- There is good news for former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn and there is bad news. On the negative side, was charged in France on Monday with "aggravated pimping" for his alleged participation in a prostitution ring, prosecutors said. Additionally, he is forbidden from having contact with other people involved in the investigation, nor is he permitted to talk to the media about the case. However, those seeking a silver lining need not look far. While he was charged with aggravated pimping, Strauss-Kahn did skate on the fare more serious charge big pimpin’ and that is always a reason to smile. Being released under a 100,000-euro bail may also cloud his mood, but considering his spate of legal troubles in the past year or so, this is just another blip on the radar. Prior to his release, he was questioned by a judge about his alleged involvement in the ring. The meeting was moved up one day by the judge, although no reason was given. Strauss-Kahn was held for more than 24 hours by police in Lille last month and questioned in-depth about his alleged involvement in the prostitution ring. Clearly, the statement his attorneys released in November calling the allegations against their client "unhealthy, sensationalist and not without a political agenda" did not convince much of anyone. The case even has a nickname, having been dubbed the "Carlton Affair" by the French press. The case centers in the city of Lille, where prosecutors first delved into allegations that luxury hotels were being used as the operations base for a high-profile prostitution network. Strauss-Kahn’s own Strauss-Kahn's attorney, Henri Leclerc, admitted in an interview that his client attended sex parties, but claimed he did not know that the women in attendance were prostitutes. That they were dressed in slutty, low-cut outfits with fishnet stockings (maybe) and were willing to skank it up at a moment’s notice apparently did not tip him off. A cynic might argue that a man who stepped down from the top job at the IMF after a New York hotel maid accused him of sexual assault and attempted rape and was once accused of attempted rape by a young French writer should know hookers when he sees them. Of course, prostitution is not illegal in France, but profiting from the prostitution of another person is against the law. Prosecutors are investing whether corporate funds were used in the alleged prostitution ring……….
- What’s in a name for a band? Album sales, market recognition and t-shirt sales, without a doubt. For San Francisco indie band the Morning Benders, all of those components and the desire for increased name recognition. For their entire existence, they had been known as the Morning Benders. As of this past weekend, they are officially known as Pop Etc, a change made because the band learned that the word "bender" doubles as a derisive slang term for "homosexual" in the UK and parts of Europe during its 2010 tour. "We found out about it when we went to the UK for the first time," frontman Chris Chu explained. "The meaning that I knew was just going out all night and partying -- we did it kind of tongue-in-cheek, we thought it was funny at the time." While overseas, the name became a distraction and the band said it kept them from being taken seriously on radio and television outlets. It also created confusion over the group's message among fans. "We simply cannot go on using a name that is demeaning to the gay community. The reason we are making music is to reach and unite as many different kinds of people as possible, and the idea that our name may be hateful towards anyone makes us sick," Chu said in a letter posted on the band's website. Why the change to Pop Etc, a name that implies the one genre that bands with any musical credibility want nothing to do with? "We wanted a name that was short and simple. Secondly, we wanted a name that was descriptive of the sound," Chu said. "It's our band name, but it's also the kind of music we play, pop, etcetera." With new names came a new website and a free mixtape for fans containing material which may make its way onto the group's third album, the follow-up to 2010's "Big Echo." Chu said the album is nearly finished, to be released under a (bad) new moniker………
- Living jellyfish are such an energy drain on the world. They need food to survive and fuel their activity, but thankfully scientists at the University of Texas at Dallas and Virginia Tech have addressed this issue by building a jellyfish-inspired robot that can refuel itself. Technically, the robotic jellyfish are designed for perpetual ocean surveillance, but the jellyfish energy drain has to be the bigger issue. The Robojelly, as the machine is called, is similar to Slugbot, a robot designed to be able to hunt garden slugs and devour them for fuel. “We've created an underwater robot that doesn't need batteries or electricity," Yonas Tadesse, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UT Dallas. "The only waste released as it travels is more water." To function, the Roborelly extracts hydrogen and oxygen gases from the sea. If successful, the robot could address the issue of operational limitations imposed by the need for frequent refueling, which has made the development of autonomous exploration machines difficult. An apparent breakthrough came last year when scientists at Sandia National Laboratories and