Toate eforturile Victoriei Beckham pentru a seduce media americana dupa ce s-a stabilit, in urma cu cateva zile, la Los Angeles impreuna sotul sau, vedeta fotbalului David Beckham, au inceput cu stangul.
Emisiunea sa "Victoria Beckham: Coming to America", care trebuia sa debuteze luni ca o miniserie de emisiuni a fost redusa de canalul NBC la un program de o ora.
In plus, Victoria a fost acuzata ca, in timpul emisiunii a avut o atitudine mult prea binevoitoare si ca a fost obsedata de autopromovare, scrie presa americana de marti.
Programul sau a fost prezentat ca "un salt in lumea Victoriei pentru a scoate in evidenta, intre altele, simtul umorului si stilul sau fara pereche", dar nu a convins sub nicio forma media americana, scrie The New York Post.
Publicatia adauga: "Ramanem cu gura cascata in fata unor asemenea oameni care ne iau drept imbecili".
New York Times o numeste pe Victoria Beckham, o persoana "putin celebra", mai mult sau mai putin cunoscuta, deseori fotografiata de presa britanica.
Criticile continua si in Times care scrie: "pare simpatica si ai putea zice ca are simtul umorului, dar nu e suficient pentru a atrage interesul publicului".
David Beckham si sotia sa au ajuns in Statele Unite in 13 iulie. Fotbalistul englez, care a ajutat luna trecuta echipa Real Madrid sa castige titlul in Spania, va juca la echipa Los Angeles Galaxy. Debutul sau va avea loc pe data de 21 iulie, in meciul cu Chelsea.
Familia Beckham sta intr-o vila din Beverly Hills, in valoare de 22 milioane de dolari si ii are ca vecini pe Tom Cruise si Katie Holmes.
HotNews.ro, C.N.A., 17 iul 2007
miercuri, iulie 18, 2007
Cardurile BRD nu vor putea fi utilizate marti noapte
Cardurile bancare emise de BRD-Groupe Societe Generale nu vor putea fi utilizate marti noapte, intre orele 23:00 si 2:30, deoarece sistemul informatic al bancii va fi intrerupt pentru realizarea unor lucrari de mentenanta la infrastuctura de alimentare cu energie a centrului informatic al institutiei.
In interval de timp respectiv, reteaua de ATM-uri si POS-uri a bancii nu va fi functionala, iar cardurile bancare emise de BRD-Groupe Societe Generale nu vor putea fi utilizate pentru plati la comercianti si retrageri de numerar, in Romania sau in strainatate, se arata intr-un comunicat al bancii.
BRD - Groupe Societe Generale este a doua banca din Romania, cu active de peste 8,7 miliarde de euro. Institutia de credit are mai mult de 2,2 milioane clienti si opereaza o retea de 1.100 ATM-uri si 10.000 de POS-uri.
HotNews.ro, Dragos Comache, 17 iul 2007
In interval de timp respectiv, reteaua de ATM-uri si POS-uri a bancii nu va fi functionala, iar cardurile bancare emise de BRD-Groupe Societe Generale nu vor putea fi utilizate pentru plati la comercianti si retrageri de numerar, in Romania sau in strainatate, se arata intr-un comunicat al bancii.
BRD - Groupe Societe Generale este a doua banca din Romania, cu active de peste 8,7 miliarde de euro. Institutia de credit are mai mult de 2,2 milioane clienti si opereaza o retea de 1.100 ATM-uri si 10.000 de POS-uri.
HotNews.ro, Dragos Comache, 17 iul 2007
Afacerea RAFO: Stolo cu lobby-ul, fiul lui Pinalti cu contractul
Cocktail-surpriza la RAFO: afacerea de la Onesti a oligarhilor rusi ai petrolului a fost alimentata cu megawati procurati de la stat de „baietii destepti”.
Controlata de controversati moguli din Est, rafinaria cumpara, de la sfarsitul lui 2005, energie furnizata, la cele mai avantajoase preturi, de Green Energy SRL (GE), firma in care majoritara e familia primarului de Piatra-Neamt, Gheorghe Stefan, poreclit „Pinalti”.
Informatia se regaseste chiar in raportul RAFO pe anul trecut. Cei de la GE au admis ca electricitatea vanduta la Onesti anul trecut provenea de la stat, de la complexul energetic Turceni.
Achizitiile de la acest complex sunt investigate de procurorii anticoruptie, intr-unul dintre dosarele referitoare la intermediarii din piata energiei, faimosii „baieti destepti”, asa cum i-a numit presedintele Traian Basescu.
In tranzactia cu RAFO apar personaje al caror trecut ori prezent se leaga de PLD sau de Theodor Stolojan. Acelasi Stolojan care a cerut statului sa reglementeze datoriile istorice RAFO la fel ca in cazul altor companii petroliere, adica prin reesalonare sau transformare in actiuni ale statului, ori prin emiterea de obligatiuni in contul lor.
