Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy app coming to the iPad, Don’t Panic decal not included
August 11, 2011 No Comment
Canadian indie developer Hothead Games is producing a Hitchhikers Guide app, aiming to replicate the titular guide itself (rather than the novels). When it arrives this fall, we can expect beautifully animated sequences describing the Babel Fish and Vogon Poetry — but just a single word about planet Earth (the addition of the word “Mostly” should come in a second, more sinister update). Visit the holding page and you’ll hear the unmistakably honeyed tones of Simon Jones who played Arthur Dent in the original TV and radio series. If he’s voicing the guide then this will be a must-have for fans, taking over a role made famous by his father, Peter Jones, and later Stephen Fry in the movie. As the app is iOS only, Android users should probably still panic — or make a trip to their local laser etching station. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy app coming to the iPad, Don’t Panic decal not included originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …A Ringling Brothers elephant collapsed as it was was being loaded into a circus train, triggering cries of abuse. The sad spectacle in Annaheim was captured on film by animal rights activists who were keeping an eye on circus activities. Circus spokesmen claimed that 54-year-old Asian elephant Sarah merely tripped…
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Mark Ciavarella Jr took $1m in bribes from the builder of two detention centres in return for filling them with juvenile offenders A long-serving judge has been ordered to spend nearly 30 years in prison for his role in a bribery scandal that prompted the state’s high court to overturn thousands of juvenile convictions. Former Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella Jr was sentenced on Thursday to 28 years in prison for taking $1m (£617,000) in bribes from the builder of two juvenile detention centres in a case that became known as “kids-for-cash”. The Pennsylvania supreme court overturned about 4,000 convictions issued by Ciavarella between 2003 and 2008, saying he violated the constitutional rights of the juveniles, including the right to legal counsel and the right to intelligently enter a plea. Ciavarella, 61, was tried and convicted of racketeering charges earlier this year. His lawyers had asked for a “reasonable” sentence in court papers, saying, in effect, that he had already been punished enough. “The media attention to this matter has exceeded coverage given to many and almost all capital murders, and despite protestation, he will forever be unjustly branded as the ‘kids for cash’ judge,” they said. Federal prosecutors accused Ciavarella and a second judge, Michael Conahan, of taking more than $2m in bribes from the builder of the PA Child Care and Western PA Child Care detention centres and extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from the facilities’ co-owner. Ciavarella, known for his harsh and autocratic courtroom demeanour, filled the beds of the private lockups with children as young as 10, many of them first-time offenders convicted of petty theft and other minor crimes. The judge remained defiant after his arrest, insisting the payments were legal and denying he incarcerated youths for money. The jury returned a mixed verdict following a February trial, convicting him on 12 counts, including racketeering and conspiracy, and acquitting him on 27 counts, including extortion. The guilty verdicts related to a payment of $997,600 from the builder. Conahan, meanwhile, pleaded guilty last year and awaits sentencing. Pennsylvania United States guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Scarborough: If Rush is Still Rooting Against Obama He’s ‘Rooting for America to be in a Fast Decline’
August 11, 2011 No Comment
For some reason, in the middle of a lengthy “Morning Joe” segment dealing with President Obama's obvious failures as a leader, host Joe Scarborough on Thursday felt the need to bring up conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh (video follows with transcript and commentary): JOE SCARBOROUGH: The fact that the President waited to talk about the SEALs and then just kind of put that in on the end of a press conference. “Oh, and by the way.” Somebody in the White House doesn't get it. Somebody in the White House is clueless. When you have 30 Americans die and it's treated that way when, again, I’m, I'm baffled. I'm rooting for the President. We all are rooting for the President. If, if Rush Limbaugh is still rooting against the President, then he's also rooting for America to be in a fast decline, rooting for his stocks to collapse. These are precarious times and we need a president who knows what he's doing and a we need a president who has the support of the American people but, Willie, right now this President is just creating a lot more questions than answers. This was some real silliness from Scarborough. Let's recall what Limbaugh told Fox News's Sean Hannity on January 22, 2009: SEAN HANNITY, HOST: You're the leading voice of opposition, conservative, and have defined conservatives for over two decades. You celebrated you r20 years on the air, by the way, nationally syndicated, congratulations. RUSH LIMBAUGH: Thank you. HANNITY: Coming off record-ratings year for you, but you — you are a passionate conservative. You've defined conservatives for many people in this country for years. He represents the antithesis in terms of his world view. So then the question becomes, do you want him to succeed? LIMBAUGH: Now — this — I am so glad that he asked me that question. That you asked me this question. HANNITY: I'm glad to. LIMBAUGH: