How would you change Motorola's Xoom 2?

Image
Motorola's Xoom 2 is, undeniably a strong tablet. It was able to beat a Galaxy Tab 10.1 and a Transformer Prime in some of our performance tests, battery life is around nine hours and it's nearly running a pure version of Honeycomb. We're a big fan of that display, but less so its unnatural attraction to fingerprints. As we sit anxiously waiting for Ice Cream Sandwich to make its belated way onto the slate, we want to know: what do you think works, what did Motorola scrimp on and what would you change to make it a better device?

How would you change Motorola's Xoom 2? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 01:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments


2012 oscar winners channel 3 news jimmy kimmel j lo j lo sacha baron cohen ryan seacrest octavia spencer

Houston's death ruled an accident

Detectives made the decision after reviewing the coroner's report.

Police have closed their investigation into Whitney Houston's death without finding any evidence to suggest it was anything than an accidental drowning, investigators announced Wednesday.

Skip to next paragraph

The Beverly Hills Police Department did not release a detailed report on the case, but Lt. Mark Rosen said the conclusion came after detectives reviewed the complete findings of the coroner's office. Coroner's officials ruled Houston drowned accidentally at the Beverly Hilton on Feb. 11 and that heart disease and cocaine use contributed to her death.

IN PICTURES: Whitney Houston, in memoriam

Beverly Hills authorities also released a minute-long 911 call made by a hotel worker who summoned police and paramedics to Houston's suite at the hotel. The call revealed few details, other than that people in the Grammy-winning singer's room repeatedly hung up on hotel personnel after discovering Houston in a bathtub.

The dispatcher had asked to be patched into the room to deliver lifesaving instructions, but the security worker said that wasn't possible. He said a woman who notified the hotel that Houston was unresponsive was "irate" and didn't provide many details.

Rosen re-iterated condolences to Houston's family and friends in a brief statement.

Houston's death on the eve of the Grammy Awards stunned the world. The singer had been attempting a comeback and had finished work on a remake of the film "Sparkle" when she drowned.

IN PICTURES:?Whitney Houston, in memoriam

Toxicology results showed cocaine throughout her body, and coroner's officials said the results indicated chronic use. In the bathroom, investigators found a small spoon described by investigators as having a "crystal-like substance" in it, and they discovered a white powdery substance in a drawer, a coroner's report released last week showed.

Houston had a history of drug abuse which marred her career, robbing her of her voice and reputation, but family and friends described her as intent on returning to glory in the months before her death. Her unexpected death at age 48 sparked a renewed interest in her music and movies, sales of which will benefit her only daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

steelers vs broncos chris herren jay z patsy cline pierre thomas beyonce gives birth portlandia

North Korea official says Thursday rocket launch unlikely: Kyodo

[ [ [['A picture is worth a thousand words', 5]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/why-facebook-bought-instagram-4-theories-160400376.html', '[Related: Why Facebook bought Instagram: 4 theories]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 9]], 'http://contributor.yahoo.com/join/yahoonews_virginiabeach', '[Did you witness the jet crash? Share your story with Yahoo! News]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Afghan security forces and police killed three', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/H9BcJE', '[Related: Bales\' wife on his alleged shooting: \'He would not do that\']', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['This is as serious of a tornado', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/tornadoes-touch-down-in-texas-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120403/trucksdallas.jpg', '630', ' ', 'Reuters', ], [ [['Oikos University', 8]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/deadly-oakland-university-shooting-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120402/shooting.jpg', '450', ' ', 'REUTERS/Reuters TV/KNTV/Handout', ], [ [['Few thought Santorum would make it this far', 10]], 'http://yhoo.it/I0D5eb', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/d/94/d94312dd12151943f05633f372e64d80.jpeg', '630', ' ', 'Scott Olson/Getty Images', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

greta van susteren nfl mock draft project m rubio nfl draft 2012 washington redskins colts

