'Counter-Terror' Policy Targets Uyghurs

2011-04-07
A new report says China uses the threat of terrorism to crack down on Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

AFP
Uyghur men and women chat outside a mosque in Urumqi, July 17, 2009.

China's anti-terrorism policy deliberately targets ethnic minority communities such as Uyghurs and Tibetans struggling for greater autonomy, according to a white paper by a rights group.

The policy equates terrorism with groups pushing for more self-governing rights, is too broad in scope, and shirks international human rights commitments, said the Hong Kong and New York-based Human Rights in China (HRIC).

The paper looked into human rights concerns within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional intergovernmental organization which includes China and five other member states-Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan-with a total population of 1.5 billion people.

It said the SCO approach to counter-terrorism, modeled on China'sThree Evils doctrine, and highlighting principles of territorial integrity, noninterference in internal affairs, and social stability, contributes to supporting repressive regimes at the expense of human rights.

A failure to demand accountability from the SCO undermines the effectiveness and integrity of the international system in countering terrorism and advancing rule of law, peace, and security, HRIC said.

"China's approach to counter-terrorism is the Three Evils doctrine, and it links terrorism with separatism and extremism," HRIC director Sharon Hom said in an interview.

"This Three Evils approach is overbroad, highly politicized, and while not exclusively applied only to ethnic minority groups, it is regularly applied to Uyghurs and Tibetans in its practice."

Hom said other SCO member states follow China's lead by recognizing Xinjiang and Tibet as inalienable territories of China and repatriating its ethnic minorities who seek asylum within their borders.

"China has enormous clout in the SCO, and you can also see it in the ways in which the other SCO member states and the SCO will completely parrot China's line and China's policy on these two so-called autonomous regions."

Treatment of Uyghurs

The HRIC white paper said it found "serious issues" concerning China's treatment of Uyghurs, including the principle of non-refoulement and potential use of torture during interrogations.

Regulations specific to Xinjiang became part of China's domestic counter-terrorism legal framework in December 2009 when provincial-level lawmakers revised the region's Comprehensive Management of Social Order.

Through the revisions, Chinese authorities were ordered to specifically crack down on the three threats of "terrorism, separatism, and extremism" in the aftermath of the July 2009 ethnic violence in Urumqi which left hundreds dead, according to official media reports.

HRIC called the amendments "unique" to Xinjiang, adding that "such singular focus by the Chinese government ... suggests that the concept of terrorism has been applied in a biased fashion, with the Uyghur community the subject of intense scrutiny and suspicion."

It noted that while China does face real threats of terrorism, "the limited involvement of Uyghurs in terrorist acts cannot serve as justification of widespread repression throughout [Xinjiang] or the labeling of peaceful Uyghur activists under the rubric of the Three Evils."

Adherence to rules

But despite its reliance on the Three Evils doctrine, HRIC wrote, China continues to claim that it is acting to "firmly uphold and fulfill the resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council," according to a statement by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

Under U.N. rules, China pledged to oppose the "arbitrary widening" of the scope of fighting terrorism and identifying terrorism with any specific ethnic group or religion.

"The Three Evils doctrine undermines this principled approach and, in doing so, compromises human rights guaranteed under international law, and international counter-terrorism efforts as a whole," HRIC said.

HRIC recommended that Beijing narrow its "Three Evils"-based approach to national security and reformulate its definition of terrorism.

On June 24 last year, Chinese authorities announced they had broken up a "terrorist" ring of a Uyghur separatist group, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), after arresting more than ten of its members involved in an alleged major plot against China.

The announcement said that information leading to the arrest had been obtained through the investigation of 20 "individuals of Chinese citizenship" who had been deported to China on December 20, 2009-the exact date that Cambodia deported 20 Uyghurs seeking asylum following the July 5 ethnic unrest in Urumqi.

The statement also indicated that several of the alleged ETIM members had confessed to participating in a wide array of terrorist activities during interrogation.

Human Rights Watch said in February that the Cambodian government has a "dismal track record" of deporting refugees granted asylum status by the UNHCR, particularly those from neighboring countries such as China and Vietnam.

Ethnic tensions

Millions of Uyghurs-a distinct, Turkic minority who are predominantly Muslim-populate Central Asia and the Xinjiang region.

Ethnic tensions between Uyghurs and majority Han Chinese settlers have simmered for years, and erupted in riots in July 2009 that left some 200 people dead, according to the Chinese government's tally.

Uyghurs say they have long suffered ethnic discrimination, oppressive religious controls, and continued poverty and joblessness despite China's ambitious plans to develop its vast northwestern frontier.

Chinese authorities blame Uyghur separatists for a series of deadly attacks in recent years and accuse one group in particular of maintaining links to the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

Reported by Mamatjan Juma for RFA Uyghur service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Copyright © 1998-2011 Radio Free Asia. All rights reserved.

