Painting, dancing were Sr. Dorothy Stang's lesser-known passions

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Notre Dame de Namur Sr. Dorothy Stangs persistent activism on behalf of Brazils poor and the earth is well known to environmental and social justice activists throughout the world. Thursday marks the 10-year anniversary of her death at the hands of hired guns.

We know from her twin brothers, Dave and Tom Stang, that she would often convince female security guards to allow her to camp out on the floor of the Brazilian Ministry of Justice the night before she was due to testify at public meetings.

We know that if an official denied having received one of her letters, this delightfully outrageous Cincinnati sister would walk to the politicos filing cabinet, and much to his embarrassment, whip out the document.

Not so well known, perhaps, is Rainforest Dots love for painting and dancing.

Full disclosure: Sr. Dorothy Stang and I were classmates during the 1992 winter semester at Matthew Foxs Institute in Culture and Creation Spirituality at Holy Names University, in Oakland, Calif. Seventeen of us most gripped by Foxs book Original Blessing -- had abandoned our real world lives for a few precious months of renewal and refreshment at the institute.

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We thirsted to become mystics, to allow our souls to free-fall and sink into this deeper dimension of spirituality through art as meditation: a practice designed to access the right side of the brain through music, writing, clay, drumming, painting and dance as doorways to the divine.

At Foxs Monday morning classes, we drank in his stories of Hildegard of Bingen and Meister Eckhart, delighted with the saints assurances that the Holy One lives in every scrap of creation and how we are collaborators assigned to bring our creativity to all beings for lifes sake instead of using it for destruction, war and greed. We studied liberation theology and social justice.

It was so affirming to know that here in the safe, validating container of Room 659, we werent crazy after all. Crazy was a put-down wed heard all too often back in the real world of economic madness and materialistic greed.

Each week, our latest projects emerged from our classes, taped to the walls of Durocher Hall dormitory, in the forms of original prayers, poetry and paintings.

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Painting, dancing were Sr. Dorothy Stang's lesser-known passions

Deepak Chopra says spirituality is needed more than ever

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(Photo: Wikimedia)

Deepak Chopra

Prolific author and physician Deepak Chopra published an op-ed this week on the enduring importance of spirituality and wisdom in our society.

Chopra said that while people cling to religion during a crisis, it is these deeper connections that sustain people long-term.

"In troubled times, when the world seems to be on fire, people think about God and the religion they were raised in - a source of solace and hope matters more in a crisis," he wrote in the Huffington Post.

"I don't find myself thinking about spirituality in those terms, however. Like a winter coat that's put away in spring, for many people spirituality, in the sense of going to church or praying to God, gets put away when the crisis has passed.

"Crises by their nature, come and go, but the deeper need for spirituality remains. This need is rooted deeper than solace and hope. It's the need for wisdom."

The alternative medicine advocate said that wisdom is often poorly understood, but necessary to understanding one's purpose.

"Wisdom gives you a vision of possibilities that are found in consciousness, bridging all ages and circumstances," he wrote.

"It gets at the heart of reality. Ultimately the search for reality is what binds a loose coalition of people who want to reach beyond organised religion and its perceived drawbacks."

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Deepak Chopra says spirituality is needed more than ever

Former astronaut Chris Hadfield discusses future of space exploration – Video

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Former astronaut Chris Hadfield discusses future of space exploration
The Heat interviewed Commander Chris Hadfield, a former astronaut, leading NASA innovator, and a space historian about the future of space exploration. Hadfield is the first Canadian astronaut...

By: CCTV America

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Former astronaut Chris Hadfield discusses future of space exploration - Video

SpaceX Dragon Commercial Cargo Ship Departs International Space Station – Video

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SpaceX Dragon Commercial Cargo Ship Departs International Space Station
After spending a month at the International Space Station, the U.S. unpiloted SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft was unberthed from the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module and released from...

By: 10 MINUTES

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SpaceX Dragon Commercial Cargo Ship Departs International Space Station - Video

Space Station Astronauts In Star Wars-Themed Crew Pic

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Something's definitely going on at NASA. We're thinking someone in the public relations department is trying to blow the dust off the space agency's ever-serious image.

First there was the photo below, deemed by almost anyone with a pulse as unquestionably the best astronaut portrait ever:

And now, the Expedition 45 crew, scheduled to go to the International Space Station in September, is having fun with Jedi robes and light sabers:

Collectspace.com says the shot is titled "International Space Station Expedition XLV: The Science Continues." The crew will make up the station's first year-long mission.

The website says: "The poster's theme and layout was reportedly the idea of [Kjell] Lindgren (bottom left in the photo), who will be making his first trip into space with this mission. NASA photographers and graphic artists at the Johnson Space Center in Houston brought the poster together, digitally adding the lightsabers and background."

