Netflix takes top spot of S&P 500's stars

Boston Globe

- ‎37 minutes ago‎

Netflix was never a house of cards, though a consumer rebellion over subscription plans in mid-2011 rattled the rafters - and hammered the stock.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings will get 50 percent raise in 2014McDuffie Mirror

Netflix hikes CEO salary by 50 per cent for 2014The Globe and Mail

In Depth:Netflix's Potential Backdoor Strategy To Raising PricesHuffington Post - by Tim Stenovec

Market Mover

Netflix takes top spot of S&P 500’s stars

    January 01, 2014

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Netflix Inc.

Netflix profits have surged as the video and CD service wins millions more customers.

Netflix was never a house of cards, though a consumer rebellion over subscription plans in mid-2011 rattled the rafters — and hammered the stock. That was before “House of Cards.” The blockbuster series and other Netflix-produced shows like “Orange is the New Black” (right) buttressed Netflix’s status as an Internet and entertainment heavyweight. The stock soared 296 percent in 2013, the S&P 500’s biggest gain. CEO Reed Hastings gets a 50 percent hike in pay and stock options, to $6 million.
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http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/01/01/netflix-rose-most/fJhl9sBiGtGzs8XBp8uZAN/story.html
 

Dolphins chew on Puffer Fish to get High

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  Dolphins caught chewing on fish to get high

  The fish secrete a toxin that gives the dolphins a buzz, and the crew on the upcoming show filmed male bottlenose dolphins passing around a puffer fish before acting "most peculiarly." The program's executive producer John Downer notes the dolphin were in a trancelike state, "hanging around with…

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  Dolphins caught chewing on fish to get high

  By Aaron Souppouris on December 31, 2013 04:28 am Email @AaronIsSocial 69Comments

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  A new BBC documentary will show adolescent dolphins getting high by chewing on pufferfish. The fish secrete a toxin that gives the dolphins a buzz, and the crew on the upcoming show filmed male bottlenose dolphins passing around a puffer fish before acting "most peculiarly." The program's executive producer John Downer notes the dolphin were in a trancelike state, "hanging around with their noses at the surface as if fascinated by their own reflection."

  Dolphins aren't the first animals caught getting high — moose have for many years been observed getting drunk by eating fermented apples. The footage was captured thanks to a number of bizarre contraptions created for the documentary Spy in the Pod. The crew modified remote-controlled cameras to resemble a tuna (pictured above), turtle, squid, and dolphin in order to film the animals without disturbing them.

  In addition to inebriated Cetacea, the show will also feature evidence of symbiotic relationships between dolphin, stingray, and other fish, which teamed up on film to hunt smaller prey. The two-part show will premiere January 2nd in the UK, but the high dolphins won't make an appearance until the second episode airs on January 9th.

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  Dolphins caught chewing on fish to get high

   

   

Alzheimer's study: Vitamin E may slow decline in mild, moderate dementia

Alzheimer's study: Vitamin E may slow decline in mild, moderate dementia

CTV News

- ‎3 hours ago‎

Researchers say vitamin E might slow the progression of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease -- the first time any treatment has been shown to alter the course of dementia at that stage.

Vitamin E may slow Alzheimer's disease progressionabc7.com

Vitamin E may slow Alzheimer's brain declineUPI.com

In Depth:High-Dose Vitamin E Slows Decline of Some Alzheimer's Patients in Study 

This is all I could quote of this article. To read more please click on above word buttons.

Greece assumes EU Presidency

Greece assumes EU presidency as anger towards Brussels grows

The Guardian

- ‎16 hours ago‎

Greece's assumption of the role - which comes with the ability to regulate policy in the 28-nation bloc - marks a major milestone for a state whose continued EU membership appeared far from assured a year ago.

Greece takes over the EU presidency as Samaras' popularity slumpsDeutsche Welle

Greece prepares to take over EU presidencyEuropean Voice

From Greece:Venizelos sees 'ambitious but feasible' goals for Greece's EU presidencyKathimerini

 

 

Greece assumes EU presidency as anger towards Brussels grows

Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos hopes EU stewardship will show Greece is on the mend and boost its eurozone credentials

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• Helena Smith in Athens
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• theguardian.com, Tuesday 31 December 2013 08.55 EST

A Greek woman in Syntagma Square protests against plans for banks to repossess homes from those who have fallen behind on their mortgage. Photograph: Giorgos Panagakis/ Giorgos Panagakis/Demotix/Corbis

