Saturday, December 31, 2011

Shock Horror! Berlin VC Invests In Italian Startup. Is This The Start Of Something?

mzl.fwjflxtn.320x480-75Point Nine Capital has made a seed investment into Cibando, an Italian startup which operates a popular iPhone application that makes it easy to find the best restaurants in Rome, Milan, Florence and other cities in Italy. Fabio Pezzotti, one of Italy's more successful Internet entrepreneurs and angel investors, also participated in the round. Terms of the investment were not disclosed. The deal is significant since it's the first investment by Point Nine in a startup in Italy, a market traditional vastly under-served by risk capital. Outside of traditional e-commerce style businesses, there remains very few Italian startups compared to the rest of Europe's major countries.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/TEqIwqMWRFU/

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Are Extended Warranties Worth It? [Ask Lifehacker]

Are Extended Warranties Worth It?Dear Lifehacker,
It seems like every time I go and buy something these days, the salesman asks me three times whether I'd like to buy an extended warranty. I always thought they were a ripoff, but I've had a few friends that say they were a godsend when their particular gadget broke down. Which is it? Should I be buying these warranties?

Sincerely,
Worrying About Warranties

Dear Worrying,

This is a pretty hotly contested topic, and while you'll hear different things from different people, most of us here at Lifehacker aren't big on extended warranties. There are, however, a few exceptions, so it's worth doing a bit of research beforehand to know what you're up against.

Find Out What the Extended Warranty Covers

An "extended warranty" can mean a few different things. Generally, the things you buy come with their own warranty from the manufacturer. For most devices, this is usually around a year, though it can vary from device to device and from manufacturer to manufacturer (some TVs, for example, have a 90 day warranty while others have a year-long warranty). This usually only covers malfunctions and defects within that short period of time, to protect you from being stuck with a device that might have just been defective. It won't cover accidental damage, and it won't cover anything past that time.

Often, the extended warranties you're offered at places like Best Buy are not only longer, but offer other services, like home repair. They can also cover accidental damage which, if you're a klutz, could be worth it for things like mobile phones that are prone to being dropped, hurled, drowned, or otherwise damaged in other horrifying ways. For stationary devices, like TVs, it starts becoming less useful (unless you're prone to playing football in the living room). It's unlikely that your TV bulb isn't going to go out prematurely. If it lasts through that first year of the manufacturer's warranty, it'll probably last you until the natural end of its life (when the extended warranty would have expired anyways). Keep in mind, too, that you should never pay more than 20% of an item's price for the warranty?if it's more expensive than that and you want the extra protection, shop somewhere else.

Remember also that you can usually extend the base manufacturer warranty of a product by buying it with a major credit card. All American Express cards have an extended warranty benefit, while Visa Signature cards are privy to a Warranty Manager program and MasterCard offers extended warranties to holders of Platinum, World, and some other cards. This won't get you accidental damage coverage and it won't get you as good of service as someone like Best Buy could theoretically offer, but it can be great for piece of mind.

Check a Device's Reliability

The real question here is whether your device is likely to break after the initial warranty expires. Keep in mind that these friends of yours that got saved by warranties are likely in the minority. Most of us with gadgets that work "just fine" don't go shouting from the rooftops about how nothing has ever gone wrong with every gadget we've ever owned, while your friend is likely to tell you the story of his 3-time dead Wi-Fi card. However, things do happen, and some products fail more than others. Consumer Reports goes through products every year and lists the types of products most likely to fail within the first three years (when that extended warranty would come in handy). Some of their recent data, courtesy of WSFA in Alabama, shows the following products are at the top of the list:

  • Desktop PC - 37% repair rate
  • Laptop PC - 33% repair rate
  • Lawn tractor or riding mower - 29% repair rate
  • Refrigerator (side-by-side with ice maker and dispenser) - 28% repair rate
  • Self-propelled mower - 26% repair rate
  • Washing machine - 22% repair rate
  • Gas range - 19% repair rate
  • Refrigerator (top-and-bottom with ice maker) - 17% repair rate
  • Projection TV - 16% repair rate
  • Push mower - 15% repair rate
  • Vacuum cleaner - 13% repair rate
  • Dishwasher - 13% repair rate
  • Clothes dryer - 13% repair rate
  • Microwave (over the range) - 13% repair rate

That said, an even better idea is to avoid the brands known to fail more often. When you're buying a new gadget, do a bit of research not just on its products, but on its reliability and service reputation. PC World, for example, does a great reliability survey every year that covers all sorts of technology, from phones to TVs to cameras, and they'll tell you which brands are more likely to fail or give you bad service.

Lastly, remember that newer technology is a bit more on the "iffy" side. Many tech companies like Apple have a reputation for buggy first generation products. Similarly, if the TV you want contains revolutionary new technology (like 3D), you might be better off getting an extended warranty since there isn't yet enough data about failure rates. Or, of course, you could just wait until the next generation or two. With more reliable products, it's less likely you'd ever need a warranty (or the hassle of taking it in for repairs) in the first place.

