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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Carol Burnett to win top US humor prize in DC

FILE - In this March 19, 1978 black-and-white file photo, Carol Burnett shares a laugh with Tim Conway during taping of her final show , in Los Angeles. Burnett, who honed her humor on Broadway and landed her own comedy show on television in 1967, will win the nation?s top humor prize. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced Tuesday that Burnett will receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Oct. 20 in Washington. A gala performance featuring top names in comedy will be taped and broadcast nationally Oct. 30 on PBS. (AP Photo/ George Brich, File)

FILE - In this March 12, 2008 file photo, actress and comedienne Carol Burnett performs her famous Tarzan yell during her appearance on the NBC "Today" television program in New York. Burnett, who honed her humor on Broadway and landed her own comedy show on television in 1967, will win the nation?s top humor prize. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced Tuesday that Burnett will receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Oct. 20 in Washington. A gala performance featuring top names in comedy will be taped and broadcast nationally Oct. 30 on PBS. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Carol Burnett, who became famous for playing a variety of characters in sketch comedy routines on her namesake television show, was named the winner of the nation's top humor prize on Tuesday.

The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts said Burnett will receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Oct. 20 in Washington. A gala performance featuring top names in comedy will be taped and broadcast nationally Oct. 30 on PBS.

The 80-year-old Burnett said she can't believe she is receiving the prize from the Kennedy Center.

"It's almost impossible to be funnier than the people in Washington," she said in a statement.

Burnett had her breakout on Broadway in "Once Upon a Mattress," performing at night in 1959 while also appearing in the mornings on TV's "The Garry Moore Show." She is best known for her own long-running variety show, "The Carol Burnett Show." It ran from 1967 to 1978, averaging 30 million viewers a week on CBS. Her guest stars included Lucille Ball, Jimmy Stewart, Ronald Reagan and Betty White.

Burnett was born in San Antonio in 1933. She soon moved to Hollywood with her mother and grandmother and was raised in a small studio apartment. She received an anonymous donation to attend college at UCLA, where she studied journalism and took an acting class.

Burnett moved to New York City, where she staged musical revues and performed in nightclubs. She was spotted by talent bookers and soon performed her rendition of "I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles" on television.

Kennedy Center Chairman David Rubenstein called Burnett a "unique and beloved entertainer."

"From her television program and appearances, as well as her performances on Broadway and in film, Carol Burnett has entertained generations of fans with her vibrant wit and hilarious characters," he said in announcing the prize.

The Mark Twain Prize honors people who have an impact on society in the tradition of Samuel Clemens, better known as Twain, as a social commentator and satirist. Previous honorees include Bill Cosby, Steve Martin, Tina Fey and Ellen DeGeneres, who won last year.

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Kennedy Center: http://www.kennedy-center.org

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Follow Brett Zongker online at https://twitter.com/DCArtBeat

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-05-21-Humor%20Prize-Carol%20Burnett/id-aeeef76bec7647299ddd1a3c305784f8

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Arias trial wraps for day after series of motions

Jodi Arias watches as her defense attorneys Jennifer Wilmott, center, and Kirk Nurmi ask to withdraw from the case on Monday, May 20, 2013, during the penalty phase of her Arias' murder trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Ariz. The judge promptly denied their request. Arias was convicted of first-degree murder on May 8, 2013 in the stabbing and shooting to death of Travis Alexander, 30, in his suburban Phoenix home in June 2008. (The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)

Judge Sherry Stephens meets with prosecutor Juan Martinez, left, and defense attorneys Jennifer Wilmott and Kirk Nurmi, right, after denying a motion for mistrial on Monday, May 20, 2013 during the penalty phase of Jodi Arias' murder trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Ariz. Arias was convicted May 8, 2013 of first-degree murder in the stabbing and shooting to death of Travis Alexander, 30, in his suburban Phoenix home in June 2008. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)

Jodi Arias cries as Steven Alexander, brother of murder victim Travis Alexander, makes his "victim impact statement" to the jury on Thursday, May 16, 2013, during the penalty phase of the Jodi Arias trial at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix. Jodi Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in the stabbing and shooting to death of Travis Alexander, 30, in his suburban Phoenix home in June 2008. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher, Pool)

PHOENIX (AP) ? Defense attorneys for Jodi Arias asked the judge to remove them from the case and declare a mistrial Monday, arguing the frenzy surrounding the case has created a modern-day witch hunt.

