Source: economistsview.typepad.com --- Thursday, July 25, 2013
Jim Hamilton says to keep your eyes on China's economy: Worries about China, by Jim Hamilton : Paul Krugman is among those starting to be concerned about an economic downturn in China. Here are my thoughts on this issue. ... What rings alarm bells for me is the recent sharp spikes in interbank lending rates..., such moves could definitely be signaling some financial fragility. ... Paul Krugman writes: Suppose that those of us now worried that China's Ponzi bicycle is hitting a brick wall (or, as some readers have suggested, a BRIC wall) are right. How much should the rest of the world worry, and why? I'd group this under three headings: 1. "Mechanical" linkages via exports, which are surprisingly small. 2. Commodity prices, which could be a bigger deal. 3. Politics and international stability, which involves some serious risks. To Paul's list, I would add a fourth: financial linkages. If there are significant disruptions to China's system for funding credit, that could have implications for anyone borrowing from or lending to Chinese entities..... I'd also like to add an observation to Paul's second point involving commodity prices. A significant economic downturn in China could well mean a collapse in oil prices. One would think that, as a net importer, this would be an overall favorable development for the United States, and certainly it would be a significant plus for many individual U.S. firms and producers. But it's worth re ...
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Hamilton: Krugman's Worries about China
Friday, July 19, 2013
Greentech Automotive EV Plant Marches On But Questions Remain ...
Greentech Automotive (GTA) is one of those electric car companies which may, or may not be, on the bubble, depending upon your perspective. They certainly seem to speak a good game, announcing yesterday that construction of a new ?Mississippi?production facility is entering Phase 2, the main building phase.? At the same time though, questions have been raised on whether or not they could be the next Coda Automotive.
First, the announcement. Greentech, known for its MyCar neighborhood electric vehicle and planned five passenger EV sedan in partnership with?Chinese automaker JAC, said that it so far has invested more than $6.6 million in its new plant to complete Phase 1 of the build out. This first step included a variety of on-site engineering and testing processes that ?were conducted in accordance with federal, state and local codes? and helped to address ?some unique geotechnical challenges due to the weak underlying soils in the Mississippi Delta.?
image via GTA
Phase 2, meanwhile, will include
the construction of GTA?s manufacturing facility, offices and meeting space in?Tunica, Mississippi. Construction is expected to continue through?December 2013. Vehicle production is expected to begin at the new facility by April 2014. GTA currently operates a pilot manufacturing facility in?Horn Lake, Mississippi, where it builds MyCar, a two-seat Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV), and GTA?s new five-seat, All-Electric Sedan. Both vehicles produce zero emissions, provide a range of more than 100 miles per charge and can be recharged via a common 110V wall outlet, a 220V wall outlet or a fast-charging system.
Once completed, said?Charles Wang, chairman and CEO of GTA, the new facility is expected to have a?a production capacity of 30,000 vehicles per year. The big question here though ?- is there that much of a market for the vehicles it offers? Odds are stacked against it, especially given the high profile flame out of Coda Automotive, a once well regarded electric vehicle start up out of California which tried making a go of it with a re-engineered Chinese sedan. The end result? Recent bankruptcy.
GTA, as others have observed in green automotive media, looks as if it could be too good to be true. The market for neighborhood electric vehicles is really, really small, the company lacks any form of brand recognition and, oh yeah, Coda already tried this.
What are your thoughts on this? Is GTA pie in the sky, or does it actually have a shot at mirroring a shadow of the success the likes of Tesla Motors has seen? Leave us your comments below.
Source: http://www.earthtechling.com/2013/07/greentech-automotive-ev-plant-marches-on-but-questions-remain/
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Thursday, July 18, 2013
Swift approval sought for Midwest oil pipeline
Pipe extends above ground at the Enbridge Key Terminal near Salisbury, Mo., Tuesday, July 16, 2013. The company hopes to begin construction of the Flanagan South pipeline in early August. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
Pipe extends above ground at the Enbridge Key Terminal near Salisbury, Mo., Tuesday, July 16, 2013. The company hopes to begin construction of the Flanagan South pipeline in early August. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
A valve extends above ground at the Enbridge Key Terminal near Salisbury, Mo., Tuesday, July 16, 2013. The company hopes to begin construction of the Flanagan South pipeline in early August. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
Workers move equipment in the yard at the Enbridge Key Terminal near Salisbury, Mo., Tuesday, July 16, 2013. The company hopes to begin construction of the Flanagan South pipeline in early August. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
Workers move gravel around a building at the Enbridge Key Terminal near Salisbury, Mo., Tuesday, July 16, 2013. The company hopes to begin construction of the Flanagan South pipeline in early August. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
MARSHALL, Mo. (AP) ? A Canadian company's plan to build an oil pipeline that will stretch for hundreds of miles through the Midwest, including through many sensitive waterways, is quietly on the fast-track to approval ? just not the one you're thinking of.
