2014-01-31

Fwd: House


‘U.S. House Republican leaders backed a broad outline for legislation that would legalize undocumented immigrants and stop short of granting citizenship.

 

“There will be no special path to citizenship for individuals who broke our nation’s immigration laws,” according to the document obtained by Bloomberg News. “Rather, these persons could live legally and without fear in the U.S.”

 

The guidelines, distributed to Republican lawmakers today at a private policy retreat in Cambridge, Maryland, stipulate that legislation should ensure U.S. visas and green-card allocations “reflect the needs of employers.” Temporary job programs should help the agricultural industry, and not displace U.S. workers, according to the document…

 

 

Boehner said a piecemeal approach to advancing immigration legislation -- in contrast to the comprehensive measure the Senate passed -- would build confidence among Republican lawmakers and their voters…

 

The legalization plan hinges on unspecified “enforcement triggers” that would have to be implemented.

 

“You can’t begin the process of immigration reform without securing our borders, and the ability to enforce our laws,” Boehner said. “Everyone in our conference understands that’s the first step.”’

 

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-01-30/house-republicans-back-plan-to-legalize-undocumented-workers#p1

 

 

2014-01-29

2014-01-28

FW: Ohio

‘the Columbus Dispatch obtained three prison incident reports from the eve of McGuire's execution that raised the question of whether his physical response to the drugs was genuine.

 

Two guards wrote that they overheard McGuire — who was sentenced to death for raping and stabbing a pregnant woman — tell his ex-wife that his lawyer told him to give a "thumbs up" sign after the injection began.

 

"If it wasn't for my daughter, I would really put on a show," McGuire allegedly said, according to the reports, which were also emailed by the state corrections department to NBC News.

 

Another prison staffer wrote that during a conversation with McGuire after visiting hours had ended, the condemned man told him that the lawyer, Rob Lowe, had told him that if started to "choke or jerk" he would call the governor, get the execution stopped and have a life-saving antidote administered.

 

"He also began saying that Mr. Lowe told him that if things look bad during this execution that he would be the sole reason that executions will no longer happen in Ohio and all his buddies on death row would be saved."

Advertise | AdChoices

 

The report further quotes McGuire as saying: "He wants me to put on this big show in front of my kids, all right when I'm dying. I ain't gonna do this. It's about me and my kids, not him and his cause!"’

 

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/28/22482116-ohio-lawyers-deny-coaching-executed-man-to-put-on-a-big-show

 

VIDEO: Leon Slams the South

http://www.weather.com/video/leon-slams-the-south-43832?

As Apple shares fall, Icahn buys another $500 million

What is the state of our union, Mr. President?

Human Beings Are Not Cut Out For Life In Space: Report

Fwd: 3 cylinder

Nissan has a new small  1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine.

 

‘Holding the lightweight engine (at right) is Nismo president Shoichi Miyatani, and he's likely smiling because that 40-kilogram (88-pound) engine packs quite a punch with 400 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. Nissan would like to take a moment to point out this engine's power-to-weight is better than the engines currently used in Formula One racecars.’

 

2014-01-22

Administration fears part of health care system so flawed it could bankrupt insurance companies

“I’m thrilled that we’re going to have millions of people for the first time that have health security,” she said.

 

Shortly after the website went live, one official told Congress a critical part of the system – what is known as the “back end” -- had not even been built yet.

 

Doug Holtz-Eakin, former head of the Congressional Budget Office, says "the back end -- that information is supposed to be transmitted to an insurance company, the insurance company knows who you are, they know what policy you've picked."

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/22/administration-fears-part-health-care-system-so-flawed-it-could-bankrupt/

 

 

 

Water

‘Scientists using the Herschel space observatory have made the first definitive detection of water vapor on the largest and roundest object in the asteroid belt, Ceres.

 

Plumes of water vapor are thought to shoot up periodically from Ceres when portions of its icy surface warm slightly. Ceres is classified as a dwarf planet, a solar system body bigger than an asteroid and smaller than a planet.

 

Herschel is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission with important NASA contributions.

 

"This is the first time water vapor has been unequivocally detected on Ceres or any other object in the asteroid belt and provides proof that Ceres has an icy surface and an atmosphere," said Michael Küppers of ESA in Spain, lead author of a paper in the journal Nature.’

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140122132535.htm

 

Fixing cracked glass at Apple's 5th Avenue store may cost $450,000

http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-apple-450000-shattered-glass-fifth-avenue-20140122,0,1807799.story#axzz2rAOPfe3P

Chocolate, Tea, Berries May Cut Diabetes Risk. Substances found in some people's favorite foods appear to benefit blood sugar, inflammation levels.

http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20140121/chocolate-tea-berries-may-cut-diabetes-risk-study

2014-01-20

Peanuts

'The path of the peanut from a snack staple to the object of bans at schools, day care centers and beyond offers important insights into how and why a rare, life-threatening food allergy can prompt far-reaching societal change, according to a Princeton University researcher.