After years of allowing Athens's central plaza to bear the marks of riot and wrath, the Greek authorities have been tarting up Syntagma square as Greece prepares to take over the rotating presidency of the EU on New Year's Day.
Greece's assumption of the role – which comes with the ability to regulate policy in the 28-nation bloc – marks a major milestone for a state whose continued EU membership appeared far from assured a year ago.
Even now, four years after triggering the debt drama that would become Europe's worst crisis since the second world war, there is scepticism over whether Athens will last the course.
Monday's pre-dawn drive-by shooting attack at the home of Germany's ambassador to Greece underlined the volatile mood. The bullet casings found at the scene embodied the sentiments of a nation that blames Berlin for years of grinding austerity – the price of receiving more than €240bn (£200bn) in emergency loans from the EU and IMF. The fear of social unrest is never far away.
None of this is lost on Greece's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Evangelos Venizelos, who was quick to describe the shooting as an "attempt to tarnish Greece's image" before the EU presidency.
Greek antipathy towards Germany is one aspect of the crisis but so too is mounting hostility towards the EU.
"It's cost us a great deal," said Venizelos, rolling off a list of the sacrifices Greeks have made to stay in the bloc. "Greece stands alone in making a unique fiscal adjustment … in 3.5 years we have taken measures [worth] €70bn. That is the equivalent of 35% of GDP, " he added in an interview with the Guardian.
For Venizelos, the perceived irony of Greece "presiding over Germany" is further proof that member states remained far from equal. "The irony is to be found in the fact that the principle of institutional equality … is collapsing," he said. "Some countries decide and some countries execute [those decisions]."
But prime minister Antonis Samaras's conservative-led coalition also views the six-month post as an opportunity to ram home the message that Greece is both on the mend and taking its European credentials seriously.
"It's a chance for Europe, for the European Union, to show that a country that is in an adjustment programme is a normal country," said Venizelos. "And it's a chance for Greece to prove that it is a normal European country."
Athens will prioritise economic growth, immigration policy and youth unemployment, from which it suffers more than any other EU state. Privately, officials also hope that in allowing Greece to focus on European affairs, EU stewardship will give the government an unofficial grace period: a period of detente, free of the pressures to implement unpopular reforms that have not only polarised Greeks but steadily reduced the coalition's control of parliament to a majority of three.
With crucial elections for the European parliament in May – polls expected to bring anti-European sentiment to the fore – Venizelos said Greece is resolved to contribute to what is likely to be "a big debate" about Europe's future.
"Now that we are going to have the big debate … about Europe and the new narrative [of Europe], it is good that Greece, which has lived the experience of the crisis, is president. It is the laboratory of the crisis," he said.
Such goals may prove illusory. Despite achieving a primary budget surplus, Athens may miss new fiscal targets. On the street, passions are at boiling point following legislation that allows banks to repossess homes.
Amid speculation about a new bailout – vehemently denied by Samaras, who insisted on Monday that Greece will soon exit its rescue programme – fears abound that far from uniting Europe, the presidency will be overshadowed by Athens's often strained relations with the organisations that have kept it afloat. With EU members providing 80% of the rescue funds to date that will almost certainly reinforce the north-south divide.
"Our relations with the troika were always difficult," said Venizelos, referring to the recent inability of both sides to bridge their differences. "The troika is not behaving well in light of … our huge [financial] success," he added, insisting that Greece's rescue deals could have had a "more flexible and more clever approach".
In sharp contrast to other EU countries, Greece has kept pre-presidency refurbishments to a minimum. Apart from replacing the shattered marble in Syntagma square almost nothing has been done to adorn Athens. For many it is a sign of the times.
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Greece assumes EU presidency as anger towards Brussels grows

Times Square Ball Drop Brings in 2014

The first button shows a video of the moments up to the ball dropping in Times Square

Raw: Times Square Ball Drop Brings in 2014

USA TODAY

- ‎47 minutes ago‎

A massive crowd jammed into New York City's Times Square for the New Year's Eve ball drop. US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor led the final countdown and pushed the ceremonial button to bring down the ball.

Ball drops in NYC's Times Square, ushering in 2014Watertown Daily Times

Revelers Celebrate New Year's Eve In New York's Times SquareGetty Images

Wikipedia:Times Square Ball

Revellers usher in 2014

Mail & Guardian Online

- ‎1 hour ago‎

South Africa's top tourist drawcard Cape Town bid farewell to 2013 with a 3D video send-off of Nelson Mandela as the nation entered the new year without its beloved icon.

Where to watch New Year's Eve onlineWashington Post (blog)

Sydney Opera House features in New Year fireworksBusinessweek

From Australia:PT0M36S http://www.smh.com.au/action/externalEmbeddedPlayer?id=d-304y7 ...Sydney Morning Herald

 

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Obamacare rallies after botched debut

Obamacare Rallies From Botched Debut as 2.1 Million Sign Up (1)

Businessweek 21 minutes ago

Written by Alex Wayne

About 2.1 million people will have medical coverage tomorrow through Obamacare after a late surge in enrollment helped regain ground lost to the botched debut of insurance exchanges created by the U.S.

