Blog Heap o' Transport Links

| All Dates |
Blog-Heap links regarding transportation and related infrastructure,
also energy, because it takes energy to transport,
and virtuality, because telepresence saves on transpresence.

Energy

Inhofe Says 'Cap And Trade' Dead
countywidenews.com Fri 2009 Jun 26, 10:34pm

Okla FlagPassing President Obama's "cap and trade" energy program would cost the average Oklahoma family $3,200 a year, Sen. Jim Inhofe said Friday, but he's confident the measure will be killed in the Senate no matter what happens in the House of Representatives.

A Green Pool Can Be A Good Thing
newson6.com Fri 2009 Jun 26, 10:11am

Darren Brazeal has a spectacular backyard with an outdoor kitchen, fireplace and a beautiful pool and spa. He has created his perfect environment and he's done it in the most energy efficient and environmentally safe way he could. Dennis Daniel with Vivian Pools designed the pool system. "Instead of using chlorine in this pool, it doesn't use chlorine at all it uses purified water softener salt.... And, the other cool thing is it monitors itself...." The pool and the house are heated and cooled geothermally.....

Digital Future is Now

Contracts Without Lawyers?
sciencedaily.com Thu 2009 Jun 25, 7:25pm

Computer systems that dynamically create, monitor, manage or suspend online contractual agreements are being developed to deliver greater reliability and security to service-oriented e-business applications.

Spacecraft

Space Shuttle Science Shows How 1908 Tunguska Explosion Was Caused By A Comet
sciencedaily.com Thu 2009 Jun 25, 7:18pm

MeteorThe mysterious 1908 Tunguska explosion that leveled 830 square miles of Siberian forest was almost certainly caused by a comet entering the Earth's atmosphere, according to new research. The conclusion is supported by an unlikely source: the exhaust plume from the NASA space shuttle launched a century later.

Transport Tragedy

Bodies of AF447 Captain, Steward Identified, Air France Says
bloomberg.com Thu 2009 Jun 25, 9:58am

Their bodies were among the 49 that French and Brazilian military boats have plucked from the Atlantic since the plane crashed June 1

Transport Incident

NY men charged with taking tourists on police chase
reuters.com Wed 2009 Jun 24, 9:04pm

Operators of an unauthorized New York airport van service that took five French tourists on a high speed chase in an attempt to evade police

Spacecraft

Buzz Aldrin's journey from moon to alcoholism
msnbc.msn.com Tue 2009 Jun 23, 4:07pm

In "Magnificent Desolation" Buzz Aldrin recounts his experience — from takeoff to splashdown — in breathtaking detail, and his harrowing return to normal life after the moon mission, when the astronaut battled depression and alcoholism.

Transport Disaster

9 fatalities confirmed in D.C. Metro train crash
latimes.com Tue 2009 Jun 23, 3:47pm

Nine fatalities have been confirmed in the worst accident in the history of Washington's Metro subway system, authorities said Tuesday morning... Among the dead was the operator of the train that crashed into the stopped train...

Digital Future is Now

Human Eye Inspires Advance In Computer Vision
sciencedaily.com Mon 2009 Jun 22, 10:45pm

"When the human eye searches for an object it looks globally for the rough location, size and orientation of the object. Then it zeros in on the details," said Jiang, an assistant professor of computer science. "Our method behaves in a similar fashion, using a linear approximation to explore the search space globally and quickly; then it works to identify the moving object by frequently updating trust search regions."

Transport Tragedy

Four Dead In DC Metro Train Collision
wusa9.com Mon 2009 Jun 22, 7:12pm

four dead from the collision, and officials say there are 67 people injured... may be as many as three more dead in the part of the train that was the most severely damaged.... trains were traveling in the same direction when one rear ended the other when one train stopped and the other did not

Spacecraft

New Mexico breaks ground on commercial spaceport
reuters.com Fri 2009 Jun 19, 11:54pm

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson broke ground on Friday on construction of Spaceport America, the world's first facility built specifically for space-bound commercial customers and fee-paying passengers.

