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  • “Google Energy” Subsidiary: What’s Google Up To?

    Could Google one day sell you electricity? This week E&E News and CNET are reporting that the search engine giant has created a subsidiary called “Google Energy,” which is looking to buy and sell electricity on federally regulated wholesale markets. Google has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) — the group that oversees the U.S. electrical network — for permission to do so.

    Google’s Niki Fenwick told us (and is quoted in the other media reports) that Google has no plans to become an energy seller but that the creation of Google Energy is an attempt to proactively address hurdles it could face in its plans to go carbon neutral. Given the legal permission to act as a utility — basically buying and selling clean energy (it owns a large rooftop solar project at its headquarters) — Google could help offset its carbon emissions that result from its large power needs.

    While creating Google Energy and asking permission to buy and sell electricity is definitely an unusual move for an Internet company, it’s not entirely unheard of for a large company to form a wholesale power firm. Nathaniel Bullard, an analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, pointed out to me that Wal-Mart created Texas Retail Energy, which allows it to procure its own power and get the lowest-cost electricity for their warehouses and retail stores.

    When news about Wal-Mart’s energy firm came out in 2007 there was a lot of speculation that Wal-Mart would get into the electricity selling business, and Wal-Mart said it hadn’t fully ruled that out for the long term.

    Wal-Mart formed the power firm to find the lowest electricity, while Google says the move is more to address clean energy and carbon emissions. But perhaps the real aim of Google Energy is, like Wal-Mart, to find the lowest cost electricity period. Google uses a massive amount of energy to power its servers and has been looking at a variety of ways to lower their energy bills through energy conservation measures. Just having more control over the supply of energy could help cut the monthly energy bill. Google’s Fenwik tells me that Google wants to buy the most affordable renewable energy that it can.

    Google’s Fenwick told CNET that for Google Energy, “We don’t have any concrete plans.” I think that answer is probably not a way to dodge the issue — Google has a lot of aggressive and far-reaching projects that they don’t necessarily think through fully before starting to implement them.

    As Google’s energy guru Bill Weihl told the New York Times this week:

    [I]f you don’t say five years later, “We never should have done that” about a significant percentage of it [company projects], then you’re being way too conservative. So the stuff we’re doing under the Google.org umbrella on alternative energy, some of it doesn’t connect very closely to Google’s core business, some of it does, and that’s O.K.

    But then again, companies like Google and Apple deny for years some of their bigger and extreme projects like building mobile phones. So while Google might just be experimenting for now, it’s probably safe to say that nothing is off the table for Google Energy.

  • Q&A: what will happen with climate legislation in 2010?

    by The Guardian

    By Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian’s U.S. environment correspondent

    What is the state of play for climate change legislation in America?

    Barack Obama put his reputation on the line at Copenhagen by saying America would act on climate change. Now it’s up to Congress. The House of Representatives passed the Waxman-Markey bill last June which would set a price on carbon, and would put progressively tighter limits on greenhouse gas emissions with a 17 percent cut from 2005 levels by 2020, and 80 percent by 2050.

    Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat, passed a nearly identical version of the bill out of the Senate environment committee last November. But action in the Senate has stalled. Boxer stared down a Republican boycott to get a bill through her committee. But Democrats are deeply reluctant to throw themselves into another full-on confrontation with Republicans so soon after the bruising battle over health care reform.

    What happens next?

    U.S. environmental organizations say there is still a good chance the Senate will move ahead on a climate change bill this year.  A triumvirate of Senators—Democrat John Kerry, Republican Lindsey Graham, and Independent Joe Lieberman—are working to craft a climate change bill they think would have a good chance of getting support from Republican as well as Democratic Senators. Kerry had earlier promised a blueprint late last year. The newest deadline is at the end of this month. The Senate is then expected to begin its push in the spring.

    Did the Copenhagen climate summit hurt or help prospects for the bill?

    Obama’s 13 hours on the ground diplomacy at Copenhagen was seen as evidence of his commitment to action—which should help give momentum to the bill. The deal reached at Copenhagen by the biggest emitters—though it fell far short of hopes for the summit—also includes important concessions from China to begin curbing its rate of emissions, and to open its books on how it cuts emissions. That will help neutralize the argument that China is not doing its bit, and that America would give up competitive advantage if it took on energy reform.

    Will the Senate bill look just like Waxman-Markey?

