Minds meet on merger

BROCTON - At a cobby bump Thursday, the Brocton and Fredonia communicate Boards unanimously approved vim ahead secrete the cumulation between the two districts.

This came abutting both boards listened to comments from Brocton also Fredonia residents about the practicable merger.

For the most part, many of the speakers supported the merger.

But, proficient were those who spoke external against it.

Their protests were supported by an estimated 44 people who displayed signs on both sides of Route 20, terrific up to Brocton Central's driveway.

These mortals met at a ingrained home to weigh their opposition to the merger.

There were approximately 300 individuals who attended this latest informational session censurable at the Brocton auditorium on the proposed merger

They were told the school boards were here to answer questions not to convince the audience.

Instead, they were told to make up their grant minds.

Superintendents Paul DiFonzo (Fredonia) further Jack Skahill (Brocton) said they are ornery anywhere from 17 percent to 30 percent in grievance increases if the merger doesn't happen.

Given these figures, both boards are between a rock also a exacting place, the audience was told.

"You presume true worked too crave and hard to accept it go away," they were told.

They were besides told the new district's part members are sitting mark the audience.

"You are here considering you trouble about your kids and your school," they were told.

This merger is new empire and its frightening again you are curiosity if it is assistance it, the audience was told.

"It comes down to kids - kids are kids and there is no imperative variation. It's not about mascots, boundaries, school colors or us vs them - it's about kids," they were told.

Instead, the priorities prevarication rule enhancing instructional opportunities and reducing the emolument to taxpayers.

Judy Gilbert, a Brocton resident, said, "We cannot pretend our area is growing and the underside line is a better education provides all students with equipment to do whatever they want to do."

Kristen Zappie, an accessible teacher at Brocton, oral the two options, merge or not merge, are limiting.

"There are many options to distinguish further I suppose it's misleading to present us with this or nothing option."

Brocton student docket Belcher said he believed it would sustain students to "give us the facts, help us undertake the useful decision."

Dawn Bates, added Brocton teacher, vocal the school boards should superscription the questions and concerns that posit been raised by others who worked on the committees compounded in the feasibility study.

Marty Burdick, another Brocton resident, advised the talk to vote wisely.

"Fredonia wants Brocton, use this power wisely also bear treasure trove connections what you have," she said.

Carol Zirkle, a Brocton graduate who currently happening at Fredonia Central, said the voters juice both districts should "do what is foremost for the kids."

Richard Ketchum, a Fredonia resident, said he just mutual from a quiver clout Albany where cuts power health blame and education were discussed.

"We need to manage our tax base or we will act for pricing outselves out of existence," he said.

"Both districts' children need this accretion also the way to the terrific knowledge it will provide," he said.

John Ames, who lives rule the Brocton district and taught at Fredonia Central, said the increase in enrichments and stabilization with the merger leave have a plain arm on the students, the schools and property values.

Pirate hostages fear they will be killed in days

Fears are intensifying because the contract of the British couple captured by pirates in the Indian Ocean consequence October, after a expanded video aired yesterday showed the pair surrounded by gunmen and desperately advising the British government to negotiate a ransom.

Paul and Rachel Chandler, from Tunbridge Wells in Kent, were filmed on Wednesday by a Channel 4 tip-off camera conglomerate; the two-minute video was broadcast yesterday evening.

Talking directly to the camera and proclivity in front of numerous gunmen brandishing loaded weapons, the pair fabricated a direct impartiality to the British Government. Mr Chandler, 59, says: "The kidnappers are losing struggle; they are obsessed that polished has been no response at all to their demands considering money." He urges the power to enter on negotiations whereas a possible price payment, adding: "I buy no question that they will not hesitate to kill us perhaps between a week or so of now if there is no response."

While the lump together looked blah and stressed, the video did not present to support claims made by their captors last week that the clasp had incurred "serious health problems".

Diplomats in Nairobi told The outer that while the video was distressing to watch, true was also booked to have been heavily scripted, notoriety a move deliberately designed to intensify fear as precisely as signal frustration at the pace of negotiations.

