Italian author welcomes mafia conviction as "first step towards freedom" – Video

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Italian author welcomes mafia conviction as "first step towards freedom"
It is being described as a small victory against the mafia by the author of a book on one of Italy #39;s major organised crime gangs. An alleged mafia lawyer, Michele Santonastaso, has been convicted...

By: euronews (in English)

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Italian author welcomes mafia conviction as "first step towards freedom" - Video

Michelle Williams’ Vocal Climaxes & Ad-Libs: Journey to Freedom (Studio VS Live) [G#4-A5] – Video

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Michelle Williams #39; Vocal Climaxes Ad-Libs: Journey to Freedom (Studio VS Live) [G#4-A5]
DOWNLOAD #JourneyToFreedom - http://smarturl.it/JourneyToFreedom | Journey to Freedom is the fourth album by Michelle Williams, out now, featuring the singles; "If We Had Your Eyes", "Fire"...

By: Slaychelle

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Michelle Williams' Vocal Climaxes & Ad-Libs: Journey to Freedom (Studio VS Live) [G#4-A5] - Video

Author Isabel Allende to be awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom

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Isabel Allende will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, President Obama announced Tuesday. Allende, whose best-known book is "The House of the Spirits," is the only novelist among the 19 recipients of the nation's highest civilian honor.

"From activists who fought for change to artists who explored the furthest reaches of our imagination; from scientists who kept America on the cutting edge to public servants who help write new chapters in our American story, these citizens have made extraordinary contributions to our country and the world," Obama said.

The other creative arts recipients include musician Stevie Wonder, composer Stephen Sondheim and actors Meryl Streep and Marlo Thomas.

Also receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom this year will be U.S. Rep. John Dingell and former congressman Abner Mikva, broadcast journalist Tom Brokaw, activist Suzan Harjo, golfer and activist Charles Sifford, activist Ethel Kennedy, scientist Mildred Dresselhaus and economist Robert Solow.

Several awards will be given posthumously: to California congressman Edward Roybal, choreographer Alvin Ailey and congresswoman Patsy Takemoto Mink, as well as to James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, the three civil rights activists who were murdered in Mississippi in 1964.

The Presidential Medals of Freedom will be awarded at the White House in a ceremony on Nov. 24.

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Author Isabel Allende to be awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom

Freedom Station helps wounded heroes in transition

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SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) A local organization is making a big difference in the lives of some of America's wounded warriors.

Warrior Foundation-Freedom Station, a non-profit, offers transitional housing in Golden Hill to troops after their service providing them assistance during recovery and independence.

To get out of the military, injured, not knowing exactly what you are going to do or where you are going to go, what school, said retired Marine Ignacio Castro.

His left leg was amputated from an IED explosion in Afghanistan in 2010.

He and 11 other wounded veterans at Freedom Station are living in their new homes, going to school, paying rent and bills. Currently they are all Marines.

You have your own personal space and you are in a community with veterans, said retired Marine Scout Sniper Sgt. Povas Miknaitis.

The community started with Warrior Foundation that transformed 12 cottages and bungalows in 2011. There is a white picket fence, a yard, with an 800 square foot one bedroom, one bathroom, a dining room, kitchen and living room for wounded veterans.

I don't know if you can put into words what it [Freedom Station] is. It's a heart, it's a beginning and an end, said Warrior Foundation-Freedom Station Director Judy Sexton.

Warriors can live in the community as long as they are going to school. Povas has been living in his home since it opened in 2011 and has seen how warriors adjusts to the transition.

Maybe it's a week or maybe it's a couple of months, maybe it's longer, you can see that everyone takes their own time and transitioning into your own home, said Povas.

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Freedom Station helps wounded heroes in transition

Presidential Medal of Freedom winners: Wonder, Streep

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By Kevin Liptak, CNN

updated 6:38 AM EST, Tue November 11, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Washington (CNN) -- The longest-serving lawmaker in U.S. congressional history, a legendary Motown artist, and the matriarch of a renowned political family will be among this year's recipients of the nation's highest civilian honor, the White House announced Monday.

Rep. John Dingell, Stevie Wonder and Ethel Kennedy are three of the nineteen Americans who Obama will bestow the Presidential Medal of Freedom upon later this month.

Dingell has served nearly 60 years in Congress representing a district outside Detroit. He'll retire at the end of this session. Wonder has won 25 Grammys and an Oscar for his fusion of soul, rhythm and blues and jazz. And Kennedy, who is the widow of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, became an activist for human rights and the environment after her husband's death.

