Robot uses glue gun to make tools, hopes to ace Survival Skills 101

Robot uses glue gun to make tools, hopes to ace Survival Skills 101

Looking through Engadget's annals of robotic achievements, we see droids juggling, dabbling in competitive sailing and even manning prisons. Cool as they are, those functions aren't going to mean a thing when Mr. Automaton is lost in the wilderness, damaged and without a helping human hand in sight. Researchers at ETH Zurich are working to change that scenario, as they're currently developing a "self-reconfigurable" device that packs a glue gun for creating the tools it needs on the fly. It might not be the quickest method -- as you'll see in the video below, making a glue cup takes a good hour -- but it's effective enough for transporting and pouring water. That's not to say that the prototype is ready to fend for itself; it built the cup, but only under human direction. The researchers' next step is adding in autonomous capabilities so the bots can repair things -- and even build other robots -- without being told to do so. A sea of self-regenerating droids? Sounds harmless to us.

Continue reading Robot uses glue gun to make tools, hopes to ace Survival Skills 101

Robot uses glue gun to make tools, hopes to ace Survival Skills 101 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 14:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Babe Ruth jersey sells for record $4.4 million

This undated photo provided by SCP Auctions shows a circa 1920 New York Yankees baseball jersey worn by Babe Ruth that sold for more than $4.4 million at auction, Sunday, May 20, 2012. SCP Auctions says the uniform top is the earliest known jersey worn by Ruth and set a record for any item of sports memorabilia. (AP Photo/SCP Auctions)

This undated photo provided by SCP Auctions shows a circa 1920 New York Yankees baseball jersey worn by Babe Ruth that sold for more than $4.4 million at auction, Sunday, May 20, 2012. SCP Auctions says the uniform top is the earliest known jersey worn by Ruth and set a record for any item of sports memorabilia. (AP Photo/SCP Auctions)

This undated photo provided by SCP Auctions shows a circa 1920 New York Yankees baseball jersey worn by Babe Ruth that sold for more than $4.4 million at auction, Sunday, May 20, 2012. SCP Auctions says the uniform top is the earliest known jersey worn by Ruth and set a record for any item of sports memorabilia. (AP Photo/SCP Auctions)

This undated photo provided by SCP Auctions shows a circa 1920 New York Yankees baseball jersey worn by Babe Ruth that sold for more than $4.4 million at auction, Sunday, May 20, 2012. SCP Auctions says the uniform top is the earliest known jersey worn by Ruth and set a record for any item of sports memorabilia. (AP Photo/SCP Auctions)

This undated photo provided by SCP Auctions shows a circa 1920 New York Yankees baseball jersey worn by Babe Ruth that sold for more than $4.4 million at auction, Sunday, May 20, 2012. SCP Auctions says the uniform top is the earliest known jersey worn by Ruth and set a record for any item of sports memorabilia. (AP Photo/SCP Auctions)

Babe Ruth equals big bucks.

A baseball jersey worn by The Bambino sold for more than $4.4 million Sunday, a record for any item of sports memorabilia, according to the buyer and seller.

SCP Auctions, based in California, said the circa 1920 New York Yankees uniform top is the earliest known jersey worn by Ruth and it fetched $4,415,658 at the company's April auction, which ended Sunday. That price broke the previous record of $4,338,500 set in 2010 for James Naismith's founding rules of basketball.

Lelands.com said it submitted the winning bid for the jersey, which had been displayed for years at The Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum in Baltimore. The road top has "New York" written across the front and the Hall of Fame slugger wore it shortly after he was sold to the Yankees by the Boston Red Sox for $100,000 following the 1919 season.

Suzan French, a spokeswoman for Lelands.com, said the company plans to sell the jersey privately rather than re-auction it.

"Such a spectacular piece will find a home with one of our private clients who truly appreciates its historic significance," Lelands.com president Michael Heffner said in a statement.

Ruth retired in 1935 with 714 home runs, the major league record for nearly 40 years. Hank Aaron broke that mark and then was passed by Barry Bonds, who finished with 762.

