Monday, December 30, 2013

Zappos Does Away With Job Titles, Managers - Retailer turns to 'holacratic' model

Zappos Does Away With Job Titles, Managers - Retailer turns to 'holacratic' model: "Online retailer Zappos is making a dramatic change to its company hierarchy—in fact, it's getting rid of it. CEO Tony Hsieh explained to employees last month that the company was ditching job titles and management positions in favor of a system known as "Holacracy." The term, which comes from the Greek "holon," meaning a whole inside something bigger, is about "self-governing." It works by dividing the company into some 400 circles; inside a circle, a worker can have multiple jobs, Quartz reports."

'via Blog this'

DRC Coup: Armed Group Attacks Targets Across Capital Kinshasa, At Least 40 Dead

DRC Coup: Armed Group Attacks Targets Across Capital Kinshasa, At Least 40 Dead: "Assailants armed with machetes and automatic weapons attacked the state television station, the airport and the main military base in Congo's capital in what appeared to be a coup attempt early Monday, before being repelled by the country's military, officials and witnesses said.

Congo's government spokesman Lambert Mende confirmed the attack, saying around 40 people were killed in the exchange of fire Monday morning, including 16 at the military base, 16 at the airport and eight at the TV station. Another six were captured, he said.

"These are terrorists, you can't call them anything else," Mende said."

'via Blog this'

Saturday, December 21, 2013

When “Life Hacking” Is Really White Privilege — Get Bullish — Medium

When “Life Hacking” Is Really White Privilege — Get Bullish — Medium: "When you are an affluent-seeming white man and you ask for things that don’t belong to you, sometimes you’re not really asking. It’s sort like Bill Clinton asking Monica Lewinsky to have sex with him. There’s a context behind the asking.

When you ask a serviceperson for something that doesn’t belong to you, there is often a subtext of, “If I complain to your manager, you know your manager is going to listen to me. Just look at me, and look at you.”

And sometimes, of course, this is not the case at all, and you’re just being a garden-variety annoying customer. Or a bully.

If you seem to be “getting everything you want,” you should probably examine whether you’re getting it at someone’s expense, or whether you’re just constantly, in small ways, making the world worse."

'via Blog this'

Rep. Peter Welch Offers Plan To End Debt Ceiling Hostage-Taking

Rep. Peter Welch Offers Plan To End Debt Ceiling Hostage-Taking:
WASHINGTON -- Vermont Democratic Rep. Peter Welch is offering a simple way for Congress to avoid damaging standoffs over the nation's debt ceiling: agree to pay the bills before running them up.
Perhaps that seems like an expectation a government would already be meeting, but the way the United States' elected representatives authorize spending now amounts to ordering up a nice meal, then holding a pitched battle over whether or not the check should be paid.
'via Blog this'

Thursday, December 19, 2013

'You Plan On Sending Your Kids To College. It's Now Out Of The Question.'

'You Plan On Sending Your Kids To College. It's Now Out Of The Question.': "When you're fully employed and making a decent salary, you know, you don't have those worries. You enjoy your life. You enjoy your family. When you're underemployed or you're working for a little over minimum wage, you don't have that opportunity to relax."

'via Blog this'

Malala and Nabila: worlds apart - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

Malala and Nabila: worlds apart - Opinion - Al Jazeera English: "It is useful to contrast the American response to Nabila Rehman with that of Malala Yousafzai, a young girl who was nearly assassinated by the Pakistani Taliban. While Malala was feted by Western media figures, politicians and civic leaders for her heroism, Nabila has become simply another one of the millions of nameless, faceless people who have had their lives destroyed over the past decade of American wars. The reason for this glaring discrepancy is obvious. Since Malala was a victim of the Taliban, she, despite her protestations, was seen as a potential tool of political propaganda to be utilised by war advocates. She could be used as the human face of their effort, a symbol of the purported decency of their cause, the type of little girl on behalf of whom the United States and its allies can say they have been unleashing such incredible bloodshed. Tellingly, many of those who took up her name and image as a symbol of the justness of American military action in the Muslim world did not even care enough to listen to her own words or feelings about the subject."

'via Blog this'

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

The Case Against Multivitamins Grows Stronger : Shots - Health News : NPR

The Case Against Multivitamins Grows Stronger : Shots - Health News : NPR: ""I think this is a great example of how our intuition leads us astray," Salzburg told Shots. "It seems reasonable that if a little bit of something is good for you, them more should be better for you. It's not true. Supplementation with extra vitamins or micronutrients doesn't really benefit you if you don't have a deficiency."

Vitamin deficiencies can kill, and that discovery has made for some great medical detective stories. Salzburg points to James Lind, a Scottish physician who proved in 1747 that citrus juice could cure scurvy, which had killed more sailors than all wars combined. It was not until much later that scientists discovered that the magic ingredient was vitamin C."

'via Blog this'

Monday, December 9, 2013

Larry Page Wants Earth To Have A Mad Scientist Island | TechCrunch

Larry Page Wants Earth To Have A Mad Scientist Island | TechCrunch: "“… We’re at maybe 1% of what is possible. Despite the faster change, we’re still moving slow relative to the opportunities we have. I think a lot of that is because of the negativity… Every story I read is Google vs someone else. That’s boring. We should be focusing on building the things that don’t exist.”"

'via Blog this'

Friday, December 6, 2013

BBC News - France takes 'immediate' military action amid CAR clashes

BBC News - France takes 'immediate' military action amid CAR clashes: "A French-led military operation to protect civilians in the Central African Republic is being launched "immediately", after scores died in fresh sectarian fighting on Thursday.

A contingent of 650 troops there will be "doubled within a few days, if not a few hours," President Hollande said.

Earlier the UN Security Council voted to allow French troops to join an African peacekeeping force in the CAR.

Violence there has raised fears of mass killings along sectarian lines.

"I have decided to act immediately, in other words, this evening," Francois Hollande said."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - Central African Republic: Abandoned and burnt villages

BBC News - Central African Republic: Abandoned and burnt villages: "The sectarian and sexual violence gripping the Central African Republic is now the worst it has ever been.

Fighters from the mainly Muslim Seleka group are being blamed for a series of attacks on the Christian majority.

French and US officials have warned that a genocide could be in the making.

Since the rebels overthrew the president in March around 400,000 people have fled their homes in fear."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - Nelson Mandela death: A life in pictures

BBC News - Nelson Mandela death: A life in pictures: "Nelson Mandela death: A life in pictures"

'via Blog this'

BBC News - South Africa's Nelson Mandela dies in Johannesburg

BBC News - South Africa's Nelson Mandela dies in Johannesburg: "Mr Mandela, 95, led South Africa's transition from white-minority rule in the 1990s, after 27 years in prison.

He had been receiving intense home-based medical care for a lung infection after three months in hospital."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, November 28, 2013

BBC News - Zimbabwe warns foreign firms of January 2014 arrest

BBC News - Zimbabwe warns foreign firms of January 2014 arrest: "The owners of foreign firms operating in certain sectors in Zimbabwe after 1 January 2014 will be arrested, a senior official has warned.

Economic Empowerment Secretary George Magosvongwe issued the warning in parliament, state media reports.

"Indigenisation" of the economy was one of President Robert Mugabe's main campaign themes in the March election.

Farming, hairdressing and baking are among the sectors now reserved for "indigenous", or black, Zimbabweans."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - Cute cats could be key to learning new languages

BBC News - Cute cats could be key to learning new languages: ""The pattern began to emerge that pictures of cats always featured disproportionately among the most effective," he says.

'Weapons of mass cuteness'
Using this research, the company developed CatAcademy, an app that shows photos of cats in humorous poses and displays a corresponding phrase in Spanish."