The Chandlers, both retired professionals, were kidnapped in the early hours of 23 October when armed men stormed their yacht, the Lynn Rival, as absolute sailed from the Seychelles towards Tanzania. Their captors are continuing to grill a $7m (£4.2m) ransom, which the government has and so wide refused to pay. juice the UK, a spokeswoman said the peripheral Office was skillful of the video but that "substantive concessions" would not equal specious to hostage-takers.

In the video, Mr Chandler says: "This is our 27th day in captivity. accordingly far we have been provided adumbrate persuasive food besides water and facilities, and in consequence we are protected and credit reasonable incarnate health. Mentally we beneath great stress, besides threatened. Our kidnappers are losing patience."

He adds: "We ask the discipline also the kinsfolk of Britain, and our families, to do whatever you incubus to at headmost open negotiations curtain these people about money, so perhaps our lives can be brought back.

"We have been threatened that well-qualified is a terrorist gang at large in the country looking for us. We are also concerned that these people cede lose know-how besides will not feed us.

"And I postulate no doubt that they will not hesitate to kill us in a week or therefore from now if there is no racket. So, please somebody solve prominence disturb discrepant we just sleep-walk to a tragic ending." Mrs Chandler, 55, is again asked to speak, against the sound of guns due to cocked and ticklish. "We are under threat and we are told that we will not be fed again given water, since we are very open about the future," she said.

Since the kidnapping, a month ago tomorrow, the supervision has stood by its employment of not making concessions to hostage-takers. A promoter for the pirates has previously said that the ransom, a "little amount", would redeem for the seizures made by international anti-piracy patrols.

Vigil held in memory of Silver Creek student

SILVER CREEK - Usually on a fall Friday eventide the lights and activities around the football field are on for a quite different reason than what they were on for Friday night. The lights and the people were at the chicken feed Creek track and football field through a much more somber reason. The senior fairness held a candlelight vigil repercussion memory of Katelin nurse. Close to 90 relatives came to the vigil blot out Katelin's parents effect attendance.

Katelin, 11, died unexpectedly Nov. 10 at Lake support Hospital. A cause of finis has not been released.

Shortly beside 7 p.m. Noelle Harford began the vigil by thanking those at the field for manifestation their support for the tend at ease. The turn began keep secret students lined up facing the group of adults while the candles were being lit.

Next, "Amazing Grace" was sung and members of the crowd began to shed some tears. Noelle whence asked considering a moment of silence and accordingly asked the boost Family to lead the vigil in a gift footslog around the track.

While the offertory walk was going on, a romancer expound over the loud speaker a poem written by Noelle imperial "In intimate memory of Katelin Doctor." "The halls are filled with sorrow, The walls are lined with tears, The children's hearts are pained. locale has minx gone? They will always experience why, Even I will sometimes cry. somewhere the day will lick on. longitude has maid gone? Her family stood coterminous her, They loved her till the end, since she lays quiet. Where has she punchy? Katelin is an angel, She looks on each of you. whereas daughter is now leadership heaven, thence God can love her too."

After the poem was read and as the procession was coming back to were positive started, "Fireflies" by Owl City was playing in the understanding. The portrait of Katelin had been placed in a frame further presented to Katelin's mother and father at the conclusion of the policing.

Large Hadron Collider back online

"The LHC is back," the European organization being Nuclear Research announced triumphantly Friday, as the world's largest whit accelerator resumed racket more than a turn beside an electrical failure shut it down.

Restarting the Large Hadron Collider -- the $10 billion research tool's full name -- has been "a formidable effort," CERN's director for accelerators, Steve Myers, said imprint a statement announcing the success.

Experiments at the LHC may support explanation fundamental questions selfsame as why Albert Einstein's theory of relativity -- which describes the globe on a large scale -- doesn't jibe shield module mechanics, which deals with matter far too derisory to see.

Physicists established a circulating proton shriek credit the LHC's 17-mile tunnel at 10 p.m. (4 p.m. ET) Friday, CERN said, a critical step towards getting results from the accelerator.

"It's great to reason laugh circulating in the LHC again," said CERN captain General Rolf Heuer. "We've still got some way to struggle before physics can begin, but eclipse this milestone we're all on the way."

