Club to punish fans who racially abused Altidore

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) ? The Dutch club Den Bosch pledged Wednesday to do all it can to identify and punish a group of fans who racially abused American forward Jozy Altidore during a game.

Den Bosch said fans responsible for the monkey chants Tuesday during the Dutch Cup match against Altidore's AZ Alkmaar "do not belong in the De Vliert (Stadium) and will face the toughest possible sanctions."

The racist chants gave a hollow ring to the slogan "Without respect, no football" that was coined by Dutch soccer authorities in the aftermath of the death of a linesman who was attacked by players after a match between two youth teams near Amsterdam in December.

Altidore, who is black, was not available for comment Wednesday. After the match, he told Dutch television the chants were the worst abuse he has been subjected to on a soccer field.

"It's a bit disappointing that these things still happen in this time that we're in," Altidore told Eredivisie Live. "But what you going to do? You just hope these people can find a way to improve themselves. You can only pray for them."

Altidore converted a penalty kick in his team's 5-0 win over Den Bosch, giving him a career-high 20 goals this season. He urged the referee not to take the players off the field despite the chants.

The 23-year-old, who has 13 goals in 51 appearances for the U.S. national team, said education is the key to stamping out such chants.

"At the end of the day it's still alive, racism. All we can do now is try to educate ourselves, the young kids coming up, to be better than that," Altidore said.

Den Bosch condemned the chants from a small section of the crowd.

"A cup tie that was supposed to be played in an atmosphere of respect has left us scarred," the club said in a statement on its website.

Referee Reinold Wiedemeijer halted play briefly in the second half because fans threw balls of ice at his linesmen.

Offensive chants are nothing new in Dutch soccer stadiums, but it had been hoped that the sharpened focus on respect following the death of volunteer linesman Richard Nieuwenhuizen might help eradicate them.

"(The fans) totally ruined weeks of preparations with monkey chants, throwing things at match officials and not showing respect for those on and around the pitch," Den Bosch said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/club-punish-fans-racially-abused-altidore-141937769--sow.html

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The GOP Needs A New Boogeyman

Ramesh Ponnuru wants Republicans to largely ignore Obama:

Republicans can and should continue to stand for their principles on the many occasions when they conflict with Obama?s. What they shouldn?t do is conceive of their near-term political task as winning a series of confrontations with the president. Because they?re unlikely to win very often. Obama has inherent advantages in political debates with more than 200 House Republicans, and his re-election will only strengthen his hand, at least for now.?The Republicans are better off sidelining Obama to the extent they can and fighting congressional Democrats -- or, better yet, getting congressional Democrats to fight one another.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/andrewsullivan/rApM/~3/ENsG1LA4qGQ/the-gop-needs-a-new-boogyman.html

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Drought Causes Ripple Effect Along Mighty Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is flowing at near normal levels again in New Orleans, as measured by this old-fashioned staff gauge behind the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District office. The Corps has been fighting saltwater encroaching up the mouth of the Mississippi because of the persistent drought.

Debbie Elliott/NPR

The persistent drought is raising questions about how the Mississippi River is managed ? both upstream and down.

While cargo traffic upriver has gotten lots of attention, the drought is creating a different set of problems downriver at the mouth of the Mississippi, where saltwater has encroached.

An old-fashioned staff river gauge behind the New Orleans district office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shows the Mississippi is running just shy of 6 feet above sea level at the river bend.

"Just about back to normal at this point, but it's only done that really since Christmas," says Mike Stack, chief of emergency management for the corps. He's been dealing with near historic lows on the river here since August. The biggest problem is saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico coming up the mouth of the Mississippi and threatening industrial and municipal water intakes more than 60 miles inland.

During normal flows on the Mississippi, freshwater is pushing down and out of the mouth of the river. But with low flows during drought, the Gulf of Mexico starts to push saltwater up the Mississippi River.

"Saltwater is denser than freshwater and so it travels on the bottom," says Stack. "It travels in what we call a wedge."

To stop the encroaching wedge, the corps built a $5.8 million sill on the bottom of the river. It's like a deep underwater levee designed to hold the saltwater at bay.

The sill has held since September, and the wedge is now receding. But it wasn't enough to prevent the saltwater from reaching the drinking water intakes for Plaquemines Parish, the parish south of New Orleans that stretches all the way to the mouth of the Mississippi.

"We've been through five hurricanes and an oil spill, had a couple of chemical spills, and right before this salt water intrusion, I said, 'What's next?' " says parish President Billy Nungesser.

The parish had to barge in fresh water from upriver and buy drinking water from neighboring Orleans Parish. Nungesser is worried about next time.

"The real challenge will be if we see a worse situation than we saw last year where that wedge reaches New Orleans because you couldn't barge in enough water to satisfy the needs of the city of New Orleans," he says.

'Things Won't Be The Same'

The river is deep and wide here with at least a 45-foot-deep channel. Combine that with the proximity to the Gulf and you have an ideal shipping gateway.

At the busy Port of New Orleans, stevedores use cranes to load crates of chicken onto the Skulptor Tomskiy, a hulking white ship bound for Eastern Europe. Ships come in from the Gulf bringing everything from rubber and steel to coffee and twine. Barges come down river carrying grain, fertilizer and other goods.

"It's a huge convergence point, says Gary LaGrange, president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans.

He says the five ports on the lower Mississippi River from Baton Rouge south to the Gulf of Mexico constitute the largest port system in the world.

"Bigger than Rotterdam, Singapore, Shanghai or any of those," he says.

LaGrange says the drought hasn't hurt the Port of New Orleans yet. But upriver, where the channel gets shallow north of Baton Rouge, barge loads are lighter.

International ships call at the busy Port of New Orleans. It's a major shipping convergence point on the Mississippi River. Ships come upriver from the Gulf of Mexico with imports from abroad, and barges come downriver, bringing U.S. goods for export.

Debbie Elliott/NPR

International ships call at the busy Port of New Orleans. It's a major shipping convergence point on the Mississippi River. Ships come upriver from the Gulf of Mexico with imports from abroad, and barges come downriver, bringing U.S. goods for export.

Debbie Elliott/NPR

"Anything that's got to transit between [Cairo, Ill.] and St. Louis, we're concerned. But so far so good," says LaGrange.

But the drought does raise more complicated questions for Louisiana's deteriorating coast. The delta depends on high water to bring sediment that helps rebuild coastline. Sediment that is choked off in a drought.

Mark Davis, who heads the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy, says with persistent drought and sea level rise, the future of Louisiana's fragile coast is at best uncertain.

"Things won't be the same. We will have to be real clear on what kind of river we need delivered here. We have no idea at this point how big a river we're going to need 20 years from now to maintain the viability of this lower end," says Davis.

Davis says talk of diverting water from the Mississippi system to help arid Western states has officials up and down the river talking about the need for a comprehensive water resources plan for the mighty river.

"It's the sort of thing that the Great Lakes did when they did their compact not so long ago when they essentially declared we're not sure what we need water for but we're pretty sure we're not a mine," he says.

America's Wetland Foundation Director Val Marmillion says the sheer size and scope of issues confronting the river make consensus hard to come by.

"The Mississippi basin is an orphan. It has a lot of users and a lot of interests who have found the Mississippi very beneficial to their various interests but no one is taking care of the whole," he says.

Whether its drought now or flood next year, Marmillion says it's time to treat managing the Mississippi as a legacy issue.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/01/29/170286658/drought-causes-ripple-effect-along-mighty-mississippi-river?ft=1&f=1007

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Gabrielle Giffords' Notes Show Message To Senate On Gun Violence (PHOTO)

Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) delivered brief but precise testimony on Capitol Hill Wednesday, providing an emotional introduction to a Senate hearing on gun violence.

Americans for Responsible Gun Solutions -- an anti-gun violence super PAC recently created by Giffords and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly -- later posted a photo to Facebook showing the handwritten note that the former congresswoman had used. According to the Washington Post, the words were written by Giffords' speech therapist.