As the Keystone XL pipeline remains mired in the national debate over environmental safety and climate change, another company, Enbridge Inc. of Calgary, Alberta, is hoping to begin construction early next month on a 600-mile-long pipeline that would carry tar sands from Flanagan, Ill., about 100 miles southwest of Chicago, to the company's terminal in Cushing, Okla. From there the company could move it through existing pipeline to Gulf Coast refineries.
The company is seeking an expedited permit review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for its Flanagan South pipeline, which would run parallel to another Enbridge route already in place. Unlike the Keystone project, which crosses an international border and requires State Department approval, the proposed pipeline has attracted little public attention ? including among property owners living near the planned route.
Enbridge says it wants to be a good neighbor to the communities the pipeline would pass through, and it has been touting the hundreds of short-term construction jobs it would create. The company also scheduled a series of "open houses" for this week in Missouri, Kansas and Illinois in which it invited the public to come discuss and learn about its plans.
A session Tuesday in Marshall, 90 miles east of Kansas City, drew a handful of Sierra Club protesters armed with fliers denouncing what's been called one of the country's costliest oil spills. It also attracted local politicians, concerned landowners and prospective pipefitters looking for work.
Enbridge responded with an array of free products, from tote bags and tape measures to cookies and key rings.
Wayne McReynolds, one of the 55 people who stopped by the open house in Marshall, said he hoped to learn more about the company's plans to prevent construction runoff from flooding valuable farmland. He said he left the event with only vague assurances, not specific answers.
"You never put the soil back in the trench to the same extent it was taken out," said McReynolds, a retired soil and conservation worker. "It can't be done."
Mike Diel of Macon, Mo., said he's had no luck getting Enbridge or the corps to give him specific details about the project, including a precise pipeline map and copies of emergency response plans.
"We're all worried about oil spills and the tar sands getting into the drinking water," Diel said.
"Until I know where the pipeline is going, how am I supposed to know what I'm supposed to be worried about?" he said.
Enbridge spokeswoman Katie Lange said fears about the pipeline's safety are overblown. She described routine aerial patrols of the pipeline and its seven pump stations and round-the-clock computer monitoring in Calgary that "can shut it down from just a touch of a button" if necessary.
"Once the pipeline is in the ground, there's a very rigorous and robust operations and maintenance program," Lange said.
But Sierra Club lawyer Doug Hayes said those assurances are insufficient, given recent history. A July 2010 rupture of an Enbridge pipeline in Michigan dumped an estimated 1 million gallons of the heavier diluted bitumen into the Kalamazoo River, a 35-mile portion of which remained closed to public access for two years. The U.S. Department of Transportation subsequently fined Enbridge $3.7 million.
More recently, an ExxonMobil pipeline spill in Mayflower, Ark., led to the evacuation of 22 homes and further scrutiny of the long-distance transportation of tar sands oil, a denser substance that is more difficult to clean up.
Lange confirmed that Enbridge is seeking regulatory approval under the Nationwide 12 permit process, which would mean the company wouldn't be obligated to follow more rigorous Clean Water Act requirements such as public notification or lengthy environmental reviews. Those permits are limited to utility projects in which each water crossing disrupts no more than one-half acre of wetlands. The Flanagan South pipeline would cross the Missouri and Mississippi rivers as well as hundreds of smaller tributaries.
"This is a 600-mile project that will clear everything in its path for a 100-foot right of way," Hayes said. "And they're treating it as thousands of separate, little projects."
The Sierra Club lawyer said the Army Corps rejected several Freedom of Information Act requests seeking more project details, citing an exemption for "deliberative process privilege" designed to protect internal decision-making.
TransCanada of Calgary is also seeking Nationwide 12 status for the Keystone XL project, prompting the Sierra Club to file suit alleging violations of the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. Hayes declined to discuss whether the environmental group also plans a legal challenge to the Flanagan South project.
A spokeswoman in the Army Corps' Kansas City office on Tuesday referred questions about the project's permit status to a regulatory colleague who did not respond.
