Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
FOREX-Dollar rebounds from four-month low; yen gains
NEW YORK, May 11 (Reuters) - The dollar rose on Monday, rebounding from a four-month low as investors booked profits on a rally in riskier assets last week while persistent economic worries boosted the greenback's safe-haven appeal.
The yen posted broad gains as European shares fell and U.S. stock futures pointed to a lower open. The U.S. and Japanese currencies often gain when risk aversion rises as they are perceived as safer places to park money in times of stress.
Hopes that the worst of the economic slump and financial crisis is over pushed the dollar to multi-month lows earlier in the global session. But with the economic outlook still far from certain, investors were reluctant to push riskier assets even higher, analysts said.
The yen posted broad gains as European shares fell and U.S. stock futures pointed to a lower open. The U.S. and Japanese currencies often gain when risk aversion rises as they are perceived as safer places to park money in times of stress.
Hopes that the worst of the economic slump and financial crisis is over pushed the dollar to multi-month lows earlier in the global session. But with the economic outlook still far from certain, investors were reluctant to push riskier assets even higher, analysts said.
posted date
11-05-09
Sunday, May 10, 2009
MOTHER TERESA
Born August 26, 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia. Youngest of 2 sisters, 1 brother. Father: wealthy businessman. Raised Catholic. Well schooled. Childhood distinctions: pious, bookish. Never married. 1919 father Nikolai died, possibly murdered. 1922 active in church, first considered life as nun. 1925 read of Jesuit work in India. 1928 screened by Loreto teaching nuns in Ireland. 1929 arrived India. 1931 first vows, took name 'Teresa', began teaching girls at St. Mary's school in Calcutta. 1937 final vows, became Mother Superior of school. 1946 murderous riots in India, heard God 'call' her to help the poor. 1948 left cloister to work slums. 1949 became citizen of India. 1950 Vatican approved Missionaries of Charity order for Calcutta diocese. 1952 opened 'House of the Dying'. 1953 moved order into Motherhouse on Lower Circular Road. 1955 opened Children's Home. 1957 began mobile 'leprosariums'. 1960 order allowed to serve all of India, met Pope John XXIII in Rome. 1961 bought land for leper town. 1963 Missionary Brothers of Charity began. 1965 Vatican approved order for other countries, first house in Colombia. 1969 work filmed by Malcolm Muggeridge. 1970 Something Beautiful for God published by Muggeridge. 1973 Templeton Award. 1979 Nobel Prize for Peace. 1983 first of many health setbacks. 1996 relieved as Mother Superior. Died September 5, 1997.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Gov't sticks with Bush-era polar bear rule
WASHINGTON – The Obama administration on Friday let stand a Bush-era regulation that limits protection of the polar bear from global warming, saying that a law protecting endangered species shouldn't be used to take on the broader issue of climate change.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said that he will not rescind the Bush rule, although Congress gave him authority to do so. The bear was declared threatened under the Endangered Species Act a little over a year ago, because global warming is harming its habitat.
Salazar said rescinding the Bush rule "would provide no more protection for the polar bear and result in uncertainty and confusion about the management of the species."
The iconic bear was declared a threatened species because global warming is causing a severe decline in Arctic sea ice. But the Bush administration rules limit that protection, saying no action outside the Arctic region could be considered a threat to the bear under the law.
Environmentalists have strongly opposed the rule as have many members of Congress. They argued the limits violate the Endangered Species Act because the release of greenhouse gases from power plants, factories and cars indirectly threaten the bear's survival.
But Salazar said the answer to dealing with global warming rests in a broader, comprehensive approach that limits greenhouse gases.
"The Endangered Species Act is not the appropriate tool for us to deal with what is a global issue, and that is the issue of global warming," said Salazar in a conference call with reporters.
In March, federal lawmakers authorized Salazar to scrap the Bush regulation without going through a long regulatory process. The deadline for such action was Saturday, 60 days after Congress acted.
When the Bush administration in March 2008 declared the bear a threatened species, the declaration came with a "special rule" that said no action outside the polar bear's Arctic habitat — such as carbon dioxide emissions from power plants thousands of miles away — could be viewed as detrimental to the bear's survival.
Business groups and their supporters in Congress have argued strongly that the Endangered Species Act is the improper vehicle for addressing climate change and that there are other ways to deal with the global environmental issue.
Congress is trying to craft broad legislation that would limit greenhouse gases and, separately, the Environmental Protection Agency has begun a lengthy regulatory process that could lead to heat-trapping emissions being controlled under the federal Clean Air Act. Last month, the EPA declared carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels and other greenhouse gases a danger to public health.
When the polar bear was declared threatened in 2008, environmentalists hoped they could use the endangered species law to force broader nationwide limits on greenhouse gases.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said that he will not rescind the Bush rule, although Congress gave him authority to do so. The bear was declared threatened under the Endangered Species Act a little over a year ago, because global warming is harming its habitat.
Salazar said rescinding the Bush rule "would provide no more protection for the polar bear and result in uncertainty and confusion about the management of the species."
The iconic bear was declared a threatened species because global warming is causing a severe decline in Arctic sea ice. But the Bush administration rules limit that protection, saying no action outside the Arctic region could be considered a threat to the bear under the law.
Environmentalists have strongly opposed the rule as have many members of Congress. They argued the limits violate the Endangered Species Act because the release of greenhouse gases from power plants, factories and cars indirectly threaten the bear's survival.
But Salazar said the answer to dealing with global warming rests in a broader, comprehensive approach that limits greenhouse gases.
"The Endangered Species Act is not the appropriate tool for us to deal with what is a global issue, and that is the issue of global warming," said Salazar in a conference call with reporters.
In March, federal lawmakers authorized Salazar to scrap the Bush regulation without going through a long regulatory process. The deadline for such action was Saturday, 60 days after Congress acted.
When the Bush administration in March 2008 declared the bear a threatened species, the declaration came with a "special rule" that said no action outside the polar bear's Arctic habitat — such as carbon dioxide emissions from power plants thousands of miles away — could be viewed as detrimental to the bear's survival.
Business groups and their supporters in Congress have argued strongly that the Endangered Species Act is the improper vehicle for addressing climate change and that there are other ways to deal with the global environmental issue.
Congress is trying to craft broad legislation that would limit greenhouse gases and, separately, the Environmental Protection Agency has begun a lengthy regulatory process that could lead to heat-trapping emissions being controlled under the federal Clean Air Act. Last month, the EPA declared carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels and other greenhouse gases a danger to public health.
When the polar bear was declared threatened in 2008, environmentalists hoped they could use the endangered species law to force broader nationwide limits on greenhouse gases.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Studies say 'hobbit' previously unknown species
PARIS (AFP) – The tiny ancient humans dubbed hobbits, whose remains were discovered on an Indonesian island in 2003, were a previously unknown species altogether, according to two new studies.
Debate has raged in the scientific community since the fossils were found on the island of Flores, with some experts insisting they were descended from Homo erectus and others saying evolution could not account for their small brains.
About a metre (three feet) tall and weighing 30 kilos (65 pounds), the tiny, tool-making hunters may have roamed the remote island as recently as 8,000 years ago. Their fossils are about 18,000 years old.
Many scientists have said Homo floresiensis, as the creature is now formally known, was a prehistoric human stunted by natural selection over millennia through a process called insular dwarfing.
Others countered that even this evolutionary shrinking, well documented in island-bound animals, could not account for the chimpanzee-sized brain -- just a third the size of that in a modern human being.
Debate has raged in the scientific community since the fossils were found on the island of Flores, with some experts insisting they were descended from Homo erectus and others saying evolution could not account for their small brains.
About a metre (three feet) tall and weighing 30 kilos (65 pounds), the tiny, tool-making hunters may have roamed the remote island as recently as 8,000 years ago. Their fossils are about 18,000 years old.
Many scientists have said Homo floresiensis, as the creature is now formally known, was a prehistoric human stunted by natural selection over millennia through a process called insular dwarfing.
Others countered that even this evolutionary shrinking, well documented in island-bound animals, could not account for the chimpanzee-sized brain -- just a third the size of that in a modern human being.
Traders cash in winnings after week's rally
NEW YORK – Investors heard some more good news about the economy Thursday but locked in profits anyway following huge gains earlier in the week.
