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Women do make men throw caution to the wind, research confirms

The presence of an attractive woman elevates testosterone levels and physical risk taking in young men, according to a recent study in the inaugural issue of Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Heidi Montag Fires Psychic Manager

Guess it just wasn't in the cards ... or would it be the stars?

A week after hiring "healer intuitive" and psychic Aiden Chase to replace Spencer Pratt as her business manger, Heidi Montag turned around and fired him too.

"I have decided to part ways with Mr. Chase both as a manager and as a psychic and will scrutinize business decisions more carefully in the future," she said.

Because hiring a psychic as your manager seemed like such a good idea at the time? Scrutinizing them at all would be a step in the right direction, but hey.

The new fool tapped to manage the exploding career of Heidi Montag? Heidi Montag. "I will be managing my own career as a strong, independent woman."

LOL.

Montag says she worked with Chase as her "intuitive healer" for a month after her recent plastic surgeries before deciding have him take over the position.

A position Spencer Pratt manned so masterfully for years.

However, "unfortunately recent behavior by Mr. Chase on set of both Just Go With It starring Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman and [on] The Hills have made me question this decision," Montag says.

Way to:

Not elaborate on what he did
Name-drop the film's cast members

In a statement, Chase responds, "At this time, I am not aware of any change in my business relationship with Heidi Montag beyond Internet reports."

As for his behavior, the witch doctor denies reports he crashed the set or tried to poach Audrina Patridge (?!) as a client on the set of Just Go With It:

"Heidi invited me to the set and the terms of our financial agreement are in line with standard manager agreements," he says. "I spoke with Audrina Patridge briefly on the set of The Hills with Heidi recently, but never discussed being her manager."

New launch date for CryoSat-2 confirmed

(PhysOrg.com) -- The technical issue with the second stage of the Dnepr rocket that delayed the launch of ESA's Earth Explorer CryoSat-2 satellite in February has now been resolved - and the new launch date of 8 April has been set.

Today in Congress

In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:

FLOOR SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2010

House Meets At... 9:00 a.m.: Legislative Business
First Vote Predicted... 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Last Vote Predicted... 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

"One Minutes" (5 per side)

H.R. 3644 - Ocean, Coastal, and Watershed Education Act (Rep. Capps – Natural Resources) (Subject to a Rule) (Subject to a Rule)

Suspensions (6 Bills):

H.Res. 1133 - Recognizing the extraordinary number of African-Americans who have overcome significant obstacles to enhance innovation and competitiveness in the field of science in the United States (Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson - Science and Technology)

H.Res. 1027 - Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the historic dive to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in the world's oceans, on January 23, 1960, and its importance to marine research, ocean science, a better understanding of the planet, and the future of human exploration (Rep. Sablan - Science and Technology)

H.Con.Res. 244 - Expressing support for the designation of March 20 as a National Day of Recognition for Long-Term Care Physicians (Rep. Gingrey - Oversight and Government Reform)

H.Res. 1040 - Honoring the life and accomplishments of Donald Harington for his contributions to literature in the United States (Rep. Snyder - Oversight and Government Reform)

H.R. 4840 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1979 Cleveland Avenue in Columbus, Ohio, as the "Clarence D. Lumpkin Post Office" (Rep. Tiberi - Oversight and Government Reform)

H.Res. 1174 - Supporting the goals and ideals of National Women's History Month (Rep. Woolsey - Oversight and Government Reform)

Postponed Suspension Votes (4 Bills):

H.R. 3671 - Upper Mississippi River Basin Protection Act (Rep. Kind - Natural Resources)

H.R. 4003 - Hudson River Valley Special Resource Study Act (Rep. Hinchey - Natural Resources)

H.R. 2788 - Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial Act (Rep. Calvert - Natural Resources)

H.R. 4395 - To revise the boundaries of the Gettysburg National Military Park to include the Gettysburg Train Station (Rep. Platts - Natural Resources)

Conference Reports may be brought up at any time.

Motions to go to Conference should they become available.

Possible Motions to Instruct Conferees.

In the Senate, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:

Convenes: 9:30am

The Senate will resume consideration of H.R.1586, FAA Reauthorization.

The Managers of the bill are working on an agreement that would take us to passage of the bill Monday night. We hope to lock in that agreement tomorrow. As a result, there will be no roll call votes during Friday’s session of the Senate. The next vote will occur at 5:30pm on Monday, March 22.

Votes:
There will be no roll call votes after 12:00 noon on Friday, March 19.

Another day in the holding pattern. The House Rules Committee has had to provide special permission for the House to continue to consider suspension bills through the weekend in order for the Members to have a little business to tend to while they wait for what's shaping up to be Sunday votes on the health insurance reform bundle, in whatever form that comes.