Gabriel Stefan 40%
(fiul lui Pinalti)
Lucian Badescu 20%
(fiu de general SRI)
Andrei Ursarescu 20%
(fiu de deputat PLD)
Alexandru Dragoiu 20%
(asociatul lui Prigoana)
Curent penal pentru oligarhii petrolului/b<>
Bucuresti, Bulevardul Primaverii. Renumit din vremurile cand adapostea nomenclatura comunista, cartierul a devenit, in ultimii ani, si un centru pentru sedii de companii ai caror proprietari invart pe degete milioane de euro. Este si cazul Green Energy SRL (GE), o firma care face bani din comertul cu energie.
Isi are cartierul general in „Monolit Offices”, o cladire de birouri care seamana mai mult cu o banca. In spatele usilor inchise, GE, ca si ceilalti intermediari, cumpara megawatii si ii vinde mai departe. Nu produce. Nu e nevoie de prea multi angajati, intrucat, dupa cum spun oameni din bransa, „totul se face din pix”.
Profiturile firmelor care intermediaza vanzarile de energie au fost uriase, iar metodele au starnit un val de indignare publica. Una dintre cele mai critice voci a fost cea a „vecinului” celor de la Green Energy, presedintele Traian Basescu, a carui resedinta (Vila Lac 2) e situata chiar vizavi de firma din Primaverii.
Basescu a considerat imorale aceste afaceri si le-a cerut intermediarilor, chiar si celor de la GE, sa faca publice contractele prin care au preluat energie de la stat.
Turceni, baza investigatiei
In anul 2005, firma a prins o afacere de zile mari prin care a achizitionat energie de la complexul de stat Turceni. Tranzactia e cercetata de procurorii anticoruptie. „Am fost intr-adevar audiat la DNA, insa nu stiu daca s-a terminat ancheta. Nu mai stiu sigur, parca am fost citat ca martor”, ne-a spus Eduard Ciucu, administratorul GE.
DNA a precizat pentru EVZ ca procurorii efectueaza cercetari penale „privind aspecte legate de vanzarea de energie efectuata de complexurile energetice Turceni si Rovinari in perioada 2005-2006”. Urmarirea penala a fost dispusa, in noiembrie anul trecut, pentru „abuz in serviciu contra intereselor publice”.
Potrivit Mediafax, procurorii verifica un raport al Departamentului de Control al Guvernului, in care se arata ca GE, ca si alte companii - Energy Holding, Euro PEC si Beny Alex - au fost favorizate atunci cand au cumparat de la Turceni energie foarte ieftina, in perioada 2004-2006.
In document se semnaleaza ca Turceni (care functioneaza pe baza de carbune) a furnizat firmelor energie ieftina de la Hidroelectrica. Daca aceasta din urma ar fi sistat livrarile, Turceni se obliga sa acopere necesarul din productie proprie. Concluzia: prin contractul cu Hidroelectrica nu au fost respectate Legea energiei electrice si Legea concurentei, conform surselor Mediafax.
Pretul cu care a cumparat GE era de 96 de lei/MWh (firma sustine ca la aceasta s-au adaugat taxe de 10 lei). La Turceni - conform unui raspuns MEC la o interpelare in parlament - pretul de productie in primul trimestru al anului 2006 a fost 132,46 lei, iar cel de vanzare - 150,78 lei.
Asadar, in perioada „Turceni”, familia Stefan si asociatii ei au beneficiat de curent la un pret cu 50 la suta mai mic decat media cu care vindea complexul. Cine a mai avut de castigat?
Beneficiarii din umbra
Unul dintre marii clienti ai firmei familiei Stefan a fost (si ramane) RAFO Onesti, companie controlata de firme apartinand omului de afaceri Yacov Goldovski si avocatului bulgar Todor Batkov, ambii apropiati ai lui Mihail Cernoi - un controversat oligarh rus aflat in exil.
Conform unui raport publicat pe site-ul acestei companii, RAFO a achitat catre GE, anul trecut, 22,6 milioane de lei (aproximativ 6,45 milioane euro), suma trecuta la „obligatii de plata”, la un pret mediu de 164 lei pentru un megawatt-ora.
Marin Anton, manager la Onesti pana in noiembrie 2006, estimeaza ca, anul trecut, rafinaria a cumparat, lunar, energie de un milion de euro de la firma familiei lui Gheorghe Stefan.
Integral in EvZ
de Calin Cosmaciuc, Mihai Munteanu
Evenimentul Zilei, 18 iul 2007
Controlata de controversati moguli din Est, rafinaria cumpara, de la sfarsitul lui 2005, energie furnizata, la cele mai avantajoase preturi, de Green Energy SRL (GE), firma in care majoritara e familia primarului de Piatra-Neamt, Gheorghe Stefan, poreclit „Pinalti”.
