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Existing research suggests that manufacturing establishments in developing countries do not grow over time, most likely because of market imperfections and regulations. But a recent working paper by Meghana Ayyagari, Asli Demirguc-Kunt and Vojislav Maksimovic finds the opposite is true. Drawing on survey data from 120 developing countries, the analysis shows that on average, plants established more than 40 years ago employ almost five times as many workers as firms five years old or younger. The evidence is consistent in India, based on detailed manufacturing census data spanning 23 years. In addition, the paper finds that differences in financial development across Indian states, while substantial, have a minor effect on firm growth. These results hold, even after controlling for differences in labor regulations across states, capital intensity, labor regulations, and firms established before and after major reforms.
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 6718 »
There is widespread interest in counting the number of hungry people in the world and monitoring trends in hunger. But measuring the number of hungry people is not easy. Current global counts rely on combining statistics on each country's food availability with information on consumption patterns from household surveys. Recent research has advocated for estimating hunger directly from these same surveys. Important to either approach is the quality and consistency of household surveys. Using a survey experiment in Tanzania, a recent working paper by Joachim De Weerdt, Kathleen Beegle, Jed Friedman, and John Gibson finds that alternative survey designs come with significant variation in hunger counts. In particular, changing the design of the survey questionnaire (how questions are asked) greatly impacts the hunger estimate. As a result, comparable and valid statistics on the number of hungry people will continue to be compromised until the design of household surveys, especially the consistency of questionnaires, is improved.
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 6736 »
The current debate is focused on permanent migration from poorer to richer countries and immigration policies in industrial countries, but the international mobility of people is no longer a one-time event or a one-way flow from South to North, according to a recent paper by Aaditya Mattoo and Arvind Subramanian. The economic crisis has given people in industrial countries strong incentives to migrate. As consumers, they could find better and cheaper access to key services in developing countries, such as elderly care, health and education, just as the costs of these services at home are projected to increase and threaten their living standards. As workers, they could benefit from new opportunities created by the greater economic dynamism in many emerging countries. But there are some challenges to North-to-South mobility that need to be addressed, such as the lack of portability of health insurance and the non-recognition of educational qualifications obtained abroad. Furthermore, if industrial country beneficiaries of the movement abroad exert countervailing power against those who support immigration barriers at home, it could lead to greater inflows of people, boosting innovation and growth in the North. Eventually, two-way migration could boost the movement of people at every stage in all countries and help realize the full benefits of globalization.
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 6539 | Related article in Foreign Policy »
In a recent working paper, Emiko Fukase investigates how foreign ownership affects wages for workers of different gender and education levels in Vietnam, using the countryÂs Household Living Standard Surveys of 2002 and 2004. While most studies compared wage levels between foreign and domestic sectors using firm-level data, thus excluding the informal sector, it isnÂt the case with this paper, as the Living Standard Surveys allow wage comparison analyses in the informal wage sector as well. A series of Mincerian earnings equations, along with worker-specific fixed effects models, are used for the analysis. Several findings emerge. First, foreign firms pay higher wages than their domestic counterparts, after controlling for workers personal characteristics. Second, the higher an individual worker's level of education, the larger wage premium on average he or she earns at foreign firms. Third, an important factor for the wage premium is that workers put in more hours at foreign firms than those working in the informal wage sector. Finally, unskilled women see a larger foreign wage premium than unskilled men, reflecting the low earning opportunities for women and a larger gender gap in the informal wage sector.
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 6421 »
While there is a consensus that the 2008-2009 financial crisis was triggered by financial market disruptions in the U.S., there is little agreement on whether the transmission of the crisis and the subsequent prolonged recession are caused by credit factors or a collapse of demand for goods and services. In a recent working paper, Ha Nguyen and Rong Qian investigate the issue using a unique firm survey conducted by the World Bank in six Eastern European countries during the crisis. They find that the drop in demand for products and services, instead of a credit crunch, was overwhelmingly reported as the most damaging adverse effect of the crisis. Some usual suspects, such as rising debt or reduced access to credit, were reported as minor. In addition, the changes in sales and capacity are significantly and robustly correlated with the demand sensitivity of the sectors in which the firms operate. However, they are not robustly correlated with various proxies for firms' credit needs.
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 6651 | Related blog »
In a recent working paper, Moon Jung Choi, Eva Gutierrez and Maria Soledad Martinez Peria analyze the lending behavior of foreign-owned banks during the global financial crisis, using bank-level panel data for countries in Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia and Latin America. They find that foreign banks across regions, whether regional or global, curtailed credit more than domestic banks did at the height of the financial crisis in 2009, but there were some interesting nuances. U.S. banks, in particular, seem to have retrenched their lending less than other foreign banks. That may be because the crisis, which began there in 2007, was receding by 2009. In addition, U.S. banks received liquidity and capital support from regulators during the crisis. The funding structure of foreign affiliates appears to have some impact on the behavior of foreign banks. Foreign affiliates with a higher deposit base, and thus lower reliance on wholesale funding, curtailed credit less than other foreign banks. Similarly, foreign bank affiliates with well-capitalized parents contracted credit less than other foreign banks.
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 6674 »
As universal health coverage gains momentum, the global health research community has made significant efforts to advance knowledge about the impact of various schemes to expand population coverage. How provider-payment reforms affect the efficiency, quality and gaps in service utilization is less well studied and understood. In a recent working paper, Ha Nguyen, Thi Hong, Sarah Bales, Adam Wagstaff, and Huyen Dao address the gap by evaluating the impact of a payment reform in Vietnam, where its social health insurance agency shifted from reimbursing hospitals on a fee-for-service basis to making a capitation payment to the hospital of the district where the enrollee lived. Using 2005-2011 hospital panel data and multiple cross-section data sets from the Vietnam Household Living Standard Surveys, the authors estimate the payment changeÂs impact on health care efficiency, quality and equity. The findings show that capitation increased hospitals efficiency, as measured by recurrent expenditure and drug expenditure per case, but had no effect on surgery complication rates or in-hospital deaths. In response to the shift to capitation, hospitals scaled down service provision to the insured and increased provision to the uninsured, who continued to pay out-of-pocket on a fee-for-service basis. The study points to the need to anticipate the intended and unintended effects of any payment reform and the trade-offs among policy objectives.
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 6709 »
Does decentralized beneficiary targeting in the administration of development programs work as intended? In a recent working paper, Talip Kilic, Edward Whitney and Paul Winters join the long-standing debate and focus on the large-scale Farm Input Subsidy Program in Malawi. Using nationally-representative household survey data, the authors systematically analyze the programÂs performance in decentralized targeting during the 2009-2010 agricultural season. They begin with a standard targeting assessment, based on program participation rates and benefit amounts among the eligible and non-eligible populations. They decompose the national targeting performance and identify the relative contributions of targeting across districts, across communities in each district and within communities. The results show that the national government, districts and communities all failed to target the poor, with any minimal targeting overwhelmingly materializing at the community level. The findings are robust to the choice of the decomposition method and the proxy variable used to assess household program eligibility. The multivariate analysis of household program participation reinforces these results and reveals that the relatively well-off, rather than the poor or the wealthiest, and the locally well-connected are more likely to participate and on average receive a greater number of input coupons. Since a key program objective is to increase food security and income among resource-poor farmers, the lack of poverty targeting is a concern, and alternative targeting approaches that in part, or completely, rely on proxy means tests at the local level should be considered.
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 6713 »
In a recent working paper, Stale Navrud and Jon Strand look at how much European households might be willing to pay to protect the Amazon rain forest, which has lost about 15 percent of its original size, mainly to deforestation. The authors use a Delphi stated-preference technique to query 48 European environmental valuation experts on their Âbest guesses about possible outcomes of valuation surveys among populations in their countries, as well as in Europe as a whole. If experts value assessments are correct, they imply that Europeans are willing to pay an average of 28 Euros per household per year to preserve the current Amazon rainforest up to 2050. Value assessments are higher for experts from higher-income countries, though the increases arenÂt proportional to the growth in per-capita national incomes. In relative terms, this implies that higher-income countries are willing to pay a somewhat smaller share of their income to protect Amazon forests than lower-income countries.
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 6637 »
The Fear of ÂLÂ (Reuters Expert Zone blog, Jan.7)
ÂFor the last few years, economists have been running through the alphabet to describe the shape of the long-awaited recovery  starting with an optimistic V, proceeding to a more downbeat U, and ending up at a despairing W. But now a deeper anxiety is beginning to stalk the profession: the fear of what I call an ÂL-shaped recovery.Â
Read the article by Kaushik Basu, senior vice president and chief economist of the World Bank.
Academic Research: American Exceptionalism (The Economist Online Exchange blog, Jan.6)
"In this weekÂs print edition, we show that economists are besotted with America. From 1985 to 2005 over 35,000 economics papers focused on America; fewer than 20,000 focused on Europe and Central Asia combined. There were fewer than 1,000 papers that dealt with countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
The authors of a recent paper* (older, non-paywall version), led by an economist from the World Bank, set out to explain the results. Surprisingly, they conclude that America is not a special case. For the vast majority of countries, there is a strong positive relationship between per-capita income and the extent of empirical research on that country. And larger countries are the focus of more research.Â
Read the article, which is based on research led by Jishnu Das and Quy-Toan Do, two economists in the World BankÂs research department.
A Guide to The Top World Bank Blogs and Blog Posts of 2013 (LetÂs Talk Development blog, World Bank, Dec.19)
ÂIn both 2011 and 2012, I did a roundup of the most read 200 World Bank blog posts of the year, and compared the performance of the various World Bank blogs in terms of readership. What did blogging at the World Bank in 2013 look like? Table 1 compares the BankÂs blogs in terms of how many of the 200 most-read posts they produced.Â
Read the post by Adam Wagstaff, research manager of the Human Development and Public Services team in the World BankÂs research department.
An Analysis of National Financial Inclusion Strategies (All about Finance blog, World Bank, Dec.2)
ÂMore than 50 countries have recently published explicit financial inclusion strategies and committed to formal targets for financial inclusion. These strategies and commitments reflect a growing recognition of the role of financial inclusion in reducing poverty and boosting shared prosperity. The Financial Inclusion Strategies Database  one of the supporting materials for the World Bank GroupÂs Global Financial Development Report 2014  summarizes the national strategies in a format that eases comparisons across countries, thus assisting research in this area. In this post, we present an introductory statistical analysis of the dataset.Â
Read the article by Martin Cihak, task team leader of the Global Financial Development Report 2014, and Parabal Partap Singh, a consultant for the reportÂs core team.
A White Coin for a Black Day: Reflections on Presenting the WDR 2014 in Africa (LetÂs Talk Development blog, World Bank, Dec.17)
ÂFollowing the launch of the World Development Report (WDR) 2014, Risk and Opportunity: Managing Risk for Development, various team members have been traveling to different countries to present its findings. I recently joined other team members in a visit to Morocco, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Africa, with a stop in the middle in London and Oxford.
One thing that struck me was how relevant the topic of risk management is for many countries.Â
Read the post by Kyla Wethli, a member of the core team of the WDR 2014.