 

Before 1980, peanut allergies were rarely mentioned in medical literature or the media, said Miranda Waggoner, a postdoctoral researcher at the Office of Population Research in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Her article on the subject, "Parsing the peanut panic: The social life of a contested food allergy epidemic," was published recently in the journal Social Science & Medicine.

 

Starting around 1990, articles in medical journals began discussing the seriousness of peanut allergies, Waggoner said. At the same time, advocacy groups were emerging to raise awareness of the issue. By the mid-1990s, newspapers were printing articles with headlines such as "Nut Allergy Girl's Terror; Girl Almost Dies from Peanut Allergy."

 

And the 21st century brought descriptions of peanut allergies — in medical journals and the media — as an epidemic.

 

For those with a peanut allergy, ingesting the legume can lead to anaphylactic shock and, if untreated, death. But the allergy is quite rare and it isn't clear whether it is becoming more common, Waggoner said.'

 

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S37/46/79G28/index.xml?section=topstories

 

2014-01-19

Will Smith death hoax.

http://www.snopes.com/computer/facebook/willsmithdead.asp

those reports are being spread by a malicious Facebook app. When users are tricked into clicking through on these fake "R.I.P. Will Smith" posts to see the promised news videos, they end up installing a rogue app that posts the same very thing to other Facebook pages in their name. 

Facebook's Desktop Help section provides users with instructions on how to remove unwanted apps.



Heavy drinking in middle age speeds cognitive decline, study finds

No evidence of "obesity paradox" for diabetes: study

This is your brain on sugar: UCLA study shows high-fructose diet sabotages learning, memory

New studies support claim that 'sugar is toxic'

Study: Sugar even at moderate levels toxic to mice health, reproduction

The End of the Greatest Telescope?

Falling Prices Threaten Fragile Growth, IMF Head Says. (You've got to be kidding me!)

IRL: the iPad Air

Samsung tablet for $50 and other tablet steals

Did Fish Oil Help Grant Virgin Recover From A Coma? Parents Of 17-Year-Old Hit-And-Run Victim Say Supplement Healed His Brain

Reduced Friction Drag Using Rough Surfaces

Now microscopic robots ‘Bio-Bots’ to diagnose diseases inside Human Body

'Ride Along' rolls over 'Jack Ryan' to win U.S. weekend box office

Tech industry: Obama's NSA reforms 'insufficient'

Analysis: Egypt vote muddies political outlook

The greatest MLK speeches you never heard

Terror video threatens Winter Olympics

Congressional Leaders Suggest Earlier Snowden Link to Russia

Surgeon Simulator headed to iPad

Teenager Charged as Adult in Pennsylvania School Shooting

Fwd: Russia/Iran/Syria


'Iran's foreign minister, Mohamed Zarif, took a diplomatic victory lap as he arrived in Moscow to meet Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. Russia's Foreign Ministry released this statement: "We intend to continue the expansion of mutually advantageous relations with Iran and interaction in the interest of regional stability and international security…We expect to strengthen positive trends in every sphere of Russia-Iran cooperation."

 

Zarif's mission to Moscow quells any lingering hopes that Russia can be seduced away from Syria or Iran. Putin has made a simple calculation: Assad will protect his interests better than anyone. Russia, in turn, has made it clear that it will prop up Syria's tyrant and their Iranian backers at almost any cost. Zarif arrived in Moscow to expand cooperation with Russia and pay homage to his sugar daddy for making all of this possible…

 

Zarif's visit to Russia comes days after a trip to Lebanon where he honored master Hezbollah terrorist Imad Mughniyeh. Does a "moderate" pay homage to one of the most ruthless terrorists in modern history, a man who killed hundreds of American and Jews around the world? Is there anything Zarif could do to forfeit his credentials as a "moderate"? Apparently not.'

 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/16/how-iran-putin-and-assad-outwitted-america.html

Fwd: Catalyst


Another Photoelectrochemical Catalyst

'An improved, cost-effective catalyst for water-splitting devices

by Staff Writers

Lausanne, Switzerland (SPX) Jan 16, 2014

 

Publishing in Nature Communications, an EPFL-led team of scientists has found a method to create a high-efficiency, scalable solar water splitting device using cheap materials…

 

One of the most sustainable methods of producing hydrogen is photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting. Solar energy is used to break water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen through a process called "hydrogen evolution reaction".

