ΟΙ ΑΦΟΡΟΛΟΓΗΤΟΙ ΠΛΟΥΣΙΟΙ ΚΑΤΑΣΤΡΕΦΟΥΝ ΤΗΝ ΕΥΡΩΠΗ

Η απληστία της μειονότητας

Υπεύθυνος: Επιμέλεια: ΒΙΚΗ ΤΣΙΩΡΟΥ

«Ο κόσμος πάσχει από μια συλλογική αμνησία σχετικά με τις αιτίες που τον οδήγησαν στη σημερινή ύφεση, δηλαδή την απληστία μιας μειονότητας, την απελευθέρωση του εμπορίου και των κεφαλαίων και τη συνεχή αποσταθεροποίηση.

»Σύμφωνα με το δίκτυο Tax Justice Network, περιουσίες 21.000 δισεκατομμυρίων δολαρίων, το 2011, είχαν βρει καταφύγιο σε φορολογικούς παραδείσους. Ποσό επτά φορές μεγαλύτερο από τα ελλείμματα όλων των χωρών του κόσμου!». Τα παραπάνω στοιχεία δίνει η Αυστραλή Sharan Burrow, γενική γραμματέας της Διεθνούς Συνομοσπονδίας Συνδικάτων, που διαθέτει 175 εκατομμύρια μέλη σε 153 χώρες.
Σε συνέντευξή της στην εφημερίδα «Λιμπερασιόν» είναι σαφής: «Ακόμη και το ΔΝΤ επιτέλους κατάλαβε πως η εφαρμογή της λιτότητας έχει αρνητικά αποτελέσματα. Χωρίς σχέδιο ανάπτυξης οδηγεί στην ύφεση. Το σενάριο αυτό έχει καταστρέψει την Ευρώπη. Οι περικοπές στην κοινωνική πρόνοια και στις συντάξεις εξοργίζουν και ταπεινώνουν τους ήδη απελπισμένους εργαζομένους. Μια μειονότητα του χρηματοπιστωτικού τομέα, που έχει διασωθεί από τα κράτη και τους φορολογουμένους, κατάφερε να επιβάλει την άποψή της.
»Πριν από πέντε χρόνια όλοι οι ηγέτες ορκίζονταν πως "δεν θα ξανασυμβεί αυτό", υποσχόμενοι πως θα αλλάξουν γραμμή. Σήμερα μιλούν ακόμη για χρηματοπιστωτικές μεταρρυθμίσεις, εξυγίανση τραπεζών και έλεγχο κάθε φορολογικού παραδείσου!
»Πέρα από κάποια φορολογία στις χρηματιστηριακές συναλλαγές, η κερδοσκοπική δραστηριότητα ζει και βασιλεύει. Βλέπουμε να διαφαίνεται μια οικονομία που ενισχύεται από τις μειώσεις των μισθών και τείνουμε σε μια οικονομία τύπου καζίνο, η οποία δημιουργεί μια έκρηξη ανισοτήτων στο εσωτερικό κάθε χώρας».

  
Δημοκρατία τραπεζών
«Ο κόσμος αυτό λέει. Σε μια δημοσκόπηση τον περασμένο Ιούνιο, σε 13 χώρες, το 67% των ερωτηθέντων υποστηρίζει πως οι τράπεζες και οι χρηματοπιστωτικοί φορείς επηρεάζουν καθοριστικά τις κυβερνήσεις τους. Επίσης, το 67% θεωρεί πως οι πολίτες δεν έχουν καμία επιρροή στις οικονομικές αποφάσεις.
»Το δημοκρατικό σύμφωνο έχει εξανεμιστεί. Οι τράπεζες νίκησαν επειδή έπεισαν πως δεν χρειάζονται παρά μόνο κάποιες καλλωπιστικές αλλαγές, εκτός και αν υπάρχει κίνδυνος να καταρρεύσει το σύστημα. Οι πολυεθνικές κέρδισαν γιατί μπορούν να απειλούν τις κυβερνήσεις με τη μεταφορά των δραστηριοτήτων τους σε άλλες χώρες αν δεν μειωθούν οι μισθοί των εργαζομένων. Το 71% εκτιμά πως δεν υπάρχει ασφάλεια στο επάγγελμά τους, το 89% πως το επίπεδο ζωής τους έχει υποβαθμιστεί και τα δύο τρίτα θεωρούν πως τα παιδιά τους θα ζήσουν χειρότερα από εκείνους».
Τι να κάνουν οι κυβερνήσεις, ώστε οι λαοί τους να πιστέψουν στο μέλλον;
«Αντί να σύρονται σιδηροδέσμιοι από τις πολυεθνικές και τα χρηματοπιστωτικά κυκλώματα, τα κράτη έχουν ηθική υποχρέωση να βρουν εναλλακτικές. Χωρίς επενδύσεις στην εργασία, χωρίς ισότιμο καταμερισμό του πλούτου, κάθε ανάπτυξη είναι ανέφικτη».

