Hare investors try to sprint to the finish line of a comfortable retirement without girding their portfolios against the perils of frequent ups and downs in asset value. So they tend to lag far behind tortoise investors, who take these precautions, which I'll explain in a moment.

Volatility reflects uncertainty, and markets tend to punish uncertainty with lower prices. Yet just because an investment is volatile doesn't mean it has no place in your portfolio. Because they may be less likely to go down with other assets in the portfolio, volatile investments may add highly beneficial variety, known as .

Let's say you own tech stocks like Apple and IBM. Adding more tech stocks to your portfolio doesn't decrease overall risk, so you add a gold-mining stock instead. Though highly volatile in itself, the gold-mining stock is less likely to go up or down with tech stocks, so it increases the portfolio's diversification.

Because there's little correlation between gold-mining stocks' price movements with those of tech stocks, these categories are said to have a low correlation.That sounds complicated, but you can easily look up theto see whether they're correlated, and if so, how closely.

Aware of the downsides of volatility, tortoises avoid it by assembling highly diversified portfolios. That means traditional investments such as U.S. stocks and bonds, mixed with a dash ofThese may include emerging market stocks, Treasury bonds and real estate securities.The price movements of these investments have a history of not being highly correlated with U.S. stocks or bonds.

Tortoises are like a savvy retailer on a tropical resort island who wisely sells umbrellas as well as sunscreen to help cover losses during rainy periods. Every once in while, the rain falls on everything -- which is what happened in late 2008, much to the dismay of investors. In the financial meltdown, stocks, bonds and real estate both in the US and abroad swooned, leaving little quarter for investors.

Tortoise-style investors add a touch of alternative investments, knowing this may cut their overall returns some years, but they'll sleep more peacefully with the knowledge that it can counter-balance heavy losses in traditional investments.

Hares aren't focused on this balanced approach. Instead, they assemble highly aggressive portfolios of assets that tend to rise or fall in lockstep. They're not concerned with cutting their losses because, compelled by greed, they're not planning to have any losses ior they believe they can defy gravity.This was not unlike the employees who loaded up on their company's shares before the recession, only to see their investment go south along with their job.

Like the Aesop's hare, hare investors are overconfident and turn a blind eye to the ravages of volatility, which take a long time to recover from.Tortoises, having sustained less damage, continue their slow but steady progress.

The math of recovering from hits may astonish you. Let's say your portfolio loses 33 percent of its value, leaving you with two thirds of what you had. Many believe they'd be back where they started if they gain 33 percent. But this gain wouldn't restore their losses. They would actually need to make a 50 percent gain to get back to where they started. The reason is that the gain is based on a lower value than what you started with.

Heavy gains followed by just a large losses from volatile investments is comparable to the hare in Aesop's fable sprinting for periods and then, winded, lying down to take a nap. Like the tortoise, investors with adequately diversified portfolios don't tend to need as much recovery time.

Such losses are even more damaging than they appear at first blush. Not only do hare portfolios lose time that could be used to make progress toward the goal, but they also miss out on the . Though tortoises' gains may be far lower than those made by hares during their sprints, they're more likely to enjoy the benefits of compounding.

These awkward reptiles plod steadily toward the finish line while the halting progress of hares leaves them far behind.

Ted Schwartz, a Certified Financial Planner, is president and chief investment officer of Capstone Investment Financial Group http://capstoneinvest.net. He advises individual investors and endowments, and serves as the advisor to CIFG Funds. Because Schwartz has a background in psychology and counseling, he brings insights into personal motivation when advising clients on achieving their wealth management goals. Schwartz holds a B.A. from Duke University and an M.A. from Oregon State University. He can be reached at ted@capstoneinvest.com.

(Photo: )

"With our backgrounds in public education management, we were passionate about this subject and worked hard to develop effective strategies for preparing more U.S. women and minorities for STEM careers," said team captain Crystal Moore, a native of Collinsville, Miss. "We spent many early mornings, late nights and hours of conducting research and interviewing other students, industry leaders, and faculty at Duke to put our best effort into this challenging business case, and it paid off." Duke teammate Erica Jones of Chicago added, "We are grateful to The Executive Leadership Foundation and ExxonMobil for this opportunity and the generous scholarship."

