People make decisions all the time. What sandwich to order, whether to walk through that puddle or around it, what school to go to and so on. However, psychologists disagree on how good we are at making decisions.
"In the literature on human decision-making, there are two almost parallel stories," said Andreas Jarvstad of Cardiff University. "One goes, 'humans are terrible at making choices.' The other goes, 'humans are close to being as good as they possibly can be.'"
Jarvstad is an author of a new study on decision-making published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. His study is about choosing how long to spend on the task at hand.
The view that humans are both terrible and great at decisions may not be as strange as it seems. Psychological scientists have made a distinction between different kinds of decisions: low-level perceptual choices versus choices that involve higher level reasoning. For example, choosing where to put your feet is a low-level choice, whereas choosing where to invest your savings is a high level choice.
"Imagine you're running up a really rocky path. For each step, you have to decide which stone to step on. Some stones will be poorer choices than other stones," Jarvstad said. Previous studies suggest that people are good at this kind of decision, but poor at decisions that require a higher level of analysis like choosing between financial options.
However, Jarvstad's study suggests that this difference doesn't always exist. Together with colleagues, Simon K. Rushton and Ulrike Hahn of Cardiff University and Paul A. Warren of the University of Manchester, he set out to determine how well people make "time-on-task" decisions ? that is, decisions about how long to spend on the task at hand. Participants took part in a number of computer-based tasks involving either low-level (e.g. judging the direction of motion of a cloud of dots) or high-level (e.g. mental arithmetic) processing.
Getting an answer right earned a reward point; getting it wrong incurred a penalty point (points were later translated to money).
After spending time becoming familiar with the tasks, participants were given a fixed amount of time to complete as many or few trials as they liked. "Doing lots of trials very quickly might not be the best approach since the less time you spend on the task the greater the chance of an error. But spending a lot of time on very few trials might also be a bad idea since you limit the number of points you could possibly earn. The trick is finding the right balance between the two."
It turned out that people were good at finding the right balance. "It didn't seem to matter whether people were doing a low-level or a high-level task?they were equally good at deciding how much time to spend on these tasks," Jarvstad said. In fact, their participants ended up with nearly the same amount of money they would have earned if they had in fact made perfect decisions ? and that was true for low- as well as high-level tasks.
These findings suggest that perhaps humans really aren't intrinsically bad at high-level decision making and intrinsically good at low-level decision making after all. On reflection, noted Jarvstad, the idea that they would be is perhaps a little strange after all.
###
Association for Psychological Science: http://www.psychologicalscience.org
Thanks to Association for Psychological Science for this article.
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WASHINGTON (AP) ? It seemed like a good idea at the time.
But a health insurancetax credit for small businesses, part of President Barack Obama's health care law that gets strong support in public opinion polls, has turned out to be a disappointment.
Time-consuming to apply for and lacking enough financial reward to make it attractive, the credit was claimed by only 170,300 businesses out of a pool of as many as 4 million potentially eligible companies in 2010.
That's put the Obama administration in the awkward position of asking Congress to help fix the problems by allowing more businesses to qualify and making it simpler to apply.
But Republicans who run the House say they want to repeal what they call "Obamacare," not change it.
"They completely missed the target on this thing," Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., said of the tax credit. "I don't think expanding it is going to make any difference whatsoever." Graves chairs the House Small Business Committee.
It doesn't help the administration's plea that the biggest small-business lobbying group is a lead plaintiff asking the Supreme Court to overturn the Affordable Care Act. The National Federation of Independent Business isn't likely to spend much time tinkering with the tax credit or promoting it to members.
Small businesses represent the crumbling edge of the nation's system of employer-based health care. Only about 30 percent of companies with fewer than 10 workers offer health coverage, and they often pay more for insurance than large businesses. The credit, which once had support in principle from lawmakers of both parties, was supposed to help businesses already providing coverage afford the premiums. And maybe it would even entice some to start.
"We agree it is not a panacea for all costs," said John Arensmeyer, founder of Small Business Majority, an advocacy group that supports the health care law and disagrees with the much larger independent business federation. The problem is all the negative publicity around the health care law has discouraged business owners from applying for the credit, he says.