(via Facebook)

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), a close friend to Giffords, told CNN Wednesday that it still takes "a tremendous amount of rehearsal and practice" for Giffords to speak even a few sentences as she continues to recover from the gunshot to the head she suffered over two year ago.

"What she did today was remarkable," Wasserman Schultz said. "You could hear the emotion and the power behind the statement she was making because she feels so strongly about this."

More from the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON ? She uttered just 80 halting words. But her presence was powerful.

Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, shot in the head by a Tucson gunman in 2011, opened the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing on gun violence in dramatic fashion Wednesday.

"OK," she began, steeling herself before a packed yet hushed committee room.

"Speaking is difficult," she continued, pronouncing each syllable with deliberation.

This former congresswoman, once blessed with a politician's easy gift of gab, spoke in a high pitch, her voice almost childlike.

"I need to say something important. Violence is a big problem. Too many children are dying. Too many children. We must do something.

"It will be hard, but the time is now. You must act. Be bold, be courageous, Americans are counting on you."

Giffords, her every movement labored, punctuated her conclusion by raising a clenched fist to her chest.

And that was it.

Her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, gently guided her from the table, then returned to fill out the picture.

"Gabby's gift for speech is a distant memory," Kelly said. "She struggles to walk and she is partially blind. And a year ago, she left a job she loves, serving the people of Arizona."

Giffords' appearance at the witness table offered rare insight into her condition. Her family has closely guarded her privacy and the details of her impairment.

Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida told CNN it takes her good friend "a tremendous amount of rehearsal and practice" to utter even a few sentences.

"What she did today was remarkable," Wasserman Schultz said. "You could hear the emotion and the power behind the statement she was making because she feels so strongly about this."

White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama was looking forward to seeing Giffords and Kelly later Wednesday, and that everyone at the White House was heartened by her appearance on Capitol Hill.

Giffords has made only a few public appearances and interviews since the January 2011 shooting, including reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at the Democratic National Convention and casting a single vote in August 2011 on legislation to raise the federal debt limit.

She resigned her seat in Congress a year ago to focus on her recovery. Giffords and Kelly, both gun owners, have formed a political action group called Americans for Responsible Solutions, aimed at promoting gun restrictions.

Gun control is an issue that really hasn't been debated in Congress for more than 10 years. It rarely gets an airing and engenders strong emotions.

And so it was that both sides did their all to ensure maximum impact from Wednesday's hearing.

Giffords was clearly happy to do her part.

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/30/gabrielle-giffords-notes-_n_2583873.html

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Algeria crisis strangling Sahara tourism

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) ? The awe-inspiring dunes and wild mountains of Algeria's Sahara have lured adventure travelers for decades, but their latest incarnation ? as a crossroad for the al-Qaida militants who attacked a natural gas complex ? is likely to make them even more inaccessible.

At least 37 hostages died in the four-day siege deep in the desert. Algeria's government, ambivalent about tourism in the best of time, is expected to impose new restrictions on the vast south, whose residents eke out a living on the few intrepid tourists who arrive.

"The Sahara is an iconic wilderness much like the Himalaya or Antarctica and most agree that Algeria, the ninth biggest country in the world, is the best place to experience the full range of desert landscapes, authentic Tuareg culture, pre-historic rock art, adventure and so on," said Chris Scott, a Sahara guide and author. "It's all there and the people of the south have decades of experience in delivering what tourists want."

Scott just returned from leading a two-week New Year's camel trek through Tassili N'Ajjer National Park, 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of the Ain Amenas gas facility that was attacked.

But he is an exception. The numbers of tourists visiting the deep south dropped from 1,807 in 2011 to 643 last year, according to authorities in Tamanrasset, the main Saharan city. Already, 70 of the 76 tourist companies in the city have closed, and most Europeans planning on coming canceled their reservations after the attack, said Azzi Addi Ahmed, head of the local tourism association.

This is a far cry from 20,000 tourists a year in the 1980s, when restrictions were few and you could travel without the local tourist agencies that are now mandatory.

The region has long been loved by Europeans. The towering dunes and palm-fringed oases that epitomize the desert can be found in Algeria's Grand Ergs. Even farther the south, the rugged wind-carved mountains are dotted with 10,000-year-old cave paintings.

In 1911, a French soldier turned monk made his home among the Tuareg tribesmen and built a hermitage atop the nearly 10,000 foot (2,800 meter) Mount Assekrem in the Hoggar range near Tamanrasset, describing the surrounding peaks as more magnificent than any cathedral.

"My hermitage here is on a summit that overlooks practically the whole of the Hoggar and stands amid wild-looking mountains beyond which the seemingly limitless horizon makes one think of the infinitude of God," wrote Charles Foucauld.

Even then, the southern deserts were perilous: He was killed by marauding Senoussi tribesmen in 1916, and beatified by the Roman Catholic church in 2005.

The Sahara was largely closed to tourists during Algeria's years of civil war and wasn't reopened until the late 1990s when business rapidly picked up as Europeans rushed back to do desert safaris.

But, the government's victories against the militant Islamists in the north forced them to find refuge in the deserts to the south, mainly in northern Mali and Niger, where they engaged in smuggling and then the occasional lucrative kidnapping of foreigners.

Algeria's desert tourism received a major blow in 2003 when a precursor to al-Qaida snatched 32 foreign tourists, though all but one were eventually rescued and business recovered.

All that changed, however, when the overthrow of the Libyan regime flooded the desert with weapons, and a rebellion broke out in neighboring Mali, massively boosting al-Qaida's strength in the region.

"Already a large number of agencies have closed, leaving just those who do it for the love of the business to barely scratch by," said Iyad Gholami of the Assouf desert travel company in Tamanrasset. "We're collateral damage from the security crisis."

Phil Hassrick, who runs the California-based Lost Frontiers adventure travel company, stopped going to Algeria a few years ago.

"We couldn't guarantee the safety of the clients," he said, though back then it was more concern with banditry.

The impact is the most severe on the local Tuareg for whom tourism was one of the few sources of income, aside from smuggling.

Over the past year, the government said it would try to encourage Algerians to travel to the south, including periodic government and company visits, but operators complain that the visits are short, rare and don't involve the weeks of driving or trekking through the mountains desired by foreigners, who paid $1,500 a week to local guides.

In December, the remaining agencies petitioned the government to save the industry.

"At the very least we ask for the erasing of the debts linked to accumulated taxes as has been done for other sectors in difficulty, such as agriculture," Ahmed suggested. Lowering fares to the south on the state-owned carrier, Air Algerie, would be a big help, he said, but fears it may be too late.

"The attack on Ain Amenas is for us the coup de grace," Ahmed said. "It is the death of tourism in south Algeria."

_______

Schemm reported from Rabat, Morocco.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/algeria-crisis-strangling-sahara-tourism-145054282.html

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128GB Surface Pro ships with 83GB free, 64GB has only 23GB

That 64GB, $800 Microsoft Surface Pro you plan on buying next week? Maybe you should temper your storage expectations a bit, as the base model actually only allots 23GB of that space for use. The larger 128GB version offers a bit more space at 83GB, but is still losing a massive 45GB of space to the full Windows 8 operating system and various included applications. Microsoft confirmed as much this afternoon, and issued the following the statement:

"The 128 GB version of Surface Pro has 83 GB of free storage out of the box. The 64GB version of Surface Pro has 23GB of free storage out of the box. Of course, Surface Pro has a USB 3.0 port for connectivity with almost limitless storage options, including external hard drives and USB flash drives. Surface also comes pre-loaded with SkyDrive, allowing you to store up to 7GB of content in the cloud for free. The device also includes a microSDXC card slot that lets you store up to 64GB of additional content to your device. Customers can also free up additional storage space by creating a backup bootable USB and deleting the recovery partition."

