It News

August 15, 2012

Bill Gates launches toilet reinvention crusade

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Bill Gates launches toilet reinvention crusade

Billionaire hopes next-generation super bowls will make a splash within 3 years
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 15, 2012
Bill Gates, co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, attends the Reinvent the Toilet Fair competition at the foundation's campus in Seattle on Wednesday.

Bill Gates, co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, attends the Reinvent the Toilet Fair competition at the foundation's campus in Seattle on Wednesday.

These aren't your typical loos. One uses microwave energy to transform human waste into electricity. Another captures urine and uses it for flushing. And still another turns excrement into charcoal.
They are part of a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation competition to reinvent the toilet for the 2.5 billion people around the world who don't have access to modern sanitation.

Scientists from around the world have taken up the challenge, and the foundation announced some

Closer Look at Hiroki Kuroda's Performance in Yankees' Shutout of Rangers

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Closer Look at Hiroki Kuroda's Performance in Yankees' Shutout of Rangers

By Ray Monell
2012/8/15

New York Yankees right-hander Hiroki Kuroda (W, 11-8) ran roughshod over the Texas Rangers Tuesday night, throwing a two-hit, 3-0 shutout before 44,533 at Yankee Stadium to clinch the three-game series for his club.
His no-hit bid was broken up by Elvis Andrus' infield leadoff single in the seventh, but Nick Swisher's two-run home run off reliever Alexi Ogando in the bottom of the inning broke a scoreless tie. Mark Teixeira went back-to-back with Swisher, going yard off Ogando to give New York a three-run lead, and Kuroda--who threw 109 pitches (74 strikes)--went on to toss his second complete-game shutout

Rashida Jones Jokes That John Travolta Should Come Out, Apologizes on Twitter

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Rashida Jones Jokes That John Travolta Should Come Out, Apologizes on Twitter

August 15th, 2012 by Free Britney
Rashida Jones Pic

Rashida Jones is apologizing after giving an interview in which she jokingly suggested that it's time for John Travolta to come out of the closet.

Jones was speaking to the website Spinning Platters ("a community of Bay Area music nerds") about her new film Celeste and Jesse Forever.

The conversation turned to Frank Ocean, the musician who recently announced he's bisexual, and the cultural impact of that surprise admission.

Julia Child Gets Auto-Tuned to Celebrate Her 100th Birthday

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Julia Child Gets Auto-Tuned to Celebrate Her 100th Birthday

08/15/2012
By people.com

We knew she could cook – but who knew she could sing?

In honor of the late Julia Child's birthday – she would have turned 100 on Aug. 15 – the folks at PBS have remixed and auto-tuned a series of clips of the celebrated cook roasting, basting and frosting.

The result? A delightful (and very musical) confection that may have you tapping your foot along as Child chops.

In the clip (watch it below), she "sings" about hot chocolate truffles, the key to a healthy and balanced diet and even shares a recipe or two.

Recently, another beloved PBS fixture – Mr. Rogers – got the auto-tune treatment in a funny video.

Child, who is recognized and celebrated for bringing French cooking to America in her debut cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and on

Homebuilder Confidence In U.S. Increases To Five-Year High

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Homebuilder Confidence In U.S. Increases To Five-Year High

By Shobhana Chandra - Aug 15, 2012 Homebuilder Confidence in U.S. Rose in August to Five-Year High

Confidence among U.S. homebuilders climbed in August to the highest level in more than five years, affirming the improvement in residential construction.
The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder confidence index rose to 37, higher than projected and the best showing since February 2007, according to figures from the Washington-based group released today. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for no change from July’s 35. Readings below 50 mean more respondents said conditions were poor.
Builders such as PulteGroup Inc. (PHM) are benefiting as less- expensive properties and record-low mortgage rates entice buyers. At the same time, faster hiring and fewer foreclosures are needed to

Riverside County's 3,000-acre Buck fire 15% contained

August 15, 2012

By latimesblogs.latimes.com

Crews made some progress on the 3,000-acre wildfire burning in Riverside County, with officials reporting 15% containment early Wednesday morning, up from 5% the night before.
The so-called Buck fire began just before 1 p.m. Tuesday near the community of Aguanga, a sparsely populated area south of Hemet and east of Temecula. The fire has ripped through dry brush and grasslands, prompting the evacuation of more than 30 homes and seriously injuring one resident, according to Cal Fire.