"There has been more heat than light shone on this," Arensmeyer said. "There is no reason why small businesses shouldn't be taking advantage of this credit." About 770,000 workers were covered by the businesses claiming the credit in 2010.
However, a recent report by Congress' nonpartisan Government Accountability Office identified several issues with the credit itself.
To begin with, the GAO said, the tax credit is structured so its biggest benefits go to very small companies paying low wages. About 4 out of 5 such businesses don't offer coverage, and the tax credit is not sufficient to encourage them to start doing so.
"Small employers do not likely view the credit as a big enough incentive to begin offering health insurance," the report said.
The average credit claimed in 2010 was about $2,700, although some companies qualified for much more.
Many small firms did not qualify because they paid fairly decent wages. The GAO report quoted an unidentified tax preparer who explained that "people get excited that they're eligible and then they do the calculations and it's like the bottom just falls out of it and it's not really there." It's almost a bait and switch.
Complexity has been another obstacle. IRS Form 8941, which employers must complete to claim the credit, has 25 lines and seven worksheets, the GAO said. Some tax preparers told the agency it took clients from two to eight hours to pull together supporting information and tax professionals another three to five hours to calculate the credit.
Trying to help, the IRS identified "three simple steps" employers needed to follow, but the GAO found "the three steps become 15 calculations, 11 of which are based on seven worksheets, some of which request multiple columns of information."
Arensmeyer said claiming the credit will be simpler once it becomes standard in tax-preparation software.
As it stands now, the credit is only temporary, expiring in 2016. That's another reason Congress appears unlikely to adopt the administration's proposed fixes, which would cost an estimated $14 billion that has to be offset with cuts elsewhere.
If the health care law withstands Supreme Court scrutiny, more employers could start claiming the credit. Otherwise, it may just go down as a missed opportunity, for policymakers and small-business owners alike.
___
Online:
The Government Accountability Office's report: http://tinyurl.com/7ae96hn
FILE - In this May 1, 2012, file photo, Floyd Mayweather Jr., talks to fans after arriving at the MGM Grand casino and hotel in Las Vegas. Mayweather has a Friday June 1, 2012, date with a judge who sentenced him to three months in county jail in a domestic violence case. Mayweather pleaded guilty in December to attacking his ex-girlfriend while two of their children watched in September 2010. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)
FILE - In this May 1, 2012, file photo, Floyd Mayweather Jr., talks to fans after arriving at the MGM Grand casino and hotel in Las Vegas. Mayweather has a Friday June 1, 2012, date with a judge who sentenced him to three months in county jail in a domestic violence case. Mayweather pleaded guilty in December to attacking his ex-girlfriend while two of their children watched in September 2010. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)
LAS VEGAS (AP) ? Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. is about begin a three-month jail sentence in Las Vegas in a domestic violence case.
The undefeated boxer's legal and ring advisers weren't immediately commenting Thursday about Mayweather's scheduled Friday morning surrender in court.
The case stems from a hair-pulling, arm-twisting attack on the mother of three of his children in September 2010.
Mayweather pleaded guilty last December to reduced charges in the altercation with Josie Harris while their two sons watched.
In January, Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa agreed to let Mayweather remain free long enough to fight Miguel Cotto on May 5 at the MGM Grand hotel. Mayweather won the bout.
Harris's lawyer isn't commenting on Mayweather's scheduled surrender. Harris and the children now live in Southern California.
Jenna DiPaolo
jdipaolo@rightsandresources.org
202-412-0331
Rights and Resources Initiative
Citing global land-grab, lack of action by authorities in vulnerable nations, authors warn of risk to positive 20-year global trend -- even in Latin America
WASHINGTON, DC (30 MAY 2012)New research released today by the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) shows that hundreds of millions of forest peoples in tropical nations have, in the last 20 years, quietly gained unprecedented legal rights to the land and resources owned under customary law. The research also finds, however, that more than one-third of the rules governing land rights in most of the forests of Africa, Asia and Latin America significantly limit a community's ability to exercise those rights.
The new report provides the most comprehensive global legal analysis to date of the status of forest tenure rights held by Indigenous Peoples and other local communities in more than two-dozen developing countries. The nations covered in the study account for approximately 75 percent of the forests of the developing world, home to some 2.2 billion people.
