Cloud Computing Software Company Joyent Raises $85 Million To Pursue Global Growth

Cloud computing software and service provider Joyent?has secured an $85 million round of new funding, the company is announcing today. The round was led by European group Weather Investment II. It also included?Telef?nica?Digital, the growth arm of global telecom giant Telef?nica, which participated as a strategic investor.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/WNs5u4jZ8D8/

ndamukong suh aptera aptera facebook ipo facebook ipo national defense authorization act national defense authorization act

AOC e1649Fwu

With the AOC e1649Fwu ($139 list) you're no longer limited to just a laptop screen while traveling. This 15.6-inch portable monitor lets you extend your current laptop display for use with large spreadsheets, or you can use it for presentations or in a dual monitor setup to display different applications on each screen. Its swiveling support arm lets you use it in portrait or landscape mode, and it has an auto-pivot feature that automatically changes the screen orientation when you rotate the panel. It's a bit bulkier than the Lenovo ThinkVision LT1421 ($199.99 list, 4 stars) however, and its glossy coating and cabinet showcase every fingerprint smudge.

Design and Setup
At 2.3 pounds the featherweight e1649Fwu weighs exactly the same as Lenovo's 14-inch LT1421 even though it offers a bigger screen size. However, at 1.4 inches it's almost twice as thick as the LT1421 (0.37- 0.85-inches) and its curved cabinet design is not as sleek looking as the LT1421's ThinkVision design. The cabinet is 9.2-inches high and 14.6-inches wide, and has a glossy piano black finish, which looks nice when it's clean but can quickly become a smudgy mess after handling it for a while.

The 15.6-inch TN+ panel is framed by thin 0.50-inch bezels on the sides and slightly wider 0.75-inch bezels on the top and bottom. The bottom bezel sports a silver AOC logo. Like the rest of the cabinet, the bezels and screen coating are glossy and prone to smudging. And while the shiny screen helps give colors some pop, it can be very reflective under certain lighting conditions. Around back is a support arm that folds into the cabinet when not being used. The arm is mounted on a swivel mechanism that allows you to prop up the monitor horizontally on your desktop for use in landscape mode or position it vertically to view it in portrait mode. The monitor automatically changes screen orientation according to how the monitor is positioned, so you don't have to do it manually in the graphics control panel.

As with the Lenovo LT1421, the e1649Fwu only has a single mini-USB port on the back and lacks function buttons, a power switch, and picture controls. But the LT1421 has a brightness control, while the e1649Fwu does not. The e1649Fwu doesn't require a power cord as it pulls power from the USB port. It comes with a CD containing DisplayLink drivers and a Y-shaped USB cable with two connectors on the PC end (some PCs may not provide enough power through a single USB port, in which case the second connector must be used).

Installation is easy enough: Simply load the included DisplayLink software then plug the small end of the USB cable into the monitor's mini-USB port and one of the two regular sized USB connectors in your PC. A DisplayLink icon will appear in your system tray; right click it to choose how you want the e1649Fwu to behave. You can have it mirror your laptop's screen, use it as an extended desktop, or set it as your main monitor. There's an option to optimize it for video, but that doesn't do much to improve the choppy video that comes as a result of transferring a video signal via a USB 2.0 port. In addition to the software CD and USB cable the e1649Fwu comes with a three year warranty covering parts, labor, and backlighting.

Performance
Despite its mirror-like characteristics the e1649Fwu's glossy screen delivers nice, bright colors and natural looking skin tones. It had no trouble displaying even the smallest text from the DisplayMate Scaled Fonts test, and there was no trace of tinting anywhere in the grayscale. However, it struggled to reproduce the darkest and lightest shades of gray from the 64-Step Grayscale test. In other words, it performs like a typical laptop screen.

Viewing angle performance was also typical of a laptop screen; there was some color shifting from the far side angles and significant darkening from the top and bottom angles. The top and bottom angle performance can be problematic when you use the monitor in portrait mode as it will now have very narrow side angle viewing issues.

The AOC e1649Fwu is a neat little 15.6-inch monitor that lets you bring a dual-display setup on the road. Its auto-rotate feature makes it easy to switch from landscape to portrait mode without having to use your graphics control panel, and it displays vivid colors and crisp text. Grayscale and viewing angle performance could be better however, and you'll have to keep a polishing cloth handy to wipe away fingerprints. If you prefer a thinner, sleeker model with a non-reflective screen, the Lenovo LT1421 is a better choice.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the AOC e1649Fwu with several other monitors side by side.

More monitor reviews:
??? AOC e1649Fwu
??? Lenovo ThinkVision LT1421
??? Asus VG278H
??? Acer S231HL
??? Asus PA246Q
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/P58XqWRYTl4/0,2817,2399060,00.asp

braxton miller braxton miller noreaster noreaster steve miller band boston weather kara dioguardi

HBT: Eckstein retires from baseball at 37

It?s a sad day for scrappiness.

According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, veteran infielder David Eckstein has decided to retire from baseball ?even though there were teams willing to bring him to camp? on a minor league contract.

Eckstein, 37, will finish up with a .280/.345/.355 career batting line. The 5-foot-6 shortstop and second baseman was named an All-Star twice and won the World Series MVP in 2006 after going 8-for-22 (.364) with three doubles, a walk and four RBI in the Cardinals? five-game victory over the Tigers.

Eckstein played for St. Louis, Anaheim, San Diego, Arizona and Toronto during his 10-year MLB career.

UPDATE: Eckstein?s agent denied Cafardo?s report, telling Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com that his client is willing to comtinue his playing career ?if the right opportunity arises.?

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/22/david-eckstein-37-has-retired-from-baseball/related/

playoffs kelly clarkson empty nest braveheart nbc sports bengals vs texans nfl playoffs

Small SC wildly succeeded at making voice heard (AP)

CHARLESTON, S.C. ? South Carolina Republicans established their presidential primary more than three decades ago as way to raise the state's national political profile. They wildly succeeded.

Ever since 1980, when Ronald Reagan won, every candidate who has won the GOP primary in this Southern state of fewer than 5 million has gone on to claim the Republican presidential nomination. State party officials are fond of saying the road to the White House passes straight through South Carolina.

Harry Dent, the late South Carolinian who engineered Richard Nixon's 1968 Southern strategy of appealing to Southern conservatives, and the late state GOP Chairman Dan Ross are generally credited with planting the seeds for the primary.

Former Gov. James B. Edwards, who in the 1970s was the first GOP governor of the state in modern times, says no one at the time thought the presidential primary would morph into what it has become today bringing all the major GOP candidates to crisscross the state with hundreds of reporters in tow.

"I wasn't that foresighted and I don't know that anybody else was or not. I doubt it," said Edwards, who is now 84.

South Carolina is a different battleground from the corn fields of Iowa and predominantly white New Hampshire. The state is poorer, more conservative and has a population that is 28 percent black. Voters don't register by parties so Democrats and independents enter the mix in the primary.

The state has also proven a second-chance for candidates who have stumbled in earlier contests with their different constituencies.

In the GOP primary in 2000, Texas Gov. George W. Bush beat Sen. John McCain of Arizona after he was upset by McCain in New Hampshire. Four years ago, it was McCain who capped a comeback following a dismal showing in Iowa with a win in New Hampshire and another in South Carolina.

