A Fragile Success in Africa

What an interesting article!
1The New York Times > Opinion > A Fragile Success in Africa: "But Ghana is a good kid in a really bad neighborhood"

First the good news:
"Ghanaians like to brag that they have passed the point of no return in making their humid patch of West Africa a functioning democracy with all the perks that brings: a free and vibrant press, steady though slow economic growth, tourism. There is even a shopping mall with a multiplex cinema going up in Accra. With such obvious payoffs for adopting good governance, many Ghanaians say it is inconceivable that the country will turn back to the failed-state practices that have taken so many other African countries down the drain. "If anyone tried anything like a coup here, this place would immediately become ungovernable," says Kweku Sakyi Addo, the host of one of Ghana's innumerable political talk shows. "We've seen what happens in other African countries. There is no way people will put up with that here.""

Then the bad news:

"But for all the talk of what a model African country Ghana is, it is still, literally, dirt poor, a fact of life that demonstrates just how removed Africa is from the proverbial rising tide of the global economy that is supposed to be lifting all boats. Ghana has a per capita income of $421 a year; most people survive here on $300 to $400."

"Almost half of Ghana's national budget comes from foreign aid"

"Ghana shows what a tough road this is going to be. But it also shows that bringing Africa back is eminently doable."

BBC NEWS | Health | Happy moments 'protect the heart'

BBC NEWS | Health | Happy moments 'protect the heart': "Levels of cortisol - a stress hormone - were 32% lower in people who reported more happy moments.

Cortisol has been related to abdominal obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and autoimmune disorders."

Don't worry, be happy! Sorry I couldn't resist ;)

Yahoo! News - Sun, Vitamin D Help Lung Cancer Survival - Study

How exciting is this!?! Research from Harvard ties Vit D and the Sun to Lung Cancer survivial rates! It opens a whole plethora of new hypotheses!

Yahoo! News - Sun, Vitamin D Help Lung Cancer Survival - Study: "If the research is validated it may mean that taking vitamin D or fortified nutritional supplements soon after a diagnosis and before surgery could provide 'a survival advantage,' Christiani said.

The link between vitamin D and surgery outcome is not known but other studies have hinted that it may work to inhibit a variety of cancers, the researchers said."

"It looks like vitamin D is anti-proliferative, so it inhibits proliferation of abnormal cells," Christiani said, adding that there was also evidence to suggest vitamin D inhibits the spread of tumors."

Yahoo! Sports - Cycling - Armstrong's next move is everybody's guess

Yahoo! Sports - Cycling - Armstrong's next move is everybody's guess: "The only thing spinning faster than the pedals on his bike these days is the rumor mill cranking stories about what Armstrong will do next, after defending his Tour of Georgia title later this week."

After the idea of his retiring BEFORE the tour has been floated, I guess I have to hope he announces he will stay through the year.

Lewis and Clark 200.GOV

You probably have heard the commericals, now see the site...

Seriously, can you imagine what it must have been like to go on that trip? They had no idea of what to expect! Indeed Jefferson told them that there might be wholly mamoths! Lewis and Clark 200.GOV

GiardiniBros_mine_proposal

Putting all economics aside and basing it totoally on running and quality of life issues (which is economics, just usually ignored), I really hope this does not go through. Not that it would be bad necessarily, but it sure has the potential to be really bad.

GiardiniBros_mine_proposal

BBC NEWS | In Pictures | In pictures: Horrors of Buchenwald

BBC NEWS | In Pictures | In pictures: Horrors of Buchenwald

April 11, 1945 US troops liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp.