Hans-Georg Wagner, the IT chief for the European Medicines Agency, the equivalent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, talks to eWEEK about IT systems, data analysis and interoperability. – The equivalent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the EMA
(European Medicines Agency), based in London, is a public health agency in
the European Union that approves drugs and provides guidelines for health care
providers and pharmaceutical firms for a region spanning from the Arctic Circl…
BP’s Russian venture offers big rewards and big risks
EARLIER this month Bob Dudley was ferried along the ten-lane avenue that links Vladimir Putin’s home to the Kremlin. The Russian prime minister shook hands with the boss of BP, sealing a $16 billion deal. The British oil firm will gain access to Russia’s vast and deeply frozen Arctic oilfields. It will also get a 9.5% stake in Rosneft, Russia’s state-controlled oil giant, to add to the 1.3% it already owns. In return Rosneft will get 5% of BP. The deal was announced to the world on January 14th.
It is the first share swap between a national oil company and a private oil major. It is also the first joint venture to explore in an area that could hold as much oil and gas as the North Sea. Far from keeping a low profile after its disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last year, BP seems eager to prove that it is as bold as ever. …
British Petroleum (BP) has signed a joint venture with Russian energy firm Rosneft to exploit potentially huge deposits of oil and gas in Russia’s Arctic shelf.
The “strategic global alliance” will see the firms exchange expertise in exploring the region.
Weather modification is a well-known endeavor. For example, governments have been seeding clouds for decades to create more rain.And during warfare to create mud to slow the enemy’s ability to use roads.As the Guardian reported in 2001:During the Viet…
Preface: If you believe in man-made global warming, please read this essay from the beginning to the end. If you are skeptical of man-made global warming, please skip ahead to the last two sections of this essay so that you see where I’m going.Europ…
Sitting here in wintry Britain as the country braces itself for yet another weekend onslaught of heavy snow, it comes as small comfort to know other countries are experiencing similar challenges.
We Brits love a weather story – and equally love to bash our government for its total lack of preparedness/grit/salt/snowploughs – take your pick.
You can’t move at the moment for TV and newspaper stories of people being stranded in their homes as 1cm of snow ‘drifts’ against the kerb, while reporters are dispatched to bravely stand by freezing roads and denounce the government of the day’s woeful lack of planning.
Never mind the fact that normally the UK is a temperate climate more used to grey, damp days than an Arctic blasts, but nonetheless it gives us a good excuse for a weather moan.
But what’s this? Last week saw airports in Germany – of all places – reportedly disrupted due to lack of de-icer, while their French counterparts have more than 500 people on stand-by to deal with exceptional winter weather this weekend.
In the auto world, even Michigan and South Canada – two places where our weather in the UK would probably merit no more than putting on a jumper – have succumbed to scenes normally reminiscent of those closer to here.
Ford and GM reported supply problems as the mercury dived to -13C – or 9F in old money – and Canada’s emergency services were mobilised to rescue stranded drivers.
Just-in-time operations will inevitably come under greater strain when the temperature falls, but it was surprising to see so much disruption in areas that are so used to weather.
Britain is an island in the North Sea, it’s not Florida, so we’ll get weather, albeit usually wet and mild. South Canada, well that’s another story.
Charlotte Church has revealed reasons for not marrying father of her kids, Gavin Henson, and also opened up about her new love with guitarist Johnny Powell. The 24 year-old said Gavin’s time away for trip to the Arctic for ITV show ‘71 Degrees North’ gave them both a chance to take stock of their relationship. [...]
News reaches us from Switzerland – of all places – that a motorist has just been clocked on the autobahn travelling at – 186mph (300kmh) evading most speed cameras which couldn’t register the car’s swift progress.
Apparently the mode of transport in question was a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG – a rather fine motor car and which it’s fair to say its owner probably hadn’t driven quite that rapidly before on Swiss roads.
Quite what possessed the Swedish driver to press the accelerator that firmly has yet to be determined – has Sweden suddenly imposed draconian speed limits? Wouldn’t a quick trot round the Arctic Circle roads – if there are any – suffice?