In western Illinois, local officials eagerly anticipate Enbridge's arrival, said Kim Pierce, executive director of the Macomb Area Economic Development Commission. The company plans to build four pumping stations in the state, including one near Quincy along the Missouri border. In addition to the temporary construction jobs, the region can also expect a purchasing boost at area restaurants, hotels and in equipment sales, she said.
"Come Saturday at quitting time, we can expect a lot of people out, relaxing and purchasing things," she said. "We truly see this as an opportunity. You don't always get that handed to you."
Count Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon among the project's supporters. The two-term Democrat said in March 2012, when Enbridge announced its plans, that the company could add "thousands of jobs" to the state while also providing "a boost to America's energy independence."
___
Follow Alan Scher Zagier on Twitter at http://twitter.com/azagier
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Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Mayor, environmentalists dispute safety of Kingston creek
Engineers survey the area Monday near where a sewer main broke on Gilead Street in Kingston. The city's mayor said sewage that has poured into nearby Twaalfskill Creek has been treated and poses no risk to the public; an environmental group says tests show the creek is polluted.KELLY MARSH/for the Times Herald-Record
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Published: 2:00 AM - 07/16/13
KINGSTON ? Mayor Shayne Gallo and the environmental organization Riverkeeper sparred Monday over public safety in the wake of a sewer main collapse that has already spilled 500,000 gallons of sewage into Twaalfskill Creek.
The city reported the spill July 8 to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, saying it was a combination of sediment accumulation and a blockage in the pipe that collapsed the 24-inch-diameter clay pipe.
Contractors, with DEC oversight, have been working since Friday to bypass the pipe. DEC officials were unavailable for comment Monday.
Christine Elliott of Gilead Street said a sinkhole created by the collapse was about 20 feet across.
Gallo said Monday he didn't have an estimate of how much the collapse will cost to repair.
The mayor said testing was done at the creek and there was no risk to the public, and said the water was being chlorinated.
But a Riverkeeper official said Monday the agency tested the water going into the creek after chlorination had been in effect, and that samples it took from the pipe and just downstream contained bacteria indicating fecal counts more than 1,000 times the safe level for swimming and primary contact ? in spite of chlorine being added by the city.
"There's more sewage in the brook than water," said Tracy Brown, the river quality advocate for Riverkeeper.
Riverkeeper said chlorination of the sewage also poses a risk to wildlife in the stream.
Gallo said Riverkeeper has failed to contact his office before coming to its own conclusions.
"They're going to have to take that issue up with the Health Department and the DEC," said Gallo.
jnani@th-record.com
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Source: http://recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130716/NEWS/307160327/-1/rss01
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Monday, July 15, 2013
Sprint to utilize Clearwire 2.5GHz spectrum for LTE starting this week
New higher frequency to support current 800 and 1900MHz network
Sprint has finally completed its acquisition of Clearwire, and the carrier has announced today that it is quickly integrating the new spectrum to its expanding LTE offerings. Adding to its primarily 1900MHz-based network, Sprint has recently added 800MHz spectrum from its iDEN network shutdown and is now adding in new 2.5GHz spectrum from Clearwire to help out further. The high frequency spectrum isn't super useful for building penetration, but Sprint plans to use it in densely populated cities to support the use of 800MHz, which excels at building penetration.
As is usually the case when adding new frequencies to a network, the first devices to take advantage of the network are MiFi's and data sticks. Sprint is announcing that the Netgear Zing Mobile Hotspot, Netgear 341U USB Stick and MiFi 500 LTE will be available starting July 19th and will support all three frequencies.
Edit: While the devices that can utilize this new spectrum are available soon, the new spectrum itself isn't -- and won't be ready for a while. Apologies for any confrusion.
Now that Sprint has nailed down a generally long-term frequency plan, we should start seeing other devices hitting the carrier with support for the additional bands in short order. The end result should be more consistent LTE service in more places for Sprint customers.
Source: Sprint; Via: FierceWireless
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/YwatCga7ZZg/story01.htm
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Sunday, July 14, 2013
Richard Norton Smith on President Richard Nixon
Source: www.c-spanvideo.org --- Saturday, July 13, 2013
George Mason University Author & Presidential Historian Richard Norton Smith discusses tape recordings of phone calls made by President Richard Nixon while he spent part of the summer of 1972 at the Camp David presidential retreat. He talks to key White House advisers about the presidential race against South Dakota Senator George McGovern-the war in Vietnam-and Watergate. We discuss the impact of the Nixon tapes; what the conversations say about the man and his presidency; and the political climate and issues of the day. ...
