Thursday, January 31, 2013

Grand Canyon Trails Wander Onto Google Maps

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. -- Google is giving people a way to virtually hike the Grand Canyon.

The search giant released images Thursday that map the most popular trails at the park's South Rim and other walkways.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based company used a rosette of cameras mounted for the first time on a backpack to gather thousands of panoramic images last year.

The so-called trekker captured images every 2.5 seconds, showing the steep switchbacks of the Bright Angel Trail, the change from juniper trees to scrub brush and the Colorado River.

Google has said it wants to deploy the backpacks to other national parks and forests, and to ancient ruins and castles.

The company also has used tricycles, push carts and snowmobiles to map places where vehicles cannot travel.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/31/grand-canyon-trails-wande_n_2592998.html

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enhasa: True story: Gandalf appears at University of Minnesota...

Goes Ding when there's stuff

My name's Amie, I'm 22. Currently a Hobbit and Lord of the Rings blog with a splash of everything else.

January 30, 2013 7:29 pm enhasa:

True story: Gandalf appears at University of Minnesota during exams, going around telling people ominously ?You shall not pass.?

enhasa:

True story: Gandalf appears at University of Minnesota during exams, going around telling people ominously ?You shall not pass.?

(via bronyshire)

Source: http://amillionwalriwishing.tumblr.com/post/41903841171

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Johnny Cash leaves his stamp on Postal Service

? 2013 U.S. Postal Service

By Matt Murray, TODAY

The "man in black" is going postal - officially. The United States Postal Service has announced that a Johnny Cash stamp will be issued this year as part of its new "Music Icons" series.?

According to BeyondthePerf.com, a web extension of the USA Philatelic catalog, the stamp is meant to resemble a 45 rpm record sleeve. The black-and-white portrait of Cash featured on the stamp was taken by Frank Bez in 1963, during a photo shoot for "Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash."

USPS representative Mark Saunders said that Cash is the first of three performing artists announced in the series. The other two will be revealed later this year.

The process for selecting topics for its stamps can be a long one for the USPS.

"We get about 40,000 suggestions for stamp ideas each year but only about 20 topics make the cut," Saunders said. "These suggestions are reviewed by the Postmaster General?s Citizens? Stamp Advisory whose role is to narrow down that 40,000 to roughly 20 and then provide their recommendations to the Postmaster General for final approval."

Johnny Cash was active in the Nashville music scene?for nearly five decades, beginning in the 1950s. It was his rendition of "Ring of Fire," co-written by wife June Carter Cash, in 1963 that helped make him a crossover hit. The single reached No. 17 on the Billboard 200, and stayed on the charts for more than a year.?

Johnny Cash was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. He died of complications due to?diabetes?in 2003.

A release date for the stamp has not been announced.

More: Work kept Johnny Cash going after wife died
Mindy McCready denies shooting boyfriend
Chris Brown compares himself to a crucified Jesus
'Spartacus' stars give TODAY hosts gladiator lessons

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/01/29/16755355-johnny-cash-leaves-his-stamp-on-us-postal-service?lite

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NH bill would repeal school scholarship program

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- A fledgling New Hampshire program that gives businesses a tax credit for donating to scholarship organizations that send students to private or public schools is under assault on two fronts.

Three civil liberties groups sued this month to block the program as unconstitutional because students could attend religious schools, and now legislators are considering repealing it.

And the House Ways and Means Committee is holding a hearing Thursday on the bill to repeal the tax credit law, passed last summer by Republicans over a Democratic governor's veto. Under the law, the first scholarships cannot be used until the 2013-2014 school year.

The total amount of tax credits that could be issued the first year is $3.4 million and $5.1 million the second year.

The law provides for increases in tax credits in subsequent years. The business donations would go to organizations created to provide scholarships of up to $2,500 to eligible students. The scholarship amount would be adjusted for inflation.

Students attending private schools, public schools outside the student's home district and students schooled at home would qualify for scholarships. Income limits are set on who qualifies to receive a scholarship.

Districts losing state aid above a certain threshold would receive additional money to partially offset the loss of funding when students leave their schools.

So far, only about $120,000 has been pledged toward scholarships for next school year, according to the Department of Revenue.

To date, the Network for Educational Opportunity is the only organization approved to award scholarships, and Executive Director Kate Baker said Tuesday she already has 260 applicants. Baker said she has commitments from companies to contribute $500,000 to the program. Her goal is to raise $1 million and to have 1,000 applicants by June.

"People are looking for options for their families," she said.

She said 60 percent of the applications she has received are from poorer families whose children qualify for subsidized meals at school. The scholarship won't pay the entire tuition at some private schools but could make a difference in the family being able to send their children to the school, she said.

"I'm finding that families make incredible sacrifices for their children's education," she said.

Baker is confident the law will be upheld and eventually will win bipartisan support from lawmakers.

But House Education Chairwoman Mary Gile, a Concord Democrat and the repeal bill's prime sponsor, insists the program will hurt public schools by siphoning off money that could be used to improve them.

"Our primary responsibility as legislators is to ensure New Hampshire's children, our children, have access to the best system of public education we can provide," she said.

She said if 100 Concord students were awarded scholarships and left the public school system, the city could lose several hundred thousand dollars in state aid, she said.

"What people don't realize is if money is reduced, the fixed costs remain," she said. "The fiscal impact of this law is significant," she said.

A hearing is scheduled on the lawsuit on April 26, said Barbara Keshen, staff attorney at the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union. She said the court has ordered that scholarship organizations be made aware they might not be able to distribute money to students, depending on the outcome of the lawsuit.

"Any business that contributes under the law ... may have to pay their taxes in full to the state," she added.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nh-bill-repeal-school-scholarship-155826644.html

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Putin eyes trip to Antarctica, shuns elder image

The Russian president has insisted on a full slate of his traditional macho stunts this year, including scuba diving and possibly a trip to the way down under.

By Fred Weir,?Correspondent / January 29, 2013

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting on economic issues in the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Friday. The Russian president eyes a possible trip to Antarctica.

Mikhail Klimentyev/Presidential Press Service/RIA-Novosti/AP

Enlarge

Russian President Vladimir Putin is rejecting the advice of some of his PR specialists to dial back?his trademark action-hero persona?and instead cultivate the image of a "wise patriarch,"?according to the pro-government Moscow daily Izvestia.

