Black Friday Bongo Drums Deal: Remo Rhythm Club Bongos (5 and 6 Inch)

Product Features

• Easy to get kids to play set of Bongo Drums
• For the drum circle, classroom or any musical environment
• Fun, healthy and positive resource for kids
• Durable with incredible sound projection
• No sharp or rough edges

Get it now at Amazon.

Read more...

Black Friday Bongo Drums Deal:Dark Stained Hardwood Tunable Bongo Drums 7" & 8"

Product Features

These awesome DeRosa bongo drums feature dark stained hardwood shells that are sanded and coated in polyurethane

Both the 7 inch and 8 1/4 inch bongos are tunable, with 4 tuning screws per drum.

The heads are natural skin, to give you longer wear.

These bongos are BRAND NEW, never used, and make a great gift for family and friends. A tuning key is included.

Get it now at Amazon.

Read more...

Buffet says:Tax the rich

My earlier post, How can the Richest Americans save America, Warren Buffett calls for higher taxes for US super-rich.

This is from this news:

Now Buffett has added to his list of atypical pronouncements by saying that America's super-rich should pay more tax if the country's debt problems are ever to be solved.

Writing in the New York Times on Monday, Buffett argued that the richest members of US society are indulged with an unfairly generous tax regime and are not making a fair contribution to repairing the country's finances.

"While the poor and middle class fight for us in Afghanistan, and while most Americans struggle to make ends meet, we mega-rich continue to get our extraordinary tax breaks," wrote Buffett, whose personal fortune was estimated at $50bn (£30bn) by Forbes this year, making him the third richest person in the world behind Carlos Slim and Bill Gates.

"These and other blessings are showered upon us by legislators in Washington who feel compelled to protect us, much as if we were spotted owls or some other endangered species. It's nice to have friends in high places," the 80-year old investor added.

Buffett, known as the Sage of Omaha, built his fortune on a no-frills investment strategy and was a fierce critic of the exotic financial investments that brought the banking system to it knees in 2008, dubbing them instruments of financial mass destruction.

A long-time critic of the US tax system, he has calculated that he handed over 17.4% of his income as tax last year – a lower proportion than any of the 20 other people who work in his office.

So what do you say? This is from the man himself.

I am wondering why many in the middle class, repubs and tea parties, refuses to tax the rich to alleviate the US budget deficit? Why?

Read more...

Coco Chanel 'spied for Nazis'

I used to own a Channel Perfume. Now I am wondering, if she and the perfumed are related. Good thing I used up the damn smelly thing, lolz.

Here is a quote to that news from Yahoo:

French fashion designer Coco Chanel onboard a plane at Paris airport, circa 1960s.

French designer Coco Chanel spied for the Nazis during the German occupation of France in World War II, according to a new book.

Sleeping With The Enemy: Coco Chanel's Secret War, by Hal Vaughan, expands on long-standing evidence that the iconic designer had a double life and was the lover of a spy, Baron Hans Gunther von Dincklage.

"Sleeping With The Enemy pieces together how Coco Chanel became a German intelligence operative; how and why she was enlisted in a number of spy missions; how she escaped arrest in France after the war," New York publishers Knopf said in a statement.

Vaughan's book reveals not only was Chanel recruited to the Abwehr military intelligence organisation, but that von Dincklage was himself a "Nazi master spy."

He "ran a spy ring in the Mediterranean and in Paris and reported directly to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, right hand of Hitler."

Chanel was also "fiercely" anti-Semitic, the book says, although at the time she would not have stood out among numerous other high-profile compatriots later seen as having collaborated during the 1940-44 occupation.

Read more...

How can the Richest Americans save America

If they pay an 18% Tax Rate today. Remember that before the Bush tax cuts, the 400 richest Americans used to pay 30% of their income on the average to Uncle Sam.

This is what I got from Forbes:

The main reason for the drop in their tax rate of some 40% is the tax cuts by George Bush in 2003, taking the rate paid on dividends and capital gains down to 15%. This reduction in the investment class’s taxes powered the bull market in stocks from the fall of 2003 until the fall of 2007.

Shockingly, the plan to raise the debt ceiling collects nothing from the wealthiest Americans to reduce our budget deficit. The Republican right wing holds the Obama White House hostage. It’s a sad day for the principle of sharing the pain equitably.

Isn't this a great news for wealth creators? Lolz

Read more...

3-D video gaming aspires to become spectacle

For movie goers, watching a 3-D film is a relatively easy experience. Audiences don't need to do anything other than pay a few more dollars and slip on a pair of special glasses to see 3-D versions of "Avatar" or "Alice in Wonderland." For gamers, however, enjoying a 3-D game requires a bigger investment on their part.

