ISS alert over passing space junk

24 March 2012 Last updated at 06:46 ET

The crew of the International Space Station (ISS) briefly took refuge in escape capsules as a piece of space junk drifted nearby.

The debris - a discarded piece of Russian rocket - was detected on Friday when it was too late to move the ISS.

Nasa said the debris was barely close enough to be a threat but that precautionary measures had to be taken.

It is the third time in 12 years that the ISS has faced a possible collision with space junk.

In June, a piece of debris came within 335m (1,100ft) of the platform.

The ISS is currently manned by three Russians, two Americans and one Dutch astronaut.

They were ordered by ground control to move into two Soyuz escape capsules in case the station was hit, but a Nasa spokesman said they were given the green light to return to the main station at 0238 GMT on Saturday.

The "sheltering exercise" was carried out with "due diligence and in a very precautionary and conservative fashion", said the unnamed spokesman.

"Everything went by the book and as expected, the small piece of cosmos satellite debris passed the international space station without incident."

Russia's space agency said the debris had passed the station at a distance of 23km (14 miles).

"The cosmonauts have returned to performing their previously assigned work," an official told Interfax news agency.

Nasa says it is actively tracking some 22,000 pieces of space debris, but there are millions of objects left over from decades of space travel drifting in Earth's orbit.

They range in size from smaller than a centimetre across to large chunks of rockets, defunct satellites or discarded fuel tanks.

All are travelling at several kilometres per second and could cause serious damage to the ISS or vital satellites if they collided.

The single biggest debris-generating event happened in 2007, when China used a missile to destroy one of its own satellites. The explosion created more than 3,000 trackable objects and an estimated 150,000 debris particles.

Then in 2009, a Russian and American satellite collided, releasing tonnes of debris.

Efforts are being made to draw up an international code of conduct for space exploration to avoid such incidents happening again.

The US announced in January that it was backing EU countries in working towards the code to address long-term safety and security concerns and establish "guidelines for the responsible use of space".

Countries backing the code would also commit to exploring space for peaceful purposes only and to not attacking each other's satellites.

But critics say such a code would not be legally binding, and concerns remain about countries being obliged to share information on satellites used for military purposes.

India, China and Russia, all of which have advanced space programmes, have not yet said they will back the code.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/science-environment-17497766

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L'Arc En Ciel's Madison Square Garden Show Is A 'Turning Point'

Rock band will become first Japanese act to headline MSG on Sunday, which frontman Hyde calls 'highlight' of a 20-year career.
By James Montgomery

Hyde of L'arc en Ciel
Photo: MTV News

On Sunday, Japanese art-rock act L'Arc en Ciel — French for "the rainbow," naturally — will make history when they become the first band from their homeland to headline a show at New York's iconic Madison Square Garden.

The show, part of the band's 20th anniversary world tour, was originally scheduled for the much smaller Theater at MSG, but due to overwhelming demand from their long-suffering Stateside fans — L'Arc have played just one North American show in their two decades of existence, a 2004 gig at an Otaku convention in Baltimore — organizers moved it to the venerable Garden arena. And for a band that has had approximately zero promotion here in the U.S., it is understandably a very big deal, as frontman Hyde told MTV News (via translator) on Friday (March 23).

"This is huge for our band to perform at the world-famous Madison Square Garden, so I want to make sure we give you the very best show for the American audience. ... I want to take the very best of everything we've done in Japan and put it in this show," Hyde said. "It's so hard for a Japanese act to be successful in America, but we were given this opportunity, so that means there is a possibility for us to break in the American market. I definitely feel lucky to be here after 20 years as a band."

And for Hyde, who grew up listening to "L.A. metal ... Guns N' Roses and Mötley Crüe," the opportunity to take the stage at the World's Most Famous Arena has an even bigger significance. Mostly because, when L'Arc first started 20 years ago in Osaka, Hyde never thought he'd be singing before 19,000 folks in New York City. He wasn't even sure he'd ever make it to Tokyo.

"This world tour is definitely one of the highlights of our career. It ranks at the top of all the highlights, but amongst it all, this Madison Square Garden performance is such a turning point in our career, so we look forward to it," he said. "It's very hard to predict what's next for L'Arc en Ciel, and for us, it's almost a miracle we've lasted this long. When we first started, I was just happy to be able to eat. Our goal back then was to be #1 in Osaka so that people in Tokyo could hear about us."

