Custody, images at stage in Cruise-Holmes divorce

FILE - In this Nov. 18, 2006 file photo released by Rogers and Cowan, actor Tom Cruise and actress Katie Holmes pose in their wedding attire at the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle overlooking Lake Bracciano outside of Rome. Cruise and Homes are calling it quits after five years of marriage. Holmes' attorney Jonathan Wolfe said Friday June 29, 2012 that the couple is divorcing, but called it a private matter for the family. (AP Photo/Robert Evans, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 18, 2006 file photo released by Rogers and Cowan, actor Tom Cruise and actress Katie Holmes pose in their wedding attire at the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle overlooking Lake Bracciano outside of Rome. Cruise and Homes are calling it quits after five years of marriage. Holmes' attorney Jonathan Wolfe said Friday June 29, 2012 that the couple is divorcing, but called it a private matter for the family. (AP Photo/Robert Evans, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 4, 2007 file photo, actress Katie Holmes joins her husband Tom Cruise as he holds their daughter Suri after Holmes finished the New York City Marathon in New York. Holmes' attorney Jonathan Wolfe said Friday June 29, 2012 that the couple is divorcing, but called it a private matter for the family. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, file)

FILE - Actor Tom Cruise and his wife Katie Holmes pose during a photo-call for the world premiere of their new film "Knight and Day" at the Lope de Vega theatre in Seville, Spain on Wednesday June 16, 2010. Cruise and Homes are calling it quits after five years of marriage. Holmes' attorney Jonathan Wolfe said Friday June 29, 2012 that the couple is divorcing, but called it a private matter for the family. (AP Photo/Toni Rodriguez)

FILE - In this June 27, 2005 file photo, Tom Cruise, star of the new film "War of the Worlds," arrives with his fiancee Katie Holmes on motorcycle for a screening of the film at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. Cruise and Homes are calling it quits after five years of marriage. Holmes' attorney Jonathan Wolfe said Friday June 29, 2012 that the couple is divorcing, but called it a private matter for the family. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

FILE - In this Friday April 29, 2005 file photo,Tom Cruise, right, and Katie Holmes laugh as they on Via della Conciliazione Boulevard near St. Peter's Basilica, as they arrive at the St. Cecilia auditorium for the David di Donatello Italian film awards, in Rome. Holmes' attorney Jonathan Wolfe said Friday June 29, 2012 that the couple is divorcing, but called it a private matter for the family. (AP Photo/Corrado Giambalvo, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? When Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes first got together, he jumped on a couch, she gushed girlishly, and many of their fans said, "Huh?"

Their split could cause just as much drama.

Not only are the images of two Hollywood stars at stake, so is the future of 6-year-old Suri, with some speculating that Holmes' decision to file for divorce in New York might mean she's seeking sole custody of their daughter.

Ultimately, Cruise may have the most to lose.

"There's no question this divorce is going to hurt his public image," said Dorie Clark, author of the forthcoming "Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future."

"His brand was already tarnished significantly when he first got together with Holmes five years ago and was infamously jumping up and down on Oprah's couch, and shortly afterward the videos of him praising Scientology were leaked," she continued. "This divorce is another opportunity for questions to be raised about his personal life, his religious beliefs ? which many consider outside the mainstream ? and that's not what a box-office star really wants."

California divorce attorney Michael Kelly, who is not involved with the Cruise-Holmes case, called Holmes' East Coast filing "a tactical move" that signifies "there will be an attempt to gain an advantage."

New York's comparative-fault divorce laws could be advantageous for Holmes, he said. The couple lived in Los Angeles.

Cruise and Holmes married in 2006 after a whirlwind love affair. He proposed at the Eiffel Tower. Their wedding was held at a 15th century Italian castle.

She filed for divorce Thursday, ending her first marriage. This will be Cruise's third divorce. He was previously married to actresses Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman, with whom he has two children.

Cruise showed up alone at the recent Los Angeles and London premieres of his latest film, "Rock of Ages." Holmes also was absent earlier this month when Cruise received the Friars Club Entertainment Icon Award in New York. But he did bring Suri with him, allowing her to stay up late for the raunchy proceedings.

"Divorce will actually help Katie Holmes' brand," Clark said. "More people are going to be thinking about her and aware of her. This is generating a lot of sympathy and interest from people."

Holmes, 33, rose to fame on the teen soap "Dawson's Creek." She went on to appear in "Batman Begins," and earned raves for her roles in independent films such as 2003's "Pieces of April" and 2005's "Thank You for Smoking." She took a break after giving birth to Suri in April, 2006, and marrying Cruise in November.

She did just a handful of roles until stepping things up in 2011. Holmes played Jackie" Kennedy in the Emmy-winning miniseries "The Kennedys," appeared in Adam Sandler's "Jack and Jill" and just wrapped a film with William Hurt. She said she's set to start another project in July.

Meanwhile, Cruise, who turns 50 on Tuesday, has remained a megastar. His latest role, as an Axl Rose-style rock star in "Rock of Ages," has won him strong reviews (though not corresponding box-office results), and his most recent "Mission Impossible" installment, "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol," has made more than $690 million worldwide.

"Tom Cruise's brand has always been the dynamic, likable hero ? the 'Mission Impossible' star that you're rooting for ? and it becomes harder for the public to get behind someone as a hero and want to go to the box office and cheer them on when there are serious questions about what kind of husband and father he is," Clark said.

Holmes' attorney, Jonathan Wolfe, said Friday that "Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest."

___

AP Entertainment Writer Ryan Pearson contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-06-30-Cruise-Holmes%20Divorce/id-89ca9b8e9bc2405291b40ae41ffe3c37

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Google Pumps Up Jelly Bean?s Face Unlock Feature With A New ?Liveness Check?

Back when Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was first introduced in Hong Kong last year plenty of us jaded tech folk took a shine to its new Face Unlock feature, which allows users to unlock their devices with their front-facing cameras. Of course, we now know that it isn?t terribly secure ? a picture of your face was apparently good enough to fool it ? but Google seems to have made Face Unlock just a bit more secure in their early Jelly Bean release.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/uMhzD5RvX9A/

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EU leaders gather to solve debilitating debt crisis

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US, Canada agree to crossborder privacy principles

The principles provide Canadians and Americans the rules under which the two governments will collaborate to protect their privacy rights in implementing the US-Canadian border action plan signed last year by the two countries, according to a Public Safety Canada news release.