Obamacare exchanges identify 32000 people eligible for BadgerCare PlusMilwaukee Journal Sentinel - by Jason Stein

HHS: 2M Americans will be insured on Jan. 1USA TODAY - by Kelly Kennedy

In Depth:Hospitals see gradual Obamacare growthPolitico

 

Bloomberg News

Obamacare Rallies From Botched Debut as 2 Million Enroll

By Alex Wayne December 31, 2013

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Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said the federal exchanges should be fully functioning by the end of this month. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

About 2.1 million people will have medical coverage tomorrow through Obamacare after a late surge in enrollment helped regain ground lost to the botched debut of insurance exchanges created by the U.S. health-care overhaul.

More than 1.6 million Americans signed up through state and federal exchanges in December alone, according to calculations from data released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The December tally is more than quadruple the first two months of the government’s sign-up period.
The December surge provides a boost to President Barack Obama, whose fumbling of the October rollout of the insurance exchanges initially thwarted the high participation needed to spread the costs of his health-care expansion. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is supposed to offer private coverage to as many as 7 million people by the end of March.

Story: Obamacare's 'Orphans' and 'Ghosts' May Have Trouble Getting Care in January

“The new law is transformational for our entire health-care system and for millions of Americans who finally have health security,” Kathleen Sebelius, the U.S. health secretary, told reporters on a conference call today.
In addition to those gaining private insurance, about 3.9 million others have been newly determined eligible for Medicaid plans for the poor, or for state children’s programs. It’s not known how many of those people actually enrolled, since that process must be completed with state governments in most cases.

CVS Caremark

The government is preparing for newly insured people to begin seeking care at doctors’ offices, emergency rooms and pharmacies tomorrow, and is coordinating with hospitals and insurers to smooth the process, Sebelius said.

Story: Signed Up For Obamacare? How to Make Sure You're Really Enrolled

The government considers people enrolled after they select a health plan; the final step to sign up is to pay the first month’s premium directly to insurers. Those payments aren’t due until Jan. 10 for most of the country, and officials said they don’t know how many of the 2.1 million have already paid.
CVS Caremark Inc. (CVS:US) and Walgreen Co. (WAG:US), the largest pharmacy chains in the nation, both said they would provide up to a month of prescription medications without any upfront cost to customers who can show they enrolled in an exchange plan, even if they don’t yet have an identification card or plan number.

Under Spotlight

People who experience trouble using their insurance at doctors’ offices, hospitals or other health-care settings should first call their insurer, Sebelius said. If that doesn’t resolve the problem the government is putting 10,000 call center agents on duty to field questions about coverage from a toll-free number, 1-800-318-2596, Julie Bataille, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said on the call.

Story: Obamacare: Mended, but Not Fixed

Insurers, pharmacies and hospitals are used to handling patients’ changes in coverage from year to year, Phil Schiliro, a White House health-care adviser, said on the call.
“Usually there’s not a spotlight on what they’re doing,” he said. “Over the next few days, there will be.”
By 2016, about 34 million people are expected to gain coverage by private health plans sold through the law’s government-run marketplaces or by expanded Medicaid programs, according to the Congressional Budget Office. If those projections prove accurate, despite sluggish enrollment so far, the sheer size of the Affordable Care Act’s constituency may secure its place in American society for decades to come.

Story: How Fixed Is HealthCare.gov?

For all its promise, the law’s future remains uncertain. While it survived a constitutional challenge before the Supreme Court in 2012, the law faces further court battles as well as a Republican-controlled House of Representatives that has voted more than 40 times to repeal or limit the statute.
Public support last month also fell to its lowest level in a Kaiser Family Foundation survey after the Oct. 1 debut of the insurance marketplaces greeted consumers with website breakdowns, higher prices and potentially broken promises.
To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Wayne in Washington at awayne3@bloomberg.net

Story: Lessons From New Mexico's Small Business Health Exchange

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reg Gale at rgale5@bloomberg.net
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Obamacare Rallies From Botched Debut as 2.1 Million Sign Up (1)

Avalanches

I was watching CNN regarding videos they had of avalanches with skiers caught in them. They were sharing about inflatable backpacks and other devices that help skiers, snowshoers, snowboarders and even snowmobilers to survive avalanches.

Though I have skied Cross Country since I was 15 throughout California and Oregon and started Downhill skiing at resorts in California starting in the 1970s I only was in one really serious avalanche where I thought I might die. This usually happens when you are somewhere ungroomed because most ski areas that are maintained use cannons and other devices to protect their skiing and snowboarding clients from injury or death due to an avalanche.

