NASA to smash its spacecraft INTO THE MOON - will hit a mountain located near the Goldschmidt crater on Monday -

NASA to smash its spacecraft INTO THE MOON - will hit a mountain located near the Goldschmidt crater on Monday - 


The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) ships, Ebb and Flow, will be intentionally crash-landed on the Moon now that their low orbit and fuel levels have ended their mission abilities.

The crash and burn, scheduled for 22.28 GMT on Monday, will hit a mountain located near the Goldschmidt crater, finishing a mission that start on 1 January this year.

"It is going to be difficult to say goodbye," said GRAIL principal investigator Maria Zuber of MIT. "Our little robotic twins have been exemplary members of the GRAIL family, and planetary science has advanced in a major way because of their contributions."

The two craft have generated the highest-resolution gravity field map of any celestial body, which will help boffins understand more about how Earth and other rocky planets in the Solar System formed and evolved.

Just before they impact on the Moon, Ebb and Flow will do one final experiment, firing their main engines until their propellant tanks are empty to show NASA scientists exactly how much fuel they have left. This will help engineers to improve predictions about how much fuel missions need.

"Our lunar twins may be in the twilight of their operational lives, but one thing is for sure, they are going down swinging," said GRAIL project manager David Lehman of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. "Even during the last half of their last orbit, we are going to do an engineering experiment that could help future missions operate more efficiently."

Both spacecraft will hit the surface at 3,760mph, with Ebb going down first, followed 20 seconds later by Flow. NASA won't be able to get images of the crash because the mountain will be in shadow at the time of impact.

"Such a unique end-of-mission scenario requires extensive and detailed mission planning and navigation," said Lehman.

Read more - 
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/12/14/grail_craft_moon_crash/

Neglected dog honks for help after being left in truck with two cats, two other dogs

Neglected dog honks for help after being left in truck with two cats, two other dogs - 



A hero dog saved itself and two other dogs and two cats by honking on a truck’s horn to alert neighbours that they were trapped inside, police say.

They allegedly had been held for a week in a movers’ truck.

The muzzled dog was being held inside the cab of the truck in “deplorable conditions and without care,” police said in a news release.

It’s not yet known how the dog was able to honk the horn.

The animals apparently had been put there to escape detection after suspicions were aroused a week earlier at a London residence.

On Dec. 3, the London Human Society received a call raising concern about the welfare of three dogs living in unsanitary conditions at an undisclosed residence. It began an investigation.

However, during the night the owners vacated the home and took the dogs with them to escape officers, police say.

A week later, a concerned citizen notified police that a dog had been sitting inside a movers’ truck, with possibly more dogs in the cargo hold.

An investigation by the London Police Service found three dogs and two cats had been left in the vehicle in deplorable conditions without proper care.

Donna Hebert and Allan Folkins-Wyre have been charged with five counts of cruelty to animals: three for causing an animal to be in distress, one of failing to provide necessary care, and another for failing to provide adequate and appropriate sanitary conditions.

The dogs and cats were seized and are under the care of the London Humane Society.

Read more - 
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1302312--neglected-dog-honks-for-help-after-left-in-truck-with-two-cats-two-other-dogs

The Five Most Persuasive Words in the English Language - 1. You 2. Free 3. Because 4. Instantly 5. New -

The Five Most Persuasive Words in the English Language - 1. You 2. Free 3. Because 4. Instantly 5. New - 




When it comes to assembling persuasive copy, like any other construction job, you need to rely on your skills, experience, and toolbox.

The toolbox of the writer is filled with words.

In defining what I believe is a critical element of crafting effective copy, I'll make my case by amending the famous quote from Animal Farm: "All words are equal, but some words are more equal than others."

And there are certain power words that hold more sway over our decision-making process than others. You might be surprised to find that these "power words" don't seem ... well, all that powerful.

This speaks to just how damned efficient they are. Simple language is crystal-clear language, and these words make it clear just what you want your reader to do.

