonstrators, and the military. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports.
By Ian Johnston and Charlene Gubash, NBC News
Egypt?s National Salvation Front announced the appointment of an interim prime minister Saturday to run the country during a transition period in the wake of President Mohammed Morsi?s sudden ouster.
Former United Nations nuclear agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei will take his oath of office at 8 p.m. local time on Saturday, a spokesperson for the National Salvation Front told NBC News.
ElBaradei, 72, is poised to join an interim administration headed by Adly Mansour, chairman of the supreme constitutional court, who was sworn in as interim president Thursday.
Meanwhile, supporters of the deposed Morsi again gathered in large numbers Saturday, a day after clashes with security forces and anti-Morsi protesters left 36 dead and more than 1,000 injured.
A Muslim Brotherhood statement said that the movement?s leader Mohamed Badie ? who appeared at a rally on Friday after his arrest was ordered earlier in the week ? was calling for people to ?remain in the public squares of every governorate and every city until power is restored to him [Morsi] as the rightful ruler of Egypt.?
?God is great. He can crush every traitor and every treacherous tyrant. The people of Egypt will protect the Revolution, and will continue to demand their rights," Badie said, according to the statement.
Hitha Prabhakar joins MSNBC's Alex Witt to break down the 3 Big Money Headlines. She mentions that oil analysts are watching the situation in Egypt and they are saying how it will negatively impact gas prices. She discussed the jobs numbers that came out on Friday and explains what hedge fund manager Ron Baron meant when he talked about the Dow reaching 60,000.
On Friday, thousands of Morsi's Islamist supporters marched across a central Cairo bridge in the direction of Tahrir Square, which was also occupied by thousands of protesters whose demonstrations prompted the army to depose Morsi.
The Morsi supporters ended up dispersing after a clash involving a hail of stones, fireworks and sometimes gunfire. There were also clashes in other parts of the country, including Alexandria and the Sinai Peninsula, a hotbed for Islamist militants.
Mohammed Sultan, deputy head of the national ambulance service, told the AP that at least 36 people were killed in Friday's clashes, the highest death toll in one day since the latest outbreak of protests began last Sunday. Another 1,076 were injured.
Amid calls from leaders for both sides to remain peaceful, there are fears the conflict could become increasingly violent.
A new Islamist militant group calling itself Ansar al-Shariah in Egypt announced its formation amid the chaos.
PJ Crowley, former assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs and a fellow at George Washington University, joins MSNBC's Alex Witt to explain the diplomatic implications in Egypt. Crowley does think that a military coup took place in Egypt. He says that the U.S. gives a paltry amount of civilian aid and notes that the coup is an opportunity to curtail military aid and increase civilian aid. He explains the questions that arise including, will the military have a more effective interim rule than last year before Morsi was elected and can the opposition coalesce and rally behind a single view and person.
The group said it would gather arms and start training its members, in a statement posted on an online forum for militants in the country's Sinai region on Friday and recorded by the SITE Monitoring organization, Reuters reported.
The group blamed the events on secularists, Egyptian Coptic Christians, state security forces and army commanders, who they said would turn the country into ?a crusader, secular freak.?
It denounced democracy and said it would instead champion Islamic law, or sharia, acquire weapons and train to allow Muslims to "deter the attackers, preserve the religion and empower the sharia of the Lord," SITE reported.
Egypt?s military has been at pains to stress its takeover of power was not a military coup, but an expression of the will of the people as shown by the anti-Morsi protests.
This is key as it would threaten more than $1 billion in annual military aid given by the U.S.
Hassan Ammar / AP
Days of massive protests and a military ultimatum forced the country's first democratically elected president from office.
U.S. law prohibits financial assistance to any country whose elected head of state is deposed in a military coup.
Speaking in Prescott, Arizona, Friday Senator John McCain said the aid should be suspended.
?I say that with great reluctance, but the United States of America I think must learn the lessons of history and that is: We cannot stand by without acting in cases where freely elected governments are unseated by the military arm of those nations,? he said.
McCain also called on the Egyptian military to set a timetable for elections and a new constitution.
?Then we should evaluate whether to continue the aid or not,? he said. ?I am aware that by suspending aid to the Egyptian military, which is the only stable institution in Egypt, we are risking further problems in the Sinai, and in other areas of cooperation with the Egyptian military.?
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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This story was originally published on Sat Jul 6, 2013 4:17 AM EDT
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