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  • RBS Analyst Andy Chaytor: 2010 Will See A Risk Crash, More Stimulus, And A Huge M&A Boom

    buck-palace-uk-soldiers.jpgRBS analyst Andy Chaytor is the kind of guy who cuts out the fat and gets straight to the story.

    Hence, we were pleased to find his 10 predictions for the upcoming new year.

    Andy covers everything from risk assessment, to M&A deals, to elections in the UK, to-well, you’ll just have to read for yourself and find out. All the following slides are 100% of Chaytor’s own words.

    Click here to read 10 predictions for 2010 ->

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  • Italian Politician Blames Facebook For Berlusconi Attack; Facebook Begins Self-Censorship

    By now you’ve probably heard that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was attacked with a statue last weekend. Apparently, his political friends have decided that Facebook and Twitter are to blame for this, and they’re now considering laws to crack down (even more than already) on what is allowed on such sites. Perhaps aware of how Italian prosecutors are still pushing forward with criminal charges against Google execs over a single video on YouTube posted by some kids, Facebook apparently was quick to respond that it will happily monitor and censor content on the social networking site that relates to Berlusconi.

    As the CSMonitor article points out, Berlusconi owns a significant portion of the media business in Italy, and the internet is often viewed as a problem because he hasn’t been able to control it. Thus, this may just be another political move to try to gain more control over dissenting voices online — and it’s a shame that Facebook would so easily play along. Update: The politician in question has apparently clarified his remarks to say that there is no plan to introduce new internet legislation. Really. Of course, one could easily interpret the original statement as a trial balloon — and the resulting outrage leading to the “clarification.”

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  • New parliamentary report calls for urgent government action on abuses by UK companies overseas – Leading UK coalition responds

    Responding to the publication today (16 December) of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights’ long-awaited report on Business and Human Rights, The Corporate Responsibility (CORE) Coalition – a group of NGOs, ethical businesses and trade unions – called on the British Government to acknowledge the findings, and put in place a new Commission on Business, Human Rights and the Environment to oversee the conduct of British companies operating overseas.

    CORE – whose members include Action Aid, War on Want, Amnesty and the TUC – has long been calling for the implementation of such a commission.

    The Joint Committee on Human Rights commissioned a major inquiry into the human rights impacts of UK companies in spring this year and has heard evidence from a range of individuals and organisations including the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Confederation of British Industries (CBI), the UN Special Representative on Business & Human Rights, Professor John Ruggie, and CORE.

    The Committee heard how UK companies operating overseas often have no incentive to prevent their operations from leading to human rights abuses, leaving them open to risks such as litigation or damaging public campaigns. This may especially be the case in developing countries where enforcement of human rights standards is less stringent than in the UK. The Committee also heard that the UK Government’s current approach to business and human rights is incoherent and letting business down by failing to provide enough guidance to companies on how to avoid abusing human rights.

    The Committee’s final report acknowledged all of these concerns and encouraged the UK Government to explore the proposal for a Commission for Business, Human Rights and the Environment. It added that a number of multinationals operate to double standards when it comes to their policies at home and overseas. There was also an acknowledgment that current UK procedures for receiving complaints against companies – called National Contact Points – are “falling far short” of providing an effective remedy. It also said that implementing a human rights approach to business would have “no impact” on UK business competiveness.

    Emily Armistead of the CORE Coalition said:

    “There is an urgent need for UK government action to prevent British companies from putting themselves at risk of committing human rights abuses overseas. Even business leaders agree that companies’ obligation to respect human rights extends beyond the UK’s borders.

    “It’s gratifying that CORE’s long-standing concerns have been vindicated in this report. We now urge the Government to take the plunge and establish a Commission for Business, Human Rights and Environment. Thousands of our supporters will be pressing them to do so.”

    Evidence submitted to the Committee by The CORE Coalition included the following examples of UK company abuses overseas:
    • Bangladeshis paid far less than a living wage making clothes for Tesco, Asda and Primark. • indigenous communities’ livelihoods threatened by mining giant Vedanta’s operations in India
    • communities in the Niger Delta forced to endure Shell’s hazardous gas flaring despite a legal ban.

    These abuses persist, despite the existence in many cases of local laws forbidding such practices. Reasons for this include weak or biased judicial systems and overseas governments’ fear of losing foreign investment . Hence the need for the UK to enforce minimum human rights (and environmental) standards on all UK companies operating overseas.

