Monthly Archives: January 2014

Malone's Liberty Global said approaching deal to buy Ziggo

Posted: January 7, 2014 at 7:46 am

FILE -- John Malone of Liberty Global (John Leyba, Denver Post)

Liberty Global PLC is putting the final touches on an acquisition of Dutch broadband provider Ziggo NV as the cable company expands its European operations, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Liberty Global, controlled by Colorado billionaire John Malone, and Ziggo aim to announce a friendly deal as early as the middle of this month, and are hammering out a final acquisition price and other terms, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private negotiations.

Ziggo's shares rose 3.6 percent in Amsterdam to 33.77 euro, valuing the company at about 6.75 billion euro or $9.2 billion.

Outstanding issues include determining whether Ziggo chief executive officer Rene Obermann, a former CEO of Deutsche Telekom AG who started this month, will stay at the Dutch company if it is bought by Liberty, the people said. Liberty Global already owns about 30 percent of Ziggo, which it has gradually amassed. The companies are also discussing how to protect jobs once Ziggo's operations are combined with Liberty Global's existing Dutch unit, UPC, the people said.

Malone has built a European cable and broadband empire through acquisitions in countries including the U.K. and Germany.

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Between the Hashes: Florida State beats Auburn 34-31 in the BCS National Championship Game

Posted: at 7:45 am

Posted January 07, 2014

Youre a champion now, Jameis. Its OK. Let it all out. (Harry How/Getty Images)

Its the end of the BCS. Lets take a second to remember the good, the bad and the only in college football moments from the last 16 seasons. Pasadena delivered an unforgettable sendoff on Monday night, with Florida State edging Auburn 34-31 in a thrilling game that came down to the final seconds. With a slow burn through the first three quarters, this contest had a spacey feel to it. Then the beat dropped and all the beeps and bloops came raining down so fast that fans barely had time to keep up.

Here are a few awards and thoughts from Mondays wonderful game. Dont come down from that high too quickly. The crushing depths of the offseason will hit us all soon enough.

14-0:That was the record of teamsleading at the half in BCS championship games coming into Monday nights showdown. The Tigers led 21-10 at intermission, and the Seminoles appeared overmatched and confused. Things changed after the break, however, as Florida State chipped away bit by bit, slicing the score to 21-20 before Auburn kicked a 22-yard field goal with 4:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Then madness ensued. Levonte (Kermit) Whitfield broke free for a 100-yard kick-return touchdown to put the Seminoles up 27-24, and then Tigers running back Tre Mason scampered for a 37-yard score that temporarily looked like the game-winner.

It wasnt. Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston hit wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin from two yards out with 13 seconds to play, and the above stat went from 14-0 to 14-1.

Winstons game-winning touchdown pass narrowly beat out Whitfields thrilling return and Masons impressive touchdown run. Three plays in rapid succession, like some sort of Wagner-orchestrated crescendo.

Shout out to the special teamers. How important were the punts in Monday nights game? An Auburn punt pinned the Seminoles at their own two-yard line in the first quarter. A poor Florida State punt led to the Tigers first touchdown of the game. A successful fake punt gave Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher and his team new life late in the first half.

Auburn fumbled three kicks or punts and somehow recovered them all. Then, of course, there was Whitfields return, which reinvigorated Florida State, giving the Seminoles their first lead since 3-0 in the first quarter.

Kicking matters. Kicking is back en vogue. Wear it with pride and confidence.

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Between the Hashes: Florida State beats Auburn 34-31 in the BCS National Championship Game

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Between The Hashes: The good the bad and the ugly from FSU's national title win

Posted: at 7:45 am

Posted January 07, 2014

Youre a champion now, Jameis. Its OK. Let it all out. (Harry How/Getty Images)

Its the end of the BCS. Lets take a second to remember the good, the bad and the only in college football moments from the last 16 seasons. Pasadena delivered an unforgettable sendoff on Monday night, with Florida State edging Auburn 34-31 in a thrilling game that came down to the final seconds. With a slow burn through the first three quarters, this contest had a spacey feel to it. Then the beat dropped and all the beeps and bloops came raining down so fast that fans barely had time to keep up.

Here are a few awards and thoughts from Mondays wonderful game. Dont come down from that high too quickly. The crushing depths of the offseason will hit us all soon enough.

