Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/96SY-1OFZMs/
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বৃহস্পতিবার, ২৩ মে, ২০১৩
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The first baseman for the Cleveland Indians, 32, was put on the teams' paternity list (mandatory one to three-days leave) revealing the happy news.
iPad App Video Review: Frozen Synapse
Frozen Synapse is a critically acclaimed indie turn-based strategy game that won the hearts and minds of gamers and critics alike. It's been making the rounds on Steam for a while, but now we get this brand new portable iPad version. Anyone who has played the game might scoff at the idea of such a complex strategy game working on an iPad, but the touch controls make the transition smooth as a baby's bottom. This is one of the most rewarding and inventive turn-based strategy games around, and you owe it to yourself to give it a look if you're into strategy in the slightest.
Developed by Mode 7, this is like a smaller scale and more action oriented take on Diplomacy. You and your opponent actually put all your units moves in during the planning phase, only to watch the outcome in the action phase. The game is all about covering your bases and trying to anticipate your opponents moves by setting ambushes, destroying cover, and just making sure you're aiming in the right direction to engage. The game is pretty complex, but also simple to get into. There are about ten minutes worth of tutorial videos to prep you before you take on a real opponent.
Best Educational Apps, Handpicked By Experts
Appolicious is pleased to introduce appoLearning.com, where parents, teachers and students find great education apps. Check out our introduction video here!
While there is an offline mode, the primary focus of the game is asynchronous multiplayer. You'll have to create an account to play, but you can do it all right from the app with virtually no hassle. If you have an account from the PC version, you can just log into that one too. The multiplayer is indeed cross platform, so you can play this on your iPad with your friend who owns the game on Steam. I'll state upfront that this game is on the polar opposite end of the spectrum from casual. It's very hardcore, with difficult AI, and you'll probably be facing experienced opponents online from the get-go. You've been warned.
The visuals are simple, comprised of only a few colors, but everything is clean and easy to make out, despite the visual chaos that ensues when you give multiple orders at multiple waypoints. With a truly fantastic soundtrack and an expansive online mode featuring leaderboard and tournament support, this is a tactical gaming experience that you shouldn't miss out on. It's pricier than your average iOS game, currently going for seven dollars, but this is a deep and expansive experience that is more than worth the cost. I can't sing its praises enough.
Also on Appolicious
Celebrate Memorial Day and summer while reading from a list of great magazines, thanks to Zinio?s recent Guest Post.
Source: http://www.appolicious.com/games/articles/13494-ipad-app-video-review-frozen-synapse
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Storm took town's youngest as it swept through
This undated handout photo provided by the Hornsby family, shows JaNae Hornsby. JaNae, who was killed when a tornado struck Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Texas on May 20, 2013, is described by her father Joshua Hornsby as a "special baby" who made friends with everyone she met. (AP Photo/Courtesy of the Hornsby Family)
This undated handout photo provided by the Hornsby family, shows JaNae Hornsby. JaNae, who was killed when a tornado struck Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Texas on May 20, 2013, is described by her father Joshua Hornsby as a "special baby" who made friends with everyone she met. (AP Photo/Courtesy of the Hornsby Family)
This undated handout photo provided by the Legg family shows Christopher Legg. Christopher was killed when a tornado struck Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., on May 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Courtesy of the Legg Family)
In this Nov. 2012 photo provided by the his family, 8-year-old?tornado victim Kyle Davis poses for a photo while attending an Oklahoma University football game at Owen Field, in Norman, Okla. Nicknamed "The Wall," Davis loved soccer and going to the Monster Truck exhibitions at the?fairgrounds with his grandfather. Kyle was killed Monday, May 20, 2013, when a huge tornado roared through Moore, Okla., flattening entire neighborhoods and destroying Kyle's elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds up to 200 mph. (AP Photo/The Kyle Davis Family)
This undated handout photo provided by Brandie Candelaria shows Antonia Candelaria. Candelaria was killed when a tornado struck Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Texas on Monday, May 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Brandie Candelaria)
MOORE, Okla. (AP) ? One loved the spotlight. Another was nicknamed "The Wall" because of the force he brought to the soccer field.
When a top-of-the-scale EF5 tornado ripped through Moore, Okla., it took with it 24 lives. Seven of them were children at Plaza Towers Elementary school; two were only babies.
These are the victims' stories.
___
JaNae Hornsby, 9
One of seven children killed inside the Plaza Towers Elementary School, JaNae loved to draw and sing. She loved being the center of attention, her father said.
JaNae's house, just three blocks from the school, also was destroyed by the tornado. Her father wanted to go back to the property to see if he could find a few of JaNae's things to keep.
"JaNae was the life of the party. If JaNae was there you were having a good time. She liked to sing, be a big sister, be a big cousin. She liked to draw," he said, smiling, as he remembered his little girl.
As family gathered to make funeral arrangements and comfort one another, Hornsby looked behind him into the house.
"If she was here she would just have everybody laughing and she would be in the midst of everything. She loved the spotlight," he said.
___
Karrina Vargyas, 4
Karrina was not quite old enough to be at school like her two older siblings. So she was at home huddled in a bathtub with her mother, younger sister and grandmother.
The tornado threw the women and children in different directions. Her parents could not find Karrina that night. It was only later that they learned that searchers had found Karrina's body in the rubble of what had been a neighbor's house.
Her father, Phillip Vargyas, said Karrina "had a smile that would light up the room." And whenever he fells the pain of her loss, her father said he likes to think of Karrina giving him a little hug.
"She was something else," Phillip Vargyas told The Oklahoman newspaper. "She wanted to figure skate. That was her dream in life."
___
Sydnee Vargyas, 7 months
Just 7 months old, Sydnee had crawled for the first time on Sunday. But she never really got to enjoy her newfound freedom.
Sydnee was huddled in the bathtub of her south Oklahoma City home with her older sister, mother and grandmother as a tornado bore down on them. The strong winds pulled Sydnee out of her mother's grasp.
When the debris stopped swirling, Laurinda Vargyas said she found Sydnee on a driveway.
"She was just laying there helpless. All I could do was sit there and hold her. She was already gone," Laurinda Vargyas told The Oklahoman newspaper. "They say she didn't suffer. So I've got to find peace with that."
___
Terri Long, 49
Long, a mother of three, was driving home from her job as a registrar at the Federal Aviation Administration when she stopped at a 7-Eleven store about 2 miles from her home. That's where she died when the tornado hit.
"I have no idea why she stopped there; I'm still trying to figure that out," said her husband of 10 years, Ken Long, his voice cracking with sorrow. But he has a guess: "She was probably trying to get away" from the tornado.
