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Saturday, July 14, 2012
Review: Sony?s New ?57 DSLR Has Mass Appeal
Sony?s new A57 is aimed at serious enthusiasts who are more interested in the outcome than the process. The camera delivers some high-powered DSLR features in a package that?s intuitive enough for less-experienced shooters. And at a print-worthy 16.1-megapixels, it won?t be fighting for supremacy only in Facebook photo galleries.
Why is Romania's president facing impeachment vote?
The president faces impeachment for alleged abuse of power in a referendum next week, as?Romania's prime minister is accused of undermining the country?s institutions for his own gain.
Weaknesses of Romania?s post-Communist transition have been on display this week as the country?s political crisis deepens. The prime minister is accused of undermining the country?s institutions for his own gain, as the president faces removal by impeachment in a referendum next week.
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After well-publicized controversies about growing authoritarianism in Russia, Ukraine, and Hungary, and similar shifts in Slovakia, Macedonia, and elsewhere in the region, Romania is the latest to show signs of a weakening democracy.
The European Commission, the EU?s executive body, has issued a warning to Romania over the situation, and some say if the crisis deepens, Romania could have its EU voting rights suspended or risk losing an?International Monetary Fund aid package aimed at stimulating its struggling economy.
Prime Minister Victor Ponta, barely two months into the job following a parliamentary coup in late April, is locked in a dramatic power struggle with suspended President Traian Basescu. Allies of each man are pitted against each other as well. A referendum on Mr. Basescu?s impeachment will be held on July 29, following on the heels of the parliamentary decision to suspend him for abuse of power. Allegations included failing to act impartially and putting pressure on the judiciary.
Mr. Ponta?s government, a Social-Liberal coalition, is led by the PM?s own social democrats (PSD), which can be traced back to the Romanian Communist Party. The coalition has made several recent moves that have caused concern both in Romania and the international community.
One of the triggers for the current crisis was a disagreement between Ponta and Basescu over who should represent the country at an EU summit. The constitutional court determined that, following past protocol, it should be the president. In response, Ponta stripped the court of its right to overrule parliament and tried to replace some of its members; The Ombudsman ? a position meant to serve as a check on government power who coordinates with the court ? was replaced with a political ally of Ponta's; And the prime minister took control of the country?s official bulletin, where laws are published, potentially giving his coalition the power to control legislation, and delay court and presidential rulings.
And finally, Ponta?s coalition attempted to disband an academic panel that earlier ruled Ponta had plagiarized large parts of his PhD thesis and should be stripped of the qualification.
Ponta?s supporters claim the referendum is necessary to purge the country?s administrative apparatus of Basescu and his allies. An ex-Communist himself, Basescu is viewed as having had single-handed control over the country for much of his eight-years as president, seeing off prime ministers who defied him, and surviving a previous impeachment vote in 2006. He is also accused of handing out political favors and appointments, according to members of the Social-Liberal coalition.
President Basescu?s present unpopularity comes down, in part, to the weak state of Romania?s economy, and a widespread dissatisfaction with the ruling elite. His survival may depend on whether a recent ruling by the constitutional court is respected: It stipulates that referendum turnout must exceed 50 percent in order to be considered valid. Without this stipulation?Basescu is likely to be turned out of office by the vote.
However, Ponta seems to be reluctantly accepting of the Court's ruling, thus a very possible scenario is that Basescu is defeated, but the vote is declared void due to less than half the voters going to the polls. The president, a proven fighter given his past success in overcoming a call for impeachment, is unlikely to go quietly, so more tension and constitutional deadlock could be in the cards.
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Friday, July 13, 2012
Edmonton Real Estate Market Weekly Update - Friday the 13th!
Edmonton Real Estate Market Update
Here is our update on the Edmonton real estate market. (Previous week?s numbers are in brackets). For the past 7 days:
New listings: 484 (493, 495, 499)
# Sales: 314 (239, 355, 318)
Ratio: 65% (48%, 72%, 64%)
# Price changes: 337 (291, 328, 301)
# Expired/Off Market Listings: 193 (386, 143, 175)
Net loss/gain in listings this week: -23 (-132, -3, 6)
Active single family home listings: 3114 (3125, 3195, 3177)
Active condo listings: 2085 (2097, 2148, 2162)
Homes 4-week running average: $398k ($404K, $406k, $407k)
Condos 4-week running average: $237k ($241K, $242k, $246k)
And here is the dip in sales after the mortgage rule changes...
Edmonton real estate listings and sales
It is clearly the second half of the year, we have peaked and are slowing down - as the days get shorter the real estate market gets cooler.
Edmonton real estate prices
The REALTORS? Association of Edmonton is reporting 553 sales so far this month which should put us around 1400-1500 this month (similar to last year).?
Have a great weekend!
