Hot food trends for 2010

Looking forward to 2010 thefoodpeople expect to see all of the main macro factors including economic, political, technological and environmental to be equally influencing food trends over the next year. As such, the trends that are expected to grow or emerge in 2010 are an evolution compared to 2009.

The trends they expect to see in 2010 include food cocooning, global comfort food and “like our previous generations”. Consumers will attempt to reestablish the heart of the home in the kitchen through more home cooking or at least greater interaction with food, Sunday lunches and informal dinner parties. Why? To make themselves feel good by providing for their families.

In a time when many consumers have changed their shopping status quo’s we expect to see consumers demanding more opportunities to personalize their food products, we’ve seen examples of this in niche areas but expect to see more mainstream customization in 2010.

With in excess of 1.8 billion people now online the researchers expect to see more ifood with web based food products and services. This could include more food by mail, food personalization, more online ordering and reservation, digital people power and perhaps new players in food distribution.

In many countries consumers have spent less in restaurants (with the exception of quick service restaurants) and this might not change noticeably until 2011. As such restaurants will continue to evolve with initiatives such as no reservations, happy hours, main stream pricing and a move towards more local ingredients and recipes. On the subject of local, local food has been around for many years but thefoodpeople expect to see local in every area of food from the farmers market to the global mega brands.

On the back of value and an anti restaurant movement more street food is likely including pop up dining, food trucks and street vendors selling fresh tasty and authentic food without what some believe are the unnecessary overheads of the restaurant environment. Simplicity will have a greater voice in food over the coming year with brands and restaurants alike cutting waffle and selling fewer ingredients for a greater taste delivery.

Despite being hugely dependant in individual consumers ethical values, a surge in planet conscious eating as well as an increase in the backlash against industrialised food is forecast.

The researchers also expect to see a trend towards frozen foods, with the category shaking the cheap and cheerful image of the past, evolving towards freshness locked in, extension of the pantry and total convenience. Another trend involving the re-positioning of a current channel is that of vending, so expect vending to go premium, go hot and go interactive in 2010.

Despite the many counter trends, thefoodpeople expect eating habits and meal times to evolve in the face the 24/7/365 lifestyle with a blurring of meal times, greater reliance on fast food not just for food but also for coffee as well, solo dining and breakfast on the move.

Health will continue to drive food trends in 2010, with a rise in the numbers of products, initiatives and services driving improved national health such as diabetes and heart disease through balance, calories and exercise, even moving towards enforceable limits in some countries. In addition, the UK-based monitors of global food trends expect to see the evolution of products targeted at the health self starters with condition and aliment foods, kid’s health, positive nutrition, DIY doctoring and health mood foods.

As eating habits evolve, drinking habits should follow suit with products targeted at specific target groups with a rise in low / no alcohol beers and wines, micro beers and spirits, in home consumption, demystified wine and cocktails.

Each year certain cuisines have a lesser or greater influence on the food that we eat through TV, magazines, books, chefs, restaurants, products and services. The cuisines that we can expect to be inspired by in 2010 include the Americas (including US, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Peru), French Bistro, Scandinavia, Vietnam, Korea and Japan.

“In summary we expect 2010 to be about - Simplicity; Comfort and feel good; Some scope for customization; Degree’s of planet conciseness; Food cocooning at home; Local across all sectors; Need for treats; A little trade up; Being squeaky clean to gain trust and i-food,” thefoodpeople concluded.

Earth may be too hot for humans by 2200

Climate change could make much of the world too hot for human habitation within just three centuries, research released Tuesday showed.

Scientists from Australia's University of New South Wales and Purdue University in the United States found that rising temperatures in some places could mean humans would be unable to adapt or survive.

"It would begin to occur with global-mean warming of about seven degrees Celsius (13 Fahrenheit), calling the habitability of some regions into question," the researchers said in a paper.

"With 11-12 degrees Celsius warming, such regions would spread to encompass the majority of the human population as currently distributed."

Researcher Professor Steven Sherwood said there was no chance of the earth heating up to seven degrees this century, but there was a serious risk that the continued burning of fossil fuels could create the problem by 2300.

Sherwood said climate change research had been "short-sighted" not to probe the long-term consequences of the impact of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.

"It needs to be looked at," he told AFP. "There's not much we can do about climate change over the next two decades but there's still a lot we can do about the longer term changes."

In a commentary on the paper, published in the US-based Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Australian National University academics said climate change would not stop in 2100.

"And under realistic scenarios out to 2300, we may be faced with temperature increases of 12 degrees (Celsius) or even more," Professor Tony McMichael said.

"If this happens, our current worries about sea level rise, occasional heatwaves and bushfires, biodiversity loss and agricultural difficulties will pale into insignificance beside a major threat -- as much as half the currently inhabited globe may simply become too hot for people to live there."