The judge denied both motions, and Arias planned to take the stand Tuesday. Jurors will find out then if she tells them the same thing she told a local reporter: She'd rather be executed than spend her life in prison.

Defense attorneys told the judge they would call no witnesses after a key witness refused to take the stand because of death threats.

They argued the attention the case has received has made it impossible for Arias to receive a fair trial. Defense lawyer Kirk Nurmi alleged the prosecutor has fanned the flames with incendiary attacks on witnesses, stirring up outrage among the public. He noted an earlier defense expert witness also received death threats.

"This cannot be a modern day version ... of witch trials," Nurmi said.

After Judge Sherry Stephens denied their mistrial request, Nurmi and defense lawyer Jennifer Willmott asked to withdraw. The judge promptly rejected that request, too.

It was the second time in the past week that the defense has asked to step down.

The defense attorneys continued with their protest of the unfavorable rulings by saying they had no plans to call any witnesses, sending the court into recess as the lawyers worked to resolve the next step. They later decided Arias would speak to the jury Tuesday.

Arias, a close friend from California and an ex-boyfriend had been expected to speak to jurors before the panel begins deliberating whether to sentence the 32-year-old to life in prison or execution for murdering her lover in 2008.

The same jury convicted Arias on May 8 of first-degree murder in the death of Travis Alexander.

Last week, the panel heard tearful comments from Alexander's brother and sister as they described how his killing has torn apart their lives.

Stephens instructed jurors they could consider a handful of factors when deciding what sentence to impose, including the fact that Arias had no previous criminal record. Stephens said they also could consider defense assertions that Arias is a good friend, had an abusive childhood and is a talented artist.

In opening statements, prosecutor Juan Martinez told jurors none of those factors should cause them to even consider a sentence other than death, given the brutal nature of the killing.

Nurmi explained to jurors that once they understand "who Ms. Arias is, you will understand that life is the appropriate sentence."

Arias acknowledged killing Alexander at his suburban Phoenix home on June 4, 2008. She initially denied any involvement and later blamed the attack on masked intruders. Two years after her arrest, Arias said she killed Alexander in self-defense.

The victim suffered nearly 30 knife wounds, had his throat slit from ear to ear and was shot in the forehead. Prosecutors say the attack was fueled by jealous rage after Alexander wanted to end his affair with Arias and prepared to take a trip to Mexico with another woman.

The jury deliberated for about 15 hours over four days before reaching a verdict in the guilt phase of the trial. The panel later took less than three hours to determine the killing was especially cruel, meaning the death penalty would be a consideration for sentencing.

The ongoing penalty proceedings make up the trial's final phase. Jurors are expected to begin deliberating Arias' ultimate fate this week.

Under Arizona law, if the jury cannot reach a unanimous decision on sentencing, the panel will be dismissed and jury selection will begin anew. Another panel would then be seated to hear arguments in only the penalty phase to determine a sentence. If the second panel cannot reach a unanimous agreement, the judge will then sentence Arias to either her entire life in prison or life in prison with the possibility of release after 25 years.

The most anticipated part of the penalty phase will be when Arias speaks to jurors, though exactly what she will say remains a mystery. Within minutes of her murder conviction, Arias complicated efforts for her defense when she gave the interview to Fox affiliate KSAZ, saying she preferred death over life in prison.

Arizona defense attorney Thomas Gorman, who has handled dozens of death penalty cases, said Martinez may not need to mention Arias' comments in the television interview to jurors, given they haven't been sequestered throughout the trial.

"They just can't avoid it," Gorman said. "If they're at a bar or a restaurant, they're going to see and hear things."