That 186mph is around the top speed of a French TGV train but that weighs many hundreds of tons, firmly pressing down on iron rails.
So when the Swede reached the Swiss autobahn limit of around 70mph, then doubled it, he clearly must have mused what it would be like to add a further 46mph on top.
We’re obviously not condoning such reckless speeding – the motorist received a somewhat large £650,000 fine as a result – but, as a by the by, UK councils in their latest austerity wheeze, seem to be busy turning off speed cameras in a bid to slash budgets as some serious financial constraints start to bite.
It appears Oxfordshire – that bastion of middle England – has turned a large number of its speed cameras off – with a a swath of other councils reportedly ready to follow suit.
Will our intrepid Swede head to the UK with his Merc? The official data from Mercedes shows the SLS AMG to have an acceleration potential of 0-60 in 3.8 secs.
It doesn’t even mention the top speed.
Producers of a laser device, which is being touted as another lightsaber, have brushed away claims from the makers of ”Star Wars” to cease production. Star Wars maker Lucasfilm has said that the Spyder III Pro Arctic laser has spoiled the reputation of lightsabers. Wicked Lasers began selling the Arctic Pro Spyder III laser online [...]
Star Wars creator George Lucas has lashed out at a company making a high-powered laser that bloggers around the world have dubbed “a real-life lightsaber”. Lucasfilm is threatening legal action against Shanghai-based Wicked Lasers for producing the Spyder III Pro Arctic Laser. In a cease-and-desist letter, obtained by CNN, Lucasfilm argued that the Pro Arctic [...]
Acidification threatens the world’s oceans, but quantifying the risks is hard
IN THE waters of Kongsfjord, an inlet on the coast of Spitsbergen, sit nine contraptions that bring nothing to mind as much as monster condoms. Each is a transparent sheath of plastic 17-metres long, mostly underwater, held in place by a floating collar. The seawater sealed within them is being mixed with different levels of carbon dioxide to see what will happen to the ecology of the Arctic waters.
As carbon dioxide levels go up, pH levels come down. Acidity depends on the presence of hydrogen ions (the H in pH) and more hydrogen ions mean, counterintuitively, a lower pH. Expose the surface of the ocean to an atmosphere with ever more carbon dioxide, and the gas and waters will produce carbonic acid, lowering pH on a planetary scale. The declining pH does not actually make the waters acidic (they started off mildly alkaline). But it makes them more acidic, just as turning up the light makes a dark room brighter. …
A long way from anywhere, researchers are plugged into everywhere
NY ALESUND, a village devoted to scientific research on the island of Spitsbergen, in the high Arctic, seems about as isolated as it is possible to get. Beyond the confines of the village and its outstations, there is no sign of human beings; just snow, water, rock and scrawny soil.
To the north, it’s a straight trip to the pole. This is true everywhere, by definition, but from Ny Alesund the trip is shorter than from any other permanently inhabited settlement. To the west is Greenland (the most northerly, uninhabited bit), followed by Ellesmere Island (part of Canada), a lot of sometimes frozen ocean and some Russian islands before a humanity-free circumnavigation brings you back to Ny Alesund. To the south is everything else in the world, most of it a very long way off. The nearest city, Tromso, is more than 1,000km away, and hardly a metropolis. For four months a year even the sun does not make it to Ny Alesund. Before the 20th century, no one lived here, nor would anyone have wanted to. …
Predicting the Arctic’s summer fate is not so simple
MARCH is the maximum month. In March 1979, the first year for which satellite records are available, the sea ice in the Arctic Ocean covered 16.4m square kilometres (6.4m square miles). By the time summer was gone, the ice was down to about 7.2m square kilometres. Every March since, the ice has returned to an annual maximum, but never again has it been as large as the one observed that first year. Every summer, it shrinks back down, and the minimum has for the most part been getting smaller and smaller. In 2007 it was just 4.3m square kilometres. At first, polar scientists watched the planet’s icy pulse with academic interest and justifiable pride in their new observational capabilities. Now they monitor its every hiccup as if it were a patient on life support. But that does not mean they know how to interpret what they see.
