A bear in the streets of Filettino

L’orso torna a farsi vedere sui monti Simbruini, la più grande area protetta del Lazio tra le province di Roma e Frosinone. In questi giorni l’animale è stato avvistato più volte, durante la notte, da residenti e turisti lungo la strada provinciale nel comune di Filettino, il paese più alto del Lazio, in provincia di Frosinone, al confine con l’Abruzzo. Lo conferma il Corpo Forestale dello Stato che, dopo le segnalazioni, ha svolto, insieme con gli uomini del Parco dei Simbruini, approfondite verifiche sulla presenza del più grande animale carnivoro italiano (si ciba per l’80% di prodotti vegetali bacche, semi, frutta,ecc.), trovando diversi riscontri. «E’ una notizia - spiegano dalla Forestale di Filettino - molto interessante dal punto di vista della biodiversità e del recupero di un anello mancante nella catena alimentare in questa porzione dell’Appennino Central.

L'orso marsicano (foto F. Culicelli)CURIOSITA’ E TIMORI - Tanta la curiosità nel paese montano all’estremo nord della Ciociaria, ma anche qualche timore. Diverse persone hanno già manifestato preoccupazioni per i loro capi di bestiame. «Solo sporadicamente – dicono però dalla Forestale - preda altri animali. Ed e’ un’evenienza rara che incontrino persone, visto che le abitudini del plantigrado sono prettamente notturne». L’orso, secondo gli esperti, è un animale selvatico solitario che sfugge l’uomo. «A riprova di ciò – aggiunge la Forestale - va evidenziato come le popolazioni del Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo convivano quotidianamente con l’orso in maniera pacifica e serena, non facendosi mancare di fare le escursioni, di raccogliere la legna in bosco, di raccogliere i funghi, le fragole, e quant’altro consentito dalle leggi».

ATTRATTIVA TURISTICA - La Forestale di Filettino e gli uomini dell’ufficio naturalistico del Parco dei Monti Simbruini continuano a monitorare la situazione. «l ritorno dell’orso su Simbruini, oltre che un fatto di forte valore ambientale del luoghi - sostengono ancora dalla Forestale - è un elemento di sicuro richiamo turistico che potrebbe far ripartire l’economia del comprensorio dell’area protetta». La speranza, da queste parti, è che la presenza dell’animale richiami l’attenzione di scolaresche, studiosi, amanti della flora e della fauna selvatica. «Vale la pena – conclude la Forestale - accogliere in modo favorevole il ritorno di un animale così importante, per il quale tutti siamo chiamati a mobilitarci in suo sostegno

Emergency contraception Before the debates careful

Here we are with a theme of women's health "sensitive" the pill five days, one that can prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse, when taken within 120 hours. Already on the market in the United States and in many European countries, Italy has just received the approval of the Board of Health, but with a "BUT"

a pregnancy test on the blood required to rule out that it is already in place to become pregnant.

So Aidos (the Italian Association for Women in Development) has sent an open letter to the President of AIFA, the Italian Medicines Agency, which will have to approve this new emergency contraceptive, with a request: exclude compulsory of the test.

Even the most gynecologists is contrary to the tests. Women have expressed, experts as well and we'll see.


But when it comes to reproductive health, contraception more or less of an emergency, the abortion pill, in vitro fertilization (by the way: Italy is the first place to pregnancies with frozen embryos, as has just been reported in the Stockholm European Conference play, despite having one of the most controversial laws in Europe) the question always becomes more complicated and intertwined with the ethical debate, where the views are wasted and overshadow other considerations, perhaps the most important. Here at least two.

Meanwhile the pill for five days is a "therapy" is used to fix a mess that is often caused by a lack of "prevention", ie contraception awareness, particularly among young people.

It 's true that the pill for five days (like the one already on the market, the next day) is for emergencies, but it is also true that a survey conducted by the Italian Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (Sigo) of more than a thousand of young people, reveals that at least one in four teenagers has used it (even the official figures say that a total of 360,000 packs of morning-after pills sold in Italy in 2009, half has been used by under 20).

The minors, then, are responsible, alone, 3.4 of the total of all induced abortions

Not only that, always according to the survey Sigo, just a guy on three take on holiday contraception, even though 64 percent believe that occasional live an adventure (the Sigo has promoted a program of information on contraception).