The Senate, too, stands by while the last votes fall into place, the requisite waiting periods run down, and the House passes the ball. Will the upcoming recess force a resolution to the GOP's planned obstructionism? Will they work through the recess if necessary? We'll have to wait and see. But you might consider encouraging them to get the job done before heading home. I'm sure they'd prefer to oblige.

Just a little committee activity today, and I'm not even really sure about that Senate field hearing. It's likely been canceled or postponed, though Senators wouldn't be missing much in the way of voting if they decided to go ahead with it. For reference, at least, the schedule -- such as it is -- appears below.

Obama's Indonesian trip: 'Disappointed'

by Mark Silva

President Barack Obama, who spent four years as a child in Indonesia, says he is looking forward to a helping of bakso (pronounced bah-so), a meatball soup, when he returns to Jakarta -- a trip now delayed until June by the healthcare fight at home.

Obama, who lately has attempted to place more focus on employment in the aftermath of a damaging recession, also has called that healthcare legislation in an interview with Indonesian television "the most important domestic priority in the U.S.'' He will make one final public push for it today at a college campus rally in Virginia.

Obama is "as disappointed as anybody'' that he had to postpone Sunday's planned trip, already delayed by three days by the White House's interest in pressing for a House vote on the healthcare bill, he said in the interview. That vote now is expected Sunday.

In the interview that aired today in Indonesia on RCTI, the nation's largest commercial television network, the president assured Indonesians that he is looking forward to this trip and regrets the postponement. Moving the trip to June will also enable a less hectic schedule there, the president told RCTI's Putra Nababan on Thursday.

"Please let them know Im just as disappointed as anybody," said Obama, who attended school in Jakarta for four years after his divorced mother married an Indonesian -- a statue of the young Obama (pictured here) first erected in a public park in the Jakarta neighborhood where he lived has been moved to the school that he attended after some protested that an Indonesian should be honored in the park.

"The only reason we delayed this is because the most important domestic priority here in the U.S. is going to be voted on this weekend or early next week and I have to be there,'' the president inaugurated as Barack Hussein Obama, a Christian who has reached out to the Muslim world with an address from Cairo, explained to a TV audience today in the largest Muslim nation.

The healthcare legislation that he's been long seeking is "about to come to a vote, and we've been debating this for a whole year and many of those votes were delayed,'' Obama said in the interview. "We contacted the Indonesian government in consultation and I think we agreed that it'd make more sense for me to delay the trip until the summer, until sometime in June. So that I'm not rushed.''

He apologized to Indonesians, particularly students of his one-time elementary school, who had prepared performances to welcome the American president.

In Jakarta, Indonesian officials said they understand and are not disappointed by Obama's decision. Obama also was scheduled to make a brief stop in Australia, where leaders also said they understand the situation. Obama was supposed to arrive Tuesday in Jakarta and then was to fly to Canberra, Australia, for a quick one-day visit.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said his government "fully understands" the reason behind the delay and was "not disappointed.. Even though we've been prepared for the visit,''' he said, (the delay is) not the end of the world.''

As the House nears expected action on the healthcare bill Sunday, the president will make his final publc pitch for the legislation at a rally this morning -- 11:35 am EDT -- at the Patriot Center arena at George Mason University in nearby Fairfax, Va. The White House has arranged an open-door rally, with no tickets required.

The Associated Press and The Jakarta Globe contributed to this report.

Augmented reality windshield from GM to show drivers potential hazards (w/ Video)

(PhysOrg.com) -- General Motors and scientists from the University of Southern California and Carnegie Mellon University are developing a windshield display that will highlight obstacles or objects on the road to warn drivers of hazards in dark or foggy conditions.

American Idol Performances: Ke$ha and David Cook

It was a tough week for Lacey Brown on American Idol, as the singer became the first season nine finalist to be voted off the show.

But things went better for Ke$ha and David Cook on Wednesday night. Both stars took to the stage and performed their hits "Blah Blah Blah" and "Jumping Jack Flash." Enjoy both performances below:

Blah Blah Blah

Jumping Jack Flash

On Tuesday, American Idol will return to the air. Will Siobhan Magnus continue her run toward a title? Tune in. Find out.

Britney Spears & Jason Trawick: It's Not Over!

"Let's start over ... I'll try to do it right this time around ... it's not over ... 'cause a part of me is standin' in the ground." - Chris Daughtry

What breakup with Jason Trawick?!

Two days after reports surfaced that the relationship between Britney Spears and her agent beau was dead and buried, and one day after conflicting reports that they were kind of just off and on, the pair put on a united front in L.A. Wednesday.

