Buy Nokia Device and Win a Nokia and more! in ‘Nokia Buena’ Christmas Promotion

Getting that itch to buy a new Nokia Lumia smartphones, well this is the right time to grab one and you might WIN in their ‘Nokia Buena’ Christmas Promotion.

To join the promo,  all you need to do is purchase that Nokia devices that you always wanted and each of the Lumia smartphones have corresponding points that will be your ticket to the raffle draws.

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LINE’s key to localization is deeper interaction with the Philippine market

LINE, the world’s leading mobile platform with 290 million users worldwide, is gaining particular traction in the Philippines by initiating deeper interaction with local market through various partnerships and specially tailored services.

LINE has emerged as the mobile marketing platform for many local enterprises and plans to bring more localized content and meaningful engagements to Philippine users.

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Διεθνές Νομισματικό Ταμείο, η Ευρωπαϊκή Κεντρική Τράπεζα και η Ευρωπαϊκή Ενωση-επιχειρήσεις με μόνο στόχο το κέρδος

 Ο τοκογλύφος και η λύση

Ο ελληνικός λαός, αλλά και οικονομικοί παράγοντες έξω από τη χώρα, παρακολουθούν το συνεχιζόμενο παιχνίδι μεταξύ της ελληνικής κυβέρνησης από τη μία πλευρά και των εκπροσώπων του Διεθνούς Νομισματικού Ταμείου, της Ευρωπαϊκής Κεντρικής Τράπεζας και της Ευρωπαϊκής Ενωσης, που απαρτίζουν εκείνο που συνηθίσαμε να λέμε, απρόσωπα, τρόικα. Το λέμε απρόσωπα, αλλά έχει πρόσωπα, επώνυμα, γνωστά και εκπροσωπεί θεσμούς, που έχουν κανόνες και υποσχέσεις πέρα από το πάρε-δώσε μιας τραπεζιτικής σχέσης.

Το πιο σημαντικό: Και οι τρεις αυτοί οργανισμοί-θεσμοί δεν είναι τίποτε άλλο από επιχειρήσεις με μόνο στόχο το κέρδος. Κι αυτό που έγραψα στην προηγούμενη παράγραφο για κανόνες και υποσχέσεις δεν είναι παρά η βιτρίνα του τέρατος. Το παραμύθι που πουλιέται στον πελάτη για να πειστεί να μπει, κι αφού μπει να μείνει. Για να γδαρθεί μέχρι οστού.
Οποιος για όλα αυτά είχε την παραμικρή αμφιβολία, δεν έχει παρά να δει ψυχρά τα γεγονότα: Η διαρκής απαίτηση για διαρκή περικοπή εισοδημάτων και αξιών των πολιτών, είτε εδώ είτε έξω από εδώ, δεν οδηγεί παρά σε ένα και μόνο αποτέλεσμα: Στη φτώχεια.

   
Τι γίνεται ο πλούτος που χάνει ο πληθυσμός της χώρας είτε σε εισοδήματα είτε σε αξίες περιουσίας; Τα εισοδήματα πηγαίνουν κατά 97% στα ταμεία του Διεθνούς Νομισματικού Ταμείου, της Ευρωπαϊκής Κεντρικής Τράπεζας και της Ευρωπαϊκής Ενωσης, έναντι αυτών που υποτίθεται ότι χρωστάει το ελληνικό κράτος από τα δάνεια.
Οι αξίες της περιουσίας βρίσκονται σε μεγάλο ποσοστό υποθηκευμένες στις τράπεζες και οι υπόλοιπες απαξιώνονται ώστε να γίνουν εύκολη λεία σε μελλοντικούς αγοραστές. Αλλά και όσες είναι στις τράπεζες γίνονται, εύκολα, προϊόντα (χαρτιά) που πωλούνται στη διεθνή αγορά.
Θέλω να θυμίσω ότι η Ελλάδα μπήκε στο πρώτο μνημόνιο με χρέος περί τα 240 δισ. ευρώ. Σήμερα, μετά από περικοπές, που δεν είναι ακόμα οι πιο αιματηρές (γιατί έρχονται κι άλλες), η χώρα χρωστάει 320 δισ., αφού ήδη έχει κουρευτεί ένα κομμάτι του χρέους της!
Οχι μόνο αυτό, αλλά οι τράπεζες με τα αυριανά δεδομένα θα χρειαστούν επιπλέον 65 δισ. για να είναι βιώσιμες, ενώ ομόφωνα η τρόικα διαπιστώνει ότι η χώρα θα χρειαστεί την Ανοιξη ένα νέο δάνειο περί τα 110 δισ. ευρώ!

