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Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Witness describes attempt on exiled Rwandan (AP)
[unable to retrieve full-text content]AP - Days before an exiled Rwandan army general was shot and wounded in South Africa, two of the men charged in the shooting were plotting another attempt on his life, a witness testified Wednesday.
Appalachia's aging population is rising fast
MT. ORAB, Ohio (AP) ? It's winter, so Donna Robirds puts on two sweaters in the morning and keeps heavy blankets handy as she sets her thermostat low ? 60 at night ? and bundles up to keep her utility bill down.
At 67, with a fixed income and a $563-a-month mortgage, she lives on a tight budget. Food stamps help the retired state employee stretch her budget in this Appalachian village. So has the mild winter.
"We haven't had the extreme cold, so it hasn't been too bad," she said. "I really need to watch my money. It's going to be a struggle."
Robirds' daily battle is being played out across the Appalachian region, which stretches through 13 states from northeastern Mississippi to southern New York. A part of the country that has long lagged behind the rest of the U.S. economically finds itself on the leading edge of a national trend: The number of Americans 65 and older is increasing, and many are struggling as government services are being cut in a rough economy.
Nationally, with the aging of the baby boom generation, people 65 and over are expected to account for 1 of every 5 Americans by 2030. Some places in Appalachia have already reached that benchmark, such as southern Ohio's Brown County, where Robirds lives.
"These counties are like the canary in the coal mine," said Suzanne Kunkel, who heads the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University of Ohio. "This is a pretty dramatic change coming."
More than 15 percent of Appalachia's population is already at least 65, compared with 13 percent nationally, according to the 2010 Census. And projections show the number rising steadily in much of the region, as it is nationally.
The aging population means more demand for health care, economic help, transportation and home help, which are already in short supply in much of Appalachia.
"It's getting more urgent in the number of people needing those services and having those available to them," said Robert Roswall, commissioner of West Virginia's Bureau of Senior Services. "We have people waiting for all those type of programs."
Appalachia has long been plagued by isolation, poor roads, sewer systems and other infrastructure needs, lack of education and the decline of coal mining, manufacturing and other key industries. The region has low per-capita income (less than $30,000 in 2009, 18 percent lower than the nation's), low college graduation rates, an exodus of young working people, and high rates of heart disease, cancer and diabetes, along with poor access to health care.
Peggy Basham, 74, of Summersville, W.Va., is worried.
"I think most everybody in the area is," she said. "You've got baby boomers coming on. You've got so many seniors. ... Nothing stretches very far."
Basham helps craft quilts that are sold to support the Nicholas County Senior Citizens Center. The senior center feeds 500 people per month, and Basham said more would come if only they had transportation from their mountain homes. She said she sees elderly people regularly forced to choose whether to pay for prescription drugs, heat their homes or buy groceries.
West Virginia officials say their state has the country's highest concentration of older residents than anywhere but Florida. Sixteen percent of West Virginia's population is 65 or older, compared with 17.3 percent in Florida, according to census figures.
And unlike those who flock to Florida's retirement villages and condominium complexes, aging people in West Virginia and elsewhere in Appalachia have long been less likely to move, often because they can't afford it or they have a strong attachment to home.
Robirds doesn't have much choice: Her home's market value declined in the nation's housing crisis, and she is years away from paying it off. But the mother of three doesn't want to move anyway.
"I want to have a place for my grandchildren to stay when they visit," she said, "and to be able to have my passion for gardening."
Robirds got some vital help from Cincinnati-based People Working Cooperatively, a nonprofit organization that sent workers before winter to add insulation, clean vents, service her furnace, replace her refrigerator and perform other maintenance.
The organization, dedicated to helping poor people stay in their homes in the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana region, is seeing demand for its services rocket over the last two years, from 40,000 calls for help in 2009 to 66,000 in 2011, according to president Jock Pitts.
Those in charge of dealing with the surging numbers of elderly people say such community-based help and other innovative solutions are especially important in struggling areas such as Appalachia.
"Given our state's limited resources ? we're not going to hit the lottery ? we are changing, in Ohio, our approach," said Bonnie Kantor-Burman, head of Ohio's Department of Aging. "There is a limit to what the state and federal governments are going to be able to do."