    ENDS

    Notes to editors:

    About CORE
    The Corporate Responsibility (CORE) Coalition is an alliance of voluntary organizations, trade unions and companies. Our vision is of a world where all companies demonstrate respect for the rights of workers, local communities and the environment throughout their operations. We work in partnerships, advocating visionary proposals to help fill governance gaps in the way UK companies operate. www.corporate-responsibility.org

    CORE’s submission to the JCHR enquiry is available here
    http://corporate-responsibility.org…

    CORE’s report. Illustrating the lack of access to remedy available for foreign victims of UK companies, produced with The London School of Economics, The Reality of Rights,is available here
    http://corporate-responsibility.org…

    CORE media information:
    Emily Armistead, Action Aid, 07939 207787(mob).
    Amnesty International UK: Sarah Green, 020 7033 1549; Niall Couper, 020 7033 6414; 07721 398984
    Paul Collins, War on Want 020 7549 0555

  • Trippo Mondo – Voice Translator for Android phones

    Found under: Android, Freeware, Voice, Translator, Language,

    Trippo Mondo is just released application by Cellictica Ltd. which is really working voice translator. It translates any given phrase and speaks it out with local language. It has support for more than 30 languages and promise that you will never again have language problems wherever you travelTrippo Mondo – Voice Translator Features- SMSemail etc supported- audio text-to-speech with more than 20 languages- proprietary- high quality- machine translation Download

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  • Collecting Bananas can be fun on Your Windows Mobile phone

    Found under: Windows Mobile, Games, Fun, Freeware,

    Bananas is game for windows mobile phones where you play a monkey which goal is to collect as many bananas as possible. Along with this there are other bonuses to make gameplay richer.Set forth for a trip with a monkey Filbertom on jungles to find 5 totem forces. In this game coming you to get through 24 levels on each of which you will think how to protect Filberta from the mortal edge of screen. Principle of game is an outage it is needed to conduct a monkey through road clearances in b

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  • Baked Speghetti Squash W/Sun Dried Tomato

    Baked Spaghetti Squash w/sun dried tomato

    This is a pretty tasty dish.

    Take 1 spaghetti squash cut in half and deseed… lightly coat with extra virgin olive oil and lightly salt with kosher salt. Bake at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Until you can stick a fork in the meat and it pulls away.

    Sauce
    2 eggs
    ½ cup heavy cream
    1 cup grated Parmesan
    Springof fresh rosemary, ( you can use Basil or parsley or your favorite herb)
    1 tea kosher salt
    ¼ cut chopped Sun Dried Tomato soaked in olive oil *you can get them already marinated in olive oil.*

    Bread crumbs
    Sliced almonds.

    Mix the Eggs, Cream, Cheese, Rosemary, Salt and Tomato in a small mixing bowl.
    When the Squash has cooked, scrap out the meat of the squash with a fork, will look like
    Spaghetti. Put the squash in a 12X12 baking dish, pour sauce mixture and mix with the squash. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes then remove and cover with bread crumbs and almonds. Bake an additional 10 minutes.
    Sauté almonds in tbsp butter until lightly browned.

  • Aston Martin shows off completed Cygnet, Euro sales in 2010

    Filed under: , , ,

    Aston Martin Cygnet – Click above for high-res image gallery

    Earlier this year, we saw photos of Aston Martin designers working on a clay-covered Toyota iQ in the studio and applying typical Aston styling cues to it. Creating a leather clad urban commuter car struck us as a dubious proposition for an upscale brand like Aston Martin, but nevertheless the Cygnet is now complete and Aston has released a fresh batch of photos.

    While the Aston Martin face is well suited to the extended nose of a DBS or Rapide, we think it looks more than a bit overwrought on the front of the tiny Toyota. On the inside, virtually all of the available surfaces have been covered in red and black premium leather. For the time being, the Cygnet is a concept only, but Aston says it hopes to have it in production in 2010 for European and UK customers. There’s no word yet on price, but in the meantime, you can check out our high-res gallery below and brief press release after the jump.

    Gallery: Aston Martin Cygnet

    [Source: Aston Martin]

    Continue reading Aston Martin shows off completed Cygnet, Euro sales in 2010

    Aston Martin shows off completed Cygnet, Euro sales in 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • RBS: Red-Hot Brazil Is Still Blowing Away Expectations

    brazil

    A quick bit about Brazil and the demand for growth appeared in this morning’s Global Strategy newsletter from RBS. Here’s the breakdown of how they see Brazil as one of the fastest growing BRICs:

    RBS: Demand is driving growth in Brazil. For example,  October retail sales jumped 1.4%, which was double market expectations, and  the general trend in consumption is accelerating. 

