LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian Sarah Silverman has built her career largely on raunchy jokes about sex and other decidedly adult topics.
So it may come as a surprise that a woman famous for an R-rated song about sleeping with actor Matt Damon and for pro-Obama viral videos is now voicing the role of an adorable 9-year-old girl in a Walt Disney family film.
The animated film, "Wreck-It Ralph," comes out in U.S. movie theaters on Friday. It is about a video game character named Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) who is tired of always being the bad guy. He goes on a game-hopping journey to prove he can be a hero.
Silverman plays the precocious Vanellope von Schweetz who lives in the candy-themed racing game Sugar Rush. Considered a "glitch" by the other kids because she flickers, Vanellope is an outcast who just wants a chance to race with the other girls.
At first glance, the casting of a stand-up comic like Silverman might seem an odd choice. But Silverman told Reuters she knows all about the tough-on-the-outside/sensitive-on-the-inside Vanellope.
"I relate to everything about her," the 41-year-old said about her character. "I know this girl. The scrappiness and the feeling of being on the outside, looking in and wanting to play. And that what we are most ashamed of - the 'glitch' in each of us - can be our super power, our greatest asset, if we let it."
In Silverman's case, she cites her bed-wetting as her own "glitch," which she chronicled in her 2010 comic memoir, "The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee."
"I was a bedwetter until I was in my teens," she said. "(I took something) from my childhood that I thought would be my greatest shame and let it inform the greatest part of my life. I went in to comedy and was not scared because I had suffered great humiliations growing up. Bombing in front of strangers on stage? Who cares! The stakes got lower for me because I had nothing to lose."
Silverman said she was excited to potentially become a role model to kids, "especially girls," via Vanellope. The cartoonish perkiness that's part of her persona has already landed Silverman guest spots on kids' shows like "Yo Gabba Gabba."
In fact, Silverman says she has plenty of comedic material for kids and is pushing further into the youth market with a soon-to-be released app.
"I have an app coming out called 'Uncle Sarah' and it's for toddlers and babies - I can babysit your kids on your iPad!" she joked. "There's all this interactive stuff. There's a song I wrote. I'm excited about it because it's so weird."
She'd also like her own kids - someday. "I'm baby crazy but I think I'm going to adopt when I'm at a young grandma age," she said. "I love kids so much but I love my life and I love taking off at a moment's notice. I want to have kids when it's all I want and I can give them the undivided attention they deserve."
Next up, Silverman plans on filming a cable TV special - her first in seven years - for HBO that will involve both stand-up and film pieces.
Although Silverman points out that she'll never feel "total job security" in her profession - her NBC pilot "Susan 313" was not picked up for the fall 2012 TV season, for example - she calls her ability to work in comedy, make videos and perform stand-up as "the gift that keeps on giving."
"As long as I always work on it, change it, be willing to bomb, recalibrate who I am and reflect that on stage, it can last."
Traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is dead.
There ? I said it. Not sleeping. Not pining for the fjords. Dead. As in doornail.
So should you start ignoring search engines? Not one bit; in fact, you should be paying more attention to them than ever. Let me explain.
? more ?
Let?s start with some basics.
SEO is all about taking your existing Web site and tweaking it ? changing some text, changing some code and building links back to it from other sites ??so that it appears higher in search engine results pages for keyword searches that matter to your business.
In my view ? and as it turns out, in Google?s view, too ? that focus is too narrow.
You see, when you focus so narrowly on inching your site up the Google search results you, frankly, end up doing some stupid stuff.
You end up packing the content of your site with so many keywords that it?s virtually unreadable, you end up creating hundreds and hundreds of junk Web sites in order to create links back to your site, you spam blogs with irrelevant messages about your product or service.
Just dumb stuff that doesn?t create value for anybody anywhere.
With an Inbound Marketing approach your focus is much broader ? and more tightly tied to real, meaningful business results for you.
Inbound Marketing is all about using great ??some would say exceptional ?? online content to help your prospective customers find your business, become a lead and ultimately to become your paying customer.
Search engine results ? and appearing prominently in them ? are still important. Search engines are ? and will be for some time to come ??probably the most important way for people to find products and services they?re looking for.
But in traditional SEO, the success metric is how high your site ranks for a given keyword. While in Inbound Marketing, the key metric is how effective your site content is at drawing people to it and how effective it is at converting those people into your paying customers.
Do you see the difference?
The Inbound Marketing playbook focuses on using all of the tools of online marketing, with great content at the hub:
Great, frequently updated online content improves search engine visibility and traffic to your site while it helps to educate your prospective clients
Social media tools help to amplify your message and engage your prospects
Effective content offers (again) and strong calls to action help to turn visitors to your site into leads
And more content (again), often delivered via email and social media, can help to educate those leads to a point where they?re ready to buy and more likely to buy from you than from your competitors.
In the Inbound Marketing playbook, SEO is only one small tactical element that?s at the service of bigger, more important business goals.
And it works!
Companies that use Inbound Marketing have far lower costs for acquiring each of their customers than companies using a hodgepodge of traditional marketing techniques.
And Google now rewards inbound marketers more than traditional SEO. With recent changes to the formula Google uses to generate search results, high quality, frequently updated content is now one of the most important factors in determining search engine rankings for your site.
That?s why Inbound Marketing deserves a place in your business? marketing plan for 2013.