Informatia se regaseste chiar in raportul RAFO pe anul trecut. Cei de la GE au admis ca electricitatea vanduta la Onesti anul trecut provenea de la stat, de la complexul energetic Turceni.
Achizitiile de la acest complex sunt investigate de procurorii anticoruptie, intr-unul dintre dosarele referitoare la intermediarii din piata energiei, faimosii „baieti destepti”, asa cum i-a numit presedintele Traian Basescu.
In tranzactia cu RAFO apar personaje al caror trecut ori prezent se leaga de PLD sau de Theodor Stolojan. Acelasi Stolojan care a cerut statului sa reglementeze datoriile istorice RAFO la fel ca in cazul altor companii petroliere, adica prin reesalonare sau transformare in actiuni ale statului, ori prin emiterea de obligatiuni in contul lor.
Gabriel Stefan 40%
(fiul lui Pinalti)
Lucian Badescu 20%
(fiu de general SRI)
Andrei Ursarescu 20%
(fiu de deputat PLD)
Alexandru Dragoiu 20%
(asociatul lui Prigoana)
Curent penal pentru oligarhii petrolului/b<>
Bucuresti, Bulevardul Primaverii. Renumit din vremurile cand adapostea nomenclatura comunista, cartierul a devenit, in ultimii ani, si un centru pentru sedii de companii ai caror proprietari invart pe degete milioane de euro. Este si cazul Green Energy SRL (GE), o firma care face bani din comertul cu energie.
Isi are cartierul general in „Monolit Offices”, o cladire de birouri care seamana mai mult cu o banca. In spatele usilor inchise, GE, ca si ceilalti intermediari, cumpara megawatii si ii vinde mai departe. Nu produce. Nu e nevoie de prea multi angajati, intrucat, dupa cum spun oameni din bransa, „totul se face din pix”.
Profiturile firmelor care intermediaza vanzarile de energie au fost uriase, iar metodele au starnit un val de indignare publica. Una dintre cele mai critice voci a fost cea a „vecinului” celor de la Green Energy, presedintele Traian Basescu, a carui resedinta (Vila Lac 2) e situata chiar vizavi de firma din Primaverii.
Basescu a considerat imorale aceste afaceri si le-a cerut intermediarilor, chiar si celor de la GE, sa faca publice contractele prin care au preluat energie de la stat.
Turceni, baza investigatiei
In anul 2005, firma a prins o afacere de zile mari prin care a achizitionat energie de la complexul de stat Turceni. Tranzactia e cercetata de procurorii anticoruptie. „Am fost intr-adevar audiat la DNA, insa nu stiu daca s-a terminat ancheta. Nu mai stiu sigur, parca am fost citat ca martor”, ne-a spus Eduard Ciucu, administratorul GE.
DNA a precizat pentru EVZ ca procurorii efectueaza cercetari penale „privind aspecte legate de vanzarea de energie efectuata de complexurile energetice Turceni si Rovinari in perioada 2005-2006”. Urmarirea penala a fost dispusa, in noiembrie anul trecut, pentru „abuz in serviciu contra intereselor publice”.
Potrivit Mediafax, procurorii verifica un raport al Departamentului de Control al Guvernului, in care se arata ca GE, ca si alte companii - Energy Holding, Euro PEC si Beny Alex - au fost favorizate atunci cand au cumparat de la Turceni energie foarte ieftina, in perioada 2004-2006.
In document se semnaleaza ca Turceni (care functioneaza pe baza de carbune) a furnizat firmelor energie ieftina de la Hidroelectrica. Daca aceasta din urma ar fi sistat livrarile, Turceni se obliga sa acopere necesarul din productie proprie. Concluzia: prin contractul cu Hidroelectrica nu au fost respectate Legea energiei electrice si Legea concurentei, conform surselor Mediafax.
Pretul cu care a cumparat GE era de 96 de lei/MWh (firma sustine ca la aceasta s-au adaugat taxe de 10 lei). La Turceni - conform unui raspuns MEC la o interpelare in parlament - pretul de productie in primul trimestru al anului 2006 a fost 132,46 lei, iar cel de vanzare - 150,78 lei.
Asadar, in perioada „Turceni”, familia Stefan si asociatii ei au beneficiat de curent la un pret cu 50 la suta mai mic decat media cu care vindea complexul. Cine a mai avut de castigat?
Beneficiarii din umbra
Unul dintre marii clienti ai firmei familiei Stefan a fost (si ramane) RAFO Onesti, companie controlata de firme apartinand omului de afaceri Yacov Goldovski si avocatului bulgar Todor Batkov, ambii apropiati ai lui Mihail Cernoi - un controversat oligarh rus aflat in exil.
Conform unui raport publicat pe site-ul acestei companii, RAFO a achitat catre GE, anul trecut, 22,6 milioane de lei (aproximativ 6,45 milioane euro), suma trecuta la „obligatii de plata”, la un pret mediu de 164 lei pentru un megawatt-ora.
