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Social Inequality in AmericaWritten by Stephen Lendman Subject: Philosophy: Fascism
by Stephen Lendman
Islamic Awakening requested an article on this topic. Later publication will follow. Specific questions were raised.
Related issues include imperial priorities, permanent wars, political injustice, wealth and privilege at the expense of popular needs, and deepening hardships affecting millions of Americans.
America's social contact is targeted for elimination. Bipartisan complicity plans it.
Fiscal cliff doublespeak duplicity conceals what's planned. Robbing poor Peter to pay rich Paul is policy. Much worse lies ahead.
Feeding America addressed how yearend agreement terms affect hunger. Severe harm was inflicted or plans are to do so. Food stamps and other anti-hunger programs will be cut when they're most needed. Nutrition programs weren't renewed.
Charitable deductions will be limited. Less will feed hungry people. Food banks already struggle to cope. Demand way exceeds resources.
Destroying America's social contract matters more than public need. Social injustice is official US policy. Class war raged for decades.
Corporate giants, super-rich elites, Washington, states and local communities waged it against ordinary Americans and won.
Since the 1970s, taxes were shifted inordinately onto middle and low income earners, as well as others most disadvantaged.
Super-rich Americans game the system. Clever lawyers and accountants ease their burden. New ways are found to pay less.
Major corporations pay minimal taxes. Nominal rates are 35% of profits. Out of sight and mind, Obama, Republicans, and key Democrats agreed to 28%.
In the past two years, about 12.4% of profits were paid. Expect much less ahead.
Some profitable companies pay nothing. Others get large rebates. They benefit from tax laws they write. Ordinary Americans bear greater than ever burdens. The worst is yet to come.
Californians did the unthinkable. Last November, they backed a ballot initiative to raise taxes. Ordinary people pay it. Rich ones and corporations game the system to avoid it. Tax laws make it easy to do.
Social inequality in America is unprecedented or close to it. It matches or exceeds 19th century harshness. Protracted Depression conditions affect Main Street.
Poverty, unemployment, homelessness and hunger approach record levels. Millions struggle to get by. Credit cards are maxed out to do it. Retirement savings are tapped.
They're used to pay bills or get loans. Vanguard is one of the largest 401(k) money managers. It said households using either method rose 12% since 2008.
HelloWallet offers Americans "institutionalized financial advice." It said 30% of households earning less than $50,000 annually used one method or the other.
Aon Hewitt surveyed 110 large employers. Nearly one-third of their employees had outstanding loan balances against retirement accounts. Nearly 7% had hardship withdrawals. About 42% cashed in plans when changing jobs. Doing so harms retirement security.
Last November, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities published a report titled "Pulling Apart." It discussed growing US income inequality.
It said growth "since the late 1970s has not been a geographically isolated phenomenon."
"Nationwide, income gaps between the richest households (as well as) poorest (and) middle-income (ones) widened significantly since the late 1970s."
"The incomes of the country's richest households climbed substantially over the past three decades, but middle and lower income households have seen only modest increases or actual declines after adjusting for inflation."
Realized capital gains were excluded. Study authors warned its "results show somewhat less inequality than would be the case" by including them.
Findings were bad enough. "Nationally, the richest fifth of households enjoyed larger average income gains in dollar terms each year ($2,550 inflation-adjusted) than the poorest fifth experienced during the entire (previous) three decades ($1,330)."
In the late 1970s, the America's richest fifth households had 5.2 times as much income as the poorest one-fifth. By the mid-2000s, it was 8.3 times. Disparity rises annually. It may now exceed 10 times. In another decade or less it could double today's level.
Socially destructive government policies bear full responsibility. Wealth and privilege alone matter. Ordinary households are sacrificed. Popular needs go begging.
Inequality is institutionalized. Around 100 million working age Americans are jobless. Most others are underemployed. Millions struggle to pay rent, service mortgages, cover medical bills, heat homes, and manage other daily expenses.
America's 1% has more wealth than the bottom 95%. Income inequality is greater than in almost all other developed countries. Chile, Mexico and Turkey alone rank higher.
Until the mid-1970s, younger generations outdid older ones financially. Wages rose in real terms. They no longer keep up with inflation.
High-paying jobs disappeared. Offshoring lost them. Low-paying/poor benefit ones replaced them. Most are temp or part-time. Many don't pay enough to live on.
Plans call for increased harshness. Paul Craig Roberts says America's "economy is not going anywhere but down." Government/corporate race to the bottom priorities assure it.
"Media spin" manufactures "recovery out of thin air." says Roberts. Hard-pressed Americans can explain things better than talking-head economists paid to lie.
Protracted crisis conditions exist. Worse times lie ahead. Social benefit cuts sustain Wall Street, other corporate favorites, militarists, and America's super-rich.
Ordinary households sacrifice to enrich them. They're held hostage. Their future includes neo-serfdom and debt peonage.
For decades, real wages haven't kept up with inflation. Benefits steadily eroded. High-paying manufacturing and service jobs went offshore. Low-wage countries got them. Automated production claimed more.
Technology driven productivity pressures workers to toil longer for less pay and fewer benefits. Corporate monopolies and oligopolies control production, commerce and finance.
Class war isn't new. Today it rages. Popular interests are no match for wealth and privilege priorities.
America's middle class is disappearing. The criminal class in Washington is bipartisan. Complicit with Wall Street and other corporate favorites, the economy was wrecked. Ordinary households were sacrificed for profit.
Capitalist excess bears full responsibility. It's too corrupted, dysfunctional, and exploitive to fix. Political criminals and corporate crooks run America. They benefit at the public's expense.
America isn't fit to live in. Change depends on dismantling it and starting over. Key is putting money power back in public hands where it belongs. Social justice depends on making banking a regulated public utility.
Banks too big to fail shouldn't exist. Insolvent ones should be shut down. Others should be broken up and regulated. Banksters profiteering from fraud should be prosecuted and imprisoned.
America's resources should be used for growth. Job creation should be prioritized. People with money spend it. Corporations and super-rich elites should bear the greatest tax burden.
Popular needs should be responsibly addressed. America's manufacturing base should be rebuilt. Neglected infrastructure rebuilding is vital.
Social Security, Medicare, Medicare, public pensions, and other vital social benefits should be protected, sustained, strengthened, and improved.
Anti-trust laws with teeth are needed. Monopolies and oligopolies should be broken up and controlled. Energy, healthcare, communications, and other vital industries should be regulated as public utilities.
Profiteering at the public's expense should be criminalized. A better world is possible. Wishing won't make it so. Nor will elections throwing out old bums for new ones.
Ordinary people are responsible for their own well-being. Their futures lie in the balance. Sustained commitment can assure better ones. If that's not worth struggling for, what is?
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at email@example.com.
His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.


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jQuery UI Layout Plug-in
If you find Layout useful and want to support its development...
Updated Oct 29, 2012
UI Layout – The Ultimate Page Layout Manager
This plug-in was inspired by the extJS border-layout, and recreates that functionality as a jQuery plug-in. The UI Layout plug-in can create any UI look you want - from simple headers or sidebars, to a complex application with toolbars, menus, help-panels, status bars, sub-forms, etc.