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Do I need to put a disk in the wii? and does my syscheck show that I am running the latest versions of the apps installed? do you have any suggestions?
Do I need to put a disk in the wii? and does my syscheck show that I am running the latest versions of the apps installed? do you have any suggestions?
You should be needing a disk in the system to play games anymore like you used to. You can still try it to see if it works. It won't hurt anything.
And as for your apps, syscheck isn't for apps, but it checks your IOS/cIOS/Mios files and reports what versions and mods they are and have. Your syscheck looked good. (most of the cIOSs at the end with v8final and DiosMios was detected at the end. So if you have the latest apps (GX r1209, CFG r51, WiiFlow 4.1) and things still aren't working, maybe we have a hard drive incomaptibility? What was the issue you were having again?
the issue is with wiiflow I get fatal error apploader size is zero, in CFG it tries to move the game to my sd card, and in usb loader the GC games don't show up at all. I was reading another post that made me think of something should I be launching the loaders through HB Channel? Also one more noob question with usbloader gx the file in your sig when I download it it gives me 3 separate folders and all have boot.dol and boot.elf files in them how do I put these on my SD card for version 1209 sorry if I am asking a dumb question and thanks for the help.
The "apploader size is zero" and "copying to SD" are indications that your loaders are not current.
For the three directories in the GX r1209 .rar file, I've been told you should try the 249 one first. Then copy the boot.dol file from there into the "sd:/apps/usbloader_gx" directory, overwriting your old one (you should rename the old one first, just in case you want to revert). Then you also want to find the global config file (either in the same directory, or in sd:/config or usb:/config) and delete it so it's recreated with all defaults.
and should I be loading these through the homebrew channel or the usbloader channel?
Well screw it I keep getting fatal error even though I updated everything the hdd compatibility list shows my hdd as being compatible but I keep getting errors so I think I am going to install dml and put the games on an sd card what card do you recommend?
If you are using a forwarder, check the version it's running. It may be running the older version and you'll have to reinstall the forwarder to work with the newest version. To be sure you're running the new version, run it from HBC directly.
(I don't use forwarders for this reason, too much hassle for the little benefit they give)
sorry if I double posted. how do I know if I have a forwarder? I used Mauifrogs guide so whatever is included in his dl's is what I have if that helps.
Those loaders in that guide are all forwarders.Quote:
Originally Posted by danielsan1969
This is how you can tell , take out your sd card and load up USB loader gx, if it returns you to the Wii menu, then you have a forwarder. ;)
Forwarder channels always look to the sd card for the program you are trying to load, so when it can't find it , it will return you to the Wii menu.
Sent from my IPhone,Jax.
So how can I get a loader that is not a forwarder? everything I find here seems to be a forwarder then.
We usually frown upon non-forwarder channels, just because it requires you to update the channel every time that there is a new version of the app. Where a forwarder will run whatever it finds on the SD card. Why do you want a non-forwarders channel?
And as I said before, I don't even try to use them. I prefer to go through HBC directly. I feel I have more control over exactly what is being run.

subset: commoncrawl


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Saudi accounts for half of SAR 607.5 billion in power projects being developed all over the GCC
Ongoing power projects in the GCC have been estimated to be worth up to SAR 607.5 billion, with Saudi Arabia accounting for around 50 per cent of the total investments according to recent industry reports. The massive power infrastructure development initiatives across the country provide a perfect backdrop for GCC Power 2009 Conference and Exhibition, which will be held from Shawwal 30 to Zul Al-Qi'dah 2, 1430 (H) / October 19 to 21, 2009 at the Riyadh Marriott Hotel in Saudi Arabia to serve as a centralised venue for regional and international industry players to tap into the world's largest energy market.
GCC Power 2009 Conference and Exhibition is owned by CIGRE, the GCC Regional Committee for Large Electric Systems, a leading global organisation in the field of high voltage electricity. For the fifth straight year, CIGRE is co-organising the event with IFP Qatar and Riyadh Exhibitions Company. Saudi Electric Company is also supporting the premier trade event as exclusive Platinum Sponsor.
Edward Rabbat, Deputy General Manager, Riyadh Exhibitions Company said, "The significant number of power projects in Saudi Arabia has helped boost demand for innovative products and services as well as technologies and expertise in renewable power resources. GCC Power 2009 Conference and Exhibition creates an interesting business-to-business platform for suppliers, technology vendors, government and corporate decision-makers and other trade visitors to identify and discuss evolving challenges in the regional power industry, and at the same time cultivate collaborative efforts among all industry stakeholders."
One of the major highlights of the GCC Power 2009 Conference and Exhibition is the inauguration of a 400kV GCC Interconnector Grid, which was commissioned during the summer. The project underscores the cooperation among GCC countries in addressing power challenges, particularly in terms of higher reliability and security of the integrated power systems.
The GCC Power 2009 Conference and Exhibition will gather around 500 international delegates who will discuss over 50 papers on electricity and energy. The conference will also hold dedicated sessions focusing on a wide range of industry topics, including system operation and control; system planning, development and technical studies; substations; reactive equipment; high voltage equipment; power transmission lines; HVDC and power electronics; and rotating electrical machines.
Joining Saudi Electricity Company in supporting the show, other leading and globally renowned names in the Electricity field will be sponsoring the show, including: ABB (Diamond Sponsor), Areva – Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Saudi Limited – Saudi Cable Company (Gold Sponsors), Siemens (Silver Sponsor), Wahah Electric Supply Company of Saudi Arabia (WESCOSA) / The Saudi Transformers Company (STC) (Corporate Sponsor).
The trade conference and exhibition will feature two main events: 5th GCC CIGRE International Conference and the 14th Exhibition for Electrical Equipments. The GCC CIGRE conference is held annually in different GCC countries and is considered by the Council as its most important event; Saudi Arabia was chosen this year because of its leadership in the power field. The GCC arm of CIGRE was established by the GCC Ministers of Electricity & Water in April 1985 to facilitate technological and technical information exchange among the region's member countries.
Top Headlines
- Swicorp Joussour Company Invests Over 20% of SAR 2.67 Billion in Total Committed Capital
- Saudi Arabia to spend SAR 150 billion to construct smart buildings in the next eight years
- GCC Power 2010 to underscore Gulf's global leadership in electricity production
- GCC infrastructure projects now worth US$119.6 billion
- Arab-Indian Conference discusses joint renewable energy, technology, infrastructure & SMB projects worth USD 21 billion


