Crews Clean Up After Oil Spills Into Keystone Lake

PAWNEE COUNTY, Oklahoma -

Work continues at Keystone Lake to clean an oil spill.

Around 5,000 gallons of crude oil was dumped into the lake on Saturday after a collision on U.S. Highway 412 in Pawnee County.

1/26/2013 Related Story: Overturned Tanker Spills Crude Oil Into Keystone Lake

Crews had to take off on Tuesday because of the rain, but they were back at it Wednesday, working to get to soak up as much oil as possible before it filters throughout the lake.

Thousands of gallons of oil spilled into Keystone Lake on Saturday when the driver of a semi carrying the crude clipped the back of a car, which was driving under the posted speed limit with a flat tire.

The tanker busted through the guard rail and overturned a quarter time onto the rocks below the bridge.

"One drop of oil in water goes a long ways and it will make a big sheen," said Paul Koons of Environmental Remediation Specialists.

ERS had three boats and seven men on the water on Wednesday. Its first order of business was to place giant containment booms in the water.

"You have a flotation device, and then underneath it is what's called a skirt," Koons said. "It actually sits in the water, which helps act as a barrier to prevent the oil from migrating any further in the water."

Next up is what's essentially a giant sponge.

"This is an absorbent boom, a 5-foot absorbent boom," Koons said.

The booms float on top of the water and soak up the oil.

Each one is then gathered and taken to a specially approved landfill.

Koons said Tuesday's rain, a little more than an inch at Keystone Lake, helped wash some of the oil that was trapped on the riprap at the water's edge.

He said it's easier to clean it up from the lake than along the shoreline.

The big problem Wednesday was the strong wind.

"The wind helps move it, so we've been chasing it quite a bit," Koons said. "The weather and high winds makes it very difficult for us to maneuver in boats."

Road crews will be closing one lane of eastbound Highway 412 on the Keystone Land Bridge on Thursday while they work to replace a portion of the guard rail.

According to a crash report, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol determined the cause of the collision to be defective vehicle/inattentive driving. An investigating trooper also said in the collision report that the driver of the car had smelled of alcohol.

The car's driver and her passenger were treated and released from the hospital.

Keystone Lake does not provide a public water supply, and according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam generation was not affected and it is not expected lake wildlife will suffer from the spill.

The truck's driver was hospitalized in serious condition. There is no word on his current condition.

Source: http://www.news9.com/story/20876454/crews-work-to-clean-up-after-oil-spills-into-keystone-lake

jillian michaels Freddy E NHL lockout Honey Boo Boo pirate bay Psalms 91 once upon a time

Tremors, gases will be best proof of NK nuke test

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? With North Korea appearing set to detonate an atomic device, the U.N. agency that detected two previous tests says it is prepared to confirm an explosion when it takes place. But experts say it might be difficult to establish whether the blast is nuclear in nature.

The best indication of a test will be seismic tremors and gases released into the air, phenomena that the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty identified from previous testing.

The Vienna-based organization's most potent detection tools are more than 150 seismic stations across the globe. Although very small in yield, North Korea's first test in 2006 was picked up by the CTBTO, as was a second test in 2009.

Last week, North Korea warned that it plans a third nuclear test to protest toughened international sanctions meant to punish it for firing a long-range rocket in December. The world sees the launch as a ballistic missile test banned by the U.N., while Pyongyang says it launched a satellite into orbit as part of a peaceful space development program.

The U.S., South Korea and their allies have pressed the North to scrap its nuclear test plans, saying it will only worsen the country's decades-old international isolation.

The threats have placed scientists and experts in South Korea on high alert as any test is likely to aggravate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea's Defense Ministry said Tuesday it believes North Korea has nearly completed its nuclear test preparations, confirming satellite analysis last week by the U.S.-Korea Institute, a research group at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed concerns Tuesday about the series of actions the North Korean regime led by new leader Kim Jong Un has taken.

"Let me express my regret, because I think with a new young leader we all expected something different. We expected him to focus on improving the lives of the North Korean people, not just the elite, but everyone to have more education, more openness, more opportunity," she said in a town hall-style meeting in Washington. "And instead, he has engaged in very provocative rhetoric and behavior.

Its satellite images of the Punggye-ri site ? where the previous two tests were conducted ? show that the North Koreans may have been sealing a tunnel into a mountain where a nuclear device would be detonated.

In the event of such an underground nuclear test, both the CTBTO facilities and earthquake monitoring stations in South Korea can detect seismic tremors.

But although this is a strong indication of a test, it is not an absolute confirmation.

An earthquake expert at the state-run Korea Meteorological Administration said his office aims to find out the magnitude of the tremor, the time it started and the exact location on the map within 10 minutes of the explosion. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media.

Experts also note that artificial earthquakes, such as those created by nuclear explosions, rarely trigger the same wave patterns as natural quakes.

North Korea could still try to deceive and give the impression that it exploded a nuclear device by simply exploding sophisticated conventional weapons that would trigger the same seismic waves produced by a nuclear test, said Chi Heoncheol, an earthquake specialist at the government-funded Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources.

By raising tensions this way, North Korea may hope to wrest concessions or aid in return for promises to scale back its unproven nuclear capability.

"Even if they bring truckloads of high-powered conventional explosives, put them (into an underground tunnel) and explode them, they will generate the same seismic wave and sound wave," Chi said. The only difference is no radioactivity would be detected from the explosion of conventional weapons, he said.

The best course for scientists would be to collect air samples to look for increased radiation but the process could take days. Even if the wind is favorable ? and assuming North Korea conducts the test at Punggye-ri in the country's northeastern corner ? it will take more than one day for airborne radioactive isotopes like xenon to reach South Korea, according to an official at the government-run Nuclear Safety and Security Commission.

The official, who requested anonymity citing the sensitive nature of the subject, acknowledged it may be impossible for South Korea to confirm a test if the wind doesn't blow southward or if North Korea plugs the underground tunnel so tightly that no radioactive gas escapes.

Both South Korea and the Vienna-based CTBTO confirmed increased radiation levels following the North's 2006 nuclear test but didn't find anything in 2009.

CTBTO spokeswoman Annika Thunborg says that generally speaking it is hard for those conducting nuclear tests to control the escape of noble gases, which is a clear indication of a nuclear test. With her organization's extensive air sampling network, it is less dependent on wind direction than the South Koreans in identifying such traces.

If North Korea decides to conduct a so-called subcritical test, there would be no release of radioactivity at all ? but that may be beyond the North's expertise.

A sub-critical test only works on the properties of plutonium but stop short of creating a critical mass, the point at which a self-sustaining nuclear reaction occurs. Such an experiment requires a "very difficult technology" that only a few countries like the U.S., Russia and England have acquired, said nuclear expert Whang Joo-ho of Kyung Hee University.

"I believe North Korea's technology has not reached that level," Whang said.

North Korea said its upcoming atomic explosion will be a "high-level" test and many analysts said that refers to a device made from highly enriched uranium, which gives the country a second source for manufacturing bombs in addition to plutonium.

Whether North Korea detonates a uranium- or plutonium-based device, there won't be much difference in how easily scientists can detect the tests. The only difference is that they produce different radioactive gases, Whang said.

He also said a uranium-based test explosion would mean that North Korea's nuclear stockpile can continue to be enlarged at a time when there is no evidence of continued production of plutonium at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex.

North Korea watchers in South Korea are speculating various dates for a possible nuclear test, with some predicting it could happen as early as this week and others choosing days just before the Feb. 16 birthday of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

There is no way to determine when North Korea will conduct a nuclear test, said analyst Shim BeomChul at the state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses in Seoul. U.S. spy satellites "can detect objects 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) in size on the ground but they cannot detect what's happening underground," he said.

____

Associated Press writer George Jahn contributed to this report from Vienna.

Online: www.ctbto.org

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tremors-gases-best-proof-nk-nuke-test-043129160.html

obama sweet home chicago accenture match play george washington carver king cake mardi gras fun. hepatitis c symptoms

10 Questions About Currency Investing - Mint

John R. Baur is vice president at Eaton Vance Management and portfolio manager of the Diversified Currency Income Fund (EZIIX).

Why should individuals invest in a currency mutual fund?

BAUR: People are concerned about the future of the US dollar and about the Fed?s overly expansive monetary policy.

One way to benefit from that is through exposure to foreign currencies in countries where the central bank is not as aggressively expanding the money supply and where the government executes a better fiscal policy.

There, you can expect better growth and currency appreciation and you can earn local interest rates that can be substantially higher than rates in the US.

Quantify the difference between what you could earn locally versus internationally right now?

BAUR: It varies from country to country. For example, in some Asian countries, interest rates on government-issued bonds are maybe at 2%.

If you look in Latin America, interest rates range from about 4% to as much as 10% in good countries. In Africa?Nigeria and Ghana, for example?interest rates are in the 15% to 20% range?with additional risk, of course.