Marin Anton, manager la Onesti pana in noiembrie 2006, estimeaza ca, anul trecut, rafinaria a cumparat, lunar, energie de un milion de euro de la firma familiei lui Gheorghe Stefan.
Integral in EvZ
de Calin Cosmaciuc, Mihai Munteanu
Evenimentul Zilei, 18 iul 2007
Tariceanu despre privatizarea Automobile Craiova: 'Nu suntem focalizati atat de mult pe pretul de vanzare'
Premierul Calin Popescu Tariceanu a declarat, referitor la privatizarea Automobile Craiova, ca "nu suntem focalizati atat de mult pe pretul de vanzare al pachetului de actiuni", sustinand ca "cerinta principala este cea a realizarii unui proiect industrial de anvergura. Prin aceasta privatizare urmarim, in principal, efectele economice pe care le poate genera o astfel de intreprindere".
Tariceanu, care a spus ca privatizarea Automobile Craiova este mai importanta decat cea a BCR, a mai explicat ca investitia Ford va duce la crearea de locuri de munca in randul furnizorilor.
Premierul Tariceanu a declarat ca oferta tehnica a Ford pentru Automobile Craiova, prezentata de John Fleming, presedintele Ford Europa, este extrem de detaliata si consistenta, raspunde cerintelor guvernului, iar pretul oferit nu reprezinta o prioritate, ci efortul investitional.
"Este un proiect industrial de anvergura. Urmarim efectele economice pe care le poate genera o astfel de intreprindere, nu ne concentram pe pret, luam in calcul efortul investitional al companiei care va fi de 675 milioane euro, cu 300 mii autoturisme produse anual si cu dublararea numarului de locuri de munca", a afirmat Tariceanu.
Premierul a spus ca guvernul vrea sa creeze un al doilea pol al industriei auto in Romania.
"Analistii economici considera ca industria auto este cel mai puternic motor al cresterii economice pentru ca un loc de munca in aceasta industrie genereaza alte patru in industriile conexe", a explicat acesta.
Presedintele Ford Europa, John Fleming, a prezentat, luni, premierului Tariceanu si comisiei de privatizare a Automobile Craiova oferta tehnica pentru preluarea fabricii,
Sebastian Vladescu, presedintele comisiei de privatizare, a declarat in urma cu o saptamana ca tranzactia ar putea fi incheiata pana la 1 septembrie. Ford ar urma sa preia 72,4% din actiunile fabricii de automobile de la Craiova.
Oferte neangajante pentru fabrica de la Craiova au mai depus General Motors Corporation, Ford Motors Company si compania Russian Machines, parte a grupului rus Basic Element controlat de Oleg Deripaska, unul dintre cei mai bogati oameni din lume.
HotNews.ro, Dragos Comache, 17 iul 2007
Tariceanu, care a spus ca privatizarea Automobile Craiova este mai importanta decat cea a BCR, a mai explicat ca investitia Ford va duce la crearea de locuri de munca in randul furnizorilor.
Premierul Tariceanu a declarat ca oferta tehnica a Ford pentru Automobile Craiova, prezentata de John Fleming, presedintele Ford Europa, este extrem de detaliata si consistenta, raspunde cerintelor guvernului, iar pretul oferit nu reprezinta o prioritate, ci efortul investitional.
"Este un proiect industrial de anvergura. Urmarim efectele economice pe care le poate genera o astfel de intreprindere, nu ne concentram pe pret, luam in calcul efortul investitional al companiei care va fi de 675 milioane euro, cu 300 mii autoturisme produse anual si cu dublararea numarului de locuri de munca", a afirmat Tariceanu.
Premierul a spus ca guvernul vrea sa creeze un al doilea pol al industriei auto in Romania.
"Analistii economici considera ca industria auto este cel mai puternic motor al cresterii economice pentru ca un loc de munca in aceasta industrie genereaza alte patru in industriile conexe", a explicat acesta.
Presedintele Ford Europa, John Fleming, a prezentat, luni, premierului Tariceanu si comisiei de privatizare a Automobile Craiova oferta tehnica pentru preluarea fabricii,
Sebastian Vladescu, presedintele comisiei de privatizare, a declarat in urma cu o saptamana ca tranzactia ar putea fi incheiata pana la 1 septembrie. Ford ar urma sa preia 72,4% din actiunile fabricii de automobile de la Craiova.
Oferte neangajante pentru fabrica de la Craiova au mai depus General Motors Corporation, Ford Motors Company si compania Russian Machines, parte a grupului rus Basic Element controlat de Oleg Deripaska, unul dintre cei mai bogati oameni din lume.
HotNews.ro, Dragos Comache, 17 iul 2007
marți, iulie 17, 2007
Top 10 Books that Changed the World
This topic is a very subjective one, and I realise that there will be many disagreements with my selected 10 books. Feel free to add any additional books with a reason, to the comments field. You may even want to contribute a much larger list for future inclusion on the site.