ELF's Business Case Competition challenged this year's teams to develop strategies and solutions for helping American corporations build and sustain a diverse pool of STEM talent. The competition focused on how to grow talent domestically, particularly among women and minorities, to meet current and future workforce needs. Teams also were asked to develop strategies for increasing the number of college graduates with STEM degrees.

Recommendations by Duke's winning team included creating partnerships between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and top engineering schools, introducing a STEM media branding campaign to promote studies in STEM fields, and collaborating with K-12 schools to create technology labs, corporate endowed teaching positions in middle and high schools, and launch a pathway to STEM degrees program.

"I would like to congratulate all of the teams for their strong showings in The Executive Leadership Foundation's Business Case Competition sponsored by ExxonMobil, and for placing in the Finals. The team from Duke provided creative recommendations with innovative and actionable solutions for addressing this important workforce issue," said Ronald C. Parker, president and CEO of The Executive Leadership Council and Foundation. "For our nation to compete globally, we need more college graduates with degrees and training in the STEM fields. It will be important for corporations to build a qualified pipeline of American workers to fill these jobs," Parker added.

In addition to the $35,000 scholarship cash award, Duke's Moore and Jones will be recognized during ELF's 2013 Recognition Gala on October 24 before an audience of more than 2,000 corporate, education and government leaders. The second place team from Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management will receive a $20,000 scholarship cash award with the third place team from Wake Forest University's School of Business receiving $15,000. Participating teams also had an opportunity to meet with ExxonMobil executives and recruiters during the competition to be considered for internships and entry-level employment opportunities with the company.

ExxonMobil has sponsored the Business Case Competition for four consecutive years on topics such as innovative STEM education for middle school students and devising an energy plan for the U.S. by the year 2030.

About The Executive Leadership FoundationThe Executive Leadership Foundation focuses on improving local communities and helping disadvantaged groups within the broader society. The 501(c)(3) affiliate of The Executive Leadership Council, Inc. (ELC) supports education programs and provides scholarships to deserving students interested in business and corporate careers. Our programs develop future business leaders, filling the pipeline from the classroom to the boardroom.

The Executive Leadership Council, Inc. is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(6) corporation founded in 1986, comprised of current and former African-American CEOs, senior executives, and board directors at Fortune 500 and equivalent companies. For more than 25 years, it has worked to build an inclusive business leadership pipeline and to empower African-American corporate leaders to make significant and impactful contributions in the global marketplace and their communities For more information about The Executive Leadership Council and Foundation, please visit www.elcinfo.com.

About ExxonMobilExxonMobil utilizes technology and innovation in every element of its business and recognizes the essential roles that math and science play in the energy business and in the nation as a whole. As a technology based company, they are a leader in the national effort to improve math and science education. ExxonMobil is committed to advancing U.S. math and science education and does so by supporting a variety of educational initiatives targeting students and teachers.

Additional information on ExxonMobil's involvement in math and science partnerships is available at .

SOURCE Executive Leadership Council

The scandal, in which the passengers allegedly bypassed customs procedures on their way to a gaudy entertainment complex, has angered many South Africans who see the episode as a case of cronyism linking big business and the highest levels of government in a country where corruption is a growing problem.

The government sought to stem public outrage over the incident, launching an investigation into how the Airbus A330 was given permission to land Tuesday at the Waterkloof Air Force Base and ordering it to fly on Thursday to a civilian international airport in Johannesburg. The wedding festivities wrapped up on Friday.

The guests attended the wedding of Vega Gupta, whose Indian immigrant family has powerful business interests in South Africa, and groom Aakash Jahajgarhia in an extravaganza spanning several days at Sun City, a leisure center northwest of Johannesburg. Some South African current and former officials also attended.

Justice Minister Jeff Radebe said the suspended officials included two brigadier generals at the air force base and the head of state protocol, Bruce Koloane.