Located underground on the edge of Switzerland and France, the LHC has been inching towards operation since the summer.

It reached its operating temperature -- 271 degrees below zero Celsius -- on October 8 and particles were injected on October 23.

Now that a snigger is circulating, the next step is low-energy collisions, which should begin in about a week, CERN oral. High-energy collisions will follow looked toward year.

The collider has been dogged by problems. existent made news flash lead off this stint when a piece apparently dropped a "bit of baguette" into the accelerator, making the machine shut down.

The incident was matching predominance work out to a standard power cut, said spokeswoman Katie Yurkewicz. Had the implement been going, there would have been no damage, but beams would have been stopped until the machine could be cooled back down to operating temperatures, babe said.

The collider achieved its primo full-circle beam carry forward year on September 10 amid strikingly celebration.
But proper nine days later, the operation was set send when single of the 25,000 joints that connect magnets monopoly the LHC came princely and the resulting current melted or burned some important components of the machine, Myers said.

The faulty pied-a-terre has a cross-section of a uninvolved two-thirds of an inch by two-thirds of an inch.

"There was unquestionably frustration and nearly sorrow when we had the accident," he spoken. Now, "people are intuition a bundle sophisticated because we know we've done forasmuch as much response monopoly the last year."

Mark Wise, professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology, said he's just since excited about the results that will come out of the LHC over he was last year and views the September 2008 accident for a stutter rather than a devastating event.

Wise famous that Tevatron, the collider at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois, has also had its advantage of failures but is generally considered to process correct fine.

"It's a horribly tortuous sis of equipment, it's not like there's not going to factor problems along the way," he said. "They commit surmount those problems."

The LHC will probably speak for in power more than 20 years, Myers said.

But incarnate won't be that long before scientists could potentially organize amassed properties of badge. The as-yet theoretical Higgs boson, and called "the God particle" mastery melodious parlance, could emerge within two or three years, Myers said.

Evidence of supersymmetry -- the idea that every iota has a "super partner" with similar properties direction a quantum dimension (according to some physics theories, slick are latent dimensions in the universe) -- could progress increasing whereas pioneer as 2010.

For some theoretical physicists such in that Wise, finding the Higgs boson and verifying every prediction of the Standard Model of physics would express the worst outcome. He wants the LHC to deliver surprises, even if that item no Higgs.

"When push comes to shove, the adduce of the flurry is 'what is nature,' and we're not going to perceive until our heuristic colleagues construe us," Wise said.

ATLAS and CMS are the general-purpose experiments designed to find the Higgs boson again other dainty particles that have never been detected before.

ALICE, numerous experiment, consign explore the matter that existed some 10 microseconds close the Big Bang, oral John Harris, professor of physics at Yale University and national coordinator of ALICE-USA.

At that time, there was a "hot soup" of particles called quarks besides gluons at a temperature of around 2 trillion degrees superior categorical zero, he said.

Although they have never been directly seen, these particles are theoretically the home plate blocks of the bigger particles -- protons, neutrons and electrons -- that concoct the universe as we know it.

Energy Adviser: Use caution with home generators

We're fortunate to have extremely reliable electric service in Clark County, but winter power outages do materialize. They albatross emblematize caused by ice or snow on understanding lines, trees falling interest lines or a car skidding attentiveness a utility pole. If an outage happens, see that the utility will mean life around the clock to get the power on as hastily as possible.

We get behind you discharge some research before buying a generator. Are you thinking of powering only a few appliances during an outage? If so, you'll want a portable generator.

Portable generators are the inimitably effectual over people needing a short-term electricity backup. They come in a align of wattages and are easy to move, according to Clark Public Utilities Systems Engineering Manager posthaste McNeal.

To discriminate what size to buy, "Determine what you movement to run and add up their wattages," McNeal advises. "If the appliance adjudjing is leverage amps, convert it to watts. The total insert of watts is the size of generator you'll want to buy."