In addition, Ruth's 1934 New York Yankees cap that was owned by former major league pitcher David Wells sold for $537,278 at auction. The colorful Wells bought the cap for about $30,000 from a collector and famously paid homage to his idol by wearing it on the mound with the Yankees during a game on June 28, 1997.

Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor's New York Giants Super Bowl ring from the 1990 season went for $230,401.

Those items also set records, for a baseball cap and a Super Bowl ring, SCP Auctions said.

"This proves again that Babe Ruth is 'king' in the sports memorabilia world," SCP Auctions president David Kohler said in a statement.

Also included in the auction was the high-end baseball card collection belonging to former big league All-Star Dmitri Young. Top prices were a 1954 Hank Aaron rookie card ($537,954) and a 1955 Roberto Clemente rookie card ($432,690). The proceeds will help Young begin a foundation to help kids and student athletes near his home in Ventura County, Calif., SCP Auctions said.

Other auction highlights included:

? 1924-28 Babe Ruth H&B professional model game-used bat ($591,007).

? 1968 Mickey Mantle autographed New York Yankees game-worn road jersey ($366,967).

? Circa 1931 Lou Gehrig New York Yankees game-worn home jersey ($275,706).

? Bobby Thomson's 1951 "Shot Heard 'Round the World" cap ($173,102).

? Jackie Robinson 1950 All-Star game professional model bat ($133,234).

___

Online: www.SCPAuctions.com.

Online: www.Lelands.com.

Associated Press

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Sleep Apnea Linked to Higher Cancer Death Risk

SUNDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- Sleep apnea has already been linked to a host of adverse health problems, such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Now, new research suggests that in people who already have cancer, the sleep disorder may raise their risk of dying from cancer.

People with the most severe sleep apnea -- those who have 30 or more episodes of low or no oxygen in an hour of sleep -- had almost five times the risk of cancer death compared to someone without sleep apnea.

"Sleep apnea is the periodic pausing of breathing during sleep that results in drops in oxygen levels in your blood. It causes snoring and sleepiness during the day," explained study author Dr. Javier Nieto, chair of the department of population health sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, in Madison.

"Aside from being an annoyance to your spouse, family members and maybe even your neighbors depending on how loud your snoring is, sleep apnea is a severe problem. Drowsiness and sleepiness during the day increase the risk of accidents, and sleep apnea is associated with cardiovascular disease, heart disease, strokes, hypertension and cardiovascular mortality. Now, we see this new angle: an increase in cancer mortality," said Nieto.

Nieto is scheduled to present the study Sunday at the American Thoracic Society International Conference, in San Francisco.

Nieto said the new study was suggested by researchers from the University of Barcelona in Spain who found that when mice were deprived of oxygen periodically, skin cancer tumors grew faster in the mice. And, cancer cells in the lab that are deprived of oxygen produce molecules that stimulate the growth of blood vessels in an attempt to get more oxygen, he said.

Nieto and the Spanish researchers wondered if this effect was the same in humans. To test that theory, they reviewed data from more than 1,500 people included in the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort. This study included 22 years of mortality data, as well as information from sleep studies.

The researchers adjusted the data to account for age, sex, body mass, smoking and other factors that might affect the risk of cancer death, and they found that sleep apnea increased the risk of cancer death. They also found that the more severe the sleep apnea, the more likely someone was to die from cancer.

People with mild sleep apnea -- five to 14.9 episodes of low or no oxygen in an hour -- had a 10 percent increased risk of cancer death, while those with moderate sleep apnea -- 15 to 29.9 episodes of low or no oxygen in an hour -- had double the risk of cancer death. Those with severe sleep apnea -- more than 30 episodes of low or no oxygen in an hour -- had a 4.8 times higher risk of cancer death.

Nieto said the study didn't prove a cause-and-effect relationship, but the association was quite strong. And, he noted that the findings were consistent in humans, animals and in cells.

He added that there is also a plausible mechanism for this association. When you have cancer and you repeatedly have episodes of low or no oxygen, the cancer cells "try to compensate for the lack of oxygen by growing additional blood vessels to get more oxygen. It's a defense mechanism," Nieto said. And, as those blood vessels keep growing, it helps the tumor to spread, he explained.