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Sen. Kyle McCarter
For The Good of Illinois PAC helped successfully defend Sen. Kyle McCarter during the 2012 primary season.
Please read: Reform 1, Machine 0
Statement on Sen. John O. Jones petition packet:
"Sen. Jones can't expect to primary a good Republican like Sen. Kyle McCarter with a petition packet that shows an alleged pattern of signature forgery. In addition, Jones' packet didn't meet the legally required number of signatures. We encourage the state Inspector General to follow up on the alleged ethics violations. Sen. Jones decided to drop out rather than fight the allegations.
I've made a decision to be on the forefront of sounding the clarion call as to what it will take to bring Illinois back. The people of Illinois deserve the truth. If you don't have golden ethics, you're part of business-as-usual. I'm going to call that out every time."
Adam Andrzejewski
Chairman | For The Good of Illinois PAC
- SEN. KYLE MCCARTER (R-Lebanon) proved that the Chicago Machine can be beat. In November of 2010, McCarter was Speaker Michael Madigan's and Senator Dick Durbin's #1 target. McCarter crushed his opponent, winning 60-40. In March of 2012, Sen. McCarter was being primaried by Republican Sen. John O. Jones. During the petition process, Sen. Jones decided to withdraw from the race.
- BOLD LEADERSHIP- Sen. Kyle McCarter led on and helped draft the Senate Republican caucus state budget- "Reality Check." In addition, McCarter drafted the comprehensive real workers comp reform legislation currently on the floor of the Illinois Senate. McCarter has demonstrated bold independent leadership on the two salient issues facing Illinois : budget reform and workers compensation insurance reform. Sen. McCarter is also a fighter for "Open the Books": 100% auditing & transparency of all public information.
51st District State Senator Kyle McCarter is a member of six Senate Committees: Commerce (Minority Spokesperson); Agriculture and Conservation; Education; State Government and Veterans' Affairs; Licensed Activities; and Financial Institutions.
Before becoming Senator, Kyle McCarter was a member of the St. Clair County Board for eight years.
Senator McCarter is a small business owner who lives in Lebanon, where he operates Custom Product Innovations and Custom Coating Innovations. As a business owner, Kyle knows state government must play a productive role in fostering economic development and job growth.
Kyle has also served on the O'Fallon Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for six years, including two years as President and four years as Chairman of the Economic Development Committee from 2004-2008.
As a member of the St. Clair County Board, one of McCarter's top priorities was property tax reform. He took the initiative to create a citizen action organization — OurTaxMoney.org — to combat rapidly rising property taxes. He also took a leadership role in pushing for Medical Malpractice Reform while President of the O'Fallon Chamber of Commerce.
Senator McCarter and his wife Victoria have been married for 25 years. They have two sons, Zachary and Austin.
In The News
FM News talk 97.1 – St. Louis "The Dana Show"
Dana Loesch is the top-rated afternoon news talk program in the St. Louis- Metro East market. Yesterday, we exclusively discussed […]


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Back in May, I wrote this love letter to salad. I did it not only give salad its moment in the spotlight and to share some interesting new ideas with you, but also as a reminder to myself to never again fall into the same'o salad-rut. I have since continued to try new salad recipes, and to come up with my own combinations of fresh and cooked vegetables, fruits, nuts and dressings. This golden beet salad is something I made for Rosh Hashannah dinner and was very well received.
Ari's Golden Beet Salad with Roasted Red Onions, Arugula and dates
You can make this salad in stages: roast the onions and cook the beets ahead of time and store in the fridge for a day or two. The dressing can be made up to a week ahead — just shake and pour right before serving. If you do not like dates, many other dried fruits and/or chopped walnuts would be delicious here. Topping this salad with crumbled goat cheese is also a tasty option.
3-4 medium golden beets
2 large red onions
6 0z. (a few handfuls) arugula or mixed baby greens
8-10 medjol dates, pitted and chopped
Ari's Balsamic honey dressing (below)
Place the whole beets in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook partially-covered until fork-tender (this took a long time ~hour +). When beets are cool enough to handle, peel, halve and slice.
Preheat oven to 350º F. Cover and baking sheet with foil.
Peel and slice red onions into thin rounds and toss with vegetable oil and a little salt and pepper. Spread onto baking sheet and roast until soft and caramelized-looking (some will have crispy edges, but be careful not to burn).
Cool vegetables and set aside, or refrigerate (covered), if making ahead.
To Assemble Salad:
In a wide, shallow bowl or serving platter, arrange a layer of the greens as a bed. Spread the sliced beets over the greens and the roasted onions over the beets. Sprinkle chopped dates evenly over the top and dress with Balsamic-honey vinaigrette (below) just before serving.
Balsamic-Honey Vinaigrette
This recipe is a hybrid of my own dressing and Ms. Sofia Pierce Slive's maple-balsamic vinaigrette. Sofia is an incredibly talented cook, baker and fashionista, who has left little ol'Boston for the bright lights of NYC. Boston misses you, Sof!
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs honey (Sofia uses maple syrup, which is a good option, especially of you're vegan)
1 large clove garlic, minced
Chopped fresh herbs (I used a teaspoon of fresh thyme, but sometimes I use dried, crumbled oregano and basil)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup olive oil (good quality, extra virgin)
In a blender, combine the vinegar, herbs, honey, salt, pepper and minced garlic until well-blended. Slowly add the oil. If you cannot pour and blend at the same time, add a couple spoonfuls, blend and repeat.


