Interesting Life

Australian Man Pardoned 87 Years After Hanging!

2008-05-26T23:12:00.000-07:00

Colin Campbell Ross was hanged for allegedly raping and strangling 12 year old Alma Tritschke almost 87 years ago. Ross, who ran a wine saloon was alleged by the Crown to have given alcohol to the little girl before comitting the crime on New Year's Eve 1921. He was sent to the gallows the following year, although witnesses had placed him elsewhere at the time of the murder.

Ross always maintained his innocence, and a review of the case has found that hairs found on a blanket at his home and used as evidence against him did not belong to the victim.

'This is a tragic case where a miscarriage of justice resulted in a man being hanged,' Victoria Attorney-General Rob Hills told The Age newspaper.'It also sends a salutary warning to those who still believe that the death penalty still has an appropriate place in our legal system,' he added.

The case was reopened because of a campaign by the families of both Tritschke and Ross. A forensic examination of the hair revealed it was not Tritschke's.

'It's a tragedy for everybody that the actual perpetrator was not caught and an innocent man lost his life,' a spokeswoman for the dead girl's family said.

Betty Everett, the hanged man's niece said,' I have lived with this fear and doubt for most of my life, the more as I began to have children, that perhaps I carried the genes of a murderer. That shadow has gone.'

Premier John Brumby said that the request for pardon had been a joint request by both Ross' and the victim's families.

New York Says "No" To Traffic Fee.

2008-04-08T02:31:00.000-07:00

New York mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan for a congestion charge to reduce traffic and pollution in Manhattan has been blocked by the state Assembly.The plan, first announced in December 2006 is modelled on congestion pricing programs in London, Stockholm and Singapore. It was to be a three year pilot program at the end of which the city and state were to decide if the program should be made permanent.

The plan would have charged most drivers $8 to drive below 60th Street, near the southern edge of Central Park, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays. Transit buses, emergency vehicles, taxis and handicapped drivers were to be exempted from the charge.The initiative had been endorsed by the state's Democratic Governor, David Paterson, its Republican-led Senate and the New York city council.

The main criticism of the plan was that it did nothing to address the traffic jams which would inevitably be caused outside Manhattan, as motorists tried to avoid the congestion pricing zone.Brooklyn and Queens are also strongly opposed to the plan.They say that as more than half the traffic into Manhattan originates from the city proper, taxing Brooklyn and Queens for pollution problems on Canal Street is unjust punishment. All the middle-class and working neighborhoods also oppose the plan as they see it as an unfair tax on their incomes.

The vote means the city will forfeit $354 million in federal money for starting the initiative.The plan had been endorsed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who called Mr. Bloomberg an 'environmental warrior,' and also by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair who had hailed it as a move which would 'mark out New York as a global leader in the fight against climate change.'

First Church Opens In Qatar.

2008-03-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

The first Christian church opened in Qatar, Saturday with mass being celebrated in the Roman Catholic parish of Our Lady of the Rosary. The church is built on land donated by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the emir of Qatar. Construction of buildings for four other groups, Anglican, Coptic and Greek Ortodox communities , as well as an inter-denominational center is also under way. Some 150,000 Christians, mostly expatriates live in Qatar.

Out of respect for local sensitivities the building's exterior bears no Christian symbols such as crosses, steeples or church bells. Local reaction to the church is mixed.Some of the local residents are not comfortable with the idea of an official Christian church.They feel that a church should not be allowed in a Muslim country.Others have taken a broader view. They say that if Muslims can ask for a mosque in England, then why can't Christians ask for a church in Qatar. As long as the religion does not interfere with the state or impose itself on other Muslims they don't see any problem at all. The Christian priests on their part have promised not to proselytize. Since it is illegal in Qatar for Muslims to convert to other religions, any native showing interest in Christianity is expected to be turned away.

Qatar hopes that the church will be seen as a sign of opening up to the West and help it in its bid to host the Olympic Games in 2016.

YouTube vs. Hulu.com: Who will win?

2008-03-16T01:28:00.000-07:00

After several months of Beta testing , the News Corp.-NBC promoted video site Hulu.com is opening to the public. How big a challenge will it be to YouTube's near monopoly?

Hulu.com CEO Jason Kilar says:'Subjectively, Hulu strikes us as an inherently fun name, one that captures the spirit of the service we're building. Our hope is that Hulu will embody our never ending mission, which is to help you find and enjoy the world's premier content when, where and how you want it.'

The emphasis here is on content and Hulu.com has tied up with the best known names in the business like Time Warner's AOL, MGM, Sony Pictures Television, Comcast etc. to bring it to the viewers. It promises hit shows like The Simpsons, The Office, television series like Arrested Development, Buffy the Vampire Slayer etc. and also movies, clips and other content.Should YouTube be worried about Hulu.com? It's too early to say.Presently Hulu.com has only about 5 million registered users to YouTube's almost 80 million.Just as Google, an internet based company has been trying to scale up into a media company, here we have a media company re-branding itself as an internet firm. The reason is obvious. It won't be long before online advertising revenue overtakes all other kinds of advertising revenue, maybe put together.What could trouble YouTube is the fact that the number of viewers for online videos is several times larger than the number of people who post online content.Hulu.com provides the assurance of a wide variety of studio quality media for free.It relies on its vast library of copyrighted content for the purpose.If Hulu also provides an easy interface to upload videos, YouTube could well be having a problem.

Cyber War Games Start March 11th.

2008-03-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

Code named Cyber Storm II, Cyber war games are scheduled to be held from March 11th till the 14th.The exercises will test the cyber security of the US, Australia, the UK, New Zealand and Canada.Its goal is to test preparedness and responsiveness to real time threats.The focus will be simulated cyber attacks on information technology, communications, chemical and transportation infrastructure.Cyber Storm II participants have been divided into two groups, planners and players.The players have not been told about the situations they will have to handle.The exercises are expected to include hypothetical threats from organized crime, terrorists and hackers operating on behalf of a rogue nation.

Each of Cyber Storm II's participants will also have their own country or agency specific goals and challenges designed to bolster their individual capabilities.

The exercise has been organized by the Department of Homeland Security. The participation of private enterprise is extremely important as these companies own almost 85% of the nation's cyber infrastructure.Cyber Storm II has taken about 18 months of planning and has cost almost $6.2 million.

What is not known beforehand is what is the criteria for success and will it be defined before or after the exercise.It will certainly raise the consciousness of government and business leaders as a reminder that along with its many benefits, the global IT revolution carries a new generation of risks.

West Virginia Allows Hunting Classes In School.

2008-03-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

Senator Billy Wayne Bailey had been pushing for all schools in the state to offer voluntary hunting courses.State lawmakers finally approved the Bill, Friday.Bailey claims he did it to improve the state's finances as a decline in the number of permits had led to falling permit revenues.The move is backed by the National Rifle Association.

The number of hunters nationwide has fallen from 19.1 million in 1975 to 12.5 million in 2006.Experts offer different reasons for the decline in hunting.Increasing single parent homes,growing urbanization, and the increasing popularity of the internet and video games are amongst the reasons cited by them.

Apart from causing a loss of revenue the fall in hunting activities has also caused an increase in the wildlife population, particularly deer.It is causing problems in some states, notably in West Virginia which has the highest number of vehicle accidents caused by deer. Almost 40 deer on an average are killed every day in road accidents in the state.

Gun control groups are not amused.They point to the Virginia Tech incident to highlight the danger of selling guns to immature children and letting them bring them to school.Animal lovers have called for promoting other types of outdoor activity such as wildlife watching and photography.They emphasize that you can enjoy nature without killing animals.

But Senator Bailey is clear in his mind that he wants kids to learn hunting and gun safety in school as part of their physical education classes.'Hunting is an economic and cultural thing and we have seen a decline of hunting licenses over the past years,' he told Agence France-Presse.

College Education To Become Cheaper For Many.

2008-02-25T06:48:00.000-08:00

Brown University is following in the footsteps of Harvard, Yale and Stanford, by reducing tuition fees for bright students from lower and middle income families. Under a new scheme announced Saturday, grants will replace loans for families that make less than $100,000 a year. Parents who earn less than $60,000 per year will not have to pay anything for their child's education at Brown. The new policy applies to both current students as well as future students. Under the new policy loans have been reduced and grants increased to all students receiving financial aid, regardless of family income.

The move is expected to address the increasing problem of college debt.Many students are so overburdened with debt when they pass out that repayment is almost impossible.Almost 30% to 35% of the undergraduate population comes from families earning less than $100,000 a year , and 15% to 20% from families earning less than $60,000. Households headed by persons age 45 to 54 had a median household income of $62,424 in 2006. This means that these colleges are now free for about half the American families who are likely to have college going children. Contributions from those earning between $60,000 to $100,000 are to be increased as per a formula. Since most of these universities have huge endowments, funding these schemes should not be much of a problem.

Amtrak Avoids Nation Wide Strike With last Minute Deal.

2008-01-19T09:49:00.000-08:00

Amtrak and representatives of nine labor unions signed a deal Friday that averted a strike which would have crippled train services in New York City, Chicago and California. Amtrak said in a statement that the details of the agreement will not be made public till the ratification process by the affected labor unions has begun. The strike, if it had happened, would have been the first in Amtrak's 36 year history.

After years without a contract unions representing maintenance workers and dispatchers had threatened to go on strike from January 30th. President Bush had earlier appointed an emergency board to help negotiate a labor agreement and a cooling off period had been ordered.

Amtrak was offering signing bonuses of $4,500 and pay rises of 24% between now and 2010. The unions who have only been getting cost of living increases since their contract expired in 1999 want pay increases to be retroactive to 2000. Amtrak had been resisting this as it would cost the company about $215 million. Amtrak also seeks to introduce work rule changes which will allow it to assign workers to different jobs. This is opposed by unions who claim that assigning workers to jobs which they are not trained for can be dangerous.

With oil prices hitting record highs, and congestion worsening at airports and on highways, lawmakers are looking at railways as an important part of the national infrastructure, worthy of federal support. Amtrak could look forward to increased federal subsidies in future.

Former Lawmaker Charged Of Aiding Terrorists.

2008-01-16T16:38:00.000-08:00

Mark Deli Siljander, a former Michigan Senator, a Republican when he was in the House, was charged Wednesday of money laundering, conspiracy and obstructing justice for allegedly lying about lobbying Senators for an Islamic charity which authorities say was secretly sending funds to terrorists. The Islamic American Relief Agency is supposed to have paid Siljander $50,000, money that was stolen from the US Agency for International Development.

The IARA is charged with sending $130,000 to Gulbudin Hekmatyar a mujahedeen leader who carried out terror attacks along with Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda.Siljander was hired by the charity to lobby the Senate Finance Committee to remove the charity from the panel's list of suspected terror fund raisers. Siljander accepted in interviews with the FBI that he had indeed received the money, but it was for writing a book on Islam and Christianity, and not for any lobbying work. The IARA was raided by the FBI in 2004 and its assets have been frozen since. The charity is also accused of trnsferring $i.4 million to Iraq via Jordan, between 1991 to 2003, while Iraq was under various US and UN sanctions.

Siljander, IARA and some of its officers have been charged with theft, money laundering, aiding terrorists and conspiracy.

U.F.O. Sightings Reported From Texas Town.

2008-01-15T08:13:00.001-08:00

Witnesses have reported several dozen sightings of UFO's last week in Stephenville Texas. They claim to have seen a very large craft with strange flashing lights, and traveling low and faster than an airplane. Many said they spotted fighter jets chasing the object. The incident occurred on January 8th.

Federal officials say there is a logical explanation, such as lights reflecting off passing planes. The object may have been an illusion caused by two commercial airplanes, said Major Karl Lewis, a spokesman for the 301st Fighter Wing at the Joint Reserve Base Naval Air Station in Fort Worth.Lewis explained that lights from the aircraft would seem unusually bright and may appear orange from the setting sun. But residents are not convinced. They say it was absolutely nothing from these parts.

The phenomenon has attracted the attention of UFO fans who plan to descend on Stephenville, Saturday.

MySpace Promises Increased Online Protection.

2008-01-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

Social networking giant MySpace has agreed with 45 states to adopt stronger methods to protect underage users from online predators.

The Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported more than 2600 incidents last year of adults using the internet to lure children.Part of the problem is the children themselves.Many of them pretend to be much older than they are. MySpace on its part requires all users to be at least 14 years of age.They also post material on the site which helps in identifying them, in spite of warnings by the site that they must not do so.Kids get a thrill out of posting all kinds of information over the net, partly because they are easily able to keep it secret from their parents who are usually not as tech savvy as they are.But they don't realize pedophiles are using social networking sites to find kids.Even though kids may not list their names and addresses they usually post enough information about their interests and hobbies for a pedophile to strike up a friendship with him or her.

In the last couple of years several teenagers have been sexually assaulted by persons whom they befriended online at one of these sites. The problem is not confined to MySpace alone but extends to all social networking sites.

Now MySpace has agreed to include various online protections, and to develop age verification and other technology to block such predators. It will also accept independent monitoring and changes to the structure of its site. The agreement is scheduled to be announced today in Manhattan.

Cleveland,Baltimore Sue Big Banks Over Subprime Mess.

2008-01-12T21:49:00.000-08:00

The city of Cleveland, hit hard by the national foreclosure crisis has sued 21 banks claiming their subprime lending practices created a public nuisance that hurt property values and city tax collections.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, and seeks to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, including lost taxes from devalued property and money spent demolishing and boarding up thousands of abandoned homes.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson said that buying and selling of high interest mortgages by some of the nations' biggest banks had devastated city neighborhoods struggling to recover after the loss of manufacturing jobs. He said that the city has faced huge foreclosure-related costs, including police and fire protection for abandoned homes. The foreclosure crisis, apart from depressing property prices has also led to an increase in crime.The city claimed Cleveland housing prices remained relatively stable amid industrial lay offs as real estate values jumped elsewhere. It claims investment bankers pushed loans to investors at the expense of borrowers.

Cleveland is not the first city to sue lenders over recent mortgage troubles. On Tuesday, Baltimore sued Wells Fargo, alleging the bank intentionally sold high interest mortgages more to blacks than whites in violation of federal law.

Cleveland based its legal challenge on a state law that relates to public nuisances. The defendants include both Bank of America Corp. and Countrywide Financial. Deutsche Bank Trust Co. and Wells Fargo and Co. were named in the suit as foreclosing the largest number of homes over the past four years in Cleveland and surrounding Cuyahoga County.

A report commissioned last November by the US Conference of Mayors projected that 361 metropolitan areas would take an economic hit of $166 billion in 2008 because of the rise in foreclosures.

There are signs that other cities and states may follow. Ohio Attorney General is considering a state lawsuit against investment banks, but it is not likely to be submitted as a public nuisance case.

Drivers' Licences To Be Tougher To Get.

2008-01-11T09:43:00.000-08:00

Americans born after December 1st 1964 will have to get more secure drivers' licenses in the next six years under new rules to be announced today by federal officials. These rules have been drafted post 9/11 and are meant to enhance security by making it harder for terrorists and illegal immigrants to get government-issued identification.The rules have been framed by the Homeland Security Department and are part of the Real ID Act of 2005, which was signed into law by President Bush on May 11, 2005. Titled Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense,the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief 2005, it seeks among other things to establish national standards for state-issued drivers' licenses and non-drivers' identification cards. Originally planned to come into force by 2008 it has been postponed till December 31st 2009, in order to persuade reluctant states to join.

The new cards are to have security features designed to prevent tampering with the document. Individual states will be allowed to select security features from a menu. Before a card can be issued the applicant will have to provide the following documentation:-
1. A photo ID, or a non-photo ID that includes full legal name and birth date.
2. Documentation of birth date.
3. Documentation of legal status and social security number.
4. Documentation showing name and principal residence address.

Digital images of each identity document will be stored in each state database. Each state must agree to share its motor vehicle database with all other states.

The American Civil Liberties Union is opposed to this system as it would amount to a national identity card system which 'would irreparably damage the fabric of American life.

Nonetheless by 2014 anyone wanting to board an airplane or enter a federal building will have to present a Real ID compliant driver's license.Those over 50 years of age are initially exempted, but by 2017 they too would have to produce such identification.

In order to make the plan acceptable to states the federal authorities have slashed the cost from $14.6 billion to $3.9 billion. Over the next year all states will start checking the social security number and the immigration status of applicants. Most states already do it. The other steps outlined in the Real ID Act will be implemented gradually.

Presidential Election 'Primaries' System Needs Overhaul.

2008-01-10T05:31:00.000-08:00

Looking to the disproportionate amounts of time, effort and money spent on the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary one can't help wondering if we should continue with things as they are, or try and put a better system in place.

Rather than going to the polls and casting ballots, I0wans gather at a set location in each of Iowa's 1784 precincts.They then proceed to elect the first link in a chain that ends with the election of national convention delegates. Republicans and Democrats hold their caucuses according to their own rules.

The Democratic caucus participants don't vote by secret ballot. They must publicly state their opinion and vote. In such a system they are bound to face peer pressures and may ultimately end up voting for somebody other than their first choice.The Iowa caucuses last a long time.People don't come unless they can spare a few hours and absentee voting is not allowed. Only about 10-15% of the voters go to the caucuses.The rules of vote counting are complex. Suffice it to say that it is not a simple popular vote.

Unlike Iowa, New Hampshire is a primary, and each candidate receives votes directly rather than through precinct delegates. Since it is a popular vote, it gives lesser known candidates a chance to pull ahead.

Both are small states, predominantly white, and less urbanized than their larger counterparts.There is a question mark on whether they are truly representative of the entire country. As for reliability, Bill Clinton finished fourth in Iowa in 1992, polling 3% of the Democratic vote, yet he went on to win his party's nomination and the Presidency.

'Super Tuesday' is yet to come, but the winners in the two states are considered to indicate the prevailing political trends in the country. So the rational question is, why not have a national primary in the US. The idea would be to hold a national primary on a single day.Each state would be free to choose the type of balloting that is best suited to its citizens and traditions.If one candidate wins a majority, he or she would receive the state's delegates to the national convention. If not there would be a run-off between the top two in each state and in each party, again on a fixed date.Such an idea was first proposed in 1911 in a bill introduced in Congress.It was dropped when it appeared a constitutional amendment would be necessary.A host of other ideas have been suggested, which although not amounting to a national primary,seek to streamline the present system.

