A supporter of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi holds a banner with Morsi's image, during a march against Egyptian Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Aug. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Manu Brabo)
A supporter of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi holds a banner with Morsi's image, during a march against Egyptian Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Aug. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Manu Brabo)
Supporters of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi sit in a tent they set up during a protest near Cairo airport in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Aug. 2, 2013. Authorities outlined plans Friday to break up two sit-ins by supporters of deposed President Morsi, saying they would set up a cordon around the protest sites, and riot police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators threatening a TV complex. Morsi backers also showed their defiance by briefly setting up a third camp near the airport, but later folded their tents and left. Arabic writing on Morsi poster reads: "Yes for the legality, no for the coup." (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
CAIRO (AP) ? An Egyptian police official called Saturday on supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi to abandon their protest sit-ins, saying it would pave the way for his Muslim Brotherhood to return to a normal role in the country's political process.
The nationally televised remarks by Interior Ministry spokesman Hany Abdel-Latif came as authorities announced plans to break up the two main Cairo sit-ins by erecting cordons to prevent people from entering them.
Morsi's backers, including his Muslim Brotherhood group, have vowed to continue protesting until he's reinstated. He was ousted in a military coup July 3 after several days of protests by millions who took to the street to demand his ouster.
Abdel-Latif promised the protesters they would be able to leave without being arrested if they had not committed any crimes. He offered protection and safe passage to those willing to leave the two main camps ? a large one outside the Rabaah al-Adawiya Mosque in eastern Cairo and a smaller one near Cairo University's main campus in Giza.
"If you believe you are bringing victory to the Brotherhood, it is your safe and secure departure that will allow the Brotherhood to go back to its role in the political process," Abdel-Latif said.
He said that Islamist leaders at the sit-ins are controlling information and "brainwashing" the protesters into thinking the sit-ins are in defense of Islam.
The Interior Ministry said some of the sit-ins' organizers were involved in "killings, torture and abductions."
Last weekend, the Interior Ministry said 11 bodies were found near both protest sites, with some showing signs of torture.
The London-based rights group Amnesty International also said it had testimony of alleged killings and torture at the hands of Morsi supporters inside the sit-ins, including a witness who said he saw one man stabbed and another have his throat cut.
In a new allegation, Egypt's state news agency reported Saturday that a 25 year-old worker was detained and violently beaten at one of the sit-ins. It quoted a security official as saying that the young man was found late Friday near a military factory south of Cairo with severe bruises and injuries. He told police he was abducted two days ago by pro-Morsi protesters who were participating in a march after he criticized them.
There are fears of more bloodshed if the sit-ins are dispersed by force. Already more than 280 people have been killed in violence since Morsi's ouster. The bloodiest incident took place last week, when more than 80 pro-Morsi supporters were killed in clashes with police near the sit-in at Rabaah al-Adawiya Mosque.
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Rosemary City, a small town located in the middle of nowhere. In this town, there is a secret hideout the children built themselves. The adults have no idea about it, they are too busy with work. Will you join the children?
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The next Arts and Society Forum will discuss graphic novels from 7pm on Monday July 29 at Room G24, Ground Floor, Foster Court, Malet Place, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, introduced by Bernie Whelan. It?s not normally a public event, but anyone especially interested in coming should please email Niall Crowley in advance on nialldcrowley[at]gmail.com to enquire about attending. Here?s their summary of what they will be discussing:
?The recent phenomenal growth of graphic novels ? a veritable tsunami ? would indicate that the genre is here to stay. Academics argue this attests to fundamental changes: first, an increasingly visual orientation due to the internet and second, the increasing interpenetration of popular culture and high culture. Unlike the trajectory some see film as having taken ? beginning as either representations of reality (news) or fantasy (art) and then degenerating towards fast, cheap entertainment which ?has steadily undermined the standards people once had both for cinema as art and for cinema as popular entertainment? (Sontag) ? comics began as fast, cheap entertainment and are now seen by some as an increasingly significant art form ? the graphic novel. Are comics developing as an art form we should take seriously or is the elevation of comics to graphic novels part of a more general abandonment of standards in the arts??
ROSES and good luck to the Bennington Babe Ruth 15U All-Star baseball team, which is playing in the regional tournament in Newtown, Conn., beginning today. ROSES to the Town of Bennington for taking into account a number of business owners? concerns by delaying water main construction along Northside Drive until after the fall foliage/peak tourist season. Some Northside Drive business owners gathered Wednesday night to protest imminent water main work at the Orchard Road/Hicks Avenue intersection. Most agreed that having the road torn up during the fall and winter months would hurt business. The project has been delayed until spring, Town Manager Stuart Hurd announced Friday.
ROSES to Mount Snow for expanding and bettering its mountain bike trails. A recently-completed advanced trail, the freestyle-oriented "Super Trail," contains tabletop jumps, hips, drops and steep berms that can challenge riders of all levels. Known mainly for its winter-sports offerings, Mount Snow has been a warm-weather draw to downhill mountain bike enthusiasts for more than 25 years.