Upbeat reports on the job market and retail sales initially sent stocks higher but the gains eroded by mid-morning as traders asked "What's next?" and trimmed their holdings following the 4.8 percent gain so far this week in the Standard & Poor's 500 index.
"This is a market that is starting to bake in a lot of positive surprises," said Craig Peckham, a market strategist at Jefferies & Co.
The selling comes ahead of the formal release of results from the government's "stress tests" of bank balance sheets after the closing bell. News reports have already given investors a decent idea of what to expect so analysts aren't predicting big surprises.
A massive two-month rally has left the S&P 500 index in the black for the year and up more than 30 percent from 12-year lows reached in early March. Analysts said it wasn't surprising that the market would take a break after such big gains.
Technology shares posted the biggest losses Thursday after security software maker Symantec Corp. posted weaker-than-expected results. Retailers were mixed even after many of them, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., reported better-than-expected April sales.
"The fact that we're seeing the retailers sell off on these positive surprises suggests the bar has been raised on what companies need to do to take stocks higher," Peckham said.
In midday trading, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 62.04, or 0.7 percent, to 8,450.24 a day after the blue chips jumped 102 points to close above the 8,500 level for the first time in four months. The index is down only 3 percent for the year.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 5.46, or 0.6 percent, to 914.07, and the Nasdaq composite index fell 30.16, or 1.7 percent, to 1,728.94.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, addressing a Fed conference, called for a holistic approach to strengthening oversight of the banking system to prevent future financial crises. He said regulators must sharpen their assessments of individuals banks and examine the financial system as a whole to detect risks that could endanger the normal flow of credit, market operations and commerce.
In economic news, the Labor Department's tally of new jobless claims fell to 601,000 from 631,000 the previous week, coming in well below the 635,000 economists had been expecting. However the number of unemployed workers getting benefits climbed to a new record.
There were also reports showing that productivity rebounded slightly in the first quarter while wage pressures eased.
Wal-Mart said sales of Easter merchandise and higher traffic helped its sales jump 5 percent, much more than the 2.9 percent rise analysts had forecast. Wal-Mart rose 32 cents to $49.83.
The well-being of retailers is key to the economy because consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity.
Symantec reported a loss for its fiscal 2009 fourth quarter, hurt by a hefty goodwill impairment charge and lower-than-expected revenue. The stock fell $2.48, or 14.1 percent, to $15.11.
Financial stocks rose ahead of the government report cards on banks. The tests, designed to determine which banks would need a stronger capital base if the economy weakens, are at the crux of the Obama administration's plan to fortify the financial system. The market rallied this week ahead of the results, despite some initial concerns that the tests would show more pain in the industry.
Citigroup Inc. rose 5 cents to $3.91, while Bank of America Corp. rose $1.43, or 11.3 percent, to $14.12. Both banks are among those told by regulators they will need to raise more money. Regions Financial Corp. will also need to raise more money, according to people briefed on the results, as will Wells Fargo & Co. Regions Financial fell 3 cents to $5.80, while Wells Fargo fell $1.52, or 5.7 percent, to $25.32.
Bond prices dropped as demand for government debt waned. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note jumped to 3.25 percent from 3.16 percent late Wednesday.
The dollar rose against the euro and the British pound after the European Central Bank cut its key interest rate a quarter point to 1 percent. Gold prices rose.
Light, sweet crude rose $1.36 to $57.70 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average jumped 4.6 percent. In afternoon trading, Britain's FTSE 100 rose less than 0.1 percent, Germany's DAX index fell 1.6 percent, and France's CAC-40 fell 1 percent
Upbeat reports on the job market and retail sales initially sent stocks higher but the gains eroded by mid-morning as traders asked "What's next?" and trimmed their holdings following the 4.8 percent gain so far this week in the Standard & Poor's 500 index.
"This is a market that is starting to bake in a lot of positive surprises," said Craig Peckham, a market strategist at Jefferies & Co.
The selling comes ahead of the formal release of results from the government's "stress tests" of bank balance sheets after the closing bell. News reports have already given investors a decent idea of what to expect so analysts aren't predicting big surprises.
A massive two-month rally has left the S&P 500 index in the black for the year and up more than 30 percent from 12-year lows reached in early March. Analysts said it wasn't surprising that the market would take a break after such big gains.
Technology shares posted the biggest losses Thursday after security software maker Symantec Corp. posted weaker-than-expected results. Retailers were mixed even after many of them, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., reported better-than-expected April sales.
"The fact that we're seeing the retailers sell off on these positive surprises suggests the bar has been raised on what companies need to do to take stocks higher," Peckham said.
In midday trading, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 62.04, or 0.7 percent, to 8,450.24 a day after the blue chips jumped 102 points to close above the 8,500 level for the first time in four months. The index is down only 3 percent for the year.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 5.46, or 0.6 percent, to 914.07, and the Nasdaq composite index fell 30.16, or 1.7 percent, to 1,728.94.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, addressing a Fed conference, called for a holistic approach to strengthening oversight of the banking system to prevent future financial crises. He said regulators must sharpen their assessments of individuals banks and examine the financial system as a whole to detect risks that could endanger the normal flow of credit, market operations and commerce.
In economic news, the Labor Department's tally of new jobless claims fell to 601,000 from 631,000 the previous week, coming in well below the 635,000 economists had been expecting. However the number of unemployed workers getting benefits climbed to a new record.
There were also reports showing that productivity rebounded slightly in the first quarter while wage pressures eased.
Wal-Mart said sales of Easter merchandise and higher traffic helped its sales jump 5 percent, much more than the 2.9 percent rise analysts had forecast. Wal-Mart rose 32 cents to $49.83.
The well-being of retailers is key to the economy because consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity.
Symantec reported a loss for its fiscal 2009 fourth quarter, hurt by a hefty goodwill impairment charge and lower-than-expected revenue. The stock fell $2.48, or 14.1 percent, to $15.11.
Financial stocks rose ahead of the government report cards on banks. The tests, designed to determine which banks would need a stronger capital base if the economy weakens, are at the crux of the Obama administration's plan to fortify the financial system. The market rallied this week ahead of the results, despite some initial concerns that the tests would show more pain in the industry.
Citigroup Inc. rose 5 cents to $3.91, while Bank of America Corp. rose $1.43, or 11.3 percent, to $14.12. Both banks are among those told by regulators they will need to raise more money. Regions Financial Corp. will also need to raise more money, according to people briefed on the results, as will Wells Fargo & Co. Regions Financial fell 3 cents to $5.80, while Wells Fargo fell $1.52, or 5.7 percent, to $25.32.
Bond prices dropped as demand for government debt waned. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note jumped to 3.25 percent from 3.16 percent late Wednesday.
The dollar rose against the euro and the British pound after the European Central Bank cut its key interest rate a quarter point to 1 percent. Gold prices rose.
Light, sweet crude rose $1.36 to $57.70 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average jumped 4.6 percent. In afternoon trading, Britain's FTSE 100 rose less than 0.1 percent, Germany's DAX index fell 1.6 percent, and France's CAC-40 fell 1 percent
Thousands of civilians flee Pakistani war zone
MARDAN, Pakistan - Thousands of terrified Pakistanis dodged Taliban roadblocks to flee fighting Thursday between the army and insurgents in a northwestern valley, streaming into refugee camps and crowding hospitals with their fatigued and hungry children
Monday, May 4, 2009
JACKIE CHAN
JACKIE CHAN
Jackie Chan waited a few months longer than other children to be born--instead of nine months, he took twelve. Those three extra months forced his mother to have a caesarean section, and when Jackie finally emerged, he was a whopping twelve pounds! On April 7th, 1954, Jackie Chan was born in Hong Kong. The operation that his mother was forced to have put the Chan family in severe debt, and Chan's father nearly sold the newborn boy in order to pay the hospital. Luckily, his friends stepped in and raised enough money to keep little Jackie in the family.
Jackie grew up in poverty in Hong Kong until about the age of six. Then, in 1960, his family moved to Australia where his father took a job as a cook for the Australian Embassy. Jackie did so poorly in school there that he was never traditionally educated past the American equivalent of first grade. Instead, when he was seven, his family sent him back to Hong Kong to join the Peking Opera School. It was here that Jackie learned martial arts, acrobatics, singing, dancing and acting. He lived at the School until the age of 17, when he struck out on his own.