Their hot destination: a party supply store.

There, the 28-year-old pop star purchased a tiara, which she quickly put on her head. Throw in a McDonald's run and you've got the ideal Britney Spears date.

Jason Trawick and Britney Spears stick it to the haters!

A source explained yesterday to one prominent celebrity gossip tabloid that Spears and agent Trawick are "on and off," and spent this past weekend together.

The breakup report surfaced earlier in the week and was first reported by E! News, one of the more legitimate sources in the entertainment world. It's weird.

The couple has been an item since early 2009, after Spears bounced back from a tough 2007 and 2008 that included going bat$h!t insane and losing custody.

"Most everyone else abandoned her, but Jason refused to be completely cut out of Britney's life," a source said of the couple. "And he's very protective of her."

When and if they're actually dating, at least.

Ability to tolerate enemies influences coevolution

Stay and fight, or flee? These are usually the alternatives facing a victim when it is attacked by an enemy. Two researchers from Lund University have now collected and discussed various examples from the animal world where the victim makes use of another possibility.

In Memoriam, John M. Micek, 21 June 1939 - 19 March 2009.

No Jokes. No News This Morning. Just a request. I have always felt like Capitol Ideas is a community of friends and a gathering place for those of us obsessed with politics. And I have worked hard to make this...

WTC Visitor Center Worker Arrested For $40K Theft

A cashier at the Tribute WTC Visitor Center is accused of stealing $40,000 from donations and souvenir sales. The Post reports that the center's officials became suspicious of Emmanuel Reyes, 25, "after an audit showed that the register receipts were coming up short despite his effort to conceal the thefts." So they installed surveillance cameras and allegedly caught him in the act. The money from donations and souvenir sales goes towards keeping the center, located at 120 Liberty Street, its educational and community programs, and other work running.

Woman Calls 911 to Remove Man in FDNY Uniform from Stoop

A Windsor Terrace resident had a little trouble getting to her front door around 3 a.m. Thursday because a man in an FDNY uniform was passed out on her stoop. Naturally, Lauren Hill videotaped the scene with her Blackberry, narrating it with the annoyed commentary: "I can't get into my house because the FDNY, I don't know what he did, is sleeping in front of my door." This brave hero was probably up all night on St. Patrick's Day rescuing babies from burning buildings, and when he finally collapses from exhaustion, all this woman cares about is getting into her house! So she calls the cops on him. Hill tells NY1:

His head was leaning towards the door so the key was right above him so I did attempt to open the door and see if I can get in but that was to no avail. I was really having difficulty opening the door. He really needed to be out of the way I called 911 and I was like "I have to go to the bathroom and someone is blocking my door I can't get in."

Lucky for him she didn't have a Sharpie to draw penises all over his face. NYPD officers were dispatched to the scene of the sleep and roused the man, whose shoes were nowhere to be found. Hill says when he eventually got up but was incoherent, despite his declaration, "I'm good! I'm good." Her neighbors slept through all of this, but after watching the video, building tenant Lawrence Hill remarked, "I guess he thought he was home."

The NYPD won't confirm the incident, and the FDNY points out that the man might not be an active member, because the uniform is worn by retired firefighters and EMS. "I haven't seen the video but it's something I would look at," FDNY Commissioner Sal Cassano tells NY1. "It's not something I would expect of a firefighter in uniform. It's not something we stand for. But I haven't seen it yet."

Cuomo Investigates "Decades"-Long Pension Padding

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday that his office would investigate "the manipulation of salary and overtime payments that leads to inflated pensions at the expense of taxpayers," citing various cases of state employees who managed to increase their salaries by 30-167%. Cuomo said, "There is a possibility that it's gaming of the system.

The Post explains, "Lifetime pension payments are generally based on the average of an employee's final three years of pay before retirement." And some employees then work more overtime—an example from Cuomo's office, "A police officer earning a base salary of $74,000 took in $125,277 in overtime in his final year, bringing his total income to almost $200,000. Based on this inflated final year’s salary, he then received a $101,333 annual pension."

Therefore, besides the higher salary, Cuomo, who says this pension padding has been going on for "decades," says taxpayers are on the hook for the higher pension payouts as well. The spokeswoman for the state Public Employees Federation told the Daily News, "Accountability lies with the supervisors."

The Canon 5D mk II 2.0.4 firmware fixes the mess left by 2.0.3

The 5D mk II 2.0.3 firmware was supposed to be the end-all solution for the Canon super camera. But it wasn't. It caused more issues not worth the enhanced movie mode it added. Canon of course of pulled the firmware from its site cause many 5D mk II owners to cry a little. Because, as everyone knows, Canon owners are notoriously emotional unlike the cool and collected Nikon crowd. But chin up 5D mk II owners, the proper firmware is now available.