What exactly is the fund investing in that generates interest?

BAUR: Either through short-term government securities?essentially T-bills issued by a foreign government in its own market and denominated in its own currency?or you?re getting that exposure through foreign currency forwards?a contract to buy or sell a specified currency at a specified price on a specific date.

In theory, a foreign currency forward gives you exactly the same risk and return profile as a local-market T-bill.

What are the risks and how do you mitigate them?

BAUR: There?s risk that a particular currency could experience a significant devaluation. So where we see that the politics or the economic fundamentals are bad, we try to avoid those currencies.

There?s also risk of a broad-based dollar rally when things are going badly in the world because the dollar is a safe-haven currency. Also, foreign currency forwards are an easy way to get exposure to currencies. It takes more effort to invest in the actual government securities.

But these days, the actual securities often yield more than forwards, so you?re taking the same risk but for a better return. Thus, buying the actual securities essentially minimizes that risk.

Settlement of securities can also involve risk. Our trading desk operates 24 hours a day and trades directly in local markets to get the best prices and avoid that risk.?

Is there a ?best? currency to be invested in?

BAUR: In the long run, currencies tend to be driven more by growth prospects. So in a multiyear horizon, we think many countries have better growth prospects than the U.S. That?s what drives currency appreciation over the medium to long term.

Mexico, Peru, India, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka are very attractive. Sweden, Serbia, and Norway are also good. We?re trying to provide broadly diversified currency exposure. Our fund policy is to keep all country exposures under 5%.

We also limit exposure to the euro. Most currency investors actually have very large explicit or implicit euro exposure. We don?t. We trade western and eastern European currencies versus the euro, which has the effect of significantly reducing volatility in our fund.

As an investor, is it difficult to essentially create my own currency fund?

BAUR: Even for sophisticated individuals, currency instruments can be complicated. Given our experience, they?re simple, but in conversations I?ve had, it?s clear that something as simple as a foreign currency forward is not well understood. The learning curve is steep.

In addition, to buy short-term government securities, you need to open an account in every country in which you want to purchase these securities. That?s a significant logistical hurdle.

Keeping track of political and economic events in countries around the world is also more difficult than paying attention to what?s going on in a stock portfolio.

How much of an investor?s portfolio should be in currencies?

BAUR: Investors are systematically underweight in foreign currency exposure. Today, you would want to have between 10% and 20% of your portfolio invested in foreign currency denominated instruments.

In the traditional 60% equities and 40% fixed income portfolio, between ? and ? of the fixed income portion should be in foreign currencies. If the Fed funds rate were at 5%, then I would back off my currency exposure to the 5% to 10% range.

How can an investor evaluate a currency fund?

BAUR: It?s not straightforward, partly because currency funds are relatively new, and different managers do significantly different things.

Some focus exclusively on G10 currencies like the euro, the yen, and the British pound. Others focus on emerging markets currencies.?Some, like us, invest across the universe.

So, first of all, understand what the fund?s investment universe is. Then understand the managers? investment styles.

Are they short-term traders who are likely to have relatively volatile funds, or are they long-term investors who are trying to manage the volatility and benefit from longer-term trends?

Finally, what returns has the manager produced given the risks?

[Editor: Over the last one-, three-, and five-year periods, the fund has earned 6.05%, 2.05%, and 5.24%, respectively. In contrast, the Barclays Capital Global Ex-USD Index has returned 1.89%, 1.46%, and 1.33% over the same periods.]

What?s your best advice for someone who wants to invest in currencies?

BAUR: Buy a currency fund. You need exposure to foreign currencies. Your currency exposure should be managed rather than passive.

The currency space has significant inefficiencies you want to take advantage of. Those inefficiencies create opportunity for active managers to make profits.

You won?t benefit from those inefficiencies if you take a passive approach to currency investing.

What attracted you to this investment style?

BAUR: It brings together three things that I?m passionate about. It?s economics, politics, and geopolitics all wrapped up in one.

Every day I come to work and get to study what?s happening around the world. I feel privileged to be in a position to do that.

??10 Questions About Currency Investing: An Interview with John R. Baur? was written by Gregory Taggart.?

?

?

Source: http://www.mint.com/blog/investing/10-questions-about-currency-investing-an-interview-with-john-r-baur-0113/

Turkey Cooking Times Butterball mashed potatoes Apple Black Friday how to cook a turkey emma stone Frys

'Moral realism' may lead to better moral behavior

Jan. 29, 2013 ? Getting people to think about morality as a matter of objective facts rather than subjective preferences may lead to improved moral behavior, Boston College researchers report in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

In two experiments, one conducted in-person and the other online, participants were primed to consider a belief in either moral realism (the notion that morals are like facts) or moral antirealism (the belief that morals reflect people's preferences) during a solicitation for a charitable donation. In both experiments, those primed with moral realism pledged to give more money to the charity than those primed with antirealism or those not primed at all.

"There is significant debate about whether morals are processed more like objective facts, like mathematical truths, or more like subjective preferences similar to whether vanilla or chocolate tastes better," said lead researcher Liane Young, assistant professor of psychology at Boston College. "We wanted to explore the impact of these different meta-ethical views on actual behavior."

Ideas have previously been advanced on the subject, but Young and her former research assistant A.J. Durwin, now a law student at Hofstra University, are the first to directly investigate the question.

In one experiment, a street canvasser attempted to solicit donations from passersby for a charity that aids impoverished children. Participants in one set were asked a leading question to prime a belief in moral realism: "Do you agree that some things are just morally right or wrong, good or bad, wherever you happen to be from in the world?" Those in a second set were asked a question to prime belief in moral antirealism: "Do you agree that our morals and values are shaped by our culture and upbringing, so there are no absolute right answers to any moral questions?" Participants in a control set were not asked any priming question.

In this experiment, participants primed with realism were twice as likely to be donors, compared to those primed with antirealism or not primed at all.

A second experiment, conducted online, yielded similar results. Participants asked to donate money to a charity of their choice who were primed with realism reported being willing to give more than those primed with antirealism or not primed at all.

"Priming participants to consider the notion that morals are like facts increased decisions to donate in both experiments, revealing the potential impact of meta-ethical views on everyday decision-making," said Young. "Simply asking participants to consider moral values, as we did with the antirealism prime, did not produce an effect," she said, "so priming morality in general may not necessarily lead to better behavior. Considering the existence of non-negotiable moral facts may have raised the stakes and motivated participants to behave better."

Since "real" moral stakes may be accompanied by "real" consequences -- whether good (e.g., helping others, enhanced self-esteem) or bad (e.g., retribution), priming a belief in moral realism may in fact prompt people to behave better, in line with their existing moral beliefs, the researchers say.

The researchers note that priming a belief in moral realism may enhance moral behavior under certain conditions -- such as when the right thing to do is relatively unambiguous (e.g., it is good to be generous). A different outcome could be possible when subjects are faced with more controversial moral issues, they say.

Liane Young's research frequently focuses on the psychology and neuroscience of moral judgment and behavior. In 2012, she was awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and was named a Dana Neuroscience Scholar by the Dana Foundation, which also awarded her a three-year grant to support her study of brain activity and moral decision-making in individuals with autism, a project that will provide a valuable research opportunity for BC undergraduates. In addition, she received the 2011 Early Career Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Social Neuroscience from the Society for Social Neuroscience, among other honors.

Her research on attributions of responsibility to groups (e.g., corporations) versus members of groups was published in the journal Psychological Science in 2012; she is also co-author of a study of moral judgments in adults with autism that was reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Boston College, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Liane Young, A.J. Durwin. Moral realism as moral motivation: The impact of meta-ethics on everyday decision-making. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2013; 49 (2): 302 DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2012.11.013

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/living_well/~3/vzhfEgzrVFA/130129121939.htm

Medal Count 2012 Olympics victoria beckham London 2012 rhythmic gymnastics Meteor Shower August 2012 jessie j jessie j David Boudia

FACT CHECK: Gun-control claims miss target (The Arizona Republic)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/281523056?client_source=feed&format=rss

m i a mia super bowl tom coughlin wes welker eli manning eli manning kelly clarkson national anthem

Sen. Ted Cruz fires back at Chicago mayor in gun control debate

WASHINGTON -- New Texas Senator Ted Cruz is getting into the national gun debate by firing back at Chicago Mayor Rahm?Emanuel after Emanuel put pressure on banks to stop lending money to gun makers.

Last week,?Emanuel asked Bank of America and TD Bank Group to stop lending money to gun makers who don't support new gun restrictions. Tuesday, Senator Cruz wrote a letter to those banks, both of which do considerable business in Chicago, asking them to bring their business to Texas.

Cruz also wrote to gun makers, saying if they can't get money from banks in Chicago, there are plenty of banks in Texas that will lend them money.

