BlackBerry unveils the DTEK50, its thinnest device ever

BlackBerry is not done with handsets, yet.

On Tuesday, the once-dominant cellphone manufacturer delivered its thinnest BlackBerry device to date, the DTEK50.
The name is significant, since DTEK also applies to the BlackBerry's security watchdog software that we first encountered on the admirable, but too-expensive Priv.
The 7.4-millimeter, 5.2-inch, Android-based DTEK50 is, accoridng to BlackBerry, built for security. It offers full-data encryption, built-in malware protection, hardware support for tracking and provisioning (which should make the DTEK50 attractive for businesses), the DTEK security app and additional "hardening" of the Android OS

Unlike the Priv, which has a physical QWERTY keyboard hidden behind its large touchscreen, the DTREK50 is touch only. On the software side, BlackBerry does provide a smart, learning keyboard that will offer suggestions as you type. Like other BlackBerry devices, the DTEK50 also comes with BlackBerry Hub communications consolidation software.

The device also includes a 13 MP camera, dual LED flashes and expandable memory (up to 2 TB via a micro SD card slot).
Some have noted the DTEK50's resemblance to the new Alcatel Idol 4S (right down to the thickness — 7.4 mm — and the unusual button on the side, which BlackBerry calls a customizable Convenience Key). BlackBerry did confirm to Mashable that it did not manufacturer the phone. The company did not reveal, however, if the DTEK50 was made by Alcatel.
What may excite BlackBerry fans (those who remain) the most, though, is the price. The DTEK50 is on sale for preorder right now, starting at $299 (the Priv started at $699).

Learn how to avoid clashes with your co-workers in our next #BizChats

 
Coworkers. Can't live with them, can't live without them. Some coworkers make you feel so lucky to work with such incredible people day in and day out. Others . . . not so much.

Having healthy relationships with your coworkers isn't just critical for your career, but for the company you work for as well. Clashing with an unruly employee or supervisor at least once or twice in your career is inevitable, but do you know the steps to take when your feathers get ruffled?

Join us Wednesday, July 27 at 2 p.m. ET for our next #BizChats Twitter chat, where we’ll be discussing how to mend relationships with coworkers that simply just drive you crazy.
Joining us will be: Dr. Leah Klungness, Ph.D., psychologist and expert on relationship issues; Melanie Greenberg, Ph.D, psychologist, blogger and expert in cognitive-behavioral therapy for adults; Suzy Welch, business journalist, career advice contributor on the TODAY show and best-selling co-author of The Real Life MBA; Sylvia Lafair, Ph.D., business leadership expert in optimizing workplace relationships.

What's coming to (and expiring from) Netflix in August

 
There's nothing that helps you cool down from a summer heat wave more than staying inside for a good ol' binge-watching session.

Netflix has a lot of new — and a lot of old — shows and movies coming to its platform in August. Here's a look at what's landing (and expiring) on the streaming service this month
Baz Luhrmann doing a TV show? Yes please. The drama, which centers around the early hip-hop scene in 1970s New York, is basically the musical TV show of our dreams.

Also coming to Netflix in August:
TV 
Masha and the Bear, Season 2, Netflix original (8/1)
NCIS, Season 13 (8/1)
Roseanne Collection, Collection 3 (8/1)
Beat Bugs, Season 1, Netflix original (8/3)
David Cross: Making America Great Again, Netflix original special (8/5)
Real Husbands of Hollywood, Season 4 (8/9)
Ask the Storybots, Season 1, Netflix original (8/12)
The Get Down, part 1, Netflix original (8/12)
Project Mc², Season 2, Netflix original (8/12)
Louis CK: Live at the Comedy Store (8/15)
Puffin Rock, Season 2, Netflix original (8/17)
Bottersnikes and Gumbles, Season 1, Netflix original (8/19)
Fearless, Season 1, Netflix original (8/19)
Maz Jobrani: I'm Not a Terrorist, But I've Played One on TV (8/21)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Seventeenth Year (8/22)
Dawn of the Croods, Season 2, Netflix original (8/26)
Glitter Force, Season 2, Netflix original (8/26)
Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy: We've Been Thinking, Netflix original comedy special (8/26)
Once Upon a Time, Season 5 (8/26)
Ku'damm 56, Season 1 (8/31)
Movies
The American Side (8/1)
An Inconvenient Truth (8/1)
APEX: The Story of the Hypercar (8/1)
Beethoven's Christmas Adventure (8/1)
Big Daddy (8/1)
Black Widow (8/1)
Critical Condition (8/1)
Deadfall (8/1)
Destination: Team USA (8/1)
The Family Man (8/1)
The Fast and the Furious (8/1)
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (8/1)
Final Destination 3 (8/1)
From the Terrace (8/1)
Funny or Die Presents: Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie, Netflix exclusive (8/1)
The Naked Prey (8/1)
Memoria (8/1)
ISIS: Women Unveiled (8/1)
In the Shadow of the Moon (8/1)
How to Win the U.S. Presidency (8/1)
Holding the Man, Netflix exclusive (8/1)
Pay It Forward (8/1)
The Real Texas Chainsaw Massacre (8/1)
Sleepy Hollow (8/1)
Star Trek: Nemesis (8/1)
Sliding Doors (8/1)
Young@Heart (8/1)
What Women Want (8/1)
The Wedding Planner (8/1)
The Verdict (8/1)
Teacher's Pet (8/1)
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (8/1)
Punk's Dead: SLC Punk 2 (8/5)
Ever After High: Epic Winter, Netflix original (8/5)
The Little Prince, Netflix original (8/5)
The Confirmation (8/6)
TRex (8/9)
St. Vincent (8/10)
Flight of the Butterflies (8/11)
No Country for Old Men (8/11)
13 Cameras (8/13)
Our Last Tango (8/16)
Let's Go to Prison (8/16)
The Last Heist (8/17)
The Curse of Sleeping Beauty (8/17)
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, Netflix original (8/19)
Septembers of Shiraz (8/23)
The Road (8/25)
Blue is the Warmest Color (8/26)
XOXO, Netflix original (8/26)
Rams (8/27)
The State of Marriage (8/29)

Amazon enters the student loan business

 
Next time you're ordering your textbooks from Amazon, you can also order a student loan.
Amazon is entering the private student loan business through a partnership with Wells Fargo.
Wells Fargo's student lenders will offer a 0.5 percent interest rate discount to members of Prime Student, Amazon's half-price version of Prime for college students.
Amazon already offers small business loans through Amazon Lending, the invitation-only loan program for third-party sellers it launched in 2012. But this will be the company's first involvement in the student loan market.
The interest rate discount will be available for all Wells Fargo student loans, including both new loans and loan refinancing.
“We are focused on innovation and meeting our customers where they are – and increasingly that is in the digital space,” John Rasmussen, Wells Fargo’s head of Personal Lending Group, said in a press release. “This is a tremendous opportunity to bring together two great brands.”
As for Amazon, the company said in a statement, "Amazon has a track record of investing in great offerings for students, starting with the Amazon Prime Student program.  We’re excited to extend this new offering from Wells Fargo to our Prime Student members."
Private student loans are a booming industry, albeit one that has faced criticism. For the 2014-2015 academic year, students and parents borrowed $106.1 billion, 10 percent of which was nonfederal loans, according to the College Board. According to the Wall Street Journal, the amount of money loaned to borrowers by the five biggest private lenders between July 2015 and March 2016 grew 7 percent from the prior year.
Wells Fargo is a distant second to the nation's largest private student loan lender, Sallie Mae.
Students who accept financial aid packages with predetermined federal loans likely won't be tempted by Amazon's offer. But those already looking to subsidize federal money with private loans, where interest rates can depend on the borrower's credit score, could be intrigued by a promised half-percent discount.
Those already borrowing from Wells Fargo, too, could be persuaded to sign up for Prime Student, which costs $49 a year.

