Friday Summary at Sepang: Pedrosa’s Speed, The Brain as a Complex Organ, & Honda Flying in Moto3

Is Sepang a Honda track or a Yamaha track? On the evidence of the first day of practice, you would have to say it is definitely a Honda track. Or more specifically, a factory Honda track, according to Valentino Rossi. The Italian veteran told reporters that the factory Hondas seemed to have something extra at Sepang, even compared to the satellite RC213V bikes.

Having lighter riders meant they did better on the long straights, consumed less fuel and could therefore use more power, Rossi said, but there was more to it than that.

They were also better on corner entry, especially in the tight corners, where HRC appears to have found something extra. The only place the Yamahas had any kind of advantage was in the longer faster corners, Rossi said. Through turns five and six, Rossi could catch Dani Pedrosa. Once they left that section, Pedrosa was gone.

If the bike is good, then Dani Pedrosa is outstanding. His lap in the afternoon was exceptional, the 2’00.554 just a couple of tenths slower than Jorge Lorenzo’s pole lap record from last year. Nobody else could get anywhere near him. His only rival was teammate Marc Marquez, forced to give half a second away to Pedrosa.

A brace of Yamahas followed, Cal Crutchlow 3rd fastest despite suffering badly with his still damaged right arm swelling in the tropical heat, ending a tenth ahead of Valentino Rossi, the first of the factory Yamaha machines. Both Crutchlow and Rossi were clear where they were losing out: three tenths of a second on each of the two long straights at Sepang, according to the Tech 3 man.

Rossi concurred, though he was less inclined to put numbers to his disadvantage. The Yamahas are having to make up through the fast corners what they are losing in the long straights.

The gap is not quite as big as it looks, however. Although Pedrosa’s fastest lap was both brilliant and demoralizing for anyone behind him, it was just one lap in which he was so fast. His race pace is closer to that of Marquez, around the low 2’01 mark. This was despite Pedrosa still not being able to sit on the bike properly due to a painful hip and buttock injured in the crash at Aragon.

Was his speed down to anger at the events of Aragon and the minimal penalty for Marc Marquez? “The opposite,” Pedrosa told the press, “I’m not angry at all, I’m totally relaxed.”

After looking like the probable winner at Aragon, focusing on the track was the best he could do. His physical condition was not helping, there were corners where he was having to grit his teeth and buckle down, Pedrosa told the press. He would likely need injections on Sunday to cope with the pain, but his form on Friday proved that at least he still had the pace.

Like Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo also denied that the events of Aragon, and the penalty handed to Marquez, had anything to do with his performance: 6th in the afternoon, and 5th overall, over a second behind Pedrosa, and struggling with aggressive power delivery and the rear wheel spinning in the middle of the corner.

“I don’t think it’s affecting me at all,” Lorenzo told the press, “but the brain is a very complicated organ, so I don’t know.” Lorenzo did have one thing to add on the subject, and his outburst on Thursday during the press conference, however: “a lot of people think I was referring to Marc, but my target was Race Direction,” Lorenzo said.

Lorenzo’s problem was in the middle of the corner, where normally the bike was strongest. He had no confidence in the rear, the rear tire was spinning, and he couldn’t open the gas when he wanted to. Where he was losing most was in braking, Lorenzo said, a complaint which all of the Yamaha riders have been making all year.

A return to the set up used during the winter test at the Sepang track was out of the question, Lorenzo had been told, as the bike was too different from then, having a new frame, swingarm and engine. Back in February, Lorenzo had been just a few tenths of Pedrosa, rather than a complete second.

While the Hondas were expected to dominate in MotoGP, to see so many Hondas at the front in the Moto3 class was a surprise. You would expect that the superior horsepower of the KTMs would be an advantage along Sepang’s two long straights, but Jack Miller and Alexis Masbou managed to put their FTR Hondas in the top three in both morning and afternoon sessions.

What was even more surprising was to see that Masbou was in the first sector containing the front straight, and Miller was fastest in the final sector containing the back straight and the first half of the front straight.

In horsepower territory, the KTMs were nowhere, leaving even Jack Miller looking nonplussed when he was asked about that by MotoGP.com. Whether the FTRs will still be ahead come Sunday remains to be seen. Despite the excellent showing by both the FTRs and the Mahindras, it was still Maverick Viñales who ended the day as fastest overall on the Team Calvo KTM.

