‘Quantum logic clock’ now rivals the world’s most accurate

An atomic clock that uses an aluminum atom to apply the logic of computers to the peculiarities of the quantum world now rivals the world’s most accurate clock, which is based on a single mercury atom.

The measurements were made in a yearlong comparison of the two next-generation clocks, both designed and built at the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the US.

“The aluminum clock is very accurate because it is insensitive to background magnetic and electric fields, and also to temperature,” said Till Rosenband, the NIST physicist who built the clock. “It has the lowest known sensitivity of any atomic clock to temperature, which is one of the most difficult uncertainties to calibrate,” he added.

The new atomic clock is referred to as the quantum logic clock, because it is based on the logical reasoning process used in quantum computers. The clock is a spin-off of NIST research on quantum computers, which grew out of earlier atomic clock research.

The atomic and mercury clocks were compared with record precision, allowing scientists to measure the relative frequencies of the two clocks to 17 digits - the most accurate measurement of this type ever made.

The comparison produced the most precise results yet in the worldwide quest to determine whether some of the fundamental constants that describe the universe are changing slightly over time, a hot research question that may alter basic models of the cosmos.

The aluminum and mercury clocks are both based on natural vibrations in ions (electrically charged atoms) and would neither gain nor lose one second in over 1 billion years - if they could run for such a long time - compared to about 80 million years for NIST-F1, the U.S. time standard based on neutral cesium atoms.

The mercury clock was first demonstrated in 2000 and is now four times better than its last published evaluation in 2006, thanks to ongoing improvements in the clock design and operation.

The mercury clock continues its reign as the world’s most accurate for now, by a margin of 20 percent over the aluminum clock.

But the quantum logic clocks tandem ion approach is unique among the world’s atomic clocks and has a key advantage over the mercury clock.

“You can pick from a bigger selection of atoms,” explains NIST physicist Jim Bergquist, who built the mercury clock. “And aluminum has a lot of good qualities - better than mercury’s,” he added.

Source: http://www.thaindian.com

Suicidal man barricades himself in house

Allen Police surrounded a house on Monroe Court in response to a suicidal call to 911 operators.

According to Sgt. Jon Felty, Allen Police public information officer, a man called emergency dispatch about 3 p.m. today, saying he wanted to kill himself.

“Basically this is a barricaded suicidal person. The person is in the house by themselves,” Felty said. “The only person they are threatening is themselves. We are in contact with him.”

Felty said police thought the man was alone and did not want to harm anyone else.

Police responded and surrounded the house and blocked off some nearby streets.

Allen ISD Public Information Director Tim Carroll said he received a call from police who advised Ford Middle School be put on precautionary lockdown with children not allowed to walk home. Buses continued to run normally and parents were allowed to pick up their children.

Source: http://www.courier-gazette.com/articles/2008/02/28/breaking_news/57.txt

Mellisa Moss Faces Jail!

I just gathered that "topless teacher" Mellisa Moss is facing criminal charges. See the full story below.

A 27-year-old teacher at Barat Academy at St. Charles, Missouri is facing criminal charges for e-mailing pictures of herself topless to one of her students. The investigation began last November after parents of the 15-year-old found the pictures of English teacher Melissa Moss while looking through his internet history.

Moss was fired from her job at the private Catholic school. She was charged with class A misdemeanors that hold a maximum of a year in jail and one thousand dollar fine.

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Harlem Globe Trotters World Tour!

The World Famous Harlem Globetrotters are bringing their 2008 “Magic As Ever” World Tour to Fairfax, VA on Saturday, March 15, 2008. Sponsored by Campbell Soup Company, the Globetrotters will take the court at the Patriot Center at 7:30 p.m.

“The Harlem Globetrotters are the unbeatable global entertainment experience that emotionally connects to and thrills every member of the family,” said Globetrotters CEO Kurt Schneider. “We are extremely excited about the upcoming tour and bringing our unique brand of family entertainment to Washington, D.C. and Fairfax, VA.”

The “Magic As Ever” World Tour will carry on the Globetrotters’ tradition of:

Displaying amazing basketball skills and wizardry, with a focus on family entertainment.

Featuring an autograph session at the end of nearly every game, allowing fans a chance to get autographs and interact with their favorite Globetrotter.

Becoming involved in the communities they play in by visiting local schools, hospitals and other youth-based organizations.

Entertaining crowds with the antics of their beloved mascot, Globie.