Arias also cannot choose the death penalty. It's up to the jury to determine a sentence. And while death penalty appeals are automatic in Arizona, she could choose not to pursue additional appeals if she indeed wanted to die for her crime.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-05-20-US-Boyfriend-Slaying/id-3548a2ab1a824dc482a2a25df3458252

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Alteryx Raises $12M For Data Analytics Platform That Shapes Data Into Apps

Alteryx has raised $12 million for its business intelligence service designed for data analysts to build tools out of their own internal data and that from third parties. The investment comes from SAP Ventures and Toba Capital, a new firm founded by former Quest Founder and CEO Vinny Smith.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/N601gY7vBFE/

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Kepler, a prolific hunter for other Earths, is suddenly in trouble (+video)

Kepler's quest for an Earth-like planet orbiting a sun-like star has been put on hold, NASA said, after the spacecraft sensed it was facing in the wrong direction and put itself in 'safe mode.'

By Pete Spotts,?Staff writer / May 15, 2013

This file artist's rendering shows the Kepler space telescope. NASA scientists are attempting to repair the spacecraft after it apparently lost its long-distance planet-hunting abilities. Kepler has been collecting data for 4 years, scientists hope it will be able to continue to do so.

AP Photo/NASA, File

Enlarge

The planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft?s dramatic, some would say romantic, quest for an Earth-like exoplanet orbiting a star in its habitable zone has suddenly been put on hold, NASA officials said Tuesday, while engineers try to figure out what caused the craft to lose its ability to point itself at its distant targets.

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The spacecraft is essentially hibernating, NASA said at a hastily called briefing late Wednesday afternoon, having put itself into "safe mode" on Sunday after sensing it was pointing in the wrong direction.

Controllers discovered the glitch Tuesday during their twice-a-week touch-base with the craft, currently some 40 million miles away in an Earth-like orbit around the sun.

When the craft is in safe mode, thrusters control its orientation, rather than the fast-spinning ?reaction wheels? that normally provide stability. The craft uses these wheels to maintain the exquisite pointing precision needed to relentlessly stare at stars long enough to detect the telltale dimming imposed by a planet as its orbit carries it in front of the star.

As controllers tried to restart the craft's reaction wheels Tuesday, one of the wheels woke up, then balked. This left the craft with two functioning wheels. It needs three to resume observing the patch of sky that for four years it has scanned for Earth-like planets in Earth-like orbits around sun-like stars.

While the malfunction is serious, NASA officials were not ready Wednesday to declare the mission over.

"The loss of the reaction wheel is not good news," said Charles Sobeck, Kepler's deputy project manager at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif.

The goal now is to place the craft in an operating mode that reduces the use of its thrusters in order to preserve fuel and "take the time to figure out what to do next," he said.

Kepler was launched in March 2009 as a kind of planetary census taker. The mission's aim is to observe the same 170,000 stars in a hunt for rocky planets orbiting in their stars' habitable zones ? roughly defined as a distance that leaves a planet's surface not too hot or not too cold, but just right for liquid water to persist on its surface. Liquid water is a key prerequisite for organic life.

To date, Kepler has found Earth-mass planets. And it has found larger, super-Earths orbiting in their star's habitable zones. The Kepler team has yet to uncover its ultimate planets. But after bagging more than 2,700 planet-candidates so far, finding the first "just right" extra-solar planet isn't far off, says William Borucki, the mission's lead scientist.

"I'm absolutely delighted that we've got all this data," he said at the briefing. "The mission was designed for four years. It operated four years. It gave us excellent data for four years. On the other hand, I would have been even happier if it continues another four years."

The discoveries the additional data would have yielded "would have been in some sense frosting on the cake," he acknowledged. "But we have an excellent cake."

If Kepler can't be revived, analyzing the 2,700 planet-candidates in the queue so far will keep the team busy for at least two more years, he noted.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/ZE4vVXTt7jQ/Kepler-a-prolific-hunter-for-other-Earths-is-suddenly-in-trouble-video

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Monday, May 20, 2013

Table for 7: Crock Pot Sweet Pork #SundaySupper

How is every one's weekend? Whew..mine has been busy! My mom has been visiting since Thursday, all the kids had events at their school yesterday (4 kids, 2 different schools) then, we had a BBQ on Saturday with my sisters and their families. A ton of fun, but, ah!?

I very much looking forward to getting a bit of rest today.

