Migrants Work For The Future, Sing To Remember

The northwestern United States is entering one of its latest cherry seasons. As migrant workers pick the fruit in a lush Washington orchard, they sing to remember loved ones back in their native countries.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/07/10/137713258/migrants-work-for-the-future-sing-to-remember?ft=1&f=1003

john mccain al gore bill clinton newt gingrich sarah palin

Student Brain Power Turns Exercise Into Electricity

If only all the speed and strength of youth could be channeled into power. Turns out, it can. Some colleges and universities have started converting energy from exercise equipment into electricity.

One of those schools is Drexel University in Philadelphia, where student power runs straight into their buildings' power grids. Dan Simmons, director of recreation at Drexel, says a typical 30-minute workout on a treadmill can generate enough energy to hold a light bulb for 2.5 hours.

A company called ReRev has retrofitted cardio elliptical machines in a portion of the university's gym to generate electricity for that area. The energy can be stored, so it's not necessary for someone to pedal a stationary bicycle to keep the lights on.

Simmons says the students presented the idea to the athletic department when the facility was under construction.

"Drexel is a very entrepreneurial university, and we're open to the students' ideas," he says. "And they're the ones who take a lot of pride in it that it exists here."

But is it just a gimmick?

"There's definitely a part of this that's for awareness — to bring the awareness factor to people of what's possible," he says. "But it does work. We do generate power and are able to store it, and it's proven."

The operation isn't saving the university money at this point, Simmons says. But he says the potential exists — if more power was being generated.

"Picture if every piece of equipment we were using, we were harnessing that energy, from the rowing machines to the treadmills to the exercise bikes. Three thousand people a day exercise in our facility, and right now, we're only harnessing the power of a small amount," Simmons says.

And, for the time being, there's still no way to generate energy from gym-goers who only take advantage of the steam baths.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/07/09/137710594/student-brain-power-turns-exercise-into-electricity?ft=1&f=1007

bill clinton newt gingrich sarah palin al sharpton bill oreilly

Betty Ford: A Fabulous First Lady

Eleanor Clift, The Daily BeastBetty Ford was always true to herself, and in politics that's not easy. Sometimes to the chagrin of her husband, and certainly to his advisers, she had something to say on just about every hot-button issue of her time. The mother of three young adult sons and a spirited teenage daughter, she didn't flinch when asked about whether they might be experimenting with marijuana, or how she might react if she learned her daughter was having an affair. "Not surprised," she said. She was a regular person who just happened to live in the White House, and she didn't...

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2011/07/09/betty_ford_a_fabulous_first_lady_258992.html

newt gingrich sarah palin al sharpton bill oreilly fox news

Obama's housing scorecard

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The Obama administration has announced yet another initiative to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure.

Earlier this week, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced it would extend the period of time unemployed homeowners with Federal Housing Authority-backed mortgages could skip or make smaller mortgage payments to a minimum of 12 months, up from a minimum of four.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_allpolitics/~3/4fTngE_ZwRI/index.htm

barak obama hillary clinton george w bush nancy pelosi harry reid