Kite Surfer Jumps Pier During Tropical Storm Debby (VIDEO)

As Tropical Storm Debby threatened Florida's Gulf coast over the weekend, one adventurous kite surfer took to the sea to take advantage of the rad winds and waves.

A video that was featured on Reddit's front page shows the daredevil surfing the waves near the shoreline just before jumping over a pier.

Those filming the action gasp in anticipation as the kite surfer comes around (0:44) and takes "flight" over the pier at Redington Beach before landing safely on the other side, WTVR reports.

"He's obviously a professional," one man exclaims.

According to the video's uploader, Jay Gartner, the athlete had already performed the stunt once before.

Professional or not, surfers and swimmers are usually discouraged from heading into the ocean as storms approach.

Hurricanes and tropical storms often bring strong waves that can create hazardous rip currents, according to National Geographic. Although surfers are usually able to ride the currents on their boards, the formations pose danger to swimmers, who may become exhausted fighting the strong current and put themselves at risk of drowning.

According to a National Weather Service advisory, Debby has weakened into a tropical depression and isn't expected to strengthen much within the next 48 hours. As of 11 a.m. EDT on June 27, the storm was moving away from Florida with maximum sustained winds of about 35 mph.

The storm brought more than two feet of rain to parts of Florida and caused flooding and power outages across the state, the Associated Press reports. At least three deaths have been blamed on the storm, according to CNN.

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Today on New Scientist: 28 June 2012

AI system helps spot signs of copper cable theft

The theft of copper telecoms cable cost the industry ?770 million last year - now an AI is helping stop the thieves

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Silicon sirens: The naughty bots out to seduce you

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A look at the ruling upholding Obamacare

WHAT DOES THE RULING MEAN TO ME?

The Supreme Court decision upholding President Barack Obama's health care law affects nearly every American. The law tells almost everyone they must have health coverage and guarantees it will be available to them even if they are already ill or need hugely expensive care. It helps the poor and many middle-class people afford coverage.

WHAT THE JUSTICES SAID

The high court upheld almost all of the law, including the most disputed part: the mandate that virtually all Americans have health insurance or pay a fine. The court said that fine is essentially a tax, and that's why the government has the power to impose it.

The ruling limited the law's plan to expand the Medicaid insurance program for the poor, a joint effort of the federal government and states. It says the U.S. government cannot withhold a state's entire Medicaid allotment if it doesn't participate in the expansion.

Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the court's four liberal justices ? Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor ? to form the 5-4 majority.

HUGE POLITICAL IMPACT

The court upheld Obama's signature legislative achievement. Final word from the court amplifies the most polarizing issue of his re-election campaign against Republican Mitt Romney.

GOP lawmakers and Romney have promised to repeal the law if they are in power after the November election.

WHAT NOW?

The 2010 health care law will keep taking effect. It's expected to bring coverage to about 30 million uninsured people. Overall, more than 9 in 10 eligible Americans will be covered.

Some parts are already in effect: Young adults can stay on their parents' insurance up to age 26. Insurers can't deny coverage to children with health problems. Limits on how much policies will pay out to each person over a lifetime are eliminated. Hundreds of older people already are saving money through improved Medicare prescription benefits. And co-payments for preventive care for all ages have been eliminated.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Starting in 2014, almost everyone will be required to be insured or pay a fine. There are subsidies to help people who can't afford coverage. Most employers will face fines if they don't offer coverage for their workers. Newly created insurance markets will make it easier for individuals and small businesses to buy affordable coverage. And Medicaid will be expanded to cover more low-income people.

Insurers will be prohibited from denying coverage to people with medical problems or charging those people more. They won't be able to charge women more, either. During the transition to 2014, a special program for people with pre-existing health problems helps these people get coverage.

An assortment of tax increases, health industry fees and Medicare cuts will help pay for the changes.

STILL, NOT EVERYONE WILL BE COVERED

An estimated 26 million people will remain without coverage once the law is fully implemented, including illegal immigrants, people who don't sign up and choose to face the fines instead, and those who can't afford it even with the subsidies. That number could be higher, depending on whether any states refuse the Medicaid expansion.

THE TAXING TRUTH

When the law was before Congress, Obama and Democrats avoided calling its penalty for going uninsured a "tax." But the administration argued before the Supreme Court that the law was constitutional as a federal tax. The court rejected two other Obama administration arguments for the law but accepted the tax one.