'via Blog this'

Assessing climate change vulnerability and its effects on food security: Testing new tools in Tanzania | CCAFS: CGIAR research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security

Assessing climate change vulnerability and its effects on food security: Testing new tools in Tanzania | CCAFS: CGIAR research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security: "Understanding local vulnerability to climate change is critical to better mitigate climate risks and promote adaptation strategies for rural communities.
Extreme climate events and variability are already affecting the food security of many, particularly those living in stressed environments. In the light of this, a team of researchers conducted a participatory workshop in Hombolo, Tanzania in late October, to test tools designed to analyze climate change vulnerability in relation to food security.

Now it is time to share the methodology used and some of the first impressions from the field activities!

The toolkit provided below is a step-by-step manual for researchers and local actors to work together, to identify the main climate impacts affecting a community’s livelihoods and food security. It was developed by the Institute of Development Studies and Bioversity International based on a tool used by GIZ in Mexico."

'via Blog this'

Friday, November 22, 2013

How aid can support sustainable fisheries for a food-secure world - Contributor: Stephen Hall | Devex

How aid can support sustainable fisheries for a food-secure world - Contributor: Stephen Hall | Devex: "On World Fisheries Day, we have traditionally discussed the challenges fisheries face and the threats to their sustainability. However, we need to shift the focus to solutions that will ensure a continuing supply of fish for the millions who rely on them for both livelihoods and food security.

It is tempting to think about big, commercial boats catching the fish we see on the plates of consumers in the developed world. But while this form of fishing and the fish stocks these boats exploit are important, the crucial area we must address is the millions of small-scale fishermen along the coasts and on the inland rivers and lakes of the developing world. It is these small-scale fisheries that supply about 56 percent of the fish for human consumption in developing countries and support 95 percent of the 500 million people around the world whose livelihoods depend — in one way or another — on fishing."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Microcredit has been a disaster for the poorest in South Africa | Global Development Professionals Network | Guardian Professional

Microcredit has been a disaster for the poorest in South Africa | Global Development Professionals Network | Guardian Professional: "There was hope that for-profit microcredit institutions would dutifully stick to their allotted mission and responsibly lend to the poor. However, just as in the wider economy, where the actions of the financial institutions on Wall Street brought on a global recession, the widely-held assumption that private banks and microcredit institutions would be responsible also proved to be spectacularly wrong.

Bombarded with microloans in such a way that today they simply cannot repay even a fraction of what they owe (estimates are that 40% of the South African workforce's income is spent on repaying debt), South Africa's poor are now caught in a microdebt-trap of unimaginable proportions. Only now are people realising that the real aim of the private banks and microcredit institutions in South Africa – exactly as in the case of Wall Street's infamous sub-prime lenders – was not to help their poor clients, but to extract as much value from them in the shortest time possible before leaving the sector and moving on to other fields of business."

'via Blog this'

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

How complexity science can get aid working

How complexity science can get aid working: "Ben Ramalingam’s new book, Aid on the Edge of Chaos, challenges development practitioners to step back and ask: “Is there a better way to deliver aid and humanitarian assistance?” My answer is simple — there has to be!

In more than 20 years working with researchers and developmentprofessionals around the world, I would say they typically share two characteristics: a commitment to improving the lives of the world’s poor, and frustration at how difficult it is to succeed.

I have often wondered the same: why is it so hard to learn from experience? The book gives some of the answers."

'via Blog this'

United Nations News Centre - Social sciences play vital role in tackling environmental challenges, says UNESCO report

United Nations News Centre - Social sciences play vital role in tackling environmental challenges, says UNESCO report:
15 November 2013 – A new United Nations report underscores the vital contribution of the social sciences to survival in the face of climate change, and stresses that human behaviour must be at the heart of efforts to tackle the challenges related to the natural environment.
The 2013 World Social Science Report takes stock of the “unprecedented and staggering environmental challenges” facing society and their potentially devastating consequences on the well-being of people worldwide, according to a news release issued by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
'via Blog this'

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Innovative Shower Reduces Water Usage by 90%, Electricity by 80% | I Fucking Love Science

Innovative Shower Reduces Water Usage by 90%, Electricity by 80% | I Fucking Love Science: "A typical 10-minute shower can use 150 liters of water and requires energy to keep all of that incoming water hot. An innovative new design recycles shower water so only around five liters of water is needed and can be used and reused for weeks.

The OrbSys shower system is the brainchild of Mehrdad Mahdjoubi, an industrial designer. The idea was first conceived when he was studying at the University of Lund in Sweden when he wanted to combat the large amounts of water waste associated with bathing. After graduation, he began to collaborate with NASA to bring life to the idea."

'via Blog this'

The craziest OkCupid date ever - Salon.com

The craziest OkCupid date ever - Salon.com: "Jeff and I traveled to eight countries in 21 days without changing clothes. It sure beat meeting for coffee
CLARA BENSEN"

'via Blog this'

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

5 Things I Learned Leaving My Nicely-Paid Lawyer Job to Move to a Small, Tropical Island Near Guam | Arin Greenwood

5 Things I Learned Leaving My Nicely-Paid Lawyer Job to Move to a Small, Tropical Island Near Guam | Arin Greenwood: "I went to Saipan intending to enjoy my tropical paradise for one year. One year, I figured, would be enough to heal from my various personal traumas, plus come up with a brand new life plan, get a good tan and maybe even meet the man who'd prove to that other guy (in hindsight, a real asshole) he'd made a huge mistake leaving me for his secretary. As it turns out, there was a lot I didn't quite realize when I first embarked on this little journey of sun-exposure, self-discovery and revenge, which ended up lasting 5.5 years.

Here are a few things I understand now that I didn't have the slightest inkling about when I first set out on that long trip with far too much baggage:"

'via Blog this'

Chasing chaos: The real-life story of a humanitarian aid worker | Power Players - Yahoo News

Chasing chaos: The real-life story of a humanitarian aid worker | Power Players - Yahoo News: "a lot of the roots of these conflicts and some of the natural disasters that happen are due to lack of good governance, lack of preparedness."

'via Blog this'

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Inside The Magical Patch That Gives You A Powerful Anti-Mosquito Force Field | Co.Exist | ideas + impact

Inside The Magical Patch That Gives You A Powerful Anti-Mosquito Force Field | Co.Exist | ideas + impact:
The Kite, developed by scientists at University of California Riverside and commercialized by an impact investing group called ieCrowd, works by confusing the bugs' sense of smell. Usually, they hone in the CO2 we breathe out; the Kite keeps this from happening. As you can see in the video above, when an intrepid scientist sticks his hand into a cage full of mosquitoes, the Kite prevents them from finding him and sucking his blood.
'via Blog this'

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Samantha Power Takes on the Job of a Lifetime as Ambassador to the U.N.- Vogue

Vogue: "It is a stakeout, her first as ambassador to the United Nations, and she is news herself—Samantha Power, human-rights celebrity and, at 43, the youngest American to ever hold the post. With a rustle of camera shutters and a blare of flash, Power exits the Security Council chamber and looks squarely at the press corps. “Good afternoon—it’s great to be here,” she says. A very brief pause follows, with an off-script eyebrow raise. It’s a small gesture, but to anyone who knows her or has followed her career—as the author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide or as a foreign-affairs staffer to a certain young Illinois senator or even as a White House National Security Council member—it’s a typical Power move, a quick hit of charm in a high-stakes moment that says it really is great, even amazing, a dream come true."