Combined it with other jQuery UI widgets to create a sophisticated application. There are no limitations or issues - this widget is ready for production use. All feedback and requests are welcome as development is ongoing. If you create a good looking application using UI Layout, please let us know.
This plug-in is on the jQuery site at: http://plugins.jquery.com/layout
Checkout our Demos page for a list of all our demos and samples.
The plug-in's extensive options and features are documented in detail here:
Plug-in Authors
UI Layout is a joint effort between Fabrizio Balliano, who initiated the project, and Kevin Dalman, who expanded the functionality and flexibility.
Fabrizio's original project was called 'FBBorderLayout' – that is now depricated.
Contact Information
This plug-in is dual-licensed under the GPL and MIT licenses.
Download the latest version of jquery.layout.js on our downloads page.

subset: commoncrawl


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So Miley Cyrus said her Wrecking Ball video was inspired by Sinead O'Connor's Nothing Compares 2U. And Sinead was contacted by all kinds of media asking for comment. She decided to write Miley an open letter instead. You can read that here.
Miley responded on Twitter by comparing Sinead to Amanda Bynes, posting Sinead's old tweets from two years ago during which she appeared to be having a mental breakdown.
Sinead answered back with another public letter and threatening to sue.
Miley returned to Twitter to tell Sinead that she was too busy hosting Saturday Night Live to deal with her drama but "if youd like to meet up and talk lemme know in your next letter. :)"
Sinead replied on Facebook, or whatever social media, who can keep track at this point?, by insisting that Miley apologise, "in between g-string changes", and that she wouldn't waste her time meeting her.
In other words, they're both f-cking assholes.
Sorry, does that disappoint you? Am I supposed to be pro-Sinead just because Miley's all about her body and her tongue these days? Look, Miley was a dick, a total dick with the mental illness shaming. It was a low, LOW blow.
But it wasn't the first punch, was it?
An open letter isn't exactly kind. Especially not when variations of the word "prostitute" are used five times in the post. Sinead's calling Miley a whore and she's telling Miley not to be a whore for male record executives getting rich off her tits. Fine.
Guess who's going on tour next week?
Oh, hi Sinead O'Connor.
And who's using Miley now to generate publicity? Who's gaining from exploiting Miley? Not just male record executives. Not anymore.
Because there were other, more private ways to reach out to Miley, non? Don't tell me an open letter was the only method. But slut-shaming is best performed with an audience, you know? Otherwise, these awesomely misogynistic phrases could never be enjoyed. Like when Sinead tells Miley that:
"You ought be protected as a precious young lady…"
And that:
"Your body is for you and your boyfriend."
Again. Sorry. I can't support that. I can't support language like that. Miley's mockery of Sinead's mental health struggles was a c-nt move, yes. It was one c-nt move in a series of c-nt moves that both of them are throwing at each other.
Is Miley's recent behaviour concerning? Sure. To me though, it's no less concerning than the fact that she was allowed to become a star when she was a child. THAT has to be just as concerning as all the photos you're seeing of her shoving her various body parts up on the camera. I'll say it again – it is JUST AS CONCERNING as Hannah Montana. Letting her become Hannah Montana, and boxing her into an image that society considers "safe" for young girls, under a spotlight, constricted by fame, is tantamount to child abuse.
And what's confusing about it all is that the reason why she's so offensive to so many right now is because she was expected to stay trapped in the wholesome f-cking coffin of the all-American sweetheart. If Sinead O'Connor doesn't think the "new" Miley is the "real" Miley, the truth is, the "old" Miley wasn't the "real" Miley either.
What is Miley now? Who is Miley?
Miley is wrong to associate "adult" with "sex and nudity".
Or Miley is taking ownership of her own sexuality, and controlling it for her own gain.
Or Miley is confusing control with exploitation.
Or Miley's agency over her own body is empowering.
Is it sexist to assume that just because she's not wearing much clothing that it's not of her own will? That's an interesting feminist debate I'd love to have at the Faculty of Celebrity Studies. Because right now there is no consensus.
Here's Miley in New York last night. And the t-shirt. She's a scrappy one, right?


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Efforts to expand mangrove forests are paying dividends in northern Vietnam
HANOI, Vietnam (AlertNet) – Memories of the devastation wrought by Typhoon Damrey, which struck coastal areas of northern and eastern Vietnam in 2005, are still fresh in Pham Thi Tuyen's mind.
"The cyclone was (the most) powerful, dreadful and cataclysmic event I had ever witnessed in my life," recalls the 37-year-old rice paddy farmer.
But Tuyen and other residents of rural Thanh Hoa province feel more confident about withstanding future storms, thanks to a project that takes advantage of the coastal protection offered by mangrove forests.
In the hours before Typhoon Damrey hit in September 2005, with winds of 100 km per hour (60 miles per hour), nearly 300,000 people were evacuated from the coastal areas of Thanh Hoa and Nam Dinh provinces.
"We had no choice but to flee for our lives to higher ground, leaving behind everything, including our cattle," recalled Pham, who lives in the remote coastal community of Da Loc, in eastern Thanh Hoa province, about 175 km (110 miles) south of Hanoi, the capital.
A storm surge ripped apart 3.7 km (2.3 miles) of dykes in front of her village and inundated most of the district's coastal communities, including agricultural fields, fruit orchards and cattle farms.
But in Da Loc community, one protective dyke, 1.7 km (1 mile) in length, survived the cyclone because it was buffered by thick mangrove forest.
"This was when we realised how stubbornly the mangroves can withstand tropical cyclones like Damrey," said Vu Xuan Ngoc, a 33-year old fish farmer. "This was a key lesson nature taught us."
Following Typhoon Damrey and an increasing number of cyclones that have affected Vietnam in the last five years, a number of international non-governmental organisations have begun working in disaster-prone coastal areas of Vietnam, building on evidence that mangroves can play a crucial role in reducing the destruction from cyclones.
A wave's energy can be reduced by 75 percent if it passes through 200 metres of mangrove forest, according to the United Nations Environmental Programme.
CARE International, a non-governmental organisation working in Vietnam, has launched a project to help Da Loc and other adjoining communes re-establish mangrove forests as "living storm barriers", said Nguyen Viet Nghi, a senior official at the organisation's Vietnam project office.
Quoting from a project report, Nguyen said that in Hau Loc district, where Da Loc is situated, the area of coastal land which has mangrove coverage has increased from 15 hectares (37 acres) to more than 250 hectares (620 acres).
The mangrove strip is now nearly 3 km (2 miles) long and 700 metres wide, with more than 2,000 plants per hectare. More than 6,000 people in the six project areas of Thanh Hoa province, along with a further 2,300 people in adjoining project areas, are now better protected against the effects of flooding as a result of the mangroves.
Da Loc is one of six coastal communities of Thanh Hoa province considered highly vulnerable to frequent storm surges, sea level rise, intrusion of salt water and drought, all of which are expected to become more serious threats as a result of changes in the climate and an increase in extreme weather events.
