St Louis Small Business Marketing Company | St Louis SEO ...

Are you searching for the best marketing company for your small business? The internet is the ideal place to advertise and market your small business because it is affordable and it reaches the maximum number of people in every part of the United States and all over the world. At 314media, our team of qualified professionals know the internet marketing industry and everything that it can do for your small business. We also employ the latest content, and social media strategies to reach potential customers on a more personal level. Here are some ways that we accomplish this with our comprehensive online marketing campaigns.

Providing solutions for customer problems is one major way that 314media uses marketing to increase your company?s popularity and web presence. Social media websites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter allow business owners to connect with their customers on a one-to-one basis so that each customer knows they are a vital part of the company?s success. But having a social media presence does more than that. It also helps you gather information about your audience. When they comment on your posts, it?s a great way to find out any issues and concerns that they have about the products or services that you offer. Replying to those issues personally is a great way to connect with customers and build your small business.? If you don?t have the time to Facebook; we understand and 314media can become your digital reputation managers.

Another way to achieve success when using social media marketing is to provide content that is local to your customers. Nobody wants to read about a bunch of offers, contests and other opportunities only to find out that they aren?t eligible to take advantage of them because they don?t live in the region. Target your social media content to localized areas where your business is located. With websites like Facebook, you can choose customized settings so only the users in cities where your business is located will see your posts. Simply configure your settings so you can target local customers.

The next thing you can do is to make sure you integrate a ?Like? button on every page of your website. Are you posting articles that readers are going to find relevant? Do you have coupons on your website that you offer to your customers? When you have? a ?Like? button on these pages, it gives people the opportunity to ?Like? the page and then their Facebook friends will see it, too. It?s one of the most efficient ways to spread the word about a special offer or something else that you want to bring attention to for your small business.

Finally, providing company information on your social media pages is a quick way to let people know about the products and services that you provide. Your Facebook page and other social media pages will help you provide all the information that you want potential customers to know about your company. It?s like having a second website for your business without the added cost!

When you are looking for an online marketing company to handle your internet advertising needs, 314Media is the best choice in St Louis for affordability, accountability, and for optimum return on investment. At 314media, we have years of combined experience in all aspects of the online marketing industry and our team is dedicated to providing the best quality services to help your business compete in today?s competitive world. We know how important it is to get your company?s website picked up by the search engines and we can customize the services to make that happen. We even have experience with building social media profiles and other social websites so we can utilize those to benefit your small business.

For the best marketing service for your small business, contact the professionals at 314media in St. Louis to help promote your small business for a fraction of what the big firms in town charge.? We are small business; and we know what it takes for small businesses to reach the top.? Drop us a note to get started building your brand today.

stop sopa justified southland sopa blackout

Northwest sees record returns of sockeye salmon (Providence Journal)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

long island serial killer wizard of oz jeff green saturday night live aortic aneurysm minnesota timberwolves jr martinez

Larry Magid: Common Sense Media Report Shines Positive Light on Kids and Social Media

Common Sense Media just published a report that paints a mostly positive picture of social media's impact on teens' social and emotional well-being. Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View Their Digital Lives points out that "Many more teens report a positive impact of social media use on their emotional well-being than a negative one," and pretty much debunks the myth about "Facebook depression" with the conclusion that "Very few teens think that using their social network site makes them more depressed."

(Source: Common Sense Media)

Not surprisingly the report found that 90 percent of teens have used social networking and that 75 percent currently have a social networking profile. More than two-third of kids (68 percent) are on Facebook, compared to 6 percent for Twitter and 1 percent for GooglePlus and MySpace. More than a third (34 percent) visit their favorite social networking site "several times a day" and 23 percent are "heavy" social media users.

The report is based on an online survey of 1,030 13 to 17 year-olds conducted between February and March of this year.

Social-emotional well-being

The study found that teens are much more likely to say that social media has a positive impact than a negative one on social-emotional well-being. About three in 10 (29 percent) say that social networking makes them feel "less shy" and "more outgoing" while 20 percent say it makes them feel more confident. About the same number (19 percent) say they feel more popular and 19 percent also say they're more sympathetic to others. The positives far outweigh the negatives with only 5 percent saying that social networking makes them feel less outgoing while "4 percent feel worse about themselves, less confident, and less popular after using their social networking site; and 3 percent feel shyer," according to the report.

The report concluded "Among all teen social network users, only 5 percent say using their social networking site makes them feel more depressed, compared to 10 percent who say it makes them feel less depressed.

Though use of social networking seems to help a lot more kids than it hurts, when it comes to social-emotional well-being, most kids (83%) say that social networking doesn't make much of a difference to whether or not they feel depressed or better or worse about themselves (81 percent).

Sharp contrast to the naysayers

The report stands in sharp contrast to some naysayers who worry that Facebook might cause social and emotional distress, depression or social isolation. In fact, more than half (52 percent) said that "social media users say using such media has mainly helped their relationships with friends, compared to just 4 percent who say social media use has mainly hurt their relationships."

And, despite what some pundits have written, social media hasn't diminished teens' desire to maintain face-to-face relationships. Just under half (49 percent) of teens said that their favorite way to communicate with their friends is in person, followed by texting (33 percent) with social networking (7 percent) just slightly ahead of talking on the phone (4 percent). Still, there are some kids (43 percent) who agreed that they sometimes wish they could "unplug." The survey reported that "Most teens feel that, on balance, using social media has helped rather than hurt their relationships. About half of all teens (54 percent) say social networking has helped them feel more connected with family and friends (2 percent say it's made them feel less connected, and the rest say it hasn't made much difference one way or the other)."