For several hours after the tornado, Long didn't know of his wife's fate ? not until her brother called her cellphone, and a police officer answered by saying her purse had been found at the convenience store.
Terri Long may have fared no better had she made it home. Her husband, who was at work at the time of the tornado, said their house was destroyed, too. A couple of days after the tornado, Long still didn't even have any pictures of his wife in his possession. He had only memories.
"She was just a happy person that loved her kids and family, loved Harleys and loved to be outside," Ken Long said.
A funeral was planned Friday for Terri Long. She would have turned 50 on Monday.
___
Kyle Davis, 8
He was known to his friends as "The Wall."
It was a tribute to the ferocity Kyle brought to his beloved sport, soccer, and the way other players seemed to bounce off him as they went for the ball, said his grandfather, Marvin Dixon.
Kyle was among six 9-year-olds who died in the Plaza Towers Elementary School. Kyle had taken shelter in the school's gymnasium with dozens of other students.
"He was in the position that the teacher told them to be in ?crouched down with their hands over their heads," Dixon said. "The medical examiner said either some big rock or beam or something fell right on the back of his neck. He said he died instantly."
It would take a sizeable force to bring down Kyle's large but playful personality.
"He was a pretty big kid," Dixon said. "Whenever he had the ball, other kids would just bounce off of him. That's why they called him that. ... He was just the kindest, most giving kid you would ever meet. He had a grin from ear to ear."
___
Christopher Legg, 9
Christopher's years were defined by courage in the face of daunting illness.
Diagnosed with skin cancer and Osgood-Schlatter disease ? an illness which can cause painful inflammation in the knees of young athletes ? Christopher nevertheless loved to play sports and "roughhouse and wrestle with his Daddy" and his brother and sister, according to a statement issued by the family.
He was among the children inside Plaza Towers when the tornado hit.
"He is not in pain, but in joy with our Lord," the statement said.
"He was greatly loved by all who knew him," the family said. "He never met a stranger. You were always a friend in his eyes. Just last Sunday, his grandfather remarked that Christopher was going to play center for the University of Oklahoma someday."
___
Megan Futrell, 29, and Case Futrell, 3 months.
Futrell had picked up young Case from a babysitter as the storm approached Moore. She eventually took shelter in a nearby convenience store at the suggestion of her husband, according to a relative.
Both died Monday when the EF5 tornado destroyed the building as the two tried to ride out the storm in the store's walk-in freezer.
Futrell was a doting mother, active in the Little League association where another son played, her cousin, Amy Pulliam, told The Oklahoman.
"She was my sister I never had," Pulliam said. "It's hard, it's hard, it's hard. But there's nothing you can do now."
Futrell's husband, Cody, who told his wife to seek shelter inside the store, was overcome with grief, Pulliam said.
"As soon as the tornado went over he just took off running," she said. "When he made it as far as Little River Park he saw there was nothing" left of the store.
___
Antonia Candelaria, 9
Antonia loved to sing. She knew the words to most of the songs on the country radio station her family frequently had on and she would sing along, bringing joy to the house.
In an obituary, the family remembered the "gentle and loving spirit" of a girl with a sweet nickname, "ladybug," that complimented those of her two sisters, who are affectionately called "butterfly" and "dragonfly."
The third-grader recently auditioned to sing in a talent show scheduled for the last day of school at Plaza Towers Elementary. The girl died at the school with seven other children, including her best friend and next door neighbor, Emily Conatzer.
"Tonie always danced, not walked, to the beat of her own drum," the family wrote in her obit. "And she banged her drum very well. She would bang that drum so loud that others could not help but to start dancing to her beat as well."
___
Emily Conatzer, 9
Emily loved unicorns, Lady Gaga and dreamed of one day traveling to Paris to become a fashion designer.
The third-grader died at Plaza Towers Elementary with seven other children, including her best friend Antonia Candelaria, in Monday's tornado that tore through a part of Moore.
Emily "rode up to heaven on a unicorn traveling on a path of love leaving Moore," her family wrote in her obituary.
She was a beautiful princess, her family wrote, with a love for "all things girly."
A mother to a cat named Sabbath that wandered into her family's home one day, Conatzer was also a gifted dancer who could sing "Time Warp" in its entirety.
___
Shannon Quick, 40
Quick spent a lot of time watching her sons' baseball games. She loved cooking and was known for putting together a tasty Crock-Pot dinner for her family.
On Monday, she had picked up her 8-year-old Jackson and 13-year-old son Tanner from school early because the family was getting ready to go on a vacation to Virginia.
But an approaching tornado forced her to huddle in the closet of their home near Briarwood Elementary School with her children, mother and their dog, Luke. Quick was killed, and the dog had to be put to sleep because of the injuries.
Jackson was hospitalized with severe leg and pelvic injuries. Tanner escaped the tornado with scrapes and bruises. Her mother, Joy Waldroop, was taken to a hospital with a broken heel and a hole in her right arm.
"I couldn't ask for a better daughter," Waldroop, 61, told The Oklahoman newspaper, from the hospital. "She cared for her family."
Shannon Quick had been married to Mike Quick since 1995.
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বুধবার, ২২ মে, ২০১৩
The Apple Store goes down, comes back up loaded for Fathers Day
During the night, when a lot of you were sleeping, the Apple Store went down. Sadly, there's no new goodies to report, but when it came back up it's loaded and ready to go for Apple's Fathers Day promo. With Fathers Day coming up, what better way to show your appreciation than with something from Apple.
We're not just talking iPads and iPods, Apple has dedicated a whole section of the storefront to all those add-ons and accessories that Dad might enjoy using with his Apple devices. Be that a Nike Fuelband, a Bluetooth remote control Porsche, or even a GoPro Hero 3, there's bound to be something in there that would make your old Dad smile.
So, to all the Dads out there; what would your dream Fathers Day gift from the Apple Store be? Once you've shared with us, time to get dropping those hints to your kids!
Source: Apple Store
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/j6n5utsURb0/story01.htm
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'The Voice' reacts to Oklahoma tornado tragedy
TV 
8 hours ago
NBC
Blake Shelton shares his thoughts on the devastation in Oklahoma on "The Voice."
Monday night was a particularly difficult performance show on "The Voice," and that had nothing to do with the typical top-ten stress. A much more important thing occupied the minds of the coaches and performers -- the devastation in Oklahoma following one the deadliest tornadoes in the nation's history.
Coach Blake Shelton, an Oklahoma native, described his feelings about going on with the show in the wake of the tragedy.
