Zach Galifianakis escorted Mimi Haist to the "Hangover Part II" premiere and after-party in 2011.
Zach Galifianakis' character, Alan, is always doing the unexpected in the "Hangover" movies -- and the actor is apparently the same way in real life.
Galifianakis has helped an 87-year-old Los Angeles woman climb out of homelessness, finding her an apartment and paying her rent, and he has escorted her to premieres of his films, the New York Daily News reports.
The actor met Elizabeth "Mimi" Haist in 1994 when he visited the Fox Laundry laundromat in Santa Monica, Calif., where she volunteered, subsisting on tips from customers, the Daily News reports.
Just two years ago, he learned Haist was homeless and had been staying with various friends. Galifianakis arranged a small apartment for her, paying her rent, and introduced her to actress Renee Zellweger, who furnished the apartment, according to the newspaper.
Facebook
Mimi Haist at the Santa Monica laundromat where she met Zach Galifianakis.
In a 2010 interview conducted in the laundromat, Haist told Richard Stearns from Partners Trust Real Estate Brokerage that she had "no family left."
Before Monday night's Los Angeles premiere of the actor's new movie, "The Hangover Part III," the Daily News reported that Galifianakis would be escorting Haist to the event. "I?m looking forward to it," Haist told the Daily News. "I like the excitement of it."
Although Galifianakis was very visible at the event on Monday, there was no confirmation that Haist went as his guest. The premiere itself was overshadowed by the shocking news out of Oklahoma, where a devastating tornado hit Monday.
"Just like with any disasters, you feel silly doing a red carpet thing,"Galifianakis told USA Today.
The actor noted that celebrity hoopla always seemed strange to him, but especially in the storm's wake. "All of this is very bizarre to me and silly," he told USA Today. "The worship of celebrity culture is bad for our culture, to be honest. ... But as far as Oklahoma, obviously, you just hope and pray that things will turn up."
Rock Center: Zach Galifianakis talks to Brian Williams about 'Hangover' films
The actor delighted fans by signing autographs and at one point, climbing into the trunk of a car as if he was going to ride home there before jumping out to ride in the car's back seat.
Reuters
Zach Galifianakis climbed into a car trunk briefly at the Los Angeles premiere of "The Hangover Part III."
Galifianakis' character plays a major role in the final film of the "Hangover" trilogy, which opens May 23.
"If you talk to people who love these movies, they?ll often say they wish they had a friend like Alan, and that?s largely attributable to Zach," director Todd Phillips told the Philippine Star. "He has such sweetness behind his eyes, that he can say and do most anything and you?ll think, ?Oh, he didn?t mean it like that.? So he gets away with all sorts of things."
Slow earthquakes: It's all in the rock mechanicsPublic release date: 20-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: A'ndrea Elyse Messer aem1@psu.edu 814-865-9481 Penn State
Earthquakes that last minutes rather than seconds are a relatively recent discovery, according to an international team of seismologists. Researchers have been aware of these slow earthquakes, only for the past five to 10 years because of new tools and new observations, but these tools may explain the triggering of some normal earthquakes and could help in earthquake prediction.
"New technology has shown us that faults do not just fail in a sudden earthquake or by stable creep," said Demian M. Saffer, professor of geoscience, Penn State. "We now know that earthquakes with anomalous low frequencies -- slow earthquakes -- and slow slip events that take weeks to occur exist."
These new observations have put a big wrinkle into our thinking about how faults work, according to the researchers who also include Chris Marone, professor of geosciences, Penn State; Matt J. Ikari, recent Ph.D. recipient, and Achim J. Kopf, former Penn State postdoctural fellow, both now at the University of Bremen, Germany. So far, no one has explained the processes that cause slow earthquakes.
The researchers thought that the behavior had to be related to the type of rock in the fault, believing that clay minerals are important in this slip behavior to see how the rocks reacted. Ikari performed laboratory experiments using natural samples from drilling done offshore of Japan in a place where slow earthquakes occur. The samples came from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, an international collaborative. The researchers reported their results recently in Nature Geoscience.
These samples are made up of ocean sediment that is mostly clay with a little quartz.