We are a vast and diverse country. Every voter deserves a chance to express his or her opinion on as many candidates as possible.Instead under the present system early victories tend to freeze an agenda in place, and that too by states which are not truly representative of the American people.

Many candidates, particularly those with fewer financial resources are compelled to drop out after the first few rounds simply because they run short of money. Money now plays an important role in determining the electability of a candidate. This may happen even though the candidate is more popular in the larger and more urbanized states, where the majority of the American electorate lives.

If at all the present system is to be followed then the same states should not be allowed to hold their primaries first every time. The order should be shuffled. Other states have tried to bring their primaries forward, only to find that Iowa and New Hampshire have moved their dates even further in order to remain number one.This makes the primary too far removed from actual election and therefore less reliable.This year the caucus and the primary in these two states has been held almost ten months before the actual vote on November 4th. A lot can happen between now and then.

North Korea Drives Hard Bargain With The U.S.

2008-01-05T17:44:00.000-08:00

On February 13th last year, the US along with four other major powers struck a deal with North Korea under which Pyongyang agreed to halt its nuclear programs in exchange for energy aid.The deal brokered by China required North Korea to seal its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon within 60 days and allow inspections by the IAEA. In return, apart from fuel aid worth about $250 million the US was also to take steps to remove North Korea from its list of States sponsoring terrorism and also to end trade sanctions against the regime which had been imposed for alleged money laundering and counterfeiting activities. Additional fuel aid ,or its monetary equivalent was promised when it permanently disabled its nuclear operations. A December 31st deadline had been set for North Korea to provide a full inventory of its nuclear arms programs.The deal was however not very clear about how the existing nuclear weapons were to be dealt with.

The deal had its critics at that time who argued that North Korea was being rewarded for its bad behavior and that it would also encourage Iran to defy the international community.However the Bush administration was clearly thrilled with it at that time.

The Koreans did not stick to the 60 day deadline for shutting down their nuclear reactor. Reaction from the US was surprisingly mild.Then early in December the US went ahead and announced that North Korea must come clean on any effort to enrich uranium.The US is particularly bothered about this capability which allows production of nuclear weapons without relying on reactors.It is suspected that North Korea has secretly acquired this capability from Pakistan.

South Korea had expressed its doubts at that time that North Korea might not stick to its December 31st deadline.But in its anxiety to see the deal come through it urged the signatories to be more flexible.

These apprehensions have come true now with North Korea missing the deadline.The North for its part has accused the US of delaying promised aid and not removing it from the list of States sponsoring terrorism.But Pyongyang was quick to state that the nuclear deal can be implemented smoothly.Now suddenly on the 4th of January it has issued a warning that it would be strengthening its 'war deterrent' in response to US military modernization and aggression.

North Korea clearly views the US as a nation in an election year and distracted by events in Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. The inability of the US to take any further action against Iran has also encouraged North Korea to violate the agreement.The 'threat' issued January 4th is nothing but a reference to its existing nuclear arsenal, a fact which distinguishes it from Iran.The US has its work cut out for it.North Korea may be a failed State, but it has the bomb, and it will try to extract as much as it can from the US to give it up.

Nuclear Plant Guards Found Snoozing On Duty.

2008-01-04T08:15:00.000-08:00

The terror attacks of 9/11 drove home the painful lesson that constant vigil is the price for security.There can be no dispute about what needs to be guarded most closely. Undoubtedly it is the 103 commercial nuclear reactors scattered across the country.The consequences of a successful terror strike on any one of them are simply too horrible to discuss.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is entrusted with the duty of mandating security standards for the nuclear industry.Existing standards were tightened after 9/11 in February 2002.The NRC is now reviewing them before making them permanent. Known as Design Basis Threat (DBT) they're considered 'sensitive' information and not made public.

The industry on its part claims to have spent $1.25 billion on upgrading security since 9/11. They insist they are prepared for any conceivable kind of attack and that they have done more to upgrade their security after 9/11 than the rest of the critical infrastructure of the country.

But what is the real state of affairs? Sample this story.One of the guards at the Peach Bottom nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania found that many of his colleagues were taking regular naps while on duty. The supervisors at his company, Wackenhut Corp. simply ignored his report. The regional office of the NRC closed the mater after the plant's owner Exelon denied that it's guards slept while on duty.So the guard videotaped his sleeping colleagues and gave the tape to WCBS a TV news channel.

The broadcast has had the desired effect. Exelon, the country's largest producer of nuclear power has fired Wackenhut, and the NRC is reviewing its oversight procedures, having ignored the complaint.

Most of the blame has been aimed at Wackenhut which has a history of holes in its security operations as well as labor discontent. The NRC and the plant owner Exelon have also received their share of the blame.The former for not having proper procedures for dealing with such complaints, while the latter has been blamed by Wackenhut for insisting on cost reduction to the point that performance levels were affected.

Wackenhut was founded by a former FBI agent in 1954 in Miami.It is now a 35,000 strong private security firm.Its board has boasted of former heads of the FBI, Secret Service and the Pentagon from time to time.However it has a history of poor relations with its employees, which according to experts, could undermine security procedures.It reportedly has little regard for the welfare of its workforce.In the past it has been found to have misled the government about worker training. Once, while hired by the NRC to carry out a mock attack on a nuclear facility, the attacking unit tipped off another Wackenhut unit guarding that unit about the attack strategy so that they could pass the test.Maybe it would be wiser to hand over the security of these plants to the military.

Music Industry Wants Restrictions On Personal Use.

2007-12-30T09:50:00.000-08:00

Music lovers had better be careful.Even if you purchase your favorite CD legally you may not be able to transfer it onto your computer, that is, if the music industry has its way.

The Recording Industry Association of America has taken an Arizona man to court for keeping about 2,000 music recordings on his personal computer for this reason.They maintain that the MP3 files Jeffrey Howell made on his computer from legally purchased CD's are 'unauthorized copies' of copyrighted recordings.

The music industry has undoubtedly been encouraged to take this extreme view by the judgment in the case of Jammie Thomas, who was ordered by a Minnesota jury to pay $220,000 to record companies for the 24 songs she shared online, that is about $9,250 for each song she shared. This decision had surprised music fans who were used to settling lawsuits with music companies for a few hundred dollars.

In spite of the thousands of lawsuits filed against music fans who find and download free music online, digital music sharing is increasing and the sales of recording companies have been dipping. Clearly theirs is a business model which has failed to keep pace with the technological advances in the field.Nevertheless the RIAA persists in going around threatening students and teenagers with lawsuits unless they settle by making payment.The RIAA claims that more than half the college students download music illegally. They claim that making a single copy of a song even for personal use amounts to stealing one copy.

The lawsuit is unlikely to succeed because lawyers for consumers point to a series of court rulings that have found no violation of copyright law in the use of VCR's and other devices to record TV programs which enable portability of a legally obtained recording. They say that to be guilty of copyright law you have to distribute actual physical copies. Obviously copies for personal use would not be a violation of these laws.

The music industry on its part is unwilling to see reason. They don't understand that they will not be able to control the digital revolution. They need to innovate and find new business models instead of clinging to outdated practices. They have to move towards offering music online and at cheaper prices. Increased sales will definitely make up for reduced profit margins.Dragging teenagers to court won't get them anywhere.

Did Benazir Bhutto Have To Die?

2007-12-28T16:39:00.000-08:00

Ms. Benazir Bhutto returned home to Pakistan a few months back after almost a decade in luxurious exile spent mainly in London.She went back under a deal brokered by the US with Pakistan President Mr. Musharraf which would have almost certainly seen her back in office for a third time as Prime Minister of Pakistan.She must certainly have been aware of the dangers surrounding her, but seemed to feel secure amongst her millions of supporters and because of the assurances given by both the US and Pakistan governments.Soon after her arrival a bomb exploded at one of her meetings killing over a hundred people.It is hard to tell whether she was the target or it was meant to scare her away.Ms. Bhutto continued with her election campaign little realizing that somebody had decided that she was not to be allowed to run for office.On the 27th of December a group of assassins waited for her in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. As she was about to leave after an election meeting she was shot by one or more snipers who were lying in wait and also targeted by a suicide bomber.This was no hit or miss attempt.Clearly, barring a miracle, she was not to be allowed to leave the place alive.The complete breakdown of her security apparatus and the failure of US intelligence has unnerved Washington which has no alternate plan in place.

Ms. Bhutto's death leaves the US strategy for Pakistan in tatters, that is if they had a strategy in the first place. All they seem to have had was a fond hope that by having a US backed civilian Prime Minister and an ex-military General as President they would be able to convince the increasingly restless population of Pakistan that democracy had been restored. The stability of a nuclear armed Pakistan is of vital importance to the US. Added to this is the fact that Pakistan is a front line state in the war against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Perhaps it this latter fact that prompted Washington to turn a blind eye to what was going on in Pakistan for the last several years.They suddenly woke up to the fact that the billions of dollars sent to Pakistan to finance the fight against international terror were being used elsewhere, and that despite Mr. Musharraf's assurances to the contrary the fundamentalist forces were making important gains in Pakistan, both in military terms and also in winning over the hearts and minds of the people. The US administration took a predictably simplistic view of the situation.They set out to destabilize Mr. Musharraf.They struck a deal with Ms. Bhutto.Mr. Musharraf was compelled to hand over command of the army to a general perceived as pro-Western in outlook, and accept the post of President.He also announced general elections in January next year.Ms. Bhutto was allowed to return to Pakistan to contest elections while her fellow politician Nawaz Sharif was deported again after his return.

Now there is a big question mark hanging over the elections.Is the postponement indefinite, will it lead to more violence which may lead to further postponement.Has the postponement been prompted by fear of a pro-PPP sympathy wave in the wake of Ms. Bhutto's killing or a genuine fear of massive violence.

The time available to the Bush administration is clearly very short.It remains to be seen whether they insist that Nawaz Sharif be allowed to return and fight the elections or they would prefer to do business with Ms. Bhutto's successor in the PPP.For the time being at least the US does not appear to insist that the Supreme Court judges sacked recently be re-instated, a factor behind the current unrest in Pakistan.The time available to Ms. Bhutto's PPP is also short.The party is certain to be swept to power by a sympathy wave even though the intensity may be slightly diminished by the postponement.They will have to put aside their internal squabbles and elect a suitable leader.Of course Ms. Bhutto's charisma will be difficult to match.

There are many unanswered questions at the moment.What was the deal that Ms. Bhutto had struck with the US.Why did Mr. Musharraf allow her to stay while deporting Mr. Nawaz Sharif.Most importantly, did she die because she was increasingly being viewed as an alternative to the present regime or because she appeared to be even more pro-West than the present government. The answers will have to wait for some time. What looks certain though is that the US will have to continue doing business with Mr. Musharraf in the foreseeable future.

Nokia delays launch of gaming service N-Gage

2007-12-27T07:02:00.000-08:00

Nokia has once again delayed the launch of its N-Gage gaming service due to problems in software testing. Nokia says that it has to "address an issue" but has refused to provide further details.

N-Gage is a a combination of the mobile telephone and the handheld game system. It is an attempt to persuade users to switch from the Game Boy Advance by offering the cell phone functionality. However, the earliest version released in 2003 failed to make an impact because the buttons designed for a phone were not suited for gaming.

The latest version consists of software enabled S60 based handsets, games and a full featured community based service to link it together. Nokia plans to offer tournaments, global rankings and other events related to gaming on this platform.

Even the pre-release version for the N-Gage has pushed back to 2008.

Toyota to become No.1 in 2008

2007-12-26T00:31:00.000-08:00

Toyota announced on Tuesday that it planned to sell 9.8 million vehicles in 2008. This is an ambitious target keeping in mind the worries about a slowing car market in the United States. However, this would cement Toyota's place as the world's number one car maker, ahead of General Motors.

The company said that it would try and produce 9.95 million vehicles next year, up by 5% from this year. The company said that it was expecting a corresponding rise in its sales.

Soaring gas prices have bolstered the appeal of small and fuel efficient cars which are Toyota's main strength. The Camry, Corolla and the Prius are among the popular cars.

The company has seen huge growth in the Russian and Chinese markets where it expects combined sales of around 900,000 cars a rise of nearly 40%.

However the company is cautious is the US where the recent financial crisis and soaring gas prices have hit the consumers hard.

The company has also predicted sales of 10.4 million for the year 2010. This would make it the first automobile company ever to reach the milestone of selliing 10 million vehicles.

China Buys Its Way Into Wall Street

2007-12-25T02:05:00.000-08:00

After Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, which made news last year for picking up a 4.9% stake in Citigroup for $7.5 billion, it is now the turn of the Chinese government owned Chinese Investment Corporation to get into the act.

Eager to cash in on the opportunity thrown up by the debt crisis the Chinese Investment Corporation has ploughed billions of dollars into the best known names on Wall Street. In control of almost $100 billion of China's huge forex reserves it has pumped in close to $5 billion into Morgan Stanley in a deal announced at the end of 2007. This means that China has ended up with almost as much as 9.9% of one of Wall Street's most powerful banks. This is the latest in a string of high profile investments made by the Chinese. The CIC already has a stake in the US private equity firm Blackstone and the Chinese Development Bank owns 3% of Barclays.

The deal only serves to highlight how things have changed over the last few moths, all due to the credit crunch. Two years ago a Chinese oil company wanted to buy the small US oil group Unocal. US politicians cutting across party lines asked that the plan be dropped and demanded that China open up its economy and protect intellectual property rights. Likewise when Dubai Ports World took over strategically important US ports last year, it kicked up a political storm which ended only when the bidder agreed to sell off the US ports.

Till now it was the US banks which were keen to acquire stakes in Chinese banks in a bid to gain a foothold in China to tap into the growing wealth of its population. Now it seems to be the other way round. China not only holds a stake in Barclays but also has a director on its board. Morgan Stanley for its part has made it clear that CIC will not have a representative on its board. This may well have been a condition imposed by the White House, one readily accepted by China after its Unocal experience.

Such investments by China in the capitalist world would have been unthinkable a few years back. Indeed there are many who view them with suspicion, as having been prompted by other than purely business considerations. The Chinese had clearly anticipated this problem and have constituted CIC as an independent company with its separate board of directors. They are at pains to point out that it is free from any state control whatsoever and argue that it is necessary to develop institutions to manage the $1.3 trillion worth of forex reserves they presently hold.

With its economy unaffected by the current financial crisis, the Chinese look set to follow the oil rich nations of the Middle East as big investors in the US economy. In a way it may be good for the global economy. Once the largest economies of the world are more closely interconnected and interdependent it would be less likely that any one of them would want to spoil the party.

How You Can Get Good Credit?

2007-12-22T01:39:00.000-08:00

Good credit is a necessity. Obtaining good credit can be incredibly easy or extremely difficult. But once you have established good credit it can open doors of opportunity you have never considered before. You can dream of buying yourself a luxury car, take a dream vacation, dress in the latest fashions, or start your very own home business.

In today's society having a good credit is just as important as having money. Without a good credit rating a lot of basic privileges you enjoy may not be available to you or they are available at higher prices.

Unless an individual knows how to repair his own credit he will have to face many obstacles.

There are some steps you can take to improve your credit rating. It won't happen overnight but it can be improved over a period of time.

1. Study your credit report and make a note of all inaccurate entries that you find. You will then have to work with your creditors to eliminate these entries.

2. Get on a budget

3. Stop using your credit cards. This will prevent you from getting more credit established. Try using your debit cards instead.

4. Pay off all your bills on time each month.

5. As you pay off your bills, get a letter from your creditor saying that you have zero balance.

Most importantly don't despair, but start taking care of your credit - your future depends on it.

Least Expensive Cars To Insure In 2008

2007-12-21T19:19:00.000-08:00

Auto Insurance is the insurance purchased for cars, trucks and other vehicles. It protects the insurer from the damages incurred as a result of an accident.

The cost of insuring your ar depends on a variety of factors such as liability, medical coverage, bodily injury, collision coverage and property or rental coverage just to name a few.

However, the most important factor which affects the cost of insuring your car is the car itself. Different cars have different rates.

The least expensive cars to insure are:

Least expensive autos to insure in 2008
Model	Average premium
Chrysler Town & Country	$940
Ford Escape	$1,022
GMC Sierra pickup	$1,026
Chevrolet Impala	$1,091
Ford Econoline Club Wagon	$1,119
Ford Fusion	$1,133
Ford F-series pickup	$1,156
Honda Civic	$1,163
Toyota Camry	$1,165
Toyota RAV-4	$1,165

Is The U.S. Consumer Going Broke?

2007-12-21T07:41:00.000-08:00

Consumers put aside worries about soaring food and fuel prices and a housing slump and headed to the malls in November, pushing spending up by the largest amount in 3 1/2 years.

Consumer spending rose 1.1% last month. However, some of the spending was forced as people had to spend more on food and gasoline.

US Commerce Department reported that the personal consumption rose 1.1%, which was the highest increase since May 2004 and was significantly above 0.7% which analysts had expected.

The jump came at a critical time for retailers - the start of the holiday season. But recent signs show that the spending has reduced in December.

Consumer spending is closely watched because it accounts for about 72% of the economic activity.

The department said that real incomes rose 0.4% but the savings rate was minus 0.5 percent, meaning that Americans not only spent all of their after tax income but also part of their previous years' savings or increased borrowings.

Reactions to this news by experts is mixed. Critics argue that this trend of very low or even negative savings cannot be sustained for ever and inevitably the day will come when consumers are forced to cut back on spending, sparking a recession. Others however feel that too much is being read into the figure of the savings rate. They argue that it does not take into account the money going into banks, mutual funds and retirement plans. Nor does it measure equity built into people's homes and other assets. They point out that the net worth of people is growing despite the fall in savings and that is a positive sign. Although the fall in housing prices will definitely cause a slow down in spending if it persists long enough, it is not likely to have a significant impact in the short term as people's attitudes towards spending and saving are somewhat slow to change.Moreover the housing sector only accounts for about 5% of the US economy.If Bernanke manages to prevent the crisis in the housing sector from spilling over to the other parts of the economy there is no reason to be worried about any temporary slowdown next year as it is likely to be only temporary.

iRobot To Clear Landmines In Iraq And Afghanistan

2007-12-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

The iRobot Corporation designs robots for businesses, homes and the military. The company's best known products are the Roomba, a vacuum cleaner and the Scooba which is a floor washer.

The company also has a division which is devoted to designing government and industrial robots. The division has made the iRobot Warrior x700. The Warrior x700 is one of the several bomb disposing robots the company has designed.

