Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Emotional Woes May Last for Childhood Cancer Survivors

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Angry Birds debit cards to be issued in Russia

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Simon Pegg Says Khan Isn't Star Trek 2's Villain

simon pegg star trek sequel worlds end

Fan-favorite actor/writer Simon Pegg has a handful of high-profile ventures on his plate ? including his respective parts in the pilot for Walking Dead creator Frank Darabont?s new TV series L.A. Noir and director J.J. Abrams? Star Trek 2 (not the official title), both of which Pegg recently completed work on. Not to mention, his upcoming reunion with director Edgar Wright and Nick Frost on the conclusion to their ?Blood & Ice Cream? trilogy, The World?s End.

In a recent profile piece for The Telegraph, Pegg touched on how the Trek sequel is a tricky animal ? one which, in different respects, has been easier to make than its predecessor (Abrams? reboot of the franchise), but also faces challenges similar to those for any followup to a popular blockbuster:

?This time [with 'Star Trek 2'] we had the benefit of being able to hit the ground running ? we spent some time in the first one re-establishing the characters. Now we have a fully set-up group of people that we can just get on with straight away. So it ups the ante slightly, and we?ve all had more to do. So it?s totally incumbent on us to not drop the ball. It would be a disaster if it wasn?t as good as ? or better than ? the first one.?

Pegg also confirmed that Scotty will be a full-time member of the U.S.S. Enterprise crew in the new Trek movie. As for those rampant rumors that Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch is playing superhuman Khan Noonien Singh ? Pegg not only addressed them head-on, he openly admitted to being pretty fed up with all the speculation:

?[Benedict Cumberbatch's character is] not just another disgruntled alien. It?s a really interesting? sort of? thing. Obviously I can?t talk about it? It?s not Khan. That?s a myth. Everyone?s saying it is, but it?s not??I think people just want to have a scoop. It annoys me ? it?s beyond the point to just ferret around for spoilers all the time to try to be the first to break them.?It masquerades as interest in the movie but really it?s just nosiness and impatience. You just want to say, ?Oh f? off! Wait for the film!??

On the one hand, Pegg does raise a valid point. We fans can get pushy when it comes to learning more about an anticipated blockbuster, especially one where production has been as low-key as that for the Star Trek sequel. Certain people have proven willing to dismiss a franchise title in advance based solely on the identity of the villain (see: reactions to General Zod in Man of Steel).

On the other?hand: coming up with theories about the possible new interpretation of a famous character makes for harmless fun. It?s something we?re all going to do anyway, so by revealing a film?s baddie far in advance of its release ? like what Warner Bros. and Christopher Nolan did with Bane in The Dark Knight Rises ? you can at least ensure that fans stay on the right track, as far as speculation goes.

Moving on?

Frost, Wright, and Pegg on the set of 'Hot Fuzz'

Lastly, Pegg dropped a few hints about what to expect from The World?s End ? and how it will complete the trilogy, starting with?Shaun of the Dead and continued by Hot Fuzz (at least, thematically-speaking):

?I think ['The World's End'] makes the three films a trilogy, in that it consolidates some themes and ideas that we started to explore in the first two. ?Hot Fuzz??and ?Shaun Of The Dead??are about the struggle of essentially a small group against a large group, and it?ll continue that forward. We?ve said in our most lofty moments that ?Shaun Of The Dead??was about evolution ? it was about Shaun?becoming something more than he was. ?Hot Fuzz??was about devolution ? it was about [super-cop] Nick Angel dumbing himself down to become something else. And ?World?s End? is about revolution, which will be apparent when you see it.?

Production could feasibly get underway on World?s End as soon as the last third of 2012 [Insert obligatory Mayan Apocalypse joke here] ? though that will also depend on whether or not Marvel sets Wright to begin shooting his long-gestating Ant-Man movie by this upcoming fall. There?s plenty of positive buzz for both projects,?so no matter which begins filming first, it?s a win-win for fans.

We will continue to keep you up-to-date on the status of The World?s End as more information is released.

Meanwhile, Star Trek 2 has already been scheduled to hit theaters in the U.S. on May 17th, 2013.

-

Source: The Telegraph

"Follow us if you want to live."

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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Independent contractors: Compliance tips ? Business Management ...

