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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/rEOCLJu0NLo/story01.htm
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'Money plays a far too dominant role in society' - The Nation

MICHAEL SANDEL, a well-known political philosopher and professor from Harvard University, believes the world today is facing two questions - how to deal with the growing gap between the rich and poor, and what role should money and market play in society?

But the good news is that people across the world are hungry to debate about ethical issues. Sandel was speaking to Nation Multimedia Group chairman Suthichai Yoon in a television interview.

However, he explained, this deliberation required more than just putting one's point of view forward - people should also try to listen to and understand counter-arguments as well as be willing to make compromises.

Sandel was in Bangkok for the two-day Bangkok Conference on Global Dialogue on Sustainable Development organised by the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) and flew out last night.

The professor also lamented the far too dominant a role that money played in American politics nowadays.

"Money can buy elections - not through actual bribery but through influence," he said, adding that there was a dire need for debate on the corrupting effect of money on politics.

Sandel, who also authored the 2012 book "What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets", added that some countries in Europe and Asia had been successful at curbing the influence of money on politics.

"We've allowed money to play far too big a role. At the moment, there's very little limit," he said.

Some countries have put restrictions on how much can be spent on electoral campaigns, including television ads, but not in the United States, he said, adding that this will only change if civic groups apply pressure from bottom up.

He also cited the big problem of politicians on both sides of the divide failing to break the current financial deadlock in the US through deliberation and compromise.

He said this deadlock represented a failure of democratic politics, adding that both sides appeared to only be shouting at one another and not listening - particularly the Tea Party, a Republican splinter group. "I don't think this is how democracy ought to work."

Other than his high-profile work at Harvard University, Sandel's lectures on justice and ethics have won millions of viewers on YouTube.

However, he said, though online education would likely change the format of university education in the future, he does not believe it can ever replace face-to-face classroom interaction and debate.

When asked what made a good student, Sandel said it wasn't the ability to memorise but the ability to explain how philosophical questions can be applied to daily life.

According to him, an ideal student would be able to show that they have thought long and hard about the subject, have considered counter-arguments and are able to listen to an opponent.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Money-plays-a-far-too-dominant-role-in-society-30216837.html
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U.S. spy agency collects millions of email address lists: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. National Security Agency collects hundreds of millions of contact lists from personal email and instant messaging accounts around the world, including many from Americans, The Washington Post reported on Monday.

The collection program intercepts email address books and "buddy lists" from instant messaging services as they move across global data links, the newspaper said in an article posted on its website, citing senior intelligence officials and documents provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

The Post said analyzing that data lets the NSA search for connections and map relationships among foreign intelligence targets.

The data collection takes place outside the United States, but sweeps in the contacts of many Americans, the report said, citing two senior U.S. intelligence officials.

A spokesman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees the NSA, said the agency is focused on discovering and developing intelligence about foreign intelligence targets. "We are not interested in personal information about ordinary Americans," he told the Post.

Snowden's revelations about the reach and methods of the NSA, including the monitoring of vast volumes of Internet traffic and phone records, have upset U.S. allies from Germany to Brazil. Admirers call him a human rights champion and critics denounce him as a traitor.

The 30-year-old is now living in a secret location in Russia, beyond the reach of U.S. authorities who want him on espionage charges because he leaked the details of top-secret electronic spying programs to the media.

He traveled to Hong Kong in May and later, under pressure from China, flew to Moscow, where he has been granted a year's asylum.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; editing by Jackie Frank)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-spy-agency-collects-millions-email-address-lists-004150870.html
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For Sale: Floor Board From Church Hall Where John Lennon Met Paul McCartney

As Beatles lore has it, Paul McCartney and John Lennon first met as wee lads in Liverpool on July 6, 1957. That's when the two aspiring rockers were formally introduced by mutual friend Ivan Vaughan at St. Peter's Church. Two weeks later, Lennon invited McCartney to join the Quarrymen and the rest is music history.

Now, fans can own a piece of that historic meeting thanks to congregation member Donna Jackson, who is helping auction off a piece of the floor board from the hall on Ebay. According to Jackson, via the Examiner, the 22cm x 7cm x 3cm block, which comes with a certificate of authenticity, originates from a side room that was damaged by fire in 2001.

PHOTOS: The Beatles to The Wanted: The Evolution of Boy Bands

It's not, however, the first time such a memento has been sold. Another block auctioned to benefit the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) went for £250 in August.

The price of the current Ebay auction, which ends on Oct. 23, has already surpassed £500, which is approximately $799. All proceeds from its sale will go to the Church.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thr/music/~3/-Y9khEtA3Hc/story01.htm
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Miley Cyrus To Twerk All Over AMAs And Its Nominees! Get The List HERE!!

Who wants more Miley Cyrus!?!

The current empress of everything will be performing at the American Music Awards this year, and we just can't wait to see how she takes advantage of her time on the Disney-owned ABC! LOLz!!

Scheduled to air live from Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 8pm, music's biggest stars will come together to honor the biggest and the brightest of 2013.

Nominations have been coming in this cheerful morning, and more have yet to be announced! Check out the nods so far and keep checking back …AFTER THE JUMP!!!

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK

Pink

Rihanna

Taylor Swift

FAVORTE MALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B

Justin Timberlake

Miguel

Robin Thicke

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Florida Georgia Line

Ariana Grande

Imagine Dragons

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Phillip Phillips

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

Florida Georgia Line, “Cruise”

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, “Thrift Shop”

Robin Thicke, “Blurred Lines”

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Bruno Mars

Rihanna

Taylor Swift

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Justin Timberlake

Tags: amas, american music awards, gifs, justin bieber, katy perry, miley cyrus, rihanna, taylor swift

Source: http://perezhilton.com/2013-10-10-amas-2013-nominees-miley-cyrus-performer
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PC shipments crater and tablets are the bogeymen

The third-quarter numbers are in, and both of the major PC shipment bean-counting organizations agree that worldwide PC shipments are down year-on-year (IDC says down 7.6 percent, Gartner says 8.6 percent), but U.S. shipments held relatively stable (IDC says down 0.2 percent, Gartner says up 3.5 percent). In short, it was the worst back-to-school quarter in five years.