"All 27 of the countries we analyzed have one or more laws recognizing legal rights of communities, either nationally or regionally," said Fernanda Almeida, one of the authors, and primary researcher of the study. "But the laws themselves are not enough. They must be 'good laws', and they have to be implemented."
In their analysis, Almeida and her colleagues warn of an imminent risk of rollback of these rights, as illustrated by the efforts of wealthy ranchers in Brazil to weaken land rights held by traditional and Indigenous communities, and by an on-going global "land grab" by investors on every continent.
"Forest peoples are caught between the forces of a drive for environmental sustainability and the intense pressure of economic development", said Jeffrey Hatcher, Director of Global Programs for RRI, and one of the authors of the new report. "Despite tremendous progress in establishing legal tenure regimes, a lack of political will and bureaucratic obstacles make it a struggle to implement any real action in most forest-rich developing nations. The exorbitant technical and financial costs of addressing these hurdles are often beyond the means of rural communities."
Also, because governments control which lands are covered by the rights they grant, they are able to limit the scope and impact of the measures, and prevent them from living up to their promise, said James Bampton, program coordinator, RECOFTC-The Center for People and Forests. "Such rights aren't something that should apply to some people and not others," he said.
Rise in Percentage of Forests under Community Control
The RRI report identifies a significant global trend that began in the wake of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, as Indigenous and community leaders pressured governments for legal rights to their traditional forestlands. The area of forest under the control of forest peoples in developing countries has risen from 21 percent of the total forest area in those countries to 31 percent; globally, such rights now cover 15 percent of all forests, compared to 10 percent in 1992.
"If these laws ever make it off the books, billions of hectares and millions of people will have access to one of the most effective tools available for eradicating poverty and conserving limited resources," said Andy White, coordinator of RRI. "Previous research by RRI and others has shown that when their rights are secure, Indigenous and community forest peoples are spectacularly successful at sustaining themselves, while at the same time protecting their forests at least as well as governments or industry."
The RRI report cites, for example, the findings of a recent World Bank report, which estimates that the incidence of forest fireoften a precursor to deforestation in the tropicswas cut five-fold or more in protected forests controlled by Indigenous peoples, when compared with those managed by the state. Studies in Nepal show that community control leads to increases in both forest area and tree density.
But the RRI study shows that national and provincial authorities often fail to enforce laws meant to protect the tenure rights of forest peoples. Even in Latin America, where most progress has been made in transferring rights to forest peoples, high commodity prices are fueling efforts by the state and private interests to override those rights. "Without strong rights, landholders have no confidence they will benefit from measures aimed at sustainable use of the forests," White said. "By their inaction, authorities stifle the capacity of local communities to succeed on their own terms and in a way that benefits everyone."
The study identifies 59 systems for recognizing tenure rights to forestlands in 27 nations: 17 in Africa, 17 in Asia and 25 in Latin America.
51 of the 59 identified legal systems or regimes have been established since 1992. Latin America has led the way.
Most land tenure regimes prevent local communities from exercising at least one of the seven rights considered fundamental to land ownership.
In six of the 17 regimes identified in Africa, rights cannot be implemented because there are no regulations to define those rights, nor the processes for implementing them.
Perhaps most critically, of all the regimes the RRI study identifies (21 of 59), more than one-third fail to recognize the right to exclude outsiders from entering the forest and exploiting its resourcesa critical element of land ownership.
Even without such limitations, other obstacles can prevent Indigenous Peoples and communities from benefiting from the rights they are granted.
In Indonesia, for example, laws and policies recognize the rights of Indigenous Peoples to their traditional lands. But the constitution says all land and resources belong to the state. Tens of millions of people living in more than 20,000 villages are essentially squatters on their own land.
In Mozambique, local community members must submit six copies of a topographical map that identifies detailed geographical features of the land in a proposed concession. In 2009, ten years after the law was enacted, not one concession had been approved.
According to White, even the global leaders most deeply engaged in organizing the conference known as Rio+20 have so far ignored the importance of recognizing land rights in negotiating a plan for developing and implementing sustainable development goals.