The Surface RT suffered the same issue when it launched late last year -- the 32GB base version only included 16GB of storage, while the 64GB version had 46GB available. The situation is what we'd call less than ideal, though you can always expand the on-board storage via the solutions Microsoft proposes. Of course, that means doling our more cash on an already expensive tablet -- not the best thing to find out after you've shelled out $800.

Filed under: Tablets, Microsoft

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/29/surface-pro-hdd-space/

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Boy Scouts of America may end ban on gays

DALLAS (Reuters) - Boy Scouts of America is considering ending a longstanding national ban on gay youth and adult members and leaving policies on sexual orientation to its local organizations, a spokesman said on Monday.

Lifting the ban would mark a dramatic reversal for the 103-year-old organization, which only last summer reaffirmed its policy amid heavy criticism from gay rights groups and some parents of scouts.

The organization's national executive board is expected to discuss lifting the ban on gay members at its regularly scheduled board meeting next week in Texas.

"The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue," spokesman Deron Smith said in an email to Reuters.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the United Methodist Church and the Catholic Church have the largest youth membership in the Boy Scouts among faith-based organizations.

The organization, which had more than 2.6 million youth members and more than 1 million adult members at the end of 2012, "would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents," Smith said.

The Boy Scouts has also faced criticism for keeping private files covering decades of child sex abuse incidents within the organization. The Scouts released thousands of pages of files in October covering incidents from 1965 to 1985.

The Boy Scouts won a 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing the organization to ban gays in 2000, but has come under increasing public pressure in recent years from activists. They include Zach Wahls, an Eagle Scout with two lesbian mothers, and Jennifer Tyrrell, a lesbian mother from Ohio who was ousted as a Scout den leader and treasurer.

"This is absolutely a step in the right direction," said Wahls, who is founder of Scouts for Equality, a group that includes 3,151 other Eagle scouts.

Wahls said he would turn to persuading local councils to enact nondiscrimination policies if the change is approved.

Tyrrell said she looked forward to a day when she and her family might participate in scouting again.

"An end to this ban will restore dignity to countless families across the country, my own included, who simply wanted to take part in all Scouting has to offer," Tyrrell said in a statement.

GLAAD, an anti-discrimination advocacy group, began to press for a reversal of the Boy Scouts policy after Tyrrell was removed from her son's den and more than 1 million people have signed petitions on Change.org seeking an end to the policy.

More than 462,000 people signed a petition on Change.org calling for the Boy Scouts to grant an Eagle Scout application for Ryan Andresen, a California resident who is openly gay.

Andresen's scoutmaster refused to sign the application because of his sexual orientation. A review board for the California chapter recommended he receive the rank, but its recommendation was never forwarded to national headquarters.

The organization has faced pressure from board members - Ernst & Young chairman and chief executive Jim Turley and AT&T chief executive Randall Stephenson have spoken out against the ban - and some corporations withdrew support over the policy.

United Parcel Service was among corporations that have said they would pull funding from the organization over its policy.

The Family Research Council, which said in December it would pull its business with UPS because the package delivery company had decided to cease funding of the Boy Scouts, said on Monday the Scouts should resist the pressure to change its policy.

"If the board capitulates to the bullying of homosexual activists, the Boy Scouts' legacy of producing great leaders will become yet another casualty of moral compromise," Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said in a statement.

Patrick Boyle, whose 1994 book "Scout's Honor" was among the first to examine sexual abuse in the Boy Scouts of America, said on Monday the "striking reversal in policy" was likely the result of growing pressure from corporations.

"This is a safe way out of this mess for the national organization, which takes the fight back to the local level, and says to a local leader, 'you make the choice that's right for you'," Boyle said. "It's essentially the Boy Scouts' version of states' rights."

(Additional reporting by Ian Simpson, Barbara Liston and Chris Francescani; Writing by Greg McCune and David Bailey; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Andrew Hay)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boy-scouts-america-says-discussing-end-ban-gay-183918053.html

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A Congress That Does Things? Immigration Reform Makes Huge Bipartisan Progress

The new Congress is showing signs that it may finally leave behind its old habit of doing nothing: A gang of eight senators from both parties has outlined a framework for comprehensive immigration reform. While progress could get bogged down in details as the legislation comes together, the bipartisan love fest bodes well for tech companies eager to hire more high-skilled immigrants.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/xjW2-dNxf-Y/

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Arrests along US borders up in last year

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A year after Border Patrol apprehensions of illegal border crossers plunged to the lowest levels in nearly 40 years agents have seen a slight increase in arrests, according to Border Patrol arrest data obtained by The Associated Press.

In the budget year that ended in September, Border Patrol agents arrested 356,873 would-be border crossers along the Mexican border. In fiscal year 2011, agents along the Mexican border made 327,577 arrests.

According to the arrest statistics, agents in three Border Patrol sectors in Texas and the Yuma, Ariz., sector all made more arrests in the last year. Arrests in other sectors were down compared to a year ago.

Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that apprehensions remain at "historic lows" and pointed to continued decreases in arrests in California, New Mexico and most of Arizona as evidence that fewer people are crossing the border illegally.

In the Rio Grande Valley, illegal border crossers from countries other than Mexico made up the majority of the increase in arrests, the Border Patrol has said previously. Most of those people made their way to the border from Central American countries including Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

That portion of the Texas-Mexico border is the shortest distance from Central America.

The numbers of Guatemalans passing through the area increased so much recently that the country opened a consulate in McAllen, Texas. Guatemala's consul there, Alba Caceres, said that Honduras or El Salvador might share their office space this year.

Nationwide, arrests by the Border Patrol increased by about 7 percent from 340,252 in fiscal 2011 to 364,768 last year. Despite the increases, arrests of illegal border crossers remain at the lowest point since 1971.

Associated Press writer Christopher Sherman contributed to this report from McAllen, Texas.

___

Follow Alicia A. Caldwell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/acaldwellap

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-01-28-Border%20Arrests/id-2d8a0b92426e4270a73102b584278f53

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Thinking by words. - Computers, Math, Science, and Technology

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Barge with 80,000 gallons oil hits bridge, leaks

A barge carrying 80,000 gallons of oil hit a railroad bridge in Vicksburg, Miss., on Sunday, spilling light crude into the Mississippi River and closing the waterway for eight miles in each direction, the Coast Guard said. A second barge was damaged.

Investigators did not know how much had spilled, but an oily sheen was reported as far as three miles downriver of Vicksburg after the 1:12 a.m. incident, said Lt. Ryan Gomez of the Coast Guard's office in Memphis, Tenn.

Authorities were still trying to determine the source of the leak, but it appeared to be coming from one or two tanks located at the stern of the first barge, Gomez said. He said there was no indication that any oil was leaking from the second vessel, and said it was still unclear whether the second barge also hit the bridge or was damaged through a collision with the first.

"Investigators are still trying to figure out what happened," he said.

United States Environmental Services, a response-and-remediation company, was working to contain the oil with booms before collecting it and transferring it to one of the barge's undamaged tanks, then ultimately to a separate barge, Gomez said. He could not say how long the river would remain closed in the area. Five northbound and two southbound vessels were waiting to pass, he said.

"It's still considered an active leak," Gomez said. "We don't have an estimate or accurate amount of what was released."

Railroad traffic was allowed to continue after the bridge was found safe for trains, Petty Officer Carlos Vega said.

The barges are owned by Third Coast Towing LLC, Gomez said. According to a website listed under that name, the company is located in Corpus Christi, Texas. No one answered the telephone at the company Sunday night.

Both vessels were being pushed by the tugboat Nature's Way Endeavor. The website for Nature's Way Marine LLC of Theodore, Ala., identifies the vessel as a 3,000-horsepower, 90-foot-long boat, making it the largest and highest-powered of the company's five tugs. It was built in 1974 and underwent a complete rebuild in 2011, according to the company.

