Thursday, April 3, 2008
A reporter from Wikinews recently interviewed Jim Babka, chair of Libertarian organization Downsize DC. The organization claims to have arranged for 22,158 people to send a message regarding the “American Freedom Agenda Act” proposed by Ron Paul, in addition to supporting many other laws. The full text of the interview can be found below.
Monday, March 2, 2009
According to officials, João Bernardo Vieira, the president of Guinea-Bissau, was shot to death on Monday in his palace by renegade soldiers.
“President Vieira was killed by the army as he tried to flee his house which was being attacked by a group of soldiers close to the chief of staff Tagme Na Waie, early this morning,” Zamora Induta, a military spokesman, said to Agence France-Presse, insisting that “this was not a coup d’etat.”
“We reaffirmed our intention to respect the democratically elected power and the constitution of the republic,” he said. “The people who killed President Vieira have not been arrested, but we are pursuing them. They are an isolated group. The situation is under control.”
Induta also said that the president was “taken down by bullets fired by these soldiers,” and that afterwards they looted his home. “They were taking everything they could carry, his personal belongings, the furniture, everything,” Induta said.
The assassination is believed to be a revenge for a bomb blast that killed one of Vieira’s rivals, the army chief of staff General Batista Tagme Na Waie, just a few hours earlier.
The constitution says that the nation’s parliament chief, Raimundo Pereira, is to succeed Vieira in the case of his death.
Jean Ping, the chief executive of the African Union, said that the assassination of the president was a “criminal act”.
Guinea-Bissau, located on the western coast of Africa, has had a history of coups, and is one of the world’s poorest countries. It is notorious as being a transit point for the cocaine trade between Europe and South America.
João Bernardo Vieira, born in 1939, came to power in Guinea-Bissau during a coup in 1980, but was forced out in 1999 when a civil war started. In 2005, he returned from his exile in Portugal to participate in the nation’s elections, and won the vote.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Victoria Wyndham was one of the most seasoned and accomplished actresses in daytime soap opera television. She played Rachel Cory, the maven of Another World‘s fictional town, Bay City, from 1972 to 1999 when the show went off the air. Wyndham talks about how she was seen as the anchor of a show, and the political infighting to keep it on the air as NBC wanted to wrest control of the long-running soap from Procter & Gamble. Wyndham fought to keep it on the air, but eventually succumbed to the inevitable. She discusses life on the soap opera, and the seven years she spent wandering “in the woods” of Los Angeles seeking direction, now divorced from a character who had come to define her professional career. Happy, healthy and with a family she is proud of, Wyndham has found life after the death of Another World in painting and animals. Below is David Shankbone’s interview with the soap diva.
Submitted by: H John Johnsen
When people look for a good bedroom decorating idea, the first thing they usually consider is bedroom furniture.
Keep in mind that you spend most of your time in the bedroom; so it should be very comfortable and sumptuous. Spending more on the linens will pay off by making the room more sensual and exciting. Dont be swayed by white sales unless you can get a good deal on high count linens. The higher the thread count; the better the softness. And; have you ever slept on sheets that feel like cardboard? The big hotel chains have it right when dealing with customers. Make the bed very comfortable and they will be back.
As a matter of fact; my wife loved a pillow so much at one hotel that she asked the manager the brand and she bought one. It was a little expensive; but she is very comfortable. Andisnt comfort what we all want?
If the room is small you should avoid crowding it with too much furniture. And; if you have a large bedroom, you should consider the scale of the items. Bigger rooms allow you to use higher and larger pieces. But overcrowding is something you should avoid. You will find that the more open space you have the more control and relaxation you will feel over your environment.
Before you go out to shop take measurements of the room. Use a piece of paper and write down the dimensions. The sales people can help you when it comes to the furniture sizes and what will (or wont) fit. This also helps you avoid having the big problem of returning the items because they didnt fit in the room.
Lighting
The type of lighting should be bright; but not glaring. Use low watt or energy saving bulbs. If you read you need a brighter bulb. Soft lighting works the best since you are in there to relax and sleep.