Republican state Sen. John Courson, elected to the Senate in 1984, was a Reagan delegate in 1976 when Reagan lost the nomination to President Gerald Ford. Reagan supporters wanted a primary in 1980 because they believed Reagan would fare better against former Texas Gov. John Connelly in an open primary than in a traditional nominating convention.

Courson said two elements have helped to make the primary a success: It's always been the first in the South and has always been held on a Saturday, which party leaders knew would bring conservative Democrats to the polls.

"We had to be the first-in-the-South primary. If any other Southern large state, like Texas or Florida, were before us, we would not see the candidates," he said.

What is lost with all the candidates trooping through is that the primary also helped build the modern Republican Party in South Carolina. Until 2008, the party ran the primary using volunteers. Now it's the job of the State Election Commission.

Getting volunteers involved was central to building the GOP.

"If you start working with the party and working at the polls and organizing the primary, that gives you the stimulus to be a real party," Edwards said.

Much of the proof is in the office-holding.

In 1980, when the GOP presidential primary was established, only 23 of the 170 South Carolina state lawmakers and one of the nine statewide office-holders were Republican. Today, there are 103 GOP lawmakers and the party holds all nine statewide offices.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120121/ap_on_el_pr/us_south_carolina_primary_history

nina dobrev jon hamm emmy nominations monsters vs aliens jeremy maclin nascar news emmys 2011

PCE in drinking water linked to an increased risk of mental illness

Friday, January 20, 2012

The solvent tetrachloroethylene (PCE) widely used in industry and to dry clean clothes is a neurotoxin known to cause mood changes, anxiety, and depression in people who work with it. To date the long-term effect of this chemical on children exposed to PCE has been less clear, although there is some evidence that children of people who work in the dry cleaning industry have an increased risk of schizophrenia. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health found that exposure to PCE as a child was associated with an increased risk of bipolar disorder and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

From 1968, until the early 1980s, water companies in Massachusetts installed vinyl-lined (VL/AC) water pipes that were subsequently found to be leaching PCE into the drinking water supply. Researchers from Boston University followed the incidence of mental illness amongst adults from Cape Cod, born between 1969 and 1983, who were consequently exposed to PCE both before birth and during early childhood.

While there was no increase seen in the incidence of depression, regardless of PCE exposure, people with prenatal and early childhood exposure to PCE had almost twice the risk of bipolar disorder, compared to an unexposed group, and their risk of PTSD was raised by 50%.

Dr Ann Aschengrau from Boston University School of Public Health warned, "It is impossible to calculate the exact amount of PCE these people were exposed to - levels of PCE were recorded as high as 1,550 times the currently recommended safe limit. While the water companies flushed the pipes to address this problem, people are still being exposed to PCE in the dry cleaning and textile industries, and from consumer products, and so the potential for an increased risk of illness remains real."

###

BioMed Central: http://www.biomedcentral.com

Thanks to BioMed Central for this article.

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

This press release has been viewed 39 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116907/PCE_in_drinking_water_linked_to_an_increased_risk_of_mental_illness

houston weather demaryius thomas william daley transtar 316 bcs championship game alabama vs lsu

Belief in evolution boils down to a gut feeling

Gut feelings may trump good old-fashioned facts, and even religious beliefs, when it comes to accepting the theory of evolution, new research suggests.

"The whole idea behind acceptance of evolution has been the assumption that if people understood it, if they really knew it, they would see the logic and accept it," study co-author David Haury, an associate professor of education at Ohio State University, said in a statement.

But, he noted, research on the matter has been inconsistent. While one study would find a strong relationship between knowledge level and acceptance, another would not. Likewise, studies have contradicted each other on the relationship between religious identity and acceptance of evolution, he said.

1. More science news from msnbc.com

   1. A quantum leap for secure cloud computing

      Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: Scientists demonstrate a super-secure technique for handling "blind" data in a cloud computing environment, using quantum entanglement.

   2. Can drones fly as well as Luke Skywalker?
   3. Killer whales endanger sea lions by eating pups
   4. 1850s bathroom was flushed with pride

Haury and his colleagues figured that another unexplored factor must be at work. Previous research has shown that the human brain doesn't judge the merits of an idea solely on logic, but also on how intrinsically true the idea feels: Could this process of intuitive reasoning help explain why some people are more accepting of evolution than others?

To find out, the researchers recruited 124 pre-service biology teachers at different stages in a standard teacher preparation program at two Korean universities. They chose to look at students in Korea because teacher preparation programs in the country are quite standardized. "In Korea, people all take the same classes over the same time period and are all about the same age, so it takes out a lot of extraneous factors," Haury explained.

Moreover, about half of Koreans don't identify themselves as belonging to any particular religion, he said. In the U.S., only about 16 percent of people are religiously unaffiliated, according to the Pew Research Center. (Religion can be a reason for not accepting evolution, as some think it goes against a god as a creator.)

The researchers first asked the students a series of questions to measure their overall acceptance of evolution, teasing out whether they generally believed the main concept sand scientific findings that define the theory of evolution. Next, they tested the students on their knowledge of evolutionary science with questions about various processes, such as natural selection. For each question, the students wrote down how certain they felt about the correctness of their answers ? an indicator of their gut feelings.

They found that intuition had a significant impact on what the students accepted, no matter how much they knew and regardless of their religious beliefs. Even students with a greater knowledge of evolutionary facts weren't more likely to accept the theory unless they also had a strong gut feeling about the facts, the results showed.

The study has important implications for the teaching of evolution, the researchers said. Informing students about this conflict between intuition and logic may help them judge ideas on their merits.

"Educationally, we think that's a place to start," Haury said. "It's a concrete way to show them, 'Look, you can be fooled and make a bad decision, because you just can't deny your gut.'"

The study was published in the January 2012 issue of Journal of Research in Science Teaching.

? 2012 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46076744/ns/technology_and_science-science/

example example graphing calculator nfl odds indeed indeed pink

A rocky day for Romney as money questions persist

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley reacts at right after Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, gets the crowd to sing "Happy Birthday" for her during a rally at his campaign headquarters in Charleston, S.C., Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. Behind him, from left are, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty; Romney's wife Ann; and Haley (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley reacts at right after Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, gets the crowd to sing "Happy Birthday" for her during a rally at his campaign headquarters in Charleston, S.C., Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. Behind him, from left are, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty; Romney's wife Ann; and Haley (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, campaigns in Irmo, S.C., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, carries 7-month-old Leah Locklear as he campaigns in Irmo, S.C., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Graphics lists average tax rates paid by U.S. taxpayers:

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) ? Facing newly barbed questions about his wealth, Mitt Romney on Thursday refused to bow to pressure to immediately release his tax returns in the rocky home stretch of South Carolina's Republican primary. Though still the nomination front-runner, he also lost his claim to an Iowa victory just as Newt Gingrich emerged as a stronger threat.

"You'll hear more about that. April," was all Romney had to say in response to a shouted question about his tax records from the crowd gathered outside his campaign headquarters here.

The event was his only one ahead of an evening debate in which questions about his wealth were all but certain.

He has reluctantly agreed to release his tax returns but has spurned calls from his rivals and even allies ? including key supporter New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ? to do so immediately. He says people will have to wait until April, probably after the GOP has settled on a nominee. Romney also has not yet explained why he keeps part of his fortune in the Cayman Islands. His campaign says he does not receive a tax break on the money there.

