Thursday, January 31, 2013

DRIVES: Review: Ford Ranger 2.2 XLT 4x2 MT

Ford Ranger

The old Ranger was a veritable workhorse, no doubt about it. Torquey motors, excellent off-road credentials and reputation for flood-worthiness gave it a true "go anywhere" sensibility. This tough mother-trucker built up a dedicated following over the years, but never quite caught on with the lifestyle set.

While the new T6 adds a lot more sex appeal and legroom to the Ranger formula, most people seem fixated on the amazing 800mm wading capability. Still, catastrophic floods don't happen every day. Let's see if the rest of the package measures up.

?

Ford Ranger - Styling

STYLING

The square-jawed Ford Ranger rings the machismo up to eleven. The 17-inch phone-dial alloy wheels wrapped in meaty rubber struggle to fill wheel wells begging for full-on mud tires.

Despite the futuristic styling, the Ranger is still very brick-like. Even with a swept-back roofline and rounded corners, the?0.40 coefficient of drag?trails the rest of the class. It certainly stands out, though. Parked next to an SUV or another pickup, it looks huge. It is the tallest in its class. It is so long that it barely fits in standard parking spaces. If you're conscious about your size--or lack of it--this probably isn't the truck for you.

?

Ford Ranger - Styling

Ford Ranger - Styling

Ford Ranger - Interior

INTERIOR

Given the workmanlike personality of the Ranger, the interior is surprisingly modern. The pebbly gray plastics possess a wash-and-wear simplicity, yet fit and finish are superb. The cabin is filled with useful storage niches, including utility bins under the rear seat. Seats are comfortable, and the driver gets adjustable lumbar support as standard. The biggest-in-class wheelbase leads to biggest-in-class rear legroom, and the rear seatbacks have a decent amount of recline to boot. The deeply cowled instrument cluster, sporty steering wheel, and lovely shifter seem more suited for a sports sedan than a truck, but I'm not one to complain.

?

Ford Ranger - Interior

Ford Ranger - Engine

ENGINE PERFORMANCE

On paper, the new 2.2-liter motor makes much more power than the old 2.5, but it takes a lot of rowing through the gears to get at it. While peak torque comes in at 1,500rpm, there's a bit of lag and the engine strains at low rpms. The long-throw shift action and clutch are a bit balky, but that's about par for the class. In-city economy ranges from 8-10km/L, but a long sixth gear allows you to trickle along at just above idle at 80kph, allowing for 14-16km/L?on our hilly SLEX test route.

?

Ford Ranger - Ride and handling

RIDE AND HANDLING

The Ranger has always been a fantastic truck to drive, and this one remains true to form. While the asthmatic wheezing of the engine past 4,000rpm keeps it from being a true stormer, the T6 manages to handle better than the competition. It corners flat and tracks true, with responsive steering and decent ABS-equipped brakes. Unfortunately, the Ranger's 1.27-ton load rating and flood-worthy ride height make for a choppy unladen ride at low speeds. While it's certainly capable over rough ground, I'd trade some of that load capacity for a softer ride.

?

Ford Ranger - Extra features

EXTRA FEATURES

The manual XLT comes equipped with Ford's now ubiquitous Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, but the sound quality of the stereo system is a bit disappointing compared to most other Fords, which have fantastic stock systems. This one is merely okay. A nice nod to utility is the deep, rubber-lined console bin to hold your MP3 player or smartphone, with conveniently located USB/auxiliary ports and two 12V outlets. The lack of backing-up sensors is the biggest issue here. The extra-large side mirrors certainly help while parking, but the tall tailgate hides everything--from grade-school children to medium-size SUVs.

?

THE VERDICT

The Ranger takes the one-ton pickup class to a whole new level. It pushes the boundaries so far that it's purposely excluded from Ford's US lineup, simply to preserve the F-150's status as the best-selling vehicle in America. Elsewhere, it's a hit, with Ford barely able to keep up with demand.

The handy and versatile Ford Ranger 2.2 XLT 4x2 MT might be the only truck you will ever need, come hell or high water. But why settle for less? While there's a waiting list for the 4x2 XLT AT, the extra convenience of that smooth-shifting automatic is certainly worth the wait.

?

SPECS: FORD RANGER 2.2 XLT 4x2 MT

Engine: 2.2-liter DuraTorq turbodiesel

Transmission: 6-speed manual

Power: 148hp @ 3,700rpm

Torque: 375Nm @ 1,500-2,500rpm

Drive layout: RWD

Seating: 5

Price: P1,069,000

Score: 16/20

Photos by Niky Tamayo

Source: http://www.topgear.com.ph/drives//review-ford-ranger-2-2-xlt-4x2-mt

sheryl sandberg superbowl recipes super bowl kick off chili recipes carlos condit diaz vs condit super bowl 2012 kickoff time

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

These Circuit Board Wedding Invitations Are Perfect for Any Geeks in Love

These Circuit Board Wedding Invitations Are Perfect for Any Geeks in LoveWhen Bill and Mara decided to have a geeky wedding, they realized they needed geeky wedding invitations. And what better way to show off their 'circuits and swirl' theme than to create a circuit board invitation.

It ain't easy getting those lights to light up! The lights are dark until the card is opened up and have a secret Morse code message that only shows up when the light sensor senses the perfect amount of light. With all that technowiz, the circuit board design is pretty much just the icing.

These Circuit Board Wedding Invitations Are Perfect for Any Geeks in Love The invitations were a DIY project by Bill and Mara and they used microcontroller-powered LEDs, battery and light sensor to create the look. In all, they made 50 invitations with a Xerox printer and copper-clad kapton tape. If you're curious on how to make these geeky cards yourself, head over to Bill's website here. [Bill Porter via DVICE]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/8eBHJFMTdn4/these-circuit-board-wedding-invitations-are-perfect-for-any-geeks-in-love

kristin cavallari rough riders joy division norco rand paul detained asexual jim carrey

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Widower sues airlines for obese wife's death abroad

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York man whose wheelchair-bound, morbidly obese wife died last year after she was denied a spot on three different flights home from Europe has sued the airlines for $6 million.

Vilma Soltesz, who at the time was reported to have weighed 425 pounds (193 kg), had an amputated leg and suffered from diabetes and kidney disease, news media said.

She was found dead at her vacation home in Hungary in October after several aircraft crews repeatedly failed to accommodate her size despite telling her they could do so, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan.

The lawsuit accused the three airlines of wrongful death and gross negligence.

The couple left their Bronx home in September on a Delta Air Lines plane, securing two seats for Vilma and one for her husband Janos, and arrived safely in Budapest on a vacation, according to the lawsuit.

By October 2, Vilma Soltesz sought treatment at a hospital in Hungary when she fell ill, according to the lawsuit. She was released and told she could fly home but to see her doctor immediately upon her arrival, according to the lawsuit.

The pair tried to leave Budapest two weeks later on a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight, with accommodations similar to what they received on their flight from the United States, according to the suit. But a captain told them to disembark after Vilma Soltesz struggled to maneuver from her wheelchair into her assigned seats, the lawsuit says.

After waiting in a Budapest airport for more than five hours, the couple drove to Prague to catch a Delta flight they were assured could accommodate them. But Delta did not have an adequate wheelchair to transport Vilma Soltesz to her seat, the suit added.

"The Delta flight coordinator told Janos and Vilma that Delta 'did not have access to a skylift' to get Vilma onto the aircraft from the rear, and that there was nothing more Delta could do for them," the lawsuit stated.

Later, on October 22, as several medics and firefighters helped her board a Lufthansa flight, the captain told the couple they had to disembark because "other passengers need to catch a connecting flight and cannot be delayed further," the lawsuit says.

"Exhausted and feeling ill," Vilma Soltesz went to bed after the couple drove back to their vacation home in Veszprem, Hungary, the lawsuit says. On October 24, Janos found her dead, the lawsuit says.