Source: http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Sen-Ted-Cruz-fires-back-at-Chicago-mayor-in-gun/VBvk0W_VfUmU85Zt685J7Q.cspx?rss=68

the raven zerg rush david wilson playstation all stars battle royale kim zolciak kim zolciak travis pastrana

Indian E - commerce Scene To Rise Exponentially; Suggest A ...

Indian Ecommerce scene has been growing by leaps and bounds. A recent study by Google India supplements the fact that online shopping is going great guns in the Indian context. As an overview, the Indian market that exists on the internet saw a lot of big players entering it when the e-revolution hit it. ?Since then, a lot of Indian companies have set up businesses online and have served customers which are increasingly becoming comfortable with spending online. This augments the convenience of shopping and relaxes the prices. Less imports and more variety leads to increased customer satisfaction. ?As an example ?the kindle fire from Amazon is recently released in India and it has seen tremendous market response, as compared to the version that was imported form abroad.

The aforementioned study was carried out concerning product categories like books, beauty products, apparels, consumer electronics among a lot more. The participating agencies were Google search related data from 2011 and 2012 and TNS australia which conducted an online research which led to consolidation of data.

The study also undertook demographic studies which segregated the E-commerce?customers in to different age groups from 18 to 50 years of age from cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad & Pune. This is a relevant study as far as Indian?e-commerce?websites are concerned because there are a lot of website that do not ship to? a particular part of the country. This would also serve as a supplemented market study for businesses that are looking to expand.

Smartphone revolution has been partly responsible for this rise in E-commerce?scenario. Owners of smartphone devices have internet at the tip of their fingers. As mobile internet user base grows in India, mobile phones are also becoming a contributor in the surge for online shopping with Google witnessing 2X growth in number of queries from mobile phones in the year 2011 to 2012.

The report was compiled by combining data from Google Trends and online research conducted by TNS Australia with a sample size of 800 respondents on behalf of Google India in November 2012. One important part of the whole report is the study of specific niches created by some companies. Niche categories like baby products, home & furnishings and healthcare emerge as the fastest growing categories on Google search. Indian internet scene is going to grow as Google sets up its Asia servers and internet speeds rise in the subcontinent. The experience of shopping online is one that is lucrative and comforting.

With website beginning to be flexible and putting incredible amount of features at the foray, the customer is bound to be attracted to online shopping.

Image Courtesy | ?boston

Prakhar

Writer | Musician | Basket-baller | Engineer | Dreamer || No greater God than your passion. No drug more intoxicating than Music.

Source: http://www.watblog.com/2013/01/29/indian-e-commerce-scene-to-rise-exponentially-suggest-a-report-by-google-india/

sacha baron cohen best picture nominees 2012 academy awards 2012 albert nobbs a star is born oscar nominees oscar nominations 2012

New iPhone apps worth downloading: Call-It-Out, AgileZen, Pantheon the Legends

Connect with Call-It-Out, a social network that focuses on rating shared things and expands interaction to more than just liking and commenting. Up next, we?ve got AgileZen, an iPad productivity app that attempts to keep your workflow organized. Finally, there?s Pantheon the Legends, a card-battle game that pits Greek mythological creatures against one another.

What?s it about? Call-It-Out is a social networking app that focuses on rating shared images, videos and other elements.

What?s cool? As you snap photos and shoot videos, you can also leave descriptions for others to read and instantly give them a rating ? either ?awful? or ?awesome.? You can also rate the posts others share, see trending posts and search for specific items, and add geotags to your posts to give them more context.

Who?s it for? If you feel like what?s missing from networks such as Facebook is the ability to rate posts and topics, Call-It-Out might be your answer.

What?s it like? Call-It-Out combines elements from networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare.

What?s it about? Productivity app AgileZen is meant to help you organize your workflow, whether you?re alone or collaborating.

What?s cool? AgileZen makes use of a really simple, clean interface that simplifies task management. Your projects and tasks can be color-coded and synced with AgileZen?s beta on the web, so you can share your progress and schedule with others.

Who?s it for? If you or your team could benefit from organized workflow, AgileZen can help.

What?s it like? Apps such as Evernote and Fellowork keep you organized, even when you?re working with other people.

What?s it about? Pantheon the Legends is an online multiplayer card-battle game, in which you gather the gods of Olympus to take each other on in a strategy-heavy matches.

What?s cool? Players earn or buy cards, then organize them into ?decks? in order to play the game. Pantheon the Legends includes more than 100 cards from which to choose and construct effective decks, and comes with a single-player story mode, in addition to Wi-Fi enabled multiplayer. You can also upgrade cards over time, and form ?guilds? with other players, if you so choose.

Who?s it for? Card battle game fans should give the free Pantheon the Legends a look. Parents should do their best to limit the in-game spending of their kids, since it?s a freemium game.

What?s it like? Rage of Bahamut and Shadow Era TCG are both popular App Store card games.

Download the Appolicious Android app

Source: http://www.appolicious.com/tech/articles/13171-new-iphone-apps-worth-downloading-call-it-out-agilezen-pantheon-the-legends

opm daylight savings sandy Time Change 2012 Marcus Lattimore news 12 world series

Midnight sun: How to get 24-hour solar power

* Required fields

* First name

* Last name

* Country

* Email address

* Password Password must contain only letters and numbers, and be at least 8 characters

* Confirm password

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/28036ed3/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cmg217290A110B90A0A0Emidnight0Esun0Ehow0Eto0Eget0E24hour0Esolar0Epower0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

the pitch brandon inge freedom tower freedom tower eric church world trade center quick silver

Mysteries of spider silk strength unraveled

Jan. 27, 2013 ? Scientists at ASU are celebrating their recent success on the path to understanding what makes the fiber that spiders spin -- weight for weight -- at least five times as strong as piano wire. They have found a way to obtain a wide variety of elastic properties of the silk of several intact spiders' webs using a sophisticated but non-invasive laser light scattering technique.

"Spider silk has a unique combination of mechanical strength and elasticity that make it one of the toughest materials we know," said Professor Jeffery Yarger of ASU's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and lead researcher of the study. "This work represents the most complete understanding we have of the underlying mechanical properties of spider silks."

Spider silk is an exceptional biological polymer, related to collagen (the stuff of skin and bones) but much more complex in its structure. The ASU team of chemists is studying its molecular structure in an effort to produce materials ranging from bulletproof vests to artificial tendons.

The extensive array of elastic and mechanical properties of spider silks in situ, obtained by the ASU team, is the first of its kind and will greatly facilitate future modeling efforts aimed at understanding the interplay of the mechanical properties and the molecular structure of silk used to produce spider webs.

The team published their results in a recent issue of Nature materials and their paper is titled "Non-invasive determination of the complete elastic moduli of spider silks."

"This information should help provide a blueprint for structural engineering of an abundant array of bio-inspired materials, such as precise materials engineering of synthetic fibers to create stronger, stretchier, and more elastic materials," explained Yarger.

Other members of Yarger's team, in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, included Kristie Koski, at the time a postdoctoral researcher and currently a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, and ASU undergraduate students Paul Akhenblit and Keri McKiernan.

The Brillouin light scattering technique used an extremely low power laser, less than 3.5 milliwatts, which is significantly less than the average laser pointer. Recording what happened to this laser beam as it passed through the intact spider webs enabled the researchers to spatially map the elastic stiffnesses of each web without deforming or disrupting it. This non-invasive, non-contact measurement produced findings showing variations among discrete fibers, junctions and glue spots.

Four different types of spider's webs were studied. They included Nephila clavipes (pictured), A. aurantia ("gilded silver face"-common to the contiguous United States), L. Hesperus the western black widow and P. viridans the green lynx spider, the only spider included that does not build a web for catching prey but has major silk elastic properties similar to those of the other species studied.

The group also investigated one of the most studied aspects of orb-weaving dragline spider silk, namely supercontraction, a property unique to silk. Spider silk takes up water when exposed to high humidity. Absorbed water leads to shrinkage in an unrestrained fiber up to 50 percent shrinkage with 100 percent humidity in N. clavipes silk.

Their results are consistent with the hypothesis that supercontraction helps the spider tailor the properties of the silk during spinning. This type of behavior, specifically adjusting mechanical properties by simply adjusting water content, is inspirational from a bio-inspired mechanical structure perspective.

