Wishing one and all a Happy ChristmasmdashJoyeux Noel and health and happiness in the New Year As I write Christmas carols are playing on KDFC the Bay Arearsquos local classical radio station. I look out the window of my apartment and see the lights of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate and Bay bridges in the distance and in the foreground Christmas lights on the houses in my treeli
Small hiccup
Plans all falling into place. Slight hiccup with the van being attacked by vandals resulting in a window being smashed. Now replaced so the van has one bright shining window. Must clean the others and get all looking spick and span. 3 sleeps now.
Thailand Laos and Vietnam in Three Weeks
Another Journey...Journal 2009 ThailandLaosVietnam 15 December 2009 Trip Dates 1216091709As I embark on another journey this time to Thailand Laos and Vietnam I am reminded of how many times I have journeyed somewhere even within to achieve or accomplish something. Sometimes the journey has been for the discovery of enlightenment other times for adventure sun or to help others
On the road again
We made it to Bali It was a long uneventful transfer 28 hours from the Chicago's Logan Square subway stop on the Blue Line to Life in Amed our hotel in Indonesia on the island of Bali. Our flight left at 1035 am for the 13 hour trip to Narita just outside of Tokyo. I was a little worried because we only had an hour between our arrival and our departure to Denpasar Bali. I relied on the
Part Two The Map Part Way in Cabal
Hope you like the following guide which selected from the other website by me but it's not my work Goldicq just give it a summary. It is a continuation of the last article on cabal alz.PiroruroHaukLehifee Hard to explain we hope our map helps you start and go to Piroruro after this on a plateau something like a little hill that have one entry only as you can see in the map you will f
Heading Back North
Well as much as we loved Queenstown and the southwest it was time to move on. Another early start heralded the beginning of our journey back up the Island. Our destination was the Scottish settlement of Dunedin and we were looking forward to it as it is known as lsquothe Edinburgh of the Southrsquo the original is one of Chrisrsquos favourite cities in the world. We followed the old gold
Rajasthan Tour
website httpwww.rajasthantourinindia.comRajasthan is the state of India which combines faces of different cultures colorful customs and famous for a glorious past for the kingdom in India. Rajasthan tour operator provides complete tour packages for tour and travel to souvenir Rajasthan during the tours India. Rajasthan tour packages lets provide to tourist have accommodationor stay options
UGG Bailey Button boots chocolate lapetus and contrast
Wool lining boots can exceed fashion so you don't want to choose between a comfortable and fashion. UGG snow button pele is a perfect combination of warm and style of the best example. Sleeve cuff or cancel the black chestnut Chocolate gray or sand sheepskin its simple and modern times button. In metal sign of pele version chestnut or chocolate lapetus and contrast lovely wool sheep. A ridge
Clinton Speech Signals Greater Emphasis on Human Rights in U.S. Policy
Freedom House applauds Secretary Hillary Clinton for her remarks at Georgetown University today on 'A Human Rights Agenda for the 21st Century.'
Republican Jim DeMint: Privatize Social Security
No Nuance from this Economic Conservative
Liberal Pundit Al Hunt reviewed South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint's new book, "Saving Freedom: We Can Stop America’s Slide Into Socialism" for Bloomberg. He wrote:
He’s a favorite of the grassroots “tea party” brigade and Fox News. His growing cult is such that party insiders even talk about him as a potential presidential candidate.
He also noted DeMint's flat tax approach, no bailouts stance and controversial advocacy of privatization of Social Security:
DeMint considers Social Security a “socialistic” measure and blasts the American Association of Retired Persons for promulgating “socialist solutions.”
“What’s the harm of your grandma getting a Social Security check every month from the government?” he asks in his book. “It seems harmless enough, but that check changes the relationship between your grandma and the government.”
In the interview, he talks of reviving President George W. Bush’s failed plan to partially privatize Social Security by having workers put a small percentage of the current levy in a personal savings account.
Democrat Gov. of Colorado who steered Stimulus $$ to his Law Firm badly losing Reelection bid
LR FOLLOW-UP STORY
Republican Scott McInnes now leads Ritter by 8
Tea Party supporter and backer of Colorado's Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) Scott McInnis now holds a comfortable lead in the Governor's race over embattled Democrat Bill Ritter. McInnis is a former 4-term Congressman who represented the Western Slope (Grand Junction).
