Reuters
Fri Jun 27, 2008. LONDON (Reuters) - A meat company has been branded Dickensian after forcing its employees to clock-off every time they want to go to the toilet.
The union Unite has criticized the meat processor for "essentially stopping staff pay when they visit the toilet."
The company, based in Dumfriesshire, insists anyone wanting to be excused from the system has to provide medical evidence, the union added.
Unite, joint general secretary, Tony Woodley said in a statement on its website: "We believe these are Dickensian employment practices.
"It's outrageous that in 2008 workers should have to endure the indignity of clocking out for toilet breaks as well as other practices which we believe invade their privacy."
It has called on Tesco to force its supplier to end such a practice.
"Brown Brothers have refused to change its policy, but the union is demanding that Tesco the UK's largest retailer ensures decent employment standards within its supply chain," Woodley added.
"The workers at Brown Brothers are essentially having their pay stopped for going to the toilet. Tesco must do everything in its power to investigate these practices and put an end to them."
Nobody was immediately available for comment from Brown Brothers.
Media reports quoted the company as saying the policy was part of a special pay deal agreed with workers and unions to ensure production ran smoothly.
Workers have to clock out, take off their wellies, overalls and hairnets before leaving for the toilet.
Staff received extra money as part of the pay deal which was aimed at focusing toilet breaks at set times of the day, the BBC quoted the company as saying.
Tesco said in a statement: "We take the issue of labor standards very seriously and require all our suppliers to meet strict independent audited criteria."
(Reporting by Avril Ormsby; Editing by Jeremy Lovell)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Corrupt officials betrayed by pillow talk...
Reuters
Thu Jun 26, 2008 BEIJING (Reuters) - Anti-graft authorities in a southern Chinese city are questioning mistresses of suspected corrupt officials and finding the information is paying off prettily, state media said on Thursday.
Mistresses and "second wives" are common among government officials and businessmen in China and are often blamed for driving officials to seek money through bribes or other abuses of power.
"At least 80 percent of corrupt officials exposed in Dongguan had mistresses who gave us important information that we did not possess," Zhou Yuefeng, deputy director of the industrial city's anti-graft bureau told the China Daily.
He declined to give details.
Besides having mistresses, Zhou said receiving bribes in the form of share dividends was also common among corrupt officials in Dongguan.
"Our focus this year will be on the taxation and medical departments." he said. "However, that doesn't mean we won't be looking at corruption in other areas."
A report by China's top prosecutor's office last year said that of 16 provincial-level officials punished for serious graft in the previous five years, most were involved in "trading power for sex," along with gambling, money-laundering and shady land sales to developers.
(Editing by David Fox)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Thu Jun 26, 2008 BEIJING (Reuters) - Anti-graft authorities in a southern Chinese city are questioning mistresses of suspected corrupt officials and finding the information is paying off prettily, state media said on Thursday.
Mistresses and "second wives" are common among government officials and businessmen in China and are often blamed for driving officials to seek money through bribes or other abuses of power.
"At least 80 percent of corrupt officials exposed in Dongguan had mistresses who gave us important information that we did not possess," Zhou Yuefeng, deputy director of the industrial city's anti-graft bureau told the China Daily.
He declined to give details.
Besides having mistresses, Zhou said receiving bribes in the form of share dividends was also common among corrupt officials in Dongguan.
"Our focus this year will be on the taxation and medical departments." he said. "However, that doesn't mean we won't be looking at corruption in other areas."
A report by China's top prosecutor's office last year said that of 16 provincial-level officials punished for serious graft in the previous five years, most were involved in "trading power for sex," along with gambling, money-laundering and shady land sales to developers.
(Editing by David Fox)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Shocking times for Aussie broadband over powerline...
Communications - ZDNet Australia David Braue, ZDNet.com.au
05 March 2008. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but Australian utilities' recent abandonment of broadband over powerline (BPL) technology has all but sealed the fate of a technology that was once hoped to bring high-speed data to every corner of Australia.
Enthusiasm for BPL grew out of the telecommunications industry slump of 2003, as technology providers looked for new ways of building revenue and realised that electricity operators already had access to wires running into every home and business premise in their coverage areas. Why not, they reasoned, use those wires to bring broadband into areas where thinner, older copper local loop wiring just wasn't up to the task of carrying ADSL reliably?
Commercial trials quickly ensued, and by 2004 it seemed that success in the trials would see the technology used to bring blazing-fast Internet to both metropolitan and rural consumers at reasonable rates. The will was there, and the equipment readily available -- but somewhere along the way, the lights seem to have just gone out.
by 2004 it seemed that success in the trials would see the technology used to bring blazing-fast Internet to both metropolitan and rural consumers at reasonable rates.
Wires everywhere, BPL nowhere?
BPL technology is based around two key components: signal injectors, which the utilities deploy as an Internet gateway on their end of the line; and customer premises equipment that plugs into any powerpoint in a home or office.
By stuffing the data into a specific range of frequencies that wouldn't interfere with normal electricity carriage, the BPL equipment would allow data to run across the thousands of kilometres of high-voltage electrical lines that score the countryside.
This was the approach to be trialled by Tasmanian electricity company Aurora Energy, which was the first Australian utility to jump onboard. Three-month early field trials were expanded into ongoing tests in Burnie and Hobart late in 2005, and two years of ongoing testing suggested the technology certainly had a future. Similar enthusiasm was shared by the Woomera Consortium group, NSW-based Energy Australia, Melbourne-Based SP AusNet and Canberra-based Country Energy, all of which followed Aurora's lead by running trials of BPL technology with small groups of customers in their coverage areas.
Things looked good at first: SP AusNet, in particular, was optimistic about the technology after concluding a year-long BPL trial, which last August saw BPL rolled out to a number of premises in rural Mount Beauty, Victoria.
At the time, Reynard Smith, the company's manager for commercial development, remarked that the technology showed "a lot of potential... In the places where it worked well, we're very happy." This year, however, Smith is more reserved, saying only that the trial had been shut down and that the company is "assessing [BPL] in line with other options."
Less ambiguous was Aurora Energy, which announced in November that it was pulling out of BPL entirely. This was a significant change in strategy for the company, for which BPL would have seemed particularly appropriate given the relatively low density of broadband in the island state.
Aurora declined to offer further comment on the decision other than that outlined in a press release at the time. In that release, CEO Dr Peter Davis cited "cost pressures and service demands for Aurora's electricity business" that had seen BPL ditched after a six-month strategic review. Aurora would, Davis said, focus its efforts on electricity distribution and retailing, and "carefully selected telecommunications activities."
Those activities, it now appears, revolve around fibre-optic infrastructure. Aurora has dissolved its relationship with local retailer TasTel and telco partner AAPT, instead focusing its efforts on building fibre-optic network capacity to be resold to government and commercial users. This approach, presumably, offers more commercial certainty than the technically successful but commercially questionable BPL technology.
Death of a champion
Because of its easy implementation and far reach -- not to mention broadband speeds of up to 200Mbps -- BPL was once held as the Great White Hope of Australian telecommunications. SP AusNet's success in Mount Beauty, a remote town of around 1,700 people that suffers from the tyranny of distance as much as most other small rural towns, added credence to the argument that BPL could finally bring viable broadband to rural areas where other technologies were failing.
BPL was once held as the Great White Hope of Australian telecommunications
Commercial reality wasn't to have it that way, however: the assistance provided by the government's Broadband Connect program, as well as the rapidly evolving broadband market, meant that BPL quickly lost its potentially significant commercial edge.
The case for BPL wasn't helped, either, by rollout costs that would have quickly spiralled due to the need for a repeater station to be installed every kilometre along Australia's tens of thousands of kilometres of transmission lines. Interference with ham and emergency services radios was a well-documented side effect of BPL, although frequency 'notching' techniques were successfully introduced to avoid that problem.
Throw in the need for utilities to manage the telecoms infrastructure and enlist a carrier partner -- one that would also want a cut of the pie -- and it's clear that BPL, despite its promise and technical feasibility, is no longer compelling enough to be attractive for Australian utilities. Neither, apparently, is the related idea of a 'smart grid' -- an offshoot of BPL that was to use the pervasive data connectivity to both read and control meters regulating usage of electricity in homes.
Although utilities testing BPL remained hopeful about the technology's promise even at the beginning of this financial year, the mood in 2008 is decidedly less optimistic. A Country Energy spokesperson said that company's trial in Queanbeyan and Jerrabomberra was "still active" but wouldn't commit to any concrete plans for deployment.
Utilities are just not risk taking organisations
"The timescale, unfortunately, just keeps moving out," he explained. None of this comes as any surprise to telecommunications analyst Paul Budde, who saw BPL running out of steam a while ago. Because of the need to bring on telecommunications partners, for example, utilities can never own, manage and profit from BPL on their own, particularly given the cutthroat nature of the telecommunications market.
"The reality is that utilities are not telcos, and that they are risk adverse," Budde explains. "They might want to make their infrastructure available to the telcos, and that goes all the way to fibre-optic cabling. But none of the CEOs of the utilities is eager to start a fight with the telcos; you need very strong leadership [to make that happen], and utilities are just not risk taking organisations."
05 March 2008. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but Australian utilities' recent abandonment of broadband over powerline (BPL) technology has all but sealed the fate of a technology that was once hoped to bring high-speed data to every corner of Australia.
Enthusiasm for BPL grew out of the telecommunications industry slump of 2003, as technology providers looked for new ways of building revenue and realised that electricity operators already had access to wires running into every home and business premise in their coverage areas. Why not, they reasoned, use those wires to bring broadband into areas where thinner, older copper local loop wiring just wasn't up to the task of carrying ADSL reliably?
Commercial trials quickly ensued, and by 2004 it seemed that success in the trials would see the technology used to bring blazing-fast Internet to both metropolitan and rural consumers at reasonable rates. The will was there, and the equipment readily available -- but somewhere along the way, the lights seem to have just gone out.
by 2004 it seemed that success in the trials would see the technology used to bring blazing-fast Internet to both metropolitan and rural consumers at reasonable rates.
Wires everywhere, BPL nowhere?
BPL technology is based around two key components: signal injectors, which the utilities deploy as an Internet gateway on their end of the line; and customer premises equipment that plugs into any powerpoint in a home or office.
By stuffing the data into a specific range of frequencies that wouldn't interfere with normal electricity carriage, the BPL equipment would allow data to run across the thousands of kilometres of high-voltage electrical lines that score the countryside.
This was the approach to be trialled by Tasmanian electricity company Aurora Energy, which was the first Australian utility to jump onboard. Three-month early field trials were expanded into ongoing tests in Burnie and Hobart late in 2005, and two years of ongoing testing suggested the technology certainly had a future. Similar enthusiasm was shared by the Woomera Consortium group, NSW-based Energy Australia, Melbourne-Based SP AusNet and Canberra-based Country Energy, all of which followed Aurora's lead by running trials of BPL technology with small groups of customers in their coverage areas.
Things looked good at first: SP AusNet, in particular, was optimistic about the technology after concluding a year-long BPL trial, which last August saw BPL rolled out to a number of premises in rural Mount Beauty, Victoria.
At the time, Reynard Smith, the company's manager for commercial development, remarked that the technology showed "a lot of potential... In the places where it worked well, we're very happy." This year, however, Smith is more reserved, saying only that the trial had been shut down and that the company is "assessing [BPL] in line with other options."
Less ambiguous was Aurora Energy, which announced in November that it was pulling out of BPL entirely. This was a significant change in strategy for the company, for which BPL would have seemed particularly appropriate given the relatively low density of broadband in the island state.
Aurora declined to offer further comment on the decision other than that outlined in a press release at the time. In that release, CEO Dr Peter Davis cited "cost pressures and service demands for Aurora's electricity business" that had seen BPL ditched after a six-month strategic review. Aurora would, Davis said, focus its efforts on electricity distribution and retailing, and "carefully selected telecommunications activities."
Those activities, it now appears, revolve around fibre-optic infrastructure. Aurora has dissolved its relationship with local retailer TasTel and telco partner AAPT, instead focusing its efforts on building fibre-optic network capacity to be resold to government and commercial users. This approach, presumably, offers more commercial certainty than the technically successful but commercially questionable BPL technology.
Death of a champion
Because of its easy implementation and far reach -- not to mention broadband speeds of up to 200Mbps -- BPL was once held as the Great White Hope of Australian telecommunications. SP AusNet's success in Mount Beauty, a remote town of around 1,700 people that suffers from the tyranny of distance as much as most other small rural towns, added credence to the argument that BPL could finally bring viable broadband to rural areas where other technologies were failing.
BPL was once held as the Great White Hope of Australian telecommunications
Commercial reality wasn't to have it that way, however: the assistance provided by the government's Broadband Connect program, as well as the rapidly evolving broadband market, meant that BPL quickly lost its potentially significant commercial edge.
The case for BPL wasn't helped, either, by rollout costs that would have quickly spiralled due to the need for a repeater station to be installed every kilometre along Australia's tens of thousands of kilometres of transmission lines. Interference with ham and emergency services radios was a well-documented side effect of BPL, although frequency 'notching' techniques were successfully introduced to avoid that problem.
Throw in the need for utilities to manage the telecoms infrastructure and enlist a carrier partner -- one that would also want a cut of the pie -- and it's clear that BPL, despite its promise and technical feasibility, is no longer compelling enough to be attractive for Australian utilities. Neither, apparently, is the related idea of a 'smart grid' -- an offshoot of BPL that was to use the pervasive data connectivity to both read and control meters regulating usage of electricity in homes.
Although utilities testing BPL remained hopeful about the technology's promise even at the beginning of this financial year, the mood in 2008 is decidedly less optimistic. A Country Energy spokesperson said that company's trial in Queanbeyan and Jerrabomberra was "still active" but wouldn't commit to any concrete plans for deployment.
Utilities are just not risk taking organisations
"The timescale, unfortunately, just keeps moving out," he explained. None of this comes as any surprise to telecommunications analyst Paul Budde, who saw BPL running out of steam a while ago. Because of the need to bring on telecommunications partners, for example, utilities can never own, manage and profit from BPL on their own, particularly given the cutthroat nature of the telecommunications market.
"The reality is that utilities are not telcos, and that they are risk adverse," Budde explains. "They might want to make their infrastructure available to the telcos, and that goes all the way to fibre-optic cabling. But none of the CEOs of the utilities is eager to start a fight with the telcos; you need very strong leadership [to make that happen], and utilities are just not risk taking organisations."
Get to know Skype 4.0 beta...
Cool Web apps for everyone - CNET By Jessica Dolcourt
June 17, 2008 8:08 It has been a while since a major Skype release, and on Wednesday, the eBay-owned VoIP communication service will issue the first of several planned version 4.0 beta builds for Windows that are anticipated to drop over the next few months.
The biggest changes to come with Skype 4.0 beta (download) are visual and organizational. For the first time, the program contains complete prompts for running sound and Webcam checks within the program set-up. After two failed tests buffered by common troubleshooting suggestions, Skype will recommend hardware--like headsets and a Webcam--to reverse incompatibility errors.
Redesigned interface
Skype 4.0 beta's redesigned interface may also get you blinking. Compared with its stable cousin, the new Skype beta's GUI has overflowed its banks, replacing tabs in the once-narrow interface with a second pane tacked on to the right. Four or five functions are flattened into this single window in an effort to make communications other than the voice chat staple easier to find and use. To wit, there's an IM bar deposited at the bottom of the communications pane and large buttons that prompt voice and video calls. Video calls are large by default, filling the program's communication activity pane.
Skype Out, the service offering competitive international rates for Skype users calling contacts' landlines instead of their computers, has also been chiseled out, by a large call-to-action button on the navigation bar. The button just below it opens a directory for finding people, businesses, and chat rooms. The toggle bar tucked away at the top switches from saved chat conversations to the contacts view, and rounds out the new additions.
Some functionality, like Skype Prime, will arrive in later builds.
Still more to come...
Though there may be a placeholder for it, not every function in this first beta is live. The shop for Skype-approved hardware, while available from Skype.com, will not be activated in this iteration, nor will be the service on real-time advice, called Skype Prime. Automatic redial, call transferring, video presentations, and integration with Outlook contacts are also scheduled for roll-out in later builds.
The spread-out interface of Skype 4.0 beta for Windows will definitely take some getting used to, especially as it abandons the client's traditionally nimble, IM-styled build. However, it does succeed in calling out a wider array of communication services. This may give the Luxembourg-headquartered company a chance to deemphasize VoIP as its core competency and mark out new territory in Internet video, collaboration tools, and entertainment services.