"The world's forests are increasingly valuable and relevant to our efforts to slow global climate change and encourage sustainable development," he said. "If negotiators are serious about reducing poverty and conserving forests, they will call on forest nations to strengthen community land rights in their forests. Only when such rights are a reality on paper and in practice, will communities be able to do what they do better than anyone elsemanage the forests and curb the unsustainable practices now threatening tropical forest nations worldwide."
###
The Rights and Resources Initiative is a global coalition of international, regional, and community organizations advancing forest tenure, policy and market reforms. RRI leverages the strategic collaboration and investment of its Partners and Collaborators around the world by working together on research, advocacy and convening strategic actors to catalyze change on the ground.
RRI is coordinated by the Rights and Resources Group, a non-profit organization based
in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.rightsandresources.org.
[ | 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.
New study reports rise in community land rights in tropical forests; most laws unenforcedPublic release date: 30-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Jenna DiPaolo
jdipaolo@rightsandresources.org
202-412-0331
Rights and Resources Initiative
Citing global land-grab, lack of action by authorities in vulnerable nations, authors warn of risk to positive 20-year global trend -- even in Latin America
WASHINGTON, DC (30 MAY 2012)New research released today by the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) shows that hundreds of millions of forest peoples in tropical nations have, in the last 20 years, quietly gained unprecedented legal rights to the land and resources owned under customary law. The research also finds, however, that more than one-third of the rules governing land rights in most of the forests of Africa, Asia and Latin America significantly limit a community's ability to exercise those rights.
The new report provides the most comprehensive global legal analysis to date of the status of forest tenure rights held by Indigenous Peoples and other local communities in more than two-dozen developing countries. The nations covered in the study account for approximately 75 percent of the forests of the developing world, home to some 2.2 billion people.
"All 27 of the countries we analyzed have one or more laws recognizing legal rights of communities, either nationally or regionally," said Fernanda Almeida, one of the authors, and primary researcher of the study. "But the laws themselves are not enough. They must be 'good laws', and they have to be implemented."
In their analysis, Almeida and her colleagues warn of an imminent risk of rollback of these rights, as illustrated by the efforts of wealthy ranchers in Brazil to weaken land rights held by traditional and Indigenous communities, and by an on-going global "land grab" by investors on every continent.
"Forest peoples are caught between the forces of a drive for environmental sustainability and the intense pressure of economic development", said Jeffrey Hatcher, Director of Global Programs for RRI, and one of the authors of the new report. "Despite tremendous progress in establishing legal tenure regimes, a lack of political will and bureaucratic obstacles make it a struggle to implement any real action in most forest-rich developing nations. The exorbitant technical and financial costs of addressing these hurdles are often beyond the means of rural communities."
Also, because governments control which lands are covered by the rights they grant, they are able to limit the scope and impact of the measures, and prevent them from living up to their promise, said James Bampton, program coordinator, RECOFTC-The Center for People and Forests. "Such rights aren't something that should apply to some people and not others," he said.
Rise in Percentage of Forests under Community Control
The RRI report identifies a significant global trend that began in the wake of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, as Indigenous and community leaders pressured governments for legal rights to their traditional forestlands. The area of forest under the control of forest peoples in developing countries has risen from 21 percent of the total forest area in those countries to 31 percent; globally, such rights now cover 15 percent of all forests, compared to 10 percent in 1992.
"If these laws ever make it off the books, billions of hectares and millions of people will have access to one of the most effective tools available for eradicating poverty and conserving limited resources," said Andy White, coordinator of RRI. "Previous research by RRI and others has shown that when their rights are secure, Indigenous and community forest peoples are spectacularly successful at sustaining themselves, while at the same time protecting their forests at least as well as governments or industry."
The RRI report cites, for example, the findings of a recent World Bank report, which estimates that the incidence of forest fireoften a precursor to deforestation in the tropicswas cut five-fold or more in protected forests controlled by Indigenous peoples, when compared with those managed by the state. Studies in Nepal show that community control leads to increases in both forest area and tree density.
But the RRI study shows that national and provincial authorities often fail to enforce laws meant to protect the tenure rights of forest peoples. Even in Latin America, where most progress has been made in transferring rights to forest peoples, high commodity prices are fueling efforts by the state and private interests to override those rights. "Without strong rights, landholders have no confidence they will benefit from measures aimed at sustainable use of the forests," White said. "By their inaction, authorities stifle the capacity of local communities to succeed on their own terms and in a way that benefits everyone."