    Not entirely. Kerry and Graham are determined to get Republican support, which means there will mean a number of hard compromises for environmentalists. One is an expansion of nuclear power, with Republicans pushing hard for more cheap government loans for new plants, plus streamlined regulations. There is also a push for offshore oil drilling. Other ideas include limiting the kinds of industries that would be compelled to begin reducing their emissions. One proposal under discussion would only put an emissions cap on power plants.

    What about the U.S. midterm elections?

    The Democrats anticipate losses in both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 2010 elections which will further impair the prospects of getting climate change law. But even the approach of the 2010 elections are making an impact.

    Democratic leaders say the Senate must pass climate change bill by spring 2010, if there is to be any U.S. legislation at all. Democrats from coal and old industry states will be cautious about signing up to sweeping energy and climate laws in the run-up to midterm elections in November 2010. The oil, coal and manufacturing lobbies have been spending millions to frame the proposed laws as measures that will fuel unemployment and increase home heating bills.

    What if the Senate fails to act?

    Climate change legislation may stall in the Senate, but the federal government, and several states and cities are moving ahead. The business world is also coming on side. The Obama administration has raised fuel efficiency standards for cars. California, the biggest state, has ordered power companies to get one-third of its electricity from clean and renewable energy by 2020. Perhaps most importantly, the Environmental Protection Agency said last month that it would begin regulating greenhouse gas emissions. However, some Republicans want to keep the EPA out of that role. The Senate is due to vote on January 20 on whether to delay EPA regulatory action.

    How does this affect a global deal to curb carbon emissions?

    One of the key outcomes from Copenhagen is a commitment from industrialized countries to raise $100 billion a year from 2020 to help the most vulnerable countries adapt to climate change. But America’s promise to mobilize its share of the $100 billion depends on the establishment of a carbon market—which will be created through climate change legislation. Obama administration officials have said America will raise its share from a variety of sources—not just government funds. No climate change law means no U.S. carbon market and sharply reduced funds for poor countries.

    First published on The Guardian.

    Related Links:

    Reports of climate bill death are greatly exaggerated

    Transportation bill could produce environmental and job benefits in 2010

    What might Sen. Byron Dorgan’s retirement mean for climate legislation?






  • New CCH White Paper Provides In-Depth Look at Provisions of Financial Regulatory Reform Legislation

    A new white paper from CCH provides in-depth analysis of the securities, derivatives, corporate governance, systemic risk and dissolution authority components of the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, passed by the House in December.

    CCH is part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a leading provider of research information and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals (business.cch.com).

    To read the special new report, House Passes Historic Securities, Derivatives and Systemic Risk Reforms: HR 4173, click here, or visit cch.com/press/news/CCHWhitePaperHR4173.pdf.

    “This bill would be the most significant reform of the U.S. financial system since the New Deal of the 1930s,” said white paper author and CCH Principal Securities Analyst Jim Hamilton, JD.

    The legislation would create a Financial Services Oversight Council to monitor systemically significant financial institutions, counterparties and potential threats to the financial system.

    This ensures that there is no place to hide by closing loopholes, improving consolidated supervision and establishing robust regulatory oversight.

    The measure also would provide for the orderly wind-down of failing firms that are systemically significant, ending the notion of “too big to fail.”

    By dissolving these firms, the Act would end them and avoid more taxpayer bailouts. The bill also offers robust consumer protections and reforms.

    It puts the regulation of consumer protection on a level playing field with the regulation of safety and soundness of financial institutions.

    It would create an independent agency focused solely on writing meaningful consumer protection standards and keeping watch over predatory practices that some lenders have shown a propensity to pursue.

    Moreover, the legislation increases transparency and accountability by establishing, for the first time, a regulatory system for the over-the-counter derivatives market.

    Under the new regime, most derivative trades will take place on exchanges or through clearinghouses. Other important aspects of the bill include the registration of hedge funds and the doubling of SEC funding to hire more experts and investigators.

    Investor protection is substantially strengthened. Also, the regulation of credit rating agencies is enhanced under a new regime supervised by the SEC.

    A federal insurance office is created to gather information, mitigate systemic risk and provide for insurance expertise to the federal government.

    The legislation passed by the House is different from the proposal issued by the Senate Banking Committee last year.

    A conference committee will likely have to iron out any differences, assuming that the Senate proposal is passed by the full body.

    For More Information

    Members of the press interested in speaking with CCH securities and banking law experts should contact: Leslie Bonacum at 1-847-267-7153, [email protected]; or Neil Allen at 1-847-267-2179, [email protected].

