Mo Yan: Why the Swedish Academy awarded Mo Yan the Nobel Prize (+video)

Mo Yan?s the first Chinese winner of the literature prize who is not a critic of China's government, but the?Swedish Academy says that it did not take political considerations into account when selecting the popular novelist.

By Alexa Olesen,?Associated Press, Louise Nordstrom,?Associated Press / October 11, 2012

In this file photo, Chinese writer Mo Yan listens during an interview in Beijing, China. Mo was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature during a ceremony in Sweden on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012.

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Novelist?Mo?Yan, this year's Nobel Prize winner for literature, is practiced in the art of challenging the status quo without offending those who uphold it.

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Chinese writer Mo Yan wins the 2012 Nobel Prize for literature for works with qualities of "hallucinatory realism". Sarah Sheffer reports.

Mo, whose popular, sprawling, bawdy tales bring to life rural China, is the first Chinese winner of the literature prize who is not a critic of the authoritarian government. And Thursday's announcement by the Swedish Academy brought an explosion of pride across Chinese social media.

The state-run national broadcaster, China Central Television, reported the news moments later, and the official writers' association, of which?Mo?is a vice chairman, lauded the choice. But it also ignited renewed criticisms of?Mo?from other writers as too willing to serve or too timid to confront a government that heavily censors artists and authors, and punishes those who refuse to obey.

The reactions highlight the unusual position?Mo?holds in Chinese literature. He is a genuinely popular writer who is embraced by the Communist establishment but who also dares, within careful limits, to tackle controversial issues like forced abortion. His novel "The Garlic Ballads," which depicts a peasant uprising and official corruption, was banned.

"He's one of those people who's a bit of a sharp point for the Chinese officials, yet manages to keep his head above water," said his longtime U.S. translator, Howard Goldblatt of the University of Notre Dame. "That's a fine line to walk, as you can imagine."

Typical of his ability to skirt the censors' limitations,?Mo?had retreated from Beijing in recent days to the rural eastern village of Gaomi where he was raised and which is the backdrop for much of his work. He greeted the prize with characteristic low-key indifference.

"Whether getting it or not, I don't care," the 57-year-old?Mo?said in a telephone interview with CCTV from Gaomi. He said he goes to his childhood hometown every year around this time to read, write and visit his elderly father.

"I'll continue on the path I've been taking, feet on the ground, describing people's lives, describing people's emotions, writing from the standpoint of the ordinary people," said?Mo, whose real name is Guan Moye and whose pen name "Mo?Yan" means "don't speak." He chose the name while writing his first novel to remind himself to hold his tongue and stay out of trouble.

The state media hoopla and government cheer contrasted with the last Nobel prizes given to Chinese. Beijing disowned China-born French emigre dramatist, novelist and government critic Gao Xingjian when in 2000 he became the only other Chinese writer to win the literary prize.

After imprisoned democracy campaigner Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Peace Prize two years ago, the government heaped scorn on the award as a tool of the West and put diplomatic and economic relations with Norway, which awards the prize, into a chill.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/bnAj3TLZA10/Mo-Yan-Why-the-Swedish-Academy-awarded-Mo-Yan-the-Nobel-Prize-video

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Biden seeks to reclaim campaign momentum in debate with Ryan

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/democrats-cry-foul-moderate-mitt-rises-polls-000527810.html

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Down River Realtors Tout State Government-Backed Home Energy ...

TAYLOR ? The Down River Association of Realtors (DRAR), which serves the Wyandotte area, is encouraging local homeowners to take advantage of an opportunity to receive low-cost home energy assessments that can help shave hundreds of dollars a year from their utility bills.

DRAR is promoting awareness of BetterBuildings for Michigan, a government-backed program that through Dec. 31 is offering $100 home energy assessments that identify ways for homeowners to reduce energy consumption. BetterBuildings for Michigan is funded by a $30 million federal grant the state received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

As part of its effort to inform the public about the program, DRAR will purchase an energy assessment and award it randomly to a local homeowner.

