Best Laptops Under $500
By Nick Mokey, Digital Trends

Lenovo ThinkPad R61e
$487.69

Although ThinkPads have a reputation for being pricier premium notebooks intended for business travelers, a little smart shopping can land you this budget model on a shoestring. It's not as fast as the flagship T-series, or as light as the X-series, but the R61 has been reviewed favorably in its price range and includes many of the same features Lenovo rolls into those pricier ThinkPads. When ordering, make sure to choose the second-from-cheapest model to get an Intel Dual Core processor rather than a Celeron M (a bargain upgrade for only $32 more tacked onto the final price). Also make sure to select the cheapest Windows Vista option to sneak in under the $500 mark. The coupon code USP3PAYPAL will take an extra 15 percent off when ordering from Lenovo, lowering the notebook to $487.69.

More from Digital Trends

Online Video Services Compared

Music Services Compared

Organize Your MP3s Like a Pro

Dell Vostro 1000
$399.99

Dell's bottom-of-the-line notebook won't turn any heads, or win any head-to-head benchmark comparisons, but its $399 starting price makes it impossible to ignore. Since this isn't from a sale, mark-down or coupon, you're also free to add the options you really need. For instance, laying out $25 for the Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core processor instead of the Sempron would be wise. But travelers beware: A starting weight of 6.26 pounds makes it heavy by modern standards, and the AMD's heat output will also make it a battery killer, so you may wish to look elsewhere if you'll be taking it anywhere besides around the home and office.

Acer Aspire AS4315-2535
$459.90

Looking for something a little smaller than the 15.4-inch notebooks that normally seem to hit the bargain bin? This Acer falls one notch down on the size and weight scale, making it a little more portable for the on-the-go user. However, in exchange for the 14.1-inch screen and 5.7 pound weight, you'll sacrifice some performance by moving to a single-core Intel Celeron processor. If you're the type of person who imagines using a laptop to surf the Web in a coffee shop or tap out documents on a plane, you probably won't notice much of a difference, though, and may favor the portability.

Gateway T-6815
$499.99

The priciest notebook in our roundup may be refurbished, but that's the only thing
moving this otherwise well-equipped notebook into the sub-$500 category. It gets the fastest processor, Intel's vaunted Core 2 Duo, and the largest hard drive, 160GB. With a 14.1-inch screen and weight of only 5.55 pounds, you're also looking at the lightest machine on our list. Individual opinions on refurbished items vary, but if you're willing to trust Gateway's recertification team, you can land a laptop comparable to far pricier units for much less cash. Just remember: the manufacturer's warranty lasts 90 days, so be sure to put it through its paces before you run out of time to discover potential problems.

Compaq C700T
$479.99

Compaq's cheapest notebook doesn't stand out too far from the crowd, but it makes a nice option for those who don't want to be bothered filling out rebates, using coupons, or chasing sales. You get a no-nonsense machine with a 1.73GHz Intel Dual-Core Processor, 1GB of RAM, and an 80GB hard drive. Spectacular? Not really, but you can snag one any time, and Compaq will allow you to round it out with whatever options you need. The only drawback would be the machine's 6.4-pound weight, which makes it even more of a desk anchor than Dell's cheaper (and slower) Vostro 1000.

From Burkina Faso is also easy entry, because now new tarmac bleeding from the north to the south lead. It buses and bush taxi from Tangieta to Cotonou. The connection from Niger is quite "simple" because buses. The entry about Nigeria can be dangerous.

Much of the Arab World seems to me (an American) to be obsessed with Shakespeare!  Yes, I do think there is a place for Shakespeare in the literature curriculum, but I think it is being entirely overdone.  I think one or (certainly not more than three) Shakespeare plays should be included in the curriculum, but other time should be spent on more interesting and valuable literature.

I spoke with some British friends I have who told me that British children are started on reading Shakespeare at age 11!  When I asked what for, one of them finally told me that knowledge of Shakespeare is used as an adult mainly to impress other adults.  OK, I'm American, and I find much of the language terribly hard to understand.  I really can't see it being useful to most people to learn much of this sort of antiquidated language.  Yet, throughout the Arab World, so many university programs seem to focus on extensive reading of Shakespeare!

About fifteen years ago, I had a friend from Libya.  He went on and on about how when he was in school, they had performed Shakespeare's plays in Arabic, using all the correct classical Arabic endings for words (as opposed to using the local dialet of Arabic).   People in my present country have told me similar things.