Jackie grew up in poverty in Hong Kong until about the age of six. Then, in 1960, his family moved to Australia where his father took a job as a cook for the Australian Embassy. Jackie did so poorly in school there that he was never traditionally educated past the American equivalent of first grade. Instead, when he was seven, his family sent him back to Hong Kong to join the Peking Opera School. It was here that Jackie learned martial arts, acrobatics, singing, dancing and acting. He lived at the School until the age of 17, when he struck out on his own.
At first, Jackie got lots of small roles in movies as an extra or a stuntman. In fact, one of Jackie's first movie appearances was in a Bruce Lee film called "Enter the Dragon," in whichJackie gets thrown through a wall by Lee. Then, as he gained more experience, he won lead roles. However, these roles were attempting to mold him into a second Bruce Lee, which Jackie wasn't quite comfortable with. His career did not really take off until 1978, in a movie called "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow." This movie allowed Jackie to show off more of his comedic abilities and he could define himself more as a character. The movie was a hit! His next film was even more successful--"Drunken Master" broke box office records. Jackie realized he liked having more control over his movies, and started to direct and choreograph them himself. In his movies, Jackie mainly showcases his knowledge of the Shaolin school of martial arts, sometimes using Hapkido and Wing Chun techniques as well.
Jackie tried to get into Hollywood several times, but with little success. Finally, in 1995, "Rumble in the Bronx" was released. Jackie immediately got attention for his incredible stunts, and the outtakes that would eventually become his trademark amazed audiences. Nobody could believe he really did everything they saw on-screen! Jackie stated that he never wants to cheat his audience, so he performs all his own stunts. Despite numerous accidents, some of which have left him hospitalized for days, Jackie continues to attempt daredevil tricks for the camera.
Jackie Chan does more than make incredible movies, though. He also founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation in Hong Kong, and then in Japan. This foundation provides scholarships to needy students and assists injured performers and their families. He also has a Jackie Chan Youth Center in Hong Kong.
Jackie tried to get into Hollywood several times, but with little success. Finally, in 1995, "Rumble in the Bronx" was released. Jackie immediately got attention for his incredible stunts, and the outtakes that would eventually become his trademark amazed audiences. Nobody could believe he really did everything they saw on-screen! Jackie stated that he never wants to cheat his audience, so he performs all his own stunts. Despite numerous accidents, some of which have left him hospitalized for days, Jackie continues to attempt daredevil tricks for the camera.
Jackie Chan does more than make incredible movies, though. He also founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation in Hong Kong, and then in Japan. This foundation provides scholarships to needy students and assists injured performers and their families. He also has a Jackie Chan Youth Center in Hong Kong.
Jackie assists those in America as well as his home country. He raised $300,000 dollars for an organization called Self-Help for the Elderly, which is based in San Francisco. The organization dedicated a center for Alzheimer's patients in Jackie's name in gratitude for his efforts. Another organization, called the Jackie Chan Sends Warmth Movement, provided winter coats for the elderly and homeless.
Jackie Chan has come a long way from his poverty-stricken childhood in Hong Kong, but he hasn't forgotten that there are still people suffering. Besides using laughter to heal and entertain his audiences, Jackie continues to dedicate his time and money to worthwhile causes.
QUAID-E-AZAM
FREEDOM HERO: QUAID-E-AZAM
Every person in this world has a hero. People have heroes because they really admire that person and they really look up to that person. They want to do what they have done and they have achieved in their life. Like every person, I also have a hero. My hero had a great personality and a great heart. His name is Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
I choose him as my hero because I really admire him. I admire his style, his personality and what he did for the Muslims of our country. He gave Muslims their freedom from the British Empire that was ruling at that time
Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was born on Dec. 25th, 1876, to a prominent mercantile family in Karachi. He was educated at the Sindh Madrassat-ul-Islam and the Christian Mission School. Jinnah joined the Lincoln's Inn in 1893 to become the youngest Indian to be called to the Bar. Three years later, he became Bombay's most famous lawyer. He formally entered politics in 1905 from the platform of the Indian National Congress. He went to England in that year as a member of a congress delegation to plead the cause of Indian self-governemnt during the British elections.
He got us, the Muslims, freedom by forming a political group called the Muslim League. When he talked to all the Muslims around in the sub-continent at that time, he said, "We are a nation with our own distinctive culture and civilization, language and literature, art and architecture, names and nomenclature, sense of values and proportion, legal laws and moral code, customs and calandar, history and tradition, aptitudes and ambitions; in short, we have our own distinctive outlook on life and of life. By all canons of international law, we are a nation."
The Muslim league had a great impact on the nature of the Indian politics. By making the Muslim League, it shattered forever Hindu dreams of a pseudo-India. The British and the Indians were shocked at how all the Muslims came up together, asking for them to give them their own free country, which is now Pakistan.
He got us, the Muslims, freedom by forming a political group called the Muslim League. When he talked to all the Muslims around in the sub-continent at that time, he said, "We are a nation with our own distinctive culture and civilization, language and literature, art and architecture, names and nomenclature, sense of values and proportion, legal laws and moral code, customs and calandar, history and tradition, aptitudes and ambitions; in short, we have our own distinctive outlook on life and of life. By all canons of international law, we are a nation."
The Muslim league had a great impact on the nature of the Indian politics. By making the Muslim League, it shattered forever Hindu dreams of a pseudo-India. The British and the Indians were shocked at how all the Muslims came up together, asking for them to give them their own free country, which is now Pakistan.
To get the Muslim people freedom, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah played a big role. He was the only Muslim to stand up and rally all the Muslims together so they could have their freedom on Aug. 14, 1947. Before dying on Sept. 11th, 1948, he gave the Pakistanis a last message: "The foundations of your state have been laid and it is now for you to build and build as quickly and as well as you can."
Most people also admired him and one even said, "Gandhi died by the hands of an assassin; Jinnah died by his devotion to Pakistan".
That's why I really admire him. He is like a hero to everyone in my country. This is because of what he did for our country and for the Muslims. He fought so much for us and he did so much for us that no one can ever forget. You always hear about Gandhi and how he did so much for India, but you never hear about Quaid-e-Azam who did everything to get us at the point that we are right now. He is a great freedom hero for me.
JOKES OF THE DAY
JOKES
Antartian boy and his father were visiting a mall. They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny, silver walls that could move apart and back together again.The boy asked his father, "What is this, Father?" The father [never having seen an elevator] responded "Son, I have never seen anything like this in my life, I don't know what it is."While the boy and his father were watching wide-eyed, an old lady in a wheel chair rolled up to the moving walls and pressed a button. The walls opened and the lady rolled between them into a small room.The walls closed and the boy and his father watched small circles of lights with numbers above the walls light up. They continued to watch the circles light up in the reverse direction.The walls opened up again and a beautiful 24-year-old woman stepped out. The father said to his son, "Go get your mother."
Friday, May 1, 2009
Motorola Scrambles to Restore Its Lost Cellphone Glory
Motorola has had its ups and downs. Fifteen years ago, a gray brick Motorola handset was synonymous with mobile phone. Sales slipped, but the company came back five years ago with the sleek Razr, the must-have cellphone.
Motorola is not one of those companies that can blame its woes on the economy,” he said. “It’s purely self-inflicted.”
James Kelleher, an analyst with Argus Research, said Mr. Jha’s more modest goals are appropriate. Success, Mr. Kelleher said, might be defined as being a strong regional player that settles for less than 10 percent of worldwide market share.
“The analogy is General Motors,” he said. “They once had 50 percent market share and they’re not getting it back.”
Motorola is not one of those companies that can blame its woes on the economy,” he said. “It’s purely self-inflicted.”
James Kelleher, an analyst with Argus Research, said Mr. Jha’s more modest goals are appropriate. Success, Mr. Kelleher said, might be defined as being a strong regional player that settles for less than 10 percent of worldwide market share.
“The analogy is General Motors,” he said. “They once had 50 percent market share and they’re not getting it back.”