Luckily, he and the band will have a few days after the show to soak up the New York City experience. Of course, thanks to the warm weather, there's one aspect of the city he's sadly already missed out on.

"We're going to be here in New York for a week, and I was looking forward to the steam coming up from the streets, but I haven't seen that yet, what happened to that?" he laughed of the blasts of warm air that often spring up from subway grates. "Also, I watched a lot of Billy Joel videos growing up, and I would love to see some of the scenes from those videos."

Will you check out L'Arc en Ciel at the Garden? Tell us in the comments!

Related Artists

• L'Arc en Ciel

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1681730/larc-en-ciel-madison-square-garden.jhtml

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fabiano bobcat: Daily Tips for Business: Architecture-and-Interior ...

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Source: http://tatarnbrannon07.typepad.com/blog/2012/03/daily-tips-for-business-architecture-and-interior-design.html

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Source: http://fabiano-bobcat.blogspot.com/2012/03/daily-tips-for-business-architecture.html

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Obesity Increases Risk of Colorectal Cancer and Polyps

BETHESDA, Md. ?The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and the Campaign to End Obesity (CEO) are joining forces to highlight the potentially deadly link between higher Body Mass Index (BMI) and colorectal cancer. In light of the increasing prevalence of obesity in the United States and the strength of the scientific evidence linking obesity to increased colorectal cancer risk, the two organizations are combining efforts during March Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Their goal is to educate the public about obesity as a major risk factor for the second leading cancer killer in the United States and about the importance of colorectal cancer screening in patients with high Body Mass Index.

?Dietary and other modifiable risk factors may account for as many as 90 percent of colorectal cancers, and recent studies suggest that about one-quarter of colorectal cancer cases could be avoided by following a healthy lifestyle," explained ACG President Lawrence R. Schiller, MD, FACG. ?Consumers need to understand the link between a higher Body Mass Index and colorectal cancer, take this risk factor seriously, and talk to their doctor about colorectal cancer tests," he added.

?Obesity is the precursor to an array of serious diseases, among them colorectal cancer. With two thirds of adults struggling with being overweight or obese, it is essential people understand their long-term health. Fortunately, we have available many useful and practical tools to help people. Screening is one of the most powerful weapons at-hand for preventing colorectal cancer and obesity. Education around these issues is of utmost importance," said Stephanie Silverman, co-founder of the Campaign to End Obesity.

The association between metabolic syndrome and colorectal cancer mortality, and type 2 diabetes mellitus and colorectal cancer risk, suggests that obesity-induced insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia may have a role in the development of colorectal cancer. Based on this and other epidemiologic evidence, the American College of Gastroenterology and the Campaign to End Obesity are committed to providing communities, families, educators and policymakers with the latest information, educational tools and resources to empower them to make informed and timely decisions when it comes to healthy body weight and colorectal cancer prevention strategies.

Source: http://www.endonurse.com/news/2012/03/obesity-increases-risk-of-colorectal-cancer-and-p.aspx

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MIRA & Aphex Present: My Career in Show Business- Steve Luongo ...

Steve Luongo, internationally known drummer, songwriter, record producer and filmmaker has agreed to be a guest speaker in the southwest Florida area. Steve?s credits include John Entwistle (The Who), Leslie West (Mountain), Jack Bruce (Cream), Todd Rundgren, Alan Parsons, Billy Squier, Brian Johnson & Cliff Williams (AC/DC) and many others. He is currently preparing for a national tour but you can see him here first!

The evening will feature a solo performance by Steve on drums playing along to original music that he has composed and recorded. This lecture will be followed by a series of stories and enlightening educational insights from his music career which spans five decades

Steve hopes to give newcomers to the industry an edge when they enter the highly competitive business and he believes that the lessons he?s learned during his career will translate to anyone in pursuit of their dreams, whatever it might be. The evening is meant to be entertaining, educational and inspiring.

Date:? March 26, 2012

Time: 7:30pm

Location: The Palladium, 253 5^th Ave N, St. Petersburg

Admission: $12 General Admission. Free for SPC students and staff with ID.

