Creativ Zeit

Do Your Job Better

2012-01-30T16:10:00.002+01:00

I want to be a grasshopper. At least I want to be seen as a grasshopper—a blithe spirit who sings and plays all day, creating beautiful ephemera. I want to be free from worrying about a less-than-comfortable future. I want to carpe that diem.

Being an ant, by contrast, is about as sexy as wearing white leather sneakers.

No ambitious person wants to look in the mirror and see a plodder—a toiling, plotting, planning laborer. It just doesn't fit with a self-image that is artistic, creative, and muse-worthy. Ants are the factory workers of the critter world. Most of us don't dream about doing time on an assembly line.

But I have come to understand that I am more antlike than grasshopperesque. While that realization is bad for a romantic sense of my own life, it's good for getting things done. Or, perhaps, it's the only way I am able to live and work.

http://chronicle.com/article/Accepting-the-Way-You-Work/130465/?sid=wb&utm_source=wb&utm_medium=en

What kind of people have we become?

2012-01-30T11:49:00.002+01:00

Between Christmas and New Year, the 70th anniversary of an event, which in no small way helped change the course of history, passed almost unnoticed. On December 26, 1941, less than three weeks after Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor, Winston Churchill addressed both branches of Congress in the United States. The prime minister, who was in Washington to agree military strategy with President Roosevelt, used the invitation from Senators and Representatives to excoriate the Axis powers and pose a simple question: “What kind of people do they think we are?”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/jeffrandall/9048427/What-kind-of-people-have-we-become.html

British children feel 'sad' without internet connection

2012-01-30T11:42:00.000+01:00

Forty-nine per cent of British children aged 12 and under, would be sad without access to the web, while one in five would be lonely.

The ‘Digital Futures’ project, which surveyed 1,000 young people in the UK between the ages of eight and 16 about the impact of the internet on their lives, found that the emotional attachment to the web was even stronger with teenagers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9045134/British-children-feel-sad-without-internet-connection.html

Just one in ten Facebook users supports 'timeline' feature

2012-01-30T10:21:00.002+01:00

Fewer than one in 10 Facebook users support its plans to make its biographical “timeline” feature compulsory.

As part of a major overhaul of the site, all publicly viewable messages, comments and photographs will be grouped together by date.

The idea is to create an online scrap book telling the user’s virtual “life story” – at least back to 2004 when the site was founded.

It means that, unless they are deleted, any long forgotten musings, embarrassing photographs or even messages of affection for a past lover will be easily accessible.

At present other users can only find material from several years ago by trawling through past pages.

Critics claim that the change could erode users' privacy but Facebook insists that it will not make anything publicly available which is not already viewable.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/9048034/Just-one-in-ten-Facebook-users-supports-timeline-feature.html

Visit Belfast - Discover A Vibrant Place

2012-01-27T20:37:00.003+01:00

Belfast - a cultural city rich in music, arts & theatre

2012-01-27T19:47:00.001+01:00

The cultural life of Belfast is more vibrant than ever - with the upcoming Cultural Olympiad, Belfast Festival at Queen’s and The Oh Yeah Music Centre, Belfast aims to rival the cultural festivals of Edinburgh & Manchester.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/northern-ireland-holidays/8973388/Belfast-cultural-city-music-arts-theatre.html

Northern Ireland ebook

2012-01-27T19:45:00.000+01:00

http://www.e-brochure.org/TELEGRAPH/NORTHERN_IRELAND/#/1/

Northern Ireland insider holiday tips

2012-01-27T19:43:00.000+01:00

Here’s a splendid selection of holiday tips, advice and hidden gems from the people who know Northern Ireland best - the locals.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/northern-ireland-holidays/8975075/Northern-Ireland-holiday-tips.html

Titanic Belfast exhibition to relaunch the capital

2012-01-27T19:40:00.005+01:00

For Susie Miller, it’s personal. “My dad gave me a battered old book to read as a child and it turned out to be a collection of short stories by my grandfather,” says the Belfast tour guide. “One was about his own father, Thomas Miller, who worked as an engineer and was one of the 1,500 people who died on the Titanic. When he sailed away, my grandfather never saw him again.

“Nobody talked about Titanic round here for years. It was filed away and unspoken,” she adds. “But I wanted to keep my great-grandfather’s name alive, to tell his story to people in Northern Ireland and all around the world.”

It is just this sort of story and powerful connection with Belfast that will make the new Titanic Belfast visitor experience the biggest thing, both physically and metaphorically, to happen to the city for many a year.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/northern-ireland-holidays/8972750/Titanic-Belfast-exhibition-relaunch-capital.html?WT.ac=8586392

Twitter to selectively 'censor' tweets by country

2012-01-27T19:32:00.002+01:00

Twitter has announced that it now has the technology to selectively block tweets on a country by country basis.

In its blog, Twitter said it could "reactively withhold content from users in a specific country".

But it said the removed content would be available to the rest of the world. Previously when Twitter deleted a tweet, it would disappear worldwide.

The decision has been criticised by the freedom of information advocacy group Reporters Without Borders.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16753729

London 2012: Isles of Wonder theme for Olympic ceremony

2012-01-27T19:29:00.002+01:00

Europe's largest bell will ring to start a £27m Olympic opening ceremony inspired by Shakespeare and featuring NHS nurses and 900 local pupils.

The show's artistic director, Danny Boyle, said the 'Isles of Wonder' ceremony was inspired by The Tempest.

Six months before the performance kicks off London 2012, the Oscar winner said it would be about a land recovering from its industrial legacy.

One billion people are expected to watch the opening ceremony on 27 July.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16747032

The Oxford Experience Summer School 1 July - 11 August 2012

2012-01-27T19:21:00.002+01:00

The 2012 Oxford Experience Programme is now online.
The Oxford Experience is a residentialsummer school held at the college of Christ Church, University of Oxford.

The programme consists of 6 weeks of coursesand participants attend for one or more weeks.
It offers a choice of twelve seminars eachweek over a period of five weeks. Participants do not need any formalqualifications to take part, just an interest in their chosen subject and adesire to meet like-minded people.

For more information and registration:

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/summerschools/oxex/index.php

Dear Students

2012-01-26T12:28:00.003+01:00

Electric shock treatment 'improves academic performance'

Read the article

Digital ‘right to be forgotten’ will be made EU law

2012-01-25T18:35:00.000+01:00

Embarrassing, inaccurate or simply personal data will have to be deleted from the internet and company databases if consumers ask, under a new set of European laws.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9038589/Digital-right-to-be-forgotten-will-be-made-EU-law.html

German business confidence rises again, says Ifo

2012-01-25T18:32:00.001+01:00

German business confidence has risen for the third month in row, reflecting a "positive" start to the year for Europe's biggest economy, according to the Ifo economic think tank.

The closely-watched Ifo Business Climate Index rose to 108.3 in January, up from 107.3 in the previous month.

Firms saw the current situation as less favourable, but expectations for the future had "brightened considerably".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16721086

Apple posts record $13.06bn quarterly profits, up 118%

2012-01-25T18:30:00.005+01:00

Apple reported record-breaking net profits for the three months to 31 December 2011 of $13.06bn (£8.36bn), up 118% from the same period in 2010.