In the Moto2 class, Tito Rabat is a man unchained. The Pons rider was fastest in both sessions of practice, but what impressed more than his raw speed was the race pace he was showing.

In the afternoon, Rabat came out and posted a string of laps in the 2’07s and 2’08s reminiscent of the clockwork consistency of Jorge Lorenzo when the 2012 MotoGP champion is in the zone. Right now, it’s hard to see anyone getting near Rabat, his advantage over the rest of the field over seven tenths of a second.

Behind Rabat, the best rivalry in motorcycle racing at the moment continues unabated. After struggling in the morning, Scott Redding used a new set of tires to put himself ahead of Pol Espargaro. Redding is sticking to his strategy of piling on the pressure on Espargaro during practice, always ensuring he is ahead when the flag drops.

Even in terms of race pace, Redding appears to have the measure of Espargaro, though there is little to choose between them. Whoever happens to be leading the Moto2 race on Sunday, the real battle will be wherever the numbers 40 and 45 are.

The big question mark appears to be the weather, but the prospects are improving as the weekend progresses. Qualifying is likely to happen on a wet track, with rain forecast for the afternoon, but conditions for Sunday look better with every passing day.

Three dry races at Sepang would be just what the series needs, and with record crowds expected on Sunday, exactly what the passionate Malaysian fans deserve. With Hafizh Syahrin, 4th in last year’s race, once again inside the top fifteen, the local crowd could have plenty to cheer about.

Source: MCN, GPone (x2, x3), & Crash.net; Photo: Repsol Media

This article was originally published on MotoMatters, and is republished here on Asphalt & Rubber with permission by the author.

Tagged under: Alexis Masbou, Dani Pedrosa, Friday, Jack Miller, Jorge Lorenzo, Malaysia, Malaysian GP, Marc Márquez, Maverick Vinales, Moto2, Moto3, MotoGP, Pol Espargaro, Scott Redding, Sepang, summary, Tito Rabat, Yamaha Racing

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/BHFQOyY1TOo/
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Report: Richest 7% got richer during recovery

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The richest Americans got richer during the first two years of the economic recovery while average net worth declined for the other 93 percent of U.S. households, says a report released Tuesday.

The upper 7 percent of households owned 63 percent of the nation's total household wealth in 2011, up from 56 percent in 2009, said the report from the Pew Research Center, which analyzed new Census Bureau data released last month.

The main reason for the widening wealth gap is that affluent households typically own stocks and other financial holdings that increased in value, while the less wealthy tend to have more of their assets in their homes, which haven't rebounded from the plunge in home values, the report said.

Tuesday's report is the latest to point up financial inequality that has been growing among Americans for decades, a development that helped fuel the Occupy Wall Street protests.

A September Census Bureau report on income found that the highest-earning 20 percent of households earned more than half of all income the previous year, the biggest share in records kept since 1967. A 2011 Congressional Budget Office report said incomes for the richest 1 percent soared 275 percent between 1979 and 2007 while increasing just under 40 percent for the middle 60 percent of Americans.

Other details of Tuesday's new report:

?Overall, the wealth of American households rose by $5 trillion, or 14 percent, during the period to $40.2 trillion in 2011 from $35.2 trillion in 2009. Household wealth is the sum of all assets such as a home, car and stocks, minus the sum of all debts.

?The average net worth of households in the upper 7 percent of the wealth distribution rose by an estimated 28 percent, while that of households in the lower 93 percent dropped by 4 percent. That is, the mean wealth of the 8 million households in the more affluent group rose to an estimated $3.2 million from an estimated $2.5 million while that of the 111 million households in the less affluent group fell to roughly $134,000 from $140,000.

?The upper 7 percent were the households with a net worth above $836,033 and the 93 percent represented households whose worth was at or below that. Not all households among the 93 percent saw a decline in net worth, but the average amount declined for that group.

?On an individual household basis, the average wealth of households in the more affluent group was almost 24 times that of those in the less affluent group in 2011. At the start of the recovery in 2009, that ratio was less than 18 to 1.

?During the study period, Standard & Poor's 500 stock index rose by 34 percent, while the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index for home prices fell by 5 percent.

