My media blog

March 31, 2011, 7:00 AM CT

Risky environments for children and their families

ood security is defined by access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life, as per the World Health Organization. In the United States and Canada, the number of households considered food insecure has increased more than 50 percent over the past four years, with one in three households in the United States experiencing very low food security. Young children and households headed by women are disproportionately affected.

Children raised in food insecure households are at increased risk of academic, health, and socio-emotional problems. In addition to being exposed to food insecurity in their households, these children are at greater risk of having mothers who are depressed, having inadequate access to health care, and living in homes that are unstable.

The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) will host a symposium during its Biennial Meeting that brings together scientists from a variety of disciplines�including nutrition sciences, human development, public health, economics, family science, and public policy�to consider this issue from many perspectives. Among the questions that will be addressed:

• What are the effects of food insecurity on child development?
• What are current government and charitable food assistance programs doing to address food insecurity, and what are the similarities and differences among programs?........
  
  
  Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source
  
  

March 18, 2011, 10:24 PM CT

Audit fees up for debate

Distressed companies with high audit fees are more likely to receive a going concern audit option as per international accounting expert, Dr Illias Basioudis.

Dr Ilias Basioudis from Aston University in Birmingham recently presented a research seminar in the Department of Accounting and Finance in Business and Economics.

During his research seminar, Dr Basioudis spoke on the topic of non-audit fees, auditor tenure and auditor independence - topical issues in the accounting industry given the global financial crisis.

Dr Basioudis' presentation was based on a paper co-authored by Professor Ferdinand Gul from Monash University's Sunway campus and Anthony Ng from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

As per Dr Basioudis distressed companies with high audit fees are more likely to receive a going concern audit option whereas non-audit fees are not linked to the issuance of going concern audit opinions.

Dr Basioudis and his co-authors found a non-linear relationship between non-audit fees and auditors' propensity to issue going concern audit options when auditor tenure is long.

Dr Basioudis is a senior lecturer of Financial Accounting and Auditing in the Finance and Accounting Group at Aston Business School, Chairman of the Auditing Special Interest Group of the British Accounting Association and adjunct senior lecturer of the University of South Australia. He is also Fellow of the UK Academy of Higher Education......... Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source

March 15, 2011, 10:49 PM CT

Children of immigrants more apt live with both parents

University Park, Pa. -- Children of immigrants are more likely to live in households headed by two married parents than children of natives in their respective ethnic groups, as per Penn State sociologists.

This intact family structure may offer immigrant children economic and social advantages that help them adapt to their new country, as per Nancy Landale, professor, sociology and demography.

"An intact family is a positive family arrangement because it maximizes the resources available to children," said Landale. "The family is the main source of children's economic resources, as well as their protection and support."

The researchers, who published their findings in the current issue of The Future of Children, examined the data on family living arrangements for Mexican, southeast Asian and black immigrant families using the Current Population Survey, a survey of about 50,000 households conducted by the Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2005 to 2009. In each group, children of immigrants were more likely to live in households with two parents than the children of natives.

As per Landale, who also serves as the director of Penn State's Population Research Institute, 52 percent of Hispanic children of immigrants in the survey live with married parents, in comparison to 44 percent of the children of Hispanic natives. A total of 65 percent of children of Asian immigrants live with married parents, in comparison to 50 percent of Asian natives......... Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:12:51 GMT

James Franco is a rentboy!

Well, not really. James Franco is actually going to be playing a "gigolo" on Broadway opposite Nicole Kidman. On a sidenote, really? People still use the term "gigolo"? Jesus, even my mom uses "rentboy" nowadays. Saying "gigolo" is like wearing shoulder pads and leg warmers. The renaissance man actor/author/student/professor and Oscar host has found a bit of time to squeeze starring in a Broadway show into his schedule, attaching himself to a revival of Tennessee Williams" "Sweet Bird of Youth." He has an impressive co-star, too: Nicole Kidman is also committed to starring in the show. Deadline.com broke the news of the commitments, saying that both stars are negotiating but firmly in on the Scott Rudin-produced project. It should be a major headliner, as both Franco and Kidman are nominated for Academy Awards. Franco will play Chance Wayne, a gigolo who becomes the companion of aging actress Alexandra Del Lago, to be played by Kidman. SOURCE Jesus, is it just me or is James Franco really embracing the adult entertainment industry? Seriously James, it"s okay: If you want to get paid to fuck for a living, you can totally do it. Everyone"s doing it! Hell, I"m sure Falcon Studios would be only to happy to have you on. Plus I hear if you sign an exclusive contract with them, the muffin baskets? To die for. Posted by: Popbytes      Read more     Source