The silence from Romney's campaign on details of his holdings was just one element of a political day that underscored the unpredictability of Saturday's South Carolina primary.

In a blow to Romney, Texas Gov. Rick Perry dropped out of the race and endorsed Gingrich, a move that could start to consolidate conservative support behind the former House speaker.

That shrunk the field, leaving Romney and Gingrich on stage Thursday night with just Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. Santorum claimed an Iowa win during the day ? the state party said he did have the biggest share of the votes it could count ? and he continued to fight Gingrich for the mantle of Romney's chief conservative foe.

Romney barely mentioned Perry at all, leaving him out of a speech to supporters and only mentioning him in passing when pressed by reporters afterward.

"Terrific guy, terrific conservative," Romney said. "We're going to miss him on stage tonight."

One bright spot on an otherwise dreary day came when a key South Carolina donor and former Perry supporter, David Wilkins, said he would support Romney instead of backing Gingrich.

But Romney also was grappling with the announcement from the Iowa GOP that Santorum actually led him by 34 votes in the final tally of the state's leadoff caucuses, though no winner has been declared. At the very least, it was a symbolic setback for a Romney campaign reeling from a series of bumps over the past few days.

In a written statement, Romney called the Iowa results a "virtual tie" and praised Santorum's "strong performance" in the state.

It was a far different type of day when Romney touched down in South Carolina just over a week ago, coming off what appeared to be twin victories in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Since then, Romney has been confronted by attacks from his opponents on everything from his tax returns to his changed positions on social issues like abortion. And he's made unforced errors talking about his own personal wealth and defending the private equity firm he founded, Bain Capital.

On Tuesday, Romney disclosed that he pays an effective tax rate of about 15 percent, lower than what he would pay if he earned a regular paycheck rather making most of his income in dividends, capital gains and the like. He also called "not very much" the amount he earned in speechmaking fees: $373,327.62 for 12 months in 2010 and early 2011.

His campaign has repeatedly refused to answer more questions about his fortune, and the candidate himself has tried to change the subject as Gingrich inches up in polls.

Recognizing the threat, Romney has assailed Gingrich's claims that he helped President Ronald Reagan create jobs. He says Gingrich is living in "fantasyland."

Regardless of the outcome of the primary Saturday, the former Massachusetts governor's past 10 days have played into the hands of Democrats who are looking to paint him as an out-of-touch multimillionaire during the general election.

In the meantime, Democrats planned a series of news conferences to argue that the work Romney did at Bain Capital wasn't the same as bolstering American manufacturing.

President Barack Obama's campaign advisers contend voters are unlikely to back a wealthy Republican with financial-industry ties at a time of lingering economic distress.

The questions about Romney's wealth began last week in New Hampshire when he told an audience he knew what it was like to worry about being "pink-slipped" and losing a job. A day later, he said, "I like being able to fire people who provide services to me" ? a comment about health insurance companies that his rivals used to paint Romney as out of touch with ordinary Americans.

In a moment that was clearly unscripted, Romney disclosed for the first time Tuesday that, despite his wealth of hundreds of millions of dollars, he has been paying taxes in the neighborhood of 15 percent, far below the top maximum income tax rate of 35 percent, because his income "comes overwhelmingly from investments made in the past."

During 2010 and the first nine months of 2011, the Romney family had at least $9.6 million in income, according to a financial disclosure form submitted in August.

The maximum marginal U.S. income tax rate of 35 percent applies ? in theory more than practice ? to households with taxable income of over about $388,500.

Like many wealthy people, the Romneys have been helped by changes in federal tax policy that have placed much lower tax rates on investment income ? from dividends, interest and capital gains from the sale of stocks and other assets ? than on wages and salaries.

Under the Bush-era tax cuts strongly supported by most Republicans, such investment income, including gains on securities held for a year or longer, is subject to a tax rate of 15 percent.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-19-Romney/id-de62d35f02f648388024a08043345c63

unc basketball college basketball gunsmoke papelbon papelbon anita hill penn state football schedule

Blake Shelton delays tour to mourn father

Sad news for Blake Shelton.

The 35-year-old country superstar and "The Voice" mentor is grieving the Wednesday passing of his father, Dick.

PHOTOS: Looking back at the celebs we've lost

"Mr. Shelton, who was in declining health this past year, was surrounded by loved ones in Oklahoma upon his passing this evening," a rep for Shelton told Us Weekly in a statement late Wednesday.

PHOTOS: Celeb families

1. More Entertainment stories
   1. Planking! 'Family Matters'! 'Idol' auditions get odd

      It was a strange group of 38 that made it through, but by the end of the hour, a couple of legitimate contenders emerged f...

   2. Ricki Lake: 'DWTS' led to post-traumatic stress
   3. Colbert's Super PAC ad attacks ... Colbert
   4. Heard enough Adele yet? The world hasn't
   5. Springsteen dives back into politics on new CD

As the singer mourns with his family, he has announced plans to reschedule four dates through next week on his Well Lit & Amplified tour. His stops in Bismark, N.D., Rapid City, S.D., Bozeman, Mont. and Billings, Mont. will be delayed until late March.

PHOTOS: Blake's romance with wife Miranda Lambert

"I appreciate your understanding during this difficult time and thank you for all your prayers. Your support means the world to me. I love you guys," Shelton told Us in a statement.

For more information on Shelton's makeup dates, visit his website, BlakeShelton.com.

Copyright 2012 Us Weekly

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46040519/ns/today-entertainment/

st nicholas st nicholas mindy mccready mindy mccready cliff harris cliff harris josh turner

Fresh Android Apps for Jan. 19: Airbnb, Mind Games, Seal the Monsters (Appolicious)

Mid-January is not too early in the year to plan your next vacation. Let?s make 2012 a year of new adventure and breaking out of old routines. Why stay in a hotel when you can use Airbnb to rent a villa on the east coast of Borneo?

Get your magic on with Seal the Monsters and make yourself feel stupid by downloading Mind Games.

Need a place to stay? If you?re looking for something unique, check out Airbnb. It?s a DIY service for those renting out a dwelling and those looking to rent one. Listings include everything from a room with a bed to a castle, and the locations range all over the world. Browse based on place, price, or other filters, submit a reservation, and pay for it right through the app. You?ll find pictures, descriptions, reviews, and directions to your next getaway.

Hosts can manage all their listings, reservation requests, and financial transactions through the app as well.

Most mind games are bad for you, but these are meant to exercise your brain. Each screen shows one of ten different styles of board or card game puzzle with some you?ll recognize ? chess, solitaire, and reversi ? and many you won?t.

Solve each puzzle to move forward through the 120 challenges, each more difficult than the last. Use the hints if you get stuck, but be warned, the creator intended the app to mess with your head.

You are the only living ?sealer? and no that isn?t a home improvement skill, for gosh sakes, it?s magic! Monsters roam the earth and you must encircle as many as you can with your mystical invocation (also known as drawing a circle with your finger) to trap them and banish them from earth. Draw special patterns to unleash powerful spells that effect every monster on the screen, including fire and ice. Combo moves earn extra points.

