Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/6z3yC-klYgY/apples-upgrade-dilemma
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Friday, February 22, 2013
Apple's Upgrade Dilemma
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Bullied children can suffer lasting psychological harm as adults
Feb. 20, 2013 ? Bullied children grow into adults who are at increased risk of developing anxiety disorders, depression and suicidal thoughts, according to a study led by researchers at Duke Medicine.
The findings, based on more than 20 years of data from a large group of participants initially enrolled as adolescents, are the most definitive to date in establishing the long-term psychological effects of bullying.
Published online Feb. 20, 2013, in JAMA Psychiatry, the study belies a common perception that bullying, while hurtful, inflicts a fleeting injury that victims outgrow.
"We were surprised at how profoundly bullying affects a person's long-term functioning," said William E. Copeland, PhD, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University and lead author of the study. "This psychological damage doesn't just go away because a person grew up and is no longer bullied. This is something that stays with them. If we can address this now, we can prevent a whole host of problems down the road."
A previous longitudinal study of bullied children, conducted in Finland, found mixed results, concluding that boys had few lasting problems, while girls suffered more long-term psychological harm. That study, however, relied on registry data in the health system that didn't fully capture psychiatric records.
Copeland and colleagues had a much richer data set. Using the Great Smoky Mountain Study, the research team tapped a population-based sample of 1,420 children ages 9, 11 and 13 from 11 counties in western North Carolina. Initially enrolled in 1993, the children and their parents or caregivers were interviewed annually until the youngsters turned 16, and then periodically thereafter.
At each assessment until age 16, the child and caregiver were asked, among other things, whether the child had been bullied or teased or had bullied others in the three months immediately prior to the interview.
A total of 421 child or adolescent participants -- 26 percent of the children -- reported being bullied at least once; 887 said they suffered no such abuse. Boys and girls reported incidents at about the same rate. Nearly 200 youngsters, or 9.5 percent, acknowledged bullying others; 112 were bullies only, while 86 were both bullies and victims.
Of the original 1,420 children, more than 1,270 were followed up into adulthood. The subsequent interviews included questions about the participants' psychological health.
As adults, those who said they had been bullied, plus those who were both victims and aggressors, were at higher risk for psychiatric disorders compared with those with no history of being bullied. The young people who were only victims had higher levels of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, generalized anxiety, panic disorder and agoraphobia.
Those who were both bullies and victims had higher levels of all anxiety and depressive disorders, plus the highest levels of suicidal thoughts, depressive disorders, generalized anxiety and panic disorder. Bullies were also at increased risk for antisocial personality disorder.
The researchers were able to sort out confounding factors that might have contributed to psychiatric disorders, including poverty, abuse and an unstable or dysfunctional home life.
"Bullying is potentially a problem for bullies as well as for victims," said senior author E. Jane Costello, PhD, associate director of research at Duke's Center for Child and Family Policy. "Bullying, which we tend to think of as a normal and not terribly important part of childhood, turns out to have the potential for very serious consequences for children, adolescents and adults."
Costello and Copeland said they would continue their analysis, with future studies exploring the role sexual orientation plays in bullying and victimization.
In addition to Costello and Copeland, study authors include Adrian Angold of Duke and Dieter Wolke of the University of Warwick, Coventry, England.
The work received support from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH63970, MH63671, and MH48085); the National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA/MH11301); the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation; and the William T. Grant Foundation.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Duke University Medical Center.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- William E. Copeland et al. Adult Psychiatric Outcomes of Bullying and Being Bullied by Peers in Childhood and Adolescence. JAMA Psychiatry, 2013 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.504
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/xmq2AlUzl8I/130220163629.htm
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Saturday, February 16, 2013
Low Mortgage Rates and Improving Economy ... - RealEstate.com
Mortgage Rates Steady
Here?s some very good news for buyers. The average rate on 30-year fixed mortgages remained unchanged and near historic lows for a second week. Rates on 15-year loans also remained steady.
According to mortgage giant Freddie Mac, 30-year loans were at 3.53 percent for the week ended Feb. 14. That?s pretty close to the 3.31 percent rate in November, which happened to be the lowest since the company began tracking mortgage rates in 1971. Rates on 15-year mortgages were at 2.77 percent this week. The lowest on record is 2.63 percent.
If you are looking to buy, this could be a good time. The economy is improving and home prices are rising steadily. Mortgage rates probably won?t fall any further than what they are today. And chances are they will only go up.
The low mortgage rates have helped housing recovery tremendously by luring more buyers into the market. More buyers mean more demand. More demand helps stabilize prices and fuels home construction.
Foreclosures Drop
The number of homes entering the dreaded foreclosure process shrank in January, according to RealtyTrac Inc.
Nationally, foreclosure starts ? when a home with an unpaid mortgage for a specific time gets in line for repossession by the lender ? declined 28 percent in January compared to a year ago. On a month-to-month basis, foreclosures fell 11 percent.
This is the lowest drop in foreclosures since the peak of the housing boom, according to the Associated Press. A drop in foreclosures will help a faster turnaround in the market. Foreclosures or distressed properties affect home prices, thereby jeopardizing the supply and demand cycle.
Tips for Buyers
The economy is improving, the job market progressing and, as mentioned above, the rates on 30-year fixed mortgages are still hovering at the bottom.
Looks like the stars are finally aligning for homebuyers to take the plunge. But, buying a home is still a somewhat risky venture, says the International Business Times. It?s not your father?s market anymore. The economy is still volatile, and home prices aren?t what they used to be. So, ?make sure you?ve done your homework, researched the market you are buying into, and done all the calculations before submitting a deposit on the most important purchase of your lifetime.
The IBT offers the following tips for homebuyers about to jump into the market:
- Buy small: To minimize the risk, buy the minimum house you need. Don?t buy what you cannot afford. Luxury homes appreciate fast and big, but they also hurt the most when the economy shrinks.
- Do your homework on the location: Find out about the local economy. If it?s a growing market, it will work to your advantage. Try and have an idea on job prospects in the area. More jobs means more demand for housing, which will affect home prices and home equity.
- Never buy the best house on the block: You want to buy a home that?s roughly in the middle in terms of value. Don?t buy the most expensive home in the neighborhood; if your neighbors? homes are not at par, they might bring down your home value.
- Factor in commute: Gas prices are volatile. Take into account gasoline prices, and see if it makes more sense to buy a home closer to work or a mass transit stop.
- Job opportunities: Study the job prospects in the area. Make sure you will find employment in case you end up losing your current job.
- Prepare yourself for an interest rate negative feedback loop: Research the neighborhood and the city, and ensure that the price of your home is not far off from the median price in your area. If interest rates skyrocket, that could affect home financing and in turn your home value.