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 04:01:20 GMT

Amazing Pictures Of Old London

Beautiful photographs of Old London. Posted by: Gerard      Read more     Source

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 03:59:15 GMT

The Chase

To build excitement around the 2nd Generation Intel Core i5 processor, Intel is launching an action-adventure video titled "The Chase." The spot demonstrates the performance capabilities of the new processors by creating an action-movie style chase sequence that takes place through a wide variety of program windows on a computer desktop.



YouTube link

(thanks Cora) Posted by: Gerard      Read more     Source

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 03:54:46 GMT

In Which It is Too Early to Write Coherently

Dear Readers,
I am writing to you bright and early this morning because I was woken by a startling realization: my fashion sense is going down a scary route called Country Farmer. Okay, yes, the heat in my dorm coming on at 6:45 am with a horrendously loud clanking has something to do with my early wake-up. And okay, yes, my burnt fingers are throbbing a bit as I type this (Why must I always investigate possible heat through touch?), but the literal wake up call that my styling sensibilities lean toward the Old MacDonald end of things makes for a much more dramatic story. So let"s go with that.
Anyway, if you"re a longtime reader, you know me to a certain extent. I was already halfway there. I live in plaid flannel and jeans. My hair is perpetually messy. I have a soft spot for motorcycle and/or combat boots. But oh, it gets worse.
Those shoes I was lusting after the other day? It didn"t take long to realize that I didn"t really want winter wedges. Inconvenient for walking across campus, and - let"s face it - I tend to wobble a bit on anything taller than about an inch. What I really wanted was another pair of lace-up boots. Brown ones. Ones that didn"t come up as high as my combat boots. Ones that were a bit more rugged. Ones like these:

I ordered them last night. And I"m excited about them. Real live work boots made by a company best known for selling "hand-crafted, authentic cowboy boots since 1879." Oh, the shame! But you have to admit, the details on the front are pretty damn cute. Can"t you just imagine them with black tights, thick socks, and plaid flannel?
See? Farmer, farmer, farmer!
Please don"t shun me. Posted by: Kori      Read more     Source

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:37:06 GMT

The Milk of Sorrow

by Vadim Rizov



There"s a devastating moment in I Heart Huckabees when Lily Tomlin brings Jason Schwartzman into a room where a woman of indeterminate Latin American origin is chanting about famine ("we mashed locusts to make bread"). Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman like to bring her in as a "special treat" for their clients, a joke that serves as a quick mockery of the kind of poverty filmmaking made to pander to liberal audiences, in which learning about and watching atrocities somehow makes you a better person.

It"s the kind of tone that could make you nervous about watching a movie titled The Milk of Sorrow, which does in fact begin with an old woman singing about her rape by Peru"s Shining Path militia. Unless you"re predisposed to fight for the preservation of oral indigenous traditions, feeling bored by someone"s description of being raped is an odd, uncomfortable sensation that can simply make you feel like a terrible person. The Milk of Sorrow, though, isn"t at all that film: it"s probably the drollest comedy about rape on the record. That"s reductive and likely sounds callous, but it"s richer than that. Posted by: ahillis      Read more     Source

December 15, 2010, 7:26 AM CT

Main cause of poor work environment

Managers in the private and public sectors must consider work environment when rationalising production to obtain sustainable systems. A research study reported in the journal Applied Ergonomics reveals that rationalisation measures often have a major negative impact on both the physical and psychosocial work environment. "However, the review also presents scientific evidence on how to reduce this problem," says one of the researchers, at the University of Gothenburg.

"Considerable resources all over the world have been invested in dealing with work-related disorders. But research from the past twenty years has been unable to prove that these investments have led to any general long-term improvement of the physical and psychosocial work environment" says Jrgen Winkel, at the Department of Work Science at the Univesity of Gothenburg, who together with Professor Rolf Westgaard at the University of Trondheim has scrutinized about 10,000 scientific papers. The analyses and results are reported in the recent issue of the scientific journal Applied Ergonomics

No long-term effect

Their conclusion is that a dialogue-based leadership that includes the employees is essential when rationalisation measures are introduced.
Some of the main findings of the study:........ Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 13:46:34 GMT

Dominic Jones Crocodile 22-Karat White Gold-Plated Ring

My love of crocodile accessories know no bounds! Even the scariest part of the croc, the teeth, is surprisingly cool as a ring! I am a huge fan of big bold rings, so this fits right in with my M.O.. I believe in limited statement pieces rather than over doing it with layers upon layers, it keeps thing simple and it accentuates the unique pieces you are wearing. For the single ladies, this is a perfect conversation starter and if you are not liking his vibe, just scare him off with a flirtatious bite!! Either way, you are in control! At Net-a-Porter for $535. Posted by: Ms. Jewel Snob      Read more     Source

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:07:56 GMT

Try Harder

by Vadim Rizov

One of the most fascinating essays reprinted in Jonathan Rosenbaum"s new collection Goodbye Cinema, Hello Cinephilia bears the deceptively simple title "Rediscovering Charlie Chaplin." The more accurate title would be "Try Harder." The piece (originally from the September 2004 issue of Cineaste) was tied to a new issue of Chaplin DVDs armed with copious supplemental documentation and appreciations from major global directors (the late Claude Chabrol, the Dardenne brothers, et al.). "I think the period we"re now living through may well be the first in which scholars have finally figured out a good way of teaching film history," Rosenbaum proposes of the "didactic materials" that classic films on DVD often come armed with.

With reference to Chaplin"s films specifically, Rosenbaum finds the need for education urgent: in a world where it"s easy to scorn the Tramp as sentimental and outmoded, he insists "one can"t even begin to grasp Chaplin"s importance without processing sizable chunks of the twentieth century." He then does his best to lay out some of that historical space briefly, and by the end even a hardened Chaplin skeptic may well be convinced they"re the ones at fault. Not because of some facile argument about watching a film and making allowances that the film was "impressive for its time"; that presumes an awful lot of knowledge about what was normative and what could be expected at best from a given era. Rosenbaum"s argument is simpler and more convincing: when you"re looking at a film that has survived decades, has many substantive admirers and nothing in it speaks to you, you should probably do some reading on it, or at least watch the extras. You may learn how quickly your gut reaction can change. Posted by: ahillis      Read more     Source

November 11, 2010, 7:10 AM CT

Lifting out of poverty

What factors contribute to poor people in developing countries lifting themselves out of poverty?

A paper by economists Anan Pawasutipaisit of Thammasat University and Robert M. Townsend of MIT provides important insights into what kinds of households might be most effective at moving themselves out of poverty and how they are able do it.

The paper, "Wealth Accumulation and Factors Accounting for Success" appears in the current issue of the Journal of Econometrics It suggests that poor people who skillfully manage their assets are particularly successful in improving their net worth. The authors discovered that the ability of poor families to increase their wealth was strongly related with their rate of saving and, even more so, with their ability to create a high return on assets.

This means that those households who used their existing assets most productively were more successful at pulling themselves out of poverty. A number of of the successful households reinvested their money in their small businesses and farms, suggesting that they are well aware of the source of their success.

Pawasutipaisit and Townsend identified these trends through an extensive survey that was taken from more than 500 Thai households across four provinces every month between 1999 and 2005. From this data, the authors created detailed, financial accounts for each home. They discovered that, over the course of their 7-year study, poor households grew their net worth by an average of 22% per year while rich households grew by just 0.09%......... Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source

November 10, 2010, 8:41 PM CT

Finding the Right Security Camera System for Your Home

Security cameras are becoming increasingly more affordable. And with a simple tweaks to an existing network, they can serve as a great budget security system that offers visibility through mobile devices like laptops and smart phones. But security cameras are not all created equal. Their effectiveness depends where they're placed, how they're monitored, and what features they include.

Hidden or exposed?

Security cameras come in all shapes and sizes. There are large ones that are indiscrete, and there are tiny ones, that can be hidden in virtually any crack or crevice. The home owner must decide if the camera is meant to serve as a preventative measure to discourage would-be burglars, or if they are meant to capture the criminal in action to aid law enforcement investigation. Of course, if resources aren't limited, a comprehensive set-up can include both types of security cameras.

