Monday, January 30, 2012

Google Doodle Celebrates World's Largest Snowflake [VIDEO] (Mashable)

[More from Mashable: Google Music Finally Lets You Download Your Own Tunes [VIDEO]]

Google is at it again, creating yet another of its whimsical doodles. This time, the search giant's Google Doodle on its main search page revels in the glories of midwinter, celebrating the 125th anniversary of the discovery of the world's largest snowflake.

[More from Mashable: Google and Bing Searches Help Us Pirate Music?]

How large was it? How's 15 inches (38 centimeters) grab you? Imagine the looks on the faces of those who saw this enormous ice crystal the size of a pizza falling from the sky in Fort Keogh, Montana in 1887.

Click on the Doodle, and you get results about that humongous snowflake.

Even though this is a rather flaky excuse for a Google Doodle, by no means matching up with some of the other spectacular Google Doodles or that "Let It Snow" Easter egg we encountered recently, we still like the silly humor of the gigantic snowflake, functioning as the second letter "O" in the word "Google."

SEE ALSO: 30 Best Google Doodles of 2011

This Google Doodle is reportedly only visible in the U.S. and the UK, so for those of you who don't live in either of those countries, here's a video that's even better, showing you the same thing, but with enhanced audio with music and a perfectly timed sound effect:

Bonus Gallery: Top 10 animated Google Doodles:

The Christmas Google Doodle


Each package gets larger with a mouse-over, and a click on it returns search results pertinent to a specific country or the particular items featured in a scene. This one is from December 24, 2010.

Click here to view this gallery.

SEE ALSO: More Google Doodles

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/digitalmusic/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20120128/tc_mashable/google_doodle_celebrates_worlds_largest_snowflake_video

portland news portland news tibetan mastiff manny pacquiao pacquiao blanche blanche

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Insects top list of newly discovered species

An annual inventory of newly discovered species lists more than 19,000 ?? half of them insects. A total of 9,738 insect species were first identified in 2009, the most recent year of data compilation. And that's not even counting spiders.

The 2011 State of Observed Species report, released Jan. 18 by the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University, categorized 19,232 species that became known to science during the 2009 calendar year.

"As the number of species increases, so, too, does our understanding of the biosphere," said Arizona State entomologist Quentin Wheeler, a founding director of the institute. The report, the institute's fourth, showed a 5.6 percent increase from the previous year in the number of newly discovered species.

  1. More science news from msnbc.com

    1. Hockey videos aim for educational goal

      Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: What's the physics behind a slap shot? Videos created by NBC, the NHL and the National Science Foundation explain the science of ice hockey.

    2. Jumping spiders have unique vision
    3. Origin of ancient jade tool baffles scientists
    4. Humans' taste for dolphins, manatees on rise

After insects, the largest group of new living species was vascular plants, totaling 2,184. Newly discovered arachnids, a group that includes spiders and mites, numbered 1,487.

Forty-one of the listed species were mammals, and seven were birds. There were also 1,360 newly identified species of fungi and 1,107 new microbes.

Species IDs need improvement
In fact, the number of new living species discovered in 2009 was about twice as many as were known in the lifetime of Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist who initiated the modern system of plant and animal classification more than 250 years ago.

"The cumulative knowledge of species since 1758, when Linnaeus was alive, is nearly 2 million, but much remains to be done," Wheeler said. "A reasonable guess is that 10 million additional plant and animal species await discovery by scientists and amateur species explorers."

The report notes there is a growing need for improved approaches regarding species exploration and the recognition of new species. An "obvious lesson" learned during the compilation of the report's data was that the registration of all the aspects that contribute to the identification and naming of a new species, including its description, must be mandatory going forward, Wheeler said.

"In the animal world, it takes about two years to mine the international literature for evidence of newly named species," Wheeler explained. "The current lack of registration requirements simply compounds the problem of an already massive backlog."

Discovery and conservation
The researchers stressed that species discovery and identification play an important role in designing future wildlife conservation efforts.

"It is through knowledge of the unique attributes of species that we illuminate the origin and evolutionary history of life on our planet," Wheeler said. "As we find out where species live and how they interact, we increase our ability to understand the function of ecosystems and make effective, fact-based decisions regarding conservation."

In addition to the new report, the species institute is releasing a Retro State of Observed Species report, which reviews species discovered from 2000 to 2009. The Retro SOS shows that 176,311 species were discovered during that period.

You can follow LiveScience writer Remy Melina on Twitter @remymelina. Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience? and on Facebook.

? 2012 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46167880/ns/technology_and_science-science/

tebow denver broncos contraband tim tebow denver vs new england denver broncos vs new england patriots cruise ship sinking

Lea Michele for Candie's: Cute!


First, Britney Spears. Then, Vanessa Hudgens. Now, Lea Michele.

The Glee star is the latest in a long, cute line of female stars to appear in a Candie's campaign, as examples from her photo shoot - on behalf of the clothing brand, which is featured exclusively at Kohl's - went viral this week.

Lea Michele Candie's CampaignLea Michele for Candie's

"Britney Spears is definitely my favorite past Candie's girl," Michele says. "Her campaign that she shot was gorgeous and she's just such an icon, so when you pair her with the iconic brand of Candie's, it was just, like, amazing.

"It's just really important, I think, for fashion to be affordable because everyone should have the opportunity to wear cute things and be happy and comfortable in what they're wearing. That's definitely how I like to shop and how I like to think about clothes and fashion."

