Monday, December 17, 2012

'I Am Adam Lanza's Mother': A Mom's Perspective On The Mental Illness Conversation In America

'I Am Adam Lanza's Mother': A Mom's Perspective On The Mental Illness Conversation In America:


According to Mother Jones, since 1982, 61 mass murders involving firearms have occurred throughout the country. Of these, 43 of the killers were white males, and only one was a woman. Mother Jones focused on whether the killers obtained their guns legally (most did). But this highly visible sign of mental illness should lead us to consider how many people in the U.S. live in fear, like I do.
When I asked my son’s social worker about my options, he said that the only thing I could do was to get Michael charged with a crime. “If he’s back in the system, they’ll create a paper trail,” he said. “That’s the only way you’re ever going to get anything done. No one will pay attention to you unless you’ve got charges.”


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Friday, December 7, 2012

allAfrica.com: Nigeria: AfDB Lends Nation U.S.$650 Million for Agric Development

allAfrica.com: Nigeria: AfDB Lends Nation U.S.$650 Million for Agric Development: "But farmers who spoke to Daily Trust said they do not welcome such development because such loans do not get to them. Two Abuja based farmers, Markus Daniels and Haruna Mahadi said in separate interviews that agricultural loans have never been designed to favour farmers.

Markus said, "The agricultural loan we were asked to apply for under the YouWin program that Bwari area council officials told us is specifically designed to assist the youths in the area of farming turned out to be a joke. When we applied they asked us to go and bring certificate of ownership of a land in FCT before we could qualify for the loan. If I have a land, what will I do with their loan? Show me one single person that own a land in FCT with C of O that is still a poor man," he said."

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Thursday, December 6, 2012

Ghana Business News » African Development Bank funds $63m initiative to improve agricultural productivity on contitnent

Ghana Business News » African Development Bank funds $63m initiative to improve agricultural productivity on contitnent: "The African Development Bank (AfDB) is funding a project with researchers to improve agricultural productivity in Africa.
The $63.24 million project is a five-year, multi-CGIAR center initiative known as “Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa” (SARD-SC).
CGIAR is the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, a global partnership that unites organizations engaged in research for a food secure future."

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

BBC News - Testing for cervical cancer with vinegar

BBC News - Testing for cervical cancer with vinegar: "Smear tests to check for abnormal cells that lead to cervical cancer are expensive and require specialist equipment. So doctors in India are trying a new method - vinegar swabs."

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Friday, November 30, 2012

BBC News - Palestinians win upgraded UN status by wide margin

BBC News - Palestinians win upgraded UN status by wide margin: "The UN General Assembly has voted to grant the Palestinians non-member observer state status - a move strongly opposed by Israel and the US.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the assembly the vote was the "last chance to save the two-state solution" with Israel.

Israel's envoy to the UN said the bid pushed peace process "backwards", while the US said the move was "unfortunate".

The assembly voted 138-9 in favour, with 41 nations abstaining."

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Participation and development under fire | Development Policy Blog

Participation and development under fire | Development Policy Blog: "Robert Chambers makes the point that it is those things that are least socially transformative that are most measurable and attributable and unfortunately are what aid donors want, ignoring the unpredictable complexity of people and social processes. In his book Provocations for Development he labels what has been happening ‘a dysfunctional absurdity… driven by politicians that do not understand or who believe that taxpayers do not understand’.
One of purposes of the conference is to look at examples of new and challenging ideas, and aid projects which overcome the barriers that value for money and results based programs try to saddle development work with. It will provide examples where positive social change occurs and provide a counterpoint to the prevailing ideology of what can be measured is what makes a good aid program.
The Challenges for Participatory Development Conference is being held at the ANU on November 28 and 29 as part of the ACFID Universities linkages program. Material from the conference will be available here in the weeks to come."

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In Asia, it's time to talk about toilets - AlertNet

In Asia, it's time to talk about toilets - AlertNet: "The economic impact of sanitation is enormous. A World Bank study on the Economic Impact of Sanitation in Southeast Asia found that poor sanitation brought economic losses of at least US $9 billion per year, with communities suffering from illness, loss of life, high medical costs and time away from work. For the millions of boys and girls who miss school every year due to illnesses resulting from poor sanitation the implications are far-reaching, affecting their ability to learn and fully participate in their education.

Poor sanitation also has a big impact on the safety and wellbeing of women and girls; the day-to-day humiliation and risks faced by women and girls without access to appropriate sanitation facilities have been demonstrated time and again. In countries such as Pakistan, women and girls who do not have sanitation facilities but still observe strict social codes will only defecate at night, further increasing their risk of violence and abuse. As recently as last month a girl was raped in East Java, Indonesia, on the way back from defecating near her home. "

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Do farmers get the message? - AlertNet

Do farmers get the message? - AlertNet: "The game of communication is indeed a complicated one, and prone to failure if it is not closely moderated. This fact is especially true when attempting to convey a complicated theme—such as climate projections or weather information—to an audience with no background or even cultural reference to the subject, across multiple levels of information technology.

This is the challenge facing researchers with the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) as they attempt to help farmers cope with increasingly erratic climate and weather patterns via improved information and advisory services, ones that connect all the way to the “last mile.”"

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Social Protection for the Poor in Asia Can be Affordable and Deliver Big Gains | Asian Development Bank

Social Protection for the Poor in Asia Can be Affordable and Deliver Big Gains | Asian Development Bank: "Recent economic and financial crises, food and fuel emergencies, and the rapidly increasing frequency of natural disasters have starkly exposed the inadequacy of the region’s national social protection systems to guarantee a minimum level of subsistence and meet people’s basic needs.

The evaluation study—Asian Development Bank: Social Protection Strategy—finds convincing evidence that social protection programs, and especially well-designed safety nets that transfer resources to the poor, can reduce the depth and severity of poverty and inequality.

“Governments around the world tend to scramble to adopt social protection programs in times of crisis,” says the Director General of Independent Evaluation Vinod Thomas. “But comprehensive systems built in stable years are much more effective in coping with the human impact of future economic or political crises or natural disasters.”"

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BBC News - Gaza baby 'only knew how to smile'

BBC News - Gaza baby 'only knew how to smile': "The death of civilians on either side in the Israel-Gaza conflict is tragic - especially when children are among the casualties. The BBC correspondent in Gaza, Jon Donnison, witnessed just such a tragedy at close quarters.

My friend and colleague Jehad Mashhrawi is usually the last to leave our Gaza bureau. Hard-working but softly spoken, he often stays late, beavering away on a laptop that is rarely out of arm's reach.

He has a cool head - unflappable, when others like me are flapping around him. He is a video editor and just one of our local BBC Arabic Service staff who make the office tick.

But on the Wednesday before last - only an hour or so after Gaza's latest war erupted with Israel's killing of Hamas military commander Ahmed al-Jabari - Jehad burst out of the editing suite screaming.

He sprinted down the stairs, his head in his hands, his face ripped with anguish.

He had just had a call from a friend to tell him the Israeli military had bombed his house and that his 11-month-old baby boy Omar was dead."

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Friday, November 23, 2012

BBC News - Did the Lomo camera save film photography?

BBC News - Did the Lomo camera save film photography?: "On Friday 23 November, Lomography is celebrating its 20th anniversary, by starting a series of parties in some of its 36 stores around the world.

The movement's art-school ethos is enshrined in 10 golden rules of Lomography, with an emphasis on spontaneity and experimentation - and a rejection of some of photography's basic laws of composition and focusing. It's common for Lomographers to "cross-process" slide film in negative chemicals, which gives an additional boost to colours and contrast, and to play around with colour filters."

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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

BBC News - Are these animals too 'ugly' to be saved?

BBC News - Are these animals too 'ugly' to be saved?: "A project run by the Zoological Society for London (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) is trying to raise awareness of these less appreciated creatures.

"I love all the species on the Edge list," says Carly Waterman, director of Edge.