Phone: 727-341-7984

For information about our upcoming events, please visit our web site: http://www.spcollege.edu/spg/music/calendar.htm

Source: http://sandbox.spcollege.edu/index.php/2012/03/mira-aphex-present-my-career-in-show-business-steve-luongo-drummer-composer-producer-lecturer/

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Knicks beat 76ers 82-79 for 5th straight win

New York Knicks' Jeremy Lin (17) shoots as Philadelphia 76ers' Thaddeus Young (21) and Jrue Holiday (11) trail during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 21, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New York Knicks' Jeremy Lin (17) shoots as Philadelphia 76ers' Thaddeus Young (21) and Jrue Holiday (11) trail during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 21, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New York Knicks head coach Mike Woodson yells to his team in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Wednesday, March 21, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony (7) shoots between Philadelphia 76ers' Elton Brand (42) and Andre Iguodala (9) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 21, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? As Amare Stoudemire walked into the New York locker room with a towel over his shoulders, the coaching staff followed. When the door closed, one jubilant voice inside screamed: "How 'Bout Those Knicks!"

How about 'em, indeed.

Fueled by a dose of Linsanity and a timely coaching change, the Knicks are making a furious charge toward a division title. Knocking off a 76ers team in full swoon was the latest step.

Stoudemire had 21 points and nine rebounds to lead the Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 82-79 over fading Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

Jeremy Lin scored 16 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, and Carmelo Anthony had 10 to help the Knicks pull within three games of the Atlantic Division leaders and clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker.

"It's been our goal," Anthony said. "That's never changed."

The game ended with thousands of New York fans chanting, "Let's go Knicks!" They had reason to celebrate after Stoudemire hit a pair of big buckets down the stretch to clinch the win. The Knicks scored fewer than 83 points in a win for the first time since Nov. 14, 2005, vs. Utah (73-62).

Linsanity has turned into Winsanity as the Knicks are unbeaten since Mike D'Antoni stepped down exactly a week earlier.

"I was sweating a little bit tonight," interim coach Mike Woodson said. "But I learned that my team is not going to buckle, and I honestly believe that they believe they can win any game that they play now."

Elton Brand had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Sixers. Jrue Holiday scored 16. This could be a crushing week for the Sixers with Boston set to visit on Friday. The Celtics are only a game back for the division lead and an automatic top-four seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

"You've got to look at the division right now. Have to," Brand said. "We have to step up, win some games, and find a way to get some separation from New York and Boston."

Each team was backed by a Hollywood heavyweight supporter: Co-owner Will Smith rooted on the Sixers and Spike Lee sat adjacent to the Knicks bench. Smith and Lee exchanged some laughs, and Smith pointed to his black 76ers cap when he was shown on the big screen in front of 20,470 fans.

The Sixers shook off a miserable start and a double-digit hole to make a run at the Knicks in the fourth. Lou Williams, perhaps the NBA's best sixth man, nailed a 3-pointer that tied the game at 63-all.

Stoudemire, though, returned the favor with a monster dunk and a loud roar that was gleefully met with cheers by all the Knicks fans. Stoudemire hit a pull-up jumper next time down and the Knicks led by four.

Lin followed with a runner and Lee, wearing a No. 17 jersey, leapt from his seat and applauded as the Knicks ran his way for a timeout.

Lin delivered from the free throw line, sinking two for an eight-point lead, then feeding Anthony for a 16-footer that gave the Knicks the breathing room they needed. Lin was 10 for 10 from the line.

The Sixers kept coming, and nearly turned the game around in the final 2 minutes. Trailing by three, Brand blocked Lin's shot that led to a fast-break attempt for Andre Iguodala. Iguodala missed the layup, and the empty possession would finish off the Sixers.

For good measure, Iguodala shot an airball in the final minute.

"We have to do a better job of being a better unit," Iguodala said.

Meanwhile, the orange and blue took over, and chanted for the Knicks, completing a double-dose of defeat for Philadelphia.

The Sixers never led and trailed by as many as 12 points when they finally found a groove in the third. Thaddeus Young's dunk pulled them within two and Iguodala buried a 3-pointer from the corner ? only his third basket ? for a 49-48 lead.

Philadelphia was invaded by a fleet of Knicks fans that gave this one a postseason feel ? for Madison Square Garden.

