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Monday, December 31, 2012
Study Finds Flaws in Pipeline Leak Detection Systems
[unable to retrieve full-text content]The forthcoming federal report found that members of the general public are more likely to identify oil and gas spills than the pipeline companies? leak detection systems.
Business Resolutions for 2013 | Geoff Livingston's Blog
A new year is upon us, and like many others I have a few resolutions for my business and online life.
In addition to discussing the environment more frequently, here are some of my goals:
Less Travel
Last year was my worst travel year since 2009, doubling my normal road time. This travel was in large part to support Marketing in the Round (co-author Gini Dietrich also travelled extensively). By my calculations, I traveled at least one day a week 60% of the year, and from March until December it was more than 80%.
The impact on my family and personal exhaustion was significant.
There is no new book to promote in 2013. While I?m always game to travel for business reasons, the marketing and social media speaking circuits will see less of me next year? Unless people are willing to pay a significant fee.
It?s not about making money, rather creating a significant barrier so that I am on the road less. I want to be present for my daughter.
Business Only
It seems like I?ve had a serious pet project for each of the last three years. Whether it was fighting for the Gulf, writing and promoting books, or starting a company, there was an extra project at hand in addition to normal consulting.
In 2013, I intend to work hard in my business (including here on this blog), and turn off the lights. It?s a year to recharge the batteries, focus on what matters most, and run and bike outside.
My extra project for 2013 is being a Dad and a husband. That?s enough.
Take a Photography Class
I receive a lot of compliments about my photography, which as a self taught amateur pleases me to no end. But I?d like to improve on my hobby a little.
Plus photography helps me relax, providing an easy creative outlet that doesn?t involve the rigmarole of developing, writing, publishing and marketing a book.
So next year, I will invest some time and take a photography class. Here is to learning new insights!
Meditate
When a human doing stops to become a human being, it?s inevitable that you start to think. A lot.
That?s OK. Meditation bears creative fruit, always. That?s my experience.
So what?s next after some serious rest? Who knows? I certainly have a couple ideas now, but after meditation they could be completely invalid.
Until the path is clear, living in the present for a little while seems appropriate.
I?m sure just working hard, taking great pics, and meditating during off hours will produce a vision.
What are your business resolutions for 2013?
Source: http://geofflivingston.com/2012/12/31/business-resolutions/
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Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos full fight video highlights from UFC 155
Check out the highlights from Cain Velasquez's five round destruction of Junior dos Santos in the main event of UFC 155 on Sat., Dec. 29, 2012, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, to win his heavyweight title back.
Cain Velasquez absolutely destroys Junior dos Santos in the main event of UFC 155 last night (Sat., Dec. 29, 2012) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, to win back the heavyweight title he lost over one year ago. Put simply, this was damn near a snuff film, as Cain beat "Cigano" from pillar to post for five full rounds, keeping the pressure on for 25 minutes. He wore down towards the end but his early offense was enough to completely take the Brazilian out of his game. It was bizarre, really, seeing Dos Santos handled with such ease but the narrative coming out of the first fight was proven correct. "JDS" has said he'll work his way back to third showdown but after this destruction, would you even want to see it? For a more detailed breakdown of the rematch click here and for complete UFC 155 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.
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The worst year in Washington? The tea party
The Gadsden flag, which flew proudly over the 2010 midterm elections, now lies in tatters ? rent by internal disagreements, losses among its most visible standard-bearers and a growing sense that the tea party movement, which once looked like it could transform American politics, will soon be nothing more than a blip in the country?s collective memory.
The movement?s journey from boom to bust is the story of American politics writ large. The tea party?s ups and downs (in 2012, mostly downs) highlight some of the key forces shaping today?s battles ? from the fissures that threaten to destroy the Republican Party to the perils of a leaderless or multi-leader effort to the difference between proving a point and winning.
No one person more embodies the fruitful-turned-fractious relationship that the tea party has enjoyed with the political world (and itself) than the man whom the movement made speaker of the House after the 2010 elections: John Boehner.
Fueled by the grass-roots energy and, in some places, anger of tea party members, Republicans gained more than five dozen House seats in 2010, a sweep that put Boehner ? an institutionalist?s institutionalist ? at the top of a GOP he didn?t really recognize anymore.
For the first two years, Boehner was a SINO (Speaker in Name Only) as he regularly saw his legislative and political goals upended by the purists in his party who regarded compromise as capitulation. The debt-ceiling fight of 2011 was a sign of things to come for Boehner. The speaker engaged in long and serious talks with President Barack Obama aimed at not simply raising the country?s debt limit but also addressing our long-term budget problems. But as it became clear that Boehner was going to have to give to get, the tea party crowd in the House, who saw the debt ceiling vote as a chance to tie the government?s purse strings, made clear that they wouldn?t be going along to get along.
Then came the 2012 elections, a rebuke of the tea party?s ideas and leaders. Sensing an opportunity to wrest control of his party, or at least the House GOP, back from the fringe, Boehner went on offense. He kicked Reps. Tim Huelskamp (Kan.), Justin Amash (Mich.) and Dave Schweikert (Ariz.) off plum committees after the election, insisting that they had been insufficiently loyal to the party leadership on key votes ? the most notable of which was on the budget proposal put forward by Rep. Paul Ryan (Wis.), the vice-presidential nominee.
Stories of Boehner?s re-emergence were crafted, citing his renewed power over his Republican colleagues and using the tea party committee purge as example No. 1. Emboldened by his newfound strength, Boehner set out to show some force in his negotiations with Obama over the ?fiscal cliff.? He introduced ?Plan B,? a bill that would preserve the George W. Bush-era tax cuts on everyone except those making $1 million or more a year, and he held a 51-second news conference pledging that it would pass the House and daring the president to ignore it.
Twenty-four hours later, Boehner released a statement admitting defeat. Plan B never made it to the House floor. The speaker and Majority Leader Eric Cantor, of Virginia, couldn?t come close to securing the votes required.
The defeat was spurred by the tea party, which saw Boehner?s plan not as a way to put political pressure on the president but as an unnecessary sacrifice of a core principle. That principle? It?s never OK to raise taxes on anyone. As Boehner?s strategy sunk, and with it, his power as speaker, it was the lawmakers he had punished who celebrated most heartily.
?Republican leadership thought they could silence conservatives when they kicked us off our Committees,? Huelskamp said in a statement after Plan B?s demise. ?I?m glad that enough of my colleagues refused to back down from the threats and intimidation, thus preventing the Conference from abandoning our principles.?
Huelskamp?s victory, of course, was Pyrrhic. With Boehner marginalized, Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, of Nevada, have been left to sort out a fiscal cliff deal ? one that almost certainly will be worse for Republicans than what Boehner proposed.
- ? -
It wasn?t just in legislative battles where the tea party proved a point but lost the fight in 2012.
Indiana?s Senate race showed the promise and peril of the movement. Sen. Dick Lugar, who was first elected in 1976 and had been easily re-elected since then, faced a primary challenge from his ideological right from state Treasurer Richard Mourdock, a little-known but decidedly more tea-party-friendly candidate.
