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Sunday, April 29, 2012
Brit Marling Talks 'Sound Of My Voice' And A Future With No Internet
It?s likely that your first introduction to Brit Marling came from our weekly Watch It feature. Her film "Sound of My Voice" had three of our writers buzzing about the talented rising actress, writer and producer. In the movie, Marling plays Maggie, a present-day cult leader claiming to have time traveled from the future. Peter [...]
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Saturday, April 28, 2012
LG's IPS monitors head downmarket with 2D-only IPS4 series launching soon
While LCD monitors with in-plane switching technology were once decidedly settled at the high end, LG apparently thinks its time for everyone to have one and is launching its mainstream IPS4 line. Executive VP JJ Lee says the aim is for IPS monitors to become "ubiquitous in every room", bringing better color reproduction, picture quality and wide viewing angles with them. So far we know they're slotting in just below the 3D-capable models shown off at CES, but there's nothing mentioned in the press release (included after the break along with another pic) about prices, sizes, specs or model numbers. If you're in the market however, expect to find out more soon since they will roll out to Asia first in May, followed by Europe and North America in "the coming weeks".
Continue reading LG's IPS monitors head downmarket with 2D-only IPS4 series launching soon
LG's IPS monitors head downmarket with 2D-only IPS4 series launching soon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 01:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Happy Friday!
Visions of Channing Tatum [The Frisky] Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez at a Girls’ Night Out [HollyWire] Take the 7 Days of Sex Challenge [Right [...]
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TechCrunch Giveaway: 2 Free Tickets To Disrupt NYC #TCDisrupt
TechCrunch Disrupt NYC is almost here! Yes, we are very excited. And you should be, too. We have already announced some incredible speakers and judges who will be joining us next month in New York, and we have even more surprises in store that will be announced as we get closer to the event. Starting this week, we are going to be giving two free tickets away every Friday. So, if you don't win this time, make sure to check back next week to win. Disrupt NYC is going to be so much fun. These free tickets, each worth around $2,000, will get you into the whole three days of the conference, plus all of the after parties. Check out the images below. We are already all over New York.greg kelly karen handel hangout todd haley kareem abdul jabbar karl rove miramonte elementary school
Friday, April 27, 2012
Apple Wants to Patent Its MacBook Air Design
Passing through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today is an expanded patent application for the wedge-shaped aesthetic of the MacBook Air. Apple posits that the design contributes both to the user's impression of the device, its lightness, and to its durability.
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A Nuclear Power Plant Is Under Attack by Weird Sea Creatures [Science]
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Friday, April 13, 2012
Selecting The Best Birmingham Roofers - Networked Politics
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Roofing And Home Improvement - A Person Has The Option To Call On A Professional Or Take The DIY Approach What's the old homestead looking like these days? Is it your ideal living quarters or is it lacking something?
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Thursday, April 12, 2012
Gay rights group sues Nevada for same-sex marriage
LAS VEGAS (AP) ? A national gay rights advocacy group took its state-by-state fight for same-sex marriage equality to a federal court for the first time Tuesday, filing a lawsuit in a bid to force Nevada to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry.
The Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund lawsuit focused on the differences between rights granted by a domestic partnership law passed by the state Legislature in 2009 and a gay marriage ban made part of the state constitution by voters in 2002.
It seeks to void the constitutional ban "and any other sources of state law that exclude same-sex couples from marriage," and to recover unspecified legal costs and fees. It claims eight same-sex couples are being discriminated against because they aren't allowed to marry.
"Nevada already gives same-sex couples the rights and responsibilities of family, parenting and relationships," said Tara Borelli, a Los Angeles-based Lambda Legal attorney. "What is the reason for not giving them the one word that says it all?"
The civil lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas names Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval as a defendant. It alleges state lawmakers established a "selective bar to access to marriage" with the 2009 domestic partnership law that was passed over a veto by then-Gov. Jim Gibbons, a Republican.
Jennifer Lopez, a spokeswoman for Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat, said the state will review the filings and decide how to proceed.
Lambda Legal, founded in 1973, calls itself the oldest and largest national legal advocate for civil rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and HIV-positive people. Borelli said the organization has been fighting other gay marriage issues in other states, including an Arizona challenge by state employees of a cut to domestic partner health benefits and a California fight against the federal defense of marriage act.
Borelli said the Nevada lawsuit is the first by the group to make a direct state marriage equality claim in federal court. The lawsuit says the 2002 constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
"Every day that same-sex couples in Nevada are denied marriage equality, the government sends a message that their families are not worthy of equal dignity and respect," Borelli said.
The lead plaintiffs in the case are Beverly Sevcik, 73, and Mary Baranovich, 76, of Carson City, who've been together for nearly 41 years and have raised three children, Lambda said. They have four grandchildren.