For example, to play the popular online fantasy game "World of Warcraft" in 3-D, an inhabitant of Azeroth would need hundreds of dollars worth of gear: a robust computer setup with a compatible graphics card, a monitor capable of displaying 3-D and a pair of 3-D spectacles. At this early stage, it's an expense that many virtual adventurers have yet to adopt.

Dozens of game developers, business executives and other stereoscopic 3-D gaming advocates converged at a Universal City hotel this week to explore that very conundrum and witness the latest in 3-D games at the first-ever 3-D Gaming Summit. The consensus was that whether gamers push play on 3-D or not, the home 3-D revolution is already in motion.

Television makers Samsung and Panasonic are now selling 3-D TVs. Movie studios Universal and Disney have released 3-D films on Blu-ray, such as "Coraline" and "The Polar Express." Discovery Communications and ESPN previously announced they will launch their own 3-D cable television networks, with ESPN first broadcasting FIFA World Cup soccer in 3-D this June.

"We've got to tell people about it," said Phil Eisler, general manager of Nvidia's 3-D Vision, which makes graphics cards with 3-D processing power. "Hollywood has done a fantastic job of educating consumers and marketing to them about the wonderful experience in the theater. We need to tell consumers about the wonderful experience that games are in 3-D."

For many modern games, the leap to 3-D is actually just a step. The medium is well suited for 3-D because the majority of today's games are created in three dimensions, making conversion a snap. Eisler said more than 400 current PC games, including "Battlefield: Bad Company 2" and "Resident Evil 5," can be played in 3-D with the right equipment.

"You're seeing it now," said "Avatar" producer Jon Landau. "People are going to want 3-D in their homes. I think 3-D is going to become ubiquitous in everything we do. From what I understand of the initial TV sales at Best Buy, everything went out the door. Why? Because it's of a certain quality, and I think that's what we have to make sure we protect."

The biggest hurdle for 3-D gaming is perhaps the simplest: Those glasses are just plain annoying. Michael Cai, a video game analyst at research firm Interpret, found in a recent survey of players who had experienced 3-D games that having to don shades was the overwhelming aversion to the medium. However, many had no qualms about 3-D gaming at all.

Sony and Nintendo have already unveiled their initial plans to enter the 3-D realm. Sony began updating PlayStation 3 consoles this week for future 3-D gaming features, which are expected this summer. Last month, Nintendo revealed a 3-D version of its top-selling handheld DS system — called 3DS — that wouldn't require 3-D glasses due out later this year.

"One of the big advantages of the gaming market is that it's extremely viral," said Neil Schneider, president of 3-D gaming advocacy group Meant to be Seen. "If there's a way to capture the interest of just a handful of these gamers, it's the consumers that could help drive this industry forward, perhaps more influential than a retail display at Best Buy."

Source:Philstar.com

Read more...

Government sells $416-million OFW bonds

By Iris C. Gonzales

The government has so far sold $416 million worth of Fixed Rate Multicurrency Retail Treasury Bonds or the so-called OFW bonds as of yesterday.

The amount is $84 million short of completing the government’s target to issue $500 million worth of the bonds, intended mainly for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).   

Of the $416 million, the government has so far sold $355 million in dollar-denominated bonds and P46 million worth of the euro-denominated bonds, bringing the total sale as of yesterday to a dollar equivalent of $416 million, according to market sources.

The offer period for the bonds ends on April 27.

The government started the sale of the bonds last April 21, selling an initial $346 million in a price-setting auction.

The three-year dollar-denominated bonds fetched a coupon rate of 2.875 percent while the five-year dollar-denominated bonds fetched a coupon rate of 4.125 percent.

Meanwhile, the government fetched a coupon rate of 3.250 percent for the three-year euro-denominated paper and 4.125 percent for the five-year euro bond.

There are no indications yet if the government would again sell another batch of OFW bonds later this year as it has been authorized by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to sell $1 billion worth of OFW bonds.

Analysts said that if the market asks for it, another sale may take place in the fourth quarter.

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) has already cancelled a scheduled auction for P8.5 billion worth of Treasury bonds next week because of the OFW bond sale.

The issue managers are First Metro Investments Corp., BPI Capital Corp., Development Bank of the Philippines, PNB Capital & Investment Corp., and BDO Capital & Investment Corp.

The sale of OFW bonds is part of government efforts to provide overseas Filipinos opportunities where they can park their hard-earned dollars and euros.

Source: Philstar

Read more...

Filipino discovers new vaccine vs. malaria

Rhoel Dinglasan, an entomologist and biologist from John Hopkins University, is rocking the science world with his discovery of a new vaccine against malaria.

It prevents mosquitoes from spreading malaria if they bite someone who’s been inoculated with the vaccine, and brings the medical world a step closer to eradicating the disease.

Dinglasan’s discovery was recently featured in the Health and Science section of TIME magazine. Here are excerpts from the article.