Worldwide, Lenovo and HP are running neck and neck, both eking out a bit of growth; Dell's shipments are up slightly, but Acer and Asus have hit the skids, down 20 to 30 percent from last year. In the United States, the big stories are Lenovo, with an increase of 25 percent or so; Toshiba, up about 14 percent; and Apple, with a decline of 11.2 percent (IDC) or 2.3 percent (Gartner), depending on whom you believe.

IDC's numbers don't include iPads or "Android-based tablets with detachable keyboards." Gartner's numbers don't include "media tablets such as the iPad." Neither company breaks out Surface sales, which are presumably too small to make any difference.

Tablets are the bogeymen, of course -- blamed by one and all for sapping PC sales.

I tend to look at the numbers with a Windows 7-versus-Windows 8 eye. Consumer PC shipments in the United States invariably come with Windows 8 pre-installed, and corporate shipments commonly end up with Windows 7. Outside the United States, PC shipments aren't always tied to an operating system -- any operating system. The fact that Lenovo dominates worldwide shipments, with 14 million PCs that may or may not have Windows pre-installed, yet only hits fourth place in the States, with 1.7 million PCs, speaks volumes: The United States accounts for about 20 percent of all PCs sold worldwide, yet Lenovo only sells about 12 percent of its PCs in the country. Could the difference be at least partially attributable to flexibility in shipping Windows 8 pre-installed?

IDC says that Windows 8.1, due next week, led to an uptick in PC shipments late in the quarter:

While shipments remained weak during the early part of the quarter, the market was somewhat buoyed by business purchases, as well as channel intake of Windows 8.1-based systems during September.

To my jaundiced eye, that's a danger sign. If the general acceptance of Windows 8.1 mirrors that of Windows 8, we're going to see a whole lot of Q3 PC shipments sitting on the shelves this Christmas. Granted, enterprise customers will be moving from Windows XP to Windows 7 as fast as they can, and that will drive some PC shipments. But it doesn't seem likely that this one-time shift will turn the PC market around even temporarily, much less permanently.

Although I have great hopes that Windows 9 will show a significant turnaround in the evolution of Windows -- primarily growing the phone system "up" into tablets, rather than forcing the desktop version "down" -- it's hard to be optimistic about Windows 8.1's prospects. A significant non-Band-Aid update to the PC version of Windows could well be a few years away, and the market's changing on Internet time.

A year ago, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer predicted that 400 million Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 devices would be in use by now. No matter how you count the chips, Win8 reality hasn't met up with Ballmer's expectations.

This story, "PC shipments crater and tablets are the bogeymen," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Get the first word on what the important tech news really means with the InfoWorld Tech Watch blog. For the latest developments in business technology news, follow InfoWorld.com on Twitter.

Source: http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/pc-shipments-crater-and-tablets-are-the-bogeymen-228542?source=rss_infoworld_blogs
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Japan hikes sales tax as economy recovers

HONG KONG (CNNMoney)

Paid by consumers when they buy goods or services, the country's consumption tax will be increased to 8% in April 2014. If needed, the government has the option to implement an additional increase to 10% by 2015.

Advocates for the tax increase argue that Japan must do something to improve its fiscal position. Gross public debt is projected to hit 230% of GDP next year, a level critics say is unsustainable.

Should the government follow through with the tax hike, it would help raise revenue and prove that the country is committed to fiscal reforms. But the measure, as planned, would also slow the economy.

In an effort to soften the blow, Abe is expected to announce details of a $50 billion stimulus package Tuesday evening.

The plan will include funding for roads and transportation, with an eye on preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Money will also be allocated for disaster area reconstruction and an initiative designed to encourage women to enter the workforce, according to local media reports.

Related story: Japan debt tops 1 quadrillion yen

While that spending should help the economy, it will dilute the impact of the tax hike on the debt pile. That has critics worried.

"Today's decision may not be as unequivocally positive as generally thought, as the government's credibility is still at risk," analysts from Capital Economics wrote.

Japan has been mired in a malaise brought on by falling prices and a strong yen for years. But the economy's prospects have brightened significantly since Abe announced fresh spending by the government and encouraged the central bank to unleash a tidal wave of asset purchases.

Related story: Women hold key to fixing Japan's economy

Growth has picked up, the yen has fallen sharply and stocks have risen dramatically. The IMF has endorsed the plan and Japan has largely avoided charges of currency manipulation.

The gambit appears to be paying off. The latest quarterly Tankan survey, which surveys companies from across Japan, showed Tuesday that business confidence is at the highest level in years.

But the third pillar of the so-called Abenomics plan -- structural reforms -- has been tougher to implement.

Abe's government has proposed reforms that would make the labor market more flexible, encourage immigration, bring nuclear power plants back online and draw more Japanese women into the workforce.

Implementing the reforms in a timely manner will require close coordination with interest groups, sustained public support and deft political maneuvering by Abe's government.

Already there are signs of stalling momentum, although the tax increase shows Japan may be turning over a new leaf.

-- CNN's Yoko Wakatsuki contributed reporting.

First Published: October 1, 2013: 4:00 AM ET

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_latest/~3/qw7wA3SLDTU/index.html

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