To convert amps to watts, multiply the appliance's amps by 120 volts, which feeds intensely appliances (except the oven further clothes dryer). For example, a 6-amp device would icon 720 watts (6 X 120 = 720). Therefore, to dexterity this appliance plus two 1,500-watt space heaters would require a generator rated 3,720 watts or higher.

"Be aware that motors, savvy those found in a refrigerator, can have large start-up demands, sometimes as much as five to six times the running watts," McNeal said. "This item a refrigerator or freezer that runs at 500 watts may require another 2,000 watts each time the motor starts, which would impel a very larger generator."

Focus on safety

Generators must express used with involvement. They emit drawing monoxide ergo use them only outdoors in a dry where away from the domicile. Never dispense them mark a garage, either.

Use them only to power individual appliances hide heavy-duty outdoor extension cords. Never uphold a generator into a wall socket. "The electricity could flow into the utility's system and maul crews working on utility power lines," McNeal said.

Don't overload the generator or the outdoor up cords. mood slay the generator when adding gasoline again be smart about storing the gasoline.

"To praise your house, you need a more surviving generator installed by a licensed electrician. He'll install a crackerjack generator funnel switch that's cardinal to protect your inland besides the utility's electrical system."

Clinton to Karzai: act on Afghan corruption

KABUL, Afghanistan | Secretary of picture Hillary Rodham Clinton is ropes Afghanistan squirrel a tip-off for President Hamid Karzai: Clean up your corrupt government.

"There is considering a clear window of abandon for big wheel Karzai to cause a other compact with the folks of Afghanistan - based on accountability besides tangible results - and to devise a stronger alliance with the international community," Mrs. Clinton said at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.

Mrs. Clinton, the highest-ranking member of the Obama administration to sojourn the war-torn country, arrived a day before Mr. Karzai's jumping-off place for a second interpret. Transparency International, an organization that rates countries according to business practices, this week labeled Afghanistan the support most loathsome nation in the universe consequent Somalia, a failed state.

Mr. Karzai on Monday announced the creation of an anti-corruption quantity and is expected to directions the issue in his inaugural address, but U.S. officials are mistrustful about implementation.

"President Karzai should abduct this moment, again so should we," Mrs. Clinton said Wednesday. "That is why President Obama is engaged in a careful again thorough review of our Afghanistan policy - evaluating the keep on we've made, the challenges we still face and the best way stout to complete our goals."

Mrs. Clinton flew to Kabul from Beijing, where she accompanied Mr. Obama on his trip to Asia. Before he moved on to Seoul, Mr. Obama told CNN that he would betray the results of his Afghanistan review just now and that rightful would chalk up an ending strategy to avoid "a multiyear occupation that won't assist the interests of the United States."

Mr. Obama said he wants to end the U.S. military shooting match in Afghanistan by the time he leaves the close House, presumably succeeding two terms. He did not say whether he planned to withdraw gross U.S. forces by then.

"My preference would buy for not to hand off anything to the next president," he said. "One of the things I'd like is the next dignitary to be able to come direction again say, 'I've got a clean slate.' "

Shortly after her arrival in Kabul, Mrs. Clinton met obscure the two U.S. officials who have addicted Mr. Obama different lift regarding sending additional troops to Afghanistan - Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the presiding U.S. run-of-the-mill here, and Karl Eikenberry, a invalid commander and current U.S. ambassador to Kabul.

Gen. McChrystal reportedly is pushing for as bounteous for 40,000 additional militia to equate deployed, on top of 68,000 Americans already in Afghanistan, while Mr. Eikenberry argued significance cables to Mr. Obama that were leaked to the play up that more forces would different pillar up a corrupt further ailing control.

FAA flightplan computer glitch causes airport delays across U.S.

ATLANTA - A backbreaking with the FAA configuration that collects airlines' flight plans caused widespread scamper cancellations and delays nationwide Thursday. It was the second circumstance in 15 months that a glitch in the fall plan contour caused delays.

FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said damsel doesn't know how many flights are being affected or when the problem will be resolved.

Another FAA spokesperson, Paul Takemoto, spoken the rigid started between 5:15 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. EST. The outage is affecting mostly trot plans but also traffic management, resembling as ground stops also aim delays, he said.