(Source; Common Sense Media)

Dark spots

There were some findings that raise the caution flag. For example, 44 percent of teens say that "they often or sometimes encounter sexist (44 percent), homophobic (43 percent) or racist (43 percent) comments online and 24 percent said they "often" encounter some type of derogatory speech. But it's important to put this in context. Just because someone finds negative speech online doesn't mean that most or even a substantial portion of people are posting it. A single negative post could be seen by a great number of people. Besides, there is no evidence from this survey that online use encourages negative speech, it simply reflects it as it reflects all good and bad aspects of life.

Surprising results for 'less happy teens'

The study broke down responses between the roughly 90 percent of teens who are "in good emotional shape" and the 10 percent who fell into the category of "less happy teens." Among those teens who are "less happy," 50 percent report that social networking makes them more outgoing compared to 17 percent of the "happiest teens." Less happy teens are also more likely to feel more popular (34 percent vs 15 percent), less shy (49 percent vs. 21 percent) but at the same time these less happy teens are also more likely to report negative feelings such as "worse about myself (15 percent vs. 1 percent) and more depressed (18 percent vs. <.5 percent="" these="" same="" less="" happy="" teens="" also="" wish="" their="" parents="" would="" spend="" time="" on="" and="" other="" devices="" vs="" of="" happier="" readability="18.5339329518">

One size doesn't fit all

The survey doesn't attempt to explain why less happy teens have both positive and negative emotional reactions that differ from happier ones but it does reinforce the fact that how people respond to social media is very individual and personal which makes it very hard to generalize and even harder come up with a "one-size-fits-all" type of explanation or solution for any perceived problems.

The report illustrates that social media, while mostly positive, can have some negative impacts on some people, but that's true for anything in life including watching movies, reading books, eating certain foods, playing sports or even going to school. We live in an increasingly complex world were generalizations and sound bites -- while increasingly common -- are increasingly irrelevant. That's why it's so important for parents as well as teachers and others who look after kids to consider the needs of each child individually. While it's reassuring to know that the vast majority of kids are doing really well on social media, it's also important that we take extra time to support those kids who may be struggling.

?

Follow Larry Magid on Twitter: www.twitter.com/larrymagid

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

donald driver donald driver robin thicke mariana trench transcendental meditation trayvon martin obama care

Venezuela election ads glorifying Chavez irk foes

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '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', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['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', ], [ [['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', ], [ [['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', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' 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' ] ]

ghost hunters lightsquared david lee honduras prison fire do not call list sports illustrated westminster dog show 2012

This Leather Chainsaw Bag Cuts Down Fashion Critics [Fashion]

First, the bad news. This leather bag from Facetasm isn't a stylish way to carry your chainsaw. So lumberjack fashionistas, we're sorry to disappoint. But if plaid ever makes its way back onto catwalks, this bag will serve as the perfect fashion accessory. More »

whcd 2012 nfl draft kevin durant jazz fest zurich classic selena lamichael james

Help Me Win a Grant for Continuity Company to Help Businesses ...

Hello everyone -

Over the years I have greatly enjoyed writing the Disaster Preparedness Blog and sharing with you tips, ideas, and helping people prepare themselves and businesses.

Now I am asking everyone out there who reads Disaster Preparedness Blog to help me qualify for a grant from Chase to support my business. Winning this grant would allow me to help more small businesses prepare and put contingency plans in place.

To help please go to this website - Mission - Small Business Log in using your FaceBook account and search for my company Continuity Company and vote.

We need at least 250 votes to qualify and are well on our way. The Deadline is June 30th but I know with the thousands of readers out there this should be no problem.

Thank you for your continued support.

?

Keith Erwood

terminator salvation terminator salvation deron williams jarhead montrose marshawn lynch earthquake bay area

Google+ trends: Microsoft confirms Yammer acquisition, Google attempts to block iPhone sales

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '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', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['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', ], [ [['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', ], [ [['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', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' 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' ] ]

caleb hanie bcs standings 2011 rhodes scholarship rhodes scholarship ufc 139 results lee corso lee corso

Sony Xperia Ion Review: Punching Above Its Weight Class

It?s been a long time since Sony released a smartphone in the U.S. market that had a chance of hitting it off with customers ? too many of their recent releases have either been meant for niche markets (the Xperia Play 4G) or were expensive and unlocked (nearly all of these things). That said, they're looking to give it another go with the new Xperia ion, and it certainly looks like it could go all the way. It's the company's first LTE-enabled phone to land in the United States, it packs a much touted camera, and it'll only set AT&T customers back $99. What's not to like? Read on for all the juicy details.

lsu game lsu game beezow doo doo zopittybop bop bop cordova demaryius thomas transtar 316

Willow Smith Pierces Tongue: First Look!

Willow Smith has left her hair alone, but still changed up her look once again.

The young daughter of Will and Jada has changed her locks back to their original color - after going green and then pink - but also taken yet another extreme step in her ever-changing appearance.

She has pierced her tongue:

In the state of California a child needs the approval of his/her parents to make such a move. So either Will and Jada or on board or Willow has gone rogue.