Northrop Grumman concluded that nuclear power would extend the capabilities of aerial drones but couldn't be implemented due to political considerations, but having nuclear-powered devices roaming unmanned was unpalatable. However, a self-sustaining surveillance bot that doesn't involve hazardous materials and doesn't pollute would be a much easier sell – and cheaper to produce. Robojelly looks like a gimmicky umbrella hat adorned by two hemispherical canopies, stacked one on top of another. Its bell-like structures are made of silicone and are connected to artificial muscles that contract when heated. The contractions mimic the movements of a real jellyfish and propel the device. With nickel-titanium alloy “muscles” encased in carbon nanotubes and a chemical reaction arising from contact between the mixture of hydrogen and oxygen, Robojelly generates heat, causing those muscles to contract and move the silicone canopies while expelling water. The next step for the project is redesigning the device's legs so it can move in different directions. Robojelly is funded by the Office of Naval Research…………
- U.S.A.! U.S.A.! A potential national sporting nightmare has been averted thanks to the U.S. men’s soccer team, which came through in the clutch and allowed a stoppage time goal to El Salvador to officially fall out of contention for a spot in this summer’s Olympic Games in London. Some credit also goes to El Salvador’s Jaime Alas, who scored the goal to oust the Americans from Olympic qualifying Monday night with a 3-3 tie. It appeared the U.S. was on its way to Saturday's semifinals in Kansas City, Kan., thanks to Joe Corona's goal in the 68th minute that staked them to a 3-2 lead. But Alas ripped a tie from the jaws of defeat with a goal off the hands off keeper Sean Johnson to stun the Americans. With their elimination, the Americans will miss the Olympics for the second time since 1976. Following the final whistle, many American players dropped to the field in exhaustion and disbelief. Meanwhile, millions of American sports fans – whenever they heard the news from a media outlet because Lord knows they weren’t watching or following online – raised their arms in jubilation upon learning that the sport they could not care less about and which is a national embarrassment for the country will not be a part of America’s Olympic experience this summer. Coming off a shocking 2-0 loss to Canada, the U.S. needed a win over El Salvador to advance. A meager crowd of 7,889 watch the game, which put El Salvador a win away from its first Olympic berth since 1968. American sports optimists can point to the fact that their soccer team has failed to qualify for two of the last three Olympics, also missing in 2004. The man presiding over the proud moment for the entire non-Capri Sun-chugging, orange slice-eating was U.S. coach Caleb Porter, who needs to be praised for his part in guiding a nation away from a place it most definitely did not want to go. Well done, coach Porter and every member of a team that will go down as a huge source of pride in American sports history……….
- Everyone knows at least one creepy snake/reptile guy in their life. Usually, it happens during college and the snakes are in a poorly lit room with black light posters in a crappy off-campus house that smells like foot fungus, stale Mexican food and cheap beer. For Coon Rapids, Minn. Resident Scott Nellis, that time is right now and although he is well past his college years, this freak still owns more than 400 snakes, geckos and lizards. His bizarro take on the neighborhood crazy cat lady is causing problems in Coon Rapids, where city officials want Nellis to downsize his sizeable critter collection. While his home looks normal from the outside, on the inside it looks like a low-rent zoo. “You mention snake and 95 percent of people go ewww, snakes. I can understand that,” said Nellis admitted. He picked up the animal-collecting hobby 15 years ago and it has morphed into a full-fledged business breeding snakes and lizards. Nellis owns 60 lizards and 363 snakes and must keep ample supplies of insects and rodents on hand to feed them all. Oddly enough, the city is not down with his attempt to recreate Jim Fowler’s Animal Kingdom in his home. “It’s very frustrating,” he said. On the opposite side of the issue is Coon Rapids City Attorney Stoney Hiljus, who says the snakes are the issue. “It could pose a risk for public safety if there is an emergency,” Hiljus said. The issue came to light in October when one of Nellis’ neighbors complained to the city. City inspectors search Nellis’ home and questioned its livability. They asked him to reduce the number of animals in the home and he agreed, but has failed to comply in the past few months. He argues that having a lot of snakes is sometimes part of his business. Unfortunately, during the October search inspectors also found snakes that are illegal in Coon Rapids. In his quest to keep his slithery pals around, Nellis has argued that some of the boa constrictors and pythons are pets. “I have snakes that are favorites, that I handle two three times a week,” he said. “It would be devastating [to lose them].” According to Nellis, his day job is boring and coming home to his reptiles makes his day liveable. Find another habit that’s not so creepy and off-putting, kook…………
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