毛毛作业

晔阳

准备上一些可做英语学习以及了解当今美国的英文原作文章。可作为了解美国以及英文学习的材料。就叫毛毛作业吧。以后会不定期但频繁的发一点。欢迎有兴趣者一起探讨其中的内容。

America's Most Wired Cities                    By Elizabeth Woyke, Forbes.com
         Jan 23rd, 2009
   
Seattle takes the lead in our annual list of the most broadband-connected U.S. cities. Move over, Atlanta. Seattle, Microsoft and Amazon.com's home base, is now the country's most wired city.

While these marquee names have long lent the Emerald City tech-y cachet, it was Seattle'sincreased use of broadband that powered it up Forbes' annual list ofthe 30 most broadband-connected cities in the U.S. High marks in twoother wired city categories--broadband access and wi-fi hotspots--helped Seattle clinch the top spot.

Since2007, Forbes has measured cities' wired quotient by computing thepercentage of Internet users with high-speed connections and the numberof companies providing high-speed Internet. Since many urban residentsaccess the Internet by wi-fi, we also measure the number of publicwireless Internet hot spots in a particular city.

In Pictures: Top 30 Most-Wired American Cities

Ourformula remains the same as previous years with one exception: theaddition of broadband penetration data from Scarborough Research. Thechange was made to complement similar data from Nielsen Online.
Though Atlanta,Forbes' top wired city in 2007 and 2008, has been dethroned, the BigPeach continues to ride high at No. 2. The Southeast telecommunicationshub boasts plenty of broadband users and lots of broadband serviceproviders.

Washington,D.C., rocketed from No. 11 last year to a solid No. 3. Like Seattle, itmade dramatic progress in its broadband adoption rate. It also improvedits wi-fi hot spot showing to rank second only to Seattle.

D.C.scoops up another honor this year, as the wired city to watch, thanksto technophile president Barack Obama. Obama's support for universalbroadband and fluency with mobile devices is expected to boost Internetand wi-fi access nationwide. Results could appear in the president'shome city soon.

Rounding out the top five wired cities are Orlando and Boston. As the location of Walt Disney World, the destination of millions of tourists a year, Orlando is packed with broadband providers and wi-fi access points. Boston's strengths include a plethora of universities and urbane population that help keep its broadband and wi-fi usage high.

The surprise of the list is Minneapolis, which improved its standing from No. 11 to No. 7, beating New York and Portland, Ore., among others. Minneapolis'secret? A particularly broad range of service providers, including anumber of neighborhoods with 20 different access options for high-speedInternet.

North Carolina suffered the biggest drop, with Raleigh declining to No. 15 from No. 3 and Charlotte dropping to No. 20 from No. 7.

Three California powerhouse cities--Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco--shifted places this year to occupy the middle of the list. Los Angeles and San Diego improved their standings while San Franciscodropped seven places due to a relatively low number of broadbandproviders and wi-fi hot spots. However, its No. 1 rating in broadbandadoption means that San Francisco can take pride in having the most tech-savvy residents of any U.S. city.

After California, Florida and Ohioplaced the most cities on the list. Under Governor Ted Strickland, Ohiohas invested several millions of dollars in promoting Internettechnology across the state. The ultimate goal is "100% broadbandaccess in Ohio and greater awareness of the personal and economicgrowth potential" broadband can bring, says Keith Dailey, a spokesmanfor the Ohio governor's office.

Each year, a few cities slide off the list and a handful make their debut. Dallas and Houston fell just short of the top 30 this year while New Orleans (No. 18), Honolulu (No. 25), Cleveland (No. 26) and Austin (No. 30) were added.

Whilethis ranking aims to be as current as possible, advances in broadbandtechnology sometimes outstrip the data available. Take No. 10 Baltimore and No. 14 Portland.The two cities are the first U.S. markets to be outfitted withClearwire's (nasdaq: CLWR - news - people ) new brand of super-fastwireless broadband, WiMax. But the time lag inherent in collectingbroadband data and the difficulty in measuring wireless broadbandcoverage by city means that neither city's standing takes WiMax intoaccount.

That could change as soon as next year. A FederalCommunications Commission spokesman says the agency plans to collect"considerably more detailed" information on broadband access in comingmonths. Mobile data usage is flourishing, which in turn is affectingthe number of wi-fi hot spots that restaurants, cafés and retailersoffer.
Obama's technology policies may have the biggest impact.In October, the Senate approved the Broadband Data Improvement Act,which calls for better federal and state data on the availability andquality of broadband service in the U.S.

Last week, Obama'sbroadband policy came into focus with a proposal from House Democratsand Obama's transition team for $6 billion in grants for broadbandinfrastructure as part of the economic stimulus package. The funds areintended to "provide business and job opportunities ... with benefitsto e-commerce, education and health care" in under-served areas,according to the bill.