And this is definitely how we like to see the actress. Hot stuff!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/lea-michele-for-candies-cute/

mitt romney tax return elizabeth smart flip saunders apple earnings solar flares oscar nominations 2012 academy award nominations

Friday, January 27, 2012

Newt Gingrich Takes A Backseat To Mitt Romney On The Florida Airwaves (ABC News)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/192362553?client_source=feed&format=rss

cma awards 2011 western black rhino western black rhino jefferson county alabama marine corps marine corps veterans day 2011

Calif. poised to vote on new 'clean car' regs (AP)

SAN FRANCISCO ? The head of California's air quality board on Thursday called proposed rules that would require automakers to build less-polluting cars and trucks by 2025 a historic move for a cleaner environment.

California Air Resources Board Chairman Mary Nichols said she hopes the rules to require that vehicles emit about 75 percent less smog-producing pollutants will "lead the nation and the world."

The new standards, which also include big cuts in greenhouse gas pollutants, would begin with new cars sold in 2015, and get increasingly more stringent until 2025. The rules also mandate that one of every seven new cars sold in 2025 in the state be a zero-emission or plug-in hybrid vehicle.

"We can't afford to wait. We have to act on these issues now," she said at the panel's meeting. "Our projections show continued growth in population and vehicle miles traveled, which will affect air quality for years to come."

The state's smog emissions standards are often more strict than federal ones, which means other states often adopt them as their own.

Fourteen other states, including Washington, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts, have adopted California's current emissions goals, which is why the new regulations could have a wide-ranging effect. Of those states, 10 also adopted the zero-emission vehicle standards as well.

The regulations, which could be voted on as early as Thursday, will continue the state's first-in-the-nation greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and trucks, which went into effect in 2009. This time, the greenhouse gas reduction element was designed with federal regulators so that it will match national standards expected to be passed later this year.

"When we did the first greenhouse gas standards, it was war," said Tom Cackette, deputy director of the board, referring to legal challenges from auto dealers and business groups after the state passed the initial greenhouse gas emissions limits.

"They sued us in two federal courts. Fortunately, from our viewpoint, they lost. Over that time, with the increase in gas prices, the shake-up in the auto industry brought new management which looked at the future. Where's our future? It's not profits next quarter but how do we make a sustainable business."

In addition to new smog and greenhouse gas emissions limits, the regulations being voted on also includes a new zero-emissions vehicle mandate. The goal is to have 1.4 million zero-emission and plug-in hybrids on California roads by 2025. But the program also looks ahead to 2050, laying groundwork for a goal of having 87 percent of the state's fleet of new vehicles fueled by electricity, hydrogen fuel cells or other clean technologies.

"This regulation is planned over a 40-year horizon, and that is extremely unusual," said board spokesman David Clegern. "But it gives us time to put the pieces in place with no surprises. The individual companies can plan for changes and develop the technology, and over the long haul, it will shift us away from reliance on petroleum."

The board's meeting comes just three days after federal regulators met in San Francisco to hear public comment on the Obama administration's national fuel economy standards, the most far-reaching in history. If passed later this year, they would require the average passenger car to reach a 54.5-mph standard by 2025.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 13 automakers, CARB and others worked together so that when the federal government passes its greenhouse gas emissions limits later this year, they will match California's and create one national standard.

Some automakers said the market for clean car technology is already spurring the technology and innovation the regulations seek to influence.

"Yes, the cars will be lighter, compact, far more fuel efficient. That's what the mandate will be. It's not enforced by the government but really by the economics of the future," said Michael Dobrin, a spokesman for Toyota.

Yet some auto dealers have argued that the government's emphasis on strict pollution controls will result in much higher prices for consumers.

Forrest McConnell, director of the National Automobile Dealers Association, testified during the federal hearing Tuesday that tightening fuel efficiency standards will result in unaffordable cars.

"We all want better fuel economy, but it is not free. By adding $3,200, if not more, to the average cost of a car, over seven million Americans will be priced out of the market, fleet turnover will be reduced, and public policy benefits will be delayed," McConnell said.

Other dealers say consumer demand for electric and hybrid vehicles is not what the board hopes it is.

The California New Car Dealers Association says hybrid vehicles, which have been marketed and sold for 13 years, only make up 2.1 percent of the national market, and 4.1 percent of California's market. They say the goal of making one of every seven new cars sold in California a zero-emission vehicle in roughly the same amount of time is unrealistic.

"Rather than setting vehicle manufacturers, new car dealers, and alternative vehicles themselves up for another predictable failure, (the board) should adjust the mandate to reflect a goal that is realistic and attainable," said Jonathan Morrison, the state dealers' association's director of legal and regulatory affairs.

The air board's research and environmental advocates dispute those cost increase estimates, and say increases in hybrid and other sales continue to rise as more cars hit the market. They argue that fuel cost savings will make up for any vehicle price increase.

"Our research shows a $1,400 to $1,900 car price increase, but over the life of the vehicles, the owners save $6,000 in reduced fuel and maintenance costs," said Clegern.

One of the nation's foremost consumer groups, the Consumers' Union, which publishes Consumer Reports, voiced support for the regulations, saying in a letter that they will "protect consumers by encouraging the development of cleaner, more efficient cars that save families money, help reduce the American economy's vulnerability to oil price shocks and reduce harmful air pollution."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_re_us/us_california_clean_car_standards

turkey the walking dead the walking dead turkey map walter isaacson walter isaacson zodiac killer

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Lytro open to partnering with smartphone makers, executive suggests

Now that its famed light field camera has finally become official, Lytro is looking to the future, with an eye, apparently, toward the cellphone market. During a recent interview with PC World, Lytro executive chairman Charles Chi described his company's new sensor in greater detail, and talked at length about its purportedly superior battery life. He also divulged a few hints about Lytro's roadmap. When asked whether the firm would ever license its technology to a smartphone manufacturer, Chi confirmed that Lytro has "the capital to do that, the capability in the company to do that, and... the vision to execute," before launching into an explanation of what it would take for such an initiative to succeed:

If we were to apply the technology in smartphones, that ecosystem is, of course, very complex, with some very large players there. It's an industry that's very different and driven based on operational excellence. For us to compete in there, we'd have to be a very different kind of company. So if we were to enter that space, it would definitely be through a partnership and a codevelopment of the technology, and ultimately some kind of licensing with the appropriate partner.

