An Unbelievable Picture of Eight Lightning Bolts Striking San Francisco at the Same Time (Updating) [Image Cache]

A hellacious storm rocked San Francisco last night which meant howlin' winds, pourin' rain, boomin' thunder and an ungodly amount of strikin' lightning. In this picture, we see all four towers of San Francisco's Bay Bridge being struck with lightning... at the same time. Mother Nature, you are a scary mama. More »

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Badass Gadgets: 13 Stellar Examples of Aggressive Hardware Design

In a mission to rescue hardware enthusiasts from the eternally twee and precious, Gadget Lab proudly presents this collection of badass gadgets -- shining examples of aggressive, purpose-built hardware design

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Apple responds to DOJ, Amazon over charges of iBooks price-fixing

Apple has officially responded to Department of Justice (DOJ) charges, which allege Apple conspired with publishers to force an agency pricing model that ultimately makes e-books more expensive for consumers.

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Lisa Edelstein: Nude For PETA!

Actress Lisa Edelstein gets naked for PETA in a new "Eat Green to Go Green" ad, posing in the buff and covered up only by some yummy vegetables.

It kind of speaks for itself. Time to go veg. Or at least go ogle ...

Edelstein says going vegetarian is a "really important part of what we need to do to help the environment" and wants people to try it, even occasionally.

"I like to encourage people to eat vegetarian once a week," the former House star said.

"That alone would make such an enormous impact for the whole world."

Check a behind the scenes video of Edelstein's PETA shoot below:

Lisa Edelstein PETA Interview

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OCZ says its Indilinx controller is actually built by Marvell, but has custom firmware

OCZ received stacks of praise following its brave switch to in-house Indilinx-branded controllers, which have delivered solid performance in both the Octane and Vertex 4 SSDs. However, the company has now confirmed to AnandTech that its Indilinx Everest 1 and 2 controllers are actually still based on Marvell products, with a little overclocking on the side, and it hasn't yet implemented its own hardware. That would explain why the latest SSDs are so closely on a par with other Marvell-powered drives, like the Crucial's m4 and Intel's 520. But if it sounds like the brightest kid in the class just admitted to copying some other student's homework, then we should probably all chill out: after all, OCZ never made any precise claims about Everest's provenance in the first place. Besides, one of the most important aspects of a solid state drive is its firmware and OCZ insists that's totally home-cooked. The news here is that we still haven't seen what OCZ is fully capable of following its Indilinx acquisition.

OCZ says its Indilinx controller is actually built by Marvell, but has custom firmware originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Sony SmartWatch now available in the US for $150

What's the most useful smartwatch of them all? If you guessed Sony's, you've got reason to smile: we just got word that it's finally available here in the US of A. As expected, the SmartWatch costs $150, while those colorful (read: not black) wrist bands are priced at $20 a pop. To recap, the watch pairs with Android phones over Bluetooth, using a free app available in Google Play (if you happen to own a Sony handset, you should find that application pre-installed). Like any smartwatch worth its salt, this one lets you read emails, texts and social updates on the device. Meanwhile, the list of mini apps is approaching 60, as of this writing, and already includes biggies like Facebook and Google Maps.

After getting hands-on not once but twice, we can say the rubber strap is comfortable and the 1.3-inch OLED display responsive, though the apps are a mixed bag in terms of usefulness. Tap-to-like on Facebook? Genius. A remote for your phone's camera? Unabashed gimmickry, if you ask us. Using the watch to call someone in your contacts list? You'll need a Bluetooth headset for that feature to be truly handy. Other favorites of ours include the ability to find your lost phone (even if it's set to quiet mode), as well as stream photos and other media from your phone. You can even respond to incoming text messages with a preset reply (e.g., "I'm busy. What's up?"), though good luck using that canned response a second time when your friend gets back to you 10 seconds later. In any case, is all that worth the $150? That's a conversation you best have with your wallet -- in read-only format, naturally.