Flooring
There are several flooring options from stone and tile to wood. However, a good choice is soft carpet for your flooring, which, unlike tile and marble, will create a cozy feeling. But; if you like hardwoods or tiles consider using throw rugs at the sides of the bed. Think about getting out of bed and stepping on a cold floor. Wouldnt it be better to step on a soft and comfortable rug?
The Final Thought
Before buying, know your tastes, and special needs. Make a plan on paper. Figure out the colors you like. Decide on the furniture style. Consider the dcor style. Once you have all these ideas down and in your head you are ready to go shopping.
Also; today stores are looking for people to buy and making deals on the sticker prices is something you should do. Ask if you can purchase floor models or wait for sales. Delivery prices can be negotiated away if you are buying a good amount of items. Shop smart and you will be happy in the end.
About the Author:
H. John Johnsen
is a Designer and Writer for Home Design Sense.com and other web sites. You can find more information on
Interior Home Design
at the
Home Design Sense
website. Or email to
Source:
isnare.com
Permanent Link:
isnare.com/?aid=494533&ca=Home+Management }
Friday, May 18, 2007
British explorer and mountaineer Edward “Bear” Grylls, has set a new altitude record by piloting a powered paraglider above Mount Everest reaching 29,494ft (8,990m). He and his fellow pilot, Giles Cardozo, who had invented and developed the parajet engine, set out on their attempt from the Himalayan village of Pheriche (altitude 14,435ft (4,400m)) in the early morning of 14th May.
Grylls, 33, is a mountaineer, best selling author and television presenter who spent three years with the elite British Special Air Service (“SAS”) forces. During this time he was involved in a horrific parachuting accident in which he broke his back in three places, almost severing his spinal cord. Remarkably, in 1998, after months of rehabilitation, he became at 23, the youngest British climber to scale Mount Everest and return alive.
Cardozo is considered to be one of the top paragliding pilots in the world, and it is reported that he and Grylls first came up with the idea for the attempt about a year ago when he had invented the engine that would take them up the mountain.
Grylls and Cardozo flew their paragliders together to 28,001ft (8,353m) surviving temperatures of minus 76°F (-60°C) and dangerously low oxygen levels, when a fault developed in Cardozo’s engine, and he had to abort his attempt just 984ft (300m) below the summit. Grylls went on to reach his record height at 09.33 local time. He had originally intended to cross the Mountain but turned back to base camp fearing that he might be arrested if he entered Chinese airspace.
On his return to Kathmandu, Grylls voiced his feelings of loneliness and exhilaration:
| “ | When Giles descended and I found myself alone so high up I was feeling a lot more vulnerable but I knew the weather and wind conditions were perfect. It was so amazing to look into Nepal, India and Tibet and all of a sudden these great Himalayan giants looked so tiny. It was a very special moment when I realised that there was no mountain in the world above me, especially after having stood on the top of the world myself nine years ago. | ” |
The attempt was sponsored by British technology and engineering group GKN. The project, GKN Mission Everest, raised £500,000 (approximately $1m) for Global Angels, a charity helping children in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
In a separate incident, a German paragliding champion has survived being sucked up by a storm to a height of 32,612ft (9,940m) whilst preparing for a world paragliding championship in Manilla, New South Wales, Australia.
Ewa Wisnierska, 35, the 2005 World Cup paragliding winner, lost consciousness and was covered in ice and battered by orange-sized hailstones as she was pulled upwards by the sudden tornado-like storm which she had been attempting to skirt. After regaining consciousness as she descended she was able to make contact with her ground team which had been tracking her by her GPS equipment, and landed safely 40 miles (60km) from where she took off.
Remarkably she spent only an hour in hospital after her experience, being treated for frostbite and blistering to her face and ears.
A fellow competitor, 42 year old Chinese man, He Zhongpin, who was also caught up in the storm, was not so fortunate and died from lack of oxygen and the extreme cold.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Since the AutoTronics Taipei was held from 2006, companies from electronic and automobile-related industries steadily made their stages and a good complementary in this trade show.
