Tampa Bay Informer - National News
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National News (45)

%PM, %14 %755 %2009 %17:%Aug

Do the Stingray Shuffle!

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Do the stingray shuffle while at the beach this summerThe City of Clearwater would like to remind you to do the Stingray Shuffle. The peak of stingray season May through October, so when visiting the beach, please be aware that stingrays might be in the water. To make sure you don’t accidentally step on one and get stung, shuffle your feet, instead of walking through the water. This causes a disturbance in the sand that causes the stingrays to move away.

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New Imperial Potentate of the Shriners

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Jack H. Jones the New Imperial Potentate of the ShrinersJack H. Jones of St. Petersburg Florida, has been elected the Imperial Potentate (president and chief executive officer) of Shriners International. This makes him the highest-ranking Shriner in the world. In this role, Jones will also serve a yearlong term as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Shriners Hospitals for Children. “It’s a great responsibility and a great honor to serve,” says Jones of his position.

The Shriners International is the fraternal organization, which is, according to their Web site, “based on fun, fellowship and the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief and truth.” The Shriners also founded and continue to support Shriners Hospital for Children.

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NASA LogoNASA's Mars Rover Opportunity is investigating a metallic meteorite the size of a large watermelon that is providing researchers more details about the Red Planet's environmental history.

The rock, dubbed "Block Island," is larger than any other known meteorite on Mars. Scientists calculate it is too massive to have hit the ground without disintegrating unless Mars had a much thicker atmosphere than it has now when the rock fell. Atmosphere slows the descent of meteorites. Additional studies also may provide clues about how weathering has affected the rock since it fell.

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CriminonWhat would happen if Florida's prison inmates worked one-on-one to get their fellow inmates to reform?

Right now Florida prisoners are helping Criminon® Florida get 10% of the state’s prison population involved in the Criminon program.10% has been shown to be the make-break point. When that target is met in a single prison the entire prison calms down significantly with dramatically lowered acts of violence and much improved guard and inmate relations.

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International Human Rights Poet Laureate Larry Jaffe Tampa Bay, FL, July 27, 2009 - Poet Larry Jaffe has been using his art to promote human rights his entire career.  As an official Ambassador for Youth for Human Rights as well as their Poet Laureate, Jaffe has been featured in poetry venues and festivals both throughout the U.S. and abroad.  But in today’s “Brave New World” Jaffe is speaking for peace on Twitter, by tweeting each of the 30 articles of Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 140 characters or less.

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4th of July Weather Forecast for 2009

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4th of July Fireworks The weather forecast for the 4th of July has been made, and is looking good so far for food, fireworks, parties and parades.

This 4th of July, the weather will be ideal conditions in the Pinellas/Hillsborough area for your 4th of July celebration. We’ve had some rainstorms this past week, typical of the summers in the Bay area. However, the forecast for the 4th, which falls on a Saturday this year, predicts that the summer “monsoons, the heavy rains lasting for most of the day, we have been experiencing the past few days will be gone. The temperatures will be warm, in the 90s. It will be hot and humid, but that is normal for Florida in the summertime. Scattered thunderstorms are expected throughout the day, mostly in the afternoon and evening.

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NASAWASHINGTON -- NASA's Mars Science Laboratory rover, scheduled for launch in 2011, has a new name thanks to a sixth-grade student from Kansas. Twelve-year-old Clara Ma from the Sunflower Elementary school in Lenexa submitted the winning entry, "Curiosity." As her prize, Ma wins a trip to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., where she will be invited to sign her name directly onto the rover as it is being assembled.

A NASA panel selected the name following a nationwide student contest that attracted more than 9,000 proposals via the Internet and mail.

%PM, %26 %755 %2009 %17:%May

NASA Crew Completes Historic Space Shuttle Mission Featured

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Space Shuttle Atlantis Takes Off at Cape Canaveral - Photo by Wayne CathelEDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, CA  -  "At last!" was the first quote appropriately spoken by Space Shuttle Commander Scott Altman during the crew press conference from the tarmac of Edwards Air Force base in California. He uttered these words about 4 hours after the Space Shuttle Atlantis landed safely at their alternate landing site after a successful Mission and extended stay in space.

Altman continued, "When we got to Florida (for the liftoff) I turned and said to everyone "At last" (since it took so long to get to that point). I didn't realize it was going to be so hard to get back to the Earth, landing here just felt great to everybody." Altman added "Again, I guess I say the same thing: At last we are back on the ground."

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Space Shuttle Lift-Off from Kennedy Space Center - Photo by Wayne CathelKennedy Space Center, FL.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis launched on May 11th for its final mission to service NASA's space telescope, Hubble.  The shuttle's scheduled return date will be May 22nd.

%PM, %22 %875 %2009 %20:%Apr

Recycling is Magic at Disney Store

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PASADENA, CA  (April 22, 2009) – Disney Store North America unveiled its comprehensive lineup of Earth Day activities and promotions designed to educate families about the impact they make by recycling, as well as providing everyone with the opportunity to engage in replanting an endangered rainforest through The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees Campaign ( www.plantabillion.org ) . These initiatives build on The Walt Disney Company’s recently announced long-term environmental goals to reduce emissions, waste, electricity and fuel use, as well as the company’s impact on water and ecosystems.