The company announced that it had been awarded a $286 million Army contract for robots that disarm explosives.

The company will provide the army with up to 3,000 robots and spare parts and also provide training. iRobot says that the army is now using bots on a much larger scale. Earlier their use was limited because earlier robots were bulky and less sophisticated.

Enhanced maneuverability of modern robots is leading to increased application in various areas. They are expected to be particularly useful in Afghanistan and Iraq where landmines are used on a large scale and are responsible for numerous as well as civilian casualties.

How To Improve Grades? Hack The School Computers

2007-12-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

Two Kentucky High School students and a former high school student are in trouble after they were caught hacking into their school's system.

It started in October at the Manual High School. The students did more than just change their grades. They altered their attendance and even hacked into individual teachers' computers and created their own website - www.ilovekeepers.com

The school authorities have no idea how many grades have been changed. It could have been as low as 15 students or as high as 200. The problem is made even worse by the fact that teachers don't keep hard copies of the grades. They just keep them on the computers.

Students have been asked to go home and bring back all their homework to prove what grade they should be receiving.

The two students are not in trouble because they disrespected a teacher, got caught with drugs, or fought with other students. They are in trouble because they figured out how to beat the system. The students may face expulsion from the school and may even face jail term if the school authorities decide to press charges.

The school authorities are still at a loss as to how the students managed to enter into the school's system. But they say that the security will be improved when they find out.

Gift Cards As Christmas Presents Make Sense.

2007-12-15T09:05:00.000-08:00

Christmas shopping is fun but it can often be a frustrating and stressful experience, particularly if you are not being able to decide what gifts to give your family and friends or are simply having a tight budget.

Gift cards are again one of the most popular gifts this season. Consumers are set to spend huge amounts of money this holiday season on gift cards.The total gift card business is expected to be about $80 billion this year. Of this the coming season is estimated to be worth about $26.3 billion as against $24.8 billion last year, an increase of about 6%. The average consumer will spend about $122.5 on gift cards this year as against $116.5 last year.

Gift cards not only help you save time and avoid the physical strain of shopping, but are also ideal if you are not sure what the other person would like to get for Christmas. Gift certificates ensure that your loved one ends up with a gift that he likes and one which he will use. Moreover you can stick to a budget. A gift certificate can be purchased for for almost any dollar amount. Some stores allow you to choose the dollar amount while others have preset gift certificate amounts.

The flexibility that these certificates give the recipient is tremendous. He can not only wait to pick up a bargain but can also combine several certificates to buy something expensive, which he or she may not normally get as a gift. No wonder these cards are becoming increasingly popular, especially among the younger generation which is more concerned about freedom of choice.

Critics argue that gift cards look impersonal and are not somehow in keeping with the Christmas spirit that you love and care for someone. There is a simple solution. Give gift cards with some effort. Instead of giving a gift card to a store that sells everything, try to make it personal. If your friend loves reading gift him a card of a bookstore, or a sporting goods store if he is the outdoor type. There's a very wide range of cards available these days covering almost everything you can think of. If you have to gift a card to a store that sells everything it is good to send a note suggesting to the recipient what to do with it, like ' didn't know which toy you wanted this year, so pick your own.' You could also make them part of a floral arrangement or some such thing or gift a set of different cards. It is a sensible idea to send the receipt along with it. It may be needed to replace a stolen or lost card and also gives information about its terms and conditions.

Often gift cards get tucked away at the bottom of a drawer with the idea to be used later at leisure. Many of them are then simply forgotten. About $8 billion worth of gift cards were unused last year because they were not used, lost or expired. Consumer Reports says according to a survey carried out by it 27% of those surveyed had not used their 2006 Holiday Gift cards so far. Out of these 51% had two or more unused cards. This may not be a clever thing to do as some cards have a 'dormancy charge' on them which makes them worth less month after month. Some also have an expiry date after which they become worthless. You would do well to read the rules on your card and use it as soon as you can. Enjoy it, don't leave it around the house. Retailers make extra profits from 'breakage,' the unspent balance on gift cards, which may be then tucked away in your drawer or your wallet and forgotten. Many of these are unfair practices and consumer advocacy groups are up in arms against unfair expiration dates and dormancy fees. Some cards, usually those which you buy from a bank, also have an upfront fees for buyers, which reduces the value of your gift. Fortunately it is expected that such charges will soon be a thing of the past.

In some states, unclaimed property rules called escheat laws give state governments a legal claim to the unspent money. Retailers are therefore moving their operations to states like Ohio and Washington where escheat laws are more favorable.

Often cards are not used because they are for something which you may not be particularly fond of. There is a simple way around this problem. There are several sites on the internet where you can simply swap such cards with someone for cards of your choice. In case you prefer cash you can sell them as well, but at a discount.

Gift cards overall are a great way to let the recipient choose what he wants and it's an easy way to stick to a budget.

Death Penalty Scrapped In New Jersey.

2007-12-14T09:52:00.000-08:00

Lawmakers in the state of New Jersey have approved a bill abolishing the death penalty. It is proposed to replace the death penalty with life in prison without parole.The bill was passed by the Democrat run state assembly by a comfortable majority of 44 to 36 votes. The Senate had approved it by 21 to 16 votes earlier.The Democratic Governor Jon Corzine is expected to give his assent to the bill.

If the bill becomes law,New Jersey will become the first state to abolish the death penalty after the US Supreme Court reinstated it in 1976, after having abolished it four years earlier in 1972 on the ground that it was unconstitutional.

Presently the death penalty is on the statute books of 37 states including New Jersey. It is believed that once it becomes the law in New Jersey other states may follow. New Jersey has not executed anyone since 1963. The number of executions has been declining all over America, and there has been a de-facto moratorium on executions since the US Supreme Court announced that it would be considering a legal challenge against the use of lethal injections as being a cruel and unusual punishment.

The new law, once it comes into force will spare the lives of eight men on the state's death row.These men are convicted of some of the most sensational killings the state has witnessed. They include Jesse Timmendequas, a repeat sex offender convicted of the rape and murder of seven year old Megan Kanka in 1994.The case led to Megan's Law, which requires authorities to notify the public about convicted sex offenders living in their communities.These convicts will have the option to choose between execution and life in jail without parole within 60 days of the bill becoming law.

Opponents of the death penalty argue that it is barbaric and inhuman. They point out that the homicide rate in states having the death penalty is not noticeably different from the states which don't have it.Countries like Canada and many countries in Europe also don't have have the death penalty but still enjoy lower homicide rates than state's having the penalty.It is claimed that retaining the death penalty tarnishes the image of the US in such countries and in the past they have refused to extradite criminals to the US if it was felt that they may face the death penalty.Not only is execution considered more expensive than jailing someone for life , there is also the risk of executing an innocent man. With advances in DNA technology dozens of convicted murderers have been proved innocent in recent years.

These claims are bitterly contested by supporters of capital punishment.They claim it is the deterrent effect of such punishment which is behind the decline in violent crime in recent years.Besides, society has a right to make such people pay for their deeds. The cost of locking up a person for tens of years is also certain to exceed the cost of execution, they argue.Opinion polls on the subject are misleading as most of those polled have not been affected by extreme violence.It is unfair to consider the opinions of those who have not lost a loved one to violent crime. In fact they want it to be used more often.

Most of the opposition to the death penalty is due to the fact that convicts often spend tens of years on death row while their appeals are pending.Media reports of the mental torture such people undergo while awaiting execution is largely responsible for the calls to repeal capital punishment.It is also felt if justice was swifter and more certain, people may have a different opinion.There is no simple answer and the debate is likely to continue.

Is The U.S. Fed Sensing Trouble?

2007-12-12T21:15:00.000-08:00

The world's most influential central banks took concerted steps to improve the liquidity situation in the market, Wednesday. The unprecedented move was co-ordinated by the US Fed Reserve and included the European Central Bank as well as central banks of Great Britain, Canada and Switzerland.

It is the business of these banks to lend money to banks when there is a shortage of funds in the market and short term interest rates move up. What has surprised people is the Fed using auctions ' to inject term funds through a broader range of counter parties and against a broader range of collateral than open market operations.' The Fed says the move could ' help promote the efficient dissemination of liquidity when the unsecured interbank markets are under stress.' The Fed says, 'This is not about particular financial institutions, with particular problems. It is about market functioning.'

In practice what this means is that the Fed will lend money to banks against almost any collateral which they may offer. This would certainly include the highly illiquid CDO's and other similar instruments most of them are saddled with. The problem with these illiquid assets is that no one knows their true market value. The truth is that banks may get more by pledging such assets than by selling them in the market.

Although many banks, brokerages and investment companies have written down the value of such assets at the end of the 3rd quarter and reported large declines in profits, it is widely believed that the entire losses have not been reported and more are to follow.This is the biggest problem facing the market. No one knows exactly who stands to lose and how much. In this atmosphere of uncertainty banks and institutions are wary of lending to one another, which leads to an increase in short term interest rates.The various Central banks have sought to tackle this situation by improving liquidity. They hope that people will be reassured by their actions that everything is all right.

But everything is clearly not OK. There seems to be an air of desperation about the Fed's moves which is hard to ignore. The Fed has limited options if it wants to correct the situation merely by fiddling with interest rates. If it cuts too far it raises the risks of inflation and a decline in the value of the dollar which cannot be ignored.

The similarities between the US situation today and what happened in Japan in about 1989 are striking. In 1989 the Nikkei was at about 39,000 and real estate prices were at record highs. Share prices increased because the giant Japanese conglomerates bought shares in each other's companies, setting artificial values. Banks lent recklessly to people to buy these inflated shares and properties.Like all bubbles the Nikkei bubble also burst in 1989-1990 when the BOJ was forced to raise interest rates.The Nikkei declined to a low of about 8,000 in 2003 and even today trades at around 16-17,000. Property prices fell for 14 straight years and are showing signs of life only today.

In the US as well, loose credit has fueled the rise in real estate prices. Share buybacks by companies and a host of mergers and acquisitions has set artificial values for financial assets. The party is in danger of coming to a messy end. It is this situation that the Fed is obviously trying to avoid.It is haunted by the fear of recession and deflation if the economy cannot be turned around quickly enough.

So who foots the bill for this exercise. So far no public funds have been committed to the bail out. The Fed is hoping that it will be able to restore confidence among people and it will be back to
business as usual. If this happens there will be a gradual recovery in the housing market also, allowing banks and financial institutions to recover their money. If such a thing happens it is fine because the banks and institutions then simply redeem their CDO's which they have pledged with the Fed.But if this doesn't help and the government has to write off the debts in the end , it is the common people who will have to foot the bill. The government may have to raise taxes to make good the budget deficit. On the other hand banks,mutual funds, pension funds and other financial institutions who are managing public money may default on their obligations. This scenario is frankly quite terrifying to visualize and one sincerely hopes that Bernanke succeeds in what he is trying.

The Great Dollar Decline: Is It Cause For Worry?

2007-12-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

The dollar has fallen in the last few weeks to record lows against the euro and now fetches less than even the Canadian dollar. Currency experts have predicted that the euro will hit $1.50 by the year's end. The rise and fall of the US dollar traditionally reflects both the strength of the US economy as well as the confidence international investors have in its future.

The seriousness of the impact of the falling dollar depends on how far apart currencies drift and whether things are "under control." This is very important and people would do well to remember that the most significant movements on Wall Street have occurred not because of growth rates of the US economy but because of currency movements. Of course the two are linked to a large extent but not completely.

Causes for decline in the value of the US Dollar

1. The most important reasons for the decline in the US dollar are the consistently increasing budget and trade deficits.The US has been funding a part of these deficits by simply printing more money and a situation has been reached where the demand for the dollar has fallen. This is putting pressure on the dollar.

2. Interest rates: Interest rates have a direct impact on the value of the dollar. If interest rates fall, investors who have bought US treasuries get a lower return. This reduces the demand for these instruments, and therefore the dollar, leading to a decline in the dollar's value.

3.The central banks of countries who have extensive trade relations with the US, and have large dollar holdings such as China, Japan and oil rich Arab states had traditionally been ploughing back their trade surplus into US treasuries. This created a demand for the dollar and prevented the dollar from declining too far.Now things are slightly different.Given the uncertainty surrounding the US economy and increasing investment opportunities around the world the demand for the dollar is simply not what it used to be. In fact there is speculation that these nations may in fact be diversifying from the dollar into other assets. Although there is no sell off of US dollar denominated assets as yet, fresh demand is declining.

Impact of the low Dollar

1.The decline of the dollar is not all bad news though. The fall in the value of the US dollar has a very important trade benefit for US companies. It makes their products cheaper as compared to those of other countries which gives a boost to the US economy.

2. On the flip-side it raises the cost of the goods purchased by the Americans. This can contribute to inflation and may affect the finances of the American consumer. Fortunately this has not hapened as yet because except prices of oil, the manufacturers of other goods have been reluctant to pass on the increase in prices to the US consumer in order to retain market share.

3. The weak US dollar also drives up the prices of commodities which are priced in dollars such as crude oil. Demand for commodities is relatively less elastic and the impact of higher prices almost invariably gets pased on to the consumer.

4. The businesses which are impacted the most are travel and transportation, because of the increase in oil prices. Americans who travel abroad should also be prepared to pay more as the dollar will now buy less than it used to previously.

If the scenario is so bleak then what is preventing a much sharper slide in the value of the dollar? The answer is fairly simple. Those very countries which not only have large dollar holdings but also continue to add to them, cannot afford a sharp fall in the dollar's value as it will cause great losses to the value of their accumulated assets. No wonder then that the US simply dismissed China's warning that it might be forced to liquidate its dollar holdings.

For its part the US Federal Reserve seems to be content to let the dollar slide. They are unlikely to be worried if the dollar fluctuates within a broad band and if the decline is orderly.Once the economy starts growing again and the various crises are behind us the dollar is likely to regain its former strength.

10 Reasons to Upgrade to McAfee Internet Security 2008

2007-12-10T12:22:00.000-08:00

McAfee Internet Security Suite 2008 pulls together Site Advisor, VirusScan, Anti Spyware, Firewall, Spam Killer, Privacy Service, System Mechanic, Easy Recovery and PC Confidential products.

McAfee says that the Internet Security Suite 2008 offers its users a 10 in one protection.

1. Surfing: McAfee has a site advisor installed in the new Internet Security Suite 2008 which automatically patrols websites, download files and sign-up forms. McAfee creates a list of harmful sites and advises you about the safety of these websites by a colored button in your browser toolbar.

2. Protection against viruses: McAfee Internet Security Suite has the VirusScan which automatically blocks, cleans and removes viruses from your computer.

3. Protection against spyware: McAfee has built a powerful ant spam software in its Internet Security Suite. It constantly detects and removes spyware. Moreover, it also prevents unwanted and offensive pop-ups.

4. Firewall: McAfee protects your computer from hackers and protects your computer's identity.

5. Spam: McAfee's anti spam filters filter out all the junk email that you get.

6. System Backup: McAfee keeps running automated system backups and has an easy to use interface to restore lost or corrupted files.

7. Parental Control: McAfee also has built a parental control system in its Security Suite to filter out all the offensive content, pictures and websites.

8. Protection against phishing: McAfee protect you from online fraud scams and identity thieves.

9. PC maintenance: McAfee keeps getting rid of the clutter on your computer and improves its efficiency.

10. McAfee also keeps delivering the latest software updates so that the computer is capable of dealing with the latest security threats.

The use of the Internet Security Suite will cause a significant decline in the speed of the computer. But with the number of attacks on a person's computer increasing every year due to various reasons, installing the product might not be a bad idea after all.

McAfee: Cyber Warfare Biggest Threat to America in 2008

2007-12-09T16:51:00.000-08:00

Cyber-warfare is the use of computers and networking in war. A recent study conducted by McAfee found that international cyber spying will be the biggest security threat faced by the US in 2008.

Some of the findings from the study are:

1. The governments are using the internet for cyber crimes and cyber attacks. Many of the attacks are originating from China. The Chinese government has publicly announced that it is pursuing activities in cyber espionage.

The Chinese government has been accused of attacks in India, the US and Germany. James Mulvenon, the director of the Center of Intelligence and research said that the Chinese were first to use cyberattacks for political and military goals.

2. About 120 countries are now using the world wide web for war espionage.

3. Electricity, air traffic control, financial markets and government computer networks will be the focus of all attacks.

4. Due to the advances in technology, cyber attacks have become more sophisticated, and are able to evade government defenses.

The study is a wake-up call for the US government to shore up its defenses against attacks on its infrastructure.

14 Steps to Winterize Your Car

2007-12-08T18:42:00.000-08:00

Winter is here and one must make sure that their vehicle is properly winterized before they venture out. Here are the steps one must follow to make sure that their vehicle is winterized:

1. Make sure that your car is serviced and tuned and that there are no leaks.

2. Make sure that there is plenty of anti-freeze in the windshield washer tank.

3. Make sure that your windshield wiper blades are of good quality.

4. Install snow tires for your car and keep checking their tread regularly. It will give you a greater amount of traction and control for driving in winter conditions.

5. Keep checking the tire pressure of your car regularly.

6. Make sure that you use the same make and size for all of your winter tires.

7. Check the battery of your car.

8. Inspect the brakes of your car.

9. Check the head and signal lights.

10. Ensure that all the engine belts and hoses are in good condition.

11. Make sure that the heater and the de-froster are working properly.

12. Keep your gas tank full to prevent ice from forming around the edges.

13. Keep spare flashlights with you at all times.

14. Keep an auto emergency kit in the car.

It is also a good idea to check the weather conditions before driving. This way one can be mentally prepared to face harsh conditions.

Sub Prime Bailout: Who Foots The Bill?

2007-12-08T07:11:00.000-08:00

In the fall of this year the Bush administration finally realized it was time to act on the unfolding sub prime crisis. After a careful analysis of the economic data available they concluded that the bottom had probably been reached and all that was required was to restore sufficient liquidity in the system as well as some words of reassurance that things would soon be looking up. 'Helicopter Ben' Bernanke lived up to his nickname. Billions of dollars were pumped into the system and interest rates were slashed. President Bush announced that his government would try to ensure that people got to keep their homes, other than speculators and those who had made wrong decisions and overextended themselves. But the housing crisis continued to worsen and the third quarter ended with record foreclosures and mortgage payments behind schedule, and the end was nowhere in sight. It was estimated that the crisis had reduced the economic growth rate by one percentage point. The slowdown was threatening to spread to the other sectors of the economy and maybe cause a recession. The political risks of continuing with a 'laissez faire' approach in an election year were by now unacceptably high. So setting aside its economic convictions, the Bush administration prevailed upon the mortgage industry and the investment firms to sit down with federal government officials to hammer out a rescue plan.

