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Coronado beaches reopens weeks after Tijuana sewage spill … – fox5sandiego.com

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

CORONADO, Calif. Sunday was the first day in several weeks that surfers, swimmers and kids wanting to play in the the wet sand had a green light to touch the Pacific Ocean in Coronado, but miles of beach south of there remained closed due to the huge sewage spill in Tijuana.

Beaches from Avenida Lunar, one block south of the Hotel del Coronado, north to the Navy Base were declared safe Saturday evening by the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health. Testing confirmed that the water quality met state health standards.

But the beaches of Silver Strand, Imperial Beach and the border area remained off limits to water contact due to sewage flows from the Tijuana River.

The ocean shoreline from the International Border to the north end of Silver Strand at Avenida Lunar will remain closed until sampling confirms these areas are safe for water contact, the department said in a statement.

International water quality experts were blindsided last month, when a major sewage transmission line in Tijuana was closed for repairs and millions of gallons of raw sewage diverted to the Tijuana River, which flows into the United States at San Ysidro.

South Bay Clean Water Movement hosted an event Sunday called Letters at the Pier involving kids and adults writing dozens of letters after U.S. officials estimate 143 million gallons of sewage spilled from Tijuana last month.

We set up a booth today to invite everybody down to write letters to our reps and we want them to know we want action, we want clean water, said Molly Goforth with South Bay Clean Water Movement.They plan to mail the lettersto representatives this week.

Drone video provided to Fox 5 shows just how widespread the spill has impacted the Pacific Ocean.

Its worrisome because its all the same water and how do we ensure where we are swimming is still clean, said Coronado resident Devarae Loomis. I think the biggest thing is, its cleaned up and it doesnt happen again.

Currently officials with the International Boundary and Water Commission said they would look into the matter, according to the group Wildcoast. The investigation is expected to last 30 days and results are expected by April 1.

We want anyone to pay for it, we want clean water, said Goforth.

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Coronado beaches reopens weeks after Tijuana sewage spill ... - fox5sandiego.com

Delaware beaches transform into year-round destination – Delmarva Daily Times

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

The Rehoboth Beach boardwalk Monday, Feb. 20, 2017.(Photo: Staff photo by Megan Raymond)Buy Photo

It's 62degrees and the sun is shining bright. Parking spots are impossible to find onRehoboth Avenue or side streets.

Restaurants are slammed. Beachgoers crowdthe boardwalk benches, many lickingice cream cones.

And it's Feb. 20, Presidents Day.

Innovative business owners, a warming climate and an aggressive marketing plan arequickly making Delaware beaches a year-round destination.

I cant believe how much more popular its become in the (past) five years, said Peter Devlin, a school teacher like his spouse Janet. They owna homenear the Rehoboth Beach shopping outlets. Janet noted thatthe couple from Staten Islandmade their first trip to Delaware 12 years ago driving past their usual haunt at Wildwood, along the Jersey Shore.

They haven't been back to Jersey, Janet said, partly because food there "stinks."

Delaware's quest for this year-round acclimation beganin1989, when the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey BeachChamber of Commerce hiredCarol Everhartto create an event to extend the beach season into late fall. Everhart came up withthe Sea Witch Festival, which brought 5,000 people to the shore that first Halloween.

Everhart deemed the inaugural eventa failure. But Sea Witchnow brings200,000 visitors to Delaware's beaches each fall, and it's augmented with festivals focused onchocolate,sandcastles and gumbo. Then there are six events annually featuring dogs.

READ MORE: Businesses and tourists bewitched by the Sea Witch

MORE FOOD: Back Porch Cafe: four decades of cutting-edge cuisine

Restaurants are now jammed on weekday nights in January, with diners being a mix of locals andout-of-towners. Hotels are teeming with families angling forweekend-themed events. And shops are increasingly keeping theirdoors open, rather than boarding up for winter.

Matt's Fish Camp in Bethany Beach had40 employees on payrollthis February.

"Five years ago that would have been ludicrous," said Scott Kammerer, president ofSoDel Concepts, which operates 10 coastal restaurants, a food truck and a catering company. Thecompany's sales rose40 percent in February, following the busiest January ever, Kammerer said. Last June, SoDel opened a new Matt's Fish Camp in Lewes.

Its not 25 years of renaissance," said Chip Hearn,owner of The Ice Cream Store on Rehoboth Avenue since 1970. "It's25 years straightof renaissance.

You'vegot every kind of food imaginable done extraordinarilywell right here in Rehoboth, Dewey, Lewes and the Bethany area, Hearn said. Ill put it against anybody, and I go all over the country doing shows.

Inside of the Dogfish Head Brewings and Eats located in Rehoboth Beach, De.(Photo: Staff Photo by Megan Raymond)

When Dogfish Head opened on Rehoboth Beach in 1996, 80 percent of the businesses closed after the season. Now, 80 percent are open year-round in some type of variation likeThursday to Sunday a few weeks out of the year, Everhart said.

Twenty-one years ago, Dogfish Head founder SamCalagione notes, his business "wasthe smallest commercial brewery in America, and people thought we were insane when we announced that we were going to be open year-round."

Today, Dogfish Head is one of the nations 25 largest craft brewers out of more than 6,000. The company operates a production brewery in Milton, a seafood restaurant-brewpubin Rehoboth Beach, which it is renovating and expanding, and a beer-themed inn in Lewes. Dogfish employs more than 250 workers and producesmore than 260,000 barrels of beer per year.

Calagione agrees that the dining scene at the Delaware beaches is a big draw. But he points to one thing that has not changedsince Sea Witch was conceived the naturalbeauty of the coastline and Rehoboth's iconic boardwalk.

"It's made coastal Delaware not just a tourist destination," he said, "but a relocation destination."

Janet and Peter Devlin, of Staten Island, N.Y., have a part time home in Rehoboth that they visit frequently through the year.(Photo: Staff photo by Megan Raymond)

Regina Henise snuggledher husband, Fred,as he held a bowl of Kilwin's ice cream. Two spoons dipped into the melty cappuccinoas the York, Pennsylvania couple watched the Presidents Daycrowdgrow onRehoboth Beach's boardwalk.

On a picture-perfect day,boardwalk benches were filled,gulls cawed for Thrasher's French Fries and the trash cans filled to capacity as waves lapped gently on shore.

Regina and Fred have been visitingthe Rehoboth area for 37 years, but had never seen it this busy during winter.

Clearly, the weather has helped.

Like the planet as a whole, Delaware is getting warmer. Over the last half century in Lewes, the average winter temperaturehas gone up 3degrees, the growing season is longerand the number of days below freezing hasdeclined by almost half, according to a study by the Office of the Delaware State Climatologist completed in 2010.

"Lewes has quite a few more mild winter nights now than it used to back in the mid-20th century," said Kevin Brinson, associate state climatologist and director of the Delaware Environmental Observing System.

And experts predictDelaware'sweather will only get warmer.

Rehoboth Beach, De. boardwalk Monday, Feb. 20, 2017.(Photo: Staff Photo by Megan Raymond)

Delaware officials hired Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist and director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University, to project future climate trends.Hayhoe, working with state Climatologist Daniel Leathers, projected temperatures will increase another 1.5 to 2 degrees. By mid-century, temperatures will rise 2.5 to 4.5 degrees. And by century's endtemperatures are expected to rise somewhere between 3.5 and 9.5 degrees.

That would puta typical winter day atRehoboth Beach in the mid-50s during January and February, rather than the mid-40s of today.

