text:
Under the conditions of this study, the test material is classified as negative as it showed no activation of the antioxidant/electrophile responsive element (ARE)-dependent pathway in keratinocytes.
Further assays have so far proven technically incompatible with the test material, however as the first event in teh adverse outcome pathway indicates that there is no possibility of senstization occuring it is considered scientifically justified to omit further testing at this stage.
skin sensitisation: in vitro
KeratinoSens assay
06 October 2017 to 03 November 2017
OECD Guideline 442D (In Vitro Skin Sensitisation: ARE-Nrf2 Luciferase Test Method)
activation of keratinocytes
Justification for non-LLNA method:
In the interest of sound science and animal welfare, a sequential testing strategy is recommended to minimise the need of in vivo testing. One of the validated in vitro skin sensitisation tests is the KeratinoSensTM assay, which is recommended in international guidelines (e.g. OECD).
- No correction was made for the composition/purity of the test material.
- A solubility test was performed. No homogenous suspension could be obtained in DMSO at 200 mM. Next, the test material was suspended in DMSO to a final concentration of 100 mM and 50 mM (both homogeneous blue suspensions). The 100-fold dilution of the 100 mM DMSO stock in DMEM formed slight precipitation (1000 µM) and the 100-fold dilution of the 50 mM stock showed no precipitate (500 µM). A concentration of 1000 µM was selected as highest concentration for the main (limit based on solubility).
- In the main experiments the test material was suspended in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at 100 mM (blue suspension). The suspensions were vortexed and sonicated for 11 minutes with a maximum temperature of 35 °C in experiment 1 and for 17 minutes with a maximum temperature of 22.0 °C in experiment 2. From the stock, 11 spike solutions in DMSO were prepared (2-fold dilution series). The stock and spike solution were diluted 25-fold with exposure medium. These solutions were diluted 4-fold in the assay resulting in final test concentrations of 1000, 500, 250, 125, 63, 31, 16, 7.8, 3.9, 2.0, 0.98 and 0.49 µM (final concentration DMSO of 1 %). All concentrations of the test material were tested in triplicate.
- At concentrations of 6.3 mM and higher the test material was suspended in DMSO, at concentrations of 3.1 mM and below the test material was fully soluble.
- No precipitation was observed at the start and end of the incubation period in the 96-well plates. Test material concentrations were used within 2 hours after preparation. Any residual volumes were discarded.
Details on the study design:
- A transgenic cell line having a stable insertion of the luciferase reporter gene under the control of the ARE-element is used (e.g. the KeratinoSens™ cell line). The KeratinoSens™ cell line was generated by and obtained from Givaudan (Duebendorf, Switserland). Upon receipt, cells are propagated (e.g. 2 to 4 passages) and stored frozen as a homogeneous stock. Cells from this original stock can be propagated up to a maximum passage number from the frozen stock (i.e. 25) and are employed for routine testing using the appropriate maintenance medium.
- Basic medium: Dulbecco's minimal supplemented with 9.1 % (v/v) heat-inactivated (56 °C; 30 min) foetal calf serum.
- Maintenance medium: Dulbecco's minimal supplemented with 9.1% (v/v) heat-inactivated (56 °C; 30 min) foetal calf serum and geneticin (500 µg/ml).
- Exposure medium: Dulbecco's minimal supplemented with 1% (v/v) heat-inactivated (56 °C; 30 min) foetal calf serum.
- Environmental conditions: All incubations, were carried out in a controlled environment, in which optimal conditions were a humid atmosphere of 80 - 100% (actual range 28 – 99 %), containing 5.0 ± 0.5% CO2 in air in the dark at 37.0 ± 1.0 °C (actual range 35.6 – 37.4 °C). Temperature and humidity were continuously monitored throughout the experiment. The CO2 percentage was monitored once on each working day.
- Sub-culturing: Cells were sub-cultured upon reaching 80-90% confluency. To maintain the integrity of the response, the cells were grown for more than one passage from the frozen stock, and were not cultured for more than 25 passages from the frozen stock (p+25).
- Plating of Cells: For testing, cells were 80-90% confluent. One day prior to testing cells were harvested, and distributed into 96-well plates (10,000 cells/well) in basic medium. For each repetition, three replicates were used for the luciferase activity measurements, and one parallel replicate used for the MTT cell viability assay. The cells were incubated overnight in the incubator. The passage number used was p+17 in experiment 1 and p+3 in experiment 2.
- Treatment of Cells: The medium was removed and replaced with fresh culture medium (150 μL culture medium containing serum but without Geneticin) to which 50 μL of the 25-fold diluted test material and controls were added. Three wells per plate were left empty (no cells and no treatment) to assess background values. The treated plates were then incubated for about 48 hours at 37±1.0 °C in the presence of 5% CO2. Initially, experiment 1 and 2 did not pass all the acceptability criteria (not reported) and therefore these parts of the study were repeated.
- Luciferase Activity Measurement: The Steady-Glo Luciferase Assay Buffer (10 mL) and Steady-Glo Luciferase Assay Substrate (lyophilised) were mixed together. The assay plates were removed from the incubator and the medium is removed. Then 200 µL of the Steady-Glo Luciferase substrate solution (prior to addition 1:1 mixed with exposure medium) was added to each well. The plates were shaken for at least 3 minutes at room temperature. Plates with the cell lysates were placed in the TECAN Infinite® M200 Pro Plate Reader to assess the quantity of luciferase (integration time two seconds).
- Cytotoxicity Assessment: For the KeratinoSens cell viability assay, medium was replaced after the 48 hour exposure time with fresh medium containing MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, Thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide; CAS No. 298-93-1) and cells were incubated for 3 hours at 37 °C in the presence of 5% CO2. The MTT medium was then removed and cells were lysed overnight by adding 10% SDS solution to each well. After shaking, the absorption was measured at 570 nm with the TECAN Infinite® M200 Pro Plate Reader.
ACCEPTABILITY CRITERIA
The KeratinoSens test is considered acceptable if it meets the following criteria:
- The luciferase activity induction obtained with the positive control, Ethylene dimethacrylate glycol, should be above the threshold of 1.5 in at least one of the tested concentrations (from 7.8 to 250 µM).
- The EC1.5 should be between 5 and 125 µM. Moreover, the induction for Ethylene dimethacrylate glycol at 250 μM should be higher than 2-fold. If the latter criterion is not fulfilled, the dose-response of Ethylene dimethacrylate glycol should be carefully checked, and tests may be accepted only if there is a clear dose-response with increasing luciferase activity induction at increasing concentrations for the positive control.
- Finally, the average coefficient of variation of the luminescence reading for the negative (solvent) control DMSO should be below 20% in each repetition which consists of 18 wells tested. If the variability is higher, results should be discarded.
- Data analysis: The following parameters are calculated in the KeratinoSens test method:
- Fold luciferase activity induction is calculated by Equation 1, and the overall maximal fold induction (Imax) is calculated as the average of the individual repetitions.
Equation 1: Fold induction = (Lsample - Lblank) / (Lsolvent - Lblank)
Lsample is the luminescence reading in the test chemical well
Lblank is the luminescence reading in the blank well containing no cells and no treatment
Lsolvent is the average luminescence reading in the wells containing cells and solvent (negative) control
- The EC1.5 is calculated by linear interpolation according to Equation 2, and the overall EC1.5 is calculated as the mean of the individual reepetitions.
Equation 2: EC1.5 = (Cb - Ca) x [ (1.5 - Ia) / (Ib - Ia) ] + Ca
Ca is the lowest concentration in μM with > 1.5 fold induction
Cb is the highest concentration in μM with < 1.5 fold induction
Ia is the fold induction measured at the lowest concentration with > 1.5 fold induction (mean of three replicate wells)
Ib is the fold induction at the highest concentration with < 1.5 fold induction (mean of three replicate wells)
- Viability is calculated by Equation 3
Equation 3: Viability = (Vsample - Vblank) / (Vsolvent - Vblank) × 100
Vsample is the MTT-absorbance reading in the test chemical well
Vblank is the MTT-absorbance reading in the blank well containing no cells and no treatment
Vsolvent is the average MTT-absorbance reading in the wells containing cells and solvent (negative) control
Control IC50 and IC30 are calculated by linear interpolation, and the overall IC50 and IC30 are calculated as the mean of the individual repetitions.
Equation 4: ICx = (Cb – Ca) x [ ((100−x)- Va) / (Vb−Va) ] + Ca
x is the % reduction at the concentration to be calculated (50 and 30 for IC50 and IC30)
Ca is the lowest concentration in μM (or µg/mL) with > x% reduction in viability
Cb is the highest concentration in μM (or µg/mL) with < x% reduction in viability
Va is the % viability at the lowest concentration with > x% reduction in viability
Vb is the % viability at the highest concentration with < x% reduction in viability
In case the luciferase activity induction is larger than 1.5 fold, statistical significance is shown by using a two-tailed Student's t-test, comparing the luminescence values for the three replicate samples with the luminescence values in the solvent (negative) control wells to determine whether the luciferase activity induction is statistically significant (p <0.05). ToxRat Professional v 3.2.1 (ToxRat Solutions® GmbH, Germany) was used for statistical analysis of the data. The lowest concentration with > 1.5 fold luciferase activity induction is the value determining the EC1.5 value. It is checked in each case whether this value is below the IC30 value, indicating that there is less than 30% reduction in cellular viability at the EC1.5 determining concentration.
- Data interpretation:
A KeratinoSens prediction is considered positive if the following 4 conditions are all met in 2 of 2 or in the same 2 of 3 repetitions, otherwise the KeratinoSens prediction is considered negative:
- The Imax is higher than (>) 1.5 fold and statistically significantly different as compared to the solvent (negative) control (as determined by a two-tailed, unpaired Student's t-test)
- The cellular viability is higher than (>) 70% at the lowest concentration with induction of luciferase activity above 1.5 fold (i.e. at the EC1.5 determining concentration)
- The EC1.5 value is less than (<) 1000 μM (or < 200 µg/mL for test chemicals with no defined MW)
- There is an apparent overall dose-response for luciferase induction
- Negative results obtained with concentrations <1000 µM or 200 µg/mL should be considered as inconclusive
- The luciferase activity induction obtained with the positive control, Ethylene dimethacrylate glycol, was above the threshold of 1.5-fold in at least one concentration.
- The EC1.5 of the positive control was between 5 and 125 µM (66 µM and 78 µM in experiment 1 and 2, respectively). A dose response was observed and the induction at 250 µM was higher than 2-fold (2.24-fold and 2.13-fold in experiment 1 and 2, respectively).
other: Experiment 1
other: Imax
other: EC1.5 could not be calculated
- No precipitation was observed at the start and end of the incubation period in the 96-well plates.
- The test material showed no toxicity. The viability of the cells was higher than 70% at all test concentrations and therefore no IC30 and IC50 values could be calculated.
- No luminescence activity induction compared to the vehicle control was observed at any of the test concentrations after treatment with the test material. The Imax was 1.12 and therefore no EC1.5 could be calculated.
- The positive control Ethylene dimethacrylate glycol caused a dose related induction of the luciferase activity. The Imax was 2.24 and the EC1.5 66 µM.
Both tests passed the acceptance criteria:
- Finally, the average coefficient of variation of the luminescence reading for the negative (solvent) control DMSO was below 20% (4.0% and 4.5% in experiment 1 and 2, respectively).
Overall it is concluded that the test conditions were adequate and that the test system functioned properly.
The test material showed no toxicity (no IC30 and IC50 value) and no biologically relevant induction of the luciferase activity (no EC1.5 value) was measured at any of the test concentrations in both experiments. The maximum luciferase activity induction (Imax) was 1.12-fold and 1.14-fold in experiment 1 and 2 respectively. The test material is classified as negative in the KeratinoSens assay since negative results (<1.5-fold induction) were observed at test concentrations ≤ 1000 µM.
Table 1: Overview of Luminescence Induction and Cell Viability of Test Material in Experiment 1 and 2
Concentration (µM)
Exp 1 luminescence
Exp 1 viability (%)
Table 2: Overview of Luminescence Induction and Cell Viability of Positive Control EDMG in Experiment 1 and 2
1.72***
***p<0.001 Student's t test
other: Not classified in accordance with EU Criteria
The skin sensitisation potential of the test material was investigated in accordance with the standardised guideline OECD TG 442D, under GLP conditions.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of the test material to activate the antioxidant/electrophile responsive element (ARE)-dependent pathway in the KeratinoSens assay.
Since no workable suspension of the test material could be obtained at 200 mM, it was suspended in dimethyl sulfoxide at 100 mM. From this stock 11 spike solutions in DMSO were prepared. The stock and spike solutions were diluted 100-fold in the assay resulting in test concentrations of 0.49 – 1000 µM (2-fold dilution series). No precipitate was observed at any dose level tested. Two independent experiments were performed.
Both experiments passed the acceptance criteria; the luciferase activity induction obtained with the positive control, Ethylene dimethacrylate glycol, was above the threshold of 1.5-fold in at least one concentration, the EC1.5 of the positive control was between 5 and 125 µM (66 µM and 78 µM in experiment 1 and 2, respectively), a dose response was observed and the induction at 250 µM was higher than 2-fold (2.24-fold and 2.13-fold in experiment 1 and 2, respectively) and finally, the average coefficient of variation of the luminescence reading for the negative (solvent) control DMSO was below 20% (4.0% and 4.6% in experiment 1 and 2, respectively). Overall it is concluded that the test conditions were adequate and that the test system functioned properly.
The test material showed no toxicity (no IC30 and IC50 value) and no biologically relevant induction of the luciferase activity (no EC1.5 value) was measured at any of the test concentrations in both experiments. The maximum luciferase activity induction (Imax) was 1.12-fold and 1.14-fold in experiment 1 and 2 respectively. The test material is classified as negative in the KeratinoSens assay since negative results (<1.5-fold induction) were observed at test concentrations of ≤1000 µM.
The skin sensitisation potential of the test material was investigated in accordance with the standardised guideline OECD TG 442D, under GLP conditions. The study was awarded a reliability score of 1 in accordance with the criteria set forth by Klimisch et al. (1997).
The substance failed to ilicit a senstization response in the avialable in vitro studies. As such, in accordance with the criteria for classification as defined in Annex I, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, the substance does not require classification with respect to skin sensitzation.