Set Up an Extended Warranty Fund

We've talked about this a few times on Lifehacker, but it bears repeating: statistics are in your favor. For all the tech you buy, chances are most of it is going to live out its life just fine, and if you were to buy an extended warranty on every item, you'd waste a lot of money. Instead, set up your own extended warranty fund. Whenever you're asked to purchase an extended warranty, ask how much it is and save that money away in your own personal warranty fund. If and when something does break, you'll have money from all the extended warranties you didn't buy that you can use to repair or replace it. And if it doesn't break, then you're just a bit richer than you were before.

In the end, the fact of the matter is that when you crunch the numbers, extended warranties are more for piece of mind and profits for those retailers than anything else. If you have a ton of disposable income and you want to feel more at ease, then go for it?but if you shop smart, there's no reason you should ever need to spend that kind of money on something you might not use.

Sincerely,
Lifehacker

P.S. Of course, this is just our general opinion, and we've had good and bad experiences alike with extended warranties. Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences with us in the comments below.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/EPLbUOcqdMI/are-extended-warranties-worth-it

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Friday, December 30, 2011

US finalizes deal to sell F-15s to Saudi Arabia

The sale of $30 billion worth of F-15SA fighter jets to Saudi Arabia has been finalized, boosting the military strength of a key U.S. ally in the Middle East to help counter Iran, the Obama administration announced Thursday.

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Under the agreement, the U.S. will send Saudi Arabia 84 new fighter jets and upgrades for 70 more. Production of the aircraft, which will be manufactured by Boeing Co., will support 50,000 jobs and have a $3.5 billion annual economic impact in the U.S., the White House said.

The sale is part of a larger U.S. effort to realign its defense policies in the Persian Gulf to keep Iran in check. The announcement came as U.S. officials weighed a fresh threat from Tehran. Tehran warned this week it could disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital Persian Gulf oil transport route, if Washington levies new sanctions targeting Iran's crude exports.

The fighter jet sale is part of a larger 10-year, $60 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia that also includes helicopters, a broad array of missiles, bombs and delivery systems, as well as radar warning systems and night-vision goggles. Congress gave the deal the go-ahead about a year ago.

The plan initially raised concerns from pro-Israeli lawmakers, but U.S. officials reassured Congress that Israel's military edge would not be undercut by the sale. Additionally, there is now broad agreement among Israel, the Gulf Arab states and the West that Iran poses a significant and unpredictable threat.

Saudi Arabia and Iran are bitter regional rivals. Tensions between them were further stoked earlier this year after the U.S. accused Iran of plotting to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. in Washington earlier this year.

Saudi Arabia is already the most militarily advanced of the Arab Gulf states, one of the richest countries in the world, and central to American policy in the Middle East. It is also vital to U.S. energy security, with Saudi Arabia ranking as the third-largest source of U.S. oil imports.

The White House announced the agreement with Saudi Arabia from Hawaii, where President Barack Obama is vacationing.

___

Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45816109/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

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CNYcentral: Earville mayor resigns after being caught with open can of beer while driving

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Thursday, December 29, 2011

Katy Perry and Russell Brand: Having Problems, Spending Time Apart


This does not sound good.

As we know, the rumor mill has been swirling in recent months with speculation that things aren't going well between Katy Perry and Russell Brand.

Looks like it may not be just rumors.

A source confirms to E! that Katy and Russell have been "having problems" and that they've been spending "a lot of time apart," including Christmas.

Katy Perry and Russell Brand Picture

The "Teenage Dream" singer was spotted swimming in Hawaii over the holiday with her friends, while Russell was reportedly in England for the weekend.

Perry and Brand wed in India in October of last year.

A source adds that things began getting more and more tense between the two in early December and that Katy Perry has been "a mess" about it at times.

The couple shrugged off the divorce rumors at the time, but clearly there's trouble in paradise. Can they work it out? We can only hope for their sake.

As big fans of both, we can only wish them the best.

[Photo: WENN.com]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/katy-perry-and-russell-brand-having-problems-spending-time-apart/

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Israel rally against segregation

BBC's Jon Donnison: "People believe what is happening in Beit Shemesh is a microcosm of the broader Israeli society"

Thousands of Israelis have rallied in the town of Beit Shemesh against ultra-Orthodox Jewish extremism.

The protest follows two days of clashes after an eight-year-old girl said she had been harassed on her way to school.

Some ultra-Orthodox in Beit Shemesh are seeking to segregate men and women.

President Shimon Peres backed the protest. "The entire nation must be recruited in order to save the majority from the hands of a small minority," Mr Peres said hours before the rally.

He said the demonstration was a defence of the "character" of the state of Israel "against a minority which breaks our national solidarity".

Opposition leader Tzipi Livni also condemned "the extremist elements that are rearing their heads and are trying to impose their world view on us".