Some of the principles laid out in the statement include: maintaining all reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy of information, and the continued right to have access and to request corrections of errors; proper security safeguards for information; relevance and necessity in the collection of personal information; redress before existing national authorities where a person believes that his/her privacy has been infringed; and effective oversight in the form of a public supervisory authority/authorities.

"These principles put privacy at the forefront of the border action plan and will help to ensure that the privacy rights of Canadians are respected as we work with the United States to secure our perimeter while accelerating and improving the legitimate flow of people, goods and services across our border", said Vic Toews, Canada?s minister of public safety.

"With over 200,000 people crossing our border every day and $500 billion worth of two-way trade every year, these principles establish a new long-term partnership built on a perimeter approach to security and economic competitiveness?, he added.

Source: http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/view/26694/us-canada-agree-to-crossborder-privacy-principles-/

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Diversity is Key in Retirement Planning | Life-Health-Happiness

When it comes to planning your financial retirement diversity really is the key to turning a significant profit. You do not want to have all your eggs in one basket. For this reason it is an excellent idea to have a number of fingers in a number of pies, financially speaking of course, at any given time. There happen to be a lot of interpretations, unfortunately, of what it means to truly diversify your investment portfolio.

There are those who believe that to diversify your portfolio you only need to choose stocks in various sectors rather than focusing on one. This was a huge problem when the Dot Com boom went Dot Bust. Many people learned valuable lessons during this time frame and have taken it a little bit to heart. However, there is nothing to say that we will never again experience a significant stock market crash. If this were to happen and your entire retirement hopes, dreams, and funds rested on the stock market for salvation you would be in deep and shark infested waters financially as a result.

I do not mean to imply that a stock market crash is probable or imminent by any means. The closest we?ve come as a nation to a stock market crash in recent memory was immediately after 9-11. The good news is that safeguards were put into place years ago to prevent a crash of the scale that we all know as ?The Crash?. This means that while you may take heavy hits, chances are the market will recover if you are willing and able to wait it out. However, if you are putting yourself in a position to rely solely on stocks you need to take a serious look at your overall investment plan and see where changes can be made.

It goes without saying that no decision in regards to your financial future should be made without first discussing them with your financial advisor. My purpose here is to bring up questions and ideas you might wish to consider or at the very least discuss with your advisor.

My personal preference is to have some money tied up in mutual funds and other money tied up in real estate, which can provide some form of continuous income month after month. I?m not much of a gambler however and have chosen a low risk path to retirement financing and funding. There are those who are far more adventurous than I when it comes to investing in their financial futures. For those of you who are willing to take the risks there are securities as an investment in order to provide a wildly speculative ride. Securities are very risky for investors; particularly those who are novices and even some seasoned investment veterans tend to shy away from this sort of investment. If you do invest in securities, I strongly urge you not to risk your entire investment on them.

Mutual funds provide a little safer bet when it comes to your financial future. Again there are no guarantees but these are much safer bet than securities. The problem with mutual funds for many is that there are so many from which to choose that it is still a difficult decision for beginning investors to make. These decisions are the reason that a good financial advisor is so terribly important when mapping out your financial destiny.

All in one funds are essentially collections of mutual funds. These provide a safe bet for those who wish to find an easy investment possibility that is a fairly safe (if not wildly conservative) to place your money and watch it slowly grow over time. All in one funds do tend to become less aggressive in time. This means that as you age, they will become more conservative in the placement in your money in an effort to best protect it while still growing your money.

By placing a little of your money in many different places, you will see a much greater safety net when it comes to protecting your profits. Discuss your plans with your financial advisor and any concerns that you may have. Chances are they can help clear up any questions or doubts that you may have.

Source: http://life-health-happiness.com/?p=4350

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Dundee REIT to exit industrial business in 18 months

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New 'Total Recall' Trailer Requires Three Hands

When it comes to remaking a film that has an especially passionate fan base, there are usually a few key scenes that need, at the very least, a presence in the new version. For the "Total Recall" remake, there are some things—three to be specific—that hardcore fans are especially insistent on seeing. The new trailer [...]

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SonySupportUSA: Sony VAIO Care? Update Software: http://t.co/UqoDtHH3

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Everyone who learns computer programming really knows that C Project is one of the most complicated programming languages. It needs comprehensive knowledge on the basic programming language and various formulas to create a well-running program. No wonder there are many students who think that C Project assignment is terrifying.

Working on C Project assignment would need focus and concentration and more importantly enough time. The last is a huge handicap to complete the assignment with good result. With limited time, many students failed to complete the assignment as expected. With www.assignmentexpert.com, there won?t be any terrifying C Project anymore because this online assignment solution provider offers the best solution for C Project assignment help. When you get assignment C Project of any type and any level, you can be sure that Assignment Expert is the right place to find help. Assignment Expert has professional tutors with expertise in programming including experts in C Project programming. One tutor will assigned to help you with your assignment and makes sure that you will get solution for any problem you get when you are working the assignment. It is guaranteed that you will complete the assignment on time and at good result while you can learn many things from the tutor.?

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For A Non-Stop Broadband Connection, Choose the Security That ...

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New generation is obsessed with social networking sites. Facebook has revolutionized the way people interact and share information. Internet broadband connections are an all-time hit to get unhindered services. As stated in Wikinvest, Comcast has the largest internet and cable TV customer base in America. The company fulfills the demands of 15.9 million high-speed Internet customers over 51.2 million homes and businesses throughout 39 states in the U.S.

Comcast is a major internet broadband service provider that along with others pioneers the arena of video, high-speed Internet and phone services catering to residential and business customers. It is also amongst the U.S.?s biggest media, entertainment and communication firms engaged in the production, development and distribution of news, entertainment, sports and so on for audience around the world through NBCUniversal. The services provided are under the brand name of XFINITY and include TV, Internet and Voice. Comcast Business Class and Comcast spotlight are the other two services that provide communication solutions and advertising services respectively. The services have different features designed for people with different interest and activities. XFINITY Internet connection has ?Constant Guard? that offers complete online protection. The broadband connection allows you to share music, upload photos, download TV shows & HD movies and play games. It also lets you combine voicemail email and address book online that can be accessed from any system. Also, it facilitates online viewing of 3,500 live games.