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President Putin, who's now over 60, has insisted on a full slate of his traditional macho stunts this year, including scuba diving, hockey playing, actions to protect endangered animal species, and a possible visit to a science station in Antarctica, Izvestia says.

"Vladimir Putin will continue his active hobbies. Maybe he will go scuba diving in the summer. He continues the fight to preserve endangered species," the paper quotes Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, as saying.

"As for a more 'patriarchal' style? Well, he has his own style, and that's his personal choice," he added.

Putin has been plagued with rumors of ill-health ever since he was seen limping?at last September's APEC summit?in Vladivostok. The Kremlin reacted indignantly to journalists' questions about his condition ??which only seems to have inflamed the rumor-mill ??and at some point Mr. Peskov conceded that the president was suffering from back pains.

Some pollsters argue that a recent dip in Putin's public approval rating, to about 62 percent from his usual 70 percent or so, might have been due to the uncertainties about his health.

"Putin's rating is down a bit, but it's a small fluctuation and doesn't spell a stable trend," says Alexei Grazhdankin, deputy director of the independent Levada Center in Moscow.

"These fluctuations occur for various reasons, and we attribute the latest dip to rumors about Putin's health. It's logical, because his image has always been based on his robust health and capacity for extreme actions.... I think he will repeat such actions because they confirm his own view that he controls his health much as he controls the country," Mr. Grazhdankin says.

Until recently, Putin had been regularly practicing at nights on a Moscow ice rink with Russian hockey pros ??and occasionally with journalists???in preparation for what some Moscow sources whisper might be an exhibition game Putin was hoping to hold with other world leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Past stunts

Last September Putin took to the skies in a motorized hang glider?to guide a group of endangered Siberian cranes onto their correct migratory flight path.

At other times he has shot a Siberian tiger with a tranquilizer gun, harpooned a grey whale with a crossbow,?and tagged a captured polar bear on an Arctic ice flow (all in the interest of science).

According to Izvestia,?Putin accepted an invitation from Chilean President Sebastian Pinera during a meeting in the Kremlin?last September to visit Chilean and Russian science bases in Antarctica sometime early this year.

Peskov told the newspaper that the date has yet to be decided, "but since Putin is occupied with ecological issues, he will work with this question."

Some professional spin doctors argue that Putin would be wise to go with the flow of advancing age and cultivate a different, more realistic image for himself.?

"A good PR specialist should not concoct beautiful lies, but find some merit in the client to focus on, tell people about, to show him in the best possible light," says Stanislav Radkevich, director of PR-3000, a Moscow think tank.

"In Putin's case, it should be connected with positive changes in the country that he has championed.... He needs to develop the image of a wise reformer, a competent leader, who is thinking about the fate of the country," he adds.

Elder image? Nyet.

But other experts argue that Putin will never accept the image of an aging, sedentary leader.

"At the beginning of his new term there was a lot of talk about how Putin might now be positioned [in the media], because of his age, as a wise man sitting in his study and handing down advice," says Leonid Polyakov, a political scientist with the Higher School of Economics in Moscow.

"Then Putin had a spinal trauma during a training session, and his spokesman confirmed that. His response to that appears to be that he is definitely not going to become the old man in the Kremlin....? I'm absolutely sure we're going to see more of Putin on horseback, jumping by parachute, taming tigers, and so on," he says.

"The explanation is simple. He just likes it. Sport is a way of life, Putin's still in good shape, and he simply can't stop."

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/DWUnvDsv04Y/Putin-eyes-trip-to-Antarctica-shuns-elder-image

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Password Security Tips - Business Insider

Today being Data Privacy Day and all, it's a perfect time to revisit that most basic element of internet security ? the password.

Just because your password replaces an "E" with a "3" and ends in an exclamation point doesn't make you invincible.

Here are some pointers to see how secure your password is and then pick a newer, stronger password if needed.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/password-security-tips-2013-1

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Guest Post: Hope Has Changed - It Died | Zero Hedge

Originally posted at Monty Pelerin's World,

Hope is dying in the US.

The performance of financial markets affects everyone. For savers and investors, these markets represent the means to an improved life, at least as they define it. Savings and wealth provide options and opportunities, the quintessential aspect of being an American. These options and opportunities differentiated an American from someone who was born and destined to die in a hut or remain locked in a societal class from which there was no hope of escape.

Bonds and stocks were the primary means for savings and investments for generations of Americans. When these do not perform up to expectations, lives are changed. Plans and dreams are dashed. College educations, retirements and similar major events are deferred or never happen.

We are twelve years into this new century and Americans are losing their hopes, dreams and aspirations. Hard reality has crushed the optimistic spirit that once drove the country. The first decade rivaled the 1930s in terms of stock market performance. Twice, stock market wealth was halved in this ten-year period. Twelve years in, the S&P 500 has returned a total of 14%. That puny return has not come close to covering the decline in purchasing power of the dollar during the same period. Worse, a generation or two, has lost probably 33% of their wealth-producing years.

College graduates come out of school under-educated and buried in debt. Most cannot find a job commensurate with their education or aspirations. Taxes rise and will accelerate in the future as the federal debt and social promises become more binding. Young people find it difficult to imagine getting out from underneath their student loans or buying a home.

Outcomes in the housing and stock markets have affected millions. Equity in homes has dropped dramatically. Some have lost their homes as a result. Savings and wealth that were reasonably expected based on historical precedents did not materialize.

These outcomes are explained away in terms of markets "underperforming." To speak of housing and stocks as if they are independent entities that suddenly somehow turn bad is to miss what is really happening. Markets" are nothing more than millions of us making individual decisions intended to improve our lives. Markets do not under or overperform. It is people, the millions of buyers and sellers, that drive markets. When markets "underperform" it is because people have "underperformed" or more properly, bought less common stock or fewer homes.

People are acquisitative by nature, wanting more rather than less. When they "underperform" in terms of purchasing decisions it is because they had to. Unlike the federal government, people cannot print money or spend beyond their means, at least for extended periods of time. Eventually they hit budget constraints. That is what is being reflected in stock prices and home values. They are reflecting the lower standard of living of the country.

The feel-good spending of the prior two decades caught up with the American consumer. He was never as rich as he believed. Now, as a result of having to service this debt binge, he is poorer than he should be. That is why markets are underperforming. That and the fact that fewer people have jobs.