The time I thought I might die I was above tree line (which is a prime place for avalanches because there are no trees to hold it back). So, I was skiing alone on metal edged mountaineering skies on Mt. Shasta. The snow depth was likely between 10 and 20 feet deep. (The depth of the snow is also a factor in all this). For example, it is much less likely that you would die in an avalanche if your snow depth is under about 5 feet deep. Where it mostly becomes dangerous is where there are snow drifts of 5 to 10 feet deep or more on a steep slope especially with no trees and only rocks. (Trees can slow down an avalanche and sometimes you might even be able to hide behind a tree while an avalanche is coming at you and actually survive it. Because the main reason people die in avalanches is they get physically knocked down, then they don't know which way is up and they can't move their hands, head or arms or legs and they have nothing to breathe but snow. So, they either breathe in snow and die or they suffocate from lack of an air pocket. That is why wearing an inflatable backpack in avalanche areas might save your life as long as you have someone there who wasn't hit by the avalanche to dig you out with their gloved hands, skis and poles as digging tools.

In my case this was the 1980s and I was skiing alone about 10,000 feet which is above tree line which is between 8000 feet to 9000 feet on Mt. Shasta. All of a sudden a whole piece of snow the size of a city block with me in the middle of it started to move. As this block sized piece of snow moved it became like a river or ocean as it (liquified) and I struggled with all my might and speed to keep my skies and poles on top as it moved. The whole thing moved about 6 blocks in distance down the mountain and even working as hard as I could to not drown in the snow I still was waist deep when it finally stopped hundreds of feet away from where I started. Luckily, there were no rocks or trees to hit me or impale me during my downward speedy descent. However, this was the last time I skied alone at that altitude above tree line during those kinds of conditions. Though it was a sunny day and I had already taken my jacket off this still all happened to me. And only because I was young and strong enough to move really quickly like a sprinter did I actually survive this at all.

230 Colorado Kids expelled from Public Schools this last year because of Marijuana use while in school

CNN was reporting this morning that 230 kids were expelled from Colorado schools because of either coming to school high every day or for smoking it at school according to CNN news today, December 31st 2013.

Though making one ounce of Marijuana legal for a resident of Colorado for use at home might save many lives in Mexico and near the U.S. Mexico border on both sides in Gang wars and wars between Mexico and gangs,  and the U.S. government and gangs it also could put in jeapordy more children in Colorado and surrounding states because children below 18 can be harmed by the more potent marijuana grown now that is about 30 to 300 times more powerful in various ways than what college students used in the 1960s and 1970s here in the U.S. and around the world.

So, though there might be many less horrific deaths around the border areas there will be many more problems when this stuff gets into the hands of children who will not properly physiologically or psychologically develop and society at large will therefore be harmed by the creation of this underclass of dysfunctional children who never fully become adults possibly ever or just very late in life.

Also, if you look closely at the location of Colorado it is in the very center of the lower 48 states which would be strategic to Cigarette companies and other companies for dispensing more and more marijuana based smoke, food and drink products over time. If you see how strategic this is for businesses legalizing pot in Colorado one worries about it's effect on children under 18 throughout our nation.

So, even though it is illegal at Denver Airport you can be sure it will be purchased legally and then driven to any other state in the nation by people who decide to do that. So, the Colorado Marijuana law affects every one of the lower 48 states directly and every resident of every one of the lower 48 states should be aware of this fact that it likely will affect their children too directly or indirectly in the future.

Another fact I heard today on CNN is that often children who smoke Marijuana regularly before age 18 often have a 6 to 8 point IQ drop that is permanent. So, here is another reason to try to prevent children smoking marijuana so they actually can still tie their own shoes, start businesses and be successful in college and in their careers in their 20s and 30s and beyond.

Syria blamed for missed deadline on chemical arsenal

Washington Post

- ‎14 hours ago‎

The Obama administration Monday called on Syria to honor promises to surrender its chemical weapons stockpile, a day after international experts acknowledged delays in removing some of the most lethal toxins from the country.

Syria crisis: Ships return as chemical removal slipsBBC News

Year of diplomatic breakthrough on SyriaRT

Syria blamed for missed deadline on chemical arsenal

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By Joby Warrick, Published: December 30 E-mail the writer

The Obama administration Monday called on Syria to honor promises to surrender its chemical weapons stockpile, a day after international experts acknowledged delays in removing some of the most lethal toxins from the country.
U.S. officials conceded that a Tuesday deadline for ridding Syria of hundreds of tons of liquid poisons would not be met, citing stalled progress in transporting the chemicals across war-ravaged countryside to ships that will carry them out of the region. But the officials insisted that the overall effort to destroy President Bashar al-Assad’s chemical arsenal was on track.