Continue reading PSA: Sony SmartWatch now available in the US for $150

PSA: Sony SmartWatch now available in the US for $150 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Sony  | Email this | Comments

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Provinces have patchwork of climate change plans, feds lack leadership:report

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Nick Diaz to face world champion BJJ player Braulio Estima in grappling superbout

Nick Diaz has never been submitted in an MMA bout. While that streak may be safe as he sits out a suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission for testing positive for a banned substance after his loss to Carlos Condit, his BJJ will be tested soon. Diaz will participate in a bout with Braulio Estima. (Since it's not an MMA bout, he doesn't need a license so he's not violating the suspension.)

Estima is a highly-credentialed blackbelt in jiu-jitsu. He has won a world championship and numerous titles in BJJ and has two gold medals and a silver from the respected Abu Dhabi grappling tournament. In other words, he's one of the best around at groundwork.

Diaz and Estima will not wear gis (the traditional garment for BJJ) in their bout, making it more like an MMA bout. Diaz has eight wins by submission, but few opponents have the grappling skill of Estima. Will Diaz be able to win this bout? Tell us in the comments, on Twitter or on Facebook.

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Stressed-out monkeys show it in their genes (+video)

A new study demonstrates a link between social class and genetics in non-human primates.

Stressed-out monkeys tend to have a lower quality of life. But why? It turns out the answer might be in their genes.

Skip to next paragraph Harry Harlow shows what happens when a young rhesus macaque is scared.

Rhesus monkeys have a clear social ranking system. Those in the highest ranking group have the best access to food, water, and grooming. The opposite is also true: those in the lowest group have a difficult time when resources are scarce.

Researchers began with 49 captive female rhesus macaques of medium social rank. They sorted the monkeys into ten new groups, so that the monkeys sorted themselves into diverse social classes. Afterward, the scientists collected blood samples from the animals.

Blood samples showed a significant relationship between gene expression and social rank. So much so that, 80 percent of the time, the researchers were able to predict an individual monkey's social status just by looking at its genes.

Notably, it appeared that genes associated with the immune system were more active among low-ranking group members. This immune system activity could be tiring for the animals over time.

On the positive side, immune system activity levels did not seem fixed. As the researchers added new group members, altering the social stratification, gene expression changed. As the monkeys moved up in the world, they became less stressed.

This finding demonstrates an important linkage between the social world and individual physiology.

?If an individual is able to improve their social environment, the genome is pretty plastic, which is kind of optimistic,? Jenny Tung a geneticist at Duke University and the study's lead author told The New York Times.

In future studies, Tung plans to explore the question of the health impacts of social rank-associated gene expression.

This study appears in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Dream:On iPhone App Aims To Help Sleepers Choose Dreams (VIDEO)

HOUSTON, April 11, 2012 ? /PRNewswire/ ??Sentinel Trust Company, a multi-client family office serving affluent families and their closely held companies and foundations, welcomes Lissa Gangjee, J.D. CFP?, as Senior Vice President, Senior Relationship Officer and member of the Executive Committee. For the last five years Gangjee has served as Managing Director ? Wealth Planning, Senior Relationship Manager, and Portland, Oregon Office Head for Threshold Group, LLC. Prior to that, Gangjee spent ten years at U.S. Trust Company in New York, in a variety of leadership roles.?

Beginning this month, Gangjee will be the lead officer on selected client relationships, and will be joining Ross Nager, Of Counsel, in providing family wealth planning to Sentinel clients.? In addition she will help guide overall strategic direction with a seat on Sentinel?s Executive Committee. She will join Sentinel in Houston and will work with clients and prospects nationally.

?Lissa Gangjee is a very successful relationship manager committed to Sentinel?s brand of exceptional client service,? said D. Fort Flowers, Jr., President of Sentinel Trust Company. ?Lissa strengthens our firm?s strategic leadership, helping Sentinel continue to grow its business and serve its clients with an unwavering commitment to the quality of client experience.?

