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As previously revealed (qjnet/xbox-360/record-of-agarest-war-dated-hits-end-of-april.html), Record of Agarest War is scheduled to hit the PlayStation Store with tomorrow’s update. The game will be bundled into a single download along with all of its downloadable content, and checks

Baskin Robbins 31 Cent Scoop Night: Wednesday, April 28 from 5PM – 10PM….

Drop by your local Baskin Robbins this evening (Check The Store Locator For Participating Locations Near You….) for a yummy scoop of Butter Pecan or Rocky Road at a special price: just 31 cents per scoop. Cone included! No coupon required!

Baskin Robbins is offering the discounted treats in honor of America’s firefighters at participating locations around the country. The chain is honoring emergency service workers with a $100,000 donation to the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) National Junior Firefighter Program.

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Budget, Performance, Chevrolet, Design/Style

On Christmas day, 2007, Constandina Tutten was informed that her husband, Army Sergeant Joseph Tutten had been killed in the line of duty in Iraq. Sgt. Tutten was a squad leader with the 82nd Airborne, and had fallen to an IED while helping to clear Tikrit of insurgents. After hearing Tutten’s story, Camaro5 member TheSpyMaster enlisted the help of a few others to help create a tribute 2010 Chevorlet Camaro in honor of anyone who has given their lives in service to this country.

What started as a simple customization with aftermarket wheels and smoked taillight lenses grew into an all-out show car. New scissor doors and a wild body kit helped nab the Camaro top honors at a few local car shows, but that wasn’t enough for TheSpyMaster. The guy topped the whole thing off with a complete American-themed vinyl wrap.

While the look won’t be for everyone, you have to respect TheSpyMaster’s dedication in his efforts to get America’s service men and women the respect and honor they deserve. Check out a smattering of images in our gallery below, but be sure to head on over to Camaro5 for the fully monty.

[Source: Camaro5]

Custom Chevrolet Camaro is ultimate tribute to fallen servicemen originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA and DICE have announced a tie-on for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and the upcoming Medal of Honor reboot.

[JURIST] The Moscow City Court ruled Tuesday that the Slavic Union (SS) violates Russia’s extremism laws, banning the organization. The SS, whose initials are the same as the Nazi paramilitary, was one of Russia’s largest neo-Nazi organizations. City prosecutors initiated the action, accusing the group of promoting nationalistic supremacy similar to the ideology of Nazi Germany. SS leader Dmitry Dyomushkin says he plans to appeal the ban. He warned that the ban will anger radical ultranationalists into retaliation.
Earlier this month, a Moscow City Court judge known for presiding over cases involving neo-Nazi groups was killed while leaving his apartment. Russia is currently struggling to limit hate crimes, which decreased in 2009 according to the SOVA Center. Last month, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office banned Adolf Hitler’s book Mein Kampf, finding it in violation of laws against extremism. In December, the Russian Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision to shut down the Taganrog Jehovah’s Witness congregation and ban the distribution of 34 Jehovah’s Witness publications, finding both the Jehovah’s Witness congregation and the publications to be extremist. In 2007, the Russian parliament approved legislative amendments to change the prevailing definition of extremist crime in Russian law to include activities taken for “political or ideological hatred.”

After the failure of the third cloture vote to start formal debate on Sen. Chris Dodd’s (D-Conn.) financial regulatory reform proposal, Senate Democrats say that they might force Republicans to filibuster — the old-fashioned, all-night, stand-up-and-read-the-phone-book kind of filibuster — this evening.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) released a statement immediately after the blocked vote, saying, “If Republicans have ideas to bolster reform, we welcome those ideas and look forward to discussing them in full view of the public. None of this can happen unless Republicans stop standing in the way and agree to bring a bill to the floor so we can debate it. Their repeated efforts to block an open debate on Wall Street accountability legislation shows that they are trying to avoid a public dialogue so they can water down reform in secret.”

And the Democrats might force that public dialogue. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) tweets: “Plan is to stay all night asking consent of Republicans to let us debate Wall Street reform. I just don’t get why we can’t debate.”

by Agence France-Presse

Emergency crews battle flames at the Deep Horizon oil rig before it sank last week. Oil is now spewing into the Gulf of Mexico at 42,000 gallons a day.Photo: U.S. Coast GuardNEW ORLEANS, Louisiana—Emergency teams launched a
“controlled burn” operation on Wednesday to stop a giant oil slick in
the Gulf of Mexico from spreading off the ecologically fragile Louisiana coast.

A fleet of
skimming vessels deployed by the U.S. Coast Guard and British energy giant BP
swept the most dense concentrations of crude into a 500-foot-long
fire-resistant boom.