Lugar?s problems weren?t solely ideological ? he didn?t live in the state, rarely visited it and ignored advice from national party strategists to take Mourdock?s challenge seriously. But the sense that he tended toward moderation and, gasp, occasionally supported Obama on matters of foreign policy, didn?t sit well with the GOP primary electorate.
Mourdock summed up his view of government succinctly the day after he beat Lugar. ?I don?t think there?s going to be a lot of successful compromise,? he said on CNN. ?I hope to build a conservative majority in the U.S. Senate so bipartisanship becomes Democrats joining Republicans to roll back the size of government.?
He never got a chance to see that vision realized, because of a bit of political hara-kiri he committed in a late-October debate with Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly. Asked about abortion, Mourdock paused, then said that ?even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that is something that God intended to happen.?
Days later, Mitt Romney carried the Hoosier State by 10 points, but Mourdock lost to Donnelly by six points ? a defeat that establishment Republicans immediately used to argue that the tea party?s political compass was either badly miscalibrated or nonexistent.
Mourdock?s win-then-loss epitomized the tea party?s steep decline, but he was far from the only GOP candidate who sacrificed victory at the altar of ideology. Rep. Allen West, running in a swing district in Florida, spent time speculating about how many communists there might be in Congress. (Eighty-one, in case you were wondering.) When asked about his feelings on abortion, Rep. Joe Walsh, running in a Democratic-leaning, suburban Chicago district, insisted that ?there is no such exception as life of the mother.? (He lost by nine points.) And a tea party heroine and former presidential hopeful, Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.), was re-elected by just over 4,000 votes against an unheralded Democratic challenger in a suburban Twin Cities district that leans heavily Republican.
The tea party didn?t catch a single break in Election 2012. Take Missouri, where the defeat of Todd ?legitimate rape? Akin in the Senate race was laid at the feet of the tea party. The problem with that theory? The major tea party groups had backed Akin?s primary opponents; he won on the strength of his support among social conservatives.
- ? -
Beset by challenges on all sides, the tea party needed a leader. Instead, in early September, it got an attempted armed coup ? a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction scenario in which former Texas congressman Richard Armey tried to seize control of FreedomWorks, a pillar of the movement. (Armey brought an aide with a handgun holstered at his hip to the FreedomWorks headquarters as he attempted to take over. And no, that is not a joke.)
Armey?s mission came up short ? he took $8 million to part ways with the organization (not a bad consolation prize) ? but that it happened at all exposed the tea party?s fractures to a wide audience.
At the heart of the schism was the question of whether this outsider movement should acclimate itself to the establishment it rebelled against a few years ago. Could the tea party come in from the cold and enjoy the warm embrace of acceptance, or at least tolerance, from the mainstream GOP? And if not, how could it survive without national leaders to help it become something more than an insurgent effort? In other words, the tea party needed a second act but had no director. And no one could even agree on what the script should be. The result? Chaos.
- ? -
If the tea party was the bright, shiny object that the political world gazed at in amazement in 2010, by 2012 it looked like a toy that had been discarded as a child moved on to bigger and better things.
To be clear: All wasn?t ? and isn?t ? lost for the tea party. While 2012 was far from its best year, the movement again proved its ability to influence Republican primary fights. Can you imagine Herman Cain as a relevant force in the presidential race without the power of the tea party?
And yet, its success also showed its limitations in 2012. Mourdock won?t be in the Senate next year. Nor Allen West in the House. A movement can become something bigger only if it understands the difference between winning a battle and winning a war ? or between a moral victory and an actual one. The tea party won a few of the former in 2012 but almost none of the latter.
For failing even when it seemed to succeed, the tea party had the worst year in Washington. Congrats, or something.
Chris Cillizza is a political reporter for The Washington Post and anchors the Fix blog.
Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/12/30/opinion/the-worst-year-in-washington-the-tea-party/
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What We Can Look Forward To During Kim's Pregnancy...
Right in time to steal all the attention away from New Year's Eve, Kim Kardashian has made a big announcement: She's pregnant with Kanye West's baby!
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Tuesday, December 25, 2012
in ear monitor systeem Concerned about the health of your hearing
Concerned about the Your Listening health -
Concerned about in ear monitor systeem hearing health in our facial features, a few ears of health is most likely to be ignored. In particular, most of the in ear monitor systeemng people do not care and professional attendant ear protection, ear diseases of fact, a lot of people are at a in ear monitor systeemng age, so ear protection is especially important for in ear monitor systeemng people and professional attendant. For our physical and mental health, for our happy family, do not neglect the hearing protection, allowing themselves to be 30-year-old looks like, six-year-old hearing. , 9tbu! Pvq? There are many reasons that cause hearing loss, the following summary of the points, especially among in ear monitor systeemng people and professional attendant is easy to happen. A? = ? + TJa entertainment ambient noise. p / WH # 4Xd? r in ear monitor systeemng people interested in all kinds of fashion, disco disco to KTV Biao Song, noisy recreation room playing games ... does not know, but I do not know when they are immersed in a huge noise bored hidden great harm by high-intensity sound for a long time especially prone to hearing debilitating produce ear fatigue, even deaf. Expert tips, entertainment purpose is to relax in the noise, but only more fatigue. Do stay too long in the strong noise environment, every half an hour, in ear monitor systeem should go out get some fresh air, to ease the pressure of the ear. Ubiquitous on the streets all day stuffed with headphones, but also deliberately turn the volume up too large, so that the next person can share. Audiologists headphone plug in the ear from the tympanic membrane is too close, long time, tympanic membrane vibration in a special environment for long periods, and subjected to repeated stimulation, no room for retractable, particularly prone to fatigue. Occasional tinnitus may do not care, but if listening to a dozen or even a few hours, and some people may appear sudden deafness. Therefore, when using headphones to listen to music, try to not drive too loud, preferably each no more than one hour a day, not more than two hours. In addition, when in ear monitor systeem ears uncomfortable, they should immediately disable earplugs to listen. ? X l?? LX? Severe ear crowd neglect hearing protection in China, most of the call center agents spacing is small, the agent on behalf of unused professional noise reduction ear marks for exhaled volume control, resulting in a small space on behalf of all seats are in normal volume usually speak call, which is the main source of ambient noise. working long hours in a noisy environment, and the use of non-professional noise reduction ear marks, seats on behalf of the hearing will unwittingly The injury could not hear each other speak, we have to be more to speak loudly, this vicious cycle is the most dangerous hearing killer.
Source: http://streetby50cent.blogspot.com/2012/12/in-ear-monitor-systeem-concerned-about.html
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Saturday, December 22, 2012
Barring setback, Redskins' RG3 looks good to go
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) ? Robert Griffin III looks good to go.
The Washington Redskins rookie had a full practice Thursday for the second straight day as the team prepares for this week's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
"I like what I see," coach Mike Shanahan said. "If there is no setback, he should be ready to go."
Griffin missed Sunday's win over the Cleveland Browns with a sprained right knee. On Wednesday, he had his first full practice since the injury, and coaches and doctors were eager to see how the knee would respond.
"There wasn't a setback today, so that's a good sign," Shanahan said.