By admin on Oct 31, 2012 in Featured, Guest Blogger, Internet
When it comes to being able to run a successful business, there are a number of various aspects that need to be taken into account. It is best if you are able to have everything figured out before the grand opening of your company. However, there are some aspects that you may not know about until after your business has opened. Even if your company has been in business for a number of years, there are still many changes that you can make that will help you to ensure that your business will continue to be a success.
One of the most important aspects of any business is communication. There are a number of different ways through which people can communicate, like online or by telephone. However, you should keep in mind that it is best for you to have both easily accessible to you. One of the advancements made in communication is VoIP.
There are a number of businesses that choose to utilize this service because it makes their telephone connection more reliable. There are many communication businesses that offer this service, like Cisco and Voipdito business VoIP. Once you have made your decision to have these services installed, all you need to do is call the businesses and set up a time for installation.
Most companies understand that there are a number of advantages that go along with using VoIP technology. This is one way through which companies are able to save money; they will no longer have to worry about having to pay extra money to make long distance calls because VoIP is run through broadband internet. This service is also extremely portable. You are able to use any broadband connection and log into your VoIP. Should you be on a business trip and would like to check in to see how your company is running, you will easily be able to call.
One of the aspects of using VoIP technology is the ability to have videoconference calling. This is highly beneficial if you are one of the heads of the company. You will normally find yourself pressed for time. It is impossible for you to be in two locations around the same time, but you will not have to worry about this if you choose to invest in this technology. You will be able to attend meetings easily by using your VoIP.
When it comes to this technology, there are a number of great benefits using it. Most companies decide that VoIP technology is the best option for them. If you are unsure about it, then you should make sure that you perform proper research. It is always a good idea for you to make sure that you are comfortable with an idea before you purchase it for your business. However, once you have all of your questions answered, there is a high chance you will decide get the service for your company.
Amanda Williams has been a communications consultant for a decade now and has written several articles on VOIP technology. Her articles reflect the benefits of several VOIP services one of which is Voipdito business VoIP.
KETTERING, Ohio (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney on Tuesday briefly put aside their fierce battle for the White House, as they avoided politics to focus on relief efforts after mammoth storm Sandy left millions of Americans struggling to recover.
With a week left in a deadlocked election race, Obama canceled campaign trips planned for Tuesday and Wednesday to stay in Washington and supervise storm recovery, while Romney held a storm relief event in the swing state of Ohio but ducked most political talk.
The campaign truce was likely to be short-lived.
Romney planned to hit the trail again for rallies in Florida on Wednesday, and Romney's running mate, U.S. Representative Paul Ryan, and Vice President Joe Biden also added new planned campaign stops as the race heads to a tense finish on November 6.
Obama on Wednesday will visit New Jersey, which along with New York City bore the brunt of the storm, although he was expected to return to campaigning on Thursday for the final sprint to Election Day.
Both candidates have been forced to walk a delicate line, trying to avoid appearing insensitive or crassly political after Sandy inflicted heavy property damage, killed at least 30 people and left millions on the eastern seaboard without power.
Obama held a video conference at the White House on Tuesday with top members of his emergency team and spoke to governors and other officials in storm-damaged areas before visiting the national headquarters of the American Red Cross, where he warned that the risks were "not yet over."
The president's crisis leadership got an endorsement from a surprising source: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican and prominent Romney backer who said Obama should get credit for expediting federal aid to the state.
"Cooperation from the president has been outstanding," Christie told CBS "This Morning," adding he had spoken to Obama three times, including during a midnight call. "He deserves great credit."
In Ohio, Romney struck a politics-neutral tone before helping load a rental truck with crates of water and canned goods to be sent to a distribution center in New Jersey.
"We have heavy hearts this morning with all the suffering going on in a major part of our country," Romney told several hundred people, many of whom came with grocery bags of canned goods and other items that will be shipped to the East Coast.
But politics were not far from the surface at Romney's event. A campaign video on the former Massachusetts governor's biography and family life was played to the crowd.
ROMNEY IGNORES FEMA QUESTIONS
Romney ignored reporters' questions about comments he made during the Republican primary season in which he said he would shift funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is heading relief operations, to the states.
Millions were left without power as Sandy rolled through election battlegrounds like North Carolina, Virginia and New Hampshire. The storm's effects were felt as far away as the swing states of Ohio and Wisconsin.
National polls show Obama and Romney in a dead heat, although Obama retains a slight advantage in the key swing states that will determine who gathers the 270 electoral votes needed to win.
Obama leads Romney by 47 percent to 46 percent, according to a Reuters/Ipsos daily tracking poll, but 53 percent of all registered voters predicted Obama would win the election.
Most of the campaigns' attention has been focused on eight or nine states, but Romney and his allies have launched new advertising drives in three others - Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Michigan - in a bid to expand the playing field.
The Romney campaign said the move was a sign of strength. "If the other side was on the move, they would be expanding into states that John McCain won in 2008; instead, they're fighting to maintain turf in traditionally Democratic states," Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said.
Not surprisingly, the Obama campaign took a different view, calling the expansion into new states "a decision made out of weakness, not strength."
"There is no Romney momentum in the battleground states, and the Romney campaign has found itself with a tremendously narrow and improbable path to 270 electoral votes," Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said in a statement.
