I was wondering if the sleepytime teas were safe or what other suggestions yall may have short of over the counter sleep aids. Thanks for suggestions !
Let’s start with Miley Cyrus on crack (Ke$ha):
Of course, Lady Gaga and the most annoying song of hers:
Rihanna, who I really do not like:
Blackeyed Peas, who really need to grow up:
Nickelback:
And finally, the real Miley Cyrus (not on crack):
I would actually rather listen to her dad’s music:
Feel free to add your own….
Wiem, przepalone niebo. Straszne słońce wtedy było. Ale może się wam spodoba mimo niedoskonałości.
The HTC HD2 has a great screen, and also a great viewing angle. In fact, in a bit of informal testing, the text on the screen became illegible due to the obliqueness of the angle rather than any distortion of the on-screen image.
If you rather not have your seat neighbour in the plane watch your movie or read your spreadsheet, DCMugen has the solution for you, in the form of a privacy screen for the HD2 which dramatically reduces the viewing angle of the screen.
DCMugen notes the screen brings:
The protector of course has some disadvantages:
If your privacy is more important than screen responsiveness you can read more about the accessory at DCMugen here. The filter sells for $5.99 via their ebay store.
It is one thing to have strong growth when everything elsewhere seemed fine, but strength can only really be proven through less favorable external conditions. The recent turmoil certainly qualified as that, and the BRIC economies survived it well. Indeed, these days we think that the combined GDP of the BRICs might exceed that of the G7 countries by 2027, about 10 years earlier than we initially believed. So why has this crisis been good for the BRICs?
For China, it has forced changes in the country’s previous, unsustainable export model. The decline in U.S. and European spending convinced Chinese policymakers that they must quickly stimulate domestic demand if they are to have any chance of maintaining their goal of annual GDP growth at 8 percent or higher. Already it looks like Beijing’s swift and savvy stimulus plan is working. China will likely overtake Japan as the No. 2 economy in the world by the end of 2009. We estimate that within 17 years, China will also overtake the U.S.
Brazil also had a good crisis. Despite a commodity-price collapse, Brazilian policymakers didn’t panic, and the stability culture fostered by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva since 2001 has survived. Low inflation is a new reality, and the investment climate is strong. Assuming a smooth transition to post-Lula leadership, Brazil can continue to enjoy an estimated 5 percent annual growth.
India, too, has weathered the worst of the crisis well. Who would have thought that the world’s largest democracy would be likely to grow by 6 percent or more in the same year that the U.S. and U.K., historically India’s two most important trade and investment partners, experienced their worst declines in decades? Since Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s big victory in May’s elections, the prospect of fresh policy reforms has grown more likely. If India can boost its infrastructure and both improve and speed up its policymaking, it might unleash the spending power of its own billion-plus populace and see Chinese-style growth rates for the next decade.
The big caveat in the BRIC success story is Russia. The collapse of the world economy and the speedy drop in oil prices exposed not only Russia’s commodity dependence but also the fact that too much money and power there has been concentrated in the hands of too few. To remain in the high-growth category long term, Russia must arrest its population decline, improve the rule of law to encourage business, and boost efficiency in nearly every aspect of its economy.
What about the other large emerging-market countries? We have identified a promising group known as the N11, or the "Next 11," many of which have emerged from the crisis in better shape than predicted. In Asia, populous Indonesia is perhaps the most exciting of these countries, and some people are suggesting it might even become as big as one of the BRICs. While I doubt that, it does look as though it might be on track for sustained growth in domestic demand. It will take a few years to see whether recent signs of optimism about stronger governance will persist, but the prospects seem quite encouraging.
Mexico, Nigeria, and Turkey also show great promise. Turkey is especially intriguing, given its young and vibrant population and its unique position as a bridge between East and West. As for Mexico, I occasionally think it should have been included in the original BRIC list, as it has such a big population. But Mexico hasn’t done much to improve its productivity performance and dependency on oil revenues, in part because it sits on the U.S. borderit’s too easy to grow by satisfying the low-end manufacturing and energy needs of its large neighbor. Commodity-rich Nigeria could also be a lot more exciting if it got its economic act togetherit is Africa’s most-populous nation, with a potential market around four times the size of South Africa’s.
What is the world going to look like as it adjusts to these emerging powers? The first and probably most important thing to say is that there are likely to be all sorts of unpredictable political and economic developments associated with their rise. This makes the advent of the G20 all the more important as a venue for reducing conflicts.
Already, the rise of the emerging markets has raised big new questions and risks. For example, since the end of World War II, the world’s largest economies have been liberal democracies. While China will presumably evolve into a freer political system over time, it is by no means certain that it will become true Western-style democracy. How will the U.S. and Europe accommodate themselves to Beijing as a global partner?