As ambitious as Skype's new look and capabilities are, Mike Bartlett, the program's Windows product manager, confessed during our briefing that this design and the newly introduced features will be closely monitored for user backlash. It's likely that strong feedback from Skype's 309 million registered users will leave an impression on Skype 4.0 beta continues to take shape in the upcoming months.
Originally posted at The Daily Download
June 17, 2008 8:08 It has been a while since a major Skype release, and on Wednesday, the eBay-owned VoIP communication service will issue the first of several planned version 4.0 beta builds for Windows that are anticipated to drop over the next few months.
The biggest changes to come with Skype 4.0 beta (download) are visual and organizational. For the first time, the program contains complete prompts for running sound and Webcam checks within the program set-up. After two failed tests buffered by common troubleshooting suggestions, Skype will recommend hardware--like headsets and a Webcam--to reverse incompatibility errors.
Redesigned interface
Skype 4.0 beta's redesigned interface may also get you blinking. Compared with its stable cousin, the new Skype beta's GUI has overflowed its banks, replacing tabs in the once-narrow interface with a second pane tacked on to the right. Four or five functions are flattened into this single window in an effort to make communications other than the voice chat staple easier to find and use. To wit, there's an IM bar deposited at the bottom of the communications pane and large buttons that prompt voice and video calls. Video calls are large by default, filling the program's communication activity pane.
Skype Out, the service offering competitive international rates for Skype users calling contacts' landlines instead of their computers, has also been chiseled out, by a large call-to-action button on the navigation bar. The button just below it opens a directory for finding people, businesses, and chat rooms. The toggle bar tucked away at the top switches from saved chat conversations to the contacts view, and rounds out the new additions.
Some functionality, like Skype Prime, will arrive in later builds.
Still more to come...
Though there may be a placeholder for it, not every function in this first beta is live. The shop for Skype-approved hardware, while available from Skype.com, will not be activated in this iteration, nor will be the service on real-time advice, called Skype Prime. Automatic redial, call transferring, video presentations, and integration with Outlook contacts are also scheduled for roll-out in later builds.
The spread-out interface of Skype 4.0 beta for Windows will definitely take some getting used to, especially as it abandons the client's traditionally nimble, IM-styled build. However, it does succeed in calling out a wider array of communication services. This may give the Luxembourg-headquartered company a chance to deemphasize VoIP as its core competency and mark out new territory in Internet video, collaboration tools, and entertainment services.
As ambitious as Skype's new look and capabilities are, Mike Bartlett, the program's Windows product manager, confessed during our briefing that this design and the newly introduced features will be closely monitored for user backlash. It's likely that strong feedback from Skype's 309 million registered users will leave an impression on Skype 4.0 beta continues to take shape in the upcoming months.
Originally posted at The Daily Download
Monday, June 23, 2008
Microsoft in 'trouble' as Bill Gates leaves...
ZDNet Australia
23 June 2008. A Harvard University dropout who ushered in the home computer age and made billions of dollars along the way will have his last official day of work at Microsoft on 27 June.
Three people will essentially fill the void left behind when Bill Gates retires from the company he and friend Paul Allen co-founded in 1975.
Since Gates began his transition from leading Microsoft to heading his personally-bankrolled charity, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, his job as chief software architect has been handled by Ray Ozzie.
Craig Mundie inherited Gates' chief research and strategy officer duties, while former Harvard classmate Steve Ballmer became chief executive officer at the Seattle-based software colossus.
Gates left Harvard after two years to found the firm that became global powerhouse Microsoft. He later received honorary degrees from Harvard and other universities.
After retiring, Gates will remain chairman of the Microsoft board of directors and its largest shareholder.
"I don't think anything is going to drastically change the day he leaves," said Matt Rosoff of the private analyst firm Directions On Microsoft.
"If he thinks something is important and tells Steve Ballmer, Ballmer will listen to him."
Still, Gates' bespectacled nerdish visage is an integral part of Microsoft's image and his departure is symbolic, according to analysts.
"The challenge Microsoft has when the founder departs is remembering its heart," said analyst Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group in Silicon Valley.
"At some point the firm has to take the essence of what made Bill Gates successful and make sure that is preserved. Whether it is a company or a person, once you've lost your heart there isn't much left but a shell."
Analysts say there are signs Microsoft has been struggling since Gates stepped away from managing operations several years ago.
The Windows and Office software on which its fortune is built have stumbled.
Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system released in January of 2007 has flopped with customers, many of whom are clinging to its predecessor Windows XP.
"They are in trouble on the desktop (computer software)," Enderle said. "Microsoft started as a desktop vendor and suddenly it is its weakness."
Meanwhile, Apple's Macintosh computers have been gaining popularity.
While Windows is still used on 90 per cent of the world's computers, Macintosh computers using Apple operating systems have grown rapidly.
The software giant also sees its bottom line threatened by Google, which offers free online programs that compete with Office and other packaged software sold by Microsoft.
Microsoft failed in a recent bid to buy Yahoo for nearly US$50 billion in order to combine online resources to better battle Google in the internet search and advertising market.
Enderle said he didn't see Gates' fingers in the attempted takeover, and Gates was likely to have been among board members who backed pulling the plug on acquisition talks.
Microsoft's server and tools division is its most profitable unit. It's entertainment unit, which sells Xbox video game consoles and gaming software, has yet to make a profit.
"You could see Microsoft struggling after Bill Gates steps out of day-to-day roles," Enderle said.
"A founder takes such a larger-than-life role and directs a company in very subtle ways that are often forgotten when a founder leaves. That gap, for a lot of companies, has been almost terminal."
23 June 2008. A Harvard University dropout who ushered in the home computer age and made billions of dollars along the way will have his last official day of work at Microsoft on 27 June.
Three people will essentially fill the void left behind when Bill Gates retires from the company he and friend Paul Allen co-founded in 1975.
Since Gates began his transition from leading Microsoft to heading his personally-bankrolled charity, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, his job as chief software architect has been handled by Ray Ozzie.
Craig Mundie inherited Gates' chief research and strategy officer duties, while former Harvard classmate Steve Ballmer became chief executive officer at the Seattle-based software colossus.
Gates left Harvard after two years to found the firm that became global powerhouse Microsoft. He later received honorary degrees from Harvard and other universities.
After retiring, Gates will remain chairman of the Microsoft board of directors and its largest shareholder.
"I don't think anything is going to drastically change the day he leaves," said Matt Rosoff of the private analyst firm Directions On Microsoft.
"If he thinks something is important and tells Steve Ballmer, Ballmer will listen to him."
Still, Gates' bespectacled nerdish visage is an integral part of Microsoft's image and his departure is symbolic, according to analysts.
"The challenge Microsoft has when the founder departs is remembering its heart," said analyst Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group in Silicon Valley.
"At some point the firm has to take the essence of what made Bill Gates successful and make sure that is preserved. Whether it is a company or a person, once you've lost your heart there isn't much left but a shell."
Analysts say there are signs Microsoft has been struggling since Gates stepped away from managing operations several years ago.
The Windows and Office software on which its fortune is built have stumbled.
Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system released in January of 2007 has flopped with customers, many of whom are clinging to its predecessor Windows XP.
"They are in trouble on the desktop (computer software)," Enderle said. "Microsoft started as a desktop vendor and suddenly it is its weakness."
Meanwhile, Apple's Macintosh computers have been gaining popularity.
While Windows is still used on 90 per cent of the world's computers, Macintosh computers using Apple operating systems have grown rapidly.
The software giant also sees its bottom line threatened by Google, which offers free online programs that compete with Office and other packaged software sold by Microsoft.
Microsoft failed in a recent bid to buy Yahoo for nearly US$50 billion in order to combine online resources to better battle Google in the internet search and advertising market.
Enderle said he didn't see Gates' fingers in the attempted takeover, and Gates was likely to have been among board members who backed pulling the plug on acquisition talks.
Microsoft's server and tools division is its most profitable unit. It's entertainment unit, which sells Xbox video game consoles and gaming software, has yet to make a profit.
"You could see Microsoft struggling after Bill Gates steps out of day-to-day roles," Enderle said.
"A founder takes such a larger-than-life role and directs a company in very subtle ways that are often forgotten when a founder leaves. That gap, for a lot of companies, has been almost terminal."
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Wine na vijftien jaar ontkurkt...
Techworld.nl Bij Ferry Waterkamp
Woensdag 18 juni 2008Na een ontwikkelperiode van maar liefst vijftien jaar is gisteren eindelijk de definitieve 1.0-versie onthuld van de emulatiesoftware Wine.
Wine (Wine is not an emulator) is een applicatie die het mogelijk maakt om Windows-applicaties op andere besturingssystemen te draaien, waaronder versies van Linux, Unix en Mac OS X. Hiervoor is het niet nodig om lokaal Windows te installeren wat bij virtualisatiesoftware wel het geval is.
De ontwikkeling van Wine begon al in 1993 toen Windows 3.1 breed beschikbaar kwam. De eerste versies draaiden Windows 3.1-applicaties op Linux. Het kaartspelletjes Solitaire was het eerste programma dat succesvol draaide met Wine. Daarna hadden de ontwikkelaars echter de grootste moeite om de veranderingen in Windows bij te benen. Zo moest na de introductie van XP de ondersteuning voor Windows-componenten als COM (Common Object Model) en OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) worden herschreven.
Sinds 2005 zit het pakket in de bètafase, maar is sinds vorig jaar redelijk stabiel te noemen. De definitieve versie kan nu worden gedownload van de site van Wine. Volgens de ontwikkelaars is de compatibiliteit met Windows nog steeds niet perfect. Desondanks zouden 'duizenden applicaties' goed moeten werken.
Woensdag 18 juni 2008Na een ontwikkelperiode van maar liefst vijftien jaar is gisteren eindelijk de definitieve 1.0-versie onthuld van de emulatiesoftware Wine.
Wine (Wine is not an emulator) is een applicatie die het mogelijk maakt om Windows-applicaties op andere besturingssystemen te draaien, waaronder versies van Linux, Unix en Mac OS X. Hiervoor is het niet nodig om lokaal Windows te installeren wat bij virtualisatiesoftware wel het geval is.
De ontwikkeling van Wine begon al in 1993 toen Windows 3.1 breed beschikbaar kwam. De eerste versies draaiden Windows 3.1-applicaties op Linux. Het kaartspelletjes Solitaire was het eerste programma dat succesvol draaide met Wine. Daarna hadden de ontwikkelaars echter de grootste moeite om de veranderingen in Windows bij te benen. Zo moest na de introductie van XP de ondersteuning voor Windows-componenten als COM (Common Object Model) en OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) worden herschreven.
Sinds 2005 zit het pakket in de bètafase, maar is sinds vorig jaar redelijk stabiel te noemen. De definitieve versie kan nu worden gedownload van de site van Wine. Volgens de ontwikkelaars is de compatibiliteit met Windows nog steeds niet perfect. Desondanks zouden 'duizenden applicaties' goed moeten werken.
Slimmer soprano back, says looks count in opera...
Reuters By Mike Collett-White
Tue Jun 17, 2008. LONDON (Reuters) - Slimmed-down soprano Deborah Voigt, back at London's Covent Garden four years after bosses fired her for being too fat, says opera, like other forms of entertainment, is increasingly obsessed with looks.
The 47-year-old American accepted an invitation from the Royal Opera House to return to the same production she was dropped from in 2004 when the casting director felt she would not suit the "little black dress" he envisaged for the part.
The decision sparked heated debate in the world of opera and beyond about the importance of artists' appearance. Voigt shed 120 pounds with the help of gastric bypass surgery and is back as Ariadne in Richard Strauss's "Ariadne auf Naxos."
Until recently opera had a reputation for casting large and barely mobile men and women as dashing heroes and beautiful queens based purely on the quality of their voice.
The shift in recent years towards good looks as much as talent, epitomized by the popularity of the "popera" genre, reflected the broader world of entertainment, Voigt argued.
"There's no getting around the fact that the face of opera is changing," she told Reuters in her back stage dressing room after the opening night of 'Ariadne'.
"It would be very easy to say, well, it shouldn't matter and in a certain decade it shouldn't have mattered when we didn't have to think about television and there wasn't so much competition for entertainment dollars."
Opera would have to draw the line somewhere, however.
"I'm hoping that we don't go so far as to put microphones on soubrette sopranos and have them singing Isolde," she explained, referring to testing Wagnerian roles such as that in "Tristan und Isolde" that Voigt recently sang at the Met in New York.
"I don't think that would be the case. Nonetheless, I think it would be foolish to think that singers don't have to be more concerned about their physique than in decades past."
ANGER, HUMOUR
Voigt said she was initially upset at being dropped by the Royal Opera House, although she now understood she would have looked out of place in the stylized 'Ariadne' production.
To publicize her return, Voigt posted a video on YouTube (http:/uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kQqPauyGiVU) in which she confronts the infamous "little black dress" in a New York hotel. The Royal Opera House's Web site links to the clip.
"We didn't part on the best of terms," the dress says in a man's voice. "It just seemed at the time that we weren't a good fit ... I realized I was wrong. Size doesn't matter."
Voigt said the radical weight-loss program was more a health decision than a knee-jerk reaction to her rejection, and her subsequent weight loss has opened up new opportunities.
It does require new vocal techniques, however.
"It occurred to me ... that I hadn't sung Ariadne since I was 120 pounds heavier, and it does feel different and I have to adjust technically, muscularly to how I approach the role."
That will not stop her attempting more "heavy" roles in the future like Isolde and other female Wagnerian leads, she added.
"I'm taking on really heavy roles and they cost more. Doing Tristan and Isolde is a really expensive night in terms of what it costs you physically and emotionally," she said.
"There is certainly going to be much more of Wagner and dramatic repertoire in the future."
(To read more about our entertainment news, visit our blog "Fan Fare" online at http:/blogs.reuters.com/fanfare)
(Editing by Paul Casciato)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Tue Jun 17, 2008. LONDON (Reuters) - Slimmed-down soprano Deborah Voigt, back at London's Covent Garden four years after bosses fired her for being too fat, says opera, like other forms of entertainment, is increasingly obsessed with looks.The 47-year-old American accepted an invitation from the Royal Opera House to return to the same production she was dropped from in 2004 when the casting director felt she would not suit the "little black dress" he envisaged for the part.
The decision sparked heated debate in the world of opera and beyond about the importance of artists' appearance. Voigt shed 120 pounds with the help of gastric bypass surgery and is back as Ariadne in Richard Strauss's "Ariadne auf Naxos."
Until recently opera had a reputation for casting large and barely mobile men and women as dashing heroes and beautiful queens based purely on the quality of their voice.
The shift in recent years towards good looks as much as talent, epitomized by the popularity of the "popera" genre, reflected the broader world of entertainment, Voigt argued.
"There's no getting around the fact that the face of opera is changing," she told Reuters in her back stage dressing room after the opening night of 'Ariadne'.
"It would be very easy to say, well, it shouldn't matter and in a certain decade it shouldn't have mattered when we didn't have to think about television and there wasn't so much competition for entertainment dollars."
Opera would have to draw the line somewhere, however.
"I'm hoping that we don't go so far as to put microphones on soubrette sopranos and have them singing Isolde," she explained, referring to testing Wagnerian roles such as that in "Tristan und Isolde" that Voigt recently sang at the Met in New York.
"I don't think that would be the case. Nonetheless, I think it would be foolish to think that singers don't have to be more concerned about their physique than in decades past."
ANGER, HUMOUR
Voigt said she was initially upset at being dropped by the Royal Opera House, although she now understood she would have looked out of place in the stylized 'Ariadne' production.
To publicize her return, Voigt posted a video on YouTube (http:/uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kQqPauyGiVU) in which she confronts the infamous "little black dress" in a New York hotel. The Royal Opera House's Web site links to the clip.
"We didn't part on the best of terms," the dress says in a man's voice. "It just seemed at the time that we weren't a good fit ... I realized I was wrong. Size doesn't matter."
Voigt said the radical weight-loss program was more a health decision than a knee-jerk reaction to her rejection, and her subsequent weight loss has opened up new opportunities.
It does require new vocal techniques, however.
"It occurred to me ... that I hadn't sung Ariadne since I was 120 pounds heavier, and it does feel different and I have to adjust technically, muscularly to how I approach the role."
That will not stop her attempting more "heavy" roles in the future like Isolde and other female Wagnerian leads, she added.
"I'm taking on really heavy roles and they cost more. Doing Tristan and Isolde is a really expensive night in terms of what it costs you physically and emotionally," she said.
"There is certainly going to be much more of Wagner and dramatic repertoire in the future."