In order of creation, here is the list of top 10 books that changed the world.
1. The Bible - Various Authors (circa 30AD - 90AD) [Wikipedia]
There can be no doubt that the Bible has done more to change the face of the world than any other book. A mere two hundred years after it was created, it brought about the conversion of the entire Roman Empire from paganism to Christianity. Since then, Christianity has become the largest single religion in the world (with 2.1 billion adherents). The oldest and largest of the Christian groups is the Roman Catholic Church whose membership (1.05 billion) is almost twice the size of all other Christian groups combined.
The Bible comprises two books - the Old Testament (taken from the Greek edition used by Christ and the apostles) and the New Testament (written by some of the Apostles of Jesus after his death - including St Paul who did not meet Christ during His lifetime).
The Gutenberg bible (a copy of the Latin Vulgate) was the first book ever published on the printing press. The Bible is the most purchased book in the world.
2. The Qur’an - Various Authors (650AD to 656AD) [Wikipedia]
The Qur’an is the holy book of the Islamic religion. The founder of Islam, Mohammed told his followers that he was given revelations by the Angel Gabriel. These revelations (spanning 23 years) form the basis of the Qur’an. After Mohammed’s death in 632 the Qur’an was recorded by word of mouth only; it was not for another 20 years that the various memories of his words were collected and combined.
The Qur’an is considered by Muslims to be the last revealed word of God (after the Old Testament and the New Testament of the Christian Bible). In recent years much debate has occurred over the content of the Qur’an - with its opponents claiming that it advocates war and murder of non-believers. Muslims generally claim that this is not the case and state that opponents of Islam are taking the text out of context.
3. The Summa Theologica - St. Thomas Aquinas (1265 - 1274) [Wikipedia]
The Summa Theologica is a multi-volume set of books which outlines in the most precise manner, the doctrines and beliefs of Christianity. It was held in such high regard, that second to the Bible, it was the book most used for reference at the Council of Trent (1545 - 1563). Its influence was felt all across the Christian World as the reforms of the Council of Trent were implemented.
To this day, the Summa Theologica is the primary teaching tool used in Roman Catholic seminaries and its author is regarded as a Doctor of the Church (a title reserved for only 33 great thinkers in the history of Christianity). It is also worth noting that St Isidore (popularly considered Patron Saint of the Internet) is also seen as a Doctor of the Church.
Buy the Summa Theologica at Amazon.com
4. The Rights of Man - Thomas Paine (1791) [Wikipedia]
Paine, an English writer, influenced American Democracy and Democracy in general with his writings. According to Paine, the sole purpose of the government is to protect the irrefutable rights inherent to every human being. Thus all institutions which do not benefit a nation are illegitimate, including the monarchy (and the nobility) and the military establishment.
When the French Revolution broke out, Paine went to France where, despite his ignorance of the French language, he was promptly elected to the National Convention. His absence from England at this time was fortuitous because the publication of The Rights of Man caused such a furor in the country that Paine was put on trial in absentia and convicted for seditious libel against the crown.
Buy The Rights of Man at Amazon.com
5. Either/Or - Søren Kierkegaard (1843) [Wikipedia]
Either/Or portays the two lifeviews, one being consciously hedonistic and one based on ethical duty and responsibility, in two volumes. Each lifeview is written and represented by a fictional pseudonymous author and the prose of the work depends on which lifeview is being discussed. For example, the aesthetic lifeview is written in short essay form, with poetic imagery and allusions, discussing aesthetic topics such as music, seduction, drama, and beauty. The ethical lifeview is written as two long letters, with a more argumentative and restraint prose, discussing moral responsibility, critical reflection, and marriage.
This book, by the father of existentialism has been highly influential with other existentialists. Despite its great popularity, it was not published in English until 1944. Existentialism is a philosophical movement that claims that individual human beings have full responsibility for creating the meanings of their own lives. It is a reaction against more traditional philosophies, such as rationalism and empiricism.
6. Communist Manifesto - Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (1848) [Wikipedia]
This tract, written by communist theorists Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels at the behest of the Communist League, has become one of the most influential political tracts in history. The Manifesto suggested a course of action for a proletarian (working class) revolution to overthrow the bourgeois social order and to eventually bring about a classless and stateless society.
Perhaps the most famous quote from the work reads: “The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a communist revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Working men of all countries, unite!”
Buy the Communist Manifesto at Amazon.com
7. Experimental Research in Electricity - Michael Faraday (1855) [Wikipedia]
Faraday was an English chemist and physicist whose many experiments with electricity ultimately lead to his invention of electromagnetic rotary devices which formed the foundation of electric motor technology. Although he received little formal education and thus higher mathematics like calculus were always out of his reach, he went on to become one of the most influential scientists in history. It was largely his experiments that lead to electricity becoming viable for use in technology.