"Usually, when you shear clay-rich fault rocks in the laboratory in the way rocks are sheared in a fault, as the speed increases, the rocks become stronger and self arrests the movement," said Saffer. "Matt noticed another behavior. Initially the rocks reacted as expected, but these clays got weaker as they slid further. They initially became slightly stronger as the slip rate increased, but then, over the long run, they became weaker."
The laboratory experiments that produced the largest effect closely matched the velocity at which slow earthquakes occur in nature. The researchers also found that water content in the clays influenced how the shear occurred.
"From the physics of earthquake nucleation based on the laboratory experiments we would predict the size of the patch of fault that breaks at tens of meters," said Saffer. "The consistent result for the rates of slip and the velocity of slip in the lab are interesting. Lots of things point in the direction for this to be the solution."
The researchers worry about slow earthquakes because there is evidence that swarms of low frequency events can trigger large earthquake events. In Japan, a combination of broadband seismometers and global positioning system devices can monitor slow earthquakes.
For the Japanese and others in earthquake prone areas, a few days of foreknowledge of a potential earthquake hazard could be valuable and save lives.
For slow slip events, collecting natural samples for laboratory experiments is more difficult because the faults where these take place are very deep. Only off the north shore of New Zealand is there a fault that can be sampled. Saffer is currently working to arrange a drilling expedition to that fault.
###
The National Science Foundation and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft supported this work.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Slow earthquakes: It's all in the rock mechanicsPublic release date: 20-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: A'ndrea Elyse Messer aem1@psu.edu 814-865-9481 Penn State
Earthquakes that last minutes rather than seconds are a relatively recent discovery, according to an international team of seismologists. Researchers have been aware of these slow earthquakes, only for the past five to 10 years because of new tools and new observations, but these tools may explain the triggering of some normal earthquakes and could help in earthquake prediction.
"New technology has shown us that faults do not just fail in a sudden earthquake or by stable creep," said Demian M. Saffer, professor of geoscience, Penn State. "We now know that earthquakes with anomalous low frequencies -- slow earthquakes -- and slow slip events that take weeks to occur exist."
These new observations have put a big wrinkle into our thinking about how faults work, according to the researchers who also include Chris Marone, professor of geosciences, Penn State; Matt J. Ikari, recent Ph.D. recipient, and Achim J. Kopf, former Penn State postdoctural fellow, both now at the University of Bremen, Germany. So far, no one has explained the processes that cause slow earthquakes.
The researchers thought that the behavior had to be related to the type of rock in the fault, believing that clay minerals are important in this slip behavior to see how the rocks reacted. Ikari performed laboratory experiments using natural samples from drilling done offshore of Japan in a place where slow earthquakes occur. The samples came from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, an international collaborative. The researchers reported their results recently in Nature Geoscience.
These samples are made up of ocean sediment that is mostly clay with a little quartz.
"Usually, when you shear clay-rich fault rocks in the laboratory in the way rocks are sheared in a fault, as the speed increases, the rocks become stronger and self arrests the movement," said Saffer. "Matt noticed another behavior. Initially the rocks reacted as expected, but these clays got weaker as they slid further. They initially became slightly stronger as the slip rate increased, but then, over the long run, they became weaker."
The laboratory experiments that produced the largest effect closely matched the velocity at which slow earthquakes occur in nature. The researchers also found that water content in the clays influenced how the shear occurred.
"From the physics of earthquake nucleation based on the laboratory experiments we would predict the size of the patch of fault that breaks at tens of meters," said Saffer. "The consistent result for the rates of slip and the velocity of slip in the lab are interesting. Lots of things point in the direction for this to be the solution."
The researchers worry about slow earthquakes because there is evidence that swarms of low frequency events can trigger large earthquake events. In Japan, a combination of broadband seismometers and global positioning system devices can monitor slow earthquakes.
For the Japanese and others in earthquake prone areas, a few days of foreknowledge of a potential earthquake hazard could be valuable and save lives.
For slow slip events, collecting natural samples for laboratory experiments is more difficult because the faults where these take place are very deep. Only off the north shore of New Zealand is there a fault that can be sampled. Saffer is currently working to arrange a drilling expedition to that fault.
###
The National Science Foundation and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft supported this work.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
We're geeks. We get it. Our phones, be they Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, or Windows Phone, are among the most important things in our lives. We use them for everything, all the time. But in some situations our phones can get in the way, like on a first date. So, from one geek to another, I'm going to share ten basic tips on how to keep your smartphone from ruining a potentially great new relationship... by keeping it in your pants!
