Attorney at Law

:::Anonymous Hackers:::

2011-08-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

WHO ARE THE ANONYMOUS HACHERS? ANONYMOUS THREATENS TO DESTROY FACEBOOK NOV.5? IS IT POSSIBLE?

Anonymous is a group initiating active CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE and spread through the internet while staying hidden, originating in 2003 on the imageboard 4chan, representing the concept of many online community users simultaneously existing as an anarchic, digitized global brain . It is also generally considered to be a blanket term for members of certain Internet subcultures, a way to refer to the actions of people in an environment where their actual identities are not known.

The name Anonymous itself is inspired by the perceived anonymity under which users post images and comments on the Internet. Usage of the term Anonymous in the sense of a shared identity began on imageboards. A tag of Anonymous is assigned to visitors who leave comments without identifying the originator of the posted content. Users of imageboards sometimes jokingly acted as if Anonymous were a real person. As the popularity of imageboards increased, the idea of Anonymous as a collective of unnamed individuals became an internet meme.

“We [Anonymous] just happen to be a group of people on the internet who need — just kind of an outlet to do as we wish, that we wouldn't be able to do in regular society. ...That's more or less the point of it. Do as you wish. ... There's a common phrase: 'we are doing it for the lulz.'”

—Trent Peacock. Search Engine: The face of Anonymous, February 7, 2008.

:::Hacker group Anonymous:::

Notorious hacker collective Anonymous on Tuesday threatened to “KILL” Facebook on Nov. 5, according to a YouTube video spotlighted on official channels used by the group.

“Your medium of communication you all so dearly adore will be destroyed,” the group wrote in a transcript of its YouTube video. “If you are a willing hacktivist or a guy who just wants to protect the freedom of information then join the cause and kill facebook [sic] for the sake of your own privacy.”

Anonymous claims it is doing Facebook users a service because the company is “selling information to government agencies.” It also asserts that Facebook’s privacy controls are a joke and that users cannot actually delete their accounts.

“Everything you do on Facebook stays on Facebook regardless of your ‘privacy’ settings, and deleting your account is impossible, even if you ‘delete’ your account, all your personal info stays on Facebook and can be recovered at any time,” the group wrote. “Changing the privacy settings to make your Facebook account more ‘private’ is also a delusion. Facebook knows more about you than your family.” (THAT`S TRUE!)

Even though Anonymous has had success in hacking some major websites in the past, it’s questionable that it would be successful against FACEBOOK. When you consider that the hacking group has given Facebook several months to prepare for an attack, it’s extremely unlikely Facebook would be brought down. But when you’re talking about a group of hackers with an aim to sow discord, you can never be certain.( Let`s be prepare for it!!!)

ALEJANDRO TOLEDO

2011-04-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

Dr. Alejandro Toledo was democratically elected President of Peru from July 2001-July 2006.

He was born in a small and remote village in the Peruvian Andes, 12,000 feet above sea level. He is one of sixteen brothers and sisters from a family of extreme poverty. At the age of six, he worked as a street shoe shiner and simultaneously sold newspapers and lotteries to supplement the family income.

Thanks to an accidental access to education, Dr. Toledo was able to go from extreme poverty to the most prestigious academic centers of the world, later becoming one of the most prominent democratic leaders of Latin America. He is the first Peruvian president of indigenous descent to be democratically elected in five hundred years.

Dr. Toledo attributes his academic and political accomplishments as being the result of a statistical error. His most precious dream and work now is that other men and women of the large socially excluded Peruvian and Latin American population can also become presidents of their respective countries by having access to quality health care and education.

President Toledo first appeared on the international political scene in 1996 when he formed and led a broad democratic coalition in the streets of Peru to bring down the autocratic regime of Alberto Fujimori. This coalition had the support of the international democratic community.

During the five years of Dr. Toledo's presidency, the Peruvian economy grew at an average rate of 6 percent, registering as one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America. Inflation averaged 1.5 percent and fiscal deficit went as low as 0.2 percent. While markets in China and Thailand were opened, free trade agreement negotiations with the United States, Chile, Mexico and Singapore were about to conclude. These markets were generating new investments and jobs for the most poverty-stricken Peruvians.

The fight against poverty through health and educational investment was the central aim of Dr. Toledo's presidency. As a result of sustained economic growth and deliberate social policies directed to the most poor, extreme poverty was reduced by 25 percent in five years. Employment grew at an average rate of 6 percent from 2004-2006.

FELIZ AÑO NUEVO 2011 / HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

2011-01-10T09:48:00.000-08:00

´´ WISHING YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011´´

Like to spend time with you…
What a grand thing to be loved!
What a grander thing still,to love!
Like to spend time with you
I am completely in love with you
You mean a lot to me
I wish you the very best with a
year full of happiness
and hope love,joy,peace
May follow on every day the whole
New year through…

Feliz Año 2011! :)

HAPPYNESS .LOVE.PEACE.WEALTH.HEALTH.

Peruvian wins Nobel for literature!!!

2010-10-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa won the Nobel Prize in Literature 2010 "for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt, and defeat", the Swedish Academy said on Thursday.

The Peruvian-Spanish writer , 74, rose to fame in the 1960s with novels such as The Time of the Hero, The Green House, and the monumental Conversation in the Cathedral.

When interviewed by Adam Smith, Editor-in-Chief of Nobelprize.org, Llosa asked "Is it true or is it a joke?"

"Frankly I didn't expect it you know," Llosa said. "It's been a great surprise. I never knew my name would be among the candidates but anyway it's a fantastic event. I feel very surprised."

"I think that writers as the rest of the citizens should participate in the civil problems, otherwise you couldn't protest," he shared his thoughts on writing.

Llosa has also received the 1994 Miguel de Cervantes Prize, the most important accolade in Spanish-language literature and awarded to authors whose "work has contributed to enrich, in a notable way, the literary patrimony of the Spanish language.

Llosa is the second Latin American winner of the Nobel Prize in literature following Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez who won the laurel in 1982.

Natural gas in Peru and the Camisea controversy!

2010-09-23T05:53:00.000-07:00

The natural gas industry in Peru has boomed since mid-2004, when natural gas from the Camisea Project, located in the Urubamba Basin in the southeastern Peruvian Amazon, began to flow. At approximately 1.7 billion USD, Peru’s Camisea Project represents the largest investment in the country’s history. Since the project’s 2004 launch, according to an Oxfam report published in July of 2010, Camisea has been satisfying part of the external market demand for natural gas, albeit at alarmingly low prices dictated by the existing contract. These low prices, along with the sub-par royalties awarded to Peru in comparison to other gas-exporting Latin American countries, have become a liability for the Peruvian economy. Indeed, in terms of natural gas exports, Peru is currently not getting a fair deal.

While high domestic natural gas prices act as a deterrent to domestic industries and individual consumers, low royalties charged by the government to foreign exporters mean a paucity of compensation for what some see as the usurpation of Peru’s natural resources. Consequently, President Alan García’s administration now must contend with a good deal of political and social pressure to increase export gas prices in order to reverse this trend of inadequate compensation. At the same time, there is counter-pressure from both foreign and domestic investment firms that insist upon the fixed low prices ordained by the prior contract. Negotiations for an increase in the price of exported natural gas will therefore prove to be tricky, if not entirely out of the question.
Government leaders and political elites justify the low natural gas export prices as necessary to promote economic growth, pointing to the unyielding benefits of overall trade and foreign investments as an illustration of the positive impact that such low prices have on the economy. Nevertheless, the dilatory and seemingly unconcerned attitude on the part of Peruvian government officials demonstrates their unwillingness to take a more comprehensive view of the nation’s prospective economic growth, and its potentially critical social, economic, and environmental impact on the state.

COHA Research Associate

Purple corn from Peru gains presence in international markets!!!

2010-09-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

Purple corn from Peru keeps on gaining presence in international markets; this year, exports between June and July have totaled US $999,239 reports PromPeru, the state agency in charge of promoting trade and tourism.

Promperu states that purple corn exports have progressively increased in recent years, excepting in 2008 when there was a small drop.

The United States are the main destination for these exports, (US $556,786), followed by Japan (US $117,683) and Spain (US $54,390).

Purple corn exports reached US $1.68 million during 2009, and the main buyers were the United States US $963,440), Japan (US $267,518 dólares), Bolivia (US $148,861, Spain (US $79,965) and Chile (US $49,666).