Latest from National Security

Syria blamed for missed deadline on chemical arsenal

Joby Warrick DEC 30

U.S. officials cite Syrian foot-dragging as deadline nears for removing chemical weapons stockpile.

FAA picks sites for drone testing

Reid Wilson and Brian Fung DEC 30

The selected teams are based in Virginia, Alaska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota and Texas.

School shooter entered through propped-open door

Dan Elliott DEC 30

Even if the door had been locked, it probably would not have deterred Karl Pierson, the sheriff says.

Snowden, in interview, says his mission’s accomplished

Barton Gellman DEC 23

His leaks have fundamentally altered the U.S. government’s relationship with its citizens, the rest of the world.

Full coverage: NSA Secrets

Read all of the stories in The Washington Post’s ongoing coverage of the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs.

“We continue to make progress, which has been the important part,” State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters. “It was always an ambitious timeline, but we are still operating on the June 30th timeline for the complete destruction.”
The group overseeing the elimination of Syria’s stockpile, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, blamed bad weather and security problems for delays in removing liquid chemicals from a dozen storage depots scattered across the country.
Russia has provided Syria with trucks to carry the toxins to Danish and Norwegian ships waiting in the port of Latakia, but as recently as Sunday, Syrian officials had made no effort to load the trucks, according to U.S. officials familiar with the operation.
A senior State Department official said the weather and security concerns were legitimate, but expressed dismay at the slow progress on the ground. The official, who insisted on anonymity because of diplomatic sensitivities, said there were indications that some “packaging” work had begun Monday.
“This is not a process where you wait for a sunny day and then get it all done. You need to get moving,” the official said. He said U.S. officials were “not ready to ascribe a political motive” to the delays, acknowledging that Syria faced security challenges in moving the chemicals across rebel-contested territory.
“On the other hand, they have moved these materials a number of times before, and we think they could get moving on this again,” he said.
Harf noted that the Assad regime accepted responsibility for safely transporting the chemicals after agreeing in September to voluntarily surrender its estimated 1,000 metric tons of mustard gas and highly lethal nerve agents. The agreement followed a U.S. threat to launch air strikes to punish Syria for its alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians.
“We expect them to meet that obligation. That’s the next step in this process,” Harf said.
Under a plan approved by the OPCW, about 500 metric tons of liquid chemicals are to be shipped out of Syrian waters and transferred to a specially modified U.S. ship, the MV Cape Ray, which has been outfitted with equipment to chemically neutralize the toxins in a procedure that will take place at sea. Pentagon officials say the process poses no significant risk to humans or the environment.
Harf pointed to substantial progress made so far in reducing the threat posed by Syria’s chemical arsenal. OPCW experts earlier this year oversaw the destruction of the machines used by Syria to mix liquid precursors into sarin, a highly lethal nerve agent. Inspectors also confirmed the destruction of hundreds of empty artillery shells and rocket warheads designed for chemical warfare.
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Syria blamed for missed deadline on chemical arsenal

 

Genetically Modified Food Fight in Hawaii on Kauai

1. GMO seeds grow into big fight on Kauai PBS-16 hours ago Megan Thompson reports on a battle being waged on the island of Kauai by residents who say growing practices like pesticide use are ...

2. Pesticide and GMO rules will take time, says Kauai mayor Honolulu Star-Advertiser-Dec 26, 2013 ... months to implement a new law that regulates pesticide use and growth of genetically modified organisms by large farm operations on Kauai, ...

