Justified, Season 4

Constable Bob (Patton Oswalt) made his Justified debut by bumbling his way to saving the life of Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant).

Still from Justified by Prashant Gupta/FX.

In Slate?s Justified TV Club , Rachael Larimore will IM each week with a different fan of the FX drama set in Harlan County, Ky. This week she chats with TV writer Tara Ariano.

Rachael Larimore: Welcome, Tara, and thank you for joining me. This season premiere seemed to be all about "fresh starts." Not just for Boyd's dealer/client who claims he has been saved by the Last Chance Holiness Church, but for the show itself. There were so many new faces. What did you think?

Tara Ariano: This is typical for a new season of Justified: a lot of tantalizing story threads without a clear idea of who or what the new Big Bad is going to be. Clearly, this Waldo Truth situation is going somewhere; and just as clearly, Arlo's being incarcerated isn't going to stop him from being a problem to Raylan (Timothy Olyphant). And to the state, I guess.

Larimore: I have always loved to hate Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), and I?ve never found him to be a particularly adept criminal mastermind, just lucky. But when we met Billy St. Cyr (Joseph Mazzello), the snake-handling revivalist preacher who has his new followers convinced he (or God) can cure them of addiction, I had a feeling I might start feeling a little more sympathetic toward ol' Boyd this season. Preacher Billy gave me the creeps. How do you think Boyd might handle this very different challenge to his empire?

Ariano: Boyd is always compelling as Raylan's dark double. What will be particularly interesting about Billy as Boyd's new antagonist is the faith aspect. Past seasons have shown Boyd grappling with his own relationship to religion. Billy may not realize that Boyd will be able to match him line for line in any scripture-based debate.

Larimore: There is indeed a glimpse of Boyd?s prowess at quoting scripture in the season preview trailer, where he appears to be crashing one of Billy's sermons and warning of false prophets. It makes me wonder if the Billy-Boyd drama could steal the show from the season?s other major plotline: the cold case. The episode opens with a flashback to 1983 and a dead parachutist surrounded by bags of cocaine in a suburban cul-de-sac. Fast forward to the present, when two teenagers are breaking into Arlo's house and searching for something hidden in his walls. They are chased away before they can get what they came for, but later, Raylan discovers a diplomatic pouch and the driver's license of "Waldo Truth" in the hole.

Ariano: Indeed. Either Arlo (Raymond Barry) is not as senile as he has seemed of late, or in his version of the present, he hid the bag away relatively recently and fears the consequences of its discovery enough to dispatch a prison trustee with impressive haste.

Larimore: Since we know that Raylan will be investigating this long-forgotten crime that has something to do with Arlo, I'm curious as to what it will do for Raylan and Arlo's relationship. Considering that Arlo thought he was shooting Raylan last season, it can?t get any worse. Do you think Raylan could possibly glean some insight into Arlo that would swing the pendulum back even a smidgen?

Ariano: I feel like Raylan has had enough cause and opportunity to take out Arlo over the years that he could have done it by now if he wanted. I also think any new information he learns about Arlo is unlikely to make Arlo look ? better. But the show has certainly surprised me before!

Larimore:?True! It's not like Arlo has ever been up for Father of the Year. I just can't help thinking that since Raylan is about to become a father?that the writers aren't concocting a storyline that has Raylan exploring his own childhood by chance.

Ariano: What seems certain is that Constable Bob (Patton Oswalt), whom Raylan's hired to look after Arlo's house, is going to continue screwing things up in the coming episodes. If his debut appearance ends with him and several others badly maimed, surely things can only escalate to him causing someone's death.

Larimore: I was intrigued by the casting of Patton Oswalt, who certainly has a diverse body of work but is better known for his comedy. I like to think that there is more to Constable Bob than the bumbler we saw in the premiere.