Three Multifamily Stories to Watch in 2010

1. THERE WILL BE AN IPO… OR TWO.
2010 could be the year of the IPO. Look at the trends. A number of private apartment owners bought at the wrong time and wrong price and are now carrying debt-laden portfolios. Non-existent job growth is putting even more pressure on those portfolios, especially those with near-term maturities. And in the past year, the public markets have been rewarding REITs. Add it all up, and it makes sense that we’ll see some of the much-awaited IPOs to recapitalize those properties in 2010.

"It's a way to take advantage of the fact that public values are at a premium to private values," says Alexander Goldfarb, associate director of equity research of REITs for New York-based Sandler O'Neill + Partners. "I think we'll start to see the IPOs of some of these privatized REITs, which offer investors existing platforms."

2. MORE DISTRESS WILL HIT THE MARKET. (AND NO, IT WON'T BE A FLOOD.)
The numbers indicate that more of the distressed assets sitting on bank books will trickle out in 2010. For instance, credit rating agency Realpoint just reported that multifamily has become the largest contributor to overall CMBS delinquency. While accounting for 1.23 percent of the CMBS universe, multifamily accounts for 26 percent of total delinquencies. And it could get worse: Realpoint expects delinquent CMBS to grow as much as 31 percent to 58 percent by mid-2010.

The question is, will the banks and special servicers continue to “extend and pretend” with these troubled borrowers or will they begin taking product back and looking for short sales? Even if the extension policies continue, some think that more of these problem assets will make it to market this year. “With a lot more assets on their balance sheet, will they continue to kick the can or will they take them over?” asks Doug Bibby, president of the Washington, D.C.-based National Multi Housing Council.

The answer to that question will, without a doubt, be one of the biggest stories in the apartment industry this year.

. THE INDUSTRY WILL FINALLY HIT THE BOTTOM.
After a horrid first quarter, 2009 saw some recovery in occupancies. The question for 2010 is this: Have we seen the bottom, or will we hit that point sometime in the next 12 months?

Right now, it seems most analysts feel safe projecting 2010 as “the bottom.” In a recent report, Green Street Advisors, a Newport Beach, Calif.-based consulting and research firm, projected that rents should bottom out at where they were a decade ago and then begin improving in the third quarter before gaining “steam” in 2011 through 2015. Even with job growth remaining sluggish for the next couple of years, pent up demand could lead to more household formation, which would be great news for rental owners.

But that doesn’t guarantee that a recovery will also begin in 2010. For one thing, declining home prices could pull renters out of apartments in some cities. What's more, there’s no guarantee against further job losses, which would ultimately hurt rents

Kate Snow to break the ABC become NBC

ABC News anchor Kate Snow has been abandoned for NBC News, where he is correspondent for “NBC dateline” announced on Friday. Since 2004, the snow is co-anchored the weekly publication “Good Morning America, ABC, as the springboard for the transfer of weekdays in the morning edition to appear. But when” GMA set up the equipment end of last year after the departure of Diane Sawyer, reference work was a taboo Change.

“He has the whole package,” dateline “executive producer David Corvo, said snow in a statement.” He can cover breaking news, you can interview, that he can write, and I’m happy that I will do everything they can to “dateline.” Snow joined ABC in 2003 and includes CNN in 2004 and 2008 presidential campaigns in the network.

Ex-model says she is shocked by his almost ten years old bikini photos was noisy near the movie “Couples Retreat.” Irina Krupnik picture of $ 10 billion libel suit on Thursday in New York court against NBC Universal. It was distributed between 2009 Vince Vaughn comedy. Krupnik admitted that he had video recordings in 2001 the rights body, of course, sell it to filmmakers. Case says; use it as a sign of the film image and sexual aid. 30-year-old makeup artist says he’s hurting his reputation. NBC Universal announced that they had the right to use the picture.

Hot Trends in the Business World

Many stores used to operate under the premise of closeout deals or 'going out of business' sales. However, the sad truth of today's economy is that many businesses ARE going out of business and needing to get rid of their inventory and employees. The business world isn't doing anything notable as of late, or at least nothing that is more notable than the number of people who are losing their jobs and finding that they are unable to get another one. It's really tough for many people to deal with, and definitely the main cause of all the stress-related accidents and violent crimes that have been going on for the past year.
It takes a toll on many people in ways that you might not imagine. Some people are so defined by their careers and their positions that they simply fall apart when their job is lost, leaving them with nothing more than a depressed life of despair. Some are much easier able to pick themselves up and get back on the horse, but the economy is running out of horses for people to get back on.
Going out of business used to be uncommon in the world, and only for small stores and businesses that didn't set themselves up right. Now you hear and see stories about big-name companies going out of business, companies like GM filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy, and the banks of the U.S. asking for government money so that they don't fall apart, either. It's all very disheartening, but it can get better, and eventually it will. It's easier said than done, but ultimately you need to try to keep a positive attitude about things as best you can so that you don't become another person with a pessimistic attitude about the economy.
All that people can do is trust that eventually things will get better, and hope that this happens sooner rather than later. People don't need to lose any more jobs, and the U.S. doesn't need to lose anymore businesses. There are so many great companies out there hanging on by a thread, and it's a constant fear for employees not knowing who's going to be next on the chopping block. If you are working for a company that is on the edge, or have already been a victim of the economy, you can trust that in time, things will work out. There are a few jobs out there to be found for those who are looking, but only if they are willing to accept whatever they can get.