Baranovich said in the lawsuit that she can't understand how her lifelong commitment to Sevcik hurts others.
"After four decades of sharing a life together, all we want is to commemorate our love for each other in the same way as other couples, through marriage," Sevcik said in the lawsuit.
Other plaintiffs named in the case include four couples in Las Vegas, two couples in Reno and Caren Cafferata-Jenkins, 53, and Farrell Cafferata-Jenkins, 48, a Carson City couple who've been together for 15 years and are raising two sons. Caren Cafferata-Jenkins is executive director of the Nevada state Commission on Ethics.
Half the couples, including Sevcik and Baranovich, recently tried to obtain marriage licenses in Nevada and were refused because of their same-gender relationship, the lawsuit said. The other plaintiffs obtained marriage licenses in other states where same-sex marriage is allowed and want to have their marriage recognized by their home state.
American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada chief Dane Claussen in Las Vegas cheered the lawsuit and called it ironic that same-sex couples can't marry in tourist-oriented Las Vegas, which promotes itself as the marriage capital of the world.
"Nevada already has an all-but-marriage domestic partnership law," Claussen said in a statement. "That Nevada's constitution says the word 'marriage' can be used only for opposite-sex relationships strongly suggests that gay, lesbian and bisexual persons, and their most important personal relationships, are second-class."
The lawsuit argues that domestic partnership "lacks the same reputation, standing in the community, and traditions and prestige as marriage." This deprives the couples and their children of equal dignity and security, it said.
The couples said they have been discriminated against by hospital officials and police officers who question their relationship status because they are not legally recognized as spouses.
The lawsuit also names as defendants Clark County Clerk Diana Alba, Washoe County Clerk Amy Harvey and Carson City Clerk Alan Grover, who oversee marriage licenses for those jurisdictions.
"Sexual orientation is a core, defining trait and is so fundamental to one's identity and conscience that a person cannot be required to abandon it as a condition of equal treatment," the lawsuit states.
___
Associated Press writer Cristina Silva contributed to this report.
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Ahead of the Bell: Alcoa kicks off earnings season
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Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Realogy : Arizona Real Estate Brokerage Becomes Newest Addition ...
PARSIPPANY, N.J. and SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. 04-10-2012 ?
Better Homes and Gardens? Real Estate today announced the addition of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based brokerage, Move Time Realty, to its network. Led by broker/owner Susan Paul and her partner Matt Hage, the company will continue to serve Maricopa and Pinal Counties and will operate as Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Move Time Realty, strengthening the brand's existing presence in Arizona. This marks the second brokerage to have joined the franchise this month.Simultaneously, as part of Move Time Realty's transition to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, it will acquire the brand's existing Scottsdale brokerage, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Phoenician Properties, and will operate as one brokerage under the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Move Time Realty name.
"Susan and her team have shown continued resilience and success even during challenging market conditions," said Sherry Chris, president and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. "Maricopa and Pinal Counties represent promising real estate markets, and as consumer confidence is reaching higher levels, I look forward to seeing the team at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Move Time Realty continue to flourish."
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Move Time Realty was established in 2007 as the local market began its downward turn. Paul and her team identified this market change and shifted focus from their new home sales expertise and became trained in selling real estate owned (REO) and distressed properties. Paul attributes the brokerage's steady growth throughout the past five years to her team's adaptability to market changes and innovative thinking.
"I've always believed that it takes a team to make anything successful," said Paul. "We joined Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate because we feel as though we are joining not only a franchise unique to any other in the industry, but a team that supports our long-term goals and mirrors our belief that innovation is a path to growth."
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Move Time Realty maintains an acute and continued focus on innovative training courses for its sales associates. This training goes beyond traditional transaction curriculum and includes personality adaptation classes, communication strategies, and positive, solution-orientated problem solving.
For more information regarding Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Move Time Realty, visit www.MoveTimeRealty.com.
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Derelict NYC Phone Booths Get Smart Makeover
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Russia Thinks An Israeli Attack On Iran By The ... - Business Insider
WASHINGTON ? The Russian military anticipates that an attack will occur on Iran by the summer and has developed an action plan to move Russian troops through neighboring Georgia to stage in Armenia, which borders on the Islamic republic, according to informed Russian sources.
Russian Security Council head Viktor Ozerov said that Russian General Military Headquarters has prepared an action plan in the event of an attack on Iran.
Dmitry Rogozin, who recently was the Russian ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, warned against an attack on Iran.
"Iran is our neighbor," Rogozin said. "If Iran is involved in any military action, it's a direct threat to our security." Rogozin now is the deputy Russian prime minister and is regarded as anti-Western. He oversees Russia's defense sector.
Russian Defense Ministry sources say that the Russian military doesn't believe that Israel has sufficient military assets to defeat Iranian defenses and further believes that U.S. military action will be necessary.
