Tables charting the chemical elements have been around since the 19th century – but this modern version has a short video about each one.
Since launching this site, our videos have been watched more than 2.4 million times.
But we’re not finished yet. We’ve started updating all the videos with new stories, better samples and bigger experiments.
So once you’ve watched all 118 videos, make sure you come back and check on our progress.
http://periodicvideos.com/
We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit, “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.
The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state, and federal levels.
The APPC accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation.
FactCheck.org
Headlines as of today:
Keeping Quiet A McCain-Palin ad claims Obama has been “mum” on the economic crisis. That’s false.
Call of the Wild A wildlife group’s ad attacks Palin for supporting the shooting of wolves from airplanes. She does, but there’s more to it than that.
‘Born Alive’ Baloney An abortion survivor claims she would have died if Obama had his way. She’s wrong. But Obama’s counterattack misfires too.
Guilt and Associations McCain once again tries to tar Obama with the controversies of others
Out of Context on Health Care Obama ad twists McCain’s words on health care “deregulation.”
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Welcome to The Freecycle Networkâ„¢, Amarillo, TX. Freecycleâ„¢ is a concept to reduce landfill and share with other members of the community that may put these items to good use. In the end you have the joy of taking home a new treasure, putting a smile on someone’s face, and meeting others in your community. There is a catch. Everything Must Be Free And No Trades.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amarillofreecycle/
The subjects of the emails MUST resemble the following examples:
OFFER: Moving Boxes – Amarillo
TAKEN: Moving Boxes
WANTED: Crib
RECEIVED: Crib
ADMIN: Moderators only may use this
The Freecycle Networkâ„¢ is made up of 4,604 groups with 5,814,007 members across the globe. It’s a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns and thus keeping good stuff out of landfills.
Membership is free, and everything posted must be FREE, legal and appropriate for all ages. To view the items being given away or sought in Amarillo, you must be a member of the local group. To view the local group posts, visit the local Yahoo Group where they are located by clicking on the link below.
Amarillo 2477 active members
http://www.freecycle.org/group/US/Texas/Amarillo
Flip4Mac
VLC
Swap Ctrl-Alt to match Windows
Make Home & End work like Windows
In FF
SVN
FTP – Transfer
FireFox
VMWare Fusion
iTunes
Store Purchasing/Track Info
Audible Authorization
Neo/CrossOffice
RDP
Adium
Chicken of the VNC
Pixelmator
TextMate
Colloquy
10 Things Every New Mac Owner Should Know
Top 30 mistakes made by new Mac users
Welcome to the MacRumors Buyer’s Guide
This page provides a product summary for each Apple model. The intent is to provide our best recommendations regarding current product cycles, and to provide a summary of currently available rumors for each model.
Japanese parts manufacturer Shimano is launching an electronic shifting system for high-end road bikes that it claims will vastly improve performance and reduce maintenance. By replacing the conventional levers that pull wound-steel cables through protective housings with solid-state switches and rubber-coated wires, there’s no chance for road gunk to clog things up and interfere with shifting, or, for that matter, your post-ride beer.
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Thursday’s announcement that the system, called Di2, will hit shops in January 2009 settles a question first raised in 2005 when prototypes began cropping up on the bikes of select Shimano-sponsored racers in the pro peloton. The system’s development has been photographed, chronicled and Angsted over ever since.
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Shimano plans to offer the electronic setup as an upgrade option within the 7900 group — which is preselling for $2,600 — so parts such as the two-tone cranks and brakes will be the same. (No word yet on the additional cost for electric; it could be double.) Di2 consists of two brake-and-shift levers, two derailleurs whose springs have been replaced by servo-motors, a 7.4-volt lithium-ion battery pack, and the wiring harness that connects everything.
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This looks like an intriguing book. I love the title.
