Those of you using Skype in Windows 8 will be happy to know that Microsoft's just bumped the app to version 1.6. It's been a few months since the last update, and this revision brings more features to the table, including contact blocking and a slew of performance tweaks. You're now able to block users, with an option to remove or report the offending party. Speed and reliability have been improved, especially when loading contacts, and a number of bugs have been fixed, including one where the outgoing video was not always displayed after switching cameras. The update's available in Windows Store, so what are you waiting for
Limo in Vancouver are the symbol of class, luxury and full comfort. These are the superior vehicles designed with an array of features like custom interiors, leather seats and appealing exteriors to add more to the special events like graduation proms, weddings, corporate meetings etc.
According to survey reports, modern options of limos have been gaining attention of individuals more than other transportation options. The Sedans, SUVs, Mercedes Sprinter Van and limo buses with distinct features, seating capacity and looks are available to accommodate diverse transportation needs of individuals.
A lot more interesting facts about limousines in Vancouver are:
Longest limo It may be surprising to know that the longest limo known is 100 feet in length. Based on two Cadillac V-8 engines, the vehicle has a total of 26 wheels that can easily accommodate up to 75 people. Not only spacious, the interior is also very appealing and luxurious. The best part of the vehicle is its folding mechanism. The middle part can be folded easily to make it easy to turn. Moreover, the swimming pool with a diving board and the helipad are two other quality aspects of the vehicle. Taking into account the huge size, the vehicle can be seen mostly in films and car exhibitions.
Ride to airport Getting to the airport can be considered a hassle as it is important to reach there several hours early for check in bags and other formalities at the airport. Not finding the right vehicle and huge traffic on the roads can make the situation worse. Opting for a limousine service here is a good idea as it involves the pickup from the hotel and offer comfortable, luxurious and safe ride throughout.
It is a fact that selecting a limo for airport transfer makes people to look at the person as they think someone important is coming out of it. They treat the person with more respect as the transportation option is uncommon and is noticed in the wealthiest of situations.
Holiday travelling hassles Cities like Vancouver are popular for interesting sightseeing and travelers rarely want to miss out a single moment of it. Conditions like struggling with airport traffic, hauling heavy baggage or finding a parking space can be exhausting for anyone. Individuals should know that leading limo service providers have been offering limo services for sightseeing as well. With one phone call, a limo can be booked and travelers can enjoy relaxing in the back without worrying about the hauling of baggage, routes, arriving on time etc.
Along with these, various other exciting facts are there that make limousines an ideal choice of individuals for different personal and business transportation needs.
About the Author: Vancouver Limousine with top-class sedans, new SUVs and stretched limousine in Vancouver is serving residential and commercial sectors with reliable and professional limo rentals in Vancouver, BC.
Jazmyne Young rants about new statistics from an Essence study which found that black women spend 80% more money that ?general market women? on cosmetics. 80?
Related Reading:
Feed Your Face: Over 80 Natural Skin Care Recipes for Homemade Facial Masks for All Skin Types. (Natural Beauty Recipes)"Natural Beauty Recipes: Over 80 Easy Natural Skin Care Recipes for Homemade Facial Masks for All Skin Types".
This book will teach you to make your own organic and natural skincare products.
Natural Beauty Recipes contains more than 80 recipes and step-by-step techniques used by the author to create her own organic skincare products.
In this book readers will learn:
how to care for different types of skin
how to determine your skin type
about ingredients for the masks and their properties
secrets of making your own organic and natural skincare products (more than 80 recipes).
After reading this book, you will be able to create your own natural face masks.The Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Natural Beauty ProductsA natural treasure for every body.
Whether it's about saving money, living greener, or treating sensitive skin, The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to Making Natural Beauty Products has everything the hobbyist will need to create organic, natural beauty products.
?Includes everything from face creams to mineral makeup to shampoo and more
?Each formula is clearly presented in recipe style, with notes on prep time, storage, and uses
?All products are made from natural ingredients which will appeal to people going green as well as to people with sensitive skin
No More Dirty Looks: The Truth about Your Beauty Products--and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean CosmeticsIt started with a harmless quest for perfect wash-and-go hair. Every girl wants it, and Siobhan O?Connor and Alexandra Spunt finally found it in a fancy salon treatment. They were thrilled?until they discovered that the magic ingredient was formaldehyde.
Shocked, O?Connor and Spunt left no bottle unturned. If it went on their body (and thus, was absorbed into their skin and bloodstream), they researched it. As it turns out, many of those unpronounceable ingredients in your self-tanner and leave-in conditioner are not regulated and the ?natural? on your face wash doesn?t mean what you think it does.
Now, with the help of top scientists, dermatologists, and makeup artists, the authors share their compelling findings and the easy way to detoxify your beauty regimen. No More Dirty Looks also reveals the safest, most effective products on the market and time-tested home recipes. Finally, you don?t need to sacrifice health for beauty?because coming clean is the best look yet.
A letter from a "lost" Marilyn Monroe to mentor Lee Strasberg and one from an irritated John Lennon to Linda and Paul McCartney are among hundreds of historical objects set to be auctioned on May 30.
It is part of the second in a series of auctions intended to sell about 3,000 artifacts from an anonymous collector.
Letters from Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon Letters To Be Auctioned
The first auction was a "blockbuster sale," with a Vincent van Gogh letter selling for $336,000 and a Thomas Jefferson letter that sold for $300,000, according a news release announcing the latest auction. The auctions are being run by Profiles in History.
PHOTOS: Expensive Items
The upcoming auction includes letters and manuscripts from historical figures including George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ernest Hemingway.
One of the letters already garnering buzz is a despair-filled letter on Hotel Bel-Air stationary from Marilyn Monroe to her mentor and legendary acting coach, Lee Strasberg.