"Now, like Republicans did in 2008, they are throwing money at states where they never built an organization and have been losing for two years," Messina said.
The Obama campaign responded with its own ads in the three states, and dispatched former President Bill Clinton to Minnesota. Clinton will also make appearances on Tuesday in the swing state of Colorado.
Both campaigns continued pouring advertisements into the presidential battlegrounds, and focused on voter turnout efforts and getting supporters to the polls.
In Ohio, where one of every eight jobs is tied to the auto industry, Obama got some support in an ongoing spat with the Romney campaign about Romney's claim that Chrysler planned to move Jeep vehicle production out of the United States to China.
The chief executive of Chrysler, Sergio Marchionne, on Tuesday refuted Romney's statement, which has become a subject of dueling television ads between the Romney and Obama campaigns in Ohio.
Romney has tried to undercut Obama's decision to give the auto industry a federal bailout, a popular move in Ohio that has helped fuel the president's slight but steady advantage over Romney in the Midwestern state.
"I feel obliged to unambiguously restate our position: Jeep production will not be moved from the United States to China," he told employees by email.
(Additional reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by John Whitesides; Editing by Alistair Bell and Paul Simao)
Sick Of Outdated Web Hosting Advice? Try These Fresh Ideas!
Many people are familiar with the idea of web hosting, but not everyone knows just what it entails. In its most basic form, web hosting refers to the concept of providing server space for sites to reside on. Keep reading to find out how you can select a good web hosting service.
When choosing your web host, you should look for a service that provides you with detailed statistics and information about the traffic you are getting. When you first start with your host, you can install a free counter on your website to ensure your host's numbers are accurate. You can benefit greatly from this information as a business owner, because it allows you to adjust your approach and tweak your site to maximize traffic.
Find out which plans are offered by each potential web host you're considering. Many free hosting services offer only static pages, leaving you with limited options for adding your own scripts. If you require a page with dynamic scripting, it would be better to find a paid hosting service that you can afford.
Make sure any web host you sign up with has multiple Internet links. If the company only has one base Internet connection, you may find your own website having problems, if they happen to go offline. Make sure the company has redundant connections and that every one of those connections is capable of supporting your site.
Reputation is a vital asset for a good web host. Look to reviews of different hosting services to help you determine which hosts have a good reputation. Those companies that are lax in their efforts, or do not live up to their claims, should be easily recognizable in this way as well.
Be very cautious if you are going to use an inexpensive web host. While you'll no doubt be tempted by their low prices, you should also realize that they often translate to low quality services. These web hosts may not be making wise business decisions, and may end up going out of business or otherwise become unreliable. For example, they may be saving money by not investing in necessary protections against server crashes.
If you need multiple email addresses for running your site, find out which type of format a web host uses before committing to a plan. You will usually want one that utilizes POP 3. The email addresses share your site's domain name and you can usually access the mail accounts from any web browsers using the host's tools.
Try using a host that offers SEO features if you want to boost traffic to your website. For example, many hosting companies will register your site with a number of search engines. If you register your site on your own, you can add a complete description of your site, which can be helpful in terms of site rankings.
Web hosting services all have different features and benefits and by choosing the one that best fits your needs, you will get the most for your money. Use the tips presented here to find the company that best meets your needs. When you do so, you increase your chances of watching your business soar.
GCI Forex News - USD/CAD: US Dollar trading higher this morning
?
USDCAD Movement
For the 24 hours to 23:00 GMT, the USD rose marginally against the CAD to close at 0.9949.
In the US, initial jobless claims declined to 369,000 in the week ended October 20, compared to the previous week?s revised figure of 392,000.
In the Asian session, at GMT0300, the pair is trading at 0.9957, with the USD trading 0.08% higher from yesterday?s close.
The pair is expected to find support at 0.9920, and a fall through could take it to the next support level of 0.9883. The pair is expected to find its first resistance at 0.9976, and a rise through could take it to the next resistance level of 0.9996.
The currency pair is trading just above its 20 Hr and 50 Hr moving averages.
This entry was posted in USD/CAD. Bookmark the permalink.
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Apple has just released its fiscal Q4 2012 earnings, and the consumer computing giant reported generating $36 billion in revenue (compared to $35 billion in Q3, and $28.27 billion in the year-ago quarter). The company also recorded profits of $8.2 billion (compared to $8.8 billion in Q3, and $6.62 billion in Q4 2011), which works out to diluted earnings of $8.67 per share.
Large-scale production of biofuels made from algae poses sustainability concernsPublic release date: 24-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jennifer Walsh news@nas.edu 202-334-2138 National Academy of Sciences
Further innovations needed to reach full potential
WASHINGTON Scaling up the production of biofuels made from algae to meet at least 5 percent -- approximately 39 billion liters -- of U.S. transportation fuel needs would place unsustainable demands on energy, water, and nutrients, says a new report from the National Research Council. However, these concerns are not a definitive barrier for future production, and innovations that would require research and development could help realize algal biofuels' full potential.
Biofuels derived from algae and cyanobacteria are possible alternatives to petroleum-based fuels and could help the U.S. meet its energy security needs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide (CO2). Algal biofuels offer potential advantages over biofuels made from land plants, including algae's ability to grow on non-croplands in cultivation ponds of freshwater, salt water, or wastewater. The number of companies developing algal biofuels has been increasing, and several oil companies are investing in them. Given these and other interests, the National Research Council was asked to identify sustainability issues associated with large-scale development of algal biofuels.
