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Friday, March 30, 2012

PepsiCo, KFC, McDonald's, Nestle's Maggi: to junk or not to junk

PepsiCo, KFC, McDonald's, Nestle's Maggi get junk rating for misleading consumers - The Economic Times: "NEW DELHI: Food items such as potato chips, burgers and noodles almost wipe out one's daily permissible limits of bad fat, salt and sugar in just one serving, says a study that seeks stronger regulations and labeling rules for food products.

The Centre for Science & Environment (CSE), which tested 16 popular brands including Nestle's Maggi noodles, McDonald's, KFC, Haldiram's aloo bhujia and PepsiCo's Lay's potato chips, on Friday accused most of these companies of misleading the public through wrong claims and insufficient labeling.

PepsiCo, Nestle, McDonald's and KFC denied the allegation and said their products were free of trans fats, the worst kind of fats. "Most junk foods contain very high levels of trans fats, salt and sugar, leading to diseases such as obesity and diabetes," said CSE Director Sunita Narain. "

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While the SC hears the health case, the Obesity issue keeps getting fatter

Vitals - Which are America's fattest cities?: "More than one-third of American adults are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The obesity epidemic has been going on for decades, and today health-care costs associated with obesity are estimated at $147 billion a year."
...

2. Binghamton, New York
Annual obesity-related costs $131.5 million
In the city of Binghamton, more than 17,000 residents are obese, according to rates from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. It's surprising then that 54 percent of respondents also said they exercise frequently.
Located at the junction of the Susquehanna and Chenango rivers in southern New York, Binghamton has the highest obesity rate in the state, compared to New York State’s rate of just below 24 percent. Meanwhile, 27.8 percent of Binghamton’s population lives below the poverty level.
1. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas
Annual obesity-related costs: $410.9 million
Located near the Mexican border in southern Texas, this metro area is the most obese in the nation, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. If the region dropped the rate from 38.8 percent to 15 percent, it could potentially save a whopping $252 million a year in medical costs annually. That’s a big savings, especially considering 50 percent of residents report being uninsured.
In 2010, 33.3 percent of the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metropolitan area’s population was obese, according to a CDC survey, so the data suggest that the country’s most obese city is also getting worse, bucking the nationwide trend of stabilization in obesity rates.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

News stings, but kills the bees

U.S. News - Neonicotinoid pesticides tied to collapse of bee colonies, 2 studies find: "The scientists behind the studies called for regulators to consider banning the class of chemicals known as neonicotinoid insecticides. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency told msnbc.com that the studies would be incorporated into a review that's currently underway.
A pesticide trade group immediately questioned the data, saying the levels of pesticide used were unrealistic, while the researchers said the levels used were typical of what bees would find on farms."

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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Miss- ing the Beer

Bill for stronger beer headed to Miss. governor - Yahoo! Finance: "During past debates, some lawmakers have raised concerns that allowing the sale of stronger beer could lead to more drunken-driving and more injuries and deaths. Bailey said he believes craft-beer fans can be trusted.
"I feel like if people in Alabama can do it responsibly, so can people in Mississippi," Bailey said."

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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Being slim: Sweeting out better than sweating out

Eating chocolate 'can keep you slim' - The Irish Times - Tue, Mar 27, 2012: "Far from piling on the weight, a chocolate habit can help keep you slim, new research suggests.

Just in time for Easter, scientists have announced the discovery every chocolate lover has been waiting for.

A study has found that, despite boosting calorie intake, regular chocolate consumption is related to lower body mass index (BMI).

The effect is modest but greater than can be explained by chance, say the US researchers who took account of influencing factors such as overall fat consumption and exercise.

BMI relates height and weight and is the standard measurement used to assess levels of obesity.

The good news about chocolate emerged after scientists screened a group of 972 men and women with an average age of 57 for a study of statins - cholesterol-lowering drugs."

