Monster galaxy may have been stirred up by black-hole mischief

ScienceDaily (Oct. 25, 2012) ? Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have obtained a remarkable new view of a whopper of an elliptical galaxy that may have been puffed up by the actions of one or more black holes in its core.

Spanning a little more than one million light-years, the galaxy is about 10 times the diameter of our Milky Way galaxy. The bloated galaxy is a member of an unusual class of galaxies with a diffuse core filled with a fog of starlight where there would normally be a concentrated peak of light around a central black hole. Viewing the core is like seeing a city with no downtown, just houses sprinkled across a vast landscape.

Astronomers used Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Camera 3 to measure the amount of starlight across the galaxy, dubbed A2261-BCG. The Hubble observations revealed that the galaxy's puffy core, measuring about 10,000 light-years, is the largest yet seen.

A galaxy's core size typically is correlated to the dimensions of its host galaxy, but in this case, the central region is much larger than astronomers would expect for the galaxy's size. In fact, the bloated core is more than three times larger than the center of other very luminous galaxies. Located three billion light-years away, the galaxy is the most massive and brightest galaxy in the Abell 2261 cluster.

Astronomers have proposed two possibilities for the puffy core. One scenario is that a pair of merging black holes gravitationally stirred up and scattered the stars. Another idea is that the merging black holes were ejected from the core. Left without an anchor, the stars began spreading out even more, creating the puffy-looking core.

Previous Hubble observations have revealed that supermassive black holes, weighing millions or billions times more than the Sun, reside at the centers of nearly all galaxies and may play a role in shaping those central regions.

"Expecting to find a black hole in every galaxy is sort of like expecting to find a pit inside a peach," explained astronomer Tod Lauer of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tucson, Ariz., a co-author of the Hubble study. "With this Hubble observation, we cut into the biggest peach and we can't find the pit. We don't know for sure that the black hole is not there, but Hubble shows that there's no concentration of stars in the core."

Team leader Marc Postman of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md., said the galaxy stood out in the Hubble image. "When I first saw the image of this galaxy, I knew right away it was unusual," Postman explained. "The core was very diffuse and very large. The challenge was then to make sense of all the data, given what we knew from previous Hubble observations, and come up with a plausible explanation for the intriguing nature of this particular galaxy."

The paper describing the results appeared in the Sept. 10 issue of The Astrophysical Journal. The astronomers expected to see a slight cusp of light in the galaxy's center, marking the location of the black hole and attendant stars. Instead, the starlight's intensity remained fairly even across the galaxy.

One possibility for the puffy core may be due to two central black holes orbiting each other. These black holes collectively could have been as massive as several billion suns. Though one of the black holes would be native to the galaxy, a second black hole could have been added from a smaller galaxy that was gobbled up by the massive elliptical.

In this scenario, stars circling in the giant galaxy's center came close to the twin black holes. The stars were then given a gravitational boot out of the core. Each gravitational slingshot robbed the black holes of momentum, moving the pair ever closer together, until finally they merged, forming one supermassive black hole that still resides in the galaxy's center.

Another related possibility is that the black-hole merger created gravity waves, which are ripples in the fabric of space. According to the theory of general relativity, a pair of merging black holes produce ripples of gravity that radiate away. If the black holes are of unequal mass, then some of the energy may radiate more strongly in one direction, producing the equivalent of a rocket thrust. The imbalance of forces would have ejected the merged black hole from the center at speeds of millions of miles an hour, resulting in the rarity of a galaxy without a central black hole. "The black hole is the anchor for the stars," Lauer explained. "If you take it out, all of a sudden you have a lot less mass. The stars don't get held down very well and they expand out, enlarging the core even more."

The team admits that the ejected black-hole scenario may sound far-fetched, "but that's what makes observing the universe so intriguing -- sometimes you find the unexpected," said Postman.

Added Lauer: "This is a system that's interesting enough that it pushes against a lot of questions. We have thought an awful lot about what black holes do. But we haven't been able to test our theories. This is an interesting place where a lot of the ideas we've had can come together and can be tested, fairly exotic ideas about how black holes may interact with each other dynamically and how they would affect the surrounding stellar population."

The team is now conducting follow-up observations with the Very Large Array radio telescope (VLA) in New Mexico. The astronomers expect material falling onto a black hole to emit radio waves, among other types of radiation. They will compare the VLA data with the Hubble images to more precisely pin down the location of the black hole, if it indeed exists.

