Thursday, March 22, 2012

How Many Digital Friends Do You Have? Facebook, Intimate ...

If you haven?t accepted that social media is becoming an increasingly important factor in the socialization of youth and adults alike, you?re simply behind the times.

Every generation from Baby-Boomers to Millennials utilize mobile devices and online technology to communicate and interact.

Online communication technology is now a staple of peoples? daily life, and because of this people are able to communicate more often with more people than ever before.

This increase in communication would intuitively appear to be a positive thing, as research has revealed the value of intimate relationships on well-being and happiness.

However, whether online social networking lends itself to the same level of meaning and significance in relationships is another question.

A recent article in Developmental Psychology (2012) points out the large extent of online peer interactions, noting that, ?90% of undergraduates on the majority of college campuses and 90% of high school students use social media sites,?creating online profiles of themselves and adding other users to their list of ?friends? on the network.?

Of particular relevance is the ubiquitous use of the social network site Facebook, which is the fourth most visited website on the Internet and has over 800 million active users.

The same article explored the?relationship between large networks of social connections on?Facebook and the development of intimacy and social support for college students. Eight-eight students, more of than half of which were female, were surveyed for this study.

The findings revealed that sites like Facebook are transforming the context of personal relationships in a potentially beneficial way.

For instance, the findings emphasize that the Facebook ?audience? serves psychological and social value. This value appears to come from communication with both close connections and unknown others.

The results showed that larger networks and estimated larger audiences predicted higher levels of life satisfaction and perceived social support through Facebook.

An example of this is shown through observing participants status-updates, which sends communication to someone?s entire contact list. The dominant use of status-updates in this study was to express one?s current emotional state, and served essentially as a form of intimate self-disclosure or emotional connection with others.

As well, the research revealed that students with more close contacts were found to communicate both privately and publicly more frequently, and that students were able to maintain close relationships from the past as they transition into college and beyond, thus serving as a means of social support.

The breadth of connections for most Facebook users is continuing to increase. People are expanding the number of close relationships they produce, as well as the acquaintances they make with total strangers, and it can be predicted that this will continue to grow.

Despite the need for further research to support these findings, the Facebook platform appears to offer social support and a process for nurturing relationships for many young adults.

Reference

Manago, A. M., Taylor, T., & Greenfield, P. M. (2012). Me and My 400 Friends: The Anatomy of College Students? Facebook Networks, Their Communication Patterns, and Well-Being. Developmental Psychology, 48 (2), 369-380.

?

Joe Wilner is a life coach, educator, and writer who helps inspire and empower people to find their purpose and meaning. He has a Masters Degree in Psychology and a Masters in Liberal Arts, with a concentration in Management and Leadership. He is a certified meditation instructor through the American Institute of Health Care Professionals (AIHC) and a certified life coach with Compass Global Group. He is a member of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA), and provides training and coaching to assist people in stress and anxiety reduction, and to help them enhance positive emotional experiences.

Like this author?
Catch up on other posts by Joe Wilner (or subscribe to their feed).



????Last reviewed: 20 Mar 2012

APA Reference
Wilner, J. (2012). How Many Digital Friends Do You Have? Facebook, Intimate Relationships, and Well-Being. Psych Central. Retrieved on March 21, 2012, from http://blogs.psychcentral.com/positive-psychology/2012/03/how-many-digital-friends-do-you-have-facebook-intimate-relationships-and-well-being/

?

Source: http://blogs.psychcentral.com/positive-psychology/2012/03/how-many-digital-friends-do-you-have-facebook-intimate-relationships-and-well-being/

argentina train crash nancy pelosi nancy pelosi gop debate republican debate trisomy 18 lewis black

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Sgt. Rex and Ex-Marine Handler to Be Reunited