    For a copy of the white paper, House Passes Historic Securities, Derivatives and Systemic Risk Reforms: HR 4173, click here, or visit http://www.cch.com/press/news/CCHWhitePaperHR4173.pdf.

    CCH Financial Crisis News Center

    CCH also offers a wealth of special resources related to the financial crisis at the CCH Financial Crisis News Center, financialcrisisupdate.com.

    The Center provides the legal community and others with a cohesive and robust selection of breaking news stories, analysis and links to the full text of source documents for regulatory actions and serves as a central entry point for CCH banking and securities law resources related to the crisis.

    About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business

    Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students.

    Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw.

    Its markets include health care organizations, law firms, law schools, corporate counsel and professionals requiring legal and compliance information.

    Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a leading global information services and publishing company.

    The company provides products and services for professionals in the health, tax, accounting, corporate, financial services, legal, and regulatory sectors.

    Wolters Kluwer had 2008 annual revenues of euro 3.4 billion, employs approximately 20,000 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 35 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.

    Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices.

    Visit wolterskluwer.com for information about our market positions, customers, brands, and organization.


  • Web Apps Meet Consumer Electronics at CES

    The 2010 edition of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) gets into full swing today and already we’re seeing a big trend emerging: web applications being ported to consumer electronics, from the technology inside cars to Web-enabled TVs.

    Yesterday we noted that online music service Pandora will be made available in cars, courtesy of a new Pioneer device that will begin selling in March. The pricey $1,200 device detects users’ Pandora settings via their iPhones. Other evidence of this trend can be found in Ford’s announcement of a new in-car system and Samsung’s latest Internet-connected TV.

    Sponsor

    Web Apps in Your Car

    This morning Ford CEO Alan Mulally delivered an opening keynote address at CES, unveiling Ford’s latest car technologies. One of the things he announced is MyFord, an Internet-enabled "cabin tech" system. As reported by CNET, MyFord will include two 4.2-inch color LCDs: one for vehicle information such as engine speed, temperature, and trip data; and the other for audio, phone, and navigation information. A third LCD screen is added if the system is upgraded to ‘MyFord Touch’. Check out the Motor Trend website for more detailed information.

    The online music integration in MyFord is one example of the slick smartphone-like functionality becoming available in cars. MyFord will include HD radio with song tagging, which lets users find more information about an artist or song on the Web.

    MyFord also has a unified music library, which lets users browse music from a variety of onboard audio sources.

    In December Ford announced that its SYNC-enabled vehicles will become rolling WiFi hotspots – enabling passengers to connect to the Internet when a cellular modem is plugged into the car’s USB slot. At CES, Ford announced it will include a Web browser that displays on the MyFord Touch 8-inch LCD.

    Web Apps on Your TV

    The car is just one of many consumer products being Web-ized. The TV has been a focus of innovation for Internet technology for a few years now.

    At CES Samsung has announced its new LED 9000 model TV, using Samsung’s Internet@TV technology. This television is connected to the internet via Wi-Fi and is able to hold up to 100 apps. Consumers will receive a handful of free web apps when they buy the TV set. Other apps will be released by vendors and may cost money. An early example is one Napster announced at CES – a free Napster TV widget which provides access to the Napster subscription music service.

    We know that more and more real world objects are being connected to the Internet – a trend that we track closely called Internet of Things. But this is slightly different.

    What we’re seeing at CES this year is more and more mainstream consumer items, such as cars and TVs, having web applications integrated. These are apps that we’ve become familiar with in the Web 2.0 world – Pandora, Napster, iTunes and others. Music and entertainment especially is making inroads, but we’re sure to see web apps from other sectors integrated into consumer electronics too.

    Discuss


  • Assessing Sanitizers: Cleaning Up the Confusion

    handsanitizer Assessing Sanitizers: Cleaning Up the ConfusionIf you believe the ads, we live in a squalid hotbed of menacing microbes. Evil germs are everywhere and out to get us – especially the innocent, well-dressed children playing nearby. The smart ones among us, the marketers tell us, navigate this ominous world armed with the right sanitizing defense. Even the grimiest restroom, the ad images show, can become as innocuous as a sparkling, surgery-ready space if we only have the security of hand sanitizer. Yes, the power of the imagination…

    Sure, the marketing gurus make their buck by coaxing rampant, misplaced fear in the populace. (Funny how we don’t seem as terrified by a “Biggie” order of French fries as we do our own door knobs.) However, let’s put aside the cautionary ads and look at the facts. Sales have risen some 70% since last year. Part of it is the whole H1N1 alarm, but it’s a general trend as well. Even if the craze isn’t warranted, what about more moderate use of the products? Do these things even work? Do they really keep us healthier? Are we breeding so-called “superbugs” every time we use a squirt or spray? As always, let’s break it down.