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Monday, March 26, 2012

Burning gas as if there is no tomorrow

Bottom Line - We waste 1.9 billion gallons of gas sitting in traffic: "A new study by the U.S. Treasury Department finds that traffic snarls wasted 1.9 billion gallons of fuel last year — about 5% of the gas American motorists used.  At the current price, that would work out to more than $7 billion nationwide.  Other recent studies have indicated that Americans collectively waste about 5 billion hours in traffic, meanwhile, which works out to billions of dollars more in lost productivity.
In all, the study – prepared in support of the White House effort to upgrade the nation’s highway infrastructure – suggests the total cost in time and money works out to about $100 billion a year.
The cost of poor quality roads, meanwhile, results in about $400 in added yearly maintenance costs for the typical urban driver.  That runs as high as $756 annually for a motorist in the metropolitan San Jose areas, according to the report."

Getting Smacked by "Snacking Smart"

PepsiCo takes 'Snack Smart' logo off Lays, moves away from rice bran oil to cut costs - The Economic Times: "NEW DELHI: PepsiCo has silently taken off the 'Snack Smart' logos from the packs of its snack foods like Lay's chips, Kurkure and Cheetos as it gives up rice bran oil to cook its snacks four years after launching the snack smart initiative.

Starting March this year, the company has been using cheaper palm oil to cook its snack brands as a cost-saving measure, three officials in knowledge of the development told ET. A PepsiCo spokesman confirmed the switch. "Our analysis of consumer feedback on the use of rice bran oil showed that the consumer did not show any added preference to the use of rice bran oil," he told ET.
"

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Saturday, March 24, 2012

Debt-oration of the economy

Economic surveys conceal woes of generation debt | Business | The Guardian: "A feelgood factor has warmed right-wing political debate, with some coalition MPs claiming they have sighted green shoots of recovery.

Surveys of manufacturing and services were upbeat. Two months of positive retail sales added to the impression that Britain was getting back on its feet, and the consumer was leading the charge.

There was evidence during January and February that middle income consumers were refusing to pay down debt and the poorest were turning to payday loan companies in ever bigger numbers. Maybe they were spending the money on the high street. It was possible, though Bank of England lending data pointed in the opposite direction.

Then it happened. A dive in the retail spending figures for February, combined with a retrospective downgrade in the spending figures for January showed that the message from the high street was mangled by the ONS.

It was always wrong. The spending splurge was a mirage and while green shoots of recovery from the consumer side of the economic equation appeared real, they were a trick of the light.

When they were published, the ONS figures for January didn't add up without a huge rise in borrowing."

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Time to boycott U.S., Indian, and Chinese Airlines as they evade Carbon tax

BBC News - India boycotts EU aviation carbon charge: "Indian airlines will not comply with the European Union's (EU) carbon charging scheme, according to civil aviation minister Ajit Singh.

The EU has directed Indian carriers to submit the emissions details of their aircraft by 31 March.

But Mr Singh told parliament that "no Indian carrier is submitting them in view of the position of the government".

Last month, China said its airlines would not pay the EU charge.

Many other countries, including Russia and the US, have also objected to the scheme, under which airlines that exceed tight emission limits must buy carbon credits."

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Friday, March 23, 2012

Local versus Organic- food for thoughtful retailers

Study Local Produce Trumps Organic | Latest News content from Supermarket News: "In a recent study conducted by Mintel, more than half the respondents surveyed (52%) said it’s more important to them to buy local produce than organic options.

Mintel's Global New Products Database also revealed that product launches of fruit products with a natural/organic claim have declined 58% between 2008 and 2011, while the launch of new vegetable products with that claim have decreased 77% in that same time period.

Price could be a factor and so could consumer’s increasing interest in the freshness of their food. The perception may be that locally sourced food is fresher. In a food service study earlier this year, Mintel concluded that "consumers’ interest in where food comes from and a desire for fresh, unprocessed food will lead more [restaurant] operators to focus on American regionalism.""