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Gold Cup soccer: Mexico vs. Canada
A fan screams and waves a Mexican flag to get attention from players leaving the field following the
A fan screams and waves a Mexican flag to get attention from players leaving the field following the second half of the Mexico versus Canada CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match Thursday, July 11, 2013, at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. Mexico led Canada 1-0 at the end of the first half and later won the game 2-0.
Photo By JORDAN STEAD/SEATTLEPI.COM
Source: http://www.seattlepi.com/sports/sounders/slideshow/Gold-Cup-soccer-Mexico-vs-Canada-66195.php
Thursday, June 27, 2013
For nationwide gay marriage, more battles ahead
NEW YORK (AP) ? Even as they celebrate a momentous legal victory, supporters of gay marriage already are anticipating a return trip to the Supreme Court in a few years, sensing that no other option but a broader court ruling will legalize same-sex unions in all 50 states.
In the meantime, as one gay-rights leader said, there will be "two Americas" ? and a host of legal complications for many gay couples moving between them.
Wednesday's twin rulings from the high court will extend federal recognition to same-sex marriages in the states where they are legal, and will add California ? the most populous state ? to the 12 others in that category. That will mean about 30 percent of Americans live in states recognizing same-sex marriage.
But the court's rulings have no direct effect on the constitutional amendments in 29 states that limit marriage to heterosexual couples. In a handful of politically moderate states such as Oregon, Nevada and Colorado those amendments could be overturned by ballot measures, but that's considered highly unlikely in more conservative states.
"It would be inefficient to try to pick off 30 constitutional amendments one by one," said Fred Sainz of the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay-rights group. "Eventually this will have to be settled by the Supreme Court."
The Human Rights Campaign's president, Chad Griffin, told supporters outside the Supreme Court building that the goal would be to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide within five years.
To sway the justices in such a time frame, activists plan a multipronged strategy. In addition to possible ballot measures in a few states, they hope lawmakers will legalize same-sex marriage in states which now offer civil unions to gay couples, notably New Jersey, Illinois and Hawaii.
There also will be advocacy efforts in more conservative states, ranging from expansion of anti-discrimination laws to possible litigation on behalf of sex-couples there who are denied state recognition even though they married legally in some other jurisdiction.
The Supreme Court's decisions "underscore the emergence of two Americas," Griffin said. "In one, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) citizens are nearing full equality. In the other, our community lacks even the most basic protections."
Jonathan Rauch, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, suggested that efforts to end that division would not be easy, given that many states have electorates that seem solidly opposed to gay marriage.
"The fight is far from over," Rauch wrote in a commentary. "By refusing to override those majorities, the court green-lighted the continuation, probably for a decade or more, of state-by-state battles over marriage."
In Florida, where voters approved a ban on gay marriage with 62 percent support in 2008, the gay-rights group Equality Florida called on its supporters to "get engaged and fight" for recognition of same-sex marriage.
The high court rulings "are a major step forward for the country, but for Floridians they fall far short of justice," said the group's executive director, Nadine Smith. "The Supreme Court has said we can go states like Minnesota or Iowa and get married, but we return to Florida legal strangers in our home state."
Florida State Rep. Joe Saunders, a Democrat from Orlando and one of the state's first openly gay lawmakers, said "every strategy is on the table" as activists ponder ways to eliminate the 2008 ban, including warnings of economic consequences.
"If 13 other states provide protections to gay and lesbian families, what does that mean for our ability to keep those families here in Florida?" he said. "Until we can promise them the same basic protections, we're going to be economically disadvantaged."
Increasingly, political swing states like Florida, as well as more solidly Republican states, could become gay-marriage battlegrounds.
One example of the forthcoming strategy: The American Civil Liberties Union announced Wednesday that it has hired Steve Schmidt, former communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee and adviser to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to build support among GOP state politicians for striking down gay-marriage bans.
"For a full civil liberties victory, we need broad-based support from coast to coast," the ACLU's executive director, Anthony Romero, said.
On the conservative side, there was deep dismay over the Supreme Court rulings, but little indication of any new strategies or initiatives.
"The debate over marriage has only just begun," said Austin Nimocks, senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which staunchly opposes same-sex marriage, called upon Americans "to stand steadfastly together in promoting and defending the unique meaning of marriage: one man, one woman, for life."
Lee Badgett, an economics professor at the University of Massachusetts, predicted that the ruling on federal recognition would prompt thousands of gay couples to get married, now that there were additional financial incentives to so.