Choose to fight in survival mode, where you try to stop the monsters from forming a pack, or time mode, where you have thirty seconds to trap as many demons as you can.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/appolicious_rss/rss_appolicious_tc/http___www_androidapps_com_articles10810_fresh_android_apps_for_jan_19_airbnb_mind_games_seal_the_monsters/44229183/SIG=13i7c720c/*http%3A//www.androidapps.com/tech/articles/10810-fresh-android-apps-for-jan-19-airbnb-mind-games-seal-the-monsters

2012 nfl draft order winter classic 2012 rashard mendenhall rachel zoe penn state football mt rainier national park rose parade

County residents sound off about late-sounding tornado sirens

KMOV.com

Posted on January 17, 2012 at 5:08 PM

(KMOV) -- It was the first time that St. Louis County's 138 new sirens were used since being installed, but a number of KMOV Facebook fans reported that the sirens went off after the storm had passed.

"Sirens went off about ten minues after the worst part of the storm passed," Hillary Walters, of Ferguson, posted.

"Came on after all the wind, pouring rain and hail had already passed," Tina Asher, of Affton, added.

Duffy Barney, a St. Louis County official, said the storm may have passed many area houses by the time any rotation was spotted on the radar and the warning was issued.

The county's policy when sounding the sirens is to play it safe and sound them countywide.

Duffy said that all of the sirens operated properly, but eleven more will be added to in certain areas to fill in some gaps in the system.

Source: http://www.kmov.com/news/local/County-residents-sound-off-about-the-late-sounding-tornado-sirens--137522118.html

neverland shaun white phoebe prince marlins marlins kourtney kardashian pregnant kourtney kardashian pregnant

Hikers find severed head in bag under Hollywood sign (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Hikers found a severed human head in a bag below the iconic Hollywood sign in the hills above Los Angeles on Tuesday, prompting a search in the area for an accompanying body, police said.

Two female hikers were walking nine dogs when they found what police said appears to be the head of a man. It was located off a trail near the Griffith Observatory in Hollywood Hills, a popular recreation and tourist area that is home to a 53-mile network of trails, equestrian paths and fire roads.

"Two dogs were playing with it, and that's when the dog walkers looked closer and realized it was a human head," Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Karen Rayner said.

The women called park rangers immediately upon finding the head in a bag, Rayner said. Rangers then called the police.

Police believe the severed head had not been at the site for a long time, based in part on the fact that there were no animal bites on it, Rayner said.

Police used cadaver dogs to assist in the search for further human remains until dusk, when they called off the investigation until daylight returns. The crime scene is being guarded by police.

The coroner's department will pick up the severed head later in the evening.

The Hollywood sign on Mount Lee above Los Angeles originally read "Hollywoodland" and was created to promote a housing development in 1923. The last few letters deteriorated in the late 1940s and the part that remained was restored in 1978.

(Reporting By Mary Slosson; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120118/us_nm/us_crime_head_hollywood

pro bowl sinead oconnor celtics braylon edwards jimmer fredette mall of america mennonite

Tornado leaves behind damage at Madison airport

MADISON, IN (WAVE) - The National Weather Service has confirmed that an EF-0 tornado did hit the Madison Municipal Airport on Tuesday. Straight line winds of up to 95 mph hit a nearby business.??

"I didn't even know what was happening at first," said airport manager Hazel Wilkerson, who told us it all happened really fast. "I thought, ?oh, the window is going to come in,' so I made it underneath the counter here because I thought the glass was gonna come through."?

It felt like it lasted only seconds according to Ralph Rogers.?

"It was over so quick, I didn't have time to be scared, said Rogers, the airport assistant manager.?

When Wilkerson and Rogers looked out the window, they saw an airplane on its nose. They also found part of the airport building had damage to its roof, the pillars on the outside were left mangled, and the hanger doors were damaged.?

"It's kind of like it skipped from here, to here, and none of the other buildings were damaged," said Wilkerson. "When you start looking you think, ?geez, where did it go?'"?

It ended up hitting Clifty Engineering next.?

"As you can see here the roof peeled off like a tin can," said Shane Jackson of Clifty Engineering. "I saw everything fly by - insulation, tree limbs, metal."?

Jackson said this morning the employees that are normally on the second floor were luckily downstairs when the storm hit. The building suffered major damage.?

"The roof, concrete block, gas lines," said Jackson. "We had a gas leak for awhile."?

Siding from the back building was also peeled off. Insulation was scattered everywhere with part of the roof caught in a tree. Computer equipment has been saved and crews are already patching up the roof.?

"To heck with the building as long as no body us hurt that is all that matters," said Jackson.?

The National Weather Service says the tornado was 1/3 of a mile long, 60 yards wide, with maximum speeds of 85 miles per hour.?

There were no reports of any injuries.?

Copyright 2012 WAVE News. All rights reserved.?

Source: http://www.wave3.com/story/16540458/tornado-leaves-behind-damage-at-madison-aiprort

power outage snow storm snow storm reggie bush ufc 137 boston news matilda

Hikers find severed head in bag under Hollywood sign (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Hikers found a severed human head in a bag below the iconic Hollywood sign in the hills above Los Angeles on Tuesday, prompting a search in the area for an accompanying body, police said.

Two female hikers were walking nine dogs when they found what police said appears to be the head of a man. It was located off a trail near the Griffith Observatory in Hollywood Hills, a popular recreation and tourist area that is home to a 53-mile network of trails, equestrian paths and fire roads.

"Two dogs were playing with it, and that's when the dog walkers looked closer and realized it was a human head," Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Karen Rayner said.

The women called park rangers immediately upon finding the head in a bag, Rayner said. Rangers then called the police.

Police believe the severed head had not been at the site for a long time, based in part on the fact that there were no animal bites on it, Rayner said.

Police used cadaver dogs to assist in the search for further human remains until dusk, when they called off the investigation until daylight returns. The crime scene is being guarded by police.

The coroner's department will pick up the severed head later in the evening.

The Hollywood sign on Mount Lee above Los Angeles originally read "Hollywoodland" and was created to promote a housing development in 1923. The last few letters deteriorated in the late 1940s and the part that remained was restored in 1978.

(Reporting By Mary Slosson; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120118/us_nm/us_crime_head_hollywood

standing rib roast powerball rajon rondo its a wonderful life its a wonderful life rex ryan yule log

Iran says not storing oil in Gulf due to sanctions (Reuters)

TEHRAN (Reuters) ? Iran has not stored oil on tankers in the Gulf, and its crude exports have not been disrupted due to mounting international pressure over its disputed nuclear program, an oil official told the semi-official Mehr news agency on Saturday.

On Tuesday shipping sources told Reuters the volume of Iranian crude oil stored at sea had risen to as much as 8 million barrels and was likely to increase further as the Islamic Republic struggles with sanctions and a seasonal refinery slowdown.

"There has been no disruption in Iran's crude exports through the Persian Gulf ... We have not stored oil in the Gulf because of sanctions as some foreign media reported," Pirouz Mousavi told Mehr.

"We do not have even one drop of oil (stored) in the Persian Gulf ... Iran's oil exports are taking place based on the OPEC's policies."

Iran, OPEC's second-largest oil producer after Saudi Arabia with output of about 3.5 million barrels per day, faces trade hurdles over its nuclear program, which the United States and its allies say is aimed at building bombs.

Iran says it needs nuclear technology to generate electricity.