"But I think some do need a little extra help to get them a place in hearts of the general public."

Here are a few of the less doe-eyed and fluffy and more spiky, scaly, big-nosed and slimy animals that might be conservation icons."

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BBC News - Nudity ban passed in San Francisco

BBC News - Nudity ban passed in San Francisco: "San Francisco lawmakers have voted to ban nudity in public places, ending a bitter dispute with a group of nudists.

City officials voted 6-5 in favour of banning anyone over five from exposing "his or her genitals, perineum or anal region" in most public locations.

"Freedom, expression and acceptance does not mean anything goes under any circumstances," district supervisor Scott Wiener said.

The ruling allows exceptions for certain street fairs and events."

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Why markets - not NGOs - are key to solving the sanitation crisis - AlertNet

Why markets - not NGOs - are key to solving the sanitation crisis - AlertNet: "The ideal sanitation market would see local businesses taking the primary role of providing ongoing sanitation services to those most in need, forever.

To achieve our core mission and have an exit strategy from the start, NGOs need to reorient their work away from latrine construction to facilitating market system development.

A growing number of organizations have moved beyond the short-term, “project”-oriented, approach of simply measuring success by the number of toilets built and have recognized the importance of setting the stage for local businesses to enter the market and provide a reliable supply chain of sanitation goods to meet customer demand.

In this scenario, NGOs provide training for entrepreneurs to develop the skills needed to grow and maintain successful sanitation businesses."

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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The Price of Oil - Oil Change International

The Price of Oil - Oil Change International: "Oil Change International campaigns to expose the true costs of fossil fuels and facilitate the coming transition towards clean energy"

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They Rule aims to provide a glimpse of some of the relationships of the US ruling class.



Overview
They Rule aims to provide a glimpse of some of the relationships of the US ruling class. It takes as its focus the boards of some of the most powerful U.S. companies, which share many of the same directors. Some individuals sit on 5, 6 or 7 of the top 1000 companies. It allows users to browse through these interlocking directories and run searches on the boards and companies. A user can save a map of connections complete with their annotations and email links to these maps to others. They Rule is a starting point for research about these powerful individuals and corporations.
Context
A few companies control much of the economy and oligopolies exert control in nearly every sector of the economy. The people who head up these companies swap on and off the boards from one company to another, and in and out of government committees and positions. These people run the most powerful institutions on the planet, and we have almost no say in who they are. This is not a conspiracy, they are proud to rule, yet these connections of power are not always visible to the public eye.
Karl Marx once called this ruling class a 'band of hostile brothers.' They stand against each other in the competitve struggle for the continued accumulation of their capital, but they stand together as a family supporting their interests in perpetuating the profit system as whole. Protecting this system can require the cover of a 'legitimate' force - and this is the role that is played by the state. An understanding of this system can not be gleaned from looking at the inter-personal relations of this class alone, but rather how they stand in relation to other classes in society. Hopefully They Rule will raise larger questions about the structure of our society and in whose benefit it is run.
The Data
We do not claim that this data is 100% accurate at all times. Corporate directors have a habit of dying, quitting boards, joining new ones and most frustratingly passing on their names to their children who not entirely coincidently are also found to be members of US corporate boards. There is no single easily parsed single authoritative public record containing these shifting datasets. Luckily there is LittleSis.org a community of obsessive data miners who specialize in "profiling the powers that be." Little Sis has very generously made their data available to They Rule through their API. If you see something that is incorrect you can contribute to both projects by signing up at Little Sis and editing the data there. That correction should become immediately available on They Rule, however, it will not be instantly updated in the auto-mode or in saved maps.
Credits
This site was made by Josh On with the indispensable assistance of LittleSis.org. Special thanks to Matthew Skomarovsky of Little Sis who really went out of his way to help make the data from Little Sis work with They Rule. The latest version of They Rule would not have happened were it not for a fellowship from Renew Media (now Media Artists).
Thanks to Amy Balkin of Public Smog for her help and encouragement. Thanks to Amy Franceschini and Futurefarmers for their support. Thanks to the Mission branch of the International Socialist Organization for putting up with my complete spaciness as I was consumed in the production. Thanks to Media Temple for their great and generous hosting.



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Thursday, November 15, 2012

Tanzania, Gates Foundation launch three new initiatives to tackle deadly cassava diseases

"Tanzania’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives (MAFC) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have launched three new projects Saturday to support efforts to develop cassava varieties with resistance to Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) and Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) and to establish more sustainable seed systems to enable smallholder farmers better access to such varieties.

The projects were officially announced during a Cassava Value Chain event organized in Dar es Salaam that brought together representatives from the government, donor community, private sector and development partners. Also present was International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Director General, Dr Nteranya Sanginga."

IPS – Senegal Villages Aspire to Self-Sufficiency in Rice | Inter Press Service

IPS – Senegal Villages Aspire to Self-Sufficiency in Rice | Inter Press Service: "“Agricultural production has been intensified here for several years now, thanks to the revival of rice farming,” Marie Sagne told IPS proudly.

Farmers in Sagne’s home village, Boyard Ndiodiome, had stopped growing rice altogether, as soil fertility was compromised by rising salinity. They were able to begin planting rice again thanks to work carried out by the Project to Support Local Small-Scale Irrigation (PAPIL), financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).

PAPIL built an anti-salt dam in the village, restoring the productivity of many of the fields which had fallen into disuse. Since 2006, PAPIL has also been providing local farmers with quality seeds, fertiliser and technical training, in collaboration with its partners, the National Agency for Rural and Agricultural Advice (ANCAR) and the Regional Office for Rural Development (DRDR) in Fatick, the regional capital."

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International Development - Development Disrupted: How Business Is Changing the Global Development Landscape

International Development - Development Disrupted: How Business Is Changing the Global Development Landscape: "“If we’re going to succeed in the task of ending extreme poverty and suffering, we will only do so through partnerships with companies like yours,” said Raj Shah, USAID’s administrator, to a room of business executives at last month’s BSR conference in Manhattan.

The definitiveness of Shah’s statement reflects the new normal of international development. Formerly a sector dominated by donors, multi-laterals and NGOs, now corporations are at the table, bringing with them new ideas, new funding sources and new questions about the most effective way to lift the world’s poor out of poverty.

Many say it’s a transformative moment. Old assumptions and operating models are falling away, while the shape of what’s to come has not yet emerged. What is clear is that the private sector has injected new energy into the world of international development, even as a new focus on social good is changing the way business operates around the world."

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IRIN Africa | CAMEROON: New cassava species could boost food security | Cameroon | Economy | Environment | Food Security | Gender Issues | Natural Disasters

IRIN Africa | CAMEROON: New cassava species could boost food security | Cameroon | Economy | Environment | Food Security | Gender Issues | Natural Disasters: "YAOUNDE, 13 November 2012 (IRIN) - Scientists and farmers’ associations have high hopes that a variety of cassava could help build their resilience to droughts and food insecurity.

Cameroon’s National Development Programme for Roots and Tubers (PNDRT) has distributed seedlings of a new high-yield, pest-resistant variety of cassava to 1,000 smallholder farmers - most of them women - all over the country with a view to buying back cuttings from them to multiply distribution in coming years.

While regular cassava varieties produce 9-10 tons per hectare, these improved varieties can yield as much as 20-35, according to Rachid Hanna, country representative with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and PNDRT. The two institutions have been working since 2005 to develop these new species, with backing from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). "

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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

BBC News - Woman dies after abortion request 'refused'

BBC News - Woman dies after abortion request 'refused': "The death of a woman who was 17 weeks pregnant is the subject of two investigations at University Hospital Galway in the Republic of Ireland.

Savita Halappanavar's family said she asked several times for her pregnancy to be terminated because she had severe back pain and was miscarrying.

Her family claimed it was refused because there was a foetal heartbeat. She died on 28 October.

An autopsy carried out two days later found she had died from septicaemia.