In 2016, after the law is fully in place, about 4 million people will pay the penalty to the Internal Revenue Service for being uninsured, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated. They would pay $695 per uninsured adult or 2.5 percent of family income, up to $12,500 per year.

The IRS can't prosecute violators or place liens against them, however. Its only enforcement option may be withholding money from refunds.

WHAT ARE REPUBLICANS SAYING?

"Obamacare was bad law yesterday. It's bad law today," Romney said after the ruling.

The Republican-led House already has voted for repeal but can't push it forward so long as Obama's in the White House and Democrats lead the Senate ? making the November elections crucial.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell called the court decision "a fresh start on the road to repeal."

OBAMA'S REACTION

Obama says the decision upholds the fundamental principle that in the wealthiest nation on earth, no one should be ruined financially by an illness or accident.

He called it "a victory for people all over this country whose lives will be more secure because of this law."

ABOUT THAT MANDATE

Many parts of the law have proven popular. But the insurance mandate is widely disliked.

Each time AP has asked in polls, more than 8 in 10 Americans have said the government should not have the right to require everyone to buy health insurance.

The public also has tilted against the law as a whole over the two years since it was passed. About half opposed it and a third were in favor in an AP-GfK poll shortly before the Supreme Court ruled.

Associated Press

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Searching for Hardwood Floor Contractors to Improve Your Home ...

The floor may help define the standard of your own home. It is the very first thing your friends and relatives will probably notice once they step into your house. It ought to appear clean for your eyes and really feel clean for your feet. The sort of material applied on your floor leaves a good or bad impression on your visitors. One of the most appealing types of flooring is hardwood. Look for well-performing hardwood floor contractors if you need to bring classiness in your property.

There are two kinds of hardwood floors: solid and engineered. Solid hardwood floors give off a natural vibe into the house. It could range in dimension and style while some might include other functions just like immunity from humidity. Engineered hardwood, conversely, has 2 or more levels. Additionally it is the most widely used flooring worldwide. Many people mix up engineered hardwood with laminates and vinyl. Both kinds just make your floor appear as if they're genuine wood. Discuss the type of flooring you would like for your home with your hardwood floor contractors.

Floors deteriorates with time. Experts normally make use of special surface finishes to keep the floor from looking dull over time. Building contractors don't just set up flooring systems; they must make sure it seems polished and spot-free. In some cases, the floor may end up uneven after installation. To correct this, hardwood floor sanding is critical.

hardwood flooring sanding is the solution to smoothen the surface and get rid of unevenness. Experts use a sander machine for easy leveling and handheld sandpaper for edges and difficult to reach parts. This process also works well for removing paint stains or torn film on the surface of the floor. Sanding isn't easy and it demands good deal of attention if you need a perfectly smooth surface. Additionally you need to use different kinds of sand paper or devices on distinct areas. Apart from flooring, stair cases made out of hardwood steps also call for sanding and finishing.

When sanding hardwood floors, you initially need to remove or fasten lifted nails or screws. This prevents uneven smoothening and also eliminates damaging the sanding machine. There has to be good air flow inside the room as sawdust may possibly fill up the air. Building contractors need to use safety glasses and respiratory masks to protect themselves from toxic irritants. The floor must be free from dirt, hair, as well as other fine particles to have an easier sanding process.

It really is easier to try to find contractors on the internet focusing on setting up hardwood floors. Do a search for reliable companies providing high quality solutions on installation and sanding. Makeovers continually come with an expensive price however, you can get your way around it when you try to find reasonably priced deals on the internet. Verify the hardwood floor sanding cost with your list of contractors. Select one that provides economical yet effective services with reputation on quality. Change the look of your home with hardwood flooring systems, and bring in an even more elegant atmosphere in your interior.

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How Internet Marketing Can Benefit Your Business | Internet ...

Encourage new visitors to your site with a $1 promotion. This will build a ton of buzz for your business. This can also help you sell other products because most people will come for the bargain and add other products as well. Stand by your product with confidence!

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Offer products at discounted prices to increase profits. You can display both the original and sale price to show your customer the deal. Perhaps you might say something like, ?Buy now and save $20 dollars on the purchase?.