PHOTOS: Rare Photos of Marilyn Monroe
The letter began, "Dear Lee, I'm embarrassed to start this, but thank you for understanding and having changed my life. Even though you changed it I still am lost. I mean I can't get myself together."
Letters from a Hopeless Marilyn Monroe, Angry John Lennon To Be Auctioned
"You once said the first time I heard you talk at the actors studio that 'There is only concentration between the actor and suiside [sic]," she wrote.
"My will is weak but I can't stand anything. I sound crazy but I think I'm going crazy," she added. "It's just that I get before a camera and my concentration and everything I'm trying to learn leaves me. Then I feel like I'm not existing in the human race at all."
Letters from a Hopeless Marilyn Monroe, Angry John Lennon To Be Auctioned
Another letter on the block is an angry and sarcastic letter from John Lennon to Linda and Paul McCartney.
"I was reading your letter and wondering what middle aged cranky Beatle fan wrote it. I resisted looking at the last page to find out," Lennon wrote. He ventured a few guesses and then wrote, "What the hell - it's Linda?"
PHOTOS: Remembering John Lennon
The Lennon letterhead has a circular image of Lennon and Yoko Ono almost touching lips.
Letters from a 'Lost' Marilyn Monroe, Angry John Lennon To Be Auctioned
The Lennon letter is expected to fetch between $40,000 and $60,000 and the Monroe letter is expected to take in between $30,000 and $50,000.
Letters from a 'Lost' Marilyn Monroe, Angry John Lennon To Be Auctioned
Some of the items from the auction will be on display at Douglas Elliman's Madison Avenue Gallery from April 8-16. The online auction will take place May 30.
WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama is wishing a joyful Easter to those who celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama says the Easter and Passover holidays give millions of Christians, Jews and people of other faiths a chance to slow down and recommit themselves to loving their neighbors and seeing everyone as a child of God.
Jews celebrated Passover at sundown on Monday. Easter is Sunday.
In the Republican address, Rep. Terry Lee of Nebraska called for approval of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline to bring oil from Canada's tar sands to Texas Gulf Coast refineries. Lee says the project would help create tens of thousands of jobs.
The Obama administration is considering whether to approve the project, which would run through Lee's home state.
'Room 237' explores the making of 'The Shining' while exploring its lasting legacy. 'Room 237' will also include contemporary debates about themes and hidden meanings in the movie.
By Daniel Johnson,?Screen Rant / March 29, 2013
Stanley Kubrick?s The Shining may have received polarized reactions upon its 1980 release, but the film is widely considered a horror classic today thanks to a terrifyingly manic performance from Jack Nicholson, an immensely haunting setting and disturbing surrealistic imagery. The film has undoubtedly left a lasting nightmarish impact on viewers, as evidenced by the tagline for the upcoming documentary on the making of the film: ?Some movies stay with you forever?and ever?and ever.?
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Screen Rant had a humble start back in 2003 as a place to rant about some of the dumber stuff related to the movie industry. Since then, the site has grown to cover more and more TV and movie news (and not just the dumb stuff) along with sometimes controversial movie reviews. The goal at Screen Rant is to cover stories and review movies from a middle ground/average person perspective.
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The trailer for the documentary 'Room 237'
The documentary, titled Room 237, takes fans of Kubrick?s adaptation of the famous Stephen King bestseller behind the scenes, exploring how the film was crafted while examining its subtext. This week, we are getting a look at the?debut trailer for Room 237, which you can check out above.?
Unfortunately, the trailer doesn?t give us a peek at never-before seen footage from behind the scenes of The Shining,?but it does create a similar tone and mood that the film did. The very simple trailer builds excitement for the niche audience by scrolling quotes about the film?s cultural significance and its ambiguous nature, while re-creating one of the most memorable images from the film.
The trailer promises the documentary will tackle some of the symbolism and hidden meanings of the film that are still heavily debated today, including literary allusions to fairy tales and the argument that the film is a larger metaphor for the genocide of Native Americans.
Here?s the official synopsis for Room 237:
After the box office failure of ?Barry Lyndon,? Stanley Kubrick?decided to embark on a project that might have more commercial appeal. ?The Shining,? Stephen King?s biggest critical and commercial success yet, seemed like a perfect vehicle. After an arduous production, Kubrick?s film received a wide release in the summer of 1980; the reviews were mixed, but the box office, after a slow start, eventually picked up. End of story? Hardly. In the 30 years since the film?s release, a considerable cult of ?Shining? devotees has emerged, fans who claim to have decoded the film?s secret messages addressing everything from the genocide of Native Americans to a range of government conspiracies. Rodney Ascher?s wry and provocative ?Room 237? fuses fact and fiction through interviews with cultists and scholars, creating a kaleidoscopic deconstruction of Kubrick?s still-controversial classic.
Like many of Kubrick?s films, The Shining?was not immediately?embraced by audiences or critics. Rather, the film slowly built a cult following that helped transform it into an accepted classic years later. Many members of its following became obsessed with what they perceived to be underlying themes in the film, creating intriguing discussion and informative essays ? many of which contained what some may call radical, outside-thinking perspectives.
It?ll be interesting to see how the documentary unravels and explores many fans? interpretations of The Shining and why it still resonates with horror aficionados more than 30 years after its theatrical release. It may not touch on much of Kubrick?s intensity as visionary auteur or the relationships between cast and crew, but its ambitious approach to the subject and the layers beneath one of our favorite horror movies definitely has us intrigued.
Daniel Johnson blogs at Screen Rant.
The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of music, film, and television bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.
Sprightly, a newly launching startup whose founding team has an extensive history working in female-focused businesses, including Refinery29, Etsy, Chloe+Isabel, and others, is debuting its content aggregation platform on Monday, with a focus on verticals like fashion, beauty, design, decor, and more. TechCrunch has early invites (see below).
