Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/279621856?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Saturday, January 26, 2013
Monte Paschi scandal menaces frontrunner in Italy election
ROME (Reuters) - A growing bank scandal in Italy on Friday threatened to hurt both the center-left frontrunners and outgoing premier Mario Monti, as a survey suggested that next month's election could usher in new instability.
The poll by the Piepoli Institute in La Stampa newspaper indicated the center-left would fail to win control of the Senate, preventing it forming a stable government without outside help.
Center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani is widely expected to seek an alliance with Monti if he falls short in the Senate, which has equal power to the lower house in approving laws.
Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS), the world's oldest bank, which is already seeking a 3.9 billion euro ($5.2 billion) government bailout, this week revealed losses on complex financial instruments that could cost it as much as 720 million euros, unleashing a major scandal that is playing into the election campaign.
The bank's biggest shareholder is a charitable foundation controlled by politicians of the Democratic Party (PD), the biggest group in the center-left alliance.
"There will certainly be a negative effect on the Democratic Party," said Maurizio Pessato, the vice chairman of rival pollster SWG. "The question is whether it will be temporary and how intense it will be."
The idea that part of the revenue from big tax hikes imposed by the outgoing technocrat government could be used to rescue a bank is toxic for both the PD and Monti, who is also standing in the election, Pessato said.
"Much of the Italian population sees Monti as someone connected to the financial world. The man on the street will see this as Monti's world, and imagine he is involved."
Politicians rushed to exploit the scandal.
"This stinks of bribes," said Northern League leader Roberto Maroni. "Monti gave MPS 4 billion euros and he must explain why ... He cannot avoid the responsibility he has in this disaster, him and only him."
BERLUSCONI ALLIANCE
The League is part of a center-right alliance led by former premier Silvio Berlusconi that is fighting to rob the center-left of control of the Senate.
In a radio interview, Monti also sought to use the scandal for political reasons, saying the center-left was implicated.
"The Democratic Party is involved in this affair," Monti said. "I'm not here to attack Bersani ... these problems stem from the ugly beast that is the blend of banking and politics."
The Piepoli poll on Friday said the center-left would win the lower house, but saw Berlusconi's center-right taking the key regions of Sicily, Lombardy and Veneto in the Senate race.
The center-left's lead was less than five points in a further three regions, the survey said. A split result would make it difficult for the government to pass legislation in a bi-cameral system where laws have to go through both houses.
Pessato said he expected the scandal to be reflected in a poll by SWG due early next week.
A survey by Pessato's company taken last Wednesday showed the center-left leading on 34.1 percent - a small increase over the week before - against 26.6 percent for the center-right and 12.8 for Monti's centrist coalition, which is so far failing to gain the traction it hoped for against its rivals.
Pessato said the Monte dei Paschi scandal could boost support for the Northern League, a consistent critic of Italian banks, and for the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, whose leader Beppe Grillo has called for MPS to be nationalized.
Grillo attended an angry meeting of Monte dei Paschi shareholders on Friday and joined a chorus of demands for the management to step down.
(Reporting by Naomi O'Leary; Editing by Barry Moody)
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Chicago municipal pension fund to divest gun maker holdings
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A pension fund for Chicago public employees has voted to divest its holdings in three companies that manufacture assault weapons, an official with the fund confirmed on Thursday.
The Municipal Employees Annuity and Benefit Fund (MEABF) voted on Wednesday to sell off just over $1 million in investments in Freedom Group Inc, Sturm Ruger and Co Inc and Smith & Wesson Holding Corp, MEABF Executive Director Jim Mohler told Reuters.
The move comes in response to the shooting last month at a Connecticut elementary school that left 20 first graders and six educators dead, shocking the nation and sparking a heated debate over gun control in the United States.
The fund delayed making a formal announcement to ensure its exposure to assault weapons makers was limited to the three companies, Mohler said. It joins public pension funds in California, New York and elsewhere that have said they either planned to dump firearms investments from their portfolios or were weighing such an option.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who ordered a review of the city's pension funds last week to see if they were invested in gun makers, welcomed the move.
In a statement, Emanuel criticized firearms companies for opposing what he called "common sense" gun safety laws, including criminal background checks on all gun purchases.
Last weekend, at the U.S. Conference of Mayors annual meeting in Washington, DC, Emanuel called on other cities to sever ties with companies that manufacture or sell assault weapons.
Earlier in the week, the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund, which has $9.5 billion in assets, voted to divest its $146,000 of investments with gun manufacturing companies.
Other Chicago agencies with investment portfolios, including the Chicago Transit Authority, the Chicago Housing Authority, and the Chicago Park District, are conducting similar reviews of their portfolios, according to City Hall.
(Reporting by James B. Kelleher; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Eric Walsh)
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Friday, January 25, 2013
Leadership advice for first-time managers ? Business Management ...
It?s hard to be a boss for the first time, but Dan McCarthy, the director of Executive Development Pro??grams at the University of New Hamp??shire, has some tips to help you out.
- Know it?s a new job. Managing takes a different skill set, so you?ll have to start in learning mode.
- Approach each employee as an individual. Get to know your em??ployees well and read the book on ?situational leadership? so you can manage each one the best way possible.
- Practice active listening. It?s the most important leadership skill.
- Learn to deal with performance problems. You will have them, and you will have to deal with them consistently, effectively and discreetly.
- Show everyone respect. Never fail to treat your employees respectfully.
? Adapted from ?25 tips for managing your first direct reports,? Daniel McCarthy, SmartBlog on Leadership.
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Keystone XL pipeline: Nebraska?s approval puts Obama in a bind
The Nebraska governor backed the new Keystone XL pipeline plan Tuesday. A decision by President Obama about the proposal is expected to receive heavy criticism either way.
Miles of pipe ready to become part of the Keystone Pipeline are stacked in a field near Ripley, Okla.
Sue Ogrocki/AP/File
EnlargeIn just the first week of his second term, President Obama is being confronted with what could become one of the most controversial decisions of his presidency: what do with the Keystone XL pipeline.
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Mr. Obama put off the decision twice, citing concerns that the 1,700-mile pipeline extensions present environmental safety concerns in Nebraska. The original plans had it stretching along the Ogallala Aquifer, an underground water supply that is the greatest irrigation source to US farmland, supplying eight states. Sixty-five percent of the aquifer is in Nebraska, which makes the state ground zero in the debate over the pipeline.
