Retro-tax laws: Shome panel submits final report to govt | Firstpost

New Delhi: The government-appointed panel on taxation of indirect transfer of assets submitted its report to Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

The submission of final report assumes significance, as Chidambaram had said British telecom giant Vodafone?s tax matter would be decided after considering all aspects including recommendations of the Shome Committee on indirect transfer of assets.

The expert committee on retrospective amendments headed by Parthasarathi Shome ?emailed? the final report to Chidambaram, a senior official said.

While contents of the report were not immediately known, the draft which was made public earlier this month had favoured prospective application of tax law and waiver of interest and penalty in case of retrospective application.

The Income Tax Department on 22 October, 2010 passed an order determining a tax liability (including interest) of Rs 11,218 crore on Vodafone on acquisition of Hutchinson?s stake in Hutch-Essar through a deal in Cayman Islands in 2007.

Representational Image. Reuters

The Supreme Court, however, quashed the order in January this year.

The then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had sought to undo the Supreme Court judgement in the tax case, which went in favour of Vodafone, by making changes in the IT Act with retrospective effect.

The committee had submitted its draft report on indirect transfer in October and had invited comments and suggestions by 19th of the month.

The Finance Ministry had said the views of the government on the recommendations of the Expert Committee will be formed after receipt of the final report.

The Shome panel is also looking into the issue of controversial General Anti Avoidance Rules (GAAR) and has submitted a draft report in September.

The Standing Committee on Finance had found the investment climate in the country suffered a serious setback and investor confidence was hit mainly due to concerns over the impact of retrospective tax laws and GAAR.

PTI

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Source: http://www.firstpost.com/business/retro-tax-laws-shome-panel-submits-final-report-to-govt-510179.html

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Corning may make job cuts as part of cost cuts

NEW YORK (AP) ? Corning said Wednesday that it will likely cut costs, which may include "modest" job cuts, to support profit in a weakening economy.

It's the latest manufacturer to warn that the slowing global growth is hurting its business. Weaker global growth hurt Corning's telecommunications and environmental technologies divisions, but the company said sales of its super-strong Gorilla glass, used in tablets, TVs and other devices, were much better than expected.

The glass and ceramics maker's stock slid 9.4 percent, or $1.26, to close at $12.15 Wednesday.

The Corning, N.Y., company's third-quarter net income dropped 36 percent to $521 million, or 35 cents per share, from $811 million, or 51 cents per share, a year ago. Adjusted profit was 34 cents per share.

Revenue fell 2 percent to $2.04 billion in the July-September quarter.

Despite declines, profit and revenue still topped Wall Street expectations.

""The weakening economy is affecting sales in many of our businesses, with several not achieving the growth expectations we set for the year," said Corning Inc. CFO James Flaws. Higher expenses also hurt profit.

The company expects economic woes will continue next year, and that it will probably have to cut costs to grow profits. Savings will probably come from scaling back project spending, capital expenditures and from job cuts.

No decisions have been made on where the job cuts would be, said Corning spokesman Dan Collins. The company has operations in the U.S., China and other Asian countries, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

The company expects to take a charge of up to $50 million in the current quarter to cover the cuts.

In the July-September quarter, price declines for LCD glass weighed on Corning's display technologies division, the company's largest by revenue, where sales dropped 6 percent. The company expects glass volumes may drop further in the current quarter.

Lower North American sales, due to the end of the U.S. government's stimulus spending and project delays, and faltering demand in Europe dragged revenue for the telecom division down 7 percent.

Sales in the division that includes Gorilla glass shot up 21 percent.

Declining demand for trucks hurt the company's environment technologies unit, whose products include diesel filters and emissions products for autos. Sales dropped 6 percent.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/corning-may-job-cuts-part-cost-cuts-130827075--finance.html

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Satellite images tell tales of changing biodiversity

Public release date: 24-Oct-2012
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Contact: Jyoti Madhusoodanan
jmadhusoodanan@plos.org
415-568-4545 x187
Public Library of Science

Improved automated models predict species diversity from satellite images

Analysis of texture differences in satellite images may be an effective way to monitor changes in vegetation, soil and water patterns over time, with potential implications for measuring biodiversity as well, according to new research published Oct. 24 by Matteo Convertino from the University of Florida and colleagues in the open access journal PLOS ONE.

The authors designed statistical models to estimate two aspects of biodiversity in satellite images: the number of species in a given region, or 'species richness', and the rate at which species entered or were removed from the ecosystem, a parameter termed 'species turnover'.

They tested their models on data gathered over 28 years in a water conservation area in the Florida Everglades and compared their results to previous reports from the region. They found that their models were nearly 100% accurate when predicting species turnover; conventional methods only have 85% accuracy.

According to the authors, their automated method using satellite images could help improve the efficiency and decrease the cost of campaigns that monitor biodiversity and guide policy and conservation decisions. Convertino says, "Texture-based statistical image analysis is a promising method for quantifying seasonal differences and, consequently, the degree to which vegetation, soil, and water patterns vary as a function of natural and anthropic stressors. The application of the presented model to other fields and scales of analysis of ecosystems is a promising research direction.''

###

Citation: Convertino M, Mangoubi RS, Linkov I, Lowry NC, Desai M (2012) Inferring Species Richness and Turnover by Statistical Multiresolution Texture Analysis of Satellite Imagery. PLOS ONE 7(10): e46616. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046616

Financial Disclosure: The authors have no funding or support to report.

Competing Interest Statement: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

PLEASE LINK TO THE SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF YOUR REPORT (URL goes live after the embargo ends):

http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0046616

---

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 24-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jyoti Madhusoodanan
jmadhusoodanan@plos.org
415-568-4545 x187
Public Library of Science

Improved automated models predict species diversity from satellite images

Analysis of texture differences in satellite images may be an effective way to monitor changes in vegetation, soil and water patterns over time, with potential implications for measuring biodiversity as well, according to new research published Oct. 24 by Matteo Convertino from the University of Florida and colleagues in the open access journal PLOS ONE.