  
Εύθραυστα συνδικάτα
«Τα συνδικάτα γίνονται όλο και πιο εύθραυστα: οι εργαζόμενοι χρειάζονται σταθερές δομές για να υποστηρίξουν τα δικαιώματά τους, που απειλούνται κάθε μέρα και περισσότερο. Ομως η σημερινή κρίση καταστρέφει εξίσου και την πίστη στη δημοκρατία, της οποίας τα συνδικάτα είναι μία συνιστώσα.
»Η ανταγωνιστικότητα δεν επιβάλλεται από την παραγωγικότητα, το ταλέντο, την έμπνευση, αλλά όλο και περισσότερο από μια πολιτική μείωσης μισθών. Η παγκόσμια ανταγωνιστικότητα έγινε μια δικαιολογία για τη μείωση των μισθών, τον περιορισμό των συνδικαλιστικών ελευθεριών, την υποβάθμιση των συνθηκών εργασίας.
»Σήμερα ορισμένες θέσεις εργασίας στην Κεντρική Ευρώπη αμείβονται χαμηλότερα από ό,τι στην Κίνα. Η Ευρώπη πρέπει να ξαναβρεί ένα όραμα για το λαό της, όχι για τις αγορές».

EXEI ΔΗΜΟΣΙΕΥΘΕΙ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΟΤΥΠΙΑ 12-2-2013
  

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Pebble E-Paper Watch for iPhone and Android

Pebble is a Kickstarter Project that as of this writing it already got a whopping $10,266,845 US dollars pledges from their goal of only $100,000 US Dollars this is one of the many project that is successfully raised its funding goal on May 18, 2012.

This in no ordinary watch, it features a lot of functionality and a companion with your iOS and Android devices.

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Talking Autism In New Brunswick With NDP Leader Dominic Cardy

Together with New Brunswick's foremost autism expert, clinical psychologist and UNB Professor Emeritus (Psychology) Paul McDonnell,  I enjoyed a visit to NB NDP headquarters on Prospect Street in Fredericton this afternoon for a direct, candid and open minded discussion about autism services in New Brunswick with NDP leader Dominic Cardy and NB NDP Executive Director Amanda Francis.  We covered a lot of ground with Paul reviewing early intervention, school and adult care autism services along with the parent advocacy that led to those services being provided. (I chimed in on occasion).  

In fact everyone contributed to the discussion. It was refreshing to discuss autism issues without having to break through a fixed mindset.  Mr. Cardy's office had responded promptly to the February 7. 2013 Autism Society New Brunswick invitation to attend our AGM  and Ms Francis indicated Mr. Cardy would be pleased to meet with us.  With all the news breaking this week of the NDP role in the anti-patronage bill and former Liberal Minister Kelly Lamrock joining the NDP I was fully expecting a postponement of the meeting.  The meeting went ahead though and it was everything you could hope for in discussing a cause, in our case autism, with a political leader. 

Mr. Cardy also re-affirmed his commitment to attending the Autism Society New Brunswick meeting at UNB Fredericton, MacLaggan Hall  on March 23 beginning at 12:30.  

On behalf of ASNB I want to thank Mr. Cardy and Ms. Francis and say that we look forward to continuing the discussion!

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The Damaging Impact Of Seizures On Individuals With Autism

Seizures and epilepsy are serious issues for persons with autism and their families as we learned first hand in our home on November 17, 2012 when Conor suffered a very serious seizure. Following is a publicity release issued in respect of Silently Seizing and author Caren Haines, RN (Haines also received input from Nancy Minshew MD) which I am pleased to publish on this site.  I encourage everyone to read this release and consider using any media or social media you can to further its distribution and awareness of seizure issues for persons with autism disorders.

The Damaging Impact Of Seizures On Individuals With Autism

Newark Valley, NY, February 15, 2013 – Many of us know someone whose family is dealing with autism; once considered rare, now 1 in 88 children in this country are diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Silently Seizing:  Common, Unrecognized and Frequently Missed Seizures and Their Potentially Damaging Impact on Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders (AAPC Publishing) by Caren Haines, RN, and valuable input by Nancy Minshew, MD, deals with the overwhelming challenge for those living with silent seizures. Many are confronted by anger and falsely accused of disorderly conduct, indecent exposure and drug abuse; while some are even unfairly arrested because the bizarre actions exhibited during a seizure have led to frequent misdiagnosis, medical mismanagement and, in the worst case, commitment to a mental institution.

