Lorenzo Amato was rushed to hospital by his father, who feared he was suffering a stroke or brain trauma as the teenager would not respond to his surroundings. At first doctors at Lecce hospital, Southern Italy, thought Lorenzo Amato was suffering from a severe brain disorder. The teenager couldn't speak and didn't seem to understand anything going on around him. Doctors diagnosed the condition after discovering that Amato had just finished a marathon session on his new PlayStation. Local politician Antonio Buccoliero, who spoke to the doctors, said: "They eventually managed to take care of him once they understood that this was a strange kind of mental detachment connected to his PlayStation."
Lorenzo Amato was rushed to hospital by his father, who feared he was suffering a stroke or brain trauma as the teenager would not respond to his surroundings.
At first doctors at Lecce hospital, Southern Italy, thought Lorenzo Amato was suffering from a severe brain disorder.
The teenager couldn't speak and didn't seem to understand anything going on around him.
Doctors diagnosed the condition after discovering that Amato had just finished a marathon session on his new PlayStation.
Local politician Antonio Buccoliero, who spoke to the doctors, said: "They eventually managed to take care of him once they understood that this was a strange kind of mental detachment connected to his PlayStation."
Chinese doctors released the country's first diagnostic definition of Internet addiction over the weekend, amid efforts to address an increasing number of psychological problems that reportedly result from Internet overuse. Tao Ran, a medical expert at Beijing's Military General Hospital, where the definition was developed, said it was also the first time for China to officially designate hospital psychiatric units to treat such cases. Symptoms of addiction included yearning to get back online, mental or physical distress, irritation and difficulty concentrating or sleeping. The definition, based on a study of more than 1,300 problematic computer users, classifies as addicts those who spend at least six hours online a day and have shown at least one symptom in the past three months. "Eighty percent of addicts can be cured with treatment, which usually lasts about three months," said Tao. He did not describe the treatment, however.
Chinese doctors released the country's first diagnostic definition of Internet addiction over the weekend, amid efforts to address an increasing number of psychological problems that reportedly result from Internet overuse.
Tao Ran, a medical expert at Beijing's Military General Hospital, where the definition was developed, said it was also the first time for China to officially designate hospital psychiatric units to treat such cases.
Symptoms of addiction included yearning to get back online, mental or physical distress, irritation and difficulty concentrating or sleeping.
The definition, based on a study of more than 1,300 problematic computer users, classifies as addicts those who spend at least six hours online a day and have shown at least one symptom in the past three months.
"Eighty percent of addicts can be cured with treatment, which usually lasts about three months," said Tao. He did not describe the treatment, however.
Footage of a large meteor streaking across western Canada has been broadcast on Canadian television. The video filmed from a local police car on patrol, showed a small light turning into a massive fireball as it fell from the sky and appeared to hit the Earth in the distance.
Footage of a large meteor streaking across western Canada has been broadcast on Canadian television.
The video filmed from a local police car on patrol, showed a small light turning into a massive fireball as it fell from the sky and appeared to hit the Earth in the distance.
Portugal's electric car deal leads way Portugal is to become the first European country to be supplied with electric cars by Renault and Nissan after signing an agreement to create a national network for zero-emission vehicles within three years. The plan highlights Portugal's commitment to invest in clean energy, despite concern that the global financial crisis is deterring governments from implementing ambitious European Union plans to fight global warming. Under the agreement, finalised with the Franco-Japanese carmaking alliance over the weekend, 320 vehicle charging locations will be operational across Portugal by 2010, growing to 1,300 by the end of 2011. Companies and motorists who buy electric cars will be exempt from road and other automobile taxes and individuals will qualify for income tax benefits of up to €800 ($1001, £673), said José Sócrates, prime minister. The government will also require 20 per cent of public sector vehicle purchases to be zero-emission.
Portugal is to become the first European country to be supplied with electric cars by Renault and Nissan after signing an agreement to create a national network for zero-emission vehicles within three years.
The plan highlights Portugal's commitment to invest in clean energy, despite concern that the global financial crisis is deterring governments from implementing ambitious European Union plans to fight global warming.
Under the agreement, finalised with the Franco-Japanese carmaking alliance over the weekend, 320 vehicle charging locations will be operational across Portugal by 2010, growing to 1,300 by the end of 2011.
Companies and motorists who buy electric cars will be exempt from road and other automobile taxes and individuals will qualify for income tax benefits of up to €800 ($1001, £673), said José Sócrates, prime minister.
The government will also require 20 per cent of public sector vehicle purchases to be zero-emission.
Even though I don't comment a lot, reading these threads gives me more international and European news than trawling through several conventional news sites. Thank you.
And I particularly appreciate the births of notables marked each day. Makes me think about what they achieved and whether I know enough about them.
The reason the US and Japanese companies have different total costs for their American workers? The US companies have been employing American workers for almost a hundred years. They have a lot of retirees. Most of the Japanese auto plants in the US are less than 20 years old. They have almost no retirees, so their costs are only for active workers. So, why is this pernicious falsehood about inflated wages bouncing around the public discourse on the auto industry? Several reasons. First, it demonizes unions and their members as greedy and not interested in the long-term health and profitability of the corporations with which they sign contracts. It also ignores the fact that in 2007 the UAW signed a landmark contract in which they assumed future responsibility for healthcare for their members employed by the Big Three. The auto companies paid in to a fund, which will be administered by the UAW. Over the long haul, this is expected to radically decrease the auto companies' legacy costs (although the best way to help company and union is to pass national health care). Making false claims inflating the earnings of unionized workers is also part of the Republicans' long-held practice of class warfare. It's intended to gin up envy and disgust at people making a good hourly wage. Few people would be unsympathetic to an auto worker for making $58,000 per year. But more would feel unsympathetic if they thought that same auto worker made $73 per hour, which over the course of a year is over $150,000. Finally, harping on imaginary and inflated wages for workers is a way to distract from one of the big problems with the US auto companies (and most US corporations in any sector): executive compensation. For instance, in 2007 General Motors CEO Rick Waggoner made close to $20 million in total compensation. Are you surprised that conservatives are playing with math to come up with the false figure of $73 per hour for UAW members working at the Big Three, while saying nothing about a Big Three CEO making $9,500.00 per hour? Me neither.