'Afraid to go to school'

Ultra-Orthodox Jews clashed with police in the Israeli town of Beit Shemesh, near Jerusalem

Protesters, some holding signs reading "Free Israel from religious coercion" and "Stop Israel from becoming Iran", gathered on Tuesday evening.

Anger spilled over after an eight-year-old American girl, Naama Margolese, said she was afraid to walk to school in the town because ultra-Orthodox men shouted at her.

"When I walk to school in the morning, I used to get a tummy ache because I was so scared... that they were going to stand and start yelling and spitting," she said in a subsequent interview with The Associated Press on Monday.

In his statement, Mr Peres said: "No person has the right to threaten a girl, a woman or any person in any way. They are not the lords of this land."

Other women have reported similar incidents in the town of 100,000, some 18 miles (30km) south-west of Jerusalem.

Continue reading the main story

At the scene

By early evening thousands of demonstrators had gathered in Beit Shemesh, waving banners saying "Free Israel". People are angry at the growing influence of Israel's conservative ultra-Orthodox Jews and in particular their treatment of women.

It is a tiny minority of ultra-Orthodox who carry out such attacks. But many Israelis believe the country's character is at stake. They resent the fact that most ultra-Orthodox men don't work or serve in the army. Instead, the government gives them subsidies to carry out religious studies. One man here told me Jewish religious extremism posed a bigger threat to the country than Iran.

The Israeli government, so often critical of religious extremism in Islamic countries, has ordered a crackdown on intolerance at home. In this country there is often a debate about co-existence between Jews and Arabs. In Beit Shemesh, people were asking whether the varying strands of Judaism could co-exist.

Sarit Ramon described the situation in the town, where religiously observant immigrants live alongside Israelis embracing a more modern lifestyle, as having been "catastrophic for years".

"When I told that I was spat at a year and a half ago, people raised an eyebrow, and that was about it," she told Reuters.

Microcosm

Alisa Coleman told the BBC that she had been called a prostitute when dressed in a short-sleeved T-shirt and a skirt.

Though underlining that this behaviour was carried out by only a tiny proportion of the community, she said what was happening in Beit Shemesh was "a microcosm of what's happening in the whole country".

On Monday, one police officer was slightly hurt and a number of Orthodox Jews were detained after a group of some 300 ultra-Orthodox residents pelted police with stones and eggs in an incident reportedly triggered after police tried to remove a sign ordering segregation.

A television crew attempting to film in the town were surrounded and harassed - the second alleged attack on journalists in as many days.

Continue reading the main story

Ultra-orthodox Jews in Israel

  • Ultra-orthodox Jews account for just under 10% of Israel's population
  • Rapidly growing community due to a high birth rate - meaning this proportion is set to double within next 20 years
  • Beit Shemesh, which lies about 30 km (18 miles) to the west of Jerusalem, is a city of about 100,000; Ultra-orthodox Jews account for about half of the population

On Sunday, a crew from Channel 2 news, which originally aired Naama Margolese's story, were attacked as they were filming, say reports, with rocks allegedly thrown at their van.

After Monday's clashes, unnamed ultra-Orthodox activists from Beit Shemesh issued a statement condemning the violence, but also accusing the media of initiating "deliberate provocations in order to make the peaceful, quiet and tolerant residents, who live their lives according to their beliefs, look bad".

Such clashes have become more frequent in Israel in recent years as the authorities have challenged efforts by ultra-Orthodox Jews to segregate women in public places.

The BBC's Jon Donnison, in Beit Shemesh, says the events have highlighted what is a growing religious divide in Israel.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews make up 10% of the population in Israel. The community has a high birth rate and is growing rapidly.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-middle-east-16342327

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

sarah_tomlinson: Mum getting out her almost-40 year old wedding finery and our school pictures. We're a sentimental bunch tonight.

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University Libraries ( 12:00 AM - 12:00 AM )




"As the Flowers Tell It", current watercolors by Sara Fakhraie.

August 29 - December 16
Reception: October 7; 6-8pm
University Libraries Gallery, 1st Floor

This event is hosted by: Danielle Loftus <dloftus@usd.edu>

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, service or other accommodations to participate in or attend this activity, please contact USD Disability Services at 605-677-6389 Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm, at least one week in advance.


Location information:

I.D. Weeks Library [ Campus Map ]

The I.D. Weeks Library is located near the center of campus.Visitor parking lot is to the west of the building.

The Library was built in 1967. More than 400,000 items are part of its extensive collection.

Mailing address: I.D. Weeks Library [Campus Map]

The I.D. Weeks Library is located near the center of campus.Visitor parking lot is to the west of the building.

The Library was built in 1967. More than 400,000 items are part of its extensive collection.

