Combatting Hidden Hunger

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Playing With Your Kids

Do you hate playing with your kids?

You can call me a bad mother, roll your eyes with disdain or cluck with exasperation at my following statement, I do not enjoy playing with my children. I offer no apologizes or luke warm excuses. This is the truth of the matter. When I hear those six chillingly words “Mummy will you play with me”, my heart drops and I immediately feel my whole body deactivating. You can excuse my behaviour I guess, for having had four kids, I have attended many an imaginary tea party, spent oodles of hours eye spying or run copious rounds in the garden with some pesky ball. “Ahhh” you say that’s her problem, too many children. But really parents look deep within your souls, I am not questioning the love you have for your children, it's simple do you really enjoy being all bent double on the living room floor pretending to be a bridge whilst they climb over you. I feel like I have better things to do.

Of course as the default parent at home I usually am the one who gets cajoled by some five year into a situation I where I end up wearing a paper crown and making conversation with a Barbie doll. I apparently have got the short end of this beautiful parenting stick as my husband gleefully skips off to something called work. “HELP ME, save me from the children”, is every stay at home mother’s silent scream for help. The “playing” never stops mind you, the same games are played everyday. But hey I’m not a spoil sport, I can attend numerous princesses tea parties as long as I can snooze in the corner or be a Ben Ten monster who maybe checks her e-mails as her secret weapon or always be the audience rather than the pseudo actor in any impromptu children’s play.

According to experts, imaginative play in children as well as physical play is an essential component in every child’s childhood. The ability to dream, conjure, role play allows children to grow mentally. By engaging in imaginative play they are experimenting with decision making on how to behave and also practicing their social skills. When talking to their stuffed teddies, children are improving their speech and listening skills. Throughout the day children will be absorbing their surroundings and processing them in their heads, and with their limited capacity to understand at that age their toys are the perfect sounding board.

Therefore with dread I look towards the summer, it is the start of summer holidays in our household and all those well meaning friends and relatives who constantly promised me baby sitting visits when the children had more free time have vanished into thin air, quite like my good humour. Thus I have to face the inevitable, Princess Barbie are I are going to be bosom buddies and I am Spiderman’s new damsel in distress. Parents, we all have to play with our children, hate it or love it, here are some ways to make it less demanding on our souls:

1. Always put a time limit of how long you play. Say “ Mummy can only play for ten minutes”. In this way you are starting to introduce them to the concept of time and also not losing your sanity with endless hours of imaginary tea with teddy.

2. Try and introduce new games to play every few hours. Deviate from craft making to imaginary tea parties to a refreshing game of hide and seek, this will keep your child entertained as well as yourself.

3. Introduce as much as outdoor play as possible, healthy for the child and some mild exercise will do you no harm. It will also lighten frazzled temperaments after being coupled up in a hot house all day.

4. Organize playdates with other children and mummies. What children do well is play together and this will take a lot of the burden off yourself to keep your children entertained.

5. Do not forget to give those summer camps a try. After the business of the school year, the thought of an endless summer is delightful. This feeling will also last a couple of days, the children will be bored and needling you for entertainment. A whole summer of that is worse than the most terrible of school years. Therefore give the summer camps a chance, they will keep your children thoroughly engrossed.
I am realistic in my parenting, I do not offer rose tinted, cotton wool cushioned opinions. The reality screams  that parenting is not fun all the time, saying this I do not love my children any less I just do not enjoy the endless rounds of pretend playing. Of course as some of the children get older, their interests become my interests and I look forward to an afternoon spent with my older daughter doing girly things. Till then save me that shady spot on the pinstripe cushion next to Disco Barbie I’m on to my fifth cup of watery tea and counting the minutes down to the next pretend play event. HELP!

By Mayuri Jayasinghe

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Are Central American Children Crossing U.S. Border Refugees Or Economic Migrants?

Fierce political debate continues to rage over whether the increasing number of unaccompanied Central American child migrants coming in over the southern U.S. border are economic migrants drawn by rumors of leniency or refugees fleeing imminent danger in their home countries. But many analysts say the complex causes of the influx mean that not everyone in the growing group of migrants fits squarely under one label.