Thursday, March 22, 2012

Watered down, but still has the power of dihydrogen monoxide

U.S. Intelligence Report Warns of Global Water Tensions - NYTimes.com: "“During the next 10 years, many countries important to the United States will almost certainly experience water problems — shortages, poor water quality, or floods — that will contribute to the risk of instability and state failure, and increase regional tensions,” the report said. “Additionally states will focus on addressing internal water-related social disruptions which will distract them from working with the United States on important policy objectives.”

The report warned that water shortages would become acute in some regions within the next decade, as demand continued to rise. While disputes over water have historically led to negotiated settlements over access, upstream countries will increasingly use dams and other projects “to obtain regional influence or preserve their water interests” over weaker countries downstream.

This is already happening on the Tigris and Euphrates, where Turkey, Syria and Iran have harnessed the headwaters of the two rivers that flow through Iraq."

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Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Starbucks adding energy drinks, factory jobs - Yahoo! Finance

Starbucks adding energy drinks, factory jobs - Yahoo! Finance: "The fruit-flavored drinks are made with a virtually flavorless extract of green, unroasted coffee, and pack less caffeine kick than coffee drinks made from roasted beans.
The Refreshers debut comes as the 40-year-old company is reporting record revenue and profits.
Starbucks plans to extend that run by introducing new products that will put it one step ahead of rivals like Dunkin' Donuts Group Inc and McDonald's Corp. It also seeks to sell more products outside the four walls of its cafes.
"We're just getting started," Chief Financial Officer Troy Alstead said at its annual shareholder meeting in Seattle."

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Open Innovation

Unilever Unveils Online Forum to Attract Outside Innovation Help - Businessweek: "Unilever (UNA), the world’s second- biggest consumer-products maker, unveiled a website to gather and assess ideas from outside the company as it looks to bolster sales from new products and improve environmental practices."


The site will focus on sustainable business ideas, such as technologies to lower the cost of providing safe drinking water, Roger Leech, Unilever’s open innovation scouting director, said in a March 15 interview. Unilever will solicit ideas from universities, engineering and design companies, and environmental groups around the world, he said.
By opening up the process to outsiders, Unilever follows rivals such as Procter & Gamble Co. (PG), which now seeks to generate $3 billion in sales annually from products developed jointly. The program is part of Unilever Chief Executive Officer Paul Polman’s 2010 pledge to cut the environmental footprint of its products by 50 percent.
“We were conscious that we didn’t disclose those key areas of opportunity we wanted to engage with in an open manner,” Leech said in the interview. “It seemed like a timely opportunity to stamp those areas with a Unilever identification and be open with them.”
Since Unilever established a so-called open innovation unit to work with outside partners in 2009, the share of external ideas that are adopted by the company’s business units has increased from 25 percent to 60 percent, Leech said. Before that, the company worked informally with universities in the U.K. and the Netherlands.

Low-Temperature Detergents

Other areas where London and Rotterdam-based Unilever will look for outside inspiration include laundry detergents that work at lower temperatures and use less water, lower-sodium foods, and ingredients for cleaning products that kill viruses without using bleaches, strong acids or alcohols. Last year the company collaborated with more than 500 partners.
For example, the Pureit water purifier involved India’s National Institute of Design and its National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Tata Group’s Tata Elxsi engineering subsidiary and Ernst & Young LLP. The device is sold in India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
Yet2.com, a closely-held intellectual property consultancy in Boston, will help Unilever judge ideas from outside the company, Leech said. He declined to specify any goals for the program. Polman has said that more than 30 percent of the company’s sales comes from products introduced in the past two years. P&G has said that more than 50 percent of its innovation is now sourced externally.
Unilever has also said all agricultural raw materials will be produced in a sustainable manner by 2020, and it will shift to buying only sustainable palm oil by 2015. Unilever is one of the world’s largest buyers of palm oil, used in margarine, ice cream and soap.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Tree-gedy

14,300 trees likely to be felled for Delhi Metro's 3rd phase - The Times of India: "NEW DELHI: Nearly 14,300 trees are likely to be felled during the construction work of Delhi Metro's third phase.