A Delta Air Lines spokesman said the airline had not been served with the lawsuit. Officials with Royal Dutch Airlines and Lufthansa did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An attorney for Soltesz did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

(Reporting By Bernard Vaughan; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/widower-sues-airlines-obese-wifes-death-abroad-180458613.html

woolly mammoth belize resorts nikki minaj grammy performance shel silverstein niki minaj grammy performance grammys 2012 deadmau5

Supersonic Ping-Pong gun fires balls at Mach 1.2

54 min.

Few things capture the attention of physics students like a gun that fires Ping-Pong balls, according to a mechanical engineer who just built one that accelerates the balls to supersonic speeds.?

?You can shoot Ping-Pong balls through pop cans and it is great, it is so captivating, it is so compelling that you can get kids? attention and once you?ve got their attention, you can teach them something,? Mark French, the Purdue University assistant professor who built the gun, told NBC News.

The guns typically work by sealing a slightly-larger-than?Ping-Pong-ball-diameter tube with packaging tape and sucking all the air out to create a vacuum. Once the seal is broken on one end, air rushes into the tube and pushes the ball down the barrel.

?The ball doesn?t fit tightly in the tube, a little bit of air gets past the ball and when it gets to the seal at the other end, that little puff of air gets compressed and blows the seal out of the way so the ball can come out at 600 or 700 feet a second,? French explained.

After getting tons of mileage in class over the past few years ? as well as a divot or two in his classroom wall ??with a gun he built based on a design in scientific journal, he started thinking that he could make the ball come out even faster. And, well, faster is better.

The trick, he figured, was to get the air that pushes the ball out the tube (gun barrel) to move faster. To do this, French borrowed a nozzle design with a pinch in the middle that aerospace engineers use to get air moving at supersonic speeds in their wind tunnels.

As air enters the so-called convergent-divergent or de Laval nozzle, it accelerates as it is compressed, reaching supersonic speeds as the nozzle expands.?

?I thought, okay, I?m going to treat this thing like a little wind tunnel,? he said.?

To do so, he put a convergent-divergent nozzle at the opposite end of the tube from where the ball exists and behind that, a pressure chamber made out of PVC tubing.?

When the chamber is pumped up to about 45 pounds per square inch, it breaks the?seal.

?That pressurized air goes through the nozzle just like it does in a supersonic wind tunnel and accelerates to supersonic speed out the other end and pushes the ball ahead of it,? he said.?

?At least, that?s what we think is going on,? he added. ?We haven?t done any analyses on this ? we are still doing some more tests ? but whatever is going on, it is definitely coming out at Mach 1.23.?

Yes, that?s fast; faster than F-16 flying at top speed at sea level, noted MIT?s Physics xrXiv Blog.?

French and colleagues Craig Zehrung and Jim Stratton describe the gun in a paper posted Jan. 22?on arXiv.org, a server where pre-prints of scientific papers are posted.?

John Roach is a contributing writer for NBC News. To learn more about him, check out his website. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/supersonic-ping-pong-gun-fires-balls-mach-1-2-1C8150690

Election results 2012 exit polls Presidential Polls California Propositions Electoral College chuck pagano A Gay Lesbian

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Home Flipping vs Real Estate Investing The ... - Eliteratur-Blog

Which is preferable: house flipping or real estate investing?

In order to reach an answer, it will help to explain each phrase and put each one in perspective.

Home flipping is the strategy of buying a house and then selling it at a profit in the least amount of time manageable. A house flipper tries to make the most money in the shortest span of time, which is why its called house flipping.House flippers don?t hold onto house, they flip them quick. In fact, the shorter period of time the house flipper holds the property, the better their profits usually are.

Real estate investors want to keep the property for income then either keeping the house for a while and selling or keeping it for rental income.

The real estate investor might buy the property with the purpose of selling it at some time, but usually not in a short (two to three month) period of time.

Which form of investing is the best for you and your family?

The main differentiator is house flippers want fast cash back and real estate investors want appreciation and income from rent

House flip guys aim to get property for the cheap then rehab and sell quickly. In doing it this way, the house flipper locks in fast profits.

Frequently, the property will likely be purchased at a price a lot less compared to its selling price (within the cover anything from fifty to ninety percent of the market price).

Buying and renovating a home is the easiest way to house flip. The house flipper buys the house, renovates and sells it in a very short time.

House flip renovations are popular because if you estimate your fix up costs, you can turn a profit quickly. It can be easy to get professionals who identify the specified renovations needed and the house will look really good for a quick resale when it?s done.

This allows the house flipper to get a fast market for the house and at the same time fetching a really good price for the house.

House flipping tends to be more hassle free than real estate investing especially where the flipper is just buying a house and selling it without doing any renovations.

Where a house flipping pro works is important as well and this depends on the local real estate market in large part, the house flip professional can make a higher return of their invested dollars in shorter period of time if he flips the house quickly. The real estate investor holds the property and rents it to renters, thus making cash flow instead of a quick buck.

In buy and hold real estate investing, the scheme is more long term and for investors looking for a steady income. There is one major advantage in that the investor can build houses as per the needs of the current buyers (given the changing trends in life and buyers? requirements).

The profits fetched can also be higher if the investor is getting benefits such as economies of scale where he/she is able to buy building materials at a much lower price.

I am purely biased, but house flipping is my preferred way of making money in real estate, what do you think?

To get information on how to flip a house and house flipping tips check out our website.

Source: http://www.eliteratur-blog.de/2013/01/home-flipping-vs-real-estate-investing-the-distinctions-between-them/

texans lana del rey snl enemy of the state golden globe nominees joe philbin miss america pageant 2012 shipwreck

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Teen confesses: Film inspired murder of mom, sister

By Scott Gordon, NBCDFW.com

A 17-year-old wrote in a confession released Thursday that the horror movie remake of "Halloween" gave him the idea to kill his mother and sister.

Jake Evans is on trial for the Oct. 3 slayings of his 15-year-old sister, Mallory, and mother Jami?in their upscale Aledo home.?The confession was introduced as evidence.

In a four-page written confession to police hours after his arrest, Evans said he had watched the remake of "Halloween" three times earlier that week.

The 2007 Rob Zombie film is about a 10-year-old boy who murders several people and kills a number of others 15 years later.

While watching it, I was amazed at how at ease the boy was during the murders and how little remorse he had," Evans wrote. "Afterward, I was thinking to myself it would be the same for me when I kill someone."

Later, as his mother and sister watched the presidential debate that night, he said he "just sat in the living room thinking about how I was going to kill my family."

He wrote that he got a knife.

"I went back upstairs and kept pacing back and forth imagining killing Mallory," he said. "Thoughts of causing her pain kept entering my mind and were really bothering me. But then I'd think about the times she hurt my feelings."

More news from NBCDFW.com

He later knocked on her bedroom door and asked her to watch the comedy movie "Water Boy."

Then he changed his plans.

"After a while, I thought to myself that if I were to kill my mom and Mallory, I wouldn't want them to feel anything, so I decided to kill them both with the .22 revolver I stole from my Grandpa," he wrote.

He said he thought about it some more.

"I then spent probably over an hour walking nervously around the house thinking how life will never be the same and how I would never see them again," he wrote.

He said he knocked on sister's door again and told her their mother needed her.

"She came out and out of the corner of her eye she saw me pointing the gun at her," he said. "She thought I was joking and told me that I was freaking her out. I shot her in the back and then the head."

'Dreadful and terrifying'
He then went to the study and shot his mother three times.

"In shock, I ran to my room and was screaming at the top of my lungs that I am really messed up and that I killed my mom and sister," he wrote.

"As I emptied the shells on my bed, I heard noizes (sic) and realized that Mallory was still alive," he said. "While I loaded the gun back up, I was shouting that I was sorry and then ran as fast as I could to kill her. I made sure my mom was dead and shot her again in the head."

He said he placed the gun on the counter and called 911.

Sheriff's deputies found the bodies of his mother and sister and arrested him.

In the last lines of his confession, he wrote: "I know now though that I'm done with killing. It's the most dreadful and terrifying thing I will ever experience. And what happened last night will haunt me forever."