The committee that wrote the report said that concerns related to large-scale algal biofuel development differ depending on the pathways used to produce the fuels. Producing fuels from algae could be done in many ways, including cultivating freshwater or saltwater algae, growing algae in closed photobioreactors or open-pond systems, processing the oils produced by microalgae, or refining all parts of macroalgae. The committee's sustainability analysis focused on pathways that to date have received active attention. Most of the current development involves growing selected strains of algae in open ponds or closed photobioreactors using various water sources, collecting and extracting the oil from algae or collecting fuel precursors secreted by algae, and then processing the oil into fuel.
The committee pointed out several high-level concerns for large-scale development of algal biofuel, including the relatively large quantity of water required for algae cultivation; magnitude of nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and CO2, needed for cultivation; amount of land area necessary to contain the ponds that grow the algae; and uncertainties in greenhouse gas emissions over the production life cycle. Moreover, the algal biofuel energy return on investment would have to be high, meaning more energy would have to be produced from the biofuels than what is required to cultivate algae and convert them to fuels.
The committee found that to produce the amount of algal biofuel equivalent to 1 liter of gasoline, between 3.15 liters to 3,650 liters of freshwater is required, depending on the production pathway. Replenishing water lost from evaporation in growing systems is a key driver for use of freshwater in production, the committee said. In addition, water use could be a serious concern in an algal biofuel production system that uses freshwater without recycling the "harvest" water.
To produce 39 billion liters of algal biofuels, 6 million to 15 million metric tons of nitrogen and 1 million to 2 million metric tons of phosphorus would be needed each year if the nutrients are not recycled, the report says. These requirements represent 44 percent to 107 percent of the total nitrogen use and 20 percent to 51 percent of the total phosphorus use in the U.S. However, recycling nutrients or utilizing wastewater from agricultural or municipal sources could reduce nutrient and energy use, the committee said.
Another resource that could limit the amount of algal biofuels produced is land area and the number of suitable and available sites for algae to grow. Appropriate topography, climate, proximity to water supplies -- whether freshwater, inland saline water, marine water, or wastewater -- and proximity to nutrient supplies would have to be matched carefully to ensure successful and sustainable fuel production and avoid costs and energy consumption for transporting those resources to cultivation facilities. If the suitable sites for growing algae are near urban or suburban centers or coastal recreation areas, the price of those lands could be prohibitive. A national assessment of land requirements for algae cultivation that takes into account various concerns is needed to inform the potential amount of algal biofuels that could be produced economically in the U.S.
One of the primary motivations for using alternative fuels for transportation is reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, estimates of greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle of algal biofuel production span a wide range; some studies suggest that algal biofuel production generates less greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum-based fuels while other studies suggest the opposite. These emissions depend on many factors in the production process, including the amount of energy needed to dewater and harvest algae and the electricity sources used.
The committee emphasized that the crucial aspects to sustainable development are positioning algal growth ponds close to water and nutrient resources and recycling essential resources. With proper management and good engineering designs, other environmental effects could be avoided, the committee said. Examples include releasing harvest water in other bodies of water and creating algal blooms and allowing harvest water to seep into ground water.
For algal biofuels to contribute a significant amount of fuels for transportation in the future, the committee said, research and development would be needed to improve algal strains, test additional strains for desired characteristics, advance the materials and methods for growing and processing algae into fuels, and reduce the energy requirements for multiple stages of production. To aid the U.S. Department of Energy in its decision-making process regarding sustainable algal biofuel development, the committee proposed a framework that includes an assessment of sustainability throughout the supply chain, a cumulative impact analysis of resource use or environmental effects, and cost-benefit analyses.
###
The report was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies. They are private and independent nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health policy advice under an 1863 congressional charter. Panel members, who serve pro bono as volunteers, are chosen by the Academies for each study based on their expertise and experience and must satisfy the Academies' conflict-of-interest standards. The resulting consensus reports undergo external peer review before completion. For more information, visit http://national-academies.org/studycommitteprocess.pdf. A committee roster follows.
Contacts:
Jennifer Walsh, Media Relations Officer
Luwam Yeibio, Media Relations Assistant
Office of News and Public Information
202-334-2138; e-mail news@nas.edu
Pre-publication copies of Sustainable Development of Algal Biofuels in the United States are available from the National Academies Press; tel. 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242 or on the Internet at http://www.nap.edu. Reporters may obtain a copy from the Office of News and Public Information (contacts listed above).
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
Division on Earth and Life Studies
Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources
and
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
Board on Energy and Environmental Systems
Committee on Sustainable Development of Algal Biofuels
Jennie Hunter-Cevera (chair)
Independent Consultant
Hunter and Associates
Ellicott City, Md.
Sammy Boussiba
Head
Landau Family Microalgal Biotechnology Laboratory
The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research
Ben Gurion University
Beersheva, Israel
Joel L. Cuello
Professor
Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
University of Arizona
Tucson
Clifford Duke
Director of Science Programs
Ecological Society of America
Washington, D.C.
Rebecca A. Efroymson
Senior Scientist
Environmental Sciences Division
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Susan S. Golden1
Distinguished Professor
Division of Biological Sciences
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla
Jennifer Holmgren
CEO
LanzaTech
Roselle, Ill.