The plan announced earlier this week is a five year freeze of the interest rates on sub prime loans as long as the borrowers are not behind on mortgage payments and continue to live in their homes.Borrowers are also encouraged to avail of refinancing options and move to reasonable fixed rate loans offered by the Federal Housing Authority under its FHASecure program.

The plan invited instant criticism.Some felt that the plan would only help people who made wrong decisions and also those who were in a position to pay. They felt that the correct approach would be to restructure debt on a case to case basis. It was also argued that the plan would benefit only a limited number of people, estimated at about 400,000, and did precious little for the others.Stock market analysts pointed out that the plan would impact earnings of the companies which had invested in this sector and affect their share prices, causing losses to investors.Some pointed out that the modification of existing loan contracts, which the plan would require, was illegal.

These arguments are not very sound. The plan is aimed at a particular subset of borrowers who pose the greatest risk of default. It is quite clear by now that if their problems are ignored then the entire financial system is threatened.This problem has by and large been addressed.Experience tells us that once the entire system is threatened an across the board approach, instead of a case by case approach, works better as it is faster and doesn't cause confusion. Imagine what would happen if millions of loans were to be re-examined and revised agreements were attempted to be worked out in every single case.As far as the mortgage companies are concerned they should be happy because they were in danger of losing even the principal amount they had lent, what to talk of interest thereon.It must be remembered that they had taken a calculated risk while advancing these loans. What is more, they were fully aware of the risks involved, which was reflected in the premium returns they were getting. Suddenly things have gone sour. True, some may have come through better off than under this plan, but it must be remembered that even a giant like Citigroup had to raise additional funds in the Middle East in order to stay afloat. Another wave of foreclosures would not have done anybody any good. Defaults and foreclosures cost a lot of money, and financial institutions are not in the business of repossessing and selling homes on a large scale. Investors are also likely to be better off as financial markets appreciate certainty and are afraid of uncertainty. The certainty of recovering the loans advanced by the mortgage companies is bound to have a positive effect on the share prices of the investment firms involved.

The plan has been largely welcomed by everybody including the Democrats whose only criticism has been that the President has not gone far enough.Sen. Hillary Clinton said that along with home rates , foreclosures should also have been frozen for 90 days. Sen. John Edwards was of the view that loan rates should have been frozen for seven years instead of just five.

The rescue plan is a private sector initiative which helps homeowners at risk of losing their homes. No public funds are involved as yet. The reasoning that lower interest rates would mean lower profits for companies,leading to lower tax payments by them ,and therefore an increased burden on everybody is a bit too far fetched.

Those who advocate a free market and are opposed to any kind of government intervention whatsoever must understand that a crisis as widespread as this one is unlikely to be resolved by people or institutions acting alone, each in his own self interest. Whenever an entire system is at risk government intervention is perhaps both necessary and unavoidable.

In America Who Gives To Charity And Why.

2007-12-06T08:58:00.000-08:00

Then Center of Philanthropy at Indiana University released a study Tuesday in which they have analyzed the factors which motivate people to be charitable.The study covered 8,000 households. The families were visited every two years in 2000, 2002 and 2004, in order to map their behavior pattern regarding charity.The study found that about 67 to 69% of the households contributed to charity. The latest figures available, which are for 2004, indicate that about 68% of the donors gave $ 25 or more. The average total amount given was $2,o45. But all people are not charitable consistently with nearly 29% donating in some years and not donating in others. However 56% of the households studied were regular donors and donated in each of the three years studied. Only about 15% did not donate in any of the three years, data for which was gathered. It was also seen that that the average donor did not give to only one charity but to two or three different charities. 45% of the donors gave to religious organizations and 60% to secular ones and 37% gave to both types.

The study also covered some of the richest households, having a net worth of over a million dollars and discovered distinct behavior patterns among donors divided into 12 categories.

They found that those who inherited wealth gave the most to arts and cultural organizations. These people wish to set an example for others to follow. Since they tend to build long term associations with the institution to which they donate, they often include their children or other family members in their decisions.

The wealthiest people donate the most and to every type of charity.They desire to leave behind a legacy, and they also also keep track of whether their largess is having the desired results or not.

Entrepreneurs donate the most to educational and international organizations.They follow the use of their gifts closely. They donate because it makes good business sense and is also expected in their social circle.

Many donors do not fall into any category. They donate because of some event, usually tragic, which has a decisive influence on their lives. Losing a loved one is the usual reason. They often develop a missionary zeal in promoting the objects of the charity to which they have donated. The less wealthy are more likely to donate because of their religious beliefs as compared to the richer households. As people become richer they are finding more innovative ways to donate instead of following the beaten path.

The study aimed at finding out the reasons for changes in the desire to donate.This will allow the recipients of charity to shape their policies so as to attract the maximum number of donations. It would also enable philanthropists to take informed decisions regarding the charities they wished to support.

Credit Card Industry Threatened With Regulation.

2007-12-05T09:40:00.000-08:00

Americans collectively owe almost $850 billion in credit card debt. This is what is driving the thriving credit card industry in the US. An average American family owns about five credit cards. The credit card business is dominated by five companies who between them control 80% of the US market. They are Discover, JP Morgan Chase &Co., Capital One, Citigroup and Bank of America. This business is extremely profitable for these companies not just because of the size of the market but also because of the practices followed by them.

It is not uncommon for even those customers who have paid their credit card bills on time to be hit by arbitrary increases in interest rates charged. The reason usually given, if at all one is given, is that their credit rating has fallen simply because of opening another credit card account. The fine print in the contract which you sign when applying for a credit card usually contains clauses for charging penalty interest rates and various kinds of fees. The language used is complicated and difficult to understand even if you take the trouble of reading the entire contract. With complaints about unfair card practices on the rise a Senate committee was asked to look into the matter.

Sen. Carl Levin, Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Sub committee on investigations had this to say, 'The bottomline for me is this: when a Credit card issuer promises to provide a card holder with a specific interest rate if they meet their credit card obligations, and the card holder holds up their end of the bargain, the credit card issuers should have to do the same.' The committee has already proposed legislation which would prevent card companies from raising interest rates charged from persons who have paid their debt on time. The maximum rate increase permitted is also sought to be fixed.

The common forms of extra charges a card holder may have to pay include over the credit-limit fees from those customers who have been in an over-limit position for a particular period of time, usually 90 days. Another practice followed is called 'universal default.' This simply means that when a person defaults on even one of the cards that he owns then the interest rates go up on all the cards even though he may be making timely payments on them. The committee also noticed a practice that customers who had charged close to the limit on their cards for a length of time, but were making at least the minimum payment regularly, were also likely to be penalized by a hike in interest rates. The committee found that the card companies were justifying their actions by claiming that the credit score of the customer had fallen.

Although such practices cannot be called illegal, they are certainly unethical and it is likely that with the Democrats in control of Congress they may place this important consumer issue on the legislative agenda.Credit card companies claim that unless they continuously monitor every individual and take timely action to compel him to reduce his debt they may find themselves in a situation where it may become difficult for them to recover their loans. But the Senate committee does not seem to buy this argument. The message for now seems to be that if such practices are not ended voluntarily then legislation may become necessary to correct the situation.

U.S. Gives Clean Chit To Iran On Nuclear Weapons Issue.

2007-12-04T08:44:00.000-08:00

The most welcome news, Monday, was a major US Intelligence report that Iran was not currently trying to develop nuclear weapons. The National Intelligence Estimate reported that Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003, but continues to enrich uranium. Enriched uranium is used in nuclear bombs but Tehran maintains its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes. The report which draws together information from 16 Intelligence agencies of the US, says with 'high confidence' that Iran stopped its nuclear weapons program in 2003 'in response to international pressure.' The assessment says with 'moderate confidence' that the program has not restarted. This marks a turnaround from previous assessments, where US Intelligence agencies believed Iran was trying to build a nuclear weapon. Sanctions have already been imposed on Iran by both the UN Security Council which is demanding that Iran stop uranium enrichment, and unilateral US sanctions.

The timing of the release of this report is significant. It is almost impossible to accept that President Bush was unaware of the findings of NIE on October 17th when he said at a press conference ' If you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them (Iran) from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon.' The obvious benefit to President Bush after the release of this report is that he now has an excuse for a graceful climb down from the extreme posture that he had adopted and any change in which would have meant a tremendous loss of face for the US. It also seeks to reassure the world that the various specialized agencies of the US government are independent and impartial bodies , free from political influence, an image the US is anxious to project after the fiasco over the alleged weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Another possible reason for this abrupt about turn could be the growing realization that all this saber rattling was was only serving to strengthen the position of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran. In fact Iran appears to be happy with a few sanctions as they serve to divert the attention of its people from the failures of their government.US actions have in fact only served to marginalize the moderate faction, led by Khatami, in Iranian politics. Added to this is the realization that presently the US is in no position to take on Iran in a conventional war as the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are still to be concluded.The US is also anxious to hold on to the tenuous military gains it has made in Iraq over the past few months. It is also concerned at reports of the Taliban regrouping in Afghanistan. They now seem to be making their presence felt across the entire country, outside their strongholds of southern and south-eastern Afghanistan.Iran shares an extensive common border with both countries and Iranian assistance would be crucial in prolonging the duration and intensity of the insurgencies in both the countries.Iran has long been suspected of aiding anti US forces in both countries. With elections round the corner the US government is keen to bring some troops back home as evidence of the success of its current policies, especially in Iraq.The perceived failure of US policies in Iraq threatens to be a major issue in next year's US presidential election.

Whatever be the real reason,the report has certainly eased tensions significantly as it rules out any possibility of a military strike on Iran in the near future.In fact Russia and China may even oppose further sanctions against Iran. Most importantly it serves to reinforce confidence in diplomacy and international pressure as a means of solving international crises in future.

Climate Change Talks Begin In Bali.

2007-12-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

Delegates from almost 190 countries have gathered in Bali, Indonesia, for talks on climate change. The talks started today and will last two weeks. The aim of the UN led talks is to work towards a new global pact by 2009, to fight climate change.There is an added urgency to these talks since on February 2nd The United Nations Scientific Panel studying climate change declared that the evidence of a warming trend is 'unequivocal,' and that human activity has 'very likely' been the driving force in that change over the last 50 years.

There is now mounting scientific evidence that the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from various sources has contributed significantly to raising the earth's temperature by more than 1 degree Fahrenheit since 1900. The debate now is not whether the earth is getting warmer or not, but what to do about it. Just how important the issue is right now can judged by the fact that former US Vice President Al Gore shared the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on climate change. He went on to win an Oscar for his documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth.' The significance attached to his contribution and his resultant popularity led to serious speculation that he may be the Democratic party's candidate in next year's US Presidential election.

The original treaty on climate change signed in 1992 set voluntary targets for curbing emissions of greenhouse gases, and was signed by almost all nations. Realizing that stricter action was needed, the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 set mandatory limits on emissions. It was ratified by 36 industrialized nations and is due to expire in 2012. It was not ratified by the US which is the largest producer of greenhouse gases.The US position is unlikely to change in Bali. President Bush remarked last week,'Our guiding principle is clear: we must lead the world to produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and we must do it in a way that does not undermine economic growth or prevent nations from delivering greater prosperity for the people.'

Developing nations, including China, which is set to become the biggest polluter, are also opposed to accepting any limits on greenhouse gas emissions, as they claim it will affect their growth plans which in turn will affect their fight against poverty.

The conference however got off to an auspicious start with Australia ratifying the Kyoto Protocol. This leaves the US as the only industrialized nation which has not ratified it.

The European Union, which is alarmed by the Arctic ice melt this year, and also recognizes the vast business opportunities thrown up by the trade in carbon credits under the so called cap and trade system, has pledged to cut emissions to 20% below 1990 levels by 2020.

Although different nations have so far taken different stands depending upon their perceived self interest, it is time they got together and viewed things from a global perspective before it is too late.

Risks of FOREX Trading

2007-12-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

Despite the claims you may see on some FOREX web sites, FOREX is not risk-free. You are trading with substantial sums of money and there is always a possibility that trades will go against you. There are several trading tools, however, that can minimize your risk, and with caution, and above all education, the FOREX trader can learn how to trade profitably and while minimizing losses.

Scams

Forex scams were fairly common a few years ago. The industry has cleaned up considerably since then, but you still need to exercise caution when signing up with a FOREX broker. Do some background checking – reputable FOREX brokers will be associated with large financial institutions like banks or insurance companies and they will be registered with the proper government agencies. In the United States brokers should be registered with the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) or a member of the National Futures Association (NFA). You can also check with your local Consumer Protection Bureau and the Better Business Bureau.

Risks

Assuming you are dealing with a reputable broker, there are still risks to FOREX trading. Transactions are subject to unexpected rate changes, volatile markets and political events.

Exchange Rate Risk – refers to the fluctuations in currency prices over a trading period. Prices can fall rapidly resulting in substantial losses unless stop loss orders are used when trading FOREX. Stop loss orders specify that the open position should be closed if currency prices pass a predetermined level. Stop loss orders can be used in conjunction with limit orders to automate FOREX trading – limit orders specify an open position should be closed at a specified profit target.

Interest Rate Risk – can result from discrepancies between the interest rates in the two countries represented by the currency pair in a FOREX quote. This discrepancy can result in variations from the expected profit or loss of a particular FOREX transaction.

Credit Risk – is the possibility that one party in a FOREX transaction may not honor their debt when the deal is closed. This may happen when a bank or financial institution declares insolvency. Credit risk is minimized by dealing on regulated exchanges which require members to be monitored for credit worthiness.

Country Risk – is associated with governments that may become involved in foreign exchange markets by limiting the flow of currency. There is more country risk associated with 'exotic' currencies than with major currencies that allow the free trading of their currency.

Limiting Risk

FOREX trading can be risky, but there are ways to limit risk and financial exposure. Every FOREX trader should have a trading strategy – knowing when to enter and exit the market and what kind of movements to expect. Developing strategies requires education - the key to limiting FOREX risk. At all times follow the basic rule: Do not place money in the FOREX that you cannot afford to lose.

Every FOREX trader needs to know at least the basics about technical analysis and how to read financial charts. He should study chart movements and indicators and understand how charts are interpreted. There is a vast amount of information on FOREX trading available both on the Internet and in print. If you want to be successful at FOREX, know what you are doing.

Even the most knowledgeable traders, however, can't predict with absolute certainty how the market will behave. For this reason, every FOREX transaction should take advantage of available tools designed to minimize loss. Stop-loss orders are the most common ways of minimizing risk when placing an entry order. A stop-loss order contains instructions to exit your position if the currency price reaches a certain point. If you take a long position (expecting the price to rise) you would place a stop loss order below current market price. If you take a short position (expecting the price to fall) you would place a stop loss order above current market price.

40% Hike In Auto Fuel Efficiency Likely By 2020.

2007-12-02T11:04:00.001-08:00

After months of wrangling Democrat lawmakers wrapped up a deal on fuel efficiency standards Friday.Significantly the deal has been approved by John D. Dingell the auto industry's Congressional ally.As per the final version of the Bill the new auto fleet has to achieve average fuel efficiency of 35 miles per gallon by 2020, about 40% higher than current averages.At Dingell's insistence it has tougher standards for cars than light trucks. Fuel efficiency standards, known as corporate average fuel economy standards or CAFE were adopted in 1975 following the Arab oil embargo of 1974 and had set an efficiency standard of 27.5 mpg which has remained unchanged so far.

Democrats plan to make these proposals a part of the wider energy bill that the House of Representatives is expected to take up next week.The Bill is expected to contain a provision that would require the country's major utilities to generate at least 15% of their electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar power. This measure looks set to be opposed by the utilities who say this will cause a sharp increase in power prices in some parts of the country. The Bill also seeks to provide subsidies for biofuel production, a move opposed by the oil industry.

In a statement Saturday, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers chief Dave Mc Curdy said 'Upon adoption of this legislation, Congress will have established aggressive, nationwide fuel economy requirements, concluding a long standing debate.' The Alliance is the voice in Washington for the top automakers including Toyota.

Rick Wagoner CEO of General Motors said the new rules would ' Pose a significant technical and economic challenge to the industry.' He said GM would tackle the changes ' with an array of engineering, research and development resources.'

The bill is expected to boost plans by automakers to adopt more fuel efficient technologies for conventional engines and alternatives such as gas-electric hybrids and vehicles running on biofuels. Manufacturers are set to receive credits for vehicles running on biofuels for the first time.

Interestingly a bill containing similar standards approved in June by the Senate was opposed by automakers who said that it would restrict the choice of vehicles, threaten jobs and push up costs. The companies had suggested a standard of 32 mpg by 2022 instead. Chrysler had estimated that it could add $ 6,700 to the cost of each Chrysler vehicle.

But the new plan gives the industry more flexibility to plan new vehicles. It contains separate standards for cars and trucks, extends credits for producing vehicles running on biofuels, and allows automakers to receive separate credits for exceeding the standards which can be applied to other model years.

Dingell also secured extension of the 1.2 mpg credit for the production of each flexi-fuel vehicle which can run on ethanol blends of 15% gasoline and 85% ethanol till 2020. They were due to expire by 2010.

The deal is expected to keep the United Auto Workers union happy as well because it discourages the shifting of production of small cars overseas as the fuel economy credits could be applied to larger, less efficient models.

The flexibility provided in the Bill seeks to set at rest concerns about safety standards as it was feared that rigid efficiency standards would not only restrict the choice of vehicles but also compromise safety, as automakers shifted to lighter materials in an attempt to maintain fuel economy.

Environmental groups estimate the new standards would save 1.2 million barrels of oil per day by 2020 besides reducing pressure on gasoline prices. It seems to be a win-win situation for everybody if it goes through.

U.S. Government Set To Intervene In Sub Prime Crisis.

2007-12-01T12:20:00.000-08:00

Before the 1992 Presidential campaign began President George H.W. Bush was considered almost unbeatable. Successful foreign policy developments such as the end of the Cold War and the Persian Gulf War had given him an approval rating of almost 80%. Then James Carville, Clinton's campaign manager, in a moment of inspiration came up with the slogan,'The economy, stupid.' Within a short span of time the attention of the voters was successfully turned towards the economic recession gripping the US at that time, and Bush lost the election.