“This oil
will then be towed to a more remote area, where it will be ignited and burned
in a controlled manner,” said a joint statement released by BP and the
Coast Guard.

The drastic move
was deemed necessary because a huge slick with a 600-mile circumference has
moved within 23 miles of Louisiana’s wetlands—an important sanctuary for
waterfowl and other wildlife.

Mopping up the
oil if it reaches the wetlands would be next to impossible and officials fear
the slick could devastate the state’s $2.4 billion a year fisheries industry,
which produces a significant portion of U.S. seafood.

Coast Guard
spokesperson Lieutenant Commander Cheri Ben-Iesau said response units would
evaluate how well the initial burn-offs work before attempting any larger
operation to burn up the slick.

“Today they
are just seeing this as a kind of trial fire to see if it even can be
done,” Ben-Iesau told AFP, adding that extensive corralling of the oil
into denser concentrations was required before the actual burning would start.
“I believe that they use an actual accelerant to start it. You can’t just
throw a match in it and have it start.”

Oil is spewing
at the rate of 42,000 gallons a day from the riser pipe that connected the
Deepwater Horizon platform to the wellhead before the rig sank last week after
a deadly explosion that killed 11 workers.

BP has been
using four robotic submarines some 5,000 feet down on the seabed to activate a
giant 450-tonne valve, called a blowout preventer, and shut off the leaks.

As a back-up,
engineers are frantically constructing a giant dome that could be placed over the leaks to trap the oil, which would then be pumped
up to containers on the surface.

A rig is also on
standby to drill two relief wells that could divert the oil flow to new pipes
and storage vessels. But they would take up to three months to drill, and the
dome is seen as a better interim bet even though it could take up to four weeks
to construct.

Tuesday’s oil
burns could present their own environmental problems, sending huge plumes of
toxic black smoke into the sky and leaving mucky residue in the sea, although
Coast Guard officials dismissed the threat.

“The
closest shoreline is a very remote area,” said Ben-Iesau. “If any
mammals that are seen in the area, we will obviously have to hold off till that
threat is gone.”

“We don’t
want anyone downwind from the smoke,” she said, adding, “there are
obviously dangers inherent in these sort of operations working offshore with a
lot big vessels.”

The
Environmental Protection Agency was to continuously monitor air quality during
the operations, and officials gave assurances the burning would immediately be
halted should safety standards be breached.

Coast Guard Rear
Admiral Mary Landry, who is leading the government’s response to the disaster,
warned on Tuesday that if BP fails to secure the well, it could end up being
“one of the most significant oil spills in U.S. history.”

The U.S.
government has promised a “comprehensive and thorough investigation” into the explosion that sank the platform and pledged
“every resource” to help stave off an environmental disaster.

The rig, which
BP leases from Houston-based contractor Transocean, went down last Thursday 130
miles southeast of New Orleans, still burning off crude two days after the
blast that killed 11 workers.

The widow of one
of the dead has filed a lawsuit accusing the companies that operated the rig—BP, Transocean, and U.S. oil-services behemoth Halliburton—of negligence.

BP
chief executive Tony Hayward said he was confident an environmental disaster
would be averted, acknowledging that strong first-quarter results Tuesday had
been overshadowed by the “tragic accident.” Landry noted that the
deadly rig accident has not disrupted offshore gulf oil production, which
accounts for more than a quarter of the U.S. energy supply.

Related Links:

The politics of the Gulf oil spill

Cape Wind offshore project approved by Obama admin after nine-year battle

Automakers go ‘green’ in Beijing

Former U.S. Rep. Sam Gejdenson endorsed Greenwich entrepreneur Ned Lamont for governor Wednesday – four years after he supported New Haven Mayor John DeStefano for the same post.

Gejdenson was one of Connecticut’s best-known Democrats when served in the U.S. Congress for 20 years before losing in 2000 to Republican Rob Simmons, who is now running for the U.S. Senate.

“Ned has a proven record of not only creating jobs, but also standing up to the establishment and doing what it takes to deliver for the people of Connecticut,” Gejdenson said in a statement Wednesday. “I trust him to be the type of governor we need to put people back to work and get Connecticut back on offense competing for jobs and commerce worldwide.”

In 2006, Gejdenson became involved in a high-profile clash when he went public to say that he had received a push-poll from the campaign of gubernatorial candidate Dannel Malloy.

The whole thing started when Gejdenson said he picked up his telephone at his Branford home on Monday, July 24, 2006, to find a political pollster on the other end. The conversation started innocently as the caller asked whether the state was going in the right direction and how he felt about the races for governor and the U.S. Senate. But as soon as Gejdenson said he was voting for DeStefano instead of Malloy in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, he said the conversation abruptly turned to a series of anti-DeStefano questions.