Mailing address:

I.D. Weeks Library
414 E. Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069

Source: http://www.usd.edu/calendar/home.cfm?event_id=60416

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

L'atelier bnp paribas e commerce insider the rise and fall of group buying in China

In first half of this year, the domestic group buying market was cultivating in a vibrant scene and the landscape of group buying websites has been intermittently under convulsion.

The gr

In first half of this year, the domestic group buying market was cultivating in a vibrant scene and the landscape of group buying websites has been intermittently under convulsion.

The grim reality is such a crowded market, fueled by venture capitals and vicious competition, filled with counterfeit products and not guaranteed offline service, is shrinking and becoming a grotesque gallery of layoffs, closings, late payments, dissatisfied clients, and shattered dreams.

After all, consumers still have the local business demands. The market is there and won?t be gone with wind.

Other topics :
The growth of China online luxury
2) Coach?s online store on Taobao Mall
3) Yoox promote China local designers via e-commerce
4) 360buy raised threshold of its free delivery policy
5) China online cosmetics platforms go more vertical or horizontal
6) Will China group buying market is a just a an online Titantic?

1. Onl

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Military Home Front: Canceled flight can't steal Christmas

Early one December morning, we bundled up the boys and headed out into a blowing New England snowstorm to begin our annual trek home to North Carolina for the holidays.

Besides the snowplow we followed down that dark highway, our minivan was the only vehicle on the road.

We had booked the first flight out, anticipating weather delays and heavy crowds at the airport, which we had grown accustomed to while living in Maine. But a little snow couldn't dampen our spirits. We were going home for Christmas.

When Wade sidled the van up to the curb, a jolly skycap greeted us with more cheer than a crowd of carolers. He joked with the boys and stacked our suitcases on a cart like Santa's sleigh.

The boys were beyond happy. They were giddy. Being military dependents, they had always lived far away from our extended family, which made it difficult to visit often.

Each year, Weston and Wyatt reacquainted themselves with their cousins and, thankfully, 12 months of growth spurts between visits never seemed to change their bonds with one another.

As I waited with the boys and our bags, I noticed that Wade was at the ticket counter longer than usual. I began to get nervous, and the boys were getting antsy. Wade finally made his way over and gave me a quick briefing: There was a problem with our connecting flight from Detroit or Chicago or New York or wherever we were supposed to change planes.

Apparently, the snow had already delayed and canceled flights elsewhere, and ours happened to be one of those "elsewhere" flights. I tried to remain calm and happy so the boys would not sense our holiday was in jeopardy.

Wade went back to the ticket agent while I waited, reassuring the boys, "Daddy is going to work things out," all the while pushing back a sense of dread that had begun to form in my stomach.

Jolly the Skycap passed by with another sleigh full of someone else's bags and noticed us still waiting, the boys parked atop our mountain of bags and blissfully unaware of the frantic search for connecting flights going on at the ticket counter. He stopped to inquire about our predicament, a look of true concern on his face.

The departure time and last call for passengers on our flight came and went, and there we sat, like the Grinch and his little dog with reindeer antlers, atop their mound of stolen gifts and decorations, waiting for the Who's down in Who-ville to wake up and discover Christmas had been snatched right out from under them.

That's when Wade, poor thing, returned to break the awful news that Christmas, or at least our Christmas at home in North Carolina, had indeed been taken away.

There were no seats available on any connecting flights, he announced, and no guarantee that if we flew out of Maine that we'd ever arrive in North Carolina in time for Christmas.

With the likelihood that we might just find ourselves stuck, sleeping on the floor of an airport terminal in a very un-Christmassy place like Wilkes-Barre, Scranton or Cleveland, Wade decided we wouldn't risk the first leg of our trip.

Back to Maine

I couldn't believe that there wasn't one single flight, somewhere, with four seats or even two; Wade and I each could hold one boy in our laps, if need be, to get us home, if not today, tomorrow, or the next day.

We'd come back to the airport in snow, ice or freezing rain for the chance to see our family again.

I suggested we drive. If we started, we could drive all day and through the night to get there in just two short days. The roads were too treacherous, Wade explained.

He obviously already had weighed all our options before leaving the ticket counter, and he had come to the grim conclusion that we had only one: Drive back to our house in Maine and spend our holiday there with just our own little family - no cousins, aunts or uncles, no hugs and kisses from Grandma, no Mom's famous fruitcake, no ripping open presents on Christmas Eve.

The reality sunk in. And it stunk. I knew I shouldn't look over at the boys' faces, for fear I'd burst into sobs myself, but I did it anyway, and my heart broke.

Tears streamed down their once-gleeful faces, their bottom lips quivered uncontrollably; I had to look away to contain myself. I knew I had to stay positive for them. Knowing if I opened my mouth to speak, I'd only cry instead, I chose to stay mute and collect our belongings as Wade left us to retrieve the van from long-term parking.

The now-not-so-Jolly Skycap stood waiting with us at the curb, shaking his head, muttering, "That's not right."