Because they are difficult to diagnose, or due to a lack of awareness and understanding, as many as 30% of all children and young adults with ASD may have undiagnosed seizure disorders. Silently Seizing is a breakthrough book that explores what most doctors won't tell you – that often the symptoms of autism are caused by seizures, undetectable with standard diagnostic tools.

At age 2, the author’s son was diagnosed with autism. By the time he was 12, his diagnosis didn't account for his uncontrollable aggression, the acrid smells that lingered in his mind and the odd voices that screamed at him from inside his head. By the time he was 18, his out-of-control behavior mirrored a mood disorder with psychotic features. Silently Seizing begins with a close-up look at this family's journey and examines a disorder that cannot always be identified in a clinical setting.

As a registered nurse, Caren Haines relied on her training to help her decipher her now 24-year-old autistic son’s perplexing behaviors. Based on knowledge gained from years of intensive research and information from top researchers in the field of autism, she is helping families become free from the debilitating symptoms of silent seizures and psychosis.

Haines’ says, “Intersecting at two medical subspecialties, neurology and psychiatry, the child who has autism and partial seizures is at a serious disadvantage. By inadvertently allowing children's brains to “silently seize,” we are robbing them of their ability to function normally. Untreated, these seizures can predispose children to develop behavioral disturbances, such as self-injury, aggression and psychosis, which are seen in many cases of autism. If they are treated early with anti-seizure medications, many children show amazing gains in expressive language and comprehension. More importantly, many children lose their diagnosis of autism.”

Backed by up-to-the-minute research, Silently Seizing: Common, Unrecognized and Frequently Missed Seizures and Their Potentially Damaging Impact on Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders is a must-read book that includes sections describing autism, the seizure-autism connection, tips for diagnosing and treating seizures, as well as how to better understand children's behavior. It acts as a virtual guide to help parents navigate through this complex and mystifying disease. For more information, please visit: www.bit.ly/Rb2WBW.

Caren Haines is also co-author of Georgia, The Flying Dog, a children’s book that explores the concept of unconditional love and acceptance of our differences.

###

Established in 1999, the mission of AAPC Publishing is to be the first source for practical solutions related to autism spectrum and related disorders. AAPC Publishing is an independent publisher, targeting professionals and parents alike. AAPC Publishing strives to offer publications at affordable prices so that important resources are available to anyone with an interest in the autism spectrum.

MEDIA APPEARANCE:

Caren Haines, AAS Nursing, R.N. - Presentation and Book Signing Event at the 2013 Southeastern “Across the Spectrum” Conference - Autism/Asperger Conference and Expo

When:  February 28th, 2013 - Ms. Haines' presentation is from 11:00 am – 12:15 pm; immediately following she will be at the AAPC booth signing books.

Where: Gwinnett Convention Center - www.gwinnettcenter.com
               6400 Sugarloaf Parkway

               Duluth, Georgia   30097

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Hosted by: Georgia Autism Conferences and Exceptional Ed Events.  Georgia Autism Conferences strives to meet the needs of the Georgia Autism community by providing quality seminars and conferences throughout the state on topics related to Autism Spectrum Disorders.

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Gadget ON: Libratone Unboxing and First Impression

Libratone Live AirPlay Speaker is an Airplay Speaker that is designed so elegant and it features wireless technology, so when they said they will send one for review I said yes right away.

Libratone is from Danish company with its roots in acclaimed Steinway Lyngdorf audio, with a range of speakers product like Libratone Live speaker and Libratone Lounge speaker.

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Bananas Foster Layer Cake

I have a confession. When I surf online and come across gorgeous pictures of cakes, I have this desire to make them... but the amount of work involved in baking, cutting cakes in layers, frosting and decorating just makes the whole ordeal so overwhelming. So I end up bookmarking the cake recipe for eye candy versus any intention of making it. Well, that is until now. Now, after learning about a faster, easier and more efficient way to make a cake, I'm going to need to shuffle through those links of cakes and actually make them... like really make them! But before I go on to share my 'cake making revelation,' let me just say that this Bananas Foster Layer Cake was amazing. I made this cake to take to my friend's Cajun inspired potluck a couple weeks ago. Layers banana cake are kissed with a touch of rum that's topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting, drizzled with caramel and garnished with toasted almond slices. Let them eat cake I say! Let them eat cake!...