The implication of preparing to move Russian troops not only is to protect its own vital regional interests but possibly to assist Iran in the event of such an attack. Sources add that a Russian military buildup in the region could result in the Russian military potentially engaging Israeli forces, U.S. forces, or both.
Informed sources say that the Russians have warned of "unpredictable consequences" in the event Iran is attacked, with some Russians saying that the Russian military will take part in the possible war because it would threaten its vital interests in the region.
The influential Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper has quoted a Russian military source as saying that the situation forming around Syria and Iran "causes Russia to expedite the course of improvement of its military groups in the South Caucasus, the Caspian, Mediterranean and Black Sea regions."
This latest information comes from a series of reports and leaks from official Russian spokesmen and government news agencies who say that an Israeli attack is all but certain by the summer.
Because of the impact on Russian vital interests in the region, sources say that Russian preparations for such an attack began two years ago when Russian Military Base 102 in Gyumri, Armenia, was modernized. It is said to occupy a major geopolitical position in the region.
Families of Russian servicemen from the Russian base at Gyumri in Armenia close to the borders of Georgia and Turkey already have been evacuated, Russian sources say.
"Military Base 102 is a key point, Russia's outpost in the South Caucasus," a Russian military source told the newspaper. "It occupies a very important geopolitical position, but the Kremlin fears lest it should lose this situation."
With Vladimir Putin returning to the Russian presidency, the prospect that he again would order an attack on Georgia as he did in August 2008 also has become a possibility, these informed sources say.
The Russians believe that Georgia would cooperate with the United States in blocking any supplies from reaching Military Base 102, which now is supplied primarily by air. Right now, Georgia blocks the only land transportation route through which Russian military supplies could travel.
Fuel for the Russian base in Armenia comes from Iran. Russian officials believe this border crossing may be closed in the event of a war.
"Possibly, it will be necessary to use military means to breach the Georgian transport blockade and establish transport corridors leading into Armenia," according to Yury Netkachev, former deputy commander of Russian forces in Transcaucasia. Geography of the region suggests that any such supply corridor would have to go through the middle of Georgia approaching Georgia's capital of Tbilisi given the roads and topography of the country.
In September, the Russian military plans to hold its annual military exercises called Kavkaz 2012. However, informed Russian sources say that preparations and deployments of military equipment and personnel already have begun in anticipation of a possible war with Iran.
These sources report that new command and control equipment has been deployed in the region capable of using the Russian GPS system, GLONASS for targeting information.
"The air force in the South Military District is reported to have been rearmed almost 100 percent with new jets and helicopters," according to regional expert Pavel Felgenhauer of the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation.
In 2008, Felgenhauer pointed out, Kavkaz 2008 maneuvers allowed the Russian military to covertly deploy forces that successfully invaded Georgia in August of that year.
Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov already has announced that new Spetznaz, or Special Forces units, will be deployed in Stavropol and Kislovodsk, which are located in the North Caucasian regions.
Russian sources say that the Russian military believes that if the U.S. goes to war with Iran, it may deploy forces into Georgia and warships in the Caspian Sea with the possible help of Azerbaijan, which since has stated that it will not allow its territory to be used by Israel to launch an attack on neighboring Iran.
There had been speculation that given the improved relations between Israel and Azerbaijan, the Jewish state may use bases from which to launch air attacks on neighboring Iran's nuclear sites. Israel recently agreed to sell Azerbaijan $1.6 billion in military equipment.
A further irritant to Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili is the prospect that Russian assault airborne troops, or VDV units, with helicopters could be moved into Georgia's two breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These two provinces were taken by the Russian military during the August 2008 Russian-Georgian war. Initially they were declared by Moscow to be independent countries, but now the Kremlin is indicating they may be annexed to Russia.
Similarly, Lt. General Vladimir Shamanov, commander of the VDV, has announced that Russian troops in Armenia will be reinforced by paratroopers, along with attack and transport helicopters.
"The Russian spearhead (from the Transcaucasia region) may be ordered to strike south to prevent the presumed deployment of U.S. bases in Transcaucasia, to link up with the troops in Armenia and take over the South Caucasus energy corridor along which Azeri, Turkmen and other Caspian natural gas and oil may reach European markets," Felgenhauer said.
"By one swift military strike, Russia may ensure control of all the Caucasus and the Caspian states that were its former realm, establishing a fiat accompli the West, too preoccupied with Iran, would not reverse," he said.
"At the same time, a small victorious war would unite the Russian nation behind the Kremlin, allowing it to crush the remnants of the prodemocracy movement 'for fair elections,' and as a final bonus, Russia's military action could perhaps finally destroy the Saakashvili regime."