Donald L. Johnson2
Vice President of Product and Process Technology
Grain Processing Corp. (retired)
Muscatine, Iowa.
Mark E. Jones
Executive External Strategy and Communications Fellow
Dow Chemical Co.
Midland, Mich.
Val H. Smith
Professor
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Kansas
Lawrence
Cai Steger
Energy Policy Analyst
Natural Resources Defense Council
New York City
Gregory Stephanopoulos2
Willard Henry Dow Professor of Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge
Larry P. Walker
Professor
Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering
Cornell University
Ithaca, N.Y.
Eric Williams
Associate Professor
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, N.Y.
Paul V. Zimba
Professor
Center for Coastal Studies
Texas A&M University
Corpus Christi
RESEARCH COUNCIL STAFF
K. John Holmes
Study Co-director
Evonne P.Y. Tang
Study Co-director
1 Member, National Academy of Sciences
2 Member, National Academy of Engineering
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Large-scale production of biofuels made from algae poses sustainability concernsPublic release date: 24-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jennifer Walsh news@nas.edu 202-334-2138 National Academy of Sciences
Further innovations needed to reach full potential
WASHINGTON Scaling up the production of biofuels made from algae to meet at least 5 percent -- approximately 39 billion liters -- of U.S. transportation fuel needs would place unsustainable demands on energy, water, and nutrients, says a new report from the National Research Council. However, these concerns are not a definitive barrier for future production, and innovations that would require research and development could help realize algal biofuels' full potential.
Biofuels derived from algae and cyanobacteria are possible alternatives to petroleum-based fuels and could help the U.S. meet its energy security needs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide (CO2). Algal biofuels offer potential advantages over biofuels made from land plants, including algae's ability to grow on non-croplands in cultivation ponds of freshwater, salt water, or wastewater. The number of companies developing algal biofuels has been increasing, and several oil companies are investing in them. Given these and other interests, the National Research Council was asked to identify sustainability issues associated with large-scale development of algal biofuels.
The committee that wrote the report said that concerns related to large-scale algal biofuel development differ depending on the pathways used to produce the fuels. Producing fuels from algae could be done in many ways, including cultivating freshwater or saltwater algae, growing algae in closed photobioreactors or open-pond systems, processing the oils produced by microalgae, or refining all parts of macroalgae. The committee's sustainability analysis focused on pathways that to date have received active attention. Most of the current development involves growing selected strains of algae in open ponds or closed photobioreactors using various water sources, collecting and extracting the oil from algae or collecting fuel precursors secreted by algae, and then processing the oil into fuel.
The committee pointed out several high-level concerns for large-scale development of algal biofuel, including the relatively large quantity of water required for algae cultivation; magnitude of nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and CO2, needed for cultivation; amount of land area necessary to contain the ponds that grow the algae; and uncertainties in greenhouse gas emissions over the production life cycle. Moreover, the algal biofuel energy return on investment would have to be high, meaning more energy would have to be produced from the biofuels than what is required to cultivate algae and convert them to fuels.
The committee found that to produce the amount of algal biofuel equivalent to 1 liter of gasoline, between 3.15 liters to 3,650 liters of freshwater is required, depending on the production pathway. Replenishing water lost from evaporation in growing systems is a key driver for use of freshwater in production, the committee said. In addition, water use could be a serious concern in an algal biofuel production system that uses freshwater without recycling the "harvest" water.
To produce 39 billion liters of algal biofuels, 6 million to 15 million metric tons of nitrogen and 1 million to 2 million metric tons of phosphorus would be needed each year if the nutrients are not recycled, the report says. These requirements represent 44 percent to 107 percent of the total nitrogen use and 20 percent to 51 percent of the total phosphorus use in the U.S. However, recycling nutrients or utilizing wastewater from agricultural or municipal sources could reduce nutrient and energy use, the committee said.
Another resource that could limit the amount of algal biofuels produced is land area and the number of suitable and available sites for algae to grow. Appropriate topography, climate, proximity to water supplies -- whether freshwater, inland saline water, marine water, or wastewater -- and proximity to nutrient supplies would have to be matched carefully to ensure successful and sustainable fuel production and avoid costs and energy consumption for transporting those resources to cultivation facilities. If the suitable sites for growing algae are near urban or suburban centers or coastal recreation areas, the price of those lands could be prohibitive. A national assessment of land requirements for algae cultivation that takes into account various concerns is needed to inform the potential amount of algal biofuels that could be produced economically in the U.S.
One of the primary motivations for using alternative fuels for transportation is reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, estimates of greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle of algal biofuel production span a wide range; some studies suggest that algal biofuel production generates less greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum-based fuels while other studies suggest the opposite. These emissions depend on many factors in the production process, including the amount of energy needed to dewater and harvest algae and the electricity sources used.
The committee emphasized that the crucial aspects to sustainable development are positioning algal growth ponds close to water and nutrient resources and recycling essential resources. With proper management and good engineering designs, other environmental effects could be avoided, the committee said. Examples include releasing harvest water in other bodies of water and creating algal blooms and allowing harvest water to seep into ground water.
