Thanks Reddit.

The Beach Boys' lost album 'Smile' is set to be released after being shelved for 44 years.

The album, which was never completed by the band after fractious sessions in the 1960s, will be released by Capitol Records as 'The Smile Sessions', reports Billboard.com.

Three versions of the project are set to be released - a two-CD set, digital download and limited-edition boxed set.

The label hasn't given the project a specific release date, but has said it will be made available before the end of the year.

Band mainman Brian Wilson has said he is "thrilled" that the tracks will finally get an official release.

"I'm looking forward to this collection of the original recordings and having fans hear the beautiful angelic voices of the boys in a proper studio release," he commented.

Wilson released a newly-recorded solo album version of 'Smile' in 2004 and performed it live in the UK.

Last year it was reported that The Beach Boys would reform in 2011 for their 50th anniversary, although no dates have since been confirmed.

Founding guitarist Al Jardine said at the time that the band would "definitely" play "at least one show" this year.

Brian Wilson is due to play a UK solo tour in September.

If Jaws were still alive to see this, he'd be one happy giant, man-eating shark.

Congress has banned the brutal act of shark finning in the U.S., in which fisherman would catch sharks only to cut off their fins and sometimes toss them back into the water to bleed to death.

An Asian delicacy known as shark fin soup is usually the motivation for this terrible act which kills more tens of millions of sharks a year.

Mad Men actress January Jones, a shark activist, says in an article supporting the new Shark Conservation Act that "we shouldn't be scared of sharks, we should be scared for them."

We totally agree! There is no reason to kill MILLIONS of a species for an overpriced delicacy.

The Shark Conservation Act, which improves the existing law originally intended to prevent shark finning and also allows the U.S. to take action against countries whose shark finning restrictions are not as strenuous, is on it's way to President Obama's desk.

Let's hope the new year brings in a lower total of sharks killed.

Give us your thoughts!

Do U support the Shark Conservation Act?

Photo by FeatheredTar via Flickr

[Update, 11:35 p.m: In a later call, the bill officially failed.]

Although some reports are indicating that a bill to ban plastic and other single-use bags in California has failed in the State Senate, ultimately killing the bill, that was not the case as of 11 p.m. Tuesday night. An e-mailed update from the office of the bill's author, Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D - Santa Monica), explained the technical details:

The Senate vote on AB 1998, the Single-Use Bag Ban bill, now stands at 14 ayes, 20 nos. The bill needs 21 votes to pass. A “call” has been placed on the bill, which means the bill is on hold while Sen. Gil Cedillo, who presented it, in conjunction with Asm. Brownley, seek more yes votes. Some members have not cast votes. A final vote has not been taken. When it is, I will update the status.

The bill must be taken up by midnight, when the legislative session ends. Additionally, the State Assembly, which approved an earlier version of the bill in June, must vote on amendments made by Senate committees during August by midnight as well. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in June also voiced his support for the ban.

Here are the key points of the bill:

• It would ban all single-use bags from supermarkets and large pharmacies in 2012, and from smaller grocery stores, convenience and liquor stores in 2013.
  
• If customers do not bring or purchase a reusable bag, the only bag stores will be able to give to customers is a paper bag made from 40% post-consumer material.
  
• Stores can charge for each bag they give out, but can only pass on the cost and not profit from it. Those receiving government assistance, such as food stamps, will receive the bags for free.

A number of Senators stood up and spoke against the bill. "This goes backwards," said Senator Jeff Denham (R - Merced), explaining that producing paper bags would be environmentally disastrous. "Really? This is better for the environment?"

By Zach Behrens in News on August 31, 2010 11:13 PM

Call to Action

On August 21st and 22nd, commit to these 11 actions!

1. Walk or ride your bike: Avoid using cars and if you must, always try to carpool. Transportation accounts for 40 percent of our petroleum consumption and is easily one of the biggest areas we need to improve upon.
2. Enjoy the outdoors: Avoid buying new sporting equipment, since oil makes up nearly 25% of rubber. Footballs or basketballs, for example, can last for many years and used equipment is often just as good and will reduce demand for oil needed to make new rubber.
3. Use reusable bags: Avoid disposable plastic. Plastic bags are a huge waste for very little benefit. Nearly 10 percent of U.S. oil consumption, approximately 2 million barrels a day, is used to make plastic products alone.
4. Be conscious about what you eat that weekend: You can reduce oil demand by changing your diet to eat less meat, more local foods that require less transportation and organic food, which doesn't use petro-based fertilizers.
5. Don't buy new make-up that weekend: The majority of cosmetics are petroleum-based, including lip gloss, face powder, nail polish, and more. So avoid buying new make-up products this weekend and research the brands when you purchase in the future.
6. Drink tap water: Avoid beverages bottled in disposable plastic, they make up nearly 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year, so get a reusable bottle and fill it up.
7. Make your electronic gadgets last: Avoid buying new electronics. Electronics take a lot of oil to produce and the gadgets you already have can last much longer than the rate at which new ones are released.
8. Go to the movies or stream them on Hulu: Avoid buying new DVDs/Blu-Rays, as oil is a key ingredient in their production, packaging and shipping.
9. Skip buying new clothes that weekend: Swap clothes with friends or check out the local vintage store. The less new clothes you buy the less oil is used in the manufacturing process and transportation.
10. Head to your local library or read online: Avoid using a printer and buying printed material including daily newspapers. Printing doesn't just waste paper, nearly 100,000 gallons of ink each day is used on daily newspapers alone.
11. Spread the word! Get 3 friends to sign the pledge and help raise awareness on ways they can help reduce their dependence on oil-related products.

Pledge your commitment here: http://weekendwithoutoil.org/

Form submission here:
http://www.donotmail.org/form.php?id=50

Sign the letter to the worst junk mailers here:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/281/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2516

In addition to the environmental devastation that BP’s oil disaster has caused, the spill has also destroyed the livelihoods of countless people who live on the southeastern coast of the United States who depend on jobs based along the Gulf of Mexico. Florida’s Capitol News Service reports today that food stamp applications have “soared” along the Florida coast following the spill:

Applications for food stamps in Panhandle counties have soared since oil began gushing from the broken BP pipe leak. Since May 1st application are up 15 percent. The Department of Children and Families is keeping separate data to track people who qualify for food stamps because the oil has destroyed their careers. Don Winstead is the Welfare Advisor for DCF. He says along with the growing need for food assistance is a growing need for councilors to help families going through hard times.

“Being not only in the food stamp program and other benefit programs but also seen through our mental health program also. One of the things we typically do after disaster is increase our counseling capacity because people are going to be affected in a variety of ways,” said Winstead.

The number of people seeking assistance in coastal Louisiana has reportedly gone up as well. Second Harvest Food Bank in New Orleans tells McClatchy newspapers that it has seen “at least a 15 percent jump in new families requesting services.” Additional funding for food stamps benefits was originally in the Senate’s unemployment “extenders” legislation, but it was removed in the hopes of getting conservative votes — a tactic that didn’t work as the bill once again failed to advance today.