Wednesday, March 9, 2005File:Plastic bag stock sized.jpg
They are cheap, useful, and very plentiful, and that is exactly the problem, according to researchers. A report issued on Feb. 23 by a cadre of environment and economics researchers suggested that Kenya should ban the common plastic bag that one gets at the checkout counter of grocery stores, and place a levy on other plastic bags, all to combat the country’s environmental problems stemming from the bags’ popularity.
A compilation of brief news reports for Thursday, November 13, 2008.
A new study has found that people storing extra fat around their waist have a strongly increased chance of early death, even if their overall weight is average. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine today, found that for each addition 5 cm on the waist, the chance of early death is increased by between 13% and 17%.
In the study, 360,000 people from across nine countries in Europe were surveyed.
One of the study’s authors, Professor Elio Riboli of Imperial College London, commented on the findings. “We were surprised to see the waist size having such a powerful effect on people’s health and premature death,” he stated.
Sources
The European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, has today lifted its ban on unusually shaped fruits and vegetables, in what the EU’s agriculture commissioner has called “a new dawn for the curvy cucumber and the knobbly carrot”.
The regulation has previously been criticized as an example of the EU’s bureaucracy by critics of the organisation.
The products affected by the deregulation are apricots, artichokes, asparagus, aubergines, avocadoes, beans, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflowers, cherries, courgettes, cucumbers, cultivated mushrooms, garlic, hazelnuts in shell, headed cabbage, leeks, melons, onions, peas, plums, ribbed celery, spinach, walnuts in shell, water melons and witloof/chicory.
Sources
A vase purchased at a car boot sale for £1 has sold for £32,450, following advice from experts on the BBC‘s Antiques Roadshow television program. The vase was sold in an auction at Christie’s.
The vase was found to be a 1929 work made by the French designer Rene Lalique.
Sources
Recent anonymous press briefings by US State Department officials indicated that its arms control division may punish Blackwater Worldwide for improper paperwork.
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has the power to fine or agree voluntary penalties with exporters of certain weapons, who do not follow correct procedures. Blackwater Worldwide, a private military company, exported automatic weapons to Iraq that became the subject of a federal investigation first disclosed in 2007.Concern was expressed by the unnamed officials that paperwork errors may make the weapons untraceable, and that some reached Iraq’s black market.
Sources
Submitted by: Meigan Cam
Hummus is a simple, delicious spread which is easy to make. Hummus recipes usually include four basic ingredients: garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas; garlic; lemon juice; and tahini or toasted sesame seeds. Tahini is a spread made from ground sesame seeds, lemon juice, garlic, and salt.
Some Nutritional Information about humus:
Hummus is high in iron and vitamin C, and has noteworthy amount of folate and vitamin B6. The chickpeas make it a high-quality source of protein and dietary fiber; the tahini consists mostly of sesame seeds, which are an outstanding source of the amino acid methionine, complementing the proteins in the chickpeas. Depending on the recipe, hummus carries varying amounts of monounsaturated fat. Hummus is useful in vegetarian and vegan diets and like other combinations of grains and pulses, when eaten with bread it serves as a complete protein.
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy = 695 kJ (166 kcal)
Carbohydrates= 14.3
Fat= 9.6
Protein= 7.9
How to make hummus
Begin with a simple recipe for hummus, such as this basic one:
3.5 Cups cooked garbanzo beans (2 15 oz. cans)
1-2 large cloves of garlic (to your taste)
1/4 C toasted sesame seeds (or C Cup tahini)
3-6 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice (depending on how thick or thin you like your hummus)
Blend together in a blender, food processor, or molcajete to the consistency you like.