'via Blog this'

Monday, October 21, 2013

How a Radical New Teaching Method Could Unleash a Generation of Geniuses | Wired Business | Wired.com

How a Radical New Teaching Method Could Unleash a Generation of Geniuses | Wired Business | Wired.com: "In 2009, scientists from the University of Louisville and MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences conducted a study of 48 children between the ages of 3 and 6. The kids were presented with a toy that could squeak, play notes, and reflect images, among other things. For one set of children, a researcher demonstrated a single attribute and then let them play with the toy. Another set of students was given no information about the toy. This group played longer and discovered an average of six attributes of the toy; the group that was told what to do discovered only about four. A similar study at UC Berkeley demonstrated that kids given no instruction were much more likely to come up with novel solutions to a problem. “The science is brand-new, but it’s not as if people didn’t have this intuition before,” says coauthor Alison Gopnik, a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley."

'via Blog this'

Think Mexican • Paloma Noyola: The Face of Mexico’s Unleashed...

Think Mexican • Paloma Noyola: The Face of Mexico’s Unleashed...: "The clear message in this story is that there are thousands of Paloma Noyolas going to school in Mexico who, just like her at one time, are not being challenged and therefore aren’t very interested in school. This story can, if we want it to, raise enough awareness to shift the discussion from poverty to opportunity."

'via Blog this'

Friday, October 18, 2013

Amy Poehler And Tina Fey Taught Us Everything We Know About Being A Woman

Amy Poehler And Tina Fey Taught Us Everything We Know About Being A Woman: "If you need an example of how to be the best person ever, look no further than comedians (and our dream celebrity BFFs), Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. When we learned this morning that the dynamic duo would be hosting the Golden Globes in not just 2014 but in 2015 as well, we practically wept with joy. (This guarantees that the Globes will dominate the awards show circuit, yet again.)

In honor of this most excellent news, here are nine lessons about being a woman we learned from Amy and Tina:"

'via Blog this'

Pucker Up, America: Beers Are Going Sour : The Salt : NPR

Pucker Up, America: Beers Are Going Sour : The Salt : NPR: "Move over, bitter IPAs and chocolaty stouts. There's a new kid on the craft brewing block, and it's going to knock your salivary glands into action.

It's called "sour beer." When you take a sip, it's like biting into a Granny Smith apple that's soaked in a French red wine: crisp, refreshing and a bit odd."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, October 17, 2013

FAO - News Article: Coordinated efforts in aquaculture needed to meet global demand

FAO - News Article: Coordinated efforts in aquaculture needed to meet global demand: "Over 50 countries endorsed the Global Aquaculture Advancement Partnership (GAAP) programme, which will bring together governments, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations and the private sector to find sustainable solutions to meeting the need for fish products."

'via Blog this'

“Presume Competence” – What Does That Mean Exactly? | Emma's Hope Book

“Presume Competence” – What Does That Mean Exactly? | Emma's Hope Book: "In an interview, Douglas Biklen explained:  ”Assume that a child has intellectual ability, provide opportunities to be exposed to learning, assume the child wants to learn and assert him or herself in the world.”

A key component to presuming competence is to become aware of the prejudice that currently exists regarding autism and how these ingrained beliefs harm not just our children, but ALL Autistic people.   Like any prejudice, based on layers and layers of misinformation, misperceptions, and misunderstandings, we must be willing to acknowledge our own “beliefs” before we can begin to deconstruct them."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - Can kindness movements make a difference?

BBC News - Can kindness movements make a difference?: "Picking up litter. Buying someone in need a coffee. Or just dolling out free hugs. There's a growing movement of people doing nice things for strangers, but do they make for a kinder society?"

'via Blog this'

Successful Children Who Lost A Parent — Why Are There So Many Of Them? : Krulwich Wonders... : NPR

Successful Children Who Lost A Parent — Why Are There So Many Of Them? : Krulwich Wonders... : NPR: "This is a touchy subject. Nobody wants to say that catastrophe is a career booster; common sense says the opposite, that children with intact families get more love, protection and support, which ought to be an advantage later on. But it's also true that kids with missing parents need extra muscles, grit and self reliance — also ingredients for success.

The surprise here is the proportion of highly successful people who lost a parent early. Their achievements, of course, may have little or nothing to do with how many parents they had at home, but looking through Gladwell's footnotes, it is puzzling to see so many of them at the top of their professions. This suggests, ever so slightly, that pain trumps love at the start of the race. That's a notion that makes me wince."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - 100 Women: The jobs Chinese girls just can't do

BBC News - 100 Women: The jobs Chinese girls just can't do: "Six hundred kilometres south of Beijing, at the China Mining and Technology University in China's eastern Jiangsu province, a group of mining engineering students listen intently to their professor.

They're the envy of others at this school, since they belong to one of China's so-called "green card majors", courses that all but guarantee employment after graduation.

But this program has one clear entrance requirement: men only."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - US debt ceiling: Senate passes US budget deal

BBC News - US debt ceiling: Senate passes US budget deal: "The US Senate has passed a bill to reopen the government and raise the federal debt limit, with hours to spare before the nation risks default.

The Democratic-controlled Senate's bipartisan compromise won swift approval by 81 votes to 18.

It will now be sent to the House of Representatives, whose Republican leadership has begrudgingly said it will support the measure.

It comes hours before the deadline to raise the $16.7tn (£10.5tn) limit."

'via Blog this'

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Lost in Time: Groovy Afghanistan | Messy Nessy Chic Messy Nessy Chic

Lost in Time: Groovy Afghanistan | Messy Nessy Chic Messy Nessy Chic: "A cautionary tale of a vibrant and thriving culture lost in time, these photographs collected on a community Facebook page in Afghanistan are likely to leave you in disbelief. The country we’re so often shown today is comparable to a broken medieval society, but not so long ago, the barren landscape was dotted with stylish buildings, women wore pencil skirts and teenagers shopped at record stores.

As you browse the photos that capture progress, hope and that rock’n'roll spirit in the air, keep in mind the implications of what happened to this culture in just a few decades."

'via Blog this'

TED talks are lying to you - Salon.com

TED talks are lying to you - Salon.com: "The writer had a problem. Books he read and people he knew had been warning him that the nation and maybe mankind itself had wandered into a sort of creativity doldrums. Economic growth was slackening. The Internet revolution was less awesome than we had anticipated, and the forward march of innovation, once a cultural constant, had slowed to a crawl. One of the few fields in which we generated lots of novelties — financial engineering — had come back to bite us. And in other departments, we actually seemed to be going backward. You could no longer take a supersonic airliner across the Atlantic, for example, and sending astronauts to the moon had become either fiscally insupportable or just passé."

'via Blog this'

Holding Onto The Other Half Of 'Mixed-Race' : NPR

Holding Onto The Other Half Of 'Mixed-Race' : NPR: "Wilma Stordahl, a Seattle resident who's an account manager for a national landscape company, offered one such submission: "Norwegian with Nappy Hair Doesn't Fit."

'What Are They?'

Stordahl is Norwegian, and she and her husband are both white. Together they have a 15-year-old white son, but she also has two older sons, Kevin Stordahl, 25, and Kazon Stordahl, 19, who both have a black father."