3. WLOS

   Anti-GMO rally attracts hundreds Hawaii News Now-Dec 15, 2013 Many came from Kauai and the Big Island, where the debate over genetically modified crops is still fresh. Others came from even further away, ... ANALYSIS    AIR DATE: Dec. 30, 2013 GMO seeds grow into big fight on Kauai SUMMARY Seeds are big business in Hawaii, where large biotech companies develop genetically modified crops. Megan Thompson reports on a battle being waged on the island of Kauai by residents who say growing practices like pesticide use are hazardous to public health. 20 Comments Listen: MP3 EDITOR'S NOTE: This segment originally aired on the Oct. 20 edition of NewsHour Weekend. Since our report first aired, the Kauai mayor vetoed the pesticide bill.  But the county council came back with a vote to override that veto, and the bill is set to become law.  Several other Hawaii counties have followed Kauai's lead and have also passed or presented similar legislation for genetically modified farming and pesticide use.     Transcript MEGAN THOMPSON: The Hawaiian island of Kauai is known as the garden isle, luring hundreds of thousands of tourists to its lush northern shores. But fewer make it down to the drier southwest side, home to many native Hawaiians, who’ve lived here for generations…and where farming has always been a way of life. Today these fields are home to large biotech companies developing Hawaii’s biggest agricultural product: seeds.  Genetically modified seeds, mostly corn, to be shipped back and grown on the mainland. ARTICLE TOOLS Print Email Share MEGAN THOMPSON: Those fields behind me belong to Pioneer, one of the big seed companies here in Kauai.  The prevailing winds here blow out of the northeast.  And the residents here say that when those winds blow, they bring dust and pesticides from these fields down into their neighborhoods and homes. And some believe that’s making their children sick. RANDI-LI DICKINSON: In 2007 I gave birth to my son.  And within a day we realized he was seizing.  And we found that his brain had hemorrhaged and he lost the whole, entire right frontal lobe. MEGAN THOMPSON:  Six-year-old Nakana Dickinson still has frequent seizures, according to his mother, Randy-Li.  After consulting with a pediatric neurologist and blood specialist, she now wonders if all of her son’s problems were caused by the location of their home, in the valley just below the fields. RELATED INFORMATION Paradise found: Hawaiian agriculture from sugar to seeds RANDY-LI DICKINSON: And the only thing I could think of is I lived here this whole time I'm pregnant.  And I'm getting this drift of dust constantly with pesticides. MEGAN THOMPSON: You don't know for sure what the cause was of your son's illness. RANDI-LI DICKINSON: No.  And I-- and that's scary to me.  And I can’t know for sure because they’re not disclosing anything to us. MEGAN THOMPSON: A battle has erupted here in Kauai over the seed farms.   More than 150 residents have sued Pioneer.  Though Pioneer declined to comment on the litigation, the families allege that dust and pesticides contaminated their homes.  They’re also seeking damages for lost property value. Thousands of others on the island demonstrated… This county council hearing is called to order. MEGAN THOMPSON:  And packed county council hearings in support of a bill, passed just this week, imposing new rules on the seed growers.  It creates buffer zones around the fields and forces the companies to disclose what pesticides they're using…when they're spraying… and how much. Several local doctors had expressed support for the legislation, citing serious health concerns. RICK GODING: There’s a strong anecdotal evidence that there’s a statistically significant difference in the incidence of cancer, asthma and birth defects. MEGAN THOMPSON:  One pediatrician wrote in an email that he had observed rare heart defects in babies at a rate 10 times the national average.  But says years of epidemiological research would be needed to establish the cause. GARY HOOSER: It's really quite simple.  Tell us what you're spraying, what you're growing, and then let us do a study to determine whether people really are getting sick. MEGAN THOMPSON: Local politician Gary Hooser introduced the bill.  He got involved in 2008 after a noxious odor sent several children and a teacher at a school next to one of the fields to the emergency room, complaining of dizziness and nausea. GARY HOOSER: This is serious, serious stuff that deserves our attention and deserves to be dealt with now. MEGAN THOMPSON: the seed companies and their employees came out in force to fight the bill. KU’UHAU GARZA: I want people to know that we are good people and we do the right thing. MEGAN THOMPSON: the companies said they follow government guidelines on pesticide spraying, and that revealing their farming practices could make them less competitive.  What’s more, as some of the largest employers on the west side, they said the bill’s other requirements could threaten their operations and the hundreds of jobs they provide. CARMELITA HAUMEA: Most people on the west side is employed by the seed companies.  We all live as a community, you know. MEGAN THOMPSON: The four biotech companies in Kauai own or lease more than 12,000 acres – close to 20 percent of the island’s usable farmland. Their fields bump up against the nearby towns. Seeds are big business in the state of Hawaii, valued more than $240 million dollars a year; more than triple the second-largest commodity, sugar.  Mark Phillipson works for Syngenta, and is president of Hawaii’s seed trade group, which represents Syngenta, BASF, Dow and Pioneer, a subsidiary of DuPont. MARK PHILLIPSON, HAWAII CROP IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION: The reason that we're here-- is the weather.  It's-- there's no winter.  We're here-- 365 days a year.  So, can get three crops a year.  Whereas, if we did this type of research or production on the mainland, we would get one crop-- per year.  So, something that would take-- ten-to-12 years to develop, we can do here in three-to-four years. MEGAN THOMPSON:  Phillipson says seed companies have developed better and stronger plants, genetically modified to withstand drought and pests. Today almost 90% of the corn grown in the United States is genetically modified…and according to one industry study, since 1996, the technology has brought an economic benefit of more than 24 billion dollars to America’s farmers. KATHY HASKINS: This is a row of conventionally-bred line of corn. / And you can see that there’s a lot of damage here to the ear.  