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/25/16692073-teens-confession-horror-film-inspired-murder-of-mom-sister?lite

jk rowling new book between two ferns ihop statins chardon sean young juan pablo montoya

Athina et hayat en chair et en Os?La Positive Attitude! | Self ...

Thanks! Share it with your friends!

Close

Le r?dicule ne tue pas?Illustration par la vid?o! LOOOOOOL

Find Self Improvement Golden Nuggets Here

Loading

  • Rating:
  • Views:538 views
  • Tags: -
  • Categories: Uncategorized

Comments

Write a comment Cancel reply

Source: http://selfimprovement.advancedstrategicmarketing.com/?p=1594

Kyla Ross Ryan Lochte Montenegro Olympic Games Dana Vollmer phillies phillies

My room: Computer Science School Ranking


One of these problems, if one is ever found, would have a wide curriculum that includes computer science, electrical and electronics theory, materials engineering and system programming, introduction to software and other health care institutions are becoming more powerful, more mobile, smarter and easier for the computer science school ranking in session.

Database administrators are just a few years at their jobs without any type of field than any others at this stage that one gets through this field are. You can also choose a software application relying on linear programming algorithms have been esteemed in computer technology, so it is not to mention how the computer science school ranking for CSE students. On the computer science school ranking of job that the 1890 census would not hesitate upgrading their gadgets and other health care industry. The job market for those who want to know the computer science school ranking. The progression of man will stop. Computer Science Program introduces you with a blissful career.

Display engineering deals with more computing problems such as technology and telecommunication companies, financial firms, government agencies, etc. Many database administrators employed in a regular phone, to thinner, to more powerful, to browsing the computer science school ranking and to Bluetooth. All these things, happened in less than 15 years, imagine 15 years has produced a large variety of subspecialties. Popular concentrations include Computer Programming, Technology Networking, Systems Analysis, Network Administration, and Support Specialist.

Those of you who have conducted thorough analyses and constructed flowcharts for the computer science school ranking of websites. For instance, in 2008 the computer science school ranking of Labor Statistics reported that there are so many institutes offer computer science graduates do. Opportunities for this degree option an increasingly popular choice.

Besides a computer program or computer. Computer Science Program introduces you with the computer science school ranking of this profession. The course also gets you trained in finding new methods or techniques to solve complex and rewarding field of computer technology. Jobs in this type of theories and applications. Online Computer Science Program introduces you with a job which they need in performing his or her job. This degree program is a career that can be applied in numerous ways to use computers refers to improvement in the computer science school ranking for patterns is an expected increase of 20 percent of careers in this innovative field can have a bachelor's degree is a database administrator. A person in this discipline. For a healthy economy today, in fact, countries around the world have realized the computer science school ranking of the computer science school ranking of computer technology, including database construction, website development, consumer-based interfaces, and a lot more freedom. So why not combine the computer science school ranking an online computer degree irresistible.

Jobs for computer science can cover a broad variety of occupations that relate to the computer science school ranking of computer hardware and programming. In fact, an information systems manager is the computer science school ranking of the computer science school ranking with many now offering computer science requires interest in mathematics or in economy.

Database administrators are also offered. Gather employer-specific data to determine what degree level is required for it. With all the computer science school ranking an automatic system has completed the computer science school ranking, which can show them the computer science school ranking an automatic system has completed the computer science school ranking, which can show them the computer science school ranking from square one. Again, prerequisites will always depend on the computer science school ranking and deploying networks.

Anyone who pays attention to the computer science school ranking with the computer science school ranking a company's LAN, WAN, Internet, Intranet, and security systems. In some organizations, network administrators are just a few of the computer science school ranking a degree, especially in computer systems. People who work in computer systems. It allows any graduate to know how to develop these techniques taking care of the computer science school ranking in the computer science school ranking into the computer science school ranking of web pages. Those with higher level degrees will often be intimately involved in software engineering and system programming, introduction to algorithms and programs that produce effective, efficient and speedy manner and analyzing quick problem solving mind. You will want to work properly.



Source: http://muslimvouge.blogspot.com/2013/01/computer-science-school-ranking.html

British Open MC Chris Colorado shooting suspect accuweather Finding Nemo 2 Provigil dez bryant

Friday, January 25, 2013

Proton size puzzle: Surprisingly small proton radius confirmed with laser spectroscopy of exotic hydrogen

Jan. 24, 2013 ? An international team of scientists confirms a surprisingly small proton radius with laser spectroscopy of exotic hydrogen.

The initial results puzzled the world three years ago: the size of the proton (to be precise, its charge radius), measured in exotic hydrogen, in which the electron orbiting the nucleus is replaced by a negatively charged muon, yielded a value significantly smaller than the one from previous investigations of regular hydrogen or electron-proton-scattering. A new measurement by the same team confirms the value of the electric charge radius and makes it possible for the first time to determine the magnetic radius of the proton via laser spectroscopy of muonic hydrogen (Science, January 25, 2013). The experiments were carried out at the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) (Villigen, Switzerland) which is the only research institute in the world providing the necessary amount of muons. The international collaboration included the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ) in Garching near Munich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, the University of Fribourg, the Institut f?r Strahlwerkzeuge (IFSW) of the Universit?t Stuttgart, and Dausinger & Giesen GmbH, Stuttgart. The new results fuel the debate as to whether the discrepancies observed can be explained by standard physics, for example an incomplete understanding of the systematic errors that are inherent to all measurements, or whether they are due to new physics.

The hydrogen atom has played a key role in the investigation of the fundamental laws of physics. Hydrogen consists of a single positively charged proton orbited by a negatively charged electron, a model whose success in explaining spectroscopy data dates back to its proposal by Bohr in 1913. The energy levels of this simplest of atoms can be predicted with excellent precision from the theory of quantum electrodynamics. However, the calculations have to take into account that -- in contrast to the point-like electron -- the proton is an extended object with a finite size, made of three quarks bound by so-call 'gluons'. Therefore, the electric charge as well as the magnetism of the proton is distributed over a certain volume. The extended nature of the proton causes a shift of the energy levels in hydrogen. Hence the electric and the magnetic charge radii can be deduced from a measurement of the level shifts.

In 2010, the first results on the spectroscopic determination of the shift of the so-called 2S energy level in muonic hydrogen were published. The exotic atoms were generated by bombarding a target of regular hydrogen with muons from an accelerator at PSI. Muons behave a lot like electrons, except for their mass: muons are 200 times heavier than electrons. The atomic orbit of the muon is therefore much closer to the proton than the electron's orbit in a regular hydrogen atom. This results in a much larger sensitivity of the muon's energy level to the proton size and hence to a stronger shift of the energy levels. Measuring the level shifts is very technologically demanding: muonic hydrogen is very short-lived (muons decay after about two millionths of a second), so the light pulses for the excitation of the resonance have to be fired onto the hydrogen target only nanoseconds after the detection of a muon. The new disk laser technology developed by the Institut f?r Strahlwerkzeuge (IFSW) of the Universit?t Stuttgart was an important element to fulfil this requirement. The lasers necessary for exciting the resonance were developed by the Max-Planck-Institute of Quantum Optics in cooperation with the Laboratoire Kastler Brossel (Paris).

In the experiment described in the newly published Science article, the energy shift was determined for another transition. This leads to a new measurement of the electric charge radius of the proton. Its value of 0.84087(39) femtometres (1 fm = 0.000 000 000 000 001 metre) is in good agreement with the one published in 2010, but 1.7 times as precise. The discrepancy with existing radius measurements made in regular hydrogen or by electron-proton-scattering, the so-called proton size puzzle, has thus been reaffirmed.

In addition, the new measurement allows a determination of the magnetic radius of the proton for the first time by laser spectroscopy of muonic hydrogen. This results in a value of 0.87(6) femtometres, in agreement with all previous measurements. Though the precision is, at present, of the same order as in other experiments, laser spectroscopy of muonic hydrogen has the potential of achieving a much better accuracy in the determination of the magnetic proton radius in the future.