What the pollster did not know was that the Branford man was Gejdenson, the former U.S. House member who had already publicly endorsed DeStefano.

“There was a lot of noise in the background, so it was a big phone-bank operation,” Gejdenson said at the time. “It was definitely just a push poll to beat up the other guy. They said [DeStefano’s hometown of] New Haven was dangerous. I’ve never felt endangered in New Haven.”

Malloy’s supporters, who were not on the telephone call between Gejdenson and the pollster, argued repeatedly and vociferously that it was not a push poll.

“If Sam Gejdenson thinks he got a push poll, it certainly wasn’t from the Malloy campaign or anyone we consider supporters,” campaign manager Chris Cooney said at the time.

Even though the Malloy campaign had been conducting research polling for two years, Cooney said, “We have never done push-polling, ever.”

After serving in Congress for 20 years, Gejdenson said that he clearly knew the difference between a push poll and a research poll.

Push-polling is a campaign practice in which candidates spread disinformation and sometimes outright lies about each other in the guise of an opinion survey. The line between that and the more accepted practice of research polling, in which candidates try to determine what messages might work best against their opponents, can be thin.

At the time, DeStefano’s spokesman, former television reporter Derek Slap, strongly defended Gejdenson and denied that the DeStefano campaign had made any anti-Malloy calls.

“We’d expect this from Karl Rove, but not from Dan Malloy,” Slap said at the time. “Are they calling Sam Gejdenson a liar?”

No this isn’t some torture entrapment for your pets. It’s actually a spa for them… well not exactly, but it still looks kind of menacing. The Canine Shower Stall  has 16 water-jet nozzles and a showerhead that will wash and rinse your doggy in this enclosed space. The powerful water jets will get through the thickest coats – perfect for those with Collies and Golden Retrievers.  The stall is made up of two integrated leashes and shower walls that reach 31″-high and a plastic roof to help keep water inside the shower. The shower stall connects to a faucet and has a 2′-long drainpipe which is used to get water out of the shower. The Canine Shower Stall can handle up to 200 lbs dogs and is adjustable to fit smaller dogs as well, and it retails for $1250.

A flight from Houston to Washington, D.C., was diverted to an airport in North Carolina earlier today after what is being described as a threatening message was discovered on the jet’s bathroom mirror.

According to the TSA, Continental ExpressJet flight 3006 was supposed to have landed at Washington Dulles International Airport but instead touched down at the Piedmont Triangle International Airport outside of Greensboro, NC, “out of an abundance of caution” following the discover of the message.

After landing in Greensboro, the Embraer 145 commuter jet, which seats about 50, taxied to a remote area of the airport where it was met by the authorities.

Continental flight diverted because of threat: TSA [Reuters]

Article Tags: Will Alexander

The plot thickens

It is difficult to keep abreast of the continuing tide of criticisms of the whole climate change issue. Unsuccessful attempts by the major Western nations and NGOs to prevent the World Bank from approving South Africa’s loan application introduced a new dimension to the issue. For the first time we have seen the change from words to action.

It is the Western nations that propagated this whole climate change charade. These nations have already started implementing costly emissions control measures. They erroneously assumed that other nations would follow their example. This has not happened. To make matters worse, this whole climate change issue is contributing to a widening rift between the affluent Western nations and the rest.

The gap is also widening between some of the former Commonwealth countries, India and South Africa for a start, and the UK. This is the first time that serious differences have arisen between Commonwealth countries and the UK. The governments of Australia, New Zealand and Canada have accepted climate change theory despite protests from some of their scientists. These counties will also face problems when the truth becomes known.

Read in full with comments »

File attachment: Global economic warfare.pdf
  

A Chinese manufacturer by the name of Aigo has two Android MID’s in the making. The new tablets will come in a 5 and 7 inch version. Both will be running Android 1.6, there is no word on when or if these devices will be upgraded to Android 2.1.  Price is rumored to be around 1500 Yuan which is roughly $220 and will be released in May.

Both of these devices will have a capacitive touch screen with multi-touch support. They will be powered by a Rockchip 2808 processor and have a dedicated video decoding chip capable of 720p HD video playback. They will also have onboard storage ranging from 4-16GB’s; also there will be a microSD card slot. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth makes their usual appearance as well. And for you people who love books, there will be a built-in e-book and e-magazine service, and these devices will be constructed in an all metal case.