Gangjee will provide Sentinel with 15 years of wealth management and advisory experience with an emphasis on the customized needs of affluent families and their closely held companies and foundations.? She received an undergraduate degree from Smith College and her J.D. from the Fordham Law School. Lissa is admitted to the bar in four jurisdictions: Washington State, Washington D.C., New York and Connecticut. She is also a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER?.

At Threshold, Gangjee had primary responsibility for designing and delivering consistent financial planning services and resources to all Threshold clients as well as working directly with $100+ million clients to coordinate relationship teams in the delivery of investment advisory services, accounting and tax management, financial education, estate planning, and other financial and wealth management services. At U.S. Trust, she served in numerous capacities advancing to the positions of Senior Product Manager and Senior Vice President, with primary responsibility for the nationalization of business practices and policies for the financial planning, trust administration, tax preparation and compliance, estate administration and trust settlement business lines. She also served as Director of Fiduciary Risk Management, Project Manager, Financial Planner, and Trust Administrator. Lissa also serves on the President?s Counsel of her alma mater, Smith College and is the Major Gifts Chair for her class.

?I look forward to building upon Sentinel?s tradition of excellence in client service, top-notch technical planning and sophisticated investment solutions,? said Gangjee.

Sentinel Trust Company, LBA / www.sentineltrust.com/ was founded in 1997 as the successor to two 40 plus year old single family offices. ?As a multi-client family office, Sentinel provides wealth management, fiduciary, investment management and family office services to affluent families, their closely held entities, and their foundations. ?Sentinel currently serves more than 25 families and is responsible for over $1.9 billion in assets. ?Sentinel is located in Houston, Texas.

SOURCE Sentinel Trust Company

Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/11/4406236/sentinel-trust-adds-lissa-gangjee.html

Tags: love, relationships

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What Makes Franchising a Great Business Model for Women ...

As women accede to growing financial power, better education and corporate expertise, and yearn for more independence, the timing for them to become business entrepreneurs has never been better. A number of the benefits recommend franchise ownership as a great business for women.

1. More opportunities to connect

Women tend to be more relationship-oriented and becoming part of a franchise system meets their need for interrelation, for forming bonds and working with peers toward a shared goal. Franchising makes great business for women if only because it offers them a way to become autonomous without relinquishing the sense of a shared endeavor and of being part of a community.

2. Proven model equals less risk.

While no business model is 100% safe, franchise ownership minimizes risk, thus scoring high with women entrepreneurs keen to avoid unnecessary risk-taking. Franchising provides you with a model which has already been tested and proven successful, thus allowing you to accelerate the start-up phase, which is a trial by fire for most entrepreneurs.

3. Moving right to generating profit

Franchising can help you move right to the profit-generating stage. Every business presupposes two basic stages: concept development and implementation. Given that, in the case of a franchise, the business concept has been developed and tested by the franchisor, you can plunge right into the implementation cycle. You can focus on the best strategies for drawing customers, rather than trying to assess the customers? needs and develop ways of catering to their needs.

4. Training & ongoing support

Remember: the parent company wants you to succeed, so they will be happy to help you every step of the way. Indeed, most franchisors provide initial training and ongoing support on several levels. Whenever in doubt about the best course to take, you can seek advice from people who?ve been faced with similar challenges and who take a keen interest in your success.

5. Easier access to funding

Another reason to consider franchising is the fact it can provide easier access to funding. It is much easier to get to a loan for a franchise than for a start-up independent business because franchises represent an established brand and are deemed more likely to succeed.

These are just a few of the things which make franchising great business for women. However, it can be quite daunting to find the franchise best suited to your needs. It is essential to embark on a soul-searching process before contemplating any particular franchise. This is where a qualified franchise adviser can lend a hand, helping you assess your strengths and weaknesses and providing you with more effective search criteria.?Furthermore, a specialized franchise advisor can guide you through the due diligence process and point you to the many financing sources within reach, even in the current economy.

