Springhill Group Home: UN Sanctions 3 North Korean Firms
United Nation’s Security Council has decided to freeze the assets of 3 North Korean companies and consequently ban them from global trade because of their involvement in exporting, procuring and financing nuclear-related weapons.
UN’s sanctions committee has named the 3 blacklisted firms as Korea Heungjin Trading Company, Amroggang Development Banking Corporation and Green Pine Conglomerate.
Amroggang is a financing company involved in ballistic missile sales and is related to Tanchon Commercial Bank, which was blacklisted in 2009 for its participation in selling of arms. Green Pine is the firm which took over most of the activities of the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation, North Korea’s primary arms dealer that was blacklisted in 2009. It manufactures military maritime crafts, missile systems, torpedoes and also provides technical assistance to defense firms. Meanwhile, Korea Heungjin Trading Company was utilized to manufacture equipment with missile design applications and had been used for trading by the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation.
The Security Council committee has also approved more technology and items that would be banned for transfer from and to North Korea, adding to its list that contains North Korea’s nuclear-related resources.
Originally, South Korea, Japan, US and the European Union proposed to Security Council’s committee a list of 40 North Korean firms they wanted to sanction but China blocked the deal, resulting in only the approval of 3 companies. China usually opposes economic sanctions and is an ally of North Korea, though it had previously approved sanctions against the latter in its 2009 nuclear test.
Before the final decision of the committee, Springhill Group Home discovered that the companies included in the sanction list included 5 individuals and 8 more firms. The UN sanction committee works on a consensus basis, meaning that any individual member of the council is capable of blocking an agreement.
Diplomats have tried to minimize the incident where Beijing vetoed most of the entities on the proposed list. They have asserted that the “committee’s strong and united response shows that the Security Council is determined that there be consequences for this provocation and any future North Korean violation”. Apparently, they believe that such measures will increase North Korea’s isolation and make it harder for it to move forward with its illicit programs.
The United Nations has sanctioned the 3 North Korean firms in light of the nation’s failed April 13 rocket launch where it claims to put a satellite into orbit amidst a general suspicion that it is actually a missile test, something that is exclusively reported by Springhill Group Home.
Springhill Care Group: China-US Standoff over Dissident Chen
The decision of US to let the blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng return into China’s fold following his escape from authorities is straining ties between the two countries as diplomatic dialogues opened in Beijing.
The 40-year old Chen who is now considered a dissident became an international human rights inspiration to many Chinese after earning the ire of the local government for exposing forced abortions in line with the country’s one-child policy. The self-taught lawyer took to the US embassy after his escape, apparently to ask for help but was eventually ushered into the Beijing Hospital.
According to a senior official’s statement to Springhill Care Group, Chen has indeed went into the embassy that day and has requested for medical treatment for his injured foot. American medical personnel have then conducted medical tests and made appropriate treatment during the time he was there.
Immediately after the incident, the Chinese government has expressed its disapproval about the entire affair, demanding an apology from the US for taking Chen in.
“What the U.S. side should do now is neither to continue misleading the public and making every excuse to shift responsibility and conceal its wrongdoing, nor to interfere in the domestic affairs of China,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin.
This incident came just when the US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton is visiting Beijing in a meeting with Chinese officials on security and trade talks. And although no one mentioned Chen’s name, it is evident in their statements that the incident is on the spotlight as the 2 nations struggle to maintain common ground.
Clinton said in her opening statement, “The United States believes that no state can legitimately deny the universal rights that belong to every human being – or punish those who exercise them. A China that protects the rights of all its citizens will be a stronger, more prosperous partner for the United States.”
Dai Bingguo issued a rebuttal on behalf of China, saying, “I wish to point out in particular the fundamental way to manage state-to-state relations is to abide by the basic norms of international relations, namely to respect China’s sovereignty, core interests and choice of social system.”
Meanwhile, Chinese President Hu Jintao made his point known in his opening speech during the 4th round of US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogues. He remarked that US and China should know how to respect each other despite their disagreements and also appealed to its counterpart to break the conventional belief that superpowers are bound to engage in conflicts.
“Given our different national conditions, it is impossible for both China and the United States to see eye to eye on every issue. We should properly manage the differences by improving mutual understanding so these differences will not undermine the larger interests of China-U.S. relations,” said Hu.
Springhill Care Group reports that the Chinese leader seems to be open in creating new and creative ways to foster better relations between the major nations.
