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We realize that many fine wine enthusiasts want more than just low prices and a good selection. You're looking for good recommendations and information on various wines from around the world. You want to buy bottles from a wine merchant using e-commerce... not an e-commerce company trying to sell wine. We opened K&L before Michael Dell had his 10th birthday. K&L sold it's first Napa Valley Cabernet two days after Bill Gates was old enough to buy it legally. Both Jerry Yang and Dave Filo (who founded Yahoo! a couple miles down the street at Stanford University) were in elementary school when we "went live" with our first store. We've been doing this for a while.
Part of what we believe has helped the success of our business has been our belief that educating the consumer must be a large part of a good wine merchant's repertoire. We pride ourselves in taking the time to learn about many different wine regions and varietals worldwide, and then passing that information along to the you through our Web site, newsletter, on the phone, or in person. If you're simply looking for the best price on well-known products, you've come to the right spot. However, you'll be missing out on the most interesting aspects of wine appreciation -- discovering new producers, new regions, and learning how dramatically different wines can taste depending on where they come from. You don't have to spend a fortune on wine to enjoy it, but you do need to be open to trying different selections. We realize that your budget doesn't allow for poor recommendations. Lucky for you, we've been doing this since 1976.
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Founded in 1976, K&L Wine Merchants is recognized across the country as one of the finest sources for great wine at superb prices. We've tasted enough wines over the years to permanently stain our teeth purple. All this hard work has its advantages, however. When our customers ask us for recommendations, our staff is ready with more than a few top picks. We've been in business through various outstanding and horrible vintages, and we know how to pick the best wines and pass up the inferior stuff. Our faces are recognized in various regions of France and Italy, not only because they're so ugly, but also due to the fact that they've seen us come through for years and they respect that kind of professional dedication.
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Climate Champion David Attenborough Breaks Jennifer Aniston's Instagram Record
Sir David Attenborough wants to share a message about the climate crisis. And it looks like his fellow Earthlings are ready to listen.
The beloved 94-year-old nature broadcaster joined Instagram Thursday, and quickly broke the world record for the shortest amount of time to reach one million followers, Guinness World Records announced. He reached the milestone in just two hours and 44 minutes.
"I've been appearing on radio and television for the past 60 years," Attenborough said in a video accompanying his first post, "but this is my first time on Instagram."
In the video, Attenborough said he was trying the new (to him) form of communication in order to spread awareness about the threats facing life on Earth.
"As we all know, the world is in trouble," he said. "Continents are on fire. Glaciers are melting. Coral reefs are dying. Fish are disappearing from our oceans. The list goes on and on. But we know what to do about it."
Attenborough said he would be recording video messages over the next few weeks explaining both the problems facing our planet and possible solutions.
In breaking the record Thursday, Attenborough racked up one million followers more quickly than Friends star Jennifer Aniston, the previous record holder who amassed one million followers in five hours and 16 minutes last October. Previous record holders also included Pope Francis and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Guinness said.
As of Monday morning, the broadcaster had a follower count of 4.5 million. That's still well below the highest total Instagram follower count, which is held by soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo with 238 million, according to BBC News.
This isn't the first time that Attenborough has broken a record in his decades-long career, Guinness World Records pointed out. He also holds the record for the longest career as both a TV presenter and a TV naturalist.
While Attenborough is recording the messages for his Instagram account, the account is being managed by some of the team behind the new documentary David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet, which premieres on Netflix Oct. 4.
"Social media isn't David's usual habitat," director Jonnie Hughes and executive producer Colin Butfield of the World Wildlife Fund explained in the text accompanying the post.
The pair said the Instagram feed would also feature exclusive clips and behind-the-scenes footage from the new film.
"Saving our planet is now a communications challenge," Hughes and Butfield wrote. "We know what to do, we just need the will."
- David Attenborough Calls For Ban on Deep-Sea Mining - EcoWatch ›
- Sir David Attenborough Set to Present BBC Documentary on ... ›
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Hormone-Mimicking Chemicals Harm Fish Now—and Their Unexposed Offspring Later
By Brian Bienkowski
Fish exposed to endocrine-disrupting compounds pass on health problems to future generations, including deformities, reduced survival, and reproductive problems, according to a new study.
Low Levels Lead to Generational Impacts
Researchers exposed inland silverside fish to bifenthrin, levonorgestrel, ethinylestradiol, and trenbolone to levels currently found in waterways.

"Our concentrations were actually on the low end" of what is found in the wild, DeCourten said, adding that it was low amounts of chemicals in parts per trillion.

Bifenthrin is a pesticide; levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol are synthetic hormones used in birth controls; and trenbolone is a synthetic steroid often given to cattle to bulk them up.

Such endocrine-disruptors have already been linked to a variety of health problems in directly exposed fish including altered growth, reduced survival, lowered egg production, skewed sex ratios, and negative impacts to immune systems. But what remains less clear is how the exposure may impact future generations.

For their study, DeCourten and colleagues started the exposure when the fish were embryos and continued it for 21 days.

They then tracked effects on the exposed fish, and the next two generations.

Inherited Problems
DeCourten said the altered DNA methylation is one of the plausible ways that future generations would experience health impacts from previous generations' exposure. Hormone-disrupting compounds have been shown to impact DNA methylation, which is an important marker of how an organism will develop.

"Methyl groups are added to specific sites on the genome, [the exposure] is not changing the genome itself, but rather how the genome is expressed," she said. "And that can be inherited throughout generations."

In addition, Brander said there are essentially different "tags" that exist on DNA molecules, which tell genes how to turn on and off. She said the exposure to different compounds may be "influencing which methyl tags get taken on or off as you proceed through generations."

The researchers said the study should prompt future toxics testing to consider impacts on future generations.

"The results … throw a wrench in the current approach to regulating chemicals, where it's often short-term testing looking at simple things like growth, survival, and maybe gene expression," Brander said.

"These findings are telling us we really at least need to consider" the next two generations, she added.

- Alarming Levels of Cancer-Causing Chemicals Found in Columbia ... ›
- Microplastics Are Killing Baby Fish, New Study Finds - EcoWatch ›
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern Wins Historic Victory Following Science-Based Leadership on COVID and Climate
Jacinda Ardern, the New Zealand Prime Minister who has emerged as a leader on the climate crisis and the coronavirus pandemic, has won a second term in office.
- New Zealand's Ardern Pledges 100% Renewable Energy by 2030 if ... ›
- New Zealand Plans to Require Climate Risk Reporting - EcoWatch ›
- New Zealand Will Consider Climate Crisis in All Major Policy ... ›
Resurge Reviews: Does It Work for Weight Loss?
Poor eating habits, lack of exercise, genetics, and a bunch of other things are known to be behind excessive weight gain. But, did you know that how much sleep you get each night can also determine how much weight you gain or lose?
Can Supplements Help Fight COVID-19? Here's What We Know
By Laura Beil
Consumers have long turned to vitamins and herbs to try to protect themselves from disease. This pandemic is no different — especially with headlines that scream "This supplement could save you from coronavirus."
Vitamin D
What it is: Called "the sunshine vitamin" because the body makes it naturally in the presence of ultraviolet light, Vitamin D is one of the most heavily studied supplements (SN: 1/27/19). Certain foods, including fish and fortified milk products, are also high in the vitamin.

Why it might help: Vitamin D is a hormone building block that helps strengthen the immune system.

How it works for other infections: In 2017, the British Medical Journal published a meta-analysis that suggested a daily vitamin D supplement might help prevent respiratory infections, particularly in people who are deficient in the vitamin.