READ MORE: Bethany Jazz Funeral mourners say 'goodbye' to summer

Warmer temperatures have a downside, though.For low-lying states like Delaware, the implications are significant. Delaware has already spent millions of dollars to pump sand from the shoals offshore back onto beaches sand that's lost with each passing storm. The federal government has contributed millions more with major, ongoing sand restoration and repair projects from Broadkill Beach along Delaware Bay south to Wallops Island in Virginia.

In the last century, sea level has risen a foot at Breakwater Harbor in Lewes, and slightly more at the Ocean City, Marylandinlet. Sealevel rise is expected to accelerate in the coming decades.

Rehoboth loses a foot or two of sand each year and Rehoboth is slightly higher than the rest of Delawares coast, positioned as it is on a headland. But along the billion-dollar boardwalk, with the giant, neon orange sign advertising Dolles popcorn and saltwater taffy, the risk is real.

Rehoboth Beach, De. boardwalk Monday, Feb. 20, 2017.(Photo: Staff Photo by Megan Raymond)

The other problem is that as the ocean off the Mid-Atlantic coast warms, storms could get stronger. The biggest hurricanes Delawareans typically experience are category 1,with winds of 74 to 95 miles per hour and a storm surge of 4 to 5 feet. That means storm surge as we know it would be even higher as sea level rises and if stormsbecome more powerful.

With every big storm, Delaware's governor and congressional delegation push for new federal funding forso-called beach renourishment projects. But the administration of President Donald Trump has yet to weigh in on whether it will support ongoing efforts to dredge sand offshore of America's beaches, then pump it onshore and smooth it to perfection.

CLOSER LOOK:Is the cost of OC, Del., beach replenishment worth it?

When the sun's shining and the beaches are manicured, visitors come.

"Unless we have a bad weather situation, they (tourists) are here," Everhart said.

In 2010, the chamberestimated 6,998,700visitors came to theCoastal Highway, Rehobothdowntown and Dewey Beach area.By 2015, the number jumped to nearly 8 million. As 2016 calculations roll in,Everhart expects even more growth ahead.

When they arrived at Lewes in mid-February from Dallas, where their hometown has been heating up year-round,Colin and Taylor Zreetwere hoping for cooler weather.The millennials planned their one-year anniversary trip around their shared loved of craft beer, and Dogfish Head was a big draw, they said, as they sat next to acrackling fire at the Dogfish Inn on another 60-degreeday in late February.

Taylor and Colin Zreet of, Dallas, Texas, talk about planning their vacation to the area on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017.(Photo: Staff photo by Megan Raymond)

It was the couple's first time visiting the Delaware coast, and in just a few daysthe quiet beaches, outdooractivities and dining made an impression.

We dontreally get good seafood in north Texas, Taylor Zreet said. We're determined to eat seafood for every dinner while were here.

The Zreets weren't the only newcomers in town either. Vince and Cindy Roback, of Pasadena, Maryland were spending their first weekend in the Lewes and Rehoboth Beach area. The Maryland couple, who enjoyoutdoor activities, always knew about the area, but had only really heard about Grotto Pizza.

After 24 hours, that's all changed.

"I wasnt even here 10 minutes, and I said, 'Were coming back,'" said Vince Roback.

If a first-rate dining scene, a warm climate with clean beaches and events like Sea Witch, brought tourists from all backgrounds to the Delaware beaches, it was CAMP Rehoboth that unified them in the late 1990s.

Creating A More Positive Rehoboth started in 1991 as an organization that lobbiedfor the commonality of people whether theyare gay, lesbian or straight, according to Executive Director and co-founder Steve Elkins.

CAMP Rehoboth became the resource for outreach in Rehoboth to unite the community and fight for equal rights.After sexual orientation incidentsin the early 1990s clouded the city's future toward welcoming the gay and lesbian community, city police and officials told Elkins they were not going to let discrimination standanymore.

"It became a little more acceptable for two men or two women to walk down the boardwalk holding hands, knowing the police were going to protect them as opposed to harassthem," Elkins said.

The communities continued to bond together and in 1997, then-Gov. Tom Carper signed hate crimes legislation adding sexual orientation into Delaware law at a ceremony in front of Rehoboth Beach's City Hall.

Rehoboth Beach, De. boardwalk Monday, Feb. 20, 2017.(Photo: Staff Photo by Megan Raymond)

Businesses in Rehoboththat didn't feel comfortable expressing themselves before the legislation was signed into law were suddenly empowered, Elkins said. Now, Rehoboth Beach is consistently touted as a top LGBT destination whether it is for nightlife, beaches or dining.

"That was really a turning point when the city said, 'We value the LGBTof course then it was just gay and lesbiancommunity contributions to our city. It was amazing how many gay and lesbian business owners finally stood up and said, 'You've been coming to my shop forever, and I'm gay or I'm a lesbian. We're friends."

Sam Cooper, who is enteringhis 27th year as Rehoboth Beach mayor, basks in the warmaffection his community enjoys. But Cooper has been steadfast in working to keep the city's most importanttraits the same as they were when he started.

As somebody who lives here, its been my home my whole life;Im keen on keeping it a nice place to live, Cooper said. I think it can be a good tourist destination, but sometimes those are at odds. You have to be aware of the quality of life for the people that live here, too.

READ MORE: Ever-evolving Rehoboth is top LGBT, family destination

READ MORE: Running and fundraising are staples at area beaches

The bustling crowd over Presidents Day Weekend caused Cooperto raise an eyebrow, but he, too, enjoyed the 70-degree day on Feb. 23. He joked with the police chief heading into a meeting, remembering 6 to 8 inches of snow on the ground in previous years.

As Rehoboth grows in popularity and sophistication,Cooper doesn't want Delaware's most famous beach town to become like a quip Yogi Berra once used to describe a favorite restaurant: "Nobody goes there anymore. Its too crowded.

Adds Cooper: "Preserve the small-town charm of the city thats the key to me."

Calagione believes coastal Delaware towns have found a happy balance between commerce and quality of life.

"I think were a far way away from saturation in terms of what our community can accommodate," Calagione said. "I live in downtown Lewes with my wife and kids,and we love every season of coastal Delaware. We appreciate that its a little more chill and less frenetic in the winter.

"I think it will always stay proportional."

Fred Henise, 56, and Regina Henise, 54, share a Kilwin's ice cream on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk on Presidents Day. The York, Pennsylvania couple has been vacationing in Rehoboth Beach for 37 years.(Photo: Staff photo by Megan Raymond)

Kammerer, of SoDel Concepts, couldn't find a place to park on Rehoboth Avenue the day before Valentine's Day. He has a difficult time with that image, having become a full-time Rehoboth Beach resident in 1995.

In the 1990s, apart fromholiday weekends, Kammerer recallsparkingright in front of his condo on Rehoboth Beach Avenue.

"It was a two-and-a-half- to three-month economy for a long time," he said.

But that's all changed.

While theconsistent year-round business has allowed Kammerer to build a better company, he misses the downtime during winter that once allowed him to recharge his batteries.

MORE BEACHES:DE Seashore State Park: 50 years of family traditions

READ MORE:S. Bethany may become last town to ban beach smoking

And there's been a change to the type of families and couples visiting the Delaware beaches, Kammerer said.

In the 90s, youd see the same faces for the first week in July every year, he said. Same faces in first week of August every year. That still exists, but its not as much the bread and butter of the business.

Rehoboth Beach and the boardwalk was filled during President's Day Weekend thanks to sunshine and warm temperatures.(Photo: Staff Photo by Megan Raymond)

Instead, Kammerer finds a mix of new locals and generational tourists from years past. Everhart also has noticed that trend.

If there's a final pillar that supports the Delaware beaches' success, it's the generations that create history on its sandy shores.