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Your car may be a perfect companion, but it too needs some tools and accessories to stay up and running whenever you need it. Either in your garage or inside the car, your toolkit must contain one tyre inflator for those inevitable situations.
A mechanic may not always be just a call away and you might have to take things in your hands. Puncture and even low pressure need an instant attention, and, in those situations, you might want all your tools, including the tyre inflator available immediately.
1) Packed with loads of features, this tyre inflator can make the tedious task of inflating tyres a lot easier and faster.
2) The company has included a feature that can auto cut-off the machine when the pre-set desired pressure level is achieved.
3) It takes just three minutes to reach the optimum pressure level from zero, plus the motor is also very silent while working.
4) There is a large LCD display alongside the control buttons and an LED light is also present for using it in the night.
5) This inflator comes with a 12-feet chord that can help inflate all the tyres without having to move to the machine itself.
6) You can power the tyre inflator using the power outlet of the car or the cigarette lighter.
1) For inflating your vehicle's completely flat tyre, this inflator from Michelin has a built-in rapid function that takes just a couple of minutes to do its job.
2) With its wide range of 0 to 50 PSI, you can make use of the inflator with a variety of needs and if you have different kinds of vehicles, this inflator will come handy in those cases as well.
3) It has a fully adjustable pressure level that you can pre-set before inflating the tyre. With its fairly long chord, you can easily reach all the corners of your car.
4) The inflator draws its power from a 12V power outlet, so you can provide it from your car and if your scooter has one, then it will work too.
1) This is a heavy-duty tyre inflator that works better than those mini inflators.
2) Bergmann claims that its inflator can fill a normal tyre at zero within two minutes, which is much better than most others.
3) On the front, a bright LED light has been placed for your help when working on the dark.
4) The company has used a powerful 150W motor made out of copper for best performance.
5) A pressure gauge has been included in this inflator that ensures a high precision, so you don't need to buy a separate one.
6) It is easy to maintain inflator and comes with a 3-metre long braided cord, which is just fantastic.
7) Anti-vibration feet have also been included in this device for a proper use.
1) Made of high-quality material, this tyre inflator is perfect for keeping inside your car.
2) On the front, you will find a digital display that will show the necessary information along with some control buttons.
3) It has a large and bright LED light on the top which can be controlled from the button on the front.
4) It has a detachable cord and the air pressure monitor.
5) You can use this inflator to fill the tyre up to the optimum pressure level within three minutes from zero.
6) The maximum pressure this inflator supports is 100 PSI, making it one of the most cost-effective tyre inflators on this list.
1) For a versatile usage, this tyre inflator can be used to inflate items like balls, rubber rafts, rubber bathtubs, and of course tyres within minutes.
2) This is a 12V inflator meaning you can use it with your car's power outlet and it is small enough to place inside your car.
3) The company has included a multipurpose adaptor inside the box for using it at different places.
4) Compared to mechanical pumps, this one can be much easier to use and completely inflate the tyres within a few minutes from zero and topping up a tyre will take less than a minute.
5) A pressure gauge has been included so that you don't have to buy a separate one. It can measure a maximum of 300 PSI pressure.
1) This portable little tyre inflator can easily fit inside your car and could come handy in case you need it in an unlucky situation.
2) While being ideal for most vehicle types, this inflator can make your car reach the required pressure within minutes using its 10 Amp motor.
3) It is a digital inflator and comes with the display on the control panel placed on the front.
4) With the included cut-off feature, the inflator will stop as soon as the desired pressure is reached.
5) For your convenience at night, there is a bright light included in the machine that sits on the front to provide a proper angle.
6) A long chord means you can move it around your car without having to unplug.
1) Unlike most of the other tyre inflators in this list, this one is an analogue machine.
2) With a maximum pressure of 300 PSI, it has a pretty powerful motor that can run at a maximum current of 10A.
3) Being a 12V tyre inflator, you can easily use it with the car's power outlet without any hassle.
4) It can fill a normal tyre within seven minutes and it is pretty easy to use too.
5) Besides the analogue dial to check the pressure, there is a single power, which is the only one you'd need to operate this inflator.
6) It is a great value for money device in the market.
1) A very compact looking tyre inflator comes with a Kevlar-like finish from the outside, giving it a rugged look.
2) It is a high-power machine that offers a pumping speed of 35 litres per minute while being extremely silent when working.
3) The company has included some extra attachments with this inflator for being used with stuff like air mattresses, toys, balls, etc.
4) You don't need to invest time in its maintenance every day and it has an oil-less design.
5) There are cavities on the back to hold the air pipe as well as its long chord in their place.
6) There are a couple of buttons on the front to control the unit and the LED light sits on the top for an easier usage.
1) Bright from the outside and extremely functional from the inside, this tyre inflator makes it handy to work with the tyres in case of an inevitable situation.
2) At max, this inflator can go up to 80 PSI, which is way more than what normal tyres need.
3) You can fill a normal tyre from 0 to 32 PSI within 2 minutes, as the company claims.
4) The wire size is 3 metres allowing you to move around your car.Its design allows you to roll the chord and the pipe around it to have it stores safely.
5) At the front, you will find a digital screen for showing the pressure level along with a few control switches to adjust the settings according to your need.
6) You will get a 2-year warranty with this product. The auto cut-off feature will come handy so that the tyre isn't over pressurized.
1) Another compact yet functional tyre inflator in this list comes from Black Cat which supports digital features like a modern machine would.
2) There is a digital screen on the front couple with a few buttons to adjust the settings and turn on/off its LED light, that sits on the side.
3) On the other side, its chords and pipe can be folded and safely placed inside the cavity meant for it.
4) With its maximum capacity of 100 PSI, you can fill your car's tyre within a few minutes of running it.
5) Refills and regular maintenance of the tyres are even faster. Auto shut-off feature is supported by this inflator and you can pre-set the desired pressure level and this machine will take care of the rest.
6) On purchase of this tyre inflator, you will get a warranty of 1 year from Black Cat.
Note: Most of the car tyre inflator's pressure gauge are not reliable and might show inaccurate readings. To avoid this we recommend Michelin MN-4203 tyre gauge.
It can measure pressure in psi, bar, and KPI. Also being a digital one , the readings are more accurate then a analog tyre gauge. It can also measure tyre tread depth in mm and inch.