Far from a confirmation, to be sure, but it seems like the handset market is at least on Lytro's radar. Read the full Q&A at the link below.

Lytro open to partnering with smartphone makers, executive suggests originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcePC World  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/25Of9w88fZQ/

herman cain for president herman cain for president pumpkin bread pumpkin bread linus pauling chris cooley chris cooley

Antec Three Hundred Two Gaming PC Case Announced | Geeky ...

Antec has added another gaming case to their range with the launch of the Antec Three Hundred Two gaming case, which Antec describes as being perfect for gamers and system integrators and casual builders.

The Antec Three Hundred Two is apparently designed for maximum cooling, and it features a perforated front bezel, with dual TqoColl fans and up to four optional fans including a 120mm CPU exhaust Fan.

Antec Three Hundred Two

?The Three Hundred Two is an excellent enclosure for those who want to build a reliable, long-lasting PC,? said Mafalda Cogliani, Global Marketing Director for Antec. ?The enclosure has great cooling and expandability options, making it the perfect choice for anyone looking to build a new and affordable gaming PC with high functionality and design.?

The Antec Three Hundred Two gaming case will retail for $79.95 and it will be available from Newegg and other retailers in the US shortly.

Source Antec

Source: http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/antec-three-hundred-two-gaming-pc-case-announced-24-01-2012/

tanzania setup dart dart progeria watch free movies online watch free movies online

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Halliburton 4Q profit jumps 50 pct (AP)

NEW YORK ? Halliburton is reporting that its net income jumped nearly 50 percent in the final three months of 2011 as rising oil prices sparked new drilling projects.

The Houston company posted earnings of $906 million Monday, or 98 cents per share, for the fourth quarter. That compares with $605 million, or 66 cents per share, for the same part of 2010.

Excluding a $15 million charge, Halliburton earned $1 per share in the quarter. Revenue increased 36.9 percent to $7.06 billion.

For the full year, Halliburton Co. earned $2.84 billion, or $3.08 per share, compared with $1.84 billion, or $2.02 per share, in 2010. Annual revenue increased 38.1 percent to $24.8 billion.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_halliburton

hope solo dancing with the stars hope solo dancing with the stars jack wagner matt jones snow white and the huntsman trailer snow white and the huntsman trailer sexiest man alive

Woman ordered to give up hard drive password

By Suzanne Choney

In the future, your hard drive may not be your hard drive: A federal judge has ruled that a Colorado woman, charged in a mortgage scam case, must turn over the password needed to decrypt her hard drive so that police can view the files on it.

Ramona Fricosu was given until Feb. 21 to comply with the order by U.S. District Court Judge Robert Blackburn. The judge said Fricosu's defense ? the Fifth Amendment's right against self-incrimination ? did not apply in the case, in which she is charged with bank fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.

"I find and conclude that the Fifth Amendment is not implicated by requiring production of the unencrypted contents of the Toshiba Satellite M305 laptop computer," the judge said in his ruling Tuesday, as reported by CNET.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital civil liberties organization that filed an amicus brief on Fricosu's behalf, had argued that Fricosu should not be compelled to give up her password because it would violate her Fifth Amendment right, and there was no immunity "offered for loss of this protection."

In addition, the EFF said, the government had not specified what it was looking for on the Fricosu's laptop, making it seem like an "evidence-fishing trip."

But the U.S. Attorney's Office said in court documents that if Fricosuwasn't ordered to unlock her computer, it would result in a "concession to her and potential criminals (be it in child exploitation, national security, terrorism, financial crimes or drug trafficking cases) that encrypting all inculpatory digital evidence will serve to defeat the efforts of law enforcement officers to obtain such evidence through judicially authorized search warrants, and thus make their prosecution impossible.?

As CNET's Declan McCullagh wrote, "The question of whether a criminal defendant can be legally compelled to cough up his encryption passphrase remains an unsettled one, with law review articles for at least the last 15 years arguing the merits of either approach."

Related stories:

Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on?Facebook,?and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

?

?

?

?

Source: http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/23/10219384-judge-orders-woman-to-give-up-password-to-hard-drive

tj houshmandzadeh tj houshmandzadeh san onofre the little couple bubba smith bubba smith oakland strike

INFLUENCE GAME: Online companies win piracy fight (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Outspent but hardly outgunned, online and high-tech companies triggered an avalanche of Internet clicks to force Congress to shelve legislation that would curb online piracy. They outmaneuvered the entertainment industry and other old guard business interests, leaving them bitter and befuddled.

Before Senate and House leaders set aside the legislation Friday, the movie and music lobbies and other Washington fixtures, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, had put in play their usually reliable tactics to rally support for the bills.

There were email campaigns, television and print ads in important states, a Times Square billboard, and uncounted phone calls and visits to congressional offices in Washington and around the country. That included about 20 trips to the Capitol by leaders of the National Songwriters Association International, often accompanied by songwriters who performed their hits for lawmakers and their staffs.

"We bring our guitars on our backs," said songwriter Steve Bogard, the association's president.