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Giving yourself a title will show your importance. If you are a business owner, become the CEO or President. If you are not a business owner, still see if there is a title that you can create that gives a sense of presence and strength. Make sure you sign all announcements and emails with name and title included.

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A big part of being successful with an online business is to find the right niche. You can?t sell baseball cards to someone that wants to buy old Star Wars toys. Well, you may, but the point is that someone who wants to buy baseball cards will look in a different area than someone looking for old Star Wars toys. Knowing who is interested in the product you are selling and spending your effort on attracting them to your business is the smart thing to do.

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A good Internet market tip is to always come off as someone who is an expert in whatever it is you are offering on your site. Offering lots of relevant and accurate information makes you appear more credible, but if you try to trick people into thinking you are an expert when you are not, it is just as easy to lose your credibility.

Making use of the Internet for business marketing can be intimidating at first. It is not that different from other forms of marketing. By incorporating all you have learned today, you can generate more profits for your business and be on your way to grabbing a hold of a lot more customers.

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The Steroid Era is behind us

No-hitters, and no-hitter alerts have become frequent this season

Elaine Thompson / AP

Seattle Mariners pitchers, from left, Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Kevin Millwood, Lucas Luetge, Brandon League and Tom Wilhelmsen pose with the scoreboard reset to the final from two nights earlier on June 10. The six combined to throw a no-hitter in a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

By MLB EXPERT MAILBAG

updated 4:49 p.m. ET June 26, 2012

Tony DeMarco

Baseball Expert Tony DeMarco has been covering the big leagues since 1987, and been casting Hall of Fame ballots for the last 14 years. He answers questions weekly here:

Q. It seems like we're having no-hitter alerts frequently, and offenses are struggling overall. What are the reasons for this, and is this a fluky thing, or a sign of a larger trend?
? Kurt Roberts, New York

A. There definitely is a larger trend here, and it's simply that we've fully gotten beyond the inflated offensive numbers of the Steroids Era, and returned to relative normalcy.

There has been a perfect game and two no-hitters this season, one in each month of the season: the White Sox's Philip Humber (perfect) in April, the Angels' Jered Weaver in May and a sextet of Mariners earlier this month.

The 2012 MLB average for runs per game is at 8.6 through Monday ? up a tick from last season's 8.56 mark, which was the lowest since 1992.

In contrast, the peak of the Steroids Era was 2000, when the average runs per game was 10.28. That number also exceeded 10 runs per game in 1996 and 1999, was above 9.5 for an eight-year stretch of 1994-2001, and was at least 9.0 every year from 1993 to 2009.

But notice the decline since 2006: (9.72); 2007 (9.6); 2008 (9.3); 2009 (9.2); 2010 (8.76); 2011 (8.56), 2012 (8.6).

The numbers from the last three seasons are in line with those from the early 1970s to the early 1990s. As many know, pitching mounds were lowered from 15 inches in height to 10 after the 1968 season ? the so-called Year of the Pitcher ? when runs per game average dipped to just 6.84 after being in the 7s from 1963-67, when a handful of future starting pitcher Hall of Famers were in their peak years.

Batting averages, home runs and slugging percentages have made similar declines in recent seasons:

MLB teams peaked at a .271 season batting average in 1999 (also .270 in 1994, 1996 and 2000), while the current average is down to .253.

Home runs peaked at 2.34 per game in 2000, and currently are down to 1.98 per game.

The average slugging percentage topped out at .437 in 2000, and currently sits at .402.

And in this season, the number of sub-.200 hitters ? and I'm talking about regulars or at least platoon players ? is alarmingly high. Put it this way: Mario Mendoza has plenty of company, as through Monday, there are no fewer than 14 players hitting under .200 with at least 100 at-bats:

Russell Martin (.197), Carlos Pena (.197), Jose Molina (.195), Gaby Sanchez (.194), Ike Davis (.191), Shelley Duncan (.191), Chone Figgins (.191), Rickie Weeks (.185), Brendan Ryan (.179), John Buck (.175), Nick Hundley (.172), Ryan Raburn (.168), Geovany Soto (.165), Xavier Nady (.157).

