NASA marks 2012 with twin probes in moon orbit

This undated artist rendering provided by NASA on Dec. 21,2011 shows the twin Grail spacecraft mapping the lunar gravity field. The two probes are scheduled to enter orbit around the moon over New Year's weekend. (AP Photo/NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

This undated artist rendering provided by NASA on Dec. 21,2011 shows the twin Grail spacecraft mapping the lunar gravity field. The two probes are scheduled to enter orbit around the moon over New Year's weekend. (AP Photo/NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? NASA kicked off the new year with a pair of probes circling the moon in the latest mission to understand how Earth's closest neighbor formed.

There was no champagne popping in the mission control room at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory when the Grail spacecraft arrived back-to-back over the New Year's weekend, but several scientists and engineers celebrated by blowing noisemakers.

"It's a really good feeling to have not one but two of our twins in orbit," project manager David Lehman said Sunday after the mission was deemed successful.

The action began on New Year's Eve when Grail-A swung over the south pole, fired its engine and braked into orbit around the moon. Not to be outdone, its twin Grail-B executed the same maneuvers on New Year's Day.

The arrivals capped a roundabout journey spanning 3 1/2 months and covering 2 1/2 million miles.

The moon has long been an object of fascination. Galileo spotted mountains and craters when he peered at it through a telescope. Poets and songwriters looked to the moon as a muse.

Even governments wanted a piece of the moon. Since the dawn of the Space Age, more than 100 missions launched by the United States, Soviet Union, Japan, China and India have targeted Earth's companion. NASA flew six Apollo missions that landed twelve men on the lunar surface and brought back more than 800 pounds of rock and soil samples.

Despite all the attention, the moon remains mysterious. Mission chief scientist Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said researchers know more about Mars, which is farther away from the Earth, than the moon.

One of the enduring puzzles is its lopsided shape with the far side more hilly than the side that Earth sees. Research published earlier this year suggested that our planet once had two moons that crashed early in the solar system's history and created the moon that graces the sky today.

Scientists expect to learn more about how the celestial body formed using Grail's gravity measurements that will indicate what's below the surface.

Since the washing machine-size Grail probes ? short for Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory ? were squeezed on a small rocket to save on costs, it lengthened the trip and took them 30 times longer to reach the moon than the Apollo astronauts, who took a direct three-day flight.

Previous spacecraft have attempted to study the moon's gravity ? about one-sixth Earth's pull ? with mixed success. Grail was expected to give scientists the most detailed maps of the moon's uneven gravitational field and insight into its interior down to the core.

Data collection won't begin until March after the near-identical spacecraft refine their positions and are circling just 34 miles above the surface. While scientists focus on gravity, middle school students will get the chance to take their own pictures of the moon using cameras aboard the probes as part of a project headed by Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.

There's already chatter about trying to extend the $496 million mission, which was slated to end before the partial lunar eclipse in June. Scientists initially did not think the solar-powered probes would survive that long, but changed their minds during the long cruise to the moon after getting new data.

Researchers expect Grail to return a plethora of data, but that information won't be a guide to manned lunar missions anytime soon. The Obama administration last year scrapped a plan to return astronauts to the lunar surface in favor of landing on an asteroid as a stepping stone to Mars.

___

Online:

http://grail.nasa.gov

___

Follow Alicia Chang's coverage at http://www.twitter.com/SciWriAlicia

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-01-NASA%20Moonshot/id-c2795d7ad2884e68ab38a004d2ef5786

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Rupert Murdoch takes to Twitter

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Media mogul Rupert Murdoch has begun the new year by setting up in a new field of communications ? he?s started tweeting

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch has begun the new year by setting up in a new field of communications ? he?s started tweeting.

Spokeswoman Daisy Dunlop at News International confirmed Monday that Murdoch ? recovering from perhaps his most difficult year in the business ? is posting on Twitter under the handle rupertmurdoch.

The account was opened over the New Year?s holiday, but many doubted its authenticity because Murdoch, 80, has generally tried to stay out of the spotlight as his media empire comes under increased scrutiny because of widespread phone hacking at his UK newspapers.

Murdoch faced harsh questioning in Parliament last summer and may face additional questions from the wide-ranging Leveson Inquiry into media practices later this year, but he makes no mention of these troubles in his tweets, which include the News Corp. chief?s New Year?s resolutions.

?My resolutions, try to maintain humility and always curiosity,? he tweets. ?And of course diet!?

Murdoch had attracted more than 46,000 followers by Monday morning, just two days after he started tweeting. His wife Wendi Deng has also started tweeting ? she?s wendi-deng.

She refers to the setbacks of the last year in her tweets: ?A lot of bad things happened in 2011 but I hope in 2012 we can put them all behind us and sail on to a bright future for everyone Wxx.?

She also gently reminds fellow tweeters to spell her first name with an ?i? at the end, not a ?y.?

The Murdochs? entry into the world of Twitter was met with some bemusement and some hostility by its denizens.