Real-time monitoring or recording?

With Digital Video Recording (DVR) technology, cameras can record footage for long periods of time, and store that footage on server storage, dedicated DVR receivers, or even desktop PCs. The footage, in turn, can be archived and can serve as an effective tool in the event of an investigation. But DVR requires the extra cost of paying for storage and maintenance. Of course, cameras can also serve as simple monitors, giving homeowners the luxury of checking in remotely for criminal activity, or to monitor pets or nannies. ........ Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 12:56:02 GMT

Red horse chestnut

I’m way overdue for a tree of the month selection! This month I picked red horse chestnut, Aseculus x carnea ‘Briotti’. I actually haven’t seen this tree in bloom before and I think it’s quite exotic looking for New England. This is probably as close as we in the Northeast will be able to get to crape myrtles, the ubiquitous blossoming tree seen so often in street plantings and mall parking lots in the South.

The red horse chestnut is a hybrid of common horse chestnut A. hippocastanum and red buckeye A. pavia, cultivated for garden use. It’s a deciduous tree that grows to 30-40 feet tall upon maturity. Its pinkish or red blossoms bloom in the spring. It likes full sun or light shade and moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soils.

I don’t know if Bach Flower Remedies work or not–they’re the company that make Rescue Remedy among many other “flower essences” used for various psychological ailments. One of the 38 essences is made of red horse chestnut. According to their website, it’s supposed to be good for those who “find it difficult not to be anxious for other people.”

Well, I certainly hope the flower essence is based on the flower not the nut, because the nut is supposed to be poisonous. It contains saponins, which is toxic to many animals, including humans, though to a lesser extent. Supposedly if you cut up the nut into small pieces or grind them into flour, you can leach the poison out by rinsing it several times and pouring the water out, but I won’t be the one testing out that theory.

The nuts look like a bit like a regular chestnut and are surrounded by a thick hull. They’re sometimes called conkers. It’s easy to see why–a falling one would probably conk you out. For that reason, this would probably be an ill-chosen street tree. In parts of the UK, children play a game, also called “conkers,” with the nuts–maybe they throw them at one another.

Whenever I pick a tree of the month, I try to pick one that has multiple uses. Buuuuut, I freely admit that I picked red horse chestnut just because it’s pretty!

Blossom and nut photos courtesy of Wikipedia. Posted by: Caroline Brown      Read more     Source

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 12:48:34 GMT

Signs that might be omens

Dark and silent late last night
I think I might have heard the highway calling
Geese in flight and dogs that bite
Signs that might be omens say I’m going, going
Gone to Carolina in my mind

With a holy host of others standing ’round me
Still I’m on the dark side of the moon
And it seems like it goes on like this forever
You must forgive me
If I’m up and gone to Carolina in my mind

Hi everyone. I’m soon to be blogging from a new and improved growing zone. If there’s anybody alive out there, stay tuned.

Say nice things about me ’cause I’m gone southbound
Carry on without me

Lyrics by James Taylor. Photo courtesy of www.southeastroads.com. Posted by: Caroline Brown      Read more     Source

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 05:13:42 GMT

40 Pattern Bike Spoke Light

This mundane looking 40 Pattern Bicycle Spoke Light contains enough processing power to deliver messages, groovy patterns and even a log of your riding time in glorious LED persistent vision-o-rama. It’s amazing what they can cram into a 0.1kg bit of plastic nowadays. $8.99.

 40-Pattern LED Bike Spoke Light is a very cool little thing that will make you stand out from the crowd when riding your bike. This Cool Bike Spoke LED light with 40 graphic patterns will make you a biking attraction. It also shows the riding time in: hours, minutes, seconds and the number of riding cycles. It need to be installed on the bike’s spoke. Posted by: Redferret      Read more     Source

October 20, 2010, 7:25 AM CT

Religious diversity increases in America yet

While America continues to become more religiously diverse, the belief that America is a Christian nation is growing more intense, as per research from Purdue University.