The company also sold 37 million iPhones, more than twice as many as it sold in the last quarter of 2010.

"Apple's momentum is incredibly strong, and we have some amazing new products in the pipeline," said chief executive Tim Cook.

The firm is expected to release its iPad 3 in March this year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16712089

Merkel says 'big rethink needed'

2012-01-25T18:28:00.004+01:00

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel has told the World Economic Forum that a "big rethink" is needed in the eurozone within the global economy.

"Structural reforms that lead to more jobs are essential," she told delegates at the Swiss resort of Davos. "Do we dare to be more European?"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16720460

Bill Gates: I don't pay enough tax

2012-01-25T18:27:00.001+01:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16714480

Pay freeze to last until 2020 for millions

2012-01-23T10:17:00.004+01:00

Millions of ordinary families are unlikely to see their earnings return to pre-recession levels until at least 2020, a report from a leading thinktank has warned. But it predicts that the income of the wealthy will continue to rise over the same period.

The study, which focuses on the state of the "squeezed middle" and is produced by the independent Resolution Foundation, looks at the situation of 10 million adults, who crucially do not rely heavily on means-tested support from the state, and their 5.2 million children.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jan/23/uk-families-worse-off-2020

China: has the fire gone out of the dragon for investors?

2012-01-23T10:15:00.001+01:00

Tens of thousands of British investors will be wary of any bullish noises coming from fund groups championing China.

With Chinese New Year celebrations about to start this week, several groups are encouraging investors to keep faith with China despite some dismal returns of late.

China has been the phenomenal growth story of the 21st century and investors who caught the bug early will have reaped handsome rewards. But as the story unfolded, more investors jumped on board hoping to make a quick mint from the world's fastest-growing economy. However, growth has slowed and many investors will be cursing their move east.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/investing/9031654/China-has-the-fire-gone-out-of-the-dragon-for-investors.html

America overcomes the debt crisis as Britain sinks deeper into the swamp

2012-01-23T10:12:00.003+01:00

Britain has sunk deeper into debt. Three years after bubble burst, the UK has barely begun to tackle the crushing burden left by Gordon Brown. The contrast with the United States is frankly shocking.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/9031478/America-overcomes-the-debt-crisis-as-Britain-sinks-deeper-into-the-swamp.html

Blackberry-maker RIM says co-chief executives step down

2012-01-23T10:04:00.003+01:00

Blackberry-maker Research In Motion (RIM) has said its co-chief executives Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie have stepped down in a shake-up.

Mr Lazaridis, who founded RIM in 1984, will become vice chairman. Mr Balsillie will continue to sit on the board but not have any operational role.

Chief operating officer Thorsten Heins will replace them on Monday.

Investors have called for a strategy change as the company struggles to compete with Apple and Google.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16675452

Apple will Markt für Lehrbücher revolutionieren

2012-01-22T17:42:00.003+01:00

Apple hat am Donnerstag in New York zwei Ansätze vorgestellt, um iPads stärker in den Schulunterricht einzubinden. Mit "iBooks 2" stellte der Konzern neue Lehrbücher vor, die alle multimedialen Fähigkeiten des Tablets ausnutzen. Dazu präsentierte Apple eine Software namens "iBooks Author", die es besonders einfach machen soll, solche Lehrbücher zu produzieren. Der zweite Ansatz ist eine neue Version von "iTunes U", einer Sammlung von Lehrmaterialien von Bildungseinrichtungen aus aller Welt.

http://www.zeit.de/digital/mobil/2012-01/apple-ibooks2-ibooks-author

Will Apple's iBooks Experiment Lower the Price of College Textbooks?

2012-01-22T16:37:00.002+01:00

With schools investing millions toward MacBooks and iPads for every student, Apple is already a major player in the education-technology market. But Thursday's announcement of a slew of new education apps made clear that the company is positioning itself to become the iTunes of the digital textbook world.

Apple executives announced details of a revamped iTunesU, the new iAuthor app—which will allow educators to create their own books—and iBooks2, a partnership with the nation's biggest education publishers. iBooks will produce electronic texts for K-12 schools starting at the uber-affordable price of $14.99 each.

Some states are already mandating that public schools shift to a digital textbook format, so now is the perfect time for Apple to get into the elementary and secondary education market. But it's almost guaranteed that the company doesn't plan to stop there. Expanding to the lucrative college textbook market is undoubtedly on Apple's to-do list, too.

http://www.good.is/post/will-apple-s-ibooks-experiment-lower-the-price-of-college-textbooks/

Fruit and vegetable consumption by poorer families falls 30%, figures show

2012-01-22T16:25:00.004+01:00

Lower income families in the UK have cut their consumption of fruit and vegetables by nearly a third in the wake of the recession and rising food prices, to just over half of the five-a-day portions that the government recommends for a healthy diet.

Households in the lowest tenth of incomes were buying only 2.7 portions of fruit and vegetables a day at the end of 2010, the latest year for which figures are available, while the average household continued to buy about four portions per person, according to statistics from the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). For lower income households, that represents a 30% decline in purchases of fresh fruit and vegetables since 2006.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/22/fruit-vegetable-consumption-poorer-families

The Technology of Orgasm: ‘Hysteria’, the Vibrator, and Women’s Sexual Satisfaction.

2012-01-16T10:04:00.003+01:00

Rachel Maines’ book is a history of medical mal(e)practice regarding female sexuality. The work began in the 1970s when Maines ‘a very angry feminist’ was conducting her thesis on the history of needlework. Whilst trawling through women’s magazines from the early 1900s looking for trends in needlework patterns she came across the following advert: ‘Aids that every woman appreciates’. Next to ‘Electric radiator—fine for the cold bathroom, bedroom …’ was ‘Portable vibrator—neat, compact with three applicators’. On completion of her thesis and after finding 11 ‘musculo-skeletal relaxation devices’ from the beginning of the 20th century at the Bakken Library of electricity in Life, in Minneapolis, Maines began her research into the history of the vibrator.

http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/30/4/904.full

A Point of View: Why didn't Harry Potter just use Google?

2012-01-09T15:57:00.004+01:00

In a world that is overwhelmed with ways of accessing information, we must decide what to remember and what to forget, says historian Lisa Jardine.

In a recent article about the impact of the internet, New Yorker columnist Adam Gopnik gives a particularly engaging example of the hurtling pace at which the speed of access to information is accelerating.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16443825

A Brief History of Eggnog

2011-12-22T10:28:00.002+01:00

Eggnog really makes you wonder: How did humans first think chugging a spiced and spiked egg-yolk-and-milk mixture was a good idea? It’s a bit like Gaston from Beauty and the Beast: “Now that I’m grown, I eat five dozen eggs, so I’m roughly the size of a barge!” Yet despite its “love it or hate it” fame, eggnog has charmed drinkers for nearly a millennium.