Technology policy groups are hoping foreven greater government support. "It's a step in the right direction,but not as effective as what we need," says Robert Atkinson, presidentof the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a Washington,D.C.-based think tank. ITIF would like to see tax credit provisions forbroadband as well as grants, which Atkinson calls "cumbersome" forcompanies.

"Investing in broadband will have an impact on jobs,education, health care and carbon emissions," says John Davies, vicepresident of Intel's (nasdaq: INTC - news - people ) World AheadProgram, which promotes technology access and education. So expect thenext year or two to bring vast changes to all American cities, whatevertheir "wired" rank.
See full list of cities here.


[ 本帖最后由 晔阳 于 09-1-25 00:48 编辑 ]

羽毛

哎？晔大哥，大过年的不发红包发作业。。还是毛毛作业？还是恐怖的英文。。。
先 哈皮儿牛 耶！等看完烟花，再查查词研究研究

晔阳

哈哈，将毛毛一军，别当真，玩儿的，

原帖由 羽毛 于 09-1-26 00:24 发表
哎？晔大哥，大过年的不发红包发作业。。还是毛毛作业？还是恐怖的英文。。。
先 哈皮儿牛 耶！等看完烟花，再查查词研究研究

羽毛

哈哈，我家将军刚吃了不少饺子，正打着嗝坐城头惆怅

木碗

大过年的还布置作业，要减负啊！

晔阳

两个鬼丫头，不睡觉，在守年夜么？

晔阳

10 Best Cities for Job-Seeking Retirees
by Emily Brandon
Monday, January 26, 2009 provided  by USNews.com

As retirement accounts continue to hemorrhage money, many baby boomers are coming to the realization that they'll need to continue working into their traditional retirement years. In fact, a whopping 70 percent of Americans ages 45 to 74 plan to work in retirement--both for enjoyment and because they need the income, according to a recent AARP survey.

But jobs aren't easy to come by right now, especially for workers who are middle age or older. In December alone, U.S. employers shed 524,000 jobs. According to a separate AARP survey, 31 percent of employed adults age 45 and older think it's likely that their job will be eliminated in 2009. It will be challenging but not impossible for these adults to find a new job. "Just because the overall numbers are down, that doesn't mean no one's hiring," says Steven Greenberg, founder and chief executive of Jobs4Point0.com, a job search website for those age 40 and older. "There are jobs to be had, and they are looking for people with experience."

It helps if you pick a retirement spot where the economy is strong, the cost of living is reasonable, and employers are hiring. "Industries that were great a year and a half or two ago are now struggling," says Bob Skladany, vice president of research for RetirementJobs.com. "The recessionproof industries are the ones where people find jobs when times are tough: healthcare, higher education, government, retail, transportation, and utilities or energy."

U.S. News recently consulted RetirementJobs.com to determine the best cities for retirement-age job seekers. The analysis took into account employment growth, the unemployment rate, housing costs, the cost of living, and proximity to high-quality healthcare. Other factors: the prevalence of job opportunities in industries that tend to welcome older workers, such as healthcare, higher education, government, and service-industry jobs.

Cities with well-diversified economies are thriving despite the recession. More than 145 companies are headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., including well-known names like Expedia, T-Mobile, Microsoft, and drugstore.com. The area, which includes nearby cities Seattle and Tacoma, added 19,900 jobs in the past year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Oklahoma City, Okla., earned bragging rights in November 2008 when it tied with Washington, D.C., as the city with the lowest jobless rate in the country. But the cost of living is far lower in Oklahoma than in D.C., making it a better spot for retirees looking to cut expenses. Although it was founded as an oil town, Oklahoma City today boasts an economy that also includes information technology, healthcare services, and the restaurant chain Sonic.

Many of the best places to find enjoyable work in retirement are college towns like Lubbock, Texas, and Charlottesville, Va., both of which have major universities and hospitals that provide plenty of jobs. At Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., 43 percent of employees are age 50 or older. The university also offers valuable perks that may appeal to older workers, such as health screenings on campus, paid time off for caregiving responsibilities, and compressed workweeks that allow for more time to explore Ithaca's famous gorges and waterfalls and the Finger Lakes. Penn State University in State College, Pa., even has a retirement community on campus. Residents can take free courses, pick up priority football and basketball tickets, and visit an on-site ice creamery. And if you can't find a job with the university, there are plenty of positions in town that cater to the university's more than 40,000 students.

The healthcare industry has proved itself resilient in this economic environment. Almost half of the 30 fastest-growing occupations named by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics are concentrated within health services, including home health aides, medical assistants, and pharmacy technicians. More than 5,000 people are employed at the nonprofit Charleston Area Medical Center in Charleston, W.Va., the state's largest hospital. In Rochester, Minn., the Mayo Clinic employs more than 28,000 workers. Jobs within this industry extend far beyond the hospital. For example, a healthcare job could include selling software solutions to clinics, says Mark Anderson, president of ExecuNet, a networking firm. Rochester also has an extensive service industry--including lodging and restaurants--that caters to about 1.5 million people a year, many of whom are visiting the Mayo Clinic.