Where I live now, I often have country nationals who have earned university degrees in English (as a second or third language) talk to me about how they read a lot of Shakespeare in university.  At the same time, their command of ordinary English vocabulary is often lacking.  Some of them cannot write clear English sentences.  Wouldn't the time spend studying Shakespeare be better spent in English composition classes, and/or reading literature that uses language currently used, particularly when they are subsequently in jobs requiring a good command of English?

Eileen

Much of the Arab World seems to me (an American) to be obsessed with Shakespeare!  Yes, I do think there is a place for Shakespeare in the literature curriculum, but I think it is being entirely overdone.  I think one or (certainly not more than three) Shakespeare plays should be included in the curriculum, but other time should be spent on more interesting and valuable literature.

I spoke with some British friends I have who told me that British children are started on reading Shakespeare at age 11!  When I asked what for, one of them finally told me that knowledge of Shakespeare is used as an adult mainly to impress other adults.  OK, I'm American, and I find much of the language terribly hard to understand.  I really can't see it being useful to most people to learn much of this sort of antiquidated language.  Yet, throughout the Arab World, so many university programs seem to focus on extensive reading of Shakespeare!

About fifteen years ago, I had a friend from Libya.  He went on and on about how when he was in school, they had performed Shakespeare's plays in Arabic, using all the correct classical Arabic endings for words (as opposed to using the local dialet of Arabic).   People in my present country have told me similar things.

Where I live now, I often have country nationals who have earned university degrees in English (as a second or third language) talk to me about how they read a lot of Shakespeare in university.  At the same time, their command of ordinary English vocabulary is often lacking.  Some of them cannot write clear English sentences.  Wouldn't the time spend studying Shakespeare be better spent in English composition classes, and/or reading literature that uses language currently used, particularly when they are subsequently in jobs requiring a good command of English?

Eileen

Les travailleurs de l’Hôpital de la mer et l’enfant Lagune de Cotonou (Homel) sont conviés ce matin à un grand sit-in par le syndicat maison. Entre autres revendications de l’heure, ils exigent le payement des salaires deux derniers mois qui tardent à tomber.

Après quelques jours d’accalmie, les mouvements de perturbations reprennent ce matin dans le secteur de la santé, précisément à l’Hôpital de la mer et l’enfant Lagune de Cotonou (Homel), où les travailleurs sont invités à participer à un grand sit-in qu’organise le Syntra-Homel.

« Nous sommes pratiquement à la veille d’une nouvelle rentrée scolaire, et il est inimaginable que nous n’ayons pas encore reçu le salaire de ce mois, et pire encore celui du mois écoulé. Comment allons-nous alors préparer cette rentrée ?» s’enflamme, Hilaire Desso, secrétaire général adjoint du Syntra-Homel qui appelle tous les agents de cet hôpital à se mobiliser pour le mouvement de cette matinée, en vue de pousser la Direction générale à parer au plus pressé pour régler les deux salaires exigés avant lundi. Pour lui, les retards qu’accuse le payement des salaires à l’Homel datent de bien longtemps, bien avant les dernières grèves observées, contredisant ainsi la autorités de l’hôpital qui justifient cette situation par la baisse drastique des recettes de la maison du fait des perturbations orchestrées par les agents.

La masse salariale de l’Homel serait de 22 millions de Fcfa environ et couvrent les salaires près de 400 agents dont 80 % contractuels. Il est évident donc que tout retard de salaire serait gravement ressenti dans cet hôpital. A en croire les responsables du Syntra-Homel, au mois d’Août, où la grève sévissait, l’hôpital a pourtant fait des entrées à la hauteur de 32 millions de Fcfa,et en aurait obtenu davantage aux mois précédents, pour atteindre souvent 70 à 75 millions de Fcfa.. Ils disent donc qu’il serait injuste de lier leur « légitime grève » à une quelconque baisse des recettes au point que les salaires en auraient souffert. Pour manifester leur colère, les agents entendent paralyser l’hôpital toute cette matinée, soit de 08heures à 12heures, et menacent d’en faire plus dès lundi prochain, au cas où ils n’auraient reçu d’ici demain les deux mois de salaires exigés.

Au nombre des autres revendications demeurées insatisfaites, le Syntra-Homel rappelle la convention collective dont la finalisation traîne toujours, le payement des arriérés de cotisation à la Caisse nationale de sécurité sociale (Cnss) dont le retard commence par intriguer les agents et la non prise en charge de certains agents de l’Homel au plan sanitaire.