“This is what we would term a ‘mixed migration emergency,’” said Anna Greene, Director of Policy and Advocacy for U.S. Programs at the International Rescue Committee. “The definition of that is that you have the melding of people, in this case children, some of whose predominant motivation may be economic or family related, while others in the same flow, traveling by the same means, may be fleeing persecution.”

But political rhetoric, particularly in Washington, has generally framed the situation in one of two ways: Republican lawmakers have largely argued that rumors of legal loopholes and lax U.S. policies are incentivizing a surge of illegal immigration, which they say necessitates deterrence, legislative amendments, and increased border security, whereas many Democrats and immigrant rights’ advocates have emphasized a rise of drug-related and gang violence in Central America, and have called on the president to protect refugees.

“I think that the reason why there are two different narratives is because there are two different questions being asked,” said Caitlin Sanderson, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project.  “If you ask a child, ‘Did you hear about how in the United States, there is a possibility you can stay?’ then there is a good chance a lot of them will say yes. But if you ask, ‘Why did you leave in the first place,’ 80 to 85 percent of them will say, ‘It’s because I fear for my life.’”

Studies and reports have shown that violence has been on the rise in Central America, largely as a result of the breakup of Mexican drug cartels, heavily driving the surge north. El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras -- the three countries where most of the unaccompanied children are migrating from -- have some of the highest murder rates in the world, with Honduras topping the list. However, many of the child migrants coming to the U.S. from Guatemala come from indigenous and rural parts of the country and have largely been fleeing extreme poverty. Family reunification and economic opportunity have also been cited as reasons for why many of the Central American child migrants have been drawn to the United States.

Elizabeth Kennedy, a Fulbright scholar based in El Salvador who has conducted more than 300 interviews with child migrants and their families, said that information about U.S. policies toward child migrants was largely unknown in Central America until after President Obama spoke publicly about the situation in early June.

“The rumors did not start until Obama called it an urgent humanitarian situation,” she said. “In over 300 interviews, only one asked about DACA [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals]. Otherwise, no one ever named any specific U.S. legislation. Some asked if children should lie about their age and say they were over 18.”

Child migrants may claim asylum if they prove they face persecution in their home countries based on membership in a specific group. Special visas also exist for those who face domestic violence or neglect, or who are victims of trafficking. Those migrating primarily to escape poverty, reunify with family members, or flee a general atmosphere of violence that does not specifically target them are not eligible for U.S. protection. A 2012 study by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees [pdf] estimated that approximately 58 percent of the recent wave of Central American child migrants had a legal claim to relief in the United States under these standards.

Immigration court hearings are responsible for determining if migrants qualify to stay in the United States, but the courts face staggering case backlogs that were already in place before the number of unaccompanied child migrants began to rise in 2011. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) authorities have said that most undocumented immigrants do not show up to their court hearings, a trend that rights advocates attribute to immigrants not understanding their obligations and procedures of attending the hearings.  

The Obama administration, in a proposal on Tuesday for emergency appropriations to address the crisis, requested $64 million in emergency funds to the Department of Justice to send additional immigration judges to the border to assist with the backlogs. But the majority of its $3.7 billion funding proposal focused largely on enhancing border enforcement operations and detention capacity and care for child migrants.

“The allocation for the Department of Justice for legal representation in general is very small. We don’t think they can get the job done with the amount of money they have requested for this,” the International Rescue Committee's Greene said. 

Modi Government Provides Boost To Foreign Investments In First Federal Budget

The Narendra Modi-led BJP government presented what was widely perceived as an investor-friendly federal budget to the Indian parliament on Thursday.

Stating that the government was committed to a “stable taxation regime,” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented a budget that sought to live up to expectations set by the party, which won a record election victory in June with the help of a pro-business, pro-reform campaign platform. The finance minister stated that the government was “committed to reviving economic growth” and expressed hope that investors “would repose confidence on our stated position and participate in the Indian growth story with renewed vigour.”

The government aims to raise India's GDP growth to as much as 8 percent over the next few years from the current 4.9 percent.