[ [ [['Witnesses said the gunman pulled up on a black scooter', 7]], 'http://yhoo.it/GzwOIW', '[Related: New York police tighten security at Jewish sites]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['test Zimmerman for alcohol or drugs', 11]], 'http://yhoo.it/Gzn6VF', '[Related: White House says Trayvon Martin is local issue]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['The public radio show This American Life has', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/AaEZ6u', '[Related: Mike Daisey Says Technology Is New Religion]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Apple fanboy Mike Daisey that aired in early January', 6]], 'http://yhoo.it/zAwXWV ', '[Related: The Darker Side of Apple]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['I think that these guys are getting mercilessly picked apart', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/FOlkib', '[Related: Invisible Children defends Kony 2012 film in new video]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['With U.S.-Afghanistan relations in crisis', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/no-afghanistan-obama-campaign-video-021313177.html', '[Related: No ?Afghanistan? in new Obama campaign video]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Jon Stewart weighed in on the Rush Limbaugh', 2]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/rush-limbaughs-slut-controversy-proves-staying-power-100110062--abc-news.html', '[Related: Rush Limbaugh comment controversy proves it has staying power]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Mammadyarov said democratisation', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/russian-grannies-win-bid-sing-eurovision-095946819.html', '[Related: Russian grannies win bid to sing at Eurovision]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A massive manhunt is underway in France on Monday', 4]], 'http://yhoo.it/Gzy0M9', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/d/b4/db49ba9fa9a9bb5b59d2503822dd212c.jpeg', '630', ' ', 'AP/Manu Blondeau', ], [ [['With U.S.-Afghanistan relations in crisis', 1]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/civilians-killed-in-afghanistan-attack-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/7/82/782db3234689df989a5b05a09e71511c.jpeg', '630', ' ', 'Reuters/Naseer Ahmed', ], [ [['Rutgers', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/tyler-clementi-cyberbullying-trial-begins-1329842758-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120316/ravi.jpg', '630', ' ', 'Reuters', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sgt-rex-ex-marine-handler-reunited-234647899--abc-news.html

heart attack grill las vegas the heart attack grill joe kennedy iii joseph kennedy iii ghost hunters lightsquared david lee

the *Home* &, well, the *Improvement* in Home Improvement || DIY ...

For many individuals, the prospect of completing a mantel renovation can seem like a daunting task.? Many consumers who may be frustrated with the haggard nature of their old wood mantels postpone completing a remodel out of fear that the process will be a long and arduous ordeal. Fortunately for these individuals looking to remodel a mantel in their home, this does not have to be the case. In fact, even individuals with very little home improvement experience can easily install a new mantel in a single afternoon.

Diagram Nailing Mantel Legs to Breast Shelf

With mantel packages like those available on Mantels Direct a new mantel can be installed with just a few simple tools and little bit of elbow grease. The first step in completing your mantel renovation is to unbox the unit you have ordered and assemble the pieces together. ?There are three basic components to a wood mantel, two legs and a top breast shelf. When unboxing your mantel lay the breast flat on the floor so that you can easily attach the legs to the shelf.

Diagram Mark and Measure Mantel Nailing Plates

After you have nailed the mantel legs into the breast of the mantel, you can flip the mantel right side up and position it around the fireplace opening making sure to draw an outline of the mantel?s correct position around your fireplace. Next, you simply measure ?? inside the outline lines and draw another set of lines indicating the proper location of your mounting boards. Mounting boards are not included with your mantel, they are ?? X 2? boards that will be nailed to the wall and provide support for your mantel.

Diagram Fasten Mantel Mounting Boards

After you have nailed your mounting boards to studs in the wall or to your floor, you are ready to attach your mantel.? If you wish to paint or stain your mantel make sure this is done before attaching it to your wall. After your mantel has been lined up and nailed into place, simply install your scribe molding and your project will be complete. If you would like more details on traditional wood mantel installations or cast stone and marble installations, check out this informative mantel installation page.

Diagram Mounting Mantel

*******

Source: http://www.buildingmoxie.com/2012/03/diy-mantel-installation/

broncos lehigh walking dead season finale aubrey o day matt flynn nfl news denver news

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Polycrystalline diamond drill bits open up options for geothermal energy

ScienceDaily (Mar. 19, 2012) ? Nearly two-thirds of the oil we use comes from wells drilled using polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bits, originally developed nearly 30 years ago to lower the cost of geothermal drilling. Sandia and the U.S. Navy recently brought the technology fullcircle, showing how geothermal drillers might use the original PDC technology, incorporating decades of subsequent improvements by the oil and gas industry.

Sandia and the Navy's Geothermal Program Office (USN GPO) conducted the Phase One demonstration tests as part of a geothermal resources evaluation at the Chocolate Mountains Aerial Gunnery Range in Imperial Valley, Calif.

Sandia has a long history in geothermal research and drill bit technology development. Three decades ago, Sandia played a large role in developing PDCs for geothermal drilling. That work focused on resolving issues with materials, devising laboratory tests and developing data and design codes that now form the basis of the bit industry. Recently, Sandia received American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding to improve PDC bits, potentially increasing access to geothermal resources in the continental U.S. by enabling the drilling of deeper, hotter geothermal resources in hard, basement rock formations.

Geothermal drilling more demanding

Because oil and gas drilling is generally less complicated than geothermal drilling, PDCs were first used to drill for oil and gas, said principal investigator David Raymond.