About Sara MacLennan
Sara MacLennan is the Director of Marketing at Coldwell Banker Johnston Real Estate and a licensed Real Estate Associate. The bulk of Sara?s experience and wealth of expertise lies in on-line technology and marketing both for agents and consumers. Sara is the former National Director for Interactive Marketing for Coldwell Banker Canada where she was responsible for an extensive training program traveling to offices across the country training agents and brokers on the implementation of programs and client centered services offered by Coldwell Banker Canada.
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Cheney: Romney 'only' man for foreign policy
People line up for a fundraiser for Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney hosted by former Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday, July 12, 2012 in Wilson, Wyo. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
People line up for a fundraiser for Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney hosted by former Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday, July 12, 2012 in Wilson, Wyo. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney gestures during a speech to the NAACP annual convention, Wednesday, July 11, 2012 in Houston, Texas. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
WILSON, Wyo. (AP) ? Former Vice President Dick Cheney told Republican fundraisers Thursday night that Mitt Romney is the "only" man who can make the right decisions in unexpected foreign policy crises. The presumptive 2012 Republican presidential nominee called Cheney a "great American leader" ? and didn't mention former President George W. Bush in a 20-minute speech to a country club reception.
Cheney said serving under four presidents taught him that a surprising international crisis is inevitable.
"When I think about the kind of individual I want in the Oval Office in that moment of crisis, who has to make those key decisions, some of them life-and-death decisions, some of them decisions as commander-in-chief, who has the responsibility for sending some of our young men and women into harm's way, that man is Mitt Romney," Cheney said to applause.
It was a strong endorsement from a man who has come to represent the neoconservative foreign policy wing of the Republican Party. Until Thursday, Romney had avoided appearing with Cheney or with Bush.
While Romney avoided mentioning the former president in remarks that were open to the press, he invoked Bush in a question-and-answer session with donors at a private dinner at Cheney's home. In remarks overheard by reporters standing outside the clubhouse, Romney contrasted what he called "President George W. Bush's freedom agenda" with President Barack Obama.
Cheney, who generally avoids retail politicking, is still a controversial figure because of his hawkish foreign policy stances and support for enhanced interrogation techniques ? like waterboarding ? that many consider torture. Obama banned those techniques after he took office.
Donors gathered Thursday night under a tent next to the driving range at Teton Pines Country Club, a golfing community where Cheney has a home. After Cheney introduced him, Romney praised the former vice president as "a great American leader."
Romney criticized Obama's domestic policies on health care and spending. "But the foreign policy mistakes, I believe, may be even longer lasting in their negative impact on the country," he said, but he did not specify those policies. In the past Romney has attacked Obama's policies on Iran, China and Israel, although he has praised the president for authorizing the raid that led to the death of Osama bin Laden.
Romney raised more than $4 million with Cheney, long a strong fundraiser in part because of his popularity among the conservative Republican base. The Cheney-sponsored events in this resort area near Yellowstone National Park represent a welcome endorsement for Romney, who is eager to win over more of the party's base.
Cheney was hosting Romney at a private dinner at his Wyoming home after he posed for photos with Romney and the fundraisers who had flown from all over the country for the event. They were drawn either by Cheney or by the dramatic beauty of the mountains in this resort valley. New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, a national campaign finance co-chair, was in attendance, as were bundlers from Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma and New York, among other places.
Oklahoma City oil magnate Harold Hamm, frequently mentioned in Romney's standard campaign speech as an inspiring rags-to-riches example of American entrepreneurship, also attended. Hamm drove a truck to put himself through college before striking it rich in North Dakota.
"Harold's doing just fine, by the way. How you doing, Harold?" Romney called out, as the crowd laughed. "Forbes publishes his net worth on a regular basis."
Hamm is No. 78 on Forbes' list of the world's billionaires, worth $11 billion, according to the magazine.
Attendance at the dinner with Cheney cost $30,000, though many had already contributed that much before Thursday night's event. Cheney's red-doored home is at the end of a cul-de-sac and overlooks the golf course and the Grand Teton mountain range. The Secret Service had set up metal detectors on the back lawn in preparation for the dinner, and a tent for the dinner was erected near the 18th hole of the golf course close to the clubhouse.
Romney doesn't have a close personal relationship with the former vice president. While he speaks regularly with former President George H.W. Bush, Romney seldom refers by name to the most recent Bush to occupy the White House. On occasion he goes out of his way not to say Bush's name out loud and simply calls him "the predecessor" to Obama.
Romney has embraced Cheney in the past. Last year, he told an Arizona town hall that Cheney's "wisdom and judgment" would provide a model for choosing his own vice president.
Many of Romney's policy advisers were officials in the Bush White House. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently endorsed the former Massachusetts governor. On Thursday, Romney aides refused to comment on reports that Rice is a top consideration for vice president. Earlier this month, Romney's wife, Ann, said her husband was considering choosing a woman as a running mate.
Romney's visit with the GOP sage came as he was in the final stages of picking his No. 2. Cheney is familiar with the process: He was charged with leading Bush's vice presidential search in 2000 and ended up vice president himself. Romney has tasked longtime aide Beth Myers with leading his own vice presidential search.