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(Archived document, may contain errors)
97 1 December 28,1993 HOPINGFORTHEBEST PREPARINGFORTHE WORST RETHINKING US. POLICY TOWARD RUSSIA INTRODUCTION The disappointing outcome of the Russian elections should serve as a w ake-up call to the Clinton Administration. The dramatic success at the polls of hard-line nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, communists, and other anti-democrats changes not only the politi cal equation inside Russia but the nature of U.S.-Russian relation s as well. Now more than ever, America must support the reformers in Russia, including President Boris Yeltsin, but it must also prepare for the possibility that they will fail.
While encouraging Russian reformers to stop their bickering and to form a unit ed front against the real threats to democracy-the fascists and the communists-the Clinton Ad ministration must also prepare Americas defenses in case Yeltsin and his reformers are ousted from office. To do this, Clinton must reverse the decline of Americ as defenses guarantee the viability of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and plan to build mis sile defenses for the continental United States.
Clinton also should offer to enter into a tough foreign aid compact with Yeltsin: in ex change for a refashioned aid package that provides funds for private credit and capital formation and unemployment insurance, Clinton should ask that Yeltsin use his n e w con stitutional powers to push through a rapid and sweeping reform of Russias economy far more rapid and sweeping than he has been willing to do so far. With the next presiden tial election only two years away, the Russian president has only a short tim e to show some positive results from_ws reforms. He cannot go backwards. Nor can he slow down as the Clinton Administration now seems to want. Yeltsins only choice is to move as quickly as possible toward turning Russia into a market economy RUSSIAS DISTUR B ING CHOICE Impoverished and humiliated, the Russian people let out a large cry of protest in the parliamentary elections. At last count, the ultranationalists led by Zhirinovsky received at least 24 percent of the party preference vote, while communists a n d their allies got around 25 percent. This means that 49 percent of the Russian voters chose extremist anti democrats on either the right or the left. Overall, the communists and nationalists, with about 177. seats, will outnumberYeltsins reformist allies , who will have onlyabout 160 of the parliaments 450 seats. However, because of a strong showing in single-district seats, the reformist Russias Choice, led by Deputy Prime Minister Yegor Gaidar, will have 103 representatives in the lower house, or Duma, c ompared to 66 for Zhirinovskys Liberal Democrats.
While potentially very dangerous for Russia and the world, this result is not too dif ficult to understand. Since 1990 Russias industrial production has fallen 45 percent.
Strapped with a monthly inflation rate of 33 percent, Russians have seen their savings completely disappear and their standard of living plummet to frighteningly low levels.
Few if any countries in the world could withstand this kind of upheaval without showing some signs of demagoguery or seeking a scapegoat.
The causes of Russias distress are not to be found in some gigantic leap forward to a market economy in the past two years. Russia, in fact, is not a market economy at all. It is a command and control economy in a state of collapse , with emerging private enterprise operating in fits and starts at the fringes of the economy. Despite some progress toward privatization, there is scant evidence that Russia has undergone some sort of shock therapy, as Yeltsins and Gaidars economic polic i es are sometimes described. To be sure, prices have been liberalized and privatization has begun. But most of the industrial sector and all of the agricultural sector are still state-owned, taxes are ex tremely high, and regulations and laws governing com m erce and investment are impos sibly contradictory, confusing and in most cases downright inimical to private enterprise. Moreover, Russia still does not have a stable currency, which is the hallmark of a market economy. Nor does it have any form of long-t erm capital market, which also is essential for a market economy.
Russias progress toward a free market has not been too fast. It has been too slow. Un less this fundamental fact is understood by Yeltsin and his supporters in the West, all bets for Russia making a safe transition to a stable democratic society are off Bets on Boris. Until before the elections, of course, all of President Clintons bets were on one man: Boris Yeltsin. But the outcome of the Russian elections have caused the Administration to rethink this policy. Strobe Talbott, the State Departments Ambas sador at Large for Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union, has said that the U.S. is looking to other reformers as well as Yeltsin to change the country.
There are many reason s why the Yeltsin only strategy failed. A number of reformers not only split among themselves, but from Yeltsin as well. The demise of a united refor mist front against communists and fascists isolated Yeltsin, diminishing the political sig nificance of U . S. support for him. Moreover, since much of the aid promised by Washington has been held up by the International Monetary Fund, the U.S. has lost some of its leverage over Yeltsin. Caught between hard-line pressures at home and diminishing 2 AN INS politi c al capital from abroad, Yeltsin drifted toward a tougher foreign policy, complain ing about the expansion of NATO and continuing interventionism in the countries that border on Russia. policy to encourage the Russian president to create a united democrati c front against communism and fascism. This will mean extending a hand to all democratic reformers including some of those who oppose Yeltsin. But it will also mean encouraging reformist opponents of Yeltsin such as Grigoriy Yavlinsky to end their-squabbli n g with the presi dent, whom they accuse of wanting to become a dictator. It should be clear to all that the real threat of dictatorship comes from Zhirinovsky and his ilk, and not from Boris Yeltsin. It is vitally important that Russian democrats and mark et reformers put aside their personal differences and unite against the common threat of extremism on the left and the right.
It also is important that Clinton warn Russians that a return to dictatorship and im perialist expansion will come at a heavy pric e. America and its allies, who are now much stronger than Russia, will oppose any attempt to expand Russian power unilaterally beyond the borders of the Russian Federation. A revanchist and expansionist Russia will be isolated politically, economically, a n d militarily. The consequence of this isolation will be palpable and painful: more grinding poverty, political repression, and grave in security for the Russian state and its people While Clinton has no choice but to continue backing Yeltsin, he must now b roaden his RANCE POLICY: STOP THE FREE FALL OF DEFENSE If the democrats were to fail, and Russia were to embark again on an expansionist course in foreign policy, America would once again face a threat to its security. The U.S must be prepared in case thi s happens. This cannot be done if President Clinton continues his assault on the defense budget. Clinton plans to cut defense by 41 percent by 1998.
But more reductions surely are on the way. Earlier this month, Secretary of Defense Les Aspin admitted that he had underestimated the cost of his five-year defense plan by $50 billion. To make up for this budget shortfall, Clinton will shrink the size of U.S. forces and not ask Congress for more money.
These cuts are already undermining the combat readiness of U.S. forces. The Army alone needs at least $1 billion more than budgeted this year to modernize its weapons and equipment. For the first time in ten years, moreover, around 90 percent of the Marine Corps equipment is not ready for use in combat. And fina lly, because of budget cuts, the Navy has a backlog of 150 aircraft and 250 aircraft engines in need of maintenance.
These are the telltale signs of an armed force that is rapidly becoming hollow and weak.
Clintons defense reductions are also ending any chance of protecting U.S. territory against nuclear attack. Secretary Aspin proposed in the Bottom-Up Review to trim the strategic defense budget by over 50 percent during the period 1995-19
99. Further, he recommends cutting by 83 percent the space-based defense program that would protect America from the kind of long-range missiles deployed in Russia.
It makes no sense to give up the ability to defend America against nuclear attack if in two years someone like Zhirinovsky could have his finger on the Russian nuclear button.
Even if that nightmare scenario does not occur, the prospects are high that some form of 3 anti-Western figure, whether communist or fascist, will emerge as a leader of Russia if Yeltsin fails.
The hemorrhaging of the defense budget must stop now. If the current rate of decline continues, U.S. defense capabilities will be dramatical ly weakened. If current trends con tinue, it will take years to rebuild U.S. forces if a Russian threat should reemerge. This is a risk America should not be taking. To restore Americas defense readiness, the Clinton Administration must commit to spending at least $280 billion a year (in constant 1993 dollars) for the next five years. Current plans are to spend an.average of less than $260 billion per year.
Strengthening NATO. To check a revanchist Russia, the U.S. should encourage im portant Central and E astern European countries to make the political and economic reforms needed so they can join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Poland, Hun gary, and the Czech Republic suffered fifty years of Soviet domination and should be given the opportunity to j oin the family of nations NATO represents. The Clinton Administrations Partnership for Peace plan to include these countries in NATO takes the correct approach-for now. These countries will be encouraged to become partners and learn the obligations of mem b ership. The U.S. should actively encourage these na tions to build the necessary military forces that can contribute to European security without being a burden to NATO. Should the pace of reforms in Russia fail to stem radi cal nationalism, the U.S. must consider offering security guarantees to these countries on a more accelerated timetable than the Partnership for Peace currently envisions.
Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic have begun making the difficult political economic, and military reforms N ATO membership would demand. No country that has been unwilling or unable to do so should be rewarded with the security guarantees that NATO provides. Thus, neither a nuclear Ukraine nor an expansionist Russia should be eligible for any formal relationshi p with NATO.
Far from being a bulwark against a revanchist Russia, Ukraine could become an al batross around the neck of the West. Having Ukraine as a full member of NATO or any other Western security organization would dangerously overextend NATOs eastern front, possibly entangling it in conflicts which it wishes not to fight and which are not critically important to the security of Europe. The result, therefore, could be less security for Europe, not more. However, having Ukraine as a mere partner of NAT O-as an as sociate of the alliance that does not enjoy security guarantees-would be acceptable if Ukraine were to become fully democratic. Unfortunately, that condition cannot be met today because Ukraines record on reform is much worse than Russias.
Russi a should be allowed to become a partner of NATO, as envisioned in Clintons Partnership for Peace, but only so long as that country continues with its democratic and market kforms. Russians should have nothing to fear from NATO so long as it remains commit t ed to international agreements and refrains from an expansionist course against its neighbors 4 A NEW AID COMPACT WITH RUSSIA These preparatory measures should provide some insurance in case Yeltsin and the reformers fail. But Clinton should not sit on th e sidelines simply preparing for the worst.
He must also do something to give hope to Russians and the rest of the world.
Clinton should urge Yeltsin to use his new presidential powers, granted by the new constitution, to enact a sweeping campaign of econ omic reform. Yeltsin has only two years before the-next presidential elections, and he must show some-economic results before that time. Otherwise Zhirinovsky and other radicals will continue to benefit politi cally as the country slides further into econ o mic chaos. Some reformers and centrists of course, want Yeltsin to go slower on reform. But they must realize that postponing dramatic reform will only make matters worse, prolonging the agony, and practically en suring the election of an anti-reformist a nd possibly extremist president in 1996.
Working with the 6-
7. To ease the blow of dramatic change, and to speed economic reforms, the U.S. and other donors should change their aid policies. They must abandon the course advocated by the International Mon etary Fund, whose advice focuses on government-imposed fiscal austerity rather than entrepreneurial-driven economic expan sion. What former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Jack Kemp has said about the American economy is certainly true for th e Russian economy as well: Austerity is not the answer. What Russia needs is not a dampening of the entrepreneurial spirit, but rapid economic growth and development. Thus, instead of following IMF advice and as king Russians to raise taxes to balance budg ets, or to focus on government-led economic recovery, the U.S. should bypass the IMF and work directly with the Group of Seven (G 7) industrialized nations to form a new aid policy toward Russia.
Yeltsins government. From Russia, the West would ask for gua rantees of more rapid privatization, lower taxes, fewer regulations and restrictions on foreign investment, the creation of commercial codes and other legal protections of private property, a tighter monetary policy, the end of mass subsidies to money-los i ng state industries, and the crea tion of a sound and convertible currency, either through an independent central bank or a currency board. In return, the U.S. and its allies would offer an aid package that focuses on creating credit and capital for priva te companies and unemployment insurance for those who have been thrown out of work by the restructuring of the economy.
Unemployment Insurance. New enterprises in Russia desperately need credit and operating capital. Certified private banks in Russia could use Western funds to finance the formation of privately owned and operated small and medium-size businesses. As for solving the industrial subsidy problem, the political threat posed by the skyrocketing un employment rate could be diminished if the G-7 n a tions helped to create a privately run unemployment insurance fund. Millions of people will be thrown out of work as ineffi cient and uncompetitive industries are closed. To cushion the blow, the newly un employed could receive either a one-time severance payment or a paycheck for a couple of years until they can get a new job. The success of this program would depend on the elimination of the residence permits issued by the police, which hamper freedom and movement and the mobility of labor, and on the pr i vatization of housing and the creation of real estate markets. Success also would depend on an influx of funds from the Russian This aid package should come in the form of a compact between the West and 5 government, which they could direct from existing s ubsidies to fostering the private sec tor The unemployment insurance fund would solve not only a political problem-what to do with the temporarily unemployed as inefficient industries are shut down-but an economic one as well. By propping up industrial di n osaurs, the current system of state subsidies ties up both human and physical capital. Not only are large state-owned enterprises a tremendous drain on the state budget, but they lead to scarce capital assets in Russiaibeing used in an extremely-inefficie n t and unproductive way. These assets equipment and buildings-are thus denied to entrepreneurs who would use them more productively. By the same token, they trap vast armies of workers within unproductive enterprises, depriving the more productive private economy of their valuable labor.
P roductive Use of Capital. By closing down these enterprises, both human and physi cal capital would be freed for more productive purposes. And, of course, by ending state subsidies, there would be less pressures to print money. Thus, there would be less i nfla tionary pressures on the economy. Moreover, the remaining physical assets of the enterprises-equipment and the like-could be sold off to Third World countries for cash. This money could also help to balance the budget.
An unemployment insurance system does, of course, continue to subsidize labor which is being subsidized now. But it allows change to take place by permitting un productive physical capital to be used differently and by making labor available for other opportunities.
This approach to end ing subsidies to state enterprises is not perfect, of course, and it in volves risk. Unemployment insurance costs would go up, albeit temporarily, and there would always be a danger of creating a self-perpetuating welfare system. For this reason it is imp o rtant that government assistance be of limited duration. Moreover, in the end what matters most to Russias future prosperity are reforms, not aid. But the present sys tem is far worse. With this new approach, the overall budget deficit would fall because the unemployment insurance costs would be less than those needed to finance inefficient and loss-making state-owned enterprises.
To minimize corruption, the credit and unemployment insurance funds could be managed by private Western or private joint-ventur e firms that are monitored by a state committee comprising members from the G-7 donor nations and the Russian govern ment. Under no circumstances should aid be given directly to state or governmental or ganizations in Russia. The money will only end up wa sted or in the pockets of corrupt of ficials and old Communist Party apparatchiks.
The U.S. and the G-7 nations, moreover, could give aid directly to private firms that build highways, railroads, grain elevators, canals, -and airports. The West also could help to construct state-of-the-art nuclear plants to replace the old, dangerous ones.
Russia, in fact, has much wealth that is not being used to build the countrys economy.
Around $20 billion has been smuggled out of Russia since 1991 and placed in Weste rn accounts. Before that $40 billion to $50 billion left the country during the Gorbachev years. This money could be kept in Russia and harnessed for capital formation if the economy were not so restricted by the old system. As a matter of fact, if this m o ney were to be returned, Russia would have no need for foreign aid 6 To be sure, U.S. aid to Russia should be made contingent not only on progress toward democratic and market reforms, but on its foreign policy as well. If Yeltsin should suc cumb to commu n ist and fascist pressures and turn Russia into a threat against its neigh bors, Washington should cut off aid CONCLUSION Thereis cause for concern, but the outcome of the elections should not cause Americans to panic. Boris Yeltsin is still fully in charg e , and ironically, the presidential powers granted by the new constitution will not only prevent Vladimir Zhirinovsky and other extremists from controlling Russia any time soon, but make it more difficult for them to influence policy in the meantime. Moreo ver, despite the setback in the elections nearly half of the Duma and most members of the parliaments other chamber, the Federation Council, are reformers and centrists who do not want a return to communism or the creation of a fascist state.
But only the foolhardy would conclude that business should continue as usual. While not necessarily a call to arms, the Russian elections should be a call to action. Time is running out for reform in Russia. Unless something dramatic is done to show that democracy and market reforms can produce a better life, Russia will once again become a threat to itself, its neighbors, and the world.
Kim R. Holmes Vice President and Director of Foreign Policy and Defense Studies