Ms Halappanavar, who was 31, was a dentist.

Her husband, Praveen, told the Irish Times that medical staff said his wife could not have an abortion because Ireland was a Catholic country and the foetus was still alive."

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Monday, November 12, 2012

BBC News - The Philippines: The world's budget English teacher

BBC News - The Philippines: The world's budget English teacher: "The Philippines is fast becoming the world's low-cost English language teacher - with rapid increases in overseas students coming to learn English or study in English-speaking universities.

There might be other countries that people think about as a classic place to learn English, such as the UK, the US or Australia.

But there is one key reason that they are switching to the Philippines. It's much cheaper. And in the competitive market for language students, it means the Philippines is attracting people from countries such as Iran, Libya, Brazil and Russia.

"We have very competitive rates compared with other countries," says English teacher, Jesy King, citing her school's fees of $500 (£313) for a 60-hour class - about a third of the price of an equivalent course in the US or Canada.

Another major advantage is the accent.

Filipinos speak with a clear American accent - partly because the Philippines was a US colony for five decades, and partly because so many people here have spent time working in call centres that cater to a US market."

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humanæ

humanæ:
Brazilian artist Angelica Dass created the visually stunning project Humanæ, where she matches skin tone to a PANTONE® color. The ongoing portraiture project takes a sample of 11×11 pixels of the model’s face and then matches it to the exact PANTONE® tone. The background is then dyed to the exact tone. You could say the result is a color “HUE”MAN (ha!)?

Read more at Design Milk: http://design-milk.com/humanae-pantone%c2%ae-human-swatches/#ixzz2Bz0XCd5l

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2012 state vote totals: cartogram map shows votes cast by state. - Slate Magazine

2012 state vote totals: cartogram map shows votes cast by state. - Slate Magazine: "Tuesday delivered President Barack Obama to the White House for a second term, but fewer voters turned out in this presidential election than the last. While 131 million people voted in 2008, about 120 million (and counting) voted in this election, according to preliminary data. The map above shows how the 2012 electoral map would look if states were sized according to the number of votes cast in them.
Mouse over each state to see its turnout rate. The country as a whole saw a 58-percent turnout rate, down 4 percent from the last presidential election, according to the Associated Press. Click and drag the map to see Hawaii and Alaska."



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Friday, November 9, 2012

BBC News - Banana war ends after 20 years

BBC News - Banana war ends after 20 years: "An international trade dispute over bananas dating back two decades has finally been settled.

The European Union and ten Latin American countries signed an agreement to formally end eight separate World Trade Organisation (WTO) cases.

The head of the WTO Pascal Lamy called it a truly historic moment.

The formal agreement followed the EU agreeing in December 2009 to gradually reduce the tariffs on Latin American bananas."

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BBC News - Can the 'American Dream' be reversed in India?

BBC News - Can the 'American Dream' be reversed in India?: "America's Silicon Valley has always been a hub for some of the brightest and best Indian immigrants to start businesses. Now, in a reversal, more people from the US are moving to the sub-continent with their ideas.

Valerie Wagoner is a smart and articulate woman. Educated at Stanford University, and a former employee at the online auction site Ebay, her credentials could get her work anywhere in the world.

She chose India."

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Thursday, November 8, 2012

Former UN official says climate report will shock nations into action

Former UN official says climate report will shock nations into action: "THE next United Nations climate report will ''scare the wits out of everyone'' and should provide the impetus needed for the world to finally sign an agreement to tackle global warming, the former head of the UN negotiations said.

Yvo de Boer, the UN climate chief during the 2009 Copenhagen climate change talks, said his conversations with scientists working on the next report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggested the findings would be shocking.

"That report is going to scare the wits out of everyone,'' Mr de Boer said in the only scheduled interview of his visit to Australia. "I'm confident those scientific findings will create new political momentum.''

The IPCC's fifth assessment report is due to be published in late 2013 and early 2014."

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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Mali seed entrepreneur discovers taste for food security – in pictures | Global development | guardian.co.uk

Mali seed entrepreneur discovers taste for food security – in pictures | Global development | guardian.co.uk: "Mali seed entrepreneur discovers taste for food security – in pictures
Mali's first woman seed entrepreneur MaĂ¯mouna Coulibaly has launched an agribusiness which brings tasty and nutritious seed varieties on to the market. 'When the seeds are good, so are the yields. But people need to like the taste to buy it at the market. When we do food tastings we find out what works,' she says"

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Millet for our bread in 2050? - AlertNet

Millet for our bread in 2050? - AlertNet: "A new study by the CGIAR Consortium’s Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) estimates that the global production of wheat, rice and maize could decrease by 13 to 20 percent in the coming decades because of climate change.

Potato, a plant not really adapted to warm temperatures and the world’s fourth largest food crop, will also decline. This predicted production loss, due to warmer temperatures and a dryer climate, will be particularly harsh for smallholder agriculture in the South.

Global agricultural production will have to battle against this loss, even as production needs to rise by an estimated 70 percent to feed the 9 billion people by 2050. To do that, CGIAR scientists suggest that farmers may have to cultivate crops that are more drought and heat tolerant, like millet, sorghum, barley, cassava, cowpea, chickpea and pigeon pea."

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Gcard conferences presentations

Gcard conferences presentations:


Agricultural research for development - what are the next steps? | CGIAR Climate

Agricultural research for development - what are the next steps? | CGIAR Climate: "“We want GCARD to become a real process, not just an event,” said Monty Jones of FARA-Ghana, in his role as chair of the Outcomes Session on the final day of the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD2).

That means holding the participants and organizers - especially Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) and the CGIAR - of the conference accountable for the actions they propose to pursue between now and GCARD 2014. For posterity, then, a summary of the most important outcomes of the GCARD parallel sessions:"

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FAO Media Centre: Women are main guardians of crucial livestock diversity

FAO Media Centre: Women are main guardians of crucial livestock diversity: "Women livestock keepers worldwide must be recognized as the major actors in efforts to arrest the decline of indigenous breeds, crucial for rural food security and animal genetics, a new FAO study argues.

Yet women's contribution to indigenous livestock breeding and conservation is poorly documented and undervalued, the study Invisible Guardians: Women manage livestock diversity says.

Of the 600 million poor livestock keepers in the world, around two-thirds are women, whose men often have migrated to the cities. Women stay at home with the children and live by cultivating crops and keeping indigenous smallstock such as chickens or goats, and perhaps a cow."

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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Eliodomestico Solar Water Distiller | Best Inventions of the Year 2012 | TIME.com

Eliodomestico Solar Water Distiller | Best Inventions of the Year 2012 | TIME.com: "Freelance designer Gabriele Diamanti created this solar-powered distiller for use in coastal areas in the third world that are deprived of freshwater. It is half as expensive and 67% more efficient than existing models, and his hope is that local manufacturers will adopt the open-source design and mass-produce it for local populations."

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Best Inventions of the Year 2012 | The Civilization Starter Kit | TIME.com

Best Inventions of the Year 2012 | The Civilization Starter Kit | TIME.com: "Marcin Jakubowski built a tractor in six days. Then he told the world how to do it: he made the designs, the budget and an instructional video available free online. A farmer and technologist and the founder of Open Source Ecology, Jakubowski has identified the 50 most important machines required for modern life—from the soil pulverizer to the oven—and is working to make a prototype of a low-cost DIY version of each so that anyone anywhere can build them. “If we can lower the barriers to farming, building and manufacturing,” he says, “then we can unleash massive amounts of human potential.”"

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Pigovian_tax | Learn everything there is to know about Pigovian_tax at Reference.com

Pigovian_tax | Learn everything there is to know about Pigovian_tax at Reference.com: "Pigovian tax
A Pigovian tax  (also spelled Pigouvian tax ) is a tax levied to correct the negative externalities of a market activity.
Pigovian taxes are named after economist Arthur Pigou ( 1877- 1959), who also developed the concept of economic externalities. William Baumol was instrumental in framing Pigou's work in modern economics."