I'll tell you why. I am hearing many Republicans say that — well, we want him to succeed and prominent Republicans. Yes, we wanted — they have laid down. They have totally — they're drinking the Kool- Aid, too. They have no guts to stand up for what their beliefs are because they're afraid of criticism, they're afraid of being called racists, they're afraid of not having gotten with the program. Now success can be defined two ways. I said earlier I don't know about this guy. I really don't. I've got my — I've got my suspicions, and they're pretty close to convictions, but we're going to have to wait to see what he does. Now if he turns out to be a Reagan, if he adds Reagan to his recipe of FDR and Lincoln, and if he does cut some taxes. HANNITY: Yes. LIMBAUGH: If he does not eliminate the Bush tax cuts, I would call that success. So yes, I would hope he would succeed if he acts like Reagan, but if he's going to do FDR, if he's going to do the new, new deal all over which we will call here the raw deal, why would I want him to succeed? Look, he's my president. The fact that he is historic is irrelevant to me now. It matters not at all. I — if he is going to implement a far left — look it. I think it's already decided. $2 trillion in stimulus? The growth of government. I think the intent here is to create as many dependant Americans as possible looking to government for their hope and salvation. If he gets nationalized health care, I mean, it's over, Sean. We're never going to roll that back. That's the end of America as we have known it because that's then going to set the stage for everything being government owned, operated, or provided. Why would I want that to succeed? I don't believe in that. I know that's not how this country is going to be great in the future, it's not what made this country great. So I shamelessly say, no, I want him to fail, if his agenda is a far- left collectivism, some people say socialism, as a conservative heartfelt, deeply, why would I want socialism to succeed? Two and a half years later, that question is even more valid given what we've seen this President do. He has indeed failed, and wishing for him to succeed at doing what he's been doing since Inauguration Day is like hoping for your own doom. As I wrote Tuesday, all this media cheerleading for Obama has had a hand in his ineptness because his fans in the press have continued applauding as he's fallen on his face dragging the country with it. What he really needs are more members of the media to aggressively criticize him when he errs. Maybe then he'll change his ways and actually give people something legitimately worth cheering about.
Continue reading …Rebecca Black received so much grief from classmates after her song Friday went viral that she opted for homeschooling. “When I walk by they’ll start singing ‘Friday’ in a really nasally voice,” the 14-year-old told ABC before last night’s live appearance on America’s Got Talent . “Or, you know, they’ll be…
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picturebugs says: Nasa Rover Reaches Rim Big Martian Crater AP http://dlvr.it/fmQnj
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Residents of New Zealand city enthusiastic over long-term plan, but funding and timescale still to be agreed It may take decades before the plan becomes a reality, and nobody is certain who will pay for it. But an ambitious blueprint to rebuild the New Zealand city devastated by an earthquake has been greeted with enthusiasm by residents of Christchurch. Large swaths of New Zealand’s second city are still in ruins, entire suburbs have been declared uninhabitable, and the region has been buffeted by thousands of aftershocks. But unveiling the plan on Thursday, Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker offered the vision of a “safe, sustainable, green, hi-tech, low-rise city in a garden”. Dedicating the plan to the 181 people who lost their lives in the February disaster, Parker said: “We’ve had enough distraction to fill our hearts for generations. This piece of work is about all of us grasping our futures, believing in what we can together do.” The plan, which involves 70 projects over the next 20 years, envisages a compact central business district dominated by low-rise buildings. There would be large new areas of public parkland, including a broad green corridor along the banks of the River Avon. The 150-page document also emphasises environmentally sensitive transport, including a new light rail network, pedestrian boardwalks and cycle lanes. Among other initiatives are an indoor sports complex, upgraded hospitals and libraries, and a redeveloped Cathedral Square in the heart of the city. An $8 million memorial to those who died in February’s earthquake is also proposed. The 6.3 magnitude quake was the most severe of a string of shakes in Christchurch and its surrounding Canterbury region in the last year. More than 7,500 aftershocks have been measured since a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit in September last year. The plan was unanimously backed by Christchurch councillors, who sifted through more than 100,000 suggestions submitted by residents and interest groups. It now goes out for consultation before being formally presented to central government in December. Ashley Campbell, who has set up a Facebook page calling for a large park around the Avon river, called the plan “hugely encouraging”. Campbell, a Cantabrian no based in Auckland, said: “It’s obvious that the people who are planning Christchurch are thinking seriously about what can be done. It’s only a start, but it’s a really, really encouraging start.” The response on social networks, forums where residents have often vented frustration with