This year they noted that the Arctic ice cap had a late-winter growth spurt, reaching its maximum on March 31st, the latest date ever recorded. By the beginning of June, the ice cover—as defined by the percentage of ocean covered by at least 15% floating ice—had dropped far below what is usual for the time of year. Both observations, by themselves, sound as if they should contain meaningful information about what to expect in the rest of 2010. They don’t. …
Governments are reviewing plans to open Arctic waters to oilmen
WHEN BP’s Macondo well began spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico, the firm was in the midst of an effort to persuade Canada’s energy regulator that safety standards for offshore drilling in the Canadian Arctic were expensive, impractical and should be relaxed. Hearings on the subject were promptly suspended and the regulator declared that no new drilling permits would be issued pending a review of existing rules. “We have a duty to pause, to take stock of the incident,” says Gaetan Caron, head of the National Energy Board.
For a time it looked as though the Arctic would be the next frontier for Western oil firms, which have only limited access to the most promising prospects in sunnier climes. The retreat of the polar ice cap is making the region easier to work in, and there is thought to be lots of oil and gas to tap. But Canada is not the only country now thinking twice: America, Norway and even Russia are all contemplating tighter rules for drilling. …
Late Night TV Music Lineups
Can’t make it to any shows this week? We’ve got you covered. Check out our weekly schedule of late night talk show musical guests…
David Letterman Musical Guests
Mon, April 4 – The Swell Season (Repeat)
Thu, April 8 – Ludacris (Repeat)
Tue, April 6 – Slash and Andrew Stockdale (Wolfmother)
Wed, April 7 – Corinne Bailey Rae
Thu, April 8 – Train
Mon, April 5 – She & Him
Tue, April 6 – Kelis
Wed, April 7 – Public Image Ltd.
Thu, April 8 – Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights
Fri, April 9 – The All-American Rejects (Repeat)
Thu, April 8 – Trace Adkins
Mon, April 5 – Peter Wolf
Tue, April 6 – Dr. Dog
Wed, April 7 – Suzanne Vega
Mon, April 5 – Arctic Monkeys(Repeat)
Tue, April 6 – The Living Sisters
Wed, April 7 – Angels & Airwaves
Thu, April 10 – Circa Survive
Fri, April 11 – never shout never
Other Shows of Interest
Sat, April 10 – Saturday Night Live featuring a performance by Justin Bieber
Sat, April 10 – Austin City Limits TV Show featuring Kings of Leon and Roky Erickson (Repeat)
The Hold Steady’s Heaven Is Whenever Set For Release May 4
 The Hold Steady |
The Hold Steady, lauded for the scope, depth, truth and heart they bring to chronicling the American rock myth, recently put the finishing touches on Heaven Is Whenever, their new album set for release May 4 on Vagrant Records. The album was produced by Dean Baltulonis, who engineered the band’s Almost Killed Me and produced Separation Sunday, and was recorded at Dreamland Recording Studios in Upstate NY and Wild Arctic Studios in Queens, NY, with mixing also happening at Wild Arctic.
Singer Craig Finn says Heaven Is Whenever is about “embracing suffering and understanding its place in a joyful life. The lyrics speak a lot about struggle and reward.” Piano and keys take a backseat to guitar on the new record, which also gets production help from guitarist Tad Kubler. “I really believe the album exposes new elements of the band that we hinted at on other records but weren’t able to fully realize until this one,” says Kubler. “Rather than just concentrate on changes in the instrumentation, we made changes to the song writing process.”
Recorded in several smaller sessions spread out over a long period of time, the songs on Heaven Is Whenever received the benefit of being tested on the band’s recent tours. There was also a makeshift recording booth set up on the back of their tour bus so songs and musical ideas could be documented as they developed. As Finn says this allowed them to “see what was working and what wasn’t. I believe this record benefits from us working at a more deliberate pace.”
Following the release of 2008′s critically acclaimed Stay Positive, which gave the band its highest Billboard chart position to date, The Hold Steady toured relentlessly, playing to some of their biggest audiences to date.