La Nouvelle Tribune, 1 octobre 2008

My name is Mrs. Christie Hubbard, I wish to offer you a part-time job in which is of mutual benefit. I resigned from my job early last year as a research scientist for ARINI (Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland) but still work part-time as a freelance consultant for the institute. My husband Mr. Robert Hubbard and I presently reside at 4 Pasteur Gardens Edmonton London, N18 1JF England. However, due to the passion we have for children, we decided to run a humanitarian organization of saving the lives of the homeless and abandon children in order to contribute our quarter towards giving these Children's lives a meaning just as our God demanded of us to care for the homeless.

We presently have our orphanage homes in India, Somalia and Cotonou, Republic of Benin and we hope to get to other countries in time to come. We run this organization with the help of some individuals and companies who values the lives of these children and had made up their minds to send funds for their upkeeps. Most of our funding is from American friends whom we have solicited for their help and we are overwhelmed by their eagerness to send funds to us.

However we are finding it difficult receiving these funds as the bunch of the payments are in US based money orders and Checks which we find difficult to cash here in UK. To enable us receive all the donations, I wish to employ you on contract basis to be my payment representative back in the states, this way you will receive the Money Orders/Checks from our Donors, cash them easily, deduct 10% of the total amount in every payment as your commission and then send the rest back to me via Western Union wire transfer.

JOB DESCRIPTION?
1. Receive Check/ Money Order payment from Clients
2. Cash the check at your Bank
3. Deduct 10%, which will be your percentage/pay on Payment processed.
4. Forward balance after deduction of percentage/pay to any of the
Offices you will be contacted to send payment to (Payment is to be forwarded either by Money Gram or Western Union Money Transfer).
HOW MUCH WILL YOU EARN?

10% from each operation! For instance: you receive 7000 USD via checks or money orders on our behalf. You will cash the money and keep $700 (10% from $7000) for yourself! At this beginning, your commission will be 10% but will increase as time goes on.

Thanks for your anticipated action, and we hope to hear back from you.
N .B if you are interested with the job offer we will need you to furnish with this detailed information.

1) YOUR FULL NAMES: ................................................
2) SHIPPING ADDRESS: ..................................................
3) DIRECT TELEPHONE :...............................................
4) AGE & OCCUPATION:...............................................

Regards,
Christie Hubbard
Christie Orphanage Homes.

EMAIL: christie_orphanage002@live.com

My Dear Friend.

Due to your effort, sincerity, courage and trust worthiness you showed at the course of the Uk Online Lotto winning cheque shipment to your location, I want to compensate you and show my gratitude to you with the sum of $500,000USD(Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) I have authorized the finance house where I deposited the money to issue you international certified bank draft cashable at your bank.

My dear winner,I will like you to contact the CEO in charge of the finance house for the collection of this international certified bank draft.The name of the Person with your Cheque is MR. JOHN GRIESTINS

COMPENSATION AND FINANCE HOUSE HEAD OFFICE CONTACT AGENT : MR. JOHN GRIESTINS
EMAIL: jg_tel11@hotmail.com

To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please quote your

1. Full Name:.......................................................
2. Residential Address:.............................................
3. Phone Number:......................................................
4. Sex: ..............................................................
5. Age ...............................................................
6. Occupation ........................................................
7.
Nationality...................................................................
8. Present
Country...................................................................

At the moment, I am very busy in Sydney because of the investment projects which myself and my new partner Mr.Hillton of CTL Express Courier Company are having at hand. Finally, remember that I have forwarded instruction to MR. JOHN GRIESTINS at the finance house on your behalf to send the bank draft to you as soon as you contact him without delay.

Please I will like you to accept this token with good faith as this is from the bottom of my heart. Thanks and God bless you and your family.Hope to hear from you soon.

My sincere advice to you as a christian is that you should endeavour to pay your tithe to a bible believing church when you get the money because I noticed it as a fudiciary agent that you were skeptical about your winnings when you were been ask by the Uk lotto Agency Inc to file out a claim for your prize.And now the current policy of the Lotto organiser is that if an emerged winner fails to claim up his/her winning cheque, it's now mandatory that this fund can be remitted or forfeited to the fudiciary agent in charge of this winners file.

However, I want you to contact him immediately as soon as you receive this information because he is leaving for CYPRUS by the end of this month and this might cost a delayment for you to receive this draft.