14-0:That was the record of teamsleading at the half in BCS championship games coming into Monday nights showdown. The Tigers led 21-10 at intermission, and the Seminoles appeared overmatched and confused. Things changed after the break, however, as Florida State chipped away bit by bit, slicing the score to 21-20 before Auburn kicked a 22-yard field goal with 4:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Then madness ensued. Levonte (Kermit) Whitfield broke free for a 100-yard kick-return touchdown to put the Seminoles up 27-24, and then Tigers running back Tre Mason scampered for a 37-yard score that temporarily looked like the game-winner.

It wasnt. Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston hit wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin from two yards out with 13 seconds to play, and the above stat went from 14-0 to 14-1.

Winstons game-winning touchdown pass narrowly beat out Whitfields thrilling return and Masons impressive touchdown run. Three plays in rapid succession, like some sort of Wagner-orchestrated crescendo.

Shout out to the special teamers. How important were the punts in Monday nights game? An Auburn punt pinned the Seminoles at their own two-yard line in the first quarter. A poor Florida State punt led to the Tigers first touchdown of the game. A successful fake punt gave Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher and his team new life late in the first half.

Auburn fumbled three kicks or punts and somehow recovered them all. Then, of course, there was Whitfields return, which reinvigorated Florida State, giving the Seminoles their first lead since 3-0 in the first quarter.

Kicking matters. Kicking is back en vogue. Wear it with pride and confidence.

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Between The Hashes: The good the bad and the ugly from FSU's national title win

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Best moments, plays, images from FSU's victory

Posted: at 7:45 am

Posted January 07, 2014

Youre a champion now, Jameis. Its OK. Let it all out. (Harry How/Getty Images)

Its the end of the BCS. Lets take a second to remember the good, the bad and the only in college football moments from the last 16 seasons. Pasadena delivered an unforgettable sendoff on Monday night, with Florida State edging Auburn 34-31 in a thrilling game that came down to the final seconds. With a slow burn through the first three quarters, this contest had a spacey feel to it. Then the beat dropped and all the beeps and bloops came raining down so fast that fans barely had time to keep up.

Here are a few awards and thoughts from Mondays wonderful game. Dont come down from that high too quickly. The crushing depths of the offseason will hit us all soon enough.

14-0:That was the record of teamsleading at the half in BCS championship games coming into Monday nights showdown. The Tigers led 21-10 at intermission, and the Seminoles appeared overmatched and confused. Things changed after the break, however, as Florida State chipped away bit by bit, slicing the score to 21-20 before Auburn kicked a 22-yard field goal with 4:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Then madness ensued. Levonte (Kermit) Whitfield broke free for a 100-yard kick-return touchdown to put the Seminoles up 27-24, and then Tigers running back Tre Mason scampered for a 37-yard score that temporarily looked like the game-winner.

It wasnt. Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston hit wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin from two yards out with 13 seconds to play, and the above stat went from 14-0 to 14-1.

Winstons game-winning touchdown pass narrowly beat out Whitfields thrilling return and Masons impressive touchdown run. Three plays in rapid succession, like some sort of Wagner-orchestrated crescendo.

Shout out to the special teamers. How important were the punts in Monday nights game? An Auburn punt pinned the Seminoles at their own two-yard line in the first quarter. A poor Florida State punt led to the Tigers first touchdown of the game. A successful fake punt gave Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher and his team new life late in the first half.

Auburn fumbled three kicks or punts and somehow recovered them all. Then, of course, there was Whitfields return, which reinvigorated Florida State, giving the Seminoles their first lead since 3-0 in the first quarter.

Kicking matters. Kicking is back en vogue. Wear it with pride and confidence.

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Best moments, plays, images from FSU's victory

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Chicago's ban on gun sales violates the Second Amendment, rules federal judge

Posted: at 7:42 am

Chicago'sbanon the sale and transfer of firearms was declared unconstitutional by a federal judge, saying that while the government has a duty to protect its citizens, it's also obligated to protect constitutional rights, including the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense.

A federal judge on Monday overturnedChicago'sbanon the sale and transfer of firearms, ruling that the city's ordinances aimed at reducinggunviolence are unconstitutional.

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US District Judge Edmond E. Chang said in his ruling that while the government has a duty to protect its citizens, it's also obligated to protect constitutional rights, including the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense. However, Chang said he would temporarily stay the effects of his ruling, meaning the ordinances can stand while the city decides whether to appeal.

