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“Any soldier who braves military combat and risks their life for our country should be treated like an adult—in every sense of the word,” says Alaska lawmaker Bob Lynn. The Republican has revived an old controversy with a bill that would allow members of the military under 21 years…

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Reckless cyclists can cause death too

We must bring equal protection and the potential for equal punishment to everyone on the road Last week I presented a 10 minute rule bill in the House of Commons called “dangerous and reckless cycling (offences)”. In 2007, Rhiannon Bennett was walking with friends on a pavement when a cyclist approached at speed yelling, “Move, because I’m not stopping.” He hit Rhiannon who fell and smashed her head on the kerb. She was taken to hospital but died six days later. The cyclist was found guilty of the crime of dangerous Cycling. This charge carries a maximum penalty of £2,500, but no prison sentence. There are other charges, including the Offences Against the Persons Act 1861, but this charge was designed to deal with horse-drawn carriages and carts and therefore, for obvious reasons, it is rarely used. The cyclist who killed Rhiannon was given a £2,200 fine but did not go to prison. On seeing the title of my bill, some people, including MPs, thought I was anti-cycling and seeking to make criminals out of cyclists. I am a keen cyclist myself, I take advantage of many excellent initiatives such as the cycle hire scheme in London and commend people for swapping their cars for their bike to get to school and work. Many have pointed out , quite rightly, that far more cyclists are killed and injured by motorists than the number of pedestrians who are killed or injured by cyclists and quite often motorists who kill or injure cyclists do not go to prison . I certainly do not trivialise the issue of cyclists being killed or injured by motorists and I share the concerns and outrage of many that have pointed out that so few motorists go to prison. The point I wish to make is that, in the case of a motorist killing a cyclist there is, at the very least, the possibility of a motorist being severely punished. Causing death by dangerous driving carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison, causing death by careless driving has a maximum sentence of five years. This is not the case with cyclists. There is no charge of causing death by dangerous cycling. There is only the charge of dangerous cycling which carries a maximum penalty of a £2,500 fine and the out-of-date Offences Against The Person Act 1861 which does carry a maximum penalty of two years in prison but seems unlikely to be successfully upheld in cases such as the Rhiannon Bennett case. My aim from the beginning has been to update the law and bring equal protection and the potential for equal punishment to all road users. In this country we have an independent judiciary. As an MP I can enact, scrutinise and update the law but the courts enforce the penalties. I sincerely hope that all road users are held accountable to the full extent of the law. My heart goes out equally to all whose lives have been damaged or taken away by the careless, dangerous or reckless actions of others. • Andrea Leadsom is MP for South Northamptonshire Cycling guardian.co.uk

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Sony’s XDR-S16DBP wakes up from the DAB+ doldrums

Try as we might, we’ve never been able to get too worked up over DAB radio — dab , just saying it rids the body of consciousness. But then we perked up after seeing the image above for Sony’s retro-nouveau XDR-S16DBP micro — a temporary burst of adrenaline nearly stifled by the more mundane XDR‑C706DBP clock radio found after the break. Both are compatible with the DAB+ digital broadcasting standard rolling out across Europe and offer ten DAB/DAB+ presets with an additional ten for FM. The

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Gmail Gets Motion Control

One of the latest trends in technology is motion control. It’s over taken our videogames and is now headed to one of the most popular email services,… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : DeviceMAG Discovery Date : 01/04/2011 07:53 Number of articles : 6

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Capture the arrival of spring

Photographer Andy Hall searches for signs of spring – from fiery sunrises and blossoming flowers to lambs gambolling in a field, they are most definitely here Alicia Canter Andy Hall

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iPad apes, 3D radio – it’s April Fools

