BlackBerry didn't only unveil the Z10 today, it also introduced a couple of accessories, including the external battery charger for the LS1, the Z10's 1800 mAh battery. The external charger is extremely slim and portable, and houses a covered slot for a spare battery, as well an integrated micro USB cable that slides nicely into the case when not in use.
WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama kept up pressure on Congress Monday to pass tough new gun legislation, seeking help from law enforcement leaders in three communities that have suffered the horrors of mass shootings.
At a White House meeting, Obama said that no group is more important in the gun debate and he said he recognizes the issue "elicits a lot of passion all across the country." But Obama also said he believes Congress will respond to appeals from police.
"Hopefully if law enforcement officials who are dealing with this stuff every single day can come to some basic consensus in terms of steps that we need to take," he said, "Congress is going to be paying attention to them, and we'll be able to make progress."
The president's meeting comes as he tries to build support for gun control legislation that will be difficult to get through Congress. He urged Congress to pass an assault weapons ban, limit high capacity magazines and require universal background checks.
Obama campaign manager Jim Messina has indicated he will be using the power of the president's still intact political organization to mobilize support for the legislation. Messina traveled to New York City last week to meet with aides to Mayor Michael Bloomberg at City Hall, according to a person familiar with the discussion, speaking on a condition of anonymity since the meeting was private. Bloomberg has tightened gun laws in the city and founded Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a coalition that now has more than 800 mayors pushing for national legislation.
Obama met in the Roosevelt Room with the heads of the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the Major County Sheriffs Association, members of his Cabinet and chiefs that responded to the worst shootings of 2012. That includes Aurora, Colo., where 12 were killed in July; Oak Creek, Wis., where six died in a Sikh temple assault: and Newtown, Conn., scene of the most recent mass tragedy that left 20 first-graders dead.
Obama also said that Washington needs to take mental health issues and school safety more seriously and should help law enforcement agencies hire more police, make sure they get the training they need and give rural forces the resources they need to deal with emergencies.
"Many of them also recognize that it's not only the high profile mass shootings that are of concern here," the president said. "It's also what happens on a day in day out basis in places like Chicago or Philadelphia where young people are victims of gun violence every single day."
___
Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz in New York City contributed to this report.
ASU scientists unravel the mysteries of spider silkPublic release date: 27-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jenny Green jenny.green@asu.edu 480-965-1430 Arizona State University
Scientists at Arizona State University are celebrating their recent success on the path to understanding what makes the fiber that spiders spin weight for weight - at least five times as strong as piano wire. They have found a way to obtain a wide variety of elastic properties of the silk of several intact spiders' webs using a sophisticated but noninvasive laser light scattering technique.
"Spider silk has a unique combination of mechanical strength and elasticity that make it one of the toughest materials we know," said Professor Jeffery Yarger of ASU's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and lead researcher of the study. "This work represents the most complete understanding we have of the underlying mechanical properties of spider silks."
Spider silk is an exceptional biological polymer, related to collagen (the stuff of skin and bones) but much more complex in its structure. The ASU team of chemists is studying its molecular structure in an effort to produce materials ranging from bulletproof vests to artificial tendons.
The extensive array of elastic and mechanical properties of spider silks in situ, obtained by the ASU team, is the first of its kind and will greatly facilitate future modeling efforts aimed at understanding the interplay of the mechanical properties and the molecular structure of silk used to produce spider webs.
The team published their results in today's advanced online issue of Nature materials and their paper is titled "Non-invasive determination of the complete elastic moduli of spider silks."
"This information should help provide a blueprint for structural engineering of an abundant array of bio-inspired materials, such as precise materials engineering of synthetic fibers to create stronger, stretchier, and more elastic materials," explained Yarger.
Other members of Yarger's team, in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, included Kristie Koski, at the time a postdoctoral researcher and currently a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, and ASU undergraduate students Paul Akhenblit and Keri McKiernan.
The Brillouin light scattering technique used an extremely low power laser, less than 3.5 milliwatts, which is significantly less than the average laser pointer. Recording what happened to this laser beam as it passed through the intact spider webs enabled the researchers to spatially map the elastic stiffnesses of each web without deforming or disrupting it. This non-invasive, non-contact measurement produced findings showing variations among discrete fibers, junctions and glue spots.
Four different types of spider's webs were studied. They included Nephila clavipes (pictured), A. aurantia ("gilded silver face"-common to the contiguous United States), L. Hesperus the western black widow and P. viridans the green lynx spider, the only spider included that does not build a web for catching prey but has major silk elastic properties similar to those of the other species studied.
The group also investigated one of the most studied aspects of orb-weaving dragline spider silk, namely supercontraction, a property unique to silk. Spider silk takes up water when exposed to high humidity. Absorbed water leads to shrinkage in an unrestrained fiber up to 50 percent shrinkage with 100 percent humidity in N. clavipes silk.
Their results are consistent with the hypothesis that supercontraction helps the spider tailor the properties of the silk during spinning. This type of behavior, specifically adjusting mechanical properties by simply adjusting water content, is inspirational from a bio-inspired mechanical structure perspective.
"This study is unique in that we can extract all the elastic properties of spider silk that cannot and have not been measured with conventional testing," concluded Yarger.