What do you think of the piercing?

van halen annalynne mccord billy the kid neville neville george lucas numerology

Cornell feline health center - HEALTH, BEAUTY & FITNESS

Compare the insurance quotesfor the help offered, cover facilities, discount rates, special deals and much more. It? ll likely cover your pre- natal care and hospital birth costs. If required to kickoff this healthy atmosphere, applaud as well feline as reward employees who exceed ne cessary to help keep healthy. It is usually within the welfare of the individual to remain in good physical shape to be able to be effective. The electronic health records are safe by many people security measures which help to avoid the data from being public viewing while still permitting doctors along with other emergency medical personnel access. Details About Liver Cleansing Diet! 2. Listed here are four explanations why: 1.) Because group insurance coverage frequently are less expensive per person than individual guidelines, employees effectively health earn more once they receive coverage of health rather than equivalent wages. health cover is among the medical more steep things. Based on a 2008 survey through the Henry J. Variations You will find significant variations between private healthcare and universal healthcare. That which was when a procedure that could involve days as well as days for agents and insurance providers to organize plans ? now a lot of companies offer instant an internet- based free health insurance online quotes. Second, lab jackets are extremely functional simply articles because they have a lot of pockets. Relaxation and Relaxation: Search and make an application for relaxation and meditation techniques for example yoga to build up your feeling of like to yourself. There? s investigated proof of the results of acupuncture on the healthiness of patients. This type of services are really difficult to find, and often, even when you found any, you? d soon uncover that you simply wouldnt have the ability to pay for this. So it truly is a actual revolution to people which are battling and nevertheless along. The insurance coverage plans are not only affordable, however, you can really cut costs through getting your wellbeing insured. It? s never late than before, be smart and become healthy not just physically but psychologically too. 8. Eco- friendly peas also contain lutein which reduces the cornell feline health center chance of cataracts in addition health and medical articles to age- related muscular degeneration. Global cornell feline health center Health Progress Highlights The Requirement For Intellectual Property cornell To Safeguard Medical Innovation The health Financial Express released articles around the Free Trade Agreement ( FTA) talks that continue between your Eu ( EU) and India. This information will suggest you some suggestions on healthcare in your own home. This Maximum includes all insurance deductibles in addition to co- pays. I really hope at some point traditional medicine puts more focus on prevention and wellness, but for the time being, it might be your decision. Make certain you select the kind of exercise that? s fitting for the age, size, and preference. Could be offered plain, with cold or hot milk or lemon. Applying this new health care center program is going to be costly but different ways to reduce cost must be looked into. Bronchial asthma: To deal with this condition it? s advised the juice of the plant ought to be consumed daily for advantageous results. Author Bio :- Alfred Oliver creates content about Medical Health Insurance , Health Insurance Providers and and Health Insurance Online Quotes. Anti- aging and Health Everyone is exposed towards the natural procedure for aging. Simultaneously that progress had been produced in existence conservation, a brand new idea of the need for a persons element in industry seemed to be developing.

Related Post Cornell feline health center

If you are approved, the letter will even condition your insurance plan information. This should help you avoid any confusion and inconvenience using the sacred heart health system Cancer Of The Prostate The health advantages of whitened button mushrooms aren? t limited to women. Researchers at Harvard and Choose the organization which has the biggest network. Efforts concentrate on supplying the very best of medical in addition to health care. Lately, there For example, select a plan with maternity coverage should you intend on beginning a household. States, 80 % of cerebral palsy patients are grown Captured, your cabinet removed the proposal to incorporate domestic employees, beedi employees and street suppliers too. A complementary health specialist is really a professional

pope joan pope joan paul pierce strawberry festival knicks strikeforce tate vs rousey ciaa

Gogga set to be named Cobras coach

Gallo Images

Former Proteas spin bowler Paul Adams is expected to be named the new Cape Cobras coach early next week.

Former Proteas spin bowler Paul Adams is expected to be named the new Cape Cobras coach early next week.

Adams, 35, as well as Barney Mohammed, Salieg Nackerdien and Andy Moles, were interviewed earlier this month for the coaching job at the local franchise, after the surprise resignation of incumbent Richard Pybus in March, two years into his three-year contract.

It is understood that Adams, who has the least experience of those interviewed in terms of having mentored teams, has got the main job.

As with any change in leadership of this kind, there are potentially other changes in terms of the range of assistants to be appointed, and an official announcement is expected once these details have been finalised.

Adams does bring his experience as an international in the modern era to the job. He has also coached the Western Cape academy (the young talent of WP and Boland) for two years, has been a spin-bowling consultant to Cricket South Africa, and was assistant coach for the Impi in the domestic T20 competition last summer. He has also featured regularly as a commentator on television.

For the Proteas, the left-arm wrist-spinner played 45 Tests (134 wickets) and 24 ODIs (29 wickets). His last international was in a Test against New Zealand in 2004. He also represented the Western Cape franchise between 1995 and 2008.

Pybus said that he was undermined in his job by a range of issues to do with chief executive Andre Odendaal and the franchise. This had made continuing in the position untenable. Pybus is now coach of Bangladesh, who yesterday beat the Proteas in a T20 match in Zimbabwe.

Another consideration surrounds who is going to captain the Cobras next season. Justin Kemp has quit the job, but is still a member of the squad.

Candidates for the position include Justin Ontong and Andrew Puttick, both of whom have led the side in the past.

The Cobras? new coach will immediately have to settle an unease which surfaced in the squad last season, around a range of issues. The situation led to a player delegation meeting with Odendaal. - Weekend Argus

dianna agron million hoodie march tebow trade mike the situation jacksonville jaguars jacksonville jaguars benjarvus green ellis

maxlimpag: Rabbit Launcher: Make Your Screen Come Alive: Android App Storm http://t.co/Ervv54S0

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

alabama lsu bcs national championship bcs championship bcs national championship 2012 university of alabama national championship game bcs game

NBA Finals 2012: Veteran Mike Miller Played Big in Game 5 Despite Injury Woes

How important is winning a NBA championship to veteran players around the league?

It is quite important to those players who have been around the NBA for 10 years or longer and are still in search of their first ring and are willing to make sacrifices in order to acquire one.