There could be connectivity issues with Windows 7 or Windows 8 Release Preview which could be the result of firewall settings, router or browser issues, virus infliction and many similar problems. So in case of any such problems hindering the functioning of your computer do not waste time and simply get in touch with Comcast Support. The online technical support center is equipped with the modern tools and technology use of which ensure the proper analysis of any connectivity issue. The engineers have complete knowledge about different problems that may arise due to a faulty router, improper firewall setting, configure email and instant messenger settings & virus or malware attack etc. and can guide you to reach to a solution.

Despite the presence of Comcast Tech Support, you have several other companies out there that take keen interest in offering technical support online for different software and connectivity issues. Other third-party service providers like Techvedic and many others can also be contacted at the time of crisis. The technicians at the online help center are deft professionals and can be trusted as they offer timely and easy solution. Apart from this, they are available 24X7 and can be contacted with as little effort as making a phone call. The time taken to resolve an issue is generally very less and doesn?t exceed its usual limit until the issue is a major one.

Further, for those who can?t follow the troubleshooting steps or unwilling to do it on their own, remote desktop is a common technology at Comcast Help as well as other online tech support centers. It allows the engineers to get the access of the affected computer and perform troubleshooting thereby assuring you a definite solution.

Author Resource:-

The author is a technician at Techvedic technologies, a firm that delivers end to end Comcast Support to clients. Comcast tech support, Comcast Help, computer technical support, Comcast technical support are few services offered at this one platform along with many others.

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Screenwriter Nora Ephron dies at age 71

By Hollywood Reporter staff

Updated at 5:55 p.m. PT: Nora Ephron, the celebrated screenwriter and director, died of leukemia Tuesday evening in New York, according to The??New York Times.

The news followed an afternoon in which it was reported that she was gravely ill, though her?agency CAA and publisher Knopf denied earlier reports that she had died.

?More from THR: Photos -?Hollywood's notable deaths of 2012??

Ephron, best known for penning the screenplay for "When Harry Met Sally"?(1989) and then writing and directing "Sleepless in Seattle"?(1989)?and?"You've Got Mail"?(1998), had not been reported as ill prior to a?story?from gossip columnist??Liz Smith?-- which repeatedly referred to the 71-year-old in the past tense while never pronouncing her dead.

?Smith's story was soon edited, but when speaking with?The Hollywood Reporter, Smith said that she'd spoken with Ephron's son??Jacob Bernstein.

???I was told this morning that she was dying, but I can?t confirm it,? she said. Smith went on to say that Bernstein told her that the the family was planning for the funeral. But when no confirmation of Ephron?s death was forthcoming, Smith revised what she wrote.

??I have had to put everything in the present tense,? she wrote. ?It?s bad enough that she?s dying, but I don?t want to be the cause for everyone to grieve in advance."

?Passing along the news that she said she received from Smith, columnist??Margo Howard?tweeted, "Well, to those of you who can't find the news of Nora Ephron's death, the funeral is Thursday -- and maybe that's the way she wanted it."

?More from THR: Video -?Nora Ephron's 5 most memorable movies

The daughter of Hollywood screenwriters, Ephron established herself as an original voice with an idiosyncratic taste on modern manners with the personal essays she wrote in the 1960s for such publications as?New York,?Esquire?and the?New York Times Magazine. She made her feature screenwriting debut in 1983 with?Mike Nichol's?"Silkwood."?Her screenplays for?"Silkwood,"?"Harry" and "Sleepless"?all earned Oscar nominations.

Ephron moved into directing with the 1992 feature?"?This Is My Life," the story of a stand-up comic starring??Julie Kavner. The following year, "Sleepless"?proved to be a huge hit, making Ephron one of Hollywood's few successful woman directors. Most recently, she directed 2009's?"?Julie & Julia," which starred her frequent collaborator??Meryl Streep?as??Julia Child.

Ephron is married to the writer??Nicholas Pileggi?and has two sons,??Jacob?and??Max Bernstein, from her previous marriage to investigative reporter??Carl Bernstein.?

Share your memories of your favorite of her works on our Facebook page.

More in TODAY entertainment:

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L.E.N.S.(Lifestyle, Events, News, and Society)blogs: Get a DC Shoes ...

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Chiseled 'Magic Mike' hunk shows off stripper moves

TODAY

By Jillian Eugenios

Joe Manganiello, best known for his role as a werewolf in the HBO series "True Blood," appears in the upcoming movie "Magic Mike," playing a stripper named Big Dick Ritchie.?

He gave a sneak peek of a few quick stripper moves as he entered the studio, and Kathie Lee and Hoda were left wanting. ?That?s it?? KLG asked. ?There has to be more,? Hoda said.?

?We had our cash ready and everything,? said Kathie Lee, counting out her dollar bills. ?Show us, big boy.??

Ever the good sport, Manganiello took the ladies through a brief demo. He first showed off a top-to-bottom body roll and then a bottom-to-top body roll. ?Stripping is very basic,? he said. ?There are only a few moves.???

TODAY

He said one of the best parts of making the movie was that ?you?re basically having about 200 female extras scream, claw, grab, body cavity search.? For women, going to a strip club is just about trying to make a girl blush in front of her friends, he said, adding that he was happy to take that on as a mission, and that at the end of the day, it?s all about fun. ?You can?t really take yourself too seriously with your American flag thong and your sparkler.??

{"contentId":"12418013","totalVotes":"302"}

Would you go to a ladies strip club?

TODAY.com contributor Jillian Eugenios thinks there has to be more to stripping than just two moves. She would like to see Joe go through a few more examples.

More:

'Magic Mike' is a beefcake bonanza with heart
What do you want more: Sex, or new sandals?
Ask a sexologist: Why do we love 'Fifty Shades'?
Do you get al fresco frisky in the summer?

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Crane Services ? Get the Right Equipment for Your Staff&#39;s Safety

Any major Rochester construction will require professional Rochester Crane Services company so as to ensure that the job will be completed efficiently and safely. When you are contracting a Rochester crane service company, the most important element that you want to ensure is if they have the right equipment for your specific construction. This is because safety around cranes is really critical.

When it comes to rigging of crane equipment, it is safety that is the main element, by far. Just like with other major and high-rise constructions, it is very important that you have proper foundation. This will ensure that your building will be safe structurally. Similarly, cranes are powerful tools that can lift hundred of tons of building materials and thus its foundation is paramount.

It is also important that those who are working around the crane have enough knowledge on its functions and features. In addition to that, the person who are directly involved with it should be knowledgeable on all its safety elements when operating them.