(To read more about our entertainment news, visit our blog "Fan Fare" online at http:/blogs.reuters.com/fanfare)
(Editing by Paul Casciato)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Streaking to victory in topless match | U.S. | Reuters
Reuters Karin Strohecker
Mon Jun 16, 2008. VIENNA (Reuters) - Whether it has any bearing on Monday's crunch Euro 2008 match between the two countries is debatable but Austria drew first blood on Sunday when their topless women's soccer team beat Germany 10-5.
The traditional swapping of shirts afterwards was not an option as the six-a-side teams wore nothing but thongs, with the national colors painted on to their bare skin.
The football may not have been of the highest quality but that did not temper the enthusiasm of a mostly male crowd boosted by a sizeable media presence only too happy to desert Euro 2008 training for an hour or two.
The match was organized by a chat room website.
Austria were delighted with a victory they hoped would be a morale-booster for their male counterparts but was not without its serious side.
"I hope our men will take heart from that tomorrow. We played pretty hard, we even had some injuries, like I for example broke my toe nail," 29-year-old bank employee Doris Fastenmeir told Reuters.
The Germans took defeat sportingly and joined their opponents for alcopops and dancing at a beach club alongside the Danube.
"I was supposed to hold the balls but I really have no idea how to do that," said German keeper Jana Bach.
"Maybe it is because I am not all that much into soccer. I am more into shoes to be honest."
The verdict of the onlookers?
"They might have to work on their technique a bit but it was definitely a rather pleasant game to watch and a very nice version of the 'beautiful game'," said Rolf Hansen from Berlin.
(Editing by Jon Bramley and Tony Jimenez)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Mon Jun 16, 2008. VIENNA (Reuters) - Whether it has any bearing on Monday's crunch Euro 2008 match between the two countries is debatable but Austria drew first blood on Sunday when their topless women's soccer team beat Germany 10-5.
The traditional swapping of shirts afterwards was not an option as the six-a-side teams wore nothing but thongs, with the national colors painted on to their bare skin.
The football may not have been of the highest quality but that did not temper the enthusiasm of a mostly male crowd boosted by a sizeable media presence only too happy to desert Euro 2008 training for an hour or two.
The match was organized by a chat room website.
Austria were delighted with a victory they hoped would be a morale-booster for their male counterparts but was not without its serious side.
"I hope our men will take heart from that tomorrow. We played pretty hard, we even had some injuries, like I for example broke my toe nail," 29-year-old bank employee Doris Fastenmeir told Reuters.
The Germans took defeat sportingly and joined their opponents for alcopops and dancing at a beach club alongside the Danube.
"I was supposed to hold the balls but I really have no idea how to do that," said German keeper Jana Bach.
"Maybe it is because I am not all that much into soccer. I am more into shoes to be honest."
The verdict of the onlookers?
"They might have to work on their technique a bit but it was definitely a rather pleasant game to watch and a very nice version of the 'beautiful game'," said Rolf Hansen from Berlin.
(Editing by Jon Bramley and Tony Jimenez)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Japan makes robot girlfriend for lonely men...
Technology Reuters
Tue Jun 17, 2008. TOKYO (Reuters) - She is big-busted, petite, very friendly, and she runs on batteries.
A Japanese firm has produced a 38 cm (15 inch) tall robotic girlfriend that kisses on command, to go on sale in September for around $175, with a target market of lonely adult men.
Using her infrared sensors and battery power, the diminutive damsel named "EMA" puckers up for nearby human heads, entering what designers call its "love mode".
"Strong, tough and battle-ready are some of the words often associated with robots, but we wanted to break that stereotype and provide a robot that's sweet and interactive," said Minako Sakanoue, a spokeswoman for the maker, Sega Toys.
"She's very lovable and though she's not a human, she can act like a real girlfriend."
EMA, which stands for Eternal Maiden Actualization, can also hand out business cards, sing and dance, with Sega hoping to sell 10,000 in the first year.
Japan, home to almost half the world's 800,000 industrial robots, envisions a $10-billion market for artificial intelligence in a decade.
(Reporting by Chika Osaka; writing by Rodney Joyce, editing by Miral Fahmy)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Tue Jun 17, 2008. TOKYO (Reuters) - She is big-busted, petite, very friendly, and she runs on batteries.A Japanese firm has produced a 38 cm (15 inch) tall robotic girlfriend that kisses on command, to go on sale in September for around $175, with a target market of lonely adult men.
Using her infrared sensors and battery power, the diminutive damsel named "EMA" puckers up for nearby human heads, entering what designers call its "love mode".
"Strong, tough and battle-ready are some of the words often associated with robots, but we wanted to break that stereotype and provide a robot that's sweet and interactive," said Minako Sakanoue, a spokeswoman for the maker, Sega Toys.
"She's very lovable and though she's not a human, she can act like a real girlfriend."
EMA, which stands for Eternal Maiden Actualization, can also hand out business cards, sing and dance, with Sega hoping to sell 10,000 in the first year.
Japan, home to almost half the world's 800,000 industrial robots, envisions a $10-billion market for artificial intelligence in a decade.
(Reporting by Chika Osaka; writing by Rodney Joyce, editing by Miral Fahmy)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Windows XP: The end is nigh...
ZDNet Australia Ina Fried, CNET News.com
17 June 2008. After a long-announced transition, 30 June marks the end of an era at Microsoft — that of Windows XP. As of 30 June, large PC makers will no longer be able to sell Windows XP-based PCs on mainstream notebooks and desktops. Retailers will also have only until their current supply is exhausted to sell boxed copies of the operating system.
Despite a brief "Save XP" movement (and continued criticism of Windows Vista from many corners), Microsoft is not going to change the deadline, which is now just two weeks away.
Although XP will disappear as an option for most computer buyers, the operating system will live on in several key ways.
XP will be available on PCs from smaller computer makers known as "system builders" until 31 January, 2009.
XP will be available for so-called ultra-low-cost-PCs until 30 June, 2010.
The low-end Windows XP Starter Edition will continue to be available in emerging markets until 30 June, 2010.
Windows Vista Ultimate and Windows Vista Business come with downgrade rights. Some computer makers are using this option to offer machines that appear as Windows XP products but are "factory downgraded" to XP. The downside is that only pricier versions of Vista qualify, but the benefit is that the machines come with the option to eventually move to Vista for no added fee. Microsoft says it will continue to make XP discs available to computer makers to enable downgrade rights through at least 31 January, 2009.
Microsoft is not ending support for Windows XP. Mainstream support continues until 2009, while extended support is not due to end until April 2014.
17 June 2008. After a long-announced transition, 30 June marks the end of an era at Microsoft — that of Windows XP. As of 30 June, large PC makers will no longer be able to sell Windows XP-based PCs on mainstream notebooks and desktops. Retailers will also have only until their current supply is exhausted to sell boxed copies of the operating system.
Despite a brief "Save XP" movement (and continued criticism of Windows Vista from many corners), Microsoft is not going to change the deadline, which is now just two weeks away.
Although XP will disappear as an option for most computer buyers, the operating system will live on in several key ways.
XP will be available on PCs from smaller computer makers known as "system builders" until 31 January, 2009.
XP will be available for so-called ultra-low-cost-PCs until 30 June, 2010.
The low-end Windows XP Starter Edition will continue to be available in emerging markets until 30 June, 2010.
Windows Vista Ultimate and Windows Vista Business come with downgrade rights. Some computer makers are using this option to offer machines that appear as Windows XP products but are "factory downgraded" to XP. The downside is that only pricier versions of Vista qualify, but the benefit is that the machines come with the option to eventually move to Vista for no added fee. Microsoft says it will continue to make XP discs available to computer makers to enable downgrade rights through at least 31 January, 2009.
Microsoft is not ending support for Windows XP. Mainstream support continues until 2009, while extended support is not due to end until April 2014.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
France to block child pornography websites...
Reuters
Tue Jun 10, 2008. PARIS (Reuters) - France plans to use the help of Internet service providers to block websites which disseminate child pornography, Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said on Tuesday.
In a speech on fighting cybercrime, Alliot-Marie said Internet users would from September be able to flag sites which carried child pornography, incitement to terrorism and racial hatred, or attempted fraud.
This real-time information would help the French state to draw up a blacklist of sites that disseminated child pornography which it would transmit to Internet service providers, who have agreed to block such sites, Alliot-Marie said.
"It is not a question of creating a Big Brother on the Internet," she said in the speech.
"What I am responsible for as Interior Minister is to protect children and their families from pedophiles."
Alliot-Marie said the French state would pass on information about any illegal sites which were run from overseas to the host countries, EU police agency Europol, or to international police agency Interpol.
(Reporting by Swaha Pattanaik; Editing by Stephen Weeks)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Tue Jun 10, 2008. PARIS (Reuters) - France plans to use the help of Internet service providers to block websites which disseminate child pornography, Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said on Tuesday.In a speech on fighting cybercrime, Alliot-Marie said Internet users would from September be able to flag sites which carried child pornography, incitement to terrorism and racial hatred, or attempted fraud.
This real-time information would help the French state to draw up a blacklist of sites that disseminated child pornography which it would transmit to Internet service providers, who have agreed to block such sites, Alliot-Marie said.
"It is not a question of creating a Big Brother on the Internet," she said in the speech.
"What I am responsible for as Interior Minister is to protect children and their families from pedophiles."
Alliot-Marie said the French state would pass on information about any illegal sites which were run from overseas to the host countries, EU police agency Europol, or to international police agency Interpol.
(Reporting by Swaha Pattanaik; Editing by Stephen Weeks)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
XP Service Pack 3: not yet ready for prime time...
By Susan Bradley
Patch Watch, June 5, 2008 The growing list of XP SP3-related glitches being encountered by users should give pause to anyone thinking of downloading and installing the update.
If you've kept XP patched from week to week, there's presently no clear advantage to implementing the OS's latest service pack, though you'll want to do so eventually.
When should you install XP Service Pack 3?
Since its initial release a little over a month ago — as I reported in last week's special news update — XP Service Pack 3 has been plagued with reports of problems among early adopters. Considering that the service pack's most important enhancements relate to computers on corporate networks, you may be wondering whether you need XP SP3 at all.
It comes down to a question of support: Microsoft supports each service pack for two years following the release of its successor. Thus in the spring of 2010, XP SP3 will be the only XP service pack that Microsoft will support. In addition, Microsoft has stated it will offer free support for those facing XP SP3 installation issues through April 2009.
If you have already installed XP SP3 and haven't experienced any problems related to AMD processors, Norton AntiVirus's SystemProtect, or any other service-pack glitch, you don't need to remove SP3. However, if you haven't yet installed XP SP3, hold off.
Instead, scroll down the Windows Update page each Patch Watch Tuesday and choose to install updates that do not include XP SP3. I'm starting to hear more reports of SP3-related driver problems. For example, Microsoft's Knowledge Base article 951822 describes a free hotfix for a problem encountered when using certain models of Citizen or Alps printers after XP SP3 is installed.
Bottom line: if you've installed XP SP3 and your PC is working fine, leave it alone. However, if you suspect SP3 has caused your system to act up, remove it via XP's Add or Remove Programs applet. Finally, if you haven't installed SP3, it's perfectly okay to wait until all the wrinkles are ironed out.
A fix for constant XP reboots
If your Windows XP machine keeps rebooting after you install SP3 and it's not due to the problem with AMD-based systems I reported on earlier, you have a couple of options.
Press F8 just as the system starts and check "Disable automatic restart on System Failure." If this option isn't available, reboot, press F8 again, and select the Safe mode option, which loads Windows without certain drivers.
Once Windows opens in Safe Mode, go to the Add or Remove Programs applet in Control Panel and remove XP Service Pack 3. If that stops the reboots, you know your issue is SP3 related and you need to contact Microsoft about it via the links I list below.
If you have one of the offending AMD machines and you're unable to enter Safe Mode, return to the startup menu by pressing F8 as the system starts and choose the Recovery Console option. Detailed instructions can be found here. When the Recovery Console opens, enter the commands as listed in Jesper Johansson's blog post on XP SP3.
To get help from Microsoft for problems related to XP SP3, follow one of these links
US Support
Canada Support
UK Support
AU Support
Other Locations
Once you're on one of the above pages, click Select a Product, choose Windows XP, and click one of the options for Windows XP Service Pack 3.
Just remember, there's no rush to deploy this service pack.
Patch Watch, June 5, 2008 The growing list of XP SP3-related glitches being encountered by users should give pause to anyone thinking of downloading and installing the update.
If you've kept XP patched from week to week, there's presently no clear advantage to implementing the OS's latest service pack, though you'll want to do so eventually.
When should you install XP Service Pack 3?
Since its initial release a little over a month ago — as I reported in last week's special news update — XP Service Pack 3 has been plagued with reports of problems among early adopters. Considering that the service pack's most important enhancements relate to computers on corporate networks, you may be wondering whether you need XP SP3 at all.
It comes down to a question of support: Microsoft supports each service pack for two years following the release of its successor. Thus in the spring of 2010, XP SP3 will be the only XP service pack that Microsoft will support. In addition, Microsoft has stated it will offer free support for those facing XP SP3 installation issues through April 2009.
If you have already installed XP SP3 and haven't experienced any problems related to AMD processors, Norton AntiVirus's SystemProtect, or any other service-pack glitch, you don't need to remove SP3. However, if you haven't yet installed XP SP3, hold off.
Instead, scroll down the Windows Update page each Patch Watch Tuesday and choose to install updates that do not include XP SP3. I'm starting to hear more reports of SP3-related driver problems. For example, Microsoft's Knowledge Base article 951822 describes a free hotfix for a problem encountered when using certain models of Citizen or Alps printers after XP SP3 is installed.
Bottom line: if you've installed XP SP3 and your PC is working fine, leave it alone. However, if you suspect SP3 has caused your system to act up, remove it via XP's Add or Remove Programs applet. Finally, if you haven't installed SP3, it's perfectly okay to wait until all the wrinkles are ironed out.
A fix for constant XP reboots
If your Windows XP machine keeps rebooting after you install SP3 and it's not due to the problem with AMD-based systems I reported on earlier, you have a couple of options.
Press F8 just as the system starts and check "Disable automatic restart on System Failure." If this option isn't available, reboot, press F8 again, and select the Safe mode option, which loads Windows without certain drivers.
Once Windows opens in Safe Mode, go to the Add or Remove Programs applet in Control Panel and remove XP Service Pack 3. If that stops the reboots, you know your issue is SP3 related and you need to contact Microsoft about it via the links I list below.
If you have one of the offending AMD machines and you're unable to enter Safe Mode, return to the startup menu by pressing F8 as the system starts and choose the Recovery Console option. Detailed instructions can be found here. When the Recovery Console opens, enter the commands as listed in Jesper Johansson's blog post on XP SP3.
To get help from Microsoft for problems related to XP SP3, follow one of these links
US Support
Canada Support
UK Support
AU Support
Other Locations
Once you're on one of the above pages, click Select a Product, choose Windows XP, and click one of the options for Windows XP Service Pack 3.
Just remember, there's no rush to deploy this service pack.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Celebrex shows promise in lung cancer prevention...
Health Reuters By Julie Steenhuysen
Sun Jun 1, 2008. CHICAGO (Reuters) - A high dose of the arthritis drug Celebrex showed early signs that it may help prevent lung cancer in heavy smokers, U.S. researchers said on Sunday.
The Pfizer Inc drug, also known as celecoxib, works by blocking the COX-2 enzyme that causes inflammation, which has been linked with cancer.
A six-month study of 212 current or heavy smokers found a reduction in a specific type of precancerous change in lung cells in people who took a high dose of Celebrex compared with those who took a placebo.
None of the study participants had any heart-related problems such as those with Merck & Co Inc's now withdrawn arthritis drug Vioxx, another COX-2 inhibitor.
"Celebrex was safe and we did not see any cardiovascular events," said Dr. Edward Kim of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, who presented his findings at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.
He said the study suggests that a high dose of Celebrex might alter some of the cellular changes that lead up to lung cancer. But the finding is very early and would need to be confirmed in longer, larger studies.
"This is not a study where we go tell someone who is a heavy smoker to start taking Celebrex to prevent lung cancer," Kim said in an interview.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. In 2008, about 215,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer and about 114,000 people will die from it.
The study was started before news emerged in September 2004 that Vioxx doubled the risk of heart attack and stroke in certain patients.
Kim said the trial was put on hold in December 2004 at the request of Pfizer and the National Cancer Institute, which funded the trial, so the researchers could look for signs of heart attacks or strokes.
It was started up again in May 2005 after the researchers added safeguards, including consultations with cardiologists, to reduce heart risks.