But one key word here is deficient. That risk is highest during dark winters at high latitudes and among people with more color in their skin (melanin, a pigment that's higher in darker skin, inhibits the production of vitamin D).

"If you have enough vitamin D in your body, the evidence doesn't stack up to say that giving you more will make a real difference," says Susan Lanham-New, head of the Nutritional Sciences Department at the University of Surrey in England.

And taking too much can create new health problems, stressing certain internal organs and leading to a dangerously high calcium buildup in the blood. The recommended daily allowance for adults is 600 to 800 International Units per day, and the upper limit is considered to be 4,000 IUs per day.

What we know about Vitamin D and COVID-19: Few studies have looked directly at whether vitamin D makes a difference in COVID.

Zinc
What it is: Zinc, a mineral found in cells all over the body, is found naturally in certain meats, beans and oysters.

Why it might help: It plays several supportive roles in the immune system, which is why zinc lozenges are always hot sellers in cold and flu season. Zinc also helps with cell division and growth.

How it works for other infections: Studies of using zinc for colds — which are frequently caused by coronaviruses — suggest that using a supplement right after symptoms start might make them go away quicker. That said, a clinical trial from researchers in Finland and the United Kingdom, published in January in BMJ Open did not find any value for zinc lozenges for the treatment of colds. Some researchers have theorized that inconsistencies in data for colds may be explained by varying amounts of zinc released in different lozenges.

What we know about zinc and COVID-19: The mineral is promising enough that it was added to some early studies of hydroxychloroquine, a drug tested early in the pandemic. (Studies have since shown that hydroxychloroquine can't prevent or treat COVID-19 (SN: 8/2/20).)

Vitamin C
What it is: Also called L-ascorbic acid, vitamin C has a long list of roles in the body. It's found naturally in fruits and vegetables, especially citrus, peppers and tomatoes.

Why it might help: It's a potent antioxidant that's important for a healthy immune system and preventing inflammation.

How it works for other infections: Thomas cautions that the data on vitamin C are often contradictory. One review from Chinese researchers, published in February in the Journal of Medical Virology, looked at what is already known about vitamin C and other supplements that might have a role in COVID-19 treatment. Among other encouraging signs, human studies find a lower incidence of pneumonia among people taking vitamin C, "suggesting that vitamin C might prevent the susceptibility to lower respiratory tract infections under certain conditions."

But for preventing colds, a 2013 Cochrane review of 29 studies didn't support the idea that vitamin C supplements could help in the general population. However, the authors wrote, given that vitamin C is cheap and safe, "it may be worthwhile for common cold patients to test on an individual basis whether therapeutic vitamin C is beneficial."

What we know about Vitamin C and COVID-19: About a dozen studies are under way or planned to examine whether vitamin C added to coronavirus treatment helps with symptoms or survival, including Thomas' study at the Cleveland Clinic.

In a review published online in July in Nutrition, researchers from KU Leuven in Belgium concluded that the vitamin may help prevent infection and tamp down the dangerous inflammatory reaction that can cause severe symptoms, based on what is known about how the nutrient works in the body.

Melissa Badowski, a pharmacist who specializes in viral infections at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy and colleague Sarah Michienzi published an extensive look at all supplements that might be useful in the coronavirus epidemic. There's still not enough evidence to know whether they are helpful, the pair concluded in July in Drugs in Context. "It's not really clear if it's going to benefit patients," Badowski says.

And while supplements are generally safe, she adds that nothing is risk free. The best way to avoid infection, she says, is still to follow the advice of epidemiologists and public health experts: "Wash your hands, wear a mask, stay six feet apart."

- 7 Best Vitamins and Supplements to Combat Stress - EcoWatch ›
- The 10 Best Zinc Supplements of 2020 - EcoWatch ›
By Elliot Douglas
In early October, Britain's Prince William teamed up with conservationist David Attenborough to launch the Earthshot Prize, a new award for environmentalist innovation. The Earthshot brands itself the "most prestigious global environment prize in history."
The world-famous wildlife broadcaster and his royal sidekick appear to have played an active role in the prize's inception, and media coverage has focused largely on them as the faces of the campaign.
"Rather than a Moonshot 🌕, we need Earthshots 🌍 for this decade." Watch Prince William's @Tedtalks talk in full:… https://t.co/m5NCj6TQzH— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge)1602408749.0
But the pair are only the frontmen of a much larger movement which has been in development for several years. In addition to a panel of experts who will decide on the winners, the prize's formation took advice from the World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace and the Jack Ma Foundation.
With more and more global attention on the climate crisis, celebrity endorsement of environmental causes has become more common. But why do environmental causes recruit famous faces for their campaigns? And what difference can it make?
'Count Me In'
"We need celebrities to reach those people who we cannot reach ourselves," says Sarah Marchildon from the United Nations Climate Change secretariat (UNFCCC) in Bonn, Germany.
Marchildon is a proponent of the use of celebrities to raise awareness of environmental causes. In addition to promoting a selection of climate ambassadors who represent the UN on sustainability issues, Marchildon's team has produced videos with well-known narrators from the entertainment world: among them, Morgan Freeman and Mark Ruffalo.
"We choose celebrities who have a lifestyle where they are already talking about these issues," Marchildon explains.
"Sometimes they reach out to us themselves, as David Attenborough did recently. And then they can promote the videos on their own social channels which reach more people than we do — for example, if they have 20 million followers and we have 750,000."
Environmental groups focused on their own domestic markets are also taking this approach. One Germany-based organization that uses celebrities in campaigns is the German Zero NGO. Set up in 2019, it advocates for a climate-neutral Germany by 2035.
German Zero produced a video in March 2020 introducing the campaign with "66 celebrities" that supported the campaign, among them Deutschland 83 actor Jonas Nay and former professional footballer Andre Schürrle. They solicit support as well as financial contributions from viewers.
"Count me in," they say, pointing toward the camera. "You too?"
"We are incredibly grateful for the VIPs in our videos," says German Zero spokeswoman Eva-Maria McCormack.
Assessing Success Is Complex
But quantifying the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement of campaigns is not a straightforward process.
"In order to measure effectiveness, first of all you need to define what is meant by success," says Alegria Olmedo, a researcher at the Zoology Department at the University of Oxford.
Olmedo is the author of a study looking at a range of campaigns concerning pangolin consumption, fronted by local and Western celebrities, in Vietnam and China. But she says her biggest stumbling block was knowing how to measure a campaign's success.
"You need a clear theory of change," explains Olmedo. "Have the celebrities actually helped in achieving the campaign's goals? And how do you quantify these goals? Maybe it is increased donations or higher engagement with a cause."
A popular campaign in China in recent years saw famous chefs Zhao Danian and Shu Yi pledge to abstain from cooking endangered wildlife. While the pledge achieved widespread recognition, both Olmedo and Marchildon say it's difficult to know whether it made any difference to people's actions.
"In life we see a thousand messages every day, and it is very hard to pinpoint whether one campaign has actually made a difference in people's behavior," she explains.
Awareness Is Not Enough
Many campaigns that feature celebrities focus on raising awareness rather than on concrete action — which, for researcher Olmedo, raises a further problem in identifying effectiveness.
"Reach should never be a success outcome," she says. "Many campaigns say they reached a certain number of people on social media. But there has been a lot of research that shows that simply giving people information does not mean they are actually going to remember it or act upon it."
But anecdotal evidence from campaigns may suggest reach can make an active difference.
"Our VIP video is by far the most watched on our social media channels," McCormack from German Zero says. "People respond to it very directly. A lot of volunteers of all ages heard about us through that video."
However, some marketing studies have shown that celebrity endorsement of a cause or product can distract from the issue itself, as people only remember the person, not the content of what they were saying.
Choosing the Right Celebrity
Celebrity choice is also very important. Campaigns that use famous faces are often aiming to appeal to members of the public who do not necessarily follow green issues.
For certain campaigns with clear target audiences, choosing a climate scientist or well-known environmentalist rather than a celebrity could be more appealing — Attenborough is a classic example. For others, images and videos involving cute animals may be more likely to get a message heard than attaching a famous face.
"We choose celebrities who have a lifestyle where they are already talking about these issues," says Marchildon from the UN. "You need figures with credibility."
McCormack cites the example of Katharine Hayhoe, an environmental scientist who is also an evangelical Christian. In the southern United States, Hayhoe has become a celebrity in her own right, appealing to an audience that might not normally be interested in the messages of climate scientists.
But as soon as you get a celebrity involved, campaigns also put themselves at risk of the whims of that celebrity. Prince William and younger members of the royal family have come under fire in recent years for alleged hypocrisy for their backing of environmental campaigns while simultaneously using private jets to fly around the world.
But Does It Really Work?
While environmental campaigns hope that endorsement from well-known figures can boost a campaign, there is little research to back this up.
"The biggest finding [from my study] was that we were unable to produce any evidence that shows that celebrity endorsement of environmental causes makes any difference," says Olmedo.
This will come as a blow to many campaigns that have invested time and effort into relationships with celebrity ambassadors. But for many, the personal message that many celebrities offer in videos like that produced by German Zero and campaigns like the Earthshot Prize are what counts.
The research may not prove this conclusively — but if the public believes a person they respect deeply personally cares about an important issue, they are perhaps more likely to care too.
"I personally believe in the power this can have," says Marchildon. "And if having a celebrity involved can get a single 16-year-old future leader thinking about environmentalist issues — that is enough."
Reposted with permission from DW.
- Joaquin Phoenix, Martin Sheen Arrested at Jane Fonda's Final DC ... ›
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subset: commoncrawl