Other honorees this year include Meryl Streep, the prolific actress known for holding the most Oscar nominations of any actor in history. She stars this winter in "Into the Woods," the musical composed by Stephen Sondheim, to whom Obama will also award the Medal of Freedom on November 24.

Tom Brokaw, the former "NBC Nightly News" anchor, will be honored as well, alongside actress Marlo Thomas, golfer Charles Sifford and author Isabel Allende.

The other medalists are scientist Mildred Dresselhaus; Native American activist Suzan Harjo; former Reps. Abner Mikva of Illinois and Patsy Takemoto Mink of Hawaii; and economist Robert Solow.

Five awards will be delivered posthumously: to "Freedom Summer" civil rights activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner; to the well-known choreographer Alvin Ailey, who founded the namesake dance company; and to Rep. Edward Roybal, the founder of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

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Presidential Medal of Freedom winners: Wonder, Streep

City of Houston Recognizes TRUEGRID as Beneficial in Eliminating or Reducing Urban Drainage Fees

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Houston, Texas (PRWEB) November 12, 2014

The City of Houston's Planning and Development Services Division has recognized TRUEGRID, an eco-friendly alternative pavement system, as effective for residential areas in reducing or eliminating drainage costs where in-situ soil drains at .5" or more per hour, according to the City of Houston's Department of Public Works and Engineering's Infrastructure Design Manual. The TRUEGRID permeable pavement system allows for natural drainage as an alternative to use of a drainage system with a variety of public and private applications.

TRUEGRID's permeable pavement system is designed to replace asphalt pavements with a porous honeycomb-style grid system which allows water to flow through it directly into the ground, where contaminants become trapped in the soil as water enters into the groundwater system. The system is made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic and is then filled with either soil and grass, gravel or porous asphalt, allowing water to escape through to the ground beneath.

Because of the variety of ways that TRUEGRID's permeable pavement system can be filled, it can be used to create more natural-looking driveable areas or can appear to emulate a traditional street. The TRUEGRID system has been shown capable of handling 6880 psi when left unfilled, but capable of far more resistance and even heavy highway usage when filled, making it a suitable alternative to asphalt paving on streets and highways as well as residential driveways.

The City of Houston's Planning Division recognized that because TRUEGRID interacts directly with groundwater, there is no need to construct separate drainage system if the soil in place drains at .5" or more per hour. If the soil naturally drains at that rate, per the City's recommendation, a separate drainage system for a residential property is no longer required. It should be noted that the actual drainage of the in-situ soil should be determined prior to installation.

About TRUEGRID: TRUEGRID is a leader in the permeable paving industry providing factory wholesale direct pricing for both residential and municipal applications. TRUEGRID has a nationwide footprint and specializes in the delivery and construction of permeable paving systems which both improve groundwater quality while reducing long-term drainage costs. TRUEGRID is based in Houston, Texas. TRUEGRID products are made in the United States. For more information, contact TRUEGRUD at 1-855-355-GRID. Their website is http://www.truegridpaver.com

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City of Houston Recognizes TRUEGRID as Beneficial in Eliminating or Reducing Urban Drainage Fees

Airwheel 2-wheeled Electric Scooter: A Masterpiece of Intelligent Transporter

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US (PRWEB) November 12, 2014

Airwheel 2-wheeled electric scooter is the latest masterpiece inspired by the concept ITS. Nowadays, ITS (Intelligent Transport System) is not new to the public. It was first brought forward in the U.S back in the 1980s and was intended to tackle problems regarding expanding traffic capacity, enhancing transportation security, cutting down energy consumption and emissions, etc. Today the concept of ITS has become reality.

With the continuing progress of science and technology, new intelligent transporters represented by Airwheel 2-wheeled electric scooter have been widely applied to peoples everyday lives. As the state-of-the-art transporter, Airwheel electric scooter plays a significant role in short trips, energy saving and emission reduction, congestion alleviation as well as daily recreation and workout.

Compared with other scooters, Airwheel 2-wheeled electric scooter makes remarkable improvement in safety and comfort during usage. It is powered by a Sony/Panasonic lithium battery core which features solid performance, no memory effect, long life expectancy as well as flame and explosion retardant. In addition, the unit is controlled by worlds leading intelligent drive system which provides awesome self-balance. Its casing is built by hi-tech synthesized nano-resin which integrates the advantages of single materials and avoids shortcomings like intolerance of aging, impact, resilience, heat and corrosion. Moreover, riders are protected by an intelligent chip which activates safety measures such as speed limit protection, low battery protection, tilting protection, battery protection and charge protection when necessary. The user experience is optimized by Airwheels ergonomic design: smoother operation, better comfort, lower energy consumption and adjustable pedal height.