Chaos Theory - Health Care: Back From the Dead

Filed under: Chaos Theory

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Immigration Reform Revived in Bipartisan Bill

Filed under: Senate, Democrats, Republicans, Barack Obama, Immigration, Obama Administration, Congress

Two influential senators, a Democrat and Republican, have revived immigration reform with the blessing of the White House. Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) want to require U.S. citizens and legal immigrants to carry tamper-proof biometric Social Security cards that employers could swipe through a verification checker to make certain a prospective worker can be hired legally.

Those already in the country illegally "would be required to admit they broke the law and to pay their debt to society by performing community service and paying fines and back taxes," the senators said in a Washington Post op-ed piece Thursday.

Schumer and Graham would also beef up security along the border with Mexico. They did not say when they would introduce their bill or what other senators would join the bipartisan effort.

But President Obama is on board. He called the legislation a "promising framework" and pledged to "do everything in my power to forge a bipartisan consensus this year on this important matter."

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Amanpour Leaving CNN to Take Over ABC's 'This Week'

Filed under: Media, Culture, International

Christiane Amanpour, a veteran cable news international correspondent, is leaving CNN after more than 25 years to join ABC News as host of its Sunday public affairs show, "This Week."

CNN made the announcement Thursday, saying Amanpour had covered "defining news events of our time" in Iraq, Israel, Pakistan, Somalia, Rwanda and the Balkans.

For the past year, she has hosted a daily interview show on the cable network. Amanpour is 52 and was born in London.

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Researchers solve the sticky problem with carpet tiles

A new adhesive for use in carpet tiles which has been developed at the University of York could help dramatically reduce their impact on the environment.

Citroen creates a special DS3 for Yves Saint Laurent

Filed under: Europe, Hatchback, Citroën, Design/Style

Citroen DS3 Yves Saint Laurent - Click above for high-res image

With its new premium DS range, Citroen is desperate to do the same thing to its hatchbacks as French fashion has done for clothes. But sometimes it can be a bit of a stretch.

Take for example, this DS3 crafted for Yves Saint Laurent. Citroen prepared the premium hatchback specifically for an event that looks back on the history of the YSL brand and the recently passed namesake founder, using it to shuttle celebrities and journalists around Paris. (We would have gone with a C5, but we digress.)

So what makes this DS3 different from all other DS3s? A special paint job, complete with a big Yves Saint Laurent logo on the contrasting black roof. Which may be all the fashion-forward DS3 really needs, but given the countless fashion-branded special editions (like the Fiat 500 Diesel or Versace-edition Lamborghini Murcielago) and short of the concept car which the French automaker created with GQ magazine, we would have at least expected some sort of special interior treatment for a car associated with one of the world's best-known fashion houses.

[Source: Citroen]

Continue reading Citroen creates a special DS3 for Yves Saint Laurent

Citroen creates a special DS3 for Yves Saint Laurent originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More Misconduct In Polanski Case; Wife Says "Toughest Moments Are Behind Us" [Law And Order]

Roman Polanski's lawyers are alleging even more judicial misconduct in his original trial than we previously knew about, showing yet again that the 1977 proceedings were basically an example of how not to handle a rape case. More »

AmeriCorps: Obama’s Scandal-Plagued Indoctrination Machine

It’s great to be a prisoner in Obama’s America: you get stimulus dollars, preferential job placement, and a place in AmeriCorps. But if you’re a child in public school, watch out. Obama said he was going to build a civilian army — and he is using our children. He is recruiting in public school classrooms: I exclusively broke [...]

Perception of effort, not muscle fatigue, limits endurance performance

(PhysOrg.com) -- The physiological theory that underpins all endurance training and coaching for the last 100 years has just been disproved.

Great American Pastime (Teen Smoking) in Danger [Cigarettes]

Gawd, if you didn't know better you'd think that someone is trying to send kids a message not to smoke cigarettes. The federal government's going to start enforcing rules making it harder to market to kids. Is nothing sacred? More »

Bill O’Reilly On Glenn Beck: “It Takes The Heat Off Me”

Is Bill O'Reilly softening as others on Fox News go more partisan or attack stronger? It's a case made today by the Los Angeles Times' Matea Gold, who talked to the longtime cable news ratings leader about his role at the network - and Glenn Beck.

ABC Pays For Casey Anthony's Trial In Exchange For Pictures And Videos [Law And Order]

Yesterday defense lawyers admitted in court that ABC News has been paying their fees for the trial of Casey Anthony, the Florida mother accused of murdering her toddler. The network has kicked in $200,000 for her defense. [Orlando Sentinel] More »