Kepler Telescope Finds Two Earth-sized Planets

New York – Two Earth-sized planets were discovered by scientists orbiting a star 950 light-years outside our solar system.

The news brings many things to light. One is planets from such a distance away are able to be detected by the Kepler spacecraft, NASA's telescope which currently found several dozens of Earth-sized planets. Another is the possibility of life being present on the planet. Third is the features of the planet. So far the planets, named Kepler-20e and Kepler-20f, possess a radius .87 times and 1.03 times our planet respectively. Both seem to be rocky and are the smallest of such planets orbiting a sun like ours found so far. Kepler-20e has a six Earth-day orbit, Kepler-20f orbits its star with a 20-day orbit. Nature magazine states neither of them are in what's called “the habitable zone,” nor do they spin on their axes. The scientists have yet to work out the planets' densities, which will be done with instruments like the HARPS-North radial-velocity spectrometer in the Canary Islands. It will be revealed around April of 2012

Despite this news however, presently humans would not be able to survive on either planet even if we were able to travel there in a relatively short period of time due to their temperatures. Kepler-20e is estimated to be 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit and 20f reaches 800.

This news comes on the heels of another planet found with a surface more friendly to us, roughly about 72 degrees Fahrenheit, but too large to suggest life exists on its surface. That planet is estimated to be 2.4 times the size of Earth and possibly more like Neptune than Earth.

“Kepler can do things that no other telescope can do,” says Jonathan Fortney, astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He states the fact the two planets are sandwiched between three larger planets spanning a size spectrum from “super-Earths” to “mini-Neptunes” makes them strange finds. David Charbonneau, a Harvard-Smithsonian Center astronomer and co-author of the paper, stated “Different-sized planets do not mingle in [our] solar system, but apparently in this system they do.”

Update: Astronomers believe the planets were once gas giants that were stripped down after being swallowed by their swollen, aging parent.  They also say they "are sure there is no life on these planets."

Saudi Prince Invests in Twitter

Saudi Arabia - In what has to be a chilling effect for any dissenters in the Saudi kingdom, Prince Alwaleed bin Tatal bought a 3.75% - or 300-million - stake in Twitter.

The social media site is one of the big players in the Arab Spring, which eventually lead to the present-day worldwide revolt against the huge concentrations of power oppressing people everywhere.  Saudi Arabia is one of the few Middle Eastern countries currently unaffected not because the country treats its people well, but because they are good at crushing dissenters.  Sometimes literally.

His investment firm, Kingdom Holding Company, said the investment was "the result of several months of negotiations and comprehensive due diligence.  Our investment in Twitter reaffirms our ability in identifying suitable opportunities to invest in promising, high-growth businesses with a global impact."

Last year, Rupert Murdoch bought a 9.09% stake in Alwaleed's film, television, and music business Rotana Media Group.  Over 18 months' time he will have an option to increase it to approximately 18%.

Prince Tatal is also the second-largest investor in NewsCorp, which runs Fox News.

Brother of Whistleblower Speaks Out in His Name

London – Contrary to what James Murdoch told the British Parliament several months ago, phone hacking was a routine event at News of the World and The Sun.

According to Stuart Hoare, brother of journalist Sean Hoare, the man who suspiciously died around the timethe hacking scandal hit full swing, “the reality was that phone hacking was endemic within the News International Group. I know this to be the case because Sean and I regularly disccused this and there are emails in existence which support Sean's description of a practice referred to during such meetings as 'the dark side.”

Stuart, in case you don't remember or know, was the first journalist working for News of the World to publicly accuse his boss, Andy Coulson, of the hacking scandal. He was one of almost a dozen people arrested as a result.

Stuart said he and his brother “shared a lot of secrets and I felt very, very strongly that someone had to represent my brother.”

Anonymous Releases Information on Passers of NDAA

United States of America - For those of you who didn't know, the National Defense Authorization Act passed the Senate with a shocking 86-13 vote (one seemed to abstain).  In retaliation Anonymous did a massive dump of information on every one of the Senators who approved the bill.  Hopefully the ensuing chaos sure to hit them will cause the people in power to try to make amends for their transgressions.

An Explanation for the Last Two Weeks

I apologize, but I was unable to log in for about two weeks.  After changing my passwords, for some reason I was unable to log in.  Thinking all I need is a new password, I had Blogger send it to my email address.  However, unknown to me, my email service was preventing me from logging in at all.  After emailing them with an alternate account on the same site that one, as well as a third account, were all shut down for three days.  I still don't know why this happened.

However now that I'm back (and fixed it so that problem won't happen again), as well as added a friend to the fight, everything should be a lot better.

More syringes found in Walmart clothing

Bartow, GA-As if one syringe being found in apparel at a Walmart in Bartow County isn't enough cause for worry, three (3) more syringes were found hidden in clothing as well. Investigators and Walmart management are baffled at the finds since all four (4) syringes were hidden in clothing, ranging from teen pajamas to men's pants. One particular syringe was found in a pair of "Hello Kitty" socks. In his 19 years of service as an investigator, Billy Henson stated, ". . .I've never seen anything quite like this."

Aside from a pair of "Hello Kitty" socks, a 14 year old was allegedly pricked in the left foot and hand while putting on pajamas. Some five or so days following the pajama incident, Patricia Headrick reached inside a boxed bra to safeguard it and claims to have been pricked, she expressed shock and fear to reporters stating, "It's a watchful diversion right now, I'm frightened to death." Following the accidental pricking, Mrs. Headrick now worries she may have contracted AIDs or another syringe borne danger.

Walmart's advising all customers to carefully look through any clothing purchased at the Bartow County store and not to touch any syringes if found as they may carry diseases and/or viruses. Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call the Bartow County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division at 770-382-5050 ext. 6029 or 6030. Anyone wishing to give information anonymously may do so by calling the Cartersville-Bartow County Crimestoppers Line at 770-606-TIPS (8477).