Japan’s most notorious monkey is back in custody after a daring zoo breakout. Keepers raised the alarm after Lucky, a macaque that bit around 120 people in resort towns in central Japan last fall, was found missing from her cage, AP reports. Locals feared another biting spree would ensue, but…
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Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. When U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton accused Iran of trying to ignite new conflicts in the Middle East, Arab and Muslim nations should first consider the Ottoman Sultan Selim the Grim. In 1512, Selim came to power by overthrowing his father and murdering his brothers and nephews to eliminate possible pretenders to the throne. Even though he was a skilled politician, Selim was very fond of fighting and instigating wars. Selim, who expanded the leadership branch of Sunni Islam, conquered the Safavid Empire in Persia, known for its Shia Islam. He then attacked and defeated other Islamic regions and kingdoms throughout Syria,…
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January 25th: Freed hostages arrive home from Iran; Charles Manson convicted; Michael Jackson settles claims out of court; First transcontinental US flight; Alicia Keys born.
Continue reading …iPhone 5 and iPad 2 will come with NFC built in, suggests well-connected analyst
January 25, 2011 No Comment
You’ll no doubt be aware of our ( well justified ) distrust for anything that passes a tech analyst’s lips, but this time’s a little different. Richard Doherty of Envisioneering Group cites “engineers who are working on hardware” for Apple’s latest project in asserting what that project actually is: NFC capabilities are apparently being built into the next generation of iPhone and iPad devices. Contactless payments via NFC have been steadily building up in hype and adoption recently — at least in the western hemisphere, the stuff is commonplace in Japan — and Doherty predicts Apple will make its move into the field with some new hardware and an accompanying “revamp” of iTunes. The idea would be to allow the use of iTunes gift card balances and the credit card info Apple already has from you to make swiping payments at compatible retail outlets. Apple is said to be planning enticements, like loyalty credits and points, to get you using its service in the place of the competition, and there are already a couple of software patent applications from the company detailing other potential uses for the technology. All of which could mean absolutely nothing, of course, but this seems like an awful lot of smoke for there not to be a fire under it. iPhone 5 and iPad 2 will come with NFC built in, suggests well-connected analyst originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 02:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Almost fifty years after the first issue of the comics The Fantastic Four, a huge change is coming. Marvel Comics says one of the four super heroes is going to die. (Jan. 25)
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Supporters of Saad Hariri, Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, have called for a day of anger in protest against Hezbollah’s nomination of a candidate for the post of prime minister, a move that brings the
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enlarge President Roosevelt – In 1944, a second Bill of Rights. Click here to view this media Continuing our survey of States of the Union past, here is President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivering a pre-recorded State of the Union address on January 11, 1944, owing to a bout with the flu that prevented him from delivering it in person to Congress. Since we were right in the middle of World War 2, concerns were naturally on how the progress of the war was going and how it was affecting life in this country during that time. There was optimism it would be over soon, as the tide on several fronts were changing in the Allies favor. Still, it was optimism with caution. This address has also been known as FDR’s “Second Bill Of Rights Speech”, since he outlines the aims of the Roosevelt administration for a post-war era. President Roosevelt: “As our Nation has grown in size and stature, however—as our industrial economy expanded—these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness. We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. “Necessitous men are not free men.” People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made. In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all regardless of station, race, or creed. Among these are: The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the Nation; The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation; The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living; The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad; The right of every family to a decent home; The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health; The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment; The right to a good education. All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.” In these particular times, it’s good to remember as our basic needs haven’t changed.
Continue reading …By Eugene Robinson Republicans who feign attacks of the vapors and fainting spells over the big, scary deficit would be more convincing if they didn’t begin with the insane premise that defense spending should be sacrosanct. Related Entries January 24, 2011 Because It’s Time to End the Afghanistan War January 24, 2011 U.S. Condemns Tyranny While Torturing Bradley Manning
Continue reading …Employers Are Screening Out The Long-Term Unemployed. Will We Need Legislation To Protect Them?
January 25, 2011 No CommentEven if the economy does bounce back sooner than expected, we’re still going to have to deal with all the ways employers will find to discriminate against the long-term unemployed . As I’ve written, when I was a recruiter during the 2000 recession, this was a real roadblock and getting all these Americans back will probably require protective legislation: From an employer’s standpoint, however, there could be some legitimate reasons for not hiring the unemployed, Morse said. “For any particular position in this dour economy, there are thousands of applicants,” he said. “People are looking for a way to narrow the field. They have pressure to put the best team on the field.” On top of employers’ perceptions of unemployed workers, many long-term jobless applicants lose self-confidence and hurt themselves walking into the interview already beaten, said Karl Ahlrichs, a human-relations consultant at Gregory & Appel in Indianapolis. “There can be a lot of comfort in playing the victim,” he said. “But it’s quickly picked up by the employer that that might carry through if you get hired.” On the other hand, if the candidates go in and point out the positives of long-term unemployment, it can work to their advantage. “The people that are currently working are pretty burned out. They have been over-tasked and under-motivated and scared for a long time and their reserves are probably pretty far down,” Ahlrichs said. “Somebody coming off the bench will be fresher.” Sitting the bench, however, hasn’t proved to be a positive for Henri Shenter. Since losing his job in construction sales 15 months ago, Shenter has been turned down for jobs nearly 50 times. He’s looking for another sales job and at 35 has 15 years experience, but as soon as they see his last date of employment, he said, it’s over. “They throw it in the trash,” said Shenter, of Greenwood. “There is absolute discrimination going on.” Whether that discrimination is legal is up for debate. “An employer that discriminates against the unemployed risks legal action,” said Michael Blickman, partner in the labor and employment group at Ice Miller, adding he is unaware of any legal precedent. The candidate could argue that filing for unemployment is a statutory right and that an employer’s policy not to hire the unemployed unjustly interferes with that right. Morse disagrees, arguing that the unemployed are not among the categories protected by discrimination laws. “The mere fact of you being unemployed for a period of time is not a protected characteristic,” he said. Categories like age, race and gender are. Still, a company like PMG Indiana that recently ran an ad for a production assistant that read: “Must have worked in the previous 12 months,” walks a fine line, Blickman said. “An employer should ensure that it has a solid business justification if it adopts that kind of policy or practice,” he said. “The employer also risks the loss of good will among its own employees, customers and the public with this kind of policy.”
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