French Resistance figure Raymond Aubrac dead at 97

FILE - In this March 21, 2007 file photo, former French President Jacques Chirac, left, shakes hand with Raymond Aubrac during a ceremony in Paris. Aubrac, one of the last major figures of the French Resistance whose parents died at Auschwitz during World War II, died late Tuesday, April 10, 2012. He was 97. Aubrac, who was Jewish and whose birth name was Raymond Samuel, helped set up Liberation-Sud (Liberation South) - one of the first networks of the Resistance against the Nazi occupation of France. In back is former French defense minister Michele Alliot-Marie.(AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere, File)

FILE - In this March 21, 2007 file photo, former French President Jacques Chirac, left, shakes hand with Raymond Aubrac during a ceremony in Paris. Aubrac, one of the last major figures of the French Resistance whose parents died at Auschwitz during World War II, died late Tuesday, April 10, 2012. He was 97. Aubrac, who was Jewish and whose birth name was Raymond Samuel, helped set up Liberation-Sud (Liberation South) - one of the first networks of the Resistance against the Nazi occupation of France. In back is former French defense minister Michele Alliot-Marie.(AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere, File)

(AP) ? Raymond Aubrac, one of the last major figures of the French Resistance who got away from the Nazis' grasp in a now-legendary escape led by his equally renowned wife, has died. He was 97.

Aubrac died late Tuesday at Paris' Val-de-Grace military hospital, said his granddaughter Helene Helfer Aubrac. She said he had been hospitalized in recent days after suffering from fatigue.

Born Raymond Samuel on July 31, 1914, to Jewish parents who were deported to Auschwitz, he and his wife ? born as Lucie Bernard ? took up the nom de guerre Aubrac after joining the Resistance early on in World War II. They helped set up Liberation-Sud (Liberation South), one of the first networks of the Resistance against the Nazi occupation of France.

Raymond Aubrac was captured along with celebrated Resistance hero Jean Moulin on June 21, 1943, when police raided a Resistance meeting spot ? a doctor's office ? near the southeastern city of Lyon.

Lucie Aubrac helped orchestrate her husband's escape from a Lyon prison following his arrest. She persuaded the local Gestapo leader, Klaus Barbie, to let her meet with her imprisoned husband. During the meeting, she told Aubrac of the Resistance's plan to attack the German truck that was to transfer him to another prison, then herself led the armed commando attack that sprung both her husband and Moulin.

President Nicolas Sarkozy, in a statement, said the escape had "entered into the legend of the history of the Resistance," and praised Aubrac and all Resistance members as "heroes of the shadows who saved France's honor, at a time when it seemed lost."

After the war, Lucie Aubrac returned to the classroom, teaching history and geography, while Raymond went on to a successful career in government and banking. He retained ties to Communists and Socialists.

Raymond Aubrac backed Socialist Francois Hollande for France's two-round presidential election starting on April 22; his wife died at age 94 just weeks before the last presidential election in 2007 when Hollande's longtime partner and fellow Socialist Segolene Royal lost to the conservative Sarkozy.

"The death of a man doesn't prevent his fight from continuing," Hollande told reporters. He said he'd met with Aubrac about three weeks ago and was told that the ex-Resistance fighter was closely watching the race.

Aubrac is survived by three children ? son Jean-Pierre Aubrac and daughters Catherine Vallade and Elisabeth Helfer Aubrac ? and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were not yet clear, Helfer Aubrac said.

Associated Press

lytro camera andrew brietbart branson mo monkees songs danica patrick school closings top chef texas

herbal super star lishou slim slimming capsule weight loss fast

Initial introduced the food has been salted greens, through the running of this veggie throughout folks, but extra fat along with sodium or another vitality materials decay. In
this manner, once you try to eat in to the body, this doesn?t have too many power ingredients deposition inside entire body, are certainly not obtaining body fat once more.
These kinds of representative varieties of meals such as sauerkraut and pickles.

http://www.yemade.com/goods-194-P57+hoodia+slimming+weight+loss+supplement+%2...