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Climate Change - Building a Green Economy - NYTimes.com

Climate Change - Building a Green Economy - NYTimes.com: "In fact, once you filter out the noise generated by special-interest groups, you discover that there is widespread agreement among environmental economists that a market-based program to deal with the threat of climate change — one that limits carbon emissions by putting a price on them — can achieve large results at modest, though not trivial, cost. There is, however, much less agreement on how fast we should move, whether major conservation efforts should start almost immediately or be gradually increased over the course of many decades."

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Which Costs More: Preventing Climate Change or Dealing With Its Effects? LearnVest

Which Costs More: Preventing Climate Change or Dealing With Its Effects? LearnVest: "Sandy is the only latest reminder of the dangers of climate change, with wildfires, drought and polar ice loss at record highs in recent years. Even the number of record-high temperatures is at a record high, with this year producing about seven record highs for every record low, whereas through most of the 20th century, the number of record highs and record lows were about even.

With the election coming up next week, but both presidential candidates mum on the subject of climate change, we want to ask: What is more expensive–trying to prevent climate change or living with its consequences?"

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Monday, October 29, 2012

Why I Am Pro-Life - NYTimes.com

Why I Am Pro-Life - NYTimes.com: "In my world, you don’t get to call yourself “pro-life” and be against common-sense gun control — like banning public access to the kind of semiautomatic assault rifle, designed for warfare, that was used recently in a Colorado theater. You don’t get to call yourself “pro-life” and want to shut down the Environmental Protection Agency, which ensures clean air and clean water, prevents childhood asthma, preserves biodiversity and combats climate change that could disrupt every life on the planet. You don’t get to call yourself “pro-life” and oppose programs like Head Start that provide basic education, health and nutrition for the most disadvantaged children. You can call yourself a “pro-conception-to-birth, indifferent-to-life conservative.” I will never refer to someone who pickets Planned Parenthood but lobbies against common-sense gun laws as “pro-life.”"

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Thursday, October 25, 2012

Why Mourdock’s rape talk is no surprise - Salon.com

Why Mourdock’s rape talk is no surprise - Salon.com: "“In effect, what he has promised in this campaign is reflexive votes for a rejectionist orthodoxy and rigid opposition to the actions and proposals of the other party.” John Danforth, a longtime former GOP senator from Missouri who also served as George W. Bush’s ambassador to the UN, told the New York Times in 2010: “If Dick Lugar, having served five terms in the U.S. Senate and being the most respected person in the Senate and the leading authority on foreign policy, is seriously challenged by anybody in the Republican Party, we have gone so far overboard that we are beyond redemption.”"

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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Is Julia Tymoshenko Europe’s Aung San Suu Kyi? - The Daily Beast

Is Julia Tymoshenko Europe’s Aung San Suu Kyi? - The Daily Beast: "It’s election time in Ukraine, but the heroine of its 2004 “Orange Revolution” is not standing. Julia Tymoshenko languishes in a prison hospital, her privacy grotesquely invaded (almost every move she makes is videotaped). She has been jailed for seven years on a trumped-up charge by the Stalinists whose rigged election her revolution overthrew, whilst Europe (for all its claims to protect human rights) still pretends that Ukraine is a democracy. At the United Nations tomorrow, when Ukraine’s human-rights record is reviewed, the U.S., Canada, and Australia will have the opportunity to condemn this hypocrisy: Julia Tymoshenko is Europe’s Aung San Suu Kyi."

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Monday, October 22, 2012

BBC News - Al Roth: An economist who saves lives

BBC News - Al Roth: An economist who saves lives: "What sounds a little like a slightly out-of-control economists' party, with a bit of the swinging 60s about it, has turned out to be astonishingly useful. This idea of a "matching algorithm" is the mathematical underpinning of Al Roth's later, life-saving work.

"I started to think about how it might be applied to actual marketplaces," he says. Among his ideas was the thought that perhaps he could create an exchange for one unusual but important product - human kidneys."

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Saturday, October 13, 2012

BBC News - UN adopts resolution on northern Mali

BBC News - UN adopts resolution on northern Mali: "The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution paving the way for military intervention in Mali to retake the north from Islamist extremists.

The resolution requests a detailed plan for such an operation from African organisations within 45 days.

The UN has so far refused to endorse requests for military intervention without details of a plan.

Islamist groups and Tuareg rebels took control of the north after Mali's president was overthrown in March.

Both Mali's government and the West African regional body Ecowas have made requests for authorisation for an international force to intervene, with Ecowas proposing a force of 3,000."

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Friday, October 12, 2012

The Trouble With The New "Share Economy"

The Trouble With The New "Share Economy": "Disruption. It's really in the eye of the beholder, isn't it? Take a few high-profile startups that are part of the much-touted "share economy" — ride-sharing services Lyft and Uber. It turns out that where you stand on ride-sharing quickly becomes about larger values, like the role of government in regulating commerce. Start-ups, lean and often libertarian, lionize those who "think different." But governments have to be responsible to everyone, not just investors or shareholders."

'via Blog this'

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

How to Die - NYTimes.com

How to Die - NYTimes.com: "No doubt, we have a crying need to contain health care costs. We pay more than many other developed countries for comparable or inferior health care, and the total bill consumes a growing share of our national wealth. The Affordable Care Act — Obamacare — makes a start by establishing a board to identify savings in Medicare, by emphasizing preventive care, and by financing pilot programs to pay doctors for achieving outcomes rather than performing procedures. But it is barely a start. Common sense suggests that if officials were not afraid of being “death-paneled,” we could save some money by withholding care when, rather than saving a life, it serves only to prolong misery for a little while."

'via Blog this'

Age-Old Fixes for India’s Water - NYTimes.com

Age-Old Fixes for India’s Water - NYTimes.com: "INDIA’S monsoon rains are retreating this week, a delayed end to a yearly wet season that has become ever more unpredictable as a result of global warming. Of all the challenges that face India, few are more pressing than how it manages water. In vast cities like New Delhi, where showers and flush toilets have become necessities for a rapidly expanding middle class, groundwater has been depleted. New Delhi once had many ponds and an open floodplain to absorb the monsoon and replenish aquifers; now the sprawling city has more concrete and asphalt than it has ponds and fields to absorb water."

'via Blog this'

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

BBC News - The drive to make giving more effective

BBC News - The drive to make giving more effective: "It is no wonder then that philanthropists are becoming more and more concerned that the money they are donating is being used effectively.

"I don't see it as giving it away. I see it as investing it for the common good," says British philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter.

"It's not just 'here's some money' - we really do see it as an investment. We're looking for a return - it's different to investing for profit, but we still want to measure things in charitable investments."

According to the Charities Aid Foundation, who surveyed those who made the 2012 Sunday Times Rich List - a list of the 1,000 wealthiest people and families in the UK - 88% say they will only invest in charities who demonstrate their impact clearly.

And 81% think that giving strategically is important."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - Climate change 'may shrink fish'

BBC News - Climate change 'may shrink fish': "Fish species are expected to shrink in size by up to 24% because of global warming, say scientists.

Researchers modelled the impact of rising temperatures on more than 600 species between 2001 and 2050.

Warmer waters could decrease ocean oxygen levels and significantly reduce fish body weight."

'via Blog this'

Saturday, September 29, 2012

BBC News - Tehrangeles: How Iranians made part of LA their own

BBC News - Tehrangeles: How Iranians made part of LA their own: ""We're on the map, I mean why shouldn't we be on the map?" says a girl at a hip Los Angeles cafe where young Iranians hang out.

"There's Koreatown, and Chinatown. Why shouldn't we have an area?"

Now they do.

Estimates show anywhere from 300,000 to over half a million Iranians in Southern California, with many living in Tehrangeles.