This time round the outgoing President, the son of George H.W. Bush faces an uphill task to put another Republican in the White House when he leaves.Unfortunately for him the US seems to be stuck in two wars, in Afghanistan and in Iraq, which it is nowhere near winning, although things seem to be improving.Added to this he has an approval rating of 32%.The attention of the American people is once again focussed on one major headline grabbing issue, that is the sub prime crisis and its likely impact on the economy.The government has belatedly woken up to the hard realization that it has allowed matters to drift for too long and that the crisis is going to cast its shadow on the coming elections.

Lawmakers have been facing political pressure to take action.But in September this year the Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and the Treasury secretary Henry Paulson warned that some solutions could end up perpetuating unhealthy lending practices that created the whole mess in the first place.However some initiatives were taken, such as making more money available in the system to ease the credit crunch,giving borrowers greater protection against predatory lenders and encouraging homeowners to call their banks in order to discuss their problems and find a solution so that they could retain their homes.It was also announced that while the government will try to ensure that people got to keep their homes it would do nothing to bail out speculators or those who were plain greedy.This stand of the government was probably prompted by the assumption that the crisis was nearing an end.But things have simply got worse and there is no immediate end to the crisis in sight. It is now expected that the meltdown will continue well into next year at the very least.

The government had also assumed that the crisis will remain remain confined to the housing sector which accounts for just 5% of GDP and any slowdown there would by itself not affect the economy as a whole.But economics has never been an exact science, although it is good at offering explanations in hindsight. Declining home values seems to be having a wealth effect and Americans seem to be cutting other expenses in order to both make up their losses and also in order to be able to make higher mortgage payments. This is reflected in declining auto sales and even in manufacturing. Consumer expenditure accounts for 72% of US GDP and a slowdown here could tip the economy into a recession.

The Bush administration and the mortgage industry are finally hammering out a proposal to temporarily freeze interest rates on certain stressed sub prime mortgages. If it goes through it will be the biggest action to handle the worsening crisis. The proposals could be in place as early as next week. Talks have involved all the federal banking regulators and major players in the mortgage industry such as Citigroup, Wells Fargo and others. The attempt is to extend for several years the introductory 'teaser' rates that were offered on sub prime mortgages. Such a scheme would however mean losses for investors who have purchased mortgage backed securities as it would reduce the rate of return on their investments. Companies apprehend shareholder lawsuits if they permit modifications in original agreements which are not in the best interest of the shareholders.

Government intervention in times of crisis is not new.People would do well to remember that in 1998, in the aftermath of the Asian flu, when Long Term Capital Management was in danger of going under, it was Alan Greenspan who organized a bail out for it.The economy has grown at a surprisingly strong 3.9% in the 3rd quarter although it is expected to slow in future. Food and fuel prices are at record highs and inflationary pressures are clearly visible.Although interest rate cuts are probably round the corner there are clearly limits to how low Bernanke can go without raising inflation to unacceptably high levels.Moreover he cannot allow the dollar to fall much further else foreign investors may start bailing out of US stocks and treasuries, triggering off a deflationary spiral in the economy.A widespread collapse in asset prices would have a disastrous impact on the economy.These considerations will have to be borne in mind by the mortgage companies and their shareholders alike while considering the proposals put forward by the government.

Secrets Of Freemasons Finally Set To Be Revealed.

2007-11-30T09:44:00.000-08:00

Some say it's a cult, others a secret society. Few know exactly what goes on behind the closed doors of Masonic Lodges scattered all over the US. Freemasonry is the oldest and largest fraternities in the world. Freemasonry started in the Middle Ages with the craftsmen who built the beautiful cathedrals and castles of medieval Europe. They formed craft guilds to protect the secrets of their building trade and to pass on their knowledge to worthy inheritors. With the passage of time the trade of masonry declined but the principles and fraternity of the Freemasons continued to attract men from other professions, men of learning, integrity and goodwill. The society gradually spread all over the world and many of our Founding Fathers including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison and Paul Revere were Freemasons.Masonry teaches that every person has a responsibility to improve things in the world. It encourages good citizenship and engages in numerous charitable activities. Although membership is not difficult to obtain, meetings are common knowledge and the addresses of the societies are available in the telephone book, there remains an air of mystery around their ceremonies. They use secret signs and hand grips to gain admission to the lodges. Each lodge has its own set of signs and they may be changed from time to time. It is precisely these practices that make the Freemasons sound as if they are a secret society. By the way only males are admitted as Masons.

The number of Masons in the US has declined over the years. For instance the number of Masons in New York has gone down from a high of about 346,000 in 1929 to about 54,000 today.For the first time the lodges are actively reaching out for new members.In spite of the present openness about their activities, they are even giving guided tours of their lodges in a bid to attract new members, they still are not willing to describe what happens in the room when members gather for a lodge meeting.

Interest in the society is all set to be revived as Dan Brown the author of the bestselling "The Da Vinci Code' is set to explore the mysterious society in a new book 'The Solomon Key.' In this book he explores the hidden mysteries in the city of Washington. He claims that there is a Masonic design in Washington's city plan.He points out that when Washington is viewed from the air the perfect square and compass, which are the universal symbols of Freemasonry , are clearly visible. He also points out that the city's major landmarks, the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, and the White House and the Jefferson Memorial , if viewed in a certain manner, form the shape of a square and a compass.At the center of these stands the George Washington monument whose dimensions are 555 feet high by 55 feet wide.The number five has great significance for the Freemasons. It seems that Freemasonry had a very important role in the the history of the US and the early American Republic. The book is eagerly awaited and given that it explores 'codes and mysteries' it may turn out to be another bestseller.

How to Minimize Losses in Forex?

2007-11-29T21:25:00.000-08:00

Many Forex traders know that often one or two unsuccesful trades can destroy all the previous profits made during the cirrent day, month or year. It is natural to hear things like: "I made $10,000 in the previous month, but I had two unsuccessful trades where I lost twice as much".

The reasons for increased losses are different, but the most general is the fact that the Forex traders don’t want to admit that in the chosen position they are wrong. Indeed, a couple of successful deals can make your month, while a couple of less successful deals may destroy the success not only of this month, but also of the previous one.

One of the tactical schemes which changed the activities of many Forex traders dramatically is the practice of accepting the losses with the purpose of decreasing total damage. Many traders doing this and preparing themselves to the fact that they will lose are actually starting to earn.

The practice of incurring losses requires an attitude totally different from the dream about large incomes. You don’t get stuck with the thought how much you would earn or how you would feel. You just mechanically focus on the practice of incurring losses, proving for yourself that you can take losses easily, which occur when “stop loss” works. You concentrate on working without keeping the score of losses and profits.

An effective technique which works with any time frames is moving your “stop loss” to make-out to keep the profits. In other words, move your “stop loss” to the starting point just as fast as your position will become profitable. This will protect you from losing money in this position, and while the position changes in your direction, move “stop loss” to protect half of your profit. If the profit increases to a certain extent and then decreases more than by half, close this position. Many techniques can be used, but the key is a system which cuts down losses.

This system is similar to insurance. Though the price is high, there is a reason – a mistake can cost you everything.

What is Forcing Citigroup to Cut Jobs?

2007-11-29T19:16:00.001-08:00

CNBC reports that massive layoffs are being planned by Citigroup Inc., America's largest bank. Faced with huge fourth quarter losses the bank is under pressure to cut costs and another round of job cuts may be the only way out(Citi has already cut jobs once earlier this year).

What really ails Citi? Citi has been growing a bit too fast for some time now.It has been picking up foreign banks and brokerage firms wherever it can, without giving too much thought to managing what it already has. The Nikko Cordial bid, picking up a stake in a brokerage firm in India, the Grupo Financiero buyout in Central America and continuous investments in China reinforce the image of a company that is growing by acquisitions rather than focusing on organic growth.The global sphere of its operations ( it is present in over 100 countries) has naturally led to a huge increase in expenses.In fact this increase had become significant enough for Prince Alwaleed bin Talal to remark to the effect that 'draconian measures need to be taken to curb expenses.' Incidentally the Prince is perhaps the largest single shareholder in the bank.

The tipping point has been the sub prime crisis.Citi has unveiled losses of $6.8 billion for the third quarter and it may lose a further $8 to $11 billion loss in the fourth quarter.Analysts expect the pain to continue into 2008 with expected losses of $4 billion.Citi has a direct sub prime exposure of $55 billion of which $43 billion is in CDO's. It has $135 billion in 'level three' assets.These include those assets which are not heavily traded, such as mortgage backed securities which are difficult to value, more so after the sub prime shakeout. According to Goldman Sachs Citi would need to write off $8 to$11 billion this quarter on account of sub prime losses and have placed it on' America's Sell List.'

Prince Talal acted swiftly and Charles Prince put in his papers Nov. 4th after an emergency board meting.But to say that Prince lost his job solely because of the sub prime investments would not be entirely correct.It had been rumored for several months that Prince's job was on the line unless he could show either impressive revenue growth or noticeable operating improvement. Shareholders were getting restless as the company's stock had not been going anywhere for several years. The only saving grace being the dividend of over 4%. The economy was clearly not in a position to allow the first option, so it had to be the second. After the sub prime loses came in it was unlikely that he could have continued.

It has been suggested that given its large workforce of almost 300,000 Citi can cut its workforce simply by reducing hiring and letting attrition do the work for them.But this strategy has the drawback that it affects all divisions uniformly and takes a bit too long to work out. The company needs to show decisive action and that it means business before the stock market will take notice and reward the decision taken. It is not too difficult for financial firms to find surplus workforce which can be laid off. There are always back offices and IT activities that can be hived off or outsourced. Fortunately for Citi, given its brand name it will be easy for it to find buyers for any such division if it ever decides to do so.The costs of cutting the workforce would be substantial, but small change for a company like Citi. But Citi has to ensure that its actions do not appear to be an act of desperation. Too large a cut and it may scare away potential investors in the short term due to the uncertainties surrounding the impact of such an action on its operations.

Meanwhile Citigroup shares were quoted at $30.47 in early morning trade Tuesday after the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority said it will invest $7.5 billion in Citigroup Inc. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan called Citi 'a premier brand and with tremendous opportunities for growth.' After this investment is converted into equity shares it will outrank the holding of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. This investment is significant and it is likely to signal that the free fall in US financial stocks is coming to an end.

Iraqi Refugees Returning Home.

2007-11-23T07:50:00.000-08:00

The US strategy of troops 'surge' in Iraq seems to be succeeding beyond expectations.Although it would be premature to declare victory over the extremists and their al-Qaeda supporters,it can definitely be claimed that there is a significant improvement in the overall security environment in Iraq.Nationwide, attacks have fallen 55% since summer and stepped up military operations against both Shia as well as Sunni extremists have driven them from most of their earlier strongholds, although pockets of resistance still remain.They are also believed to be regrouping in other parts of the country.

The improving situation on the ground has prompted refugees to start returning to the country, particularly to Baghdad, where they are being warmly welcomed by friends and relatives.While many have returned due to the improved security situation,others have come back due to the harsh visa requirements put in place by Syria since last month which has made it more difficult for Iraqis to stay there.Many of the refugees have also come back because they were simply running out of cash.Unable to find jobs and being frequently on the move has taken a heavy toll on these people.Even the well off have been impoverished by years in exile.

The Iraqi government on its part is encouraging them to come back and has started to organize free trips and protected convoys for the purpose. Even free air tickets are being offered.But it is going to be a long time before all the estimated 2.2 million refugees finally come home.

Abdul Samad Sultan the country's displacement and migration minister claims that almost 1600 Iraqis are returning everyday, most of them from Syria which is home to the maximum number of Iraqi refugees.This is the main reason why Syria has tightened visa requirements because it claims that the influx of refugees has stressed its education, health and housing system to a point that international assistance is needed.

The biggest problem facing people who have returned is that many find that others have occupied their homes while they were away. The Iraqi government is trying to help these people get their homes back and is also handing out loans to set up small businesses to make these people self reliant and to integrate with other people.

Although refugees have started trickling back most of them are waiting to make sure that the reduction in violence is not simply a lull but a 'long term phenomenon.' They are convinced that the let up in bloodshed is only due to the massive security presence and that can't last forever. They are certain that the withdrawal of foreign troops will spark a bloody civil war. It looks as if US troops will have to stay for much longer than intended despite the political compulsions at home to bring them back as soon as possible.

Taliban May Win In Afghanistan.

2007-11-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

Contrary to US official reports many experts now feel that unless NATO dramatically increases its military commitment in Afghanistan, the Taliban may recapture the country.Driven out of Afghanistan in 2001 it has returned and rebuilt a permanent presence in over half the country and seems to be facing no difficulty in finding new recruits as well as supplies.It has recently resurfaced in the North of the country and in areas bordering Iran as well.Their stated aim is to retake Kabul by 2008 and that seems quite likely at the moment.

What is behind their success?First of all they do not seem to be short of motivated soldiers and Pakistan provides them with a secure base from where to launch their attacks against NATO forces in Afghanistan.Despite having lost many military leaders the Taliban do not seem to be short of middle level leaders to take the places of those killed or wounded.They are also not short of funds.They are thought to be financing their operations with the profits from Afghanistan's opium trade.Ironically, while they were in power they had declared war on the drug trade and had almost brought it to a stop.Their tactics of suicide and roadside bombings is also proving to be highly effective.Their strategy of hiding amongst the civilian population has also been very successful as it has both discouraged retaliatory attacks by NATO forces and the high level of civilian casualties has also alienated the local Afghan population.Iran is a constant source of support and it is now feared that even Russia has been secretly helping them.Indeed, of late they have become bold enough to even challenge the Pakistani army and in fact they have succeeded in establishing control over large territories in the North West of Pakistan.

Most experts however feel that the situation is not hopeless and that NATO can still win.They point out that the basic mistake the US made was to attack Iraq before finishing the job in Afghanistan.It diverted a large number of its troops and war material, especially the unmanned Predator drones which affected NATO's fighting capabilities and left them with insufficient forces to finish off the job.What is needed now is an Iraq style troop 'surge' to improve the security situation coupled with strong efforts to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people through speedy reconstruction of the war ravaged country.It is estimated that the NATO troop strength of 40,000 will have to be at least doubled for the purpose.It is clear that NATO will have to act quickly if it is to succeed.The events of 9/11 are a grim reminder that it cannot afford to fail.

Is The U.S. Justice System Flawed?

2007-11-19T09:22:00.000-08:00

A report released Monday informs us that almost 2.2 million people are in US jails. This marks an eight fold rise in the number of Americans in prison since 1970.It costs the taxpayer about $65 billion annually. The report has been produced by the JFA Institute a Washington criminal justice research group.

The impact of such a large number of people in prison is awesome.Once you include the families the prisoners leave behind,the prison guards and the prison administration, the lawyers and the justice system, it would seem that the system affects almost everybody.

The benefits of the present system are clearly visible. The streets are definitely safer.The homicide rate in the 1990's fell by 43% and continues to decline. The value of a safe neighborhood certainly outweighs the costs of imprisonment.

On the flip side, the prison population is set to increase by almost 200,000 over the next five years and it will cost another $27.5 billion to build and run the additional prisons that will be needed.Such a judicial system also serves to deepen the divide between the privileged and the disadvantaged.This is because the disadvantaged, the less skilled and the less educated are more likely to end up in jail.Spending their productive years in jail not only reduces their lifetime earnings but also adversely affects the prospects of re-employment upon their release.It also certainly affects the financial prospects of the families they leave behind.Critics also argue that in spite of such a harsh system the crime rate is where it was in 1973.

So what needs to be done about it. Before attempting an answer it is necessary to understand the reasons that lie behind this prison boom.It happened because crime increased and there seemed to be no way to control it except by imposing tougher penalties.This resulted in longer jail sentences being handed out with fewer chances of an early release.The war on drugs led to the arrest of a large number of small time users and drug dealers.Presently almost 60% of prison inmates are in for drug offenses.Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy remarked:'Our resources are misspent, our punishments too severe, our sentences too long.'

Maybe it's time to give the entire system a re look.To start with, prison sentences for petty crimes could be shortened and prisoners could be made eligible for early release in deserving cases.Alternate forms of punishment also need to be considered.There is also a case for being a bit lenient on 'soft drugs.'Debates on legalizing marijuana for medical use seem to indicate that this option is being seriously considered.

An editorial in The Washington Times said that prisoners deserve punishment.'But we shouldn't forget that a vast majority will also be returned to society, which has as much at stake in their rehabilitation as they do.'

Washington Helps Pakistan Guard Its Nukes.

2007-11-18T07:57:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that of all the nuclear weapons states in the world it is Pakistan which causes the most anxiety to Washington.This is because both the Pakistani government and its nuclear engineer A.Q.Khan, the father of the Pakistani bomb, have in the past transferred nuclear designs and technology to others.In August 2001 Pakistani nuclear scientists traveled secretly to Afghanistan at the request of Osama bin Laden, the al Qaeda leader, and are supposed to have passed on designs for a crude bomb.Khan the Pakistani engineer admittedly sold nuclear secrets to Iran,Libya and North Korea for personal profit but was pardoned by the Pakistani government.This raised doubts at that time as to whether it was indeed a freelance operation as it was made out to be or the Pakistani government was also involved.

For a while after 1998,when Pakistan exploded its bomb, the US hoped to be able to persuade Pakistan to roll back its weapons program in return for substantial aid and security guarantees. Once it became clear that this will not happen the US seriously began considering other alternatives.These efforts have acquired added urgency after 9/11.

The US has been able to convince Pakistan to accept tens of millions of dollars in aid to help protect its nukes.It has drawn upon its experience of providing such security to ex-Soviet states to chalk out a program for Pakistan.

The security plan in place consists of proper fencing of storage sites, surveillance and tracking systems for the nuclear devices in case they get stolen. More direct forms of protection have so far not been possible because of Pakistan's refusal to disclose the sites where the weapons are stored.In fact Pakistani security personnel trained in the US rather than allow US experts to visit the sites to evaluate the security needs.This stems from a fear of a pre-emptive strike by either the US or by Israel on its weapons sites if their location is disclosed.