The authors designed statistical models to estimate two aspects of biodiversity in satellite images: the number of species in a given region, or 'species richness', and the rate at which species entered or were removed from the ecosystem, a parameter termed 'species turnover'.

They tested their models on data gathered over 28 years in a water conservation area in the Florida Everglades and compared their results to previous reports from the region. They found that their models were nearly 100% accurate when predicting species turnover; conventional methods only have 85% accuracy.

According to the authors, their automated method using satellite images could help improve the efficiency and decrease the cost of campaigns that monitor biodiversity and guide policy and conservation decisions. Convertino says, "Texture-based statistical image analysis is a promising method for quantifying seasonal differences and, consequently, the degree to which vegetation, soil, and water patterns vary as a function of natural and anthropic stressors. The application of the presented model to other fields and scales of analysis of ecosystems is a promising research direction.''

###

Citation: Convertino M, Mangoubi RS, Linkov I, Lowry NC, Desai M (2012) Inferring Species Richness and Turnover by Statistical Multiresolution Texture Analysis of Satellite Imagery. PLOS ONE 7(10): e46616. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046616

Financial Disclosure: The authors have no funding or support to report.

Competing Interest Statement: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

PLEASE LINK TO THE SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF YOUR REPORT (URL goes live after the embargo ends):

http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0046616

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/plos-sit102212.php

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Katie Price Splits From Fiance Leandro Penna

Katie Price Splits From Fiance Leandro Penna

Katie Price, who also goes by the name of Jordan, has split from her fiance Leandro Penna. The 34-year-old model and reality star, who became [...]

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Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2012/10/katie-price-splits-from-fiance-leandro-penna/

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India prepares to kick Monsanto to the curb

(NaturalNews) India, the world's second-most populous country and one of its poorest, has apparently had enough of agribusiness giant Monsanto.

According to a recent story in Science magazine:

Sounding what some regard as the death knell for the development of genetically modified food crops in India, a high-profile parliamentary panel last week recommended that GM crop "field trials under any garb should be discontinued forthwith," and that agricultural GM research should "only be done under strict containment." If implemented, the report's recommendations would paralyze research and erode India's food security, warns India's chief of crop research.

Even more damning is this: Following the release of the report, the panel's chair, Basudeb Acharia, said in no uncertain terms: "India should not go in for GM food crops."

According to the author of the piece, Pallava Bagla, the panel's recommendation has been looked upon by some "as the death knell of the development of genetically modified food crops in India," a development that, despite the country's burgeoning population, would nonetheless be a sound policy decision, given what we know about the ill effects of GM foods.

'Sending mixed signals'

Consider that, from a public policy perspective, it's fair to ponder just how much India will save in healthcare costs alone for its citizens - health expenditures that would have been caused by GM foods but that would never materialize if the country abandons such foods altogether.

As you might have guessed, not everyone is pleased, or agrees with, the panel's recommendation. Swapan Dutta, a rice geneticist and deputy director of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, suggested that if the panel's recommendation is implemented, it would paralyze research and threaten the country's food security. He added that "hope for GM research in India is lost."

But this development is not a new one to those who have been following India's souring relationship with Monsanto over the past few years.

"The Indian government has been sending mixed signals about its commitment to agricultural GM technology," writes Sayer Ji, founder of the scientific health food website GreenMedInfo.com.

For example, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has voiced his support recently for GM crops, telling Science magazine, "In due course of time we must make use of genetic engineering technologies to increase the productivity of our agriculture."

Also, in 2002, the government approved Bt-toxin carrying cotton as the first GM commercial crop in India, a decision that has led to more than 1,100 varieties of GM cotton in the country now, accounting for some 93 percent of total cotton production.

"But," Ji points out, "Singh's own ministers are not towing the party line." He says the Science article notes that "in 2010, former environment minister Jairam Ramesh imposed a moratorium on the commercialization of Bt brinjal, a traditional Indian eggplant, even after the ministry's scientific advisory panel had given the GM variety approval."

History of grief between India and Monsanto

The article further points out in its June issue that environmental minister Jayanthi Natarajan was quoted as saying, "Genetically modified foods have no place in ensuring India's food security."

Indian officials generally admit that utilizing GM foods has managed to allow the country to produce much higher yields of economically important crops, such as cotton. But, they argue, perhaps the biggest driver of the panel's decision is Monsanto's trademarking of its seeds; controlling the seeds, they believe, is compromising India's food safety and security.

The panel's recommendation will carry political weight but it is not mandatory. Ji says "the next step is for government ministries to digest the panel's report and to decide if the report's recommendations, which carry political weight but are not mandatory, will be implemented."

The panel's recommendation is just the latest snafu between India and Monsanto.

A year ago, India sued the agribusiness giant for "biopiracy," accusing the company of stealing India's indigenous plants in order to re-engineer them into patented varieties.

Indian officials complained then that Monsanto and other agri-giants were attempting to exploit the country's crops for their own personal gain.

Sources:

http://www.greenmedinfo.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/033714_biopiracy_Monsanto.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/Monsanto.html

Have comments on this article? Post them here:

?people have commented on this article.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/037649_India_Monsanto_GM_foods.html

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Atlantic closed in Signal Hill due to oil spill

SIGNAL HILL ? An oil spill at a Signal Hill oil tank farm today prompted the closure of Atlantic Avenue between Willow and Spring Streets.

The spill at 2700 N. Olive Ave. was reported about 8 a.m. and was contained within about 30 minutes, authorities said.

"A high-pressure line carrying crude oil was going into a tank, and the tank overflowed," Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Quvondo Johnson said. "The oil went down a storm drain, as well as down the street."

Officer Ricardo Oliveros of the Signal Hill Police Department said the affected section of Atlantic Avenue was expected to be closed for at least 24 hours for the clean-up.