Why a 23-year-old needs to start saving for retirement

Congrats! You're 23 years old and you have your first real job.
On the downside, you now work long hours, wear uncomfortable shoes all day and can't take naps. Even worse, your paychecks get divided pretty evenly between rent, food and student loan payments.
Understandably, you haven't bothered to start a retirement fund yet — you're only 23! You have 39 years before you need to even start worrying about retirement, right?
Wrong.
Dan Egan, director of behavioral finance and investments at Betterment, and Qapital founder and CEO George Friedman discussed about why every young adult needs to be planning their financial future — and why it's so difficult.
"The 20s are a crucial time to start building wealth and saving for retirement," Egan said. "The younger you start investing, the more you can reap the benefits of compounding and long-term market gains. Additionally, at this age, you can afford to invest more aggressively and take on a little more risk in order to earn better returns."

When asked how much a person should set aside, Egan said that it varies by situation. However, he would give everyone the same advice.

"The simple answer: save more. If you aren’t able to contribute substantial amounts of your salary yet, it’s most important to just get in the game," he said. "Once you’re in a stable position in your life and career, committing at least 20 percent of your annual income (including retirement savings) to your investment portfolio is the way to go."
It is hugely important for young people to be planning for their futures, but very few of them do. A survey from Scottrade found that 64 percent of millennials haven't even begun to think about retirement.
This graph from J.P. Morgan illustrates the earning potential your investments have.

A graph showing the earning potential of retirement investments

Image: J.p. Morgan asset management 

It shows that a 10-year delay in putting away money for retirement can be impossible to make up. Chloe, who starts investing at age 25, will make $950,588 more than Lyla, who had the exact same investment plan, but started at age 35. Chloe only invested $100,000 more than Lyla.
Putting away money early in your career is obviously a sacrifice. Every dollar being put in a retirement account is a dollar not being used to buy the next round or to see that new band coming to town.

SEE ALSO: 11 jobs that you wouldn't think pay $100k

Those are sacrifices that are important now, so that you don't have to make tougher sacrifices when you get older.
"It might seem like a sacrifice to save 20 percent of your income right now," he acknowledged. "But think about it this way: By saving as much as you can while there are fewer demands on your income, you put yourself ahead"

It's easy to tell young people to save, but it's not always possible.

According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, members of the class of 2016 are expected to have an average salary of $50,556. While that does sound like a lot of money, it goes fast once you're in the real world.

Qapital

CEO George Friedman advised recent grads who don't know where to start to put a system in place, regardless of how much they were able to set aside.  "Start by focusing on getting into the right habit, you can up the amounts later on. Really, just do it, even if you start with only $100 a month," he said. "At Qapital, we see many first-time savers who automate it for small amounts and before they know it, have significant amounts stacked up for anything from a down payment for a house to a summer festival ticket, or a first large chunk toward a retirement fund."
We asked Friedman how much of a difference a few years will really make.

SEE ALSO: 6 bizarre résumés — and what you should learn from them

"A huge difference," he said. "That is because the money you put aside at the start will have a really long time to grow, thanks to compound interest. It’ll also hurt less if you go easy at the start and start saving small, instead of trying to play catch-up with large amounts later on." 
Friedman also said that young workers shouldn't let loans or debt stop them from planning ahead.
"Waiting to save until you’re debt-free could be a long way away. Just because you have loans to pay off, doesn't mean you can't make smart financial choices for your future. The earlier you start saving for retirement, the more time your money will have to grow. And, with the right plan, you’ll pay off your debts along the way."
So, there you have it. Start saving now

Chinese teenagers are spending less on smartphones

While the average Chinese shopper is becoming more carefree when it’s time to buy a new phone, China’s teens are counting their pennies a lot more carefully.

Most Chinese teens have smartphones that cost up to $130. That’s in contrast to adults, about 51 percent of whom have phones that cost from $150 to $450, according to data released this week by local search engine giant Baidu.

The result is bad news for Apple. Because of budget constraints for most, the iPhone is the eighth most popular smartphone brand among the nation’s teens – as opposed to the fourth most popular with everyone else in China.

Youngsters in the US, meanwhile, are wild about their iPhones. 69 percent of American teens surveyed earlier this year by Piper Jaffray said they’re iPhone owners – a figure that’s up from the year prior.

Xiaomi hanging in there

Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, Samsung, and Vivo are the five most-used brands of the mini-millennials. That’s some succor for Xiaomi at a time when most of the country’s phone buyers are trading up to ever pricier models. The average phone price in China rose to $319 last year, up from $260 in 2014, according to data from Canalys.

In its report, Baidu compares and contrasts China’s “post-00s” generation – people aged up to 16 – with everyone else. The data is mostly pulled from some of the 120 million active users of its Baidu Mobile Assistant app, with some parts put together from a mobile survey of 5,819 users.

Fewer apps

Here are a few more findings about China’s teens and their phones:

• They use fewer apps than the average person. 70 percent of the teens have up to 30 apps, compared to 64.7 percent of everyone else.
• They’re much more likely to be using the phone for streaming music, video, gaming, and snapping pics. And of course for studying. Adults are a lot more keen on social media, shopping, and news than the kids.
• Gaming skews heavily to teen boys.
• 84 percent are on Android. Just six percent on iOS. There’s no data on the remaining 10 percent.
• Girls more likely to be hooked on their phones, with 35 percent spending five hours or more per day on them – compared to 30 percent of the boys.
• Adults, however, spend more time on their phones than the teens. Perhaps there’s too much homework to get done.

Converted from Chinese yuan. Rate: US$1 = RMB 6.68.

FIVE WAYS TO OPTIMISE YOUR WORKSPACE FOR PRODUCTIVITY

Few things affect our productivity as much as what we surround ourselves with. Yet most of us rarely take the time to step back and really analyze our working environment. Instead, we take a ‘set it and forget it’ approach to where we work.

We go to the same office, the same coffee shop, the same co-working space and try to force ourselves into a productive flow. Because we spend so much of our lives working, why not try to make the place we work the best it possibly can be?

Whether you’re at home, in a shared space, or hanging out a coffee shop there are quick and easy fixes to help make your work space work for you.

Why Our Environment Matters (Even When We Don’t Notice)

You may think that you’ve got a good set up, but read into the ways that our surroundings affect us on a subconscious level and you’ll start to feel pretty uneasy about your environment.
Studies have shown how our working habits, both good and bad, are often related to some sort of external trigger or cue, which researchers are increasingly tying to our surroundings. We visit the same places, work at the same desk, and are constantly surrounded by the same influencing factors.
Which is great, right? Find a good working environment and you’ll be forced into a state of flow. But unfortunately, like most things to do with how our brains work, there’s so much more beneath the surface.
As we evolved, our subconscious brain has been trained to keep us safe, even when we don’t realize it. When we’re under threat we need to make decisions quickly, which our brain does through something called ‘thin slicing’. This means it takes one small element of reality and generalizes it, and from that it will determine what behavior to adopt.
So those triggers and cues in your workspace aren’t just affecting you in a way you can consciously comprehend, they’re changing the way your subconscious brain thinks and acts.