Also Thursday, right tackle Tyler Polumbus remained unable to practice as he recovers from a concussion. Linebacker London Fletcher (sprained left ankle), linebacker Lorenzo Alexander (right shoulder) and defensive end Stephen Bowen (torn biceps) were limited, and linebacker Rob Jackson returned to practice after the birth of his baby girl.
___
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/barring-setback-redskins-rg3-looks-good-202822123--nfl.html
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Friday, December 21, 2012
Bells toll for victims one week after shooting
Ben Toby of Sandy Hook visits a memorial to the Newtown shooting victims during a heavy rain in the Sandy Hook village of Newtown, Conn., Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. The shooter, Adam Lanza, walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Dec. 14, and opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children, before killing himself.? (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Ben Toby of Sandy Hook visits a memorial to the Newtown shooting victims during a heavy rain in the Sandy Hook village of Newtown, Conn., Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. The shooter, Adam Lanza, walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Dec. 14, and opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children, before killing himself.? (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy, center, stands with other officials to observe a moment of silence while bells ring 26 times in Newtown, Conn., Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, in honor of the victims who were killed last Friday during the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy, center, stands with other officials to observe a moment of silence while bells ring 26 times in Newtown, Conn., Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, in honor of the victims who were killed last Friday during the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Officials including Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy observe a moment of silence on the steps of Edmond Town Hall while bells ring 26 times in Newtown, Conn., Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. The chiming of bells reverberated throughout Newtown, commemorating one week since the crackle of gunfire in a schoolhouse killed 20 children and six adults in a massacre that has shaken the community and the nation. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Bell ringer Tony Furnivall ring one of twelve bells in the belfry of Trinity Wall Street Church, on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 in New York, joining a nation-wide toll for a moment of silence to mourn the 20 children and six adult victims killed last week at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Ct. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) ? The chiming of bells reverberated throughout Newtown on Friday, commemorating one week since the crackle of gunfire in a schoolhouse killed 20 children and six adults in a massacre that has shaken the community ? and the nation ? to its core.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy gathered with other officials in rain and wind on the steps of the Edmond Town Hall as the bell rang 26 times in memory of each life lost at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The gunman also killed his mother before the massacre, and himself afterward.
Officials didn't plan any formal remarks Friday morning, and similar commemorations took place throughout the country.
Though the massacre does not rank as the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history ? that happened at Virginia Tech ? the tender age of the victims and the absence of any apparent motive has struck at Americans' hearts and minds. The gunman used a military-style assault rifle loaded with ammunition intended to inflict maximum damage, officials have said.
The White House said President Barack Obama privately observed the moment of silence.
Just a week after the attack, gun control has taken a front burner in Congress, where previous mass shootings produced only minimal legislative reaction. Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that the Obama administration would push to tighten gun laws.
The National Rifle Association, at its first public event since the shootings, called Friday for armed police officers to be posted in American school to stop the next killer "waiting in the wings."
Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the nation's largest gun-rights lobby with 4.3 million members, said at the Washington news conference that, "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun."
He blamed video games, movies and music videos for exposing children to a violent culture.
Though security was tight, the briefing was interrupted twice by people holding up signs that blamed the NRA for killing children. The protesters were taken from the room.
Traffic stopped in the streets outside the town hall in Newtown as bells rang out to honor the dead.
Malloy, taking deep breaths with his hands folded in front of him, was joined by the Newtown superintendent of schools, lawmakers and other officials as bells rang out at the nearby Trinity Episcopal Church.
Firefighters bowed their heads around a memorial filled with teddy bears, other stuffed animals and a New York Giants pillow. Some hugged and onlookers shook their hands afterward.
"When I heard the 26 bells ring it just melted my soul," said Kerrie Glassman, of Sandy Hook, who said she knew seven of the victims. "It's just overwhelming. You just can't believe this happened in our town."
Milysa Musiel, 21, came from neighboring Monroe and said she felt helpless.
"Everybody wants to do something," she said. "It shook that false sense of security that we had. This is my backyard."
Chip Carpenter, a volunteer with the police and fire department, said he was upset to see the wind knocking down tents for memorials.
"I was so distraught this morning," he said. "I just cried for the longest time. Just seeing everything falling apart. We suffered enough here."
Among those who gathered in Newtown was a group of 13 survivors of the 2005 school shooting on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota. The group drove nearly 1,500 miles to support and comfort the families and survivors. They brought gifts intended to bring a message of resilience and hope, including a plague that survivors of the 1999 Columbine shooting gave to them after their experience.
"This is just something we had to do," said Ashley Lejeunesse, 23, who was also in the Red Lake classroom.
The chiming of bells reverberated throughout the nation.
In Washington, religious leaders from a broad range of faiths gathered at Washington National Cathedral to call for their congregations to lobby Congress to enact gun control and mental health reforms to address pervasive gun violence. In a garden beside the National Cathedral, they paused to listen as a funeral bell tolled.
In New York City, bells at the historic Trinity Church near the World Trade Center tolled 28 times. In Massachusetts, bells in churches around the state, including Boston's historic Old North Church, rang in honor of those killed in the attack. A moment of silence was observed throughout Colorado, and bells rang out in Denver.
When the bells tolled mournfully to honor the victims of last week's shooting rampage, they did so 26 times, for each child and staff member killed.
There is rarely a mention by residents of the first person police said Adam Lanza killed that morning: his mother, Nancy, who was shot in the head four times while she lay in bed.
A private funeral was held Thursday in New Hampshire for Nancy Lanza, according to Donald Briggs, the police chief in Kingston, N.H., where her funeral was held. About 25 family members attended the ceremony.
Newtown and environs weathered a fourth day of funerals Thursday, and five more funerals or memorials were scheduled for Friday.
The Obama administration's response to last week's shooting is being overseen by the vice president. He said he and the president are "absolutely committed" to curbing gun violence.
Gun-control measures have faced fierce resistance in Congress for years, but that may be changing because of the events in Connecticut, which shocked the nation.
After the shooting, Obama signaled for the first time that he's willing to spend significant political capital on the issue. Some prominent gun-rights advocates on Capitol Hill ? Democrats and Republicans ? have expressed willingness to consider new measures.
Investigators have said that Nancy Lanza, a gun enthusiast, visited shooting ranges several times and that her son also visited an area range.
Authorities say Adam Lanza shot his mother at their home and then took her car and some of her guns to the school, where he broke in and opened fire. A Connecticut official said Nancy Lanza was shot four times in the head with a .22-caliber rifle.
Adam Lanza was wearing all black, with an olive-drab utility vest, during the school attack. Investigators have found no letters or diaries that could explain the rampage.
Friends and acquaintances have described him as intelligent, but odd and quiet.
Friends said he would stare down at the floor and not speak when she brought him into a local pizzeria. They knew that he'd switched schools more than once and that she'd tried home schooling him. But while she occasionally expressed concern about his future during evenings at the bar, she never complained.
___
Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Michael Melia, John Christoffersen, Eileen Connelly and David Klepper in Newtown; Jim Fitzgerald in Katonah, N.Y.; and Frederic J. Frommer in Washington.
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Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology - HigherEdJobs
The Biology Department at Oberlin College invites applications for a full-time, non-continuing faculty position in the College of Arts and
Sciences. Appointment to this position will be for a term of one year, beginning fall semester of 2013, and will carry the rank of Visiting
Assistant Professor.