So let's just cut to the chase. Making a layered cake is not hard... that is if you use some shortcuts. From Cook's Illustrated magazine, I found a recipe for an Easy Layer Carrot Cake {which I made but will share in another future post}. Essentially the cake batter was baked on a large baking sheet. Doing so gives you one flat, thin sheet cake that takes less time to bake compared to using regular cake pans. Secondly, having one large sheet cake to work with makes it easy to cut the into 4 layers... by quartering the cake. After quartering, you now have 4 equal sized layers that you can stack and frost accordingly. Voila... Easy layer cake!

After learning and trying this out on a carrot cake, I went on to apply it to a banana cake. After making the banana cake, I brushed on some Captain Morgan rum and began frosting it with cream cheese frosting and a drizzle of caramel topping. It was seriously amazing. The Baron was especially pleased, as was all the guests at my friend's Cajun potluck dinner. But for me, the best part was knowing a different way to approach cake recipes and assembling. Baking the cake in one large sheet cake then cutting it in quarters makes for easy layering!

Bananas Foster Layer Cake
recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated
            

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour or 245 grams gluten free flour blend*
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1-1/4 cups light brown sugar (8-3/4 ounces)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup rum {Captain Morgan's}
Set a rack to the middle of your oven and preheat to 350-degrees. Grease an 18”x 13” rimmed baking sheet, line it with parchment paper, and then grease the parchment paper too.  
In a medium bowl, add together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves. Whisk together until combined.

In another large bowl add sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Use a whisk to combine until smooth. Gently stir in mashed bananas with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed. Finally, add in flour mixture and fold in with your rubber spatula, but only until it is just combined.

Transfer batter onto baking sheet. Use an offset spatula to smooth surface and ensure the batter is an even depth. Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating half-way through baking, until the center is firm when touched.

Allow cake to cool for 5 minutes in pan set on a wire rack. Flip the cake onto a wire rack then immediately re-flip back onto a second wire rack. The cake should be resting with the parchment side down. Allow the cake to cool for another 30 minutes and brush the top of the cake with rum.

Frosting ingredients:

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)

3 cups confectioners’ sugar (12 ounces)

1/3 cup buttermilk powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 ounces cream cheese (1-1/2 packages), cold & cut into 1 tablespoon portions

1/2 cup caramel topping
2 cups sliced almonds, lightly toasted (8 ounces)

While the cake is cooking, toast your pecans and chop them coarsely. Cut your cream cheese into 12 equal-size pieces, but keep it refrigerated until you are ready to use in step 3.

Add the butter, sugar, buttermilk powder, vanilla extract and salt to the bowl of a standing mixer. 

Mix using the paddle attachment on low-speed for 2 minutes; scrape down the bowl as necessary.

Increase mixer speed to medium-low, then add cream cheese one piece at a time. Mix for 2 minutes until the frosting is smooth.

To Finish:

Put cooled cake on a cutting board and cut into equal halves cross-wise. Cut length-wise so that you have 4 equal pieces, measuring about 6″x8″ each.

Cut out a 6″x8″ rectangle out of stiff cardboard. Put the first of the cake piece on the cardboard. Use a spatula to spread 2/3-cup of frosting over layer. Drizzle with caramel topping. Repeat with two more layers.

Place the final cake layer on top. Remove any crumbs from your spatula and frost the top with a 1-cup of frosting.

Frost the sides of the cake with your remaining frosting. You just need enough frosting to hold the chopped pecans, not completely hide all the crumbs.

Holding the cake with one hand, use your other hand to gently press the chopped almonds onto the side of your cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving and serve with additional caramel topping if desired.
*Gluten free flour blend:

This is the best combination for my personal uses and has never failed me. I purchased a majority of the ingredients at an Asian market (at less than $.99/lb) and the other ingredients marked were Bob Red Mill brand. Cornstarch was Argo brand.

300 grams superfine brown rice flour (Bob's Red Mill)
250 grams sweet rice flour (Asian market)
150 grams tapioca flour (Asian market)
100 grams sorghum flour (Bob's Red Mill)
100 grams potato starch (Asian market)
100 grams cornstarch (Argo brand)

Whisk together the above flours and store in an air tight container. To use, measure out 140 grams for every cup called for in your favorite baking recipe (NOT yeast bread recipes.) Add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum for every cup used in the recipe as well to help with texture and binding. Voila! You can bake gluten free with confidence!

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Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta & Amaretti Brownies

Valentine’s Day. Again.

Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own. 