Digital Policing

Dutch muggers caught on Google street view camera
reuters.com Fri 2009 Jun 19, 11:51pm

GoogleDutch twin brothers who mugged a teenager in the northern town of Groningen were arrested after being caught on camera by a car gathering images for Google's online photo map service

Digital Privacy

Job applicants asked to provide their passwords to social networking sites
examiner.com Fri 2009 Jun 19, 11:53pm

As part of routine background checks, the city asks job applicants to provide their usernames and passwords for their social-networking sites. And it has been doing it for years... City officials maintain the policy is necessary to ensure employees' integrity and protect the public's trust, but the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana says they may be crossing the line.... [MAY be crossing the line? MAY BE????!!!!!]

Transport Tragedy

Found: Galley kitchen from doomed Air France flight discovered floating intact in middle of Atlantic
dailymail.co.uk Thu 2009 Jun 18, 6:27pm

Even some of the drawers, containing a selection of ready-meals for passengers, remained wedged securely inside the unit

Digital Future is Now

Magnetic Super-atoms Discovered
sciencedaily.com Wed 2009 Jun 17, 6:34pm

Scientists have discovered a "magnetic superatom" -- a stable cluster of atoms that can mimic different elements of the periodic table -- that one day may be used to create molecular electronic devices for the next generation of faster computers with larger memory storage.

Infrastructure Failure

GPS Satellite Glitches Fuel Concern on Next Generation
online.wsj.com Wed 2009 Jun 17, 4:40pm

Technical problems are degrading the accuracy of signals from the latest GPS satellite launched by the Pentagon, sparking worries about the next generation of satellites.

Digital Policing

Robotic Ferret Will Detect Hidden Drugs And Weapons
sciencedaily.com Wed 2009 Jun 17, 6:47pm

BenderA new type of robot being developed will make it easier to detect drugs, weapons, explosives and illegal immigrants concealed in cargo containers.

Digital Privacy

Vegas paper gets subpoena to ID online commenters
washingtonpost.com Wed 2009 Jun 17, 4:47pm

A Nevada newspaper says it has been served a federal grand jury subpoena seeking information about readers who posted comments on the paper's Web site. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Tuesday that its editor, Thomas Mitchell, plans to fight the request, which the newspaper received after reporting on a federal tax fraud case against business owner Robert Kahre.... prosecutors told the judge in the case that some comments hinted at acts of violence and the subpoena was issued out of concern for jurors' safety....

Transport Rights

Men-only train cars sought in groping fears
reuters.com Wed 2009 Jun 17, 4:49pm

Many women taking the crowded train in Tokyo opt for women-only carriages during the rush hour to avoid gropers. Now, for fear of being accused of groping, some are asking for carriages reserved for men....

Digital Privacy

Ruling on NightJack author Richard Horton kills blogger anonymity
technology.timesonline.co.uk Tue 2009 Jun 16, 4:31pm

Thousands of bloggers who operate behind the cloak of anonymity have no right to keep their identities secret, the High Court ruled today... [OMG! Imagine Britain ruling this on print during the Revolution!]

Transport Tragedy

Crash jet 'split in two at high altitude'
timesonline.co.uk Sun 2009 Jun 14, 8:38pm

PlaneTHE Air France jet that crashed into the Atlantic with 228 people on board broke apart before it hit the water, throwing out some passengers at high altitude, investigators believe.... Their conclusion is based on the discovery of two trails of bodies more than 50 miles apart, suggesting that the Airbus split in two after going out of control in bad weather...

Ghost Bike Honors Fallen Cyclists
newson6.com Sun 2009 Jun 14, 12:35am

It's called a ghost bike. It is a somber reminder on the side of the road, an informal memorial marking the scene of a crash where two bicyclists were killed. ...painted all white.

Energy

Electricity still out for thousands in N Texas
chron.com Sat 2009 Jun 13, 9:57pm

About 15,000 customers, most of them in Dallas County, remained without electricity Saturday after severe storms pounded the North Texas area earlier in the week.

US revives nation's first clean coal power project
reuters.com Sat 2009 Jun 13, 9:57pm

ObamaEnergy Secretary Steven Chu announced on Friday plans to restart the country's first clean coal power project, scrapped by the previous Bush administration as too expensive. [BUT NOTHING IS TOO EXPENSIVE FOR OBAMA! IMPEACH!]