A recent article, "You Haven't Made Any Money In The Stock Market This Century," struck a nerve with some readers. Reader Chugar submitted comments that expressed the general sentiment of many (my emboldening added):

I am still in the stock market and hate it daily.

?

The feeling of it being a wise investment left long ago. I watch the flash crashes, read about HFT, the endless blabber on business shows about "buying opportunities" have grown old.

?

Since all these talking heads have a vested interest in keeping the game going, if we aren't buying their products they make no commission or their advertisers are not kept happy. It isn't hard to figure out.

?

With that said we are trapped, for my working career I was told, buy and hold, dump money into the 401k/457/ROTH or Traditional IRA. Not to mention an underfunded pension, which may run out of money before I can even draw.

?

I lost track of firms and brokerage firms over the years who not only had ethical problems but legal problems. So much for confidence in what appears to be a grand scam run by well-dressed crooks.

?

My local credit is advertising a 3 year CD for 0.7%... Thanks ZIRP and Mr. Bernanke

?

I was just reminded I never really own my home with a year end property tax bill.

?

Taxation,user fees, access fees on and on are coming our way to finance a government that will never get enough, whether its local, state or federal.

?

Its criminal what is taking place in this country.

The frustration and anger is apparent in these comments. It should be. When one thinks about what has happened, it is difficult not to become angry. The stock market is not the problem. It is merely a scorecard that reflects what is happening to the country. Here are but a few of the factors:

  • Freedom as a concept is praised, while government actions designed to reduce it for ordinary citizens continue.
  • Working longer and harder produces less wealth than was possible for your parents.
  • Living standards will be less for your children and grandchildren than they were for you.
  • Leisure (going on the dole) is now a choice unaccompanied by either shame or hardship.
  • Politicians have made dependency a tool to gain votes and power.
  • As freedom decreases, government becomes increasingly more violent in order to achieve the behavior it demands.
  • Laws are enforced selectively in favor of the political class and their cronies. No bigger rape of justice has ever been committed than the unwillingness to prosecute the banksters, regulators and legislators? responsible for the looting of taxpayers.
  • Government lies with impunity with respect to the true condition of the country. This behavior is obvious with respect to economic statistics but also spills over into all other areas, like personnel decisions.
  • Cover-ups like "Fast and Furious" and Benghazi are ignored by a corrupt and compliant media. Lesser problems (Watergate) were cause for removing a president in simpler more honest times.
  • Government's insatiable spending has decimated the private sector economy. Capital and talent increasingly flee to other countries to avoid economic persecution.
  • Eventually this spending will cause much of the economy and all of the government to collapse. Massive debt defaults, impoverishment and social unrest lie ahead.
  • The phrase "government ethics" is little more than a comedian's tool for generating laughter.
  • The Mafia has far better ethics. It treats its customers better than government. The key word is "customer" which they must attract. Government does not have customers; it has "slaves." That is how government views private enterprice.
  • Compare the payouts on illegal gambling to those of government sanctioned lotteries for a simple comparison between the two methods of organized crime. You do much better dealing with the Mafia.

The country's financial condition is deplorable and cannot continue much longer. So, too is virtually everything else the government has touched whether it be education, Amtrak, the post office, Social Security, Medicare, ad nauseum. Nothing government has done has not been a Ponzi scheme dependent upon additional theft from taxpayers to keep going.

The system is now broken. There is no one to blame for this other than government. Despite this obvious conclusion, government is still seen to be a savior by a large proportion of the country.

Your rating: None Average: 4.9 (17 votes)

Source: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-01-28/guest-post-hope-has-changed-it-died

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Apple prepping 128 GB iPad model: report

13 hrs.

Leaked inventory listings suggest that Apple will soon launch a 128 GB version of its popular iPad. That would give it twice the storage of the largest iPad available now, reportedly for a $100 premium.

The information comes from a few sources, with code in the latest Apple?iOS and iTunes releases suggesting upcoming 128GB devices, and more recently from an inventory listing leaked to 9to5Mac.com.

The listing has iPads at prices $100 over the existing models, totaling $799 for a Wi-Fi only version, or $929 for a cellular-enabled one. The description in the listing is "ultimate," which makes sense: Existing 16, 32?and 64 gigabyte iPads have been described in inventory descriptions as "good," "better" and "best" respectively.

Together, the pricing and description are highly suggestive of a new 128?GB iPad model, but there's nothing yet to indicate timing. Apple's release schedule has grown?increasingly difficult to predict, and while the last iPads were unveiled in October, the company previously updated the device line earlier in the year.

Some think that an early-2013 event will bring the larger iPad model and some other refreshes to existing product lines, while brand-new versions of both the iPhone and iPad will be released later in the year, possibly in October. NBC News contacted Apple for comment; if we hear back, we'll update this post.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBCNews Digital. His personal website is?coldewey.cc.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/apple-prepping-128-gb-ipad-model-report-1C8150691

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Monday, January 28, 2013

Russian state TV presenter apologies for insulting parliament

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A presenter on Russian state-owned television has apologized for insulting parliament after lawmakers suggested they might bring in a law barring foreigners criticizing Russia on state media.

Vladimir Pozner, who holds Russian, American and French passports, angered deputies in the Duma by making a reference to "dura", which translates as "fool", while discussing a law banning Americans from adopting Russian children on his talk show in December.

Deputies responded by floating an idea to ban critical foreign passport holders from state television, which dominates the viewing figures and is seen very supportive of the Kremlin.

But in the latest edition of his Channel One show on Sunday, Pozner apologized for what he said was a slip of the tongue in saying "dura" by accident.

Deputies then said they were willing to put aside any plans for legislation over foreigners on state media - for now.

"Of course if such comments towards the higher authorities are repeated in the future, it will be impossible for us not to react," ruling United Russia party deputy Mikhail Starshinov said on Monday, according to Interfax news agency.

Since returning to the presidency in May, Vladimir Putin has enacted a string of laws that critics of the former KGB spy say are designed to stifle dissent and roll back democratic liberties, such as tightening Internet controls and raising fines for protesters.

(Reporting by Sonia Elks; Editing by Alison Williams)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russian-state-tv-presenter-apologies-insulting-parliament-171750907.html

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You Can Make Web Page Hosting Work For You! | Website Design ...

TIPS! Be cautious of scammers and hidden fees. A lot of cheap services come with extra hidden fees.

A reliable web host is sometimes hard to come by, particularly if you have multiple needs. Due to the large selection of web hosting companies, it can be difficult to select the best one. Use the information this article provides to help you make an informed decision.