The reason the US and Japanese companies have different total costs for their American workers? The US companies have been employing American workers for almost a hundred years. They have a lot of retirees. Most of the Japanese auto plants in the US are less than 20 years old. They have almost no retirees, so their costs are only for active workers.
So, why is this pernicious falsehood about inflated wages bouncing around the public discourse on the auto industry? Several reasons.
First, it demonizes unions and their members as greedy and not interested in the long-term health and profitability of the corporations with which they sign contracts. It also ignores the fact that in 2007 the UAW signed a landmark contract in which they assumed future responsibility for healthcare for their members employed by the Big Three. The auto companies paid in to a fund, which will be administered by the UAW. Over the long haul, this is expected to radically decrease the auto companies' legacy costs (although the best way to help company and union is to pass national health care).
Making false claims inflating the earnings of unionized workers is also part of the Republicans' long-held practice of class warfare. It's intended to gin up envy and disgust at people making a good hourly wage. Few people would be unsympathetic to an auto worker for making $58,000 per year. But more would feel unsympathetic if they thought that same auto worker made $73 per hour, which over the course of a year is over $150,000.
Finally, harping on imaginary and inflated wages for workers is a way to distract from one of the big problems with the US auto companies (and most US corporations in any sector): executive compensation. For instance, in 2007 General Motors CEO Rick Waggoner made close to $20 million in total compensation.
Are you surprised that conservatives are playing with math to come up with the false figure of $73 per hour for UAW members working at the Big Three, while saying nothing about a Big Three CEO making $9,500.00 per hour?
Me neither.
... there's more mythology than history in the idea that Lincoln showed exceptional political skill in offering cabinet positions to the men he had beaten in the race for the 1860 Republican nomination. For one thing, there was nothing new in what Lincoln did. By tradition, presidents-elect reserved a cabinet position, often secretary of state, for the leading rival in their party. John Quincy Adams inaugurated the practice by appointing one of his presidential rivals, Henry Clay, to that post. It was a controversial move in 1824; enemies of Adams denounced the appointment as a corrupt bargain. By the 1850s, the practice had become a tradition. In that decade, Presidents Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan installed in their cabinets men who had been major rivals for their party's nomination. <...> ... The most momentous decision of Lincoln's presidency was whether to issue an Emancipation Proclamation. But Lincoln made the decision pretty much on his own, and he presented it to his cabinet as a fait accompli. There is little doubt that Abraham Lincoln was a great president. But not much of what made him great can be discerned in his appointment of a contentious, envious and often dysfunctional collection of prima donnas to his cabinet.
For one thing, there was nothing new in what Lincoln did. By tradition, presidents-elect reserved a cabinet position, often secretary of state, for the leading rival in their party. John Quincy Adams inaugurated the practice by appointing one of his presidential rivals, Henry Clay, to that post. It was a controversial move in 1824; enemies of Adams denounced the appointment as a corrupt bargain.
By the 1850s, the practice had become a tradition. In that decade, Presidents Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan installed in their cabinets men who had been major rivals for their party's nomination. <...>
... The most momentous decision of Lincoln's presidency was whether to issue an Emancipation Proclamation. But Lincoln made the decision pretty much on his own, and he presented it to his cabinet as a fait accompli.
There is little doubt that Abraham Lincoln was a great president. But not much of what made him great can be discerned in his appointment of a contentious, envious and often dysfunctional collection of prima donnas to his cabinet.
... this country's harsh code of public morals has slowly thawed, especially in Jidda, by far the kingdom's most cosmopolitan city. A decade ago the cane-wielding religious police terrorized women who were not dressed according to their standards. Young men with long hair were sometimes bundled off to police stations to have their heads shaved, or worse. Today, there is a growing rock scene with dozens of bands, some of them even selling tickets to their performances. Hip-hop is also popular. The religious police -- strictly speaking, the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice -- have largely retreated from the streets of Jidda and are somewhat less aggressive even in the kingdom's desert heartland. The change has been especially noticeable since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when the Saudis confronted the effects of extremism both outside and inside the kingdom. More than 60 percent of Saudi Arabia's population is under 25, and many of the young are pressing for greater freedoms. "The upcoming generation is different from the one before," said Dina, the Accolade's 21-year-old guitarist and founder. "Everything is changing. Maybe in 10 years it's going to be O.K. to have a band with live performances." ...
... this country's harsh code of public morals has slowly thawed, especially in Jidda, by far the kingdom's most cosmopolitan city. A decade ago the cane-wielding religious police terrorized women who were not dressed according to their standards. Young men with long hair were sometimes bundled off to police stations to have their heads shaved, or worse.
Today, there is a growing rock scene with dozens of bands, some of them even selling tickets to their performances. Hip-hop is also popular. The religious police -- strictly speaking, the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice -- have largely retreated from the streets of Jidda and are somewhat less aggressive even in the kingdom's desert heartland.
The change has been especially noticeable since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when the Saudis confronted the effects of extremism both outside and inside the kingdom. More than 60 percent of Saudi Arabia's population is under 25, and many of the young are pressing for greater freedoms.
"The upcoming generation is different from the one before," said Dina, the Accolade's 21-year-old guitarist and founder. "Everything is changing. Maybe in 10 years it's going to be O.K. to have a band with live performances." ...