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This App Wants to Hear Your Best 'Sleep Talk'
The average person will spend roughly a third of their life asleep. And while researchers continue to look for answers as to just why it is we sleep, a lot of questions still remain unanswered. Why do we dream? What do dreams actually mean? And what really goes on during the night?
As with most predicaments these days, there's an app for it.
It's called Sleep Talk Recorder and, as the name implies, it records everything you say while you snooze. The app initially launched in Sweden in 2010 and has racked up almost two million downloads to date. The Sleep Talk Recorder has since trickled its way into the United States and now the folks behind the app are hoping to make a documentary out of the stories that surface from its users.
"I was chatting with a friend about three years ago about a weird dream I had just had," said Martin Lindau, co-founder of Mad In Sweden, the company behind the app. "We both thought, 'Well, there must be a way to use your phone to record what you say in your sleep.'"
The app only records sounds — usually in short, five second or so integrals — so there's no prolonged or blank recording. Once you wake up, you can listen to the snippets you said during the night and share them to the main feed for other users to see (pictured below).
The main focus of the documentary, Lindau says, is to capture stories where the app has inspired, helped or completely changed someone. He cites a recent case in New York as an example.
"This man was having sleeping problems. Every night, his dog — a labrador, I think — would lick his face and wake him up. He tried taking it outside, feeding it — nothing," he said. "He couldn't figure out why he kept waking him up."
Lindau says the man tried the app and discovered the next morning that he was the problem. During the night, he made a series of unpleasant, growl-like snores — which is likely what caused his dog to wake him up.
"The dog was just trying to take care of his owner!" Lindau said. "Those are the kind of stories we're curious to find."
The documentary is still in its early phases, though Lindau is hoping for a December 2013 completion date. At the moment, though, he's open to hearing from people — anywhere and everywhere — who have had unique discoveries using the app.
Watch the trailer above to learn more. (Keep in mind that these are actors; for the actual documentary, they'll be interviewing real users.)
Sleep Talk Recorder is available for both Android and iOS devices. It's free for Android and $0.99 for iOS.
Would you use Sleep Talk Recorder? Or, better yet, have you already used it? Tell us about your craziest findings below.
Images courtesy of Sleep Talk Recorder