Celebrating their 82nd consecutive year of touring the world, the Harlem Globetrotters have played in 118 countries on six continents, entertaining over 125 million fans and crossing barriers between cultures, societies and people from all walks of life.

The organization is one of only six teams to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. For the latest news and information about the Harlem Globetrotters please visit the team’s newly redesigned Web site: www.harlemglobetrotters.com.

Tickets for the Harlem Globetrotters at the Patriot Center are $123.50, $55.50, $32.50, $23.50 and $20.50 (plus applicable service charges). Tickets are on sale now for both games through all Ticketmaster outlets including the Patriot Center box offices, via Phonecharge at 202-397-SEAT, 703-573-SEAT or 410-547-SEAT, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

To purchase group tickets, please call 202-661-5061. Accessible seating is available for patrons with disabilities by calling 202-661-5065 or 703-993-3035. For more information please visit www.patriotcenter.com.

Source: http://www.patriotcenter.com/news/globetrotters_080208.shtml

Rain Doesn't Stop Buick Invitational

The weather has not stopped players at the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines Golf Course from beginning the tournament.

Rory Sabbatini is 3-under through four holes on the north course, considered the easier of the two 18-hole layouts at Torrey Pines.

Tiger Woods is 1-under through four holes on the tougher south course. That layout will be the site of the U.S. Open in several months.

Source: http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/rain_doesnt_sto.html

Suzanne Pleshette Dies!

US actress Suzanne Pleshette, best known for playing the wife in 1970s sitcom The Bob Newhart Show, has died.

Pleshette was nominated for four Emmy Awards over 30 years and also appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's film The Birds.

In recent years, she had parts in TV comedies Will and Grace and 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.

She was 70 years old and died of respiratory failure at her Los Angeles home, her lawyer Robert Finkelstein told the Associated Press news agency.

The actress had chemotherapy for lung cancer in 2006.

Pleshette started her career in Broadway in the late 1950s before moving into TV shows such as Dr Kildare and movies including The Birds, in which she played Annie, and Nevada Smith with Steve McQueen.

Pleshette provided the voice of reason amid the eccentricity of The Bob Newhart Show from 1972-77, earning two Emmy nominations for best TV comedy actress.

She also won acclaim for playing property tycoon Leona Helmsley in a TV movie in 1990.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7198787.stm

Camila Alves Is Pregnant!

Adding to the Hollywood baby boom, actor Matthew McConaughey, 38, and girlfriend, model Camila Alves, 22, are expecting their first child.

Actor Matthew McConaughey has biked and surfed his way to shirtless notoriety in recent times. Now it appears that McConaughey, infamous for his Southern charm, is embarking on a new kind of adventure: parenthood.

The actor posted on his website late last night that he and Brazilian model girlfriend Camila Alves have “made a baby together.” Girlfriend of over a year, Alves is three months pregnant and McConaughey says they are “stoked and wowed” by this development. The couple are “so excited” to meet their child and to “shepherd him or her through this life.”

McConaughey and Alves are known for spending time together paddle boarding and enjoying other such water sports. With such attractive and athletic parents as McConaughey, 38, and Alves, 22, it seems safe to say that this baby will certainly be blessed with terrific genes, and perhaps even McConaughey’s infectious daredevil attitude.

Source: http://www.thecelebritycafe.com

John Utendahl is dating former supermodel Tyra Banks.

New York City investment banker John Utendahl is dating former supermodel Tyra Banks. Banks is so giddy about John that she has moved production of her talk show from Los Angeles to New York to be with Mr. ‘Ten’.

Banks is being her grumpy self and denying that she could be so selfish or that much in love. She had this to say to Essence magazine in their February issue John Utendahl. Though Banks won’t open up about it, Essence reports the buzz that she’s involved with investment banker John Utendahl, 50 – and that’s why she moved production of her shows to New York from Los Angeles.

Responds Banks huffily: “I’m very insulted by that rumor. I employ a lot of people; their livelihoods rest on my shows. The move to New York was a decision I made with my manager. It was not about a man.”

Fess up Tyra! If you cared about the people on your show then you wouldn’t uproot them and move them across the country to film in New York City.

Tyra has previously dated Seal, Chris Rock, Will Smith, Michael Jordan, Chris Webber, Tyler Perry, Lil Penny, Kobe Bryant, and Mark Messier to name a few.

John Utendahl you have arrived!

Source: http://bumpshack.com

Hillary Clinton Wins New Hampshire Presidential Primary!