    The vast majority of hand sanitizers out there are alcohol based (like Purell) with one or more of the typical n-propanol, isopropanol or ethanol. To be effective, they contain anywhere from 60-90% alcohol. The alcohol “kills” (i.e. deactivates) the germs but requires the full drying time to do so. Additionally, sanitizers offer some ongoing, residual protection by making the skin surface inhospitable for bacteria and viruses. Ethanol-based sanitizers do a better job at killing certain viruses like the norovirus. Natural sanitizers like CleanWell use extracts from herbs (thyme being one) with inherent antiseptic properties and show effectiveness rates similar to chemical-based products (PDF Press Release).

    Next, are you less likely to get the cold or flu if you use them regularly? Research suggests that college dorm residents (PDF) and elementary students given instruction and ready access to hand sanitizers show fewer overall infections and absentee rates than control groups. (It’s worth noting that the elementary school students used an herbal, alcohol-free sanitizer.) One randomized cross-over comparison of traditional hand-washing measures versus sanitizer use in an elementary school showed similar effectiveness in reducing absenteeism.

    What are the cons of these products? Although alcohol-based sanitizers appear to be easier on the skin than soap and water washing, some people react to the products. Aside from the alcohol itself, other ingredients can be suspect, particularly the fragrances used in some formulas. There’s also some concern about the use of ethanol-based sanitizers, particularly on children. A safety review out last year suggested additional research was necessary to confirm topical safety for regular use products. Herbal-based sanitizers don’t dry hands as much as alcohol-based products, and they’re generally viewed as safe options across the board. One up and coming category I’d definitely recommend skipping is the silver nanoparticle sanitizer. The research shows too many risks to make these products worthwhile by a long shot.

    As for the risk of encouraging “superbugs,” the whole of the research suggests that sanitizers are in the clear. The real culprit here is triclosan (PDF), an anti-bacterial ingredient found in everything from anti-bacterial soaps to mouthwash to lunch boxes to running shoes (look for the “microban” label). It’s a potent endocrine-disruptor. If you have a choice of washing with a triclosan-based soap or using a regular hand sanitizer, I’d go with the sanitizer – hands down. (Sorry – couldn’t resist.)

    Personally, I don’t think sanitizers are necessary for normal, everyday circumstances, but I don’t see too much harm in them, particularly the natural herb-based brands. Maintaining a strong immune system and using good old soap and water are your best defenses. That old advice about not rubbing your eyes, nose or mouth was right on as well. A study published this fall linked nearly one third of flu risk to participants’ hand to face contact. If you’re traveling and worry you might not have access to a washroom, I don’t see a problem with taking along a bottle of natural sanitizer. At worst, it’s simply an unnecessary measure. At best, it might give you some peace of mind. And, of course, if you’re the one who’s sick and you want to exercise some extra precaution/courtesy, go ahead and use it as a backup to hand washing when you need to. All that said, I fear that hand sanitizers represent a growing trend to sterilize anything and everything when sometimes all we need is a little dirt, dust and dishevelment.

    But let me turn it over to all of you. Do you use sanitizers on an occasional or regular basis? Do you skip them altogether? Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading.

    Get Free Health Tips, Recipes and Workouts Delivered to Your Inbox

    Related posts:

    1. Dear Mark: Flu Shots
    2. Taxing Sweet Drinks
    3. Going Grubby: The Primal Benefits of Dirt, Dust and Dishevelment

  • I have a question about Australia…

    Does Australia float around? Or is it stuck there?

  • BREAKING: GM reportedly delays board meeting as new Swedish bidders emerge for Saab

    Filed under: ,

    Saab: A history in pictures – Click above for high-res gallery

    Just when we thought the financial soap opera surrounding Saab couldn’t get any more convoluted or tortured, it has. Bloomberg is reporting that General Motors has once again delayed a meeting planned for today to determine the Swedish automaker’s fate. The gathering will now take place tomorrow, in part because a new bidder has entered the fray, Genii Capital, the private-equity group that purchased Renault’s Formula One team just last month. According to the report, Genii intends to make a cash offer for the brand, and it plans to use the business plan of an earlier bidder, Koenigsegg, as a roadmap to getting Saab into the black by 2012 with just 105,000 units per year.