Dr. Steven Park, a sleep medicine specialist and otorhinolaryngologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, said he wasn't surprised by the findings.

"This goes along with the link between sleep apnea and pretty much every chronic medical condition out there," Park said. But, he added that this study's findings need to be confirmed in other studies, and ideally be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Research presented at medical meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

"Anyone with snoring, severe daytime fatigue, lack of memory or focus, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even someone who has to get up to go to the bathroom at night should be screened for sleep apnea," Park said. He added that it's possible to have sleep apnea without snoring, especially for women. So, if you're getting enough sleep at night, yet still feel tired during the day, it's important to bring this up to your doctor.

Park said there are home-monitoring devices that can be used to screen people at home initially.

Nieto said that treating sleep apnea will improve your quality of life, as well as reduce your risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. And, if you have cancer, he said, treating sleep apnea may help increase your odds of surviving cancer.

More information

Learn more about sleep apnea from the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

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Apple's Next Assault: Video Gaming | Red Sea Oasis

The news turned out to be rumor, at least according to Valve, which vehemently denied the visit had occurred. In the two weeks since then, Apple stock has been on a roller coaster, while the company delivered Q2 results that crushed analyst expectations.

Still, whether Valve is involved or not, look for video-game consoles to be in Apple?s crosshairs. After all, the total world market for video games is expected to be $81 billion by 2016, with console sales are pegged at $36 billion that year. Its estimated that the global market for connected, smart TVs will grow from 100 million today to over 500 million by 2016.

Here?s how the current video game console market looks. Keep in mind, video gaming in general is on a down cycle right now. Current-generation consoles are getting long in the tooth, fewer titles are being released and gamers seem to be waiting to see what will happen next.

Microsoft (Xbox 360)

  • 66 million units sold.
  • Xbox Live network has 40 million users
  • Latest figures have Xbox division revenue down at $1.62 billion for Q3, but in Q2 holiday sales had boosted that to $4.24 billion.

Sony (Playstation 3)

  • 62 million units sold.
  • PSN (Playstation network) has 90 million users (includes accounts registered to Sony portable gaming devices).
  • Sony gaming revenue is down considerably as part of its horrible year.

Nintendo (Wii)

  • 96 million units sold.
  • New Wii U console due by the end of 2012.
  • For fiscal year 2011, Nintendo its reported first-ever annual loss of $532.5 million (on $8 billion in revenue, which includes both the Wii and its portable gaming system).

Apple seemingly came out of nowhere to completely disrupt the mobile gaming market that had been dominated by Nintendo and to a lesser extent Sony, for the past decade. Sales of video games through the Apple?s App Store, estimated to be in the $900 million range in 2010, surged to $2 billion in 2011. With hundreds of millions of iOS mobile devices and tens of thousands of 99-cent games, Apple has turned the mobile gaming market upside down to become a major player if not the market leader.

What about the living room? Putting the pieces together, we have a worldwide installed base of current game consoles that?s well over 200 million units. We know that gamers have been willing to pay anywhere from $100 to $500 or more (at launch) for these systems. We know that the three current console makers are seeing declining sales (projected to become a 20% slump in 2012) as consumers appear to be hunkering down and waiting for the next generation of systems. That?s 200 million or more systems that need to be replaced soon.

Another factor is the cost of console video-game titles. Popular titles like Activision?s (NASDAQ:ATVI) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare can move 6.5 million copies on launch day despite a $60 price tag. One of the ways Apple has been killing traditional portable gaming systems has been its App Store?s wealth of titles and bargain-basement prices that make it tough to justify a $30 game cartridge for a Nintendo 3DS.

The Right Combination

The million (or multibillion) dollar question is, will Apple pull the trigger?

It has tried to entering the home gaming market before, with the dismally selling Pippin. That device, which Apple launched in 1995 and killed in 1997, was sold in partnership with Bandai for $600. A total of 100,000 units were produced. It holds spot No. 22 on PC World?s list of the ?25 Worst Tech Products of All Time.?