   
Οποιος δεν έχει πέσει στα νύχια τοκογλύφου δεν μπορεί να καταλάβει τι γίνεται με τη χώρα. Αλλά και όποιος έχει πέσει στα νύχια τοκογλύφου ξέρει να σας πει ένα πράγμα: Οτι η εκβιαστική λεηλασία της περιουσίας ενός ανθρώπου ή ενός κράτους σταματάει μόνο όταν σταματήσει να έχει δύναμη ο εκβιασμός. Συγκεκριμένα, ο εκβιαστής.
Και ο εκβιαστής παύει να έχει δύναμη μόνο όταν το θύμα του τον αντιμετωπίσει ως εγκληματία και του κλείσει την πόρτα.
Το ερώτημα είναι: Τι κάνει κανείς όταν όλο το χρηματοπιστωτικό σύστημα, στο οποίο ζει, είναι ένας τοκογλύφος-εκβιαστής; Η απάντηση είναι: Ο,τι και με τον εγκληματία: Δεν του πληρώνεις το διάφορο. Την αισχροκέρδεια.
Αλλά, το σοβαρότερο ερώτημα είναι: Εχει προετοιμαστεί ο λαός να αποδεχτεί τον πόλεμο και τα αντίποινα του εκβιαστή; Εχει πληροφορηθεί ο λαός τι θα πει πολεμάω και πληρώνω και το αντίτιμο του πολέμου μέχρι να νικήσω;
Ή απλώς χαϊδεύουμε τα αυτιά του λαού με ωραιότητες, στα πλαίσια μιας καλομαθημένης ζωής, που ξαφνικά έχει γίνει μια κόλαση;
Ο μόνος τρόπος να απαλλαγεί ο λαός από τον τοκογλύφο είναι η ρήξη και η σύγκρουση. Αλλά η ρήξη και η σύγκρουση θέλουν θυσίες. Θα έχει θύματα. Και, κυρίως, θέλουν οδηγητές έτοιμους να θυσιαστούν. Εχει εκπαιδευτεί ο λαός αυτός για θυσίες; Και έχει σοβαρούς οδηγούς έτοιμους για θυσίες;

Γ. ΠΑΠΑΔΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ-ΤΕΤΡΑΔΗΣ

εχει δημοσιευτεί ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΟΤΥΠΙΑ 19-11-2013
 

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Microsoft Philippines showcase Life through Windows Glass House

Microsoft Philippines today has unveiled the Windows Glass House, a life-size installation that replicates a typical home but is reimagined with the incorporation of different Windows 8.1 devices and apps made for each member of the family.

The Glass House, designed by renowned interior designers Ivy and Cynthia Almario, illustrates the ability of Microsoft technology to power Filipino families and to transform their everyday living. The Glass House showcased the newest Windows 8.1 tablets such as the Lenovo MIXX2 and Acer W4.

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Captain's Table Challenge: Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is definitely my favorite holiday because aside from seeing loved ones and giving thanks for all the wonderful things in our life, we're doing it all over a fantastic meal of comfort food perfect for the season. I spent Thanksgiving with the Baron's family and it was fun and memorable as always. And to include friends into the holiday festivities, I hosted a Friendsgiving the following evening. Overall it was a wonderful long holiday weekend.

Last year around this time I participated in the 'Spice Up the Holidays' campaign with my friends at Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum. This year, I've partnered up with them once again for 'The Captain's Table Challenge,' a food-filled program where I'll be highlighting the holidays with food and drink! Specifically, I'll be sharing a food and drink recipe incorporating Captain Morgan's Rum for recipes perfect for Thanksgiving, Holidays and even the Superbowl. To get in on the action, Chef Hugh Acheson will be reviewing all the recipes submitted during the three occasions and a winner will be chosen among the participating bloggers to award a trip to a Captain's Table US Event in the spring of 2014 where they will be joined by Chef Hugh Acheson himself... So stay tuned!

Even better is Captain Morgan is sharing their giving spirit by donating $1 to WhyHunger every time the hashtag #CaptainsTable is used across social media this holiday season. I would love to help them and would encourage you to utilize the hashtag so we can help raise as much money as possible for a great cause.

Naturally, the first holiday to kick the program off is Thanksgiving. Apples are a must for any fall menu. So for this holiday, I'm sharing a dessert and a cocktail incorporating apples that's sure to bring out the best of fall...