Serve hummus as an appetizer or snack, with fresh vegetables and pita chips. Vegetarian sandwich recipes using hummus are easy to create. Use good pita bread as a base. Local Middle Eastern bakeries often have wonderful, fresh pita. Spread the inside of the pita pocket with cup of hummus. Add cheese, vegetables and apples which you enjoy. Feta is the best cheese to use with hummus, as it has a natural affinity with chickpeas. Look for fresh Greek feta in the deli case and crumble what you need for your recipe. Tart apples make a nice, crisp contrast to the smooth and creamy hummus. Lettuce and tomatoes are also excellent additions. A collection of vegetarian sandwich recipes using hummus can be found on http://holy-food.org.
Hummus is nutritious as well as delicious. Hummus calories depend on whether sesame seeds or tahini are used in the basic recipe. The basic recipe above, made with sesame seeds, has approximately 87.5 calories in a cup serving used in a sandwich, and 175 calories in a cup serving for vegetable dip. A cup serving also has about 6.2 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein, and only 4 grams of good fats. Hummus made with tahini adds a little more than 20 calories and 3 grams of fat for a cup serving, for a total of 195 calories and 6 grams of good fat.
Hummus recipes often call for additional ingredients. A majority of recipes, about two thirds, also use cumin, cayenne and salt. Half of hummus recipes call for additional herbs and spices, often parsley, black pepper or onion.
For more recipes and information on hummus, Please visit the link metioned below:
About the Author: Holy Food –
holy-food.org
Source:
isnare.com
Permanent Link:
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Wednesday, October 25, 2006
On November 1, 2006 the old five, ten, twenty and fifty cent coins will be illegal tender, but the Reserve Bank of New Zealand says there are still at least 100 million still to be returned.
According to the Reserve Bank, most of the old coins have been lost in drains or buried in rubbish. “We think there is still another 100 million sitting around in people’s homes,” Brian Lang, currency manger for the Reserve Bank, said.
Lang said: “So far, just over 280 million coins have been returned, but there are more out there. Since 1967 the Reserve Bank has issued more than a billion of the old ‘silver’ coins. So if you don’t want to be stuck with loads of old coin – there’s never been a better time to empty your coin jars, sweep the car glove box and rummage behind the couch cushions.”
The coins still awaiting to be handed in, by either spending them, taking them to a bank or donating them to charity, are estimated to be worth between NZ$5 million and $50 million.
“A last-minute burst of publicity may convince people to bring the coins in. It’s a bit of a hassle though. Human nature being what it is, people just don’t care,” Lang said.The Karori Wildlife Sanctuary located in Wellington say that they have collected over $9,000 in old coins. Sanctuary spokesman, Alan Dicks said: “The campaign was particularly fitting because the old coins depicted tuataras and kiwis, both of which can be found living at the sanctuary. The money will go towards supporting general ecological restoration of the sanctuary. We want to get over ten grand, but the more the better.”
Lang said: “Though the coins will no longer be legal tender, banks will continue to exchange them until at least the end of the year,” and the Reserve Bank will always exchange them. “We are still getting people coming in with two-dollar notes,” Lang added.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
A report from the new US and NATO commander in Afghanistan says there is an urgent need for more foreign troops and civilians, more Afghan forces and a new strategic approach to reverse Taliban gains.
File:General Stanley A McChrystal 01.jpg
The assessment by US Army General Stanley McChrystal is still officially secret, but the Washington Post published an unclassified version on Monday, which it says has only a few deletions requested by the government.
In the document, the general, who arrived in Afghanistan in June, says “success is not ensured by additional forces alone, but continued under-resourcing will likely cause failure.”
He writes that the US and NATO effort has long been “under-resourced,” and that must change within 12 months or the coalition “risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible.” He says a lack of even the “minimum” resources is “a recipe for failure” in a counterinsurgency,” and the Taliban and related groups have made significant gains in recent years as a result.
The report says that “failure to gain the initiative and reverse insurgent momentum in the near-term [next year] — while Afghan security capacity matures — risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible.”
General McChrystal says while the Afghan government and military “must ultimately defeat the insurgency,” the coalition can not wait for the Afghans to be capable enough to do the job alone.