Friday, April 24, 2009
FOREX (Foreign Exchange Market) The foreign exchange market is also known as FX or it is also found to be referred to as the FOREX. All three of these have the same meaning, which is the trade of trading between different companies, banks, businesses, and governments that are located in different countries. The financial market is one that is always changing leaving transactions required to be completed through brokers, and banks. Many scams have been emerging in the FOREX business, as foreign companies and people are setting up online to take advantage of people who don't realize that foreign trade must take place through a broker or a company with direct participation involved in foreign exchanges. Cash, stocks, and currency is traded through the foreign exchange markets. The FOREX market will be present and exist when one currency is traded for another. Think about a trip you may take to a foreign country. Where are you going to be able to 'trade your money' for the value of the money that is in that other country? This is FOREX trading basis, and it is not available in all banks, and it is not available in all financial centers. FOREX is a specialized trading circumstance. Small business and individuals often times looking to make big money, are the victims of scams when it comes to learning about FOREX and the foreign trade markets. As FOREX is seen as how to make a quick buck or two, people don't question their participation in such an event, but if you are not investing money through a broker in the FOREX market, you could easily end up losing everything that you have invested in the transaction.
HITLER (PART 3)
HITLOR WORLD WAR ONE
In the muddy, lice infested, smelly trenches of World War One, Adolf Hitler found a new home fighting for the German Fatherland. After years of poverty, alone and uncertain, he now had a sense of belonging and purpose.
The "war to end all wars" began after the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was gunned down by a young Serbian terrorist on June 28, 1914. Events quickly escalated as Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany urged Austria to declare war on Serbia. Russia then mobilized against Austria. Germany mobilized against Russia. France and England then mobilized against Germany.
All over Europe and England young men, including Adolf Hitler, eagerly volunteered. Like most young soldiers before them, they thought it would be a short war, but hopefully long enough for them to see some action and participate in the great adventure.
It would turn out to be a long war in which soldiers died by the millions. An entire generation of young men would be wiped out. The war would also bring the downfall of the old European culture of kings and noblemen and their codes of honor.
New technologies such as planes, tanks, machine guns, long range artillery, and deadly gas were used by the armies against each other. But a stalemate developed along a line of entrenched fortifications stretching from the North Sea, all the way through France to the Saar River in Germany. In these miserable trenches, Adolf Hitler became acquainted with war.
Hitler volunteered at age 25 by enlisting in a Bavarian Regiment. After its first engagement against the British and Belgians near Ypres, 2500 of the 3000 men in the Hitler's regiment were killed, wounded or missing. Hitler escaped without a scratch. Throughout most of the war, Hitler had great luck avoiding life threatening injury. More than once he moved away from a spot where moments later a shell exploded killing or wounding everyone.
Hitler, by all accounts, was an unusual soldier with a sloppy manner and unmilitary bearing. But he was also eager for action and always ready to volunteer for dangerous assignments even after many narrow escapes from death.
Corporal Hitler was a dispatch runner, taking messages back and forth from the command staff in the rear to the fighting units near the battlefield. During lulls in the fighting he would take out his watercolors and paint the landscapes of war.
Hitler, unlike his fellow soldiers, never complained about bad food and the horrible conditions or talked about women, preferring to discuss art or history. He received a few letters but no packages from home and never asked for leave. His fellow soldiers regarded Hitler as too eager to please his superiors, but generally a likable loner notable for his luck in avoiding injury as well as his bravery.
On October 7, 1916, Hitler's luck ran out when he was wounded in the leg by a shell fragment during the Battle of the Somme. He was hospitalized in Germany. It was his first time away from the front after two years of war. Following his recovery, he went sight seeing in Berlin, then was assigned to light duty in Munich. He was appalled at the apathy and anti-war sentiment among German civilians. He blamed the Jews for much of this and saw them as conspiring to spread unrest and undermine the German war effort.
This idea of an anti-war conspiracy involving Jews would become an obsession to add to other anti-Semitic notions he acquired in Vienna, leading to an ever-growing hatred of Jews.
To get away from the apathetic civilians, Hitler asked to go back to the front and was sent back in March of 1917.
In August 1918, he received the Iron Cross first class, a rarity for foot soldiers. Interestingly, the lieutenant who recommended him for the medal was a Jew, a fact Hitler would later obscure. Despite his good record and a total of five medals, he remained a corporal. Due to his unmilitary appearance and odd personality, his superiors felt he lacked leadership qualities and thought he would not command enough respect as a sergeant.
As the tide of war turned against the Germans and morale collapsed along the front, Hitler became depressed. He would sometimes spend hours sitting in the corner of the tent in deep contemplation then would suddenly burst onto his feet shouting about the "invisible foes of the German people," namely Jews and Marxists.
In October 1918, he was temporarily blinded by a British chlorine gas attack near Ypres. He was sent home to a starving, war weary country full of unrest. He laid in a hospital bed consumed with dread amid a swirl of rumors of impending disaster.
On November 10, 1918, an elderly pastor came into the hospital and announced the news. The Kaiser and the House of Hollenzollern had fallen. Their beloved Fatherland was now a republic. The war was over.
Hitler described his reaction in Mein Kampf: "There followed terrible days and even worse nights - I knew that all was lost...in these nights hatred grew in me, hatred for those responsible for this deed."
The "war to end all wars" began after the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was gunned down by a young Serbian terrorist on June 28, 1914. Events quickly escalated as Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany urged Austria to declare war on Serbia. Russia then mobilized against Austria. Germany mobilized against Russia. France and England then mobilized against Germany.
All over Europe and England young men, including Adolf Hitler, eagerly volunteered. Like most young soldiers before them, they thought it would be a short war, but hopefully long enough for them to see some action and participate in the great adventure.
It would turn out to be a long war in which soldiers died by the millions. An entire generation of young men would be wiped out. The war would also bring the downfall of the old European culture of kings and noblemen and their codes of honor.
New technologies such as planes, tanks, machine guns, long range artillery, and deadly gas were used by the armies against each other. But a stalemate developed along a line of entrenched fortifications stretching from the North Sea, all the way through France to the Saar River in Germany. In these miserable trenches, Adolf Hitler became acquainted with war.
Hitler volunteered at age 25 by enlisting in a Bavarian Regiment. After its first engagement against the British and Belgians near Ypres, 2500 of the 3000 men in the Hitler's regiment were killed, wounded or missing. Hitler escaped without a scratch. Throughout most of the war, Hitler had great luck avoiding life threatening injury. More than once he moved away from a spot where moments later a shell exploded killing or wounding everyone.
Hitler, by all accounts, was an unusual soldier with a sloppy manner and unmilitary bearing. But he was also eager for action and always ready to volunteer for dangerous assignments even after many narrow escapes from death.
Corporal Hitler was a dispatch runner, taking messages back and forth from the command staff in the rear to the fighting units near the battlefield. During lulls in the fighting he would take out his watercolors and paint the landscapes of war.
Hitler, unlike his fellow soldiers, never complained about bad food and the horrible conditions or talked about women, preferring to discuss art or history. He received a few letters but no packages from home and never asked for leave. His fellow soldiers regarded Hitler as too eager to please his superiors, but generally a likable loner notable for his luck in avoiding injury as well as his bravery.
On October 7, 1916, Hitler's luck ran out when he was wounded in the leg by a shell fragment during the Battle of the Somme. He was hospitalized in Germany. It was his first time away from the front after two years of war. Following his recovery, he went sight seeing in Berlin, then was assigned to light duty in Munich. He was appalled at the apathy and anti-war sentiment among German civilians. He blamed the Jews for much of this and saw them as conspiring to spread unrest and undermine the German war effort.
This idea of an anti-war conspiracy involving Jews would become an obsession to add to other anti-Semitic notions he acquired in Vienna, leading to an ever-growing hatred of Jews.
To get away from the apathetic civilians, Hitler asked to go back to the front and was sent back in March of 1917.
In August 1918, he received the Iron Cross first class, a rarity for foot soldiers. Interestingly, the lieutenant who recommended him for the medal was a Jew, a fact Hitler would later obscure. Despite his good record and a total of five medals, he remained a corporal. Due to his unmilitary appearance and odd personality, his superiors felt he lacked leadership qualities and thought he would not command enough respect as a sergeant.
As the tide of war turned against the Germans and morale collapsed along the front, Hitler became depressed. He would sometimes spend hours sitting in the corner of the tent in deep contemplation then would suddenly burst onto his feet shouting about the "invisible foes of the German people," namely Jews and Marxists.
In October 1918, he was temporarily blinded by a British chlorine gas attack near Ypres. He was sent home to a starving, war weary country full of unrest. He laid in a hospital bed consumed with dread amid a swirl of rumors of impending disaster.