Putin has made no secret that he despises Saakashvili and with his return to the presidency, he may consider taking out the Georgian president as unfinished business. Just as in 2008, Putin will not have much to worry about if he sends Russian troops into Georgia, since there was muted reaction from the U.S. and the European countries to the Russian invasion and subsequent occupation.
This post originally appeared at G2 Bulletin.
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Home Alone 5: Alone in the Dark Starring Malcolm McDowell (Dir ...
[unable to retrieve full-text content]begun on the latest installment in the popular ?Home Alone? franchise, starring Malcolm McDowell, Debi Mazar ... homes. ABC Family features programming reflecting today's families, entertaining and connecting with adults ...
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The Catastral ? the record of a Spanish property ? Real Estate News ...
Unlike the Land Registry, which records legal ownership and with which it is often confused, the Catastral is not a legal record of ownership, but is an estimate of the capital value of the property, which is used as a base figure for a number of property taxes. The easiest way to find the Catastral Value of a property is to check the amount listed on the IBI (local property tax) invoice or to visit the Catastral office in the town hall. However, note that the value should only be given to someone who can show a registered interest in the ownership of the property or their representative, which can make comparison with your neighbour?s difficult.
The value is drawn up by independent government employees using strict and complex valuation guidelines to ensure consistency. Initially, they depend upon a description of the property and its use, which is obtained by observation, licence applications and increasingly, studies of aerial photos. As the Catastral description lists the best estimates of the site?s registered boundaries, obtained from historical records, title deeds, agricultural ?parcelas?, planning applications and any other source where change has been detected, it can be one of the more reliable sources of information and help to settle boundary disputes and the like. However, it is by no means infallible as it will not catch all extensions and changes, ranging from integral garages to bedrooms, structural problems, and the many other alterations that can be made to a property and that affect its value.
The ?construido?, gross overwall external floor area is used, with allowance for open-sided covered areas being calculated at 50% and areas under 1.5m high being ignored. This can differ substantially from the ?util? or net internal floor area, which is an internal measurement used in construction and excludes external walls and certain other items.
Since the details used in the Nota Simple and the Catastral are obtained in different ways, it is not unusual for variations between these property descriptions to occur. The most frequent problem found here is that the Land Registry is compiled at the point of construction and it is a legal nicety that the sizes recorded are given by ?declaration? and are not guaranteed or checked by the Registrar or Notary or other independent body. Also, changes to the property thereafter are often not noted, which can also affect the Catastral records where there can also be discrepancies due to human error or failure to update information.
After the size and nature of the property are determined, a rate per square metre is applied to it. This rate is an estimate of the sale value of the property, calculated from actual registered sales and other property information. Naturally, this information has to be reviewed every few years in order to keep the comparative values of neighbouring properties relatively accurate. This is done on a municipality by municipality basis, so that all neighbouring properties are valued in a similar way. Unfortunately, this can mean that values of a few years ago can become the basis for a Catastral value that may not bear any real relationship to the current value of the land and property. This is certainly the case in Estepona where values have been based on sales in 2007, when prices could be up to twice what they are now. In the past, when sale values have been increasing over the years people have been less disturbed at the low Catastral values.
However, the main concern should not be the individual Catastral value, but its relationship to those of its neighbours. This is where consistency is essential so that everybody is treated in the same way. Equally, the level of value is really of little importance as it is the multiplier that is applied, by politicians and tax authorities, that decides how much actual monetary value it has. The Catastral value is used for calculating capital gain on a property when it is sold and also for the amount of IBI or local property tax that an owner has to pay each year.
It is possible to appeal the Catastral value of a property, but only at the time of revaluation. The timescale is short and the methodology is complex, so that unless there are gross errors it can often just add more expense without an effective result.
When purchasing a property it is important to have sight of both the Land Registry and the Catastral records to ensure that any errors are noted and corrected. If this is not done, it can be that the buyer will be responsible for obtaining licenses and/or paying fines for unauthorised works or even for changing the property back to its former legal state. Whilst conscientious solicitors may endeavour to assist the client in this way, a member of the Survey Spain Network of Chartered Surveyors will often be the only one to compare the size and use of the actual property to the recorded descriptions on the Nota Simple and Catastral records. Differences in these records to the actual building are often a means of identifying potential problems of ownership and/or legality. With this knowledge the potential buyer can then instruct his or her lawyer to ensure that corrections are made prior to purchase and at the cost of the seller.
Addendum: The Spanish tax authorities have announced that they intend to review 4.2 million Catastral values this year throughout Spain. That will almost certainly add to the value and increase to the likelihood of IBI and other property related taxes being raised.
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Tuesday, April 10, 2012
A bit touchy: Plants' insect defenses activated by touch
ScienceDaily (Apr. 9, 2012) ? A new study by Rice University scientists reveals that plants can use the sense of touch to fight off fungal infections and insects. The study, which will be published in the April 24 issue of Current Biology, finds that plant defenses are enhanced when plants are touched.
