Do you think she'll have any influence on helping to ban the fur trade in Israel ? Will Hasidic men will take notice and stop wearing their traditional fur hats?

While Qantas grounded its Airbus A380s because of problems with its Rolls Royce engines, the engine pictured above, which is featured at the AVEX International Air Show and is manufactured by a joint venture between General Electric and Pratt & Whitney, is the other option available to airlines when they place their orders for the jumbo jet. It is common practice for airplane manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing to enlist several different companies to design an engine for a new airplane, as the manufacturers want to ensure that engine development will not hold up delivery of the aircraft, as advancements in engine technologies can hit speed bumps, just like any other industry that engages in pioneering thinking. In the end, airlines have several different engines from which to choose, and that decision is generally based on performance, efficiency and how well the engine interfaces with the aircraft. Read more on the details of the A380 engines in this piece from the Wall Street Journal.

While this sounds like a ton of fun to me, one person here in the newsroom remarked that he would get tired of renewing his vows every few days, and that any couple who would attempt such a feat would probably end up divorced at the end of the year. (He will remain nameless in the event that his significant other is reading.) How about you? Would you want to give this a try?

What a spectacular accomplishment for Edison Pena, particularly when one considers that he recently endured such an intense experience being trapped underground for more than two months.

From the AP story:

An avid runner, he jogged several miles (kilometers) every day through tunnels.

He had cut his steel-tipped electrician's boots down to ankle height so he could train each morning and afternoon along the rocky, muddy 1,000-yard (900-meter) corridor where the men were trapped in stifling heat and humidity.

He built up strength by dragging a large wooden pallet that was attached to a cord tied to his waist.

NYC Marathon officials heard about Pena's subterranean training and planned to invite him as an honored guest. But he wanted to actually run the race.

Read the full story here.

Upon seeing this picture, I wondered, "What are the procedures that our military has to follow upon detaining someone they determine to be an 'enemy'?" The Commander's Tactical Handbook that is listed on the U.S. Marines website details what is required of our servicemen:

Enemy Prisoners of War
1. General.
a. Enemy prisoners of war EPW(s) are a good source of information.
b. EPWs must be handled per international law and without
losing a chance to gain intelligence.
2. Handling EPWs.
a. Search EPWs as soon as they are captured.
(1) Take their weapons and papers, except identification
papers.
(2) Give them a written receipt for any personal property
and documents taken.
(3) Tag EPWs’ documents and personal property.
(4) Have one man guard while another searches.
(5) Re-search any EPWs that are relocated.
b. Segregate EPWs into groups: officers, noncommissioned
officers, enlisted men, civilians, males, females, and political
figures. Segregation helps prevent EPW leaders from
organizing, giving support, and promoting escape efforts.
Keep groups segregated as they move to the rear.
c. Silence EPWs.
(1) Prohibit EPWs from talking to each other. This also
keeps them from planning an escape, from cautioning
each other on security, and from inventing or coordinating
stories that could result in lost intelligence opportunities.
(2) Report anything an EPW says to you or tries to say to
another EPW to the S-2.
d. Speed EPWs to the rear. Platoons turn EPWs over to the
company. Use guards to move EPWs to the rear for questioning
by the S-2.
e. Safeguard EPWs when moving them to the rear.
(1) Make sure they arrive safely.
(2) Watch out for escape attempts.
(3) Ensure that they do not bunch up, spread too far out, or
start diversions (e.g., fist fights). These create a chance
for escape.
(4) Ensure that no one abuses them.
f. Tag EPWs and their possessions using an Enemy Prisoner of
War (EPW) Capture Tag (DA Form 5976). See sample form
on pages H-4 and H-5.
(1) Tag the EPW before evacuation to the EPW collection
point.
(2) Tag any enemy documents and equipment. If an item
was found on an EPW, his name should be on the tag,
and the item should be separated from him. (See Part C
of DA Form 5967.)
(3) Evacuate all documents found on an EPW with the
EPW.
3. Types of Searches.
a. A hasty search is a good pat down of the EPW’s entire body,
checking all pockets and areas where the EPW could conceal
weapons or documents. Done only when time is paramount.
b. A detailed search is similar to a hasty search, but in more
detail. Search EPWs thoroughly, checking for hidden pockets
on the inside of the uniform, belts, and boots.
c. A strip search is the most preferred search. Strip EPWs of all
clothing to ensure there are no hidden weapons, booby traps,
or documents. Check all clothing for hidden compartments.
Remember to return the EPW’s protective gear.
Note: For female EPWs, care must be taken to ensure compliance
with international law. Females search females. If none are available,
the order of precedence for searchers is medical personnel,
members of the clergy, and if none of the aforementioned are available,
the senior officer on site.
4. Procedures for Handling and Searching EPWs.
a. Search EPWs located within an enclosed space first during a
hasty search.
b. Cover all EPWs (continue to cover immediate danger areas).
c. Sweep visible weapons away from all the occupants in an enclosure.
d. Check suspected dead.
e. Flex cuff all EPWs.
f. Conduct hasty search of the dead for weapons.
g. Conduct hasty search of the living prisoners.
MCRP 3-11.1A Commander’s Tactical Handbook
Appendix H H-7 Enemy POWs
h. Escort living prisoners to the marshaling area where they
will be detail searched and staged.
i. Detail search the dead and leave in place.
j. Mark dead once they have been searched.

