nonrenewable courthouse: October 2013

Thursday, October 31, 2013

MTV Artists for iPhone offers exclusive content, Shazam-style song recognition

MTV has launched MTV Artists for iPhone, an app that can help you identify songs and connect you to artists. The Shazam-like song ID listens to music in order to identify it, though you can also search lyrics to find the song you're looking for. You can also find artists on Facebook and Twitter, buy music from iTunes, find tour dates and buy concert tickets. Explore a wide variety of content, including music videos and free streaming of MTV-selected tracks. MTV Artists is a free download for the iPhone, and can be found on the App Store now.

Free - Download Now

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/Mle-SkN8LnE/story01.htm
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The NASA Engineer Who Made iPads the Future of Halloween

Two years ago, NASA engineer Mark Rober blew YouTube's mind with a video of his Halloween costume: a hole in his chest. Or at least it looked like a hole in his chest. In fact, it was an optical illusion made possible by two iPads, a little duct tape and a lot of ingenuity. Well, you won't believe what he's been up to since then.

Ignore Republican Nihilism. The Law's Working

Obamacare can't seem to catch a break. A month in and its problems continue to pile up.

First, it was the disastrous unveiling of Healthcare.gov, which was supposed to help Americans buy health insurance coverage, but instead, gave those who tried to navigate it either a splitting headache or rapidly rising blood pressure.

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2013/10/31/ignore_republican_nihilism_the_law039s_working_318992.html
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Too Many Texts Can Hurt A Relationship, But <3 Always Helps

Illustration by Katherine Streeter for NPR

Texting has become such a normal way to communicate that it's hard to imagine that we ever used our voices to tell our better halves, "Hey, I got the milk."

But when it comes to a committed relationship, researchers say it's better not to lean too heavily on the texts for the tough stuff. Stick to "I <3 U" rather than "I M sooo disappointed in you!!"

Texting terms of endearment really seems to help. Affirmations like that are associated not just with a more stable and satisfying relationship, but with mitigating hurts and frustrations.

But texting more isn't always better. Women who texted their partner a lot considered the relationship more stable, while men who received those texts or texted a lot themselves said they were less satisfied with the relationship.

"That surprised us," says Lori Schade, a marriage and family therapist at Brigham Young University, who led the study. Sending more texts may be a sign of a failing relationship. That might sound counterintuitive, she says, but it may be a way for men to back out of the relationship, or at least stay out of the line of fire. "Maybe it was a way for then to check out or not have to show up, by using their cellphone instead."

Schade and her colleagues surveyed 276 young adults from 2009 to 2011. All were in committed relationships; more than half were either engaged or married. Almost all texted their partner multiple times a day.

That didn't surprise Schade. She sees couples in therapy, and has gotten used to having one person whip out their phone to prove their partner's awfulness. "They'll come in and want to show me the hurtful messages."

A lot of time those nasty texts are sent to get the partner's attention, Schade thinks. But it can backfire. "Face to face you can raise your voice," she tells Shots. "The way to do that with texting is to be more aggressive in the language. They do it quickly without a lot of thought. But there may be unintended consequences."

Indeed, real life has a lot going for it when it comes to negotiating the intricacies of a long-term relationship. In texting, people "tend to keep responding," Schade says. "They have time to think about it and stew about it and then respond again. It's almost harder to disconnect."

And texts don't fade with time. It's easy to create an archive of slights and scroll through them, reviving the hurt.

So moving the discussion offline can be a good strategy, Schade says, especially when tackling tough issues. "Just slowing down is good," she says. "You may need ways to say, 'This is getting too heated for me. I need to talk with you later about this in person.' "

Women were more likely than men to use texting to try to manage the relationship, whether to apologize, work out differences or make decisions, the study found. But that approach was associated with poorer relationship quality, too. Schade says that's probably another example of work best left done face to face.

The results, which were published online Wednesday in the Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy, are exploratory. They don't prove that the texting behavior caused relationship issues, but give a first glimpse. One other interesting finding: Couples almost never communicate with each other on Facebook.

Sending lots of love or lighthearted comments tended to buffer the negatives, the researchers found. That warm fuzzy glow can spread far beyond the tiny screen, too.