Source: http://www.realestate.com/advice/low-mortgage-rates-and-improving-economy-lure-homebuyers-15923/
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Hagel stalled, but confirmation still expected
FILE - In this Jan. 31, 2013, file photo, Republican Chuck Hagel, President Obama's choice for Defense Secretary, testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Senate Republicans on Feb. 14, 2013, temporarily blocked a full Senate vote on Hagel's nomination as defense secretary.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
FILE - In this Jan. 31, 2013, file photo, Republican Chuck Hagel, President Obama's choice for Defense Secretary, testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Senate Republicans on Feb. 14, 2013, temporarily blocked a full Senate vote on Hagel's nomination as defense secretary.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, smiles as he leaves the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. Senate Republicans on stalled the nomination of former GOP senator Chuck Hagel as the nation?s next secretary of defense when a vote to end debate on Hagel fell short of the 60 yeas required to break the Republican filibuster, leaving Hagel?s nomination in limbo as Congress leaves for recess. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., left, and Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., right, confer as they leave a GOP caucus at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. Senate Republicans on stalled the nomination of former GOP senator Chuck Hagel as the nation?s next secretary of defense when a vote to end debate on Hagel fell short of the 60 yeas required to break the Republican filibuster, leaving Hagel?s nomination in limbo as Congress leaves for recess. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., leaves the Senate chamber as Senate Republicans stalled the nomination of former GOP senator Chuck Hagel as the nation?s next secretary of defense, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, leaves the Senate chamber as Senate Republicans stalled the nomination of former GOP senator Chuck Hagel as the nation?s next defense secretary, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. Murkowski was one of four Republicans who voted with Democrats to end the debate and proceed to a final vote. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? By delaying a confirmation vote on Chuck Hagel to be defense secretary, Senate Republicans have forced Leon Panetta to remain on the job he is eager to give up. But they've also given the White House an opportunity to cast the GOP as obstructing President Barack Obama's assembly of a second-term national security team.
Senate Republicans temporarily blocked a Hagel confirmation vote on Thursday, insisting that the administration must first answer more questions about its handling of a terrorist attack last September on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.
Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, called it "political posturing."
"Just when you thought things couldn't get worse, it got worse," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said after the GOP forced the delay.
The Senate action amounted to a parliamentary maneuver, with Democrats needing 60 votes for Hagel's confirmation to move forward. It fell two votes short.
Still, Hagel is likely to win confirmation on a mostly party-line vote after the Senate returns from next week's recess. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said he expects many of his Republican colleagues to join him then to end the debate.
Alexander stopped short of predicting Hagel will be confirmed, but that is almost assured if he only needs a simple majority, and Democrats control the Senate by a 55-45 margin. Alexander called Thursday's vote "unfortunate" and "unnecessary" because Hagel's nomination came up on the Senate floor too quickly ? just two days after it was approved by a divided Armed Services Committee.
The unprecedented stall tactic against a defense secretary nominee raised the rancor of frustrated Democrats, who immediately accused Republicans of threatening security and said they unnecessarily undercut U.S. credibility abroad.
"The world is too dangerous to have this period of uncertainty," said Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The nomination of John Brennan as CIA director was also delayed; the Senate Intelligence Committee pushed off a vote amid Republican demands that the White House turn over more details about drone strikes against terror suspects and about the Benghazi attack.
In contrast, the Senate swiftly confirmed John Kerry to succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state.
The Pentagon and CIA will continue under their current leadership, and Panetta will stay on as defense secretary until his successor is confirmed. At a Pentagon award ceremony for Clinton, Panetta said it was fitting to recognize her accomplishments as secretary of state on Valentine's Day. And he said the second-best Valentine's Day present would be for the Senate to confirm Hagel and allow Panetta and his wife to "get the hell out of town." He said he's got his belongings packed.
Reid said he hoped to proceed with an up-or-down vote on Feb. 26 and suggested that the Republicans' maneuvers have left the Pentagon leaderless.
"What does that do to our standing in the world community?" he asked in remarks on the Senate floor.
Although he had made no secret of his hope to retire by now, Panetta will be back in the Pentagon next week.
His press secretary, George Little, said Panetta will fly to Brussels for a NATO meeting late next week where allies will consider the size and scope of a post-combat mission in Afghanistan. The U.S. is hoping allied nations will contribute troops and money for continued training of Afghan security forces, which are to be fully responsible for security by the end of 2014.
Obama himself suggested that Hagel's absence from the Brussels meeting could hurt the war effort. He also criticized Republicans for blocking the Hagel nomination and forcing him to win 60 votes instead of the usual majority.
"It's just unfortunate that this kind of politics intrudes at a time when I'm still presiding over a war in Afghanistan, and I need a secretary of defense who is coordinating with our allies to make sure that our troops are getting the kind of strategy and mission that they deserve," the president said in an online chat sponsored by Google.
A veterans group that is backing Hagel's nomination also lamented the delay.
"Our enemies look for any moment ? however brief ? of weakness," said Jon Soltz, a Iraq War veteran and chairman of VoteVets.org.
Republicans, led by Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona, insisted the White House tell them more about how Obama handled the Benghazi crisis.
Seeking to break the logjam, the White House responded to a Feb. 12 letter from Graham, McCain and Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., to Obama asking whether he spoke to any Libyan government official during the Sept. 11 assault about getting assistance. Republicans have sought to portray Obama as being out of touch during the attack.
Clinton called Libyan President Mohamed Magariaf on Obama's behalf on Sept. 11 to coordinate additional support to protect Americans in Libya, White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler wrote in the Feb. 14 response. Obama spoke to Magariaf on the evening of Sept. 12, she said.
___
Associated Press writers Richard Lardner, Jim Kuhnhenn, Donna Cassata, Laurie Kellman and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
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Technology whizz kid tackles Greek tax evasion
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece is pinning its hopes of boosting revenue from an antiquated tax system beset by massive evasion on Harry Theoharis, a boyish-looking 42-year-old who describes himself as an "I.T. monkey".
With Athens fighting to stave off bankruptcy, the former London-based technology manager for Lehman Brothers is tasked with modernizing what is effectively a 19th century tax bureaucracy and bringing it up to euro zone standards.
"I'm not the type of person who will lock himself up in his tower and not talk to anyone," Theoharis told Reuters. "We must organize services better and cut routine procedures."
Theoharis had long left Lehman Brothers when the U.S. investment bank collapsed in 2008. But this event set off a worldwide crisis which helped the following year to bring down Aspis Pronia, a Greek insurance group where he was chief information officer.
During the crisis Greek tax revenue also collapsed as the economy went into a downward spiral, compounding the long-standing problem of evasion and forcing Athens into an international bailout.
Last month, Theoharis was appointed Secretary General for Public Revenue - a powerful job Athens created at the behest of its EU and IMF lenders. His job is to rid the tax service of political meddling and remove underperforming officials as part of reforms prescribed in the bailout deal keeping Greece afloat.
Previously as chief of the finance ministry's data service, he introduced innovations such online payment of road taxes. An avid user of Twitter - where he described himself as the I.T. monkey - he tweets taxpayers at one in the morning and yet appears clean-shaven on TV talkshows six hours later.
"The budget and the bailout plan are setting clear targets. Everybody will be measured against them, every quarter," Theoharis said in an interview at his modest office in the finance ministry.
His appointment shows a realization that computerizing the antiquated, paper-based tax administration is the way to cross-check scattered data and help to uncover large-scale tax fraud.
ASTONISHING TAX EVASION
Greece has so far disappointed its lenders on reforming revenue collection. In a report last month, the International Monetary Fund said the rich and the self-employed were continuing to evade taxes "on an astonishing scale".
Middle-class wage earners and pensioners, the hardest-hit group in Greece's six-year recession, account for 70 percent of total personal income declared, deepening a sense of injustice and resentment against Greece's pro-EU/IMF government.