For algal biofuels to contribute a significant amount of fuels for transportation in the future, the committee said, research and development would be needed to improve algal strains, test additional strains for desired characteristics, advance the materials and methods for growing and processing algae into fuels, and reduce the energy requirements for multiple stages of production. To aid the U.S. Department of Energy in its decision-making process regarding sustainable algal biofuel development, the committee proposed a framework that includes an assessment of sustainability throughout the supply chain, a cumulative impact analysis of resource use or environmental effects, and cost-benefit analyses.
###
The report was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies. They are private and independent nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health policy advice under an 1863 congressional charter. Panel members, who serve pro bono as volunteers, are chosen by the Academies for each study based on their expertise and experience and must satisfy the Academies' conflict-of-interest standards. The resulting consensus reports undergo external peer review before completion. For more information, visit http://national-academies.org/studycommitteprocess.pdf. A committee roster follows.
Contacts:
Jennifer Walsh, Media Relations Officer
Luwam Yeibio, Media Relations Assistant
Office of News and Public Information
202-334-2138; e-mail news@nas.edu
Pre-publication copies of Sustainable Development of Algal Biofuels in the United States are available from the National Academies Press; tel. 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242 or on the Internet at http://www.nap.edu. Reporters may obtain a copy from the Office of News and Public Information (contacts listed above).
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
Division on Earth and Life Studies
Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources
and
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
Board on Energy and Environmental Systems
Committee on Sustainable Development of Algal Biofuels
Jennie Hunter-Cevera (chair)
Independent Consultant
Hunter and Associates
Ellicott City, Md.
Sammy Boussiba
Head
Landau Family Microalgal Biotechnology Laboratory
The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research
Ben Gurion University
Beersheva, Israel
Joel L. Cuello
Professor
Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
University of Arizona
Tucson
Clifford Duke
Director of Science Programs
Ecological Society of America
Washington, D.C.
Rebecca A. Efroymson
Senior Scientist
Environmental Sciences Division
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Susan S. Golden1
Distinguished Professor
Division of Biological Sciences
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla
Jennifer Holmgren
CEO
LanzaTech
Roselle, Ill.
Donald L. Johnson2
Vice President of Product and Process Technology
Grain Processing Corp. (retired)
Muscatine, Iowa.
Mark E. Jones
Executive External Strategy and Communications Fellow
Dow Chemical Co.
Midland, Mich.
Val H. Smith
Professor
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Kansas
Lawrence
Cai Steger
Energy Policy Analyst
Natural Resources Defense Council
New York City
Gregory Stephanopoulos2
Willard Henry Dow Professor of Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge
Larry P. Walker
Professor
Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering
Cornell University
Ithaca, N.Y.
Eric Williams
Associate Professor
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, N.Y.
Paul V. Zimba
Professor
Center for Coastal Studies
Texas A&M University
Corpus Christi
RESEARCH COUNCIL STAFF
K. John Holmes
Study Co-director
Evonne P.Y. Tang
Study Co-director
1 Member, National Academy of Sciences
2 Member, National Academy of Engineering
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ASUNCION (Reuters) - Thirty-six players, including both teams and substitutes, were sent off during a Paraguayan junior league football match that ended in mayhem.
In the last five minutes of the game on Sunday, referee Nestor Guillen handed out two red cards, one to a player from each team, but the pair ignored him and continued their fight on the field.
In a matter of seconds the clash spun out of control, involving players from both teams and all the replacements.
"Many of the players that were on the field and on the substitutes' bench, everyone went on to the field to try to control their team mates and even the players from the other team," said Hernan Martinez, president of the home club, Teniente Farina.
Rather than trying to end the brawl, the match officials ran off the field in fear.
For this reason, Martinez believes they had no other recourse but to dismiss all 36 players since they did not stay to identify culprits.
"The referees didn't even stay on the field. As soon as the fighting broke out they went to the dressing room," he said.
"They ran through the tunnel to their dressing room. They weren't able to see anything that happened. But, in the report, to more or less wash their hands of the responsibility, they expelled all 36 players," said Martinez.
Visiting Libertad club president Sixto Nunez said he thought the referees had shirked their duties in fleeing the scene.
"The referee needed to take better care of the boys. He should have made sure that the two dismissed players were completely off the field," Nunez said.
"Instead, the officials left the field and when the players were all leaving together that's when the fighting started again.
The players, who were all automatically suspended, await sanctions from the league's disciplinary committee.
(Writing by Cayley Taylor in Buenos Aires; editing by Rex Gowar and John Mehaffey)
Honey Boo Boo: Is the rising 7-year-old reality TV star whose trademark slogan is ?Dolla make me holla,? trying to tell us ? and her handlers ? something by moaning and snoring in Dr. Drew?s face?
By The Monitor Staff / October 23, 2012
Honey Boo Boo feigns sleep to avoid answering Dr. Drew's interview questions.
Honey Boo Boo, the rising ?7-year-old star of TLC?s reality TV show ?Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,? showed signs of overdosing on her TV overexposure today. Alana Thompson moaned, snored, and closed her eyes to avoid an interview with HLN?s Dr. Drew Pinsky, airing today. ?She even swatted at the host and her mom who were both trying to coax her into yet another of a series of TV promotions she has been involved in.
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The chubby, barefoot, and always straightforward star from poorest Georgia ? whose trademark slogan is ?Dolla make me holla!? ? was asked ?Do you like being on TV??
?No!? she yelled, adding, ?My fans come up to me and I hate it!?