While culinary historians debate its exact lineage, most agree eggnog originated from the early medieval Britain “posset,” a hot, milky, ale-like drink. By the 13^th century, monks were known to drink a posset with eggs and figs. Milk, eggs, and sherry were foods of the wealthy, so eggnog was often used in toasts to prosperity and good health.

Sir Gus O’Donnell: The UK faces break-up

2011-12-22T10:04:00.002+01:00

Britain's most senior civil servant Sir Gus O’Donnell has publicly questioned whether the United Kingdom will still exist in a few years’ time.

Writing in The Telegraph, Sir Gus O’Donnell asks whether the Union can survive increasing pressure for Scottish independence.

Sir Gus, who is the head of more than 440,000 civil servants in England, Scotland and Wales, says the future of the Union is one of several “enormous challenges” facing the political establishment in the coming years.

The admission from such a senior non-political figure that the break-up of Britain is now a real possibility is likely to push the issue up the political agenda.

“Over the next few years there will be enormous challenges, such as whether to keep our kingdom united,” he warns officials and politicians.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8971787/Sir-Gus-ODonnell-The-UK-faces-break-up.html

Britons are happier than the French or Germans, say Cambridge academics

2011-12-22T10:02:00.002+01:00

People in Britain are happier than the French and Germans, according to a study by Cambridge University psychiatrists.

One in five people in Britain could be described as "flourishing", compared to 14 per cent in France.

Academics found that no country in Europe had a population of which more than half was happy. The most miserable countries were Russia and Portugal, where fewer than one in ten citizens were reported as "flourishing".

Britain also came ahead of Germany by a fraction of one per cent.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/wellbeing/8972025/Britons-are-happier-than-the-French-or-Germans-say-Cambridge-academics.html

Warum Demokratie die Geisteswissenschaften braucht

2011-12-19T17:37:00.002+01:00

Die US-Intellektuelle Martha Nussbaum sprach in Berlin. Sie sieht die Geisteswissenschaften in der Krise, wovon naturwissenschaftlich-technologische Fächer profitierten.

http://www.zeit.de/wissen/2011-12/geisteswissenschaften-krise

Have a very messy Christmas, says Archbishop of Canterbury

2011-12-18T18:42:00.001+01:00

Dr Rowan Williams said that many families start each Christmas season with good intentions, such as writing cards weeks in advance and arranging every detail of the turkey dinner.

But their preparations often descend into “the usual mess” and a “last-minute panic”, with the problems made worse this year in many homes by worries about how to pay for it all.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/8959204/Have-a-very-messy-Christmas-says-Archbishop-of-Canterbury.html?utm_source=tmg&utm_medium=td_8959204&utm_campaign=christmas1712

Christmas through the looking glass

2011-12-18T17:42:00.000+01:00

During this grand finale of the annual consumer cycle, the Christmas shop windows are like a stage set laid out for the shopping public to perform on. By turns opulent, witty and innovative, they set the scene for the big winter spend; the more perfectly transporting the displays, the more likely it is that we will fulfil our role alongside them, buying into the glamour of luxury.

The design of the most spectacular windows famously starts a year in advance, with the teams accumulating folders of reference images and scouring eBay and flea markets for suitable props. The visual merchandising departments tend to see their Christmas windows as a kind of gift to the shopping public. Over the past half-century or so, they've become part of the Christmas tradition: not so much a chance to cram the windows with alluring merchandise as an opportunity to create a fantasy world so beguiling that shoppers will be charmed in through the doors.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/dec/18/christmas-through-the-looking-glass

Will BlackBerry survive 2012?

2011-12-18T17:19:00.004+01:00

Troubled BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion has announced further delays to its new phones - now analysts and commentators are making their complaints ever more loudly.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/blackberry/8961589/Will-BlackBerry-survive-2012.html

How to make Heston's must-have Christmas pudding

2011-12-18T17:04:00.003+01:00

It may have sold out for a second year at Waitrose, and be selling online for as much as £250, but fear not. There's another way to obtain Heston Blumenthal's Waitrose Hidden Orange Christmas Pudding - make it yourself. Rose Prince shows you how.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/8155014/How-to-make-Hestons-must-have-Christmas-pudding.html

Feeling under the weather? You've got Christmas Tree Syndrome

2011-12-18T16:57:00.003+01:00

Don't be too quick to judge those who feel under the weather over the festive period – rather than seasonal overindulgence, it could be their Christmas tree making them ill.

The traditional centrepiece decoration has been blamed for triggering a range of health complaints, from wheezing and coughing to lethargy and insomnia.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/8963438/Feeling-under-the-weather-Youve-got-Christmas-Tree-Syndrome.html

The ChIndian Century

2011-12-12T09:28:00.001+01:00

I saw the Indian hit movie 3 Idiots recently in an unusual location: a cineplex in Hong Kong. Very rarely do Bollywood flicks make the city's commercial circuit — the conventional wisdom holds that they do not appeal to local audiences. Yet my Sunday morning matinee was 80% filled, mostly with Chinese of all ages. Some took the movie at face value: the zany antics of Indian college kids. But the majority of viewers, it seemed to me, got the universal moral about breaking free from social straitjackets. They laughed when they were meant to, and didn't when they weren't. While the foreign 3 Idiots was a box-office monster, 1911, a China-backed war docudrama starring hometown celebrity Jackie Chan, bombed. Go figure: India 1, China 0.

Feasting On Europe

2011-12-12T09:27:00.001+01:00

To hear the people of Iceland describe it, the wilderness area of Grimsstadir in the country's remote northeast is as serene a spot as you can hope to find on the planet. From its cluster of farms and guesthouses, you can watch the dazzling northern lights, drive to Europe's most powerful waterfall a short distance away and, according to the area's website, enjoy "big, beautiful crystal-clear skies and mountain vistas."

But something far less serene has played out in Grimsstadir in recent weeks: a battle over China's rising economic clout.

The Beginning of the End for Facebook?

2011-12-05T17:55:00.001+01:00

My friends at comScore shared with me that, in September 2011 in the U.S., the average number of minutes that each Facebook user spent on the site was 410. Last year, that month’s average was 287, signaling a 42% increase. Also during September 2011, Facebook commanded 14.7% of total U.S. consumer Internet-usage minutes, the most of any website. Given that the site is still on a growth trend, how could I be crazy enough to ask if it’s the beginning of the end for Facebook? Let’s explore.

One of the things you learn living in Silicon Valley your whole life is how fast things can change. Big companies can come and go in extremely short periods of time. Yahoo! was once what Google is today. MySpace was once what Facebook is today. Innovation happens everywhere and waits for no company.

The 9 Most Christmassy Towns in America

2011-12-05T09:11:00.001+01:00

We take a look at the towns and cities that take this holiday very seriously, from the over-the-top light extravaganzas to the classic and quaint

4m children in UK do not own a single book, study finds

2011-12-05T09:07:00.001+01:00

The latest report by the National Literacy Trust discloses that one in three does not have a book of their own.

The number has increased from seven years ago, the last time the poll was conducted, when it stood at one in 10 youngsters, meaning the number of children without books has triped.

The latest survey, which was based on a survey of 18,000 children aged between eight and 16, shows that boys are more likely to be without books than girls.

