With the debt crisis in Greece clearly on the minds of the world’s finance titans, the country’s cabinet voted on Saturday to approve a “final” set of austerity rules that had long been pursued by the EU and IMF as part of a 130 billion euro bailout. The move by Greece apparently makes the chances for a deal this week to avoid a default more likely. It is, however, worth noting that the world may be making more of this so-called crisis than it really should. If Greece were to default on all of its private and public debt, for example, the total cost would be the equivalent of 3% of GDP for the entire EU.
That amounts to a couple hours worth of spending in the U.S., where apparently our financial house is in order (noted with no small amount of sarcasm). Still, in this particular episode of ridiculous international financial theater, the point is consistently made that a default would be “chaotic.” It would, to be sure, but only to those central banks and private lenders who had the bad judgment to lend to Greece in the first place. After all, if such poor business practices are not punished by the market, what is to stop such misallocation of capital from occurring again in the future?
The answer, of course, is nothing. That means that nothing will ultimately be learned from this folly, other than perhaps the notion that governments will forever bailout private institutions at the expense of the common man. Putting a positive (though rather ridiculous) spin on the news of new austerity measures, Public Order Minister (why does that sound vaguely like something out of 1984?) noted, “The Greek people have done everything they can and we are determined to make good on our commitments.”
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Tuesday 14 February 2012
Phil Dalbeck, Skyscanner’s Tech Expert has been scouring the world for the latest in tip-top travel tech: “Travelling doesn’t mean gadget freaks need to be parted from their latest prize possession – in fact, we found that some of the best new gadgets emerging in 2012 are especially handy for being portable, rechargeable and most of all, fun!” he said.
Phil presents you with his round-up of 2012’s best new travel gadgets.
1. Polaroid SC1630 Smart Camera powered by Android
Launched at CES last month, the Polaroid SC1360 (pictured right) is backed by Google’s Android operating system and enables instant sharing through over 400,000 apps like Flickr and Twitter, as well as a 16.0 megapixel camera and 32GB memory via microSD card. £tbc, Polaroid.com/en/sc1630
2. i’M Watch
A serious piece of futuristic tech for your wrist, the i’M Watch connects wirelessly to your smartphone via Bluetooth and displays your texts, emails and calls on a small colour screen so that you can quickly and easily keep in touch at the flick of a wrist. £129, imwatch.it
3. Mushroom GreenZero Wall Travel Charger
Unlike most other chargers on the market, this little alien-like device shuts off the charge from the mains when you’re device is fully charged, stopping your battery from being overcharged making it the must have eco-friendly charger. $ 30, bracketron.com
4. Recon Instruments MOD Live
The ultimate for snow-sport loving tech fans, these Alpine goggles (pictured right) are kitted with an HD display on the inside lens showing texts and GPS location plus real-time data and stats on your speed and performance. $ 240, reconinstruments.com
5. UWater G4 Chrome MP3 Player
The manufacturers of this product claim it’s the world’s smallest 100% waterproof MP3 player. Ideal for singing in the shower and, as it’s protected from salt water, even scuba diving to your favourite soundtrack. $ 80, fitnesstechusa.com
6. Powerbag
Laptop? Check. Tablet? Check. Smartphone? Check. Backpack that keeps them full of juice all day long with built-in charger and cables to suit all devices? Check. $ 139-179, powerbag.com
7. Sony HMZ-T1
Can’t bear to leave your home theatre behind? Then look no further than the Sony HMZ-T1 (pictured right), a head-mounted portable home cinema system with surround sound and a 150-inch HDTV screen projected to ‘appear’ 12 feet in front of you. £799, sony.co.uk
8. TripButler WiFi
TripButler is your very own rentable WiFi dongle which hooks up to as many as five devices, enabling you to stay connected when you’re on location and avoid nasty roaming charges in the process. That’ll be all, Jeeves. From $ 2, TripButler.com
9. Jawbone UP
This battery-powered colour wristband works with a clever iPhone app to track your activities and measure your metabolism, and the alert feature is ideal to remind you to take some exercise on holiday. £79.99, jawbone.com
10. Jetlev R200
With a predicted ‘launch’ date of Spring 2012, the 20lbwater-propelled Jetlev R200 jetpack (pirctured right) uses water to propel the users 30ft in the air. While owning one of these may break the bank (an estimated £83k) the good news is they are to be made available for hire for just £150 a day. tbc, jetlev.com
Pics courtesy of polaroid.com, reconinstruments.com, sony.co.uk and jetlev.com
The most you can usually leave your dog home alone is around eight hours, or a normal workday. Any longer than that, and you’ll need to figure out something to do so your dog can go outside and have some puppy play time. Dogs are social animals, after all, and leaving them alone for long periods of time can have devastating effects. Even though they sleep most of the day, they need some interaction with other living things, as well as potty breaks, throughout the day to keep them happy.