This boasts a great deal to take in, for instance, can be made into sauerkraut meals for?example sea food, would be the beautiful women don?t need to concern yourself with having fried. Second is really a higher necessary protein foods, that is certainly a lot of?lovely ladies who are incredibly attached to having tofu.

Tofu can be full of necessary protein, however, there is absolutely no excess electricity, health proteins?regarding human life must be substance guarantee, this kind of guarantees the essential living action in the body system requires nutrients and don?t get people to body fat due?to excessive power. 3 rd introduction would be to make the body body fat rapidly ingested in food for example bamboo bed sheets type, this meals is lots of organic plant life.

http://www.yemade.com/goods-117-Pai+you+guo+best+slim+slimming+capsule+loss+w...

The natural crops for example use of fat in the human body? Thanks to bamboo bedding tries for a takedown and other osli mirielle bouquets herbal tea includes huge amounts of

the toxic water drainage rich in fiber. Organic health insurance consequently has a very good weight loss results. This kind of especially osli mirielle plants teas fibers in
digestion of food has to offer power to the body with the digestive process. So the entire digestion method employing accumulation regarding extra fat to deliver vitality, men and women will before long get thin. Designed by your fourth delivering weight loss and health and fitness is a twin impact associated with foodstuff, this can be a natural?bean plants sprouting up. Green beans pals is a superb health-care food, it provides a cleaning effect, this really is well known.

http://www.yemade.com/goods-175-China+slim+tea.html

While natural bean plants sprouting up can play a specific will be the component in body fat inside blood, avoid the accumulation of extra fat. Release in the 6th can be a splendor to shed pounds simultaneously accomplish cosmetic result of foodstuff, this kind of your meals are the common cucumber. Cucumbers are extremely wealthy regarding supplements and find factors, can feed skin, so that it can begin to play a very good beauty outcomes. Even though cucumbers aren?t elements which contain extra electricity, thus also folks eat many cucumber just isn?t body fat. Only once employing cucumber, is often a definite prerequisite, that is certainly, so far as probable while using the chilly method, that will not really result in vitamin decline as a result of heating system from the cucumber.

megamillions winner kansas jayhawks mega millions results louisville lotto numbers susan powell megamillions winners

Astronomers discover sandstorms in space

ScienceDaily (Apr. 11, 2012) ? Astronomers at The University of Manchester believe they have found the answer to the mystery of a powerful 'superwind' which causes the death of stars.

Writing in Nature, the team of researchers used new techniques which allowed them to look into the atmospheres of distant, dying stars.

The team, lead by Barnaby Norris from the University of Sydney in Australia, includes scientists from the Universities of Manchester, Paris-Diderot, Oxford and Macquarie University, New South Wales. They used the Very Large Telescope in Chile, operated by the European Southern Observatory.

At the resolution used by the scientists, one could, from the UK, distinguish the two headlights on a car in Australia. This extreme resolution made it possible to resolve the red giant stars, and to see winds of gas and dust coming off the star.

Stars like the Sun end their lives with a 'superwind', 100 million times stronger than the solar wind. This wind occurs over a period of 10,000 years, and removes as much as half the mass of the star. At the end, only a dying and fading remnant of the star will be left. The Sun will begin to throw out these gases in around five billion years.

The cause of this superwind has remained a mystery. Scientists have assumed that they are driven by minute dust grains, which form in the atmosphere of the star and absorb its light. The star light pushes the dust grains (silicates) away from the star.

However, models have shown that this mechanism does not work well. The dust grains become too hot, and evaporate before they can be pushed out.

The scientists have now discovered that the grains grow to much larger sizes than had previously been thought. The team found sizes of almost a micrometer -- as small as dust, but huge for stellar winds.

Grains of this size behave like mirrors, and reflect starlight, rather than absorbing it. This leaves the grains cool, and the star light can push them out without destroying them. This may be the solution to the mystery of the superwind.