European Union countries have agreed in principle to embargo imports of Iranian as part of the latest Western efforts to step up heat on Tehran.

Temporary storage of crude on tankers at sea has been an effective means in recent years for Iran to hold cargoes until sales can be made while not interrupting oil field production.

EU countries have proposed "grace periods" on existing contracts of one to 12 months to allow companies to find alternative suppliers before implementing an embargo.

Shipping sources said the widening sanctions were likely to deter most international ship owners from engaging in deals in which Iran can hire tankers, compounding its logistic problems.

Iran has threatened to block the vital oil shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf if sanctions imposed on its oil exports.

(Writing By Mitra Amiri, editing by Jane Baird)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iran/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120114/wl_nm/us_iran_crude_gulf

wayne gretzky wayne gretzky occupy los angeles occupy los angeles comedian patrice o neal occupy philadelphia occupy philadelphia

Anti-US chants as slain Iran nuclear expert buried

This undated photo released by Iranian Fars News Agency, claims to show Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, who they say was killed in a bomb blast in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012, next to his son. Two assailants on a motorcycle attached a magnetic bomb to the car of an Iranian university professor working at a key nuclear facility, killing him and his driver Wednesday, reports said. The slayings suggest a widening covert effort to set back Iran's atomic program. The blast killed Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a chemistry expert and a director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran, state TV reported. (AP Photo/Fars News Agency)

This undated photo released by Iranian Fars News Agency, claims to show Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, who they say was killed in a bomb blast in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012, next to his son. Two assailants on a motorcycle attached a magnetic bomb to the car of an Iranian university professor working at a key nuclear facility, killing him and his driver Wednesday, reports said. The slayings suggest a widening covert effort to set back Iran's atomic program. The blast killed Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a chemistry expert and a director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran, state TV reported. (AP Photo/Fars News Agency)

This undated photo released by Iranian Fars News Agency, claims to show Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, who they say was killed in a bomb blast in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012. Two assailants on a motorcycle attached a magnetic bomb to the car of an Iranian university professor working at a key nuclear facility, killing him and his driver Wednesday, reports said. The slayings suggest a widening covert effort to set back Iran's atomic program. The blast killed Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a chemistry expert and a director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran, state TV reported. (AP Photo/Fars News Agency)

This undated photo released by Iranian Students News Agency, ISNA, claims to show Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, who was killed in a bomb blast in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012. Two assailants on a motorcycle attached a magnetic bomb to the car of an Iranian university professor working at a key nuclear facility, killing him and his driver Wednesday, reports said. The slayings suggest a widening covert effort to set back Iran's atomic program. The blast killed Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a chemistry expert and a director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran, state TV reported. (AP Photo/ISNA)

This undated photo released by Iranian Fars News Agency, claims to show Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, who they say was killed in a bomb blast in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012. Two assailants on a motorcycle attached a magnetic bomb to the car of an Iranian university professor working at a key nuclear facility, killing him and his driver Wednesday, reports said. The slayings suggest a widening covert effort to set back Iran's atomic program. The blast killed Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a chemistry expert and a director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran, state TV reported. (AP Photo/Fars News Agency)

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Thousands of mourners chanted "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" on Friday during the funeral of a slain nuclear expert whom Iranian officials accuse the two nations of killing in a bomb blast this week as part of a secret operation to stop Iran's nuclear program.

The assassination of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan has raised calls in Iran for retaliation against the U.S. and Israel, and an independent news website Friday said Iran is preparing a covert counteroffensive against the West.

Roshan, a chemistry expert and a director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran, was killed in a brazen daylight assassination when two assailants on a motorcycle attached a magnetic bomb to his car Wednesday in Tehran. The killing bore a strong resemblance to earlier killings of scientists working on the Iranian nuclear program.

State TV showed thousands of people carrying Roshan's coffin through central Tehran before it was taken to a north cemetery for burial. As it marched, the crowd chanted "death to terrorists."

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, called Roshan's killing a "cowardly assassination" and accused the U.S. and Israel of being behind the attack. He vowed Thursday that the perpetrators and those who ordered the attack would be punished.

U.N. Secretary Ban Ki-moon on Friday during a visit to Lebanon issued a vague condemnation of the killing, saying attacks on "any people, whether scientist or civilian," are not acceptable, according to U.N. spokesman Eduardo del Buey.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has denied any American role in the slaying and the U.S administration condemned the attack. Israeli officials, in contrast, have hinted at covert campaigns against Iran without directly admitting involvement.

The assassination was carried out a day after Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz was quoted as telling a parliamentary panel that 2012 would be a "critical year" for Iran ? in part because of "things that happen to it unnaturally."

That prompted Hossein Shariatmadari, director of the hardline Iranian daily newspaper Kayhan, to ask why Iran did not avenge Roshan by striking Israel.

The independent news website, irannuc.ir, quoted an unidentified security official as saying Iran is preparing a covert counteroffensive against the West in retaliation for the bomb blast. It suggested the retaliation could include assassinations abroad.

"Iran's intelligence community is in a very good position to design tit-for-tat operations to retaliate for assassinations carried out by Western intelligence services," the official said, according to the website. "Iran's response will be extraterritorial and extra-regional. It follows the strategy that none of those who ordered or carried out (the attacks) should feel secure in any part of the world."

The website's report was also carried by the semiofficial Fars news agency, which is close to the elite Revolutionary Guard.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-13-Iran-Nuclear/id-8dbc153f32184d9782b921206cba6a0c

veterans day thank you veterans day thank you nigel tufnel day black friday deals molokai molokai ashton kutcher twitter

Weather officials confirm tornado hit western NC (AP)

ELLENBORO, N.C. ? Weather officials confirm there was a tornado in the storm system that swept through parts of western North Carolina this week, flinging mobile homes into valleys, damaging dozens of buildings and injuring nearly 20 people.

The storm system struck Rutherford and Burke counties on Wednesday, as a cold front moved through the western Carolinas. A National Weather Service survey team reported the system produced a tornado of EF2 strength, with winds of roughly 115 miles an hour.

"The trailer started shaking and we were gone," said Samantha Owens of Ellenboro, in Rutherford County. "It just picked and we just started rolling."

The mobile home where Owens lived with her mother and four children was thrown off its foundation, she said Thursday. Her mother was taken to a hospital in Charlotte with a concussion, but Owens and her children escaped with minor scrapes and bruises.

"Not even a year ago, we had a house fire and we lost everything," she said as she searched through the ruins of her home for items that hadn't been destroyed. "We were trying to start over, and then this happened."

At least 10 people were injured in Rutherford County and nearly the same number in Burke County, emergency officials said. There were no fatalities reported by Thursday afternoon.

"We are certainly thankful for that," Burke County Manager Bryan Steen said.

At least two of the injuries in Rutherford County were serious, sheriff's Sgt. Dwayne Wright said, but officials didn't know the extent of those injuries.

In Burke County, 16 homes were destroyed by the twister, with another 50 suffering various amounts of damage, according to Fire Marshal Mark Pitts. About six businesses were also damaged.

At least five people were hurt when the storm struck a few minutes later in the Icard area in eastern Burke County, Dixon said.

The American Red Cross opened a shelter in Icard, in eastern Burke County, and about 15 people stayed there overnight. Steen said county officials were ready to help anyone who still needed a place to stay Thursday.

