Chinese traditional medicine to cure flu A
Doctors of the Ditan hospital in Beijing, showed that traditional Chinese medicine used to cure 88 of 117 patients affected by influenza A who accepted to undergo such treatment.
According to Wang Yuguang, responsible for the hospital, said the agency Efe, of 297 confirmed cases of influenza seen at the local, 88 were treated with herbs, a treatment that "does not cause side effects and is safe." The officer also stated that the period of recovery of the patient with the use of traditional Chinese medicine is lower and the cost of 12 yuan (1.30 euro), compared with the price of Tamiflu, 56 yuan (5.80 euros).
"Moreover, the advantage is that doctors may prescribe different combinations of herbs according to the state of health of each individual," explained Wang.
Since the 15th of May, the leaders of the Ditan hospital, one designated to treat patients of influenza in China, began to use a combination of traditional medicine Tamiflu and a patient.
To prove the effectiveness of treatment, began to use only those herbs with patients who arrived later.
However, Sha daha, the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Beijing's Chaoyang district, said that the use of such technique is more effective in the early stages of the disease because of its preventive nature.
Until now, China has recorded 4,018 cases of influenza, and that most patients infected by the virus has already been high. The first death due to disease, a man of 42 years, was recorded this month in Hong Kong.
SOURCE: M.S.N. News
sábado, julho 25, 2009
sexta-feira, julho 24, 2009
Largest optical telescope
Came into operation last Friday the largest optical telescope in the world
El Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) was inaugurated today by the Kings is with a mirror diameter of 10.4 meters, the second most powerful of its range in the world, behind South African Large Telescope, which has a 11 meter segmented mirror, and ahead of two Americans Keck in Hawaii, whose mirrors are 10 meters in diameter.
Installed in the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos (ORM), on the Canary island of La Palma, at an altitude of 2396 meters and an area of 5000 square meters, captured the first light of the Universe "in the early hours of 13-14 July 2007, at a ceremony presided by the Prince of Asturias, Honor Astrophysical Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands and in 2000 laid the foundation stone for the construction of this large telescope.
With an approximate cost of 160 million euros, the promoter of the GTC is the Astrophysics Institute of Canarias (IAC) and its construction is provided by a public company Grantecan SA, established in 1994 with the participation, as partners, the Autonomous Community Canary Islands and the State General Administration.
Also involved in the construction of the telescope and the Institute of Astronomy of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM-IA), the Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Elctrónica of Puebla (Mexico) and the University of Florida (USA).
El Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) was inaugurated today by the Kings is with a mirror diameter of 10.4 meters, the second most powerful of its range in the world, behind South African Large Telescope, which has a 11 meter segmented mirror, and ahead of two Americans Keck in Hawaii, whose mirrors are 10 meters in diameter.
Installed in the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos (ORM), on the Canary island of La Palma, at an altitude of 2396 meters and an area of 5000 square meters, captured the first light of the Universe "in the early hours of 13-14 July 2007, at a ceremony presided by the Prince of Asturias, Honor Astrophysical Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands and in 2000 laid the foundation stone for the construction of this large telescope.
With an approximate cost of 160 million euros, the promoter of the GTC is the Astrophysics Institute of Canarias (IAC) and its construction is provided by a public company Grantecan SA, established in 1994 with the participation, as partners, the Autonomous Community Canary Islands and the State General Administration.
Also involved in the construction of the telescope and the Institute of Astronomy of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM-IA), the Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Elctrónica of Puebla (Mexico) and the University of Florida (USA).
quarta-feira, julho 22, 2009
Ditos
"Para o bem e para o mal, não pareço ter mudado muito de ideias em quarenta anos. Sinceramente, não sei se me deverei felicitar ou corrigir." - José Saramago, in Diário de Notícias
"O amor começa antes de começar e acaba depois de já ter acabado." - José Cardoso Pires, escritor português (1925-1998)
"Para falar inglês é preciso pôr a lingua entre os dentes e eu já perdi os meus." - Voltaire
"O amor começa antes de começar e acaba depois de já ter acabado." - José Cardoso Pires, escritor português (1925-1998)
"Para falar inglês é preciso pôr a lingua entre os dentes e eu já perdi os meus." - Voltaire
Jupiter
Jupiter was hit by a comet
Given NASA's images, astronomers believe that Jupiter was hit by an object, possibly a comet.
NASA images show a tear from the giant planet's south pole.
The images, obtained on Monday by the infrared telescope of the U.S. space agency in Hawaii, appear at the 15th anniversary of another collision with a comet.
In 1994, Jupiter was bombarded by fragments of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.
Source: Sentido das Letras
quarta-feira, julho 15, 2009
A Nova GM
Surgiu a nova GM e oxalá que consiga realizar os seus objectivo que é "desenhar, produzir e comercializar os melhores carros do mundo".
Parece-nos ser demasiado ambicioso conseguir tudo isso sob uma mesma bandeira, particularmente tratando-se do ramo automóvel quando, ao longo da história do seu design e engenharia foram conhecidos tantos sucesssos e tantos fracassos pelas mais variadas marcas.
Mesmo nos tempos que vão correndo, quando se formulam desejos, será sempre bom ter os pés ou os pneus bem assentes na terra.