A company manager referred calls to the Coast Guard command center at Vicksburg.

The last time an oil spill closed a portion of the lower Mississippi River, it was for less than a day last February after an oil barge and a construction barge collided, spilling less than 10,000 gallons of oil. In 2008, a fuel barge collided with a tanker and broke in half, dumping 283,000 gallons of heavy crude into the waterway, and closing the river for six days.

The oil sheen from Sunday's incident was unlikely to pose a threat to the Gulf of Mexico, located 344 river miles south of Vicksburg.

Residents and businesses in Gulf Coast states are still recovering from the April 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, which killed 11 workers and spewed more than 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf.

___

McConnaughey reported from New Orleans. Associated Press Writer Lisa J. Adams in Atlanta contributed to this report.

___

Online:

http://www.natureswaymarine.com/default.asp

Information about Endeavor: http://bit.ly/VefsWz

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/barge-80-000-gallons-oil-hits-bridge-leaks-214747183.html

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Recreation bowling scoreboard - Blue Water Sports Network

League Highs

YOUTH LEAGUES
PORT HURON LANES

Bumper (2-4): Matraus Everhart 75; Megan Allen 80

Bantams (5-8): Xavier Lashbrook 208 series; Myles Guyette 91; Kylie Guyette 262(103)

Prep (9-11): Tyler Symon 468; Timothy Giles 204 series; Charissa Gamble 335 Sydney Sepsey 137

Juniors (12-14): Carson Mills 571(213); Jessica Badley 398(140)

Majors (15-21): Matt Koza 177; Ryan Jolly 478; Katie Bowles 295(106)

BLUE WATER BOWL
Blue Water Mixers

Becky Van Hoesen 615(220); Anita Hubbard 548(212); Annette Paradis 506 Rich Scott 693; Greg Marshall 676(254); Jose Ganhs 643(258); Paul Lewandowski 648(251); Jeff Van Hoesen 622;

Bucks & Does

Juanita Peter 513; Jackie Karl 492; Bill Tallant 730(257); Brad Ashton 632; Matt Campbell 632

Dan Wilkinson Memorial

Joddy Swoffer 646(222); Alicia Schroeder 635(225); Nate Bowen 671(248); Jeff Morrison 666(268); Lysle Smith 660(236)

Don McIvor Memorial

Dwayne Rich 721(279); Rick St. Onge 681(255); Mike E. Gossman 682(275); Steve Jakubowski 682(236); Mike Raleigh 672(267); Rich Scott 670(248); Paul Lewandowski 662(234); Jesse Diaz, Jr. 615(255)

Friday Night Wanna Bees

Lew Gunn 765(300); Henry Sullivan 734(265); Brad Stone 703; Greg Urben 680; Butch Gates 255; Steve Cooper 255; Matt Campbell 255

Mixed Singles

Marty Nichols 717(258); Tony Paulus 660(247); Chuck Isaac & Jeff Dettloff 235; Becky Van Hoesen 667(234); Regina Dye 494(189); Steve Watson 225

Mon PM Adult Bowling

Bill Shand 531(204); Marilyn Ellis 460(172); Wayne Bailey 579(216); Jean Delacy 481(175); Joyce Bailey 479(177)

Mueller Retirees

Gerry Sedich 508(216); Bev Cummings 50; Bob Hall 625(221); Wally Armstead 220; Ron Dunlap 610(222); Lysle Smith 604(222); Vic Gregowski 229; Pete Lapka 612

Port Huron Hospital

Joddy Swoffer 659(252); Heather Politowicz 560(204); Diana Sharrow 539; Anita Hubbard 520; Debbie Alderson 505; Vanessa Sanders 203

Viking Three Man

Charlie Peeling 623(268); Rich Wolfe 658(232); Vince Sudomir 627(255); Ron Fowler 706(245); Steve Jakubowski 629(219); Eric Wehner 678(254); Mark Chesney 628(258); Tim Elsholz 277

BOWL O DROME
Beverage

Chuck King 682(268) Doug Hilts 708(267); George Stafford 690(269); Rick Barr, Jr. 716(266); Jeff Schott 698(258); Brandon Schantz 628(257); Randy Mrock 709(248); Don Roach 658(244)

BOD Sunday Men?s

Daniel Roberts 724(300); Nate Kelly 259; Cliff Crawford 732(287); Pat Reilly 730(258); Lew Gunn 701(258); Scott Badley 694(289)

Friday Doubles

Jo Eisen 577(232); Trish DeFrain 526; Janet Lamping 214; Charlie Collins 651(246); Dave Barnum 650(237)

Original Sunday Funtimers

Theresa Janowicz 510; Jane Morris 200; Catherine Pulliam 506(200); Rebecca Bauman 501(191); Craig Seaman 641(224); Tom Morris 629(225); Chuck Phillips 611(237); Dave Emigh 603(215)

Port Huron Hospital AM

Vic Gregowski 741(269); Gordon Harvey 633(267); John Kwiatkowski 245; Jerry Grzech 670(278); Margaret Nelson 506; Heather Politowicz 532; Debbie Alderson 542(203); Lou Ann Dubuque 504(209)

Saturday Nite Live

Jeff Schott 711(258); Rick Barr, Jr. 264; Tony Bloink 268; Jim Hewitt 248

Zebraettes

Nina Laturno 543(207); Dana Massbrio 503(191); Lori Reeves 490(198); Tammie Foltz 482(175)

?PORT HURON LANES
Adult Activities-Mon AM

Maxine Brown 466(177); Marilyn Roach 458(180); Eleanor Sweeney 452; Ron Messer 599(216); John Szczygiel 560(202); Keith Morgan 539

Cowboys & Indians

Jim Creasor 738(258); Dylan Jacobs 783(267); Dave Cox 719(278); Bob Pihaylic 717; Dave Klaas 727; Dan Hawley, Jr. 708; Ray LaVere 278; Melissa Legault 770(279); Shawna Lentner 714(258); Crystal Cramer 620(224); Frank Mowinski 718(278)

Friday Morning Industrial

Rick Dodge 668(258); Mile Schindler 678(267); Rick St. Onge 657

Friday AM Seniors

Marvel Holbrook 459(193); Robyn Rossow 434(176); D.J. Gombos 420(154); Jean Delacy 407(154); Keith Morgan 617(246); John Szczygiel 605(222); Bob Hall 599(237)

Friday PM Seniors

Luann Carlisle 490(192); Karen Watzek 192; Ron Dunlap 648(226); Gary Smith 624(263); Red Cowper 224; Jerry Bailey 223

Inter City Ladies

Kristie Lashbrook 647(225); Ann Nichols 596(227); Kelly Larsen 581(216); Julie Drouillard 206

Masters

Dylan Jacobs 689(238); Jerry Hendrick 671(259); Jeff Krauss 664(256); Charles Whitmore 648(236); Mike Kavanagh 643(244)

PHL Early Four Man

Russ Barnes 764(276); Jason Leach 753(278); Mike Raleigh 742(264); Nick Conard 737(268); Dave Cox 709(2670 Steve Jakubowski 707(258); Doug Fowler 704(247)

Saturday Nite Bridge

Joe Beidler 828(300); Nick Conard 718(279); John Diaz, Jr. 268; David Black 268; Russell Barnes 715; Sherri Beidler 607(235); Jane Caldwell 601(233); Wendy Tetreau 212; Kimmie Symon 586

Service

Trish DeFrain 590(214); Cathy McCaffrey 565(198); Barb LePla 557(213); Greg Urben 737(254); Charlie Collins 679(242); Josh Mattox 662

Sunday Outcast

Bob Pihaylic 714(247); Mike Raleigh 693(247); Scott Badley 689(245); Dylan Jacobs 673; Matt Pawlak 670; Perry Wight 236; Cindy Badley 492(178); Debbie Turck 469(178); Jody Stump 462(179); Jean Pihaylic 189