The "Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has submitted a tentative proposal indicating removal of 14,298 trees for construction of following of metro lines in Phase-III," Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jayanthi Natarajan said in a written reply to Lok Sabha today.

On whether the government has done any assessment about how felling of trees would effect the environment, Natarajan replied in negative, but said, "The applications for removal of trees are scrutinised in accordance with the provisions made in the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994 and the Forest Act, 1980 on case-to-case basis before according approval to reduce the adverse effect on environment. "

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Sunday, March 18, 2012

Food, Gifts, and Contracts

CPS food director allegedly accepted thousands in gifts from top vendors -- - chicagotribune.com: "The report submitted to CPS officials late last week by district Inspector General James Sullivan accuses Esaian and two members of her staff of accepting at least $86,000 in gifts from high-ranking executives at Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality and Preferred Meal Systems, companies that have combined food contracts with CPS in excess of $75 million.

According to the report, Esaian told the inspector general that she had friendly relationships with the food executives and that the gifts didn't influence her decisions at CPS. But some observers now raise questions about where her allegiances stood.

Around the time Esaian took over as the head of the food services at CPS in 2007, Chartwells launched a pilot program to provide free breakfasts to students at a city elementary school."

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Blueberries and apples- the ones to eat

Blueberries and apples tied to lower diabetes risk - Health - Diabetes - msnbc.com: "Eating more blueberries, apples and pears may be linked to lower risk of diabetes, according to a new U.S. study.
These fruits are loaded with flavonoids, a natural compound present in certain fruits, vegetables and grains, which some research has tentatively tied to heath benefits such as a lower risk of heart disease or cancer.
"People who ate a higher amount of blueberries or apples, they tended to have a low risk of type 2 diabetes," said An Pan, a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health who worked on the study."

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Saturday, March 17, 2012

Bees- Beseiged by Innovations like NeoNicotinoids

World News - Honeybee die-offs linked to insecticide, study says: "A newly published study draws a stronger link between mass die-offs of honeybees and an insecticide widely used on corn.
The study sheds more light on the worrisome phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder. Bees play a critical role in the pollination of crops, and thus a threat to bee colonies can potentially affect entire ecosystems.
The latest study, conducted by Italian researchers at the University of Padova and published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, focuses on a class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids. The pesticides are popular because they kill insects by paralyzing nerves but are less toxic to other animals. Springtime die-offs of honeybees coincided with the introduction in Europe in the late 1990s of neonicotinoids as coatings of the corn seeds, according to a report by UPI, citing researchers."

Friday, March 16, 2012

Violating the pristine areas- the capitalist imperialists

Brazil’s Rich Show No Shame Building Homes in Nature Preserves - Bloomberg: "From the sparkling, emerald-green waters of the Atlantic off the east coast of Brazil, Cavala Island looks like a tropical paradise of lush vegetation framed by giant rocks. It’s also where millionaire Antonio Claudio Resende, a founder of Latin America’s largest car-rental company, became a squatter.
There, starting in 2006, he cleared pristine jungle where wild bromeliad flowers grow to make way for a 1,752-square-meter mansion, according to the Rio de Janeiro state environmental agency. The house -- which is built partially underground and hidden by surrounding lush forest -- is visible only from above by aircraft.
Resende, 65, broke the rules that gave him the right to occupy the land on a nature preserve, not to build a large home, Brazilian federal judges found. He has been fighting civil and criminal charges against him for more than four years, filing appeals while defying court orders to demolish the house and leave, Bloomberg Markets magazine reports in its April issue."

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Religion at work- why can't people keep their religion to themselves?