Por nós, só desejamos os maiores sucessos para benefício daqueles que gostam do automóvel e daquilo que tem representado para milhões de pessoas em todas as partes do mundo.
Como registado acima, a General Motores estuda introduzir alterações ao seu logo de sempre, pelo menos no mercado americano, passando eventualmente para a cor verde, mais em sintonia com as actuais preocupações quanto ao rigor ecológico.
domingo, julho 12, 2009
Ditos e citações
"Está bem pago quem está satisfeito" - William Shakespeare, dramaturgo inglês (1564-1616)
"A televisão pública estará sempre sob suspeita de governamentalização. Aqui ou na China." - Nuno Azinheira, in Diário de Notícias
"O jornalismo abandonou definitivamente a sua vocação de informação para de dedicar directamente à formação da opinião pública." - Leonel Moura, in Jornal de Negócios
"Os meios de comunicação social (...) apenas vêem e exploram o que é negativo e, assim, agravam o pessimismo. Precisamos de optimismo." - Proença de Carvalho, in Diário de Notícias
"A televisão pública estará sempre sob suspeita de governamentalização. Aqui ou na China." - Nuno Azinheira, in Diário de Notícias
"O jornalismo abandonou definitivamente a sua vocação de informação para de dedicar directamente à formação da opinião pública." - Leonel Moura, in Jornal de Negócios
"Os meios de comunicação social (...) apenas vêem e exploram o que é negativo e, assim, agravam o pessimismo. Precisamos de optimismo." - Proença de Carvalho, in Diário de Notícias
quarta-feira, maio 27, 2009
Recession end
Survey: Most economists see recession end in '09
By JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer Jeannine Aversa, Ap Economics Writer – Wed May 27, 12:12 am ET
WASHINGTON – More than 90 percent of economists predict the recession will end this year, although the recovery is likely to be bumpy.
That assessment came from leading forecasters in a survey by the National Association for Business Economics to be released Wednesday. It is generally in line with the outlook from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues.
About 74 percent of the forecasters expect the recession — which started in December 2007 and is the longest since World War II — to end in the third quarter. Another 19 percent predict the turning point will come in the final three months of this year, and the remaining 7 percent believe the recession will end in the first quarter of 2010.
By JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer Jeannine Aversa, Ap Economics Writer – Wed May 27, 12:12 am ET
WASHINGTON – More than 90 percent of economists predict the recession will end this year, although the recovery is likely to be bumpy.
That assessment came from leading forecasters in a survey by the National Association for Business Economics to be released Wednesday. It is generally in line with the outlook from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues.
About 74 percent of the forecasters expect the recession — which started in December 2007 and is the longest since World War II — to end in the third quarter. Another 19 percent predict the turning point will come in the final three months of this year, and the remaining 7 percent believe the recession will end in the first quarter of 2010.
sexta-feira, maio 22, 2009
Ida
IDA, our aunt-grandmother of 47 million years ago
As published in Public Library of Science, was discovered a fossil in state of almost perfect in Germany that could reveal a hidden part of the evolution of primates that preceded the man.
quinta-feira, abril 23, 2009
Blobs
Misterioso Ponto Gigante Descoberto Próximo do Iníco do Tempo
Um recém ponto primordial pode representar o mais maciço objecto já descoberto no início do universo, anunciaram os investigadores.
A nuvem de gás assinalada de 12,9 mil milhões de anos-luz de distância, poderá anunciar as primeiras etapas da formação da galáxia quando o universo tinha apenas 800 milhões de anos.
"Eu nunca ouvi falar de quaisquer [similares] objectos que poderiam ser assinalados a esta distância", disse Masami Ouchi, um investigador no Carnegie Institution, em Pasadena, Califórnia "É uma espécie de quebra-recorde."
Um ano-luz é a distância que a luz percorre num ano, cerca de 6 trilhões de milhas (10 trilhões de quilómetros). Um objecto à distância de 12,9 mil milhões de anos-luz, é visto tal como existia 12,9 bilhões de anos atrás, e agora a luz está a acabar de chegar.
A nuvem antecede pontos semelhantes, conhecido como Pontos Lyman-Alpha, que existia quando o universo tinha 2 a 3 bilhões de anos. Investigadores nomearam o seu novo achado Himiko, depois de uma antiga rainha japonesa com um passado igualmente escuro.
Himiko detém mais de 10 vezes a massa do segundo maior objecto encontrado no início do universo, ou aproximadamente a massa equivalente de 40 mil milhões de sóis. No universo de 55.000 anos luz de diâmetro, abrange cerca de metade do diâmetro da nossa galáxia Via Láctea.
Os Pontos Lyman-Alpha permanecem um mistério, porque os telescópios existentes têm um duro tempo para perscrutar para trás até quase ao amanhecer do universo.
Himiko está ao lado direito da entrada de uma era chamada época de reionização, que durou entre 200 milhões e 1 bilhão de anos após o Big Bang. Foi quando o Universo tinha acabado de surgir a partir do tempo da escuridão cósmica e tinha começado a brilhar através da formação de estrelas e galáxias. Quente, energizado gás hidrogénio, a partir desse período de tempo permitiu aos astrónomos começar a ver algumas objectos tão bem quanto ele faz para vesguear nesses Pontos indistintos.