The study identifies 59 systems for recognizing tenure rights to forestlands in 27 nations: 17 in Africa, 17 in Asia and 25 in Latin America.
51 of the 59 identified legal systems or regimes have been established since 1992. Latin America has led the way.
Most land tenure regimes prevent local communities from exercising at least one of the seven rights considered fundamental to land ownership.
In six of the 17 regimes identified in Africa, rights cannot be implemented because there are no regulations to define those rights, nor the processes for implementing them.
Perhaps most critically, of all the regimes the RRI study identifies (21 of 59), more than one-third fail to recognize the right to exclude outsiders from entering the forest and exploiting its resourcesa critical element of land ownership.
Even without such limitations, other obstacles can prevent Indigenous Peoples and communities from benefiting from the rights they are granted.
In Indonesia, for example, laws and policies recognize the rights of Indigenous Peoples to their traditional lands. But the constitution says all land and resources belong to the state. Tens of millions of people living in more than 20,000 villages are essentially squatters on their own land.
In Mozambique, local community members must submit six copies of a topographical map that identifies detailed geographical features of the land in a proposed concession. In 2009, ten years after the law was enacted, not one concession had been approved.
According to White, even the global leaders most deeply engaged in organizing the conference known as Rio+20 have so far ignored the importance of recognizing land rights in negotiating a plan for developing and implementing sustainable development goals.
"The world's forests are increasingly valuable and relevant to our efforts to slow global climate change and encourage sustainable development," he said. "If negotiators are serious about reducing poverty and conserving forests, they will call on forest nations to strengthen community land rights in their forests. Only when such rights are a reality on paper and in practice, will communities be able to do what they do better than anyone elsemanage the forests and curb the unsustainable practices now threatening tropical forest nations worldwide."
###
The Rights and Resources Initiative is a global coalition of international, regional, and community organizations advancing forest tenure, policy and market reforms. RRI leverages the strategic collaboration and investment of its Partners and Collaborators around the world by working together on research, advocacy and convening strategic actors to catalyze change on the ground.
RRI is coordinated by the Rights and Resources Group, a non-profit organization based
in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.rightsandresources.org.
[ | 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.
Color us shocked and jealous at the new Android 4.0 phone from Sharp -- strange and wonderful even by Japan's highly elevated standards. The eight colors of the 3.7-inch Pantone branded phone from carrier Softbank are nice for sure, but the ability to sense between .005 and 9.99 μSv/h of radiation is in a new category altogether. Though Sharp has hedged a bit by describing the detector as "non-compliant" with Japan standards at this point, the possibilities seem endless for such a feature -- the ability to constantly report your location and radiation level to Facebook comes to mind, for instance. It will be offered -- in Japan only, we presume -- with a 4-megapixel rear camera, eight Pantone colors, 0.3-megapixel front camera, 854 x 480 resolution, and will be dust-proof and waterproof. The price hasn't been discussed yet, but we can't imagine too much quibbling whatever it is, for a phone that could keep you gamma-ray safe.
Update: We have an image after the break showing how Sharp reduced the radiation circuits into a tiny package needed for the Pantone 5. The phone even as a dedicated button for the feature.
Mr. Mahama and Dr. Mrs. Wiafe Addai arriving at the Baba Yaya stadium.
VICE PRESIDENT John Dramani Mahama has debunked assertions that breast cancer is a spiritual disease which is inflicted on innocent people by witches.
He has consequently cautioned the general public, notably those inflicted by the disease, not to visit spiritualists or herbalists for an antidote, but to rather visit the hospital for proper treatment.
Mr. Mahama was addressing about 20,000 people who participated in this year?s annual Susan G. Komen Ghana Race for the Cure, which was the country?s second edition.
The participants, including men, women and students, walked through the principal streets of Kumasi on the AU Day to create awareness about breast cancer, after which they converged on the Baba Yara Stadium.
Mr. Mahama, the guest of honour for the event, lamented that people suffering from the disease often had the wrong notion that it was a spiritual disease and therefore resorted to herbalists for treatment.
He disclosed that such people normally visited the hospital at a time that the disease had reached an advanced stage and was almost impossible to cure.