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Standoff with Iran focus of Putin visit to Israel

JERUSALEM (AP) ? The West's standoff with Iran over its nuclear program will be the hot topic when Russian President Vladimir Putin huddles with Israeli leaders during a 24-hour visit here.

Israel wants Russia to pressure Iran to abandon its uranium enrichment program, which Israeli and world leaderJs believe is designed to produce bombs, not energy as Iran claims.

Russia has worked with China to water down international sanctions against Iran.

Israel has warned that if the sanctions don't force Tehran to curb its nuclear ambitions, then a military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities might follow.

Putin is expected to arrive Monday morning and meet with Israel's Russian-speaking foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Tuesday, he heads to the Palestinian Authority and Jordan.

Associated Press

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Paraguay's ousted president defiant after 'coup'

Jorge Adorno / Reuters

Paraguay's ousted President Fernando Lugo holds a news conference outside his home on Sunday.

By msnbc.com news services

ASUNCION, Paraguay - Ousted Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo branded the country's new government illegitimate on Sunday and called for democracy to be restored as neighboring countries intensified criticism of his sudden impeachment.

Lugo, a leftist former Roman Catholic bishop, said his removal from office was "a parliamentary coup against the will of the people" and said he would back any peaceful effort to restore democracy in the South American nation.

Congress voted overwhelmingly on Friday to remove Lugo from office, saying he had failed in his duty to maintain social order following a bloody land eviction.

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Under the Paraguayan constitution, the impeached president was replaced by Vice President Federico Franco, a vocal critic of Lugo for much of his presidency.

Franco's newly appointed foreign minister urged Lugo to help quell the regional tensions, saying it was his "duty as a Paraguayan citizen and former president."

Paraguay under pressure from neighbors after Lugo is ousted

But Lugo refused to help his successor.

"We support any kind of peaceful effort aimed at restoring institutional order that was interrupted by Parliament," he told reporters.

"This is a fake government. You can't collaborate with a government that doesn't have legitimacy," he said, adding that he would attend a summit of the regional trade bloc Mercosur later this week to explain the situation.

Argentina, which currently holds Mercosur's rotating presidency, said Franco's government would not be allowed to attend the meeting.

'A pariah'
In a region scarred by military coups and political upheaval in the 1970s and 1980s, the rapid nature of Lugo's impeachment by an opposition-controlled Congress has drawn strong criticism -- especially from fellow leftists.

A senior Brazilian official said Paraguay would likely be suspended from the regional UNASUR grouping and from Mercosur, which also includes Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

"The point is to make this new government a pariah," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Regional powerhouse Brazil has recalled its top diplomat for consultations and the ambassador is unlikely to return while Franco remains in the presidency, the official added.

Oil shipments halted
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Lugo's removal as president was illegal, halted oil shipments to Paraguay and withdrew his ambassador from the country. Argentina's Cristina Fernandez pulled top envoy out on Saturday.

"We don't recognize this government. I've ordered the amassador in Asuncion to pack his things and leave," Chavez said in a speech. "We're going to stop sending oil too."

Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA supplies about a quarter of Paraguay's oil needs under a deal that lets countries buy crude on soft financing terms and even pay in farm goods.

Chavez compared Lugo's removal to the 2009 coup that removed Manuel Zelaya in Honduras.

Nations including Canada, Spain and Germany recognized the new government after Lugo said on Friday he would accept the congressional vote to remove him. Others, including Chile and Colombia on Sunday, have summoned ambassadors for a briefing.

Andres Cristaldo / EPA

Federico Franco, center, replaced Fernando Lugo as president.

Lugo has suggested that national and international clamor could lead Paraguayan lawmakers to reverse his impeachment.

Despite the chorus of international criticism, Paraguay's low-key riverside capital was calm on Sunday. Fewer police were patrolling the streets than in recent days and restaurants and businesses were open as usual.

"Lugo was useless but what happened in Congress was a joke -- it was like pigs talking about hygiene," said Benjamin Aguayo, 18, in downtown Asuncion.

A small group of Lugo supporters gathered outside the state TV studios to demonstrate in favor of his return to office.

Lugo's impeachment was sparked by clashes that killed six police and 11 peasant farmers during a recent land eviction. He was one year away from completing his five-year term.

Paternity scandals
Paraguay is one of the poorest countries in South America and Lugo, 61, vowed to improve the quality of life of low-income families when his election ended six decades of rule by the conservative Colorado party.

But he struggled to push reforms, including land redistribution to poor peasant farmers, through Congress. A cancer scare and several paternity scandals dating back to his time as a bishop added to his difficulties.

When his allies from the Liberal Party withdrew support for him on Thursday, they cleared the way for the impeachment trial.

In contrast to Lugo, Franco has solid backing among ranchers and farmers in the world's No. 4 soybean exporter.

"The agricultural industry is going to be a priority, no question about it, because it's vital for Paraguay," said Liberal lawmaker Gustavo Cardozo.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world

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Michael Jackson Death Anniversary Celebrates King of Pop's Life

June 25 is Michael Jackson's death anniversary. The King of Pop died three years ago today at the age of 50 after suffering cardiac arrest at his home.

The coroner ruled it a homicide, and Dr. Conrad Murray, who was over-medicating MJ to a dangerous degree, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

Murray obviously did not mean to kill Jackson, but was nonetheless responsible for the fatal combination of sedatives that led to the singer's demise.

Serving a four-year sentence, and complaining that he is wasting away in jail amid horrid conditions, Murray has been behind bars since November.

Michael may be gone, but three years later, his legacy lives on.

In a way, MJ passing away shifted the focus back to his musical greatness and away from the personal problems and eccentricities that dominated news.

Jackson’s mother, Katherine, has permanent custody of his offspring, all three of which have all gone on to become well-adjusted, normal children.

Just what he would have wanted, and worked so hard to achieve.

Musically, his death introduced Jackson to a new generation of fans and invigorated tens of millions of older ones. He hasn't been this popular in 30 years!

For much more MJ, check out our Michael Jackson video section!

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Boosting blood system protein complex protects against radiation toxicity

ScienceDaily (June 24, 2012) ? New research in Nature Medicine shows that boosting a protein pathway in the body's blood making system protects mice from otherwise fatal radiation poisoning.