For more information on how a franchise advisor can help you explore great business for women, visit www.ClearChoiceFranchising.com.? There is no cost or obligation for our service.

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Everything You Need To Totally Destroy Your Phone's Beautiful Design [Toolkit]

The hard working industrial designers behind your favorite smartphone spend months perfecting the handset's design so it feels great in your hand, and easily squeezes into your pocket. Only to have a bevy of casemakers come along with ridiculous designs that completely negate all the effort that's been put into the phone's aesthetics. More »

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Vitals - Dental X-rays can double brain tumor risk, study finds

People who frequently receive routine dental x-rays are at an increased risk of developing the most commonly diagnosed brain tumor, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society. Dr. Nancy Snyderman, NBC's chief medical editor, reports.

By Robert Bazell
Chief Science and Medical Correspondent
NBC News

Dental X-rays could double the risk for the most common brain tumor, according to a study released Tuesday from scientists and doctors at Yale, Harvard and other prestigious institutions published in Cancer, a scientific journal of the American Cancer Society.

It sounds frightening -- and there is no question it invokes a serious warning -- but even those who carried out the research urge people not to overreact.?

"Our take home message is don?t panic. Don?t stop going to the dentist," said the lead author of the study Dr. Elizabeth Claus, a neurological surgeon at Brigham and Women?s Hospital in Boston and the Yale School of Public Health.

But?people "should have a conversation with their dentist" about the need to use X-rays as little as possible to keep teeth healthy, Claus says.? That?s a conclusion few would dispute, with or without the new?study.

Getty Images

Ask your dentist to use X-rays as little as possible.

The tumor studied is meningioma, a type that is usually not malignant, meaning it can grow but not spread.?To be sure, it can cause severe problems in some patients. But?people with meningiomas often live long, healthy lives with no treatment, dying of some other cause. Doctors diagnose about 5,000 cases a year in the United States, about three times as often in women as in men.

Significantly, the study is the weakest type of epidemiology, a so-called ?case control? study.?The researchers interviewed 1,433 people diagnosed with meningioma and compared them with 1,350 people with no such diagnosis. The two groups were matched for age, gender, race, income and places of residence. In a tiny portion of the cases the researchers actually looked at dental records.? But, most often, they asked the study subjects ? whose average age was 57 -- to recall their history of dental X-rays going back to childhood.

The increased?tumor risk increased?in people who reported receiving bitewing exams, which use X-ray film held in place by a tab between the teeth, on a yearly or more frequent basis. There was also a greater?risk from?the panorex dental exam which uses an x-ray outside the mouth to get an image of all the teeth. Adults who had this type of dental X-ray when they were younger than 10 years had a five times greater risk of developing meningioma.

The well-known pitfall of case control studies is ?recall bias.??People with a tumor or any other unwanted health outcome are far more likely to remember that they had X-rays, air pollution or?pesticide exposure, cell phone use or anything else that might be suspected of causing the problem.

Dr. Otis W. Brawley, scientific director of the American Cancer Society, told me ?the strongest thing you can say about this study is that there is a suggestion of a link between dental X-rays and meningioma.?

In ?guidelines published in 2006, the American Dental Association declared X-rays should not be used for "detecting disease before clinical examination." If the dentist thinks X-rays are warranted, they should be administrated with "the ALARA Principle (As Low as Reasonably Achievable) to minimize the patient?s exposure," the guidelines say.

It is also comforting that the dose for most dental X-rays has dropped hundred of times in recent decades.

"Our study," Claus told me, "refers to exposures in the past rather than exposures that people are receiving in this day and age."

Still, the ALARA principle is wise advice for all medical and dental procedures that submit a patient to radiation. This latest study is yet another reason why.