And will the BRICs themselves get along? China and India, for example, have fought wars along their long and mountainous border before. Could there be future conflicts between these two rising giants? And what kind of impact would these have on the global economy?
This leads me back to the economic and financial paradigms of the new world. It is widely presumed that it is merely a matter of time until China will allow its currency to float freely and dismantle all its capital controls. I have assumed this myself for many years. After a recent trip to the Far East, however, I found myself wondering whether this is actually as inevitable as many of us presume. The existence of capital controls in different forms has helped countries like China and India weather this crisis. Policymakers in both countries are pleased that they didn’t accept expert Western advice to dismantle controls any faster than they did.
Now, fast-forward to 2020. At that point China will probably represent around 15 percent of global GDP, andIndia somewhere between 5 and 10 percent, which would put both countries close to both the U.S. and Europe in economic size. This new heft could put them in a position to suggest something quite alien to many Western policymakers todaythat they should consider a more heterogeneous global financial system.
One of the most intriguing policy statements I have read in many years came from People’s Bank of China governor Zhou Xiaochuan back before the April 2009 G20 meeting. His suggestion that the world use IMF-backed "special drawing rights" rather than the dollar as a reserve currency has had my mind in overdrive ever since. What if we were to move to a more managed currency system in which the dollar, euro, yuan, and others, possibly the yen, were managed against each other? It used to happen with gold. Maybe it might work in this new and different guise. A new multipolar global currency system would allow more diverse patterns of global trade and investment to emerge and help mitigate the global imbalances in saving and spending that have grown out of our dependency on the dollar. The result could be a wealthier, and economically healthier, planet.
O’Neill is the chief economist at Goldman Sachs.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/225625?ut…+World+News%29
Natural Nibbles dog treats are offering up a free sample to anyone willing to fill out a quick form. The treats claim to be made with the highest quality ingredients using no by-products, fillers, artificial colors or flavors, and no preservatives. They’re made in the United States and are minimally processed.
The treats come in four varieties, including Beef Liver, Chicken Liver, Salmon Treats, and 100% Beef Liver. Simply fill out the request form located at their site to receive your free sample (though it doesn’t look like you get to pick which flavor you get).
Though my dogs don’t much care about nutrition or in some cases even what they’re eating, I do and it’s good to know there are pet food companies keeping that in mind, even if it is “just” treats!
[image: natural nibbles]
Post from: Blisstree
El mes pasado publicábamos cómo Volvo promocionaba su nuevo S60. Se trata de contratar al artista ciego Esref Armagan (cuya web oficial con información detallada sobre el artista turco es ésta) para que dibujase, siendo ciego como es, el nuevo modelo insignia de Volvo, para luego subastarlo en eBay con fines benéficos.
Pues bien, la puja ya ha concluido y la cantidad total asciende a 3.050 dólares, récord en eBay por un artículo destinado a la caridad. En concreto a la Union Mundial de Ciegos, con sede en Canadá y que representa a más de 150 millones de personas en 177 países diferentes. 17 personas participaron en la puja, que empezó con unos modestos 20 dólares, y 11.300 visitantes se acercaron a ver cómo iba la puja.
A lo largo de los años Armagan se ha ganado una reputación por su habilidad única para capturar la perspectiva, el color y la forma sin tener en cuenta su profundo hándicap (nació ciego, jamás ha visto nada y no tiene conciencia de visualizar ningún objeto salvo por descripciones y por su tacto). Volvo está absolutamente encantado con el proceso.
En la página oficial de Volvo en Facebook podemos ver un vídeo sobre el nuevo s60, que Fernando Álvarez nos trajo esta semana.
Fuente | Volvo
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/w…re/8437658.stm
Even talking about this makes my blood boil. This is of the most disrespectful things anyone could do. You do not march through that town shouting out your shite towards those 100s of lads who have died. They might aswell dress up as Nazis and start chanting Hitler in Britain’s streets! How ever strong the reason or cause you may have. You just don’t do it!
The Foraminifera Sculpture Park in Guangzhou Province officially opened in December 2009. Marine geologist Bilal Haq, of the National Science Foundation, got the idea for the sculpture park a decade ago after seeing palm-sized models of foraminifera in the lab of marine biologist Zheng Shouyi at the Institute of Oceanology in Qingdao, China. Zheng persuaded local authorities to pursue the idea.
Foraminifera are an ancient form of life, dating back to the Cambrian Period, 540-480 Million years ago. Meaning “Hole Bearers” the Foraminifera are small, single celled, shelled marine organisms. Despite being single celled, some of the designs of the shells of Foraminifera became very complex with multiple chambers and grew relativly large for single celled creatures, growing to some 19cm. These creatures once ruled the world, filling the seas, and developed into an astonishing variety of lifeforms — some 275,000 species are recognized — in what is known as the “Cambrian explosion.”