Don’t believe me? Here are some studies that show just how ridiculously powerful our environment is in changing the way we think and act:

• Students holding a hot cup of coffee for a few seconds before being asked to judge a hypothetical person, were more likely to describe them as warm and friendly than those holding an iced coffee
• People will behave more competitively if there’s a briefcase in sight—or even if there’s a picture of a briefcase on the wall. And this happens even when people have no conscious memory of having seen the briefcase afterwards.
• If you talk to someone who consistently uses words like down, depressed, low, pointless, and disappointed you’re likely to feel the same way
• Even the subtle aroma of cleaning liquid in the air causes people to be perceptibly cleaner and tidier than usual

So how do we create an environment that’s optimal for making us feel the way we want to during the working day: motivated, productive, and creative?

Kill the Clutter Before It Kills You

There is a long history of creatives and thinkers with cluttered desks. As Albert Einstein once so eloquently put it:

“If a cluttered desk signs a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?”

However, whether it’s your closet or office desk, excess things in your surroundings can have a negative impact on your ability to focus and process information.
That’s exactly what neuroscientists at Princeton University found when they looked at people’s task performance in an organized versus disorganized environment. The results of the study showed that physical clutter in your surroundings competes for your attention, resulting in decreased performance and increased stress.
A team of UCLA researchers recently observed 32 Los Angeles families and found that all of the mothers’ stress hormones spiked during the time they spent dealing with their belongings.
Similar to what multitasking does to your brain, physical clutter overloads your senses, making you feel stressed, and impairs your ability to think creatively.
However, it’s not as easy as just getting rid of the excess things in your life. We don’t create clutter simply through laziness or being unorganized, it literally hurts your brain to give them up. Researchers at Yale recently identified that two areas in your brain associated with pain, the anterior cingulate cortex and insula, light up with activity in response to letting go of items you own and feel a connection towards. This is the same area of the brain that lights up when you feel physical pain from a paper cut or drinking coffee that’s too hot.

Your brain views the loss of one of your valued possessions the same as something that causes you physical pain.
So what do we do to reduce the stress of clutter?

• Apply constraints: Whether it’s Twitter followers, tabs open in your browser, notebooks, or magazines, setting hard limitations and sticking to them is the best way to stop accumulating more.
• Use small storage spaces: Parkinson’s Law says we fill the time we have available to us, and the same could be said about clutter. Less room means less room for clutter.
• Conduct a monthly review of your space: Set time aside to clean, sort, and discard every single month.
• Set up a daily cleanse routine: Crew CEO Mikael suggests cleaning your desktop at the end of every workday so to-do items don’t linger and you’ve got a clean slate to start with the next day

Find Places That Inspire You

There’s a reason we feel inspired by large spaces or refreshed from sitting by the window. Apart from a heavy dose of Vitamin D, architecture can have a huge impact on our productivity.
Author James Clear gives the example of researcher Jonas Salk, who, after spending years trying to discover the cure for the polio epidemic ravaging the US in the 50s, travelled to the quiet hills of central Italy where he stayed at a 13th-century Franciscan monastery known as the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi.
The space changed the way he thought:

“The spirituality of the architecture there was so inspiring that I was able to do intuitive thinking far beyond any I had done in the past. Under the influence of that historic place I intuitively designed the research that I felt would result in a vaccine for polio. I returned to my laboratory in Pittsburgh to validate my concepts and found that they were correct.”

Jonas’ example is just one of many.
It’s been long known that schools with more natural light provide a better learning environment for students and test scores often go up as a result. And natural light and fresh air are known to stimulate productivity in the workplace as well.
You might not be in a position to choose your workspace, but there are quick fixes: look for a spot with natural light from a window or skylight, take a walk outside when you feel stuck, or simply explore a new location.
A new environment can quite literally lead to new ideas. And what’s even more exciting is that studies have shown it’s actually easier to build new habits in new places.

Use Different Places for Different Places of Mind

We know that different locations will affect us, so why not use that to our advantage? Our brains love habits, and if we can associate certain qualities with different places, it can help us get into a better working flow. This is called ‘task association’, where your brain knows that when you’re in a certain place, you’re taking a certain action.
Writer Gregory Ciotti gives one great example of how he forces himself into a better working flow just by changing the device he’s using. In his example, he’s trained his brain to know that when he’s at his desktop it’s time for deep writing like articles. The laptop is for more shallow work like emails or informal posts. And lastly, the tablet is for reading only.
This technique is so powerful it’s even been used to help treat people with insomnia by telling them to only go into their bedroom if they’re actually tired. If sleep isn’t achieved in a reasonable amount of time, they were instructed to leave and move onto another task until they were tired again. If you can set up multiple workspaces for different tasks you’ll also be able to force your mind into a certain flow, just by physically being somewhere.
A great example of this is writer and artist Austin Kleon who keeps two desks setup in his space: an ‘analog’ desk filled with paper, pens, and markers; and a ‘digital’ desk with laptop and tablet. Idea creation and ‘playing’ takes place on only the analog desk, while shaping, editing, and publishing is in the digital domain.

Set Yourself Up for Success

We may think we have the willpower and control to push through harder tasks, but deep down we’re all lazy. But it’s not entirely our fault. Our brains have been taught to conserve energy at all costs and make subconscious decisions for us based entirely on how hard or easy it is. So if you want to create a workspace that’s productive, focus on making it easier to do the things you want to do, and harder to do the tasks you don’t.
Stanford professor and psychologist BJ Fogg calls this ‘designing for laziness’.
Sometimes it’s as easy as turning your phone off and putting it in a drawer so every time you’re tempted to check it you have to go through a lengthy process, while other times it might mean unplugging your TV and putting it in the closet.
One technique I’ve used lately is to close all of my tabs in my browser at the end of the day (a hellish chore for any writer), leaving only my most important task open. The next day, the easiest choice is just to keep working on whatever was left from the day before.
I’m certainly not the first person to use this technique. Even Hemingway used to stop writing mid-sentence so that he always knew where to pick up the next day.

Curate Your Senses

Beyond the physical layout and mental associations of your space, there are some auxiliary things you can also control. The sounds around you and the music you listen to can have a huge impact on your productivity.
We’ve written about the power of music and how to find the right track for the right task before, but it’s important to note that certain sounds can be incredibly harmful to how you work. Studies show that of all things, intermittent speech—hearing small snippets of conversation—can have an incredibly negative impact on your ability to concentrate.
One meta-analysis examined 242 studies of the ways noise affects performance, and found that when it came to performing cognitive tasks—like staying attentive, reading and processing text, and working with numbers—performance was more affected by intermittent speech than by either continuous speech (which would have little variation in volume and rhythm) or non-speech noise. Bad news for those of us in shared spaces or offices.
There are options though. If you can’t find a spot that’s silent, noise cancelling headphones or music that drowns out speech can help regain that focus.
When it comes to nature versus nurture in how we work, nurture almost always come out on top. The habits we’ve formed and the triggers we surround ourselves with can have a huge impact on the quality of work we do and how much we get done in a day.
But with a bit of mindfulness and tweaking we can create the kind of space that helps us get into flow quickly and more often.

