The UN has not agreed yet that decriminalisation of sexual orientation is an appropriate step towards adoption of the universal declaration of human rights. While the majority of countries voted to decriminalise homosexuality, a significant number of conservative governments did not want to have anything with the motion. Homosexuality is a criminal offence in more …
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Author:astraea
Madoff’s successful pyramid scheme is just another symptom of greed.
This recent story of a $ 50 billion pyramid scheme that duped supposedly competent investors and banks is just another symptom of the moral hazard that has dominated economics for the past decade. All of these banks and investors that lost millions fooled themselves. They are supposed to be competent fiduciaries, and were paid for …
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Next, the FED will pay you to borrow their money.
The US FED has dropped interest rates to the floor: zero to a quarter of a percent. That probably won’t have a big impact, except short term (a day or so) on stock market sentiment. But if banks aren’t actually lending to businesses, then its not going to stimulate economic activity. So, maybe negative rates …
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Serious security flaw in Internet Explorer – take action now!
Most of you still use Microsoft’s questionable products, including Internet Explorer, so this is very relevant to you. A serious security flaw has been found in IE which makes all your security files vulnerable to hackers. Security experts have warned that IE should not be used till the fix is implemented. Read the BBC news …
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Mind over matter – the brain controls obesity.
New genetic research suggests that the brain has a significant role in controlling obesity, far more so than metabolism. However, the research suggests that one’s natural genetics do influence the propensity to build body fat, but that propensity is a brain physiology rather than metabolic. It remains true that a healthy lifestyle leads to a …
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Urban car clubs taking off …?
Hertz, which buys half a million cars annually is about to launch a car club to serve people that live in cities and would like access to a car without teh cost and trouble of owning one. This initative is very encouraging. If it works well it should remove cars from the streets of cities, …
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Microfinance: Banking on the poor – Ethical Corp
Microfinance – Banking on the poor As the global financial system buckles, microfinance institutions continue to grow on the back of their record for low risk and solid returns by Rajesh Chhabara, Ethical Corp Microfinance gives small-scale financial services such as loans, savings, insurance and money transfer to poor customers who would otherwise not have …
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Getting education wrong, and right.
Attention to the school curriculum in the UK has produced recommendations for changing the system. Change is good, but it appears that the proposals may eliminate important aspects of formal education and fail to provide life skills as well as fail to give factual knowledge. Two articles from the Economist outline the problems: In praise …
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Optimistic? Pestimistic? No. Realistic
You’re right to try to be optimistic. Or at least positive. A positive outlook helps keep spirits up, helps avoid despondency. despondency can be the worst because then you just stop doing anything and sink in to a mire of desperation. But optimism about the outlook could be even more dangerous. It could result in …
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Ignorance is not bliss when eating out
A report by the Uk Food Commission shows that information about ingredients and nutrition in restaurants, especially fast food, is woefully lacking. The report Ignorance is not bliss when eating out is here. (Don’t get the munchies while you read it.) It is interesting to see that simply having easy access to the calorie information, …
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