 

Roofing West Vancouver Issues

Roofing Vancouver

Within Vancouver extra care is needed whenever obtaining a estimate for any house. The roofing contractor in Vancouver needs to know exactly what they are dealing with whenever getting your roof away. Unforeseen costs really are a typical situation within Vancouver and each proprietor should be ready

Heritage- being one of the oldest places in the GVRD you can understand that there are some fairly aged houses. Having a high pitch roof, most likely near 12/12 pitch which essentially means Forty five degree angle roof. The original roofing was cedar tremble looking at taping. I'm not sure whether it was being lazy or even the tradition, in the event that people were attempting to cut costs but if you have this roof you probably obtained more than one coating on the roof. The original is still on and a pair of additional layers sit above the cedar shake. I have run into home where five levels sat along with the house. Based on creating code nowadays a Vancouver Roofing contractor must eliminate just about all layers if your brand new roof is to be placed over. A person people often pay more because of the steepness, the couple of levels associated with roofing, the actual plywood deck and the trouble. You may be 2 ft out of your neighbors

Vancouver Roofing

Reduced Downward slope - Vancouver unique homes operate throughout East Vancouver. The actual slight problem with these homes when it comes to roofing is that dwindling roofing businesses available do tar as well as tiny rocks. The option you have is torch on or even steel. Asphalt tiles cannot continue these types of homes. Your message is to reduced as well as asphalt probably would not last ten years. Vancouver Roofing contractors which have been in the commercial of torch upon in excess of ten years are most likely dependable. Snow and ice develop upon these roofs trigger small swimming pools to build up on your roof and cause main leaking, keep the rain gutters and downpipes obvious.

Low Slope or High Slope cedar tremble - In Vancouver this is common on the West side. There is not much to say about Cedar within Vancouver. There is a long time period with the Sixties, 1970's and Eighties whenever Vancouver Roofing businesses were not installing cedar. The majority of Cedar roofs are brand new construction. cedar is the 1 product that most problems can be established before the work starts

Reduced Downward slope or even High Slope Asphalt roofing -- For those who have asphalt roofing and it was not transformed in the last ten years then you have a good outdoor patio. Since the 70's asphalt came into the marketplace. Along with new building shiplap or also called language as well as dance had been the only option of the solid outdoor patio. Shiplap techniques a great deal in the winter and in summer time so plyboard should be split lower by the roofer

 

Roof covering within Burnaby

Roof covering within Burnaby can have its problems and also the best way to undergo them all would be to work from Northern in order to Southern starting at the very top associated with Burnaby. In North Burnaby the hills start to slope and decline with a pretty strong angles. The big problems I find here are driveway steepness and use of the home, even though this may not seem like the issue to you it is a truly major problem for a roofer that has to hand carry your own aged roofing upward the hill as well as hand carry your new roofing down a hill.

The hard, a slope area in this area kept creating contractors aside and as a result you've houses which were just about all built by individually hired construction companies. There are some servings of North Burnaby that have little contractors houses all built collectively but as far as that Central Burnaby has. Northern Burnaby has much more fascinating constructed styles as well as rooftops creating a golf ball park determine estimation in this area fairly difficult.

Roofing Burnaby

Main Burnaby is where big building businesses with a regular architectural method of creating the house had been fairly busy throughout the 70`s as well as early 80`s. With a shiplap deck becoming the only real choice as well as asphalt shingles being the option and placed on a house. These days shiplap may be the roofers enemy because of the fact that the shingles of today aren't made to use shiplap. Trying to convince main Burnaby they have to re-deck the rooftop with plywood has often been overlooked and even for good cause.

The quality of shiplap is high in this area with many from it which i know of becoming between Six as well as 8 inches that is ideal. Other than that this a part of Burnaby is fairly easy to roof in with entry not an issue everything frequently along with a clear design within steep roof that's clear to see. A lot of Vancouver specials focused here in order to with torch on becoming the main choice in the original tar residue as well as gravel choice. Cedar roofs tend to spread the east side of the area with many converting in order to asphalt

Southern Burnaby has a tendency to possess bigger rooftops that are scattered with asphalt as well as cedar shake. Cedar shake roofs in this region are usually through homes close to Two decades aged. This house has a tendency to transform into a asphalt roofing and many possess alright access however, many don't and the rooftops are not all that in order to high. A few asphalt roofs down here actually have plyboard patio's which is usually a big saver for any home owner

 

West Vancouver Roofing

West Vancouver is a region of valley's as well as side rails, high driveways and concealed rooftops. This is often a roofing contractors nightmare but there are roofing businesses that are employed in the area as well as understand what these people probably could be dealing with. Unlike other cities within the Metro Vancouver region, large construction businesses didn't buy large monitors of land as well as build designed suburban cul-de-sacs. They do exist but to some much smaller diploma than additional cities. Consequently you can find in one street 20 houses just about all constructed in a different way. I guess due to the land scenery it was the only way to get houses built-in some regions.

There is definitely a growth during the 1970's through the shear number of shiplap patio's available. Most roofs in West Vancouver that require a replacement tend to be asphalt roofs which sit on a shiplap outdoor patio. These people shingle is generally the lock shingle which was made for shiplap but no longer obtainable in the Greater Vancouver area. Most home owners within West Vancouver are understanding they right now require a plywood outdoor patio to pay for the shiplap.