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
ASU scientists unravel the mysteries of spider silkPublic release date: 27-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jenny Green jenny.green@asu.edu 480-965-1430 Arizona State University
Scientists at Arizona State University are celebrating their recent success on the path to understanding what makes the fiber that spiders spin weight for weight - at least five times as strong as piano wire. They have found a way to obtain a wide variety of elastic properties of the silk of several intact spiders' webs using a sophisticated but noninvasive laser light scattering technique.
"Spider silk has a unique combination of mechanical strength and elasticity that make it one of the toughest materials we know," said Professor Jeffery Yarger of ASU's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and lead researcher of the study. "This work represents the most complete understanding we have of the underlying mechanical properties of spider silks."
Spider silk is an exceptional biological polymer, related to collagen (the stuff of skin and bones) but much more complex in its structure. The ASU team of chemists is studying its molecular structure in an effort to produce materials ranging from bulletproof vests to artificial tendons.
The extensive array of elastic and mechanical properties of spider silks in situ, obtained by the ASU team, is the first of its kind and will greatly facilitate future modeling efforts aimed at understanding the interplay of the mechanical properties and the molecular structure of silk used to produce spider webs.
The team published their results in today's advanced online issue of Nature materials and their paper is titled "Non-invasive determination of the complete elastic moduli of spider silks."
"This information should help provide a blueprint for structural engineering of an abundant array of bio-inspired materials, such as precise materials engineering of synthetic fibers to create stronger, stretchier, and more elastic materials," explained Yarger.
Other members of Yarger's team, in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, included Kristie Koski, at the time a postdoctoral researcher and currently a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, and ASU undergraduate students Paul Akhenblit and Keri McKiernan.
The Brillouin light scattering technique used an extremely low power laser, less than 3.5 milliwatts, which is significantly less than the average laser pointer. Recording what happened to this laser beam as it passed through the intact spider webs enabled the researchers to spatially map the elastic stiffnesses of each web without deforming or disrupting it. This non-invasive, non-contact measurement produced findings showing variations among discrete fibers, junctions and glue spots.
Four different types of spider's webs were studied. They included Nephila clavipes (pictured), A. aurantia ("gilded silver face"-common to the contiguous United States), L. Hesperus the western black widow and P. viridans the green lynx spider, the only spider included that does not build a web for catching prey but has major silk elastic properties similar to those of the other species studied.
The group also investigated one of the most studied aspects of orb-weaving dragline spider silk, namely supercontraction, a property unique to silk. Spider silk takes up water when exposed to high humidity. Absorbed water leads to shrinkage in an unrestrained fiber up to 50 percent shrinkage with 100 percent humidity in N. clavipes silk.
Their results are consistent with the hypothesis that supercontraction helps the spider tailor the properties of the silk during spinning. This type of behavior, specifically adjusting mechanical properties by simply adjusting water content, is inspirational from a bio-inspired mechanical structure perspective.
"This study is unique in that we can extract all the elastic properties of spider silk that cannot and have not been measured with conventional testing," concluded Yarger.
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Acclaimed detective fiction author Robert Crais will sign and discuss his latest thriller ?Suspect? on Monday, January 28, at 7:00 p.m. at St. Louis County Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
The program is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase at the event from Left Bank Books.
St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) January 21, 2013
The St. Louis County Library Foundation and Left Bank Books are pleased to present acclaimed detective fiction author Robert Crais for a discussion and signing of his latest thriller ?Suspect? on Monday, January 28, at 7:00 p.m. at St. Louis County Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
The program is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase at the event from Left Bank Books.
?Suspect? is the explosive new suspense novel from #1 bestselling author Robert Crais. For 25 years, Crais has written extraordinary works that have earned him such praise as ?a master of crime fiction? (Associated Press) and ?Crais is hands-down the world?s greatest crime writer? (Huffington Post).
As ?Suspect? begins, LAPD cop Scott James is not doing so well?not since a shocking assault by unidentified men killed his partner Stephanie, nearly killed him, and left him enraged, ashamed, and ready to explode. That was nine months and 16 days ago, and now Scott is absolutely unfit for duty. But then he meets his new partner, Maggie, who is not doing so well, either. Maggie is a very special German shepherd?one who survived three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan sniffing explosives before she lost her handler to an IED and sniper attack. Maggie?s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is as severe as Scott?s.
Now Maggie and Scott have become each other?s last chance. Scott was a young cop on the rise, while Maggie was bred to guard and protect. But now they both have become damaged goods, shunned and shunted to the side. Despite those psychic wounds, Scott and Maggie set out to investigate the one case that no one wants them to touch: the identity of the men who murdered Stephanie. But what Scott and Maggie discover is nothing Scott has been prepared for. It quickly becomes apparent that this investigation will lead them both through the darkest moments of their own personal hells.
Thrilling, emotional and intense, ?Suspect? is further proof that Robert Crais is one of today?s leading writers of thought-provoking crime fiction.
Robert Crais is the author of many New York Times bestsellers, including the blockbuster series featuring investigators Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. Literary prize committees have also recognized the quality of Crais? work. Nominated for every major crime-writing award, he has won the Anthony, Barry, Shamus, Macavity, and Gumshoe awards. In 2006 he was the recipient of the Ross Macdonald Literary Award. His 2005 stand-alone novel ?Hostage? was named a Notable Book of the Year by The New York Times and was made into a film starring Bruce Willis.
Program sites are accessible. Upon two weeks notice, accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities. Contact St. Louis County Library by phone 314-994-3300 or visit http://www.slcl.org.