Pakistan frontier a haven for militants

Faisal Shahzad, the suspect in the attempted bombing of Times Square, was heading for Pakistan -- where he was born -- when he was arrested late Monday night.

His family originally comes from a village near Peshawar in Pakistan.

Pakistan's western areas, along the border with Afghanistan, have been a haven for Islamist radicals for years, despite efforts to bring it under control.

Shahzad told the FBI he trained at a terrorism camp in the Waziristan region of Pakistan, a U.S. administration official told CNN. However, the official said investigators have nothing to corroborate his account.

It was not clear whether Shahzad was referring to North or South Waziristan.

Hours after authorities arrested Shahzad, security forces in Pakistan seized two or three people in a raid connected with the failed bombing, a Pakistani intelligence source said.

The Pakistan raid took place in a house in Karachi's Nazimabad district, where Shahzad was believed to have stayed during his last visit to the country.

Shahzad is a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Both U.S. and Pakistani officials warned against jumping to the conclusion that Islamists in Pakistan played a role in the attempted bombing.

"We are seeing cases of individuals who have links to a range of countries around the world who for whatever reason have become involved in extremist movements," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Tuesday, before Shahzad's claim he trained in Pakistan.

"I would be very careful about making a broad-brush statement. We value our relationship with Pakistan. We value the fact that there are many Pakistanis who have come to this country, have links to Pakistan and have become citizens of this country. We are very proud of them," he said.

A top Pakistani government minister said Shahzad had traveled back and forth from Pakistan to the United States regularly, but also said he had visited the Middle East as well.

"Faisal Shahzad first went to the United States in 2003 on a student visa. He has been going back and forth between Pakistan and the United States many times since then," Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik told CNN.

"Shahzad has been visiting Middle Eastern countries," he added, but would not elaborate where and when.

When asked if Shahzad had received training by militants in Pakistan -- before Shahzad's claim was revealed -- Malik said "We don't have such information at this point."

Pakistan's military last year launched offensives against militants in the west of the country -- along the border with Afghanistan -- to try to wrest back control of its territory.

The offensives forced many residents from their homes.

But the attacks on the Pakistani Taliban in the Swat Valley and South Waziristan were inconclusive, U.S. officials suggested late last year.

In Pakistan, al Qaeda and other militants persist in planning strikes against U.S. interests in the region, a U.S. counter-terrorism official said in December.

"They've suffered some major losses, but no one should think for a second that they're down and out for good. They remain intent on harming the United States and our allies, including Pakistan, so keeping up the pressure on them is critical. That's exactly what we're doing," the official said, referring to the militants.

The Pakistani Taliban are distinct from the Afghan Taliban, although they are aligned.

The United States plans to send tens of millions of dollars to Pakistan for roads and power plants -- some of it to the Swat Valley -- the Obama administration announced in March.

source: geo news

Economic Turmoil

It's not the $700 billion bank bailout. And no, it's not the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The real economic stimulus is ... wait for it ... the recession. That's right, the Great Recession. This upside-down economy is creating entrepreneurial opportunities aplenty, so long as you can deal with a situation about as stable as a lava flow.

Results from Challenger, Gray & Christmas' job market index revealed that 8.7 percent of job seekers gained employment by starting their own businesses in second quarter 2009--way, way up from the record low of 2.7 percent during the last quarter of 2008.

Even in finance, confidence and risk tolerance are on the rise. IbisWorld, an industry market research firm, expects that after a great purge, loan brokerage services will see 40 percent growth in 2010.
Sunwest Bank, a community bank that caters to entrepreneurs, upped its total assets by more than $150 million during the worst of the financial crisis--and that was before acquiring two failing banks in July and September. "We were picking up good clients left and right," says CEO Glenn Gray. "Business owners are still seeing opportunity."

Delve further into the numbers. It appears startup rates remain steady through recessions. "Ten, 15 years from now, there will be a slew of companies that we'll point to and say they started in the recession," Kauffman Foundation senior analyst Dane Stangler says. "You don't see them yet, but you can be sure they're out there." In fact, more than half of today's Fortune 500 companies were founded during a recession or bear market.

Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter once described entrepreneurial innovation as a "perennial gale of creative destruction," forcing existing companies to adapt or fail. "Economic progress in capitalist society," he declared, "means turmoil."