Reacting to the budget, Arvind Saxena, president and managing director of General Motors, India, called the budget reform oriented. “Given the condition of the economy, the direction given in the budget is a positive one and the call for fiscal prudence is a welcome move,” he said, in a statement.

Here are some key points of the Indian Federal Budget 2014-15:

Divestment target revised to $9.7 billion: The budget raised the divestment target to $9.7 billion as the Modi government works to raise revenues and narrow the deficit by selling the state's stake to private players in various key sectors. This is an upward revision of the $8.6 billion target set by the previous Manmohan Singh-led UPA government. The current target includes an estimated $7.2 billion to be raised from selling stakes in government-owned public sector companies such as Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. and Steel Authority of India Ltd.

Foreign investment cap in defense, insurance and real estate sectors increased: The country will open up its defense and insurance sectors to foreign investment, according to the budget. The Foreign Direct Investment, or FDI, cap in the two sectors was increased to 49 percent from 26 percent, in a bid to bring in more foreign capital to these sectors. Until now, defense has attracted less than $5 million in foreign investments. 

FDI norms in the real estate sector were also relaxed to encourage development of “smart cities.” Real Estate Investment Trusts, or REITs, which own and manage a portfolio of real estate properties by pooling in money from several investors, were accorded the status of a “pass-through entity,” which exempts them from paying corporate tax.

Liberal tax regime for Foreign Portfolio Investors: The budget recommended that income arising from transactions conducted by Foreign Portfolio Investors, or FPIs, be treated as capital gains, rather than business incomes that would have attracted higher taxes.

“FPIs have invested more than $ 130 billion in India. One of their concerns is uncertainty in taxation on account of characterisation of their income," Jaitley said in his budget speech.

No clarity on the contentious “retrospective tax” law: The BJP government failed to live up to its election promise of scrapping the controversial retrospective taxation law, which was introduced by the previous UPA government. 

The tax was introduced in 2012 to get around a Supreme Court judgment, which ruled that Vodafone need not pay $1.6 billion in taxes for a 2007 purchase of the Indian telecom business of Hutchison. Since then, retrospective tax has been one of the biggest concerns among foreign investors interested in doing business in India.

The finance minister, in his speech, said that all future cases of retrospective taxation would be "scrutinized by a high-level committee."

$1.6 billion fund to be established to boost capital flow to start-ups: The finance minister also announced that a $1.6 billion fund would be set up to “attract private equity” to start-ups and other small and medium enterprises. This fund is expected to funnel more risk capital to entrepreneurs.

$83 million allocated to facilitate Public-Private-Partnership: The government also announced plans to set up a “3P institution” funded with $83 million to support Public-Private-Partnerships, or PPPs.

The finance minister said that the government was looking to develop gas pipelines, metro rails in major cities and airports primarily through a PPP model. He added that PPPs had delivered “some of the iconic infrastructure like airports, ports and highways,” and that these were seen as “models of development globally.”

All The Goals, Highlights From Surreal, Humiliating World Cup 2014 Semifinal

Germany produced surely the most stunning result in World Cup history by trouncing host Brazil 7-1 in their semifinal in Belo Horizonte. 

The margin of victory is a record in World Cup semifinals, and five of the goals came inside 25 minutes, the fastest a team has reached that figure in any World Cup game. Thomas Müller’s opener in the 11th minute left Brazil shell-shocked and in complete disarray. Midway through the period, Germany blasted four in just six minutes to leave Brazilian fans in tears and Brazilian players in a motionless daze. To complete an incredible rout, Andre Schürrle came off the bench and added two more to make it a magnificent seven for a team that will, unless something extraordinary happens in the other semifinal between Argentina and the Netherlands, enter the final as favorites to lift its first World Cup since 1990. Oscar’s goal late on was the most insignificant of consolations for a team left disconsolate at the final whistle.

It was a match that lay bare in the crudest of fashions all the faults Brazil has shown throughout a wholly unconvincing World Cup campaign. It may have been a trophy that Brazil’s public demanded the team win on home soil, but not once did Brazil show the quality required. Although it may have been able to psychologically and physically bully its South American rivals in the first two knockout rounds, it found Germany a whole different proposition. And without captain Thiago Silva and talisman Neymar, Brazil simply crumbled.