So for connubial bliss, go for an electronic update of an old saw: If you can't think of something nice to say, don't text it at all.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/10/31/242080748/too-many-texts-can-hurt-a-relationship-but-3-always-helps?ft=1&f=1019
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49ers linebacker Aldon Smith activated

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — All-Pro 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was activated to the 53-man roster from the non-football injury list Thursday, two days after he turned himself in to Santa Clara County authorities as he faces weapons charges.

One of San Francisco's dynamic pass rushers appears ready to return.

Smith had been undergoing rehab at an in-patient facility for substance abuse since late September and missed five games. With San Francisco (6-2) on its bye this week, Smith could resume practicing and working out on his own, then formally practice next week ahead of a Nov. 10 home game against the Carolina Panthers.

Smith was charged Oct. 9 with three felony counts of illegal possession of an assault weapon, stemming from a party at his home in June 2012.

49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said on his weekly radio show with 95.7 The Game that Smith met with 49ers officials Wednesday at team headquarters. General manager Trent Baalke said last week in London that Smith would have to show "progress" to play again this year.

Smith will be due in court twice — Nov. 12 and Nov. 19 — to face DUI and weapons charges.

The 24-year-old Smith had been on what the team called an indefinite leave of absence from the NFC champion Niners. Smith's agent didn't immediately return requests for comment Thursday.

Harbaugh traded text messages with Smith when he was gone, and the coach said on the radio "he's made quite a bit of progress."

While Smith is likely to face a suspension from the NFL, the league typically waits until all legal issues are resolved before handing down its own discipline.

Also in September, Smith and former teammate Delanie Walker were named in a lawsuit filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court by a Northern California man who said he was shot at a party at Smith's house on June 29, 2012.

The players charged a $10 admission and $5 per drink, the lawsuit said. Smith and now-Titans tight end Walker, 29, were allegedly intoxicated on Smith's balcony when they fired gunshots in the air while trying to end the party, the lawsuit said.

Before the 2012 home opener last September, Smith was the passenger in a car during an accident in Santa Clara County in which the driver swerved to avoid hitting a deer. Smith sustained a cut beneath his right eyebrow. He apologized and insisted he would change his ways.

Smith, selected seventh overall in the 2011 draft out of Missouri, had previously been arrested on suspicion of DUI in January 2012 in Miami shortly after the 49ers lost in the NFC championship game.

There was no NFL minimum for the number of games he had to miss while on the non-football injury list. The 49ers continued to pay Smith his weekly salary of more than $98,000 while he was away.

Smith played in a 27-7 home loss to the Colts on Sept. 22 and had five tackles just two days after he was arrested and jailed on suspicion of DUI and marijuana possession. Smith apologized for his behavior after the game then later announced he would leave for treatment.

Smith set a franchise record with 19 1/2 sacks last season.

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-10-31-FBN-49ers-Aldon-Smith/id-fee944da5d1640b39f3f67c3bcdaad92
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Pa. residents living above mine fire free to stay

FILE - In this Jan. 26, 1983, file photo, smoke rises from the ground in Centralia, Pa., where and uncontrolled underground mine fire was burning. The attorney for the few remaining residents of the central Pennsylvania coal town that was decimated by a 50-year-old mine fire said on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, that they have settled their lawsuit against state officials who have been trying for years to evict them. The settlement allows eight Centralia residents to stay in their homes for as long as they live and it also includes a cash payout. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy, File)

FILE -- This Jan. 13, 2010 file photo shows steam rising from the ground around retired Centralia Postmaster Tom Dempsey as he stands in an area that was in Centralia, Pa. The steam is caused by a fire that was still burning underground after it started in 1962 at the town dump and ignited an exposed coal vein. The underground fire eventually forced an exodus of more than 1,000 people, nearly the entire population. The attorney for the few remaining residents of the central Pennsylvania coal town that was decimated by a 50-year-old mine fire said on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, that they have settled their lawsuit against state officials who have been trying for years to evict them. The settlement allows eight Centralia residents to stay in their homes for as long as they live and it also includes a cash payout. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, FILE)

FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2010 file photo, the empty town of Centralia, Pa., is seen from above. The attorney for the few remaining residents of the central Pennsylvania coal town that was decimated by a 50-year-old mine fire said on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, that they have settled their lawsuit against state officials who have been trying for years to evict them. The settlement allows eight Centralia residents to stay in their homes for as long as they live and it also includes a cash payout. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2010, file photo, an old sign reading "Keep Centralia On The Map" is visible in the entrance of the closed Centralia Municipal Building in Centralia, Pa. The attorney for the few remaining residents of the central Pennsylvania coal town that was decimated by a 50-year-old mine fire said on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, that they have settled their lawsuit against state officials who have been trying for years to evict them. The settlement allows eight Centralia residents to stay in their homes for as long as they live and it also includes a cash payout. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