In 2011, about four in 10 taxpayers declared annual incomes below the poverty line of 6,600 euros ($8,900) for single people or 13,800 euros for four-member families - twice the real poverty rate of 21 percent estimated by the Greek statistics agency.
More than 90 percent of all businesses declare losses or profits below 10,000 euros a month. Even at the height of Greece's debt-fuelled economic boom in 2007, a tiny 0.1 percent of firms accounted for more than half of total corporate profit.
Pushed by the EU and the IMF, Greece is to unveil a much-delayed overhaul of the current, corruption-prone system and tax code later this year.
Vassilis Korkidis, chairman of the ESEE union of retailers, wants to be rid of the current system. "Enough with that rag from the 1950s, which is impossibly complicated and just fuels corruption," he said.
The ESEE has suggested a series of hi-tech measures to fight tax evasion, such as connecting shops' cash registers online with the finance ministry, introducing electronic invoicing and digitalizing fuel station pumps to combat smuggling.
A 14-member committee set up by the finance ministry is separately drafting a new tax code with simple accounting and record-keeping rules. These would replace often contradictory tax legislation that has piled up over decades, scaring investors and thwarting business projects.
"You have to consult the tax code to check how to deduct 100 euros for a purchased couch," said Apostolos Refenes, a member of the committee which brings together Theoharis and a deputy finance minister with experts from the government, business and universities.
A summary of the current tax code has swollen to over 2,000 pages, making it impossible even for honest businesses to comply and subjecting them to arbitrary checks by sometimes corrupt tax officials who demand bribes.
"We want no more physical contact with tax inspectors," said Korkidis, adding that even small firms needed in-house accountants to deal with the tax code and had to send employees carrying bags full of papers to tax offices to check.
This paper jungle is distracting inspectors from tackling tougher but more lucrative tax cases, such as wealthy lawyers and doctors, where audits are producing revenue far short of targets, the EU and the IMF said in a December report.
STIFF RESISTANCE
Theoharis plans to merge tax offices to pool resources and make the system more efficient. However, other reforms will be harder, such as replacing underperforming tax office bosses who are politically connected or scrapping same-size-fits-all civil service rules to reward inspectors who bring in revenue.
"There will be stiff resistance, both from within the tax administration and the political system," said Diomidis Spinellis, a technology professor at Athens university who was Theoharis's former boss at the finance ministry.
"It will be very difficult to change things," said another official involved in the tax reform talks who declined to be named. "Even if we assume there is political will at all levels of government, people with actual experience on how things could work differently are very thin on the ground."
To make matters worse, public sector wage cuts of up to 30 percent have demoralized Greece's untrained and over-aged tax officials, who must now learn from scratch how to raise taxes instead of blindly following formal procedure. "Many have just stopped working to protest the wage cuts," Korkidis said.
Even Theoharis sounds circumspect, when asked if he thinks he can make full use of his new powers. "It will be difficult, we'll see," he said, shortly before ending the interview to receive the IMF's resident man in Greece, knocking on his office door. ($1 = 0.7442 euros)
(editing by David Stamp)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/technology-whizz-kid-tackles-greek-tax-evasion-073902083.html
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Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Touring India is a huge challenge, says Clarke
Calcutta: The Australians have always considered a tour to India as one of the most challenging assignments. For Steve Waugh, it was ?the final frontier.? For current captain Michael Clarke, it is ?as tough a challenge as I?ve had in my career?.
Before leaving for India with the final batch of players, Clarke, during a media conference, admitted that his team were aware of the difficult job at hand, but at the same time were ready for it.
The following are excerpts
On the challenges in India
Touring India is as tough a challenge as I?ve had in my career. Every time I?ve been there on a Test tour, it?s been extremely difficult, hence the Australian team hasn?t won that much over there. So it?s a huge challenge, the players know that. That?s partly why we?re trying to prepare as well as we can by sending players early to get them used to conditions, to give ourselves the best chance. We know it?s going to be tough, we know how good India is, but we look forward to it.
His personal preparation
What I?ve learned in the past is how important preparation is for my personal performance. I need to make sure I?ve done all my training to give myself the best chance of scoring runs. That?s what I?m looking forward to over the next few days. Getting into the Indian conditions, batting on those wickets, facing a lot of reverse swing, a lot of spin bowling, and making sure when that first ball?s bowled in that first Test, I?ll be as well prepared as I was for this summer.
Whether he has recovered from his hamstring injury
I m feeling much better. I've had four days now of recovery, rehab and a lot of physio. I'm certainly on the mend and I've got some time when I arrive in India to get myself 100 per cent fit as well. Look, there is so much time I don?t think there is any doubt I?ll be fit for the first Test. I?ll need to communicate with Alex (Kountouris, the physio) to see what is the best preparation leading up to that Test.
If he would play the second warm-up game, against India A
I?d really like to play the three-dayer. I?ll be advised by Alex once I land in India, but at this stage my plan is to play that three-dayer. There is so much time I don?t think there is any doubt I?ll be fit for the first Test. In my mind cricket-wise I feel like I need that game to spend some time in the middle in Indian conditions both batting and bowling, but also with my captaincy as well because India is such a different place to Australia. But I?ll listen to the expert and see what he has to say.
Whether Shane Watson would open the innings
Ed (Cowan), like (David) Warner, had a really good summer and put their hand up against the No.1 Test team in the world (South Africa), so I think it?s a really positive sign that we?ve got so many options in our squad. Obviously, Shane needs to come back into the line-up. It?s a lot different now that Watto is not bowling. As an all-rounder, I think he walks into any team. As a batsman, there is a much bigger pool of players, so we?ve got to work out what our best batting line-up would be.
If Australia would play two spinners, as England recently did
We?re playing in different venues of India as compared to England. We need to wait and see what the wickets are like before we make that decision. But I?m more than happy to bowl as much as I need to bowl. We are lucky we have some good choices with both pacers and spinners. I enjoy bowling in India, but we will wait and see what happens.
?
Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130213/jsp/sports/story_16556253.jsp
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Beyonce Reveals She Made A Stunning Discovery While Filming HBO Doc
'It's so funny how everything in my life connects,' she teases to MTV News on red carpet, where Oprah Winfrey gushed over the film.
By Rebecca Thomas
Beyoncé
Photo: MTV News
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1701901/beyonce-oprah-hbo-documentary-fans.jhtml
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Tuesday, February 12, 2013
For A Florida Fishery, 'Sustainable' Success After Complex Process
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Dennis Roseman (left) and Jamie Manganello pull in a swordfish off the coast of Florida. The Day Boat Seafood company went through a complicated process to become certified as a sustainable fishery by the Marine Stewardship Council.
Chip Litherland for NPR
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Capt. Tim Palmer leads an overnight swordfishing trip off the coast of Florida near Stuart, Fla. The Day Boat Seafood company now sells their swordfish to Whole Foods and can charge more for it, now that they have been certified as sustainable by the MSC.
Chip Litherland for NPR
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Manganello sets buoys while swordfishing with Palmer. They usually fish with 10-12 buoys that stretch for a mile or two, which have to be repeatedly checked throughout the night for bites.
Chip Litherland for NPR
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Glow sticks are cracked to be tied to fishing lines.
Chip Litherland for NPR
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Roseman (left) and Manganello set buoys in the water.