ROSES to the organizers of the fifth annual Lee Goldsmith Memorial soccer Tournament, to be held August 10 in Willow Park. The tournament is in honor of Lee Goldsmith, a form Mount Anthony Union High School soccer player who died of cancer in 2009. Cost is $70 per co-ed or all-male teams. To register, call Jeremy Neill at 802-823-5969 or email jneill@svsu.org.
ROSES to new legislation, the "flexible pathways" bill, that affords high school students in Vermont added opportunities for a postsecondary education. A highlight of Act 77, which was passed in the recent legislative session and signed into law by Gov. Peter Shumlin last month, the bill allows high school students one free college course in each of their junior and senior years. Students earn college credit for this coursework, which can help them get a jumpstart on their future college careers.
ROSES to Teens for Change, a group that is giving back to local businesses that have supported the program through donations. The program gives kids of all backgrounds a place to spend time and participate in activities. On a recent summer day, members of the group were seen washing windows at the Gamers Grotto on Main Street.
ROSES to the organizers of the 35th Annual Southern Vermont Art and Craft Festival for bringing the event to Bennington. After being hosted for more than three decades by Hildene in Manchester, the festival has a new home in Bennington, bringing with it tourist dollars and recognition of our beautiful town. Enjoy the festival at Camelot Village on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn more at www.craftproducers.com.
ROSES to Burr and Burton Academy Football Coach Jason Thomas for winning the honor of leading Vermont against New Hampshire in the annual all-star game. Thomas will have two of his own players in the game -- quarterback Jake Stalcup and receiver Chris Redding. "It?s great for our school to be recognized and our players and coaches," Thomas told the Banner.
Britain's Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, left, and Prince Harry during the Audi Polo Challenge charity polo match, at Coworth Park, near Ascot, England, Saturday Aug. 3, 2013. Prince William has made his first public appearance since leaving hospital with his newborn son, playing in a charity polo match alongside brother Prince Harry. (AP Photo / Jane Mingay)
Britain's Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, left, and Prince Harry during the Audi Polo Challenge charity polo match, at Coworth Park, near Ascot, England, Saturday Aug. 3, 2013. Prince William has made his first public appearance since leaving hospital with his newborn son, playing in a charity polo match alongside brother Prince Harry. (AP Photo / Jane Mingay)
FILE - This is a Tuesday July 23, 2013 file photo Prince George of Cambridge lays in a car seat as his parents, Britain's Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge leave St. Mary's Hospital exclusive Lindo Wing, in London where the Duchess gave birth on Monday July 22. Be patient everyone: Your order will be processed, but like little Prince George, you will have to get in line. It took perhaps 45 seconds for the heir to the throne to be carried from St. Mary?s Hospital in his car seat to be settled in the black royal Land Rover last week. But it was long enough for the world?s photographers to capture his tiny hands emerging from a cotton swaddle printed with little birds. Distinctive little birds. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, file)
The Duke of Cambridge, Britain's Prince William plays in the Audi Polo Challenge charity polo match, at Coworth Park, near Ascot, England, Saturday Aug. 3, 2013. Prince William has made his first public appearance since leaving hospital with his newborn son, playing in a charity polo match alongside brother Prince Harry. (AP Photo / Jane Mingay)
Britain's Prince Harry, front centre, in action with Prince William, behind centre, as they play in the Audi Polo Challenge charity polo match, at Coworth Park, near Ascot, England, Saturday Aug. 3, 2013. Prince William has made his first public appearance since leaving hospital with his newborn son, playing in a charity polo match alongside brother Prince Harry. (AP Photo / Jane Mingay)
LONDON (AP) ? Prince William gave guests at a charity polo match an insight into his newfound paternal duties Saturday, saying his mind had been stuck in "baby mode" thanks to his feisty newborn son.
William was playing alongside his brother Harry at the Audi Polo Challenge in the English village of Ascot. The match came less than two weeks after he and his wife, Kate, had their first child, Prince George, and William told spectators it was "good to get out of the house" for the afternoon.
The 31-year-old royal managed to score the winning goal for his team and was later presented with a miniature polo stick for his baby boy. He jokingly asked if he'd be getting some nappies ? the British term for diapers ? instead, telling guests he had to "pick some up on my way home."
Of his performance on the pitch, William said he was "in baby mode out there, thinking about nappies. I wasn't really in the zone." When quizzed about George, he said the little prince, who was born July 22, "likes to move around a lot. He wriggles a lot. He keeps on our toes."
The polo outing was William's first public appearance since the birth of his son captured the world's attention. Kate and the baby were not in attendance.
Anthony Weiner stammers as he tries to answer reporters' questions Thursday, and admits he had online affairs with as many as three women after resigning. "All I can say is, it's not dozens and dozens," he said.