He said the government is "gravely concerned at this violation of the security protocol and total disregard of established practice for clearing the landing of aircraft in a military facility that is of strategic importance to the country."

Radebe added: "Our particular concern is that the aircraft was carrying international passengers who do not fit the category of government officials or VIPs on official duty"

According to authorities, two police officers and a reservist were also arrested for working for a private security company that provided escort vehicles black BMWs equipped with illegal emergency lights and false registrations during the wedding guests' transfer from the military base to Sun City. Authorities were also investigating the alleged use of marked police vehicles in the incident, Radebe said.

The Democratic Alliance, an opposition political party, said in a statement that parliament should open an investigation and alleged that the government's reaction was as an attempt to protect President Jacob Zuma and Cabinet ministers from the "political fallout" of the scandal by targeting lower-ranking officials. South African media reports said a son and a nephew of Zuma were among the guests at the lavish wedding.

SABC, South Africa's state broadcaster, quoted Virendra Gupta, India's high commissioner, as saying permission for the plane to land at the base had been requested because of security concerns for VIPs and "senior political figures from India" on the flight.

The South African government, however, said it did not have a record of notification from the Indian High Commission. Instead, it said, India's defense attache in South Africa requested clearance from the air force, which consulted the office of state protocol without informing the military chief.

SABC quoted businessman Atul Gupta as saying Gupta investments have brought jobs to South Africa and boosted tourism since the family began operating in the country in the 1990s. Atul Gupta is chairman of the family-owned TNA media group. The family is also involved in technology and other interests.

Photographs of the wedding ceremony showed the couple of traditional Indian attire as they floated on a platform across a pool at the Palace of the Lost City, one of Sun City's deluxe locations. The bride was also photographed joining the groom after stepping out of a sculpture of a giant lotus flower.

While many South African newspapers focused on the scandal, the Gupta-owned The New Age newspaper carried a front-page headline on the event: "A union of elegance and tradition."

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- THE CHANGE: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently dramatically lowered its estimates of how much of a potent greenhouse gas leaks during gas drilling operations, from 214 million metric tons for 2010 to 144 million metric tons, a change of more than 30 percent.

THE DISPUTE: There's a split between leading environmental groups over whether the boom in natural gas drilling, or fracking, will help or hurt efforts to fight climate change. That's because while natural gas is a far cleaner burning fuel than coal, the methane in the gas is also a potent greenhouse gas. If too much methane leaks into the atmosphere, that negates the benefits over coal.

THE REACTION: Environmentalist Michael Shellenberger said the EPA revisions are "great news" and "kind of an earthquake." But 350.org founder Bill McKibben said the news doesn't change the fact that natural gas is still a fossil fuel that emits some greenhouse gas.

LONDON (Reuters) - World shares hit their strongest in almost five years and Germany's Dax reached an all-time high on Tuesday, as signals top central banks will remain supportive of growth continued to drive markets.

MSCI's global index, which tracks stocks in 45 countries, edged past its June 2008 highs in Asian trading after Japan's Nikkei stock market, which had been closed on Monday, jumped in a delayed reaction to Friday's U.S. jobs data.

The momentum continued in Europe, where the DAXhit a record as strong industrial data followed some unforeseen corporate cheer after what has been a fairly mixed first quarter earnings season in Europe.

German industrial orders rose in March, confounding expectations of a drop after strong demand from the euro zone provided a boost. The economy ministry said it showed the sector was slowly coming out of a weak phase.

The head of the European Central Bank had underpinned the positive mood on Monday by saying it was ready to trim rates again if needed, while Australia's central bank cut rates to a new low of 2.75 percent on Tuesday and suggested it may do more.

"I think the markets are going to continue going higher. The S&P hit another record high yesterday," said Neil Marsh, strategist at Newedge.

"From a very low base, everyone is fairly optimistic that things are going to improve and if they don't, you've got the added backdrop from (ECB President Mario) Draghi that he'll do whatever it takes to push the euro zone economy forwards."