"Mesmo para astrónomos, não entendemos", disse Ouchi a SPACE.com. "Estamos ansiosos para tentar entender o que aqueles sistemas são na época da reionization."
Himiko pode representar o halo de um gás ionizado em torno de um buraco negro super massivo, ou uma nuvem de gás frio que indica uma galáxia primordial, Ouchi observou. Mas pode também ser o resultado de uma colisão entre duas galáxias jovens, ou a saída de um vento muito ativo de um viveiro de estrelas gigantes.
Desvendar esta charada vai exigir mais tempo de telescópio. O W.M. Observatório Keck, no Hawaí pode ajudar a estimar com precisão a formação do ponto, enquanto que o Observatório Chandra de raios-X da Nasa pode testar ocenário dos buraco negro super-maciços, observou Ouchi. E mesmo o Hubble poderá entrar em acção.
"Nós estamos planeando o imageamento infravermelho profundo com o Telescópio Espacial Hubble para dizer se [Himiko] tem qualidades ou não de concentração", disse Ouchi.
No entanto, esta investigação especial sobre o sucesso futuro depende de uma arriscada missão de reparação do envelhecido Hubble. Os astronautas estão já listados para sair com o veículo espacial Atlantis para essa tentativa,próximo mês.
Por agora, os investigadores podem celebrar o facto de terem encontrado de facto o Himiko. Pontos quase despercebidas entre 207 candidatos, enquanto varrendo uma porção do céu designado por Subaru / XMM-Newton Deep Field Survey.
Depois de fazer a primeira observação com o telescópio Subaru no Hawaí em 2007, Ouchi e seus colegas continuaram a utilizar instrumentos das matrizes Keck / Deimos e Magellan / iMacs. Essas observações espectrográficas permitiram-lhesidentificar a assinatura do gás hidrogénio ionizado e determinar a distância e idade do misterioso Himiko.
"Nunca acreditei que esse brilhante e grande fonte era umc distante objecto real", disse Ouchi. "Pensámos que era um plano clandestino contaminando a amostra da nossa galáxia. Mas nós tentamos, de qualquer forma."
Um recém ponto primordial pode representar o mais maciço objecto já descoberto no início do universo, anunciaram os investigadores.
A nuvem de gás assinalada de 12,9 mil milhões de anos-luz de distância, poderá anunciar as primeiras etapas da formação da galáxia quando o universo tinha apenas 800 milhões de anos.
"Eu nunca ouvi falar de quaisquer [similares] objectos que poderiam ser assinalados a esta distância", disse Masami Ouchi, um investigador no Carnegie Institution, em Pasadena, Califórnia "É uma espécie de quebra-recorde."
Um ano-luz é a distância que a luz percorre num ano, cerca de 6 trilhões de milhas (10 trilhões de quilómetros). Um objecto à distância de 12,9 mil milhões de anos-luz, é visto tal como existia 12,9 bilhões de anos atrás, e agora a luz está a acabar de chegar.
A nuvem antecede pontos semelhantes, conhecido como Pontos Lyman-Alpha, que existia quando o universo tinha 2 a 3 bilhões de anos. Investigadores nomearam o seu novo achado Himiko, depois de uma antiga rainha japonesa com um passado igualmente escuro.
Himiko detém mais de 10 vezes a massa do segundo maior objecto encontrado no início do universo, ou aproximadamente a massa equivalente de 40 mil milhões de sóis. No universo de 55.000 anos luz de diâmetro, abrange cerca de metade do diâmetro da nossa galáxia Via Láctea.
Os Pontos Lyman-Alpha permanecem um mistério, porque os telescópios existentes têm um duro tempo para perscrutar para trás até quase ao amanhecer do universo.
Himiko está ao lado direito da entrada de uma era chamada época de reionização, que durou entre 200 milhões e 1 bilhão de anos após o Big Bang. Foi quando o Universo tinha acabado de surgir a partir do tempo da escuridão cósmica e tinha começado a brilhar através da formação de estrelas e galáxias. Quente, energizado gás hidrogénio, a partir desse período de tempo permitiu aos astrónomos começar a ver algumas objectos tão bem quanto ele faz para vesguear nesses Pontos indistintos.
"Mesmo para astrónomos, não entendemos", disse Ouchi a SPACE.com. "Estamos ansiosos para tentar entender o que aqueles sistemas são na época da reionization."
Himiko pode representar o halo de um gás ionizado em torno de um buraco negro super massivo, ou uma nuvem de gás frio que indica uma galáxia primordial, Ouchi observou. Mas pode também ser o resultado de uma colisão entre duas galáxias jovens, ou a saída de um vento muito ativo de um viveiro de estrelas gigantes.
Desvendar esta charada vai exigir mais tempo de telescópio. O W.M. Observatório Keck, no Hawaí pode ajudar a estimar com precisão a formação do ponto, enquanto que o Observatório Chandra de raios-X da Nasa pode testar ocenário dos buraco negro super-maciços, observou Ouchi. E mesmo o Hubble poderá entrar em acção.
"Nós estamos planeando o imageamento infravermelho profundo com o Telescópio Espacial Hubble para dizer se [Himiko] tem qualidades ou não de concentração", disse Ouchi.
No entanto, esta investigação especial sobre o sucesso futuro depende de uma arriscada missão de reparação do envelhecido Hubble. Os astronautas estão já listados para sair com o veículo espacial Atlantis para essa tentativa,próximo mês.
Por agora, os investigadores podem celebrar o facto de terem encontrado de facto o Himiko. Pontos quase despercebidas entre 207 candidatos, enquanto varrendo uma porção do céu designado por Subaru / XMM-Newton Deep Field Survey.
Depois de fazer a primeira observação com o telescópio Subaru no Hawaí em 2007, Ouchi e seus colegas continuaram a utilizar instrumentos das matrizes Keck / Deimos e Magellan / iMacs. Essas observações espectrográficas permitiram-lhesidentificar a assinatura do gás hidrogénio ionizado e determinar a distância e idade do misterioso Himiko.
"Nunca acreditei que esse brilhante e grande fonte era umc distante objecto real", disse Ouchi. "Pensámos que era um plano clandestino contaminando a amostra da nossa galáxia. Mas nós tentamos, de qualquer forma."
quarta-feira, abril 22, 2009
domingo, abril 19, 2009
Love in the time of recession
As this year's wedding season approaches, you may be finding fewer invitations filling up your mailbox. But don't worry; it's probably not because you've been a bad friend.
The $60 billion a year wedding industry is hurting as much as the rest of the economy, according to a recent Bloomberg article. And with couples spending an average of 24% less on tying the knot than in '07, they are scaling back on everything from the number of guests to meal selections to flowers.
A recent survey done by David's Bridal entitled "What’s on Brides' Minds" reports that 75% of weddings are being downsized in order to save money.
Sandra Chavez, who is getting married in September in Pleasanton, Calif. told Fox News:
"I would be embarrassed to spend thousands and thousands of dollars when people are losing their jobs, homes, cars etc. We understand that this is just one night."
But what happens after that night? The recession is making its mark on marriages, too ... but in somewhat surprising ways.
It's not surprising that a slumping economy puts a strain on most marriages; it's common knowledge that financial stress is one of the top causes of divorce. But according to a recent article in Yahoo! Finance, 37% of matrimonial lawyers report seeing a decrease in divorcing couples during economic downturns. The reason, the article posits, is because getting a divorce is the "worst thing you can do financially."
"Attorney fees and court costs compete with setting up a second household as the largest expense in a divorce. A simple divorce can cost $5,000 to $25,000 in attorney fees and court costs while the average complex divorce runs $20,000 to $100,000, says Bruce Hughes, an attorney and certified public accountant in Tustin, Calif."
So maybe the frugal thing to do these days is just stay single? Not so fast.
The Economist and CNN are both reporting that matchmakers and online dating websites like eHarmony.com and OKCupid.com are prospering during the recession.
Patti Novak, owner of Buffalo Niagara Introductions, a matchmaking company in Buffalo, New York, and star of A&E's former reality series "Confessions of a Matchmaker" said her business has seen a 30% increase in clients in the last eight months.
Novak tells CNN:
"I think that as people go through more difficult times, being alone becomes more difficult…[Even] if they can only afford popcorn and a six-pack on a Saturday night, they'd rather do it with somebody than alone."
Similarly, Greg Waldorf, CEO of eHarmony, reports a 20% increase in monthly registrations from September 2008 to January 2009, compared with the same time period the prior year. He also points out that the number of visits to its site was higher than average on days when the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by more than 100 points. Waldorf told The Economist, simply:
"Going through difficult times with someone special is better than doing it alone."
But searching for love during a recession isn't just limited to finding that perfect soul mate. A recent New York Times article reports that sales of romance novels are up as well.
Harlequin Enterprises, the world's leading publisher of romance fiction, reported that fourth-quarter earnings were up 32% over the same period the year before. And while sales of adult fiction were basically flat last year, according to Nielsen Bookscan, the romance category was up 7% after holding fairly steady for the previous four years. The New York Times reports:
"Like the Depression-era readers who fueled blockbuster sales of Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With the Wind,” today’s readers are looking for an escape from the grim realities of layoffs, foreclosures and shrinking 401(k) balances."
So whether you're slashing your wedding budget, struggling through a financial crisis with your spouse, or searching for someone or something to help you through these dark times, it's clear the recession is affecting love all around.
Isn't it romantic?
Full article at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_bs304
As this year's wedding season approaches, you may be finding fewer invitations filling up your mailbox. But don't worry; it's probably not because you've been a bad friend.
The $60 billion a year wedding industry is hurting as much as the rest of the economy, according to a recent Bloomberg article. And with couples spending an average of 24% less on tying the knot than in '07, they are scaling back on everything from the number of guests to meal selections to flowers.
A recent survey done by David's Bridal entitled "What’s on Brides' Minds" reports that 75% of weddings are being downsized in order to save money.
Sandra Chavez, who is getting married in September in Pleasanton, Calif. told Fox News:
"I would be embarrassed to spend thousands and thousands of dollars when people are losing their jobs, homes, cars etc. We understand that this is just one night."
