Its All About Entertainment: August 2013

Tuesday, 13 August 2013

Petra: Jordan

On the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the glittering capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to 40 A.D.). Masters of water technology, the Nabataeans provided their city with great tunnel constructions and water chambers. A theater, modelled on Greek-Roman prototypes, had space for an audience of 4,000. Today, the Palace Tombs of Petra, with the 42-meter-high Hellenistic temple

This immense mausoleum was built on the orders of Shah Jahan, the fifth Muslim Mogul emperor, to honor the memory of his beloved late wife. Built out of white marble and standing in formally laid-out walled gardens, the Taj Mahal is regarded as the most perfect jewel of Muslim art in India. The emperor was consequently jailed and, it is said, could then only see the Taj Mahal out of his small cell window.

This statue of Jesus stands some 38 meters tall, atop the Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Designed by Brazilian Heitor da Silva Costa and created by French sculptor Paul Landowski, it is one of the world’s best-known monuments. The statue took five years to construct and was inaugurated on October 12, 1931. It has become a symbol of the city and of the warmth of the Brazilian people, who receive visitors with open arms.

The Great Wall of China was built to link existing fortifications into a united defense system and better keep invading Mongol tribes out of China. It is the largest man-made monument ever to have been built and it is disputed that it is the only one visible from space. Many thousands of people must have given their lives to build this colossal construction.

This great amphitheater in the centre of Rome was built to give favors to successful legionnaires and to celebrate the glory of the Roman Empire. Its design concept still stands to this very day, and virtually every modern sports stadium some 2,000 years later still bears the irresistible imprint of the Colosseum’s original design. Today, through films and history books, we are even more aware of the cruel fights and games that took place in

Chichén Itzá, the most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization. Its various structures – the pyramid of Kukulkan, the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the Thousand Pillars, and the Playing Field of the Prisoners – can still be seen today and are demonstrative of an extraordinary commitment to architectural space and composition. The pyramid itself was the last, and arguably the greatest, of all Mayan temple

Running almost in tandem with the Atomic Age has been the Space Age. American Robert Goddard was one of the first scientists to experiment with rocket propulsion systems. In his small laboratory in Worcester, Massachusetts, Goddard worked with liquid oxygen and gasoline to propel rockets into the atmosphere, and in 1926 successfully fired the world's first liquid-fuel rocket which reached a height of 12.5 meters. Over the next 10 years, Goddard's rockets achieved modest altitudes of nearly two kilometers, and interest in rocketry increased in the United States, Britain, Germany, and the Soviet Union.

One of the most spectacular – and controversial – accomplishments of US technology has been the harnessing of nuclear energy. The concepts that led to the splitting of the atom were developed by the scientists of many countries, but the conversion of these ideas into the reality of nuclear fission was accomplished in the United States in early 1940s, both by many Americans but also aided tremendously by the influx of European intellectuals fleeing the growing conflagration sparked by Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini in Europe.

In the early decades of its history, the United States was relatively isolated from Europe and also rather poor. At this stage America's scientific infrastructure was still quite primitive compared to the long-established societies, institutes, and universities in Europe.
Two of America's founding fathers were scientists of some repute. Benjamin Franklin conducted a series of experiments that deepened human understanding of electricity. Among other things, he proved what had been suspected but never before shown: that lightning is a form of electricity. Franklin also invented such conveniences as bifocal eyeglasses. He did not invent the Franklin stove, however, it was named after him but is a much simpler version of his original

He United States came into being around the Age of Enlightenment (circa 1680 to 1800), a period in which writers and thinkers rejected the superstitions of the past. Instead, they emphasized the powers of reason and unbiased inquiry, especially inquiry into the workings of the natural world. Enlightenment philosophers envisioned a "republic of science," where ideas would be exchanged freely and useful knowledge would improve the lot of all citizens.
The United States Constitution itself reflects the desire to encourage scientific creativity. It gives the United States Congress the power "to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective

A conference in celebration of the work of Professor James L. Bolton

This conference will present current research on themes connected with Jim Bolton’s work, including money supply and the operation of credit, international banking, the impact of the Black Death, the impact of Italians and other alien groups in London, and relations between the city of London and the Crown. Keynote speakers are Caroline Barron (RHUL) and Phillipp Schofield (Aberwystwyth).