This year, the highest demand increases have been posted by Venezuela and Singapur, with 450 and 250%, respectively.

PromPeru also highlights the fact that purple corn has multiple health benefits as an antioxidant, as a help to improve blood circulation and to prevent intestinal cancer, the latter according to a study at the University of Nagoya (Japan).

Welcome to MYSKYPENGLISH

2010-05-04T19:57:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone my name is Rosela and I will be your English instructor. I am studying Business Law at UPC University. I live in Peru, South America. It´s one of the most wonderful countries in the world!!! I enjoy meeting new people and teaching English. I really wish to help you improve your English skills and I hope you will try to do your best. I will be here as a friend and an instructor to you. If you have any questions you want to ask to help you improve your English, please feel free to ask them. I will do my best as a teacher. I´ve never been to Japan, but I would like to learn many things through my students! I love learning things day by day and I am good listener!!! With improving day by day, everything will be easy! I look forward to instructing you.

Welcome To My skypenglish!

http://www.myskypenglish.com/en/users/attorneyatlaw4

Visitame y estaré ahi para ayudarte en el aprendizaje del Ingles y Español!!!! :)

Welcome to MYSKYPENGLISH

2010-05-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

WELCOME TO PERU! :)

2010-02-12T11:03:00.000-08:00

P E R U. LIVE THE LEGEND ! :)

Perú! You have to see it to believe it, to open your eyes and all of a sudden awaken in Machu Picchu, magical city, that has just been internationally voted as one the new Seven Wonders of the World. It is a dream come true that every living soul should experience, along with planting a tree, writing a book, and having a child... visit Machu Picchu (and discover Peru).

Surface Area
With an area of 1,285,215 square km, Peru is the third-largest country in South America after Brazil and Argentina, ranking it amongst the world's 20 largest nations.

Peru also holds sway over the sea up to 200 miles from the Peruvian coast and has territorial rights to an area of 60 million hectares in the Antarctic. Peru is divided into 24 departments. Lima is the capital of Peru.

Population

27.000.000 inhabitants.
- Urban: 72,3 %
- Rural: 27,7 %

Peru is a nation of mixed ethnic origins. Throughout its history, Peru has been the meeting ground for different nations and cultures. The indigenous population was joined 500 years ago by the Spaniards.

As a result of this encounter, and later enriched by the migration of African blacks, Asians and Europeans, Peruvian man emerged as the representative of a nation whose rich ethnic mix is one of its leading characteristics.

Language

- Spanish: 80,3%
- Quechua: 16,2%
- Other languages: 3,0%
- Foreign languages: 0,2%

Currency
The official currency in Peru is the Nuevo Sol (S/.), which is divided into 100 centimos. The currency includes coins for 5, 10, 20 and 50 centimos and 1, 2 and 5 sol coins. There are bills in the denomination of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Nuevos Soles.

Perú
http://peru.info/default.asp

LAN Peru may offer Lima-Cusco flights for free to foreign tourists!!!

2010-02-11T19:21:00.000-08:00

WELCOME EVERYBODY! :)

LAN Peru General Manager, Jorge Vílchez, said that the company is evaluating several alternatives for the promotion of Cusco as a tourist destination still open, and one of them is giving the Lima-Cusco air trip for free.

“We want to say: come to Peru and visit Cusco for free,” he said, explaining that this could be possible if the government starts an important marketing campaign that promotes Cusco abroad,” said Vilchez to TNews.

“Foreign tourists want to see Machu Picchu, and if it is not available then coming to Peru becomes less attractive. But we want them to understand that Peru is much more than only Machu Picchu, and so we are promoting many other destinations nationwide,” he stressed.

He also added that the airline is experiencing an important drop in the demand from foreign tourists, and that some 10,000 reservations have been canceled.

Pics by me.....

2009-09-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

Swine flu tips offered for employers!!!

2009-05-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than 400 cases of swine flu in the United States and the World Heath Organization continues its pandemic alert, several schools in Tampa Bay have been closed and president Obama has advised sick employees not to come to work and sick children not to attend school.

At this point, a severe pandemic flu outbreak is not anticipated. Still, the current situation is a cause for concern as a severe pandemic flu could affect as much as 40 percent of the work force.

While that is not anticipated, this is a good time for employers to look over a number of their policies and procedures and decide what needs to be done to be better prepared if a flu pandemic should happen.

The CDC encourages employees and their families to get flu shots, and it recommends that employers keep their employees informed about family preparedness, good hygiene and cough/sneeze etiquette. Employers may want to download and circulate the CDC’s factsheet on preventing the flu.

Here are some other things employers should consider doing:

• Understand the Family and Medical Leave Act.

This law provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for themselves or sick family members. Generally, the FMLA regulations do not cover flu absences unless complications arise, but courts have interpreted the FMLA to mandate leave for the flu and other viral infections.

• Discourage sick employees from reporting.

Many employees have limited sick leave and limited medical insurance. To alleviate these concerns, employers may want to provide employees with additional paid or unpaid sick leave.

• Review employee assistance plans.

EAPs address stress and emotional issues, and are resources to assist employers and employees with pandemic preparation. Employers who already have an EAP should check to see if plan resources are available to them and their employees.

• Implement “social distancing” policies.

Telecommuting, flexible work hours and staggered shifts are all examples. Employers considering telecommuting policies should implement safeguards to monitor and manage employee performance from home, and to protect the employer’s ability to comply with wage and hour laws.

• Prepare for operational disruptions.

This includes cross training or preparing backup staffing. Employers should review emergency/disaster plans to ensure business continuity. Develop a plan that includes pandemic preparedness, and review it and conduct drills regularly. Pandemic plans should include a communicable illness response policy that provides a structure for responding to outbreaks.

For more information on how to get started, visit the U.S. government’s Web site for pandemic flu information.

• Consider obtaining personal protective equipment.

Provide facemasks, free or discounted flu shots, and antivirals. Employers considering the distribution of medications should contact counsel to ensure they comply with legal requirements and do not run afoul of state laws or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Web site on “Proposed Guidance on Workplace Stockpiling of Respirators and Facemasks for Pandemic Influenza.”

• Review union agreements. Determine whether they remain in force during a pandemic or medical emergency. Also, sick leave and other leave provisions may need attention.

• Update contact information. Home phone, e-mail, cell phone and address lists may need updating. Some employers have “phone trees” to contact employees to check on and alert them during an emergency. Take precautions !

Peru: Alan Garcia, Hugo Chavez & Evo Morales in Simpsons image!!!

2009-01-15T07:17:00.000-08:00

Peru's President Alan Garcia along with the heads of state from other South American countries were drawn as if they were to appear on the Simpsons.

Created by artist Ed Wheeler, a picture of the presidents of Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Brazil is circling the internet.

The presidents of the South American countries are hugging each other and gathered around Latin pop singer Juanes, who is holding a guitar. The presidents of Chile and Argentina, Michelle Bachelet and Cristina Fernández are not in the picture.

The artist paid attention to even the smallest details, reported online media. Evo Morales can be seen wearing brown slippers along with an Andean style sweater instead of a suit.

While Alan Garcia is wearing a suit, it is a small one that doesn't cover his protruding belly. Hugo Chavez is seen wearing a red beret along with a red jacket.

According to Peru21 newspaper, it is hoped that the image will spark the interest of television producers to create an episode using the presidents of these South American countries.

For the last twenty five years, Ed Wheeler has photographed people, places and things for some of the most important corporations in America, says edwheeler.com.

Peru top Latin American country reducing production of coca plant!!!

2009-01-07T06:41:00.000-08:00

Peru is the country in Latin America which has been the most consistent in its reduction of coca growing fields, reported Flavio Mirella, the Peru representative for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Mirella noted that while the production of coca in many countries in the region was progressively rising, in Peru the trend was different.

The UN representative commended Peru for having concrete policies that were aimed at fighting the production of coca leaves. He stated that firm laws were being passed by the government and that local and regional authorities were effectively working together.

Furthermore, Mirella explained that it was necessary for the countries funding the war on drugs to also assume active roles. "Peru can't be left alone because it has shown good signs of progress."

