Myblogspan

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:50:24 GMT

Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt Heading Towards a Split?

Things are turning sour for Angelina Jolie and boyfriend Brad Pitt as two seem to be going on their own ways. The couple living together with their adopted children and a biological daughter, Shiloh is now looking for their own abodes. Brad has recently boasted about the apartment that he brought it for his own use and plans living there all alone in future.

Hearing this may have led poor Jolie search another home as she happened to meet a real estate agent for a deal of two-bedroom home in L.A.’s Laurel Canyon last week. The home priced at $2 Million is fit for only a small family, a couple or single household. I wonder, what Jolie and Pitt are upto as it would not be able to adjust Jolie with Pitt and her kids.

As a matter of fact both Brad and Jolie have not been loyal to their ex partners and may be finding difficult to adjust and trust each other now.

Source: Dlisted Posted by: Fineblog      Read more     Source

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 20:16:23 GMT

Datura inoxia

Botany Photo of the Day will have brief written entries on weekends, holidays and my vacations from April through September. – Daniel

WLA@Flickr aka Wayne is responsible for today's photographs (original 1 | original 2 | BPotD Flickr Group Pool). Thanks, Wayne!

Wayne's written about this species on his weblog, Earth, Wind &Water, and I highly recommend reading the entry – not only will you learn about the plant, but you'll learn a little more about zombies, too: Some Kind of Voodoo. Datura inoxia has a number of common names, including angel's-trumpet, thorn-apple, Indian-apple, moonflower, sacred datura, prickly-burr and toloache (via Wikipedia and the USDA PLANTS database). Posted by: Daniel Mosquin      Read more     Source

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 16:03:15 GMT

US Vehicles Not Fuel Efficient

When it comes to judging vehicles on basis of fuel efficiency, vehicles from the US put up a poor show. The US ranks at the bottom of the list of industrialized nations when it comes to fuel-economy standards. All this may change if the legislation to boost mileage is accepted by the congress and is signed into a law.

A report from the International Council on Clean Transportation says the US lags behind Canada, South Korea, Australia, China, Europe Union and Japan when it comes to vehicle fuel economy. The timing of the report seems to be good. The House of Representatives will debate the energy legislation this week and many members of the House want US vehicles to substantially increase their fuel-efficiency.

US fuel efficiency standards for passenger cars are more than two decades old and have remained at 27.5 mpg since 1985. In contrast, the standard for pickups, minivans and other light trucks is set to increase from 20.7mpg in 2004, to 24mpg in 2011.

Fuel economy is directly linked to the environment. Vehicles that use less fuel will naturally spew less of carbon dioxide, the villain of the global warming saga.

Earlier this year, the Senate passed a bill to raise fuel efficiency standards of American cars and light trucks to 35 mpg by 2020. If the House of Representatives agrees with the Senate, the US will drastically improve its standing in the fuel-economy list.

According to Kodjak, the co-author of the report, existing technology is advanced enough to increase the fuel efficiency of the vehicles without compromising on their size and safety. Another reason to raise fuel efficiency is to reduce US dependence on imported oil. Currently, 21 million barrels of oil are consumed in the US every day, with three out of every five of those barrels imported. Gasoline demand alone accounts for nearly 45% of daily US oil consumption.

US is the biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the world. It is obvious that vehicles contribute significantly to this figure. It is a surprise that even with state of the art technology and good finances, very little has been done on the front of vehicle emissions and fuel-economy. The new CAFE standards are a step in the right direction and the government should do all it can to support the legislation.

Improving fuel-economy should not be looked upon merely as a medium to reduce dependence on imported oil, but it should also be seen as a way to substantially reduce pollution.

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[Via: Reuters] Posted by: Harshpaul      Read more     Source

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 05:18:45 GMT

Rare Fossilized Cypress Trees May Reveal 8-million-year-old Climate

The scientists have already offered several climate models that define the ancient weather on earth. But, now they have perhaps come up with a new source of climate patters that existed 8 millions years ago — this may very soon be revealed by a group of newly discovered fossilized swamp cypress trees.

A team of Hungarian scientists have recently unearthed some fossilized swamp cypress trees that stood on the earth swaying 8 million years ago i.e. the late Miocene geological period when the Carpathian basin, presently Hungary, was a swamps-surrounded freshwater lake.

To add to the teams achievement, the wood of 16 Taxodium trees was preserved in an open-cast coal mine instead of getting petrified, i.e. turning to stone. This allows the geologists study samples of the ancient trees as if they were sections cut from a piece of living wood!