Public-sector jobs can provide a sense of security during turbulent times. Although they tend to pay on the low side, government jobs typically provide generous health and pension benefits, which many private companies have been slashing. State capitals are often prime spots to land a local, state, or federal government post. Plum jobs at the North Dakota State Capitol Building Tower in Bismarck, N.D., built during the Great Depression, come with a view of a 132-acre park that offers statues, memorials, and trails.

Some of the best cities to find retirement jobs support several industries that tend to hold up well in turbulent economies. Huntsville, Ala., for example, has a mix of government jobs at the Redstone Arsenal and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, healthcare opportunities within the Huntsville Hospital System, and positions at the University of Alabama-Huntsville. Verizon Wireless and Boeing Co. also have significant operations in town. It's a good idea to hedge your bets by retiring in a city where several industries are hiring.

Here are the 10 best cities to find retirement jobs:

--Bellevue, Wash.

--Bismarck, N.D.

--Charleston, W.Va.

--Charlottesville, Va.

--Ithaca, N.Y.

--Huntsville, Ala.

--Lubbock, Texas

--Oklahoma City, Okla.

--Rochester, Minn.

--State College, Pa.
Copyrighted, U.S.News & World Report, L.P. All rights reserved.

[ 本帖最后由 晔阳 于 09-1-29 10:28 编辑 ]

羽毛

再领张纸。。。揣这个找纳兰大哥拜年去。。。
晔大哥，本来毛毛有心守年夜，瞅了两段外国话，顿生睡意。

晔阳

好，大哥要去申请专利了，失眠治疗秘方儿。

原帖由 羽毛 于 09-1-27 12:22 发表
再领张纸。。。揣这个找纳兰大哥拜年去。。。
晔大哥，本来毛毛有心守年夜，瞅了两段外国话，顿生睡意。

羽毛

哈，大哥要注意个事，要给外国人发中文作业，这方才奏效

晔阳

这是关键点儿，给美国总统发一篇桃花源记，奥巴马一瞪眼，“愕”，一细看，“罢”。

原帖由 羽毛 于 09-1-27 23:51 发表
哈，大哥要注意个事，要给外国人发中文作业，这方才奏效

晔阳

First View of the Dark Side of the Sun
By Clara Moskowitz EmailJanuary 26, 2009 | 1:30:48 PMCategories: Astronomy, Space  



Soon we may get the first ever glimpse of the dark side of the sun.

Well, no, there's no actual dark side of a luminous ball of burning gas, but there is an effective dark side, as in, the side of the sun we can't see at any given time.

Scientists aren't content to get just half of the picture, so they've launched the STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatories) mission, a pair of NASA spacecraft that will orbit the sun simultaneously to provide a complete view of all sides of the star at once.

"Then there will be no place to hide and we can see the entire sun for the first time," STEREO project scientist Michael Kaiser of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center told Wired.com.

The perfect spherical view will come on Feb. 6, 2011. Right now the satellites, which were launched in October 2006, are about 90 degrees apart, which allows a picture of about 270 degrees of the sun — the fullest view yet.

"The who goal of all of this is to try to get a better handle to try to predict solar storms, which cause cell phone disturbances, and disruptions to communications and power." Kaiser said. "We'd like to be able to predict these things as far in advance as possible to give us a longer warning time."

Solar storms are magnetic disruptions on the sun that release violent sprays of charged particles into space. These storms can produce magnificent displays of the Northern Lights. But some past storms have also cost airlines and satellite communications industries millions of dollars, and have led to large scale power blackouts (including one across the entire province of Quebec, Canada). Being able to reliably forecast these tempests in advance could make a huge difference in preventing disturbances on Earth.

Predicting solar weather is also important for the future of manned spaceflight. If astronauts are exposed to the intense radiation from solar storms while traveling beyond the protective magnetic field of the Earth, they could suffer serious harm. Even astronauts close to home who venture out for a spacewalk during a storm are put in danger.

"For future missions going to the moon and Mars, that's very important," Kaiser said. "Some of these solar storms can be very intense. If the astronauts were completely exposed to one of these storms the radiation could be high."

The STEREO mission also aims to improve our basic scientific understanding of the dynamics within the sun, which could shed light on the workings of stars in general.

[ 本帖最后由 晔阳 于 09-1-28 12:12 编辑 ]

羽毛

这篇有意思

晔阳

水漫金山寺了，

羽毛

法海托着脑袋纳闷：咋整啊这事。。