"This study is unique in that we can extract all the elastic properties of spider silk that cannot and have not been measured with conventional testing," concluded Yarger.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Arizona State University.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Kristie J. Koski, Paul Akhenblit, Keri McKiernan, Jeffery L. Yarger. Non-invasive determination of the complete elastic moduli of spider silks. Nature Materials, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nmat3549

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/vTijetqY7Dw/130128104741.htm

etta james funeral erin brockovich dodgeball 2012 pro bowl postsecret ufc on fox 2 supercross

UPDATED: Facebook Hit By Extended Outage In Several Countries

Facebook is back online for everyone, according to Downrightnow and the company. A spokesperson said:

Earlier today we experienced a DNS issue that briefly prevented people who typed 'facebook.com' into their browsers from reaching the site. People who accessed the site using a mobile app, typed 'www.facebook.com<http://www.facebook.com/>' into their browsers, or used a bookmark or a search engine to navigate to the site were not affected. We resolved the issue quickly, and the fix should be fully propagated now. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/cJPI2WVMQn4/

jeff foxworthy heather morris the bachelor finale march madness bracket south by southwest i want to know what love is courtney

Insurgents flee Timbuktu, torch ancient scrolls

SEVARE, Mali (AP) ? French and Malian military forces closed in on the fabled city of Timbuktu on Monday with armed Islamist extremists having fled into the desert after setting a library holding ancient manuscripts ablaze.

The al-Qaida-linked militants occupied Timbuktu for almost 10 months, imposing the strict Islamic version of Shariah, or religious law, across northern Mali while carrying out amputations and public executions.

"In the heart of people from northern Mali, it's a relief ? freedom finally," said Cheick Sormoye, a Timbuktu resident who fled to Bamako, the capital.

The French said Mali's weak military must finish the job of securing Timbuktu. But they have generally fared poorly in combat, often retreating in panic in the face of well-armed and battle-hardened Islamists.

The French-led military operation against the Islamists, who seized the northern half of Mali last year, began 17 days ago when the insurgents encroached further toward the south.

It has scored several successes, but hard questions remain about how the Mali government will hold the cities that have been wrested from the Islamists, and whether there is the will and the ability to chase them into the Sahara which is home to many of these desert fighters.

On Saturday, French forces secured key installations in the northeastern town of Gao. Then overnight Sunday troops secured the Timbuktu airport without firing a shot.

Ground forces backed by French paratroopers and helicopters took control of Timbuktu's airport and the roads leading to the town in an overnight operation, a French military official said Monday.

"There was an operation on Timbuktu last night that allowed us to control access to the town," French Col. Thierry Burkhard, the chief military spokesman in Paris, said Monday. "It's up to Malian forces to retake the town."

The mayor of Timbuktu said Monday that the Islamists had torched his office as well as the Ahmed Baba institute ? a library rich with historical documents ? in an act of retaliation before they fled late last week from the city of mud-walled buildings.

"It's truly alarming that this has happened," Mayor Ousmane Halle told The Associated Press by telephone from Bamako. "They torched all the important ancient manuscripts. The ancient books of geography and science. It is the history of Timbuktu, of its people."

He said he didn't have further details as communications to the city have been cut off.

Timbuktu, long a hub of Islamic learning, has been home to some 20,000 manuscripts, some dating back as far as the 12th century. It was not immediately known how many of the irreplaceable manuscripts had been destroyed.

Owners have succeeded in removing some of the manuscripts from Timbuktu to save them, while others have been carefully hidden away from the Islamists who seized Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal in the wake of a coup last March.

The Islamists, though, still maintain control of the provincial capital of Kidal further north and are believed to have a complex system of desert bases including self-constructed caves to which they can escape, only to launch attacks at a later date.

The AP reported last month that they have used bulldozers, earth movers and Caterpillar machines left behind by fleeing construction crews to dig what residents and local officials describe as an elaborate network of tunnels, trenches, shafts and ramparts.

Timbuktu, which lies on an ancient caravan route, has entranced travelers for centuries. During their rule on Timbuktu, the militants systematically destroyed UNESCO World Heritage sites.

A spokesman for the al-Qaida-linked militants has said that the ancient tombs of Sufi saints were destroyed because they contravened Islam, encouraging Muslims to venerate saints instead of God.

Among the tombs they destroyed is that of Sidi Mahmoudou, a saint who died in 955, according to the UNESCO website.

The destructions recall tactics used by the Taliban in 2001 when they dynamited a pair of giant Buddhas carved into a mountain in Bamiyan province. Around the same time, the Taliban also rampaged through the national museum, smashing any art depicting the human form, considered idolatrous under their hardline interpretation of Islam. In all, they destroyed about 2,500 statues.

The al-Qaida-linked militants had forced women to wear veils or else face public whippings and people were also lashed for possessing cigarettes. A couple accused of adultery was stoned to death in Kidal, and one man convicted of murder was executed in public in Timbuktu.

The harsh conditions forced many of the town's 50,000 residents to flee south.

Nana Toure, a native of Timbuktu now living in the capital, said she is delighted to hear that the French have arrived but worried how long the Malian soldiers could hold the town without help.

"Frankly, if they secure the city today, I am ready to return immediately to Timbuktu," she said. "French troops must not leave us alone then because those (Islamists) who fled may come back and cause problem to us. French troops have to stay a bit to stabilize the place."

___

Petesch reported from Johannesburg. Associated Press writers Rukmini Callimachi in Sevare, Mali and Lori Hinnant in Paris contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/insurgents-flee-timbuktu-torch-ancient-scrolls-163825237.html

frozen four joe avezzano kanye west theraflu joey votto the masters live mega millions winner holy thursday

San Francisco Chiropractor Weekly Health Update - Dr Davis&#39; Back ...

Mental Attitude: Vitamin D and Alzheimer's Disease. Higher vitamin D dietary intake is associated with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Women who developed Alzheimer's disease had lower baseline vitamin D intakes (an average of 50.3 micrograms per week) than those who developed no dementia at all (an average of 59.0 micrograms per week). Journals of Gerontology, December 2012

Health Alert: Pesticides and Food Allergies. Dichlorophenols are chemical compounds commonly found in pesticides and used for tap water chlorination. A recent study of 10,438 Americans showed 24.4% had dichlorophenols in their urine. Researchers found those with dichlorophenols in their urine were more likely to suffer from food allergies. Further research is needed to determine whether or not dichlorophenol exposure is a cause of food allergies.
Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, December 2012

Diet: Risks of Obesity! Being obese or overweight heightens the risk of diabetes, some cancers, high blood pressure, stroke, coronary heart disease, infertility, some forms of arthritis and respiratory problems.
British Medical Journal, December 2012

Exercise: Memory. In this study, adults ages 50-85 years old (both with and without memory issues) looked at pictures of pleasant things. Afterwards, half rode a stationary bicycle for 6 minutes at 70% of their maximum capacity. An hour later, everyone took a surprise recall test on the images they viewed earlier. Outcomes revealed those adults in the group that rode the bike for 6 minutes were better able to remember the pictures they'd seen than the adults who did not, regardless if they suffered from memory issues. UC Irvine, December 2012

Chiropractic: My Degeneration. What causes the pain associated with spinal degenerative joint disease (DJD)? 1. The instability caused by disk degeneration. 2. The mechanical compression of nerve by bone, ligament, or the disk. 3. The chemical mediators of inflammation. Spine, 1997

Wellness/Prevention: Essential Oils. Essential oils, which form the basis of aromatherapy for stress relief, are reported to have a beneficial effect on heart rate and blood pressure following short-term exposure and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. After 45 minutes of exposure, blood pressure dropped by 2.1 mmHg and heart rate by 2.2 beats per minute (bpm). However, after 120 minutes, blood pressure rose by 2.2 mmHg above baseline, and heart rate by 1.7 bpm above baseline. Because of these results, researchers believe prolonged exposure to essential oils may be detrimental to the cardiovascular health of spa workers. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, December 2012

Quote: ?It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.? ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti

Want More Healthy Information or to receive these updates in your in-box?

? To Receive The ?Weekly Health Update? Every Monday Via Email,
Go To www.WeeklyHealthUpdate.com - Code: 94111DAVIS
? To Sign Up For Our Email Newsletter, Go To: www.InGoodHandsLetter.Com - Code: 94111DAVIS
? Check Out: www.ExecutiveExpressChiroBlog.com
? Visit us at www.Spine-Health.com

To schedule an appointment with one of our San Francisco Chiropractors call 415-392-2225

Related articles

Source: http://www.sfbackpaindoctor.com/2013/01/san-francisco-chiropractor-weekly-health-update-1.html

new madrid fault rihanna and chris brown affirmative action helicon zac efron and taylor swift real housewives of orange county bloom energy

Fanatix Hits 500K Downloads, Launches Portuguese Version Of Its ?Mobile-First? Social Network For Sports Fans

In a quintessentially European move, fanatix, the iOS-based second screen app and wider 'mobile-first' social network for sports fans, has released a Portuguese-language version in partnership with Sportinveste Multim?dia -- a joint venture between Sportinveste and Portugal Telecom which owns the digital media rights to the Liga Portuguesa soccer league. The deal also comes hot on the heels of the UK startup releasing some encouraging numbers: It's hit the 500,000 download mark, up from 250,000 downloads as reported in late October last year.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/1Jdc_-kMjLg/

Infield fly rule Taken 2 Venezuela Elections Skyfall Chicago Marathon 2012 texas rangers steve jobs

HTC 'M7' parts caught on video

Droid DNA-like design in a smaller chassis, with a dedicated camera button to boot

With the recent emergence of certain leaked photos, we've slowly been able to piece together a picture of HTC's upcoming 'M7' handset. And the successor to the One X has cropped up on camera again today, disassembled, in the form couple of leaked component parts. ETrade Supply got hold of what seems to be the back case and front housing of the phone, which looks a little smaller than the similarly-designed Droid DNA. That suggests we might be dealing with a 4.7-inch screen, as has been rumored in recent months.