Several Cedar rooftops appear in West Vancouver but not much that requires replacing. The majority of twenty year old cedar tremble roofs in West Vancouver have been changed which means you look for a cedar roofing in some places. Changing cedar along with cedar is not the just about all in order to common practise and many Cedar rooftops are in brand new construction.

West Vancouver Roofing

Vancouver special offers aren't just about all in order to common in West Vancouver. Torch on as well as tar residue and tiny rocks can be obtained but not suggested. The actual rainfall as well as blowing wind tends to be a bit more extreme in West Vancouver, with the high amount of trees and shrubs and also the possibility of a heavy snowfall fall steel is a high recommendation.

Obtaining a roofing estimate in West Vancouver can be quite different than the person residing right on the doorstep. for those who have the high driveway, possess a roof that's steeper than 30 degrees and also over Two thousand square feet than you are able to pay a lot more than $ 2000 than your own neighbour. The kind of roof and quantity of flashing can make a big difference. Within West Vancouver it is very tough to golf ball park a price with this really cause. I guess you can state in line with the little land you live on and the design of the roofing could make all the difference from a higher estimation along with a reduced estimate. Roofing entry is a huge issue with some roofers having to hands have that old roof more than hundred ft than hands carrying the brand new roof a hundred feet to the house.

Get three estimates to check celery along with celery and for the same product, provides you with the ability to educate yourself and ask the right concerns. The majority of roofs in West Vancouver is actually below ventilated therefore make certain when you are getting your roof estimation you can see if each and every estimation you get may change your air flow or even your brand-new roofing won't final. The extra ventilation is not the addition price so the much more the actual better, you cannot have a restrict upon air flow. Tree debris is really a problem so maintain your roofing with no damage the rooftop product. drip blower has become the best type of maintenance.

 

Victoria roofing Contractors -- Changing Multiple roofs

Victoria roofing Contractors can help to save a little bit of cash when working on your roofing as well as some of your own neighbours. There are lots of cul-de-sac's out there in Victoria where the homes were constructed at the same time and all having a cedar or even asphalt roof with similar guarantee and environment conditions. The house are usually constructed with exactly the same design and have the same air flow problems then when it's time to replace your own neighbours then its time to substitute yours..

Brand new construction roofing Victoria twenty years ago came with in regards to a 20 year guarantee. The majority of rooftops start to leak soon after the 20 year mark as well as suddenly the entire street is getting their roofs changed. When A Victoria roofing estimator involves your house and you're simply on good terms together with your neighbors you may could persuade your own neighbours to obtain a roof estimate as well. The majority of Victoria roofing Contractors will offer two estimates. One is the actual estimate if only you were to replace you home on it's own in the street. Another estimate is perfect for you and also the neighbours that have chosen a estimate as well, for those who have convinced your own neighbours to do so.

Victoria roofing companies can save money in two main areas when multiple roof covering. One out of the delivery cost of the types of materials is actually greatly reduced whenever a roofing organization could possibly get three houses in a single shipping. The second is the wastage, movement associated with wastage is what costs money as well as ensuring the waste is moved together will allow the actual Victoria Roofing Company to reduce the price of your brand-new roof. When neighbours customize the roofing project done together this gives future home owners to complete exactly the same within thirty years whenever your brand new roofs obtain aged.

Find a very good Victoria Roofing Company

I live in Victoria and know how difficult it's to locate a good contractor to operate in your home. All of them seem real very first and they all guarantee you the globe. Unfortunately there are a few that actually provide on these guarantees.

Roofing contractors are no exclusion and want to do your own research to be able to discount the good types in the poor ones.

The roof is an important element of any kind of home. Here's your main hurdle of numerous of the elements found outdoors. For those who have the leaky roofing you could find yourself placing lots of pans and pots all through your home to catch the water. In case your roofing will get really poor you also risk this caving within at some point.

Fortunately if a roofing is actually constructed the proper way it will last for several decades. There are even a few rooftops which are each so great they can last for half a century.

Getting a dependable roofing company in Victoria and you require this kind of work done is of the utmost importance. You want somebody who's going to provide you with a fair bid, do the job in a timely manner, and use standard or over average materials.

This is actually the objective you just need to fine the roofing for an area who's ready to get it done.

Here are a few stuff that I personally might search for and can apply for not just Victoria, however every area in the country:

When i first like to begin with recommendations. I understand I'm not alone that has a house and that i want to ask other people their viewpoint but had roof covering work done before me personally. Buddies, family members, colleagues, acquaintances, and folks you realize will often not really drive a person wrong. They can make use of a direct you to definitely a person who has done a fantastic job on their behalf. Unless a person does not like you they were usually not suggest a roofing organization within Victoria who has done substandard function.