Sciences. Appointment to this position will be for a term of one year, beginning fall semester of 2013, and will carry the rank of Visiting
Assistant Professor.
The incumbent will teach a total of five courses including an introductory course on organismal biology and a post-introductory course on vertebrate morphology (with a focus on evolution and/or biomechanics) or on developmental biology. Additional courses will be post-introductory in the incumbent's areas of specialization.
Among the qualifications required for appointment is the Ph.D. degree (in hand or expected by September 1, 2013). Candidates must demonstrate interest and potential excellence in undergraduate teaching. Successful teaching experience at the college level is highly desirable.
Please submit as a single pdf document to morphologistsearch@oberlin.edu, a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and description of teaching philosophy. Also, please have graduate and undergraduate academic transcripts and three recent letters of reference* sent directly to Morphologist Search, Biology Department, Oberlin College, 119 Woodland Street, Science Center K123, Oberlin, Ohio, 44074-1097. Review of applications will commence on February 11, 2013; application materials received after that date may be considered until the position is filled. *By providing these letters you agree that we may contact your references.
Oberlin College is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to creating an institutional environment free from discrimination and harassment based on race, color, sex, marital status, religion, creed, national origin, disability, age, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, family relationship to an employee of Oberlin College, and gender identity and expression.
Oberlin was the first coeducational institution to grant bachelor's degrees to women and historically has been a leader in the education of African Americans; the College was also among the first to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. In that spirit, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from individuals who would contribute to the diversity of our faculty in all respects.
Oberlin College is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to creating an institutional environment free from discrimination and harassment based on race, color, sex, marital status, religion, creed, national origin, disability, age, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, family relationship to an employee of Oberlin College, and gender identity and expression.
Source: http://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?JobCode=175704476
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Thursday, December 20, 2012
Human hands evolved so we could punch each other
Forget toolmaking, think fisticuffs. Did evolution shape our hands not for dexterity but to form fists so we could punch other people? That idea emerges from a new study, although it runs counter to conventional wisdom.
About the same time as we stopped hanging from trees and started walking upright, our hands become short and square, with opposable thumbs. These anatomical changes are thought to have evolved for tool manipulation, but David Carrier at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City has an alternative explanation.
He says there are several possible hand shapes that would have allowed greater dexterity, making it less clear why we ended up with the hands we have. But only one hand shape lets us make a fist with a thumb as buttress.
Among primates' hands, ours is unique for its ability to form a fist with the thumb outside the fingers. The fingers of other primates' hands are too long to curl into their palms, and their thumbs are too short to reach across the fingers. So when apes fight, they are far more likely to wrestle or hold their opponent down while others stomp on him, says Carrier.
To test the importance of fists, Carrier and his colleagues recruited 10 athletes and measured how hard they could hit a punching bag using a normal fist, a fist with the thumb stuck out, and with an open palm.
The athletes could generate more than twice the force with a normal fist as with the thumb-stuck-out fist, because of thumb's buttressing role. There was no difference in the force they could generate with a normal fist and with an open palm, but Carrier says it's possible that a fist concentrates the force into a smaller area and so does more damage.
Cause or effect?
Mary Marzke of Arizona State University in Tempe says the study is interesting, but it far from proves that the ability to make a strong fist was the main driver behind the evolution of our hands' shape. It is more likely that it was a useful side effect of a whole suite of modifications.
She points out that apes strike with the heel of their hand when knocking fruit out of trees. Carrier's study didn't assess the force that the heel of the hand generates, but if it turns out to be as good as a fist, it becomes less clear that our hands evolved so as to be perfect for fist-making, Marzke says.
But if the hypothesis is true, Carrier thinks it could explain another mystery. It has long been unclear why high levels of testosterone cause men's ring fingers to be longer than their index fingers. He says the finger-length ratio makes sense if it generates a better fist. This would make dominant males even better fighters.
Journal reference: Journal of Experimental Biology, doi:10.1242/jeb.075713
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Samsung launches Galaxy Grand, a mid-range 5-inch Android phone
Samsung has officially announced the launch of rumoured Galaxy Grand Android phone just now. The smartphone, which is powered by Android 4.1.2, comes with a 5-inch WVGA display and 1.2GHz dual-core processor.
Other features of the phone include 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage and 2,100 mAh battery.
According to Samsung, the Galaxy Grand comes with all the features like Direct Call, Smart Alert, Popup Video, Multi-Windows & S Voice, which were first seen in Galaxy S III or Note II. The phone will also feature Games, Movies and Music Hubs on-board.
Samsung Galaxy Grand will be sold in both single SIM and dual-SIM versions, but according to the company dual-SIM version will be first to reach the market.
?For the dual SIM version, its innovative dual SIM feature provides total communication flexibility, allowing users to manage two phone numbers from a single phone. It is possible to receive calls on one SIM number while taking a call from the other, ensuring efficient management of personal and work commitments without ever missing a call. Dual SIM also offers the flexibility of selecting different billing plans for either SIM, switching between them to make the most of cheaper call and data plans,? noted company on the official blog.
There is no word on the availability or the pricing right now, but we hope to hear something very soon.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidosfeeds/~3/9GS7jdXfAwI/
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Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Video: Viewers compete for best gingerbread house title
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Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50236059/
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EU: Tax collection still lagging in Greece
A woman walks outside the Greek parliament in Athens, Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. Greece has imposed deeply unpopular spending cuts and tax hikes over the past three years, to secure vital international rescue loans. Greece is in line to get 49.1 billion euro ($64 billion) between now and March, with 34.3 billion euro of that amount due in the coming days. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
A woman walks outside the Greek parliament in Athens, Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. Greece has imposed deeply unpopular spending cuts and tax hikes over the past three years, to secure vital international rescue loans. Greece is in line to get 49.1 billion euro ($64 billion) between now and March, with 34.3 billion euro of that amount due in the coming days. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Pedestrians walk in front of a branch of Proton bank in central Athens, Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. Prominent Greek businessman Lavrentis Lavrentiadis was arrested Thursday Dec. 13 over his alleged involvement in a scandal involving the Proton Bank, in which he was the major shareholder. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Striking Greek municipal employees chant slogans and bang on pots and pans during a protest outside at the northern port city of Thessaloniki, Greece Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. Greek municipal workers demonstrated against government plans to suspend 2,000 civil servants for potential dismissal due to state budget cuts. (AP Photo/Nikolas Giakoumidis)
Striking Greek municipal employees chant slogans during a protest outside at the northern port city of Thessaloniki, Greece as a banner reads in Greek "bailout agreement" Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. Greek municipal workers demonstrated against government plans to suspend 2,000 civil servants for potential dismissal due to state budget cuts. AP Photo/Nikolas Giakoumidis)
BRUSSELS (AP) ? The European Union says that Greek tax collection is still falling well short of some key targets that need to be met to reduce the government's staggering debt pile.
The EU's task force to help Greece overcome the crisis that brought it to the brink of bankruptcy said in Monday's quarterly report that Athens still has trouble to deal with old, outstanding tax claims. With 2 months to go in 2012, it was still about a billion euros behind the EU target of recovering ?2 billion.