On November 10, 1918, an elderly pastor came into the hospital and announced the news. The Kaiser and the House of Hollenzollern had fallen. Their beloved Fatherland was now a republic. The war was over.
Hitler described his reaction in Mein Kampf: "There followed terrible days and even worse nights - I knew that all was lost...in these nights hatred grew in me, hatred for those responsible for this deed."
Monday, April 13, 2009
HISTORY OF HITLER (part 2)
In 1895, at age six, two important events happened in the life of young Adolf Hitler. First, the unrestrained, carefree days he had enjoyed up to now came to an end as he entered primary school. Secondly, his father retired on a pension from the Austrian civil service.
This meant a double dose of supervision, discipline and regimentation under the watchful eyes of teachers at school and his strict father at home. His father, now 58, had spent most of his life working his way up through the civil service ranks. He was used to giving orders and having them obeyed and also expected this from his children. The Hitler family lived on a small farm outside of Linz, Austria. The children had farm chores to perform along with their school work.
Hitler's mother was now preoccupied with caring for her new son, Edmund. In 1896, she gave birth to a girl, Paula. The Hitler household now consisted of Adolf, little brother Edmund, little sister Paula, older half-brother Alois Jr., older half-sister Angela and two parents who were home all the time. It was a crowded, noisy little farm house that seems to have gotten on the nerves on Hitler's father who found retirement after 40 years of work to be difficult.
The oldest boy, Alois Jr., 13, bore the brunt of his father's discontent, including harsh words and occasional beatings. A year later, at age 14, young Alois had enough of this treatment and ran away from home, never to see his father again. This put young Adolf, age 7, next in line for the same treatment.
Also at this time, the family moved off the farm to the town of Lambach, Austria, halfway between Linz and Salzburg. This was the first of several moves the family would make during the restless retirement of Hitler's father.
For young Adolf, the move to Lambach meant an end to farm chores and more time to play. There was an old Catholic Benedictine monastery in the town. The ancient monastery was decorated with carved stones and woodwork that included several swastikas. Adolf attended school there and saw them every day. They had been put there in the 1800s by the ruling Abbot as a pun or play on words. His name essentially sounded like the German word for swastika, Hakenkreuz.
This meant a double dose of supervision, discipline and regimentation under the watchful eyes of teachers at school and his strict father at home. His father, now 58, had spent most of his life working his way up through the civil service ranks. He was used to giving orders and having them obeyed and also expected this from his children. The Hitler family lived on a small farm outside of Linz, Austria. The children had farm chores to perform along with their school work.
Hitler's mother was now preoccupied with caring for her new son, Edmund. In 1896, she gave birth to a girl, Paula. The Hitler household now consisted of Adolf, little brother Edmund, little sister Paula, older half-brother Alois Jr., older half-sister Angela and two parents who were home all the time. It was a crowded, noisy little farm house that seems to have gotten on the nerves on Hitler's father who found retirement after 40 years of work to be difficult.
The oldest boy, Alois Jr., 13, bore the brunt of his father's discontent, including harsh words and occasional beatings. A year later, at age 14, young Alois had enough of this treatment and ran away from home, never to see his father again. This put young Adolf, age 7, next in line for the same treatment.
Also at this time, the family moved off the farm to the town of Lambach, Austria, halfway between Linz and Salzburg. This was the first of several moves the family would make during the restless retirement of Hitler's father.
For young Adolf, the move to Lambach meant an end to farm chores and more time to play. There was an old Catholic Benedictine monastery in the town. The ancient monastery was decorated with carved stones and woodwork that included several swastikas. Adolf attended school there and saw them every day. They had been put there in the 1800s by the ruling Abbot as a pun or play on words. His name essentially sounded like the German word for swastika, Hakenkreuz.
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I urge you to read every word of this report because it is very crucial that you do, but if you're in a real hurry, check out what Dave Curran is saying real quick here: => Click Here!Here is Dave Curran himself... Enjoy! Don't put too much pleasure on yourself. Relax...Dave Curran: I want to welcome you to my site. Before you make a decision about Forex Avenger I want you to read my story below. I will even reveal a few secrets that have helped me in my trading. The two Forex Avenger systems have changed my life and I sincerely hope they do the same for you.I never worked in a bank, I never worked in a fancy brokerage, in fact, I barely finished school. None of these things stopped me, and if someone were to ask me how I did it, I would probably tell them that no one told me I couldn't.No one told me it was supposed to be hard, which is why I found it so easy. I started life working in a supermarket and learned how to trade when I wasn't't working. Like all great secrets, I found a very simple but powerful technique to trade the most exciting market in the world.Most traders would be better off with a weekend in Las Vegas than trading the Forex market. They shove money into a trading account and then start gambling. Their emotions swing between greed and fear. When they are trading well they believe they are King Kong and get greedy, this is where they make mistakes. When they are not trading well, they fear the market; they make irrational decisions based on fear. What you are about to learn is more than you will get in a $2,000 day seminar. I trade with an ice cold unemotional intensity of an assassin. It can be unnerving to watch, but this is something I can teach you.
BANKING
The 5th National Medical Banking Institute offers a compelling view of the future of healthcare by inviting the bank into our national dialogue to improve health. We will hear new areas of thinking about how the bank can leverage its resources to support much needed advances in financing and operations. We will also hear case studies of how banks are reducing 
costs and creating incentives for improving systems at the healthcare provider level.
Plenary sessions will examine how employers are impacting a new paradigm in healthcare delivery, new ways banks are partnering with healthcare plans and insurers and the "megacommunity" model. The Institute has organized five educational tracks that offer case studies, panels and expert presentations that feature national authorities and innovators from the banking, healthcare, IT/consulting and employer domains. Some of the models we will explore include:
Value in Health
A Bank-Driven eHealth Ecosystem
Consumer-Driven Healthcare Liquidity
Community Care Platform
costs and creating incentives for improving systems at the healthcare provider level.Plenary sessions will examine how employers are impacting a new paradigm in healthcare delivery, new ways banks are partnering with healthcare plans and insurers and the "megacommunity" model. The Institute has organized five educational tracks that offer case studies, panels and expert presentations that feature national authorities and innovators from the banking, healthcare, IT/consulting and employer domains. Some of the models we will explore include:
Value in Health
A Bank-Driven eHealth Ecosystem
Consumer-Driven Healthcare Liquidity
Community Care Platform
Sunday, April 12, 2009
HISTORY OF HITLER (part 1)
At 6:30 p.m. on the evening of April 20, 1889, he was born in the small Austrian village of Braunau Am Inn just across the border from German Bavaria.
Adolf Hitler would one day lead a movement that placed supreme importance on a person's family tree even making it a matter of life and death. However, his own family tree was quite mixed up and would be a lifelong source of embarrassment and concern to him.
His father, Alois, was born in 1837. He was the illegitimate son of Maria Anna Schicklgruber and her unknown mate, which may have been someone from the neighborhood or a poor millworker named Johann Georg Hiedler. It is also remotely possible Adolf Hitler's grandfather was Jewish.
Maria Schicklgruber was said to have been employed as a cook in the household of a wealthy Jewish family named Frankenberger. There is some speculation their 19-year-old son got her pregnant and regularly sent her money after the birth of Alois.
Adolf Hitler would never know for sure just who his grandfather was.
He did know that when his father Alois was about five years old, Maria Schicklgruber married Johann Georg Hiedler. The marriage lasted five years until her death of natural causes, at which time Alois went to live on a small farm with his uncle.
At age thirteen, young Alois had enough of farm life and set out for the city of Vienna to make something of himself. He worked as a shoemaker's apprentice then later enlisted in the Austrian civil service, becoming a junior customs official. He worked hard as a civil servant and eventually became a supervisor. By 1875 he achieved the rank of Senior Assistant Inspector, a big accomplishment for the former poor farm boy with little formal education.
At this time an event occurred that would have big implications for the future.
Alois had always used the last name of his mother, Schicklgruber, and thus was always called Alois Schicklgruber. He made no attempt to hide the fact that he was illegitimate since it was common in rural Austria.
But after his success in the civil service, his proud uncle from the small farm convinced him to change his last name to match his own, Hiedler, and continue the family name. However, when it came time to write the name down in the record book it was spelled as Hitler.
And so in 1876 at age 39, Alois Schicklgruber became Alois Hitler. This is important because it is hard to imagine tens of thousands of Germans shouting "Heil Schicklgruber!" instead of "Heil Hitler!"