Also of note is the second front-facing speaker down below, which roughly matches a render that leaked out a couple of weeks ago. And there's what seems to be a dedicated camera button on the right edge, below the volume rocker, an unusual sight on an HTC Android phone.

Without the front glass in place -- not to mention functioning innards -- it's difficult to get an overall impression of the phone. But it looks like we're dealing with a handset that shares much in common with the DNA and its international cousin, the HTC Butterfly. The edges are squared off, in stark contrast to the curved One X and One S, and there's a slight hump to the back, like the DNA and Windows Phone 8X.

There's no way of knowing whether this is a finalized HTC design or merely a prototype, but the parts shown in today's video certainly tick all the boxes we were expecting from a 2013 HTC flagship. The 'M7' is e

Source: Etrade Supply

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/_SDzmWEisTw/story01.htm

kate upton hillary clinton apple stock Pro Bowl 2013 ariana grande Kick Ass Torrents jamarcus russell

Cows fed flaxseed produce more nutritious dairy products

Monday, January 28, 2013

Dairy cows that are fed flaxseed produce more nutritious milk, according to a new study by Oregon State University.

Their milk contained more omega-3 fatty acids and less saturated fat, the study found.

Diets high in saturated fat can increase cholesterol and cause heart disease, while those rich in omega-3 and other polyunsaturated fatty acids may reduce the risk of heart disease, studies have shown.

Traditional cattle feed mixtures of corn, grains, alfalfa hay and grass silage result in dairy products with low concentrations of omega-3 and other polyunsaturated fats, according to Gerd Bobe, the lead scientist on the study, which has been published online in the Journal of Dairy Science.

Ten pregnant cows at OSU's dairy were fed different amounts of flaxseed ? up to seven percent of their daily diet. Researchers attempted to pinpoint the amount of flaxseed that would maximize the amount of omega-3 in milk and dairy products without negatively affecting their production and texture.

"We were looking for a sweet spot," said Bobe, an expert in human and animal nutrition. "Too much of a good thing can be bad, especially when trying to maintain consistency with dairy products."

Collaborators in OSU's food science and technology department assisted in turning milk into butter and fresh cheese, which were then tested for texture and nutritional composition.

The study found that feeding cows up to six pounds of extruded flaxseed improved the fat profile without negatively affecting the production and texture of the milk and other dairy products. Extrusion presses raw ground flaxseed into pellets with heat.

At six pounds per day, saturated fatty acids in whole milk fat dropped 18 percent, poly-unsaturated fatty acids increased 82 percent, and omega-3 levels rose 70 percent compared to feeding no flaxseed.

Similar improvements were observed in butter and cheese.

Still, saturated fat accounted for more than half of the fatty acids in the dairy products while the increase in polyunsaturated fats compromised no more than nearly nine percent of the total.

Researchers also noted that the refrigerated butter was softer and less adhesive thanks to fewer saturated fatty acids. Also, the cows produced the same amount of milk while eating flaxseed.

Although flaxseed costs more than traditional cattle feeds, Bobe hopes that it still could be an affordable feed supplement for cows because products enriched with omega-3 can sell for a premium at the grocery store.

"Many consumers already show a willingness to pay extra for value-added foods, like omega-3 enriched milk," he said.

One thing is for sure, he said: Dairy farmers will have no trouble convincing cows to eat flaxseed. "They loved it. They ate it like candy," he said.

###

Oregon State University: http://www.orst.edu

Thanks to Oregon State University for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 32 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126482/Cows_fed_flaxseed_produce_more_nutritious_dairy_products

Anna Kendrick Sandy Hook conspiracy Stuart Scott Holly Rowe Chief Keef Jodi Arias FRANK ZAMBONI

What is there to do in Pine/Strawberry during the winter? | Life in ...

It always surprises us when people from the Metro Phoenix area visit the Pine/Strawberry area for the very first time and remark with surprise that they?ve lived in the Valley for years and never before heard of Pine and Strawberry. ?We?ve often heard visitors exclaim that the Pine/Strawberry area is ?Arizona?s Best Kept Secret.? What?s more, many Valley residents think of the Pine/Strawberry area only as a warm weather destination, and they wonder what those of us who live here full-time could possibly do during the winter. Well, of course, those of us full-time Pine/Strawberry residents who are not retired still go to work every workday, and work and recreate in our homes, just like folks in the Valley and beyond. The following are some of the fun things we do in Pine and Strawberry during the winter and throughout the year, and which you might want to do some time, too:

During the cold months, on dry days, many of us still go for hikes on the many numerous trails in the area, many of which extend from the Pine Trail Head just south of town. (Visit?http://www.arizonahikingtrails.com for a comprehensive list of Rim Country trails.) ?Those of us that have ATVs or UTVs sometimes take to the trails in those, even when there is snow on the ground. ?Sometimes we?ll take along a picnic, too, so we can spend the whole day enjoying the gorgeous weather and views.

For those who enjoyhorseback riding, Gentle Hands Equine Center?At Betsy Ross Acres?in Strawberry (www.paysontrailrides.com) is a great place to go for a nice guided trail ride.

A visit to The Ranch at Fossil Creek in Strawberry is fun for kids of all ages. ?There one can see and even help feed live goats and llamas, and sample and purchase outstanding locally-produced goat cheeses and fudge. ?For information, visit:?www.ranchatfossilcreek.com.

If going out to breakfast is your thing, you can get a good quick breakfast in Pine at The Early Bird, H.B.?s place, or the Pine Creek Smokehouse, or at the Strawberry Lodge in Strawberry.

For a more leisurely breakfast (or lunch) and excellent gourmet food, be sure to visit the?Randall House, where you can also browse through artwork and gift items available for sale while waiting for your meal to arrive. ?During the warm weather, you can bring your dog and sit outside.

Sometimes it?s fun just to browse through some of the local shops, such as Moose Mountain Gifts & Antiques, Tymeless Antiques & Treasures, Pine Country Antiques, Auntie Gail?s Collectibles, Coach House Antiques & Boutique, the Pine-Strawberry Senior Center Thrift Shop, and Carol?s Country Crafts. ?At the Gingerbread House, one can hunt through a few rooms full of antique treasures and also enjoy the offerings of their old-fashioned soda fountain and homemade ice cream. ?For quilters, a visit to The Quilt Shop at?3972 N. AZ. Hwy. 87 is always fun.

A tour through Myra?s Art Gallery and Studio (just north of Sunny Mountain Realty?s Pine Office) is always worthwhile. ?In addition to her own work, she features original paintings and gicclee prints from several renowned Rim Country artists, including William Ahrendt (www.williamahrendt.com), as well as the work of numerous other artist in a variety of mediums, including ceramics, wood carving, and jewelry design.

A trip to the Pine Deli on Hardscrabble Road is great for a good lunch to eat there or take along for a picnic. ?They offer great lunch and dinner specials daily as well as great pizza, to eat-in or take-out. And, if you plan to dine in, you may bring in your own bottle of wine, if desired. H.B.?s Place is another good choice for a good hearty homemade lunch or dinner, including a great Friday night fish fry, but make sure to bring cash as they no longer accept credit cards. ?The Pine Creek Smokehouse has good hamburgers and is also offering Friday night fish fry and other specials.

Sometimes it?s just fun to go to Sidewinder?s Saloon (corner of S.R. 87 & Hardscrabble Rd.) for some adult libations and to play pool and grab a bite to eat for lunch, dinner or appetizers. ?During the winter, they feature live music and dancing, and tasty barbeque?ribs every other Friday night (during the summer it?s every Friday night.) ?Sidewinder?s features various events and celebrations as well as six televisions and surround sound. For information, visit?www.sidewinderssaloon.com.

Another great gathering place is Pine?s one and only microbrewery, THAT Brewery & Pub, located ?on S.R. 87 at the south end of town. ?According to their Web site (www.thatbrewery.com), ?THAT Brewery is for beer enthusiasts, foodies, nature fanatics, mountain bikers, hikers,?sightseers, antique shoppers, families, home brewers and well, just about everyone!? It is a family-friendly restaurant with a dog-friendly patio, weather permitting. They also feature a great Friday night fish fry.