"Oil and gas drilling is normally done in softer and less-fractured rock, resulting in fewer problems with fluid circulation to remove debris and cool the bit," he said. "Oil and gas drilling also doesn't usually involve the higher temperatures that geothermal wells exhibit."

But as the oil and gas industry looks for new sustained resources in deeper reservoirs, it encounters more difficult drilling conditions similar to those found in geothermal drilling.

"Oil and gas drilling must now go deeper into the ground, into harder and sometimes fractured rocks, and in hotter environments," said Raymond.

Raymond said geothermal resources are typically associated with igneous and metamorphic rocks, which are harder than the sedimentary rocks through which most oil and gas wells are drilled. Igneous and metamorphic rocks also can contain large amounts of abrasives such as quartz, which can cause vibration and accelerated wear that damages drill bits. These types of rocks are often fractured, which can change the impact loading on drills and cause more damage.

"Drilling for geothermal energy is still the most difficult drilling on a cost-per-foot basis," said Raymond. "You have to go through the hardest rock, sometimes at high temperatures and pressures. The DOE (Department of Energy) vision for advanced geothermal development is to drill to great depths, up to 30,000 feet, to access heat for geothermal."

The economic risk for oil and gas wells also is different. Because many more oil and gas wells are drilled per year, that industry has the resources and can invest significantly in research and testing to improve the ability to drill under increasingly difficult conditions.

The geothermal industry has advanced far more slowly. Because geothermal drillers create only a small number of new wells each year, the drilling service industry finds it difficult and expensive to support innovation, since each well represents a substantial risk.

The Sandia/Navy demonstration project called for a test hole to evaluate geothermal resources in the Camp Billy Machen/Hot Mineral Spa region that would have been otherwise undetectable at the surface. The basement rock at the Chocolate Mountains includes granite and andesite, formations typically encountered during geothermal drilling.

A key part of the demonstration project was to test and evaluate PDC bits and related technologies in a real-world drilling environment. Sandia worked with PDC bit manufacturer National Oilwell Varco (NOV) of Houston to find specific solutions for the company's ReedHycalog PDC bits. NOV provided commercially available drill bits and on-site experts to counsel the drilling contractor during the demonstration drill runs.

Sandia worked with the Navy's geothermal drilling contractor, Barbour Well Inc. of Henderson, Nev., in evaluating drilling technologies during production drilling.

Sandia also formed partnerships with Albuquerque's Prime Core Systems, and the Barbour Well mud logging company, Prospect Geotech, to field instruments to monitor the Barbour drill rig during the drilling process.

In the tests, two bits drilled 1,291 feet of the overall well depth of 3,000 feet. The two bits were in the well just over four days, penetrating approximately 30 feet per hour throughout their drilling interval, nearly three times better than standard roller bits used for comparison. The team retrieved and downloaded downhole data from both bits for analysis.

In a planned second phase of the project, Sandia will continue work with NOV to evaluate drill performance and improve the bit design and materials.

Cooperative work between the Navy and Sandia was covered by a memorandum of understanding between the Department of Defense and the DOE on collaborative development of renewable energy resources.

The demonstrations and planned phase two drilling are funded through an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act project, "Technology Development and Field Trials of EGS Drilling Systems," under the supervision of DOE.

How PDC cutters are made

Polycrystalline diamond compact cutters on the cutting faces of bits allow more aggressive drilling than bits traditionally used for geothermal drilling. They are created by a sintering process. Graphite powder is applied to the leading face of a cutter made of tungsten carbide. The material assembly is compressed in three directions at pressures of 1 million pounds per square inch. When heated to a transition temperature, the graphite converts a to a 1-millimeter layer of synthetic diamond.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:


Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by DOE/Sandia National Laboratories.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120319135239.htm

aapl broncos broncos lehigh walking dead season finale aubrey o day nfl news

Monday, March 19, 2012

Guide Through the Legal Jungle: Court Decision about Songs ...

Copyright Does Not Protect Everything

For example, copyright law does not protect raw ideas. It only protects the way in which those ideas are expressed or developed. Unfortunately, separating the ?idea? from the ?expression of the idea? is often subjective and not necessarily intuitive. That?s why it?s helpful to have real life examples like the recent decision in the PI music copyright infringement lawsuit.

Musicians Slinging Pi

Pi is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle?s circumference to its diameter. The first six numbers of pi are 3.14159. Composers Michael Blake and Lars Erickson independently assigned a number to each note of a musical scale and then constructed a melody by playing the notes in the order of the digits of pi.

Composer Michael Blake published on YouTube and elsewhere a recorded composition entitled ?What Pi Sounds Like?. Erikson, who had previously created a composition entitled ?Pi Symphony?, sued Blake for copyright infringement.