Scientists in the multi-institutional study -- posted online by the journal on June 24 -- say their findings open the potential for new treatments against radiation toxicity during cancer treatment or environmental exposures -- such as in a nuclear explosion or accident.

By identifying a target-specific intervention to protect the hematopoietic system against radiation toxicity, the study addresses a largely unmet challenge, according to the researchers.

"These findings suggest that pharmacologic augmentation of the activity of the Thbd-aPC pathway by recombinant Thbd (thrombomodulin) or aPC (activated protein C) might offer a rational approach to the mitigation of tissue injury and lethality caused by ionizing radiation," the scientists write in their manuscript. "Recombinant human aPC has undergone extensive clinical testing in patients, and recombinant soluble human Thbd is currently being investigated for efficacy in antithrombotic therapy in humans. Our data encourage the further evaluation of these proteins for their radio-mitigating activities."

The study reveals a previously unknown function of the Thbd-aPC pathway in radiation mitigation. The pathway is normally known for its ability to prevent the formation of blood clots and help the body fight infections. The researchers found the pathway helps blood cells in the bone marrow recover from injury caused by radiation exposure. They demonstrated that pharmacologic boosting of this pathway with two drugs tested for the treatment of thrombosis or infection (recombinant Thbd and aPC respectively) can be used in mice to prevent death caused by exposure to lethal doses of radiation.

In all instances of treatment with recombinant soluble Thbd or aPC, the result was accelerated recovery of hematopoietic progenitor cell activity in bone marrow and a reduction in the harmful effects of lethal total body irradiation. When treatment was with aPC, these benefits occurred even when treatment was delayed for 24 hours.

The scientists caution their study involves early laboratory research in mice, so it remains to be tested how the findings may translate to human treatment. Researchers also need to determine exactly why the protective function of the targeted Thbd-aPC protein pathway seems to work so well in mice.

Researchers noted that the protective benefits of Thbd-aPC occurred only in vivo in irradiated mouse models. The researchers reported that overexpressed Thbd in irradiated laboratory cell cultures did not offer the same protective benefits, as the cells did not survive. This indicates the protective benefits of Thbd on blood making cells in irradiated mouse models depends on the help of additional cells or molecules in the body, which the researchers are trying to identify in a follow-up study.

The study involves extensive multi-scientist collaborations that combined previously independent lines of research by groups at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Ulm, Germany (led by Hartmut Geiger, PhD, Division of Experimental Hematology/Cancer Biology and the Department of Dermatology/Allergic Diseases); the University of Arkansas, Little Rock (led by Martin Hauer-Jensen, MD, PhD, Division of Radiation Health, the College of Pharmacy and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System); the Blood Research Institute in Milwaukee, Wis. (led by Hartmut Weiler, PhD); and The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif. (led by John H. Griffin, PhD, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine).

The research team said the current study exemplifies a global shift to multi-investigator projects that allow a combination of varied expertise by scientists tackling complex problems from the perspective of their respective fields. This approach requires the willingness of investigators to share unpublished data and engage in an open collaboration. The researchers also said the study underscores the importance of continued federal funding for leading edge basic research that can benefit human health.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Hartmut Geiger, Snehalata A Pawar, Edward J Kerschen, Kalpana J Nattamai, Irene Hernandez, Hai Po H Liang, Jose ? Fern?ndez, Jose A Cancelas, Marnie A Ryan, Olga Kustikova, Axel Schambach, Qiang Fu, Junru Wang, Louis M Fink, Karl-Uwe Petersen, Daohong Zhou, John H Griffin, Christopher Baum, Hartmut Weiler & Martin Hauer-Jensen. Pharmacological targeting of the thrombomodulin?activated protein C pathway mitigates radiation toxicity. Nature Medicine, 24 June 2012 DOI: 10.1038/nm.2813

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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Toll from Colorado wildfire raised to 248 homes

In this Saturday, June 23, 2012 photo provided by Darrell Spangler, a firefighter works the scene of a home being consumed by flames in Estes Park, Colo. As many as 21 structures were destroyed by the fire on Saturday. Eight separate wildfires are burning across Colorado, which is seeing record-breaking heat. (AP Photo/Darrell Spangler) MANDATORY CREDIT

In this Saturday, June 23, 2012 photo provided by Darrell Spangler, a firefighter works the scene of a home being consumed by flames in Estes Park, Colo. As many as 21 structures were destroyed by the fire on Saturday. Eight separate wildfires are burning across Colorado, which is seeing record-breaking heat. (AP Photo/Darrell Spangler) MANDATORY CREDIT

In this Saturday, June 23, 2012 photo provided by Darrell Spangler, fire consumes a home in Estes Park, Colo. As many as 21 structures were destroyed by the fire on Saturday. Eight separate wildfires are burning across Colorado, which is seeing record-breaking heat. (AP Photo/Darrell Spangler) MANDATORY CREDIT

In this photo provided by Darrell Spangler, rubble smolders Sunday, June 24, 2012, from a home consumed by fire a day earlier, in Estes Park, Colo. As many as 21 structures were destroyed by the fire on Saturday. Eight separate wildfires are burning across Colorado, which is seeing record-breaking heat. (AP Photo/Darrell Spangler) MANDATORY CREDIT

The evening sky glows orange as smoke and flames from the Waldo Canyon Fire has consumed 2500 acres west of Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Colo. on Saturday, June 23, 2012. The fire is zero percent contained. Voluntary and mandatory evacuations were taking place across the west side of Colorado Springs. Tankers were dropping fire retardant in front of the advancing flames. ( AP Photo/Bryan Oller)

A giant plume from the Waldo Canyon Fire hovers high above Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Colo. on Saturday, June 23, 2012. The fire is zero percent contained and has consumed 2500 acres. Voluntary and mandatory evacuations were taking place across the west side of Colorado Springs. Tankers were dropping fire retardant in front of the advancing flames. ( AP Photo/Bryan Oller)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) ? The total number of homes destroyed by a two-week old wildfire in northern Colorado was raised to 248 on Sunday as residents of a subdivision near Fort Collins learned that 57 more homes in their neighborhood had been lost, authorities said.

Fire officials had previously said that 191 homes had burned, the most in state history. The High Park Fire is the second-largest wildfire and among the most expensive in Colorado's history. It has scorched more than 130 square miles and was just 45 percent contained on Sunday, The Denver Post reported.

With a total of eight fires burning, Colorado is having its worst wildfire season in a decade.