He assured there was a higher demand for cocaine in areas such as Europe, affirming it was necessary for authorities in nations that consume and produce drugs to work together and cooperate in the fight against illegal substances

Gasoline prices lower in January

2008-12-30T07:06:00.000-08:00

Today, President Alan García Pérez announced there will be lower gas prices beginning the first week of January. This announcement comes a week after the Ministry of Economy and Finance promised Peruvians cheaper gas rates in the beginning of the new year. Minister of Economy, Luis Valdvieso, and the holder of Energy and Mines, Pedro Sánchez, told the public there will be lower gas prices beginning the first week of January but gave no further details on how much or when the new prices would take effect. Some criticisms have sprung up on the way García and the government handle the price of gas. Aurelio Ochoa, expert in hydrocarbons, insists that the government should rate the price of gas on a 40 percent average based on the international market instead of the current way, as the prices drop. García continued on with his speech, adding that fuel is important to the development of the country as it boosts public works and creates more jobs, helping save the country from the international financial crisis.

Guinea pigs the healthier option this Christmas season!!!

2008-12-16T08:38:00.000-08:00

If you’re thinking of cooking something different this holiday season why not go the more traditional route in Peruvian cuisine, the guinea pig. Healthier, cheaper and cuter than the other alternative, the guinea pigs are slowly becoming a more popular treat during the Christmas and New Year’s festivities. Though turkeys dominate sales, some Peruvians are glad to know there are other “economical options” as Callao official Mario Sanguinity describes. Sanguinity claims guinea pigs can feed around seven to eight people for the price of US$3.20, definitely a steep rate compared to the average US$25 spent on a decent sized turkey. In Callao Monday, officials presented a live presentation of a guinea pig meal for promotion. Disturbingly enough, one live guinea pig was dressed as Santa Claus standing next to eight of his little buddies cooked, fried and roasted, each in traditional form from the country’s different regions. Callao resident Silvia Carazas one of those people making the switch. “The animal is rich in protein and has zero cholesterol as well, very important for those of us looking to watch our weight.”

Migration of Peruvians increased in 2008!!!

2008-12-14T06:27:00.000-08:00

While the number of Peruvians traveling during October of this year decrease, overall more Peruvians are hopping a plane and visiting other countries like Chile for their traveling pleasures. The National Institute of Statistical Information (INEI in its Spanish acronyms) revealed a 6.6 percent decrease of Peruvian travelers during the month of October 2008 than compared to last year’s numbers. But between January and October of this year, the number of Peruvians traveling outside their country has increase by 1.5 percent in relation to previous years. The majority of Peruvians are traveling to Chile (41.1%), Bolivia (15.5%), United States (12.4%), Ecuador (8.2%), Spain (4.3%) and Argentina (3.6%) among others. INEI reports also reveal that men travel more than women at 52.9 percent compared to 47.1 percent. On the other hand, foreigners leaving Peru decreased by 2.6 percent with 182,846 people. Many left Peru to go to Chile (35.6%), United States (16.2%), Bolivia (8.8%), Ecuador (7.7%), Spain (6.4%), Colombia (5.3%) and Holand (4.2%). Similar to Peru, foreign men traveled more than women at 56.9 percent compared to 43.1 percent.

Bush Says He Doubts Bible Literally True!!!

2008-12-10T06:59:00.000-08:00

President George W. Bush said his belief that God created the world is not incompatible with scientific proof of evolution.

In an interview with ABC's "Nightline" on Monday, the president also said he probably is not a literalist when reading the Bible although an individual can learn a great deal from it, including the New Testament teaching that God sent his only son.

Asked about creation and evolution, Bush said: "I think you can have both. I think evolution can — you're getting me way out of my lane here. I'm just a simple president. But it's, I think that God created the earth, created the world; I think the creation of the world is so mysterious it requires something as large as an almighty and I don't think it's incompatible with the scientific proof that there is evolution."

He added, "I happen to believe that evolution doesn't fully explain the mystery of life."

Interviewer Cynthia McFadden asked Bush if the Bible was literally true.

"You know. Probably not. ... No, I'm not a literalist, but I think you can learn a lot from it, but I do think that the New Testament for example is ... has got ... You know, the important lesson is 'God sent a son,'" Bush said.

"It is hard for me to justify or prove the mystery of the Almighty in my life," he said. "All I can just tell you is that I got back into religion and I quit drinking shortly thereafter and I asked for help. ... I was a one-step program guy."

The president also said that he prays to the same God as those with different religious beliefs.

"I do believe there is an almighty that is broad and big enough and loving enough that can encompass a lot of people," Bush said.

When asked whether he thought he would have become president had it not been for his faith, Bush said: "I don't know; it's hard to tell. I do know that I would have been — I'm pretty confident I would have been a pretty selfish person."

Bush said he is often asked whether he thinks he was chosen by God to be president.

"I just, I can't go there," he said. "I'm not that confident in knowing, you know, the Almighty, to be able to say, Yeah, God wanted me of all the other people."

He also said the decision to go to war in Iraq was not connected to his religious beliefs.

"I did it based upon the need to protect the American people from harm," Bush said.

"You can't look at the decision to go into Iraq apart from, you know, what happened on Sept. 11. It was not a religious decision," he said. "I don't view this as a war of religion. I view this as a war of good, decent people of all faiths against people who murder innocent people to achieve a political objective."

He said he felt like God was with him as he made big decisions, but that the decisions were his.

"George W. Bush has to make these decisions."

Peru to seek US$20 million in environmental aid to save Amazons!!!

2008-12-09T13:14:00.000-08:00

SALVEMOS A LA AMAZONIA Y PRESERVEMOS LA VIDA SALVAJE!

Environment Minister Antonio Brack is looking out to the international community to help aid the Peruvian government to preserve the precious wild life and habitat of the Amazon rainforest. More than 80 percent of the Amazon can be saved or protected, according to Brack.

But in the midst of a global economic recession, Western governments are seen as less likely to contribute a sufficient amount to aid the Peruvian government. An annual contribution of US$25 million for the next 10 years is needed for Peru to conserve 60 percent of its forests.

Brack has said Peru is on board to contribute US$5 million a year and looking for aid from other countries during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznań.
"We are not a poor country going to the Poznań meeting begging for aid," Brack told the BBC. "We are an important country with a large area of forest that has a value."
According to the BBC, Brack says Peru is aiming to protect or conserve 54 million hectares divided into four different categories:

• 17 million hectares of national parks which are already in existence
• 12 million for Peru's 42 indigenous groups, totally 350,000 people
• 21 million for sustainable forestry development
• 5 million for eco-tourism

Brack hopes to have zero deforestation levels once the country receives the proper funding.

In May, Brack was appointed the new Environment Minister, a government branch recently created in an agreement with the United States as part of the conditions for their Free Trade Agreement.

Indian Woman Gives Birth at Age 70!!!

2008-12-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

Rajo Devi, who married 50 years ago, gave birth to a baby girl on November 28 after in vitro fertilisation, said Anurag Bishnoi, a doctor at the Hisar fertility centre in Haryana state.

"Rajo Devi and (her husband) Bala Ram approached the centre for treatment and the embryo transfer was done on April 19," he told the Hindustan Times.

"Both the mother and child are in good health."

Ms Devi's husband, aged 72, had also wed his wife's sister after 10 years of his first marriage did not result in children.

His second wife also failed to become pregnant.

It was not clear whose egg and sperm were used in the successful treatment.

"We longed for a child all these years and now we are very happy to have one in the twilight years of our life," Ms Devi told the Times of India.

The couple said they suffered a social stigma for 55 years for being childless.

"The upbringing of the child is not a problem. We have a joint family as is common in rural Haryana," said Mr Ram.

Another 70-year-old Indian was reported to have given birth to twins via IVF in July this year, while a 66-year-old Spanish woman had twins in 2006.

Dr Bishnoi said IVF had revolutionised the way infertility was viewed.

"Infertility is no longer a social taboo or a divine curse. It can be treated scientifically," he said.

Poverty dramatically affects children's brains!!!

2008-12-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

A new study finds that certain brain functions of some low-income 9- and 10-year-olds pale in comparison with those of wealthy children and that the difference is almost equivalent to the damage from a stroke.

