Dr. Scott Tinker presented AGI award for Outstanding Contributions to the Understanding of Geoscience

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

17-Oct-2013

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Contact: Maureen Moses
mmoses@agiweb.org
703-379-2480
American Geosciences Institute

Alexandria, VA Very few people have impacted the public understanding of geoscience as much as Dr. Scott Tinker. His documentary Switch, co-produced with Harry Lynch as part of the Switch Energy Project, has screened at over 350 universities, and reached an estimated 3 million people globally. In 2013, it will be distributed in thousands of Earth Science Week kits to students worldwide. For this, and many other esteemed accomplishments, Tinker has been presented the American Geosciences Institute award for Outstanding Contributions to the Understanding of Geoscience.

Tinker is actively engaged in building bridges between academia, industry, and government. He weaves energy, the environment, and the economy into his talks, in which he envisions a very challenging, but positive, global future. In 2000, after 17 years in the oil and gas industry, Tinker joined the University of Texas at Austin, where he holds the Allday Endowed Chair in the Jackson School of Geosciences. He has given more than 500 invited and keynote lectures and visited nearly 50 countries. Dr. Tinker is the Director of the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) and the State Geologist of Texas, and a past President of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Association of American State Geologists.

The award is presented to a person, organization, or institution in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the public understanding of geology. The contribution may be in geology as a science or in geology as it relates to economic or environmental aspects of modern civilization. The award may be given to a geologist or non-geologist, or to an organization or an institution that is geologic or non-geologic in character.

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The American Geosciences Institute is a nonprofit federation of geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 250,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geosciences education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role geosciences play in society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and interaction with the environment.

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

17-Oct-2013

[


| E-mail



| Share

]

Contact: Maureen Moses
mmoses@agiweb.org
703-379-2480
American Geosciences Institute

Alexandria, VA Very few people have impacted the public understanding of geoscience as much as Dr. Scott Tinker. His documentary Switch, co-produced with Harry Lynch as part of the Switch Energy Project, has screened at over 350 universities, and reached an estimated 3 million people globally. In 2013, it will be distributed in thousands of Earth Science Week kits to students worldwide. For this, and many other esteemed accomplishments, Tinker has been presented the American Geosciences Institute award for Outstanding Contributions to the Understanding of Geoscience.

Tinker is actively engaged in building bridges between academia, industry, and government. He weaves energy, the environment, and the economy into his talks, in which he envisions a very challenging, but positive, global future. In 2000, after 17 years in the oil and gas industry, Tinker joined the University of Texas at Austin, where he holds the Allday Endowed Chair in the Jackson School of Geosciences. He has given more than 500 invited and keynote lectures and visited nearly 50 countries. Dr. Tinker is the Director of the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) and the State Geologist of Texas, and a past President of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Association of American State Geologists.

The award is presented to a person, organization, or institution in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the public understanding of geology. The contribution may be in geology as a science or in geology as it relates to economic or environmental aspects of modern civilization. The award may be given to a geologist or non-geologist, or to an organization or an institution that is geologic or non-geologic in character.

###

The American Geosciences Institute is a nonprofit federation of geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 250,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geosciences education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role geosciences play in society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and interaction with the environment.

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-10/agi-dst101713.php
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Saudi Arabia rejects seat on UN Security Council

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia on Friday rejected its freshly-acquired seat on the U.N. Security Council, saying the 15-member body is incapable of resolving world conflicts such as the Syrian civil war.

The move came just hours after the kingdom was elected as one of the Council's 10 nonpermanent members on Thursday night. It also followed another gesture of displeasure from the kingdom in which Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal declined to address the General Assembly meeting last month.

The Saudi discontent stems from its frustration with longtime ally United States. The two are at odds over a number of Mideast issues, including how Washington has handled some of the region's crises, particularly in Egypt and Syria. It also comes as ties between the U.S. and Iran, the Saudi's regional foe, appear to be improving following a recent telephone conversation between President Barack Obama and Iran's new president, Hassan Rouhani.