During his lifetime, Faraday rejected a knighthood and twice refused to become President of the Royal Society. He died at his house at Hampton Court on August 25, 1867. He has a memorial plaque in Westminster Abbey, near Isaac Newton’s tomb, but he turned down burial there and is interred in the Sandemanian plot in Highgate Cemetery.
Buy Experimental Researches in Electricity at Amazon.com
8. On the Origin of Species - Charles Darwin (1859) [Wikipedia]
This book by Darwin is considered a seminal work in the field of evolutionary biology. It proposes that over time, through natural selection, species evolve. It was a highly controversial book as it contradicted many religious views on biology at the time. Darwin’s book was the culmination of evidence he had accumulated on the voyage of the Beagle in the 1830s and expanded through continuing investigations and experiments since his return to England.
The book is readable even for the non-specialist and attracted widespread interest on publication. The book was controversial, and generated much discussion on scientific, philosophical, and religious grounds. The scientific theory of evolution has itself evolved since Darwin first presented it, but natural selection remains the most widely accepted scientific model of how species evolve. The at-times bitter creation-evolution controversy continues to this day.
Buy On the Origin of Species at Amazon.com
9. The Second Sex - Simone de Beauvoir (1949) [Wikipedia]
The Second Sex is the best known work of Simone de Beauvoir. Beauvoir wrote the book after attempting to write about herself. The first thing she wrote was that she was a woman, but she realized that she needed to define what a woman was, which became the intent of the book. It is a work on the treatment of women throughout history and often regarded as a major feminist work. In it she argues that women throughout history have been defined as the “other” sex, an aberration from the “normal” male sex.
Simone de Beauvoir (a pioneer of the feminist movement) argues that women have historically been considered deviant, and abnormal. She submits that even Mary Wollstonecraft considered men to be the ideal toward which women should aspire. Beauvoir says that this attitude has limited women’s success by maintaining the perception that they are a deviation from the normal, and are outsiders attempting to emulate “normality”. For feminism to move forward, this assumption must be set aside.
Buy The Second Sex at Amazon.com
10. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand (1957) [Wikipedia]
Atlas Shrugged was Rand’s last work before she devoted her time exclusively to philosophical writing. This book contains a variety of themes that would later become the core of her philosophy Objectivism. She considered it to be her magnum opus and is it the most popular of her non-fiction work.
While the book was largely a critical failure, it had an enormous poplar success. As far as influence in the world, the Objectivist philosophy gave much to the Libertarian movement which has enjoyed great popularity around the world.
In a three-month online poll of reader selections of the hundred best novels of the twentieth century, administered by publisher Modern Library, Atlas Shrugged was voted number one. She has a large following in the celebrity world, including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie who have been selected to play the two main characters in a trilogy of films that aims to bring Atlas Shrugged to the silver screen in the near future.
Source: www.listverse.comTopul universităţilor din România - Clasamentul general - 2007
Clasamentul este realizat pe baza rezultatelor ştiinţifice de relevanţă internaţională ale personalului universităţilor. Fiecare articol ştiinţific acceptat spre publicare de o revistă internaţională reprezintă, practic, o evaluare a pregătirii ştiinţifice a autorilor articolului de către experţi internaţionali de prestigiu. Metodologia de realizare.
| Nr. | Universitate | Localitate | Număr articole la 100 de persoane | Procent din maxim | Număr articole | Lista articolelor | Număr cadre didactice |
| 1 | Universitatea Alexandru Ioan Cuza | Iaşi | 31.87 | 100% | 275 | Articole | 863 |