"Do not engage in any Iranian gossiping if you're not prepared to defend it," says Mahdis Keshavarz, who runs an LA PR agency. "Because everyone here speaks Farsi.""

'via Blog this'

BBC News - In pictures: Indian dream

BBC News - In pictures: Indian dream: "For most people, the "Indian dream" is about economic opportunity. India, unlike many Western nations, is showing significant growth (albeit at a slower pace now than at the start of the decade). Large expat communities now exist in every major city.

There are also many who already have attachments to India, for whom the transition and culture shock from New York or London or Sydney is, in theory, much easier. Indians who have successfully studied and worked abroad are returning home, and the large diaspora of people of Indian origin is also exploring the possibilities on offer.

But it is sometimes far from a dream. India can provide a challenging environment, and for some, the realities of life bear little resemblance to their original expectations."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, September 27, 2012

BBC News - Silicon Valley's hottest start-ups vie for attention

BBC News - Silicon Valley's hottest start-ups vie for attention: ""The future of transportation" is how Danny Kim and his engineering team at Lit Motors describe their first-of-its-kind vehicle.

Designed to withstand the brute force of an impact with an SUV (sport utility vehicle), the C-1 is the world's first two-wheeler stabilised by electronically-controlled gyroscopes that create over 1,000 pounds of torque.

That, combined with a set of flywheels, help keep the vehicle upright in challenging conditions including rain, snow, traffic and collisions."

'via Blog this'

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

America's Richest Cities: San Jose Tops List With Highest Median Household Income (PHOTOS)

America's Richest Cities: San Jose Tops List With Highest Median Household Income (PHOTOS): "Two other California cities, San Francisco and San Diego, also came in the top five for median household income--both of which have been buoyed by surging technology scenes. Of the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the country Detroit, Philadelphia, Memphis, Baltimore and Indianapolis had the lowest household incomes.

Despite the health of these coastal urban centers, California as a whole went backwards in 2011. Poverty increased by nearly a full percentage point as over 330,000 California resident slipped below the poverty line. The statewide median household income dropped four percent to $59,540.

Unsurprisingly, income inequality is high in California, as much of the state, particularly in the Central Valley region that was battered by collapse of the housing bubble and still struggles with both household poverty and increasingly dire city government shortfalls."

'via Blog this'

Monday, September 24, 2012

BBC News - Social entrepreneurship takes off in China

BBC News - Social entrepreneurship takes off in China: ""We actually started out as a non-profit and in the process of working on community projects we realised that in order to reach all the people who have this need we would have to scale in a big way," she says.


One Earth will sell solar cookers to the government, which will then subsidise them for rural villagers
"And the only way to do that sustainably is by generating sustainable profits."

In China, Ms Powers estimates that about 700 million people use solid fuels that cause pollution and pollution-related deaths.

A similar number exists in India, while about 300 million burn such fuels in South East Asia.

In rural areas where villagers cannot afford the $100 to $200 price tag for each of the cookers, One Earth plans to sell directly to the Chinese government, which will then resell them at a heavily subsidised price.

The company, which will begin to sell the cookers this year, expects to break even next year. By 2016, sales are projected to top $45m."

'via Blog this'

Saturday, September 22, 2012

BBC News - Ivory Coast closes Ghana border after deadly attack

BBC News - Ivory Coast closes Ghana border after deadly attack: "Ivory Coast has closed its border with Ghana after several people were killed in an attack on an army checkpoint.

Ivorian Defence Minister Paul Koffi Koffi said "armed elements from Ghana" carried out the attack in the border town of Noe.

At least five attackers died and others fled back over the border, he added."

'via Blog this'

Sunday, September 9, 2012

BBC News - Does Africa really benefit from foreign investment?

BBC News - Does Africa really benefit from foreign investment?: "African economies have grown robustly over the past decade, but that has not solved the continent's economic problems.

According to Mthuli Ncube, chief economist of the African Development Bank (ADB), this is because Africa has weak manufacturing and agro-processing sectors.

He further maintains that at least 70% of growth over the past decade has been driven by natural resources.

"Exploiting natural resources is capital intensive and does not create many jobs directly," he says.

He says that for more people to benefit and to create more jobs, there has to be value-added processing of those resources.

"But more importantly, the answer lies in creating what is known as sovereign wealth funds," he says."

'via Blog this'

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

BBC News - Senegal floods uncover ancient artefacts in Dakar

BBC News - Senegal floods uncover ancient artefacts in Dakar: "Pieces of jewellery, pottery and iron tools dating back thousands of years have been discovered in Senegal's capital, Dakar, following recent floods, researchers say.

The discovery was made at a construction site, local academic Alioune Deme told the BBC.

A colleague, Moustapha Sall, stumbled across the items after the rains washed away sand, he said.

The objects could date back between 2,000 and 7,000 BC, Mr Deme said."

'via Blog this'

Monday, September 3, 2012

BBC News - Egypt's sexual harassment of women 'epidemic'

BBC News - Egypt's sexual harassment of women 'epidemic': "Campaigners in Egypt say the problem of sexual harassment is reaching epidemic proportions, with a rise in such incidents over the past three months. For many Egyptian women, sexual harassment - which sometimes turns into violent mob-style attacks - is a daily fact of life, reports the BBC's Bethany Bell in Cairo."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, August 30, 2012

BBC News - Abolish Senegal Senate to fund flood relief, says Sall

BBC News - Abolish Senegal Senate to fund flood relief, says Sall: "Senegal's President Macky Sall has called for the country's Senate to be abolished, with the money saved going to pay for flood relief.

He had cut short a visit to South Africa to deal with the severe floods, which have claimed at least 13 lives.

Speaking at Dakar's airport, he said he would introduce an emergency bill to abolish the upper house."

'via Blog this'

Saturday, August 11, 2012

BBC - Future - Technology - Reinventing technology in Africa for Africans

BBC - Future - Technology - Reinventing technology in Africa for Africans: "Over the coming months, A Matter of Life and Tech will feature a range of voices from people building Africa’s tech future. The first is Senegal-born, serial entrepreneur Marieme Jamme, who argues the continent needs to make urgent changes to put itself on the right course."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - US biofuel production should be suspended, UN says

BBC News - US biofuel production should be suspended, UN says: "The United Nations (UN) food agency has called on the United States to suspend its production of biofuel ethanol.

Under US law, 40% of the corn harvest must be used to make biofuel, a quota which the UN says could contribute to a food crisis around the world.

A drought and heatwave across the US has destroyed much of the country's corn crop, driving up prices.

The US argues that producing much of its own fuel, rather than importing it, is good for the country."

'via Blog this'

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Michael Moore: It's the Guns - But We All Know, It's Not Really the Guns

Michael Moore: It's the Guns - But We All Know, It's Not Really the Guns: "There have always been insane people, and there always will be.

But here's the difference between the rest of the world and us: We have two Auroras that take place every single day of every single year! At least 24 Americans every day (8-9,000 a year) are killed by people with guns – and that doesn't count the ones accidentally killed by guns or who commit suicide with a gun. Count them and you can triple that number to over 25,000.

That means the United States is responsible for over 80 percent of all the gun deaths in the 23 richest countries combined."

'via Blog this'

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

And Now, A Shitty Story About Prison Diarrhea

And Now, A Shitty Story About Prison Diarrhea: "And Now, A Shitty Story About Prison Diarrhea
Megan L. Wood
In 2008 I was living in Paraguay. I had just started my two-year stint as a Peace Corps volunteer and I was in charge of procuring my own work. Arts and crafts projects would have been a simple way to improve the community while I adjusted to an entirely new diet and language. But I had little patience and thought I was a bad ass. I finagled my way into a job teaching at the prison. An obvious note on prisons in Paraguay: they're overcrowded, dirty, and dangerous."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Are Millennials the Screwed Generation? - Newsweek and The Daily Beast

Are Millennials the Screwed Generation? - Newsweek and The Daily Beast: "Today’s youth, both here and abroad, have been screwed by their parents’ fiscal profligacy and economic mismanagement. Neil Howe, a leading generational theorist, cites the “greed, shortsightedness, and blind partisanship” of the boomers, of whom he is one, for having “brought the global economy to its knees.”"