The company?s other foray into the living room the Apple TV set-top streaming box has been more successful (1.4 million of the $99 devices sold during the last holiday season), but those are pretty minuscule numbers compared to the 35 million iPhones and 12 million or so iPads Apple moved last quarter at roughly $600 and $500 a pop, respectively.

The answer may lie in a combination of the Apple TV, the App Store and the long rumored iTV (or Apple TV), along with a generous dollop of Apple?s need to enter new markets.

The pieces are all there. Apple has proven that its hardware can run compelling games, it has the necessary online distribution network and a revenue model that supports selling a large library of inexpensive games. Adding these capabilities to a forthcoming TV set would be a no-brainer, especially since consumers expect so-called smart TVs to become the norm.

Another Disruption

Apple?s explosive stock price is at least partially the result of highly successful launches into new markets. It wasn?t gangbusters like this when the company was primarily a computer seller. But the iPod disrupted then ruled the portable music business, the iPhone did likewise in the mobile phone industry and the iPad is practically the only game in town in the red-hot tablet market.

To continue this growth Apple can?t coast on being great at computers, music, smartphones and tablets it has to look to the next market it can disrupt and conquer.

A combination Apple TV and game console in the living room has the potential to upend both existing markets, with a good chunk of revenue up for grabs. As an added bonus, doing so would boost the number of living room devices pointed at Apple?s iTunes video-streaming service, pushing App Store revenues even higher.

The living room is looking like Apple?s next big, juicy target.

As of this writing, Brad Moon doesnt own any shares mentioned here.

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Apple announces its iTunes Festival line up, watch live performances on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

Apple has just announced its line up for the annual iTunes Festival. The event which first started in 2007 has been hugely popular as all of the tickets are given away free of charge. The live concerts all take place at London?s The Roundhouse and it all kicks off on September 1st and goes on until September 30th.

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Facebook fizzles in debut, shares skirt IPO price

By Alexei Oreskovic

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc shares fizzled on their first day of trade on the Nasdaq, erasing early gains of as much as 18 percent to trade close to their initial public offering price.

The stock opened 11 percent higher and rose to $45 before rapidly heading south in frenzied trade, touching its initial public offering price of $38. The No. 1 online social network raised as much as $18.4 billion in one of the biggest initial public offerings in U.S. history.

After a delay in the opening print that drove up anxiety levels among traders and onlookers outside the Nasdaq, the company's closely watched stock began trading at $42.05, compared with an IPO price of $38.

To rapturous applause from employees, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg -- flanked by Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg and Nasdaq Chief Executive Robert Greifeld -- rang the bell to kick off trading at the company's Silicon Valley headquarters at 6:30 a.m. Pacific time.

The 28-year-old billionaire founder hugged and high-fived Sandberg and other employees in celebration after he pressed the remote button.

The area outside Facebook's offices at 1 Hacker Way was packed with throngs of photographers, more than 12 television trucks, and a TV news helicopter hovering overhead as the excitement reached fever pitch.

"A 15 to 20 percent pop is in the realm of possibility," said Tim Loughran, a finance professor at the University of Notre Dame, before the start of trade.

"Given they already moved their IPO range up and increased the size, that's bullish to begin with."

Some expect shares could rise 30 percent or more on Friday, despite ongoing concerns about Facebook's long-term money-making potential. An average of Morningstar analyst estimates put the closing price for Facebook shares on Friday at $50.

(Additional reporting By Edwin Chan in San Francisco and Yinka Adegoke in New York; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

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Parksville Sports | Recreation | Try Girls Hockey 5-14yrs

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Saturday, June 9th, 2012
1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

Try Girls Hockey 5-14 yrs.
OMHA and the RDN are teaming up to provide girls with the opportunity to try the fabulous game of hockey. We provide the gear and instruction, you provide the enthusiasm! Registration is FREE, please pre-register with RDN, Recreation and Parks 250-248-3252. All equipment provided.

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94% The Secret World of Arrietty

All Critics (117) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (109) | Rotten (7)

As pretty as it is, this Secret World is too Earthbound by far.

The Secret World of Arrietty is a marvelously captivating animated feature about very tiny people and the full-scale world they inhabit.