To add to the Earth Day celebration, Disney Store will also introduce an exclusive assortment of environmentally-friendly tee shirts and tote bags made from Sustainable Solutions Group’s RETHINK fabric, a new textile created from recycled water bottles.
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The Nature Conservancy Celebrates Earth Day

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 Jeff Danter. Photo by Eric Blackmore  
 Jeff Danter. Photo by Eric Blackmore  
Arlington, VA (April 22, 2009) - On a glorious sunny Florida day this past weekend, as a gentle breeze swayed the pines and a swallow-tailed kite glided overhead, I watched my seven-year-old son and his close friend ignore me at every opportunity. We were visiting a Nature Conservancy preserve and I was telling them, in my best child-friendly professorial voice, all about the importance to the ecosystem of gopher tortoise burrows and how prescribed fire had prepared the land for the reintroduction of red-cockaded woodpeckers.
At least they were polite as they ran from tree to rock to stick, my words passing through their ears almost unnoticed. Watching them, it dawned on me that just being outdoors is the lesson. No teaching required. Kids learn from the act of discovering nature, the experience, not the words. And they just aren’t getting enough opportunity to have that experience today.
%AM, %06 %041 %2009 %00:%Apr

New Zipline Safari Discount at Florida EcoSafaris

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Florida Ecosafaris at Forever Florida Spring Savings for Florida Residents on NEW Zipline Safari

St. Cloud, FL – April 6, 2009   Spring is in the air at Forever Florida.  The 4,700 acre eco-ranch and wildlife conservation area is in full bloom showing the beauty and diversity of Florida’s Wilderness.  In celebration of the season, Florida EcoSafaris is offering a special discount on the NEW Zipline Safari, saving Florida residents $20 per person on this unique eco-adventure.  The offer is valid from April 1st  to May 31st 2009.

The 2 ½  hour Zipline Safari takes guests on an amazing treetop adventure through the canopy of “Forever Florida”.  Along the way, they experience even ziplines, nine aerial observation platforms and two sky bridges all passing through some of Forever Florida’s beautifully-preserved ecosystems.  One of the most popular zipline segments, “Slough Run”, takes guests through a type of forested wetland.  Spring brings renewed life to the experience as the bald cypress trees in the slough emerge from their dormant winter state into a beautifully vibrant green.  It’s a springtime sensation as thrill seekers step off the platform, 55 feet up in the air and “zip” down high tension cables through this beautiful area reaching speeds up to 25 miles per hour!

%PM, %09 %927 %2009 %21:%Mar

Why Do Teenagers Rebel?

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Teen Fighting.Datil, New Mexico (March 2009) - There comes a time in most parents’ lives when they run up against a formidable wall called The Teenager. Opposed to anything that might be considered rules, most teens go through a period of utter rebellion. Why?

The usual scenario goes something like this: One is born into a family who has the best intentions for him and his future. However, he didn’t come with an Owner’s Manual. So his parents usually just go by the example of how they were raised. Yikes.

From an early age, he is carried around from place to place. He can’t talk yet, so he’s never consulted on whether or not he wants to go to Grandma’s house. Everyone is much bigger than he is. And that’s a little scary, since he is completely dependent upon these giants! When he finally starts talking, no one really listens. He’s “just a kid”, after all.

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Clay WalkerNashville, TN (February 12, 2009)  – Country star Clay Walker joins fan favorites Greg Kinnear, Huey Lewis, George Lopez, Ray Romano and Bill
Murray at the 2009 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Tournament which gets underway this week on Pebble Beach,  Spyglass Hill and Poppy Hills golf courses.  Walker is no stranger to celebrity golfing as this is his 12th consecutive appearance in the AT&T tourney, participating in numerous other links competitions for many years.

Clay will perform in Monterey for the invitation-only volunteer’s banquet hosted by Clint Eastwood Wednesday night, as well as the volunteer’s tent and barbecue on Friday.

Top PGA TOUR professionals appearing include Jim Furyk, Mike Weir, K.J. Choi, Retief Goosen, Davis Love III and Kenny Perry who will compete for a record $6.1 million purse.  A complete player list is available on the tournament website http://www.attpbgolf.com/

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NASAHUNTSVILLE, AL (January 27, 2009) -- Twenty student teams selected by NASA from colleges and universities around the country are spending the winter building sophisticated rockets they will launch high over Alabama during NASA's 2008-2009 University Student Launch Initiative in April.

The annual rocketry challenge will be held April 18 at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. Student teams will bring their rockets to the NASA center, where professional engineers will conduct formal design reviews of the vehicles before the students take part in a final, all-day launch.

The initiative, managed by Marshall's Academic Affairs Office, is designed to inspire young people to pursue careers in fields critical to NASA's mission: science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

%PM, %05 %000 %2009 %23:%Jan

The 50th Bob Hope Chrysler Classic

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Clay WalkerClay Walker Joins Bo Jackson, Evan Longoria, Huey Lewis and Michael Bolton to play in the 50th Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Hosted by Arnold Palmer, January 19- 25, 2009.

Nashville, TN (January 13, 2009) – Country music superstar Clay Walker joins former Major League Baseball and National Football League standout Bo Jackson, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman and 2008 American League Rookie of the Year Evan Longoria, and famed musicians Huey Lewis and Michael Bolton who are among the initial celebrity athletes and entertainers joining golf legend Arnold Palmer for the 50th Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Hosted by Arnold Palmer, Jan. 19-25, 2009.

During his 15 year career, Walker has participated in dozens of golf tournaments with a charity element.

Other celebrity participants for the Classic, a desert tradition since 1960, include musicians Alice Cooper, Don Felder (formerly of the Eagles) and Josh Kelley, actors Kurt Russell, Chris O'Donnell, Thomas Gibson, Oliver Hudson and Jeffrey Donovan, actor/comedian Kevin Nealon, actor/game show host John O'Hurley, timeless New York Yankees baseball legend Yogi Berra, comedian Tom Dreesen, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback and sportscaster Dan Fouts, Hall of Fame sportscaster Keith Jackson, television financial host Joe Kernen,  leveland Browns quarterback Derek Anderson, former Green Bay Packers wide receiver and NFL analyst Sterling Sharpe, and former Vice President Dan Quayle.

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