"They're going through hell there right now," he said of the folks back home during Monday's show. "When we went live here, I finally set my phone down. The bad news just keeps coming in -- a lot of fatalities, a lot of children. It makes it hard to actually sit here and do this tonight. But I've got a job to do, the team's counting on me, so here I am."
As for his family in particular, Shelton assured that, luckily, they're all safe.
When Team Blake act The Swon Brothers prepared for this week?s ?Voice? performance, they had no idea what their next song would mean to them. Yet after the tornado ravaged their home state, the country duo found themselves taking the stage with heavy hearts too.
?We just want to let everybody know at home (that) we're praying for you,? Colton Swon told the national audience after the pair performed Randy Houser?s ?How Country Feels.?
?Our hearts are definitely going out to you,? agreed Zach Swon.
Speaking after the show, a somber Colton told TODAY.com that the performance was ?just one of those things you've gotta (do). That's how we cope with things, is music. That's what we do. So that felt natural -- and then when you get in front of the crowd and just get that energy going, it's a great feeling. It was hard to enjoy, but at the same time we felt good about it.?
Backstage, Zach Swon reflected on what he loved about his home state. ?The music scene,? he said, naming several major country artists who are also from Oklahoma. ?(There?s) Garth (Brooks), Reba (McEntire), Blake, Vince Gill, Carrie Underwood, (and) Brooks and Dunn.?
Colton Swon was optimistic about the situation. ?Oklahoma's going to pull through this,? he said. ?They've been in these situations before, unfortunately, and it's a very strong state.?
"Voice" fans can see more from the Shelton and the Swons on Tuesday night's live episode at 9 p.m. on NBC. A recap episode, originally scheduled for 8 p.m. , will be preempted to make way for a one-hour special focused on the latest from Oklahoma.
Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/voice-reacts-oklahoma-tornado-tragedy-6C9996719
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Shulman: Not 'responsible' for IRS 'lookout' list
Former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman is sworn in prior to testifying before the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday.??
Former Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Douglas Shulman said that he was "not personally responsible" for the agency's practice of placing elevated scrutiny on conservative groups that applied for nonprofit status, but that he regrets it occurred during his tenure.
"I certainly am not personally responsible for creating a list that had inappropriate criteria on it. What I know, with the full facts that are out, is from the inspector general's report, which doesn't say I'm responsible for that," Shulman said during a Senate Finance Committee hearing Tuesday. "With that said, this happened on my watch and I very much regret that it happened on my watch."
Shulman, who served as IRS commissioner from 2008 to 2012, appeared before the Senate panel with outgoing Acting Commissioner Steven Miller and Treasury Inspector General J. Russell George on Tuesday. Both Shulman and Miller have said that the agency acted inappropriately in how it reviewed groups applying for tax-exempt status.
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HTC One with stock Android to reportedly launch by the end of the summer
Nearly four months ago, Oklahoma Senators Tom Coburn and James Inhofe both voted?against?H.R.152, the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act that eventually sent $50.5 billion in relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy. And in the flurry of last night's devastation in Moore, Oklahoma. it was impossible not to forget that fact, knowing the federal government would soon rally to the cause.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/htc-one-stock-android-reportedly-launch-end-summer-220037995.html
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মঙ্গলবার, ২১ মে, ২০১৩
Evaluating a new way to open clogged arteries
May 21, 2013 ? Over the past few decades, scientists have developed many devices that can reopen clogged arteries, including angioplasty balloons and metallic stents. While generally effective, each of these treatments has drawbacks, including the risk of side effects.
A new study from MIT analyzes the potential usefulness of a new treatment that combines the benefits of angioplasty balloons and drug-releasing stents, but may pose fewer risks. With this new approach, a balloon is inflated in the artery for only a brief period, during which it releases a drug that prevents cells from accumulating and clogging the arteries over time.
While approved for limited use in Europe, these drug-coated balloons are still in development in the United States and have not received FDA approval. The MIT study, which models the behavior of the balloons, should help scientists optimize their performance and aid regulators in evaluating their effectiveness and safety.
"Until now, people who evaluate such technology could not distinguish hype from promise," says Elazer Edelman, the Thomas D. and Virginia W. Cabot Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and senior author of the paper describing the study, which appeared online recently in the journal Circulation.
Lead author of the paper is Vijaya Kolachalama, a former MIT postdoc who is now a principal member of the technical staff at the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory.
Evolution of technology
Until the late 1970s, the standard treatment for patients with blocked arteries near the heart was bypass surgery. Doctors then turned to the much less invasive process of reopening arteries with angioplasty balloons. Angioplasty quickly became the standard treatment for narrowed arteries, but it is not always a long-term solution because the arteries can eventually collapse again.
To prevent that, scientists developed stents -- metal, cage-like structures that can hold an artery open indefinitely. However, these stents have problems of their own: When implanted, they provoke an immune response that can cause cells to accumulate near the stent and clog the artery again.
In 2003, the FDA approved the first drug-eluting stent for use in the United States, which releases drugs that prevent cells from clumping in the arteries. Drug-eluting stents are now the primary choice for treating blocked arteries, but they also have side effects: The drugs can cause blood to clot over time, which has led to death in some patients. Patients who receive these stents now need to take other medications, such as aspirin and Plavix, to counteract blood clotting.
Edelman's lab is investigating a possible alternative to the current treatments: drug-coated balloons. "We're trying to understand how and when this therapy could work and identify the conditions in which it may not," Kolachalama says. "It has its merits; it has some disadvantages."
Modeling drug release
The drug-coated balloons are delivered by a catheter and inflated at the narrowed artery for about 30 seconds, sometimes longer. During that time, the balloon coating, containing a drug such as Zotarolimus, is released from the balloon. The properties of the coating allow the drug to be absorbed in the body's tissues. Once the drug is released, the balloon is removed.
In their new study, Kolachalama, Edelman and colleagues set out to rigorously characterize the properties of the drug-coated balloons. After performing experiments in tissue grown in the lab and in pigs, they developed a computer model that explains the dynamics of drug release and distribution. They found that factors such as the size of the balloon, the duration of delivery time, and the composition of the drug coating all influence how long the drug stays at the injury site and how effectively it clears the arteries.
One significant finding is that when the drug is released, some of it sticks to the lining of the blood vessels. Over time, that drug is slowly released back into the tissue, which explains why the drug's effects last much longer than the initial 30-second release period.
"This is the first time we can explain the reasons why drug-coated balloons can work," Kolachalama says. "The study also offers areas where people can consider thinking about optimizing drug transfer and delivery."