The researchers also found that children who are eligible for free school meals - a measure of poverty - are less likely to own a book than their more wealthy peers.

The findings show that children who own books are more likely to perform better at school.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8934429/4m-children-in-UK-do-not-own-a-single-book-study-finds.html

Gun Sales Shot Up on Black Friday

2011-12-05T08:56:00.001+01:00

Gun shops rang in the holiday shopping season with a bang. Black Friday 2011 set the biggest one-day record of background check requests for hopeful gun buyers, eclipsing the previous record by 32%, according to the FBI. The agency saw 129,166 requests for the instant background checks required for all firearm buyers. The previous high was Black Friday 2008, which drew 97,848 requests.

Margaret Thatcher: a figure of history and legend

2011-12-03T18:29:00.001+01:00

It is cruel to depict a living human being in fallible old age, but the new film of Margaret Thatcher, starring Meryl Streep, lifts her above political controversy and turns her into a cultural icon.

The best way to understand why a feature film about Margaret Thatcher might work is to imagine trying to make one about other 20th-century British prime ministers. How about Safety First (Stanley Baldwin), A Period of Silence (Clement Attlee), Crisis? What Crisis? (James Callaghan) or In No Small Measure (John Major)? It doesn’t do, does it? Even Tony Blair, already the subject of several films, invites a satire treatment, not a life story. There is a case, perhaps, for David Lloyd George. There is the towering subject of Winston Churchill. And then there is Margaret Thatcher.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/8932995/Meryl-Streep-as-Margaret-Thatcher-a-figure-of-history-and-legend.html

Why are US teenagers driving less?

2011-12-03T17:42:00.001+01:00

American teenagers are taking to the road in fewer numbers than ever before. What's behind this trend and does it mean the end of the car as adolescent status symbol and rite of passage?

If Ferris Bueller had a day off now, would he spend it on Facebook?

Recent research suggests many young Americans prefer to spend their money and time chatting to their friends online, as opposed to the more traditional pastime of cruising around in cars.

For the high school students in films like Ferris Bueller's Day Off and American Graffiti, cars were the ultimate expression of individuality and personal freedom - just as they have been for generations of Americans.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15847682

Toilet gaming technology targets urinal boredom

2011-12-03T17:41:00.001+01:00

There is not much choice: stare blankly at the wall tiles, focus on shoes with face set in a grimace, or maybe whistle.

When men use a public urinal they are cruelly left in full view, with nothing to do as they answer nature's call.

Until now.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15923438

How can musicians keep playing despite amnesia?

2011-12-03T17:40:00.001+01:00

Scientists are trying to understand how amnesiacs can lose all memory of their past life - and yet remember music. The answer may be that musical memories are stored in a special part of the brain.

When British conductor and musician Clive Wearing contracted a brain infection in 1985 he was left with a memory span of only 10 seconds.

The infection - herpes encephalitis - left him unable to recognise people he had seen or remember things that had been said just moments earlier.

But despite being acknowledged by doctors as having one of the most severe cases of amnesia ever, his musical ability and much of his musical memory was intact.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15791973

Ear stretching: Why is lobe 'gauging' growing in popularity?

2011-12-03T17:36:00.001+01:00

Ear stretching goes back a long way.

But you don't have to visit a museum or travel to a remote-ish part of the world to see it because the practice has been adopted in many Western countries.

However, it is not so common that it goes unnoticed. Stretched piercings do tend to stick out like the proverbial sore thumb, particularly if the hole is substantial enough to hold a small object.

For many people, there is an "ouch" or an "eugh" factor when they see someone with a substantial ear lobe stretch but for those that have it done, it is a thing of beauty.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15771237

Will Your Mall Be Tracking Your Cellphone Today?

2011-11-27T10:39:00.001+01:00

Some shoppers looking for Black Friday deals will find a surprise waiting for them at the mall—sensors that track their every move.

Black Friday Thursday: Will Shoppers Really Show Up at Stores on Thanksgiving Night?

2011-11-24T12:32:00.001+01:00

One of the biggest stories to emerge this holiday shopping season is the expansion of Black Friday. In years past, retailers pushed the envelope by opening at 4 a.m., or even 3 a.m. the morning (if you want to call it that) after Thanksgiving. That’s just not cutting it this year, when many stores will open their doors to Black Friday shoppers at midnight, or, in the case of Walmart, at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving night.

Toys R Us, which opened at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving night of last year, decided it was necessary to open an hour earlier, at 9 p.m. on Turkey Day 2011. Most Toys R Us stores will remain open until 11 p.m. on Black Friday, making for a 26-hour shopping marathon.

Takeout’s Attempted Takeover of Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T12:30:00.001+01:00

Thanksgiving has a long-standing tradition as the ultimate home-cooked holiday. But 14 million Americans are expected to dine out on Turkey Day, and another 16 million households will use ready-to-eat takeout foods for some or all of their “home-cooked” Thanksgiving dinner.

The cost of Thanksgiving dinner is rising: A traditional home-cooked feast for 10 costs just under $50, on average, up 13% compared to a year ago.

Dining out, of course, is even more expensive. Perhaps due to the sad state of the economy, fewer Americans are expected to eat the big meal at restaurants this year: Just 6% of the population (14 million people) will dine out on Thanksgiving, according to the Nation’s Restaurant Association, compared to 11% of Americans last year.

Black Friday 2011: Toys R Us, Target Thanksgiving hours spark protests

2011-11-24T12:26:00.001+01:00

Black Friday shopping fever is close at hand, and several large retailers are attempting to get a leg up on the competition by opening on Thursday evening, much to the chagrin of some employees. As Bloomberg reported:
Anthony Hardwick says he resents working at Target Corp. on Thanksgiving and has garnered more than 37,000 signatures on an online protest petition.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/black-friday-2011-toys-r-us-target-thanksgiving-hours-spark-protests/2011/11/22/gIQAW2x4lN_story.html?tid=pm_business_pop

Black Friday 2011: Chain stores opening earlier and offering deeper discounts than in the past

2011-11-24T12:24:00.001+01:00

Every Black Friday, there’s a staring contest between retailers and shoppers over price. This year, the stores may have blinked first.

Chains such as Toys “R” Us Inc. and Gap Inc. are opening earlier and offering more markdowns than ever on the day after Thanksgiving, said Mary Delk, a director at Deloitte Consulting. The result may be higher sales and lower profits for retailers over the holiday season.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/black-friday-2011-chain-stores-opening-earlier-and-offering-deeper-discounts-than-in-the-past/2011/11/23/gIQALgXRoN_story.html

Manolo Blahnik: This is what I try to do, make women feel like princesses

2011-11-24T12:21:00.001+01:00

He's the Canary Islands' most famous export who made London his home and became a worldwide household name and national treasure in the process. His own life story reads like a fairytale, so who better to inspire fashion writer and bestselling author, Camilla Morton's latest fairytale collaboration?

http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/TMG8910678/Manolo-Blahnik-This-is-what-I-try-to-do-make-women-feel-like-princesses.html

Shakespeare 'could help doctors become better'

2011-11-24T12:17:00.001+01:00

Reading William Shakespeare could give physicians a fresh insight into the links between emotion and illness, a retired doctor and scholar believes.