When the event started over 20 years ago, they came as children with their parents," Everhart said."Now, over 20 years later, theyre coming back with their children, grandma and grandkids.

That squares with the Heinse family's 37 years of making memories here.

"Its just a place we all come to," Regina said. "Our grandchildren love to come here, and our kids love to come.They all wanted to come down when they found out we were coming yesterday... We just thought it would be a great weekend to get away since I wasoff work (Presidents Day).

"Yeah, it makes it fun. It's beautiful out."

The News Journal's Molly Murray contributed to this report. Contact Ryan Marshall at (302) 324-7704 or rmarshall@dmg.gannett.com.

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Delaware beaches transform into year-round destination - Delmarva Daily Times

Senate budget chief Latvala wants Florida’s beaches ‘done right’ – Naples Daily News

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

Florida state Sen. Jack Latvala unveils a comprehensive beach bill in Naples on March 3, 2017. Video by Ryan Mills.

State Senator Jack Latvala discuss landmark legislation to protect and restore Floridas beaches alongside state Representative Kathleen Peters during a news conference at Lowdermilk Park in Naples on Friday, March 3, 2017. (Photo: Nicole Raucheisen/Naples Daily News)Buy Photo

Saying state leaders are falling behind on their commitment to beach communities, state Sen. Jack Latvala on Fridayoutlined comprehensive legislation that would overhaul the way Florida manages its eroding shores.

Thelegislation would:

Latvala, R-Clearwater, chairman of the Senate appropriations committee, announced his plan at Lowdermilk Park in Naples, with the Gulf of Mexico lapping behind him.

Weve got tangible evidence that the health of our beaches is a big return on investment, Latvala said. Everyone acknowledges that;even the House acknowledges it. Were fighting over some of the other economic development programs. Nobody is fighting over this.

Lets at least get this done right.

Latvala's proposalcomes in the wake of the Naples Daily News'four-day "Shrinking Shores" series that outlined failures in Florida's beach management program.

Read the Shrinking Shores series:

Shrinking Shores: How Florida leaders are failing the state's famous beaches

Shrinking Shores: Florida reneges on pledges to its beaches

Shrinking Shores: Florida sand shortage leaves beaches in lurch

Shrinking Shores: Matthew's lessons for Florida's beaches

The series showed that even though beaches bring in billions annually for the state in tourism-related sales taxes, Floridas lawmakers and governors typically return less than 1 percent to the shoreline every year. Some years the statefailed to deliver the $30 million promised in a 1998 state law, and leaderseventually changed the law to greatly reduce the beach obligation.

State Representative Kathleen Peters discusses landmark legislation to protect and restore Floridas beaches alongside state Senator Jack Latvala, from left, Collier County Commissioner Burt Saunders, President of the Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association Deborah Flack, Executive Director of the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau Tamara Pigott and General Manager of the Naples Hilton Clark Hill during a news conference at Lowdermilk Park in Naples on Friday, March 3, 2017. (Photo: Nicole Raucheisen/Naples Daily News)

The series also revealed how local governmentscarry the greatest burden ofrenourishment. In some cases, coastalcommunities unable or unwilling to manage their beaches have seen their shores wash away.

The reason we are here in Naples is because of the really outstanding effort the Naples Daily News has put forward on this issue, Latvala said.

With his 22-page bill (SB 1590), Latvala is advocatingwhat would be the biggest overhaul of the states beach management system in nearly 20 years.

Among the highlights, the plan would:

Latvala was joined Friday by other state and local leaders, including Rep. Kathleen Peters, R-South Pasadena, who is sponsoring a companion bill in the House. Her bill does not include the $50 million funding minimum.

Peters said Floridas beaches do more than just drive economic development and tourism. Theyprotect homes, buildings and other infrastructure from storm damage as well.

Northeast Florida communities without well-maintained beaches were hit harder by Hurricane Matthew last October, she said, losing roads and power lines. Too many communities havent had the resources to rebuild their beaches to protect from storms, Peters said.

The beach is a natural protection, and we need to ensure were protecting the rest of our infrastructure, she said.

Collier County Commissioner Burt Saunders, who attended Fridays event, said the county is proud of its beachesand protecting them is vital.

I believe they are the most important environmental and economic asset we have in this community, Saunders said. I believe our beaches are really the driving force of our entire economy.

Instead of tackling the individual issues addressed in his bill separately, Latvala said he wanted to do one big bill that got as much of it as we could.

Youve got to look atall of it together, he said.

Establishing the three-year work plan might be the most radical proposed change. Latvala modeled it after the five-year plan the Florida Department of Transportation uses to map out road projects.

The proposal is designed to give local governments more time to prepare to fund and construct projects. Currently, projects are scored, ranked and funded on a year-by-year basis.

We look at everything from scratch every year, he said.

Latvalas bill would give DEP more direction on how to rank and prioritize projects proposed by local governments. It specifies what percentage of a projects overall score must come from each of four tiers of criteria.

For the first time, projects would be scored on their return on investment and economic impact, calculated as the ratio of tourism-related tax revenueto the total amount requested for the project and to all county tax revenue. It also prioritizes a projects potential to reduce storm damage, cost-effectiveness and the use of structures, designs or technologies to slow erosion and reduce costs.

Also for the first time, Latvalas plan would give a bump to projects that have been on DEPs list for successive years without getting funded.

To refocus attention on the states ports and inlets, the bill would provide up to 75 percent of the funding for the construction of major sand bypassing projects.

Inlets would receive at least 10 percent of the annual legislative beach appropriation.

The bill also allows for inlets to receive a percentage of the total beach funding based on the proportion of inlet to beach requests;so if inlet projects made up 25 percent of all requests, they would get 25 percent of the money.

Debbie Flack, president of the Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association, said Latvalas bill has all the parts necessary to preserve the states beaches well into the future

I think it writes the next chapter of Floridas program to preserve its beaches and its brand, she said of the bill.

Latvala acknowledged that filing the bill is only the first step in the process, but he said his leadership position in the Senate should help its chances.

Every year is a juggling act with the budget. But usually the priorities of the leaders get funded, so this is my priority this year, he said.

I dont have a higher priority in terms of the 15 bills that I sponsored this year.

Pensacola Beach readies for spring breaker crowds – Pensacola News Journal

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

Melissa Nelson Gabriel , mnelsongab@pnj.com Published 11:48 a.m. CT March 4, 2017 | Updated 12:41 p.m. CT March 4, 2017

Spring Break 2015 on Pensacola Beach(Photo: Ben Twingley/btwingley@pnj.com)Buy Photo

Pensacola Beach leaders are gearing up for spring break crowds and hoping that the thousands of college and high school students expected to visit the area during the next two months follow the rules.

Law officers are prepared for any spring break-related mayhem, said Lt. Frank Forte, director of the Escambia County Sheriff's Office substation on the beach.

"We will be out in full force, as we always are this time of year," Forte said.

Local leaders expected big crowds in 2016 following a crackdown on spring break revelry on Panama City Beach. That spring break mecca strengthened alcohol restrictions and passed other ordinances designed to curtail massive spring break crowds after a string of incidents including a house party shooting and a gang rape during spring break 2015.

But Forte said the expected crowds didn't show up on Pensacola Beach.

"We were expecting a lot more spring breakers than we had last year because of Panama City," he said. "The last few years, it hasn't been bad out here. We always expect an influx of kids for spring break, but we are prepared for it."

Beach leaders have emphasized a family friendly atmosphere when marketing the area.

Steve Hayes, president of Visit Pensacola, said the local tourism marketing office focuses its spring break advertising on people looking for family getaways and does not spend advertising dollars to target college campuses.