Here are the bullet points, watch the video for the details!
Don't use your phone during a first date. Your attention should be on the person you're with, not the device in your hand.
Turn your ringer off. Turn vibration off. Turn notifications off. Go into bedside mode, do not disturb mode, or whatever it takes to keep your phone quiet.
Turning your phone away isn't as good as putting it away. Really, it has to be out of sight to be out of mind.
If you're expecting an emergency call, be upfront about it. Knowing really is half the battle.
$#!+ happens. If you forget to turn your phone off and it goes off, apologize, put it away, and get back to your date.
If your date leaves the area, that's not an excuse to jump back to your phone. If you do decide to text your friend, make sure you don't get caught.
And don't post anything to a public social network your date might see, especially not without their consent.
If your date leaves their phone behind, that's also not an invitation to start snooping. Take a deep breath and leave their phone alone.
Pay attention to your date. Keep eye contact. Use their name. Make sure they feel like the most important person in the room.
Know when to break the rules. If your date wants a picture, to bump phones for contacts, to set up a second date, then do it!
There they are, my tips for how to have a great, phone-free first date. I'd love to hear your tips too, so hit up the comments and tell me what you think! (Especially if you have any juicy phone-related dating stories to share!!)
Microsoft PowerPoint facilitates presentation design with zero constraints. And startups like Prezi provide well-designed templates and other features to help you communicate what matters. Now an Israeli startup called?Emaze?is trying a different take by offering a much simpler templating system for presentations that are intended to make you be concise.
Low bandwidth and expensive access limit a lot what you can do with Internet in Africa. Therefore, if you want to build a successful web solution for African audience it should be lightweight using mostly text and a little bit of? images. It?s advised to avoid using voice or video.
Unfortunately, even if you are successful building this kind of lightweight website you?ll fail, because there is a hidden trap.
A text based Internet like in the western or eastern world would work very well, because of 99% literacy rate. People can read and write. In Africa, there is no such thing. In many countries the illiterates made the majority of the population. They don?t know how write and read. A text based website is of no use for them.
There is an additional group of people who are literate or semi-literate but don?t like to write or read. Like Steve Jobs said it ?People don?t read anymore?, and when it comes to Africa the situation is even worse. My estimate is that these 2 groups of illiterates and people who don?t read would amount to 70% of Africa population.
That?s the trap. To reach a profitable audience in Africa you need to use voice and video. Voice and video are the only certain ways to reach people in Africa. But, because of low bandwidth and expensive Internet access, you can?t use them. On the other hand if you build a text based solution, your audience is very limited (to city hipsters, African diaspora).
There is no audience for online business in Africa. The very people who will make you millionaire are not online.
Many African Internet entrepreneurs discover this sad truth only after spending lots of money and time building their online solutions.
There are numerous possible solutions to that trap, and it?s possible to work around them. Additionally, we have to keep in mind that even a widespread, free, and unlimited access to Internet is not a solution, because it won?t solve the illiteracy.
There is big market for literacy neutral platforms where people can communicate with each other using online images, icons, illustrations and voices, contrary to text-based social networks like Facebook or Twitter.
Entrepreneurs who will take on this challenge and execute it well will be rewarded with a highly scalable profitable business. As an example, my grandfather would listen to a voice commercial, and call me to go to the market to check out the product. It won?t happen with a text ad or a display copy!
European culture is based on the written word, while African culture is more oral and visual. African entrepreneurs who will avoid importing blindly European model to Africa, but leverage their unique knowledge of the African market will be rewarded with much more profitable business. Investing in voice and image enabled search are one of the several ways to go.
BRIDGEPORT, Connecticut (Reuters) - A fractured segment of track has been found on the rail line of a Metro-North passenger train from New York that derailed in Connecticut and struck another commuter train, injuring more than 70 people, investigators said on Saturday.
Authorities have ruled out foul play in Friday's collision, which occurred during the evening rush hour between the towns of Bridgeport and Fairfield, about 50 miles northeast of New York City.
Further examination is necessary to determine if track damage found at the site of the accident was a cause or effect of the train wreck, but that stretch of rail line had undergone repair work during the past month, officials said.