'via Blog this'

The Freedom of the Hijab - NYTimes.com

The Freedom of the Hijab - NYTimes.com: "It’s been over two months since I decided to become a hijabi — one who wears a head scarf and adheres to modest clothing — and before you race to label me the poster girl for oppressed womanhood everywhere, let me tell you as a woman (with a master’s degree in human rights, and a graduate degree in psychology) why I see this as the most liberating experience ever."

'via Blog this'

Saturday, June 30, 2012

BBC News - Q&A: Senegal legislative elections

BBC News - Q&A: Senegal legislative elections: "The West African state of Senegal will hold legislative elections on 1 July to vote for members of the National Assembly, four months after a new president was elected to end 12 years under Abdoulaye Wade.

The elections were originally set for 17 June but President Macky Sall pushed them to 1 July saying more time was needed to file the electoral lists."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, June 7, 2012

BBC News - Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker survives recall

BBC News - Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker survives recall: "There should be a good-sized health warning over the result of Wisconsin's bitterly contested recall election. The lopsided campaign spending - 7-to-1 in favour of the Republicans - was peculiar to this race. The passion was peculiar to the politics that Scott Walker introduced in 2010.

But Republicans will be delighted by the result and Democrats will be downcast. Wisconsin has been Democratic territory since Ronald Reagan left office. Now it cannot be taken for granted by the Obama campaign. Momentum is important in politics, and Wisconsin's Republican have the wind in their sails.

And remember what started all of this? Scott Walker trod where few others were prepared to go - attacking public sector unions and forcing public sector employees to yield up what looked to many to be very comfortable healthcare and pension deals."

'via Blog this'

Monday, June 4, 2012

Insight: Malaysia government losing ethnic Chinese support | Reuters

Insight: Malaysia government losing ethnic Chinese support | Reuters: "Ethnic Chinese voters, upset over policies that favor majority Malays, have become increasingly alienated from Malaysia's ruling coalition, raising the risk of racial polarization and a slowdown in the pace of reforms.

Support for Prime Minister Najib Razak among Chinese voters plunged to 37 percent in May from 56 percent in February, a survey by the independent Merdeka Center showed on Friday. It found 56 percent of Chinese were dissatisfied with the government, compared to 30 percent of Indians and 23 percent of Malays."

'via Blog this'

BBC - Future - Technology - Vacuum trains: a high-speed pipe dream?

BBC - Future - Technology - Vacuum trains: a high-speed pipe dream?: "Transatlantic passengers on Concorde often referred to the supersonic plane as their “time machine” for its ability to land in New York two hours before it left London.

But that kind of illusion could look like child’s play if so-called vacuum trains ever take off.

These futuristic transporters, designed to hurtle through tunnels that have had all of the air sucked out of them, could theoretically hit speeds of up to 4,000 km/h (2,500 mph), cutting the commute from Europe to North America to just one hour.  In this high-speed future, passengers would arrive a full four hours before they set off. "

'via Blog this'

Sunday, May 27, 2012

BBC News - Mali Tuareg and Islamist rebels agree on Islamist state

BBC News - Mali Tuareg and Islamist rebels agree on Islamist state: "Two rebel groups that seized northern Mali two months ago have agreed to merge and turn their territory into an Islamist state, both sides say.

The Tuareg MNLA, a secular rebel group, and the Islamist group Ansar Dine signed the deal in the town of Gao, spokespeople said.

Ansar Dine, which has ties to al-Qaeda, has already begun to impose Sharia law in some towns.

The groups took advantage of a coup in March to seize the territory.

Correspondents say the deal is yet another worrying development for Mali and may complicate efforts to stabilise the country."

'via Blog this'

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

African child mortality: The best story in development | The Economist

African child mortality: The best story in development | The Economist: "The broad moral of the story is different: aid does not seem to have been the decisive factor in cutting child mortality. No single thing was. But better policies, better government, new technology and other benefits are starting to bear fruit. “This will be startling news for anyone who still thinks Africa is mired in unending poverty and death,” says Mr Clemens. But “that Africa is slipping quickly away.”"

'via Blog this'

Monday, May 21, 2012

BBC News - Sierra Leone 'blood diamonds' not forever

BBC News - Sierra Leone 'blood diamonds' not forever: "The west African state of Sierra Leone has taken another symbolic step away from its wartime image as the home of the "blood diamond". An Israeli-owned company has started operating a big new stone-crushing plant at a modern diamond mine in the east of the country.

It is the area where the rebel war in Sierra Leone began in 1991 and - not coincidentally - the place where most of the country's diamonds are found."

'via Blog this'

Friday, May 18, 2012

Kristen Howerton: The Only Mommy War Worth Waging

Kristen Howerton: The Only Mommy War Worth Waging: "This is the war I'll be involved in: We, as a society, are not doing enough to protect at-risk and motherless children, both in our country and globally.

(Because apparently we're too busy worrying about that kid whose mom gave him formula.)

The kind of war I'll get behind will advocate for kids with bigger issues than a mom who goes to work. Or doesn't."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Barbara Ehrenreich: Preying on the Poor

Barbara Ehrenreich: Preying on the Poor: "The predatory activities of local governments give new meaning to that tired phrase “the cycle of poverty.” Poor people are more far more likely than the affluent to get into trouble with the law, either by failing to pay parking fines or by incurring the wrath of a private-sector creditor like a landlord or a hospital.

Once you have been deemed a criminal, you can pretty much kiss your remaining assets goodbye. Not only will you face the aforementioned court costs, but you’ll have a hard time ever finding a job again once you’ve acquired a criminal record. And then of course, the poorer you become, the more likely you are to get in fresh trouble with the law, making this less like a “cycle” and more like the waterslide to hell.  The further you descend, the faster you fall -- until you eventually end up on the streets and get busted for an offense like urinating in public or sleeping on a sidewalk."

'via Blog this'

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Could an IUD be the best emergency contraceptive around?

Could an IUD be the best emergency contraceptive around?: "The use of intra-uterine devices (IUDs) never took off in the USA as contraceptives, the way they did in the rest of the world. But a new study might change that.

Researchers tracked 35 years' worth of data and found that the copper-T is not only an effective long-term birth control tool, but arguably the most effective emergency contraceptive there is."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Poverty’s Poster Child - NYTimes.com

Poverty’s Poster Child - NYTimes.com: "This sprawling Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is a Connecticut-sized zone of prairie and poverty, where the have-nots are defined less by the money they lack than by suffocating hopelessness.

In the national number line of inequality, people here represent the “other 1 percent,” the bottom of the national heap.

Pine Ridge is a poster child of American poverty and of the failures of the reservation system for American Indians in the West. The latest Census Bureau data show that Shannon County here had the lowest per capita income in the entire United States in 2010. Not far behind in that Census Bureau list of poorest counties are several found largely inside other Sioux reservations in South Dakota: Rosebud, Cheyenne River and Crow Creek."

'via Blog this'

Monday, May 7, 2012

Wasting Our Minds - NYTimes.com

Wasting Our Minds - NYTimes.com: "We’ve been hearing a lot about the war on women, which is real enough. But there’s also a war on the young, which is just as real even if it’s better disguised. And it’s doing immense harm, not just to the young, but to the nation’s future.

Let’s start with some advice Mitt Romney gave to college students during an appearance last week. After denouncing President Obama’s “divisiveness,” the candidate told his audience, “Take a shot, go for it, take a risk, get the education, borrow money if you have to from your parents, start a business.”"

