Wildfires Burn Along California’s Central Coast – Washington Post
July 4, 2008
Wildfires Burn Along California’s Central Coast – Washington Post
BIG SUR, Calif. — A pair of out-of-control wildfires roared along California’s central coast Friday, chewing through opposite ends of a parched forest and threatening more than 4,500 homes. While flames from the stubborn fire in the northern flank of the Los Padres National Forest inched closer to
Statue of Liberty’s crown may reopen to public – San Francisco Gate
The National Park Service is considering reopening Lady Liberty’s crown for the first time since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to documents a congressman released on July Fourth. The park service requested bids last month to study what it would take to safely open the Statue of Liberty’s
Sen. Jesse Helms Dead at 86 – ABC News
Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina, an ideological firebrand with a reputation as one of the Senate’s most conservative lawmakers, died early this morning of natural causes in Raleigh. He was 86. The former five-term senator, Jesse Helms, died in North Carolina. He was 86. (AP/ABC News) Helms was
Eat-off settles Coney Island hot dog contest – Detroit News
July 4, 2008
Eat-off settles Coney Island hot dog contest – Detroit News
NEW YORK — Joey Chestnut reclaimed the top spot at the annual hot dog eating contest in Coney Island on Friday after first tying with archrival Takeru Kobayashi in a 10-minute chow-down and then beating him in a five-dog eat-off. The men tied at 59 frankfurters in 10 minutes, before being made to
Oil prices fall more than $1 a barrel – Detroit News
Oil prices fell more than $1 a barrel Friday from record levels set a day earlier on hopes that tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program could ease and cut the chances of American or Israeli military action against OPEC’s second-largest oil producer. Iran on Friday gave an undisclosed response to
Bush welcomes new US citizens on 4th of July – San Francisco Gate
President Bush invoked the memory of Thomas Jefferson Friday in welcoming new U.S. citizens at a naturalization ceremony at Monticello, saying “I’ll be proud to call you a fellow American.” On his final Fourth of July as president, Bush told an audience at the home of the Declaration of Independence
Federer, Nadal back in Wimbledon final – Baltimore Sun
WIMBLEDON, England – Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will meet in their third consecutive Wimbledon final after commanding semifinal victories Friday. Federer outplayed Marat Safin 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-4 with a nearly flawless performance, leaving him one win from his sixth consecutive Wimbledon title and
Your Media Mix Is Essential
July 4, 2008
Integrated marketing is your key to success. By combining multiple media formats, your message is more powerful and your marketing more effective. In this post Michael Hubbard, CEO of Media Two Interact give us great insight into the power of a diversified media mix.Determining the right mix of search and display buys must be determined on a client-by-client basis. Often, as a media buyer or agency, you are faced with a client who wants to raise the search budget because he or she thinks spending more money on search will lead to better search results. The reality is that spending a larger chunk of your budget by buying up all the related keywords may increase clicks, but it is unlikely to have a significant effect on conversions because that big mix of keywords is no more targeted than before.
For instance, if you’re Apple, you’re catering to a very specific segment of online electronics shoppers. Basic keywords like “mp3 player,” “computer,” “processor” or “laptop” may technically apply to the products you carry, but the audience searching for those terms could be looking for something entirely different. If you’re looking for Mac users, not just anyone in the market for a computer, why waste the search dollars?
A better technique is to spend a portion of your marketing budget on the most targeted search keywords and then dedicate a good portion of your budget to display advertising to support the search programs, sending more qualified buyers to the search engines. You do this with demographic/geographic and behaviorally targeted ad buys and more brand-based placements to really ensure you’re reaching the shoppers with the most potential to buy your specific product or service.
After seeing display ads while browsing, users will often go to their favorite engine and search for the brand they saw in the ad. The reason for this may be because people don’t like to click on banner ads as a rule, but once they’ve seen enough ads to establish brand recall, they will go to a channel they’re comfortable with to find it. The point is, there’s nothing to brand on search engines alone; something else is always driving you there, and display is one of those big drivers of traffic.
The great part of multiple media is that the strategy is two-pronged because in addition to supporting search, display has its own ROI objectives, which means double the benefit for you. Search is a powerhouse to be sure, but display can be the wind beneath its wings.