?Robert Bazell is NBC's chief science and medical correspondent. Follow him?on Facebook and on Twitter @RobertBazellNBC

?More from Robert Bazell:

"False positive" mammogram can signal future cancer

Study: Most early cancer research is wrong

Regular prostate screening can reduce deaths. Now what?

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Ahead of nuclear talks, Iran floats compromise

FILE- In this April, 9, 2007, file photo Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaks at a ceremony in Iran's nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz, 300 kms (186 miles) south of capital Tehran, Iran. Critical nuclear talks between Iran and world powers could begin this week in an atmosphere of impasse.(AP Photo/Hasan Sarbakhshian, File)

FILE- In this April, 9, 2007, file photo Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaks at a ceremony in Iran's nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz, 300 kms (186 miles) south of capital Tehran, Iran. Critical nuclear talks between Iran and world powers could begin this week in an atmosphere of impasse.(AP Photo/Hasan Sarbakhshian, File)

FILE -A file satellite image taken Sunday Sept. 27, 2009, provided by DigitalGlobe, shows a suspected nuclear enrichment facility under construction inside a mountain located north of Qom, Iran. Critical nuclear talks between Iran and world powers could begin this week in an atmosphere of impasse.(AP Photo/DigitalGlobe, File)

FILE - In this Tuesday, June 21, 2011 file photo, Fereidoun Abbasi Davani, Iranian Vice President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization, waits at a press briefing at the Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety at the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, in Vienna, Austria. Iran's nuclear chief signaled Tehran's envoys may bring a compromise offer to the talks this week with world powers: Promising to eventually stop producing its most highly enriched uranium, while not totally abandoning its ability to make nuclear fuel.(AP Photo/Ronald Zak, File)

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran's nuclear chief signaled Tehran's envoys may bring a compromise offer to the talks this week with world powers: promising to eventually stop producing its most highly enriched uranium, while not totally abandoning its ability to make nuclear fuel.

The proposal outlined late Sunday seeks to directly address one of the potential main issues in the talks scheduled to begin Friday between Iran and the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany.

The U.S. and others have raised serious concerns about Iran's production and stockpile of uranium enriched to 20 percent, which could be turned into weapons-grade strength in a matter of months.

But the proposal described by Iran's nuclear chief, Fereidoun Abbasi, may not go far enough to satisfy the West because it would leave the higher enriched uranium still in Tehran's hands rather than transferred outside the country.

Abbasi said Tehran could stop its production of 20 percent enriched uranium needed for a research reactor, and continue enriching uranium to lower levels for power generation.

This could take place once Iran has stockpiled enough of the 20 percent enriched uranium, Abbasi told state TV. The 20 percent enriched material can be used for medical research and treatments.

The enrichment issue lies at the core of the dispute between Iran and the West, which fears Tehran is seeking an atomic weapon ? a charge the country denies, insisting its uranium program is for peaceful purposes only.

Uranium has to be enriched to more than 90 percent to be used for a nuclear weapon, but with Iran enriching uranium to 20 percent levels, there are concerns it has come a step closer to nuclear weapons capability.

Abbasi said production of uranium enriched up to 20 percent is not part of the nation's long-term program ? beyond amounts needed for its research reactor in Tehran ? and insisted that Iran "doesn't need" to enrich beyond the 20 percent levels.

"The job is being carried out based on need," he said. "When the need is met, we will decrease production and it is even possible to completely reverse to only 3.5 percent" enrichment levels.

It was not immediately clear whether Abbasi's comments reflect what will be Tehran's official stance when the negotiations begin in Istanbul more than 14 months after the last round collapsed.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted on the Iranian parliament's website on Monday as saying he hopes for some progress in the upcoming talks but warned Iran would not accept any preconditions.

"We will honestly try to have the two sides conclude with a win-win situation in which Iran achieves its rights while removing concerns of five-plus-one group," he said. "But imposing any conditions before the talks would be meaningless."

Iran insists it has full rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty to enrich uranium to create nuclear fuel and says it only seeks enrichment levels to power reactors, but the U.S. and others worry that the same process can be used to make weapons-grade material.