Wind also struck a marina in Caldwell County late Wednesday, damaging at least three boats. It was not clear if a tornado had hit the area. No injuries had been reported.

The storm cell that caused the damage dumped hail in South Carolina before moving into North Carolina, according to the National Weather Service. Tornadoes have happened in the past in January, but they're far more common in the spring and fall, said Andrew Kimball, a meteorologist in the weather service's Greer, S.C. office.

"It's extremely odd, extremely rare," Steen said. "I don't ever remember a tornado in North Carolina in January."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weather/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120112/ap_on_re_us/us_nc_severe_storms

shameless kwame brown martin luther king day blue ivy devil inside ted nugent dash diet

Romney's Killer Instinct: How Mitt's Winning and Why Obama Should Take Note (Time.com)

Mitt Romney has been running his presidential campaign based on a primal instinct: kill or be killed. And so after Rick Santorum fought Romney to a virtual tie in Iowa and arrived in New Hampshire trailed by media hordes, Romney's Boston headquarters decided it was time to take the former Pennsylvania Senator down.

Boston trotted out Senator John McCain, New Hampshire's favorite anti-pork crusader, who proceeded to slice Santorum sideways for years of earmark spending in Washington. "Senator Santorum and I have a strong disagreement... [in] that he believes that earmark and pork barrel projects were good for America," said McCain, who added, for good measure, that pork is a "gateway drug to corruption." (VIDEO: Mark Halperin Interviews Mitt Romney)

All successful campaigns have three simple goals: To win, you must project the image you want to define you; deflect efforts by your rivals to define you on their terms; and define your rivals on your terms. And this time around, Mitt Romney has been far better at defining himself and his opponents than anyone else in the race. Romney stopped pretending to be someone he wasn't. Rather than play down his Mormon faith, he has discussed his long-standing church membership and his leadership role as a local bishop. Rather than skirt his gilded tenure as a venture capitalist at Bain, he has embraced it, defending the free market system with relish. And he kept things simple, traveling around the early states in a bus which read: "Conservative, businessman, leader."

But behind the scenes and at high-profile moments he also has systematically targeted anyone who posed a threat to his status as GOP front runner. When Rick Perry vaulted to the top of the polls in September, Romney's team seized on the Texas governor's support for in-state college tuition rates for some illegal immigrants and his advocacy of radical changes in Social Security, putting his rival in a right-left vice. Backed by an armada of surrogates, spinners and web videos, Romney dismantled Perry in the debates, repeatedly questioning his stances on those two issues. Perry was rattled; the more he tried to explain, the worse he looked. In short order, the Perry threat was neutralized. (MORE: As Romney Claims New Hampshire, the GOP Comes to Grips with His Inevitability)

Newt Gingrich's balloon proved even easier to puncture. The Romney campaign knew it was dealing with a man with a tendency to combust in the face of even the mildest criticism. From its armory of ammunition Boston chose Gingrich's $1.6 million in consulting work for mortgage giant Freddie Mac because it made the former Speaker look greedy, hypocritical and disingenuous. Gingrich never escaped the cycle of debate questions, news stories and negative ads that Romney's assassins helped to generate.

Much of the credit for Romney's kill rate goes to Matt Rhoades, 36, one of his generation's top opposition research maestros. Rhoades, who worked for Bush 43?s re-election campaign and Romney's 2008 presidential run before becoming campaign manager this time around, excels at finding a rival's Achilles Heel and making sure everyone in America hears about it. And he doesn't spook easily: While some Romney staffers fretted as other candidates surged in the polls, Rhoades "did not even arch an eyebrow," says colleague Kevin Madden, another veteran of Romney's '08 effort. "He calmly waits for the right moment. When that moment comes? Boom." (MORE: Romney Rises: Five More Signs of the Mittening)

All of this suggests that if Romney wins the nomination, he may prove a more formidable fall opponent than some of Barack Obama's advisers currently believe. Rhoades' team has spent the better part of a year gathering material to use against the President once the primaries are over. Among the most promising: putting a human face on the nation's grim economic statistics. Obama's lieutenants, no slouches themselves at dragon slaying, plan to showcase the names and stories of workers who lost jobs at the hands of Romney's companies.

The President is preternaturally confident that he will be able to render Romney unacceptable to voters by hammering at that record. And Romney, in his victory speech after the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, showed his own self- that he can make the election a referendum on the incumbent. Each is a tougher general-election opponent than the other has ever faced. Get ready for the main event.

See TIME's Top 10 Everything of 2011.

See TIME's Pictures of the Week.

View this article on Time.com

Most Popular on Time.com:

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/time/20120112/us_time/httpswamplandtimecom20120112romneyskillerinstincthowmittswinningandwhyobamashouldtakenotexidrssfullnationyahoo

triumph the insult comic dog tucson weather tucson weather peyton hillis cl p cl p andy rooney

Bounty hunter leaves out spat with Colo. sheriff (AP)

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. ? Duane "Dog" Chapman may get the last word in a spat with a Colorado sheriff over an arrest involving pepper spray.

The "Dog the Bounty Hunter" episode broadcast Wednesday on A&E omits the dispute he had with Mesa County Sheriff Stan Hilkey after a fugitive's arrest.

Hilkey told the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel ( http://bit.ly/yI6TiI) he didn't watch the show.

The sheriff criticized Chapman last summer, saying he excessively pepper-sprayed a fugitive and then took him into the sheriff's office without first decontaminating the man.

Surveillance videos in the Grand Junction sheriff's lobby show people having coughing fits, backing up Hilkey's claim.

Though the show made no mention of the squabble, Chapman's wife, Beth Chapman, tweeted Thursday: "So does anyone think the Mesa sheriff was right?"

___

Information from: The Daily Sentinel, http://www.gjsentinel.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120112/ap_en_tv/us_bounty_hunter

national defense authorization act national defense authorization act seven days in utopia seven days in utopia big 10 championship game big 10 championship game state of play

Stocks rise solidly on hopes for earnings, Europe (AP)

U.S. stocks traded solidly higher Tuesday after European markets rallied and corporate bellwether Alcoa predicted stronger demand in 2012. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 1 percent at midday.

European markets soared after Fitch Ratings said it will not downgrade France's credit rating this year. A downgrade for France could scuttle the region's efforts to stem the debt crisis. Europe's bailout fund relies on the sterling credit ratings of France and Germany to borrow at affordable rates. France's CAC-40 index closed 2.7 percent higher; Germany's DAX rose 2.4 percent.

Kicking off U.S. corporate earnings season, aluminum maker Alcoa said late Monday that its fourth-quarter revenue far outpaced analysts' projections. CEO Klaus Kleinfeld predicted that global aluminum demand will increase 7 percent in 2012. Aluminum demand is seen as a proxy for broader economic trends because so many industries rely on the metal.

Many analysts had feared that Europe's economic troubles and slow growth in developing countries would weaken U.S. corporate profits this quarter. The solid report from Alcoa seemed to quell those concerns and lifted traders' hopes for strong corporate earnings reports in the coming weeks.

The S&P 500 index rose 12 points, or 0.9 percent, to 1,292 as of 12:15 p.m. Eastern time. All 10 of the index's industry groups rose.