Such campaigns are often music to the ears of lawmakers. This time, however, it was smothered by an online outpouring against the legislation that culminated Wednesday. According to organizers, at least 75,000 websites temporarily went dark that day, including the English-language online encyclopedia Wikipedia, joined by 25,000 blogs.

"The U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet," said a message on Wikipedia's home page, which was shrouded in shadows and provided links to help visitors reach their members of Congress.

Thousands of other sites posted messages protesting the bills and urging people to contact lawmakers. Protest leaders say that resulted in 3 million emails.

Google, its logo hidden beneath a stark black rectangle, solicited 7 million signatures on a petition opposing the bills. Craigslist counted 30,000 phone calls to lawmakers and there were 3.9 million tweets on Twitter about the bills, according to NetCoalition, which represents leading Internet and high tech companies.

"It's still something we're trying to comprehend," said Google spokeswoman Samantha Smith. "We had such an overwhelming response to our petition that it honestly far exceeded our expectations."

As co-sponsors of the bills peeled away, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., on Friday postponed a vote that had been set for this Tuesday on moving to the legislation. The vote seemed doomed well beforehand. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, also put off further work. "I have heard from the critics," he said.

Just weeks ago, the bills seemed headed toward quiet approval with bipartisan backing that ranging from liberals such as Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., to conservatives such as Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. The turnabout was so unexpected that some think the online world's triumph signals a pivotal moment marking its arrival as Washington's newest power broker.

"This does serve as a watershed moment," said Jennifer Stromer-Galley, a communications professor at the State University of New York at Albany who studies how political groups use high technology. "Certain channels for communication that people routinely use have the power to get their users to become political activists on their behalf."

Both bills are aimed at thwarting illegal downloads and sales of thousands of American movies, songs and books, as well as counterfeit pharmaceuticals, software and other copyrighted products. They would do so by making it easier to stop American websites and search engines from steering visitors to largely foreign websites that pirate the items.

Supporters estimate that online piracy costs the U.S. at least $100 billion annually and thousands of jobs; even the bills' critics say sales of pirated products must be stopped. But foes say the legislation goes too far, threatening to curb Internet free speech, stifle online innovation and burden online businesses with damaging regulations.

"People love their Internet. They use it every day, they don't want it to change and they don't want Washington messing with it," said Maura Corbett, spokeswoman for NetCoalition.

Claims that "big brother" would oversee the Internet infuriate bill supporters, who say their opponents employed fear-mongering and distortion to foment an online frenzy.

"They've misidentified this issue as an issue about your Internet, your Internet is being jeopardized," said Mike Nugent, executive director of Creative America, a coalition of entertainment unions, movie studios and television networks. "In fact their business model is being asked to be subjected to regulation. They're misleading their huge base."

Misleading or not, the online community had a huge impact on members of Congress, with many saying they heard little from the entertainment industry but plenty from Internet users.

"Everyone's online, and a lot of people online are very inclined to complain about" new fees and other problems, said Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va. "It's a culture of fairly quick mobilization."

The bills' champions said they purposely avoided hauling entertainment celebrities to Washington, saying they preferred to focus on how the measure would help the entire economy.

"If we brought in Hollywood stars, that would play into the other side's narrative that this is all about Hollywood," said Steven Tepp, who helped guide the campaign for the Chamber of Commerce. "We want to keep the focus on the reality that this is much, much broader."

In the end, the outcome showed the lobbying world is changing, said Kathy Garmezy, an official with the Directors Guild of America, which supports the bills.

"Of course you say to yourself, `What can you change?'" she said. "I don't think we've come to conclusions or closure."

Participants say last week's online protests were spawned last fall, as Congress was writing the bills and Internet users started chatting and emailing about them.

The blogging service Tumblr called attention to the measures on its website in November. Other efforts also garnered attention, including a drive by owners to remove their domain names from GoDaddy.com, which sells domain names and was a supporter of the anti-piracy legislation.

Among the first to publicly say they would darken their sites on Wednesday were Reddit and Wikipedia.

"Like most things on the Internet, it was very unorganized and chaotic," said Erik Martin, Reddit's general manager.

In terms of their Washington presence, online businesses are adolescents compared to the well-established industries they are battling.

According to Maplight, a nonpartisan group that analyzes money's role in politics, current senators have received $14.4 million over the past six years from entertainment interest groups supporting the online piracy bills, seven times the $2 million they got from Internet groups opposing the legislation.

The differences are also stark when it comes to lobbying.

Google, one of the Internet world's largest players in Washington, spent $5.9 million lobbying on all issues during the first nine months of 2011, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks money in politics. The Chamber of Commerce spent $46 million, the most in town.

Even so, online businesses have been beefing up their representation in Washington, the center's figures show.

Google's $5.9 million paid for 112 lobbyists last year, more than double the $2.8 million it spent for 54 lobbyists in 2008. Facebook's $910,000 for lobbying during the first three quarters of 2011 paid for 21 lobbyists, compared with two lobbyists and $351,000 it spent a year earlier.

High tech companies are also learning the value of big names. One Google lobbyist is former Missouri Rep. Richard Gephardt, a House Democratic leader and presidential candidate. Last year, Facebook hired Joe Lockhart, a press secretary for President Bill Clinton, as vice president of global communications.

Bill supporters lost one advantage because former Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, could not personally lobby senators. The Capitol Hill veteran retired from the Senate last year and is legally barred from lobbying his former colleagues for two years.