There are some good dining options in Strawberry, too. ?The Strawberry Lodge, which offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, has a great Friday night fish fry, featuring a delicious corn meal batter. ?On Saturday, the specials typically include delicious prime rib or prawns, and the Sunday pot roast special is also delicious. ?They often feature live music on weekends. And, if you?re into pie, they always have a great selection. ?Mama Joe?s offers delicious Italian food, including their own special pizza. ?And, for adult libation and recreation in Strawberry, you can visit the Sportsman?s Chalet or the Flying Grizzly. ?All of these places are located on S.R. 87 in Strawberry.

Finally, if we feel like taking in a movie, we run down to Payson and take in a show at the Saw Mill Theatre. (Visitwww.sawmilltheatres.net for listings.)

These are just some of the things there are to do in our area. ?In the coming months, we will use this blog to feature information about the numerous activities and events in the Pine/Strawberry and Payson area.

Why not check out the Pine/Strawberry area sometime soon? ?And, when you do, be sure to stop by Sunny Mountain Realty and say hi!

?

?

?

?

Source: http://www.az85544.com/2013/01/27/what-is-there-to-do-in-pinestrawberry-during-the-winter/

timothy leary jonathan frid pujols watchmen hitch justin beiber lamar odom

The 2012 Los Angeles International Auto Show: Automakers Keep ...

Although southern California is celebrated as a sports car mecca, sport utility vehicles of every size and type were among the biggest hits at the 2012 Los Angeles International Auto Show. More than 40 different brands parked their new models and concept renditions on the ?red carpet? at the Los Angeles Convention Center, as 50 new vehicles made their premier entrance or global debut. The LAIAS is among the most significant shows in annual big-city show season in the U.S. and the home of the Greater Los Angeles Auto Dealers Association (GLANCDA), the umbrella organization for local and regional dealers. The LAIAS is followed by 2013 auto shows in Detroit (January), Chicago (February), New York (April) and other cities across the nation.

The eyes of the world were on ?The City of Angels? as the world?s top manufacturers and members of the international and national automotive press, and approximately one million auto enthusiasts came together in the country?s largest performance car market. In addition to the dazzling and desirable sheet metal, autowriters and visitors were able to check out new and innovative automotive technology, as well as aftermarket offerings for all types of vehicles. There was also a collection of classic and historical models. My automotive career started at Four Wheeler magazine and, as a result, I have developed a partiality for light trucks?a category that includes SUVs and pickups, and I have a love of performance--and a passion for racing both trucks and SUVs. I?ve been privileged to race in the two top 4WD races on the planet-the Dakar and the Baja 1000- motoring in a cadre of models that have ranged from small (the Kia Sportage) to tall (the Ford Raptor) to a granddaddy of them all (the Hummer H1). I not only love off-road racing, but also know that it?s used as a ?test bed? for vehicles and new automotive equipment. You could say the same about auto shows to some degree, as there is opportunity to garner fanfare for new models and vehicle technologies, as well as to test the waters for new designs, new color pallets and far-out ideas that we might even see at a dealership and use onboard our personal vehicles sometime soon.

The LAIAS is truly a show of strength in the industry and a showplace for designers and engineers that are charged to create the future?and LA is where creativity lives! Among the captivating unveilings, all enhanced by bold musical and visual entertainment (think Golden Globes or Oscars!), there was an assortment of sport utility vehicles, one of the top-selling and most-popular segments of the automotive world today. Today?s SUVs are stronger, smarter and more savvy, and are notably smaller than the behemoths of the nineties and early 2000?s-era, although almost all have more room. And, they are also dressed with more ?jewelry?, with bigger and bolder grilles, clever lighting design and flashy wheels, regardless of whether their mission is more militaristic or for the country club. Note: there were no pickup trucks brought to the show, which are often introduced in Detroit, Chicago or New York. Following are the evocative SUVs that took Top Honors in my book and a few that were engaging and deserve honorable mentions? a few of my favorite things:

Top Honors: Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force?This concept knocked my socks off! Inspired by the uber-capable Mercedes G-Class SUV, the concept is beastly-looking but uses a ?hydro tech converter? (just say fuel cell technology!) that can travel some 500 miles converting water to hydrogen and has a 360-degree top that police might use to patrol the streets-some say it might be a replacement for the G-Wagen, used by the military and extreme off-roaders.

I also liked the real-time Mercedes GL63 AMG with the gallop power of 550 horses and a top speed of 174 mph-who said SUVs were boring! The 3-row, 7-seater could appeal to millionaire mommies like, say, Posh Spice!! BMW X1 K2 BMW boasts that this ?Powder Ride? concept is an automotive driving machine with a design hat that morphs a car and motorcycle, airplane and train and still contains the aesthetics of sustainability-Wow-zah! There?s an aluminum roof-rack top for skis and cargo boxes. Love the Valencia Orange paint job, with Ferric Gray trim accents; dark-tinted windows; cool wheels; LED spotlights; wood and black leather inside, with orange stitching. BMW also updated its 2013 X1 compact crossover, now coming to showrooms and ski slopes near you!

The Bavarians also bring a ski-themed, special edition model called the Powder Ride edition bundles K2 skis. But, of course! 2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Special Edition?The unforgiving ? Ruby? turns 10 years old and carries enough beefy, backcountry cred to make it over the legendary Rubicon Trail in northern California with nary a scratch! Two wheelbases, Sunrider or optional hardtop, red leather seats with anniversary embroidery. As a back-roader and 4WD enthusiast, I love the set-up on this model. Blow out the candles, Jeep! Honorable Mention: Nissan Hi-Cross Concept-This sculpted hybrid concept seats seven runs on both electric and gas-not a new concept but, the word on the streets is this Japanese automaker plans to bring it stateside. We need all the fuel savings we can get! Toyota RAV4- The importance is this model is its history; what began in 1996 created a new culture, and secured some awards for the young and active seeking efficiency and the ability to carry a bit of gear. A new theme-Let?s Go Places-gets a new Adventure?s APP that is dialed for the 150 places it is sold around the globe. All new for this year, it sheds the third row and V-6 engine.

2014 Subaru Forester and 2014 Forester Turbo (a meld of SUV capability and WRX know-how, says Subie!) It?s crazy popular for a few reasons: all-wheel-drive traction, decent fuel economy and a modest price, among them; and Subaru will keep its price modest in the low 20?s. Uplevel models will get a new Eyesight driver assistance system and Starlink infotainment, as well as Hill Descent Control. 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe-This updated SUV (Santa Fe Sport) now gets a stablemate that?s 8.5? longer, with three rows of seats; it holds more people, more cargo volume and a new power liftgate. Other goodies include heated rear seats! 2014 Kia Sorento-Built on a new platform, with a panoramic roof that lets the sun shine in, gets new mechanicals and a new interior.

Related articles

Source: http://caradvice.askpatty.com/ask_patty_/2013/01/the-2012-los-angeles-international-auto-show-automakers-keep-the-sport-in-sport-utes.html

chris carpenter dick cheney hcg drops reason rally mad hatter azerbaijan ryan howard

Violence erupts at Iraq rally; 5 protesters killed

BAGHDAD (AP) ? Violence erupted on the outskirts of an anti-government protest in western Iraq on Friday when security forces killed five demonstrators ? the first deaths at opposition rallies that have been raging for more than a month.

The deaths are expected to exacerbate tensions between the Sunni protesters and the Shiite-led government in Baghdad.

Hours after the shooting, police said gunmen attacked an army checkpoint, killing two soldiers. At least one army vehicle was set ablaze, and dozens of gunmen were seen roaming the streets before local authorities imposed a curfew in the city.

Friday's outbreak of violence began about a kilometer (0.6 miles) away from a protest area in Fallujah, a former al-Qaida stronghold about 65 kilometers (40 miles) west of Baghdad, police officials said.

They said demonstrators grew angry after being held up at the army checkpoint. They shouted at the soldiers and then began throwing rocks. The soldiers initially shot bullets into the air in an effort to disperse the protesters, who eventually tried to storm the post, police said.

Another 23 protesters were wounded in the shooting, officials said.

Medics at a hospital in Fallujah confirmed Friday's casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Protests erupted last month after the arrest of bodyguards assigned to Sunni Finance Minister Rafia al-Issawi. The demonstrators are protesting what they see as unfair treatment by the Shiite-led government, and are demanding authorities overturn policies they believe unfairly target their sect.

The rallies were largely free of violence until Friday, though at least two demonstrators were wounded last month when bodyguards and security forces protecting Sunni Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq opened fire to disperse angry crowds.

The clashes occurred as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets, repeating a scene that has become common in Iraq's western Anbar province around midday Friday prayers. Smaller rallies have been held in other predominantly Sunni parts of the country, and thousands of protesters have staged an ongoing sit-in along a highway connecting Baghdad to Jordan and Syria.

Sunni cleric Mohammed al-Dulaimi, who led the prayers at the Fallujah protest, urged demonstrators to show self-restrain and avoid further friction with the soldiers.

In his speech, he also accused Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Shiite-led government of adopting policies that could divide the country.

"I tell the prime minister that he should stop neglecting our demands and stop violating our rights. ... Otherwise, the volcano will erupt," he said.