The large grains are driven out by the star light at speeds of 10 kilometres per second, or 20 thousand miles per hour -- the speed of a rocket. The effect is similar to a sandstorm. Compared to grains of sands, the silicates in the stellar winds are still tiny.

Professor Albert Zijlstra, from The University of Manchester's Jodrell Bank Observatory, said the breakthrough changes our view of these superwinds. For the first time, we begin to understand how the superwinds work, and how stars (including, in the distant future, our Sun) die.

He added: "The dust and sand in the superwind will survive the star, and later become part of the clouds in space from which new stars form. The sand grains at that time become the building blocks of planets. Our own Earth has formed from star dust. We are now a big step further in understanding this cycle of life and death."

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:


Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Manchester University, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Barnaby R. M. Norris, Peter G. Tuthill, Michael J. Ireland, Sylvestre Lacour, Albert A. Zijlstra, Foteini Lykou, Thomas M. Evans, Paul Stewart, Timothy R. Bedding. A close halo of large transparent grains around extreme red giant stars. Nature, 2012; 484 (7393): 220 DOI: 10.1038/nature10935

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

media matters hana mountain lion taylor momsen xbox live update david blaine joan rivers

[Dresses - Wedding Dresses, Women Clothes online] Posts from ...

Modern Body Piercing

By Anonymous on Apr 09, 2012 05:16 pm

Modern body piercing first became popular in the USA, UK and Europe as a part of the counter-culture Punk movement in the 1970s. It was a visible manifestation of rebellion, characterized by multiple studs or hoops around the ear or one nostril, or studs in the eyebrow, lip and tongue. Safety pins as ?jewellery? were a fairly common choice in this period and the whole Punk appearance featured black, torn clothing, tartan as well as leather chokers and cuffs featuring metal spikes.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like Modern Body Piercing on Facebook

The 4 Cs of Diamond Buying ? A Look Into Clarity

By Anonymous on Apr 09, 2012 03:28 pm

There are four main factors that effect the pricing and quality grade of a diamond. These are known as the four c?s. The four c?s are cut, clarity, colour and carat weight. Each one of these factors will have a considerable bearing on how much the diamond is worth.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like The 4 Cs of Diamond Buying - A Look Into Clarity on Facebook

How To Buy A Gorgeous Engagement Ring Online

By Anonymous on Apr 09, 2012 02:43 pm

Planning to get engaged to your special lady? Here is how to blow her mind with a gorgeous engagement ring that you can buy online and avoid a ripoff.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like How To Buy A Gorgeous Engagement Ring Online on Facebook

Fine Jewelry

By Anonymous on Apr 09, 2012 02:14 pm

Jewellers are in high demand nowadays. As the methods and materials for making jewelry have become easier and less expensive to extract, respectively, more people than ever have been able to purchase rings, necklaces, and time pieces.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like Fine Jewelry on Facebook

Body Piercing Is One of The Oldest Methods of Adornment in History

By Anonymous on Apr 09, 2012 01:07 pm

Human beings seem to have been interested in their appearance and in changing it since time began and, although fashions may have changed over the millennium, the one constant is that there has always been fashion. Fashion not only applies to clothes, however, it can be applied equally to body art, tattoos and even body piercing. Many methods of adorning the body have their origins in tribal allegiances or religious practices or to denote status in the particularly community or society.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like Body Piercing Is One of The Oldest Methods of Adornment in History on Facebook

What Are Swarovski Crystals?

By Anonymous on Apr 09, 2012 12:56 pm

Swarovski crystals are a brand of crystals made from quarts and minerals that are famous for fine quality cutting and polish. These crystals are coated with special chemicals giving them that signature rainbow shine and shimmer.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like What Are Swarovski Crystals? on Facebook

The Oval Shaped Diamond ? DeMystified

By Anonymous on Apr 09, 2012 12:51 pm

Diamond buying can be a very difficult process if you don?t know much about the industry and how particular stones are priced. There are a number of different aspects of a diamond that should be viewed in order to ensure that you get the best deal for your money.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like The Oval Shaped Diamond - DeMystified on Facebook