Dr Kenneth Heaton says many doctors fail to connect psychological problems with physical symptoms - and argues the playwright could help them do it.

He listed dozens of examples in which Shakespeare described these phenomena in his works.

"They could learn to be better doctors by studying Shakespeare," he said.

While traditional medical school training never strays far from the science of diagnosis and treatment, there has been growing interest in recent years in including courses on health-related art, history or literature as part of the curriculum.

Dr Heaton, from North Somerset, who studied Shakespeare after retiring from his post as a gastroenterologist, believes that a broader perspective could make it easier to understand the viewpoint and needs of a patient, particularly in general practice.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15862377

Do we still need travel agents to book our holidays?

2011-11-24T12:07:00.001+01:00

Thomas Cook, the company that invented package holidays and which has been guiding and reassuring travellers for more than 150 years, is facing some serious head winds. Its long-serving chief executive resigned during the summer after the third profits warning of the year, and on Tuesday it announced that it is borrowing another £100 million to tide it over the difficult winter months. The news has sent shudders through an already nervous travel industry, and spasms of anxiety through anyone who has booked a Thomas Cook holiday.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/8910460/Do-we-still-need-travel-agents-to-book-our-holidays.html

Airlines Segregating Tots in ‘Baby Ghettos’ (To Some Other Passengers’ Delight)

2011-11-22T20:51:00.001+01:00

What’s worse than getting stuck in the dreaded middle seat of a plane? Having to endure a crying baby in the midst of an already unpleasant flying experience.

'Terminator'-Style Contact Lens Projects Info Before Your Eyes

2011-11-22T20:49:00.001+01:00

Those info-streaming retinal displays from the Terminator movies may be closer to fact than fantasy, according to researchers at the University of Washington and Aalto University, in Finland, who are developing a computerized contact lens that could be used to display data — like emails and text messages — right in front of your eyes.

World's largest dating event sees 20,000 Chinese search for love

2011-11-13T18:45:00.001+01:00

On a sunny day on the outskirts of Shanghai on Sunday, 20,000 hopeful, curious and in some cases desperate Chinese gathered for the world's largest dating event.

But it would be misjudging the mood to say love was in the air.

Instead, in a business convention centre, a stream of pragmatic men and women briskly exchanged vital statistics and contact details.

Lonely hearts advertisements pinned on the wall gave a taste of the proceedings. "Reference: W004763, Name: Yao Qin, Height: 1.63m, Date of Birth: 07.1987," read one. "Lives in Shanghai, has a university degree, annual income 20,000 to 50,000 yuan."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8887090/Worlds-largest-dating-event-sees-20000-Chinese-search-for-love.html

'Occupy' is most commonly used word in English language media, claims study

2011-11-10T16:09:00.003+01:00

Repeated references to the Occupy Movement, which inspired protests outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London and in other major world cities, helped push the word into first place, researchers said.

As a noun, the term was also extensively used when referring to the “occupation of Iraq” and “Occupied [Palestinian] Territory”, the Global Language Monitor (GLM), a media analysis company.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8881273/Occupy-is-most-commonly-used-word-in-English-language-media-claims-study.html

V is for what? The meaning of the mask

2011-11-07T12:12:00.002+01:00

Ask any actor, a mask is powerful. While the purpose of realism in acting is to strip away the pretence and make the actor expose their soul, on their face, for real - a mask does the opposite. It creates instant power and tension.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15373036

V for Vendetta masks: Who's behind them?

2011-11-07T12:11:00.001+01:00

The sinister Guy Fawkes mask made famous by the film V for Vendetta has become an emblem for anti-establishment protest groups. Who's behind them?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15359735

Tintin: a homage to Hergé that is too adventurous

2011-11-07T12:00:00.002+01:00

The new Tintin film is visually dazzling, but dazzle is not always the highest virtue in film-making, writes Charles Moore.

This review is late because I had not intended to write it at all. One look at the publicity stills for Steven Spielberg’s computer-animated film version of Hergé’s creation had convinced me that I would hate it. The film renderings of the characters looked like grotesque parodies of human beings, rather than the peaceful, beautifully drawn cartoons of the master. Research among fellow Tintin-lovers showed that this reaction was widely shared.

Our son, however, who is a much more learned Tintinologist than I, took a different view. Although the film was “far from perfect”, he said, it was “fully in the spirit of the original” and clearly composed by people who loved it: I should go. So, in order to prove that I am not in the 47 per cent of the adult population who regard the young as rude and frightening, I put on my 3D glasses, and went.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/charlesmoore/8873503/Tintin-a-homage-to-Herge-that-is-too-adventurous.html

Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan, National Gallery in London: review

2011-11-07T11:58:00.001+01:00

The Leonardo da Vinci exhibition opening this week is a great coup for the National Gallery, which has managed to gather under one roof the most stunning portraiture and sacred art by the world’s original Renaissance Man, writes Richard Dorment.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/leonardo-da-vinci/8870754/Leonardo-da-Vinci-Painter-at-the-Court-of-Milan-National-Gallery-in-London-review.html

Smartphone scams: Owners warned over malware apps

2011-11-07T11:51:00.002+01:00

A national computer security campaign is urging smartphone users to do more to protect themselves from unwittingly downloading malware applications.

Get Safe Online says that there has been an increase in smartphone malware as the market has grown.

Criminals are typically creating Trojan copies of reputable apps and tricking users into installing them.

Once on the phone, the app can secretly generate cash for criminals through premium rate text messages.

Get Safe Online, a joint initiative between the government, police and industry, said it was concerned that users of smartphones, such as Android devices, were not taking steps to protect their devices.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15600697

Anonymous und Guy Fawkes

2011-11-07T10:54:00.005+01:00

Guy Fawkes wollte das englische Parlament in die Luft sprengen, den König töten. Er war ein katholischer Terrorist. Vier Jahrhunderte später wurde eine weiße Maske mit seinem Antlitz zum Symbol der Web-Guerilla Anonymous. Eine Markengeschichte.

http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/netzpolitik/0,1518,795927,00.html

Zehn Tipps gegen Perfektionismus

2011-11-07T10:52:00.001+01:00

Perfektionisten setzen sich und ihre Umwelt unter Druck. Dabei sind Menschen, die Fehler machen, beruflich erfolgreicher. Wir zeigen zehn Tipps für Imperfektion.

http://mobil.zeit.de/karriere/beruf/2011-09/tipps-gegen-perfektionismus

Ms., 40 Years On

2011-10-24T15:36:00.003+02:00

With Ms. magazine about to celebrate its 40th anniversary in December (its first issue was a supplement to New York magazine), this seems a good time to tip Lingua Franca’s collective hat to the magazine’s and its allies’ remarkable success in deliberately insinuating a new word—Ms.—into the language. To appreciate the difficulty of that, consider the hundreds of unsuccessful attempts to come up with a gender-neutral third-person pronoun that Dennis Baron has tracked at his invaluable Web site.