Next, you want to get at minimum three estimations. Roof covering work is costly naturally and you desire a service provider who's going to provide you with a reasonable as well as sensible price. Bear in mind a fair as well as reasonable quote will be higher. Comprehend as well that roofing companies pay a few of the highest insurance rates from any kind of industry in the country. Since the work done roofing companies workers comp rates are about 5 times higher than other like Contractors. It's not unusual with this type of company to pay for $30 within workers compensation rates for each 100 dollars they shell out in pay-roll. These types of expenses have to be passed on to the customer. Therefore, when you are getting an offer from a roofer understand that at least 30 to 40% associated with exactly what he's charging you is simply to cover administrative and insurance costs. An individual who submits for you and extremely reduced bid is probably uninsured weren't covered at all.

Every thing should be created about the contract. This includes the materials for use in your home and the time it will take to install all of them. Do not leave something as a spoken agreement. You have to be in a position to precisely evaluate that which you were getting for that cost you're having to pay and make an informed decision. When the estimators come they will attempt to lure a person into putting your signature on some thing right away. Do not do it. You'll need 3 estimates, alongside on your desk, and you have to take time to see them each carefully including the small print.

Finally, check up on the Victoria's roofing Contractors encounter as well as status. You would like them to have enough encounter to be able to get the job done. Optimally, you want a business that's been around the block and absolutely nothing may surprise all of them. Should they have existed for at least five years they're going to have a reputation of possibly doing excellent function are now being people. Some of the best individuals to request the local companies. Even if it's their competitor a business proprietor had been usually not speak poor about another company unless of course he really feels he does care terrible work. You should consider asking roof covering providers that they think is the greatest. They use hundreds the roofer's each month and therefore are in a excellent position to provide you with within information.

Fundamental essentials 3 products I'd look for when choosing my personal roofing contractor. I'm fussy concerning the people I choose to do business with and you should be fussy as well. You cannot depend on the Contractors yellow web page advert to inform you what they are about. Each and every company says of their the very best. Roofing companies are no exception and often go with what the biggest phone book advert of the biggest criminals.

Research your options and you should be able to find a good Victoria roofing company. Spend some time and don't let anybody hurry a person. Go with your own gut and don't spend your money with anybody you are feeling unpleasant with

The right roofer Victoria is appropriate at the doorway step should you choose your due diligence as well as completely examine the corporation's background and reputation. Doing this will make sure you do not get sold on some thing you do not need or even doing business with a con designer.

Make sure you get more information at more info about Victoria roofing companies.

 

Roofing Vancouver analysis, cost estimations as well as prices

Roofing can be defined as one of the most essential phase of building whilst constructing any creating or house. From the previous many years different roofing methods and supplies have been used according to the weather conditions as well as from the dwellers. Using the remarkable growth as well as enhancement in the field of building there are numerous roofing vancouver options accessible these days. You will find various roofing contractors Vancouver and roofing businesses Vancouver, which offer Vancouver roof covering providers. Roofing Vancouver choices offered right now match the demands of the dweller, serve well with regards to roofing and look attractive also.

The initial part of direction of replacing associated with roofing vancouver must include a considerable research produced on the internet or by visiting various roofing vancouver service providers. By this One can gain info on unique aspects of replacing a roof and obtain one of the most affordable estimates. Roofing Vancouver service providers offer essential capabilities as well as architectural strategies for the actual replacing an existing roofing. For the replacement of roofing select a contractor or perhaps a company that is nicely respected in Vancouver and it is certified to provide services. Obtain different estimates to check the costs provided because there can be a distinction within roofing vancouver expenses and estimates of several businesses. You will find numerous elements that determine the actual cost of changing the roofing, so having a few details on hand could be truly valuable.
When the roofing from the structure has been done appropriately keeping in mind the most recent techniques as well as elements a roof helps in dealing with:


Air flow

Water ingress

Drinking water fumes diffusion

Surface area protection

Heat circulation


Roof insulation basically works well for creating a barrier, that does not allow the external environment to combine with the atmosphere associated with within. For this purpose there are many types of thermal insulations being utilized today along the way of roofing.

To obtain probably the most appropriate and practical roofing vancouver materials, you have to execute a comprehensive research and gaze after in mind your requirements and financial price range.

Roofing Vancouver designs accessible

There are lots of roofing vancouver designs available within the marketplace nowadays, a few becoming costly as well as even though some being common or even low cost. One of the most well-known roofing vancouver designs include:

Gabled- This particular shape is given through creating a triangle on the entrance side as well as giving hills on each side of the form.

Aspect Gabled- Within this make up the no gabled attributes face the front generally and retain the front entrance.

Entrance Gabled- Within this condition the actual gabled attributes generally encounter the front and include the front doorway.

Cross Gabled- In this particular condition the actual perpendicular wings are normally put into the main part that types two individual components having their own gabled façade.


Top covers are basically installed for the protection of below roofing supplies through numerous UV rays and physical harm. Top covers come in different forms for example: liquid covering, manufacturing plant nutrient, steel surface area, pavers as well as gravels.

Learn more about Vancouver roofing on roofing companies Vancouver website

search engine optimization website

Vancouver seo

Making Money Ideas

Blogger Andrew Trench recently presented a theory on the threshold of when Internet penetration starts to matter, writing:

Social networks have also been given plenty of credit for the revolution unfolding in Egypt.

