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marmar
marmar's Journal
marmar's Journal
April 26, 2013
from Der Spiegel:
Climate change is dramatically altering the Swiss Alps, where hundreds of bodies of water are being created by melting glaciers. Though the lakes can attract tourists and even generate electricity, local residents also fear catastrophic tidal waves.
In the 1990s, the first cracks began to appear in the mighty tongue of the Trift Glacier in the central Swiss canton of Bern. In 2002, the peak of the ice mass burst into thousands of pieces. Since it lay in a hollow, the water swelled into a lake rather than flowing out. The Trift Lake then became an attraction: Hundreds of tourists per day now visit the suspension bridge that hangs over this new body of water. "Many more people come to the glacier than before," says Wilfried Haeberli of Zürich University.
The geographer and his colleagues calculate that, in the coming years, hundreds of such lakes will come into being in the Swiss Alps alone. In Austria, the Andes and other mountainous regions heavily affected by climate change, similar dramatic environmental transformations are occuring. "The rapid melting of glaciers is radically changing the Alpine landscape," Haeberli reported at the annual meeting of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) in Vienna. The ice region is in many places becoming a landscape of lakes.
New bodies of water would bring opportunities as well as risks. Tourists could take in something new, and reservoirs could supply hydroelectric power. Towns in these regions, however, see a looming danger: Avalanches threaten to tumble into the lakes, sending tidal waves that could be dozens of meters high surging down into the valley. ....................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/melting-glaciers-turning-alps-into-lake-region-a-896729.html
Land O' Lakes: Melting Glaciers Transform Alpine Landscape
from Der Spiegel:
Climate change is dramatically altering the Swiss Alps, where hundreds of bodies of water are being created by melting glaciers. Though the lakes can attract tourists and even generate electricity, local residents also fear catastrophic tidal waves.
In the 1990s, the first cracks began to appear in the mighty tongue of the Trift Glacier in the central Swiss canton of Bern. In 2002, the peak of the ice mass burst into thousands of pieces. Since it lay in a hollow, the water swelled into a lake rather than flowing out. The Trift Lake then became an attraction: Hundreds of tourists per day now visit the suspension bridge that hangs over this new body of water. "Many more people come to the glacier than before," says Wilfried Haeberli of Zürich University.
The geographer and his colleagues calculate that, in the coming years, hundreds of such lakes will come into being in the Swiss Alps alone. In Austria, the Andes and other mountainous regions heavily affected by climate change, similar dramatic environmental transformations are occuring. "The rapid melting of glaciers is radically changing the Alpine landscape," Haeberli reported at the annual meeting of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) in Vienna. The ice region is in many places becoming a landscape of lakes.
New bodies of water would bring opportunities as well as risks. Tourists could take in something new, and reservoirs could supply hydroelectric power. Towns in these regions, however, see a looming danger: Avalanches threaten to tumble into the lakes, sending tidal waves that could be dozens of meters high surging down into the valley. ....................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/melting-glaciers-turning-alps-into-lake-region-a-896729.html
April 26, 2013
(MarketWatch) Apple Inc.'s iPhone saw its share of the global smartphone market decline to 18% in the first quarter from 23% a year earlier, with its shipment growing at the lowest rate ever in its history, research firm Strategy Analytics said in its latest report.
In the same quarter, South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. captured its highest-ever market share of 33% in the global smartphone market, compared to 29% a year earlier, the report said.
The data from Strategy Analytics comes as Apple's growth strategy comes under close scrutiny from investors and analysts. While Samsung sells many smartphones in various price ranges from low-end to high-end, Apple has so far focused on the premium segment of the market with its iPhone.
People familiar with the iPhone's production told The Wall Street Journal earlier this month that Apple are working with its manufacturing partners in Asia on a less expensive iPhone that could be launched as early as the second half of this year. .....................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/iphone-shipments-post-slowest-ever-growth-report-2013-04-25?dist=beforebell
iPhone shipments post slowest-ever growth: report
(MarketWatch) Apple Inc.'s iPhone saw its share of the global smartphone market decline to 18% in the first quarter from 23% a year earlier, with its shipment growing at the lowest rate ever in its history, research firm Strategy Analytics said in its latest report.
In the same quarter, South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. captured its highest-ever market share of 33% in the global smartphone market, compared to 29% a year earlier, the report said.
The data from Strategy Analytics comes as Apple's growth strategy comes under close scrutiny from investors and analysts. While Samsung sells many smartphones in various price ranges from low-end to high-end, Apple has so far focused on the premium segment of the market with its iPhone.