In 1885, after numerous affairs and two other marriages ended, the widowed Alois Hitler, 48, married the pregnant Klara Pölzl, 24, the granddaughter of uncle Hiedler. Technically, because of the name change, she was his own niece and so he had to get special permission from the Catholic Church.
The children from his previous marriage, Alois Hitler, Jr., and Angela, attended the wedding and lived with them afterwards. Klara Pölzl eventually gave birth to two boys and a girl, all of whom died. On April 20, 1889, her fourth child, Adolf, was born healthy and was baptized a Roman Catholic. Hitler's father was now 52 years old.
Throughout his early days, young Adolf's mother feared losing him as well and lavished much care and affection on him. His father was busy working most of the time and also spent a lot of time on his main hobby, keeping bees.
Baby Adolf had the nickname, Adi. When he was almost five, in 1893, his mother gave birth to a brother, Edmund. In 1896 came a sister, Paula.
In May of 1895 at age six, young Adolf Hitler entered first grade in the public school in the village of Fischlham near Linz, Austria.
Adolf Hitler would one day lead a movement that placed supreme importance on a person's family tree even making it a matter of life and death. However, his own family tree was quite mixed up and would be a lifelong source of embarrassment and concern to him.
His father, Alois, was born in 1837. He was the illegitimate son of Maria Anna Schicklgruber and her unknown mate, which may have been someone from the neighborhood or a poor millworker named Johann Georg Hiedler. It is also remotely possible Adolf Hitler's grandfather was Jewish.
Maria Schicklgruber was said to have been employed as a cook in the household of a wealthy Jewish family named Frankenberger. There is some speculation their 19-year-old son got her pregnant and regularly sent her money after the birth of Alois.
Adolf Hitler would never know for sure just who his grandfather was.
He did know that when his father Alois was about five years old, Maria Schicklgruber married Johann Georg Hiedler. The marriage lasted five years until her death of natural causes, at which time Alois went to live on a small farm with his uncle.
At age thirteen, young Alois had enough of farm life and set out for the city of Vienna to make something of himself. He worked as a shoemaker's apprentice then later enlisted in the Austrian civil service, becoming a junior customs official. He worked hard as a civil servant and eventually became a supervisor. By 1875 he achieved the rank of Senior Assistant Inspector, a big accomplishment for the former poor farm boy with little formal education.
At this time an event occurred that would have big implications for the future.
Alois had always used the last name of his mother, Schicklgruber, and thus was always called Alois Schicklgruber. He made no attempt to hide the fact that he was illegitimate since it was common in rural Austria.
But after his success in the civil service, his proud uncle from the small farm convinced him to change his last name to match his own, Hiedler, and continue the family name. However, when it came time to write the name down in the record book it was spelled as Hitler.
And so in 1876 at age 39, Alois Schicklgruber became Alois Hitler. This is important because it is hard to imagine tens of thousands of Germans shouting "Heil Schicklgruber!" instead of "Heil Hitler!"
In 1885, after numerous affairs and two other marriages ended, the widowed Alois Hitler, 48, married the pregnant Klara Pölzl, 24, the granddaughter of uncle Hiedler. Technically, because of the name change, she was his own niece and so he had to get special permission from the Catholic Church.
The children from his previous marriage, Alois Hitler, Jr., and Angela, attended the wedding and lived with them afterwards. Klara Pölzl eventually gave birth to two boys and a girl, all of whom died. On April 20, 1889, her fourth child, Adolf, was born healthy and was baptized a Roman Catholic. Hitler's father was now 52 years old.
Throughout his early days, young Adolf's mother feared losing him as well and lavished much care and affection on him. His father was busy working most of the time and also spent a lot of time on his main hobby, keeping bees.
Baby Adolf had the nickname, Adi. When he was almost five, in 1893, his mother gave birth to a brother, Edmund. In 1896 came a sister, Paula.
In May of 1895 at age six, young Adolf Hitler entered first grade in the public school in the village of Fischlham near Linz, Austria.
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HISTORY OF AFRICA
Africa's written history starts with the rise of Egyptian civilization in the 4th millennium BC, and in succeeding centuries follows the development of the many diverse societies beyond the Nile Valley. From an early date this has involved critical interactions with non-African civilizations. These ranged from the Phoenicians, who established the merchant empire of Carthage, to the Romans, who colonised all of North Africa in the first century BC. Christianity began its spread through large areas of northern Africa at this time, reaching as far south as Kush and Ethiopia. In the late 7th century, North and East Africa were heavily influenced by the spread of Islam, which eventually led to the appearance of new cultures such as those of the Swahili people in East Africa, and powerful kingdoms including the Songhai Empire in the sub-saharan west. Farther south, Ghana, Oyo, and the Benin Empire developed with little influence from either Islam or Christianity. The rise of Islam led to an increase in the Arab slave trade that would culminate in the 19th century. This presaged the forced transport of African people and cultures to the New World in the Atlantic slave trade, and the beginning of the European scramble for Africa. Africa's colonial period lasted from the late 1800s until the advent of African independence movements in 1951, when Libya became the first former colony to become independent. Modern African history has been rife with revolutions and wars as well as the growth of modern African economies and democratization across the continent.
African history has been a challenge for researchers in the field of African studies due to the scarcity of written sources in large parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. Scholarly techniques such as the recording of oral history, historical linguistics, archeology and genetics have been crucial.
African history has been a challenge for researchers in the field of African studies due to the scarcity of written sources in large parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. Scholarly techniques such as the recording of oral history, historical linguistics, archeology and genetics have been crucial.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
APRIL 11 HISTORY
April 11, 1938 - Jill Gascoigne, British actress
April 11, 1770 - George Canning, Former British Prime Minister
April 11, 1819 - Charles Halle, Pianist & conductor
April 11, 1908 - Dan Maskell, Tennis player/commentator/coach
April 11, 1966 - Lisa Stansfield, Singer
April 11, 1933 - Joel Grey, American actor & singer
April 11, 1985 - A bomb exploded in Columbo, Sri Lanka, shorty before PM Margaret Thatcher arrived on a visit
April 11, 1983 - The British film 'Ghandi' won a total of eight Oscars
April 11, 1970 - The American Apollo 13 spacecraft was launched to the Moon
April 11, 1951 - General MacArthur was relieved of command in the Far East, over Korea
April 11, 1945 - At the end of World War 2, the Red army entered the Austrian city of Vienna
April 11, 1941 - Belgrade, in Yugoslavia, was occupied by German forces during World War 2
April 11, 1929 - The cartoon character 'Popeye' made his film debut
April 11, 1855 - The first pillar boxes in London were erected, which were painted green
April 11, 1814 - Former French leader Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to the island of Elba
April 11, 1770 - George Canning, Former British Prime Minister
April 11, 1819 - Charles Halle, Pianist & conductor
April 11, 1908 - Dan Maskell, Tennis player/commentator/coach
April 11, 1966 - Lisa Stansfield, Singer
April 11, 1933 - Joel Grey, American actor & singer
April 11, 1985 - A bomb exploded in Columbo, Sri Lanka, shorty before PM Margaret Thatcher arrived on a visit
April 11, 1983 - The British film 'Ghandi' won a total of eight Oscars
April 11, 1970 - The American Apollo 13 spacecraft was launched to the Moon
April 11, 1951 - General MacArthur was relieved of command in the Far East, over Korea
April 11, 1945 - At the end of World War 2, the Red army entered the Austrian city of Vienna
April 11, 1941 - Belgrade, in Yugoslavia, was occupied by German forces during World War 2
April 11, 1929 - The cartoon character 'Popeye' made his film debut
April 11, 1855 - The first pillar boxes in London were erected, which were painted green
April 11, 1814 - Former French leader Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to the island of Elba
FOREXABOUT HELEN KELLER
About Helen Keller: Before she was 2 years old, Helen Keller lost her sight and hearing after a high fever. She was often frustrated and the family spoiled her considerably, though until Dr. Alexander Graham Bell urged them to find a teacher from the Perkins Institute for the Blind, she was unable to communicate.
Anne Sullivan was that teacher. The next events are well-known: Helen Keller learning to understand language through the combination of water from a pump on one hand and the spelling of "water" with the manual alphabet into her other hand. Helen Keller said later, "That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free!"