The Court Finds No Infringement

The court dismissed the lawsuit finding that both composers had simply created a composition based on the same idea. The idea was transcripting pi to music. There is no copyright infringement just because one composer uses the ideas of another composer. Infringement exists only if one composer copies the manner in which another composer expresses the idea and the two compositions end up being identical or substantially similar. For Blake and Erikson, the court found that the two pi compositions differed distinctly in areas such as rhythm, tempo, musical phrasing, and harmony.

Copyright also recognizes that for some ideas ? such as the idea of putting pi to music ? there are a limited number of ways in which to implement or express that idea. As a result, expressions of that particular idea ? even if created completely independently from one another ? may share some basic similarities.

Listen for Yourself

You can listen to both pi compositions yourself to determine how similar and distinct they are. Michael Blake?s ?What Pi Sounds Like? is here. You can listen to movements from Lars Erikson?s ?Pi Symphony? here and here.

Source: http://www.guidethroughthelegaljungleblog.com/2012/03/court-decision-about-songs-based-on-pi-illustrates-what-is-and-isnt-copyrightable.html

ifl jerome simpson indoor football league newt gingrich wife callista rick perry travis barker

Adult ADHD Skills Group - DukeHealth.org

Adult ADHD Skills Group - DukeHealth.org
Date
Wednesday, Mar. 21, 2012
Click here for a list of other dates
Time
5:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.
Organization
Duke ADHD Program
Description

Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are invited to join us for a skills group to learn valuable tools for living with ADHD.?

Topics covered include:

  • Understanding ADHD and its treatments
  • Materials organization
  • Prioritizing and planning
  • Time management
  • Problem solving
  • Reducing distractions and procrastination
  • Mindfulness
Contact
For more information or to register, call John Mitchell, PhD, at 919-681-0012 or e-mail john.mitchell@duke.edu
Registration status
Registration closed
Location
Duke Child & Family Study Center
Address
Pavilion East at Lakeview
2608 Erwin Road, Suite 300
Durham, NC 27705
Location phone
919-681-1100

About This Page

Updated: Jan. 24, 2012
URL: http://www.dukehealth.org/events/adult-adhd-skills-group/20120321

Source: http://www.dukehealth.org/events/adult-adhd-skills-group/20120321?utm_source=dukehealth.org&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS_events

lin j.r. smith espn jeremy lin tyson chandler tyson chandler kate upton sleigh bells

Sunday, March 18, 2012

91% In Darkness

Nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2012 Academy Awards, Agnieszka Holland's IN DARKNESS, is the poor man's SCHINDLER'S LIST, and I mean that as a high compliment. Now don't get me wrong. I think Spielberg made a masterpiece with his Shoah epic, but Holland earns astute emotions and mines similar themes yet in a more intimate setting. Based on the true story of a Polish sewer worker who charged a small group of Jewish refugees a daily fee to squat in the filthy sewers beneath the city. The title of the film is apt, as so much of it takes place in utter darkness. At almost two and a half hours in length, we feel every minute of their intensely long hiding. Like Schindler, our main character, Leopold Socha, played wonderfully by Robert Wieckiewicz, is an opportunist rather than a Jewish sympathizer. In fact, his anti-semitism is much more overt than Schindler's. On the other hand, his wife Wanda, an incredible Kinga Preis, is much more liberal at the outset, but wants to turn her back on the Jews when she fears for her life and that of her family. Their story is so searing, so vivid and unsentimental. It's no wonder I was more drawn to it than to the lives of the various Jews here. While all terrific actors who are given one horrifying scene after another to endure, their plight isn't as layered as that of Socha.There is one exception, and it's played by Benno Furmann, who is the love child of a Patrick Wilson/Josh Lucas bromance. Playing a man who leaves the sewers to escape INTO a concentration camp to save someone's life, he has leading man written all over her face. He easily commands the screen in all of his scenes. One of my all-time favorite critics, Roger Ebert, dismissed this film by saying that we've seen it all before. As much as I respect his opinion, I disagree. Usually films about this period in history tend to glorify the Jewish characters and they make every moment epic. IN DARKNESS does just the opposite. The Jews are just as flawed as any other characters here, as flawed as anybody would be when facing unreal, desperate circumstances. This is not a hyped up film. Something as simple as rainfall becomes an exciting action sequence, but it's played with an ingenious, dispassionate touch that Holland has always brought to her work.

March 4, 2012

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/in_darkness_2011/

bcs games heath bell ncaa bowl schedule ncaa bowl schedule farrah abraham whats going on venus williams