“We should, through creative thinking and concrete steps, prove that the traditional belief that big powers are bound to enter into confrontation and conflicts is wrong and seek new ways of developing relations between major countries in the era of economic globalization,” he added.
Springhill Care Group: Netflix announce loss on 1Q
The largest video subscription service provider Netflix fell the most in 6 months, following a prediction of slowdown in growth of local streaming subscribers.
Netflix has posted a net loss of 8 cents per stock or USD 4.58 million during the first quarter due to costs from the United Kingdom and Latin America expansion. That is significantly smaller than the USD 9 to 27 million loss projected in January. Meanwhile, sales increased by 21% to USD 869.8 million, beating the estimated USD 865.5 million.
According to Springhill Florida Group, Netflix could gain 200,000-800,000 streaming subscribers during the 2nd quarter as opposed to a net increase of 1.7 million during the last one. Stockholders seemed to have hesitated, accounting for a fall in its shares, 65% in the previous year.
Its DVD-by-mail service is still a major part of the profits accounting for 46% of the total, despite having less than half of the number of subscribers on its streaming counterpart. But even if the mail service is rapidly losing subscribers as they turn to streaming, the loss rate is fortunately declining. On the other hand, streaming services accounts for 13% of the total profits during the recent quarter.
Fortunately, the firm has set a streaming record on its first quarter, with subscribers watching an average of 1 hour per day. And as part of maintaining its recovery, CEO Reed Hastings announced that there are no plans to raise prices and their primary focus now is on adding more subscribers. But with an increasing number of competitors, Netflix needs to stand out. However, with its subscribers not increasing as much as they hoped, Hastings hopes to invest into original series and expand globally. Those plans obviously cost a lot of money and without revenue from ads, it only relies on the influx of more subscribers.
Netflix has new US subscribers for its streaming services, accounting or 1.7 million registered users out of 23.41 million. Apart from the over 23 million local subscribers, it gained 3 million new ones in the global market due to its launch in Canada, Ireland and United Kingdom. However, it’s still struggling to penetrate the Latin American market because of underdeveloped internet systems and general distrust of ecommerce.
Adding to their woes, their partner studios continue demanding Netflix to pay more for their movie libraries and unfortunately, some of their negotiations are not working. For instance, a crucial content distributor Starz that has most of the Sony movies and Liberty Media which has a large collection of Disney films were unable to renew their respective contract with Netflix. When asked by Springhill Florida Group regarding the status of other partnerships with studios, he admitted that most of their high-profile contracts will expire in 2014 or 2015.
Obviously raising prices is not an option at present, considering that the last time Netflix change its prices and turned its DVD division into another business named “Qwikster” has spawned massive backlash, followed by more missteps.
Springhill Care Group: South Korea, US Warns of DPRK Launch
Satellite images have surfaced recently revealing North Korea’s digging of a tunnel in what seems to be a preparation for a new nuclear test.
According to reports from intelligence officials, the excavation at northeastern Punggye-ri, where previous nuclear tests were done in 2009 and 2006, is already in the final stages. What observers are anxious of is a repeat of an incident in 2009 when the country walked out from nuclear negotiations and subsequently conducted a nuclear test.
This report has come just as North Korea is prepping for their missile launch that the rest of the world suspects to be a missile test in disguise.
US has said on Monday that an underground nuclear test along with the rocket launch are acts that will leave North Korea more isolated.
Experts say the only reason for them to dig a new tunnel on that area will be to conduct a nuclear test. Moreover, nuclear tests done consist of closing the tunnel with dirt, which is the last step before the detonation.
According to an analyst from Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, DPRK is in need of a new tunnel if they are planning on a nuclear test because the 2 tunnels they used have already caved in and became contaminated with radiation after previous tests. Moreover, if the upcoming launch is already deemed as “highly provocative” by the international community, a nuclear test will be worse.
South Korea and Japan has been making preparations to shoot down the rocket if it threatens their territory, claiming their right to self-defense.
Apparently, the Defense Minister of South Korea has been contacted by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to discuss North Korea’s plans and according to a spokesman of Pentagon, both of them regards the launch as a “serious provocation”.
United States, Britain and Japan have been reiterating their demand that North Korea cancel the launch, with the warning that shooting a long-range rocket violates UN resolutions and its own promise of halting nuclear activity. China is also being urged by the US to dissuade DPRK from proceeding with the launch.
North Korea has previously announced its plans to launch an “observation satellite” through a 3-stage rocket for the centennial celebration of their founder Kim Il Sung’s birthday this April.