Tiffany & Co. plunged 11 percent, the most in the S&P 500 index. The jewelry retailer cut its forecast for full-year profit and said sales growth weakened in the U.S. and Europe during the holiday season.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 85 points, or 0.7 percent, to 12,478. The Nasdaq composite index gained 24, or 0.9 percent, to 2,700.

The U.S. economy appeared to strengthen in recent weeks. A series of positive reports on hiring, manufacturing and consumer sentiment eased fears that Europe will drag the U.S. into another recession.

Traders hope the brighter outlook will boost corporate earnings results, which are due to be announced over the next few weeks. As the job market improves and consumers grow more willing to spend, companies might enjoy stronger consumer demand. Household spending is a crucial motor of economic growth.

Corporate news in Europe was less encouraging. Dutch electronics giant Royal Philips Electronics NV kicked off Europe's earnings season by warning that its fourth-quarter profit was worse than expected because of Europe's unraveling economy.

Among companies making big moves:

? Cirrus Logic Inc., which makes audio chips, jumped 12 percent. The company said it expects to report a 28 percent gain in revenue for the final three months of the year, well above its previous forecast and analysts' expectations.

? Emulex Corp. jumped 14 percent after raising its quarterly earnings forecast. The data-storage and networking company said it had recovered more quickly than expected from supply problems related to massive flooding in Thailand.

? WebMD Health Corp. plunged 26 percent. The healthcare information website said it has given up looking for a buyer, its CEO Wayne T. Gattinella has resigned, and it expects earnings to drop this year. WebMD provides health and benefits information to employees at 121 companies and health plans.

___

Follow Daniel Wagner at http://www.twitter.com/wagnerreports.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120110/ap_on_bi_st_ma_re/us_wall_street

rich rodriguez rich rodriguez the muppet movie the muppet movie mars rover mars rover trent richardson

Keeping electronics cool

ScienceDaily (Jan. 9, 2012) ? A University of California, Riverside engineering professor and a team of researchers have made a breakthrough discovery with graphene, a material that could play a major role in keeping laptops and other electronic devices from overheating.

Alexander Balandin, a professor of electrical engineering at the UC Riverside Bourns College of Engineering, and researchers from The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas at Dallas and Xiamen University in China, have shown that the thermal properties of isotopically engineered graphene are far superior to those of graphene in its natural state.

The research efforts were led by the Professor Rodney S. Ruoff of UT Austin and Balandin, a corresponding author for the paper, "Thermal conductivity of isotopically modified graphene." It was published online Jan. 8 by the journal Nature Materials and will later appear in the print publication.

The results bring graphene -- a single-atom thick carbon crystal with unique properties, including superior electrical and heat conductivity, mechanical strength and unique optical absorption -- one step closer to being used as a thermal conductor for managing heat dissipation in everything from electronics to photovoltaic solar cells to radars.

"The important finding is the possibility of a strong enhancement of thermal conduction properties of isotopically pure graphene without substantial alteration of electrical, optical and other physical properties," Balandin said. "Isotopically pure graphene can become an excellent choice for many practical applications provided that the cost of the material is kept under control."

He added: "The experimental data on heat conduction in isotopically engineered graphene is also crucially important for developing an accurate theory of thermal conductivity in graphene and other two-dimensional crystals."

The research used the optothermal Raman method, a thermal conductivity measuring technique developed by Balandin. In 2008, Balandin and his group members demonstrated experimentally that graphene is an excellent heat conductor. They also developed the first detailed theory of heat conduction in graphene and related two-dimensional crystals.

The work presented in the Nature Materials paper shows that the thermal conductivity of isotopically engineered graphene is strongly enhanced compared to graphene in its natural state.

Naturally occurring carbon materials, including graphene, are made up of two stable isotopes: about 99 percent of 12C (referred to as "carbon 12") and 1 percent of 13C (referred to as "carbon 13"). The difference between isotopes is in the atomic mass of the carbon atoms. The removal of just about 1 percent of carbon 13, also called isotopic purification, modifies the dynamic properties of crystal lattices and affects their thermal conductivity.

The importance of the present research is explained by practical needs for materials with high thermal conductivity. Heat removal has become a crucial issue for continuing progress in the electronics industry, owing to increased levels of dissipated power as the devices become smaller and smaller. The search for materials that conduct heat well has become essential for the design of the next generation of integrated circuits and three-dimensional electronics.

Balandin, who is also founding chair of the materials science and engineering (MS&E) program at UC Riverside, believes graphene will gradually be incorporated into different devices.

Initially, it will likely be used in some niche applications such as thermal interface materials for chip packaging or transparent electrodes in photovoltaic solar cells or flexible displays, he said.

In a few years, it could be used with silicon in computer chips, for example as interconnect wiring or heat spreaders. It also has the potential to benefit other electronic applications, including analog high-frequency transistors, which are used in wireless communications, radar, security systems and imaging.

Balandin and the following researchers contributed to the findings in the Nature Materials paper:

The team at UT Austin, which performed the isotopic purification of graphene, included Ruoff, Shanshan Chen, a post-doctoral fellow, Weiwei Cai a former post-doctoral researcher who is now a professor at the Xiamen University and Columbia Mishra, a graduate student.

The team at UT Dallas, who performed molecular dynamics simulations that compared well with the stronger thermal connectivity of the isotopically engineered graphene, included Kyeongjae Cho, a professor, and Hengji Zhang, graduate student.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - Riverside.

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

---

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/~3/jpuCiM4FO2s/120109102914.htm

music awards music awards giants eagles bcs rankings week 13 bcs rankings week 13 philadelphia marathon rhodes scholar

BreitbartVideo: Univision Introduces Us To Mitt Romney?s Cousins In Chihuahua, Mexico: http://t.co/8xD2NmqG

• Passer la navigation
• Twitter sur votre mobile ? Cliquez ici m.twitter.com!
• Passer cette ?tape
• Connexion

• Connexion
• Rejoignez Twitter !

Univision Introduces Us To Mitt Romney?s Cousins In Chihuahua, Mexico: bit.ly/yO2cAF Il y a environ 8 heures via twitterfeed

BreitbartVideo

Breitbart.TV

Pied de page

• ? 2012 Twitter
• ? propos de nous
• Contact
• Blog
• Statut
• Ressources
• API
• Entreprises
• Aide
• Offres d'emploi
• Conditions
• Confidentialit?

Source: http://twitter.com/BreitbartVideo/statuses/156985473275928577

beverly hills hotel tori spelling duke basketball brian williams patrice o neal patrice o neal paulina gretzky

Vincent Goodwill: In the NBA, contending is a matter of dollars and sense

Auburn Hills? Orlando Magic general manager Otis Smith sat in the expensive seats of The Palace, two hours before his team lost to the Pistons on Monday night.

As the man who's solely responsible for the future of the Magic franchise ? as in what happens with All-Star Dwight Howard and his impending free-agency ? Smith certainly didn't look like a man who had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Perhaps because he knew this day was coming. Every GM in the NBA, whether he runs a contender or one with a superstar, knows that payday is unavoidable.

Since the Golden Era of the 1980s, no one has been able to bypass this rite of passage. It's "The Price of Contention" and you can look all around the landscape of the NBA and see which stage various teams are in, as soon as after the season's first week.

San Antonio and Oklahoma City are at opposite ends of the spectrum, but at first glance, one would think they're on the same plane. Both are 5-2 and no one is surprised at either's start. But a closer look shows a far different picture.

