Other astronauts who sent us over the moon

By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield comes down from the International Space Station on Tuesday, having charmed countless earthlings with his social-media skills, guitar-strumming and bold facial hair.

We hope they make a movie about him, because William H. Macy could have a ball bringing him to life on the screen.

In the meantime, here are some astronauts from the annals of pop culture who also winged their way into our heart with more, ahem, traditional attributes.

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NBCU Photo Bank

Pictured: (l-r) Larry Hagman as Anthony 'Tony' Nelson, Barbara Eden as Jeannie.

Larry Hagman in "I Dream of Jeannie": Forget Jeannie ? what female TV viewer didn't dream of Maj. Tony Nelson? Sure, he kept his emotions and his 2,000-year-old lady friend bottled up. But remember how good he looked in those dress blues? No wonder the genie spent five seasons trying to please her master.

Hulton Archive / Getty Images

Liv Tyler and Ben Affleck embrace in a scene from the film 'Armageddon', 1998.

Ben Affleck in "Armageddon": Roger Ebert once described the movie as "an assault on the eyes" but surely he wasn't talking about the actor who played A.J. Frost, the core-driller drafted to save the earth from an asteroid. Heck, Bruce Willis was so smitten that he took his spot on the suicide mission so Affleck could marry his daughter.

Archive Photos / Getty Images

Ed Harris as John Glenn in a scene from the film 'The Right Stuff', 1962.

Ed Harris in "The Right Stuff": With Dennis Quaid and Sam Shepard in the testosterone-fueled cast of the 1983 movie about the Mercury 7 astronauts, Harris has some tough-guy competition. But he stood up to the vice president and he cracked down on his philandering crew mates. Oh, and did we mention he was the first American to orbit the earth?

Universal Pictures / Getty Images

Kevin Bacon checking controls in a scene from the film 'Apollo 13', 1995.

Kevin Bacon in "Apollo 13": Another easy-on-the-eyes ensemble cast, but Ed Harris doesn't get two bites at the astronaut apple, so Bacon's Jack Swigert gets the nod. He's inexperienced and cocky and gets blamed for the accident that almost turns the crew into space junk. But he helps save the day and looks good doing it. Catch you on the flip side, Kevin.

7831 / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

The cast of "Space Cowboys": Have four senior citizens ever looked so good in jumpsuits and bomber jackets? Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland and James Garner may not have washboard abs or even all their hair in this 2000 flick, but they've got experience, courage and a lot of one-liners about getting old.?

Sony Pictures Classics

Sam Rockwell in a scene from 'Moon'.

Sam Rockwell in "Moon": It couldn't have been easy to eclipse the gorgeous sci-fi effects of this 2009 film, but somehow Rockwell managed. Nearing the end of a solo three-year stint on the lunar landscape, Rockwell's brooding character, Sam Bell, wakes up to find what appears to be a clone. Disturbing for him; double the treat for us.

NBC

Mix Dexter is Liz Lemon's "astronaut boyfriend" on the show "30 Rock." He doesn't really exist.

Mike Dexter from "30 Rock": We didn't get a look at Liz Lemon's imaginary man ? "My boyfriend, astronaut Mike Dexter, will be picking me up. On his motorcycle" ? until the fourth episode. Yet the fantasy spaceman was worth the wait. Chiseled good looks. Spiffy orange jumpsuit. And a way with words:??I hope you enjoyed the kissing followed by my genuine interest in that TV dance competition."

?

Source: http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/13/18234178-other-astronauts-who-sent-us-over-the-moon?lite

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Lawmaker grilled IRS commissioner on conservative targets

IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman at the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Jan. 26, 2012.??

News reports about how the Internal Revenue Service applied heavier scrutiny on conservative political organizations applying for tax-exempt status have pointed to a March 22, 2012, House Ways and Means oversight subcommittee hearing in which IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman denied any wrongdoing. But that wasn't the first time lawmakers grilled him about the IRS' practices.

During a Financial Services subcommittee hearing the day before, on March 21, 2012, Georgia Republican Rep. Tom Graves also questioned Shulman about similar concerns. Shulman pushed back against allegations that the IRS was targeting groups that advocated for limited government, just as he did at the subsequent Ways and Means subcommittee hearing.

At the March 21 hearing, Graves pointed to concerns from tea party groups that the IRS had unfairly scrutinized them with burdensome questions because of their political ideology. Shulman, who was appointed to the post by President George W. Bush and whose five-year term as IRS commissioner ended in November 2012, told Graves that the agency had followed standard protocol and said allegations that specific groups were being targeted were "off."