EARLY SIGNS
Rather than a direct measure of cancer prevention, which could take many years, Kim said the researchers were looking for early changes in the body that might suggest the drug could reduce the chances of developing lung cancer.
Two large, long-running lung cancer prevention studies of beta-carotene and vitamin A supplements found they actually increased the risk of lung cancer.
"We have not had positive results with these studies. Now we would like to search for an intermediate endpoint or biomarker," Kim said at a media briefing.
"Perhaps that will lead us in the direction of who we need to target in the future," he said.
The researchers tested Celebrex in the study because studies in cells, mice and in people have shown the COX-2 enzyme is present at higher than normal levels in lung cancer and in precancerous lesions of the lung, Kim said. COX-2 is thought to play a role in the development of blood vessels that feed tumors.
Kim's study measured levels of the Ki-67 protein, a marker for cell growth. The researchers wanted to see if Celebrex had an impact on levels of this protein in tissue samples taken from the lungs of heavy smokers.
At the beginning of the study, the researchers took lung samples from six predetermined areas of the lung.
People in the study either got a 200 milligram or a 400 milligram dose of Celebrex twice a day, or a placebo.
After three months, they took more lung samples, and they took samples again at six months. Kim said the group that got the higher dose of Celebrex saw a reduction in levels of the Ki-67 protein.
Kim said it will be important to find better ways of identifying people who are at the highest risk for lung cancer for whom the benefits of taking a high-dose COX-2 inhibitor would outweigh any potential heart risks.
(Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Sun Jun 1, 2008. CHICAGO (Reuters) - A high dose of the arthritis drug Celebrex showed early signs that it may help prevent lung cancer in heavy smokers, U.S. researchers said on Sunday.The Pfizer Inc drug, also known as celecoxib, works by blocking the COX-2 enzyme that causes inflammation, which has been linked with cancer.
A six-month study of 212 current or heavy smokers found a reduction in a specific type of precancerous change in lung cells in people who took a high dose of Celebrex compared with those who took a placebo.
None of the study participants had any heart-related problems such as those with Merck & Co Inc's now withdrawn arthritis drug Vioxx, another COX-2 inhibitor.
"Celebrex was safe and we did not see any cardiovascular events," said Dr. Edward Kim of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, who presented his findings at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.
He said the study suggests that a high dose of Celebrex might alter some of the cellular changes that lead up to lung cancer. But the finding is very early and would need to be confirmed in longer, larger studies.
"This is not a study where we go tell someone who is a heavy smoker to start taking Celebrex to prevent lung cancer," Kim said in an interview.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. In 2008, about 215,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer and about 114,000 people will die from it.
The study was started before news emerged in September 2004 that Vioxx doubled the risk of heart attack and stroke in certain patients.
Kim said the trial was put on hold in December 2004 at the request of Pfizer and the National Cancer Institute, which funded the trial, so the researchers could look for signs of heart attacks or strokes.
It was started up again in May 2005 after the researchers added safeguards, including consultations with cardiologists, to reduce heart risks.
EARLY SIGNS
Rather than a direct measure of cancer prevention, which could take many years, Kim said the researchers were looking for early changes in the body that might suggest the drug could reduce the chances of developing lung cancer.
Two large, long-running lung cancer prevention studies of beta-carotene and vitamin A supplements found they actually increased the risk of lung cancer.
"We have not had positive results with these studies. Now we would like to search for an intermediate endpoint or biomarker," Kim said at a media briefing.
"Perhaps that will lead us in the direction of who we need to target in the future," he said.
The researchers tested Celebrex in the study because studies in cells, mice and in people have shown the COX-2 enzyme is present at higher than normal levels in lung cancer and in precancerous lesions of the lung, Kim said. COX-2 is thought to play a role in the development of blood vessels that feed tumors.
Kim's study measured levels of the Ki-67 protein, a marker for cell growth. The researchers wanted to see if Celebrex had an impact on levels of this protein in tissue samples taken from the lungs of heavy smokers.
At the beginning of the study, the researchers took lung samples from six predetermined areas of the lung.
People in the study either got a 200 milligram or a 400 milligram dose of Celebrex twice a day, or a placebo.
After three months, they took more lung samples, and they took samples again at six months. Kim said the group that got the higher dose of Celebrex saw a reduction in levels of the Ki-67 protein.
Kim said it will be important to find better ways of identifying people who are at the highest risk for lung cancer for whom the benefits of taking a high-dose COX-2 inhibitor would outweigh any potential heart risks.
(Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Japan man discovers woman living in his closet...
Reuters
Fri May 30, 2008 TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese man who was mystified when food kept disappearing from his kitchen, set up a hidden camera and found an unknown woman living secretly in his closet, Japanese media said Friday.
The 57-year-old unemployed man of Fukuoka in southern Japan called police Wednesday when the camera sent pictures to his mobile phone of an intruder in his home while he was out on Wednesday, the Asahi newspaper said on its Website.
Officers rushed to the house and found a 58-year-old unemployed woman hiding in an unused closet, where she had secreted a mattress and plastic drink bottles, the Asahi said. Police suspect she may have been there for several months, the paper said.
"I didn't have anywhere to live," the Nikkan Sports tabloid quoted the woman as telling police.
Local police confirmed that they had arrested a woman for trespassing, but would not comment further on the case.
(Reporting by Isabel Reynolds; Editing by David Fox)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Fri May 30, 2008 TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese man who was mystified when food kept disappearing from his kitchen, set up a hidden camera and found an unknown woman living secretly in his closet, Japanese media said Friday.
The 57-year-old unemployed man of Fukuoka in southern Japan called police Wednesday when the camera sent pictures to his mobile phone of an intruder in his home while he was out on Wednesday, the Asahi newspaper said on its Website.
Officers rushed to the house and found a 58-year-old unemployed woman hiding in an unused closet, where she had secreted a mattress and plastic drink bottles, the Asahi said. Police suspect she may have been there for several months, the paper said.
"I didn't have anywhere to live," the Nikkan Sports tabloid quoted the woman as telling police.
Local police confirmed that they had arrested a woman for trespassing, but would not comment further on the case.
(Reporting by Isabel Reynolds; Editing by David Fox)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Merck wins appeal on first Vioxx case....
Health Reuters By Bill Berkrot
Thu May 29, 2008. NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Texas appeals court on Thursday reversed a $26.1 million decision against Merck & Co, finding that its withdrawn Vioxx painkiller did not cause the fatal heart attack suffered by a plaintiff's husband.
In what was the first Vioxx case to come to trial, a Texas jury in 2005 found that the drug was responsible for Robert Ernst's heart attack and awarded his widow $253 million, an award that was later lowered by limits under Texas law but one that sent shock waves through Merck investors and appeared to set the stage for a wave of pending cases.
Thursday's ruling came just two weeks after a Texas appellate court overturned a $7.75 million award to another widow in a Vioxx case and sent Merck shares nearly 2 percent higher.
In the latest decision, the judges wrote that "we find no evidence that Ernst suffered a (heart attack) triggered by a blood clot. Accordingly, appellee failed to show that the ingestion of Vioxx caused her husband's death."
In a separate Vioxx ruling, a New Jersey court reversed awards of punitive damage and legal fees and costs in a pair of cases, Merck said, leaving intact $4.5 million of what had been a $13.5 million jury award.
"Today's decisions overturn almost $40 million of damages and attorneys fees previously awarded to plaintiffs at trial," Merck General Counsel Bruce Kuhlik said in a statement.
"We intend to seek further review of the portion of the award that remains standing after the New Jersey decision," he added.
Mark Lanier, attorney for Ernst's widow and several other Vioxx plaintiffs, complained in a CNBC interview that Texas judges were notoriously pro-business, and later announced plans to appeal the Texas decision.
"Activist judges are protecting corporate executives and stripping away the rights of widows and every other victim of corporate misconduct," Lanier said in a statement.
Despite the defeat in the first Vioxx trial and the stunning original award against Merck, the drugmaker went on to win the majority of cases to reach trial. Last November, Merck agreed to pay $4.85 billion to settle thousands of Vioxx claims. At the time the settlement was announced, Merck was facing some 26,600 lawsuits from former Vioxx users.
Merck pulled the once $2.5 billion a year drug from the market in September 2004 after a study found it doubled the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who took it for at least 18 months. By then the medicine had been used by some 20 million U.S. patients.
Merck shares rose 62 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $39.28 on the New York Stock Exchange at midday.
(Additional reporting by Lewis Krauskopf, editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Richard Chang)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Thu May 29, 2008. NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Texas appeals court on Thursday reversed a $26.1 million decision against Merck & Co, finding that its withdrawn Vioxx painkiller did not cause the fatal heart attack suffered by a plaintiff's husband.In what was the first Vioxx case to come to trial, a Texas jury in 2005 found that the drug was responsible for Robert Ernst's heart attack and awarded his widow $253 million, an award that was later lowered by limits under Texas law but one that sent shock waves through Merck investors and appeared to set the stage for a wave of pending cases.
Thursday's ruling came just two weeks after a Texas appellate court overturned a $7.75 million award to another widow in a Vioxx case and sent Merck shares nearly 2 percent higher.
In the latest decision, the judges wrote that "we find no evidence that Ernst suffered a (heart attack) triggered by a blood clot. Accordingly, appellee failed to show that the ingestion of Vioxx caused her husband's death."
In a separate Vioxx ruling, a New Jersey court reversed awards of punitive damage and legal fees and costs in a pair of cases, Merck said, leaving intact $4.5 million of what had been a $13.5 million jury award.
"Today's decisions overturn almost $40 million of damages and attorneys fees previously awarded to plaintiffs at trial," Merck General Counsel Bruce Kuhlik said in a statement.
"We intend to seek further review of the portion of the award that remains standing after the New Jersey decision," he added.
Mark Lanier, attorney for Ernst's widow and several other Vioxx plaintiffs, complained in a CNBC interview that Texas judges were notoriously pro-business, and later announced plans to appeal the Texas decision.
"Activist judges are protecting corporate executives and stripping away the rights of widows and every other victim of corporate misconduct," Lanier said in a statement.
Despite the defeat in the first Vioxx trial and the stunning original award against Merck, the drugmaker went on to win the majority of cases to reach trial. Last November, Merck agreed to pay $4.85 billion to settle thousands of Vioxx claims. At the time the settlement was announced, Merck was facing some 26,600 lawsuits from former Vioxx users.
Merck pulled the once $2.5 billion a year drug from the market in September 2004 after a study found it doubled the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who took it for at least 18 months. By then the medicine had been used by some 20 million U.S. patients.
Merck shares rose 62 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $39.28 on the New York Stock Exchange at midday.
(Additional reporting by Lewis Krauskopf, editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Richard Chang)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Friday, May 30, 2008
And the gold medal for Olympic scams goes to...
Reuters
Thu May 29, 2008 BEIJING (Reuters) - Tricksters are setting up fake Olympic ticket websites, selling Olympic bonds that do not exist and running fraudulent Olympic-linked competitions, state media said Thursday, warning people not to be taken in.
There were eight common Olympic-themed frauds, the official Xinhua news agency said.
In one, text massages are sent out claming the recipient has won a prize from the Beijing Games organizers, but then the person is told they have to pay tax upfront to get the prize, Xinhua said.
In another, people are told that a warehouse containing Olympic medals caught fire and several medals are missing, but that the government was offering rewards for their return, though the report did not explain exactly how the fraud was carried out.
A third involves the setting up of a fake Olympic ticket website which offers to sell unclaimed pre-booked or reserved tickets, and a fourth offers to sell special Olympic bonds or financial funds.
"They spin a web of lies to tempt and deceive people, and carry out their frauds by taking advantage of victims' desire for a small gain," Xinhua said.
Police are warning people to be cautious and not to let their guard down, the report added.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Nick Macfie)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Thu May 29, 2008 BEIJING (Reuters) - Tricksters are setting up fake Olympic ticket websites, selling Olympic bonds that do not exist and running fraudulent Olympic-linked competitions, state media said Thursday, warning people not to be taken in.There were eight common Olympic-themed frauds, the official Xinhua news agency said.
In one, text massages are sent out claming the recipient has won a prize from the Beijing Games organizers, but then the person is told they have to pay tax upfront to get the prize, Xinhua said.
In another, people are told that a warehouse containing Olympic medals caught fire and several medals are missing, but that the government was offering rewards for their return, though the report did not explain exactly how the fraud was carried out.
A third involves the setting up of a fake Olympic ticket website which offers to sell unclaimed pre-booked or reserved tickets, and a fourth offers to sell special Olympic bonds or financial funds.
"They spin a web of lies to tempt and deceive people, and carry out their frauds by taking advantage of victims' desire for a small gain," Xinhua said.
Police are warning people to be cautious and not to let their guard down, the report added.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Nick Macfie)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Sunday, May 25, 2008
De aantrekkingskracht van kroketten...
RADIO NEDERLAND WERELDOMROEP - NIEUWS Door Lies Rubingh
Wat mist een Nederlander in den vreemde? In 90 procent van de antwoorden komt ‘de kroket' voor. Het lijkt wel alsof de grens oversteken samengaat met een onverklaarbaar verlangen naar deze snack. Evenementen van Hollandse Clubs gaan gepaard met schalen vol bitterballen en op feestdagen fungeert de kroket als hoogtepunt van het feestmaal.
Wat hebben Nederlanders in het buitenland toch met deze vaderlandse snack?
Misschien een desillusie, maar de croquette is niet Nederlands. Helaas. Een kroket is namelijk niks meer dan een ragout, gefrituurd in een jasje van paneermeel. Dit principe is heel oud, want eeuwen geleden al wentelden huisvrouwen restjes voedsel door paneermeel, om ze vervolgens op te bakken. De bitterbal avant la lettre. De basis van de ragout kon en kan nog steeds naar smaak variëren. Zo zijn er garnalenkroketjes, kaaskroketten en, natuurlijk, de rundvleeskroket. Die is wél typisch Nederlands.
Kroket tussen de gebakjes
In Nederland worden per jaar ongeveer 580 miljoen frikadellen gegeten. Dat zijn er gemiddeld 36 per persoon. Voor kroketten geldt dat er per jaar ongeveer 300 miljoen over de toonbank gaan. Dat zijn er 18 per persoon. In dit getal zijn echter niet de kroketten verwerkt die thuis gefrituurd worden, dus de gemiddelde kroketconsumptie zal iets hoger liggen.
Gek genoeg spelen banketbakkers, en niet slagers, de grootste rol in de ontwikkeling van de rundvleeskroket. Het begon allemaal rond 1909, toen patissier Kwekkeboom op vakantie ging in Frankrijk. Tenminste, dat is een van de verhalen. "Wie precies de rundvleeskroket heeft uitgevonden, weet niemand", vertelt Arno van Pinxteren, marketing manager van snackfabrikant Cold Food. "Maar de grootvader van de huidige Kwekkeboom zag tijdens zijn verblijf in Frankrijk gepaneerde ragoutrolletjes. Hij is ze gaan namaken in zijn banketbakkerij en heeft ze vervolgens in Amsterdam geïntroduceerd. Dit werd door lokale bakkers overgenomen. Patisserie Kwekkeboom en eetsalon Van Dobben (tegenwoordig dé kroketnamen van Nederland) speelden zeker een grote rol in de ontwikkeling van de kroket, maar ook op andere plaatsen in Nederland werden natuurlijk ook kroketten gemaakt. In het midden van de 20e eeuw kwam echt de grote doorbraak. Toen werd de kroket mateloos populair."
Hard-krokant, zacht en smeuïg.
Aan de buitenkant hard-krokant knapperig en van binnen zacht en smeuïg; de rundvleeskroket voldoet helemaal aan de kenmerken van de typisch Nederlandse snack, volgens Anne Scheepmaker, auteur van ´Het junkfood lees- en kookboek`. Helaas is dit ook precies de reden waarom kroketten niet te exporteren zijn.
"De kroket is een verschrikkelijk lokaal artikel", verzucht Van Pinxteren. "Buitenlanders moeten er niks van hebben. Met name de zachte ragoutvulling schrikt hen af. Ze vinden het een raar gevoel in de mond, iets wat ze niet verwachten en daardoor niet vertrouwen. Zelfs aan onze naaste buren kunnen we ze niet slijten. Duitsers vinden kroketten een raar slubberig ding. Het past niet in hun eetcultuur. Ze willen iets stevigs, zoals worst: knagen, kauwen en dooreten. De slappe substantie van een kroket past daar niet bij. België is veel culinairder dan Nederland. Zij prefereren de garnalenkroket boven de rundvleeskroket. Ook daar is het moeilijk om een markt op te bouwen. En ga je nog verder weg, dan kun je het helemaal schudden. De enige gebieden waar wij naartoe kunnen exporteren zijn de regio´s met een hoge concentratie Nederlandse toeristen, zoals de Spaanse Costa´s en tegenwoordig ook Turkije."