| 2 | Universitatea Babeş-Bolyai | Cluj Napoca | 24.01 | 75% | 303 | Articole | 1262 |
| 3 | Universitatea Bucureşti | Bucureşti | 21.26 | 67% | 314 | Articole | 1477 |
| 4 | Universitatea Politehnica Bucureşti | Bucureşti | 18.84 | 59% | 311 | Articole | 1651 |
| 5 | Universitatea Tehnică Gheorghe Asachi | Iaşi | 11.86 | 37% | 112 | Articole | 944 |
| 6 | Universitatea de Vest | Timişoara | 11.84 | 37% | 81 | Articole | 684 |
| 7 | Universitatea Valahia | Târgovişte | 9.85 | 31% | 33 | Articole | 335 |
| 8 | Universitatea Politehnica din Timişoara | Timişoara | 9.51 | 30% | 84 | Articole | 883 |
| 9 | Universitatea Tehnică din Cluj-Napoca | Cluj Napoca | 8.57 | 27% | 55 | Articole | 642 |
| 10 | Universitatea din Craiova | Craiova | 6.65 | 21% | 66 | Articole | 993 |
| 11 | Universitatea Dunărea de Jos | Galaţi | 6.33 | 20% | 43 | Articole | 679 |
| 12 | USAMV Ion Ionescu de la Brad Iaşi | Iaşi | 6.21 | 19% | 10 | Articole | 161 |
| 13 | Universitatea Aurel Vlaicu | Arad | 5.93 | 19% | 14 | Articole | 236 |
| 14 | UMF Victor Babeş | Timişoara | 5.25 | 16% | 32 | Articole | 609 |
| 15 | Universitatea Constantin Brâncuşi | Târgu Jiu | 5.00 | 16% | 7 | Articole | 140 |
| 16 | Universitatea Ovidius | Constanţa | 4.73 | 15% | 36 | Articole | 761 |
| 17 | Universitatea Petrol-Gaze | Ploieşti | 4.52 | 14% | 16 | Articole | 354 |
| 18 | UMF Iuliu Haţieganu | Cluj Napoca | 4.04 | 13% | 27 | Articole | 668 |
| 19 | Universitatea din Bacău | Bacău | 3.95 | 12% | 9 | Articole | 228 |
| 20 | USAMV Bucureşti | Bucureşti | 3.85 | 12% | 16 | Articole | 416 |
| 21 | USAMV a Banatului | Timişoara | 3.80 | 12% | 10 | Articole | 263 |
| 22 | UMF Grigore T. Popa | Iaşi | 3.73 | 12% | 36 | Articole | 966 |
| 23 | Universitatea Tehnică de Construcţii Bucureşti | Bucureşti | 3.68 | 12% | 20 | Articole | 543 |
| 24 | USAMV Cluj-Napoca | Cluj Napoca | 3.67 | 12% | 9 | Articole | 245 |
| 25 | Universitatea din Piteşti | Piteşti | 3.40 | 11% | 16 | Articole | 471 |
| 26 | Academia Navală Mircea cel Bătrân | Constanţa | 3.33 | 10% | 3 | Articole | 90 |
| 27 | Universitatea din Oradea | Oradea | 3.25 | 10% | 44 | Articole | 1354 |
| 28 | Universitatea Petre Andrei | Iaşi | 3.14 | 10% | 5 | Articole | 159 |
| 29 | Scoala Naţională de Studii Politice şi Administrative | Bucureşti | 2.94 | 9% | 3 | Articole | 102 |
| 30 | Universitatea Transilvania | Braşov | 2.90 | 9% | 27 | Articole | 930 |
| 31 | Academia Tehnică Militară | Bucureşti | 2.65 | 8% | 3 | Articole | 113 |
| 32 | UMF Carol Davila | Bucureşti | 2.50 | 8% | 32 | Articole | 1278 |
| 33 | Universitatea de Nord | Baia Mare | 2.46 | 8% | 5 | Articole | 203 |
| 34 | Universitatea Danubius | Galaţi | 2.22 | 7% | 1 | Articole | 45 |
| 35 | Universitatea Emmanuel | Oradea | 2.22 | 7% | 1 | Articole | 45 |
| 36 | UMF din Târgu Mureş | Târgu Mureş | 2.12 | 7% | 8 | Articole | 377 |
| 37 | Universitatea Avram Iancu | Cluj Napoca | 1.92 | 6% | 1 | Articole | 52 |
| 38 | Universitatea Română de Ştiinţe şi Arte Gh. Cristea | Bucureşti | 1.79 | 6% | 1 | Articole | 56 |
| 39 | Universitatea Lucian Blaga | Sibiu | 1.58 | 5% | 11 | Articole | 696 |
| 40 | Universitatea Sapientia | Miercurea Ciuc | 1.44 | 5% | 5 | Articole | 348 |
| 41 | Universitatea Ştefan cel Mare | Suceava | 1.24 | 4% | 4 | Articole | 322 |
| 42 | Academia de Studii Economice | Bucureşti | 0.83 | 3% | 7 | Articole | 847 |
| 43 | Universitatea Petru Maior | Târgu Mureş | 0.72 | 2% | 1 | Articole | 139 |
| 44 | Universitatea Ecologică | Bucureşti | 0.69 | 2% | 1 | Articole | 144 |
| 45 | Universitatea Hyperion | Bucureşti | 0.63 | 2% | 2 | Articole | 316 |
| 46 | Universitatea 1 Decembrie 1918 | Alba Iulia | 0.61 | 2% | 1 | Articole | 163 |
| 47 | UMF din Craiova | Craiova | 0.53 | 2% | 2 | Articole | 380 |
| 48 | Universitatea Titu Maiorescu | Bucureşti | 0.49 | 2% | 1 | Articole | 203 |
| 49 | Universitatea Spiru Haret | Bucureşti | 0.10 | 0% | 1 | Articole | 962 |
| Total | 100% |
Universităţile care nu sunt incluse aici nu au publicat niciun articol ştiinţific de relevanţă internaţională (ISI) în perioada considerată.
via ad-astra.ro
luni, iulie 16, 2007
Grapefruit link to breast cancer
Eating grapefruit every day could raise the risk of developing breast cancer by almost a third, US scientists say.