Transport Tragedy

Error Messages From Air France Jet Offer Details but Little Insight
nytimes.com Sat 2009 Jun 13, 9:09pm

PlaneA transcript makes clear how many details the investigators have about the last minutes of its flight — and how little it tells them.... routine message about a malfunction in one of the plane's lavatories is followed by a worrisome one that says that the speed sensor has a problem, but the cascade that follows is hard to parse....

Animals and Transport

NYC To Gas 2,000 Geese In Bid To Protect Aircraft
wcbstv.com Thu 2009 Jun 11, 10:51pm

New York City plans to trap and kill up to 2,000 Canada Geese this summer in an attempt to avoid the type of collision that caused an airliner to ditch in the Hudson River last winter. The hunt will take place on dozens of city properties located within five miles of Kennedy and LaGuardia airports. Aviation officials have culled the bird flocks on airport property for years, but this will mark a major expansion of the effort into other parts of the city, including about 40 public parks.

Transport Tragedy

Two Bicyclists Killed, Sand Springs Driver Arrested
newson6.com Wed 2009 Jun 10, 2:44pm

Two cyclists are dead and a third was treated and released from the hospital after being hit by an SUV on Highway 51 in Sand Springs Tuesday afternoon.... Catron says the accident had a profound effect on her and the other witnesses who stopped to help. "Very tight knit group of people who came together, who were complete strangers and now I don't think any of us will forget the other,"

Suspect, victims identified in SUV-bicycles collision
tulsaworld.com Wed 2009 Jun 10, 2:16pm

driving east on Oklahoma 51 when she swerved onto the south shoulder... hit three bicyclists [two killed]... continued driving for a quarter-mile before stopping... open container of alcohol in the SUV...

Digital Future is Now

Army Mechanic's Garage Tinkering Yields 18-Foot Mecha Exoskeleton
popsci.com Tue 2009 Jun 9, 7:20pm

27 hydraulic cylinders bring the mechs to life, its movements matching those of the person inside it

Transport Tragedy

Crews find vertical stabilizer in Air France crash
google.com Mon 2009 Jun 8, 10:05pm

recovered the vertical stabilizer from the tail section... could help locate its black boxes... Eight more bodies also were found, bringing the total recovered to 24...

Mass Trans can be Dangerous

Think twice about 'green' transport, say scientists
breitbart.com Mon 2009 Jun 8, 1:56pm

taking public transport may not be as green as you automatically think.... These are hidden or displaced emissions that ramp up the simple "tailpipe" tally.... it could be more eco-friendly to drive into a city -- even in an SUV.... than take a suburban train....

Transport Tragedy

10 people killed in SUV rollover near Tucson
google.com Sun 2009 Jun 7, 8:21pm

Ten undocumented immigrants "stacked like wood" in the back of a sports utility vehicle crammed with at least 22 people were killed when the driver lost control and rolled over on a remote southern Arizona highway.... "If they had had the right number of people in there and they all had their seat belts on, they would have lived....."

Transport Tragedy

Brazilian Air Force: Bodies of Air France Flight 447 Passengers Found
foxnews.com Sat 2009 Jun 6, 2:20pm

PlaneBrazilian Air Force: Bodies of Air France Flight 447 Passengers Found, Bodies of passengers of the doomed Air France flight that plummeted into the ocean have been found, Brazil's Air Force said Saturday.

Transport Future

Experts mull over lessons from Brazil plane crash
google.com Fri 2009 Jun 5, 5:25pm

PlaneNearly 70 percent of the world's airspace is not radar-controlled, and the existing radar system is likely to remain for at least another decade.

Energy

Number of active oil rigs falls by 12
thestreet.com Fri 2009 Jun 5, 3:03pm

The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the United States fell by 12 this week to 887, down roughly 1,000 from a year ago. Of the rigs running nationwide, 700 were exploring for natural gas and 179 for oil....

Animals and Transport

'Dam' beavers cause train derailment near Canadian capital
breitbart.com Fri 2009 Jun 5, 5:20pm

Busy beavers were on Friday blamed for a train derailment that spilled more than 20,000 liters of diesel fuel into the Ottawa River

Woman pulled in front of train by dog is ID'd
sfgate.com Fri 2009 Jun 5, 3:20pm

The dog's owner, an 18-year-old man, rode a bicycle around the crossing arms as the train approached... dog apparently began following its owner and pulled the woman into the train's path... both died...