This Apple Rum Cider is easy to put together over the stove top or even in a crockpot to keep warm for a cocktail party. The aroma alone of the simmering apple cider with a clove studded apple, orange slices and even fresh ginger root will make you love the fall season even more...

Apple Rum Cider

recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse

1 apple
2 teaspoons whole cloves
1orange, thinly sliced
1 gallon apple cider
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon allspice
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
Pinch grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum
Cinnamon sticks, garnish
Apple slices, garnish

Stud the apple with the cloves and place in a medium pot with the remaining ingredients except for the rum. Bring to a simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat; discard the apple and ginger. Stir in the rum. Ladle into mugs and garnish each with a cinnamon stick and apple slices. 

And what's Thanksgiving without a dessert to share? That's why this Drunken Apple Cheesecake is a perfect sweet ending to a turkey dinner. Apple slices are gently cooked in melted butter then tossed with brown sugar and apple pie spice before thickening up with some Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum... making it a perfect addition to swirl into a cheesecake and garnish for serving...

Drunken Apple Cheesecake
adapted from Borden/Eagle Brand

Apple Rum Topping:
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/4 cup Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum

In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and corn starch; set aside. 

In a medium skillet set over medium high heat, melt the butter. Add the apples and apple pie spice; cook until soft and tender.

Add the rum and brown sugar mixture, stirring until it thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, make the cheesecake...

crust:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

filling:
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
3 large eggs
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup drunken apple topping above 

garnish: (optional)
whipped cream
more drunken apple topping


Preheat oven to 300°F. 

To make the crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar; press firmly into bottom of ungreased 9-inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese until fluffy in large bowl. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add eggs and lemon juice; mix well. Pour over crust.

Dollop spoonfuls of the drunken apple topping randomly over the top of the cheesecake filling. Using the tip of a paring knife, drag the knife across the cheesecake filling to swirl the drunken apple topping into it.

Bake the cheesecake in the preheated oven uncovered for 50 to 55 minutes or until set. Cool for an hour to finish setting, chill for another hour before serving. Serve by garnishing with whipped cream and extra drunken apple topping if desired. 

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Gionee Elife E7 Smartphone with 5.5-Inch Display, 16.0MP Main Camera

Gionee announced their newest offering the Gionee Elife E7 with full-pack hardware features, for starters this smartphone is powered by the latest Qualcomm Quadcore Snapdragon 2.2Ghz processor.

With its 16.0MP main camera and 8MP front camera, this smartphone is another great camera device that might replace your current digital camera and those compact dslr.

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Day 28 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Today I am thankful for good friends, family and team mates to enjoy a turkey dinner with...

Judy

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To Thanksgiving or Not To Thanksgiving

GIVING THANKS WITHOUT THE FEAST

When you rise in the morning, 

give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. 

Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. 

If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.

- Tecumseh 

I watched my son shrug on his heavy coat and slip into his backpack, just a bit harried, almost but not quite late for the morning bus as usual, as every day. “If I make a special meal for Thanksgiving tonight, will you stay in and eat with us? Can you plan it into your schedule?” I inquired. “I don’t know,” he puffs, one foot already out the door. “I don’t know what I’m doing tonight yet but I’ll let you know.” Today is just another weekday, a Thursday, a middle-of-the-week, work-and-school-as-usual day in France. As it has been for the more than twenty-six years that I have lived here with my French family. So it is no wonder that we do not celebrate Thanksgiving.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do, I always say. And when in France in a house full of Frenchmen, well, Thanksgiving gets shuffled to the back of the closet.

We have never celebrated Thanksgiving. As the season rolls around and the day approaches, the house fills with the splendid aromas of cinnamon wafting from the oven warm and spicy, pumpkin roasting sweet and earthy, cranberries and oranges simmering on the stove, the seasonal fragrance of holidays and autumn. There may have been roasted birds in the past, home-baked bread, loaves of cranberry-orange, tins of cornbread and fluffy dinner rolls. There have been our fair share of chestnutty this and apple that, cakes and pies and compotes. But as I sit here and weigh out the decision whether or not to cook a festive meal tonight, I simply cannot even remember if I have ever told the simple story of the first Thanksgiving to my sons. Most likely my husband, the history buff, pragmatic and cynical to his soul, would have interrupted me more than once with tales of lies, stolen land and battles waged.

Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; 

I am thankful that thorns have roses. 