"America is still predominantly Christian, but it is more diverse than ever," said Jeremy Brooke Straughn, an assistant professor of sociology who studies national identity. "At the same time, a number of people feel even more strongly that America is a Christian country than they did before the turn of the century. This is particularly true for Americans who say they are Christians and who attend religious services at least once a week".

The fact that these beliefs have intensified since the mid-1990s suggests a connection to events such as the Sept. 11 attacks and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Straughn said.

"We suspect that these events accentuated the correlation between Christianity and American identity by reinforcing boundaries against non-Christians and people of foreign origin," he said. "Eventhough we can't be certain of the underlying causes, our data clearly show diverging attitudes between American Christians and their non-Christian counterparts here in the United States. Those who express these views might say the belief is rooted in love of country and religion and is not about hating or discouraging others. But voicing these beliefs may cause others to feel that they do not belong and to withdraw from participating in public life"......... Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source

Sun, 26 Sep 2010 15:51:11 GMT

The Enablers

by Vadim Rizov



Casey Affleck"s I"m Still Here is (to put it mildly) ethically dubious; even if the film is a hoax, someone definitely got hurt making this chronicle of Joaquin Phoenix"s six-month freakout, at least collaterally. Make no mistake: if none of the acts therein were staged (which seems unlikely) and there is, in fact, a Hell, Affleck is going there no matter how many times he recites his Hail Marys. But in all probability the project is some kind of put-on: it"s too well-shot and deliberate to be a goof. That"s a good thing, because I"m Still Here is all kinds of fascinating, capstoning an inadvertent trilogy with two other recent films on the topic of what happens when a talented artist has substance abuse problems and no one in his paid retinue can tell him anything because they need the money.

I"m Still Here triangulates nicely with Brock Enright: Good Times Will Never Be the Same and The Carter, three documentaries that take different approaches in profiling an artist, musician and actor, yet all arrive at the same rough conclusion. Brock Enright-the most obviously staged and collaborative of the three, all gorgeous tableaux of very bad behavior-follows the asshat adventures of the titular artist as he freaks out about money, gets drunk, defecates and bellows about the importance of his own work, frequently all at once. Superficially similar to I"m Still Here, the film is, overall, far less puckish or fun to watch. It"s also about money in ways that (suspiciously) I"m Still Here almost entirely ignores; specifically, the lack of it, and how fretting over it (combined with the self-obsession routine to ambitious artists) can be toxic. Posted by: ahillis      Read more     Source

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:58:15 GMT

A case for Darwinism, the garden mind

Michael Pollan talks about his garden zen and the moment he became aware of corn"s plan for world domination.



Greener Magazine Posted by: Greener Magazine      Read more     Source

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:51:02 GMT

Your Reference I Am Getting

by Vadim Rizov

Richard Poplak"s The Sheikh"s Batmobile, a very cool new book tracing how American pop culture has infiltrated the Muslim world, argues mass cultural product-rather than destroying the indigenous and increasingly rare-helps bring otherwise at-odds people together on a new plane of understanding, normalizing pluralistic values where that idea"s unheard of. Poplak writes of Afghanistani bodybuilders training under watchful Arnold Schwarzenegger cut-outs and United Arab Emirates oil millionaires with too much money paying for custom-made Batmobiles. The argument goes all kinds of places (it"s a compelling work of occasionally danger-baiting on-the-ground journalism) that raises an inadvertent point: Hollywood is very good at producing accidentally iconographic work, and very bad at taking account of the ways it affects people. They conquer mental space then don"t acknowledge that.

Acknowledgment doesn"t mean the simple act of references for their own sake, the more obscure the better (discussed by Noel Murray earlier this year), nor scenes of people watching/listening to cultural product, nor spoofs, pastiches and the kinds of obsessive Quentin Tarantino homages paying tribute to his misspent youth. What"s missing is the really fascinating stuff: what happens when a movie becomes appropriated and fetishized for reasons that couldn"t have possibly occurred to the originators, mutating way beyond original money-making intent. Posted by: ahillis      Read more     Source

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 19:23:44 GMT

Lisa Cholodenko

by Jeffrey M. Anderson



Lisa Cholodenko"s well-received 1998 debut High Art was a major landmark for lesbian filmmaking in the "90s, even if the writer-director makes films more to please herself than to fill any LGBT niches. After moving from New York to Los Angeles (where she shot 2002"s titularly set ensemble drama Laurel Canyon-which, coincidentally, was centered around straight people), dealing with distribution troubles and working in television (directing episodes of The L Word and the short-lived Push, Nevada), the 46 year-old auteur returns to the big screen with her finest and most widely released effort yet, The Kids Are All Right.