It said Greece made only 88 audits of large taxpayers, well short of a 2012 target of 300, and 467 of "high-wealth individuals," below a 1,300 target.
Overall, though, EU Vice President Olli Rehn said Greece was tackling problems "with determination and resolve."
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'Dark Knight Rises': Top 10 Moments Of 2012
To celebrate Batman's spot atop MTV's Best Movies of 2012, here are our favorite stories from the film's epic year.
By Kevin P. Sullivan
Christian Bale in "Dark Knight Rises"
Photo: Warner Bros.
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1699001/dark-knight-rises-top-10-moments-2012.jhtml
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Myanmar health care broken under military rule
ZEE PHYU KWIN, Myanmar (AP) ? In her long scarlet sarong, crisp white shirt and nurse's cap pinned neatly in place, Khin Aye Nwe looks as though she belongs in a modern hospital. Instead, the midwife's clean sandals scuff across the dusty cement floor of a dilapidated clinic in Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta.
She covers a territory spanning 15 villages with 3,000 people, delivering babies, immunizing children and treating everything from malnutrition to malaria in an area where 80 percent of young children and pregnant women are anemic.
For half a century, such work was almost completely ignored by the secretive military-run government, which starved virtually every sector of the budget except defense. Now, with the dramatic change that has given Myanmar an elected government, there are hopes for improvement, but the country faces a long climb. Under military rule, it spent less than $1 per person on health in 2008, minus donor money, and ranks among the lowest countries in nearly every category of health care funding.
Despite the neglect, Nwe and a small army of other dedicated women have continued to fan out across the country's vast rice basket to help the sick. They walk, ride buses, climb inside rickety boats and hop on the backs of motorbikes to reach patients who have no other source of medical care.
The work is exhausting, and Nwe knows no matter how hard she pushes herself, it will never be enough to help everyone. But she says now, for the first time, there's reason to hope.
"I'm not seeing it here yet," she says, softly. "I haven't seen the improvements or changes yet, but I think it will come."
The excitement following a wave of political reforms and historic international visits is easily felt in bigger cities such as Yangon, formerly named Rangoon, where T-shirts adorned with pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi's face are hawked at roadside stalls and Western business people are filling up hotel rooms.
But a half day's drive away into the delta, it's harder to sense that energy among the poor who live meal-to-meal in flimsy thatch huts on bamboo stilts along coffee-brown rivers and rice paddies.
After being isolated from the rest of the world for so long, many are used to expecting very little in a country where running water and electricity are still considered luxuries in many areas.
For years, the U.S. and others used economic sanctions to pressure the junta to clean up its dismal human rights record and allow democratic reforms. As international donor aid poured into nearby countries, with Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos receiving $52, $34 and $67 per capita respectively in 2010, Myanmar got $7.
That, combined with the junta's disregard, meant most people in Myanmar, also known as Burma, had to pay for what little health care they received, or do without.
Wracked by corruption and mismanagement, the country's overall health care system was ranked second worst in the world by the World Health Organization in 2000. The government spent the least of any country worldwide on health in 2009, as a percentage of the country's gross domestic product.
Its people pay the price in many ways:
? Myanmar has Southeast Asia's highest death rates for newborns, infants and children under 5.
? AIDS kills an estimated 18,000 people a year, and the country remains one of the hardest in which to receive HIV treatment.
? Tuberculosis is at nearly triple the global rate, and Myanmar has the highest number of malaria-related deaths in the region.
? More than 90 percent of pregnant women and 70 percent of children in coastal and delta areas suffer worm infestations, a major cause of malnutrition.
And all this is happening in a resource-rich country that was once the envy of its neighbors.
"Decades of disinvestment in health by Burma's rulers, coupled with the collapse of the education system and censorship, have left the country's public health system in ruins, without sufficient trained personnel or supplies to adequately offer basic, affordable health services for most Burmese," said Dr. Vit Suwanvanichkij of Johns Hopkins University.
The lack of care is obvious at the country's main hospital, Rangoon General in Yangon. Its once stately British colonial red-brick facade sprawls across a huge campus, but the grounds are cluttered with filth and weeds and food vendors sell cheap snacks to patients' relatives near open sewage gutters.
Inside one ward, dozens of patients are packed into an open room. Some drift in and out of sleep while others twist in obvious pain as family members fan them.
As the country continues opening its doors to the outside world, historic visits such as last month's by President Barack Obama are symbolizing a new era.
A parade of high-ranking global health officials also have recently filed through the country, taking stock of what's left of the health system and vowing to help rebuild it. UNAIDS last month named Suu Kyi a global advocate to raise awareness of stigma and discrimination against HIV patients, a daunting problem in the country.
Myanmar has taken a few encouraging steps. Its new health minister, Dr. Pe Thet Khin, is a pediatrician with firsthand knowledge of the challenges.
In the U.S. earlier this year, he said he hoped new partnerships and collaborations with foreign universities would improve the quality of the country's health system. He added that infant, child and maternal health was considered a top priority.
He said the country is producing enough doctors, nurses and other health workers but that the quality was "a bit compromised" due to a lack of funding. "The economy, as you know, was not very good over the past 20 or 30 years, partly because of sanctions but partly because of some mismanagement," he said.
The new government has quadrupled the health budget, but it is still low and much of the increase went to paying health workers' salaries. National studies are also needed to provide a clearer picture of the true state of health, especially from restive areas where ethnic minorities have been at civil war for decades and travel was previously forbidden.
"The system here is so far behind," said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS country coordinator.
Myanmar once had a strong health and education system and could recover, he said, "but it's just going to take time and it's going to take a serious commitment from the international community, not just financial but technical."
Off the rocky, rutted dirt track in a faraway corner of the Delta where midwife Nwe works, UNICEF ? not the government ? has been running a program that provides vitamin- and mineral-packed sachets called Sprinkles to 3,000 children under age 3. The micronutrients are added to food to help ward off anemia caused by a lack of iron in an area of the country routinely hit by flooding and disasters ? Cyclone Nargis killed more than 100,000 people in 2008.
Nwe quickly rattles off a wish list of improvements she'd like to see: more health workers and supplies, better infrastructure and transportation for staff and patients.
But she's also quick to note that the government has doubled staffing at the local health center to deal with the heavy patient load. Doubled, that is, from one to two.
It's a very small thing, she knows, but it's enough to make her hope for more. And that's something she never would have dared in the past.
___
Follow Margie Mason on Twitter: twitter.com/MargieMasonAP
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/myanmar-health-care-broken-under-military-rule-041940214.html
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School shooting compels entertainment changes
NEW YORK (AP) ? Hollywood is responding to the Connecticut school shooting rampage by switching schedules, adding disclaimers, delaying a film opening and presenting a somber lineup of daytime TV specials.
Several daytime talk shows responded with shows Monday dedicated to Friday's shooting in Newtown, Conn. They include "Katie," ''Dr. Oz," ''Dr. Phil" and "The Doctors."
The shows are often taped well in advance.
Showtime gave viewers a special warning of violence before the season finales of "Dexter" and "Homeland" on Sunday. The TLC network is delaying a special called "Best Funerals Ever."