The president ultimately blocked the pipeline?s approval in January 2012, which then allowed TransCanada, the operator based in Calgary, Alberta, to draft a new proposal in May.
On Tuesday, Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman (R), who previously hesitated at approving the project, sent Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton a letter saying he is now satisfied with the pipeline?s new routing. The potential environmental risks, he says, are lessened.
TransCanada is set to carry $200 million in third-party liability insurance to cover any cleanup costs, Governor Heineman says in the letter. He also writes that the proposed reroute ?avoids many areas of fragile soils in Northern Nebraska? and ?avoids a shallow groundwater area ... where the aquifer is thin, wells are shallow, and bedrock is close to the surface.?
The pipeline construction would generate $418 million in economic benefits to the state and about $13 million in property-tax revenues in its first year of operation, Heineman adds.
Russ Girling, TransCanada?s president and chief executive officer, released a statement Tuesday that lauded the governor?s approval, saying it moves the process ?one step closer to Americans receiving the benefits of Keystone XL ? the enhanced energy security it will provide and the thousands of jobs it will create.? The company, Mr. Girling also writes, added 57 special conditions to ensure the safety of the pipeline, including additional data sensors, remote-controlled shut-off valves, inspections, and maintenance.
The backing of Nebraska?s governor is seen as putting Obama in a tougher bind over a decision expected to receive heavy criticism either way. Environmental opponents view the pipeline as dangerous because it would carry oil extracted from Canada?s region of oil sands, which produce up to 30 percent more greenhouse gases than conventional crude oil. There are also worries about potential spills in the nation?s most sensitive agricultural terrain.
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Health Plus Fitness: Womens Issues Article Category | Traffic ...
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Source: http://modordukan.blogspot.com/2013/01/health-plus-fitness-womens-issues.html
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Thursday, January 24, 2013
Toshiba Satellite U945-S4390
The Toshiba Satellite U945-S4390 is a decent choice for anyone in the market for a reasonably priced Windows 8-equipped ultrabook. It doesn't shirk on overall performance or useful features like USB 3.0 connectivity, Intel's Wireless Display technology, and a full-size HDMI port. One noticeable flaw, however, is its lack of a touch screen, but it's still worth checking out.
Design and Features
The Satellite U945-S4390 is compact, measuring 0.82 by 13.4 by 9.4 inches (HWD). At 3.85 pounds, it falls between the Toshiba Portege Z935-P300 (2.36 pounds) and the Asus VivoBook S400CA-UH51 (4.4 pounds), making it light enough to take on the go or slip into a backpack without posing any risk to your posture.
The Satellite U945-S4390's plastic chassis sports a latticed texture on the lid and palmrest, which nicely complements the system's "icy blue" finish while additionally providing a satisfying tactile sensation. Overall, it's a handsomely designed system, though the plastic construction doesn't quite match the refined elegance (or durability) of an aluminum chassis like that of the Sony VAIO T13 (SVT13114GXS).
The 14-inch LED display has a maximum resolution of 1,366 by 768, making it good enough to support 720p videos. With its bright colors, crisp text, and sharp graphics, it's easy on the eyes. At this price point, it understandably doesn't feature touch functionality, so users will need to rely exclusively on the touchpad to navigate through Windows 8. The Satellite U945-S4390's speakers, meanwhile, can pump out sound at moderately loud levels, and while you certainly won't be getting any noise complaints from your neighbors, they nonetheless deserve credit for not sounding tinny at higher volumes.
The raised tile keyboard sports chiclet-style black keys and features backlighting. While the latter is a helpful feature, the Satellite U945-S4390's keyboard is marred by the sort of shallow keystroke travel that often plagues slim laptops. This can be a problem for those who do a lot of typing, like students who regularly churn out lengthy term papers. The touchpad is multi-gesture, allowing users to pinch, zoom, scroll, and perform Windows 8 functions?like bringing up the Charms bar or rotating through open apps.
Port selection is average on the Satellite U945-S4390. The system's left side houses a solitary USB 2.0 port, while the right side houses two USB 3.0 ports, headphone and mic jacks, an SD card reader, an Ethernet port, and a full-size HDMI port. The latter allows users to connect the system to a larger HDTV without having to purchase a separate dongle. Moreover, the Satellite U945-S4390 gives users the option of ditching wires altogether since it comes equipped with Intel's Wireless Display (WiDi) technology, which allows content to be wirelessly beamed directly to any television equipped with an aftermarket adapter along the lines of the Netgear Push2TV.
The ultrabook packs a relatively spacious 500GB 5,400rpm HDD and a 32GB SSD, a potent combination that delivers storage capacity and agility since the latter operates behind the scenes to hasten booting, loading frequently used apps, and waking the system from sleep mode. That said, the 500GB HDD comes with a formidable amount of preloaded software that ranges from bloatware (WildTangent games, Microsoft Live Essentials, links to eBay and Amazon) to trialware (Microsoft Office 2010, thirty days of Norton Internet Security and Norton Online Backup, sixty days of Norton Anti-Theft). Still, these programs are dwarfed by the sheer number of preinstalled proprietary software that includes, among other things, Toshiba Book Place, Toshiba eco Utility, and Toshiba Video Player. If you prefer to start using your computer with a clean slate, be prepared to set aside a solid chunk of time to do so. The Satellite U945-S4390 is covered by a one-year limited warranty.
Performance
The Satellite U945-S4390's combined 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U processor and 6GB RAM exhibited admirable prowess on most of our benchmark tests. Its PCMark 7 score of 4,025 points outpaced the rest of its class, save for the Toshiba Z935-P300 (5,477 points). Its Cinebench R11.5 score of 2.37 points, meanwhile, was on equal footing with the Sony T13 (SVT13114GXS) (2.37 points), and came within striking distance of the Toshiba Z935-P300 (2.39 points) as well as the class-leading Asus VivoBook S400CA-UH51 (2.40 points).
The Satellite U945-S4390 displayed similar finesse for light to moderate media creation. It completed our Handbrake video-encoding test in a brisk 1 minute 28 seconds, falling a second short of the Toshiba Satellite P845t-S4310 (1:27) while outpacing all by a sizable margin, including the Toshiba Z935-P300 (1:58) and the Sony T13 (SVT13114GXS) (2:01). Similarly, the Satellite U945-S4390's performance in our Photoshop CS6 benchmark (5 minutes 31 seconds) edged past the Toshiba P845T-S4310 (5:33) while easily outflanking the Asus S400CA-UH51 (6:28) without breaking a sweat. It also performed admirably on our 3DMark 11 benchmark tests (1,194 points in Entry-level settings, 213 in Extreme mode), coming within striking distance of the Toshiba P845T-S4310 (1,124 and 219 points, respectively) while edging past the Asus SC400A-UH51 (1,101 and 187 points, respectively).