___

Online:

Senate's Protect Intellectual Property Act: http://tinyurl.com/7lqbgzh

House's Stop Online Piracy Act: http://tinyurl.com/75vtcxg

NetCoalition: http://www.netcoalition.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120121/ap_on_hi_te/us_online_piracy_lobbying

white house gia fashion night out outlook the young and the restless the young and the restless dc universe online

Monday, January 23, 2012

SOPA Spring

sopaspringIt's not so much that the world has changed as that the speed with which events evolve has telescoped. The rise of social analytics and realtime feedback loops means that business processes are now transformed on the fly by the velocity with which the impact of a product or idea or strategy is folded back into the process flow. Products become services, interactive streams of data and influence metadata where who thinks what about it when changes the service elastically. That explains why our leaders are having so much trouble with realtime. Their expertise is in the politics of yesterday, where all the PI used to live. What's happening? Look at the last election's data. Meanwhile this year's voters are getting Twitter push notifications with links to the most up-to-date attitude from a cloud-curated stream of instant influentials. Translated: the news is delivered on a whispernet by those we trust with follows and engage with @mentions.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/oO0IootvSAE/

milwaukee brewers will power will power indy 500 martin luther king memorial walking dead season 2 walking dead season 2

Weekly Address: America is Open for Business | The White House

JUMP TO:

Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/01/21/weekly-address-america-open-business

ny jets ny jets chargers seahawks jets air jordans pecan pie recipe

Sunday, January 22, 2012

NewsDaily: Congress has legal clout on Keystone pipeline: study

Congress has legal clout on Keystone pipeline: study


By Roberta RamptonPosted 2012/01/20 at 8:34 pm EST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2012 (Reuters) ? The Congress has the constitutional right to legislate permits for cross-border oil pipelines like TransCanada's Keystone XL, according to a new legal analysis released late on Friday.

The study by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service could give a boost to Republicans drafting legislation to overturn a decision this week by President Barack Obama to put the $7 billion Alberta-to-Texas project on ice.

Historically, U.S. presidents have made executive decisions on pipelines that cross borders. But Congress had the power all along to weigh in on the permits, said the study, done by four legislative attorneys with the CRS.

"If Congress chose to assert its authority in the area of border-crossing facilities, this would likely be considered within its Constitutionally enumerated authority to regulate foreign commerce," the study said.

Republicans in Congress have elevated the Canadian pipeline and the construction jobs it would create as a top election-year issue, accusing Obama of caving to environmental groups. They pushed to include a deadline for a permit approval in a payroll tax cut bill that Obama signed into law in December.

But this week, Obama and the State Department said an environmental review of a portion of the proposed pipeline could not be rushed, closing the door on a quick start to the project.

REPORT "HELPS THE CONVERSATION"

The CRS report "greatly helps the conversation" among Senate and House Republicans strategizing about how to keep the project alive, said Ryan Bernstein, an energy advisor for Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota.

"I think this confirms what we've been saying along - Congress has the authority to approve the Keystone pipeline," said Bernstein, who is helping Hoeven draft legislation that would see Congress green-light the project.

Earlier on Friday, Republicans in the House of Representatives said they were considering using upcoming payroll tax cut or highway construction bills to force quick approval of the pipeline.

Representative Lee Terry, whose home state of Nebraska would host part of the pipeline, has drafted legislation to shift the Keystone decision-making process from the Obama administration to the independent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which regulates pipelines in the United States.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday about Terry's bill and other Keystone measures.

(Editing by Philip Barbara)

Related Stories

Search NewsDaily

Number of stories in archives: 2,855


Source: http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre80k043-us-usa-pipeline-legislation/

online deals leap pad lauren alaina lowes best buy black friday frys ad a very gaga thanksgiving

A Planet Literally Boils Under the Heat of Its Star

"Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space." -- Douglas Adams, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"

And really, it applies not just to distances, but masses, speeds, etc. As a rule of thumb, if it even deserves being mentioned in astronomy, it's frikken mind-bogglingly big.

The Earth, for example, is 6x10^24 kg, so basically 6,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 tons. Or about 600,000,000,000,000,000 Nimitzes.

Or more to the point of the planet being discussed here, they say it's a little bigger than Mercury, which in turn is 3.3x10^23 kg. I.e., 330,000,000,000,000,000,000 tons.

Yeah, that's the kind of numbers that astronomy is about. Well, not really. These are small planets. Now stars and black holes and galaxies, that's the real bread and butter. And you can pretty much stick the zero key down and go brew some coffee, if you want to write the weights for that.

And then come the distances, yes. Douglas Adams was certainly up to something there.

You know where in Men In Black, agent K says, "You want to stay away from that guy. He's, uh, he's grouchy. A three hour delay in customs after a trip for 17 trillion miles is gonna make anybody cranky." You'd think 17 trillion miles is half-way across the galaxy, right? Actually the nearest star, Proxima Centauri, is 25 trillion miles away. So that alien would have had to make a stop at some cosmic gas station in between, if he only had a 17 trillion miles trip.

It's things like these that... well, let's just say they seriously put the kibosh on most nerds "we should totally do some SF thing right now" scenarios. E.g., since we talk mass, there are all the "oh, let's terraform [insert planet]" stupidities. Yeah, I don't think any of those actually calculated how many trillions of tons of ice comets they'd have to divert into Mars to make oceans and whatever their fantasy scenario involves. (There are 1.4x10^18 tons of water on Earth for example.) Nor where they'd come from, nor what the energy budget for that would be.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/Hq8S6iN9KOY/a-planet-literally-boils-under-the-heat-of-its-star

top chef just desserts jamarcus russell sister wives st louis weather jack the cat frank lucas lego man

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Stephen Colbert, Herman Cain to hold joint event in South Carolina today (Washington Post)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/188954741?client_source=feed&format=rss

golden globes red carpet nfc championship game martin luther king jr i have a dream speech packers score ricky gervais napoleon dynamite ny giants

Sundance 2012 Concert Guide: Who's Playing When

Drake, Wiz Khalifa, Afrojack and more set to perform at film festival in Park City, Utah.
By Kara Warner


The Egyptian theater in Park City, Utah
Photo: Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images

For those unfamiliar with the goings-on at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, the annual star-studded event has morphed from a modest independent film festival into a full-blown showcase for all aspects of the entertainment industry, including film, television and music — not to mention the promotional opportunities for a multitude of consumer goods and lifestyle brands at the festival's infamous gifting lounges.