Excited about the rare state of the find, Alfred Dulai, geologist at the Hungarian Natural History Museum said,

The importance of the findings is that so many trees got preserved in their original position in one place. But the real rarity about these trees is that .... their original wood got preserved .... they did not turn into stone.


Data that can be collected from these fossil trees can definitely throw light on the climatic patters of the pre-historic times.

This would help analyze the changing trend of the earths climatic conditions from 300 million years ago till date, through what it was like 8 million years back.

Image Posted by: Irani      Read more     Source

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 05:08:46 GMT

Deloitte: How Will You Be Remembered?

Deloitte, financial advisory firm, South Africa, has recently launched this print advertisement campaign to broaden its brand name and to boast its efficiency. The campaign aims at focusing on its efficiency of its services and their aims to contribute to growth of their clients and in maintaining their reputation. The advertisement campaign is prepared in the old school style and the uniqueness of the campaign is in its remarkable illustration. The advertisements are showing negative face troubled businessmen, as they are being generally perceived and seen by people.

The advertisement campaign is apparently dealing with serious issues; however, the approach of it seems to be strategically kept light and somewhat easy going. The presentation of the campaign is apparently interesting and impressive to some extent. Moreover, the art direction and illustration part of the campaign is simply brilliant. The tag line of the campaign reads, How will you be remembered? The campaign is created by King James, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Via Ads of the World Posted by: Balendu      Read more     Source

Sat, 28 Jul 2007 22:34:40 GMT

Keyspan TuneView

Never underestimate the power of iTunes. I didn't think we were at that level, but Keyspan has developed the Tuneview, which allows you to control your iTunes music, videos, and everything else from one easy remote that wirelessly connects to your PC.

Of course, you do need a few accessories, such as the Apple AirPort Express or Xitel's Hi-Fi Link or some product to connect audio output to PC music server. However, once you have that, the TuneView transceiver just plugs into your USB port easy as pie.

The TuneView has an LCD color display and is now available for about $149 USD.

Via MobileWhack Posted by: Mark Rollins      Read more     Source

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 01:11:44 GMT

Fusionsoft odd-i P480 PMP Navigation with DaVinci Chip

reports about new with DaVinci Chip: “Fusionsoft announced the launch of its PMP navigation device 'odd-i P480' in Korea market, which is equipped with DaVinci chip enabling users to enjoy a variety of video files without encoding.” Posted by: Greg      Read more     Source

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 00:05:03 GMT

Geographical Transition

Once again, I have been revived from the blogger cemetery! However, it was intentional. I purposely maintained a low profile because we had a huge transition impending and timing was crucial. So, now that our initial transition has occurred, I can now go public!

Last September, God began dealing with Craig and I about “transitioning” and an upcoming shift. We had just come out of an intense summer filled with a summer camp that just exploded and plans to start a performing arts team and a pre-k academy, not to mention the possibility of moving our church campus to a bigger and better location. In the midst of all of the planning, I just knew in my spirit that change was a-coming. And I also knew that it would be geographical. We began to pray and as we did, God began to move things, open doors, close doors, and confirm what we had been sensing.

Craig received a call that a ministry opportunity in Chicago, Illinois that had been offered previously was still available. Still, we had our church to think about. We did not feel peace about turning the church over to anyone. God had not given us peace about a couple or individual who should come in and take over the pastorate. So, we prayed and as we did, we were reminded of a word God had spoken to us early in the life of World Harvest about a merger. We’d always thought that meant another church would merge with us, however, the more we prayed, we began to realize that the merger was World Harvest being merged with another local body. God directed us to Pastors Marcus & Pam Dunn who we had a relationship with. As we talked to them and prayed with them, we both felt a confirmation about the merger. World Harvest would merge with Kingdom Place Ministries under the leadership of Pastors Marcus & Pam Dunn.

With that in place, Craig and I secured a beautiful 3200 sf Tudor style home in Chicago. On November 28, 2006, we loaded our moving truck, packed up our five girls and transitioned to Chicago, Illinois where Craig is the Assimilation & Outreach Pastor at Evangel World Outreach Center in Chicago with Sr. Pastor Ray Berryhill.

So, there you have it! We are transitioned geographically, however, the “transition” is still occurring. We had a, “Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore” moment when we first got here. Aside from the fact that it was colder than Alabama, we also received five inches of snow the day after we moved in! What a welcome! We literally unloaded the truck (with the help of several of EWOC’s finest men!), grabbed showers, threw on our coats, ran to get some groceries and as we were leaving the store it began to snow! We woke the next morning to a winter wonderland! The kids loved it and just couldn’t wait to get out in it (for like ten minutes before they came running in soaking wet), but I, along with Christy (from Alabama) stayed in diligently unpacking in the warmth!