TIPS! Before signing up for a hosting account, peruse the host?s website. A good website should be filled with resources on the different features you will have to learn to use to optimize your site.

Check the amount of maintenance time when the web hosting site has been down. If you intend on using your website to conduct business, downtime is a big problem for your profit margin. Anytime there is downtime, you will not be able to access your account.

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There are a few hosting services that will generate a refund for you to offset site downtime. In general, you need to be refunded for sales you couldn?t obtain because of downtime. Make sure that you find a host that has a good uptime instead of looking at the refund policy.

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When seeking a host provider, learn as much as you can aside from reading the material on the host?s website. Find comparison websites and check out reviews to get a clear picture of the host?s quality of service. Outside reviews from the customers show how good the host?s quality is.

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Go through the forum on the site run by your host or potential host. The forums should have a robust and lively community of users, as it is a great indicator of a well-used host. A lack of comments, or only negative chat, indicates it might be unwise to consider the company.

TIPS! Just because a web host company is free, does not mean you should rule it out entirely. There are, of course, plenty of free hosts that fill your site with unwanted advertising, but there are a few free hosts that don?t require you to display any ads whatsoever.

Before you sign up with a web host, make sure they guarantee your satisfaction. Canceling your service should be your right if you aren?t satisfied with what you signed up for within 30 days. Some web hosts may fail to live up to their advertisements.

TIPS! One important web hosting consideration is the amount of server storage space and monthly bandwidth usage that you will need. Determining this means looking at the page you currently have, and considering what your future business needs might be as well.

If you do not have much experience in web design, pick one of the web hosts that has excellent customer service instead of a lot of other extras. As a beginner, you are sure to run into many problems and have lots of questions that are suited for a provider with a good customer service department. You will benefit more from the technical support than the extra fancy applications that other web hosts may offer.

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Picking the right host from the many available choices can feel a bit overwhelming. With so many things to consider and weigh, narrowing down the field of companies to find the best one for you is confusing. What you?ve read here should assist you by explaining what you need to look for and how to find it in a reputable web host.

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Dutch queen gives up throne in favor of son

Jasper Juinen / Getty Images

According to reports, Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands is expected to abdicate in favour of her son Prince Willem-Alexander.

By Reuters

Update: 1:41 p.m.

Dutch Queen Beatrix, who turns 75 on Thursday, announced she was abdicating in favor of her son, Prince Willem-Alexander, who will become king on April 30.

?

Willem-Alexander, 45, is married to Princess Maxima Zorrigueta and has three young children. Decades of grooming for the throne involved shaking off his image as a beer-drinking fraternity boy whose blunt comments upset the press and politicians.

Beatrix said in a television broadcast to the nation that she was stepping down because she felt her son was ready to take her place on the throne.?

A constitutional monarchy, the Netherlands had reduced the involvement of the Royal House in politics, a role long seen more as a formality than a position of power.

?

In the past, the Queen took part in forming government coalitions by appointing a political mediator, raising questions about behind-the-scenes influence on the democratic process.

That role was scrapped before the last election, which took place in September 2012.

It was widely rumored that Queen Beatrix was no fan of anti-immigrant, euroskeptic politician Geert Wilders. She alluded in speeches to the need for tolerance and multi-culturalism, comments that were seen as criticisms of Wilders' anti-Islamic views.

Wilders' poor showing at the last election and loss of influence in politics, could well have contributed to her decision to abdicate.

Queen Beatrix, who remains very popular with the Dutch, became the sixth monarch of the House of Orange in 1980 following the abdication of her mother, Queen Juliana, who reigned for 31 years.

Juliana was 73 years old and in deteriorating mental health when she abdicated but Beatrix has remained active and in good health despite some setbacks.

The queen was emotionally shaken when a man drove his car into a Queen's Day procession in 2009.

Her middle son, Prince Johan Friso, has been in a coma ever since he was buried in an avalanche while skiing last year.

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Source: http://theroyals.today.com/_news/2013/01/28/16739070-dutch-queen-expected-to-give-up-the-throne?lite

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Sunday, January 27, 2013

Cities affect temperatures for thousands of miles

Jan. 27, 2013 ? Even if you live more than 1,000 miles from the nearest large city, it could be affecting your weather.

In a new study that shows the extent to which human activities are influencing the atmosphere, scientists have concluded that the heat generated by everyday activities in metropolitan areas alters the character of the jet stream and other major atmospheric systems. This affects temperatures across thousands of miles, significantly warming some areas and cooling others, according to the study this week in Nature Climate Change.

The extra "waste heat" generated from buildings, cars, and other sources in major Northern Hemisphere urban areas causes winter warming across large areas of northern North America and northern Asia. Temperatures in some remote areas increase by as much as 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the research by scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography; University of California, San Diego; Florida State University; and the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

At the same time, the changes to atmospheric circulation caused by the waste heat cool areas of Europe by as much as 1 degree C (1.8 degrees F), with much of the temperature decrease occurring in the fall.

The net effect on global mean temperatures is nearly negligible -- an average increase worldwide of just 0.01 degrees C (about 0.02 degrees F). This is because the total human-produced waste heat is only about 0.3 percent of the heat transported across higher latitudes by atmospheric and oceanic circulations.

However, the noticeable impact on regional temperatures may explain why some regions are experiencing more winter warming than projected by climate computer models, the researchers conclude. They suggest that models be adjusted to take the influence of waste heat into account.

"The burning of fossil fuel not only emits greenhouse gases but also directly affects temperatures because of heat that escapes from sources like buildings and cars," says NCAR scientist Aixue Hu, a co-author of the study. "Although much of this waste heat is concentrated in large cities, it can change atmospheric patterns in a way that raises or lowers temperatures across considerable distances."

Distinct from urban heat island effect

The researchers stressed that the effect of waste heat is distinct from the so-called urban heat island effect. Such islands are mainly a function of the heat collected and re-radiated by pavement, buildings, and other urban features, whereas the new study examines the heat produced directly through transportation, heating and cooling units, and other activities.

The study, "Energy consumption and the unexplained winter warming over northern Asia and North America," appeared online January 27. It was funded by the National Science Foundation, NCAR's sponsor, as well as the Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Hu, along with lead author Guang Zhang of Scripps and Ming Cai of Florida State University, analyzed the energy consumption -- from heating buildings to powering vehicles -- that generates waste heat release. The world's total energy consumption in 2006 was equivalent to a constant-use rate of 16 terawatts (1 terawatt, or TW, equals 1 trillion watts). Of that, an average rate of 6.7 TW was consumed in 86 metropolitan areas in the Northern Hemisphere.