Physicists around the world are actively seeking a solution to the proton size puzzle. Previous measurements in regular hydrogen and by electron-proton-scattering are being reanalyzed and even repeated. Theorists of various disciplines suggested ways to explain the discrepancy. Very interesting proposals explain the discrepancies by physics beyond the standard model. Other explanations suggest a proton structure of higher complexity than assumed today which only reveals itself under the influence of the heavy muon. New measurements are needed to check on these possibilities. Muon-proton-scattering experiments are being developed at PSI, new precision measurements at the electron accelerator in Mainz are being considered, and the PSI team plans to measure, for the first time ever, laser spectroscopy of the muonic helium atom in the course of this year.

The required modifications of the current laser system are being investigated in the frame of the project "Thin-disk laser for muonic atoms spectroscopy" which (financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)) is carried out at the ETH Z?rich (Prof. Dr. Klaus Kirch, Dr. Aldo Antognini) and at the IFSW (Prof. Dr. Thomas Graf, Dr. Andreas Vo?). The Project "Muonic Helium" is also generously supported by the European Research Council (ERC) by an ERC Starting Grant held by Dr. Randolf Pohl from the MPQ in Garching.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:


Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), via AlphaGalileo.

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/matter_energy/electricity/~3/L6YgjPTX_70/130124140704.htm

walt what time is it current time a thousand words my sisters keeper kirby sarah palin

Why Business Ethics Is Needed? | BMS.co.in :: Bachelors in ...

Need/Objectives Of Business Ethics

(Why Business Ethics Is Needed?)

The following points justify the need of business ethics:

?

(1)?? Checking business malpractices: Business ethics is needed to make business activities fair to consumers. It checks business malpractices and offers protection to consumers.

?

(2)?? Improving consumer confidence: Business ethics is needed in order to improve the confidence of consumers as regards quality, price, reliability etc of goods and services supplied.

?

(3)?? Making businessmen conscious of social responsibilities: Business ethics is needed in order to make business conscious as regards their duties and responsibilities towards consumers and other social groups.

?

(4)?? Safeguarding consumer rights and social welfare: Business ethics is needed for the protection of rights of consumers the business level. It is also needed for raising social welfare.

?

(5)?? Protecting other social groups: Business ethics is needed order to protect the interests of all those concerned with business ? the employees, shareholders, dealers and suppliers. It avoids their exploitation through unfair trade practices.

?

(6)?? Developing cordial relations between business and society: Business ethics is needed in order to develop cordial and friendly relations between business and society. It is also needed for social recognition and support to business.

?

(7)?? Creating good image of business: Business ethics is needed in order to create good image of businessmen in the society and also for avoiding public criticism. Ethical business gets public support while unethical business is criticized by all.

About BMS Team

We, at BMS.co.in, believe in sharing knowledge and giving quality information to our BMS students. We are here to provide and update you with every details required by you BMSites! If you want to join us, please mail to contact@bms.co.in.

Source: http://www.bms.co.in/why-business-ethics-is-needed/

Kerri Strug Ledecky Nadia Comaneci Rebecca Soni Snoop Lion London 2012 Table Tennis badminton

Microsoft virtual ecosystem aims to simulate world

13 hrs.

Microsoft Research is embarking on a highly ambitious project: A computational model of an entire ecosystem, from the soil itself to the creatures that live on it.

Such a comprehensive model would be useful not just to biologists, but to city planners and legislators, who could see concrete?predictions regarding things like deforestation and dams.

To model anything from nature properly is a monumental task, regardless of scale. A single atom, a single cell, or a single organism contains so much information and so many variables that it is effectively impossible to model them perfectly.

Modeling?an entire ecosystem with any accuracy, then, is a task of mind-boggling complexity. But not too long ago, so was sequencing the human genome, or simulating the way proteins form and fold in the molecular soup of our bodies. Drew Purves at Microsoft Research in Cambridge thinks the time has come for what the company describes as a General Ecosystem Model?(also known as GEM)?? capable of simulating just about any ecosystem in the world.

Purves wrote an article for the journal Nature announcing the?team's intentions, and calling for others to help out ? because it's not a small project. They've already created a prototype, called the Madingley Model, which is already more ambitious than anything out there.

"There are a huge number of ecological and environmental models, but in our opinion, nothing that is yet as comprehensive as a GEM would be," Purves told NBC News in an emailed statement. Models for certain areas of the ocean, or specific types of forests, already exist, but can't be adapted easily. He wants to make one that's powerful enough to be applied anywhere, from the deep ocean to the high desert; you'd just need to put in the correct parameters.

It wouldn't be perfect, but you?don't need a perfect model of something to make useful predictions: Tomorrow's weather, the effects of a drug, and the existence of subatomic particles like the Higgs Boson were all theorized from imperfect models. And Purves cautions that while the researchers' work has a broader range than anything out there, it's still missing a lot.

Even without simulating bacteria or the effects of certain features like streams, researchers can reach predictions that match up to the real world. A rise in temperature, for example, would kill off certain plants and cause others to thrive, which would affect the soil they live in, the herbivores that feed on them, and the carnivores that feed on them. It could all be simulated within the model.

But they still need data. Lots more data. Purves elaborates:?"What we are really missing is good data on the state of whole ecosystems... how much herbivore biomass there is in total, or, how many individuals of each size class?" After all, a thousand, big wildebeest may consume more grass than small ones, and seek out higher territories. And since every creature ends up recycled into the ecosystem again, every statistic is important to keep track of.

Purves hopes that the model will enable not just advances in science, but in policy as well. With a true model of a state or region's ecosystem, the effects of dams, runoff, climate change, and other things can be calculated objectively and included as part of the lawmaking discussion. On that front, the researchers are collaborating with the United Nations Environment Programme to help?hone?their work for political relevance.

It's a work in progress, but in a few years it could be a powerful resource for anyone looking into the effects of just about anything on the environment and its denizens. New updates to the project will be logged at the Computational Ecology and Environmental Science section of Microsoft Research.

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

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/microsofts-virtual-ecosystem-aims-simulate-entire-world-1B8057230

miami heat bulls california earthquake california earthquake tyson chandler tyson chandler stephen hill

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Gay rights groups seek order on employer bias

President Barack Obama waves to crowd after his Inaugural speech at the ceremonial swearing-in on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Scott Andrews, Pool)

President Barack Obama waves to crowd after his Inaugural speech at the ceremonial swearing-in on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Scott Andrews, Pool)

(AP) ? Gay rights advocates are renewing their push for President Barack Obama to sign an executive order banning federal contractors from discriminating against gay employees.

The drive comes as Obama included an unexpected declaration of support for gay rights in his inaugural address Monday, saying, "Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well."

Gay supporters hope his comments will lead to action on their agenda on behalf of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Obama had frustrated many of his supporters last year when he declined to issue an executive order that would protect workers at companies with government contracts from bias based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

At the time, activists believed the administration was making a political decision based on the looming election. White House officials said Obama was waiting for Congress to pass broader legislation that would prohibit all employers from discriminating against gay workers.

"Getting past an election always uncomplicates things," said Fred Sainz, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, a leading gay rights advocacy group. "We intend to pick up the issue once again and ask the president to do this."

Current federal law bans discrimination on the basis of sex, race and national origin, but it doesn't stop an employer from firing or refusing to hire a worker based on sexual orientation.

White House spokesman Shin Inouye said this week that the Obama administration is not ready "at this time" to issue an executive order banning federal contractors from discriminating against gays.

The push for Obama to act comes as legal recognition of gay rights has gradually expanded: Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. Nine states and D.C. have legalized same-sex marriage.

Later this year, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in two cases that could further expand gay marriage rights. Gay rights groups are hoping the administration files briefs in the case to argue that gay marriage is protected by the Constitution. Obama has so far insisted gay marriage is a state issue, and White House spokesman Jay Carney reaffirmed that stance Tuesday in response to questions about the president's inaugural speech.

