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dkf's Journal“Burkas for babies”: Saudi cleric’s new fatwa causes controversy
A Saudi cleric has called for all female babies to be fully covered by wearing the face veil, commonly known as the burka, citing reports of little girls being sexually molested.
In a TV interview on the Islamic al-Majd TV, which seems to date back to mid-last year, Sheikh Abdullah Daoud, stressed that wearing the veil will protect baby girls. The Sheikh tried to back his assertion with claims of sexual molestation against babies in the kingdom, quoting unnamed medical and security sources.
Recently picked up on social media, Sheikh Dauod’s statement prompted wide condemnation from his fellow Saudis on Twitter. Some tweeps called for the Sheikh to be held accountable because his ruling denigrates Islam and breaches individual privacy.
Sheikh Mohammad al-Jzlana, former judge at the Saudi Board of Grievances, told Al Arabiya that Dauod’s ruling was denigrating to Islam and Shariah and made Islam look bad.
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/02/03/264031.html
Glad to see some sane Saudis are telling this guy how crazy that statement is.
Greek political parties to testify over bank loans
(Reuters) - Greek prosecutors have ordered the two main ruling parties to testify in an investigation into more than 200 million euros in loans they received from banks, officials said on Friday.
The investigation - which is examining whether the loans are legal and whether any wrongdoing was involved - could embarrass the fragile conservative-led government, which relies on aid from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
Last year a Reuters report revealed the conservative New Democracy and the Socialist PASOK parties were close to being overwhelmed by debts of more than 200 million euros as they face a slump in state funding because of falling public support.
Senior officials from the two parties will appear before financial crime prosecutors on February 18, court officials said.
"They will be investigated for suspected crimes against the state," said a court official who declined to be named. The prosecutors are also looking into the finances of the Communist KKE party, the court official said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/01/us-greece-parties-idUSBRE91010O20130201
UK authorities probe Barclays over Qatar loan: FT
(Reuters) - British authorities are looking into an allegation that Barclays (BARC.L) loaned Qatar money to invest in the bank as part of its rescue fundraising at the height of the 2008 financial crisis, the Financial Times reported.
Qatar Holding is not accused of any wrongdoing, the FT said.
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) and Serious Fraud Office (SFO) have been looking into Barclays' emergency fundraising since July.
Qatar Holding invested 5.3 billion pounds ($8.4 billion) in Barclays in June and October 2008, helping it avoid being bailed out by the government, unlike rivals Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY.L) and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L).
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/01/us-barclays-probe-idUSBRE9100E420130201
Wow...just wow.
Our three-dimensional future: how 3D printing will shape the global economy
Lately, it seems like nearly everything has been reproduced by a 3D printer. Between the group that 3D printed a gun, the people who printed a drone, and the army of items sold at this small marketplace for 3D printed goods, there are plenty of novelty uses for these suddenly trendy machines. We’re a long way from 3D printing a house, but it’s clear that the hobby is inching into the mainstream.
Yet it’s difficult not to wonder: at what point will 3D printing move beyond novelty to industry? Will these machines change the way we manufacture goods, and subsequently change the global economy, too? (Is it already happening before our very eyes?)
The answer: yes and no. The term “3D printing” comprises two very different worlds: hobbyist 3D printing, where people with relatively inexpensive machines print plastic objects in the comfort of their homes; and industrial 3D printing, which is usually referred to by another name: additive manufacturing. They are vastly different and will likely have divergent impacts on the economy. Both, however, are poised to alter the way businesses think about production.
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Still, the economic impact of these kinds of 3D printed products — one-off components or replacement parts — could be radical, Anderson says. They could eliminate the need for huge warehouses of parts and cut the need for shipping different components from place to place as they’re ordered, in favor of instantly creating a perfect replica on-site. Three-dimensional printing could reduce or eliminate some of the steps between product creators and consumers. The existence of the middle man that buys, sells and ships is threatened.
“I can cost-effectively make a cell phone cover that is unique to every customer,” explains Ryan Wicker, a researcher at the University of Texas at El Paso. “I could build 100 different ones just as cost-effectively as building them all the same.” That flexibility and direct delivery is why 3D printing might change the markets for home appliances, jewelry and other small goods.
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/report/our-three-dimensional-future-how-3d-printing-will-shape-the-global-economy/559
Step into the world of 3D-printed tech couture
Before too long, techy women may just print out that little black dress instead of buying it at a store.
Don't believe me? Take a look at some of the 3D-printed gems strolling down the catwalk at the Paris Fashion Show this week. Dutch designer Iris van Herpen's haute couture show Voltage tapped the prowess of 3D-printing companies Stratasys and Materialise to create two pieces that look out of this world.
The stunning black number (seen above) came from the minds of Herpen and Austrian architect Julia Koerner. Materialise created the black dress with its 3D-printing technology. In a statement, Koerner describes the wear as "a highly complex, parametrically generated geometrical structure," adding that "the architectural structure aims to superimpose multiple layers of thin woven lines which animate the body in an organic way."
Herpen created another ensemble (below) with assistance from MIT Media Lab professor Neri Oxman. The duo tapped Stratasys' Object Connex multimaterial 3D-printing technology, which enables the operator to use hard and soft materials in a single build.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57565280-1/step-into-the-world-of-3d-printed-tech-couture/
Is this 3D-printed robot the first of thousands?
InMoov is an open-source DIY printable robot that can obey voice commands. It's slightly creepy, but at least it's cheap.
At CES 2013 I saw 3D-printed skateboards, flowers, and gear assemblies, and meanwhile there are now plans to print everything from body parts to buildings. So printing robots was only a matter of time.
InMoov is a full-size humanoid robot made from 3D-printed parts. Designed and built by Gael Langevin of Factices Ateliers in France, InMoov began last year as a hand, then an arm. It's now two arms and a head.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57565426-1/is-this-3d-printed-robot-the-first-of-thousands/
Retail Workweek Hits 3-Year Low In ObamaCare Shift
The fly in the ointment of January's jobs report was the apparent shift to part-time work ahead of a key ObamaCare deadline.
Although retail payrolls grew by 32,600, total hours worked in the industry dipped, Labor Department data out Friday showed.
The explanation? Rank-and-file retail workers logged the shortest workweek since early 2010: just 30.1 hours, on average, vs. 30.4 in December.
While the data are volatile and the shift to shorter workweeks in January was less than dramatic, this may be the start of something big. All signs suggest that businesses are starting to adjust their employment policies in response to ObamaCare. It's possible that much of this shift may occur in the next few months.
The 30 Or 50 Rule
New Treasury Department guidelines released early last month give businesses until June 30 before their staffing levels begin to influence fines that may apply in 2014 when the ObamaCare exchanges launch.
Read More At IBD: http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials-perspective/020113-642941-retail-leisure-jobs-hours-down-obamacare-looms.htm#ixzz2JjIhZLMd
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