As our Jolly Skycap wished us a Merry Christmas, I think I saw a tear in his eye. It was then that I allowed my own tears to fall, and I sobbed silently all the way home. Of course, we survived that Christmas. It was a beautiful white Christmas, with snow up to the boys' knees.

We spent quiet, lazy days together, just the four of us, and those memories will stay with us forever.

It was that Christmas that I truly learned what all military families know: Christmas is not in a place; it's in your heart.

You can take it with you wherever you go.

Sonya Sparks Murdock can receive messages at military@fayobserver.com or 486-3585.

Source: http://fayobserver.com/articles/2011/12/25/1145181

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Monday, December 26, 2011

INFINITY WINDOWS - WINDOW TREATMENT COUPON: FREE INSTALLATION ON EVERY REPLACEMENT WINDOW

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Source: http://www.valpak.com/coupons/display/INFINITY-WINDOWS/11566/1055401/1053715?vpref=rss

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A look at various consumer spending reports (AP)

Friday's government data on consumer income and spending came from a monthly report issued by the Commerce Department. That report isn't the only reading on how much Americans are spending. Here are various reports that cover such figures:

_INDUSTRY SURVEYS

Surveys by private groups capture the most up-to-date retail spending patterns. But they don't include as many companies as the government reports do. The International Council of Shopping Centers-Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain Store Sales Index tracks sales at stores open at least a year. The index is a proxy for 24 major national stores, including Target Corp, Costco Wholesale Corp. and Macy's.

_RETAIL SALES REPORT

Commerce issues a monthly report on retail sales that covers sales not just at major national chains but at all retailers. It provides a broader look at retail activity. The report includes such categories as specialty clothing stores, hardware stores, furniture stores, sporting goods and hobby stores and electronics and appliance stores. It also covers auto dealerships, restaurants and bars, grocery stores and gasoline stations. The sales figures are seasonally adjusted. That way, the current month can be compared with the previous month. But the figures aren't adjusted for inflation.

_CONSUMER SPENDING

This report is also released monthly by the Commerce Department. It's the most inclusive look at consumer activity. It covers all spending done at retail establishments ? both for durable goods (items such as autos that are expected to last at least three years) and nondurable goods such as food and clothing. What makes this report comprehensive is that it also covers spending on services. Services include items such as doctor's visits, airline and bus tickets, apartment rentals and utility bills. The service category makes up two-thirds of consumer spending and isn't covered in the retail surveys.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111224/ap_on_bi_ge/us_economy_glance

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

Variable dark energy could explain old galaxy clusters

Does dark energy change over time? An alternative model of the as yet undetected entity that is thought to be accelerating the universe's expansion could explain some puzzling observations of galaxy clusters. But it will have to jump many more hurdles to compete with the simplest and so far most successful model of the elusive entity.

That model, called the cosmological constant, holds that there is a certain amount of repulsive energy in every cubic centimetre of space, and that amount stays the same over time. As the universe expands, more space exists, and so the expansion accelerates.

Now Edoardo Carlesi of the Autonomous University in Madrid, Spain, and his colleagues have simulated a universe where the amount of repulsive energy per unit of volume changes with time.

They say the model can explain how several galaxy clusters grew to weigh as much as a quadrillion (1015) suns by the time the universe was just 6?billion years old. That's a puzzle because some researchers say 6?billion years would not have been enough time for gravity to amass such large structures.

Standard recipe

The puzzle arises if the standard "recipe" for the universe is used. The ingredients for that recipe are a large amount of dark energy, in the form of a cosmological constant, and a dollop of matter. Their ratio has been calculated by studying the cosmic microwave background, radiation that reveals the distribution of matter and energy in the early universe.

Looking at the cosmic microwave background data through the lens of a different dark energy model can produce different ratios of ingredients. The cosmological constant model allows for matter to make up 27 per cent of the universe's energy density, whereas the dark energy model studied by Carlesi's team provides a more generous helping: 39 per cent.

Massive clusters can form up to 10 times as often using this recipe, the researchers say. "You can explain current observations within a model that allows much more matter," says Carlesi. As a result, galaxies attract other galaxies through their gravitational pull, so massive clusters form faster.

First hurdle

The cluster problem may not even be a problem, though, says Dragan Huterer at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He says the jury is still out on whether the clusters challenge the leading cosmological model, because there is a lot of uncertainty about their mass, most of which is thought to be tied up in invisible dark matter.

The cosmological constant has so far been able to explain a wide range of observations, so turning to a relatively unproven model to account for a few galaxy clusters that may be heavier than expected "is like using a huge hammer to kill a tiny fly", he says.

Carlesi says this is just the first test of the model, and Cristian Armend?riz-Pic?n at Syracuse University in New York agrees. He says the model Carlesi is using should undergo further tests that the cosmological constant has already passed. For example, its effects should be consistent with the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect, in which photons from the cosmic microwave background experience slight changes in wavelength as they feel the gravity of superclusters of galaxies they pass through.