"Can you help put any of those concerns to rest today that these groups are specifically being targeted because of their political activities or their opposition to the administration?s policies?" Graves asked, according a transcript of the exchange.

"It is a good question. I am glad you asked it because I think there has been lots of information flying around in the press, and I think it is important that people put it in perspective," Shulman said.

He went on to explain the agency's process for examining applications for nonprofit status: "When we decide to do an examination, we pride ourselves on being a non-political, non-partisan agency. We are given these complex rules that have things like political activity written into the tax code that does not allow you to do certain things or else you jeopardize your tax exemption. We have set up very clear safeguards, for determinate exams.

"This notion that we are targeting anyone, I think, is off," Shulman continued, "because these people are going through an application process that they voluntarily decided to do. It is not required under the law."

The IRS on Friday apologized for singling out conservative organizations that applied for tax-exempt status between 2010 and 2012. A forthcoming audit of IRS procedures during that time will show that the agency was made aware of the practices as early as 2011, according to copy of the report obtained by the Associated Press.

The White House and several lawmakers have called for an investigation to obtain more details.

Here's the full transcript of Graves' exchange with Schulman during the March 21 Financial Services subcommittee hearing:

Mr. GRAVES: Madam Chair, Commissioner. There has been a great deal of press in terms of the likelihood of your agency structure and form and funding of 501(c)(4) in terms of welfare organizations. This media attention specifically focused on our assets, examination of what are (c)(4) groups, who also engage in political activity, should be denied a release of their taxes. Two reasons I think that your activities are of so much interest to the press, and to everyone out there, certainly to us in Congress, first because of the timing of the inquiries, which make it appear a little bit linked to other actions, and second, is the focus, since the examinations seem to be centered on groups that are considered Tea Party groups, or those that openly oppose the Administration?s policies.

Can you help put any of those concerns to rest today that these groups are specifically being targeted because of their political activities or their opposition to the Administration?s policies?

Mr. SHULMAN: It is a good question. I am glad you asked it because I think there has been lots of information flying around in the press, and I think it is important that people put it in perspective. First, is for taxpayers to operate as a 501(c)(4) organization, they need to be primarily engaged in promoting the common good or general welfare. They are allowed to be involved in political campaign activity, but it cannot be the primary activity. Second, in order to be a (c)(4) organization, you do not need to apply to the IRS. You can hold yourself out as a 501(c)(4). You then file your 990 at the end of the year, and if we see something that either has to do with political activity or something else, we have the option to do an examination, and there is not a high chance of an examination; we run samples. Third, when we decide to do an examination, we pride ourselves on being a non-political, non-partisan agency. We are given these complex rules that have things like political activity written into the tax code that does not allow you to do certain things or else you jeopardize your tax exemption. We have set up very clear safeguards, for determinate exams. Our Chief Counsel and I are the only Presidential Appointees, and I have a five-year term, so that it goes past Presidential election cycles.

There is a committee of three career employees in our tax-exempt organization, not even based in Washington, who look at any political referrals or any allegations of political activity. Those three rotate, but they make decisions about farming out examinations to the field, so there are many safeguards built in. This work has nothing to do with election cycles and politics. And so that is, generally, what happens. But the important thing about what has been in the press in the last few weeks is not all of these organizations are being examined. They voluntarily came in and said, ??I would like to apply for 501(c)(4) status, so I would like to engage the IRS in what my activities are,?? and when you apply, you send in an application. We ask sets of questions. These people had a choice to not engage the IRS, to be 501(c)(4)s, hold themselves up as such, file a 990 after a year plus of operation, and then there would have been a much less of a chance that we would have discussions with them. So this notion that we are targeting anyone, I think, is off because these people are going through an application process that they voluntarily decided to do. It is not required under the law.

Mr. GRAVES: Has the IRS recently changed its policies with respect to these organization?s applications?

Mr. SHULMAN: No. No, when you apply as a 501(c)(3) or a 501(c)(4) you send in information. If we need more information, we do a back-and-forth with you. I think there have been press reports about the questions we ask. We also send out information that say, ??If you think you can provide us information in other ways, please let?s have a conversation.?? I think we are quite reasonable around those things.

Mr. GRAVES: The questions you ask today are the same questions you asked two, three years ago?

Mr. SHULMAN: It is facts and circumstances, and up to the examiner what they think they need to ask to get the information to determine what the activities of this organization are.