Het mysterie van de ingrediënten.
Slachtafval, varkensogen, koeienuiers, kippentenen; er doen allerlei jachtverhalen de ronde over de ingrediënten van de kroket. Toch weerhoudt dit niemand ervan regelmatig een kroketje te trekken. Struisvogelpolitiek of weet men wel beter? Waarschijnlijk het laatste, want volgens Van Pinxteren is het helemaal niet mogelijk te rommelen met ingrediënten van snacks. "De regelgeving is in Nederland zo streng, dat je niet eens afvalproducten in een kroket kúnt verwerken, als je dat al zou willen. Want wie wil nou het risico lopen uit de markt gehaald te worden? Dus alles wat in een kroket zit, voldoet aan de wetgeving. Als producent kun je echter wel kiezen uit de kwaliteit van de ingrediënten en bijvoorbeeld het goedkopere paardenvlees gebruiken in plaats van rund- of kalfsvlees."
Kruiden bepalen de smaak.
Een kroket is dus veilig om te eten, maar wat zit er in? Arnolt van ´t End, manager Opleidingen van Cold Food, weet alles over het krokettenproductieproces. "Een kroket bestaat uit vlees, boter, bloem, bouillon, uien, kruiden en een beetje gelatine. In deze fabriek hebben we 28 verschillende recepten voor kroketten. Het verschil zit ´m vooral in de kruidenmelanges van de bouillon. Die bepalen de smaak." Allereerst wordt in de slagerij het vlees in kleine blokjes gesneden. Vervolgens weegt iemand de kruiden met de hand af. "Dat is echt een vak apart, hoor", weet Van ´t End. "In het begin is het wel wennen, al die kruiden in je neus." Van de kruiden wordt een bouillon getrokken. In de kokerij wordt een roux gemaakt van boter en bloem. Deze verdwijnt samen met de bouillon, het vlees en de gelatine in grote stoomketels en kookt daarin tot er een lekkere ragout ontstaat. Het mengsel koelt af tot een bepaalde temperatuur en op de lopende band krijgen kleine porties een laagje paneermeel en eiwit. De kroket wordt ingepakt in dozen, ingevroren en is klaar voor vertrek.
Kroket op een paplepel
De ingrediënten van bitterbal en kroket zijn precies hetzelfde. Alleen de vorm en de hoeveelheid van de snack is anders. De kroket is ongeveer 100 gram en heeft een maaltijdfunctie. De bitterbal weegt 30 gram en is een tussendoortje of een borrelhapje.
"Het verbaast me wel dat Nederlanders in het buitenland verlangen naar de kroket en minder naar de frikadel", zegt Van Pinxteren. "De frikadel is in Nederland namelijk de absolute nummer 1 en wordt minstens twee keer zoveel gegeten als de kroket. Misschien omdat een alternatief voor de frikadel wel voor handen is, zoals een ‘bratwurst' of hotdog. Wat je niet kan krijgen, wil je hebben. Bovendien is de kroket een onmiskenbaar onderdeel van de Nederlandse eetcultuur. Het wordt je als het ware met de paplepel ingegoten. Als kind kreeg je op je verjaardag een kroket, omdat je ouders dachten dat je dat lekker vond."
"Ook worden kroketten en bitterballen, de kleine versie van de kroket, geassocieerd met ´mooie, gezellige momenten`. Een kroket heeft iets exclusiefs, want de gemiddelde huisvrouw of -man zet niet elke dag een kroket op het menu. Eens per twee weken staat er patat met een kroket op tafel, voor kinderen het hoogtepunt van de culinaire week. En wie kent niet de verjaardag, waarbij de gastvrouw binnenkomt met de schaal hapjes voor bij de borrel. ´Ha, lekker bitterballen´, roept iedereen dan. Zo verovert de kroket een warm plekje in je hart."
Bereidingswijze verschillende soorten kroketten
Cold Food Homepage
Voedingscentrum.nl
Wat mist een Nederlander in den vreemde? In 90 procent van de antwoorden komt ‘de kroket' voor. Het lijkt wel alsof de grens oversteken samengaat met een onverklaarbaar verlangen naar deze snack. Evenementen van Hollandse Clubs gaan gepaard met schalen vol bitterballen en op feestdagen fungeert de kroket als hoogtepunt van het feestmaal.
Wat hebben Nederlanders in het buitenland toch met deze vaderlandse snack?
Misschien een desillusie, maar de croquette is niet Nederlands. Helaas. Een kroket is namelijk niks meer dan een ragout, gefrituurd in een jasje van paneermeel. Dit principe is heel oud, want eeuwen geleden al wentelden huisvrouwen restjes voedsel door paneermeel, om ze vervolgens op te bakken. De bitterbal avant la lettre. De basis van de ragout kon en kan nog steeds naar smaak variëren. Zo zijn er garnalenkroketjes, kaaskroketten en, natuurlijk, de rundvleeskroket. Die is wél typisch Nederlands.
Kroket tussen de gebakjes
In Nederland worden per jaar ongeveer 580 miljoen frikadellen gegeten. Dat zijn er gemiddeld 36 per persoon. Voor kroketten geldt dat er per jaar ongeveer 300 miljoen over de toonbank gaan. Dat zijn er 18 per persoon. In dit getal zijn echter niet de kroketten verwerkt die thuis gefrituurd worden, dus de gemiddelde kroketconsumptie zal iets hoger liggen.
Gek genoeg spelen banketbakkers, en niet slagers, de grootste rol in de ontwikkeling van de rundvleeskroket. Het begon allemaal rond 1909, toen patissier Kwekkeboom op vakantie ging in Frankrijk. Tenminste, dat is een van de verhalen. "Wie precies de rundvleeskroket heeft uitgevonden, weet niemand", vertelt Arno van Pinxteren, marketing manager van snackfabrikant Cold Food. "Maar de grootvader van de huidige Kwekkeboom zag tijdens zijn verblijf in Frankrijk gepaneerde ragoutrolletjes. Hij is ze gaan namaken in zijn banketbakkerij en heeft ze vervolgens in Amsterdam geïntroduceerd. Dit werd door lokale bakkers overgenomen. Patisserie Kwekkeboom en eetsalon Van Dobben (tegenwoordig dé kroketnamen van Nederland) speelden zeker een grote rol in de ontwikkeling van de kroket, maar ook op andere plaatsen in Nederland werden natuurlijk ook kroketten gemaakt. In het midden van de 20e eeuw kwam echt de grote doorbraak. Toen werd de kroket mateloos populair."
Hard-krokant, zacht en smeuïg.
Aan de buitenkant hard-krokant knapperig en van binnen zacht en smeuïg; de rundvleeskroket voldoet helemaal aan de kenmerken van de typisch Nederlandse snack, volgens Anne Scheepmaker, auteur van ´Het junkfood lees- en kookboek`. Helaas is dit ook precies de reden waarom kroketten niet te exporteren zijn.
"De kroket is een verschrikkelijk lokaal artikel", verzucht Van Pinxteren. "Buitenlanders moeten er niks van hebben. Met name de zachte ragoutvulling schrikt hen af. Ze vinden het een raar gevoel in de mond, iets wat ze niet verwachten en daardoor niet vertrouwen. Zelfs aan onze naaste buren kunnen we ze niet slijten. Duitsers vinden kroketten een raar slubberig ding. Het past niet in hun eetcultuur. Ze willen iets stevigs, zoals worst: knagen, kauwen en dooreten. De slappe substantie van een kroket past daar niet bij. België is veel culinairder dan Nederland. Zij prefereren de garnalenkroket boven de rundvleeskroket. Ook daar is het moeilijk om een markt op te bouwen. En ga je nog verder weg, dan kun je het helemaal schudden. De enige gebieden waar wij naartoe kunnen exporteren zijn de regio´s met een hoge concentratie Nederlandse toeristen, zoals de Spaanse Costa´s en tegenwoordig ook Turkije."
Het mysterie van de ingrediënten.
Slachtafval, varkensogen, koeienuiers, kippentenen; er doen allerlei jachtverhalen de ronde over de ingrediënten van de kroket. Toch weerhoudt dit niemand ervan regelmatig een kroketje te trekken. Struisvogelpolitiek of weet men wel beter? Waarschijnlijk het laatste, want volgens Van Pinxteren is het helemaal niet mogelijk te rommelen met ingrediënten van snacks. "De regelgeving is in Nederland zo streng, dat je niet eens afvalproducten in een kroket kúnt verwerken, als je dat al zou willen. Want wie wil nou het risico lopen uit de markt gehaald te worden? Dus alles wat in een kroket zit, voldoet aan de wetgeving. Als producent kun je echter wel kiezen uit de kwaliteit van de ingrediënten en bijvoorbeeld het goedkopere paardenvlees gebruiken in plaats van rund- of kalfsvlees."
Kruiden bepalen de smaak.
Een kroket is dus veilig om te eten, maar wat zit er in? Arnolt van ´t End, manager Opleidingen van Cold Food, weet alles over het krokettenproductieproces. "Een kroket bestaat uit vlees, boter, bloem, bouillon, uien, kruiden en een beetje gelatine. In deze fabriek hebben we 28 verschillende recepten voor kroketten. Het verschil zit ´m vooral in de kruidenmelanges van de bouillon. Die bepalen de smaak." Allereerst wordt in de slagerij het vlees in kleine blokjes gesneden. Vervolgens weegt iemand de kruiden met de hand af. "Dat is echt een vak apart, hoor", weet Van ´t End. "In het begin is het wel wennen, al die kruiden in je neus." Van de kruiden wordt een bouillon getrokken. In de kokerij wordt een roux gemaakt van boter en bloem. Deze verdwijnt samen met de bouillon, het vlees en de gelatine in grote stoomketels en kookt daarin tot er een lekkere ragout ontstaat. Het mengsel koelt af tot een bepaalde temperatuur en op de lopende band krijgen kleine porties een laagje paneermeel en eiwit. De kroket wordt ingepakt in dozen, ingevroren en is klaar voor vertrek.
Kroket op een paplepel
De ingrediënten van bitterbal en kroket zijn precies hetzelfde. Alleen de vorm en de hoeveelheid van de snack is anders. De kroket is ongeveer 100 gram en heeft een maaltijdfunctie. De bitterbal weegt 30 gram en is een tussendoortje of een borrelhapje.
"Het verbaast me wel dat Nederlanders in het buitenland verlangen naar de kroket en minder naar de frikadel", zegt Van Pinxteren. "De frikadel is in Nederland namelijk de absolute nummer 1 en wordt minstens twee keer zoveel gegeten als de kroket. Misschien omdat een alternatief voor de frikadel wel voor handen is, zoals een ‘bratwurst' of hotdog. Wat je niet kan krijgen, wil je hebben. Bovendien is de kroket een onmiskenbaar onderdeel van de Nederlandse eetcultuur. Het wordt je als het ware met de paplepel ingegoten. Als kind kreeg je op je verjaardag een kroket, omdat je ouders dachten dat je dat lekker vond."
"Ook worden kroketten en bitterballen, de kleine versie van de kroket, geassocieerd met ´mooie, gezellige momenten`. Een kroket heeft iets exclusiefs, want de gemiddelde huisvrouw of -man zet niet elke dag een kroket op het menu. Eens per twee weken staat er patat met een kroket op tafel, voor kinderen het hoogtepunt van de culinaire week. En wie kent niet de verjaardag, waarbij de gastvrouw binnenkomt met de schaal hapjes voor bij de borrel. ´Ha, lekker bitterballen´, roept iedereen dan. Zo verovert de kroket een warm plekje in je hart."
Bereidingswijze verschillende soorten kroketten
Cold Food Homepage
Voedingscentrum.nl
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Senator, Arrested at Airport, Pleads Guilty...
New York Times
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 2007— Senator Larry E. Craig, Republican of Idaho, was arrested in June by an undercover police officer in a men’s bathroom at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, and pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in the case three weeks ago.
Mr. Craig, 62, was fined more than $500 and placed on unsupervised probation for a year. A 10-day jail sentence was suspended, according to a copy of a court document in the case. A second charge, interference with privacy, was dismissed.
According to a police report obtained by the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, which disclosed the episode and the guilty plea Monday, a plainclothes police officer investigating complaints of sexual activity in the bathroom arrested the senator on June 11 after what the officer described as sexual advances made by Mr. Craig from an adjoining stall.
By Roll Call’s account, the officer said Mr. Craig had tapped his foot, in what the officer called a known signal to engage in lewd conduct, and had also brushed his foot against the investigator’s and waved his hand under the stall divider several times before the officer showed him his badge. After the arrest the senator denied any sexual intent, and in a statement issued Monday afternoon he attributed the matter to a misunderstanding.
“At the time of this incident, I complained to the police that they were misconstruing my actions,” Mr. Craig said in the statement. “I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct.
“I should have had the advice of counsel in resolving this matter. In hindsight, I should not have pled guilty. I was trying to handle this matter myself quickly and expeditiously.”
Mr. Craig also severed ties Monday with the Republican presidential campaign of Mitt Romney, in which he had been serving as a co-liaison to the Senate with Senator Robert F. Bennett of Utah. The Romney campaign issued a statement that said: “Senator Craig has stepped down from his role with the campaign. He did not want to be a distraction, and we accept his decision.”
Mr. Craig, whose seat is up for election next year, is the second senator in recent weeks to find his personal behavior under scrutiny. Senator David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana, was implicated in a separate case in the Washington area when his phone number turned up in the records of an escort service that the authorities have described as a prostitution ring. Mr. Vitter made a public apology for what he called “a very serious sin in my past,” but he has not been charged with any crime.
Mr. Craig, who is married and has three children, publicly rejected accusations by a gay rights activist last year that he had engaged in homosexual conduct. He called the accusations “completely ridiculous.”
More Articles in Washington »
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 2007— Senator Larry E. Craig, Republican of Idaho, was arrested in June by an undercover police officer in a men’s bathroom at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, and pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in the case three weeks ago.Mr. Craig, 62, was fined more than $500 and placed on unsupervised probation for a year. A 10-day jail sentence was suspended, according to a copy of a court document in the case. A second charge, interference with privacy, was dismissed.
According to a police report obtained by the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, which disclosed the episode and the guilty plea Monday, a plainclothes police officer investigating complaints of sexual activity in the bathroom arrested the senator on June 11 after what the officer described as sexual advances made by Mr. Craig from an adjoining stall.
By Roll Call’s account, the officer said Mr. Craig had tapped his foot, in what the officer called a known signal to engage in lewd conduct, and had also brushed his foot against the investigator’s and waved his hand under the stall divider several times before the officer showed him his badge. After the arrest the senator denied any sexual intent, and in a statement issued Monday afternoon he attributed the matter to a misunderstanding.
“At the time of this incident, I complained to the police that they were misconstruing my actions,” Mr. Craig said in the statement. “I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct.
“I should have had the advice of counsel in resolving this matter. In hindsight, I should not have pled guilty. I was trying to handle this matter myself quickly and expeditiously.”
Mr. Craig also severed ties Monday with the Republican presidential campaign of Mitt Romney, in which he had been serving as a co-liaison to the Senate with Senator Robert F. Bennett of Utah. The Romney campaign issued a statement that said: “Senator Craig has stepped down from his role with the campaign. He did not want to be a distraction, and we accept his decision.”
Mr. Craig, whose seat is up for election next year, is the second senator in recent weeks to find his personal behavior under scrutiny. Senator David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana, was implicated in a separate case in the Washington area when his phone number turned up in the records of an escort service that the authorities have described as a prostitution ring. Mr. Vitter made a public apology for what he called “a very serious sin in my past,” but he has not been charged with any crime.
Mr. Craig, who is married and has three children, publicly rejected accusations by a gay rights activist last year that he had engaged in homosexual conduct. He called the accusations “completely ridiculous.”
More Articles in Washington »
WHO gets nod to tackle harmful use of alcohol...
Health Reuters By Stephanie Nebehay
Thu May 22, 2008. GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) is set to draw up a global strategy to tackle youth binge drinking and other forms of harmful alcohol consumption blamed for 2.3 million deaths a year, officials said on Thursday.
"The harmful use of alcohol causes serious public health problems," said Dr. Ala Alwan, WHO assistant director-general for non-communicable diseases and mental health.
The health ministers said the WHO strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol should be "based on all available evidence and existing best practices...taking into account different national, religious and cultural contexts."