Mike Miller of the Miami Heat is one player that made sure to take advantage of the opportunity that was presented to him earlier this week.

Miller has had a long NBA career that saw him go from being named the Rookie of the Year in 2001 as a member of the Orlando Magic to dealing with a recent string of injuries that may have him seriously consider stepping away from the game at the age of 32 (h/t Chris Huber, The Daily Republic).

Miller, who is known for his three-point shooting and ball-handling, signed with the Heat as a free agent in the summer of 2010 although he has not been able to produce as expected.

Injuries have caused Miller to be in and out of the rotation almost to the point of frustration.

First it was a thumb injury in the preseason that caused him to miss a good bit of the 2010-11 NBA season (where he appeared in 41 games, via NBA.com). However, previously he suffered a shoulder injury when he was on the Washington Wizards and has been dealing with small injuries throughout his time with the Heat.

However, Miller was able to show what he was signed to do during Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night with his shooting that gave the Heat a huge boost. Miller went on to score 23 points off the bench including going 7-of-8 from the three-point line as the Heat shot a blistering 53.8 percent from the three-point line alone.

At the end of the day, Miller displayed his skills when it mattered the most. Given all of the injuries that he has suffered, Miller knew that he had to make the most of the opportunity.

ucla vs usc rich rodriguez rich rodriguez the muppet movie the muppet movie mars rover mars rover

Australia fears refugee boat disaster toll could soar

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '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', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['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', ], [ [['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', ], [ [['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', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' 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' ] ]

rock hill sc kate middleton pregnant national book awards jessica sutta sexiest man alive 2011 ruben studdard ruben studdard

Concept sneakers track your dancing moves with smartphone app

6 hrs.

Devin Coldewey

Does your Lindy Hop need a little polishing before you break it out in public??These concept shoes are equipped with accelerometers that detect every step, spin, and tap, relaying your moves to a smartphone app for instant feedback.

The designer, UK-based?Tom Sykes, feels that dance was a great way for young people to exercise and learn, but existing dance products aimed at their demographic (games on the Wii and Xbox, for instance) aren't quite instructive enough. So he set out to make something new.

The result is the GroundWave Shadow, which combines a smart shoes with a smartphone. Each sneaker has an accelerometer built in, and they both connect wirelessly to an special app loaded with dance moves. As you stomp, slide, and turn, the moves are compared in real time?with what you should be doing.

How you are to keep your phone in view while popping and locking isn't addressed, but other than that, the project (still little more than a concept and prototype) seems realistic enough. Many pairs of shoes already come with sensors, like the Nike+ series, which also syncs with an app.

The futuristic shoes may never actually make it to market, but the idea is sound. You can learn more about them at the designer's site.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. His personal website is coldewey.cc.

kurt busch nba dunk contest 2012 act of valor woody guthrie benson henderson 2012 dunk contest edgar vs henderson

AP IMPACT: Syria rebels divided, at times violent

SARJEH, Syria (AP) ? Rebel commander Ahmed Eissa al-Sheikh keeps a paper on his desk bearing the names of the dead from his brigade. The first 16 are neatly typed below a Quranic verse extolling martyrdom. The next 14 are handwritten and crammed into the margin, because the paper is full.

Al-Sheikh, an Islamist with a long black beard and gray fatigues, runs the Falcons of Damascus group from the mayor's office in his village, which his fighters have taken over. The list is a constant reminder of al-Sheikh's personal score with the Syrian regime: 20 of the dead are his relatives, including three brothers and his 16-year-old son, all killed fighting Syrian forces in the last year.

One of northern Syria's most powerful and best-armed commanders, Al-Sheikh boasts more than 1,000 fighters, and they don't shy away from rougher tactics themselves. They have released prisoners in bomb-laden cars and then detonated them at army checkpoints ? turning the drivers into unwitting suicide bombers.

Most of their weapons are booty, including at least two anti-aircraft guns, some anti-tank missiles and one tank, but they buy arms with donations from "honorable businessmen." Although al-Sheikh, who ran a grocery store before the uprising, wouldn't disclose the source or amount, he gets enough to pay some of his men monthly salaries of about $25, slightly more for those with wives and children. His fighters say the cash comes from Syrian expatriates and other Arabs. He was heard on the phone thanking a group in Bahrain.

"God willing, Syria will not bow to anyone but Allah after the regime falls," he said.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE: Journalist Ben Hubbard was part of a three-member Associated Press team that spent two weeks with rebels in northern Syria, gathering firsthand information on the increasingly bloody rebellion against President Bashar Assad ? the longest and deadliest uprising of the Arab Spring.

___

Al-Sheikh is one face of the rebel movement in Syria. There are many more.

During two weeks in northern Syria, three Associated Press journalists counted more than 20 rebel groups, with anywhere from fewer than 100 to more than 1,000 fighters each. They go by names like the Idlib Martyrs Brigade and the Shield of the Revolution, and while all share a deep hatred of President Bashar Assad's regime, their unity stops there.

Simply put, no one is in charge.

This comes at a time when efforts to end 15 months of strife in Syria are collapsing, and the rebel movement has taken the lead in the struggle against Assad. Some countries have talked of boosting the rebels' capabilities against the regime, and U.S. officials have told the AP that U.S. operatives are sifting among the rebel groups to determine which should receive arms from other Arab nations.

Rebel coordination rarely extends beyond neighboring towns and villages and never to the provincial or national level. Many rebels don't even know the commanders in towns two hours away.

While the regime has been brutal, so have some of the rebels ? another cause of concern for the West.