Two Ways to Adjust to Harsh Sunlight When Photographing Outdoors, No Gear Required

If you have to shoot in bright, harsh, overhead light, your best bet is to either just move to the shade (in which case you have more to think about, more on that in a moment), or turn your subject 180 degrees. These tips may seem obvious, but the utility is in the nuance.

In this video, David Bergman explains that in general, the best times to photograph just about anything is either right after sunrise or just before sunset, since the low sun in the sky creates warm, directional lighting that’s easy to work with. However, if you’re shooting in the middle of the day, or in an extremely or harshly lit environment, and you don’t have the option to block out the lights or create your own offsetting light, you have two simple fixes:

• Turn your subject 180 degrees, or shoot from the other side. In the example in the video above, we go from shooting a portrait where harsh light falls right on the subject’s face and nose with stark shadows across her face to a much better look with bright light on her hair and softer shadows on her face.
• Just move to the shade, in which case you need to pay more attention to your background. Sure, moving to the shade is the obvious option, and it can have a huge impact, because the solution to shooting in bright light is to, well, duh—get out of the light. However, if you do that, you need to pay close attention to your background, since those same harsh reflections may make their way into your shot that way, and the lighting imbalance can make or break your final photo.

For more on these tips—simple or not, depending on your level of photography experience—hit play on the video above, or hit the link below.

How S&M Can Strengthen Your Relationship

No, I am not referring to Fifty Shades of Grey sadism and masochism. I am talking about a seriously powerful, connection-building combo: self-compassion and mindfulness.
What does this look like? Self-compassion enables you to love yourself as you would love others. It also helps to ease your emotional and physical suffering. Mindfulness, on the other hand, relates to paying attention to the present moment – emotionally and physically – without judging yourself or others. It really is as simple as that!
Take for instance the current situation of Stacy and Peter (names changed for anonymity), a married couple from my private practice. They are parents to Lily, their beautiful, spirited, one-year-old girl. Although Stacy and Peter love each other and Lily very much, they both work long hours, which puts a strain on their relationship.
Exhausted from working all day, Stacy walks through the front door and has to start taking care of Lily. Peter, on the other hand, is out of town for work most days, making him unable to share in the bulk of Lily’s caretaking. As a result, Stacy feels frustrated and angry over Peter’s perceived lack of support. Every time she tries to talk to him about it, Peter gets angry. Unable to express her feelings, this triggers Stacy to tiptoe around him, making her feel disconnected and withdrawn.
From Peter’s point of view, Stacy doesn’t notice or appreciate what he does for the family. Instead of discussing it, all Peter wants is for Stacy to acknowledge what he does do right and for her to apologize so that they can move forward.
Stacy and Peter each have valid feelings and concerns; however, they are so caught up in their own stories, they can no longer see the other’s perspective. As a result, they’re unable to take a step back and have compassion and understanding for one another. As Dr. Gottman explains through his concept of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, feeling criticized can lead to defensiveness, contempt, stonewalling, and ultimately the death of the relationship.
So, what can you do if you find yourself in a similar situation to Stacy and Peter? It all comes back to practicing a little S&M in your relationship. Let’s explore three steps you can take to cultivate self-compassion and mindfulness.
Step 1: Take a break and “self-soothe”
As Dr. Gottman recommends, taking time to calm down and self-soothe is the first step to getting your communications and relationship back on track. Some effective ways to self-soothe include meditation and deep breathing.
Deep breathing indirectly stimulates your vagus nerve – the nerve that originates in your brain stem and runs all the way down through your heart, lungs, and internal organs. Stimulating the vagus nerve releases the anti-stress hormone oxytocin into your system, while simultaneously inhibiting the stress hormone cortisol. It also activates your parasympathetic nervous system, the one responsible for calming you down.
However, if your emotions are completely overwhelming you, do something more physical like taking a walk or a run, working vigorously in your garden, or getting your body moving in another way.
Step 2:  Label your emotions
Once you are calm, take a few minutes to become aware of and identify the emotions you are feeling. Take note of where you physically sense them in your body. If you want, you can take a pen and paper and write them down. Labeling each and every one of your emotions and noting their location will allow you to recognize what you are feeling, making it easier to accept them. Acknowledging your emotions while in a calm state gives difficult emotions the space to change and transform.
Step 3: Cultivate compassion for yourself and others
We’ve all heard the old adage, “You can’t love another unless you can first love yourself.” Moreover, studies indicate that self-compassionate individuals display more positive relationship behavior than those who lack self-compassion. The benefits to self-compassion don’t end there. Instead of feeling disconnected from others when things go wrong, studies have also shown self-compassion actually facilitates feelings of connection to others in difficult times.
So how can you cultivate compassion for yourself and others? Start by imagining what you would say to your best friend after he or she has been hurt or rejected. What would you say? How would you treat him or her? Chances are that you would be kind, understanding, and supportive.
Begin applying this mindset and language to yourself, no matter how uncomfortable it feels. Become aware of your language and mindful of your inner dialogue. If you wouldn’t say the same statements of criticism to someone you cared deeply about, then don’t say them to yourself!
Integrating self-compassion and mindfulness in your everyday life gives you the ability to observe and act – not react – and to be mindful of how you respond to others. Listening and speaking from your compassionate heart will empower you to reconnect with yourself, others, and the world around you.

Career Spotlight: What I Do as a Cancer Researcher

 

Some medical professionals spend their careers in a lab, bettering the world through their research, while others focus on being caring physicians towards their patients. Dr. Tina Cascone, MD, PhD, does both.

Dr. Cascone is a cancer researcher whose nascent career already shows great promise. She’s currently studying how immunotherapy can be used to treat lung cancer—or rather, why cancer cells can become resistant to such treatments. Her work drifted towards research after someone close to her developed cancer while she was in medical school. She still works directly with her patients, though, and considers her clinical responsibilities part of the foundation of her career. We spoke with Dr. Cascone to learn about her day to day work and how she got to where she is today.

First of all, tell us a bit about your current work and how long you’ve been at it.

I am a medical oncology fellow beginning my third and final year of training at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Much of my work this year will focus on my research, however, I will still have an opportunity to interact with my patients once a week. Since early 2015, I have been working on a research project designed to better understand how lung cancers become resistant to one particular type of treatment, immunotherapy. Immunotherapies work by allowing the patient’s immune system to better recognize cancer cells and destroy them. Unfortunately, less than a quarter of patients with lung cancer benefit from immunotherapy so resistance to these types of treatments is a major problem. My research is supported by Lung Cancer Alliance through a Young Investigator Award and the T32 National Institutes of Health training grant.

What drove you to choose your career path? Why oncology and what drove you to focus on research?

Almost everyone knows or has known a person whose life has been adversely affected by cancer; I am no exception. When I was in medical school, someone very close to me developed cancer. This became the catalyst that drove me to learn as much as possible about the disease. I remember the fascination that came from learning about the genetic changes that take place during cancer development. Soon, I knew that I wanted to pursue medical oncology as my profession. During my last year of medical school, I became actively involved in research studies designed to identify the factors that determine how patients with some types of cancers in the chest respond to chemotherapies. It was at this time that I began to see that results from research have the potential to guide therapy and possibly impact patient lives.

What kind of education and experience did you need to get where you are today?

