Investing for income: Get ready for volatility - Retirement Weekly ...

By Robert Powell, MarketWatch

When it comes to the current market environment, Michael Livian, CFA of Livian & Co., says there are at two things for retirees to consider: volatility and inflation risks.

Volatility (across asset classes) is likely to increase. Margin debt levels have grown to pre-2007 levels, suggesting that any move in the markets is going to be exacerbated by leverage. Retirees should learn to tell between true risk and volatility. They should have a sound investment plan and ignore the noise. Easy to say?not so much to do.

The main risk that retirees are facing is inflation risk. There are no signs of inflation yet. However, as the aggregate private sector credit metrics advance, so should the velocity of money. In the next decade you may see a pickup in inflation rates along with employment and credit expansion. Given that, retirees should:

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/investing-for-income-get-ready-for-volatility-2013-06-21

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Bits of Arthur C. Clarke and 'Star Trek' celebs will sail into deep space

Sunjammer / Celestis

An artist's conception shows the Sunjammer solar sail deployed in orbit.

By Alan Boyle, Science Editor, NBC News

When the Sunjammer solar sail?is launched for a deep-space test next year, small samples from sci-fi guru Arthur C. Clarke and three pioneers of the "Star Trek" TV series will be going along for the ride. And you can send a message as well.

It's all part of a memorial spaceflight organized by the Houston-based Celestis, which has been putting cremated remains into outer space for 16 years. Hundreds of bits of ash, weighing no more than a few grams each, have been launched on suborbital or orbital flights. The remains of planetary scientist Gene Shoemaker were sent to the moon aboard NASA's Lunar Prospector probe in the late 1990s. Celestis is getting set to send another set of remains on a short trip to space and back on Friday, aboard an UP Aerospace SpaceLoft XL rocket launched from Spaceport America in New Mexico.

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The Sunjammer flight, set for liftoff from Cape Canaveral in November 2014, will break new ground: It'll be the first Celestis mission to go into deep space. "We're finally able to initiate the Celestis Voyager service, which we've wanted to do for a long time," Charles Chafer, CEO of Space Services Holdings and co-founder of Celestis, told NBC News.

Among those whose ashes will be included on the flight are "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry and his wife, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, who was an actress on several Trek TV series. Remains from James Doohan, who played the irascible chief engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, will go up as well. (Samples from Gene Roddenberry and Doohan have been included on previous Celestis flights.)

Clarke will be represented by a single strand of hair, part of a lock that the late writer donated back in 1999. Chafer recalled that Clarke said, "I'd give you more, but I don't have anything to spare."

Sunjammer's namesake
In a way, Clarke is the most fitting person to ride on Sunjammer: He's the one who came up with the solar sail's name, for a 1963 short story about a sun-yacht race.

Celestis is a commercial partner in the $27 million Sunjammer project, which is funded by NASA and headed up by L'Garde, a California-based company that specializes in inflatable and deployable structures. The 13,000-square-foot (1,208-square-meter) expandable sail will be folded up inside a spacecraft and then placed aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as a secondary payload. Sunjammer will be deployed in orbit along with a bigger satellite, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Deep Space Climate Observatory.

A promotional video outlines the Sunjammer solar-sail mission.

After separation from the Falcon 9, the Sunjammer spacecraft will open up its sail and head for a position about 1.8 million miles (3 million kilometers) from Earth, propelled by the force of photons from the sun. The aim of the mission is to test solar-sail propulsion techniques as well as monitor solar weather.

"It's the culmination of generations of hopes that we can harness the sun," Chafer said.

He said Sunjammer would remain in space forever, tracing an orbit around the sun between Earth and Venus. The samples from Clarke, Doohan, the Roddenberrys and dozens of others would stay out there as well, protected inside lipstick-sized metal containers.

'Message in a bottle'
Celestis is selling spots on the memorial spaceflight for prices ranging from $12,500 on up. The company will also let people send digitized messages for inclusion aboard the spacecraft, as part of a service it calls MindFiles. Messages are already pouring in via the SunjammerMission.com website. "Greetings from the early 21st century, from an aerospace worker ... who loves space exploration," one message reads.