A study of 50,000 post-menopausal women found eating just a quarter of a grapefruit daily raised the risk by up to 30%.
The fruit is thought to boost levels of oestrogen - the hormone associated with a higher risk of the disease, the British Journal of Cancer reported.
But the researchers and other experts said more research was still needed.
This is an interesting study, but is simply a piece of the jigsaw that will eventually help us to understand how our diets affect our health
Dr Joanne Lunn
The women had to fill in questionnaires saying how often they ate grapefruit and how big their portions were.
Oestrogen important
The researchers, at the universities of South California and Hawaii, found that women who ate one quarter of a grapefruit or more every day had a higher risk of breast cancer than those who did not eat the fruit at all.
Previous studies have shown that a molecule called cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) is involved in metabolising oestrogen hormones.
And grapefruit may boost blood oestrogen levels by inhibiting this molecule, allowing the hormones to build up.
The researchers found that in women who ate at least a quarter of a grapefruit daily, levels of oestrogen were higher.
They said: "It is well established that oestrogen is associated with breast cancer risk.
"Therefore, if grapefruit intake affects oestrogen metabolism leading to higher circulating levels, then it is biologically plausible that regular intake of grapefruit would increase a woman's risk of breast cancer."
More research
And they said this was the first time a commonly eaten food had been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in older women.
However, they warned that more research was needed to confirm the findings which may have been affected because they only took into account intake of the fruit, but not grapefruit juice.
Breast cancer accounts for almost a third of all cancers in women, and previous lifestyle factors linked to the disease include drinking alcohol and being overweight.
Dr Joanne Lunn, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation said: "This is an interesting study of a large group of post-menopausal women whose diet and health have been followed for many years.
"However, this study is simply a piece of the jigsaw that will eventually help us to understand how our diets affect our health.
"Although we are beginning to get a better awareness of how our diets can modify the risk of diseases such as cancer, we are still a long way from identifying particular foods that might specifically increase or decrease risk."
However, she said that some dietary patterns are associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers and that a diet rich in a variety of different fruits and vegetables could help reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.
Source: bbc.co.uk
A study of 50,000 post-menopausal women found eating just a quarter of a grapefruit daily raised the risk by up to 30%.
The fruit is thought to boost levels of oestrogen - the hormone associated with a higher risk of the disease, the British Journal of Cancer reported.
But the researchers and other experts said more research was still needed.
This is an interesting study, but is simply a piece of the jigsaw that will eventually help us to understand how our diets affect our health
Dr Joanne Lunn
The women had to fill in questionnaires saying how often they ate grapefruit and how big their portions were.
Oestrogen important
The researchers, at the universities of South California and Hawaii, found that women who ate one quarter of a grapefruit or more every day had a higher risk of breast cancer than those who did not eat the fruit at all.
Previous studies have shown that a molecule called cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) is involved in metabolising oestrogen hormones.
And grapefruit may boost blood oestrogen levels by inhibiting this molecule, allowing the hormones to build up.
The researchers found that in women who ate at least a quarter of a grapefruit daily, levels of oestrogen were higher.
They said: "It is well established that oestrogen is associated with breast cancer risk.
"Therefore, if grapefruit intake affects oestrogen metabolism leading to higher circulating levels, then it is biologically plausible that regular intake of grapefruit would increase a woman's risk of breast cancer."
More research
And they said this was the first time a commonly eaten food had been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in older women.
However, they warned that more research was needed to confirm the findings which may have been affected because they only took into account intake of the fruit, but not grapefruit juice.
Breast cancer accounts for almost a third of all cancers in women, and previous lifestyle factors linked to the disease include drinking alcohol and being overweight.
Dr Joanne Lunn, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation said: "This is an interesting study of a large group of post-menopausal women whose diet and health have been followed for many years.
"However, this study is simply a piece of the jigsaw that will eventually help us to understand how our diets affect our health.
"Although we are beginning to get a better awareness of how our diets can modify the risk of diseases such as cancer, we are still a long way from identifying particular foods that might specifically increase or decrease risk."
However, she said that some dietary patterns are associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers and that a diet rich in a variety of different fruits and vegetables could help reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.
Source: bbc.co.uk
duminică, iulie 15, 2007
World's tallest man meets world's shortest man
In the continuing adventures of the world's tallest man, Bao Xishun, our hero shakes hands with He Pingping, who is currently aiming for a place in the Guiness Book of Records as the world's shortest man.
The historic meeting between Bao, who stands 2.36 meters (7.9 feet) tall, and He, who only reaches 73 centimeters (2.4 feet) in height, took place in Baotou, in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Friday.
We have previously seen Bao, a herdsman from Inner Mongolia, as he saved the lives of two dolphins by using his long arms to reach down their throats and remove plastic shards from their stomachs.
Sursa: metro.co.uk
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