"When you say spring break, people think it is a college thing. It is really a lot of families who are taking the kids to visit our area," he said.

Over the last 10 years, spring tourism revenues have lagged behind summer and fall tourism revenues for the Pensacola area, Hayes said.

"Summer is the king, but fall actually does a little better than spring," said Hayes, who said Pensacola Beach has less appeal than some other beach towns for spring breakers because hotel rooms and condominium unit rentals tend to be high end and more expensive.

"You don't have a lot of inexpensive hotels and rows of bars, it's a much different market than you would find in Panama City Beach or other traditional spring break areas," he said.

Beach leaders encouragedlocal residents heading to the beach during spring break to prepare for traffic and crowds, especially during spring break weeks for school districts and universities in the region.

Robbie Schrock, spokeswoman for the beach's Santa Rosa Island Authority, encouraged visitors to take advantage of free trolley shuttles that will be in operation throughout the beach.

"We also encourage everyone to swim in lifeguard protected areas, stay hydrated, wear sunscreen and most importantly make some fun memories," she said.

For the beach trolley schedule, visit:http://www.visitpensacolabeach.com/trolleytracker/index.php

Here are the spring break dates for some area schools:

University of West Florida: March 13 through March 17

Escambia County School District:March 20 through March 24

Santa Rosa County School District: March 20 through March 24

Pensacola State College: March 20 through March 24

Baldwin County Alabama Schools: March 27 through 31

Mobile County Public Schools: April 10 through April 14

University of South Alabama: March 13 through 19

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Pensacola Beach readies for spring breaker crowds - Pensacola News Journal

CXBN-2 CubeSat to embark on an important X-ray astronomy mission – SpaceFlight Insider

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

Tomasz Nowakowski

March 5th, 2017

CXBN-2 Integration Team in the Morehead State University Spacecraft Integration and Assembly Facility. Left to right: Yevgeniy Byleborodov, Dr. Ben Malphrus, Michael Glaser-Garbrick, and Nate Richard. Photo Credit: MSU

A university-built small satellite known as the Cosmic X-Ray Background NanoSat-2 (CXBN-2) is being prepared for its upcoming ambitious science mission. The spacecraft scheduled for launch into space on March 19 is expected to deliver crucial data that could advance our knowledge of the cosmic X-ray background (CXB).

CXBN-2 Flight and Engineering Units in the Morehead State University Space Science Center Spacecraft Integration and Assembly Facility. (Click to enlarge) Photo Credit: MSU

Led by Morehead State University (MSU), the CXBN-2 project addresses fundamental science questions regarding the structure, origin, and evolution of the universe. To answer these questions, the satellite will conduct high precision measurements of the CXB.

The goal of the CXBN-2 mission is to increase the precision of measurements of the CXB in the 30 to 50 keV range to a precision of almost five percent, thereby constraining models that attempt to explain the relative contribution of proposed sources and lending insight into the underlying physics of the early universe, Benjamin Malphrus, CXBN-2 Principal Investigator at MSU told Astrowatch.net.

CXBN-2 is a small two-unit CubeSat that will rely on its two Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detectors to achieve its scientific goals. Together with the satellites improved array configuration, these instruments will be able to carry out high-precision measurements of the CXB.

With the novel CZT detector aboard CXBN-2 and an improved array configuration, a new, high-precision measurement is possible, Malphrus noted.

The CZT detectors were developed by Redlen Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-resolution semiconductor radiation detectors. The company has produced extremely uniform crystalline structure CZT material through the manufacturing process known as the Traveling Heater Method (THM). This allows uniformity in the semiconductor material so that charge is evenly distributed, allowing greater energy resolution and detection by bleeding off impurities.

The CZT detectors form the REDLEN M1770 CZT Array, an imaging module on board the CXBN-2 CubeSat. This module is a 256-pixel radiation detector that is configured in a 1616 matrix with a 2.46 mm pixel pitch. It consists of a 22 array of 64-pixel CZT detectors with thicknesses of 5 mm and is bonded to a common cathode plate.

Though originally intended for the detection of X-ray and gamma-ray photons while operating at room temperature and for applications in medical physics and security imaging, we found that the CZT detectors possessed the desired energy resolution and photon efficiency over the energy range of interest for the mission. Thomas Pannuti, CXBN-2 Science Principal Investigator at MSU, told Astrowatch.net.

CXBN-2 Integration Team at the Morehead State University Spacecraft Integration and Assembly Facility. L to R: Dr. Ben Malphrus, Jeremy Rice, Michael Glaser-Garbrick, Nate Richard, Yevgeniy Byleborodov, Sarah Wilczewski. Photo Credit: MSU

With a mass of about 5.7 pounds (2.6 kilograms), the CXBN-2 CubeSat has dimensions of 3.93 in 3.93 in 7.87 in (10 cm 10 cm 20 cm) and is fitted with four deployable solar arrays capable of generating up to 15 W of power. The satellite incorporates a power distribution and handling system known as PMD, a command and data handling system (C&DH) based on a Cortex Arm processor, and an innovative attitude determination and control system (ADACS) developed at MSU.

In comparison with the first CXBN mission, which was sent into space in September 2012, the CXBN-2 CubeSat has two 256 pixel arrays instead of one. Moreover, it features an innovative 3-D printed Tungsten collimator, a series of improvements to the spacecraft bus, and an innovative ConOps characterized by a free flying minimally spinning spacecraft.

In this configuration, the CXBN-2 satellite has the potential to advance our understanding of the diffuse X-ray background, in particular, and the temporal evolution of supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies, in general.

Malphrus and his colleagues are convinced that their CubeSat will provide measurements of the CXB with high precision, thus constraining models that address the relative contribution of the proposed dominant emitting source population (namely, heavily absorbed active galactic nuclei).

Such a high precision measurement of the CXB will provide insight into the underlying physics of the early universe and provide a window on the most energetic objects in the distant universe, Malphrus explained.

CXBN-2 mission logo. Image Credit: MSU

CXBN-2 is currently in the final phase of preparations for its March 19 liftoff from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The last pre-launch activities include finalizing the ground support software and continuing characterization of the engineering model CZT arrays. The satellites flight and engineering models were completed in the Fall of 2016 and passed flight-qualification testing. The flight unit was delivered to the launch integrator, Nanoracks, in December 2016 and was subsequently shipped to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The CXBN-2 CubeSat will be launched atop an Atlas V rocket, piggybacking on the seventh Cygnus spacecraft mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Besides Cygnus and CXBN-2, a fleet of other satellites, mainly technology demonstrators, will also be sent into orbit on this mission.

Although MSU has already sent five smallsats into space, the CXBN-2 CubeSat seems to be the universitys most important science mission so far.

We are entering a new era of significant science being supported by CubeSats and Morehead State is at the forefront of this enterprise. The opportunity to participate in astrophysics research facilitated by the CubeSat platform as well as to train our students in space systems engineering and observational astrophysics through live space missions like CXBN-2 is invaluable to our research program, our academic programs and to our students, Pannuti concluded.

Tagged: CubeSat CXBN-2 Morehead State University The Range

Tomasz Nowakowski is the owner of Astro Watch, one of the premier astronomy and science-related blogs on the internet. Nowakowski reached out to SpaceFlight Insider in an effort to have the two space-related websites collaborate. Nowakowski's generous offer was gratefully received with the two organizations now working to better relay important developments as they pertain to space exploration.

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CXBN-2 CubeSat to embark on an important X-ray astronomy mission - SpaceFlight Insider

Astronomy 101 with Ron Thompson – PenBayPilot.com

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

Rockland Public Library...