'via Blog this'

Friday, October 11, 2013

Libyan Prime Minister Is Kidnapped, Then Freed - NYTimes.com

Libyan Prime Minister Is Kidnapped, Then Freed - NYTimes.com: "CAIRO — Libya’s prime minister, Ali Zeidan, was kidnapped from a hotel in the capital, Tripoli, on Thursday and briefly held in an apparent act of retaliation for his presumed consent to the capture of a suspected Qaeda leader by an American commando team."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, October 10, 2013

FBI Arrests 29 Year Old Mastermind Of Billion Dollar Internet Drug Blackmarket | The Top Information Post

FBI Arrests 29 Year Old Mastermind Of Billion Dollar Internet Drug Blackmarket | The Top Information Post:
If you want to buy a book online, at this point pretty much everyone goes to Amazon.com. Right? If you want to buy shoes? Zappos. Domain name? Godaddy. An 18 year old Brazilian girl’s virginity? eBay. A one way flight to Brazil? Kayak. But where do you go if you want to anonymously buy illegal drugs like heroin, cocaine, meth, molly, LSD etc… all from the privacy and comfort of a web browser? Well, up until 3:15pm on Wednesday October 2nd, for all these illicit purchases and more you could have gone to a website called SilkRoad.
What happened Wednesday at 3:15pm? After months of painstaking investigation, the FBI swooped in and arrested the long sought-after mastermind of this highly illegal anonymous drug marketplace. Who was this mastermind? Was it a secretive Russian hacker living in Moscow? A Chinese internet tycoon operating from a private yacht in international waters? Actually, it was a 29 year old American named Ross Ulbricht who operated most of his empire out of a San Francisco coffee shop. When he was arrested, he was actually using the free wifi at a public library.
This story is long, but completely insane, totally worth reading all the way through. In case you need some teasers, this story involves billions of dollars worth of drug transactions, an enormous illegal fortune made entirely out of Bitcoins, fake passports and even a couple of hitmen.
'via Blog this'

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

A Wave of Sewing Jobs as Orders Pile Up at U.S. Factories - NYTimes.com

A Wave of Sewing Jobs as Orders Pile Up at U.S. Factories - NYTimes.com: "Initially Airtex paid $3 an hour on average for its Chinese workers; now, it pays about $11.80 an hour, including benefits and housing.

Its American factory-floor workers make about $9 to $17 an hour, though Airtex estimates benefits add another 30 percent to those figures.

As costs were rising in China, Airtex was also getting a new message from some of its clients: They wanted more American-made products.

Health care clients wanted medical slings and other sensitive medical products made domestically to ensure quality. Retailers did not want to pay overseas freight costs to import bulky items like pillows, and they wanted more flexibility in turning around designs quickly. As Airtex considered production in Vietnam and elsewhere, it became concerned about safety and quality issues — and increasingly interested in the American alternative."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - US shutdown has other nations confused and concerned

BBC News - US shutdown has other nations confused and concerned: "Now, as the latest shutdown crisis plays out, policymakers in other nations are left to ponder the worldwide impact of the impasse.

"Globalisation … means every country is in it together," writes David Blanchflower in the Independent in the UK. "Americans sneeze and Brits catch the flu."

"Canadians can only pray their economy won't be collateral damage," writes John Ibbitson in Canada's Globe and Mail. "Anything that drags down the American economy drags the Canadian economy down with it."

And this could be another reason why the United States has shutdown crises and other countries don't - because the United States can afford to. At least up until now, the American economy has been able to continue to grind along despite shutdown disruptions that would stagger other nations.

"Constant-shutdown, permanent-emergency governance is so destructive that no other serious country engages in or could tolerate it," James Fallows writes in the Atlantic. "The United States can afford it only because we are - still - so rich, with so much margin for waste and error.""

'via Blog this'

Shutdown Begins After Congress Fails In Spending Compromise : The Two-Way : NPR

Shutdown Begins After Congress Fails In Spending Compromise : The Two-Way : NPR: "House Republicans and Senate Democrats could not reach agreement by the midnight deadline on a spending bill to keep the government operating, triggering an immediate shutdown of nonessential services and the furlough of nonessential personnel potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of federal workers."

'via Blog this'

Federal government shuts down after Congress fails to pass funding - U.S. News

Federal government shuts down after Congress fails to pass funding - U.S. News: "After a long debate and tense partisan standoff, the first federal government shutdown in 17 years has begun. Check in here for the latest updates."

'via Blog this'

Giving money to child beggars: Don’t do it.

Giving money to child beggars: Don’t do it.: "The imperative to not give money or gifts to child beggars doesn’t mean we have to turn our backs on them. Donate to responsible NGOs, and look for creative new ways to be kind to children that won’t disrupt familial dynamics, encourage long-term poverty, undercut local businesses, or abet human trafficking. Be generous: Leave those coins in your pocket."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, September 26, 2013

The real boy crisis: 5 ways America tells boys not to be “girly” - Salon.com

The real boy crisis: 5 ways America tells boys not to be “girly” - Salon.com:
The ability to feel what others feel has many well-documented benefits, including, for empathetic people, greater psychological and physical health. The real and socially significant positive impact of empathy, however, is the ways in which it affects behavior toward others. People who are empathetic are less aggressive and prone to denigrate others; they are predisposed to act with care and compassion; they have increased egalitarian beliefs and act with less prejudice and stereotype-based hatred. Empathetic behaviors, however, are associated with being female. And weak.

'via Blog this'

Thursday, September 19, 2013

wait but why: Putting Time In Perspective

wait but why: Putting Time In Perspective:
Humans are good at a lot of things, but putting time in perspective is not one of them.  It's not our fault—the spans of time in human history, and even more so in natural history, are so vast compared to the span of our life and recent history that it's almost impossible to get a handle on it.  If the Earth formed at midnight and the present moment is the next midnight, 24 hours later, modern humans have been around since 11:59:59pm—1 second.  And if human history itself spans 24 hours from one midnight to the next, 14 minutes represents the time since Christ.

To try to grasp some perspective, I mapped out the history of time as a series of growing timelines—each timeline contains all the previous timelines (colors will help you see which timelines are which).  All timeline lengths are exactly accurate to the amount of time they're expressing.

A note on dates:  When it comes to the far-back past, most of the dates we know are the subject of ongoing debate.  For these timelines, it's cumbersome to put a ~ sign before every ancient date or an asterisk explaining that the date is still being debated, so I just used the most widely accepted dates and left it at that.


'via Blog this'

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Tools and methods for M&E | Institutional Learning and Change Initiative

Tools and methods for M&E | Institutional Learning and Change Initiative: "Tools and methods for M&E
Tue, 07/22/2008 - 22:31 — web10
This section of the website summarizes methods, tools and approaches for monitoring and evaluation of collaborative projects.

The texts are drawn from different sources and recognized accordingly.

There are various techniques associated with M&E as Table 5, extracted from Fahrenkrog et al (2002), illustrates."

'via Blog this'

Friday, September 13, 2013

Kerry opens Syria talks in Geneva by declaring: 'This is not a game' - World News

Kerry opens Syria talks in Geneva by declaring: 'This is not a game' - World News: "In a move Assad had promised as part of an agreement to avoid U.S. strikes, Syria's U.N. envoy announced that his country became a full member of the global anti-chemical weapons treaty Thursday.
"Legally speaking Syria has become, starting today, a full member of the (chemical weapons) convention," Syrian U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afar said after submitting relevant documents to the United Nations. "

'via Blog this'

Taking Lead in Syria Talks, Russia Works to Preserve Assad Regime | TIME.com

Taking Lead in Syria Talks, Russia Works to Preserve Assad Regime | TIME.com:

'via Blog this'

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Would It Have Been Legal to Shoot and Kill George Zimmerman? - Abby Ohlheiser - The Atlantic Wire

Would It Have Been Legal to Shoot and Kill George Zimmerman? - Abby Ohlheiser - The Atlantic Wire: "Yesterday, Shellie Zimmerman told a 911 operator that her husband George "was going to shoot" her and her father at their Florida home. "I'm really, really afraid," she added. And while the incident did not end in violence — nor has anyone been charged as the facts are still sorted out  — Shellie's panicked 911 call poses an obvious question: would Florida law have offered Shellie the same defense had she used lethal force against her husband, as George used after he shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin? "

'via Blog this'

AP - Convicted Indian rapist shouts, 'I am innocent!'

