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Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Naked Cristiano Ronaldo stands behind girlfriend Irina Shayk...
Power couple: Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and his model girlfriend, Irina Shayk, show off their sex appeal in a racy new shoot for Spanish Vogue
They are one of the best looking couples in the world.
And footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and his model girlfriend, Irina Shayk, set out to prove this in a racy new shoot for Spanish Vogue.
The couple put their enviable physiques on display in the sultry new shoot by famed photographer, Mario Testino.
While most models tend to dress up for the fashion bible, it was clear the couple and Testino thought that dressing down was the better option.
The sexy cover gave a tease of the Real Madrid player's toned body while Irina was protected his modesty in a thigh slit strapless white dress.
The 29-year-old Portuguese player and the 28-year-old model have been dating since 2010 and follow in the footsteps of fellow power couple Kanye West and Kim Kardashian who famously landed
the cover of Vogue US earlier this year.
A behind the scenes video from the shoot reveals that the couple had no issue posing for the spread as Irina places herself on top of the half naked player as he lay on the floor.
She laughed and smiled before getting back into focus and showing her famous assests to the camera.
The Russian model then revealed a more seductive way to wear sports attire as she displayed an array of sultry poses on a white bed.
Another setting saw the pair showcase their bronzed skin in white outfits as Cristiano put his famous six pack on full display.
Irina then stepped things up a notch in wet see-through shorts and she posed playfully in the kitchen of the home that the shoot was held in.
The couple pose in the June 2014 issue of Spanish Vogue.
CLICK FOR THE VIDEO http://bcove.me/ztoony33
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2632926/Naked-Cristiano-Ronaldo-stands-girlfriend-Irina-Shayk-cover-Spanish-Vogue-pose-racy-sport-themed-shoot.html#ixzz32DtZ1ihM
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Swiss say no to world’s highest minimum wage
Low-paying jobs like waiting staff account for 10.5% of the working population (Keystone)
Voters in Switzerland have rejected plans for a nationwide minimum wage. At CHF22 ($25) an hour, the limit would have been the highest in the world.
Final results from Sunday's nationwide vote show it was opposed by 76.3% of votes cast.
The country’s biggest trade union umbrella group pushed the initiative to a vote, arguing a nationwide limit would entitle everyone to a “decent rate of pay”. In the grander scheme of things, they said the change would help reduce poverty and fight wage dumping, where firms bring in workers from abroad but pay them less.
The Trade Union Federation had the backing of the Social Democrats and the Greens. But opponents – most political parties, the government and the business community – argued it would be tantamount to state interference in a free market economy and could prove counterproductive, forcing firms to cut costs by killing some low paid jobs.
The country’s biggest trade union umbrella group pushed the initiative to a vote, arguing a nationwide limit would entitle everyone to a “decent rate of pay”. In the grander scheme of things, they said the change would help reduce poverty and fight wage dumping, where firms bring in workers from abroad but pay them less.
The Trade Union Federation had the backing of the Social Democrats and the Greens. But opponents – most political parties, the government and the business community – argued it would be tantamount to state interference in a free market economy and could prove counterproductive, forcing firms to cut costs by killing some low paid jobs.
After the vote, unions said they would continue to fight against low pay. The Trade Union Federation chief economist, Daniel Lampart, conceded that a large majority had come out against the minimum wage being enshrined in law. But that does not mean that the Swiss back wages that people are unable to live on, he said.
“People want collective bargaining agreements to guarantee good salaries,” he noted.
The Swiss Business Federation, economiesuisse, described the rejection of the initiative as a clear signal that the electorate wouldn’t tolerate government intervention in a free market economy.
Its president, Heinz Karrer, said: “In recent weeks we were able to show that the initiative hurts low-paid workers in particular.”
He added that the issue of minimum wages would be addressed in collective agreements in some regions and industries.
“People want collective bargaining agreements to guarantee good salaries,” he noted.
The Swiss Business Federation, economiesuisse, described the rejection of the initiative as a clear signal that the electorate wouldn’t tolerate government intervention in a free market economy.
Its president, Heinz Karrer, said: “In recent weeks we were able to show that the initiative hurts low-paid workers in particular.”
He added that the issue of minimum wages would be addressed in collective agreements in some regions and industries.
INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC
Vote results
Check the details of the four nationwide ballots on the updated graphic chart. It gives a breakdown from each of the 26 cantons and also shows the overall results. [.
Too high?