People familiar with the iPhone's production told The Wall Street Journal earlier this month that Apple are working with its manufacturing partners in Asia on a less expensive iPhone that could be launched as early as the second half of this year. .....................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/iphone-shipments-post-slowest-ever-growth-report-2013-04-25?dist=beforebell
April 26, 2013
Michele Bachmann: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's Mouth Essentially Has 'Duct Tape' Over It
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) blasted President Barack Obama and his administration on Thursday evening for its decision to not classify Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as an enemy combatant.
Appearing on Fox News' "On The Record" with Greta Van Susteren, Bachmann was critical of the Obama administration for filing charges too quickly "against terrorist number two," the term she calls Tsarnaev. She classified him as an "Islamic jihadist," deeming the alleged actions as a decision to "declare war."
"Now we have essentially duct tape over the mouth of this terrorist and we can't use him to link together this treasure trove of information," said Bachmann, who is a lawyer. "The people hurt the most are the people watching your show and innocent Americans all across the United States. That shouldn't be. That's a miscarriage of justice." ................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/26/michele-bachmann-dzhokhar-tsarnaev_n_3159868.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000037
The duct tape is on the wrong mouth......
Michele Bachmann: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's Mouth Essentially Has 'Duct Tape' Over It
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) blasted President Barack Obama and his administration on Thursday evening for its decision to not classify Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as an enemy combatant.
Appearing on Fox News' "On The Record" with Greta Van Susteren, Bachmann was critical of the Obama administration for filing charges too quickly "against terrorist number two," the term she calls Tsarnaev. She classified him as an "Islamic jihadist," deeming the alleged actions as a decision to "declare war."
"Now we have essentially duct tape over the mouth of this terrorist and we can't use him to link together this treasure trove of information," said Bachmann, who is a lawyer. "The people hurt the most are the people watching your show and innocent Americans all across the United States. That shouldn't be. That's a miscarriage of justice." ................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/26/michele-bachmann-dzhokhar-tsarnaev_n_3159868.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000037
April 26, 2013
Linda McQuaig
Friday 26 April 2013
Billionaire Britain: Just how little the rich contribute would shock most people
We are living in an economy increasingly geared to catering to the wealthy
(Independent UK) The case for imposing austerity on ordinary Britons – already as flimsy as Lululemon’s latest yoga pant - got a whole lot flimsier last weekend with the publication of the Sunday Times Rich List.
The annual release of the list presumably allows ordinary Britons a moment’s diversion from their struggling lives to celebrate the richest living among them – a throng of mostly foreign billionaires whose only obvious attachment to Britain is the exceptionally low tax rates the UK offers wealthy foreigners.
Most Britons would probably be surprised to learn that the Rich List actually downplays the size of the fortunes of Britain’s 200 richest people, who have a combined wealth of £318 billion this year.
Since the Rich List is based on publicly available data – and therefore doesn’t count most of the assets hidden in tax havens (estimated to be some £32 trillion worldwide) – it vastly understates the fortunes of Britain’s wealthiest. ......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/billionaire-britain-just-how-little-the-rich-contribute-would-shock-most-people-8587803.html
Billionaire Britain: Just how little the rich contribute would shock most people
Linda McQuaig
Friday 26 April 2013
Billionaire Britain: Just how little the rich contribute would shock most people
We are living in an economy increasingly geared to catering to the wealthy
(Independent UK) The case for imposing austerity on ordinary Britons – already as flimsy as Lululemon’s latest yoga pant - got a whole lot flimsier last weekend with the publication of the Sunday Times Rich List.
The annual release of the list presumably allows ordinary Britons a moment’s diversion from their struggling lives to celebrate the richest living among them – a throng of mostly foreign billionaires whose only obvious attachment to Britain is the exceptionally low tax rates the UK offers wealthy foreigners.
Most Britons would probably be surprised to learn that the Rich List actually downplays the size of the fortunes of Britain’s 200 richest people, who have a combined wealth of £318 billion this year.
Since the Rich List is based on publicly available data – and therefore doesn’t count most of the assets hidden in tax havens (estimated to be some £32 trillion worldwide) – it vastly understates the fortunes of Britain’s wealthiest. ......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/billionaire-britain-just-how-little-the-rich-contribute-would-shock-most-people-8587803.html
April 26, 2013
from YES! Magazine:
Argentina Takes on Vulture Funds in "Debt Trial of the Century"
For years, "vulture funds" have preyed on struggling nations by purchasing their debt for a pittance. Could an upcoming U.S. court decision put an end to the extortion of poor countries?
by Eric LeCompte
posted Apr 22, 2013
Eric LeCompte is the executive director of the Jubilee USA Network.