"From previous studies, we knew that plants change their growth in response to touch but we didn't know how these growth changes were activated," said Wassim Chehab, a faculty fellow in Rice's Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology and lead author of the new study. "We used a widely studied plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, to test the idea that the touch-induced growth was regulated by a plant hormone called jasmonate."
Jasmonate plays a critical role in initiating plant defenses against plant-eating insects. When jasmonate levels go up, the plant increases production of metabolites that give herbivores an upset stomach. Jasmonate defenses, which also protect against some fungal infections, are employed by virtually all plants, including tomatoes, rice and corn. The new study provides the first evidence that these defenses are triggered when plants are touched. In the study, students touched the plants in a laboratory, but the researchers say the touch-induced response could also be activated by animals, including insects, and wind.
"Plants can't move, so it makes sense for them to have a highly developed sense of touch to react quickly to changes in their environment," said study co-author Janet Braam, professor and chair of Rice's Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology.
The famed Venus flytrap uses its sense of touch to rapidly close and trap insects. But in prior research at Rice, Braam and her colleagues showed that Arabidopsis was also extremely responsive to touch. In 2000, her lab used tools of biotechnology to produce a plant that glowed with light wherever it was touched. They also showed that Arabidopsis plants that were touched regularly grew much shorter and slower -- much like trees exposed to a windy coastline will grow short and bent.
"In this new work, we show that jasmonate mediates this growth response in Arabidopsis," Braam said. "Our experiments show that plants that are repeatedly touched maintain high levels of jasmonate and therefore have enhanced insect and fungal tolerance. In addition, we found that eliminating key genes required for jasmonate production results in the inability of plants to grow shorter and slower when touched."
Braam and Chehab also found that plants that were touched often, and consequently had high levels of jasmonate, were more resistant to fungal and insect attacks.
Chehab said plants do not base their production of jasmonate on a single source of information.
"There are multiple signals that can influence the jasmonate response," Chehab said. "Touch is one, but we also recently found that this response can be mediated by the plant's internal clock, or circadian rhythm. It's a complicated picture, but by piecing it together, we get a clearer understanding of plant pest resistance."
The research was supported by the National Science Foundation. Additional co-authors include undergraduates Chen Yao and Zachary Henderson, and postdoctoral research associate Se Kim, all of Rice.
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Journal Reference:
- E.?Wassim Chehab, Chen Yao, Zachary Henderson, Se Kim, Janet Braam. Arabidopsis Touch-Induced Morphogenesis Is Jasmonate Mediated and Protects against Pests. Current Biology, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.02.061
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Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
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mlevenson: RT @gintautasd: Flynn voted for Brown in '10, too MT @mlevenson: Ex-Boston Mayor Ray Flynn, a Dem., backs Scott Brown & Mitt Romney... # ...
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Monday, April 9, 2012
With Cancer Care, The U.S. Spends More, But Gets More
Enlarge iStockphoto.com Newer cancer treatment drugs have raised the cost of treatment even more.
iStockphoto.comNewer cancer treatment drugs have raised the cost of treatment even more.
By now it's hardly news that the U.S. spends more than every other industrialized country on health care. But a new study suggests that at least when it comes to cancer care, Americans may actually be getting decent value.
The study, in April issue of the policy journal Health Affairs, isn't the first to suggest that U.S. patients do better than their European counterparts when it comes to surviving most types of cancer. Other studies have shown that the U.S. approves cancer drugs faster than most nations across the pond.
But this study, by researchers from the University of Chicago and the University of Southern California and partially funded by the cancer drugmaker Bristol-Myers Squibb, actually attempted to quantify what the U.S. gets for the additional money it spends.
And what it found is that for most types of solid tumor cancers, particularly breast and prostate cancer, even after considering the higher costs, U.S. patients experienced greater survival gains than patients in Europe.
?And those costs did grow. Between 1983 and 1999, the period covered by the study, U.S. spending on cancer care grew 49 percent (in 2010 dollars). By comparison, spending in the 10 European countries included in the study grew by 16 percent. But for patients diagnosed between 1995 and 1999, average survival from time of diagnosis in the U.S. was 11.1 years, while in Europe it was 9.3 years.
"Using conservative market estimates of the value of a statistical life, this study presented evidence that U.S. cancer survival gains are worth more than the corresponding growth in the cost of U.S. cancer care according to the most recent data available for analysis," the study's authors wrote.
There are some significant caveats, of course. One is that that "most recent data" ends in 1999. And, they note, "important changes in cancer care have occurred in the past ten years, including the introduction of expensive new drug treatment and increased use of diagnostic imaging."
So, the authors point out, it will take still more research to determine if today's increased spending is still worth it, and what specific aspects of cancer care are driving the U.S.'s improved survival rates.