In a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, the Foreign Ministry said Friday the Security Council has failed in its duties toward Syria.

It said this has enabled Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime to perpetrate the killings of its people, including with chemical weapons, without facing any punishment. The Syrian regime denies it has used chemical weapons in the war.

The kingdom, which has backed the Syrian rebels in their struggle to topple Assad, has often criticized the international community for failing to halt Syria's civil war, now in its third year. According to U.N. figures, the conflict has so far killed over 100,000 people.

Saudi Arabia is also frustrated that the U.S. backed away from launching punitive strikes against Assad's forces after Damascus agreed to allow inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations to destroy its chemical weapons arsenal.

The kingdom easily won the Security Council seat in a vote in New York on Thursday, facing no opposition because there were no contested races for the first time in several years. The Council seats are highly coveted because they give countries a strong voice in matters dealing with international peace and security, in places like Syria, Iran and North Korea, as well as the U.N.'s far-flung peacekeeping operations.

The 15-member council includes five permanent members with veto power — the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France — and 10 nonpermanent members elected for two-year terms.

After the vote, Saudi Arabia's U.N. Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi said his country's election was "a reflection of a longstanding policy in support of moderation and in support of resolving disputes by peaceful means."

But the statement from Riyadh on Friday struck a dramatically different tone.

"Allowing the ruling regime in Syria to kill its people and burn them with chemical weapons in front of the entire world and without any deterrent or punishment is clear proof and evidence of the U.N. Security Council's inability to perform its duties and shoulder its responsibilities," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.

The foreign ministry statement also said the U.N. Security Council has not been able to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict over the past six decades and has failed to transform the Middle East into a zone free of weapons of mass destruction — a reference to Israel, which has never confirmed or denied possession of nuclear weapons.

___

Associated Press writer Maamoun Youssef contributed to this report from Cairo.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/saudi-arabia-rejects-seat-un-security-council-090849059.html
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Millions Of Miles From Shutdown, Mars Rovers Keep Working

A photo composed of nearly 900 images taken by the rover Curiosity shows a section of Gale Crater near the equator of Mars. The rovers are continuing to work through the U.S. government shutdown.

NASA/AP

A photo composed of nearly 900 images taken by the rover Curiosity shows a section of Gale Crater near the equator of Mars. The rovers are continuing to work through the U.S. government shutdown.

NASA/AP

The budget negotiations in Washington are not front-page news on Mars. There, millions of miles away, NASA's rovers continue to operate, taking photographs and collecting data as they prepare for the coming Martian winter.

NPR's Joe Palca has this report for our Newscast unit:

"NASA's newest rover, called Curiosity, is on the move. It's headed to the base of Mount Sharp, a mountain that towers three-and-a-half miles above the floor of Gale Crater where the rover landed. Scientists hope the foothills of the mountain will reveal some of the ancient geologic history of Mars.

"The other rover, called Opportunity, is studying something similar at the rim of Endeavor crater. In January, the rover that was designed to last 90 days will mark its 10th year on Mars.

"Some of Opportunity's instruments have stopped working, but it's still taking pictures and still roves across the surface, albeit quite a bit slower than its newer partner on the other side of the planet."

The two rovers are taking in data and getting into strategic locations before winter arrives on Mars in a few months.

The scarcity of sunlight shouldn't pose a challenge for Curiosity, whose systems are powered by heat generated by the radioactive decay of plutonium. NASA hopes that the older Opportunity, which powers itself with solar panels, will be aided by its position on a north-facing slope.

As the Planetary Society website notes, this will be Opportunity's sixth winter:

"Harsh beyond belief, winters on Mars are life threatening, even for robots. Opportunity must endure constant, sometimes radical fluctuations in daily temperatures, not to mention survive temperatures as low as 100 degrees below freezing, all of which is really tough on her metal parts. Of course, the veteran rover has proved its resilience many times over while exploring this sub-freezing planet."