The “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values is the first of Robert M. Pirsig’s texts in which he explores the Metaphysics of quality. The 1974 book describes, in first person, a 17-day motorcycle journey across the United States by the author (though he is not identified in the book) and his son Chris, joined for nine days by John and Sylvia Sutherland, a befriended couple. The trip is punctuated by numerous philosophical discussions (many of them on epistemology and the philosophy of science) which the author refers to as chautauquas.
The book sold millions of copies in twenty-seven languages and was described by the press as “the most widely read philosophy book, ever.”[1] despite being rejected by 121 publishers, more than any other bestselling book, according to the Guinness Book of Records.
The title is an incongruous play on the title of the book Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel. In its introduction, Pirsig explains that, despite its title, “it should in no way be associated with that great body of factual information relating to orthodox Zen Buddhist practice. It’s not very factual on motorcycles, either.”
from Wikipedia
There are not a lot of rides around here and for a bit of good reason. Except for certain spots around the Panhandle it’s a boring, flat, hot, depressing ride.
MS Wild West 150 – Amarillo-Canadian 100mi, 50mi – 7/26-7/27
Old Tascosa Classic – Canyon 20/50/80mi – 8/16
Cattle Country Stampede in Dimmitt – 9/13
Pain on the Plains in Palo Duro Canyon – Mountain Bike Race – 9/27-9/28
Tour d’ Cotton in Childress – 10/16
Adventure Cycling Association offers the best information in America for bicycle touring. They have a long list of bikes from a long list of companies. If you are interested in touring or a commuter bike this is an excellent list.
Touring bikes are designed to hold one or many bags. For commuting a back rack is a must. Backpacks throw off your center of gravity. They also have the screw holes in the frame for fenders to keep the rain off you and the bike. Most have steel frames and longer wheelbases, which do a better job at absorbing the road vibration than lightweight aluminum. Touring bikes will hold wider tires than a racer/road bike. Some hold mountain bike tires. To add shock absorption and stability.
I was happy to see my Bianchi Volpe near the top of the list. 
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Between November 2002 and February 2003, we observed and listened to 16 blind users as they worked with Web sites using assistive devices that read the screen to them (screen readers). Participants used the screen reader that they work with regularly: 13 used JAWS [3] and three used Window-Eyes [9]. 3
A spokesperson for the U.S. National Federation of the Blind estimates that, in the United States overall, JAWS commands 65 percent of the market in screen readers; Window-Eyes has 35 percent of the market. The 80 percent proportion of JAWS users in our sample reflects the situation in the Washington, D.C., area where JAWS is the software most commonly used by U.S. federal workers.
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Our focus has been understanding how blind users work with Web sites and what that means for designers and developers. Our focus therefore is users rather than specific Web sites. In the following sections we describe insights gained from our observations and we present guidelines that can help designers and developers both meet the letter of the law and actually make Web sites usable to people who listen to screen readers. Following the guidelines that come from this study should take no more time or effort than developers are now spending to get a good score from an automatic program like Bobby [1] or LIFT [4] while doing a better job of meeting people’s needs.
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Guidelines for Accessible and Usable Web Sites: Observing Users Who Work With Screen Readers
NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) is a free, open source, portable screen reader for Microsoft Windows. The project was begun by Michael Curran in 2006. Although development progress has been rapid, it should still be considered alpha software. NVDA is programmed in Python. It currently eschews video intercept techniques in favour of working with accessibility frameworks such as Microsoft Active Accessibility and the new IAccessible2. It is licensed under the GNU General Public License.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NonVisual_Desktop_Access
Welcome to the Home of NVDA
NVDA is a free and open source screen reader for the Microsoft Windows Operating System. This software can enable blind or vision impaired people to access computers running Windows, for no more cost than a sighted person.
NVDA allows the user to find out what is happening on the screen, by querying the Operating system and using a speech synthesizer to output the information.
Check out the Download section if you would like to obtain a copy.
For information about email lists, the NVDA IRC chat channel and links to community sites written in other languages, take a look at the Community section.
For documentation about NVDA, visit the Documentation section.
For information on how to report bugs, feature requests, etc., please see ReportingIssues.
If you wish to contribute to the project, please considder making a Donation to NV Access.