The Hold Steady is: Craig Finn, Tad Kubler, Galen Polivka, Bobby Drake
Heaven Is Whenever Track Listing:
1. The Sweet Part of the City
2. Soft in the Center
3. The Weekenders
4. The Smidge
5. Rock Problems
6. We Can Get Together
7. Hurricane J
8. Barely Breathing
9. Our Whole Lives
10. A Slight Discomfort
The Hold Steady Confirmed Tour Dates:
04/02/10 Fri Life The Place To Be Ardsley, NY
04/03/10 Sat Toad’s Place New Haven, CT
04/05/10 Mon Higher Ground (Ballroom) Burlington, VT
04/06/10 Tue Pearl Street Nightclub Northampton, MA
04/07/10 Wed The Linda WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio Albany, NY
04/08/10 Thu Bearsville Theater Woodstock, NY
04/09/10 Fri Eleanor Rigby’s Jermyn, PA
04/10/10 Sat The Westcott Theater Syracuse, NY
04/12/10 Mon Club @ Water Street Rochester, NY
04/13/10 Tue Beachland Ballroom/Tavern Cleveland, OH
04/14/10 Wed Diesel Pittsburgh, PA
04/15/10 Thu 123 Pleasant St. Morgantown, WV
04/16/10 Fri Appalachian Brewing Company Harrisburg, PA
05/05/10 Wed El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, CA
05/06/10 Thu The Fillmore San Francisco, CA
05/29/10 Sat Sasquatch! Fest The Gorge George, WA
06/12/10 Sat Isle of Wight Festival @ Seaclose Park Newport, GB
06/14/10 Mon La Fleche d’Or Paris, FRA
06/21/10 Mon Melkweg Amsterdam, NL
06/22/10 Tue The Forum London, GB
06/26/10 Sat Academy 2 Manchester, GB
For more on The Hold Steady see our exclusive feature/interview here.
Arctic Monkeys Announce U.S. April Tour Dates and New Single
 Arctic Monkeys |
Arctic Monkeys are returning Stateside for eleven shows which begin on April 1 in Miami through to Tempe, Arizona on April 15.
Additionally, the band will be releasing the third single off of Humbug, “My Propeller,” this March. “My Propeller” 10″ and 7″ will be available on March 23 on the Arctic Monkeys web store and digitally. On April 13 the “My Propeller” 10″ will be available in stores everywhere.
The single will feature three brand new Arctic Monkeys’ original songs “Joining The Dots,” “The Afternoon’s Hat” and “Don’t Forget Whose Legs You’re On.”
Humbug, the band’s third album was produced by Josh Homme in the Mojave Desert and Los Angeles and by James Ford in Brooklyn, NY. It was the first album the band recorded outside of their native U.K. and gave the band their third consecutive #1 in the U.K.
“My Propeller” Track Listing
7″
A. My Propeller
B. Joining The Dots
10″
A1. My Propeller
A2. Joining The Dots
B1. The Afternoon’s Hat
B2. Don’t Forget Whose Legs You’re On
Tour Dates
With special guests Sleepy Sun
04/01/10 Miami, FL @ Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theatre
04/02/10 Tampa, FL @ The Ritz
04/03/10 Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
04/05/10 Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club
04/06/10 Raleigh, NC @ Disco Rodeo
04/07/10 Baltimore, MD @Rams Head Live
04/09/10 Covington, KY@ Madison Theatre
04/11/10 St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
04/12/10 Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall
04/13/10 Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
04/15/10 Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
IT’S A LONG WAY TO THE TOP IF YOU WANNA ROCK ‘N’ ROLL
We conclude our January showcase of songs about road life, the music biz, and the experience of being on stages with some “classics” of the genre from Boston, Journey, two Leon Russell penned gems (“Superstar” and “A Song For You”), and more. It’s a rich rock tradition – i.e. self-referential, vaguely jaded, semi-autobiographical tunes – we’re happy to explore with you.
And check out our The Rock Life (Pt. 2) Playlist, with touring world insights from Bob Weir, Arctic Monkeys, Jimmy Buffett and more! Playlist assembled by JamBase Associate Editor Dennis Cook, whose pretty much favorite people in the whole wide world are working musicians and their alliesÂ… |