"It is a similar pattern to what's seen in patients with strokes that have led to lesions in their prefrontal cortex," which controls higher-order thinking and problem solving, says lead researcher Mark Kishiyama, a cognitive psychologist at the University of California-Berkeley. "It suggests that in these kids, prefrontal function is reduced or disrupted in some way."

The study adds to a growing body of evidence that shows how poverty afflicts children's brains. Researchers have long pointed to the ravages of malnutrition, stress, illiteracy and toxic environments in low-income children's lives. Research has shown that the neural systems of poor children develop differently from those of middle-class children, affecting language development and "executive function," or the ability to plan, remember details and pay attention in school.

Such deficiencies are reversible through intensive intervention such as focused lessons and games that encourage children to think out loud or use executive function.

"It's really important for neuroscientists to start to think about the effects of people's experiences on their brain function, and specifically about the effect of people's socioeconomic status," says Martha Farah, director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania.

Among the most studied: differences in language acquisition between low- and middle-income children. The most famous study, from 1995, transcribed conversation between parents and children and found that by age 3, middle-class children had working vocabularies roughly twice the size of poor children's.

For the new study, researchers used an electroencephalograph (EEG) to measure brain function of 26 children while they watched images flashing on a computer. The children pressed a button when a tilted triangle appeared.

The researchers found a huge difference in the low-income children's ability to detect the tilted triangles and block out distractions — a key function of the prefrontal cortex.

"It's just not functioning as efficiently as it could be, or as it should be," Kishiyama says.

Though the effects of poverty are reversible, children need "incredibly intensive interventions to overcome this kind of difficulty," says Susan Neuman, an education professor at the University of Michigan.

The study appears online in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience and will be published early next year.

El pisco es Peruano ! Peru is a stronger exporter of Pisco!!!

2008-12-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

Peru has maintained its lead over neighboring Chile in pisco exports, with a comparative growth of 48 percent this year. According to Chile's El Mercurio online, the Peruvian exports of pisco exceeded a cumulative total of one million dollars in September this year. These figures are based on the Peruvian Exporters’ Association (ADEX) Data Trade and of Peru’s Customs Agency (ADUANAS). On the other hand, Chile’s exports reached US$ 733,176 in September, according to statistics from ProChile. In this regard, Fernando Herrera, president of Chile's Association of Brandy Producers, explained they are making progress to boost Chilean exports. "The Peruvian government is a strong promoter of Peruvian pisco, but we are trying to do a comprehensive development plan for our industry, with particular focus on increasing exports," he said.

Ju Hintao Urges Multinationals and Enterprises to Act Responsibly when Facing the Global Financial Crisis!!!

2008-11-22T08:03:00.000-08:00

Chinese President Ju Hintao urged multinationals and the international community to assume their role when facing the international financial crisis, which means they should not only worry about their profit but that they should act responsibly.

“It is imperative that enterprises, especially multinationals assume the role they must play. It is true that businesses must make money but they exist within a society and thus they must take into account the effects of their actions”, affirmed the president.

The President of China also brought up the subject of “China’s Search for Sustainable Development” during the CEO Summit within the APEC Forum.

Peru and Hong Kong Sign Cooperation Agreement over Trade and Investment Facilitation Deal!!

2008-11-22T07:56:00.000-08:00

Peru and Hong Kong signed an agreement of cooperation to facilitate commerce and investment to promote development and strengthen trade as well as economic cooperation, informed today Peruvian Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Mercedes Araoz.

The agreement deals with technical norms, sanitary measures, financial services and foreign commerce development.

The deal also touches on the subject of railway materials, naval transport and logistical services, tourism development and increase of investments and customs, among others.

In it is stipulated that the Peruvian Export and Tourism Development Commission (PromPerú) and the Hong Kong Council for Development will promote commerce and economic cooperation between the two agencies.

Araoz and the Hong Kong Commerce and Economic Development Secretary Rita Lau were in charge of the agreement.

During their meeting, the Ministry expressed the government’s interest in promoting Peru as a possible tourist destination in Hong Kong as well as to sell Alpaca products in the Asian country.

“For Peru Moda 2009 we will make a point of inviting Hong Kong designers and retailers to the international fairs and events that we promote. In this way we will be able to get to know each other better”, said Araoz.

The Minister also invited Hong Kong’s Hutchinson’s to participate again in the next bids at the port of Callao as well as the next bids in other Peruvian ports.

APEC investors interested in bio-energetic and agricultural products!!!

2008-11-18T15:33:00.000-08:00

Investors from the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies are interested in investing in bio-energetic products, as well as vegetables and fruits, which meet with export quality standards, reported today the minister of Agriculture, Carlos Leyton. The minister announced his participation in the forum named "Invest in Peru", where he will seize the opportunity to talk directly with investors and promote investment alternatives in Agriculture sector. "There are some irrigation projects that could be pretty interesting fro investors, those included in the portfolio of investment projects, which will benefit Olmos (Lambayeque), Chavimochic (La Libertad) and Majes (Arequipa)", he stated. He pointed out that Peru is located in center west of South America, which offers very special conditions required for agricultural production, and it also provides significant development potential based on current production.

Peru sets potato exhibition in IMC of APEC!!!

2008-11-17T15:20:00.000-08:00

Como diriamos los peruanos, este pechito como papa!!! Nos sentimos orgullosos del Origen oriundo de nuestro tubérculo que abarca la gran variedad existente en el Perú y que no ha existido producción alguna que pueda compararse en el Mundo. Potato originates in South America and is one of the crops most widely cultivated around the world. The year of 2008 was identified as the year of Potato by the 60th United Nations General Assembly. Peruvian Agriculture Ministry sets up the exhibition in the IMC of APEC. The 21 member economies began their annual forum, called the 16th APEC Leaders' Week, in Lima on Sunday with the start of a two-day senior officials' meeting. At the International Media Center (IMC) in Lima, Peru, a display of various potatoes native to the country will be open to the public during the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leader’s Week. The display was set up on behalf of the Agriculture Ministry to provide more information on one of country’s leading products. Que Viva el Perú !!!

Peru, U.S. presidents to hold bilateral meeting!!!

2008-11-17T15:09:00.000-08:00

Peruvian president Alan García Pérez will hold this week a bilateral meeting with his U.S. counterpart, George W. Bush, who will attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting in Peru's capital Lima. The meeting is scheduled for Sunday, November 23. This will be Bush's second visit to Peru after his state visit in March 2002. Bush is to chair the ninth session of the Leaders’ Meeting, which theme is: "What APEC can do to strengthen ties in the Asia-Pacific community?" This session will be held at the Convention Center of the Defense Ministry, located in the headquarters of Peru's Army Headquarters. Peru’s president will also hold a bilateral meeting with Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, Australian PM Kevin Rudd, and Chilean president Michelle Bachelet.

Peruvian hairless dog offered to Obama’s family!!!

2008-11-11T09:37:00.000-08:00

An offer of a Peruvian hairless dog has been made to the family of Barack Obama, whose daughter Malia suffers from pet allergies. A hairless Peruvian dog will be offered as a pet to the family of the president-elect of the United States. Claudia Galvez, president of the Association of Friends of Hairless Peruvian Dogs in Lima reported that tomorrow she will send a letter to the Peruvian Embassy in Washington, D.C., to inquire if the new president is ready to give shelter to a symbol of Peru. “The hairless dogs are hypoallergenic, do not have fleas, have no hair, and, furthermore, have been known to cure inflammatory diseases such as asthma, arthritis and rheumatism,” said Galvez to the agency EFE. Galvez was inspired to make the offer in response to Obama’s statement last Friday about the importance of selecting the right pet for his family due to his daughter’s allergies. The Peruvian hairless dog, the only one of pre-Hispanic origin in South America, is devoid of hair resulting from a syndrome known as ectodermal hypoplasia. The dogs also lack premolars and lose most of their teeth at an early age.

Previous APEC-PERÚ Meetings!!!

2008-11-10T22:23:00.000-08:00

A week prior to APEC Peru 2008 during Leaders’ Week, almost all Leaders of the Asia-Pacific Region had already confirmed their attendance to the forum held in our country, announced Vice-Admiral Luis Giampietri, Chairman of APEC Peru High-Level Commission, who presides over this great event.