Pakistan is also not willing to install the latest US technology known as 'permissive action links' or PALS which are electronic codes which have to be entered to activate the warheads. It fears that the US will either install a secret tracking system to locate the secret storage sites or some kind of secret switch which will enable it to disable the warheads if it wants to do so.Instead Pakistan relies on storing its nuclear bomb components at different sites which would make it difficult for any unauthorized person to gain control of all of them and assemble a bomb.

This arrangement seems to have worked so far.But with Gen. Musharraf's authority fraying at the edges, and the increasing control of fundamentalist elements over various parts of the country,ensuring the security of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is once again at the top of Washington's security agenda.

Clinton Bashing Likely to Fail!

2007-11-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

It is becoming increasingly clear by the day that senator Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic party nominee in next year's US Presidential elections.The Republicans also understand that they have a tough fight on their hands to stop her disciplined and well financed assault.So in an attempt to rally Republican supporters various hopefuls have been simply indulging in Clinton bashing.Sample what Mitt Romney has to say about her.'Hillary Clinton wants to run the largest enterprise in the world.She hasn't run a corner store.She hasn't run a state.She hasn't run a city.She has never run anything.And the idea that she could learn to be president as an internship just doesn't make any sense.'

The Republicans are clearly obsessed with her and lose no opportunity of trying to run her down.They think her proposals are ridiculous, and her ideas un -American and even socialistic.The latest is that electing Clinton would amount to a kind of dynastic rule which should be avoided at any cost.There is a website stophernow.com which aims to rescue America from the radical ideas of Hillary Clinton.

Her opponents have been trying hard to reinforce voter's doubts about her honesty and electability.To some her position on Iraq and Iran lack clarity and she seems to have skirted issues like social security, access to her White House records and driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. The Republicans appear to view these developments as indications that Hillary Clinton is now vulnerable.

The fact of the matter is that Hillary Clinton owes her position of strength not so much to the backing of the Democratic party as to the failed policies of the Republican government.The latest polls put President Bush's job approval rating at 33% while 62.9% disapprove.The war in Iraq remains extremely unpopular because most Americans feel that they shouldn't be there in the first place.It's also clear that it will be a long and costly war to win.As if this wasn't enough the economy has not been doing too well in the past few months. The collapse of the housing market and the surge in foreclosures has clearly shaken the confidence of the people, and merely cutting interest rates is unlikely to solve the problem.In addition the American consumer has been impacted by rising food and fuel costs and the declining dollar.

Obviously the Republicans are focusing on Clinton simply to distract attention from their own mistakes.This may not be the best strategy to adopt.

The 'Twin Town' of Igbo-Ora.

2007-11-12T08:34:00.000-08:00

There is a town by the name of Igbo-Ora in southwest Nigeria which has the highest rate of twin births in the whole world.So sure are the inhabitants of this town of their unique distinction that on the road going into the town there is a large stone which bears a proud message welcoming visitors to the land of the twins.

Nigeria has a large population and it also has the world's highest twinning rate. A study conducted by British gynecologist Patrick Nylander recorded an average of 45 to 50 sets of twins per 1000 live births in the southwest of the country. That makes it a rate of almost 5% of all births compared with a rate of around 1.2% for Western Europe and 0.8% for Japan. However fertility pills have increased the incidence of twin births even in the West.

There is hardly a family in Igbo-Ora that doesn't have a set of twins. In Igbo-Ora twin births are regarded as a blessing and a gift from God.Nobody is really sure as to the reasons for it.The locals attribute it to tradition which suggests genetic reasons for the phenomenon, while others say its just plain chance.The most widely accepted theory is that it is due to diet.

An important ingredient of the Yoruba people's diet is the 'yam' or cassava, a plant with a tuber root. The root is eaten in addition to the leaves and flowers. Yams contain a natural hormone phytoestrogen which may stimulate the ovaries to produce an egg from each side, causing multiple births.But others are not so sure. They point to the fact that yams are cultivated in some regions of Asia for their contraceptive qualities.Presently there seems to be no scientific evidence that yam consumption can cause multiple births.

Meanwhile in Yorubaland the birth of twins is a good omen and they are treated with respect. There are elaborate rituals surrounding twins in Africa which vary widely from country to country.These traditions look set to continue as the real reason for the prevalence of twin births is certainly set to baffle the medical fraternity for some time to come.

Overweight People At Lower Risk Of Disease!

2007-11-07T05:14:00.000-08:00

This week's Journal of the American Medical Association contains the results of a study carried out at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Federal researchers have concluded that it is possible to be 'fat and fit,' that is, the dangers of being overweight appear to be exaggerated.

Katherine M Flegal a senior research scientist has stated that it cannot be said that excess weight increases your mortality risk for any and all causes of death. The researchers who analyzed 2.3 million adult deaths have arrived at startling conclusions.

They found that being overweight, not obese, does not increase the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer. In fact carrying a few extra pounds appears to significantly reduce the risk of dying from many diseases compared to normal weight people.These diseases include bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood poisoning, liver disease. falls, suicide, Alzheimer and Parkinson's.

The exceptions were kidney disease and diabetes where being overweight does appear to increase the risk of premature death.

The net conclusion was that being overweight was associated with a decreased all- cause mortality overall. It is speculated that the modestly overweight may recover faster or survive certain diseases better due their greater nutritional reserves or higher lean body mass.The age group that seemed to benefit the most were people aged 25 to 59.

The results of the study have come in for sharp criticism. It is argued that this study has ignored the large body of evidence available which outlines the hazards of being overweight. Others have welcomed it and point out that the risks associated with being overweight have lately been blown out of proportion.

The debate is likely to continue for some time.But it is certain that there is no impending epidemic of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other serious ailments.Most importantly, this good news has come with Thanksgiving and Christmas round the corner. The turkey and the pudding and the chocolates are going to taste better this year.

War With Iran -Is It A Practical Solution?

2007-10-27T03:57:00.000-07:00

US President George W Bush has refused to rule out a military attack on Iran should diplomatic efforts fail to reach an agreement over Teheran's nuclear program.There is a point of view, that given its support for Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations, as well as its hostility towards Israel, this is what Iran probably deserves.

Experts however sincerely hope that the US will consider the costs of any such misadventure before embarking on this course of action.The cost of Iraq and Afghanistan has already crossed $600 billion and the conflicts are expected to cost $2.4 trillion in all till 2017. This is half of what it would cost to keep Social Security solvent for 75 years.In a conventional war Iran is expected to be less of a pushover than Iraq, which would translate into higher costs and a larger number of US troops in combat over and above the 200,000 at present. It is argued that the present level of expenditure on Iraq and Afghanistan is only about 0.5% of GDP and therefore the US can sustain it almost indefinitely, unlike the Vietnam conflict during which it had risen to almost 12% of GDP and had threatened to derail the US economy.But this reasoning is seriously flawed in as much it does not take into account the likely impact of a conflict with Iran on the price of oil.The Saudi ambassador to the US, Prince Turki Al-Faisal has said that such an event could triple the price of oil. Not only is Iran OPEC's number two oil producer, any conflict involving Iran would threaten the Strait of Hormuz, through which most Middle East nations export their oil.Tankers carry an estimated 17 million barrels of oil through the channel every day.Although the US does have an emergency stockpile of almost 700 million barrels of crude, a prolonged conflict with Iran, like in Iraq would certainly have a devastating impact on the US as well as the world economy.Given the extensive common border that Iran shares with Russia and several former Soviet Republics the US may find it difficult to cut off its supply routes.It is a foregone conclusion that all these countries are going to support Iran because of religious or economic considerations or just to keep the US out of the area.Any lengthy campaign in Iran would only wear down US troops and equipment further.It will have to be remembered that Iran is not the only country that has the capacity to build a nuclear weapon.How many countries would the US be able to discipline alone. If it wanted to discipline Iran it should have done so thirty years back.That chance has been missed.Now the only hope is to build sufficient international pressure on Iran to persuade it to accept international safeguards.The role of Russia in any such arrangement will be crucial and they will expect due credit for it.Ideally an international machinery will come into existence to sort out all such problems in the future.

Feeling Depressed-Go To Sleep!

2007-10-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

Lack of enough sleep is becoming increasingly commonplace in modern culture.The National Sleep Foundation says that the number of Americans with sleep problems is about 70 million. This problem is no longer confined to the sick and elderly. The most disturbing trend is that young adults are also increasingly affected by this problem. The number of such persons using sleeping pills is supposed to have doubled from 2000 to 2004. Some people tend to believe that they have trained themselves to get along with less sleep and therefore it is OK. This is not correct.It is well established that sleep regenerates various parts of the body, especially the brain. Till now psychological researchers were minimizing the effects of sleep deprivation, treating them as nothing more significant than an inconvenience which makes people feel a bit tired now and then.

This view is incorrect. Recent research suggests that each day with insufficient sleep increases our sleep debt, and when it becomes large enough, noticeable problems appear. When sleep deprivation becomes too large the effects mimic those of psychosis. Researchers at the University of California Berkley and Harvard Medical School have found that sleep deprivation affects our emotional health. "Most people think that when you are sleep deprived, what happens to the brain is that it becomes sleepy and less active," says Matthew Walker, assistant professor of psychology at Berkley. But Walker says that the imaging study published in Current Biology dated 23rd October, found that the brain's emotional centers became "60 percent more reactive." The study also suggests that lack of sleep elevates activity in the emotional centers of the brain most closely associated with psychiatric disorders such as depression. This finding runs contrary to the traditional belief that it is psychiatric disorders which cause poor sleep. The really bad news is that depression and sleep deprivation may operate in mutual reinforcement. That is, if you are depressed you get less sleep which further increases your depression and so the cycle continues.

Unfortunately research in this area is still incomplete. It is likely that just as some areas of the brain can cause emotional imbalance, other areas may help restore emotional stability.This would surely be one of the most significant medical breakthroughs once it is found.

Why is Comcast Blocking File Sharing Traffic?

2007-10-20T05:20:00.001-07:00

Suspicions had been voiced for sometime that Comcast was interfering with the file sharing activity of some of its high speed internet subscribers.The Associated Press confirmed Friday that this had been proved by nationwide tests conducted by it.

Comcast is the nation's largest cable TV operator and the second largest Internet Service Provider.

Their representatives avoid a direct response to this claim. However at the Web 2.0 summit in SanFrancisco Friday, Comcast Interactive Media President Amy Base responded to questions about P2P throttling by pointing to the company's need to 'manage' heavy Internet use. She seemed to suggest that heavy users could upgrade to higher cost commercial services for uninterrupted usage.

It appears that Comcast is only interfering with file sharing activity amongst users. It is using Sandvine traffic shaping hardware for this purpose. File sharing networks such as BitTorrent, eDonkey and Gnutella are likely to be severely affected if other ISP's were to also adopt this practice.

There is no formal law to ensure equal treatment of traffic or 'Net Neutrality' as it is called. In fact ISP's have been trying to somehow charge a fees for premium services. Their plans are currently on hold due to stiff opposition from consumers backed by influential voices such as Google Inc. and Amazon Inc.

ISP's have long complained that heavy traffic generated by a small number of subscribers using file sharing programs affects the quality of services to other subscribers. They claim that network management is both necessary as well as legitimate. However Comcast's approach is difficult to justify because instead of slowing down a particular type of traffic it is blocking it. Moreover the method used by Comcast is a kind of trick it plays on its users. For instance if one BitTorrent user attempts to share a complete file with another user each PC gets a message ostensibly from the other computer asking it to stop communicating. These messages are in fact sent by Comcast rather than either of the file sharers.Since both users are unaware of the deception they usually stop communicating.

Customers on their part argue that they have opted for broadband in the first place only because it allows them to share files. They also claim that at the time of signing on they are assured of unlimited and uninterrupted service. They consider the offer of upgrading at a higher cost to be a breach of that agreement.

Clearly it is high time that Congress passes laws that protect the free flow of ideas and commerce on the Internet.

Kansas Leads Fight To Protect Environment And Public Health

2007-10-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment became the first government agency in the United States to reject an air permit for a coal fired electricity generating plant , saying that greenhouse gas threatens public health and the environment. The Thursday decision by Rod Bremby, secretary of health and environment prevents Sunflower Electric Power, a rural electric cooperative, from starting work on a proposed $3.6 billion project to build two 700 megawatt coal fired power plants in Holcomb, a town in western Kansas. One unit would have supplied power to parts of Kansas while the other would have supplied fast growing eastern Colorado. Sunflower Electric already operates a smaller coal fired power plant in Holcomb. The new power plants would have been an extension of the existing facility.

The decision draws support from the opinion given by Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison who has said that the states' top health regulator can reject an application to build the plants, even if they meet all state and federal environmental regulations!

The proposed plants would have produced eleven million tons of carbon dioxide annually which is now recognized as one of the most important greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.

However the plants are not without supporters. Amongst others it is backed by the speaker of the state House, Melvin Neufeld. The backers of the project repeated the usual arguments as to how without the power plants the citizens of the state would lose access to low cost energy and that the loss of the proposed $3.6 billion investment would affect economic development and cost jobs. If the state went ahead with the plants, they argue, it would create more permanent jobs, bring in more tax revenue and also lead to the extension of transmission lines across the state which could be used for power generated by renewable energy sources, such as wind power. But the plants were strongly opposed by environmental groups and the residents of half a dozen eastern counties from Topeka to Kansas City. These counties have enough voters to influence statewide elections and that perhaps explains in part why they succeeded.

Sunflower on its part had proposed building an eco-friendly ethanol plant as well and also an $86 million facility, using the still experimental algae process to capture the carbon dioxide generated by the power plants.

Sunflower Electric disagrees with the decision as it feels the permit process should be based only on the company's adherence to existing environmental regulations and not on any other consideration. Along with the state lawmakers it is planning to challenge the rejection of the permit by the state's environmental regulator. Utility companies across the nation are troubled by the decision as it is likely to be used as a precedent elsewhere. Whatever be the final outcome, it shows that at last some states are waking up to the challenge of climate change and are willing to do something about it.

Why Is China Annoyed With US Over Award To Dalai Lama

2007-10-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the US Government presented its highest civilian award, The Congressional Gold Medal, to the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader.

The ceremony went ahead in spite of warnings issued by the Chinese government that this decision could seriously damage relations between the two countries.

The Dalai Lama has been living in exile in India since he fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against the Chinese who had invaded and occupied Tibet in 1950. He is widely respected the world over and has already been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Despite the efforts of the Chinese government he continues to be hugely popular in Tibet.Although he has stated in recent years that his aim is not independence from China but only greater autonomy within it, the Chinese Government remains deeply suspicious of him.In order to completely destroy Tibetan identity the Chinese government has flooded Tibet with ethnic Han Chinese migrants.Moves are also afoot to appoint official Lamas or Tibetan priests as well as to appoint a successor to the present Dalai Lama.The Chinese government claims that the aim of the Dalai Lama is to obtain total independence for Tibet. China opposes any form of self determination for Tibet by claiming that historically Tibet has always been a part of China. It also suggests that while Tibet was independent, its peasantry was exploited and lived in poverty while the ruling classes led luxurious lives.Restoring Tibet to its erstwhile rulers therefore does not find favor on ideological grounds as well.

There are reasons why the US government on its part has chosen to honor the Dalai Lama at this point in time.The US is facing increasing criticism over the way it has handled Iraq.Therefore it wants to be seen as a nation which honors men of peace.It also hopes to send a message that it is not opposed to rulers who govern on the basis of religion.Most importantly championing freedom and democracy has been an important theme of the Bush Presidency. The US sincerely believes that by such actions as well as by continuous economic engagement with China, that country could be persuaded to improve its human rights record and move towards granting greater individual liberties.

As far as the award itself is concerned it was first given to George Washington in 1776. Each proposed recipient has to be approved by a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives
and in the Senate. Once the award is approved the US Mint is commissioned to produce a unique design based on the achievements of the individual.So no two awards will ever be alike.

Humans May Stay Young For 400 Years

2007-10-15T18:08:00.001-07:00

'In principle, if you understand the mechanisms of keeping things repaired, you could keep things going indefinitely,' says Cynthia Kenyon, biochemist at the University of California at San Francisco. In her lab she has increased the life span of tiny worms called Caenorhabditis elegans up to six times their normal lifespan by suppressing a single gene. This regulator gene, named daf-2, in combination with other genes, appears to control an entire cluster of genes that direct aging not only in worms, but in similar genetic pathways in flies, mice and, possibly humans. This is the equivalent of people living for 400 years, and the good news is that the worms stay young for most of their extended lifespans.

Diet it seems is a major contributory factor.An experiment with the worms proves that sugar turns on a genetic sequence that increases the amount of insulin produced by an organism, which in turn causes the body to demand more sugar. This increases damage to cells in the body, speeding up the slow degradation of cells that contribute to aging. Red wine and green tea have been shown to help repair cells and contribute to an increased lifespan.

The most significant finding is that the worms remained vigorous till until the very end of their extended lives. In human terms it would mean that a person would remain young for decades, growing old very slowly. It also suggests a radical new method for treating maladies of aging such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's and some cancers, which might be put off or eliminated if youth is extended. 'Age is the single largest risk factor for an enormous number of diseases,' says Kenyon. 'So if you can essentially postpone aging, then you can have beneficial effects on a whole wide range of disease.'

When asked whether it was possible to be immortal Kenyon says 'I think it might be possible. I'll tell you why. You can think about the life span of a cell being the integral of two vectors in a sense, the force of destruction and the force of prevention, maintenance and repair. In most animals the force of destruction has still got the edge. But why not bump up the genes just a little bit, the maintenance genes. All you have to do is have the maintenance level a little higher. It doesn't have to be much higher. It just has to be a little higher, so that it counterbalances the force of destruction. And don't forget, the germ lineage is immortal. So it's possible at least in principle.'

Twenty Percent Americans Victims Of Financial Scams.

2007-10-14T04:49:00.000-07:00

In a survey conducted by the US Postal Inspection Service along with advocacy groups and companies such as Bank of America, Citigroup and American Express, nearly one in five adult Americans admitted they or a family member have fallen victim to a financial scam of some sort.Victims typically lose $3,000 to $4,000, according to an estimate by the non-profit National Consumers League.