Yonebayashi gives Arrietty an excellent sense of balance, with the adventure aspects of the story, which feel legitimately dangerous providing well-paced contrast the film's more placid moments.

It's an enjoyable and attractive-looking film, but a little of that "Speed Racer" energy wouldn't have been such a bad thing.

The visual details are inventive, and the animation - particularly the colors - is lovely.

"The Secret World of Arrietty'' is a feast for the eyes that will engage the entire family.

Studio Ghibli's best film since Miyazaki's eco-fable masterpiece Spirited Away. Its story is impeccably paced, its look beautifully imagined, and its drama perfectly built-up. Bristles, underfoot, with some delightful feminism and environmentalism.

There's a gentle movie from Japan that's going to seem familiar to a lot of fans of the series of books about 'The Borrowers.'

Like motion picture Yoga--quietly cathartic and just the thing to raise your kids on.

It certainly belongs in the second rank of Ghibli fantasies. But give it a chance.

Most will be caught up in its beautiful spell, immersed in great storytelling at its finest.

The soft-focus animation has an impressionistic quality, as if a gentle breeze had wafted across a Monet canvas.

This smart, winsome fairy tale is not quite Hiyao Miyazaki, but it still might be the best animated film that (some few) will see all year.

Another Studio Ghibli wonder, as heartbreaking for its devotion to craft, artistry and intelligent storytelling (for viewers of all ages) as for its themes of inevitable exile and impossible love.

There's a gentle movie from Japan that's going to seem familiar to a lot of fans of the series of books about 'The Borrowers.'

...yet another jewel in the crown of Studio Ghibli.

...creates a sense of wide-eyed wonder and discovery as we experience the awe-inspiring mysteries of an ordinary house as seen from the four-inch borrower's point of view.

The animation, a gorgeous blend of bewitching watercolored backgrounds and poignantly rendered characters, is, as ever, beyond reproach.

What is most effective is the way the sense of peaceful shelter and retreat in the country setting contrasts with the precariousness of the situations faced by Shawn and Arrietty.

It's hard to imagine this scenario playing out with more delicacy and care than animator-turned-director Yonebayashi Hiromasa brings to bear.

Arrietty has an elegiac mood, like a more wan and sedate Toy Story.

Gently enchanting, an extraordinary adventure

There may not be a frenzy of action and fast cuts but each scene has meticulous details about how the borrowers live, how they make use of the things in their environment to survive.

Tiny people who live in the walls of a rural home are put at risk when they are discovered by the humans residing there. Studio Ghibli offers a soothing animated version of the classic children's novels.

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Divided but peaceful 2 years after Thai violence

FILE - In this May 19, 2010 file photo, an anti-government protestor piles tires on a fire at Central World shopping mall in Bangkok. Just two years ago, Thailand was at war with itself. Rifle shots and exploding grenades rang out in Bangkok as troops crushed through barricades to disperse a nine-week-old insurrection. (AP Photo/Wally Santana, File)

FILE - In this May 19, 2010 file photo, an anti-government protestor piles tires on a fire at Central World shopping mall in Bangkok. Just two years ago, Thailand was at war with itself. Rifle shots and exploding grenades rang out in Bangkok as troops crushed through barricades to disperse a nine-week-old insurrection. (AP Photo/Wally Santana, File)

FILE - In this May 20, 2010, an elderly monk drags a chair with his belongings past the burnt out Central World shopping mall in Bangkok, a day after it was set on fire by anti-government protesters. Just two years ago, Thailand was at war with itself. Rifle shots and exploding grenades rang out in Bangkok as troops crushed through barricades to disperse a nine-week-old insurrection. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

FILE - In this May 20, 2010 file photo, firemen hose down remaining cinders in front of a collapsed section of Central World shopping mall in Bangkok, a day after it was set on fire by anti-government protesters. Just two years ago, Thailand was at war with itself. Rifle shots and exploding grenades rang out in Bangkok as troops crushed through barricades to disperse a nine-week-old insurrection. (AP Photo/Wally Santana, File)