# # #
Jennifer McBride St. Louis County Library 314-994-3300 Email Information
A Buddhist Moon-stone (Sandakada pahana) carved by craftsmen of the Buddhist Sinhalese civilization 1,000 years ago has been found in UK, a media report said.
The Moon-stone found in a bungalow near Exeter, Devon, has been used to form the part of the garden path leading to the house, where it was found.
According to Mrs. Bronwen Hickmott, the current owner of this Moon-stone, this particular Sandakada Pahana has been with their family for decades.
?I loved that stone so much as a child,? 66 year old Hickmott was quoted saying in the British media.
?I used to trace the figures of the animals with my fingers and recite them in order; horse, lion, elephant, hump. I think the hump is actually an ox.?
?We called it ?The Pebble? in our family and we?ve taken it with us around the country over five different house moves.
?But we are thinking of moving again and I don?t think it?s right to keep on shifting it ? especially as we now know it?s historical value.?
According to Hickmott, she originally has grown up with it in her family home at Crowborough, Sussex ? a house previously owned by a Sri Lankan tea exporter.
The report says, the six-inch thick, three quarters of a ton granite Sandakada pahana or moon-stone is among only seven of its type in the world.
An auctioneer has given a value of more than ?30,000 for this ancient treasure, which depicts depicts a half-lotus flower and a procession of horses, lions, elephants and oxen.
According to historians, the Sandakada pahana symbolizes the cycle of Samsara in Buddhism.
Supporters of Aaron Swartz, the 26-year-old Internet activist who committed suicide last week, gathered in New York to remember the computer prodigy on Saturday, with some calling for changes in the criminal justice system they blame for his death.
Swartz, who at 14 helped create an early version of the Web feed system RSS and believed the fruits of academic research and other information should be freely available to all, was found dead a week ago in his Brooklyn apartment.
The city's chief medical examiner ruled the death a suicide by hanging.
He had been facing trial on federal charges he used the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's computer networks to steal more than 4 million articles from JSTOR, an online archive and journal distribution service.
Swartz, who had also worked on the popular website Reddit, had faced a maximum sentence of 31 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million.
"He told me about the 4.5 million downloads of scholarly articles, and my first thought was why isn't MIT celebrating this?" Edward Tufte, an emeritus professor of computer science at Yale University and a friend of Swartz, said to applause from the crowd gathered in The Cooper Union's Great Hall in Manhattan.
Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman, Swartz's partner, criticized what she described as MIT's "indifference" to the saga, saying the school could have acted to end his prosecution.
The president of MIT said this week the school was investigating its role in Swartz's case. JSTOR has said in a statement it settled any dispute with Swartz in 2011 and praised his "important contributions to the development of the Internet."
Call?for change At the memorial, attended by hundreds of friends and supporters, the strongest criticisms were reserved for prosecutors in the office of Carmen Ortiz, the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts.
Roy Singham, the chairman of ThoughtWorks, a software consultancy firm where Swartz worked, called the case against Swartz "an abuse of state power" intended to intimidate Swartz. He called for the reform of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act under which Swartz was prosecuted.
Swartz's partner said it all became too much for him to bear.
"He was so scared and so frustrated and more than anything so weary I just don't think he could take it another day," Stinebrickner-Kauffman said, adding the pair had discussed getting married after the trial.
Ortiz has defended her office's actions, saying prosecutors "took on the difficult task of enforcing a law they had taken an oath to uphold, and did so reasonably."
She said they offered Swartz a deal to plead guilty to multiple counts of wire fraud and computer fraud and spend six months at a low-security facility.
Swartz was remembered as a precocious talent who began addressing technology conferences as a teenager and whose quirks included being loath to wash his dishes and preferring bland foods like crackers and white rice.
Many speakers said he was by far the smartest and most intellectually curious person they had known, and called on those in attendance to continue his work of trying to widen the public's access to information and communication channels.
Stinebrickner-Kauffman said Swartz disliked grand ceremonies and would have been uncomfortable with some aspects of his own memorial.
"But memorial services are for the living," she said, repeating it several times like a mantra, "and last Friday he forfeited his right to decide that."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel looks up after smelling at coffee beans during the opening tour of the 'International Green Week' in?Berlin, Germany, Friday, Jan. 18, 2013. International Green Week opens to the public from Jan. 18 until Jan. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/dpa, Michael Kappeler)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel looks up after smelling at coffee beans during the opening tour of the 'International Green Week' in?Berlin, Germany, Friday, Jan. 18, 2013. International Green Week opens to the public from Jan. 18 until Jan. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/dpa, Michael Kappeler)
Social Democratic Party (SPD) top candidate for the upcoming general elections Peer Steinbrueck reacts after the first exit polls of the state election in Lower Saxony in the party's headquarters in Berlin, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013. (AP Photo/dpa, Kay Nietfeld)
German Economy Minister and chairman of the German Free Democrats, FDP, Philipp Roesler, gets into his car after casting his ballot for the state election of Lower Saxony in Isernhagen, near Hannover, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013. Some 6.1 million people are eligible to vote for a new state legislature in Lower Saxony, which occupies a swathe of northwestern Germany. The vote is a significant electoral test before the German national parliamentary elections in September. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)
Christian Democratic Union party candidate for governor in Lower Saxony, David McAllister casts his vote in a ballot box at a polling station in Bad Bederkesa, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013. Some 6.1 million people are eligible to vote for a new state legislature in Lower Saxony, which occupies a swathe of northwestern Germany. The vote is a significant electoral test before the German national parliamentary elections in September. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
BERLIN (AP) ? Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative-led coalition was in a dead heat Sunday with Germany's center-left opposition in a state election that was a major test ahead of a national vote later this year.