Posted:

Sunday, March 5, 2017 - 8:00am

Event Date:

Tuesday, March 7, 2017 - 6:00pm

ROCKLAND Ron Thompson, of Southern Maine Astronomers, will present Astronomy 101 at the Rockland Public Library on Tuesday, March 7 at 6 p.m. The program will be divided into two parts: indoor background information followed by outdoor exploration, so please be sure to dress appropriately.

Thompson will first present information about sky maps, star charts and using eyes to navigate the night sky, how to prepare for an evening of star gazing, and how to identify March constellations, and other pertinent tips.

Then participants will go outside and find north using the Big Dipper, Ursa Major and charts; face south and find the path the planets take (ecliptic), and outline and identify constellations, and more. If the night sky is not clear, participants will take part in interactive activities indoors.

This program is co-sponsored by Cornerstones of Science, and is free and open to the public.

Address:

RocklandMaine04841

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Astronomy 101 with Ron Thompson - PenBayPilot.com

Texas A&M astronomy group to continue ‘Star Party’ series Monday – Bryan-College Station Eagle

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

Posted: Sunday, March 5, 2017 12:00 am

Texas A&M astronomy group to continue 'Star Party' series Monday Eagle Staff Report The Eagle |

The Texas A&M astronomy group is set to continue its spring "Star Party" series, giving the community a chance to gaze at the stars using university telescopes.

Held in front of the Sbisa Dining Hall on the A&M campus, the next event will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday.

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Posted in Local News, Astronomy, University, Sport on Sunday, March 5, 2017 12:00 am. | Tags: Astronomy, University, Sport, Star Party, Simpson Drill Field Review, Texas, Series, Events, Telescope

Texas A&M astronomy group to continue 'Star Party' series Monday - Bryan-College Station Eagle

Researchers release the most meticulous map of dark matter ever … – Astronomy Magazine

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

We dont know what dark matter is yet, but thanks to researchers at Yale and other universities, we now know where its at in three nearby galactic clusters.

The team, led by Priyamvada Natarajan, used gravitational lensing techniques (where a massive object bends light around it to act like a magnifying lens) to study the details of galaxy clusters Abell 2744, MACSJ 0416, and MACSJ 1149 in depth.

The initial images came from the Hubble Space Telescope. Measuring the distortions caused by gravitational lensing on background galaxies showed where invisible masses were still bending space around it enough to cause lensing events.

Dark matter is named so because of a missing mass in the universe. The rate of expansion for the universe doesnt fit the amount of objects we can see. In fact, we can only see 5 percent of the total mass of the universe, with dark matter accounting for 27 percent and dark energy accounting for the rest.

Several solutions for dark matter have been proposed. This includes weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), MAssive Compact Halo Objects (MACHOs), and other exotic kinds of particles. WIMPs and other particles would constitute a type of matter that doesnt interact with the matter we see all around us, but exerts a gravitational force. MACHOs are objects that are invisible to telescopes, like black holes, brown dwarfs, pulsars, and more that we havent yet detected, though there are significant doubts that they could account for the missing matter. Some dark matter researchers believe that MACHOs may account for a small chunk of the missing mass, with WIMPs making up the greater portion.

While we havent directly detected dark matter, its known to exist because of studies of the rotation rates of galaxies carried out by researchers like Fritz Zwicky and Vera Rubin. By mapping where dark matter is, astrophysicists may be able to gain a better understanding of how it clumps and what it might be made of.

The study was published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

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Researchers release the most meticulous map of dark matter ever ... - Astronomy Magazine

These strawberries aren’t red. Seriously. They aren’t. – Blastr

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

Come, let me destroy your brain: The strawberries in thisphoto are not red:

Seriously. In fact, there are no red pixels in that photo at all. At least not in the way youd think of as red.

This is a fantastic optical illusion, brought to us by the master optical illusionist Akiyoshi Kitaoka. And yes, I can prove its an illusion quite simply. I opened the picture in Photoshop and sampled the color of one of the strawberries, picking where it looked very red to my eye. I then made a simple rectangle and filled it with that color.

Here it is:

Surprise! It looks gray, doesnt it? It should because it is. The RGB values for it are 75, 77, 76, an almost perfect balance creating dark gray. If you have Photoshop, try it. Click anywhere, and you wont find any pixel that is predominantly red.

So,whats going on? The photo, it turns out, is using your own brain against you.

This psychological jujutsu takes advantage of process called color constancy. In a nutshell, its your brains way of compensating to allow us to see more or less correct color under different lighting conditions. Strawberries look red because they predominantly reflect red light. The amount of red light we see from that strawberry then will also depend on the color of the light hitting it. If the illumination source is white, theres more red light to reflect than if the illumination source is blue.

If our brains didnt compensate for this, life would be very confusing! Something that looks red indoors might look different if you see it outside, because fluorescent lights (say) have a different color than the Sun.

What our brains do is actually quite clever: They try to figure out what color the illumination is by comparing colors in the scene. We have cells in our retinae called cones that perceive color, and there are three kinds: one that is sensitive to red, another to green, and a third to blue. Their color sensitivity overlaps a bit, so a red cone can see a little into the green, and the green can see a little into the blue. By comparing the signals from the three cones, the brain can make an attempt at determining the color of the incoming light.

It then subtracts that color from what you see, hopefully compensating for any color imbalance. So, if the incoming light is red, it balances that by downplaying red in the perceived colors of the scene.

In the photo of the strawberries, our brains look at the overall color of the scene and determine that the incoming light is cyan (blue-green). The strawberries are actually dark gray, remember, the color equal parts red, green, and blue. When the brain subtracts the blue and green away, whats left? Red! Kitaoka has many more examples of this on his website.

I love stuff like this. Youd swear youre seeing red, but youre not, at least not really. Its what your brain thinks its seeing, but thats after some very duty heavy processing of the data.

This is why I always smile ruefully when I hear someone say, I know what I saw! Oh? Are you sure? Because everything we see is interpreted by our brain, and there are many steps involved between the actual scene and our minds perceiving it. And every step is a chance for a misstep.

Still dont believe me? Then let me show you my favorite illusion of all time, also by Kitaoka:

Tell me, how many colors do you see in the spiral?

I see green, blue, magenta, and orange. Except no: the green and blue spirals are the exact same color! We interpret colors in part by comparing them to colors around them, and the orange and magenta spirals are distorting how you see the others, throwing your brain off. The illusion is impossible to overcome unless you zoom in on the drawing and can pick out the individual colors (which I did in the link above; try it yourself if you have image manipulation software like Photoshop or Gimp).

Remember this the next time someone claims to see a UFO, or Planet X, or some other highly unlikely thing. In this case, fooling your brain is as easy as subtracting away a color, and your brain falls for it utterly. There are a million other ways to trip up your perception, too.

The lesson? What you see is never what you actually get.

Postscript: If your brain hasnt melted completely away after all this, go visit Kitaokas website. Your concept of reality will be destroyed.

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These strawberries aren't red. Seriously. They aren't. - Blastr

Budget 2017: Prizes for robotics, artificial intelligence and battery innovators to be announced – The Independent

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

The Chancellor Philip Hammond will outline plans in Wednesdays Budget to make hundreds of millions of pounds available to scientists and researchers to develop solutions to hi-tech challenges including artificial intelligence and robotics, next generation batteries and new techniques for manufacturing medicines.

The Chancellor will also set out out further details on making sure the UK is at the leading edge of 5G mobile phone technology.

Mr Hammondis expected to allocate more than 500 million from the National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF), which was created in last years autumn statement to help innovative UK companies lead the way in the new technologies set to transform the world.