Lottery scams are one of the most common scams over the internet.This is how it works.The victim receives an unsolicited e-mail which says that he has won a major prize in an international lottery.His e-mail address is stated to have been collected online and attached to a random number that was then entered in a draw for the lottery.In order to collect the prize the victim is requested to contact the agent in charge of his case and is also advised to keep it confidential for security reasons. This is a random phishing attempt and if the victim responds to the e-mail he will be requested to provide banking details,personal information and maybe copies of passport and driving license. This information is supposedly required as proof of identity, and if it is given, the scammers will at least have stolen his identity. Thereafter the scammers will usually ask for some advance fees to cover administrative costs, legal or delivery expenses.If the victim pays he may be requested to pay some more to cover 'unexpected expenses' and so on till he realizes he has been tricked. These days scammers are even sending fake cheques to cover the initial expenses.Thanks to technology these cheques look quite genuine. Victims deposit it in their bank accounts and the banks usually credit it to their accounts in a few days as per rules, pending verification.The victims gladly send this money to the scammers. Later on when the banks find out that the cheques are fake they realize the money from the victim.

In a drive against scammers the Postal Inspection Service, along with law enforcement agencies abroad, has seized more than half a million fake cheques, with a face value of over $2 billion and made several arrests in the Netherlands, Nigeria and Canada. The Postal Inspectors have formed a group called the Alliance for Consumer Fraud Awareness. Their anti-fraud campaign includes a website,Fakechecks.org Hopefully it won't be long before protection from such scams becomes available.

Will Putin Be Next Russian Prime Minister?

2007-10-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

Vladimir Putin had signaled that he would abide by the Russian Constitution and not seek a third term in office after he retires next spring.He would be eligible to seek re-election only in 2012.The West had all along felt that a person as popular and powerful in his country as Putin would be unlikely to give up total control and that he would most likely continue to exert influence from behind the scenes.This analysis seemed to be confirmed when Putin appointed Viktor Zubkov, the head of the country's financial monitoring system as Prime Minister. It was widely believed that Sergei Ivanov an ex KGB man himself, like Putin, was being groomed for President. But today Putin has dropped a bombshell that has confounded all experts and caused unease in the West.

Putin has gone on to announce that he is not averse to the idea of becoming PM of Russia once again(he had earlier served as PM under Boris Yeltsin in 1999). The problem that Putin might be unwilling to take up the less important post of PM is easily set right. It will not be too difficult for Putin to transfer some of the powers of the President to the office of the PM. Mr. Zubkov could then be backed to become President. A loyalist like Mr.Zubkov is not expected to object to this arrangement. However many still believe that Mr.Zubkov has been chosen to ensure a smooth transition between Mr. Putin and his successor. Mr. Zubkov, although unknown to the public at large is an influential person in the Kremlin and is considered to be a compromise figure who is capable of holding together different factions in the Kremlin.

Putin is hugely popular in Russia. He is perceived as a strong President who has brought stability and relative prosperity to the country. In this he has been helped in large measure by booming prices and production of gas and oil. Putin has also started following a more aggressive foreign and defense policy, restarting long range bomber patrols and upgrading Russia's missile systems. There is no doubt that whomsoever Putin supports for presidentship will win the election.

Russian stocks that trade in London were buoyed by this announcement as it would mean a continuation of present policies and reform programs.

Whoever may be the next Russian President, events have clearly shown that Putin remains in total control of Russian politics.

James Bond To Drive A Bentley Again

2007-09-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

Ian Fleming introduced James Bond and his Bentley to the world in 1953 with the publication of his first novel 'Casino Royale.'In the films Bond drives various vehicles equipped with what were at that time considered to be sci-fi gadgets.As against the films James Bond's official car in all the novels is a gray 1933 Bentley convertible.

Ian Fleming wrote fourteen James Bond novels.The fifteenth in the series 'Devil May Care' is written by Sebastian Faulks and is due for release on 28th May 2008 to commemorate Ian Fleming's birth centenary.

The book had been announced by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd. in July 2006.The author and the title were revealed in July 2007.Fleming's last Bond book 'Octopussy and the Living Daylights' was published way back in 1966.Forty two years later another Bond book is due to hit bookstores worldwide.It has all the Bond ingredients.It is set in the Cold War and the action happens in beautiful locations across two continents and some of the world's most happening cities.The book has been written in just six weeks.

The Fleming family were delighted with the typescript.Barbara Broccoli ,the daughter of the producer of Bond movies said that if she had been told that an old manuscript of Ian's had been found in the basement, she would have believed it.

In 'Devil May Care', James Bond,perhaps the most popular secret agent of all times goes back to driving a Bentley.Fans of Bond will remember that bond changed cars in 'Goldfinger' where he was seen driving a silver gray Aston Martin DB5 on 'M's' orders.This car has been the most famous of all the cars driven by Bond.

Sebastian Faulks the author of the new book says that he will be taking the debonair secret agent back to his motoring roots.' Despite many of the films portraying him with an Aston Martin, Bond's first choice of cars was a Bentley, so that is what he will be driving in my book,' he said.

Hydrogen Cars - The Only Option

2007-09-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

A couple of news headlines in the last few days have once again brought into focus two of the most pressing problems facing every nation on this earth today.They are the price of crude oil touching $84 a barrel and that the arctic ice is vanishing at an alarming rate.The former threatens to derail economic growth worldwide and the latter is a warning that we are on the brink of an environmental catastrophe with yet unforeseen consequences.This is exactly why hydrogen powered vehicles become so important.

Most people think that US automakers have surrendered technological leadership to their Japanese rivals for good.If one were to consider sales of conventional vehicles and the latest hybrids then nobody would have a choice but to agree.But fortunately things are not so bleak for the US auto industry as they may appear at first sight.

People tend to overlook the fact that one of the major reasons why US automakers have lagged behind in the development of hybrid technology is that they have concentrated on developing electric and hydrogen powered vehicles.

So how do hydrogen powered vehicles work?They work in two different ways.The first is that hydrogen is burnt in internal combustion engines in the same way as in conventional autos.The second is to use hydrogen to power fuel cells.Here hydrogen is reacted with oxygen to produce electricity which is used to power an electric motor through a battery.

Hydrogen can be produced from a multiplicity of sources such as natural gas ,converting coal into gas,biomass and other waste products apart from water.It is estimated that supplies of hydrogen are unlimited.

Presently there are about 200 hydrogen powered vehicles on the road in the US mainly in California.Companies have started offering hydrogen powered cars to customers but there are a couple of problems.For one the cost of the vehicle is very high and secondly the fuel is not easily available.However it is expected that mass production will lead to significant reduction in costs.

Although hybrid cars cut down emissions significantly, only hydrogen cars offer zero emission, the only emission being water vapor.Moreover these cars will drastically reduce the nation's dependence on imported oil.The US government is actively supporting this initiative and President Bush has allocated almost $2 billion to this program.Since one fifth of the nation's cars are sold in California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is trying hard to put in place an infrastructure which would ensure easy availability of hydrogen.Once costs come down and fuel is easily available there is no reason why hydrogen cars will not replace gasoline cars very quickly because performance wise hydrogen cars are a match for their gasoline counterparts.Moreover they are more efficient and give two to three times the mileage of gasoline vehicles per equivalent measure of hydrogen.

Hopefully it won't be very long before hydrogen vehicles are a common sight on the highway.

Mummy Of Sacrificed Girl Goes On Display

2007-09-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever museum goers in Salta, Argentina, got to see 'la Donacella' or 'The Maiden,' the mummified remains of a 15 year old girl which were found in 1999 on Lullailaco volcano along with a 6 year old girl and a 7 year old boy.

The children of Lullailaco are supposed to have been sacrificed about 500 years ago in a ceremony to mark the annual corn harvest.Dressed in fancy clothes and given coca leaves to chew as well as corn alcohol which put them to sleep they were left to die on the hilltop as human sacrifices.

Inca mummies consist of two main types.The mummies of the rulers and the mummies of the sacrificed ones.Most of the mummies of the rulers were kept in the city of Cuzco. None of them have been found as they were destroyed during the Spanish conquest of Peru. Most of the mummies of the rulers were destroyed by Pizarro who was a devout Catholic and was greatly disturbed by the Inca's worship of their dead ancestors. He therefore gave the order to burn the mummies after conquering the Incas. On the other hand mummies of sacrificed children have been found in excellent condition as they were mummified and preserved by the freezing temperature and the dry mountain air.

"Land of the Four Quarters" or Tahuantinsuya is the name the Incas gave their empire. It stretched 2500 miles from North to South along the high Andean mountain range from Colombia to Chile and stretched West to East from the coastal Atacama desert to the Amazon rain forest. At its peak the Incan Empire was the largest nation on Earth and remains the largest native state to have existed in the Western Hemisphere. The wealth and sophistication of the Incas has lured countless anthropologists and archaeologists to the Andean mountains to study the Incas.

A mummy is nothing but an old dead body but it still retains some of the soft tissues it had when it was alive, usually skin but sometimes organs and muscles as well. Mummies are formed when bacteria are prevented from destroying the dead body. Sub-zero temperatures, coupled with a low oxygen environment therefore produced excellent mummies, like the present one.

Very little is known about Capacocha, the sacred Inca ceremony of human sacrifices, but with the discovery of each new mummy more is revealed.

Sacrifices were often made during or after a portentous event such as an earthquake, an epidemic, or drought or after the death of an Inca Emperor. Inca sacrifices often involved the child of a chief. The sacrificed child was thought of as a deity, ensuring a tie between the chief and the Inca Emperor who was considered a descendant of the Sun God.

On the day of the sacrifice the child would be fed Chicha, a maize alcohol to ease its suffering. Investigations have shown that many of the children had died a violent death. Most of the mummies have been found with fractured skulls.

The Inca Empire along with its barbaric rituals and practices was destroyed by the Spanish conqueror Pizarro in the sixteenth century.

Polygamist Leader's Trial Opens In Rape Case

2007-09-14T04:23:00.000-07:00

The trial opened Thursday, of Warren Jeffs, the polygamist sect leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS). He is charged with forcing a 14 year old girl into marrying an older cousin in 2001.The woman has stated that she was only acting to preserve her eternal salvation and that Jeff had told her to submit to her husband 'mind,body and soul.' Jeffs is on trial for rape as an accomplice for using his Church authority to force the marriage.Originally part of the Mormon church the FLDS broke away from it almost a century ago. Memmbers of the FLDS believe polygamy brings exaltation in heaven.However the practice is banned in the Utah Constitution and is a felony offense.Jeffs has led the FLDS Church since 2002.He is reputed to rule with an iron hand and demands total obedience from his followers.Arrested after nearly two years on the run,Jeffs could spend the rest of his life in prison if found guilty.

Jeffs took over leadership of the FLDS upon the death of his father.His father died at the age of 92 leaving behind an estimated 75 widows and 65 children.His followers believe that God speaks directly to Warren Jeffs to reveal His will.Through the prophet God directs which male members are worthy of entry into heaven. Females can only be invited into heaven by satisfied husbands. Only Jeffs can perform marriages, and it is through him that wives are assigned to their husbands.Pleasing the prophet can result in loyal members being rewarded with one or more wives.In order to reach the highest degree of glory in heaven, a man must have at least three wives.The prophet derives his power from his ability to punish followers by reassigning his wives, his children and homes to another man.Jeffs is supposed to have more than 50 wives and controls a trust worth more than $100 million.

An estimated 20,000 to 50,000 people in the US are estimated to practice polygamy.But since such groups are highly secretive the exact number is not known.

One of the reasons why Jeffs' trial is attracting so much attention is that the outcome could affect the Republican Presidential candidate Matt Romney.Romney's Mormon beliefs could reflect upon him in a negative way.The focus of public attention is bound to be the questionable moral practices of the FLDS and they are likely to be equated with Mormons.This raises the question whether we should hold people guilty by association.The sad truth is that when such an incident happens people risk being labeled and are no longer viewed objectively.

Will Our Rock Stars Die Young

2007-09-04T03:23:00.000-07:00

It is now official.Rock stars do face the risk of premature death A Liverpool John Moores study of the lives of 1064 famous rock stars has concluded that they are twice as likely to die early than the rest of the population.The average age at death was found to be 42 for US stars and only 35 for European stars.The leading causes of death have been identified as drug overdose, alcohol abuse, suicide, accidents, miscellaneous medical problems.More than a quarter of the deaths are blamed on drugs and alcohol abuse alone.

The criterion for 'fame' was having performed on any of the Virgin All Time Top 1000 Albums.So why this high likelihood of death from drugs and alcohol abuse?Factors such as stress,fall in popularity,easy availability of drugs contribute to drug and alcohol abuse.

The time when they ran the greatest risk of premature death was within the first five years of achieving success.They were three times more likely to die than members of the general population, matched for age, sex, nationality and ethnic background.The death rate is higher for male stars than female stars.

Strangely among British artists the risk remained high for the first twenty five years after the first success and then it declined to be almost normal.but in American artists the risks for aging rockers remained unchanged.The difference is perhaps due to a continued active stage life in the US,constant media attention,resultant stress and substance use.

What is worrisome is that given the huge influence the pop industry has on youngsters the rock stars may end up becoming marketeers of a drug lifestyle.Studies show that almost one in ten children between the ages of seven and sixteen dream of becoming a rock star when they grow up.Although fame and money protect the stars from many social consequences of such behavior,it doesn't protect people from long term health consequences.

It seems art can create, inspire and destroy all at the same time.Some of the all time greats who died this way are Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and the list goes on.

There are renewed calls for the music industry to take more seriously the damage done by substance abuse and risk taking behavior.Changing music's booze and drug culture may seem difficult at first, but there are signs that it is happening.When the team compared the mortality rate before and after 1980 they found a big drop.In recent years only 1.5% of the stars died within five years of their first hit.Before 1980 this rate was twice this figure.

It is very important that things change.These people hold a special position to potentially influence the behavior of millions of young people who look up to them.

Homeowners Insurance-Lessons of Katrina

2007-09-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

As the second anniversary of Katrina approaches one is struck by the slow pace of the recovery of New Orleans.One of the important reasons is the attitude of the insurance companies.They are simply refusing to pay up!People who thought they were adequately covered by their homeowners' policy and Federal flood insurance have got the shock of their lives.Insurance companies have gone back on promises, offered very low settlements,withheld payments,and are trying to pick holes in the claims lodged by people.They are claiming that most of the damage was caused by flooding and not by the hurricane winds,because damage due to flooding is not covered.People complain that insurance companies are also understating the cost of repairs.The result is that thousands of lawsuits have been filed in various courts.

So what is happening in the insurance industry these days.People complain that these companies are now returning less and less of the money they collect by way of premiums while settling claims.While home insurance is becoming a scarce and expensive commodity the companies are making bumper profits.This also affects the pace of recovery as the poorer folks simply can't afford to pay the annual premiums any more.Some people also face cancellation of existing policies.Some people have simply moved out because they can't afford to stay on in New Orleans any more.

In November last year a US district judge sided with policy holders arguing that the language excluding water damage from some of the insurance policies was ambiguous, as it did not distinguish between floods caused by an act of God such as excessive rainfall and floods caused by an act of man, which would include levee breaches which eventually destroyed New Orleans.

However a few days back a Circuit Court of appeals ruled in favor of the insurance companies.The court concluded that regardless of what caused the floods the policies clearly excluded water damage caused by floods.The policy holders are in no mood to give up however and are preparing to appeal.Clearly the last word has not been said in the matter.

So why is it that things are not clear even though insurance as an industry is fairly old and one would have expected such issues to have been settled by now.One of the reasons is that insurance contracts are complex in nature.Individual policy holders seldom bargain over the terms of the contracts. Clauses have multiple meanings.You may find later that there are substantial exclusions also.As a general rule it is expected that courts will will decide ambiguity in favor of the policy holder.Again the courts should ensure that their reasonable expectations are met.Are companies taking advantage of homeowners' ignorance?Hopefully this question will be answered soon.

A lot will depend on the interpretation of the doctrine of 'proximate cause.' Sometimes included and excluded causes act in tandem.So while you may be covered against hurricane damage you may not be covered against floods. But what if the floods are caused by the hurricane.Then what if a home is so completely destroyed that you cannot determine if it was destroyed by the hurricane or by floods.The jurors clearly have a tough one on their hands here.But it is clear that the final verdict will determine the future course of the insurance business in the country.

So what does one do in the meantime?Make photos or videos of all your important possessions and keep them in a safe place.These documents will help you file a full flood insurance claim.Store important documents and irreplaceable personal objects ,such as photographs in a safe place where they won't get damaged.For additional information discuss what you want with your agent beforehand.The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has information available on rates charged by insurers and also the frequency of consumer complaints company wise.Take out a policy with a financially sound company.They are more likely to settle quickly.Remember that floods and earthquakes are not covered by a standard homeowners policy.

Till the final verdict is out one will just have to wait and watch.

Can The USA Do Without Coal Mining?

2007-08-28T04:24:00.000-07:00

The recent events at Utah have once again turned attention towards the coal industry.Several people feel that we should reduce and eventually stop using this dirty fuel which is responsible for various diseases and is risky to produce as well.The question which begs an answer is whether the USA can ignore coal as a fuel.We need to consider various aspects of the question before attempting an answer.

Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in the US.In fact it has the world's largest known coal reserves.The total demonstrated reserves are a staggering 492 billion tons of which the recoverable reserves are about267 billion tons.The bulk of these reserves about, 286 billion tons, are situated in only three states,namely Montana,Illinois and Wyoming.

In 2006 the US consumed 1.1 billion tons of coal!About 91% of this was used to generate electricity.The US generates almost 50% of its electricity from coal.At present rates of consumption and assuming that no improvements in efficiency are achieved over time the reserves will last almost 250 years.The increase in oil prices and the continuing crisis in the Middle East has once again drawn attention to coal as an alternative source of energy,more so because technology is now available to convert coal into diesel.With cleaner and quieter diesel engines having been developed it may not be long before autos are powered with fuel made from coal.Of course favorable government policies would be needed.

But there's a flip side to all this. Once coal mining is developed further it won't be long before the coal near the surface is gone.Getting at deeper deposits is both risky and expensive.Presently about two thirds of the coal is produced in surface mining.This is cheaper and considerably less risky to produce.The environmental damage too could be partly repaired by replacing the topsoil and by large scale re-forestation.Even then the environmental damage is huge.Entire mountains,streams and forests have simply disappeared or lie buried under millions of tons of rubble.

The resultant hue and cry raised by environmental groups has had an effect.In West Virginia a lawsuit was brought by an environmental group in Federal court involving mountaintop removal and valley fills.The judge in the case banned valley fills in the buffer zones around streams in 1999 thereby stopping the start of several new mines.