Ariano: Oswalt has become more of a dramatic actor in recent years (in movies like Big Fan and Young Adult), but I found his casting a bit of a departure for Justified, which tends to cast character actors who the audience wouldn't necessarily identify with any past roles. But maybe there's less crossover in the Justified and "comedy nerd" audiences than I think.

Larimore: I liked Oswalt in the role. I was less impressed with how the show introduced Colt (Ron Eldard). It's almost a clich? to have a guy show up at a bar, look threatening, and be almost chased off and then?hey, look everybody!?be a long-lost pal from the war. And then later, when Boyd said, "Take care of him" after they recovered the money from Boyd's newly clean and saved dealer, I kind of saw that coming a mile away?how Colt killed him though Boyd had meant for Colt to untie him. It was a bit lazy, I thought, compared with the rest of the episode.

Ariano: Yeah, maybe lazy. Or foreshadowing for a moment later in the season, when Colt wants to take out someone whose life is, to Boyd, less inconsequential than that poor fool's was.

Larimore: You are probably right! We've talked about all the new faces (well, except for a long-lost lady friend of Raylan's who appears briefly early on, but really, who can keep track of all of his paramours?), which brings us to the end of the episode, when Arlo kills a fellow prisoner for knowing a?little too much?about that diplomatic pouch. Dramatic and telling!

Ariano: It's a reminder that Arlo is still a bad guy, whose past crimes are never quite past. And a reminder of how hard it must have been for a young Raylan to escape his circumstances and start a career in law enforcement: Though the Arlo we first met seemed like a fairly small-time crook, we keep learning more about how ambitious his crimes actually were. And as for the lady friend: We see her naked ass and not Raylan's? WEAK.

Larimore: Do you have any predictions for the season? Or is there anything you're hoping to see (besides equal airtime for Raylan's backside)?

Ariano: Sometimes it seems like the only thing worth guessing after a Justified season premiere is who's going to survive the finale! And I don't have a good feeling about Rev. Billy. His sister may bite it even sooner than that.

Larimore: In that way, Justified is a little bit like Dexter ... the villain doesn't usually survive the finale. In this case, though, the bigger mystery might be around just who gets to kill Rev. Billy. My money is on the snake. By which I mean the actual reptile, not Boyd.

Ariano: He did say he's already been bitten twice. Rule of threes!

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=046cf42bead51db9628c27bafc0b25eb

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Depardieu: 'I'm French' despite Russian passport

PARIS (AP) ? Actor Gerard Depardieu denied in an interview aired Monday that he accepted a Russian passport to escape the taxman in France, and said that while he may also seek Belgian nationality, he is still French.

Depardieu's first public remarks since acquiring a Russian passport on Saturday suggest that his threat last month to turn in his French passport was a bluff, or the indignant reaction of a wounded man.

"I have a Russian passport, but I remain French and I will probably have dual Belgian nationality," he said in the interview with the sports channel L'Equipe21. "But if I'd wanted to escape the taxman, as the French press says, I would have done it a long time ago."

Depardieu, 64, is one of France's best known actors, has appeared in more than 150 films and has an international following. He has been at the center of a heated debate over tax exiles as France's Socialist government looks to fill state coffers with a hefty tax on the rich. Depardieu drew scorn and insults with his recent decision to move to neighboring Belgium, where taxes are less steep for the well-off.

After Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called him "pathetic" and "unpatriotic," Depardieu penned an open letter in mid-December saying he was handing in his passport and social security card. Then, over the weekend, Depardieu showed up in Russia to accept a passport delivered personally by President Vladimir Putin.

Depardieu spoke to the sports channel from Zurich, Switzerland, on the sidelines of a soccer awards ceremony. Referring to tax exiles, Depardieu said that some high-profile rich in the entertainment industry had left France two decades ago.

Depardieu has a court date Tuesday in Paris, where he is expected to agree to a plea bargain in a case of alleged drunken driving. The burly actor was arrested after falling off his motorcycle in November and failing a sobriety test.