A fire near Colorado Springs erupted Saturday and grew out of control to more than 3 square miles early Sunday, prompting the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists. Authorities said Sunday that they were allowing about 5,000 of those residents to return.

Also on Saturday, a blaze destroyed structures near the mountain community of Estes Park, where many visitors stay while visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. The Larimer County Sheriff's Office said Sunday that 22 homes and 2 outbuildings had been burned.

"We're used to flooding and tornadoes, nothing like this," said Amanda Rice, who recently moved to the area from Rock Falls, Ill. Rice, her husband, four children and dog left a Manitou Springs hotel late Saturday.

Rice, scared when she saw flames, took her family to the evacuation center before she was told to go.

"It was just this God-awful orange glow. It was surreal. It honestly looked like hell was opening up," Rice said Sunday.

With Colorado midway through its worst wildfire season in a decade, travelers have seen some of their favorite sites closed to the public, obscured by smoke and haze. Some travelers were awoken with evacuation orders.

Plumes of gray and white smoke poured from the mountains Sunday, obscuring at times Pikes Peak, the most-summited high-elevation mountain in the nation and inspiration for the song "America The Beautiful." Winds were pushing smoke away from Colorado Springs, but residents and tourists watched nervously as haze wrapped around the peak.

Families planning whitewater rafting trips or visits to the stunning red-rock formations in Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs were instead spending their vacations passing out bottled water and setting up cots in evacuee centers.

They included Mark Stein of Morristown, N.J., whose family arrived after midnight Sunday at their Manitou Springs hotel for a week of whitewater rafting and sightseeing.

"We were sleeping for 15 minutes when they started knocking on the door ? a day from hell," Stein said of the day of travel. With his wife and two sons, Stein spent the first night of his vacation setting up cots for more than 200 evacuees who slept at the school.

"I think it's the best vacation ever. This is what the real world is about. There's a lot of people that need help," Stein said.

Also Sunday, a brushfire that began near Elbert, about 50 miles southwest of Denver, quickly spread to about 60 acres, forcing the evacuation of about 100 residents.

Half the nation's firefighting fleet is now battling fires in Colorado, said Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. He said C-130 military transport planes from Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs would begin assisting on Monday.

"People recognize this is going to take a big push" to extinguish, Hickenlooper said Sunday from a Colorado Springs grocery store, where volunteers were passing out burritos, sandwiches and drinks to 350 firefighters working near Pikes Peak.

The wildfire near Rocky Mountain National Park destroyed vacation cabins and closed the most commonly used entrance to the park. Clouds of smoke blew toward the 102-year-old Stanley Hotel that inspired Stephen King to write "The Shining."

Elsewhere in the West, firefighters made progress against wildfires in Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

? In Utah, a 15-square-mile blaze around Fountain Green in Sanpete County was threatening more than 359 permanent structures and 213 mobile homes and travel trailers in four rural subdivisions, forcing about 1,000 people to flee. BLM says the human-caused fire erupted Saturday afternoon. Officials report progress on a 9-square-mile wildfire around Saratoga Springs, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City.

? In California, a wildfire about 60 miles north of Los Angeles triggered evacuations of campgrounds around an off-road recreation area on Saturday. Officials said the fire has blackened at least 1,000 acres in the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area, along the Interstate 5 corridor in Gorman.

? In New Mexico, a lightning-caused wildfire that destroyed 242 homes and businesses is 90 percent contained. The 69-square-mile fire near Ruidoso began June 4. Meanwhile, the largest wildfire in state history was 87 percent contained, having burned more than 464 square miles after two blazes merged on May 16.

? In Montana, two wildfires were burning in the southwest part of the state, including the fast-moving Antelope Fire, which started Saturday afternoon about 10 miles north of Whitehall and had grown to 462 acres on Sunday. About 100 firefighters were battling that blaze.

? In Arizona, the U.S. Forest Service said Sunday that containment against the Poco Fire, just outside of Young, is up to 50 percent and remains under 12,000 acres. Officials say many of the firefighting resources are being released to their home units or to other fire assignments.

Associated Press

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rom: "Apple is a consumer company, not a producer company. Microsoft is for those that produce, Apple is for those that consume". #FAIL

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

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UNLV assistant Khadevis Robinson just one race away from the London Olympics

Steve Marcus

UNLV assistant coach Khadevis Robinson at the UNLV track Wednesday, June 13,?2012.

By Taylor Bern (contact)

Saturday, June 23, 2012 | 5:25 p.m.

UNLV assistant coach Khadevis Robinson is one race away from his second Olympic team.

Robinson, 35, won his semifinal heat of the 800 meters Saturday at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. His time of 1 minute, 45.83 seconds was the fastest out of both heats, which makes him the top seed going into Monday's finals (7:47 p.m. on NBC Sports Network).

On Friday, Robinson won his quarterfinal heat with a time of 1:47.3. Robinson hadn't run in an open 800 race this season until earlier this month on Hayward Field, the same track he's currently dominating on. Robinson said he planned to keep his routine the same as it was at that meet earlier this month, even down to staying at the hotel. And so far it's fair to say that approach is working.

Robinson will be joined in the 800 finals by Duane Solomon Jr, Tyler Mulder, Elijah Greer, Charles Jock, Mark Wieczork, Nick Symmonds and Ryan Martin. At the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2008, Symmonds won with a time of 1:44.1 while Robinson finished fourth. Solomon was also in that race, finishing sixth.

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or taylor.bern@lasvegassun.com. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.

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Super-social spaceman shares his story

NASA via Twitpic

NASA astronaut Ron Garan looks into the camera from outside the International Space Station in July 2011. "Knocking on the door to come back in #FromSpace after yesterday's spacewalk," Garan wrote on Twitpic.

By Alan Boyle

You might think it's cool enough that NASA astronaut Ron Garan has spent months aboard the International Space Station, but he?s become even better-known as a social-media maven. This month he passed the 2 million mark for Google+ circles, putting him at No. 21 on the Google+ Top 100. His Fragile Oasis postings are a highlight on the Web, Facebook and Twitter. His "Ask Me Anything" exchange with Reddit users went so well he's thinking of doing it again.

So what's the secret to his success? It's really not a secret at all: He?s got a good story to share, about the beauty and fragility of planet Earth.