One of the few other successes I can think of along this line is homophobic, which the OED reports as first being used in a general context in 1975. The word deftly psychologizes hostility toward homosexuals as springing from fear of them. Well played. However, Ms. is a bit more impressive in that, unlike homophobic, it was offered as a substitute for two already well-established words, Miss and Mrs.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2011/10/20/ms-40-years-on/?sid=wb&utm_source=wb&utm_medium=en

A Silicon Valley School That Doesn’t Compute

2011-10-24T09:24:00.001+02:00

LOS ALTOS, Calif. — The chief technology officer of eBay sends his children to a nine-classroom school here. So do employees of Silicon Valley giants like Google, Apple, Yahoo and Hewlett-Packard.

But the school’s chief teaching tools are anything but high-tech: pens and paper, knitting needles and, occasionally, mud. Not a computer to be found. No screens at all. They are not allowed in the classroom, and the school even frowns on their use at home.

Schools nationwide have rushed to supply their classrooms with computers, and many policy makers say it is foolish to do otherwise. But the contrarian point of view can be found at the epicenter of the tech economy, where some parents and educators have a message: computers and schools don’t mix.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/technology/at-waldorf-school-in-silicon-valley-technology-can-wait.html?_r=1

Some Supermarkets Shunning Ben & Jerry's 'Schweddy Balls'

2011-10-24T09:22:00.001+02:00

“No one can resist my Schweddy Balls!” Sorry, Ben & Jerry's, but apparently some people can.

A rather suggestive Saturday Night Live sketch from 1998 features baker Pete Schweddy, played by Alec Baldwin, proclaiming the undeniable appeal of his Schweddy Balls creation on NPR.

Ben & Jerry's has come out with their own limited-edition ice cream flavor, calling it an “ode” to the classic sketch that “you won't be able to resist.” The flavor is described as Fair Trade vanilla ice cream with a hint of rum, “loaded with fudge covered rum and milk chocolate malt balls.”

That sounds pretty delicious, right? However, the ice cream's name is a little too provocative for certain grocery store chains and the American Family Association affiliate group One Million Moms. The Mississippi group has been vocal about their disdain for the flavor, calling for a boycott because of its “vulgar” title.

Watch Your Mouth: The Protest Food of Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-23T18:35:00.000+02:00

Occupy Wall Street is entering its fourth week of protesting corporate greed from New York City’s Zuccotti Park. Last week, the movement’s ranks swelled above 10,000. That’s a lot of mouths to feed. From the start, Occupy Wall Street’s Food Committee has taken on the logistical challenge of feeding its ever-growing participants by calling for donations, encouraging newcomers to bring food to share, and extolling the virtues of the quick and portable peanut butter sandwich. But the movement has yet to find its signature dish.
The history of countercultural movements can be told through their stomachs.

http://www.good.is/post/watch-your-mouth-the-protest-food-of-occupy-wall-street/

Will Walmart Shoppers Buy Ethically-Branded Products?

2011-10-23T18:33:00.001+02:00

When Project 7 started up in 2008, it launched an ethical branding strategy familiar to Whole Foods shoppers everywhere: Simply chewing a piece of Project 7 gum, popping a Project 7 breath mint, or downing a bottle of Project 7 water would help fund nonprofits that "Feed the Hungry," "Save the Earth," and "Heal the Sick." Soon after it released its charity-minded line, Project 7 landed in that king of crunchy retail outlets. This fall, Project 7 made its way to more unexpected shelves: Walmart's.

http://www.good.is/post/will-walmart-shoppers-buy-ethically-branded-products/

Jay-Z and Warren Buffett Team Up to Teach Kids Financial Literacy

2011-10-23T11:26:00.002+02:00

One is worth $39 billion, while the other has a comparatively meager $450 million but significantly more street cred with young people. So Warren Buffett and Jay-Z are teaming up to teach kids about financial literacy. Buffett's animated series Secret Millionaires Club is set to move from the web to television this month, and an animated Jay-Z is the guest star for the first episode on October 23.

http://www.good.is/post/jay-z-and-warren-buffet-team-up-to-teach-kids-financial-literacy/

Americans Don't Care About Climate Change—And That's OK

2011-10-23T11:25:00.000+02:00

“Whatever happened to global warming?” wonders Elisabeth Rosenthal in this week’s New York Times Sunday Review. Apparently Americans don't regard climate change as a pressing issue anymore. In 2006, 79 percent of us believed that the planet is warming. Today it’s just 59 percent. Meanwhile, An Inconvenient Truth has been largely forgotten, and Rick Perry insists the science "is still not settled."

http://www.good.is/post/americans-don-t-care-about-global-warming-and-that-s-ok/?utm_content=headline&utm_medium=hp_carousel&utm_source=slide_1

It's Tintin Time!

2011-10-23T10:28:00.001+02:00

In the beginning, there was the word, and the word was Tintin. Steven Spielberg didn't know what it meant. "Raiders of the Lost Ark had just opened overseas," he says, "and all through the French reviews, which I couldn't read, there was a smattering of Tintin everywhere. I didn't understand what Tintin meant in French, or what that was referring to."

What Your Supermarket Knows About You

2011-10-23T10:24:00.002+02:00

The global financial crisis of 2009 hit consumers hard. Two years later, and they’re still reeling. Spending is down across the board, and even the more affluent are watching their pennies. In this fearful climate, retailers are applying ever more scientific and psychological tactics to lure them back. This was made clear to me on a memorable day in 2010 when I visited the laboratory outside of Chicago of one of the world’s largest consumer goods manufacturers.

Shopping by phone at South Korea's virtual grocery

2011-10-21T19:11:00.002+02:00

Online shopping is nothing new, especially in plugged-in South Korea. But one company says it's going further. It's testing out a virtual supermarket in a public place.

At Seolleung underground station in Seoul, there's a row of brightly lit billboards along the platform, with hundreds of pictures of food and drink - everything from fruit and milk to instant noodles and pet food.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15341910

Is reading on the loo bad for you?

2011-10-21T18:02:00.003+02:00

Filthy habit or blameless bliss? A public health study by Ron Shaoul lifts the lid on toilet reading once and for all.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2011/oct/21/reading-on-the-loo-study

Is the US Declaration of Independence illegal?

2011-10-20T15:49:00.002+02:00

In Philadelphia, American and British lawyers have debated the legality of America's founding documents.

On Tuesday night, while Republican candidates in Nevada were debating such American issues as nuclear waste disposal and the immigration status of Mitt Romney's gardener, American and British lawyers in Philadelphia were taking on a far more fundamental topic.

Namely, just what did Thomas Jefferson think he was doing?

Some background: during the hot and sweltering summer of 1776, members of the second Continental Congress travelled to Philadelphia to discuss their frustration with royal rule.

By 4 July, America's founding fathers approved a simple document penned by Jefferson that enumerated their grievances and announced themselves a sovereign nation.

“Start Quote

When a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security”

The Declaration of Independence

Called the Declaration of Independence, it was a blow for freedom, a call to war, and the founding of a new empire.