The blueprint, to be presented in two years, should include a set of recommended national measures for states. These could cover guidance on the marketing, pricing, and distribution of alcoholic drinks and public awareness campaigns.
In 2003, WHO clinched the first global public health treaty which targeted tobacco through stronger warnings on cigarette packages and limits on advertising and sponsorship. A year later it declared war on poor diets blamed for rising obesity.
Alcohol causes 2.3 million premature deaths worldwide each year, accounting for 3.7 percent of global mortality, WHO says. Harmful drinking is also linked to traffic accidents, suicides, crime, violence, unemployment and absenteeism.
After tobacco and blood pressure it is the third-leading health risk factor for people in industrial countries to develop cardiovascular diseases, cirrhosis of the liver and cancers.
"Drinking to intoxication and heavy episodic drinking are frequent among adolescents and young adults, and the negative impact of alcohol use is greater in younger age groups of both sexes," the WHO said.
The number of people admitted to hospitals in England with alcohol-related illnesses has doubled in the last decade, figures released on Thursday showed.
France is considering a ban on happy hours in bars and on the sale of bottles of strong liquor in nightclubs to help curb binge drinking among youth.
French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin said on Tuesday alcohol consumption continued to drop in her country but that dangerous binge drinking had emerged.
Health activists, including the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance, welcomed WHO taking the lead in reducing harm from alcohol and said its work should be free of industry influence.
The Global Alcohol Producers Group, whose 16 members include Bacardi-Martini, Constellation Brands, the world's largest alcoholic drinks group Diageo, Dutch brewer Heineken International, and Pernod-Ricard, said that the WHO resolution was "balanced and constructive".
The group is committed to working with WHO in "reducing irresponsible and inappropriate consumption," it said.
(Editing by Jon Boyle)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Thu May 22, 2008. GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) is set to draw up a global strategy to tackle youth binge drinking and other forms of harmful alcohol consumption blamed for 2.3 million deaths a year, officials said on Thursday."The harmful use of alcohol causes serious public health problems," said Dr. Ala Alwan, WHO assistant director-general for non-communicable diseases and mental health.
The health ministers said the WHO strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol should be "based on all available evidence and existing best practices...taking into account different national, religious and cultural contexts."
The blueprint, to be presented in two years, should include a set of recommended national measures for states. These could cover guidance on the marketing, pricing, and distribution of alcoholic drinks and public awareness campaigns.
In 2003, WHO clinched the first global public health treaty which targeted tobacco through stronger warnings on cigarette packages and limits on advertising and sponsorship. A year later it declared war on poor diets blamed for rising obesity.
Alcohol causes 2.3 million premature deaths worldwide each year, accounting for 3.7 percent of global mortality, WHO says. Harmful drinking is also linked to traffic accidents, suicides, crime, violence, unemployment and absenteeism.
After tobacco and blood pressure it is the third-leading health risk factor for people in industrial countries to develop cardiovascular diseases, cirrhosis of the liver and cancers.
"Drinking to intoxication and heavy episodic drinking are frequent among adolescents and young adults, and the negative impact of alcohol use is greater in younger age groups of both sexes," the WHO said.
The number of people admitted to hospitals in England with alcohol-related illnesses has doubled in the last decade, figures released on Thursday showed.
France is considering a ban on happy hours in bars and on the sale of bottles of strong liquor in nightclubs to help curb binge drinking among youth.
French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin said on Tuesday alcohol consumption continued to drop in her country but that dangerous binge drinking had emerged.
Health activists, including the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance, welcomed WHO taking the lead in reducing harm from alcohol and said its work should be free of industry influence.
The Global Alcohol Producers Group, whose 16 members include Bacardi-Martini, Constellation Brands, the world's largest alcoholic drinks group Diageo, Dutch brewer Heineken International, and Pernod-Ricard, said that the WHO resolution was "balanced and constructive".
The group is committed to working with WHO in "reducing irresponsible and inappropriate consumption," it said.
(Editing by Jon Boyle)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Thursday, May 22, 2008
New York City now home to $175 hamburger...
Reuters
Tue May 20, 2008 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Its creators admit it is the ultimate in decadence: a $175 hamburger.
The Wall Street Burger Shoppe just raised its price from $150 to assure its designation as the costliest burger in the city as determined by Pocket Change, an online newsletter about the most expensive things in New York.
"Wall Street has good days and bad days. We wanted to have the everyday burger (for $4) ... and then something special if you really have a good day on Wall Street," said co-owner Heather Tierney.
The burger, created by chef and co-owner Kevin O'Connell, seeks to justify its price with a Kobe beef patty, lots of black truffles, seared foie gras, aged Gruyere cheese, wild mushrooms and flecks of gold leaf on a brioche bun.
The eatery sells 20 or 25 per month in the fine dining room upstairs versus hundreds of $4 burgers each day at the diner counter downstairs, Tierney said.
Pocket Change previously designated the double truffle burger at Daniel Boulud's DB Bistro Moderne as the most expensive at $120, and the Burger Shoppe set out to top that.
Boulud's creation -- available only during black truffle season from December to March -- rose to $150 this past season, so the Burger Shoppe raised its price on Monday to $175.
"Our burger is not about the price," said Georgette Farkas, a Boulud spokeswoman. "If you are making something concerned only about the price, you are off in the wrong direction."
Without truffles, Boulud's burger costs $32. It has a ground sirloin patty stuffed with red wine braised short ribs.
O'Connell said the Burger Shoppe was "finding the ultimate expression of each one of the ingredients."
"The concept was like a mushroom-bacon-Swiss cheese burger, which is my favorite sort of burger," he said.
The burger comes with golden truffle mayonnaise, Belgian-style fries and a mixed greens and tomato salad. O'Connell pairs the dish with many fine wines, a lager or a toasted brown beer, or ginger ale.
(Editing by John O'Callaghan)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Tue May 20, 2008 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Its creators admit it is the ultimate in decadence: a $175 hamburger.The Wall Street Burger Shoppe just raised its price from $150 to assure its designation as the costliest burger in the city as determined by Pocket Change, an online newsletter about the most expensive things in New York.
"Wall Street has good days and bad days. We wanted to have the everyday burger (for $4) ... and then something special if you really have a good day on Wall Street," said co-owner Heather Tierney.
The burger, created by chef and co-owner Kevin O'Connell, seeks to justify its price with a Kobe beef patty, lots of black truffles, seared foie gras, aged Gruyere cheese, wild mushrooms and flecks of gold leaf on a brioche bun.
The eatery sells 20 or 25 per month in the fine dining room upstairs versus hundreds of $4 burgers each day at the diner counter downstairs, Tierney said.
Pocket Change previously designated the double truffle burger at Daniel Boulud's DB Bistro Moderne as the most expensive at $120, and the Burger Shoppe set out to top that.
Boulud's creation -- available only during black truffle season from December to March -- rose to $150 this past season, so the Burger Shoppe raised its price on Monday to $175.
"Our burger is not about the price," said Georgette Farkas, a Boulud spokeswoman. "If you are making something concerned only about the price, you are off in the wrong direction."
Without truffles, Boulud's burger costs $32. It has a ground sirloin patty stuffed with red wine braised short ribs.
O'Connell said the Burger Shoppe was "finding the ultimate expression of each one of the ingredients."
"The concept was like a mushroom-bacon-Swiss cheese burger, which is my favorite sort of burger," he said.
The burger comes with golden truffle mayonnaise, Belgian-style fries and a mixed greens and tomato salad. O'Connell pairs the dish with many fine wines, a lager or a toasted brown beer, or ginger ale.
(Editing by John O'Callaghan)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Monday, May 19, 2008
Microsoft puts new Yahoo deal on the table...
Computerworld By James Niccolai (IDG News Service)
19 May 2008. Microsoft said on Sunday that it has raised the possibility of a new deal with Yahoo, one that may involve buying a part of the company but not all of it.
"Microsoft is considering and has raised with Yahoo an alternative that would involve a transaction with Yahoo but not an acquisition of all of Yahoo," Microsoft said in a brief statement.
The company did not elaborate on the proposal. It said it did not plan at this time to make a new bid to acquire all of Yahoo, but that it was continuing to explore its options to expand its online services and advertising businesses.
Microsoft withdrew its offer to buy Yahoo on May 3 after the two sides failed to agree on a price. Since then, the activist investor Carl Icahn has said he will launch a proxy battle to replace Yahoo's board and force it back to the negotiating table with Microsoft.
Yahoo spokeswoman Diana Wong declined to comment on Microsoft's statement. Microsoft could not immediately be reached for comment, although published reports said the company is not discussing its plan further in public.
"There of course can be no assurance that any transaction will result from these discussions," Microsoft said in its statement. It said it reserved the right to reconsider its decision not to buy Yahoo outright, depending on any future talks with Yahoo, third parties or the shareholders of either company.
That Microsoft is discussing a new deal could be a sign that Yahoo's leadership wants to avoid the spectacle of a proxy battle ahead of its annual meeting on July 3, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Yahoo responded to Icahn's threats on Friday, arguing that its own board has gave Microsoft's offer fair consideration, and that the current board, led by Chairman Roy Bostock, can best manage Yahoo's future.
It was unclear Sunday what type of alternative deal Microsoft has in mind. It said it issued its statement "in light of developments" that have taken place since it withdrew its offer.
Microsoft indicated earlier that it had moved on from the deal and that it was looking for other ways to grow its online business, internally or through smaller acquisitions.
19 May 2008. Microsoft said on Sunday that it has raised the possibility of a new deal with Yahoo, one that may involve buying a part of the company but not all of it.
"Microsoft is considering and has raised with Yahoo an alternative that would involve a transaction with Yahoo but not an acquisition of all of Yahoo," Microsoft said in a brief statement.
The company did not elaborate on the proposal. It said it did not plan at this time to make a new bid to acquire all of Yahoo, but that it was continuing to explore its options to expand its online services and advertising businesses.
Microsoft withdrew its offer to buy Yahoo on May 3 after the two sides failed to agree on a price. Since then, the activist investor Carl Icahn has said he will launch a proxy battle to replace Yahoo's board and force it back to the negotiating table with Microsoft.
Yahoo spokeswoman Diana Wong declined to comment on Microsoft's statement. Microsoft could not immediately be reached for comment, although published reports said the company is not discussing its plan further in public.
"There of course can be no assurance that any transaction will result from these discussions," Microsoft said in its statement. It said it reserved the right to reconsider its decision not to buy Yahoo outright, depending on any future talks with Yahoo, third parties or the shareholders of either company.
That Microsoft is discussing a new deal could be a sign that Yahoo's leadership wants to avoid the spectacle of a proxy battle ahead of its annual meeting on July 3, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Yahoo responded to Icahn's threats on Friday, arguing that its own board has gave Microsoft's offer fair consideration, and that the current board, led by Chairman Roy Bostock, can best manage Yahoo's future.
It was unclear Sunday what type of alternative deal Microsoft has in mind. It said it issued its statement "in light of developments" that have taken place since it withdrew its offer.
Microsoft indicated earlier that it had moved on from the deal and that it was looking for other ways to grow its online business, internally or through smaller acquisitions.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Woman fired for giving 16-cent treat to toddler | U.S. | Reuters
Reuters
Thu May 8, 2008 TORONTO (Reuters) - An attendant at a Canadian restaurant who was sacked for giving a bite-sized doughnut, worth 16 cents, to an agitated toddler was given her job back on Thursday after the case received wide media attention.
Nicole Lilliman, a single mother, said she was dismissed from a London, Ontario, outlet of the Tim Hortons coffee and doughnut chain after video cameras captured the 27-year-old giving a Timbit to a toddler.
"It was just out of my heart, she (the toddler) was pointing and going 'ah, ah...' I should have gone to my purse and got the change, but it was busy," Lilliman told the Toronto Star newspaper.
Tim Hortons said on Thursday that the firing was a mistake.
"It was the unfortunate action of one manager who unfortunately made an overzealous decision, and thankfully we were able to rectify the situation," said company spokeswoman Rachel Douglas.
Douglas said the company, a Canadian icon with stores on virtually every high street across the country, told Lilliman that she could have her job back, and Lilliman had accepted.
A single Timbit sells for 16 Canadian cents (16 U.S. cents), but most shoppers buy boxes of 10, 20 or 40 of the deep-fried goodies, which come in a variety of flavors.
Douglas said Tim Hortons had received a number of complaints. "Thankfully we're able to go back to them and say we were able to fix the situation," she said.
(Reporting by Claire Sibonney; editing by Janet Guttsman and Peter Galloway)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Thu May 8, 2008 TORONTO (Reuters) - An attendant at a Canadian restaurant who was sacked for giving a bite-sized doughnut, worth 16 cents, to an agitated toddler was given her job back on Thursday after the case received wide media attention.Nicole Lilliman, a single mother, said she was dismissed from a London, Ontario, outlet of the Tim Hortons coffee and doughnut chain after video cameras captured the 27-year-old giving a Timbit to a toddler.
"It was just out of my heart, she (the toddler) was pointing and going 'ah, ah...' I should have gone to my purse and got the change, but it was busy," Lilliman told the Toronto Star newspaper.
Tim Hortons said on Thursday that the firing was a mistake.
"It was the unfortunate action of one manager who unfortunately made an overzealous decision, and thankfully we were able to rectify the situation," said company spokeswoman Rachel Douglas.
Douglas said the company, a Canadian icon with stores on virtually every high street across the country, told Lilliman that she could have her job back, and Lilliman had accepted.
A single Timbit sells for 16 Canadian cents (16 U.S. cents), but most shoppers buy boxes of 10, 20 or 40 of the deep-fried goodies, which come in a variety of flavors.
Douglas said Tim Hortons had received a number of complaints. "Thankfully we're able to go back to them and say we were able to fix the situation," she said.
(Reporting by Claire Sibonney; editing by Janet Guttsman and Peter Galloway)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Nicht kardinaal protesteert topless tegen huichelarij...
nu.nl
MADRID 9 Mei 2008 De nicht van de Spaanse kardinaal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela heeft zich met blote borsten laten fotograferen om te protesteren tegen de "huichelarij" van haar oom.
De fotoreportage van de 27-jarige Magdalena Rouco Hernandez is in het softpornoblad Interviu verschenen.
Hypocriet
De reportage beslaat acht pagina's. Op een daarvan heeft zij niets aan behalve een halsketting en een rode bloem. Magdalena, moeder van twee kinderen, zegt dat zij door haar oom de hypocrisie van de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk ontdekte, die "het ene predikt en het andere doet".
De kardinaal zegt telkens dat het gezin heilig is en dat je je familie niet in de steek laat, maar heeft zich volgens Magdalena tegenover haar en haar familie niet aan die woorden gehouden.
De kerkleider hielp haar niet, toen haar man zijn baan verloor en belde niet met haar familie, toen haar moeder op sterven lag.
Aartsbisschop
De kardinaal (71), die als behoudend bekendstaat en een fel criticus van de socialistische regering in Madrid is, is aartsbisschop van de Spaanse hoofdstad. Hij werd in maart herkozen als voorzitter van de Spaanse bisschoppenconferentie.
(c) ANP
MADRID 9 Mei 2008 De nicht van de Spaanse kardinaal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela heeft zich met blote borsten laten fotograferen om te protesteren tegen de "huichelarij" van haar oom.De fotoreportage van de 27-jarige Magdalena Rouco Hernandez is in het softpornoblad Interviu verschenen.
Hypocriet
De reportage beslaat acht pagina's. Op een daarvan heeft zij niets aan behalve een halsketting en een rode bloem. Magdalena, moeder van twee kinderen, zegt dat zij door haar oom de hypocrisie van de Rooms-Katholieke Kerk ontdekte, die "het ene predikt en het andere doet".
De kardinaal zegt telkens dat het gezin heilig is en dat je je familie niet in de steek laat, maar heeft zich volgens Magdalena tegenover haar en haar familie niet aan die woorden gehouden.
De kerkleider hielp haar niet, toen haar man zijn baan verloor en belde niet met haar familie, toen haar moeder op sterven lag.
Aartsbisschop
De kardinaal (71), die als behoudend bekendstaat en een fel criticus van de socialistische regering in Madrid is, is aartsbisschop van de Spaanse hoofdstad. Hij werd in maart herkozen als voorzitter van de Spaanse bisschoppenconferentie.
(c) ANP
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Rugby strip show caught on video...
Reuters
Tue May 6, 2008. VILNIUS (Reuters) - The Austrian national rugby team tried to get over their 48-0 defeat by Lithuania by staging a mass striptease in the capital Vilnius late on Saturday, only to find they had been caught on video and put on the Internet.