GTA 5: new screenshots – in pictures

Rockstar has revealed a selection of new screenshots from the long-awaited return of its multimillion-selling Grand Theft Auto series. In a collection entitled 'The Fast Life' we see lead characters Michael, Trevor and Franklin in a variety of cool vehicles, causing trouble through the open streets of Los Santos. The game is not due until 17 September, so for now, this is as close as we get to the chaos. This zoom along the

GTA 5: new screenshots – in pictures

The execution's opponents argued that Ferguson should have been given life without parole because he had been mentally ill since before he committed the crimes. Photo: Antonio Olmos

Florida has executed a schizophrenic man who believed that he was the immortal prince of God vested with superhuman powers including an ability to control the sun, despite the US constitution's prohibition against

Priebus also accused the networks of 'thinly-veiled attempts at putting a thumb on the scales of the 2016 presidential election'. Photograph: Getty Images

The Republican National Committee has threatened a boycott of CNN and NBC in the runup to the next presidential election unless the networks cancel films they have planned on Hillary Clinton.
Reince Priebus, chair of the RNC, wrote to the heads of CNN and

Transfer your ageing Wii content across to a Wii U and, instead of a utilitarian loading bar, you'll see a gaggle of Pikmin carry the saves, download games and other digital flotsam from one machine to the other. It's the sort of generosity of imagination that still sets Nintendo apart from its console rivals. But in Pikmin 3 the colourful, ant-like helpers carry a far greater weight on their shoulders: that of the hopes of

Jeff Bezos, the chief executive of Amazon.com, entered an agreement with the Washington Post Co. Monday to buy its newspaper publishing businesses for $250 million, including its flagship newspaper after decades of family ownership.
The purchaser is an entity that belongs to Bezos and is not Amazon.com.
It follows other indications of Bezos' interest in news. He made a $5

The cable giant offers CBS an either/or route to resolve their fee dispute and resume carriage of its network, with digital rights, online content, and TV Everywhere among the levers TWC is pulling.

A CBS ad in New York's Times Square blames Time Warner Cable for CBS programming -- like the PGA Tour -- being dropped for some subscribers.

A Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train in the Rockridge station in Oakland. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
Gov. Jerry Brown is urging both sides in the BART standoff to reach an agreement to avoid a strike in “the strongest terms possible.”
The sides need to “meet quickly and as long as necessary to get this dispute resolved,” Brown said Sunday.
The governor also announced that he has appointed a board to

The first original program to run during Discovery Channel’s 2013 showing of Shark Week was an over-dramatized show looking at the possibility of the existence of Megalodon, a giant shark at one point believed to be an ancestor of the White shark.
The show starts with a dramatic video that looks to be shot by an

Actor Peter Capaldi has been announced as the new star of BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who
The 55-year-old Glasgow-born star will be the 12th actor to play the Doctor, replacing out-going lead Matt Smith.
Capaldi is best known for his role as foul-mouthed spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker in the BBC series The Thick of It.

Aamir Liaquat, known as modern religious scholar, is raising rating of her special Ramadan show Aman Ramazan with variety of giveaways, of which he recently presented baby girls to two unsuspecting couples during the show.

Aamir Liaquat Hussain presents many giveaways to the audience on his show by simply answering questions on the Quran. Recently, during seven hours live broadcast of Aman Ramazan, he presented baby girls who were found by an NGO, the Chhipa Welfare Association and in the upcoming days a baby boy will be given to another couple.

The Bachelorette Spoilers: Shocking Ending Ahead!