A man rides on an escalator Friday, May 18, 2012 at the country's biggest shopping mall Central World which was one of the many properties set on fire by anti-government protesters in Bangkok on May 19, 2010. Just two years ago, Thailand was at war with itself, with rifle shots and exploding grenades ringing out in Bangkok as troops crushed through barricades to disperse a nine-week-old insurrection. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

A Thai security man stands guard Friday, May 18, 2012, outside the country's biggest shopping mall Central World which was one of the many properties set on fire by anti-government protesters on May 19, 2010. Just two years ago, Thailand was at war with itself, with rifle shots and exploding grenades ringing out in Bangkok as troops crushed through barricades to disperse a nine-week-old insurrection. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

(AP) ? Just two years ago, Thailand was at war with itself. Rifle shots and exploding grenades rang out in Bangkok as troops crushed through barricades to disperse a nine-week-old insurrection. A retired nurse was the last to capitulate.

"I stood before the soldiers and asked if they wanted to shoot me, or arrest me," said Phussadee Ngamkham, now 57, who became a hero of the Red Shirt protest movement by refusing to budge while others fled a final crackdown by soldiers on May 19, 2010, after weeks of deadly street fighting.

"At that time, I had made a promise with my Red Shirt brothers and sisters that if we didn't get democracy, I wouldn't go home," she said.

Those days of mayhem, which pitted Thailand's rural masses against a government they decried as elitist and which left at least 90 people dead and almost 2,000 injured, now seem a world away.

An election has since given an overwhelming mandate to the party most closely allied with the protesters, and the normally peaceful Buddhist country has returned to its routines and tourists to its tropical beaches.

Much of the us-versus-them vitriol has dissipated, giving way ? for now ? to an apparent acceptance on both sides that while neither the current government nor its predecessors are perfect, elections may be better than street violence for deciding the country's future.

Still, deep divisions remain, and many wonder how long this phase will last.

"It's stability on the surface. The conflicts are still there," said Michael Nelson, a Thai studies lecturer at Walailak University in southern Thailand. "It's a return to business as usual, and as long as there's no really outstanding point of conflict, ... nothing much will happen. There is no reason to get out on the street."

On Saturday, Red Shirt supporters will go back to central Bangkok to peacefully mark the anniversary. Like most Red Shirt rallies it will include an evening video appearance by ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra. He fled into exile after being ousted by a 2006 military coup, and was convicted of corruption in absentia.

The 2010 conflict was largely between supporters of Thaksin ? whose populist policies made him the rural poor's hero ? and supporters of Thailand's traditional powerholders in the royal palace and the military.

Part of the reason for the current state of peace is because Thaksin's supporters have been appeased by the new prime minister, Thaksin's sister Yingluck Shinawatra. She won her 2011 campaign by a landslide and ended the premiership of Abhisit Vejjajiva, a staunch Thaksin opponent who ordered the May 19 crackdown on anti-government protesters who were demanding that his government immediately resign.

Yingluck has continued in the spirit of her brother's populist policies, cementing her rural base and winning over others who were not initially supporters. She has increased the minimum wage, handed out ample tax refunds to the budding middle class and endeared rice farmers with a new program that pays them above market rates for rice.

Many Thais who oppose Thaksin have come to terms with his sister's government, saying she has managed to maintain an uneasy but welcome calm. And Thai politics has not yet produced a viable alternative to the Thaksin camp.

"I'm not satisfied with this government, but to be honest the Abhisit government wasn't any better," said Siriluk Pornchaitipparat, an anti-Thaksin cafe owner who had to shut her central Bangkok shop for 10 days in 2010 when the Red Shirt rioting raged in her neighborhood.

"No matter how incompetent I think Yingluck is and no matter how much I'd like to reject the current government, I don't see any other choices who can compete with them effectively," she said. "Life goes on as usual but we don't know when another round of demonstrations will occur. Maybe when Thaksin returns."

Yingluck's unstated priority is to ease the way for her brother to return without serving the two-year sentence for corruption in office that he fled to avoid.

Thaksin himself has said he would like to return to Thailand this year, a prospect that would surely fire up the other camp of protesters in Thailand, known as the anti-Thaksin Yellow Shirts, who also have wreaked havoc on Bangkok streets over the past half-dozen years.