According to the Southern Institute for Water Resources Research in Vietnam, Vietnam has witnessed a 0.5 to 0.7 degrees Celsius rise in temperature over the past 50 years.
The institute says that rainfall has become more erratic and has increased by 10 percent in the northern part of the country, and that the sea level has risen by 20 cm (8 inches) over the same 50-year period, with an anticipated increase of a further 100 cm (39 inches) by 2100.
According to Nguyen, the rapid establishment of the mangrove plantations is due to the active participation of local communities. Members of the six communes in Hau Loc district collectively run mangrove nurseries, selecting and sourcing seeds recommended for the area's varied local conditions, which can include muddy soils or sandy seabed.
Community members also prepare and plant the mangroves in the new areas. For example, where CARE has provided training, the community has taken responsibility for sustaining the mangrove plantations.
"Experiences in Vietnam's coastal communes show the value and advantages of (communities) sharing control over key decisions and resources," said Rolf Herno, CARE International's coordinator for adaptation learning projects in Africa.
"This enables communities to be powerful actors in the fight against poverty and adaptation to climate change," he added.
Farming is the major source of income for coastal communities such as Da Loc. Nevertheless, the mangrove forests are offering communities an opportunity to diversify their livelihoods and increase the number of ways they are able to earn an income.
The project has incorporated plans to help residents diversify their income sources, in recognition of the fact that people in coastal areas need different livelihood options to help them build up long-term resilience to the impacts of climate change.
Giving local people additional possibilities for income generation was also important to help reduce their reliance on the mangroves as a source of wood for fuel or sale, Nguyen said.
Bui Thi Din, chairwoman of Yen Loc village women's union in Da Loc, said that due to the increasing mangrove coverage, coastal communities' living standards had improved significantly as they were now able to earn additional income by catching and selling crabs and shrimp that live among the mangrove roots.
Pham Thi Tuyen said that the project has helped her appreciate the different ways in which mangroves can protect and support her. Previously, "I just knew it was simply a [mangrove] forest and had no idea what was in the forest," she said.
"But now I know better how to find clamshells, small crabs, mussels, oysters and shrimps to generate additional income for my family from these forests," she said.
Chief executive of the Climate and Development Knowledge Network, Sam Bickersteth, said lessons learned from community-based adaptation interventions in Vietnam can be replicated in other parts of the world.
"There is a strong need to carry forward these proven experiences to other coastal areas of Asia-Pacific countries, Africa and other parts of the world where denudation of mangrove forests has exposed the countries of these regions to tropical cyclones and other climate change-induced risks," he said.
Saleem Shaikh and Sughra Tunio climate change and development reporters based in Karachi, Pakistan. . This story is part of a series supported by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Talk. Share. Cry. Stretch? Psychotherapy has historically been an exercise of the mind, but in the offices of more and more modern-day mental-health providers, emotional healing is taking place not just on the couch but on the yoga mat.
The burgeoning field is called yoga therapy, and its practitioners include psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers who incorporate yoga poses and meditative breathing into their sessions, as well as yoga teachers who want to learn how to address the emotions that bubble up in students during class or in private sessions. The idea, say yoga therapists, is to allow yoga to empower people while priming them to access their deepest emotions.
A typical yoga-therapy session with Dr. Elizabeth Visceglia, a psychiatrist and yoga therapist based in New York City, often starts with some kind of breath work energizing breaths for people who are depressed, balancing breaths for those with anxiety. Then patients practice yoga poses geared to their specific needs. People with severe posttraumatic stress disorder, for example, are prone to losing their sense of being in the room when they experience a vivid reliving of their trauma. So Visceglia has them hold simple grounding positions, like the warrior or chair pose, before transitioning into talk therapy.
"Emotional memories are stored in your body," Visceglia says. "A group yoga class, is not structured to enable you to process that. Ideally one would want to work with someone who is paying attention to both the physical and emotional experiences."
That's the philosophy behind yoga therapy instruction at Phoenix Rising in West Stockbridge, Mass., where yoga therapists, who do not need to be mental-health practitioners, learn to address both the mind and body in one-on-one sessions and group classes. A Phoenix Rising yoga therapist puts clients in assisted yoga postures and does a kind of "verbal exploration" of the present moment. The yoga therapist acts as a witness to clients' exploration, with empathy and positive regard for their experience.
The concept of healing the mind via the body, and vice versa, has been around for decades. "Freud used to work with hysterical women with unconscious conflicts that they couldn't express through words," says Visceglia. "Only through looking at the symptoms of their body [like phantom pregnancies] could they even get to what was psychologically needed for healing."
Since the days of Freud, research into the mind-body relationship has come a long way. Studies show that not only are your mental health and mood dependent in large part on physical factors like exercise, but also unchecked stress, anxiety and depression can affect physical health, increasing blood pressure, heart disease and even risk of death. So it was perhaps inevitable that patients would start bringing their yoga mats into therapy.
The practice is quickly gaining popularity. There are now close to 50 schools of yoga offering yoga-therapy training in the U.S. And the International Association of Yoga Therapists has more than tripled its membership from 2003 to 2009, to about 2,500 members. "Now we have more licensed health-care providers, including psychologists, coming in who are interested in using yoga in their work," says Kelly McGonigal, the editor in chief of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy.
In fact, yoga therapy may even offer some aid to psychiatry's most intractable patients. Visceglia is in the process of analyzing data from a recent study she conducted at Bronx State Psychiatric Center on the effects of yoga therapy in people with chronic schizophrenia, some of whom have been hospitalized for 15 to 20 years. Her study suggests a decrease in negative symptoms and an increase in quality of life. The endocrine system and parasympathetic nervous system are out of whack in schizophrenia patients; yoga affects these systems, Visceglia says, leading to an increased overall feeling of calm.
That sense of peace is what Joan Stenzler, a licensed clinical social worker and a yoga teacher in Fresh Meadows, N.Y., tries to create in her sessions. In addition to using physical yoga poses, Stenzler teaches her clients about the five koshas, or layers of consciousness, in yoga: physical, energetic, mental-emotional, wisdom and bliss. "Each kosha represents one aspect of our existence or consciousness and can potentially be open and accessible to the individual, or blocked," says Stenzler, who helps patients identify and free themselves from their areas of blockage.
"When I first came [to therapy] I was having a lot of anxiety and physical symptoms that made me feel trapped," says Rachel W., a special-education teacher. "Through yoga, Joan helped me witness what I was experiencing and train myself to think past my body."
But some experts are cautious about the combo therapy. Their main concern is safety: Are psychotherapists really equipped to teach yoga? "Yes, but only with extensive yoga training," says Bo Forbes, a clinical psychologist, yoga teacher, and founder and director of the Center for Integrative Yoga Therapeutics in Boston. She believes that psychotherapists should have in-depth study of yoga and a strong background in anatomy and alignment to limit client injuries. Currently, there are no official licenses or standards of practice for yoga therapy.
Further, says Forbes, many mental-health experts who try yoga therapy may have a difficult time overcoming the mores of their profession. "As psychologists, we have been schooled against touch. For example, it can take work for the clinicians who go through our teacher-training programs to overcome that prohibition."