The Abell 2261 cluster is part of a multi-wavelength survey, led by Postman, called the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH). The survey probes the distribution of dark matter in 25 massive galaxy clusters.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Md., conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., in Washington.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/space_time/nasa/~3/0T26sqpssA4/121025130724.htm

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'Lucy,' early human ancestor, likely swung from trees

Among the earliest known relatives of humanity definitely known to walk upright was Australopithecus afarensis, the species including the famed 3.2-million-year-old 'Lucy.'

By Charles Choi,?LiveScience Contributor / October 25, 2012

To help resolve this controversy, scientists looked at two complete shoulder blades from the fossil 'Selam,' an exceptionally well-preserved skeleton of a 3-year-old A. afarensis girl dating back 3.3 million years from Dikika, Ethiopia. The arms and shoulders can yield insights on how well they performed at climbing. (Shown here, Selam's cranium, face and mandible.)

Image courtesy of Zeray Alemseged / Dikika Research Project

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Despite the ability to walk upright, early relatives of humanity represented by the famed "Lucy" fossil likely spent much of their time in trees, remaining very active climbers, researchers say.

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Humans are unique among living primates in that walking bipedally ? on two feet ? is humans' chief mode of locomotion. This upright posture freed their hands up for using tools, one of the key factors behind humans' domination of the planet.

Among the earliest known relatives of humanity definitely known to?walk upright?was?Australopithecus afarensis, the species including the famed 3.2-million-year-old "Lucy."?Australopithecines?are the leading candidates for direct ancestors of the human lineage, living about 2.9 million to 3.8 million years ago in East Africa.

Although Lucy and her kin were no knuckle-draggers, whether they also spent much of their time in trees was hotly debated. Uncovering the answer to this question could shed light on the evolutionary forces that shaped the human lineage.

"When looking at how we became human, an important moment in our history was abandoning a lifestyle in the trees, and when that happened is a big question," researcher Zeresenay Alemseged, a paleoanthropologist at the California Academy of Sciences, told LiveScience.

To help resolve this controversy, scientists have for the first time comprehensively analyzed two complete shoulder blades from the fossil "Selam," an exceptionally well-preserved skeleton of?a 3-year-old?A. afarensis?girl?dating back 3.3 million years from Dikika, Ethiopia. The arms and shoulders can yield insights on how well they performed at climbing. [See Photos of Early Human 'Selam' Fossils]

"This study moves us a step closer toward answering the question 'When did our ancestors abandon climbing behavior?'" said Alemseged, who discovered Selam in 2000. "It appears that this happened much later than many researchers have previously suggested."

Researchers spent 11 years carefully extracting Selam's two shoulder blades from the rest of the skeleton, which was encased in a sandstone block. "Because shoulder blades are paper-thin, they rarely fossilize, and when they do, they are almost always fragmentary," Alemseged said. "So finding both shoulder blades completely intact and attached to a skeleton of a known and pivotal species was like hitting the jackpot."

The researchers found these bones had several details in common with those of modern apes, suggesting they lived part of the time in trees. For instance, the socket for the shoulder joint was pointed upward in both Selam and today's apes, a sign of an active climber. In humans, these sockets face out to the sides.

Lucy's adult shoulder sockets also faced upward, suggesting that, like modern apes, her species was?equipped for tree-climbing?throughout its life span. Humans, on the other hand, are born with a somewhat downward-facing socket that gradually moves to face outward as people mature.

"The question as to whether?Australopithecus afarensis?was strictly bipedal or if they also climbed trees has been intensely debated for more than 30 years," researcher David Green at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Ill., said in a statement. "These remarkable fossils provide strong evidence that these individuals were still climbing at this stage inhuman evolution."

At the same time, most researchers agree that many traits of the?A. afarensis?hip bone, lower limb, and foot are unequivocally humanlike and adapted for upright walking.

"This new find confirms the pivotal place that Lucy and Selam's species occupies in human evolution," Alemseged said. "While bipedal like humans,?A. afarensis?was still a capable climber. Though not fully human,?A. afarensis?was clearly on its way."

"The skeleton of Selam is a goldmine of scientific information," Alemseged added. "We think it will continue to be so as we go further with preparation and cleaning work."

Green and Alemseged detailed their findings in the Oct. 26 issue of the journal Science.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/hfSOPdLU-OA/Lucy-early-human-ancestor-likely-swung-from-trees

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DeMarco: Don't write off Detroit just yet

After disastrous start, Detroit must quickly rebound to get even in World Series

OPINION

By Tony DeMarco

NBCSports.com contributor

updated 3:35 a.m. ET Oct. 25, 2012

Tony DeMarco

SAN FRANCISCO - You might have thought that the Detroit Tigers' hitters could be a bit sluggish, their timing slightly off, due to a five-day layoff after sweeping the New York Yankees out of the American League Championship Series.