- Alphonse Karr 

Younger son popped home today to wolf down a couple of all-American grilled cheese sandwiches. Perched upon stools at the kitchen counter, I turned to him and noticed that today he was unplugged, no ear buds stuck into his head, volume up, the noise of some American cop show drowning us and the outside world out. “Do you know the story of Thanksgiving?” I queried? Only the slightest of movements, barely a shrug of the shoulders, a wink of recognition; chewing slowly and staring straight ahead I sensed more than saw the glimmer of a negative. Maybe the question surprised him and he needed to dig back deep into his memory, but the answer must have been no.

The older son blasts in on a wave of hunger and cold wind looking for his own grilled cheese sandwiches (in this, I trained them well) and I posed the same question to him. “Oh yeah, like the Pilgrims?” he grinned. “And what else do you know?” I asked. “Well, they stole land from them, sold them booze and they sold New York to them for $2!” he laughed. Well, I think maybe somewhere in there he has the story. Someone was paying attention to his history lessons.

Keep your eyes open to your mercies. 

The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life. 

- Robert Louis Stevenson 

But it is all about being thankful. And that we are. Even as we come to the end of a very long, very trying ten years of pain and sadness, illness and death, times turbulent and riddled with tragedy, we have come to appreciate the good we have in our lives. We are indeed thankful for the love that binds us together, the love that has saved us and gotten us through both thick and thin, no matter how that love and these bonds have been tried, stretched and strained.

We are thankful for our sons. As we look around us and see so much woe, see so many parents dealing with so many difficulties and troubled kids, so many families torn asunder, we are thankful every day that our sons have grown up to be smart, healthy, educated, generous, handsome young men who are still happy to hang out with us, go on vacation with us and share their day to day with us. We are thankful that each has found his calling and is well and successfully on his way to a satisfying and fruitful career, surrounded by good friends.

We are thankful for the laughter that rings through our home, that we can be silly and crazy and real downright idiots when we like. We are thankful for having a roof over our head, a warm cozy home and food and books to fill and sate, nourish us body and soul. We are thankful for our health, even as age begins to weigh us down with her aches and stiffness. We are still in pretty damn fine shape.

And we are thankful for our family and friends. We may not see them often and we might not be sitting down to share a feast with them, but we know we have this network of caring, generous people around us, supported and supporting, encouraged and encouraging, with whom we share information, culture, meals, triumphs, tears and laughter.

While the Pilgrims were sitting down to table, breaking bread with the Indians, my family might have been in some Eastern shtetl and my husband’s in France, both poor, humble stock, and although we don’t roast turkey and serve up mounds of stuffing and thick slabs of pie, we are thankful indeed.

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; 

they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. 

- Marcel Proust

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Lenovo's How-to Guide on Picking out Your First Smartphone

Why does choosing a smartphone these days seem so overwhelming? That’s because you're drowning in a sea of information and devices and out of so many different products out there today - you only need to catch one fish.

There are a few important things to keep in mind before diving into getting your first smartphone. These three fail-safe tips will help you swim and navigate through the mobile market and lead you to your first smartphone:

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Day 27 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Totally skipped yesterday...

Today I am thankful for clear blue skies which made the end of a full 19 hrs of driving very beautiful!

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Coffee Cake

Who's ready for the food fest of Thanksgiving tomorrow? Or are you more anxious about Black Friday shopping the day after? Whatever you are looking forward to this Thanksgiving holiday, I wish you and yours a memorable time with loved ones! I'm sure folks are over the turkey talk so today I'm sharing something sweet and perfect for the day after Thanksgiving. This Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Coffee Cake is great for breakfast, snack or an anytime dessert. With a decadent peanut butter cake that has a chocolate streusel running through it, does it even matter when it's enjoyed?!

I can't even begin to tell you how glad I am to have a short week of work and a long holiday weekend ahead! This year for Thanksgiving, the Baron and I are spending the holiday with his extended family while Joel will be spending it with his dad. I have the long weekend to relax and possibly squeeze in some shopping on Friday if I'm not stuck in a food coma lol. But there will most definitely be lots of noshing starting tonight through Saturday. In fact, tonight I'll be doing a restaurant review of a new steakhouse that opened up in the west Chicago suburbs. Thanksgiving will be the traditional family dinner. Friday I'll be hosting a 'Prime Rib Throwdown' dinner for the second year in a row. Saturday is a group date night out with friends for dinner and a comedy show. Finally, Sunday I'm doing a restaurant review for brunch with my friend, Melissa... and well, after Sunday I may just start eating salads and smoothies to clear my system of the food overload.

This cake was one I brought in to share with my new coworkers a couple weeks ago. It was gone before lunch and checking in to only find an empty cake stand is such a great feeling lol. It's got the right amount of peanut butter for the flavor to come through and the chocolate streusel just gives the perfect taste of chocolate to complement the coffee cake. It's sure to please your favorite peanut butter & chocolate fan...

Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Coffee Cake

adapted from AllRecipes

Coffee Cake

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 cups all purpose flour or gluten free flour blend

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

Chocolate Streusel

1/4 cup all purpose flour or gluten free flour blend

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking cocoa

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

powdered sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a bundt pan with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine the streusel ingredients except the chocolate chips with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the peanut butter, shortening and brown sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fluffy.

In another bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add this dry mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk and beating after every addition.

Transfer half of the mixture into the prepared bundt pan. Top with the streusel and chocolate chips. Add the remaining cake batter on top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove cake from oven and allow to cool in wire rack while still in pan. When cool enough to handle, invert pan onto serving plate and remove pan. 

Dust cake with powdered sugar before serving.

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Celebrate the Yuletide season with treats from Philips

Christmas is one of the most anticipated and joyful times of the year. It’s also one of the busiest—our schedules can get easily packed, from Christmas parties to last minute shopping sprees.

But Christmas doesn’t have to be stressful—plan your Christmas list ahead so you can sit back and relax as you enjoy this year’s Yuletide season.

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Synology Introduces RackStation RS814

Synology introduced RackStation RS814, a scalable 1U 4-bay rackmount NAS server designed to be a powerful and full-featured network attached storage solution, with scalability up to 32TB with Synology RX410.

“The RS814 is designed to meet ever-increasing business requirements while keeping its price competitive,” said Nicole Lin, Product Manager at Synology Inc.

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Zuppa toscana con farro or Tuscan Spelt Soup

Una zuppa veloce (non necessita alcun ammollo per i legumi presenti), colorata e calda calda, perfetta per questa stagione, che aspettate a prepararla?
A quick soup (you don't have to soak the legumes) that is hot and colorful - perfect for this time of year. What are you waiting for?

Gli ingredienti necessari per quattro persone sono 250g tra piselli spezzati, orzo perlato, lenticchie verdi, fagioli all'occhio, soia verde, fave spezzate, farro perlato e lenticchie rosse decorticate (tutte contenute nella Zuppa toscana con farro Nuova Terra), olio extravergine d'oliva, 1,6 litri di brodo vegetale, peperoncino secco e prezzemolo fresco.
Lavate gli ingredienti contenuti nella Zuppa toscana con farro Nuova Terra, mettetela in una pentola con 3 cucchiai d'olio extravegine d'oliva, 1 spicchio d'aglio e fate insaporire; unite quindi il brodo e fate cuocere per circa 40' a fuoco moderato.
Servite spolverando la zuppa con il prezzemolo ed il peperoncino tritati ed un filo d'olio extravergine d'oliva a crudo!

Tuscan Spelt Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients: Contained in the Tuscan Spelt Soup mix by Nuova Terra (250 gr (2 cups) mixed peas Pearl barley Green lentils Black-eyed peas Green soybeans Fava beans Pearled spelt Split red lentils); add: Extra-virgin olive oil, 1.6 liters (54 fluid ounces) vegetable broth, Dried chilis, Fresh parsley

Preparation: Wash the ingredients in the Nuova Terra mix. Add 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil to a pan; add a clove of garlic and the Nuova Terra Mix. Simmer to allow the flavors to infuse, then add the broth and cook for 40 minutes on a low heat. Add chopped parsley; sprinkle chili on the top, drizzle with a little olive oil and serve.

Nella mia cucina:
Piatti e tovaglietta Villa d'Este Home
Casseruola 'OPTIMA' Risolì

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Τι υποστήριξε ο Άδωνις και ποια είναι η αλήθεια για την Ευρώπη

 

Τα μεγάλα ψέματα για τα γενόσημα! Τι υποστήριξε ο Άδωνις και ποια είναι η αλήθεια για την Ευρώπη

Με τη γνωστή τακτική του “διαρρέω λανθασμένες πληροφορίες και ποιος θα τις ελέγξει” φαίνεται ότι επιχειρεί να ασκήσει φαρμακευτική πολιτική το υπουργείο Υγείας. Τι είπε για τα γενόσημα ο Άδωνις και τι ισχύει πραγματικά στην  Ευρώπη
 

Της Δήμητρας Ευθυμιάδου 28-8-2013

 