Life Inc. - Religion at work can bring fire and brimstone: "David Coppedge, a former computer specialist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is claiming he lost his managerial role and then his job because he believes in a higher power. His employer says he was harassing employees but was ultimately let go as part of a round of mass layoffs.
Coppedge admitted in a court filing that he was engaging his co-workers in religious conversation, most notably handing out DVDs on intelligent design, and that he was warned by a supervisor to cut it out because it amounted to “pushing religion,” and that the dialogue was “unwelcome” and “disruptive.”"

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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Rising Tide not lifting all Sellers

Life Inc. - Loads of Tide thieves clean up nationwide: "At $15 a pop for Tide in the 100 fluid ounce container, it's not surprising thieves across the country are scrubbing store shelves clean of the laundry detergent.
Earlier this month, a Tide robber from St. Paul stole $25,000 worth of the detergent and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and five years probation, according to a story in the Pioneer Press.
And a Maryland supermarket surveillance camera caught a suspect loading his car with 15 to 20 bottles of Tide, hauling them away, and then an accomplice selling the detergent to a nail salon. The footage was aired on an NBC affiliate in Los Angeles, which reported that national retailers such as CVS were taking extra security measures to keep “Tide tied down.”"

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Monday, March 12, 2012

One View of Citi-Smart

Pandit Pay Climbs Toward $53 Million as Citigroup Revenue Slumps - Bloomberg: "Citigroup Vice Chairman Lewis Kaden said in an October 2007 interview that the Old Lane deal was really a way to recruit Pandit and his colleagues.
“You start to see the quality of the team,” Kaden said. “If it succeeds, it was a bargain.”
The bank shut the fund shortly into Pandit’s reign as CEO and took a charge of $202 million in 2008 to write down the value of its investment, according to a regulatory filing.
“You’ve got to give the guy credit, he must be very, very bright,” said Alex Lieblong, who oversees more than $100 million with Key Colony Management LLC in Little Rock, Arkansas. “He sold them a business that they had to write off and they made him president.”"

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Sunday, March 11, 2012

Icy news about Great Lakes

U.S. News - Great Lakes ice coverage falls 71 percent over 40 years, researcher says: "Great Lakes ice coverage declined an average of 71 percent over the past 40 years, according to a report from the American Meteorological Society.
The amount of decline varies year to year and lake to lake, according to the report's lead researcher, Jia Wang, an ice research climatologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Wang’s report said that based on Coast Guard scanning, satellite photos and other research from 1973 to 2010, ice coverage dropped most on Lake Ontario, 88 percent; the second-largest loss was on Lake Superior, at 79 percent."

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Saturday, March 10, 2012

Scotland's Choice

Alex Salmond urges Scots to embrace independence | Politics | guardian.co.uk: "Scotland's first minister focused his speech on building support for ending the union as well as launching the nationalists' local government election campaign.

His address comes after delegates unanimously passed a motion committing to the quickest possible timetable for removal of Trident nuclear weapons from Scottish waters.

Scottish voters go to the polls to elect their councillors on 3 May, and the SNP has set a key target of winning control of Scotland's biggest council, Glasgow City, from Labour."

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Friday, March 09, 2012

Apple, $90B in bank, needs public incentives to open facilities that it needs for operation

Apple to build $304 million campus in Texas, add 3,600 jobs - chicagotribune.com: "The company is receiving an investment of $21 million over 10 years from a state fund and also possible incentives from Austin and Travis County, according to Texas GovernorRick Perry, who announced the news on Friday.

Thursday, March 08, 2012

Wells Fargo Checking - loves to take your money but is giddy about giving back less of your money

Bottom Line - Wells Fargo to charge $7 a month for checking: "Wells Fargo is ending free checking in six more states, expanding a $7-per-month account charge that went into effect in other parts of the country last year.
Existing customers in Georgia, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania will be required to pay the monthly fee for the "Essential" checking account, unless they keep a $1,500 minimum daily balance or make direct deposits of $500 each month, a Wells Fargo spokeswoman said Thursday.
For customers, the fees add up. NerdWallet, a personal finance site, said it found that customers who can't meet the minimum balance and other requirements are charged an average of $110 a year by the five largest banks."


Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Money-ed wives

Life Inc. - Amid recession, an uptick in wives outearning their husbands: "Since her husband was laid off last fall, Julee Schirmacher has found herself in a spot that has become familiar to many families over the past few years. She works full-time for a marketing company and, for now, her husband stays home and takes care of the couple’s two kids, ages 5 and 2.
“Money worries me constantly,” said Schirmacher, 29.
The number of women earning more than their husbands had gradually been rising for years, but the pace appeared to quicken during the Great Recession of 2007-09.
Nearly 38 percent of wives earned more than their husbands in 2009, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, up about 3 percentage points from 2008."

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Tuesday, March 06, 2012

A for Apple (Inc.) B for Brazil and C for China

BBC News - Brazil 'overtakes UK's economy': "But Mr Mantega was keen to play down the symbolic transition - which comes after China officially overtook Japan as the world's second-biggest economy last year.

"It is not important to be the world's sixth-biggest economy, but to be among the most dynamic economies, and with sustainable growth," he said.

Brazil is enjoying an economic boom because of high food and oil prices, which has led to rapid growth.

In 2010, the Brazilian economy was worth $2.09tn, compared with the UK's $2.25tn total output, in current US dollars, according to the International Monetary Fund.

However, according to NIESR, using the IMF's figures at current exchange rates, Brazil's economy is now $2.52tn and the UK's is $2.48tn."

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Caffeination of America- new meaning of latte- shots

FDA issues warning to inhalable caffeine maker - Yahoo! Finance: "Food and Drug Administration officials have issued a warning letter to the makers of the inhalable caffeine product AeroShot, saying they have questions about its safety and concerns about how children and adolescents may use it.
AeroShot went on the market in January in Massachusetts and New York. Consumers put one end of the plastic canister in their mouths and breathe in, releasing a fine powder that dissolves.
The FDA said the Massachusetts company misled consumers by saying the product can be both inhaled and ingested, which is not possible. The agency said it is also concerned consumers may try to inhale it into their lungs, which may not be safe."

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Facebook-itis

Red Tape - Govt. agencies, colleges demand applicants' Facebook passwords: "If you think privacy settings on your Facebook and Twitter accounts guarantee future employers or schools can't see your private posts, guess again.
Employers and colleges find the treasure-trove of personal information hiding behind password-protected accounts and privacy walls just too tempting, and some are demanding full access from job applicants and student athletes.
In Maryland, job seekers applying to the state's Department of Corrections have been asked during interviews to log into their accounts and let an interviewer watch while the potential employee clicks through wall posts, friends, photos and anything else that might be found behind the privacy wall.
Previously, applicants were asked to surrender their user name and password, but a complaint from the ACLU stopped that practice last year. While submitting to a Facebook review is voluntary, virtually all applicants agree to it out of a desire to score well in the interview, according Maryland ACLU legislative director Melissa Coretz Goemann."

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Monday, March 05, 2012

No longer Yahoo!

Restructuring could cuts thousands of jobs at Yahoo - chicagotribune.com: "Yahoo Inc.'s new chief executive is preparing a significant restructuring of the Internet company, including layoffs that could cut thousands of employees from its payroll, according to a technology blog.

The moves could be announced as soon as the end of the month and would represent the first major changes under CEO Scott Thompson, the former PayPal president who took the top job at Yahoo in January. "

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Sunday, March 04, 2012

McD- and McKids

McDonald's to kids: Eat fruit, drink milk, visit Arches - chicagotribune.com: "The Oak Brook-based fast-food giant says it's doing the right thing for its customers and its brand. But activist groups, who see McDonald's as the emblem of what's wrong with American eating, decry any advertising to children under age 12, who critics say are too young to know when they are being targeted with ad messages.