Journal reference: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19660.x

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California Gay Laws Are The Mexicans? Fault, Says Wingnut

Roy Edroso shortened this piece by Mark Krikorian at the National Review as, ?What good are wetbacks if we can?t use them against faggots?? Then he added, ?you think I?m kidding?!?

Sadly, Roy is not kidding, for if you click on the piece by Krikorian, you see a lot of verbose garbage that could indeed be reduced to that base, racist sentiment. Look:

While Hispanic immigrants, like black Americans, are conservative on certain social issues (though not as much as some might think), it doesn?t matter politically. As one political scientist recently put it, in reaction to a new poll:

?It?s always been said that Latinos have a conflict between their religion and their political tendencies. That they?re usually more progressive on economic policy but conservative on social issues,? said Matt Barreto, a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle and advisor to Latino Decisions.

However, Barreto said the poll reflects no such conflict: ?Religion and social and moral values are not among their priorities when they make their political and election calculations.?

That?s part of the reason why California, the state with the largest share of immigrants in its population, has ?the first state law mandating lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history and social science curricula.? It?s not that immigrants demanded this nonsense; they probably don?t even like it very much. But their large-scale presence solidifies the position of the Left, making this kind of thing possible, and they aren?t turned off by it enough to rebel against it. When there?s a referendum, sure, they?ll vote against gay marriage, for instance, but that?s not the way most social policy is made. Both by importing faithful Democratic voters and through sheer numbers creating more safe leftist seats in local and state and federal legislatures, mass immigration empowers statism and cultural leftism.

It?s all a conspiracy by the ?leftists? and the ?statists? and the gays to ?import Mexicans? in order to create laws mandating that gay history be taught in California, you see. Now, what I want you to notice about this fine wingnut hackery is just how many of their ooga-boogas it involves. You?ve got big gub?mint, you got lib?ruls, you got gays and you?ve got ?illegally imported? Mexicans! This works on their readers because wingnuts don?t have to explain anything. They just have to invoke the specter of things their readers are afraid of and it?s considered a Q.E.D. situation.

It?s not that Democrats are necessarily bad (well, the slaveholder part was bad, but we finally beat that out of them),

By turning them into Republicans?

But it does mean that any successful GOP effort to woo immigrants and their children will take generations ? and if small-government, morally traditionalist, pro-sovereignty conservatism is to have any chance of lasting political success during our lifetimes, future immigration must be curbed.

In order to keep ?Murka pearly white, Christian and heterosexual, we have to keep dark-skinned people out. Gotcha.

How exactly has conservative rhetoric changed in the past forty years?

Tags: anti-gay, bigots, California, hate, immigration, Mark Krikorian, National Review, racism, wingnuts

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Source: http://www.truthwinsout.org/blog/2011/12/21083/

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Saturday, December 24, 2011

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Union employee's Title VII and ADEA claims were dismissed because they were subject to mandatory arbitration under collective bargaining agreemen

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Friday, December 23, 2011

Turbulence as EU Court Backs Fees On Plane Emissions

Air travel contributes only 2 to 4 percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. A new ruling says airlines flying into and out of European airports will have to pay a price for the carbon dioxide they emit from burning jet fuel. Above, a plane takes off from the Geneva airport last year. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

Air travel contributes only 2 to 4 percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. A new ruling says airlines flying into and out of European airports will have to pay a price for the carbon dioxide they emit from burning jet fuel. Above, a plane takes off from the Geneva airport last year.

A European court ruled Wednesday that airlines flying into and out of European airports will have to pay a price for the carbon dioxide they emit when they burn jet fuel.

U.S. airlines, which had been fighting the idea in court, say the European Union is trying to force other countries to reduce carbon emissions. Europe currently limits carbon dioxide emissions from its major industries to curb global warming. The ruling cannot be appealed, and the decision is likely to end the dispute.

Air travel contributes only about 2 to 4 percent of the CO2 emissions worldwide. But Pamela Campos, an attorney with the Environmental Defense Fund, says that will grow.

"This is an area where we are seeing very, very fast growth in emissions, and it's also an area that's technologically tough, so we need to start now," she says.

As air traffic has climbed, so have emissions. But Airlines for America, which represents the U.S. industry, says U.S. airlines have done their part by becoming more fuel-efficient.

"U.S. airlines have improved their fuel efficiency 115 percent since 1978," says Nancy Young, the group's environmental director, "and so to get more carbon emissions reductions, the Europeans are essentially imposing a tax."

Young says it's not fair to impose Europe's solutions on the rest of the world. She adds that paying the European Union for emissions could add up to about $3 billion by 2020. She says airlines will decide how much of the extra cost to pass on to passengers.

Bill Hemmings, a program manager with the British group Transport and Environment, says the extra cost probably won't amount to more than about $20 per flight.