Yours Sincerely,

Mr. Chris Godson

United Nations humanitarian agencies are increasing their relief efforts in west Africa, where rising flood waters have forced hundreds of thousands from their homes, damaged property as well as stepped up risk of infectious diseases in seven countries.

A UN report from Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) office shows that UN agencies are working in Togo, Ghana, Niger, Benin, Mali, Burkina Faso and Senegal amid concerns that heavy rains may continue through this month.

The camps house around 4,000 people, including 1,200 children. More than 1,500 others, including 200 children under age of five, have been affected by heavy rainfalls in central region of Sokode.

Floods have caused major infrastructural damages across Togo, including 11 bridges, and a dramatic hike in prices of basic foodstuff.

Devastation in Togo also has a humanitarian impact on people of landlocked countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which rely on port of Lome for supply of many goods.

UN development programme is planning to build a temporary bridge linking northern and southern parts of Togo.

Meanwhile, World Health Organisation has been supplying clean water, mosquito nets, drugs, vaccinations and sanitation equipment, to some 200,000 displaced people across affected countries.

Campaign is reportedly aimed at reducing intensified threat of malaria, diarrhea diseases and respiratory infections, especially for children.

Other UN agencies, such as World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), are currently also assisting in relief efforts in the region.

Yes its a good month after our trip but.... well no buts i've got nothing.

Uma das coisas que mais chama a atenção em Cotonou, capital do Benin, é a enorme quantidade de motos. O veículo de duas rodas motorizado é utilizado para tudo, inclusive para carregar crianças e bebês, mercadorias, e ainda são usados como táxis. Regras de trânsito são inexistentes, assim como capacetes e semáfaros. A razão para tantas motos é a ausência de um sistema de transporte público. A saída para os beninenses é alugar ou comprar uma moto para se locomoverem, ou para ganhar algum dinheiro, transportando pessoas.

Baratas e com tecnologia antiga, essas motocicletas são altamente poluentes. Não raro os motoristas - ou zémidjan, que significa taxista-moto - trafegam com máscaras para se protegerem da poluição.

Entenda como funciona a vida sob duas rodas em Cotonou clicando aqui para acessar a reportagem (em espanhol) de Mariona Vivar, com fotos de Samuel Rodrigues, ambos espanhóis.

Vídeo (em francês) produzido por Mariona Vivar para o Alternative Channel.

]]> http://wordsandletters.wordpress.com/?p=377 Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:12:43 +0000 anapaula08 http://wordsandletters.wordpress.com/2008/09/14/as-mulheres-cantam/ Cotonou, 1o. de Julho de 2008.

Foi um dia difícil. Acordamos, tomamos um café da manhã simples e entramos todos na van. Mais ou menos umas 16 pessoas num veículo, três horas de viagem por ruas empoeiradas e vilarejos pobres sob um calor de mais de 35 graus. O destino, Zagnanado, um vilarejo no meio do nada. Um lugar onde as mudanças climáticas começaram a ser sentidas e enfrentadas pelos moradores com ações práticas e eficientes.

Mulheres de Zagnanado

veja o vídeo clicando no link acima

"Il n'y a plus de bois dans la nature" diz uma moradora (Não tem mais madeira na natureza), referindo-se a escassez de árvores nas matas e a falta de madeira para a utilização na cozinha. Mas ela dá a receita: "Ce pour ça qu'on plante des arbres", diz ela, explicando por quê as mulheres de seu povoado resolveram sair plantando árvores. Nesta comunidade, há muito mais mulheres do que homens. Em uma mesma família, existem 30 mulheres e apenas cinco homens! O sexo feminino tem um papel muito importante na agricultura africana, elas são ligadas a fertilidade, por isso as mulheres são responsáveis pela coleta de água que ara os campos e pelo preparo da comida.

A busca por madeira e a percepção da escassez e destruição das árvores conscientizou as mulheres do povoado sobre a necessidade de replantio, além de trazer à tona soluções criativas para lidar com os problemas do clima. Com o apoio da ONG Organization des Femmes pour la Gestion de l'Energie du Bénin e suporte do World Food Program, essas mulheres criaram um forno de cozinhar que consome três vezes menos madeira e cozinha muito mais rápido do que o utilizado anteriormente.  O resultado é menos árvores abatidas e mais árvores plantadas. Entre as mulheres do grupo, algumas são encarregadas de passar a técnica adiante. A formação é gratuita.