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Video: U.S. experiences warmest March on record
In the lower 48 states, only Washington State had below normal weather. NBC?s Anne Thompson reports.
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10 Basic Tips For Being successful In Affiliate Marketing
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Affiliate marketing is considered the most well-known way of making money online. Anybody can earn affiliate revenue, in spite of their experience in internet marketing.
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This article presents 10 powerful suggestions that may help you succeed in internet affiliate marketing and earn huge profits.
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1. Select a particular niche or subject that you want to promote affiliate marketing programs. It isn't advisable to sign up for any broad variety of programs on different topics. Choose a affiliate marketing targeted on a single marketplace, and market products that attract that marketplace.
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2. Analysis and select the best affiliate marketing programs for the specific niche market. You should select the most satisfying, reliable and also successful affiliate marketing programs. The actual merchant should also supply you some marketing tools you may use to advertise the items. The affiliate program and also products should also be of top quality and should be well-priced. This will make is easy that you can sell them items or programs.?
3. Create a web site focused on your specialized niche, and have high quality and special content which is rich with your key words and phrases.
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4. Should have budget for promoting your website.
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5. Generate traffic to your website. Your site will need traffic for you to earn affiliate income. Publish articles, submit internet press releases related to your niche and submit your website to search engines like google. You can also exchange links with high ranking websites related to your niche.
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6. Review your affiliate marketing programs or products on a website, and add your affiliate sites.
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7. Create an email list and offer free e-courses, articles or e-books. When you have a listing, you can maintain regular contact with your potential customers and suggest your affiliate products to them.
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8. Be accessible to answer any queries from your prospects and consumers. Customer relationship management is very important in internet business. Ensure that you supply your real title and an email address on the website so that potential customers can contact you with questions, and understand there is a genuine person behind which website. This will be significant for your reliability.
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9. Build your own network regarding sub-affiliates. Keep in touch with your sub-affiliates and encourage them to be successful because their success is your success too.
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10. Continue to work hard consistently in promoting your website and have endurance.
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These 10 tips will help anyone flourish in internet affiliate marketing, and you can also acquire a lot of success as well as earn huge affiliate commissions!
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Manhattan Housing Legal Question of the Week #1- What is the ...
Manhattan Housing Legal Question of the Week 1- What is the Property Condition Disclosure & When Does It Apply?
If you have ever purchased a house, chances are you are very familiar with this specific form?The Property Condition Disclosure Form, that requires sellers of residential real property to make a statement about certain conditions and information concerning the property that are known to the seller. ?And a copy of this form is to be delivered to the buyer or buyer?s agent BEFORE the signing of a binding contract of sale.
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So, the question is what is the Property Condition Disclosure and when does it apply?
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Article 14 of the Real Property Law obligates the sellers of certain types of properties to complete a specific form known as the Property Condition Disclosure Form (PCD), which discloses information relating to the property.? This requirement only applies to one- to four-family dwellings and does not apply to co-ops or condominiums.? Furthermore, certain types of transfers, such as those pursuant to a court order or sales by a decedent?s estate are exempt from the requirement.? As an alternative to completing the 48 questions on the PCD, sellers may credit the purchaser $500 against the purchase price at the closing.
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Keep in mind, Manhattan is mainly a vertical subdivision wherein 95% of our inventory is made up of co-ops and condos, so this form more than likely will never even make an appearance in your purchase. ?Although, purchasing an entire brownstone in NYC?or New York townhouse as a single family residence will require this form.
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Broker?s Tip: The law obligates the seller to complete the PCD.? A real estate broker should never complete the form for the seller.
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Search for a NYC brownstone?now!
Further Reading: ?How to Buy an Apartment in Manhattan and Get the Best Interest Rate
?The Importance of Finding the Best Representation When Buying Real Estate for Sale in Manhattan
What Home Buyers Should Consider When Deciding What Type of Manhattan Housing to Buy
?
Work with a trusted,?Luxury Manhattan real estate broker?specializing in?Manhattan apts,?NYC brownstones, and?dog friendly apartments?for?rent & sale:
Soho Lofts-?Tribeca Condos?-?WestVillage Apartments?-?Upper East Side NYC Apartments-Upper West Side Apartments?-?Battery Park City Apartments?-Chelsea Apartments-?Gramercy Apts?-?Midtown East NYC?-?Midtown West NYC?-?Murray Hill in NYC?-?Lower East Side NYC-?East Village Apartments
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Disclaimer: This web site (the ?Site?) is a general service that provides legal information over the Internet. ?We are not a law firm and our employees are not acting as your attorney. The information contained on this Site is general legal information and should not be construed as legal advice to be applied to any specific factual situation. ?If you are unsure whether your particular situation requires that a document be changed, you should consult a lawyer. ?The information on the Site is not a substitute for the advice of a lawyer. Jennifer Chiongbian Real Estate or Rutenberg Realty DOES NOT provide any legal advice and users of this web site should consult with their own lawyer for legal advice.