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Governor Cuomo Signs Legislation to Make Solar Power More Affordable for Homeowners and Businesses
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed a series of bills as part of the NY-Sun initiative that will make solar energy more affordable for homeowners and businesses as well as create new jobs in the states growing solar energy sector.
The new laws include statewide tax credits for the lease of solar equipment and power purchase agreements (A.34-B/S.149-B), statewide sales tax exemptions for commercial solar equipment (A.5522-B/S.3203-B) and an extension of the real property tax abatement in New York City for solar installations (A.10620/S.7711).
The bills signed today continue to build momentum for the states NY-Sun Initiative by accelerating the installation of solar power while making it a more affordable option for residents and businesses, Governor Cuomo said. Together with other NY-Sun incentives, these bills demonstrate the states commitment to reducing energy costs, growing our green energy sector, creating jobs, and protecting the environment.
NY-Sun calls for the installation in 2012 of twice the customer-sited solar electricity capacity that was added during 2011, and quadruple that amount in 2013.
Francis J. Murray Jr., President and CEO, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), said, "Governor Cuomos NY-Sun Initiative continues to send the message that New York is ramping up its efforts to deploy solar energy and develop the advanced technologies to support the states growing clean energy economy. New York is focused on expanding and developing its renewable energy resources, ensuring the state maintains a diverse renewable energy portfolio."
Statewide Tax Credits for Leased Solar Systems
This new law provides statewide tax credits for homeowners who obtain solar equipment through a lease or a power purchase agreement, where the agreement spans at least ten years. The tax credit would be available for up to 14 years with a maximum of $5,000 for all years.
The use of solar leases and power purchase agreements alternatives to traditional purchase of solar energy generating systems has grown significantly over the past few years. This new business model has the potential to significantly increase the pace of solar energy installations in the State, as it often reduces or eliminates upfront costs to the customer.
The law takes effect immediately.
Sales Tax Exemptions on Commercial Solar Systems
The law exempts the sale and installation of commercial solar energy systems equipment from sales taxes, and allows municipalities and cities to exclude these costs from local sales tax.
This bill assists in the installation of solar on commercial buildings, as these properties generally have large rooftops and are high energy-demand consumers.
The law takes effect January 1, 2013.
New York City Real Property Tax Law Abatement
The law extends the property tax abatement available to solar energy generating systems in New York City through 2013 and 2014. This extension will help mitigate the cost of installing solar installations in the City.
Eligible solar electric generating system expenditures include reasonable expenditures for materials, labor costs properly allocable to on-site preparation, assembly and original installation, architectural and engineering services, and designs and plans directly related to the construction or installation of the solar electric generating system.
The law takes effect January 1, 2013.
Senator George D. Maziarz, sponsor of S.149-B and S.S3203-B, said, By signing this legislation today, Governor Cuomo is taking another step to make New York a leader in renewable energy generation. I was proud to sponsor both of these bills in the New York State Senate, and believe strongly that each will lead our State to a stronger energy future. By extending sales tax exemptions for the purchase of solar equipment to commercial enterprises, and by providing a significant tax credit to those that choose to lease solar equipment or purchase power generated by solar equipment, we are taking strong action to incentivize a growing industry in New York State. Governor Cuomo has been a strong partner in creating better energy policies for our state and I appreciate his support of both pieces of legislation.
Senator Andrew J. Lanza, sponsor of S. S7711, said, This law will promote the use of solar energy systems providing New York residents with a cleaner, more efficient and reliable energy supply. The law will also serve as an economic stimulus and I thank Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Cuomo for their leadership on the energy front here in New York.
Assembly Member Steve Englebright, sponsor of A.5522-B, said, "We can simultaneously create new jobs and achieve the goals set for New York State's electricity needs through clean renewable energy. Under Governor Cuomos leadership, we will be doing just that by encouraging large-scale commercial investment in solar energy by eliminating all state sales taxes on commercial solar purchases and installations."
Assembly Member Herman D. Farrell Jr., sponsor of A.10620, said, "This is a very good bill for the tenants in the city; it will further stimulate clean energy investment and job creation throughout New York City. I would like to thank the Governor for signing this important legislation."
Carol E. Murphy, executive director of Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY), said, "We commend Governor Cuomo and our legislative leaders for their ongoing support of New York's growing solar industry. The signing of these bills marks another important step forward in improving and expanding the opportunities for solar investment and will go a long way towards strengthening the states clean energy economy."
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NBA Draft: Cleveland Cavaliers could trade top pick, for right price
When dangling the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, one would think teams would fall all over themselves trying to get their hands on it.
That is anything but the case in 2013.
The Cavaliers let it be known the night they won the draft lottery, they were open to trading the pick. It doesn't matter that it's only been done twice in the last 26 years.
The Cavs undoubtedly have gotten some offers, but are they viable? Sources say they haven't been overwhelmed with any of the offers. That didn't stop them from talking to teams.
Cavs general manager Chris Grant prides himself on "winning" all the trades he makes. He hasn't made many bad ones since he took over for Danny Ferry in 2010.
Here are a few options that might have been discussed:
o Derrick Williams, Minnesota, power forward, 6-foot-8, 240 pounds: Supposedly, the Timberwolves offered Williams and the No. 9 pick to the Cavs for the No. 1 selection. Williams isn't exactly a draft bust since he entered the league in 2011, but he has been a bit of a disappointment. He's a tweener who is stuck behind All-Star Kevin Love. He needs to find a new team, but maybe not Cleveland.
Chances of it happening: Very slim.
o Luol Deng, Chicago, small forward, 6-9, 220: He'll earn $14.3 million in 2013-14, the last year on his contract. He missed all but five games of the playoffs when he had complications from a spinal tap. The Bulls said he had the "flu." The two-time All-Star is entering his 10th year in the NBA. Deng, 28, has averaged 16 points and 6.4 rebounds in his career. Teams don't normally make deals with division rivals, even ones with luxury-tax concerns like the Bulls.
Chances of it happening: With only one year remaining on his contract and his age creeping up there, Cavs might pass on this deal.
o Danny Granger, Indiana, small forward, 6-8, 220: He missed all but five games of the 2012-13 season with a bad knee. He's scheduled to make $14.02 million next year, the final season on his contract. He would be a nice fit with the Cavs at small forward if the Pacers made him available in a trade. He's 30 years old. It would be a risky move since there are no assurances he'll return to All-Star level.
He's been replaced by Paul George as the Pacers' go-to guy. They might not be able to play together. Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard shot down rumors. "We have no intentions (of trading Granger)," he told the Portland Tribune. Coach Frank Vogel has also said Granger will assume his spot in the starting lineup in 2013-14, which will be his ninth year in the NBA. He scored a career-high 25.8 points in 2008-09, the season he made the All-Star team. He's averaged 18.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in his career.
Chances of it happening: His knee is a major concern to teams. He would look good as the Cavs' starting small forward. Don't completely rule it out.
o David Lee, Golden State, power forward, 6-10, 240: The Warriors might shop the 30-year-old, two-time All-Star. Players that average 20-and-10 don't grow on trees. He only did that once in his career, in 2009-10 with the Knicks, but has come close a couple other times. He missed much of the Warriors' playoff run with a hip injury. He has three years and $44.4 million left on his contract.
Chances of it happening: He's a little too expensive, even though he might be an upgrade over Tristan Thompson.
o Rudy Gay, Toronto, small forward, 6-8, 230: He probably could have been had during Memphis' in-season fire sale. He's another high-priced talent, as evidenced by his $37.2 million in the next two years. He'll be 27 in August. He might not be a team's No. 1 option, but he's a talented scorer. He's only been a 20-point scorer once in his seven-year career, but he's averaged 18 points and 5.8 rebounds.
Chances of it happening: Maybe.
o Paul Pierce, Boston, small forward, 6-7, 235: He'll be 36 years old in October. However, he would be a great fit with the youthful Cavs, especially with their playoff push. He had a very good year for the Celtics last year: 18.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He has a $15.3 million contract next year, but only $5 million is guaranteed. The Celtics have to make a decision by June 30.
Chances of it happening: If the Celtics pay him the $5 million to let him walk, there's little chance he'd sign with Cavs. The Cavs would have to deal for him, which makes a lot of sense in the short term.
o LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland, forward/center, 6-11, 240: The Cavs have been rebuffed in attempts to pry him loose from the Trail Blazers. It might take way more than the top pick to get him. They might have to throw in forward/center Anderson Varejao, as well, which would be an expensive price to pay. Aldridge will be 28 years old in July. He's entering his eighth season in the NBA. The two-time All-Star has averaged 18.3 points and 7.8 rebounds in his career.
Chances of it happening: Slim to none.
o Al Horford, Atlanta, forward/center, 6-10, 250: He's another player that would demand more than the top pick in the 2013 draft for his services. He'll be 27 in June. He's averaged 13.7 points and 9.6 rebounds in the first six years of his career, all in Atlanta. With Josh Smith going to test free agency, the Hawks would likely want to hang onto Horford. He was the third overall pick in the 2007 draft. He's a two-time All-Star.
Chances of it happening: He's a cornerstone of the Hawks' team and has a very reasonable contract. He's not going anywhere.
o Kevin Love, Minnesota, forward/center, 6-10, 260: Multi-talented two-time All-Star has been coveted by the Cavs for years. The Timberwolves keep telling them he's not available, especially now that Flip Saunders have taken over the team's basketball operations. He averaged 26 points and 13.3 rebounds in 2010-11. He'll be 25 in September. He's averaged 17.3 points and 12.2 rebounds in the first five years of his career, all in Minnesota. He won a gold medal for the U.S. Olympic team in 2012. He played just 18 games in 2012-13 because of a broken bone in his hand.
Chances of it happening: None.


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OXFORD East MP Andrew Smith has urged Oxfordshire's politicians to pull together to tackle the issue of flooding.
He was in his constituency yesterday looking at some of the defences which have prevented homes from going under water.
Mr Smith said: "Oxford faces a dire situation, with all the heartache and worry for those at risk of flooding, and the widespread disruption and economic cost to the city and surrounding area.
"I am keeping closely in touch with the efforts to protect local people, and praise the front-line effort being put in by all the workers from the agencies and councils for the second time in just a few weeks.
"This morning I held a meeting with Amanda Nobbs, chairman of the Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, together with city council leader Bob Price and Rodney Rose, who leads on flooding for the county council, to discuss how we can effectively press the case for the Western Conveyance Channel.
"We will all be pulling together, across political parties and across councils to mobilise the city's case. We are enlisting support of local businesses, universities and railway operators.
"We need urgently to secure commitment to this scheme, which is the only way of significantly reducing flood risk the city. Everyone can see the greater frequency of flooding in our area and its damage, and whilst it will take some years to get the channel in place, the sooner it starts, the better."