Draghi's comments that the ECB could cut rates, including pushing its deposit rate into negative territory, kept downward pressure on the euro although the stronger German data pushed it back above $1.31 against am easing dollar .

While it would significantly ease monetary policy, negative rates would be a risky move for the ECB as they would effectively push banks to spend any spare cash they have rather than park it at the central bank.

That continued to support bloc's periphery bond markets as midday approached, on the view that banks will choose to accept the higher risks attached to investing in Italian and Spanish bonds rather than lose money leaving it at the ECB.

Spanish and Italian bond yields - a proxy for borrowing costs - were both slightly lower by 1030 GMT, while safe-haven German Bunds lost ground.

"This year is a year where all market behavior is basically nonsense ... In an environment where you have the central banks pushing down all yield levels on whatever is supposed to be a fixed-income investment, this is really changing the game," said Didier Duret, Chief Investment Officer at ABN Amro.

"I think there is a plot to inflate from the central banks and this is still unfolding, so we are in the paradigm where the central banks' actions are still the fuel for markets. For now I don't see any reason to worry (about equity markets falling)."

RATE CUT HITS AUSSIE DOLLAR

U.S. futures prices pointed to another positive start for Wall Street after Monday's fresh high for the S&P 500.

The Australian dollar sank to a two-month low of $1.0170 after the central bank trimmed rates by 25 basis points, also helping Australian shareslimit losses. Markets had priced in a 50-50 chance of a cut.

Investors will scrutinize a batch of April data from China, the world's second-largest economy, for more clues on global growth. Chinese trade data is due on Wednesday, inflation on Thursday, and money supply and loan growth from Friday.

Prospects the giant U.S. economy will lead global growth lifted any industrial commodities although persistent worries about demand from top consumers such as China tempered gains.

Three-month copper traded on the London Metal Exchange was up 0.2 percent at $7,281 a metric ton (1.1023 tons), below a three-week high of $7,374 hit earlier in the day. Copper has risen by about 7 percent since Friday before the U.S. jobs data was released, though it remains around 5 percent below its April peak.

Shanghai steel futures rose to a near one-week high early on Tuesday but kept near a five-month low.

Crude oil prices slipped 0.5 percent to back under $105 a barrel as investors took profits after a recent surge in prices. Oil had gained sharply in Monday as Israeli air strikes on Syria escalated tensions in the Middle East, trumping worries about global demand. Oil has also been supported by the hopes of a steady U.S. recovery.

"There is some profit-taking coming in after the sharp rise in prices we saw in the recent days," said Tetsu Emori, a commodities sales manager at Astmax Investments in Tokyo.

"The current fundamentals are very weak, with China slowing down and with U.S. demand not so strong," Emori added.

(Additional reporting by Toni Vorobyova and Richard Hubbard; Editing by Catherine Evans)

The Beer Visor will provide a BeerHat option to golfers, boaters, beach goers, etc. BeerHats products are made from brand new beer cases, purchased directly through beer companies. This is made possible through existing licensing contracts with the MillerCoors Brewing Company, The Pabst Family of Breweries, and Molson Canada. All BeerHats products are protected by a patent through the US Patent and Trademark Office.

There are other BeerHats on the market, but BeerHats.com is the only one that is licensed, patented, made from new cases, and professionally crafted. Each hat is still assembled and shaped by hand, but also formed using a 25-ton hydraulic press and an industrial sewing machine during assembly.

Visittoday to purchase a new beer hat or beer visor. They offer many different reseller options as well.It is a great conversation starter, and a great gift for family or friends.

Cyndy MontanaBeerhats.com7167751831

That finding was a part of research by researchers from Cornell University that examined the reasons why  people leaft Facebook or suspended their accounts.

Concerns about privacy and misuse of data were also cited as reasons why users were making the choice to close their accounts.  Facebook users also say that addiction to the social network and the negative productivity associated with it were also reasons to leave Facebook. However, others were also more fearful of being friended by former romantic partners in their decision to leave the network.

[]

"In some cases, people reported feeling pressured to leave based on an institutional status, such as being a military officer or parolee," said Eric Baumer, lead author and a postdoctoral associate in communication at Cornell.