    This confirms the view that the  BCB will start hiking in Q2 rather than Q3 despite the fact that the output gap will  remain negative. With Finance Minister Mantega keeping the accelerator on the fiscal stimulus and limiting the appreciation of the BRL, the only way for the Brazilian economy to cool off is via the monetary channel.

    Join the conversation about this story »

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  • Google Phone Nexus One Videos

    Found under: Android, Google phone, Nexus One, Video,

    And here comes videos of Googles Nexus One android phone. It just shows the boot animation and some today screen but thenexusone.com promises this is just one of many videos to come. Watch after the jump.Source Pocketnow

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  • People on the Move in the Social Media Industry: Dec 16, 2009

    potm-banner-2

    Above, thanks to Mitch Canter, we’ve a new header graphic for the “On The Move” series, which needed an update since I started this digest a few years ago.

    In an effort to recognize the changes in the social media space, I’ve started this post series (see archives) to both track and congratulate folks who get promoted, move, or accept new exciting positions. Please help me congratulate the following folks:

    • My former colleague Alexis Karlin who was very involved with Forrester’s social media efforts now joins Neolane, and will be starting their social strategy from scratch and running their web site. She’s quite the professional, an incredibly fast learner, and I’m glad to have worked with her. Follow her on Twitter at @akarlin.
    • David Armano moves on from Dachis Group and joins Edelman Digital as a SVP. Regardless of where David works, his blog is a fantastic collection of thoughts, informative graphics, and insight, I’ll follow his insights anywhere, find him @armano It’s interesting to see how Edelman is placing bets in social strategy, with that in mind, also see that…
    • Michael Brito, formerly one of Intel’s Social Media Strategists also joins Edelman in Silicon Valley office as a Vice President. I’ve worked with Michael on projects in the past, and have been impressed, great hire. Find him on Twitter at @britopian
    • Paul Gilliham, who I’ve had excellent professional experiences with, joins Lithium Technologies Director, Customer Marketing where he’ll be Running Lithosphere (Lithium’s customer community), social strategy, customer consultancy, customer/analyst relations. Find him on @bladefrog
    • Samir Bhavnani has been hired at EXPO as a Vice President where he’ll be working with brands to engage with consumers, on video, for insights and marketing. Find him on Twitter at @samirb
    • Deidra Bodkin leaves Zenith Optimedia and joins IDG as VP, Group Media Director as VP, Client Services leading social media marketing programs for IDG’s IT and B2B Clients. Find her on Twitter at @deidrabodkin.

    How to connect with others (or get a job):
    Several people have been hired because of this blog post series, here’s how you can too:

    Submit an announcement
    If you know folks that are moving up in the social media industry, fill out this form.

    Seeking Social Media Professionals?
    If you’re seeking to connect with community advocates and community managers there are few resources

    This list, which started with just 8 names continues to grow as folks submit to it. List of Social Computing Strategists and Community Managers for Enterprise Corporations 2008 –Social Media Professionals.

    Job Resources in the Social Media and Web Industry

  • Web Strategy Jobs powered by Job o Matic (Post a job there and be seen by these blog readers, these affiliate fees pay for my hosting)
  • Read Write Web keeps announcements flowing at Jobwire, although is broader than just social media jobs
  • Facebook group for community manager group in Facebook
  • Jake McKee’s community portal for jobs
  • Chris Heuer’s Social Media Jobs
  • SimplyHired aggregates job listings, as does Indeed
  • ForumOne Jobs for Social Media and Community
  • Teresa has a few jobs, some around community
  • New Media hire has an extensive job database
  • Social Media Headhunter
  • Social media jobs
  • Jobs in social media
  • Altimeter Group’s list of social media consultants and agencies

    • Hiring? Leave a comment
    If you’re seeking candidates in the social media industry, many of them are within arms reach, feel free to leave a link to a job description (but not the whole job description, please)


  • Newbie Here-diagnosed Yesterday

    😮 Hi
    My Name Is Joan. I Was Diagnosed Yesterday With Type 2.
    I Was Started On Metformin Twice Daily.
    My Fasting Bg Was 181.
    I Think This Forum Will Help Me Alot.
    This Is Strange To Me,any Advice Would Be Helpful..:)

  • Google Speaks Out Against Australia's Plans for Mandatory Internet Censorship

    Net neutrality may be a topic of hot debate in some parts of the world, most notably in the US, but in other regions the Internet is facing worse threats than throttling YouTube videos, downright censorship is being advocated and we’re not talking about China or other countries notorious for their abuses, the culprit is Australia, a country that bills itself as a democracy. There are plans to institute a mandatory, country-wide filtering system, supposedly designed to keep out child abuse content, but which blocks a much wider variety of content and topics. Naturally, the plan doesn’t exactly have that many fans among political parties, rights organizations or companies and Google is speaking out publicly against the plan.