FILE - In this April, 1981, file photo, U.S. Bureau of Mines' John Stockalis, right, and Dan Lewis drop a thermometer through a hole on Main Street in Centralia, Pa., to measure the heat from a shaft mine blaze that was burning under the town. The attorney for the few remaining residents of the central Pennsylvania coal town that was decimated by a 50-year-old mine fire said on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, that they have settled their lawsuit against state officials who have been trying for years to evict them. The settlement allows eight Centralia residents to stay in their homes for as long as they live and it also includes a cash payout. (AP Photo/Paul Vathis, File)

The few remaining residents of a Pennsylvania coal town that was largely razed in the 1980s because of an underground mine fire that still burns today have gotten their wish — to be left alone, free to live out their lives there.

A lengthy battle over eminent domain culminated this week when eight residents of Centralia settled their lawsuit against state officials who had been trying to evict them from their condemned homes. The settlement, notice of which was filed in U.S. District Court, allows the residents to stay for as long as they live. It also includes a cash payout of $349,500.

"Everybody got what we wanted, and everybody's happy now," resident Tom Hynoski, 52, said Thursday.

The mine fire was ignited in 1962 and eventually spread to the vast network of mines beneath homes and businesses, threatening residents with poisonous gases and dangerous sinkholes. By the end of the 1980s, more than 1,000 people had moved and 500 structures had been demolished under a $42 million federal relocation program.

But some holdouts refused to go, even after their houses were seized in the early 1990s. They said the fire posed little danger to their part of town, accused government officials and mining companies of a plot to grab the rights to billions of dollars' worth of anthracite coal, and vowed to stay put.

After years of letting them be, state officials decided a few years ago to take possession of the homes. The homeowners fought back with a federal lawsuit.

Hynoski, who has long contended that government corruption involving the coal rights was behind the state's drive to force them out, claimed vindication.

"They bent us, but they didn't break us," he said.

State officials have long denied any such plot to grab the coal rights and say they sought possession of the properties out of public safety concerns.

Last year, a geologist with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said the fire may have gone deeper underground but still poses a threat because it has the potential to open up new pathways for deadly gases to reach the remaining homes. But residents say that's nonsense and point out that they've lived for decades in their homes without incident.

The agreement includes $218,000 to compensate residents for the value of their homes and $131,500 to settle additional claims raised in the lawsuit, according to Steve Kratz, spokesman for the state Department of Community and Economic Development, a defendant in the suit.

The mine fire has transformed Centralia into a macabre tourist attraction. There's an intact street grid with almost nothing on it, clouds of steam waft from the cracked earth, and visitors gawk at the ruins of an abandoned highway.

But the homes that remain are neatly kept, and this week's settlement means that Centralia as a town has not yet breathed its last.

"They get to live in their property and enjoy it the rest of their life," said the plaintiffs' attorney, Don Bailey. "We did very well."

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-10-31-Centralia's%20Final%20Days-Suit/id-8f4d177ca7614257b0a165484ed67fd2
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TUF 18 blog with Julianna Pena, episode 9: Cody Bollinger misses weight

The quarterfinals ended with a bang on Wednesday night's episode of The Ultimate Fighter 18. Despite being Team Tate's No. 1 male pick, Cody Bollinger pulled a Gabe Ruediger and failed to make weight -- in rather dramatic fashion, I might add -- which led Team Rousey's Anthony Gutierrez to advance to the semis by default. Then Team Tate's Sarah Moras evened the score at four wins apiece, overpowering Peggy Morgan en route to first-round armbar victory.

Now just one fight stands between the remaining eight fighters and a spot in November's live finale. On the men's side it's Chris Holdsworth (Tate) vs. Michael Wootten (Rousey) and Anthony Gutierrez (Rousey) vs. David Grant (Rousey), while on the women's side it's Raquel Pennington (Tate) vs. Jessica Rakoczy (Rousey) and Sarah Moras (Tate) vs. our own Julianna Pena (Tate).

If you have any questions for Pena, feel free to drop them in the comments below and she'll answer you during next week's TUF Mailbag. Now without further ado, let's gets to it.