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Following poem, Israel bars entry to Guenter Grass
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Sunday, April 8, 2012
PST: Beckham ruled out of Galaxy's match Saturday
Well, this really is a buzz kill.
News is out that David Beckham will miss today?s high-profile contest at undefeated, untied Sporting Kanas City. ?Back spasms? are the culprit.
On the other hand, the Galaxy will probably get back Landon Donovan, who missed last week?s loss to Los Angeles. So, while the Galaxy midfield loses its deep-lying playmaker, it will be a little faster than it was in last week?s surprising 3-1 loss to New England.
ESPN-Los Angeles soccer blogger Scott French has more on the contest here. But any way you slice it, there?s a little less mustard and relish on the hot dog. And the Galaxy?s chances in this one just dipped a little more, still.
Expect Michael Stephens or Marcelo Sarvas to replace Beckham. Galaxy manager Bruce Arena had warned on Thursday that the former English captain was struggling and might not travel.
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Nokia town faces dim future as jobs shift to Asia
FILE - A Feb. 8, 2012 photo from files showing the Nokia offices in Salo, Finland. Tomi Marjuaho repaired mobile phones for 10 years in the town of Salo in southern Finland, where Nokia, the world's top cell phone-maker, set up its wireless operations in the 1980s. He took a severance package in 2010, as Nokia started hitting hard times, and has not found work since. "I was the breadwinner in the family, and now it's difficult making ends meet," the 39-year-old said, at the local metal workers union club which is used by the town's unemployed as a meeting place. "It's the same story for so many people I know from Nokia days." Salo _ along with other Finnish towns inextricably linked to Nokia _ is facing an uncertain future as Finland's most famous corporation shifts its mobile phone assembly to Asia. (AP Photo/Lehtikuva, Jussi Nukari, File) FINLAND OUT
FILE - A Feb. 8, 2012 photo from files showing the Nokia offices in Salo, Finland. Tomi Marjuaho repaired mobile phones for 10 years in the town of Salo in southern Finland, where Nokia, the world's top cell phone-maker, set up its wireless operations in the 1980s. He took a severance package in 2010, as Nokia started hitting hard times, and has not found work since. "I was the breadwinner in the family, and now it's difficult making ends meet," the 39-year-old said, at the local metal workers union club which is used by the town's unemployed as a meeting place. "It's the same story for so many people I know from Nokia days." Salo _ along with other Finnish towns inextricably linked to Nokia _ is facing an uncertain future as Finland's most famous corporation shifts its mobile phone assembly to Asia. (AP Photo/Lehtikuva, Jussi Nukari, File) FINLAND OUT
FILE - In this March 20, 2012, file photo Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, left, and Nokia's Senior Vice President Juha Putkiranta exit the Nokia building in Salo, Finland, followed by Niinisto's wife Jenni Haukio who is seen through the door. Nokia offices in Salo, Finland. Tomi Marjuaho repaired mobile phones for 10 years in the town of Salo in southern Finland, where Nokia, the world's top cell phone-maker, set up its wireless operations in the 1980s. He took a severance package in 2010, as Nokia started hitting hard times, and has not found work since. "I was the breadwinner in the family, and now it's difficult making ends meet," the 39-year-old said, at the local metal workers union club which is used by the town's unemployed as a meeting place. "It's the same story for so many people I know from Nokia days." Salo _ along with other Finnish towns inextricably linked to Nokia _ is facing an uncertain future as Finland's most famous corporation shifts its mobile phone assembly to Asia. (AP Photo/Lehtikuva, Vesa Moilanen, File) FINLAND OUT
FILE - A Feb. 8, 2012 photo from files showing Nokia workers in Salo, Finland. Tomi Marjuaho repaired mobile phones for 10 years in the town of Salo in southern Finland, where Nokia, the world's top cell phone-maker, set up its wireless operations in the 1980s. He took a severance package in 2010, as Nokia started hitting hard times, and has not found work since. "I was the breadwinner in the family, and now it's difficult making ends meet," the 39-year-old said, at the local metal workers union club which is used by the town's unemployed as a meeting place. "It's the same story for so many people I know from Nokia days." Salo _ along with other Finnish towns inextricably linked to Nokia _ is facing an uncertain future as Finland's most famous corporation shifts its mobile phone assembly to Asia. (AP Photo/Lehtikuva, Jussi Nukari, File) FINLAND OUT
SALO, Finland (AP) ? Tomi Marjuaho repaired mobile phones for 10 years in the town of Salo in southern Finland, where Nokia, the world's top cell phone-maker, set up its wireless operations in the 1980s.