Mr. GRAVES: So back to the original question. So you did not deny that are increasing in exams or looking into these organizations, in fact you said engaging in political activities is not the primary focus, but you can come good after determining that does increase the opportunity for examination, so sounds to me like you confirmed the fact that the groups identified that the primary focus here is not the common good, but it is of a political nature.

Mr. SHULMAN: No, I think you have got that wrong. I was reciting the tax law and what are the standards we use when we look at 501(c)(4) organizations. We have been clear in our exam plan that we will look at these groups. When we see 501(c)(4)s not using their status right, we will look at it. That is our job, it is written into the tax code, and when people apply, we will make sure we try to do our best to understand what is happening.

Mr. GRAVES: What is your intention when somebody is not using it correctly?

Mr. SHULMAN: People file a 990, we get referrals from organizations about what is happening, and our examiners have a variety of ways it comes to their attention. A lot of it is on the application. They say, ??Here are my activities,?? and we will go out and do examinations.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that the Financial Services subcommittee hearing was held on March 7, 2012. It was held on March 21, 2012.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/georgia-lawmaker-grilled-irs-commissioner-agency-practices-two-145438634.html

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A Simple Video Streaming Solution for Web Developers ? Internet

A Simple Video Streaming Solution for Web Developers

Since 2010 there has been a 470% increase in money being shifted from other collateral budgets to accommodate video as mobile video watching grows.

As a result of this many businesses are incorporating videos into their apps to help increase engagement with consumers. With mobile apps becoming integrated with everyday life, consumers rely on them for discounts, shopping lists and information on their favourite products and services.

This is good news for developers. One of the most popular requests that a developer currently receives is to publish video content into its clients` mobile applications. Many will enlist the help of their developer as the video file size needs to be reduced in order for it to upload quickly into the app and stream to a high quality.

This is easy to achieve within the G-box.tv video hosting platform.

Results

All the videos that the G-box.tv hosts and publishes will be encoded to the right size and format using the adaptive transcoding functionality developed within the service. This enables the videos to be converted to suit the specific device and bandwith characteristics.

All videos are optimised to the same quality across a broad range of mobile appliances. These are converted to suit the individual characteristics of the device and the software will render each video to the specific size of the screen of that device. All devices have been thoroughly tested to ensure quality video streaming.

Essentially this will allow all users to be able to play videos on their smartphone with the same high quality results. This is easy for developers to achieve as they can use the same embedded script for any application platform (Android, iOS, Blackberry).

Source: http://internet.wonderhowto.com/how-to/simple-video-streaming-solution-for-web-developers-0146849/

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Today in History

Today is Sunday, May 12, the 132nd day of 2013. There are 233 days left in the year. This is Mother's Day.

Today's Highlights in History:

On May 12, 1943, during World War II, Axis forces in North Africa surrendered. The two-week Trident Conference, headed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, opened in Washington.

On this date:

In 1780, during the Revolutionary War, the besieged city of Charleston, S.C., surrendered to British forces.

In 1870, an act creating the Canadian province of Manitoba was given royal assent, to take effect in July.

In 1922, a 20-ton meteor crashed near Blackstone, Va.

In 1932, the body of Charles Lindbergh Jr., the kidnapped son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, was found in a wooded area near Hopewell, N.J.

In 1933, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the Agricultural Adjustment Administration were established to provide help for the needy and farmers.

In 1937, Britain's King George VI was crowned at Westminster Abbey; his wife, Elizabeth, was crowned as queen consort.

In 1949, the Soviet Union lifted the Berlin Blockade, which the Western powers had succeeded in circumventing with their Berlin Airlift.

In 1958, the United States and Canada signed an agreement to create the North American Air Defense Command (later the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD).

In 1963, Betty Miller became the first woman to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean as she landed her Piper Apache in Brisbane, Australia, having left Oakland, Calif., on April 30, making three stopovers along the way.

In 1970, the Senate voted unanimously to confirm Harry A. Blackmun as a Supreme Court justice.

In 1982, in Fatima, Portugal, security guards overpowered a Spanish priest armed with a bayonet who attacked Pope John Paul II. (In 2008, the pope's longtime private secretary revealed that the pontiff was slightly wounded in the assault.)

In 2002, Jimmy Carter arrived in Cuba, becoming the first U.S. president in or out of office to visit since the 1959 revolution that put Fidel Castro in power.