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THIS IS not your average burnout car. That much should be obvious. But forget the intense green paint, the lack of forced induction and the show-quality detailing – this thing has freakin' Bluetooth!
With Holden's multimedia system still in the car, Steve can make phone calls hands-free while smoking tyres!
Steve Loader tells it best: "We were doing some test skids and I started hearing these weird noises through the stereo. My phone had connected to the Bluetooth and one of my mates was ringing me!" he laughs. Sounds like the start of a whole new industry to us – instead of calling an adult chat line, maybe you could call 1800-DIAL-A-SKID to hear 532 cubes of Chevrolet's finest melt the tarmac.
Steve's had a few burnout cars over the years, including UCSMOKE which he still drives, but with this build he wanted something different
You may remember Steve from such burnout machines as UCSMOKE and UNLOAD. He's still got the former, but he sold the latter off to fellow tyre-shredder Steve Edsall back in Easter 2014. With a pocketful of cash, Steve started thinking about another build, and after the success of UNLOAD he decided to go with another late-model – this time a VF Commodore SS-V Redline. He bought the rolling shell from a Holden wrecker as a write-off. "I wanted to do a VF because no one had done one yet," Steve says. "It only had 2000km on it, and it had been hit in the left-hand front. It had no motor, 'box, diff or brakes because the Redline came with Brembos. It was also missing the tail-lights."
Steve settled on a VF because no one had done one before, and he didn't want the now-common blower hanging out of the bay
In basic white with a crunch in the front, the VF wasn't looking too flash with all the good gear missing, but Steve also got a bare VE sedan shell to use for parts. "We used that for the radiator support and chassis rail," he says. First port of call was Burn City Customs in Seaford, where they turned the shell back into a real car, repairing all the accident damage. Then it was off to Black Spade Fabrications for the tubs and ladder-bar rear. That's also where the boys positioned the big-block and Powerglide before Steve carted it off to Extracted Performance Exhausts for a set of custom headers and full exhaust. With a build like this it certainly pays to have your own tow truck.
The car had a heap of body work done to it, most of which is hidden or under the bonnet. Steve wanted to keep the door hanldes though, he doesn't like them shaved
Then it was back to Burn City for the new firewall, new radiator support and filling the inner guards with fresh sheet metal. The VE and VF Commodores have a lot of openings in the engine bay, especially forward of the suspension towers. The team at Burn City filled and smoothed it all to provide a seamless finish; they also deleted the fuel filler and aerial holes while they had the MIG and grinder handy. You may ask, why not shave the door handles as well? "Yeah, I didn't want to do that," Steve says. "I reckon it looks shit."
John Pilla from Powerhouse Engines built that 532-cube Dart Big M Chevy donk. It runs 12.5:1 compression JE pistons, ported and filled Brodix BB3 heads and titanium valves
While all this was going on, Johnny and his team at Powerhouse Engines were working on the donk. Steve wanted to do something different to the towering metal mountains that have taken over the scene. No blower here; just cubes and revs! Sticking with the tried-and-true 532ci combo, Johnny filled the Dart Big M block with a Callies crank and rods, and 12.5:1-compression JE pistons. The Brodix BB3 heads have been ported and filled with titanium Ferrea valves for the maximum rev-ability. A Peterson dry sump system keeps the oil under control, while the fuel comes from a Kinsler mechanical fuel pump up to the eight injection stacks and Enderle intake. "I bought the Enderle injection stacks second-hand from the US," Steve says. "They had direct-port nitrous plumbed in, but we removed all that and cleaned them up – it looks mint!"
With 853 atmospheric ponies at 8500rpm, this big-block makes plenty of poke but still has the potential to rev all the way to 9500rpm!
On the dyno the high-winding big-block spat out 853hp at 8500rpm, with the power still climbing when they buttoned off; Steve is confident they can spin it harder still. "I'd like to turn it to 9500rpm, but we won't know what it'll be like until we get it out on the pad properly," he says. "Everyone was just expecting another blower."
Getting the hidden wiring right was a bit of a nightmare and they called in Chris from Race Wires to help – everything except the air conditioning and reverse camera works, and Steve reckons they'll get the camera sorted soon.
Originally the interior was going to stay factory, but with the custom paint looking so good, Steve couldn't help but dress up inside
The original idea, Steve says, was for the VF to just be a cool burnout car with a difference, but then the HOK Lurid Green paint went on and all of a sudden, the build changed direction. "It just came out so good. I was going to leave the interior original, but the car came up a lot better than I thought so we decided to do the trim as well. It took Danny from SOC less than two weeks to do it."
The Mustard and snakeskin inserts were a bit controversial at first, but with the car finished it looks great
Black leather covers everything, including the dash, with mustard and snakeskin inserts to break things up. The snakeskin look was a bit controversial among Steve's mates. "When everyone first saw the snakeskin on the console, no one liked it," Steve admits. "But when the seats and dash went in, it just worked." The six-speed shifter knob fools a lot of people; they've mounted it to a B&M Pro Ratchet, but Steve reckons he had more than a few wondering if he still had a T56 in the transmission tunnel. Could you imagine that? Flat-shifting 532ci of screaming big-block!
The wheels are 22-inch KWC items all 'round - 12-inches wide at the rear and 8.5-inches up front
The whole build from start to finish took just 12 weeks. "We were pretty much done before Christmas," Steve says. "But the problem was we were working on Jason Rose's car too, so we were flat stick all the way to Summernats." And that's where Steve debuted the shimmering sedan. "It was pretty hard to keep it all secret," he says. "A couple of shots did leak out, but generally most people were surprised when the covers came off it. This was my first time unveiling a car so I wanted to do it right. The pressure was on because at the end of the day it's a Commodore, and you can't go as far with something like this as you can with a hot rod or something."
The car was originally an SS Redline with Brembo brakes, but the wreckers kept those so Steve fitted standard Commodore units
We reckon Steve's underselling himself, because it looks pretty amazing to us – if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Truth be told, Steve is pretty happy with the result too. "I did regret selling UNLOAD for a little bit, but now I've got this, I don't, because this is a better-built car," he says.
Under the big motor sits a VE K-frame and steering rack, instead of the bulky electric steering system fitted to the VF
But not everything went Steve's way at Summernats; low battery voltage was messing with the ignition so he didn't get a chance to stretch the green machine's legs in front of the Canberra crowd. In fact, with UBC#7 rained out, Steve had to wait until Brashernats Sydney to have is first proper skid in the car. With Summernats 29 now approaching, Steve is getting the car ready to compete in the Last Chance Shootout Wild Card burnout comp on the 7th of January. His other ride, UCSMOKE, is already in the main burnout series.


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By PAUL FREIBERGER
Does everyone need a professional resume?
The correct answer can be derived from three simple follow-up questions:
· Are jobs going begging in the strongest employment market in recorded history?
· Are you applying for a position with a successful family-owned business and your father-in-law, who thinks you are magnificent, runs the company?
· When all is said and done, are you not really in a rush to be hired?
Unless your answer to at least one of those questions is resoundingly positive, investing in a professional resume can prove to be one of the best career decisions you can make, regardless of the field you are in or the job level you are targeting. Professional help is not just for those at the top of the ladder; it can be a highly cost-effective option for any applicant, no more so than in a tight job market. You can be sure that your competition is doing everything it can, whether the opening is for a CEO, a programmer, a welder or an assistant to an assistant's assistant.
These are some of the ways in which professional help earns its keep:
Your Resume is Your Image
Prospective employers meet you in one context only. They do not start with a personal get-together or a nice chat by phone. They meet you in the guise of your resume. If you were sending a stand-in to meet with an employer, you probably would not choose a tattered, under-dressed, inarticulate acquaintance who planned to improvise his way through the meeting.
Specialists Have Special Skills
Perhaps there are some perennial job-hoppers who need a new resume every few months, but most of us have few occasions to draft, revise and perfect our resumes. There is both art and science to writing a resume that gets results and a professional practices his craft every day. Someone who knows a bit about web layout might be tempted to put his own business site together, but that does not mean that the do-it-yourself approach is the best or most efficient approach. Whether the product is a website or a resume, a specialist can get a better result, not only for the present, but also as a solid foundation for the future.
Professionals Know the Changing Landscape
Weak or strong, the job market is not static. The same is true of the practices of hiring managers. They constantly change their methods, emphasizing different criteria and using different tools to screen candidates, and they do not announce their changing preferences to the public. For a professional resume writer, part of the job is keeping current on the vagaries of hiring practices. This knowledge alone can save a resume from the discard pile, a pile that hosts the remains of many strong candidates who did not know how to make an employer listen to their stories.
Paul Freiberger is President of Shimmering Resumes, a resume-writing, interview preparation, and career counseling service based in San Mateo, California. Paul is the author of several books and the winner of the Los Angeles Times book award. He offers resume writing services, job interview and job search campaign coaching nationwide. He can be reached at: firstname.lastname@example.com, or, by phone at 877-796-9737.