In future studies, Edelman, Kolachalama and colleagues plan to further examine how blood flow affects drug delivery. They also plan to study a variety of different drugs and drug coating compositions, as well as how the balloons behave in different types of arteries.
The National Institutes of Health and Abbott Vascular funded the research.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/q4_1CBDKLMU/130521121513.htm
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Big bucks to be made on small screen | Stuff.co.nz
Wellington's screen industry is hoping the Government will increase incentives for international television production to encourage long-form overseas shows to film here.
Raunchy swords and sorcery drama Game of Thrones films many scenes in Northern Ireland, where it received ?9.25 million of government grants. Filming of its first three seasons generated ?65m for the local economy. (Game of Thrones has run on Sky TV in New Zealand.)
Under the Screen Production Incentive Fund, television series filmed here with significant New Zealand content currently qualify for a grant of 20 per cent of the total local production cost, only half the 40 per cent rebate feature films are eligible for.
With the Large Budget Screen Production Grant, feature films and television series without significant New Zealand content need to have production expenditure of at least $15m to qualify for a 15 per cent grant.
The Government is considering reviewing the incentives, seeking advice from Film New Zealand. It has "an interest in encouraging more international television production", according to Film NZ chief executive Gisella Carr.
She said Game of Thrones' economic impact on Ireland showed what television production could do for a region and countries around the world were targeting international television production work.
"Television builds infrastructure, as has been evident in New Zealand's own international television history. Rob Tapert's television production in Auckland starting with Xena and Hercules has been vital to growing the industry.
"Spartacus injected more than $200m into the Auckland economy. Jane Campion's Top of the Lake [filmed in the South Island] . . . shone the spotlight firmly on New Zealand."
Screen Production and Development Association chief executive Penelope Borland said current incentives were only "marginal".
She believed long-form television being made in New Zealand for international markets was hugely important for ongoing work and the sustainability and growth of the local industry.
"You only need to look at the employment and economic impact of four seasons of Spartacus in Auckland - 350 permanent crew, 400 casual crew, 1000 New Zealand and Auckland specific suppliers," she said.
" The sooner incentives are improved to attract more longform TV the better. There is huge competition internationally.
"The relatively high New Zealand dollar for the United States and elsewhere and lack of standing stage infrastructure in Auckland to meet the needs of any production of scale are also barriers.
"In Wellington, Avalon Studios could be adapted for long-form TV production."
Investor John Feast, who led the group that bought Avalon Studios in Lower Hutt last year, said long-form television and feature films should receive equal grants and concessions to provide a location for United States, Asian, European and Australian television production.
WELLINGTON TV
Pukeko Pictures' The WotWots signed up another series with UK Channel 5 Milkshake Lotto is filmed at Avalon Studios Country Calendar and Praise Be are produced at Avalon Studios Thunderbirds Are Go being made by Britain's ITV in a co-production involving Pukeko Pictures and Weta.
- ? Fairfax NZ News
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8695895/Big-bucks-to-be-made-on-small-screen
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Lisa Bonchek Adams: In Sickness and in Health: What Is It Like for a Mother to Read Her Daughter's Blogs About Stage IV Cancer?
My mother, Dr. Rita Bonchek, is a psychologist who specializes in grief and loss. A career discussing death and dying, however, was insufficient preparation for hearing the words, "Mom, I have metastatic breast cancer."
Mom and I have reacted very differently to the news of my stage IV cancer. I was online within days writing posts about the steps I was taking. I wrote immediately about how to help children in the days following a diagnosis like mine. As my readers know, I'm very open about this part of my life.
My mother, on the other hand, is much more private. She would never write a blog the way I do. She didn't want to share this news with people; she wasn't ready to talk about it. I respect her decision but that approach doesn't work for me. Sometimes our different ways of thinking lead to disagreements. Despite our differences we always support each other.
I thought it might be helpful for readers to hear what she has to say about reading my posts. Some of us with cancer choose to be very public with our daily lives but our parents are often forgotten in the discussion.
I am Lisa's proud mother and I have followed her blog from its first day. As her mother, I read her blog from a unique point of view, and I want to share my perspective with you.
Those of you who are reading this blog follow Lisa and her incredible writing. It is her understanding of human behavior, her expression of feelings of her heart and thoughts of her mind that make so many people want another blog from her as soon as the one being read is finished.
Yet, as the mother of this outstanding-in-all-aspects daughter, my reading of Lisa's blog posts is complicated because each piece contains an extra layer of heart-wrenching pain for me. Lisa's blog is a precious sharing of her everyday life, of medical explanation and analysis of each and every test result, of measured consideration of her hopes, fears, etc. Parents rarely get the opportunity to get "up close and personal" to this extent with a child. As Lisa's mother, knowing her innermost thoughts is a gift and a curse.
If you (or anyone else but Lisa) were writing about a life journey with a cancer diagnosis, I could handle reading about the physical assaults on your body and the emotional assaults on your psyche because I would be more objective and not involved in your everyday life. I could read your blog, feel empathy and sorrow for the diagnosis, but step away from it. However, I am enmeshed in Lisa's writing.
Lisa's father stopped having the blog posts sent directly to his e-mail because he was often caught unaware with heavy emotional subject matter arriving at inappropriate times. He now accesses the blog posts only when he feels emotionally prepared for whatever he may find.
While this would also be a very reasonable decision for me to make, I have the ambivalent feelings of wanting to be close and share every moment of what Lisa thinks and feels at that moment versus retreating from the declarations of how her life is now and her fears for the future for her and the family -- her family and my family.
Lisa and I share the personality trait of always wanting to know the truth so we are as well prepared for the worst as we can be. Lisa and I promised each other that we would never withhold any information to protect each other. The honesty Lisa promised me is the honesty she has promised to all of you, her readers.
On one level, her blog reveals to me everything I want to know, but on another level what I unconsciously don't want to know. This emotional see-saw of wanting to read it but not wanting to read it is a decision that I must make each time a new blog-post appears in my inbox.
Why is this "to know or not to know" decision so difficult for me? When I read Lisa's writings, I imagine the sub-text that she does not reveal: how she is managing to keep her family's lives as "normal" (whatever that means) as possible.
Lisa is, as most mothers are, the hub of her family's life. When Lisa writes in a blog-post that she was very tired and rested for hours, I know that her closed bedroom door makes every family member who sees that closed door go into overdrive with founded or unfounded concern and fear.
Lisa and I share the goals to make the most of each day and to cherish and to love one another. These are life affirmations within our control when so much of life is out of our control. Share our goals as you and I, Lisa's readers, benefit from Lisa's greatest gift to us: who she is and how she lives her life, in sickness and in health.
?