Weiner's Wife: I Have Forgiven Him
New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner admits Tuesday that he engaged in explicit online affairs even after he resigned from Congress, after a gossip website posted what it said is evidence of one of those relationships. The married former Democratic congressman speaks at a press conference, alongside his wife Huma Abedin.
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Anthony Weiner tells NBC 4 New York he is "100 percent not" having any type of online relationships with anyone now, and says for the first time he has not kept any records of his past lewd affairs.
"I don't have any of the records," Weiner said in an interview Friday. "I deleted everything."
A woman came forward last month with explicit photos of Weiner and messages from him, revealing that the married mayoral candidate's affairs had continued long after he resigned from Congress in 2011. Since then, the embattled Democrat has sought to turn the conversation back to the day-to-day issues of campaigning.
He has been trailed at every appearance by reporters and photographers, and gave a series of interviews Friday in what appeared to be an attempt to close the door on the conversation.?
During his 15 minutes with NBC 4 New York, he grew weary of the topic, insisting at one point that the details of his illicit affairs, which he says ended about a year ago, didn't matter.
"The behavior that people know about, I did, over an extended period of time, with more than one person," Weiner said. "I just think at a certain point, OK, I think people know these embarrassing things about me. I think at a certain point now we have to have a conversation that goes to, alright, what else should people know?"
Timeline of Weiner's scandal
Weiner also dismissed the idea that Hillary Rodham Clinton, his wife's longtime boss, might be displeased with him.
He said he had not spoken with either of the Clintons recently.
"I have no reason to believe she's annoyed," he said.
As he has before, Weiner acknowledged that not all the details about his past affairs are known.?When asked whether more women will come forward between now and the Sept. 10 primary, he said:
"I don't know, I hope not. I certainly don't like talking about this stuff," he said.
He went on to say he did not even like engaging in the relationships when he was in the midst of it.
"I didn't like when I was doing it, it was wrong to do, it was wrong to my wife, wrong period," he said.
There are smartphones, and then there’s the Megaphone
In case you’ve neglected to notice, smartphones are getting bigger, and in 2013 in particular we’ve seen manufacturers push past the six-inch screen mark and into the bizarre no man’s land between phones and tablets.
The Samsung Galaxy Mega is one such device, with a titanic 6.3-inch display. On the face of things, it’s essentially an oversized Galaxy S4, in the same way the S4 Mini is an undersized Galaxy S4. But there’s more to it than that, and the result of Samsung’s efforts is a product that’s closer to a highly portable mid-range tablet than a smartphone. (Though it’s perfectly capable of making calls, should you desire to do so.)
Check out our video walkthrough after the break, and be sure to share your own thoughts on this 6.3-inch megaphone down in the comments.
PARIS -- France has become the first country to receive an A400M military transport plane from Airbus, bringing to fruition a long-troubled program.
The delivery Thursday culminates "a long, complex and thorough process" between Airbus Military and the seven European nations behind the program, France's DGA military procurement agency said in a statement. Civil and military flight certifications, performance verifications and checks of the plane in recent days paved the way for the delivery.
A decade in the making, the 20 billion-euro ($27 billion) project was about 5 billion euros over budget and three years behind schedule. In 2010, the program nearly collapsed over cost overruns: A struggle between Airbus and its military customers over technical and financial problems came to a head when Airbus parent EADS threatened to pull the plug on the project. The plane was salvaged only after a new infusion of government funds.
"Today is a truly historic day for the European aerospace industry ? marking the moment at which it becomes the new global leader in the military transport sector with an entirely new aircraft," said Domingo Urena, chairman and CEO of Madrid-based Airbus Military, in a separate statement.
Airbus Military spokeswoman Maggie Bergsma said the A400M is aimed to fill "a gap in the market." She said two more planes are to be delivered to France and one to Turkey this year. Ten deliveries are planned next year, and 21 in 2015.
Airbus says the A400M, which uses the largest turboprop engines ever fitted to a Western aircraft, will be able to carry twice the load of another competitor, the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, and that its fuel-efficient power plants will make it cheaper to operate than the jet-powered C-17. The A400M's turboprops, mounted high on the wing, allow it to fly in and out of unprepared airstrips where jet-powered transports with engines slung low beneath the wings face the danger of ingesting runway debris, Airbus says.
The European defense and aerospace consortium expects to sell about 400 of the freighters over the next 30 years as air forces around the world ? particularly in the Middle East ? start replacing their transport aircraft.
European nations have long been hampered by the shortfall in strategic military airlift capabilities. In the 1990s, they struggled to deploy forces to nearby trouble spots in Bosnia and Kosovo without using U.S. Air Force transports such as the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.
Check out WestJet.com's Blue Tag Thursday special for discounts on select flights to Mexico and the Caribbean.