"Disastrous Educational Agenda"? Voucher Lessons from Milwaukee
One way I collect content for my blog is through Google Alerts for the policy issues that affect people with disabilities. Alerts for Medicaid, Medicare, and health care reform would overwhelm my inbox, and I want to be specifically focused on disabilities -- so I search for the candidates names connected with terms like special education, disability, and disabilities. I've been noticing a distinct trend that my Google Alerts are increasingly critical of the Romney-Ryan agenda in terms of their impact on people with disabilities. While many (most) in the disability community recognize that more needs to be done to give all citizens equal opportunities, including health care, education, training, and other areas, there is real concern about what a Romney presidency would mean for people with disabilities. As an example, read award-winning journalist Barbara Miner's latest op-ed, "Romney's Disastrous Educational Agenda: Lessons from Milwaukee" in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Based on her reporting experience in Milwaukee, she writes that "in essence, vouchers are a mechanism to funnel public dollars into private schools. They are an abandonment of both public education and our country's democratic ideals." In the Milwaukee voucher program, once held up as a national model, only 17.5 percent of students remained in voucher schools after five years, compared with a rate of 43.5 percent for public schools. States tests in math were significantly lower in private schools; reading was about equal. Miner writes,?"Every state constitution in the country enshrines the right to a free and public education for all children?an honor that is not bestowed on other requisites for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, whether housing or employment or healthcare. "In the current debates on vouchers, there is strikingly little discussion of the relationship between democratic values, civic responsibility, and public education. Instead, education is treated as a mere commodity, with parents and children reduced to mere consumers." Important to families whose children require special education, in Milwaukee the percentage of special education students in private voucher schools is just less than 2 percent, while it's about 20 percent in public schools. If you are a parent of a child with special needs and think vouchers are the way to go, imagine if you lived in Milwaukee. Do you really think schools with just 2 percent of their students in special ed are investing in the training, staffing, and specialized services that our students require? Read Barbara's blog, View from the Heartland.
Last night?s final debate on foreign policy oftentimes veered back to domestic issues, particularly the nation?s ailing (but recovering) economy.
?Former chief of the ? Joint Chiefs of Staff said that ? Admiral Mullen said that our debt is the biggest national security threat we face. This ? we have weakened our economy. We need a strong economy,? Mitt Romney said (while answering a question about Hosni Mubarak, the former Egyptian leader, but OK). He also said that US influence around the world is ?receding? because ?of the failure of the president to deal with our economic challenges at home.?
?But more importantly it is true that in order for us to be competitive, we?re going to have to make some smart choices right now,? President Obama said later. ???Bringing down our deficit by adding $7 trillion of tax cuts and military spending that our military is not asking for, before we even get to the debt that we currently have, that is not going to make us more competitive.?
So what exactly does the national debt have to do with national security? CNN tackled the question.
?The concern: If the debt continues to grow unbridled, the U.S. government will be constrained in its ability to pay for what it wants to do militarily and diplomatically. And it could limit the country?s leverage with foreign powers,? the outlet writes. ?While national security spending is not the primary cause of the country?s debt problem, it accounts for about a fifth of federal spending. And many defense and budget experts think the defense budget is filled with inefficiencies and waste that can be curbed without compromising national security if done smartly.?
Beyond dollars and cents, that?s where strategic spending and budgeting comes into play. Also,?horses and bayonets! That entire response from the President ? from the Battleship reference to the assertion that Romney isn?t entirely clear about how the military works ? was gold.
Getting back to foreign policy ? as Bob Schieffer tried to do last night ? Romney in many ways agreed with the steps that President Obama has taken in his first term, specifically with respect to the Middle East, which is where most of the foreign policy discussion turned to. The one exception was Israel, where both sides tried to outdo the other in showing their fidelity to the country. Twitter lamented the lack of discussion about Europe, which we would have to agree with. The future of the EU and its financial security will have a major impact on how we deal with that important part of the world.
If there was an area where the two did butt heads it was on the auto bailout and what Romney would?ve done had he been president. If you want to know, you can read this op-ed, published in?The New York Times in 2008. He wrote at the time:
A managed bankruptcy may be the only path to the fundamental restructuring the industry needs. It would permit the companies to shed excess labor, pension and real estate costs. The federal government should provide guarantees for post-bankruptcy financing and assure car buyers that their warranties are not at risk.
In a managed bankruptcy, the federal government would propel newly competitive and viable automakers, rather than seal their fate with a bailout check.
So Gov. Romney, anything you say now besides that is a flip flop.
We have two weeks until election day, so make sure you?re all set to vote.
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A humanoid robot that may someday evolve into a fearless firefighter aboard U.S. Navy warships has become infected with the "Gangnam Style" dancing virus.
Luckily, the CHARLI-2 robot does not have a real computer virus. But its human overseers at the Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory at Virginia Tech decided to make the robot bop along to the viral South Korean pop song by artist PSY ? even sneaking in the infectious song's signature horse-riding and lasso-waving moves during the new YouTube video (see below).
Dancing robots almost seem a dime a dozen these days, so CHARLI-2's display of dancing prowess doesn't represent anything special as far as robotic capabilities ? it manages the arm movements rather more successfully than the leg moves. The robot has done much more in its day job as a humanoid research platform capable of walking and playing soccer.