Last October, soldiers from the West African nation of Ghana boarded an Argentine naval ship called the Libertad. They overtook the crew and brought the ship to port in the town of Tema. This was not an act of piracy, at least not in the sense we normally understand it. The detaining of the Libertad took place after hedge fund NML Capital convinced a Ghanaian court that the ship, which was sailing in Ghanaian jurisdiction, should be held ransom for a debt the hedge funds claimed Argentina owed them.
The saga began in 2001, when Argentina was thrown into economic crisis and defaulted on its loans. Hedge funds swooped in and bought Argentine debt for almost nothing and circled until the country was in recovery to collect the debt in full.
The case is set to be decided in the coming days in the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court, the jurisdiction in which the original loans were contracted. The decision will impact whether certain hedge funds commonly known as "vulture funds"—funds that buy a struggling country’s debt for pennies on the dollar and then sue for the full amount when a country is in recovery—will continue to extort poor countries.
The long 2nd Circuit Court proceedings between Argentina and hedge funds NML Capital and Aurelius has propelled the international debt crisis into the spotlight. It’s been called the “debt trial of the century,” and the proceedings could have the most far-reaching impacts on global poverty in our lifetime. ..................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/argentina-takes-on-vulture-funds
Argentina Takes on Vulture Funds in "Debt Trial of the Century"
from YES! Magazine:
Argentina Takes on Vulture Funds in "Debt Trial of the Century"
For years, "vulture funds" have preyed on struggling nations by purchasing their debt for a pittance. Could an upcoming U.S. court decision put an end to the extortion of poor countries?
by Eric LeCompte
posted Apr 22, 2013
Eric LeCompte is the executive director of the Jubilee USA Network.
Last October, soldiers from the West African nation of Ghana boarded an Argentine naval ship called the Libertad. They overtook the crew and brought the ship to port in the town of Tema. This was not an act of piracy, at least not in the sense we normally understand it. The detaining of the Libertad took place after hedge fund NML Capital convinced a Ghanaian court that the ship, which was sailing in Ghanaian jurisdiction, should be held ransom for a debt the hedge funds claimed Argentina owed them.
The saga began in 2001, when Argentina was thrown into economic crisis and defaulted on its loans. Hedge funds swooped in and bought Argentine debt for almost nothing and circled until the country was in recovery to collect the debt in full.
The case is set to be decided in the coming days in the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court, the jurisdiction in which the original loans were contracted. The decision will impact whether certain hedge funds commonly known as "vulture funds"—funds that buy a struggling country’s debt for pennies on the dollar and then sue for the full amount when a country is in recovery—will continue to extort poor countries.
The long 2nd Circuit Court proceedings between Argentina and hedge funds NML Capital and Aurelius has propelled the international debt crisis into the spotlight. It’s been called the “debt trial of the century,” and the proceedings could have the most far-reaching impacts on global poverty in our lifetime. ..................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/argentina-takes-on-vulture-funds
April 26, 2013
from truthout:
.......(snip).......
Jon Letman: In January, you wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post titled "Time for Congress to build a better drone policy." How was the piece received by your colleagues in Congress?
Rep. Keith Ellison: It had mixed reviews. Some people told me it was the administration's prerogative and to just butt out, and even insinuated that if I did anything to try to restrain the US military's use of weaponized drones, that might not be greeted as the most patriotic thing in the world. Other people said, "Spot on - you're right." It was a very mixed reception.
My point was to try to provoke a more in-depth conversation than we've been having. I was disappointed that we haven't even really discussed this. The op-ed, as much as I was happy to write it and get it published, didn't have the splash that Rand Paul's filibuster had. Even though he and I agree on almost nothing, I was pleased to see him get attention for this really critical issue.
JL: Who supported your op-ed?
KE: Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California). She thinks we have to move forward on drones and have transparency, due process, accountability and international protocols that are respected. And others - we had a good group around us, but not nearly enough. We need some committee hearings.
.......(snip).......
JL: How have you seen civil rights for Muslim Americans and Muslims in America changing over the last decade?
KE: There's a small, concerted effort to try to marginalize Muslims in the United States. It's a well-funded effort. It's a small effort, but they have yielded some results. They're just people who write, speak and promote the idea that Muslims are threatening to America and should be marginalized and are dangerous to our country. They are the moral equivalent to the Ku Klux Klan, but they couch everything they say and do in anti-terrorism. ...................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://truth-out.org/news/item/15976-exclusive-congressman-keith-ellison-on-us-drones-in-africa-and-medias-portrayal-of-muslims
Congressman Keith Ellison on US Drones in Africa and Media's Portrayal of Muslims
from truthout:
.......(snip).......