IRS website

Employers often use contingent workers to cut costs. But if they misclassify temps or independent contractors, and those workers are judged employees, then the employer could be liable for back overtime, benefits, federal income taxes, Social Security, unemployment insurance and workers? comp.

So it?s imperative that employers know what factors the IRS uses in determining whether an individual is truly an independent contractor, as well as whether independent contractors fall under the protection of federal and state employment laws.

Using Independent Contractors: Legal Safeguards & Compliance Tips

FAQs about independent contractors

1. How can an employer determine whether an individual is an employee or an independent contractor?

To determine whether an individual is an employee or an independent contractor, you must examine the relationship between your company and the worker; more specifically, the amount of independence and control the worker has over how he/she achieves an agreed upon goal. The more control you have, the more likely the individual is an employee of your company. Take a look at the following factors, as spelled out by the IRS:

Instructions the business gives to the worker. Does the business retain the right to control the details of the worker?s performance? For example:

  • when and where to do the work
  • what tools or equipment to use
  • what workers to hire or assist with the work
  • where to purchase supplies and services
  • what work must be performed by a specified individual
  • what order or sequence to follow.

Training the business gives to the worker. Employees are trained to perform in a particular manner; independent contractors typically use their own methods.

Expenses. Independent contractors are more likely to incur unreimbursed expenses. Important: fixed ongoing costs that are incurred regardless of whether work is currently being performed.

Worker?s investment. Independent contractors often have a significant investment in the facilities used to perform services for someone else.

Other business opportunities. Independent contractors are generally free to make their services available to the relevant market, often advertising and maintaining a visible business location.

Payment. Employees generally are guaranteed a regular wage amount for a certain time period. Independent contractors usually get paid a flat fee per job or by the hour, in certain professions.

Profit or loss. Independent contractors can realize a profit or loss.

Written contracts describing the relationship the business and the worker intend to create.

Benefits provided by the business to the worker, such as insurance, pension plan, vacation pay, and sick pay, show an employee-employer relationship.

Permanency of the relationship. Independent contractors generally work for a specific project or period, whereas employees have more of an expectation of an indefinite relationship.

Whether the worker?s services are a key aspect of your company?s regular business activity. If they are key, it is more likely that you have the right to direct and control the worker?s activities.

Taxes. Independent contractors are responsible for paying their own income tax and self-employment tax. Employers withhold income tax and a portion of employees? Social Security and Medicare taxes.

Don?t let one simple mistake open you up to an IRS classification audit. It?s costly, burdensome and time-consuming. But by following the vital information you?ll find in Using Independent Contractors, you can tell the IRS to ?back OFF!? the next time they come knocking.
Get it all here.

2. Is an employer obligated to follow the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for independent contractors?

Independent contractors are not covered by the FLSA. Just be sure that these workers are truly independent contractors and not actual employees. In determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor, courts and the DOL apply the ?economic reality? or ?economic dependence? test. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the determination is based on the total activity or situation that controls, and other courts generally use these factors too:

  • the extent to which the services rendered are an integral part of the employer?s business
  • the permanency of the relationship between the employer and the worker
  • the amount of the worker?s investment in facilities and equipment
  • the nature and degree of control asserted over the worker
  • the worker?s opportunity for profit and loss
  • the amount of initiative, judgment, or foresight in open-market competition with others required for the worker?s success
  • the degree of independent business organization and operation

It?s important to note that because the FLSA is intended to remedy oppressive working conditions, courts usually interpret its provisions broadly. And the economic dependence test is no exception. Courts have ruled that a worker doesn?t have to be totally dependent on the employer for his/her living, or even have the employer as his/her primary source of income, in order to be considered an employee. Rather, many courts have found that it?s usually enough if the worker is dependent on a particular employer for continued employment in that line of business.

While the IRS may come after you demanding burdensome back taxes and penalties if you misclassify an employee ? your contractors can come after you, too.

Complaints to the Labor Department from disenchanted independent contractors are on the rise ? and the Labor Department is only too happy to pursue you, too. If caught, you could be on the hook for millions in benefits you thought only employees were entitled to.
book cover
But Using Independent Contractors gives you the tools you need to legally spell out an independent contractor?s responsibilities, work schedule and fees ? so there?s no misunderstanding which can lead to a nasty lawsuit.