The video, put out by a blogger on social community website Virb (http:/www.virb.com/justafa/blog/701053) and then taken up by the Lithuanian news portal Delfi, showed a group of 20 men singing and stripping off their clothes on a street in central Vilnius, while people in a nearby bar clapped and cheered.
"Yes, these were the men we played against on Saturday ... I guess the defeat could have prompted them to do that," Lithuanian rugby federation President Aleksandras Makarenka told Reuters.
Delfi quoted the Vilnius police chief as saying stripping in public could be considered an act of hooliganism -- but by then the Austrian team had gone home.
(Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis, editing by Tim Pearce)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Tue May 6, 2008. VILNIUS (Reuters) - The Austrian national rugby team tried to get over their 48-0 defeat by Lithuania by staging a mass striptease in the capital Vilnius late on Saturday, only to find they had been caught on video and put on the Internet.
The video, put out by a blogger on social community website Virb (http:/www.virb.com/justafa/blog/701053) and then taken up by the Lithuanian news portal Delfi, showed a group of 20 men singing and stripping off their clothes on a street in central Vilnius, while people in a nearby bar clapped and cheered.
"Yes, these were the men we played against on Saturday ... I guess the defeat could have prompted them to do that," Lithuanian rugby federation President Aleksandras Makarenka told Reuters.
Delfi quoted the Vilnius police chief as saying stripping in public could be considered an act of hooliganism -- but by then the Austrian team had gone home.
(Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis, editing by Tim Pearce)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Friday, April 25, 2008
Microsoft could keep XP if customers want it...
Technology Reuters By David LawskyThu Apr 24, 2008. LOUVAIN-LA-NEUVE, Belgium (Reuters) - Microsoft could re-think plans to phase out its Windows XP operating system by June 30 if customers show they want to keep it but so far they have not, Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said.
"XP will hit an end-of-life. We have announced one. If customer feedback varies we can always wake up smarter but right now we have a plan for end-of-life for new XP shipments," Ballmer told a news conference on Thursday.
Microsoft has announced that it will stop licensing Windows XP to computer makers and end retail sales by June 30.
Ballmer said most retailers sold computers with Vista, the latest version of its Windows operating system, and most consumers were choosing to buy Vista.
Some consumers have complained they were unable to buy XP at retail stores, or as consumers. They say that in order to get XP they must buy their computers as small businesses.
"In the business environment, we still have customers who are buying PCs with XP" because information technology departments often have to work with old machines, Ballmer said.
Vista requires high-speed central processing units installed only in newer machines.
Ballmer was also asked whether the company would appeal against an 899 million euro ($1.42 billion) antitrust fine imposed by the Brussels-based European Commission in February.
"I really have nothing to say about that today, sorry," he said.
The company must decide by early May whether to appeal to the European Court of First Instance against the fine, imposed because the Commission found Microsoft had charged rivals high prices to discourage software competition.
The court upheld a 497 million euro fine and other antitrust penalties against Microsoft in a landmark decision in September.
Ballmer was speaking at a news conference called to announce the establishment of an "innovation centre" in the Belgian city of Mons, near where rival Google (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) has a data centre.
Ballmer, asked whether Microsoft had decided to locate in Mons because Google was there, said it had not.
He reiterated Microsoft's plan to go to Yahoo shareholders if that company turned down its takeover offer of $43.6 billion.
"We've sent them a letter that says, 'it's a good price, please let us know. If you don't let us know, maybe your shareholders will think it's a good price.'"
(Editing by Dale Hudson)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Woman claims Victoria's Secret stole her bra...
Reuters
Tue Apr 22, 2008.NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York woman filed suit against Limited Brands Inc Monday alleging the parent company of Victoria's Secret stole her idea for its Very Sexy 100-way strapless convertible bra.
Katerina Plew sued in U.S. District Court in lower Manhattan, saying Victoria's Secret infringed her May 2004 patent and knew about the patent since at least April 2006.
"I came up with the idea when I was trying to find a bra to go with one of the two dresses that I could wear to my triplets' christening," said Plew, 38. "I went crazy looking for a bra where the straps wouldn't show and couldn't find anything."
Her triplets are now nine years old.
Plew, a single mother who works as a paralegal, said she researched her product visiting stores and looking through catalogues, and "that's when I came up with the idea."
She said she spent about $12,000 to patent the product and developed a prototype.
"When I realized how much it would cost to produce, I started contacting companies," she said.
Plew had an appointment to meet with a Victoria's Secret executive to whom she had mailed a copy of her patent, as well as a DVD with pictures of a model showing her bra, only to have the appointment abruptly canceled.
"A year later I walked into a Victoria's Secret and there was my bra up on the wall," she said.
The bra retails for between $50 and $56, according to the Victoria's Secret website. Plew is seeking unspecified damages.
Limited Brands said it does not comment on pending litigation.
(Reporting by Leslie Gevirtz; Editing by Brian Moss;)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Tue Apr 22, 2008.NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York woman filed suit against Limited Brands Inc Monday alleging the parent company of Victoria's Secret stole her idea for its Very Sexy 100-way strapless convertible bra.
Katerina Plew sued in U.S. District Court in lower Manhattan, saying Victoria's Secret infringed her May 2004 patent and knew about the patent since at least April 2006.
"I came up with the idea when I was trying to find a bra to go with one of the two dresses that I could wear to my triplets' christening," said Plew, 38. "I went crazy looking for a bra where the straps wouldn't show and couldn't find anything."
Her triplets are now nine years old.
Plew, a single mother who works as a paralegal, said she researched her product visiting stores and looking through catalogues, and "that's when I came up with the idea."
She said she spent about $12,000 to patent the product and developed a prototype.
"When I realized how much it would cost to produce, I started contacting companies," she said.
Plew had an appointment to meet with a Victoria's Secret executive to whom she had mailed a copy of her patent, as well as a DVD with pictures of a model showing her bra, only to have the appointment abruptly canceled.
"A year later I walked into a Victoria's Secret and there was my bra up on the wall," she said.
The bra retails for between $50 and $56, according to the Victoria's Secret website. Plew is seeking unspecified damages.
Limited Brands said it does not comment on pending litigation.
(Reporting by Leslie Gevirtz; Editing by Brian Moss;)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Windows Vista just can’t catch a break...
ZDNet.com Posted by John Morris
April 21st, 2008. It’s been a rough couple of weeks for the operating system everyone loves to hate.
Whether Vista is, in fact, flopping or doing fine is a matter of debate. As Mary Jo Foley has pointed out in her blog, Vista may not be selling at twice the rate of Windows XP–Microsoft’s original goal–but if revenues in the client division are any indication, it is hardly a failure.
Nevertheless Vista has suffered from a steady stream of bad PR stemming from the “Vista Capable” logo debacle, botched Service Pack updates, non-existent Ultimate add-ons, and a parade of executive departures. And the bad news just keeps on coming.
Earlier this month, Dell began offering a Windows Vista “downgrade” option on business desktops and laptops. If you choose this option, your PC comes with Windows XP pre-installed and a DVD so that you can upgrade to Vista Business or Ultimate “on your schedule.” It’s a nice option, but coming more than a year after the release of Vista it hardly seems like a vote of confidence. (I have a feeling this option may be what’s behind the stories circulating today about Dell offering Windows XP Professional on business systems through 2012.)
At a Microsoft conference last week, CEO Steve Ballmer reportedly described Vista as a “work I progress” that still needed improvements in performance, compatibility and battery life. But, he said, it was too late to do much about the size of the thing. “We can’t just set the dial back, but I think people wish we could,” Ballmer said. “Vista is bigger than XP. It’s going to stay bigger than XP. We have to make sure it doesn’t get bigger still.”
That is why Microsoft announced that it will make Windows XP available for an additional two years, specifically for “ultra low-cost PCs” such as the Asus Eee PC. Many of these systems lack the muscle to run Vista. (The cut-off date for all other types of PCs is still set for June 30, 2008.) Internal e-mails show that Microsoft’s own analysts warned as early as 2006 that Vista’s hefty system requirements may be out of sync with PC market that was shifting to notebooks, including cheaper, less powerful models.
Still it seemed like Vista might finally catch a break last week when Forrester recommended making the upgrade in a report titled “Building the Business Case for Windows Vista.” Its rationale: There really is no alternative to Windows for businesses, Windows XP won’t be available for most PCs after June 30th, and the next version, Windows 7, will probably be late and no one really knows what it will include anyway.
April 21st, 2008. It’s been a rough couple of weeks for the operating system everyone loves to hate.
Whether Vista is, in fact, flopping or doing fine is a matter of debate. As Mary Jo Foley has pointed out in her blog, Vista may not be selling at twice the rate of Windows XP–Microsoft’s original goal–but if revenues in the client division are any indication, it is hardly a failure.
Nevertheless Vista has suffered from a steady stream of bad PR stemming from the “Vista Capable” logo debacle, botched Service Pack updates, non-existent Ultimate add-ons, and a parade of executive departures. And the bad news just keeps on coming.
Earlier this month, Dell began offering a Windows Vista “downgrade” option on business desktops and laptops. If you choose this option, your PC comes with Windows XP pre-installed and a DVD so that you can upgrade to Vista Business or Ultimate “on your schedule.” It’s a nice option, but coming more than a year after the release of Vista it hardly seems like a vote of confidence. (I have a feeling this option may be what’s behind the stories circulating today about Dell offering Windows XP Professional on business systems through 2012.)
At a Microsoft conference last week, CEO Steve Ballmer reportedly described Vista as a “work I progress” that still needed improvements in performance, compatibility and battery life. But, he said, it was too late to do much about the size of the thing. “We can’t just set the dial back, but I think people wish we could,” Ballmer said. “Vista is bigger than XP. It’s going to stay bigger than XP. We have to make sure it doesn’t get bigger still.”
That is why Microsoft announced that it will make Windows XP available for an additional two years, specifically for “ultra low-cost PCs” such as the Asus Eee PC. Many of these systems lack the muscle to run Vista. (The cut-off date for all other types of PCs is still set for June 30, 2008.) Internal e-mails show that Microsoft’s own analysts warned as early as 2006 that Vista’s hefty system requirements may be out of sync with PC market that was shifting to notebooks, including cheaper, less powerful models.
Still it seemed like Vista might finally catch a break last week when Forrester recommended making the upgrade in a report titled “Building the Business Case for Windows Vista.” Its rationale: There really is no alternative to Windows for businesses, Windows XP won’t be available for most PCs after June 30th, and the next version, Windows 7, will probably be late and no one really knows what it will include anyway.
Skype's new packages show VOIP becoming commodity
PC World By: Mikael Ricknäs (IDG News Service)
22/04/2008. Skype has announced a flat rate for international calls, further showing how difficult it is to make money from telephony, according to analysts.
Skype has announced a number of different packages for unlimited fixed international calls -- which if you read the fine print means 10,000 minutes per month -- at a flat monthly fee.
Call costs vary depending on the plan. For example, unlimited calls to landlines in the European country of your choice will cost AUD$4.95 per month whereas unlimited calls to landlines in 34 countries worldwide will cost AUD$11.95 per month. All up there 14 different plans for users.
"It goes to show that there's not really a market here," said Gartner analyst Steve Blood. "Every few months they have to continue to reduce prices to compete -- where's the revenue to pay back the US$2.6 billion?," asks Blood.
The US$2.6 billion is a reference to eBay's acquisition of Skype in 2005, putting more pressure on Skype to make money.
"Skype is using the spray gun approach, offering different consumer and enterprise packages to see what works," said Bernt Ostergaard, research director at Current Analysis.
Flat monthly fees for international calls are nothing new. Other Internet providers, especially in Europe, have been offering this for some time.
"Skype was having difficulty competing in France, where the market really is at rock-bottom prices. Nine dollars and ninety-five cents is good for the U.S. market, though," Blood said.
Cheap telephony isn't Skype's only problem. Both Blood and Ostergaard view Skype's proprietary environment as a problem. It runs the risk of being overtaken by more open networks, according to Ostergaard.
If Skype wants to survive it needs to adapt and open up, according to Blood.
"Accept you won't make any money from telephony, open up the environment and create a value proposition that your subscribers can connect to anyone through instant messaging, voice, video, e-mail across wired and wireless networks," Blood said.
But Skype is still upbeat about its future. It has been making a profit for five quarters, according to Wilhelm Lundborg, product manager, Skype for Business.
"This announcement is a natural progression for us, and flat rate is where it's at today. It's something our customers have been asking for," Lundborg said.
Cheaper telephony just makes Skype happy, according to Lundborg.
"We are leading the push, but there is still a willingness to pay for telephony", he said.
Opening up Skype is not on the agenda, but it wants to be on as many platforms as possible, according to Lundborg.
Skype subscriptions can be purchased at skype.com/go/subscriptions
22/04/2008. Skype has announced a flat rate for international calls, further showing how difficult it is to make money from telephony, according to analysts.
Skype has announced a number of different packages for unlimited fixed international calls -- which if you read the fine print means 10,000 minutes per month -- at a flat monthly fee.
Call costs vary depending on the plan. For example, unlimited calls to landlines in the European country of your choice will cost AUD$4.95 per month whereas unlimited calls to landlines in 34 countries worldwide will cost AUD$11.95 per month. All up there 14 different plans for users.
"It goes to show that there's not really a market here," said Gartner analyst Steve Blood. "Every few months they have to continue to reduce prices to compete -- where's the revenue to pay back the US$2.6 billion?," asks Blood.
The US$2.6 billion is a reference to eBay's acquisition of Skype in 2005, putting more pressure on Skype to make money.
"Skype is using the spray gun approach, offering different consumer and enterprise packages to see what works," said Bernt Ostergaard, research director at Current Analysis.
Flat monthly fees for international calls are nothing new. Other Internet providers, especially in Europe, have been offering this for some time.
"Skype was having difficulty competing in France, where the market really is at rock-bottom prices. Nine dollars and ninety-five cents is good for the U.S. market, though," Blood said.
Cheap telephony isn't Skype's only problem. Both Blood and Ostergaard view Skype's proprietary environment as a problem. It runs the risk of being overtaken by more open networks, according to Ostergaard.
If Skype wants to survive it needs to adapt and open up, according to Blood.
"Accept you won't make any money from telephony, open up the environment and create a value proposition that your subscribers can connect to anyone through instant messaging, voice, video, e-mail across wired and wireless networks," Blood said.
But Skype is still upbeat about its future. It has been making a profit for five quarters, according to Wilhelm Lundborg, product manager, Skype for Business.
"This announcement is a natural progression for us, and flat rate is where it's at today. It's something our customers have been asking for," Lundborg said.
Cheaper telephony just makes Skype happy, according to Lundborg.
"We are leading the push, but there is still a willingness to pay for telephony", he said.
Opening up Skype is not on the agenda, but it wants to be on as many platforms as possible, according to Lundborg.
Skype subscriptions can be purchased at skype.com/go/subscriptions
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Microsoft starts testing Office subscription
Technology Reuters
Mon Apr 21, 2008. SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) started testing a new way of selling its Office software suite on a subscription basis, packaging it with security software and free online services.
Microsoft on Friday launched a new test program code-named "Albany" that will allow consumers to download and install Office 2007, which includes Word processing and Excel spreadsheet, and then receive updates for a subscription instead of a more traditional one-time license fee.
Consumers will also receive Windows Live OneCare, a Web-based security software, and online applications including Windows Live Mail and Office Live Workspace.
Microsoft did not disclose how it plans to set the pricing for "Albany" or when it would be widely available.
The company faces competition from Google Inc (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and a slew of start-ups including privately-held Zoho, which are offering applications comparable to Office but delivered through a Web browser for free or a monthly subscription.
Microsoft said this is not a complete overhaul of how it sells software.
"We are definitely not straying from our traditional software sales model," said Bryson Gordon, product manager for the project.
"There will always be a significant number of users for whom purchasing a perpetual license to the latest version of Office is still the best choice. "Albany" just gives customers more choice."
(Reporting by Daisuke Wakabayashi; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Mon Apr 21, 2008. SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) started testing a new way of selling its Office software suite on a subscription basis, packaging it with security software and free online services.Microsoft on Friday launched a new test program code-named "Albany" that will allow consumers to download and install Office 2007, which includes Word processing and Excel spreadsheet, and then receive updates for a subscription instead of a more traditional one-time license fee.
Consumers will also receive Windows Live OneCare, a Web-based security software, and online applications including Windows Live Mail and Office Live Workspace.
Microsoft did not disclose how it plans to set the pricing for "Albany" or when it would be widely available.
The company faces competition from Google Inc (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and a slew of start-ups including privately-held Zoho, which are offering applications comparable to Office but delivered through a Web browser for free or a monthly subscription.