Al-Shatti: So right off the bat, I want to ask because I wasn't sure, did Cody Bollinger get kicked off the show?

Pena: Yep.

Al-Shatti: Wow. I know you and him didn't exactly get along, so how did you feel as everything was going down?

Dana White confronts Cody Bollinger

Pena: It's not like I was over the moon happy, but I wasn't crying or upset or anything like that. I felt like he had been rude to me and caused me a lot of problems earlier on in the season.

But I think (him being kicked off) was merited. On The Ultimate Fighter show, if you don't make weight, you go home.

Al-Shatti: So walk me through this. He was Team Tate's No. 1 male pick. How exactly did something like this happen?

Pena: I wasn't watching him too closely. I just remember one time him eating ice cream and being like, ‘Oh, I'll burn this off in 15 minutes in the sauna. It's not even a big deal.' We were all kinda like, I wouldn't do that if I were you. And he was just, ‘Bah, child's play. This is only a few minutes in the sauna.' He'd read the label and be like, ‘Oh, only 150 calories for a quarter of a cup? Child's play. I'll burn this off in 10 minutes in the sauna.'

I just think that he was wrapped up in being friends with everybody and wrapped up in eating all the food that he wanted. He wasn't taking into account how much he was going to have to lose and he wasn't being very intelligent when it comes to weight cutting. The pressure of being No. 1 pick was probably too much. I wouldn't say that it was a direct result as to why he left, but it's definitely a lot of pressure when you're the No. 1 pick. You automatically have a target on your back and you're trying to go out there and prove why you were picked No. 1. It's a lot to deal with.

Al-Shatti: Cody quit more than a few times during the cut. What was the reaction around the team as he kept repeating that feeling?

Pena: I think everybody couldn't believe it. Nobody could believe that was actually happening. At least, I couldn't. Like, are you kidding me?

We just couldn't believe the fact that somebody would give up and not try to make weight, just throw in the towel when there was so much riding on the line.

Al-Shatti: Cody might have screwed up bad, and that's probably an understatement, but do you respect the way he owned up to it and didn't make excuses?

Pena: He wouldn't have told Dana (White) if he didn't have to. He got called out. Do I respect him for owning up to it? I mean, what else can you do? Deny it?

Al-Shatti: True. Okay, last thing on this and then we'll move on. Anthony Gutierrez ended up getting a choice between a free pass to the semis or having to cut weight all over again and fight. He chose the free pass. I'm just curious, if you were in that situation, would you do the same?

Pena: I'd probably have done the same thing. (You have to do) whatever advances you further on into the competition without risking getting hurt or risking putting your body on the line an extra time when you wouldn't need to.

Al-Shatti: Fair enough. So next up, in the season's last quarterfinal Sarah Moras made short work of Peggy Morgan. She's next in your sights. Were you impressed by her performance?

Pena: I completely predicted it! I sat there doing my makeup -- they didn't show it -- but I'm like, ‘Yeah, it's going to be an armbar in the first round, for sure.'

Al-Shatti: Wow, nicely done. What made you think that?

Pena: Once we caught rumors of who the list was going to be for the cast, who was going to maybe make it and get a chance to compete for the elimination fights, Peggy Morgan's name was on there. I remember watching a couple fights she'd been a part of, studying her ground game a little bit, and [analyzing] her as a fighter.

Because I've already fought Moras before, and judging from the fights that I'd seen online of Peggy, I just knew that Moras' ground game was world class, and Peggy, she wasn't going to have an answer. And she didn't. Moras proved it.

Al-Shatti: You've been a team-first cheerleader the entire season. So be honest with me, after everything that happened, it had to be sweet satisfaction for you Team Tate girls to go 3-1 against Rousey, right?

Full Fight: Peggy Morgan vs. Sarah Moras

Pena: Absolutely! I was absolutely happy. On top of the world. I wanted our team to win. I'm always the first one screaming in the mic. During every fight you can see me in background standing up and cheering. I can always hear myself screaming and yelling for my team. So yeah, I was very happy when that happened.

Al-Shatti: Well now we've finally reached the semis, and bam, you're fighting Sarah Moras, who's not just a teammate, but also the girl who handed you your first professional loss. What's going through your mind when Dana White announces those match-ups?