In France, Ernest Michaux is considered the 'father of the bicycle.' He and brother Pierre added cranks and pedals to improve the earlier Draisienne bicycle. 1868-70 was the heyday of the velocipede in France. This novel means of personal transportation caught the public imagination, and blacksmiths, carriage makers and wheelwrights were encouraged to construct either parts for velocipedes or complete machines.
French makers in the period between 1868 and 1870 are renowned for the high standard of velocipedes that came onto the market before the Franco-Prussian War (19 July 1870 – 10 May 1871). That conflict destroyed the new velocipede-building industry in France and production moved to England.
British velocipedes soon outnumbered those from other countries. The International Velocipede and Loco-machine Exhibition at Crystal Palace in September 1869 saw over 200 machines, from Britain, France, Belgium, Germany and America on display.
The design of this velocipede is unique and it is built to a high standard typical of the French machines. It is considered a 'transitional' model because the rear wheel is smaller than the first generation of velocipedes, so its design is part-way between the velocipede and the ordinary (penny farthing).
The design of the head – providing additional strength to this point of stress – is both functional and ornate. I've never seen such a detail before. French velocipede builders had a head-start on their British contemporaries, and it is amazing how many variations in style there were in France between 1868 and 1870. French velocipede manufacture stopped in July, 1870 when war broke out between France and Prussia. The British bicycle industry was founded in 1869 and, as a result of the war in France, Coventry took over as the world centre of velocipede construction.
The other is 'Les Pompiers de l'Enfer' (The Firemen from Hell), below.
At first the press did not fully appreciate the achievements of this new machine and what it meant for the future. However, soon everyone started to recognize the importance of this new mode of transport – a velocipede may have been expensive, but it did not need food and stabling like a horse. And it could be used for independent long-distance travel. It required athletic abilities for long journeys, was dangerous down hills, and it scared the living daylight out of other road users and pedestrians …but a velocipede is actually surprisingly reliable. Velocipedes were raced extensively. In France, even women raced velocipedes! Below you can see the first ladies' velocipede race (Le Monde Illustre, 1st November, 1868).
The American Harper's Weekly (19th December 1868) covered the story too; but in their illustration, below, the women's bare legs have been covered!
The weekly satirical magazine The Ferret added to comments of the day. Its cover of March 22nd, 1870, illustrates women riding velocipedes with extremely risque attire.


You may not be spacewalking any time soon, but NASA has opened a free database to let you explore from Earth.
If you're looking to add more authenticity to your science fiction writing, check this out: NASA has set up a website to make its publicly funded research available for free. The archive features a decent search engine and gives full access to peer-reviewed papers.
Working on a story on a space plague and wonder how microbes adapt to microgravity? Check it out. Want to know the latest developments in artificial gravity research? Yep, they've got that too.
Some of my fishing expeditions in the NASA database led me to articles light years above my scientific comprehension. But others, such as this piece on arctic climate trends as observed from space, were completely comprehensible to a neophyte such as myself.
Thanks go to sf writer Chris McKitterick for bringing this one to my attention.
NASA has announced its discovery of the largest known planet that orbits two suns. These bodies are known as circumbinary planets, or "Tatooine planets," after Luke Skywalker's home world.
The planet Kepler-1647b — roughly the mass and radius of Jupiter — is 3,700 light-years away and an estimated 4.4 billion years old, about the same age as Earth. The stars it orbits are similar to our own sun, with one slightly larger and the other a little smaller.
A team led by astronomers from Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and San Diego State University (SDSU) in California identified the planet using NASA's Kepler Space Telescope. The discovery was announced this week in San Diego at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
The view of the Great Barrier Reef from the International Space Station.
NASA has posted this stunning shot of Australia's Great Barrier Reef taken from the International Space Station.
The area covered in the photograph spans 10 miles of the 1,700-mile Great Barrier, the largest reef system on Earth. The system is composed of 3,000 separate reefs and coral cays and supports hundreds of types of corals and thousands of animal species. Only three reefs are visible in the picture above — and as you can probably guess, those cottony white things are clouds.
According to NASA, reef systems' shallow lagoons show up as iridescent blues from space and contrast sharply with the dark blues of deep water. That makes them relatively easy to spot and photograph from Earth's orbit.
For the gearheads among you, the astronaut snapped this image on October 12, 2015, with a Nikon D4 digital camera using an 1150 millimeter lens.
NASA has shared some amazing footage of Mars, Pluto and the moons of Saturn. But this may be its recent money shot.
The space agency's planet-hunting Kepler Space Telescope has for the first time captured the flash of an exploding star's shockwave using optical wavelength, or visible light. Astronomers call this brilliant flash a "shock breakout." They only last about 20 minutes and are essentially the opening salvo of a dying star going supernova.
A team led by Peter Garnavich, an astrophysics professor at the University of Notre Dame, analyzed light captured by Kepler every 30 minutes over a three-year period from 500 distant galaxies to obtain the the photometric observations used to create this video animation.
Sit back and enjoy the light show.


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Sloshed Oct. 27, 2011
Sloshed TV: Grub Street's Pitch for the First-Ever Non-Boring Booze Show
By Matthew Latkiewicz
Let's make this a reality, people. Photo: iStockphoto
I recently ran some numbers, and if my calculations are correct, by 2018 every American citizen will have participated in an extreme dessert competition. This is, of course, because we are up to our eyeballs in food shows — you cannot escape them, and soon, you will probably not be able to escape appearing in them. But as far as I can tell, there has never been a successful television show about drinking, unless you think Mad Men counts. The problem is that alcohol, like Richard Nixon, is not particularly TV-friendly. But here at the bar in Brooklyn where I'm writing this Sloshed HQ, there is hope yet. So today I'm going to present my idea for Sloshed TV. It will be kind of a No Reservations meets "This American Life" with a dash of The Joy of Painting With Bob Ross thrown in. Trust me, this is gonna work.
When you think about it, it's kind of surprising that more booze isn't on TV. Alcohol is fun, for God's sake! But like roller coasters and other people's dreams, alcohol is really only fun for participants, not for audiences (all the designated drivers at Sloshed HQ know what I mean). Plus, television is a visual medium, and drinks are notoriously uninteresting to look at. No matter how many orange wedges and cherries you shove into an old-fashioned, it's still just a glass of brown liquid. (Wineries and distilleries aren't much to look at, either.) And even though a show called something like Man v. Alcohol sounds like it might have potential, it'd be impossible to get around all the legal (and moral) hurdles. And, spoiler alert: The alcohol would always win.
What's a television producer to do? The few booze shows that are out there mostly serve to illustrate how difficult it must be to make one work, because, frankly, the ones that are out there don't work. (And no, those Funny or Die "Drunk History" shorts don't count.) The shows I have seen are Stanley Tucci's Vine Talk on PBS, Drink Up on the Cooking Channel, and something on Hulu called Three Sheets. (One particular Sheets episode involved the host convincing a bunch of Australians to drink snow drenched in Blue Curacao. It was like a bizarro Girls Gone Wild setup, without the payoff.)
Look, I know how hard it is to create anything, most especially anything involving cameras and catering trucks, so I applaud all the above for giving it the old college try, but these shows just aren't good. (Sorry, Stanley Tucci! I love Big Night, by the way.)
So here's what our show is going to focus on instead: audience participation and crazy stories about alcohol-fueled behavior.
Yes, I said audience participation. Even Bob Ross knew that watching someone paint landscapes is boring, but pretending to follow along with Bob Ross as he (creepily) paints landscapes makes for some strangely riveting television. That's why, before the main titles even roll, each episode of Sloshed TV will quickly teach the audience how to make a drink that's related to the episode. If you tune in, we will assume you are drinking. (Bonus social media opportunity: "Follow Sloshed on Twitter and Facebook to learn which ingredients you'll need for next week's episode.") If we can find someone who looks like Bob Ross to actually make the drinks, all the better.
Okay, with that out of the way, let's move to the heart of the show. Our subject, remember, is alcohol: maker of poets, ruiner of lives, inciter of romances. We don't need to take a boring tour of the St. Germain factory, or discuss the way Syrah grows really well in the 44th parallel or whatever. At this point, everyone's got a drink and we need some stories. Classic booze stories, like that time Raymond Chandler went on a producer-fueled scotch bender that ended with him writing the Oscar-winning screenplay for Blue Dahlia. Yes, Sloshed TV will tackle stories like these, stories about what alcohol has meant for us, "This American Life"–style.
We've already got the Raymond Chandler story practically in the can, to which we could easily add stories about Faulkner, Bukowski, and Hemingway for an episode on alcohol's contributions to literature. (Hell, we could make a whole series about Hemingway's drinking.) What else? How about the role alcohol has played in political scandals? (I'm looking at you, Thomas Jefferson.) And I've always wanted to know more about those apocryphal Greek bacchanals. Let's get everyone a glass of wine (or twenty) and do an episode on those. Wine! Orgies! People would watch a wine-orgy show.
The point is, too many shows focus on the ingredients that go into making alcohol, or, even worse, just show people drinking it. That's like making a show about Alaskan crab fishermen, and then only focusing on the health benefits of crab meat. Alcohol is about more than ingredients, terroirs, or even bars. It plays a huge role in art, literature, music, movies, politics, and the rest of our collective culture. The stuff is everywhere, and Sloshed TV will celebrate that.
Speaking of celebrating, I'm going to go grab a drink and think a little more about this killer pitch. In the meantime, any interested producers or showrunners can call me at the bar my people.
Matthew Latkiewicz works for the Internet; he writes and podcasts about drinking and other subjects at You Will Not Believe. His work has appeared in McSweeney's, Wired, Time.com, Boing Boing, and Gastronomica. Tragically, his wifelike girlfriend is allergic to wine.
More "Feeding Tube":
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The Feeding Tube: Five Cooking-Competition Bad Guys Tell Us Why They're Just Misunderstood
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sloshed tv
the feeding tube
we're going to become such hollywood assholes when we're famous