Chip Litherland for NPR
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A swordfish on the desk of the boat. Day Boat Seafood's owners say the process of getting certified cost more than $200,000. But they say it's been good for business.
Chip Litherland for NPR
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Workers in Fort Pierce, Fla., unload thousands of pounds of catch from a long-line boat that was out for 10 days.
Chip Litherland for NPR
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Day Boat Seafood says since getting certified as sustainable, they can now sell their swordfish for 10 percent more than competitors who aren't certified.
Chip Litherland for NPR
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Dylan Rivera (left) and Travis Nachreiner lift a large swordfish out of the boat.
Chip Litherland for NPR
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Tags mark the weight and tracking information on a swordfish. Every swordfish that Day Boat catches can carry the MSC label at supermarkets.
Chip Litherland for NPR
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Workers unload thousands of pounds of fish from a long-line boat.
Chip Litherland for NPR
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Fisheries that are certified as sustainable says they do not overfish, that they protect other kinds of life in the ocean, and that managers keep track of the latest research and adjust methods to minimize environmental impact.
Chip Litherland for NPR
Part three of a three-part series.
The long, clunky-looking fishing boat pulls up to Day Boat Seafood's dock near Fort Pierce, Fla., after 10 days out in the Atlantic. The crew lowers a thick rope into the hold, and begins hoisting 300-pound swordfish off their bed of ice and onto a slippery metal scale.
As the staff weighs them, a computer printer churns out packing slips signifying these fish are superior to more than 90 percent of the seafood caught around the world ? at least, that's what an international nonprofit organization would tell you. Every swordfish that Day Boat catches can carry a special label when it shows up at the supermarket that says "certified sustainable seafood."
The seal of approval comes from the Marine Stewardship Council, which has pledged to promote fisheries that protect the oceans, not plunder them. The MSC says its system has certified more than $3 billion worth of seafood, representing at least 8 percent of the world's annual seafood catch.
Many environmentalists say the MSC system is flawed because it has expanded too fast. They say the growing demand for sustainable-labeled seafood is pressuring the program to certify fisheries that don't deserve it.
But just about everybody NPR talked to about Day Boat, including environmentalists and food industry executives alike, said that Day Boat's story reflects the good that the MSC system can do.
The way Day Boat's owners tell their story, they decided to go through the complicated process of getting certified mostly because of their major clients, Whole Foods. Co-owners Howie Bubis and Scott Taylor began supplying the upscale chain soon after they founded their seafood company in 2006.
They say business was good. But executives at Whole Foods announced that they were going to buy as much seafood as possible with the MSC label. "We decided we wanted to keep them for a customer," says Bubis, "and in order for us to do that, we had to move into sustainable-type fishing." He and his partner hoped that MSC approval would give them a competitive edge ? and Whole Foods might pay them more than fishing companies that didn't have it.
Getting Certified
Day Boat applied for MSC certification in 2010. In retrospect, they say they didn't quite realize what they were getting into. The MSC does not certify fisheries itself; instead, a fishery that wants the label hires any one of roughly a dozen commercial auditing companies, which can cost up to $150,000 or more, to decide whether the fishery's practices comply with the MSC standards.
Day Boat Seafood co-owners Scott Taylor (left) and Howard Bubis watch workers unload thousands of pounds of catch from a long-line boat that was out for 10 days at their boathouse in Fort Pierce, Fla.
Chip Litherland for NPRDay Boat Seafood co-owners Scott Taylor (left) and Howard Bubis watch workers unload thousands of pounds of catch from a long-line boat that was out for 10 days at their boathouse in Fort Pierce, Fla.
Chip Litherland for NPRDay Boat hired MRAG Americas, a firm that has consulted with a who's who of governments and international organizations from the U.S. to New Zealand. Bob Trumble, a vice president at MRAG, says his first step was to assemble a team of four ocean specialists that included him. The MSC requires the auditors to score each fishery on a checklist of more than 30 items, designed to measure whether the fishery meets the MSC's three main principles.
The principles are designed to ensure:
? that fishing companies do not overfish (that they do not deplete the population of seafood that they are aiming to catch)
? that fishing companies protect other kinds of life in the environment
? and that each fishery is run by good managers who keep track of the latest research and adjust their methods, when necessary, to minimize their impact.
Trumble says that when MRAG's team evaluates a company, "we don't do the research ourselves." In Day Boat's case, they gathered all the studies they could find on swordfish off the Florida coast, by government and academic researchers. How fast do the swordfish reproduce? How have their numbers changed over the years? Of course, Trumble says, researchers can't count every fish in the ocean ? they can only take a snapshot and then use mathematical models to extrapolate.
MRAG's auditors also pored through Day Boat's fishing records to see how its practices compared with the rest of the industry. Day Boat's owners say they assigned a staff member to work almost full time for two years, just to supply MRAG with information.
And Day Boat's owners say there was something more they had to do. The MSC rules say, in effect, that when companies are applying to be certified, they have to listen and respond to anybody who objects ? including other fishing companies and environmentalists.
Learning To Compromise
Talking to environmentalists? Scott Taylor wasn't too crazy about that part. "The environmentalists would prefer no fishing whatsoever," Taylor says. "That would be their first goal, that we would go away."
"That's not true," laughs Shannon Arnold, who was then co-director of the Canada-based Ecology Action Centre. "I eat fish and I enjoy it."
But Ecology Action and several other environmental groups tried to block Day Boat's application. They cited evidence that swordfish boats in Florida accidentally kill endangered turtles.
Taylor insisted that Day Boat's crews didn't kill turtles, but he agreed to negotiate with the environmental groups over the issue ? a big step for a man who sometimes talks about environmentalists with a scornful tone. And he ended up promising to make changes.
Taylor promised, among other things, that his boats would use a different kind of hook that scientists say kills fewer turtles. He pledged that within five years of being certified, Day Boat would put observers or video cameras on all of their boats, so researchers can study exactly what the company's crews catch on every fishing trip. Environmentalists have been pushing fishing companies for years to adopt that policy, usually in vain.
"We could either take the tact that we were not going to let them derail us from the way that we were going to operate," Taylor says, "or that we were going to reach across the aisle in a way that was uncommon and really unheard of."
Praise For Day Boat
In December 2011, MRAG announced that Day Boat could receive the MSC certification. And now, some of the same environmentalists who tried to block the certification praise Day Boat's owners.
"It is pretty rare to get someone from such a big industry" to compromise," says Arnold, of the Ecology Action Centre. "And I think it's a breath of fresh air."
Arnold says despite her praise, she still doesn't believe the MSC should call Day Boat's fishing methods "sustainable." So far, she says, Day Boat's owners have only promised to change their methods. "Day Boat should get certified only if and when they actually make those changes," Arnold says.
Still, she applauds the way Day Boat's owners worked with their critics. "It wasn't easy," says Arnold. "I think there was a year of some pretty contentious stuff that went on, and then they both decided, 'Let's try and work through this.' And what came out at the other end has been much better for the animals on the water, that's for sure."
Day Boat's owners say the process cost more than $200,000 ? at least half for the audit company and the rest for related expenses. "It's occupied three years of our life," says Bubis. But he and his partner say the MSC label has been good for business: They have been selling their swordfish for 10 percent more than competitors who don't have it.
