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War on terror failed, says the world
Most people across the world believe the US-led "war on terror" has failed to weaken Al-Qaeda and many think the group has actually grown stronger, a BBC World Service poll revealed.
Seven years after the United States launched its campaign following the September 11 attacks, even Americans appear unsure about its success.
On average only 22 per cent of people polled across 23 countries thought US action had weakened Osama bin Laden's network, while 29 per cent thought it had no effect and 30 per cent believed it had actually made Al-Qaeda stronger.
Just 34 per cent of Americans questioned believed Al-Qaeda had been weakened, while 26 per cent thought the 'war on terror' had no effect, and 33 per cent said they thought the campaign had made the group stronger.
"Despite its overwhelming military power, America's war against Al-Qaeda is widely seen as having achieved nothing better than a stalemate and many believe that it has even strengthened Al-Qaeda," said Steven Kull, director of the US-based Program on International Policy and Attitudes.
The survey of 24,000 people, carried out between July 8 and September 12, also revealed that the predominant view in 15 nations polled is that neither the United States nor Al-Qaeda is winning the conflict.
On average just ten per cent of respondents thought Al Qaeda was winning, 22 per cent thought the United States was winning and 47 per cent said neither.
Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria and Turkey were most positive about the impact of the 'war on terror' and US success, while one fifth of Pakistanis questioned believed Al-Qaeda was winning - although 24 per cent believed neither was.
A majority of those polled had a negative opinion of Al-Qaeda, except in two countries seen as on the frontline of the conflict - Egypt and Pakistan. One fifth of Egyptians said they had a favourable view of Al-Qaeda, 40 per cent were neutral and 35 per cent had a negative view. In Pakistan, 19 per cent were positive, 22 per cent were neutral and 19 per cent were negative.
"The fact that so many people in Egypt and Pakistan have mixed or even positive views of Al-Qaeda is yet another indicator that the US war on terror is not winning hearts and minds," said Doug Miller, chairman of international polling firm GlobeScan. Most people across the world believe the US-led "war on terror" has failed to weaken Al-Qaeda and many think the group has a... more -
Rich nations' greenhouse gases fell in 2006: survey
OSLO (Reuters) - Rich nations' greenhouse gas emissions dipped for the first time in five years in 2006, easing 0.1 percent despite robust economic growth, a Reuters survey of the latest available information showed Friday.
The figures were less gloomy than a report this week, based on scientist estimates to 2007, which said world emissions were surging, led by rocketing growth in poor countries such as China and India twinned with a tiny rise by industrialized nations.
The Reuters survey, of data submitted by 40 industrialized nations to the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat and against which the U.N. judges compliance on cutting emissions, indicated 2006 emissions fell to the equivalent of 18.01 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from 18.03 billion in 2005.
A mild U.S. winter cut demand for energy for heating while rising oil prices were a possible factor restraining growth.
Most experts reckoned that a drive for energy efficiency by rich nations has stalled in recent years, despite programs to fight global warming.
And economic growth, estimated at 3 percent for advanced economies in 2006 by the International Monetary Fund, had been expected to push up emissions.
"It's a bit surprising to find a fall for 2006," said Knut Alfsen, research director of the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research in Oslo.
Overall emissions by developing nations last declined in 2001, when the September 11 suicide hijacker attacks on the United States aggravated an economic slowdown. Continued... OSLO (Reuters) - Rich nations' greenhouse gas emissions dipped for the first time in five years in 2006, easing 0.1 percent despi... more -
The coolest British accents?
The Birmingham accent has been voted the least cool accent in Britain while The Queen's English carried the most cachet, according to a new survey.
List of Cool Accents 2008/9
1. Queen's English 20%
2. Scottish 12%
3. Geordie 9%
4. Yorkshire 7%
=. Cockney 7%
6. Northern Irish 6%
7. Welsh 5%
8. Scouse 4%
= Mancunian 4%
10. West Country 3%
11. Brummie 2%
Other/Don't Know 21%
Which accent is your favourite? And what do you make of the list above? The Birmingham accent has been voted the least cool accent in Britain while The Queen's English carried the most cachet, accordin... more -
Sports fanatics are better lovers when their team is winning
Men who love sports and have favorite teams perform better under the sheets when their team is winning, revealed a poll.