If you can avoid just one mistake in hiring a freelancer, or filling out a 1099 or classifying an employee, then you can save your company thousands, perhaps millions, of dollars. With such potential money and time savings, you can easily pay for the low price of Using Independent Contractors.

Order your copy today!

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The only thing we ask is that you keep the article exactly as it was written and formatted. You also need to include an attribution statement and link to the article.

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Dina Lohan to Produce Broadway-Based Reality Show


If you were thinking that a reality TV mash-up of NBC's Smash and Disney's High School Musical would be great ... you have odd, specific taste in entertainment.

Dina Lohan apparently agrees with you, though. For reasons unknown, someone signed her to produce an unsold documentary series along those very lines.

Lohan's new project promises to chronicle the real-life journey of launching a Broadway musical from “page to stage,” as well as all the behind-the-scenes drama.

Dina Lohan Photograph

“There is nothing more important to me than a parent standing behind their child and helping them fulfill their dreams,” Dina told Celebuzz, apparently without irony.

Production for the series begins soon and will run through the summer.

It will take the audience "behind the scenes of The White Plains (N.Y.) Performing Arts Center’s theatre company," with producers promising to take the audience "on a roller coaster adventure." We absolutely can not wait.

In other family news, Ali Lohan's too thin and Lindsay is being sued for stiffing a tanning salon out of $40,000. The number of zeroes there is correct.

[Photo: WENN.com]

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Monday, May 28, 2012

14th June Boat Trip around Plymouth Sound ... - Network Plymouth

We are sailing?? We are sailing..

?Network Plymouth Business Club invites you to a meeting with a difference ? on a boat trip around Plymouth Sound . You will have the opportunity to meet with other members of the business community from ?Plymouth and the surrounding area.

We are a friendly platform for growing businesses, where like-minded people meet to inspire; share experiences; strengthen and grow though trusted relationships; and exchange referrals.

?Presentation on ? Exercising Mind and Body? from Chris Menlove-Platt of CMP Coaching & Training.

Set of from the Barbican (along from Mayflower steps.)

?Thursday? 14th June

7.15 am to 9.30 am

?10 Meeting Fee ?- payable in advance

(includes breakfast rolls/pastries/refreshment)

Please reserve your place by responding to the member who sent this flyer to you or to Kelly Crane at (Enable Javascript to see the email address)">(Enable Javascript to see the email address) or on 07984 651286.? Payment must be received by? Monday 11th June.

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Low Volume Crude Oil Trading Day Ends with a Fractional Gain

Get our Free Trading Videos, Lessons and eBook today!

Crude oil [July contract now] closed higher due to short covering on Friday as it bounces off the 62% retracement level of the 2011-2012 rally crossing at 90.26. The mid range close sets the stage for a steady opening when Tuesday?s night session begins. Stochastics and the RSI are oversold but remain neutral to bearish signaling that sideways to lower prices are possible near term. If July extends this month?s decline, the 75% retracement level of the 2011-2012 rally crossing at 85.69 is the next downside target. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 96.47 are needed to confirm that a low has been posted. First resistance is the 10 day moving average crossing at 92.35. Second resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 96.47. First support is Wednesday?s low crossing at 89.28. Second support is the 75% retracement level of the 2011-2012 rally crossing at 85.69.

Get Today?s 50 Top Trending Stocks

Natural gas closed lower on Friday and below the 10 day moving average crossing at 2.613 signaling that a short term top might be in or is near. The low range close sets the stage for a steady to lower opening on Tuesday. Stochastics and the RSI are overbought and are turning neutral to bearish hinting that a short term top might be in or is near. Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 2.492 would signal that a short term top has been posted. If June extends the rally off last week?s low, February?s high crossing at 3.040 is the next upside target. First resistance is last Friday?s high crossing at 2.759. Second resistance is February?s high crossing at 3.040. First support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 2.492. Second support is the reaction low crossing at 2.387.

Every trader must see this video ?.

Gold closed higher due to short covering on Friday. The low range close sets the stage for a steady to higher opening when Tuesday?s night session begins trading. Stochastics and the RSI are turning bearish signaling sideways to lower prices are possible near term. If June renews the decline off February?s high, the 38% retracement level of the 2008-2011 rally crossing at 1487.50 is the next downside target. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 1597.00 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted. First resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 1597.00. Second resistance is this month?s high crossing at 1672.30. First support is last Wednesday?s low crossing at 1526.70. Second support is the 38% retracement level of the 2008-2011 rally crossing at 1487.50.