"It's kind of like a Facebook post," Chafer explained. "You put photos in, or anything you want, and we'll take that information, burn it onto a disk and send it out to deep space. It's like a message in a bottle, but it could also be like a Library of Alexandria."

And if you want to be like Arthur C. Clarke, you can send a BioFile?? a single strand of hair, and/or digital DNA markers, that will be packaged to endure in outer space. Theoretically, it might be possible for an alien civilization to turn that BioFile into a clone, as Clarke hoped would be the case when he donated his hair. Chafer makes no guarantee, however.

"It's a symbolic action more than anything else," he said, "but it's a way to have a little bit of you go on a space mission, and you don't have to die first."

More about space memorials:

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Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the NBC News Science Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log pageto your Google+ presence. To keep up with NBCNews.com's stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2d9431f3/l/0Lcosmiclog0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A60C20A0C190A613630Ebits0Eof0Earthur0Ec0Eclarke0Eand0Estar0Etrek0Ecelebs0Ewill0Esail0Einto0Edeep0Espace0Dlite/story01.htm

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Germany, Russia clash over 'looted art'

BERLIN (AP) ? A landmark exhibition of German art in Russia has sparked a row between Berlin and Moscow and overshadowed a meeting of the two country's leaders.

The show at St. Petersburg's Hermitage museum is the first time in decades that several important pieces of art looted from Germany by Soviet soldiers were to be shown publicly.

German government spokesman Georg Streiter said Chancellor Angela Merkel had planned to use her speech at the opening of the exhibition Friday to call for the return of the art in accordance with international law.

Streiter says Russia canceled the opening speeches by Merkel and its president, Vladimir Putin, citing lack of time.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/germany-russia-clash-over-looted-art-104916366.html

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Walk-Through Metal Detectors Were Invented to Catch Thieving Employees

Today we walk through metal detectors to get into courthouses, airports, and even concert venues. But back in the 1920s the first walk-through metal detectors weren't invented for finding weapons (or nail clippers), they were invented for searching would-be thieves.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/TEjKgzxbrB4/walk-through-metal-detectors-were-invented-to-catch-thi-520336775

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Google Glass 'prescription edition' makes a cameo at Google I/O

Google I/O is always full of surprises, and we came across yet another elusive bit of hardware on the show floor today: Google Glass "prescription edition". No, it's not actually called that (we made up the name), but what you're looking at is definitely Glass that's been neatly integrated with a pair of prescription glasses -- in fact, it looks a lot like the version of Glass that Google recently mentioned on its blog. We don't really know anything else about this device, but we've reached out to Google for comment. Is this a custom design built by combining Google Glass Explorer Edition with off-the shelf eyewear? Is this a Glass prototype that's designed specifically for people who wear prescription spectacles? Share your thoughts in the comments and don't forget to check out the gallery below.

Update: Google's confirmed it's a prototype the company's experimented with that uses the same software as the Explorer Edition but slightly different hardware on the outside.

Gallery: Google Glass 'prescription edition' at Google I/O

Brad Molen contributed to this report.

Filed under: Wearables, Mobile, Google

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/17/google-glass-prescription-edition-makes-a-cameo-at-google-i-o/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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HBT: Pettitte exits early? |? Yanks fall to Mariners

UPDATE: The Yankees just announced that Andy Pettitte left tonight?s start with a tight left trapezius muscle. That?s the upper back and neck area. It?s not clear whether he?ll need to miss any time.

9:24 PM: Here?s a potentially troubling development for the first-place Yankees.

According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Andy Pettitte left tonight?s start against the Mariners in the fifth inning with an apparent injury. The veteran southpaw appeared to be in some discomfort after he struck out Jason Bay and Kyle Seager to begin the frame. He was pulled from the ballgame after being visited by Yankees manager Joe Girardi and a team trainer.

No word yet on the exact nature of the injury, but it?s worth noting that Pettitte was skipped from a start last month due to back spasms.

Pettitte allowed two runs on four hits and three walks over 4 2/3 innings before exiting. The 40-year-old has a 3.83 ERA and 39/15 K/BB ratio in 49 1/3 innings over eight starts this season.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/16/andy-pettitte-exits-start-with-apparent-injury/related/

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Hillary Clinton could lose the most in Obama scandals

Conventional wisdom has long held that Hillary Clinton, if she runs for president, would be the clear frontrunner for the Democratic nomination in 2016. But after a trifecta of scandals buffeting President Obama ? fresh questions about the White House?s veracity on Benghazi, the IRS?s harassment of conservative non-profits and the Justice Department seizure ofAP telephone records ? Clinton's close connections with Obama could become politically problematic.