“The High-Level Commission has also got the confirmation of the attendance of 26 spouses, both from Ministers and Leaders of different APEC Member Economies, who will participate in this Summit Week. We have up to 3,618 confirmed Delegates, among Leaders, Ministers, Senior Officials and international security, who will come from the Asia-Pacific Region. This Summit will gather the largest number of attendants throughout APEC history”, he stressed. Therefore, so as to protect the Leaders’ security, 687 security officers from the delegations, who will be included into the Security Plan established by the APEC 2008 Organizing Commission, will arrive.

With regards to delegations arriving to Peru within the next few days, the largest one is the United States with over 900 Delegates, followed by Japan with around 500 Delegates, and then China with 300 Delegates.

Likewise, in order to attend 2,700 national and international accredited members of the press covering Leaders’ Week, the final details of the International Media Center (IMC) at the Ministry of Defense (MoD), located in San Borja, are being completed. This media center is 8 thousand m2 and has work areas, computers, internet, TV studios and press conference rooms, among other facilities for the media, besides opening 24 hours from November 16th to 23rd this year.

“APEC is a unique opportunity for Peruvians. It is foreseen that in the following years investments in Peru will be up to 10 thousand million dollars. These investments will be coming from the Asia-Pacific Region will. Leaders are aware of the importance of topics such as Corporate Social Responsibility, especially at SMEs level. This is a subject proposed by Peru as APEC Host Economy. Within this context, the 2nd SMEs Summit to be held on 17 November at the Convention Center that has been implemented in the Real Felipe Fortress in Callao, as part of Leaders’ Week, is really important”, concluded Vice-Admiral Luis Giampietri. APEC concentrates 49% of world trade and represents 55% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the world.

The american people needs help. US needs to resolve the financial crisis!!!

2008-11-09T17:35:00.000-08:00

The United States is facing the "greatest economic challenge of our lifetime," president-elect Barack Obama said Friday, also assuring Americans that he would confront the economic crisis "head-on" immediately after taking office.

"We're going to have to act swiftly to resolve it," Obama, flanked by his new chief of staff and some of the nation's top business leaders, regulators and economists who comprise his transition team of advisers, told reporters in Chicago.

It was Obama's first news conference since winning Tuesday's election and came immediately after he met with his 17-member economic transition board to discuss the global financial turmoil.

'The American people need help.'—Barack Obama, U.S. president-elect

The president-elect said he has asked his transition team specifically to work on some ideas to help the struggling auto industry, as well as a "rescue plan" for the middle class to create jobs and provide relief for "families that are watching their paycheques shrink and their life savings disappear."

He said it was an "urgent priority" to extend unemployment benefits, and called for another "long overdue" stimulus package to be passed before or after his inauguration.

"The American people need help," he said.

Obama also pledged to work closely with outgoing President George W. Bush and said he planned to meet with him on Monday at the White House. But he also emphasized that the country "has only one government and one president at a time."

"Now's a good time for us to set politics aside for a while and think practically about what will actually work," he said. "It is in that spirit that I will have the conversation with the president.

"I'm confident a new president can have an enormous impact," he added.

When asked about a letter of congratulations from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Obama declined to speculate on his administration's approach to Tehran, saying such policy decisions could not be done in a "knee-jerk" fashion.

But he said an international effort must continue to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

"Iran's development of a nuclear weapon, I believe is unacceptable," he said.

U.S. bleeds 240,000 jobs in October

Earlier in the day, Obama and vice-president-elect Joe Biden sought advice from their economic advisory board, which includes investor Warren Buffet, cabinet officials and executives from Xerox Corp., Time Warner Inc., Google Inc. and the Hyatt hotel company.

The meeting came as the U.S. Labour Department announced Friday that employment in the United States fell by a worse-than-expected 240,000 jobs in October.

The plunge in payrolls raised the unemployment rate to 6.5 per cent, up from 6.1 per cent in September. The U.S. jobless rate has not been that high since March 1994.

As well, automaker Ford posted a third-quarter loss of $129 million US and announced it will slash 10 per cent of its North American salaried workforce costs by the end of January. The same day, General Motors announced it lost $2.5 billion in the third quarter and warned that it could run out of cash in 2009.

China announces $586 billion stimulus plan!!!

2008-11-09T17:20:00.000-08:00

China announced a $586-billion US stimulus package Sunday in its biggest move to stop the global financial crisis from hitting the world's fourth-largest economy.

A statement on the government's website said China's cabinet had approved a plan to invest the amount in infrastructure and social welfare by the end of 2010.

Some of the money will come from the private sector. The statement did not say how much of the spending is on new projects and how much is for ventures already in the pipeline.

China's export-driven economy is starting to feel the impact of the economic slowdown in the United States and Europe, and the government has already cut key interest rates three times in less than two months in a bid to spur economic expansion.

Economic growth slowed to nine per cent in the third quarter, the lowest level in five years and a sharp decline from last year's 11.9 per cent. That is considered dangerously slow for a government that needs to create jobs for millions of new workers who enter the economy every year and to satisfy a public that has come to expect steadily rising incomes.

Exports have been growing at an annual rate of more than 20 per cent, but analysts expect that may fall as low as zero in coming months as global demand weakens.

Spending on housing, infrastructure

The statement said the cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, had "decided to adopt active fiscal policy and moderately easy monetary policies." It did not give details.

The statement said the spending would focus on 10 areas. They included picking up the pace of spending on low-cost housing - an urgent need in many parts of the country - as well as increased spending on rural infrastructure.

Money will also be put into new railways, roads and airports. Spending on health and education will be increased, as well as on environmental protection and high technology.

Spending on rebuilding disaster areas, such as Sichuan province where 70,000 people were killed and millions left homeless by a massive earthquake in May, will also be sped up. That includes $2.93 billion planned for next year that will be moved up to the fourth quarter of this year.

The statement, without giving details, said rural and urban incomes would be increased.

Credit limits for commercial banks will also be removed to channel more lending to priority projects and rural development, it said.

As well, reform of the value-added tax system will cut taxes by $17.5 billion for enterprises, the statement said.

The plan was announced before President Hu Jintao goes to Washington to push Western leaders to give poorer countries a bigger role in global financial institutions at a Nov. 15 summit of the Group of 20 major economies on the financial crisis.

Barack Obama's 86-year-old grandmother has died on the eve of the U.S presidential election!!!

2008-11-03T21:22:00.000-08:00

In a joint statement with his sister, the Democratic candidate announced the news that Madelyn Dunham had died peacefully after a battle with cancer.

Just over a week ago, the Illinois senator took a break from campaigning and flew to Hawaii to be with Mrs Dunham, who had helped raise him.

At a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, the 47-year-old Illinois senator said it was a "bitter-sweet time for me".

"She is going home," he said. "So there is great joy as well as tears."

"She was one of those quiet heroes that we have all across America," said Obama.

"They're not famous. Their names aren't in the newspapers. But each and every day they work hard. They sacrifice for their children and their grandchildren. They aren't seeking the limelight. All they try to do is just do the right thing."

McCain and his wife, Cindy, issued a statement of condolence.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to them as they remember and celebrate the life of someone who had such a profound
impact in their lives," they said.

Senator Obama, 47, learned of her death on Monday morning while he was campaigning in Jacksonville, Florida.

Mr Obama and his rival John McCain have been covering thousands of miles in a final push for votes on the last day of campaigning.

The two men have been targeting the key swing states that will decide the race.

Senator McCain took his campaign to a total of seven states on the final day, crossing more than 3,000 miles as he tries desperately to pull back votes from his Democratic rival.

He began his final push in Florida telling supporters: "The pundits have written us off just like they've done before and my opponent is measuring the drapes in the White House.

"The pundits may not know it and the Democrats may not know it but the Mac is back. We're going to win this election."

2008 Presidential Election !!!

2008-11-03T20:56:00.000-08:00

TAMPA, Fla. – Barack Obama radiated confidence and John McCain displayed the grit of an underdog Monday as the presidential rivals reached for the finish line of a two-year marathon with a burst of campaigning across battlegrounds from the Atlantic Coast to Arizona.

"We are one day away from change in America," said Obama, a Democrat seeking to become the first black president — a dream not nearly as distant on election eve as it once was.

McCain, too, promised to turn the page of the era of George W. Bush, and he warned about his opponent's intentions. "Sen. Obama is in the far left lane" of politics, he said. "He's more liberal than a guy who calls himself a Socialist and that's not easy."