After graduating from medical school in Naples, Italy, I entered the school’s oncology fellowship program. In 2007, I had a unique opportunity to fully immerse myself in studying non-small cell lung cancer at MD Anderson. At the same time I was able to earn my doctoral degree and by 2012, I had gained a strong research background. As my research experience was coming into focus, I sought opportunities to directly help patients as well. It was important for me to see my research in action by working with the people I set out to help. I entered the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, and after completing that training, returned to MD Anderson for my Hematology-Oncology Fellowship in July 2014.

What kinds of things do you do beyond what most people see? What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?

Honestly, it’s possible that most of the patients that I see are unaware of the time I spend in the laboratory and some of my colleagues in the laboratory may not be aware of how much time I spend taking care of patients. Both roles are very important to me and are the foundation of what I do each week. During this third year of my fellowship, the majority of my time will be spent in research to complete my project, but I will continue weekly check-ins with my lung cancer patients as well.

What misconceptions do people often have about your work and job?

Some people may believe that you cannot be both a caring physician and a good scientist because medicine and science require rigorous training and commitment. Pure scientists may not consider you a true researcher due to clinical responsibilities while master clinicians may think your bedside skills are not sharp because you are in the lab doing experiments. I think cancer research and patient care are very complementary and feed each other. The results of research that I do can have a direct impact on the patients that I see every day. That’s a wonderful feeling.
Another potential misconception is that science is a solitary pursuit that is conducted by individuals isolated in their laboratories. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I collaborate with a number of people every day and most of our laboratories have an open concept where you can interact with your coworkers, exchange ideas and work as a team, which are all critical aspects in pushing the field forward.

What are your average work hours? Typical 9-5 schedule or not?

I don’t know any physicians that work a 9-5 schedule. My day typically starts very early in the morning by answering emails or preparing for a meeting or presentation and planning my work day. I am in my office by 8am and on the go all day before heading home later in the evening. I tend to follow up on the results of tests I may have ordered for my patients or work on my research a bit later at night, before bed. I try to spend time with my family and my dog every day to balance my work hours. Weekends are a time for hobbies, family, and some research and clinic work.

What’s the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?

The worst part of my job is watching a patient, friend or family member fight, then lose their battle to a disease. I am not sure that you ever get over it completely. Despite the professional maturity that you acquire during the course of your training, it’s hard not to get emotional about what cancer does to patients, to their families and to their lives. My patients are always on my mind and provide inspiration for my work.

What’s the most enjoyable part of the job?

If your inspiration is to become a doctor, no matter what type of doctor you want to be, you must love the feeling of helping others and I feel this every single day. Helping a patient beat a disease or being able to provide a new treatment that helps improve their quality of life is without question the most rewarding aspect of my job.

What do people under/over value about what you do?

People may undervalue the amount of effort that this profession requires to provide excellent patient care and to more generally advance the field of cancer science. Changes in this field happen rapidly so in order to stay current you need to remain curious and devoted to ongoing study while not losing sight of the heart you need to stay connected with patients you meet with day after day on their cancer journey.

What kind of money can one expect to make at your job?

During postgraduate training, salaries definitely aren’t commensurate with the amount of hours and effort put into work, but that’s okay. I knew what I was signing up for when I decided to follow this path. I didn’t consider money as a determining factor in the decision to dedicate my career to helping those who are sick and to advance the field of study. stay tuned on ghetbusy.blogspot.com for more info.

Is there a way to “move up” in your field?

Every road for a researcher is different depending on your personal goals. My goal is to become an independent investigator at an academic medical center. Being an outstanding clinician, being productive by meeting your clinical responsibilities, mentoring young trainees and securing grant money for your research are just a few of the ways that you are evaluated. I think it’s also important to fulfill institutional duties and responsibilities, for example teaching, mentoring students, serving on committees, and to publish your research in respected medical journals to move up in your career.

What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?

I think medicine is a very noble profession and there is no greater satisfaction that you can receive than helping others. The physician-patient relationships you develop in your practice are highly rewarding and, as a cancer doctor, you accompany your patients in a long journey that requires compassion. Medicine and science are always changing so this field also offers an opportunity for lifelong learning. I would encourage anyone that is thinking of entering medical school to make arrangements to shadow a physician and get familiar with research to have a better understanding of what their future career would be. This approach will help them to make an informed decision. If you like it, go for it.

KNOW HOW!!!- how to be a professional makeup artist(chapter 0ne)contd....

On my last post we discussed about the daily skin care routine, today on ghetbusy! we are going to talk about skin exfoliation, i need a little bit encouragement from my viewers so i would be encouraged to talk more about this, at least a comment at the end of every post will do.
 
Weekly Skin Care Routine- Exfoliation 
To support your daily skincare routine, it is also important for you to take some extra care over the weekend to get your skin ready for the week ahead. Although some experts recommend exfoliation as a daily routine, I recommend that you do it once or twice a week. This is quite sufficient for good skin health.  
What is Exfoliation? 
Exfoliation is the process of removing old, dead skin cells that remain on the outermost surface of your skin. This is an important part of facial skin care and body treatment. Exfoliation, when done correctly, leaves your skin looking and feeling fresh and smooth. Since the outer layer of dead cells is removed by this process, creams, serums and moisturizers penetrate the skin better and have better effect when applied after exfoliation.  
When to Exfoliate? 
It is not necessary to carry out exfoliation every day. This is necessary only when there is enough build-up of dead cells over the skin surface to be detrimental to overall skin health/appearance. To know when to exfoliate, here is a simple test you can use.  Apply a piece of clear tape to your forehead and rub gently. When you remove it and you see tiny pieces of flaky skin adhering to it, you need to exfoliate.  
Exfoliation becomes even more important as you become older. As part of normal body processes, the skin renews cells at the lower layer or dermis. These rise to the surface (epidermis), keratinizing as they advance. These keratin-filled cells form a protective outermost layer of skin. In time, they slough off and allow new cells to take their place and the cycle goes on.  
However, as we age (near age of 40 and above), the process of cell regeneration and replacement slows down dramatically. As a result of uneven sloughing off and replacement with new cells, the skin loses its glow and becomes rough. Exfoliation is very essential in such conditions to remove the dead cells that remain on the epidermis so that new cells can take their place.  
Exfoliation is a very effective solution to many skin problems, especially those arising from or aggravated by closed pores. Checking periodically if this process is necessary and doing it as soon as the right signs appear helps keep your skin in great condition.   
How to Exfoliate? 
There are four ways in which you can exfoliate the dead skin cells:  Granular, Cream, Enzyme and Chemical.  
Granular exfoliation is best to use on young teenage skins with no acne. Usually fine peach pits are in the exfoliation and this helps to remove any dead skin cells. Use a wet sponge to remove the scrub from your face.  
Cream exfoliation is best to use on mature skins (women between 40-50 years). It looks like cream and is applied in a thin layer and left to dry. No steam is used during this. Once it’s dry, you can rub it off with dry fingers.  
Enzyme exfoliation is usually used with a steamer and it works well on older skin types and acne skins. It is also a cream that you apply. The steamer then activates the enzymes to work on your skin. Remove it with sponges.  
Chemical exfoliation is used to remove any spots, blemishes and acne scars from the face. Both enzyme and chemical exfoliation are done at spas, skin care studios or at medical skin care centers where experienced professionals oversee the process.  
Microdermabrasion is also a commonly used facial exfoliation method. There are options here as well and you can choose between crystal microdermabrasion and diamond tip microdermabrasion. However, this is a far more aggressive treatment involving the use of special machinery.
please do leave a comment!!!! ghetbusy.blogspot.com

GOLDEN RULES AND SECRETS OF PHOTOGRAPHY !!!