Cheney has long struggled with cardiovascular disease, suffering a heart attack in 2010, his fifth since the age of 37. Now 71, he received a heart transplant earlier this year at a more advanced age than most patients.
Cheney's daughter Liz also attended Thursday's fundraiser. She recently bought a house in Wyoming, sparking questions about whether she plans to run for office. Her father was elected to six terms as a House member from the state.
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Thursday, July 12, 2012
Bee Brain Plasticity: Turning Back the Clock on Aging
A forager honeybee collecting nectar. Credit: Jon Sullivan
The honeybee brain is dynamic and full of surprises. For instance, much like the human brain, its neurons not only modulate their activity in response to sensory stimuli but also alter their gene and protein expression patterns?changes that in bees are so dramatic as to essentially rewire the brain. And even more remarkable is that this plasticity is strongly influenced by social environment, a feature that was underscored recently by the discovery that bees who changed social roles effectively reversed the aging of their brains.
The reversal, described in terms of recovery of learning ability, occurred when older honeybees reverted from foraging tasks to caring for newborn bees and was linked to increased brain levels of stress response and antioxidant proteins, which serve important cellular maintenance and repair functions. One of the proteins was similar to the mammalian enzyme peroxiredoxin-6 (Prx6). In humans, Prx6 defends against oxidative stress and inflammation associated with Alzheimer disease and Huntington disease, indicating that a better understanding of the molecules involved in brain plasticity and cognitive recovery in honeybees could inform research on dementia and related conditions.
The new findings are especially intriguing for what they suggest about the influence of social environment on cognitive function. Studies in humans have linked strong social relationships with increased likelihood for survival and declining social engagement in mid- to late-life with increasing risk of dementia. However, relatively little is known about the significance of social environment in the context of human cognitive function and aging.
Honeybees are animals with complex social environments, the organization of which?a hierarchy of three distinct castes, including a queen, workers (sexually immature females), and drones (males)?has been likened to socialist governments. The parallels in this regard have drawn much interest. But as recent studies are beginning to reveal, even more striking than the honeybee societal structure are its neurobiological underpinnings, which are strangely human. Or, perhaps, human neurobiology is disquietingly insect-like.
While the honeybee queen lives sequestered away within her hive, where she exerts her dominance by chemical means, workers are sent off to perform the labor that supports colony survival. The division of labor is by life stage (a phenomenon known as temporal polyethism, which is also found in other types of eusocial insects, including the European paper wasp and Pheidole ants). Young nurse bees, about one to two weeks old, perform activities that take place within the nest, such as caring for the queen, nursing (feeding and raising larvae), cleaning, and comb building. Older bees, on the other hand, perform activities outside the nest, namely foraging, in which they find and collect nectar to bring back to the colony.
Forager honeybees undergo rapid physiological senescence and thereby age quickly. Within several weeks of embarking on their first foraging expedition, their wings show signs of wear from extended flight, and long-duration foragers experience modifications in brain protein expression that are consistent with the aging process as it has been observed in other species, particularly Drosophila fruit flies.
But interestingly, cognitive decline is not a function of chronological age in honeybees. Rather, it is related to social role. Compared with nurse bees of the same chronological age, foragers show significant impairments in tactile and olfactory learning after just two weeks of activity outside the nest. And as the new research reveals, foragers that revert to nursing essentially turn back the clock on brain aging. This is intriguing not only for its implications concerning the role of plasticity in undoing the brain aging process but also because it suggests that physical factors, such as wing wear, are the major constraints on a honeybee?s life span.
The mushroom body is a central component of the honeybee brain. Here, neurons that process different kinds of visual information appear bright green and red. Photo courtesy of Wulfia Gronenberg/The Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona
The transition from foraging to nursing is not an artificial circumstance in honeybee societies. In nature, workers can shift between the different social roles, depending on colony needs. If there are many foragers, for instance, some may revert to nursing and again perform tasks within the nest. As they transition from one role to another, their brains change?the mushroom body (a center for olfactory processing) shrinks or expands, the brain proteome transforms, and even the microRNA transcriptome morphs. The complexity is astounding, made more so by the suggestion that all these modifications essentially function to slow or accelerate the rate at which the brain ages.
Whether brain aging in humans can be reversed through changes in social behavior is unknown and, perhaps, unlikely. Aging is unkind to the human brain. It causes the brain to shrink and its grooved landscape to change, and it litters the once nicely sulcused surface with plaques and tangles of degenerating neurons. The formation of those plaques and tangles is associated with the deterioration of brain function and dementia.
Finding ways to prevent or slow the onset of dementia is of urgent importance, considering that the condition currently is experiencing an unprecedented rate of growth globally, owing largely to increased life expectancy in countries spanning the spectrum of economic income. So, even though, in the words of A.A. Milne, ?You never can tell with bees,? they may turn out to be valuable contributors in the effort to stem the advance of dementia.
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