"It's a few euros, maybe 10 or 15 euros at the most on long-haul flights, and a few euros on short-haul flights," Hemmings says. "I mean, those sorts of fare fluctuations will happen thousands of times a day."

But opponents, which include the Obama administration and at least 20 other governments, say it's not really the cost they're going to the mat for.

"We are not opposed to an appropriate climate regime," says Young. "What we think, though, is that the EU scheme is both illegal and bad policy."

The airline group would prefer to work out an emissions agreement through the International Civil Aviation Organization, or ICAO. It's a U.N.-based organization that governs air travel policy for most of the world.

And that's a goal that Environmental Defense Fund lawyer Campos actually agrees with, but she argues that ICAO has dallied for years. She sees the court ruling as a kick in the pants.

"The opportunity here is to seize the momentum from Europe and break through the logjam at ICAO, and put in place a broad-based system that captures a much bigger percentage of the world's warming pollution from airplanes." She says.

The Obama administration is with the airlines in this so far, and could make it a diplomatic issue at the U.N.'s aviation organization.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/12/21/144082145/turbulence-as-europe-passes-fee-on-plane-emissions?ft=1&f=1007

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First Chinese Car Goes On Sale In North America

2012 Honda Fit. In red, of course.For years, we've reported several Chinese automakers' intentions sell cars in North America.? Producers like Brilliance, Chery and Geely made it clear they want a presence in the market.

Even electric-car startup Coda looked like a lock for first Chinese car on sale here, until they stressed final assembly would take place in California.

It's rather a moot point, since the first Chinese car is now on sale here in North America. ?

Before you look for newly-opened showrooms from the aforementioned manufacturers, The New York Times suggests you look instead to Honda dealers--in Canada.? As of this month, Honda Canada's incoming Fit inventory comes from the same Chinese plant that builds them for Europe and other markets, where the cars wear the Jazz badge.

Reasoning behind the shift is simple: it's all about the Yenjamins.? The yen is strong and profit margins aren't as thick as Honda would prefer.? Offshore production will shore that up.? But since Honda's new $800 million plant in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico won't be online until 2014, this is the stop-gap solution. ?

Meanwhile, our curious Canadian friends can confirm a new Fit's place of birth with a quick peek at the VIN.? Chinese cars' IDs begin with "L", while Japanese models' are "J".? Will they detect any differences otherwise??

And will the Chinese cars go to U.S. dealers??

"L" no, says Honda.

This story originally appeared at The Car Connection

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33314/20111222/first-chinese-car-goes-on-sale-in.htm

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

Video: Exclusive Stanford Video: Does He Look Sane?

CNBC's Scott Cohn with an exclusive look at Allen Stanford, as the court battles over his competency to stand trial for one of the nations's biggest Ponzi schemes.

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Sunday, December 18, 2011

Peru judge grants Berenson NY holiday (AP)

LIMA, Peru ? A Peruvian court is allowing paroled U.S. activist Lori Berenson and her toddler son to travel to New York for the holidays, she and her father said on Friday.

Mark Berenson told The Associated Press by phone from his Manhattan home that Berenson had obtained permission to leave Peru from Dec. 16 to Jan. 11.

"I'm very glad that Peru is respecting its laws and human rights," he said. "As Lori says, if she doesn't come home, let Interpol arrest her."

Lori Berenson was paroled last year after serving 15 years for aiding leftist rebels, but she cannot leave Peru permanently until her sentence ends in 2015.

Her father told the AP on Friday he is "petrified" a negative local reaction to the New York visit could prevent the trip.

"My worry is that there's going to be screaming to stop this," he said. Some Peruvians consider her a terrorist, opposed her parole and have publicly insulted her on the street.

He said that as far as he knew, his 42-year-old daughter was still trying to buy a ticket for herself and son Salvador, who is 2 1/2.

"It's not going to be easy," he said. Flights are heavily booked and prices high at this time of year.

Reached by the AP, Lori Berenson confirmed her court permission by a text message but added: "I am not speaking to the press."

She has been repeatedly hounded and mobbed by Peruvian news news media, which has occasionally frightened young Salvador. Last month, one TV channel obtained her new address and showed video of her home on television, her father said.

"It was very dangerous," he added. "The (U.S.) Embassy complained."

His daughter is separated from Salvador's father, Anibal Apari, whom she met in prison and who serves as her lawyer.

He also confirmed the court's approval of the New York trip to Peruvian TV reporters on Friday.

Mark Berenson, 69, said his daughter is looking forward to seeing relatives she hasn't met since her 20s, including his 96-year-old aunt.

Since her initial parole in May 2010, Lori Berenson repeatedly expressed regret for aiding the rebel Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement.

Arrested in 1995, the former MIT student was accused of helping the rebels plan an armed takeover of Congress, an attack that never happened.

A military court convicted her the following year and sentenced her to life in prison for sedition. But after intense U.S. government pressure, she was retried in civil courts in 2001 and sentenced to 20 years for terrorist collaboration.