[via pocketables]

It’s earnings time in the corporate world and guess what? Texas-based oil refiner Valero Energy yesterday reported a 27 percent increase in retail profit for the first quarter of 2010 and gave its CEO a 64 percent raise to $10.9 million a year. Valero’s announcement has special resonance for California fans of clean air, California jobs, and American energy independence. There’s a big clean energy showdown taking place here in California, and Valero is right in the dirty middle of it.

Valero—one of the worst polluters in the country-is the largest funder to date in a political campaign to reverse decades of California environmental leadership and keep our air dirty. It's paying to gather signatures for a November ballot proposition that would “suspend” California’s clean energy and climate policy (AB 32) until the state’s unemployment drops to levels seen just three times in 30 years – a good definition of “when the cows come home.”

Rather than directing its profits into cleaning up the pollution from its refineries, Valero is pumping them into this Dirty Energy Proposition.

Big Oil’s morally repugnant initiative comes at a crucial moment. Thanks to AB 32 and similar clean energy policy, California leads the nation in policies that link protecting our environment to growing our economy. Far from threatening jobs, as the oil companies charge, AB 32 promises to create a flood of new jobs in America’s largest and growing clean energy economy. A clean energy future scares the daylight out of polluters, which is whey they’re fighting it tooth and nail.

“Suspending” AB 32 until the cows come home would kill hundreds of thousands of jobs and chill billions of dollars of new green investment in California. According to the non-partisan, independent state Legislative Analyst’s Office, the suspension of AB 32 could: “delay…longer-run savings, dampen…investments in…green jobs by private firms, [and] result in less economic activity than would otherwise be the case.”

Big Texas oil companies are blowing cigar smoke in our faces – trying to buy votes in November to reverse the tide of history so they can keep polluting our air. If Big Oil can buy a win in California, it can bulldoze progress wherever it wants.

We can’t underestimate these special interests and the millions of dollars of profits they are funneling into California to roll back progress. Here in the Golden State, Job One is to prove not only that California is the national leader in growing its economy by protecting its environment, but also that Californians will stand up for their economic future in the voting booth. To do that, we must get the truth out to Californians. Please visit the campaign’s website, get the tools you need and get involved.

The battery’s power level rises with the temperature—not the amount of caffeine. Bleary-eyed and hungover, somebody’s going to find this out the hard way. That’ll be that screeching sound, trailing in the distance. [Art Lebedev via Unpluggd] More »

George Costanza hits kid with car…..

Life served up a “Man Down Situation” for actor Jason Alexander this week. Alexander — perhaps best remembered for his role as neurotic George Costanza on the long-running sitcom Seinfeld — hit a 14-year-old cyclist in Beverly Hills on Tuesday morning, according to cops.

The boy was struck by the actor’s car near the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and June Street about 7:15 AM, Los Angeles Police officials told The Los Angeles Times this week. The teen, who was on his way to school at the time of the accident, has been hospitalized in stable condition.

The actor — who signed on as Jenny Craig’s newest spokesmodel earlier this year — was not cited.

“Jason stayed with the cyclist until the paramedics and police arrived and all indications are that the injury was minor,” Alexander’s rep told TMZ.com.

by Grist

Umbra Fisk chatted live with our Friends with Benefits on April 21, 2010. And in the midst of tackling a range of questions from TV dinners to diapers to vampires, Umbra was asked to prom. Watch the replay to read her answer. Join us for next month’s Live Chat with Anna Lappé, author of Diet for a Hot Planet on May 11. Sponsored by Grist’s Friend with Benefits program. Keep the conversation going by making a donation to Grist today.

 <a href=“http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=f6331115b7” mce_href=“http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=f6331115b7” >Live Chat with Umbra Fisk</a>

Related Links:

Foreign Policy mag spotlights ‘peak phosphorous’

Ask Umbra interviews ‘Dirt! The Movie’ director Bill Benenson

Eco dog treats confound canines and humans alike

Semi-transparent smartphone screens floating in front of the user Minority Report style are all the rage right now. Palm started it back in May with their first “Life moves fast. Dont Miss A Thing.” commercial. Microsoft had the unfortunate timing of launching a strikingly similar ad just 3 days later — and then RIM showed up with their crazy impromptu dance club remix of the idea just yesterday.

Oh well. Copy-cats aside, Palm’s carrying on with the idea. Showing off their new found abilities to make ads that don’t creep us out or otherwise turn us away, they’ve just released two more TV spots. (Heads up: Instead of cute lady people, these ones feature hipster dudes, one of whom seems to be trying to dress like Neo.)

Android Central Forum member alear got himself a look at Verizon’s silicone case for the HTC Droid Incredible. Looks like all the essential parts are there. But what do you guys think about the texture and design? And what accessories are you most looking forward to for the Incredible? Let’s hear it in the comments, and check out a couple more pics in alear’s forum thread.