Germany was given a massive helping hand, but, building on the assurance of its best performance to date at this World Cup in its quarterfinal with France, Germany was brilliant. Joachim Low’s side played with real technical quality and the ruthless efficiency of the best German teams of the past. Toni Kroos got two goals and ran the show in a midfield zone where Brazil was embarrassingly lightweight. Müller, meanwhile, took his goal tally in this tournament to five and in just two World Cups to 10. At the age of just 24, he is already approaching the record. That is a mark now held by his teammate, Miroslav Klose, who struck the game’s second goal to take his all-time figure to 16. That the man he bettered to claim the record was Brazilian legend Ronaldo only rubs salt into the wounds on a day that surely eclipses the misery of defeat by Uruguay the last time the World Cup was played on Brazilian soil in 1950.

Throughout this World Cup, Brazil has played with raw passion and emotion, almost as a way to compensate for the obvious deficiencies in a squad that pales in comparison to the glory teams of 1958 to 1970 and the glorious failure of a team in 1982. But the way Brazilian players wore their hearts on their sleeves arguably also proved Brazil’s undoing. In all the matches, Scolari’s side played with more passion than control.

After the loss of the one member of the team playing with true flair, Brazil’s emotions appeared even more heightened. David Luiz, captain in place of another major loss Thiago Silva, held Neymar’s shirt during a raucous rendition of the national anthem. Perhaps both he and his teammates should have been thinking more about the particulars of the game at hand.

As against Colombia in their quarterfinal, Brazil came out at a ferocious tempo. But Germany was unfazed, either by the pace of the game or any attempt by its opponents to make it a physical battle. Scolari’s decision to replace Neymar with the fleet-footed but lightweight Bernard proved as erroneous as it was surprising.

Brazil was a mess. Germany simply bided its time to pick its way through a midfield that has been incredibly open in every match. The scoring began when Luiz was caught out from a corner and Müller had all the time in the world to volley into the net from six yards out. Going behind prompted no re-examination of Brazil’s approach, but simply more mindless attacking.

Fernandinho missed an interception to allow Kroos to feed Müller in the box, whose touch set up Klose. At the second time of asking the 36-year-old had goal No. 16. Within three minutes, Kroos had added two more. The first was a spanking first-time finish from the edge of the box, the second came after a fine reverse ball back into his path from Sami Khedira. There was only the briefest of respites before it was 5-0, with a goal remarkably similar to the fourth, this time finished by Khedira.

In truth each of the goals were eerily similar. They involved Brazil allowing its opponents a startling amount of space to operate and Germany taking full advantage. Scolari made two changes at half time, bringing on Ramires and Paulinho for the woeful Fernandinho and Hulk in a partial admission of his mistakes made with the starting lineup.

Brazil could even have made the second-half a contest but for superb saves from Manuel Neuer to deny Paulinho and Oscar. But after that initial salvo, the pattern of the first half resumed. Brazil offered nothing as Germany resumed its punishment. Schürrle rolled in a sixth then smashed in a brilliant seventh.

Oscar’s goal meant it was only the biggest lost in Brazil’s history. It should never have reached that point, but it was a defeat that should become the nadir for a national team once cherished the world over but which has moved from o jogo bonito to plain ugly. Those with the power to shift the preference in players from athletic and physical to skill and technique only have to look at Germany for the benefits of going back to the drawing board. Having torn up their footballing culture less than 15 years ago, Germany now stands on the verge of reaping the ultimate reward.

Aerolíneas Argentinas Airbus A340-300 incident

 Yesterday, early in the morning...What you see is what happened. An UTair Boeing 767-300 (VQ-BSX) incoming from Moscow as UT5187 and Aerolíneas Argentinas Airbus A340-300 (LV-FPV)... The Utair 767 was about to land on Runway 02 while the Argentinas was crossing the runway. By the time russian pilots sight Argentinas (they were taxiing to Holding point of RW25R for take-off) on runway while they were on final approach, they did their best making an impressive and close go around. After that incidence the plane landed safely on runway 02, and the Argentinas took-off heading Buenos Aires Hopefully nothing happened. I hope you enjoy the video, Greetings from BCN,
 Miguel Ángel.