Anyway, we have made a big move and there is much to catch up on. So, if you want to know what is new with me and my family- stayed tuned in! Posted by: Tara Sloa      Read more     Source

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 23:31:04 GMT

Design for the Other 90

In May 2007, the The exhibition features more than 30 works that demonstrate how design can be a dynamic force in transforming and, in many cases, actually saving lives. "Design for the Other 90%" on view May 4 through Sept. 23, 2007, explores the variety of affordable and socially responsible objects designed for the more than five billion people across the globe (90 percent of world's total population of 6.5 billion) who often lack the means to purchase even the most basic goods.

The exhibition features design solutions for the poor and marginalized people around the world, including the LifeStraw, a mobile personal water purification tool, and furniture made from hurricane debris made available through the Katrina Furniture Project, which works to rebuild the economic and social capabilities in New Orleans.

"By showcasing the work of designers using their skills and ingenuity to produce architectural and design solutions that really affect quality-of-life issues, Cooper-Hewitt will raise awareness of the critical need for humanitarian design," said Director Paul Warwick Thompson.

Organized by exhibition curator Cynthia E. Smith, the exhibition is divided into sections focusing on water, shelter, health, sanitation, education, energy and transportation and highlights objects developed to empower global populations surviving under the poverty level or recovering from a natural disaster.

Among the featured objects in the exhibition:

• The Pot-in-Pot Cooler, a storage container that doubles the amount of crop saved while extending its shelf life
  The Big Boda Load Carrying Bicycle, which can easily carry hundreds of pounds of cargo or two additional passengers at a substantially lower cost than other forms of human-powered utility vehicles
  
• MoneyMaker Pumps, which families can use to irrigate fruits and vegetables during the dry season, allowing greater crop yields year-round; and
  
• Nicholas Negroponte's One Laptop per Child project, an inexpensive, universal laptop computer to be used as an educational tool for children.

"Design for the Other 90%" focuses on the design world's response to the devastation caused by natural as well as man made disasters.

The exhibit also features examples of shelters used throughout the world, including Global Village Shelters, which are used as temporary homes and rural clinics; Mad Housers Huts, built by volunteers to house the homeless; Day Labor Station, a mobile worker center; and the Seventh Ward Shade Structure, providing a gathering place for planning reconstruction efforts while the Porch Cultural Center in New Orleans is being rebuilt.

There is also a garden with a low-cost drip irrigation system on display, which reduces water use by 30 to 70 percent while increasing yields by more than 50 percent by extending the growing season.

"Design for the Other 90%" recognizes the growing urgency for designers to develop affordable and sustainable solutions that address basic necessities such as shelter, food, drinking water and sanitation for a majority of the world's population. "Ninety-five percent of the world's designers focus all their efforts on developing products and services exclusively for the richest 10 percent of the world's customers," said Dr. Paul Polak, president of International Development Enterprises and a member of the exhibition's advisory council. "Nothing less than a revolution in design is needed to reach the other 90 percent," he added.

Greener Magazine Posted by: Greener Magazine      Read more     Source

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 18:23:33 GMT

Blog Wild Defines Trackbacks

Linking - Pinging - Track Backs - what do they all mean?

Andy Wibbels, author of Blog Wild has defined track backs even simple enough for me to understand. I loved his book BlogWild but his blog is also a great source of additional information.

In his definition of trackbacks he offers instructions for how to ensure you are set up to communicate back and forth with trackbacks:

In TypePad:

To enable TrackBacks by default in TypePad, go to Weblogs > (Your Blog) > Configure > Preferences > Comment and TrackBack Preferences: Check the checkbox 'Hold comments and TrackBacks for approval.' And set Default TrackBack Status set to 'New posts accept TrackBacks.' (for receiving TrackBacks)

In WordPress:

To enable TrackBacks by default in WordPress ,go to Options > Discussion: Check the checkbox 'Attempt to notify any Weblogs linked to from the article.' (for sending TrackBacks) Check the check box 'Allow link notifications from other Weblogs. (for receiving TrackBacks)

In Movable Type:

To enable TrackBacks by default in Movable Type, go to (Your Blog) > Configuration > Preferences > Publicity/Remote Interfaces/TrackBack: Check the checkbox 'Allow TrackBack Pings On by Default.' (for sending TrackBacks) Check the checkbox 'Email New TrackBack Pings.' Check the checkbox 'Enable TrackBack Auto-Discovery.' (for receiving TrackBacks)

Check out Andy's blog for more great information.

Deborah Chaddock Brown
Writer, More Knowledgeable thanks to Andy
AllWrite Ink Posted by: Deborah Brown      Read more     Source