It was this diversity of form that inspired marine geologist Bilal Haq, and marine biologist Zheng Shouyi to help get the Chinese sculpture park built. Today there are 114 sculptures in the park all carved out of marble, granite, and sandstone and all inspired by and representing the varied forms of the Foraminifera. Forams from across the world, from 5 oceans and countries including Russia, America, Cuba, France, Italy, New Zealand, and CHina itself. Six new forams were recently discovered in Sanxiang. No doubt it is only a matter of time before they are incorporated into the park.
Podés votar a uno de los 7 semifinalistas, eligiendo la que más te guste. Por favor, no voten solamente a alguien por amistad o por ser de la misma nacionalidad; voten honestamente y de la manera más limpia posible. Tienen que darle la misma chance a todas las fotografías, no concentrándose en qué se ha fotografiado, sino en la técnica realizada, la calidad y el esfuerzo colocado.
Nuestros 7 semifinalistas de esta semana con los mejores promedios están a continuación. Están ordenados en orden aleatorio:
#1: Camino a la noche
#2: Flor: B&W
#3: Espere atrás de la línea amarilla
#4: La cripta
#5: Simbiosis urbana
#6: Cuando el cielo se enciende…
#7: Cabalgando en el fuego
Es opción multivoto. Se recomienda votar hasta por un máximo de tres fotos por grupo.
! SON 2 VOTOS! Por la modalidad de unir 2 subcategorías en un poll, el mismo será de selección múltiple, pero cada forista podrá votar por un solo candidato, en el caso de que vote por 2 en la misma categoría se anularán los 2 votos.
! El poll está programado para cerrarse el 12 de Enero.
______________________________CULTURALES Y COMERCIALES DEL AÑO 2009
C A N D I D A T O S______________________________
Culturales
- A) Teatro Municipal Chacao, Caracas
- B) Flor de Venezuela, Barquisimeto
- C) Aula Magna de la UC, Valencia
- D) Centro Cultural Contemporáneo, Barquisimeto
- E) Teatro Municipal, San Cristóbal
Comerciales
- A) C.C. Sigo Maracay, Maracay
- B) La Vela Mall, Porlamar
- C) Milenium Mall, Caracas
- D) Sambil Paraguaná, Punto Fijo
- E) C.C. Sigo Cerro Verde, Caracas
- F) C.C. Sigo Puerto La Cruz, Puerto La Cruz
Podés votar a uno de los 7 semifinalistas, eligiendo la que más te guste. Por favor, no voten solamente a alguien por amistad o por ser de la misma nacionalidad; voten honestamente y de la manera más limpia posible. Tienen que darle la misma chance a todas las fotografías, no concentrándose en qué se ha fotografiado, sino en la técnica realizada, la calidad y el esfuerzo colocado.
Nuestros 7 semifinalistas de esta semana con los mejores promedios están a continuación. Están ordenados en orden aleatorio:
#1: El fantasma del Centro de Convenciones
#2: Indiferentes al dramatismo urbano
#3: Discípulos de la niebla
#4: Resplandor en sepia
#5: Cuide a su demonio
#6: Mirando a futuro
#7: Ocaso urbano
Es opción multivoto. Se recomienda votar hasta por un máximo de tres fotos por grupo.
This isn’t completely confirmed, but we’ve heard from a source that there will be an AT&T 3G-compatible version of the Google Nexus One. Our connect described it as being a “second” unlocked model, with the T-Mobile-subsidized unit being locked to T-Mobile. Our tipster was so impressed by a Nexus One in person, they said they would 100% give up their T-Mobile BlackBerry 9700 for one when it’s available. We’ll see what happens on the 5th…
Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]
Think we can turn the corner this decade? Probably not. But it is encouraging that non-believers constitute the fastest growing segment of the population where religious beliefs are concerned. Non-believers now account for 15% of the population according to a survey last year.
4 Pork Chops, trimmed of fat
1/2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 C Spaghetti Sauce
1 C Water
2 Tbsp Dried Basil
1/4 C Sun Dried Tomatoes
1/8 tsp Tabasco Sauce
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Sear Pork chops over EVOO on high heat in 10" – 12" skillet
Combine all ingredients except sun dried tomatoes, simmer 8 min
Flip pork chops, add sun dried tomates, continue simmer 10 min
Every quarter, without fail, a bunch of articles appear talking about the venture capital industries investment pace as a result of the PWC MoneyTree report. I used to get calls from all of the Denver / Boulder area reporters about my thoughts on these – that eventually stopped when I started responding “who gives a fuck?”
A few days ago I got a note from Steve Murchie about his new blog titled Angels and Pinheads. I’m glad Steve is blogging about this as he’s got plenty of experience and thoughts around the dynamics of angel investors – some that I agree with and some that I don’t. Regardless, my view is that there more there is out there, the better, as long as people engage in the conversation.