Oh..speaking of today...

I am so excited! It's my very first #SundaySupper!

What is #SundaySupper???It's a?fabulous?group of bloggers that join together each week to share recipes and ?stories It's a great way to connect with some bloggers you have always read or meet some new ones. ?Awesome, right? ?OK, so, for my first week the theme is the slow cooker! ?Can you believe it? I was so darn excited. ?You guys know how much I love my crock pot :)

This dish is so easy. ?Like, make with your eyes closed easy. Yes. Three simple ingredients. Three?ingredients?that you may just have sitting around your kitchen right now. ?The other greatness is you can make it hot or not. ?Depending on your salsa taste, this can be a seriously hot pork or a nice, mild one.?

I paired ours with my homemade salsa..it was delicious! Enjoyed by the entire?family.
{you could pair this combo with chicken too}

Crock Pot Sweet Pork

Recipe by?Butter, with a Side of Bread
Prep time:?10 minutes
Cook time:?7-8 hours
Ingredients:

2 lbs?boneless pork
2 cups?salsa
1 cup?brown sugar

Cooking Directions:

Spray crock pot or line with crock pot liners/parchment paper. Add pork into crock pot.?
In a separate bowl, mix salsa and brown sugar well. Pour over pork.?
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
Shred/cut pork before serving.

Low & Slow Breads & Starters:
Low & Slow Mains:
Low & Slow Sides:
Low & Slow Desserts:
Wine Pairing Recommendations for Low & Slow Food from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Source: http://www.ourtableforseven.com/2013/05/crock-pot-sweet-pork-sundaysupper.html

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Thirteen killed, 10 police kidnapped in Iraq violence

RAMADI, Iraq (Reuters) - Suspected Sunni Muslim militants killed four state-backed Sunni fighters in Iraq on Saturday, security sources said, apparently viewing them as collaborators with the Shi'ite-led government of a nation plagued by sectarian hatred.

Sunni-Shi'ite tensions in Iraq have been amplified by the conflict between mostly Sunni rebels and President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite-dominated forces in neighboring Syria.

The four "Sahwa" militia fighters were killed in an attack on their headquarters on the outskirts of Garma, 9 km (six miles) east of Falluja, a city in the western province of Anbar.

Gunmen also ambushed and kidnapped 10 Sunni policemen near Ramadi, the capital of Anbar, a Sunni heartland bordering Syria.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but Sunni militant groups have been behind previous violence targeting security forces in a campaign to destabilize the Baghdad government, which they reject as illegitimate.

When Sunni-Shi'ite bloodshed was at its height in 2006-07, Anbar was in the grip of al Qaeda's local affiliate, the Islamic State of Iraq, which has regained strength in recent months.

Sahwa or "Awakening" fighters are Sunni tribesmen who helped U.S. troops subdue al Qaeda in 2006. They are now on the government payroll and are often targeted by Sunni militants.

In other violence, tribesmen clashed with security forces and set four of their vehicles ablaze after a woman and three of her young children were killed in an army raid north of Ramadi.

A car bomb parked near an entrance to the town of Latifiya, south of Baghdad, killed five people, police said.

Minority Sunnis, embittered by Shi'ite dominance since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein by U.S.-led forces in 2003, have been staging street protests against Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki since December. A bloody government raid on a Sunni protest camp in Hawija last month ignited a surge of violence.

Monthly death tolls are well below those of 2006-07, when they sometimes topped 3,000, but more than 700 were killed in April by a U.N. count, the highest figure in almost five years.

At least 72 people died in attacks on Friday, 43 of them in two bombings outside a Sunni mosque in the city of Baquba.

(Reporting by Kamal Namaa in Ramadi and Raheem Salman in Baghdad; Writing by Isabel Coles; Editing by Alistair Lyon and Robin Pomeroy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eight-killed-10-policemen-kidnapped-iraqs-sunni-heartland-121606219.html

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Flashback: How Yahoo Killed Flickr and Lost the Internet

In the wake of Yahoo's $1.1 billion acquisition of beloved social platform Tumblr, it's perhaps worth looking back what the company did after it caught?and gutted?another big fish.