The Spurs are on the back end of contention; not only are they paying for it, with a top-five payroll for a team that usually avoids the luxury tax like the bubonic plague, but no one seriously considers them a threat for a title.

Why? Because they're old. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have been great players for a long time, helping the Spurs to numerous title runs, but they aren't the threat they used to be, collectively and as individuals.

Duncan is perhaps the greatest power forward of all-time and has earned every dollar of his $21.3 million salary this season. But he's only averaging 11 points and six rebounds, hardly the standard he's set since entering the league in 1997.

Parker and Ginobili are closer to their respective primes, but were more effective when Duncan was the focal point of their opponent's attention. In the attempt to keep the run going, the Spurs have spent heavily on veteran free agents (Antonio McDyess, Richard Jefferson, etc). It hasn't translated into anything substantive, even after the Spurs had the best record last season. They were bounced by Memphis in the first round last spring and were swept in the second round by Phoenix two years ago. They haven't been real contenders since losing to the Lakers in the conference finals in 2008.

On the other side, Oklahoma City is on the way up, a favorite to make it to the NBA Finals this season. Kevin Durant led them to the conference finals for the first time since moving from Seattle after 2008.

The Thunder appear to have a bright future at the top of the food chain, with Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka in the fold. But other than Durant, all those guys have to get paid when their slotted contracts are up.

And whatever success the Thunder will have between now and then will determine how much those guys feel they're worth. Egos get involved, and Oklahoma City will be faced with breaking up a championship core or losing financial flexibility because they don't want to pay.

San Antonio didn't have a choice; they had to take care of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili for what they've accomplished.

Otherwise the franchise would've gotten a bad rap around the league for not taking care of its own, even if keeping them signaled the end of real contention.

Or they could've been the Phoenix Suns, a team that let guys like Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire walk via free agency and sold off valuable draft picks (Rajon Rondo) in the effort to save money. From those moves, you knew they weren't serious about winning.

They didn't want to pay "The price of Contention."

It doesn't take long to see which teams fall on what side of things. Either a team is competing to win a title or it's trying to rebuild. There's very little, if any, middle ground.

It's easy to see which side Boston and the L.A. Lakers fall on, or here in Detroit. Teams like Miami and, to an extent, Dallas will face that day very soon.

In today's NBA, teams with a bonafide superstar know it has around seven years to build a team attractive enough for a guy to stay onboard for the long haul. With the way the rookie contracts are set up, their first four years are essentially slotted, and until recently, there was no reward for outperforming a rookie deal.

That aspect usually works in a team's favor, as well as the player's likelihood to sign a short extension that carries him to his seventh season, after which the maximum salary ceiling raises dramatically.

In other words, teams know the clock is ticking. Taking calculated risks on free agents or making trades that affect potential championship chemistry is part of the game.

As I left from my short conversation with Smith, I realized why he looked so calm, even when most of us would feel like chaos is all around.

From the day Howard was drafted, Smith knew if Howard was as good as he'd hoped, payday was coming.

It's here, and it doesn't matter if Smith likes it or not.

vgoodwill@detnews.com

Source: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120106/OPINION03/201060427/1127/rss13

vanessa bryant vanessa bryant kurt busch kurt busch nfl mock draft 2012 adam lambert incendiary

Nigeria sect kills 15; Christians vow defense

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) ? A radical Muslim sect attacked a church during a worship service in Nigeria's northeast during assaults that killed at least 15 people, authorities said Saturday, as Christians vowed to defend themselves from the group's widening sectarian fight against the country's government.

The attacks by the sect known as Boko Haram come after it promised to kill Christians living in Nigeria's largely Muslim north, exploiting long-standing religious and ethnic tensions in the multiethnic nation of more than 160 million people. The pledge by the leader of an umbrella organization called the Christian Association of Nigeria now raises the possibility of retaliatory violence.

In the last few days alone, Boko Haram has killed at least 44 people, despite the oil-rich nation's president declaring a state of emergency in regions hit by the sect.

Speaking Saturday to journalists, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, vowed the group's members would adequately protect themselves from the sect. He declined to offer specifics, raising concerns about retaliation.

"We have decided to work out means to defend ourselves against these senseless killings," Oritsejafor said.

In Yola, the capital of Adamawa state, gunmen covered their faces with black cloth when they attacked Apostolic Church on Friday night, local police commissioner Ade Shinaba said. Shinaba said at least eight worshippers died in that attack.

At a nearby beauty salon, at least three others were killed in a similar attack.

"Three gunmen with their faces covered with black cloth burst into my salon and started shooting at customers, chanting, 'God is great, God is great,'" said Stephen Tizhe, 35.

Responding to the violence, Adamawa state Gov. Murtala Nyako ordered a 24-hour curfew through the rural state. The violence comes ahead of a planned gubernatorial election later this month.

In the town of Potiskum in Yobe state, gunmen set two banks ablaze with gasoline bombs, starting a gunfight with police that lasted three hours, local police commissioner Tanko Lawan said. At least two people were killed in the fight, he said.

On Saturday, sect gunmen also shot and killed two Christian students who attend the University of Maiduguri in nearby Borno state, local police commissioner Simeon Midenda said.

No arrests have been made in any of the attacks, authorities said.

The attacks came after gunmen claimed by Boko Haram attacked a town hall earlier that day in Mubi, Adamawa state, killing at least 20 people who had gathered for a meeting of the Christian Igbo ethnic group. On Thursday night, the sect also attacked a church in Gombe state, killing at least eight people.

In a statement Friday to The Daily Trust, the newspaper of record in Nigeria's north, a Boko Haram spokesman using the nom de guerre Abul-Qaqa claimed responsibility for the attacks in Gombe and Mubi.

"We want to prove to the federal government of Nigeria that we can always change our tactics," the spokesman said.

Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sacrilege" in the local Hausa language, is responsible for at least 510 killings last year alone, according to an Associated Press count. It has targeted churches in the past in its campaign to implement strict Shariah law across Nigeria.

The group claimed responsibility for attacks that killed at least 42 people in a Christmas Day strikes that included the bombing of a Catholic church near Abuja. The group also claimed an August suicide car bombing that targeted the U.N. headquarters in the capital, killing 25 people and wounding more than 100.

Nigeria's central government has been slow to respond to the sect. On Dec. 31, President Goodluck Jonathan declared regions of Borno, Niger, Plateau and Yobe states to be under a state of emergency, meaning authorities can make arrests without proof and conduct searches without warrants. He also ordered international borders near Borno and Yobe state to be closed.

However, the areas where the recent church and town hall attacks happened are not in the areas marked by the president.

Boko Haram promised to begin attacking Christians in Nigeria's north several days before the recent violence. The new killings have sparked fears among Christians living in the north about the group and caused some to flee. There also has been at least one report of retaliatory violence against Muslims living in Nigeria's mostly Christian south in recent days as well.

___

Associated Press writer Lekan Oyekanmi in Abuja, Nigeria contributed to this report.

___

Jon Gambrell reported from Lagos, Nigeria and can be reached at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-07-AF-Nigeria-Violence/id-c62275be02194dfda0a9b93acc63d923

space ball drops on namibia prometheus colts colts matt barkley melanie amaro x factor boise state