Source: http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_21836188/atlantic-closed-long-beach-due-oil-spill?source=rss

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Fifth Third launches energy banking team

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Trump to give $5 million to charity if Obama releases records

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Scientists build 'mechanically active' DNA material

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Artificial muscles and self-propelled goo may be the stuff of Hollywood fiction, but for UC Santa Barbara scientists Omar Saleh and Deborah Fygenson, the reality of it is not that far away. By blending their areas of expertise, the pair have created a dynamic gel made of DNA that mechanically responds to stimuli in much the same way that cells do. The results of their research were published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"This is a whole new kind of responsive gel, or what some might call a 'smart' material," said Saleh, associate professor of materials, affiliated with UCSB's Biomolecular Science and Engineering program. "The gel has active mechanical capabilities in that it generates forces independently, leading to changes in elasticity or shape, when fed ATP molecules for energy?much like a living cell."

Their DNA gel, at only 10 microns in width, is roughly the size of a eukaryotic cell, the type of cell of which humans are made. The miniscule gel contains within it stiff DNA nanotubes linked together by longer, flexible DNA strands that serve as the substrate for molecular motors.

"DNA gives you a lot more design control," said Fygenson, associate professor of physics and also affiliated with UCSB's BMSE program. "This system is exciting because we can build nano-scale filaments to specifications." Using DNA design, she said, they can control the stiffness of the nanotubes and the manner and extent of their cross-linking, which will determine how the gel responds to stimuli.

Using a bacterial motor protein called FtsK50C, the scientists can cause the gel to react in the same way cytoskeletons react to the motor protein myosin?by contracting and stiffening. The protein binds to predetermined surfaces on the long linking filaments, and reels them in, shortening them and bringing the stiffer nanotubes closer together. To determine the gel's movement the scientists attached a tiny bead to its surface and measured its position before and after activation with the motor protein.

The advance, said Saleh, is that this gel "quantitatively shows similar active fluctuations and mechanics to cells."

"This new material could provide a means for controllably testing active gel mechanics in a way that will tell us more about how the cytoskeleton works," Saleh said. Like a cell, which consumes adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for energy, the DNA gel's movement runs on ATP, allowing for faster, stronger mechanics than other smart gels based on synthetic polymers.

"The development of active gels represents a water-shed event for the broader materials community," commented Craig Hawker, director of the Materials Research Laboratory at UCSB: an NSF MRSEC, which provided seed money for their research. "By exploiting cellular building blocks, it offers unique design parameters when compared to existing gel systems that can be used in a wide range of both established biomedical applications as well as totally new applications."

The project has potential applications for a variety of fields, including smart materials, artificial muscle, understanding cytoskeletal mechanics and research into nonequilibrium physics, as well as DNA nanotechnology. Long-term implications of this research are significant, Hawker added, with the final result being "a fundamental [advance] in soft-materials science and engineering."

Having created a gel that can replicate contractions, Saleh and Fygenson are now looking to refine their technique and enable distinct movements, such as twisting and crawling, or using other motor proteins that would allow the gel to mimic other cell behaviors, such as shape-shifting and dividing.

"Biology provides a wide range of motors that we have only begun to explore," Saleh said.

"And the suite of nanostructure designs and geometries at our disposal is nearly limitless," echoed Fygenson.

###

University of California - Santa Barbara: http://www.ucsb.edu

Thanks to University of California - Santa Barbara for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/124720/Scientists_build__mechanically_active__DNA_material

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Video Game News & Reviews - GAMEBREAKER.TV All Your ...

Mad King Thorn?hasn?t?been seen in 250 years and has become more of a character in a fairy tale story to amuse young children.? But those that know the truth realize that King Oswald Thorn?s past was no laughing matter.? As a child, his pranks included feeding peppers to animals in order to torture them.? He soon graduated to more despicable actions like luring his brother in a giant spider?s web.? As an adult, he killed his own father to ascend to throne and held extravagant feasts though the people of Kryta were suffering from famine. ?His laundry list of vile deeds steadily grew and included skinning villagers alive and marrying eight times, each with untimely and gruesome ends. ?An angry mob eventually overwhelmed the Mad King?s defenses and put a stop to his brutal rule.? The mob, however, was so enraged by his years of terror that they dismembered his body.

His spirit lives on in the Underworld, but fortunately?due to powerful magical seals?he is only able to materialize in Tyria once per year on Halloween.? The Mad King has foul servants, called the Lunatic Court, that seek to unmake the seals and set his evil spirit free.? Only one seal was ever known to be broken and the Mad King?s story has become a distant legend.? But this year?the 500^th anniversary of the Mad King?s death?something feels different.? The scholars of the Durmond Priory sense that something is amiss and have dispatched some of their finest to research odd energy readings in Lion?s Arch.? What strange secrets will you help them uncover?

Shadow of the Mad King

Halloween is alive and kicking in Tyria and if you?re looking to get involved in the festivities before they end next week, you?ve come to the right place.? The Shadow of the Mad King is a holiday event in four acts.? The first act has already begun with subsequent acts going live up until Halloween.? ArenaNet has tweeted, however, that the finale will actually be midday Pacific time on October 28.? So make sure you clear out your plans for Sunday if you want to experience it.

To begin unraveling the clues about the strange energy readings the Durmond Priory has discovered, head to the Grand Piazza in Lion?s Arch and talk to Magister Tassi.? She?ll send you an in-game mail with a Candy-Powered Matter Meter (CPMM) along with some candy corn to get you started.? One candy corn will allow you to use the CPMM four times and your first goal is to talk to the ghost, Serene, who is standing right next to Magister Tassi.? Use the CPMM to scan the etheric field (action button 3) and talk to her.

Serene will give you a book that reveals some gruesome details about the Mad King?s childhood and give you clues as to where you should search next.? There are six books in total in this spooky scavenger hunt and after turning them in to Magister Tassi, you?ll have to wait until act 2 commences to continue your quest.? For complete details on where to locate the other five books, check out my video guide.