But the Sixers fans came alive along with their team and went wild when, after the Sixers blew the lead, Williams nailed a 3 to pull them to 59-58 to end the quarter.

Only 10 days earlier, the Sixers handed the Knicks their fifth straight loss, 106-94. Stoudemire sat alongside Anthony for the entire fourth quarter.

Both were needed this time around, especially with Lin having a miserable first three quarters. He missed 10 of his first 11 shots and had only two assists ? one on a long pass to a streaking Anthony for a thunderous dunk.

Lin wasn't the only scorer who couldn't buy a bucket. Iguodala, who averages 12.2 points, didn't score his first field goal until there was 45 seconds left in the first half. He scored 13 points.

Of course, Linsanity is so 15 minutes ago now that Tebowmania headlines New York.

"I'm just excited for him and to see what he does," Lin said after the Jets acquired Tim Tebow. "We'll see what happens next year. But I'm excited, obviously, that he's going to be in New York."

The Sixers missed their first 14 shots ? Spencer Hawes even fired an airball on the 10th attempt ? and committed five turnovers in the first quarter.

"Never seen anything like that before. 0-14?" Brand said.

The only part more amazing than their futility from the court was that they only trailed by eight points.

The Knicks did their part at the end.

"We're building, we're getting better, we're feeling more confident," Lin said. "We're creating a team identity."

Notes: Knicks G Baron Davis returned after sitting out two games with a strained right hamstring. "I want to make myself available," he said. ... Knicks F Jared Jeffries left in the fourth quarter with a sore right knee. ... Flyers Scott Hartnell and Wayne Simmonds sat courtside. Hartnell tossed shirts into the crowd. ... The Sixers are 6-12 after a 20-9 start.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-03-22-BKN-Knicks-76ers/id-c835a8b34b384815a3d5adfff02473f4

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Customer Service Pitfalls Part 3

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012 by Steve Myers in Customer Service

The Official Merchant Services Blog?finishes its titanic trilogy on the affect?Customer Service?can have on a business. In our first blog we discussed anecdotal evidence and how it pertains to the perception of service and what can be learned from those anecdotes. In our second blog we took at look at the numbers, examining charts of data to determine a measured impact that customer service has on a business. The combination of strong anecdotal evidence and detailed charts demonstrated how integral quality customer service can be to a business? financial success. Today we?re going to delve into the tips that get offered regarding inferior customer service ? both tips on how customers can deal with customer service they find lacking and tips on how businesses can improve customer service that their customers find lacking.

I got onto this topic recently because of an online discussion that suggested that customers weren?t worth the effort of listening to their complaints. That discussion was sparked from??The story of Jennifer Hepler found on The Mary Sue. It brought up the concept of gamer entitlement and video game customers going too far in their negative complaints to video game developers.?Added to that was this Forbes article about?The Myth of Gamer Entitlement. This really created a framework where customer complaints were presented as too much hassle for game companies to listen to. So the game companies would place customer service extremely low on their priority list.

I really have issues with that concept. It makes no sense to me.?Customers and?quality customer service?are extremely valuable to long-term business. So I set about to prove how valuable customer service can be for a business. After seeing the anecdotal evidence and the numerical data stack up, it?s quite clear that quality customer service has an impact on a business? bottom line. Good customer service helps retain customers. Happy customers also give a business good word of mouth advertising ? the most powerful and effective advertising a business can receive. Good customer service leads to high customer loyalty. High customer loyalty gives your business higher sales and a stronger brand identity.

What to do if all is not Well?

So let?s bring this back around to what started me on this line of thinking: Difficult Customers. The strategy that some video game companies are using to ?deal? with the difficult customers was to launch a bit of an online campaign through gaming sites and other avenues to paint those difficult customers as unreasonable, and set the company up as a victim of their irrationality. From what I?ve seen and read of that option, the negativity has simply bred more negativity. Making the customers even more difficult and a lot of bad word of mouth has started to seep into the reputation of the company hurting their brand. So instead of creating an antagonistic atmosphere with difficult customers, I did a little research and found some tips and advice on how to deal with difficult customers and turn it into a positive.