text:
El Centro Rose para la Tierra y el Espacio es parte del Museo Americano de Historia Natural en la ciudad de Nueva York. El nombre completo del centro es El Centro Frederick Phineas y Sandra Priest Rose para la Tierra y el Espacio.  La entrada principal está ubicada en la parte noreste del museo sobre la calle 81, cerca del  Central Park West. El astrofísico Neil deGrasse Tyson es su primer y actual director.

Historia y construcción
El Centro es una extensa reestructuración del Planetario Hayden original creado en 1933 con la donación del filántropo Charles Hayden.  Abrió sus puertas en 1935, y fue demolido y reemplazado en el año 2000 por "El Centro Frederick Phineas y Sandra Priest Rose para la Tierra y el Espacio" cuyo costo ascendió a 210 millones de dólares.

El Centro Rose para la Tierra y el Espacio, está alojado en una estructura de un cubo de vidrio conteniendo la esfera del "Teatro Espacial"; fue diseñado por James Stewart Polshek y Todd Schliemann.
El edificio consiste en un cubo de vidrio de seis pisos que encierra una esfera iluminada que parece flotar — aunque en realidad se encuentra sostenido por una cercha. Polshek se ha referido a su trabajo como la "catedral cósmica"

El Centro Rose y su plaza adyacente, ambos ubicados en la cara norte del museo, son considerados como importantes obras arquitectónicas recientes de Manhattan.  Las instalaciones albergan centros de exhibiciones, educación e investigación, así como el planetario Hayden y un Departamento de Astrofísica, el centro de investigación académica más nuevo del museo.

Referencias

Enlaces externos

 Centro Rose para la Tierra y el Espacio (en inglés)

Planetarios de Estados Unidos
Museos de Estados Unidos de los años 2000
Museos de Nueva York
Edificios y estructuras de Manhattan
Organizaciones fundadas en 1935
Arquitectura de Estados Unidos de 2000
Estructuras esféricas

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Maintain UITableView cell position with dynamic height cells after reloading source data iOS In chat application, I am implementing Load More button on top of chat table view.
When user taps load more button, older messages (plus all the current messages which are present on screen) get fetched from DB (using NSFetchedResultsController) and then I am calling reloadData() method on chat table view.
I want to set the scroll position of tableview to the row which was top row before reloading table.
All the message cells are dynamic in height according to the message text.
I am using auto layout on storyboard.
My code:
let oldContentheight = _chatTableView.contentSize.height
_chatTableView.reloadData()
executeOnMain {
    if self.firstTimeFetching {
        self.firstTimeFetching = false
        self.scrollTableToLastRow(withAnimation: false)
        //this is for going to last cell when we come to chat screen
    }
    else {
        //after pressing load more button
        let newContentHeight = self._chatTableView.contentSize.height
        let newOffset = CGPointMake(0, newContentHeight - oldContentheight)
        self._chatTableView.setContentOffset(newOffset, animated: false)
    }
}

A: First, declare property to save the indexpath of top visible cell
@property(strong,nonatomic) *topVisibleIndexPath;

Then when you click the Load More button, you get the top visible cell IndexPath and save
NSArray *visibelIndexpaths = [yourTableView.indexPathsForVisibleRows];
if(visibelIndexpaths.count > 0)
    self.topVisibleIndexPath = [visibelIndexpaths firstObject];

After reload, you call method :
[yourTableView scrollToRowAtIndexPath:self.topVisibleIndexPath atScrollPosition:UITableViewScrollPositionTop animated:YES]

A: Instead of using reloadData, consider doing batch updates. reloadData will load up new elements from your dataSource, but it will also have a side effect of resetting your scrollView's scroll position to the top.
What you want is to use this pattern:
tableView.beginUpdates()
tableView.insertRowsAtIndexPaths([/* new rows here as an array of NSIndexPaths */], withRowAnimation: .Automatic)
tableView.endUpdates()

where the insertRowsAtIndexPaths contain the new rows you want to add.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Der Akutagawa-Preis (, kurz ) ist die bedeutendste Auszeichnung für japanischsprachige Autoren. Der von Kikuchi Kan zu Ehren des japanischen Schriftstellers Akutagawa Ryūnosuke gestiftete Preis wird seit 1935, mit einer Unterbrechung von 1945 bis 1949, halbjährlich im Januar und im Juli verliehen, ist mit 1 Million Yen dotiert und hat für die japanische Literatur die gleiche Bedeutung wie etwa der Prix Goncourt für die französische Literatur.

Liste der Preisträger

Siehe auch
 Akutagawa-Kompositionspreis zu Ehren von Ryūnosuke drittem Sohn Akutagawa Yasushi.

Literatur
 S. Noma (Hrsg.): Akutagawa Prize. In: Japan. An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Kodansha, 1993. ISBN 4-06-205938-X, S. 30.

Weblinks
 Liste der Akutagawa-Preisträger und der ausgezeichneten Werke (japanisch)

Belege

Literaturpreis (Japan)
Erstverleihung 1935
Akutagawa, Ryunosuke


text:
Gulf Air celebrates over 60 years of service to Saudi Arabia
Bahrain's national carrier Gulf Air today marked its successful 61 years of service to Saudi Arabia reinforcing its longstanding relationship with the Kingdom and reaffirming its long-term commitment to its largest market outside Bahrain. On the occasion, the airline also unveiled a series of commercial initiatives tailored to the Saudi market.
Commemorating the historic landmark, Gulf Air also announced a two-day, 25% discount on fares from Riyadh and Dammam to the Middle East and North Africa destinations.
Addressing the media at a press conference held in Riyadh today, Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer Mr. Samer Majali said, "Bahrain's relationship with Saudi Arabia is historical dating back to centuries and, as the national carrier of Bahrain, the Kingdom has been part of the airline's history since its beginning. It is one of the first three countries that we began our services to, landing in Dhahran in 1950 expanding further into Jeddah in 1976. We also own the distinction of being the first international airline to land in Riyadh in 1982. Since then we have flown more than fifteen million passengers to and from the Kingdom since we began services 61 years ago. And here we are today to commemorate this historic occasion, reinforcing our commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
He continued, "Being strategically located at the doorsteps of Saudi Arabia, Gulf Air offers the best connections for customers to reach out to the Kingdom's vast market via the causeway and its multiple daily connections between Bahrain and Riyadh, Jeddah and Medina with its fifty-four flights per week to and from these cities."
On the occasion, Mr. Samer Majali also unveiled the airline's new commercial initiatives. Gulf Air will be introducing Falcon Corporate Plus, a package designed exclusively for corporate travellers, offering a range of benefits that include special price discounts and free upgrades from economy to Falcon Gold class.
The airline is also coming up with an innovative programme specifically for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Saudi Arabia that offers a range of incentives including a double bonanza by which both - the member organizations and their travelling employees - earn miles that can be redeemed for free flights, upgrades, etc.
Gulf Air's popular Frequent Flyer programme has also undergone a major change; renamed 'Falcon Flyer,' the new programme offers members even more attractive privileges and value added benefits such as bonus miles up to 250%, guaranteed seats, priority baggage handling, half miles redemption and family membership. Gulf Air already has nearly 50,000 Frequent Flyer members from Saudi Arabia.
For families, Gulf Air will be introducing 'Family First' - a series of competitively priced packages for customers travelling with their spouses and kids, offering special privileges both on the ground and in the air. This will be an attractive package particularly for Saudis, who very often travel with their families on vacation.
Most important of this suite of initiatives is the "Sky Hub"- the world's first full connectivity onboard Gulf Air's long-haul flights offering high speed internet, 3G-4G mobile data speed connectivity, voice over the internet (VOIP) i.e. Skype, streaming videos and the world's first in-flight LIVE TV via satellite. Passengers can stay connected in the sky for SAR 100 for 24 hours.
"Saudi Arabia has always been, and will be, an important market for us and I would like to thank our Saudi customers for their continuous support to Gulf Air and we look forward to developing this relationship further," concluded Mr. Majali.
As part of its network strategy to expand into niche markets, Gulf Air started services to eight new destinations since January 2011 in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and has recently announced the launch of services to three more destinations- Rome, the capital of Italy from 30 November, Entebbe in Uganda from 5 Dec and Juba, the capital of South Sudan from 7 Feb 2012.
Gulf Air currently services Riyadh with 14 weekly flights from Bahrain.
Airline.City.Mobi
To access all the latest information about the world's major airlines via one mobile platform visit Airline.City.Mobi
Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon presents unique sculpture exhibition
UNWTO conference forges closer relationship between tourism and the media
Gulf Air and Oman Air extend codeshare partnership
Gulf Air signs codeshare partnership with Etihad Airways
Al Gaoud returns to Bahrain for new role with Gulf Air
Gulf Air adds Singapore to Thai Airways codeshare deal
Gulf Air seeks boutique positioning with new strategy
Etihad Airways signs partnership with Gulf Air
Gulf Air to welcome new A320neo aircraft following SMBC deal