    For his part, interim GM chief executive officer Ed Whitacre told reporters yesterday that he isn’t optimistic about consummating a sale, remarking that nobody has yet stepped up to offer the necessary funds for Saab: “It’s real easy – show up with the money and you can have it.” Naturally, such statements might also be designed to increase the size of the bids, and that statement may have come before Whitacre was made aware of Genii entering the fray, but we digress…

    Of course, Spyker Cars, the bidder for whom the deadline was originally extended until today, is still very much in the mix, but there are also new rumors of yet another Swedish group making a last-last-minute play for the brand. More as it happens…

    Gallery: Saab – A History in Pictures

    [Sources: Bloomberg, Reuters via The New York Times, SaabsUnited]

    BREAKING: GM reportedly delays board meeting as new Swedish bidders emerge for Saab originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Permalink | Email this | Comments

  • Exploded by Adam Voorhes

    exploded-adam-voorhes-main

    Exploded by Adam Voorhes exhibits the deconstruction of a gun, a telephone, a frog, and an etch-a-sketch. Dissected and shown piece by piece, the artworks give us a closer look at the intricate parts that make innate objects and living things a whole. It shows the complexities and the multiple functions of what goes on inside these subjects and gives us all a better view of how everything works as one.

    Continue reading for more images.





  • The Official Cock-teasers Thread

    Reading the coloured bras thread an de official brainteasers thread got me thinking. I thought ‘ello?!’

    So here we go, the ‘Official Cock-teasers thread’. Bought to you for the enjoyment of lovely fillies. Contribute and enjoy. Oh yeah! Ne’ha n’ha n’ha (as Sid James would say).

    First up, from ‘Coloured Bras’, this sort has a superb rack:

  • AverMedia Brings Competitor to Hauppauge HD-PVR – Forgets 5.1 Audio

    I’ve been hearing about a new competitor to the Hauppauge HD-PVR – a device that captures HD video from cable & satellite via component output and transcodes it to H.264 on your HTPC.  I use the Hauppauge HD-PVR to do this very thing with SageTV and would welcome any competition in the area.  Unfortunately, the AverMedia device only records stereo audio – not 5.1!  Talk about leaving out the important details…

    I’ll be watching to see if there are any plans for a better version of this device from AverMedia, but for now Hauppauge has “the” device for this purpose with only CableCard as a viable competitor in my opinion.  Then again, if you don’t care about 5.1 audio, this might be a good device as the price goes down from its starting $200 MSRP.

     

    AverMedia Press Release

    via Engadget


  • CES 2010: JVC HD Everio Camera With Bluetooth

    4226652928 b4b7a1ba77 300x202 CES 2010: JVC HD Everio Camera With BluetoothThe new JVC high definition Everio camera with built-in Bluetooth® wireless technology, offers some groovy ideas that take the camera experience to a higher level.  The camera can work with a variety of other wireless devices, such as a Bluetooth smartphone that can be used to control the camera remotely. Or using a GPS you can track the location information of where the images were captured and synch it with Google Earth for some geo tagging fun. Most impressive though are the high performance capabilities.

    CES 2010: JVC HD Everio Camera With Bluetooth


  • U.S. Regulators Terrified Warren Buffett Will Dominate The Candy Bar Market

    warrenbuffett icecream tbi

    Warren Buffett’s ‘no’ vote against a Kraft (KFT) bid for Cadbury (CBY) has raised some eyebrows from anti-trust authorities.

    He might be trying to protect his Mars candy business from Cadbury (which we has a major stake in), so goes the logic.

    New York Post: “To the extent Kraft pays less [for Cadbury], it can be less aggressive in the marketplace” this person said.

    Added an antitrust lawyer familiar with the workings of the US Federal Trade Commission: “I think the triggering event [for the FTC to investigate Buffett] could be if his attempt to muck up Kraft’s deal was done to protect his position in Mars.”

    …

    Some sources speculated about one reason behind Buffett’s rare decision to issue a tersely worded letter in opposition to Kraft selling more shares. They said if Kraft pays too much for Cadbury, the food giant would be under pressure to boost sales, and perhaps lower prices, in order to sell more candy. That, in turn, could potentially hurt Mars’ market share.

    So wait, he should be forced to buy Cadbury at a higher price? Refusing to take action, refusing to spend money, isn’t a monopolistic act.

    More importantly, even if Warren Buffett is a candy king, candy bars aren’t some kind of dire necessity. If people find candy bar prices too expensive, due to a supposed monopoly, they can simply stop buying them until companies offer a fair price. We’re not talking winter heating gas or water here.