Read the full story here.

When I saw these pictures from Ruby's bar I was reminded of a thought put forth by sociologist Ray Oldenburg. In his book The Good Great Place, he talks about the idea of "third places," which he describes as being "nothing more than informal public gathering places. The phrase 'third places' derives from considering our homes to be the 'first' places in our lives, and our work places the 'second.' He continues by saying, "The character of a third place is determined most of all by its regular clientele and is marked by a playful mood, which contrasts with people’s more serious involvement in other spheres. Though a radically different kind of setting for a home, the third place is remarkably similar to a good home in the psychological comfort and support that it extends…They are the heart of a community’s social vitality, the grassroots of democracy, but sadly, they constitute a diminishing aspect of the American social landscape....Life without community has produced, for many, a life style consisting mainly of a home-to-work-and-back-again shuttle. Social well-being and psychological health depend upon community. It is no coincidence that the 'helping professions' became a major industry in the United States as suburban planning helped destroy local public life and the community support it once lent."

It looks to me as though the patrons of Ruby's certainly look to be heartbroken over the impending loss of their "third place." Read more about redevelopment plans for Coney Island and the vendors' loss of their leases in The New York Times.

Do you have a favorite third place in your community?

While pole dancing is frequently associated with gentlemen's clubs, strip clubs, and the circus, it has actually become a recognized form of exercise in which participants receive both an aerobic and anaerobic workout. There are a number of pole dancing schools that offer classes from accredited instructors across the country. The artistic display of athleticism has taken a step beyond recreation and has become sporting, as pole dancing competitions have cropped up. While the contests have only been around for several years, a number of competitors are pushing for the sport to be included in the Olympics. The U.S. Pole Dance Federation's West Coast regionals just wrapped up in the Bay Area, and winners will advance to the U.S. Pole Dance Championships that will be held in New York at some point in March.

How amazing it is that Joe Paterno is still coaching at the age of 83 and doesn't seem to have any intention of retiring any time soon. He has been at Penn State his entire coaching career, either as an assistant or as a head coach. Read more here.

I've watched the replay of the stretch run several times now, and no matter how hard I cheer or how many times I watch it, Zenyatta just doesn't get to the wire first. She retires with a nearly perfect 19 wins and one loss. Her trainer, John Shirreffs, had a great attitude about her appearance in a tough race against the boys that many thought had the potential to blemish her record: "It's not the end of the world (if she loses)," he said. "Giving her the opportunity to achieve something that seems almost unattainable is more important." Read the full story here.

Here is a friendly Photoblog reminder to turn back those clocks tonight so you don't end up at your Sunday morning brunch date an hour early. To learn more about resetting your biological clock, click here, and to see where you might find some of the world's most famous clocks, click here.

This small town in Poland was looking for a way to draw in tourists, so it built the 167-foot Jesus which is even taller than the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. Would Swiebodzin now make it on to the itinerary for your next European vacation? Read more here.

I never tire of images of volcanic lightning, as they are one of the many reminders of how powerful and mysterious nature can be. Scientists aren't quite sure how volcanic lightning is created, though they suspect it has something to do with ash, ice and rock particles rubbing together and creating electrical charges. Read more about volcanic lightning here.

I like the light in this picture.

At the end of October, more than 100 journalists from across the United States descended upon Elizabethtown, Ky., just south of Louisville.

What was the big story? There wasn't any.

The journalists were simply doing the same thing they've done for so many years: getting together to document daily life in a town as a means to cultivate their story-telling skills. This week-long summit, called Mountain Workshops, is run by Western Kentucky University, a school known for its photojournalism program.

Now in its 35th year, the workshops represent a year of planning, which paved the way for the week-long summit where 68 participants collected over 50,000 photos and hours of video. Dozens of faculty and staff worked with the participants to push them to gather stories in the most compelling ways.

You can see a slideshow highlighting many of the best images here.

So while there wasn't a 'big' story, per se, an exhausted but inspired group of journalists walked away having published 70 stories, encapsulated by this video which highlights some of the best work done during the week.

Additionally, check out this behind the scenes look at the massive undertaking of running the workshops:

This one jumped out of the stream of images we see.