Lower Saxony, a region of 8 million people in northwestern Germany, has been run for the past decade by a coalition of Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union and the pro-market Free Democrats, the same parties that form the national government.
The 58-year-old Merkel will seek a third, four-year term in a parliamentary election expected in September. She and her party are riding high in the polls, but the opposition hopes the Lower Saxony vote will show that she is vulnerable.
Projections for ARD and ZDF television, based on exit polls and partial counting, showed Merkel's CDU winning just over 36 percent in Sunday's election for a new state legislature in Lower Saxony and the Free Democrats getting about 10 percent.
The opposition Social Democrats and Greens ? who hope to oust them from the regional government ? had support of about 32.5 percent and 13.5 percent respectively, according to the projections.
Before the election, the question had been whether the Free Democrats, whose support has eroded badly since they joined Merkel's national government in 2009, would win the 5 percent needed to gain seats in the state legislature. Polls over recent months had suggested that they might not.
But tactical voting by supporters of Merkel's conservatives, who polled more than 42 percent in Lower Saxony's last election in 2008, appeared to have saved the Free Democrats.
That may calm intense speculation over whether the Free Democrats would force out their leader, Vice Chancellor Philipp Roesler, whose home state is Lower Saxony.
He proclaimed Sunday "a great day" for his party.
Merkel and her party have been bolstered nationally by a relatively robust economy, low unemployment and the chancellor's hard-nosed handling of Europe's debt crisis. The Free Democrats, meanwhile, have taken much of the blame for frequent government infighting.
Merkel has also profited from stumbles by the Social Democrats' candidate for chancellor, Peer Steinbrueck, a former finance minister who drew criticism for saying that the chancellor earns too little ? adding to the controversy over his own high earnings from speeches.
His party improved a little on its feeble performance five years ago in Lower Saxony and their allies, the Greens, made bigger gains.
Opposition leaders argued that, whoever ended up in the governor's office, their overall gains and the losses for the center-right showed that a change of government is possible in Berlin.
Steinbrueck conceded that his recent troubles hadn't helped, though.
"I am well aware that there was no tailwind from Berlin, and I am also aware that I bear a certain share of responsibility for that," he told supporters.
But the Social Democrats' national general secretary, Andrea Nahles, said Steinbrueck would "of course" remain Merkel's challenger.
Two parties that have drained support from the center-left over recent years, the Left Party and the Pirate Party, failed to get enough votes Sunday to enter Lower Saxony's legislature.
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/18/crepe-paper-fringe-string-lights_n_2500859.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost Home" target="_hplink">Make these</a> for any festive occasion.
Paint Splattered Vases
These are a throwback to the '80s and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/17/paint-splattered-vase-craft_n_2492400.html" target="_hplink">a blast to make.</a>
Wood Burned Sign
Make this <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/16/wood-burning-craft_n_2482645.html" target="_hplink">cute rustic decor </a>for your next get-together.
Painted Platter
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/15/painted-platter-craft_n_2476038.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost Home" target="_hplink">Update a simple</a> plate with glass paint.
Paint Dipped Pots
This is a great way to use<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/14/paint-dipped-pots-craft_n_2449767.html" target="_hplink"> up those extra paint samples</a>.
Sequin Pillow
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/13/sequin-throw-pillow-craft_n_2449523.html" target="_hplink">This is made from</a> a forgotten piece of clothing.
Faux Malachite Hardware
You'll never guess <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/10/faux-malachite-knobs-craft_n_2441673.html" target="_hplink">how these are made. </a>
Fabric Feathers
You can <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/11/fabric-feathers-craft_n_2448757.html" target="_hplink">use these for countless projects</a>.
Glitter Thumbtacks
Turn <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/09/glitter-thumbtacks-craft_n_2434717.html?utm_hp_ref=craft-of-the-day">boring office supplies</a> into this.
Hand Warmers And Ice Packs
Heat them up or cool them down -- these <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/08/hand-warmers-ice-packs-craft_n_2425960.html?utm_hp_ref=craft-of-the-day">hot/cold packs</a> can do it all.
Linen Napkins
Add some color to your table and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/07/linen-napkins-craft_n_2411487.html?utm_hp_ref=craft-of-the-day">never use a paper napkin</a> again!
Braided Rug
Turn scrap fabric into a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/06/braided-rug-craft_n_2404200.html?utm_hp_ref=craft-of-the-day">bright and welcoming rug</a>.
Book Page Boxes
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/04/book-page-boxes-craft_n_2403665.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">Try this</a> instead of throwing out your old books.
Painted Votive Candles
A craft project that will <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/03/painted-votive-candle-holders-craft_n_2398283.html?utm_hp_ref=craft-of-the-day">help you unwind</a>.
Snowball Wreath
Stay festive after the holidays with this <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/02/snowball-wreath-craft_n_2389757.html?utm_hp_ref=craft-of-the-day">wintry wreath</a>.