This group could include couples in states which don't recognize same-sex marriage but who are willing to travel to a state that does recognize such unions.
However, Rea Carey of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force said many gay couples either would be hard pressed to afford such trips or would forgo them out of principle.
"Many people in this country, straight or gay, want to get married in their own state, their own backyard," she said.
While gay-rights activists pursue their ultimate goal of nationwide recognition of same-sex marriage, the short-term legal situation for many gay couples could be complicated.
Peter Sprigg of the conservative Family Research Council said the court ruling on federal recognition "raises as many questions as it answers."
"Will recognition be based on the law in the state where the marriage was celebrated or the state in which the couple resides?" he said. "The doors may now be wide open for whole new rounds of litigation."
The National Conference of State Legislatures said the situation was clear for married gay couples in the 13 states recognizing same-sex marriage: They will be eligible for all federal marriage benefits.
"Outside of these states, federal marriage benefits become more complicated, as many commonly thought-of federal benefits, such as jointly filing on federal income taxes, are tied to a married couple's place of residence," the conference said.
Gay-rights activists immediately began lobbying the Obama administration and other federal officials to extend as many benefits as possible on the basis of where a gay couple's wedding took place, not on the state where they live.
"The Obama administration can make clear, through regulation, that the federal government will recognize those marriages and not participate in state-sponsored discrimination," said Suzanne Goldberg, a professor at Columbia Law School.
Evan Wolfson of Freedom to Marry, one of the groups most active in building support for same-sex marriage, urged the administration to adopt a "clear and consistent" standard that would apply equally to all married gay couples, regardless of their state of residence.
"Marriage should not flutter in and out like cellphone service," he said. "When it comes to federal programs, even if states are discriminating, the federal government should not."
Wolfson, like many of his allies, was already looking ahead to another rendezvous with the Supreme Court, confident that public support for same-sex marriage would continue to increase.
"We have the winning strategy," he said. "We win more states, we win more hearts and minds, and we go back to the Supreme Court in a matter of years, not decades, to win the freedom to marry nationwide."
___
Follow David Crary on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/craryap
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nationwide-gay-marriage-more-battles-ahead-220246102.html
Sunday, April 21, 2013
CBS Twitter feeds are compromised
NEW YORK (AP) ? The Twitter accounts for two national CBS programs have been compromised and suspended.
A CBS News spokeswoman confirms Saturday that tweets sent earlier in the afternoon from the "60 Minutes" and "48 Hours" Twitter handles saying their accounts were compromised are correct.
The tweets said the network is working with Twitter to investigate. On Saturday night both accounts were suspended and inaccessible.
Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The CBS spokeswoman didn't comment further.
Earlier in the day tweets coming from the 60 Minutes account seemed farfetched, including one that claimed the US government was "hiding the real culprit of the Boston bombing."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cbs-twitter-feeds-compromised-041238067.html
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Thursday, March 7, 2013
Supply ship meets space station after shaky start
This frame grab made available by NASA TV shows a view of the SpaceX Dragon capsule on the end of the International Space Station's robotic arm, Sunday, March 3, 2013. SpaceX, the California-based company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, had to struggle with the Dragon following its launch Friday from Cape Canaveral. The spacecraft is delivering more than 1 ton of supplies to the the International Space Station. (AP Photo/NASA TV)
This frame grab made available by NASA TV shows a view of the SpaceX Dragon capsule on the end of the International Space Station's robotic arm, Sunday, March 3, 2013. SpaceX, the California-based company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, had to struggle with the Dragon following its launch Friday from Cape Canaveral. The spacecraft is delivering more than 1 ton of supplies to the the International Space Station. (AP Photo/NASA TV)
This frame grab made available by NASA TV shows a view of the SpaceX Dragon anchoring to the International Space Station Sunday, March 3, 2013. SpaceX, the California-based company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, had to struggle with the Dragon following its launch Friday from Cape Canaveral. The spacecraft is delivering more than 1 ton of supplies to the the International Space Station. (AP Photo/NASA TV)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) ? A private Earth-to-orbit delivery service made good on its latest shipment to the International Space Station on Sunday, overcoming mechanical difficulty and delivering a ton of supplies with high-flying finesse.
To NASA's relief, the SpaceX company's Dragon capsule pulled up to the orbiting lab with all of its systems in perfect order. Station astronauts used a hefty robot arm to snare the unmanned Dragon, and three hours later, it was bolted into place.