Follow Lisa Bonchek Adams on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AdamsLisa
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-b-adams/mother-daughter-cancer_b_3306482.html
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সোমবার, ২০ মে, ২০১৩
IRL: TYLT cables and a standoff between two Galaxies
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.
IRL is a column about stuff we're using in real life and yes, that sometimes includes neon-green charging cables. It also includes all manner of smartphones, as you know, and this week we've got a short-and-sweet write-up comparing the GS3 and GS4. Is the 4 worth an early upgrade? Not if you ask Jon Fingas, anyway, but that's mostly because he's happy with the camera, performance and LTE radio on last year's model.
Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/27yAJ4MQ_sg/
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Earn 1000 Bonus United Miles for Joining the Small Business Network
United launched their new?Small Business Network, where small businesses can earn bonus United miles when shopping at the program?s network partners.? Small business members can now earn award miles for day-to-day?spending, like paying utilities, buying office supplies or for shipping packages etc.
This program is separate from United?s PerksPlus business frequent flyer program, and is intended for small business owners or those who work in small businesses. However to join it?s a pretty informal process since they do not ask for a tax ID number, so anyone can join this as long as you consider yourself a sole?proprietor. Right now they have a special offer where once you join the network and make a purchase that earns 100 miles with a partner,?you?ll earn 1,000 bonus United miles.
United Small Business Network
To take advantage of this offer, you must first enroll in the MileagePlus Small Business Network and then complete qualifying earning activity for 100 miles or more with Small Business Network partners. This offer runs now through August 17, 2013. Some of the partners that you can earn miles at include Staples, The UPS store, Dell, Avis and Vistaprint to name a few.
Earning rates vary and can be anything from 1-6 miles per $1 spent, to 75 per car rental with Avis to individual bonuses worth well over 1,000 miles.
Earn bonus United miles through their Small Business Network.
Terms and Conditions:
This account will be separate from personal MileagePlus member accounts
*Enrollment bonus terms and conditions
- To qualify for 1,000 mile bonus, prior to 11:59PM CENTRAL on August 17, 2013, a business must:
- Enroll in MileagePlus Small Business Network
- Complete qualifying earning activity for 100 miles or more with Small Business Network partners
- Member must be a business that is duly organized and validly existing in the United States under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization
- Offer?subject to terms & conditions?of the MileagePlus Small Business Network
- Bonus offer available one time per member account
- Earning points in connection with United PerksPlus will not count as qualified earning activity toward earning the enrollment bonus.
Miles accrued, awards, and benefits issued are subject to change and are subject to the rules of the United MileagePlus program. Please allow 6-8 weeks after completed qualifying activity for bonus miles to post to your account. United may change the MileagePlus program including, but not limited to, rules, regulations, travel awards and special offers or terminate the MileagePlus program at any time and without notice. Bonus award miles, award miles and any other miles earned through non-flight activity do not count or qualify for Premier? status unless expressly stated otherwise. United and its subsidiaries, affiliates and agents are not responsible for any products and services of other participating companies and partners. Taxes and fees related to award travel are the responsibility of the member. The accumulation of mileage or Premier status or any other status does not entitle members to any vested rights with respect to the program. United and MileagePlus are registered service marks. For complete details about the MileagePlus program, go to www.united.com.
Though this might not be your primary means of earning United miles, business frequent flyer programs can still be a good way to rack up a lot of miles on small business purchases and to take advantage of category spending bonuses as well as double dipping on your purchases and travel.
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. Opinions expressed here are author.s alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through the credit card issuer Affiliate Program.
Source: http://thepointsguy.com/2013/05/earn-1000-bonus-united-miles-for-joining-the-small-business-network/
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Powerball jackpot lures last-minute players
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? It's all about the odds.
With the majority of possible combinations of Powerball numbers in play, someone is almost sure to win the game's highest jackpot during Saturday night's drawing, a windfall of hundreds of millions of dollars ? and that's after taxes.
The problem, of course, is those same odds just about guarantee the lucky person won't be you.
The chances of winning the estimated $600 million prize remain astronomically low: 1 in 175.2 million. That's how many different ways you can combine the numbers when you play. But lottery officials estimate about 80 percent of those possible combinations have been purchased, so now's the time to buy.
"This would be the roll to get in on," said Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich. "Of course there's no guarantee, and that's the randomness of it, and the fun of it."
That hasn't deterred people across Powerball-playing states ? 43 plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands ? from lining up at gas stations and convenience stores Saturday for their chance at striking it filthy rich.
At a mini market in the heart of Los Angeles' Chinatown, employees broke the steady stream of customers into two lines: One for Powerball ticket buyers and one for everybody else. Some people appeared to be looking for a little karma.
"We've had two winners over $10 million here over the years, so people in the neighborhood think this is the lucky store," employee Gordon Chan said as he replenished a stack of lottery tickets on a counter.
Workers at one suburban Columbia, S.C., convenience store were so busy with ticket buyers that they hadn't updated their sign with the current jackpot figure, which was released Friday. Customer Armous Peterson was reluctant to share his system for playing the Powerball. The 56-year-old was well aware of the long odds, but he also knows the mantra of just about every person buying tickets.
"Somebody is going to win," he said. "Lots of people are going to lose, too. But if you buy a ticket, that winner might be you."
The latest jackpot is the world's second largest overall, just behind a $656 million Mega Millions jackpot in March 2012. The $600 million jackpot, which could grow before the numbers are drawn at 10:59 EDT Saturday, currently includes a $376.9 million cash option.
Charles Hill of Dallas says he buys lottery tickets every day. And he knows exactly what he'd do if he wins.
"What would I do with my money? I'd run and hide," he said. "I wouldn't want none of my kinfolks to find me."
Clyde Barrow, a public policy professor at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, specializes in the gaming industry. He said one of the key factors behind the ticket-buying frenzy is the size of the jackpot ? people are interested in the easy investment.
"Even though the odds are very low, the investment is very small," he said. "Two dollars gets you a chance."
That may be why Ed McCuen has a Powerball habit that's as regular as clockwork. The 57-year-old electrical contractor from Savannah, Ga., buys one ticket a week, regardless of the possible loot. It's a habit he didn't alter Saturday.
"You've got one shot in a gazillion or whatever," McCuen said, tucking his ticket in his pocket as he left a local convenience store. "You can't win unless you buy a ticket. But whether you buy one or 10 or 20, it's insignificant."
Seema Sharma doesn't seem to think so. The newsstand employee in Manhattan's Penn Station has purchased $80 worth of tickets for herself. She also was selling tickets all morning at a steady pace, instructing buyers where to stand if they wanted machine-picked tickets or to choose their own numbers.