Already, however, many therapists are guiding downward-dog poses in the office. Stenzler says yoga and psychotherapy make a perfect union which is what yoga actually translates to in Sanskrit. "The goal and intention in psychotherapy is to support a patient to be who they always were. And that's yoga! I've been doing it all along and didn't realize," Stenzler says.


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"This Kiss to the Whole World"
Klimt and the Vienna Secession
The New York Art Resources Consortium (NYARC)—a collaboration between the libraries of The Frick Collection, Brooklyn Museum, and The Museum of Modern Art—has extensive holdings of materials relating to artist Gustav Klimt (1862–1918). To correspond with the citywide Vienna, City of Dreams program organized by Carnegie Hall in the spring of 2014, NYARC presents this exhibition of its Vienna Secession (Union of Austrian Artists) catalogs and other related materials for the period that Klimt, as a founding member, was involved. Notable exhibitions that took place during this time period include the fourteenth exhibition (1902), which was designed by Josef Hoffmann and centered around tributes to Ludwig van Beethoven, as well as the eighteenth exhibition (1903) devoted to Klimt's work and designed by Koloman Moser.
Klimt's Beethoven Frieze, located in the Secession Building and exhibited during the fourteenth exhibition, was inspired by Richard Wagner's performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony on April 5, 1846, in Dresden, Germany. The final section of the Beethoven Frieze, which features embracing lovers surrounded by singing angels, refers to the symphony's chorale based on Friedrich Schiller's famous poem Ode to Joy. Subsequently, this important section of the Frieze is referred to as This Kiss to the Whole World.
This online exhibition presents digital copies of the full run of Vienna Secession catalogs 1-23 (1898-1905) along with photographic postcards illustrating some of the exhibition installations. Most of the original items are held at the Frick Art Reference Library. A complete virtual set has now been made possible courtesy of digital copies from the collection of the Neue Galerie New York. For a list of contributors to this project, see our credits page.


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Prospective and new parents often rush out to buy everything that a baby could possibly want or need even though this isn't practical if you're on a budget. Even if this isn't the case for you, things that you buy still may not ever be used and can turn out to be a big waste of money. Note that I won't be listing absolutely every item that you could feasibly need/want – think of it more as a list for those who want their new baby to be fully kitted out without going overboard on the spending front.
Sleeping Essentials
- Crib/Moses bed/Travel cot. The baby will obviously need somewhere to sleep but new parents often disagree on the form that the sleeping arrangements should take. This one is probably a matter of personal choice.
- Bedding. Whatever type of bed you choose, you'll need blankets and sheets for bedding. A waterproof mattress is also advisable.
- Baby monitor. It's not realistic to be with your baby every second of the day so you'll need a baby monitor to be able to keep tabs while you're in another room.
Changing Essentials
- Changing mat. Technically speaking this isn't strictly an absolute essential. Many new parents just use the floor instead but a changing mat can be useful to prevent you from having to keep bending down to the floor every time a baby needs changing. To protect your back, you may consider this to be a necessary item.
- Diapers/Diaper bags/Diaper ointment. These are self-explanatory so I won't go into details on this one!
- Stroller. This one is pretty self-explanatory for when you're traveling on foot. Until your baby is old enough to support its head by itself, you'll need a stroller that reclines. This can be one of the most expensive purchases you'll make for a new baby.
- Car seat. If you've got a car and are planning to take the baby out and about in it, a car seat is a must. This is one area not to be skimped on – you don't want to put your baby's safety at risk. Ideally, look for one with top-notch safety reviews for piece of mind.
- Baby sling. Even if you've got a car, there might be situations when you don't want to travel this way and a baby sling can be an ideal way to transport a small baby on foot if a stroller would be too much hassle to set up and maneuver.
Feeding Essentials
- Sterilizer/Feeding bottles/Bottle brush. This comes down to whether you're going to be breastfeeding or using formula milk. If it's the latter, you'll need feeding bottles and a sterilizer.
- Nursing bras/Nursing pads/Nipple cream. If you're going to be breastfeeding, these items can make it easier. Baby/parenting websites often advise having at least six nursing bras.
Most new parents receive a lot of baby outfits from friends and family so you may be able to get away with buying predominantly essentials like:
- Babygros (somewhere between six and eight is recommended)
- Bodysuits (again, six to eight is recommended)
- Vests
- Hat
- Coat
- Booties/Socks
- Mittens
If you're not lucky enough to be helped out in the clothing department, you'll also need:
- One-piece outfits
- One-piece pajamas
- Fleece outfits for winter
Optional Items
If you can borrow these items from friends, do so as chances are that your baby won't need them for too long. For this reason, you probably won't want to buy most of them brand new, especially if money is already tight.
- Moses basket
- Newborn clothing
- Baby bath
- Baby bouncer
Buying Tips
If money isn't plentiful, you may not be in a position to buy brand new items. You can get some absolute second-hand bargains if you want to go down this route. I would never buy things like car seats second-hand because of the safety aspect, but you can buy a lot of the items mentioned in this post second-hand if needs be. Shopping online is another alternative, because you can shop around and maybe find discounts.
What are your suggestions for preparing for a new baby if you're on a budget?
(photo credit: jessicafm)


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Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year: 2003 Volvo XC 90
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More than any other vehicle in the running this year, the Volvo XC90 moves the standard in its market segment. This innovative machine drives comfortably like a sedan, tows like a pickup, off-roads like sport/ute, and moves bulky cargo or as many as seven people like a minivan.
And it does it all with the mechanical polish, premium exterior style, and attention to interior detail associated with top-drawer luxury vehicles. In addition, this Volvo addresses the safety, emissions, and, to a lesser degree, fuel-use issues associated with SUVs.
The XC90 is a critical model for Volvo, with stretch-goal sales targets. First, it has to stem the tide of customers leaving the Volvo family for Mercedes-Benz MLs, Lexus RX 300s, and Acura MDXs. Second, it has to convert new buyers in serious numbers. For the first full year of XC90 production, Volvo hopes to sell 35,000-40,000 units. Considering that in 2001, Volvo sold a total of 134,937 vehicles in North America, this additional XC90 volume is an ambitious leap of more than 25 percent.
The XC is a clever piece of engineering that offers two gutsy powertrain choices. The first is a light-pressure turbocharged inline-five-cylinder making 208 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. This efficient five bolts to a slick five-speed automatic. The bigger motor is a twin-turbo inline-six mated to a four-speed automatic (there isn't room to package it with the new five-speed). While both engines are aided by continuously variable valve timing, the six generates 268 hp and provides a V-8-like 280 lb-ft of torque. Peak output is on tap from just 1800 rpm. Both engines also manage 0-60 runs in 9.0-sec territory (9.8 for the I-5, 8.9 for the I-6).
The transverse inline-engine arrangement and efficient unibody construction make for a compact exterior, a roomy interior, and friendly driving manners. Volvo also claims the engine packaging allows short and direct plumbing between the exhaust manifold and the under-floor catalysts, meaning quicker light-off and lower emissions. Indeed, both engines meet the ULEV (Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle) standard. The chassis and steering responses are remarkably carlike on the road. We do, however, have some reservations about the perceived accuracy of the 2.5T's steering, which lacks the T6's ZF speed-sensitive-assist system, but there's no complaining about the generous wheel travel, balanced shock damping, and good cornering precision.