The Film Society of Lincoln Center canceled Monday's screening of Tom Cruise's violent new movie, "Jack Reacher."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/school-shooting-compels-entertainment-changes-214144717.html
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Epson WorkForce WF-2540
The Epson WorkForce WF-2540 multi-function printer (MFP) is almost identical in most ways to the Epson WorkForce WF-2530 that I recently reviewed. Both models are best understood as personal MFPs for any size office and both offer essentially the same size, speed, and output quality. However the WF-2540 adds a few key features, most notably an Ethernet connector as an alternative to the Wi-Fi that both printers offer. For those who prefer the extra security and reliability of wired network connectivity, that alone makes it well worth the small additional cost.
In addition to the Ethernet connector, the WF-2540 adds a larger, more readable LCD, at 2.5 inches, for the control panel menus and a USB A connector on the front of the printer to let you scan directly to, but not print from, USB memory keys. Beyond that, however, there are few, if any, differences between the two models.
As with the Epson WF-2530, the WF-2540's footprint is only 15.4 by 14.8 inches not including the front output tray, making it small enough to fit comfortably on your desk. More important, it shares the Epson WF-2530's focus on office-related, rather than home-oriented, features. That's not to say that it can't serve in the dual role of home and home-office printer. However, you won't find features like support for printing directly from PictBridge cameras, which you might expect in a home printer.
The Basics
Core MFP features in the WF-2540 include the ability to print and fax from a PC, scan to a PC, and work as a standalone copier and fax machine. Office-oriented features include a 30-page automatic document feeder, which supplements a letter-size flatbed to let you scan multipage documents and legal-size paper easily,
For printing, the WF-2540 offers only a 100-sheet paper capacity and no duplexer (for automatic printing on both sides of the page). This limited paper handling is the main reason the printer is best reserved for one person's use, at least in an office. You can certainly share it on a network easily enough. But unless no one in your office prints very much, you'll have to refill it with paper more often than most people would want to.
Also worth mention is that the WF-2540 allows printing through the cloud and printing with Apple AirPrint. Note, however, that AirPrint requires a Wi-Fi access point on your network, which you may not have if you've chosen to use the Ethernet or USB connection. In addition, both AirPrint and cloud printing require setting up the printer with a wired or wireless network connection.
Setup, Speed, and Output Quality
Setting up the WF-2540 on a wired network was absolutely typical, both for the physical setup and for installing the drivers and other software on the Windows Vista system I tested with.
As with the WF-2530, the WF-2540's speed and output quality are both acceptable but unimpressive. On our business applications suite (using QualityLogic's hardware and software for timing), the WF-2540 tied the WF-2530 at an effective 2.6 pages per minute (ppm). That makes it significantly slower than either the less expensive Editors' Choice Brother MFC-J430w below, at 4.3 ppm, or the more expensive Editors' Choice Brother MFC-J825DW above, at 4.0 ppm.
For photos, all of these printers were slower than most inkjets, with the WF-2540 essentially tying the WF-2530 for last place, at 2 minutes 16 seconds.
Output quality is another area where the WF-2540 is a close match to the Epson WF-2530. Text quality falls at the low end of a fairly tight range that includes the vast majority of inkjets. It's more than acceptable for most business use like correspondence and reports, but not suitable if you need top quality text, or just have a demanding eye.
Graphics are more than good enough for internal business use, but you may not consider them good enough for PowerPoint handouts or the like depending on how much of a perfectionist you are. Photo quality is easily good enough for business materials with photos, and even for home use with most photos. However, colors in one photo were a little off in my tests, putting the printer in the same league as the low end of what you can expect from drugstore prints.
Thanks largely to its Ethernet connector and ability to scan to a USB key, the Epson WF-2540 is a more attractive choice for the price than the Epson WF-2530. If you don't need those features, you can save some money by getting the Epson WF-2530, or, better yet, the Brother MFC-J430w, with its faster speed. Similarly, if you need those features but speed is a key consideration too, you'll be better off with the Brother MFC-J825DW, which will also give you duplex printing. If you don't need duplexing, however, and don't need the extra speed, the Epson WF-2540 is a more than reasonable choice that can certainly do the job.
More Multi-function Printer Reviews:
??? Epson WorkForce WF-2530
??? Epson WorkForce WF-2540
??? Canon imageClass MF4890dw
??? Xerox WorkCentre 6605DN Color Multifunction Printer
??? OKI MB491+LP
?? more
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/JMzantr58i0/0,2817,2413280,00.asp
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Sunday, December 16, 2012
Recycle Your God-Awful Christmas Sweaters with This Pedal-Powered Un-Knitting Machine
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Thursday, December 13, 2012
Winter brings more troubles for displaced Syrians
ATMEH, Syria (AP) ? This tent camp sheltering Syrians uprooted by their country's brutal civil war has lost the race against winter: The ground under white tents is soaked in mud, fights erupt over scarce blankets and volunteer doctors routinely run out of medicine for coughing, runny-nosed children.
The 21-month-old battle to bring down President Bashar Assad has already forced some 3 million Syrians from their homes, according to a new estimate, and cold, wet winter weather is making life increasingly unbearable for the displaced.
Many of the roughly 12,000 people seeking refuge in the tent camp near the Syrian village of Atmeh on the Turkish border fled with just the clothes on their backs, running from intensifying bombing raids by the Syrian air force in recent months.
A 10-year-old boy, Abdullah Ahmed, walked around the camp with a bandaged head and hands after suffering burns during an airstrike on his home.
"I have nothing left except the mercy of God," said Mariam Ghraibeh, a 60-year-old war widow whose home in the town of Kafr Awaid, about 140 kilometers (90 miles) to the south, was destroyed in an airstrike a month ago. Ghraibeh and her family of 15 now huddle in tents, sleeping on thin mattresses on cold plastic, with two or more people sharing a blanket.
The most basic necessities are missing or in short supply, from toilets to generator-powered electricity. In a tent kitchen, volunteers cook the day's single warm meal in huge pots on gas burners, and on Tuesday that meant just potatoes.
One tent houses a makeshift school where little learning gets done as dozens of noisy kids, from toddlers to teens, squeeze behind desks to sing, draw and mainly to escape the boredom of the family tent. But most of the children, especially the boys, roam the muddy camp in small groups, some barefoot, others in rubber boots.
The camp is home to some 3,000 children under the age of 12, including about 900 under the age of 1, and they make up the bulk of some 200 to 300 patients a day in the camp clinic, said Dr. Abdel Majid Akkad, a volunteer physician who was born in Syria but lives in Frankfurt, Germany.
Among children, intestinal worms, scabies and head lice are common because of the poor sanitary conditions. The sometimes rainy and windy weather, with temperatures dropping to near-freezing at night, is sending many to the medical tent with coughs and colds. Akkad said there's a routine shortage of medicines, from antibiotics and drugs against parasites to high blood pressure medication and insulin.
Last week, volunteers pooled their money to buy anti-lice lotions, but ran out before being able to supply everyone. In any case, it seemed a hopeless task, said Akkad, 42, since effective treatment requires washing and ironing the bedding. "How are they supposed to do that?" he said of the refugees.