Silver Jewellery Classes Are Not Just for the Artistically Inclined

By Anonymous on Apr 09, 2012 11:16 am

Good looking jewellery is what defines a woman. And given the soaring prices of gold globally, ornaments in silver are the latest trend among women around the world. Retailers across the globe are stocking up on beautiful silver necklaces, earrings, pendants and a whole lot more.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like Silver Jewellery Classes Are Not Just for the Artistically Inclined on Facebook

How To Choose A Marquise Cut Diamond

By Anonymous on Apr 09, 2012 10:36 am

Choosing a diamond can be a very hard process if you aren?t sure how everything works. There are many different forms of cut out there, each with their own unique qualities.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like How To Choose A Marquise Cut Diamond on Facebook

The 4Cs of Diamonds And Why Cut Is Most Important

By Anonymous on Apr 09, 2012 10:33 am

In order to understand why the cut is the most important aspect of a diamond you must understand the other three C?s. All of the C?s are what professional diamond dealers look for when they are grading the quality of a stone, and figuring out what the best selling price may be.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like The 4Cs of Diamonds And Why Cut Is Most Important on Facebook

Importance Of Polish, Symmetry And Girdle In Round Diamonds

By Anonymous on Apr 09, 2012 10:32 am

There are a lot of different parts of a diamond that will require examination prior to making a purchase. This will ensure that you get the best deal possible for the diamond and that you don?t get ripped off.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like Importance Of Polish, Symmetry And Girdle In Round Diamonds on Facebook

How To Choose An Asscher Cut Diamond

By Anonymous on Apr 09, 2012 10:32 am

Deciding on exactly what type of diamond cut you would like can take a very long time and a lot of thought. Many people are starting to turn to the less known types of cut, as the more popular cuts, such as the round brilliant, pear, oval and heart are starting to lose their sense of individuality.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like How To Choose An Asscher Cut Diamond on Facebook

Diamond Clarity ? What Is It?

By Anonymous on Apr 09, 2012 10:31 am

Many people don?t understand what the clarity of a diamond actually means. The clarity refers to the flaws that are contained on the outside or inside of a diamond. There are two different types of clarity flaw.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like Diamond Clarity - What Is It? on Facebook

Information on Heart Shaped Diamonds

By Anonymous on Apr 09, 2012 10:31 am

The heart cut diamond is one of the most recognizable diamonds out there. It is known as a fancy diamond. Most fancy cut diamonds are the shape that they are because the cutter has shaped the diamond to the specific contours of the original stone.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like Information on Heart Shaped Diamonds on Facebook

Famous Engagement Rings

By Anonymous on Apr 09, 2012 10:30 am

The right engagement ring can give you a little extra time in the spotlight for each person who gawks at your ring in admiration. Celebrities get this reaction from the public when magazines like Cosmo and Vogue publish close-ups of their diamonds. No million-dollar budget required ? a custom ring inspired by Princess Diana?s?
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like Famous Engagement Rings on Facebook

Traditionally Indian Chic Kundan Jewelry

By Anonymous on Apr 06, 2012 01:54 pm

One of the oldest forms of jewelry created and worn in India, Kundan is still popular for its discerning Mughal influence and intricate designs. The origin of Kundan jewelry can be traced back to the majestic courts of the Mughal empire, where the royal women in Rajasthan and Gujarat would wear elaborate Kundankari necklaces, armlets, waist bands, earrings, forehead teekas, finger rings, nose rings and many other tradition pieces of jewels. Although they are traditional designs of jewelry, kundan jewelry sets are fast gaining recognition and popularity among international jewelry designers and fashionistas.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like Traditionally Indian Chic Kundan Jewelry on Facebook

What Are the Differences Between Cubic Zirconia and Diamond Jewelry?

