janardan0's blog

VP Biden: Country on cusp of mental health changes

BOSTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden says the country is on the cusp of what he called "remarkable changes" in the treatment of mental illness.

Speaking at a forum in Boston on Wednesday, Biden said that as a result of President Barack Obama's health care law, more people have access to care for mental illness. The law bars insurance companies from denying coverage due to preexisting conditions like bipolar disorder.

Biden was joined by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy. The event marked the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's signing of the Community Mental Health Act.

Sebelius said there's still work to be done to eliminate the stigma around mental illness. She said the stigma can be a barrier to treatment.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vp-biden-country-cusp-mental-health-changes-010852912.html
Similar Articles: National Cheeseburger Day grand theft auto 5 Disney Infinity Breaking Bad Season 6 Kidd Kraddick

Oct 24, 2013 12:45:37 PM

Payday lenders: Labour will impose new tax to fund cheaper ...

A Labour government would impose a new tax on payday lenders to fund a multimillion-pound increase in public support for low-cost alternatives, such as credit unions, Ed Miliband announced on Wednesday.

Details of the rates at which the levy would be imposed on the profits of companies such as Wonga have not yet been announced, but Labour said it aimed to raise enough cash to double the £13m currently provided by the government each year to fund the expansion of credit unions.

Payday lenders, which offer short-term loans to tide over customers who run out of money while waiting for their monthly pay cheque, have been widely criticised for charging vulnerable individuals sky-high interest rates which can top 5,000% a year.

Companies will have to pay an existing levy when they start being regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority next year, but Labour is proposing an additional charge on top of this to boost the credit union market, in which loans are available at much lower rates to households unable to access the mainstream credit market.

The party has already proposed a cap on the cost of credit, which was included in the bill establishing the authority, but has not yet been implemented.

Prime minister David Cameron told the House of Commons on Wednesday he had not ruled out a cap, saying: "We must bear in mind what has been established in other countries, and by our own research, about whether a cap would prove effective. It is absolutely right for us to regulate this area properly."

Labour says families across Britain are facing the most sustained cost-of-living crisis since 1870, due to inflation outstripping stagnating wages. Miliband said this was creating a "personal debt crisis" for many households.

On Thursday the Labour leader is due to visit a south London credit union, where he is expected to say: "The prices families have to pay keep on rising faster and faster than the wages they are paid.

"And, as a result, the market in payday lending has doubled in just four years. Almost a third of the payday loans taken out in Britain at the moment are to cover the cost of people's gas and electricity bills.

"For too many families the end of the month is now their own personal credit crunch.

"A One Nation Labour government would deal with the causes of the cost of living crisis. But it would also act to help prevent people falling into unpayable debt with radical reform of the payday lending market.

"We would cap the cost of credit, halt the spread of payday lenders on our high streets and force them to fund the credit unions that can offer a real alternative for people in desperate need.

"We must protect the most vulnerable people in our society from the worst of exploitation by payday lenders. And it is right that the companies that benefit from people's financial plight accept their responsibilities to help ensure affordable credit is available."

Labour's competition and consumer affairs spokeswoman, Stella Creasy, has been given special responsibility to lead a campaign against abuses by legal loan sharks, Miliband said.

The Walthamstow MP, who has been a prominent campaigner against excessive interest rates, said: "Across the country Sharkstoppers and Debtbusters campaigners are working to address the damage payday lending debt is doing to the finances of millions of families who are struggling to make ends meet.

"Whether helping to increase the capital credit unions have to enable them to lend more, kicking these companies out of their football grounds and shopping centres, or supporting debt advice to those caught in a spiral of debt by the practices of these firms, these are the people dealing first-hand with this government's failure to learn from other countries in capping the cost of credit.

"We are determined to see a cap introduced in the UK so that we can see an end to this legal loan sharking and give British consumers the protection they deserve."

The payday lending market has more than doubled in size since 2008-09 to £2.2bn, and up to 5 million families are believed to be planning to borrow money from this source in the next six months, Labour said.

More than 1.5m households were believed to be spending more than 30% of their income on unsecured credit repayments, the party said.

Non-profit credit unions limit interest to 26% a year, but lack the capacity to make significant inroads into the market.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/oct/17/payday-lenders-labour-will-impose-new-tax-to-fund-cheaper-alternatives
Related Topics: government shutdown Scott Eastwood marshawn lynch Electric Zoo amber heard

Oct 21, 2013 7:20:54 PM

A-Rod grievance hearing recesses until November

New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez arrives at the offices of Major League Baseball, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013 in New York. The grievance to overturn Rodriguez's 211-game suspension began Monday before arbitrator Fredric Horowitz. (AP Photo/David Karp)

NEW YORK (AP) — Hearings on the grievance to overturn Alex Rodriguez's 211-game suspension recessed Friday for a month after Major League Baseball completed its direct case.

The session was the eighth before arbitrator Fredric Horowitz, who unless the case is settled will decide whether to uphold the penalty issued Aug. 5, overturn it or change the length.

Rob Manfred, MLB's chief operating officer, completed his testimony Friday. Rodriguez's legal team will call witnesses when the hearing resumes, likely the week of Nov. 18.