"I work very hard ? too hard ? and I want to get the money so I can finally relax," she said. "You never know."
Officials will conduct the drawing live Saturday night from Tallahassee, Fla.
___
Associated Press writers Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, S.C., Betsy Blaney in Lubbock, Texas, Russ Bynum in Savannah, Ga., John Rogers in Los Angeles and Verena Dobnick in New York contributed to this report.
___
Follow Barbara Rodriguez at http://twitter.com/bcrodriguez .
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/last-minute-fortune-seekers-buy-powerball-tickets-185535895.html
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রবিবার, ১৯ মে, ২০১৩
"Saturday Night Live" on the IRS scandal -- with a Dana Milbank appearance! (VIDEO) (Washington Post)
Teresa on her first AMA River Cruise - WhirlAway Travel & Cruises
I just came off AMA Waterways Romantic Danube Cruise. I stayed in Budapest instead of Prague because of office scheduling.? I met some people who did the Prague extension. They did all the included excursions, including the Nazi camp, Terezin.? They said it was very, very moving.? It was in-depth and they saw where people were shot; if they survived that, they saw where they were hung.? Just so you know.
When I arrived in Munich, there was an AMA representative in baggage claim waiting.? We had a large coach bus so we could see the countryside on the way to Vilshofen (this was about an hour and a half).? When you check-in, they will give you phone contacts for the ship.? Carry them with you all the time (some lady got separated from her sister and was lost), and make your specialty dinner reservations as soon as you can.? Every time you get off and on the ship, you need to pick up boarding passes from the front desk.? They don?t care when you do it; I always did it early to avoid the congestion at the desk.? You return them when you get back on.? They also color code excursions, especially the walking tours.? You go by color on how fast you want to walk.? The active walkers really get on it; they do see the most, though.? They give you a color card and then when you get off the ship, you go to the tour guide with the matching color stick.? Please return the color cards upon return as well.
On the first night they set up an Oktoberfest tent a few steps from the gangway.? They give you German beer and pretzels as well as having a local ?Oom Pa Pa ? band and the guys who snap whips.? I have seen this before as I was in Germany years ago, but it still cracks me up and I loved it! I am a creature of love for foreign culture, you know?.
AMA offers three times for breakfast, early in the lounge, main dining and late in the lounge.? There is much more offered in the main lounge as there is an omelet chef and you can also order from the menu.? I am an early riser and I just loved the coffee machines that were available 24/7.? You can get coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, hot chocolate and teas.? I grabbed my latte every day and went up top to look around.? Lunch is served in the main dining and the lounge as well.? The lounge is a buffet and main dining has buffet as well as a menu.? Dinner is always in the main dining room at a set time.? Keep in mind that the food, wine and beer is regional, however, there are staples such as steak and salmon that you can order instead.? I am an adventurous foodie, so I always had the chef?s recommendations (never disappointed).? I made reservations for the specialty restaurant for the last night on ship.? It only sat 20, so make sure and get your reservations in quick!? You either sat looking out over the water (beautiful) or facing the chef.? I faced the chef and watched him prepare dinner; I thoroughly enjoyed it!? They do offer late night snacks in the lounge as well as cookies all day (I was all up in those cookies).? At breakfast they had complimentary champagne (too early for me), regional wine and beer at both lunch and dinner.? They continually keep your glass full unless you tell them not to, and are happy to fill you up on your way out.? I emailed the office during the journey and told them free wine was bad; they thought I meant quality but what I meant was quantity; so watch out!
You are just a few steps from Vilshofen so you have the option to walk around the same day you get there.? It is very charming.? I walked it the next morning before heading to Passau.? As it was Sunday morning, the town was mostly closed but had a lot of interesting architecture and statues.
Just so you know, you will travel through ten locks on this itinerary.? I had never done that before and the first and second was very exciting to me and I went up and watched.? Then, not so much.? I rode on the top of the ship to see Passau before we docked.? In Passau, I took the walking tour (pre-booked of the three you can) that did the cathedral, wine tasting and marzipan candy making. Just so you know, the candy making becomes a competition where they give you a block of marzipan and a picture of a head.? Then you have to create the head from your block.? Guess who one?? Yep, that was me!? Our guide was great and I had a lot of fun.? Then I just walked around and took it in.? That is beautiful as well; more so than Vilshofen.? That evening they brought in local musicians to play some classical pieces.? We all fit comfortably into the lounge, and the entertainment was top notch.
Linz was not pretty from the water to me.? It was pretty angular.? However, there was a lot of bombing there during the war and the reconstruction was hurried and plain.? I took the bus trip into the Alps/Lake District.? They stop for a little bit in a harbor town before going all the way up.? Then you see the Cathedral, St. Wolfgang (I thought it was fascinating ? it was oddly dark ? almost a little creepy).? Then you head back a different way and hit another cathedral and small town.? I found this very informative; they tell you a lot of history of the salt trade as well.? It was overcast when we were there but very beautiful. They also give you a lot of information about the Von Trapp family.? On the bus on the way back, the guide did a sing a long and had made her own lyrics to ?My Favorite Things?.? This all had to do with being old??
Another agent on the trip went to the Czech town of Cesky Krumlov, she enjoyed that as well.? She shopped, had lunch and indulged in the local beer with her daughter.
I pre-booked the bike tour along the Danube in Melk instead of the tour to the Benedictine Abbey.? I wish I had done the Abbey.? Where I did get some fresh air and exercise, it was not as scenic as I had hoped.? I am also sorry I missed the Abbey; it was magnificent!? The town itself was so quaint and charming; this is where I picked up a small painting.? It was my favorite village.
You will then cruise the Wachau Valley to Krems.? They will invite you up top to give you a narrated tour of the valley; it is beautiful. They will also serve local refreshments up there.? The wine was a little sweet and they served a great onion tart.? You pass a great deal of vineyards as well as having a history lesson.? It is quite beautiful (I know I already said that, but the landscape is breathtaking).? You will pass the castle ruins where King Richard the Lionhearted was held for ransom.? I took the bus into Durnstein (had the option to climb up to the ruins but was too lazy).? The town is really cute but no so much shopping except for apricot products and some souvenirs.? The ice cream shop was great!? That evening, they invited all the passengers to load up on buses and head to a winery and museum.? The winery was a museum; I was hoping for an old school winery, but it is very high tech.? We did tastings in different rooms and saw a 3D movie about wine.? It was interesting; but not what I was looking for (I had been in a winery in Germany years back that had oak barrels as big as me in the basement and sat at a long table for tasting).? You can buy as much wine as you like and the guide is dressed in native garb.