6 Things Successful Traders Have in Common

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Sunday, May 27, 2012

Italian museum sets its art on fire to protest lack of government funding

Contending that it would be 'destroyed anyway' because there is no money for preservation work, the Casoria Contemporary Art Museum is burning a piece of its contemporary art collection every day.

By Giulia Lasagni,?Contributor / May 11, 2012

Antonio Manfredi (l.) director of the Casoria Contemporary Art Museum, and Italian artist Rosaria Matarese burn one of Matarese's creations in front of the museum, near Naples, Italy, Wednesday, April 18. Manfredi is burning paintings to protest a shortage of funds. Italy's museums have been strapped for funds for decades, but art world officials say the economic crisis has aggravated the plight.

Franco Castano/AP

Enlarge

Is a ?Fahrenheit 451?-style fire the solution for Italy?s increasingly debt-ridden museums??

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Perhaps not, but it?s certainly a powerful wakeup call to a government and populace busier worrying about the euro crisis and unemployment statistics.

So says Antonio Manfredi, the director of the Casoria Contemporary Art Museum (CAM), which is located in a small town near Naples, Italy. A little less than a month ago, Mr. Manfredi started to burn the gallery?s collection piece by piece, saying that he didn't have the funds for upkeep. ?Our artworks will end up being destroyed anyway, since institutions are not sustaining us,? he told?Italian daily Corriere della Sera before starting the protest.?

The first to go?was ?Promenade,? a canvas by French artist Severine Bourguignon, who approved of the protest and followed it on Skype. ?I hope that this action will help the Italian government reconsider CAM's situation,? she wrote?in The Guardian. ?Without funds, CAM will be closed and its collection will effectively cease to exist.?

Bourguignon?s piece was followed by many others, as meticulously recorded on CAM?s Facebook page.

Some contended?that the protest is only the provocative performance of an attention-seeking artist ? Manfredi is himself a painter, sculptor, and photographer?? and that because CAM is not technically a public museum, the government doesn't have to support it (although most private museums also receive some funding from the Ministry of Culture).?

But there is no doubt that Italy?s culture sector has been hit hard by cuts because of the economic crisis.?The Italian daily Republica reported?that between 2010 and 2011 the Ministry of Culture?s funding saw a 14.5 percent decrease, dropping from 1.7 million ($2.2 million) to 1.5 million euros.

Despite its world-class cultural wealth, Italy invests in the culture sector less than other countries. According to a government report, in 2010 the Ministry of Culture received only 0.21 percent of the country?s budget (compared, for instance, to 1 percent in France). It?s no surprise then that several prestigious institutions are going through a rough time.?

MAXXI, Rome?s contemporary museum, which opened only two years ago, has predicted losses of 11 million euros for 2012 through 2014. Naples?s and Parlermo?s contemporary art museums are also in deep financial trouble.

In the meantime, some organizations representing workers in the culture sector are protesting against low wages and the lack of adequate benefits. In a letter recently published in Corriere della Sera, they stressed the importance of what they do, which they say goes well beyond the workplace. ?We produce intangible but necessary goods on a daily basis: intelligence, relations, social welfare,? they wrote.

Investing in culture is also the recipe called for by renowned writer Dacia Maraini, who in a recent trip to the United States was surprised by the interest Americans still have in Italian culture and history. ?Shouldn?t we focus obstinately on what we can do best instead of competing with China in producing cheap jeans?? Maraini recently wrote in Corriere della Sera.

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By?Cucusoft, Inc.

Cucusoft iPhone Video Converter is a powerful and easy-to-use iPhone Video conversion software which provides a completed solution to convert iPhone video from all popular video formats, including dvr-ms, MPEG, DivX, XviD, MOV, rm, rmvb, WMV, AVI, ect. you can enjoy your favorite videos and movies on your iPhone as a portable DVD Player. Now you can get this iPhone video converter at a very competitive price!