And you might be surprised just how effective these deceptively simple words can be.

I've listed these words below (along with studies related to their power) that will show you how to speak more persuasively to your audience.

Warning: I can't stress enough -- just as in the application of writing headlines that work -- you must understand why these words are persuasive, and you must use them in the contexts that make sense for your audience and your business. If you just start slapping them on every piece of content you create for no apparent reason, you'll quickly see just how unpersuasive they can be.

There, you've been warned. Now, let's get on with the show.

1. You

There's an often-cited study in the copywriting world about a piece of Yale research that reveals "You" to be the #1 power word out of a supposed 12.

Despite the fact that the study likely never happened, I have some actual research that reveals the power of invoking the self.

As it turns out, while people might like the word "you," it is guaranteed that they love reading their own name much more.

According to recent research examining brain activation, few things light us up quite like seeing our own names in print or on the screen. Our names are intrinsically tied to our self-perception and make up a massive part of our identity. No surprise then, that we become more engaged and even more trusting of a message in which our name appears.

Research has shown that we will gladly pay more for personalization, so isn't it about time you start getting personal with your customers?

However, there is one small problem with this finding...

Writing general web copy with name utilization in mind isn't usually possible, but by capitalizing on the power of permission marketing, you can adapt this strategy easily -- many email lists are greatly aided by being able to start off messages with a customer's name.

While that may not be important for your blog updates, if you maintain a variety of separate lists for your products (and you should), make sure you're grabbing a first name to make your broadcasts trigger that personal aspect with customers.

2. Free

Everybody loves free.

People love free stuff so much they'll actually make different choices, even when the respective value of the item or service remains the same.

Dan Ariely revealed this startling fact in his book Predictably Irrational, where he examined a very unusual "battle" between Lindt chocolate truffles and Hershey Kisses.

To test the power of the word "free" in relation to concrete value, the study first asked people to choose between a 1 cent Hershey Kiss or a 15 cent Lindt truffle (about half its actual value, generally considered a richer, superior chocolate).

The results were as follows:



In other words, tastes were found to be very much in favor for the truffle. I mean, who's going to pass up a deal, right?

Later though, another random group of subjects seemingly flipped on their opinion of these two treats. Ariely revealed that when the price was reduced by one cent for both brands (meaning the Kiss was now free), people altered their choices drastically.

With the new prices, here were the results:




Although in the first test it appears we simply can't pass up a deal, as it turns out, we really can't pass up a steal. Although the relation in prices remained the same (a 14 cent difference between the two), people chose the Kiss far more often when it was free.

Ariely points to loss aversion (our disdain for losing out on things) and our natural instinct to go after "low hanging fruit" as the reasons why we are so susceptible to snatching up free stuff.

The danger of free: As we've seen here, there is a certain inherit danger in trumpeting free things. Having something for free will attract more people. But that will most certainly include a fair share of "bargain hunters" who aren't likely to turn into the superstar customers that really grow your business.

Use free only when it makes sense, and only in the right context.

Emphasizing the "freeness" of your free guides, courses, information, support, etc., can go a long way in attracting attention. On Sparring Mind, I emphasize the fact that my newsletter is "free to join," because although most marketers understand this, many folks don't quite understand what it means to subscribe.

Conversely, you should use minimal pricing to keep out those barnacle customers who aren't ideal long-term buyers, or who aren't truly suited for your flagship offerings.

3. Because

In a study from the classic book Influence by Robert Cialdini, tests were conducted on requests from a person in a hurry to use an in-office copy machine. The tests examined how different requests might affect people's willingness to allow this person to "cut" in line.

In the first test, the participant simply stated:

Excuse me, I have five pages, may I use the Xerox machine?
In this scenario, around 60 percent of people allowed him to cut in line and use the machine first.

In the next scenario, the request was slightly tweaked. This time the participant said:

I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine, because I'm in a rush?
Did you see the ever-so-subtle difference between the two?