The second consideration is the side effects of emergency contraception. Take ulipristal, the name of the drug, it is like drinking a glass of water (click here to read the card scientific).

At least ten percent of people have problems after administration. One more reason not to be taken lightly this method and not get lost in the maze of ethical debate.

A Twizy harlequin inspired by Picasso

A Twizy "harlequin" in honor to the genius of Pablo Picasso. On the occasion of the exhibition "Picasso. Masterpieces from the National Picasso Museum in Paris, "at the Palazzo Reale in Milan, Renault has a unique model of electric cars. The author of the work, which was inspired by a famous painting by the Spanish artist, is an Italian, Paolo Gonzato.

PRICE SHEETS AND VIDEO OF RENAULT TWIZY

HOW THE PORTRAIT OF PAULO IN COSTUME-From the house explaining that "the artistic project and the selection of work was coordinated by the independent curator Milovan Farronato, which identified a parallel between the cycle of work Gonzato" Out of stock ", built between 2006 and 2012 and based on the use of pictorial material surplus reassembled into backgrounds diamond, and the languid, as colorful, costume of Harlequin, the protagonist of one of the most iconic paintings of the exhibition at Palazzo Reale, "Portrait Paulo dressed as Harlequin.

If a dog is worth more than a child

    It 'a bit' I think so, but I was afraid to say so. Yes, because in today's world almost sounds like a profanation. Then a few days ago, the Corriere della Sera, on the front page, I saw a headline "We think more dogs than children," an interview with Laura Girotto Gian Antonio Stella, a nun who worked for 18 years in Ethiopia. And I got a start. But then I'm mad! Please, read it. The truth is that someone like Laura, who for years has to do with the essence of life, when he returned to Italy and looks around, he sees things that shocked. And living God that there are those who still shocked, screaming his outrage and forces us to think. I live in Milan and for some time now I have the distinct feeling that in this city, (maybe elsewhere, I hear you say) there is more attention, respect and love for animals and children and the elderly. Try to get in a bar with a stroller - like it happened to me - and see the reaction of people: aches, endurance, rudeness. Then try to enter with a bulky wheelchair with an elderly, and disabled. Take a good look reactions: aches, endurance, rudeness. A final test: revenue with a dog, small or large: hear uncontrolled squeals of happiness. Try going to the market (with the same stroller and wheelchair same as above) and see what happens. A few months ago, in St. Mark's, while I was shopping, exhausted, including heavy bags and bottles, a man yelled: "Oh sure that if we come to the market with the stroller ...". (For the record, my answer was very vulgar, this is not reportable). The list could go on ad libitum .... Conversely, the shops, restaurants, markets are full of dogs and cats. Evidently there is no longer the old standard of education - for years shared by civil society - that animals do not impose on other people, especially in public because some people might not like, who would be afraid, be allergic and quant 'another. But try to rebel against you if you go into a restaurant and the table next to yours, there is a dog: you may lynching. Well, if all this are added considerations sister Laura about the consumerist aspect related to animals, the circle is closed. Because it really is not just a matter of education, and therefore formal (this maybe I could get over it) is mostly a matter of substance, approach to things, values ​​(if all goes well upside down, if it goes wrong vanished). As Laura says: "And 'this disproportion that angers me." I think you should love animals, do not make human-like puppets. I know I'm old and unpopular, but this is my thought. And let's be clear: my no is indeed no lack of love for animals. E 'desire to priority. The same love, respect, care, solidarity, care, generosity, tolerance, availability today that the company has for the animals, I would like them to children and the elderly. No, and I would like more for children and the elderly. (PS please the only comment that I ask you to do is: "animals are often better than some men" .... please, not this)

Women and International Cooperation: too many contradictions?

The micro-credit schemes for women from Senegal. The campaigns against female circumcision. Action against female infanticide in China. And those against the segregation of women in Afghanistan. For years, international cooperation rightly combats gender differences around the world. And not only that. According to the latest Siscos (Services for International Cooperation), almost half (49%) of young Italians who choose to do a dangerous job and challenging as that of cooperating are female.

 But all this effort of women for women does it work?