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NY man suspected of faking own drowning arrested

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NY man suspected of faking own drowning arrested

By By FRANK ELTMAN
AP / August 15, 2012

Jonathan Roth, left, listens as his attorney Joey Jackson speaks to the press following Roth's appearance at Nassau County Court in Mineola, N.Y., Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012. Jonathan Roth is out on bail while facing charges that he helped his father try to fake his own death in an alleged insurance scam at New York’s Jones Beach on July 28. Raymond Roth is now receiving psychiatric treatment at a Long Island hospital, according to an attorney, after trying to fake his own death in an alleged insurance scam. (AP Photo/Frank Eltman)

BABYLON, N.Y. (AP) — A man suspected of faking his own drowning at a New York beach in a scheme to collect on a life insurance policy was arrested Wednesday at the hospital where he was receiving psychiatric treatment.

Raymond Roth arrived at state park police headquarters in handcuffs wearing a blue polo shirt and white pants. He didn’t speak to reporters.

So who goes: Bobby Valentine, or Red Sox players?

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So who goes: Bobby Valentine, or Red Sox players?

Aug 15, 2012
By Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY

Two seasons stick out on Bobby Valentine's managing resume.

His only two postseason appearances came in 1999 and 2000 with the Mets. He's managed three major league franchises and only with the Mets does he have a winning record. Valentine has more winning seasons than not, but never has won a division title.
Right now, making the playoffs is a more difficult challenge than getting over .500 for the Red Sox, but the degree of difficulty for both increased with Tuesday's reports that some players told ownership they couldn't play for him.

MORE: Players vs. Valentine

Manufacturing In New York Area Unexpectedly Shrank In August

By Caroline Fairchild - Aug 15, 2012
Manufacturing in the New York area unexpectedly contracted in August for the first time in 10 months, indicating U.S. factories are burdened by the global economic slowdown.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s general economic index fell to minus 5.9 this month from 7.4 in July. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists was 7.0. Readings less than zero signal contraction in the so-called Empire State Index, which covers New York, northern New Jersey and southern Connecticut.

James puts a lighthearted slant on Einstein's genius

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James puts a lighthearted slant on Einstein's genius

August 14, 2012

By thisiscornwall.co.uk

Anyone who found schooling a trial will be encouraged to know that Albert Einstein did too. In fact this German-born Nobel Prize winner, whose name has become synonymous with genius, felt so out of place in an academic institution that he left at 15 with no formal qualifications.

Considered one of the great scientific brains of the modern world, young Albert didn't talk until he was five either – but suddenly burst out into full sentences as if waiting until he had something weighty to say. He did. Einstein's most singular talent was cogitating upon the big questions – time,

Mating with Neanderthals is off-again, on-again

By JOHN TIMMER
2012/8/14

One of the odd aspects of scientific peer review is that, because it's handled anonymously, you sometimes have no idea someone else is working on the same problem, preparing a paper at the same time. That seems to have been the case with a couple of papers that have appeared online over the last couple of days on the subject of what our ancestors may or may not have done with Neanderthals.

Mutated butterflies found near Fukushima

20123/8/14

By chron.com

Researchers found dozens of mutated butterflies near the site of the nuclear accident in Fukushima, prompting officials to say it’s the first sign of damage to the ecosystem.

According to NBC News, researcher Joji Otaki of the University of Ryukyus found mutation in roughly 12 percent of 144 commonly-found pale grass blue butterflies collected two months after the March 2011 disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Even more alarming, researcher said the mutation increased to 28 percent six months later and more than 50 percent of the offspring showed some signs of mutation.

Researchers said the butterflies has disfigured antennas, smaller-sized wings, indented eyes and different color patterns, NBC News reported.