Like the Asus S400CA-UH51 and Toshiba P845T-S4310, the Satellite U945-S4390 comes equipped with an integrated Intel HD 4000 GPU. Consequently, it failed to cross the 30 frames per second (fps) playability threshold in our gaming tests. Accordingly its performance on our Aliens vs. Predator benchmark tests (13fps with medium-quality settings in 1,366-by-768 resolution; 7fps with maximum-quality in 1,366-by-768 resolution) was on par with that of the VivoBook S400CA-UH51 (10fps and 5fps, respectively) as well as the Satellite P845t-S4310 (14fps and 7 fps, respectively). The same goes with its handling of our Heaven benchmark tests (12fps with medium-quality settings in 1,366-by-768 resolution; 4fps with maximum-quality in 1,366-by-768 resolution), which nearly mirrored both the Asus S400CA-UH51 (10fps and 5fps, respectively) and the Satellite P845t-S4310 (12fps and 6fps, respectively). As these slideshow-like framerates demonstrate, high-end gaming is not the Satellite U945-S4390's forte.
The Satellite U945-S4390's removable 45Whr battery lasted for 4 hours 47 minutes on our battery rundown test, landing between the VivoBook S400CA-UH51 (4:18) and the Satellite P845t-S4310 (5:22). Ultimately, if you plan on using the Satellite U945-S4390 for extended periods of time, be sure to keep the AC adapter handy.
The Toshiba Satellite U945-S4390 sports a reasonable price tag for an ultrabook without skimping on useful features like WiDi and USB 3.0 connectivity. Still, more compelling options exist. For $100 less, the Editors' Choice Asus VivoBook S400CA-UH51 is a better value since it sports a touch screen. For $100 more, the Toshiba Portege Z935-S4390, our Editors' Choice for mainstream ultrabooks, delivers more firepower and a sleek aluminum chassis. Wedged between these two stellar Editors' Choices, the Satellite U945-S4390 doesn't shine as brightly as it would have otherwise. That said, though, it remains a decent option for anyone on the market for a Windows 8-equipped ultrabook who doesn't place a priority on touch capability.
BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS: Check out the test scores for the
More Ultrabook Reviews:
??? Toshiba Satellite U945-S4390
??? Asus VivoBook X202E-DH31T
??? Asus S46CA-XH51
??? HP Elitebook Folio 9470m Ultrabook
??? Asus VivoBook S400CA-UH51
?? more
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/Dlcpc2ECl1I/0,2817,2414661,00.asp
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Gaza teens graduate from Hamas military school
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) ? More than 3,000 Palestinian teenagers on Thursday graduated from the ruling Hamas militant group's first high school military training program in the Gaza Strip, displaying mock weapons, crawling commando-style on the ground and taking up fighting positions for thousands of cheering supporters.
Hamas officials said the Futuwwa, or "Youth," program is aimed at fostering a new generation of leaders in the struggle against Israel.
"We teach the youth to honor the national flag and anthem, to strengthen their affinity with the homeland and Jerusalem, the spirit of resistance and the principles of steadfastness," said Abu Hozifa, a 29-year-old national security officer who teaches in the program. "We also prepare them in terms of faith and physical fitness to serve as resistance fighters if they want to be in the future."
The program is a weekly elective that is offered in all Gaza high schools. Officials said 3,600 participated in the first session, which began in September.
During the one-hour session each week, students were taught to climb down buildings on ropes, jump through obstacle courses and crawl under barbed wire. The oldest students are trained to use light weapons, while younger ones train with wooden rifles. Each participant is assigned to a security officer who oversees their training.
The first graduates, called the "Liberation Vanguards," were dressed in black T-shirts and hats, and some painted their faces black.
"My officer taught me the values of courage, sacrifice and love of jihad, as well as some battle tactics," said Radwan Wasfi, 15, whose black-painted face dripped with sweat after going through a drill. "I feel that I can free my energy in a good way. I can do for real what I do in video games."
Hamas' prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, who attended the ceremony held at a soccer stadium, said he had ordered his education minister to establish a full-time military college to open next September.
"This is the generation that will bring victory to its people and will liberate their land," he told the audience.
Hamas, an Islamic militant group sworn to Israel's destruction, seized control of Gaza from the rival Fatah faction of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007.
The group has survived repeated bouts of fighting against Israel, most recently an eight-day flareup of heavy violence in November in which Hamas fired more than 1,500 rockets into Israel. The fighting ended in an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire.
Repeated attempts by the rival Palestinian factions to reconcile have sputtered.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gaza-teens-graduate-hamas-military-school-161349829.html
Household chores: Gender equality's final frontier
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Public release date: 23-Jan-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Syl Kacapyr
vpk6@cornell.edu
607-255-7701
Cornell University
ITHACA, N.Y. Working-class couples that buck convention and live together rather than marry take on traditional roles when it comes to housework, according to a new study by a Cornell University sociologist.
Cohabiting women do a disproportionate share of the housework, even when the women work and the men don't and even when the women want to share the housework more equally, said co-author Sharon Sassler, Cornell professor of policy analysis and management.
"When men aren't working, they don't see domestic labor as a means of contributing. In fact, they double down and do less of it, since it challenges their masculinity," Sassler said. "But when men earn more, women who are almost all working, too feel obliged to contribute in some way to maintaining the household, generally by cooking and cleaning."
Even where housework was shared somewhat equally, the women tended to supervise the men's chores; as a result, women retained accountability for its performance.
But not all gender roles go unquestioned among these couples, the researchers found. Most of the women came to their relationships expecting more equal partnerships. Most men preferred to have a partner who also worked for pay, and about one-third of the couples were actively trying to share equally the burden of making money.
Nonetheless, the men seemed content to reap the benefits of partners who brought in an income without challenging their dominant domestic power positions. In fact, none of the couples equally shared household and financial responsibilities, Sassler said.
"The connection between masculinity and privileges is maintained for many of these men. Almost none of the women who paid the majority of the household bills were awarded the privileges that male providers have traditionally received," she said, such as retaining control of household finances.
Sassler wrote the research with Amanda J. Miller of the University of Indianapolis. Their paper, "The Construction of Gender Among Working-Class Cohabiting Couples," was published in the December issue of Qualitative Sociology (http://bit.ly/VWpKeU).