British media revel in 1 April traditions with stories attempting to straddle line between incredulity and plausibility It’s that day again; the one that gave us the annual spaghetti harvest , fiesta on the charming island of San Seriffe , and the left-handed burger. This year, gorillas discovered the joy of iPads; BMW launched its royal wedding special edition M3 Coupe in Windsor white, badged in red, white and blue; a unicorn skeleton was found at the Tower of London; and Radio 4 forced the august John Humphrys to take a walk on the wild side and investigate the wonders of 3D radio. The Sun’s exclusive , with a comment from wildlife expert Terry Nutkins, has delightful photographs of gorillas frolicking in the sun with iPads. Nutkins doubts we’ll ever see them on Twitter or Facebook, but I don’t know, there’s always next year. Radio 4′s Today programme could soon be broadcast in 3D sound , promising to create the effect of John Humphrys inside your head. The report has the essential 1 April quality of plausible dullness, with interviews with the Tubular Bells sound engineers, and Evan Davis demonstrating a simple but effective technique for tuning out hiss. Google offers a touching interview with Michael, its autocompleter , a geeky soul who began as a spellchecker but has now graduated to completing those awkward polysyllabic words faster than you can type. “My friends and family always say Michael, how come you always know what we’re going to say?” He manages 34,000 words on a good day, and has been such a success that Google is now recruiting some colleagues for him. Metro – which also reported the discovery of the unicorn at the Tower , with video so it must be true – launched its edible edition , using corn starch, vegetable oil and citric acid among other delicious ingredients: “Printing takes a few hours overnight – several seconds to print each page and slightly longer to dry. The finished products are even given a light vanilla scent. Charles Bouquet, of the Edible Paper Company, said the project would encourage recycling. He added: ‘We hope it adds flavour to the stories and presents readers with a colourful menu of current affairs.’” The Mail has Kate Middleton checking out baby clothes and – in its online version – propping up a bar . The Telegraph has Labour apparatchiks ordering the party faithful to celebrate the joyful union of Ed Milliband and Justine Thornton with street parties and bunting. The Independent’s page 3 boy is Cristiano Ronaldo : it reports that the footballer has agreed to “act like a patriot” and be sold to Spain for €160m, to help reduce his country’s disastrous national debt. Funnily enough the Mirror also has a Spanish football related story : Fernando Torres is so gutted at his goal free performance at Chelsea since he transferred from Liverpool that he has called on team-mates to join him in an ancient Iberian curse-breaking ceremony involving a defecating goat, called the Dia de los Innocentes, which can only be performed on the first day of the fourth month. Goats, stop reading now, this might upset you: the first 12 fans who turn up at Stamford Bridge will be rewarded with choice cuts to take home. On the BBC business news website , a special correspondent bylined Tok Enmale reports that a federation of men’s groups is to take legal action against Mumsnet. Melvin Footlong, a dad from Weymouth, reflected the widely held views of many men when he complained: “Because I don’t have access to Mumsnet’s Am I being Unreasonable boards, I never know if I’m being reasonable or not. It puts me and other dads at a huge disadvantage.” “It’s not fair, I want to write EastEnders storylines too,” he added.” The Radio Times website broke the appalling news that Jeremy Paxman is to quit University Challenge in outrage over the quiz being dumbed down. And quite right too. Multiple choice questions? Three lives, and “phone a professor”? Shocking. The flight comparison site Skyscanner announced the maiden flight of Urchin Airways, such a terrifyingly plausible idea it should probably be kept from Michael O’Leary: the first child-passenger only plane took off from Heathrow, it reports. “Cabin crew on Urchin Airways will all be dressed as clowns and will oversee the library of video games and supervise a ball pit area. Activities such as egg-and-spoon races will be held along the aisle and targets woven into seating upholstery will offer youngsters the chance to hone their seat kicking skills. Whereas on regular flights children are scolded for making noise, screaming will be encouraged in ‘who can scream loudest?’ challenges.” Actually I’m not sure this is an April Fool, I’m pretty certain I’ve been on that flight – many, many times. Newspapers Newspapers & magazines guardian.co.uk

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Okla. Woman Fights to Keep Injured Kangaroo

An Oklahoma woman suffering from depression has found solace in the company of an unusual companion, but local city officials worry that the therapy pet – a partially paralyzed kangaroo – could become a public safety risk. (April 1)

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Mad Men will be back with creator Matthew Weiner at the helm for two more seasons and possibly a third. After tough negotiations, Weiner has signed a deal with AMC and Lionsgate believed to be worth around $30 million, reports the New York Times . The cable hit’s fifth season will…

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Bossypants

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Bossypants

Type: Book Title: Bossypants See all customer reviews Product Description: Before Liz Lemon, before “Weekend Update,” before “Sarah Palin,” Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV. She has seen both these dreams come true. At last, Tina Fey’s story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live ; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon — from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence. Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we’ve all suspected: you’re no one until someone calls you bossy. ( Includes Special, Never-Before-Solicited Opinions on Breastfeeding, Princesses, Photoshop, the Electoral Process, and Italian Rum Cake!) See the details

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Sony Ericsson Open

WTA Miami2011_Maria SHarapova interview after her win in the semifinal of the Sony Ericsson Open. Sharapova – Petkovic: Lật ngược thế cờ (Video tennis, bán kết Sony Ericsson Open) Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer Semifinal Match Set for the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open in Miami 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Results: Kim Clijsters Upset, Maria … Twenty-four hours after Belgian Kim Clijsters fought back from a 5-1 final set deficit to reach the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open quaterfinals, there was no extra fuel left for the fighter to light. No. 8 Victoria Azarenka upset Clijsters, … 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Update: Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic … 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Update: Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic Advance, Mardy Fish Top American. Mar 31 9:59p by Stephanie Kuzydym. Roger Federer moved onto the semifinals of the 2011 Sony Ericcsson Open after a quarterfinal match that … Dermorae All Buzzing Information » Sports: 2011 Sony Ericsson Open … Sports: 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Update: Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic Advance, Mardy Fish Top American. Roger Federer moved onto the semifinals of the 2011 Sony Ericcsson Open after a quarterfinal match that lasted six minutes. … Sony Ericsson Open : Order of Play and Ticket Availability for … Friday’s order of play at the Sony Ericsson Open can be found below. For tickets to Friday’s action, click the travel link on the top menu bar for Grand Slam Tennis Tour’s official website. ORDER OF PLAY – FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2011 … Legal-Sleaze.com – 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Update: Roger Federer … Roger Federer moved onto the semifinals of the 2011 Sony Ericcsson Open after a quarterfinal match that lasted six minutes. France’s Gilles Simon retired at 3-0 after he was broken twice and asked for a medical break. Shinobilordz says: RT @atpworldtour Tennis – ATP World Tour – Sony Ericsson Open 2011 – Federer's Free Pass To Semi-f.. http://bit.ly/ffDgV0

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