The poll by website areyouromantic.com analysed the relation between sex in sports’ fans, reports the Daily Star.
It was found that nearly 30 per cent relish a romp more when their side is doing well.
However, 10 per cent said that their sex life takes a nosedive when their team loses.
The survey revealed that 25 per cent of fans would give up sex for a month if their team was guaranteed a major win. Men who love sports and have favorite teams perform better under the sheets when their team is winning, revealed a poll. ... more -
Student Survey Shows Students Study?
This year's National Student Survey is out and it appears students have swapped hard drink for hard study. Maybe it's something to do with having to pay three grand in top-up fees? This year's National Student Survey is out and it appears students have swapped hard drink for hard study. Maybe it's someth... more
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How Video Games Effect Social Ties
A new national survey from the Pew Internet & American Life Project illustrates just how ingrained games have become in youth culture.
The survey noted that while young Americans don't necessarily play the same thing, nearly all of them - girls included - play video games of one kind or another.
The study found that 52% of the teenagers played games that involved thinking about moral and ethical issues, 43% played games in which they made decisions about how a community, city or nation should be run, and 40% played games where they learned about a social issue.
Nearly two-thirds play video games to socialize face-to-face with friends and family, while just over a quarter said they play with Internet friends.
Amanda Lenhart, a senior researcher at Pew who led the report on the survey, said the data shows that gamers are social people. "They communicate just as much. They spend time face-to-face, just as much as other kids. They e-mail and text."
Released Tuesday, the survey combined the telephone responses from a nationally representative sample of 1,102 young people, ages 12 to 17, and their parents. Performed from November 2007 through February of this year, and partly funded by the MacArthur Foundation, it had a margin of error of three percentage points.
Joseph Kahne, a study co-author and dean of the education school at Mills College in California, said that even games with violent content, such as "Halo," provided "more than average opportunities for players to help one another."
He also looked at games' effect on civic engagement, anything from political involvement to raising money for charity. He found that those who spent the most time playing video games weren't any less likely to be involved in their communities. A new national survey from the Pew Internet & American Life Project illustrates just how ingrained games have become in youth cult... more -
Would you ask a friend to be the father of your child?
A new survey has revealed that more than half of women would think about asking a friend to have children with them if the right person doesn't come along. The study found that 56% of women would consider it if they hadn't found someone by a certain age - with 28 to 31 year-olds being the most likely.
The survey shows that many single men and women are worried about meeting a true love as well as fertility issues. About half of the women who answered the Vitabiotics survey admitted that they think about finding the right partner either frequently or on a daily basis. Many also said they would settle for second-best if they didn't meet the right person.
Psychologist Linda Papadopoulos said: "Interestingly, social norms of parenting and of the conventional family structure are being challenged - no longer do we see the mum, dad and 2.4 children as the only ideal. Reconstituted families, same sex families and single parents are much more prevalent these days. And rather than ascribing to the 'norm' it seems that women and men are more flexible with their definition of 'family'." A new survey has revealed that more than half of women would think about asking a friend to have children with them if the right perso... more -
Polls show Livni winning race to replace Olmert as Israel PM
Polls show Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni winning next week's party primary and positioning herself to become Israel's first female prime minister since Golda Meir.
A survey in Israel's Yediot Ahronot daily on Friday showed Livni with a 15 per cent lead over her main rival, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, in the ruling Kadima Party's Sept. 17 primary.
The poll included 850 Kadima members and had a margin of error of 4.5 points.
Kadima is choosing a new leader to replace Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who is stepping down because of a series of corruption investigations. Elected in 2006, Olmert was supposed to serve until 2010.
A poll in the Maariv daily gave Livni an 18.8 per cent lead over Mofaz, a former military chief of staff and defense minister. The poll included 400 Kadima members and the margin of error was 4.9 points.
In the race, Mofaz has played up his defense credentials and cultivated a tough image. Livni owes her popularity mainly to her reputation for honesty, which resonates with Israelis fed up with a string of corruption charges against public figures.