But what happens after that night? The recession is making its mark on marriages, too ... but in somewhat surprising ways.
It's not surprising that a slumping economy puts a strain on most marriages; it's common knowledge that financial stress is one of the top causes of divorce. But according to a recent article in Yahoo! Finance, 37% of matrimonial lawyers report seeing a decrease in divorcing couples during economic downturns. The reason, the article posits, is because getting a divorce is the "worst thing you can do financially."
"Attorney fees and court costs compete with setting up a second household as the largest expense in a divorce. A simple divorce can cost $5,000 to $25,000 in attorney fees and court costs while the average complex divorce runs $20,000 to $100,000, says Bruce Hughes, an attorney and certified public accountant in Tustin, Calif."
So maybe the frugal thing to do these days is just stay single? Not so fast.
The Economist and CNN are both reporting that matchmakers and online dating websites like eHarmony.com and OKCupid.com are prospering during the recession.
Patti Novak, owner of Buffalo Niagara Introductions, a matchmaking company in Buffalo, New York, and star of A&E's former reality series "Confessions of a Matchmaker" said her business has seen a 30% increase in clients in the last eight months.
Novak tells CNN:
"I think that as people go through more difficult times, being alone becomes more difficult…[Even] if they can only afford popcorn and a six-pack on a Saturday night, they'd rather do it with somebody than alone."
Similarly, Greg Waldorf, CEO of eHarmony, reports a 20% increase in monthly registrations from September 2008 to January 2009, compared with the same time period the prior year. He also points out that the number of visits to its site was higher than average on days when the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by more than 100 points. Waldorf told The Economist, simply:
"Going through difficult times with someone special is better than doing it alone."
But searching for love during a recession isn't just limited to finding that perfect soul mate. A recent New York Times article reports that sales of romance novels are up as well.
Harlequin Enterprises, the world's leading publisher of romance fiction, reported that fourth-quarter earnings were up 32% over the same period the year before. And while sales of adult fiction were basically flat last year, according to Nielsen Bookscan, the romance category was up 7% after holding fairly steady for the previous four years. The New York Times reports:
"Like the Depression-era readers who fueled blockbuster sales of Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With the Wind,” today’s readers are looking for an escape from the grim realities of layoffs, foreclosures and shrinking 401(k) balances."
So whether you're slashing your wedding budget, struggling through a financial crisis with your spouse, or searching for someone or something to help you through these dark times, it's clear the recession is affecting love all around.
Isn't it romantic?
Full article at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_bs304
quinta-feira, abril 02, 2009
Lula da Silva's statement
Brazil's Lula Starts to Throw His Weight Around
Written by John Fitzpatrick Monday, 30 March 2009 06:44
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's statement that the financial crisis had been caused by "white people with blue eyes" must be one of the crassest comments ever made by any leader.
The fact that he said it in front of the visiting British prime minister, Gordon Brown, who incidentally only has one eye, does not make it any worse as Lula, who incidentally only has nine fingers, probably did not even know this.
http://www.brazzil.com/component/content/article/200-january-2009/10165-brazils-lula-starts-to-throw-his-weight-around.html
Written by John Fitzpatrick Monday, 30 March 2009 06:44
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's statement that the financial crisis had been caused by "white people with blue eyes" must be one of the crassest comments ever made by any leader.
The fact that he said it in front of the visiting British prime minister, Gordon Brown, who incidentally only has one eye, does not make it any worse as Lula, who incidentally only has nine fingers, probably did not even know this.
http://www.brazzil.com/component/content/article/200-january-2009/10165-brazils-lula-starts-to-throw-his-weight-around.html
domingo, março 15, 2009
Has the Economy Hit Bottom Yet?
By VIKAS BAJAJ
Published: March 14, 2009
The economist John Kenneth Galbraith once said, “The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.”
Still, we have to ask: was that the bottom we just hit?
After months of punishing economic news, the gloom seemed to lift last week if only for a moment. The stock market shot up 12 percent in four days. Two of the nation’s biggest banks said they had returned to profitability.
General Motors said it wouldn’t need another $2 billion in government help this month. And retail sales were better than expected.
Then again, perhaps that’s what passes for good news these days.
The market is still down by more than 50 percent since its high 17 months ago. Yes, the banks made money, but for just two months, and never mind the billions of bad assets that remain on their books.
G.M. will still, in all likelihood, need billions in taxpayer help down the road and there’s no guarantee it will survive. And those retail sales numbers? They were still bad, just not as bad as analysts were expecting.
Full article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/weekinreview/15vikas.html?_r=1&hp
Published: March 14, 2009
The economist John Kenneth Galbraith once said, “The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.”
Still, we have to ask: was that the bottom we just hit?
After months of punishing economic news, the gloom seemed to lift last week if only for a moment. The stock market shot up 12 percent in four days. Two of the nation’s biggest banks said they had returned to profitability.
General Motors said it wouldn’t need another $2 billion in government help this month. And retail sales were better than expected.
Then again, perhaps that’s what passes for good news these days.
The market is still down by more than 50 percent since its high 17 months ago. Yes, the banks made money, but for just two months, and never mind the billions of bad assets that remain on their books.