Although well served by its former boxy-but-safe look, Volvo's fresh portfolio wears an exciting new visual signature. The XC has a brawny stance with its extra-wide track and a long wheelbase with short overhangs front and rear. This layout provides excellent stability on- and off-road and substantive yet sporting appearance despite the XC's extra height. It's a daring, modern design that has strong personality without any penalty from awkward proportions.
The XC has an interior-packaging hat trick with fold-down third-row seating, impressive in a vehicle only 3.5 in. longer than a V70 wagon. Our drivers also like the XC's lofty seating position, which is useful when picking lanes in dense city traffic or carefully placing wheels on rocky trails. The icing is the cabin's minimalist Scandinavian flavor, with excellent fits, soft leathers, bright gauges, and rich nickel trim.
This new unibody chassis is based on the same architecture and mechanicals as used in the flagship S80, the sporty S60 sedan, and the robust V70 wagon. It delivers the precise feel of a fine road machine along with sufficient toughness for backroad forays, while 60-plus-mph cuts through our 600-ft slalom put the XC in the front row of best-handling SUVs. And such agility doesn't come at the expense of a sweet ride.
"A wonderful synthesis of Volvo luxury, wagon tradition, and sport/utility toughness" is how Senior Editor Ron Sessions sums it up.
Baked deep into this new Volvo is an extensive array of safety measures that go beyond two-stage front-impact airbags, side-impact airbags, and special head restraints. Notably, Volvo employs several strategies to tackle the rollover gremlin associated with high-center-of-gravity sport/utility vehicles. The first defense is an electronic system that senses roll speed and angle. If these exceed predetermined limits, engine power is reduced and braking one or more wheels is initiated to stay ahead of the roll and regain stability. The second level of defense is special high-strength boron steel in the crush-resistant roof. A third strategy is seatbelt pretensioners to keep passengers securely in place. Finally, an inflatable curtain prevents passenger heads from striking the side glass.
The XC90 is a workhorse that seats as many as seven or can carry more than 90 cu ft of cargo. That adds considerable mass to what is already a pretty stout vehicle. So at all four corners are vented disc brakes at least 12 in. in diameter backed up by a four-wheel anti-lock system. In addition, Emergency Brake Assistance senses a panic stop and automatically applies full braking pressure for a shorter stop.
Volvo acknowledges that the XC is not intended for extreme off-roading. For that, something like GM's H2 Hummer is a better answer. We were impressed, however, with the XC's off-road moves. The electronically controlled all-wheel drive, developed with Sweden's four-wheeling experts at Haldex, and the 8.6 (2.5T) to 9.2 (T6) in. of ground clearance provide sure-footedness without the belly scrape and clatter of pretend SUVs on moon-crater roads. In normal driving, about 95 percent of the power flows through the front wheels. But if the fronts begin to slip, in as little as one-seventh of a rotation, power can be diverted to the rear contact patches.
The AWD is made up of three main parts: a hydraulic pump actuated by differences in speed between the front and rear axles, a wet multidisc clutch, and a control valve with feedback electronics. When both front and rear axles are rotating at the same speed, no pumping takes place. But if a speed differential occurs, the axles are progressively locked together, smoothly reducing the difference. This all-wheeling setup also interacts with the vehicle's electronic traction and stability control systems to maximize thrust, control, and safety by braking a wheel that tries to spin.
The XC90 delivers sporting muscle, tasteful design, luxury features, wonderful interior execution, and awesome load-carrying and passenger utility for a really good price. The 2.5T variant, particularly, nukes the value mark relative to other premium midsize sport/utility vehicles. (Later in 2003, Volvo promises a price-leader front-drive version of the 2.5T that should nestle in the mid-$30,000 range.) Even the more luxurious and pricey T6 model, fully equipped for about $45,000, is a strong value relative to like-equipped competition.
"A tremendously well-thought-out vehicle," wrote John Matthius, Motor Trend feature editor and television producer/ host, "and as much SUV as most buyers need."
Competition was fierce again this year. And no model, including the XC, dominated any area of our review. But in this strong and diverse field, the XC ran at the top of the pack throughout the weeks of evaluation, miles of asphalt, and stretches of roadless sand and rock.
Having arrived late to the SUV party, Volvo obviously has studied its competitors closely and now offers a winning combination of sporty fun, high style, practical space, and seating flexibility. And for that it deserves to be named Motor Trend's Sport/Utility of the Year.
|{{{2003 Volvo XC90}}}
|Drivetrain layout
|Front engine, awd
|Front engine, awd
|Engine type
|Turbocharged I-5, alum block & head, ULEV II
|Twin-turbocharged I-6, alum block & head, ULEV II
|Valve gear
|DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
|DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
|Displacement, ci/cc
|153.9 / 2521
|178.3 / 2922
|Bore x stroke, in/mm
|3.26x3.66 / 83.0x93.0
|3.26x3.54 / 83.0x90.0
|Compression ratio
|Max horsepower @ rpm
|208 @ {{{5000}}}
|268 @ 5100
|Max torque @ rpm
|236 @ 1500
|280 @ 1800
|Redline, rpm
|5-speed automatic
|4-speed automatic
|Axle / final-drive ratios
|2.86:1 / 2.91:1
|3.69:1 / 2.92:1
|Suspension, front; rear
|MacPherson struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs anti-roll bar
|Brakes, front; rear
|12.0-in vented disc; 12.1-in vented disc, ABS, EBD, EBA
|7.0x17-in cast-aluminum alloy
|7.0x17-in cast-aluminum alloy
|235/65HR17 Pirelli Scorpion
|235/65HR17 Pirelli Scorpion
|Wheelbase, in
|Track, f/r, in
|Length, in
|Width, in
|Height, in
|Ground clearance, in
|Curb weight, lb
|4450 (5-pass)
|Seating capacity
|5 (or 7)
|Weight dist, f/r, %
|Max payload, lb
|Max towing cap, lb
|Cargo capacity, cu ft
|92.0 (5 pass)
|Fuel capacity, gal
|Acceleration, sec
|0-30 mph
|0-40 mph
|0-50 mph
|0-60 mph
|0-70 mph
|0-{{{80}}} mph
|0-{{{90}}} mph
|1/4 mile, sec @ mph
|16.99 @ 82.0
|16.42 @ 86.8
|Braking, 60-0 mph, ft
|{{{600}}}-ft slalom, mph
|{{{200}}}-ft skidpad, g
|Top-gear rpm @ 60 mph
|Turning circle, ft
|On sale in U.S.
|Base price
|Price, as tested
|Dual front, front-seat side, side curtain for all rows
|EPA mpg, city/hwy
|18/25 (est)
|15/20 (est)
|Range, miles, city/hwy
|Basic warranty
|4 yrs/50,000 miles
|4 yrs/50,000 miles
|Powertrain warranty
|4 yrs/50,000 miles
|4 yrs/50,000 miles
|Roadside assistance
|4 yrs/50,000 miles
|4 yrs/50,000 miles
|Recommended fuel
|Unleaded premium
|Unleaded premium
|* Smooth, quiet powertrain
|* Super cargo and load flexibility
|* Gorgeous interior trim
|* Handsome exterior lines
|* Good fuel economy
|* Carlike handling and ride
|* Touchy (overly active) stability control
|* Lackluster fuel economy
|* Steering vagueness on some roads
|* Four-speed auto only
|* Just-average power levels
|* Less-obvious value
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This Roasted Fig Greek Yogurt and Chai Spiced Sorghum Parfait is a protein packed breakfast that will get your morning going.