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Benches cleared twice in Kansas City on Saturday, with Jonathan Sanchez hitting Shin-Soo Choo, and Indians starter Jeanmar Gomez leading off the next half-inning by drilling Mike Moustakas in the lower back. There was the requisite pushing and shoving and tough talking, and the Indians won in extra innings, and Bruce Chen was unharmed so everyone moved on with their lives.
Yesterday, MLB suspended Jeanmar Gomez for five games, calling his Moustakas plunk intentional (it was). But here's the thing with starting pitchers. Sure, they usually pitch every five games. But sometimes they don't! Sometimes they start six games apart, rendering the suspension utterly pointless! Manager Manny Acta just comes out and says how Cleveland will get around this one:
"We respect the league's decisions, and we'll make the proper adjustments. Gomez is going to appeal and he will pitch on Saturday against Oakland. Then probably, after that, he'll drop [his appeal] and pitch again the very next Saturday."
Brass balls, to blatantly admit how every team has dealt with a suspended starter from the beginning of time (or the CBA-mandated appeal process). Because of an off-day Monday, Justin Masterson, who starts Sunday, will be able to start next Friday on his regular schedule. Gomez slots back in on Saturday with an extra day of rest, and he and the team aren't punished at all.
Maybe I'm over-thinking this, but wouldn't a nine-game suspension be the way to make sure a pitcher misses a start and his team is forced to send an inferior player to the mound for a game? But far be it from me to criticize the dispensers of justice at MLB—missing no trick, they fined Indians closer Chris Perez for a Tweet that read "You hit us, we hit you. Period." That'll learn 'im.


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Megaupload recently claimed the US government indirectly "planted" evidence leading to the file-sharing site being shut down. It's not that the US literally planted copyrighted files on Megaupload servers—rather, Kim Dotcom's legal defense says the government compelled Megaupload to keep user-uploaded files in order to cooperate with a separate investigation in June 2010, then charged them in 2012 with not getting rid of those same files.
The US responded Friday in US v. Kim Dotcom (PDF), saying Megaupload isn't telling the truth. "[T]he allegations in the pleading are irrelevant and based on unfounded assertions regarding imagined violations of its rights as a criminal defendant," the US wrote. "Megaupload alleges that the government 'affirmatively [led]' Megaupload to retain certain files on its servers. Yet Megaupload does not cite a single communication between the government and Megaupload or a single instruction from any member of the government to Megaupload; there are none."
That's because the government didn't speak with Megaupload directly in that June 2010 investigation, instead communicating indirectly through Carpathia, Megaupload's hosting provider. According to Megaupload's brief on Jan. 2, the government told Carpathia in the 2010 case that 39 infringing copies of copyrighted movies were on Megaupload servers. Megaupload was not told explicitly to either delete or keep the files, but says it was led to believe it should keep them so as not to tip off the real target of the government's investigation. In shutting down Megaupload one year ago, the US charged the company with keeping 36 of those files despite knowing they were illegally shared.
The US says it didn't tell Megaupload to keep those files and had other evidence against the company as well. "Similarly unfounded is the allegation by Megaupload that the government 'planted Megaupload's alleged knowledge of infringing files' and misled the Court," the US wrote in its brief Friday. Megaupload argued the US obtained search warrants based only on Megaupload's failure to remove content identified in the June 2010 warrant. That's false, the US said.
"[T]he search warrant executed at Carpathia Hosting in January 2012 does not even mention the June 24, 2010 search warrant," the US wrote. "Instead, that search warrant included other, substantial evidence of criminal intent on the part of Megaupload. For instance, paragraphs 13 and 15 of the search warrant affidavit that supported the search warrant executed at Carpathia on January 19, 2012, explain how Megaupload affirmatively concealed the presence of infringing content on its website. Conspiracy also ignored takedown notices regarding certain infringing content, personally uploaded infringing content to the website, and selectively eliminated links without eliminating infringing content. As each of the individual defendants were employees of the corporate defendant, their individual acts are all attributable to Megaupload."
This particular aspect of the Dotcom case surfaced after the affidavits used to obtain warrants against Megaupload were unsealed due to a related case involving innocent bystander Kyle Goodwin's attempt to retrieve the legitimate files he stored on Megaupload. Megaupload has asked the court for an opportunity to "address the validity" of the warrants the US used to raid Megaupload. The US is obviously opposing that motion.


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Date(s): Wed 11th Nov, 2020
Course Price: £132.00
All course pricing includes VAT
This is the 1 Day CCNSG Safety Passport Renewal course priced at £85 + £25 ECITB Passport Fee + VAT per delegate. Refreshments and free parking are included.
To find out more about the course, please download the Syllabus
Eligibility: You have until 3 months after the expiry date of your old card to sit on this course. Otherwise you'll have to sit the full 2 day course to renew.
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Carrington Business Park, Carrington, Manchester, M31 4DD