Tuesday AM Adult

Rella Kilbourn 446(163); Ray Skarniarz 598(220); Dale Thrushman 573(234); Bob Hall 550(221); Geri Bailey 431(177); D.J. Gombos 459(167)

Tuesday Early Ladies

Sue Zuege 504(203); Donna Class 428; Maxine Brown 186

Tuesday Mixed

Lee Van Beek 635(228); Cody Hawks 614(237); Brian Marthen 563(255); Heather Marthen 520(204); Angie Allen 551(208)

Wednesday Night Ladies

Kim Riedel 513(2030; Sharon Soyko 607(207); Ashley Aldea 558(201); Gail Toles 527(212); Fay Frost 506; Melissa Rood 525; Stephanie Black 554

?ST. CLAIR RIVER LANES
Blue Water Men?s

Tim Wolfe 726(300); Steve McCoy 677(259); Jim Markel 689(255); P.J. Williams 718(257); Don Lumley 729(264); Ed Martin 696; Henry Sullivan 696(266);

Ladies City League

Danielle McLaren 202; Sandy Bennett 504; Joann Suisse 518(192); Kristen Herbert 580(205); Anne Distelrath 539(187); Rose Queener 192; Rose Tenyer 519(183)

Monday Big 12

Matt Verbeke 667(258); Don Pollauf 686(278); Jeff Meldrum 716(256); Wayne Leppek 685(268); Craig Verbeke 687(258) ;Mark Schoeneweg 688(258); Rob Roberts 695(268)

River Queens

Sue Pope 531(224); Anita Hubbard 531(190); Barb Galos 476(198); Karen McCoy 461; JoAnn Schweihofer 458; Lisa Rice 205

River Rats

Linda Mollan 491(182); Jaclyn Meldrum 607(231); Jeff Meldrum 796(279)

STRIKERS ENT CENTER
Monday Night Mixed

Tony Chevalier 653(257); Dan Napier 578; Al Yaek 561(214); Bruce Puhle 234

Thursday Ridge Runners

John Essenmacher, Jr. 747(279); Len Hill 729; John Muczynski 725; Joel Schmitt 278; Paul Krause III 269

Tuesday Night Classic

Eric Emmi 762(279); Ken Tyson 710; Denny Nieman 708; Len Hill 708(299); Kevin Weldon 278

Tuesday Richmond Seniors

Bubba Van Buren 671(256); Jerry Brown 597; Amos Clotfelter 590; Ray Podowski 221; Duane Miner 220; Peg Vanantwerp 507(182); Cecelia Plass 502(202); June Clay 468; Sandra Eynon 172

Women?s Wednesday Night

Lillie Ashman 652(247); Lori Zorn 555(213); Sandra Caldwell 540; Pam Alexandsandrowski 212

Honor Roll

BLUE WATER BOWL
Women?s High Series

Becky Van Hoesen 667
Joddy Swoffer 659
Alicia Schroeder 635
Heather Politowicz 560
Anita Hubbard 548

Women?s High Game

Joddy Swoffer 252
Becky Van Hoesen 234
Alicia Schroeder 225
Gerry Sedich 216
Anita Hubbard 212

Men?s High Series

Lew Gunn 765
Henry Sullivan 734
Dale Camphausen 733
Bill Tallant 730
Dwayne Rich 721

Men?s High Game

Lew Gunn 300
Dwayne Rich 279
Tim Elsholz 277
Mike Gossman 275
Jeff Morrison 268
Charlie Peeling 268

BOWL O DROME
Women?s High Series

Jo Eisen 577
Nina Laturno 543
Debbie Alderson 542
Heather Politowicz 532
Trish DeFrain 526

Women?s High Game

Jo Eisen 232
Janet Lamping 214
Lou Ann Dubuque 209
Nina Laturno 207
Debbie Alderson 203

Men?s High Series

Vic Gregowski 741
Cliff Crawford 732
Pat Reilly 730
Daniel Roberts 724
Rick Barr, Jr. 716

Men?s High Game

Daniel Roberts 300
Scott Badley 289
Cliff Crawford 287
Jerry Grzech 278
Vic Gregowski 269
George Stafford 269

PORT HURON LANES
Women?s High Series

Melissa Legault 770
Shawna Lentner 714
Kristie Lashbrook 647
Crystal Cramer 620
Sherri Beidler 607

Women?s High Game

Melissa Legault 279
Shawna Lentner 258
Sherri Beidler 235
Jane Caldwell 233
Ann Nichols 227

Men?s High Series

Joe Beidler 828
Dylan Jacobs 783
Russ Barnes 764
Jason Leach 753
Mike Raleigh 742

Men?s High Game

Joe Beidler 300
Nick Conard 279
Jason Leach 278
Dave Cox 278
Frank Mowinski 278
Ray LaVere 278

?ST. CLAIR RIVER LANES
Women?s High Series

Jaclyn Meldrum 607
Kristen Herbert 580
Anne Distelrath 539
Sue Pope 531
Anita Hubbard 531

Women?s High Game

Jaclyn Meldrum 231
Sue Pope 224
Lisa Rice 205
Kristen Herbert 205
Danielle McLaren 202

Men?s High Series

Jeff Meldrum 796
Don Lumley 729
Tim Wolfe 726
P.J. Williams 718
Rob Roberts 695

Men?s High Game

Tim Wolfe 300
Jeff Meldrum 279
Don Pollauf 278
Rob Roberts 268
Wayne Leppek 268

STRIKERS ENT CENTER
Women?s High Series

Lillie Ashman 652
Sherry Pellegrom 599
Lori Zorn 555
Sandra Caldwell 540
Jessie Calamita 539

Women?s High Game

Lillie Ashman 247
Sherry Pellegrom 213
Lori Zorn 213
Pam Alexsandrowski 212
Sharon Jelsone 208

Men?s High Series

Eric Emmi 762
John Essenmacher, Jr. 747
Len Hill 729
John Muczynski 725
Ken Tyson 710

Men?s High Game

Len Hill 299
Eric Emmi 279
John Essenmacher, Jr. 279
Joel Schmitt 278
Kevin Weldon 278

Source: http://bluewatersportsnetwork.com/2013/01/recreation-bowling-scoreboard-7/

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Top Websites Reviews - Shvoong

Of the many existing affiliate business is one of the Hostinger affiliate program.

What is HOSTINGER???

A WEB HOSTING provider of free websites that provide space up to 2 GB, with 100 GB bandwidth, PHP and MySQL support and provide website bulider features without ads and banners.

Web Hosting from Hostinger is the best in the market with more than 20,000 customers who have chosen and use Hostinger. Helpful for those of you who need a web hosting service for data storage as well as the interests of marketing your website.

There are several web hosting packages provided by the Hostinger

1. Free Web Hosting, a free hosting service that is suitable for a small personal website, community, forum or blog. No charge or free.

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3. Web Hosting Business, web hosting is recommended for owners of the company website and busy websites. Has all the features of the best web hosting and comes with e-commerce features such as SSL Certificates, Dedicated IP, InnoDB, SSH access is unlimited. Service guarantee a refund for 30 days.

Well,,, why is it called AFFILIATES business???

Hostinger provide affiliate programs by recommending hostinger service to get attractive prizes. For those who have registered on the web hostinger.

How do I get a prize???

Once you registered you will get a special referral link.

Promote your referral link to someone else, if someone clicks through your link then you will get the point.

You can use the banner as a great tool for marketing professionals and web hostinger. Attach banner on your website / blog on your personal, or you can also market it through social media such as facebook, twitter or your email signature or other ways as well.

The more points you collected from those who sign up on the link reffereal or through banners that you put it the more you get the point and the opportunity to earn a variety of prizes have been provided by the Hostinger.

Once you use the web hostinger for web hosting services for your website promotion purposes and you all get a chance to win various prizes. Once rowing two three islands exceeded.