A fifty-year-old former lawyer who served a brief stint in the Mossad spy agency, Livni has served in a number of Cabinet posts and is currently Israel's lead negotiator in peace talks with the Palestinians.
She spent much of her career as a member of the hawkish Likud Party, and she is the daughter of a famous fighter of the early militant Zionist group Irgun.
However, she has carved a niche for herself as a leading moderate since leaving Likud along with former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon when he set up the centrist Kadima Party in 2005.
Whoever wins next week's primary would have to cobble together a new coalition in order to become prime minister. If not, the country will hold national elections and Olmert will remain as a caretaker leader in the meantime.
Polls show that if elections were held now the winner would be Benjamin Netanyahu and his hardline Likud Party. That would cast doubt on the continuation of the peace talks Olmert and Livni have been holding with the Palestinians.
If she does become prime minister, Livni would become only the second woman to lead Israel. The first was Meir, a member of Israel's founding generation who governed from 1969 to 1974. Polls show Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni winning next week's party primary and positioning herself to become Israel's first f... more -
More and more Scots drink themselves into brain damage
More and more Scots are literally drinking themselves senseless, according to new figures:
a total of 540 Scots were discharged from hospitals with alcohol-related brain damage in 2006-7 – a rise of 16 per cent on the last figure, taken in 2003-4.
More than a third of cases came from Greater Glasgow. The west of Scotland now has the highest rate of people suffering from Korsakoff's syndrome in western Europe.
Alcohol-related brain damage is an umbrella term for a number of conditions, and Korsakoff's syndrome is the primary one. The condition is the result of vitamin B deficiency from years of alcohol abuse and not eating properly. It causes large-scale memory loss and is classed as a form of dementia. Although cutting out alcohol can stop further deterioration, existing damage can never be reversed.
Most sufferers, once diagnosed, require a high level of care for the rest of their lives.
Conservative MSP Mary Scanlon, whose parliamentary question revealed the figures, said: "The increase in people suffering from alcohol-related brain disease shows the hidden effect of Scotland's dangerous relationship with alcohol." She added: "The Scottish Parliament needs to address the issue of the growing number who are causing themselves irreversible brain damage through alcohol abuse." More and more Scots are literally drinking themselves senseless, according to new figures: ... more -
Cheesiest chat-up lines ever?
A new survey of more than 400 people in the UK has revealed the cheesiest chat-up lines. Participants were also asked to give the name of a celebrity most likely to use the line in question.
According to the study, the classic "Your dad must be a thief because he stole the stars and put them in your eyes" is believed to be the most embarrassing chat-up line with reality TV veteran Calum Best voted the person most likely to say it.
People believed humour was the best way of chatting somebody up with over 50 per cent of those surveyed saying comedy lines work best on them, such as "Do you have any raisins? How about a date?" and "Are you Jamaican, because you're Jamaican me crazy" among the most popular.
The UK's 10 Cheesiest Chat Up Lines (and the celebrities voted most likely to use them):
Your dad must be a thief because he stole the stars and put them in your eyes – Calum Best
If I were to rearrange the alphabet I would put U and I together – Carol Vorderman
I must be in heaven because I can see an angel – Mario Marconi
Did it hurt when you fell from heaven? – Cristiano Ronaldo
Here's 10p – go phone your mum and tell her you won't be coming home tonight – Jodie Marsh
You're under arrest. The charge – trespassing in my dreams - Rhys Ifans
Is that a ladder in your tights or a stairway to heaven? – Jonathan Ross
You must be tired because you've been running through my mind all day – Lee Sharpe
If I said you had a beautiful body would you hold it against me? – Peter Andre
Do you have a map? Because I keep getting lost in your eyes – Darius Danesh A new survey of more than 400 people in the UK has revealed the cheesiest chat-up lines. Participants were also asked to give the name... more -
Survey: Obama Poodle Best Dog For Presidential Hopeful
The American public selected the Poodle as its choice for his family's dog.
Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier as the top dog for the Obamas, the American Kennel Club (AKC) said.
"It is no surprise the American public chose a Poodle for Obama," said spokeswoman Lisa Peterson, adding the breed is the eighth most popular nationally and the third most common type of dog in Washington, D.C.