Transport Tragedy

French minister warns about alleged Airbus debris
breitbart.com Fri 2009 Jun 5, 5:13pm

PlaneFrance's transportation minister said Friday that French forces have found no evidence of an Airbus A330 airplane that vanished over the Atlantic and urged "extreme prudence" about suspected debris fished from the ocean. Dominique Bussereau said he regretted that an announcement by Brazilian teams that they had recovered plane debris from Air France flight 447 turned out to be false.

Charges dropped in black man's dragging death
google.com Fri 2009 Jun 5, 12:47am

The case had been unraveling in recent months because of a lack of eyewitnesses and physical evidence. Last month, a gravel truck driver gave a sworn statement acknowledging he might have accidentally run over McClelland.

Digital Convergence

One Step Closer To The Matrix
weirduniverse.net Fri 2009 Jun 5, 5:36pm

Scientists at the University of Florida are developing a neural implant that can think independently. This is not just an implant that deciphers brain signals, but one that can learn, adapt to various scenarios and help the host achieve certain goals.

Transport Threat

Handgun Found on Plane at Philadelphia Airport
foxnews.com Thu 2009 Jun 4, 3:03pm

PlaneHandgun Found on Plane at Philadelphia Airport , Police say someone waiting to board Flight 1195 around 7 a.m. Thursday noticed another passenger handing a carry-on bag directly to the airline employee, bypassing a security screening.

Transport Tragedy

Horrifying Final 14 Minutes of Air France Flight 447
nypost.com Thu 2009 Jun 4, 2:46pm

PlaneFirst, the autopilot disengaged, and then an alarm warned passengers that all hell was breaking loose on doomed Air France Flight 447. PHOTOS: Air France Flight 447 Search & Rescue It was...

Air France jet was flying too slowly -report
alertnet.org Thu 2009 Jun 4, 2:45pm

PlaneThe Air France jet that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday was flying too slowly ahead of the disaster, Le Monde newspaper said on Thursday, citing sources close to the inquiry.

Transport Whoops!

PikePass Snafu Floods Phone Lines
newson6.com Tue 2009 Jun 2, 10:17am

Thousands of Oklahoma motorists are getting blindsided when their PikePass tells them they're breaking the law... PikePass is confused by the state's new license plates

Transport Business

GM Sells Hummer but Does Not Name Buyer
nytimes.com Tue 2009 Jun 2, 10:19am

A day after seeking bankruptcy protection, the automaker said that it had tentatively agreed to sell the unit, and that the deal would probably save more than 3,000 U.S. jobs.

Stormwater drainage tunnels are being constructed along Interstate 44 as part of the road's expansion.
tulsaworld.com Tue 2009 Jun 2, 10:06am

the Perryman Ditch, a 1 1/4-mile concrete tunnel that will drain stormwater from the Peoria Avenue area into the Arkansas River

Transport Tragedy

Plane debris found in path Air France jet took
news.yahoo.com Tue 2009 Jun 2, 11:50am

no signs of life... An airplane seat, a life jacket, metallic debris and signs of fuel were found in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday by Brazilian military pilots searching for a missing Air France airliner.

Spacecraft

Shuttle Atlantis begins ferry flight home from Calif.
upnorthlive.com Mon 2009 Jun 1, 2:01pm

A NASA Boeing 747 carrying the shuttle took off from Edwards Air Force Base at 8:07 a.m. PDT Monday. NASA spokeswoman Leslie Williams said the first stop will be at Biggs Army Airfield in El Paso, Texas. Weather will determine how long it takes to reach Florida.

Transport Tragedy

Air France Jet Is Feared Lost on Flight From Brazil to Paris
nytimes.com Mon 2009 Jun 1, 2:13pm

A search was under way off the Brazilian coast after Air France lost contact with a plane carrying 228 people from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

Energy

Oil futures post biggest monthly gain in 10 years
marketwatch.com Fri 2009 May 29, 7:11pm

Oil futures rallied Friday, posting the biggest monthly gain since 1999, as sharp weakness in the U.S. dollar and hopes of an economic recovery boosted demand for crude.

Transport Tragedy

Teen Dies After Possible Honda Malfunction
newson6.com Fri 2009 May 29, 8:09pm

MIDWEST CITY, Oklahoma -- Just days after graduating, Carl Albert High School students are mourning the loss of classmate Ashley Parham. Parham was picking her brother up from football practice when she hit another car in the parking lot.