A 'Misleading' Label
Environmentalists say if you just heard Day Boat's story, you might conclude that the MSC is a great system. But they argue that it's deeply flawed. They say for every fishery like Day Boat, they can point to another certified fishery with major problems. So the sustainable label "is misleading," says Gerry Leape, who helps run oceans programs at the Pew Environment Group.
"The consumer looks at the fish, and says, 'Oh, it has the label on it, it must be sustainable,' " Leape says. But "in some fisheries that the MSC has certified, that's not necessarily the case."
Rupert Howes is the CEO of the Marine Stewardship Council, an international nonprofit that has pledged to promote fisheries that protect the oceans.
Phil Monckton/Courtesy of Marine Stewardship CouncilRupert Howes is the CEO of the Marine Stewardship Council, an international nonprofit that has pledged to promote fisheries that protect the oceans.
Phil Monckton/Courtesy of Marine Stewardship CouncilLeape says swordfish are a perfect example. The fillets labeled "certified sustainable" at the local supermarket might come from Day Boat in Florida, which environmentalists applaud. Or they might come from long-line boats in Canada, more than 2,000 miles away. The MSC has labeled those Canadian swordfish sustainable, even though many environmental groups denounce the fishery because evidence suggests its boats accidentally catch tens of thousands of sharks every year.
MSC's chief executive, Rupert Howes, staunchly defends their program. "The MSC standard is rigorous, it's science-based, and assessment is based on the evidence," he says. "The beauty of the MSC program is every year, that fishery has to have an annual surveillance audit," Howes says. "Those numbers are checked again. If new stock assessment data suggests the population can't withstand that pressure, new conditions can be invoked, or indeed certificates can be withdrawn."
But many scientists and environmentalists charge that in some fisheries, there is not enough data to conclude that they're sustainable.
Consider the buttery white fillets popularly known as Chilean sea bass. That's the usual supermarket and restaurant term for a deep-water species called toothfish, some of which are caught in the Ross Sea near Antarctica. When the MSC gave its seal of approval in 2010 to several companies that catch those fish, dozens of scientists protested.
"They do not know the most elementary things about the life cycle of this Antarctic toothfish," says Jim Barnes, director of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition, which represents dozens of environmental groups around the world. "Nobody has ever seen toothfish eggs," Barnes says. "Nobody has ever seen little baby toothfish, for that matter. And in the face of that gap, the MSC is cheerfully ready to say, 'Oh, what this fishery is doing is perfectly sustainable.' "
Critics say MSC's apparent inconsistencies stem partly from the way MSC executives have structured the system: Each fishery that wants the label has to pay a commercial auditing firm to decide whether it is sustainable, just as Day Boat hired MRAG. Sources who have worked with several audit firms, including Intertek Moody Marine, Scientific Certification Systems and Food Certification International, told NPR that the industry is fiercely competitive. There are only around a dozen auditing companies vying to get contracts to certify fisheries around the globe.
"To me, that's a direct conflict of interest," says Barnes. "What incentive does the certifying [company] have to say no?" Barnes asks. "It has no interest in doing that," he says, because then the company might scare away business from other fisheries that want the MSC's sustainable label.
Since the MSC was set up in 1997, the audit firms have certified about 200 fisheries as sustainable and rejected fewer than 10 fisheries that applied. There are now 189 certified fisheries globally.
Controversial Toothfish
Take a closer look at the controversy swirling around the Ross Sea toothfish. After the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition protested, the MSC hired a respected international lawyer, Michael Lodge, to serve as a kind of referee. The MSC provides "adjudicators," as it calls them, whenever groups formally object. The process can cost tens of thousands of dollars. There have been 21 objection filings since the MSC was created. Only one certification was overturned.
Lodge's report sharply criticized the audit company that certified toothfish, Intertek Moody Marine, for some of the ways it handled the case. The "conclusion reached by [Moody's] assessment team is not supported by the evidence," Lodge wrote in one section. Part of Moody's evaluation, Lodge wrote, "can be described as arbitrary or unreasonable in the sense that no reasonable certification body" could have reached the conclusion Moody did "on the evidence before it."
"There are instances in the toothfish case when [Moody] had not been sufficiently rigorous, sufficiently careful," Lodge later told NPR. "You can call that sloppy. Certainly in those instances they were not doing their job properly," he says. "[Moody] failed to do what they were required to do as a certification body."
Moody's general manager, Paul Knapman, rejects the notion that his company's work has ever been "sloppy." Moody has certified more fisheries than any other company, according to the MSC's website. Moody gave the seal of approval to the controversial Canadian swordfish industry. "We have scientists on our team who look at the information that's been gathered," Knapman says. "It's all evidence-based. And if they say that the fishery meets the standard, then we are able to determine the fishery should be certified."
Knapman notes that despite Lodge's criticism, the MSC gave Ross Sea toothfish the sustainable label. But under the MSC rules, adjudicators like Lodge have limited options. They are not allowed to reverse a certifying company's decision even if they conclude, as Lodge did, that the company didn't properly review all the evidence. The adjudicators can rule only that the company must re-evaluate the evidence and reconsider its original decision. That is what Lodge ordered Moody to do. Moody's auditors reached the same conclusion as they did the first time and labeled the fishery sustainable.
The MSC's Howes is nonplussed when he hears about controversies swirling around some of the fisheries. "Yes, there are controversial fisheries; there are bound to be," he says. "We have nearly 300 fisheries from pretty much every ocean in the world either assessed or under assessment. I'm confident in the MSC program and its assessment process. No system is perfect."
Environmental groups and others have filed 21 official objections since the MSC was created. So does that low number suggest that environmentalists endorse most MSC-labeled fisheries? Many environmentalists we talked to say no.
Barnes, Leape and others say that they have not filed many objections mainly because they do not have enough staff, money or time. Directors of Canada's Ecology Action Centre, for example, say that fighting the decision to certify Canadian swordfish diverted them from working on other priorities, and soaked up "literally thousands of volunteer hours" of research.
"The outcome is almost the same as if we'd done nothing," Fuller says. So she and her colleagues have decided not to file any more objections with the MSC. Of course, the objections are not a burden only for environmental groups. They cost time and money for fishing companies and their audit firms, too.
Conflicts Of Interest Among Certifiers?
A few years ago, leaders of the Pew Environment Group became so concerned about potential problems in the MSC system that they hired an outside lawyer to investigate. Attorney Stacey Marz's confidential report for Pew, which NPR obtained, warned "there will always be suspicions about the independence of certifiers when they are paid by those they are assessing."
The attorney recommended that the MSC or other groups set up a central fund, which fisheries would pay when they apply to be certified. Then the fund's overseers would decide which auditing firm should evaluate which fishery ? preventing fishing company executives from handpicking and paying the firm that decides their fate.
Knapman, Moody's general manager, dismisses concerns about potential conflicts of interest. He says Moody, which has certified more fisheries than any other audit company, hires different teams of independent experts to evaluate each fishery. "They are by and large academics who have their own reputations, are established in their field. Those individuals certainly are not thinking long term about repeat work. The focus is on the fishery. Ultimately it's their reputation which is at stake."
Howes, MSC's chief executive, says the system of allowing companies to choose and pay the auditing firms that evaluate them is "the way that our global market-based corporations operate." He notes that many corporations, in industries from banking to manufacturing, routinely choose and pay independent auditing firms to evaluate the way they do business.