Travel must be booked by August 2 at 2PM MT and occur between September 4-October 9, 2013. Eligible one-way fares include Toronto to Nassau - $160.66, Calgary to Cancun - $228.40, and Vancouver to Cabo San Lucas - $217.90.
For more information, or to book your flight, visit WestJet.com.
"I'm just happy FXX isn't a porn channel." -- Paul Scheer, talking about "The League's" new network
"Almost Human" (Fox)
"Maybe there are sexbots but he's not one of them." "Almost Human" executive producer J.H. Wyman on the fact that the robot character played by Michael Ealy (pictured) will not have love interests on the show.
"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (Fox)
"This is the dream. I'm an old football player. I should be in jail!" -- Terry Crews
"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (Fox)
"You would never put your finger there. It's against the law." --Andy Samberg
"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (Fox)
"I'm an old football player, I should be in jail," Terry Crews jokes of his career. "Terry's not putting on a show for you guys, this is how he is every day," Andy Samberg notes of Crews' optimism and muscle flexing.
"The Originals" (The CW)
"Mermaids are the new vampires." -- "The Vampire Diaries," "The Originals" and "Tomorrow People" co-creator Julie Plec
"Sleepy Hollow" (Fox)
"I balanced it out by being very cheap" -- "Sleepy Hollow" actor Tom Mison on how the show could afford to use the Rolling Stones "Sympathy for the Devil" on the soundtrack.
"Masters of Sex" (Showtime)
"I rode him like a bucking bronco," Michael Sheen of "Masters of Sex." talking about a sex scene he had with Stephen Fry in a film they worked on. "I've never really done a conventional sex scene," he added. "I don't really know what a conventional sex scene is like."
"Masters of Sex" (Showtime)
"For me and Lizzy [Caplan], you have so many people doing such bizarre things in front of you that you inevitably get used to it." -- Michael Sheen on his role as sex researcher Dr. William Masters in "Masters of Sex"
"Masters of Sex" (Showtime)
"I never thought I'd get used to a naked woman masturbating with a glass dildo, to the point where I'd almost not notice them doing it? but I actually broke that barrier with this show." -- Michael Sheen on his role as sex researcher Dr. William Masters in "Masters of Sex"
"Masters of Sex" (Showtime)
"Masturbatory techniques are a lot like snowflakes; everyone does it differently." -- "Masters of Sex" star Lizzy Caplan "Cold and then you end up wet." -- her costar Michael Sheen for the laugh
"The Millers" (CBS)
"Beau doesn't want to fart on the show, but he's fine getting chlamydia." -- Greg Garcia on what actor Beau Bridges will and won't do on the new CBS comedy
"The Millers" (CBS)
"I always wanted to be on a sitcom and I just started killing people along the way." -- Margo Martindale on getting sidetracked on her way to a role on a network comedy
"The Millers" (CBS)
"I love egging on white people." -- JB Smoove on his characters on "The Millers" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
"Parenthood" (NBC)
"There's a lot more White Walkers this season." -- Dax Shepard, sans context
"Parenthood" (NBC)
"I still put on make-up." -- Sam Jaeger on Joel's role on "Parenthood."
"Ironside" (NBC)
"I grew up in Canada, so I wasn't raised with TV." -- Pablo Schreiber joking about whether he was familiar with the original "Ironside"
"Sean Saves The World" (NBC)
"I answered an ad on Craigslist ?" -- Megan Hilty jokes about how she got the role in "Sean Saves The World"
"Sean Saves The World" (NBC)
"Time to wake up, bitches!" -- Sean Hayes to critics at the beginning of the "Sean Saves The World" panel.
"Welcome To The Family" (NBC)
"He was the fictional quarterback on the show & he was the very real quarterback on that set." -- Mike O'Malley on Cory Monteith
"Breaking Bad" (AMC)
"They eat raisins and crap that grows on trees!" -- Bob Odenkirk speculating about what Saul Goodman thinks of the eating habits of people who live in the Southwest.
"The White Queen" (Starz)
"If he did have a problem with it, I would just refer him to his back catalogue." -- Max Irons on whether his father Jeremy Irons had an opinion on Max showing his backside in "The White Queen."
"The White Queen" (Starz)
"I am utterly indifferent to Kate Middleton's baby." -- Author Philippa Gregory when asked about the birth of the royal baby during a panel for the royalty-obsessed drama "The White Queen" (which were adapted from her historical novels). She added that she's happy that the baby is healthy and well.
"Clear History" (HBO)
"We were down to one Bee Gee." -- Larry David, being Larry David
"Doctor Who" (BBC America)
"Imagine if it's Barry or something." -- "Doctor Who" star Jenna Coleman on why the doctor's name should never be revealed (<a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/07/25/doctor-who-companion-jenna-coleman-the-50th-anniversary-special-leaves-the-whole-show-going-in-a-very-different-direction" target="_blank">via IGN</a>)
"Rick and Morty" (Adult Swim)
"The worst-case scenario if I go back is one shitty season. Who cares?" -- Dan Harmon, on his return to NBC's "Community"
"Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth" (HBO)
"Don't get too close. I might bite you." -- Mike Tyson, zero context needed.