Post by Michael Hubbard, CEO, Media Two Interact
(OOT) Nanyang Assistant Professorships
July 4, 2008
(OOT) Nanyang Assistant Professorships
Nanyang Assistant Professorships
16-Jun-2008
Nanyang Assistant Professorships
Singapore’s science and technology university, the Nanyang
Technological University, invites outstanding young researchers and
exceptional scholars in their fields of science, engineering, social
sciences, arts and humanities or business, to apply for appointments
as Nanyang Assistant Professors. Up to 10 appointments will be made.
Successful candidates will receive start-up research grants of up to
S$1 million and an attractive remuneration package with a competitive
salary year and other benefits including assistance with
accommodation. They will hold tenure track appointments and play lead
roles in the university’s new wave of multi-disciplinary, integrative
research. They are expected to be within 10 years of gaining their
Ph.D and ready for independent leadership of their own research
groups. Outstanding applicants in science and engineering are also
encouraged to apply for the prestigious Singapore National Research
Foundation Fellowships in Science and Technology (see
http://www.nrf. gov.sg, Closing Date 15 September 2008) indicating that
the Fellowship will be held at the Nanyang Technological University.
Singapore has in place an exciting, dynamic and well-funded research
environment to nurture and attract top R&D talent and the Government
has set aside S$13.5 billion over 5 years to develop international
R&D. In tandem, Nanyang Technological University is also making
unprecedented research investments, emphasizing cutting-edge research
and revolutionary technological innovations across multiple
disciplines. It has already attracted World-leading researchers to
its ranks.
This is an unique opportunity to join one of the fastest-growing
research universities and participate in the rapid rise of Asia, in an
English-speaking environment at the interface between East and West.
To apply, please download the application form here or send an email
to nanyangprof- appform@ntu. edu.sg and submit to:
The Provost (NAP Application)
Nanyang Technological University
Administration Building, Level 5
50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798
Fax (65) 6791-9340
or email NanyangProfessorshi p@ntu.edu. sg
Closing Date: 30 September 2008
Kindly include the following in your application package:
- A duly completed Application Form
- A copy of your CV
- A full/detailed Research Proposal containing a short Executive
Summary (not more than 300 words) on the research project
- A certified true copy of your Identification Card / Passport
- Certified true copies of University Transcript(s) , one in English
translation and the other in original language
- Certified true copies of Degree Scroll(s)
- Two referees’ Recommendation Letters
Editorial cartoon – ‘The Pledge’
July 4, 2008
Editorial cartoon – ‘The Pledge’
PhD Studentship in Chemical Engineering – University College London
PhD Studentship: Dorothy Hodgkin Postgraduate Award
Modelling Rupture of CO2 Pipelines
Department of Chemical Engineering
Reducing carbon dioxide emissions is considered to be the most effective way of tackling the effects of global warming. This will require the large-scale capture, transportation and storage of CO2. In the case of coal fired power generation plants, pressurised pipelines are considered to be the most practical, and possibly the only option for transporting the captured CO2 for subsequent storage.
Given the enormous amounts of CO2 contained in such pipelines (typically several million tonnes), a prior knowledge of the release rate and subsequent dispersion in the event of pipeline rupture is central to assessing the failure impact. CO2 is toxic and when inhaled in large concentrations can lead to asphyxiation.
This exciting PhD project aims to extend our award winning work (http://www.ucl. ac.uk/chemeng/ staff/mahgerefte h) to develop a computer based model for predicting the failure consequences of CO2 pipelines. The project carried out in close collaboration with a major industrial partner is multidisciplinary involving a variety of subjects including, fluid mechanics, mathematics, heat transfer, quantitative risk assessment and computing. The experience gained is expected to equip the prospective PhD graduate with job opportunities in a variety of industrial sectors particularly in the oil and gas industry.
The successful candidate will be an outstanding First Class Chemical Engineering or Mathematics graduate (although other relevant disciplines will be considered) preferably with computing skills. The funding covers full tuition fees plus maintenance over three years and is open to suitably qualified overseas students.
UCL is consistently classed amongst the top Universities in the world. The UCL Chemical Engineering department in particular received the highest research rating in the most recent Government funded Research Assessment Exercise placing it amongst the only three such departments in the UK.
C.V’s should be sent either by post or email as soon as possible to:
Professor Haroun Mahgerefteh
Department of Chemical Engineering
University College London
Torrington Place
London WC1E 7JE
Tel: 020 7679 3835
Email: h.mahgerefteh@ ucl.ac.uk
http://www.ucl. ac.uk/chemeng/ staff/mahgerefte h
California fires threaten Big Sur – CNN International
July 4, 2008
California fires threaten Big Sur – CNN International California fires threaten Big Sur
stv.tv
CNN International -
BIG SUR, California (CNN) — Fast-moving flames early Friday burned the steep mountainsides a mile from homes on the northern edge of Goleta, California, near Santa Barbara.