Για χάρη της τρόικας αλλά και για να μειωθεί η φαρμακευτική δαπάνη, τι εφηύρε ο Άδωνις Γεωργιάδης; Φυσικά την επιβάρυνση για τις τσέπες των Ελλήνων ασθενών. Σε πρόσφατες δηλώσεις του είχε φροντίσει να δηλώσει εμφατικά ότι η Σουηδία έχει ποσοστό 75% στη χρήση γενοσήμων ενώ η Ελλάδα μόλις 18%. Έτσι με μεγάλη ευκολία προωθεί ρύθμιση με την οποία οι ασθενείς για να πάρουν τα πρωτότυπα φάρμακα θα πρέπει να πληρώνουν διπλά από την τσέπη τους αφού ο ΕΟΠΥΥ δε θα καλύπτει πλέον το 50% από τη διαφορά της ασφαλιστικής τιμής (ανώτατη τιμή αποζημίωσης). Η αλήθεια όμως για την Ευρώπη απέχει παρασάγγας. 

 

Και αυτό διότι με βάση τον επίσημο κατάλογο της EFPIA (ο Ευρωπαϊκός Σύνδεσμος των Φαρμακευτικών Επιχειρήσεων) που εξεδόθη πριν από λίγες ημέρες και περιλαμβάνει όλα τα τελευταία καταγεγραμμένα στοιχεία, η Σουηδία όχι μόνο δε καταλαμβάνει ποσοστό 75% ως μερίδιο αγοράς στη χρήση γενοσήμων αλλά υπολείπεται πολύ της χώρας μας καθώς εμφανίζεται να χρησιμοποιεί γενόσημα μόνο σε ποσοστό 15%!

Τα επιχειρήματα του Άδωνι είναι προφανώς εστιασμένα στις επιδιώξεις της τρόικας που έχει ζητήσει έως το τέλος του 2013 να χρησιμοποιούμε σε ποσοστό 60% τα γενόσημα φάρμακα.

 

 

Ανάλογα ποσοστά όμως παρουσιάζουν μόνο χώρες που εντάχθηκαν πρόσφατα στους κόλπους της Ε.Ε. Όπως η Πολωνία με 62,2 %, η Σλοβακία με 52%, η Λιθουανία με 51,7%, η Κροατία με 42,5%. Είναι χώρες που σύμφωνα με την EFPIA έχουν υψηλό επίπεδο αγοράς γενοσήμων φαρμάκων επειδή έχουν και χαμηλά επίπεδα προστασίας της πνευματικής ιδιοκτησίας γεγονός που σημαίνει ότι εταιρείες που παράγουν αντίγραφα σκευάσματα σπεύδουν να αναπαράξουν το πρωτότυπο φάρμακο πριν ακόμη λήξει η πατέντα του, γεγονός παράνομο.

 

Η Γερμανία πάντως που είναι ένθερμος υποστηρικτής των τροϊκανικών μέτρων για την Ελλάδα, έχει 30,6% ποσοστό στην αγορά γενόσημων ενώ η Αυστρία 24,9%.

 

 

Το πιο χαμηλό ποσοστό πάντως εμφανίζει η εύπορη Ελβετία όπου τα αντίγραφα καταλαμβάνουν μόλις το 9,8% της αγοράς. Και την ώρα που η τρόικα και ο Άδωνις Γεωργιάδης ζητούν επιμόνως να αυξηθεί το ποσοστό στην Ελλάδα στο 60% επιβαρύνοντας δραματικά τις τσέπες των ασθενών, ως εκ θαύματος οι “μνημονιακές” Πορτογαλία και Ιρλανδία παρουσιάζουν εξαιρετικά χαμηλά ποσοστά στα αντίγραφα με μόλις 20% και 12,1% αντίστοιχα.

 

ΔΙΑΒΑΣΤΕ ΕΠΙΣΗΣ:

 

Ο πόλεμος του φαρμάκου! Τι ζητάει η τρόικα και τι θα πληρώνουν οι ασθενείς

 

Άρχισε το αλαλούμ στα νοσοκομεία! Εφημερίες με...δανεικούς εργαζόμενους

 

Η επέλαση του Γερμανικού συστήματος υγείας στην Ελλάδα! Τι ισχύει στη Γερμανία

 

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The Pigeons of Mesquer

A VERY SPECIAL STORY

Kill no more pigeons than you can eat. 

– Benjamin Franklin 

I am thrilled to have my story The Man Who Spoke to Pigeons: Rémy Anézo and Les Pigeons de Mesquer published on Modern Farmer. You can find the piece online here…

Interviewing Matthieu Anézo at Les Pigeons de Mesquer

This is an article that is dear to my heart about a man with whom I am connected in two ways, through his lovely niece Mathilde, a friend of mine, and my own son Clem. Here is my story of how the interview and the article came about: Rémy Anezo is what the French call un homme comblé, a contented, satisfied man. He is surrounded by what he loves the most in the world every day from morning to night, living out his dream. A beautiful, tranquil setting and thousands of pigeons are his mission and his mainstay. And he is perfectly happy spending everyday in this universe he has created.