"We're a leadership brand, whether it's for children's advertising or the food we serve in the restaurants," said Marlena Peleo-Lazar, chief creative officer of McDonald's USA. "We saw an opportunity to take a ... stance, not from a duress standpoint but from a leadership sort of way, and as a brand it really does illustrate that we believe in doing the right thing."

McDonald's spent about $115 million advertising Happy Meals during 2010, about 13 percent of the company's $884 million in measured U.S. media spending, according to Kantar Media."

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Saturday, March 03, 2012

YouTube- is a minimum age needed for posting?

YouTube phenomenon has girls asking: Am I Pretty? | Detroit Free Press | freep.com: "The young girl shows off her big, comfy koala hat and forms playful hearts with her fingers as she drops the question on YouTube: "Am I pretty or ugly?"

"A lot of people call me ugly, and I think I am ugly. I think I'm ugly, and fat," she confesses in a tiny voice as she invites the world to decide.

And the world did.

The video, posted Dec. 17, 2010, has more than 4 million views and more than 107,000 anonymous, often hateful responses in a troubling phenomenon that has girls as young as 10 — and some boys — asking the same question on YouTube with similar results.

Some experts in child psychology and online safety wonder whether the videos, with anywhere from 300 to 1,000 posted, represent a new wave of distress rather than simple self-questioning or pleas for affirmation or attention."

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Slow improvement...

ECB's Orphanides says debt crisis easing, but not over - Yahoo! Finance: "NICOSIA (Reuters) - The euro zone sovereign debt crisis has eased in recent weeks, ECB Governing Council member Athanasios Orphanides said on Saturday, adding more needed to be done to convince markets the euro zone had an effective crisis handling mechanism in place.
"We have seen a very substantial improvement if you look at where we were in November and where we are now in terms of risk for example of France, Belgium, Italy and Spain," Orphanides told a conference in Cyprus.
"But you realize we have not solved the problem yet, because the risk is a lot greater than the risk we started off with two years ago.""

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Friday, March 02, 2012

Texas- water is not the only item in shortage

Texas Rice Farmers Won't Get Water For Irrigation : NPR: "HOUSTON (AP) — Thousands of Texas rice farmers won't get water for irrigation this year because lakes and rivers remain low after more than a year of drought.

The Lower Colorado River Authority said Friday it won't release water from two Austin-area lakes into the rivers and canals the farmers use for irrigation. The announcement was expected, but notable as the first time in the authority's history that it won't provide the water.

Texas is one of the six largest rice producers in the country, and the farmers in the Colorado River basin make up almost three-quarters of the state's total rice acreage. But without irrigation, many farmers will be able to plant only a fraction of the rice they usually grow, and some won't plant any.

"Farmers were prepared for the almost inevitability of this ... but things came so close at the end, there were some who thought we might get it," said Ronald Gertson, who grows rice in Lissie, about 60 miles southwest of Houston."

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Thursday, March 01, 2012

The Facebook Playbook

No Taxes for Facebook? Senator Cries Foul - Yahoo! Finance: "Basically, the loophole works like this: According to the company's IPO filing, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will exercise options to buy 120 million shares at 6 cents per share. The shares are now currently estimated at the value of $40 per share or about $5 billion total, but under the current corporate tax code, Zuckerberg will be able to report to investors and regulators that the stock options cost just six cents per share. This amount will also be recorded in the company's books. However, on Facebook's tax return, the company can claim the options at the price the shares actually sell for when the company goes public and take a tax deduction on the larger amount.
"So the books show a highly profitable company, profitable in part because of the relatively small expense that the company shows on its books for the stock options that it grants to its employees," Levin said. "But when it comes time to pay taxes, to pay Uncle Sam, the loophole in the tax code allows the company to take a tax deduction for a far larger expense than they have shown on their books.""

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