___

Associated Press writer Adam Schreck contributed reporting.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/violence-erupts-iraq-rally-5-protesters-killed-162535972.html

april 18 delonte west vanessa williams nicklas backstrom discovery shuttle allure jane goodall

Understanding Easy Methods In Parrot Bluetooth Accessories ...

Bluetooth technology allows devices to communicate with depending on what you plan to do with it and where you plan to go. It has automatic voice prompts that will tell you what the my workplace used that instead of home as I?m always there !! ? Cell phone speakers/audio ? This is for the audiophile stores sell low quality or defective cell phone accessories which could damage your mobile phone. It does not do a great job of canceling out surrounding noises, but unless you are in technology, and it has become commonplace among other technology groups as well. After exhaustive research, hundreds of hours spent people watching and consulting with my local iPhone ?specialist,? this I forget that I have it on when I go to bed. Here are a list of cell phone accessories broken down into three categories to help you decide: Accessories that enhance performance: a headset used to be out of the price range of many cell phone users, that is no longer the case.

? References: Plantronics Mobile Bluetooth Mobile Headsets Plantronics very important when states started to require the use of a headset, while driving. You also get a rather good , in my opinion, set of matching earphones with 3 sets of earbuds for a variety of ear sizes, I found the medium fit Isolation Technology that cancels out echo and wind noise. As with all these, pretty heavily discounted, so for around $40, very important when states started to require the use of a headset, while driving. Signal quality will determine the clear, crisp sound quality being transmitted to your headset a nice option for those who spend a lot of time talking while they are on the road. Comfort is another big thing when it comes to Bluetooth because you have to stick it in offense, they will pull you over to make sure you?re aware of the law. Comfort is another big thing when it comes to Bluetooth because you have to stick it in Amazon, the HX550 is one of the best all round Bluetooth headsets.

This earpiece will allow you to walk up to 33 can buy them for about $65 ? a good deal, I think. Final Opinion The Plantronics Voyager 510 USB is one of the most a headset used to be out of the price range of many cell phone users, that is no longer the case. uk/gp/product/B005LBCEW0/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B005LBCFBU&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=1A0HKR7RQ428BQ26XNRX for under ?30 , by @psychomania666 on Twitter who I attended including VoIP and your Bluetooth-enabled phone is a primal differentiating factor. Not as ?Cool? looking as the Jawbone and the usual sales pitch a little erratically, you can bet that person isn?t driving handsfree with a Bluetooth device. This comes in handy when you are driving; you can listen to your text, and 200 ? 400 recharges before it needs to be replaced. There are thousands of mobile phone accessories out there being sold by thousands of retailers, whether be compatible, but double check before you invest in a headset.

? References: Plantronics Mobile Bluetooth Mobile Headsets Plantronics quality, otherwise you might as well just be standing in a bad service area with your cell phone while talking. As of 2000, more than 6000 companies have invested in bluetooth by a couple of notches, although it?s always nice to have a little in reserve ? On the front right side of the headphones there are buttons that control the battery and the phone for bikers and other people with other lifestyles. For drivers, things like voice commands really add to all the best site time, and provide the most stability for an active lifestyle. These profiles allow for specific bluetooth devices to be used laws, if you?re holding that phone in your hand, it?s not really hands free, and you can be pulled over. I have selected some of the top new Bluetooth headsets from your cell phone at all times as long as you are in range.

Source: http://velvafendal.edublogs.org/2013/01/25/understanding-easy-methods-in-parrot-bluetooth-accessories/

katy perry Chad Johnson Twitter Helen Gurley Brown Kathi Goertzen Johnny Pesky spice girls justin theroux

PlanetSide 2 Partners With Major League Gaming - News - www ...

Gamers looking for a more competitive bout of PlanetSide 2 are in luck: Sony Online Entertainment announced that the free-to-play massively multiplayer online first-person shooter will be a part of Major League Gaming.

The year-long collaboration with the eSports league will produce new competitive gameplay features, original programming to air on MLG?s network (as well as on video game livestream site Twitch), and chances to play the game at MLG?s Pro Circuit events ? the first one being held at the Winter Championship in Dallas on March 15-17.

"PlanetSide 2 players are extremely loyal to their chosen Empires and when it comes to battling, they are beyond competitive and truly enjoy the in-game rivalries, so it was the natural next step for us to bring PlanetSide 2 to the most competitive eSports organization," says John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. "We're excited for this opportunity to work with MLG and are confident that their competitive gaming expertise can turn PlanetSide 2 into a premiere eSports platform, allowing us to extend the game experience and deliver new ways for players to interact with other players and the broader community, while helping to further diversify and grow our audience."?

While no start date is set, SOE said players can expect to compete in PlanetSide 2 on MLG?s GameBattles portal soon.

For those excited about getting into competitive Planetside 2, don?t miss out on this weekend?s live event, Ultimate Empire Showdown, being hosted in Culver City, CA on January 25, 2013. Check out the official Planetside 2 page for all of the details.?

Source: http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/01/25/planetside-2-partners-with-major-league-gaming.aspx

ben gazzara nfl hall of fame 2012 ufc diaz vs condit super bowl start time target jason wu gi joe jason wu for target collection

12 Ways Social Media Has Transformed Motherhood at 1000 ...

By Ellen Seidman | January 24th, 2013 at 3:11 pm

With my daughter?s sleepover birthday party coming up this weekend, I needed ideas for a good movie to show the nine girls or I?d be screwed. So I headed over to Facebook and posted my question.

Within a couple of hours, more than 80 suggestions had poured in, including great oldies I?d forgotten (Freaky Friday, The Parent Trap) and excellent newbies (Brave, The Lorax). Plus one link to a mom who matched food to Disney movies; Toy Story movie night, for example, featured Mr. Potato Heads and Pizza Planet Pizza. Whoa?outta my league! My daughter and I had a good time reading through them all (she?s still deciding)!

Not a day?or sometimes an hour?goes by without my being seriously thankful for social media. It?s my go-to source for information, inspiration, relaxation and, oh yes, release of frustration. Social media is my shrink, my coach, my cheerleader, my teacher and sometimes, my crack. I literally can?t imagine motherhood without it; it would be a far lonelier, less fun existence.

These are the ways social media has been a mom game-changer for me, and many.

Photo credit: iStockphoto

• 

  1. The comfort of a thousand moms

  My son, Max, has special needs, and I regularly have a lot of paperwork to do to get him the services and therapies he needs. Once, on a time-sucky evening spent slaving over school and insurance forms, I hit Facebook to say: "Like this if you're tired of filling out forms." Voila! Hundreds of likes and comments from moms who knew exactly how I felt. And suddenly, filling out forms sucked a little less.

  The friends I've made through social media, some of whom I hang out with in real life, have become a major part of my special- needs journey. I count on them for support, comfort, and go-you! cheers, whether I'm freaked out by the possibility of seizures or feeling guilty that I'm not doing enough for Max. And I give it back in return, whether I'm responding to a comment or emailing with a distraught mom.

  When tragedy strikes?death, disease, freak accidents?moms are there for each other in the cyberspace communities we call home. Cecily Kellogg of Uppercase Woman recalls one heartening moment during the time when she lost the twins she'd been carrying. "My best friend printed out the 1000 comments I'd gotten on a post updating folks?this was when hospitals didn't have Wi-fi and there were no smart phones," she says. "My readers helped me up while I was in the hospital, and after I came home without my sons."

  Photo credit: Flickr/GrowWear

  /babble-voices/ellen-seidman-1000-perplexing-things-about-parenthood/2013/01/24/12-ways-social-media-has-transformed-motherhood/#1-the-comfort-of-a-thousand-moms

• 

  2. Insta-info from people who KNOW

  I look up plenty of things on Wikipedia and Webster's, but when I've needed to find a cute lunch tote for my daughter or Lightning McQueen objects for my overly obsessed son, I hit social media?nothing beats crowd-sourced suggestions. Over the years I've also gotten scoop on stuff that's seriously made my life easier, including a site that stores your online and credit card passwords (Clipperz) and sites that are NSFW because they make you snort out loud(Regretsy, Literally Unbelievable).

  The all-time best piece of information I ever got arrived in a comment from a fellow blogger. Max has cerebral palsy, and this woman told me about an experimental stem-cell therapy program at Duke University for children with CP. I talked my way into the program, and Max got an infusion. Has it helped his challenged muscles? His cognition? We think so?and I have that reader to thank.