Vienna was just lovely!? I paid for the optional tour to the Schonbrunn Palace, as well as the optional Mozart & Strauss concert.? The concert was only for the AMA passengers. They were both wonderful and very informative; the bus ride also goes through what is to me a beautiful city.? The concert was in an old concert hall which is just magnificent as well.
The ride to Bratislava was scenic as well.? This is where I took the communist tour; I wish I had taken the walking tour instead.? It highlights some buildings (from the bus) and stops at a cemetery and a castle.? I walked into town from the castle (I let the guide know).? I was hoping for more history but I didn?t get much.? The town is pretty when you walk the historic district.? There are many shops as well.? There was a lot of damage from the war, so you will see a great deal of communist block buildings.? They are as dismal as any picture you have ever seen; interesting none the less.
In Budapest, I pre-booked the goulash making class at the Sofitel. That was pretty funny.? We all had to sign waivers because we were handling sharp objects.? Then we all got chef?s hats and aprons and started to chop.? They had the hotel?s top chef with us.? After it was all together, we toured both kitchens and sat down to eat (he had pre-maid a batch as it simmers for several hours).? Then they surprised us with the recipe and paprika; not a bad way to spend the morning!? They then go to the indoor market for a few minutes; it is a ten minute walk to the ship so I stayed there.? The market has fresh food, paprika and local crafts.? I had a great time, but I also knew I was staying and could walk on my own.? The walking tour is comprehensive and there really is a lot to see.? It is quite beautiful and the locals are very friendly.?? They did bring on local musicians and Hungarian folk dancers.? I know I keep saying this, but, I loved it!? You have the option to stay in town or get back on the boat for a special ?Illuminations Cruise?.? You don?t want to miss that; the whole waterfront lights up and it really, really is a thing of beauty!? It is also amazing at just how maneuverable the ships really are, you will note this in the locks and when they go up and down the waterfront as well!
Just so you know, the engines run very quietly.? If I had not heard them start up (still not loud) I would not have noticed them at all.? I am from the south and grew up on the water; the ride the entire way was as smooth as glass.
You can exchange dollars for Euro on the ship.? Euros are not widely accepted in Budapest and you cannot get Fortins on the ship.? There are change places on every block though, so you will be just fine.
Just to touch on the tours; the farthest I had to walk to get on a bus was less than half of a block.? You can see from my photos the
shortest?..
Every day you get a newsletter delivered that has the day?s events as well as the weather forecast.? I would suggest a light weight windbreaker as some days it can get windy, especially up top.? Each evening, you come back to a clean room, a towel creature, and chocolate on your pillow.? Don?t forget that most places you where you are touring, you have to pay for the restroom.? I bought sodas in the Burger King in Budapest so I could use the restroom, but no, had to pay.
As far as my opinion on AMA, I definitely would recommend it and would love to do it again in a different region!? The staff is friendly and helpful and it is about as far away from an ocean cruise as you can get.? I loved being able to walk on and off at my leisure instead of worrying about tender schedules and lines, as well as being able to walk right into town.? It is just a huge difference in product ? it really is like being on your own private vessel, docking in smaller, more unusual ports and total destination immersion.
Budapest is interesting and beautiful on both sides of the Danube; easily walkable and a great deal of public transportation.? I stayed an additional two nights at the Sofitel, which is centrally located for walking or taxis (on the Buda side with a river view).
After disembarkation, I went to the hotel early, left my bags and checked with the concierge about a walk.? The architecture is fantastic!? I do like the fact that most of the buildings are built in the keeping with the originals (they are not a fan of the new modern designs or the communist blocks, but you do come upon those as well).? Fish pedicures are all the rage over there?..still on the fence about that one!
I took an evening? Segway tour (booked this on my own) and I just want to say that they are amazing easy to handle and our guide, Tamas Kajtar, made sure we could not only handle the basics but go up and down the curbs as well before we set off.? Tamas was a terrific guide and a very knowledgeable historian.? For any of you reading this, I am not a young woman anymore and I had absolutely no problem!
We saw a lot of different areas and the ghetto.? I did not realize they had the second biggest synagogue in the world or exactly what happened there.? Inside the courtyard is a remnant of a Nazi firing area with portholes and barbed wire.? They lost so many there that they built a tree out of wire with hundreds of leaves, each on bearing the name of one of the lost. You can also tell which buildings survived the bombings and which were rebuilt (even though they kept the original style).
You learn so many things in school about WWll and communism, but it doesn?t really hit home until you see it.? They were liberated from the Nazis by the Russians, but then lived under communism for many, many years.
On a lighter note, we ended up outside of my hotel in a large square that was once called Roosevelt Terrace (it had a sign with a red line through it) ? it was so funny as our guide was telling us who is was now named after and I asked him about that and he kept shaking his head saying ?I just do not know?.? Guess you had to be there!
Tamas was full of recommendations for dinner and I tried one on the way back.? Ended up having a terrific light dinner and wine under the stars.
The next day, I walked across the bridge over to the Pest side to the Buda Castle.? That was very beautiful and I was there in time to see the changing of the guard.? That was interesting and then along the back they had some local vendors and cross bow shooting.? They have funnel cakes that are shaped like funnels and baked on sticks in little vendor wooden houses.? I will say, it was the best I have ever had anywhere and makes a fine, portable lunch!? Crisp on the outside and tender on the inside ? nothing remotely close to what you get here!
I kept walking and ended up at another cathedral.? Some of them have roofs that look like individual colored tiles and are quite striking.? They also had an outdoor caf? area with a string quartet. Then I walked back to the Pest side for a little shopping.? They certainly have a great deal of what we have, but I loved looking at the local crafts.? There are some beautiful embroidered linens and great leather products.? I got tired out and gave up and had dinner at the Hard Rock Caf?.? It was on a busy corner and you could see all kinds of interesting street performers as well as dining outdoors.? The Sofitel includes a full breakfast daily with your room.? I have to say that it was not only the biggest buffet/omelet station/eggs/meats I have ever seen, but the best.? I enjoyed a huge breakfast before heading to the airport.
I flew Lufthansa on this trip, changing in Frankfurt in each direction.? I had a little over an hour and a half to change gates.? I hoofed it (it is a large airport) but still had about 25 minutes at the gate.? I am a big fan of Lufthansa.? They had monitors on the back of each headrest where you had a nice selection of movies, TV shows and news (everyone has complimentary headphones).? They allowed on checked bag free (up to 50 pounds) and all the meals and all beverages were complimentary as well.? They also brought hot towels up and down the aisles three times during the 7.15 hour flight.? I don?t think you could be any more comfortable in economy class than with Lufthansa.