It was also totally illegitimate and illegal.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15345511

Is Occupy Wall Street bad for the American Dream?

2011-10-16T18:49:00.004+02:00

Conservative groups responding to Occupy Wall Street argue that hard work, not protests, will bring people out of poverty. Is that true?

As the Occupy Wall Street movement has grown, more and more Americans are stepping up to share their stories and air their grievances.

But not everyone is angry at Wall Street. Conservative reaction to the movement has resulted in counter-protests and new memes, like conservative columnist Erick Erickson's new site, We Are The 53%.

The site is a reaction to We Are The 99 Percent, a website that allows citizens to upload photos of themselves holding a sign with their story - such as too much student debt, trouble getting a job, or no health insurance.

Contributors claim they stand in opposition to the 1% of Americans who control the majority of the country's wealth, as well as the big business and government systems they say allowed the economy to flounder.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15301200

Being slightly poorer might actually enrich our lives

2011-10-16T18:43:00.002+02:00

I was one of the luckier ones. My BlackBerry never actually collapsed in The Great Global Catastrophe last week – it just staggered a bit. But I was, nevertheless, absolutely furious. Not at the service disruption, which was a minor irritation, but because the public relations fiasco might push my favourite electronic device into extinction. And then I would be forced into buying one of those over-hyped, over-priced toys which the newly canonised Saint Steven of Apple had convinced people that they wanted.

The relentless pressure to upgrade, to keep up with the latest state-of-the-art innovations, may be at its most obvious and ruthless in the electronic gadget business. But that competitiveness (and the brilliant manipulation of public perceptions that it involves) is just a function of a wider cultural change: people could not be persuaded or bullied into buying things they did not know they needed if they were not quite so rich. (Or if society didn’t offer them so many simulacrums of personal wealth in the form of easy credit.)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8829120/Being-slightly-poorer-might-actually-enrich-our-lives.html

Occupy Wall Street protests stepped up around the world

2011-10-16T18:36:00.003+02:00

Protests against corporate greed and cutbacks have stepped up across America as protesters in London inspired by the "Occupy Wall Street" movement continued their demonstration through the night.

Thousands of anti-capitalist protesters returned to New York's Times Square on Saturday, buoyed by a global day of demonstrations in support of their month-long campaign against corporate greed.

In Chicago, more than 2,000 people marched from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to Grant Park before setting up tents. Police said they arrested more than 200 protesters who refused to leave this morning.

The Occupy Wall Street movement has been gathering steam over the past month, culminating with the global day of action yesterday.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8829838/Occupy-Wall-Street-protests-stepped-up-around-the-world.html

Mystery condition makes woman age 50 years in just a few days

2011-10-16T18:30:00.001+02:00

Vietnamese woman Nguyen Thi Phuong now looks like a septugenarian after the rapid aging affliction took hold following an allergic reaction to seafood.

Her sad story began in 2008, when her youthful beauty began to fade over the course of just a few days, leaving her with sagging, wrinkled skin all over her face and body.

Until now she has been forced to wear a mask in public to hide her appearance from prying eyes, but now doctors are attempting to establish what caused her sudden and horrifying aging.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8826277/Mystery-condition-makes-woman-age-50-years-in-just-a-few-days.html

These days, we all need a housewife to hand

2011-10-16T18:22:00.002+02:00

The British housewife is on the way out - and more's the pity.

The British housewife is fast disappearing, it emerged last week: in a survey of 2,000 women who gave up paid work to look after their families, two thirds rejected the label outright, saying that it had “negative connotations” or was even “insulting”. They preferred the title “stay-at-home mother”, which they felt hinted less strongly at domestic drudgery.

The shift is rather telling. If the ancient word “housewife” suggested a person defined chiefly by her place in the home and marriage to her husband, then “stay-at-home mother” abandons the word “wife” altogether: it junks the husband in favour of the children. “Listen, honey,” it whispers. “The sofa cushions might be plumped, and the casserole is bubbling, but it’s not really for you, it’s for them. Now, could you pop on a wash and take the rubbish out?”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/8829161/These-days-we-all-need-a-housewife-to-hand.html

Frost and snow to hit Britain as October heatwave comes to abrupt end

2011-10-16T17:07:00.004+02:00

Temperatures peaked at an unseasonably high 18.3C (64.94F) in Gravesend, Kent, on Saturday, but temperatures are set to drop in the coming days.

Andy Ratcliffe, a forecaster at MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: ''A cold front will start across Scotland and Northern Ireland tomorrow, giving some heavy outbursts of rain, which will turn to snow over the mountains in Scotland.

''The rain will spread further south into northern England and Wales by the end of tomorrow.''

Winds of up to 65 miles per hour are expected across north-western England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the odd rumble of thunder is possible.

''We will definitely feel a chill in the air,'' Mr Ratcliffe said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/8829800/Frost-and-snow-to-hit-Britain-as-October-heatwave-comes-to-abrupt-end.html

One more time: Can we please have Canadian arts on Canadian TV, please?

2011-10-10T18:00:00.003+02:00

Why do I vote? You didn’t ask, but I’ll tell you anyway.

I vote because I care about where I live. When I came to this country decades ago I was well pleased with where I had landed, pleased enough to feel tied to it in the best possible way. That meant never taking it for granted. So I vote because I care about the neighbourhood, the city, the province and the country where I live and work.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/television/john-doyle/one-more-time-can-we-please-have-canadian-arts-on-canadian-tv-please/article2192167/

Interview with John Doyle, Author of The World is a Ball

2011-10-10T17:57:00.002+02:00

John Doyle’s book The World is a Ball: The Joy, Madness, and the Meaning of Soccer is an account of one man’s travels around the world following soccer. The journey begins in 2002 and takes readers through European qualifying and World Cup matches. Doyle not only gives a recap of the contests, but he also puts the reader in the stadium to experience the emotion and pageantry that goes along with international soccer. In this interview, Doyle, who also writes for The Globe and Mail, discusses the book, his travels around the world, and soccer.

http://www.epltalk.com/interview-with-john-doyle-author-of-the-world-is-a-ball-36016

Grilled Chicken, That Temperamental Star

2011-10-10T09:03:00.001+02:00

THE sauce will not behave.

It is supposed to drip twice, on cue, from the bottom right-hand corner of a forkful of tortellini — first as the fork is lifted above the plate and, second, after the fork pauses briefly in the air and starts to rise again.

Two drips. A sequence that lasts a second and a half, tops.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/business/in-food-commercials-flying-doughnuts-and-big-budgets.html?_r=1

Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Bryan: the story behind the photograph that shamed America

2011-10-09T19:37:00.005+02:00

One was trying to go to school; the other didn’t want her there. Together, Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Bryan starred in one of the most memorable photographs of the Civil Rights era. But their story had only just begun.