G.M. will still, in all likelihood, need billions in taxpayer help down the road and there’s no guarantee it will survive. And those retail sales numbers? They were still bad, just not as bad as analysts were expecting.
Full article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/weekinreview/15vikas.html?_r=1&hp
segunda-feira, fevereiro 23, 2009
2009 Oscars
Best & Worst of the Oscars: Hugh Jackmania!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Host Hugh Jackman
Oh, man, did you see that moment when that guy did that thing? Don't worry, we did. Read on and get the full story of Oscar's best, worst and otherest.
Best Performance: Even with the slightly forced "recession Oscars" conceit, host Hugh Jackman delivered a completely winning song and dance to open the show that totally made us forget they didn't hire a comedian. Showing off both talent and a sly sense of humor, Jackman nailed it.
Best Lyric From the Opening Song: "I would swim a sea of human excrement." -- Jackman crooning sweet(?)ly to Kate Winslet
Worst Transition: From the goofily good opener—the techno Reader representation was more entertaining than the movie—the show bogged down with that somber bunch of Best Supporting Actresses intoning like they were going to banish the winner to the Forbidden Zone with General Zod.
Best Brangelina Quip: Jackman drew our attention to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie before saying, "I don't actually have a joke for them, I'm just contractually required to mention them five times during the show." (Not bad; it's 25 times for us.)
Best Present: Copresenters Steve Martin and Tina Fey, who've been funny together on TV and film, delivered a hilarious tribute to writers that made us want to see them make another movie together. Or, you know, read something.
Best Reaction: Jolie looking totally charmed by her Kung Fu Panda costar Jack Black, who was onstage presenting with that actress from Friends.
Best Twilight Crossover: Rob Pattinson brought that undead charm of his to the Oscars, where it was familiar to Twihards and everyone who's ever had lunch with a Hollywood agent.
Best On-Air Design: Whoever thought to put Daniel Craig and Sarah Jessica Parker on stage together.
Best Reaction: Seth Rogen and James Franco's half-baked response to the comedies of 2008. Dude, cinematographer Jadocs Kaminsky was so high!
Joke Least Likely to Reach the Billion People Around the World: Ben Stiller's crazy, bearded Joaquin Phoenix impersonation was funny, but a little inside considering how few people recognize Stiller anyway.
Assault With a Medley Weapon: The top-hat-and-tails number with Beyoncé, Zac Efron and the rest totally summed up the year in movies. And that year was 1936.
Most Likely to Spawn a "Who's in Your Five?" Commercial: The Best Supporting actor nomination five-way was like a presidential debate without all the humor.
Most Heartbreaking: Heath Ledger's family accepting his award.
Biggest Showstopper: Wirewalker Philippe Petit, the absolutely entertaining subject of documentary Man on Wire, balancing an Oscar on his chin while a billion people watched and wondered if it would fall. But for a man who once spent 45 minutes walking between the Twin Towers, well, that's probably no big deal.
Best Commercial: Coming in just ahead of the one for the website that helps you earn $5K a month working at home, the Tom Cruise-Jimmy Kimmel bit was funny like a house on fire.
Best Make-Good Decision: The loud and fast medley crammed full of action and comic book movies, because let's be honest: These were the best things that Hollywood had to offer last year, and The Dark Knight (not to mention Iron Man) got robbed. Take that, Reader.
Worst Make-Good Decision: After that whole medley thing, the movie about the wrinkly old baby beat Dark Knight and Iron Man. Obviously, there is no justice…except that meted out by costumed heroes.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Host Hugh Jackman
Oh, man, did you see that moment when that guy did that thing? Don't worry, we did. Read on and get the full story of Oscar's best, worst and otherest.
Best Performance: Even with the slightly forced "recession Oscars" conceit, host Hugh Jackman delivered a completely winning song and dance to open the show that totally made us forget they didn't hire a comedian. Showing off both talent and a sly sense of humor, Jackman nailed it.
Best Lyric From the Opening Song: "I would swim a sea of human excrement." -- Jackman crooning sweet(?)ly to Kate Winslet
Worst Transition: From the goofily good opener—the techno Reader representation was more entertaining than the movie—the show bogged down with that somber bunch of Best Supporting Actresses intoning like they were going to banish the winner to the Forbidden Zone with General Zod.
Best Brangelina Quip: Jackman drew our attention to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie before saying, "I don't actually have a joke for them, I'm just contractually required to mention them five times during the show." (Not bad; it's 25 times for us.)
Best Present: Copresenters Steve Martin and Tina Fey, who've been funny together on TV and film, delivered a hilarious tribute to writers that made us want to see them make another movie together. Or, you know, read something.
Best Reaction: Jolie looking totally charmed by her Kung Fu Panda costar Jack Black, who was onstage presenting with that actress from Friends.
Best Twilight Crossover: Rob Pattinson brought that undead charm of his to the Oscars, where it was familiar to Twihards and everyone who's ever had lunch with a Hollywood agent.
Best On-Air Design: Whoever thought to put Daniel Craig and Sarah Jessica Parker on stage together.
Best Reaction: Seth Rogen and James Franco's half-baked response to the comedies of 2008. Dude, cinematographer Jadocs Kaminsky was so high!