Opposition activists filter most information about the rebels sent outside the country, making it hard to get an accurate picture. But several groups said they had sent captured soldiers "to Cyprus," which the rebels use as a euphemism for execution usually by gunfire.

One group said it had killed two brothers caught collaborating with the regime ? one during interrogation, the other by firing squad.

Rebels have scored small victories against regime forces throughout Syria's northern Idlib province. Armed with bought, looted or homemade weapons, they have destroyed government army posts and littered main highways with charred army vehicles.

In the countryside, they roam freely in much more territory than was previously known, their bearded, camouflaged gunmen on motorcycles zipping through strings of towns and villages with no remaining police or security presence. Children often hail the fighters with V-for-victory signs and calls of "May God protect you!"

But Syria's army retains a chokehold on many large towns and cities with tanks, attack helicopters and heavy artillery, weapons that the rebels' current arms can't challenge.

Indeed, more than two dozen rebel commanders, fighters and activists said that without better arms they can do no more than chip away at the regime ? a recipe for a long, deadly insurgency.

"If we get military aid, the end will come quickly," said Ahmed Abdel-Qader, a rebel coordinator in the village of Koreen. "If not, we have no idea how this will end. We are here. We're not going back. God will decide the rest."

Even groups associated with the Free Syrian Army, which claims to represent the armed opposition, bemoan the failure of its Turkey-based leadership to deliver aid. While they wait, most rely on guerrilla tactics.

One afternoon, 50 fighters in a vast olive grove crawled under barbed wire, leaped over oil drums and dove through flaming hoops in training for future attacks. Most were in their 20s and 30s and had fled the provincial capital of Idlib when the army seized it in March. Their rifles can't match the tanks guarding the city, and they can't afford better weapons.

Commander Maan Dahnin said a Kalashnikov rifle now costs $1,500 and bullets are $4 each. That's why when they lined up for target practice, most fighters fired only a few times.

Some weapons come from neighboring Iraq, though many are duds, and some from Turkey, he said. The best come from corrupt officers in the Syrian army itself.

"There are those who worry that the regime is going to fall, so they want to fill their pockets first," Dahnin said.

For now, his group's 1,000 men never gather in one place, so that if they are shelled or come under fire, not everyone will die. Meanwhile, they focus on roadside bombs built with dynamite, sugar and fertilizer and detonated by remote control.

Like most rebel commanders, Dahnin said his group gets no outside support.

"Here's the biggest proof," he said, pointing to a fighter wearing plastic flip-flops. "He's only good for one thing: toothpaste advertisements," he said, prying open the man's mouth to reveal a row of rotten teeth.

The conflict in Syria has already killed more than 14,000 people and appears headed for civil war. The Syrian government has ignored popular demands for reform, instead blaming the violence on armed gangs and foreign-backed terrorists. Others have warned against an influx of Islamists. The AP journalists saw no evidence of foreign fighters.

The uprising reached Idlib in April 2011, about a month after Syrian protesters inspired by other Arab Spring revolts first took to the streets and faced violent security crackdowns.

The protests started small in Ariha, a busy commercial center on the face of a round-topped mountain, but residents were shocked when regime forces shot and killed five protesters in one day, said Khalid Naif, a doctor. Many more people then joined in, armed first with hunting guns and later with attack rifles.

A year ago, the army surrounded the city and took over a downtown building, paralyzing the city center, Naif said. He easily named many of the dozens of people he has treated for gunshot and shrapnel wounds since. Others died before reaching the clinic.

Early this month, when a military convoy arrived to quash the city's opposition, rebel fighters blew up tanks and armored cars in a hail of gunfire and grenades and stormed the army position downtown.

Weeks later, battle scars remain. Three destroyed tanks sit in the main boulevard, their tops blown off like bottle caps. The former army post is charred black, and walls of nearby buildings are pockmarked with bullet holes.

Graffiti on one wall reads, in English, "The people wants SOS." Elsewhere: "We bow only for God."

But the rebel victory was limited. Some stores have reopened and shoppers have returned to downtown, but a ring of army checkpoints restricts movement in and out, forcing many residents to sneak out on foot. Military helicopters and snipers still target the city, wounding more people every week.

The city's rebel commander, Jamal Akta, who ran a unisex barber shop before the uprising, said the battle had killed 10 civilians and no rebels. While proud of the fight, he said his men could do no more.

"If we get more weapons, we can get rid of all the checkpoints," he said. "But the ammunition we have now is enough to defend the city, no more than that."

A ring of checkpoints with a central army post full of snipers and armored vehicles also strangles Khan Sheikhoun, a dusty, sun-baked city further south, on the country's main north-south highway. Local rebels can't clear out the army, so they blast military vehicles on the highway with rocket-propelled grenades. Two destroyed armored vehicles, one still on its trailer, now lie in the road, and local fighters say the army has changed its route.

"We can't face the regime as an army face to face, so we have to fight like street gangs," said Waddah Sirmani, head of one of the town's half-dozen rebel brigades.

Fighters have also surrounded the central base and fire on supply vehicles to keep the soldiers inside hungry and short of ammunition, he said.

"You could say that those soldiers are imprisoned among us," said activist Hisham Nijim.

Almost all the rebels the AP journalists met were from Syria's Sunni Muslim majority, and many consider the fight a religious cause. When asked what they are fighting for, most said they are fed up with corruption, harassment by security services and a system that gives preference to members of the ruling Baath party and the Alawite sect, to which Assad belongs. The word they used most often was dignity.

"If I go to the beach, I don't want an Alawite to call me a dog and I can't respond," said Ahmed Salim, 27, who left the police for the rebels in October. "I don't want to be treated like an animal. I want to be treated like a human."