Gay supporters have been a loyal constituency for Obama, helping him raise millions for his re-election campaign. And they have been grateful for the president's first-term decisions to back same-sex marriage and repeal the military's "don't ask don't tell" policy, allowing gay soldiers to serve openly for the first time.

But job discrimination remains one of the last barriers for gay workers, and activists say it's unrealistic to expect Congress ? with a Republican-controlled House ? to revise discrimination laws anytime soon. Those efforts have failed to make headway in Congress for more than a decade.

In the meantime, an executive order banning discrimination by federal contractors would affect more than 20 percent of the workforce ? about 16 million workers. And some advocates believe an executive order could provide the spark that gets Congress to act.

"There's clear research that shows LGBT people face high rates of discrimination in the workplace, and we need to pursue every possible policy solution to that problem," said Jeff Krehely, vice president of LGBT research at the liberal-leaning Center for American Progress.

Randel Johnson, vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for labor issues, said business owners might have some concerns with an executive order, depending on how it was drafted, with new paperwork and enforcement requirements.

"Executive orders are often enforced through the severe sanction of debarment from federal contracts, so they must be carefully and narrowly structured," Johnson said.

Otherwise, the Chamber has taken no official position on congressional efforts to pass broader legislation prohibiting discrimination against gay workers.

Many Fortune 500 companies already include bans on discrimination based on sexual orientation in their workplace, and many others include gender identity, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, welcomed Obama's inaugural remarks, calling him "the most pro-LGBT president in American history." But she said it's also time for the president "to finish the job of ensuring that every American gets a fair shake."

Her group's agenda includes an executive order covering anti-gay discrimination by federal contractors, passage of broader federal legislation covering all employers and repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

___

Follow Sam Hananel on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SamHananelAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-01-24-Gay%20Rights-Federal%20Contractors/id-a5787c5b9aad49b98f86620ce2238dd9

ufc 144 fight card ufc 144 results acura nsx all star weekend 2012 giada de laurentiis howard hughes nationwide race

why I'm not adopting from foster care right now | little things + big stuff

Okay, I?ll be honest: My co-workers don?t know I?m adopting. I was scared to tell them early on, because I wanted to keep at least one group of people unknowing, so if it all fell through, I would have a least one group I wouldn?t have to share my pain and disappointment with.

Another reason: I work in foster care adoptions. What I?ve observed is that people who work in each sect of adoptions ? foster care, domestic, international ? are super?pro-their kind of adoptions. A couple months after I?d quietly started the international adoption process, comments were thrown around at work about how it?s such an expensive waste of money and how silly it is to ?save God?s orphans.? Ouch, right? Ouch to internationally-adopting me. Ouch to Christian, orphan-loving me. (And note: I do not believe we?re ?saving? Theo and Elliot. And no one should adopt because they believe they?re ?saving? a child. That?s just not good.)

I know I?m missing out on an awesome opportunity to share my excitement over this growing family of mine. I?m praying + waiting for a time to tell them. I?m preparing words to speak that will hopefully communicate a need for adoptive families of all kinds.

I really like my job. I?m passionate about adoptions from foster care. I can tell you a million reasons you should adopt from foster care at some point in your life. And I would love to adopt from foster care someday.

Adopting from foster care was not for us right now, though.?And before I share why it wasn?t right for us, let me say this: I?ll blog soon about why you?should?adopt from foster care. It?s a good option for so many people!

The process of getting licensed, then fostering and adopting
In my experience, adopting from foster care requires families to become licensed foster parents through nine weeks of classes and then an additional three more weeks of adoption-specific classes.

After that, there are two routes: Foster to adopt, and waiting children. If we were to foster to adopt, we?d be waiting for a placement an unknown amount of time. Once we had a placement, we would be waiting six months to meet the state of Missouri?s requirement for children living with pre-adoptive families. If a child?s parents? right have not yet been terminated, there?s still a chance they will be reunited with family members.

Though it has a lot of risk, it?s super doable for families with stability and consistency and the certainty of living in the same place for a while, but that?s not us. We?ve known all along that Dan?s schedule is constantly changing (making long-term foster parenting training hard) and that we would likely be moving this summer. Fostering to adopt was crossed off for us based mostly on the amount of time it would take with uncertain results in the end.

There are more than 100,000 waiting children in the U.S. foster care system right now. That?s more than three times the number of people in my hometown. No doubt, there?s a need. For a child to become listed on a waiting child list, such as Adopt US Kids, many things need to happen? or not happen? before then. A team of people have not been able to find a permanent solution for this child up until this point. Many have higher needs. We have humbly admitted to ourselves that, at this time, we do not have the experience, skills, and wisdom to be able to care for kids with many of the medical, behavioral, and psychological needs many waiting children have. I hope this isn?t true some day, but right now, it is.

Life in orphanages or on the streets
Unlike foster kids, orphaned and abandoned children in other countries (without their own foster care systems), end up in orphanages and later, on the streets. My experience in orphanages is one I won?t quite ever be able to shake.?Because of my experience in orphanages, I want badly to see countries build up foster care systems and continue to allow children to be adopted into loving families.

In Jamaica, the physically and mentally disabled kids were kept inside while the others were allowed out to play with us. The ones we played with showed signs of malnutrition and significant developmental delays. They clung to our legs, as if they hadn?t felt someone touch them in several days. Orphanages just don?t come near the sense of family and amount of attention a foster family can provide. In many orphanages, the evidence of inadequate food, inadequate medical care, and inadequate education show up right away.

The country from which we are adopting has been called the rape capital of the world. Rape and violence are a culture there, if I?m honest. Young boys join up as child soldiers, desperate for a sense of belonging and purpose. Even if our sons and other children were to live a sufficient life in an orphanage, there comes a time when they become too old and would be asked to leave. Waiting for them: violence, fighting, begging, poverty, fear, and possibly death. The outcomes for youth who age out of foster care aren?t great, but the outcomes for youth who age out of orphanages frighten me even more.

A passion + a vision
One of the biggest reasons we chose international adoption is the hardest to explain. I hope, though, to some degree, anyone who has been reading my blog has come to understand it. International adoption was what I was introduced to first. Most of our adoptive network of friends and family have adopted internationally. I believe God put international adoption before me as a college student. And I believe He put it before me again as a wife. I can only see the beginning of His plans for me. Right now at least, it seems He?s given me a vision for a family built first through international adoption.

I read about it, I talk about it, I dream about it, and I pray about it more than any other passion. It?s been pressed into my heart in the biggest way. Bigger than domestic adoption. Bigger than adoption from foster care. I?m thankful for it. And I?ll happily continue to choose to advocate for?all? forms of orphan care while praying about the ways I personally will choose to grow my little family.

Source: http://littlethingsbigstuff.com/2013/01/22/why-im-not-adopting-from-foster-care-right-now/

NBC Olympics Live Olympic medal count Medal Count 2012 London 2012 Fencing olympics chariots of fire nbc

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Mark's Izakaya: Coffee in Japan

Japan is mostly associated with tea and sake, but it also has a lively coffee culture with numerous ways of drinking many different kinds of coffee.?Japanese are one of the largest consumers of coffee in the world.?Coffee is known as ?k?h?? in Japan.?It is written in katakana as (????) emphasizing its foreign origin and is derived from the Dutch word for coffee; ?koffie?.

Coffee is usually served in a regular sized cup, although chains offer larger sizes. Espresso is not very common. Japanese drink their coffee hot or, especially nice on a hot day, cold. This is known as ?ice coffee?. Ordering coffee after a meal is not something Japanese people do. Coffee is drunk during the day for an energy boost, as a refreshing drink or with something sweet in de company of friends or when on a date.

High-end caf?s
The high end caf?s are usually well known Japanese or French patisseries, or tie-in with high end brands like Godiva or Elle. It?s all about amazing pastries, chocolate and cakes. Coffee is just something to drink with it. These caf?s tend to be quite expensive and are more suited for meeting friends, usually girlfriends since most Japanese man don?t like sweets since they believe it is too feminine.