Joke Least Likely to Reach the Billion People Around the World: Ben Stiller's crazy, bearded Joaquin Phoenix impersonation was funny, but a little inside considering how few people recognize Stiller anyway.
Assault With a Medley Weapon: The top-hat-and-tails number with Beyoncé, Zac Efron and the rest totally summed up the year in movies. And that year was 1936.
Most Likely to Spawn a "Who's in Your Five?" Commercial: The Best Supporting actor nomination five-way was like a presidential debate without all the humor.
Most Heartbreaking: Heath Ledger's family accepting his award.
Biggest Showstopper: Wirewalker Philippe Petit, the absolutely entertaining subject of documentary Man on Wire, balancing an Oscar on his chin while a billion people watched and wondered if it would fall. But for a man who once spent 45 minutes walking between the Twin Towers, well, that's probably no big deal.
Best Commercial: Coming in just ahead of the one for the website that helps you earn $5K a month working at home, the Tom Cruise-Jimmy Kimmel bit was funny like a house on fire.
Best Make-Good Decision: The loud and fast medley crammed full of action and comic book movies, because let's be honest: These were the best things that Hollywood had to offer last year, and The Dark Knight (not to mention Iron Man) got robbed. Take that, Reader.
Worst Make-Good Decision: After that whole medley thing, the movie about the wrinkly old baby beat Dark Knight and Iron Man. Obviously, there is no justice…except that meted out by costumed heroes.
sexta-feira, fevereiro 20, 2009
Ditos que marcam
"A nuca é um mistério para a vista." - Paul Veléry, escritor francês (1871-1945)
"O tempo dos media não é o tempo da justiça. [...] Os jornalistas não são polícias nem juízes. Cabe-lhes o papel de denunciar, nunca de julgar. Mas nem semprre são capazes de separar o trigo do joio. Pior:deixam por vezes campo aberto a julgamentos populares." - Paulo Martins, in Jornal de Notícias
"Não de pode enriquecer na vida pública. (...) A aquisição de verdadeiras furtunas durante o exercício de cargos públicos é matéria de escândalo e deveria ser matéria de justiça." - José Pacheco Pereira, in Sábado
"Há um círculo vicioso de corrupção e impunidade em Portugal." - Fernando Sobral, in Jornal de Negócios
"Ser portugês já não proteje. A vacina identitária que nos manteve imunes às doenças do mundo por tantas décadas acaba de falhar." - José Gil, in Visão
"É inaceitável que a vida de uma comunidade supostamente democrática, no início de século XXI, esteja condicionada pelo medo." - Paula Teixeira da Cruz, in Correio da Manhã
"A barbárie pode aparecer muito depressa." - Michel Wieviorka, sociólogo francês
"O tempo dos media não é o tempo da justiça. [...] Os jornalistas não são polícias nem juízes. Cabe-lhes o papel de denunciar, nunca de julgar. Mas nem semprre são capazes de separar o trigo do joio. Pior:deixam por vezes campo aberto a julgamentos populares." - Paulo Martins, in Jornal de Notícias
"Não de pode enriquecer na vida pública. (...) A aquisição de verdadeiras furtunas durante o exercício de cargos públicos é matéria de escândalo e deveria ser matéria de justiça." - José Pacheco Pereira, in Sábado
"Há um círculo vicioso de corrupção e impunidade em Portugal." - Fernando Sobral, in Jornal de Negócios
"Ser portugês já não proteje. A vacina identitária que nos manteve imunes às doenças do mundo por tantas décadas acaba de falhar." - José Gil, in Visão
"É inaceitável que a vida de uma comunidade supostamente democrática, no início de século XXI, esteja condicionada pelo medo." - Paula Teixeira da Cruz, in Correio da Manhã
"A barbárie pode aparecer muito depressa." - Michel Wieviorka, sociólogo francês
sábado, fevereiro 14, 2009
Lixo no Espaço
É impossível controlar os 600 mil objectos em órbita
A Agência Espacial Européia (ESA, na sigla em inglês) divulgou nesta terça-feira imagens do lixo espacial em órbita em volta da Terra.
Segundo a agência, entre o primeiro lançamento, em 1957, e janeiro de 2008, cerca de 6 mil satélites já foram enviados para a órbita terrestre. Destes, apenas 800 estariam ativos e 45% estariam localizados a uma distância de até 32 mil quilômetros da superfície terrestre.
Além dos satélites desativados, as fotos de satélite mostram resíduos espaciais como fragmentos de aeronaves espaciais que se quebraram, explodiram ou foram abandonadas. De acordo com a ESA, aproximadamente 50% dos objetos que podem ser rastreados são derivados de explosões ou colisões na órbita terrestre.
segunda-feira, fevereiro 09, 2009
Ditos célebres
"Se tenho tanto medo agora, como é que será quando for de verdade?" - Fiodor Dostoievski (escritor russo 1821-1881)
sábado, janeiro 31, 2009
Beijing's Birds Nest
Beijing’s Bird’s Nest to anchor shopping complex
Jan 30, 1:04 am EST
BEIJING (AP)—The area around Beijing’s massive Bird’s Nest stadium will be turned into a shopping and entertainment complex in three to five years, a state news agency said Friday.