Although the Washington Post published most of the document on its website, Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman declined to discuss its details, calling it “pre-decisional” and “classified.”
| “success is not ensured by additional forces alone, but continued under-resourcing will likely cause failure.” | ||
“The national security team, to include the commander-in-chief, have it. They are reviewing it. They will use it to help them make decisions about the future. The secretary [of Defense] is absorbing the assessment along with the president. If there are decisions that flow from that, they will make them at the appropriate time,” the spokesman said.
Whitman would not say when McChrystal will make his expected detailed request for more troops, or when a decision might be made.
On the president’s aircraft Monday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that while the general may want more troops, he does not expect a formal request for a little while. “We are going to conduct that strategic assessment and do that in a way that lays out the best path forward before we make resource decisions, rather than having this go the other way around where one makes resources decisions and then finds a strategy,” Gibbs said.
Gibbs said any decision on troop levels will wait until the conclusion of a broader assessment of the way forward in Afghanistan, of which he indicated McChrystal’s document is only one part.
Last week, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates appealed for patience, saying these are extremely important decisions, and the president should be given the time to get them right. The secretary indicated he, the president and other senior officials have sent questions to McChrystal about his assessment, and are awaiting his answers.
In the document, the general was critical of NATO forces, saying that they are “poorly configured” to fight an insurgency. He says if NATO countries continue to be “pre-occupied” with protecting their forces rather than protecting the people and accomplishing the mission, they “run the risk of strategic defeat.” He said the coalition must operate “dramatically differently — even uncomfortably differently.”
He also repeated some of his earlier calls for more civilian help and a new approach by his troops that makes the security of the Afghan people their top priority. He said the coalition is in a “war of ideas,” in which he says it must demonstrate its commitment and its ability to deliver security without causing undue civilian casualties.
In an interview with Voice of America, Afghanistan Ambassador to the United Nations Zahir Tanin endorsed General McChrystal’s sense of urgency, and his view that while a comprehensive approach is needed, security comes first. “From a military point of view, I think without enough resources, without the ability to stop the Taliban’s advances, it would be very difficult to make any progress in other areas, including political progress in Afghanistan,” Tanin said.
Ambassador Tanin said McChrystal is in the best position to assess the security needs and if there is a need for more forces, the Afghan government must support such a request.
He also rejected concerns expressed by some, including Secretary Gates, that sending more foreign troops could alienate the Afghan people. The ambassador says the key for Afghans is not how many foreign troops there are or what strategy they implement, but whether they deliver security and defeat the insurgents.
In the report, McChrystal concluded that “while the situation is serious, success is still achievable.” But he said the effort needs “a fundamentally new approach” that is “properly resourced and supported” throughout the coalition and across military and civilian agencies.
Encouraging Completion of Distance Education Programs
by
Distance Education
One of the biggest challenges that distance learning institutes face due to its self study format is the relatively high dropout rate. While it is easy as a student to take your
distance education in BCA
or
distance MCA
lightly and choose not to go through with it because of all the opportunities your work is throwing at your way, in the long run, an education and a degree in any form is bound to come handy.
If your child is at the cusp of a major decision pertaining to whether or not he or she will go on and complete the
Distance education
in MCA program, here are some ways you as a parent or as an education institute can encourage him or her to finish the course
1. Motivation Find ways in which you can keep your children motivated. Given that they are too old to bait with a trip to the amusement park or a new video game, but there may be something that keeps them going. Also, it is important that as a member of the family you lay tremendous impetus on the importance of education and the value of the course.
2. Social Pressures- While too much social pressure is not good for anyone s self esteem, by simply making a big deal about your child s progress in the
Distance education
for MCA program, he or she will be more motivated to meet the social expectations set for him or her. Also, work places can help individuals by making the development of certain job skills compulsory for professional progress.
3. Pressure of Time- As an educational institute, you need to make sure the content of your course keeps its students interested at all times. All assignments and project submissions should be time bound so that students take them seriously and are constantly motivated.