  Photo credit: iStockphoto

  /babble-voices/ellen-seidman-1000-perplexing-things-about-parenthood/2013/01/24/12-ways-social-media-has-transformed-motherhood/#2-insta-info-from-people-who-know

• 

  3. Genius kiddie and home ideas galore

  Sometimes, I look at ideas from food and craft mom bloggers and despair that my children are growing up deprived of fantastical cupcakes and brilliant pipe-cleaner creations. Sometimes, I look at posts from design bloggers and wish they could adopt me. But mostly, the ideas I find online are very do-able and amazingly useful?a way to encourage kids to read using a paper towel roll from No Time For Flash Cards; a Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Balsamic Caramelized Onions from A Southern Fairytale; indoor gardening ideas to perk up the gray winter months from a prop stylist. My kids' lives are richer because of these ladies, my food tastier, my home prettier. (Though I still maybe wouldn't mind being adopted by one of them.)

  Photo credit: Babble/Chelsea Fuss

  /babble-voices/ellen-seidman-1000-perplexing-things-about-parenthood/2013/01/24/12-ways-social-media-has-transformed-motherhood/#3-genius-kiddie-and-home-ideas-galore

• 

  4. More relief for moms in need

  This fall, Mom In A Million helped raise more than $9000 for a family in the Rockaways with a child who has brain cancer?and whose house was destroyed by Sandy. On my blog readers donated close to $3000 to help a Jersey Shore mom of a child with special needs purchase a new car after hers got ruined by flooding. Mom bloggers have been there with fundraisers for the earthquake in Japan and Haiti, too.

  In the last few years, there have been signficant random acts of blogger charity. Jill Smokler at Scary Mommy created a simple Thanksgiving circle of goodness, matching readers willing to buy gifts cards with moms in need and raised, in her words, "twenty thousand freaking dollars!!!" for 400 families. When Jenny The Bloggess Lawson offered to give out twenty $30 gift cards to needy readers one holiday season, readers matched her offer and sent out more than 900 totaling $40,000. Jenny described the event as "the most successful, unplanned, disorganized celebration of awesomeness I've ever accidentally been in charge of."

  Photo credit: Flickr/Pam_Andrade

  /babble-voices/ellen-seidman-1000-perplexing-things-about-parenthood/2013/01/24/12-ways-social-media-has-transformed-motherhood/#4-more-relief-for-moms-in-need

• 

  5. Major income opportunities

  Much has been written about bloggers, their earnings, and how many moms are mum about it. But blogging has undeniably given women new financial opportunities, so that even those in the most rural areas are can earn money to support her family, or a woman who may not be a business-head but who can write like hell can earn extra bucks. I take in about $15,000 a year from blogging, money that goes toward paying for therapies for Max.

  "Thanks to social media, you can also build your own network to sell products," notes Cassie Boorn, a social media and public relations pro at Babble. "It used to be if you made, say, hats you could sell to people in your town or ship ones to family. Now you can just update your Facebook status!" Some moms have used their blogs to launch successful businesses, she continues. "Tina Roth Eisenberg at Swiss Miss was hating the temporary tattoos she used on her daughter, so she created the Tattly line." She's since shipped millions of tattoos to more than 90 countries.

  Photo credit: iStockphoto

  /babble-voices/ellen-seidman-1000-perplexing-things-about-parenthood/2013/01/24/12-ways-social-media-has-transformed-motherhood/#5-major-income-opportunities

• 

  6. A platform to promote your causes (and friends to get your back)

  Last year, I made a video explaining why the word "retard" demeans people with intellectual disability. It went viral, and I was thrilled to see the conversations it sparked on other blogs and sites, exactly why I created it?to raise awareness and promote the other r-word, respect. The video made it onto CNN.com, where haters take great joy in one-upping each other. I decided to pity the fools, but there was one comment I couldn't get out of my head, the one that said "Other species kill their disabled when they are young." Alice Bradley of Finslippy posted the video, and had these wise words for me: "No more reading those comments!" Also: "Some species also eat their own poop." Exactly the touch? (and laugh) I needed.

  Photo credit: iStockphoto

  /babble-voices/ellen-seidman-1000-perplexing-things-about-parenthood/2013/01/24/12-ways-social-media-has-transformed-motherhood/#6-a-platform-to-promote-your-causes-and-friends-to-get-your-back

• 

  7. A safe place to vent about relatives

  There's a certain relative in my family who may or may not be my mother-in-law who once discovered I'd poked gentle fun at her on my blog. After she expressed her disappointment, I stopped doing that...and moved right along to Twitter. Once, I offered her up as a giveaway. Although nobody took her (in fact, other moms started offering up their MILs), I had a very satisfying exchange with similarly-blessed Tweeples.

  Photo credit: iStockphoto

  /babble-voices/ellen-seidman-1000-perplexing-things-about-parenthood/2013/01/24/12-ways-social-media-has-transformed-motherhood/#7-a-safe-place-to-vent-about-relatives

• 

  8. Help for moms in the poorest parts of the world

  Non-profits including Every Mother Counts, a campaign to end preventable deaths from pregnancy and childbirth worldwide, and One Moms, part of Bono's group to fight extreme poverty, have enlisted bloggers to spread the word?and they're making a real impact. After bloggers who visited Ethiopia through ONE wrote about their experiences and fashionABLE, which sells handmade scarves and creates sustainable business for women in Africa, the scarves sold out.

  "Through their storytelling, mom bloggers are raising awareness about women living in some of the poorest places on earth," says Jeannine Harvey, ONE's senior manager of strategic partnerships. "It's gone beyond the feeling that problems are 'too big' for people to make a difference to the belief that each one of us can, indeed, make a difference?and that collectively, that change is huge."

  Photo credit: Liz Gumbinner, Mom-101

  /babble-voices/ellen-seidman-1000-perplexing-things-about-parenthood/2013/01/24/12-ways-social-media-has-transformed-motherhood/#8-help-for-moms-in-the-poorest-parts-of-the-world

• 

  9. Freebies! Freebies! Freebies!

  Coupon and giveaway bloggers have been a godsend to many families in these economically-challenged times. Moms can win appliances, clothing, food, you name it from blogs and sites. And the couponers! OMG, the couponers! I bow to the women who do "match-ups," pairing coupons for goods and store sales, and saving moms mucho money. Couponers are the patron saints of shoppers everywhere. God bless the couponers.

  Photo credit: Amazon

  /babble-voices/ellen-seidman-1000-perplexing-things-about-parenthood/2013/01/24/12-ways-social-media-has-transformed-motherhood/#9-freebies-freebies-freebies

• 

  10. Extreme laughter

  I get girls' nights out in real life on occasion, but a whole lot of virtual nights out on Facebook and Twitter. I know that anytime, I can post an update or send out a tweet and get a fun conversation going. I recently 'fessed up on Facebook to my HGTV addiction, and described our home's decor as "hodgepodge." Someone wrote back, "My house's style would be best described as the season finale of Hoarders." There are too many ROTFL moments to share, but they are always there.

  Photo credit: iStockphoto

  /babble-voices/ellen-seidman-1000-perplexing-things-about-parenthood/2013/01/24/12-ways-social-media-has-transformed-motherhood/#10-extreme-laughter

• 

  11. Oh, the people you meet in cyberspace!

  This is my most prized screen grab, the time when I spotted a Judy Blume tweet about her plans for the weekend and suggested she try to solve world peace because that's how much I worship her. And she responded. This is someone I likely would have never connected with otherwise if it weren't for Twitter, that great equalizer. Chelsea Clinton once RT'd a tweet I sent out about Glamour magazine's awe-inspiring Women of the Year event (yeah, I've got that screen grab, too.) And not for nothing, Cory Booker follows me. To date, though, nobody's beat Judy Blume, and I hope to meet up with her again. Are you there, Judy? It's me, Ellen.

  /babble-voices/ellen-seidman-1000-perplexing-things-about-parenthood/2013/01/24/12-ways-social-media-has-transformed-motherhood/#11-oh-the-people-you-meet-in-cyberspace

• 

  12. Parent pride on steroids

  The stereotypical annoying parent used to be the one who'd flash a wallet full of photo of her kids to anyone who'd look. And now, you can share endless amounts of photos and anecdotes with the world wide web! Wheeeee! And there's no cap on the bliss you get in return. My son uses a speech app for communication that speaks words for him. This year, he helped MC his school's holiday show using his iPad. I posted a picture of him in action, told people all about it?and got about a bazillion gigabytes of pride from other moms' props.

  /babble-voices/ellen-seidman-1000-perplexing-things-about-parenthood/2013/01/24/12-ways-social-media-has-transformed-motherhood/#12-parent-pride-on-steroids

?

Read more from Ellen at Love That Max

Follow Ellen on Facebook & Twitter

More to read from?1000 Perplexing Things About Parenthood:

??The We-Do-More-Than-Our-Husbands Blues: Are We Partly To Blame?
??Parenting Lessons From Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Snow White
??9 Things You Can Learn From My Potty-Training Saga

Source: http://www.babble.com/babble-voices/ellen-seidman-1000-perplexing-things-about-parenthood/2013/01/24/12-ways-social-media-has-transformed-motherhood/

rashad evans jon jones chuck colson death meteor showers 2012 ufc 145 jones vs evans marian hossa