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Space Station Astronauts In Star Wars-Themed Crew Pic

NASA TV Previews and Broadcasts Space Station U.S. Spacewalks

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Two NASA astronauts from the International Space Stations Expedition 42 crew will venture outside the orbital complex on Friday, Feb. 20; Tuesday, Feb. 24; and Sunday, March 1. They will prepare cables and communications gear for new docking ports that will allow future crews launched from Florida on U.S. commercial spacecraft to dock to the space station.

NASA TV will provide comprehensive coverage, beginning with a preview news briefing Wednesday, Feb. 18.

The preview briefing will be broadcast at 2 p.m. EST from NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston. Media may take part in person or by telephone. Reporters who want to ask questions by phone must call Johnsons newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 1:45 p.m. Wednesday. Cell phones are discouraged.

The panelists for the briefing are:

Kenneth Todd, International Space Station Operations and Integration manager

Tomas Gonzalez-Torres, Expedition 42 lead flight director

Karina Eversley, Extravehicular Activity (EVA) # 29 officer

Sarah Korona, EVA # 30 officer

Arthur Thomason, EVA # 31 officer

Expedition 42 Commander Barry Wilmore and Flight Engineer Terry Virts will exit the station from the Quest airlock for each of the three spacewalks around 7:10 a.m. NASA TV coverage of the approximately six-and-a-half hour spacewalks will begin at 6 a.m.

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NASA TV Previews and Broadcasts Space Station U.S. Spacewalks

Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) – five years observing the Sun – Video

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Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) - five years observing the Sun
NASA #39;s Solar Dynamics Observatory celebrates its 5th anniversary since it launched on February 11, 2010. The time-lapse video captures one frame every 8 hours from June 2010 to February 8,...

By: SciNews

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Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) - five years observing the Sun - Video

Conrad Shipyard Receives NASA Space Flight Awareness Supplier Award for Pegasus Barge Conversion Project

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Conrad Industries, Inc. announced today its receipt of the NASA Space Flight Awareness Supplier Award based on its performance with the conversion of the NASA Pegasus barge. This annual award honors outstanding performance by hardware, software, or service suppliers who support NASA human space flight programs. Awardees are chosen based on their production of high-quality products, excellent technical and cost performance, and adherence to schedules.

The Pegasus barge was built to replace NASA's aging Poseidon and Orion barges -- both built in the 1940s to serve in World War II and converted in the 1960s for NASA's Apollo program. In 2002 it became the sole means of transport for the shuttle external tanks. Today, it's the only barge of its kind in NASA's inventory. The long-serving Pegasus barge will begin transporting rocket components for NASA's next-generation Space Launch System (SLS) between manufacturing, testing and launch locations upon its completion. Conrad has lengthened the barge from 260 feet to 310 feet so it can handle Space Launch System hardware and components, which are dramatically larger than the older space shuttle propulsion systems. Conrad will perform maintenance and refurbishment to ensure the restored vessel meets American Bureau of Shipping standards.

Astronaut Capt.Stephen G. Bowenalong withStephen Doering, Director of Center operations at Marshall Space Flight Center,Teresa Vanhooser, Deputy Center Director, Marshall Space Flight Center,Michael Kynard, Deputy Director, Michoud Assembly Facility andMalcolm Wood, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Michoud Assembly Facility visited Conrad to present the award. "The Pegasus barge will play a crucial role in our ability to get the hardware from the Marshall Space Center, or Stennis, or Michoud to Kennedy for the launch, so it's an absolutely critical role," said Doering.

Dan Conrad, Senior Vice President of Conrad Shipyard commented, "From our beginnings in 1948 building wooden Shrimp trawlers, to supporting our countries space exploration program is humbling. We must give appreciation to our valued workforce who have done a fantastic job of completing our scope on time, and most importantly, safely."

Conrad Industries, Inc., established in 1948 and headquartered inMorgan City, Louisiana, designs, builds and overhauls tugboats, ferries, liftboats, barges, offshore supply vessels and other steel and aluminum products for both the commercial and government markets. The company provides both repair and new construction services at its five shipyards located in southernLouisianaandTexas.

For Information Contact:Robert Sampey(985) 380-2142 RASampey@ConradIndustries.com

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Conrad Shipyard Receives NASA Space Flight Awareness Supplier Award for Pegasus Barge Conversion Project

First Model Rocket to Fly in Space Lands on Museum Display

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History records that 88 rockets launched to space in 1991. That count, it would seem, is off by one.

Granted, it was a really small rocket.