text:
The Scientists of Tomorrow
Specialist Schools
P-10 Schools
Science Mentors ACT Program Launches
Students, mentors and supporters of the Science Mentors ACT program launch at Melrose High School last week. Students from Alfred Deakin High School, Amaroo School, Canberra College, Gungahlin College, Kaleen High School, Harrison School, Kaleen High School, Kingsford Smith School, Lake Ginninderra College, Melrose High School, Narrabundah College and Telopea Park School are taking part in the program. (Photo: Brenton Sloane).
Last week the Science Mentors ACT program was launched at Melrose High School.
Science Mentors ACT will provide Canberra public school students in Years 9 to 12 the opportunity to partner with eminent local science and engineering professionals to design and conduct experiments, collect and analyse data, and report on their findings.
An expansion of the Academic Curriculum Extension (ACE) Science Mentors program held at Melrose High School, which was initiated and run by Mr Geoff McNamara AM since 2008, the Science Mentors ACT program offers guidance, expertise and time for students to explore science and engineering with experts in their field.
Fifty-six students from across Canberra are taking part in the program, with almost 50 per cent of that take-up by female students – a fact that Canberra College student Diana Marshall, 16, said was important.
"This program has had strong support for girls," Diana said. "It has given me the confidence to succeed in a predominantly male environment."
Casey Magnussen, 16, agreed that the Science Mentors program had helped her develop an interest in science.
"It has given me credibility and knowledge of scientific writing," Casey said. "It also made me come out of my shell.
"It is inspiring to see all the other girls studying science."
Casey said that Mr McNamara, who runs the program, had also been a key factor in her interest in science.
"The passion of Mr Mac has an effect. I carry it with me."
Stuart McKellar, parent of Science Mentors ACT student William, said that the Science Mentors program had been great for his four sons.
"I'm always looking for opportunities for my boys to learn, and they have really enjoyed the science aspect," Mr McKellar said.
"Every opportunity to have one-on-one teaching is beneficial. It's amazing to see the engagement (of this program) … having a mentor like this is an incredible opportunity."
One of those mentors, Professor John Rayner, has been involved with the program since its inception and was happy it had now opened to students across the ACT.
"It brings students out of themselves," Professor Rayner said. "It builds confidence and understanding. The students have enthusiasm, commitment, they come in out-of-hours … it's exciting for mentors."
Professor Rayner said the program taught students how to think like scientists.
"It's thinking through your hands… the critical importance of documenting everything they do as they do it."
"The students in this program are special and there is a huge personal benefit to it. Students are getting motivated to go on and do further science."
In addition to Science Mentors ACT, the ACT Government's commitment to Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) education also includes the establishment of the Centre for Innovation and Learning, a purpose-built STEM facility for ACT public school students in Tuggeranong, and the recent announcement to implement an Academy of Future Skills.


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The artifacts, the objects, are important to me because I need to touch something, hold in my hand part of the life I think might be half-imagined. Even with an object in my hand, these lives remain ephemeral to me. The lives themselves are always real, a matter of record, simple facts of history. What these lives meant, what they might be beyond what they were is always… always a matter of imagination. I've taken some solace in the fact that many great discoveries begin with imagination.
It doesn't matter to me that the objects themselves don't prove anything. I cling to them.
Archival reference RC011195 / Box 1 / Item 1 [Rosemary Capshaw] Rolling Pin.


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text:
"This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage."
Architects of the amendment included the clause to ban same-sex civil unions and domestic partnerships. But Radnofsky, who was a member of the powerhouse Vinson & Elkins law firm in Houston for 27 years until retiring in 2006, says the wording of Subsection B effectively "eliminates marriage in Texas," including common-law marriages.
She calls it a "massive mistake" and blames the current attorney general, Republican Greg Abbott, for allowing the language to become part of the Texas Constitution. Radnofsky called on Abbott to acknowledge the wording as an error and consider an apology. She also said that another constitutional amendment may be necessary to reverse the problem.
"You do not have to have a fancy law degree to read this and understand what it plainly says," said Radnofsky, who will be at Texas Christian University today as part of a five-city tour to kick off her campaign.
'Entirely constitutional'
Abbott spokesman Jerry Strickland said the attorney general stands behind the 4-year-old amendment.
"The Texas Constitution and the marriage statute are entirely constitutional," Strickland said without commenting further on Radnofsky's statements. "We will continue to defend both in court."
A conservative leader whose organization helped draft the amendment dismissed Radnofsky's position, saying it was similar to scare tactics opponents unsuccessfully used against the proposal in 2005.
"It's a silly argument," said Kelly Shackelford, president of the Liberty Legal Institute in Plano. Any lawsuit based on the wording of Subsection B, he said, would have "about one chance in a trillion" of being successful.
Shackelford said the clause was designed to be broad enough to prevent the creation of domestic partnerships, civil unions or other arrangements that would give same-sex couples many of the benefits of marriage.
Radnofsky acknowledged that the clause is not likely to result in an overnight dismantling of marriages in Texas. But she said the wording opens the door to legal claims involving spousal rights, insurance claims, inheritance and a host other marriage-related issues.
"This breeds unneeded arguments, lawsuits and expense which could have been avoided by good lawyering," Radnofsky said. "Yes, I believe the clear language of B bans all marriages, and this is indeed a huge mistake."
In October, Dallas District Judge Tena Callahan ruled that the same-sex-marriage ban is unconstitutional because it stands in the way of gay divorce. Abbott is appealing the ruling, which came in a divorce petition involving two men who were married in Massachusetts in 2006.
Massive error?
Radnofsky, the Democratic nominee in the Senate race against Kay Bailey Hutchison in 2006, said she voted against the amendment but didn't realize the legal implications until she began poring over the Texas Constitution to prepare for the attorney general's race. She said she holds Abbott and his office responsible for not catching an "error of massive proportions."
"Whoever vetted the language in B must have been asleep at the wheel," she said.
Abbott, a former state Supreme Court justice who was elected attorney general in 2002, has not indicated whether he will seek re-election and is known to be interested in running for lieutenant governor. Ted Cruz, who served as solicitor general under Abbott, is running for attorney general in the Republican primary.
Radnofsky, who has not yet drawn a Democratic opponent, is scheduled to appear at the Tarrant County Young Democrats Gubernatorial Forum at 6:30 tonight at TCU.