Microsoft said this is not a complete overhaul of how it sells software.
"We are definitely not straying from our traditional software sales model," said Bryson Gordon, product manager for the project.
"There will always be a significant number of users for whom purchasing a perpetual license to the latest version of Office is still the best choice. "Albany" just gives customers more choice."
(Reporting by Daisuke Wakabayashi; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
A new Google Earth has landed...
Download.com
April 15, 2008 Greetings, Earthlings. There's big, round news in the world of software, and its name is Google Earth. Hot on the heels of major improvements to Microsoft Virtual Earth, Google Earth has had a few big announcements of its own. On Monday, KML, the markup language behind Google Earth, was approved as the international standard by the Open Geospatial Consortium.
The Google Earth Blog also announced a research project to simplify placing images into precise locations within Google Earth. Anyone who's tried this knows it requires some advanced photo-matching techniques, so we can all look forward to a more streamlined process.
But today comes the biggest news--a brave new Google Earth 4.3 that received a passel of new features, including some ported over from other Google products.
New features
One of the more exciting additions to Google Earth 4.3 is the capability to switch on day and night views. I'm thinking this is a good way to see the Eiffel Tower at sunrise and peek in on the countries that sleep when I'm awake. Also noteworthy is the news that Street View, which you may remember from Google Maps, will be woven into the version update, complete with the familiar photo viewer.
Speed is another theme with this new release. 3D buildings will render faster, and Google Earth accelerates the switch between Earth and Sky modes (this is a really neat feature; if you haven't checked it out, do.)
Where possible, images will be getting time stamps for easily seeing when they were created. Since so many photo sources populate Google Earth, not every image will bear a born-on date, but those that do will add another layer of information to this simulated world. Finally, Google is updating the look of the app's navigational controls to complement mouse and keyboard-scrolling. I don't know, maybe a Google-branded joystick and shooter games are the next evolution, though I highly doubt it.
What kinds of mash-ups and integrations would you like to see in the next iteration of Google Earth? Share your creativity in the comments.
In the meantime, making models with Google SketchUp is a good way to populate Google Earth, or your own personal version of it. If you prefer to create your own 3D landscapes, Bryce is the freeware application to beat. DAZ Studio, Bryce's sister software, offers the same extensive range of modeling freedom with human subjects in mind.
April 15, 2008 Greetings, Earthlings. There's big, round news in the world of software, and its name is Google Earth. Hot on the heels of major improvements to Microsoft Virtual Earth, Google Earth has had a few big announcements of its own. On Monday, KML, the markup language behind Google Earth, was approved as the international standard by the Open Geospatial Consortium.
The Google Earth Blog also announced a research project to simplify placing images into precise locations within Google Earth. Anyone who's tried this knows it requires some advanced photo-matching techniques, so we can all look forward to a more streamlined process.
But today comes the biggest news--a brave new Google Earth 4.3 that received a passel of new features, including some ported over from other Google products.
New features
One of the more exciting additions to Google Earth 4.3 is the capability to switch on day and night views. I'm thinking this is a good way to see the Eiffel Tower at sunrise and peek in on the countries that sleep when I'm awake. Also noteworthy is the news that Street View, which you may remember from Google Maps, will be woven into the version update, complete with the familiar photo viewer.
Speed is another theme with this new release. 3D buildings will render faster, and Google Earth accelerates the switch between Earth and Sky modes (this is a really neat feature; if you haven't checked it out, do.)
Where possible, images will be getting time stamps for easily seeing when they were created. Since so many photo sources populate Google Earth, not every image will bear a born-on date, but those that do will add another layer of information to this simulated world. Finally, Google is updating the look of the app's navigational controls to complement mouse and keyboard-scrolling. I don't know, maybe a Google-branded joystick and shooter games are the next evolution, though I highly doubt it.
What kinds of mash-ups and integrations would you like to see in the next iteration of Google Earth? Share your creativity in the comments.
In the meantime, making models with Google SketchUp is a good way to populate Google Earth, or your own personal version of it. If you prefer to create your own 3D landscapes, Bryce is the freeware application to beat. DAZ Studio, Bryce's sister software, offers the same extensive range of modeling freedom with human subjects in mind.
Fewer U.S. teens are getting pregnant: study
Health Reuters By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
Mon Apr 14, 2008 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fewer U.S. teens got pregnant in 2004 but more women in their 20s had out-of-wedlock pregnancies, according to new federal statistics released on Monday.
The latest look at U.S. pregnancy trends also shows more women are keeping their babies even if they are not married, with the exception of black women.
While 45 percent of all pregnancies are among women who are not married, the typical "unwed mother" is no longer a teenager but in fact an older woman, said Stephanie Ventura of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.
"More of them are likely to have the baby rather than having an abortion compared to 1990," Ventura, who led the study, said in a telephone interview.
The report found that nearly 38 percent of pregnancies in 2004 were to women under the age of 25, which is down from nearly 43 percent in 1990.
Just 12 percent of all pregnancies were to teenagers, compared to 15 percent in 1990.
Overall, there were almost 6.4 million pregnancies in 2004 among U.S. women of all ages, down 6 percent from 1990.
Out of these pregnancies, 4.11 million babies were born. There were 1.22 million abortions and 1.06 million stillbirths and miscarriages. That means 64 percent of all pregnancies resulted in a live birth.
In 2006, 4.3 million live babies were born but data is not yet complete on abortions.
Ventura said it takes years to gather this kind of data.
BETTER CONTRACEPTION
She said other studies have shed light on why pregnancy rates are going down among teens.
"There have been some changes in behavioral and contraceptive use among teenagers who are sexually active," Ventura said.
The report said pregnancy rates fell the most among sexually experienced teens, suggesting that better use of contraception may be responsible
"There is some evidence that contraceptive use (for example, at first intercourse and at most recent intercourse) was increasing among teenagers through 2002," they wrote.
Meanwhile, more women are delaying childbearing.
"Among older women, birth rates have been going up -- that's something we have been watching for 20 to 30 years," Ventura said.
According to the study, 77 percent of births to unmarried women in 2006 were to women 20 and older.
"I guess maybe it is changes in attitude and a willingness
to have children when you are not married and that kind of thing," Ventura said.
About 3.5 million pregnancies were among married women and 2.98 million were to unmarried women.
"There are large racial disparities in most of these measures," Ventura said.
About two-thirds of white and Hispanic women who got pregnant ended up having their babies while 48 percent of black women did. Thirty seven percent of pregnancies to black women were aborted.
There are two possible reasons for this, the report found.
"First, non-Hispanic black women were less likely to use a contraceptive method at first intercourse and currently than white women," the researchers wrote.
Second, blacks had double the rate of "contraceptive failure" compared to whites.
(Editing by Julie Steenhuysen and Bill Trott)
© Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Mon Apr 14, 2008 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fewer U.S. teens got pregnant in 2004 but more women in their 20s had out-of-wedlock pregnancies, according to new federal statistics released on Monday.The latest look at U.S. pregnancy trends also shows more women are keeping their babies even if they are not married, with the exception of black women.
While 45 percent of all pregnancies are among women who are not married, the typical "unwed mother" is no longer a teenager but in fact an older woman, said Stephanie Ventura of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.
"More of them are likely to have the baby rather than having an abortion compared to 1990," Ventura, who led the study, said in a telephone interview.
The report found that nearly 38 percent of pregnancies in 2004 were to women under the age of 25, which is down from nearly 43 percent in 1990.
Just 12 percent of all pregnancies were to teenagers, compared to 15 percent in 1990.
Overall, there were almost 6.4 million pregnancies in 2004 among U.S. women of all ages, down 6 percent from 1990.
Out of these pregnancies, 4.11 million babies were born. There were 1.22 million abortions and 1.06 million stillbirths and miscarriages. That means 64 percent of all pregnancies resulted in a live birth.
In 2006, 4.3 million live babies were born but data is not yet complete on abortions.
Ventura said it takes years to gather this kind of data.
BETTER CONTRACEPTION
She said other studies have shed light on why pregnancy rates are going down among teens.
"There have been some changes in behavioral and contraceptive use among teenagers who are sexually active," Ventura said.
The report said pregnancy rates fell the most among sexually experienced teens, suggesting that better use of contraception may be responsible
"There is some evidence that contraceptive use (for example, at first intercourse and at most recent intercourse) was increasing among teenagers through 2002," they wrote.
Meanwhile, more women are delaying childbearing.
"Among older women, birth rates have been going up -- that's something we have been watching for 20 to 30 years," Ventura said.
According to the study, 77 percent of births to unmarried women in 2006 were to women 20 and older.
"I guess maybe it is changes in attitude and a willingness
to have children when you are not married and that kind of thing," Ventura said.
About 3.5 million pregnancies were among married women and 2.98 million were to unmarried women.
"There are large racial disparities in most of these measures," Ventura said.
About two-thirds of white and Hispanic women who got pregnant ended up having their babies while 48 percent of black women did. Thirty seven percent of pregnancies to black women were aborted.
There are two possible reasons for this, the report found.
"First, non-Hispanic black women were less likely to use a contraceptive method at first intercourse and currently than white women," the researchers wrote.
Second, blacks had double the rate of "contraceptive failure" compared to whites.
(Editing by Julie Steenhuysen and Bill Trott)
© Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Stolen rhino horns could be deadly...
Reuters
Tue Apr 15, 2008 CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Two 19th century rhino horns stolen from a South African museum could be deadly if sold as a popular aphrodisiac because they are drenched in poison, a museum official said on Monday.
The "priceless" horns were snatched from a display at the historic mammal gallery in Cape Town on Saturday evening, said Jatti Bredekamp, chief executive of Iziko Museums.
"Unknowingly, the thieves have exposed themselves to more than the danger of arrest and prosecution," Bredekamp said in a statement.
"Before the mid-twentieth century, taxidermy mounts were prepared by being soaked in arsenic and preserved from insect infestation through regular applications of DDT, both highly toxic poisons that retain their toxicity over time," he said.
Bredekamp said the horns were deliberately targeted in a carefully planned robbery, and might be destined for Asia, where ground rhino horns are a prized aphrodisiac.
"This could have unforeseen consequences," he said.
Rhino populations have fallen dramatically over the last few decades as poaching decimated the animals across Africa.
Bredekamp said museums worldwide were being targeted by organized crime to help supply lucrative markets with a wide range of artifacts. After a previous robbery attempt, South African museum officials removed several other specimens of rhino horn from public display, he said.
(Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by Caroline Drees and Michael Winfrey)
© Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Tue Apr 15, 2008 CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Two 19th century rhino horns stolen from a South African museum could be deadly if sold as a popular aphrodisiac because they are drenched in poison, a museum official said on Monday.The "priceless" horns were snatched from a display at the historic mammal gallery in Cape Town on Saturday evening, said Jatti Bredekamp, chief executive of Iziko Museums.
"Unknowingly, the thieves have exposed themselves to more than the danger of arrest and prosecution," Bredekamp said in a statement.
"Before the mid-twentieth century, taxidermy mounts were prepared by being soaked in arsenic and preserved from insect infestation through regular applications of DDT, both highly toxic poisons that retain their toxicity over time," he said.
Bredekamp said the horns were deliberately targeted in a carefully planned robbery, and might be destined for Asia, where ground rhino horns are a prized aphrodisiac.
"This could have unforeseen consequences," he said.
Rhino populations have fallen dramatically over the last few decades as poaching decimated the animals across Africa.
Bredekamp said museums worldwide were being targeted by organized crime to help supply lucrative markets with a wide range of artifacts. After a previous robbery attempt, South African museum officials removed several other specimens of rhino horn from public display, he said.
(Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by Caroline Drees and Michael Winfrey)
© Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Techworld.nl | Patch Tuesday: april wordt flink...
Techworld.nl Door: Michiel van Blommestein
Vrijdag 4 April 2008. Microsoft heeft voor Patch Tuesday komende dinsdag acht beveiligingsupdates aangekondigd.
VBScript, Microsoft Project, Internet Explorer, Office en Windows OS staan voor deze maand op de rol om geplakt te worden. Vijf van de updates hebben de stempel 'kritiek' meegekregen vanuit Redmond: een voor Office, twee voor Windows (OS en VBScript) en twee voor IE.
Vooral de Bulletin 2 update voor Windows trekt de aandacht. Deze geldt als kritisch voor alle versies van het besturingsysteem inclusief WS 2008, iets wat volgens Andrew Storms van nCircle Networks Security niet vaak meer voorkomt.
"De trend is dat de patches voor de nieuwe versies van Windows minder kritisch zijn dan de oudere varianten", zegt hij tegenover de nieuwsdienst van IDG. "Dat deze update kritisch is voor alle versies kan erop wijzen dat het een lek is in de kern van het besturingssysteem."
Een geplande update werd in februari op het laatste moment teruggetrokken. Vermoedelijk is de voor
aanstaande ronde geplande update voor VBScript het inhalertje daarvan.
Vrijdag 4 April 2008. Microsoft heeft voor Patch Tuesday komende dinsdag acht beveiligingsupdates aangekondigd.
VBScript, Microsoft Project, Internet Explorer, Office en Windows OS staan voor deze maand op de rol om geplakt te worden. Vijf van de updates hebben de stempel 'kritiek' meegekregen vanuit Redmond: een voor Office, twee voor Windows (OS en VBScript) en twee voor IE.
Vooral de Bulletin 2 update voor Windows trekt de aandacht. Deze geldt als kritisch voor alle versies van het besturingsysteem inclusief WS 2008, iets wat volgens Andrew Storms van nCircle Networks Security niet vaak meer voorkomt.
"De trend is dat de patches voor de nieuwe versies van Windows minder kritisch zijn dan de oudere varianten", zegt hij tegenover de nieuwsdienst van IDG. "Dat deze update kritisch is voor alle versies kan erop wijzen dat het een lek is in de kern van het besturingssysteem."
Een geplande update werd in februari op het laatste moment teruggetrokken. Vermoedelijk is de voor
aanstaande ronde geplande update voor VBScript het inhalertje daarvan.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
He says he's a cop, but he isn't wearing a badge...
Reuters
Tue Apr 1, 2008 WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A policeman in a small New Zealand town did not let the fact that he was naked hold him back from chasing a thief trying to steal his car.
The off-duty constable was asleep at his home in Balclutha, in the lower South Island, when his wife woke him in the early hours, the New Zealand Press Association reported.
When the policeman realized the sound his wife heard was someone attempting to start the couple's car, he didn't let the fact he was stark naked hold him back, bursting out the door with nothing more than a torch.
The offender bolted with the officer in hot pursuit, NZPA reported, but was soon after picked up by a police patrol.
"The offender...startled by the sight of a naked constable with just a torch coming towards him, took off," local police were quoted as saying.
(Reporting by Adrian Bathgate; Editing by David Fox)
Tue Apr 1, 2008 WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A policeman in a small New Zealand town did not let the fact that he was naked hold him back from chasing a thief trying to steal his car.
The off-duty constable was asleep at his home in Balclutha, in the lower South Island, when his wife woke him in the early hours, the New Zealand Press Association reported.
When the policeman realized the sound his wife heard was someone attempting to start the couple's car, he didn't let the fact he was stark naked hold him back, bursting out the door with nothing more than a torch.
The offender bolted with the officer in hot pursuit, NZPA reported, but was soon after picked up by a police patrol.
"The offender...startled by the sight of a naked constable with just a torch coming towards him, took off," local police were quoted as saying.
(Reporting by Adrian Bathgate; Editing by David Fox)
Children find woman's head on beach...
Reuters
Tue Apr 1, 2008 LONDON (Reuters) - Children playing on a Scottish beach discovered a woman's severed head in a plastic bag, police said on Tuesday.
The discovery, along with a hand, was made in the town of Arbroath, Tayside police said. "Officers attended at a stretch of foreshore near to South Street shortly after 10:30 a.m. after the grim discovery was made by children playing on the beach," a statement said.
"They found what appears to be the head of a woman concealed in a plastic bag. A hand has also been recovered from the beach."
No other details were immediately available.
(Reporting by Andrew Hough; Editing by Stephen Addison)
Tue Apr 1, 2008 LONDON (Reuters) - Children playing on a Scottish beach discovered a woman's severed head in a plastic bag, police said on Tuesday.
The discovery, along with a hand, was made in the town of Arbroath, Tayside police said. "Officers attended at a stretch of foreshore near to South Street shortly after 10:30 a.m. after the grim discovery was made by children playing on the beach," a statement said.
"They found what appears to be the head of a woman concealed in a plastic bag. A hand has also been recovered from the beach."
No other details were immediately available.
(Reporting by Andrew Hough; Editing by Stephen Addison)
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