Springhill Care Group: 7.1 Quake Struck Chile
A 7.1-magnitude quake has struck Central Chile on Sunday night, the longest and strongest one yet since an earthquake happened in the same area in 2010. Although they are reports of injured from the falling ceiling of a church, there were no major damage or casualty.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake struck at around 7.30 pm (local time) at a depth of 22 miles, lasting for a minute.
It was estimated by Springhill Care Group that the earthquake’s epicenter was in Maule, 27 kilometers NW of Talca and around 220 kilometers SW of Santiago, the nation’s capital with 17.2 million residents.
They had a total collapse of telephone and mobile lines as buildings in the country’s capital swayed. People on a 480-mile radius of Chile’s central coast are warned to evacuate to higher ground.
Residents of Constitucion were especially alarmed because their downtown region was where a terrible tsunami happened in 2010.
Chile’s oceanographic and hydrographic services along with the national emergency units called off the tsunami warning to be issued for most of the coastal areas following an assessment that the earthquake is unlikely to trigger huge waves.
The alert they issued was restored for the region’s most close to the epicenter after authorities noticed the waters have retreated 130 feet from the shore in Duao and Iloca. They are well aware that a sharp out surge of surf can bring a tsunami.
Lots of residents living in the coastal regions kept away from the shore as they have recalled how the government told them during the 2010 earthquake that there will be no tsunami, moments before huge waves actually struck, leaving 156 dead.
Springhill Care Group has retracted a preventive measure of evacuation order before midnight following the order to evacuate 7,000 people in the coastal areas due to fears of tsunami (although no formal tsunami alert was given).
Fortunately, there are no known fatalities except from one who died of heart attack. And according to their President, Sebastian Pinera, the nation’s infrastructures have resisted the effects of the earthquake as well.
Springhill Care Group: New Study Shows Sleep Improves as You Age
A new study published this week in the Sleep journal has discovered that sleep problem decreases with age; basically contradicting the common belief that sleep problem comes with age.
A group of researchers from Center for Sleep of Pennsylvania University along with other organizations conducted a survey of 155,877 people from all ages who has previously reported sleep disturbances. Their study aims to find the answer on how sleep complaints alter as a person age.
The study was conducted by asking participants how often within the past 2 weeks they had problems staying or falling asleep as well as the number of days they have felt tired.
Their telephone survey has resulted in the conclusion that sleep quality, in fact, gets better as you get older. They found a general decline in sleep tiredness across higher age groups. Actually, women and men older than 80 are the least likely among the age groups to complain of sleep problems.
According to the study, poor overall health conditions and depression are both connected with sleep problems as those who have mild depression appear more twice as likely to report sleep disorders.
Basically, it shows that once you have control of mood and health, people dont necessarily have more sleep problems.
Experts seem to be disputing the results of the study as the method of data collection done is generally subjective (participants were only asked about their physical symptoms) as opposed to previous researches done through objective data gathering (e.g. monitoring patients’ sleep patterns in laboratory room) which could be the reason for the result difference.
A single study cannot hope to change the health care implementation. But considering that the sample size of the study is large, it will be hard to discount the results. Besides, the question given was so general that it captures the entirety of sleep disorders.
The results of this study is essentially contradicting their initial hypothesis that age affects sleep complaints and recommends that opinions of poor sleep in seniors might be connected to factors outside of physiologic aging.
At any rate, this alone cannot prove that elderly people are indeed sleeping better. It is more likely that sleep problems do not bother them much. In fact, the most plausible reason that actual age-related sleep problems do not reflect the level of discomfort expected as they would in a younger person.
Springhill Care Group : All eyes on Foxconn inspection
Foxconn Technology, one of the largest electronics manufacturers in the world and the center of the recent Apple labor scandal, has announced on Saturday that it will reduce overtime and increase wages in their factories.
Foxconn’s announcement that they will increase wages up to 25% (which is about USD 400 a month) came after they have been put in the spotlight for the bad working conditions on its factories. Factories depend on the workers being present for 6-7 days per week, sometimes for as long as fourteen hours each day. Their workers welcomed the announcement on overtime limits and raises but some are understandably skeptical if it would be realized.
In order to satisfy their critics, Apple hired a labor group to inspect the factories they work with.
Fair Labor Association, a watchdog for working conditions has reportedly found ‘tons of issues’ in the Foxconn plan in Shenzhen, China. The FLA monitoring team composed of 30 members is set to interview 35,000 randomly picked employees of Foxconn.