___

Online:

Pew Research Center: www.pewresearch.org

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-04-23-Wealth%20Gap/id-3593d74c2b1e4915b81577420df0b416

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?Potentially harmful substance? sent to U.S. military base

Authorities are investigating whether a poisonous substance was sent to a U.S. military base in Washington, D.C., Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Tuesday.

Reid told reporters there was "an alleged ricin incident" at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, which serves the Navy and Air Force and is located in the southeastern part of the city.

A spokesman for the Defense Intelligence Agency confirmed that a mail screening detected a "potentially harmful substance" at the base.

"This morning, DIA security personnel detected a potentially harmful substance during routine screening of incoming mail," DIA spokesman Lt. Col. Thomas F. Veale told Yahoo News in an email. "Tests by experts called in to assist indicate possible biological toxins. Prudent screening methods and force protection measures were implemented to prevent personnel from being harmed. DIA has maintained normal operations, and will not comment further on this event until an investigation is complete."

The news comes just days after letters were mailed to the offices of Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, President Barack Obama and a Mississippi state judge that tested positive for ricin, which can be deadly if inhaled.

A suspect held in the investigations of the other ricin-laced letters, Paul Kevin Curtis, was released from custody earlier Tuesday. The investigation is still ongoing.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/potentially-harmful-substance-sent-u-military-near-washington-194353907--politics.html

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Obama: Background check failure ?shameful?

>>> time ago at the white house , surrounded by victims of gun violence including newtown families, president obama showed a rare flash of anger because the gun control legislation that was supposed to tighten background checks was defeated today in the u.s. senate . the president called it a pretty shameful day for washington. nbc's kelly o'donnell with us from capitol hill tonight. kelly , good evening.

>> reporter: good evening, brian. the mood inside the senate chamber which was packed was intense with emotion as gun victims, survivors and many of the newtown families watched senators they had personally met with vote down expanded background checks . tonight, the president gave the rose garden microphone over to a newtown dad, mark backwarden.

>> we'll return home now, disappointed but not defeated.

>> reporter: the president clearly angry.

>> the gun lobby and its allies willfully lied about the bill.

>> reporter: lashed out at congress.

>> this was a pretty shameful day for washington. this effort is not over. i want to make it clear to the american people . we can still bring about meaningful changes that reduce gun violence so long as the american people don't give up on it.

>> reporter: from the steps of air force one last week to the u.s. capitol again today, newtown families who know the pain of gun violence had been unwilling to give up.

>> our hearts are broken. our spirit is not.

>> reporter: gabrielle giffords who has lobbied senators called the failure to pass expanded background checks unthinkable. today being heard or consoled was not enough for patricia. tucson shooting survivor who shouted at senators, "shame on you."

>> shame on you!

>> order in the senate.

>> reporter: some newtown families held more private families. no media coverage . republican senator mark kirk 's staff took these pictures. the latest nbc maris poll shows nearly 9 of 10 surveyed want tighter restrictions on gun sales. four republicans voted yes to extend background checks to commercial sales at gun shows and the internet.

>> expanded background checks would not have prevented newtown .

>> reporter: conservative opposition was strong.

>> this is the first step in the erosion of our rights under the second amendment.

>> we are trying to take it to the violent criminal. rather than taking it to the second amendment law abiding citizen.

>> reporter: usually a vice president arrives to preside over a winning vote. biden was here to witness its defeat.

>> the amendment is not agreed to.

>> reporter: four democrats from red states with high gun ownership also voted no. in talking to those democrats who voted no, they say they had intense pressure from their home state constituents who did not want to see expanded background checks . also tonight, senators voted down an assault weapons ban and limits on high capacity ammunition. it is possible that democrats will simply shelve this legislation in order to try again some day down the line. brian?