"An Adventure In Space and Time" (BBC America)
"Fresh from being the world's worst wedding host [on "Game of Thrones"] ..." -- David Bradley being introduced for his new project
"Killing Kennedy" (NatGeo Channel)
"Rob has also asked everyone to only refer to him as Mr. President.? -- Michelle Trachtenberg on her "Killing Kennedy" costar Rob Lowe
"Hello Ladies" (HBO)
"He's like a c***." -- Stephen Merchant, talking about a small child.
"Rick and Morty" (Adult Swim)
"I can only tell he's a moth by looking at his strange shoes." -- Dan Harmon, sans context.
"Raising Whitley" (OWN)
"I would love to have Larry David come by as long as I don?t have to wear those clothes he had me in as a prostitute." -- Kym Whitley on famous friends popping by her new reality show, referencing her stint on "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
"Clear History" (HBO)
"Thank you for your kind, sweet words." -- Larry David to a reporter who said she "didn't care for" "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "wasn't prepared to like" his new HBO film "Clear History" because of its name.
"Instant Mom" (NickMom)
"If you've got crazy on the top, you've got crazy on the bottom" -- Sheryl Lee Ralph
[unable to retrieve full-text content]The restaurant referred to above, like many other businesses, is potentially spending thousands of dollars on advertising, but lousy customer service only gives them one time business rather than repeat business. Thus the ...
Ariel Castro, who pleaded guilty last week to kidnapping, raping and beating three Cleveland women, will find out his fate Thursday at a sentencing hearing, though it?s no mystery where he?ll spend the rest of his life.
The bigger mystery is who will speak at the hearing.
Among those who could address Cuyahoga Common Pleas Judge Michael Russo ? and Castro ? are the three victims: Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight or their appointed representatives. The women also could choose to make written or video-recorded statements. It also is possible that the court will not hear from the women at all.
The three, for the most part, have maintained a low profile since May 6, when Berry escaped the home with her 6-year-old daughter and called for police. In July, the women released a YouTube video to thank the community.
Berry also surprised a crowd last weekend, when she walked onstage during a Cleveland concert and was greeted by cheering fans. She later returned to the stage at the invitation of rapper Nelly.
Castro also will have a chance to speak on his behalf and possibly shed light on the dark secrets he had at his Seymour Avenue home in Cleveland during the 10 years he held the women captive.
The former bus driver kidnapped the women from the streets of Cleveland's west side, then held them captive in his home, court records state. During their captivity, he raped and beat the women, chained them in his basement, and allowed them outside only a few times, the records show.
DNA analysis also shows that Castro fathered Berry's 6-year-old daughter, and prosecutors say he impregnated Knight and then beat her to force a miscarriage. It was that act that resulted in the aggravated murder charge and a possible death penalty.
Castro agreed last Friday to a plea bargain to avoid a death sentence. He also pleaded guilty to 937 charges, including aggravated murder, rape and kidnapping. The deal stipulates that he will receive life in prison without parole, plus an additional 1,000 years.
After last Friday's hearing, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty described Castro as a manipulator without remorse who would not leave prison ?except nailed in a box or in an ash can.?
McGinty is expected to call at least one expert to testify about the three women?s mental state during captivity, said Joe Frolik, a spokesman for McGinty. The expert will specifically discuss the Stockholm syndrome, a mental condition sometimes seen in kidnapping victims in which they begin to feel sympathy and even appreciation for their captor.
The prosecutor?s witnesses ?are going to talk about the impact [Castro] had on these women,? Frolik said.
Frolik, though, would not identify the prosecution witnesses who will be called, other than to say a nationally recognized expert on Stockholm syndrome would take the stand.
?We?re still formulating our game plan,? Frolik said.
The plea bargain hearing last Friday lasted several hours, but Judge Russo has issued a statement that Thursday's sentencing hearing will begin at 9 a.m. ET and conclude by 1 p.m.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Partners of new mothers often experience shifts in sexuality, and these shifts are often unrelated to biological or medical factors pertaining to childbirth. The findings expand current understanding of postpartum sexuality, and may help health professionals as they counsel new parents.
The murky legacy of Henry Ford?who would?ve been 150 today?centers around a few familiar ideas like the assembly line and the $5 workday. Less familiar is Ford?s biggest failure: Fordlandia, a city in the rainforest that was abandoned as quickly as it was built.
The U.S. economy grew at only a ?modest pace? in the first half of the year, and while labor market conditions have shown improvement in recent months, unemployment remains elevated, a Federal Reserve committee that sets monetary policy said today ...
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TheDude said...
Mandy Moore is pretty smokin. I wish I was cool enough to date her. Does anybody know how I can get her number?