GOVERNOR – COLORADO (Rasmussen)
Scott McInnis (R) 48%
Bill Ritter (D-inc) 40%
BACKGROUND: Original LR Story from July 11
Hogan & Hartson is Democrat Governor Bill Ritter's former law firm. They specialize in governmental and environmental litigation. Now, the Denver Post has learned that the Governor awarded a no-bid contract made available by Obama stimulus money to his former law partners.
From CBS News 4 - Denver:
Gov. Ritter Steered Stimulus Money To Ex-Employer
Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter has awarded some of the state's first stimulus money to his former employer in a no-bid contract.
Ritter hired his former law firm, the Washington-based Hogan & Hartson, in a no-bid contract to review stimulus spending, The Denver Post reported Friday. It said the firm was paid $40,000 in stimulus money through June.
The firm has responded to the allegations. Continuing:
Many of Hogan's lawyers are Ritter supporters, and two who work directly on the state's stimulus issues are contributors.
A managing partner for the firm, Cole Finegan, told the Post that the work was of "tremendous importance." Colorado was due to receive about $3 billion in stimulus spending.
RLC vs. LP
From the Editor:
Last week I received this nice note from a regular reader of the Blog. I'm not in the habit of posting "Letters to the Editor," but this one asked a very important question, that I wish to respond to for the benefit of all our readership.
Mr. Dondero,
I've been a fan of yours for some time now, and am curious--are you still actively involved in the LP, or do you believe that a libertarian's electability is better suited to the RLC? I am extremely intrigued by the RLC, and have doubts of my own about LP candidates' viability, especially with the electoral college structure. I would appreciate if you could share your personal beliefs on this.
D.H.
Millington, TN
Firstly, I'm a Lifetime Member of the Republican Liberty Caucus, having Founded the organization in 1990. But I'm also a dues-paying Member of the Libertarian Party and have been for over 25 years, on and off.
What I advocate in this regard? Be a member of both, and be active in both. Mostly the RLC is best for practical politics. But once in a while, like a special election, or an election where no Republican is on the ballot, the Libertarian Party serves a very useful purpose.
It's only about $60.00 a year: $30.00 to rlc.org, and another $30.00 to lp.org Too much dinero? Send one $30.00 for the first 6 months of the year, and the other one the other $30.00 the second half.
Another Democrat incumbent Bites the Dust…
Breaking out of Nashville...
Another Democrat Congressman has announced his sudden retirement. This makes the fourth Dem incumbent in the last few weeks to decide against reelection. Just last week Rep. Brian Baird of Washington State unexpectedly stepped aside, in a district (southwestern WA), that leans Republican. And the week before that it was Rep. John Tanner of Eastern Tenn.
From the Nashville Post Politics.com:
From Press Release: After more than a quarter-century of public service to his home state of Tennessee, U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon announced his plans to retire from Congress when his current term ends in 2010.
There really isn’t anyway to spin as anything but bad for Democrats. Whatever their reasons, the retirement of both John Tanner and Bart Gordon mean that only two years before redistricting the Democrats will have to defend two marginal seats that will likely be carved up anyway.
It had always been assumed that the GOP would flip the 5-4 congressional delegation majority for Democrats to at least a 5-4 Republican and likely 6-3 or 7-2 in 2012. It just wasn’t expected to happen in 2010.
Editor's Note - a special hat tip to our very high-placed GOP source in Washington, DC who sent to this to us early this morning.
WISE Launches!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Wow, the WISE spacecraft launched from Vandenberg AFB this morning. I posted the video in case anybody who wanted to see it could. I was busy trying to solve some stupid “crises” at work and missed it completely – the so called “crises” was some billing error that turned out to be nothing to do with me.
The launch was just the first mile stone for WISE, the second occurred shortly after the spacecraft separated from rocket, it oriented itself so the solar panels could soak up the sunlight it will need for power. Once that was complete, another 17 minutes passed and valves on the cryostat opened so the WISE instrument can cool down.
The WISE instrument must be colder than the objects it is observing and some of them can be very cold. So they use….get this…hydrogen ICE (!!!) for the cooling. Oh dear, we are looking at – 447 oF. WOW!
On another note, did anybody get to see the meteor shower? I am hearing it was very good. It was raining here, yeah rain. When the rain started the thermometer read 32 oF, not good, however we climbed to near 40 and right here so I am glad about that. I am going to try and watch tonight, but I’m not real hopeful.
Those hoping to read Marian’s response to the riddle, you need only to wait a bit longer. Don’t worry, it’s coming.