CompanyCucusoft, Inc.
Websitehttp://www.cucusoft.com
CountryChina
Emailsubmitter@cucusoft.com
OsWinXP, Windows2000, Windows2003, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Ultimate x64, Win98, WinME, WinNT 3.x, WinNT 4.x, Windows Vista Starter, Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Home Basic x64, Windows Vista Home Premium x64, Windows Vista Business x64, Windows Vista Enterprise x64
RequirementsDirectX 9.0 or later
LanguageEnglish
Release?Date28 10 2010
LicenseShareware
LimitationsWatermark

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Saturday, May 26, 2012

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Friday, May 25, 2012

Poorer communities continue to suffer lack of broadband access ...

The Lens is reposting this story, first published March 23, in light of news that The Times-Picayune will be cutting back to three published newspapers a week, focusing its efforts instead on online reporting. The accompanying map shows the wide swaths of the city where broadband internet access is not prevalent ? meaning people there are not as likely to get the news that the TP will produce.?

By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer |

Subscribers to high-speed Internet services in New Orleans are generally white and in the higher income brackets, according to a new nationwide study that also found ?Louisiana lags the rest of the country when it comes to accessing broadband technology.

This issue is about more than convenience for watching movies and listening to music; increasingly, high-speed Internet access is essential for effective education, civic engagement and economic opportunity.

Lacking broadband access to the Web can be hugely detrimental to one?s future prospects, said Josh Levy, the Internet campaign director with Freepress.net, a national organization working to promote universal access to communications.

?People who run small businesses depend on high speed broadband to get work,? he said. ?It hurts people?s ability to get educated. If you?re looking for a job, you need to be able to get online to do that. You can?t write and send a resume on a cellphone.?

A joint investigation among The Lens, the Center for Public Integrity?and the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University examined broadband subscription rates across New Orleans and Louisiana, drawing on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Federal Communications Commission. Click here for more information on the methodology.

This map lets you click on your neighborhood and see broadband subscription rates over time.

Of course, having access to the high-speed Internet and taking advantage of it are two different things.

In the Lower 9th Ward, David Eber runs the Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development. At the nonprofit?s offices on Chartres Street, he pays for Broadband Internet access through Cox Communications and runs community engagement initiatives on issues such as food security and blight reduction, through a variety of channels, including a blog and e-newsletter. But it is difficult to engage citizens who aren?t online, he said.

?Most folks down here don?t have the Internet,? Eber said. ?If everyone had it, it would be a lot easier because if we?re planning an event we can?t just send out an email. We?re working on setting up a block captain program so that we can contact people who do have access to the Internet, and have them contact their neighbors. But it?s not the easiest thing in the world to engage people who aren?t online.?

David Eber. Photo by Matt Davis

Around the corner, Ward McClendon runs the Ninth Ward Village community center, which has seven computers available for residents to use. He pays about $400 a month to Cox Communications for broadband access and telephones, and he said the service is in heavy demand.

?It?s so important to have Internet access,? he said. ?After Katrina, a lot of people lost their property because they couldn?t access the information the needed about it. People need to apply for jobs, and just to do their everyday business, but they can?t afford it at home.?

Ward McClendon. Photo by Matt Davis

McClendon said, however, that securing Internet access for people in the community is hardly the top priority at the moment. Seven years after Katrina, the area is still without a permanent fire station and there is just one school. McClendon would like to see a fire station completed so that his insurance premiums start to fall, and more Lower 9th Ward residents can consider returning to the neighborhood.

To organize community events, McClendon fliers the neighborhood and works his cellphone, rather than relying on social networking or emails.

In McClendon?s computer lab, Oliver Butler, 20, was updating his Facebook profile on a recent afternoon. He?s used the computers to apply for a dozen jobs in catering, construction, and to study for his drivers? license, he said. Unfortunately Butler has had little luck with the applications, but considers the Internet access ? which he doesn?t have at home ? vital for his prospects.

Oliver Butler. Photo by Matt Davis

Government officials nationwide have undertaken efforts to remove the financial barriers to broadband access, with the goal of providing a free or low-cost system. Some started then stumbled, some ran into political and philosophical barriers, and some succeeded. Examples of all three situations can be found in Louisiana.

Post-Katrina, New Orleans officials planned for and began a municipal broadband effort to provide wide access, but that was dashed by harsh economic realities and then snakebit by political corruption. Statewide, a public effort to expand access in rural areas was canceled when Gov. Bobby Jindal refused to accept the terms of a federal grant for the work. Officials in Layfayette created their own municipal subscription network that?s been held up as a model effort, a service that was recently featured in USA Today.