"East Coast liberal elites" have lost another outlet for their opinions now that?National Public Radio is putting an end to one of its signature shows.?After 21 years on the air, the afternoon call-in show "Talk of that Nation" is being sent out to pasture, taking away the best opportunity the public radio listeners had for interacting with the show and getting their views on the airwaves.
RELATED: Maureen Corrigan: What I Read
The plan, according to Brian Stelter of The New York Times, is to replace "Talk" with the straight news program "Here and Now," which will expand to two hours and fill up the weekday afternoon schedule. "Here and Now" is produced by Boston University's WBUR.
RELATED: Katie Couric's CBS Salary Exceeds Two NPR Show Budgets Combined
It sounds more like a retirement?than a cancellation, since NPR says they offered other jobs to host Neal Conan and every staffer on "Talk." (Conan has decided to leave the network he's been working at since 1977, in order to "step away from the rigors of daily journalism.") Also, the topical once-a-week version of "Talk," which is known as "Science Friday," will continue to air in its regular slot.
RELATED: It's OK, Rush: Don't Fear the Twitter
NPR said the decision was made in part because member stations had requested another news magazine-style show to match "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered," and that there is already a glut of call-in shows on talk radio. The final episode will air at the end of July.
RELATED: NPR's New CEO Wants to Fix Its Liberal Problem
Like its namesake, Clearpath Robotic's Grizzly is most comfortable in the wild. Sure, this unmanned ATV is perfectly capable of handling paved streets. But the 26-inch wheels and eight-inches of ground clearance are really built for offroad excursions. The 80-horsepower all-electric motor is capable of reaching speeds of 11 mph and of towing loads over 1,300 pounds. In short, this thing is beast. Clearpath suggests the bot would excel at agricultural tasks, but it seems to us that plowing fields would be a waste of Grizzly's skills. Unless, of course, those fields happened to be on another planet. To see this mobile monster in action check out the gallery below and the video after the break.
Among the 7,000 patients who may have been exposed to HIV and Hepatitis in an Oklahoma dentist's office are children, as their nervous parents wait to get them tested and grapple with how to explain the public health nightmare.
Deann Zavala took her four children to Dr. Wayne Scott Harrington, an oral surgeon who practices in Tulsa and Owasso. She said her youngest daughter had a tooth extracted.
"How do you look at her and be like, 'You could have AIDS?'" she told ABC News Radio.
The state dental board is offering free testing to Harrington's patients after a 17-count complaint revealed his allegedly poor sterilization practices could have put them at risk for contracting HIV, hepatitis C, and hepatitis B.
Patients received a letter from the Tulsa Health Department on Friday informing them of an inquiry into Harrington's practice and advising them to get screened.
Zavala, who said she trusted Harrington to care for her four children, was left shaken.
"If you can't trust a doctor and a dentist and ... the people that are supposed to do right by you ... who can you trust?" she said.
RELATED: Rogue Dentist May Have Exposed 7,000 Patients to HIV, Hepatitis
The dentist's alleged practices came to light after a patient who had no known risk factors other than receiving dental treatment in Harrington's office, tested positive for both HIV and hepatitis C.
"I could not believe it because I had just been there Feb. 28," Linda Grimm, a patient of Harrington's, told ABC News' Tulsa affiliate KTUL. "My worry now is my health issues that may develop."
ABC/KOCO,Oklahoma Board of Dentistry
Dentist Allegedly Exposed Patients to HIV, Hepatitis Watch Video Baby Born With HIV 'Functionally Cured,' Doctors Say Watch Video Thousands of Oklahoma Dental Patients Possibly Infected With HIV, Hepatitis Watch Video
After hearing about the infected patient on March 15, the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry conducted a surprise investigation of the dentist's practice on March 18, allegedly finding numerous sterilization and cross-contamination issues.
Investigators found two different sets of instruments -- one set for patients known to have infectious diseases, and another set for patients who were not believed to have infectious diseases.
Investigators also found that the autoclave, the machine designed to sterilize dental instruments meant to be tested each month, hadn't been checked in six years.
"We were just physically kind of sick," said Susan Rodgers, president of the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry. "The instruments that came out of the autoclave were horrible. I wouldn't let my nephews play with them out in the dirt." '
Harrington, who has been practicing for more than 30 years, may face criminal charges. The dentist voluntarily surrendered his state dental license and other permits, and a formal hearing before the dentistry board is scheduled for April 19.
RELATED: Oklahoma Dentist Could Face Criminal Charges
ABC News' Phoenix affiliate KNXV went to a home believed to be owned by Harrington in Carefree, Ariz. on Friday. A man believed to be Harrington declined to comment, and slammed the door.
Harrington and his staff told investigators that he treated a "high population of known infectious disease carrier patients," according to a 17-count complaint filed by the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry.
Drug cabinets were unlocked and unsupervised during the day, and Harrington did not keep an inventory log of drugs, some of which were controlled substances, according to the complaint. One drug vial expired in 1993.
"During the inspections, Dr. Harrington referred to his staff regarding all sterilization and drug procedures in his office," the complaint read. "He advised, 'They take care of that. I don't.'"
Harrington allegedly re-used needles, contaminating drugs with potentially harmful bacteria and trace amounts of other drugs, according to the complaint. Although patient-specific drug records indicated that they were using morphine in 2012, no morphine had been ordered since 2009.
Rodgers called the incident a "perfect storm."
ABC News' Sydney Lupkin and Katie Moisse contributed to this report.
It doesn't happen often, but it did this time - a restaurant had changed hands before my blog post could go up.? Oh well, the food was pretty "meh" anyways, so I wasn't surprised at the changeover. What about the post in the queue??? There was only one thing I could do...? Go back and try the food again!? Yes, I know this is serious dedication, yet did you expect any less???? Formerly Kei's Chili Kitchen, Main Choice does not look any different from the inside and in fact, the menu still has some of Kei's "specialties".? Maybe they just changed the name?? Whatever, I needed food anyways.