Costume Brawl

The costume brawl is a mini-game free-for-all romp that pits disguised players against each other for fun and achievements.? Players who have purchased the witch or Mad King costume from the gem store can lay down cauldrons and ghostly banquet tables which allow everyone to join in the brawl!? In addition, using tonics, toy items, costumes, or jumping into the Mystic Forge will also transform you so there are tons of ways to get into the game.? Each disguise grants you a new set of abilities and then it?s just a matter of finding other costumed players to beat down!? While mostly just for fun, if you manage to get your score high enough without getting knocked out, you?ll earn achievements for becoming ?King of the Costume Brawl?.? But be warned, having that illustrious title puts a giant crown icon over your character so you?re sure to be everyone?s next target!

Haunted Doors, Candy Corn Nodes, and Pumpkin Carving

You?ll find each of these items sprinkled around Tyria in random places.? You can knock on Haunted Doors for a chance at a personalized trick-or-treat bag or a trick, which spawns a host of Halloween-themed bad guy for you to destroy and loot. ?Gendarren Fields appears to be a popular spot to locate these nightmarish portals.

Candy Corn mining nodes are a great way to stock up on the sugary sweet.? These candied morsels are used as currency for spooky weapon skins, new crafting recipes, and for acquiring the final part of the October monthly achievement.

Carving 150 pumpkins during the event unlocks achievements and the Master Carver title for you to enjoy forever.? Hold down the ctrl key to make it easier to find any nearby pumpkins and be on the lookout for guides like this one to make your search easier.

Black Lion Trading Company

The gem store has been updated with all sorts of Halloween-themed item, but if you?re interested in acquiring them, you have to act fast as many of the items will be available for a limited time only.? There are several new town clothes items including a Witch/Warlock costume and a Mad King?s outfit, which include roleplaying skills for equipping them. ?(By the way, the witch costume on an asura is something not to be missed.) ?PvP fans can purchase Mad King and Scarecrow finishers to add insult to injury to their slain foes.? There are also new scary tonics, personalized trick-or-treat bags, and a new trio of spooky mini-pets.? Everyone should visit the store and pick up a free pair of devil horns.? If you?re interested in seeing what any of these items look like, click here for a video preview.

Crafting and Mystic Forge Recipes

Several haunting crafting recipes are now available in Lion?s Arch including tonics for artificers and new yummy snacks for chefs.? There are also ways to get the temporary Halloween-themed weapons as permanent items, but be warned the materials are quite difficult to obtain.

Pick up some personalized trick-or-treat bags for a chance at some new sigil and rune recipes. ?Folks are also making good use of the Mystic Forge to discover new levels of awesomeness.? Did you buy the three new spooky minis from the gem store?? Throw them into the Mystic Forge along with 250 pieces of candy corn and get an exclusive chainsaw-wielding skeleton mini!

And So Much More

ArenaNet has slipped in so many interesting little nuances into this patch, it?s impossible to list them all.? They really want to encourage players to explore and experiment.? There are reports of players using the Candy-powered Matter Meter to uncover all sorts of hidden goodies. ?Talk to kids running around Lion?s Arch and give them candy corn in exchange for treat bags. ?Check out your achievements page for a whole list of holiday-inspired goals.? There?s also a new mini-dungeon called the Forsaken Halls in the Dredgehaunt Cliffs, though this is likely a permanent (non-holiday) fixture in Tyria.? Lastly, if you?re one of the disgruntled folks who have opened a ton of Black Lion chests hoping for some Halloween-inspiried weaponry, take heart. ?ArenaNet is looking to add a way to convert your unwanted treasures into the haunted items you seek!

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

ArenaNet has knocked the ball out of the park with this holiday event. On top of everything listed, we still have three more acts to uncover, including the finale on Sunday!? We?re interested in hearing about your Halloween adventures in Tyria.? Let us know what you?ve discovered in the comments section below!

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Source: http://www.gamebreaker.tv/mmorpg/spooky-guide-to-halloween-in-tyria/

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Florida State's Thompson out for rest of season

In this Oct. 13, 2012 file photo, Florida State running back Chris Thompson gets a block as he runs for a six-yard gain in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game against Boston College in Tallahassee.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO / PHIL SEARS

Associated Press

Published: Monday, October 22, 2012 at 3:01 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, October 22, 2012 at 3:01 p.m.

TALLAHASSEE - Florida State running back Chris Thompson is out for the rest of the season after injuring his left knee in the Seminoles' win against Miami on Saturday.

The school made the announcement Monday.

Thompson was the 11th-ranked Seminoles' leading rusher he hurt his knee in the second quarter at Miami after making a 32-yard reception.

Thompson also missed much of last season with two broken vertebrae, and said he feared that back injury would end his career.

He had 47 yards on seven carries Saturday night, giving him a team-best 687 yards for the season. He also has 248 receiving yards.

Source: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20121022/wire/121029907

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Emeli Sande - London HMV Hammersmith Apollo - 8th Apr 13

Age restriction: under 15s to be accompanied by an adult and in circle seating. Floor standing 15+ only.

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Our Version Of Events (Special Edition) is out now! The album of the year with additional tracks. Click here to buy: http://smarturl.it/ovoeSE

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Tickets go on sale at 9:00am on Friday 26th October

Source: http://www.ticketline.co.uk/tickets/13276280/emeli-sande/london-hmv-hammersmith-apollo/2013-04-08

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Small brewers bring cheer to Britain's drinkers

LONDON (Reuters) - A single vat bubbles languidly in the corner, while the air in the small, high-ceilinged space under a South London railway arch slowly fills with a zesty, hoppy smell, as the latest batch of Black India Pale Ale gradually fermented.

This is the Kernel microbrewery, one of many new kids on the British beer block who are bucking the downward national trend in beer drinking.

Where once the big, multi-national beer corporations accounted for the lion's share of brewery growth, now small, independent brewers with names like Beavertown Neck Oil, East London Jamboree and Hackney Hopster that are leading the way.