Ten years ago: Suicide bombers attacked foreigners' housing compounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killing 25 victims. A suicide truck-bomb attack killed at least 60 at a government compound in northern Chechnya. L. Paul Bremer, the new American civilian administrator of Iraq, arrived in Baghdad; coalition forces announced they had taken custody of Dr. Rihab Rashid Taha (TAH'-hah), the Iraqi scientist known as "Dr. Germ." (Taha was later released after no charges were brought.) The Texas House ground to a standstill after 51 Democratic lawmakers left the state in a dispute over a Republican congressional redistricting plan. (The Democrats returned four days later from Oklahoma, having succeeded in killing the bill.)

Five years ago: A devastating earthquake in China's Sichuan province killed some 70,000 people. Nearly 400 workers were arrested in an immigration raid at a kosher meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa. Irena Sendler, credited with saving some 2,500 Jewish children from the Holocaust, died in Warsaw, Poland, at age 98. Pop artist Robert Rauschenberg died on Captiva Island, Fla, at age 82. Indians second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera turned the 14th unassisted triple play in major league history during the second game of a doubleheader against Toronto. NBC announced that Jimmy Fallon would succeed Conan O'Brien as host of "Late Night."

One year ago: At least 100,000 Spaniards angered by grim economic prospects and the political handling of the international financial crisis turned out for street demonstrations, marking the one-year anniversary of a spontaneous movement that inspired similar protests elsewhere. Miami's LeBron James became the eighth player in NBA history to win the MVP award three times.

Today's Birthdays: Baseball Hall-of-Famer Yogi Berra is 88. Critic John Simon is 88. Composer Burt Bacharach is 85. Actress Millie Perkins is 75. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jayotis Washington is 72. Country singer Billy Swan is 71. Actress Linda Dano is 70. Musician Ian McLagan is 68. Actress Lindsay Crouse is 65. Singer-musician Steve Winwood is 65. Actor Gabriel Byrne is 63. Actor Bruce Boxleitner is 63. Singer Billy Squier is 63. Country singer Kix Brooks is 58. Actress Kim Greist is 55. Rock musician Eric Singer (KISS) is 55. Actor Ving Rhames is 54. Rock musician Billy Duffy is 52. Actor Emilio Estevez is 51. Actress April Grace is 51. Actress Vanessa A. Williams ("Melrose Place") is 50. Country musician Eddie Kilgallon is 48. Actor Stephen Baldwin is 47. Actor Scott Schwartz is 45. Actress Kim Fields is 44. Actress Samantha Mathis is 43. Actress Jamie Luner is 42. Actor Christian Campbell is 41. Actress Rhea Seehorn is 41. Actor Mackenzie Astin is 40. Actress Malin (MAH'-lin) Akerman is 35. Actor Jason Biggs is 35. Actress Emily VanCamp is 27. Actor Malcolm David Kelley is 21. Actors Sawyer and Sullivan Sweeten ("Everybody Loves Raymond") are 18.

Thought for Today: "A mother becomes a true grandmother the day she stops noticing the terrible things her children do because she is so enchanted with the wonderful things her grandchildren do." ? Lois Wyse, American advertising executive, author and columnist (1926-2007).

(Above Advance for Use Sunday, May 12)

Copyright 2013, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/today-history-050206767.html

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The super impromptu spacewalk to fix up the ISS's broken ammonia pump was a success.

The super impromptu spacewalk to fix up the ISS's broken ammonia pump was a success. The new pump is in place with no leaks to speak of and our walkers are back inside.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/the-super-impromptu-spacewalk-to-fix-up-the-isss-broken-502027530

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Should EPA gas-mileage ratings tests change?

Major disparities in the listed MPG and the actual performance of two Ford hybrids have put the EPA's mileage tests under scrutiny. With most vehicles, the EPA is essentially on target, but changes might be on the horizon.?

By John Voelcker,?Guest blogger / May 12, 2013

A Ford 2013 C-MAX Hybrid vehicle is seen on display outside the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich. Complaints about the C-MAX's gas mileage have put the EPA's mileage tests under scrutiny.

Rebecca Cook/Reuters/FIle

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Your mileage may vary.

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We've heard it for years, we all know it's true, and yet we put our trust in the EPA's fuel-efficiency ratings as a guide to what kind of gas mileage a car will really get.

Now, two cars--the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid and the 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid--have brought the failings of the EPA test system to the fore.

10-15 percent leeway

In general, buyers seem comfortable with variance of 10 or 15 percent from the advertised EPA ratings.