Republican running mate Sarah Palin was even more pointed as she campaigned in Ohio. "Now is not the time to experiment with socialism," she said. "Our opponent's plan is just for bigger government."

Late-season attacks aside, Obama led in virtually all the pre-election polls in a race where economic concerns dominated and the war in Iraq was pushed — however temporarily — into the background.

While the overall number of early votes was unknown, statistics showed more than 29 million ballots cast in 30 states and suggested an advantage for Obama. Democrats voted in larger numbers than Republicans in North Carolina, Colorado, Florida and Iowa, all of which went for President Bush in 2004.

Democrats also anticipated gains in the House and in the Senate, although Republicans battled to hold their losses to a minimum and a significant number of races were rated as tossups in the campaign's final hours.

By their near-non-stop attention to states that voted Republican in 2004, both Obama and McCain acknowledged the Democrats' advantage in the presidential race.

The two rivals both began their days in Florida, a traditionally Republican state with 27 electoral votes where polls make it close.

Obama drew 9,000 or so at a rally in Jacksonville, while across the state, a crowd estimated at roughly 1,000 turned out for McCain.

The frontrunner also choked up on the campaign's final day as he told a crowd in North Carolina of the death of his grandmother from cancer. Madelyn Payne Dunham was 86.

"She died peacefully in her sleep with my sister at her side," he said of the woman who had played a large role in his upbringing. "And so there is great joy as well as tears. I'm not going to talk about it too long because it is hard for me to talk about."

McCain and his wife issued a statement of condolence.

One day before the election, no battleground state was left unattended.

But Virginia, where no Democrat has won in 40 years, and Ohio, where no Republican president has ever lost, seemed most coveted. Together, they account for 33 electoral votes that McCain can scarcely do without.

Democratic volunteers in Maryland, a state safe for Obama, called voters in next-door Virginia, where McCain trailed in the polls. The Democratic presidential candidate's visit to Virginia during the day was his 11th since he clinched the nomination.

Unwilling to concede anything, McCain's campaign filed a lawsuit in Richmond seeking to force election officials to count late-arriving ballots from members of the armed forces overseas. No hearing was immediately scheduled.

Several hundred miles away in Ohio — the state that sealed Bush's second term in 2004 — voters waited as long as three hours in line to cast ballots in Columbus, part of heavily contested Franklin County. Poll workers handed out bottles of water to sustain them.

Lori Huffman, 38, a supervisor at UPS Inc., took the day off to vote early for her man, McCain. "It's exciting isn't it?" she asked, gesturing toward the long line of waiting voters.

"This is happening all over the state, from Cleveland to Dayton," said Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat trying to deliver his state to Obama.

Obama hoped so, after more than a year building an elaborate get-out-the-vote operation, first for the primary campaign, now for the general election.

The Democrat flew from Florida to North Carolina to Virginia, all states that went Republican in 2004, before heading home to Chicago on Election Eve.

Twenty-one months after he launched his campaign, he allowed, "You know. I feel pretty peaceful ... I gotta say."

On a syndicated radio program, the Russ Parr Morning Show, he said, "The question is going to be who wants it more," he added. "And I hope that our supporters want it bad, because I think the country needs it."

If wanting it were all that mattered, the race would be a toss-up.

McCain, behind in the polls, set out on a grueling run through several traditionally Republican states that he has failed to secure. Florida, Virginia, Indiana, New Mexico and Nevada were on his itinerary, as was Pennsylvania, the only state that voted Democratic in 2004 where he still nursed hopes. His last appearance of the long day, past midnight, was a home state rally in Prescott, Ariz. Obama has been running television commercials in Arizona in the campaign's final days.

The surrogate campaigners included Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democrats and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for the Republicans. Both lost races for their party's presidential nomination earlier in the year, and both could be expected to try again if their ticket loses the White House.

Not so, President Bush.

Deeply unpopular, the man who won the White House twice was out of public view, an effort to help McCain.

Palin was racing through five Bush states Monday — Ohio, Missouri, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada — in an effort to boost conservative turnout for McCain. The Alaska governor has been a popular draw for many GOP base voters, and already, there was speculation about a future national campaign should Republicans lose in 2008.

Joe Biden, Obama's running mate, campaigned in Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania. "We are on the cusp of a new brand of leadership," he assured supporters.

Biden didn't say so, but he was as close to guaranteed a victory as any politician in America. Whatever the fate of the Democratic presidential ticket, he was heavily favored to win a new Senate term from Delaware on Tuesday.

Why America Needs an Economic Strategy?!

2008-11-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

(Nov. 1) - With the U.S. election just days away, it has never been more important to consider what the next president must do to keep America competitive. In this time of crisis, Washington has focused on the immediate and the short term. Lost are the more basic questions we really need to worry about: What is the fundamental competitive position of the U.S. in the global economy? And what must we do to remain strong when other nations are making rapid progress?

The stark truth is that the U.S. has no long-term economic strategy -- no coherent set of policies to ensure competitiveness over the long haul. Strategy embodies clear priorities, based on understanding the strengths we need to preserve and the weaknesses that threaten our prosperity the most. Strategy addresses what to do, but also what not to do. In dealing with a crisis, experience teaches us that steps to address the immediate problem must support a long-term strategy. Yet it is far from clear that we are taking the steps most important to America's long-term economic prosperity.

America's political system, especially as it has evolved in recent times, almost guarantees an absence of strategic thinking at the federal level. Government leaders react to current events piecemeal, rather than developing a strategy that unfolds over years. Congress and the Executive Branch are organized around discrete policy areas, not around the overall goal of improving competitiveness. Neither candidate has put forward anything close to a strategy; rather, each has presented a set of disconnected policy proposals with political appeal. Both parties contribute to the problem by approaching the economy with long-held ideologies and policy positions, many of which no longer fit with today's reality.

Now is the moment when the U.S. needs to break this cycle. The American economy has performed remarkably well, but our continued competitiveness has become fragile. Over the last two decades the U.S. has accounted for an incredible one-third of world economic growth. As the financial crisis hit, the rest of the American economy remained quite competitive, with many companies performing strongly in international markets. U.S. productivity growth has continued to be faster than in most other advanced economies, and exports have been the growth driver in the overall economy.

THE AGE OF ANXIETY

Yet our success has come with deep insecurities for many Americans, even before the crisis. The emergence of China and India as global players has sparked deep fears for U.S. jobs and wages, despite unemployment rates that have been low by historical standards. While the U.S. economy has been a stronger net job creator than most advanced countries, the high level of job churn (restructuring destroys about 30 million jobs per year) makes many Americans fear for their future, their pensions, and their health care. While the standard of living has risen over the last several decades for all income groups, especially when properly adjusted for family size, and while the U.S. remains the land where lower-income citizens have the best chance of moving up the economic ladder, inequality has risen. This has caused many Americans to question globalization.

To reconcile these conflicting perspectives, it's necessary to assess where America really stands. The U.S. has prospered because it has enjoyed a set of unique competitive strengths. First, the U.S. has an unparalleled environment for entrepreneurship and starting new companies.

Second, U.S. entrepreneurship has been fed by a science, technology, and innovation machine that remains by far the best in the world. While other countries increase their spending on research and development, the U.S. remains uniquely good at coaxing innovation out of its research and translating those innovations into commercial products. In 2007, American inventors registered about 80,000 patents in the U.S. patent system, where virtually all important technologies developed in any nation are patented. That's more than the rest of the world combined.

Third, the U.S. has the world's best institutions for higher learning, and they are getting stronger. They equip students with highly advanced skills and act as magnets for global talent, while playing a critical role in innovation and spinning off new businesses.

Fourth, America has been the country with the strongest commitment to competition and free markets. This belief has driven the remarkable level of restructuring, renewal, and productivity growth in the U.S.

Fifth, the task of forming economic policy and putting it into practice is highly decentralized across states and regions. There really is not a single U.S. economy, but a collection of specialized regional economies -- think of the entertainment complex in Hollywood or life sciences in Boston. Each region has its own industry clusters, with specialized skills and assets. Each state and region takes responsibility for competitiveness and addresses its own problems rather than waiting for the central government. This decentralization is arguably America's greatest hidden competitive strength.

Sixth, the U.S. has benefited historically from the deepest and most efficient capital markets of any nation, especially for risk capital. Only in America can young people raise millions, lose it all, and return to start another company.