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The Deepwater Horizon blowout, now into its fifth week, represents an unplanned environmental experiment on an enormous scale – one whose full impact on Gulf of Mexico ecosystems may not become clear for decades.
But scientists are scrambling to study the BP oil spill now, knowing that it is, in many ways, a unique event. Never before has a leak from such depths vented so much oil for so long. Scientists have many questions, from how the use of massive quantities of dispersants affects nature's ability to break down an oil to why oil plumes from deep-sea spills act in unexpected ways.
IN PICTURES: Louisiana oil spill
The information they gather could improve responses to future deep spills and provide a better sense of how they affect the ecology. Scientists, for example, know little about long-term effects that aren't severe enough to kill organisms, but can alter reproduction or behavior in fundamental ways, says Marshall Adams, a researcher with the environmental sciences division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
To the naked eye, "the oil can disappear, but we don't know the long-term effects on organisms and their population fitness," he says.
The open ocean is a particularly complex environment to understand, other researchers say. Research requires expensive ships, and many factors can affect the health of marine life at all levels of the water column, making it tough to single oil out from other stresses both human and natural.
But a concerted effort is afoot to use the BP oil spill as an opportunity to better understand deep water oil spills.
BP, which owns the exploratory well the Deepwater Horizon was working when the blowout occurred April 20, has offered $500 million over the next 10 years to underwrite research and monitoring efforts. Moreover, the National Science Foundation, which underwrites research by university-based scientists, has made quick-response grants available for gauging the spill's ecological effects.
For instance, scientists are trying to see if the wide use of chemical dispersants – more than 600,000 gallons so far – undercuts the ability of naturally occurring microbes to break down the oil.
On one hand, as dispersants break a slick into tiny oil droplets, more microbes get a chance to attack the oil, notes Qianxin Lin, a coastal ecologist at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Microbes can attack oil droplet from every side. In a typical slick, they just nibble at the edges.
Yet dispersants also may also inhibit the chemicals microbes produce to gather and consume the oil, according to University of California at Santa Barbara researcher David Valentine. Armed with one of the rapid-response grants, he's heading to the Gulf to gauge the microbes' responses to dispersants.
Where does the oil go?
Scientists also want to know the amount of oil likely to come to rest on the sea bottom. On the surface, oil weathers, grows dense, and sinks. But in the BP oil spill, much of the oil never makes it to the surface.
Carefully controlled experiments a decade ago released small quantities of oil from a depth about half that of the Deepwater Horizon's Macondo well, and they revealed some surprises, notes Eric Adams, a scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who was involved in the work.
"One of the take-home messages was that most of the oil does not immediately reach the surface," he says, noting that this is also true of the oil in the BP oil spill.
Moreover, oil that did reach the surface arrived faster than models of oil behavior suggested, he says.
"We need a lot more research on plume dynamics," he says, referring to the mechanisms that prevent the oil from reaching the surface.
One factor is the sheer energy of oil leaving a wellhead. It is enough to begin breaking the oil into smaller blobs, and the behavior of oil varies according to the size of the blobs. Undersea currents also play a role in breaking down oil and disperses it over a wider area than the plume alone covers. Dispersants add yet another level of complexity to plume dynamics, Dr. Adams says.
Deep-sea ecosystems
All of these things could have an effect on deep-sea ecosystems. Within the past four years, Gulf research cruises conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Minerals Management Service have uncovered deep-ocean reefs, along with animals ranging from football-sized mussels to tube worms and shrimp.
"That's a good thing," says Lisa Levin, a marine ecologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif. Since "there's actually some baseline information" on these habitats, scientists can conducting before-and-after comparisons.
Food for many of these creatures drifts down from the surface – as would heavily weathered oil droplets. One research cruise a week ago found what could be oil spreading horizontally at depths of 2,300 and 4,200 feet.
But the full dimensions of what appears to be plumes remain unclear, as does the composition of the compounds present. The samples still need to be analyzed, according to Vernon Asper, one of the scientists who took part in the cruise.
Each unanswered question is a kaleidoscope for scores of others. Plankton and larvae move up and down the water column and make contact with oil droplets. Could that affect them directly, as well as fish that feed on them? Might dispersants, too, impact these ecosystems?
"It's clear that we still don't know about the effects and efficacy of dispersants," says Mark Greeley, another scientist at Oak Ridge and a participant in a 2005 National Research Council report on the subject.
Such work is crucial, environmentalists acknowledge, but should have come much sooner.
"It's a bad time to be starting the research when the oil's hitting the marshes," says Karla Raettig, the national campaign director for coastal Louisiana restoration at the National Wildlife Federation. "It needs to be done now for future impacts, but it should have been done previously" ahead of the permit process.
IN PICTURES: Louisiana oil spill


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COROT objectives
COROT stands for 'Convection, Rotation and planetary Transits'. The name describes the scientific goals of the mission:
'convection and rotation' refer to the capability of COROT to probe into stellar interiors studying the acoustic waves that ripple across the surface of stars ( a technique called 'asteroseismology');
- 'transit' refers to the technique by which the presence of a planet orbiting a star can be inferred from the dimming starlight, caused when the planet passes in front of it.
To accomplish these two scientific objectives COROT will monitor about 120 000 stars with its 30-centimetre telescope.
Detecting exoplanets
COROT will lead a bold new search for planets around other stars. In the decade since the discovery of the first exoplanet, 51 Pegasi b in 1995, more than 200 other planets have been detected from ground-based observatories. COROT promises to find many more during its two-and-a-half-year mission, and to expand the frontiers of our knowledge toward ever smaller planets.
The method used is that of 'planetary transits'. It consists of detecting a planet by the small periodic drop in brightness of the star it orbits around. Thanks to this method, it is also possible to unveil both orbital period and size (radius) of the planets detected. The planet finding programme consists of observing, in a systematic way, fields of 12 000 stars.
Most of the planets COROT will detect are expected to be 'hot-Jupiters'. Each hot Jupiter is a large gas giant planet in close orbit around its central star. Potential rings or satellites could also be detected around these planets.
COROT will be the first also mission capable of detecting rocky planets, several times larger than Earth (or even smaller), around nearby stars. Planets outside our Solar System are referred to as 'exoplanets'. The number of the rocky planets that COROT will detect is still unknown, but it could be a few tens. If COROT finds these worlds, they will represent a new class of planet, for which COROT will provide the first ever mapping.
Of the rocky worlds, COROT is most sensitive to those with orbits of 50 days or less. During the long 150-day observation runs planned in the mission, such planets will show a repeated transit. A 50-day (or less) orbital duration would place them closer to their parent star than Mercury is to the Sun. In most cases, such proximity to a star would scorch them beyond habitability. However, if such a world were discovered around a red dwarf star, it could be placed at exactly the right distance for liquid water to exist on its surface.
While it is looking at a star, COROT will also be able to detect 'starquakes', acoustic waves generated deep inside a star that send ripples across a star's surface, also altering its brightness. The exact nature of the ripples allows astronomers to calculate the star's precise mass, age and chemical composition.
This technique is known as 'asteroseismology' and ESA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) has been taking similar observations of the Sun for years. The COROT data is therefore essential to compare the Sun with other stars.
In particular, the purpose of stellar seismology is to analyse the vibration modes of stars which, subject to gravitational forces, Coriolis forces and pressure, behave as oscillators with many specific modes.
The frequency, the amplitude and the lifetime of these modes make it possible to determine some important parameters of stellar physics, such as the size and the composition of the core, the boundaries between radiative and convective zones, and the internal profile of rotation.
These oscillating modes, which generate variations of luminosity at the surface of the star, and the elementary particles called 'neutrinos', provide the only information coming from the depths of the stars. Acquired and collected for stars with different mass, age and chemical composition, the COROT 'light curves' will yeld a significant amount of data of a new kind about stellar evolution.