Most fighters said they did not target other sects, only those who had fought for the regime.

There was little evidence of rebel attacks on civilians, but they were often merciless with regime troops. For most, the fight to topple Assad has become personal after they have been chased from their cities, their friends and relatives killed. Many frequently flip through "martyr" photos on their cellphones for inspiration.

One night at al-Sheikh's headquarters in Sarjeh, a group of fighters flipped through brigade photos on a laptop.

"Martyr, martyr, martyr, martyr, martyr," they said, pointing out those who had died fighting.

Videos of the group's attacks showed roadside bombs destroying tanks and flipping over army buses, as Islamic chanting played in the background. In one video, a booby-trapped van sped toward a checkpoint and blew up, splattering two soldiers into nearby trees.

The group was still high on a recent attack that had destroyed a military camp nearby. In the end, they photographed the dead bodies of 35 soldiers, drove off a tank they now park under a tree in the village graveyard and held trials for five captured soldiers. All were found guilty of killing other Syrians.

"They traveled to Cyprus," al-Sheikh said with a grin. "On a fast plane."

EDITOR'S NOTE _ Journalist Ben Hubbard was part of a three-member Associated Press team that spent two weeks with rebels in northern Syria, gathering firsthand information on the increasingly bloody rebellion against President Bashar Assad _ the longest and deadliest uprising of the Arab Spring.

lottery winner lottery numbers mega millions lottery jackpot winning numbers mega millions megamillions drawing olbermann

Hands-on: Maingear Shift running Saitek flight-simulation hardware (video)

Custom PC builder Maingear had something pretty nifty up its sleeve at Pepcom tonight: versions of its desktops configured to run Saitek's flight-simulation hardware -- in this case, with a full cockpit setup. In partnership with Mad Catz, the company developed configurations of its Potenza, F131 and Shift desktops optimized to work with the Saitek line of flight-sim systems.

Tonight we saw the Shift paired with some pretty heavy-duty hardware: we're talking 18 USB connections for the full Saitek cockpit. Maingear's pro-certified system packs a Core i7 CPU clocked at up to 3.9GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 graphics (with four GPUs), and with an experienced pilot behind the wheel, that translated into a smooth landing in Flight Simulator X. Maingear says the whole setup -- hardware controls plus the Shift desktop -- will go for $5,500 starting tomorrow. That's the top-of-the-line configuration, mind you; if your piloting aspirations are more modest, you could opt for the more affordable Potenza, which starts at $1,000. Check out a video demo below.

Gallery: Maingear Shift desktop running Saitek flight simulation hardware

Continue reading Hands-on: Maingear Shift running Saitek flight-simulation hardware (video)

Hands-on: Maingear Shift running Saitek flight-simulation hardware (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 20:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

joseph kony higgs boson ipad 3 release date apple store down apple live blog ohio primary cell phone jammer

A Final Voyage, Into The Wild Black Yonder

When Voyager I and II left Earth, Jimmy Carter was president, platform shoes were all the rage and moviegoers were still discovering a summer blockbuster called Star Wars.

Some 35 years later, the spacecraft have traveled farther than anything ever built by humans. Now there is evidence one of the plucky probes may soon cross the undulating boundary between the absolute edge of our solar system and the terra incognita of interstellar space.

"It's not that clear because there's no signpost telling you that you're now leaving the solar system, but the evidence is mounting that we're getting really close," says Arik Posner, a Voyager program scientist at NASA's headquarters in Washington, D.C.

That boundary is a mysterious place called the heliopause, where scientists believe the solar wind ? a stream of charged particles spewed out by the sun ? fizzles out completely. Call it the cosmic doldrums, or perhaps even the heavenly horse latitudes. There are tantalizing signs that Voyager I, now some 11 billion miles from home, is nearly there. (Voyager II, which launched first, is about 2 billion miles behind its twin.)

Enlarge NASA

A concept drawing shows NASA's two Voyager spacecraft exploring a turbulent region of space known as the heliosheath. The heliopause marks the boundary between our solar system and interstellar space.

NASA

A concept drawing shows NASA's two Voyager spacecraft exploring a turbulent region of space known as the heliosheath. The heliopause marks the boundary between our solar system and interstellar space.

Analyzing the heliopause and what lies just beyond is expected to be the Voyagers' last feat before they go black.

Like Columbus Crossing The Atlantic

For Posner, who is crunching data from a spacecraft that left Earth when he was still in grade school, the notion of humans leaving the solar system for the first time is extraordinary.

"Humanity eventually leaves the material that is constantly being expelled by the sun. I would compare it to the crossing of the Atlantic by Columbus," he says.

After launch in 1977, the Voyagers sent back the first close-up pictures of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, and they have managed to keep working well beyond their shelf life. No one expected them to get this far, Posner says.

"But now that they've made it, we are extremely excited to find out what's out there," he says.

The program might never have happened had it not been for two employees working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the 1960s. The first was a UCLA graduate student named Michael Minovitz, who discovered that planetary gravity could be used to slingshot a spacecraft into deep space ? something that had seemed hopeless using conventional rockets of the day. The second was Gary Flandro, who realized that a rare time window was about to open that would make it possible to visit Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in a single mission.

NASA

This image of the Earth and moon in a single frame, the first of its kind ever taken by a spacecraft, was recorded by Voyager 1 on Sept. 18, 1977.

"We're talking about the 1960s, when we had pretty weak rockets," says Stephen J. Pyne, author of Voyager: Exploration, Space, and the Third Great Age of Discovery. "The only way to get to the outer planets was to have some sort of boost."