That’s all from ear worm.  This is the same line – same exact line of corn, but it’s got our “Agrisure Viptera” traits in it and you can see that there’s ear damage at all to this ear.  It’s beautiful. MEGAN THOMPSON: Even though the seed companies are only growing crops for research purposes, they still use conventional farming methods.  That includes the application of several so-called “restricted use pesticides” - chemicals regulated by the E.P.A. that can only be handled by people with a special license. MARK PHILLIPSON: We follow all the federal and state guidelines on pesticide use, and those guidelines are very strict and they're-- monitored. MARK PHILLIPSON: We are very careful in how we apply the pesticides.  We, you know-- measure wind direction, wind speed.  It's-- not of any advantage for us to have things drift out anywhere. MEGAN THOMPSON:  Because of a new state registry on pesticide sales, and the lawsuit against Pioneer, some information on what’s being sprayed has started to come out.  But the seed companies, which invest billions of dollars in research and development, had been largely reluctant to share more specifics. GARY HOOSER:  On the general use pesticides that you use on an annual basis, can any – are any of you willing to disclose that amount?  So I’ll take the silence as a no. MEGAN THOMPSON: The people in community here have been asking for a few years now to know what pesticides are being sprayed by the seed companies here.  How much, when, where.  Why has that information not been disclosed? MARK PHILLIPSON: The reason is not so much there's trade secrets, but it's more of competitiveness. Fast disclosure of those pesticide use will probably tell me the ingredients that you're using that I might not be using. We each represent a unique company that has a product in a competitive marketplace. MEGAN THOMPSON: There are a lot of people in this community who say they’re getting sick.  And they think it might be the pesticides.  What do you say to that? MARK PHILLIPSON: Probably the first-- people in the community that would get sick would be our workers.  And there's no indication of that. MEGAN THOMPSON: Phillipson also points to a recent study by the Hawaii Department of Health showing cancer rates are no higher in Kauai than in other parts of the state…and other tests showing air and water samples to be safe. But critics accuse the companies of not following spraying guidelines closely enough. Attorneys in the Pioneer lawsuit say this video they shot shows pesticides blowing off a field near town.  And even though many of the pesticides are the same ones used by farmers in the Midwest for example, critics point out they’re being applied during more months of the year here. RICK GODING: How can you tell me I don’t have a right to know what they’re spraying? MEGAN THOMPSON: And that’s why some residents including local doctors like Rick Goding believe more research is needed. RICK GODING: The thing about the physicians is, we want to be very careful.  And I think some of them are afraid to say anything because they’re afraid to be perceived to be saying, “They’re spraying, and therefore this is happening.”  I’m not saying that.  I don’t know any physicians that are saying that. What we are saying is, they are spraying.  And we have some problems.  Can we find out more about what they’re spraying and can we look at the possibility as to whether it’s got an effect on some of the significant health problems we have in the community. MEGAN THOMPSON:  Even though that bill requiring the seed companies to create buffer zones and disclose their spraying was passed this week … at least one seed company said it’s exploring legal options to block the legislation.   So it could be a long time before these residents get all the information that they’re looking for. *Funding for this story provided by Pacific Islanders in Communications.* UPDATE A few weeks ago NewsHour Weekend reported on the debate surrounding genetically-modified seed farming on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. At that time the county council had just voted 6-1 in favor of a bill that would create buffer zones around the fields and force the companies to disclose what pesticides they're using, when they're spraying, and how much. The bill would have also required companies to disclose what GMOs were being used and produced by the growers. Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho on Thursday vetoed the bill saying, "I have always said I agree with the intent of this bill to provide for pesticide-use disclosure, create meaningful buffer zones and conduct a study on the health and environmental issues relating to pesticide use on Kauai...However, I believe strongly that this bill is legally flawed. That being the case, I had no choice but to veto." end quote from: GMO seeds grow into big fight on Kauai I watched this on PBS NEWSHOUR yesterday and what was said was people were getting sick downwind from the pesticides they were using. However, they also might have been getting sick from the modified food remnants itself blowing in the wind. Though people can genetically modify almost anything now to survive cold or drought or bad weather, they are not modifying it for people to survive eating this (food?). In fact I can't really call it food at all because it is killing people both fast and slow in North, South and Central America.  In most of the world genetically modified food is illegal because it kills people. Also, China has rejected completely GMO rice because they know it kills people too. They would rather have their people be healthy. Also, when people say they are allergic to Gluten what they are really saying is: "I'm allergic to GMO wheat. I don't eat it because I don't want to die from eating it." This is my statement too because I haven't eaten gluten since March 2013.    40% of people now alive on earth are allergic to gluten to a greater or lesser degree. So, since you have almost a 1 in 2 chance of being allergic you might want to think about this.