As for the reasons why, let's first give credit where it's due. Some elite-quality arms have entered the majors in the past few seasons, and they are making their marks: Stephen Strasburg, Clayton Kershaw, Chris Sale, Brandon Beachy, Yu Darvish, Madison Bumgarner, Wade Miley, Jordan Zimmerman, Matt Harrison, Ivan Nova, Jeremy Hellickson, Aroldis Chapman, Craig Kimbrel, and the list could go on.

The next reason that should be obvious is the drug-testing program ? instituted in 2006 and beefed up since ? is working.

Another perhaps underrated reason is improvements on defense ? both in the speed and range of fielders, and in the more-aggressive positioning of defenders according to charts that show where hitters are most likely to put the ball in play.

It used to be that an infield shift was isolated mostly to left-handed pull/power hitters. Now you see teams ? led by the Tampa Bay Rays ? employing shifts of infielders for several hitters in a lineup.

So even though the trend in new parks has leaned heavily to offense-friendly dimensions, other factors have led to the recent decline in runs.

Q. Josh Hamilton is skipping the Home Run Derby again, saying he doesn't want to get hurt. Boston fans are saying Adrian Gonzalez's swing hasn't been the same since last year's Derby. Are these isolated concerns, or is the Derby a real danger to players?
? Jim Alford, University City, Calif.

A. Sure, there are understandable concerns ? mostly in front offices ? that competing in the Home Run Derby ? and for that matter, All-Star Games and World Baseball Classics ? can lead to injuries.

But as far as the Home Run Derby is concerned, to say there is any longer-term negative affect on regular-season performance from altering a swing to compete in the derby is ridiculous. A couple of weeks maybe, but anything beyond that, and any hitter who's great enough to be invited to participate in the Home Run Derby should be able to make any necessary adjustments.

First of all, unless you go deep into a derby competition, you're not doing much more than a regular daily batting practice session ? although admittedly there will be adrenalin pumping as in a game situation.

Nobody is certain why Gonzalez's numbers are so far off his career norm, but to blame it on last year's derby participation makes no sense. That statute of limitations expired long ago. Other factors obviously are involved, and it usually involves pitchers finding and exploiting weaknesses. Playing out of position wasn't helping him, either.

As for Hamilton, there could be some trepidation on his part given that he's in a contract year. He's also battling a big slump right now that has tempered his awesome start to this season. We also have to consider that he's already put on what might be the greatest derby performance we'll ever see, so he really does have nothing to prove at this point.

MLB obviously would love to have Hamilton (and Matt Kemp) participate, but it's the players' call, and team front offices also are going to err on the side of caution with the long-term financial investments they've made in their superstars.

Q. With talk about bringing in the fences as a few parks, do you know if there is a basic guideline for the distances fences should be from home plate?
? Frank, Seattle

A. The official MLB rule book doesn't get any more specific than this: "A distance of 320 feet or more along the foul lines and 400 feet or more to center field is preferable.''

Obviously, there are exceptions: The 37-foot-high Green Monster in Fenway is listed at 310 feet down the left-field line, although many believe it's closer than that to home plate. The Pesky Pole in the right-field corner in Fenway is 302 feet away.

The center-field wall in Minute Maid Park is 436 feet away ? furthest in the majors, and up a hill, besides. But the left-field wall there is only 315 feet away (but 19-feet high) leading to many home runs lofted into the Crawford Boxes.

And sometimes, distance is only part of the equation. The right-field corner at AT&T Park is 309 feet, but the 25-foot wall and marine conditions make it one of the toughest right-field home run parks in the majors, unless you're Barry Bonds.

But as a whole, ballparks are more-uniform than they used to be. For example, in the Polo Grounds ? arguably the most-extreme park in history ? it was 279 feet down the left-field line, 483 feet in center, and 258 feet down the right-field line.

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Pew: 17% Of U.S. Cell Phone Users Now Mostly Use Their Phones To Go Online

For most of us, our cell phones are now a convenient way to get online while we're on the go (or on the couch). According to a new report by the Pew Internet & American Life project, however, 17% of U.S. adult cell phone owners now mostly go online using their phones rather than desktops, laptops or tablets. That's the number for all cell phone owners in the U.S, including those with feature phones. Just looking at those who already use their phones to go online (55% of all cell phone owners), a whopping 31% now say they mostly use their phones to use the Internet.

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