"We don't yet know whether the fractured train track caused the accident, or was caused by it," Earl Weener, a board member for the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, told reporters at a news conference in Bridgeport.
"We do know that the back end of the eastbound train that derailed went over that part of the track where there is a fracture, and that there was repair work done on that stretch of track within the past 30 days," Weener said.
The segment of fractured rail was being sent for analysis.
The accident involved two trains from the Metro-North commuter line that runs between New York City and parts of Connecticut. The wreck occurred when several cars of an eastbound train headed from New York to New Haven, Connecticut, left the track and collided with a train coming in the opposite direction bound for New York's Grand Central Station.
More than 70 passengers and crew members were injured, officials said. Eight remained hospitalized on Saturday, three in critical condition, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy said.
The collision of the Metro-North trains forced Amtrak to shut down service indefinitely between New York and Boston.
The governor urged commuters who normally use the line to find alternative ways to get to work on Monday.
'FORTUNATE THERE WERE NO DEATHS'
NTSB officials arrived at the scene on Saturday to begin their investigation, which has focused in part on recent construction and repair work in the vicinity.
"The FBI was involved at the beginning, but has determined, as have we, that there was no foul play involved," Weener said.
"Frankly, we still don't know what caused the derailment and collision and will not have any answer to that question any time soon, certainly not while on site investigating," he said.
Malloy said the train cars that derailed were new and "designed to the latest standards" for safety and protection of passengers.
"To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that a car like this has been involved in this kind of incident, and by all appearances, they responded well," Malloy said.
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told the news conference he had come directly from St. Vincent's Medical Center, where some of the passengers and crew were being treated.
He said he was particularly struck by the courage of one conductor hurt in the collision, a woman he identified only as Helen, who despite serious back injuries helped "many of the people off the train."
"Considering the impact, we are very, very fortunate there were no deaths," Blumenthal said.
Metro-North is operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a New York state agency.
The New York-New Haven line is the busiest rail line in America and serves 125,000 commuters a day, said Judd Everhart of the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
(Additional reporting by Karen Brooks in Austin, Texas, and David Bailey in Minneapolis; Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Peter Cooney)
In our speedy-paced world, many people have realized on their own extended thin and stressed. Even investing a bit of time reading the massive amount of info on working with tension guidance on the net is enough to travel an individual crazy. The subsequent info can provide easy ways to relieve your life.
Producing when emphasized can be quite a positive electric outlet for that nervousness of demanding circumstances. When you can?t discuss your source of stress with another individual, it is possible to get some alleviation by composing out your thoughts. Keep a record of the items are triggering pressure in your own life, the helpful tips is offered.
An expert therapeutic massage will help you eliminate a few of the stress out. Stressed muscles can be a byproduct of stressed out simply being transported on the body. An effective massage calms the muscles and enable you to really feel less stressed and a lot more calm.
Say your affirmation repeatedly when you?re sensing stress or nervousness , which can increase your pressure.
A great technique for reducing tension may be just to lay back and carry out some daydreaming. Allow your brain to drift in a location you?d want to pay a visit to and time period of dream. This sort of intellectual exercising is a brief although.
small loans A cupful of tea is an excellent pressure reliever. There are a variety of teas that will help decrease your pressure, including chamomile or kava kava. Large the teas for around ten minutes to find the greatest energy in the herbal remedies.Try out consuming a glass every morning or prior to bed furniture to lessen your stress.
Go on a number of deep breathes so that you can handle any condition that could allow you to stressed. Require a take a step back and count up from one to 10, very clear your mind, then reply. This relaxation technique can aid you to keep quiet and refocus your interest on the circumstance without getting defensive.
Horticulture is a superb reducing stress.
A lengthy bathtub can just drift aside and relax is surely an incredible stress reliever.Add more scented essential oil or bath tub normal water and relish the high end.
Remain alongside a wall and push onto it as tough as you can with your hands and wrists, giving the only thing you have although excavating in with your feet.Extending your hamstrings might help alleviate tension.
Tunes is an excellent stress you may be suffering from. While you are anxious, listen to your chosen music, and after that chill out and savor, stopping out anything else near you. This lets the mind a rest from everything that is responsible for you to feel emphasized.