Other breeds in the poll included the Miniature Schnauzer, the Bichon Frise and the Chinese Crested. The five breeds in the survey were picked for being hypoallergenic because one of the Obama's daughters is said to suffer from allergies.
The Obamas had promised their daughters, Malia and Sasha, the family would get a dog after the November 4 presidential election.
Peterson said there are three types of poodles -- the toy, the miniature and the classic -- depending on their size.
"It is so important to pick the right breed for your lifestyle," she said, adding that pet owners should make a 10- to 15-year commitment when choosing a dog.
The club also noted that Republican presidential hopeful John McCain already has four dogs, including a Yorkshire Terrier and a Springer Spaniel.
According to the Kennel Club, McCain enjoys a 42 percent to 37 percent edge over Obama among animal lovers.
The Bush family dog, Barney, a Scottish Terrier, has become a celebrity during his eight years in the White House, complete with his own website.
While a pure-bred dog is the most common in the White House, animal rights group PETA last month urged the Obamas to also consider adopting a mixed breed dog to call attention to the plight of the many pets awaiting homes in animal shelters. The American public selected the Poodle as its choice for his family's dog. ... more -
Against all the odds, the world is becoming a happier place
Over the past 25 years, economic growth in developing countries has translated into big increases in happiness, but people in richer countries have seen much more modest improvements Over the past 25 years, economic growth in developing countries has translated into big increases in happiness, but people in richer c... more
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Survey: Women Leaders Smarter, More Honest
In a finding that will be bittersweet for Hillary Clinton supporters, a new Pew survey finds that when it comes to honesty, intelligence and a handful of other key traits valued in leaders, the public rates women as superior to men.
Still, a mere 6 percent say that, overall, women make better political leaders than men. The vast majority of respondents, 69 percent, ranked men and women as equally good leaders. That's according to a nationwide Pew Research Center Social and Demographic Trends survey of 2,250 American adults conducted from June 16 to July 16, 2008.
In an era apparently reaping the benefits of Title IX (a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in educational institutions), and exulted as one in which women can nearly as easily climb to once male-only rungs of corporate and academic ladders, relatively few women actually have journeyed to the highest levels of political or corporate leadership, according to Pew analysts. (Women are just 2 percent of the CEOs of the nation's Fortune 500 companies.)
Survey respondents cited gender discrimination, resistance to change, and a self-serving "old boys club" as reasons for the relative scarcity of women at the top.
"What the public does not say is that women inherently lack what it takes to be leaders," Pew analysts stated. "To the contrary, on seven of eight leadership traits measured in this survey, the public rates women either better than or equal to men."
For example, the most important leadership trait according to the respondents is honesty. And half of all adults surveyed said women are more honest than men, while just one-in-five indicated men are more honest.
Women also ranked higher than men on leadership qualities such as decisiveness, compassion, outgoing nature and creativeness.
On the policy front, more than 50 percent of respondents said women are better than men at dealing with social issues such as health care and education, while 42 percent said men have an edge over women in the way they deal with crime and public safety. More than 50 percent said men are better than women at dealing with defense and national security issues. In a finding that will be bittersweet for Hillary Clinton supporters, a new Pew survey finds that when it comes to honesty, intelligen... more -
'Gaydar' is real, new study finds
Not only does 'gaydar' exist, suggests a study from Boston's Tufts University, but it can also work extremely fast.
Some people say they can tell someone else's sexual orientation with little information, and now a study claims they might be right. According to researchers, people could guess fairly accurately ("better than chance") whether men were gay or straight by looking at photos of their faces.
For the study, 15 undergraduate students, both male and female, were shown photos of faces of 90 men, evenly divided between gay and straight. The photos were taken from Internet personal ads and from Facebook. The study's lead author, graduate student Nicholas Rule, says men were used in this study for convenience, because they have a greater presence on the internet than women.
The researchers found that subjects could accurately determine in 50 milliseconds — one-twentieth of a second — whether the men were gay or straight about 60% of the time. Rule says all the subjects were accurate 55-70% of the time.