Jon Letman: In January, you wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post titled "Time for Congress to build a better drone policy." How was the piece received by your colleagues in Congress?
Rep. Keith Ellison: It had mixed reviews. Some people told me it was the administration's prerogative and to just butt out, and even insinuated that if I did anything to try to restrain the US military's use of weaponized drones, that might not be greeted as the most patriotic thing in the world. Other people said, "Spot on - you're right." It was a very mixed reception.
My point was to try to provoke a more in-depth conversation than we've been having. I was disappointed that we haven't even really discussed this. The op-ed, as much as I was happy to write it and get it published, didn't have the splash that Rand Paul's filibuster had. Even though he and I agree on almost nothing, I was pleased to see him get attention for this really critical issue.
JL: Who supported your op-ed?
KE: Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California). She thinks we have to move forward on drones and have transparency, due process, accountability and international protocols that are respected. And others - we had a good group around us, but not nearly enough. We need some committee hearings.
.......(snip).......
JL: How have you seen civil rights for Muslim Americans and Muslims in America changing over the last decade?
KE: There's a small, concerted effort to try to marginalize Muslims in the United States. It's a well-funded effort. It's a small effort, but they have yielded some results. They're just people who write, speak and promote the idea that Muslims are threatening to America and should be marginalized and are dangerous to our country. They are the moral equivalent to the Ku Klux Klan, but they couch everything they say and do in anti-terrorism. ...................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://truth-out.org/news/item/15976-exclusive-congressman-keith-ellison-on-us-drones-in-africa-and-medias-portrayal-of-muslims
April 26, 2013
(Independent UK) Pressure is mounting on high street retailers and leading brands to put lives ahead of profits and safeguard Bangladeshi factory workers as the death toll from the collapse of a building housing clothing manufacturers reached 238.
The factories supplied Britain's Primark and Matalan, as well as Spain's Mango, whilst C&A said it had previous links to one of the contractors.
Tonight rescuers located 40 survivors stranded in the rubble at Savar, near Dhaka, as staff described how they were ordered to continue production despite raising concerns over huge cracks in the eight-storey structure.
US supermarket giant Wall-Mart was also on the factory's clients' list although it has not confirmed this. UK company Premier Clothing said it used suppliers on the sixth and seventh floor of the building. .......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/retailers-told-to-put-lives-before-profits-after-bangladeshi-factory-collapse-8585698.html
Retailers told to put lives before profits after Bangladeshi factory collapse
(Independent UK) Pressure is mounting on high street retailers and leading brands to put lives ahead of profits and safeguard Bangladeshi factory workers as the death toll from the collapse of a building housing clothing manufacturers reached 238.
The factories supplied Britain's Primark and Matalan, as well as Spain's Mango, whilst C&A said it had previous links to one of the contractors.
Tonight rescuers located 40 survivors stranded in the rubble at Savar, near Dhaka, as staff described how they were ordered to continue production despite raising concerns over huge cracks in the eight-storey structure.
US supermarket giant Wall-Mart was also on the factory's clients' list although it has not confirmed this. UK company Premier Clothing said it used suppliers on the sixth and seventh floor of the building. .......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/retailers-told-to-put-lives-before-profits-after-bangladeshi-factory-collapse-8585698.html
April 26, 2013
Fox News forwarded the notion that it might be appropriate for school children to be forced to work in exchange for free school meals, after a Republican lawmaker in West Virginia proposed such a requirement for a new law curbing child hunger.
On Fox & Friends First, on-screen text asked viewers whether students should have to "work for their school meals":
As The Washington Post blog "She The People" explained, the idea that students could be forced into labor in exchange for food comes from a Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, who suggested the requirement be added to a bill intended to ensure no child goes hungry: ................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/media/fox-news-should-kids-have-work-school-lunches
Fox News: Should Kids Have to Work For School Lunches?
Fox News forwarded the notion that it might be appropriate for school children to be forced to work in exchange for free school meals, after a Republican lawmaker in West Virginia proposed such a requirement for a new law curbing child hunger.
On Fox & Friends First, on-screen text asked viewers whether students should have to "work for their school meals":
As The Washington Post blog "She The People" explained, the idea that students could be forced into labor in exchange for food comes from a Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, who suggested the requirement be added to a bill intended to ensure no child goes hungry: ................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/media/fox-news-should-kids-have-work-school-lunches
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