The decision is just the latest to attack what were some of the toughest gun-control laws in the nation. In 2010, the US Supreme Court struck downChicago'slong-standinggunban. And last year, Illinois legislators were forced by a federal appeals court to adopt a law allowing residents to carry concealed weapons in Illinois, the only state that stillbannedthe practice. The resulting state law largely stripped city and officials of surrounding Cook County of their authority to regulateguns, which especially irked officials inChicago, where residents had to apply for concealed-carry permits through the police chief.

National Rifle Association lobbyist Todd Vandermyde applauded Chang's decision, saying the fact a federal judge appointed by President Barack Obama "ruled in favor of the Second Amendment, shows how out of step and outrageousChicago'sordinances really are."

Roderick Drew, a spokesman forChicago'slaw department, said Mayor Rahm Emanuel disagrees with Chang's ruling and has instructed the city's lawyer to consider options to regulategunsales.

"Every yearChicagopolice recover more illegalgunsthan officers in any city in the country, a factor of lax federal laws as well as lax laws in Illinois and surrounding states related to straw purchasing and the transfer ofguns," Drew said. "We need strongergunsafety laws, not increased access to firearms within the city."

Chang's ruling came in a lawsuit filed by the Illinois Association of Firearms Retailers and threeChicagoresidents. The judge notedChicago'sbancovers not only federally licensed firearms dealers, but also gifts among family members, all in the name of reducinggunviolence.

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Chicago's ban on gun sales violates the Second Amendment, rules federal judge

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'More free speech needed'

Posted: at 7:41 am

Australia's new human rights commissioner argues free speech has been pushed aside in favour of laws designed to stop people being offensive to each other.

The appointment of Tim Wilson, from the conservative think tank Institute of Public Affairs, is a deliberate move by the Abbott government to bring balance to the debate over individual liberty.

Attorney-General George Brandis, in making the appointment, described Mr Wilson as one of Australia's most prominent public advocates of the rights of the individual.

Mr Wilson says Australia's most fundamental human rights have been diluted over decades.

'Increasingly free speech has been pushed aside in favour of laws and regulations designed to stop people being offensive to each other,' he wrote in The Australian on Wednesday.

Mr Wilson blamed a steadily expanding corpus of anti-discrimination and defamation law, and the growing momentum towards restrictions on speech online.

As freedom commissioner he plans to reorient the human rights debate towards liberal democratic values and the philosophy of individual freedom.

Central to his plans will be to support a repeal of section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, used to successfully prosecute controversial conservative commentator Andrew Bolt.

'It is an unjustifiable limitation on free expression,' Mr Wilson said.

'The best way to undermine offensive or hateful language is not to shut it down, it is to challenge it, expose it for its flaws.'

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'More free speech needed'

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The Soap Company – "New Dark Age" (Feat: Lorraine Jones) – Video

Posted: January 6, 2014 at 8:50 pm


The Soap Company - "New Dark Age" (Feat: Lorraine Jones)
From The Album "I Keep Dreaming About You" Available NOW on Space Station Disco records. http://www.the-soap.co/2013/11/the-soap-company-i-keep-dreaming-abou...

By: The Soap Company

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The Soap Company - "New Dark Age" (Feat: Lorraine Jones) - Video

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Kerbal Space Program – Apex Aeronautics [.23] – Episode 3 SPACE STATION KSP – Video

Posted: at 8:50 pm


Kerbal Space Program - Apex Aeronautics [.23] - Episode 3 SPACE STATION KSP
This is the beginning of a new campaign I #39;ve started in Kerbal Space Program. I #39;m masquerading as Apex Aeronautics (a fictitious engineering company) led by ...

By: Shawn Miller

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Kerbal Space Program - Apex Aeronautics [.23] - Episode 3 SPACE STATION KSP - Video

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Orbital’s Cygnus Delivering New Science To The International Space Station

Posted: at 8:50 pm

January 6, 2014

Image Caption: The SPHERES-Slosh hardware used aboard the space station will help researchers study the movement of fluids in microgravity. The may assist with designing new, more efficient fuel tanks. Credit: Florida Institute of Technology/Dr. Daniel Kirk

NASA

Delivering ants to space, sloshy fluids for robotic satellites, a study on antibiotic drug resistance and other small satellites to the International Space Station can be a tough job, and now Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Va., can help carry the load. In its first commercial resupply journey after completion of NASAs Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program, the Orbital-1 mission will deliver some very interesting new scientific investigations to the space station.