In addition to this, it has been noticed that the more engaging a
distance program
with respect to online interaction and group discussion with peers and professors the easier it is more students to remain motivated and complete the
distance learning course
.
In addition to this, it has been noticed that the more engaging a
distance program
with respect to online interaction and group discussion with peers and professors the easier it is more students to remain motivated and complete the
distance learning course
Article Source:
ArticleRich.com
Saturday, April 17, 2010
In a new setback to the Thai government’s efforts to ease mounting political tensions, protest leaders escaped from their hotel Friday after security forces arrived to arrest them.
One, Arisman Pongruangrong, climbed down three floors using a rope, and was rushed away by supporters thronging the building. The police say Arisman led recent rallies at the national parliament, the election commission, and satellite transmission bases.
Officials earlier Friday said the government is preparing to arrest people linked to violent clashes with security forces last Saturday.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, Thai security chief, announced the raid on the hotel as it was unfolding, saying that a Special Forces unit had closed in around a downtown Bangkok hotel.
“As I am speaking, the government’s special team is surrounding the SC Park Hotel, where we have learned that there are terrorists and some of their leaders hiding,” Suthep said.
A spokesman for the governing Democrat Party, Baranuj Smuthararaks, says arrest warrants have been issued for those suspected of being involved in the violence. Some of the suspects have been identified from photos taken during the clashes.
“Right now the government’s focusing on issuing warrants for acts of terrorism by the people who fortunately have been captured in action [in photos] by both the local and international media,” he said.
According to the New York Times, as many as five protest leaders had been staying at the same hotel as Pongruangrong. Those leaders later appeared together at a protest rally in Bangkok.
“I would like to thank all of the people who saved me,” Arisman said. “You have saved democracy.”The government says armed men infiltrated protester ranks Saturday and fired on troops trying to disperse a rally. Five soldiers and 19 protesters died during the clashes.
Thailand is facing its most severe political crisis in almost 20 years. The anti-government movement, led by the United Democratic Front against Dictatorship or UDD, demands that the government step down and call fresh elections.
UDD supporters, known as red shirts, have held protests in Bangkok for more than a month.
The UDD largely supports former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a coup in 2006 and remains overseas to avoid a jail sentence for corruption. Mr. Thaksin has strong support among the rural and urban poor, as well among some sections of the army and police.
Some parties in the governing coalition want to set a clear time frame for elections to ease tensions. But the government says it will only call elections once the political situation has cooled.
Friday, December 30, 2005
The Colorado College Tigers beat the Spartans of Michigan State University in men’s ice hockey on Friday, for the title of champions of the 41st annual Great Lakes Invitational ice hockey tournament at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
The Tigers, the team chosen to be invited into the tournament and appearing for the first time since 1965 in the tournament, led with a 5-0 lead during the second period, after which Michigan State switched goalies. The Spartans put freshmen Jeff Lerg into net, replacing Dominic Vicari, who was earlier given a penalty for his contact with a member of Colorado’s team in front of the net. Michigan State junior Tyler Howells scored two goals during the second period, and Colorado student Brett Sterling made the Tiger’s final goal for the night.
Colorado College took first place in the invitational, and Michigan State ended in second place, after their previous win over Michigan Tech at a score of 3-2. The Tigers previously beat the University of Michigan on Thursday, at a score of 6-1.
Meanwhile, the University of Michigan beat GLI co-sponsor Michigan Tech University with a score of 5-3 for a third place finish in the invitational earlier in the day.
With 2 minutes remaining in the third period, the University of Michigan went one up over Michigan Tech, breaking the 3-3 tie. Michigan Tech pulled their goalie with one minute remaining to gain a man advantage, but the strategy failed and allowed the University of Michigan to get another goal resulting in the final 5-3 score.
The game secured the third place position in the invitational for University of Michigan, and fourth place for Michigan Tech.