"This stuff's great, way better than the big brand beers," Max Marcus told Reuters as he cradled an early afternoon pint of Camden Ink at the Exmouth Arms in London's Clerkenwell area.

Microbrewers are tapping into what many see as a weariness with big, established brands.

"People are moving away from the mainstream rubbish," Andrew Turner of the recently opened London Fields brewery said. "They want to drink good local stuff."

That 158 breweries have opened within the past year alone would appear to bear out microbrewers' contention that they are merely tapping into renewed interest in Britain's ale heritage.

"We're easily impressed by exciting Fosters adverts, and so we buy their product," said Roger Protz, author of the authoritative "Good Beer Guide. "But we're tired of drinking the advertising."

Apart from the taste, small brewers have also benefited from tax breaks.

The so-called progressive beer duty offers 50 percent tax relief to brewers producing relatively small quantities.

Unsurprisingly, perhaps, bigger brewers are crying foul.

They insist that such a favourable tax environment for low volume producers provides a powerful incentive for microbreweries to remain micro, while encouraging the emergence of further small brewing enterprises.

And they believe the appeal of cask beer is such that even within the highly competitive London market, there's plenty of custom to go round.

"The demand is out there, people enjoy our products," said Tanya Marsh of the Kernel Brewery in Bermondsey, South London, which has recently moved to a much bigger site.

CRYING INTO THEIR BEER

Microbreweries have seen their numbers in Britain rise above 1,000 for the first time in over 70 years, in contrast to the situation elsewhere in the industry.

Domestic production of beer has dropped from 39 million barrels in 1974 to 27 million last year, as Britons' affection for their national drink has waned.

Conscious of microbreweries' success with cask ale, big brewers are waking up to the potential of more traditional beers.

Some industry analysts think that Molson Coors' 2011 takeover of Sharps, the small Cornish producer of the popular Doom Bar beer, is the first in a process of microbrewery buy outs.

"These companies have seen that the beer market is changing - consolidation of the industry is going to be the trend," Protz said.

Many microbrewers insist they would never sell out. Above all, many appreciate that their success resides in their charming local appeal.

Not that they don't have their problems. The smaller fry, for example, simply cannot compete on cost.

Michael Cox, owner of the Still and Star free house in the heart of the City of London, estimates that a barrel of microbrewed beer will generally set him back about 70 pounds ($110), against the 50 pounds he usually pays for a barrel of a more mainstream beer.

For all their legions of new admirers, microbreweries often find themselves shut out of pub distribution networks that balk at elevated prices and the logistical challenges posed by micro-brewers' inability to produce large quantities on demand.

Such struggles make microbrewed beer's success all the more striking.

But Still and Star publican Cox says that it's microbrewed beer's quality that will ensure its continued success.

"I buy beer from small, independent brewers, because I know that even though it's more expensive, it's just better beer."

(Editing by Stephen Addision)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/small-brewers-bring-cheer-britains-drinkers-090133498--sector.html

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Follow The Walking Dead Social Game Facebook Fan Page for the Latest News

The Walking Dead Social Game is getting bigger and better all the time. Want to get the most out of the experience as you virtually slice up walkers and defend your camp? Follow The Walking Dead Social Game fan page on Facebook. Here you'll get daily strategy tips and news (and sometimes free energy!) that will ensure that you're fully equipped for new chapters and missions and totally up-to-speed on the latest upgrades. What are you waiting for?

Follow The Walking Dead Social Game on Facebook.

Posted by Clayton Neuman
October 23, 2012 11:48am

Filed under: Polls & Games

Source: http://blogs.amctv.com/the-walking-dead/2012/10/social-game-facebook-fan-page.php

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Bruce Bartlett: The Health Mandate Romney Still Supports ...

Bruce Bartlett held senior policy roles in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations and served on the staffs of Representatives Jack Kemp and Ron Paul. He is the author of ?The Benefit and the Burden: Tax Reform ? Why We Need It and What It Will Take.?

Republicans have a dilemma on health policy. They are adamantly opposed to government paying for health care or a mandate requiring people to buy health insurance. At the same time, they recognize that they cannot say to the world that if a dying person shows up at an emergency room without insurance, that person will be left to die in the street. Thus they support a little-known mandate requiring hospitals to treat the uninsured, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act.

Often referred to as Emtala, the bill passed a Republican Senate and was signed into law by Ronald Reagan on April 7, 1986. It was enacted because, previously, people had in fact been left to die in the street when hospital emergency rooms would not admit them without insurance. This problem was highlighted in a ?60 Minutes? broadcast on March 17, 1985 that spurred Congressional action.

Since then, Republicans have routinely cited Emtala as a key reason that the United States already has de facto national health insurance and does not need further government involvement in health care. As George W. Bush put it in a July 10, 2007, speech: ?People have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room.?

During the 2008 campaign, one of John McCain?s health advisers asserted that because of Emtala, there were, in fact, no uninsured in America. As the economist John Goodman of the National Center for Policy Analysis told The Dallas Morning News in an article published on Aug. 27, 2008: ?The next president of the United States should sign an executive order requiring the Census Bureau to cease and desist from describing any American ? even illegal aliens ? as uninsured. Instead, the bureau should categorize people according to the likely source of payment should they need care. So there you have it. Voila! Problem solved.? (This article is no longer available on the Dallas Morning News Web site, but the reaction it drew can be found in blog posts from that week.)

This year, Mitt Romney is making the same assertion ? that the Affordable Care Act and its hated individual mandate for health insurance is unnecessary because Emtala effectively constitutes a sufficient safety net for those needing health care but lacking insurance.

As Mr. Romney said on ?60 Minutes? on Sept. 23, 2012, ?We do provide care for people who don?t have insurance, people ? we ? if someone has a heart attack, they don?t sit in their apartment and die. We pick them up in an ambulance, and take them to the hospital and give them care.?

Mr. Romney repeated this point in an interview with The Columbus Dispatch on Oct. 11, 2012. As the paper reported:

Romney minimized the harm for Americans left without health insurance.