 

This reaction requires a catalyst, which is a chemical agent that increases its speed. In PEC water-splitting devices, a common catalyst used to split water is platinum, which is deposited on the surface of the solar panel's photocathode - the solar panel's electrode that converts light into electric current.

 

A research team at EPFL has now found a way to make efficient solar-powered water splitting devices using abundant and cheap materials. The group of Xile Hu developed a molybdenum-sulfide catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction, and the group of Michael Gratzel developed copper(I) oxide as a photocathode.

 

The researchers found that the molybdenum sulfide can be deposited on the copper(I) oxide photocathode for use in PEC water splitting through a simple deposition process that can be easily expanded onto a large scale.

 

The technique shows comparable efficiency to other hydrogen evolution reaction catalysts like platinum, it preserves the optical transparency for the light-harvesting surface and it shows improved stability under acidic conditions, which could translate into lower maintenance.

 

But more importantly, both the catalyst and the photocathode are made with cheap, earth-abundant materials that could greatly reduce the cost of PEC water-splitting devices in the future. According to senior author Xile Hu, the work represents a state-of-the-art example for solar hydrogen production devices.'

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/An_improved_cost_effective_catalyst_for_water_splitting_devices_999.html

 

Nitrogen gas for capital punishment

After recent difficulties in executions, some people have suggested using nitrogen gas...



americas-most-dangerous-road

Fwd: Russia/Iran/Syria


'Iran's foreign minister, Mohamed Zarif, took a diplomatic victory lap as he arrived in Moscow to meet Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. Russia's Foreign Ministry released this statement: "We intend to continue the expansion of mutually advantageous relations with Iran and interaction in the interest of regional stability and international security…We expect to strengthen positive trends in every sphere of Russia-Iran cooperation."

 

Zarif's mission to Moscow quells any lingering hopes that Russia can be seduced away from Syria or Iran. Putin has made a simple calculation: Assad will protect his interests better than anyone. Russia, in turn, has made it clear that it will prop up Syria's tyrant and their Iranian backers at almost any cost. Zarif arrived in Moscow to expand cooperation with Russia and pay homage to his sugar daddy for making all of this possible…

 

Zarif's visit to Russia comes days after a trip to Lebanon where he honored master Hezbollah terrorist Imad Mughniyeh. Does a "moderate" pay homage to one of the most ruthless terrorists in modern history, a man who killed hundreds of American and Jews around the world? Is there anything Zarif could do to forfeit his credentials as a "moderate"? Apparently not.'

 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/16/how-iran-putin-and-assad-outwitted-america.html

 




--
Best wishes,

John Coffey

http://www.entertainmentjourney.com

2014-01-18

Fwd: 3D Printer

From: <larry.r.trout

'Hershey's to make 3-D chocolate printer'

http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/16/technology/3d-printer-chocolate/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

Sounds like the Star Trek food generator may be available in a decade or two J

2014-01-17

Fwd: Google contacts


'Google's smart contact lens: what it does and how it works

 

Wearables may be on everyone's list as the major tech trend of the year, but Google just kicked it up to a whole new level. The company announced a project to make a smart contact lens on its official blog Thursday.

 

But the lens isn't going to be used to deliver your e-mail straight into your skull — at least not yet. This project is working to tackle one of the biggest health problems facing the country today: diabetes.

 

The soft contact lens that Google's is introducing — it's still just a prototype — houses a sensor between two layers of lenses that measures the glucose levels in tears. The lens also features a small — really small — antenna, capacitor and controller, so that the information gathered from the lens can move from your eye to a device where that data can be read and analyzed.

 

According to a short explanation of the technology provided by Google, the chip and sensors are mounted on a small plastic-like film. A tiny pinhole in the lens lets tear fluid seep over the glucose monitor to get regular readings. Right now, the company said, it can get a level reading once every second.'

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/googles-smart-contact-lens-what-it-does-and-how-it-works/2014/01/17/96b938ec-7f80-11e3-93c1-0e888170b723_story.html

 

Since when did Google get into the medical devices business?

2014-01-16

Fwd: Health Care


'While the Obama administration offers life support to its Affordable Care Act, in the UK a growing number of people are asking whether it's time to pull the plug on the National Health Service (NHS), which is in critical condition.

 

For many years the UK media have carried stories that not only bode ill for the future of government-run health care, but also continue to serve as a "code blue" warning to the U.S. as to what might be in our future if we decide to go down that road.

 

Writing in The Daily Telegraph under the headline, "It's time to make difficult decisions about the NHS," columnist Judith Woods says, "The NHS, dying on its feet for decades, is in a critical state. The promised injection of cash may stabilize it temporarily, but the chances of a full recovery are nil."

 

She is not alone.

 

A headline in The Guardian, declares the NHS "on the brink of extinction."