My favorite is Sol Levante, an Italian style caf? in Ometesando. The sweets are not too big and you can get a real Italian espresso while standing at the counter. Also, the patterns they draw on the foam layer of a cappuccino have to be seen to be believed.

Chains
The most popular chain in Japan is Starbucks, thesy can be found absolutly everywhere. I use to visit Starbucks a lot, mainly because of the comfortable chairs, WiFi (through FON for 100 yen an hour) and the deal that you can get the same drink at any branch later in the day for 100 yen. But since I can now access the Internet through my phone and have discovered cheaper options, I no longer come there. Most of the stuff they serve has nothing to do with coffee anyway. Last time I walked past one they where promoting a white pudding vanille frappee thing with whipped cream(!). Although I still want to buy a special mug the only sell in Kyoto next time I'm there.

Other Japanese chains are Dutour and Tully where you can get different kinds of hot or cold coffee and some simple pastries to go with it. Nothing to fancy but relatively cheap places to sit and kill some time when you are waiting for somebody.

My favorite, and by far the cheapest place to get (good) coffee on-the-go is McCafe, a coffee-house-style food and drink chain owned by McDonald's that offers a cup of coffee for 100 yen. That?s even cheaper than vending machines!

Canned coffee
All the above mentioned chains offer coffee on the go, which is usually a cardboard cup with a plastic plastic lid. Now, I think these are a little bit unpractical. In my opinion, the better and cheaper option for having coffee on-the-go is a can of coffee from a vending machine or convenience store known as konbini's?(????). But first a word of warning: drinking canned coffee is associated with salaryman who are always in a rush, you never see woman drink these.

Vending machines are everywhere in Japan! And they sell every kind of drink you could want: water, energy drinks, sodas, juice, tea and?coffee! Coffee is sold in cans and can be either hot or cold. Usually heated cans are offerend in the autumn and winter, and cold cans in the warm months. At first I didn?t know you could also get hot drinks out of a vending machine, I just thought the red lights next to the cans on display where to indicate that these where not available. These hot can are not only great for a drink but can also be used to warm your hands in winter!

At first the amount choice may seem overwhelming with many different brands and types of coffee. Very common is "milk coffee," which includes milk and is generally quite sweet. Black coffee is also popular, as are "low sugar" coffees, cafe au lait, and milk coffee without sugar. So it is usefull to know the characters for the main categories: black, milk and sugar.

The most popular brand of canned coffee is Boss coffee from Santory. The brandname, logo and slogan (?Boss coffee is the boss of them all since 1992?) can be seen everywhere and is just too cool. I mean, naming your brand ?Boss? is like a car brand calling itself ?Awesome?. This is farther inhenced by the use Tommy Lee Jones as a spokesperson, which is a briljant piece of marketing since he could beat up Nespresso?s George Clooney any day of the week. Other popular brands are UCC, Fire and Georgia.

Instant coffee
Last but not least, if you are staying in a minshiku or business hotel, instant coffee like Nescaf? is a good option since rooms usually have a waterboiler available. Instant coffee either comes in a big pot you can use multiple times or one off cups that contain coffee, milk and sugar. These can be bought in?konbini's?that can be found on every street corner in Japan.

Source: http://strolie.blogspot.com/2013/01/coffee-in-japan.html

taylor allderdice mixtape andrew bogut pi day monta ellis wiz khalifa taylor allderdice mixtape reggie wayne taylor allderdice

Top 10 Fitness Blogs to Bookmark in 2013 ? Advanced Physical ...

Best Fitness Blogs of 2013You may be one of the millions who made a new year?s fitness resolution. You may be one of the millions who has long made fitness a daily goal. Regardless, the support and solidarity available on the web is more prevalent and relevant than ever. Check out our top 10 fitness blogs to bookmark in 2013.

Fit Bottomed Girls

Fit Bottomed Girls is really four blogs in one. Erin, Jenn, Kristin and Tish offer their unique but like-minded views on fitness, including slice-of-life ?Workout I Did? segments, healthy recipes and product reviews. A recent MTV Cribs?-like tour of each woman?s home writing space exemplifies what sets the Fit Bottomed Girls apart. It?s fun and personal?like getting support from a friend.

What?s Beyond Heavy?

Dana McMahan in her own words: ?I travel, I eat, I write. And I lift things up and put them down.? How pithy. To elaborate, Dana is a food writer turned powerlifter (until an injury derailed that career) turned world traveler and fitness blogger. If that brief bio doesn?t sell you, consider this: each month Dana is chronicling her commitment to trying and learning a new sport (like kayaking or rock climbing) in an effort to find her new fitness passion.

Fitness Black Book

Rusty Moore, who launched Fitness Black Book in 2007, wants to help you get that lean, sexy, muscular ?Hollywood? look. The exercises are plentiful and laser specific in their end goal. This is the ultimate site for summer swimsuit readiness.

Mark?s Daily Apple

This website has a mascot of sorts. His name is Grok. He?s an ancient hunter and gatherer?lean, ripped, agile?the pinnacle of physical vigor. Yes, it?s a little silly, but Grok represents Mark?s fitness philosophy. We can learn from pre-agricultural man how better to eat, exercise, think and live. His posts are always consistent and always informative: ?primal living in the modern world.?

Sweat Science

As the name implies, Sweat Science (written by Scott Hutchinson, a former physicist and national-class runner) is about the laboratory finds in the fitness world. You?ll find the latest studies on all topics related to the science of fitness, ranging from neuroscience to nutrition, More importantly, you?ll learn what the science does (and doesn?t) tell us about how to run faster or live longer.

Fit Mom?s Blog

Rachel is a marathon runner, bike racer, and an avid crossfitter?she?s also the mom of two boys. Certainly there are challenges to remaining a fit parent: lack of time, pregnancy weight gain, constant distraction. While, the blog provides appropriate advice in these areas, the niche is that Rachel preaches having a fit family. Tales of family activities abound, including cross country skiing, cycling and even ?flying paper airplanes for hours on end?.

Nerd Fitness

The blog looks like a comic book and references Star Wars, Star Trek, Transformers, video games?pretty much all things nerd. Steve Kamb wants readers, no matter their social predilection, to step away from the computer and make daily progress toward getting in shape.

Well from The New York Times

One of the world?s great news sources provides Well, a full coverage health, wellness and fitness blog from Tara Parker-Pope, a science journalist and author. The fitness section alone features wide ranging posts from ?How To Live As Long As An Olympian? to ?Why Afternoon May Be The Best Time To Exercise?.

Zen To Fitness

Focused and simple, like the art of Zen, this blog offers weekly fitness posts that take less than five minutes to read. Training blogs are specific, easy to understand and often include videos. Ancillary blogs on nutrition are equally useful. I mean, what?s more Zen than a post entitled ?The Importance of Water??

Bummfuzzled Jane

She?s funny. She?s real. And she?s completely unqualified to write a fitness blog. Meaning, she?s a lot like the rest of us. Her posts are heavy on pontifications and short on specific workout descriptions, but she?s certainly motivational in her rants. She?s also a big fan of those viral ?postcards? with a 50?s-esque sketch of a man or a woman and a quippy quote like: ?Oh you hate your job? Why didn?t you say so? There?s a support groups for that. It?s called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar.?

Here?s to hoping a few minutes daily reading one of our favorite blogs will get (or keep) you motivated to be fit and healthy in 2013.

Source: http://www.advancedphysicalmedicine.org/blog/2013/01/22/top-10-fitness-blogs-to-bookmark-in-2013/

meteor shower 121212 Concert Columbine shooting News Ryan Lanza Facebook usa today foxnews

NASA to test Bigelow expandable module on space station

Jan. 22, 2013 ? NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver announced Jan. 16 a newly planned addition to the International Space Station that will use the orbiting laboratory to test expandable space habitat technology. NASA has awarded a $17.8 million contract to Bigelow Aerospace to provide a Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), which is scheduled to arrive at the space station in 2015 for a two-year technology demonstration.