Hey dear, are you tired of sitting at home and waiting for the government to provide a job for you?, or do you have passion for photography?, here are some secrets you should know about shooting good photos.

..

The Golden Rule of Landscape Photography

 

There’s a golden rule of landscape photography, and you can follow every tip in this

chapter, but without strictly following this rule, you’ll never get the results the top pros

do. As a landscape photographer, you can only shoot two times a day:

    (1) Dawn. You can shoot about 15 to 30 minutes before sunrise, and then from 30 minutes to an hour (depending on how harsh the light becomes) afterward. The only other time you can shoot is.

 (2) dusk. You can shoot from 15 to 30 minutes before sunset, and up to 30 minutes afterward. Why only these two times? Because that’s the rule. Okay, there’s more to it than that. These are the only times of day when you get the soft, warm light and soft shadows that give professional quality lighting for landscapes. How stringent is this rule? I’ll never forget the time I was doing a Q&A session for professional photographers. The other instructor was legendary National Geographic photographer Joe McNally.

A man in the crowd asked Joe, “Can you really only shoot at dawn and dusk?” Joe quietly

took his tripod and beat that man to death. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but what Joe said has always stuck with me. He said that today’s photo editors (at the big magazines)

feel so strongly about this that they won’t even consider looking at any of his, or any other photographer’s, landscape work if it’s not shot at dawn or dusk. He also said that if he takes them a shot and says, “Look, it wasn’t taken during those magic hours, but the shot is amazing,” they’ll still refuse to even look at it. The point is, professional landscape photographers shoot at those two times of day, and only those two times. If you want pro results, those are the only times you’ll be shooting, too.

 stay tuned for more info and secrets....

ghetbusy.blogspot.com

get busy, get skilled and earn money with your time!!!

KNOW HOW!!!- how to be a professional make-up artist (chapter one)

Hello dear, today on ghetbusy blog we are going to talk about tips on how to be a professional make-up artist.
 
Chapter 1: Daily and Weekly Skin Care Routine 
Caring for your skin is not an optional item on your daily list of things to do. The way you look plays a very crucial role in shaping the way you feel about yourself. When your skin is fresh and glowing with good health, you feel confident and self-assured. Proper skin care gives you great looking skin which works wonders for your self-esteem!  
Daily Skin Care Routine 
No matter what your skin type, having a regular cleansing regimen every day is critical for good skin health. Most skin experts advise that excessive cleaning should also be avoided at all costs. Washing your skin twice a day with a good facial cleanser that is designed for your skin type helps keep acne and other skin infections under control.  
Cleansing gets rid of left over makeup and cosmetics that will end up clogging your pores. It also removes any sweat and environmental impurities from the surface of the skin. Many cleansers also hydrate the skin and make it supple and elastic. It is very important to use the correct cleanser for your skin type. Do not use regular soap to wash your face. Regular soap is high alkaline which will dry out your skin. Some also contain perfume which removes the normal protective sebum layer from your skin. This tends to make your skin loses its normal moisture and in some cases may even stimulate an oily skin to produce more oil.  
Toning your skin is the second step in your daily skin care regimen. Toner gets rid of any excess cleanser that is still on your skin, it refreshes the skin and even out its pH levels. It also enhances cell renewal and refines the texture of your skin. Use a toner that gives your skin the vitamins and minerals it needs and you will see your skin revitalized in no time at all. The toner should be applied right after the cleansing (twice a day) and be left on.    Protecting your skin from sun rays is another daily skin care routine that you should adopt. Sun blocks are available for all skin types. Select one that suits yours and use it diligently whenever you need to go out.  
Moisturizing your skin and keeping it well hydrated is an important step to follow. It helps the skin to maintain its normal moisture balance, puts lost moisture back into your skin and it also helps create the perfect base for your foundation. Many people with oily skin believe that moisturizing is unnecessary for them. But this may not really be true. Allowing your skin to get excessively dry may actually worsen your  oily skin problems and cause acne or red patches. Drink plenty of water each day to clear out the toxins from your skin and to keep it supple and elastic all day long.  
Another daily skin care tip is to pay attention to the products that you use on your skin each day and note how your skin feels or reacts afterwards. This helps you identify the cosmetics, creams and moisturizers that suit your skin best and have the least harmful impact. The same attention needs to be paid to the hair care products you use since these may also have an effect on your skin, especially if you have sensitive skin, oily skin problems and cause acne or red patches. Drink plenty of water each day to clear out the toxins from your skin and to keep it supple and elastic all day long.  
Another daily skin care tip is to pay attention to the products that you use on your skin each day and note how your skin feels or reacts afterwards. This helps you identify the cosmetics, creams and moisturizers that suit your skin best and have the least harmful impact. The same attention needs to be paid to the hair care products you use since these may also have an effect on your skin, especially if you have sensitive skin.   
check back on us later today on more tips and details on how to be a professional makeup artist
ghetbusy.blogspot.com
get busy,get skilled and earn more money with your time.
chiao!!!!!

The Means to a Mend

 
No one wants to fall in love only for it to end in a deficit. As we struggle through this thing called life, we sometimes manage to surrender and let love in. When we decide to let love in, it seeps into our hearts, and like the weight of an ocean, it can break and shatter us. This can happen the moment you give love a chance. That feeling you get when you fall hard and seek your (be-all and end-all) to be filled by that SHE/HE.

I once heard, when it comes to love, it is better to walk into love rather than fall in love. This way, when the love is not right, you can simply walk away. If you fall in love, you run the risk of staying down too long and not knowing when or how to come back up - not knowing who or what to turn to, until you are left with no choice but to drown in love.

Once your heart takes over, you will feel yourself literally sink to the depths, the brink of what seems to be the point of no return, a complete abyss - entrapped by emotions and feeling broken. A state of complete darkness comes over you. Though all is dim, know that this too shall pass. The pain felt is not the end all.

Remember, just as that darkness of the night always precedes the dawn, know that light and blissful love is sure to follow after the pain. As long as there is breath in your body and a your heart still beats, you will heal and move on, even if it feels inconceivable.

This is not the end of you but, perhaps, an end of what was not meant to be. Know that the depth of that emotional abyss is not the final resting spot on your love journey. Sometimes you have to reach your lowest point, that point where you are faced without a choice, but only to move on and rise above it all. You can choose to stay at the bottom, until you simply drown, or you can gather the pearls and leave behind the pebbles and the swine. It is these very pearls that will make you stronger, more resilient, and help you see your worth.

Have faith that you can rise up and replace the darkness with the light. Transform your weakness and pain into your greatest strength, a means of growth and renewal. Understand that transformation often begins with a fall, and never regret the lesson.

I read somewhere that “The ground is where humility lives”. This is when you must seek your inner strength, inner circle, and faith to become more aware. It is only then that you will gain the needed endurance to move on. Once healed, at some point you will be forced to look back and see your own nothingness from whence you came. This will encourage you to seek the hunger for greatness. Know that if you have seen that reality, you have seen much. The one who is truly deceived and in darkness is the one who only seeks to pleasure HER/HIS own self, while simply disregarding others along the way. Deprived is the one who has never witnessed HER/HIS own need for the genuine love of another. Reliant on HER/HIS own self, SHE/HE fails to realize the weight of their actions and how it may compromise others, and everything else in existence.