The Dragon's arrival couldn't have been sweeter ? and not because of the fresh fruit on board for the six-man station crew. Coming a full day late, the 250-mile-high linkup above Ukraine culminated a two-day chase that got off to a shaky, almost dead-ending start.
Moments after the Dragon reached orbit Friday, a clogged pressure line or stuck valve prevented the timely release of the solar panels and the crucial firing of small maneuvering rockets. SpaceX flight controllers struggled for several hours before gaining control of the capsule and salvaging the mission.
"As they say, it's not where you start, but where you finish that counts," space station commander Kevin Ford said after capturing the Dragon, "and you guys really finished this one on the mark."
He added: "We've got lots of science on there to bring aboard and get done. So congratulations to all of you."
Among the items on board: 640 seeds of a flowering weed used for research, mouse stem cells, food and clothes for the six men on board the space station, trash bags, computer equipment, air purifiers, spacewalking tools and batteries. The company also tucked away apples and other fresh treats from an employee's family orchard.
The Dragon will remain at the space station for most of March before returning to Earth with science samples, empty food containers and old equipment.
The California-based SpaceX run by billionaire Elon Musk has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to keep the station well stocked. The contract calls for 12 supply runs; this was the second in that series.
This is the third time, however, that a Dragon has visited the space station. The previous capsules had no trouble reaching their destination. Company officials promise a thorough investigation into what went wrong this time; if the maneuvering thrusters had not been activated, the capsule would have been lost.
Ford said everything about Sunday's rendezvous ended up being "fantastic."
"There sure were some big smiles all around here," NASA's Mission Control replied from Houston.
Proclaimed SpaceX on its web site: "Happy Berth Day."
In a tweet following Friday's nerve-racking drama, Musk said, "Just want to say thanks to (at)NASA for being the world's coolest customer. Looking forward to delivering the goods!"
Musk, who helped create PayPal, acknowledged Friday that the problem ? the first ever for an orbiting Dragon ? was "frightening." But he believed it was a one-time glitch and nothing so serious as to imperil future missions. The 41-year-old entrepreneur, who also runs the electric car maker Tesla, oversaw the entire operation from Hawthorne, Calif., home to SpaceX and the company's Mission Control.
The Dragon's splashdown in the Pacific, off the Southern California coast, remains on schedule for March 25.
NASA is counting on the commercial sector to supply the space station for the rest of this decade; it's supposed to keep running until at least 2020. Russia, Europe and Japan are doing their part, periodically launching their own cargo ships. But none of those craft can return items like the Dragon can; they burn up on re-entry.
Russia also is providing rides for astronauts ? the only game in town since the retirement of NASA's space shuttles in 2011.
SpaceX, or more formally Space Exploration Technologies Corp., leads the commercial pack that is working toward launching astronauts in another few years. Musk said he can have people flying on a modified Dragon by 2015.
NASA's shuttles used to be the main haulers for the space station. At the White House direction, the space agency opted out of the Earth-to-orbit transportation business in order to focus on deep space exploration. Mars is the ultimate destination.
___
Online:
NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/index.html
SpaceX: http://www.spacex.com/
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Sony Xperia Z hands-on and initial review
For Android fans, the Sony Xperia Z was one of the highlights of a fairly quiet CES. A 5-inch, 1080p phone with a bold new design language and fancy new camera technology, the Xperia Z was probably the most compelling phone of the show. And just a couple of months later, it's now available to buy in the UK.
Without a doubt Sony Mobile's new baby is one of the largest, specciest Android phones around, but it's soon to be joined by the formidable HTC One and Galaxy S4. So how does it shape up? Check out our first impressions after the break.
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/VYBLlP1I4UE/story01.htm
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Friday, January 25, 2013
USDA Finalizes New Microloan Program ? Start Farming ? Penn ...
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2013 ? Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a new microloan program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) designed to help small and family operations, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers secure loans under $35,000. The new microloan program is aimed at bolstering the progress of producers through their start-up years by providing needed resources and helping to increase equity so that farmers may eventually graduate to commercial credit and expand their operations. The microloan program will also provide a less burdensome, more simplified application process in comparison to traditional farm loans.?
?I have met several small and beginning farmers, returning veterans and disadvantaged producers interested in careers in farming who too often must rely on credit cards or personal loans with high interest rates to finance their start-up operations,? said Vilsack.?By further expanding access to credit to those just starting to put down roots in farming, USDA continues to help grow a new generation of farmers, while ensuring the strength of an American agriculture sector that drives our economy, creates jobs, and provides the most secure and affordable food supply in the world.?