The 'Grand Tour'

A mission to embark on this "Grand Tour" had to be launched between 1976 and 1979. The next opportunity wouldn't come around for 175 more years.

Simon Murphy/Flickr

NASA says both Voyager probes carried "a phonograph record ? a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth."

"You're either going to do it now or your great-grandchildren are going to do it," says Pyne, who is also a life sciences professor at Arizona State University.

The Grand Tour, though ultimately scaled back, fundamentally changed our view of the outer solar system. Pyne recalls taking an undergraduate astronomy course in 1970: "I think there were about two pages in the standard astronomy book on the outer planets. That was it. They had some murky black and white photos and a brief description of the orbital mechanics. There was just nothing. Nobody knew anything."

By the time Voyager I reached the Jupiter system ? including its four large inner moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto ? in April 1978, enough data were streaming in to fill volumes of future astronomy texts, says Fran Bagenal, a professor of astrophysical and planetary sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

"It wasn't until we got up close and saw the volcanoes on Io, the geysers spewing out sulfur dioxide, all the geology on Ganymede and the impact craters on Callisto that we really realized that these moons were totally different worlds orbiting these fabulous gas giants that had clouds and weather," says Bagenal, who worked on Voyager as well as later planetary missions.

"There was so much that we saw for the first time with the Voyager spacecraft," she says.

Postcards From Space

Voyager I also snapped a few images of its home planet as it hurtled toward deep space ? the first vehicle to capture the Earth and moon in a single frame. At the urging of famed astronomer Carl Sagan, it took a picture that came to be known as the "pale blue dot."

While some of the Voyagers' instruments are dead, their radioactive batteries still have some life left in them. At some point in the next 10 to 15 years, presumably well after both probes have crossed into interstellar space, they will go out not with a bang, but a whimper.

Pyne, for one, hopes the Voyagers will take one last picture before that happens ? an image that shows a faint sun and might become as iconic as the pale blue dot.

"I don't know if there's enough power, but I sort of hope they might have enough for one of them to turn around and take a snapshot before it goes," Pyne says.

"Sort of a final postcard mailed to Earth: 'Here we are, wish you well.' "

final four lotto winners mega ball winning numbers baltimore county current tv megamillions ncaa basketball tournament 2012

Ark. Supreme Court declares execution law unconstitutional

By Msnbc.com staff and wire services

The Arkansas Supreme Court struck down the state's execution law Friday, calling it unconstitutional.

In a split decision, the high court sided with 10 death row inmates who argued that, under Arkansas' constitution, only the Legislature can set execution policy. Legislators in 2009 voted to give that authority to the Department of Correction.

The 2009 law says a death sentence is to be carried out by lethal injection of one or more chemicals that the director of the Department of Correction chooses.

Death row inmate Jack Harold Jones Jr. sued the head of the correction department in 2010, challenging the constitutionality of the law. Nine other inmates have since joined the suit, asking that the law be struck down.

The state, meanwhile, asked the court to free up several executions it halted because of this lawsuit.

It wasn't immediately clear what the court's ruling will mean for the 40 men on death row in Arkansas. There aren't any pending executions, and the state hasn't put anyone to death since 2005, in part because of legal challenges like this one.

Three Arkansas inmates who were scheduled to be put to death last summer were spared by the state Supreme Court almost exactly a year ago. Jason Farrell McGehee, Bruce Earl Ward, and Marcel Wayne Williams, all of whom are plaintiffs in the lethal injection lawsuit, received stays of executions from the high court on June 23, 2011, according to ArkansasNews.com.

Josh Lee, an attorney for the death row inmates who challenged the law, declined to comment Friday.

During oral arguments last week, Lee said the state would have two options if the court found the law unconstitutional.

"The Legislature could either choose to stick with the 1983 statute, which everybody concedes is constitutional, or the Legislature could decide we want to amend it," Lee said last week.

The state adopted lethal injection as its method of capital punishment in 1983. There have been legal challenges to the way the state kills its condemned prisoners since then. In 2009, in the midst of a legal battle over lethal injection, the state Legislature passed the law that the court struck down Friday.

Joseph Cordi, an attorney for the state, told the Supreme Court last week that he thought the state would be left with the earlier law if the court struck down the entire statute.

Part of the 2009 law also says that in the event it's found unconstitutional, death sentences will be carried out by electrocution.

"That would be up for the lawyers to untangle and figure out what it means, but that's a possibility," prisons spokeswoman Dina Tyler said.

Since the reinstatement of capital punishment by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976, Arkansas has been the only state to ever conduct three executions on the same night, according to The Death Penalty Information Center, a non-profit organization. Triple executions were done twice in Arkansas's history: first on Aug. 3, 1994, under Gov. Jim Guy Tucker, and then again on Jan. 8, 1997, under Gov. Mike Huckabee, records on DeathPenaltyInfo.org show.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

usc football cybermonday coach outlet apostasy canon powershot elph 300 hs christmas lights canon eos rebel t3

The Physics of the Knuckleball

Batters don't have time to judge the ball's trajectory itself so they rely on the pitcher's delivery to tell them where the pitch is going.

Yeesh. You're just plain wrong. At least you were nice about it. But you're just wrong.

Hitters watch the pitcher's release point and try to "pick up" the ball as soon as it leaves his hand. If a hitter doesn't visually lock onto the ball as soon as it leaves the pitcher's hand, he probably won't hit it--at best, he'll foul it off.

Pitchers generally try to maintain a consistent release point; it makes it easier to develop fine control and helps prevent injury. The release point can be the same, yet the pitch location can be all over the place.

