Grassroots gatherings over the weekend

KANSAS CITY, Mo., June 8 (Reuters) - From a living room in Kansas to a bagel shop in New York to an Alabama church, Democrats have started mobilizing support for President Barack Obama's healthcare reform plans.

Suburban housewives and social workers mixed with Baptist ministers, college students, retirees and many others at grassroots gatherings over the weekend. Spurred by the Democratic National Committee's burgeoning political machine dubbed "Organizing for America," thousands of such meetings had been planned for Friday through Monday.
Those attending the scripted two-hour events viewed a videotaped message from Obama, shared personal stories and made local battle plans to counter the expected stiff opposition.
"It's going to be a vicious fight," said 76-year-old Hank Putsch who attended an organizing meeting on Saturday at a Kansas City restaurant. "The insurance companies and healthcare companies are gearing up to oppose this. We've got to get our voices heard."
Obama has declared this summer "make-or-break" time for healthcare reform and has called on Congress to pass comprehensive legislation by the end of the year, saying America can no longer afford the costs of a system dominated by profit-driven insurance and healthcare companies which leaves 46 million people uninsured.
Though he is leaving the details to Congress, Obama has said reform must ensure a public health insurance option operating alongside private plans, a reduction in basic costs, and assurance that no one is denied insurance.
"This is why we elected him," said Sarah Starnes, a hospital social worker who has volunteered to help campaign for the Obama plan in Missouri. "It used to be that we'd elect a president and then the lobbyists would determine what happened. This time it is going to be us who determine what happens."

For further details visit as : www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN07272586

HP Resellers to share it tips

HP is calling for local resellers to take part in an Asia Pacific competition called Learn with a Twist.
The competition aims to make learning IT skills easy and fun by sharing video tips.
There are four categories to upload a video tip to: choose, use, protect or transition.
HP NZ personal systems group marketing manager Warwick Grey says there is nothing like sharing technology.
“This competition should really be interesting to see what people record, post and decide what the best tip is.”
The winning entries will be featured in HP’s online learning centre website. Prizes include an HP Touchsmart PC, Mini 1000 and IPAQ 312 travel companion.
People can also win prizes by voting for their favourite video. The closing date for submissions is July 31. Voting ends on August 14.

Source : reseller.co.nz/reseller.nsf/news/DF800ED35A07B6D3CC2575CF00189DC3

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura

June 8 (Bloomberg) -- North Korea has designated an area off its northeastern coast a no-travel zone from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from June 10 to June 30, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said today. Japan’s coast guard picked up the warning from North Korean authorities yesterday, Kawamura told reporters in Tokyo.
“We do not know the reason why North Korea has set up the no-navigation zone,” he said. “We cannot rule out the possibility of North Korea launching missiles including ballistic ones.”
Tensions are rising after North detonated a nuclear device last month, said the 1953 armistice ending the Korean War no longer applies and test-launched several missiles in a show of defiance. South Korea has deployed a warship to its maritime boarder with the North and vowed last week to send F-15K fighter jets in the event of a clash.

For further details visit as : www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aKLicFJspW6E

Teachers can call in and access information

Chennai (PTI): The latest in mobile technology will soon help teachers across the country enhance their teaching skills by providing them access to a whole host of information on their respective subjects through their cellphones.

The system, an initiative of National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR) under the HRD Ministry and the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT), involves developing a database with course details in various formats, including presentation and animation.
"This database can be accessed by a mobile phone through satellite communication to get required information," NITTTR Director S. Mohan told PTI here.
The system is expected to be launched in the next six months, he said, adding that the database and other related software, created by a group of experts, would also have comprehensive course contents in various subjects.
Mr. Mohan said this technology would be gradually introduced for students also, the objective being to make them well conversant with the new technology, thereby creating their own innovative learning resources.
"In fact, such a facility for students will provide information on subjects, career guidance and much more. This is an age of technology. We are working for convergence of technology for enhancing the quality of education," he said.
Vasudha Kamat, Joint Director of Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET) of NCERT, said CIET had recently conducted 'Educational Technology Lecture Series' across India and found almost all teachers who attended it had mobiles. Taking the cue, CIET planned to use mobile technology in big way soon to enhance teachers knowledge, she said.
The NCERT also plans to create a mobile phone portal at CIET, where a database of teachers across India would be entered. It would work on the same lines as the railway ticket booking system through mobile phones. Teachers can call in and access information.


For further details visit as : www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200906081011.htm

Indian government should develop an educational curriculum

Washington (PTI): Calling for the need to focus on science education at high school level, eminent scientist and nobel laureate Sydney Altman has suggested Indian government to develop a curriculum with a view to encourage kids towards innovation.

According to Mr. Altman, India is focusing too much on scientific research at high level and has been ignoring science education at school level, which he argues is not good for the scientific health of the country in the long run.
"Focus of the Indian Government should be on science education in high schools. This is something which has to be looked into in great detail by the government. You just can't take about science and innovation. You got to encourage kids outside of their restrictive curriculum in schools," said Mr. Altman, who got Chemistry Nobel in 1989 for his work on the catalytic properties of RNA.
"I am not talking about villages and rural areas (where there is not much of an education infrastructure), even in small towns and large cities, many students graduate from college with very high percentage levels and grades, but they do not know what to do with them after that," Mr. Altman told PTI.
The Sterling Professor of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology at the Yale University said that the Indian government should develop an educational curriculum which helps the younger generation and the school going kids develop the basics of innovation.

For further details visit as : www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200906080911.htm

Imminent increase in interest rates.

The bloodletting in longer-term Treasurys may finally ebb amid a growing feeling that better economic data could spur the Federal Reserve to raise rates sooner than expected to stem inflation.

A push to the key 4% level for the 10-year yield as soon as this week, however, isn't out of the question. The 10-year yield hit 3.91% Friday after a better-than-expected May jobs report, before finishing at 3.861%, up 0.385 percentage point on the week. Rates could rise further heading into the government's sales this week of $19 billion in reopened 10-year notes and $11 billion in 30-year paper. But a jump much higher is unlikely for a while.
"There are probably few reasons for 10-year yields to rise to significantly higher levels," said Colin Lundgren, head of institutional fixed income at RiverSource Investments in Minneapolis. "People are feeling better about inflation. I don't think the threat is such that yields will go wild here."
Rising inflation hurts long-dated Treasurys as higher prices eat into the fixed returns, but longer-term securities become much more attractive to investors in times of low inflation.
The pressure on yields could switch to the short end if suspicions continue to increase that policy makers might be thinking about a more imminent increase in interest rates. Late Friday, the two-year yield stood at 1.307%, up 0.377 percentage point on the week after the number of jobs lost in May was far fewer than economists had expected.
"People are starting to question whether the Fed will for sure be on hold for the next two years," said Carl Lantz, a fixed-income strategist at Credit Suisse in New York. "Doubt is starting to creep in and I think rightly so."

For further details visit as : online.wsj.com/article/SB124442460341392937.html