Organized by the Breast Care International (BCI) Ghana in collaboration with Peace and Love Hospitals, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure series is the world?s largest and most successful educational and fundraising event for breast cancer.
Mr. Mahama passionately appealed to sufferers of the disease to rush to the hospital in the early stages of the disease for effective treatment.
He disclosed that the breast cancer menace was sending scores of women to their graves, therefore all hands must be on deck to curb it, stating government?s desire to contribute to reducing breast cancer cases in the country.
Mr. Mahama stated that ignorance about breast cancer was the main cause of the many deaths that had been recorded as a result of the disease, urging the populace to join BCI, Ghana, to make more noise about breast cancer so as to save more human lives.
Breast cancer, he opined, ?is beatable?, explaining further that early detection and right medication from experts could make the disease not deadly.
The President of BCI, Ghana, Dr. Mrs. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, a renowned breast surgeon, expressed worry that whilst breast cancer deaths was reducing in the advanced world, the case was the opposite in under-developed countries including Ghana.
The world-acclaimed breast cancer expert attributed the anomaly to lack of knowledge about the disease, calling for help from all including the government to enable the BCI, Ghana, educate a sizeable number of Ghanaians about breast cancer.
Dr. Mrs. Wiafe Addai also deflated speculations that witches caused breast cancer, insisting that the real cause of the disease was still not known.
She however assured that early detection and prompt action by visiting the hospital early for right medication was the best way to defeat breast cancer.
The Paramount Chief of Goaso Traditional Area, Nana Akwasi Bosompora I, who represented the Asantehene, charged traditional leaders to play leading roles in battling breast cancer.
He sternly cautioned women, especially traders, to refrain from putting money in their brassiere, reminding them that money was poisonous therefore any contact it made with human breast could result in fatal consequences.
France is only the second country in the world to allow Internet voting in a national election, allowing citizens like the Monitor's Peter Ford to exercise their democratic right in the heart of Beijing.
By Peter Ford,?Staff writer / May 29, 2012
Living as a foreigner in China, where none of my local friends has ever had a chance to cast a free vote, I make a special point of always voting when I get the opportunity in my own elections.
Skip to next paragraph Peter Ford
Beijing Bureau Chief
Peter Ford is The Christian Science Monitor?s Beijing Bureau Chief. He covers news and features throughout China and also makes reporting trips to Japan and the Korean peninsula.
Yesterday, France (of which I am a citoyen) made it a whole lot easier for me to do so. I cast my ballot online in parliamentary elections ? the first time this has been allowed.
In fact, France is only the second country in the world to allow Internet voting in a national election, (Estonia has been doing it since 2007), offering an online ballot to citizens living abroad. Not only that, we were voting for one of 11 seats in parliament specifically reserved (for the first time) for deputies representing expatriates.
I say the system made it ?a whole lot easier.?
But, not exactly. In fact, all in all, it probably took me longer than it would have done to nip over to the French embassy to vote in person at the polling station there next Sunday. But that was because of security concerns, and it took a phone call to a helpline agent in France to sort out various problems with Java script before I could cast my virtual vote.
Security concerns, of course, are what stop Americans from being able to vote online. The Pentagon tried a system in 2000 for its personnel deployed overseas, but decided it was too vulnerable to hackers and abandoned it.
The French are pretty cautious too. Only people registered at a French consulate could vote online, and each voter needed a 10 character personal code sent (once only) by SMS to a mobile phone and another 10 character password sent to a verified e-mail address.
I am no computer geek, but if complexity is any indication of security I am comfortable with the procedures in place. After I had voted I was sent a ?control code? that I can use to ensure that my vote is counted: that code comprised 337 digits, symbols, and letters in upper and lower case, more than four lines.
If my math is right, that means there are 65 to the power of 337 possible combinations of the components of my code. Pretty personalized.
In fact the technical aspects of voting were only the half of it. The real challenge was political: My constituency covers 41 countries, from Vanuatu to Ukraine, and I had to choose among 21 candidates, only one of whom I had heard of before the elections.
He was a minister in recently-defeated President Nicolas Sarkozy?s last government and is the only candidate presenting himself in my constituency who has never lived abroad. As far as I?m concerned, that rules him out from the start.