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/10/14/234256158/thousands-of-miles-from-shutdown-mars-rovers-keep-working?ft=1&f=1007
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Billy Crystal Finds Fun In Growing Old (But Still Can't Find His Keys)

Billy Crystal has hosted the Academy Awards more times than anyone except Bob Hope. "I love doing it because I love the danger of it," Crystal says. "You have to come through and think on your feet."

Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

Billy Crystal has hosted the Academy Awards more times than anyone except Bob Hope. "I love doing it because I love the danger of it," Crystal says. "You have to come through and think on your feet."

Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

Billy Crystal isn't happy about turning 65, but at least he's finding a way to laugh about it. His new memoir — Still Foolin' 'Em: Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys? — is on the best-seller list, and he'll be back on Broadway in November.

Crystal got his start in standup comedy, and in 1977 he landed a leading role in the sitcom Soap — playing one of the first openly gay characters on TV. In 1984 he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live and went on to star in the films When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers and Analyze This. He's hosted the Oscars more times than anyone except Bob Hope. In 2007 he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. His autobiographical one-man show 700 Sundays won a Tony in 2005 and reopens on Broadway in November.

Interview Highlights

On how his show business family brought him to comedy early

[I did impressions] of relatives because I heard so many different sounds. You know, my dad was in the music business and of course my uncle was a giant [music producer], but my dad in particular had the house filled with these Dixieland jazz stars — really the best of them, Henry "Red" Allen, Willie "Lion" Smith, Buster Bailey, Cutty Cutshall, Tyree Glenn, Zutty Singleton, these are big names in the Dixieland world. It was mostly African-American [musicians] and my Jewish Eastern European relatives.

The house as I say ... smelled of brisket and bourbon, so you could hear that. I started imitating them. Phrases came out of that, "Can't you dig that?" "I knew that you would." We were at [Passover] Seders and they were confused with the bitter herbs, "Do we smoke these or do we do we dip them in salt water?" "We dip them in salt water, well that's gonna kill the vibrancy of the weed, you know." So that's what I was around. So I would imitate them. That's where it all started.

On losing his father at age 15

At the time it was devastating, of course. My two older brothers were both out of the house and in college, and I was left alone with [my mom] and we developed this incredible bond where I could not let her get too sad, [even] when I felt it in myself. It was a hard thing to juggle. I never felt like I could have a weak moment, I had to always be there for her and keep her up. ...

I'd try to make her laugh, and try to do things with her. ... She is the greatest hero I'll ever know because she kept us all together, she made sure we all graduated college. She always believed in us no matter what we do. My older brother Joel became an art teacher; my brother Rip ultimately became a television producer and singer and actor himself.

For me, it was always, "Whatever you want to do, I'm there for you." I never stopped believing in us and I never felt like I was wanting for anything, except for my father, and that was not going to be. I describe in the book [that] I don't think I ever felt young again in that way. I never felt I had my 15, 16, 17 kind of years the way I maybe should have. It's a huge dent in you that it's hard to knock out and make it all smooth again.

On his early standup days opening for Sammy Davis Jr., who used to lie to the audience about their relationship

I have 40-something intros [that Davis Jr. did]; all are different, none of them happened. And it was hilarious. ... [He did it] because it was show business. Because I think he thought he was doing a good thing for me and for him. He created this whole wonderful fantasy world for the two of us that was part of the show. I was OK with it. I thought it was really fascinating.

I loved him. Every time I was with Sammy it was like going to the show business museum because the stories were so extraordinary, and I didn't care if they were true or not after a while. ... I don't know if he really got high with Humphrey Bogart or not. It didn't matter because he was painting these fantastic pictures.

On playing Jodie, one of the first openly gay characters on television, in the show Soap in the late '70s and early '80s

We were in front of a live audience and I would be acting with the man who was playing my lover, and we used those words, and the audience would titter and laugh, and make me uncomfortable doing the scenes. ... I wanted to sort of stop and yell at them, "What's so funny? What's the matter with you people? Grow up!" It made me very self-conscious at times.