Finally, the U.S. continues to enjoy remarkable dynamism and resilience. Our willingness to restructure, take our losses, and move on will allow the U.S. to weather the current crisis better than most countries.

Yet what has driven America's success is starting to erode. A series of policy failures has offset and even nullified its strengths just as other nations are becoming more competitive. The problem is not so much that other nations are threatening the U.S. but that the U.S. lacks a coherent strategy for addressing its own challenges.

An inadequate rate of reinvestment in science and technology is hampering America's feeder system for entrepreneurship. Research and development as a share of GDP has actually declined, while it has risen in many other countries. Federal policymakers recognize this problem but have failed to act.

America's belief in competition is waning. A creeping relaxation of antitrust enforcement has allowed mergers to dominate markets. Ironically, these mergers are often justified by "free market" rhetoric. The U.S. is seeing more intervention in competition, with protectionism and favoritism on the rise. Few Americans know that the U.S. ranks only 20th among countries in openness to capital flows, 21st on low trade barriers, and 35th on absence of distortions from taxes and subsidies, according to the 2008 Global Competitiveness Report. We are fast becoming the kind of distorted economy we have long criticized.

Lack of regulatory oversight and capital requirements, in the name of liberalization and well-meaning efforts to extend credit to lower-income citizens, has undermined our financial markets. America underregulates in some areas while it overregulates in others.

U.S. colleges and universities are precious assets, but we have no serious plan to improve access to them by our citizens. America now ranks 12th in tertiary (college or higher) educational attainment for 25- to 34-year-olds. We have made no progress in this vital area over the past 30 years, unlike almost every other country. This is an ominous trend in an economy that must have the skills to justify its high wages. Instead of mounting a serious program to provide access to higher education, like the G.I. Bill and National Science Foundation programs of earlier years, Congress grandstands over the rate of endowment spending in our best universities.

The federal government has also failed to recognize and support the decentralization and regional specialization that drive our economy. Washington still acts as if the federal level is where the action is. Beltway bureaucrats spend many billions of dollars on top-down, highly fragmented federal economic development programs. Yet these programs are not designed to support regional clusters, nor do they send money where it will have the greatest impact in each region. For example, distressed urban communities, where poverty in America is concentrated, are starved of the infrastructure spending needed for job development. Again, no strategic thinking.

At a time when insecurity and job turnover are higher than ever, the U.S. also has abdicated its responsibility to provide a credible transitional safety net for Americans. It is no wonder Americans are becoming more populist, more protectionist, and more tolerant of harmful intervention in the economy. The job training system is ineffective and receives less and less funding each year. Pension security is eroding, and the most obvious step required to strengthen Social Security -- slowly adjusting upward the retirement age -- has not been taken. Improving access to affordable health insurance is a major worry for all Americans. Washington could take basic steps such as equalizing the tax deductibility of individually purchased insurance to assist those not covered by their employers. Yet the government has failed to do so.

Funny Toilets !!!

2008-10-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

Some of these toilets are absolutely hilarious.
They are enough to make you wet yourself laughing!!!
Bet you thought going to do the business was just another unpleasant chore people just had to get on with.

The world's heaviest man just got married in Mexico!!!

2008-10-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

´´Manuel Uribe and Claudia Solis have been dating for two years and are ready to get married.´´

Manuel Uribe, who hasn't left his bed in six years, married his longtime girlfriend Claudia Solis Sunday in northern Mexico.

Wearing a white silk shirt with a sheet wrapped around his legs, Uribe smiled as Solis, 38, walked down a flight of stairs wearing a strapless ivory dress, a tiara and hot-pink lipstick.

He later broke into tears as a notary declared the couple husband and wife in a civil ceremony attended by more than 400 guests. For the traditional first dance as newlyweds, Uribe and Solis held hands and swayed to a romantic ballad.

A popular local norteno band played accordion-heavy tunes at the reception, which featured a banquet of meat and buttered vegetables.

Uribe's mother, Orquedia Garza, said the groom steered clear of the five-tier wedding cake.

"He didn't break his diet," she told The Associated Press. "His doctors are here and they are watching him very closely."

"I have a wife and will form a new family and live a happy life," Uribe told hordes of reporters earlier as they followed him through the streets of Monterrey.

A flatbed truck was brought in to tow his custom-made bed decorated with a canopy, flowers and gold-trimmed bows to the wedding at a local event hall. Two police patrol cars escorted him ahead of a long line of traffic.

Uribe tipped the scales in 2006 at 1,230 pounds, earning him the Guinness World Record as the world's heaviest man.

He has since shed about 550 pounds with the help of Solis, whom he met four years ago.

Uribe said he's gunning for a new title: world's greatest weight loser.

British investors interested in building jails and hospitals in Peru

2008-10-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

Despite the financial crisis, British entrepreneurs interested in investing in Peru have started talks with official agencies in order to participate in Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) boosted by the Peruvian government, the British Embassy in Lima reported Wednesday. The director of Trade and Investments of this Embassy, Nicole Ware, said that one of the projects that attracts more investors in the PPP modality is the construction of jails and hospitals. In Peruvian legislation, PPP adopts the form of a concession, that is to say, a contract signed between the State and a company (which can be constituted by a consortium), by which the State (national, regional or municipal government) grants the execution and exploitation of particular public work of infrastructure or the provision of public services for a specific term. Ware said that potential British investors have already contacted Peruvian ministries involved in this process as well as the Promotion Agency of Private Investment (ProInversión). She also indicated that the United Kingdom has a great deal of experience developing projects in this kind of partnerships, since they were the creators of this system. Now, they have offered to support the Peruvian government with advice on its implementation and guidance on how to obtain positive results. “We are supporting the training of some authorities in the respective entities and we are also able to offer the consultancy that can be required”, she added. Ware highlighted that in the last four years, the interest of investors has registered an uptrend. In fact, the UK ranked this year as the second investor country in Peru.

Some pictures from Perú!!!

2008-10-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

Peru - China free trade deal against predatory pricing / dumping!!!

2008-10-21T23:16:00.000-07:00

An agreement established last week by the Peruvian and Chinese negotiation teams that are working out a free trade deal between the two countries will allow Peru and China to better fight predatory pricing, said the Andean country's minister of production.

He affirmed the two countries would now be more prepared to combat dumping, a practice which takes place when a manufacturer in one country exports a product to a foreign country to sell it below the price it charges in its home market or below the cost of production.

"This is an agreement with which both countries will be able to exchange information necessary to clearly identify the companies that undervalue their products," said Vice Minister Carlos Ferraro, affirming these companies were cheating others.

He affirmed that the Chinese government was working intensely on improving the control of crimes taking place during international trade, explaining the country was strengthening the system that prevented foreign exchange crimes.

"What's important is that right now China is identifying and improving all its processes, and that's why we've suggested working together," said Ferraro.

He stated that this agreement was fundamental if Peru wanted to establish a free trade deal with China.

"When these types of crimes take place there are two that participate, i.e. the exporter and the importer. That means that not only Chinese companies are committing the crimes but also Peruvian ones," explained the vice minister.

Peru's government has announced that it plans to sign its free trade deal with China during the APEC leaders summit in November.

200,000-dollar trips to space sold in Peru!

2008-10-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

Ten Peruvians are seriously interested in traveling to space as tourists paying a cost of 200 thousand dollars, after the travel agency Agencia Rosario Florez launched yesterday the sale of space tours, reported the director of this agency, Rosario Florez.

This travel agency is the exclusive representative in Peru of the space line Virgin Galactic, the only company in the world authorized to offer this type of trips.

“There are many Peruvians who have been calling to ask, but only 10 have requested information repeatedly. Though they have not paid the 200 thousand dollars, they have showed their true and firm interest to live this exceptional experience", she said.

She added that, even though up to now no Peruvian has spent this amount, some have considered that 200 thousand dollars is a relatively accessible amount compared with previous years, when these spaceflights could cost up to two million dollars.

Florez said to Andina news agency, that the date of departure to space will depend on the form of the trip’s payment.

For example, if the traveler pays in installments and makes a down payment of 20 thousand dollars, the person will be able to have a seat in about five years.

On the other hand, if the passenger pays the 200 thousand dollars in the next days, he or she will have a place for the coming trips, one of them is scheduled for October or November of 2010.