Berenson was unrepentant at the time of her arrest, but softened during years of sometimes harsh prison conditions, eventually being praised as a model prisoner.

Yet she is viewed by many as a symbol of the 1980-2000 rebel conflict that claimed some 70,000 lives. The fanatical Maoist Shining Path movement did most of the killing, while Tupac Amaru was a lesser player.

Berenson has acknowledged helping the rebels rent a safe house, where authorities seized a cache of weapons. But she insists she didn't know guns were being stored there. She denies ever belonging to Tupac Amaru or engaging in violent acts.

In an interview with the AP last year, Berenson said she was deeply troubled at having become Peru's "face of terrorism."

Its most famous prisoner, she also became a politically convenient scapegoat, she said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111216/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_peru_lori_berenson

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Gaddafi's death may be war crime: ICC prosecutor (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? The death of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was captured and killed by rebels in October, may have been a war crime, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said on Thursday.

"I think the way in which Mr Gaddafi was killed creates suspicions of ... war crimes," ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo told reporters.

"I think that's a very important issue," he said. "We are raising this concern to the national authorities and they are preparing a plan to have a comprehensive strategy to investigate all these crimes."

Under pressure from Western allies, Libya's National Transitional Council has promised to investigate how Gaddafi and his son Mo'tassim were killed.

Mobile phone footage showed both alive after their capture. The former Libyan leader was seen being mocked, beaten and abused before he died, in what NTC officials said was crossfire.

The U.N. Security Council referred Gaddafi's crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators to the ICC in February and authorized military intervention to protect civilians in March. The ICC indicted Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and the former intelligence chief for war crimes.

Saif al-Islam is now in the custody of the Libyan authorities who have said they plan to try in him in Libya instead of handing him over to The Hague-based ICC. Moreno-Ocampo has said this was possible.

Moreno-Ocampo has also said he was investigating allegations that the anti-Gaddafi forces and NATO were also guilty of war crimes during the civil war.

(Reporting By Louis Charbonneau; editing by Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111216/wl_nm/us_libya_icc

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Saturday, December 17, 2011

Indonesia Beheadings To Be Investigated

JAKARTA, Indonesia ? Indonesia's president has ordered an investigation into the videotaped beheadings of two men ? allegedly by security forces hired to secure the borders of a palm oil plantation.

Six suspects ? five plantation workers and a farmer ? already have been arrested for their alleged role in the deaths, national police spokesman Col. Boy Raffli Amar said Friday. Eight other suspects are at large.

Indonesia is one of the world's largest producers of palm oil ? used to make everything from lipstick to biscuits to biofuel ? and the rapid expansion of plantations across the sprawling archipelagic nation of 240 million has led to many violent disputes with local communities.

Land is often forcibly seized ? also by timber, pulp and paper companies ? without any offers of compensation. But the allegations by farmers from South Sumatra province, if confirmed, would be by far the most shocking so far.

A dozen men, accompanied by a retired general, traveled to the capital, Jakarta, earlier this week to present their case before Parliament's human rights commission.

They told its members at least 30 farmers have been killed by security forces and men hired by a palm oil company in Mesuji district since 2009 ? two of them beheaded in April.

They presented two video clips as evidence, though one appears to be unrelated to the dispute.

In the first, a decapitated corpse is shown hanging from an electricity pole in Mesuji, according to witnesses. Then it jumps to another headless body on the ground, masked men, some toting assault rifles, milling about in the background.

Next, two bloody heads are shown on the roof of a truck, also in Mesuji.

The other clip appears to unrelated, however, possibly from the separatist insurgency in southern Thailand, judging from the dialect and words of the assailant.

It shows a man dressed in camouflage standing in the woods, an assault rifle slung over his shoulder, holding onto a freshly severed head by the hair. "Fathoni Darussalam," he says triumphantly, using the cry of Pattani separatists in southern Thailand. "Freedom! Freedom!"

Ifdhal Kasim, who heads the National Commission on Human Rights, condemned the killings.

But the details, he said, remain very murky.

There appear to have been several, separate deadly clashes in the last year between farmers and three palm oil companies in Mesuji ? which straddles South Sumatra and Lampung provinces.

As concession sizes grew, he added, thousands of people were driven from their homes.

Facing protests, one of the companies formed an integrated security team, consisting of civilian guards, members of an elite police unit and military troops to protect their plantation, he said.

"It's not clear who was behind the beheadings or the other killings," he said. "But if there's even a hint that security forces were involved, they should be investigated first."

Farmers also appeared to have killed at least five plantation workers and security guards in retaliation for the beheadings, he said.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, meanwhile, said he was shocked by the claims.

He immediately sent a task force made up of officials from the Ministry of Security and the national police to investigate, according to his spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha.

___

Associated Press writer Ali Kotarumalos contributed to this report.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/16/indonesia-beheadings-investigated_n_1153020.html

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