AP - Convicted Indian rapist shouts, 'I am innocent!':
On Wednesday, as their sentencing hearing began, prosecutor Dayan Krishnan called for the death penalty, saying "there can be nothing more diabolic than a helpless girl put through torture."
He said the crime shocked India's "collective conscience," and noted the police report showed the men pulled out some of the victim's body parts after savagely penetrating her with an iron rod
The four men stood or sat in T-shirts or short-sleeved polo shirts as arguments began, unshackled and with policemen holding them from both sides. They appeared impassive, though it was not clear how much they understood of the proceedings. English is the main language of India's court system but only one of the men, Vinay Sharma, speaks any English. They had no translator.
'via Blog this'

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Syria-chemical weapons: Did John Kerry just accidentally find a workable solution for Syria?

Syria-chemical weapons: Did John Kerry just accidentally find a workable solution for Syria?:

Speaking in London earlier today, John Kerry appeared to issue a long-shot ultimatum to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, suggesting that if he turned over his complete stockpile of chemical weapons within the next week he could avoid an attack from the United States. The State Department, however, would later walk back those comments, saying they were a "rhetorical argument" and not an actual proposal, adding that Assad "cannot be trusted" to take such action.

'via Blog this'

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Malawi sells jet to avert food crisis - Al Jazeera English

Malawi sells jet to avert food crisis - Al Jazeera English: "Presidency sells plane for $15m to feed poor and grow crops to fight malnutrition in southern African country.
Malawi will use $15m from the sale of the country's presidential jet to feed the poor and grow crops to
fight malnutrition, an official has said.

"It was a collective government decision that the money realised from the sale of the jet will be used to purchase maize locally and some for legume production," said Nations Msowoya, a spokesman for the Ministry of Finance.

Food experts have said 10 percent of the country's 13 million citizens face food shortages this year.

President Joyce Banda decided last year to sell the jet, bought by her predecessor Bingu wa Mutharika for $22m, due to the cost of running it.

Former colonial power Britain, Malawi's main bilateral donor, reduced its aid to Malawi by $4.7m after the 14-passenger aircraft was purchased."

'via Blog this'

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Poverty and cognitive impairment: Study shows money troubles make decision-making difficult. - Slate Magazine

Poverty and cognitive impairment: Study shows money troubles make decision-making difficult. - Slate Magazine: "Such are the privileges of affluence. It’s not just that you can afford nicer stuff than poor people or have a greater ability to spend money for the sake of convenience. You get to take advantage of what is, in some ways, the greatest convenience of all—the convenience that comes from not having to sweat the small stuff.
A study published last week in the journal Science shows that the stress of worrying about finances can impair cognitive functions in a meaningful way."

'via Blog this'

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Senegal's new prime minister names cabinet - Africa - Al Jazeera English

Senegal's new prime minister names cabinet - Africa - Al Jazeera English: "Senegal's new Prime Minister Aminata Toure has named a cabinet, putting a veteran human rights campaigner in the key post of justice minister, suggesting high-profile corruption and rights cases are likely to remain a priority."

'via Blog this'

Friday, August 30, 2013

Saudi Arabia outlaws domestic violence - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Saudi Arabia outlaws domestic violence - Middle East - Al Jazeera English: "The "Protection from Abuse" law, approved by the cabinet on Monday, is aimed at protecting people from "all forms of abuse" and offering them shelter as well as "social, psychological, and medical aid," according to its text.

The law, approved during a cabinet meeting on August 26, came several months after a local charity launched a nationwide campaign to combat violence against women.

Saudi Arabia has often faced international criticism for lacking laws that protect women and domestic workers against abuse.

Under the 17-article bill, those found guilty of committing psychological or physical abuse could face prison sentences of up to one year and up to $13,300 in fines.

Women are the main victims of domestic violence with "98 percent of physical violence committed by men against women," it said."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Bellon, M.R. 2001. Participatory Research Methods for Technology Evaluation: A Manual for Scientists Working with Farmers. Mexico, D.F.: CIMMYT

Abstract: This manual presents methods that enable agricultural scientist and farmers to
evaluate technologies/practices jointly. The methods are specifically designed for
participatory research on germplasm and soil fertility technologies, and they are illustrated
with actual examples from three research projects. The manual begins by reviewing
conceptual issues that are important in participatory research and presents information to
assist researchers in selecting research sites and fieldwork participants. Next, the manual
describes the rationale and associated methods for each major activity in farmer participatory
research: diagnosing farmers’ conditions, evaluating current and new technologies/practices,
and assessing their impact. Goals, procedures, advantages, and limitations of each method are
outlined. The manual also presents detailed information on analyzing data gathered through
participatory methods, discusses differences between gathering data through participatory
methods and more traditional structured farm surveys, and offers examples, based on field
experience, of the choices and strategies involved in applying these methods.

'via Blog this'

Stupid is not the same thing as slow: All the words teachers use to describe student failure. - Slate Magazine

Stupid is not the same thing as slow: All the words teachers use to describe student failure. - Slate Magazine: "I know a teacher—a great one, actually—who, in private, refers to his students as “bricks.” As in, “dumb as a brick.”
You almost never hear that level of candor among teachers, and not just because every parent’s got a lawyer on retainer. Teachers avoid words like stupid because they know how badly labels can sting, and how long the bruises linger. School shapes you, and no teacher wants to leave scars.
On the other hand, you don’t educate kids by sparing their feelings and reciting politically correct mantras. You do it by confronting their challenges head-on, and showing them how to overcome them.
So when talking to failing students, teachers can’t be too blunt or too circumspect. They’re caught between a rock and a euphemism for a rock.
So how do teachers frame failure for their students? What words do they use?"

'via Blog this'

'A coward, a traitor, and a murderer': Fort Hood gunman sentenced to death - U.S. News

'A coward, a traitor, and a murderer': Fort Hood gunman sentenced to death - U.S. News: "A court-martial jury of 13 retired military officers deliberated for just under two hours before they unanimously agreed on the maximum penalty of lethal injection. The sentence also included dismissing Hasan from the Army and stripping him of his military pay.
 Hasan, 42, will now be flown to the maximum security U.S. military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and placed on death row while awaiting automatic appeals that could take years."

'via Blog this'

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

BBC News - How second-hand clothes kill business for Malawi’s tailors

BBC News - How second-hand clothes kill business for Malawi’s tailors: "Textile makers threatened
A spokesman for Malawi's Ministry of Industry and Trade, Wiskes Nkombezi, admits the second-hand clothes industry is "a double-edged sword".

"A lot of the people in Malawi are poor and for them these are cheaper clothes that they can afford.""

'via Blog this'

BBC News - The low cost technology saving premature babies' lives

BBC News - The low cost technology saving premature babies' lives: "Engineers at GE's technology centre are stripping down lifesaving, high tech medical devices of all their frills to understand how to create products that are affordable.

This project is now widely quoted as an example of "reverse innovation".

This is where large global companies design products in developing markets like India and then take the successful creation back to international markets to sell.

After success in the domestic market, GE now sells the warmer in more than 80 countries."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - Gay Pakistan: Where sex is available and relationships are difficult

BBC News - Gay Pakistan: Where sex is available and relationships are difficult: "Pakistan is not the kind of place that most people would associate with gay liberation. But some say the country is a great place to be gay - even describing the port city of Karachi as "a gay man's paradise".