That's all for this time hopefully useful for you to read it and would like to sign up for the Hostinger affiliates program.

Source: http://www.shvoong.com/internet-and-technologies/websites/2353696-http-api-idhostinger-com-redir/

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Five Best iPad Keyboards

The iPad is a great tablet for many things, but not all of us consider it a solid productivity tool. Nothing is further from the truth: you can get some real work done with the right tools, and a decent wireless keyboard or keyboard case can help. This week, we're going to take a look at five of the best iPad keyboards, based on your nominations.

Earlier in the week, we asked you to nominate the best iPad keyboards out there, whether they connect directly to the iPad, form a case around the iPad that can be used while the tablet is still inside, or an external dock and case that charges your device while you use it. You gave us a ton of great nominees, but we only have room for the top five.

Zagg Folio ($99)

The Zagg Folio is a combination keyboard, cover, and case that's slim, trim, and fits the iPad perfectly. Slide your iPad into the Folio, and anytime you need to get some work done you can set it up in moments. You can adjust the screen's angle to fit your position thanks to the built-in stand, and the built-in keyboard isn't so thick and heavy that it's a pain to carry around. The built-in battery offers months of use between charges. The keys have solid give and are comfortable to use, and there are iPad specific keys to make searching, music playback, and getting back to the home screen even easier. The keyboard is even detachable if you know you won't need it, giving you an even slimmer case.

---

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover ($99)

Perhaps the thinnest external keyboard for the iPad, the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover is a combination cover, stand, and keyboard. It only protects the front of your iPad when the cover is attached, but it connects like a Smart Cover and when you're ready to use, you can take it off, prop your iPad up in it, and work on the Bluetooth keyboard without adding much thickness to the base at all. It boasts six month battery life (2 hours/day use.) Honestly, with this on your tablet, you won't notice it's there. The keyboard features iPad-specific keys for search, copy/paste, and music playback, and is even available in a few colors (white/black/red) to suit your tastes. One thing is for sure, it certainly earns its name.

---

Logitech Tablet Keyboard ($69)

The Logitech Tablet Keyboard is just that?a keyboard with a protective case that doubles as an iPad stand so you can prop up your tablet while you work on the keyboard. The Tablet Keyboard has all the features the cases do: iPad-specific keys for common functions, Bluetooth connectivity, and support for landscape and portrait mode. It's a little thicker than some of the others, and eschews a rechargeable battery for four AAAs. It's just the keyboard though?no fancy case or cover with this one, and if you already have a case but want a keyboard to work with, it's a great?and more affordable?option.

---

The Brydge ($130-$210)

The Brydge isn't your typical plastic or pleather iPad case. Even their entry-level case, the Brydge, is made of solid black polycarbonate, but the original product, now called the Brydge+, is made of anodized aluminum and offers serious, sturdy protection. The Brydge's clamp completely secures your iPad to the cover without damaging it. Another thing that makes the Brydge+ stand out is the fact that the case features Bluetooth speakers that pair along with the keyboard, letting you listen to music aloud. The rechargable battery will last months, but using the speakers will drain it faster. All three models feature full hinges and double as covers, and when you're ready to work you can set them up and adjust the screen angle to your liking. The polycarbonate Brydge will set you back $130, while the aluminum Brydge+ without speakers will cost $170. The full Brydge+ with speakers weighs in at a pricier $210 USD.

---

ClamCase ($149-$169)

The ClamCase was announced shortly after the iPad itself was launched, and since then it's earned a real following. The ClamCase is a full-body iPad case, stand, and cover, and includes a Bluetooth keyboard with a rechargeable battery. Your iPad nestles inside the top of the ClamCase for full protection, and the polycarbonate body keeps it safe from scratches while you walk around with it. It sets up in seconds, and the hinge is completely adjustable to the way you work. The keyboard has full scissor keys, and packs 14 special function keys for common functions. Even if you don't want to use the keyboard, the hinge folds all the way back into a stand, or works in portrait mode (or hand-held) as well. The ClamCase will set you back $149 for any iPad model, but the new brushed aluminum ClamCase Pro will cost you $169 if you're interested. If you have an iPad Mini, stay tuned, there's a ClamCase model on the way for you too.

---

Now that you've seen the top five, it's time to put them to a final vote to determine the winner!

This week's Honorable Mention goes out to the Apple Wireless Keyboard, not because it didn't get a bunch of nominations, but because it really wasn't the type of contender we were looking for. It can definitely make a great pair with an iPad, and works via Bluetooth. It works?but it works in that way that any Bluetooth keyboard can technically work with the iPad. Still, we want to mention it because many of you noted you already had one for your computer, and just toss that keyboard in a bag or iPad case and use it with your tablet as well.

Have something to say about one of the contenders? Want to make the case for your personal favorite, even if it wasn't included in the list? Remember, the top five are based on your most popular nominations from the call for contenders thread from earlier in the week. Make your case for your favorite?or alternative?in the discussions below.

The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it's not because we hate it?it's because it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest, but if you have a favorite, we want to hear about it. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at tips+hivefive@lifehacker.com!

Photo by Michael Sheehan.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/wjAm9Acxn7w/five-best-ipad-keyboards

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Images suggest NKorea ready for nuke test (The Arizona Republic)

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Planet Hunters

When I first reviewed the Planet Hunters Web site in January 2011, the project was in its infancy. The site and its navigation had some bugs to work out. But it had a compelling yet seemingly quixotic premise: That a group of volunteers, peering in Web browsers at graphs of stars' brightness based on public data from NASA's Kepler planet-hunting telescope, might be able to discover planets that Kepler's own search algorithms may have missed.

Two years later, that concept has been borne out beyond any skeptic's wildest imaginings. In September 2011, Planet Hunters announced its first two planet candidates, and soon after announced several more. The project's first confirmed discovery?a planet circling a binary star in a quadruple star system?came in fifth on CNN's list of the top 10 science stories of 2012.

In January 2013, the project announced a second confirmed planet?a Jupiter-sized world orbiting in the so-called habitable zone of a sunlike star?as well as 42 new planetary candidates, including 15 in their respective stars' habitable zones. These worlds?ranging in size from about 2.5 Earth radii up to slightly larger than Jupiter?are too large to support life as we know it, presumably being gas giants, they may well have large moons.

Planet Hunters volunteer Kian Jek was recently awarded the Chambliss Amateur Achievement Award, the American Astronomical Society's most prestigious award given annually to an amateur astronomer, for his work on behalf of the project. Kian, one of the two hunters credited with Planet Hunters' initial confirmed discovery, is one of a small cadre of skilled volunteers that have supported the Planet Hunters science team?who, although professionals, also volunteer their time to work on this project? by vetting and cataloguing potential planetary candidates, modeling stellar and planetary systems, keeping tabs on exotic variable stars such as ?heartbeat binaries? and dwarf novae, as well as tracking unlisted eclipsing binary systems in which a pair of stars orbit each other in our line of sight, each eclipsing the other in turn.

PC Planet Hunting
I've participated in a number of ?citizen science? online astronomy projects over the years, but none ?has sparked my imagination like Planet Hunters, which lets anyone with a computer and an Internet connection take part in one of modern science?s great quests: the search for planets orbiting other stars. On the Planet Hunters site, you can look for signs of these so-called exoplanets in public data from NASA's Kepler mission. If you're among the first to report a new planet, you get credit for the find and in some cases can have your name appear as a co-author on the discovery paper.

Planet Hunters is a collaboration between Yale University and the Zooniverse, a Web hub that hosts a number of citizen science projects. It got started with astronomy projects, the first being Galaxy Zoo, in which the public was enlisted to classify galaxies in images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey; it's since added others such as Moon Zoo and Solar StormWatch. Nearly half of the 14 Zooniverse projects are astronomy related; of the others, one of them, Cell Slider focuses on identifying cells for cancer research; others are related to tracking wildlife, climate science, and studying the ancient Greeks. ?Although Planet Hunters isn't officially connected to the Kepler mission, there are close ties and cooperation between the two.