Do you have good 'gaydar' or do you think the whole idea is a joke? Not only does 'gaydar' exist, suggests a study from Boston's Tufts University, but it can also work extremely fast. ... more -
Families shout at each other 34 minutes a day
Members of the average British household spend 34 minutes a day shouting at each other, a new survey has shown. In a third of all households, shouting lasts for an hour or more.
Half of households with more than one child spend at least an hour in heated argument, according to the study looking at how we live behind closed doors.
The Channel 4 study also produced some additional interesting results:
While families may not alway get along, a majority of teenagers defied stereotypes to admit that they did love their parents. Almost half of teenage boys said they would like to marry someone like their mother, while 98 per cent of teenagers admitted they loved their parents.
Adults also revealed a number of surprising admission, with 13 per cent admitted they have a favourite child, while one in ten fathers confessed they had been unfaithful at some stage. One in five parents also admitted to loving the family pet as much as their children, while a third admitted at least one of their children was unplanned.
Channel 4 said: "The statistics shine a light on various aspects of modern family dynamics. This is an insight into what really goes on and how families relate to each other." Members of the average British household spend 34 minutes a day shouting at each other, a new survey has shown. In a third of all hous... more -
Why Denmark is the happiest nation in the world
Two recent independent studies have found that Danes are the happiest people in the world. The new reputation has led to a national discussion regarding the reasons for the country's own alleged 'happiness'.
Reflecting on the surveys' impact on their lives, Dorte Kiilerich, the managing director of Denmark's official tourism organisation reflects: "It has given us a chance to reflect on how well-balanced a country we really are."
One of the studies concluded that economic factors related to health care, standards of living, and access to basic education were determining characteristics of a nation's overall attitude. Denmark, with its free universal health care, one of the highest per-capita GDPs in the world, and first-rate schools, came in first.
Earlier this summer, the Stockholm-based World Values Survey, which uses a very different methodology, reported that it also found Danish people to be the world's most contented. That study concluded that the surest measures of a country's well-being are the freedom to choose how to live one's life, encouragement of gender equality, and tolerance for minorities. Once again, on every count, Denmark took top prize.
Whatever the reasons for Denmark's apparent happiness, the two studies clearly indicate it must be doing something right. Two recent independent studies have found that Danes are the happiest people in the world. The new reputation has led to a national di... more -
Disaboom | Janice7846 | If everyone was disabled.....
I feel like everyone has some sort of physical, mental or emotional imperfection. Do you wear glasses? I don't so to me that makes you disabled. Got a "bad back" I don't so again to me you are disabled. It's just some disabilities are more limiting than others. I have never met a 100% non disabled or "normal" person. I don't think any of those people exists. Anyway, what is "normal"? I feel like everyone has some sort of physical, mental or emotional imperfection. Do you wear glasses? I don't so to me that make... more
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Survey Shows Rising Medical Debt Amongst U.S. Adults
A growing number of U.S. adults are struggling to pay their medical bills, tapping into savings accounts, home equity and credit cards to cover health care costs.
The Commonwealth Fund survey found that an estimated 72 million Americans aged 19 to 64, or 41 percent, said they had trouble paying for medical care in 2007, with some slipping far enough behind to face collection agencies. That compared to nearly 58 million, or 34 percent, in 2005.
U.S. consumers are facing rising financial pressures, including higher energy costs, food bills and mortgage payments.
Roughly half of those facing health debt in 2007 had up to $2,000 in bills, while 21 percent had up to $3,999. Twelve percent had more than $4,000 in medical debt and another 12 percent faced more than $8,000.
Respondents reported making tough financial choices in order to pay their medical bills last year.
A large number of those polled said they had exhausted their savings, while nearly one-third said they had either gone without necessities such as food or heat, or had run up credit card debt. Ten percent said they took out a loan or mortgage.
The survey found that while those without health insurance were most likely to carry substantial medical debt, those who had some coverage also reported difficulties.
Nearly twice as many so-called "underinsured" patients, those with either gaps in their health insurance coverage or high deductibles, shouldered debt compared to those with more comprehensive health plans.
Only sixty-one percent had health coverage at the time they received the medical care that was the source of their debt.