The new microloans, said Vilsack, represent how USDA continues to make year-over-year gains in expanding credit opportunities for minority, socially-disadvantaged and young and beginning farmers and ranchers across the United States. The final rule establishing the microloan program will be published in the Jan. 17 issue of the Federal Register.
Administered through USDA?s Farm Service Agency (FSA) Operating Loan Program, the new microloan program offers credit options and solutions to a variety of producers. FSA has a long history of providing agricultural credit to the nation?s farmers and ranchers through its Operating Loan Program. In assessing its programs, FSA evaluated the needs of smaller farm operations and any unintended barriers to obtaining financing. For beginning farmers and ranchers, for instance, the new microloan program offers a simplified loan application process. In addition, for those who want to grow niche crops to sell directly to ethnic markets and farmers markets, the microloan program offers a path to obtain financing. For past FSA Rural Youth Loan recipients, the microloan program provides a bridge to successfully transition to larger-scale operations.
Since 2009, USDA has made a record amount of farm loans through FSA?more than 128,000 loans totaling nearly $18 billion. USDA has increased the number of loans to beginning farmers and ranchers from 11,000 loans in 2008 to 15,000 loans in 2011. More than 40 percent of USDA?s farm loans now go to beginning farmers. In addition, USDA has increased its lending to socially-disadvantaged producers by nearly 50 percent since 2008.
Producers can apply for a maximum of $35,000 to pay for initial start-up expenses such as hoop houses to extend the growing season, essential tools, irrigation, delivery vehicles, and annual expenses such as seed, fertilizer, utilities, land rents, marketing, and distribution expenses. As their financing needs increase, applicants can apply for an operating loan up to the maximum amount of $300,000 or obtain financing from a commercial lender under FSA?s Guaranteed Loan Program.
USDA farm loans can be used to purchase land, livestock, equipment, feed, seed, and supplies, or be to construct buildings or make farm improvements. Small farmers often rely on credit cards or personal loans, which carry high interest rates and have less flexible payment schedules, to finance their operations. Expanding access to credit, USDA?s microloan will provide a simple and flexible loan process for small operations.?
Producers interested in applying for a microloan may contact their local Farm Service Agency office.?
The Obama Administration, with Agriculture Secretary Vilsack?s leadership, has worked tirelessly to strengthen rural America, maintain a strong farm safety net, and create opportunities for America's farmers and ranchers. U.S. agriculture is currently experiencing one of its most productive periods in American history thanks to the productivity, resiliency, and resourcefulness of our producers.
Source: http://extension.psu.edu/start-farming/news/2013/usda-finalizes-new-microloan-program
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Wednesday, January 9, 2013
12 benefits of using remote access for your personal and business ...
Remote access is a connection of an automatic system of data processing to a remote system, through some virtual private network. This technology is widely used in various software industrial applications. In fact, there are many benefits of using this technology.
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Stay connected to any computer from anywhere
It helps monitor and control several systems in different parts of the world, with the central control unit. The technology is controlled by a set of protocols and software. A well-organized networking system is required for this technology to work.
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Easy to use technology
It is a revolution in the world of computer hardware, software and networking technologies. It is used by many big and small companies. This technology does not need much of the technical knowledge. A person who has little bit of computer knowledge can use this technology.
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Latest software to keep the session alive
Remote desktop software is applied in this system. It is an operating system (OS) software which allows various applications to run on a remote server and displays the graphs locally. This operating system software is installed in the central controlling system. This system controls and monitors the activities of remote servers and remote computed, located far away from the central work station.
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Best master slave technology ever available
The controlling computer imposes its keyboard functioning on the controlled system and displays the output on the monitor. Graphical as well as textual data and information is displayed on the monitor of the controlling computer. A large number of such systems can be controlled simultaneously by this procedure.
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Highly secured connection
A very strong firewall system is applied in order to prevent virus attacks on the system. Also, the computers that are communicating are under strong security shields to prevent leakage of information.
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Remote Access for troubleshooting of any computers
The system uses the features of Linux operation system, which supports multitasking and multiprogramming. The software uses the tools of Telnet and SSH. Telnet is software, which is widely used to remote control a computer system. SSH is shell software that is secure and used in remote controlling software applications.
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One technology for unlimited applications
This technology is extensively used by big software companies, who have their branches in various parts of the world. Remote access helps in remotely controlling virtually any computers. This saves a lot of transport cost, time and energy.
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End to end solution for business
Sitting in your place you can get connected to any other computers provided you are given the authorization. This help in meeting most of the software demands of the industry.