So I read a whole lot of online manifestos, and made my choice, and moved my cursor to the appropriate button and clicked my left mouse-key.
Democracy in action, in the heart of Beijing.?A shame you have to be a citoyen francais to enjoy it...
What do people think, when someone mentions ?good housewife? or ?great home maker?? Mostly, it?s all about spotless surfaces, polished utensils and bright, clean rooms. It?s also the ease and ingenious thought behind household solutions. These people are dedicated to their homes, know all the ins and outs as well as how to come on top of all situations.
Cleaning services in London will tell you that these people have their own secrets. They have tricks and short cuts gathered over the years, which set them into a league on their own, when it comes to lifting a stain. I?ve seen some of these people in action and it?s spectacular to watch. Here are three fixes I have found to be invaluable during the management of one?s household.
[1] Cream of Tartar in the Percolator. Lime scale is a common ailment for percolators around the whole world, so it?s only natural that someone somewhere has thought of ways to work a solution to wish away this nasty build-up. Who could have known that three table spoons of cream of tarter are the answer to everyone?s prayer. Stir three spoons into enough water to cover the whole percolator and then let the appliance do all the work. Once you have boiled the mixture, it all boils down to the good old-fashioned elbow grease.
[2] Fabric Softener Sheets for a Fresh Scent. Have you tried everything to remove a nasty smell out of your shoes to no avail? Are you tired of wasting money on sprays for your feet? Turn to the trusty fabric softener sheets, because they will be able to remove the scent out of just about every pair of shoes. Lay a sheet in your shoe and marvel at the results in the morning, because the smells will be a thing of the past. This works quite well for smells coming underneath your car seats.
[3] Soy Sauce Ice Packs. Although not exactly a cleaning material, these miniature ice packs can be of use, if you hurt yourself during the cleaning, just pop up your freezer and take this mini ice pack to sooth your pain. How do you make these? If you order some take-out and you get delivered some extra soy sauce (mustard works as well), pop it in the freezer. Trust me, if you or your close ones are hyperactive or accident-prone, then you will not regret this decision.
Cleaning services in London have their own professional secrets, but that doesn?t mean you shouldn?t as well. However, always remember that your house will always benefit from a highly professional service. After all, that is why professionals are here for.
Peter Clarkson is a part time journalist with many years of experience in different areas of business. His expertises include editing and proofreading, with housekeeping, time management, self improvement amongst his favourite categories. The vast experience gathered in cleaning makes him a valuable source of cleaning related ideas, such as cleaning supplies, home-made solutions, innovative and effective methods. Blogging has become a way for him to share his ideas.
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Jenny McCarthy has a new man in her life ? Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher.
The actress announced the happy news to Chicago's NBC 5 at a Generation Rescue autism charity event on Thursday. "I can confirm that yes it's true, we are dating," she said at the event.
And while McCarthy, 39, didn't elaborate, she does seem to be spirited about everything. "Go Bears," she said, "that's all I'll say."
According to E!, which confirmed the relationship through McCarthy's publicist, the two have been dating for about a month and have been spotted together enjoying dinner in Chicago at Giuliana and Bill Rancic's RPM Italian restaurant.
Next up for McCarthy: a comprehensive photo shoot for Playboy.
"Why should only 20 yr olds be considered sexy?" she Tweeted about her decision to pose nude. "Let's (hear) it for the MILFs."
Could call centers outsourcing be the answer that you have been looking for? Are you aware of the caveat of benefits that the leading services providers have to offer? If you are unsure, or would like to learn more, make sure to read this article to get all of the 411 that you require regarding call centers outsourcing.
Reduce Overhead Operation Costs
The primary reason to consider call centers outsourcing is found with cutting down your expenses. Not with reducing quality by cutting down expenses (which is often a relative factor), but by simply lowering your overhead costs while retaining a very high quality of service. With the best call centers outsourcing, you can vastly cut down on expenses and increase or maintain quality simultaneously.
Increase Customer Loyalty and Retention
Passion and integrity drives the staff at the best call centers outsourcing services.
Not commissions off sales. This means that the quality is simply unsurpassed. When the staff is excited to come to work each day and thankful for the job they have, that passion transcends over to an unsurpassed customer experience, and makes your business shine like a star.