Commonwealth Fund officials said the findings highlight the need to increase the number of Americans with health insurance.
Sara Collins, the group's assistant vice president, said it would be critical that health reform proposals not only cover everyone but that they provide benefits that cover essential services with appropriate financial protects.
Such protections should include affordable premiums and out-of-pocket costs, she added.
Collins said those aged 65 and older were largely spared from daunting medical bills, in large part because they are covered under the U.S. Medicare insurance program for the elderly and disabled. A growing number of U.S. adults are struggling to pay their medical bills, tapping into savings accounts, home equity and credit cards... more -
God v.s doctors: Survey says many Americans believe in Divine intervention
When it comes to saving lives, God trumps doctors for many Americans.
An eye-opening survey reveals widespread belief that divine intervention can revive dying patients. And, researchers said, doctors "need to be prepared to deal with families who are waiting for a miracle."
More than half of randomly surveyed adults -- 57 percent -- said God's intervention could save a family member even if physicians declared treatment would be futile. And nearly three-quarters said patients have a right to demand that treatment continue.
When asked to imagine their own relatives being gravely ill or injured, nearly 20 percent of doctors and other medical workers said God could reverse a hopeless outcome.
"Sensitivity to this belief will promote development of a trusting relationship" with patients and their families, according to researchers. That trust, they said, is needed to help doctors explain objective, overwhelming scientific evidence showing that continued treatment would be worthless.
Pat Loder, a Milford, Michigan, woman whose two young children were killed in a 1991 car crash, said she clung to a belief that God would intervene when things looked hopeless.
"When you're a parent and you're standing over the body of your child who you think is dying ... you have to have that" belief, Loder said.
While doctors should be prepared to deal with those beliefs, they also shouldn't "sugarcoat" the truth about a patient's condition, Loder said.
Being honest in a sensitive way helps family members make excruciating decisions about whether to let dying patients linger, or allow doctors to turn off life-prolonging equipment so that organs can be donated, Loder said.
Loder was driving when a speeding motorcycle slammed into the family's car. Both children were rushed unconscious to hospitals, and Loder says she believes doctors did everything they could. They were not able to revive her 5-year-old son; soon after her 8-year-old daughter was declared brain dead.
She said her beliefs about divine intervention have changed.
"I have become more of a realist," she said. "I know that none of us are immune from anything."
Loder was not involved in the survey, which appears in Monday's Archives of Surgery.
It involved 1,000 U.S. adults randomly selected to answer questions by telephone about their views on end-of-life medical care. They were surveyed in 2005, along with 774 doctors, nurses and other medical workers who responded to mailed questions.
Survey questions mostly dealt with untimely deaths from trauma such as accidents and violence. These deaths are often particularly tough on relatives because they are more unexpected than deaths from lingering illnesses such as cancer, and the patients tend to be younger.
Dr. Lenworth Jacobs, a University of Connecticut surgery professor and trauma chief at Hartford Hospital, was the lead author.
He said trauma treatment advances have allowed patients who previously would have died at the scene to survive longer. That shift means hospital trauma specialists "are much more heavily engaged in the death process," he said.
Jacobs said he frequently meets people who think God will save their dying loved one and who want medical procedures to continue.
"You can't say, 'That's nonsense.' You have to respect that" and try to show them X-rays, CAT scans and other medical evidence indicating death is imminent, he said.
Relatives need to know that "it's not that you don't want a miracle to happen, it's just that is not going to happen today with this patient," he said.
Families occasionally persist, and hospitals have gone to court seeking to stop medical treatment doctors believe is futile, but such cases are quite rare.
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What's your opinion on this article and the subject of divine intervention? When it comes to saving lives, God trumps doctors for many Americans. ... more -
"Unheard Voice" of Politics
Disaboom announced that it will help the voice of the disability community to be heard at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver through the "Unheard Voice," a series of disability-focused events and activities. The series of "Unheard Voice" events, most of which are open to the public, will showcase the political issues of importance to people with disabilities, display accessible recreation opportunities and demonstrate how people with disabilities express themselves through visual and performing arts Disaboom announced that it will help the voice of the disability community to be heard at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in D... more
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