Have you ever tried roasted figs? How about sorghum? Until last week, I'd never tried either. Although I grew up with a dwarf fig tree in our yard (my dad was quite the gardener), we always enjoyed them fresh off the tree, never cooked. I'd seen a few recipes for roasted and grilled figs, so I decided to try roasting some figs as well as grilling some.
I have to say I enjoyed the roasted figs more than the grilled ones. With a touch of maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon, the roasted figs stayed moist while concentrating their natural sweetness. These roasted figs are great as a topping for Greek yogurt, or you can make a heartier breakfast by layering some cooked whole sorghum with the yogurt before putting some of these roasted figs on top.
Whole sorghum is a whole grain that I'd never tried before until recently. Whole sorghum looks like seeds, about the size of coriander seeds. I popped some sorghum one night and told the kids it was "baby popcorn" – it actually tastes like popcorn, just in mini form. Cooked whole sorghum is a bit chewy when cooked, like barley or farro. It's definitely worth exploring if you like wholesome chewy grains.
I'll be experimenting more with whole sorghum, but in the meanwhile, I'll be enjoying it in this breakfast parfait or as a hot porridge.
Today, I'm participating in Food Network's Summer Fest event where Figs are being featured this week. Please be sure to check out what my fellow foodie friends made:
Feed Me Phoebe: Gluten-Free Cheesecake with Fresh Figs and Honey
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Roasted Fig Greek Yogurt Chai Spiced Sorghum Parfait
Devour: A Perfect Pairing of Figs and Pizza Dough
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Fig and Grand Marnier Jam
Red or Green: Roasted Fig, Beet and Orange Salad with Maple Syrup and Jalapeno Vinaigrette
Dishing: Fig Lassi (Fresh Fig Yogurt Smoothie)
Weelicious: Homemade Fig Bars
Virtually Homemade: Fig and Plum Crostata
The Sensitive Epicure: Figs with Goat Cheese, Honey, and Thyme
Domesticate Me: Flatbread with Fresh Figs, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese
Taste With The Eyes: Frozen Fig with Rose, Almond and Rosemary
Daily*Dishin: Fresh Figs with Lemon Cream
FN Dish: Go Big with Fleeting Figs
Roasted Fig Greek Yogurt and Chai Spiced Sorghum Parfait
Chai Spiced Sorghum
- 1 cup whole sorghum
- 5 cups water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 black cardamon
- 2 whole cloves
- 2 whole allspice
- raw honey to taste
Roasted Figs
- One pound fresh figs ~16-18 small
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- a few shakes ground cinnamon
- 3 cups non-fat or low-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
- raw honey optional
- toasted pistachios
Chai Spiced Sorghum
Place sorghum, water and spices in crockpot. Cook overnight on low. Drain and cool before using. Sweeten to taste with honey.
Roasted Figs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim stems and cut figs in half. Toss gently with maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon. Place on baking sheet. Roast 15 minutes, or until softened. Remove and cool.
Layer cooked sorghum and Greek yogurt, and top with Roasted Figs. Sprinkle with pistachios and drizzle with a little honey if desired.


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Is Georgia's Outgoing Leadership Planning To Play Spoiler?
October 03, 2012
Just 24 hours after Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili conceded the defeat of his United National Movement (ENM) in the October 1 parliamentary elections, it's already clear that the ideological and tactical battle between the ENM and Bidzina Ivanishvili's victorious Georgian Dream (KO) bloc is far from over. Statements by both Saakashvili and his closest entourage suggest that they will continue to snipe at and seek to undercut Georgian Dream at every possible opportunity.
The first salvo in the postelection struggle came from Saakashvili himself. In his televised address to the nation, he again stressed that he considered Georgian Dream's program unacceptable and fundamentally wrong. With a face like thunder, Saakashvili also implied that the new leadership would try to destroy everything positive the ENM had accomplished under his leadership over the past nine years. He vowed that the ENM will continue to fight to preserve those achievements for future generations.
Ivanishvili for his part compounded the humiliation of the ENM's defeat by suggesting that if Saakashvili truly had Georgia's best interests at heart, he should step down and schedule an early election, rather than wait until his term expires in January 2013. Saakashvili's voluntary resignation, Ivanishvili said, would help prevent the current situation of "dual power" evolving into a constitutional crisis.
Outgoing parliament speaker Davit Bakradze, who had been spoken of as a possible successor to Saakashvili as president, immediately ruled out an early presidential ballot. So too did National Security Council Secretary Giga Bokeria, who implied that Ivanishvili's proposal was unconstitutional. Bokeria warned Georgian Dream that "experiments [that] threaten the constitutional system [are] a very dangerous game."
Ivanishvili has since repeated that his proposal was not intended as a "political demand" or "an ultimatum." He stressed in a written statement that "I have said on numerous occasions that we are ready for constructive relations with the representatives of present authorities, including with the Georgian president."
Whether the ENM and Saakashvili are ready to reciprocate is more than debatable, however. Deputy Prime Minister Giorgi Baramidze made clear that "there is and will be no talk of [the ENM] joining a coalition government." "We exclude that...not a single one of us intends to cooperate with him [i.e. Ivanishvili] at the ministerial level," Baramidze said. Why Baramidze made that statement is unclear, given that Ivanishvili had already said that not a single current minister could become a member of his team.
Bakradze for his part said that in its capacity as parliamentary opposition, the ENM would monitor closely the extent to which Georgian Deal delivers on its election campaign promises. He said he is "very interested" to see how KO sets about fulfilling the "social commitments it made so prolifically" during the election campaign.
Meanwhile, Georgian Dream has signaled its intention of utilizing its victory to the full, by holding its defeated rival responsible for suspected electoral violations. Former human rights ombudsman and leading KO member Sozar Subari has said a commission will be formed to probe alleged violations in the course of the October 1 vote.
A second leading KO figure, former Georgian Ambassador to the UN Irakli Alasania, who ran as the bloc's candidate in the western town of Zugdidi, has called for the results of the vote there to be annulled and a repeat ballot scheduled. Alasania claims the outcome was rigged in favor of ENM candidate Roland Akhalaia, father of now-disgraced former Interior Minister Bacho Akhalaia, who resigned last month in the wake of the protests triggered by revelations of torture in Georgian prisons.