Some Republicans believe that revelations about the Benghazi operation could lead to unflattering details that cast questions about Clinton?s stewardship at the State Department. If there was any attempt to downplay the details of what transpired for political reasons, the blowback would be serious. But Clinton could have more to lose over the general tenor of scandal that?s lately suffused this administration. If the media focus shifts from Obama?s second-term legacy to second-term scandal, it would cast a cloud over those looking to capitalize on his coattails.

The last week has been rough for the president. As political analyst Stuart Rothenberg wrote Tuesday, a confident administration now looks ?out of touch and unresponsive.? He warns if the controversies worsen, ?many Americans will start to doubt his administration?s veracity and values.? The conservative narrative of the Obama White House as hyper-politicized and thin-skinned about its opposition is starting to resemble reality.? If that image begins to stick, it will be hard to shake off.

Clinton knows all too well about how scandal can intensify the public's desire for change, both when she ran her first presidential race against Obama in 2008, and at the conclusion of her husband?s second term. Public dissatisfaction with George W. Bush made Democratic party voters looking for someone disconnected from the decision to go to war with Iraq. Enter Obama. Nearly a decade earlier, then-Vice President Al Gore awkwardly tried to distance himself from his former boss in the wake of Bill Clinton?s sex scandal, despite voters? widespread approval of Clinton?s policies.?

Until this week, it seemed obvious that the next Democratic presidential nominee would be running on Obama?s legacy. He's maintained his popularity with the liberal base. His job approval numbers, despite troubles passing his agenda through Congress, have been decent, hovering around the 50 percent mark. He appeared content blaming legislative gridlock on a GOP-controlled House in the run-up to the 2014 midterms, even repeating that argument at a fundraiser in the midst of the feeding frenzy Monday. Immigration reform could become law, though it will be hard to summon the necessary goodwill with Republicans given what?s transpired.

The Clintons expected that voters would welcome the equivalent of a third Obama term. She accepted the job as Secretary of State after a grueling campaign against Obama, recognizing the benefits to her long-term interests. Bill Clinton tirelessly campaigned for Obama in 2012, probably expecting some chits to be repaid down the road. Before leaving, she sat down with the president on ?60 Minutes? receiving largely softball questions about her performance at State. Her own approval ratings, at least before the Benghazi hearings, were near all-time highs.

But by being so closely tied to Obama, she could reap some blowback if any of these scandals metastasize. If they do, Democratic voters may be looking for a fresher face, someone who has spent less time in Washington.

To be sure, if she ran, Clinton would enter a 2016 race with numerous advantages. There?s a sparse bench of national Democratic prospects behind her, with Maryland Gov. Martin O?Malley, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and New York Gov. Anthony Cuomo among those waiting in the wings.? Vice President Joe Biden, whose approval ratings have always trailed the president?s, would enter a race with similar baggage if Obama?s popularity turned for the worse.?

Outside the White House, many Democrats have been frustrated that the president?s political operation hasn?t spent enough time building up the party during his time in office, focused on his brand over the broader needs of Democrats. Obama-allied groups, like Organizing for Action, have taken up many of the responsibilities the Democratic National Committee normally handles. ?The historic nature of Obama?s presidency hasn?t brought a new wave of black Democratic officeholders to Congress, as Politico?s Jonathan Martin detailed, despite his coalition?s dependence on them.

Clinton, by virtue of her service to Obama, was uniquely-positioned to capitalize on those ties. After a brutal 2008 campaign, she spent her time in Foggy Bottom cultivating an apolitical image ? aided by some aggressive political handlers ? while benefiting from the president?s broad popularity. The unusual void of top-tier Democratic talent made a presidential run all the more enticing.

But with scandal lurking, all those advantages could end up being for naught. Clinton knows something about being embarrassed by a president. Her political hopes may be disappointed by another.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hillary-clinton-most-lose-obamas-scandals-054427859.html

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