150,000 Points of Light
Kepler, a space telescope, was launched in March 2009, tasked with ??exploring the structure and diversity of planetary systems?.? (by discovering them), looking in particular for Earth-sized planets, and worlds in a star's habitable zone. After Kepler completed its basic mission in 2012, the mission was extended for another 3 years.

Kepler uses the ?transit method? for planet hunting, searching for tiny dips in a star?s brightness caused by the passage (transit) of a planet in front of the star. Kepler repeatedly (every 29 minutes) images the same star field near the constellation Cygnus showing more than 150,000 stars, using a photometer to precisely measure each star's brightness. These readings generate light curves?plots showing variations in a star's luminosity over time. A transit shows as a string of data points descending below the star's light curve. Kepler uses search algorithms to find transits in its data?so far it's credited with more than 100 exoplanet discoveries, and has published a list of more than 2,700 planet candidates.

But Kepler monitors a huge variety of stars: some of constant brightness, others that flicker erratically or pulsate like clockwork. Eclipsing binaries?two stars that orbit each other and periodically eclipse one another?often show transits similar to those from planets. Although Kepler's planet search algorithms are very good at detecting prospective planets, they don?t catch everything, and the human eye has been shown to be better at detecting anomalies in some pattern-recognition tasks than a computer. That's where Planet Hunters comes in. Having multiple participants view each image greatly improves the odds of not missing a world.

Keep Reading: The Planet Hunters Site

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/-8OZLoI4h7E/0,2817,2379660,00.asp

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27 die in Egypt riot after soccer violence verdict

An Egyptian soccer fan of Al-Ahly club displays scales to fans celebrating a court verdict that returned 21 death penalties in last years soccer violence, inside the club premises in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. Egyptian security officials say military to deploy in Port Said after at least 8 people died in the Mediterranean city of Port Said after a judge sentenced 21 people to death in connection to one of the world's deadliest incidents of soccer violence. (AP Photo/Ahmed Ramadan)

An Egyptian soccer fan of Al-Ahly club displays scales to fans celebrating a court verdict that returned 21 death penalties in last years soccer violence, inside the club premises in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. Egyptian security officials say military to deploy in Port Said after at least 8 people died in the Mediterranean city of Port Said after a judge sentenced 21 people to death in connection to one of the world's deadliest incidents of soccer violence. (AP Photo/Ahmed Ramadan)

Egyptians say funeral prayers in a mosque for three people who died in demonstrations marking the second anniversary of the January, 25, 2011, Egyptian revolution in Suez, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. The unrest was the latest in a bout of violence that has left a total of at least 38 people dead in two days, including over 10 killed in clashes between police and protesters marking Friday's second anniversary of the uprising that overthrew longtime leader Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Ahmed Abd El-Latef, Shorouk Newspaper) EGYPT OUT

Families and supporters of those accused of soccer violence from the Port Said soccer club react to the announcement of verdicts for 21 on trial in last years Port Said stadium incident which left 74 people dead, in Port Said, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. Egyptian security officials say at least 8 people have died in the Mediterranean city of Port Said after a judge sentenced 21 people to death in connection to one of the world's deadliest incidents of soccer violence. (AP Photo/Mohammed Nouhan, Shorouk Newspaper) EGYPT OUT

Families and supporters of those accused of soccer violence from the Port Said soccer club react to the announcement of verdicts for 21 fans on trial in last years Port Said stadium incident which left 74 people dead, in Port Said, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. Egyptian security officials say at least 8 people have died in the Mediterranean city of Port Said after a judge sentenced 21 people to death in connection to one of the world's deadliest incidents of soccer violence. (AP Photo/Mohammed Nouhan, Shorouk Newspaper) EGYPT OUT

Families and supporters of those accused of soccer violence from the Port Said soccer club react to the announcement of verdicts for 21 fans on trial in last years Port Said stadium incident which left 74 people dead, in Port Said, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. Egyptian security officials say at least 8 people have died in the Mediterranean city of Port Said after a judge sentenced 21 people to death in connection to one of the world's deadliest incidents of soccer violence. (AP Photo/Mohammed Nouhan, Shorouk Newspaper) EGYPT OUT

CAIRO (AP) ? Angry relatives and residents rampaged through an Egyptian port city Saturday in rioting that killed at least 27 people after a judge sentenced nearly two dozen soccer fans to death for involvement in deadly violence after a game last year.

The unrest was the latest in a bout of violence that has left a total of 38 people dead in two days, including 11 killed in clashes between police and protesters marking Friday's second anniversary of the uprising that overthrew longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.

President Mohammed Morsi canceled a scheduled trip to Ethiopia Saturday and instead met for the first time with top generals as part of the newly formed National Defense Council.

The violence in Port Said erupted after a judge sentenced 21 people to death in connection with the Feb. 1 soccer melee that killed 74 fans of the Cairo-based Al-Ahly team. Executions in Egypt are usually carried out by hanging.

All the defendants ? who were not present in the courtroom Saturday for security reasons ? can appeal the verdict.

Judge Sobhi Abdel-Maguid did not give his reasoning when he read out the verdicts for 21 out of the 73 defendants Saturday. The verdict for the remaining 52 defendants, including nine security officials, is scheduled to be delivered March 9. Some have been charged with murder and others with assisting the attackers.

Die-hard soccer fans from both teams, known as Ultras, hold the police at least partially responsible for February's violence, which was the world's worst soccer violence in 15 years, saying officers at the game did nothing to stop the bloodshed. They also criticize Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi for doing little to reform the police force or the judiciary since he took office in July.

The opposition says Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected and civilian president, and his Muslim Brotherhood allies in government have failed to restore stability amid continued political turmoil and crime, and point to a worsening economy.

In a statement Saturday, the main opposition National Salvation Front said it holds Morsi responsible for "the excessive use of force by the security forces against protesters." They threatened to boycott upcoming parliamentary elections if Morsi does not meet their demands that include amending articles in the new constitution.

The Brotherhood said in its statement that "misleading" media outlets were to blame for "enflaming the people's hatred for the current regime and urging them to act violently."

Immediately after Saturday's verdict was read live on state TV, two policemen were shot dead outside Port Said's main prison when angry relatives tried to storm the facility to free the defendants. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets, as well as live rounds, at the crowd outside the prison.

In other parts of the city, residents tried to storm the governor's office, police stations, the power station and the main court building. Residents occupied one police station in the east of Port Said.

The director of hospitals in Port Said, Dr. Abdel-Raham Farah, said two local soccer players were shot to death as they were apparently on their way to practice. He identified them as Mahmoud Abdel-Halim al-Dizawi, who played for the city's Al-Marikh club, and Tamer al-Fahla, who used to play for the city's main Al-Masry team. Al-Diwazi was shot three times, the doctor said.

The club they were training at is near the prison that residents tried to storm.

The military was deployed in Port Said to try to restore security, but assaults continued into the evening. The army was widely used to keep order by top generals who took over after Hosni Mubarak, but the military has kept a much lower profile since Morsi was elected.

Egyptian military forces also were sent into the canal city of Suez after eight people died in Friday's clashes between security forces and protesters opposed to the new president and the Brotherhood. Another protester was killed in Ismailiya, and security officials told the state news agency MENA that two policemen were killed in Friday's protests.

Many of the young men who led the protests and clashes hail from the Ultras. They often come from poor neighborhoods and view the police force that was the backbone of Mubarak's authoritarian rule as their nemesis.

"The police are thugs!" yelled relatives of the deceased inside the courtroom before the judge took the bench.

Near Cairo's Tahrir Square, where tens of thousands had amassed to mark the two-year anniversary a day earlier, Ultras Al-Ahly waved their team's red flag as they clashed with police who fired tear gas to disburse the crowd near Cabinet headquarters and Parliament.