Under the initiative, someone on a minimum wage in Switzerland would have earned double the rate in Britain or the United States. Although high, the Swiss limit was set against the country’s high cost of living, where the median hourly wage is around CHF33.
Luxembourg currently has the top ‘real’ minimum wage at $10.70 an hour, when adjusted for purchasing power, and the Swiss wage would have been comfortably ahead of that at $14. (See infobox)
The minimum wage initiative was the third time in just under two years that Swiss voters have been called upon to decide how much – or how little – jobs should be worth. Last year voters approved a crackdown on pay packages for ‘fat cat’ top managers but rejected a move to cap executive salaries at 12 times that of the lowest paid employees.
The CHF22 an hour limit would have fallen in the current upward range for low-paying jobs, which account for about 10.5% of all jobs.
The Swiss Employers’ Association said in opposing a minimum wage they were not defending a policy of low pay rates, but believed pay policy should be “realistic and flexible”.
The rate proposed was too high, they said, even when the cost of living and median wage was taken into account.
They had warned a high, uniform rate could hurt low earners. Instead of rates being negotiated by social partners through collective bargaining agreements on the basis of local conditions and economics, companies would have to cut jobs to meet higher costs.
Fundamentally, they were against the idea of a nationwide minimum wage being set by the government “contrary to the principle of pay rates being set in accordance with market conditions”, and “incompatible with a liberal economic system”, Alexandre Plassard told swissinfo.ch ahead of the vote.
Luxembourg currently has the top ‘real’ minimum wage at $10.70 an hour, when adjusted for purchasing power, and the Swiss wage would have been comfortably ahead of that at $14. (See infobox)
The minimum wage initiative was the third time in just under two years that Swiss voters have been called upon to decide how much – or how little – jobs should be worth. Last year voters approved a crackdown on pay packages for ‘fat cat’ top managers but rejected a move to cap executive salaries at 12 times that of the lowest paid employees.
The CHF22 an hour limit would have fallen in the current upward range for low-paying jobs, which account for about 10.5% of all jobs.
The Swiss Employers’ Association said in opposing a minimum wage they were not defending a policy of low pay rates, but believed pay policy should be “realistic and flexible”.
The rate proposed was too high, they said, even when the cost of living and median wage was taken into account.
They had warned a high, uniform rate could hurt low earners. Instead of rates being negotiated by social partners through collective bargaining agreements on the basis of local conditions and economics, companies would have to cut jobs to meet higher costs.
Fundamentally, they were against the idea of a nationwide minimum wage being set by the government “contrary to the principle of pay rates being set in accordance with market conditions”, and “incompatible with a liberal economic system”, Alexandre Plassard told swissinfo.ch ahead of the vote.
Ironing out differences
The cost of living varies greatly from region to region, and the collective bargaining in place takes account of real conditions in different regions and industries, the employers association has said.
Unions however hoped the initiative would be a tool to put an end to pressure on pay rates in areas and economic sectors that rely on imported workers from other countries.
Switzerland is currently grappling with how to implement a rightwing move approved by voters in February to curb immigration from European Union countries.
Unions believed their initiative would have been “an effective tool” against firms wage dumping, because it would have required the government and cantons to promote collective agreements specifying the minimum rates of pay and to ensure its implementation, trade union spokesman Ewald Ackermann told swissinfo.ch.
It would have also covered those people who fall through the net. At present, only 49% of employees work under a collective agreement in Switzerland and only 80% of those have a collective agreement that sets minimum wage limits.
Unions however hoped the initiative would be a tool to put an end to pressure on pay rates in areas and economic sectors that rely on imported workers from other countries.
Switzerland is currently grappling with how to implement a rightwing move approved by voters in February to curb immigration from European Union countries.
Unions believed their initiative would have been “an effective tool” against firms wage dumping, because it would have required the government and cantons to promote collective agreements specifying the minimum rates of pay and to ensure its implementation, trade union spokesman Ewald Ackermann told swissinfo.ch.
It would have also covered those people who fall through the net. At present, only 49% of employees work under a collective agreement in Switzerland and only 80% of those have a collective agreement that sets minimum wage limits.
International comparison
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development calculates the real minimum wages in 2013 among 26 member countries, adjusting them for purchasing power parity.
The top five rates were Luxembourg ($10.70), followed by France ($10.60), Australia ($10.20), Belgium ($10) and the Netherlands ($9.5).
When adjusted by currency rates, Australia came top with $15.20, followed by Luxembourg, France, Belgium and Ireland.