¿Qué está pasando con la Crisis Mundia? The real cure for the world financial system!!!

2008-10-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

Para nadie le es ajeno la crisis económica mundial del 2008 , que tuvo como lugar este año, en los Estados Unidos. Entre los principales factores causantes de la crisis estarían los altos precios de las materias primas, una crisis alimentaria mundial, una elevada inflación planetaria y la amenaza de una recesión en todo el mundo, así como una crisis crediticia, hipotecaria y de confianza en los mercados. Por ello, les invito a que observen este video que nos da la informacion precisa de los aconteciemintos recientes que aquejan al sistema financiero global y las posibles soluciones a estos problemas.

Cuidado con los Mp3!!!

2008-10-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

``Una de cada diez personas que escuchan música en mp3 u otros sistemas con auriculares puede sufrir pérdida permanente de audición por escuchar música a un volumen muy alto, indicó un estudio comisionado por la Unión Europea.``

Según los científicos, aquellos que escuchan música a volúmenes elevados durante más de una hora por día durante más de cinco años, pueden sufrir daños permanentes.

De acuerdo al estudio, aproximadamente unas 10 millones de personas en Europa -entre las que se incluyen niños y adolescentes- podrían verse afectadas.

Ahora, la Comisión Europea quiere investigar si es posible introducir mejoras tecnológicas para minimizar los daños.

Se estima que entre 50 y 100 millones de personas utilizan sistemas de audio personales todos los días.

La Comisión Europea le pidió a un comité independiente que llevara a cabo este estudio, dado que el uso de audífonos es masivo entre la población joven.

Los estándares de la UE limitan el nivel de ruido de estos aparatos personales a 100 decibeles, pero de todos modos, existen dudas sobre la exposición excesiva a la música a alto volumen.

Muchos, por ejemplo, elevan el volumen por sobre los 89 decibles para bloquear el sonido del tráfico o del transporte público.

Tomen las precauciones del caso,y preocupense aquellos que les encanta escuchar la música a alto volúmen !!!

Confunden en boletas a Obama con Osama!!!

2008-10-12T23:11:00.000-07:00

¿Quién para presidente? En un hecho insólito ocurrido en Nueva York, cientos de votantes se abstuvieron en las casillas ya que el candidato por el que iban a votar no era ni mas ni menos que "Barack Osama".

Los votantes indentificaron a los dos candidatos como Barack Osama y John McCain, aunque para la memoria del pueblo estadounidense la primera referencia directa al nombre Osama es el terrorista Osana Bin Laden, líder del al Qaida y autor del atentado a las torres gemelas en el año 2001.

El error tipográfico fue reportado por el Times Union de Albany. El fax electoral estableció que los dos comisionados, el demócrata Edward McDonough y el republicano Larry Bugbee dijeron que se arrepienten del error pero que nunca admitieron cual era.

"Es un error humano, algo poco afortunado y que apena a nuestras oficinas" declaró en entrevista telefónica McDonough, "Desearíamos poder regresar el tiempo atrás pero no podemos."

Servicios Informativos AOL.

Britain woman is 105 years old and she is a Virgin!!!

2008-10-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

Clara Meadmore celebrated her 105th birthday and would be the British Virgin older as published by the British newspaper"The Sun".

Never practiced sex because she was "too busy" to have intimate relationships, that seemed to entail 'much fuss' was what she said this retired secretary, who is very proud to remain a virgin.

"La gente me pregunta si soy homosexual y la respuesta es no. Es que nunca me ha interesado ni apetecido practicar sexo" -declaró Clara-. "Me imagino que implica bastante barullo y siempre he estado ocupada haciendo otras cosas".

"I never had a boyfriend, I never related stakeholders. When I was young ,women only had sex if you were married and I never married. I have had many platonic male friends but no need to go further or get married. At age 12 I decided that I am not married and I've never thrown back. "

Pero Clara no era una joven falta de proposiciones matrimoniales y, a pesar de todas las ofertas, siempre las rechazó.

"Creci en una época en la que las chicas estaban para ser vistas, pero no para oír hablar de ellas, así que tuve que aprender a apañármelas por mí misma y ganarme la vida yo sola" -declaró-, " a algunos hombres no les gusta eso y después ya era demasiado vieja para casarme de todas maneras"

En lugar de preocuparse de un marido, Clara se dedicó a leer, cuidar el jardín, pasear, cocinar y a escuchar "la hora de la mujer" en la emisora británica Radio4.

Who wants to build a site??

2008-10-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

MAKE WEB 4 U !!! Our Web Design team will create a professional website to meet your business or personal needs. Any web development starts with working out web design concepts and ends with strategic positioning on the Internet, which leads your site to success.
So if you want to build a web of your own or for business purpose like E-Commerce sites.Welcome in such a reasonable bugdet! www.makeweb4u.com

News in the world!!!

2008-10-11T17:46:00.000-07:00

Cover photos!!

2008-10-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

Hola quiero enseñarte estas fotos creativas y divertidas! Espero que te gusten!!! ^__^ I want to show these creative photos. I love them hope you like too!!!

Look at me Woman!!! ^^

Exams makes u Crazy!!!

2008-10-11T09:50:00.000-07:00

HellO to evryone! I didnt write nothing here on my Blog because I have finished my exams one day ago! you know like one week trying to study?! a hard work! well what can i say?! I feel good and i hope i did my best on Exams! sometimes you got nervous when you`re ready to exams! Its better not to watch the clock because you begins to despair and to try to finish it as soon as posible and forgets some things like to review your exam if you have any mistake on it! so please take ur time! well if you see that picture my exam finished at 6 o`clock ! so i finished it 5:45 pm just 15 minutes before! then i had time to review it! well if you have an other exam first breathe 8 times. it will feel you relaxed ! Good luck! ^^

Welcome to my BLOG!!!

2008-09-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

En estos últimos días, me entró la curiosidad de indagar en ese medio tan feroz como es la Internet y es así que buscando un poco de información y diversión me encontré con la aparatosa difusión de los Blog. Los Blog son una transmisión del arte popular, por el cual nos podemos expresar en ella y alzar nuestra voz de protesta en cada tema de este espacio global. Así que decidí no perder más mi tiempo y entrar en este espacio subalterno a la realidad. Este Blog tiene la finalidad de proyectar temas de actualidad y de índole mundial que circulan vía la Internet! Los invito a que entren a mi Blog ... nos vemos! nO pierdan de vista este Blog ^^ .. Ciao!

Tips para saber Organizar tu tiempo!!!

2008-09-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

Muchas veces organizar tu tiempo es una tarea dificil. Por ello, te puedo dar algunas sugerencias que pueden ayudarte a administrar mejor tu tiempo e investigar cuanto de tiempo necesitas para centrarte en el area del Estudio.

Registra todas las actividades
Fija un tiempo para repasos
Fija tiempo para recesos
Fija tiempo para tareas
Forma metas semanales y semestrales, que puedas alcanzar.
Descansa de 5 a 10 minutos después de cada hora de estudio concentrado
Estudia todos los días un poco, esto facilita la retención
Estudia en lugares y horario fijos, esto te ayuda a formar hábitos de estudio.
Mantén un equilibrio entre dormir, comer, estudiar, trabajar y diversión.

El ambiente de Estudio

Crea un ambiente en el que puedas estar concentrado son distracciones. Busca las condiciones óptimas en las que puedes estudiar y apégate a ellas.
Evita distracciones. Solos o combinados, la música, la comida y el alcohol son relajantes, así que en lugar de estudiar lo que lograrás es dormirte.
No estudies acostado. Lo único que conseguirás es dormirte, la cama sirve para descansar no para estudiar.

Planeación y Organización

Lo que puedes hace e s un horario y revisarlo diariamente, asimismo anota tus metas académicas. Antes de empezar a estudiar prepara el espacio que vas a ocupar y ten todo el material a la mano. Por otro lado, evita todo tipo de distracciones, concéntrate y el tiempo invertido será más eficiente.

Planea tu día por las mañanas o al acostarte, fija tus prioridades.
Concéntrate en una actividad a la vez.
Utiliza la agenda
Examina tus metas mensualmente, y cuando las cumplas recompénsate.
No te preocupes por tus fracasos, ¡preocúpate y se responsable!