Before the first holding in 2006, because of the establishment of Car Electronics Pavilion in 2005 TAITRONICS Autumn (Taipei International Electronic Autumn Show), it (the pavilion) ever became a hot topic in these 2 industries. And eventually, Yulon Group recruited their sub-companies grouping their own pavilion to showcase automobile parts, accessories, and applications.
Currently, automobile navigation, mobile entertainment, and road safety, were included in modern automotive devices. But in a keynote speech of TARC Pavilion, Jamie Hsu (Consultant of Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Republic of the China) pointed out several threats and opportunities on the automotive industry, his words also echoed a notable quote by Yi-cheng Liu (Chairman of Taiwan Transportation Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association): “The automobile industry shouldn’t be monopolized by a company or its own industry. If this industry want to be grown up, it [the industry] should do more optimizations and transformations with the other related industries like IT and electronic.”
Although some participants like Renesas, Fujitsu, MiTAC, TomTom NV, and Agilent ever participated in Taipei IT Month, CeBIT, or Computex Taipei, but there were varied comments for participation on Computex 2008.
| Computex 2008 will do a significant growth, of course. But we [Aglient] still consider to cooperate with Intel in a forum rather than showcasing in Computex. | ||
Renesas Technology, a participant of Computex 2007, won’t showcase in Computex 2008, but Fujitsu and TomTom both declared to participate in the 2008 Taipei IT Month.
Generally in the automobile industry, progressively conformed by the other industries, its success should depend on collaborations between different and similar industries because “not any company can do any monopoly in any industry” even though the automobile industry will become a “trillion industry” not only in Taiwan.
Monday, March 13, 2006
The Chinese National Development and Reform Commission approved today the plans by Nanjing Automobile Group to revive the MG Rover brand.
Nanjing Automobile are planning to annually produce 200,000 cars, 250,000 engines and 100,000 gearboxes on the assembly lines purchased from MG Rover.
The first MG produced in Pukou in Nanjing in the east of China will be the sedan version of MG-75, in the first half of 2007.
Submitted by: Shaun Torton
One of the most essential business spheres is accounting that needs to be performed in a perfect way. Those business owners that do not have a lot of information on transactions and other related financial activities do not need to have an accountant as the services are rather expensive and they cannot afford them. That is why they have to do all the accounting on their own which might be rather time consuming and may reduce the productivity of the business.
Those business owners that do not know how to do it may also visit some business accounting courses that might help them get certain knowledge. But at the same time, there are software development companies that may provide you with a chance to do accounting in an electronic way. You may find this type if software online and to download it. Of course, this software will not work in a perfect way as it is supposed to serve various businesses at the same time.
That is why if you want to have the software that would meet the needs of your business, you may contact the software development company and they will have a chance to tailor it to your needs. The thing is that small business companies do not have any requirements in relation to the accounting as soon as they collect and present all the information on the profits and financial losses in reports. In any case, any business owner needs to pay attention to financial information records so that to take right business decisions to increase profits on a regular basis.
Another ways to track your profits or expenses is to open a checking account and document all the incoming and outgoing transactions. You need to have documentations for each of the transactions on your bank account in case of any inspection. One of the most beneficial things to do is to order a bank statement each month which will help you track all the possible expenses. You also need to track all sorts of expenses associated with your business and as the most of them may be considered as tax deductions at the end of each year and you will see that the money spent on the taxes will be rather decreased in comparison with other fiscal years.
You should use this checking card once you travel and the expenses associated with transportation, food and lodging will not be treated as purchases associated with the business activity. You should also record them not to miss any chance to reduce the number of taxes to be repaid. To be effective in the business management process, you need to pay attention to any detail.
Another sphere of your concern should be related to the process of optimization of your business. And accounting is the best way to see the ways to optimize the business processes that are present. You will see which spheres of your business are more profitable than others and you may develop them with more financial funds invested.
About the Author: I am Shaun and I have been engaged in business development and risk management for years. Those who would like to learn more about business management may use this
useful link
.