One specific way to avoid pressure would be to quit telling lies constantly.
A good way to control your anxiety would be to believe in advance.
Try an organic tonic for anxiety alleviation. Homeopathy ought to be explored as a great way to support decrease stress. These treatments are regarded as being extremely risk-free and all sorts of-natural. Use herbal treatments like Kava, which was proven in some scientific studies it performs like alprazolam, or Xanax.
A very basic suggestion which can help you minimize your stress threshold is always to pay out close consideration when individuals are providing you with instructions. Focus on directions to avoid demanding scenarios. By way of example, take notice whenever your manager gives you recommendations, give attention to your doctor if he or she is offering assistance, or give your trainer your full consideration.
You can unwind and de-stress by just shutting down the eyes sealed. Delicate songs can confer with your heart and soul and brain on many degrees. When you hear it together with your eye closed, the mind in a natural way drifts off to surroundings which are pleasant. It is a highly effective when coping with tension on your working day.
Acquire your self out of your situation instantly.
sagamore small loans One of the most great approaches to handle anxiety is to enroll in health and fitness sessions. You will reinforce your muscles, obtain power and discharge tension from the entire body.
no credit check no faxing small loans You should produce healthy dealing elements to help you cope with tension. These tactics are aware ?workout routines? you engage in to ease the emotional and mental negative effects of nerve-racking conditions, which include beneficial claims that you explain to your self once you start obtaining anxious. Whenever you can think beneficial thoughts, then you can see by way of and ultimately work through your stress levels.
Looking at something which soothes the heart and soul may help a person cut back on tension. Pictures of hills, hills, or waterfalls can provide visual enter that will loosen up your brain. When you can?t find an proper visible support, then near your eyes and imagine relaxing, and picture a tranquil setting. You entire body will truly feel more relaxed if you envision on your own in those configurations.
One essential aspect in lowering pressure would be to believe in advance.
A great way to fight stress is and also hardwearing . lifestyle as prepared since you can. An absence of business capabilities can produce a way to obtain anxiety. Basically trying to keep things within their correct places can reduce the stress and anxiety you might be suffering from.
To quit anxiety from piling up at your workplace, think rationally concerning the jobs that ought to be carried out, so that you can easily see what should be due to the most interest. When you have a big undertaking, crack it straight down. This may relieve the potent anxiety due to the fact that one large and daunting project.
Negative opinions will undoubtedly come up with a demanding scenario worse. When you are able resolve a single issue, you can count on yet another one.
Training might help when you start sensation overwhelmed by stress or anxiety. An easy move round the neighbors can produce a arena of variation in curbing any emotions of nervousness.
Strategy every day before hand, and stick to this plan.
You must strive to remember that while anxiety is distressing, also, it is poor for your health. When you find yourself anxious, your body drops being able to run effectively and effectively. Implement the following tips to the lifestyle, and assist yourself unwind and feel great.
Having consistent back pain can have an effect on many aspects of your life. It may put an end to exercising or from enjoying many daily activities. If you experience back pain, read through this article to discover some ways to improve your situation.
Avoid back pain by making sure your mattress is not too soft. It is generally agreed that very soft mattresses are not good for backs. But mattresses that are excessively firm will cause painful pressure points, so you must find your happy medium between the two. It is highly likely that you will need to visit a variety of stores, testing out various brands, and sizes, of mattresses to find the right one for you.
Water therapy might be efficient in healing your back pains. When you are in the water, the pressure and strain your spine and back muscles are subjected to is considerably lessened. In addition, water can help restore some of the range of motion your back problems have caused you to lose. There are a lot of community recreation centers that offer water therapy for a reasonable price.
If you?ve tried all known back pain relief methods to no avail, it may be time to schedule an appointment with a chiropractor. The chiropractor will take x-rays, and you can then discuss how to go about treating it. With these gentle adjustments, you can ease your pain.
For those suffering with back pain, receiving a massage is a good way to relieve it. Touch therapy can really help people with back pain. A good massage will loosen up your back muscles that are tight, giving you a nice feeling of relaxation and a relief from pain. You should aim to get a massage a minimum of once per week to help you manage your back pain.