Flames descend canyons in Santa Barbara Co. fire
Growing blaze near Goleta is California's top firefighting priority
The Early Word: July 4th Edition – New York Times The Early Word: July 4th Edition
Boston Globe
New York Times -
By Michael Falcone Senator Barack Obama and his family spend this Independence Day in Butte, Mont. where they will participate in a “Freedom Fest” parade and a picnic.
Video: Taking the campaign abroad
Invesco Field considered by Obama as the site of his nomination – Examiner.com Invesco Field considered by Obama as the site of his nomination
Boston Globe
Examiner.com -
Sen. Barack Obama and his staff are seriously considering using the 76000-seat Invesco Field as the venue for accepting his nomination at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, Aug. 28.
Team Obama's convention game plan calls for stadium rally
Obama may accept nomination at Invesco Field
Three reasons Venus will win – ESPN Three reasons Venus will win
CBC.ca
ESPN -
It's time to lay to rest the idea that Venus and Serena Williams are either incapable or unwilling to produce a balls-to-the-wall, no-holds-barred, drag-out-every-cliché barnburner of a match when they play each other.
Federer, Nadal a step away from Wimbledon final
A family tradition at Wimbledon
More Texas doctors opting out of Medicare – Houston Chronicle
July 4, 2008
More Texas doctors opting out of Medicare – Houston Chronicle More Texas doctors opting out of Medicare
dBTechno
Houston Chronicle -
By TODD ACKERMAN In an ominous trend for baby boomers, Texas doctors are opting out of Medicare, weary of the perennial fights over cuts in reimbursement.
An Honest Effort on Medicare
Battle Over Medicare Doctors Pay Rates To Continue Soon
Hamas says suspends prisoner swap talks with Israel – Reuters Hamas says suspends prisoner swap talks with Israel
Voice of America
Reuters -
By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) – Islamist Hamas said on Friday it was suspending indirect talks with Israel over a prisoner swap deal, citing Israeli violations of a declared truce in Gaza.
Hamas suspends talks with Israel on prisoner swap
Israel closes Gaza crossings in response to rocket
Obama visits traditionally-Republican Montana – The Associated Press Obama visits traditionally-Republican Montana
Malaysia Star
The Associated Press -
BUTTE, Montana (AP) – Barack Obama is celebrating the 4th of July in Butte, Montana, attending a parade and picnic. It's a state that usually gives its three electoral votes to a Republican.
Analysis: Obama's chances in NC slim
Obama, McCain View Mountain States as Pivotal
Invesco Field considered by Obama as the site of his nomination – Examiner.com Invesco Field considered by Obama as the site of his nomination
Boston Globe
Examiner.com -
Sen. Barack Obama and his staff are seriously considering using the 76000-seat Invesco Field as the venue for accepting his nomination at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, Aug. 28.
Team Obama's convention game plan calls for stadium rally
Obama may accept nomination at Invesco Field
Betancourt Calls Her Rescue ‘A Miracle’ – ABC News
July 4, 2008
Betancourt Calls Her Rescue ‘A Miracle’ – ABC News
Former Colombian presidential candidate describes her rescue. Colombian spies tricked leftist rebels into handing over kidnapped presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. military contractors Wednesday in a daring helicopter rescue so successful that not a single shot was fired
Syria returns stolen marble artifact to Iraq – Seattle Times
Syria has returned a marble artifact to Iraq that was stolen from one of the country’s archaeological sites. The marble block roughly 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall and 1 1/2 feet (half a meter) wide contains an engraving of a bearded man kneeling in prayer and several lines of cuneiform writing. Iraq’s
North Korea complains of slow energy shipments – Washington Post
July 4, 2008
North Korea complains of slow energy shipments – Washington Post
Resize Text SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea accused its nuclear negotiating partners Friday of being too slow in shipping fuel oil under an aid-for-disarmament deal. The North’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it has completed 80 percent of the work required to disable its main nuclear
Betancourt Calls Her Rescue ‘A Miracle’ – ABC News
Former Colombian presidential candidate describes her rescue. Colombian spies tricked leftist rebels into handing over kidnapped presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. military contractors Wednesday in a daring helicopter rescue so successful that not a single shot was fired