Source:
isnare.com
Permanent Link:
isnare.com/?aid=1919893&ca=Business+Management }
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Ford has announced sweeping cuts of 21% (168,000 units) in its US and Canadian production, resulting in the partial closure of ten of its plants during the fourth quarter. The measure comes on top of existing turnaround plans announced in January, in which 25,000 to 30,000 positions should be cut and 14 plants closed by 2012.
Ford is the world’s third-largest automaker and the U.S.’s second-largest. However it has in recent years been struggling with poor profitability and shrinking market shares. In 2005 it lost $1.6 billion and recently the company reported a second quarter loss of $254 million and a 34% year-year decline in sales for the month of July.
George Pipas, director of sales analysis at Ford, points to rising gas prices having negative impact on the sale of the companies SUV lines as well as its sales leader, the F-series pickup truck as being the direct cause of the latest initiative.
So far the following plants are thought to be affected:
Ford’s stock fell 17 cents (2.1%) to $8 on the New York Stock Exchange.
Friday, May 6, 2005
On Thursday the 24th of March, 2005, Anna Ayala, a woman from Las Vegas, claimed to have found a human finger in her bowl of chili at a Wendy’s restaurant located at 1405 Monterey Highway, just south of downtown San Jose, California, owned by Fresno-based Jern Management. The finger, which probably belonged to a woman as it had a long and manicured fingernail, did not belong to any of the restaurant employees. The food supplies were seized by officials to be traced back to its manufacturers, while the restaurant was permitted to open again later with chili prepared from fresh ingredients.
Wikinews reporter David Vasquez drove his car up to the drive-thru menu and found that chili was still on the menu, at a price of US$1.19 for a small serving. He also witnessed workers unloading supplies from a semi-trailer truck in the restaurant’s parking lot, and carting them into the back door of the establishment.
Initially, county health officials said Ayala was fine and the finger had been cooked, which would have killed any bacteria in the finger. However, on March 27, officials admitted they were not so sure anymore. Tests were done on the finger to determine this. Dr. Martin Fenstersheib, Santa Clara County’s health officer, said that even if the finger was still raw when Ayala bit into it, the risk was low that she would have become infected with anything. However, he advised that Ayala should undergo a series of precautionary follow-up tests.
Sales at Wendy’s went down because of the incident. Wendy’s International, Inc. (WEN) closed at US$39.43 on Thursday the 24th, and as the stock exchange was closed for the Good Friday holiday, traders did not weigh in the stock until the next Monday.
By Tuesday the 5th of April, officials had still not succeeded in tracking down the owner of the finger. The fingerprint on the detached digit has been run through an FBI database as well as the local criminal database in Santa Clara County, but no matches were found. According to Rich Reneau, who was leading the investigation at the time, the fingerprint was marginal, and the likelihood of finding a match was slim.
Wendy’s stock did not go down significantly and was trading at US$39.37 that morning.
The next day, on Wednesday the 6th, Las Vegas police searched the home of Anna Ayala. About a dozen officers conducted the search at Ayala’s home at Maryland Parkway and Serene Street at about 4 p.m. local time (23:00 UTC), according to witnesses at the scene. Ayala and other residents were handcuffed and brought out of the house. Ayala said that her teenage daughter, Genesis Reyes, had torn shoulder ligaments as a result of the search. The Las Vegas Review-Journal ran a photo of Reyes wearing a sling in their Friday edition. In San Jose, police spokeswoman Gina Tepoorten confirmed to reporters that investigators had served the warrant in cooperation with Las Vegas police on Wednesday, but she refused to reveal specific details about the warrant. By that time, Wendy’s was offering a US$50,000 reward for information leading to the source of the finger.
Research by the Associated Press uncovered Ayala’s history of lawsuits. Ayala successfully won her suit for medical expenses against the national El Pollo Loco chicken-chain, a previous employer, after her daughter Genesis contracted salmonella poisoning, allegedly from eating at the restaurant. However, Ayala lost another suit against General Motors in 2000 claiming that a wheel fell off her car. She also started a sexual harassment suit against her former boss in 1998. A total of 13 lawsuits in California and Nevada had been filed. Ayala replied the focus should be on Wendy’s, and not her record of lawsuits. Nick Muyo, a spokesman for the San Jose Police department, said not to expect new information in the case for at least a week.