    Join the conversation about this story »

    See Also:

  • Israel’s treatment of Ethiopians ‘racist’

    Israel’s treatment of Ethiopians ‘racist’Jonathan Cook, Foreign Correspondent

    Last Updated: January 05. 2010 11:43PM UAE / January 5. 2010 7:43PM GMT
    Ethiopian Jews are reported to face widespread discrimination in jobs, housing and education in Israel. AP Photo

    NAZARETH, Israel // Health officials in Israel are subjecting many female Ethiopian immigrants to a controversial long-term birth control drug in what Israeli women’s groups allege is a racist policy to reduce the number of black babies.

    The contraceptive, known as Depo Provera, which is given by injection every three months, is considered by many doctors as a birth control method of last resort because of problems treating its side effects.

    However, according to a report published last week, use of the contraceptive by Israeli doctors has risen threefold over the past few years. Figures show that 57 per cent of Depo Provera users in Israel are Ethiopian, even though the community accounts for less than two per cent of the total population.

    About 90,000 Ethiopians have been brought to Israel under the Law of Return since the 1980s, but their Jewishness has subsequently been questioned by some rabbis and is doubted by many ordinary Israelis.

    Ethiopians are reported to face widespread discrimination in jobs, housing and education and it recently emerged that their blood donations were routinely discarded.

    “This is about reducing the number of births in a community that is black and mostly poor,” said Hedva Eyal, the author of the report by Woman to Woman, a feminist organisation based in Haifa, in northern Israel. “The unspoken policy is that only children who are white and Ashkenazi are wanted in Israel,” she said, referring to the term for European Jews who founded Israel and continue to dominate its institutions.

    Women’s groups were alerted to the widespread use of Depo Provera in the Ethiopian community in 2008 when Rachel Mangoli, who runs a day care centre for 120 Ethiopian children in Bnei Braq, a suburb of Tel Aviv, observed that she had received only one new child in the previous three years.

    “I started to think about how strange the situation was after I had to send back donated baby clothes because there was no one in the community to give them to,” she said.

    She approached a local health clinic serving the 55 Ethiopian families in Bnei Braq and was told by the clinic manager that they had been instructed to administer Depo Provera injections to the women of child-bearing age, though he refused to say who had issued the order.

    Ms Mangoli, who interviewed the women, said: “They had not been told about alternative forms of contraception or about the side effects or given medical follow-ups.” The women complained of a wide range of side effects associated with the drug, including headaches, abdominal pain, fatigue, nausea, loss of libido and general burning sensations.

    Depo Provera is also known to decrease bone density, especially among dark-skinned women, which can lead to osteoporosis in later life. Doctors are concerned that it is difficult or impossible to help women who experience severe side effects because the drug is in their system for months after it is injected.

    The contraceptive’s reputation has also been tarnished by its association with South Africa, where the apartheid government had used it, often coercively, to limit the fertility of black women.

    Traditionally, its main uses have been for women who are regarded as incapable of controlling their own reproduction or monitor other forms of birth control, and for women who suffer severe problems during menstruation.

    Ms Eyal said she had been denied co-operation from government ministries, doctors and most of the health insurance companies while conducting her research.

    Clalit, the largest health company, however, did provide figures showing that 57 per cent of its Depo Provera users were Ethiopian compared with a handful of women in other ethnic groups.

    The health ministry was unavailable for comment.

    When first questioned about Depo Provera in June 2008, the health minister of the time, Yaacov Ben Yezri, said the high number of Ethiopians in Israel using the drug reflected a “cultural preference” for injections among Ethiopians. In fact, according to figures of the World Health Organisation, three-quarters of women in Ethiopia using birth control take the oral pill.

    “The answers we received from officials demonstrated overt racism,” Ms Eyal said. “They suggested that Ethiopian women should be treated not as individuals but as a collective group whose reproduction needs controlling.”

    When Woman to Woman conducted an experiment by sending five non-Ethiopian women to doctors to ask for Depo Provera, all were told that it was prescribed only in highly unusual cases.

    Ms Mangoli said it was extremely difficult to get immigrant Ethiopian families to speak out because they were afraid that their Jewishness was under suspicion and that they might be deported if they caused trouble.

    However, women interviewed anonymously for the report stated that officials at absorption centres in Ethiopia advised them to take Depo Provera because there would be no funds to support their children if they got pregnant in Israel.

    This policy appears to conflict with the stated goals of the country’s Demography Council, a group of experts charged with devising ways to persuade Jewish women to have more babies.