Using a computer model of the atmosphere, the authors found that the influence of this waste heat can widen the jet stream.

"What we found is that energy use from multiple urban areas collectively can warm the atmosphere remotely, thousands of miles away from the energy consumption regions," Zhang says. "This is accomplished through atmospheric circulation change."

The release of waste heat is different from energy that is naturally distributed in the atmosphere, the researchers noted. The largest source of heat, solar energy, warms Earth's surface and atmospheric circulations redistribute that energy from one region to another. Human energy consumption distributes energy that had lain dormant and sequestered for millions of years, mostly in the form of oil or coal.

Though the amount of human-generated energy is a small portion of that transported by nature, it is highly concentrated in urban areas. In the Northern Hemisphere, many of those urban areas lie directly under major atmospheric troughs and jet streams.

"The world's most populated and energy-intensive metropolitan areas are along the east and west coasts of the North American and Eurasian continents, underneath the most prominent atmospheric circulation troughs and ridges," Cai says. "The release of this concentrated waste energy causes the noticeable interruption to the normal atmospheric circulation systems above, leading to remote surface temperature changes far away from the regions where waste heat is generated."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Guang J. Zhang, Ming Cai, Aixue Hu. Energy consumption and the unexplained winter warming over northern Asia and North America. Nature Climate Change, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1803

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/top_environment/~3/18ztHxt5eMM/130127134210.htm

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Topless protesters take on elite Davos forum

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) ? Three women angry over sexism and male domination of the world economy ripped off their shirts and tried to force their way into a gathering of corporate elites in a Swiss resort.

Predictably, they failed. The ubiquitous and huge security force policing the World Economic Forum in Davos carried the women away, kicking and screaming.

The women, from Ukrainian feminist activist group Femen, scaled a fence and set off pink flares in the protest Saturday. Their chests were painted with "SOS Davos," as they sought to call attention to poverty of women around the world.

Critics of the Davos forum say the business and political leaders at the gathering spend too little time doing concrete things to solve the world's problems and help the needy.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/topless-protesters-elite-davos-forum-123803095--finance.html

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Federal website hijacked to avenge activist

13 hrs.

WASHINGTON???The hacker-activist group Anonymous says it hijacked the website of the U.S. Sentencing Commission to avenge the death of Aaron Swartz, an Internet activist who committed suicide. The FBI is investigating.

The website of the commission, an independent agency of the judicial branch (http://www.ussc.gov), was taken over early Saturday and replaced with a message warning that when Swartz killed himself two weeks ago "a line was crossed."

The hackers say they've infiltrated several government computer systems and copied secret information that they now threaten to make public.

Family and friends of Swartz, who helped create Reddit and RSS, say he killed himself after he was hounded by federal prosecutors. Officials say he helped post millions of court documents for free online, and that he illegally downloaded millions of academic articles from an online clearinghouse.

The FBI's Richard McFeely, executive assistant director of the agency's?Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, said in a statement that "we were aware as soon as it happened and are handling it as a criminal investigation. We are always concerned when someone illegally accesses another person's or government agency's network."

Hours after the hijacking, pages on the USSC.gov website were available only sporadically.

This report was updated by NBC News.

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/anonymous-hijacks-federal-website-protest-activist-aaron-swartzs-death-1C8125283

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Suspect arrested in Houston college shooting

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - The gunman investigators believe fired 10 shots on a college campus near Houston on Tuesday was arrested early Friday and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest.

Trey Foster, 22, was being held on bonds totaling $106,000, pending a court hearing on Monday, court records show.

Foster was arrested at a home in the Dallas suburb of Plano and was immediately returned to Houston, said Harris County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Christina Garza.

A spokesman for the U.S. Marshal Service said a handgun was found when Foster was arrested, and officials are conducting tests to determine whether it is the gun that was used in Tuesday's shooting at the North Harris campus of Lone Star College.

Officials had previously charged Carlton Berry, 22, a friend of Foster's, with being the gunman. Officials said they did not know what would happen to Berry, but court records on Friday no longer listed Berry as a jail inmate.

Three people were wounded in Tuesday's shooting in a courtyard outside the college library, including Berry, whom officials first said had shot himself by accident. But it now appears that he was accidentally shot by Foster. Also shot were a college maintenance worker, and Jody Neal, 25. Foster and Berry got into what Sheriff Adrian Garcia has called a "ridiculous confrontation" with Neal at the college.

Officials said they are still trying to piece together the details of the incident. The misidentification of Berry as the gunman apparently stemmed from Neal pointing him out as the shooter in a photo array, and later changing his mind, officials said.

The shooting was the latest of several at schools around the United States since a gunman massacred 20 young school children in Connecticut last month.

(This story corrects paragraphs 1 and 6 to show shooting occurred on the campus and not inside college library)

(Editing by Corrie MacLaggan, Greg McCune and Matthew Lewis)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/suspect-arrested-houston-college-shooting-191944654.html

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Saturday, January 26, 2013

The Need for Good Business Communication Skills in University ...

20080326_0122Whether an unplanned and unpleasant background thought or the first step towards intricately detailed and focused career goals, at some stage, university students must all graduate and face the world of work and business.

But with recent financial and jobs crises, layered between the prospect of debt collection, many sense troubled times ahead. As a result of this, entrepreneurialism and innovation are experiencing an increase. More new workers are turning to their own business start-ups after leaving full time education than battle through intensely competitive graduate jobs and internship markets.

The business world has reported an alarming drop in the standards of written and business communications, possibly due the effects of spellcheckers and smartphone autocorrect. Perhaps it?s time learning, or having the opportunity to learn, business communications skills at university became a priority. These skills could provide students and graduates with impressive competitive advantages.

The importance of developing strong business communications skills

Knowing how to communicate, or gain an effective understanding of the complex world and language associated with business communications, is important and beneficial for aspiring professionals for numerous reasons.