And that Barry Zito ? coming off an impressive NLCS-altering Game 3 start ? might be able to exploit that with his reliance on location and variety of off-speed stuff.

You also could have expected the Giants' freakish run of postseason success ? everything from winning six consecutive elimination games to balls bouncing off bases to pitchers driving in runs in four consecutive games ? to continue.

But considering how great Justin Verlander had been in his first three postseason starts, an off night from him was a long shot.

And what exactly nobody expected was all of those things occurring. Add in a night for the World Series record book ? three home runs from Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval and you're left with a worst-case-scenario combination of events for the Tigers in an 8-3 Giants romp in Game 1.

So now what for the Tigers? Now that their plan of Verlander giving them a 1-0 series lead has gone by the wayside?

"Just win the next game,'' first baseman Prince Fielder said. "There is no formula. I wish I knew, or else we would have won this game, too.''

Added manager Jim Leyland: "There was nothing fluky about this. They beat us in every way. We did not pitch good tonight, obviously. When you use five pitchers in a game Justin Verlander starts, that's not good tonic. That usually doesn't work too good. They're really good. And so are we. And tomorrow is another day.''

It had been eight days since Verlander dominated the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALCS. Leyland thought the longer-than-usual time between starts affected Verlander's command.

"First of all, you give the Giants' hitters credit,'' Leyland said. "But (Verlander) definitely was rusty; there's no question about it. His fastball command was not good. He got out of sync. He got on fast-forward. He didn't pitch well. It's that simple.''

But Verlander wasn't as certain. Asked if the layoff affected him, his response was, "I can't answer that ?You can't expect to be perfect every time out.''

Verlander's slider was very sharp, and his fastball velocity reached 97 mph, but too many of them ran back into the middle portion of the plate. In the Giants' three-run third, his total of 38 pitches was his most in any inning this season.

Verlander served up the first two of Sandoval's home runs ? "extremely impressive, wish I hadn't contributed'' was his reaction ? and allowed five runs and six hits in only four innings.

"Is it disappointing? Yes,'' Verlander said. "Did I want to win this game and give us a 1-0 lead? Obviously. But I don't know if you guys have been watching or not, but the other three guys (in the rotation) have been pitching pretty doggone well. So this (series) is not over by any means.''

Tigers hitters, who brought a .294 postseason batting average into the World Series, weren't about to play the layoff-as-excuse card.

"I said it before ? the time off doesn't really matter,'' Fielder said. "You take a month off, and they tell you you're in the World Series, and you're mind gets right into it. We did what we could (during the layoff). We worked out, we scrimmaged.''

Instead, they credited Zito, who allowed only a sixth-inning run and six hits.

"He hit his spots,'' Fielder said. "He didn't miss much out over the plate.''

Catcher Al Avila put it a different way: "He's a trick pitcher, a junk-baller. He throws a lot of stuff up there. He hits his spots, then when he goes out of the zone, you chase. That's what he's trying to do to you.''

All of which is nothing the Tigers didn't already know. They just couldn't combat it in Game 1.

''There's no secret, really, about Zito,'' Leyland said. "You know what he does. He does it very well. He stays out of the middle (of the plate). He changes speeds. He throws this when you're looking for that, and vice versa.''

As for Sandoval, who became only the fourth player (Babe Ruth twice, Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols) to hit three homers in a World Series game, the Tigers' immediate reaction didn't signal major changes in how they will pitch him. But at the very least, you have to expect them to stay away from Sandoval as much as possible.

"We didn't make great pitches on him, and you have to give him credit,'' pitching coach Jeff Jones said. "He's kind of a different player. He's definitely a bad-ball hitter. I don't think we're going to change what we do too much. We just have to make better pitches.''

But the Tigers know tonight's Game 2 must be much different than Game 1.

"They executed and we didn't,'' Avila said. "They did everything right, and we didn't. But we do this for a living. Coming back (in Game 2) is like losing any other game (during the season) and having to come back the next day and win. That's why it's a seven-game series. The key will be getting it back to (Verlander) in Game 5.''