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Encuentro de mentes en Comas
You know it's been a good day when Lightroom takes 30 minutes to pre-render thumbnails for 1,300 new images! Editing is becoming a challenge, in spite of Adobe's finest tools. May your week start off in good spirit, I found mine in Comas District this afternoon!


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If you enter the correct code (which I did :B) you can participate in some contest and win one of 5 copies of JK2. Nothing special. One has to answer the following questions:
1) Where''s the Jedi Academy in JK2? (planet)
2) Who happened to be project leader on Dark Force?
3) Who was the female main protagonist in Mysteries of the Sith?
Of course, only in German.
Interestingly enough there''s also a second code given in the preview. However, if you enter that one you''ll get to see a message that says.
""Unfortunately Activision asked us to hold back the content we planned to post here. We hope you understand that. The editors.""
(In German again.)
Btw: Code 1 = 14229
Code 2 = 66581
Gamesdomain interview
In some regards I''m a bit disappointed, sounds like they are not going to add a basic core saber fighting game but rather just add more special moves and half hearted clipping. Ah well should be a good game anyway.


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Effect of Soy Bread on Markers of Bone Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease
This study has been completed.
University of Michigan
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First Posted: August 21, 2006
Last Update Posted: December 2, 2014
Ohio State University
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Mary A.M. Rogers, University of Michigan
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Detailed Description:
A study was designed with two specific aims: (1) to assess the effect of soy bread, compared with wheat bread, on markers of bone metabolism and cardiovascular health, and (2) to evaluate whether soy bread consumption affects the metabolism of phytoestrogens. To answer Aim 1, a double-blind randomized crossover trial was conducted. Individuals with an ability to metabolize a specific isoflavone, daidzein, consumed 3 slices of bread (either soy or wheat) daily over a 12-week period. After a 4-week wash-out period, subjects consumed 3 slices/day of the other type of bread. Markers of bone metabolism and cardiovascular health were evaluated before and after each time period. To answer Aim 2, individuals who did not metabolize daidzein at baseline entered a double-blind randomized trial of soy bread with or without fructooligosaccharide (a type of dietary fiber) over an 8-week period. Subjects were evaluated regarding their ability to metabolize daidzein to equol.
|Osteoporosis Cardiovascular Diseases
|Behavioral: Soy bread
|Phase 1
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary Purpose: Prevention
|Official Title:
|Effect of Soy Bread on Markers of Bone Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease
Further study details as provided by Mary A.M. Rogers, University of Michigan:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- deoxypyridinoline [ Time Frame: 12 weeks ]Urinary deoxypyridinoline
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- N-telopeptides, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoproteins, C-reactive protein, HbA1c [ Time Frame: 12 weeks ]
|Study Start Date:
|January 2004
|Study Completion Date:
|May 2008
|Primary Completion Date:
|May 2008 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Experimental: Soy bread
Soy bread (75-100 mg isoflavone/day) for 12 weeks
|Behavioral: Soy bread
Active Comparator: Wheat bread
Wheat bread for 12 weeks
|Behavioral: Soy bread
Detailed Description:
Soy beans are rich in isoflavones, such as genistein and daidzein, which exhibit estrogenic activity. While the cardiovascular benefits of isoflavones in soy have been recognized, the effects on bone metabolism are less well known. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration expressed an interest in the effects of soy on bone loss and a former NASA scientist developed a soy product, soy bread, which may be more palatable for most Americans than currently available soy foods. A two-treatment two-period crossover trial was conducted to assess the effects of soy bread consumption on deoxypyridinoline, N-telopeptides, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, calcium, leptin, insulin-like growth factor-1, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone, cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL), triglycerides, apolipoprotein AI, apolipoprotein B, C-reactive protein, and glycosylated hemoglobin. The crossover trial was conducted in subjects identified as having the ability to metabolize daidzein to equol. The treatment was 3 servings of soy bread daily over a 12-week period. The control period included 3 servings of a placebo wheat bread over a 12-week period. For subjects who did not metabolize daidzein to equol at baseline, a pretest-posttest trial of soy bread consumption over an 8-week period was conducted to examine whether 3 servings/day of soy bread increased urinary equol concentrations and whether the addition of fructooligosaccharide enhanced this excretion.
Information from the National Library of Medicine
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|50 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Post-menopausal women and men who were 50 years of age or older.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Allergy to soy, wheat, and/or nuts. Use of hormone replacement therapy within the past 6 months. Diagnosis of osteoporosis or use of bone loss medications. Use of drugs within the past 3 months which increase the risk of osteoporosis. End-stage renal disease or other nephropathies. Chemotherapy within the past 6 months. Active gastrointestinal disorders. Diagnosis of thyroid disorder. Use of cholesterol-lowering medications within the past month. Vitamin, mineral, protein, and/or calorie deficiency. Alcoholism, acute or chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis. Use of systemic antibiotics within the past 6 months. Currently under dietary restrictions that would conflict with the intervention. Anticipated mental or physical incapability of adhering to the dietary protocol during the time period of the study (e.g. expected travel).
Contacts and Locations
Information from the National Library of Medicine
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00366860
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00366860
|United States, Michigan
|University of Michigan
|Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48109
Sponsors and Collaborators
University of Michigan
Ohio State University
|Principal Investigator:
|Mary A.M. Rogers, PhD
|University of Michigan
More Information
Keywords provided by Mary A.M. Rogers, University of Michigan:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
|Responsible Party:
|Mary A.M. Rogers, Research Associate Professor, University of Michigan
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00366860 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
GCRC Protocol #1971
|First Submitted:
|August 17, 2006
|First Posted:
|August 21, 2006
|Last Update Posted:
|December 2, 2014
|Last Verified:
|December 2014
Keywords provided by Mary A.M. Rogers, University of Michigan:
bone resorption
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Cardiovascular Diseases
Bone Diseases, Metabolic
Bone Diseases
Musculoskeletal Diseases
Metabolic Diseases


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Bisons postpone tonight's game due to weather
Tonight's Buffalo Bisons game against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders has been postponed due to rain and plummeting temperatures, the Bisons announced.
The new plan is for the Bisons to play the RailRiders for a single-admission double-header Tuesday at Coca-Cola Field.
The first of two seven-inning games is scheduled to begin at 5:05 p.m. Tuesday. Gates will open at 4:30 p.m.
The Bisons announced that fans who already had tickets to Tuesday's game can use them for admission to both games.
Keep in mind that Tuesday's weather may be even chillier than today's. The National Weather Service's forecast for Tuesday evening is calling for a 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly before 7 p.m. The high for the day is 33 degrees, with an overnight low of 19. Meteorologists expect clouds will gradually clear through the night. It'll be breezy as well, with sustained winds of 9 to 15 mph and gusts as high as 26 mph.
Fans holding tickets to tonight's game can exchange them for a comparable ticket to any future 2014 Bisons game, excluding special events. Ticket exchanges must be made at the Coca-Cola Field Box Office. The exchanges can be made throughout the remainder of the 2014 season.
For more information, visit Bisons.com or call THE-HERD (843-4373).