The researchers interviewed 30 working-class cohabiting couples between ages 19 and 35. They found the couples fell into three groups: conventional, in which each partner accepts the traditional gender role; contesting, in which one partner (generally the woman) tries to forge a more balanced arrangement, though often unsuccessfully; and counter-conventional, in which the female partner often provides financially and still must perform most household labor.
The research shows that it's tough to change traditional gender roles even among people living together, who ostensibly might be trying to undo the conventional roles of a male breadwinner and female homemaker, Sassler said.
Given that the majority of marriages are preceded by a period of cohabitation, the study suggests that living together sets the stage for re-creating unequal gender roles. The institutionalization of gender roles that disadvantage women is evident even in informal relationships, Sassler said.
"What's the final frontier of gender equality? Who cleans up."
###
Contact Syl Kacapyr for information about Cornell's TV and radio studios.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 23-Jan-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Syl Kacapyr
vpk6@cornell.edu
607-255-7701
Cornell University
ITHACA, N.Y. Working-class couples that buck convention and live together rather than marry take on traditional roles when it comes to housework, according to a new study by a Cornell University sociologist.
Cohabiting women do a disproportionate share of the housework, even when the women work and the men don't and even when the women want to share the housework more equally, said co-author Sharon Sassler, Cornell professor of policy analysis and management.
"When men aren't working, they don't see domestic labor as a means of contributing. In fact, they double down and do less of it, since it challenges their masculinity," Sassler said. "But when men earn more, women who are almost all working, too feel obliged to contribute in some way to maintaining the household, generally by cooking and cleaning."
Even where housework was shared somewhat equally, the women tended to supervise the men's chores; as a result, women retained accountability for its performance.
But not all gender roles go unquestioned among these couples, the researchers found. Most of the women came to their relationships expecting more equal partnerships. Most men preferred to have a partner who also worked for pay, and about one-third of the couples were actively trying to share equally the burden of making money.
Nonetheless, the men seemed content to reap the benefits of partners who brought in an income without challenging their dominant domestic power positions. In fact, none of the couples equally shared household and financial responsibilities, Sassler said.
"The connection between masculinity and privileges is maintained for many of these men. Almost none of the women who paid the majority of the household bills were awarded the privileges that male providers have traditionally received," she said, such as retaining control of household finances.
Sassler wrote the research with Amanda J. Miller of the University of Indianapolis. Their paper, "The Construction of Gender Among Working-Class Cohabiting Couples," was published in the December issue of Qualitative Sociology (http://bit.ly/VWpKeU).
The researchers interviewed 30 working-class cohabiting couples between ages 19 and 35. They found the couples fell into three groups: conventional, in which each partner accepts the traditional gender role; contesting, in which one partner (generally the woman) tries to forge a more balanced arrangement, though often unsuccessfully; and counter-conventional, in which the female partner often provides financially and still must perform most household labor.
The research shows that it's tough to change traditional gender roles even among people living together, who ostensibly might be trying to undo the conventional roles of a male breadwinner and female homemaker, Sassler said.
Given that the majority of marriages are preceded by a period of cohabitation, the study suggests that living together sets the stage for re-creating unequal gender roles. The institutionalization of gender roles that disadvantage women is evident even in informal relationships, Sassler said.
"What's the final frontier of gender equality? Who cleans up."
###
Contact Syl Kacapyr for information about Cornell's TV and radio studios.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/cu-hcg012313.php
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Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Pet corner | Newsmagazine Network
Top pet names of 2012
Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. checked its database of more than 485,000 insured pets and found that ?Bella,? a name popularized by the ?Twilight? books and films, ranked as the top pet name of 2012 for dogs and cats and came in at No. 3 for birds and exotic pets.
Here is the full list of the 10 most common names for pets:
? Dogs
- Bella
- Bailey
- Max
- Lucy
- Molly
- Buddy
- Daisy
- Maggie
- Charlie
- Sophie
? Cats
- Bella
- Max
- Chloe
- Oliver
- Lucy
- Smokey
- Shadow
- Tiger
- Charlie
- Tigger
? Birds and exotic pets
- Charlie
- Buddy
- Bella
- Max
- Angel
- Baby
- Coco
- Rocky
- Bandit
- Sunny
Giving pets human monikers seems to be the trend. Each of the top five dog and cat names appear also on Babycenter.com?s list of the top 100 baby names of 2012.
?
Researchers have found that domestic dogs naturally seek a diet high in fat, and many dogs will willingly eat much more food than they need.
Keeping Fido fit
Left to their own devices, domestic dogs will consume a diet that is high in fat and will happily gobble excess calories, according to an international team of researchers.
At the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition in England, researchers collaborated with scientists in Australia and New Zealand to conduct a series of doggie dietary studies. They worked with adult dogs of five diverse breeds ? the papillon, miniature schnauzer, cocker spaniel, Labrador retriever and St. Bernard ? offering them foods with varying amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrate.
The result: When given the choice, dogs consistently chose a daily caloric intake comprised of about 63 percent fat, 30 percent protein and 7 percent carbohydrate. When offered excess food, some dogs lapped up more than double the calories they needed.
According Adrian Hewson-Hughes, lead author of the study, the dogs? behavior probably reflects that of their ancestors who lived in the wild.
?In the wild, dogs and wolves often have irregular access to food, and competition is fierce, leading them to try and maximize their calorie intake whenever possible,? Hewson-Hughes said in a news release. ?However, domestic dogs today have regular access to food and may lead relatively inactive lifestyles compared with their wild ancestors. By demonstrating that dogs will overeat when offered excess food, this research also reinforces the importance of responsible feeding measures, such as portion control, for helping ensure dogs maintain a healthy body weight.?
?
Pet product trends
Trend-trackers at the American Pet Products Association have identified the following as some of the top pet product trends for 2012:
? Earth-friendly pet products, such as natural toys and accessories and organic pet foods, are increasingly popular.
? Companies traditionally known for human products are targeting pets, too. Paul Mitchell, Omaha Steaks, Origins, Harley Davidson and Old Navy offer products ranging from dog shampoo, pet attire and brand-name toys to gourmet treats and food.
? Pet grooming products now include nail polish for birds, paw-cleaning cloths that resemble baby wipes, and mouthwash and electric toothbrushes for dogs.
? High-tech products such as computerized ID tags, digital aquarium kits, automatic doors and feeders, touch-activated toys, self-cleaning litter boxes and self-warming pet mats are readily available.