The Customer?s Side

To get a handle on difficult customers I think it?s important to understand the perspective of the customer. This article by Mind Your Decisionsis amazing at giving us insight into that perspective ? and it gives consumers a series of tips on how to get the service they desire from bad customer service situations. It hinges on the premise that for customers to get what they want from a business? customer service department, their strategy should be reasonably unreasonable. It states that being reasonable with bad customer service usually leads to the customer not getting what they want as they let the business continue to ignore their issue. It then states that being unreasonable with bad customer service also misses the mark as making a ruckus may get you what you want, but may leave you feeling like you made a mountain out of a molehill. So it advocates a strategy of being reasonably unreasonable: Holding firm, continually going after what it is you want from the company but not raising a ruckus while you follow that path. The article is focused on giving customers advice on how to get businesses to respond to your desire for customer service: ?When dealing with bad service, one of the easiest ways to be reasonably unreasonable is to explain you are a frequent customer and that you would like a full cash refund. Cash, unlike in-store discounts, can be used at competitors.?This small request quickly gets the attention of managers who scramble to keep you happy. You may end up accepting an in-store discount, but it will likely be much larger because you started asking for cash.?

Articles like this are important to be aware of when you?re planning ?your own customer service protocols. You find again and again that the advice offered to consumers is to not back down. To continue to push for service. To be difficult. Sure, there are always going to be a tiny selection of customers that are the exceptions to the rule ? ones that are difficult to be difficult, ones that thrive off of confrontation, and ones that simply want to try and take advantage of your customer service to get something for nothing. But these are the rare exceptions. Most of the time you are dealing with a customer that feels like they got a defective product or did not get the value of their purchase. They are seeking some sort of compensation, some understanding and some assistance. And because they feel justified in their crusade, they are going to feel entitled to service. They aren?t the unreasonable villains that the ?gamer entitlement? tag suggests they are.

The moral of this story is a customer that wants a refund can be difficult about it. But can be turned back into a loyal customer if they receive understanding and compensation. It doesn?t even have to be in the form of a refund. But ignoring them or antagonizing them is only going to do more damage to your business and its reputation than the refund is usually worth. Most difficult customers aren?t that difficult once you initiate customer service that actually addresses their issues and their concerns.

Customer Service Tips

This article from Customer Service Manager offers five tips for dealing positively with difficult customers. Those five tips all hinge on engaging the customer?s emotions. As the article states in its conclusion: ?Make no mistake about it; customers, be they internal or external, are primarily driven by their emotions. It?s therefore important to use human responses in any interaction particularly when a customer is upset or angry. If customers like you and feel that you care, then they?re more likely to accept what you say and forgive your mistakes.?

The tips break down to:

• Have a thick skin. Be aware the customer is going to be angry and upset and don?t let that get to you.
• Listen. Listen to what they have to say.
• Don?t use the word sorry. Sorry, the article says is overused and has little impact with difficult customers.
• Show empathy. The customer is upset and empathy will help mollify their anger.
• Build a rapport. While empathizing with the customer opens the door for you, building a rapport gets you to your destination ? customer service.

?

Most other lists I?ve found on how to deal with difficult customers breaks down to a similar set of tips. The important tips that I repeatedly ran into were all a variation on listening to the customer, showing them understanding and not letting their anger get to you. It all comes back to giving the customer your time, your ear and your energy. Giving them the attention they need to service them and address their issues. You do this and most of the customer service complaints you get are defused. You turn many of these customers into loyal fans of your business who will turn around and spread the news that you give excellent service. You attract more business and build a reputation for your business.

For me, the bottom line of customer service is this: There?s no such thing as gamer entitlement. Those gamers are customers who purchased your product and they are entitled to quality customer service. If you run a video game company you should beat the pants off of your competitors by being one that gives quality customer service. You?ll set yourself apart from the ones that are painting their own customers as the villains and themselves as the victim of a group of people who simply want what they paid for.

About Steve Myers

Steve is the Marketing Director for Host Merchant Services. Steve worked as a copy editor and graphic designer in the newspaper industry for over a decade, including stints with the Wilmington News Journal, the Lansdale Reporter and the Asian edition of the Wall Street Journal. An award-winning designer and illustrator, his work has appeared in print, film and the internet. His previous marketing position was with Wilmington-based private school consulting firm Independent School Management.
See all posts by Steve Myers

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Source: http://www.hostmerchantservices.com/2012/03/customer-service-pitfalls-part-3/

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