- Welcome to the world of The Man sticking his hand in your
pocket and taking money from your paycheck before you a see a dime of it, Cuba.
For half a century, most Cubans have not paid taxes and while they also live in
relative poverty, they at least had the no-tax thing working in their favor. That will change
under new regulations starting Jan. 1 as their government continues to push
forward with market-oriented reforms. President/dictator Raul Castro initiated
the reforms after succeeding his brother, Fidel, in 2008. As part of the new
legal code, Cuba will implement its first comprehensive taxation system since
the 1959 revolution abolished just about all taxes. A few smaller taxes were
imposed in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the country's main
benefactor, but the economic system remained largely predicated on low wages
and free social services. In the past two years, the government has turned its
focus toward promoting small businesses, private farming and individual
initiative. There are even rumors that state workers could receive pay
increases. Mix in the replacement of government subsidies for all with targeted
welfare and the tax-free life of the average Cuban is fading away. Overall, the
new code includes 19 taxes, covering inheritance, environment, sales, transportation and
farm land, various license fees and three contributions, including social
security. There are deductions to benefit farmers and a new 2 percent property
tax as well and eventually, all workers will pay some form of income tax,
although the government admits that with an average pay of about 450 pesos per
month (or $19), many workers do not earn enough to make ends meet. Still, the
free ride is over for the most part……….
- Minesweeper is a game millions of people have wasted
millions of hours playing, but the concept could soon benefit the world in a
way that goes beyond a computer screen. Inspired by his own adversity, an Afghan
designer and former refugee has developed a low-cost, wind-powered mine-detonating
device comprised of bamboo and biodegradable plastics Massoud Hassani's Mine
Kafon is a giant sphere that looks like a combination of wind chimes and a
disco ball. It has a skeletal structure of spiky plungers and weighs in at
about 150 pounds, which Hassani says is light enough to be propelled by a
normal breeze, while still being heavy and big enough to activate mines as it
rolls over them. His creative process for the device stemmed from the toys he
played with as a child as well as seeing the damage mines can cause. According
to the U.N., there are more than 110 million active mines scattered across 70
countries and tens of millions more that have not yet been planted. Manual
diffusion by trained mine-clearing experts is still the most common method of
removal, but at a cost that can reach thousands of dollars to clear just a
single mine, the search for a cheaper alternative is always ongoing. According
to its maker, the Mine Kafon costs as little as $40 to build, with a basic GPS
tracking device used to record the area "cleared" by its tumbling
path. "The core sphere that contains the GPS system is high enough from
the ground to avoid damage from most anti-personnel mines," Hassani said.
Its spikes are approximately the height of an adult's leg and as it moves and
detonated mines, its center remains intact. "It can withstand up to four
explosions before it loses too many of its legs to carry on,” Hassani added. He
referenced growing up in Afghanistan and sometimes not being allowed to track
down lost toys because they rolled into mine-infested areas. He Hassani fled
Afghanistan with his mother, brother and sisters and has since lived in
Uzbekistan and the Netherlands. Mine Kafon began as his final doctoral research
project and earlier this year, a full-scale mock-up was tested in the deserts
around Morocco and Hassani hopes to fundraise $100,000 so he can engineer the
design to mass produced, industry standards. If the device can meet the official
International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) standards, lives and legs could be
saved by Hassani’s creative thinking………
- Fans of Fox’s popular adult cartoon “Family Guy” should be
geeked to know that it’s not a matter of if, but merely when series creator Seth MacFarlane makes a movie version of the
show. He’s been having a big run of late, including being confirmed as
the host for 85th Academy Awards in February next year, and a film version of
one of the more popular cartoons still on TV would only add to that run.
MacFarlane was speaking to a group of students at UCLA and was asked when a
“Family Guy” movie might happen. He responded that “it was "just a matter
of when.” Before embarking on the idea, however, MacFarlane suggested that he
would take hints from the troubles that plagued another popular Fox cartoon,
“The Simpsons,” when it was adapted for the big-screen. "The Simpsons
Movie, I thought, was hilarious, but the one criticism I would have is that
it's a story they probably could've done on TV,” he explained. “That's the
challenge with animation. You pretty much can do any story you want, so what is
the reason for the movie? We finally hit on the answer to that question, and it
will be something that would be impossible to do on TV.” Maybe his sudden
willingness to venture into the cinematic world has to do with the success
MacFarlane achieved when he made his directorial debut earlier this year with “Ted.”