The MSC has extensive "checks and balances to assure that the accreditor does do a thorough job," Howes says. "If an audit firm got a reputation for doing a bad job in its certifications," he adds, "I suspect they would lose an awful lot of business, very, very quickly."
Howes sees the growing criticism of the MSC as evidence that the system is working well. "This was a fantastic idea. We've learnt by doing."
He later continues: "Part of the success of the program is, we're a broad church," he says. "We're very involved with all of our stakeholders, and many of them are very critical of some of the assessments. Most of the people who criticize the program, I think, are completely committed to an organization like the MSC existing. They see us as part of the solution. But it is their role to keep testing us, to keep pushing us, whether it's on the industry side or the NGO side, to get better at what we're doing."
Researcher Barbara Van Woerkom contributed to this story.
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Celebrating Chinese New Year In Estonia
When you think of Chinese New Year, the snowy capital of Estonia isn't the first place you think of for celebrating it. Yet Tallinn put on a big show to greet the new year as part of their annual Fire and Ice Festival.
The Chinese community in Tallinn is pretty small, but the Chinese embassy is reaching out to this Baltic state and helped fund a grandiose program of entertainment to welcome in the Year of the Snake. A big stage in Tallinn's Kardiorg Park had Chinese acrobats, dancers, and musicians doing their stuff.
The Estonians also took part in their own way. A group of Estonian sculptors, plus an Egyptian guest, did a set of five ice sculptures for the theme of the New Year. The artists were Tiiu Kirsipuu, Aime Kuulbusch, Kalle Pruuden and Elo Liiv from Estonia, and Salah Hammad from Egypt. Their works are based on the Eastern Lunar calendar, the central sculpture being the Black Water Snake of this new year. Flanking it were sculptures representing Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
A huge crowd came out to watch the unveiling. The night was a mild one by Estonian standards, dipping down to about 0 Celsius (about 20 degrees Fahrenheit) with a steady snowfall. Last year it was -25 Celsius (-13 Fahrenheit). I'm glad I came this year and not last.
Gallery: Chinese New Year, Estonian Style
Tiiu Kirsipuu, who sculpted the snake, told me that the ice came all the way from Lapland in northern Finland. Tiiu explained that the ice needs to be at least 40 centimeters thick and that Estonia is too far south to generally get ice freezing to that thickness.I also talked with Salah Hammad, the visiting Egyptian artist. His usual works are comprised of stone, wood and metal formed into an abstract geometric style. This was Salah's first time working with ice and he found it a tricky medium to control. Here he is next to his work below.
Once the sculptures were unveiled, the crowd pressed in to see them. Everybody felt the urge to stroke the figures. The festival organizers and artists didn't seem to mind. I wondered aloud how long the figures would hold up to such treatment. One of the artists simply shrugged and said that impermanence was part of the medium.
As it grew later the mercury began to drop. The Estonians didn't care. Living where they do they've made their peace with winter. Scattered all across the park were hundreds of snowmen, snowbears, snowdwarves and snowdragons. Eager kids were busily adding to the population. Snowball fights broke out everywhere. Parents warmed themselves at stalls selling mulled wine and everybody was wowed by the fireworks show the Chinese put on.
Just as it was really starting to get chilly, I managed to get invited to a reception at the Chinese embassy. Chinese cultural representatives told me how anxious they were to get their nation's traditions better known in the West. Considering how much money they'd spent on a city of a little more than 300,000 people, I imagine they're pretty serious. Expect more Chinese shows in your town soon.
Everyone felt the show had come off well and was in a good mood. Estonian artists, Chinese dancers, a Portuguese photographer, and a lone Canadian and Egyptian all mingled and enjoyed Chinese food and Spanish wine. Cultures and languages blended with ease.
I love this new international world!
This is the first in a new series: "Exploring Estonia: The Northern Baltics In Wintertime."
Coming up next: Tallinn's Medieval Old Town!
[All photos by Sean McLachlan]
Filed under: Arts and Culture, Festivals and Events, Asia, Europe, China, Estonia
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/weblogsinc/gadling/~3/pnvQ_OmACtU/
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Ethiopia Receives $1.69 Billion in Loans | 2merkato.com
Written by Meron Tekleberhan Tuesday, 12 February 2013 13:38
Ethiopian Business News - Banking and Finance
Ethiopia has received 1.69 billion US dollars in loans and grants in the last six months of the current budget year said Tewdros Adhanom, Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Most of the financing, an estimated 1.04 billion, was obtained from bilateral sources and the remaining funds from multilateral financial sources he said in his report to the House of Peoples Representatives.
The nation has also acquired 976.8 million US dollars from donors and creditors in this period according to Tewdros. Donors in this period included England, Italy, United States, the European Union, Germany, Czech Republic, Norway, and the Netherlands read the report he presented.The country has also secured above 1.15 billion from the World Bank over this period to finance basic social services like education, health and economic infrastructure including roads said Tewdros.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has raised more than 3 million US dollars in the last six months with 2.7 million US dollars raised from the sale of bonds.
Source: Capital
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Pope shows lifetime jobs aren't always for life
The world seems surprised that an 85-year-old globe-trotting pope who just started tweeting wants to resign, but should it be? Maybe what should be surprising is that more leaders his age do not, considering the toll aging takes on bodies and minds amid a culture of constant communication and change.
There may be more behind the story of why Pope Benedict XVI decided to leave a job normally held for life. But the pontiff made it about age. He said the job called for "both strength of mind and body" and said his was deteriorating. He spoke of "today's world, subject to so many rapid changes," implying a difficulty keeping up despite his recent debut on Twitter.
"This seemed to me a very brave, courageous decision," especially because older people often don't recognize their own decline, said Dr. Seth Landefeld, an expert on aging and chairman of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Age has driven many leaders from jobs that used to be for life ? Supreme Court justices, monarchs and other heads of state. As lifetimes expand, the woes of old age are catching up with more in seats of power. Some are choosing to step down rather than suffer long declines and disabilities as the pope's last predecessor did.
Since 1955, only one U.S. Supreme Court justice ? Chief Justice William Rehnquist ? has died in office. Twenty-one others chose to retire, the most recent being John Paul Stevens, who stepped down in 2010 at age 90.
When Thurgood Marshall stepped down in 1991 at the age of 82, citing health reasons, the Supreme Court justice's answer was blunt: "What's wrong with me? I'm old. I'm getting old and falling apart."
One in 5 U.S. senators is 70 or older, and some have retired rather than seek new terms, such as Hawaii's Daniel Akaka, who left office in January at age 88.
The Netherlands' Queen Beatrix, who just turned 75, recently said she will pass the crown to a son and put the country "in the hands of a new generation."
In Germany, where the pope was born, Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is 58, said the pope's decision that he was no longer fit for the job "earns my very highest respect."
"In our time of ever-lengthening life, many people will be able to understand how the pope as well has to deal with the burdens of aging," she told reporters in Berlin.
Experts on aging agreed.
"People's mental capacities in their 80s and 90s aren't what they were in their 40s and 50s. Their short-term memory is often not as good, their ability to think quickly on their feet, to execute decisions is often not as good," Landefeld said. Change is tougher to handle with age, and leaders like popes and presidents face "extraordinary demands that would tax anybody's physical and mental stamina."