While in the past, The Bachelor or The Bachelorette spoilers have centered around which suitor the star would pick, this year looks a bit different.
Heading into the August 5 season-ender, most of the uncertainty surrounding Desiree Hartsock relates to whether she ends up engaged or heartbroken.
Brooks Forester has been the favorite all season long, both among those offering spoilers and on screen. Des has even admitted she's in love.
So what's the big twist keeping this from being a foregone conclusion?
Even the producers themselves are weighing in on the unusual nature of this particular "journey" for love, and hinting that it may not end smoothly.
Misleading teases that don't come to fruition or are underwhelming in the end are standard for this show, but you don't often hear ones like this:
“All I can say is that you will be shocked by how this ends.”
Straight from show-runner Mike Fleiss himself, to EW.
Yes, we realize that every single week promises THE MOST DRAMATIC ROSE CEREMONY EVER, so you can take that with a boulder of salt.
That said, the shot-caller adds that Hartsock's season's ending “doesn't make sense in some ways,” and “It comes out of left field in other ways.”
The two-part finale is “the weirdest ending we've ever had, for sure,” and while he won't say if the parties involves are happy, "it sure is interesting to watch.”
- See more at: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/07/the-bachelorette-spoilers-shocking-ending-ahead/#sthash.QMSHiRqE.dpuf

Desiree Hartsock as The Bachelorette in 2013. She has had a bumpy ride at times as we head down the home stretch!Desiree Hartsock as The Bachelorette in 2013. She has had a bumpy ride at times as we head down the home stretch!

<a href="http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/gallery/desiree-hartsock-as-the-bachelorette-photo/"><img alt="Desiree-hartsock-as-the-bachelorette-photo" src="http://images.thehollywoodgossip.com/iu/t_full/v1374696950/desiree-hartsock-as-the-bachelorette-photo.jpg" /></a>

Conn. boy: I was cheated over 'Jeopardy!' spelling

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut eighth-grader who misspelled the correct answer to a "Jeopardy!" question and lost money over it says he was cheated

Is there a new feud brewing? Fresh out of rehab, Lindsay Lohan guest hosts the upcoming Aug. 5 Chelsea Lately episode and in a preview clip from the gig, the actress didn't have, well, the nicest things to say about fellow actress and former child star Kristen Stewart.

PHOTOS: Lindsay's most shocking moments
Speaking about a recent incident in which the Twilight actress, 23, yelled at a photographer, Lohan, 27, quipped, "I'm just excited that Kristen Stewart, you know, finally showed some emotion."
Met with laughter and some surprise from the other hosts, The Canyons

4-year-old mayor is re-elected in northern Minn

DORSET, Minn. (AP) — Robert "Bobby" Tufts hasn't made it to preschool yet, but he's already been elected twice as mayor of a tiny tourist town in northern Minnesota.

Mayor Tufts' name was picked Sunday during annual Taste of Dorset festival to be mayor of Dorset for a second term. It has no formal city government and has a population of 22 to 28, depending on whether the minister and his family are in town.

Anyone could vote as many times as they like — for $1 a vote — at any of the ballot boxes in stores around town. The proceeds go toward organizing the festival.

San Francisco’s most expensive home for sale sits at 2724 Pacific Ave., perched high above the sloping street, in the tony neighborhood of Pacific Heights. Tucked behind metal gates, the “pedestrian

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion — in thought, style, experience, culture, ethnicity and sexual orientation — is helping us to create not only a great place to work, but also an environment where our employees, our customers and our communities around the world can

We are one of the leading supporters of the arts in the world because we believe that a thriving arts and culture sector benefits economies and societies. Our program is designed to engage people in creative ways to build mutual respect and understanding. We do this through grants and sponsorships to arts organizations, and through our owWorks of art can provide a lasting reflection of peoples and cultures. But, over time, they are subject to deterioration. This unique program provides grants to

The Access Board is an independent federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities. The Board develops and maintains design criteria for the built environment, transit vehicles, telecommunications equipment, and for electronic and information technology.