More Effectively Manage Your Business
The primarily goal of your call centers outsourcing service is to reduce the workload and cost of it on your part, enabling you to better focus on the things that matter most with regard to managing your business while not having to fret over stuff like a call center. While the call center is a very important aspect, with the right service provider in place, you can rest assured that all is being well run and managed, and this enables you to better run your business more effectively as a result.
Stay in the Loop at All Times
If you are careful and take your time in the call centers outsourcing service that you elect to use for your business operations, you won?t have to worry about not being in the informational pipeline. That?s because the leading services assign a personal project manager to your account that is most often domestically based. This ensures that you are kept up to date with reports and updates at all times.
Fewer Operational Headaches
You already have enough on your plate running your business, so ask yourself this: Do you really need any more unnecessary headaches? Easily, the answer most people will arrive at ? save for very few people who insist upon doing everything themselves ? is: YES. The less tedious processes that you have to manage, the more effectively that you can actually manage and run your business. With call centers outsourcing, you can place your call centers needs ? be they customer support, order taking, outbound sales, inbound calls, etc. ? into the hands of seasoned pros who charge fair rates; rates that are often far less what the domestic cost would be, but services that are of the same, or generally higher, quality.
Job Title : Senior Business Analyst/Project Manager Company : TEEMA Consulting Group Inc. City : Vancouver State : British Columbia Country : CA Location : Vancouver, BC Date : 2012-05-27 06:47:37 latitude : 49.247253 longitude : -123.11539 Status Active Job key c47ba8b16a0dc6ed
Announced at May 27, 2012. Will now be TEEMA Consulting Group Inc. for this time engage Senior Business Analyst/Project Manager. The profession stationed in the town Vancouver, BC business of British Columbia BC.
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Title: Senior Business Analyst/Project Manager Ref: 4107 Overview: Our client is looking to bring on a Senior PM/BA for a 6 month contract with a very good chance of extension. The Business Analyst/Project Manager is required to work as part of a project team to establish a program of direct physician oversight for ground based ambulance operations and emergency medical dispatch, including all...
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No one wants to hide their acne by staying indoors. 4. Application of fresh garlic juice on and around the pimple is highly beneficial. This is the first acne most aloe vera gel for acne common myth about acne. One of the things that you can do is But when the acne formations get too painful, see a doctor to ensure that you are not experiencing any underlying diseases or health threats. Hindsight is always the most acute. You can try these tips rather than opting for medicines. Both products help prevent pore blockage, skin inflammation Psychological Factors It is true that an acne scar can be removed physically, but remained as a blemish on the psychological level. Most people
Tropical storm warnings issued for Northeast Florida, Southeastern U.S. coast
MIAMI ??Tropical storm warnings have been issued for the Southeast coast from north Florida to South Carolina as a cluster of thunderstorms was gathering strength Friday night and expected to become Tropical Storm Beryl over the Memorial Day weekend.
The National Weather Service said that the storm's maximum sustained winds were at 45 mph. But they are expected to increase as the storm slows down when it moves over the waters of the Atlantic.
The system was about 305 miles (490 kilometers) from Charleston, S.C., at 11 p.m. and swirling toward the Southeast coast.
Tropical storm warnings were issued for the Volusia/Brevard County line in Florida to Edisto Beach, S.C., and watches from Edisto Beach to the Santee River. The storm is expected to eventually move southwest and the Georgia coast and northern Florida could see heavy rains starting Sunday and into next week.
Higher than normal tides will be crashing against the Southeastern coast and may cause flooding. Heavy rain is forecast. Dangerous surf was expected along the coasts of northeastern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina over the holiday weekend.
Forecasters are classifying the storm as subtropical, which has more to do with how the center of the storm is forming, not wind speed, according to Weather Underground's website.
Often when subtropical storms remain over warm water for several days, they become tropical because thunderstorms start building close to the center.
Forecasters were not indicating that the storm would become a hurricane.
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Public release date: 30-May-2012
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What do people think, when someone mentions ?good housewife? or ?great home maker?? Mostly, it?s all about spotless surfaces, polished utensils and bright, clean rooms. It?s also the ease and ingenious thought behind household solutions. These people are dedicated to their homes, know all the ins and outs as well as how to come on top of all situations.