Helen Keller progressed with language quickly under Anne Sullivan's tutorage. She learned Braille at the Perkins Institution and learned to speak at the Horace Mann School for the Deaf. Helen Keller went on to study at the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf, the Cambridge School for Young Ladies, and to Radcliffe College, from which she graduated in 1904 with high honors.
For the rest of her life, Helen Keller worked for improving education for the blind, deaf, and mute. She traveled and lectured extensively, even in vaudeville (1922-24).
Helen Keller wrote her autobiography, publishing The Story of My Life (1903) and Midstream: My Later Life (1929) as well as publishing several other books, including The Practice of Optimism (1903, 1915), My Religion (1927), and Teacher, Anne Sullivan Macy: A Tribute by the Foster Child of her Mind (1955). She also worked for socialism and for women's rights and raised money for the American Foundation for the Blind.
Anne Sullivan Macy, who married Keller's editor John Albert Macy, remained a companion and support to Keller until her death in 1936. Helen Keller survived Anne Sullivan Macy by more than thirty years, until she died on June 1, 1968. Helen Keller is buried at Washington Cathedral, Washington, D.C.
Helen Keller's life was told in "The Miracle Worker," originally a play by William Gibson and later made into the film of the same name with Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, both of whom won Oscars for their performances.
Anne Sullivan was that teacher. The next events are well-known: Helen Keller learning to understand language through the combination of water from a pump on one hand and the spelling of "water" with the manual alphabet into her other hand. Helen Keller said later, "That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free!"
Helen Keller progressed with language quickly under Anne Sullivan's tutorage. She learned Braille at the Perkins Institution and learned to speak at the Horace Mann School for the Deaf. Helen Keller went on to study at the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf, the Cambridge School for Young Ladies, and to Radcliffe College, from which she graduated in 1904 with high honors.
For the rest of her life, Helen Keller worked for improving education for the blind, deaf, and mute. She traveled and lectured extensively, even in vaudeville (1922-24).
Helen Keller wrote her autobiography, publishing The Story of My Life (1903) and Midstream: My Later Life (1929) as well as publishing several other books, including The Practice of Optimism (1903, 1915), My Religion (1927), and Teacher, Anne Sullivan Macy: A Tribute by the Foster Child of her Mind (1955). She also worked for socialism and for women's rights and raised money for the American Foundation for the Blind.
Anne Sullivan Macy, who married Keller's editor John Albert Macy, remained a companion and support to Keller until her death in 1936. Helen Keller survived Anne Sullivan Macy by more than thirty years, until she died on June 1, 1968. Helen Keller is buried at Washington Cathedral, Washington, D.C.
Helen Keller's life was told in "The Miracle Worker," originally a play by William Gibson and later made into the film of the same name with Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, both of whom won Oscars for their performances.
Guinness World Records™: The Videogame
Guinness World Records™: The Videogame - the first videogame to bring the world of record breaking into your living room!
Go head to head against your friends and family to be the ultimate world record holder on the Nintendo Wii and DS. You can compete in 36 different challenges based on real life world records in your quest to become a record breaker. Then post your scores online and see how you rate against other competitors around the world on the leaderboards at http://www.guinnessworldrecordsgame.com/.
You can test your mettle against other record breakers across the globe or you can even take on your family and friends in the multiplayer mode!
There is even the chance to compete for the ultimate prize; the chance to be listed in the official Guinness World Records book!
Features:
With 36 different mini-games based on real Guinness World Records, everyone has a chance at becoming a record breaker!
Compete online with other challengers from around the world to be a ‘Virtual Guinness World Record Holder’
Travel the globe to compete in crazy record-breaking stunts such as - Fastest Time to Crush Watermelons With Your Head, Fastest Time to Eat a Plane, Fastest Time to Shear a Sheep, and many more!
Personalise your challenge with your own customisable avatar.
Collect trophies, fact cards and even record breaking certificates on the campaign to become a record breaker
Earn GWR Coins by performing well in record attempts and use them to buy items from the GWR Supplies Shop to gain access to more events or unlock more items for your avatar.
10 November 2008
Go head to head against your friends and family to be the ultimate world record holder on the Nintendo Wii and DS. You can compete in 36 different challenges based on real life world records in your quest to become a record breaker. Then post your scores online and see how you rate against other competitors around the world on the leaderboards at http://www.guinnessworldrecordsgame.com/.
You can test your mettle against other record breakers across the globe or you can even take on your family and friends in the multiplayer mode!
There is even the chance to compete for the ultimate prize; the chance to be listed in the official Guinness World Records book!
Features:
With 36 different mini-games based on real Guinness World Records, everyone has a chance at becoming a record breaker!
Compete online with other challengers from around the world to be a ‘Virtual Guinness World Record Holder’
Travel the globe to compete in crazy record-breaking stunts such as - Fastest Time to Crush Watermelons With Your Head, Fastest Time to Eat a Plane, Fastest Time to Shear a Sheep, and many more!
Personalise your challenge with your own customisable avatar.
Collect trophies, fact cards and even record breaking certificates on the campaign to become a record breaker
Earn GWR Coins by performing well in record attempts and use them to buy items from the GWR Supplies Shop to gain access to more events or unlock more items for your avatar.
10 November 2008
Friday, April 10, 2009
APRIL 10 HISTORY
April 10, 1953 - David Moorcroft, British athlete
April 10, 1829 - William Booth, Foudner of the Salvation Army
April 10, 1847 - Joseph Pulitzer, American newspaper owner
April 10, 1929 - Max Von Sydow, Swedish born actor
April 10, 1932 - Omar Sharif, Egyptian born actor
April 10, 1941 - Chuck Connors, American film actor
April 10, 1940 - Gloria Hunniford, Television & radio presenter
April 10, 1986 - Miss Bhutto returned to Pakistan from exile
April 10, 1984 - The Solar Max satellite was sucessfully retrieved by Shuttle astronauts
April 10, 1972 - An agreement, banning the use of biological weapons, was signed by 46 countries
April 10, 1960 - The Civil Rights Bill was passed in the American Senate
April 10, 1924 - The first ever book of crosswords was published in the United States
April 10, 1912 - The liner 'Titanic' left Southampton on her first (and only) voyage
April 10, 1849 - The safety pin was patented in the United States
April 10, 1841 - The New York Tribune was published for the very first time
April 10, 1633 - Bananas went on sale for the first time in Britain
April 10, 1829 - William Booth, Foudner of the Salvation Army
April 10, 1847 - Joseph Pulitzer, American newspaper owner
April 10, 1929 - Max Von Sydow, Swedish born actor
April 10, 1932 - Omar Sharif, Egyptian born actor
April 10, 1941 - Chuck Connors, American film actor
April 10, 1940 - Gloria Hunniford, Television & radio presenter
April 10, 1986 - Miss Bhutto returned to Pakistan from exile
April 10, 1984 - The Solar Max satellite was sucessfully retrieved by Shuttle astronauts
April 10, 1972 - An agreement, banning the use of biological weapons, was signed by 46 countries
April 10, 1960 - The Civil Rights Bill was passed in the American Senate
April 10, 1924 - The first ever book of crosswords was published in the United States
April 10, 1912 - The liner 'Titanic' left Southampton on her first (and only) voyage
April 10, 1849 - The safety pin was patented in the United States
April 10, 1841 - The New York Tribune was published for the very first time
April 10, 1633 - Bananas went on sale for the first time in Britain
HISTORY OF EUROPE
The history of Europe describes the passage of time from humans inhabiting the European continent to the present day. For convenience sake, historians divide long periods into more manageable eras. The first evidence of Homo sapiens in Europe dates back to at least 35,000 BC, the European Paleolithic period. When settlements, agriculture, and domesticated livestock appear would be the start of the Neolithic, which in Europe would be around 7000 BC. From the earliest civilization with writing to the temporary disappearance of civilization around 1200 BC, the preferred metal for tools and weapons was bronze, and historians have labeled this the Bronze Age.Europe's classical antiquity dates from the reappearance of writing in Ancient Greece of around 700 BC. The Roman Republic was established in 509 BC. The Romans expanded their territorial control over Italy, then over the Mediterranean basin and western Europe. The Roman Empire reached its greatest extent around 150.The Christian religion became legal under the emperor Constantine in the early fourth century AD. Within a few generations, Christianity had become the official religion of the empire. The Vulgate Bible in Latin emerged just before the sack of Rome in 410 by a Germanic people, the Visigoths. These were the first of a number of tribes to move west and south from beyond Roman boundaries into former Roman territories. The last Roman emperor in the west was removed from power in 476. Southeastern Europe and some parts of the Mediterranean remained under the increasingly beleaguered Roman Empire, but ruled from Constantinople rather than Rome. Under the Emperor Justinian, Roman armies restored imperial rule to many parts of the Mediterranean, but this expansion began to erode in the later sixth century. As Constantinople's hold on western territories faltered, more Germanic peoples invaded and established kingdoms. Eastern Mediterranean territories remained largely in the hands of the Christian emperor in Constantinople through the sixth century. Historians generally label this remnant of the Roman Empire the Byzantine Empire. A serious threat to its power and lands was to emerge in the seventh century from an unexpected source: the Arabian peninsula and the newly united and converted peoples of Islam.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
WORLD'S OLDEST WOMEN
World's Oldest Woman, Maria de Jesus, dies in Portugal
London (2 January, 2009)
Guinness World Records received the sad news today that the world’s oldest woman, Maria de Jesus (b. 10 September 1893), has passed away in her native Portugal at the age of 115.