'via Blog this'

Sunday, May 6, 2012

AFP: Death toll in Nepal flash flood rises to 14

AFP: Death toll in Nepal flash flood rises to 14: "Death toll in Nepal flash flood rises to 14
By Phanindra Dahal (AFP) – 2 hours ago 
KATHMANDU — Rescuers scoured Nepal's central Annapurna region on Sunday for survivors of flash flooding that sent a wall of water smashing through riverside communities as the death toll rose to 14.
The Seti burst its banks near the city of Pokhara, a popular tourist hub, on Saturday, sweeping away an entire village, and swamping families enjoying picnics on the river banks."

'via Blog this'

Saturday, May 5, 2012

BBC News - Africa's share of foreign direct investment largest ever

BBC News - Africa's share of foreign direct investment largest ever: "Africa received its largest ever share of global foreign direct investment (FDI) last year, an Ernst and Young survey has said.

FDI projects grew by 27% in 2011, pushing Africa's share of the world's investment to almost a quarter.

FDI inflows, now about $80bn (£50bn), should reach $150bn by 2015, according to the global consultants.

But potential investors still see Africa as "the least attractive" destination, the report finds."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - French economy: Nantes highlights clouds on horizon

BBC News - French economy: Nantes highlights clouds on horizon: "It is a chilly spring evening in Nantes, western France. Despite the cold, the town is busy. The elegant restaurants and fashionable bars around the opera house are not short of customers.

It is hard to see much evidence here of the downturn in Europe's fortunes.

As the main city in the Pays de la Loire, Nantes has remained prosperous through the slowdown. More than a quarter of its workforce is employed by the public sector and cutbacks have, so far, been modest."

'via Blog this'

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Made In The USA: An Export Boom : NPR

Made In The USA: An Export Boom : NPR: "In his State of the Union address two years ago, President Obama argued there were a few things the U.S. needed to do in order to recover from the economic recession. One of them was to export more of our goods around the world.

"The more products we make and sell to other countries, the more jobs we support right here in America," Obama said.

That night, the president unveiled a new goal: to double U.S. exports over the next five years. It would be an increase that the president said would "support two million jobs in America."

Most economists dismissed the pledge at the time as somewhat quixotic, but two years later, the U.S. is on pace to meet that goal. American exports are up 34 percent since the president gave that speech, and the number continues to rise."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, April 19, 2012

BBC News - Nante's theme park economics at Machines de L'Ile

BBC News - Nante's theme park economics at Machines de L'Ile: "This summer, Machines de L'Ile unveils its latest creation. The Carousel of Marine World is 25m tall and will have three levels of elaborate mechanical sea life, including a giant squid, flying fish and manta ray. It promises to be quite a sight.

Once again the regional government, the city and the European Union are helping to fund the park.

But Machines de L'Ile creator Pierre Orefice is not complacent about the future. He describes the business environment as "fragile" and feels the pressure of having to create new attractions ever year.

His theme park is part of a much larger regeneration of Nantes. Covering 337 hectares, it is one of the largest urban projects in Europe."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - Nante's theme park economics at Machines de L'Ile

BBC News - Nante's theme park economics at Machines de L'Ile: "This summer, Machines de L'Ile unveils its latest creation. The Carousel of Marine World is 25m tall and will have three levels of elaborate mechanical sea life, including a giant squid, flying fish and manta ray. It promises to be quite a sight.

Once again the regional government, the city and the European Union are helping to fund the park.

But Machines de L'Ile creator Pierre Orefice is not complacent about the future. He describes the business environment as "fragile" and feels the pressure of having to create new attractions ever year.

His theme park is part of a much larger regeneration of Nantes. Covering 337 hectares, it is one of the largest urban projects in Europe."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - Sudan president seeks to 'liberate' South Sudan

BBC News - Sudan president seeks to 'liberate' South Sudan: "Sudan President Omar al-Bashir has said his main goal is now to "liberate" the people of South Sudan from its rulers following recent border clashes.

The former rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) has ruled South Sudan since it seceded from Sudan in July 2011.

President Bashir described the SPLM as "insects" that needed to be eliminated."

'via Blog this'

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

America's deadly devotion to guns | World news | The Guardian

America's deadly devotion to guns | World news | The Guardian:

It is also an important component of something else that is central to American society: capitalism. Guns make money. A lot of it. Since 1990 the sale of legal guns alone has come to, on average, about $3.5bn every year. And it is recession-proof, rising and falling less with the economic tide than the electoral one. When Democrats are elected the sales go up. And when a black Democrat is elected, they skyrocket. The week Barack Obama was elected gun sales leapt 50% against the previous year. And they have continued to rise sharply.

'via Blog this'

Sunday, April 15, 2012

BBC News - Stand Your Ground: Four case studies

BBC News - Stand Your Ground: Four case studies: "The death of Trayvon Martin has thrown a spotlight on Florida's controversial Stand Your Ground law, which grants individuals wide latitude to use deadly force if they feel seriously in danger.

The provision is backed by America's powerful gun lobby, but critics say it creates a Wild West legal environment in which people can kill one another without fear of prosecution.

With George Zimmerman facing a second-degree murder charge over the 17-year-old's fatal shooting, what are the chances of a conviction?

Here are four previous cases in Florida where killers were freed after citing Stand Your Ground:"

'via Blog this'

Friday, April 13, 2012

BBC News - Connecticut votes to abolish the death penalty

BBC News - Connecticut votes to abolish the death penalty: "Legislators in the US state of Connecticut have voted to repeal the death penalty for all future cases, after a 10-hour floor debate.

Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy says he will sign the bill, making his state the 17th to end capital punishment.

As expected, state lawmakers voted 86 to 62 for the bill on Wednesday."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - 'Gunfire heard' in Guinea-Bissau capital

BBC News - 'Gunfire heard' in Guinea-Bissau capital: "Soldiers have taken over parts of the capital of the West African state of Guinea-Bissau, reports say.

Heavy gunfire has been heard and soldiers are in control of main roads in the city, Bissau, according to eyewitnesses.

There are also reports of fighting near the residence of outgoing Prime Minister Carlos Gomes.

Mr Gomes came first in an inconclusive presidential election last month, but failed to win outright."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, April 12, 2012

BBC News - Congo's 'Terminator': Kabila calls for Ntaganda arrest

BBC News - Congo's 'Terminator': Kabila calls for Ntaganda arrest: "President Joseph Kabila has said ex-rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes, must be arrested.

But Gen Ntaganda must be tried in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the president says.

Mr Kabila had previously refused to call for the arrest of the man known locally as "The Terminator".

The ICC indicted him five years ago, for allegedly recruiting child soldiers during DR Congo's bloody five-year war."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - New Mali leader Dioncounda Traore warns rebels of war

BBC News - New Mali leader Dioncounda Traore warns rebels of war: "Mali's new leader, Dioncounda Traore, has threatened a "total war" against separatist rebels in the north.

Mr Traore's inauguration marks a return to civilian rule following last month's coup in the West African state.

Mr Traore now has 40 days to organise elections - though correspondents say this deadline is unlikely to be met because of the situation in the north.

Since the coup, Tuareg and Islamist militants have taken control of much of the northern desert region."

'via Blog this'

America's forgotten POW: Bowe Bergdahl - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com

America's forgotten POW: Bowe Bergdahl - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com: "For nearly three years Bergdahl, a 26-year old from Sun Valley, Idaho has been held captive by the Afghan Taliban. Captured in an attack on his unit in Paktia province in Eastern Afghanistan, the only glimpses his family and the outside world have seen of him over the past several years have come through intermittent video transmissions  released by his captors to confirm his continued detention. In the first of these videos released in 2009, Bergdahl can be seen visibly choking back tears as he describes his life in detention, “Well, I’m scared,” he says. “It’s very unnerving to be a prisoner.” From what little intelligence that has come out about his life in captivity since, it is known that as recently as 2011 he made an escape attempt from his captors only to be recaptured and confined permanently in shackles to prevent any further attempts."