Overall, a survey of 410 people found that Facebook users were more likely to suspend their  than they were to completely delete their account. Eleven percent of respondents say they had deleted their Facebook account, compared with 26 percent of users who deactivated their account so they could eventually use it later. However, one-third of deactivators eventually returned to the network.  Ninety percent of those who canceled their accounts say they were happy in their decision.

Additionally, the researchers also found that 75 people 18 percent of respondents never had a . Researchers say that those nonusers displayed a sense of pride in their decision not to join the social network.

"While some respondents reported simply not having a use for the site, others provided elaborate lists of reasons they would not join," Baumer said. "Some did not want to be on display or live life in a global aquarium.'"

This story was provided by , a sister site to LiveScience. Follow David Mielach on Twitter @ . Follow us @,  or . Originally published on .

HOUSTON, May 6, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Crest Financial Limited, the largest minority stockholder of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR) with an ownership of 8.25% of the Class A common stock of Clearwire, today formally began its campaign to persuade Clearwire stockholders to reject the proposed merger with Sprint Nextel Corporation by mailing its proxy statement to the Clearwire stockholders. The proxy statement was cleared by the Securities and Exchange Commission last Friday, Crest said.

Crest also announced that an experienced team of trial lawyers from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, the largest U.S. law firm devoted solely to business litigation, will prosecute Crest's claims against Sprint and Clearwire in Delaware's Chancery Court.John B. Quinn, founder and managing partner of Quinn Emanuel, will personally lead the trial team. Quinn Emanuel litigates many of the biggest and most noteworthy business cases in the U.S., with a 90 percent winning record.

"As the controlling stockholders of Clearwire, Sprint owes fiduciary dutiesduties of loyalty and trustwhich require it to protect the interests of the company's minority stockholders," John Quinn said."But instead of acting consistent with those duties, Sprint is thumbing its nose at the other stockholders and seeking to force a sale of Clearwire at a grossly inadequate price. Clearwire directors are doing Sprint's bidding."

Quinn, the lead trial lawyer for Crest,added: "We expect that litigation will result in a very substantial appraisal award or damage remedy to redress the breaches of fiduciary duty by both Sprint and the Clearwire directors."

Crest opposes the Sprint-Clearwire merger because it believes that the Sprint offer of $2.97 in cash per Clearwire share is grossly inadequate, that the merger was structured in a way that unfairly disadvantages minority stockholders, and that Clearwire would be better off if it remained a stand-alone company.

"We are optimistic that the Clearwire stockholders will agree with us that the Sprint offer is unfair and block the Sprint-Clearwire merger," said David K. Schumacher, general counsel of Crest. "Just last Friday, four other large minority stockholders owning 18.2% of Clearwire's Class A common stock announced their agreement to oppose the Sprint-Clearwire merger. The immense value of the wireless spectrum owned by Clearwire should benefit all Clearwire stockholders and should not be handed over on the cheap to Sprint, its controller."

Schumacher added, "We will pursue all litigation avenues and all available remedies."

Crest has filed a lawsuit in Delaware against Sprint, Clearwire, and the directors of Clearwire because Crest believes that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties by scheming to extract value from Clearwire at the expense of minority stockholders. Other stockholders, including Aurelius Capital Management, have also filed suit. Crest has also petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to stop the proposed SoftBank-Sprint and Sprint-Clearwire mergers because they would treat minority stockholders of Clearwire unfairly and the mergers would not be in the public interest.

"The battle for Clearwire has just begun," Crest wrote to stockholders in its letter transmitting its proxy materials. "Clearwire's choice is not between doing nothing and accepting a grossly inadequate Sprint deal. Rather, Clearwire's own management has presented the most promising path to maximizing stockholder valuethe MCC business plan, in which Clearwire would provide service to multiple wholesale customers in addition to Sprint. We believe that the necessary financing to enable Clearwire to pursue the MCC business plan is readily available."