Officially known as Beijing National Stadium, the showpiece of the Beijing Olympics has fallen into disuse since the end of the games. Paint is already peeling in some areas, and the only visitors these days are tourists who pay about $7 to walk on the stadium floor and browse a pricey souvenir shop.
Plans call for the $450 million stadium to anchor a complex of shops and entertainment outlets in three to five years, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing operator Citic Group. The company will continue to develop tourism as a major draw for the Bird’s Nest, while seeking sports and entertainment events.
SOURCE: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-birdsnestfuture&prov=ap&type=lgns
The only confirmed event at the 91,000-seat stadium this year is Puccini’s opera “Turandot,” set for Aug. 8—the one-year anniversary of the Olympics’ opening ceremony. The stadium has no permanent tenant after Beijing’s top soccer club, Guo’an, backed out of a deal to play there.
Details about the development plans were not available. A person who answered the phone at Citic Group on Friday said offices were closed for the Chinese New Year holiday.
A symbol of China’s rising power and confidence, the stadium, whose nickname described its lattice of exterior steel beams, may never recoup its hefty construction cost, particularly amid a global economic slump. Maintenance of the structure alone costs about $8.8 million annually, making it difficult to turn a profit, Xinhua said.
SOURCE: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-birdsnestfuture&prov=ap&type=lgns
Jan 30, 1:04 am EST
BEIJING (AP)—The area around Beijing’s massive Bird’s Nest stadium will be turned into a shopping and entertainment complex in three to five years, a state news agency said Friday.
Officially known as Beijing National Stadium, the showpiece of the Beijing Olympics has fallen into disuse since the end of the games. Paint is already peeling in some areas, and the only visitors these days are tourists who pay about $7 to walk on the stadium floor and browse a pricey souvenir shop.
Plans call for the $450 million stadium to anchor a complex of shops and entertainment outlets in three to five years, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing operator Citic Group. The company will continue to develop tourism as a major draw for the Bird’s Nest, while seeking sports and entertainment events.
SOURCE: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-birdsnestfuture&prov=ap&type=lgns
The only confirmed event at the 91,000-seat stadium this year is Puccini’s opera “Turandot,” set for Aug. 8—the one-year anniversary of the Olympics’ opening ceremony. The stadium has no permanent tenant after Beijing’s top soccer club, Guo’an, backed out of a deal to play there.
Details about the development plans were not available. A person who answered the phone at Citic Group on Friday said offices were closed for the Chinese New Year holiday.
A symbol of China’s rising power and confidence, the stadium, whose nickname described its lattice of exterior steel beams, may never recoup its hefty construction cost, particularly amid a global economic slump. Maintenance of the structure alone costs about $8.8 million annually, making it difficult to turn a profit, Xinhua said.
SOURCE: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-birdsnestfuture&prov=ap&type=lgns
quinta-feira, janeiro 22, 2009
Obama takes presidential oath again after stumbleABC News
WASHINGTON – After the flub heard around the world, President Barack Obama has taken the oath of office. Again. Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the oath to Obama on Wednesday night at the White House — a rare do-over. The surprise moment came in response to Tuesday's much-noticed stumble, when Roberts got the words of the oath a little off, which prompted Obama to do so, too.
Don't worry, the White House says: Obama has still been president since noon on Inauguration Day.
Nevertheless, Obama and Roberts went through the drill again out of what White House counsel Greg Craig called "an abundance of caution."
This time, the scene was the White House Map Room in front of a small group of reporters, not the Capitol platform before the whole watching world.
"We decided that because it was so much fun ...," Obama joked to reporters who followed press secretary Robert Gibbs into the room. No TV camera crews or news photographers were allowed in. A few of Obama's closest aides were there, along with a White House photographer.
Roberts put on his black robe.
"Are you ready to take the oath?" he said.
"Yes, I am," Obama said. "And we're going to do it very slowly."
Roberts then led Obama through the oath without any missteps.
The president said he did not have his Bible with him, but that the oath was binding anyway.
The original, bungled version on Tuesday caught observers by surprise and then got replayed on cable news shows.
It happened when Obama interrupted Roberts midway through the opening line, in which the president repeats his name and solemnly swears.
Next in the oath is the phrase " ... that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States." But Roberts rearranged the order of the words, not saying "faithfully" until after "president of the United States."
That appeared to throw Obama off. He stopped abruptly at the word "execute."
Recognizing something was off, Roberts then repeated the phrase, putting "faithfully" in the right place but without repeating "execute."
But Obama then repeated Roberts' original, incorrect version: "... the office of president of the United States faithfully."
Craig, the White House lawyer, said in a statement Wednesday evening: "We believe the oath of office was administered effectively and that the president was sworn in appropriately yesterday. Yet the oath appears in the Constitution itself. And out of the abundance of caution, because there was one word out of sequence, Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath a second time."
The Constitution is clear about the exact wording of the oath and as a result, some constitutional experts have said that a do-over probably wasn't necessary but also couldn't hurt. Two other previous presidents have repeated the oath because of similar issues, Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur.
SOURCE: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090122/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_oath_do_over
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