text:
Legislative notebook: Cox new speaker-designee; Airbnb bill to governor
By Travis Fain
RICHMOND — House Republicans named their future leadership slate Wednesday, voting as a show of solidarity on a new Speaker of the House.
Speaker William Howell announced his pending retirement earlier this week after 30 years in the House and 15 as speaker.
Republicans gathered Wednesday afternoon and made Majority Leader Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, their speaker-designee. There is the matter of the 2017 House of Delegates elections — all 100 seats are up — before Cox can actually become speaker, but Republicans are expected to hold their majority in the House.
Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, was chosen as the incoming majority leader. Caucus Chairman Tim Hugo, R-Fairfax, and Majority Whip Jackson Miller, R-Manassas, retained their positions.
Adoption leave bill takes turn
A bill to give adoptive parents who work for the state the same maternity and paternity leave that birth mothers have is nearing final action at the General Assembly.
Senate Bill 1412 cleared the Senate earlier this month, only to be sent to the House Appropriations Committee, where concerns over cost could have derailed it. It turned out, though, that House Appropriations Chairman S. Chris Jones is himself an adoptive father, and that his wife was denied paid maternity leave years ago.
Even so, details of the bill's eventual implementation weighed it down. The bill initially allowed leave for an adoptive father or mother of a child under 1 year old, slightly more generous than the state's current leave plan, which only provides leave for mothers.
The bill was amended to potentially create paternity leave for all new fathers, in addition to adoptive leave.
But the bill also picked up a re-enactment clause, which means it must be voted on again next year to become law. In the interim, the General Assembly's research arm plans to study the issue to see how others handle it and to assess the costs of implementation.
Airbnb bill passes
Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. "Tommy" Norment's Airbnb.com regulatory bill won final passage Wednesday and heads to Gov. Terry McAuliffe's desk.
The governor has not given the bill a public thumbs up or down, and he plans to review it along with other bills, his spokesman said.
Wednesday's House vote on the bill marks the close of a legislative fight that spanned two sessions. The company, which allows people to rent out all or part of their homes through its website, had hoped to avoid local regulations that could make it more difficult to operate. Norment's bill requires those who rent their homes to register with localities, in part to make it easier to collect transient occupancy taxes.
A request for comment from a company spokeswoman Wednesday was not immediately returned.
Norment, R-James City, used his considerable influence to push Senate Bill 1578 past a number of attempts to amend it. He had the backing of the lodging industry and local governments, several of which were extremely vocal on the measure.
The vote in the House was 86-14. All Peninsula delegates voted for the bill. Del. Rick Morris, R-Suffolk, was among those voting against.
Real estate tax for Interstate 73
Legislation meant to eventually apply revenues from a real estate to interstate construction in western Virginia cleared the General Assembly Wednesday, but it won't actually do much unless the legislature approves the measure again next year.
Senate Bill 806 is state Sen. Bill Stanley's multi-year effort to take advantage of a little-known, 27-year-old law directing money from the state recordation tax on deeds and mortgages to work along U.S. 58. Stanley, R-Moneta, wants the roughly $40 million a year this raises to help fund Interstate 73 construction once U.S. 58 is finished, which could be years or even decades from now.
Stanley tried and failed to get this bill through last year. This session he made it further, winning final approval, albeit of a bill that has a re-enactment clause attached to it.
That means legislators plan to vote again in 2018.
Even with that added, the House vote on the bill was 67-32 Wednesday. Some critics argue that all road projects should go through a funding formula created in recent years to take politics out of road construction decisions.
"This bill is bad policy for so many reasons," Tripp Pollard, of the Southern Environmental Law Center, said in an email. "It would earmark about $40 million a year indefinitely for a $4 billion new highway that would not be required to compete for funding with other projects. And it would transfer funds from Hampton Roads and other regions to pay for it. It is a giveaway that should be rejected."
Stanley has pitched the bill as needed economic development in a struggling part of the state. Del. Tim Hugo, who backed the bill in the House Wednesday, called it a win-win for rural and urban areas because it doesn't create a new tax.
The bill, he said, helps an economically depressed area, "and it doesn't cost you a dime," he said.
Fain can be reached by phone at 757-525-1759.


^ Precedence of the U.S. Navy and the Marine Corps Department of the Navy, Naval History & Heritage Command, 4 October 2009.
^ to maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas.
^ "Numbered Fleets". Federation of American Scientists: Military Analysis Network. Accessed 8 April 2006.
United States Navy official website.
Navy.com, USN official recruitment site.
Congressional Research Service(CRS)Reports regarding the U.S. Navy. University of North Texas Libraries. (原始内容存档于2007-08-12).
Photographic History of The U.S. Navy. Naval History. NavSource.
Haze Gray & Underway— Naval History and Photography. HazeGray.org.
U.S. Navy Ships. Military Analysis Network. Federation of America Scientists.


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> > say bronze was not utilized as well?
> The arguments re lack of evidence cut both ways in that regard.
Respectfully, the lack of evidence of tools used to build those structures in the 3rd mill. BC does indeed allow the arguments to cut both ways, but if you're going to invoke the pure speculation of "iron" simply on the basis that the corresponding copper tools don't exist in the evidence either, then why not also invoke a non-terrestrial origin as well?
In any case, in the spirit of showing how the arguments cut both ways, let's also include what some of us consider to be a more plausible alternative argument: The reason the copper that allegedly built those structures is nowhere to be found (as are many key tools and methods required to achieve such construction) could simply be that those structures were not built by 3rd mill. BC Egyptians.
But when you jump to the conclusion the 4th Dynasty must have built those structures even though we don't see the evidence of the copper tools that they (allegedly) used, and then use that lack of evidence to also allow the possibility of other non-existent tools, you are simply attempting to secure the self-consistency of the traditional narrative, but it's all pure speculation with little basis in fact other than the conspicuous contradiction that there's no direct evidence that they had anything but soft copper-based tools and no indication in the documented record that they had the methods to achieve such a massive construction project.
It's a circular argument to first speculate that they built all that stuff with non-existent copper-based tools and methods in the 3rd mill. BC, and then use that speculation as a logical foundation to propose other non-existent tools and methods.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10-Apr-17 14:46 by Origyptian.


text:
'Condor cam' offers views of endangered bird
Paul Rogers, San Jose Mercury News
Two California condors fly above McWay Rocks at Big Sur on the California coast.tim huntington/ventana wildlife
For years, it's been a rare experience to see an endangered California condor in the wild. There are only 429 of North America's largest bird alive today, and half of them live in zoos.
But on Monday, with some high-tech help, the bird watching got a lot easier. The first camera to capture live streaming video of condors in the wild was turned on in the remote hills of Big Sur.
The solar-powered "condor cam" allows the public to watch the huge, vulture-like birds feeding, grooming and flying in real time, and enables scientists to monitor them more efficiently.
It's the latest example of how inexpensive video technology and high-speed Internet connections are changing the way the public interacts with wildlife - from sea otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium to pandas at Washington, D.C.'s National Zoo.
"We put the camera right on top of one of the main feeding areas so we could zoom down and get identification of each individual," said Kelly Sorenson, executive director of the Ventana Wildlife Society, a nonprofit that has worked to bring condors back from the brink of extinction.
"Over the weekend when we were testing it, we had 25 condors in front of the camera."
The condor cam can be watched on the group's website.
Several times a week, biologists who work at the organization put out stillborn calves on the site, a 240-acre property surrounded by wilderness in the Los Padres National Forest of Monterey County. Several condors were seen Monday morning on the live camera eating and preening.
Biologists from the group will zoom in on the birds at key times, such as in the morning when they are most active, Sorenson said. They also plan to ask the public to send notifications on the Ventana Wildlife Society's Facebook and Twitter feeds when birds are doing something interesting.
It wasn't easy setting up the camera. The area is so rural that there is no electricity or Internet connection. The system, which cost about $15,000, Sorenson said, was funded by a donation from FedEx and help from the Oakland Zoo. Crews installed a high-speed T1 Internet connection at a home 12 miles north of the site, then set up antennas to get the signal to the solar-powered camera.
On Wednesday at noon, biologists will be releasing three condors on camera that were raised in captivity. When they aren't releasing birds, the new video footage can help scientists see how condors are feeding, or whether they are exhibiting signs of lead poisoning from eating dead animals with lead bullet fragments in them. "We have to drive one-and-a-half hours up a dirt road behind five locked gates just to get to this place," Sorenson said. "It's an all-day thing. So this is an amazing tool for us to help monitor condors in the wild."
The marriage of Silicon Valley and "Wild Kingdom" is part of a national trend at zoos, aquariums and other wildlife hot spots.
Since 2011, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has received 2.8 million views on its three most popular animal cams: the sea otter exhibit, the kelp forest tank and the aquarium's vast open ocean exhibit.
"We want people to be amazed and inspired by the animals," said aquarium spokesman Ken Peterson. "If people can't physically be in the buildings, they still have a chance to stay connected with them. It's like visiting old friends."
At the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, four webcams receive nearly 300,000 page views a year. As with the aquarium, anyone can watch animals being fed at regular times every day, and can listen to experts, such as when divers enter the academy's colorful coral reef tank.
Wild animals don't always do cute and cuddly things. In fact, the Ventana Wildlife Society website has a note saying, "Viewer discretion advised. May contain graphic feeding images."
And in San Jose, the camera that has streamed images of peregrine falcons in a nest on the 18th floor of City Hall, though currently down for repairs, has shown the falcons eating dead pigeons, and was recording when several of the 25 chicks born there since 2007 died.
"It's not the Disney Channel," said Michelle McGurk, a spokesman for San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed. "But it has created a lot of enthusiasm - particularly among children - about biology and science and nature. It's really exciting."
Paul Rogers covers resources and environmental issues. Contact him at 408-920-5045. Follow him at Twitter.com/PaulRogersSJMN.


Pulitzer-Prize winning author Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee will speak at St. Paul's about his latest book, The Gene: An Intimate History, on Wednesday, May 3, at 7:30 pm in the Sanctuary.
The Gene is the story of the quest to decipher the master-code of instructions that makes and defines humans, that governs our form, function, and fate, and determines the future of our children.
The Gene recently was selected for the NIH Big Read by The NIH Library and the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences. Mukherjee was awarded the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction for his The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer.
A cancer physician and researcher, Mukherjee is an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University and a staff cancer physician at Columbia University Medical Center. A Rhodes Scholar, he is a graduate of Stanford University, University of Oxford, and Harvard Medical School. For more about him and his publications, please see www.siddharthamukherjee.com.
To purchase tickets, please go to www.brazosbookstore.com/events or visit Brazos Bookstore at 2421 Bissonnet.