In his post Mind the Gap he made an assertion that “the VC industry has effectively stopped investing in seed stage ($500K and less) and startup-stage ($2M and less) opportunities.” As a VC who makes lots of investments between $250k and $2M, and who has plenty of good friends who happen to be VCs that also make investments in this range (such as Union Square Ventures, First Round Capital, True Ventures, SoftTech VC, FB Founders, Alsop Louis, O’Reilly Alpha Tech, and Highway 12), I thought Steve’s assertion was wrong and I told him so in the comments. He countered with the PWC Moneytree data on Q3 VC investments.
| Stage | Total $M | % of Total | # Deals | Avg / Deal $M |
| Later Stage | 1611 | 33.49 | 168 | 9.6 |
| Expansion | 1610 | 33.48 | 185 | 8.7 |
| Early Stage | 1081 | 22.49 | 198 | 5.5 |
| Startup/Seed | 507 | 10.54 | 86 | 5.9 |
Steve’s response to the Startup/Seed “Average Deal Size” was “WTF??!” While that is the correct reaction, his conclusion (that VCs aren’t investing between $250k and $2M) is incorrect for two simple reasons: (1) the data is the PWC MoneyTree Report is incorrect and incomplete and (2) the interesting number to look at, assuming the data is correct, is the Median, not the Average. If you wonder why, Wikipedia’s explanation is pretty good: “The median can be used as a measure of location when a distribution is skewed, when end values are not known, or when one requires reduced importance to be attached to outliers, e.g. because they may be measurement errors.”
Let’s look at the underlying data in Silicon Valley (that results in the above table) to understand this better. Going to the PWC Moneytree Startup/Seed investments in Silicon Valley for Q309, you get the following:
The first six “startup/seed” investments each raised $10M or more. Now, I’ll accept that these might be classified as “startup rounds” (e.g. the first round of investment) but no rational person would categories these as seed investments. But, for purposes of this example, let’s keep them in the mix. The average is $6.4M and the median is $5.0M. Now, let’s toss out only the ones $10M or great since these clearly aren’t “seed” investments. Our average is now $3.4M and the median is now $2.0M.
I’m still feeling generous (e.g. I’ll waive reason #1 – that the data is incorrect / incomplete – for the time being). Let’s look at the PWC Moneytree Startup/Seed investments in New England for Q309.
The average is $8.4M and the median is $5M. Now, toss out everything above $10M. The average is now $3.9M and the median is $4M.
But it gets better. Let’s take all of the PCW Moneytree Startup/Seed Investments in the US for Q309. There are 86 of them and as we know from the first table the average is $5.9M. But the median is $4M. Now, toss out the ones above $10M. The average is now $4M and the median is now $3M. This exercise – again – assuming the data is correct – shows the difference between average and median, as well as how much the numbers are skewed upward by “startup/seed” investments $10m or more.
I’m not going to try very hard to show that that the data is incorrect, but I’ll give you two examples. The first is FourSquare, a well known seed investment led by Union Square Ventures and O’Reilly AlphaTech. It was a $1.35M financing, has three employees, and occurred in 9/09. This is about as close to the definition of a seed investment as you can get. Yet, PWC Classifies it as Early Stage (plus they got the investment amount wrong as they list it as $1.15M.) For reference, Dow Jones VentureSource classifies this as a seed investment and gets the amount right.
Let’s do another one. This time look at what PWC MoneyTree has on First Round Capital
compared to what Crunchbase has on First Round Capital for Q309.
The differences that I think are incorrect on PWC’s part are that (1) GumGum is missing, (2) CoTweet is classified as Early Stage instead of Seed, (3) BigDeal is missing, (4) DNAnexus is missing (although it looks like it might have happened in Q2 even though it was widely reported in August), (5) Continuity Engine is classified as Early Stage instead of Seed, (6) ClickEquations is missing, (7) Sofa Labs shows up twice, and (8) Sofa Labs is classified as Early Stage instead of Seed. Now Crunchbase is missing Project Fair Bid (even though they reported on it) so they aren’t perfect, but at the minimum the misclassification between Seed and Early Stage is dramatic. Just for grins I looked these up in Dow Jones VentureSource and their data is closer to CrunchBase’s (especially the Round Type), but there are still differences.
Ever since I started investing in 1994 I’ve heard people spouting VC investment statistics to justify different viewpoints. I’ve always felt this was a “garbage in / garbage out” phenomenon. While there are some academics that do rigorous work around this (and understand the difference in importance between averages, medians, and er – statistically significant results), they are few and far between. And – most of the data people actually use and discuss is stuff like the PWC Moneytree Report.
I keep fantasizing that this madness will stop, but I doubt it will. In the mean time, I think I’ll go for an average run at a median pace.