Underlining the distrust that lingers between much of the public and the police, survivors and witnesses say Mubarak loyalists had a hand in instigating last year's attack, which began after Port Said's home team won the match, 3-1, and that the police at the very least were responsible for gross negligence.

Al-Masry fans stormed the pitch after the game ended, attacking Cairo's Al-Ahly fans. Authorities shut off the stadium lights, plunging it into darkness. In the exit corridor, the fleeing crowd pressed against a chained gate until it broke open. Many were crushed under the crowd of people trying to flee.

Other survivors said it was simply bloodthirsty Al-Masry fans and lack of enough security that led to the deaths of their colleagues. Both sides blame police for failing to perform usual searches for weapons at the stadium.

Anger is boiling in Port Said, where residents say they have been unfairly scapegoated.

A lawyer of one of the defendants given a death sentence said the verdict was political.

"There is nothing to say these people did anything and we don't understand what this verdict is based on," Mohammed al-Daw told The Associated Press by telephone.

"Our situation in Port Said is very grave because kids were taken from their homes for wearing green T-shirts," he said, referring to the Al-Masry team color.

Al-Daw and other defense attorneys said all those sentenced were Al-Masry fans. As is customary in Egypt, the death sentences will be sent to the nation's top religious authority, the Grand Mufti, for approval, though the court has final say on the matter.

Fans of Al-Ahly, whose stands were attacked by rival club Al-Masry in the incident in Port Said, had promised more violence in the days leading up to the verdict if the death penalty was not handed down.

Before the judge could read out the names of the 21, families erupted in relief, yelling "Allahu Akbar!" Arabic for "God is great," with their hands in the air and waving pictures of the deceased. One man fainted while others hugged one another. The judge smacked the bench several times to try to restore calm in the courtroom.

"This was necessary," said Nour al-Sabah, whose 17-year-old son Ahmed Zakaria died in last year's melee. "Now I want to see the guys when they are executed with my own eyes, just as they saw the murder of my son."

Thousands of Al-Ahly fans gathered outside the Cairo sports club for the verdict, chanting against the police and the government.

"We are not really that happy," Mohamed Ahmed, a survivor of the attack, said. "The government helped the Ultras of Port Said by blocking the gates of the stadium until people suffocated to death.

____

Associated Press writer Mariam Rizk contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-26-Egypt/id-13a7df7b57fc48e584f4920528329504

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Garmin's GPS for Boaters - Zacks.com

Worldwide provider of navigation, communications and information devices, Garmin Ltd. (GRMN - Analyst Report) has announced the launch of quatix, a GPS watch for boating enthusiasts. The watch is priced at $450.0 and will be available soon worldwide.

Garmin?s new watch quatix offers the features required for both navigational and sailing purposes. The watch will provide vital information like tidal information, COG (course over ground), SOG (speed over ground), and VMG (velocity made good), along with alerts for speed and anchor drag. It is also equipped with ABC sensors, i.e., altimeter, barometer and compass.

The watch not only provides important information to mariners, but it also looks after the safety of users through its MOB feature. This feature enables one to send alarm signals to the captain of the vessel when he/she falls overboard.

The watch will be particularly useful in competitive sailing. Although professional sailing is in the nascent stage, it is gaining popularity through international events like Volvo Ocean Race (one of the toughest races). It also features in the Olympics.

Garmin is well positioned in the marine market, although recessionary pressures have affected this business. Garmin has continued with its product launches right through the year, including the GDL TM 40 cellular marine weather receiver, the GHS TM 20 and 20i wireless remote handsets for Garmin?s VHF 200 and 300 series marine radios and an update to the GHP TM 12 marine autopilot. It is expected that new products and its OEM approach will continue to expand margins for the company.

In the third quarter of fiscal 2012, Garmin reported revenues of $672.4 million, down 6.4% sequentially and 0.8% year over year, helped by particular strength in the outdoor and aviation segment. The Marine segment accounted for 7% of the revenues, down 34.0% sequentially and 6.8% from the year-ago quarter. The decline from the year-ago quarter was on account of weak economic conditions across the world and particularly in Europe.

Garmin, which is expected to report fourth-quarter results next month has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). However, other technology stocks, such as ON Semiconductor (ONNN), which is to report early next month and Linear Technology Corp (LLTC), which reported last week represent better investment opportunities.

Source: http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/91083/garmins-gps-for-boaters

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US: NKorea nuke test plan 'provocative'

WASHINGTON (AP) ? North Korea's plan to conduct a third nuclear test is "needlessly provocative" and will only increase its isolation, the White House said Thursday, as the U.S. expanded its financial sanctions against the north Asian country.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said he's seen no outward sign that North Korea will follow through soon on its plan to conduct a test ? following its underground atomic explosions in 2006 and 2009.

But that doesn't mean preparations aren't under way.

"They have the capability, frankly, to conduct these tests in a way that make it very difficult to determine whether or not they are doing it," Panetta told reporters.

North Korea's National Defense Commission said Thursday a nuclear test was part of "upcoming" action directed against the U.S. but did not say exactly when or where it would take place. The commission, led by leader Kim Jong Un, also made clear that its long-range rockets are designed to carry warheads aimed at striking the United States. The North has previously said its launches are for a peaceful space program.

Pyongyang's statement came two days after the U.N. Security Council condemned its December launch of a satellite atop a long-range rocket for violating a ban on ballistic missile activity. The council, with the support of the North's only major ally, China, also tightened sanctions.

"North Korea's statement is needlessly provocative and a test would be a significant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions," White House spokesman Carney told reporters. "Further provocation would only increase Pyongyang's isolation, and its continued focus on its nuclear and missile program is doing nothing to help the North Korean people."

Carney said the council decision to tighten sanctions would impede the growth of weapons of mass destruction programs in North Korea. He said the U.S. would be taking additional steps. The government later designated as "trade" several entities said to be involved in missile development.

Carney noted the council's warning to take further action in the event of a further launch or nuclear test.

"We judge North Korea by its actions, and provocations like these are significant violations and we act accordingly," Carney said.

North Korea claims the right to build nuclear weapons as a defense against the United States, its foe from the 1950-53 Korean War. The U.S. still maintains 28,000 troops in South Korea as a deterrent against aggression from the North.

North Korea's recently launched rocket has the potential to hit the west coast of the U.S. mainland, but experts say it still doesn't have the capability to make a missile re-enter the atmosphere and hit a target. Nor is it believed to have miniaturized a nuclear device to mount on a missile. A nuclear test could move it closer toward that goal.

The elevation a year ago of Kim Jong Un following the death of his father Kim Jong Il had fueled hope of improved relations with Washington, particularly after the North accepted a substantial offer of food aid in exchange for nuclear concessions. But that agreement collapsed last April when the North conducted a long-range rocket launch.

Carney said the U.S. has not seen a noticeable change in North Korea's behavior.

The Treasury Department levied sanctions Thursday against a Hong Kong-based trading company and two officials of a North Korean bank. The administrative move prohibits them from transactions with Americans and freezes any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction.

Treasury described the Tanchon Commercial Bank as the financial arm of Pyongyang's premier arms dealer and main exporter of goods and equipment related to ballistic missiles and conventional weapons.

The bank has also been involved in ballistic missile transactions between the arms dealer, Korea's Mining Development Trading Corporation, and Iran's Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, a U.S.- and UN-designated organization responsible for developing liquid-fueled ballistic missiles, Treasury said.

"By continuing to expose these entities, and the individuals who assist them, we degrade North Korea's ability to use the international financial system for its illicit purposes," David S. Cohen, the Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.

The State Department also designated the Korean Committee for Space Technology, which it said has orchestrated rocket launches and has contributed to development of long-range ballistic missile development.

____

Associated Press writers Pauline Jelinek and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-24-US-NKorea-Nuclear/id-4511abc4f4f142c089356678282d13f7

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