In addition, DRAR members are providing information about the benefits of a BetterBuildings for Michigan home energy assessment to homebuyers they assist.

The DRAR partnership with BetterBuildings for Michigan is part of a new public awareness?campaign to dispel concerns prompted by a recent national survey that found solicitations for home improvement work disguised as ?free? energy audits are among the newest complaints that local and state consumer protection agencies dealt with during the past 12 months.?

The fastest-growing complaints in the survey by advocacy groups the Consumer Federation of America and the North American Consumer Protection Investigators involved debt collection abuses, Do Not Call list violations, mortgage-related problems and home improvement scams. Home repair firms using high energy bills to dupe consumers were among the fastest-growing complaint categories.

?Our goal is to inform homeowners that BetterBuildings for Michigan is the state's completely safe, trustworthy and affordable way to complete a home energy audit,? said Beth Foley, president of the Michigan Association of Realtors.

Partners in BetterBuildings for Michigan include the U.S. Department of Energy, the State of Michigan Energy Office, the City of Detroit?s Economic Development Corp., the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office (SEMREO), Michigan Saves and DTE Energy.

?We are highly appreciative that the Down River Association of Realtors recognizes the value of our services,? said Jacob Corvidae, SEMREO co-director. ?Our experience shows the assessments more than pay for themselves because of the energy-saving materials that are installed.?

The cost of a BetterBuildings for Michigan home assessment is a discount from the typical price of $350 for such inspections. So far, homeowners who have received the assessments are saving $235 annually, with some reporting reductions of $800 a year in their utility bills.?

The program starts with low-cost inspections of homes ? also called energy audits ? that pinpoint where homes are losing energy and measure the efficiency of a home?s heating and cooling systems. A Certified Building Analyst uses a variety of techniques and equipment during the evaluation, including blower doors that evaluate the extent of structural leaks and infrared cameras, which reveal hard-to-detect areas of air infiltration and inadequate insulation.

Certified Building Analysts who conduct the assessment issue a personalized report with their findings to the homeowner. They will also install energy-efficient lightbulbs, showerheads, faucets and programmable thermostats ? at no extra cost ? and suggest additional cost-effective, energy-saving improvements, such as insulation and energy-efficient appliances.

Homeowners are under no obligation to act on the Certified Building Analyst report. BetterBuildings for Michigan offers financial assistance to those who choose to install additional energy-saving measures, including rebates totaling up to $5,000.

Homeowners who want to participate or learn more about the BetterBuildings for Michigan program can call 313-566-4801, email info@MIHomeEnergy.org or visit MIHomeEnergy.org.

Source: http://wyandotte.patch.com/announcements/down-river-realtors-tout-state-government-backed-home-energy-assessments-as-safe-way-for-area-homeowners-to-save-on-utility-bills-f7cf712f

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Oxford Bio abandons prostate cancer vaccine study

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10 Colleges With the Highest Freshman Retention Rates

The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College and The Short List: Grad School to find data that matters to you in your college or grad school search.

The transition from high school to higher education can be difficult to navigate, leading many college freshmen to not return to campus for their sophomore year. Some students drop out completely--for personal, financial, or academic reasons. Others transfer schools to find a better fit.

[Learn who to get to know on campus.]

Researching freshman retention rates--the percentage of first year students who return the following year--can give prospective students valuable insight into how new students fare at a particular college or university.

Among the 1,377 ranked schools that reported freshman retention data to U.S. News during the 2012 annual survey, the average retention rate is 75 percent. Those rates reflect the four-year average of incoming freshmen between fall 2007 and fall 2010 who returned to campus the following fall.

At some of the most elite institutions, however, nearly all first year students returned the following year. Both Columbia University in New York City and Yale University in New Haven, Conn., boasted 99 percent retention rates for their freshman classes between 2007 and 2010.

[Get tips for starting college on the right foot.]

Of the 10 colleges and universities with the highest freshman retention rates, five landed in the top five of the 2013 Best Colleges rankings. The lowest-ranked school on the list, Harvey Mudd College in California, ranked 12th among National Liberal Arts Colleges in the 2013 rankings.