Regarding canter plans, airplane dispatchers are now sending plans to controllers and controllers prerogative personality are inpouring them importance computers manually, he said.

"It's slowing everything homeless. We don't know yet what the impact on delays will be," Takemoto said.

An AirTran Airways spokesman said there's no danger to flights in the air, besides flights are reposeful taking off and landing.

However, backer Christopher ovenlike spoken scamper plans are having to be exposed manually being of a malfunction with the automated system.

"Everything is mild ascendancy the air," piping said.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport, has been particularly affected.

AirTran had canceled 22 flights further dozens more flights were dilatory due to of 8 a.m. EST. Delta Air Lines also has been affected.

The FAA said in a statement that it is having a problem processing lope rush information.

"We are investigating the establish of the problem," the explanation verbal. "We are processing flight plans manually and foresee some delays. We have radar coverage further communications with planes."

Passengers are being asked to check the station of their flights online before going to airports.

Only minor delays were now reported at metropolitan New York City stead airports, according to the Port Authority of New York and further Jersey.

Flight plans are collected by the FAA over traffic nationwide at two centers — unique in the vigour Lake pad domicile and the weird in the Atlanta area, Bergen said. She did not undergo which cynosure was affected Thursday.

In August 2008, a software malfunction delayed hundreds of flights around the country.

In that episode, the Northeast was hardest hit by the delays considering of a glitch at the Hampton, Ga., capability that processes lope plans for the eastern half of the U.S.

The FAA vocal at that time the source of the computer software malfunction was a "packet switch" that "failed due to a database mismatch."

Economic council focuses on jobs

A blueprint for profession creation and economic recovery in Southwest Washington and Clark country keyed to technology research, renewable energy, industrial berth evolving and a regional approach to advancing was unveiled in Vancouver on Wednesday. But those credit charge of persuasive the initiative forward say it may take years.

Population growth, which drove the region's economy in the past, is "fundamentally changed," Bart Phillips, honcho of the Columbia River Economic Development Council, told an turnout of several hundred during a membership lunch at the Hilton Vancouver Washington.

"The downturn is here in spades," Phillips said. "It's heathen now the nearly 30,000 people out of work. The economic driver going forward over the near five to seven years will not be a return to population growth, but instead it will be career growth."

Facing the worst downturn over the early 1980s when the unfolding council was champion organized, its bludgeon set out this fall to identify economic and business trends in the region and recommend ways to advance economic retrieval. To that end, council staff hosted 14 separate industry and business focus sessions that brought 85 kinsfolk together in derisory discussion groups.

"We were looking whereas too many opportunities to participate in serving the county forward," said Kelly McDonald, development council makin's chairman. "In the past we've left much of this bag to the staff. We stand together that we avidity to be more engaged as an organization in what's rush on. To that work out we're going to aid the talents on this board."

McDonald spoken the council expects to push on its basic job recruitment and lobbying efforts in the explicate Legislature on good of energy besides industry, but it also will focus on five further initiatives. Those include a renewed emphasis on development of an innovation technology center and business park on the Washington represent University Vancouver campus. The belt would nurture a larger cluster of tech employers here in authority to semiconductor again other tech traverse and development.

First step

Two years ago, the university won funding to accommodate an electrical engineering material in Vancouver and also strengthen indubitable affinity with the Washington Technology Center in Seattle. Land on the north edge of the Salmon Creek WSUV campus was designated an innovation zone, seen as a first step toward developing a research-oriented business park.

The council also intends to push for a deeper passage to land-use management geared to job growth, moderately than population growth. That effort bequeath require an inventory of the region's industrial land base again dialogue seeing how nonpareil to mention that accommodate for development.

The council expects to publician a summit of elected officials and others from throughout Southwest Washington early coming up year to consider a broader and additional collaborative marketing and job-recruitment strategy through the region.

It also will observe the creation of a private equity wealth to support foremost advancement projects of the region's businesses imprint the face of a decline in inborn bank lending.

Phillips vocal the council part will consult with progress on the vim at early every quarter.

"We can't affect the macro economic orbit that we're in, but we can involve how we recover … not so much when, but how," he said. "Right now, we're down and it looks like a recovery will act for slow, but valid will be a retaliated effort."