text: Intellectual Lifechallenge your mind print Library The Brooklyn Law School library holds one of the largest law collections in New York City. Our rich, multi-format holdings cover a broad scope of legal areas, and support research initiatives for our faculty and students. The energetic team of law librarians and staff teach research courses, hold instructional workshops, and manage new technologies to enhance your library experience. General Information BLS Library Blog Our staff and services Study Room Reservations BrooklynWorks CUBE: Center for Urban Business Entrepreneurship Brooklyn Law School's new Center for Urban Business Entrepreneurship, or CUBE, is the hub for exploring legal issues surrounding entrepreneurship, and for providing effective legal representation and support for new businesses — while also training the next generation of business lawyers. About Events Careers Certificate Clinics Programs Center for the Study of Business Law & Regulation The Center for the Study of Business Law and Regulation unites the Law School's existing diverse business and commercial law programs to provide a forum for scholarship that offers new perspectives on, and solutions to, real world business law and regulatory issues, and will facilitate exchanges between academic specialists and legal practitioners and judges. Overview Affiliated Faculty Symposia, Lectures, and Roundtables Zaretsky Fellowship Program Zaretsky Roundtable Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law Block Center for International Business Law The Dennis J. Block Center for the Study of International Business Law's mission is to study and shape international business law and policy, and it hosts a rich variety of programs to address issues of concern to the international, financial, and trading markets. Its premier fellowship program enriches the educational experience of students interested in careers in international business law. Overview Fellowship Program International Law Curriculum International Law Faculty Publications Center for Criminal Justice The Criminal Justice Center was launched by Brooklyn Law School in 2016 as a dynamic center that builds on the existing strengths of the school's nationally recognized criminal law faculty and places the Law School at the center of critical conversations, education, and sharing of expertise on the most vital issues and topics in criminal justice law and policy today. About Events & Programs Post-Graduate Fellowships Student Activities Affiliated Faculty Center for Health, Science & Public Policy Building upon our faculty expertise and New York City's world-class science and healthcare communities, the Center has forged a dynamic environment for outstanding legal education, policy innovation and scholarship. It provides students with the substantive knowledge and practical skills necessary to become excellent lawyers in these rapidly growing fields. Director's Message Health Law Curriculum Affiliated Faculty Symposia and Lectures News and Updates Center for Law, Language & Cognition The Center for the Study of Law, Language and Cognition is devoted to exploring how developments in the cognitive sciences – including psychology, neuroscience and linguistics – have dramatic implications for the law at both theoretical and practical levels. The Center is the only one of its kind in the nation. Overview Affiliated Faculty Symposia & Conferences Legal Ethics & Psychology Series News & Commentary Legal Language Institute Law Journals The Law School publishes four student-edited law journals: Brooklyn Law Review, Brooklyn Journal of International Law, Journal of Law and Policy, and the Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial and Commercial Law. These scholarly publications contribute to the intellectual backbone of the nation's legal profession and are widely read by jurists, practitioners and scholars. Brooklyn Law Review Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law Journal of Law and Policy Brooklyn Journal of International Law Trade Secrets Institute The Trade Secrets Institute (TSI) is a new initiative of Brooklyn Law School designed to provide comprehensive neutral coverage of key trade secret cases and legislative or regulatory initiatives throughout the United States. Overview The Trade Secrets Institute Website Public Service Law Center Public service is flourishing at Brooklyn Law School! From our expansive array of student-led pro bono projects to our innovative fellowship programs, Brooklyn Law School offers a great deal of ways to use your legal education to engage in public service. About Job Support & Summer Funding Career Paths Community Building Pro Bono Projects For Alumni Experience a full calendar of intellectual discovery and debate. Related Links: Academic Success Program Curriculum Have questions? We have answers. Office of External Affairs Telephone: (718) 780-7966 Email: email@example.com


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[blip.tv http://blip.tv/play/gZJbgqnYcQI%5D
The wear and tear of Kazushi Sakuraba's prolific 14-year fighting career was no more evident than this past December.
That's when the Japanese veteran took on DREAM welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis at "Dynamite!! 2010."
The Lithuanian wasn't Sakuraba's only opponent; the 41-year-old "Gracie Hunter" also was contending with a badly cauliflowered ear that'd play a significant part in the year-end title fight.
Each week HDNet and MMAjunkie.com release a new and exclusive fight from the ever-growing HDNet Fights video library. Stunning knockouts, slick submissions, shocking finishes and legendary brawls are the norm for this weekly feature. However, Sakuraba vs. Zaromskis perhaps falls in a different category: uncomfortable.
Sakuraba (26-15-1) entered the bout as a significant underdog and with four losses in his previous six fights. While once of PRIDE's most prolific and popular fighters, the DREAM bout likely served as one of his final shots at MMA glory.
Zaromskis (13-5), who went winless in a trio of Strikeforce bouts in 2010, looked to make his first successful title defense since winning the 2009 DREAM welterweight grand prix. He also wanted to regain the magic of a 9-1 run he put together before his three-fight Strikeforce stint ended with losses to Nick Diaz and Evangelista Santos (and a no-contest with Waachiim Spiritwolf).
Would Sakuraba's ear survive his opponent's crisp striking, or would Zaromskis use is to his advantage and get back in the win column?
Check out the embedded clip for the answer.
Each week MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) and HDNet Fights (www.hdnetfights.com) team up for "HDNet Fights Vault," which offer a new and unique video from the organization's ever-growing fight library. The weekly feature is a continuation of a long-standing partnership between MMAjunkie.com and HDNet. For more information on HDNet, which broadcasts more MMA events than any other TV outlet, visit www.hd.net.


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The Society for Mathematical Psychology promotes the advancement and communication of research in mathematical psychology and related disciplines. Mathematical psychology is broadly defined to include work of a theoretical character that uses mathematical methods, formal logic, or computer simulation. The official journals of the society are Journal of Mathematical Psychology and Computational Brain & Behavior.
|Below you will find links to professional organizations, sites with topical information on several subjects of interest within the field of mathematical psychology and more. Please let us know if a link is broken or if a link should be listed.


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The Nottingham venue has been a happy hunting ground for the hosts in recent years, with Anderson enjoying more success than anyone but, as feared, the 2014 pitch was slow, low and largely joyless.
Having won the toss and chosen to bat, India reached stumps on 259 for four, opener Murali Vijay having batted through the day for a near flawless 122 not out.
It was a day of toil for the England attack, though Stuart Broad impressed with his control and Anderson snared two wickets to extend his record career haul at the ground to 51.
But that could not mask his, or his team-mate's, unhappiness at the recent trend for English wickets to be sapped of their traditional assistance for the seamers.
Asked if the pitch represented either a good wicket or one that was likely to help the home side win, Anderson answered bluntly: "Probably not, on both counts."
Invited to elaborate, the Lancashire bowler added: "It was frustrating really. The pitch is what it is.
"I don't make the pitch, so there's not a lot I can do about it. We're probably as frustrated as everyone else is watching.
"But there's not a lot we can do about it at this stage, we have to stick at it and try and winkle out six wickets (on Thursday) if we can."
Anderson then agreed that England were "amazing hosts" when it was put to him that they were failing to make the most of home advantage.
Nottinghamshire groundsman Steve Birks performed something of a mea culpa when he offered his own thoughts on his surface.
He refuted suggestions that docile pitches were the result of any orders from above, as has been mooted in some quarters, and instead suggested natural atmospheric factors had stymied his efforts.
"Our only instruction is to produce a good cricket wicket and, with hindsight, we may have left a bit more grass on it," he said.
"But this is the first day of a five-day Test and, while I don't expect spin to come into it, we hope it might quicken up a bit.
"We wanted to produce a pitch with pace, bounce and carry which hasn't happened unfortunately.
"There's quite a lot of moisture underneath but it's a hard surface on top which is why it's lacking pace."
Vijay, whose century was his first outside India and fourth overall, had a slightly different view of the pitch, though he spoke with the privilege of a batsman whose side have yet to take the field.
"It's a good wicket. It's coming onto the bat really well," he said.
"After lunch, the ball was 'reversing' a bit. Anderson and Broad got the ball moving a bit, b ut we expected that, so we are prepared.
"We just wanted to get a good start for the team.
"Once you get the rhythm going, you know how to go about it - and I really enjoyed it.
"I just want to cash in on this opportunity in England. It's a big series, and something I dreamt of when I was young.
"Once you get set, I just want to make it count and capitalise rather than playing flashy strokes."


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Certain models of Vespa, such as the 50cc two-stroke models already possess an integrated CDI, contained within the ignition coil/electronic unit. The motors of the modern four stroke Vespa models fitted with carburettors from 125cc (and the 50cc four-valved, four strokers) possess separate ignition coil and CDI units. When the CDI unit fails it causes the motor to misfire. This can also lead to a complete failure of the whole electrical system and should be replaced immediately. If they are not otherwise labelled, the CDI units are compatible with all models that possess an electronic immobiliser device.
SIP-TIP : To help protect against harmful corrosion all electrical connections should be treated with WD-40 (#14253000) or similar.
This is an original PIAGGIO spare part in first-class quality. PIAGGIO parts undergo a continous quality management process and are a symbol for long life products.
OEM Numbers (for the purpose of comparison)