Schools that were designated by U.S. News as Unranked were not considered for this report. U.S. News did not calculate a numerical ranking for Unranked programs because the program did not meet certain criteria that U.S. News requires to be numerically ranked.

The following schools had the highest freshman retention rates, based on data covering first year students entering college between fall 2007 and fall 2010:

School name (state)	Freshman retention rate (2007-10)	U.S. News rank and category
Columbia University (NY)	99%	4, National Universities
Yale University (CT)	99%	3, National Universities
University of Chicago	98.3%	4, National Universities
Amherst College (MA)	98%	2, National Liberal Arts Colleges
California Institute of Technology	98%	10, National Universities
Harvey Mudd College (CA)	98%	12, National Liberal Arts Colleges
Princeton University (NJ)	98%	1, National Universities
Stanford University (CA)	98%	6, National Universities
Dartmouth College (NH)	97.8%	10, National Universities
University of Pennsylvania	97.8%	8, National Universities

Don't see your school in the top 10? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find information about freshman retention, as well as complete rankings and much more.

U.S. News surveyed more than 1,800 colleges and universities for our 2012 survey of undergraduate programs. Schools self-reported a myriad of data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News's data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Colleges rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data come from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News's rankings of Best Colleges or Best Graduate Schools. The freshman retention data above are correct as of Oct. 10, 2012.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/10-colleges-highest-freshman-retention-rates-153526997.html

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Study: 29-Year-Old Women Are Hideous, Need More Anti-Aging ...

Crusading against the idea that all women over 30 are old hags has been something of a hobby horse of mine lately. It?s a fight that?s generally met with ?amens? from Gen X and Y women and skepticism by similarly-aged men (note to guys: just because you personally don?t subscribe do the idea that it?s all downhill for women?s looks after 23 doesn?t mean we?re not bombarded with that message from myriad directions). Well, lo and behold ? as if to perfectly illustrate my point ? this Daily Mail article?about women worrying about the visible effects of aging ?at just 29 YEARS OLD.? Like so many pieces in our favorite tabloid, the writer is ostensibly credulous at this phenomenon while backhandedly telling 29-year-olds how old and ugly they are.

?Sagging breasts, a wrinkly face, thread veins and thinning hair,? the piece begins. ?They all sound like signs of aging that women in their 70s might be worrying about.?But ??a woman?s battle to grow old gracefully begins at the end of her twenties, according to new research.?

Make no mistake, ladies: Growing old gracefully is a battle, and in this war zone ?grace? has nothing to do with maturity, character or accomplishment and everything to do with how effectively you can mimic?Chlo? Moretz.

The article goes on to point out that while actress Emily Blunt, Victoria?s Secret model Miranda Kerr and Esquire?s 2012 ?Sexiest Woman Alive? Mila Kunis may be nice to look at now, they are 29 YEARS OLD and therefore teetering on the brink of bodily disaster.?And in case you?re wondering just how bad it can get, the Mail provides a handy list of all the things that are likely ugly and wrong with you if not prepubescent Our Aging Worries:

Getting wrinkles,?Sagging face,?Sagging boobs,?Facial hair,?Going grey,?Middle aged spread,?Wrinkly cleavage,?Thinning hair,?Sagging bottom,?Bingo wings ?

Our editorial director Meghan and I puzzled over that last one a little bit ?

Meghan: E, what are bingo wings?
Elizabeth: I think it must be a Britishism
Meghan: apparently it?s an English term for arm fat?
Elizabeth: ewww ??so is a bingo some kind of British bird? (that may be a really stupid question)
Meghan: no, i think it?s from playing too much bingo??and not exercising?
Elizabeth: that makes more sense

? and she was mostly right; Urban Dictionary informs me bingo wings refers to ?loose musculature and skin on the back of the upper arms, especially apparent in older women raising their arms for some reason, such as to shout ?bingo!?? Because obviously that is the only reason older women ever raise their arms.