Helping soon-to-be-graduates understand exactly what form of communications to use, why to use it and when, could make up for a lack of real-world knowledge and inexperience. It?ll also boost their employment chances and increase communications standards within the current business world. Aspects of communication such as deciding what tone to use in an email or letter would enable graduates to display maturity and competence, and obtain impressive personal advantages. But there are other wider uses for enhancing business communications skills across the board:

  • Increased abilities to communicate effectively with clients. For example, through creating highly persuasive texts, delivering confident and authoritative reports, presentations and proposals, or composing clear and response-inducing emails.
  • Representing yourself or your organisation in a capable and confident manner. Business communications form a professional impression which can be the deciding factor in securing a graduate job or gaining new business.
  • Saving valuable time as a consequence of improving personal written skills. This also improves vocabulary, language range and comprehension.
  • ?Being able to present successfully. Employers want someone who can explain structured ideas coherently, with a professional style and tone. This ability is beneficial both for written and spoken communication.

In addition to investing in written communications, teaching professional verbal and presentational skills at university will help complete the business communications package. The ability to project ideas or proposals with confidence and authority to a room is a vital skill ? especially for entrepreneurs. After all, without proficient communications skills, it doesn?t matter what degree, or innovative ideas an individual has, unless they possess the skills to convey themselves confidently and be heard by an intrigued audience. How students write and speak, as well as what they write or say are equally as important in the eyes of potential employers or clients.

What skills should universities teach?

With the power to endow students and professionals with the skills to convince audiences of their capability (vital in the current jobs climate), universities could deliver great benefits both to graduates and to wider standards of business language and communication. But what particular skills and considerations specifically should higher educational establishments encourage and instil in students?

  • Basic grammar and spelling improvement. In written communications, having impeccable and correct writing and form is necessary to present a strong and intelligent impression. Improving any communications (such as essays and dissertation standards before graduation!) should not just be a concern for literature and language students.
  • Audience consideration. This is the base of all good communications, professional or other. Knowing to consider aspects such as content relevancy or use of an audience?s time, something business people tend to be short of , can be decisive in the success or failure of business communication.
  • Simplicity and structure. Following audience consideration, busy professionals are likely to only listen to quick, clear requests. Keeping complex or detailed information concise and simple will improve business relationships, responses, successes, and communicative efficiency.
  • Developing the correct tone. Dependent on the ability to judge situational relevancy, creating the correct professional tone is a difficult, yet basic and important consideration. Teaching students to develop their professional voice to be not overly friendly or too archaic and formal, is vital for future successful business writing.
  • Creating good proofreading habits. Though spellcheckers go a long way, too often they miss finer or more detailed points. Encouraging careful proofreading and editing can ensure a lifetime of better writing and communications, in the business world and elsewhere.

Communications skills should be taught at university

If universities were to widely teach business communications skills as a compulsory module within all degrees, better rounded and talented graduates would be the result. Students would be better prepared for their post-graduate working life.

At the moment such courses are optional subjects of study. If universities made them compulsory, the increasing concerns surrounding poor business literacy could be solved, and new businesses professionals would have the ability to conduct themselves more efficiently through their communications. The graduate jobs market should also vastly benefit as students taking full advantage of business communications opportunities would have much improved chances, skills and enhanced understanding of the professional world. Being a better rounded graduate? could give them the chance to advance in today?s poor and competitive job market, or even to discover the confidence to set up their own business successfully.

?

About the Author

Alastair is a freelance writer and has supplied this article for Communicaid, a communication skills consultancy which provides business writing courses.

Source: http://www.informationgateway.org/good-business-communication-skills-university-graduates/

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92% Skyfall

All Critics (283) | Top Critics (46) | Fresh (260) | Rotten (23)

It's been a long time since I enjoyed a Bond movie so much.

'Quantum of Solace,' was a dour, dire letdown. This picture's a substantial bounce back, and easily the best Craig Bond picture. Emotional depth and all.

Sam Mendes' 'Skyfall': sleek, slithery, sensual

The cool accomplishment of Skyfall, 23rd in the Broccoli franchise, is that it seems a necessary, rather than mandatory, addition to the year's popular culture.

Among the most ambitious imaginings of Bond to date: dark, supple, and punctuated with moments of unanticipated visual brilliance.

Mendes' approach to action is classical and elegant - no manic editing and blurry unintelligible images here - but what makes the movie special is the attention he pays his actors.

The film serves as a trip back to the beginning of the 50-year-old cinematic legend and the promise of a golden future with Craig in the role of 007.

What propels this grisly chapter is the characters' keen sense of agency.

Skyfall epitomizes what a Bond movie should be, and its director, for once, justifiably deserves much of the credit.

Skyfall isn't quite a throwback to the absurd thrills of the 007 films of old, but it does inject some fun back into the franchise.

As the saying goes, you've got to shake 22 Bond films, before the 23rd is stirred to perfection. Without a doubt, this is the best James Bond movie.

James Bond looks broken and weary, an embodiment of a traditional model of international spydom, the one premised on national borders, white-Western-wealthy entitlements, and excessive consumptions of alcohol, cars, and women.

I have no compulsion whatsoever in declaring Skyfall, in terms of cinematography, the best looking Bond film ever ... Action movies simply don't look like this - but ... this is no ordinary action movie.

Sentimental touches underscore the fun and frivolity of Bond's past while relishing the brutal landscape of the modern day super-spy.

This makes the list of truly great 007 films alongside the list of Goldfinger, Thunderball, Live And Let Die, Licence To Kill, Goldeneye and Casino Royale.

Worlds collide in this near-brilliant, meticulously refined 21st-century redefinition of James Bond.

Sam Mendes has done a magnificent job, creating both a relevant and timeless entry into the Bond canon, while deftly adding homages to the series' past.

...tough and grim but still spry ... feels like something of a rearguard action in the case of the British Empire.

Sometimes the old ways are the best. This is a theme and repeated line running throughout the new James Bond film Skyfall and never has it been more true.

Skyfall does what all of the best franchise entries do: it makes you want to see the next one immediately. Consider me (physically) shaken and (emotionally) stirred.

Not the best Bond movie ever but a very good one; a little darker but still unsettled as to what type overall it wants to be.

Too often this martini is sloppy, not smooth.

This is one of the 50-year-old series' most exciting and commandingly compelling entries. Yes, James Bond is back to being James Bond.

Seen against the ineffectual backdrop of 2008's Quantum of Solace, this is a return to form but it doesn't exceed Craig's impressive debut as Bond in 2006's Casino Royale.