?We don?t have a setting across this country where if you don?t have insurance, we just say to you, ?Tough luck, you?re going to die when you have your heart attack,?? he said as he offered more hints as to what he would put in place of ?Obamacare,? which he has pledged to repeal.

?No, you go to the hospital, you get treated, you get care, and it?s paid for, either by charity, the government or by the hospital. We don?t have people that become ill, who die in their apartment because they don?t have insurance.?

He pointed out that federal law requires hospitals to treat those without health insurance ? although hospital officials frequently say that drives up health-care costs.

In fact, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act isn?t even remotely a substitute for health insurance or something that obviates the purpose of health reform. It does not demand that all hospitals care for whoever walks in, only those who require urgent care to avoid serious injury or life-threatening consequences. Only hospitals that both participate in Medicare and have emergency rooms are covered by the law

Moreover, someone admitted to an emergency room under Emtala is not held until cured, only stabilized until she can be sent home or to a public hospital or other facility willing to treat the patient without charge.

Needless to say, the questions of whether an uninsured person seeking care at an emergency room is indeed in an immediate, urgent situation and whether she or he is stable enough to be discharged are highly contentious. A new report in the journal Health Affairs found that hospitals continue to engage in a practice known as ?patient dumping? ? turning away uninsured patients from emergency rooms despite the law.

One reason they are able to do so is because in 2003 the George W. Bush administration eased the rules regarding Emtala. The official responsible for weakening the law was Thomas A. Scully, who served as president of the Federation of American Hospitals from 1995 to 2001 and is now a lobbyist for the health care industry.

It?s worth remembering that once upon a time ? in the 1990s ? Republicans were in high dudgeon about ?unfunded mandates.? In their 1994 ?Contract With America,? they promised to fix this problem and in 1995 enacted the ?Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.?

The Republican argument on mandates was perfectly valid. To save money on-budget, the federal government often mandates that businesses or state and local governments undertake some activity. But of course, the cost doesn?t disappear just because it doesn?t involve federal taxes or spending; it just comes out of someone else?s pocket.

Therefore, even if we accept the Republican contention that Emtala is sufficient to deal with the problem of the uninsured without mandating that people obtain health insurance, all that is happening is a shifting of the cost of caring for such people. To a large extent, they end up being paid by the insured through higher medical bills and insurance premiums. In New York, for example, a 9 percent surcharge on all hospital bills covers the cost of caring for indigents, though complaints abound of hospitals failing to comply with the law.

The purely partisan hatred by Republicans for the individual mandate ? which used to be the foundation of their health policy ? has ironically led them to embrace another mandate on hospitals. But it is a very inadequate and inefficient substitute for health insurance ? something Mr. Romney used to acknowledge ? and every bit as much a violation of Republican principles, which oppose unfunded mandates, as the individual mandate that they abhor.

Source: http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/the-health-mandate-romney-still-supports/

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Obama?s Inflated Jobs Claim

In a new TV ad, President Obama makes an inflated claim to have added 5.2 million new jobs. The total added during his time in office is actually about 325,000.

In the ad, the president says ?over 5 million new jobs? while the figure ?5.2 million? appears on screen. But that?s a doubly misleading figure.

• Viewers would need to pay close attention to the on-screen graphic to know that the ad refers only to employment gains starting in March 2010, omitting the 4.3 million jobs that were lost in the first year of Obama?s term.
• And there?s no way a viewer would know that the total counts only private-sector jobs, omitting continuing losses in government employment.

According to the most recent employment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the economy has eked out a net gain of 325,000 jobs since January 2009, when Obama took office. And that?s giving credit for roughly 386,000 jobs that the BLS has announced, on a preliminary basis, that it will be adding to this year?s employment totals next year, as a result of its routine annual ?benchmarking? analysis.

Looking only at private-sector jobs, it?s true that the total has risen just under 5.2 million since February 2010 ? provided that credit is given for roughly 453,000 private-sector jobs to be added next year through the BLS benchmarking process. But over Obama?s entire term, those private-sector jobs have gone up only 967,000, even counting benchmarking additions.

Other claims in the ad are essentially accurate: Exports are rising; home values have begun to recover; U.S. automakers are making profits, for example. And viewers can judge for themselves how they feel about the ?plan for the next four years? that the president briefly outlines in the ad, which is couched in broad generalities.

But viewers who follow the ad?s invitation to visit an Obama website for further information will find some false and misleading claims. There, the campaign, for example, states that ?Mitt Romney criticized the end of the Iraq war as ?tragic,? and has offered no plan withdraw our troops from Afghanistan.?

In fact, as we?ve reported before, Romney did not call the end of the Iraq war ?tragic.? He used that word to describe the president?s pace of troop withdrawal, not ending a war. And more important, there is no longer any difference between Romney?s position and Obama?s plan to pull all U.S. combat troops out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014. Romney, whose position has evolved from criticism to unqualified acceptance, said during the final presidential debate on the night before the ad was released: ?[W]hen I?m president, we?ll make sure we bring our troops out by the end of 2014.?

? Brooks Jackson

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-inflated-jobs-claim-184609682--politics.html

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Heaven Help Us

Depiction of heaven at the State Hall of the Austrian National Library in Vienna, finished in 1730

Daniel Gran/Wikimedia Commons.

Newsweek is dead. The 80-year-old magazine will cease publication at the end of the year, a teary-eyed Tina Brown said last Thursday. Before we sink too deeply into grief, let's all remember what lies beyond these earthly, stapled pages. Newsweek may have passed away, its paper turned to dust, but the Newsweek spirit carries on, not as matter or material, but in a state of pure electron flux, a ghostly form that rides the WiFi waves around us. Its words will rise off the printing press and be transformed into an energy that's everywhere at once, but also nowhere. The magazine will become an online angel?a Web-based publication that penetrates our minds with truth and light. In death, it will be reborn and find everlasting life. ?