Underground parties, group sex at shrines and "marriages of convenience" to members of the opposite sex are just some of the surprises that gay Pakistan has to offer. Under its veneer of strict social conformity, the country is bustling with same-sex activity."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - Syria chemical attack undeniable, says John Kerry

BBC News - Syria chemical attack undeniable, says John Kerry:

'via Blog this'

Thursday, August 22, 2013

BBC News - Can 'powdered rain' make drought a thing of the past?

BBC News - Can 'powdered rain' make drought a thing of the past?: ""Solid Rain" is a powder that's capable of absorbing enormous amounts of water and releasing it slowly over a year so that plants can survive and thrive in the middle of a drought.

A litre of water can be absorbed in as little as 10 grams of the material, which is a type of absorbent polymer originally pioneered by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Back in the 1970s, USDA developed a super-absorbent product made from a type of starch nicknamed the "super slurper".

The most widely used, commercial application of this technology has been in disposable nappies, or diapers as they are quaintly termed in the US.

But a Mexican chemical engineer called Sergio Jesus Rico Velasco saw more in the product than dry bottoms.

He developed and patented a different version of the formula that could be mixed in with soil to hold water that could then slowly feed plants."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - Can we restore the world’s coral reefs?

BBC News - Can we restore the world’s coral reefs?: "Advances in science could offer hope for the world's besieged coral reefs. Gavin Haines investigates.

Whether we are blowing them up with dynamite, dropping anchors on them or warming up the oceans they live in, mankind is leading a sustained attack on the world's coral reefs.

A recent report revealed that coral coverage on the Great Barrier Reef has declined by as much as 50% in the last three decades, while reefs in the Caribbean have seen reported losses of 80%.

However, experts claim advances in science could enable them to not only restore these beleaguered ecosystems, but also improve their resilience to disease."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - Swiss policies segregating asylum seekers draw outrage

BBC News - Swiss policies segregating asylum seekers draw outrage: "Mr Golta says the Oprah Winfrey story is "very embarrassing" for Zurich and Switzerland.

"But I think we have to keep in mind that those stories do not only happen to celebrities in luxury shops."

"It's more the untold stories of everyday discrimination that we have to think about. And those stories are the real challenge for the cohesion of our society and our country.""

'via Blog this'

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

The Open Book of Social Innovation - Nesta

The Open Book of Social Innovation - Nesta:
This book is about the many ways in which people are creating new and more effective answers to the biggest challenges of our times: how to cut our carbon footprint; how to keep people healthy; and how to end poverty.
It describes the methods and tools for innovation being used across the world and across different sectors – the public and private sectors, civil society and the household – in the overlapping fields of the social economy, social entrepreneurship and social enterprise. It draws on inputs from hundreds of organisations to document the many methods currently being used around the world.
Published
March 2010
Author
Robin Murray, Julie Caulier-Grice, Geoff Mulgan
'via Blog this'

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Doing Good While Doing Time | Ensia

Doing Good While Doing Time | Ensia:

A partnership between The Evergreen State College and the Washington State Department of Corrections, the SPP offers inmates “the chance to get engaged in something positive and learn about science,” says Trivett. In addition to saving tax dollars and resources through programs such as recycling and organic gardening, the project contributes to prisoners’ well-being by giving them something worthwhile to do and a sense of accomplishment that can’t be measured. “There is a high degree of investment, a level of job satisfaction that is rare to see outside of prison, let alone inside,” she says.

'via Blog this'

Monday, July 22, 2013

BBC News - Women 'banned from shopping alone' in northern Pakistan

BBC News - Women 'banned from shopping alone' in northern Pakistan: ""We have decided that women will not visit bazaars without a male relative," the cleric, Maulana Mirzaqeem, was quoted as telling AFP news agency.

"Those who will visit markets without male relatives will be handed over to police.

"They spread vulgarity and spoil men's fasting in Ramadan.""

'via Blog this'

Every Two Hours in India, a Woman Dies from an Unsafe Abortion | TIME.com

Every Two Hours in India, a Woman Dies from an Unsafe Abortion | TIME.com:
In India, the problem of unsafe abortions is especially acute. There were 620, 472 reported abortions in 2012; experts say the true number of abortions performed in the country could be as high as 7 million, with two-thirds of them taking place outside authorized health facilities. Not all of these are pregnancies out of wedlock. Many unsafe abortions are performed on married women unable to obtain contraception, and unable to travel to a registered clinic, who for economic or personal reasons do not wish to have another child.

Read more: http://world.time.com/2013/07/19/world-population-focus-on-india-part-2-unsafe-abortions/#ixzz2ZkaphZth


'via Blog this'

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

AP - Prominent gay rights activist killed in Cameroon

AP - Prominent gay rights activist killed in Cameroon: "A prominent gay rights activist in Cameroon was tortured and killed just weeks after issuing a public warning about the threat posed by "anti-gay thugs," Human Rights Watch said.

Friends discovered the body of Eric Ohena Lembembe at his home in the capital, Yaounde, on Monday evening after he was unreachable for two days, the rights group said in a statement Tuesday.

One friend said Lembembe's neck and feet looked broken and that he had been burned with an iron.

Lembembe was among the most prominent activists in one of Africa's most hostile countries for sexual minorities. First as a journalist and later as executive director of CAMFAIDS, a Yaounde-based human rights organization, he documented violence, blackmail and arrests targeting members of Cameroon's gay community. He was also a regular contributor to the Erasing 76 Crimes blog, which focuses on countries where homosexuality is illegal, and he wrote several chapters of a book released in February on the global gay rights movement titled "From Wrongs to Gay Rights.""

'via Blog this'

Monday, July 15, 2013

Black, 17, and Shot Dead in Florida: Why Isn't Jordan Davis Getting the Attention Travyon Martin Is?

Black, 17, and Shot Dead in Florida: Why Isn't Jordan Davis Getting the Attention Travyon Martin Is?: "Without solid evidence from both sides and one surveillance video that only shows the story from the inside of the convenience store, this case has a long way to go.

It's more or less the same story all over again: a white man shooting a black teenager dead in Florida in a tragic dispute that perhaps could have been avoided. Yet, why is Jacksonville trial of Michael Dunn and Jordan Davis not receiving the same amount of media attention or criticism as the George Zimmerman vs. Trayvon Martin case?

Do the airwaves, newspapers and Twitter feeds have enough room for the prominence of one type of vaguely race-charged crime? Or crimes that could tie into the debate on gun control? Or goodness forbid, when both topics intersect.

Whatever the reason, there is no one to blame but the national media for more or less skipping this one over."

'via Blog this'

On The Killing Of Trayvon Martin By George Zimmerman - Ta-Nehisi Coates - The Atlantic

On The Killing Of Trayvon Martin By George Zimmerman - Ta-Nehisi Coates - The Atlantic:

I interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to offer some thoughts on the verdict of innocent for George Zimmerman:

1.) Last year--after Zimmerman was arrested--I wrote something hoping that he would be convicted. A commenter wrote in to object, saying that arguing for his arrest was justifiable. Arguing for his conviction was not. I acknowledged the point at the time. The wisdom of it seems even more appropriate today.

2.) I think the jury basically got it right. The only real eyewitness to the death of Trayvon Martin was the man who killed him. At no point did I think that the state proved second degree murder. I also never thought they proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he acted recklessly. They had no ability to counter his basic narrative, because there were no other eye-witnesses.