Pigeons. The idea of pigeons reminds me of Piazza del Duomo in the center of Milan, Italy and the hundreds upon hundreds of crazily flapping wings, the sharp tiny beaks coming perilously close to one’s legs, pigeons swooping much too close to one’s head. Pigeons remind me of every European city I have ever visited and the thin spikes left atop monuments to keep them from roosting; pigeons remind me of the various run-ins with our dogs and the one time Marty snapped at one as it crossed his path and…lunge…chomp and we were faced with a small Boston Terrier with a tremendous pigeon clasped in the iron grip of his jaws (The Strange Incident of the Dog and the Pigeon). Husband calls them rats with wings and shudders when he considers them at all.

Yet I know that pigeon is a culinary delicacy. Our very special wedding anniversary meal at the Michelin-starred La Mare aux Oiseaux an hour outside of Nantes showed me just how special when I saw “pigeon roti de l’ami Rémy” on the menu and although I did not order it, it stuck with me, my curiosity was certainly aroused. Pigeon with tender sweet French peas is a classic dish in this country since the time of Louis XIV. Yet what a coincidence when my friend Mathilde told me that Rémy is actually her uncle! Standing in my kitchen as we used to do, making macarons together and jabbering on about our lives, she informed me, as we were discussing possible subjects for articles that I could write, that not only is her father a fourth-generation salt farmer but her uncle raises pigeons, pigeons appreciated and sought after by many of France’s top chefs. This, I knew, would make a great story! So I called Rémy and set up a date to drive out and meet him in Mesquer at his pigeon farm. With JP. Who, I must admit kept a serious, straight face even when confronted by so many pigeons, up close and personal.

With Rémy Anézo

His place – Les Pigeons de Mesquer – is a pretty, idyllic setting, calm and quiet, but for the elegant cooing, and sits outside the lovely little picture-postcard village of Mesquer, so quiet, so sleepy when we drove through. But off to our meeting…

Rémy is a quiet but funny man, a mix of the old-fashioned and the thoroughly modern who speaks of his pigeons with a man’s respect and young boy’s passion and excitement. A true artisan, he raises his birds organically and naturally in such bucolic surroundings one is quickly swept up into his world, his ideology, his passion. His own son Matthieu now works with him and the two together are obviously one hell of a dynamic team. Matthieu jumped in and out of the coops, scooping up newborns, tiny babes and adults with ease and familiarity as we talked and snapped photos. Rémy talked about his work with chefs and led us to the old barn that he is renovating to make way for a demonstration kitchen where chefs come and teach classes for visitors… a barn that my own son Clem and his partner Valentin redesigned. Some connection, right?

And today…. Today my article about Les Pigeons de Mesquer and Rémy and Matthieu Anézo is published on Modern Farmer!

A funny ending of the story: Rémy generously and kindly handed me a bag of freshly killed and plucked birds to take home. We did. JP cooked a beautiful pigeon with peas. We sat down at the table to eat, took knife and fork in hand and as I carved off a piece and tasted – and truly enjoyed it (but I love game) – JP stared at it for a while, obviously gathering his courage and trying to put aside his prejudices – and finally put down his knife and fork, pushed himself away from the table and said “Sorry but I just can’t!” Well, more for me, I say.

(Please do leave a comment at the end of the article… all comments and all sharing are greatly appreciated!)

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Microsoft unleashes major wave of Enterprise Cloud Solutions in Philippines

Microsoft Philippines today announced a wave of new enterprise products and services to enable companies seize the opportunities of cloud computing and overcome today’s top IT challenges. Complementing Office 365 and other services, these new offerings deliver on Microsoft’s enterprise cloud strategy.

In his blog “The Enterprise Cloud Takes Centerstage”, Satya Nadella, Cloud and Enterprise executive vice president, said, “As enterprises move to the cloud they are going to bet on vendors that have best in-class software as a service applications, operate a global public cloud that supports a broad ecosystem of third party services, and deliver multi-cloud mobility through true hybrid solutions. If you look across the vendor landscape, you can see that only Microsoft is truly delivering in all of those areas.”