Orleans Parish has 40 percent to 60 percent broadband subscription rates, which compares poorly with most metropolitan counties nationwide, which average in the 60 percent to 80 percent range. Louisiana is ranked 44th out of 50 states in terms of broadband subscription, with just 51 percent of residents subscribing, according to data compiled by the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University. The average state has 60 percent broadband subscription.

The New Orleans data show that wealthy, white Uptown New Orleans has subscription rates of between 80 and 100 percent, and suburban areas such as Metairie and Belle Chasse are similarly well served. Meanwhile poorer, more African American areas such as the Lower 9th Ward have broadband subscription rates of between 0 and 40 percent.

Statewide, there is also an urban-rural divide in broadband access, with data showing that Orleans Parish as a whole has it?s 40 percent to 60 percent access, but rural areas of the state show subscription rates between at 0 to 20 percent.

??

In 2006, the City of New Orleans struck a deal with Atlanta-based Earthlink to build a free municipal broadband network for the city. Former city technology chief Greg Meffert hailed the deal as a ?lifeline to businesses and citizens who are in devastated areas or otherwise can?t afford access to the Internet.?

But after spending $4 million to install the network, Earthlink shut it down in May 2008, citing a low level of usage.

?The city of New Orleans has not picked up that ball, pretty much since the deal went down,? said Craig Setttles, an independent analyst of municipal broadband issues and author of a book called Fighting The Good Fight for Municipal Wireless. ?It?s kind of a shame. A lot of the companies that were trying to get into these markets, like Earthlink, had bad business plans and failed as a result.?

Neither Earthlink nor Mayor Mitch Landrieu?s administration responded to questions about what has happened to the network.

Users seeking high speed access now hope to find the stray unsecured network, visit a business that offers it, or subscribe to one of several providers for about $30 a month.

Meffert?s guilty plea in a kickback scheme involving his office made the prospects of working with the city somewhat toxic, Settles said, because of Meffert?s involvement with the original network.

?It didn?t help that Mr. Meffert happened to find himself with some legal issues,? Settles said. ?Nobody wants to be attached to the wireless network now because of the stigma there.?

??

Statewide, prospects for wider broadband access have stumbled, too. In November, Jindal refused an $80 million federal grant aimed at spreading broadband to poor, rural areas of the state.

Jindal released a statement to The Times-Picayune newspaper saying the grant ?called for a heavy-handed approach from the federal government that would have undermined and taken over private business.

?We have an administration in Washington that wants to run car companies, banks, our entire health care system, and now they want to take over the broadband business,? Jindal wrote. ?We won?t stand for that in Louisiana.?

At the time, Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell accused Jindal of killing the state?s broadband plan as a favor to private broadband interests, which had supported his campaign.

?This was a terrible mistake they made, not getting that grant,? Campbell told The Lens in a phone interview. ?People who gave Jindal large amounts of money objected to the project, and I thought there was a hell of a conflict. Jindal talks about education reform, but how are they going to get education reform in those rural parishes if they can?t get access to high speed Internet??

Jindal did not respond to requests for comment from The Lens.

James Davis, with Network USA, one of the private companies Campbell singled out as benefiting from the loss of the grant, refuted the idea that Jindal?s position had favored his company.

?Foster Campbell?s comments were his own opinion, and I don?t agree with him,? Davis said. ?I?d like to see how we benefited from the loss of the grant.?

Philip Meyers, executive vice president of GEC, a Baton Rouge-based consulting company charged with installing the proposed rural broadband system, said the federal government withdrew the money because the state wanted to farm out the broadband deal to private companies. He said was ready to deliver a state-owned system but was shut out.

?I had a plan to perform, and they pulled the plug on me,? Meyers said.

??

Across the country, Levy of Freepress.net has encountered countless examples of private broadband providers muscling out efforts by government to provide the public with free access. In 2011, for example, North Carolina legislators voted for a ?level playing field? law, which effectively prohibited local governments from building their own broadband networks to compete with private industry.

Democratic state representative, Bill Faison said Time Warner Cable and other major network providers pushed the law through, in response to efforts by the town of Wilson, N.C., to install its own high-speed municipal network.