Ivanishvili has made clear that the new leadership will not proceed with one of Saakashvili's most cherished schemes, the construction of a huge new port, Lazika, on Georgia's Black Sea coast. Saakashvili had pledged at a campaign rally on September 23 that "I will not quit politics without turning Lazika into the most brilliant city on the Black Sea."
The latest, still incomplete data released by the Central Election Commission suggest that Georgian Dream will have some 82 parliament mandates, compared with 68 for the ENM. That is enough for Georgian Dream to endorse its candidate for prime minister (almost certainly Ivanishvili himself), but fewer than the 100 needed to amend the constitution.
Georgian Dream is also likely to face problems at the level of local government. All provincial governors are ENM stalwarts appointed personally by Saakashvili, as are lower-level district heads. And unlike under former President Eduard Shevardnadze, the ENM in its capacity as (now former) ruling party currently has a virtual monopoly on membership of district councils.
Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/georgia-will-outgoing-leaders-play-spoiler/24728253.html
Copyright (c) 2012. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
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Preparedness Quote
"Opportunity doesn't make appointments, you have to be ready when it arrives." -Tim Fargo read moreLearn More
Guns are needed..ask a marine
This places the proper perspective on what a gun means to a civilized society. Read this eloquent and profound letter and pay close attention to the last paragraph of the letter. "The Gun Is Civilization" by Maj. L. Caudill USMC … read more
Always enjoyed this video
This video was recently brought to my attention again, and I figured it was worthy enough to post. read more
It is a sad day, Uncle Bernie has passed away!
I received a very disturbing phone call last night, Uncle Bernie has passed away. I find myself just saying "wow" over and over to myself and others. I think right now I am just in a state of shock, I … read more
Going Green
New Rule – Eat lunch in the park.
In keeping up with my new rules theme, Here is another for the list. When available, try to eat lunch in a park. If you can find one with few benches and a lake, then you have hit a home … read more
People to smack
Why now I'm really done with Starbucks
I think Mr Colion Noir makes some really great points (as usual) in this video: I'll excuse the Boston hat, because he's worn a Phillies on in the past a few times. read more
Food and Recipes
My lunchtime "diet"
Since around the start of the year, I've been doing my best to really reduce the amount of $$ I've been spending at lunch, as well as the intake of crap I've been eating during it. My solution so far, … read more


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Stephanie Simmons Reviews & Ratings
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Agency Description:
Stephanie Simmons is listed with the title of Owner and has a profile that has been viewed more than 139 times.
The business is listed as having 1-15 employees with revenue in the 500k to 1 mill range .
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Blurred Reality
By Megan Slayer
A Dallas Fire and Rescue Kindle World Story
M/M, Anal Sex, Masturbation
Cover art by WZDesigns
Edited by Kris Jacen
When the band takes a hiatus, the boys will play…
When Jacen Goodwin's band, Disaster Transport, crashed in Dallas and ended up at the Nathalia Hotel, he never expected to find his heart's desire. He wants to stay in his adopted home city, but he loves the roar of the crowd as well as their adoration. Can the star drummer step away from the buzz of fame long enough to grab what he needs with both hands or will the lure of the crowd be too much?
Matt Walker knew from the moment he got involved with Jacen that their relationship was temporary. Jacen's a celebrity and he holds the position of the sexiest eligible bachelor of the band. Even if Matt saw a future for him and Jacen, the odds aren't in their favor. But he can hope, right? He's been head over heels in love with Jacen since the moment they met.
Can these two opposites make a go of their fledgling relationship or will celebrity and the challenges of fame keep them apart?
Available for Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZB96WU/
Now for an excerpt:
©MeganSlayer, 2017, All Rights Reserved
Matt busied himself with straightening the counter space and trying not to watch Jacen. Fuck. How could he not? The man featured in his dreams and had become his favorite spank bank material. He swept his gaze over Jacen. The denim shorts hugged his hips and accentuated the strength in his legs. Jacen rubbed the back of his neck with his fingers and flexed his upper body.
Jesus. Was Jacen trying to turn him on? If so, he'd accomplished his mission. Matt plopped onto the stool and pressed his knees together. Blood rushed to his cock and his mouth watered. Just a few touches. Kisses. He didn't want much. Really.
"Mother fucker." Jacen whipped around and held his phone in a white-knuckled grasp as he strode back to the desk. "He's a piece of shit. Where are those peas?"
Matt offered up the bag. "Whoever it is, I hope you lit into him." He shut the laptop down, then moved the device to the lower portion of the counter. "Better pick up your key before you forget." He slid the card across to Jacen. "Have a good night…well, a better one than you've had so far."
"Huh?" Jacen glared at Matt and plunked the bag back onto his bruise. "Are you here all night? I thought Cady hired on people to work the desk so you and her weren't stuck."
"She did, but this is my night. I have to earn my keep somehow." He grinned to hide his displeasure. "I can't feed my music and running habits without some source of income."
Jacen tucked his phone into his pocket and lingered at the counter. "Want some company? I came here to work on music, yeah, but that wasn't the only reason." He offered up the bag. "I've melted this."
"I'll stick it back in the freezer. No problem." He gripped the melting frozen food. "Stick around a moment in case anyone comes in and I'll put it back." He left Jacen alone long enough to put the peas in the fridge. He'd probably make them for lunch the next day instead of wasting them. When he returned, Jacen had rounded the counter.
"All good?" Jacen asked.
"I've got lunch for tomorrow." He tensed. "Thanks for holding down the fort." He expected Jacen to leave, but instead, he crept closer to Matt.
"I didn't just return for Rory and the music. I came here for you, too."
"Me?" He frowned. "What?" He had to be hearing Jacen wrong. No way Jacen meant that.
"Uh, yeah. You."


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How Google is Driving Mobile Video Market Growth
Google's top advertising customers are pushing for convergence of mobile and video quickly, which is turning into a strong catalyst of growth of the global mobile video market. With their largest advertising customers wanting greater flexibility in bringing video to mobile devices, Google will make significant strides this year to make that happen.
During their latest earnings call, Google execs said that Android, Chrome and YouTube are the highest priority areas of their business. I've been following the last year of earnings calls closely, and it's clear that Google's largest advertising customers are pushing the company to bring video to mobile at a level of performance and usability not accomplished yet. The Q2, 2012 earnings call transcript makes this point clear which can be accessed here Google's Management Discusses Q2 2012 Results – Earnings Call Transcript.
Mobile and Video: Transforming Convergence Into Cash
Over the last year, Google executives have mentioned the growth of YouTube and its quick evolution from a content management system to a profitable advertising platform. During the Q1, 2012 earnings call held on April 12, 2012 the following points were made:
- Google reported they had over 800 million monthly users uploading over an hour of video per second
- U.K. mobile operator O2 used YouTube as the foundation of a brand launch that year with support for 100 new original channels completed and launched
- Global product launch plans from GM, Toyota and Unilever and several other large advertising accounts are also underway
During the Q2, 2012 earnings call, Nikesh Arora, Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer started his comments regarding the YouTube business with the statement "I think in 2007 it was when newspapers frequently said YouTube is groping for an effective business model. I think we can declare we found our model." Immediately after making this statement, Mr. Arora mentioned that yearly account signups have doubled year-over-year and users are uploading over 72 hours of video every minute. He also mentioned that "thousands of partners are making six figures and we're proud to work with major record labels in Hollywood studios on this platform."