the local and central government responses, was almost universally enthusiastic. “The city plan is making me feel pretty good about deciding to stay in chch,” tweeted one resident. “Heaps to like, exciting times ahead.” Another typified the mood: “The draft is almost surprisingly – unbelievably – good. First time we’ve felt positive here in, oh, about 11 months?” Enthusiasm was not unanimous. Matthew Carpenter, spokesman for the Canterbury Business Recovery Network, which represents 150 employers, said the council was wrong to “lay all cards on the table” in rebuilding the central city. Speaking to Radio New Zealand, he called for investment to be split between the city and a “satellite town”, away from the “earthquake-prone” city. The government welcomed the draft plan, but emphasised that funding was limited. “The draft plan has a pretty big wish list. It’s now up to the people of Christchurch to debate the plan, prioritise its projects and decide how much they are prepared to pay to fund them,” said the Canterbury earthquake recovery minister, Gerry Brownlee, in a statement. He added: “The council advises that the majority of the projects in the draft plan will be funded by insurance proceeds and by ratepayers.” New Zealand Natural disasters and extreme weather Toby Manhire guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Germans at an ultra-nationalist rock concert snapped up free T-shirts bearing nationalist flags and the slogan ” hardcore rebels,” only to find a very different message after the shirt had been washed. “If your T-shirt can do it, you can do it too—we’ll help you get away from right-wing extremism,…
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FedEx DC-10 More Awesome Flying Jasmine by Takamine aravosis says: Numerous people had packages UPS recorded as “delivered” but they never arrived – all UPS, no probs with fedex or USPS.
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The economic downturn means organic farmers are less likely to reap rewards of premium prices for their produce Farmers across the UK have been deserting organic farming, or holding back on plans to convert their land to more environmentally friendly farming methods, as sales of organic products have fallen in the economic downturn. Last year, only 51,000 hectares was in “conversion” – the process that farmers need to go through to have their land and practices certified as organic. That is less than half the amount of land that was in conversion in 2009, which itself was down markedly from the recent peak of 158,000Ha in 2007, according to statistics released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on Thursday morning. Far fewer farmers are interested in turning their land to organic production, despite the promise of premium prices for their produce, after a marked fall in sales of organic goods in the past two years as a result of the recession. Sales of organic products fell by 5.9% in the UK last year, according to the Soil Association , from £1.84bn in 2009 to £1.73bn in 2010. That continued a decline from record sales of £2.1bn in 2008, and came amid rising food prices overall. The rapid decline in interest from farmers is not yet reflected in the amount of land in organic production overall in the UK, which has risen slightly. It takes several years to convert land from conventional production to organic production, in part because of the need to stop using fertilisers and pesticides that may still be present in the soil. That time lag, while land that has been in preparation moves into full organic production, created the small rise in the total area of land organically farmed last year – from 619,000Ha across the UK in 2009 to 668,000Ha overall. What Thursday’s figures show is that this is not being replenished by new farmers coming on board. As the decline in farmers entering organic conversion feeds through, the overall figure for organically farmed land is likely to stagnate or fall. “This is very worrying,” said Kirtana Chandrasekaran, food campaigner at Friends of the Earth . “What this points to is that the UK government is doing barely anything to promote organic farming, despite the benefits of it.” In England, about 90,000Ha was in conversion in 2007 and 2008, but since then that area has decreased dramatically, to about 30,000Ha. Organic conversion has fallen in all regions except Northern Ireland, which has only a small organic industry. In livestock farming, the picture is mixed. Despite widespread publicity by food campaigners on the benefits of choosing free range or organic chickens over the battery-bred variety, organic production decreased last year, continuing a fall in which more than half a million fewer organic chickens, turkeys and other organic poultry was produced in the UK for a year than at their peak production of nearly 4.5m in 2006. Similarly, fewer pigs are bred organically, with about 47,000 on farms last year, down from a peak of more than 71,000 in 2007. However, the number of cattle being reared organically is rising steadily, to more than 350,000 beasts last year. In the past decade, Scotland has experienced the biggest exodus in organic producers, with 189,000Ha either in organic production or in conversion last year, compared with 429,000Ha in 2002. This reflects changes to government incentives in the early 2000s. The number of organic producers or processors, including arable and livestock farmers, and food processors, fell by 3.7% last year across the UK as a whole, with the number in Scotland falling by nearly 14%. Organics Farming Food Recession Agriculture Ethical and green living Food & drink Economics Food science Fiona Harvey guardian.co.uk
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