>> again, the president calling this round one. kelly o'donnell on the hill tonight after an eventful day there. kelly , thanks.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2ad94ca4/l/0Lvideo0Bmsnbc0Bmsn0N0Cid0C515760A30A/story01.htm

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HTC may bring ?ultrapixel? cameras to mid-range smartphones

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 5 (Reuters) - Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari stood up for specialist dribbler Neymar on Tuesday, saying the flamboyant forward's reputation for falling down easily was undeserved and exaggerated. "He gets fouled 10 times a match, and possibly one or two of those free kicks shouldn't be awarded, but then that is normal in football," Scolari told a news conference on Tuesday. "The coaches who criticise Neymar, who claim he falls over or simulates fouls, do that because it's an easy way out for them. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/htc-may-bring-ultrapixel-cameras-mid-range-smartphones-000634887.html

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Broadband and Wi-Fi Barring Protocol | forums.altnews.com.au

For last five years a continual number of irregularities? have occurred in relation to phantom communication jamming / barring and IP blocking of Network protocols to Laptop, PC and possibility Table systems within Australian.

These occurrences have generally been focused on Residents and Citizens of Australia with usage of Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections section protocols required for Broadband Sticks, WI-FI and Wireless connections.

This however does not affect customer?s usage of Direct GSM connections on Mobiles to Network Providers, thus meaning interference whilst using mobiles directly for internet or data apps would not occur without network congestion or frequency hijacking (Peering issues to be addressed with PnP wireless broadband).

Under examination of the re-occurrence I have found that this problem may not reside with the Network Providers that customers are connected to for delivery of service.

Nethertheless this issue is operating illegally and targeting entities without known criminal profiles aka innocent Australians.

Furthermore this practise to inhibit, interfere and or data crawl personal systems being illegal additionally disrupts service providers in delivery of service to these customers and technical support costs attributed too.

Over four to five years numerous cross examinations of such happenings have been under taken with assistance of technical aid, supplied by providers from a number of Networks Providers within Australia whilst these issues are occurring and thereafter.

Origins would indicate a similarity to internet censorship of the Republic of China protocol, thus controlling and prohibiting media data and information of political nature, other than that authorised.

In mentioning this I am refer to a primary controller having the capabilities to bar and or censor/restriction of information to select or multiple persons and or businesses.

This above protocol was recently pushed as an amended policy option via the Australian Government, giving allowance to legalise internet censorship with additional technical powers given to investigation units to intrude on civilian?s and businesses privacy without warrant.

I mention this above as it is highly likely this practise has already been in play/use without Comlaw (attorney general) stamping in test or civilian inhabitation and privacy interference.

This protocol action could only be accessed, authorised and acknowledge via communications at the top end level additionally having grade 1 level encryption services for general use and IP shielding.

This in layman terms means general technical and wholesale staff of service providers, possibly even the Network Providers themselves would not have access or knowledge of these protocols in use, nor would such be detected via in house communication systems due to legalities and liability issues.

This protocol as mentioned has been in Active Play for more than 5 years within Australia, this in general use and or trail with civilian testing.

I had communicated with the main communications giant Telstra Australia on GSM access to other service providers, the email and phone correspondence returned indicted that Telstra had no access to other providers in relation to GSM Technologies?, such operated independently.

Additionally an intrusion trackback was made to the Microsoft Corporation server fixating on their atdmt folder located in Saint Louis, MO USA ISP: Colo4 this brought to US-Cert?s attention.

I have brought this up due to the fact that it is Microsoft that invented Network Protocols? and have the knowledge to technical capabilities to make behind the scenes alterations to file systems.

Though mentioned that Microsoft have the capabilities to invent these Network protocols, and additionally capable of applying back of house inhibitors and or intrusive data scans, without knowing the contents of Atdmt we could assume that this is their extent.

This reason is secured by the factors that for Microsoft to remove a protocol barring and or inhibitor such would require access via data to the system, whereas the case states that such barring and or inhibitors are lifted without data access prior to network connection.

The case study would show as mentioned the network protocol inhibitors and or barring are placed just prior to the customer/civilian accessing their Network Provider Service, with additional IP blocking in place where connection is made, as secondary protocol.

This on a customer/civilian?s system via use of Wi-Fi would indicate Access: Local Only with Unidentified Network (no data usage accessible or in operation at this time).

In relation to Broadband PnP Wireless Sticks these are signal jammed from network or deliver the same indication stated above with signal.

Working of scenario in work of being able to achieve this, one would need access to a primary network provider and their access points.

Access Points:

1. Telstra Australia communications system with high level access for override of Wholesale provider data systems.

2. Telstra Exchanges access allowing tagging, tapping and network inhabitation, this additionally housing all provider network access boxes.