? Stylish pet apparel includes faux mink coats, lumberjack vests, Halloween costumes and holiday outfits.
? Because many people like to take their animals on the road, pet product suppliers are offering pet harnesses and seat belt systems, motion sickness aids, and all-in-one kits for toting food, water and safety supplies.
?
Show-Me State dogs
The American Veterinary Medical Association recently released results of its 2012 survey on state-by-state pet ownership in the U.S.
Missouri did not make the list of the top 10 pet-owning states came in at No. 4 on the list of states with the most dog owners. According to the survey, 45.9 percent of Missouri households are home to a dog.
?
Fighting cat and doggie doldrums
A young entrepreneur has come up with a product to help pets suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) ? a kind of depression that people sometimes experience, usually in the winter months. In November, Oregon-based Pawsitive Lighting began shipping orders for Sol Box, a light therapy box marketed as a device to help balance pets? mood and sleep regulating hormones.
Max Marvin, 21, came up with the idea after noticing that his golden retriever, Luke, was drawn to the light box his owner was prescribed to treat a bad case of insomnia.
?Luke and I were both basking in the sun every single morning, and I found that he was just completely drawn to the light,? Marvin told ABC News. ?Luke would just be on his back enjoying the light, happy as can be.?
Marvin did some research and learned that veterinarians sometimes prescribe medications for pets suffering from a lack of sunlight.
?It was at this moment that I knew I was on to something,? Marvin said. ?I realized that no one was providing a natural treatment for depression in pets.?
Product instructions indicate that the minimum effective dose is 30-45 minutes and pets should gravitate on their own toward the box.
Sol Box retails for about $200 and is marketed as beneficial for both dogs and cats. More information can be found at pawsitivelighting.com.
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Vet visits down
A report issued last month by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) revealed that most pet owners consider their furry friends members of the family, but many do not visit a veterinarian for preventive care.
The ?2012 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook? contains results of a national survey conducted in early 2012. The AVMA survey polled more than 50,000 households and is conducted every five years.
Survey results showed that at the end of 2011, there were about 70 million pet dogs and 74.1 million pet cats in the U.S. Roughly 66 percent of dog owners and 56 percent of cat owners said they consider their pets family members, but nearly 11 percent of dog owners and about 27 percent of cat owners said they only took their pets to the vet when they were sick. Some said they never visited the vet.
Dr. Doug Aspros, AVMA president, said pet owners should keep in mind that preventive care can save them money in the long run.
?Potential health problems in pets can be diagnosed early and costs can be reduced if our pets visit the veterinarian on a regular basis,? he said.
?
Pet product trends
Trend-trackers at the American Pet Products Association have identified the following as some of the top pet product trends for 2012:
? Earth-friendly pet products, such as natural toys and accessories and organic pet foods, are increasingly popular.
? Companies traditionally known for human products are targeting pets, too. Paul Mitchell, Omaha Steaks, Origins, Harley Davidson and Old Navy offer products ranging from dog shampoo, pet attire and brand-name toys to gourmet treats and food.
? Pet grooming products now include nail polish for birds, paw-cleaning cloths that resemble baby wipes, and mouthwash and electric toothbrushes for dogs.
? High-tech products such as computerized ID tags, digital aquarium kits, automatic doors and feeders, touch-activated toys, self-cleaning litter boxes and self-warming pet mats are readily available.
? Stylish pet apparel includes faux mink coats, lumberjack vests, Halloween costumes and holiday outfits.
? Because many people like to take their animals on the road, pet product suppliers are offering pet harnesses and seat belt systems, motion sickness aids, and all-in-one kits for toting food, water and safety supplies.
?
Show-Me State dogs
The American Veterinary Medical Association recently released results of its 2012 survey on state-by-state pet ownership in the U.S.
Missouri did not make the list of the top 10 pet-owning states came in at No. 4 on the list of states with the most dog owners. According to the survey, 45.9 percent of Missouri households are home to a dog.
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Source: http://www.newsmagazinenetwork.com/2013012130149/pet-corner/
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Thursday, January 17, 2013
Melissa Harris-Perry to speak at University of Rochester
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Source: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20130116/NEWS01/301160041/1008/RSS04
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Tuesday, January 15, 2013
NFL Playoffs PICK EM!
San Francisco over Atlanta (Atlanta has no defense)
Baltimore over New England (I can dream)
Baltimore over SanFrancisco (I have friends on the Ravens and it doesn't affect me in the least when I'm wrong here) 
If I had any money riding on this, I'd agree with the O.P.
Source: http://www.buffalorange.com/showthread.php?205058-NFL-Playoffs-PICK-EM!&goto=newpost
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Video: Tech Bellwethers on Deck
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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50460078/
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Healthy eating, fitness and losing weight | Happiness Lessons From ...
By Debbie LaChusa?-
My dad just turned 80 years young.
As I get older I?m realizing that my dad has taught me a lot about how to be happy. Although he wasn?t really ?teaching? me? more like setting a great example by the way he has lived his life. Unfortunately, as is common with kids, I didn?t appreciate or realize most of it until now.
My dad was very successful in his career.
Did he make millions? No. But he was a beloved teacher who has on many occasions had former students contact him. How many of your middle school teachers have you been compelled to look up and connect with? I know? not very common. Says a lot about the kind of teacher he was. And to me, THAT is success.
He managed to raise a family of six on a teacher?s salary. Did we always get everything we wanted? No. But we had what we needed. And more importantly, he was there. He was home every afternoon by 4pm. He coached my brother?s Little League team. And when I ran cross country in high school and the coaches required us to do two-a-days he got up every morning and ran with me, in the dark, at 5am.
On his birthday he told me he?s already beaten the odds.
He said the average teacher dies seven years after retiring. Not my dad. He?s still enjoying life. Exercising every day. Playing softball every week.
In fact he?s fit enough to walk a 5K, which he did with our family on Thanksgiving morning. As he and I were walking the last mile together, he looked around and said he didn?t see anyone else his age. I glanced around, and I didn?t either. I?ve never thought of my dad as old. I guess maybe he is. But he sure doesn?t seem it. I hope I?m still walking 5K?s at 80.
He and my mom have been married for more than 50 years-a rarity these days.
He took care of her when she broke her hip. They travel the world together. Yep, he?s one of the good guys.
Clearly my dad knows what?s important.
Family. Being there for those you love. Making a difference in people?s lives. Staying active and fit. Living life.