Is back pain a part of your daily life? If so, do not twist your back too much as you go about your day. Regardless of what you are doing, twisting your body can seriously damage your back and leave you in pain. If you are active in various sporting activities, make sure to notice how your spine?s movements react. If you experience tightness or pain, slow down whatever activity in which you are engaged.
Give up smoking! Someone who smokes has 30% more chances of getting back pains. Smoking constricts blood vessels and reduces blood circulation. This stops necessary nutrients from accessing the lower portion of the spine and the discs, which makes them become brittle and apt to be injured.
Relaxing is probably considered one of the better remedies for back pain. Also, doing something as easy as the right breathing technique could really help someone suffering from pain. Using controlled breathing exercises can significantly reduce the pain and the stress that may be causing it. For instance, breathing deeply should take most of the pain away.
Being aware of various types of back pain is good, but all are painful when they strike your personally. Back pain can ruin a person?s day. If you use the tips from this article, you can keep living your life in less pain.
Whenever you are curious about the topic of best chiropractor, go ahead and visit Yahoo and look for best naples chiropractor. You?ll be satisfied to know you did!
I really hope you will find this short article helpful and interesting. I?m going to explain and provide web promotion tips and free web design.
Low priced web site design services.
You may possibly think you should spend thousands and sometimes even tens of thousands of pounds to have web prescence. As a result of the amount of people giving the support of web site design, this certianly doesn?t have to be the case. I think you ought to only have to spend between 5-0 and 100 to have a website developed.
You will find these cheap website design businesses by searching on internet auction sites, internet search engines or in the Yellow Pages.
Internet site promotion free methods.
It?s important to many companies to acquire as many people to their website as possible. You are able to accomplish this by trying to get yourself a high page ranking or PR standing as it is called by some. Generally the bigger the pr you have the more guests you?re likely to get.
To improve these pages rank it is vital that you build up the amount of backward links your website has. You are able to do this by e-mailing other websites ultimately in-the same enterprise sector as your own and asking if they would be prepared to swap links with your website.
Creating articles such as the one you?re reading here is another means of obtaining backward links. By submitting these articles to article websites, other webmasters are then able to use your article on their website, this provides you an additional link. It is because you are able to add your data and web site in the author biography at the bottom-of the site.
You may even need to consider google adwords. That is a kind of pay per click where you pay to appear on the right side of the search results in the paid advertising element of the google search engine for a particular key phrase. Always remember not to save money on the advertising than you?re likely to make from the website.
You may want to consider google adsense if you would like to make extra cash from your own website. That is where google set ads onto your website. As soon as your visitors click on the adverts you receive paid.Social Media Ninjas
1275 4th St #108
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 206-6244
http://socialmedianinjas.com
useful source website design santa rosa
Share Google+ Article:
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)
Free Articles Powered By FreeArticleDatabase.Net ... Net Promotion And Web Design Strategies For Free We could not find any related articles on the search topic. Please bookmark this page and try visiting us again soon
I awoke aboard a boat, just before daybreak, which was weird. The last thing I remembered was being in San Francisco?s Moscone Center, wrapping up a four-hour Google I/O keynote liveblogging session. My last recollection was of Google CEO Larry ...
Pig farming is tough, foul-smelling, and dirty work. Turns out, that's the good part of it. See, since 2009 the American hog farming industry has been struck with an explosive pork poop problem?in that the decomposing porcine waste will go boom under the right conditions.
Since the phenomenon was first described four years ago, a half dozen such explosions have occurred throughout Iowa and Minnesota, stumping scientists as to the cause. The largest explosion killed all 1,500 hogs at the site and seriously burned a farm hand. Another lifted a barn "a couple of feet off the ground," according to University of Minnesota researcher David Schmidt.
Methane is a normal byproduct of pig, cow, and sheep waste and, in well-ventilated areas poses no combustion threat so long as it doesn't exceed a concentration of 20 percent. But for some as-of-yet uncovered reason, the shit pits utilized in industrial hog farming operations?subterranean holes located under the pens and covered by slotted planks that allow poo to fall through, collect, and decompose?have begun developing a thick matte covering of bacterial foam, the consistency of whipped egg whites.