Over the years our power plants have become more efficient.Emissions of pollutants have gone down although power generation has increased.Nevertheless pollution caused by coal fired plants is significant and is a major cause of acid rain,smog, respiratory and other diseases.

The most harmful effect of using coal is the production of greenhouse gases.The emissions of such gases particularly Carbon Dioxide remain almost unchanged and are likely to remain so.Technology is being developed to trap and collect this carbon dioxide.But it will take time and will be expensive.It is heartening that this problem is being appreciated and there is a move not to allow new coal based plants to come up unless they trap and store the Carbon Dioxide that they produce.A lot of effort and money is being put into developing cleaner technologies.In a world concerned with global warming the economic opportunities offered are very large.

So it would seem that for the present there is no viable alternative to coal.We can only hope to learn from our past mistakes and try to avoid them in future.

Freedom of Speech in China and the Bejing Olympics

2007-08-27T05:34:00.000-07:00

Roger L. Simon writes at Pajamas Media that he will not blog about the Olympic Games in Bejing (summer of 2008). The reason, of course, is that China’s government is not exactly one of the most tolerant open governments in the world. The Communist Party oppresses its people, torture is still practiced, freedom of speech does is virtually non-existent, etc.

Roger rightfully criticized American companies like Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft in the past, for working with the Chinese government to identify dissenters. One of the cases has resulted in a 10 prison-sentence for a Chinese journalist who dared criticize his own government on the web. The latest developments are that it is impossible for bloggers to blog anonymously. They have to identify themselves. The result is, obviously, that either Chinese bloggers will be very careful with what they write, or that they will be arrested at the moment they criticize their own government.

Roger explains that, in this case too, Yahoo and Microsoft assist the Chinese government. What matters to these companies is money. The almighty Dollar is all that counts. He writes:

Perhaps you do not agree with me that it is for us to judge American corporations that are beholding to their stockholders to achieve maximum profit. I would point out, however, that these two companies are Internet giants that control the free flow of ideas in a manner undreamed of in history. Moreover, in this instance, they are abetting the control of that flow in the most populous country on Earth, one that is already the second greatest Internet user to the US and is growing as an economic and military power at a nearly unprecedented rate.

We ignore free expression in China at our peril. Besides the obvious rights and safety of the bloggers involved, a clamp down on information coming from the People’s Republic could affect areas as diverse as recent allegations of lead poisoning in children’s toys imported to us to the monitoring of our copyrights and patents, so often disregarded. As China continues to grow, so much will be at stake in commerce and international relations, it’s almost beyond comprehension.

I agree with Roger: as always, an action will cause a reaction. Letting the Chinese government oppress its people will come back to the US to bite it (in the butt). Not only financially, but also regarding its image abroad: when foreigners hear Americans speak about the need for Democracy, freedom, etc., they cannot help but laugh out loud. They will remind Americans of what is happening in China and with whose help. It is - in other words - a good way to make yourself look extremely hypocritical.

Now say that the Chinese will, in the long run, get rid of the Communist Party and turn their country into a Democracy. How do you think their attitude towards the US will be if American companies helped the Chinese government to oppress and even to arrest them?

So, Roger has decided not to write about the Olympics, “unless the subject at hand is censorship and repression in China.” The reason: although bloggers do not possess that much power, the Chinese government seemingly is afraid for us / negative attention and coverage. It does its very best to make itself look as good as possible. The OG are considered to be of great importance for China. “Fortunes are being spent to make Beijing ready. This is their moment to emerge as a global power on an equal footing, at least, with the West.”

In other words, “attacks now on their lack of freedom would be a great embarrassment to them.” So, “From this moment on, I will not write about the Beijing Olympics unless the subject at hand is censorship and repression in China. And – unless the Chinese government changes its policies – when the Olympics do come, I will not blog about them at all. I will take the opportunity to write as often as I can about the lack of Freedom of Speech on the Chinese Internet and on the suppression of bloggers and journalists in that country.”

I had to think about this for a short while - mostly because I am a sportsfan, and a big one at that - but I have decided to join Roger in his protest. I hope that many others join us as well. This is of the utmost importance. Perhaps it is not as effective as when the NYT and WaPo would do this, but I think that if hundreds of bloggers join this protest, we might make a difference. If we do not influence the policies of the Chinese government, we might at least let the Chinese people know that our thoughts are with them.

'Made in China'-Bad News for the USA

2007-08-26T05:50:00.001-07:00

The "Made in China" tag now adorns a very large part of the goods imported into the USA.Cheap goods of every kind had kept the American consumer very happy until now.Suddenly he is jolted with the revelation that the toys he buys for his kids have dangerously high levels of lead, the foodstuffs and toothpaste are contaminated,the chopsticks are unclean and recycled after use and even the clothes that he buys have traces of hazardous chemicals.

The harm being done to the US consumer does not end here.China has combined a ruthless totalitarian political system with modern capitalistic tools to create an economic powerhouse.It enjoyed a trade surplus of about $230 billion with the US in 2006.In the first six months of 2007 the surplus is $117 billion.It has built up about $1.3 trillion in foreign exchange reserves and has had the courage to threaten the US that it had better behave otherwise it will dump its huge holding of US treasuries causing the US dollar to crash.The financial consequences of such an action for the US economy could be similar to a nuclear attack on its major cities.

So why does the US put up with all this from China?This is because US policy makers are living in a fools paradise.They think that if they continue to engage China in this manner it would lead to economic and ultimately political reform in that country.It is this obsession with political reform that has proved to be the undoing of the US right across Asia from Vietnam to Iraq and now China.The US would do well to understand that it will not be able to bring democracy to China in a hundred years.After that who cares!

The present economic policies being followed vis-a-vis China may have benefited a few corporations but have clearly harmed the nation as a whole.Large scale shifting of jobs to a country where they are performed in 'slave labor' conditions has caused a loss of US credibility as well.There is no longer any talk of Human Rights and so on.

China is now so confident that it thumbs its nose at the US when asked for simple economic reforms such as the revaluation of its currency, the yuan, which today is the most manipulated currency in the world.Although there have been four revaluations this year, they are nothing but minor adjustments and done only after China has ensured that they are not going to alter the situation on the ground.

In any case China enjoys such a huge cost advantage versus the US that even if it were to allow the yuan to rise considerably higher it would still be able to outsell any other country in the US.Then again the artificially sustained cost advantage ensures that China need not import any goods which it produces itself.It has built up huge production capacities to feed both the domestic and the export markets.It only needs to import essential raw materials and hi-tech items needed to improve quality and also to enhance the capabilities of its armed forces.

So it is time the US policy makers sat back and analyzed the benefits if any of its present policies."Made in China" may not be good news to the US for more reasons than one.

Save On Power Bills Using Wind Energy!

2007-08-24T10:11:00.000-07:00

The fastest growing source of energy today is Wind Power. It is plentiful, renewable , widely distributed, clean and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The intermittency of wind seldom creates problems.

At the end of 2006 worldwide capacity was about 75,000 megawatts. Denmark produces about 20% of its electricity using wind power!

Wind power is produced through wind turbines. Large wind farms are set up to feed national electric grids. Small turbines can be used to power homes, especially in remote areas.

So how do residential wind turbines work? They are installed on tall towers and convert wind power into electricity which is compatible with the homes' electrical system. It is used alongside power from a local utility. When the wind speed is below 10mph all the electricity is purchased from the utility. As wind speed increases generation increases and use of power from the utility is reduced. At top speed you may produce a surplus which can be sold to the utility. Modern systems do not require batteries.

Wind turbines can lower your electric bills by as much as 50-90%. In the long run your savings will depend upon the initial cost and the amount of electricity you use. The wind speed in your area is the most important factor.

Taking the average consumption of about 780 kwh per household per month a wind turbine of around 15 kilowatts should suffice.

A wind turbine is a large device and works best on a property size of about 1 acre. The average wind speed in the area should also exceed 10 mph. The majority of the units in the USA are installed in the Northeast and the Midwest. A typical wind turbine is not noisy enough to disturb people.

Federal regulations require utilities to connect with small wind energy systems. No expenses are needed in the wiring of the house. The utility will install a separate meter to calculate purchase of power from you.

A typical tower is at least 80 feet high. Several types of towers are available. It is best to buy one which is easy to maintain.

Small turbines are available for as little as $6,000. They require little regular maintenance, last about 20 years and are completely automatic.

Investment is recovered in about 10 years and thereafter power is free. Dealers will install the system for you. However large savings can be made by installing it yourself.

The industry is set to install a whopping 3,000 MW of capacity in the US in 2007 with almost two-thirds of it in Texas.

Wind power is increasingly being considered as an essential part of the solution to global warming.

China Challenging US Armed Forces?

2007-08-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

In November 2006, a Chinese submarine stalked the US aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk off the Japanese coast. Fortunately things did not get out of hand.

This incident has prompted fears in the US that one day China may pose a threat to the US with a naval armed race in the Pacific.

In the past, Chinese military strategy relied on its two major assets. A large territory which allowed them to retreat thereby over stretching the invading forces, and very large land based armies, which could then overwhelm the enemy with sheer numbers.

However the recent demonstration of US hi-tech warfare in Iraq has brought about a rethink in military strategy the world over. The speed of the American advance, combining land, air and naval forces has thrust modernization of the armed forces to the forefront in every nation with powerful armed forces.

Nowhere is this new military thinking more relevant than to China because a rapid enemy advance would wipe out any advantage of size.

The Chinese have clearly gone on the offensive. The launching of an anti-satellite missile is part of the process. The US naturally perceives this as a threat to its satellites on which it is dependent for communication, navigation and aerial surveillance.

The Chinese defense budget has jumped to $45 billion from just $15 billion in 2000. The actual figure could be much higher. It is developing new submarines also. The US feels that its dominance in the Pacific since World War II is at risk.

Chinese experts are quick to point out that the country dependent on maritime trade has to have a strong navy to protect its trading interests. China is very vulnerable in the straits of Malacca. Most of China's imported oil passes through these waters linking the Indian and Pacific oceans. China feels that it needs a strong enough naval deterrence to prevent a blockade of these vital straits.

Although the Chinese insist that the buildup is for self defense, the fact remains that it won't be long before it is able to confront the United States in this region.

Is Religion Neccessary?

2007-08-18T05:19:00.000-07:00

Human beings need rules to organize themselves. Idealistic rules have been found to be the best because they do not preach oppression and take care of the poor and the weak. This is where religion comes in, as a system of practices and beliefs for the welfare of the people at large. It also seeks to provide answers and reasons for phenomena for which there is no rational explanation. Where reason ends, faith begins.

Religion as a way of life served mankind very well in the past. It was an important source of welfare activities like education, medical aid and charity for the needy.

But with the development of the modern state most of these welfare activities have been taken over by the state, and with the development of scientific thinking and consequent development in science and technology many of the religious beliefs are under attack. In modern democratic societies with high levels of education another trend has emerged and that is the splitting up of the old monolithic religious organizations into smaller groups or smaller churches . Now there is a choice available to people, so to speak.

Americans wisely rejected the concept of a government established religion which has divided many countries worldwide. Separation of the church and the state was ordained by the First Amendment to the US Constitution which provides that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...."

For these reasons America has been a fertile ground for new religions and has provided a safe haven to many sects from overseas. The Mormon and Christian Science Churches, The Amish to name a few. Hinduism and Islam are also growing religions. Religious prejudice is rare, and interfaith cooperation is commonplace.

The vast majority of the American population is religious and are regular visitors of their respective churches.

The benefits of a religious society are quite obvious. Studies have clearly brought out the inverse relationship between religiosity and say, delinquency and crime, although the complexity of the relationship between the two continues to be debated.

Americans strongly favor increased government aid to the poor. Americans also tend to favor the idea of faith based groups receiving government funding to render social services. This idea is however hotly debated as many are concerned about the influence of government on particular religious organizations as also the impact of these organizations on the people they are trying to help.

Religious motivation clearly generates models of service which are more personal and respectful than other models. President Bush has gone ahead and even established a federal office of faith based and community action. Religion is clearly necessary and is going to stay.

Cost of Fighting Terror

2007-08-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

Incidents like 9/11 happen rarely, but the after effects are felt for years to come. Apart from the colossal loss of life and the emotional tragedy that followed is the immense financial burden that it has placed on the system.

Local communities are the worst hit. They are having to spend huge amounts of money on things like improved computer systems, communication equipment and things like latest bomb disposal equipment, protective gear against chemical warfare and various monitoring systems. In most cases the initial purchase of equipment has been financed by federal grants but maintaining these systems requires more money than the local councils can afford. It is feared that with the passage of time grants from the Department of Homeland Security are likely to get scarcer. Since 2003 the department has already distributed about $23 billion to local governments for equipment and training to fight terrorism.

Even if the money continues to flow, critics argue that the long term impact of the buildup in defense and security spending is huge. The danger is that it will drain the economy, hold down private investment and consumer spending and force radical choices that may destabilize domestic political peace.

On the other hand supporters of the program point out that defense spending was only 3.3% of GDP in 2006 which is well below 1980's average of 5.8% and also less than the 4.1% average of the 1990's. It is argued that advances in technology will help keep costs within manageable limits.

But governments, the world over have always underestimated the cost of fighting wars, because it is always easier to get into one than to get out, and by the time you total up the final bill it is way beyond estimates.

The fact remains that fancy technology needs expensive upgrades and costly training. Moreover one is never certain that he is spending enough on security. It may not be long before even nations are faced with the same financial difficulties which face local communities today in their fight against terror.

How Americans View Muslims Today?

2007-08-12T04:06:00.000-07:00

Muslims first came to the US sometime in the 18th century. Their population has increased steadily and according to the PEW Research Center it now stands at about 2.3 million. About a third of US Muslims are of African descent. They are not usually born muslims but converted to Islam.

What is disturbing is the growth in anti-Muslim feelings in the US. Recent surveys suggest that about 46% of the US population held a negative view of Muslims. This is a full 7% higher than the number of persons with similar views immediately after 9/11. So what is the reason for this increase? In part it is due to media reports and statements by leaders. It is also due to a heightened sense of insecurity and fears of a terrorist attack amongst the people at large.

The events of the past few years have had a profound effect on the psyche of the ordinary American. Although most people still feel that Islam is OK as a religion and it has only been hijacked by extremists, many now feel that the civil liberties of Muslims in the US need to be curtailed. They favor steps such as compulsory registration by Muslims and also racial profiling.

It is interesting to note as far back as in 1946, that is about 55 years before 9/11 the Military Intelligence Division of the US War Department identified Islam as a threat to World stability.

In order to counter this growing anti-Muslim feeling the Council on American-Islamic Relations is proposing to launch a massive media campaign.

It has been suggested that terrorist activities are a result of an ongoing struggle within Islam, between the Jihadis and the Moderate Muslims. But sadly there seems to be no way of clearly identifying the two.

For the time being the US is a nation at war. How long it will take for things to return to normal is unfortunately not possible to predict with any degree of certainty.

Accurate Climate Model Developed

2007-08-09T19:25:00.000-07:00

Researchers at the Hadley Center have developed a more accurate model to predict climate variations. Called the Decadal Climate Prediction System it offers predictions for the coming decade rather then a century ahead. This makes it a more relevant tool for policy planners.

The accuracy of this model is based on detailed observations and a better understanding of how the oceans influence the climate. This has been made possible by basically superior data collection through satellites.

The assessment of climate change remains the same, that is global warming will continue. Average temperatures will likely to be 0.3 C higher in 2014 then in 2004.

Most importantly much of this climate change can be tackled by changing human consumption patterns. Increased use of renewable energy, reducing fossil fuel consumption, increasing energy efficiency and reducing deforestation are meaningful steps.

What is interesting is that it is possible to check greenhouse emissions at a reasonable cost. But, governments will have to play a more important role in doing so. Affordable technology is available. What is needed are proper economic incentives and other policy incentives by various governments acting in concert rather than independently of each other.

Are minorities taking over the U.S

2007-08-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

Today one in three persons living in the US is a minority. That makes it a population of about one hundred million. California reported the highest minority of about 20.7 million or roughly 21% of the nation's total. Four states and the District of Columbia are 'majority- minority.'

The minority population is made up of both legal and illegal immigrants. Hispanics are the largest, about 42% of the minority group. Minorities typically have higher birth rates with the Hispanics alone accounting for almost half of the national population growth.

Most of the increase in the population of the minorities is fuelled by an immigration boom. Almost all the immigrants legal or illegal come to the US in search of jobs. The continuing economic boom and the exploding job market are sufficiently attractive to the immigrants. A porous border with Mexico and soft laws regarding illegal immigrants encourage such attempts.

However some counties are now in a mood to fight back. Local councils are persuading businesses to stop hiring illegal immigrants and are even trying to prevent landlords from renting apartments to them. English is also being declared the official language by some as it is felt that this would discourage non English speaking people from settling there.

All this is OK but given the fact that the nation is now well and truly addicted to cheap, non unionized labor, it will require a great effort to stop illegal migration to the US.

The Perfect Suntan - Why and How ?

2007-08-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

Sunbathing is an extremely pleasant and socially desirable pastime.It offers tremendous health benefits as the skin produces vitamin D in response to sun exposure.It is estimated that about 50,000 deaths occur every year in the US alone due to insufficient vitamin D.Sunbathing also strengthens the bones and is beneficial in some skin conditions.It also reduces the risk of some types of cancer.Although excessive exposure to sunlight can cause skin cancer the balance is clearly in favor of reasonable exposure to sunlight.

The modern craze for the perfect suntan can be traced to two French celebrities, designer Coco Chanel and singer Josephine Baker who turned it into a fashion statement in the 1920's.This doesn't mean that you go out and fry yourself on the beach but being exposed to the sun for some time a few times a week has positive benefits.A two week vacation in the Mediterranean gives you as much sunlight as an entire year in the UK.Doctors are increasingly excited by the new evidence in the sun's favor.

So how does one go about getting a great tan. Its easy. A beach holiday is no longer that expensive. There are a large number of time share options available which make a beach house very affordable.If you live in the suburbs you can lounge around in your lawn or your backyard.If you live in the city it is slightly more difficult to get a natural tan, although there are a large number of artificial methods available.If you have a good roof make full use of it.This last option seems to be losing popularity after 9/11 and because high real estate prices have made free access to the roof in high rise buildings difficult due to objections from unsporting landlords.

Anyway it is now well established that being out in the sun makes you both look as well as feel great.If you take a bit of care you can just go out and have fun in the sun.