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The 50-year-old New York native is a former Air Force fighter pilot who has degrees in business economics and aerospace engineering. He joined the astronaut corps in 2000, and his training for spaceflight included a turn as an "aquanaut" for NASA's NEEMO underwater research mission in 2006. Garan has been up in space twice ? in 2008, on the shuttle Discovery to help deliver Japan's Kibo lab to the International Space Station; and just last year for a nearly six-month tour of duty on the station.

Garan says another stint on the space station is "always a possibility, down the road." But right now, he's focusing on NASA's Open Government Initiative, which aims to build stronger collaborative ties between government, industry and the general public. That means social engagement isn't just something he does in his spare time. It's part of his job.

During a recent interview, Garan talked about how he became a super-social spaceman, and what he's learned from the adventure. Here are some edited excerpts of the Q&A:

Cosmic Log: When you come into contact with the public, what do you find they?re most curious about?

Garan:?"Well, what they?re most curious about is the basic question of what life is like, living in space. It really is a marvelous experience. It?s very interesting in a lot of respects ? and probably the greatest part about it is that it gave me an incredible sense of appreciation for what we have here on our planet. Everything from just simple things that define the beauty of life on our planet ? the breeze in your face, and the smell of flowers, watching a flock of birds and a million other things. After you?re up there for a while, those are things that?you really start to miss.

"I had the opportunity to have a short-duration flight on the space shuttle Discovery back in 2008, during which I was up there for two weeks, and then a long-term one where I was up for five and a half months. And it?s a very different experience. You have the same views, you have the same environment that you live in. But being able to see the earth, day in and day out, and watch the earth change ... and to really start to miss some of the things that I took for granted, that really gives you that appreciation."

Ron Garan / NASA

A fish-eye view of the International Space Station, captured by Ron Garan last July, features the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer in the foreground. A Russian Progress cargo ship and a Soyuz crew capsule are docked on the left end of the station. The structure extending to the left of the AMS is a thermal radiator. One of the station's gold-colored solar arrays is visible in the background. And off to the right, the shuttle Atlantis is docked to the station's Tranquility module.

Q: So how did the Fragile Oasis website enter into the mix?

A:?"That came out of my shuttle mission in 2008. I had a little bit of frustration. I imagine it?s like when you go to the Grand Canyon, and you?re there by yourself, and you sit there at the rim of the Grand Canyon and you?re looking out over this amazing thing. And imagine that very, very few people have been able to have that experience. For me, at least, that would be frustrating, and the experience would not be as rich as it would be if I had the opportunity to share that with people. So I was frustrated during my shuttle mission that I couldn?t share the experience.

"When I got assigned to my long-duration mission, there?s two and a half years of training, and during that two and a half years, I really brainstormed how I could do that. We came up with Fragile Oasis, not just to have it as a website where we could tell stories about space, but the goal was always to provide a platform for people to follow along on the mission, not as spectators but as fellow crew members. To have an interactive way to do it.

"We had some significant technical challenges in getting that thing off the ground, and it?s still a work in progress. It doesn?t have a lot of the interactive features that we wanted it to have, but we?re working on it. When I launched to the International Space Station, and I had the five and a half months up there, I really was very thankful that I had this tool, this platform, to be able to communicate. And in the meantime, we had the exponential increase in the popularity of social media tools.

"First I did Facebook, but I didn't see that as a public outreach tool. I saw that as a way to connect with old friends, and I was just using it on a personal basis. On the other hand, I started Twitter for one reason: I saw it as a way to do education outreach. I could say, I?m learning about this experiment we?re going to be doing in space, and I?d put a link on there to the experiment's website and the science behind it. I saw that as a very powerful way to do outreach. I now see the benefits of outreach in other platforms as well, including Facebook and obviously Google+. In the case of Google+, I see a very robust mechanism to share the space program and the experience of living in space with a lot of interactive features on that platform."

Q: With all your experience in social media, do you find that you favor one tool over the other? From your comments, it sounds as if you?re seeing some differentiation in how those different tools can be used. Particularly with Google+, you just recently passed the 2-million-follower mark. That must be one of the big successes for your efforts.

A:?"Well, I think all the platforms offer slightly different tools to tell the story. I think they all fit together really well, actually. So it?s not a 'one-platform' type of message. We want to reach the broadest audience we can, because the excitement of spaceflight is global. It?s for all humanity. So the more tools we can use to tell that story, and the more people we can get involved with the story, the better off the whole message will be."

Q: Did you have to do a selling job with NASA to do the sorts of things you?re doing?

A:?"It took a while to catch on, but it?s catching on now across the board. We realize the benefit of social media. I?m on some social-media committees now, on some working groups to help not only crew members and astronauts, but also thousands of other people who work in the space program. They have a very compelling story as well. We?re trying to find the best way to get that story out. And what we?re finding is that just letting people tell their story in the way they want to tell it is the best way to do it.

"Obviously, there have to be guidelines. But the more leeway we can give people in the space program to tell their story, the richer the experience will be, both for the people who are reading it and for the people who are doing it. That?s one of the cardinal rules here, to give people as much leeway as we possibly can."

Q: Are there any guidelines or favorites that you want to pass along to people who want to be closer in touch with the space adventure?

A:?"Oh, yeah. There are tons and tons of people. Most of the astronauts who fly in space right now have Twitter accounts. They?re all on there. There?s also @NASA_Astronauts, where we try to retweet, as best we can, everything from all the astronauts. There?s @NASA, the official Twitter account. There?s the Facebook version, and soon the Google+ version of all these as well. There?s commercial spaceflight: @SpaceX has a social media presence. There are people outside the space agency who are involved in telling the story as well, such as @YurisNight and #spacetweeps.

"What we?re finding through this is that it?s not just the official word from NASA, the European Space Agency and the Japanese space agency. There are citizen scientists and all these other groups that have formed around the idea of space exploration, and they really do a great job of telling the story as well. It?s obvious that there?s a lot of passion and heart and soul that?s put into this."

Q: Is there something about the space story that particularly resonates with social media?

A:?"I think it?s because it?s a human endeavor, and throughout the 50 years of human spaceflight, it?s always been a select few people who have gotten to fly in space, and we?ve relied on them to come back and tell us what it was like. Now, through technology and through these new platforms, we can bring people along with us on the missions and have them experience this is real time. You can see example after example of this.