Democrat Hillary Clinton defied the polls and narrowly upset Barack Obama in New Hampshire on Tuesday, breathing new life into her U.S. presidential campaign after a poor third-place finish in Iowa.

Republican John McCain, meanwhile, capped his rise from the political scrap heap with a win over Mitt Romney that injected new hope in his once-struggling presidential campaign.

The win for Clinton, who faced a flood of polls showing her losing badly, gave her new momentum and set up a tough battle with Obama as the race heads on to contests in Nevada and South Carolina.

"I listened to you and in the process I found my own voice," Clinton told wildly cheering supporters in Manchester. "Let's give America the kind of comeback that New Hampshire has just given me."

The victory put McCain, an Arizona senator, in the middle of a wild scramble for the party's nomination for the November election after being written off this summer, when he was low on cash and shedding campaign staff.

"Tonight, we sure showed 'em what a comeback looks like," McCain told a crowd of supporters in Nashua who repeatedly chanted "Mac is back!"

New Hampshire's primary is the second high-profile battleground, following Iowa, in the state-by-state process of choosing Republican and Democratic candidates for November's election to succeed President George W. Bush.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Let's celebrate Elvis’s birthday on January 8.

Elvis fans around the world will celebrate Elvis’s birthday on January 8.

In Memphis, fans were able to enjoy four days of celebrations with special birthday events, including an Elvis Birthday Pops Concert, Elvis Insiders Reception and Tour, the Elvis Birthday Proclamation on the front lawn of Graceland.

The Elvis Presley Fan Club will continue its tradition of meeting at the gates of the late Elvis Presley’s Graceland mansion for his birthday celebration. His former wife, Priscilla Presley will participate in this ceremony for the first time this year.

At 7 p.m., the NBA Memphis Grizzlies will host the Elvis Birthday Grizzlies game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The game will include Elvis-themed music and performances with a half-time show featuring the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist of 2007, Shawn Klush.

The legendary singer was born January 8th, 1935, and would have been 73 years old this year. Elvis died at Graceland on August 16, 1977.

Source: http://usatoday.com

Grooming Is Serious Monkey Business

When it comes to the mating market, new research may have you comparing humans to monkeys.

It's not dinner and a movie.

Instead, scientists say male Macaque monkeys pay for sex by grooming females.

For 20 months, reserachers studied about 50 monkeys in Indonesia.

They found that after a male grooms a female, she's three times more likely to have sex than if she received no grooming.

And, like other commodities, scientists found the value of sex is affected by supply and demand -- the fewer females around, the more time the male spends on grooming.

Source: http://www.620ktar.com

Jeff Garcia: The Play Offs Specialist

As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers jogged off the practice field, we were waiting to visit with the lucky stiff.

He's 37 years old, an age when a man begins to feel like a whiplash victim the day after games, so what's he doing catching second wind in the NFL?

His hair is receding faster than a banker's. But maybe you've seen the wife; the 2004 Playboy Playmate of the Year.

GIANTS AT BUCS: Matchups, analysis

Jeff Garcia is rich, happy, healthy, getting ready to quarterback in the playoffs, and the mother-to-be at home was once named after a month. Some guys get all the breaks.

But not always. There's a long, load road to this blessed state of affairs.

When Garcia was 7, his 6-year-old brother drowned during a family camping trip.

When he was 8, his 5-year-old sister died falling from the bed of a truck.

Football became his solace. But after high school, the big colleges did not want him, so he ended up at San Jose State.

And after college, the NFL did not want him, so he ended up in Canada.

And when he finally got his chance with five seasons in San Francisco — three of them Pro Bowl-worthy — the 49ers eventually didn't want him any more, so he ended up in Cleveland in 2004.

Then Detroit in 2005.

Then Philadelphia in 2006.

Then Tampa Bay in 2007.

Either Jeff Garcia couldn't win a quarterback job, or he was on the lam from the FBI.

Tragedies, trials ... and moving vans.

But there he'll be Sunday against the New York Giants, the seventh-rated quarterback in the NFL this season, a re-energized veteran who can run and pass and lead and think — a dangerous enough weapon that Giants coach Tom Coughlin mentioned, "We have to do something about him."

"I think anything you ask him to do, he can do," Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden was saying. "He did it the hard way. If we win this game, it will be done the hard way, too."

Gruden once scouted Garcia while on the Oakland Raiders staff. He recalled he liked him — but apparently not enough to keep him from becoming a Calgary Stampeder. Now Gruden can't imagine this Tampa Bay season without him.