270 million will be earmarked for British businesses and universities to meet specific challenges with huge potential, which will include the use of robots to work in nuclear and offshore power generation, space and deep mining. There will also be cash set aside for companies developing the kind of batteries that will unlock the potential of electric cars.

The National Productivity Investment Fund is already working to upgrade the countrys mobile and broadband network, and the budget will outline the UKs first 5G strategy, including trials spread across leading research institutions. 5G will be significantly faster than current 4G networks. It also has implications for health, with companies developing wearable sensors that can foresee and warn of an imminent stroke or heart attack.

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Budget 2017: Prizes for robotics, artificial intelligence and battery innovators to be announced - The Independent

Three Israeli Firms Among Top 50 Artificial Intelligence Companies – TheTower.org

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

Fortune magazine last week released a list of 50 Companies Leading the AI Revolution, and the prestigious list includes three hot Israeli companies in the artificial intelligence sector: Logz.io, Voyager Labs, and Zebra Medical Vision.

Fortunes infographic includes only six countries and features an equal number of notable AI companies from Israel (population 8.5 million) as China (population 1.38 billion) and the United Kingdom, and more than France and Taiwan. Only the United States has more companies on the graph.

Fortune relied on research firm CB Insights AI 100 list of the most promising artificial intelligence startups globally, based on factors like financing history, investor quality, business category, and momentum.

The CB Insights list also includes Israeli companies Prospera Technologies (ag-tech at work in Spain, Mexico, and New York) and Chorus.ai (conversation intelligence for sales teams).

A look at the 50 largest startups on the list, ranked by total funds raised, shows that investment in AI is surging worldwide, Fortune writes. That number in 2016 was $5 billion.

Logz.ios AI-powered log analysis platform helps DevOps engineers, system administrators, and developers centralize log data with dashboards and visualizations and discover critical insights within their data.

Voyager Labs, established in 2012, has raised $100 million and recently came out of stealth mode with its artificial intelligence engine to extract real-time tailored insights into human behavior by analyzing massive amounts of publicly available unstructured data. The company has R&D roots in Tel Aviv, and offices in New York, Washington, and London.

Zebra Medical, whose technology teaches computers to read medical images, last month unveiled a new algorithm to detect compression and other vertebral fractures, and was named on Fast Companys Top 10 AI list.

(via Israel21c)

[Photo: A Health Blog / Flickr ]

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Three Israeli Firms Among Top 50 Artificial Intelligence Companies - TheTower.org

On the wing: The UAE’s soaring aerospace ecosystem – Khaleej Times

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

Against a backdrop of new aeroplane programmes, growing passenger traffic globally, low commodity prices and political uncertainties, the aerospace and defence industry is going through significant changes, particularly in the Middle East.

The industry is facing a range of challenges to address environmental and regulatory issues, and an increased dependence on a global supply chain. The network of organisations - including suppliers, distributors, customers, competitors, government agencies and so on - involved in the delivery of passenger jets, defence products and weapons systems are facing these tremendous challenges both at home and abroad through competition and limited resources.

Supporting the industry's evolution are countries that are trying to build indigenous aerospace capabilities in exchange for access to markets to help grow economies, gain technologies, provide employment opportunities and eventually to compete on the world marketplace. In barely a decade, the UAE has emerged as a regional leader in aerospace. Leveraging its booming airline and airport companies, the UAE has expanded into manufacturing and servicing aeroplane components, gaining partnerships with the world's biggest aviation players. For example, Mubadala has been supporting the development of a sustainable aerospace industry for Abu Dhabi, forming partnerships and initiating investments with leading companies like Boeing, Lockheed, GE and others.

Additionally, exciting opportunities are emerging to create "aerospace ecosystems". In the UAE, you are starting to see Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)-related industries beginning to flourish. To support Stem activities at a grassroots level and help secure the future of science and technology, Boeing has supported many initiatives including research and development, teacher training, primary and secondary school design challenges, internships, mentorship programmes and chartable grants to UAE's top engineering schools.

One example is the Boeing-Mubadala Co-Op internship programme, which provides vital aerospace engineering expertise to bolster the UAE's ever-expanding aviation capabilities. Launched in 2015, the programme aims to support the development of a sustainable aerospace industry in the UAE.

Customers are asking for - if not demanding - value propositions that include education and training programmes, skills development, technology transfer, industrial partnerships and relationships that provide products and services for the entire product life cycle to keep it relevant for decades.

Time and time again, success in aerospace and defence manufacturing compliments efforts in other areas of development and adds to capabilities. Pioneering roles in scientific research and development contribute to building new technologies and capabilities to lay the groundwork for manufacturing, economic growth and employment. Boeing has a number of technical support centres for its customers, industrial and academic partnerships and Boeing's Global Corporate Citizenship programme connects us to community organisations through charitable and business investments and support.

Boeing's plan is to continue to expand our presence in the region through partnerships, organic growth and through support to build in-country capabilities. Boeing supports knowledge and technology transfer and investment in the region's human capital. We are committed to partnerships that support regional plans for economic diversification and to become aerospace hubs. We believe in the power of partnerships and leveraging local knowledge to be successful in the market. We are committed to providing the Middle East with key partnership and aerospace development opportunities, and we work closely with Arab governments and defence forces to take a key role in enhancing safety and security in the region.

By working together, we can build the aerospace ecosystem for the region.

The writer is president of Boeing Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. Views expressed are his own and do not reflect the newspaper's policy.

Austin land marketing targets aerospace, defense industries – MyDaytonDailyNews

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

MIAMI TWP.

An emphasis on the regions aviation heritage will be part of the strategy in marketing a large tract of Miami Twp.-owned land at the Austin Boulevard interchange.

Industries that have been staples for decades in the Dayton area are among the businesses in the sights of a firm the township hired to evaluate its estimated 42 acres on the southwest quadrant of Austins intersection with Interstate 75.

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Were going to be targeting aerospace and defense companies quite heavily, (and) logistics, IT all of the firms and corporations that we believe will find it beneficial to relocate in Miami Twp., said Scott Pollock of Juniper CRE in Cleveland.

The land at the corner of Wood Road and Austin Boulevard is a cornerstone of the Austin Center area township Administrator Greg Rogers has said in reference to the development district shared by the township, Miamisburg and Springboro.

RELATED: Austin Center district to boost payouts

It sits on the only remaining corner yet to be developed or committed to a plan at the interchange that includes Austin Landing.

In 2009, Clivus Development LLC had an agreement to bring a proton therapy center projected to bring hundreds of jobs and be worth in excess of $100 million to the area.

That agreement expired in June 2015 without plans being submitted. Pollock has said targeting users may be a three- to five-year project, but may be completed sooner.

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The land includes a retention basin, and officials said not all of it can be developed. At this point, 21 acres is penciled in for office use and 4 acres for retail, Pollock told township officials last week.

The townships local assets and regional assets in southwest Ohio are among the selling points Pollock said his firm is promoting about the property. These include Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and its relative close proximity to major population centers.

Initial electronic marketing efforts will include hundreds of site selectors, developers and commercial real estate brokers.

So were going to be doing a fairly aggressive marketing campaign to not only regional but national site selectors, corporations and also (the) real estate brokerage community to get this site on their radar, Pollock said, and to attract corporations, health care users onto the site as well.

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Austin land marketing targets aerospace, defense industries - MyDaytonDailyNews

What can British aerospace learn from Florida? – Manufacturer.com

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Danzig

NASAs OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, manufacturerd by Lockheed Martin - image courtesy of Lockheed Martin and NASA.

Space is taking off in Britain, so what can the nations aerospace industry learn from Floridas example? Quite a lot, as Destin Wells, business development manager for Aviation & Aerospace at Enterprise Florida, explains.