“Traditional vaccines work by introducing a killed or weakened version of a disease into the body, where the immune system spots it and cranks out antibodies against it. Then, if a wild strain of the pathogen comes along later—one that has the power to sicken or kill—the body is ready for it. The new approach is different. Developed by Rhoel Dinglasan, an entomologist and biologist at Johns Hopkins University Hospital, it would instead work within the mosquito gut.

Dinglasan has found an antigen, called AnAPN1, that causes humans to create antibodies that prevent transmission of malaria by mosquitoes. Get enough of these antibodies into mosquitoes, and you lock the disease up there and prevent it from infecting us.

Sounds good, but how do you implement such a strategy? You can hardly vaccinate the mosquitoes themselves. Instead, you put the AnAPN1 into their food source: us. A mosquito that bites an inoculated person would pick up the antibodies and then be sidelined from the malaria-transmission game.

The new vaccine is not the first TBV attempted. Previous versions used not AnAPN1 but parts of the malaria parasite to generate human immune responses.

Unfortunately, two vaccine candidates using that approach unexpectedly caused some skin disorders when tested in humans in 2008, prompting a need for further research. And even without that side effect, using antigens from the malaria parasite would require multiple vaccines to fight the many different strains of malaria.”

Read more...

Where to put your money in 2010

Q: What investments are good to consider in 2010? The stock market took a dive during the global financial crisis but I hear it is recovering now. Where can one invest money this year to realize a profit? – Lauren

A: Now more than ever, investors have become more cautious in picking out places where they can invest their money. The recent global financial crisis is still fresh in the minds of people all over the world, and no one wants a repeat of what happened then, when currencies became weak and long-term savings lost their value.

Well now things are getting rosier. We have all learned lessons from the global financial crisis and its aftermath. One important lesson is to invest with your eyes wide open. That may seem easy to say but just how do you do that, you may ask?

Put simply, that means invest only in schemes you understand. Some investment vehicles are a little complicated to understand, and investors may find out too late that these are not the right ones for them.

Like clothes, investments must fit your personality. Investors who are aggressive in their positions usually have time on their hands, can take on risks and are interested in investment that offer high returns. They are usually suited for stocks. They probably won't mind the ups and downs of the market, bearing in mind that in the long run, they may be able to realize a much bigger profit. Those more conservative and who want to take things slow and sure may concentrate their investments in bonds and government securities.

What investments can be considered good this 2010? We don't have the capacity to say what is sure to happen in the future, so we cannot guarantee which investment will earn the most this year. But these tips below may help you in determining the right investment for you.

1. Ask yourself: What is your investment goal? Maybe you would like to invest your savings so it will grow more, enough to become down payment for a house in the future. Or maybe you are looking at starting your nest egg which you will use upon your retirement 30 years from now. Still another investment goal may be to grow your savings so that you will reach your emergency fund (six months' worth of expenses at least) in a year's time. By identifying your investment goal, you are making your plans more concrete, which will help you in mapping out your investment strategy.

2. Ask yourself: How much time do you have to invest? Once you know your savings goal, you will be able to determine how much time you have to leave your money in the investment before you need it. This is essential in identifying the right investment for you. Long-term funds may be held in stocks and bonds, while short-term funds needed for next year's tuition fees or emergency fund goal may be placed in a unit investment trust fund or mutual fund investing in the money market.

3. Study all aspects of an investment before committing to put money in. Don't just ask how much it may earn in the future or how much the interest rate is; find out how it works and how it behaves in the market. Stocks are pretty volatile, with market prices fluctuating due to demand and supply. Time deposits are safe but interest may be low, although higher than that offered by savings accounts. With bonds, you have to hold your money for the term of the bond to realize the full interest.

4. Research not only on how that particular investment has performed during the past year or so, but on what potential it has in the future. Has it started to recover and is on its way up after the global financial crisis? Note however that past performance is not indicative of future performance. You should be wary that though the performance of a particular investment may be good in the past, it is not a guarantee that it will also behave the same way in the future. Also, if it appears too good to be true, it's probably not true. Beware of investment scams.

5. Be open to studying new investment options. Depending on one's profile, investors may consider getting out of their comfort zone and consider new investment vehicles. For example, avid time deposit clients may look into government securities and corporate bonds to increase their potential portfolio returns (subject to taking higher risk attendant to these investments, of course). Investors in direct assets such as bonds and stocks may look into investment funds to gain the benefit of a professional fund manager.

There are timeless cardinal rules in investing. One of them is to diversify your investments. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Spread out your investment in different asset classes to maximize your earnings potential. Moreover, spread out the timing of your entry into the financial markets over a period of time and not just 'one time-big time.' Specifically, consider the merits of entering in stages and cost averaging. The bulk of your investment pot, though, should be in an investment which suits your investment persona, time horizon, and investment goals.

Source: Inquirer.net

Read more...