On Tuesday, Akkad and another doctor on duty stood side by side behind an exam table as mothers brought in their children. Akkad diagnosed a 5-month-old boy with bronchitis, while a nurse gave a shot to a crying toddler suffering from tonsillitis and diarrhea.
"The situation is really bad, winter is already here," said camp manager Yakzan Shishakly, 34, who owns an air-conditioning business in Houston, Texas, and returned to his native Syria last year to help victims of the civil war.
The number of Syrians driven from their homes by the fighting has risen steadily, and the U.N. refugee agency cited a new estimate by Syria's Red Crescent of some 2.5 million internally displaced, out of a population of 23 million.
Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman for the U.N. agency, said it's difficult to get an accurate count because some areas of Syria are off-limits to aid workers. The U.N. says about 2,000 schools in Syria are being used to house the displaced, while other people have found shelter with relatives. It's not clear how widespread tent camps like the one near Atmeh are.
In addition to the internally displaced, hundreds of thousands have fled to neighboring countries. They include close to 510,000 people who have registered or are awaiting registration as refugees, mainly in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq, along with tens of thousands who have not registered, the U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday, releasing new figures.
Refugees crossing into Jordan after dark during heavy rains this week were fearful, freezing and without proper winter clothing, the U.N. agency said. It said 60 percent of the new arrivals in Jordan were under the age of 18, including 22 newborns arriving Sunday evening. The agency said it is distributing 50,000 thermal blankets in the largest camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan.
However, there was no sign of major international aid groups in the Atmeh camp, which started out a few months ago with refugees sleeping in olive groves after Turkey slowed the influx of newcomers, said Shishakly, the camp manager.
The camp is run by the Maram Foundation, which was set up by Shishakly and other Syrian-Americans in October to raise funds.
The Turkish Red Crescent has sent tents and distributes breakfast, he said, while he and his supporters buy drinking water and provide a daily warm meal. Another aid group, Medical Relief for Syria, runs the small clinic.
The tents are pitched on a slope that overlooks rolling olive tree-covered hills on one side and a forbidding Turkish military base on the other.
People in the camp say they have been prevented from entering Turkey. While Turkey officially maintains an "open door" policy for Syrian refugees, it has acknowledged delays in accepting newcomers because of strains on its resources and more thorough efforts to vet and register new arrivals.
Some Syrians try to sneak across border, but that requires money.
Mohannad Fahad, a 33-year-old physician from Kafr Awaid, said he is being asked to pay $50 each for his mother, wife and three young sons to be smuggled into Turkey. His family arrived at the camp Monday morning, fleeing air attacks and leaving behind a largely destroyed and deserted town, but he said there is no way he could stay in the camp.
Mohammed Yousef, 45, who fled Kafr Awaid back in September, said most of those trying to sneak in are turned back, and that the only hope is for Turkey to ease restrictions.
In the meantime, Shishakly is trying to make conditions more bearable, by building a storage room, a kitchen and toilets from crude cinderblocks. Some camp residents spread gravel to help keep rainwater away from the tents.
Weather-proofing looks like an impossible challenge, said Shishakly. "We are fighting with time."
___
Associated Press writers John Heilprin in Geneva and Christopher Torchia in Istanbul contributed to this report.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/winter-brings-more-troubles-displaced-syrians-191301758.html
Finance Bill introduces annual property levy and extends capital ...
December 11, 2012
The new Draft Finance Bill includes, as feared, a bunch of new property taxes: there?s a new annual levy for non doms with homes worth over ?2m, and an extension to capital gains tax, at 28%, for ?non-residential non natural persons disposing of interests in UK residential property valued at over ?2 million.?
The annual levy will be, for properties valued at ?2-5m, ?15,000; for properties valued at ?5-10m, ?35,000; for properties valued at ?10-20m, ?70,000; for properties valued at more than ?20m, ?140,000.
The Bill is riddled with exemptions, meaning that ?real? businesses ? developers, investors etc ? won?t be as badly affected as all that; SDLT will remain at 7%, rather than 15%, for ?genuinely commercial activities.?
Here are the main property clauses:
Annual residential property tax ? As announced in Budget 2012, and following consultation over the summer, legislation will be introduced for an annual residential property tax to be payable by certain non-natural persons that own interests in dwellings valued at more than ?2 million. This tax will come into effect on 1 April 2013. It is an annual tax, and returns and payments will be required annually. Returns and payment will usually be due on 30 April, but for the first year returns will be due on 1 October 2013 and payment by 31 October 2013. The amount of tax payable will depend upon which of the fixed bands the dwelling is within. There are a number of reliefs available if the dwelling is being, or is to be, used for a genuine commercial property rental, or trading business; or if it is run as a trade. The response to the consultation was published on 11 December 2012 and is available on the HM Treasury website.
Stamp duty land tax (SDLT): 15% rate ? Finance Act 2012 introduced a 15 per cent rate of stamp duty land tax on the acquisition by certain non-natural persons of dwellings costing more than ?2 million. The scope of the 15% rate was included as part of the consultation on the annual residential property tax. A number of reliefs will be introduced to reduce the rate to 7% where there is relief against the annual residential property tax. However, these reliefs will only apply if the property continues to satisfy the qualifying conditions throughout the following three years. If it does not, additional SDLT will become payable.
Capital gains tax: extension to certain non-natural persons disposing of UK residential property valued at over ?2 million ? Legislation will be introduced to bring in a capital gains tax charge payable by certain non-natural persons when they dispose of interests in high value residential property in the UK on or after 6 April 2013. Broadly, the new tax charge will be payable by these non-natural persons, on gains accruing on or after 6 April 2013, if they were liable to the new annual residential property tax on the property in question. The TIIN will be published alongside the draft legislation, in January 2013. Details of the policy are set out in the consultation response document published on 11 December 2012, which is available on the HM Treasury website.
Stamp duty land tax: transfer of rights ? As announced in Budget 2012, and following consultation, legislation will be introduced to reform the SDLT rules for transfer of rights. The new legislation aims to ensure that SDLT will generally be charged only on the end purchaser of the relevant land, as under the current rules; but it also aims to provide clearer protection against schemes aiming to avoid this charge.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) ? As announced in Budget 2012, and following consultation over the summer, legislation will be introduced to allow the income from a UK REIT investing in a UK REIT to be treated as income of the investing REIT?s tax exempt property rental business. The legislation will take effect for accounting periods beginning on or after Royal Assent to Finance Bill 2013. As part of the same consultation, the Government considered the role REITs can play in supporting the social housing sector. Following this consultation, the Government has concluded that reforming the REIT regime to support social housing is neither viable nor necessary at this time. A response to the consultation was published on 11 December 2012 and is available on the HM Treasury website.
Lease premium relief ? As announced at Budget 2012, and following informal consultation over the summer, legislation will be introduced to limit the availability of lease premium relief where leases are of more than 50 years? duration. The legislation will take effect for leases granted on or after 1 April 2013 for companies and on or after 6 April 2013 for individuals and partnerships.
Stamp duty land tax: leases simplification ? As announced in Budget 2012, and following informal consultation over the summer, legislation will be introduced to simplify the reporting requirements that apply when a lease continues after the expiry of its fixed term and where an agreement for lease is substantially performed before the actual lease is granted. The rules on abnormal rent increases will also be abolished.