Pom Pom Bookmarks
A simple way to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/01/pom-pom-bookmark-craft_n_2389135.html?utm_hp_ref=craft-of-the-day">never lose your place</a> in a book again!
Honey Bear Vases
An <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/12/craft-of-the-day-gold-honey-bear-vases_n_2094626.html?utm_hp_ref=craft-of-the-day">adorable way</a> to repurpose these little guys!
Polka Dot Pillowcases
These <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/craft-of-the-day-polka-dot-pillowcases_n_2088768.html">spotted pillowcases</a> will help add some personal flair to your bedroom.
Add some flair to your fridge with these bright and colorful magnets.
Add some flair to your fridge with these <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/craft-of-the-day-neon-wood-magnets_n_2088075.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">bright and colorful magnets</a>.
Magazine Page Heart Dish
Reuse old magazines to create an <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/craft-of-the-day-magazine-page-heart-dish_n_2083477.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">adorable and useful box</a> that holds jewelry or other small items.
Pumpkin Patch Fall Wreath
Keep <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/05/craft-of-the-day-pumpkin-patch-fall-wreath_n_2077058.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">the pumpkin decor</a> going throughout this fall season.
Rustic Birch Bark Candles
Add a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/01/craft-of-the-day-birch-bark-candles_n_2058318.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">natural look</a> to your fall table setting.
Indoor Mason Jar Herb Garden
The perfect way to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/31/craft-of-the-day-indoor-mason-jar-herb-garden_n_2051655.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">bring your herbs indoors </a>this winter.
Color-Blocked Coasters
Add a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/31/craft-of-the-day-color-blocked-coasters_n_2049875.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">splash of color</a> to your table and protect it at the same time.
Halloween Candy Printables
These <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/29/craft-of-the-day-halloween-candy-printables_n_2041213.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">candy printables</a> were designed exclusively for HuffPost Home readers by Carla Chadwick from <a href="http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&key=b057a0c538f3356fa4383d50d05abcbf&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2F2012%2F10%2F29%2Fcraft-of-the-day-halloween-candy-printables_n_2041213.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dhuffpost-home%26ir%3DHuffPost%2520Home&v=1&libid=1351792186409&out=http%3A%2F%2Fprintablepartykits.com%2F&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2F2012%2F10%2F31%2Fcraft-of-the-day-color-blocked-coasters_n_2049875.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dhuffpost-home%26ir%3DHuffPost%2520Home&title=Craft%20Of%20The%20Day%3A%20Halloween%20Printables%20To%20Personalize%20Your%20Candy&txt=Carla%20Chadwick%20from%20Printable%20Party%20Kits&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13517923719541">Printable Party Kits</a>!
Book Page Pumpkins
These <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/29/craft-of-the-day-book-page-pumpkins_n_2039041.html">festive decorations</a> are perfect for the entire fall season!
Glow-In-The-Dark Cat Eyes
Turn your yard into a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/25/craft-of-the-day-glow-in-the-dark-cat-eyes_n_2018962.html">creepy haunted forest</a> for Halloween.
Ruffled Trick-Or-Treat Tote Bag
Forget carrying your treats in a pillow case--this <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/26/craft-of-the-day-halloween-ruffled-tote_n_2010374.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">DIY tote bag</a> is both cute and functional.
Chevron Halloween Wreath
Greet trick-or-treaters with this <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/24/craft-of-the-day-halloween-chevron-wreath_n_2008957.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">festive door decor</a>.
Halloween Champagne Flutes
Your guests will love sipping out of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/23/craft-of-the-day-halloween-champagne-flutes_n_2005966.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">these ghoulish glasses</a>.
Adorable Mummies
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/22/craft-of-the-day-halloween-mummies_n_2002090.html">Decor so cute</a>, you'll want to say "aww" instead of "eek!"
Paper Spiderwebs
Don't worry, no spiders necessary for <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/19/craft-of-the-day-paper-spiderwebs_n_1989110.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=Huffpost%20Home">this festive craft</a>.
Halloween Skull Plates
You can find all the materials <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/18/craft-of-the-day-halloween-plates_n_1979991.html">for this simple craft</a> at the dollar store.
Halloween Candy Corn Vases
These <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/17/craft-of-the-day-halloween-candy-corn-vases_n_1973926.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=Huffpost%20Home">candy corn vases</a> are sure to satisfy your decor sweet tooth.
Halloween Cross-Stitch Canvases
Take a break from the spooky decor and create these artsy (yet still festive) <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/15/craft-of-the-day-halloween-cross-stitch_n_1968517.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=Huffpost%20Home">cross-stitch canvases</a>.
Paper Pumpkins
Create a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/15/craft-of-the-day-paper-pumpkins_n_1967411.html?ref=topbar">pumpkin patch</a> that will never die.
Trick-Or-Treat Pillows
Dress up your porch with these festive <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/15/craft-of-the-day-halloween-decorations_n_1962618.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=Huffpost%20Home">Halloween pillows</a>.
Liquor Bottle Makeover
Upcycle <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/12/craft-of-the-day-liquor-bottle-makeover_n_1955450.html">empty liquor bottles</a> to create stylish, "vintage" home decor.
Party Animal Candles
These <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/10/craft-of-the-day-animal-candle-holders_n_1955072.html?utm_hp_ref=slidepollajax">candle holders</a> will be a huge hit at the next birthday bash you throw.