Yingluck's ruling party has pushed for a broad amnesty bill for political leaders, supporters and security forces involved in the 2010 unrest ? seen as an attempt to pave the way for Thaksin's return.

New York-based Human Rights Watch warned against such a measure as an affront to reconciliation, and has criticized both Yingluck's and Abhisit's government for failing to bring to justice a single soldier or official for the scores of deaths and injuries that occurred during the political violence.

"This gives the green light for ... people in uniform to do this again next time," said Brad Adams, the group's Asia director.

At least one lasting legacy of the Red Shirt movement is the political awakening of Thailand's majority of rural and urban poor. Phussadee, the former nurse known as the "Last Red Shirt," said she'll hold the government to account regardless of whether or not it hails from her side of the country's political divide.

She said the Red-Yellow divisions in her neighborhood remain, though she is happy to note the hostility has eased.

"Without the mob mentality, people tend to think with reasons, not emotions. The Yellows are thinking what they did was not totally right and now the Red Shirts also see that the government they supported is not perfect either," she said.

"I think I have accomplished the goal that I fought for two years ago, but it's still just the first step," she said. "I'm giving this government four years before they lose my support."

Associated Press

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Honor Earth Day by Making Your Roof Environmentally Friendly ...

In today?s society consumers are often greatly concerned with not only saving money, but the environment as well. Fortunately, when it comes to roofing and siding, it?s possible to do both at the same time! Whether you?re considering a completely new roof or just a few repairs, it is possible to make your home more energy efficient during the process?you just have to speak up to your contractor about it. In honor of Earth Day 2012, the experts at Style Roofing have provided a few tips to make your home improvement projects green:

  1. Reduce and Reuse by Recycling!
    • In most cases, a roof is composed of several thousands of pounds of material, most of which can be recycled by your contractor. Otherwise, the great amount of material (equivalent to the weight of several years? worth of trash) will pile up in landfills. Simply asking for your old roofing system to be recycled is a little thing that goes a long way in saving the environment!
  2. Have an Energy Audit Performed
    • A home or business energy audit is an evaluation provided by a professional that points out the best ways to improve a property?s energy efficiency. There could be ways to conserve energy that you never thought of before!
    • The best time for an energy audit is at the beginning of a roofing project so roofing installers can make the required changes to the roof?s structure. It?ll be much easier for contractors to improve attic air barriers, seal around lights and fans, and prevent wind wash around soffit vents when the roof is off.? In most cases, home and business owners find themselves saving double-digit percentages on utilities after making energy efficient changes to their property.
  3. Ensure Your Attic is Property Ventilated
    • As a basic rule of thumb, attics should be the temperature of the weather outside. Having a steady flow of moving air through vents along the eaves prevents your attic from heating while eliminating moist air that seeps through the celling.
    • More often than not, homes weren?t designed with enough ventilation space in the attic. Despite this, taking active measures to increase the air flow in your attic not only makes your roofing system stronger, it also improves the overall energy efficiency of a home or business as well.
  4. Look for the ?Coolest? Roofing Materials
    • By choosing ?cool? roofing materials (such as shingles, for example), one can still have an attractive looking roof on their home or business, while reflecting more heat away from the property than traditional systems. As they?re designed to keep a home or business cooler, using these materials will help one save money in energy costs and help to reduce urban heat island effect!
  5. Install the Most Durable Roofing System Available
    • At the end of the day, the most important job of a roofing system is to protect a home or business from the elements and keep it dry. Although it may be tempting to take the cheapest option, it?s like putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone?it won?t fix your problems. Instead, investing in an entire roofing system (leak barriers, underlayment, shingles, etc.) is important because all of these components work together to protect a property. Taking the initiative to make these home repairs will increase energy efficiency, while saving you money in the long run!

Last but not least, it?s always important to work with an experienced and knowledgeable roofing contractor on your home improvement projects. Not only are the professionals trained to install roof and siding systems properly, they will be able to answer all of your energy efficiency questions as well.? (With over three generations of experience in the industry, Style Roofing is here to help you!) By using our tips listed above, your property will do its part to save the environment and keep the green in your wallet!

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