Julianne Moore and Annette Bening star as a lesbian couple raising two teenagers. It"s the final summer before their daughter (Mia Wasikowska) goes to college and her younger brother (Josh Hutcherson) wants to meet their sperm donor dad (Mark Ruffalo), creating more drama than anyone might"ve anticipated. (Life certainly imitates art: Cholodenko and her partner are raising a four year-old son, also helped by a sperm donor.) Working for the first time with co-writer Stuart Blumberg (The Girl Next Door), The Kids Are All Right is a superbly written, vivid character study with a genuinely erotic texture, a warmer and more humane summer movie amidst a slew of soulless blockbusters. While visiting San Francisco, Cholodenko sat down with me to discuss the film. Posted by: ahillis      Read more     Source

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 09:45:09 GMT

Restrepo

Although neither New York-based journalist Sebastian Junger nor Liverpool-born photographer Tim Hetherington are strangers to combat zones, feature filmmaking was indeed a new war to be fought. In their brave and riveting documentary debut Restrepo, which won the Grand Jury Prize at this year"s Sundance, the two seasoned professionals used their fact-finding instincts to depict an experience I had never before felt with such heart-in-my-throat immediacy:

RESTREPO is a feature-length documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan"s Korengal Valley. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, "Restrepo," named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. It was considered one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. This is an entirely experiential film: the cameras never leave the valley; there are no interviews with generals or diplomats. The only goal is to make viewers feel as if they have just been through a 94-minute deployment. This is war, full stop. The conclusions are up to you.

Sitting down with Junger and Hetherington this past week, the three of us discussed the risk and reward in making Restrepo, politics versus morality, why they should be seen as journalists instead of activist filmmakers, and how-in justifiable comparison to their doc-The Hurt Locker isn"t quite a fair portrayal of the soldier"s experience.

To listen to the podcast, click here. (16:52)


Podcast Music
INTRO: The Raconteurs: "Broken Boy Soldier"
OUTRO: Casualty: "Military Intervention"

[Restrepo is now playing in New York and Los Angeles, with more cities to follow beginning July 2. For more information, please visit the official site.] Posted by: ahillis      Read more     Source

July 15, 2010, 10:05 PM CT

Designer Purses: Neighbor's Envy, Owner's Pride

The highlight of every Red Carpet event is the apparel and accessories flaunted by the celebrities. And no cocktail dress is complete without the perfect designer purse. Today, the popularity of designer handbags has reached such a level that all the top designers are vying for attention, from Loius Vuitton to Prada and Jimmy Choo.

The good news is that the rest of us, who are not invited for most of these red carpet events, can feel like a celebrity with the perfect accessory. Designer-inspired or look alike bags mimic the real thing so closely that it would take a handbag connoisseur with a magnifying glass to tell the difference. And the best part is that these purses are available at a fraction of the cost of the original designer item.

Designer Purses: Tips on Choosing the Right Handbag
While keeping up with the latest trends might be one reason for buying a particular handbag, it is important to keep in mind that an accessory looks good only when it is used for the right occasion and when it complements your body type and personality well.

Here are some tips on choosing the right bag:

• For tall and slim women: If you have that enviable tall, slim figure, consider complementing it with an oversized handbag. You could also consider a clutch purse or a shoulder bag, as long as the bags are large. Small handbags are likely to make you look lanky.
• For short women: If you are below the height of five-feet and two inches, you will do best to choose a small handbag, since a large handbag could look overwhelming, set against your outfit and overall appearance.
• For voluptuous women: A medium sized bag that hangs just above the waste can do wonders for those with a curvy figure. This style not only accentuates your waist, the overall appearance is more flattering.
• For plus-size women: Purses with short straps are a bad choice for plus-size women. Larger, wider handbags will look the best for your body type.

Of course, the piece that you choose will also be influenced by your personality, where a more conservative person will choose colors and designs that are more sober than someone who loves to dress to kill. Remember, your wardrobe will be incomplete without one classic black and one evergreen white bag.