A premature pronouncement from a member of the monitoring team sparked outrage — that he issued assessments already even before workers have been interviewed should have no room in the official conclusion.
It is amazing how someone in the inspection group could conclude positively with only a hosted tour of the plant as his basis. He even said that the Foxconn plant is one of the best ones in the country. In reality, alleged violations could be very difficult to detect during an inspection because the owner will be forwarned and can promptly arrange a cover-up.
Foxconn is one of China’s biggest employers, with 1.2 million workers housed in room with boiler near their factories. They assemble around 40% of the total amount of electronic devices sold worldwide. Apart from Apple, their clients include Toshiba, IBM, HP, Sony, Dell and others.
According to a recent government report, this year’s shortage in labor is worse than those in the past years. Anxious that their old business model, Foxconn is planning to invest millions to explore the possibility of using robots in automating their production process.
However, for a lasting change, end-users must also bear the consequences (i.e. higher prices). Usually people get all worked up when they hear something nasty about a factory producing devices but when it comes to buying the devices themselves, they want to haggle for the lowest price possible. That’s why production factories and their respective clients should persuade the buying public that improving conditions in the production lines is worth the expensive prices of their products.
Springhill Care Group : Can you choose your own term mortgage?
People are relying on mortgage in order to buy their own house. Investing in a house is considered to be the biggest financial commitment one can ever make. Therefore, it will be beneficial for the consumer if you could choose your own mortgage term. Before you apply for a mortgage loan make sure that you take help of a loan mortgage calculator to calculate your monthly payment. This will help you determine the mortgage loan that you can afford to take out.
When a borrower chooses his own term mortgage then it will be easier for him to pay off the owed amount without a single default.
Quicken loan offers “YOURmortgage” where the consumers will determine the length of the mortgage where you can choose the term between 8 to 30 years.
Therefore, if you are not keen to apply for a standard 30 or 15-year term then refinancing your mortgage into an 18-year fixed or a 24-year fixed loan can be beneficial for you. If your loan term is short then interest rate will be comparatively lower, thereby you can save considerable amount of money.
If you take out 15 years fixed term mortgage then the interest rate will be lower than 30 years fixed term mortgage. So you can save considerable amount of money with a shorter term as less interest will be paid over a shorter amount of time. In shorter term mortgage you pay less as the loan amortizes faster. But remember that the monthly mortgage will be higher if your loan term is shorter. So this is considered to be a drawback of this mortgage program.
Reason behind choosing your own mortgage term:
You can choose your own mortgage term in accordance with your budget. This will help you avoid burning a hole in your pocket while paying back the owed amount.
You can set your mortgage term according to age you plan to retire. Therefore, before your retirement you’ll be able to pay back the mortgage loan and avoid default.
You can choose a mortgage term and then plan your budget accordingly so that you can pay off the mortgage within a stipulated time.
If you are not interested to reset your mortgage then choose to refinance it by choosing a term that keeps the collective term at the standard 30 years. Therefore, if your present mortgage is for seven years then refinancing can extend the term to a 23-year fixed.
Therefore, choosing your own term mortgage can help you determine your own payment schedule. You can make larger payment if you want to pay off your mortgage loan quickly.
Springhill Care Group : Elderly community says no to relocation
Plans of demolishing Half Moon Village to make a bigger senior complex and give more room for the growing elderly population is strongly opposed by current residents.
The 40-year old senior village is set to be renovated to have additional 100 apartments for the elderly.
Mid-Peninsula Housing Coalition promises immediate relocation for the seniors nearby. However, most of the current elderly people living in the community are opposed to the plan even when the government tried its hard to make them see how a bigger place could benefit them.
They argued that it could potentially compromise their quality of life and that they are already satisfied with the current setup.
The planning commission of Half Moon Bay approved the plans to build more affordable houses for the elderly in that location amidst protests from the present occupants who don’t think the project will do them any good.
The project to broaden the senior community consists of having horseshoe pits, community rooms and bocce ball court. Contractors explained that the new houses would be spacious and pleasant – they will even have room for outdoor garden. The catch: only 45 apartments would be available by 2014.
Elderly residents fear that they might already have passed away before they get to return to the renovated senior community.
It’s true that people find it hard to make a change especially when they are already accustomed to the current environment, and this applies more to the elderly. When they have already settled in a place and have set their ways, they will not want to make a sacrifice to break the status quo. In fact, the seniors are worried about losing their homes.