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Super Typhoon Threatens Three Of Japan's Nuclear Power Plants-By Maria Gallucci

A super typhoon is heading north for Japan’s mainland, and it could cause damage to three of the country’s nuclear power plants.

Typhoon Neoguri was spotted about 370 miles south of the Okinawa island chain at 3 a.m. GMT on Monday (or 11 p.m. EDT on Sunday) and was expected to ravage the archipelago with damaging winds and torrential rains by early Tuesday, before spiraling toward mainland Japan on Wednesday, the Japan Meteorological Agencysaid.

“This is the most powerful typhoon to hit the island in 15 years,” Brigadier General James Hecker of the U.S. Air Force wrote on the Kadena Air Base’s Facebook page on Sunday. “I can’t stress enough how dangerous this typhoon may be when it hits Okinawa.”

Okinawa doesn’t have any nuclear plants, but Japan’s westernmost main island Kyushu has two, and the typhoon is likely to pass over them. A third nuclear plant on Shikoku island, which borders Kyushu, could also be affected by the storm, Reuters reported on Monday.

All of the plants have been halted as per the current national policy. A spokeswoman at Kyushu Electric Power Co. (TYO: 9508) told Reuters that it didn’t have any specific plans related to Typhoon Neoguri but that the utility has a year-round strategy to protect the nuclear facilities from severe weather.

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is on the other side of Japan and will only likely see rain at the worst, Reuters noted. That facility was crippled after a 45-foot tsunami, triggered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, struck Japan on March 11, 2011. A day later, the plant's damaged reactors began releasing large amounts of radioactive material. Three years later, the plant's operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TYO: 9501) is still struggling to contain contaminated water leaking from the site.

Typhoon Neoguri was already gusting at more than 150 miles per hour on Monday and is moving north/northwest at 16 miles per hour, according to Japan’s weather agency. It is expected to dump as much as 3 inches of rain per hour on Okinawa when it hits.

Still, Neoguri is not expected to be as strong as Typhoon Haiyan, the storm that killed thousands in the Philippines in September 2013 and one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded.

Super Typhoon Neoguri is shown approaching Japan's Okinawa island chain on July 7, 2014. Japan Meteorological Agency

The Advantages Of SBA Loans Phoenix

By Rosella Campbell Anyone that is interested in the idea of starting a business can become quite stressed and overwhelmed with all that is necessary. Most people have great ideas about what kind of business they would like to start and manage while lacking the resources and assistance that is often needed for fruition which often detracts from the entire process. When considering SBA loans Phoenix consumers are offered the chance to make sure their operations will be launched in an appropriate and simplified manner. The small business association offers government backed funding and guidance to anyone that is interested in or currently has a smaller business. Potential owners are usually interested in this entity when dealing with the inability to receive funds through private institutions and are also able to gain from the helpful resources that are generally available. The decision to utilize this resource is generally made with a large amount of consideration. Entrepreneurs in Phoenix that might be considering this type of funding have a vast assortment of avenues by which they are able to qualify. A majority of potential owners are uncertain of where to begin and how to make sure they are offered the most effective and simplistic funding possible. Understanding the perks of this funding source is quite useful in making a more comprehensive decision. Perhaps the most common perk of using this agency is the opportunity to gain funding from a trusted and government backed source. Many consumers discover that private institutions are not as stable and reputable as they used to be which can become difficult to work through on various levels. Applicants usually feel much more confident with their lending decisions as a result of this official backing. The application and approval guidelines that are managed by this association are much simpler than through traditional sources. Submitting an application for approval is automated and considered to be much simpler than what would be undergone through traditional institutions. This benefit is especially appealing to applicants with lower than standard credit ratings that are still trying to receive a loan. Potential recipients are also interested in the opportunity to use the helpful resources that are commonly offered from the agency. The website established by the SBA is actually filled with a wealth of helpful resources that pertain to legal and practical accounting practices that all owners are encouraged to follow. Guides and templates are readily available and usually free to access when considered. Fast funding is also known to be a major source of appeal for any owner that is interested in this type of funding. Owner are usually faced with a significant number of complications when trying to make sure they are offered the funds they were approved for while remaining within their deadlines for launch. Most approved applications are funded within a fraction of the time it would take for private lenders to perform the same process. Affordability also plays a major role in the popularity of these funds. Paying down the principal and interest of this kind of funding is much more reasonable in price than through private lenders. Borrowing funds that are much more within the budget of the owner is useful in preventing default and major cash crunches.