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Charlotte Talks With Mike Collins
Social Studies Standards Spark Controversy, Conversation Over How We Teach Our History
Published March 2, 2021 at 9:00 AM EST
Everyone likes to believe nice things about themselves. It's true about individuals and about nations. In school, you probably heard great things about America, and they were true.
But our nation also has some blemishes. We've committed some serious sins, and educators have struggled with how to present that side of our story to students. In North Carolina, they're getting some help from a new set of social studies standards developed by the State Board of Education.
Not everyone is happy about those standards. Some people see them as divisive. But the changes have started a conversation about how our most difficult history is taught, and that conversation continues.
James Ford, at-large member of the North Carolina State Board of Education. He's the executive director of the Center for Racial Equity in Education and was the 2014-2015 North Carolina Teacher of the Year.
Dr. Olivia Oxendine, member of the North Carolina State Board of Education for the Sandhills region. She is an associate professor in the School of Education at UNC Pembroke.
Brianna Carter, social studies teacher at Olympic High School
Erin Keever
Erin Keever is Senior Producer of WFAE's Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins. She has been with the show since joining the station in 2006. She's a native Charlottean.
See stories by Erin Keever
Education reporters on how local school districts are coping with omicron surge and other challenges
The enduring legacy of Rosenwald Schools in Charlotte and throughout the American South
Local News Roundup: CMS staff absences may mean tough decisions; CMPD crime numbers released; COVID-19 hospitalization record
Charlotte Mayor Lyles discusses 2022 priorities, crime stats and city leadership changes


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The final countdown to Africa's biggest adventure race, Expedition Africa, this year to be held in the Kouga Region, has begun.
Athletes from all over the world began arriving over the weekend to tackle this most gruelling 500 km footrace starting on 14 May 2017.
Teams of 4 will trek, cycle and kayak their way through the region by navigating the route with a map and compass only.
39 teams from 13 countries have entered this year's race that will play out in the Kouga and Baviaans, pinnacle parts of the well known Adventure Province.
The event is sponsored by the Sarah Baartman District Municipality and the Kouga Local Municipality, while the accommodation host of this year's multi-discipline event is the Cape St Francis Resort.
"The Cape St Francis Resort has been waiting in anticipation to lay eyes on the people who make up each team that will be taking part in this gruelling super-human endeavour.
We would like to give each of them a tumultuous welcome to our race village," says Fasie and Fiona Malherbe of Cape St Francis Resort.
Organisers Stephan and Heidi Muller of Kinetic Events once again have kept the start and details of the route a secret.
Media, supporters and athletes will only receive information regarding the route, disciplines and transition areas at the Opening Ceremony which will take place at the Cape St Francis Resort on Friday 12th May 2017 at 2 pm.
The public is most welcome to this ceremony where the teams will be officially introduced.
The race will kick off on Sunday morning 14 May 2017 at 07h00. Locals are invited to support the teams along the route, which will be revealed through the live tracking on www.kougatourism.com where families, friends and supporters at home can cheer their teams on via the live tracking feed.
The feed will feature a leader board, all transition areas and checkpoints along the route.
Supporters are welcome to meet athletes in designated Transition Areas, all visible on the live tracking page.
This year's Expedition Africa race will not only be a physical struggle, but a mental one. Teams have a rugged adventure race to look forward to, as they are expected to race through the carefully designed course which incorporates all the challenging, yet beautiful attractions the Baviaans and Kouga regions have to offer.
"Teams will trek, kayak and cycle through extremely remote areas, venturing where few humans have set foot before.
Expedition Africa 2017's teams will explore through magnificent mountain ranges and onto beautiful coastlines of the Eastern Cape," said Muller.
"We are ready to welcome the 39 teams from 13 countries to our shores, before they tackle what we believe will be one of the toughest races yet these organisers have put together," says Esti Stewart for Kouga Tourism.
"We will be at each transition area to cheer them on, and our locals will show true Eastern Cape hospitality at every possible opportunity" she said.
For the first time in the history of Expedition Africa there will be a "Dark Zone" along one of the hiking legs, as teams will not be allowed to travel during night.
This is to ensure the safety of the teams as they will traverse though an African Wildlife area.


In What Year Did Ireland Become a Republic?
When we are not speaking of "Ireland" in general (really a geographical term only), we differentiate between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. But when did the 26 counties of "Southern Ireland" actually become a republic? Did this happen during the Easter Rising, after the Anglo-Irish War, or after the Irish Civil War? One thing is sure, the non-UK part of Ireland today is a republic. But nobody seems to be quite sure since when.
1916 - Rebels led by Patrick Pearse staged an armed insurrection on Easter Monday (the "Easter Rising"). On April 24th the "Proclamation of the Republic" was read by Pearse to bemused onlookers outside Dublin's General Post Office. This proclamation had no legal status whatsoever, should be seen as a "declaration of intent," and was effectively annulled by the British victory.
1919 - An "Irish Republic" declared itself and independence from Great Britain. This was more or less a theoretical exercise, with real power shifting in the following years. The Anglo-Irish War (or War of Independence) ensued.
1922 - After the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, the Union was dissolved and Ireland was given "Dominion" status, complete with a British Governor-General. The "Irish Free State" was formed, Northern Ireland included ...which immediately proceeded to split from the Free State and declare its own independence as part of the United Kingdom. The King of England was still King of Ireland, North and South.
1937 - A new constitution was adopted, changing the state's name to a simple "Ireland" and scrapping the office of the Governor-General, replacing it with the President of Ireland. In external matters, however, the King of England was still functioning as executive authority.
Then came the Republic of Ireland Act 1948, which declared Ireland to be a republic, plain and simple. It also gave the President of Ireland the power to exercise the executive authority of the state in its external relations (but only following the advice of the Government of Ireland). This act was actually signed into law in late 1948 ...but only came into force on April 18th, 1949—Easter Monday.
Only from this moment on could Ireland be regarded as a fully fledged and totally independent republic.
By the way—the Constitution of Ireland still has no passage implying that Ireland actually is a republic. And some dissident republicans deny that Ireland has the right to call itself a republic until Northern Ireland is reunited with the 26 counties of the so-called South.