In regard to the musical element of the festival, this year's performance and concert lineup features a slew of big names more accustomed to large venues with sell-out crowds than the intimate settings at Sundance's smaller-scale venues.

Park City Live in association with Continuum Entertainment Group will host live performances by LMFAO & House of Party Rock on Saturday, deadmau5 on Sunday, and Drake on Monday at the Memorial Building at 427 Main Street.

Microsoft's Bing Bar, located at the historic former Claim Jumper Hotel on Main Street, will feature Wiz Khalifa and Jason Mraz on Friday, Drake on Saturday, Cobra Starship on Sunday, Theophilus London on Monday, and James Murphy on Tuesday. Their SPIN Music Sessions series will include happy-hour shows by Gary Clark Jr. on Friday, Cool Kids on Saturday, Group Love on Sunday, and Fitz and the Tantrums on Monday.

Following Friday's artist talk with guests Mary J. Blige and Mos Def, celebrating the documentary "Invisible War," the Sundance Channel is hosting a special afterparty with performances by Estelle and DJ Jesse Marco at Sugar Lounge on Main Street.

Other acts to look out for include Afrojack on Thursday (January 19), OneRepublic at Park City Live on Tuesday, and the All-American Rejects on Wednesday as part of Sundance's ASCAP event.

Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677529/sundance-festival-2012-concert-guide.jhtml

caroline kennedy caroline kennedy day of rage sportscenter pay per view fsu fsu

Friday, January 20, 2012

Deadly storm grips Northwest in ice, snow

King County Deputy Joe Abreu at left helps Potelco workers, Joe Lewis, center and Travis Barrett clear a downed tree coated with ice Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012 in Seattle. An ice storm followed heavy snow in western Washington, bringing down trees that killed one person and knocked out power for about 100,000 homes while sending cars and trucks spinning out of control. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Steve Ringman) MAGS OUT; NO SALES; SEATTLEPI.COM OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

King County Deputy Joe Abreu at left helps Potelco workers, Joe Lewis, center and Travis Barrett clear a downed tree coated with ice Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012 in Seattle. An ice storm followed heavy snow in western Washington, bringing down trees that killed one person and knocked out power for about 100,000 homes while sending cars and trucks spinning out of control. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Steve Ringman) MAGS OUT; NO SALES; SEATTLEPI.COM OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

A Delta Air Lines plane is sprayed with de-icing fluid prior to take-off at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, in Seattle. On the heels of heavy snow that fell Wednesday, the Western Washington region was hit with an ice storm Thursday that closed runways at the airport and stranded hundreds of travelers as flights were delayed or cancelled. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

A Southwest Airlines plane sits covered in a a thick layer of ice while parked at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, in Seattle. On the heels of heavy snow that fell Wednesday, the Western Washington region was hit with an ice storm Thursday that closed runways at the airport and stranded hundreds of travelers as flights were delayed or canceled. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

A United Air Lines plane lands on at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on a recently re-opened runway, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, in Seattle. On the heels of heavy snow that fell Wednesday, the Western Washington region was hit with an ice storm Thursday that closed runways at the airport and stranded hundreds of travelers as flights were delayed or canceled. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Port Orchard Marina resident Mitch Glover builds a snow igloo in front of the A Dock gate in Port Orchard, Wash. on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Kitsap Sun, Meegan M. Reid)

(AP) ? A monster Pacific Northwest storm coated the Seattle area in a thick layer of ice Thursday and brought much of the state to a standstill, sending hundreds of cars spinning out of control, temporarily shutting down the airport and knocking down so many trees that members of the Washington State Patrol brought chain saws to work.

Oregon experienced torrential rain that swept away a car from a grocery store parking lot, killing a mother and her 1-year-old son. East of Seattle, a man was killed by a falling tree as he was backing an all-terrain vehicle out of a backyard shed, authorities said.

The snow, ice and heavy rains continued wreak havoc in the region a day after the system brought a huge snowfall to parts of Washington state. The storm also raised worries that flooding could become a broader concern in days to come.

"It's like a storm in slow motion that keeps happening again and again," said Puget Sound Energy spokesman Roger Thompson.

Amtrak suspended train service Thursday between Seattle and Portland, Ore. Officials in Spokane declared a snow emergency, banning parking along arterials and bus routes beginning Thursday evening. The City of Seattle asked people to get home before dark if possible, fearing even worse icing conditions by nightfall. And authorities told pedestrians to be extra careful on sidewalks and to look out for "falling ice from trees, buildings and power lines."

Freezing rain and ice pellets caused numerous accidents in the Seattle area, where drivers are mostly inexperienced with driving in snow or ice. The State Patrol said it had responded to about 2,300 accidents in a 24-hour period ending at 9 a.m. Thursday, roughly quadruple the average number.

The last widespread freezing rain in Seattle was in December 1996, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Michalski.

The weather service used the Emergency Alert System to break into Thursday morning broadcasts with an ice storm warning for the Seattle area and southwest Washington.