The world's first model rocket to soar into space did so on April 5, 1991. Standing just 7 inches tall (18 centimeters), the one-stage rocket lifted off, not by the thrust of a black powder engine, but rather on the space shuttle Atlantis. [Student Model Rocket Launches for NASA (Photos)]

Now, nearly a quarter of a century later, that model rocket has landed at The Museum of Flight in Seattle just in time for NARCON 2015, the National Association of Rocketry's annual convention. On Feb. 21, the man behind the rocket and the astronaut who flew it to space will be in Seattle for the meeting and to help dedicate an exhibit on the history of model rocketry.

"The convention's featured guest speaker will be astronaut Jay Apt, who carried a special Astron Scout model rocket belonging to Vern Estes into orbit on STS-37. That model and a host of other rocketry artifacts will form a permanent exhibit in the Charles Simonyi Space Gallery," wrote Pat Fitzpatrick, vice chairman of the Museum of Flight space flight committee, in an email to collectSPACE.

During the shuttle program, astronauts were able to fly a number of mementos for individuals and organizations that supported their mission. Apt, on the first of his four flights, chose the Estes Industries' Astron Scout for the role that model rocketry played in shaping his future.

"I got my first Estes [rocketry] catalog from a friend at my 13th birthday party in 1962," Apt recounted in an interview with collectSPACE. "My first kit was an Astron Mark, with the second a Scout. Estes Industries was a portal into the future."

"Whenever the red tubes containing motors or the boxes containing parts arrived, I was able to learn and practice the skills and sense of wonder that took me off this planet when I was an adult," Apt said.

In fact, Apt noted, all of his STS-37 crew mates had flown model rockets as teenagers.

"Rocketry played a critical role in stimulating our interest in engineering, science and exploration," he said.

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First Model Rocket to Fly in Space Lands on Museum Display

Intersil's Rad-Hard ICs Blast off on Orion's Flight Test

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NASAs new manned spacecraft for deep space flight enabled by Intersil technology

MILPITAS, CALIF. Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), a leading provider of innovative power management and precision analog solutions, today announced that 16 of its radiation-hardened ICs were onboard the Dec. 5, 2014 maiden voyage of NASAs Orion spacecraft, also known as the uncrewed Exploration Flight Test 1. The Orion spacecraft is designed to go where no man has gone before, including astronauts exploring and collecting asteroid samples from a future planned robotic mission to redirect an asteroid to orbit the moon, and the long sought after manned mission to Mars.

Intersils rad-hard ICs are deployed in Orions crew module, where they are used to support subsystems for mission critical applications in power distribution, navigation and flight control, and in the inertial measurement unit. A wide range of Intersil rad-hard solutions are used including voltage regulators, comparators, multiplexers, PWM controllers, MOSFET drivers, dual analog switches, quad differential receivers and microprocessor supervisory circuits.

Intersils innovative rad-hard ICs are playing a key role in NASAs next big step into deep space exploration, which is energizing a new generation of engineers, scientists and astronauts, said Philip Chesley, senior vice president of Precision Products at Intersil. The successful Orion test flight is a major achievement, and were proud to be a part of it.

Intersil's history and experience in the space and defense industries spans almost six decades, beginning with the founding of Radiation Inc. in 1950. Since then, virtually every satellite, shuttle launch and deep-space mission has included Intersil products. All Intersil SMD products are MIL-PRF-38535/QML compliant and are 100% burned in.

Intersils space flight IC capabilities include:

~300 space-qualified radiation-hardened products available Consistent design and manufacturing in Intersil's MIL-PRF-38535-qualified facility located in Palm Bay, Florida Intersil is one of only 15 RHA Defense Logistics Agency (Land and Maritime) QML suppliers All products are fully Class V (space level) compliant All products are on individual DLA SMD drawings

For additional information on Intersil's space, defense and hi-reliability solutions or on its low dose rate radiation testing facility, please visit: http://www.intersil.com/space/.

About Intersil Intersil Corporation is a leading provider of innovative power management and precision analog solutions. The company's products form the building blocks of increasingly intelligent, mobile and power hungry electronics, enabling advances in power management to improve efficiency and extend battery life. With a deep portfolio of intellectual property and a rich history of design and process innovation, Intersil is the trusted partner to leading companies in some of the worlds largest markets, including industrial and infrastructure, mobile computing, automotive and aerospace. For more information about Intersil, visit our website at http://www.intersil.com.

Company Contact: Mark Alden Intersil Corporation +1 (408) 546-3402 malden@intersil.com

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Intersil's Rad-Hard ICs Blast off on Orion's Flight Test

Spring Sign: Red Sox Equipment Truck Heads To Fla.

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Spring will come: Thursday was Truck Day at Fenway Park. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

UpdatedFebruary 12, 2015, 3:10 pm

BOSTONOK, it happens every year, but this year with this snow maybe we need it a little more than normal.

In a sure sign that spring will, eventually, return, the Red Sox equipment truck is on its way to the teams spring training facility in Florida.

The truck began its 1,480-mile trip just after noon on Thursday.