Usain Bolt refuses to race in UK until tax laws are changed

Triple London 2012 Olympic champion Usain Bolt has refused to compete in the UK again until the country changes its tax laws.
By Andrew 14 Aug 2012

Jamaica's Usain Bolt reacts after he won gold in the men's 100m final at the athletics event of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 5, 2012 in London

The sprinter, who won gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the Games in London, objects to a law that sees him taxed on global sponsorship and endorsement earnings as well as any appearance fee - levied at the 50pc higher earning rate - when he competes in Britain.
And despite setting a new world record during the Olympics, the 25 year-old, who earns an estimated

Pesky was the Heart of Red Sox Nation: A Fan’s Take

By Rick Blaine | Yahoo! Contributor Network
2012/8/14

I first met Johnny Pesky when I was five years old, and he was traveling through New England in the winter with a couple of players to promote the upcoming Boston Red Sox season. Back in those days, teams used these winter caravans to generate excitement among the fans and to sell tickets. This was before the Red Sox captured fans' hearts with the 1967 Impossible Dream team; before the World Series drought ended; before every game at Fenway Park was automatically sold out.
My father took me to the local Elks club that day to meet Pesky, whom he had watched play for the Red Sox in his own youth, when Pesky was a teammate of the great Ted Williams and Boston was battling the New York Yankees for the pennant each season.
Years later, at a spring training game in Florida, I introduced my own son to Pesky. As he had been

Taylor Swift announces new album and single

August 14, 2012

(CBS/AP) Taylor Swift announced that she will be releasing her fourth studio album called "Red" on Oct. 22.

The announcement came during a live web chat from Nashville, Tenn., on Monday before a living room full of fans. She said she named it "Red" because of all the different emotions she explores on the album.

Pictures: Taylor Swift

"They're all pretty much about the kind of tumultuous, crazy, insane, intense, semi-toxic relationships that I've experienced in the last two years," she said of the

Mercedes, Lexus, Audi Sedans Earn Poor Crash-Test Ratings

By Angela Greiling Keane on August 14, 2012

Most mid-sized luxury cars scored “marginal” or “poor” in an insurance industry group’s new frontal-crash test that differs from the U.S. government’s tests and simulates a particularly deadly type of accident.

Of the 11 models the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested, only the Volvo Car Corp. S60 and Honda Motor Co.’s Acura TL earned “good” ratings in a test simulating a so-called small-overlap crash, in which the front corner of a car hits a tree, utility pole or another vehicle. The Nissan Motor Co. Infiniti G scored “acceptable.” Volvo is owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co.

7-inch Tablet Wars: How Low Can Prices Go?

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7-inch Tablet Wars: How Low Can Prices Go?

By JARED NEWMAN | @OneJaredNewman | August 14, 2012

The low-end of the tablet market keeps getting more interesting, as device makers scramble to lure people in with cheap hardware.

The latest move comes from Barnes & Noble, which over the weekend slashed prices across its Nook tablet line:

Retail Sales In U.S. Probably Rose First Time In Four Months

By Alex Kowalski - Aug 14, 2012

Retail sales in the U.S. probably rose in July for the first time in four months, alleviating concern that the expansion was foundering, economists said before a report today.
The 0.3 percent increase in purchases would follow a 0.5 percent drop in June, according to the median forecast of 85 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. Another report may show prices

Groupon slumps on weak Europe, slowing daily deals business

Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:43am EDT

People enter and leave Groupon Inc corporate office and headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, November 4, 2011. REUTERS/Frank Polich

(Reuters) - Shares of Groupon Inc (GRPN.O) looked set to open down 20 percent on Tuesday, after the company's quarterly revenue missed Wall Street estimates on a weak European economy and its high-margin daily deal business slowed.
At least two brokerages downgraded the company's stock and four others cut their price targets.

Groupon is one among several high-profile Internet companies such as Facebook Inc (FB.O) and Zynga Inc (ZNGA.O) that has continued to disappoint investors after raising expectations during their market debuts.

Egypt's Mursi seizes early chance to take on army

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Egypt's Mursi seizes early chance to take on army

Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi (R) meets with Egypt's new Defence Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sissi at the presidential palace in Cairo, August 13, 2012. REUTERS-Egyptian Presidency-Handout

By Edmund Blair and Yasmine Saleh
CAIRO | Tue Aug 14, 2012
(Reuters) - A blunder by the Egyptian army that left 16 border guards dead at the hands of Islamist militants gave President Mohamed Mursi an unexpectedly early chance to claw back powers from a military whose political influence he had always wanted to restrict.
A week after the raid on Egypt's Sinai border that outraged ordinary Egyptians and some soldiers, angry at what they saw as a failure in military leadership, Mursi on Sunday dismissed the country's

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