Ask A Friend
If you have a friend who is home during the day, and who likes spending time with dogs, this may be your best bet. Of course, you would want to compensate your friend in some way, but having someone you know come into your house to let your puppy out can be cheaper than hiring someone you don’t know. It can also be safer, as you will know and trust the person entering your house. If you have a friend who is home during the day but who can’t make it to your place, or if your friend cannot leave his or her home overnight to stay with your dog, there might be an option to drop the dog off at your friend’s house and leave it there for as long as you need. If your friend is available and willing to take your dog into his or her home for a period of time, you will absolutely want to compensate him or her in some way. However, this can be a great situation, as it allows your friend to stay in the comfort of his or her home, and it gives your dog a change of scenery. Dogs especially like to switch it up; they don’t like to stay in the same place for too long. By giving them a new place to go, you will give your dogs a way to channelize some more energy.
Doggy Daycare
Doggy daycare is a great option for those who do not have a friend or family member available. When you take your dog to a daycare, you pay a fee for the day, and you can sometimes add some services such as grooming, long walks, playtime, agility training, or special treats. Each of these add-ons generally costs more, but can be extremely fun for your pet. You set up a time with the daycare to drop the dog off and pick it up. After that, you can trust in the daycare to take care of your pet while you are away. Many daycare places will also keep your pet overnight if you need them to. It’s always a good idea to take a look through the daycare before dropping your dog off to be sure that everything is sanitary and that the people working there are good with dogs.
Dog Walker
If daycare isn’t an option, you can hire a dog walker. Hiring a dog walker is ideal for people who cannot get to a daycare facility, or for people who aren’t gone for that long during the day but who just want their pet to have some extra attention during the day. When hiring a dog walker, it’s best to go through an agency. Be sure to ask them if they do background checks on their employees, and make sure you know who has copies of your keys. You should also be able to ask them for a report on what your pet did while the dog walker was there.
As a stay-at-home mom of two young boys, taking care of the house and meals can sometimes become pretty stressful. For whatever reason, figuring out what to have for dinner each night was semi-stressful in itself. I recently began planning meals ahead of time, and it has surprisingly taken a lot of stress out of my day. Here’s how.
Meal planning can be done one of two ways: planning what you will have on each specific day (for the upcoming week or month) or just making a menu for the week and picking from it each day. I have chosen the latter of the two because our cravings are unpredictable. To come up with our weekly menu, I look at our favorite meals and new recipes I want to try, and choose seven that we will eat over the next week. Next, I put these on a list and go through each one’s ingredients list, checking to see if I have everything needed. If I don’t, that item goes on the grocery list.
BONUS: Doing this the same day every week allows you to write a grocery list and do your grocery shopping only once a week. Gone are the weeks of multiple grocery store trips.
TIP: Keep a running grocery list. Add to it when you run out of one of your “staple items.” Add your menu items to it when you get your menu planned and you’re good to go.
Once you have your menu set and have your grocery shopping done, all you have to do each day is pick a meal off your list and cook it. Since YOU make the menu, you can make it as easy to cook, as healthy, and as expensive as you want.
Here is my menu for this week:
Burrito Bake
Meatball Marinara Subs and Salad
Pizza Rollups
Baked Maple-Apple Chicken
Meatloaf and Steamed Veggies
Cheeseburger Mac
Chicken Alfredo
I just use pen and paper, but there are some great websites and tools for menu and grocery list planning.
Please let me know if this helps you out. How are you implementing a meal plan?
A new study claims that Facebook users take more than they give to their friends through the number of friend requests received, the use of the like button, the number of messages sent, or tagging people in photos.
The phenomenon, identified in a report from the Pew Research Center, is driven by about 20 percent to 30 percent of Facebookers called power users.
They’re who send friend requests, add content, or like the content of their friends on a daily or more than weekly basis.
As a result of these power users, the average Facebook user receives friend requests, receives personal messages, is tagged in photos. and receives feedback in terms of likes at a higher rate than they contribute.
Pew says the study is a first, because it combines server logs of Facebook activity with survey data to explore the structure of Facebook friendship networks and measures of social well-being. The survey size was small — only about 269 people. who were studied over one month.
The study has a great chart measuring the frequency of regular Facebook activities. Following are some of they key findings.
Making Friends
Some 40 percent of the sample of Facebook users made a friend request in the month of our observation, but 63 percent received a friend request. The 19 percent of Fscebook power users initiated a request once per week, and 80 percent of friend requests were not accepted.
Men Rule
On average, men were more likely to send friend requests, and women were more likely to receive them.
We Like, A Lot
Use of the like button is among the most popular activities on Facebook. One-third of the sample, about 33 percent, used the like button at least once per week, and 37 percent had content they contributed liked by a friend at least once per week. However, the majority of Facebook users neither liked content, nor was their content liked by others, in Pew’s month of observation.
Send More Than Receive
More than half of Facebook users in the study, 54 percent, did not send a private message in the month, but 59 percent did receive a message. A subset of 27 percent of Facebook power users sent a personal message at least once per week.