With any of their lunch specials, Wonton Soup is included. For a complimentary soup, it was okay.? The wontons were of the all pork variety where the meat was soft in texture and mildly seasoned.? Of course the soup base was not exactly classic wonton soup, but at the very least, it was not something gross. The first of my 2 mains (yes, I really did get 2 lunches) was the Spicy Ginger Beef ($6.75).? It wasn't really all that spicy.? There was some elements of spice, but in the end, it was really just ginger beef with some peppers.? The beef itself was easy enough to eat being properly tenderized.? There was a good ginger hit, but the accompanying fried rice was somewhat dry.
?I also got one of their lunch combos which included Chicken Chow Mein, Sweet & Sour Pork and Almond Chicken ($8.75).? Yes, this is as far away from real Chinese food one could get, but I wanted to see how it was regardless.? The chow mein was okay being slightly dry but not greasy.? The sweet & sour pork was not all that crispy, yet the meat itself was moist.? It was mostly sweet with only a hint of sour.? As for the almond chicken, it was greasy as expected.? To be honest, I can never understand the popularity of this dish as the chicken itself doesn't really have that much flavour.? A dusting of slivered almonds doesn't do much. In the end, the food was okay and considering the low prices, is a lunch option for people in the area. The Good: - Cheap - Good Portions The Bad: - Okay for a quick meal, but nothing amazing either
Happy Friday, everyone. As you know, we love giving things away here at TechCrunch, and this week, we have a Fitbit One Wireless Activity + Sleep Tracker and an Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale to give away. But that’s not all! TechCrunch Disrupt NY is right around the corner and tickets are going super fast, so we want to give away another ticket to a deserving person who would like to attend (and then party with us). The winner of this giveaway will win all three — the Fitbit One ($99.95), the Smart Scale ($129.95) and a free ticket to Disrupt NY (valued at $1,995 right now). Want a shot to win all three? Follow the steps below. 1) Become a fan of our TechCrunch Facebook Page: 2) Then do one of the following: Retweet this post (making sure to include the #TCDisrupt hashtag), or Leave us a comment below telling us something fun – anything! The contest will start now and end April 5th at 7:30pm PT. Please only tweet or comment once, or you will be disqualified. We will make sure you follow the steps above and choose our winner once the giveaway is over. Please note the winner will only receive one (1) free Disrupt ticket, and it does not include airfare or hotel. Our sponsors help make Disrupt happen. If you are interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact our sponsorship team here?sponsors@techcrunch.com.
Saturday’s LogicBUY Deal is the?customizable HP ENVY h8-1520t Core i7 desktop PC with a?free 23″ HP w2371d 1080p LED-backlit LCD monitor, with prices starting at $749.99. ?Features: Core i7-3770 3.4GHz Quad-core CPU 8GB RAM 1TB hard drive and 15-in-1 card reader 1GB Radeon HD 7570 USB 3.0 ports Wireless-N Beats Audio Wireless keyboard and mouse [...]
With a loud roar, a seaside cliff collapsed into the ocean yesterday on Washington's Whidbey Island, destroying a home and threatening some 30 more.
The 1,000-foot (300 meter) slide broke free about 4 a.m. local time, waking residents and sending one man fleeing from his house, which now sits on the beach. Damage occurred to a road leading to beachfront homes and power and utility lines, according to the Seattle Times.
January through March is landslide season in the Pacific Northwest, according to the Washington Department of Ecology, as heavy rains soak unstable sediments, provoking landslides. The shifty sediments are a legacy of glaciers scouring the region between 2 million and 10,000 years ago, leaving rubbly piles, sand and clay that haven't yet become rock. Steep sea cliffs prone to slides have formed as the land rebounds from the weight of the glacial ice, as well as further boosts from earthquakes.
Whidbey Island is long and narrow, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) from tip to tip, and many of its steep slopes are prone to slumping landslides, according to the Department of Ecology.
Slumps occur when groundwater concentrates near underground silt or clay layers. The saturated zone can let upper layers slide, sometimes with accompanying rotation. The soil moves as a giant block, with the clay acting as a slippery ramp.
About 18,000 years ago, glacial lakes laid down a thick, impenetrable clay layer on Whidbey Island, according to a geology field guide written by Terry Swanson, a geomorphologist at the University of Washington. Above the clay are fine-grained sediments and sands. The top layer is glacial till, the messy piles left behind as glaciers plow across a landscape.
Water seeping downward hits the clay and can't go any further, saturating the finer sediments above. This greatly increases the likelihood of landslides during excessively wet winters on Whidbey Island, the field guide said.
Email Becky Oskin or follow her @beckyoskin. Follow us?@OAPlanet, Facebook?or Google +. Original article on LiveScience's OurAmazingPlanet.
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Mar. 28, 2013 ? People living near asphalt pavement sealed with coal tar have an elevated risk of cancer, according to a study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. Much of this calculated excess risk results from exposures in children, age six or younger, to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the sealant.
"The increased cancer risk associated with coal-tar-sealed asphalt (CSA) likely affects a large number of people in the U.S. Our results indicate that the presence of coal-tar-based pavement sealants is associated with significant increases in estimated excess lifetime cancer risk for nearby residents," said E. Spencer Williams, Ph.D., principal author of the study and Baylor University assistant research scientist at the Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research in Baylor's College of Arts & Sciences.
Researchers from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and the in Austin, Texas, are the first to report on the potential human health effects of PAHs in settled house dust and soil in living spaces and soil adjacent to parking lots sealed with coal-tar-based products.