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Apple Pie with Walnut Crumb Topping

We're coming down to the final days before Thanksgiving... have you started prepping yet? This year, we're spending it with The Baron's extended family and I'll be in charge of desserts. So since I had so much fun making pies in a couple pie classes I've taught, I'm going to do a few pies to bring to the table. Specifically, an apple lattice pie, blueberry crumb pie, and ginger peach pie... recipes to be featured here on the site soon! But I will share this Apple Pie with Walnut Crumb Topping. I had students make this in one of my pie classes and it was a hit! Fresh apples are seasoned with sugar and cinnamon, then topped with a walnut and brown sugar crumb topping before baking...

Apple pie is a must during the fall and especially during Thanksgiving. If you're intimidated to make a double crust pie (which is a pie that has a crust on the bottom and on top), this is a good pie to make since it only uses one crust. The topping of walnuts, brown sugar and flour is perfect if you're serving folks who love a bit of crunchy topping for texture. To serve, I love a slice of this pie with a healthy scoop of vanilla, caramel or cinnamon ice cream and a drizzle of buttery caramel. 

Apple Pie with Walnut Crumb Topping

recipe adapted from Whole Foods

For the Crust

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or gluten free flour blend
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 4 tablespoons ice water

For the Topping

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or gluten free flour blend
• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted [Plugra] butter, at room temperature
• 
  
• For the Filling
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or gluten free flour blend
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• pinch sea salt
• 2 1/2 pounds (about 6) Granny Smith, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Prepare the pie crust. Place flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Or, whisk together in a medium bowl. Add butter and shortening and pulse in the food processor or cut in using a pastry blender just until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough just comes together. Gather up dough, pat into a disc, cover and chill at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the topping. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, walnuts, brown sugar and salt. Mix in butter with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

When ready to bake pie, preheat oven to 400°F. Roll pie crust dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Place dough in 9 1/2-inch pie plate and press into place. Trim and fold under the edges and crimp for a decorative crust. Chill in refrigerator while making the filling.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cinnamon, lemon zest and salt until combined. Add apple slices and lemon juice and toss until evenly coated. Spoon apple filling into pie shell and sprinkle evenly with crumb topping. Bake pie on lower rack of oven 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake 45 to 50 minutes longer or until apples are tender and topping is golden and crisp. Cool on a wire rack.

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SingTel and Fortinet Partner to Provide Secured Broadband Services to Businesses

Fortinet a world leader in high performance network security, announced that it has partnered with SingTel, a leading ICT service provider in Asia Pacific, to immediately roll out secured broadband services to enterprises across Singapore. 

Running on Fortinet's high performance FortiGate network security platforms and FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer centralised management and reporting appliances, the SingTel Business Fibre Broadband Security Suite intercepts security threats and eliminates them in the cloud before they reach a company's IT network.

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Day 25 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Today is a tough one but I have to say I am thankful for a vet who was willing to get down on the ground and cry with me while I was doing one of the hardee things in life.  And for a little girl who's kindness of heart always astounds and amazes me...

R.I.P. Simba

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Kahlúa Cocoa Chip Cookies

 

Baking is especially fun during these fall months with the holidays around the corner. If you're looking for something fun to bake up, why not incorporate some spirits into your treats this year? These Kahlúa Cocoa Chip Cookies combine the best of hot cocoa with a touch of Kahlúa for something special. Hot cocoa, Kahlúa and even tiny marshmallow bits make this cookie fun and festive for the season...

Everyone loves a hot cup of cocoa with marshmallows. This cookie takes that same idea and transforms it into cookie form. Kahlúa is great for baking and in this recipe, I used it in place of the vanilla extract. It adds to the color of the cookie and gives a very subtle coffee flavor. And while we're talking about Kahlúa, why not enjoy these with a mug of Kahlúa Caramel Pumpkin Spice Latte?!

 

Kahlúa Cocoa Chip Cookies

recipe adapted from No Empty Chairs

 

1 cup  unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon  Kahlúa liqueur

3  cups all purpose flour [or GF flour blend]

1 cup  Hot Cocoa Mix

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup dried Marshmallow Bits 

 

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line an ungreased baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

in a large bowl, combine the butter and sugars with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. 

Add eggs and Kahlua and continue mixing well; set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, hot cocoa mix, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Slowly add this dry mixture to the large mixing bowl with the sugar, butter and eggs. Mix well to combine.

Stir in chocolate chips and marshmallow bits until well incorporated.

Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, drop dough onto prepared cookie sheets. 

Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. 

Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for five minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To get inspiration for more great recipes and entertaining ideas with Kahlúa and for a chance to win the ultimate holiday party, please visit www.kahluaholiday.com.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kahlúa. The opinions and text are all mine.

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