By Anonymous on Apr 05, 2012 04:55 pm

The stigma once associated with ?fake? or ?simulated? diamonds has quickly become obsolete. When high quality cubic jewelery is used with a diamond quality mounting, the end result is virtually undetectable unless you have the stone properly tested by a certified graduate jeweler. In most cases, the cubic ring can look better than the item made with a real diamond.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like What Are the Differences Between Cubic Zirconia and Diamond Jewelry? on Facebook

Points to Remember While Buying Gold Coins on Akshaya Tritiya Day

By Anonymous on Apr 04, 2012 03:23 pm

Are you going to buy gold coins on Akshaya Tritiya? As per the Hindu almanac, this holy day falls on the third day after amavasya (no moon) in the month of Vishaka. In layman terms, it is on 24 April 2012. ?Akshaya? is a Sanskrit word which means ?never diminishes,? and this day is perfect for making investments or starting new projects.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like Points to Remember While Buying Gold Coins on Akshaya Tritiya Day on Facebook

What Is The Right Size Diamond For Your Budget?

By Anonymous on Apr 03, 2012 04:34 pm

When you propose to the woman of your dreams you want to do it with the ring of her dreams. But how much should you spend on a diamond engagement ring? Read on to learn how to determine the right size of diamond for your budget.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like What Is The Right Size Diamond For Your Budget? on Facebook

Your Guide To Shopping For Designer Engagement Rings By Shape And Style

By Anonymous on Apr 03, 2012 04:31 pm

Getting engaged is one of life?s biggest moments. Of course you want everything to be perfect from the proposal, to the answer, to the ring. Picking out the ring can be an intimidating process with so many beautiful designer engagement rings to choose from. Read this guide to easily understand the different shapes and styles available in designer engagement rings, including Princess Cut engagement rings, Cushion Cut engagement rings and antique engagement rings.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like Your Guide To Shopping For Designer Engagement Rings By Shape And Style on Facebook

The Most Popular Styles For Men?s Wedding Bands

By Anonymous on Apr 03, 2012 04:26 pm

In general, grooms do not wear engagement rings. So while they may put a lot of time into choosing their bride?s engagement ring, their wedding band is the only ring they get to pick out AND wear. The wedding industry has taken notice of more and more grooms looking for stylish men?s wedding bands, and has responded with many more styles than were previously available. New styles for men include simple and subtle designs to dazzling and debonair looks. Read on to learn about the current most popular styles for men?s wedding rings.
Read in browser ?
share on Twitter Like The Most Popular Styles For Men's Wedding Bands on Facebook

How To Choo

cherry blossom festival nc state erika van pelt pat robertson hunger games trailer hunger games trailer in plain sight

Why We're Still Learning the Lessons of Titanic

When the RMS Titanic went to the bottom of the Atlantic in the early hours of April 15, 1912, it carried with it the era's uncritical faith in the promise of technology. The ship was the jewel of the industrial age. That such an extravagantly engineered behemoth could fall victim to the everyday risks of sailing the North Atlantic was more than shocking; it set off a period of deep skepticism about the relationship between man and his machines.

A series of inquests and reports laid out the reasons for the catastrophe and led to reforms in marine engineering and maritime law. But one risk factor couldn't be eliminated: human fallibility. In an article published in Popular Mechanics soon after the tragic event, we noted that the Titanic "simply furnished another example of the well-established principle that if, in the conduct of any enterprise, an error of human judgment or faulty working of the human senses involves disaster, sooner or later the disaster comes."

In one respect, little has changed. As the recent loss of the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia demonstrates, bad decision making can overcome even robust engineering. Virtually all man-made disasters?including the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, the space shuttle Challenger explosion, and the BP oil spill?can be traced to the same human failings that doomed Titanic. After 100 years, we must still remember?and, too often, relearn?the grim lessons of that night.

No disaster is a single event. Complex systems rarely fail without warning. Instead, accidents are the product of decisions made over hours, days, and sometimes years. Those choices are shaped both by the culture of the organization?whether it's NASA or the White Star Line, which owned Titanic?and by outside pressures.