The state Transportation Department closed one highway because of falling trees that also took out power lines, and the Seattle Times reported that about 250,000 were without power in the greater Seattle area Thursday, while Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency, authorizing the use of National Guard troops if necessary.

Ice closed Sea-Tac Airport completely in the early morning before one runway was reopened. Lines hundreds of people long snaked around nearly every ticket counter at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, with many passengers on their cellphones as they tried furiously to rebook their flights. Reader boards showed the vast majority of flights canceled or delayed.

Cabbies struggled to get people from the airport and safely to their homes or hotels. Chris Van Dyk of Yellow Cab said "it's like servicing Dante's part of hell. It's an ice cube, it's just unreal."

Van Dyk said drivers tried to get people as close as they could to their destinations, but when they entered the side streets, they kept getting stuck.

Braving the icy Queen Anne hill in Seattle, commercial truck driver Darrin Sjostrand was loading his Toyota Prius to drive his wife to the airport.

"It was supposed to warm up," he said. "Ice is kind of the great equalizer. It doesn't matter if you have a four-wheel drive, you're going to slide."

Authorities also worried about flooding in the coming days as temperatures warm up. Rain was forecast throughout the weekend.

"It's a very dangerous situation," said Brad Colman, the meteorologist in charge of the weather service office in Seattle.

Oregon didn't receive the snowfall that Washington did but got plenty of rain. Rising water from heavy rains swept a car carrying four people into an overflowing creek in Albany on Wednesday night. Two people escaped, but one child's body was recovered early Thursday morning, and family members in the afternoon located his mother's body, authorities said.

"The water just got high so fast," said fire department spokeswoman Wanda Omdahl. "It's a big tragedy."

Witness Adam Chance said he arrived just after 7 p.m. in the parking lot of the grocery store and saw the trunk of the car submerge in swirling brown water. A few people standing on the banks waded in but were unable to contend with the violent current drawing water and debris into the mouth of the culvert.

"They got sucked into the pipe," Chance said. "(The culvert) was just sucking down like a straw."

Oregon State climatologist Kathie Dello said the Hawaiian "Pineapple Express" is responsible for the wet weather. The system is creating a fire hose-like effect, dumping a concentrated stream of Pacific moisture on a small area in the western Willamette Valley.

Another Willamette Valley town, Scio, contended with floodwaters and many residents were being evacuated as the city manager said water was pouring down Main Street.

Officials in the city of Turner have issued a voluntary evacuation order to residents, asking them to flee to higher ground as floodwaters from the rising Mill Creek swept through town.

To the west of Oregon's Coast Range, residents were being moved out of Mapleton, with a population of about 900.

Near Issaquah, Wash., a man in his 60s backing an all-terrain vehicle out of a shed was killed by a falling tree, King County sheriff's Sgt. Cindi West said.

Washington State University in Pullman was closed. The University of Washington also canceled Thursday classes at three campuses, including Seattle.

The storm caused hundreds of roadway accidents, but no fatalities. On the interstate north of Seattle, a Transportation Department worker responding to an accident was injured in crash. The 36-year-old man was taken to a Seattle hospital and listed in satisfactory condition. The Transportation Department closed state Route 18 near Issaquah because of falling trees.

"We want to make sure all the limbs that are going to come down, come down," said DOT spokeswoman Alice Fiman in Olympia.

Karina Shagren, a spokeswoman for Gregoire, said even though an emergency declaration has been issued, the National Guard has not been called up. Shagren said what sparked the proclamation was concern over truck drivers carrying dairy products not being able to drive more than 12 hours a day due to federal regulations.

Cleanup work at the Hanford nuclear reservation was called off for the day, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory closed as well.

At a bus stop near the Seattle neighborhood of Ballard, Canadian transplant Jennifer Hastings waited for the downtown bus.

"I didn't buy snow tires. This is Seattle. We were like, 'It doesn't snow here,'" said Hastings, who moved here last year.

___

Cooper reported from Albany, Ore. Associated Press writers Doug Esser, Ted Warren, Shannon Dininny, Rachel La Corte, Nigel Duara and Nicholas K. Geranios contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-20-Washington%20Snow/id-9cc1452b8c8042cebeefe9bdc8e1b618

zanzibar arizona state university nsa fsi fsi dunkin donuts toy

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Tips To Buy An Used Automotive by WeHearAndSpeak.ORG

Suggestions To Purchase An Used Automotive

A person who cannot afford to buy a new car can at all times move forward and buy an used car. Shopping for a car no doubts requires a lot of money but that does not imply that only wealthy should buy it. All the time remember the success of shopping for an used automotive is to do your research before you purchase it. You?ll have to prepare yourself for all the stress if you?re in search of an ideal deal. Make sure that you are with one of the best used automobile supplier who will ensure you the best deal. It?s essential to go through the following information earlier than shopping for an used car.

1) At all times determine the funds you may afford to purchase the car. Since you are buying the used automotive at all times embody price of the Car, repairs and maintenance price of the car, Automotive insurance coverage and so on.

2) Decide the Car you wish to buy. The best choice can be to go for a mid-sized automotive as these automobiles can be found at great bargains.

3) Used automobiles could also be covered by a manufacturer?s guarantee or an individually bought service contract. Nevertheless be aware that they is probably not transferable. Always be sure that to go through the guarantee or service contract before you purchase any used cars.

4) It?s also possible to take a take a look at drive of the car and examine its effectivity and comfort. It might be more preferable in case you take a test drive on different types of roads. Have a drive for at the least 10 to 15 miles to make sure the smoothness of the car.