The call continued with the points made of Danish advertisers shifting their television advertising dollars to YouTube and other Google branding solutions. Additional companies mentioned on the call using YouTube-based advertising include Denon, Shire, and Intel. Clearly these companies have major product introductions coming up and see mobile video as perfect for reaching more potential customers than ever before.
Google's Challenge: Keep Content Quality and User Experience Constantly Improving
If Google is going to attain the full revenue potential of YouTube as an advertising platform, they'll need to focus on the following factors:
- Create Application Programmer Interfaces (APIs) and easy-to-use programming tools for quickly creating mobile-optimized sites. As Gartner studies have shown, video on telephones is most often used as a time-filler, with a median length of 2 minutes, 46 seconds.
- YouTube will need to support more optimized mobile-based video browsers that can support contextual search. This will be a core requirement for the enterprise, specifically in the areas of mobile customer care, mobile commerce and mobile health.
- More extensive analytics in YouTube than are available today, specifically tying into to major marketing strategies including product introductions. It is becoming common knowledge that videos improve viewer engagement and prospects attribute a more positive shopping experience when they are used. Luxury brands are investing heavily in this technology including BMW, Burberry, Channel, Louis Vuitton and many others.
- A Google/Ipsos OTX MediaCT smartphone users study completed in April, 2011 shows that 77% of smartphone users said that their most visited site was a mobile search engine.
Mobile Video: The Market YouTube Built
The size of the worldwide mobile video market was comprised of 429 million mobile video users in 2011, projected to grow exponentially to 2.4 billion users by 2016. Smartphones and tablet sales will contribute 440 million new mobile video users during the forecast period. These market estimates are from the recently published Gartner report, Market Trends: Worldwide, the State of Mobile Video, 2012.
Additional take-aways from this report include the following:
- Allot Communication's reports that mobile streaming grew 93% in the first half of 2011; Allot also reports that the usage of YouTube's mobile channel grew by 152% and YouTube generated 22% of all mobile video traffic in the first half of 2011. YouTube reports getting 400 million video views a month globally.
- Gartner reports from a survey completed in the 4th quarter of 2010 that 32% of mobile enterprise users watch short videos from YouTube and other sites optimized for video streaming.
- The fastest growth for mobile video will be in Latin America as smartphone adoption continues to accelerate, replacing traditional cell phones in these markets. Asia/Pacific will have the highest number of mobile video users at 541 million by 2016. Both of these markets will benefit from low-cost smartphones being produced by contract manufacturers who are becoming the dominant production strategy of brand leaders globally. The following graphic shows the Mobile Video User Forecast by Region, Worldwide, 2008 – 2016.
- By 2016, close to 60% of professionally developed mobile video content will be delivered via mobile-optimized websites that also have enhanced contextual search functionality included in the content management systems.
- Mobile customer care, mobile commerce and mobile health will be the three primary industry drivers in the near-term of mobile video market, emerging as growth catalysts of this emerging market.
- Cisco's Visual Networking Index study reports that last year, mobile video accounted for 56% of all mobile data traffic.
- 3G/4G connections are emerging as a powerful catalyst of mobile video growth. Gartner is forecasting that the worldwide share of mobile video connections on 3G/4G will increase from 18% in 2011 to 43% in 2015. In more established markets incouding North America and Western Europe, the percentage of 3G/4G connections is expected to be as high as 80% and 96% respectively.
- Gartner projects that 70% of mobile video users will use only Wi-Fi to view mobile video, with the remainder of the market relying on a mix of cellular and Wi-Fi networks to gain access and also upload content. The following figure shows the Mobile Video User Forecast by Network Type, Worldwide, 2008 – 2016.
Source: Market Trends: Worldwide, the State of Mobile Video, 2012. Gartner Group. Published: 10 February 2012 ID:G00223693 Author: Shalini Verma. Link: http://www.gartner.com/id=1920315


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Sell AT&T BlackBerry Cell Phones
To identify your phone, you can check the model number on the sticker under the battery or look in the phone's Settings app.Model info can usually be found under your phone's battery.
Choose the AT&T BlackBerry Cell Phone That You're Selling
uSell.com's buyers accept a wide range of devices for customers who want to sell BlackBerry AT&T cell phones. From the traditional Blackberry Curve and Bold models with physical Qwerty keyboards to touch screen models like the Blackberry Torch, you can be sure to find offers on almost any BlackBerry AT&T device through our trade-in program.
When you sell your AT&T BlackBerry, it's important that you select the correct device to ensure fast payment and prevent potential requotes. If you're not sure which phone in the list above matches your device, you can check the AT&T BlackBerry model number on the sticker under the battery, or look in the phone's Settings app. If you still don't know, just contact us! We're here to help!


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Unparalleled sense of continuity and practicality
In interior design, white is the perfect canvas on which to arrange the rest of the decorative elements. Any white wall and floor tiles will enable all kinds of furniture, decorative pieces or colourful elements to subsequently be added, enabling the ensemble to fit together effortlessly.
Pure white interiors
There is a very broad range of possibilities for choosing wall and floor tiles within the range of whites. Bleached wood-finish ceramic pieces, marble effect tiles, metro tiles, mosaics, natural stone effect pieces, single-colour tiles in a fish scale format and decorated wall tiles in white tones are just a few of the options available.
White ceramic tiles, in addition to achieving extra luminosity, provide a fully versatile result, which can be combined with all kinds of tones and accessories, and can be reinvented over and over again.
Advantages of using ceramic wall and floor tiles
Ceramic tiles guarantee ease of maintenance, as well as being highly resistant to high temperatures, chemicals and aggressive atmospheric agents.
Being non-combustible, ceramic wall and floor tiles are also one of the safest materials for construction.


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In a useful report at qspirit of an early African saint with a female partner, Kittredge Cherry provides material that as well as being an intriguing report of an Ethiopian queer saint, is also a reminder that:
- Christianity was well-established in Africa more than a thousand years before the arrival of the colonial missionaries.
- Same-sex relationships were common in Africa before the colonial period
- Ethiopia had a literary tradition and written script before the colonial period
- Ethiopia was never colonised by missionaries
- "Saints" are not exclusively those formally honoured by the Vatican.
Introducing her post, Cherry writes:
Walatta Petros is a 17th-century Ethiopian nun and saint who had an intense lifelong friendship with another nun and led a successful movement to drive out foreign missionaries. Her feast day is Nov. 23.
Her biography, written by her disciples just 30 years after her death, is the earliest known depiction of same-sex desire among women in sub-Saharan Africa. That section was censored until 2015, when the first English translation was published.
Cherry's source is a 2015 translation by Wendy Belcher and Michael Kleiner, of a 17th-Century African Biography by by Galawdewos. Acknowledging that the story is "controversial", for more background on the story, she includes a link to Belcher's webpage.
Continue reading Queer "Saint", Ethiopian Nun Walatta Petros