On the morning of Jan. 28, 1986, the launch of the Challenger had already been postponed six times. Ever image conscious, NASA brass pushed to launch, despite the objections of engineers who worried that the rubber seals between segments of the vehicle's booster rockets might fail in the unusually cold temperatures. One of those engineers, Allan J. McDonald, recounts in his book Truth, Lies and O-Rings: Inside the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster that small quantities of combustion gases had leaked through the seals on previous missions. It was a warning sign?but NASA came to accept the leaks as normal. Engineers were forced into the impossible position of trying to convince officials that their worries were valid. "'Is it safe to fly ' is the correct question," McDonald tells Popular Mechanics, "not that you have to prove it will fail."

Like the space shuttle, Titanic was the technological pinnacle of its day. But a series of decisions?from carrying too few lifeboats to using a rudder that may have been too small to enable the ship to turn quickly?pared its margin of error. Those risks were compounded by unsafe operation. Accounts differ on whether White Star Line managing director J. Bruce Ismay urged Capt. Edward J. Smith to speed across the Atlantic in the hope of setting a record. But there's no question that the captain sailed the new and barely tested vessel through a region of known iceberg risk at nearly full speed on a moonless night. (A nearby ship, the SS Californian, had stopped for the night.) It was just one more bad decision along the Titanic's doomed path.

Success can breed complacency. During a career of more than four decades, the Titanic's Capt. Smith had been involved in only a single accident at sea, one that ended without loss of life. The New York Times noted that Smith's "rise in rank and importance was commensurate with the safe uneventfulness of his command."

Major disasters often occur after such long, uneventful stretches. Before the partial meltdown of the reactor at Three Mile Island in 1979, no U.S. nuclear plant had experienced a serious accident for 25 years. Similarly, before the blowout of the BP Macondo Prospect well in April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon rig had gone seven years without a serious mishap while drilling some of the deepest wells on the planet. "When you think you have a robust system, you tend to relax," Henry Petroski, a professor of civil engineering at Duke University, tells Popular Mechanics. Over time BP and its contractors began to cut corners: Alarms that would have warned of a gas leak were silenced, safety checks canceled. The blowout preventer?a last-ditch device intended to shut off a runaway well?was only partly functional. And workers were constantly urged to drill faster. That kind of culture invites trouble.

Technology can outpace judgment. The construction of Titanic came at the apex of a remarkable period of innovation in shipbuilding. Well before the launch of Titanic, Capt. Smith expressed supreme confidence in the state of maritime engineering: "I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder," he said in 1907. "Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that."

With three powerful engines, Titanic could maintain high speeds day or night. But the crew's ability to spot hazards was little changed from the days of sail. Two men stood in a crow's-nest scanning the horizon?they didn't even have binoculars. The ship was equipped with the latest communications innovation, wireless telegraph, and in the hours before the collision the ship received five warnings about icebergs from other vessels. But at the time, the telegraph was seen primarily as a luxury service for passengers, and the crew had no firm protocol for acting on the information. One message was handed to Ismay, who slipped it into his pocket, apparently unconcerned.

Similarly, at the time of the Gulf of Mexico blowout, BP and its contractors were pushing the art of undersea drilling into ever-deeper waters, using increasingly sophisticated equipment. And yet the procedures to monitor and control these deep wells had not advanced much beyond those used in shallower seas.

Leaders may fail to plan for the worst. Just as Deepwater Horizon crews derived a false sense of confidence from their blowout preventer, the White Star Line put undue faith in the supposedly watertight compartments that composed Titanic's lower decks. The compartments were not sealed at the top; if the ship's bow dipped low enough, seawater would flow from one compartment to the next like water filling an ice cube tray. The probability of that happening? Low. The consequences when it did? Catastrophic.