She sounds the alarm by often displaying a set of color-coded maps produced through Miami's Gerontology Center that show the projected aging of the population in eye-popping detail: In 2000, about one-fourth of the population in three of Ohio's 88 counties was 60 or older; in 2010, that was true of 16 counties, most of them in Appalachia. By 2020, it's projected to be 76 counties ? with one-third of the population in six of those counties 60 or older.
Other community efforts to keep senior citizens in their homes include The Village concept, in which residents and volunteers help provide transportation, handyman work and home health care. Pioneered in Boston in the last decade, it is spreading into such states as North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
The state of West Virginia, meanwhile, has designated six "retirement zones" where senior citizens can get access to affordable housing, health care, education, culture and recreation.
"We need to be talking about it and working together to find solutions," said Thomas Campbell, a state legislator from Greenbrier, W.Va., whose widowed mother is 89. "People in Appalachia tend to want to stay in their homes and have their family as close to them as they can, and I don't think those are bad things. I think we'll find a way to do it."
___
Associated Press writer John Raby in Charleston, W.Va., contributed.
___
Contact the reporter at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell
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Tuesday, February 21, 2012
97% The Artist
There are many reasons to be cynical as a film fan when the circus of awards season rolls into town. The means by which awards are decided range from the mainly sensible (BAFTAs) to the morbidly stupid (Golden Globes). Great films are ignored because of their mainstream success, while acclaim is given to works that no sensible person would pay to see. The often obscene luxury of the ceremonies is matched only by the industry's bottomless appetite for self-appreciation. And the best film never, ever wins Best Picture: it probably won't even get nominated. But in the midst of all this bitterness and vitriol, it is easy to lose sight of the occasional cause for genuine joy which gets released in the run-up to the Oscars. The fact that The Artist has now swept the Golden Globes and BAFTAs, and looks certain to win big at the Oscars, should not prejudice or tarnish its status as a very fine film. The awards campaign may have inflated its status, at least artistically, but there is still much to enjoy without feeling any guilt about towing the industry line. Apart from its copious nominations, there are several reasons to be sceptical about The Artist. The involvement of Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the king-makers of awards season, recalls all the Oscar-bait banter that swirled around The King's Speech this time last year. This isn't helped by the backlash against the film led by Kim Novak: in an advert in Variety, she accused its composer of "rape" for sampling Bernard Herrmann's score for Vertigo. Finally, there are accusations that the film is a gimmick, which has tricked BAFTA and Academy members, and which in five years' time will be all but forgotten. But whatever one's feelings about the Weinsteins, or Kim Novak, the point which most needs challenging is the final argument. The stories about people demanding refunds because they didn't know The Artist was a silent film says more about the way the film was marketed that the film itself (the intelligence of said punters is still up for debate). There is nothing about the content or style of The Artist to suggest that the filmmakers are cashing in on recent trends, or that silence is being perceived as the new 3D. Like many films about filmmaking, The Artist is the product of someone with deep-rooted affection for cinema. Michel Hazanavicius chose to tell the story as a silent film because that seemed the most fitting and sensible way to do it. By replicating the dramatic and visual styles of 1920s Hollywood, he situates us in the period more evocatively than any film since Tim Burton's Ed Wood. If you were feeling especially harsh, you could quickly deconstruct the plot of The Artist into a muddle of different melodramas along a similar theme. From this viewpoint, it is essentially a romantic version of All About Eve, or A Star is Born with the genders reversed: a young actor rises at the expense of an established star, against the backdrop of some kind of technical sea-change. The film also bears resemblance to Singing in the Rain, in showing silent actors attempting to survive around the first talkies, and The Jazz Singer in the various technical changes which come with the advent of sound. There are also subtle hints to darker works, in particular Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?: both the attempted suicide and the discovery of the auctioned possessions have a distinctly creepy tone, bringing back rich memories of Joan Crawford duelling with Bette Davis. Although widely referred to as a silent film, The Artist does utilise sound on two occasions. There is the final scene where the two stars perform a dance number and John Goodman's director expresses his approval. But far more effective is the nightmare sequence, where everything and everyone except Valentin can make a noise. This Lynchian sequence takes innocuous, everyday sounds, like a phone ringing, girls laughing or a dog barking, and turns them into weapons against