NVDA is still very much in development. It may contain bugs and not be as stable as other commercial screen readers. However, even though it may not work correctly in every situation, people are reporting that NVDA works well for basic computing tasks, and definitely has the potential to grow in to something as usable as the commercial screen readers.
NVDA Homepage
Blind Access Journal
This blog and podcast is all about the blind and our quest for the greatest possible access to all the information available in the world around us. Karen and I chronicle our experiences dealing with a variety of issues as a blind couple, show how we have dealt with various blindness situations and seek comments on ways to constructively address the concrete concerns of accessibility and transportation we face on a daily basis.
Blind Access Journal Blog
RALEIGH — Thanks to some text message-savvy grandchildren, North Carolina drivers whose license plates have the potentially offensive “WTF” letter combination can replace the tags for free.
Internet Acronyms Parents Should Know
The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Tuesday the state Division of Motor Vehicles has notified nearly 10,000 holders of license plates with the letter combination.
Officials learned last year the common acronym stands for a vulgar phrase in e-mail and cell phone text messages.
The DMV recently realized the same letters appeared on the sample license plate on its own Web site. Officials are trying to remove the plate from the site.
DMV officials got word of the plates last July when a 60-year-old technology teacher from Fayetteville complained about the plate after her teenage grandchildren clued her in.
DMV officials said they try to keep up with the latest acronyms, and that anyone who has an issue with their plate can contact their local DMV office to request a new one.
http://www.wxii12.com/news/16699280/detail.html
Pada Sanchalanasana is an Indian translation for Cycling Pose.
Yoga Asanas….towards supreme fitness
The Downward Facing Dog
The Upward-Facing Dog
The Puppy Dog
More Yoga Poses for Cyclists
Dandasana
Virasana
Tadasana
Padahastasana
Uttanasana
Chaturanga Dandasana
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Jathara Parvivartanasana
Malasana II
Janu Sirsasana
Paschimottanasana
Savasana
Yoga for Cyclist – Cycling & Yoga – A Yoga Sequence for Cyclist
Arms & Wrists. Your arms should be placed at right angles to your torso, in line with your shoulders. Your wrists should be in line with the shoulders or just slightly wider than them in order to distribute upper body weight evenly. If your arms are spread too wide, you can strain your shoulders. Too narrow a hold can collapse the chest, though for racers, a narrow stance improves handling when going downhill. To strive for this alignment, practice a modified Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) with the arms bent, or a modified Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), with the forearms flat on the floor, approximating the angle of your arms on your bike.
Torso. Your spine should be in a neutral position and your chest should be open so you can lean forward without strain. A strong, neutral spine allows the chest to open, which in turn facilitates oxygen intake. Tight hamstrings will limit how far the back will bend before forcing the chest to close. Try the standing forward bend Padahastasana or the seated forward bend Janu Sirsasana to achieve this neutral feeling in the spine.
Hips & Pelvis. The angle between the torso and the hips should not be hard or sharp—there should be adequate space for the hips to move freely. Warrior Pose (Virabhadrasana I, II, & III) can give you a sense of this open connection between the torso and the hips. Your saddle should be essentially flat-tilted slightly, to a maximum of three to five degrees. Just as the proper angle of your pelvis in Downward-Facing Dog allows you to distribute your weight evenly through your hands, arms, legs, and feet, a seat tilted too far forward tips the pelvis and adds undue pressure to the hands and wrists.
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Get into the Flow
Alignment will help you economize energy, allowing you to ride longer, more comfortably, but there are other yoga principles and practices that will also serve you well on a ride:
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Yoga for Cross Training – Yoga for Cyclists
Yoga Journal
1. Chest Expansion:
During your ride take time to periodically open the chest and pull the shoulders back and down, squeezing the shoulder blades together and contracting the back muscles. Take 10 deep breaths into opening in the chest and shoulder, which remain contracted during the ride. While riding try to keep the shoulders relaxed and open.