Elisabeth Depardieu, the actor's ex-wife, said in an interview on Monday with RTL radio that her former spouse is by nature very emotional.

"When he feels refused, he becomes provocative," she said. "Should we throw stones? He is a monument. He is a poet."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/depardieu-im-french-despite-russian-passport-201421525.html

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Early Studies Show Facebook Mobile App Install Ads Perform Well For Devs, Indicating Big Revenue Potential

Chances are you may have seen one yourself, but just how well are Facebook mobile ads promoting app installs performing? AdParlor, one of Facebook’s advertising and marketing partners, has provided us with some data to show that the answer is rather well, although the experience of another developer points to some of those good gains possibly being short-lived. The gains of a strong app install model are potentially not just good news for developers — who need more than app store rankings these days to get their apps seen, installed and used — but also investors — who need to keep seeing evidence of solid business models in Facebook’s business. AdParlor recently ran a four-week campaign with a large global gaming company (it doesn’t say which one), with app instill ads placed in the mobile news feed. AdParlor found News Feed ads to be one of the most engaging and effective ad placements on Facebook’s platform at the moment, with average click-through-rates of 0.5% (ie, how many people click on the ads) and sometimes higher depending on the vertical. AdParlor, the divsion of online advertising network Adknowledge that handles Facebook advertising for ?hundreds of companies like?Groupon, L’Oreal, American Express, Coca Cola, LG, OMD, Mindshare, Starcom, says that this particular campaign was for a role-playing game, with the aim being (as it is with many Facebook ads) to drive more players to the game’s iOS app. The ad delivered 10 million mobile impressions and drove thousands of iOS installs over four weeks. Tracked and optimized for the most effective cost-per-install by country, this is how different countries broke down for cost-per-install: What these numbers, all under $3, show is that the cost-per-install — meaning the amount of money it is costing developers to get users to act on their ads — is still remaining relatively low. In other words, a lot of users are clicking on the ads and downloading. That’s something Kate Simille, a product director at app developers Miso, has also noted, with even more cost-effective results:?Miso recently decided to buy mobile ad units on Facebook’s mobile platform to promote a new app, Quips, along with ad units on two other networks, mDotm and Tapjoy. Their conclusion: Facebook far and away had the best results, with $0.45 Average cost-per-click (CPC) (not install); a 6% conversion rate of installs (actions) to clicks, with the average cost per user at $1.73.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/0xm3u_TwH1Q/

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Photosynthesis: The last link in the chain

Jan. 4, 2013 ? For almost 30 years, researchers have sought to identify a particular enzyme that is involved in regulating electron transport during photosynthesis. A team at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universit?t (LMU) in Munich has now found the missing link, which turns out to be an old acquaintance.

Photosynthesis sustains life on Earth by providing energy-rich compounds and the molecular oxygen that higher organisms depend on. The process is powered by sunlight, which is captured by "biochemical solar cells" called photosystems that are found in plants, algae and certain types of bacteria. Plants have two photosystems, PSI and PSII. Each consists of a pigment-protein complex that uses solar energy to raise electrons to a higher energy level. These are then passed along a chain of electron acceptors, and the energy released is employed for synthesis of ATP, the "coinage" used for all energy transactions in cells.

Electron transport can proceed along several different routes. So-called linear electron transport requires the participation of both PSI and PSII, and delivers the electrons to a small molecule called NADP, forming NADPH. Cyclic electron flow on the other hand -- which can take two alternative paths -- involves only PSI, and is used solely for the production of ATP. Electrons that follow the major route are passed via an acceptor called plastoquinone to the cytochrome b6f complex and from there back to PSI, thus completing the cycle.

"The identity of the carrier that donates electrons to plastoquinone, and thus makes the process of cyclic electron flow possible, has long been a subject of controversy," says LMU biologist Professor Dario Leister, who, together with other members of his group, has now succeeded in identifying the crucial missing link in the process.