"Often we focus only on the effects of discrimination and work a little on the causes," says Raffaella Nail of the International Network of Women for Peace which is part of the International House of Women in Rome. Raffaella, along with other colleagues, for years dealing with international cooperation. "NGOs do not always succeed in building relationships on par with the beneficiary communities. And there are cases where the prevailing paternalistic approach, which is the basis of an imbalance of forces inherited from colonialism and the balance of power between the states. "

 One of them is the foreign debt.

"Since the 70 projects have been launched very interesting in favor of women's communities. But then governments have undermined these efforts by requiring back what they had given to international cooperation. And with interest, "says Chiodo yet.

Another example of this profound contradiction is what happened in Mozambique. "The women were able to get a table in consultation with the institutions on women's issues. This work is supported by the entire international community. But that was negated by privatization and the arrival of multinationals in Mozambique, "says Raffaella.

Sometimes in good faith, sometimes not ("alas cooperation is marketing, as we also saw with the campaign against child soldiers in Uganda Kony Stop"), non-governmental organizations fall into the trap of contradiction, the tense political and the international balance of power.

How can then carry out projects without running into this error?

"We must always start from their expertise," says Chiodo Uisp with that, as well as an initiative to revise the Paris-Dakar in key ecological, has set up a project in Senegal for women who work in fish processing. "We tried to help them understand what their needs are and then we start from there. And not only that. We were able to explain to the rest of the community the importance of their work. " A starting point, then. "What has put these women in a position to improve their condition." Without the need for external aid.(source)

Facebook Welcomes Newbies With Privacy Grand Tour

Facebook has rolled out a new round of security features intended to better educate new users about what information they can keep private and how.

Now, when a new user signs up for the site, they will have the option to go on an online privacy tour to get information on the site's privacy policies. It will include descriptions of how third-party applications and games access user data and suggestions on how to keep certain information as private as possible.

The tour also features information on tagging people or things in photos, including the notice that if someone tags you, you will be notified, and vice versa.

The updated features also allow Facebook users to select an audience for personal data including a user's school or employer. Existing users will be able to adjust these settings by choosing "update info" on their profile pages, and new users will receive a prompt to choose their settings during the sign-up process. The update started rolling out Friday.

Facebook did not respond to our request for further details.

Been Here Before

This is not Facebook's first round of privacy adjustments. The site has taken heat from consumer advocacy groups and privacy proponents before for allowing outsiders to access too much personal information and for not educating consumers on how their data could be used.

Facebook took the recommendations of the Irish Data Protection Commissioner's Office into consideration when developing the new privacy settings. Since its European operations are in Dublin, the office is the regulatory oversight committee for all users outside of the U.S. and Canada.

Last year, the commissioner of the agency looked into Facebook's privacy policies and recommended that it better educate users on how their information could be used.

It urged Facebook to reconsider some of the facial recognition software it uses to tag photos and warned that it should not rely on third-party developers to keep user information secure and private.

Facebook also settled a case with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission where the company agreed to change the way it keeps user information private.

This Time's the Charm?

This latest round of improvements is only a step in the right direction, especially since it is focusing on the site's newest joiners, said Renay San Miguel, chief content officer for Splash Media.

"Newbies to Facebook can be some of the biggest security risks regarding what information they might disclose to the social network, and how receptive some can be to social engineering tricks," he told TechNewsWorld. "Facebook is always going to have its privacy critics, and it does have a checkered history when it comes to this vital topic, but any attempts to give users more help with this should be appreciated and noted."

This latest round of improvements is a step in the right direction, said Internet marketing expert Brian Carter. It may have taken the company a while to get to where their privacy policies are good enough to please consumers, but it is certainly getting there, he pointed out.

"It's good to educate users how Facebook privacy features work," he told TechNewsWord. "I think there is a generational subset Facebook will always have trouble with -- some of those who grew up without computers find many interface features confusing. Many of the digital natives don't understand why someone wouldn't understand the features already."

That doesn't mean the tension surrounding Facebook and its privacy settings is over, Carter noted, but for now the company seems to be making privacy a priority. What's more, in an age when computer use is becoming more of a part of daily activities, it is crucial that the consumer take some of the responsibility in keeping their information private.

"In my opinion, the privacy issues were already dealt with previously," he observed. "A website a billion people's private information will always cause some worry for some people. What if hackers expose my private data, and so on. I think that for any Facebook privacy concerns, the ball was already in the user's court.(source)