Sorry, I'm getting all mixed up. I've been having a little trouble focusing since I read Newsweek's cover story from Oct. 15?the one with a picture of a hand reaching up into the clouds and a headline promising that "Heaven Is Real." It's a personal account of meeting God, excerpted from a memoir published this week, called Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey Into the Afterlife. A neurosurgeon? More than that! The author, Eben Alexander III, makes a point of saying that he's a skeptic and a scientist, a skeptical scientist who happens to have spent some time (did he mention?) at a little school in Boston called Harvard University. This science-minded Harvard skeptic never thought he'd find the truth of Jesus Christ. But the facts are just the facts: Alexander has been graced with the divine, and he'll share that grace with us. He's become a neuro-prophet.

This experiment in out-of-body consciousness began in fall of 2008, when a case of bacterial meningitis put Alexander in a coma and "shut down" his ?entire cortex.? What he means by that is never clear?you might think this state would be synonymous with death, which is sort of what Alexander claims, even though he's now alive and writing books. But it's a waste of time to quibble over details, since according to the author, the fact of his brain's inactivation is the only thing that could possibly explain what happened next. While Alexander was in the coma, and his brain was ?totally off-line? he drifted from this world of Harvard neuroscience into a land of pink and puffy clouds, and chanting flocks of angels, and a glowing orb that speaks telepathically, and a blue-eyed lady-friend, and lots and lots of butterflies. You would not believe how many butterflies there are in Heaven.

"I've spent decades as a neurosurgeon at some of the most prestigious medical institutions in our country," Alexander writes, reminding us that he's no sap. "I sympathized deeply with those who wanted to believe that there was a God somewhere out there who loved us unconditionally. In fact, I envied such people the security that those beliefs no doubt provided. But as a scientist, I simply knew better than to believe them myself." He was just like you and me, you see, at least until he fell into a coma?and flew into the sky, and entered the mind of an earthworm, was forced to reconsider all his Harvard science skepticism about the loving Lord above.

Is it even worth rebutting this interpretation? Even before it was published, Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeons Journey Into the Afterlife has reached the Top 10 of the Amazon best-seller list, so we may as well prepare ourselves for the out-of-mind publicity that's sure to follow. For starters, Alexander says it took him "months to come to terms with what happened," as if he'd had to reconstruct the ultra-real experience after his recovery. One might timidly suggest that the story is confabulated?that is to say, his wounded brain filled in the gaps in time with a holy flight of fancy. (Perhaps his experience of "flying" came from memories of skydiving while a student at University of North Carolina?) It also seems at least half-plausible that Alexander's dreamy chit-chat with Jehovah happened in his head, as he was emerging from his coma, and during a time in which the author says he suffered from what's called "ICU psychosis." In the book?which I've had the great displeasure of perusing?he describes waking up to "a strange and exhausting paranoid universe" in which "Internet messages" showed up wherever he looked, and a "grinding, monotonous, anti-melodious chanting" filled his head. "Some of the dreams I had during this period were stunningly and frighteningly vivid," he says.

It was only later on that he worked out the fine points of his astral projection, in part by using a commercial meditation aid called "Hemi-Sync"?a $12 music CD that purports to mimic psychedelics and expand the mind with alternating beats. "Hemi-Sync potentially offered a means of inactivating the filtering function of the physical brain by globally synchronizing my neocortical electrical activity, just as my meningitis might have done, to liberate my out-of-body consciousness," he explains, as only a Harvard neurosurgeon can. Scientists who are a bit more skeptical have described these claims as silly.

Alexander claims to have been waffling on the matter of his faith before the meningitis. But the book reveals that he's always been a devout or at least a searching Christian. Long before he found himself in the "God-soaked and love-filled darkness" of his coma, Alexander took his family to church and made his children pray every night before they went to bed. His story of enlightenment is suffused with the most conventional evangelism: He was lost and now is found; he has "good news" to share with all. According to the memoir, Alexander was abandoned as a baby, spent Christmas as an orphan, and later on became a depressive alcoholic. Then he goes to a meeting in Jerusalem and finds the spot where Jesus ate his final meal, and while he's there (through some celestial stroke of luck), he contracts the deadly bug that will restore his faith and change his life and put him in a coma for a very biblical duration of seven days and seven nights.

Now, by grace of God, he's scheduled to appear on Nightline, Good Morning America, World News Tonight, and Fox & Friends. His book is almost guaranteed to be a huge success, a work of neuro-prophecy that hauls in massive neuro-profits. There's no doubt that Alexander's publisher is looking back with greedy eyes at another publishing sensation from three years ago, by the neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor. That one, called My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey, was also based on the rather dubious idea that we might draw a deeper understanding of the universe from debilitating brain damage. Bolte Taylor's rise to fame and neuro-guru-status began not with meningitis but with a cerebral hemorrhage, one that taught her how to find nirvana by allowing her "life-force power" to "flow like a great whale gliding through a sea of silent euphoria."

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=4faea081573a23bb487137b8aa8258df

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Your Car Insurance Plan ? Sandra Oh Fan

October 22nd, 2012 by admin Leave a reply ?

Homeowners Insurance Quotes With more cars out on the road each day, it is important to possess a comprehensive car insurance plan. Auto insurance has many benefits. Auto insurance will protect your against financial loss, cover damage to or theft of your car, pay for your legal responsibility if you are liable in an accident. Auto insurance rates and coverage will fluctuate from company to company, which can be frustrating. Instead of spending hours researching yourself, why not let us do the work for you and provide you with all your options? Our site is your location to find a variety of car Property insurance Policies, as well as quotes for home insurance, life insurance, health insurance, and business insurance. Take the stress out of purchasing insurance and get yourself covered now.

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Source: http://sandraohfan.net/your-car-insurance-plan-5/

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Bank of Canada holds rate steady at 1% again

The Bank of Canada kept its trendsetting policy interest rate at one per cent for the 17th consecutive time today, but signalled that it's worried about household debt.

The stand-pat decision on the policy rate was widely expected, but economists had been looking for softer language on the warning that the next move will be to hike interest rates.