? 2012 NBC Sports.com? Reprints

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/49545255/ns/sports-baseball/

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Why Won't My Ex Talk To Me? - The Truth

Maybe you tried to start a conversation too soon, or maybe you simply tried to open the lines of communication too much. Regardless of the method that got you to this point, you're currently at a standstill. Your ex just isn't responding the way you'd like - or at all. The good news is that there are certainly ways to overcome even this kind of challenge to win your ex back and get your relationship back on track. The bad news is that it's going to take some time, some patience and some dedication along the way in order to accomplish your goals - but hardship is no cause to give up and call it quits.

Take a second to think back to a different breakup you went through. Even if you were the one that called it off, there were some significant emotions that came along with ending a relationship that you had been invested in. Your ex is going through the same thing right now. Understanding that can be the key to your overall success to win back their heart as long as you choose your path carefully and don't fall victim to impulse that can limit your opportunities to communicate in the future.

Acting with Dignity and Choosing Wisely:

It may be easier to just go with your instincts and allow the emotional side of the breakup to take over. In order to increase your chances for success, however, you need to put your impulses aside and try to examine the situation rationally. Finding the balance between the emotional and rational side may be easier said than done, but it is absolutely vital that you keep your emotions in check and continue to act in a way that doesn't diminish your self-respect in your own eyes - and in the eyes of your ex. Using the following guidelines for behavior that can move your forward as well as things that should be avoided can help you through the initial stages and get you to the point where communication can be reestablished beneficially.

- Don't Continue the Pursuit:

You may have a lot of unanswered questions for your ex that you legitimately deserve answers to, but now is not the time to pursue that line of thought. All that pursing them will accomplish is pushing them even further away from contact with you and is counter-productive to what you hope to accomplish. While your questions may be valid, your timing isn't - just be patient and believe that you'll be able to talk to them about the situation later on down the road.

- Don't fall into the trap of Self-Pity:

Being dumped automatically creates negative feelings and can easily progress into a downward spiral. Keep in mind, however, that the sooner you can overcome the wealth of negative emotions, the sooner you can begin the process of trying to reconnect with your ex. Instead of allowing your doubt to overwhelm you, choose to use this time to focus on your positive characteristics and keep your eye on the prize - a renewed relationship with your ex that has the potential to last.

- Enjoy some social input:

It may seem harder than normal to put yourself out there, but it's a definitive and important process towards recovery. Your social network is not only a built-in support network to help get you through these difficult times, but you want to make sure that you're creating a positive image that will get through to your ex. If your ex sees you out and about instead of sitting on the couch throwing a pity party, they're going to wonder what your secret is. Maybe they'll think you've moved on or found someone new. No matter what they think, you're on their mind - and that's an important piece of the puzzle to eventually communicating and winning back their heart.

- Think about the past productively:

You don't want to wallow in the past, but you do want to think about the process of when you and your ex first got together. What caused them to notice you out of all the potential people they could be with? What were you like when you first got together? It's possible to revamp your image and become the person that they initially fell for again. Not only can it help you feel better about yourself, it will make your ex remember the way things used to be as well. That fact goes a long way in reestablishing communication and getting the ball rolling in the right direction again.

Why They Seem to be Giving You the Cold Shoulder:

If your ex just isn't responding to any of your phone calls or messages, it's usually for one of two possible causes. Either you didn't wait long enough after the breakup to make initial contact, or you've gone overboard and contacted them too much. They're not going to realize that they made a potential mistake in leaving you if they don't have the chance to miss you first - and that simply won't happen until you give them some space to breathe. Not only does the distance work in your favor, but it also allows you some valuable time to come to terms with the situation on your own and make a plan going forward.

Going into the situation blind isn't going to do you any favors. You certainly need to have a plan in place that requires more than one step towards your end goal. Along the way, it's important to pay attention to the reaction you're getting, and that means that you have to be willing to put yourself in your ex's shoes. Understanding their thought process can be critical to your success, and there are many different avenues to explore. Overall, your plan is going to reunite you and your ex as long as you're willing to put in the effort and be patient. All of your hard work is going to pay off if you play your cards right.

What To Do Next

Being dumped can come as a massive shock, especially if your ex is no longer talking to you. If you acquire the right knowledge then your chances of winning back your ex will be vastly improved.

You can win your ex back. Knowing how to manage contact with your ex is one of the most important steps towards getting your relationship back on track again. Knowing how to avoid breakup mistakes is also essential if you want to achieve your goal.