And so, the sinking of Costa Concordia feels sadly familiar. The ship was studded with technology?what it lacked was good judgment by the people in charge. The captain approached too close to a rocky shore. Then, after the collision with an undersea outcrop, the crew rushed to reassure passengers that everything was fine. Had the crew quickly mustered everyone to the lifeboats instead, there might have been no loss of life. "A tool is only as good as the person that's using it," says John Konrad, a U.S. Coast Guard master mariner and author. "All the technology in the world can't replace a good captain." That remains as true in 2012 as it was a century ago.

jetblue captain octomom los angeles dodgers christie brinkley seattle mariners geraldo rivera supreme court health care

Serb police arrest suspects in US Embassy fire

[ [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', '[Complete coverage: The Titanic, 100 years later]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A picture is worth a thousand words', 5]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/why-facebook-bought-instagram-4-theories-160400376.html', '[Related: Why Facebook bought Instagram: 4 theories]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 9]], 'http://contributor.yahoo.com/join/yahoonews_virginiabeach', '[Did you witness the jet crash? Share your story with Yahoo! News]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Afghan security forces and police killed three', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/H9BcJE', '[Related: Bales\' wife on his alleged shooting: \'He would not do that\']', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['This is as serious of a tornado', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/tornadoes-touch-down-in-texas-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120403/trucksdallas.jpg', '630', ' ', 'Reuters', ], [ [['Oikos University', 8]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/deadly-oakland-university-shooting-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120402/shooting.jpg', '450', ' ', 'REUTERS/Reuters TV/KNTV/Handout', ], [ [['Trayvon Martin decked the Neighborhood', 7]], 'http://yhoo.it/GUovUP', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/2/61/261d2c36bccf0971c2734a4d4398aa5a.jpeg', '512', ' ', 'AP/David Goldman', ], [ [['Few thought Santorum would make it this far', 10]], 'http://yhoo.it/I0D5eb', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/d/94/d94312dd12151943f05633f372e64d80.jpeg', '630', ' ', 'Scott Olson/Getty Images', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

kratom broncos broncos aapl lehigh walking dead season finale matt flynn

Taxpayers get Screwed to Finance a $537767-Per-Year Bureaucrat ...

I?ve reported some horror stories about bureaucrats ripping off taxpayers with lavish compensation packages, including:

We now have another ?ber-bureaucrat to add to our list.

Here are the key details from the New York Post.

Take your salary cap and shove it. While Gov. Cuomo continues to push a bill that would limit New York school superintendents? annual salaries to $175,000, Syosset, LI, Superintendent Carole Hankin ? the highest paid in the state ?has already circumvented the proposed ceiling. Last June, four months after Cuomo first proposed the salary cap, Hankin, 69, quietly inked a five-year contract that guarantees she will receive no less than her current salary? $405,244, The Post has learned. ??This is despicable and gives new meaning to the word ?chutzpah,? ? said Desmond Ryan, executive director of the Association for a Better Long Island, a developer?s lobby. ?In these difficult economic times, that the school board would even consider this is a disgrace.? ?Hankin?s total annual?compensation?comes to $537,767, including retirement funds and fringe benefits. Expenses include use of a ?late-model car? and gas. She can also do outside consulting on her time off. She oversees about 6,600 students in 10 schools, yet her salary is nearly double that of New York City Chancellor Dennis Walcott, who gets $212,614, to watch over 1.1 million kids in 1,700 schools. Hankin?s first deputy, Jeffrey Streitman, rakes in $419,033 in salary and other benefits, but Cuomo?s bill would not apply to underlings. ?Joshua Lafazan, an 18-year-old Syosset HS senior running for a seat on the school board, blasts Hankin?s cushy?deal?and the nine board members he calls her ?puppets.?

Ms. Hankin and the other bureaucrats mentioned above are extreme examples, but they help underscore the problem that exists when politicians and bureaucrat unions make insider deals, swapping political support for lavish compensation levels.

Taxpayers, meanwhile, get screwed. This video explains why this is a problem at all levels of government.

What makes this so outrageous is that most bureaucrats get overpaid for position that shouldn?t even exist. If we shrink government to its proper size, the problem is mostly resolved.

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

the monkees strikeforce davy jones love actually miesha tate vs ronda rousey idiocracy deep impact