"I obviously whiffed in that evaluation," Gruden said. "But in fairness to me I can say I wasn't alone. There were a lot of us who missed on that."

Here was Garcia, finally, to describe what has kept him resolved.

"It's just really I think a passion within myself," he said. "I always feel that competitor is strong with me. Whether there is something for me to prove or not, I feel like I have to prove something and that just allows the inner drive to keep going."

Maybe he's an acquired tasted, and that explains why it has been difficult for teams and their fans to fall in love with him. The Eagles did not keep him after last season, and he won a playoff game for them. Garcia has survived the uncertainty. He can even understand it.

"You just see kind of a smaller-scaled, scrawny guy who's trying to make things happen on the field," he said. "It's not by any means how you teach it or coach it. It's almost like organized chaos at times. I know what's happening but not everybody else may think I know what's happening.

"From an outsider looking in, they probably do have those doubts. I wasn't a first rounder. I didn't come into the NFL right away. I had to earn my stripes in another league, and come basically in the back door.

"Just going the direction I went should make you appreciate every single day you have in this league."

His experience makes him a good match with his coach. "I look at every Sunday as a win-or-die situation in my life, unfortunately," Gruden said.

A man like that needs a quarterback who has been through fire. He has one. So who here is going to begrudge Jeff Garcia a couple of lucky bounces at this stage in life?

Source: http://www.usatoday.com

Tarpon Springs Dives Into Epiphany

With thousands gathered at the Spring Bayou this afternoon for the annual Epiphany celebration, Chris Kavouklis dove beneath the water and brought back the cross said to carry a special blessing.

The 18-year-old from Tampa was one of dozens of teenage boys who dove into the bayou in what's become the highlight of the Greek Orthodox community's annual celebration, marking Jesus' baptism.

The dive serves as a rite of passage for many Greek Orthodox boys here. The one who catches the cross is said to blessed for a year.

"From the time the children can understand, they want to catch the cross," said mom Sylvia Danapas, 47, whose son, Angelo, 17, is diving today.

Her two older sons both dived for the cross, and her father, the late Mike Koulinos, caught it when he was a teenager.

Epiphany Day is celebrated each Jan. 6 to mark Jesus Christ's baptism. Also known as the Feast of Lights, it's one of three big holy days in the Greek Orthodox religion, along with Christmas and Easter.

Sunday morning, the divers, who all wore swim trunks and Epiphany 2008 T-shirts, paced in front of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, where Greek prayers and chants were broadcast outside through giant speakers.

The boys, most of whom are the sons and grandsons of Greek immigrants, said besides knowing how to swim, there is no way to prepare for the dive. It's not an athletic contest; it's just about faith.

"We believe someone's already chosen. Today's just the day we find out who it is," said Nicholas Sarouaos, 17.

After the cross-throwing, the Glendi, a festival with Greek musicians, dancing and food, will be held at the Sponge Docks from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Source: http://www2.tbo.com

The Thin Red Line

Just caught the last few minutes of The Thin Red Line, Terence Malik’s movie about the American Troop experience of invading one Island in the Pacific during WWII.

Its amazing how resonant that movie is. I’ve seen it several time by now, but everytime I see a snippet, it drags me in pretty much like my favourite work of non-fiction about war, Dispatches.

Its something about the “loud/soft” quality of both works and the essential humanity of both auteur and author, that leaves you feeling vaguely haunted.

http://thesun.co.uk

Bill Bradley Endorses Obama!

Former presidential candidate and ex-U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley endorsed Barack Obama this morning.

Like Obama, Bradley waged a presidential bid in 2000 that challenged the party establishment's candidate, former Vice President Al Gore, and drew heavily from independent voters.

Bradley will be campaigning for Obama in New Hampshire on Monday, an Obama spokesman said.

In endosring Obama, Bradley cited the Illinois senator's ability to draw support from independents and Republicans.

“Barack Obama is building a broad new coalition that brings together Democrats, Independents, and Republicans by once again making idealism a central focus of our politics,” Bradley said in a statement the Obama campaign released a few moments ago. “Because of his enormous appeal to Americans of all ages and backgrounds, Obama is the candidate best positioned to win in November.

Barack knows above all that unless people can once again believe in our democracy, we won’t be able to do the things that need to be done on health care and education or to break our dependence on foreign oil. His movement for change could create a new era of American politics – truly a new American story.”

http://www.cnn.com