Stamped Dish Towels
Make unique <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/08/craft-of-the-day-stamped-dish-towels_n_1948540.html">dish towels</a> for your kitchen with some paint and your favorite stamp.
Floppy Disk Planters
Repurpose old floppy disks into a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/09/craft-of-the-day-floppy-disk-planters_n_1951187.html">fun planter </a>that looks great indoors or out.
Chic Luggage Tag
Let your luggage stand out from all the other bags in the airport with a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/05/craft-of-the-day-luggage-tag_n_1943372.html">personalized fabric tag</a>.
Mason Jar Votives
Use scraps of your favorite fabrics and mason jars to create <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/05/craft-of-the-day-mason-jar-votives_n_1939616.html">pretty glowing votives</a>.
Painted Doorknobs
Dress up your closet doors with these <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/03/craft-of-the-day-painted-doorknobs_n_1936067.html">colorful, painted knobs</a>.
Stiffened Felt Boxes
Organize your craft supplies or jewelry in these <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/02/craft-of-the-day-felt-boxes_n_1932835.html">bright felt boxes</a>.
Sun-Printed Napkins
Use old blueprint technology and the sun to create <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/01/craft-of-the-day-sun-printed-napkins_n_1920346.html">beautiful printed napkins</a>.
Clay Catch-All Plate
This useful <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/01/craft-of-the-day-catch-all-plate_n_1929116.html">clay plate</a> will help you never misplace your keys again.
Mail Organizer
Organize those piles of papers sitting on your kitchen table with <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/27/craft-of-the-day-mail-organizer_n_1919664.html">this DIY craft</a>.
Cross-Stitch Chair
Turn an old piece of trash into a colorful, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/25/craft-of-the-day-cross-stitch-chair_n_1916041.html">crafty piece of furniture</a>.
Gold Leaf Paper Mache Bowls
These <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/25/craft-of-the-day-paper-mache-bowls_n_1914032.html">pretty bowls</a> are perfect for holding jewelry and are a great addition to the top of any dresser.
Emergency Pouch
Carry first-aid staples and other important things in <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/24/craft-of-the-day-emergency-pouch_n_1910203.html">this zippered pouch</a> so you'll always be prepared.
Why not share where you are located, and then perhaps you can get a more specific answer that will prove more useful.
I wish Zillow, like Trulia does , showed the person's location so agents?in that state or area could know when to jump in and be helpful.
Your question, as it now stands, will get answers specific to an agent's area...so they may or may not work for your location.
In my part of NJ, we - even with agents involved - ?routinely use real estate attorneys to handle our closings - so if you're in NJ, I'd suggest finding one, and let? him or her represent you.
Now, if you don't have a clue about home values, then you could/should use the input of a local agent to make sure your offer fall in line with area comps..
As far as how the commissions would be paid - that is negotiable, and may depend on where you are in the process.
Have you already been in contact with the sellers? Have you already engaged in negotiating - have you agreed to a price yet?
If you're already engaged with the seller, and now, at this point, ?decide you want an agent involved - ?then discuss?this with the seller.
If none of the above has taken place as yet, and you want to work with an agent right from the start?- you can let the agent reach out and see if the sellers would be receptive, and would allow the commission to be factored into your offer. Either way - you're paying the commission, and it's all negotiable!
Jan. 17, 2013 ? When low-income families devote three to four extra minutes to regular family mealtimes, their children's ability to achieve and maintain a normal weight improves measurably, according to a new University of Illinois study.
"Children whose families engaged with each other over a 20-minute meal four times a week weighed significantly less than kids who left the table after 15 to 17 minutes. Over time, those extra minutes per meal add up and become really powerful," said Barbara H. Fiese, director of the U of I's Family Resiliency Program.
Childhood obesity in low-income families is a complex problem with many contributing factors, which may include being part of a single-parent family, having a mother who has little education, and living in a poor neighborhood without easy access to healthy foods, she said.
But, even as these risk factors accumulated, the study found, low-income children's participation in regular high-quality family mealtimes made a difference in their weight status.
"Three to four extra minutes per meal made a healthy weight more likely," she said.
In the study, researchers observed 200 family mealtimes, testing the cumulative effects of socioeconomic factors and mealtime behaviors of families with children in elementary school. They noted the importance families placed on sharing a meal, efforts made to schedule family meals, and whether the family attached special meaning to this practice.
Socioeconomic circumstances mattered. Children raised in single-parent households were more likely to be overweight or obese than kids raised in two-parent families, she said.
And, at the neighborhood level, high concentrations of children living in poverty were associated with greater risks for childhood overweight or obesity in the home, she added.
Quality of interaction also mattered. Families who said that shared mealtimes are an important part of family life and have special meaning for them were less likely to have an obese child. And families who talked more together and interacted more positively during the meal were more likely to have healthy-weight children.
Teaching low-income families how to make the most of family mealtimes is a workable intervention, Fiese noted. "This is something we can target and teach. It's much more difficult to change such factors as marital status, maternal education, or neighborhood poverty."
But it may not be enough to advise families that eating together four or more times weekly is beneficial if they don't have the time, resources, or ability to communicate positively with each other, she added.
Many low-income parents are pressured for time, meaning that planning ahead, budgeting, shopping, preparing a healthy meal, and then sitting down to enjoy it with their children is challenging, she said.