Ahead of Istanbul, there are signs Tehran is confident it may have beaten back the toughest Western demands for a complete halt to uranium enrichment and that some bargaining room has now been opened for new proposals.

Abbasi's remarks follow a show of bravado last week from Iranian lawmaker Gholam Reza Mesbahi Moghadam, who claimed Tehran has the know-how and the capability to produce a nuclear weapon but would never do so.

Moghadam also said that Iran has the means to produce 90-plus percent enrichment, though he did not elaborate.

After a protracted flap over the venue for the talks, Iranian state TV reported Sunday that both sides had agreed on Istanbul. It said a second round would be held in Baghdad but that its timing would be decided during the meeting in Turkey.

The venue still has to be formally confirmed by EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton. But speaking from a European Union capital, a diplomat familiar with the preparations for the talks confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday that Istanbul had been chosen for the first round.

The diplomat demanded anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the information ahead of the formal announcement.

__

Associated Press writer George Jahn in Vienna contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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Video: Marlins manager suspended for complimenting Castro

Imagining Santorum vs. Clinton in 2016

??Let Me Finish: By leaving the campaign before the Pennsylvania primary, the former senator has maintained his political viability, says MSNBC's Chris Matthews. Matthews is excited for a hypothetical Hillary Clinton and Rick Santorum 2016 match-up. Full story

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Chinese activist disabled by prison abuse sentenced again

Afp / AFP - Getty Images

An undated photo shows Chinese activist and rights lawyer Ni Yulan at her home in Beijing in 2002. On Tuesday, a Beijing court sentenced her and her husband Dong Jiqin to two years eight months and two years, respectively. They were detained a year ago in a crackdown on activists, and charged with fraud and "causing trouble" at a hotel where they were held.

By Kari Huus, msnbc.com

?

A Chinese lawyer and activist who battled on behalf of residents who were losing their homes to construction for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games was sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison by a Beijing court on Tuesday, reportedly on charges of fraud and causing a disturbance, Reuters reported.

Ni Yulan 51, was tried with her husband Dong Jiqin. Both were both arrested in April 2011. Dong was sentenced to two years in jail.

Ni?s daughter Dong Xuan said Ni attended her court appearance lying on a bed with an oxygen supply, according to a report in the Global Post. Ni is confined to a wheel chair and suffers other health problems that she says were caused by torture at the hands of police during two previous jail terms.

---

Ni had been an outspoken advocate for citizens forced to leave their homes to make way for development and provided what she argued was grossly inadequate compensation for the sacrifice. She lost her own home this way, so she camped in a tent in a public park for a time, The Global Post reported.

Ni and Dong were arrested in April 2011 in a government crackdown apparently aimed at averting an Arab Spring-like uprising in China.

Tuesday's?sentences are another signal that the Communist party remains wary of the country's nascent civil rights movement.

In December Chen Xi, a veteran of the 1989 Tiananmen protests, was sentenced by a Guizhou court to 10 years for "subversion" for his persistent calls for human rights, and highlighting growing inequity in Chinese society.

Writer Chen Wei, was sentenced in December to nine years for a series of articles he published on the Internet between 2009 and 2011 calling for greater freedom of expression in China and reform of the one-party Communist system.

Upon sentencing Chen, 42, stood up in court and shouted: "Democracy and constitutional government will triumph! The dictatorship with fall!" Radio Free Asia reported.??

?The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

More from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world

Follow Kari Huus on Facebook

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Senator Chuck Grassley Dishes on Why He Sucks at Twitter [Twitter]

Since November 26th, 2007, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has unleashed 1830 tweets worth of frequently incomprehensible, crazy/beautiful Twitterness. Are his tweets 140-character poetry, a Joycean prank, or merely the handiwork of aging fingers on a touchscreen? In an interview with BLT, Senator Grassley explains all—sort of. More »

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