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Man-made quakes could lead to safer, sturdier buildingsPublic release date: 31-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Phil Sneiderman prs@jhu.edu 410-299-7462 Johns Hopkins University
Earthquakes never occur when you need one, so a team led by Johns Hopkins structural engineers is shaking up a building themselves in the name of science and safety.
Using massive moving platforms and an array of sensors and cameras, the researchers are trying to find out how well a two-story building made of cold-formed steel can stand up to a lab-generated Southern California quake.
The testing, taking place this summer in Buffalo, N.Y., marks the culmination of a three-year, $1 million research project involving scientists from six universities and design consultants from the steel industry. The work is taking place in the only facility in the U.S. that is capable of replicating an earthquake in three directions beneath a building measuring 50 feet long, 20 feet wide and 20 feet tall. The trials will wrap up in mid-August when the researchers will shake the unoccupied structure with forces comparable to those at the epicenter of the catastrophic 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles, which claimed dozens of lives and caused billions of dollars in damage.
The researchers may sound like a wrecking crew, but their work has important implications for the people who construct, live or work in buildings. The results are expected to lead to improved nationwide building codes that will make future cold-formed steel buildings less expensive to construct than current ones. Also, the new codes could, in certain cases, make lightweight cold-formed steel buildings less costly to construct than those made of materials such as timber, concrete or hot-rolled steel. In earthquake-prone regions, these code updates should help structural designers and builders reduce the likelihood of a costly and life-threatening building collapse. Finally, the research, funded primarily by the National Science Foundation, with added support from the steel industry, could lead to broader use of building components made of environmentally friendly cold-formed steel, made of 100 percent recycled steel.
Cold-formed steel pieces, commonly used to frame low- and mid-rise buildings, are made by bending sheet metal, roughly one-millimeter-thick, into structural shapes without using heat. Cold-formed steel already has been used in an array of structures such as college dorms, assisted living centers, small hotels, barracks, apartments and office buildings. Although the material is popular, some large knowledge gaps exist regarding how well cold-formed steel structures will stand up to extreme conditionsincluding earthquakes. This has caused engineers to be very conservative in their design methods. The tests being conducted atop two "shake tables" at the University at Buffalo should help close those information gaps and lead to better constructed buildings, says lead researcher Benjamin Schafer, of the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins.
"This is the first time a full building of cold-formed steel framing has ever been tested in this way, so even the small things we're learning could have a huge impact," said Schafer, the Swirnow Family Scholar, professor and chair of the Department of Civil Engineering. "We'll see code changes and building design changes. We think this will ultimately lead to more economic, more efficient and more sustainable buildings."
In May, Schafer's team began supervising a construction crew in assembling a first version of the test building. This structure, about the size of a small real estate or medical office building, was mainly composed of the cold-formed steel skeleton and oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing. When those first tests were completed, that structure was torn down and replaced by an identical building that also included non-structural components such as stairs and interior walls. The researchers are trying to determine whether these additions, which do not support the frame of the building, can still help reduce damage during a quake. It is the second version of the test building that in August will face the strongest seismic forces, as recorded during the Northridge earthquake.
At the test site, the construction of the buildings, the shake trials and the collection of data have been overseen by Kara Peterman of Fairfax, Va., a Johns Hopkins civil engineering doctoral student being supervised by Schafer. She has been gathering data from more than 150 sensors and eight video cameras installed in and around the test buildings. During a simulated quake, these instruments are designed to track the three-dimensional movement of the structure and to record any piece in the building that has "failed," such as beams that have bent or screws that have come loose.
Peterman said tests on the first version of the building yielded surprisingly good results. "It moved a lot less than we were predicting," she said. "We did find one small portion of the steel that failed, but that was because of a conflict in the design plans, not because of the way it was constructed. And that small failure was purely localit didn't affect the structure as a whole."
She said she is anxious to see how much the addition of interior walls and other non-structural components will add to the building's stability during the more powerful tests ahead. Peterman predicted that the final high-intensity test is likely to damage the building, but not enough to cause a catastrophic collapse.
When the testing is completed and the results are analyzed, Schafer's team plans to incorporate the findings into computer models that will be shared freely with engineers who want to see on their desktop how their designs are likely to respond in an earthquake. "The modeling," Schafer said, "will create cost efficiencies and potentially save lives."
###
In addition to the Johns Hopkins participants, academic researchers from the following schools have taken part in the project: Bucknell University, McGill University, University of North Texas and Virginia Tech. Steel industry partners who have provided technical expertise, materials and additional funding include Bentley Systems, Incorporated; ClarkDietrich Building Systems; Devco Engineering, Inc.; DSi Engineering; Mader Construction Company, Inc.; Simpson Strong-Tie Company, Inc.; the Steel Framing Industry Association; the Steel Stud Manufacturers Association; and the American Iron and Steel Institute.