Let's break this down: Not only was the request only minimally changed, but the "because" (his reason) was barely a reason at all! "Because I'm in a rush" wouldn't stand up as a good excuse for most of us, right? Isn't a majority of the working world in a rush?

Despite what we might like to believe, around 94 percent of people allowed him to cut in line this time!

If you think that's strange, check out the request used in the third and final test:

Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make copies?
That went from having a barely passable reason to absolutely no reason at all for letting the man cut. In spite of this, 93 percent of people let him cut on this third trial, only a 1 percent drop from when he had a weak reason ("I'm in a rush") and a 33 percent improvement vs. the first test.

According to Cialdini, "A well-known principle of human behavior says that when we ask someone to do us a favor we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do."

Here's the bottom line: Many companies are proud of the features that their product (or service) can offer, and that's fine, but you have to remember that when you are focusing on writing persuasive copy, it all comes down to answering your customer's #1 question: What's in it for me?

Although "because" may appear to have some sort of brainwashing effect on people at Xerox machines, it's only really a matter of reasoning: Even giving weak reasons has been shown to be more persuasive than giving no reason at all.

Only trumpet features and product traits you are proud of when they help make your point. Use them to create an incentive for customers to take action. And use "because" when pointing out these compelling reasons, but don't rely on it as a crutch.

4. Instantly

The subject of delayed gratification is an important one among neuroscientists, as many famous studies (such as the Stanford marshmallow experiment) showcase how being able to delay rewards to a later date is a skill needed to become successful. (I know very few entrepreneurs who would argue against that.)

The reason this interests us as marketers is because it reveals an interesting aspect of human nature...

We want things yesterday!

Several MRI studies have shown just how fired up our mid-brain gets when we envision instant rewards, and how it's our frontal cortex that's activated when it comes to waiting for something (that's a no-no for sales).

Words like "instant," "immediately," or even "fast" are triggers for flipping the switch on that mid-brain activity.

If you are in the business of selling web-based software, you already have an advantage here: "instant access" isn't a vague promise, it's often the reality. For those in the physical products or services business, reminding customers that they will receive their product quickly (or someone will get in touch with them ASAP) can go a long way in being the gentle push they need to buy.

We've seen how even "tightwad customers" can be swayed with these subtle changes in language to insinuate fast pain removal. It's a reliable tactic for converting more prospects into customers as long as you follow the one golden rule:

Always deliver on your promises. And, whenever possible, over-deliver.

This is an area where many businesses get too optimistic, and although it's smart to emphasis these instant rewards, it's also always a good idea to under-promise and over-deliver, so be sure you can actually follow through on your promises or you may end up with a "tribe" that hates your guts.

5. New

This one almost seems paradoxical.

According neuroimaging research, we actually respond more favorably to recognized brands, and can have a hefty amount of disdain for any drastic changes. (Remember New Coke? Oh, the horror ...)

On the other hand, it's long been known that novelty plays an incredibly important role in activating our brain's reward center and in keeping us content with our products.

"Newness" is important to products, especially because research has shown that they age far more quickly than "experiential" purchases. (In other words, you'll hate your new headphones in two years, but that concert you went to five years ago probably aged in your mind like a fine wine.)

How can you achieve a zen-like balance against these two contradictory sides of the same word?

The important things to consider here are which parts of your business generate trust, and which parts generate utility. It's your brand that creates trust, and as the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Your products however are what customers get utility out of, and stagnant offerings are your first class ticket to an abysmally bored user base.

Your core brand elements like your unique selling proposition, your dazzling customer service and your quality offering in the marketplace should be approached with excessive caution if things are going well.

With your products, it's far easier to excite customers with new features and polish. Even if things don't work out perfectly, a majority of customers will appreciate innovation attempts over no progression at all (unless you pull a Digg v4 and ruin everything in one fell swoop).

New fixes to old problems, new features and improvements, a fresh new design, or even new ways of getting your message out there (Red Bull anyone?) are all essential for keeping your customers "on their toes," without losing the trust that has cemented you as an awesome brand in their mind.