Skyfall is not, of course, ''darker'' or more serious than previous Bond films, but it's more knowing about its own conventions.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/skyfall/

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Friday, January 25, 2013

Chameleon star baffles astronomers

Jan. 24, 2013 ? Pulsars ? tiny spinning stars, heavier than the sun and smaller than a city ? have puzzled scientists since they were discovered in 1967.

Now, new observations by an international team, including University of Vermont astrophysicist Joanna Rankin, make these bizarre stars even more puzzling.

The scientists identified a pulsar that is able to dramatically change the way in which it shines. In just a few seconds, the star can quiet its radio waves while at the same time it makes its X-ray emissions much brighter.

The research ?challenges all proposed pulsar emission theories,? the team writes in the Jan. 25 edition of the journal Science and reopens a decades-old debate about how these stars work.

Unexpected X-rays

Like the universe?s most powerful lighthouses, pulsars shine beams of radio waves and other radiation for trillions of miles. As these highly magnetized neutron stars rapidly rotate, a pair of beams sweeps by, appearing as flashes or pulses in telescopes on Earth.

Using a satellite X-ray telescope, coordinated with two radio telescopes on the ground, the team observed a pulsar that was previously known to flip on and off every few hours between strong (or ?bright?) radio emissions and weak (or ?quiet?) radio emissions.

Monitoring simultaneously in X-rays and radio waves, the team revealed that this pulsar exhibits the same behaviour, but in reverse, when observed at X-ray wavelengths.

This is the first time that a switching X-ray emission has been detected from a pulsar.

Flipping between these two extreme states ? one dominated by X-ray pulses, the other by a highly organized pattern of radio pulses ? ?was very surprising,? says Rankin.

?As well as brightening in the X-rays we discovered that the X-ray emission also shows pulses, something not seen when the radio emission is bright,? said Rankin, who spearheaded the radio observations. ?This was completely unexpected.?

No current model of pulsars is able to explain this switching behavior. All theories to date suggest that X-ray emissions would follow radio emissions. Instead, the new observations show the opposite. ?The basic physics of a pulsar have never been solved,? Rankin says.

Looking for the switch

The research was conceived by a small team then working at the University of Amsterdam, including UVM?s Rankin, who has studied this pulsar, known as PSR B0943+10, for more than a decade; Wim Hermsen from SRON, the Netherlands Institute for Space Research in Utrecht, and the lead author on the new paper; Ben Stappers from the University of Manchester, UK; and Geoff Wright from Sussex University, UK.

These researchers were joined by colleagues from institutions around the world to conduct simultaneous observations with the European Space Agency?s X-ray satellite, XMM-Newton, and two radio telescopes, the Giant Meter Wave Telescope (GMRT) in India and the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) in the Netherlands, to reveal this pulsar?s so-far unique behavior.

?There is a general agreement about the origin of the radio emission from pulsars: it is caused by highly energetic electrons, positrons and ions moving along the field lines of the pulsar's magnetic field,? explains Wim Hermsen.

?How exactly the particles are stripped off the neutron star's surface and accelerated to such high energy, however, is still largely unclear,? he adds.

By studying the emission from the pulsar at different wavelengths, the team?s study had been designed to discover which of various possible physical processes take place in the vicinity of the magnetic poles of pulsars.

Instead of narrowing down the possible mechanisms suggested by theory, however, the results of the team?s observing campaign challenge all existing models for pulsar emission. Few astronomical objects are as baffling as pulsars, and despite nearly fifty years of study, they continue to defy theorists? best efforts.

Of the more than 2,000 pulsars discovered to date, a number of them have erratic behavior, with emissions that can become weak or disappear in a matter of seconds but then suddenly return minutes or hours later.

B0943+10 is one of these erratic stars. Discovered at Pushchino Radio Astronomical Observatory near Moscow, ?this star has two very different personalities,? that were uncovered by Svetlana Suleymanova in the 1980s, says Rankin.

?But we?re still in the dark about what causes this, and other pulsars, to switch modes,? Rankin says. ?We just don?t know.?

?But the fact that the pulsar keeps memory of its previous state and goes back to it,? says Hermsen, ?suggests that it must be something fundamental."

Recent studies indicate that the switch between ?radio-bright? and ?radio-quiet? states is correlated to the pulsar's dynamics. As pulsars rotate, their spinning period slows down gradually, and in some cases the slow-down process has been observed to accelerate and slow down again, in conjunction with the pulsar switching between bright and quiet states.

This correlation between a pulsar?s rotation and its emission has led astronomers to wonder about a connection between the star?s surface and the much-larger surrounding magnetosphere, which may extend up for 30,000 miles.

These new observations ?strongly suggest that a temporary ?hotspot? appears close to the pulsar?s magnetic pole which switches on and off with the change of state,? says Geoff Wright, one of the team?s astronomers from the University of Sussex.

But the new results also suggest that something in the whole magnetosphere is changing suddenly and not just at the poles or other hotspots. ?Something is happening globally,? Rankin says, across the whole star.

In order for the radio emission to vary so radically on the short timescales observed, the pulsar's global environment must undergo a very rapid ? and reversible ? transformation.

?If that is true, it means the entire magnetosphere is alive and connected in very important ways,? Rankin says, allowing a change in the pulsar?s basic mode of shining in about one second, less time than it takes it to spin once on its axis.

?Since the switch between a pulsar's bright and quiet states links phenomena that occur on local and global scales, a thorough understanding of this process could clarify several aspects of pulsar physics,? says Hermsen. ?Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to explain it.?

No model works

The team planned to search for the same pattern in X-rays that has been observed in radio waves ? to investigate what causes this switching behavior. They chose as their subject PSR B0943+10, a pulsar that is well known for its switching behavior at radio wavelengths and for its X-ray emission, which is brighter than might be expected for its age.

?Young pulsars shine brightly in X-rays because the surface of the neutron star is still very hot. But PSR B0943+10 is five million years old, which is relatively old for a pulsar: the neutron star's surface has cooled down by then,? explains Hermsen.

Astronomers know of only a handful of old pulsars that shine in X-rays and believe that this emission comes from the magnetic poles ? the sites on the neutron star's surface where the acceleration of charged particles is triggered. ?We think that, from the polar caps, accelerated particles either move outwards to the magnetosphere, where they produce radio emission, or inwards, bombarding the polar caps and creating X-ray-emitting hot-spots,? Hermsen adds.