Combústivel para a vida

No mesmo lugar, outro exemplo de criatividade. Dotan, uma comunidade que planta sementes e produz biocombústivel quer substituir a gasolina por causa da alta dos preços e do aquecimento global. O grupo consegue produzir até 2.500 litros por hectar de terra e conta com 120 pessoas trabalhando no projeto. O resultado do trabalho é vendido no mercado, mais barato que a gasolina comum. Aos críticose, eles avisam que não pararam de produzir comida para para produzir biocombústivel.

Nada disso é novo e podemos encontrar muitos exemplos no Brasil e mundo afora. O que chama a atenção e faz a gente parar para pensar é que essas pessoas vivem no meio do mato, longe de qualquer cidade desenvolvida e sem o mínimo dos recursos com os quais o contamos em um país como o Brasil, por exemplo. Apesar de tudo, não se fizeram de vítima, pelo contrário, desenvolveram soluções simples, porém eficazes para lutar contra as mudanças climáticas e suas consequências. Um exemplo para o homem da cidade grande que, na ânsia de justificar o desperdício e a falta de preocupação com o planeta, se apóia na "falta de informação" ou no "não sei exatamente o que fazer" para continuar poluindo e entupindo o planeta de lixo.

Dois meses se passaram sem que eu escrevesse uma só linha nesse blog. Esse abandono teve razões justificáveis, como por exemplo o corre-corre com as provas de final de trimestre do mestrado, o início de um trabalho novo, o fim de um trabalho novo, o "sem nada para fazer" da vida de desempregada, a viagem ao Brasil e o recomeço das aulas na universidade. Estranhamente, eu gosto de escrever nos momentos mais busy da minha vida, quando tudo acontece ao mesmo tempo eu tenho a urgência de me expressar e contar histórias. Contrariamente, na calmaria minha inspiração baixa a níveis preocupantes, eu quase não consigo escrever. Às vezes eu acho que eu funciono muito melhor sob pressão. Cercada de trabalhos para entregar, livros e fotocópias para ler, pesquisas para fazer, tendo de cumprir horários todos os dias e ainda dar conta de atividades físicas e vida pessoal, me sinto mais disposta, mais in para produzir. Preciso de estímulo constante e ininterrupto para escrever.

Bom, as aulas recomeçaram e, apesar de estar sossegada, eu decidi que preciso me mover, afinal, alguns de vocês já estão me cobrando ação!

Mãos-a-obra!

Na África

Uma semana na África me fez repensar muitas coisas. Minha primeira viagem ao Continente africano foi a trabalho, mas teve um viés pessoal muito forte, dado o país de destino: o Benin. Muitos escravos enviados

ao Brasil saíram deste pequeno país da Costa Oeste africana. Não por acaso, nossa feijoada, muqueca de peixe e arroz com feijão são pratos facilmente encontrados no Benin. A culinária brasileira é muito próxima da beninense, especialmente a cozinha baiana. Observando as mulheres e homens daquele país, também não foi difícil perceber de onde veio a nossa forte sexualidade e o famoso gingado do brasileiro. Apesar das adversidades, as mulheres são sorridentes e, à sua maneira, exalam uma certa sensualidade.

Éramos um grupo de jornalistas de diferentes países, algo em torno de 15 pessoas, mais um membro do Media21 e dois estagiários do Programa de Desenvolvimento das Nações Unidas (PNUD) de Genebra. Fora outros convidados de países vizinhos, como o Togo. Nossa estada se deu sob padrões africanos: hotel muito simples, lugar simples, e muita perna para bater e lugares para visitar. O objetivo da viagem era observar os efeitos das mudanças climáticas no país, que já sofre com o aumento do nível do mar, erosão do solo, enchentes e mudanças na estação das chuvas. Munir os jornalistas de informações práticas e fazê-los ver na real o que tinham aprendido na teoria com os especialistas em Genebra. Feito isso, todos voltariam para seus países de origem e produziriam material jornalístico sobre o assunto. Missão cumprida.

Para mim, foi uma viagem também de descobertas. De quebra de tabus e preconceitos. Pude ver de perto que que diante de grandes necessidades e mesmo com recursos escassos, o ser humano consegue responder de forma positiva e eficiente às cobranças da natureza.

A seguir, a descrição de alguns dos melhores momentos da viagem - e suas respectivas fotos - e links para reportagens e vídeos produzidos pelos colegas mundo afora. Clique em "Africa field trip" no alto desta página ou clique aqui para acessar a galeria de fotos da viagem ao Benin.