Day: January 18, 2009

War Comes To Gaza–Day 22–A Truce?

Though both sides continued fighting right up until the official start of the Gaza ceasefire, which took effect at 7:00 PM Eastern, calm has prevailed in the first few hours, neither side his reportedly attacked the other, and there is hope, however fleeting, that the fighting in the Gaza Strip may finally be over.

The Israeli government has touted its three week war which killed 1,100, the vast majority of which were civilians, as a great success, with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert claiming all of the military’s goals had been met (though its only stated goal was stopping the rocket attacks, which continued right up until the Israeli attacks stopped).

A volley of rockets has been fired into southern Israel from Gaza, hours after a unilateral Israeli ceasefire began.

At least four out of five rockets landed near the town of Sderot, the Israeli military said. There were no reports of casualties or damage.

It puts a strain on the ceasefire, which came into effect at 0200 (0000 GMT) after three weeks of fighting.

Shortly before the rockets fell, Israeli troops briefly exchanged fire with Hamas militants in the north of the Gaza Strip after coming under attack, Israeli military officials said.

International leaders are due in Egypt on Sunday for a summit aimed at shoring up the ceasefire.

Heads of state from across Europe will join Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas and UN chief Ban Ki-moon at Sharm El-Shiekh to give their backing to a permanent peace.

We all should pray that this will hod and both sides truly want to end this thing once and for all.

Circuit City Craps Out

This story will kill my father who thinks the sun rises and sets with Circuit City.

After failing to secure financing from creditors and lenders, bankrupt electronics vendor Circuit City Stores Inc. said Friday that it will liquidate, joining the list of retailers like Linens ‘n Things that are closing up shop due to the economic downturn.

The liquidation will affect more than 30,000 employees, adding to the rising number of U.S. job losses, which last year hit their highest level since World War II. As of Dec. 31, Circuit City had 567 stores in the United States and about 765 stores and dealer outlets in Canada.
Even before the recession and plunging consumer confidence led shoppers to curtail discretionary spending, the retailer struggled with declining traffic and sales. Not only has Circuit City been hurt by poorly located stores, its plight worsened in the wake of a failed management strategy to fire higher-paid employees, who were able to push more profitable sales. The move further hurt customer service and alienated shoppers, according to analysts.
The collapsing credit markets and declining economy has all but shut off financing for bankrupt companies facing increased competition. Other retailers — including Goody’s Family Clothing, Mervyn’s, Steve & Barry’s and Sharper Image — have liquidated or are shuttering operations. Bankruptcy experts have said the lack of debtor-in-possession financing will leave more companies with no option but to liquidate assets.
Na Na Na Na , Na Na Na Na —Good bye!

Hormones Made Her Do It

Women with high levels of a key sex hormone are judged more attractive by themselves and others, and may be more inclined to cheat on their partners, according to a study published Wednesday.

University of Texas psychologists Kristina Durante and Norman Li found that women with high concentrations of the hormone oestradiol were likelier to flirt, kiss and have a serious affair outside an established relationship.

In a study published in the British journal Biology Letters, the duo described the behaviour as “opportunistic serial monogamy” and not related to one-night stands.

Instead, they suggested, such women were more probably being prompted to trade up in their relationships — to find a better partner.

Other studies of oestradiol have shown that higher levels of the hormone are closely linked to enhanced fertility among women.

As a result, say some researchers, men have an evolved response that prompts them to pick up on telltale signs of the hormone’s presence.

High concentrations of oestradiol are associated with big breasts, facial attractiveness and low waist-to-hip ratio, with the result that men solicit such women.

Durante and Li measured hormone levels at two different stages of the menstrual cycle among 52 women aged 17 to 30 who were not taking the pill.

The women were asked to rate their own attractiveness and sexiness “compared to other women,” their satisfaction with current partners, their willingness to engage in uncommitted sex and about their past relationships.

Separately, a panel of men and women unaware of the experiments evaluated photos of the women, rating them for attractiveness.

The women with the highest levels of oestradiol scored the highest across the board, and reported a greater likelihood of having a serious affair.

The study says that oestradiol-related attractiveness provides opportunities in the sexual hunting ground.

So now you know what causes the wandering eye……..