On her first morning of school, September 4 1957, Elizabeth Eckford’s primary concern was looking nice. Her mother had done her hair the night before; an elaborate two-hour ritual, with a hot iron and a hotter stove, of straightening and curling. Then there were her clothes. People in black Little Rock knew that the Eckford girls were expert seamstresses; practically everything they wore they made themselves, and not from the basic patterns of McCall’s but from the more complicated ones in Vogue. It was a practice borne of tradition, pride, and necessity: homemade was cheaper, and it spared black children the humiliation of having to ask to try things on in the segregated department stores downtown.

In the fall of 1957, Elizabeth was among the nine black students who had enlisted, then been selected, to enter Little Rock Central High School.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/8813134/Elizabeth-Eckford-and-Hazel-Bryan-the-story-behind-the-photograph-that-shamed-America.html

New Auto Technology Can Tell When You're 'Driving While Drowsy'

2011-10-09T11:34:00.002+02:00

In the age of multilingual GPS devices, driver seat massages and cruise control navigation, it was only a matter of time before manufacturers developed drowsy driver alerts.

That's right – technology to tell you when you're in danger in nodding off behind the wheel, bringing you back to full attention through dashboard icons and warning alarms.

Are Debit Card Fees Meant to Get Consumers to Use Credit Cards More?

2011-10-09T11:33:00.000+02:00

Why are Bank of America and other financial institutions charging new monthly fees for debit card usage? The move has predictably caused a backlash, and the net result may be that fewer customers will keep using debit cards at all. Could that be the point?

Why the Washington Establishment is Heeding Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-08T17:45:00.002+02:00

The running critique of the Occupy Wall Street protests is that they have too many bongo drums and not enough message coherence. But that hasn’t stopped Washington’s elite–Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and President Barack Obama–from all hearing the same, singular message loud and clear.

“I think people are quite unhappy with the state of the economy and what’s happening,” Bernanke said at a Wednesday hearing on Capitol Hill. “They blame, with some justification, the problems in the financial sector for getting us into this mess, and they’re dissatisfied with the policy response here in Washington. And at some level, I can’t blame them.”

Twitter Breaks Tweets per Second Record In Response to Steve Jobs' Death

2011-10-08T17:44:00.003+02:00

The sad news of Steve Jobs' death quickly passed around the internet after it broke on Wednesday, with millions taking to social media to share the story as well as their memories of the man and his legacy. Perhaps unsurprisingly, what resulted was the largest online reaction to any event in recent history, according to new figures just released.

Jobs' death resulted in around 10,000 tweets per second immediately following the news;

Tom Stevenson: Finding the next Apple may well be impossible for investors

2011-10-08T17:32:00.003+02:00

Maybe it's pushing it to call it a JFK moment. But the airline flying me back from a trip to the Middle East on Thursday considered the death of Steve Jobs significant enough to flash it up on the seat-back screen I was watching.

I guess I'm likely to remember that I was directly above Baghdad when I learnt that the founder of Apple had died.

It was appropriate that I should hear about Jobs's untimely death on a commercial flight because the remarkable success of Apple is a counterpoint to the idea that world-changing inventions can often make poor investments

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/tom-stevenson/8814608/Tom-Stevenson-Finding-the-next-Apple-may-well-be-impossible-for-investors.html

Swedish poet Transtroemer wins Nobel Literature Prize

2011-10-06T16:18:00.004+02:00

Swedish poet Tomas Transtroemer has been awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize for Literature.

The Royal Swedish Academy named him the recipient "because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality".

The 80-year-old is the 108th recipient of the prestigious prize, given last year to Peruvian Mario Vargas Llosa.

Presented by the Nobel Foundation, the award - only given to living writers - is worth 10 million kronor (£944,246).

A trained psychologist, Transtroemer suffered a stroke in 1990 that affected his ability to talk.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15200547

Tributes flood in for Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T16:16:00.004+02:00

World and business leaders pay tribute to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who has died at the age of 56 from pancreatic cancer.

US President Barack Obama and Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev said Mr Jobs had changed the world.

Microsoft's Bill Gates said it had been "an insanely great honour" to work with him. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg remembered his "mentor and friend".

The Twitter microblog site struggled to cope with the traffic of tributes.

Apple itself said Mr Jobs had been "the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives" and had made the world "immeasurably better".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15202484

AB01 - Top ten machines developed by Dyson

2011-09-27T08:49:00.002+02:00

2006 Dyson launches, the Dyson Airblade™ hand dryer. It is the fastest, most hygienic hand dryer: drying hands in just ten seconds

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/picture-galleries/8759473/Top-ten-machines-developed-by-Dyson.html?image=6

Facebook criticised for 'tracking' logged-out users

2011-09-27T08:45:00.000+02:00

The controversy was sparked by Nik Cubrilovic, an Australian technology entrepreneur, who found that even after he logged out of the social network, it delivered “cookies” to his web browser that could be used to track visits to other websites.

Cookies are small text files used by websites to store user preferences and the contents of online shopping carts, among other functions.

When users log out of websites cookies are often deleted, but Mr Cubrilovic found that Facebook only altered them, while continuing to store data such as his account ID.This unique identifier could be used to track logged-out users when they visit other websites that have integrated Facebook functions, such as the “Like” button, he said.

“Logging out of Facebook only de-authorizes your browser from the web application, a number of cookies (including your account number) are still sent along to all requests to facebook.com,” Mr Cubrilovic said in a widely-shared blog posting.

“The only solution is to delete every Facebook cookie in your browser, or to use a separate browser for Facebook interactions.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/8789942/Facebook-criticised-for-tracking-logged-out-users.html

Amazon to launch iPad tablet rival

2011-09-27T08:43:00.002+02:00

Amazon is set unveil a colour, touchscreen update to its popular Kindle e-reader on Wednesday, and many analysts reckon it may sell 5million of units before Christmas.

The rumoured launch is hotly anticipated because Amazon already sells digital books, films and music, and as such is better placed than traditional hardware manufacturers to challenge Apple’s iPad tablet. Amazon is likely to use a heavily adapted version of Google’s Android platform.

The Kindle could sell for approximately half the price of an iPad, although the first models are likely to use a 7” screen rather than the iPad’s 10”. An event has been scheduled in New York on Wednesday evening.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/amazon/8789587/Amazon-to-launch-iPad-tablet-rival.html

Goodbye, geek chic: Will glasses soon be history?

2011-09-26T15:43:00.004+02:00

Tavi Gevinson, 15-year-old fashion blogger, recently launched heronline magazine, Rookie. Making the press rounds, she looked typicallycool with her Cleopatra eye makeup and thrift-store shifts, butsomething was different: no eyeglasses. Asked where her trademark roundrims had gone, she said, “I was tired of them.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/relationships/news-and-views/katrina-onstad/goodbye-geek-chic-will-glasses-soon-be-history/article2172860/

The next big tech revolution? The global brain

2011-09-26T15:42:00.001+02:00

Get ready for the global brain. That was the grand finale of apresentation on the next generation of the Internet I heard last weekfrom Yuri Milner. Group of Eight leaders had a preview of Mr. Milner’spredictions a few months earlier, when he was among the technologysavants invited to brief the world’s most powerful politicians inDeauville, France.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/commentary/chrystia-freeland/the-next-big-tech-revolution-the-global-brain/article2176342/