the main character. The scene of the feather landing on the ground and producing a huge sound is as weird and unnerving as anything in Eraserhead. Like many of the films from which it borrows, The Artist is about how Hollywood has mistreated, and continues to mistreat, its stars. We have an image of the Golden Era of Hollywood as one where the stars had all the power, when in fact the studios were still firmly pulling the strings of both actors and directors. The film reminds us that the movie business has always been just that: actors are only worth something when they are in fashion. With the endless supply of young talent drawn to the glamour of Hollywood, it is easy to replace the old guard when fashions change. The message of The Artist is that different generations or movements in an art form can coexist, and it is important in celebrating contemporary filmmaking to remember where cinema came from. The commercial success of The Artist on top of all its awards proves that it is possible to have black-and-white in an age of colour, 2D in an supposed age of 3D, and silent in a world of sound. It is a both a soft-hearted tribute to the past and a call to arms to prevent further homogenisation in modern cinema. The biggest success of The Artist is that you are able to enjoy and appreciate it without feeling like you are being lectured, either about the history of cinema or your duty to uphold it for future generations. Within 20 minutes the fact that it is silent will have escaped you - you will be so drawn in by the story, and find the tone so warm and accessible, that it will seem like any other film. It is demonstrable proof, like Inception, that art and entertainment are not competing entities, and that the public will pay in their droves to see intelligent filmmaking regardless of what form it takes. The Artist is a film which genuinely has something for everyone. It quite literally lives up to Geoffrey Rush's line in Shakespeare in Love about audiences wanting "comedy, love and a bit with a dog". The film has a wry sense of humour, using the music and inter-titles to good deadpan effect. The love story, while familiar and melodramatic, is believable from the outset. The pathos is genuine, particularly the scene of the down-and-out Valentin looking at his reflection in a shop window. And the dog, played by Uggie, is very good. The human performances in The Artist are all of a high standard. Both Jean Dujardin and B?r?nice Bejo are charismatic and convincing; they clearly understand the acting styles of melodrama and silent cinema, and so we are spared anything which is self-consciously over-the-top. John Goodman is very good as the cigar-chewing director, and James Cromwell looks the part at Valentin's butler. Special mention should go to the cameo performances of Missi Pyle and Malcolm McDowell: neither is on screen for very long, but both are brilliant physical actors whose slightest move tells you everything you need to know. The Artist is not a perfect film, or the masterpiece that many have made it out to be. The third act drags a little bit, the music is repetitive, and the familiar nature of both its story and characters will leave some feeling they have seen it all before. But it remains a joyous and highly entertaining watch which should not be frowned upon if it wins Best Picture. Like The Jazz Singer before it, future generations may remember it more as an industrial point than for its own merits. All this generation can do is embrace it and enjoy it, and we should feel no guilt for doing so.
January 15, 2012Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_artist/
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Molecular basis of touch sensation: Researchers identify new function of a well-known gene
ScienceDaily (Feb. 21, 2012) ? A gene known to control lens development in mice and humans is also crucial for the development of neurons responsible for mechanosensory function, as neurobiologists of the Max Delbr?ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have now discovered. They found that in mice in which they had removed the c-Maf gene in the nerve cells, touch sensation is impaired.
This similarly applies to human carriers of a mutant c-Maf gene. People with such a mutation suffer already at a young age from cataracts, a clouding of the lens which typically affects the elderly. The patients, as demonstrated by Professor Carmen Birchmeier and Dr. Hagen Wende in collaboration with Professor Gary Lewin and Dr. Stefan Lechner, have difficulty holding objects such as a sheet of paper as a consequence of this mutation.
Professor Birchmeier, a developmental biologist, commented on the findings of her research group: "c-Maf is an important gene for the development of the peripheral nerve cells." The gene controls the development of neurons that detect touch, the mechanosensory neurons. Previously, c-Maf was known as a key regulator of lens development.
Furthermore, the gene is also active in the dorsal root ganglia, an aggregate of nerve cells next to the spinal cord in which the cell bodies of mechanosensory neurons are localized. The nerve cells form long axons, which terminate in the skin in touch corpuscles or at hair shafts. These axons detect mechanical stimuli, which in turn are converted into electrical signals and transmitted to the brain. When you stroke your fingers over a surface, its structure triggers high-frequency vibrations in the finger, to which specific touch receptors, the Pacinian corpuscles, respond.