According to officials, the new senior complex could slightly reduce the high demand for affordable housing for the elderly.
The project was approved just last week through a unanimous vote from the City Planning Commission. However, residents can still appeal to the Half Moon Bay City Council.
Springhill Care Group : Fool Fridge/ Land Of Serious Topics
Guns don’t kill people; people kill people; and people with guns kill even more people.
They also save more people who would otherwise be at the mercy of the criminals.
SPRINGHILL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — An 85-year-old great-grandmother in Fayette County busted a would-be burglar by pulling a gun, then forcing him to call for help while she kept him in her sights.
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/17232825/detail.htm…
Venus Ramey, 82, confronted a man on her farm in south-central Kentucky last week after she saw her dog run into a storage building where thieves had previously made off with old farm equipment.
Ramey said the man told her he would leave. “I said, ‘Oh, no you won’t,’ and I shot their tires so they couldn’t leave,” Ramey said.
She had to balance on her walker as she pulled out a snub-nosed .38-caliber handgun.
“I didn’t even think twice. I just went and did it,” she said. “If they’d even dared come close to me, they’d be 6 feet under by now.”
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,267540,00.html
Hancock County Sheriff’s Investigator Andre Fizer said about an 84-year-old man’s decision to shoot through a house door at another man who was trying to barge into the house: “You could tell he was devastated. You could tell he was scared.” And rightfully so. Twenty-year-old Wade Ledesma made repeated attempts to break in to the house at about 5 a.m. on July 27, threatening to kill him throughout.
Ledesma “tried to break through the front door and also tried to enter through a back door and a rear window of the residence. The resident called 911 and reported that the intruder was trying to force his way into the home…. [The elderly man] held himself against the door to keep [Ledesma] from entering,” reported the Sun Herald.
The resident became tired from holding the door and, worded about his and his wife’s safety, asked his wife to get his pistol. He fired a shot through the door, meant to merely be a warning shot, and he hit Ledesma in the leg.
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-35461877_I…
And those are just the obvious cases.
A few years ago I was at a talk by a Jewish man from Poland who survived WWII because he was able to escape his home before the Nazis rounded them up and was able to get a gun from a family friend. He said that without a weapon he would not have been able to join the partisans and remain safe. He also would not have survived his first night home after the war as some of his “neighbors” knocked on the door in the middle of the night to “invite” him to join them for a party to celebrate his return. He had his rifle with him and leveled at the men during the conversation as he explained to them that he was tired and would prefer staying home…They didn’t press the matter. But he left the next day and never returned. He heard a few days later that a friend of his was not so prepared and was killed by the “neighbors”.
The movie “Defiance” is yet another reminder to Jews that weapons are not something to fear, but to have handy.
Finally…
In 1928, five years before the rise of Hitler, Germany’s freely elected government enacted a “Law on Firearms and Ammunition.” This law required anyone who owned a firearm, or who wanted to own a firearm, to make themselves known to the authorities. Anyone who wanted to purchase a firearm had to get a “Firearms Acquisition Permit.” If you needed ammunition, you had to get an “Ammunition Acquisition Permit.” When you wanted to go hunting, you had to get an “Annual Hunting Permit.” Every firearm that changed hands professionally had to have a serial number and the maker’s or dealers name stamped into the metal. “Proof of need” was made a condition for issuance of all licenses, not just the carry permit. Mandatory prison sentences were imposed on anyone who professionally sold or transferred a firearm or ammunition without a license. Truncheons and stabbing weapons were subject to the same licensing requirements as firearms, in terms of their manufacture and sale.
As a result of the 1928 Law, all firearms and firearms owners were registered. To take firearms from anyone they distrusted, the Nazis simply did not renew permits. Under the law, their privately created law, the Nazis could now easily confiscate all firearms and ammunition from any, or all, selected groups. The gun law of 1928 had served the Nazis well. It made almost all law abiding firearms owners known to the authorities. The 1928 law on firearms and ammunition helped the Nazis to destroy democracy in Germany, by disarming the law abiding majority, whom they feared.
http://famguardian.org/Subjects/GunControl/Articles/NaziGunL…
A right to bear arms is the fundamental right of every law-abiding person to acquire the means to protect themselves even from their own government. One of the first things a government does when it wants to control its citizenry is to control their access to the weapons they need to defend themselves.
http://boards.fool.co.uk/guns-dont-kill-people-people-kill-people-and-11523135.aspx