John Prescott, former U.K. deputy prime minister, came up with one of the wittier responses to Murdoch?s unexpected surfacing at the very public, very popular micro-blogging site.

?Welcome to Twitter,? he writes to the mogul, whose reporters were skilled at hacking into telephone messaging systems. ?I?ve left you a Happy New Year message on my voicemail!?

Others express fears that the wealthy Murdoch will buy the Twitter site.

At times in his tweets Murdoch sounds bored with his New Year?s holiday. He complains that there are ?too many people? on the island of St. Bart?s, an exclusive Caribbean hideaway.

?Back to work tomorrow,? he says. ?Enough idling!?

Murdoch also tweets that some of his friends are ?frightened? by what he might say.

He also praises Mike Bloomberg, the Republican mayor of New York City, and Rick Santorum, a Republican presidential candidate.

Murdoch tweeted his wishes for a happy new year and said it would probably exceed expectations.

?Happy 2012,? he says. ?May it be better than all experts predict. Has to be! Must must change everything to create jobs for all, especially young.?

Murdoch was forced to close the News of the World last year because of widespread phone hacking at the tabloid. The victims included celebrities, sports stars, and a murdered teenager whose voicemails had been hacked.

The scandal has damaged Murdoch?s financial holdings and raised doubts about whether his family can retain control of the company, which has substantial interests in newspapers, magazines, movies, television and book publishing.

Tags: Active, Rupert Murdoch, twitter

Source: http://mybroadband.co.za/news/internet/40443-rupert-murdoch-takes-to-twitter.html

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NTSB Proposed Cell Phone Ban Would Impact California Commercial Drivers

December 31, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Public sentiment against distracted driving continues to grow, as another federal regulatory agency recommends that commercial drivers be banned from using cell phones while behind the wheel. Recently, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a recommendation that commercial truckers and bus drivers should be banned from using mobile devices while driving in an effort to reduce distraction, and thus trucking accidents.

While the proposal was non-binding, it would be the most sweeping restriction on handheld devices, and would affect thousands of commercial drivers in California. The current ban on mobile devices only prohibits text messaging behind the wheel. With its referral, the Board released a statement explaining that "commercial drivers must focus their attention on operating their large, heavy commercial vehicles rather than switching their attention between driving tasks and telephone use."

The action follows a public outcry for a national cell phone ban for all commercial truck and bus drivers after a horrific crash in Mumfordville, Kentucky last year took the lives of 11 people, including the truck driver who allegedly took his eyes off the road to use his cell phone.

After concluding their research, NTSB investigators determined that distracted driving was the primary cause of the accident. They found that driver Kenneth Laymon had used his phone 69 times in the 24 hours before the crash to place calls and send text messages. In the midst of a phone call right before the crash, Laymon's truck crossed a 60-foot-wide median and through a cable barrier system, striking a passenger van in oncoming traffic. Investigators determined that he panicked and hit the brakes, but did not try to steer away from oncoming traffic.

If adopted, the rule could make California roads safer, as thousands of commercial drivers would be impacted. Because of their sheer size, trucks and buses are more likely to cause severe (if not fatal) injuries if they are involved in accidents with passenger cars.

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Source: http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r5684100713&f=378

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Cubs hire Buckner as minor league hitting coach

updated 10:12 p.m. ET Dec. 30, 2011

CHICAGO - The Chicago Cubs have hired former star Bill Buckner as a minor league hitting coach.

Buckner will be with the Boise Hawks of the short-season Class A Northwest League. The Cubs made the announcement Friday.

Buckner played for the Cubs from 1977-84 and won the 1980 NL batting title. He was a career .289 hitter over 22 seasons.

The 62-year-old Buckner was a manager last year for Brockton, a Massachusetts team in the independent CanAm league. He previously was a hitting coach for the Chicago White Sox and held the same position in the minors for Toronto.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45831121/ns/sports-baseball/

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Cricket-Boucher axed as South Africa make ODI changes

JOHANNESBURG | Fri Dec 30, 2011 7:02pm GMT

JOHANNESBURG Dec 30 (Reuters) - Wicketkeeper Mark Boucher was one of three players dropped on Friday when South Africa named their squad for next month's one-day internationals against Sri Lanka.

Boucher, 35, who holds the world record for most test dismissals (540), batsman David Miller and leg-spinner Imran Tahir have paid the price for the limited-overs series defeat at home to Australia in October.

Dean Elgar, a left-handed batsman and part-time spinner, and all-rounder Rory Kleinveldt were called up as Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced a 14-man squad for the first two games of January's five-match series against Sri Lanka.

Kleinveldt, 28, is in line for his ODI debut after two Twenty20 internationals while Elgar, 24, impressed in South Africa's domestic limited-overs competition.

The team will be led by wicketkeeper-batsman AB de Villiers for the first time since he was appointed as ODI captain.

"Elgar fully deserves his opportunity," CSA selection convener Andrew Hudson said in a statement.

"He was the leading run-scorer in the (domestic) one-day cup and also had the best average. In addition he gives us very useful bowling options as a left-arm spinner.