I think back to what we did and the things we talked about, all these years ago, and I'm so proud of what we did. I think it was in the third season Jodie was confused about his sexuality and he has a one-night stand with a woman and she gets pregnant and has a baby. ... Now I have to raise this little girl and so we go to court [to determine] who is going to get custody of the child. ABC did a poll and the poll at that time said 3 to 1 that the country wanted Jodie to get the baby. And I thought, "OK, we did good here."

On hosting the Oscars

I love doing it because I love the danger of it and you have to come through and think on your feet. That's why that show, no matter who hosts it, it really should be a fast-thinking comedian who is really quick on their feet that can handle situations that happen, or somebody with that kind of mentality that can capitalize on something.

On his proudest Oscar moment

I was introducing [director and producer] Hal Roach — Mr. Roach was 100 years old, he was one of the fathers of early days in films, he put Laurel with Hardy, he created the Our Gang kids, and all these silent movies he did — he was a giant. I think it was his 100th birthday and he was just supposed to take a bow. So I'm at center stage and I say, "Ladies and Gentlemen, one of the fathers of this industry, he's 100 years old, Mr. Hal Roach." Big hand, he stands up. And he starts talking and he has no microphone. ... And it's getting restless in the audience and they're all looking at me going, "What are you gonna say?" And I see the red light is right on me, and I looked at the audience and lines are flying through my head and one settled like a slot machine, three cherries, and I said, "Ladies and Gentleman, it's only fitting because he got his start in silent films." It took the pressure away, and that's one time I will pat myself on the back.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/10/17/234823373/billy-crystal-finds-fun-in-growing-old-but-still-cant-find-his-keys?ft=1&f=1032
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Who Would You Nominate for the Internet Hall of Fame?

The Internet Society is currently taking nominations for 2014 inductees to the Internet Hall of Fame. They're searching worldwide for people in three categories: Pioneers, Innovators, and Global Connectors. The nomination form is even open to the public. So who would you nominate?

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/M4q64syBYuM/@kcampbelldollaghan
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Crowdfunder: Alamo Drafthouse's Forever Fest is a Fantastic Fest for 'Chick Flick' Lovers

Universal Pictures/ Courtesy: Everett Collection

2013 celebrated the ninth edition of Fantastic Fest, Alamo Drafthouse CEO Tim League's rootin' tootin' celebration of all things horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and "just plain fantastic." Since its early days, the festival has grown from four days of programming to a sprawling event that now includes awards, ceremonies, a video game portioned dubbed “Fantastic Arcade” and even a night of movie debate-themed boxing.

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Though attendees of every type flock to Austin, TX each year to take part in Fantastic Fest, Brandy Fons, co-owner of the Drafthouse's publicity team Fons PR, saw room for expansion — or another fest entirely. She considers herself a genre fan of the chick flick persuasion, fan without a place to celebrate In 2012, she was obsessed was the a capella-themed comedy Pitch Perfect, a fantastic movie, but not a Fantastic Fest movie.

Fons and Alamo programmer Sarah Pitre hope Forever Fest can be the answer to that problem. Set for Nov. 1 – 3 in Austin, the celebration of everything from rom-coms to young adult fiction to adorable cat videos acts as an extension of an idea that was already blossoming at the Alamo Drafthouse. In 2008, Pitre was approached by Drafthouse to program a film series geared towards woman. “Girlie Night” is now a monthly staple, handpicking “slumber party favorites” for women and men to enjoy.

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“The Alamo is all about celebrating film,” Pitre says. “If you look at what the types of movies they celebrate, they're all over the board in terms of genre. It was back when the first Sex and the City movie came out that Tim realized girls go to movies. That's when he started thinking that we were missing a huge demographic aka half the world's population.”

Pitre recalls programming Love, Actually on her first December with Drafthouse. The programmers were skeptical whether it had the repertory appeal to draw in crowds. Love Actually sold out four screenings.