Eagle and Shield

It is difficult to document the origin of the Senate’s gilded wood Eagle and Shield, which currently adorns the dais in the Old Senate Chamber. An 1809 plan for the room shows that architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe intended to hang an eagle crest and elaborate canopy over the vice president’s desk. His drawing also includes an oval cartouche or escutcheon of unspecified design on the eagle’s breast. However, Latrobe’s bird, with drooping wings, lacks the majesty and drama of the soaring eagle that exists today in the Old Senate Chamber. It is unclear whether his design ever became reality–-any evidence would have been destroyed when British troops burned the Capitol in 1814.

Energy is a growing necessity for people worldwide. As the demand for energy grows, Landsat plays an important role in identifying new energy

People have long recognized the connection between the environment and human health. Various animal and insect species from mice to mosquitoes serve as vectors that can transmit disease pathogens to

Landsat’s Critical Role in Understanding Climate Change

Long-term weather patterns averaged over 30 years or more make up our climate. Human well-being—our

infrastructure and agriculture—depend on a reliable climate. This reliability allows farmers to plant seeds in the spring with confidence that

Worldwide, millions of people are helped by Landsat-data-based decisions that impact food and water management. Food and farming

10 Feb 2002: Picabo Street of USA practices the women's downhill at the Snowbasin ski area during the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games in Ogden, Utah. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: MIke Powell/Getty Images
10 Feb 2002: Stephan Eberharter of Austria competes in the Men's Downhill during the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games at the

6 Feb 2002: L-R: Silver medalist Stephan Eberharter of Austria, Gold medalist Kjetil Andre Aamodt of Norway and bronze medalist Andreas Schifferer of Austria celebrate during the flowers ceremony after the men's super-G during the Salt Lake City WinterOlympic Games at the Snowbasin ski area in Salt Lake City, Utah. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Impact

StateImpact teams are trained to dive deep into their topics and engage with communities using a variety of digital tools and social platforms. They apply a data-driven approach to examining policy issues and publish maps, charts and source documents to illuminate their reportingStateImpact’s commitment to engaging with communities

StateImpact reporters in six states examine how state issues and policy affect people’s lives. Each state team Indiana and Ohio cover the rapidly changing education landscapes in their states. Issues they cover regularly include education standards and curriculum, student testing, teacher pay and evaluation, school choice and higher education.

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to grant California an extension on an order issued by the justices more than two years ago for the state to release some 10,000 inmates from its overcrowded prisons.
The high court's original May 2011 ruling held that congested conditions in the California's 33 prisons amounted to cruel and unusual punishment as defined by the Eighth Amendment. The court gave the state two years to comply with an order to free the prisoners and alleviate the overcrowding

A Rhode Island company was the highest bidder in the federal government's first-ever auction for the right to build an offshore wind farm.
After 11 rounds, Deepwater Wind for two patches of ocean off the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The winning bid was $3.8 million.

Government regulators in Canada are investigating a series of mysterious oil spills around tar sands operations in Alberta. Thick oil is gurgling up unexpectedly from the ground instead of flowing through the wells that were built to collect it.
The spills are raising questions about a technology that's rapidly

For over a decade, there has been a seemingly inevitable trend in Washington toward diminished privacy rights in the name of national security. But last night something extraordinary happened, which could be the beginning of a major shift in Congress's attitude toward government surveillance

Bruno Mars show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Saturday night (July 27).
Mixing her seasons, Ashley Greene wore a long-sleeved red sweater with tiny while Hailee Steinfeld wore a white blouse, black jacket, and white and black patterned pants.

Nearby, Audrina Patridge rocked a midriff-baring, off-the-shoulder white T-shirt and distressed jeans as she headed inside.
Teaming up for a great night out Miranda Cosgrove and Jennette McCurdy arrived in style with the "iCarly" beauty wearing a lacy black sleeveless top and black pants while her fellow Nickelodeon star wore a white, black and red jacket, and black leggings.

Tuesday, 13 August 2013

A conference in celebration of the work of Professor James L. Bolton

Monday, 5 August 2013

Sunday, 4 August 2013

San Francisco’s most expensive home for sale sits at 2724 Pacific Ave., perched high above the sloping street, in the tony neighborhood of Pacific Heights. Tucked behind metal gates, the “pedestrian

Saturday, 3 August 2013