Look to your faith and your inner strength to bring you back up, for the heart that you thought was forever damaged will be mended. What was shattered will be whole again. It is the belief that you can, that will allow you to do this. Keep seeking your inner strength. Constantly thinking and trying to figure out what went wrong, on the other hand, will only leave you to spend too much time regretting, feeling ashamed, and crippled with fear to love again. Don’t let the crushing waves of heartbreak prevent you from rising up. You can still rise up and breathe new air and new life, for new love can be just around the corner. Regain your sense of self and get back on the love track. Leave the pain behind you and don’t let the pain change you. You have a heart that is beautiful, lovable, and desirable for the right person. Keep these words dear and near and use them as your means to a mend.

Silicon Valley's most controversial billionaire is going to speak at the RNC

 
The Republican National Convention speaker list is out, and it is a doozy.
College football star Tim Tebow (update: not anymore!), astronaut Eileen Collins and UFC president Dana White are some of the weirder names on the list, which also includes a variety of politicians and members of the Trump family.

Even among that eclectic group, Peter Thiel's name stands out. The venture capitalist is slated to speak on Thursday night, the final night of the convention, according to the New York Times. 

Thiel is now best known as the Silicon Valley billionaire (net worth of $2.7 billion, according to Forbes) that is financing lawsuits in an attempt to erase Gawker from the face of the Earth. So far, he's been relatively successful, with Hulk Hogan's victory forcing Gawker to declare bankruptcy and put itself up for sale by auction.
Before that, Thiel was primarily known in tech circles as part of the PayPal mafia, the early employees of the payments company that executed a coup against cofounder Elon Musk. After that, Thiel became one of the earliest investors in Facebook and went on to cofound Palantir, one of the world's most valuable and secretive startups.

Thiel once cofounded a nonprofit that was looking to make floating cities on which there were few if any laws.

These moves helped Thiel become one of the most respected venture capitalists in the game. He remains on the board of directors of Facebook.
Thiel's politics are complicated. His support for Donald Trump first became public in May, when his name showed up on a list of California delegates pledged to Trump. The news caught just about everyone by surprise due to Thiel's previous political leanings, which have been strongly libertarian.
How strong? Well, Thiel once cofounded a nonprofit that was looking to make floating cities on which there were few if any laws.
It's worth noting that Thiel is gay, something that had been an open secret in Silicon Valley but not publicly discussed until Gawker began writing about it.
Thiel does not tend to discuss his sexuality publicly. However, his appearance comes shortly after the Republican party adopted a platform that has been called the "most anti-LGBT" in GOP history by the Log Cabin Republicans.
Taken together, Thiel's background might not seem like it lends to Trump's campaign, but the investor has a well-established reputation for going against conventional wisdom and supporting some of the fringiest ideas in the conservative world.
"Thiel is never happier than when others scoff at his ventures," the New Yorker said of Thiel in a 2011 profile, "but he’s prone to the mistaken belief that the contrarian view is always right."
Sounds almost like The Donald, doesn't it?

Handling Your Breakup With Style

 
 I've noticed that sometimes men will take measures to inhibit a woman's emotional response to a breakup which I think is neither appropriate nor fair to the woman. Here's my story, I hope all who have been in this same position will relate and appreciate. I had been dating this guy for about a year and he decided to drop the bomb in the middle of a dinner date at a fine dining restaurant. I quickly realized how he had "choreographed" everything by choosing such a venue so that I would restrain my emotions, and even took additional steps, like picking a table in the middle of the room rather than a more private space. So, I turned the tables on him in a big way. First I ordered the most expensive desserts on the menu, one for each of us. Having a degree in the Theatre Arts, I figured I'd make good use of those skills by staging a dramatic exit complete with a fabricated I exclaimed "I can't believe you've been cheating on me all this time!”  And then I stood up, reached across the table and delivered a hard slap across his face that was heard throughout the room. I had the presence of mind to remove his glasses just before administering the slap so they wouldn't go flying across the room upon impact. (He never did thank me for that) There was complete silence in the immediate aftermath and all you could hear was the sound of my high heels hitting the hardwood floor as I stormed off.  I wonder if he ever ate those desserts I ordered ;-) Stephanie Nguyen

Bukka Re-launches App; Hopes To Create 1000 Jobs In 2016

Bukka is a person-to-person food mobile application that uses seamless connections to link cooks to their clients, connecting you to all available chefs in your neighborhood and allows you to get a large variety of cuisine, freshly made – just the way Uber connects riders with drivers.

They recently re-launched their app and with this app, Bukka aims to create more opportunities for professional and non-professional chefs to earn money without having to open a restaurant.
Their goal is to create 1000 jobs in 2016, in Lagos.
Bukka is an innovative app built with the latest and best web and mobile development technologies, geared at providing employment opportunities for those who are passionate about cooking or those who have the right kitchen skills.
The word Bukka is a popular word among Nigerian students who buy food from small canteens in schools usually referred to as bukka.
So how does this app work?
First, download the app from google playstore.
Sign up or Login into your account with a Gmail or Facebook account, tap to set your delivery location the you would receive a list of chefs available chefs around your location.
Select Chef from list, Browse Chef Menu and Select item(s) of choice (tap multiple time to increase quantity). Proceed to cart and click on checkout. Chef would accept your order and your card would be charged.
Sit back & relax while your chef prepares your meal. Depending on the chef account, expect delivery or proceed to pick up meal when ready from dedicated chef pickup location.
Enjoy your meal and feel free to rate the chef however you see fit or report if there was a problem with your order.

Chinese Man Jailed In US For Stealing Military Information

A Chinese businessman, Su Bin has been jailed in the United States for stealing the US Military information.

He pleaded guilty to hacking sensitive military information and has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison in the US.
Su Bin admitted collaborating with hackersghetbusy.blogspot.com in the Chinese Military to steal data from US Defence companies between 2008 and 2014.
In a statement, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John Carlin said, “Su Bin’s sentence is a just punishment for his admitted role in a conspiracy with hackers from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force to illegally access and steal sensitive U.S. military information.”
The 51-years-old was arrested in Canada in 2014 and extradited to the US.
The arrest came after the Chinese government repeatedly denied any involvement in hacking foreign companies or governments.
In addition to the 46-month prison sentence, the Los Angeles court also ordered Mr Bin to pay a $10,000 fine.

New Urgency For Cleveland Security After France Truck Attack-ghetbusy.blogspot.com

Cleveland on Friday set up concrete traffic dividers and tall metal fences around next week’s Republican National Convention site, measures meant to thwart an attacker like one in France who drove a truck into a crowd, killing more than 80 people.