"Exposure to these compounds in settled house dust is a particularly important source of risk for children younger than six years of age, as they are expected to ingest this material at higher rates," Williams said. "This indicates that the use of coal-tar-based pavement sealants magnifies aggregate exposures to PAHs in children and adults in residences adjacent to where these products are used and is associated with human health risks in excess of widely accepted standards."
Data on PAHs in settled house dust used for this analysis were published previously by the same authors. In that study, settled house dust and parking lot dust were sampled for 23 ground-floor apartments in Austin, Texas. The parking lot surfaces adjacent to the apartments were coal-tar-sealed asphalt, asphalt-based sealant over asphalt pavement, or unsealed concrete. Concentrations of PAHs were 25 times higher in house dust in residences adjacent to coal-tar-sealed pavement compared to those with other pavement types. "This study was the first to find a strong association between a product or a behavior and PAHs in house dust," said Barbara Mahler, the USGS research hydrologist who oversaw the study.
For this study, doses and risk associated with residences adjacent to unsealed asphalt lots were considered relative to those adjacent to (CSA) parking lots. Benzo(a)pyrene concentrations in CSA-affected settled house dust were high relative to those reported in most parts of the U.S. where coal-tar-based sealcoat is not used (California and Arizona). Data for PAHs in coal-tar-sealed asphalt-affected soils and unsealed asphalt-affected soils are available from samples from New Hampshire and suburban Chicago.
The analysis did not consider exposure to the dust on the pavement itself, which has PAH concentrations 10s to 100s of times higher than those in house dust or soil, or inhalation of air over sealed pavement. "Over time, about half of the PAHs in the sealcoat are released into the air, and concentrations in air are extremely high, particularly in the hours to days after application," said Peter Van Metre, USGS research hydrologist and author of two papers on volatilization of PAHs from sealcoat.
Sealcoat is a black, shiny substance sprayed or painted on the asphalt pavement of parking lots, driveways, and playgrounds to improve appearance and protect the underlying asphalt. An estimated 85 million gallons of coal-tar-based sealant are applied to pavement each year, primarily east of the Continental Divide in the U.S. and parts of Canada. Coal-tar-based pavement sealants are 15 to 35 percent coal-tar pitch, which has been classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Over time, the dried sealant is worn away from pavement surfaces, and the resulting mobile dust particles can be transported into nearby homes.
"Although the analysis presented here is based on a limited dataset, the results indicate that biomonitoring might be warranted to characterize the exposure of children and adults to PAHs associated with coal-tar-based pavement sealant," Williams said. "Further investigation is also needed into the impacts of coal-tar-based pavement sealants on PAH concentrations in indoor and outdoor environments."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Baylor University.
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Journal Reference:
E. Spencer Williams, Barbara J. Mahler, Peter C. Van Metre. Cancer Risk from Incidental Ingestion Exposures to PAHs Associated with Coal-Tar-Sealed Pavement. Environmental Science & Technology, 2013; 47 (2): 1101 DOI: 10.1021/es303371t
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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
On Monday evening, March 11, I had a public discussion with Jeremy Ben-Ami, founder and president of J Street, at Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles. The topics included how American Jews should approach pro-Israel advocacy, whether peace is currently attainable between Israel and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, and what American Jews can do to help the two sides reach an agreement.
We agreed that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is dangerous and harmful to Israel. We agreed that the Palestinian teaching of hate, incitement and terrorism is an impediment to peace, and we both professed a desire for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
[Read a counterargument to this column here: Pathway to peace: J Street]
We strongly disagreed, however, on some critical issues. J Street argued that American Jews should lobby the U.S. government to pressure Israel into changing some of its policies. Referring to a?statement from J Street?s Web site, I read aloud that, ?J Street was formed to change the conversation on Israel and to give voice to American Jews who believe that they have a responsibility to vocally oppose Israeli government policies that threaten Israel?s future.? While Ben-Ami claimed he did not recognize this statement from his Web site, I was troubled that J Street felt it had a right to lobby the American government in order to pressure Israel ? and its democratically elected government ? into pursuing J Street?s agenda.?
We also disagreed about whether Abbas is a reliable partner for peace. While Ben-Ami assured the audience that ?this is the time, and Abbas is the man,? I noted that just two months ago, in January 2013,?Abbas honored past Palestinian terrorist leaders, including the Mufti of Jerusalem who collaborated with Adolf Hitler to bring the Holocaust to the Middle East. I questioned how Ben-Ami could trust Israel?s security in the hands of Abbas, who promotes one set of values to his Arabic constituency and quite another to Western audiences.??
Likewise, Ben-Ami and I differed on how he characterized certain facts. For instance:
Beitar soccer games: Ben-Ami suggested that Israeli incitement and Palestinian incitement are similar.?I expressed that I felt this was an unreasonable comparison. For evidence, he pointed out that Israeli crowds at Jerusalem soccer matches shout, ?Death to Arabs? so much that former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he could no longer root for his team. In response, I noted that this is a critical point: Olmert represented the State of Israel and he condemned such views. I said that you can judge a society by the way its leadership responds when its people say or do hateful things.?
Ben-Ami then implied that there was a lack of an official Israeli government response to the hateful soccer rhetoric because Olmert is now a private citizen. In fact, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?strongly condemned?the racist comments of Beitar fans.?
Monument for Baruch Goldstein: When I cited Baruch Goldstein as an example of how Israel denounces acts of violence by Israelis against Palestinian civilians, he stated that Israel ?funded a monument [to Baruch Goldstein]. See the public memorial!? In fact, Israel?never funded a monument?to Baruch Goldstein. There was indeed a monument erected by some Goldstein supporters, but the Israeli army demolished it after the Knesset passed a law in 1999 forbidding memorials to terrorists. My point was that the Israeli government condemned Goldstein as a terrorist while the PA government glorifies terrorists.??