"An easy example is, if one of us sends out a tweet with a picture, let?s say, and we misidentify the geographic location, we?re going to find out about that pretty fast. That happened to me on my mission, and I thanked the person who brought that to my attention. I started sending pictures to that person first, to make sure I got it right. We don?t have a lot of time up there, and all the pictures and all the social media that we do is in our free time. So to have people on the ground, crowdsourcing or open-sourcing or however you want to put it, that really empowers us to do more. It makes communication much more effective."

Q: Have you ever thought if it would be possible to boil down the glory of space down into one tweet? Is there any elevator talk you?ve thought about giving in 140 characters, about what it?s like to fly in space?

A:?"You?d need at least 147 characters to do that ... no. I know I couldn?t do it. That would be a pretty remarkable feat."

Q: What?s the one thing that you?d like people to know about spaceflight.

A:?"In 140 characters?"

Q: Not 140 characters, but what?s the one biggest message that you think the space experience provides for people on Earth?

A:?"Well,? to go back to the reason we started Fragile Oasis: The really compelling reason is that we wanted to use this perspective we have on the planet to inspire people to go out and make a difference, and make the world a better planet. The one gift that I think we get when we fly in space is this perspective.

"You don't necessarily have to be in space to get this perspective, but being in space really reinforces it: You see how fragile the planet is. You see how beautiful it is, how peaceful it looks. Then you realize that life is not as beautiful for everybody on the planet as it looks from space. That's a very compelling thing to experience, and hopefully it serves as a call to action, to not accept the status quo and make life on the planet as beautiful as it looks. That's the No. 1 thing that I want to get across."

NASA

The International Space Station looks like little more than a speck with solar panels in this picture, which was taken from the shuttle Atlantis during its approach on July 10. A first-quarter moon shines on the right side of the frame.

Where in the Cosmos
Garan and his colleagues at Fragile Oasis offer a cornucopia of outer-space imagery and blog postings, including this picture of the International Space Station and the moon, as seen from the shuttle Atlantis during its approach for docking last July. The photo served as today's quiz picture in the "Where in the Cosmos" contest, presented weekly on the Cosmic Log Facebook page.

Len Whitney's comment was my favorite: "I believe it's a TIE fighter ... but those are short-range fighters, we're too far out in space ... Must have taken off from that moon ... Wait a second ... that's no moon!!!! It's a space station!"

For figuring out so quickly that the picture showed a moon and a space station, I'm sending 3-D glasses to Facebook followers Matt Jaworski and Lawrence Johnson. I'm also reserving a pair for Whitney. To make sure you're in on next week's contest, click the "like" button on the Cosmic Log Facebook page and join the alliance. It's not a trap!

More about NASA and social media:

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Although Ron Garan is the highest-rated astronaut on the Google+ list, props also deserve to go out to Mike Massimino, the first NASA astronaut to tweet from space and NASA's top astronaut when it comes to Twitter rankings.

Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

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Greeks seek soccer revenge against Germany

Pawel Ulatowski / Reuters, file

Greece's soccer fans celebrate victory against Russia after their Group A Euro 2012 soccer match at the National stadium in Warsaw, in this June 16 2012 file photo.

By NBC News' Andy Eckardt and Reuters

Greeks were hoping against hope that their national soccer team would triumph over mighty Germany in the Euro 2012 championship, restoring lost pride to the debt-stricken country by getting one over its economic paymaster.

Friday night's quarterfinal fixture, in the Polish port of Gdansk, pits two nations against each other whose ties have rarely been so sour, so bristling.

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Greece fans are seeking respect for their country after its humiliating economic collapse and Germany?s predominant role in lending bailout money ? along with strict austerity measures.?

"It's not good that sports and politics are together, but today we have no other choice," said Greece fan Michalis Kalotrapesis, wearing a white national team shirt and training top. "We are playing for our country and for our image in Europe and all over the world."?

Alvaro Barrientos / AP

German fans rest in a bar before the Euro 2012 soccer championship quarterfinal match between Germany and Greece in Gdansk, Poland, Friday

Germany will be cheered on at the game by Chancellor Angela Merkel, a hated figure in Greece, who for many personifies the painful bailout conditions and the euro zone's strict approach to the debt-strapped state.

Merkel loves football and loves the German team. Earlier in the tournament, she went to visit their training base. She attends high-profile matches and was once photographed with bare-chested midfielder Mesut Ozil in the changing room.

'Bye-bye Greeks'
A crunch meeting between Merkel and other European leaders in Rome on Friday was moved up to an earlier start time so that she could attend the game.

"Bye-bye Greeks, we can't rescue you today!" Germany's top-selling Bild proclaimed on its front page on Friday in the colors of the Greek flag.

Thomas Peter / Reuters

A man takes a copy of the German "Bild" newspaper from a stack in a newsagent in Berlin Friday. The headline reads, "Bye, bye Greece. Today we won't be able to save you!"

"Bankrupt THEM," blared leading Greek paper Sport Day.

Even the respected Greek daily Kathimerini drummed home to Greeks that this match is against a foe popularly blamed for saddling Greece with a punitive austerity program, chronic unemployment and years of deep economic recession.

"Whoever thinks today's match is just a game is wrong," the paper wrote, vowing it was "politics (maybe even war) by other means."

"To many Greeks, victory will represent the triumph of the weak against the wealth, might and arrogance of the powerful -- the victim would humble his executioner? If the Germans win, they'll see it as confirmation of their diligence, strategy, talent and thrift," it added.

Some German car manufacturers, like Volkswagen and Daimler, are making special arrangements that will allow their workforce on shift to watch the match.

Greece has never beaten Germany
Officials from Volkswagen told NBC News that employees will be able to leave early on Friday, but that workers will have to make up for the free time at a later point.

Greece have never beaten Germany but now would be the ideal time to do so in order to cheer up the public back home and give them hope that Greece can repeat their amazing run to the European Championship crown in 2004.

The chances are slim to say the least. The Germans, among the favorites to take the tournament title, go into the match on the back of 14 consecutive competitive victories stretching back to the 2010 World Cup.

For Germany, playing in Gdansk, which prior to World War Two was the German- and Polish-inhabited free city of Danzig, will feel like a home game.

Thirty thousand Germans are expected to travel to watch the game. Only 6,000 Greek supporters are expected. Most Poles say their hearts beat for the underdog.

Back in Athens, not everyone was drawn into the spirit.

"I couldn't care less," Said Panagiotis Pappas, 22, a chemistry student. "We're on the brink of disaster and all they care is about is football for Christ's sake."?

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