"Kleinveldt played an important role with the ball in helping the Cobras to win the one-day cup and he also has a lot of potential as a lower-order power hitter."

The first game of the series takes place in Paarl on Jan. 11 with the final match scheduled for Jan. 22 in Johannesburg.

South Africa squad: Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, AB de Villiers (captain), JP Duminy, Francois du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Jacques Kallis, Rory Kleinveldt, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe. (Reporting by Jason Humphries, editing by Stephen Wood)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/UKCricketNews/~3/Oe5LZf833hs/cricket-safrica-squad-idUKB38942420111230

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Oxford Fair president seeks public's input

By Leslie H. Dixon, Staff Writer

Published on Friday, Dec 30, 2011 at 12:12 am | Last updated on Friday, Dec 30, 2011 at 12:12 am

OXFORD ? The president of the Oxford County Agricultural Society announces a public meeting will be held Sunday, Jan. 15, to discuss what people want to see at the annual Oxford Fair.

?We're going to ask the public for suggestions this year,? said newly elected President Jackie Young of Paris.

She took over after longtime President Suzanne Grover stepped down this month.

Young, who is also Oxford Fair's livestock superintendent, said one of the major changes to next year's fair is a return to the Wednesday to Sunday schedule. The dates are Sept. 12-15.

She said the schedule worked well in previous years, particularly because other fair schedules throughout the state have bumped into the beginning and end of the Oxford Fair.

Young said a number of people said they no longer feel ?a part? of the fair.

?We want to make sure they are a part of the fair,? she said.

The society Board of Directors is also looking for volunteers to help at the fair.

?We'd like to know what you would like to see at the Oxford Fair,? Young said of the goal of the meeting. ?I know we want it affordable. We just want to make it family fun atmosphere where you want to bring family and friends.?

Additionally, Young said that directors will be named to head events such as education day and senior day so that people will know who to call if they need assistance.

?We're trying to break it down to give each department its own department head,? she said.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Oxford County Extension office at 9 Olson Road in Paris.

In January, Young will travel to Portland to meet with officials of statewide fairs to discuss the coming year's fair schedules, entertainment and other items.

The Oxford Fair takes place on the 100-acre Oxford Fairgrounds, and includes horse racing, livestock demonstrations, live music, carnival rides and other attractions.

ldixon@sunjournal.com

OXFORD- The president of the Oxford Fair has announced a public meeting will be held Sunday, Jan. 15 to discuss what people want to see at the annual fair.

?We're going to ask the public for suggestions this year,? said newly elected president Jackie Young, who took over for long-time fair president Suzanne Grover in December.

Suzanne Grover stepped down as president of the Oxford County Agricultural Society after 11 years at the post in early December. Then Vice president Jackie Young was elected as her successor. Young also serves as the Oxford Fair's livestock superintendent.

Young said that one of the major changes that will be made to next year's fair, which is scheduled for September 12 through 15, is to go back to a four day fair beginning on Wednesday and ending on a Saturday. Young said this type of schedule has worked well in previous years particularly because other fair schedules throughout the state have bumped into the beginning and end days of the Oxford Fair.

Young said a number of people said they no longer feel ?a part? of the fair . ?We want to make they are a part of the fair,? said Young. The Oxford County Agricultural Society Board of Directors is also looking for volunteers to help out at next year's fair.

?We'd like to know what would you would like to see at the Oxford Fair,? Young said of the goal of the meeting. ?I know we want it affordable. We just want to make it family fun atmosphere where you want to bring family and friends.?

Additionally, Young said that directors will be named to head each division, such as the head of education day or senior day, so that people will know who to call if they need assistance. ?We're trying to break it down to give each department its own department head,? she explained.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Oxford County Extension office at 9 Olson Road in Paris.

In January, Young will travel to Portland to meet with officials of statewide fairs to discuss the coming year's fair schedules, entertainment and other items.

The Oxford Fair takes place every fall on the 100-acre Oxford Fairgrounds, and includes horse racing, livestock demonstrations, live music, carnival rides and other attractions.

ldixon@sunjournal.com

Source: http://www.sunjournal.com/news/oxford-hills/2011/12/30/oxford-fair-president-seeks-publics-input/1134207

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Holly Bobo to be remembered at church service

Story Created: Dec 30, 2011 at 8:39 AM CST

Story Updated: Dec 30, 2011 at 10:39 AM CST

PARSONS, Tenn. (AP) - A missing young woman from West Tennessee will be remembered and prayed for during a special worship service at the church her family attends.

Holly Bobo disappeared April 13 from her family's home in?Darden. Bobo's brother said he saw her walking into the woods with?a man dressed in camouflage. Volunteers searched the fields and?woods in the rural section of Decatur County for weeks.?Bobo's 21st birthday was Oct. 12.

The Corinth Baptist Church in Darden will hold a New Year's Eve?watch night service, where?church members will gather at 10 p.m. Saturday to read the names?of missing children?listed by the National Center for Missing and?Exploited Children.

Source: http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/Holly-Bobo-to-be-remembered-at-church-service-136427623.html

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