Source: http://www.streetarticles.com/communication/why-wont-my-ex-talk-to-me-the-truth

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Muslims begin hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia

Muslim pilgrims pray on a rocky hill called the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in the early hours of Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012. Saudi authorities say around 3.4 million pilgrims ? some 1.7 million of them from abroad ? have arrived in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina for this year's pilgrimage. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Muslim pilgrims pray on a rocky hill called the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in the early hours of Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012. Saudi authorities say around 3.4 million pilgrims ? some 1.7 million of them from abroad ? have arrived in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina for this year's pilgrimage. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Muslim pilgrims climb a rocky hill called the Mountain of Mercy on the Plain of Arafat near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012. Saudi authorities say around 3.4 million pilgrims ? some 1.7 million of them from abroad ? have arrived in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina for this year's pilgrimage. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Muslim pilgrims pray on a rocky hill called the Mountain of Mercy on the Plain of Arafat near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012. Saudi authorities say around 3.4 million pilgrims ? some 1.7 million of them from abroad ? have arrived in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina for this year's pilgrimage. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A Muslim pilgrim cries as he prays at sunrise on a rocky hill called the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012. Saudi authorities say around 3.4 million pilgrims ? some 1.7 million of them from abroad ? have arrived in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina for this year's pilgrimage. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Muslim pilgrims pray outside Namira mosque in Arafat near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012. Saudi authorities say around 3.4 million pilgrims ? some 1.7 million of them from abroad ? have arrived in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina for this year's pilgrimage. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

MOUNT ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP) ? Hours before sunrise Thursday, thousands of Muslims from around the world stood in the dark on a rocky desert hill, preparing for prayers on the first day of the annual hajj pilgrimage, a central pillar of their faith.

Muslims believe that prayer on Mount Arafat is their best chance to erase past sins and start anew.

The four-day hajj features millions packed shoulder to shoulder in prayer and supplication. According to Islam, each able-bodied believer must make the pilgrimage once.

"Let all your feuds be abolished," the Prophet Muhammad said in his last sermon on the hill called Jabal al-Rahman, Mountain of Mercy, in the area of Mount Arafat. "You must know that every Muslim is the brother of every Muslim...between Muslims there are no races and no tribes...do not oppress and do not be oppressed."

Some 1,400 years later, Muslims believe on this day and at this place, the gates of heaven are open for prayers to be answered and sins to be forgiven.

"I have feelings that cannot be described in words. We thank God for the chance to perform the hajj here and visit God's house in Mecca," said Mustafa Daama, 27, from Mauritania.

On other parts of the mountain, Muslims chanted in unison, "Labayk Allahuma Labayk," or "Here I am, God, answering your call. Here I am."

Muslims believe the hajj traces the paths of the Prophets Abraham, Ishmael and Muhammad. The hajj typically concludes as it began, with a set of rituals at the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure in Mecca's Grand Mosque that observant Muslims around the world face in prayer five times a day.

Technology and the modern world have changed the atmosphere surrounding the hajj.

For centuries, the rocky mountain was a quiet place for contemplation and serene prayers. Now it is crowded with pilgrims pushing and shoving to take pictures with their iPads and mobile phones.

Adding to the tumult, ultraconservative men with loudspeakers yelled at pilgrims to stop crowding the hill, saying the whole area of Mount Arafat is sacred and that men and women should avoid the inevitable brushes of physical contact.

Ignoring their calls, many pilgrims were uploading their pictures online from the hilltop to share instantly with friends and family, while others used touch screens to read the Quran, rather than carrying it in printed form.

Casually dressed photographer Bandar Maarouf, 22, from Yemen, stood out from the sea of pilgrim men who wear white seamless garments and seamless sandals meant to represent equality and unity.

Wearing a bright pink shirt, low slung jeans and a hat turned sideways, he was taking photos for pilgrims at around $3 apiece. His camera prints the photos on the spot. He expected to sell at least 400 photos on Thursday.

"This season helps a person live. (I earn) some from here and there, and God is always giving," he said.

Some of the pilgrims' prayers had to do with current events.

Carrying a large Sudanese flag, Mohamed Ali said he was praying for an end to the civil war in Syria and victory for rebels over President Bashar Assad. "Victory is close, God willing," Ali said.

"May God bring Muslims together and help us unify, and help our Christian brothers, even those who made the film against the Prophet Muhammad," he said, referring to a movie that sparked violent protests last month around the Islamic world.

Others had more personal prayers.

An Egyptian mother of three, Nadia Abdel Aziz, appealed emotionally to God to make her children behave more kindly toward her. The 65-year-old widow said she was able to perform the hajj with the help of donations from a mosque in Cairo.

"O God! I want my kids to come and see me and be sensitive toward me, as I see with other families," she cried.