3. Communication Towers access via Telstra, Government or National Security Divisions.

Such overrides would not interfere with the Service Provider as mentioned in general, yet provides interceptor allowances for protocol blocking/barring with addition to tapping of any service provider customer for data or screen leeching.

These areas are the weaknesses that indicate most likely in accordance to such happenings, other than frequency peering of Broadband PnP Sticks.

This solution was made via a setup use of Wi-Fi with hidden access, this accompanied by an access pass code, thus removing civilian hijacking from the big picture, without acknowledgement of Wi-Fi Hotspot Name or Code (undetectable to public).

Service Providers and Telco Recourse: I would state that as a provider of service to your customers, and your own network security you should audit your Raw Setup of communications for abnormalities and or primary access points.

As mentioned your systems general operation would not detect such interception or intrusion that not only is an inconvenience to your customers but that also of your service provider business alike (sales, support and allegiance).

This is an illegal protocol that is not authorised via Government, nor warrantable for non criminal entities at this point and a direct violation to Civilians Liberty and Freedom of Rights inclusive of Privacy Act, Communications Act, Cybercrimes Act and possibility Fair Trading Act (competitive competition).

Keep in mind that technical support for providers have stated they have no capabilities to block other than data run-outs and if service providers them self?s have been placing bars nevertheless to this correspondence on functions aka Network Protocols, Broadband or Mobile Wi-Fi functions, the above would also apply to you.

With exchanges I would recommend checking seal numbers and access points to box plug-ins for tampering or unauthorised abilities.

These occurrences in general become active at night around 15:00, to mornings anywhere up to a number of days later thereafter.

Customers have the right to the service in which they have purchased no matter of interest or purpose use and service providers have the right to uninterrupted service given to their client database.

Brett J Hutton

Source: http://forums.altnews.com.au/forums/brett-hutton/broadband-and-wi-fi-barring

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Elan moves to deter takeover bid

DUBLIN (AP) ? Irish drug maker Elan Corp. announced Monday it will pay shareholders a recurring special dividend linked to the sales of the multiple sclerosis treatment Tysabri.

Analysts said the offer, contingent on Elan's pending sale of its Tysabri rights to partner Biogen Idec Inc., was designed to deter shareholders from considering a takeover bid by Royal Pharma.

Elan said it planned to pay shareholders 20 percent of its Tysabri royalties received from Biogen twice annually beginning in the fourth quarter this year.

"This dividend structure gives shareholders the right to enjoy unlimited participation in the upside from the Tysabri sales increase which we anticipate for the future," Elan said in a statement.

Elan and Biogen jointly developed Tysabri and have split earnings since the drug's troubled launch in the U.S. market in 2004. They soon withdrew Tysabri from sale after three MS sufferers using the drug contracted PML, a rare brain-inflammation disease that is often fatal.

But since its return to sale in 2006 under restricted conditions Tysabri has gradually gained market traction because, despite its PML risks, it is considered most effective at reducing the frequency and severity of sudden immobilization or partial paralysis experienced by MS patients. The neurological disease MS has no cure.

Last month Elan agreed to sell its interest in Tysabri to Biogen, based in Weston, Massachusetts, for $3.25 billion in cash and recurring royalty payments.

Royal Pharma launched a $6.5 billion bid for Elan on Feb. 25 that values the Dublin-based company at approximately $11 a share. Royal Pharma argued that Elan's shareholders should sell because the company already was too heavily reliant on Tysabri sales, but Elan's directors rejected the bid as cynically timed to exploit uncertainty among some Elan shareholders.

Elan's shares have risen 27 percent since the Tysabri sale plans were announced Feb. 6. They rose a further 1 percent on Monday to ?8.71 ($11.33) on the Irish Stock Exchange.

The royalty agreement means Biogen will pay Elan 12 percent of its revenue from Tysabri sales this year and 18 percent in future years. Should Tysabri sales break the $2 billion annual barrier, as is expected, Elan will receive 25 percent of the proceeds from sales over that threshold. Tysabri's sales totaled $1.6 billion in 2012.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-03-04-EU-Elan-Tysabri-Dividend/id-af4b136dabdd4dd48cd72616784cf995

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