Read more - 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gregory-ciotti/copywriting-for-business_b_2286336.html?utm_hp_ref=business&ir=Business

OPP cannot find 200 vehicles listed in its fleet database -

OPP cannot find 200 vehicles listed in its fleet database - 



Ontario auditor general Jim McCarter released his 2012 annual report today. Here are some highlights:


— The province plans to write off $1.4 billion of $2.4 billion in unpaid taxes, almost all of it from businesses.

— Metrolinx, the transportation planning agency, has trouble controlling project costs and Presto will be among the most expensive fare-card systems in the world at more than $700 million in development fees.

— The Drive Clean program for cars and light trucks does little to help reduce vehicle emissions.

— Waiting lists for long-term care homes have tripled since 2005, and last year 15 per cent of patients on a list last year died before getting into a home.

— Up to 30 per cent of x-rays, ultrasounds and CT scans done at 800 privately-owned clinics are unnecessary, but not enough people are being tested for breast, colorectal and cervical cancers.

— Overtime cost for Ontario Provincial Police officers jumped 60 per cent since 2004 to $53 million in 2011/12.

— The OPP cannot find 200 vehicles listed in its fleet database.

— Forty-three per cent of adult criminal charges are withdrawn or stayed in Ontario, which also has the lowest rate of convictions in Canada at 56 per cent, but officials don't know why.

Read more - 
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/12/12/ontario-auditor-general-report_n_2286497.html

Scientists aim to treat autoimmune diseases with worm-based therapy -

Scientists aim to treat autoimmune diseases with worm-based therapy - 



For more than 20 years, scientists have been studying the theory of the hygiene hypothesis – the idea that organisms we might consider dangerous today were actually protecting our immune systems before modern medicine existed.
In the 19th century, autoimmune diseases – like Crohn’s, multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes – were virtually non-existent. Since people didn’t frequently bathe or wash their hands as often (nor was hand sanitizer around), the filth actually activated an immune response. Subsequently, those who live in third-world countries also have a lower rate of developing these sorts of diseases.

Scientists at Coronado Biosciences are using immunotherapy biologic agents to treat autoimmune diseases, including helminthic therapy, the use of parasitic worms to modulate the immune system. They’ve seen the success the therapy has had on patients suffering from Crohn’s disease, so they’ve started three trials in which they hope to prevent and treat type 1 diabetes using Trichuris suis ova (TSO), or the eggs of a pig whipworm.
“You’re resetting the balance so that instead of attacking itself, the immune system is attacking what it’s supposed to attack, which is outside bacteria."
- Dr. Karin Hehenberger, chief medical officer of Coronado Biosciences
“We give them in a solution, so it’s essentially a liquid that is a saline solution, and these eggs are microscopic; you can’t see them – they are odorless, tasteless,” Dr. Karin Hehenberger, chief medical officer of Coronado Biosciences, told FoxNews.com.
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease, typically diagnosed in children and adolescents.  The condition is marked by high levels of sugar in the blood, caused when beta cells in the pancreas produce little to no insulin – the body’s blood sugar regulator.
Symptoms include being very thirsty and/or hungry, feeling tired and having blurry eyesight, among other things.
Hehenberger said having the whipworm ova in a diabetic’s body could reset his or her immune system, much like it does for Crohn’s patients.
“You’re resetting the balance so that instead of attacking itself, the immune system is attacking what it’s supposed to attack, which is outside bacteria,” she said.
Dr. Joel Weinstock, professor and director of gastroenterology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, began using parasitic worms on mice with a vast array of medical problems in the 1990s: asthma, type 1 diabetes, MS and inflammatory bowel disease. He noticed the calming effect the parasites had on these animals’ immune systems.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/12/05/scientists-aim-to-treat-prevent-diabetes-with-worm-based-therapy/?test=latestnews

Spanish police have arrested a woman with 1.38 kilograms (3 pounds) of cocaine concealed in her breast implants -

Spanish police have arrested a woman with 1.38 kilograms (3 pounds) of cocaine concealed in her breast implants - 



Spanish authorities say they have arrested a Panamanian woman arriving at Barcelona airport with 1.38 kilograms (3 pounds) of cocaine concealed in breast implants.