If you are looking for the best quality designer purses at the most competitive rates, visit www.baginc.com. Baginc is an unparalleled record of serving satisfied customers. Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 01:46:18 GMT

Sony PlayStation Move Motion Controller

Good news for video gaming fanatics of the Sony PlayStation 3: The PlayStation Move, a motion-sensing game controller for the platform, is slated for commercial release this September 2010. North America, however, seems to have gotten the short end of the stick. Sony Computer Entertainment executives have scheduled the release of the PlayStation Move in Europe and Asia a full five days ahead (September 15th) of North America (September 19th).

Here's a list of the recommended retail price of the Sony PlayStation Move motion controller for the different territories:

• Europe/PAL territories: 39.99 Euro


• North Ameirca: 49.99 Dollars


• Japan: 3,980 Yen

© Sony Computer Entertainment
Posted by: Linda      Read more     Source

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 01:38:48 GMT

Which Digital Photo Editing Software?

The site I have linked for this posting poses the question: "Should digital photographers use image editing software?"

Well, the quick answer is, yes, of course, and the article presents many reasons why digital photographers should post process their photo files for best effect.

When you consider all the variables in the picture taking process it's nigh on impossible to get every one of these parameters spot on every time.

Differences among all the various types of digital image editing software also opens up a plethora of possibilities for modifying your images.

This is why I try to direct you to as many free digital editing programs as I can find. Keep the programs that work well for you and delete the others.

Check out this article about choosing a digital photo editing program and note that there are many other related links on that website.

Take a camera with you whenever possible, and look around, you'll find a picture somewhere.

Photo Source:www.digital-photography-school.com
Posted by: Karen      Read more     Source

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 00:33:30 GMT

What to Do When the Banks Say No

Working capital is the lifeblood of every business no matter how large or small. This is the key to growth and expansion. Large businesses with well established credit histories have many options when they need a capital injection.

However, small or newly formed companies don't have it so easy. The lack of adequate working capital prevents many small businesses from taking advantage of lucrative opportunities that come along.

Take for example, a small service company that is running well, but doesn't have much in the way of normal assets to pledge as collateral for a loan or a line of credit. In the door walks a new corporate contract that might double their sales. However, first, more personnel and equipment will be required to fulfill the contract and, secondly, the customer's payment terms are net 60 days. Where does the business owner do?

If they have no commercial credit available and no more personal credit available and all the friends and family are tapped out, they are stuck! Or are they? Instead of trying to take on more debt for this situation, the alternative of accounts receivable factoring can be the most powerful solution.

Accounts receivables, or invoices, are assets that can have immediate cash advances paid against them by someone called a factor. In short, the factor agrees to collect on the invoices and advances the company between 75-80% of the value of the invoices. When the invoices are paid to the factor, he pays the company the balance due less a fee.

The company has immediate working capital to carry out the contract and has no additional debt to pay off. This process can go on for as long as the company needs. At some point, they will have built up their creditworthiness and their working capital flow to an extent that they no longer need to factor their invoices. But for that interim period, this provides the perfect solution to growth and expansion.


Posted by: Webguru      Read more     Source

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 00:31:05 GMT

Corruption problem in Afghanistan

Gee, nine years after the US first sent in its soldiers to Afghanistan, America suddenly realizes it has a problem with corruption and profiteering. Oh really?

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Pentagon has set up a crack A team to investigate contractors who have been siphoning off cash and enriching Afghan power brokers. Of particular concern is the practice of construction firms using a string of sub-contractors to shift billions of dollars to shell companies. The money then disappears, usually into foreign bank accounts.And you can bet the problems are going to get worse. Instead of the US finding Osama Bin Laden there, we have reports of a US geological survey discovering that Afghanistan has $US3 trillion in reserves of lithium, iron, copper, gold, mercury, cobalt and other minerals. The New York Times reports that JP Morgan, fresh from helping to screw over the US financial system, has just sent a team of mining experts to Afghanistan to examine possible projects to develop.

The US has shown a complete inability to control and monitor the contracts going out the different companies in Afghanistan and that's unlikely to change. You can be sure this latest discovery is going to make the corruption problem even worse and make this war even dirtier. Posted by: Bose      Read more     Source