So I went and had a look at the numbers over on www.internetworldstats.com to see what they could tell us about these two scenarios. Well, fascinatingly, both Egypt and Tunisia have seen a massive growth in internet users and internet penetration over the last 10 years.

Both have now got internet penetration of over 20% and in Tunisia's case it was as high as 34%.

While it is clearly simplistic to over-state this factor and there must be many more drivers contributing to such a rapid political uprising, it is obviously a factor as evidenced by the Egyptian regime pulling the plug on the country's internet access to try and block the rising tide of revolt.

My back-of-napkin theory is this: that a rapid increase in internet penetration in a repressive regime does play an important role as it provides an unfettered channel of communication allowing disaffected citizens to share views - and more importantly - to rapidly organise and mobilise.

If Egypt and Tunisia are valid case studies, it looks like internet penetration of around 20% is the mark.

Geopolitics & Macroeconomics adds:

Internet penetration: Social networking sites were critical to sustaining the momentum in the recent protests. The internet penetration in Egypt is 16%. In Libya, it is a meagre 5% [1]. The unrest in Libya has thus far remained concentrated in regions that are geographically distant from the seat of ‘real' power (see more on this below). The dependence of momentum on internet communication is far greater in Libya than in Egypt where protests began in Cairo itself.

Taking the conversation to Pakistan, Sabene Saigol writes, on BrandRepublic:

Perhaps one reason for this is that we're still not that used to communicating via the ‘net - maybe we need greater broadband and internet penetration. Personally I think it is more to do with culture - while Pakistani internet users are savvy to using social media to connect with friends, I feel they have not yet ‘crossed over' to seeing SM as a means for professional communications - or even wider social communications that go beyond their immediate circle. Yes, there are no doubt savvy people - both within marketing and tech circles, and outside - however, these people are likely a tiny proportion of the total number of ‘net and social media users.

Blogger Andrew Trench recently presented a theory on the threshold of when Internet penetration starts to matter, writing:

Social networks have also been given plenty of credit for the revolution unfolding in Egypt.

So I went and had a look at the numbers over on www.internetworldstats.com to see what they could tell us about these two scenarios. Well, fascinatingly, both Egypt and Tunisia have seen a massive growth in internet users and internet penetration over the last 10 years.

Both have now got internet penetration of over 20% and in Tunisia's case it was as high as 34%.

While it is clearly simplistic to over-state this factor and there must be many more drivers contributing to such a rapid political uprising, it is obviously a factor as evidenced by the Egyptian regime pulling the plug on the country's internet access to try and block the rising tide of revolt.

My back-of-napkin theory is this: that a rapid increase in internet penetration in a repressive regime does play an important role as it provides an unfettered channel of communication allowing disaffected citizens to share views - and more importantly - to rapidly organise and mobilise.

If Egypt and Tunisia are valid case studies, it looks like internet penetration of around 20% is the mark.

Geopolitics & Macroeconomics adds:

Internet penetration: Social networking sites were critical to sustaining the momentum in the recent protests. The internet penetration in Egypt is 16%. In Libya, it is a meagre 5% [1]. The unrest in Libya has thus far remained concentrated in regions that are geographically distant from the seat of ‘real' power (see more on this below). The dependence of momentum on internet communication is far greater in Libya than in Egypt where protests began in Cairo itself.

Taking the conversation to Pakistan, Sabene Saigol writes, on BrandRepublic:

Perhaps one reason for this is that we're still not that used to communicating via the ‘net - maybe we need greater broadband and internet penetration. Personally I think it is more to do with culture - while Pakistani internet users are savvy to using social media to connect with friends, I feel they have not yet ‘crossed over' to seeing SM as a means for professional communications - or even wider social communications that go beyond their immediate circle. Yes, there are no doubt savvy people - both within marketing and tech circles, and outside - however, these people are likely a tiny proportion of the total number of ‘net and social media users.

Surface Encounters

Chad Ochocinco of Cincinnati Bengals gets reserve spot on Sporting KC

After a five-day tryout, NFL star Chad Ochocinco has been awarded a spot on the reserve team for Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer.

Surface Encounters

FOCUS: Courageous workers at troubled nuclear plant endure tough <b>...</b>

Each of the employees of Tokyo Electric Power Co. and other workers engaged in containing damage at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is given 30 survival food crackers and a 180 milliliter pack of vegetable juice for ...

Surface Encounters

Take Two: Donald Trump Releases Official Birth Certificate - The Note

Donald Trump learned the hard way this week that if you're going to call on the president to release his official birth certificate, you'd better do the same. The Note, authored by ABC News' Amy Walter and Michael Falcone, ...

Surface Encounters

In February of 2007, 83.24 percent of users visiting TechCrunch did so from a Windows machine. One year later, in February 2008, the stranglehold remained firm at 80.44 percent. In February 2009, the number was at 74.04 percent. Last year, it was 61.59 percent. And this year? The number of people visiting our site from Windows machines dipped to 53.84 percent.

The writing is on the wall.

Look at those numbers again for a second. In four years, Windows share among TechCrunch readers has fallen 30 percentage points. That’s incredible.