Pena: It completely threw a wrench into what I'd been preparing for. The thing is, I knew I wasn't going to get (Jessica) Rakoczy. Me and Moras had already fought before, and Moras had already fought Raquel (Pennington) before. We knew that one of us was going to have to fight a teammate, and so since Sarah had already fought both me and Raquel, we were thinking they'd give Sarah the match-up against Rakoczy, so that she could have somebody she's never fought before. I was mentally (preparing for that).

Then Dana changed it last second. When they said I was fighting Moras, I was like, What? What just happened? I wasn't expecting that at all.

Al-Shatti: You're so competitive though. Was it a pleasant surprise? I mean, you get a chance to avenge a loss on national TV.

Pena: When I was in the interview to get into the house, they asked me, ‘So, Moras is here. You lost to her. How's that going? What happened there?' I was like, ‘Man, I'll fight her right here, right now, for free. Where is she? I'll do it right now.' (Laughs.) When I fought Moras the first time, it hit me hard. I'd just got hit by a car, then fought up a weight class and took my first loss. I was just devastated. It took me a long time to come back from martial arts after that. I pretty much hid under a rock and died. I'd never experienced a loss before, so to get another opportunity to fight her, it was like, I've been waiting for this.

TUF MAILBAG

@wrestling_1000 asks: Favorite music before a fight?

Pena: That's tough, because when I first started, I would only listen to classical music before I'd fight. Like, straight classical music. But then I switched it up because one time I remember listening to classical music, then going out there and just getting rocked within the first 30 seconds, and being like, the music didn't pump me up enough. I would've never got hit like that if I was listening to some Kayne! So now I like to listen to anything with a good, fast beat. Something that gets me revved up, something that makes me hot and angry and ready to throw down. I love a lot of music, and so anything that just gets the blood boiling.

Bboyawall asks: Julianna as we head into semifinals, is it getting harder not to slip on the results of who made it to the finals? Also I feel like a little kid at work when I see my questions being answered. It's awesome, thank you!!!

Pena: (Laughs.) Absolutely! It's my pleasure to answer your questions. Thank you for taking the time to ask a question and for caring. That means a lot to me and makes me happy.

And yeah, it is (tough). Everybody wants to know the answers! It really sucks because you want to be like, just watch the show, dangit! I haven't told anybody. I was sworn to secrecy on a $5 million contract and I take that very seriously. (Laughs.)

superfknmario__ asks: 1. Who wins in a Rousey/Cyborg fight? 2. Hablas español?

Pena: 1. Cyborg. TKO/KO.

2. Si habla español un poquito. Si me español es muy mal. Yo entiendo un poquito.

Do you have a question for Julianna Pena? Ask it in the comments below and she'll answer you next week. The Ultimate Fighter 18 airs every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Portions of this interview have been edited for concision.

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2013/10/31/5048028/tuf-18-blog-with-julianna-pena-episode-9-cody-bollinger-misses-weight
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Progressive Government Fails

A reader remarked last week that Barack Obama is running out of human shields. With the father of ObamaCare unavailable to explain the greatest fiasco of his presidency to Congress, the American people had to settle Wednesday for his surrogate, Kathleen Sebelius.

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2013/10/31/progressive_government_fails_318931.html
Tags: lou reed arian foster channing tatum elizabeth olsen megyn kelly

Deal of the Day: Qmadix S Series Cover for Motorola Droid MAXX

The Oct. 31 Deal of the Day is the Qmadix S Series Cover for Motorola Droid MAXX. This hard case features a hard polycarbonate outer shell and a shock absorbent TPU underneath for double the protection against impacts. The back of the S Series Case has a glossy finish while the sides provide softer edging for a comfortable grip. Comes in black, red and white.

The Qmadix S Series Cover is available for just $14.49, 42% off today only. Backed by our 60-day return policy and fast shipping.

Check out our entire selection of Motorola Droid MAXX cases at ShopAndroid.com!

Canada Deal of the Day

Samsung USB Data Cable

Today Only: $7.95 + Buy One Get One Free!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/I_pnmfqQces/story01.htm
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Setting the Record Straight: Debunking All the Flu Vaccine Myths

It’s that time again — that time when dozens of spurious articles pop up all over the web touting all the dangers of the flu vaccine. Articles on unreliable, alarmist, misinformative sites like Natural News, Mercola, chiropractic blogs and other such sites rail against the “toxins” in the vaccine, or claim the flu vaccine doesn’t work, or that it causes this or that horrible disease, or that the flu itself just really isn’t all that bad. (I’m not going to link to any of them. They get too much attention as it is.)