5) Learn how previous is the automobile you will buy. Attempt to purchase an automobile which is 2 or three years older. Buying a or three years older automotive would in all probability be a fantastic deal as this provides you with a possibility to drive the latest model. It will be asking for trouble in the event you resolve to go for an a lot older car.

6) In case you are not one hundred% satisfied by the automotive keep away from shopping for it. Don?t just buy a car since it is low cost as this would possibly flip into a big expense within the lengthy term.

7) It could be advisable to get the car inspected by the mechanic you hire. Should you neglect it, you will have to pay every thing for the upkeep as soon as you purchase the car. A mechanic can put the automotive on the lift and can instantly identify any previous damages, corrosions and so on.

8) In case you are buying a 4 to five 12 months previous automotive it could be advisable to get the warranty interval extended. Else you will have to bear the brunt of heavy losses.

9) Each dealer has a worth in mind below which they will not promote you the car. The dealer is able to scale back the worth of the automobile until this value point and yet manages an honest profit. Nevertheless in the event that they find a particular purchaser inexperienced they reap the benefits of such consumers and gladly make a very good profit. Therefore it is very vital to teach yourself completely before going to an automotive dealer.

If you want additional facts in relation to new car prices, drop by Leonora F Sagel?s internet site directly.


Sponsored Links

About Author

Author: LatoriaPloense751

This author has published 231 articles so far. More info about the author is coming soon.

Related Posts

Source: http://www.wehearandspeak.org/tips-to-buy-an-used-automotive.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tips-to-buy-an-used-automotive

jesse ventura keri russell drew barrymore portland trailblazers will kopelman bill o brien casey anthony

Northwest storm likely 'major' not 'epic'

One of the worst snowstorms in years is hitting the Pacific Northwest, closing schools and roads and cancelling flights. The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore reports from Seattle.

By Msnbc.com staff and wire

A major winter snow storm headed for the Pacific Northwest turned south slightly overnight and was no longer expected to hit Seattle with a foot of snow on Wednesday.

NBC meteorologist Bill Karins said the forecast had changed, with the heaviest falls of snow now expected to stay south of the Seattle area.


He said "significant" amounts, perhaps 3 to 6 inches, were still expected Wednesday morning, but said this would not an "epic" or "historical" storm.

However Karins cautioned that the Northwest in general was still experiencing a "major" snowstorm.

The National Weather Service said that it had kept "all warnings and advisories in place" but had lowered its snow totals "especially over the Seattle metro area."

Anthony Bolante / Reuters

A snowplow leads the traffic on the I-5 Interstate Highway as snow falls in Seattle Tuesday.

"Latest model runs have shifted the track of the low (pressure area) south a bit ... with major implications for snowfall amounts over western Washington," the weather service said, according to NBC News.

Schools preemptively closed in Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and Bellingham, while crews salted down streets and dozens of flights were canceled as the region prepared for the storm.

Alaska Airlines announced late Tuesday that it canceled 38 flights into and out of Seattle and Portland, Ore. The airline was waiving re-booking fees for passengers traveling Tuesday through Thursday in those cities.

Conditions on the roads were expected to be dangerous as the storm was forecast to begin dumping snow on the area just before the morning rush hour.

"Wednesday is going to be a good day to stay at home," said Brad Colman, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Seattle. "The road is going to be treacherous."

Several inches of snow have the potential to paralyze the city of Seattle, which owns relatively few snowplows. Its drivers are mostly inexperienced with driving in snow or ice.

Several downtown hotels reported all their rooms were booked. Elsewhere, shoppers stocked up on groceries.

Pickup with snow plow stolen
In Everett, north of Seattle, police reported a thief broke into an Everett School District parking lot early Tuesday and drove off in an old pickup equipped with a snow plow. The faded yellow truck had the snow plow in front and a full hopper of sand in the back, Sgt. Robert Goetz said.

Snow has been falling steadily in parts of western Washington and Oregon since the weekend, but Weather Service meteorologists said the biggest amounts could be on the way.

Bec Thomas, who lives on Camano Island north of Seattle, stocked up on bottled water and food. As her children built snowmen, made snow angels and sledded in nearly a foot of fresh snow on Tuesday, she made food that could be reheated on her wood stove.

The last snowstorm knocked out her power for a week.

"We take it very seriously," said Thomas, a fine arts photographer. "We'll probably be snowed in until Thursday."

Forecasters said 3 to 6 inches of new snow could fall in the Olympia area and 1 to 2 inches north of Seattle. The Cascade Mountains could see 1 to 3 feet of new snow through late Wednesday, and officials warned of high avalanche danger there.

Dan Pelle / AP

With the incoming winter storm in mind, Don Mortenson, 77, of Spokane, Wash., looks at an aluminum snow shovel at the General Store on Tuesday.

Troopers: Be prepared
In eastern Washington, forecasters predicted that about 6 inches of snow could fall on Spokane by late Wednesday with several more inches falling Thursday. The Pullman area could see as much as 12 inches of new snow by Wednesday night.

State troopers advised motorists to be prepared.

"The No. 1 thing is to drive for the road conditions," Trooper Keith Leary said. "People need to slow down, take their time. If they're not prepared, don't get out on the roadways."

John Lee, a Mill Creek graphic designer decided to work from home Tuesday rather than face a snowy commute into Seattle, said it was "a bit exciting" because it was the first snow of the season.

But he added: "I hope it doesn't escalate to something bigger."

The Seattle Times initially described the coming bad weather as a "megastorm" in its print edition Tuesday, but then revised it to "Less snow in the forecast? It's 'evolving'" on its website later in the day.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/18/10180456-northwest-storm-likely-major-but-not-epic

apple computer pancreatic cancer steve jobs aapl stock aapl stock apple ii pixar