The research has been funded by National Science Foundation grant number 1041578.
View a video depicting the earthquake testing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVi4JXMGv0s
Digital photos of Prof. Schafer and Kara Peterman available; contact Phil Sneiderman.
Related Links:
Cold-Formed Steel Earthquake Testing Website: http://www.ce.jhu.edu/cfsnees/
Kara Peterman's Earthquake Testing Blog: http://cfsnees.blogspot.com/
Benjamin Schafer's Website: http://www.ce.jhu.edu/bschafer/
Johns Hopkins Department of Civil Engineering: http://www.ce.jhu.edu/
Whiting School of Engineering: http://engineering.jhu.edu/
Johns Hopkins University news releases can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.jhu.edu/news_info/news/ Information on automatic E-mail delivery of science and medical news releases is available at the same address.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
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.
Man-made quakes could lead to safer, sturdier buildingsPublic release date: 31-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Phil Sneiderman prs@jhu.edu 410-299-7462 Johns Hopkins University
Earthquakes never occur when you need one, so a team led by Johns Hopkins structural engineers is shaking up a building themselves in the name of science and safety.
Using massive moving platforms and an array of sensors and cameras, the researchers are trying to find out how well a two-story building made of cold-formed steel can stand up to a lab-generated Southern California quake.
The testing, taking place this summer in Buffalo, N.Y., marks the culmination of a three-year, $1 million research project involving scientists from six universities and design consultants from the steel industry. The work is taking place in the only facility in the U.S. that is capable of replicating an earthquake in three directions beneath a building measuring 50 feet long, 20 feet wide and 20 feet tall. The trials will wrap up in mid-August when the researchers will shake the unoccupied structure with forces comparable to those at the epicenter of the catastrophic 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles, which claimed dozens of lives and caused billions of dollars in damage.
The researchers may sound like a wrecking crew, but their work has important implications for the people who construct, live or work in buildings. The results are expected to lead to improved nationwide building codes that will make future cold-formed steel buildings less expensive to construct than current ones. Also, the new codes could, in certain cases, make lightweight cold-formed steel buildings less costly to construct than those made of materials such as timber, concrete or hot-rolled steel. In earthquake-prone regions, these code updates should help structural designers and builders reduce the likelihood of a costly and life-threatening building collapse. Finally, the research, funded primarily by the National Science Foundation, with added support from the steel industry, could lead to broader use of building components made of environmentally friendly cold-formed steel, made of 100 percent recycled steel.
Cold-formed steel pieces, commonly used to frame low- and mid-rise buildings, are made by bending sheet metal, roughly one-millimeter-thick, into structural shapes without using heat. Cold-formed steel already has been used in an array of structures such as college dorms, assisted living centers, small hotels, barracks, apartments and office buildings. Although the material is popular, some large knowledge gaps exist regarding how well cold-formed steel structures will stand up to extreme conditionsincluding earthquakes. This has caused engineers to be very conservative in their design methods. The tests being conducted atop two "shake tables" at the University at Buffalo should help close those information gaps and lead to better constructed buildings, says lead researcher Benjamin Schafer, of the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins.
"This is the first time a full building of cold-formed steel framing has ever been tested in this way, so even the small things we're learning could have a huge impact," said Schafer, the Swirnow Family Scholar, professor and chair of the Department of Civil Engineering. "We'll see code changes and building design changes. We think this will ultimately lead to more economic, more efficient and more sustainable buildings."
In May, Schafer's team began supervising a construction crew in assembling a first version of the test building. This structure, about the size of a small real estate or medical office building, was mainly composed of the cold-formed steel skeleton and oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing. When those first tests were completed, that structure was torn down and replaced by an identical building that also included non-structural components such as stairs and interior walls. The researchers are trying to determine whether these additions, which do not support the frame of the building, can still help reduce damage during a quake. It is the second version of the test building that in August will face the strongest seismic forces, as recorded during the Northridge earthquake.
At the test site, the construction of the buildings, the shake trials and the collection of data have been overseen by Kara Peterman of Fairfax, Va., a Johns Hopkins civil engineering doctoral student being supervised by Schafer. She has been gathering data from more than 150 sensors and eight video cameras installed in and around the test buildings. During a simulated quake, these instruments are designed to track the three-dimensional movement of the structure and to record any piece in the building that has "failed," such as beams that have bent or screws that have come loose.
Peterman said tests on the first version of the building yielded surprisingly good results. "It moved a lot less than we were predicting," she said. "We did find one small portion of the steel that failed, but that was because of a conflict in the design plans, not because of the way it was constructed. And that small failure was purely localit didn't affect the structure as a whole."
She said she is anxious to see how much the addition of interior walls and other non-structural components will add to the building's stability during the more powerful tests ahead. Peterman predicted that the final high-intensity test is likely to damage the building, but not enough to cause a catastrophic collapse.