With her arms outstretched, she begged God for salvation, wiping a stream of tears from her face.

Saudi officials say about 3.4 million Muslims from all corners of the world are making the pilgrimage this year.

A sea of millions dressed in white, some waving their national flags, stretched for miles in the area of Mount Arafat, many chanting in unison, their prayers echoing.

Mount Arafat, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Mecca, is a required stop for Muslims during the hajj.

As the sun and temperatures rose Thursday, tens of thousands of pilgrims began climbing the Mountain of Mercy.

By sunset, pilgrims head to Muzdalifa, where Muslims believe prophets before Muhammad once prayed. They collect pebbles there and then walk or drive to nearby Mina for a symbolic stoning of the devil that begins Friday and marks the start of Eid al-Adha, or feast of the sacrifice, when Muslims slaughter lambs to feed the hungry.

Hajj rules ? based on centuries of interpretation of the Sunna, the traditions of Muhammad ? are extremely elaborate. Pilgrims must all gather at certain sites at specific times. Some rites are repeated, others are partially repeated and some performed only once.

Many pilgrims being their journey in the Saudi Arabian city of Medina with a visit to Muhammad's mosque, where he is buried. They then head to Mecca and perform a set of pre-hajj rituals, including circling the Kaaba counterclockwise with their hearts tilted toward it ? the same rituals that conclude the hajj for many.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-10-25-Saudi-Hajj/id-54322767e3c2482387ca1348907ddb7d

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rubeldebnath2: Shopping and Product Reviews | Jonlippincott.com ...

Oct 19, 2012

Shopping and Product Reviews

What are the characteristics with the kindle? This informative article talks in regards to the major six options from the wireless reading device, Kindle Fire. It enables user to surf the net, listen to music, watch movie, read books and etc. Listed below are the major six options from the?amazon prime review that I?m going to share with you:

Dual core processor

The wireless reading device, Kindle Fire utilizes the dual core processor for quickly, effective efficiency. Stream music when browsing the web or read books though downloading movies. It could take care of multitasking smoothly.

E-reading

Countless books could be found in the library. You can borrow books from the library. Besides that, you also can download the sample and read the critiques. When you are searching for an e-reader with astounding color display, The Fire is a suitable e-reader for you.

No cost 1 month membership of Amazon Prime

You will be able to stream unlimited of Television shows and motion pictures. You?ll find 1000s of movies within the library that happen to be accessible to stream, download, buy or rent. You can stream and watch it anytime, anyplace you?d like as long as your Fire gets connected towards the wireless. Together with the membership, you get to access towards the Lending Library exactly where it is possible to stream thousand of movies from there.

Absolutely free cloud storage service

Stop worrying about memory. Amazon gives you a 5GB no cost storage for all of your Amazon digital contents. You get to download and stream all your movies and apps instantly with a touch of your finger.

Amazon?s Apps Shop

You could download apps from Amazon?s apps retailer. It has a wide range of apps you may download. Apart from that, it presents a paid app free of charge everyday! You?ll be able to play Angry Bird on your Kindle!

Kindle owner?s Lending Library

There are more than a hundred thousand books within the Lending Library. With an Amazon Prime membership, Kindle owners can pick a book to borrow for free.

Fire is really a excellent decision amongst the many tablets. It characteristics astounding color display, wide range of apps, streaming music and motion pictures that is certainly compatible with Adobe?s Flash. In term of price, it fees only $199. It can be quite cheap to get a tablet. It permits you to get virtually 5GB absolutely free storage with Amazon?s Cloud storage. Apart from that, none of any customers complain regarding the Kindle Fire?s battery life. Begin asking yourself, what are you currently really looking for? In case you just wish to read some books, surf the world wide web, listen to some musics, why not going for this terrific device?

Source: http://www.jonlippincott.com/shopping-and-product-reviews/10/08/59/

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UM reports it adds $6B to South Florida economy

The University of Miami reports that it adds $6 billion to the South Florida economy.

That amounts to the same as hosting a Super Bowl every three weeks, The Miami Herald reports.

UM?s economic impact was revealed in a Bendixen Amandi International study that the university commissioned, according to a news release. The group analyzed detailed data provided by the university in various fiscal 2011 financial reports and applied it to an economic input-output model to extrapolate total impact.

The economic impact study comes after UM cut 800 workers at its Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.

The private, nonprofit university suffered a $240.5 million loss for the fiscal year ended May 31, compared to a profit of $215.5 million in the previous year, according to financial statements released to its bondholders.

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