Maria was crowned the world’s Oldest Living Woman by Guinness World Records on 28th December upon the death of Edna Parker (USA, 20 April 1893 - 26 November 2008).
114-year old Gertrude Baines of Los Angeles, California (b. 6 April, 1894) is likely to become Maria’s successor to the title. However, an official announcement will not be made until Guinness World Records has completed its investigation of the category.
02 January 2009
London (2 January, 2009)
Guinness World Records received the sad news today that the world’s oldest woman, Maria de Jesus (b. 10 September 1893), has passed away in her native Portugal at the age of 115.
Maria was crowned the world’s Oldest Living Woman by Guinness World Records on 28th December upon the death of Edna Parker (USA, 20 April 1893 - 26 November 2008).
114-year old Gertrude Baines of Los Angeles, California (b. 6 April, 1894) is likely to become Maria’s successor to the title. However, an official announcement will not be made until Guinness World Records has completed its investigation of the category.
02 January 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
HISTORY OF ASIA
The history of Asia can be seen as the collective history of several distinct peripheral coastal regions, East Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East linked by the interior mass of the Eurasian steppe.
The coastal periphery was the home to some of the world's earliest known civilizations, with each of the three regions developing early civilizations around fertile river valleys. These valleys were fertile because the soil there was rich with opium. The civilizations in Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and China shared many similarities and likely exchanged technologies and ideas such as mathematics and the wheel. Other notions such as that of writing likely developed individually in each area. Cities, states and then empires developed in these lowlands.
The steppe region had long been inhabited by mounted nomads, and from the central steppes they could reach all areas of the Asian continent. The earliest known such central expansion out of the steppe is that of the Indo-Europeans which spread their languages into the Middle East, India, and in the Tocharians to the borders of China. The northern part of the continent, covering much of Siberia was also inaccessible to the steppe nomads due to the dense forests and the tundra. These areas were very sparsely populated.
The centre and periphery were kept separate by mountains and deserts. The Caucasus, Himalaya, Karakum Desert, and Gobi Desert formed barriers that the steppe horsemen could only cross with difficulty. While technologically and culturally the city dwellers were more advanced, they could do little militarily to defend against the mounted hordes of the steppe. However, the lowlands did not have enough open grasslands to support a large horsebound force. Thus the nomads who conquered states in China, India, and the Middle East were soon forced to adapt to the local societies.
The coastal periphery was the home to some of the world's earliest known civilizations, with each of the three regions developing early civilizations around fertile river valleys. These valleys were fertile because the soil there was rich with opium. The civilizations in Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and China shared many similarities and likely exchanged technologies and ideas such as mathematics and the wheel. Other notions such as that of writing likely developed individually in each area. Cities, states and then empires developed in these lowlands.
The steppe region had long been inhabited by mounted nomads, and from the central steppes they could reach all areas of the Asian continent. The earliest known such central expansion out of the steppe is that of the Indo-Europeans which spread their languages into the Middle East, India, and in the Tocharians to the borders of China. The northern part of the continent, covering much of Siberia was also inaccessible to the steppe nomads due to the dense forests and the tundra. These areas were very sparsely populated.
The centre and periphery were kept separate by mountains and deserts. The Caucasus, Himalaya, Karakum Desert, and Gobi Desert formed barriers that the steppe horsemen could only cross with difficulty. While technologically and culturally the city dwellers were more advanced, they could do little militarily to defend against the mounted hordes of the steppe. However, the lowlands did not have enough open grasslands to support a large horsebound force. Thus the nomads who conquered states in China, India, and the Middle East were soon forced to adapt to the local societies.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Bill Gates came from a family of entrepreneurship and high-spirited liveliness. William Henry Gates III was born in Seattle, Washington on October 28th, 1955. His father, William H. Gates II, is a Seattle attorney. His late mother, Mary Gates, was a schoolteacher, University of Washington regent, and chairwoman of United Way International.
Bill Gates - Early LifeHe had an early interest in software and began programming computers at the age of thirteen. In 1973, Bill Gates became a student at Harvard University, where he meet Steve Ballmer (now Microsoft's chief executive officer). While still a Harvard undergraduate, Bill Gates wrote a version of the programming language BASIC for the MITS Altair microcomputer.
Did you know that as young teenagers Bill Gates and Paul Allen ran a small company called Traf-O-Data and sold a computer to the city of Seattle that could count city traffic?
Bill Gates & MicrosoftIn 1975, before graduation Gates left Harvard to form Microsoft with his childhood friend Paul Allen. The pair planned to develop software for the newly emerging personal computer market.
Bill Gate's company Microsoft became famous for their computer operating systems and killer business deals. For example, Bill Gates talked IBM into letting Microsoft retain the licensing rights to MS-DOS an operating system, that IBM needed for their new personal computer. Gates proceeded to make a fortune from the licensing of MS-DOS.
On November 10, 1983, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, Microsoft Corporation formally announced Microsoft Windows, a next-generation operating system.
On January 1, 1994, Bill Gates married Melinda French Gates. They have three children.
Bill Gates PhilanthropistBill Gates and his wife, Melinda, have endowed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with more than $28.8 billion (as of January 2005) to support philanthropic initiatives in the areas of global health and learning.
MS DOS The Operating System HistoryFrom a Quick and Dirty Operating System a giant walks (ms-dos), in 1980, IBM first approached Bill Gates and Microsoft, to discuss the state of home computers and Microsoft products.
Windows 1.0 To Windows Beyond 2000Windows is the graphical user interface for IBM and IBM compatible machines, this article discusses the origins of Windows and where Windows is heading.
Bill Gates - Early LifeHe had an early interest in software and began programming computers at the age of thirteen. In 1973, Bill Gates became a student at Harvard University, where he meet Steve Ballmer (now Microsoft's chief executive officer). While still a Harvard undergraduate, Bill Gates wrote a version of the programming language BASIC for the MITS Altair microcomputer.
Did you know that as young teenagers Bill Gates and Paul Allen ran a small company called Traf-O-Data and sold a computer to the city of Seattle that could count city traffic?
Bill Gates & MicrosoftIn 1975, before graduation Gates left Harvard to form Microsoft with his childhood friend Paul Allen. The pair planned to develop software for the newly emerging personal computer market.
Bill Gate's company Microsoft became famous for their computer operating systems and killer business deals. For example, Bill Gates talked IBM into letting Microsoft retain the licensing rights to MS-DOS an operating system, that IBM needed for their new personal computer. Gates proceeded to make a fortune from the licensing of MS-DOS.
On November 10, 1983, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, Microsoft Corporation formally announced Microsoft Windows, a next-generation operating system.
On January 1, 1994, Bill Gates married Melinda French Gates. They have three children.
Bill Gates PhilanthropistBill Gates and his wife, Melinda, have endowed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with more than $28.8 billion (as of January 2005) to support philanthropic initiatives in the areas of global health and learning.
MS DOS The Operating System HistoryFrom a Quick and Dirty Operating System a giant walks (ms-dos), in 1980, IBM first approached Bill Gates and Microsoft, to discuss the state of home computers and Microsoft products.
Windows 1.0 To Windows Beyond 2000Windows is the graphical user interface for IBM and IBM compatible machines, this article discusses the origins of Windows and where Windows is heading.
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