He got a new car for his birthday. My mom had to twist his arm to get him to buy it. He?s frugal that way. But I suppose that?s how he was able to always give us what we needed, and live a pretty darn good life, on a teacher?s salary. He got a Honda Civic. He said he didn?t need anything more than that. It was fun to see him with his new car. He was so excited. First new car he?s had in years.
A great example of focusing on what?s really important.
That?s what my dad has been, and continues to be, for me.
Yes, I chased success and money for a few years. I didn?t see the lessons in how to live a rich and fulfilling life that my dad was teaching me. But I see them now. And I just hope I can do the same for my kids.
After spending 25 years in the marketing industry, Debbie LaChusa became so frustrated with its ?be more, do more, have more? mentality that she began speaking out about it. She wrote a book entitled Breaking the Spell: The Truth about Money, Success, and the Pursuit of Happiness and created the Money Success Happiness blog all in an effort to help others learn how to stop chasing money, success, and happiness and instead discover the true path to a happy, healthy, wealthy life. To read the first chapter of Breaking the Spell for free, visit www.breakingthespellbook.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debbie_LaChusa
http://EzineArticles.com/?Happiness-Lessons-From-an-Octogenarian&id=7456839
Article by [author-name] (c) The Self Improvement Blog - Read full story here.
Source: http://healthyrecipesweightloss.org/2013/01/happiness-lessons-from-an-octogenarian/
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Monday, January 14, 2013
2006 Ford Fusion SEL
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Source: http://www.riverbender.com/classifieds/index.cfm?redir=details&ad=67832
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10 Ways to Build Authority as an Online Writer | Copyblogger
Picture the set of a late night talk show, circa 1983.
Allen Ginsberg is fat, bearded, and sitting in the interview chair. Long hair grows in unruly patches from the side of his otherwise bald head. His eyebrows sprout from his brow like wild hawthorn in bloom. He?s wearing a tie-dyed t-shirt with a hole in it. His fingers are stained from nicotine resin.
Ginsberg wanted to talk about the generation gap, and what he was saying about the challenges youth had to face actually made a lot of sense.
But nobody could take him seriously. He simply didn?t appear to be a credible expert.
Ginsberg, a former marketing researcher, certainly looked the part of legendary poet (which he actually was). But nobody was listening ?
Another kind of expert
Fast forward to 2003. There he is: completely bald, with a black, long-sleeved shirt tucked into blue jeans. This time it?s Seth Godin speaking at TED ? one of the most prestigious speaking gigs on the earth.
In an 8-minute fluid and flawless presentation, Seth explains how to get your ideas to spread. He obviously knows what he?s talking about or he wouldn?t have been invited to speak at TED.
Business Week said he?s the ultimate entrepreneur for the Information Age. Forbes said he?s a ?demigod on the Web, a best-selling author, highly sought-after lecturer, successful entrepreneur, respected pundit and high-profile blogger.?
He wrote the manifesto for modern advertising: Permission Marketing. [Editor's note: If you haven't read it yet, read it.] To say he?s a credible expert on the topic is an understatement.
Godin can break 7 of the 12 so-called rules of blogging ? and get away with it. Why? Because he?s earned a tremendous amount of authority by showing up day after day for years, delivering something remarkable ? concise, well-written expressions of his ideas.
You and I probably aren?t there yet. If we want to find our way out of the wilderness of obscurity, we have to fight for our own audience. We have to earn our authority, just as Godin did.
We see authority in titles like doctor, chairman, or professor. It comes in clothes and colors like police blues, hospital whites, and priestly blacks.
People listen to people with authority. And that?s equally true online, especially with websites.
You won?t build authority by copycatting another writer, even a very good one. But you can improve your influence by following some proven practices ?
1. Act against your own self interest
When you have an obvious agenda, people take what you say with a grain of salt. It?s like the mother saying her boy is the smartest child on the block.
But you can dissolve some of this skepticism by acting, at times, against your own short-term interest. Here?s an example ?
A few weeks ago Ramit Sethi sent this email to his subscribers (titled ?What would you do with 1 extra hour a day??):
I actively take pains to discourage people from joining my premium material. If they have credit card debt, I don?t allow them to join my flagship courses. If I found out they disobeyed me and joined anyway, I ban them from ever purchasing anything from me ever again ? for life.
This costs me hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, but it?s the right thing to do.
Sometimes they can?t afford it. Sometimes they?re not psychologically ready. Sometimes they?re not at the place in life where it will make the most difference.
Why? Who in their right mind would openly say that his material isn?t right for everyone, and turn down hundreds of thousands of dollars a year?
Now, self interest says Ramit should take every available dollar that comes his way. His prospects are adults ? they can make their own decisions. He could also rationalize it by saying that his program will help them get out of debt or grow up financially.
But he doesn?t. He cares about these people. And when a communicator has nothing to gain ? and possibly something to lose ? we trust him or her.
This was the objective of the 60s ad agency Doyle Dane + Bernach when selling the world?s ugliest car: they flaunted its dysfunctions. When you mention weaknesses before strengths, you lower resistance to arguments and generate more belief.
2. Try the ?convert effect?
Who are you more likely to believe:
- A person who grew up thin, confident, an all-star high school and college athlete raised by Olympic-caliber parents, touting a fitness program based on eating french fries and sprinting up a 40-foot ladder for seven minutes every day ?
- Or, someone who struggled with obesity their whole life, grew up in a family more interested in barbeque than barbells, and is a timid soul ? touting the same program?
No question you?re going to choose person B. They are more persuasive because they didn?t start out as a fit athlete ? they converted to that status after starting life as a coach potato.
Someone who?s taken the path from A to Z is always more believable. We share a sense of familiarity with people who have had the same struggles as us. We identify with the convert, because it convinces us we could make the same transformation.
3. Play hard to get
Most customers expect you to say things to please them. That?s why most of your advice is ignored. They sense a little desperation. A little boot licking. And they blow you off.
This is one of the reasons I don?t suggest you ever say ?I?m flexible? when in negotiations. Say that, and your opponent will suspect you?ll do anything for money. You don?t care about quality or integrity. In other words, you can be bought ? cheaply.
William Zinsser, in his book On Writing Well, notes that a lot of editors loved working with him because he defended his work. He wouldn?t compromise, and when they suggested he make a change before they ran it in their magazine, he would rather pull it and give up the money. Strangely, these people chased him.