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Remotely access the files or any other programs
This facility also lets the users who use one particular computer to view and also interact with the user of another computer.
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Getting access to computers from remote distance
This facility is very important when it comes to offices where there are a number of computers and the employees might need to interact with one another who are using different systems.
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Server client configuration
A single computer work station can be connected to a number of remote computer work stations by this technique.
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Read and write from remote systems
When it comes to accessing files, remote network lets files to be written to target and also read from it.
Source: http://www.richescorner.com/12-benefits-of-using-remote-access-for-your-personal-and-business-needs/
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Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Egypt prosecutors investigate popular TV comedian
CAIRO (AP) ? Egyptian prosecutors launched an investigation on Tuesday against a popular television satirist for allegedly insulting the president in the latest case raised by Islamist lawyers against outspoken media personalities.
Lawyer Ramadan Abdel-Hamid al-Oqsori charged that TV host Bassem Youssef insulted President Mohammed Morsi by putting the Islamist leader's image on a pillow and parodying his speeches.
The case against Youssef comes as opposition media and independent journalists are growing increasingly worried about press freedoms under a new constitution widely supported by Morsi and his Islamist allies.
Other cases have been brought against media personalities who have criticized the president. Some of the cases have ended with charges being dropped. Morsi's office maintains that the president has nothing to do with legal procedures against media critics.
On Tuesday, the independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm, one of Egypt's most widely circulated newspapers, said Morsi's office filed a complaint accusing it of "circulating false news likely to disturb public peace and public security and affect the administration."
The paper had published a report earlier this week attributed to sources saying that Morsi was due to visit the hospital where ousted President Hosni Mubarak is receiving treatment after being injured in his prison cell. Mubarak is serving a life sentence for failing to stop the killing of nearly 900 protesters during the uprising against him.
A visit by Morsi would have enflamed public anger. The paper later updated the story to say that Morsi's wife had only visited a relative in that hospital.
The paper said a reporter and an editor were summoned for interrogation.
A local committee of journalists and editors has called for stronger guarantees of press freedoms and a rejection of the current constitution, fearing it allows for jailing journalists under broadly-worded articles regarding media offenses.
Authorities ordered the closure of TV station "Al-Fareen" last summer after bringing its owner, Tawfiq Okasha, to trial for scathing attacks against Morsi and his Brotherhood group. Okasha had emerged as one of the most popular TV personalities of post-Mubarak Egypt by railing against the uprising that toppled Mubarak's 29-year rule in February 2011.
Another prominent case was directed at the editor of a prominent opposition newspaper, al-Dustour, who has since stepped down. He went on trial briefly for "spreading lies" and fabricating news.
Youssef, a doctor, catapulted to fame when his video blogs mocking politics received hundreds of thousands of hits shortly after the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime leader Mubarak.
Youssef's program is modeled after Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show," where he has appeared as a guest.
Unlike other local TV presenters, Youssef uses satire to mock fiery comments made by ultraconservative clerics and politicians, garnering him a legion of fans among the country's revolutionaries and liberals.
Among his most popular clips are the ones where he pokes fun at the president's speeches and decisions.
While holding a red, furry pillow with Morsi's picture on it, Youssef satirizes Morsi's style of speech.
"He tells us things we never knew," he says, before wordy clips of Morsi going into detail about the day of the week and other basic facts.
"It's October 6! Tell us when it's Christmas!" Youssef shouts to the camera as the audience erupts in laughter and applause.
Youssef, 38, is one of Egypt's most popular TV presenters with 1.4 million fans on Facebook and nearly 850,000 followers on Twitter, just shy of the president's number of followers.
Also Tuesday, police said they arrested a suspect in a shooting that seriously wounded a protester in Cairo's central Tahrir Square, where an open-ended sit-in protesting the Morsi regime is taking place.
According to witnesses, before dawn on Monday, gunmen shot and wounded 19-year-old Muhanad Samir, who has said he was jailed and tortured under Egypt's former ruling military council after he witnessed the killing of another activist. Lawyers say the attacked appeared to target Samir, who is battling for his life with pellets embedded in his head.
Security officials dismiss allegations Samir was the victim of a political assassination. On Tuesday, they said they arrested the owner of a cafe in downtown Cairo who told police that he fired on the square after people manning makeshift checkpoints there searched his car and shot at him. The officials spoke anonymously in line with regulations.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-prosecutors-investigate-popular-tv-comedian-121039629.html