Transport Near-Tragedy

Power Pole Falls On Car On Highway 75
newson6.com Fri 2009 May 29, 8:12pm

A Tulsa driver is lucky to be alive after a pole fell on his car on Highway 75. He says a man hit the light pole with a tractor.

Transport Trouble

Traffic nightmare on the BQE after a school bus, casino bus and tractor-trailer collide
nydailynews.com Thu 2009 May 28, 4:49pm

A chain-reaction collision Thursday involving a school bus [empty], a casino bus and a tractor-trailer injured nearly 60 people and shut down the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway for hours

Transport Future

The Monorail Society - Monorails: safe, fast, economic, green and proven
monorails.org Wed 2009 May 27, 10:58pm

The Monorail Society is an all-volunteer organization founded to foster more awareness and promote this unique method of transportation. Monorails are NOT just for theme parks and zoos! Our aim is to inform people of the many possible uses for them....

Transport Liberty

Pothole patch lands Akron man, 81, in legal predicament
ohio.com Wed 2009 May 27, 7:22pm

James Stacy has done his share of pothole patching during his decades in the asphalt business. ... He insists his intentions were pure Tuesday morning, when he took a broom and pickax to a menacing chuckhole outside his home on East Crosier Street. An Akron police officer sees it differently and has charged Stacy with criminal damaging, a second-degree misdemeanor.

Transport Law

Four states adopt 'no-smiles' policy for driver's licenses
usatoday.com Tue 2009 May 26, 10:59pm

Four states are ordering people to wipe the grins off their faces in their license photos. "Neutral facial expressions" are required at departments of motor vehicles (DMVs) in Arkansas, Indiana, Nevada and Virginia. That means you can't smile, or smile very much. Other states may follow.

Digital Policing

Obama Set to Create A Cybersecurity Czar With Broad Mandate
washingtonpost.com Tue 2009 May 26, 5:11pm

ObamaPresident Obama is expected to announce late this week that he will create a "cyber czar," a senior White House official who will have broad authority to develop strategy to protect the nation's government-run and private computer networks, according to people who have been briefed on the plan.

Transport Tragedy

Chicago cop in fatal hit-and-run case: Bail set at $2 million
chicagotribune.com Mon 2009 May 25, 1:18pm

veteran Chicago police officer accused of being drunk behind the wheel while causing a fatal hit-and-run accident that killed a 13-year-old boy on the South Side.

Transport Trouble

Train Hits Minivan In Elm Grove; 2 Hurt
wyff4.com Mon 2009 May 25, 2:44pm

ELM GROVE, Wis. -- A father and a police officer were injured Monday when a minivan was hit by a southbound freight train in Elm Grove. Police said traffic was backed up because of a parade that was supposed to start within the hour and that when the gates came down, two vehicles were stuck between the gates....

Transport Pre-Automation

Why Do Highways Have New Striping?
newson6.com Sat 2009 May 23, 4:13pm

"The black and white stripe is basically a contrasting stripe that's kind of a safety enhancement project that we're starting to do," said Paul Green, Oklahoma Department of Transportation construction engineer. The alternating stripes make it easier for drivers to see which lane they are in.

Transport Business

Washing your car without water
greenrightnow.com Fri 2009 May 22, 4:50pm

new service in Northwest Houston, uses a water-based cleaning solution that is non-hazardous and biodegradable.

Spacecraft

How the Mars Exploration Rovers Work
science.howstuffworks.com Wed 2009 May 20, 7:07pm

We aren't really at the point yet where we can send human beings to Mars. The first and most important reason for that hesitation is our track record -- different nations have sent more than 30 probes toward Mars, but fewer than one-third of those probes have survived the trip. It's not a very good track record, and certainly not one that would encourage us to replace those robotic probes with human beings, at least until we've improved the odds of success.

Mars Rover's 5 Working Wheels Are Stuck in Hidden Soft Spot
nytimes.com Wed 2009 May 20, 7:07pm

A NASA Mars rover, the Spirit, is stuck. The rover drove into soft ground a couple of weeks ago, and when it tried to get out, its wheels slipped and it moved only a couple of inches. The Spirit has been stuck before, and mission managers have been assiduously driving it around potential hazards. But they did not see the soft spot, which was hidden under a veneer of normal-looking soil.