She recommends developing and delivering programming that includes information on the importance of shared family mealtimes, time management, stress management, parenting skills, cooking lessons, and shopping strategies.
If parents are taught to value family mealtimes and learn to make them a priority, they can protect their children from the harmful effects of living in an environment with fewer resources, she said.
"It's also important to recognize the increasing diversity of families and their sometimes complex living arrangements that may challenge their abilities to plan ahead and arrange a single time to communicate with each other," she added.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Barbara H. Fiese, Amber Hammons, Diana Grigsby-Toussaint. Family mealtimes: A contextual approach to understanding childhood obesity. Economics & Human Biology, 2012; 10 (4): 365 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2012.04.004
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Jan. 17, 2013 ? As part of the first demonstration of laser communication with a satellite at the moon, scientists with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) beamed an image of the Mona Lisa to the spacecraft from Earth.
The iconic image traveled nearly 240,000 miles in digital form from the Next Generation Satellite Laser Ranging (NGSLR) station at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., to the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) instrument on the spacecraft. By transmitting the image piggyback on laser pulses that are routinely sent to track LOLA's position, the team achieved simultaneous laser communication and tracking.
"This is the first time anyone has achieved one-way laser communication at planetary distances," says LOLA's principal investigator, David Smith of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "In the near future, this type of simple laser communication might serve as a backup for the radio communication that satellites use. In the more distant future, it may allow communication at higher data rates than present radio links can provide."
Typically, satellites that go beyond Earth orbit use radio waves for tracking and communication. LRO is the only satellite in orbit around a body other than Earth to be tracked by laser as well.
"Because LRO is already set up to receive laser signals through the LOLA instrument, we had a unique opportunity to demonstrate one-way laser communication with a distant satellite," says Xiaoli Sun, a LOLA scientist at NASA Goddard and lead author of the Optics Express paper, posted online January 17, that describes the work.
Precise timing was the key to transmitting the image. Sun and colleagues divided the Mona Lisa image into an array of 152 pixels by 200 pixels. Every pixel was converted into a shade of gray, represented by a number between zero and 4,095. Each pixel was transmitted by a laser pulse, with the pulse being fired in one of 4,096 possible time slots during a brief time window allotted for laser tracking. The complete image was transmitted at a data rate of about 300 bits per second.
The laser pulses were received by LRO's LOLA instrument, which reconstructed the image based on the arrival times of the laser pulses from Earth. This was accomplished without interfering with LOLA's primary task of mapping the moon's elevation and terrain and NGSLR's primary task of tracking LRO.
The success of the laser transmission was verified by returning the image to Earth using the spacecraft's radio telemetry system.
Turbulence in Earth's atmosphere introduced transmission errors even when the sky was clear. To overcome these effects, Sun and colleagues employed Reed-Solomon coding, which is the same type of error-correction code commonly used in CDs and DVDs. The experiments also provided statistics on the signal fluctuations due to Earth's atmosphere.
"This pathfinding achievement sets the stage for the Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD), a high data rate laser-communication demonstrations that will be a central feature of NASA's next moon mission, the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE)," says Goddard's Richard Vondrak, the LRO deputy project scientist.
The next step after LLCD is the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD), NASA's first long-duration optical communications mission. LCRD will help develop concepts and deliver technologies applicable to near-Earth and deep-space communication.
NASA Goddard developed and manages the LRO mission and the LOLA instrument. The LRO mission is funded by NASA's Planetary Science Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. NGSLR is funded by the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters. LLCD is funded through a partnership with NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program, and Science Mission Directorate. LCRD is funded through a partnership with SCaN and NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Xiaoli Sun, David R. Skillman, Evan D. Hoffman, Dandan Mao, Jan F. McGarry, Leva McIntire, Ronald S. Zellar, Frederic M. Davidson, Wai H. Fong, Michael A. Krainak, Gregory A. Neumann, Maria T. Zuber, David E. Smith. Free space laser communication experiments from Earth to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in lunar orbit. Optics Express, 2013; 21 (2): 1865 DOI: 10.1364/OE.21.001865
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: www.nytimes.com --- Wednesday, January 16, 2013 The Philadelphia Eagles have hired former University of Oregon head Coach Chip Kelly as their new boss, the National Football League (NFL) team said on Wednesday. ...
BEIJING--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE today announced?China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC )?will install five of GE?s?ecomagination-qualified, Jenbacher cogeneration systems at a new data center that CNPC is building in the Beijing district of Changping. The new power facility will be the first cogeneration plant built in China that will meet an industrial data center?s on-site cooling and heating requirements.
?Our Changping data center equipment has specific power requirements, which is why we selected GE?s cogeneration technology that has a proven record of reliability around the world?
Powered by five?of GE?s 3.34-megawatt (MW)?J620 Jenbacher cogeneration units, the 16.7-MW combined cooling and heating power plant (CCHP) will offer a total efficiency of up to 85 percent to minimize the data center?s energy costs. The power plant?s electricity also will support the regional grid.
CNPC is building the data center to support its new?Technology Innovation Base?in the National Independent Innovation Park in Changping. The Technology Innovation Base is the company?s center for petroleum engineering technology research and development, innovation and testing, product development and mechanical manufacturing.
CNPC is the final energy consumer and Beijing Gas Energy Investment Company is the owner and operator of the cogeneration plant. China?s National Energy Administration Bureau approved the project, which will serve as a model for other data center power projects in China.