"Everyone involved in these interlocking proposals and transactionsSoftBank, Sprint, DISH, and other potential biddersrecognizes that the real prize is Clearwire and its spectrum assets. And yet the Clearwire Board of Directors has managed to negotiate a Merger Agreement that transfers all value and leverage to Sprint instead of preserving them for all Clearwire stockholders," Crest's letter states. "Only a vote 'AGAINST' the Sprint-Clearwire Merger will send a firm message to the Clearwire Board of Directors and Sprint that they owe fiduciary duties to all Clearwire stockholdersnot just to Sprint."

D.F. King & Co, Inc. has been retained by Crest to assist it in the solicitation of proxies in opposition to the merger. If stockholders have any questions or need assistance in voting the GOLD proxy card, please call D.F. King & Co. at (800) 949-2583. The proxy statement and cover letter can be found at .

About Crest Financial LimitedCrest Financial Limited ("Crest") is a limited partnership under the laws of the State of Texas. Its principal business is investing in securities.

Important Legal InformationIn connection with the proposed merger of Clearwire with Sprint Nextel Corporation (the "Proposed Sprint Merger"), Crest and other persons (the "Participants") have filed a definitive proxy statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The definitive proxy statement will be mailed to the stockholders of Clearwire on or about May 6, 2013. SECURITYHOLDERS OF CLEARWIRE ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT, WHICH IS AVAILABLE NOW, AND THE PARTICIPANTS' OTHER PROXY MATERIALS FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELATED TO THE PARTICIPANTS, CLEARWIRE AND THE PROPOSED SPRINT MERGER. The definitive proxy statement and all other proxy materials filed with the SEC are available at no charge on the SEC's website at . In addition, the definitive proxy statement is also available at no charge on the website of the Participants' proxy solicitor at .

Forward-looking StatementsCertain statements contained herein are forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements that are predications of or indicate future events, trends, plans or objectives.Undue reliance should not be placed on such statements because, by their nature, they are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties.Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future activities and are subject to many risks and uncertainties.Due to such risks and uncertainties, actual events may differ materially from those reflected or contemplated in such forward-looking statements.Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of the future tense or other forward-looking words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "should," "may," "will," believes," "continue," "strategy," "position" or the negative of those terms or other variations of them or by comparable terminology.

SOURCE Crest Financial Limited

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Game of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke couldn't banish the ghost of Audrey Hepburn and "Moon River" in the new Broadway production of "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

The Truman Capote novella has been adapted for stage and screen with varying degrees of success over the years -- Blake Edwards' 1961 film is beloved by many but expunged the story's darker shades, while a 1966 musical version with Mary Tyler Moore was yanked before officially opening.

Given the critical drubbing this new show received, it might have done well to have followed the example of the latter. Starring Clarke - best known for playing a dragon-toting princess on HBO's hit "Thrones" series - as girl-about-town Holly Golightly, and with a script by Tony-winning playwright Richard Greenberg, it was intended to be more faithful to Capote's vision, but many critics groused that it was just a slog to sit through.

Ben Brantley's talons were out in the New York Times. He wrote that the on-stage proceedings were enervating and complained that Clarke could not capture Golightly's down-country origins, even though she looked glamorous in duds courtesy of Oscar-winning costumer Colleen Atwood.

He did offer some praise for the cast's feline member.

"There are a couple of party scenes that throb with the unease of people working overtime to make you believe they're having fun," Brantley wrote. "The star of the first of these is a big orange tabby (selected from a much-publicized casting call) that, when I saw the show, leapt out of Holly's arms and into the wings before the festivities really got started. That cat exuded an enviable air of devil-may-care independence as it zipped off the stage. Maybe it should have played Holly. In any case I knew I wanted to go wherever that cat was going."

Associated Press critic Mark Kennedy branded the play as "ill-conceived." In a blistering assessment, Kennedy said the play is if anything too faithful to Capote and too enamored of its World War II-era setting. He was no fan of Clarke's work.

"Clarke gamely tries hard but tends to overact and sometimes seems to have picked the wrong Hepburn - Katharine, not Audrey - to model her accent," Kennedy writes. "She says 'darling' too much, appears nude in a completely unnecessary bathtub scene and plays guitar while singing in another, but that drags on so long it undercuts its poignancy."