Transport Tragedy

98 dead in Indonesian air crash
euronews.net Wed 2009 May 20, 3:03pm

PlaneThe number of people killed in this morning's military air crash in Indonesia has risen to 98, including two on the ground. The C-130 Hercules barrelled into the ground a few kilometres short of its intended destination, a nearby air base. Most of the plane exploded in flames but remarkably 15 people survived, albeit severely injured. The plane was carrying 99 passengers and eleven crew.

Transport Threat

Airport security bares all, or does it?
cnn.com Mon 2009 May 18, 1:35pm

Privacy advocates plan to call on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to suspend use of "whole-body imaging," the airport security technology that critics say performs "a virtual strip search" and produces "naked" pictures of passengers

Transport Pre-Automation

Caught On Tape: Police Bring Pursuit To Wild End
cbs13.com Mon 2009 May 18, 10:09pm

charges of evading police with disregard to public safety, driving with a suspended license, throwing objects from the vehicle while moving, driving under the influence, possession of a controlled substance, reckless driving, and felony hit and run.

Spacecraft

Solar Transit of ISS and Atlantis
astrophoto.fr Sat 2009 May 16, 5:58pm

Image of the solar transit of the International Space Station (ISS) and Space Shuttle Atlantis (50 minutes after undocking from the ISS, before return to Earth), taken from the area of Mamers (Normandie, France) on september 17th 2006 at 13h 38min 50s UT.

Animals and Transport

Moose jumps over guardrail, falls to death on I-95 below
bangordailynews.com Fri 2009 May 15, 7:07pm

CLINTON, Maine — Police in Clinton say a 500-pound moose fell 18 feet to its death when it apparently leaped a guardrail on an Interstate 95 overpass and landed on Hinckley Road. Officials learned of the incident when a motorist called the town office shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday and told Assistant Town Clerk Shirley Bailey that "a moose just fell out of the sky."

Nature vs Infrastructure

Storm damages Oklahoma officer memorial
newsok.com Thu 2009 May 14, 12:00pm

OKC -- High winds early Wednesday broke in two a piece of granite that is part of the fallen law officer monument...

Transport Business

Chinese imports could bring GM political troubles
liveleak.com Thu 2009 May 14, 10:57am

As thousands of General Motors workers await word on more U.S. plant closures, reports that the company plans to import Chinese-made vehicles to the U.S. have created a political problem for the automaker and the White House.

Spacecraft

Atlantis astronauts capture Hubble Space Telescope
breitbart.com Wed 2009 May 13, 4:27pm

The Atlantis astronauts have captured the Hubble Space Telescope. ... now face five days of treacherous telescope repairs to the 19-year-old Hubble. That's because Atlantis and Hubble are flying in a 350-mile-high orbit, which is littered with space junk. ...

Spacecraft

Space junk raises risks for Hubble repair mission
breitbart.com Tue 2009 May 12, 7:28pm

Space shuttle Atlantis is now in a rough orbital neighborhood—a place littered with thousands of pieces of space junk zipping around the Earth at nearly 20,000 mph. There are more pieces of shattered satellites and used-up rockets in this region than astronauts have ever encountered. And the crew must be there for more than a week to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. As soon as the job is complete, the shuttle will scamper to safety.

Hubble Space Junk
breitbart.com Tue 2009 May 12, 7:27pm

computer generated image, supplied by NASA, shows objects that are currently being tracked in Earth orbit. Approximately 95% of the objects in this illustration are orbital debris, i.e., not functional satellites [incredible illustration]

Astronauts uncover long line of nicks on shuttle
news.yahoo.com Tue 2009 May 12, 4:41pm

The Atlantis astronauts have uncovered a long stretch of nicks on their space shuttle, the result of launch debris. ... where the right wing joins the fuselage. ... does not appear to be serious...

Transport Pre-Automation

Texting Trolley Driver had speeding tickets
abcnews.go.com Tue 2009 May 12, 4:29pm

The Boston-area transit authority trolley driver who allegedly slammed into another train while text-messaging his girlfriend Friday had three speeding tickets on his driving record in recent years and could face criminal charges.