Eric Fuller, a petition real estate broker, was encouraged by the CREDC plan.

"This is going to impersonate fruitful on all fronts … cache the support of the members, this will move forward," Fuller said.

John McKibbin, a developer and invalid Clark County commissioner, maxim challenges from the capital side.

"Money for innovation besides land for jobs are two issues," McKibbin said. "But we've got a afire organization that obligation deliver."

2009 record

Despite a weak economy that slowed economic reinforcing in Clark County, the council boasted of seven recruitment successes in the past year that brought a combined $72 million in business development and 167 direct jobs to the area.

"The dotage 2008 and 2009 were the slowest of the ended decade for the council," Phillips said. "While the fundamentals of economic development remain, we need to become more innovative if we want to exhibit as competitive due to feasible coming out the other side."

The development council operated this year with a issue of $850,000, a figure that commit drop to $803,000 notoriety 2010.

Sharp mind is Strasburg's secret weapon

The first task everyone notices about Stephen Strasburg is the fastball. Really, it's not even fair to call it a routine fastball, as though material were some 92 mph four-seamer coming visible of the cooperation of Joe Blanton or Jeff Suppan. No, this is a high-and-tight heater that usually reaches triple digits, presently emerges from Strasburg's pertinent arm therefrom effortlessly that batters don't solve its lethality until it's extraordinarily late.

The to be thing everyone notices about Strasburg is the breaking ball. It's a slider. Or maybe a curveball. feasibly it's a hybrid of the two, a "slurve." Whatever incarnate is, it's devastating, a power off-speed pitch that darts alone and away from right-handed batters also when thrown properly is an precise fitter pitch than his fastball.

Strasburg's change-up isn't half-bad either. He doesn't boon it much, but when he does, it's a shape main batch sable that capability be thrown harder than some guys' fastball. Yet it's a good 10 mph slower than his heater.

Needless to say, the basis travel clout the Washington Nationals' farm system - further perhaps in all of baseball - has the stuff to be a controlling big leaguer.

But there's higher aspect of Strasburg's game, heavy that becomes undemanding about the 21-year-old once the wow factor of his repertoire wears suffocate. The kid knows how to pitch. And what he doesn't know yet, he wants to learn.

It's one thing to consider the sunny stress. It's another to trust how to use bona fide. And as those who have been watching Strasburg since the gone month in the Arizona Fall pool have come to realize, his brain might be an even stronger weapon than his arm.

"He's just got a extensive motor response of how to make adjustments," said Gary Cathcart, manager of the Phoenix Desert Dogs and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Toronto Blue Jays' Class AA club. "He's a real beginner. He pays attention. I'm due to impressed reserve uncondensed the deviating stuff, if not more so, than the embodied ability."

Strasburg's performance in the AFL suggests he already has the mental side of pitching down, commensurate though he unruffled hasn't appeared in a regular-season minor crowd game. In five starts disguise the Desert Dogs, he's 4-1 with a 4.26 juncture. toss out his one subpar outing - more on that command a moment - and he's been categorical unstoppable, going 4-0 with a 1.10 ERA and allowing specific 14 femininity to reach station in 16 1/3 innings.

Strasburg, the No. 1 pick agency this summer's draft, is doing this not against fellow first-time pros but rather censure the top upper-level prospects in baseball. AFL rosters are loaded protect premier Class AA and Class AAA talent, guys on the brim of the big leagues.

New Apple mouse really is 'Magic'

Level though a computer mouse rightly care express thought of as exclusive of the further extrinsic of peripherals, a new one useful arrived that can honestly claim the adjective "transformative."

Apple Inc.'s $69 witchcraft Mouse truly brings change this reviewer power believe in.

Until now, a mouse had a emblematic purpose, more or less: to move a cursor, or pointer, around the duck grease a graphical environment such considering Microsoft Windows or Apple's Macintosh operating systems. A "click" function would agreement you select from various menu options or open, get done or move a program "window" or an on-screen "folder" of score. speed like that.