You do your prospects and customers a greater service when you maintain your independence and integrity, defending your hard work and turning down requests. People will see that you actually have their best interest in mind because you?re not falling over yourself to kiss their bottom.
4. Avoid influencing anyone
Did you know you can influence people simply by not influencing them?
For example, you?re more likely to take the advice to buy a certain stock if you overhear the tip during a whispered conversation between two well-dressed men at the table next to yours than you are if a broker called you up with the same information.
Give away a massive amount of high-quality content without asking for anything in return, and you?ll find a much warmer reception when it does come time to promote a product.
5. Establish a reputation for one outstanding quality
Your reputation should be simple, based upon a single, sterling quality ? strategic thinking, say, or persuasiveness. This becomes your calling card. It announces who you are and gets people to shut up and listen.
Seth Godin has a reputation for passionately spreading important ideas. That?s how he got the opportunity to stand in front of a TED audience and mesmerize it. How he can publish multiple New York Times bestsellers.
Allen Ginsberg commanded attention because of his extreme individualism. Disenfranchised youth flocked to hear him speak. (Their parents, not so much.)
Discover that one quality that defines you ? and work it to the bone.
6. Court attention
Pablo Picasso dreaded the idea of getting lost in the crowd. So when his name started to get attached to a particular style, he would deliberately destroy that perception with a new painting style.
In other words, he destroyed his own popularity and re-created himself.
Don?t be afraid to re-invent yourself. Don?t be afraid to draw attention to that single, sterling quality that elevates you above mediocrity.
Sure, you may be attacked. You may be slandered. No worries. That fate is much better than being ignored. All professionals (even introverts) must have a bit of showman about them.
Audiences want larger-than-life people.
7. Be confident
Remember that timid soul back in tip number 2? The once-overweight hyper-athlete who lost weight through a diet of potatoes and a daily twelve-minute assault on a ladder?
That gig would never work if she were an insecure communicator.
The more self-assured and confident a communicator you are, the more likely people will accept what you say. For instance, get rid of hedging words in your content. William Zinsser shares this sentence as an extreme example of hedging:
Any yet, on balance, affirmative action has, I think, been a qualified success.
A 13-word sentence with five hedging words.
Don?t do that.
Say what you think. And say it with backbone. Audiences want people with conviction. It will please those who matter to you. And probably piss off those who don?t.
8. Ship
Here?s an interesting series of tweets I stumbled across the other day:
Never discount someone?s skills because of a low profile. The smartest people in online marketing are low profile. Except for me, of course.
? Brian Clark (@copyblogger) November 20, 2012
Well said. But it was the responses that were revealing:
@copyblogger Often, the low profile ones are doing the most innovative work. High profiles are consumed with twiends, confs, and shoutouts.
? Jesse Semchuck (@jessesem) November 20, 2012
@copyblogger quite. The low profile ones are taking care of their customers, rather than their egos. Also, they?re often one man/micro biz
? Chris King (@chrispking) November 20, 2012
Then, in an unrelated tweet, Ricardo Bueno summed it up:
No amount of Twitter notoriety can replace doing the f**king work ? bit.ly/Wwa0kD
? Ricardo Bueno (@Ribeezie) November 21, 2012
Ricardo then linked to an article about comedian Robert Delaney who said this about Twitter: ?You have to remember, Twitter pays no one?s bills. It can lead to opportunities, but you still have to get up every day and work.?
Work. Everyone needs to do it. Especially if you want credibility. If you want to be that expert.
You have to nail down that book. Build that software program. Rehab that house. Bust those bad boys. If you don?t ship, then what you say carries zero weight.
Few people respect talking heads. We respect those who get up early in the morning and work late into the evening. Who seldom complain. And who deliver products we love.
9. Charge premium prices
We?ve always been taught that ?you get what you pay for.? In fact, it?s not uncommon for a prospective customer to write off a product because it?s too cheap.
Yet, when it comes to setting prices, we often shoot much too low. This is a mistake.
Marla Tabaka noted in You Don?t Charge Enough ? Here?s How to Fix That there are 5 questions you have to ask yourself when it comes to pricing:
- What are my success stories?
- Is it true that people can?t afford my services?
- Do I believe that anyone can do this?
- How can I save the world if I don?t have any money?
- What?s my true vision?
Let?s explore that third one.
All through high school, and into my early years as an adult, I used to think that everyone could write. That writing was no different than walking or doing cartwheels. I didn?t value what I did as unique.
It was my wife who pointed out this simply was not true (reason number 428 on why I married her). What I did was truly valuable. And only grew in value through training and experience.
I had a client bring this home to me when he said, ?We could do this ourselves by spending the next 15 years learning how to write ? or we could hire you.?
I no longer believe anyone can do what I do. And neither should you.
Charge accordingly.
10. The Rule of Scarcity
Here?s the deal: that which is rare is appealing.
Long lines during gas shortages.
A run on bread and milk before a blizzard.
Black Friday sales.
People are motivated by the thought of losing something ? even if they don?t need it. And this appeal is stronger than one based on gaining something of equal value.
Show genuine scarcity in the most tangible way you can. Point out what will be lost by not responding. Here are three ways to do that:
- Limited number ? Produce only 100 copies of your art work. Hand-make a car. Give away only 1,000 invitations to your software.
- Limited time ? A sale that ends in 24 hours, or a clogged work week that only allows for two openings to clients.
- Large population ? You can create scarcity by indicating the number of people you?re making an offer to: ?And I do suggest you reserve that property immediately. Why? We are only releasing two retreats to a list of 44,540 people. (Do the math. That?s one retreat for every 22,270 readers.)?
Over to you ?
So, if Allen Ginsberg had shaved his head, groomed his beard, scrubbed his fingers, and put on a suit and tie ? might people have taken him more seriously on the topic of the generation gap?
Possibly.
If we put a well-groomed Allen Ginsberg in the same room with a sloppy-looking Seth Godin to discuss the generation gap ? would we take Godin more seriously than Ginsberg?
Hard to say.
Now, if we put Godin and Ginsberg in the same room to discuss web marketing ? would we take Godin more seriously than Ginsberg?
Absolutely.
But, if they spoke about artistic liberty or the mechanics of a great poem, we would probably take Ginsberg more seriously.
See how that works?
We live in a message-dense, decision-rich environment. It is an information onslaught. And to make sense of all of this content, we want narrowly-defined authorities. We want credible experts.
That?s why your reputation is critical. As Robert Greene recently said:
Since we must live in society and depend on the opinion of others, there is nothing to be gained if you neglect your reputation.