And although automakers generally publicize only the higher rating number (for gasoline cars, always the highway cycle), the EPA's combined rating is usually pretty close to real-world fuel economy for most buyers--within that margin.

But the new 2013 C-Max and Fusion hybrid models have generated a drumbeat of dissatisfied buyers, who claim their real-world mileage doesn't even come close.

Inevitably, there are now lawsuits.

'What was Ford thinking?'

Here's just one of many comments Green Car Reports has received on the topic:

OPEN LETTER TO FORD: I thought my 2013 C-Max would be a Prius killer. NOT! As a returning Ford buyer, I feel deceived. I want to support U.S. companies and U.S. jobs.

What was Ford thinking when they published 47/47/47 estimates? Based on the advertised EPA estimates, I would have been OK with low 40s, but 28-33 mpg is not even in the ballpark.

This is not an issue about EPA testing standards, but rather an issue about setting false customer expectations in order to promote sales.

Ford's "47MPG" marketing campaign tarnished what should have been the rollout of a truly remarkable vehicle, the C-Max. Real-world MPG estimates should have been promoted in the mid-30s.

?Only EPA estimates allowed

We've gotten dozens of comments like this, following our coverage of the disparity between published 47-mpg combined EPA ratings and real-world figures achieved by drivers.

There's just one problem: The writer above is wrong, in that this IS actually an issue about EPA testing standards

That's because the only fuel-efficiency figures any carmaker may use in their advertising are those derived from the standardized EPA testing cycles.

Carmakers can commission independent studies--VW did just that to show its VW Jetta TDI diesel outperforms its EPA ratings--but they can't quote those results in their ads.

And that brings us back to the question that Ford has highlighted: Are the EPA test cycles flawed?

EPA mostly on target

The answer seems to be that for most cars, they're essentially on target.

They were last changed in 2007, to reflect real-world results achieved by owners of Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid vehicles.

Those vehicles had previously been rated with mileages above 50 mpg, but the EPA tweaked its "adjustment factors" for hybrid cars and brought the numbers down.

The 2007 Toyota Prius, for instance, went from a highway rating of 60 mpg to 48 mpg.

From two to five test cycles

Almost all 2013 cars are now tested using five different cycles: the old EPA city and highway cycles, plus a "cold soak" version of the city cycle with the heater operating.

The two new and somewhat tougher tests that have been added are known as 5C03 and US06 (and not worth explaining in detail here).

The issue this year seems to be that Ford has built a hybrid system with powerful enough electric motor-generators that their C-Max and 2013 Fusion hybrids simply stay in electric mode far longer during the test cycles than in real-world driving.

And this is undoubtedly exacerbated by the fact that the Fords offer punchy acceleration--much faster than any Prius--which tempts drivers to use it, which severely lowers fuel economy compared to the test cycles.

Huge effort

Changing the EPA test cycles--tossing out the 30-year-old procedures and starting from scratch--would be a huge effort.

Proponents say that cars have changed so much, and their performance has gotten so much quicker, that today's real-world traffic is nothing like the traffic conditions that prevailed in the late 1970s.

The national speed limit back then was 55 mph, by the way. When's the last time you drove 55 mph on a freeway, hmmmmm?

And it might not allow apples-to-apples comparisons between cars of different model years.

Our bet: adjustment factors

On the other hand, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highways Safety (IIHS) both routinely make their crash-safety tests tougher, and simply explain it in their ratings using footnotes.

If we had to guess, we'd expect the EPA to study the Ford case--as they're already doing--and then further tweak their "adjustment factors" to bring their mileage into line with reality.

What do you think the EPA should do??

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best auto bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger,?click here.?To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on the link in the blog description box above.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/ZPodmshgiag/Should-EPA-gas-mileage-ratings-tests-change

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Nokia's colorful DC-18 portable USB charger matches your phone, shoes

For the most part, battery packs have become what CD cases were in the late 90s -- generic and utilitarian. Nokia's new DC-18 portable chargers dare to be different. The sharp, tile-like designs house a modest 1,720 mAh cell, retractable micro-USB cable (that doubles as a a switch,) plus an LED battery level indicator that lights up when you extend the aforementioned appendage. It's available in four colors (red, white, yellow and blue), but only in select regions right now. No word on when and for how much, but color-coordinators can keep pinging the source to find out.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Mobile, Nokia

Comments

Via: Gizmodo

Source: Nokia

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/11/nokia-dc-18-portable-usb-charger/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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