All of the polls are starting to line up very nicely : Democrats are facing an electoral landscape more inhospitable than anyone could have imagined just months ago, according to new survey data from the Pew Research Center. The Pew Research Center survey released Thursday found many troubling signs for Democrats. Among them, Republicans now hold significant advantages among both men and women, as well as in the 77 most competitive House districts. First, the toplines. Among likely voters, Republicans have a 10 point advantage on the generic ballot test — 50 percent to 40 percent – up from a seven-point edge last month. If the Democratic base is coming home, the Republican base is intensifying further. Among independent voters, Republicans also have a significant advantage. They are breaking for the GOP by a 19-point margin, 49 percent to 30 percent. Drilling down into the districts where the battle for the House is being contested, things get worse for Democrats. In the 77 most competitive House districts, Republicans hold a 12 point advantage among likely voters — 51 percent to 39 percent. These numbers indicate that prediction of a major Republican landslide – greater than the GOP’s gains in the 1994 elections are a very real possibility. My over/under has been 56 House seats, but perhaps I’m too conservative (pardon the pun).
Continue reading …Hey NBers. I want to take this opportunity to apologize for the shaky roll-out of the new site design. I understand that there has been a lot of frustration with some missing features, and elements of the new layout. I want to make sure your concerns are addressed. read more
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A student captures the moments after a Pace Univ. football player was fatally shot by a police officer. The footage shows people screaming as someone tries to revive Danroy Henry. It also shows an officer pointing his gun at a crowd neaby. (Oct 21)
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In a world full of the shapely blobs we call computer mice, the Cyborg Rat stands out. It’s skeletal, metallic, and almost completely asymetrical. Though most mice are one-size-fit-few, the Rat lets you transform the hardware itself to fit the shape of your hand. It’s got two scroll wheels and a special button that lowers DPI while it’s held — and this new Rat 9, due out November, is completely wireless as well. Whereas Razer , Microsoft and Logitech all built their premium wireless gaming mice from scratch — and with cord-based charging in mind — the Rat 9 instead integrates a hot-swappable battery pack and a 2.4GHz radio into the same modular design. Is it a half-baked attempt at wireless bliss, or do we have a new king of mice? Find out after the break in our full review. Gallery: Mad Catz Cyborg Rat 9 unboxing and hands-on Continue reading Exclusive: Mad Catz Cyborg Rat 9 review Exclusive: Mad Catz Cyborg Rat 9 review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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The entire world saw the 13-inch MacBook Air exposed to the elements before it was announced on stage, but its 11.6-inch younger brother is just now getting the teardown treatment. iFixit tore the tiny machine asunder, and found even more miniature battery packs nestled in its 0.68-inch-thick frame. Like Apple’s previous Air, the components here are proprietary, and the 2GB memory module’s actually soldered to the board — some tradeoffs had to be made for miniaturization, we suppose, and we can’t deny the result is a beautiful machine inside and out. On the plus side, the solid state drive seems to be modular, so there’s some modest upgrade potential there if you can find a supplier of the boards. Still, kids — don’t try this at home. New 11.6-inch MacBook Air ripped to pieces, exposing proprietary parts originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Republicans are gaining ground in turning out early voters compared with their showing two years ago, but figures that offer clues about early voting patterns still give Democrats an edge many states and big counties. (Oct. 21)
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Yeah, the Nook already has one color screen, but its primary display is depressingly monochrome. Now there’s word on the street, from a reliable source of CNET’s, that Barnes & Noble will be bringing a full-color, Android-based, touchscreen Nook to its event next Tuesday . That sure sounds a whole lot like a full fledged Android tablet, which would be quite a departure for Barnes & Noble — sure, the Nook is Android-based, but it hardly acts like it currently. Still, there’s a smell of Android tablets in the air, and it wouldn’t be horribly surprising to see B&N move in this direction. CNET’s tipster says the device will be called the Nook Color, and retail for $249. That’s pretty low for a 7-inch touchscreen LCD device, but perhaps (hopefully) B&N has its eye on an alternative tech like Mirasol or Pixel Qi? Either way, the existing Nook will apparently continue to be sold as a lower-end version, so e-ink aficionados have no need to throw their hands up in despair just yet. Stay tuned! Barnes & Noble prepping new Nook with full color touchscreen? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Six Months Later, Stories of the Gulf Oil Spill Collected by NRDC & StoryCorps (Video)
October 21, 2010 No Comment
In case the Gulf oil spill has begun to fade from your mind already, here are a couple first hand accounts to keep the impact fresh. Put together by NRDC in collaboration with StoryCorps and Bridge the Gulf , these are the first in a ser… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …GE introduces ‘hybrid’ bulb with both halogen and CFL elements, instant-on meets efficiency
October 21, 2010 No Comment
We’re pretty okay with waiting the second or so it takes a typical CFL to light up, but sometimes, when we’re checking for monsters in closets and other inconspicuous places, it’d be nice if things were a little more expedient . For those times (and for generally impatient people) GE is introducing its Hybrid Halogen-CFL bulb. It’s basically a typical CFL unit, but look closely inside those coils and you’ll spot a wee halogen bulb peeking out. It’s like two bulbs in one, the halogen unit powering on almost instantaneously then fading off once the CFL element gets itself all riled up. We’re wondering how well the output from the two elements match, whether you’d be able to notice the transition, but we’re even more curious about the cost. GE says we’ll have to wait a few months to learn that bit of info, and the same holds true if you’re looking for a release date more specific than “2011.” Hopefully it isn’t too late in the year, as LED bulbs are getting cheaper by the minute. Continue reading GE introduces ‘hybrid’ bulb with both halogen and CFL elements, instant-on meets efficiency GE introduces ‘hybrid’ bulb with both halogen and CFL elements, instant-on meets efficiency originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Photos via River Monsters British fisherman Jeremy Wade, host of Animal Planet’s River Monsters , made quite a rare catch on a remote stretch of the River Congo. As one might expect from looking at this prehistoric-looking goliath tigerfish, measuring in at around 5 feet in length with 32 razor-sharp teeth… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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