'via Blog this'

Zimmerman Arrested On Murder Charge In Trayvon Martin Case : The Two-Way : NPR

Zimmerman Arrested On Murder Charge In Trayvon Martin Case : The Two-Way : NPR: "George Zimmerman, who says he killed unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin in self defense, has been arrested and will face a charge of second-degree murder, says State Attorney Angela Corey, the special prosecutor investigating Martin's death.

Corey said that Zimmerman turned himself in to the authorities Wednesday.

The arrest and charges come more than six weeks after Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, shot Martin, an African-American who was 17 when he died. Zimmerman, 28, was not jailed or charged after the Feb. 26 shooting. Since then, the case has become a cause of both outrage and contention."

'via Blog this'

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

BBC News - Malaysia moves to end detentions without trial

BBC News - Malaysia moves to end detentions without trial: "Malaysia has announced a new security law that will end the government's power to detain people indefinitely without trial.

The new bill, expected to be passed by parliament, limits the detention period to 28 days and offers more legal protection to those accused.

Prime Minister Najib Razak described it as a historic day for Malaysia.

But opposition groups say the new law is draconian and that the 28-day time limit is still unacceptable."

'via Blog this'

Conservative Politics, 'Low-Effort' Thinking Linked In New Study

Conservative Politics, 'Low-Effort' Thinking Linked In New Study: "And now there's the new study linking conservative ideologies to "low-effort" thinking .

"People endorse conservative ideology  more when they have to give a first or fast response," the study's lead author, University of Arkansas psychologist Dr. Scott Eidelman, said in a written statement released by the university.

Does the finding suggest that conservatives are lazy thinkers?

"Not quite," Dr. Eidelman told The Huffington Post in an email. "Our research shows that low-effort thought promotes political conservatism, not that political conservatives use low-effort thinking.""

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4 Politically Controversial Issues Where All Economists Agree - Megan McArdle - Business - The Atlantic

4 Politically Controversial Issues Where All Economists Agree - Megan McArdle - Business - The Atlantic: "In reality economists agree about a lot of things, and in many cases they do so with a high degree of certainty.

This fact is on display frequently at the IGM Economic Experts  Panel from the University of Chicago. This is a panel of 41 of the worlds top economists who are offered statements about economic policy to which they can indicate whether they agree, disagree, or are uncertain. In addition they rate the certainty of their answer on a scale of 1 to 10, which allows the answers to be weighted. Over the past few months there have been several issues where this ideologically diverse group of economists have shown resounding unanimity. Some of these may surprise people, as it's fairly obvious that public opinion would not side with economists with the same amount of unanimity. So here are a few things economists strongly agree on."

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Umoja – Where men now fear to tread in Kenya | Newstime Africa

Umoja – Where men now fear to tread in Kenya | Newstime Africa: "UMOJA, Kenya, Hannah Rubenstein (IPS ) – No man, except for those raised here as children, lives in Umoja village in Kenya; one has not for two decades. It is a village only of and for women, women who have been abused, raped, and forced from their homes. In the culture of northern Kenya’s Samburu district there is a saying: “Men are the head of a body, and women are the neck.” The neck may support the head, but the head is always dominant, towering
above. But in this remote village, located in the grasslands of Samburu district, this mantra does not ring true.
In Umoja, as one female resident says, “We are our own heads.”

Umoja, which means “unity” in Swahili, holds a unique status in the country: it is a village populated
solely by women. For more than two decades, no men have been permitted to reside here. The rule is one of the requirements of a community that has fought against overwhelming odds to
become a place of refuge for women. It is a sanctuary where men – who have been the cause of so
many problems for these women – are simply not welcome."

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Sunday, April 8, 2012

BBC News - Resistance spread 'compromising' fight against malaria

BBC News - Resistance spread 'compromising' fight against malaria: "Scientists have found new evidence that resistance to the front-line treatments for malaria is increasing.

They have confirmed that resistant strains of the malaria parasite on the border between Thailand and Burma, 500 miles (800km) away from previous sites.

Researchers say that the rise of resistance means the effort to eliminate malaria is "seriously compromised"."

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BBC News - Why don't black Americans swim?

BBC News - Why don't black Americans swim?: "Just under 70% of African-American children surveyed said they had no or low ability to swim. Low ability merely meant they were able to splash around in the shallow end. A further 12% said they could swim but had "taught themselves".

The study found 58% of Hispanic children had no or low swimming ability. For white children, the figure was only 42%.

"It is an epidemic that is almost going unnoticed," says Sue Anderson, director of programmes and services at USA Swimming."

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BBC News - Mali coup leaders to stand down as part of Ecowas deal

BBC News - Mali coup leaders to stand down as part of Ecowas deal: "Coup leaders in Mali have agreed to stand down and allow a transition to civilian rule, as part of a deal struck with regional bloc Ecowas.

In return, the bloc will lift trade and economic sanctions and grant amnesty to the ruling junta, mediators said.

The move came after Tuareg rebels in the north declared independence of an area they call Azawad.

The rebels seized the area after a coup two weeks ago plunged the West African nation into political crisis."

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BBC News - Joyce Banda sworn in as new Malawi president

BBC News - Joyce Banda sworn in as new Malawi president: "Malawi's Vice-President Joyce Banda has been sworn in as president following the death of Bingu wa Mutharika.

She becomes southern Africa's first female head of state after taking the oath before parliament in the Malawian capital, Lilongwe.

Ms Banda, who had been vice-president since 2009, was cheered and applauded before, during and after the ceremony.

Mr Mutharika, 78, went into cardiac arrest on Thursday, although his death was not confirmed until Saturday."

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Friday, April 6, 2012

BBC News - World Bank job should go to Okonjo-Iweala, say ex-staff

BBC News - World Bank job should go to Okonjo-Iweala, say ex-staff: "A group of former World Bank officials has written a letter backing Nigeria's Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to be its next president.

Traditionally the post is given to the candidate put forward by the US, which this time is Dr Jim Yong Kim.

But in an open letter, 35 former economists and managers said the Bank should choose the next chief on merit.

Another group of economists this week signed a petition backing Colombia's Jose Antonio Ocampo.

This is the first time the World Bank has had to choose between candidates since its creation more than 60 years ago.

The executive board of the Bank has to choose between Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, a former World Bank managing director, Jose Antonio Ocampo, a former finance minister of Colombia, and Jim Yong Kim, a public health expert and president of Dartmouth College in the US."

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BBC News - Mali Tuareg rebels declare independence in the north

BBC News - Mali Tuareg rebels declare independence in the north: "A rebel group in northern Mali has declared independence for a region it calls Azawad, after seizing control of the area last week.

The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) made the statement on its website, adding that it would respect other states' borders.

The MNLA is one of two rebel groups to have gained ground in the area after Mali's government was ousted in a coup.

The African Union has condemned the declaration as "null and void".

Former colonial power France and the European Union have also said they will not recognise Azawad's independence.

Meanwhile, the UK has closed its embassy in the capital, Bamako, and withdrawn its staff.

The army seized power on 22 March, accusing the elected government of not doing enough to halt the two rebel groups - the MNLA and an Islamist group opposed to independence, which wants to impose Islamic law, or Sharia, across the whole country."

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Average U.S. Farmer's Age Rising, Younger People Needed In Agriculture

Average U.S. Farmer's Age Rising, Younger People Needed In Agriculture: "The country's farmers and ranchers are getting older and there are fewer people standing in line to take their place.

New Mexico has the highest average age of farmers and ranchers of any state at nearly 60 years old, and neighboring Arizona and Texas aren't far behind. Nationally, the latest agricultural census figures show the fastest growing group of farmers and ranchers are those over age 65.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is beginning work on its 2012 census, and Merrigan is afraid the average age will be even higher when the data is compiled.

"If we do not repopulate our working lands, I don't know where to begin to talk about the woes," she told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "There is a challenge here, a challenge that has a corresponding opportunity.""

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