The knee-jerk reaction in the comment section will likely be something like “it’s because you guys cover Apple so much”. But the fact of the matter is that Macintosh share, after rising for three of those four years, fell last year as well. It’s the mobile devices — specifically the iPhone, iPad, and Android devices — that are eating away at Windows.

In fact, if the trend over the past four years continues at about the same pace, in two years, devices made by Apple (Macs, iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads) will surpass devices that run Windows as the top visitors to TechCrunch. And depending on how popular the iPad 2, iPhone 5, and OS X Lion are, it could easily happen next year.

Here are the broken down numbers:

Feb 2007

• Windows: 83.24%


• Mac: 13.59%


• Linux: 2.51%

Feb 2008

• Windows: 80.44%


• Mac: 15.15%


• Linux: 2.97%


• iPhone: 0.77%


• iPod: 0.15%

Feb 2009

• Windows: 74.04%


• Mac: 20.48%


• Linux: 3.01%


• iPhone: 1.60%


• iPod: 0.28%


• Android: 0.09%

Feb 2010

• Windows: 61.59%


• Mac: 28.62%


• iPhone: 4.07%


• Linux: 3.49%


• Android: 0.87%


• iPod: 0.53%

Feb 2011

• Windows: 53.84%


• Mac: 27.64%


• iPhone: 6.72%


• iPad: 3.44%


• Linux: 3.28%


• Android: 3.06%


• iPod: 0.62%

While even the last batch of stats shows that Windows still has a nice cushion over number two, Mac, if you add the Apple products put together, it’s a different story.

• Feb 2007: 13.59% Apple products


• Feb 2008: 16.07% Apple products


• Feb 2009: 22.36% Apple products


• Feb 2010: 33.22% Apple products


• Feb 2011: 38.42% Apple products

In the four year span, Apple has added 25 percentage points to their share among TechCrunch readers. That nearly all of the 30 percentage points that Windows lost in that same span (Android’s growth pretty much fills in the rest).

So it currently stands at Microsoft’s 53.84 percent versus Apple’s 38.42 percent. Again, a big year for iPad, iPhone, and Mac could mean a changing of the guard as soon as next year. But unless something drastic changes, you can be sure that Apple will be dominant among TechCrunch readers in two years.

The latest rumors have Windows 8 showing up sometime in mid/late 2012. But the fact of the matter is that Windows 7, much more widely praised than the disaster that was Vista, hasn’t helped Microsoft buck this trend among our readers. Perhaps they’re only hope of gaining back share at this point is Windows Phone. So far, that hasn’t been going too well. Nokia should help that, but will it be enough to offset the Windows losses?

Humorously, Microsoft’s best hope for not falling to Apple may well be Android. If Google’s platform continues to make gains, it could prolong Apple passing Microsoft.

But again, Apple has iPhone 5, iPad 2, and OS X Lion on the immediate horizon — all within the next few months. And then there’s the very real possibility of another iPad in the fall.

The iPad 2 and iPhone 5 are likely to push the Apple share forward immediately. But don’t sleep on OS X Lion either. The early indications are that Apple has indeed made it much more iOS-like. That means millions of iPad/iPhone/iPod touch owners who have traditionally been PC users, are going to feel a lot more comfortable on a Mac than ever before.

And a new PC-to-Mac data migration system built in to Lion will only help that.

OS X Lion is going to feed off of iOS users, and vice versa. And the Mac ecosystem is going to continue to expand. Just as happened in the browser world with Chrome taking over, a transition is happening among TechCrunch readers in the ecosystem space. The numbers don’t lie. And Microsoft better pray that our readers aren’t leading indicators of overall trends in the space — which is exactly what you have been in the past.

Titles from major book publisher Random House will now appear in Apple’s iBooks store. The news was one of many talking points covered earlier today at Apple’s media event. Random House had previously been the only major publisher not represented in Apple’s popular iOS book store, as it was not willing to grant Apple the 30% cut taken on titles sold through iBooks. The addition of Random House is a major coup for Apple as it looks to compete with the likes of Amazon’s Kindle bookstore and other popular offerings. Hit the break for Apple’s full press release.

Random House, Inc. Makes Entire US Catalog of 17,000 ebooks Available on Apple’s iBookstore

iBookstore Now Features More than 2,500 Publishers, Including All Six Major Trade Publishers

SAN FRANCISCO—March 2, 2011—Apple® today announced that Random House, Inc., the largest trade book publisher in the US, has made its full catalog of 17,000 ebooks available on Apple’s iBookstore℠, including bestsellers by Stieg Larsson, John Grisham, Dan Brown, Danielle Steel, Laura Hillenbrand, Cormac McCarthy, Lee Child and many more of the world’s preeminent authors. Starting today, customers can pre-order upcoming releases from Random House including Lisa Gardner’s “Love You More,” Suze Orman’s “The Money Class” and Jean Auel’s “The Land of Painted Caves.” With the addition of Random House, the iBookstore now offers ebooks from all six major trade publishers and thousands of independent publishers.