3.) The idea that Zimmerman got out of the car to check the street signs, was ambushed by 17-year old kid with no violent history who told him he "you're going to die tonight" strikes me as very implausible.  It strikes me as much more plausible that Martin was being followed by a strange person, that the following resulted in a confrontation, that Martin was getting the best of Zimmerman in the confrontation, and Zimmerman then shot him.  But I didn't see the confrontation. No one else really saw the confrontation. Except George Zimmerman. I'm not even clear that situation I outlined would result in conviction.

4.) I think Andrew Cohen is right--trials don't work as strict "moral surrogates." Everything that is immoral is not illegal--nor should it be. I want to live in a society that presumes innocence. I want to live in that society even when I feel that a person should be punished. 

5.) I think you should read everything my friend Jelani Cobb has written about this case.

6.) I think the message of this episode is unfortunate. By Florida law, in any violent confrontation ending in a disputed act of lethal self-defense, without eye-witnesses, the advantage goes to the living. 

An intelligent, self-interested observer of this case, who happens to live in Florida, would not be wrong to do as George Zimmerman did--buy a gun, master the finer points of Florida self-defense law and then wait. 

7.) Circling back to the first point, it's worth remembering that what caused a national outcry was not the possibility of George Zimmerman being found innocent, but that there would be no trial at all.  This case was really unique because of what happend with the Sanford police. If you doubt this, ask yourself if you know the name "Jordan Davis." Then ask yourself how many protests and national media reports you've seen about him. 

'via Blog this'

Monday, July 8, 2013

What Do I Know?: Asiana Crash and Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers Chapter Seven: The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes

What Do I Know?: Asiana Crash and Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers Chapter Seven: The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes: "Asiana Crash and Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers Chapter Seven: The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes
When I heard about the Asiana crash in San Francisco today I had three thoughts"

'via Blog this'

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Supreme Court Bolsters Gay Marriage With Two Major Rulings - NYTimes.com

Supreme Court Bolsters Gay Marriage With Two Major Rulings - NYTimes.com: "The ruling striking down the federal Defense of Marriage Act will immediately extend many benefits to couples in the states where same-sex marriage is legal, and it will give the Obama administration the ability to broaden other benefits through executive actions.

The case concerning California’s ban on same-sex marriage, Proposition 8, was decided on technical grounds, with the majority saying that it was not properly before the court. Because officials in California had declined to appeal a trial court’s decision against them and because the proponents of Proposition 8 were not entitled to step into the state’s shoes to appeal the decision, the court said, it was powerless to issue a decision. That left in place a trial court victory for two same-sex couples who had sought to marry.

The decision on the federal law was decided by 5 to 4, with Justice Anthony M. Kennedy writing the majority opinion. He was joined by the four members of the court’s liberal wing."

'via Blog this'

BBC News - Kevin Rudd ousts Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard

BBC News - Kevin Rudd ousts Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard: "Kevin Rudd has ousted Prime Minister Julia Gillard as leader of Australia's Labor Party.

He won by 57 votes to 45, in a leadership ballot of Labor lawmakers.

The change comes ahead of a general election due in September, which polls suggest Labor is set to lose.

This is the latest twist in a long and bitter rivalry between the two politicians - but it could be the last as Ms Gillard has said she will now leave politics."

'via Blog this'

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

The Farmer’s Dilemma: Climate Change, Food Security, and Human Mobility | New Security Beat

The Farmer’s Dilemma: Climate Change, Food Security, and Human Mobility | New Security Beat: "“Most of the world’s poor are farmers; they share the same profession and the same challenges,” said One Acre Fund’s Stephanie Hanson at a recent Wilson Center event on small-scale farming, climate change, food security, and migration. They are tasked with growing enough food to support their families with only tenuous access to land and natural resources, the most basic of tools, and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns to deal with."

'via Blog this'

Industrial policies for development: It’s more than you think | OECD Insights Blog

Industrial policies for development: It’s more than you think | OECD Insights Blog: "As Cambridge professor Ha Joon Chang puts it: this “landmark publication… shows a supreme degree of pragmatism”. It “looks for ways to make industrial policy work better, rather than having an ideological debate on whether it exists and whether it can ever succeed. It is an excellent example of how that exploration may be conducted in an intelligent, well-informed and balanced way”."

'via Blog this'

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

You Can Finally Buy the Magical Spray That Waterproofs Everything

You Can Finally Buy the Magical Spray That Waterproofs Everything: "Home Depot is carrying NeverWet for $20 a can. Spray the silicon-based coating on electronics, clothing, or almost any surface and it'll become almost completely impervious to moisture. Of course, we're skeptical until we try it out ourselves. But in the convincing demo you see liquid hit a surface and immediately scurry away without leaving any damage. Spill mustard on your white shoes? Don't worry about it. Drop your iPhone in the toilet? It will survive. We've all had accidents with our expensive gadgets, so a $20 waterproofing solution is hard to disagree with. Just, you know, try not to inhale it."

'via Blog this'

Introducing SILCS: It’s Not Your Mother’s Diaphragm

Introducing SILCS: It’s Not Your Mother’s Diaphragm

Thursday, June 20, 2013

The Supreme Court Decided Your Silence Can Be Used Against You - Alexander Abad-Santos - The Atlantic Wire

The Supreme Court Decided Your Silence Can Be Used Against You - Alexander Abad-Santos - The Atlantic Wire: "A nation continues to wait for final word on the Supreme Court's Big Four cases this term — voting rights, affirmative action, DOMA, and Proposition 8 — but the justices' closest decision arrived first on Monday, in a 5-4 ruling on Salinas v. Texas in which the conservative members of the Court and Anthony Kennedy determined that if you remain silent before police read your Miranda rights, that silence can and will be held against you. Here's what that means.

Basically, if you're ever in any trouble with police (no, we don't condone breaking laws) and want to keep your mouth shut, you will need to announce that you're invoking your Fifth Amendment right instead of, you know, just keeping your mouth shut. "Petitioner's Fifth Amendment claim fails because he did not expressly invoke the privilege against self-incrimination in response to the officer's question," reads the opinion from Justice Samuel Alito, which Justice Kennedy and Chief Justice John Roberts backed. Justices Thomas and Scalia had a concurring opinion while the remaining four Supremes dissented. "

'via Blog this'

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

What Happens to Women Who Are Denied Abortions? - NYTimes.com

What Happens to Women Who Are Denied Abortions? - NYTimes.com: "Most studies on the effects of abortion compare women who have abortions with those who choose to carry their pregnancies to term. It is like comparing people who are divorced with people who stay married, instead of people who get the divorce they want with the people who don’t. Foster saw this as a fundamental flaw. By choosing the right comparison groups — women who obtain abortions just before the gestational deadline versus women who miss that deadline and are turned away — Foster hoped to paint a more accurate picture. Do the physical, psychological and socioeconomic outcomes for these two groups of women differ? Which is safer for them, abortion or childbirth? Which causes more depression and anxiety? “I tried to measure all the ways in which I thought having a baby might make you worse off,” Foster says, “and the ways in which having a baby might make you better off, and the same with having an abortion.”"

'via Blog this'

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

When You Kill Ten Million Africans You Aren’t Called ‘Hitler’ | Diary of a Walking Butterfly

When You Kill Ten Million Africans You Aren’t Called ‘Hitler’ | Diary of a Walking Butterfly:

Take a look at this picture. Do you know who it is?
Most people haven’t heard of him.
But you should have. When you see his face or hear his name you should get as sick in your stomach as when you read about Mussolini or Hitler or see one of their pictures. You see, he killed over 10 million people in the Congo.
His name is King Leopold II of Belgium.