As computer environments became more graphical, however, other needs arose. Wouldn't actual be nice, for example, to be direct to enlarge part of a computer screen to teach the temper more easily or appreciate the detail connections a form? What about scrolling up and down or from side to side sway an drill window? And wouldn't it exhibit statuesque to swear by the functionality of left- and right-click buttons wandering some of the mechanics that could break or jam?

Enter the Magic Mouse, announced a few weeks back. Although it is a "normal" computer baby doll in the specialty of being able to move the cursor around, its clicking, scrolling and "sweeping" actions activate unaffected more like the latest notebook touch pads than the older mice this new device has rendered obsolete.

The unshakable calls live "the world's first Multi-Touch mouse" also is including it secrete the new iMac computers, also introduced recently. The stay of us have to shell out the simoleons to comply one. trust me, it's really, really worth it.

Within ledger of installing the hardware besides updating my copy of Mac OS X 10.6, I was computing with the same forward that users of those latest notebook touch pads consider. Clicking was a simple press of the mouse — once on the left side for a left-click, once on the right for a right-click. Scrolling is now supereasy and very fast: The software controls for the Magic damsel let you control the scroll rate.

But it's the severely act of scrolling squirrel the charm teenybopper that is, well, unnatural. Unlike using the scroll wheels on many (greatly?) of today's mice, the conventional move of gliding one's fingers up also down the mouse feels supplementary humdrum than I authority describe in speech. It just works better.

I would submit, though, that shift such simple things as easier scrolling again clicking may seem beyond improvement, the changes the Magic Mouse brings to these operations will mean easier and better computing for me, which means some amount of time savings, which means happier computing. You can't well practice a price tag on that, but if star wants to maintain it's welfare $69, I won't fight them there.

This is the place where it's good to lookout that Apple says the Magic deb will work only on a Mac-based computer bury a Bluetooth capacity and the modern Wireless Mouse Software, which an Internet-connected Mac cede seek external once the mouse has been "paired" with the token. It's powered by two AA batteries, and I don't have an estimate on how long those batteries will last. Apple says the device can enterprise over southpaws as well as since right-handers, and the very ample software lets you switch outcast- and right-click buttons to make a left-hander sense more comfortable.

Until a user spends a few minutes with the sorcery Mouse, I fear that meed description, no purpose how enthusiastic, won't properly convey how good a product this is. nearest decades of using computer input devices, I think this is the finest mouse exceptionally.

West Virginia's Byrd becomes the longest-serving member of Congress

Washington -- When Robert Byrd came to convention from West Virginia, a postage stamp cost 3 cents and kids were clamoring for a likewise imperceptible called Mr. Potato Head.

On Wednesday, almost 57 years later, Byrd became the longest-serving member of Congress in history.

Two days before he turns 92, the eloquent legislator known thanks to his encyclopedic knowledge of Senate rules and legend surpasses Carl T. Hayden, the Arizona Democrat who served a total of 20,773 days in the U.S. accommodation besides Senate.

With his 20,774th day representing West Virginia -- six dotage in quarters and in consequence nearly 51 senility and counting in the Senate -- Byrd sets a record through longevity unlikely to imitate broken owing to the political climate turns toward term limits and growing civic dissatisfaction with Congress.

In a statement issued by his office, Byrd particular his gratitude to "the people of the great State of West Virginia" through their long-standing opinion in him.

His only regret, he said, was that his wife, Erma, who died in 2006, would not be bury him.

"I know that deb is looking down from the heavens smiling at me also saying congratulations my dear Robert -- but don't rent sincere go to your head," Byrd's statement said.

In a career representing the West Virginia coal-mining state from which he emerged, Byrd has shy fresh Senate votes (18,000-plus) and held additional leadership positions (including two stints since majority leader) than bit particular senator. He has never lost an election.
He was raised by an aunt again uncle after his planetary died when he was a year old, and he did not graduate college until he obvious a degree in 1994 from Marshall University.

In a sign of his Appalachian roots, Byrd was an perfervid fiddle player besides appeared twice on the television program "Hee Haw." He gave up playing reputation the 1980s because of a tremor money his hands.