The final standings in the tournament are:
By Gray Rollins
Being provided with a company car is a great ‘perk’ of employment, and depending on which position an individual holds, can be utilized either on a part-time or full-time basis. Some of the jobs that offer a company car include the following:
1. Many upper-management, specifically, executive management positions, include the use of a company car, particularly those directly working for an automotive manufacturer or closely related to the industry. In these instances, it’s the perfect way to increase their advertising as more of their cars are seen on the road. Another reason that is that, just as in some communities ‘keeping up with the Jones’ is a means of determining resident status in the neighborhood, members of the upper-Escalon of corporations are provided with company vehicles because they also need to ‘keep up appearances’. A newer or luxury car represents success and in business, that’s very important, especially in regard to their competitors.
2. Jobs that require an employee to travel frequently often times provide the use of a company car. Corporations realize that it’s not entirely fair to expect an employee who has to travel on regular basis, such as in the case of a sales or marketing position, to have to utilize their own vehicle. The company acknowledges the fact that these types of employees are required to travel frequently as part of their job and shouldn’t have to bear the expense of maintenance and or fuel costs, in addition to wear on their personal vehicle, so they provide the individual with the use of a ‘company’ car.
3. Car dealerships usually provide their salesmen with the use of a company car. Along the same lines of an auto-industry executive, this is an excellent way for the dealership to advertise their vehicles and hopefully attract new customers. Additionally, if a salesperson is driving and is happy with the performance of the particular car they’ve been given to utilize, they’ll have an advantage and the added benefit of first-hand knowledge about the vehicle when it comes time to make a sale.
4. Messengers and the sometimes affectionately referred to ‘gophers’ in a business environment are usually given use of a company vehicle, though mainly only during work-hours. These employees have to deliver and pick packages and drop off projects at printing, customer and other facilities in addition to any other off-site tasks the company requests of them such as running out for office supplies, food, etc.
5. A personal assistant who works directly for one individual whether in an office or private environment will be given the use of a company car because these types of positions require extensive traveling time on behalf of the employer’s personal, as well as business, needs.
6. Federal and other-high ranking officials in the securities field are often times provided with a company vehicle because many of their duties require traveling to other counties, towns and even states.
7. Some miscellaneous service and labor positions such as construction, landscaping, plumbing companies, etc. give their employees the use of a company vehicle because there is usually a need to get a very early start, respond to emergency calls and also in lieu of the need to travel extensively to different locals on a regular basis as part of the business’ services.
Keep in mind that if you are applying for a position that requires travel, whether frequent or infrequent, you can always try to negotiate for a company car during the interview process.
About the Author: Gray Rollins is a featured writer for PaidToDriveReview.com – If you’re looking to get paid to drive, then this is the site you want to visit. Also, learn how you can save money on gas.
Source: isnare.com
Permanent Link: isnare.com/?aid=164313&ca=Automotive
Friday, October 16, 2009
Predicted heir to World Wrestling Entertainment Shane McMahon has announced he will leave the company on January 1, 2010. McMahon is the son of current owner Vincent K. McMahon and the current Executive Vice President of Global Media for the company. With the departure of Shane, it will be the first time that a male heir will not take over the company when Vince retires.
Shane announced his resignation on WWE.com earlier today saying, “It is with great sadness that I announce my resignation from the WWE, effective January 1, 2010.” He mentioned how he “never even considered a future outside the walls of the WWE.” He continued to thank his father and superstars of today and the past. According to Shane, he resigned because it was his “to pursue outside ventures.”
World Wrestling Entertainment released an official statement responding to Shane’s announcement. Current owner and Shane’s father Vince McMahon said, “Even though I am personally saddened by Shane’s decision to leave the company, I am proud of the enormous contributions he has made. He will unquestionably bring passion, commitment and extensive business experience to any endeavour he pursues.”
Shane was the fourth generation to World Wrestling Entertainment. He is the son of Vincent K. McMahon, the grandson of Vincent J. McMahon and the great-grandson of Jess McMahon. He has two sons who are considered the fifth generation.