On Tuesday 9 February, Teresa Mays government unveiled a brand new initiative to increase British innovation in the commercial spaceflight market. As part of the initiative, the government launched a scheme of grants worth up to 10m to enable UK businesses to create and develop spaceflight capabilities. The announcement is also likely to be followed by a separate Space Flight Bill, which could appear in the coming weeks.

The objective of the initiative is to increase Britains share of the world spaceflight market: a market currently estimated to be worth 25bn over the next 20 years. As the UK sets about establishing and growing its own space flight industry, perhaps inspiration should be drawn from the US state of Florida.

Floridas impressive history in groundbreaking space flight is indisputable. Lest we forget Apollo 11: responsible for getting Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon, launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida in July 1969.

It would perhaps be nave to think that this was the peak of Floridas contribution to the aerospace industry. Today, virtually every major aviation and aerospace company has significant operations in the state because it is an ideal location for innovation. Given the availability of fundamental resources this is hardly surprising; a workforce already 85,000 strong in the industry speaks for itself.

In helping to grow the industry and to smooth the shift into commercial operators rather than government backed endeavors, the state launched Space Florida in 2006. The flagship project aims to foster the growth and development of a sustainable and world-leading space industry in Florida, by working with and supporting businesses in the sector.

As a sister organisation to the states economic development organisation Enterprise Florida, Space Florida was specifically designed solely for the purpose of expanding the aerospace industry.

Space Florida has attracted a number of high profile companies from across the world because it offers a range of financial mechanisms to support hi-tech development and manufacturing facilities, alongside a network of fully licensed commercial spaceports usable by horizontal and vertical launch vehicles. Thats in addition to an incubator with both laboratory and office space that is perfect for start ups as well as operational storage facilities.

The Kennedy Space Center (operated by NASA) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (45th Wing U.S. Air Force) are home to some of the worlds leading aerospace companies. Commercial companies such as United Launch Alliance (Delta 1V), Boeing Corporation (NASAs Space Launch System) and Lockheed Martin (Atlas V), ensure that Florida maintains and indeed furthers its stature as the worlds leading rocket launch site. However, there are also some new kids on the block.

Blue Origin is one of the market-leading companies that has been attracted to Florida. Set up by the founder of e-commerce giant Amazon, Jeff Bezos. Blue Origins spaceflight service aims to take paying customers on a journey to the edge of the space where they can experience zero gravity for a few minutes, before returning back to earth. Blue Origins flights are currently being tested by trained astronauts, with plans to launch to the general public in 2018.

Blue Origin has utilised the facilities available within the district to create its own unique spaceflight manufacturing facility. The plant represents an important development for space work in Florida as Blue Origin will not just be launching rockets from this location, but also manufacturing all the vehicles there too. At 750,000 square feet, the custom-built factory is designed to be large enough to accommodate manufacturing, processing, integration, and testing of orbital rockets.

SpaceX is also another leading business based in Florida. Its owner, Elon Musk of Tesla Motors fame has just announced plans to undertake the first commercial flight around the moon in 2018, while carrying two space tourists.

Likewise, One Web Satellites, a joint venture between Airbus Defence and Space and OneWeb, has chosen Florida for the production of nearly 900 satellites for its constellation.

The UK has had a relationship with Florida and its space industry for some time. Eight years ago, Florida signed a memorandum of understanding with UKTI (now the Department for International Trade), while Mark Garnier MP and a member of the Department for International Trade visited Florida at the start of 2017 to discuss the development of further collaboration.

One example of a UK business that has operations on the Space Coast is Intelligent Energy (IE), which delivers clean energy solutions (fuel cells) for the aerial drone, distributed energy, diesel replacement and automotive markets.

Its CEO, Martin Bloom explained: The concentration of engineering expertise in the region is very high. Couple that with the pro-commercial business and infrastructure support from Space Florida, it makes for a very solid choice of locations to support IEs R&D requirements.

As the commercial space industry continues to grow with businesses such as Blue Origin, OneWeb Satellites and SpaceX, there are significant opportunities for UK businesses to collaborate and play a significant role in the supply chains of these huge projects.

For businesses that are looking at potential opportunities to collaborate and grow internationally in Florida, Enterprise Florida has services in the UK to support businesses on taking their first step.

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What can British aerospace learn from Florida? - Manufacturer.com

Anti Aging / Age Management Medicine – California Age …

Posted on March 5, 2017 by ev1

Anti Aging Age Management Medicine. We have been the first full service anti-aging center since 1996.

Why Anti Aging Age Management Medicine? Variably termed holistic, preventive, longevity, regenerative, integrative, complimentary, functional, and/or nutritional medicine.Because you want to look, feel and act like you did 10- 15 years ago. Because you want to be actively engaged in your 60s, 70s and 80s.Because you want to remain competitive in your work or business. And because you owe it to yourself, your family and your work to maintain your optimal health and well being.

We offer long-term solutions, searching for root causes, imbalances and dysfunction not quick fixes.

We promise you Individualized and unsurpassed attention in resolving your challenges and problems. To regain lost energy, youth and vitality.

Our Age Management approach is not drive through medicine. It is not a 15 minute encounter. It is a total look at your entire health blueprint. That is holsistic the total you.

Anti-Aging Age Management Medicine is the new paradigm for the 21st century. It is based on restoring vital function and balance not simply treating symtpoms. Thus, the term functional medicine. We search for root causes and correct these imbalances. It is goal based. Are we achieving your set of goals that you determine?

We have helped thousands over the past 20 years. Now its your time and your turn.

Call us at408-358-8855 or email [emailprotected]

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Anti Aging / Age Management Medicine - California Age ...

Hormone Therapy Clinic | Human Growth Hormone …

Posted on March 5, 2017 by ev1

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormones are a key part of the way your body functions.They are the chemical messengers secreted by the many glands of the endocrine system. Some of the most important hormones are: testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, human growth hormone, estrogen, and the thyroid hormones. The production and secretion of these crucial hormones all decrease over time, leading to the difficulties and conditions we normally relate to ageing. Hormone Replacement Therapies are all about renewing vitality by giving you back what age takes away. Read More

Testosterone is one of the most important hormones for men. Many of the conditions that you think are just normal signs of aging slower metabolism, gaining weight, feeling tired, feeling moody, and memory issues may actually be due to low testosterone. In addition, while many factors other than age from diet to stress, to sleep can all affect your sex drive or libido, the drop in testosterone that occurs as men age, is often the cause of sexual wellness issues. Read More

Venerated General Practitioner and Skin Cancer Physician, Dianne M. King, MBBS, DCH, DRACOG, FRACGP, DPD … – MENAFN.COM

Posted on March 5, 2017 by ev1

'Grey's Anatomy' 3/2/2017 Why Didn't the Show Air? – Closer … – Closer Weekly

Posted on March 4, 2017 by Danzig

Closer Weekly

'Grey's Anatomy' 3/2/2017 Why Didn't the Show Air? - Closer ...
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Many #TGIT fans were totally confused last night when a new episode of Grey's didn't air on ABC on Thursday, March 2. Thankfully, it wasn't a TV glitch the hit ...
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'Grey's Anatomy' 3/2/2017 Why Didn't the Show Air? - Closer ... - Closer Weekly

'Grey's Anatomy' Star Ellen Pompeo Takes Fans Behind the Scenes of the Popular Show – Closer Weekly

Posted on March 4, 2017 by Danzig

Closer Weekly

'Grey's Anatomy' Star Ellen Pompeo Takes Fans Behind the Scenes of the Popular Show
Closer Weekly
Grey's Anatomy fans were stoked when the show's star Ellen Pompeo gave them a sneak-peek at her life on set. In the series of Instagram clips on Thursday, March 2, the 47-year-old actress gave a detailed behind-the-scenes look at the popular medical ...