    “We have a bias in favour of people’s right to free expression. While we recognise that protecting the free exchange of ideas and information cannot be without some limits, we believe that more information generally means more choice, more freedom and ultimately more power for the individual,” Iarla Flynn, head of Policy, Google Australia wrote.

    The biggest issue with the system in its proposed form is that it censors a wide category of content classified in the country as Refused Classification (RC). These include child abuse and other contro… (read more)

  • Peter Gray Discusses the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen on Bloomberg Radio

    During the December 15 edition of The Hayes Advantage on Bloomberg Radio, Peter Gray discusses the Climate Change conference in Copenhagen as well as the chances of passage of a climate change bill.

    To listen to the interview, please visit: http://video.mww.com/ftpupload/FTPinbox/15/Gray-Bloomberg.mp3.

  • REPORT: Honda plans to settle Civic Hybrid mileage suit out of court. Is it a fair deal?

    Filed under: , , , ,

    2008 Honda Civic Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

    If you buy a hybrid, you’ll be rewarded with excellent fuel economy, right? Well, that’s the idea, but sometimes things don’t turn out exactly as we had hoped. Such is apparently the case with a number of Honda Civic Hybrid owners who claim that their vehicles don’t even come close to achieving the mileage figures estimated by the EPA, leading to a class action lawsuit against Honda.

    Back in the summer of 2007, we conducted a telephone interview with John True, one of the two men who started the suit. At the time, True claimed he only achieved, at best, 34.6 miles per gallon and had averaged well under that figure. The window sticker showed EPA estimates of 49 city and 51 highway, though the EPA’s revised 2008 rating sits at 40 city and 45 highway.

    For its part, Honda admits to no wrongdoing and points out that it was the EPA that estimated those mileage figures. Still, according to The New York Times, the Japanese automaker has agreed to settle the case out of court. If approved, owners of 2003-2008 Civic Hybrids will get a voucher worth up to $1,000 to purchase a new Honda or a check for $100 if they can prove they complained to Honda about their car’s mileage.

    Interestingly, the current Civic Hybrid, Insight and Fit – Honda’s three most fuel efficient models – are excluded from the list of vehicles eligible for the trade-in or purchase voucher. The two plaintiffs would receive $12,500 and $10,000 and their lawyers would pocket $2.95 million. So, um, is it a fair deal? Perhaps more importantly, is Honda to blame here? Sound off in the comments.

    Gallery: ABG Garage: 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid

    [Source: The New York Times]

    REPORT: Honda plans to settle Civic Hybrid mileage suit out of court. Is it a fair deal? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • An early look at the Final Fantasy XIII Trophy Set

    Ah yes, Trophies. This would be the first time for the Final Fantasy series to actually reward you with a badge with things you’ve probably been doing since Terra and Sabin, no, since the Warrior of Light.

  • The End of Chimerica

    Published: December 16, 2009
    Paper Released: November 2009
    Authors: Niall Ferguson and Moritz Schularick

    Executive Summary:

    For the better part of the past decade, the world economy has been dominated by a unique geoeconomic constellation that the authors call “Chimerica”: a world economic order that combined Chinese export-led development with U.S. overconsumption on the basis of a financial marriage between the world’s sole superpower and its most likely future rival. For China, the key attraction of the relationship was its potential to propel the Chinese economy forward by means of export-led growth. For the United States, Chimerica meant being able to consume more, save less, and still maintain low interest rates and a stable rate of investment. Yet, like many another marriage between a saver and a spender, Chimerica was not destined to last. In this paper, economic historians Niall Ferguson of HBS and Moritz Schularick of Freie Universität Berlin consider the problem of global imbalances and try to set events in a longer-term perspective. Key concepts include:

    • The financial crisis of 2007-2009 marks the beginning of the end of the Chimerican marriage of convenience. The end of Chimerica is desirable, though the divorce needs to be amicable and its costs kept down.
    • Currency adjustments must become a top priority in the international political debate. The world economy’s key structural imbalance is that the second-biggest economy in the world has pegged its currency to that of the largest economy at a strongly undervalued exchange rate.
    • A policy of Sino-American competitive devaluation at the expense of U.S. allies in Europe and Japan is politically shortsighted and dangerous for global trade.
    • A renminbi revaluation would help the reorientation of the U.S. economy and potentially allow a quicker exit from the extreme policies currently being implemented by the Fed and the Treasury, which carry uncertain risks for the inflation outlook, global liquidity, and capital flows.
    • A renminbi revaluation would also solve at a stroke the problem of China’s excessively large international reserves and dollar exposure.
    • Historically, periodic exchange rate revaluation has been the hallmark of economic success. It is time for China—and its currency—to step up.