New legislation, which will be open for technical consultation until Wednesday 6 February 2013, covers policies announced in the March Budget, including:
- A General Anti-Abuse Rule, to target abusive tax avoidance schemes;
- Corporation tax reliefs to encourage investment in the production of animation, high-end television and video games;
- An ?above the line? R&D credit to encourage investment in research and development.
- A package of property tax policies including a new annual residential property tax to be payable by certain non-natural persons that own interests in dwellings valued at more than ?2 million, and an extension of the capital gains tax regime to non-residential non natural persons disposing of interests in UK residential property valued at over ?2 million. The capital gains tax will be payable only on gains accruing on or after 6 April 2013. For consistency, the Government is considering extending the CGT regime to also apply to disposals of high value residential property by UK NNPs. The Government would welcome views on the impact and implementation of this potential change by 18th January.
- Introducing a statutory residence test, abolishing ordinary residence and eliminating the concept of ?ordinary residence? for tax purposes as far as possible.
The Government will also publish draft legislation for policies announced in the 2012 Autumn Statement, including:
- Give HMRC the power to implement a special accounting scheme for air passenger duty that will allow eligible operators to submit annual returns.
- Make changes to the carbon price floor legislation to clarify the tax point, taxable person and the treatment of auto-generators and Combined Heat and Power stations.
- Exempt Universal Credit from income tax.
- To clarify the tax treatment of banks? Tier 2 regulatory capital instruments, as announced by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 26 October. This clarification will ensure that the coupon on Tier 2 capital which is already in issue or yet to be issued will be deductible for the purposes of a bank computing its profits for corporation tax purposes. This will provide banks and investors with certainty.
- Make amendments to allow the Finance Act 2003 inheritance tax measures on the treatment of open-ended investment companies (OEIC) and authorised unit trusts (AUT) to work in the way that was originally intended.
- Amend the restrictions on when companies resident in the European Economic Area can surrender losses from their UK branches as group relief from corporation tax in the UK.
- Introduce further minor simplifications to the remittance basis rules as they affect exempt property where such property is lost, stolen or destroyed and works of art on public display, and clarify the interaction between the time limits for the exempt property rules.
- Ensuring that conditions imposed by a statutory body by which one company will leave a group at a pre-determined date will not prevent claims to corporation tax group relief. This targeted legislative amendment to the group loss relief rules will not remove the current loss-buying avoidance protection.
- Ensure that a consistent time limit for repayment applies for all overpaid tax. This legislation will also correct an anomaly relating to time limits for loss relief.
There?s also a bit on building societies:
- Clarify the tax treatment of new Core Tier One regulatory capital instruments which Building Societies? have developed to ensure compliance with regulatory capital requirements under the forthcoming Capital Requirements Directive IV. As Building Societies? are mutual organisations their constitutions prevent them from issuing ordinary share capital in the same way as other companies. This change to secondary legislation will ensure that these new instruments, which will perform a similar function to ordinary share capital, will also be taxed in the same way as ordinary share capital.
The full Bill is a bit of beast with many pages, so bear with us while we digest? If you can face it, here?s a link to all the statements and info straight from the Treasury, and here?s a link to the property tax consultation draft document.
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Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Syrian opposition urges review of al-Nusra blacklisting
MARRAKECH, Morocco (Reuters) - The leader of Syria's opposition coalition urged the United States on Wednesday to reconsider its decision to designate the militant Islamist Jabhat al-Nusra as a terrorist group, saying religion was a legitimate motive for Syrian rebels.
"The decision to consider a party that is fighting the regime as a terrorist party needs to be reviewed," Mouaz Alkhatib told a "Friends of Syria" meeting in Morocco, where Western and Arab states granted full recognition to the coalition seeking to oust President Bashar al-Assad.
"We might disagree with some parties and their ideas and their political and ideological vision. But we affirm that all the guns of the rebels are aimed at overthrowing the tyrannical criminal regime."
Alkhatib also called on Syria's Alawite minority on Wednesday to launch a campaign of civil disobedience against Assad, an Alawite facing a mainly Sunni Muslim uprising against his rule.
The United States designated the Jabhat al-Nusra (Nusra Front) as a foreign terrorist organization and said it was trying to hijack the revolt on behalf of al Qaeda in Iraq.
Without naming al-Nusra, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns urged Alkhatib's coalition to "take a firm stand against extremists" who could commandeer the revolt.
"Transition is coming one way or another," he told the meeting in the city of Marrakech. Burns invited Alkhatib and others in the coalition to visit Washington for talks at the earliest opportunity.
But later, when asked whether Washington would consider Alkhatib's view to reconsider designation of al-Nusra, Burns said that the vision for Syria's future, which the coalition represents, is democratic and pluralistic.
"The step we took with regards to the designation of al-Nusra Front raises an alarm about a very different kind of future for Syria - about a direction that a group, in this case al Nusra, would try to take Syria to impose its will and to try and to threaten the social fabric of Syria."
The decision to blacklist al-Nusra, an important fighting force in the uprising, has already triggered criticism from the powerful Syrian Muslim Brotherhood. A senior Brotherhood official said it was wrong and hasty.
"They are seen as (a group that) can be relied on to defend the country and the civilians against the regular army and Assad's gangs," Brotherhood deputy leader Farouq Tayfour told Reuters on Tuesday.
Alkhatib said it was "no shame" if Syrian rebels were driven by religious motives to topple Assad. "Religion that does not liberate its people, and does not eliminate repression, is not authentic religion," he said.
"The fact that the military movement is Islamic in its color is generally positive. Jihad in the path of God has long been a fundamental motivator for human rights."
APPEAL TO ALAWITES
"We send a direct message to the Alawite brethren. The Syrian revolution is extending its hand to you, so extend your hand back and start civil disobedience against the regime because it repressed you like it repressed us," he said.
Many Alawites, who have remained mostly loyal to Assad throughout the 20-month-old uprising in which more than 40,000 people have been killed, fear the rebels would exact brutal revenge on their community if they seize power.
But Alkhatib, a Sunni Muslim former preacher at the ancient Umayyad mosque in Damascus, said the opposition coalition which he leads was committed to a pluralistic future "based on justice, equality and respect for human rights and preserving (Syria's) unique social fabric".
"This coalition... was born to restore hope and smiles of the Syrian people. Its objective is to bring down the Syrian regime and prepare for a national conference that will be inclusive and that will guide Syria towards the future."
He said Assad's opponents would hold the world - and Assad's ally Russia in particular - "fully responsible, if the regime uses chemical weapons against our people".
Alkhatib, elected last month as leader of the National Coalition for Opposition Forces and the Syrian Revolution, also called on Assad's backers in Iran and the Lebanese Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah to withdraw their support.
"We demand that Iran withdraws all of its experts from Syria and we demand the leadership of Hezbollah to withdraw all of its fighters if found in Syria, because their blood must not be spilt defending a callous and antiquated regime," he said.
(Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Michael Roddy)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-opposition-urges-review-al-nusra-blacklisting-164633946.html
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