Demographic threat: Ben-Ami repeated his oft-made declaration that Israel must be pressured into making peace now because demographics are such that Jews will be a minority in Israel within a generation and ?will be ruling over a majority that doesn?t have rights.? I called this fear-mongering and asked Ben-Ami if he includes the Palestinian population of 1.5 million people living in Gaza in his accounting of Israeli demographic concerns. This is a critical point because Israel no longer has administrative or political control over the Gaza population. Ben-Ami admitted he includes the population of Gaza.?Interestingly, if we remove Gaza from these calculations, Ben-Ami?s demographic numbers are reduced by 50 percent and no longer make the case for the demographic threat being an emergency.?
Humanitarian blockade on Gaza:?Ben-Ami asserted that Israel caused a humanitarian crisis in Gaza in the 2008 war through its blockade and that the blockade was lifted in part because of J Street?s lobbying. I pointed out that Israel?has consistently allowed food and medical supplies?into Gaza, even during wars and blockades. At the time, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which provides aid to Palestinian refugees, said that the agency received 15 trucks of aid a day and had two months of stock in Gaza to aid recipients.??
Mediation techniques: While I agreed with Ben-Ami?s statements that we need an active American role in facilitating Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, I disagreed with his desire to impose specific details about what the peace agreement should be. As an honest broker, I would hope that the American role would be to mediate a plan arrived at by the parties themselves, rather than pressuring the parties into pre-existing expectations. President Barack Obama himself echoed this sentiment when he recently said that his role should be to?listen?to both sides and help them work out compromises.
Looking back at the evening?s discussion, I am saddened that Ben-Ami insists that he and J Street are helping Israel, when in reality the actions of his organization are only hurting Israel and the advancement of peace. Although we all wish for a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians,?J Street?s work only emboldens Palestinians to continue their history of rejectionism and incitement.?J Street encourages Palestinian refusal to return to negotiations because it does not require any accountability from them and does not seek to change hateful attitudes toward Israel ? both of which are prerequisites for a lasting peace.??
Roz Rothstein is the CEO of StandWithUs.
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North Korea's young leader Kim Jong Un today ordered his missile batteries to prepare to launch against U.S. and South Korea targets, the latest act of belligerence that has left the United States and the world on edge in recent weeks.
But despite Kim's menacing posture, the U.S. military recently wargamed a different scenario: how many American troops would be needed to go in and secure North Korea's nuclear arsenal if Kim's regime collapsed.
That was the objective this February when the U.S. military played out its Winter Wargame, that the autocratic rule of Kim Jong Un unraveled either from civil unrest or a challenge to his power and his arsenal of nukes was up for grabs. It's a scenario that some believe is more likely than a North Korea attack on the south.
"North Korea has relied on these time honored, very effective tools that dictators have wielded all over the world, and what we know about these tools is that they work until they don't," said Jennifer Lind, a Dartmouth professor who has studied potential missions to North Korea.
Recent years have seen the sudden collapse of dictatorial regimes in Libya and Egypt, and Syria is now in flames with control of its chemical weapons in doubt.
"A regime collapse is always on the table, and we are in an uncertain period of leadership transition," said Rodger Baker, a geopolitical analyst from Stratfor Global Intelligence.
In a war game focusing on the fictitious country "North Brownland," military experts from the Army's forward-looking research arm, the Concept Development and Learning Directorate, assessed how many U.S. troops it would take to go into a North Korea-like place to secure the weapons after a crisis erupted, and how quickly those weapons could be secured.
According to Maj. Gen. Bill Hix, who oversaw the war game, American troops would have to enter the country by air and sea, locate nuclear material in enormous storehouses and unknown underground bunkers, and figure out how to wrest control of nuclear materials and stop reactors. The challenges, Hix said, are significant.
"We looked at this issue of countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, specifically nuclear weapons, and fissile material, and the data and the scientists associated with that kind of enterprise," Hix said.
Hix declined to discuss the game's conclusions, but he cited studies that determined that nearly 100,000 troops would be needed to storm the country and secure nuclear material, and that the armed forces are still in need of nuclear experts who could help with such a mission.
"There are obviously many people in the U.S. government or the U.S. who are experts in nuclear reactors or whatever, but not paid to work in a hostile environment where someone is trying to kill you while you are trying to render safe a reactor or fissile material," the general said.
Defense News, which first reported on the wargame, said it took U.S. troops 56 days to get into the country and secure the weapons.
Lind estimated that the mission would need up to 200,000 additional troops to carry out other aspects of stabilizing the country, including efforts to feed citizens, and locating and disarming conventional weapons and artillery.
Those levels would exceed the peak number of troops in Iraq, which was 165,000, and the peak for Afghanistan, which was 101,000.
"Can we get the job done? I think the answer is yes," Hix said. "Can we do it at the speed that may be required right now? I think we're challenged to do that."
Experts said the U.S. began taking seriously the possibility of a regime collapse in 2008 when the former leader, Kim Jong-il, had a stroke. The concern grew when Kim Jong-il died in 2011 and son Kim Jong Un, who is believed to be 30, took over.
Lind said that though Kim's recent statements have been more frequent and more antagonistic than usual, it would make little sense for North Korea to launch a strike now.
"I don't believe war is coming because North Korea has no rational reason for starting a war which would lead them to no longer exist," Lind said.
"I think the number one mission for the U.S. is to defend South Korea against a North Korea invasion, (and) over time that's gotten less and less plausible," she said. "Second is these collapse scenarios."
"When we think about collapse, we worry about all of that [nuclear material] being flung to the winds and accessed on a global black market," Lind said. "Then of course the nightmare scenario is a terrorist group gets hold of fissile material, or a weapon, or one of the scientists that shows them how to make a nuclear weapon."