The Interior Ministry said Wednesday that border police noticed fresh scars and blood-stained gauze on her chest as well as pale patches beneath her skin.

The woman said she had recently had breast implant surgery. The statement said police were suspicious and sent her to a local hospital where the implants were removed and found to contain cocaine.

The woman arrived in Spain from Bogota, Colombia.

European authorities routinely submit passengers arriving from Latin America to stringent checks to combat drug smuggling.

Read more - 
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_SPAIN_COCAINE_IMPLANTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-12-12-07-06-07

Thieves grab 400 tonnes of corn from Quebec farm in bold heist using at least a dozen large trucks -

Thieves grab 400 tonnes of corn from Quebec farm in bold heist using at least a dozen large trucks - 



You’ve heard of corn on the cob but what about corn on the lam?

Thieves using at least a dozen large trucks struck at a farm in central Quebec overnight Tuesday, making off with an estimated 400 tonnes of the product.

The farmer who owns the crop estimates the value of the theft at $140,000.

The unidentified farmer says the corn had been stored in silos at the farm located about 130 kilometres northeast of Montreal.

Thieves broke locked fences to get onto the property in St-Leonard-d’Aston and then neutralized the alarm system, even shorting out surveillance cameras.

Corn prices have increased significantly in recent months because of a drought in the United States last summer.

The corn heist is the latest bizarre agricultural theft in Quebec.

About 16,000 barrels of maple syrup were stolen from a warehouse in St-Louis-de-Blandford earlier this year.

Read more - 
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1300901--thieves-grab-400-tonnes-of-corn-from-quebec-farm-in-bold-heist

Not Just Buses, Street Lights Are Also Recording Conversations -

Not Just Buses, Street Lights Are Also Recording Conversations - 


News that the government is set to expand the nationwide installation of surveillance bugs on buses that record conversations serves as a reminder that similar systems are also being readied for street lights, along with a host of other devices.

“Government officials are quietly installing sophisticated audio surveillance systems on public buses across the country to eavesdrop on passengers, according to documents obtained by The Daily. Plans to implement the technology are under way in cities from San Francisco to Hartford, Conn., and Eugene, Ore., to Columbus, Ohio.”
Michael Brick warns that the device will be able to, “transcribe the individual conversations of every passenger riding on a public bus,” at the behest of authorities adding that the DHS-funded project represents a horrendous affront to privacy laws.
However, as we have previously documented, buses are by no means the only place where big brother will not only be watching, but listening too.
As we first reported last year, high tech street lights with “homeland security applications” are now being installed in major U.S. cities.
A press release put out by Amerlux earlier this year announced the company’s partnership with Illuminating Concepts to further advance the rollout of ‘Intellistreets’. The announcement confirms that the street lights will have a number of “homeland security features” including a loudspeaker system that will be used to “engage captive audiences”.
Not only can the street lights, now being rolled out in Detroit, Chicago and Pittsburgh with Department of Energy backing, act as surveillance cameras, Minority Report-style advertising hubs, and Homeland Security alert systems, they are “also capable of recording conversations,” according to a report by ABC 7.
According to the companies behind the system, Intellistreets spying hubs that double as street lights are expected to “become commonplace” not only on regular streets but also for “retail malls, sports venues, on college campuses, and in new construction.”
In addition to the Intellistreets system, gunshot detectors which have been installed in major cities for years are already recording public conversations.The ACLU responded by noting that, “It is not generally legal for law enforcement (or anyone else) to make audio recordings of conversations in which they are not a participant without a warrant.”
Televisions, computers and cellphones are also set to utilize technology that records conversations in order to bombard users with invasive targeted advertising. Verizon recently followed Google’s lead and officially filed a patent for a set-top box that will actively spy on Americans in their own homes.
In an article we published back in 2006, we highlighted the fact that, “Digital cable TV boxes, such as Scientific Atlanta, have had secret in-built microphones inside them since their inception in the late 1990′s.”
App providers on the Android network also now require users to agree to a condition that, “Allows the app to record audio with the microphone,” on cellphones and other ‘smart’ devices. “This permission allows the app to record audio at any time without your confirmation,” states the text of the agreement.
Virtually every new technological device now being manufactured that is linked to the Internet has the capability to record conversations and send them back to a central hub. Is it really any wonder therefore that former CIA director David Petraeus heralded the arrival of the “smart home” as a boon for “clandestine statecraft”?
People are now willingly planting bugs on their own property with scant regard for basic privacy considerations, while the world around them is also being turned into a 24/7 surveillance grid that outstrips Orwell’s worst nightmare – all in the name of convenience, safety and security.