In April 2013 during general conference, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave a talk titled, "Lord, I Believe." I wrote about it on my blog here. In his talk he speaks about how a man brought his son who was possessed by an evil spirit to Jesus and asked him to heal him. Jesus in turn asked if he believed he could be healed. The man said that he did, but to help his unbelief. The Lord then takes the boy in his arms, and heals him. The Lord helped his unbelief.
During this conference talk I was struggling with my feelings towards the prophet Joseph Smith, as I had ever since I was a young girl. I held onto the words that Elder Holland said, and how he said to not focus on my doubt, but to hold strong to the truths that I do know. Well at that time in my life I knew that the Book of Mormon was the true word of God. And if the Book of Mormon was the true word of God then Joseph Smith had to be a prophet of God.
I got on my knees that night and asked my Father in Heaven to strengthen my testimony and teach me that the things that Joseph Smith saw, and witnessed were real. The answer to my prayer did not come right then. It didn't come the next day either. It didn't come the week after or even a month after, but I held firm to the truths that I already knew and I continued to have faith that God would answer my prayers.
Throughout my life, two phrases have resounded within me: "Jill, your Father in Heaven KNOWS you, and LOVES you" and "Whatever you may ask, in faith, from your Father in Heaven, he will give unto you."
These 2 phrases have stuck with me my entire life. Throughout every step of my life, whether I was doing what the Lord asked of me or not, I remembered that He loved me, and that He would answer me. I believe that it is because of these 2 things that I always knew I could pray to my Father. I always knew that he was there, and that he would listen to me. I always knew that even if I was mad at him, if I was blaming him, if I was yelling at him, that he would indeed listen to me, and answer me. No matter what I was doing in my life these 2 promises have remained true. I'm grateful for the knowledge, and the faith, that I had in these 2 phrases.
In April of 2013, after that talk by Elder Holland (which can be found here), I got on my knees and again asked the Lord to teach me about the prophet Joseph Smith, knowing that he would answer me. Well my dear readers, this past week I got my answer.
My husband came to me last week and said, "Jilly, I think we need to start reading the scriptures together nightly." I was so touched that he would suggest this, that I hugged him and said, "I would love that Babe." Then he said, "I'm not going to be the initiator because you know if it's left up to me we won't do it, so I need you to be on top of it." :) It made me laugh, but of course I agreed and said that, that was something I could be in charge of doing.
So the next night while sitting in bed, I turned to 1st Nephi, and he said, "What are you doing? If we're going to read the Book of Mormon we're going to start from the VERY BEGINNING." I thought he was crazy and said, "This is the beginning." He said, "No Jilly, the title page, and testimonies." I was a little stunned because this had never crossed my mind. I had only read the Book of Mormon once in my life up until now, and I had never read the title page, or the testimonies of the witnesses, or of Joseph Smith. So I said "Okay" and Dave started reading.
Dave read through the testimonies of the witnesses. Then we got to the testimony of Joseph Smith, and it was my turn to read. Oh, and just so all of you know we started our reading with a little prayer, and asked our Father to allow us to feel of the spirit, and for him to teach us the things that we each needed to learn that night. Okay, back to my story. So I started reading the testimony of Joseph Smith, and his story about Moroni, the Golden Plates, and so on. As I was reading (and I don't remember exactly where it was) my Father in Heaven did indeed send his spirit to me to teach me what I had been praying for, for 6 months. The spirit revealed to me that Joseph Smith did indeed see the angel Moroni. That he did indeed see the Golden Plates. That he truly did translate the Book of Mormon by the power of our one and only Father in Heaven, that he truly is the prophet that restored the one and only Gospel of Jesus Christ to our time, and that he indeed is a true prophet of God.
Each of us are taught by the spirit in our own individual way. The spirit speaks to each of us similarly, but each of us are individuals, and the Holy Ghost treats us as such. I don't know how the Holy Ghost speaks and bears witness to your soul, but for me it is as clear as day. When I feel the spirit I feel calm, at peace, and I have the most beautiful feeling of love in my heart. I am filled with deep feelings of happiness and contentment, and my mind is clear. I mean my mind is PERFECTLY CLEAR. The spirit clears my head, so that my Father in Heaven can speak with me directly. When the Holy Ghost is speaking to me through my Father in Heaven, it's as clear as 2 people having a conversation in their native tongue. I can ask my Father questions and immediately my mind will be filled with the answer. If what I am asking is true and correct, it comes instantly, and there is no confusion or question. If it is not the spirit speaking to me through my Father, my mind will wander, many thoughts will come at once and clutter my mind, and I won't be able to focus. Clarity is how my Father in Heaven speaks to me. Clarity is what I had that night as I read the testifying witness that Joseph Smith had, and shared with each one of us.
Yet again, the promise I had been given so many times was answered. The question that I was asking of my Father in Heaven through prayer, and with faith, was answered that night. For I now KNOW without any doubt that Joseph Smith is prophet of God that he saw my Father in Heaven and his only begotten son, Jesus Christ. I know that he translated the Book of Mormon that is another story of our Savior and the love that he has for us. I know that if we read that book with the intent to find out if it is the truth, that Heavenly Father will answer our prayer. He will fill our heart with love, peace, and calmness, and testify to us that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God who gave us the keystone to our religion.
If we will read and follow the teachings found in the Book of Mormon, we will not fail. Satan will not have the power to overcome us, and we will not be tempted beyond what we can bear. I know that if we ask our Father in Heaven the desires of our hearts, and questions that we so desperately want answered, that he will answer us. It may not be that moment, that day, or even that year. But if we remain steadfast to his Gospel, and hold tight to the truths we already know, and don't focus on our doubts; those answers will come. We will not fail. We cannot fail. We will succeed every time with the guidance and love of our Father in Heaven, and in his son, Jesus Christ.
I know that my Savior died for my sins. I know that he is the only person in this world, and in heaven, that understands every pain, physical, mental, or emotional, that I go through. I know that when I am in need, I can ask for his strength and he will send it. He will not leave me comfortless. He will come to me. Christ didn't die so that we would never cry, he died so that he could be there to wipe away our tears, and turn our weaknesses into strengths.
I can't imagine the pain, suffering, and anguish that Joseph Smith went through while translating the Book of Mormon, but I know that he did because that is what God asked him to do. I know he did it for our time. He did it for me. He did so that each one of us can return to live with our Father in Heaven again one day. I'm so thankful for him, and his testimony, and for his willingness to share it with people like me. People that question, and people that have doubts; imperfect people. I'm thankful that he shared his testimony so that it can build mine.
I know that Joseph Smith is a TRUE and RIGHTEOUS prophet of God. I know that he restored the one and only true church to this earth today. And I know that it is the Gospel that will save my soul in the next life. I'm so grateful for this knowledge. I'm grateful that my Father in Heaven loves me enough to send me this knowledge. I'm thankful that this week I was taught a little more about my religion and why I do the things I do. I know that you can have all this knowledge as well, if you will simply ask in Faith KNOWING that he will answer your prayers, because he answered mine.


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Q: Post on native php (without framework) Into Code Igniter using AJAX I'm trying to post data on my HTML code to CI with Ajax. But I got no response?
Here is my JS Code
$(document).ready(function(){
$("#simpan").click(function(){
    nama_pelanggan = $("#nama_pelanggan").val();
    telp = $("#telp").val();

    jQuery.ajax({
        type: "POST",
        url: "http://192.168.100.100/booking_dev/booking/addBookingViaWeb/",
        dataType: 'json',
        data : {
            "nama_pelanggan":nama_pelanggan,
            "telp":telp,
        },
        success: function(res) {
            if (res){
                alert(msg);
            }
        }
    });
});
});

And here is my form
<form>
Nama Pelanggan

<input type="text" name="nama_pelanggan" id="nama_pelanggan">

Telepon

<input type="text" name="telp" id="telp">

<input type="button" name="simpan" id="submit" value="Simpan">
</form>

and here is my contoller function code
public function addBookingViaWeb(){
    $data = array(
        'nama_pelanggan' => $this->input->post('nama_pelanggan'),
        'telp'=>$this->input->post('telp')
    );
    echo json_encode($data);
}

Here is my post param

But I got no response

any idea?

A: add method in from if you use post then
<form method="post"  action ="" >

A: First problem I see is in your ajax submission code. Change
$("#simpan").click(function(){

to
$("#submit").click(function(event){

Notice that I added the event parameter. You now need to prevent the default submission behavior. On the first line of your click method add
event.preventDefault();

Now I'm assuming that your url endpoint http://192.168.100.100/booking_dev/booking/addBookingViaWeb/ can handle POST requests. Usually this is done with something like PHP or Ruby on Rails. If I was doing this in PHP I would write something like the following:
<?php
    $arg1 = $_POST["nama_pelanggan"];
    $arg2 = $_POST["telp"];

    // do something with the arguments

    $response = array("a" => $a, "b" => $b);
    echo json_encode($response);
?>

I personally don't know anything about handling POST requests with js (as a backend) but what I've given you should get the data over there correctly.

A: Try using JQuery form serialize() to declare which data you want to post. It automatically put your form input into ajax data. Example :
first set ID to your form tag
<form id="form">

then
$.ajax({
    type:'POST',
    url : 'http://192.168.100.100/booking_dev/booking/addBookingViaWeb/',
    data:$('#form').serialize(),
    dataType:'JSON',
    success:function(data){
         console.log(data);
    }
});

A: I got solution for my problem from my friend xD
just add header("Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *"); on controller function
Thank you for helping answer my problem.


One of the most exciting and talked about acts to emerge in the past year, their sound seems to be an amalgamation of the best elements of music from every era creating a new vibe which is wholely their own. Imagine dusting off your old vinyl and blasting it out in your new spaceship.
Wille is regarded by many as one of the most innovative lap steel players in the country while the guitar lays across his lap all sorts of sounds can be heard, from the soft trippy soundscape's associated with Dave Gilmore's playing right through to the thunderous distorting blues licks of Rage against the Machine, add this to Wille's gravelly voice and the more than capable rhythm section 'The Bandits' the concoction becomes irresistible.


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The Tech Submit Campus Life Stories Campus Tips Japan's Governing Party Is Plunging in Polls
Japan's Governing Party Is Plunging in Polls
By Norimitsu Onishi Jan. 14, 2009
Is this the beginning of the end for Japan's long-governing Liberal Democratic Party?
A lawmaker championing government reform quit the party on Tuesday, saying that the administration of Prime Minister Taro Aso was not committed to change and had lost the people's trust.
The high-profile resignation came as Aso's approval ratings have fallen and his party's chances of losing a coming election have risen sharply. Analysts say it may embolden other lawmakers, who have signaled similar intentions, to act.
"Unfortunately, Aso's Liberal Democratic Party has practiced politics completely disconnected from the people," said Yoshimi Watanabe, who served as minister of administrative reform in two previous administrations, and had become one of the most recognizable faces pressing for change in the government bureaucracy.
Opinion polls published this week by major Japanese newspapers showed Aso's approval ratings slipping below 20 percent, a danger sign in a country where governments with ratings below 30 percent have fallen.
Dissatisfaction with his government was underscored by voters' strong rejection of free money — Aso's plan to jump-start the economy through cash handouts of at least $130 per person — as a cynical attempt to woo voters, polls showed.
Aso, who must call a general election by September, rejected pressure from Watanabe and the opposition to do so immediately. He said he would not consider dissolving parliament's lower house and calling an election until the nation's budget was passed in April. The prime minister appeared to be counting on a bounce in the polls from the cash handouts. But more than 70 percent of voters opposed them, saying they would do nothing to stimulate the overall economy, according to polls.
"Voters have already given up on him and on the party," said Naoto Nonaka, a professor of politics at Gakushuin University here.
Members of Aso's party — who chose him last September in the hopes of riding his coattails — appeared increasingly to be counting him out as well. Worried about their survival, they could follow Watanabe out of the party, after the budget is passed in April, to run for re-election as independents.
"Mr. Watanabe is playing a political game and jumping around to draw attention, but many around him are thinking the same thing," said Nonaka, whose recent book is "The End of Liberal Democratic Party Politics." "I expect we'll see even bigger developments in April or May."
Defeat for the Liberal Democratic Party, which has led Japan since 1955 for all but 11 months, could lead to a long-expected realignment in Japan's political landscape. Senior members of the party have already publicly put out feelers to the main opposition Democratic Party. Smaller opposition parties — including the People's New Party, which was formed in 2005 by former members of the Liberal Democratic Party — have begun positioning themselves.