I haven't even mentioned spin yet. A four-seam fastball and a two-seam fastball behave very differently, yet they begin the same, coming straight out of the pitcher's hand with backspin. If the hitter doesn't read the spin, he probably won't hit it well. A changeup or a splitter are even more different than those pitches, yet they also come straight out of the pitcher's hand with backspin. The hitter must see the seams of the ball as it's in flight in order to recognize the pitch type and be able to estimate its trajectory. And I haven't even mentioned curveballs and sliders yet.

I'll never forget the first time I recognized a slider while hitting. I remember seeing the dot right after the ball left the pitcher's hand. I had seen enough of them on TV replays while watching games that my mind recognized it quickly, and I knew the pitch would be a ball, low and away. If I hadn't seen the dot, it would have looked like a fastball down the middle, and I would have swung and missed. And all of that visual and mental recognition and processing has to happen in a fraction of a second. It was exciting! (If only I had had my vision corrected years earlier! I didn't realize I was capable of seeing the spin on the ball.)

As for knuckleballs, it's an exaggeration to say, "even the pitcher doesn't know where it's going." Not that a pitcher has fine control over it, but if it were as wild as you suggest, it would be useless. If you can throw a baseball already with decent accuracy, you can try a knuckleball for yourself and see. It's not that hard to get it in the strike zone if you're a decent pitcher.

Yes, I used to play baseball, both pitching and hitting.

(As an aside, while you might know a lot about hockey, please don't speculate so authoritatively about something you don't actually know about. It's a shame to see a post that's just plain wrong modded +5 Insightful.)

woodward keratosis pilaris rock and roll hall of fame 2012 brandon rios oklahoma news nascar news doppler radar

Miley Cyrus Tattoo Man: 15 and Counting!

Think you're the biggest Miley Cyrus fan on the planet? We hate to break the news to you, but: You are not.

A man who goes by the Twitter handle "MileyCyrusCarl" has 15 tattoos across his body of either Miley's face, her name or various song lyrics from her catalog. This is what we call dedication... or many other terms that aren't fit to print on a family website.

See for yourself:

Carl's idol has 14 tattoos herself, including: Roman Numerals on her elbow; the words "Just Breathe" on her chest; and an Equals sign around her finger that shows her support for gay rights.

We're guessing Carl will never meet Miley, but you know what she says: it's all about the climb. Keep going, buddy.

jack del rio jack del rio heaven is for real chapter 11 bankruptcy chapter 11 bankruptcy big ten acc challenge 2011 john wayne gacy

Got hybrid sticker shock? Just remember, it could always be worse

Even fans of electric and plug-in hybrid cars often complain about their high prices. Some can run into the high $30,000 dollar range. But Americans should remember it could be worse. A hybrid in Australia can run close to $50K.

By Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield,?Guest blogger / June 19, 2012

Austin native William Jones, M.D., pictured here in a September 2011 file photo, is a Nissan Leaf enthusiast; he even writes a blog called "I love my Leaf." While many Americans are less enthused about such hybrids due to their high prices, a similar model overseas can cost tens of thousands more.

Mark Clayton/The Christian Science Monitor

Enlarge

One of the most frequent criticisms we hear of electric and plug-in hybrid cars is that they?re just too expensive.?

Skip to next paragraph

Recent posts

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "off"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

Take the 2012 Nissan Leaf, for example. Before government and state incentives, a base-level Leaf SV will set you back $35,200. Live in the right area however, and incentives can dramatically lower that cost.?

Still expensive? Then be grateful you don?t live in Australia, where Nissan?s plug-in hatchback is just about to go on sale for $51,500 AUD. At today?s exchange rate, that?s nearly $52,000 US.

As Inside EVs reports however, a high sticker cost isn?t the only issue facing would-be Leaf drivers in Australia.?

First of all, only 14 dealers in the whole country will be stocking the all-electric car.?

Then there?s the issue of charging.

On July 1, Australians will be forced to pay a carbon tax on the electricity they consume, presumably designed to lower grid demands and carbon emissions in a nation where air conditioning is a must-have.?

At 10 percent on all electricity consumed however, it will also have an impact on the cost of charging an electric car, further disincentivizing electric car purchase.?

Nissan isn?t alone in having high prices for its electric cars.?

When the Tesla finally got approval to sell its 2.5 Roadster in Australia at the start of 2011, it attracted a $205,022 US price tag, while an Australian 2012 Mitsubishi i will set you back an astonishing $49,445 US before delivery charges.?

Later this year, Australians will also get the chance to purchase the Chevrolet Volt (rebadged as a Holden) and Renault Fluence Z.E. as both cars enter the market.?

They too, will be priced at a premium of between 20 and 40 percent more than home market prices.?

Why the inflated prices??

For a start, shipping costs are factored into the purchase price of Australian cars. And unlike the U.S., sales taxes of 10 percent are included in the sticker price.

But according to our very own Antipodean, Viknesh Vijayenthiran, many Australian cars are overpriced.?

?The regular 2012 Prius costs more than $35k on the road,? he told us. ?We have high wages and high costs, so that leads to high prices. There?s an import duty of 5 percent too, though these have been coming down in recent years.?

Whatever the reason however, unless electric car prices drop dramatically, we can?t see them becoming a popular mode of transport in Australia.

Is there any good news from this story??

Yes, if you indulge in a little schadenfreude once in a while.

Next time you moan about high electric car prices remember: at least you?re not THAT guy.

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best auto bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger,?click here.?To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on the link in the blog description box above.

charles colson humber raffi torres michael mcdonald jon jones vs rashad evans earth day 2012 jon jones rashad evans