Tool-Using Octopus: Coconut Shells Become Body Armor | Discoblog
We should probably stop being amazed at the things octopuses can do and just accept that they’re just unfathomably cool (pun fully intended). Case in point: The veined octopus totes around coconut shells that it then hides in. Check out the footage, courtesy of Australia’s Museum Victoria:
In another video on YouTube that Ed Yong features in his post on Not Exactly Rocket Science, a coconut-clad octopus is strolling along the ocean floor on two tentacles and doing a pretty good job of disguising itself as a rolling coconut.
So what’s the big deal? Well, as Yong points out, the veined octopus uses the coconut shells as actual tools and is able to deploy them as needed. Unlike hermit crabs that live inside their body armor, the veined octopus only uses its armor when it senses danger. It’s able to seal itself inside a hollow coconut husk using its suckers to hold two halves of a shell in place.
Because it has the foresight to carry around the components of a make-shift panic room, this means the octopus is even smarter than originally believed. Scientists are now discovering that some marine invertebrates possess abilities once thought to be reserved for humans.
Related Content:
Discoblog: Pocket-Sized RoboClam Could Anchor An Oil Rig
Discoblog: Sea Section: Shark Bites Shark & 4 Babies Pop Out
Discoblog: Dolphins “Play Ball” With Jellyfish (As in, Jellyfish Is the Ball)
Video: Museum Victoria
With a Blood Sample & 20 Minutes, Nanosensors Could Detect Cancer | 80beats
In the not too distant future, testing for certain cancers may be completed in less time than it takes to watch an episode of Scrubs. A new portable device, expected to be about the size of a paperback book, works by detecting biomarkers in the blood, substances that suggest that a patient is diseased. The sensor, which uses nanotechnology, is so accurate that it could pick up a grain of salt in a swimming pool, claim the researchers [Telegraph]. With just a small amount of blood and 20 minutes, doctors can have an electronic read out of biomarker concentrations at their fingertips. The research, led by Mark Reed at Yale University, may lead to quick, easy, and low-cost cancer tests.
Reed says the technology would be ideal for measuring lung cancer biomarkers in a phlegm sample, or colon or ovarian cancer biomarkers in a blood sample, making their technology the first to measure biomarkers from normal samples of bodily fluids. Previous technologies work in much the same way, but can only detect biomarkers in purified solutions, not the real thing — meaning fluid samples from patients [U.S. News and World Report]. The applications aren’t limited to cancer biomarker measurements; the researchers say they could also measure cardiovascular disease biomarkers in small blood samples. The scientists have published their research in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
Related Content:
80beats: Nanoparticles + Stem Cells = Faster Healing Wounds
80beats: Golden Nanocages Could Deliver Cancer Drugs to Tumors
DISCOVER: The Era of Nanoparticle Drugs Begins With Erection Cream
Image: Mark Reed / Yale University
Astronomers add at least 4 new low-mass planets to their posse | Bad Astronomy
Astronomers announced today the discovery of at least four — and as many as six — planets orbiting two nearby stars. These planets are relatively low mass, ranging from 5 to 25 times the mass of the Earth. For comparison, Jupiter is over 300 times more massive than the Earth, and Uranus 15 times our mass.
Three of these extrasolar planets orbit the nearby star 61 Virginis, which is only about 28 light years away (that’s a stone’s throw in galactic terms). 61 Vir has been a target for planet hunters for some time because it’s very much like our Sun: while it has slightly less mass and is a tad less bright, its temperature is almost the exactly the same as the Sun’s. It’s about 6 billion years old, 1.5 billion years older than the Sun. It’s bright (easily visible to the unaided eye from a dark site), making it easy to study. It also has a very similar chemical composition as the Sun, which may be important in the planet-making business. And now we know it has planets! Little ones, too.
Here is a schematic of the system:
Inner planets in our solar system are shown with dotted lines, and the three 61 Vir planets as solid lines. As you can see, they all orbit closer than Earth does to the Sun, and the third one out has a fairly elliptical orbit. In order from their star, the planets have masses of approximately, 5, 18, and 24 times the Earth’s mass (they may be somewhat more depending on our viewing geometry, which is difficult to determine). They orbit 61 Vir in 4, 38, and 124 days respectively. While all of these are far more massive than the Earth, they represent big steps forward in finding more Earthlike planets, since they are in fact low mass compared to other planets found, and the outer one takes longer to orbit than usual as well.