Nature vs Infrastructure

Warning: Sunspot cycle beginning to rise
breitbart.com Fri 2009 May 8, 2:01pm

SunIt's time for the sun to move into a busier period for sunspots, and while forecasters expect a relatively mild outbreak by historical standards, one major solar storm can cause havoc with satellites and electrical systems here....

Energy

'Smart Turbine Blades' To Improve Wind Power
sciencedaily.com Fri 2009 May 8, 9:19pm

a technique that uses sensors and computational software to constantly monitor forces exerted on wind turbine blades, a step toward improving efficiency by adjusting for rapidly changing wind conditions.

How Much Oil Have We Used?
sciencedaily.com Fri 2009 May 8, 9:18pm

UK researchers have published a new estimate... of how much crude oil we have extracted from the planet

Infrastructure Threat

Will America's Power Grid Be Able To Keep Pace With Future Demand?
sciencedaily.com Fri 2009 May 8, 9:15pm

Distributed and intermittent electricity generation, such as wind power, is rapidly expanding, new smart meters are giving consumers more control over their energy usage, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles may someday radically increase the overall demand for electricity. The evolution of America's energy needs has forced scientists and engineers to re-examine the operations, efficiency and security of the national power grid. The creation of a more secure and efficient national power grid requires significant innovations in the way we transmit electricity and monitor its use.

Transport Tragedy

Owasso man killed in early morning accident
examiner-enterprise.com Thu 2009 May 7, 8:09pm

Details of the school bus accident that claimed the life of an Owasso man ... swerved to the right in an attempt to avoid the accident, striking the bus in the rear. The report states that the Malibu became caught under the bus and was sent into the ditch after the bus made a quarter turn....

Nature vs Transport

Woman Drowns In Pryor Flood Waters
newson6.com Sun 2009 May 3, 8:07pm

"She went around a barrier, and we don't understand that, because she knows, she's always known how dangerous that road was," said Kendrick's aunt.... 911 call: a desperate woman calling for help after flood water swept her car off the road. "Seemed really calm. Level headed. But, she knew she was in trouble, right off the bat...."

Transport Near-Tragedy

Small plane crash-lands into portable potties
komonews.com Sat 2009 May 2, 6:15pm

A small plane crashed into a storage yard full of portable potties Friday afternoon near Thun Field just minutes after taking off from the field. Pilot Clifford Howell of Lake Bay told investigators at about 150 feet in the air, his engine quit. He banked and tried to make it back to the runway, but came up short.

Spacecraft

Video shows launch of world's largest amateur rocket - space - 29 April 2009 - New Scientist
newscientist.com Thu 2009 Apr 30, 3:40pm

A 1/10th-scale model of a NASA Saturn V rocket launched successfully on Saturday, becoming what is thought to be the largest amateur rocket ever to take off and be safely recovered. The feat could herald the arrival of the first amateur rockets to reach orbit.

Transport Threat

Biden would avoid subways, planes after swine flu outbreak
politico.com Thu 2009 Apr 30, 1:01pm

"So, from my perspective, what it relates to is mitigation. If you're out in the middle of a field when someone sneezes, that's one thing. If you're in a closed aircraft or closed container or closed car or closed classroom, it's a different thing." That contradicted more restrained advice from President Barack Obama and the federal government — and the last thing the White House wants to do right now is shut down the airline industry and big-city subways out of mass panic.

Biden: Stay Off Subways During Swine Flu Panic
nbcnewyork.com Thu 2009 Apr 30, 12:57pm

Vice president Joe Biden said Thursday he would tell his family members not to use subways in the U.S. and implied schools should be shuttered as the swine flu outbreak spread to 16 states. His remarks quickly caused a stir, drawing a rebuke from New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and later leading the White House to apologize.

Transport Tragedy

Car Careers Into Crowd Watching Dutch Queen Beatrix's Royal Motorcade in Apeldoorn, Holland
news.sky.com Thu 2009 Apr 30, 1:09pm

It was a really nice day. Then you hear a bang. Everyone looks up and you see people flying through the air

Transport Near-Tragedy

Young pilot's tale is a real cliffhanger
adn.com Thu 2009 Apr 30, 3:45pm

PlaneAfter a cliffhanger of a plane landing in the Talkeetna Mountains earlier this month, 21-year-old Matthew "Jake" Soplanda of Anchor Point and a skiing buddy managed to climb away from Soplanda's dated, single-engine Taylorcraft as it hung perched over a 1,500-foot drop.