Rethinking Nonviolent Resistance in the Face of Right-Wing Populism – The Wire

Posted on March 4, 2017 by Danzig

World Calls for civil resistance against the rise of right-wing populism have emerged. But political activism is more than taking to the streets.

US residents in Mexico protest against President Donald Trumps foreign policy towards Mexico. Credit: Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters

From Brexit to the Trump presidency and Marine Le Pens campaign-trail successes in France, right-wing populism is sweeping across the West.

Analysts and scholars have expressed concerns that this movement could threaten the fate of liberal democracyand its hard-fought triumph over other contesting political ideologies since the end of Cold War.

In other words, the End of History, as described by USpolitical philosopher Francis Fukuyama, may come to an end.

The rise of right-wing populism may also open a Pandoras box for demagogues to promote a xenophobic agenda, as evident in Donald Trumps controversial travel ban.

Calls for civil resistance

There is deep fear that populist leaders such as Trump advised by the right-wing ideologue Steve Bannon will eviscerate democratic checks and balances in the pursuit of consolidated power.

As a response, activists are calling for civil resistance against authoritarianism, and street protests are being staged to remind the enthroned populists of people power.

Safeguarding democracy through civil resistance is necessary. But it is important to acknowledge the fact that many of these leaders are democratically elected and supported by large segments of society.

We may choose to believe that voters for right-wing populist parties share chauvinistic and nationalistic opinions with their strongmen. However, the popular appeal of these leaders has much to do with the socio-economic decline that some constituents in the West have experienced, and this needs to be addressed if we want to efficiently counter authoritarian regimes.

Dignity deficit

The increasing oligarchisation of liberal democratic societies set a stage for a dignity deficit, especially among white, non-urban and working-class population.

In recent decades, the middle class in the West found their lives unprecedentedly precarious due to increasing unemployment and a lack of social security. The post-Cold War era ushered into force neoliberal dominance.

The speed of economic globalisation means that manufacturing jobs have been lost to countries offering cheap labour, while austerity policies resulting in cutback in social expenditure imply that most of the time, individuals are left on their own to finance their increasingly expensive healthcare and education, to name a few necessities.

Automation and immigrants looking for high- and low-skilled jobs in economically advanced countries have raised many questions about the future of employment for the American and European middle classes. These were left unanswered.

Against this backdrop, the well-off have reaped the benefit of globalisation. So have the cosmopolitan urbanites who have caught up with changing socio-economic landscape.

Meanwhile, political elites in Washington, Paris and London are perceived as having ignored this crisis of surging inequality, as they continue neoliberal policies that hurt the working class people who often consider themselves the backbone of their societies.

For instance, a series of free trade deals have been advocated by governments to be a brainchild of liberal democracy. However, rather than improving work conditions and life chances for common people, many of these deals have strengthened global corporations, contributing to greater inequality.

A good example is the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which potentially radicalises corporate deregulation, challenging states judicial sovereignty, and imposes fiercer standards of intellectual property.

Think tanks also point out that the signed and ratified TPP can result in job losses and declining wages.

Anti-establishment rhetoric

Right-wing populism is a symptom of society polarised by economic injustice and the collapse of liberal democracy, which has enhanced the distance between political elites and their constituents.

Populist figures such as Trump and Le Pen can mobilise popular support sufficiently to contest other liberal or centrist candidates because of their anti-establishment rhetoric.

They acknowledge the injustice and humiliation inflicted on their constituents through the loss of jobs and neglect of the political class.

Often popular anger is being diverted toward immigrants, who are portrayed as a threat to economic and cultural security, resulting in the proliferation of xenophobic attacks. Scapegoating immigrants becomes the expression of fear and vulnerability.

The increasingly precarious livelihood of this section of the population has led to a general perception that their idea of a great nation is in danger.

Populist slogans such as Make America Great Again or Take back our Country respond to this perception and collective emotion attached to it.

Lacking other political alternatives, people find hope in right-wing populist discourse, even when the candidates push forward radical agendas.

In this sense, the social divide runs parallel to the crisis of liberal democracy. Tackling right-wing populism requires not only resistance against leaders with authoritarian traits but also comprehension of why a vast number of people view populism as a hopeful alternative to the existing system.

Addressing social bifurcation

Resistance in the form of street demonstrations and boycotts remains an important tool for defending democracy. Nevertheless, it does little to address ongoing social bifurcation.

It is difficult to imagine that supporters of right wing-populism, who despise the so-called political correctness and see the liberal agenda as irrelevant to their livelihood, would participate in progressive demonstrations such as the Womens March.

Does this mean that protests end up constituting an echo chamber where the progressive agenda circulates among those already convinced by the progressive ideas? Does it imply that while liberals resist Trump with various methods of nonviolent action, they have so far failed to understand the underpinning causes of populist trajectory, and have thereby missed the chance to communicate with those electing populist leaders?

Is it possible that protests can contribute to dividing society even more as protesters at times claim to hold higher moral ground than their populist opponents?

Rethinking resistance

It is high time to rethink how nonviolent resistance can help counter right-wing populism.

Nonviolent resistance is more than taking to the street. It is political activism in the sense that it offers analytic tools to understand pillars of support of the ruling government, which normally include electoral constituents, bureaucratic bodies and the media.

Well crafted messages should convey to the general public the elites legitimacy deficit, and at the same time show the availability to political alternatives.

The messages amplified through persistent campaigns should be conducive to the eventual realignment of allies. Shifting alliances especially the defection of electoral supporters of the government will allow activists to increase political momentum in the pursuit of social and political change.

The implication is that those committing to nonviolent resistance not only resist the powers that be they also analyse how the ruling powers discourses resonate with popular resentment, which in effect helps galvanise support to sustain its ruling legitimacy.

This understanding allows activists to design campaigns that show empathy to groups across political affiliations.

In the wake of right-wing populism, these campaigns need to address the structural underpinnings of a collapsing political establishment and offer a genuine platform for debating alternatives based on economic redistribution, reconfiguration of power relations between the political class and the people and political reconciliation of groups with different aspirations.

Communicating with those you disagree with instead of reinforcing an echo chamber is the key to achieving all this.

Communicating across the aisle

The ideas laid out above are not completely novel.

Examples of communicating across the aisle appeared during US Civil Rights campaigns where African-American leaders tried to appeal to white consciousness, extending their political messages to convince white priests and white constituents to endorse the course of the black struggle.

In ousting the Slobodan Miloevi, the Butcher of the Balkans, Serbias pro-democracy movements launched campaigns in Miloevis rural footholds, areas that had initially endorsed his ethno-nationalism.

Their success lived in the campaigns association of healthy patriotism with the downfall of Miloevi, and the creation of peaceful and democratic Serbia. The campaign message sought to unite Serbians whose political opinions were once split along the fault line of pro or anti-Miloevi.

Beyond overthrowing a dictator, a well-run campaign can bridge the perception gaps that divide a nation, reminding us of the importance of constructing the future together based on the idea of dignity, justice and inclusiveness.

This article is adapted from a blog originally published on Cafe Dissensus.

Janjira Sombatpoonsiri, Assistant Professor, Thammasat University.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Categories: World

Tagged as: Donald Trump, EU, European Union, Marine Le Pen, no-donate-link, Steve Bannon, TPP, Trump, United States, US, US President Donald Trump

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Rethinking Nonviolent Resistance in the Face of Right-Wing Populism - The Wire

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