?This was the Time Warner Cable Limited monopoly bill,? Faison said, in a telephone interview with The Lens. ?They limited the ability for any municipality to provide these services to their citizens.?

While municipalities can provide broadband to customers in rural areas for as few as three to six customers per mile, major companies like Time Warner Cable are only interested in installing networks where they can guarantee 167 customers a mile, Faison said.

?So the big boys? solution to the problem was to force the municipalities out,? Faison said. ?They brought down a dozen lobbyists and went after the legislators really, really hard. It was a bad thing, I think, for the people ultimately, of this state.?

Justin Venech, a spokesman for Time Warner Cable, said the bill was about creating a level playing field for governments and cable companies competing in the broadband arena, and that it didn?t necessarily prohibit municipalities from entering the marketplace.

Similar laws are being considered in Minnesota, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida, Levy said.

?We?re seeing, basically, the same bill popping up all over the place,? Levy said. ?And there?s no excuse for it other than the fact that big monopolies don?t want competition from the public sector.?

??

Against a bleak background in Louisiana, Lafayette stands out for having pioneered a municipal broadband network of its own.

Mayor Joey Durel convinced voters in 2006 to adopt a plan to build the network for $150 million, and it is now listed amongst the fastest in the United States.

Lafayette used infrastructure owned by the city?s municipal-owned electricity company, founded in 1896, to create the network.

Durel said he faced considerable opposition from private telecommunications companies to the initiative. One voter even sued the city, hoping to overturn the city?s right to sell bonds to finance the work, but the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled against her.

The system isn?t free, but its subscriptions are cheaper than the competing network from Cox Communications, according to a recent story in USA Today. And the service is faster, too.

Durel said the network is likely to start making money in one or two years, and that it has helped the city to compete for jobs.

?If we want the good, high-paying jobs to come to Louisiana,? Durel said, ?we?ve got to have good business reasons to do that, rather than just our crawfish and our festivals.?

?

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Treating pain with transplants

Thursday, May 24, 2012

A new study finds that transplanting embryonic cells into adult mouse spinal cord can alleviate persistent pain. The research, published by Cell Press in the May 24th issue of the journal Neuron, suggests that reduced pain results from successful integration of the embryonic cells into the host spinal cord. The findings open avenues for clinical strategies aimed not just at treating the symptoms of chronic debilitating pain, but correcting the underlying disease pathology.

There are two major classes of chronic pain: inflammatory pain that results from injury to tissue, such as muscle and bone, and neuropathic pain from injury to nerves, for example, in the limbs or face. Damage to nerves can occur after physical trauma and from chemotherapy drugs. With neuropathic pain, the pain occurs in the absence of stimulation, and there is hypersensitivity and exacerbated pain to stimuli that would not normally cause pain. Neuropathic pain is thought to involve the loss of inhibitory neurons that release the chemical GABA, which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that controls the excitability of neurons, including neurons that transmit pain information.

"Pharmacological approaches to managing neuropathic pain enhance GABA-mediated inhibition. However, some patients do not respond to these therapies and there are significant adverse side effects," explains senior study author, Dr. Allan Basbaum from the University of California, San Francisco. "Therefore, new therapeutic approaches for neuropathic pain are essential." Dr. Basbaum and colleagues explored whether replacement of the damaged inhibitory neurons might be useful for reducing neuropathic pain.

The researchers transplanted immature GABA neurons from mouse fetal brain into the spinal cord of mice with nerve injury-induced pain, a model for human neuropathic pain. The transplanted cells not only survived, but made connections with appropriate targets and integrated into the host spinal cord circuitry. This resulted in an almost complete reversal of the mechanical hypersensitivity generated in a nerve injury model of neuropathic pain. In contrast, the transplant procedure was not effective at reducing pain in a mouse model of inflammatory pain, which is induced by tissue injury.

Taken together, the findings have exciting implications for a cell-based treatment of neuropathic pain in humans. "Our strategy not only ameliorates the symptoms of neuropathic pain but, importantly, is also potentially disease modifying," concludes Dr. Basbaum. "It is worth considering whether transplants such as these might have clinical utility in humans, a great advantage being that the adverse side effects associated with drug administration can be avoided."

###

Cell Press: http://www.cellpress.com

Thanks to Cell Press for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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