“People use this term 'guilty pleasure,'” Pitre says of the films she curates. “I hate that. If you love a movie, you love a movie. It doesn't matter if other people don't like it or respect it. It's about how you see it.”

Forever Fest is starting small for its first outing. On deck for the weekend are screenings of Empire Records and Sixteen Candles, with stars Liane Curtis and Debbie Pollack in attendance, a musical homage known as “Danceoke” where participants recreate the moves of the film clips playing behind them, and a writers panel featuring names like Kirsten Smith (10 Things I Hate About You).

Selecting films came easily to Fons and Pitre. “I consider any film about the female experience to be a 'chick flick.' I know that term can be used in a derogatory way. Brandy and I want to reclaim it because we think films about the female experience are vital to telling women's stories,” says Pitre.

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While there are many organizations wrangling female writers and directors for a more traditional festival, Forever Fest wants to nurture and promote a specific breed of films in a way similar to Fantastic Fest. And like that festival, it could into a safe haven for Hollywood's “girlier” offerings. As YA explodes and the audience responses, Forever Fest could live between the two. This year, they're even having their first bite: Fox will be screen their young adult drama The Book Thief for fest-goers. Fons hopes that Forever Fest can eventually lure both mainstream and independent filmmakers to its screens in the years to come.

Forever Fest is currently in the thick of Kickstarter campaigning, but Fons insists that the show will go on whether they hit the goal or not -- it's all about scale (even for their own events, Alamo Drafthouse charges for theater rental space). And right now, women who love movies need that place to love them freely and wildly.

“It might sound crazy, but we feel the characters in these movies are people we know or remind us of people we know,” Fons says. “We want to dive into them as deeply as we can. It's a cathartic experience -- to take your love for something to the next level.”

Twitter: @misterpatches

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thr/film/~3/DqAx7iYtMUk/story01.htm
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Verizon 3Q profit soars as number of devices grows

NEW YORK (AP) — Verizon's third-quarter net income jumped 40 percent to beat Wall Street expectations as it continued to add more wireless devices to its network.

The country's largest cellphone carrier earned $2.23 billion, or 78 cents per share, up from $1.59 billion, or 56 cents per share, in the same quarter of 2012. Excluding one-time items, the company posted an adjusted profit of 77 cents per share for the recent quarter.

Revenue rose 4 percent to $30.28 billion from $29.01 billion.

Analysts polled by FactSet expected a profit of 74 cents per share on $30.15 billion in revenue.

The New York company added 1.1 million net retail wireless connections during the quarter. Of that total, 927,000 were connections that involved monthly service contracts.

As of Sept. 30, the company had 101.2 million retail wireless connections, representing a 6 percent increase over the same day a year ago.

Revenue at the wireless division rose 7 percent to $20.4 billion. That growth included an 8 percent increase in service revenue to $17.5 billion, which Verizon said stemmed from the increase in the number of wireless devices coupled with higher data usage and the continued shift toward smartphones.

Francis Shammo, Verizon's executive vice president and CFO, said during a conference call with investors that the company did run into supply problems with Apple's new iPhones, which went on sale during the quarter. As a result, some sales that would have occurred during September were pushed into October, he said.

Shammo also said that Verizon's new Edge program, which launched in late August and allows customers to pay for phone on an installment basis, didn't really pick up speed until September, so it didn't have a significant effect on the company's third-quarter bottom line.

The company also saw growth at its wireline business, which provides landlines along with the company's FIOS internet and TV services. Consumer revenue at the division rose 4 percent to $3.7 billion, mainly as a result of higher demand for FIOS.

Verizon announced last month that it would spend $130 billion to buy the 45 percent stake in its wireless division that was owned by Vodafone Group PLC. Once that deal closes, it will no longer have to share its wireless revenue with the British cellphone company.

The deal is expected to close during the first quarter of 2014.

Shares of Verizon Communications Inc. rose $1.45, or 3 percent to $48.70 in morning trading.

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-10-17-US-Earns-Verizon/id-a24bf570696843a3ba1b26cbf32c862b
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