 

While in America there are concerns about an insufficient number of younger people signing up for Obamacare, in the UK among the latest causes for concern is a plan that the Guardian writes "...would only see new drugs licensed for NHS if judged to be a benefit to wider society."'

 

http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/thomas011614.php3#.Utg-PVKQHYY

 

2014-01-15

Fwd: Sugar/Liver

From: <larry.r.trout

'Nov. 1, 2013 — Despite current beliefs, sugar intake is not directly associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. Rather, high-calorie diets promote the progression of this serious form of liver disease.

 

Researchers conducted a double-blind study of healthy, but centrally overweight men to compare the effects of high intakes of two types of sugar, glucose and fructose, in two conditions -- weight-maintaining (moderate-calorie diet) and weight-gaining (high-calorie diet). In the weight-maintaining period, men on neither diet developed any significant changes to the liver. However, in the weight-gaining period, both diets produced equivalent features of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, including steatosis (fatty liver) and elevated serum transaminase and triglycerides. These findings indicate that fructose and glucose have comparable effects on one's liver, and calorie intake is the factor responsible for the progression of liver disease.

 

"Based on the results of our study, recommending a low-fructose or low-glycemic diet to prevent nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is unjustified," said Professor Ian A. Macdonald, study author and faculty of medicine and health sciences, University of Nottingham, UK. "The best advice to give a patient is to maintain a healthy lifestyle with diet and exercise. Our study serves as a warning that even short changes in lifestyle can have profound impacts on your liver."'

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131101112406.htm

 

2014-01-14

Fwd: Israel


'While the United States is pushing hard for a final agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon has expressed his great skepticism of these efforts…

 

"Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) is alive and well thanks to us," Ya'alon said. "The moment we leave Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) he is finished. In reality, there have been no negotiations between us and the Palestinians for all these months – but rather between us and the Americans. The only thing that can 'save us' is for John Kerry to win a Nobel Prize and leave us in peace."

 

Ya'alon, who was IDF chief of staff from 2002-2005, at the height of the second intifada, also has little regard for the US-devised security provisions for a post-peace region.

 

"The American security plan presented to us is not worth the paper it's written on," Ya'alon said. "It contains no peace and no security. Only our continued presence in Judea and Samaria and the River Jordan will endure that Ben-Gurion Airport and Netanya don't become targets for rockets from every direction. American Secretary of State John Kerry, who turned up here determined and acting out of misplaced obsession and messianic fervor, cannot teach me anything about the conflict with the Palestinians."

 

"There are no actual negotiations with the Palestinians. The Americans are holding negotiations with us and in parallel with the Palestinians. So far, we are the only side to have given anything – the release of murderers – and the Palestinians have given nothing."

In talks with the Americans, Ya'alon has argued that Abbas is not a partner for a final arrangement due to his intransigence.'

 

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4476582,00.html

 

2014-01-13

dire-situation-getting-worse

http://www.weather.com/video/news-41/top-stories---extended-782/dire-situation-getting-worse-43268

First large-scale study finds cognitive training aids in long-term function in older people

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/first-large-scale-study-finds-cognitive-training-aids-in-long-term-function-in-older-people/2014/01/12/f7ef34be-7bba-11e3-95c6-0a7aa80874bc_story.html

2014-01-12

FOREX-Dollar drops across the board on weak U.S. jobs data

http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/01/10/markets-forex-idINL2N0KK20H20140110

Apple brilliantly waxes poetic in new iPad Air ad

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57617098-71/apple-brilliantly-waxes-poetic-in-new-ipad-air-ad/

Bieber 'egged neighbour's house'

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/bieber-egged-neighbours-house-29909449.html

The 'Nutcracker Man' Diet: Extinct Species Of Early Human Survived on 'Tiger Nuts,' Not Meat

http://www.ibtimes.com/nutcracker-man-diet-extinct-species-early-human-survived-tiger-nuts-not-meat-1535834

Caffeine pill 'could boost memory'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25665781

Fresh hope on stem cells use to regenerate human organs

http://littlewww.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php/features/science/141297-fresh-hope-on-stem-cells-use-to-regenerate-human-organs

With Release of Prisoners, Afghan Leader Again Defies U.S. Wishes

2014-01-08

Re: Flow Battery

Could the liquid act as fuel for an electric car?  A lot would depend upon the energy density. 

<larry.r.trout> wrote:

'A team of Harvard scientists and engineers has demonstrated a new type of battery that could fundamentally transform the way electricity is stored on the grid, making power from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar far more economical and reliable…

 

The paper reports a metal-free flow battery that relies on the electrochemistry of naturally abundant, inexpensive, small organic (carbon-based) molecules called quinones, which are similar to molecules that store energy in plants and animals.'

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140108154238.htm

 

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