He took a severance package in 2010, as Nokia started hitting hard times, and has not found work since.
"I was the breadwinner in the family, and now it's difficult making ends meet," the 39-year-old said, at the local metal workers union club which is used by the town's unemployed as a meeting place. "It's the same story for so many people I know from Nokia days."
Salo ? along with other Finnish towns inextricably linked to Nokia ? is facing an uncertain future as Finland's most famous corporation shifts its mobile phone assembly to Asia.
Squeezed by fierce competition from Apple Inc.'s iPhone, Samsung Electronics and cheaper brands running Google Inc.'s popular Android software, Nokia has been forced to slash costs, primarily affecting its operations in Europe.
Nokia has already closed plants in Germany, Hungary and Romania; and now it's the turn of the Finnish assembly plant. Some 1,000 of the 3,500 jobs in Salo ? which until recently was Nokia's flagship assembly hub ? are being cut this year. The once-thriving technological center has already become a town of dusty, empty storefronts.
"The latest layoffs will hit us hard," said Salo's mayor, Antti Rantakokko.
He has a shiny office in a glass-plate and metal building that opened four months ago, partly paid for by Nokia's local taxes, which accounted for 95 percent of the town's corporate tax income that peaked at ?60 million ($78.85 million) in 2010.
"Nokia has been a status symbol for us, but more than that it has been a major source of income," Rantakokko said.
The company began as a paper-maker in the 1890s, and later made rubber products, cables and televisions before it came to Salo ? a center for Finland's electronics industry since the 1920s ? in 1983.
Nokia formed an alliance with a local radio and TV manufacturer, which led to the formation of Nokia Mobile Phones in 1989. Two years later, the company produced its first cell phone.
Steered by chief executive Jorma Ollila, Nokia became the world's top cell phone maker in 1998 when it overtook Motorola Inc. in terms of sales ? a major source of pride for a country that had struggled to rebuild itself after fending off Soviet invasion during two wars against Stalin's Red Army.
Nokia became Finland's largest firm, overtaking the paper and wood industry as an export earner and provided work for thousands. In 2007, it paid out a record ?1.2 billion ($1.57 billion) in corporate taxes to the government.
Nokia reached 40 percent global market share in 2008. However, sales quickly started to lag as the company suffered under the onslaught of inventive mobile technologies from the U.S., the world's biggest wireless market.
Profits swung to losses and the struggling company's tax payment dipped to some ?2 million last year.
"There's no denying it has been a great shock to the government, but there's not much they can do," said Jyrki Ali-Yrkko, from the Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
Nokia's importance to the vulnerable, export-dependent economy was illustrated by the flood of aid the government swiftly earmarked to regions hit by the company's cutbacks.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, who hails from Salo, visited Nokia's plant here on March 20 in a display of support for the laid-off workers.
"We won't abandon our friends and we won't give up," Niinisto told reporters.
To the dismay of many Finns, Nokia has gradually loosened its ties to its home nation.
It remains headquartered in Espoo, outside Helsinki, but in 2010, it appointed a non-Finn to head the company for the first time when it named Canadian Stephen Elop as chief executive. That led to a major strategy shift last year as it joined up with Microsoft Corp., Elop's former employer, to replace Nokia's platforms with Windows software in its cell phones.
Nokia still employs 12,000 people in Finland, one-fifth of its global work force, and the company will maintain research and development, production planning and smartphone customization for corporate clients in Salo and two other plants in Finland, Nokia spokesman James Etheridge said.
"Finland has been and will continue to be critical to our success. The majority of the Windows Phone engineering and development team is in Finland," Etheridge said.
Nonetheless, Nokia has stuck to its decision to move all assembly jobs to its factories in Asia, where it has two plants in China, and one each in South Korea and India.
Neil Mawston, from Strategy Analytics in London, said Nokia was one of the last big cell phone makers to shift assembly to Asia from Europe, following in the footsteps of Samsung, Motorola, and Sony Ericsson.
"It's the way things are heading right now, doing production in developing markets where there is the biggest pool of users on the planet, and R&D in developed markets," Mawston said Thursday. "Nokia has a good history of designing mobile phones in Finland for the past 30 years, so to continue to do that makes sense."
In 2008 Nokia employed 5,000 people in Salo ? nearly 10 percent of the population ? and provided work for 2,000 others among those in the IT industry who supplied it with components.
Mayor Rantakokko expects this year's corporate taxes to drop to ?14 million, mostly because of Nokia's decline.
Still, he is hopeful. The government has provided the municipality with an extra ?5 million over two years to deal with the impact of Nokia's downsizing.
"The layoffs are a bitter blow but we can't let it get us down," Rantakokko said. "Nokia will still have 2,500 workers here and will remain important to us."
"There is a technical pool out there, soon out of work, and the challenge will be to find a use for it," Rantakokko said.
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