WHY ARE THE WAYS WE TALK ABOUT WOMEN SO OVERWHELMINGLY INSULTING?

Apologies for the all caps, but it?s just mind-boggling and frustrating and actually makes me really damn angry if I give it too much thought. Western society has long had a vested interest in convincing aging women they need products and potions and procedures to keep themselves appropriately appealing to our collectively sensitive aesthetic whims, but the age at which this message is targeted seems to get younger and younger. I wonder if it has anything to do with women delaying marriage longer?

But enough armchair sociology. Let?s end this with a smidge more inanity from the Mail (emphasis mine):

Incredibly, more than one in ten women feel they look older than they are by an average of six years.?But six in 10 ladies feel younger than their years, and claim good make-up and skin care routines cause this.

Indeed, 45 per cent of respondents are lucky enough to regularly receive compliments about how young they look, and believe it is worth making a concerted effort to look younger.

Andrew Groom is Buying Director of Superdrug, the company which conducted the study of 2,000 women.

Mr Groom said: ?It is incredible to think that those who are still in the prime of their life at 29 are already worrying about the effect ageing will have on their face and body.?That said, it?s really never too early to take care of your skin, and today?s women are lucky that products on our shelves really work.?

Surprise, surprise: Superdrug is a company that sells beauty and anti-aging products.

Photo: Screenshot from the Daily Mail

Source: http://blisstree.com/live/daily-fail-study-finds-29-year-old-women-are-hideous-need-to-buy-more-anti-aging-products-437/

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Church isolated over gay stance, says McAleese

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Church isolated over gay stance, says McAleese

By Sarah Stack

Saturday, September 29, 2012

The Catholic Church is becoming increasingly isolated in its attitude to homosexuality, the former president of Ireland has warned

Mary McAleese believes while the Vatican is losing its argument on its teachings, some youngsters in Catholic schools are left battling an internal conflict.

She said the numbers of young men who have died by suicide in Ireland is galling, with gay men one of the most at-risk groups.

"They are the victims, one, of homophobic bullying; they are also frankly highly conflicted," said Mrs McAleese, who is studying canon law in Rome after her 14-year term ended in November.

She said the vast majority of children in Ireland went to Catholic schools, where they would have heard the Church?s attitude to homosexuality.

"They will have heard words like ?disorder?, they may have heard the word ?evil? used in relation to homosexual practice," said Mrs McAleese.

"And when they make the discovery, and it is a discovery and not a decision, when they make the discovery they are gay when they are 14, 15, and 16, an internal conflict of absolutely appalling proportions opens up.

"They may very well have heard their mothers, their fathers, their uncles, aunts, friends use dreadful language in relation to homosexuality and now they are driven into a space that is dark and bleak."

She warned that with more debate, and greater research, the Catholic Church "is going to become increasingly isolated in its attitude to homosexuality" and gay people?s civil and human rights.

Her comments were strongly welcomed by the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network.

Odhr?n Allen, director of mental health with GLEN, said: "We know from Irish research that the most common age to know you are gay is 12 but you don?t tell the first person until you are 17. This shows that for most young gay people there is a period of five years of isolation and fear of telling others before coming out."

The former president met the Papal Nuncio Charles Brown, who represents Pope Benedict in Ireland, shortly after Easter to draw his attention to the issue.

But she fears the issue will not be tackled until the "omerta" or code of silence is broken.

She said the child abuse scandals have left "a massive hallowing out of trust" in the Church?s Episcopal leadership, but she believes it lost its grip on society years before as it insisted on obedience in a world where people were becoming increasingly educated and had access to other opinion.

Mrs McAleese, who has published a book, Quo Vadis: Collegiality In The Code Of Canon Law, also criticised the Church for not drawing on the views and anxieties expressed by its faithful.

a d v e r t i s e m e n t

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? This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Saturday, September 29, 2012

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Source: http://feeds.irishexaminer.com/~r/ietopstories/~3/V8JGnqLO1yk/

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