In mice with deactivated c-Maf gene only few Pacinian corpuscles are formed, and moreover these few are not intact. The mice are therefore unable to recognize high-frequency vibrations. The same is true for a Swiss family with an inherited mutant c-Maf gene. The consequence is that the affected patients develop cataracts at an early age and have an impaired sense of touch.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- H. Wende, S. G. Lechner, C. Cheret, S. Bourane, M. E. Kolanczyk, A. Pattyn, K. Reuter, F. L. Munier, P. Carroll, G. R. Lewin, C. Birchmeier. The Transcription Factor c-Maf Controls Touch Receptor Development and Function. Science, 2012; DOI: 10.1126/science.1214314
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120221124823.htm
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Advantages and disadvantages regarding Health Insurance in AZ ...
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Advantages and disadvantages of Health Insurance in AZ
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Worry over Romney sparks talk of Tampa (Politico)
There are growing calls for an alternative to Mitt Romney as the Republican standard-bearer, with the names of Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie again being seen as the most likely saviors.
With concerns over Romney rising after a series of gaffes and polls showing him losing to Rick Santorum in Michigan ? a state in which he was born and raised ? and with a protracted primary fight ahead, some Republican activists are desperately looking for alternatives. Most concede that it?s late in the game and such a scenario is highly unlikely.
Continue ReadingBut the uncertainty and volatility of the Republican contest has led to detailed talk of either a ?brokered? convention, or simply a ?contested? one, in which the GOP nominee isn?t even close to being settled by the time Republicans convene in Tampa in August. The last time the GOP race was unsettled at convention time was in 1976.?
Indiana GOP Chairman Eric Holcomb, one of Gov. Daniels? closest advisers, revealed to POLITICO that ?the whispers have become shouts, the knocks on [Daniels?] door have become fist pounding.?
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?Republicans are fretting the four dancing now can?t beat Obama in the fall ? so their national talent search continues,? Holcomb said, adding that the pleas had come from ?the adults? in the party.
The Daniels adviser said the the Indiana governor?s State of the Union response speech prompted a spike in the chatter.
?Hand-written letters from around the country flooded in after his response to the State of the Union,? said Holcomb. ?He can?t go anywhere without someone stopping him [and] asking to reconsider and present a clear vision, unify folks like he did in Indiana, and lead another comeback. Also, Indiana?s legislative session adjourns no later than March 14, [and] might adjourn earlier, thereby freeing him up a bit ? and seasoned politicos know that as they game this out.?
Despite the fact that he is a top Romney surrogate, Christie, too, has received entreaties from senior Republicans, sources said, with the pitches rising again in recent weeks as Romney has struggled.
The New Jersey governor hasn?t budged from the position he took last year, when he said ?no,? despite pleas coming from the likes of Nancy Reagan and Henry Kissinger. Christie also campaigned for Romney in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire, appearing at multiple events.
And just as Christie shows no signs of changing his mind, Daniels also appears unlikely to reverse course.
?He respects those approaching him greatly, but no vote from the women?s caucus at home yet,? Holcomb quipped, alluding to the opposition against a run from the Hoosier?s wife and daughters. ?[It] might take an Occupy on the Governor?s Residence lawn!?
Indeed, despite the grumbling, party operatives admit that the chances of a late entrant at this stage are akin to a walk down Imagination Lane.
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Monday, February 20, 2012
Does it make sense to take a home equity loan ... - Finance information
Question by Jeffrey T : Does it make sense to take a home equity loan out for a year or so 0K in advance of renovations and Investment ?
I?m thinking of putting it all into a couple of mutual funds mutual funds or maybe half / half CDs. I would cash out on other investments to avoid short term capital gains.I get hit with the alternative mimimum tax so my accountant said I should invest in property as in an upgrade or rental. Best answer:
Answer by SCH
NO ? there are a hundered reasons that this is a horrible idea, but that is the 1st prime is at 8.5% right now so anything you want to make be canceled out by the interest you are paying on the loan.
What do you think? Answer below!
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