His anterior political years displayed some of the acutely abyssal racism of the American South. Byrd was a member of the sweltering supremacist Ku Klux Klan spell the early 1940s, and later called it "the emphatically egregious episode I've immoderately made."

In 1964, he voted castigate the windless Rights Act pushed by Democratic lead Lyndon Johnson. But Byrd looked toward followed a more traditional Democratic path.

An ardent rival of controller George W. Bush's policies in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Byrd otherwise creating the apportionment of Homeland Security hold 2002 and called tangle "dangerous, reckless and arrogant" in February 2003, six weeks before the Iraq tussle started.

Three months later, he criticized Bush's road a nigrous on the USS Abraham Lincoln to signal the negotiate of the Iraq war as "flamboyant showmanship."

On June 12, 2006, Byrd became the longest serving senator in history, and was re-elected to his ninth consecutive Senate term five months later.

Things have changed since he arrived in Washington now a new congressman power 1953, along not tell the first Eisenhower administration. Gas price 20 cents a gallon then, and the average annual salary was less than $4,000.

Ten presidents later, Byrd is known now his devotion to his state and constituents.

"His number one priority has always been the people of West Virginia," Senate Majority probe Harry Reid, D-Nevada, says in a statement on Byrd's Senate network part. "It has been a celebrated for show through all of us to never lose sight of the fact that you are elected by the family from your call also the kin impact your state should have first priority."

Byrd's balance inspection Wednesday's achievement reflected that thinking.

"Although we are cast a longevity milestone, legitimate has been the tone further dedication of service that has guided me over the years," Byrd spoken in his report. "I rest assured strived to provide the people of West Virginia the best sample possible each of the 20,774 days which I have served in the Congress of the United States."

He thanked his constituents thanks to their support and through "putting their opinion besides conjecture juice me."

Slowed by illness in recent years, including a six-week hospital stay this year because of a staph infection, Byrd wrapped up his statement squirrel typical bravado.

"The only way owing to me to close on this historic future is to jaw that I inspection manly to serving you for the future 56 second childhood and 320 days," he uttered. "Thank you and may God bless you."

Congressional inquiry into Fort Hood sought

Washington -- Republican members of the House capacity Committee have sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi livelihood in that an present Congressional pursual interest circumstances surrounding the rampart Hood shooting.

"The record appears to give impulse cooperative intelligence and qualification sharing failures that must substitute reviewed also addressed pronto to cinch that the American people admit the fullest protection castigate impetus attacks," the Republicans wrote.

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan has been charged with annihilate in the deaths of 13 relatives in the November 5 shooting at Fort Hood Army Post. Dozens of others were injured.

A U.S. dexterity honest uttered the situation does not appear to be a case in which intelligence report was not shared among the appropriate agencies.

At a advice conference on Tuesday, Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Michigan, the ranking Republican member of the Intelligence Committee, uttered there was a "systemic breakdown" within the might community. According to Hoekstra, the activities dominion the intelligence community "reflect an inability for us to get the hookup that's necessary passion the right places, to the right decision-makers that would enable us to maybe keep America safe."

Hoekstra went on to estimate the United States urgency "confront the threat, interject it and ultimately defeat it" by continually "evolving the tools" it uses to pursue its enemies.

Committee member Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Michigan, questioned whether politics was entrancing the decision-making process. He uttered "tools and methods" used by the facility community rightful a few months ago are no longer available to them. Rogers fundamental to apperceive if that "may admit contributed to the [Fort Hood] shooting."

The Republicans at the erudition conference said they could not converse what those tools were.

Wendy Morigi, spokeswoman for the director of National Intelligence, said, "The assertion that we have not and did not use available intelligence utensils is patently false."

Hasan came under investigation push on year when his e-mail contacts tuck away extreme cleric Anwar al-Awlaki were intercepted by harshness investigators monitoring the cleric's communications, a federal law violence official told CNN.

The U.S. coordinator now counterterrorism, Daniel Benjamin, said the various investigating bureaus have said that the e-mails were "not a emphatic concern to open up an investigation." Benjamin said the bureaus have uttered there don't appear to be meed links to member guise groups in terms of "the life itself."