Digital Privacy

Twitter breach gives behind-the-scenes Obama peek
theregister.co.uk Thu 2009 Apr 30, 9:26pm

Obamaappears yet another administrative account on the micro-blogging site has been breached, giving world+dog an inside peek at the accounts of Barack Obama, Ashton Kutcher, and other celebrities.

US cyber-security 'embarrassing'
news.bbc.co.uk Thu 2009 Apr 30, 3:44pm

described as "broken" by one industry expert and as "childlike" by another...

Energy

An Oklahoma Tale (Pitchforks Optional)
wizbangblog.com Tue 2009 Apr 28, 4:03pm

Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK), an independent producer of natural gas founded twenty years ago by Aubrey McClendon and Tom Ward.... third largest producer of natural gas in the United States (behind majors BP and ConocoPhillips), and at one time they were one of the fastest growing companies in the Southwest....

Digital Future is Now

GE Crams 500GB of Data on DVD with Holographic Tech
pcworld.com Mon 2009 Apr 27, 7:33pm

General Electric Global Research says it has figured out a way to put up to 500GB of data on a regular-sized DVD disc under laboratory conditions. GE says its breakthrough was achieved by writing 3-dimensional patterns that represent data onto a disc made of highly reflective material. The disc then acts as a mirror that makes it possible for a laser to pick up the entire piece of data. GE's process doesn't just put information onto the surface of the disc -- as DVDs and CDs do -- but etches the micro-holographic patterns below the surface of the disc as well.

Transport Incident

Plane diverted from New York to Boston
upi.com Sat 2009 Apr 25, 9:25pm

A plane en route from New York to Tel Aviv was diverted to Boston after an Israeli citizen allegedly began banging on the cockpit door

Digital Privacy

Web founder makes online privacy plea
breitbart.com Wed 2009 Apr 22, 2:13pm

Plans by Internet service providers to deliver targeted adverts to consumers based on their Web searches threaten online privacy and should be opposed, the founder of the Web said Wednesday.

Digital Future is Now

Robots are narrowing the gap with humans
mcclatchydc.com Tue 2009 Apr 21, 7:50pm

BenderThanks to exponential increases in computer power — which is roughly doubling every two years — robots are getting smarter, more capable, more like flesh-and-blood people. Matching human skills and intelligence, however, is an enormously difficult — perhaps impossible — challenge. Nevertheless, robots guided by their own computer "brains'' now can pick up and peel bananas, land jumbo jets, steer cars through city traffic, search human DNA for cancer genes, play soccer or the violin, find earthquake victims or explore craters on Mars.

Transport Safety

Zig-zag lines being painted on purpose - wtop.com
wtop.com Tue 2009 Apr 21, 7:50pm

why is a local transportation agency painting crooked lines on the road on purpose? The Virginia Department of Transportation says it's part of a safety campaign to get drivers to slow down in a high pedestrian and bicycle area.

Transport Trouble

Woman paralyzed in Continental flight
brownsvilleherald.com Tue 2009 Apr 21, 7:46pm

A woman was paralyzed and two other people were injured during a turbulent flight from Houston that arrived here early Saturday morning. The woman, 47, was using the plane's bathroom when the aircraft encountered turbulence and descendent rapidly, throwing her against the ceiling.... suffered a fractured neck....

Transport Tragedy

Driver charged in drownings of children
cnn.com Mon 2009 Apr 20, 3:45pm

A Texas man has been charged with intoxication manslaughter in the Saturday drownings of four children who were in his car when it veered into a Houston bayou.... A fifth child who was in the car, a 3-year-old girl, was missing ...believed to have drowned also.... three were [his] children, and the other two were friends of the family....

Transport Tragedy

Plane splits Florida home in half; pilot dies
google.com Sun 2009 Apr 19, 5:13pm

PlaneOAKLAND PARK, Fla -- A small plane sputtered and dove into a house shortly after taking off from a local airport Friday morning, slicing the home down the middle into two charred pieces. The pilot was killed. ... The owner's nephew barely escaped the catastrophe, leaving just before the aircraft hit to visit his aunt.

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