    The council was established in response to what is widely seen in Israel as a “demographic war” with Palestinians, or the need to maintain a Jewish majority in the region despite high Palestinian birth rates. In a speech marking the council’s reconvening in 2002, the then social welfare minister, Shlomo Benizri, referred to “the beauty of the Jewish family that is blessed with many children”.

    Yali Hashash, a researcher at Haifa University, said attempts to restrict Ethiopian women’s fertility echoed practices used against Jewish women who immigrated to Israel from such Arab countries as Iraq, Yemen and Morocco in the state’s early years, in the 1950s and 1960s.

    Many, she said, had been encouraged to fit IUDs when the device was still experimental because Israel’s leading gynecologists regarded Arab Jews as “primitive” and incapable of acting “responsibly”.

    Allegations of official racism towards Ethiopians gained prominence in 2006 when it was admitted that for many years all their blood donations had been discarded for fear that they might be contaminated with diseases.

    There have also been regular reports of Ethiopian children being denied places in schools or being forced to attend separate classes.

    In November a survey of employers in the main professions showed that 53 per cent preferred not to hire an Ethiopian.

    Ruth Sinai, an Israeli social affairs reporter for Haaretz newspaper, wrote recently that the discrimination faced by the country’s 120,000 Ethiopians reflected in particular “doubts on the part of the country’s religious establishment about their Jewishness”.

    http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs….9823/1002/NEWS

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  • HANOI | Pearl Southern Tower | 120m | 31 fl | U/C

    Pearl Phuong Nam Towers is an office – block, supermarket and automatic vehicle parking house to be built at No. 105 Truong Chinh street, Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi. The project is funded by Phuong Nam real estate investment joint-stock company.

    Pearl Phuong Nam Towers with an investment capital of VND 1400 billion is a 31 storey office – block including 3 underground floors and a height of 120m, area of floor plane of 65 250m2. In addition, there are also a house accommodating 580 automobiles and a 6 storey sport and entertainment center.

    Pearl Phuong Nam Towers project shall be implemented with the most advanced technology in Vietnam at present. The work shall have an optimal consumption of electricity, water and heat, with the most modern communication system, maximum rate of green plants. It also provides a good waste water treatment system ensuring the standard of environmental protection requirements.

    The project is expected to finish by 2010 after a construction period of 30 months

    Source : http://invest-element.com/en/updatin…nam-tower.html

  • Commie Blocks Rehabilitation

    Commie Blocks Rehabilitation

    Cred că e cazul să aven şi noi aşa ceva. Momentan nu ştiu dacă în Constanţa se află în derulare un proiect de reabilitare blocurilor, am auzit doar la oraşele Năvodari şi Eforie Nord. În Constanţa există totuşi blocuri reabilitate de către proprietari + privat.

  • Carl Sagan Sings Again: Symphony of Science, Part 4 | Discoblog

    Ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing and listening pleasure, it’s the fourth installment of “Symphony of Science.” If you missed the first three iterations of John Boswell’s creation, he auto-tunes the syncopated scientific stylings of Carl Sagan’s monologues from “Cosmos,” combined with guest stars like Stephen Hawking, Neil deGrasse Tyson (of DISCOVER’s StarTalk podcast, among many other media ventures), and Richard Feynman. If you need to catch up, all four are available on Boswell’s site. The first can even be had on vinyl through the label of the White Stripes’ Jack White—Third Man Records.

    Here’s the newest, “The Unbroken Thread.” Watch and enjoy.

    Related Content:
    Cosmic Variance: AutoTuned Sagan
    The Loom: The Continuing Return of Carl Sagan
    Bad Astronomy: What I Learned from Carl Sagan


  • SAIGON | The Vista | 28 fl x 6 | U/C

    The Vista An Phu Ho Chi Minh city

    Developer: Capitaland – Vista Joint Venture Co. Ltd.
    Architecture: RSP Architects Planners and Engineers
    Completion: Q4/2011
    Website: http://thevista.com.vn/

    The Vista is a 28 storey high class development with a total of 5 residential towers and one commercial/office tower in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam. Located opposite the Metro supermarket in District 2, this development will change the skyline of the main entrance into Saigon.

    Quote:

    The Vista offers a total of 750 luxurious units with a truly alluring array of modern facilities. Residents enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the Saigon River and the city skyline. With 23,463 sq.m, the project comprises apartments and public constructions. The Vista is located in An Phu ward, district 2, 4-6 kilometers from center city, easily to Ha Noi highway and Dong-Tay avenue under construction.