(Source: OECD 2014)
The top five rates were Luxembourg ($10.70), followed by France ($10.60), Australia ($10.20), Belgium ($10) and the Netherlands ($9.5).
When adjusted by currency rates, Australia came top with $15.20, followed by Luxembourg, France, Belgium and Ireland.
(Source: OECD 2014)
Inside Job... The Movie, Takes a closer look at what brought about the financial meltdown. a must see film...
Storyline
'Inside Job' provides a comprehensive analysis of the global financial crisis of 2008, which at a cost over $20 trillion, caused millions of people to lose their jobs and homes in the worst recession since the Great Depression, and nearly resulted in a global financial collapse. Through exhaustive research and extensive interviews with key financial insiders, politicians, journalists, and academics, the film traces the rise of a rogue industry which has corrupted politics, regulation, and academia. It was made on location in the United States, Iceland, England, France, Singapore, and China. Written by Anonymous
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Google Glass goes after prescription eyewear market
Erica Pang swipes the touch bar on her Google Glass device. (Peter DaSilva / For The Times)
contact the reporter
Google Glass has an image problem.
Since its debut two years ago, the perception of the wraparound eye-level device has devolved from interesting futuristic gizmo to invasive spywear tool, despised by privacy advocates and banned in numerous bars and casinos. Google Inc. even had to post online tips to help customers observe proper etiquette.
Now Google is scoping out a market segment that could boost sales while creating a more mainstream image: prescription eyeglass wearers. Google recently teamed up with three eye-care providers — including two in Southern California — to sell its Glass wearable device directly to the public.
Wink Optometry in Calabasas and Optometrix in Brentwood are letting their customers try out Google Glass, and if they like what they see, have it mounted on traditional-looking prescription frames.
Google is betting on customers who already wear glasses to upgrade their spectacles to modern-day smart glasses. The pilot program tests a distribution channel that is likely to grow dramatically: Nearly 183 million American adults already use some form of vision correction, according to a December report by the Vision Council.
Google last month inked a deal with Italian eyewear powerhouse Luxottica Group to "design, develop, and distribute" fashion frames for Google Glass, as it does for brands such as Ray-Ban and Oakley.
Frames for the prescription glasses, shown at Wink Optometry in Calabasas, are included in the $1,500 price tag. Lens costs are separate. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
And on Thursday, Google named Ivy Ross, former president of Calvin Klein's men's accessories business and executive vice president of marketing for Gap, as the new head of its Glass team.
"If you're already wearing glasses, it's not a decision you have to make — whether you're going to wear glasses or not," said Insiya Lokhandwala, a member of Google's Glass business development team. "The revolutionary part really is in the fact that now these are smart glasses that let you do more than just correct your vision."
That's what concerns privacy advocates. Although traditional frames might make Google Glass wearers less obvious, they won't directly affect the privacy issue. The bars, restaurants and casinos that ban Google Glass say they're protecting customer privacy. Whether traditional frames will make it easier for Glass wearers to sneak past bouncers has yet to be seen."With a cellphone camera it's pretty obvious if someone is holding up their camera and recording you," said Jeremy Gillula, a staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a consumer digital rights group. "If something like Google Glass becomes popular, it's impossible to tell if someone is recording. Potentially, we'll have everyone recording everything everyone else does in public all the time."
Frames for the prescription glasses are included in the $1,500 price tag. Lens costs are separate. Major eye-care insurer VSP Vision Care says it will cover part of the cost, depending on a customer's benefit plan.
Matthew Alpert, optometrist and the owner of Wink Optometry, says interest in Glass has been "huge."
"People are excited about it," Alpert said. "People don't understand it, but you just run through a demo with them and it clicks really quick."
JR Curley, 42, of Manhattan Beach, said he's been using Glass for seven months, and got the special frames and lenses for the device a few weeks ago. Curley said he wears Glass all the time.
Google has limited distribution of the device, but this week it announced that a beta version is available to the general public online."They're an extension of my day-to-day now. They're so easy to use," said Curley, who uses the device that is wirelessly connected to his smartphone to take pictures, send and receive text messages and check his email.
Curley sees huge potential for Google Glass for those with poor eyesight.
"What an interesting way to marry a wearable device, a wearable computer, onto something that millions of people across the U.S. physically have anyway." Curley said. "In essence, what you're doing is piggybacking on something that's existing, which to me made perfect sense, especially as someone who does wear glasses every day."
Twitter: @sal19
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