“We are delighted that Apple’s iBookstore now will be carrying Random House’s US ebooks for the first time,” said Markus Dohle, Random House’s Chairman and CEO. “And we look forward to bringing our 17,000 ebooks to Apple customers.”

“We’re thrilled to offer Random House on the iBookstore,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of Internet Services. “iBookstore customers have already downloaded more than 100 million books in less than one year, and we think they’ll love being able to choose from Random House’s incredible selection of titles to enjoy on their iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.”

iBookstore customers can choose from a wide selection of illustrated and video-enhanced books that look incredible on iPad™, including Jay-Z’s memoir “Decoded” and Bing West’s “The Wrong War”; bestselling children’s series such as Magic Tree House and Junie B. Jones; and cookbooks by Martha Stewart, Rachael Ray, and the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. Random House, Inc. comprises more than 80 adult and children’s US publishing imprints including Alfred A. Knopf, Doubleday, Crown, Pantheon Books, Vintage, Ballantine and Bantam.

The iBookstore, included in Apple’s free iBooks® app, is the best way to browse, buy and read books on your iPad, iPhone® and iPod touch®. iBookstore offers ebooks from more than 2,500 publishers in more than 20 categories, including Mysteries & Thrillers, Biographies & Memoirs, Cookbooks, Children’s & Teen, Humor, Romance, Business and Travel.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple is reinventing the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Tags: announcement, Apple, books, e-books, e-reader, ebooks, eReader, Event, iBooks, Random House


Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

The major legislative item on the agenda in the Senate this week will be The Small Business Reauthorization Act (S. 493).  Republicans plan to use this bill as a platform to promote critical pieces of legislation through the process of non-germane amendments to the bill.  Here are some vital amendments that will be debated and voted on throughout the week:

• Senator Mitch McConnell is offering an amendment (S. AMDT 183) to prohibit the EPA from promulgating any regulations on greenhouse gas emissions.  There is perhaps no force that is more destructive to our prosperity, consumer freedom of choice, and job creation than onerous cap and trade schemes.  There are many red state Democrats who are up for reelection in 2012 and will be hard pressed to go on record as supporting policies that are an imprecation to the interests of their states.  Make sure to call Senators Claire McCaskill, Joe Manchin, Ben Nelson, Bill Nelson, and Jon Tester in particular.

• Senator David Vitter is offering an amendment (S.AMDT. 178) forcing the federal government to sell off unused and underused property.  This is a serious issue.  The federal government owns over half of the land in some western states and has been using it to stifle energy development.  Selling unused federal lands would also serve as a prudent means of generating revenue without raising taxes.

• Senator Rand Paul is using the SBA bill as a platform to offer his signature budget bill (S.AMDT 199) which would slash $200 billion in spending for fiscal 2011.  Paul’s plan slashes funding by 50% to the Departments of Energy, Education, and HUD.  This amendment represents real limited government and budget austerity and will separate the men among the boys in the ranks of the Republican Conference.

• Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is forcing a vote (S. AMDT 197) to delay the implementation of ObamaCare until a final resolution is reached in pending lawsuits.  Unlike other bills that are designed to merely ameliorate ObamaCare, this amendment would completely halt it during the ensuing legal battles.

• Senator Tom Coburn has filed an amendment (S.AMDT.184) to force federal agencies to compile comprehensive lists of all of their programs

Make sure that all of your Republican senators are on record supporting these amendments, especially Rand Paul’s budget proposal.  Also, let’s see which faux moderate Democrats will commit to supporting anyone of these commonsense initiatives.  Needless to say, I didn’t waste time calling my senators; Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin!

The major legislative item on the agenda in the Senate this week will be The Small Business Reauthorization Act (S. 493).  Republicans plan to use this bill as a platform to promote critical pieces of legislation through the process of non-germane amendments to the bill.  Here are some vital amendments that will be debated and voted on throughout the week:

• Senator Mitch McConnell is offering an amendment (S. AMDT 183) to prohibit the EPA from promulgating any regulations on greenhouse gas emissions.  There is perhaps no force that is more destructive to our prosperity, consumer freedom of choice, and job creation than onerous cap and trade schemes.  There are many red state Democrats who are up for reelection in 2012 and will be hard pressed to go on record as supporting policies that are an imprecation to the interests of their states.  Make sure to call Senators Claire McCaskill, Joe Manchin, Ben Nelson, Bill Nelson, and Jon Tester in particular.

• Senator David Vitter is offering an amendment (S.AMDT. 178) forcing the federal government to sell off unused and underused property.  This is a serious issue.  The federal government owns over half of the land in some western states and has been using it to stifle energy development.  Selling unused federal lands would also serve as a prudent means of generating revenue without raising taxes.

• Senator Rand Paul is using the SBA bill as a platform to offer his signature budget bill (S.AMDT 199) which would slash $200 billion in spending for fiscal 2011.  Paul’s plan slashes funding by 50% to the Departments of Energy, Education, and HUD.  This amendment represents real limited government and budget austerity and will separate the men among the boys in the ranks of the Republican Conference.

• Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is forcing a vote (S. AMDT 197) to delay the implementation of ObamaCare until a final resolution is reached in pending lawsuits.  Unlike other bills that are designed to merely ameliorate ObamaCare, this amendment would completely halt it during the ensuing legal battles.

• Senator Tom Coburn has filed an amendment (S.AMDT.184) to force federal agencies to compile comprehensive lists of all of their programs

Make sure that all of your Republican senators are on record supporting these amendments, especially Rand Paul’s budget proposal.  Also, let’s see which faux moderate Democrats will commit to supporting anyone of these commonsense initiatives.  Needless to say, I didn’t waste time calling my senators; Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin!

Surface Encounters

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With the drumbeat of rumors that she is heading for the door, Katie Couric was likely looking for better ratings news than what she got Tuesday. Instead, the ratings for the first quarter of 2011 showed that the "CBS Evening News" drew ...

Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

Surface Encounters

Murder Victim&#39;s Parents Sue Facebook Over Crime Scene - AOL <b>News</b>

The family of New York murder victim Caroline Wimmer has filed a civil suit against Facebook and others, including ex-EMT Mark Musarella, who posted a graphic picture of their daughter's body to the social networking website.

Surface Encounters

Being Right or Making Money

While out of work, Charlie Sheen is winning. There is so much to learn from him. Here are 7 things he taught me about living frugally.

When Un-Employed, Downsize

Don't pay someone to do something you can do yourself. Sure, some people may say that his publicist quit after outrageous comments in interviews. Maybe it was the fallout from erratic behavior. Or maybe, Charlie just realized he needed to get smarter with his cash. Newly unemployed, Charlie can be his own publicist and save all that money he was using on Stan Rosenfield. If you're out of work, learn from Charlie. Who needs an electrician? You can re-wire your own lighting. Tire center to fix your brakes? Get a couple of loaner books from the library and fix them yourself. You're learning a trade, building your resume, and saving money! If Charlie doesn't go back to work as an actor, he can try his hands in a new trade as a publicist. This is what's referred to as “bi-winning.”

Have a Winning Attitude

Just because we're in a downsizing economy, facing higher food and oil prices, under-employment and crumbling local governments, it doesn't mean you won't be able to be hired at the job you're applying to. Stop reading the news for awhile if it starts getting you down. Give yourself a tiger-blood, Adonis DNA, pep-talk before hitting the interview. If you can't afford to celebrate with champagne, or even beer, drink up that milk with gusto. Think of all the delicious fortifying nutrients your body is getting. Clip coupons with panache. Serve leftovers with style. To do frugal living the Sheen way, it's all about attitude.

Surround Yourself with Loved Ones

Let's get this out right now: No, you cannot have your own goddesses to cheer you up. Only Charlie Sheen can do that. However, you can surround yourself with people who love you for free. In fact, invite as many free friends as you can over to your house and celebrate how lucky you are to have what really matters in life: relationships. Bonus: Make it a pot luck and you get a cheap meal as well.

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style="text-align: left">Housewives of Atlanta & Celebrity Apprentice star Nene Leakes channels her inner sexy on the cover of this month’s Rolling Out Magazine. During the photo shoot, Zondra Hughes, deputy editor of Rolling Out Magazine sat down with Nene and talked about everything from what she looks for in Mr. Right to her portrayal as an angry black woman.

On Mr. Right/> “He has to be spiritual, he has to have swagger, and it doesn’t matter if he’s black or white. I’m not in it for the money, but, if I date a man he has to have his own money. I think it’s only fair. If I’m out here making money, what in the hell am I going to do with a guy who’s not making money? Like, that’s not even cool. I don’t want to take care of a guy. If he’s out here doing his thing, I can be very supportive of him. And I’m over here doing my thing, and he’s very supportive of me. That would be great, but I cannot date a broke dude.”

On being portrayed as a angry black woman/> NeNe Leakes is fabulous, confident and she knows who the hell she is. NeNe Leakes is not an angry woman. Some days I’m angry, and everybody is, I just happen to be on television id="more-121960">and the camera captures me when I’m angry. Just imagine doing a reality show. What would they capture about you? They’d capture you on your period, pissed off, angry with your man, happy, going shopping … but they’re only going to put in the things that are most interesting. I’m not an angry black woman; I’m actually a cool ass black woman.”

On Having A B.O.B [Battery Operated Boyfriends]/> I don’t do nothing battery because you get hooked on those batteries and can the battery bang it? No. So the battery is not good. Throw away the battery. Stick it in, c** and then see what happens
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URGENT: Plutonium detected in soil at Fukushima nuke plant: TEPCO <b>...</b>

Plutonium has been detected in soil at five locations at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Monday. The operator of the nuclear complex said that the plutonium is believed to have been ...

Pawlenty Announces His Money Team - FoxNews.com

Republican Tim Pawlenty's exploratory committee has announced the key players who will make up Pawlenty's national finance team. The announcement comes as Pawlenty's team gears up for a major-donor fundraising effort.

Search <b>News</b> &amp; Headlines Around the Web - March 28, 2011 #SEWatch

Here's a roundup of today's other search news and headlines from around the web, sorted by category....