On Wednesday the 13th there was a potential new lead in the investigation. A spotted leopard had torn off part of a finger from an owner of exotic animals, Sandy Allman, in Pahrump, Nevada. The portion of Allman’s torn off finger was approximately the same size – 1 1/2-inches long. Pahrump is approximately 45 miles away from Las Vegas. Carol Asvestas, who owns an exotic animal sanctuary, told the San Jose Mercury News she witnessed the leopard tear off the finger. She reported the incident to a hotline run by Wendy’s offering the US$50,000 reward. Cindy Carroccio told the San Jose Mercury News that the finger was not reattached, and that the clinic “gave it back to her (Allman) in a little bag of ice.” On the same day the lead was announced, Ayala decided to drop her lawsuit against Wendy’s, due to emotional stress.
However, when Allman’s prints were sent to San Jose police, they didn’t match. Two days later, on Friday the 15th, Wendy’s doubled the reward to US$100,000. The company revealed that employees had passed polygraph tests. Wendy’s continues to claim that there is no evidence that the finger ever entered their supply chain, pointing to a lack of any accidents among the workers at their suppliers. Wendy’s tip line had received reports from across the United States, from “folks who either have lost a finger, or know somebody who lost a finger,” San Jose police Sgt. Nick Muyo told the Associated Press.
On Thursday the 21st of April, Anna Ayala was arrested at or near her home in Las Vegas on Thursday evening, in connection with the case, shortly after Wendy’s finished its own internal investigation. According to court documents, she has been charged with one count of attempted grand larceny related to the chili case, and one count of grand larceny in an unrelated real estate deal, and is being held without bail in Clark County, Nevada, pending extradition. A press conference by the San Jose Police and Wendy’s was held on Friday, April 22, at 13:00 PDT. The charge related to the case states the finger could not have been prepared at Wendy’s, where the chili is heated to 170 degrees for 3 hours. There is also an inconsistency in Ayala’s account of finding the finger and claiming it caused her to vomit compared with police saying there was no vomit at the scene. The incident has caused Wendy’s 2.5 million dollars worth of damages, which Ayala could be criminally responsible for. Until recently, the San Jose police had not accused Ayala of planting the finger herself.
The unrelated charge stems from an incident, also in San Jose, when Ayala allegedly received an $11,000 down payment on a mobile home she did not own.
Ayala was incarcerated at the Clark County Detention Center, awaiting a fugitive review hearing on Tuesday, April 26, 2005, at 7:30 a.m. local time. She was processed and given inmate ID 01964047. Her case number was 05F07229X. Ayala waived extradition at the hearing, and her attorney said they were ready to come to San Jose to defend against the charges.
On Friday, May 6, 2005, Ayala was transported to San Jose, California. Ayala was booked into the main Santa Clara County jail, and is awaiting arraignment. Ayala will likely be arraigned on Monday or Tuesday at the Santa Clara County Superior Court, according to Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney David Boyd.
On September 9, 2005, Ayala pleaded guilty to conspiring to file a false claim and attempted grand theft, and was scheduled to be sentenced on November 2, 2005. She faced up to ten years in prison, and her husband faced up to 13 years behind bars.
Until the middle of May, the owner of the finger still had not been found.
But on May 13, 2005, police announced that they had identified the finger tip as belonging to an associate of Ayala’s husband [1]. The associate had lost his finger tip in an industrial accident at an asphalt company[2] in December, 2004. Police had received the information from an undisclosed caller to Wendy’s hot-line.
Photos related to this incident:
The Wendy’s location where the finger was discovered, shortly after closing time March 22
Chili was still on the menu as the restaurant closed for the evening on March 22
Workers unload fresh supplies after closing time on March 22
The Wendy’s location on March 27
Ayala residence in Las Vegas, Nevada, shot on April 22, 2005 by Wikinews contributor David Vasquez
Note on Ayala residence door, photographed on April 22, 2005 by David Vasquez