25 Things Babies Born in 2014 May Never Know

By Stacy Johnson 6 hours ago

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In late 2010, I wrote a post called ”30 Things Babies Born in 2011 Will Never Know.” It was one of my first successful online articles, appearing on the front page of Yahoo, along with a few other major sites.
The 2010 post included things like video tape, movie rental stores, adult bookstores, paper maps, encyclopedias, and newspaper classifieds. So far it’s looking like those are indeed fading away. But thanks to accelerating technology, just three years later I can produce a new list for those born in the upcoming year.
Here’s my list of things kids born in 2014 might never experience, or at least will see a whole lot less of as they reach their formative years. Check it out, then tell me whether you agree, disagree or, better yet, have something to add.

Things kids born in 2014 may never know

1. The post office. Instead of email, someone used to come all the way to your house just to drop a bunch of ads into a box on the front porch. This service was a big money loser.
2. Parking meters. There was a time when you had to pay for parking by putting coins into a little steel box on a pole.
3. Bank tellers. People used to visit a bank branch to make deposits and withdrawals. What a lot of effort expended on something that can be done digitally in mere seconds with no travel involved.
4. Paper statements. Trees used to give their lives so that those who refused to go digital could get bills and other statements in the mail. (See No. 1.)
5. Paper checks. While it was illegal to make your own paper money, it was OK to write an amount of money on a piece of ordinary paper. Once you signed it, it somehow magically became the same as money.
6. Cable TV. Before universal Wi-Fi, there used to be a wire running all the way from downtown to bring entertainment into the house. Judging by the price, you’d have thought it contained a cure for cancer.
7. Toll booths. Before they started charging tolls by taking a picture of your license plate, you had to stop at a booth and either throw money in a basket or hand it to someone. They were kind of like phone booths on the turnpike.
8. Phone booths. Before everyone had wireless phones, there used to be little glass rooms on street corners where you’d go in and use coins to make a call. For some people, they also doubled as bathrooms.
9. Newspapers. In days before everyone had computers at home and in their pockets, printing presses made paper versions of websites. People would then drive around and throw them on your lawn.
10. Car keys. Cars had keys you’d insert into a keyhole in the doors and dashboard to unlock and start the car. Sometimes you’d lock them in, then try to retrieve them with a coat hanger. Other people would stop and try to help.
11. Bookstores. A retail store where you’d go to buy books.
12. Books. There used to be a physical version of e-books made out of paper.
13. DVDs. Before movies were delivered online, they came on discs you’d stick into your computer or a player attached to your TV.
14. Incandescent lighting. This kind of light bulb didn’t last as long or cost as much as LED lighting, but it had a nice glow to it.
15. Fax machines. These devices transmitted a piece of paper to another fax machine anywhere in the world. It worked over phone lines.
16. Phone lines. Before wireless, calls were carried on wires. Like power wires, they were strung everywhere and stopped working during snow and ice storms.

17. Non-digital picture frames. There was a time when a picture frame could only display one picture at a time, so you needed a frame for every picture. Some were better looking than the picture they contained.

18. Cursive handwriting. You’d pick up a pen or pencil and actually write things by hand. Not only that, but the letters of each word were all connected in such a way that it was often impossible to decipher.

19. Camcorders. Before HD video cameras became standard in phones, you had to buy a separate device if you wanted video selfies.

20. Blind dates. In the days before dating websites, people were forced to meet one another any way they could, including being introduced to friends of friends. It was awkward, because there was no way to IM, text, exchange pics or otherwise communicate before actually meeting. The people you met this way usually weren’t as good looking as you.

21. Talking to one person at a time. Before pocket computers, you weren’t required to stay in constant communication via text. Nor was it customary to let everyone you’d ever met know where you were and what you were doing via Facebook. As a result, you’d often find yourself forced to communicate solely with the people in front of you.

22. Driving a car. Before self-driving cars, you had to do it all: gas, brakes, mirrors, turn signals, talk on the phone, text, put on makeup and eat, all at the same time.

23. Setting a thermostat. Before “The Internet of Things,” you had to manually set the temperature in your house.

24. Forgetting someone’s name. Before Google Glass came along, we had to recognize faces all by ourselves, and remember their personal information.

25. Buying music. With Pandora, Spotify, Rdio, iTunes Radio, etc., we have unlimited music libraries that we pay for by the month. Before that, we bought our music one song or album at a time and built collections.

Can you add to the list?

If you can think of more things babies born in 2014 might never experience or know, or if you disagree with some of the things I’ve listed here, let me hear from you. Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

This article was originally published on MoneyTalksNews.com as '25 Things Babies Born in 2014 May Never Know'.

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end quote from:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/25-things-babies-born-2014-120045750.html

I personally think paper statements and paper checks should stick around because the Internet will never be that secure whereas paper sent through the mail has thousands of times the security that anything online ever will have.

Case in point: the 40 million credit card numbers stolen along with pin numbers, names and areas where those cards are normally used, which will lead to many more people using cash at target and other similar stores in the future or just using credit cards. ATM cards (at least at point of sale) have lost confidence this Christmas season.