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As the capacity of our electronic devices grows, we tend to rely on them more and more. As we increase that reliance, we trust them with an increasing amount of sensitive, if not critical, data. As our electronics shrink in size, while concurrently expanding in capacity, we have come to carry them with us more and more often and to a larger selection of places. When, for example, did you last go to court, to dinner, to the office, home, shopping, or on a vacation without carrying your mobile phone? How often do you carry an iPad or other tablet device (or an eReader) that, in addition to whatever other functions it has, stores personal data and/or confidential information? Do you take public transportation to work and use your electronics during the commute? Simply put, data security has evolved into an area that should interest all attorneys, even those who do not do much long-distance traveling.
I think those of us who advise attorneys about technology have a moral obligation to discuss issues of data security with our audience on a regular and recurring basis. Although it may seem that some of us spend too much time on it, in truth I think we do not spend enough. In my experience, most attorneys acknowledge it as an issue but do little, if anything, to secure their data while in transit.
Data in transit has a higher level of vulnerability to both loss through inadvertence and to misappropriation. Accordingly, we must pay particular attention to protecting the information stored on or made accessible from our mobile devices—including both our own personal data and our clients' confidential information. Given the amount of data most of us carry these days, the loss of one mobile device creates a grave risk of a confidentiality breach respecting your client information as well as identity theft issues, both for your clients and for yourself.
I recently read a study indicating that 36 percent of us have lost a cell phone at one or another time. These losses may result from theft or from our own carelessness. Nobody has immunity to either of these problems—not even those of us who advise others about technology. About 20 years ago I left my phone in a car and came back to find that someone had broken the front window and stolen it. About 15 years ago I put a phone on the car roof while I was loading things into the car in my garage and then got distracted. As a result, I forgot to take it off the roof before getting in the car and driving off. About two miles later I discovered that I did not have it in the car and remembered leaving it on the roof. I went back and looked for it, but I never found it.
Those events happened some time ago. The first example took place before we had sophisticated smartphones, so other than some telephone numbers, the stolen phone had no significant data in it. The latter event occurred after we had started to use "converged devices" (PDAs married to cell phones). That phone had more data in it, but nothing like what my (and likely your) current devices carry. Fortunately, even then, I knew enough to take basic security measures such as password protecting my phone. In those days, however, that represented more or less the apex of security for cell phones, other than simply taking care not to lose them. Today that represents only a beginning for data security.
Also remember that we no longer limit our concerns regarding the loss of mobility devices to cell phones. We carry around with us smartphones, tablets, eReaders, disk drives, and laptops, which all generally hold vast amounts of information, much of which may have confidentiality issues. People have shown as much ability to lose tablets and laptops as they have smartphones.
Most smartphones and tablets on the market today rely on applications (apps) to expand their utility and functionality. Apps serve the same purpose in smartphones and tablets that programs do in computers. In fact, Apple now sells computer software through its App Store, recognizing the similarity of that functionality.
The data you store on your electronic devices often will end up allocated to a variety of different apps. Many apps give you the ability to password protect their portion of the data and, therefore, restrict access to someone in possession of the required password. You dramatically increase the security of your data if you password protect your device and then take advantage of software capabilities to set up separate passwords for those apps in which you store your critical data (and then make sure to store your critical data in those apps rather than simply leave it otherwise unprotected on your device). As many smartphones impose limitations (such as a four-digit number) on your device password, you will want to use more sophisticated passwords on your apps. If your device allows a more advanced password than four digits, take advantage of that to enhance your data security.
Although you will have to remember your password, do not make the mistake of selecting one so obvious that someone could easily guess it. Bad choices include your address, office suite number, birthday, and birth year (or birthday or birth year of your spouse or children). Selections like "0,0,0,0", "1,2,3,4", or "a,b,c,d" also do not make good passwords from a security standpoint.
If you must use digits only, random selection affords the most security. If you can use alphanumeric combinations, that represents a better choice. Security improves when you mix upper- and lowercase letters and gets even better if you add symbols. Accordingly, a password like "aBc123;" offers greater security than "1234567" or even "abc123". If you have the ability to select a pass phrase, do so, as it further augments your security, particularly if you mix upper- and lowercase letters. As you will still need to remember it, you may want to select a book or movie title or a line from a poem or play you like. For example, you could use a phrase such as "OncEUpoNAMidnighTDrearY," or "HETALKSTOTHEanimals!!" You may even want to modify it a bit to make it more difficult for someone to guess; by way of example, you might use something like: "'TwaSThENighTBeforEXMAS…" or "whentheSTS.gomarchingin!"
Whatever passwords, pass phrases, or pin numbers you settle on, remember to (1) change them often and (2) not use the same password or pass phrase everywhere. Although it may prove more convenient for you to have but one password, it will also prove easier for the bad guys to take advantage of you if they only have to crack one password.
To the extent that your mobile device allows you to store encrypted data or has the ability to encrypt the data you store on it, take advantage of that opportunity. Evildoers will find it more difficult to get information from an encrypted file than an unencrypted one, just as they will find it easier to get information from a device you neglected to password protect.
To minimize the risk of having your data picked off by a scanner, stay off public WiFi networks. I know that you will find it tempting to use public networks, particularly when providers choose not to charge for it; but accessing such a network exposes your device and its content to interception. You should also use anti-malware software on your electronic devices to protect against the compromise of the device or its security by one of the many species of malware that hackers, mischief makers, and bad actors have generated to plague electronics device owners and/or gain access to the content of these devices. We have had effective anti-malware devices for computers for some time. You can find numerous anti-malware offerings for computers. Check for reviews on the Internet by Googling "anti-malware software." Examples of software I have found effective include Norton, Kaspersky, and McAfee. Note that while you need anti-virus software, you want more than just anti-virus software. Anti-virus software typically does not address many other types of malware. Generally, you will find things work better if you use only one product at a time. As most of the products work by running continuously, they can get in each other's way and slow down your device if you use two or more at the same time. You might consider leaving one on continuously and occasionally turning it off and running a sweep with a second. I make that suggestion as none of the programs works on 100 percent of the malware out there. Buying and downloading the software represents only the start of the process. If you have it and don't use it, the software gives you little protection.
For those of you who use Mac laptops, the old saw about Macs having immunity to malware does not apply. Macs never had immunity to malware. Every device has vulnerability. Historically, Macs appeared to have had less vulnerability than computers on the Windows platform, but they still had some vulnerability. In reality, the Mac platform had a significantly smaller penetration in the market and, therefore, offered a smaller and less attractive target; accordingly, fewer people endeavored to attack computers on that platform. The Mac's increasing popularity makes it a larger and, therefore, more attractive target now. Hopefully, a word to the wise suffices.
In the past, while we had software to protect computers, our mobile devices went unprotected. Recently, however, we have seen the development of basic protective software for mobile devices. The programs vary by virtue of the platform your phone uses. You can search for them on the Internet or in the appropriate app store. I do not make any recommendations as I have not yet found one that proved as effective as I would like. Expect to see more and better offerings in the near future. Check for them and employ them. Partially effective protection works better than no protection.
Current technology enables scanning a mobile device for information, but in truth, the likelihood of that happening to you remains small. The loss of your device remains (and likely will for the foreseeable future) the most likely reason for a breach of your security. Accordingly, while we would prefer not to incur the inconvenience and expense of replacing a device, it behooves each of us to take reasonable precautions to prevent losing the devices on which we store our information. Follow some basic rules.
- Do not let your device out of your sight (not even for an instant). That means do not leave it on the table at Starbucks while you go to the restroom or leave it attached to a charger at the airport while you sit with your back to it and do something else.
- Do not loan your device to others. That means particularly strangers, but also friends.
- Physically attach your device to yourself, if you can. I do not mean to suggest that you need to lock your device in a briefcase and handcuff yourself to it (although that would help reduce the risk of loss). Cell phones as among the smallest of our devices are most easily lost. I have seen tether cords for cell phones and some tablets at tech shows. Using one of those devices improves the chances of not losing your device. You may also want to look for a means of carrying it so that you have it tethered to some portion of your clothing (e.g., a belt) or to a case that is attached to your belt. You can also get hardware that tethers your briefcase to you electronically. It sounds an alarm if you get more than a few feet away from the case. That can prove very helpful as a reminder when you travel.
- Do not put your device down in strange places. If we pull a device out and use it or charge it in a restaurant or at an airport, we may put it down on a table after we finish using it or even on the floor while we charge it. I have seen countless unattended phones charging in airports. I often wonder how many of them get left behind. I make it a point to put my device away as soon as I have finished using it. When I charge a device at an airport or other foreign location, I leave it in my pocket or my briefcase with the cord connected to it. I stay right by it, and that way, I don't walk off without it and it does not walk off without me.
- Check for your cell phone whenever you get up. Wherever you carry your phone, make sure you have it there when you get up and move around. Make it a habit.
- If your device has a lockout function and/or data erase on password error function, use it. Many smartphones will offer some additional protection against someone breaking into them by allowing you to set them to lockout after a set number of consecutive erroneous efforts to enter the password. A more sophisticated version of this software wipes the phone's memory after a set number of consecutive password errors.
Knowing that you need to secure your data and your electronic devices does not solve the problem. Having the information in this column will not solve the problem. It's like exercise: You won't get in shape by buying a gym membership or equipment. You actually have to use them.


text:
Aloha from the Alano Club of Lahaina!
Providing a safe, clean and sober environment for fellowship and recovery.
Alano Club Merchandise
Alano Club Souvenirs
The Club offers a variety of Club logo souvenir items that may be purchased at the Coffee Bar to support Club activities:
Club Coffee Mug $10.00
Club T-Shirt or Tank Top $25.00
Club Aloha Shirt $39.95
Alano Club Prints $25.00
Club News
2016/2017 Fundraising Drive
Restore the Alano Club Building


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Criminals evacuated from jail as Thai flood waters rise
Convicts were being evacuated from their prison in Thailand as waters continue to rise on the edge of Bangkok and the Thai authorities contradict one another about the continuing danger from the country's worst floods in 69 years.
Two thousand inmates were being transferred to other jails from the Thanyaburi prison in Pathum Thani province, which has suffered some of the worst effects of flooding that has paralysed much of central and northern Thailand. The decision was made after the waters rose to within 20cm of the metre-high flood barrier around the prison.
In outlying northern districts of Bangkok the water has as high as 2m, but there have been conflicting predictions about the future course of the disaster, in which at least 356 people…


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Alan D. Christensen, computer specialist for the city of Rice Lake expressed gratitude to instructor Paul Kostner and WITC students for the expert advice, and many hours of work that WITC donated to planning and executing this project. Christiansen said that the installation was completed on all three floors of the library, during normal library hours, without any significant disruption of library operations. He also says students and faculty were great to work with, professional in conduct and can be proud of a job well done.
2010-11 Project - Heart Island is a former convent located in Rice Lake, WI, that is being converted into a short-term living facility for persons who are homeless due to a variety of circumstances. Students will be wiring closed-circuit security cameras along with voice data, cable for television and other video services.