The crossroads that closes the circuit

Plants can switch between linear and cyclic modes of electron transport in order to maintain the appropriate balance between ATP and NADPH, both of which are required for synthesis of sugars from CO2. This implies that the allocation of electrons between the photosystems can be regulated. An electron transporter called ferredoxin, which receives electrons directly from PSI, acts as the junction that connects the two. "It was therefore proposed, more than 30 years ago, that a so-called ferredoxin-plastoquinone reductase (FQR) must exist, which ensures that electrons can be re-injected into the electron transport chain, and thus allows for cyclic electron transport," Leister explains, "but despite intensive searches, no such enzyme had been found."

In 2008, Leister's team identified a protein they called PGRL1, and showed that it was able to interact with PSI and with other factors known to participate in cyclic electron transport. In their latest study, they have been able to characterize the precise biochemical function of PGRL1. It turns out that the protein is the long-sought FQR that plays a central role in the regulation of cyclic electron flow. "In the long term, this finding may help us to improve photosynthetic performance by replacing or modifying specific components of the electron transport chain," Leister points out.

Pivotal regulators such as PGRL1 could possibly be tuned in a targeted fashion so as to enhance the efficiency of photosynthesis and thus increase yields in crop plants grown under controlled conditions. Furthermore, a complete understanding of the structure and regulation of the photosystems is a prerequisite for the development of methods that would allow one to optimize the process of photosynthesis for various applications -- such as raising crop yields, designing new types of solar cells or generating molecular hydrogen for use as an environmentally friendly energy source. (Molecular Cell, 3. January 2013)

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen (LMU).

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Alexander?P. Hertle, Thomas Blunder, Tobias Wunder, Paolo Pesaresi, Mathias Pribil, Ute Armbruster, Dario Leister. PGRL1 Is the Elusive Ferredoxin-Plastoquinone Reductase in Photosynthetic Cyclic Electron Flow. Molecular Cell, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2012.11.030

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://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/kEUJ4qHRoBY/130104101155.htm

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Congress ushering in new members, with old divide

Anne Easby-Smith, left, and Trace Robbins, right, who work for House Speaker John Boehner, help to prepare the Rayburn Room on Capitol Hill in Washington,Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, where members of the House of Representatives will pose for pictures at an oath of office ceremony with Boehner. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Anne Easby-Smith, left, and Trace Robbins, right, who work for House Speaker John Boehner, help to prepare the Rayburn Room on Capitol Hill in Washington,Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, where members of the House of Representatives will pose for pictures at an oath of office ceremony with Boehner. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The U.S. Capitol is seen amid reflections from inside the Cannon House Office Building on the last day of the 112th Congress, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. On Thursday, all members of the House of Representatives and one third of the Senate will be sworn in as the 113th Congress begins its work. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Congress is ushering in the new and the old ? dozens of eager freshmen determined to change Washington and the harsh reality of another stretch of bitterly divided government.

The 113th Congress will convene Thursday at the constitutionally required time of noon for pomp, pageantry and politics as newly elected members of the House and Senate are sworn in and the speaker of the Republican-controlled House is chosen. The traditions come against the backdrop of a mean season that closed out an angry election year.

A deal to avert the "fiscal cliff" of big tax increases and spending cuts split the parties in New Year's Day votes, and the House's failure to vote on a Superstorm Sandy aid package before adjournment prompted GOP recriminations against the leadership.

"There's a lot of hangover obviously from the last few weeks of this session into the new one, which always makes a fresh start a lot harder," Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, said.

For all the change of the next Congress, the new bosses are the same as the old bosses.

President Barack Obama secured a second term in the November elections, and Democrats tightened their grip on the Senate for a 55-45 edge in the new two-year Congress, ensuring that Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., will remain in charge. Republicans maintained their majority in the House but will have a smaller advantage, 235-199. Former Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s Illinois seat is the one vacancy.

Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has faced a bruising few weeks with his fractious GOP caucus but seemed poised to win another term as speaker. He mollified angry Republicans from New York and New Jersey on Wednesday with the promise of a vote Friday on $9 billion of the storm relief package and another vote on the remaining $51 billion on Jan. 15.

The GOP members quickly abandoned their chatter about voting against the speaker.

The new Congress still faces the ideological disputes that plagued the dysfunctional 112th Congress, one of the least productive in more than 60 years. Tea partyers within the Republican ranks insist on fiscal discipline in the face of growing deficits and have pressed for deep cuts in spending as part of a reduced role for the federal government. Democrats envision a government with enough resources to help the less fortunate and press for the wealthiest to pay more in taxes.

"We can only hope for more help," said Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who was re-elected in November. "Any time you have new members arriving you have that expectation of bringing fresh ideas and kind of a vitality that is needed. We hope that they're coming eager to work hard and make some difficult decisions and put the country first and not be bogged down ideologically."

The next two months will be crucial, with tough economic issues looming. Congress put off for just eight weeks automatic spending cuts to defense and domestic programs that were due to begin with the new year. The question of raising the nation's borrowing authority also must be decided. Another round of ugly negotiations between Obama and Congress is not far off.

There are 12 newly elected senators ? eight Democrats, three Republicans and one independent, former Maine Gov. Angus King, who will caucus with the Democrats. They will be joined by Rep. Tim Scott, the first black Republican in decades, who was tapped by South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to fill the remaining term of Sen. Jim DeMint. The conservative DeMint resigned to lead the Heritage Foundation think tank.

In a sign of some diversity for the venerable body, the Senate will have three Hispanics ? Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and one of the new members, Republican Ted Cruz of Texas. There will be 20 women in the 100-member chamber, the highest number yet.

At least one longtime Democrat, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, will be departing in a few weeks, nominated by Obama to be secretary of state. That opens the door to former Republican Sen. Scott Brown, the only incumbent senator to lose in November's elections, to possibly make a bid to return to Washington.

Eighty-two freshmen join the House ? 47 Democrats and 35 Republicans. Women will total 81 in the 435-member body ? 62 Democrats and 19 Republicans.

In the Senate, Reid and Republican leader Mitch McConnell are negotiating possible changes in the rules as lawmakers face a bitter partisan fight over filibusters, according to a Senate Democratic leadership aide who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about private matters.

Reid has complained that Republicans filibuster too often and has threatened to impose strict limits with a simple majority vote. That step could set off retaliatory delays and other maneuvers by Republicans, who argue that they filibuster because Reid often blocks them from offering amendments.

The aide said Reid was preserving the option of making changes with a simple majority vote.

The start of the new Congress also offers a comeback for one lawmaker. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., who suffered a stroke last January and has been absent for the past year, plans a dramatic return to the Capitol by walking up the 45 steps to the Senate's doors.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-03-New%20Congress/id-a411f3e0347c457b907cc1eb35522503

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Observatory: In Ancient Meteorite, Hint There Was Life on Mars

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The meteorite?s unusual age, from the early part of the most recent geologic epoch on Mars, and its relatively high water content set it apart.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/science/space/in-ancient-meteorite-hint-there-was-life-on-mars.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Proper Heating and Air Conditioning Maintenance | My WordPress ...

If you need to install a new heating or cooling system in your house, the most essential things to consider are selecting high quality products and professional service. Many varieties of furnaces have been manufactured which all have various parts and functions. Depending on your home and location, your home temperature and utility bill can improve dramatically if you select an appropriate furnace. Cooling systems are also very different and it is essential to purchase a system that is the most effective. When you hire a heating and air conditioning professional, they will evaluate your home and help pick the system that will meet your needs the best. These specialists can also handle all varieties of heating and cooling repairs. Notice a large difference in your year-round comfort with professional heating and air conditioning technicians on your side. Heating Service Corpus Christi TX

Source: http://ercillesuniverse.com/proper-heating-and-air-conditioning-maintenance/

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