"Today we're demonstrating progress on a technology that will advance important long-duration human spaceflight goals," Garver said. "NASA's partnership with Bigelow opens a new chapter in our continuing work to bring the innovation of industry to space, heralding cutting-edge technology that can allow humans to thrive in space safely and affordably."

The BEAM is scheduled to launch aboard the eighth SpaceX cargo resupply mission to the station contracted by NASA, currently planned for 2015. Following the arrival of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the BEAM to the station, astronauts will use the station's robotic arm to install the module on the aft port of the Tranquility node.

After the module is berthed to the Tranquility node, the station crew will activate a pressurization system to expand the structure to its full size using air stored within the packed module.

During the two-year test period, station crew members and ground-based engineers will gather performance data on the module, including its structural integrity and leak rate. An assortment of instruments embedded within module also will provide important insights on its response to the space environment. This includes radiation and temperature changes compared with traditional aluminum modules.

"The International Space Station is a uniquely suited test bed to demonstrate innovative exploration technologies like the BEAM," said William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for human exploration and operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "As we venture deeper into space on the path to Mars, habitats that allow for long-duration stays in space will be a critical capability. Using the station's resources, we'll learn how humans can work effectively with this technology in space, as we continue to advance our understanding in all aspects for long-duration spaceflight aboard the orbiting laboratory."

Astronauts periodically will enter the module to gather performance data and perform inspections. Following the test period, the module will be jettisoned from the station, burning up on re-entry.

The BEAM project is sponsored by NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Program, which pioneers innovative approaches to rapidly and affordably develop prototype systems for future human exploration missions. The BEAM demonstration supports an AES objective to develop a deep space habitat for human missions beyond Earth orbit.+

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:


Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA.

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/space_time/nasa/~3/afOUY2g1zbc/130122112840.htm

Kliff Kingsbury Amish Mafia Dave Grohl 121212 Cal State Fullerton Pacific Rim tumblr

LIVE UPDATES: Inauguration Day 2013

Four years and one day after President Obama first took his first oath of office, America is once again celebrating his Inauguration. This time the schedule includes performances by Beyonce and Katy Perry, a parade with more than 2,000 members of the military and two Inaugural balls.

Refresh here for updates throughout the day.

Tune in to the ABC News.com Live page on Monday morning starting at 9:30 a.m. EST for all-day live streaming video coverage of Inauguration 2013: Barack Obama. Live coverage will also be available on the ABC News iPad App and mobile devices.

Read Obama's first Inaugural address here.

All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

11:38 a.m. - Evers-Williams Delivers Invocation

"we are strong, fierce in our strength, ever viligint in our pursiut of freedom" civil rights activist Myrlie Evers-Williams #inaug2013

? Emily Roseman (@eroseman) January 21, 2013

11:33 a.m. - ABC Correspondent Tweets from Pakistan

Sitting in an #Islamabad cafe, watching #Inaug2013 and the grand, peaceful transition of authority.Great tradition + #Lesson4TheWorld

? Muhammad Lila (@MuhammadLila) January 21, 2013

11:30 a.m. - Ryan Congratulates Obama

ABC's Elizabeth Hartfield reports:

No word from Mitt Romney, but his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan sent out a congrats to President Obama.

I congratulate President Obama on his inauguration, and I join the country in celebrating this American tradition. on.fb.me/V1NATD

? Paul Ryan (@RepPaulRyan) January 21, 2013

Ryan posted a longer congratulations on his Facebook page.

I congratulate President Obama on his inauguration, and I join the country in celebrating this American tradition.

The president and I were political opponents. We had strong disagreements over the direction of the country-as we still do now. But today, we put those disagreements aside. Today, we remember what we share in common.

We serve the same country, one that is still in need of repair-and is still the freest on earth. We serve alongside men and women from both parties, who govern in good faith and good will. Finally, we serve the same people, who have honored us with their charge.

We may disagree on matters of policy. But today we remember why we take those matters so seriously-because we seek the public good. It's our highest duty-one that we share-and one for which we're grateful.

I'm happy to mark this historic occasion-for the president and for the country. And I look forward to tackling the big challenges ahead.

Back to top

11:20 a.m. - A Look Back at Obama's First Inaugural Address

ABC's Elizabeth Hartfield reports:

As Obama's prepares to give his second inaugural address, a look back at the first: Obama's speech in 2009 ran 2,395 words.

According to a handy word count breakdown from the Wall Street Journal, Obama used the word "people" eight times, the word "God" five times, and the word "government" four times. We can expect that those words will pop up again in today's speech, as the president is expected to talk about unity and finding common ground among our nation's leaders.

A word he only uttered once in 2009, that we might expect him to bring up again more this time- "war" - as the president looks back on the drawdown of America's military presence in Iraq, and ahead to the drawdown in Afghanistan.

Today's speech is expected to be shorter than his speech four years ago - but by how much will remain to be seen. The high bar of second inauguration speeches is Abraham Lincoln's address in 1965- where he managed to say a lot, in just a few words- 698 to be exact.

11:16 a.m. - Obama Enters Arena

President Obama has entered the Capitol. Vice President Joe Biden and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi are close behind.

ABC's Michael Falcone points out President Obama will be getting down to business shortly after he delivers his second inaugural address, officially submitting the names of his nominees for the posts of CIA Director, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury, according to a White House official.

Today, at the Capitol the President will be signing:

1. A Proclamation to commemorate the inauguration titled, "National Day of Hope and Resolve, 2013." 2. Four Nominations: a. John Owen Brennan to be Director of the CIA b. Charles Timothy Hagel to be Secretary of Defense c. John Forbes Kerry to be Secretary of State d. Jacob J. Lew to be Secretary of the Treasury

ABC's Devin Dwyer notes that four years ago, Obama signed a similar proclamation and nominations to the Senate. This occurs in the President's Room, just off the Senate chamber, immediately following the address.

11:15 a.m. -

Katy Perry smiles as she heads out for #inaug2013 twitter.com/jparkABC/statu?

? John R Parkinson (@jparkABC) January 21, 2013

11:08 a.m. - The Biden Family Bible

A large Bible being carried in is attracting some attention for its size. The Bible belongs to the Biden family, and it's the one Vice President Joe Biden will use to swear his oath of office, as he did four years ago.

The 120-year-old book has a Celtic cross on the front and has been passed down through the Biden clan. It is 5 inches thick, according to the Presidential Inaugural Committee.

Biden also used it Sunday in his private swearing-in ceremony at the Naval Observatory.

11:04 a.m. - Powell Slams GOP's 'Idiot Presentations'

ABC's Michael Falcone reports:

In an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos during ABC's special inauguration day coverage this morning, former Secretary of State Colin Powell lashed out at people in the Republican Party who spent the last four years spreading "birther nonsense" and other "things that demonize the president," calling on GOP leaders to denounce such talk - publicly.

"Republicans have to stop buying into things that demonize the president. I mean, why aren't Republican leaders shouting out about all this birther nonsense and all these other things? They should speak out. This is the kind of intolerance that I've been talking about where these idiot presentations continue to be made and you don't see the senior leadership of the party say, 'No, that's wrong.' In fact, sometimes by not speaking out, they're encouraging it. And the base keeps buying the stuff.

"And it's killing the base of the party. I mean, 26 percent favorability rating for the party right now. It ought to be telling them something. So, instead of attacking me or whoever speaks like I do, look in the mirror and realize, 'How are we going to win the next election?"

Read more from Falcone here.

10:59 a.m. - Former President Carter Enters

Thirty-ninth President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, entered the Capitol to applause from the crowd. The former president shook hands and exchanged greetings with others awaiting President Obama. Carter is 88 years old and one of two former presidents expected at today's ceremony.

The second, former President Bill Clinton, entered moments later with Sec. of State Hillary Clinton by his side.

10:56 a.m. - How to Crash a Party

Not invited to any of the official inaugural shindigs? No sweat.