Read more -
http://www.prisonplanet.com/not-just-buses-street-lights-are-also-recording-conversations.html

Smugglers have come up with yet another creative way to get drugs in the USA - Cannon used to shoot drugs into US -

Smugglers have come up with yet another creative way to get drugs in the USA - Cannon used to shoot drugs into US - 



U.S. Border Patrol agents say smugglers have come up with yet another creative way to get drugs in the country - a cannon.

Authorities say 33 cans of marijuana were spotted Friday in a field near where the Colorado River crosses the U.S.-Mexico border. They believe the cans were launched about 500 feet into the U.S. using a pneumatic-powered cannon.

After searching the area, agents recovered a carbon dioxide tank.

Mexican authorities were also notified and searched their side of the border.

The 85 pounds of marijuana found in the cans had an estimated value of $42,500.

Authorities say Border Patrol agents in the Yuma sector near the Arizona-California border are adapting and shifting resources as smugglers come up with new ways of transporting their contraband.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/12/11/5047569/border-patrol-cannon-used-to-shoot.html

3-mile-wide asteroid to buzz planet Earth tonight -

3-mile-wide asteroid to buzz planet Earth tonight - 


A giant asteroid will make a flyby of Earth over the next few days, and armchair astronomers can watch the action live on their computers.
The near-Earth asteroid 4179 Toutatis, which is about 3 miles wide, will zoom within 4.3 million miles of Earth during its closest approach early Wednesday morning, Dec. 12. That's too far away to pose any impact threat on this pass, but close enough to put on a pretty good show through top-notch telescopes, researchers say.
And some of those scopes will be tracking Toutatis' movements for the benefit of skywatchers around the world. The online Slooh Space Camera and Virtual Telescope Project, for example, will both stream live, free footage of the asteroid from professional-quality observatories.
Slooh will webcast Toutatis views from a scope in the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa beginning at 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT) Dec. 11. Another show will follow at 10 p.m. EST tonight (0300 GMT Wednesday), with footage from an instrument in Arizona. You can watch them at Slooh's website: http://www.slooh.com.
Both shows will feature commentary from Slooh president Patrick Paolucci and Astronomy Magazine columnist Bob Berman. [Photos: Asteroids in Deep Space]
"Slooh technical staff will let the public follow this fast-moving asteroid in two different ways. In one view, the background stars will be tracked at their own rate and the asteroid will appear as an obvious streak or a moving time-lapse dot across the starry field," Berman said in a statement.
"In a second view, Toutatis itself will be tracked and held steady as a tiny pointlike object, while Earth's spin makes the background stars whiz by as streaks," Berman added. "Both methods will make the asteroid's speedy orbital motion obvious as it passes us in space."
Meanwhile, the Virtual Telescope Project — which is run by Gianluca Masi of Bellatrix Astronomical Observatory in Italy — will offer its own free webcast Thursday at 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT), complete with commentary from astrophysicists.
You can see that video stream here: http://www.virtualtelescope.eu/webtv/


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2012/12/11/huge-asteroid-to-pass-earth-tonight/