Don?t let others decide how you are perceived. Become the master of your own reputation. Become an authority.
So how do you plan to do that over the coming hours, days, weeks, months, and years? Let us know in the comments ?
About the Author: Demian Farnworth is Chief Copywriter for Copyblogger Media. Follow him on Twitter or Google+.
TweetSource: http://www.copyblogger.com/build-online-authority/
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More than 130 nations begin mercury treaty talks
GENEVA (AP) ? Delegates from more than 130 nations began a final round of negotiations on Sunday that are expected to lead to the creation of the first legally binding international treaty to reduce mercury emissions.
The treaty would set enforceable limits on the emissions of mercury, a highly-toxic metal that is widely used in chemical production and small-scale mining, particularly artisanal gold production.
Swiss diplomat Franz Perrez, whose nations helped prompt the call for the treaty, told reporters on Sunday in Geneva that "we are confident that we'll be able to conclude here this week" with a final document that nations will adopt later this year.
Fernando Lugris of Uruguay, who chairs the negotiations, said the six-day conference that has drawn almost 900 delegates and dozens of non-governmental organizations from around the world already has agreed on a draft text to be used this week for negotiations.
The U.N. environment program reported last week that mercury pollution in the top layer of the world's oceans has doubled in the past century, part of a man-made problem that will require international cooperation to fix.
The report by the U.N. Environment Program, which is helping to sponsor the treaty talks, showed for the first time that hundreds of tons of mercury have leaked from the soil into rivers and lakes around the world.
Communities in developing countries face increasing health and environmental risks linked to exposure to mercury, which comes from sources such as coal burning and the use of mercury to separate metal from ore in small-scale gold mining, the U.N. agency says.
About 70 countries are involved in so-called artisanal gold mining, putting up to 15 million miners at risk of exposure to mercury, including 3 million women and children, said David Piper of the U.N. Environment Program.
But the risk of mercury exposure in gold mining "cannot be solved through a ban," said Perrez, who called that aspect of the negotiations "a special situation" that requires a more complex approach.
Mercury concentrations pose the greatest risk of nerve damage to pregnant women, women of childbearing age and young children.
As a naturally occurring element, mercury comes from the earth's crust and, like some other elements, cannot be created or destroyed. Some natural processes, like volcano eruptions and weathering of rocks, release mercury into the environment. But about 30 percent of mercury emissions come from human causes, which the treaty would seek to reduce.
Once it gets into the land, air and water, mercury accumulates in fish and wildlife and goes up the food chain. Most of it isn't removed until ocean or lake sediments bury it, or other mineral compounds trap it.
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Jobs go at American Express
The company has it will become more efficient as a result of the planned cuts to 5,400 jobs worldwide.
The company has a total workforce of 63,500.
The credit card provider has said the cuts will be made by the end of 2013 with the majority of the job losses would be in its travel section, which has been suffering due to digital on-line booking.
Amex intends allowing travel customers to make payments online or via mobile.
Job losses are expected to be spread proportionally between the US and international markets.
Source: http://www.kazakhstannews.net/index.php/sid/211903452/scat/9d7afd9766a94f28
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Algeria has allowed France full use of its air space in its military interventio...
France says Algeria supportive of its Mali operation
www.gmanetwork.comAlgeria has allowed France full use of its air space in its military intervention against Islamist rebels in Mali and is ready to seal its border if the conflict moves north, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Sunday.
Source: http://www.facebook.com/gmanews/posts/572784392750705
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Saturday, January 12, 2013
Editor's Letter: Winding Down
In each issue of Distro, editor-in-chief Tim Stevens publishes a wrap-up of the week in news.
And just like that, we're through. It feels like just yesterday I was sitting down to write the introduction to a CES column for our first special issue of Distro from the show floor, and now, well, it's over. The show was different this year, but not necessarily in the way we expected. While the show felt smaller in a lot of ways, in many others it was even bigger.
Some big companies like Microsoft and RIM opted to have minimal or no presence on the show floor, so we thought that would shrink the overall content at CES. Oh no, dear readers, if anything it had quite the opposite effect. Those big voids that were created were filled by dozens of smaller companies, crowd-funded and fresh-thinking, lobbing plenty of innovative products our way. Some were crap, but lots and lots were awesome and mind-blowing in their simplicity and genius.
Continue reading Editor's Letter: Winding Down
Filed under: Announcements
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/11/editors-letter-winding-down/
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Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Here's What Netflix's Personalized Profiles Look Like
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Lenovo intros the ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531 with new trackpad, charging standard (video)
It's CES, which means if a company is going to show up, it may as well go all out with the product announcements. Lenovo, for its part, is getting a head start. The show doesn't actually kick off for another two days, but the company has already unveiled a slew of desktops, laptops and Ultrabooks (and one travel monitor, to boot). Now it's rounding things out by introducing a couple notebooks for its small business customers. These include the ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531, both mainstream laptops with optical drives and optional touchscreens.
More important than speeds and feeds, though, the company is ushering in a redesigned trackpad, one that gets rid of those secondary buttons meant to be used with the TrackPoint. (They're now built into the touchpad, clickpad-style.) Eventually this will become the standard across all ThinkPads -- a move that will probably cheese off ThinkPad diehards, but please newcomers who'd rather have a larger touchpad. Additionally, the company unveiled a proprietary new charging standard called OneLink, which uses a single cable for charging, video and data. To go with it, Lenovo also unveiled the OneLink dock, a peripheral with four USB ports, HDMI and an Ethernet jack. Lenovo says OneLink will also become standard for the ThinkPad line, so we're guessing more accessories like this aren't far off.
Other than the difference in screen size (14 and 15 inches, respectively) the specs on those two laptops are largely the same: up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, eight hours of battery life and a Core i7 option at the high end. The screen resolution tops out at 1,600 x 900, and if you get the 14-inch version, you can choose between a glossy or matte finish (the 15-incher is matte only). They'll also be offered with a 1GB or 2GB NVIDIA GPU, though Lenovo hasn't said which one. As for the dock, it sports USB, Ethernet, HDMI, VGA and audio inputs. It also sounds like it's just the first in a series of OneLink accessories, so look out for more news on that front. For now, though, this first batch of products is scheduled to ship in May, with the laptops starting at $539 and the dock priced at $99. For now, check out some hands-on photos after the break along with a quick video highlighting the new trackpad and charging port.
Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/RXjLQ4s5Pmw/
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