Inspired by the concept of ITS, Airwheel 2-wheeled electric scooter has caused a global sensation to the intelligent transportation industry. It provides an eco-friendly solution for peoples daily commute and has been a must in many countries in Europe and America.

About Changzhou Airwheel Technology Co., Ltd.

Airwheel Technology Company offers state-of-the-art means of transportation, adopting the aerospace attitude control theory, fuzzy software algorithm, and gyroscope system to maintain balance by leaning forward and backward. Airwheel is the greenest and lightest smart unicycle which can be easily carried into buses or subways, facilitating daily commuters. Airwheel boasts of 3 major R&D centers located respectively in L.A (U.S), Beijing and Changzhou.

For Media Inquiries

Contact Person: Eric Telephone: +86-519-8829-6900 Email: business(at)airwheel(dot)net Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/airwheeltechnology Twitter:https://twitter.com/AirwheelCZ Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyaQqGma-vkYxZu4HIZJbUw For more about 2-wheeled electric scooter, please visit http://www.airwheel.net

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Airwheel 2-wheeled Electric Scooter: A Masterpiece of Intelligent Transporter

Astronomy – Ch. 17: The Nature of Stars (2 of 35) This Video Has an Error – Video

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Astronomy - Ch. 17: The Nature of Stars (2 of 35) This Video Has an Error
This Video contains an error, please see: http://youtu.be/Sgl8LsbsJuQ for error-free version. Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectu...

By: Michel van Biezen

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Astronomy - Ch. 17: The Nature of Stars (2 of 35) This Video Has an Error - Video

Supernova Remant ‘Dissected’ By Astronomy Research Center | Visualization – Video

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Supernova Remant #39;Dissected #39; By Astronomy Research Center | Visualization
The remains of stellar explosion 1987A have been imaged using the Hubble Space Telescope, the Australia Telescope Compact Array in Australia and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array in Chile....

By: VideoFromSpace

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Supernova Remant 'Dissected' By Astronomy Research Center | Visualization - Video

ESA Lander Now Headed To Comet's Surface [Updated]

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The European Space Agency (ESA) reports that following a night of Go/NoGo decision-making, its cometary lander has successfully separated from the Rosetta spacecraft in orbit around the comet 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko and is now heading to its surface.

Despite a problem with the landers gas thruster, if the 150 kg Philae is able to successfully maneuver its way onto the boulder-strewn surface of the mile-long body located some 500 million km from Earth, it will mark the first time a spacecraft has been able to touch down on the surface of a comet itself. Now in its 98th day of orbit around 67P, it has taken more than a decade for the Rosetta mission to finally cross this crucial Rubicon.

ESA reports that after performing a series of checks on the landers health, the Philaes active descent system was found to be non-operational. During the final phase of descent, the thruster would have been used to avoid what ESA terms rebound at the moment of touchdown.

Credit: ESA

This means that at the moment of impact on the surface of the comet, in an area dubbed Agilkia, the Philae lander will have to rely solely on ice screws and harpoons to secure itself to the surface. The downward thruster atop the lander was to have been used to counteract the impulse of the harpoons being thrust in the opposite direction.

The cold gas thruster on top of the lander does not appear to be working so we will have to rely fully on the harpoons at touchdown, Stephan Ulamec, Philae lander manager at the DLR German Aerospace Center told an early morning press conference. Well need some luck not to land on a boulder or a steep slope.

Even so, Rosettas controllers at the at ESAs Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany note that the spacecrafts overall health remains good. However, after the lander separates from the orbiter, ESA doesnt expect the orbiter to receive signals from Philae for at least two hours or until the lander establishes communication with the Rosetta orbiter.

The descent to the comet itself is expected to take some seven hours with confirmation of touchdown not expected until 6:02 PM (CET)/1:02 PM (EST) Wednesday.

The lander should begin its science mission on the oddly-shaped comet as soon as it touches down. Researchers emphasize that exploration of such comets are crucial to understanding the primordial solar system; the origin of both our solar system and even life itself.

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ESA Lander Now Headed To Comet's Surface [Updated]

Transhumanism Artificial Intelligence and Nanotechnology – Building Gods – Documentary – Video

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Transhumanism Artificial Intelligence and Nanotechnology - Building Gods - Documentary
Transhumanism Artificial Intelligence and Nanotechnology This film by Ken Gumbs tackles the issue of pending greater-than-human artificial intelligence and the possible ramifications. Different...

By: Documentary Channel

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Transhumanism Artificial Intelligence and Nanotechnology - Building Gods - Documentary - Video