In Vulture, Jesse Green said Greenberg had demystified Golightly's story, but implied that the coarsening of her Manhattan saga was to the audience's detriment.

"'Breakfast at Tiffany's' may be the least noir fiction ever, yet all the noir clichs are in place here: the chiaroscuro lighting, the neon signs, the slashing dits and dashes of rain. In such an environment, Capote's graceful humor wilts," Green writes.

Chris Jones struck a softer note in his review in the Chicago Tribune, though he did label the show "disappointing." He said the supporting cast, which includes "Cheers" star George Wendt, was strong but could not rescue the lack of chemistry between Clarke and her co-star Cory Michael Smith, who plays the narrator Fred.

"There's no palpable connection between Fred and Holly, the unlikely and surely ill-fated couple of Capote's imagination," Jones writes. "One can watch this entire misguided and miscast production without really discerning what the one feels about the other."

For David Rooney of the Hollywood Reporter, Greenberg's adaptation is a signal that it's time to call a "moratorium" on stage versions of "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

"It's a daunting and thankless task to list all the things that went wrong in this lethargic retelling, so let's start with the good," Rooney writes "The ginger tom playing protagonist Holly Golightly's cat, the 'poor slob without a name,' is a scene-stealing treasure in his few minutes of stage time. Pretty much everything else is harder to love."

So in the final analysis, skip "Breakfast at Tiffany's" unless you're a cat person.

The folding strategy, described today (April 30) in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A Mathematical and Physical Sciences, could be used to pack relatively large sails into . When the sails pop out, they could provide a bigger area to catch meteoroid impacts.

"It's like putting a bigger windshield on your car to catch more bugs," said study co-author Nicolas Lee, an aerospace engineer at California Institute of Technology. []

Electronics wipeout by space rock

Sigrid Close, an aerospace engineer at Stanford University and Lee, then a graduate student who worked with Close, wanted to know whether meteoroid impacts disrupt electronics aboard spacecraft.

whiz through the solar system at tens of thousands of miles per hour, so even miniscule space rocks slam into spacecraft with incredible force.

"The impact speed is so fast it's not just like a bullet hitting a surface; it has enough energy to vaporize and ionize part of the material," Lee told SPACE.com.

The scientists worried that vaporization could cause weird electron motion that would essentially jolt a spacecraft with an electromagnetic pulse, wiping out electronics onboard.

But they needed to study many impacts to understand the process. They came up with a simple method for doing so.

The plan?

Squeeze a 10.9 square foot (1 square meter) sail to catch meteoroid impacts into a cubesat the size of a jack-in-the-box.

Pencil and paper

To figure out the best way to do that, Lee went back to basics: a paper and a pencil. He folded a sheet of paper like an accordion and wrapped it around the pencil. But the creases bunched up, making the folded paper too bulky.

Lee tried another approach, slightly changing the angle of curvature of the creases. That kept the folded sections from stacking up.

The researchers also tested that a folded sail would unfurl properly in zero gravity on a so-called "vomit comet," a special aircraft that dips and climbs to simulate a feeling of weightlessness for 20 to 25 second intervals. They created ato chronicle the success.

Broad applications

The new findings are exciting, said Chris Biddy, the vice president for engineering at Stellar Exploration, Inc., a California-based company that is developing cubesat technology for the Planetary Society.

"What's really cool about it is you're optimizing how much material you can pack in a certain volume," Biddy told SPACE.com.

The packing technique could also help squeeze larger solar cells into cubesats, Biddy said. Solar panels give the tiny satellites a bit more thrust, allowing them to travel at higher speeds.

Getting big panels to work properly in the cubesats isn't trivial.

"Solar panel deployment is difficult, as seen by the deployment failures in the ISS [] panels from a few years ago," James Cutler, an aerospace engineer at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, who was not involved in the study, wrote in an email.

Follow Tia Ghose on Twitter .Follow us ,and . Original article on .