- Robert Heinlein 

Valentine’s Day. This evokes a great philosophical debate chez nous year in and year out. Do we or don’t we? To Valentine’s Day or not to Valentine’s Day? I am led to believe by those willing to convince me that this day is no day at all, that if I surrender, give in to the commercial greed and false proclamations of so many admen, I somehow put our love at risk, laugh at the seriousness of the glue that holds our couple together, relinquish our passion to someone else who dares dictate how and when we declare our love. The sceptics surround me on every side, closing in, yet I glance up and smile sweetly, nodding in ostensible agreement all the while dreaming romantic dreams of my man.

Go ahead, just try and convince me. I surrender to your words. Wrap me in your arms and tell me that the day means nothing to you at all, that no one can put limits or restrictions, obligations or rules on the expression of your feelings. Tell me that you desire me every day and you need no one at all to hand you an opportunity to show me just how much. But (just this once) recognize this day with a gift or a sign, no matter how small, just because you know what it means to me, a single sentimental gesture to acknowledge the expectation that flutters in my heart, and I promise you that in return I will agree with you about the nothingness of Valentine’s Day every single day for the rest of the year.

Ah, Valentine’s Day. Who knows just precisely how or when or where you began, who proclaimed this as the day of love, billets doux, sweet nothings, gentle whispers and fervent glances. And to what import? Did Mark Antony need Valentine’s Day to pull Cleopatra into his lustful embrace? Did Romeo need Valentine’s Day to inspire him to declare his passion for the young Juliet hovering breathlessly above in the moonlight? Did Valentine’s Day stir Napoleon’s amour for Josephine or elicit Darcy’s throwing himself at Elizabeth’s feet? No, I dare say not. It is true that one does not need this day to be a lover, to express desire, to recount unhesitatingly, ardently, passionately one’s undying love. No, not at all.

And as far as famous lovers go, we may be more Lucy and Ricky, our couple that quirky balance of fiery and comical, or George Burns and Gracie Allen, a little bit like some zany old-fashioned sitcom. Or even Julia and Paul Child, playful and creative and standing out from the crowd like two rare and exotic creatures, more intellectual than glamorous, more ordinary than star crossed, more frivolity and heartfelt emotion than dark, brooding vamp and suave Casanova. But whoever or whatever the influence, we have never needed Valentine’s Day as a pretense to offer each other gifts, pop open the Champagne or snuggle up together. Yet…. yet… there is still something about Valentine’s Day that stirs up my womanly desires, lights the fire within, brings out the fluttering young girl in me again.

Like a faded romance novel or timeworn love story, I want him to smother me with kisses, shower me with baubles and sentimental gewgaws; I want to feel his soothing caress and his warm breath on my cheek as his love washes over me. But he is right. No exuberant display of emotion is necessary, not even diamonds and rubies are required, just his loving glance, my hand in his, a gentle squeeze, a careful, graceful acknowledgement of my frivolous desire to be pampered on this of all days and then we can move on to all the rest of the days of the year.

For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. 

It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul. 

– Judy Garland 

* It’s the same story every year, and this Valentine’s Day is no different. Although he offers to take me out and bring me a voluptuous bouquet simply to make me happy, he believes none of it. Yes, it is the same story every year so I decided to republish an old Valentine’s Day post from 2011, only slightly altered, a bit like us.

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta & Amaretti Brownies

Recipe Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta can be found here:
Changes: the seeds scraped out of one vanilla bean/pod replaced the liquid vanilla extract. Add the seeds with the 2 cups cream and the sugar to the warm cream/gelatin mixture in the pot and finish the recipe as indicated.

Make the Panna Cotta the day before making the dessert. Either divide the panna cotta evenly among 6 or 8 dessert glasses or ramekins or pour into a large, shallow baking dish if you want to add a layer of the panna cotta to a layer of brownie. Chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Recipe Amaretti Brownies can be found here:
Changes: The Amaretto can be replaced with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract + ¼ teaspoon almond extract.

Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan.

For the Valentine’s Day dessert, serve the glass of Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with a dollop of very lightly sweetened or unsweetened whipped heavy cream and raspberries with a small round of Amaretti Brownie.

To create the layered dessert, using a round ring mold or cookie/biscuit cutter, cut out a round from the Amaretti Brownies per serving; carefully twist the mold and lift out brownie round and place on a dessert plate. Very carefully, using the same ring mold, cut out a round from the Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta and lift up using a spatula pushed underneath to lift it up and onto the brownie. Carefully but quickly slide the spatula out from under the panna cotta, aligning the ring mold over the brownie and lift. Serve immediately with a dollop of whipped cream and raspberries. If desired, place the ring mold with the slice of panna cotta over the brownie round and slide the ring down onto the brownie and reserve in the refrigerator in the ring mold to chill until ready to serve.

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