Security experts said police, the U.S. Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies have viewed vehicles as a potential threat since early in their 18 months of planning for the convention where Donald Trump is due to be formally nominated for the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election.(ghetbusy.blogspot.com)
The decision to erect the protective barriers was taken before Thursday night’s attack in the French city of Nice. Ron Rowe, a high-ranking special agent with the Secret Service, told a news conference on Tuesday that some of the barriers would be going up that day.
Much of the focus has been on stopping a car or truck bomb like those that struck New York’s World Trade Center in 1993 and an Oklahoma City federal office building in 1995.
“A vehicle-borne attack is always something you’re concerned about,” said Jason Porter, vice president for the central region of security provider Pinkerton, which is advising private sector clients on security around the convention.
Officials in Cleveland did not respond when asked whether the Nice attack had altered their security plans. The driver there, shot dead by police, was known to police for petty crimes but not for ties to Islamist militants.
PROTESTS EXPECTED
Thousands of people, including protesters against Trump, are expected to pack into Cleveland for the July 18-21 convention.
Cleveland has banned drones, limited the size of bags people can carry and on Friday removed opaque rubbish bins near the Quicken Loans Arena convention site, replacing them with wire frames holding clear plastic waste bags that make it more difficult to hide objects.
A memorial to slain police officers was cordoned off, an apparent-ghetbusy.blogspot.com-reaction to protests against high-profile killings of black men and youth by police in U.S. cities including St. Paul, Minnesota, Baltimore, New York and Cleveland.
After last week’s killing of five police officers in Dallas by an African American angry about police killings of black men, nearly half of America’s 30 biggest cities issued directives to pair up police officers on calls to boost safety, according to a Reuters survey of police departments.
T.J. Dow, a Cleveland city councilman for the neighborhood expected to see the bulk of protests, said the security plan was designed to be flexible.
Dorothy Strauss, a 68-year-old retired customer service representative, acknowledged her fears in the face of the France attack while watching her granddaughters play in a sprinkler near the convention site.
Were she a delegate, she would attend, Strauss said. “On the flip side, I wouldn’t come down here and hang out with my two granddaughters during the RNC.”

New Revenue Generation Focus Will Not Burden Nigerians, Finance Minister Assures

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has assured Nigerians that the Federal Government’s drive for enhanced revenue generation would not be a burden to Nigerians.

The Minister, who spoke at the opening of the two-day National Revenue Retreat 2016 in Kano, on Thursday, said the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari is firmly committed to turning this economy around by mobilising capital for investment in the essential infrastructure which will drive our economic growth.
The retreat titled “Enhancing Revenue Generation for Sustainable National Development”; according to the Minister was a very important gathering, which came up at a pivotal period in our nation’s economic history.
The Minister said the revenue focus will not burden Nigerians but will ensure that all revenue due to Nigeria’s government, irrespective of the source, is collected with a high degree of efficiency, fully receipted and properly accounted for.
The Kano State Governor, Mr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, had in his speech disclosed that the state government had identified about 106 dormant revenue lines, which it was working assiduously to activate.
However, Adeosun, in her remarks, said the Federal Government has also identified over 1000 dormant revenue lines, assuring however, that such revenue opportunities will be maximised.
The Minister also expressed the determination of the Federal Government to work with the private sector, where required, in order to maximise the nation’s revenue potentials.
She said the days when revenue generating agencies acted as autonomous entities outside of the budget cannot be allowed to continue, saying whether the funds are from fees and fines, from taxes or from projects, the law is clear that every naira must be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
“The administration has started the process of maximising our revenues with a number of initiatives.
“The most important change introduced is a reorientation in the thinking about public money. Discipline and accountability in the spending of public money is a trademark of the President Buhari-led administration. Making every naira count is a commitment and a policy focus and not a slogan. Citizens will not willingly pay revenues if the funds are seen to be leaking or being wasted.
“All spending must start with revenue and therefore we have commenced the work of plugging the leakages of government revenues. Such leakages can arise from a number of factors including inefficient collection systems, evasion of payments due, collusion and other malpractices, as well as obsolete tariffs”, she said.
Mrs Adeosun also stated that “the first step required is the preparation of a detailed revenue map, which identifies the specific lines of revenue and understands how such revenues are generated. Disaggregating revenue into line items is an important first step. The triggers in our various processes that result in a revenue transaction must be clearly understood and well documented.
“To maximise revenue collection, the task of plugging these leakages must be undertaken. It is also important to understand the costs of collection. That is the essential equipment, technology and resources that are required to support revenue. The administration is committed to ensuring budgetary provision for these costs.
“We currently hold daily bilateral revenue meetings with revenue generating agencies to define targets and agree strategies,” the minister stated.
She disclosed that the Federal Government has commenced the review and revision of the cost profiles of revenue generating agencies to ensure that maximum operating surpluses are declared and remitted in compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
“In this regard, we have recently commenced a number of audits of a range of agencies that will give us improved visibility into the revenue and cost profiles. This will enable us to generate an indicative cost profile that can be used to establish reasonable budget targets going forward.”
Revenue Mobilisation to complement borrowing for Investment in infrastructure
The Minister stated that need for investment in infrastructure is well documented as are the potential benefits from so doing.
“Given our low debt to GDP ratio, we could have succumbed to the temptation to fund our needs purely by raising debt. However our approach to debt is a prudent one and we are firm believers in the critical role that revenue plays in mobilising funds.
“Thus the importance of today’s gathering in planning and developing attainable strategies for revenue mobilisation”, she maintained.
She explained that revenue mobilisation provides a sustainable and predictable flow of funds that is not as vulnerable to external shocks as we have seen with the oil price.
She added that the Ministry of Finance has committed itself to a total revenue focus, which will reengineer revenue collection, explaining that the focus of the event will be around preparing for the enhanced government revenue opportunities that will arise as Nigeria begins to recover.
Revenue generation and accountability are patriotic responsibilities of every public servant.
The Minister said the responsibility for revenue generation must be vested at the highest level within every organisation, adding that revenue is not the responsibility of the Finance Team, but a collective and a patriotic responsibility of every public servant.
“The accounting officer must see themselves as the Chief Revenue Officers of the organisation. As we begin to streamline our public finances, we expect those organisations with high Revenue Generating Capacity to fulfil their responsibilities.
“We have observed that in other countries some agencies like Passport Offices and Vehicle Licencing Centres, Airport Authorities and Ports are cash cows whereas in Nigeria their historical contribution has been sub optimal. This is going to change,’ the Minister stated.
According to her, “the focus of this conference is on non-oil revenue generation. The role of most of us, represented here, in oil revenue generation is minimal. Oil represents only 13% of GDP but contributes over 70% of government revenue. This cannot continue and as we move toward exploiting our solid minerals and agricultural endowments we must build robust revenue platforms to ensure that we take full advantage of the value opportunities.
“We must begin to see revenue maximisation as ‘the Business of Government’ that is government operating commercially where required and this will require a new mind-set. Optimisation of revenue generation requires targets, incentives and penalties as part of the performance management framework. Thus in some cases partnership and risk sharing with private sector operators must and will be considered.”
“The ease of doing business has been cited as one of the key drivers of economic growth and Nigeria has already set targets for improvement in this regard”, she said.
She further noted that we must look for opportunities for co operations and synergy through the three tiers of government, insisting that single collection of multiple levies must be pursued where possible to maximise the convenience and efficiency of our collections.
She maintained that the responsibility for collection of revenue must reflect the fact that there is ‘one Nigeria’ and there are no Federal, State or Local Government Nigerians, adding that where there is a need to review and update obsolete laws, this must be embraced by our Legislators.
“Nigeria can and must improve its revenue collection efforts. Our revenue to GDP ratio is far lower than that of our peers. Nigeria’s Tax to GDP is only 6% versus 26% in South Africa and 21% in Tunisia. This is actually good news as it reflects the opportunity for growth.”
The Minister charged participants “to take away concrete actions that you will begin to implement from Monday as part of the rebuilding of our public finances. Irrespective of your area of core responsibility, you must take full ownership of the need to maximise the revenue potential in your organisations, Treat government business as an enterprise to be operated with best practice and with the type of results that Nigeria needs and deserves at this critical time.