    Abstract

    For the better part of the past decade, the world economy has been dominated by a world economic order that combined Chinese export-led development with US over-consumption. The financial crisis of 2007-2009 likely marks the beginning of the end of the Chimerican relationship. In this paper we look at this era as economic historians, trying to set events in a longer-term perspective. In some ways China’s economic model in the decade 1998-2007 was similar to the one adopted by West Germany and Japan after World War II. Trade surpluses with the U.S. played a major role in propelling growth. But there were two key differences. First, the scale of Chinese currency intervention was without precedent, as were the resulting distortions of the world economy. Second, the Chinese have so far resisted the kind of currency appreciation to which West Germany and Japan consented. We conclude that Chimerica cannot persist for much longer in its present form. As in the 1970s, sizeable changes in exchange rates are needed to rebalance the world economy. A continuation of Chimerica at a time of dollar devaluation would give rise to new and dangerous distortions in the global economy. 31 pages.

    Paper Information

  • Look! Best Kitchen Corner Cabinet Ever?

    2009_12_16-Cabinet.jpgI live with a small, tight kitchen that has a lot of its storage tucked into the corners. There are old-fashioned Lazy Susan wheels in several corner cupboards, and they creak and bang and groan. But I didn’t realize there was any other option — until I saw this totally dreamy corner cabinet. Click through to see a video of this dreamboat cupboard in action!

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  • Festive Champagne and Sparkling Wines to Ring in 2010

    2009_12_16-Bubbly.jpgLet’s have some fun! Everyone I talk to is looking forward to 2010. For many 2009 has been a year of constant struggle, but, ever optimistic, let’s ring in the New Year with bubbly cheer. What are you popping open on December 31st?

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  • Holiday Giveaway from RedTango!

    pinkwatch

    Cynthia Petrovic from RedTango knows exactly what you want for Christmas! Check out this awesome watch with a hot pink band and the signature RedTango curvy cat in black on the face. This would make the coolest gift for a friend or for yourself.

    ENTER TO WIN!

    And here’s your chance to win one! To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment on this post. The winner will be selected in a random drawing on December 23. One entry per person.


  • Give The Gift Of Dog Joy: The Happiest Dogs In The Universe

    By Marilyn Dalrymple

    I finished this book in one sitting and while reading it, if I wasn’t smiling, I was laughing!  It’s delightful!

    One hundred and ninety one pages of color photographs of man’s best friends smiling, snickering and just being what dogs are best at – entertaining.  Many of the photographs have a short story about the pet.  For instance, “Portia is a rescued racing Greyhound.  A major reason for her joy is the love of her boy, Patrick.”  Accompanying the story is a photograph of a smiling boy – Patrick – and Portia.

    Page 60 features two obedience dogs, Freedom and Glory.  They say to each other, “Yeah, it’s a great class, but I don’t feel like I’m learning anything I’m going to use in the real world.”  Beautiful little Piper loves to cuddle – the kids call her a “lapsnatcher,” and she loves to chase sandpipers at the beach, says the story.

    Purebreds are featured and so are the pets with questionable heritage.  They all have a smile, grin or at least an earnest effort at having one or the other on their faces.  Dog couples like Fatney and Shelly and Elwood and Walter have a section of their own.  Greyhound Charley whispers in Bella’s ear, “Did you hear the one about the cat who walked into a bar?”  By the look on Charley’s face, he wants to hear the punch line.

    Anyone can easily understand why dogs are referred to as man’s best friends after reading this book.  If you are a dog lover, the book is a must.  It would make a gift that the recipient would be forever grateful for.

    The book came about because of a “Smiling Dog” contest the magazine, Bark initiated. The wonderful images in this book display the dog’s boundless enthusiasm for life.  (We can learn a lot from dogs.)  This small volume brightened my day and made me giggle.  It will be at the front of my book shelf so I can refer to it often.

    Dog Joy: The Happiest Dogs in the Universe (Rodale/ Oct 2009) By The Editors of Bark

    Vets Could Make $100,000 Just Vaccinating For Dog Flu

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