Orbitals Antares rocket is planned to launch Jan. 8 from Wallops Flight Facility in eastern Virginia. Antares is scheduled to deliver the Cygnus spacecraft full of new research investigations, supplies and other space station hardware to the space station on Jan. 12.

One of the new research investigations traveling to the orbiting laboratory is the Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus Science Insert 06: Ants in Space (CSI-06). Students in grades K-12 will observe videos of these ant-ronauts recorded by cameras on the space station. The students will also conduct their own ant interaction investigations in their classrooms as part of a related curriculum. Educational investigations such as Ants in Space are designed to motivate budding scientists in primary and secondary school to pursue their interest in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.

The Ants in Space study examines the behavior of ants by comparing groups living on Earth to those in space. The idea is that ant interactions are dependent upon the number of ants in an area. Measuring these interactions may be important in determining behavior of ants in groups. This insight may add to existing knowledge of swarm intelligence, or how the complex behavior of a group is influenced by the actions of individuals. Developing a better understanding of swarm intelligence may lead to more refined mathematical procedures for solving complex problems, like routing trucks, scheduling airlines or telecommunications efficiency.

A second investigation launching with the Orbital-1 mission is the SPHERES-Slosh study. SPHERES-Slosh will use the existing space station facility of free-flying satellites known as Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (SPHERES). The goal is to look at how liquids slosh around inside containers in microgravity, showing how applied external forces impact the contents of those containers. The experiments simulate how rocket fuels move around inside their tanks in response to motor thrusts used to push a rocket through space. The study of the physics of liquid motion in microgravity is important because Earths most powerful rockets use liquid fuels to take satellites and other spacecraft into orbit. Having a deeper understanding of rocket propellants may lower the cost of industry and taxpayer-funded satellite launches by improving fuel efficiency.

A third investigation aboard the Cygnus spacecraft is a study of drug-resistant bacteria. Drug-resistant bacteria are of increasing concern to public health. As bacteria grow more resistant to antibiotics, there are less effective pharmaceutical treatment options for people with bacterial infections. Researchers for the Antibiotic Effectiveness in Space (AES-1) investigation aboard the space station look to determine gene expression patterns and changes using E. coli. This research builds upon previous space station investigations into drug-resistant bacteria, such as the National Laboratory Pathfinder Vaccine Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (NLP-Vaccine-MRSA) study of what is commonly referred to as staph infection.

The findings from AES-1 may help improve antibiotic development on Earth. Improving the efficacy of antibiotics and reducing their resistance to bacteria is a priority for health care professionals.

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A Missing Genetic Link in Human Evolution

Posted: at 8:48 pm

Mysterious episodes of genetic duplication in our great ape ancestors may have paved the way for human evolution

By Emily Singer and Quanta Magazine

SRGAP2: Whereas chimps and orangutans have only one, humans have multiple copies of the gene SRGAP2 which is believed to be involved in the development of the brain. Image: Dennis/Cell/Quanta

From Quanta Magazine (find original story here).

About 8 million to 12 million years ago, the ancestor of great apes, including humans, underwent a dramatic genetic change. Small pieces of DNA replicated and spread across their resident chromosomes like dandelions across a lawn. But as these dandelion seeds dispersed, they carried some grass and daisy seeds additional segments of DNA along for the ride. This unusual pattern, repeated in different parts of the genome, is found only in great apes bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and humans.

I think its a missing piece of human evolution, said Evan Eichler, a geneticist at the University of Washington, in Seattle. My feeling is that these duplication blocks have been the substrate for the birth of new genes.

Over the past few years, scientists have begun to uncover the function of a handful of genes that reside in these regions; they seem to play an important role in the brain, linked to the growth of new cells, as well as brain size and development. In September, Eichlers team published a new technique for analyzing how these genes vary from person to person, which could shed more light on their function.

Much about the duplication process and its implications remains a mystery. Eichler and others dont know what spurred the initial rounds of duplications or how these regions, dubbed core duplicons, reproduced and moved around the genome.

Despite the duplication-linked genes potential importance in human evolution, most have not been extensively analyzed. The repetitive structure of the duplicated regions makes them particularly difficult to study using standard genetic approaches the most efficient methods for sequencing DNA start by chopping up the genome, reading the sequence of the small chunks and then assembling those sections like one would a puzzle. Trying to assemble repetitive sections is like trying to put together a puzzle made of pieces with almost the same pattern.

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A Missing Genetic Link in Human Evolution

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