Interestingly, recent Spitzer Space Telescope observations indicate a fairly hefty ring of dust around 61 Vir as well, at a distance of about twice the distance of Neptune from the Sun. This probably comes from collisions of comets and asteroids, meaning that this system 300 trillion kilometers away really does look a lot like our own solar system.
On top of that, another sunlike star, HD 1461, was found to have at least one planet orbiting it. The planet has about 7.5 times the Earth’s mass, and orbits close in, taking six days to circle the star once. There may be two other planets orbiting this star as well, but the signals from them are just a bit too weak to be sure.
All of these planets were found by analyzing the stars’ light and looking for a periodic Doppler shift. As a planet orbits its star, it in turn pulls the star around very slightly, and that can be seen as a teeny shift in the wavelength of the starlight. And by teeny, I mean really teeny; it’s only been the past 15 or so years that this method has been refined enough to yield results.
So this is very cool, and brings us another step closer to what we all really want to find: a terrestrial planet orbiting a star in an Earthlike orbit. That doesn’t guarantee life — heck, it doesn’t even guarantee the planet will look anything like Earth at all (just take a peek at Venus and Mars to confirm that), but this new discovery does mean that lower-mass planets are abundant in the galaxy. And that’s very cool news indeed.
Orbital schematic credit: Chris Tinney
CLEAR, a New Kind of Climate Bill
Sen. Cantwell
We have been waiting to read Senator Cantwell’s bill for a long time, and it’s finally been introduced. A newly introduced climate change bill would cap planet-warming emissions, but reduce the role of Wall Street in carbon markets. The bill would use a “cap and dividend” method to control emissions, and is described as more streamlined than the House’s cap and trade scheme.
This bipartisan bill “provides businesses and investors with a simple, predictable mechanism that will open the way to clean energy expansion while achieving America’s goals of reducing carbon emissions,” Cantwell said in statement.
For information on the CLEAR Act and a copy of the report on the dividend economic impact, see Senator Cantwell’s web site and see the legislative descriptions:
- One Page Summary
– Detailed description
- Legislative Text
Unlike the Waxman-Markey (ACESA) bill passed by the House earlier this year, financial speculators would be shut out of carbon markets created under new legislation, called CLEAR, introduced by Senators Maria Cantwell, a Democrat, and Susan Collins, a Republican. CLEAR stands for Carbon Limits and Energy for America’s Renewal. According to Cantwell’s website,
“The CLEAR Act would set up a mechanism for selling “carbon shares” to fuel producers and would return most of the resulting revenue in checks to every American. The legislation will achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 20 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050.
“Energy is a six-trillion dollar market opportunity, and green jobs can transform the U.S. economy,” Senator Cantwell said. “But we need a signal on carbon so that this can happen. This bill provides a simple approach to getting off of carbon and on to clean energy alternatives. The CLEAR Act provides businesses and investors with a simple, predictable mechanism that will open the way to clean energy expansion while achieving America’s goals of reducing carbon emission.”
Along with the legislation, Cantwell issued a report today detailing the positive economic impact of the dividends to be returned directly to consumers. According to the report, a typical family of four would receive tax-free monthly checks from the government averaging $1,100 per year, or $21,000 between 2012 and 2030.
Senator Collins said: “This bill addresses the most significant energy and environmental challenges facing our country. It would help reduce our dependence on foreign oil, promote alternative energy and energy conservation, and advance the goal of energy independence for our nation. Climate change legislation must protect consumers and industries that could be hit with higher energy prices. Such legislation also must provide predictability so that businesses can plan, invest, and create jobs. Finally, climate change legislation should encourage adoption of energy efficiency measures and the further development of renewable energy, which would spur our economy and job creation. The CLEAR Act achieves all of these goals.”
Cantwell and Collins highlighted the findings of a recent report by the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University School of Law that concluded: “carbon [...]
Southwest Nanotechnologies Recieves Two Prestigious Research Grants To Deveop A New Generation of Carbon Nanotubes
SouthWest NanoTechnologies Inc. (SWeNT), a leading manufacturer of single-wall and specialty multi-wall carbon nanotubes (CNT), has been awarded two prestigious grants from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST).
Nanolithographic technique allows multiple chemicals on a single chip
Scientists at Georgia Tech have developed a nanolithographic technique that can produce high-resolution patterns of at least three different chemicals on a single chip at writing speeds of up to one millimeter per second.