Gen. Hix noted that the military is constantly preparing for any crises or scenario it may face in the future, and both he and the other experts agreed that a North Korean collapse is not visibly imminent.
"If we look at various factors, I wouldn't say there's any particular indicator that we should be worried right now, but this could change in a matter of days. We could see a collapse and then be speculating for decades," Lind said.
Baker said that though the probability of a collapse was higher than that of North Korea attacking another country, he expected Kim to continue leading the country, with its economy limping along, in the near future. He said he ultimately expects Kim to begin to open North Korea to the rest of the world.
File- This Dec. 30, 2012 file photo shows Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) throwing a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md. Romo and the Cowboys have agreed on a six-year contract extension worth $108 million, with about half of that guaranteed. The agreement was reported on the team?s website Friday March 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
File- This Dec. 30, 2012 file photo shows Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) throwing a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md. Romo and the Cowboys have agreed on a six-year contract extension worth $108 million, with about half of that guaranteed. The agreement was reported on the team?s website Friday March 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
File- This Dec. 30, 2012 file photo shows Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) standing during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md. Romo and the Cowboys have agreed on a six-year contract extension worth $108 million, with about half of that guaranteed. The agreement was reported on the team?s website Friday March 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) ? Tony Romo has a chance to start for the Dallas Cowboys longer than Roger Staubach or Troy Aikman. The question is whether he will ever match their Super Bowl pedigrees.
Romo signed a six-year contract extension worth $108 million Friday, with about half of that guaranteed to make him the highest-paid player in franchise history.
The agreement, reported on the team's website, will lower the quarterback's salary cap number for 2013 by about $5 million, giving the team more room to sign free agents and draft picks.
Romo, who turns 33 next month and was entering the final year of his contract, gets $55 million guaranteed.
Super Bowl winner Joe Flacco got $52 million guaranteed in the six-year, $120.6 million contract he signed with Baltimore earlier this month.
"I think it's just exciting more than anything that you know you're going to be here the rest of my career," Romo said in a video on the team's website that showed owner Jerry Jones exchanging high-fives with Romo's nearly 1-year-old son. "We're a team on the rise and I think it's going to show here going forward."
Romo could be with Dallas through 2019, giving him a chance to be the starter longer than the 11 seasons of Aikman and seven of Staubach, who was a part-time starter his first four years with the Cowboys.
Aikman and Staubach won five Super Bowls between them, while Romo has just one playoff win in six full seasons as the starter. He had a gut-wrenching playoff loss the year he took over midseason in 2006, flubbing the hold after driving the Cowboys into position for the go-ahead field goal in the final minutes.
Romo alluded to changes "behind the scenes" in the interview on the team's website, and Jones said in a statement that his quarterback will have "a significant level of input and contribution to the planning and implementing of our offensive approach ? both in the meeting room and on the field."
"Tony is uniquely qualified to lead this team at the quarterback position for the next several years," Jones said. "He knows how to run an offense and run a team."
Romo lost playoff-or-bust games in regular-season finales the past two years. That included a loss to Washington last season when Romo threw an interception with a chance to tie or win the game with a drive in the final 3 minutes.
A former Romo rival, Donovan McNabb, questioned the deal on Twitter.
"Wow really, with one playoff win," McNabb wrote. "You got to be kidding me."
Dez Bryant, who teamed with Romo for career highs of 1,382 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in 2012, tweeted, "Congrats Big Tony on the contract extension."
Romo is the franchise leader in touchdown passes and the single-season leader in touchdowns, passing yards, completions and attempts. He had a career-high 4,903 passing yards in 2012 but matched his highest interception total at 19 and had his lowest quarterback rating at 90.5 rating.
His best rating of 102.5 came in 2011, when the Cowboys lost to the New York Giants with a playoff berth on the line in the finale. His other best season was 2009, which included his only playoff win against Philadelphia.
Honor cites Reid's leadership in conserving and understanding ecosystems worldwide
In recognition for his extraordinary and ongoing contributions to protecting and understanding the world's ecosystems, NatureServe will present Dr. Walt Reid with the 2013 NatureServe Conservation Award at its annual Biodiversity Without Boundaries conference in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 16, 2013.
Dr Reid is director of the Conservation and Science Program at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, where he oversees investments in ideas and actions that conserve and restore ecosystems while enhancing human well-being. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2006, he was a consulting professor with the Institute for the Environment at Stanford University, and he led research on the science and policy of biodiversity conservation as vice president of the World Resources Institute in Washington D.C from 1992 to 1998.
Among his many accomplishments in these roles, the selection committee wished to highlight one seminal achievement in making the award. Between 1998 and 2005, Dr Reid led a remarkable global initiative called the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (Assessment), which provided a state-of-the-art scientific appraisal of the condition and trends in the world's ecosystems, the consequences of ecosystem change, and the options for policy and management responses. Unique in its reliance on a highly effective social process, this landmark report integrated the scientific findings of more than 1,000 experts from 95 countries and brought them to bear on governmental and corporate policy- and decision-making.
By helping decision-makers recognize the necessity of healthy ecosystems in establishing strong economies and sustainable human communities, the Assessment transformed how we view and value natural resources. The report also redefined how people and institutions design targets and strategies and measure results for conserving important places.
The influence of the Assessment remains undiminished, with its insistence that we must measure and invest in ecosystem services as valuable, quantifiable items. By documenting that paying the true cost for these natural benefits is necessary for human health and prosperity, the Assessment serves as the wellspring of myriad present-day efforts to understand and value ecosystem services.
"It is an honor to recognize Walt's leadership with this year's NatureServe Conservation Award," says Mary Klein, president and CEO of NatureServe. "The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment has had an enormous impact on the practice of conserving and restoring ecosystems. And its emphasis on collaboration and consensus between the scientific, business, and corporate communities offers a model for enacting meaningful policy changes."