Source: http://www.whirlawaytravel.com/2013/05/teresa-on-her-first-ama-river-cruise/
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শনিবার, ১৮ মে, ২০১৩
Top officials call to overhaul euro institutions
BERLIN (AP) ? Engineering a financial bailout for Cyprus in March was such a chaotic process that top European officials say it is time to rethink how the region manages its crisis ? and who should be involved.
Officials say the International Monetary Fund, which has contributed financial expertise and billions in emergency loans, may no longer be needed as a key decision-making partner. And they say that the eurozone would be able to make decisions and take action more quickly if it wasn't bound by the need for unanimous agreement among its 17 member countries.
These concerns have been raised before by analysts and government officials outside of Europe, but now two of the region's leading financial decision-makers have said publicly that something needs to be done. Olli Rehn, the top economic official at the European Commission ? the European Union's executive arm ? and Joerg Asmussen, who sits on the European Central Bank's six-member executive board, said at a hearing last week that the easing of the financial crisis presents an opportunity to fix what is broken.
"If the IMF can take decisions with an 85 percent majority and not with unanimity, why on earth the eurozone cannot do so?" Rehn asked, referring to the IMF's executive board. "That would make our decision-making more effective."
And Asmussen questioned whether help from the IMF ? part of the "troika" of decision makers that also includes the ECB and the European Commission ? is even needed anymore. In effect, he said it is time for Europe to handle its problems without outside help.
Commerzbank analyst Christoph Weil says European leaders are slowly waking up to what has been evident to financial markets for a long time. "The current decision structure is dysfunctional," Weil said. "It was born in the urgency of the crisis ... It needs to be overhauled."
The 17-country eurozone has been severely tested by a three-year crisis over too much government debt which has seen five of its members bailed out ? Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Cyprus.
The "troika" arrangement to monitor the bailout process has been in place for eurozone bailouts since Greece's debt problems began to unfold in 2010. The setup gives a prominent role to the Washington-based IMF ? although it contributes much less money to bailouts than the eurozone nations.
Some eurozone member countries insisted on having the IMF on board for its experience in handling such crises around the world. Germany ? Europe's biggest economy ? also saw the fund's presence as a crucial check against political horse-trading that could have resulted in watered-down bailout conditions.
However, the troika's inspection teams have been heavily criticized for their insistence on harsh austerity measures that have plunged countries like Greece or Portugal in a yet deeper recession and that they're not answerable to voters.
"The Europeans wanted the IMF aboard for its expertise, even though many at the IMF thought that Europe is economically strong enough to solve its problems on its own," said analyst Weil.
"Now the Europeans feel stronger, and they realize that it would have been easier sometimes without the IMF, who insisted on radical up-front measures in Greece or Cyprus before granting aid," he added.
This view was given a boost last week by the ECB's Asmussen during a hearing at the European Parliament's economic committee in Brussels.
"I would not change the troika system in the midst of the crisis because we have no alternative available right now but in the longer-term future ... we should return to a fully EU-based system," he said.
The IMF recognizes that it's up to the EU's executive arm, the Commission, and the ECB as to whether it has a role to play in future bailouts, fund spokesman Gerry Rice said.
"I understand from reports that Mr. Asmussen underscored that he would not advise to change the troika system right now," he said.
In place of the IMF, Asmussen suggested the eurozone could use the body set up to manage its permanent 500 billion euros rescue fund, the European Stability Mechanism. However, the makeup of the ESM means that it is currently technically outside of the EU's system of institutions.
"The setup is a bit of a stranger decided in a crisis mood," Asmussen said. "We had nothing else available and it had to be done quickly," he added.
The end of the troika arrangement would come once the ESM will be fully turned into an institution of the 27-nation European Union, he added. The ESM could then play its role as Europe's IMF.
As well as looking at the IMF's role in international rescues, the Eurogroup - the meeting of the eurozone's 17 finance ministers, IMF and ECB - has also come under the microscope.
The Eurogroup was initially planned mostly as a forum to exchange views on economic and financial policies ? but the crisis has turned it into a major decision-making body. At the moment, it has to reach a unanimous agreement on its decisions ? a daunting call when 17 ministers try to forge a deal.
The cumbersome decision-making process reached its climax when the bloc fought bitterly over a 10 billion euro bailout for Cyprus.
In March after marathon negotiations, the Eurogroup and Cyprus patched together a bailout agreement that shocked markets and Cypriots. Cyprus's banks had their assets frozen and a one-time levy on all bank deposits was imposed to help pay for the rescue ? a measure that violated EU deposit insurance rules guaranteeing all savers with fewer than 100,000 euros in their bank accounts. It was scrapped about 48 hours later.
Meanwhile, the ECB, seemingly fed up with the politicking, set a deadline for a deal after which it would cut off emergency funding for Cyrpus's banks? a move that would have plunged the country into chaos and out of the eurozone.
So, about a week later, the finance ministers descended again on Brussels. The second agreement saw Cyprus' insured depositors protected, but enforced a harsh restructuring of the country's outsized banking sector and heavy losses for those holding deposits worth more than 100,000 euros.
Another example of the Eurogroup's cumbersome decision-making was seen this week at a meeting to thrash out crucial details of the bloc's banking union ? a complex project that's seen as vital to help stabilize the EU's financial sector and turn the tide on its crisis ? but failed to make much headway. At the moment they can neither agree how far-reaching the banking union ought to be, nor how fast they want to move in setting it up.
Analysts maintain a reform of the Eurogroup is long overdue, but it's fraught with difficulty: A simple majority vote could mean small countries ganging up and overruling the few big ones while a system based on economic strength would mean Germany and France alone would hold almost 50 percent of the voting rights.
But the EU already has the answer. The ESM boasts a voting system that combines both, the number of countries and their economic weight. That makes it difficult to overrule countries but it is still possible to reach a decision if there are only few and small holdouts.
Europe's currency ? used by more than 330 million people ? is still a relative teenager, it was launched in 1999, "but it has grown up rapidly amid the crisis," German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said.
But while it has evolved into the world's second-most important currency trailing only the dollar, its institutional doldrums seem far from over despite the optimism bolstered by the recent stabilization.
"We're still in the process of curing the teething troubles of the euro. Now that the acute pressure is easing, it gets more difficult again to push through sweeping reforms," said analyst Weil.
___
Marjorie Olster in Washington D.C. contributed to this report.
___
Follow Juergen Baetz on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jbaetz
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/top-officials-call-overhaul-euro-institutions-152851797.html
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