The Associated Press has these Truck Day details:

Its hauling an assortment of baseball equipment and supplies, including 20,400 baseballs, 1,100 bats, 400 pairs of socks, 20 cases of bubble gum and 60 cases of sunflower seeds.

And here are some photos and vines of the trucks departure:

Thumbs up from Wally the Green Monster (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

(Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

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Spring Sign: Red Sox Equipment Truck Heads To Fla.

Uma Thuman addresses "new look" controversy

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Uma Thurman attends "The Slap" New York Premiere Party at The New Museum on Feb. 9, 2015, in New York. Robin Marchant/Getty Images

Earlier this week Uma Thurman turned heads -- and made a lot of headlines -- when she stepped out on the red carpet with what some media outlets described as a "new look."

Photos showed what appeared to be a more toned-down eye makeup style. And now the 44-year-old actress is speaking out about it -- taking it all in stride.

During an appearance on the "Today" show Thursday, Thurman said, "It was weird. I guess nobody liked my makeup. I've been doing this for years and years and years, and people say things nice and they say things mean, and it's just like, whatever. You take the good with the bad."

Urman has been doing press to plug her new NBC TV series, "The Slap."

Watch the interview below:

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Uma Thuman addresses "new look" controversy

Uma Thurman's Face Looks The Same; She Responds To Plastic Surgery Rumors On 'The Today Show' [VIDEO]

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Kill Bill star Uma Thurman turned heads on the red carpet at the premiere party for her new NBC miniseries, The Slap, Monday in New York City -- except this time it wasnt for a good reason. Normally, fans are in awe of the 44-year-olds natural beauty, but Thurmans drastic look Monday sparked plastic surgery rumors on social media. However, the only thing she changed was her makeup, Thurman told Savannah Guthrie on the "Today" showThursday.

Guthrie wasnt shy to address Thurmans strange appearance Monday, especially since she looked like herself again Thursday. "I know I look weird!" Thurman told Guthrie Thursday. "I don't know, I guess nobody liked my makeup."

And she isnt going to try that look again. "We saw how well the dark lipstick worked the other night! she joked. Though, it might have been more about her lack of eyeliner and mascara and less about the lipstick that threw people off.

While cosmetic surgery rumors still swirled, Mark Norfolk, clinical director at Transform Cosmetic Surgery, told the U.K.s Daily Mailthat Thurman might have had surgery under her eyes. The thing that strikes me most is that her eye area looks very different," he said. "It looks as though she's had a recent lower blepharoplasty treatment, also known as eye bag removal. She isn't wearing any eyeliner or mascara, probably in order to avoid infection from the new surgery.

Though people had plenty of negative things to say about Thurmans makeup, she didnt seem fazed. "You take the good with the bad," Quentin Tarantinos muse explained. "I've been doing this for years and years and years -- people say things nice and they say things mean and it's like whatever.

The Slap premieres on NBC Thursday at 8 p.m. EST. Peter Sarsgaard, Thandie Newton and Zachary Quinto join Thurman in what was called a star-studded drama by the Los Angeles Times. For those interested in the new series, the Internet Movie Database gives the following description: A once happy family suddenly begins to fall apart following a seemingly minor incident in which a man slaps another couple's misbehaving child.

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Uma Thurman's Face Looks The Same; She Responds To Plastic Surgery Rumors On 'The Today Show' [VIDEO]

Fifty Shades of Grey: Dakota Johnson turns heads in plunging gown as she arrives with Jamie Dornan at Berlin premiere

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Heartthrob Jamie Dornan was welcomed by screaming fans hoping to get an autograph or a selfie with the Northern Irish actor.

Dornan, who plays BDSM loving billionaire Christian Grey in the film adaptation of the erotic novel by EL James, cut his usual stylish figure in a black Stella McCartney suit which he teamed with a blue bow tie.

The 32-year-old actor was joined by his wife Amelia Warner, who he recently revealed would not be watching the film.

"She doesnt want to watch this. She wants to support me and my work. I wont be able to sit there myself. I am not going to put any pressure on her either way. Its her decision. Shes well aware that it's pretend, but its probably not that comfortable to watch," he told USA Today.

Dakota Johnson made sure to dress in tune with the novel's theme in a plunging black Dior gown which she teamed with a huge diamond ring and bright red lips.

Director Sam Taylor-Johnson looked spectacular in a figure hugging white Stella McCartney gown as she graced the red carpet with film's stars and her husband Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Also in attendance was the author of the bestselling novel, EL James, who was wearing a black embellished gown for the occasion.

Read more about Fifty Shades of Grey

The 18-certificate film is set for UK release on February 13.

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Fifty Shades of Grey: Dakota Johnson turns heads in plunging gown as she arrives with Jamie Dornan at Berlin premiere