About the Award
Each year since 2010, the NatureServe network has presented the NatureServe Conservation Award to honor individual achievements that contribute to the conservation of biological diversity. The award recognizes recipients who:
Significantly increase the public profile of the importance of biodiversity conservation
Pursue innovative and creative approaches to and impacts on biodiversity conservation
Set an example for others in their use of biodiversity information in making decisions
Inspire others to take action towards conserving biodiversity
Nominations are solicited from throughout the entire NatureServe network, and the recipient is selected by a committee comprised of NatureServe staff and board members, network member representatives, and previous recipients.
Previous recipients of the award are:
2010: Robert Jenkins, first chief scientist of The Nature Conservancy and founder of the NatureServe network's natural heritage methodology
2011: Scientist and author E. O. Wilson
2012: Administrator and policy maker William Ruckelshaus
###
About NatureServe
NatureServe is an international conservation nonprofit dedicated to providing the scientific basis for effective conservation action. Its network of more than 80 member organizations collects and maintains a unique body of knowledge about the species and ecosystems of the Western Hemisphere. Its scientists, technologists, and other professionals build on this scientific information to provide information products, data management tools, and biodiversity expertise that helps meet local, national, and global conservation needs throughout the Americas and around the world. Learn more at http://www.natureserve.org.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Walt Reid to receive 2013 NatureServe Conservation AwardPublic release date: 28-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Honor cites Reid's leadership in conserving and understanding ecosystems worldwide
In recognition for his extraordinary and ongoing contributions to protecting and understanding the world's ecosystems, NatureServe will present Dr. Walt Reid with the 2013 NatureServe Conservation Award at its annual Biodiversity Without Boundaries conference in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 16, 2013.
Dr Reid is director of the Conservation and Science Program at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, where he oversees investments in ideas and actions that conserve and restore ecosystems while enhancing human well-being. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2006, he was a consulting professor with the Institute for the Environment at Stanford University, and he led research on the science and policy of biodiversity conservation as vice president of the World Resources Institute in Washington D.C from 1992 to 1998.
Among his many accomplishments in these roles, the selection committee wished to highlight one seminal achievement in making the award. Between 1998 and 2005, Dr Reid led a remarkable global initiative called the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (Assessment), which provided a state-of-the-art scientific appraisal of the condition and trends in the world's ecosystems, the consequences of ecosystem change, and the options for policy and management responses. Unique in its reliance on a highly effective social process, this landmark report integrated the scientific findings of more than 1,000 experts from 95 countries and brought them to bear on governmental and corporate policy- and decision-making.
By helping decision-makers recognize the necessity of healthy ecosystems in establishing strong economies and sustainable human communities, the Assessment transformed how we view and value natural resources. The report also redefined how people and institutions design targets and strategies and measure results for conserving important places.
The influence of the Assessment remains undiminished, with its insistence that we must measure and invest in ecosystem services as valuable, quantifiable items. By documenting that paying the true cost for these natural benefits is necessary for human health and prosperity, the Assessment serves as the wellspring of myriad present-day efforts to understand and value ecosystem services.
"It is an honor to recognize Walt's leadership with this year's NatureServe Conservation Award," says Mary Klein, president and CEO of NatureServe. "The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment has had an enormous impact on the practice of conserving and restoring ecosystems. And its emphasis on collaboration and consensus between the scientific, business, and corporate communities offers a model for enacting meaningful policy changes."
About the Award
Each year since 2010, the NatureServe network has presented the NatureServe Conservation Award to honor individual achievements that contribute to the conservation of biological diversity. The award recognizes recipients who:
Significantly increase the public profile of the importance of biodiversity conservation
Pursue innovative and creative approaches to and impacts on biodiversity conservation
Set an example for others in their use of biodiversity information in making decisions
Inspire others to take action towards conserving biodiversity
Nominations are solicited from throughout the entire NatureServe network, and the recipient is selected by a committee comprised of NatureServe staff and board members, network member representatives, and previous recipients.
Previous recipients of the award are:
2010: Robert Jenkins, first chief scientist of The Nature Conservancy and founder of the NatureServe network's natural heritage methodology
2011: Scientist and author E. O. Wilson
2012: Administrator and policy maker William Ruckelshaus
###
About NatureServe
NatureServe is an international conservation nonprofit dedicated to providing the scientific basis for effective conservation action. Its network of more than 80 member organizations collects and maintains a unique body of knowledge about the species and ecosystems of the Western Hemisphere. Its scientists, technologists, and other professionals build on this scientific information to provide information products, data management tools, and biodiversity expertise that helps meet local, national, and global conservation needs throughout the Americas and around the world. Learn more at http://www.natureserve.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Happy Friday, everyone. As you know, we love giving things away here at TechCrunch, and this week, we have a Fitbit One Wireless Activity + Sleep Tracker and an Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale to give away. But that’s not all! TechCrunch Disrupt NY is right around the corner and tickets are going super fast, so we want to give away another ticket to a deserving person who would like to attend (and then party with us). The winner of this giveaway will win all three — the Fitbit One ($99.95), the Smart Scale ($129.95) and a free ticket to Disrupt NY (valued at $1,995 right now). Want a shot to win all three? Follow the steps below. 1) Become a fan of our TechCrunch Facebook Page: 2) Then do one of the following: Retweet this post (making sure to include the #TCDisrupt hashtag), or Leave us a comment below telling us something fun – anything! The contest will start now and end April 5th at 7:30pm PT. Please only tweet or comment once, or you will be disqualified. We will make sure you follow the steps above and choose our winner once the giveaway is over. Please note the winner will only receive one (1) free Disrupt ticket, and it does not include airfare or hotel. Our sponsors help make Disrupt happen. If you are interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact our sponsorship team here?sponsors@techcrunch.com.
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Public release date: 28-Mar-2013
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