?Our Changping data center equipment has specific power requirements, which is why we selected GE?s cogeneration technology that has a proven record of reliability around the world,? said Mr. Zhao Jianwei, general manager of Beijing Gas Energy Investment Company. ?Our project also supports China?s National Energy Administration goal to build more distributed energy facilities that increase regional energy security and cleaner air.?
The Changping data center power plant is China?s largest gas engine CCHP project and is part of CNPC?s?broader initiative?to expand its network of remote data centers to strengthen the company?s business operations and emergency backup capabilities.
The cogeneration plant will offer CNPC significant environmental benefits by using cleaner-burning natural gas. Cogeneration technologies are considered to be far more fuel efficient than separate electricity and thermal power systems.
GE will deliver the Jenbacher units by the end of April 2013. Commercial start-up is scheduled for the end of 2013.
?GE?s Jenbacher cogeneration technology offers the highest availability and critical load management capacity to support CNPC?s operational and backup energy security requirements,? said Karl Wetzlmayer, general manager of gas engines for power generation?GE Power & Water.
About GE
GE works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at?www.ge.com.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) ? High school students hoping to earn college credits through Advanced Placement exams soon will be out of luck at Dartmouth College, which has concluded the tests aren't as rigorous as its own classes.
The Ivy League school currently awards credit in some academic subjects for qualifying scores on Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and A-level exams. But after nearly a decade of discussion, faculty recently voted to end the practice starting with the class of 2018.
"The concern that we have is that increasingly, AP has been seen as equivalent to a college-level course, and it really isn't, in our opinion," said Hakan Tell, a classics professor and chairman of the college's Committee on Instruction.
Dartmouth's decision comes at a time of rapid growth for Advanced Placement. Some 2 million students took 3.7 million AP tests last spring, figures that have more than doubled in the last decade. In 2011, 18 percent of U.S. high school graduates passed at least one AP exams (by scoring at least a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5), up from 11 percent a decade ago.
But the program also has faced criticism that its growing popularity has resulted in watered down courses.
"Many high schools have made their AP courses little more than test prep," said Bob Schaeffer, of FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing. "The common criticism is that they're a mile wide and a quarter-inch deep."
Dartmouth also still believes AP courses are useful in preparing students for college and will continue to use test scores to help place students in appropriate courses, Tell emphasized, and students who may have wanted to use AP credit to graduate early will have other options. But he pointed to an experiment undertaken by the college's psychology department as proof that AP courses often fall short.
Rather than award credit for an introductory course to incoming students who got the highest score on the AP test, the department gave those students a condensed version of the Dartmouth course's final exam. Ninety percent failed, Tell said. And when those students went on to take the introductory class, they performed no better than those who did not have the high AP test scores.
Suril Kantaria, president of the student body at the university in Hanover, N.H., called the change prudent given that high school AP classes are rarely as rigorous as Dartmouth courses.
Students with AP credits "often opt to graduate early instead of taking challenging upper level classes," he said. "This trend challenges the spirit of intellectual growth and discovery that pervades our institution."
But Kate Lyon, a 2005 graduate, said Dartmouth has made a terrible decision. Lyon, who double majored in history and psychology, estimates she saved her parents about $15,000 by using her AP credit to graduate in 11 terms instead of 12.
"Tuition costs at Dartmouth are rising every year and a decision like this seems to show very little regard for the fact that students struggle to pay for college," said Lyon, the oldest of four siblings. "I got just as much out of my Dartmouth experience as someone who took classes all four years, and I completed all the requirements of my degrees but it cost me less to do it."
Tuition, room, board and fees at Dartmouth for the current academic year amount to $58,000, but registrar Meredith Braz said students who want to shave off some of that time and expense still have other ways to graduate early, including taking four courses instead of three for some terms.
"This is not an effort to make it more difficult for students to graduate early," Tell said.
A spokeswoman for the College Board, which runs the AP program, declined to comment specifically on Dartmouth's decision because the college has not notified the company of its policy changes.
But Deborah Davis said the company's research indicates that most students who enroll in small, highly selective colleges use AP scores for placement, not to graduate early. But with the average time to complete a bachelor's degree increasing to six years at most colleges, she anticipates that AP exam scores will increasingly be used to provide credits.
Dartmouth officials weren't able to point to other colleges that have eliminated credit for AP exams, though some have tightened their policies over the years. Davis said each year, between 1 and 3 percent of colleges and universities change their policies, with a balance between those who allow more credit and those who allow less.
Policies vary at other Ivy League schools. At Princeton, AP tests scores can help students become eligible for "advanced standing," and earn credit equivalent up to a full year. But no more than five students have taken advantage of that option in recent years, a spokesman said, and there are no plans to change the policy.
Columbia plans to review its policies this year, but for now, allows students to earn up to 16 points through AP tests. But very few use that credit to graduate early, said Dean of Advising Monique Rinere. Similarly, Harvard College currently offers students the opportunity to use test scores to satisfy the language requirement and sometimes to place into higher level courses, but only a small fraction ultimately graduate early.
BlackBerry didn't only unveil the Z10 today, it also introduced a couple of accessories, including the external battery charger for the LS1, the Z10's 1800 mAh battery. The external charger is extremely slim and portable, and houses a covered slot for a spare battery, as well an integrated micro USB cable that slides nicely into the case when not in use.
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Public release date: 27-Jan-2013
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