This layer of foam can grow to four feet thick, covering a highly-volatile layer of 60-70 percent concentrate methane gas beneath it. If the foam is agitated, it suddenly releases the combustible gas and, in the presence of an energy source?a heater or lit cigarette?the gas will ignite with terrible results. Researchers suspect it may be bacterial based as the phenomenon grows quickly once established and could be instigated due to dietary or environmental changes. But until then, you're going to want to refrain from smoking in the hog barn. [Mother Jones, Iowa Pork via TreeHugger]
MADRID, May 16 (Reuters) - Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos put in an assured performance in front of the cameras after coach Jose Mourinho failed to appear in Thursday's news conference ahead of the King's Cup final. Better known for his tough tackles, powerful heading ability and nerves of steel when taking penalties, the 27-year-old Spain international appeared in the conference room to represent the club and deftly handled a string of awkward questions. "If I am here it is for a reason. I can also answer questions just like the boss," Ramos said. ...
LONDON (Reuters) - The website and Twitter feed of British newspaper the Financial Times were hacked on Friday, apparently by the "Syrian Electronic Army", a group of online activists who say they support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The group posted links on the newspaper's Twitter feed to a YouTube video, uploaded on Wednesday, which purports to show members of the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front Syrian rebel group executing blindfolded and kneeling members of the Syrian army.
The video could not be independently verified.
Hacking attacks on verified Twitter accounts of media organisations have triggered urgent calls for the micro-blogging website to increase account security, particularly for news outlets.
"Various FT blogs and social media accounts have been compromised by hackers and we are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible," a statement from the FT press office said. The paper is owned by Pearson Plc
Twitter was not immediately available for comment.
Stories on the FT's website had their headlines replaced by "Hacked By Syrian Electronic Army" and messages on its Twitter feed read: "Do you want to know the reality of the Syrian 'Rebels?'", followed by a link to the video.
The group has previously targeted the Twitter account of the BBC's weather service, and those of Human Rights Watch and French news service France 24.
In the most disruptive incident so far, someone took control of the Twitter feed of U.S. news agency the Associated Press last month and sent a false tweet about explosions at the White House that caused financial markets to plunge.
(Reporting by Mohammed Abbas, Kate Holton and Ben Berkowitz; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
VietNamNet Bridge ? Foreign investors have been flocking to Vietnam to hunt for real estate projects, which is believed to help warm up the market. However, the market price would be forced down by 50 percent at least.
Foreign investors will come?
The real estate projects with ?clean land? (the compensation for site clearance has been completed), the buildings belonging to the enterprises which need to restructure their investment portfolios are the things hunted by foreign investors.
As domestic investors are seriously thirsty for capital, they have to bargain away their projects. And this is the golden opportunity for foreigners to buy the assets at low prices.
In early this second quarter, General Director of Hung Viet Company Ltd and South Korean KRDF03 Sang Hun Oh revealed that they were seeking to purchase finished multi-storey buildings.
In late April 2013, local newspapers reported that Thomas Kramer, the German well-known venture investor would arrive in Vietnam in July 2013 to seek the investment opportunity during his six-day stay here.
Sources said the investor is seeking the Vietnamese developers who can transfer the certificates for ?clean land? use right. He is considering building the complexes of green hotels and apartments.
A real estate consultancy firm in HCM City had the meetings with the Japanese and Hong Kong?s groups of investors during which they discussed the opportunities to buy the real estate projects at low prices in the central area of HCM City.
The investors from Asia are looking for the buildings which can be put into operation at once in a preparation plan to access the Vietnamese market in the post-crisis period.
In late March 2013, John Sheehan, the Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, during his working visit to HCM City, said as soon as Vietnam amends the legal framework to settle the bad debts, foreign capital would flow into the market.
He said that the biggest obstacle that prevents the foreign capital from entering Vietnam is the slow bad debt settlement process. The experts said many assets listed as the bad debts in Vietnam still have been overvalued if compared with the real estate prices in other ASEAN countries.
?but they will only pay low for the assets
The representative of the above said consultancy firm in HCM City said the negotiations with the Japanese and Hong Kong?s investors have not come to an end yet, because the foreign investors still try to haggle over the projects. They believe that the assets have been overvalued in the context of the gloomy real estate market in Vietnam.
Deputy Director of Dat Lanh Real Estate Firm ? Nguyen Van Duc, has warned that a lot of real estate projects would be taken over by foreign investors in some days at the rock bottom prices.
