Art — GuardiansPress

Study Confirms Many Of Us Go Online For No Reason

December 4, 2011 by admin ·

For anyone who needed official word, a new study confirms that many of us – and the majority of young adults – go online for no good reason at all.

The report from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that on any given day, 53 percent of 18 to 29 year-olds go online just to have fun or pass time.

That should explain all those kitten videos.

The report finds that the amount of time people spend tooling around on the Web doing nothing corresponds with age. Only 12 percent of people over 65 say they went online the previous day for no particular reason. Of those aged 50 to 64, the study found 27 percent answered yes to the same question. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Art, Humanities, Research & Study ·

Casino Stocks: Bring On The Dividends!

November 30, 2011 by admin ·

The volatility in financial markets since we last visited the Asian gaming stocks did not leave the stocks undisturbed. Since “Casino Stocks: Turbo-Growth From Rising Asian Wealth” went to press, Wynn Resorts (WYNN) is down 23%, Las Vegas Sands (LVS) down 5%, Melco Crown Entertainment (MPEL) off 20%, and MGM Resorts International (MGM) is down 13%. But International Gaming Technology (IGT), reflecting its exposure to a strengthening U.S, domestic economy instead of the hyper-volatile Asian economies, is up almost 10% in that time period.

The big news is the announcement of a $5.00 special dividend from Wynn and the expected announcement of a dividend in 2012 or 2013 from Las Vegas Sands. Both companies have seen stabilization in their U.S. operations and despite huge capital expenditures for Cotai developments and Macau expansion, cash is piling up at their Asian subsidiaries. The special dividend from Wynn and future regular dividends from Las Vegas Sands also reflect that key control persons – twin casino legends Steve Wynn and Sheldon Adelson – are prime beneficiaries of any dividend expenditures. Wynn and related family members own over 20 million WYNN shares which means a cool $100 million will be coming their way. Hey, every little bit helps during these tough economic times, right ? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Art, Business, Economy, Games, Humanities ·

Let’s Talk About the Future We Want

November 28, 2011 by admin ·

Here are some questions for the Occupiers, the Tea Party demonstrators, the people engaged in the Arab Spring and those around the world who are too hungry, too tired, too discouraged or too occupied with basic survival to protest.

These are questions, too, for the young people who will inherit the future we are setting in motion today, and the elders who are concerned about the world they are leaving their grandchildren.

Most of us want things to be better. We don’t want the kind of world we’ll get if we allow global climate change, resource conflicts, resource constraints, environmental degradation, overwhelming population growth, helter-skelter urbanization, war, social injustice and other looming problems to go unaddressed. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Art, Humanities, People ·

How Humans Started Their Social Life

November 10, 2011 by admin ·

Origination of humans’ social life can be traced back to primates, who gave up their solitary existence and adopted communal living to guard themselves from predators when they shifted from being nocturnal to diurnal, a new study has suggested.

University of Oxford team suggests that a common history is vital in shaping the way animals behave in a group.

The team, which took into consideration an analysis of 200 primates, has identified the transition from non-social to social living to about 52 million years ago.

Contrary to the previous researches, which suggest that primate social groups developed gradually in size over time, the new study suggests that transition happened in one step, and coincided with a move into daylight. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Art, Ecology, Humanities ·

The Globalisation Of Protest

November 7, 2011 by admin ·

Protesters around the world say they are part of a generation that played by the rules but has no hope for the future.

The protest movement that began in Tunisia in January, subsequently spreading to Egypt and then to Spain, has now become global – with the protests engulfing Wall Street and cities across America. Globalisation and modern technology now enables social movements to transcend borders as rapidly as ideas can.

And social protest has found fertile ground everywhere: A sense that the “system” has failed, and the conviction that even in a democracy, the electoral process will not set things right – at least not without strong pressure from the street. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Art, Humanities, Politics ·

Halloween Crowd Will Be Big And Scary

October 31, 2011 by admin ·

An estimated 161 million Americans will celebrate the holiday in such ways as decorating homes, wearing costumes or attending parties, a retail trade group says. About $7 billion in spending is expected.

Costumes are ready, bags of candy wait to be handed out, and monsters of all ages are ready for action.

Halloween has finally arrived after a weekend of pre-holiday warmups, and a record number of people are expected to participate in traditional festivities, according to the National Retail Federation.

An estimated 161 million people will don costumes, attend parties, decorate their homes and go trick-or-treating, the highest number in the nine-year history of the group’s spending survey. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Art, Humanities ·

Is Your Job Killing You?

October 23, 2011 by admin ·

It’s a health hazard that most of us cannot ignore. Our jobs, no matter how stressful or manageable, tend to affect our well-being in more ways that we can imagine.

From sitting on our seat too long to using the PC for hours on end, there are many small things we do that can cause long-term problems. If you are one of those who’s frequently complaining about backaches, a swollen wrist, burning eyes or sleeping disorders, maybe it’s time to make some changes in your workplace.

Consultant Interventional Cardiologist Dr Vijay Surase says those working night shifts can have their whole biological cycle disrupted. “The brain generally requires at least eight hours of sleep to feel rested. The sleep/wake cycle of the body is disturbed because of working in shifts. Another very important problem that night shift workers face is they are not able to relax from the work environment, after their shift is over. People who work during the day time mostly have only a few hours for recreation before they go to bed.” Further, due to this kind of stressful lifestyle, they even adapt to smoking and drinking alcohol. Those working in places like call centers often suffer from digestive problems as they are unable to get a healthy meal in the night and eat fast food on a daily basis. [Read more...]