If a guy can succeed with a movie about a weed-smoking, foul-mouthed bear and
make $50 million with said movie in its opening weekend, then perhaps an adult
cartoon film can be a winner as well……..
- Ivy Leaguers like to get kinky too. Now, Harvard students
who like to get freaky behind closed doors can have their own officially
recognized group in which they can gather and discuss their kink. On Friday,
the university approved
a student group devoted to kinky sex called Harvard College Munch. According to
the school’s website, the group promotes "a positive and accurate
understanding of alternative sexualities and kink on campus, as well as to
create a space where college-age adults may reach out to their peers and feel accepted
in their own sexuality.” For now, the club is staying small, with 30 members
who recognize that kink is often associated with BDSM -- bondage and
discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism – but insist
they will not seek to define "kink" and will accept "students
with any kinky interest.” “No other group exists as a forum for students
interested in alternative sexualities to explore their identities and develop a
community with their peers," the group said on the university’s website. Despite
its newness, Harvard College Munch already has its own constitution that lays
out privacy standards for its members. Armed with formal recognition, it can receive
grants, post campus notices and use campus meeting spaces. Its members are
aiming to stay as anonymous as possible and its founder, known publicly only as
Michael, has already held discussion-group gatherings during "munch,"
a term used in the kink community at-large to refer to a social meal meeting. Harvard
College Munch has five-color code for events to protect members' privacy,
ranging from blue for public speakers, conventions and Sex Week events that are
open to the public to red for board meetings, social and support events and
personal discussions, which are open only to current undergraduate members of
the group. Despite its official recognition of the group, Harvard spokesman
Jeff Neal said the school doesn't endorse the view or activities of such
student club or group. That doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy the fun of having
these kinky cats on campus………..
- Going to an NBA game can be an expensive proposition,
especially for a family. Parking, tickets and concessions can push the total
expenditure up to $200 or more easily for a family of four and not everyone has
that kind of disposable cash lying around. The Phoenix Suns realize this and
they also realize that they have a mediocre team this season with no
recognizable stars. Putting two and two together, the team’s marketing
department has come up with an interesting idea: “Satisfaction Guarantee
Night.” On Dec. 6, the Suns will make history – and perhaps lose some money –
when they become the first team in NBA history to guarantee its fans that they
will have fun at the game or they can get their money back. When the Suns face
the Dallas Mavericks, fans will be assured of a good time at the game and if
they don’t have that good time, they can receive a full refund. According to
team president Jason Rowley, the idea came out of a staff meeting following a
112-106 overtime loss Nov. 14 to the Chicago Bulls. "After that game, I
think we were all struck by the fact that so many people were leaving our
building with a smile on their face," Rowley said. "Normally, when a
team loses, fans are down. But not with us. And that was an eye-opening
moment." The Suns’ entire staff went through a hospitality management
program before the season and Rowley clearly believes the program was
effective. For a team that traded away longtime fan favorite Steve Nash to the
hated Los Angeles Lakers before the season, making games a fun happening will
be vital to keeping attendance from bottoming out. "That's a big part of
why we're doing this," Rowley said. "Just because our players don't
have huge name recognition doesn't mean we're not fun to watch and can't
compete. Sure, people relate to star power, but we believe in the team aspect
and we're marketing this team as a team instead of a group of
individuals." There are no special promotions like half-price nachos or a
half-court shot to win $25,000 for the game, but any fan who doesn’t enjoy
their experience needs only to fill out an online form and send it in with their
ticket. If the gimmick works, maybe it will help boost attendance for a team
that is averaging 15,063 fans per game through eight games, putting the Suns on
pace for their worst per game attendance figure since moving into a new arena
in 1992………
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