?There are numerous half-finished projects on sale because the projects? developers don?t have money to continue the projects,? Duc noted.
He went on to say that the foreign investors would revive the real estate projects by injecting money in them. However, as it is now the buyers? market, the price would be forced down by 50 percent at least.
Huynh Kim Dan, Director of Eden Real Company, has noted that foreign investors have just come to explore the situation, while they have not ?taken actions? yet. Though they are really interested in the market, they still keep cautious with the transactions.
Doan said the foreign investors are not interested in apartment projects, and they only want high rise office buildings in the central area and the completely done hotels or coastal resorts.
VNE
Where will the German real estate tycoon invest in Vietnam?
VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnamese real estate developers now keep curious about what the German real estate tycoon Thomas Kramer looks for in Vietnam and where he would put his money into. Thomas Kramer is expected to come to Vietnam in July. Some sources said that the German tycoon would stay in... [Read more]
Bank doors open more widely, but businesses cannot go in
Banks have "relaxed their severity," loosening the conditions for lending capital, but businesses have no more assets to mortgage for the loans. It's obvious that the State Bank's decision to slash the dong ceiling deposit interest rate to 12 percent aims to rescue businesses which have been bogged down... [Read more]
Business Club: VND 8.5 billion-worth gifts to the poor
Last week, the Quang Ngai provincial People's Committee (PPC) and the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee (PFFC) in collaboration with the Quang Ngai Business Club in Ho Chi Minh City held a ceremony to honor achievements in social charity activities for the Quang Ngai poor in 2012.
Mr. Pham Nhu So,... [Read more]
Indochina Plaza Hanoi wins 4 highly conveted Asia Pacific Property Award
The results of the International Property Awards Asia Pacific regional competition 2013 have been revealed on 10th May in Kuala Lumpur, with Indochina Land receiving four prestigious awards across a range of categories. Especially, Indochina Plaza Hanoi has become the first project from Vietnam to receive the regional recognition for... [Read more]
Real Estate: Not Easy to Loosen up the Market
With the determination to unfreeze real estate market in 2013, the Government of Vietnam has introduced a variety of measures to stimulate demand. However, the real estate market seems to be insistently hibernating with no sign of breakthrough in the coming quarter. 6 years for recovery According to Mr Jonhn Sheehan, a... [Read more]
Int'l surveyors to develop human resources in Vietnam
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors will help Vietnam train local personnel skills to boost development of the country's property market. Max Crofts, president of the worldwide property professional group that calls itself the "world's leading professional body for qualifications and standards in land, property and construction," said the Vietnamese market... [Read more]
Savills has new managing director
Neil MacGregor, managing director of Savills Vietnam - Photo: Courtesy of Savills Savills, a property service provider, on Tuesday announced it has appointed Neil MacGregor as Savills Vietnam's new managing director, who will oversee business at key offices in Hanoi and HCMC. MacGregor will replace Brett Ashton who is leaving Vietnam... [Read more]
Sustainable architecture to go on show this week
HCMC - British Council Vietnam and UK Trade & Investment will jointly organize a conference themed Sustainable Design and Architecture at the five-star Caravelle hotel in downtown HCMC on March 29 and 30. The conference is part of the Creativity Economy project, which has been delivered by British Council since... [Read more]
China leads fall in Asia property sector wages: survey
HONG KONG, Nov 18 (Reuters) - The average wage for property professionals in Asia has fallen this year, according to a new report, mainly as a result of a pay slump in mainland China. The International Finance Center in ... [Read more]
Exploring prospects in home-for-rent segment
Dinh Dung
The apartment project Terra Rosa in HCMC?s Binh Chanh District, where Eden Real Company has got 23 apartments owned by individual investors to put up for lease - Photo: Dinh Dung
From apartments?
Huynh Kim Doan, director of Eden Real, is mulling promoting the service of leasing apartments owned... [Read more]
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 20-May-2013
Share ] 
Microsoft PowerPoint facilitates presentation design with zero constraints. And startups like Prezi provide well-designed templates and other features to help you communicate what matters. Now an Israeli startup called?
Low bandwidth and expensive access limit a lot what you can do with Internet in Africa. Therefore, if you want to build a successful web solution for African audience it should be lightweight using mostly text and a little bit of? images. It?s advised to avoid using voice or video.
Article: 