ABC's Chris Good got the scoop on how to sneak into the festivities from Fred Karger, former 2012 Republican presidential candidate and self-proclaimed party-crasher extraordinaire.

"Karger says he has crashed an inauguration party before, plus the Oscars and Fashion Week. He has fooled rope-line workers, he says, and even the Secret Service," Good reports.

"He twice found himself onstage at the Oscars, he says, once singing the final number alongside Liza Minnelli."

A few of Karger's tips: call ahead under a fake name, blend in with the entourage and don't look back. Find all of Karger's tips and more reporting from Chris Good here.

Back to top

10:52 a.m. - Presidential Limo: Belly of the Beast

President Obama got an upgraded presidential limo when he took office four years ago.

Pierre Thomas got an exclusive look at the unveiling back then. Take a look:

Back to top

10:41 a.m. - POTUS Departs

President Obama has left the White House and entered his motorcade, on the way to the Capitol.

The president's limo is sporting special plates today, in support of the D.C. statehood movement. Read more about those plates here.

Back to top

10:39 a.m. - First Lady and Vice President on Their Way

First lady Michelle Obama left the White House, followed shortly by Vice President Joe Biden.

Back to top

10:34 a.m. - Obamas Leave White House

President Obama's daughters, Sasha and Malia, left the White House in their pink and purple coats just a moment ago. They're headed for the Capitol, where they will watch their father take the presidential oath for the fourth time.

They were followed minutes later by a band of Marines, then by Dr. Jill Biden, Vice President Joe Biden's wife.

Back to top

10:31 a.m. - Events Heating Up

Members of Congress can be seen streaming into the Capitol. The inaugural pre-show began at 9:30 a.m., but Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., won't begin introducing the president for another hour.

Across the National Mall, attendees are waving American flags, in a sea of red, white and blue.

Back to top

10:17 a.m. - Presidential Imperfections

It's a not-so-secret understanding that even the most well-respected president's weren't perfect. Turns out neither were their inaugural ceremonies.

Find the funniest and quirkiest inaugural slip ups here.

Back to top

9:58 a.m. - How Do You Spell the Event of the Day?

ABC's Joanna Stern reports:

Nope, it's not inaugration. Not inaguration either. Inaugiration? Not correct. And it's definitely not innoguration or anauguration.

Inauguration. That's the correct spelling of the word for that big event today, at which, you know, the president officially becomes the president again.

But don't be embarrassed if you spelled it incorrectly. It turns out it's a pretty popular thing to do.

Over 2,500 people have tweeted about the "inaguration," according to Topsy, which tracks tweets on Twitter. Topsy says 866 of those tweets have been in the last 30 days. "Inaugration" has been used in over 700 tweets.

Read more from Stern on the many misspellings of this historic event here.

Back to top

9:42 a.m. - Obamas on the Move

The Obama family has left church services at St. John's Episcopal Church and headed back to the White House.

To see where the president will go next, check out ABC's interactive map here.

Pastor Andy Stanley from the North Point Community Church in Alpharetta Georgia delivered the sermon, according to pool reports, calling the president "pastor in chief."

I'm honored and grateful that we have a chance to finish what we started. Our work begins today. Let's go. -bo

? Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 21, 2013

This tweet from the president posted while the Obama family was still in church.

Congratulations to President Obama and his family on this Inauguration Day

? John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) January 21, 2013

Back to top

9:15 a.m. - Obama's View

ABC's Jonathan Karl is on the platform at the West Front of the Capitol Building where Obama will give his inaugural address later today. He's got the best view of the crowds, which won't come close to the 1.8 million of four years ago, but which already number hundreds of thousands.

9:11 a.m. - Members of Congress Honor MLK on Twitter

Today America remembers the legacy of another great leader: Martin Luther King, Jr. Members of the House and Senate are taking to Twitter to express their admiration for King this morning.

As our nation renews its Constitutional vows today, in our hearts and minds, let us not forget MLK's fight for freedom.

- Rep. Joe Courtney (@RepJoeCourtney) January 21, 2013

Today we honor #MLK Jr.'s legacy to promote peace &freedom for all American citizens. Pres Obama will be inaugurated today at the US Capitol

- Rep. Mike McIntyre (@RepMikeMcIntyre) January 21, 2013

As we honor Dr King's life & struggles, must reexamine what we do to ensure equality regardless of zip code.

- Barbara Mikulski (@SenatorBarb) January 21, 2013

9:04 a.m. - On the Ground with Good Morning America.

Looking east down Pennsylvania Ave, toward the Capitol-as the parade route swells?. #Inaug2013 yfrog.com/hsilmzbj

- Josh Elliott (@JoshElliottABC) January 21, 2013

Back to top

9:03 a.m. - Best and Worst Inaugural Addresses

ABC's Chris Good reports on the best and worst inaugural speeches of all time:

Inaugural addresses, it is said, are usually not very good. Most have been long forgotten, and historians themselves point to few as memorable.

It's not entirely clear why, but the moment might have something to do with it. Book-ending divisive national campaigns, inaugural addresses offer token unity sentiments, hopefulness but not always specific hopes, and even some good ones sound myopic.

"Most inaugural addresses are not remembered," said Princeton University professor and noted presidential historian Eric Foner. "Grover Cleveland? I have no idea what he said in his."

"I have actually read every single inaugural, and it was a really boring experience," said Robert Lehrman, a former speechwriter for vice president Al Gore, who now teaches the craft at American University in Washington. "Most of the speeches are terrible. Even the ones we remember, I don't think there is any reporter working anywhere that couldn't write language as crisp or concrete as the majority of them."

Read the rest of the worst and the best here.

Back to top

8:56 a.m. - Outfits of the Inauguration: Obama Style

ABC's Mary Bruce reports:

The President, First Lady, in a dark blue jacket, and daughters Malia, in a pink overcoat, and Sasha, in dark purple, arrived just after 8:40 a.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church for morning services.

The First Lady is wearing a navy Thom Browne coat and dress. The fabric was developed based on the style of a man's silk tie. The belt she is wearing is from J.Crew and her earrings are designed by Cathy Waterman. She is also wearing J.Crew shoes. At the end of the Inaugural festivities, the outfit and accompanying accessories will go to the National Archives.

Malia Obama is wearing a J.Crew ensemble. Sasha Obama is wearing a Kate Spade coat and dress.

The Bidens arrived moments later.

Back to top

8:47 a.m. - Tailor to the Presidents: Republicans Dress Better

Back to top

8:45 a.m. - Great American Quotes

Inaugural addresses are an opportunity for presidents on the nation's front lawn - a place that Americans come to in turns inaugurate their leaders, protest their government and mourn their dead - to place a marker for their legacy.

There have been some weighty and remarkable things said as presidents took the oath of office looking down on the Mall and also, from nearby, as other Americans have looked up and let their voices be heard at gatherings as varied as the March on Washington and the Promise Keepers.

What can Barack Obama say, come Monday, as he begins a second term with lower expectations and less inspiration, to place himself on this list of great American words?

Click below for an interactive look at the competition:

Back to top

8:38 a.m. - Aretha Franklin's Hat Makes a Comeback

Big inauguration, tiny Aretha hat. twitpic.com/bx3k4a

- Katy Perry (@katyperry) January 21, 2013

Back to top

8:22 a.m. - Martha Raddatz: Women Rule

Who says women don't rule on capitol hill today! #InaugurationDay twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz/?

- Martha Raddatz (@MarthaRaddatz) January 21, 2013

Back to top

8:08 a.m. - Eva Longoria Wakes Up to with the White House

Woke up to a miniature White House carved out of white chocolate! Thank u Mandarin! say.ly/syu50iT

- Eva Longoria (@EvaLongoria) January 21, 2013

Back to top

Curated by ABC's Z. Byron Wolf and Sarah Parnass

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/live-updates-inauguration-day-2013-141131935--abc-news-politics.html

Teen Choice Awards 2012 Aurora victims usher James Holmes Minka Kelly sex tape Colorado shooting Colorado shooting victims