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2. Cobra Pose:
A chest and shoulder opener – lying the body face down on the floor, place hands underneath shoulders and gently press to arms towards straight but not all the way, keeping a slight bend in the elbows. Protect the lower back by keeping the hips on the floor and squeezing the gluteus (those muscles you were sitting on) tight.
Quad Stretch:
Lying facedown on the floor – bend one leg and grab onto the ankle – gently pulling the leg back and up – try touching your foot to your gluts. Switch sides. This can also be done standing. Be cautious if you have knee problems.
Upside Down Pigeon Poses:
Lying face up on the floor, lifting the legs to knee height off the floor, bring the right ankle to the left quadriceps – aiming for a spot on the leg midway between knee and groin. Pull left knee in towards body, push right knee away gently until you feel a deep stretch in the hip and glute are. Hold for 10 deep breaths and switch sides.
Forward Fold:
When at resting heart rate, standing, hinge at the hips folding forward – grab onto elbows, or more intense- grab ankles – with fluid breathing sink a little further on each exhale, letting the crown of the head move towards the floor and relaxing the head and neck as much as possible. Take 10 deep breaths. This poses is not recommended for anyone with a heart condition or if heart rate is higher than resting.
Lateral Flexion:
Due to the position on the cycle it is common to have tight latisimus dorsi ( Lats ) as they are contracted for most of the ride. With this stretch we can open the sides of our bodies. Standing brings both arms overhead; bring the right arm down resting the hand on the hip. Inhale, lifting out of the lower back. Exhale sink the left arm overhead until you feel a deep stretch up the left side of the body. Keep the glutes tight and the lower body moving forward as the upper body continues to lift and sink. Take 5 deep breaths and then switch sides.
Yoga For Cycling And Spinning
Welcome to lonestarrunnersclub.net. The Lone Star Runners Club is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote the benefits of running and walking by providing social, and moral support to Amarillo and the surrounding communities and to establish camaraderie among runners and walkers of all ages and abilities.
Ok, now for the male version.
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I’ll do this one later. Time to watch John Adams on HBO and wash clothes for tomorrow.
Ok, how ’bout a little treat on this one. These are the relevant Oxytocin side searches I came up with. You can see how far and wide searching can go quickly and why I loved tabbed browsing.
A lot of German, definitely non-American, origins on these papers. That’s of interest, because American media does not read a lot of non-English. I’ve notice similar search results where the science was all in Brazil, Italy, or somewhere else.
Oxytocin and the Mentrual Cycle
There is a very common pic. Wikipedia has a good example. Oxytocin isn’t on it. One study could not find a linear correlation with the other significant menstrual hormones. It is related to lubrication. This study found elevated levels at mid cycle, but not related the other hormones, in monkeys.
What’s in a Birth Control Pill
Combination hormonal birth control methods (pills, patch, or ring)
Estrogin, Progesterone, and sugar(placebo) varying by week or day.
Oxytocin and Birth Control Pills
Oxytocin to Treat Depression
A New Way to Treat Depression, Time Magazine 12/8/2005
Social phobia, anxiety, depression, and even some aspects of autism are influenced to varying degrees by amygdala activity. A long-acting oxytocin-like medication could, in theory, provide some relief from all of these disorders, and do so faster than, for example, anti-depressants.
Does a side-effect of SSRIs, releasing oxytocin make them work? It is suggested that oxytocin release is an important aspect of the pharmacological actions of SSRIs, and this could be an important contributory factor for the clinical profile of this group of antidepressants with particular efficacy in disorders of psychosocial origin. This unfortunately, does not seem to be a current use, though this hormone is available pharmacies, at least in other countries.
Oxytocin in Foods
Maybe, in oysters? Unfortunately, this is obscured by Oxytocin’s role in hunger suppression.
Ok, some of these I have difficulty writing or pasting. Go look them up if you’re interested.
Oxytocin and Sex
The Role of Oxytocin in Relation to Female Sexual Arousal
Oxytocin Hormone: The Cuddle Hormone is the Body’s Own Love Potion