Despite the small sample, the complete Pew report includes some notable details and is worth taking a look at.
Those who erroneously blamed Facebook for causing political upheaval in the Middle East, now hear this: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a chat on his Facebook page in Arabic.
That’s right, Israel’s prime minister reached out to the Arab community via his Facebook page, showing that the social network can facilitate peaceful discussion if the parties involved feel inclined to have such a conversation.
As such, the exercise actually showed the flip side of exactly what we’ve seen in so-called revolutionary situations: Facebook is the medium, not the messenger. Of course, when the outcome is peace rather than dissent, no one complains.
For the chat that took place earlier today, web surfers from Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, the Gulf states, northern Africa, the Palestinian Authority and from among the Israeli Arab sector posted over 700 questions for Netanyahu.
We can only guess that the timing of this chat might somehow address the fact that hackers from within Israel posted Facebook passwords of Arabs, and thus Nethanyahu’s chat was intended to keep the peace.
During the chat, Netanyahu responded to a question about the diplomatic process, “I am ready at this moment to go to Ramallah and begin talks with Abu Mazen without preconditions. To my regret, Abu Mazen is not prepared to come to my office. I think that this is a mistake.”
Regarding Iran, he said “Iran is developing nuclear weapons in order to control the entire Middle East and beyond. This is a direct threat to peace.”
The Prime Minister referred to the Arab Spring and said that, “Increasing freedom within these countries will aid their prosperity. Increasing freedom of information could aid peace because at the moment, the Arab world still has stigmas and stereotypes about the State of Israel that have no bearing on reality.”
Regarding Saudi Arabia, he said, “We have many common interests that we could advance regarding the economy and regional policy. I believe that, like us, Saudi Arabia sees that there is a great danger in the spread of terrorism by extremist elements. We expect that the Saudi regime, like others, will act against these dangerous forces.”
A video embed shows Netanyahu speaking with his translator to post the chat in Arabic. Readers, what do you think about this development?
Almost comically, President Obama has begun his appeal for re-election by bashing the 1% – who got him elected with their campaign donations in 2008 – and appealing to the 99% – about half of whom pay no taxes and must certainly figure “why not?” when it comes to more government spending. After all, when you’ve got no skin in the game, what harm can more spending do? A lot, actually, but that’s a story for another day. If it wasn’t certain before, Obama’s State of the Union speech made it clear that a little bit of “class warfare” was at play.
Noted Obama, “We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well while a growing number of Americans barely get by, or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.” Whether Obama crony capitalists like Warren Buffett and George Soros will be made to play by those same rules – which would be a huge change of direction for Obama thus far – remains to be seen.
There is conjecture that part of Obama’s “fair share” speech was directed at Mitt Romney, who recently released his tax returns, indicating an effective tax rate of under 15% for 2010. If so, that’s probably a wise strategy, as the president can likely count on the ignorance of the masses to propel him forward in 2012, just at it did in 2008. Of course, that there is no viable alternative to Obama among the current frontrunners in the GOP primary race doesn’t make the task of picking a true leader any easier. In fact, it indicates that it is impossible. But that, also, is a story for another day.
AP – In one of her last acts in office, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords met Monday with other survivors and supporters more than a year after gunfire interrupted a spontaneous meet-and-greet with constituents outside a Tucson grocery store.
I love ranch salad dressing and it has been quite a while since I have had thousand island salad dressing, I must admit. A dear relative recently gave me a bottle of Squeezable Ken’s Steak House Thousand Island Dressing. Thousand island salad dressing was my favorite, before ranch dressing entered my life. Not one to let any food product go to waste, I promptly tried out Squeezable Ken’s Steak House Thousand Island Dressing. Here is what I discovered!
I am a big fan of many of Ken’s Steak House brand dressings. I like this brand and they are big on taste. I prepared a large salad and added Squeezable Ken’s Steak House Thousand Island Dressing to it. This salad dressing is superb, it is true. Very rich, thick and creamy. One thing that I love most about this product, is that it takes very little to coat my salad. That is a good thing, because this dressing is not diet friendly. It is delicious, though. I have to rate this product four stars out of five stars. It is worth the money. One large bottle costs around three dollars. I liked the squeeze bottle and it is easy to use and easy to enjoy this product. It is a winner, in my book!
One serving of this dressing has 140 calories in it. 120 of those calories come from fat. You can see now why this dressing is so good. Mercy! Dieters, beware! One serving has 13 grams of total fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 15 mg’s of cholesterol, 300 mg’s of sodium, 4 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 3 grams of sugars and 0 grams of protein. With ingredients like garlic, egg yolk, dried red bell peppers, onion, paprika and pickle relish, it is no wonder that this dressing is spectacular. Lots of flavor. I loved trying it and writing this review about it. Though this is not a product I would have bought, on my own, I must admit, it is wonderful. A treat to dress a salad with, anytime. Worth splurging for, every now and then, for sure! This brand has many low fat options to choose from, also. It does do a green garden salad justice.