Still, the robot's dancing has gone viral on its own with more than 252,000 views since being posted on Oct. 19. YouTube reactions predictably range from "Arnold Schwarzenegger will do this dance in Terminator 5" to an all-caps exclamation of "SKYNET IS ONLINE!"
In any case, the Virginia Tech robot's record certainly impressed the U.S. Navy ? the Navy envisions CHARLI-2 as a forerunner for creating a Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot (SAFFiR) that could work with human sailors to battle fires aboard warships at sea.
SAFFIR would need to have the capability to handle fire hoses, throw fire extinguisher grenades, climb ladders and maintain its balance as it walks the decks and corridors of Navy ships.
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By Katy Zachry and David Chang, NBCPhiladelphia.com
Two hundred law enforcement officers and hundreds of volunteers continued to search on Monday for a missing girl from Clayton, N.J.
Police say Autumn Pasquale, 12, was last seen leaving her home on Saturday around 12:30 p.m. while riding a white Odyssey BMX bike to a friend's house. The girl?s parents called police after they say she never made it to that friend's house.
"It's not like her," said the girl's father, Tony Pasquale. "She would have been home 11 o'clock this morning if she slept over a friend's house."
Read the original report?on?NBCPhiladelphia.com
Police say Pasquale may have been spotted at an unknown time near Scotland Run Park in Clayton though this has not yet been confirmed.
Hundreds of neighborhood volunteers met at a nearby church and passed around fliers Sunday night. The Clayton?Police Department, Child Abduction Response Team, New Jersey?State Police, the FBI and officers from 40 other police departments are all taking part in the search. Police say a cell phone tower in Williamstown was the last to pick up a signal from Autumn's phone. Investigators believe her phone is now either off or has run out of power.
A family representative told volunteers to stay out of the woods so bloodhounds could try and pick up the girl's scent.
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"People have been out searching all day everywhere," said Michelle Connell of Clayton. "All over town, every little park, railroad parks and school buildings. Every place we can think of."?
The girl is described as?5-foot-2 and weighing 120 pounds with blue eyes and blond hair in either a pony tail or bun. She was last seen wearing navy blue shorts underneath navy blue sweatpants, a yellow t-shirt with the words ?Clayton Soccer? on front, bright blue high-top sneakers and a silver or light Grey Cinch backpack with the word ?Reckless? printed across the back.
"She's a good kid," said Connell, who's daughter is friends with Autumn. "She's a sweet girl. Everyone is upset."
More from NBCPhiladelphia.com
"Everyone's working together to try and find her," said Tony Pasquale. "We love her and we want her to come home."
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information about Autumn's whereabouts.
Anyone with information is asked to call?the Clayton Police Department at 856-881-2300.?
A nine-year-old girl is among seven people killed in the Lebanese city of Tripoli as violence following the killing of the country?s military intelligence chief spiralled.
The Lebanese military pledged to restore order to the country in what it described as a ?critical? period following the assassination of Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassan on Friday afternoon.
Tripoli has frequently been hit by clashes between Sunnis, who oppose the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Alawites, who are members of Mr Assad?s clan.
Meanwhile, troops this morning continued to exchange fire with gunmen in the southern suburbs of Beirut, wounding five
Daytrading is carried out by day traders who swiftly purchase and sell stocks over a single day period in expectations that for the brief period over which they hold the stocks ( from only one or two seconds to one or two hours ) the price may continue to climb or fall therefore permitting day traders to secure fast profits. What's daytrading? Day-trading is an highly dangerous way of making an investment in the exchange. However day-trading has become an augmenting preferred type of trading in recent times on account of the Net and increased access to info. How does one make profits? The technique of selling and buying stocks over a particularly brief time period can create enormous losses or profits for the day trader in just two minutes or hours. So while daytrading used to be a debatable type of securities trading reserved in most cases to fiscal firms pro traders and a top-flight group of personal financiers it is currently also very commonplace methodology of trading among casual traders.
There are lots of traders who buy low and sell high in the day and can swiftly make money. As a trader, you don't need to ask the help of a broker. What they do is, they hold the stock for a couple of minutes to an hour and then sell them before the day's end. Your goal here is to boost your stock worth before you sell it. Daytrading involves certain level of risk taking , thus day traders who are ready to take certain risk can earn in securities dealing. Understand your risk taking limitation and be conscious of the results.
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It?s very common to see one of those stocks jump to double or treble in price in a brief time period. Studying how to accept and cope with trading loss might be equally as important as making good trades. You want to gain from the loss ( that's its worth ), so jot it down. Include how you viewed the market at the time and the way in which the market action and your signals seemed to meet the factors for a sound trade set up. Appraise the trade : Once the trading day is over, return to what you wrote and see what can be learned.
I urgently need a writer who can work and deliver at least five articles of 450 words each within the next few hours. English native speakers will only be considered. Payment will be $4.50 per article, once they are checked and accepted. Articles must be original, pass copyscape, interesting to read and without any grammar or spelling mistakes. Look forward to your bids!
When it comes to being able to run a successful business, there are a number of various aspects that need to be taken into account. It is best if you are able to have everything figured out before the grand opening of your company. However, there are some aspects that you may not know about until after your business has opened. Even if your company has been in business for a number of years, there are still many changes that you can make that will help you to ensure that your business will continue to be a success.
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Public release date: 24-Oct-2012
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