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{CON} 130126 Boa's Disturbance MV ft Taemin spoiler from her concert
Posted 26 January 2013 - 10:23 AM
I'm gonna spoil her new MV so those of you who don't want to be spoiled can stop reading!!!!
The music style is similar to Only One! The chorus is nice and I really like it ㅠㅜ
In the MV, Boa and Taemin appear as lovers. Moments of them being really happy together come out in the beginning. (They sit together, touch each other's hairs, take pictures, kiss on the cheek, hug.. crazy.. ha.. sob..)
And then bad Lee Taemin!!!!! Maybe he was sick of it but he acted coldly.. Our Boa clinged onto him. She cried and they split up. Then this time, Taemin got on his knees and clinged onto her.. ha.. strong..bb.. But in the end, Boa was just like bye and Taemin left sadly..
The song is really good and the MV tooㅠㅠㅜ Taeminㅠㅠㅠㅜ Strongㅠㅠ Boa is seriously a goddessㅠㅠㅠ I'll watch the MV 50 times when it comes out!
Source: 서울대보대김종대
Translated by: kimchi hana @ shineee.net
Posted 26 January 2013 - 10:46 AM
taemin is really a mature man now...
Posted 26 January 2013 - 10:47 AM
Posted 26 January 2013 - 10:50 AM
Opposite of the happy couple in the cover.
So Taemin was the one who started acting cold. Stupid tm, lol jk
If she's gonna watch the MV 50 times once it's released, then it must be really good. I can't wait to watch it.
Posted 26 January 2013 - 10:53 AM
...I want to watch the MV so badly
Posted 26 January 2013 - 10:55 AM
I knew that of all the people she danced with in Only One, Taemin and her had most chemistry...also Yunho xD
I am a Taemint living in the SHINee World.
Posted 26 January 2013 - 11:51 AM
"If I had to choose between loving you and breathing, I would use my last
breath to say'I love you'." - Lee Taemin
Posted 26 January 2013 - 01:50 PM
can't wait to watch it!!!!
ooohhh it sounds similar to Only One!!! love that song!!
Posted 26 January 2013 - 02:05 PM
Always a Taemint!
Posted 26 January 2013 - 02:43 PM
So Taemin is the bad guy...eheheheh an heartbreaker...
❤SHINee noona ~Jinki Worshiper ~ MVPerv ~ Fanfic Writer ❤
Posted 26 January 2013 - 05:07 PM
Posted 26 January 2013 - 05:55 PM
I usually don't read spoilers, but I have been in an awful mess waiting for the actual MV I AM READING EVERY SINGLE FANACCOUNT AVAILABLE, lol
If they're releasing the MV at midnight on Jan 28, that'll be like...tonight FDAJHFJKDSK;DEADFJDSHLG CAN HARDLY WAIT NO MORE /flips everything
♥, Aara ; @aaradesu
Posted 26 January 2013 - 07:43 PM
Posted 26 January 2013 - 07:59 PM
Taebaby is now Taemanly ;D
Posted 26 January 2013 - 10:29 PM
As expected there is a twist in the plot.
No happy ending huh?
Pity our Taem baby.
Can't wait to watch it!
Posted 26 January 2013 - 10:50 PM
But still, I'm excited to watch the MV tomorrow! =)
"Whether we win or lose, we always have to stay positive and keep on smiling." - SHINee
"Ignore all the hatred comments by haters and prove them wrong." - SHINee
/cr. tumblr/
Posted 27 January 2013 - 12:09 AM
Can't wait to watch the mv. I hope sm will upload it soon..
Posted 27 January 2013 - 12:21 AM
Posted 27 January 2013 - 08:23 AM
Thanks for the spoiler~ At least I can get ready for it first! xD
So..happy ending doesn't happen between them :C
"우리가 간다 울트라 샤이니 변신!"
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Posted 27 January 2013 - 09:17 AM
Posted 28 January 2013 - 11:29 PM
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Woman charged with murder in NY subway shove death
teleste Austin, TXDec. 30, 2012 11:08 a.m.
Why do you have to insult the people who see the issue differently from you? Is everyone who supports the NRA's position unreasonable and a lemming? Do you really believe there aren't any reasonable people that might have a good reason to disagree with your stance?
Screwdriver Casa Grande, AZDec. 30, 2012 6:33 a.m.
I've ridden those subways a lot. There's really nothing preventing someone from being pushed or falling in front of the trains.
It's just time for a safety update that's all. I've ridden trains at airports that have barriers to keep people from danger. A commercial enterprise would never operate like that.
Just like gun owners could be reasonable and have gun locks. Even bio-metric gun locks could be readily available but the NRA and lemmings won't be reasonable.
JD Tractor Iowa City, IADec. 29, 2012 9:29 p.m.
That's it! We either need to ban subways or shoving, then all these problems will go away.
teleste Austin, TXDec. 29, 2012 6:24 p.m.
@one old man
We should take away subway systems!
Also, anyone who wants to step onto a train platform should be finger printed and put in a federal database.
one old man Ogden, UTDec. 29, 2012 6:03 p.m.
In attempting to post: "Gee, if she'd only had an assault rifle she could have been much more effective in ridding us of those awful people who are different than the ideal American. (Whatever that is . . .)"
I was trying to point out the irrational fear and hate so many Americans seem to have for anyone they believe to be "less desirable" than those of us who are REAL Americans.
It was an attempt to point out some of the bias that seems to be shared by so many around us -- even here in Utah. Just this afternoon I overheard a neighbor spouting about someone he believes to be one of those "illegal" Mexicans. A week or so ago, another man was grumbling that he thinks they should all be shot.
Hatred is dirty. And it's much too alive and well in Utah.


text:
Asset Growth and the Cross‐Section of Stock Returns
- Abstract
- Full Text PDF
- Full Text HTML
- Author(s): MICHAEL J. COOPER, HUSEYIN GULEN, MICHAEL J. SCHILL
- Published: Jul 19, 2008
- Pages: 1609-1651
- DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6261.2008.01370.x
We test for firm‐level asset investment effects in returns by examining the cross‐sectional relation between firm asset growth and subsequent stock returns. Asset growth rates are strong predictors of future abnormal returns. Asset growth retains its forecasting ability even on large capitalization stocks. When we compare asset growth rates with the previously documented determinants of the cross‐section of returns (i.e., book‐to‐market ratios, firm capitalization, lagged returns, accruals, and other growth measures), we find that a firm's annual asset growth rate emerges as an economically and statistically significant predictor of the cross‐section of U.S. stock returns.


text:
PS4 Bets 40 Percent More Sales Than PS3 in First 4 Months
Sony is willing to bet that their PS4 sales will be 40 percent higher than they were for the PS3, which was a more expensive console to create and purchase.
Sony is priding itself on its ability to discover a model of efficiency that sees them make quicker returns on their money spent.
From the launch on Nov. 15 to March 31, they are anticipating the sales of 5 million PlayStation 4s. The PS3 sold 3.6 million units in that timeframe in the previous generation. Also this time around, the console will be released in Japan in February, which only gives them a month to contribute to the total.
President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Andrew House told Reuters it took four years for the PS3 to be profitable, while they expect the PS4 to hit that much sooner.
He said specially made components for the console "enabled us to reduce the scale of investment significantly, massively so in comparison to the PS3."
Recently Sony said they were not concerned with the Xbox One's pre-order bundle specials because they feel their product is good enough that people will buy it on their own.
"Platform holders and publishers run pre-order campaigns, and if you need to increase momentum then they dial it up a little bit with some promotional stuff, it's a rational thing to do. But do we need to do that? No," SCEE President Jim Ryan said to MCV concerning Microsoft's European FIFA 2014 Xbox One bundle.
PlayStation 4 already has over a million pre-orders sold, and is currently marketing a GTA5/PS3 bundle, but nothing so far for the PS4.
"We have learnt a lot of lessons from last time around. There were a number of things we did on PS3 that we would not knowingly repeat. We sat and reflected and soul searched a lot. And we decided early on that we wanted to be single-minded in our pursuit of the gamer with PS4," said Ryan. "From the start, people have had a clear idea of what PS4 stands for and they can either take it or leave it, and it seems like lots of people want to take it. There's no ambiguity. There's no confusion. And it has helped us gain momentum ahead of launch."


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Artist description:
Hope you had a wonderful Birthday Carloc
Flash Draw Created Jan 05, 2012 640 x 460px Unless noted Copyright 2012 spring7.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
such a lovely color ! like your gesture ! missed your draws while I was offline !
Sooo sweet and lovely!! fav 5 h
Another wonderful color combination, and as always, a delightful addition to your RMD friends' birthdays. :) I love it! 5 ♥s and fav
another cute draw:) its so sweet of u to make such beautiful bithday presents . well done 5
Oh, I was soooo excited when I saw this! Thank you so much for blessing me with one of your wonderful drawings!! Have to fav it...
Another beautiful, awesome drawing, I never get tired of looking at them! Happy Birthday Carloc! 5/5h
♫The boys are back in town♫yippee...!!!OI...carlocs scoffed the cake already...:O(hehe..!magic draw spring...5/5@faves.:O)
the colors are so nice!
This is sooo sooo sooo BEAUTIFUL!!!! I love your drawings so much! I don't know HOW you manage to make each one unique and special but you do!!!! Awesome!!! 5/5!!!! Happy Birthday Carloc!!
awwww what a pretty drawing u always inspired me :) that everyday is a gift thats why they called it past "present" and future and what a lovely present it is XD how charming