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Tips For Wine And Painting New York Parties

By Rosella Campbell Attending a party which combines wine and painting is an increasingly popular way to get together with friends. When it comes to wine and painting new York residents are lucky to have a wide range of options. After all, this area is center of the restaurant and at scene as well. Food and art lovers abound throughout the state, so there is no shortage options. The following tips are designed to help you to get the most from this event, whether you are experienced or a beginner. Even novices can find some easy options for taking part. The best part is the opportunity to meet some new people and develop your creative skills at the same time. First of all, remember that there are wide variety of options available. It pays off to choose the event carefully to suit your particular requirements. Some parties are meant to be informal while others have more structure. For example, you can find classes especially for beginning artists as well as versions which tackle a particular lesson, such as perspective or color mixing. You can even find classes that can be custom designed. For instance, a car enthusiast club might be interested in painting a picture of a favourite automobile to accent their living space. You should keep in mind, however, that the main idea is to have fun. This is a good way to learn without having a lot of pressure to be skilled or experienced. In fact, most of the classes available cater to people who are beginners. Many classes are organized according to particular motifs. For instance, some painting subjects include wildlife, pets, landscape and portraits. Choosing a subject that you are fond of will help you to get more into the activity. You may want to hang the finished piece in your home, so it makes sense to pick a motif that you like. Having an open mind will help you to get the most from the event. Friendly conversation and the chance to be creative is all part of the fun. One of the aspects that people enjoy the most is the chance to try something entirely new. Last of all, make sure that you take part in this event in a safe way. Ensure that designated drivers are organized and utilized. Make sure that equipment and materials are used in a safe way. Safety should be the first priority regardless of the activity. For further tips an pointers to help with this topic, there are a number of blogs and websites on the Internet which provide helpful advice. In fact, you can find many well known sites which focus on crafts and creative pursuits. In addition, an interiors or home design magazine may include articles for simple and fun home improvement projects, including art workshops. As well, the teacher of the class should provide detailed information and guidelines which you should carefully review. Asking your friends and acquaintances for their suggestions for workshops is a good way to learn about what is on offer near you. They may even be interested in joining you.

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Ohio Conjoined Twins Ronnie And Donnie Galyon Mark Longevity Milestone

A pair of conjoined twins marked a milestone Saturday: Ronnie and Donnie Galyon of Beavercreek, Ohio, surpassed the lifespan of the first known conjoined twins, Chang and Eng Bunker.

“Put it this way, I’m stoked,” Ronnie Gaylon told the Dayton Daily News.

The Gaylons are joined at the sternum. They celebrated their milestone -- turning 62 years, 8 months and 8 days old -- at a block party.

The Bunkers were born in Thailand and lived from 1811 to 1874.

“It’s a huge life event for them,” said younger brother Jim Galyon, who along with his wife Mary care for the twins in their renovated home.

“They weren’t even expected to live the first day, let alone get out of the hospital, let alone live 62 years,” Jim Galyon told ABC News. “This has been a lifelong goal, to meet and beat the Bunker twins. It means the world to them.”

Their next goal is to become the longest-lived conjoined twins, breaking the Guinness World Record of Giacomo and Giovanni Battista Tocci, who lived to 63. The Galyons turn 63 in October.

“It’s what me and Donnie’s always dreamed about, and we hope to get the ring, because we’ve dreamed about getting this since we were kids,” Ronnie Galyon said.

Reuters reported the twins performed in sideshows until they retired in 1991.