There are two main models that describe these processes, depending on whether the electric and magnetic fields at play allow charged particles to escape freely from the neutron star's surface. In both cases, it has been argued that the emission of X-rays follows that of radio waves.

Monitoring the pulsar in X-rays and radio waves at the same time, the astronomers hoped to be able to discern between the two models.

?The X-ray emission of pulsar PSR B0943+10 beautifully mirrors the switches that are seen at radio wavelengths but, to our surprise, the correlation between these two emissions appears to be inverse: when the source is at its brightest in radio waves, it reaches its faintest in X-rays, and vice versa,? says Hermsen.

The new data also show that the source pulsates in X-rays only during the X-ray-bright phase ? which corresponds to the quiet state at radio wavelengths. During this phase, the X-ray emission appears to be the sum of two components: a pulsating component consisting of thermal X-rays, which is seen to switch off during the X-ray-quiet phase, and a persistent one consisting of non-thermal X-rays.

Neither of the leading models for pulsar emission predicts such behavior.

In the second half of 2013, the team plans to repeat the same study for another pulsar, PSR B1822+09, which exhibits similar radio emission properties but with a different geometry.

In the meantime, these observations will keep theoretical astrophysicists busy investigating possible physical mechanisms that could cause the sudden and drastic changes to the pulsar's entire magnetosphere and result in such a curious flip in how they shine.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Vermont. The original article was written by Joshua E. Brown.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. W. Hermsen, J. W. T. Hessels, L. Kuiper, J. van Leeuwen, D. Mitra, J. de Plaa, J. M. Rankin, B. W. Stappers, G. A. E. Wright, R. Basu, A. Alexov, T. Coenen, J.- M. Griessmeier, T. E. Hassall, A. Karastergiou, E. Keane, V. I. Kondratiev, M. Kramer, M. Kuniyoshi, A. Noutsos, M. Serylak, M. Pilia, C. Sobey, P. Weltevrede, K. Zagkouris, A. Asgekar, I. M. Avruch, F. Batejat, M. E. Bell, M. R. Bell, M. J. Bentum, G. Bernardi, P. Best, L. Birzan, A. Bonafede, F. Breitling, J. Broderick, M. Bruggen, H. R. Butcher, B. Ciardi, S. Duscha, J. Eisloffel, H. Falcke, R. Fender, C. Ferrari, W. Frieswijk, M. A. Garrett, F. de Gasperin, E. de Geus, A. W. Gunst, G. Heald, M. Hoeft, A. Horneffer, M. Iacobelli, G. Kuper, P. Maat, G. Macario, S. Markoff, J. P. McKean, M. Mevius, J. C. A. Miller-Jones, R. Morganti, H. Munk, E. Orru, H. Paas, M. Pandey-Pommier, V. N. Pandey, R. Pizzo, A. G. Polatidis, S. Rawlings, W. Reich, H. Rottgering, A. M. M. Scaife, A. Schoenmakers, A. Shulevski, J. Sluman, M. Steinmetz, M. Tagger, Y. Tang, C. Tasse, S. ter Veen, R. Vermeulen, R. H. van de Brink, R. J. van Weeren, R. A. M. J. Wijers, M. W. Wise, O. Wucknitz, S. Yatawatta, P. Zarka. Synchronous X-ray and Radio Mode Switches: A Rapid Global Transformation of the Pulsar Magnetosphere. Science, 2013; 339 (6118): 436 DOI: 10.1126/science.1230960

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/top_technology/~3/K4Gau1iFpyQ/130124183444.htm

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Frigid temperatures continue as ice hits South

Timothy A. Clary / AFP - Getty Images

A man photographs the fountain at Bryant Park in New York on Friday as the arctic air has turned the fountain into an ice sculpture.

By Andrew Mach, Staff Writer, NBC News

Capping off a brutal week of frigid conditions and subzero wind chills, residents across much of the country on Friday were still experiencing some of the coldest temperatures in years ? with southern states getting a rare icy blast.

Peak temperatures from the Northeast to the Midwest were slated to range from single digits to the 30s, and forecasters said freezing air temperatures and the chance of precipitation could mean snow in both regions.


"This is actually quite an impressive mass of cold air,"?Richard Castro, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service told NBCChicago.com.

By mid-afternoon on Friday, Pennsylvania was feeling the first of a "widespread storm, impacting the entire state," said state's transportation department spokesman Steve Chizmar.

Snow was falling over most of the state, and forecasters predicted a total of 1 to 4 inches through Saturday morning, while transportation department crews stayed busy plowing and salting the roads.

Hundreds of schools in the state dismissed classes early Friday.

Only a light dusting, if any accumulation, was expected in New York City, where real-feel temperatures were below zero Friday morning, NBCNewYork.com reported.

In the Midwest, one of the first snowfalls of the season in Chicago created a few slick spots on the roads Friday morning, causing at least a dozen accidents, including an eight-vehicle crash, NBCChicago.com reported. Only minor injuries had been reported.

Though little snow accumulated it was still record breaking. The 1.1 inches recorded Friday morning broke the city?s 335-day stretch of no more than an inch of snow accumulation in one day.

The National Weather Service had winter weather advisories in effect for the eastern seaboard from North Carolina to southern New Jersey, and issued blizzard warnings for northern Georgia.

Parts of Kentucky were reporting as much as half inch of ice accumulation,?Weather.com?reported. Slick roads in the southeast of the state were making driving hazardous,?causing more than 100 accidents in Pulaski County alone, it said.

Tennessee was also slick with ice in the east, and reported some power outages, while freezing rain caused a number of school systems in central and southern Kentucky to cancel classes, according to WLEX-TV.

Because cold temperatures can be dangerous, officials advised residents to heed cold-weather tips, including wearing gloves, wearing a mouth covering to protect the lungs from bitter cold air, layering loose-fitting, warm clothing and wearing a hat to retain body heat.

Animal advocates also urged pet owners to only take elderly dogs, puppies and short-haired dogs outside when it is absolutely necessary. If a dog whines frequently or keeps lifting its paws up while on a walk, it may need boots. Cat owners should keep their animals inside at all times in such bitter cold, NBCChicago.com reported.

The forecast for next week called for some relief from the arctic temperatures of late, beginning with sunny skies and temperatures hitting the mid-40s to 50s by the middle of the week.?

Kari Huus, NBC Staff Writer, contributed to this report.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/25/16698363-frigid-temperatures-continue-to-blast-northeast-midwest-ice-hits-the-south?lite

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