Dr. Barbara Messinger-Rapport, geriatrics chief at the Cleveland Clinic, noted that half of people 85 and older in developed countries have some dementia, usually Alzheimer's. Even without such a disease, "it takes longer to make decisions, it takes longer to learn new things," she said.
But that's far from universal, said Dr. Thomas Perls, an expert on aging at Boston University and director of the New England Centenarians Study.
"Usually a man who is entirely healthy in his early 80s has demonstrated his survival prowess" and can live much longer, he said. People of privilege have better odds because they have access to good food and health care, and tend to lead clean lives.
"Even in the 1500s and 1600s there were popes in their 80s. It's remarkable. That would be today's centenarians," Perls said.
Arizona Sen. John McCain turned 71 while running for president in 2007. Had he won, he would have been the oldest person elected to a first term as president. Ronald Reagan was days away from turning 70 when he started his first term as president in 1981; he won re-election in 1984. Vice President Joe Biden just turned 70.
In the U.S. Senate, where seniority is rewarded and revered, South Carolina's Strom Thurmond didn't retire until age 100 in 2002. Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia was the longest-serving senator when he died in office at 92 in 2010.
Now the oldest U.S. senator is 89-year-old Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey. The oldest congressman is Ralph Hall of Texas who turns 90 in May.
The legendary Alan Greenspan was about to turn 80 when he retired as chairman of the Federal Reserve in 2006; he still works as a consultant.
Elsewhere around the world, Cuba's Fidel Castro ? one of the world's longest serving heads of state ? stepped down in 2006 at age 79 due to an intestinal illness that nearly killed him, handing power to his younger brother Raul. But the island is an example of aged leaders pushing on well into their dotage. Raul Castro now is 81 and his two top lieutenants are also octogenarians. Later this month, he is expected to be named to a new, five-year term as president.
Other leaders who are still working:
?England's Queen Elizabeth, 86.
?Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz al-Saud, king of Saudi Arabia, 88.
?Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, emir of Kuwait, 83.
?Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Supreme Court associate justice, 79.
__
Associated Press writers Paul Haven in Havana, Cuba; David Rising in Berlin; Seth Borenstein, Mark Sherman and Matt Yancey in Washington, and researcher Judy Ausuebel in New York contributed to this report.
___
Marilynn Marchione can be followed at http://twitter.com/MMarchioneAP
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-shows-lifetime-jobs-arent-always-life-201643265.html
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Monday, February 11, 2013
Buy Exciting Toys for Toddlers - ArticlesWide.com
Though parents love buying toys for children and there are also varied options in the market. But, it should be kept in mind that children grow very fast and their taste also changes, thus it is always advisable to limit your buy. Though, kids products are adorable and you often get tempted to make a selection but you should remember that limitless purchase can actually make a hole in your pocket. Online stores gives you the option to buy quality toys for toddlers but at minimal rates.
Though as parents you may get attracted to beautiful and expensive toys but you should remember that what attracts you may not attract your little kid. Toddlers generally get attracted to bright colors. Thus, you should always experiment with colors. This will stimulate his brain and allow it to work faster. Toddlers generally fall in love with bright, attractive patterns and flashy colors. Thus, you should always select attractive apparel and toys. These days commercials try to distract parents from making a proper selection. Thus, it is always advisable for parents not to trust these commercials blindly. Rather, it is much better to make the selection according to your kids requirements.
There are authentic online stores which offer a selected collection of toys, apparel and homeware products for kids. What is required is to search an authentic store whose products are of high quality. In fact, toddler toys are uniquely designed which also gives a great learning experience. These days top toy manufacturers have come up with some of the best collection of toys for toddlers and young kids. Thus, parents definitely needs to analyze the educational features of the toys and then make a perfect selection. When it comes to home ware products, again children have their specific taste. Viewing the high demands, there are also an immense variety of products like picture mugs, bedding sets and many more. In fact, the picture mugs are equally attractive and creative. By shopping online India, you also have the opportunity to compare numerous products.
So, by shopping online India, you can easily avail to the best toys for toddlers and picture mugs. By shopping online India, you also have the opportunity to get full reviews of the products. This comes as an added advantage as you clearly understand the features of the products. So, be it toys for toddlers or picture mugs, you can get all the products at this online store.
Glenda Jackson is a famous writer for kids products. She has written many articles on homewares online, shopping online India, toys for toddlers, picture mugs, kids lunch bags and many more in UK.
Source: http://www.articleswide.com/article/16177-Buy_Exciting_Toys_for_Toddlers.html
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The PS3 gets a native YouTube app in 19 more countries across Europe, Australasia, Africa and Asia
Back in August we reported that Google had rolled out a native YouTube app for PlayStation 3, the one major downside being that it was available in the US only (and Canada a month later). Until now, that is.
A quick peruse of the TV/Video services section reveals that European PS3 users can also now download a YouTube app, as well as users in Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa.
Indeed, while YouTube was previously available for PS3 through the browser (as are most websites), this is the first time a dedicated YouTube app has been made available for the console outside of North America.
When you first connect to the PlayStation Network (a pre-requisite to use the YouTube app), you?ll be met with a YouTube Trends page:
Down the left you?ll see a list of categories, including music, gaming, sport, entertainment and more to choose from.
Similar to the version already available elsewhere, this PS3 app also features smartphone and tablet pairing, which lets you browse for content on your mobile device, and beam it to your big screen.
We tried playing a handful of videos with the app, and it worked perfectly for us. We could also manually search for videos by keywords, and search while a video was still playing. Videos play in HD (up to 720p), and reels in flicks you?ve saved to your account from other devices, including ?Watch Later?.
YouTube is already available for Nintendo Wii/Wii U and Xbox 360, so a much wider launch of the PS3 app has been a long time coming.
Today?s launch sees it land in Australia, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Israel, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Russia and the United Kingdom.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appetite/~3/ELB3XClSoug/story01.htm
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Sunday, February 10, 2013
Zombies put spotlight on makeup artists
Christina Kortum works with a lot of freaks.
Kortum is an assistant makeup artist on NBC's ?Grimm,? the TV show about a Portland, Ore., police detective who hunts fairy-tale monsters living among the city?s more unassuming inhabitants.
Like a lot of other makeup artists these days, Kortum keeps busy making monster masks, bloodshot eyeballs and airbrushed tattoos.
For that she can thank the public?s apparently unquenchable appetite for modern fairy tales, teenage bloodsuckers, killer zombies and other supernatural TV shows and movies. ?These fantasy shows are wonderful,? says Kortum, 40, who lives and works on the ?Grimm? set in Portland. ?It?s giving opportunities to people, and not just in Los Angeles but outside of Los Angeles, too.?
It?s fitting that in a week when the industry lost a legend - Stuart Freeborn, the creator of Yoda, Jabba the Hut and other ?Star Wars? characters, died Thursday at 98 - the onslaught of fantastical TV shows and movies is adding to makeup artists? clout.
It?s not bringing work to just anyone, says Susan Cabral-Ebert, president of IATSE Local 706, the Los Angeles chapter of the TV, film and theatrical makeup artists and hairstylists? guild. ?It?s creating a lot of work for the people who have very strong imaginations and great technical skills. I won?t say it?s creating more jobs. It?s getting more notoriety because they?re more visible characters,? Cabral-Ebert says.