When the testing is completed and the results are analyzed, Schafer's team plans to incorporate the findings into computer models that will be shared freely with engineers who want to see on their desktop how their designs are likely to respond in an earthquake. "The modeling," Schafer said, "will create cost efficiencies and potentially save lives."
###
In addition to the Johns Hopkins participants, academic researchers from the following schools have taken part in the project: Bucknell University, McGill University, University of North Texas and Virginia Tech. Steel industry partners who have provided technical expertise, materials and additional funding include Bentley Systems, Incorporated; ClarkDietrich Building Systems; Devco Engineering, Inc.; DSi Engineering; Mader Construction Company, Inc.; Simpson Strong-Tie Company, Inc.; the Steel Framing Industry Association; the Steel Stud Manufacturers Association; and the American Iron and Steel Institute.
The research has been funded by National Science Foundation grant number 1041578.
View a video depicting the earthquake testing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVi4JXMGv0s
Digital photos of Prof. Schafer and Kara Peterman available; contact Phil Sneiderman.
Related Links:
Cold-Formed Steel Earthquake Testing Website: http://www.ce.jhu.edu/cfsnees/
Kara Peterman's Earthquake Testing Blog: http://cfsnees.blogspot.com/
Benjamin Schafer's Website: http://www.ce.jhu.edu/bschafer/
Johns Hopkins Department of Civil Engineering: http://www.ce.jhu.edu/
Whiting School of Engineering: http://engineering.jhu.edu/
Johns Hopkins University news releases can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.jhu.edu/news_info/news/ Information on automatic E-mail delivery of science and medical news releases is available at the same address.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
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.
Microsoft didn't have a clue what it was doing with Windows RT. And if it did, its strategy was a total fiasco and it spent an awful lot of money believing its own hype.
Now that Asus is pulling back from the beleaguered ARM-only OS, explaining that "the result is not very promising." It joins an elite band of traditional PC vendors who decided that Microsoft's Windows touch dream was better off running on an Intel processor. You know, one with the ability to use legacy apps and the Desktop just as everybody has done since Windows 95.
Asus joins Samsung, which was the other vendor most invested in Windows RT. It launched the Ativ Tab RT which was hardly available anywhere, then cancelled its future Windows RT tablet plans.
Then there was Toshiba, which just didn't bother launching. And Asus also joins Lenovo, which launched the Yoga 11 only to usurp it with the Intel-powered Yoga 11S within months.
That just leaves Microsoft's Surface RT and the Dell XPS 10 hanging in there. But they won't be around for long. Despite Windows RT 8.1 having been previewed, RT is essentially dead with this latest news.
Microsoft isn't saying that, of course, but it has just heavily discounted Surface RT, which it made far too many of. How can RT possibly have a future?
End of the road
The sad thing is that the idea of RT was sound. Cheaper Windows devices were supposed to make touchscreen-capable Windows increasingly accessible. But manufacturers didn't want it - not least because many of them have big deals with Intel - and consumers were totally bemused by the proposition.
Windows RT devices were generally more expensive than an iPad, while you could get a Windows 8 touchscreen laptop for around the same price.
But it's not like we didn't see all this coming. Two years ago we questioned how Microsoft would deal with buyers' expectation that the desktop in Windows RT would support legacy apps.
Last October after the Windows 8 and Windows RT launch, we again questioned why the difference between the Windows 8 versions wasn't being explained, despite Microsoft promising us just two days earlier that the distinction would be made clear.
Microsoft has released a preview of Windows 8.1 RT
If you don't believe us, check out this official Microsoft page on Surface RT. It doesn't even bother mentioning legacy or desktop apps. Microsoft just didn't give RT the support it badly required. And that's why it can't have had a clue what it was doing.
Not least, it didn't have a clue with the name. Windows RT isn't Windows 8. Windows RunTime? What was that about? If it wasn't originally meant as a consumer brand, what's it doing on the Microsoft Surface site? And given that it did end up being the consumer brand, what were the marketing department on?
And then there were the apps. The new Windows 8/Windows RT apps aren't yet a strong enough ecosystem. A lot of big-name apps are still missing (like Facebook, in which Microsoft owns a stake). Some are terrible, like the Skype app (which Microsoft owns). And others just don't fit with Desktop workflow, like Dropbox or SkyDrive (which is Microsoft's own cloud service).
What next for Microsoft?
ARM must be furious, as well as other Windows RT partners such as Qualcomm and Nvidia - indeed, the latter's CEO Jen-Hsun Huang didn't mince words when he recently said "everybody expected to have sold more than we did."
If there is a winner here, it is Intel, which once again has little threat to its PC processor monopoly. But as it is also struggling in the tablet market, it's a somewhat hollow victory.
The new Microsoft - dubbed One Microsoft in its restructuring blurb - needs to learn from this debacle quick smart, repair its damaged relations with partners and get some incredible Windows 8.1 hardware out there.
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