'via Blog this'

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Don't forget smallholder farmers on climate talks - In the news: Climate Finance | Devex

Don't forget smallholder farmers on climate talks - In the news: Climate Finance | Devex: "What they need, according to Jones, is a predictable and adequate flow of funding for projects that may help them adapt to climate change, like IFAD’s Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Program, currently a $340-million facility capable of funding 30-35 programs a year.

But financing adaptation is not a simple task — it requires an “institutional” change and a lot of money, notes the IFAD official: “Development, without consideration of climate change, cannot be truly called development, because we are ignoring one of the main contextual challenges.”"

'via Blog this'

Farming could be key to solving youth unemployment in Africa | Global Development Professionals Network | Guardian Professional

Farming could be key to solving youth unemployment in Africa | Global Development Professionals Network | Guardian Professional: "Agriculture employs most of Africa's young people and is likely to continue to do so in the future. But to meet the aspirations of millions who want rewarding work, the continents's agricultural sector will have to change markedly. Today's farming by machete and hand hoe does not appeal to young Africans or to policymakers. Farming is not even viewed as a "job" by many young Africans, who instead reserve the term for employment that requires clean clothes and a desk. Yet for a generation of young people entering adulthood, agriculture offers the best opportunity to move out of poverty and build satisfying lives.

Markets for food are booming globally and in Africa. Recent trends in income growth, urbanisation and diet have created a sharp rise in demand for food. Although most food consumed in Africa south of the Sahara is produced there, imports also have increased significantly in the past decade because growth in demand outpaces local and regional supply."

'via Blog this'

The photo that encapsulates Turkey’s protests and the severe police crackdown

The photo that encapsulates Turkey’s protests and the severe police crackdown: "The photo was snapped by Reuters photographer Osman Orsal in Istanbul’s Taksim Gezi Park, where the movement began with a peaceful sit-in protesting the government’s plan to turn the green space into a shopping mall. Police moved in to clear the square, deploying barricades, tear gas and pepper spray. These photos show the crackdown in action, with the young urbanite Turks who had gathered at the square – the sorts of people who would hold a sit-in to protect city green space – clearly surprised by the police’s severity."
(REUTERS/Osman Orsal)

'via Blog this'

The Protests in Turkey, Explained | Mother Jones

The Protests in Turkey, Explained | Mother Jones: "Thousands of protesters have been injured as authorities have sought to disperse demonstrators with tear gas, water canons, beatings, and a tightening grip on the media. On Monday, Erdogan accused the protesters of "walking arm-in-arm with terrorism." Yet his defiant response is only making the crowds larger. In an echo of the Arab Spring and the Occupy Wall Street protests of 2011, the movement has been galvanized by images disseminated on social media, such as a picture of a policeman spraying tear gas at a young woman in a red summer dress, her long hair swept upward by the blast. "The more they spray," reads a popular Twitter caption, "the bigger we get.""

'via Blog this'

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Supreme Court declines to hear abortion case

Supreme Court declines to hear abortion case: "The court refused to consider Indiana's appeal of a lower court decision striking down its denial of Medicaid funds to health care providers that perform abortions. The law was challenged by Planned Parenthood."

'via Blog this'

Friday, May 10, 2013

Thousands rally against Malaysia vote result - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

Thousands rally against Malaysia vote result - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English: "Tens of thousands of Malaysians, dressed in black, have gathered to denounce the country's elections which they claim were marred by fraud by the coalition that has ruled for 56 years.

Malaysia's opposition leader is leading demonstrations against alleged electoral fraud in Sunday's election.

I'm here to support democracy. I feel the election is so unfair and there are so many dirty tricks

- Tan Han Hui, university student

Anwar Ibrahim, head of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat, or People's Pact, called for support from people after he lost the race to become prime minister

The gathering of at least 50,000 people according to AP news agency was being held in a stadium outside the capital Kuala Lumpur, with protesters spilling out of the stands and onto the football field."

'via Blog this'

Monday, May 6, 2013

Malaysia Elections Live Blog - Al Jazeera Blogs

Malaysia Elections Live Blog - Al Jazeera Blogs: "Malaysia Elections about 3 hours ago
Malaysia's ruling coalition has retained its 56-year hold on power in hard-fought elections but opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim says the victory is tainted and has refused to concede.

The Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition led by Prime Minister Najib Razak got well past the threshold of 112 seats for a simple majority in parliament, standing on 133 as final returns continued to trickle in early on Monday."

'via Blog this'

Election casts spell on streets of Malaysia - Features - Al Jazeera English

Election casts spell on streets of Malaysia - Features - Al Jazeera English: "Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Debates about corruption, racial politics, sex scandals and economic stability are rising over the Malaysian capital like the iconic Petronas Towers ahead of Sunday's close election bitterly contested between two political heavy-weights.

Malaysians of all stripes prepared their own roles on Saturday ahead of what the New Straits Times called “the mother of all elections”.

With the election just hours away, both sides are certain of victory. Pre-voting polls say the outcome is too close to call.

The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, led by Prime Minister Najib Razak, believes its record of economic growth, recent social reforms, and nearly 60 years of uninterrupted power will carry the day.

It has played on fears of a financial meltdown and painted the opposition as a fractious bunch of scandal-ridden amateurs who plan to install Islamic law across the nation."

'via Blog this'

Malaysia's governing coalition wins majority - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

Malaysia's governing coalition wins majority - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English: "Malaysia's ruling coalition has retained its 56-year hold on power in hard-fought elections but opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim says the victory is tainted and has refused to concede."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Norway Runs Short of Garbage Needed to Make Electricity - The Daily Beast

Norway Runs Short of Garbage Needed to Make Electricity - The Daily Beast:
The New York Times reported Monday that Oslo, which has long burned waste to heat half of the city and almost all its schools, is lacking the materials need for fuel: household trash, commercial and industrial waste, and even hazardous junk from hospitals. With the rise of recyclable and reusable products, Oslo’s volume of trash just isn’t what it used to be. The city, which often accepts or at times buys garbage from other European countries, is seeing a similar scenario elsewhere.

'via Blog this'

Friday, April 26, 2013

Jean Lebel: Why Canada Is the R&D World Leader

Jean Lebel: Why Canada Is the R&D World Leader: "Canada is a world leader in research for international development, foreign aid that invests in scientific innovation to find solutions to hunger, to address climate change, to augment the food supply, to alleviate poverty and increase health and well-being in developing countries. Many organizations contribute to Canada's overall development strategy. With the goal of achieving foreign policy objectives, the International Development Research Centre is the leader in partnering for research and an integral part of that effort with organizations such as the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) and the Canadian research granting councils, to address global issues and change lives, for the better. For greater impact, Canada also collaborates with other governments and aid groups, like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to amplify funding to key development priorities. In the last year alone over 100 million additional research dollars from partner organizations were leveraged for life-saving projects."

'via Blog this'

FAO: More funds for new strategies - News: FAO | Devex

FAO: More funds for new strategies - News: FAO | Devex: "Representatives of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization member states gathered in Rome this week to open the debate for the 2014-2015 budget as well as discuss innovative strategies to address food security, with a new role for African countries.

On the table for the debate — to be concluded by June, when the conference of member states will have to approve the budget — are a proposed 1 percent budget increase and reallocations of resources to strengthen technical cooperation and social protection initiatives.

But this is not only a forum but budget negotiations. Also up for discussion are innovative approaches to food security: a reviewed strategic framework, two new plans to engage the private sector and civil society, and a new role for the African countries.

“Based on the reform process, it is a more cohesive and participatory approach,” Ethiopia’s deputy permanent representative to FAO Abreha Aseffa told Devex."

'via Blog this'
 
Think local. Act global. Learn more about the Peace Corps