Local 706 has 1,800 members, but makeup artists don?t have to be union members to get work, at least not on non-union productions. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics lists 2,040 makeup artists working in TV, film and theater as of May 2011, but doesn?t tally self-employed workers, which is what most makeup artists are. Pay varies greatly, but average wages for makeup artists working in TV and movies are about $88,000 a year, according to the bureau.
Besides ?Grimm,? TV dramas such as ?Once Upon a Time,? ?The Walking Dead? and the reality TV show ?Face Off? are pulling makeup artists from behind the scenes into the spotlight. Now in its fourth season, the Syfy show pits special effects makeup specialists against each other to construct the week?s best aliens and demons or risk being sent packing along with their makeup brushes and foam Latex.
Making it in the business isn?t easy. A college degree isn?t required, but technical skills are. Today, that includes knowing how to apply makeup for the more detailed gaze of high-definition TV. ?You can see every single detail, so you have to be better at your craft, and use new products,? says makeup artist Kristen Kiyan.
Knowing someone in the business who can show you the ropes helps, too. Kiyan, 40, switched from a finance career by doing makeup for weddings and special events. She worked her way up to doing beauty makeup for reality TV shows like ?Top Chef? before a friend got her a job last year working on ?Sons of Anarchy,? where Kiyan says the makeup crew airbrushes close to 100 fake tattoos on a daily basis. Now she splits her time between Los Angeles and New York. ?It?s hard work, but when you love what you do, it?s worth it,? she says.
Kortum was a creative arts major in college and did makeup for haunted houses for fun, but wound up working in business and IT. Seven years ago, she was on a three-month sabbatical figuring out what to do with her life when a friend asked for help with makeup on a music video. That led to an indie film project, and then to more work. Though Kortum still occasionally works in IT, she currently spends the bulk of her time on the ?Grimm? set helping head makeup effects artist Barney Burnam, who won an Oscar in 2010 for ?Star Trek.?
Kortum also works on indie films, differentiating herself from some makeup artists by fabricating limbs and other body parts in her own studio. ?If you need a custom create or tattoo, I can provide that,? she says. ?I?ve chosen to be a generalist in a smaller market, which means I do a lot of different things. It fits the market I?m in.?
Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/zombies-monsters-put-spotlight-makeup-artists-1B8305474
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Malian military battles militants outside Gao
Worshippers arrive for prayers at the Askia mausoleum's mosque, built in 1495 in Gao, northern Mali, Saturday Feb. 9, 2013. On Friday, a suicide bomber on a motorcycle killed himself attempting to blow up an army checkpoint, the first time a suicide bomber operated in Mali. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
Worshippers arrive for prayers at the Askia mausoleum's mosque, built in 1495 in Gao, northern Mali, Saturday Feb. 9, 2013. On Friday, a suicide bomber on a motorcycle killed himself attempting to blow up an army checkpoint, the first time a suicide bomber operated in Mali. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
In this photo made Friday Feb. 8, 2013, French soldiers walk on the tarmac of the airport in the remote desert city of Tesalit, northern Mali. President of the government body representing the area of Tessalit, Aicha Belco Maiga confirmed by telephone on Friday from her home in Bamako that her town had been retaken by French forces. (AP Photo)
In this photo made Friday Feb. 8, 2013, A French helicopter flies towards the remote desert city of Tesalit, northern Mali. President of the government body representing the area of Tessalit, Aicha Belco Maiga confirmed by telephone on Friday from her home in Bamako that her town had been retaken by French forces. (AP Photo)
In this photo made Friday Feb. 6, 2013, French soldiers walk on the tarmac of the airport in the remote desert city of Tesalit, northern Mali. President of the government body representing the area of Tessalit, Aicha Belco Maiga, confirmed by telephone from her home in Bamako that her town had been retaken by French forces. (AP Photo)
Footprints from worshippers are left in the sand at the ancient Askia mausoleum's mosque, built in 1495 in Gao, northern Mali, Saturday Feb. 9, 2013. On Friday, a suicide bomber on a motorcycle killed himself attempting to blow up an army checkpoint, the first time a suicide bomber operated in Mali. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
GAO, Mali (AP) ? Malian soldiers are fighting jihadists in their desert hideouts just outside Gao, the country's defense minister said Saturday, a day after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a checkpoint on the city's outskirts.
Defense Minister Yamoussa Camara said that at least two militants were killed during the fighting that took place Friday several miles (kilometers) outside northern Mali's largest town.
"We call on the population of Gao to not give in to panic and above all to cooperate with defense and security forces to drive out the terrorists who are trying to infiltrate among civilians," Camara said by telephone from Bamako, the capital.
However, tensions remained high on Saturday, and a Malian military spokesman reported earlier in the day that two men had been arrested with explosives while trying to enter the city around 7 a.m.
Military spokesman Modibo Traore later said that the information it had received was false, and that the young men did not have any explosives on them.
While Friday's attack killed only the bomber, it has raised concerns about the future strategy of the militants, who initially appeared to put up little resistance to the French and Malian military advance.
The young man who blew himself up on Friday had been living at a house in Gao that was known as a jihadist hideout. A guard at the home said it had been visited three months ago by the one-eyed terror leader Moktar Belmoktar, who claimed responsibility for the attack in Algeria on the BP-operated natural gas plant in which more than 37 people died.
Other jihadist leaders from the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa ? known as MUJAO ? also had stayed in the luxurious two-story home with a verdant courtyard, which the militants took over when they captured Gao last year, the guard said.
Fears of suicide bombing attacks have been high since the discovery of industrial-strength explosives in Gao earlier this week.
The radical fighters seized control of northern Mali in April 2012 after a military coup in distant Bamako.
France intervened in its former colony on Jan. 11, after the Islamic militants began pushing south, raising alarm that they were inching closer toward the capital.
Residents said Friday that the French forces had retaken the far northern town of Tessalit along the border with Algeria.
France has said that it wants to hand over responsibility to the Malian military and other African nations that have contributed troops. It also has raised with the U.N. Security Council the possibility of establishing a U.N. peacekeeping operation in Mali.
Mali's military, though, has shown growing signs of strain. On Friday, soldiers from a unit allied with the leader of last year's military coup stormed the camp of the presidential guard. Two people were killed and 13 others were wounded, according to a statement from the Malian government.
Malian President Dioncounda Traore called the violence a major disappointment to the Malian people "at a time when the main concern of each and every Malian should be the operations we are in the middle of carrying out in the north."
The red beret-wearing former presidential guard, based at the Djicoroni camp in Bamako, was disarmed months ago by the green beret-wearing officers loyal to Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo, the leader of the coup in March last year. Their camp has been attacked on several occasions by the green berets, who seized the presidential guards' weapons.
When the green berets arrived at the military camp Friday, they were confronted by women and children, and fired tear gas and volleys into the air, according to Batoma Dicko, a woman who lives in the camp. It includes housing for military families. The attackers succeeded in entering the camp, carried out a search and set fire to the infirmaries, she said.
The Red Berets were the elite presidential guard who protected former President Amadou Toumani Toure, who was toppled in the coup by junior officers.
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Ahmed contributed to this report from Timbuktu, Mali.
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