Bank governor Mark Carney kept the previous language largely intact and the bank's statement on the economy wasn't as subdued as some had expected.

Debt a concern

The bank also indicated that it's still worried about household debt, which it says it believes will continue to rise before stabilizing in a few years.

It says it will consider the imbalances in the housing sector in its future monetary decisions, something it did not mention in previous reports.

The bank judges that the global economy is unfolding largely as it expected and economic expansion is continuing in the U.S., although at a slow pace. As well, global financial conditions have improved due to aggressive policy actions.

As well it largely gave the Canadian economy a pass, and in fact upgraded expectations for growth this year to 2.2 per cent from its previous call of 2.1.

That is in variance with many private sector economists who have ratcheted down growth expectations for this year to below two per cent.

"Following the recent period of below-potential growth, the economy is expected to pick up and return to full capacity by the end of 2013," it said.

Exports remain low

"The bank continues to project that the expansion will be driven mainly by growth in consumption and business investment," but that housing activity will slow and exports are expected to remain below pre-recession levels until the first half of 2014.

As for hiking slightly this year's growth projection, the bank said that was due to revised methodology recently adopted by Statistics Canada, which bumped up growth in the second quarter one-tenth of a point to 1.9 per cent.

The bank said it was still worried about household debt, which it said it believes will continue to rise before stabilizing in a few years. It said it will consider the imbalances in the housing sector in its future monetary decisions, something it did not mention in previous reports.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2012/10/23/biz-interest-rates-bank-of-canada.html

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Norway assesses Barents Sea oil safety

Published: Oct. 23, 2012 at 7:30 AM

OSLO, Norway, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- The Norwegian government says petroleum activity in the southeast Barents Sea would have a negligible effect on the surrounding environment.

Norway's Ministry of Petroleum and Energy submitted impact assessments on Barents Sea exploration for public comment through early 2013. Energy Minister Ola Borten Moe said the assessment confirms more than 30 years of experience working on resource extraction in the region.

"The reports expand upon, strengthen and confirm existing knowledge," he said in a statement. "They show that petroleum activity in the Barents Sea southeast has the potential to stimulate substantial value creation and employment nationally."

Based on its assessments, the Norwegian government said the environmental risk from "ordinary" petroleum work would have little effect.

"A major, sudden spill may have a negative environmental effect but the probability of such an incident is very low," a ministry statement read.

Norway is the largest oil producer in Europe and the second-largest exporter of natural gas after Russia. The Norwegian government had said it expected investments in the oil and natural gas sector to reach $30 billion by the end of the year.

Source: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2012/10/23/Norway-assesses-Barents-Sea-oil-safety/UPI-65891350991852/

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Before meningitis outbreak, firm avoided sanctions

BOSTON (Reuters) - The pharmacy tied to a deadly U.S. meningitis outbreak escaped harsh punishment from health regulators several times in the years leading up to a deadly U.S. meningitis outbreak that has raised questions about oversight of the customized drug mixing industry, newly released state records show.

Problems at the New England Compounding Center (NECC) in Framingham, Massachusetts, date as far back as 1999, the year after it began operations, according to hundreds of pages of documents obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request.

And the documents show regulators refraining from the harshest sanctions available to them, even as the list of complaints against NECC continued to grow.

The documents come to light after 23 people have died and close to 300 have become ill with fungal meningitis linked to steroid shots from NECC given to thousands of patients across the country. And a top medical expert says the outbreak is not over and there will be more cases in the coming weeks.

Among the reported problems was a company official handing out blank prescriptions. And an outside evaluation firm found inadequate documentation and inadequate process controls involving sterilization at NECC in 2006, the documents show.

"Although your facility has seen significant upgrades in facility design for the sterile compounding operation, there were numerous significant gaps identified during the assessment," according to a 2006 letter to NECC from Pharmacy Support Inc, an outside evaluation firm.

Summing up the violations and concerns, one state inspector in 2004 recommended the company be given a formal reprimand, a sanction that would be made public and potentially hurt business.

The complaints hinted at bigger problems emerging at NECC as it grew from a tiny family business owned by chief pharmacist Barry Cadden and his brother-in-law, Gregory Conigliaro, into a drug compounding juggernaut selling products in bulk to hospitals and clinics in nearly 50 states.

"New England Compounding Center worked cooperatively with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy to resolve to the Board's satisfaction any issues brought to the company's attention," NECC said in a statement on Monday.

NECC's improvements drew praise from George Cayer, president of the pharmacy board at the time.

"The board commends NECC on the progress to date," Cayer said in an April 12, 2006 letter. Cayer is currently a member of the pharmacy board.

HISTORY OF COMPLAINTS

The pharmacy board initially proposed sanctioning NECC in 2004 with three years of probation and a public reprimand amid allegations that the pharmacy violated accepted standards for compounding methylprednisolone acetate, the same steroid that is linked to the current fungal meningitis outbreak.

But two years later, the board agreed to a nondisciplinary settlement. It also agreed not to report the agreement to the National Association of State Boards of Pharmacy or other outside agencies. NECC's lawyer had pleaded with the board not to issue a public reprimand because it could put the company out of business.

In 2004, pharmacists in Iowa and Wisconsin complained to the board that NECC and its chief pharmacist, Barry Cadden, were soliciting out-of-state prescriptions for office use and using a form unapproved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

That same year, the board issued another advisory letter to NECC noting that it had received a complaint from a "concerned Texas pharmacist about products being solicited by Barry Cadden." An investigation revealed that NECC was offering an eye treatment and improperly included promotional material and terminology in the advertisements.

Pharmacies such as NECC are typically allowed only to compound drugs based on a specific prescription written by a physician for an individual patient. They are not generally allowed to solicit business or to promote products that have not been requested by physicians.

(Reporting by Toni Clarke and Tim McLaughlin; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-meningitis-outbreak-firm-avoided-sanctions-several-times-062256456.html

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