    The Vista project made headlines on the 7 June 2007 when over 400 people queued for hours to secure a contract for an apartment on the first phase, all 237 units on phase 1 were booked by 2 pm the same day. The owner of the project is Singapore investment company, Capitaland, this is their first residential project in Vietnam.

    The price range on original contracts was between $1200 and $1600 per square metre. The project sits on 23000 sq m of land and there is to be extensive landscaping with gardens and water features. There will be a total of 750 residential apartments and some retail facilities plus a commercial block.

  • ‘Alarmist’ Gas Crisis Turns To Rationing As UK National Grid Cuts Off Factory Supplies

    AP UK Gas

    Yesterday we told you about the UK’s National Grid issuing its second ever “gas balancing alert”  after cold temperatures lead to record high demands for gas.

    Energy analysts insisted that threats of power blackouts were alarmist, citing the fact that Britain now has two new pipeline links as well as a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) import system in South Wales, the Guardian reports.

    Things don’t seem to be as peachy today, however, as factories in England are having their energy supplies cut off for the first time in years.

    In the first tangible sign that fears over energy shortages are translating into supply disruption, the
    National Grid has withdrawn gas via suppliers such as British Gas from 94 industrial customers who have signed up to interruptible contracts in a bid to safeguard power to domestic homes.

    …

    Its latest instruction to suppliers will force many large industrial users, such as factories and chemical plants, to halt work or turn to alternative energy sources.

    The factories could refuse to have their power withdrawn but would face financial penalties for doing so and the reduction in energy would have to come from other manufacturers.

    Continue reading here.

    Join the conversation about this story »

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  • Boeing Commercial Airplanes Achieves 2009 Delivery Target, Maintains Strong Backlog

    Boeing (NYSE: BA) recorded 481 commercial airplane deliveries in 2009, matching the company guidance of 480-485 airplanes.

    The Commercial Airplanes backlog remains strong at 3,375 airplanes.

    Boeing registered 263 gross and 142 net commercial orders for the year as air travel and freight declined and carriers worldwide experienced severe economic challenges.

    The Next-Generation 737 continued its reign as the industry workhorse with 372 deliveries. The airplane also topped Boeing’s order book with 197 gross orders as carriers chose the 737’s efficiency and versatility for future fleet needs.

    The 777 led Boeing’s twin-aisle programs as operators chose the most reliable and efficient twin-aisle jet flying today.

    The global recession presided as an oppressive market reality in 2009, driving many carriers to re-evaluate their near- and medium-term fleet requirements.

    Program orders, deliveries and backlog at the end of 2009 were as follows:

                 Gross Orders     Net Orders     Deliveries     Backlog Units
    737           197             178            372            2,076
    777            30              19             88              281
    747             5               2              8              108
    767             7               2             13               59
    787            24             -59            N/A              851

    First flight of the 787 Dreamliner took place Dec. 15, with first delivery scheduled for fourth-quarter 2010. The 747-8 Freighter is slated for first flight early this year with first delivery planned for fourth-quarter 2010.

    Delivery of the 747-8 Intercontinental passenger airplane is planned for fourth-quarter 2011.

    “2009 was not without its challenges but it also was a year of exciting achievements for our company and our industry,” said Jim Albaugh, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive officer.

    “With signs of economic recovery emerging in 2010, we look forward to better days ahead.”

    Boeing expects to provide 2010 commercial airplane delivery guidance when the company releases year-end earnings Jan. 27.

    Boeing Commercial Airplanes highlights in 2009 included:

    • First flight of the 787 Dreamliner.
    • 3,000th delivery of the Next-Generation 737.
    • The first 777 Freighter delivered to launch customer Air France.
    • Delivery of the 1,400th 747 as the program celebrated its 40th anniversary.
    • Boeing and the U.S. Navy formally unveiled the P-8A Poseidon – a derivative of the Next-Generation 737 – for the service’s newest maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.
    • Significant progress among Boeing and its partners in studying sustainable biofuels.
    • Boeing Training & Flight Services (formerly Alteon) introduced its new name and branding to highlight its expanded capabilities.
    • Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services expanded its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operations with the opening of a new hangar at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport.
    • The 737-700C (Convertible) became the first member of the Next-Generation 737 family to be offered in both an all-passenger and all-cargo layout.

    A detailed report of Boeing Commercial Airplanes orders and deliveries is available on the Orders and Deliveries Web site.

    MEDIA CONTACT:

    Media Relations, +1 206-766-2910
    Boeing Commercial Airplanes