MLB disciplined Rodriguez following its investigation of the Biogenesis of America anti-aging clinic, alleging the New York Yankees third baseman violated the sport's drug agreement and labor contract.

The group Hispanics Across America, which has been demonstrating outside MLB's office in support of Rodriguez during the hearings, took out a full-page advertisement in The New York Times on Friday. The ad included a photograph of Commissioner Bud Selig at the top adjacent to a headline: "Who is Public Enemy No. 1 in Baseball?"

"Bud Selig is a disgrace to the game, to the players and to our children," read the ad, signed by HAA President and founder Fernando Mateo. "He turned a blind eye on issues involving HGH and steroids until Hispanics Across America delivered three caskets to his door steps with a name and date of birth in 2004. Willful blindness should be punishable and Bud Selig and his executives have not been punished. Why? That's why we are fighting for justice for Alex Rodriguez."

The Times reported on its website that while it doesn't reveal an advertisement's cost, a full-page, black-and-white advocacy ad in that category costs more than $100,000.

"Every person who's ever given a dime to Hispanics Across America ought to be asking why that organization spent $100,000 on an ad attacking the executive who has done more to rid professional sports of performance-enhancing drugs than any other and supporting an admitted drug user," Manfred said in a telephone interview.

In other A-Rod news, lawyers for Rodriguez and MLB agreed to push back a federal court conference on the player's lawsuit against the league and Selig from Oct. 24 to Nov. 7.

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-10-18-Rodriguez%20Grievance/id-5a8cbecee1e94c18b3d57a63a8792dbb
Category: Olivia Culpo Wojciech Braszczok jennette mccurdy Espn.com JJ Cale

Oct 19, 2013 6:52:02 AM

These Next Generation Drones Carry Gear and Machine Guns into Battle

When most people hear the word "drone," they probably picture a cockpit-free plane zipping over the Iraqi desert. But there's more to it than that. The Army is in the process of adopting a whole new generation of unmanned vehicles that will assist soldiers on the battlefield—and they're by far the scariest remote-controlled cars you'll ever see.

Shutdown drags on: 'It's taken far too long' (CNN)

Share With Friends:

|

| Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/333822126?client_source=feed&format=rss
Tags: What Time Does Ios 7 Come Out iPhone 5S Placenta Erbie Bowser Desiree And Chris

Oct 14, 2013 7:03:54 AM

Top DRM Video Recorder Review + Guide: Pavtube ChewTune

What is DRM?

Digital rights management (DRM) is a class of controversial technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders, and individuals with the intent to control the use of digital content and devices after sale. And basically there are two kinds of DRM files: iTunes M4V and Digital Copy.

Apple uses M4V encode video files, such as TV episodes, movies, and music videos, in its iTunes Store to protect its copyright. To play a protected M4V file, the computer needs to be authorized (using iTunes) with the account that was used to purchase the video.

As Digital Copy, it is an extra copy of the movie you bought on Blu-ray/DVD disc that enables you to download or stream your movie to a computer, mobile device, or Internet-connected TV, Blu-ray player or set top box. If your Blu-ray Disc or DVD has the "Digital Copy" logo on the back it will have either a Digital Copy disc inside of the box or a link to a Digital Copy web site. Follow the instructions on the insert inside of your box to redeem your Digital Copy using the disc or the web site.

http://www.blu-ray-dvd-converter.com/chewtune/

Why need strip off DRM protection?

It's probably that you have downloaded a few purchases from iTunes, Windows Media Center, Zune Marketplace, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Video on Demand, CinemaNow, Blockbuster, Napster, Pandora, Spiralfrog, Bearshare, iMesh, iMeeM, etc, or get some free digital copies of movies with the Blu-rays that you purchased so that you could watch them freely on your smartphone, tablet or computer that is not authorized. But the problem is neither iTunes M4V videos nor Digital Copy movies can be watched on portable devices or other unauthorized computer. You need a Top DRM Removal Tool to free your iTunes M4V videos and Digital Copy movies from DRM protection and you can freely play them anywhere you like.

Top 5 Best DRM Removal Programs Review for Android, Windows 8 Tablets/Phones

http://device-camcorder-tips.blogspot.com/2013/09/top-5-best-drm-removal-programs-review.html

Why choose Pavtube DRM Removal tool - ChewTune?

Pavtube ChewTune is an easy-to-use DRM removal tool that can legally produce DRM-free videos from M4V/WMV. Besides bypassing DRM protection, this DRM Media Converter tool is also good at recording your authorized videos or movies downloaded from a Digital Copy, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, WB Digital Copy, BBC iPlayer, etc. to many other commonly used audio and video formats, so that you can use the DRM-free copies on practically any compatible electronic device, such as: Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Tab 3 10.1/8.0, Apple iPhone 5S/5C, Sony Xperia Z1, Xperia Z Ultra, LG G-Pad, Motorola DROID Mini, Moto X, Droid MAXX, Asus MeMO Pad HD 7, Fonepad 7, MeMO Pad Smart 10, Acer Liquid S2, and more.

Play iTunes, Amazon or Digital Copy DRM videos on Galaxy Tab 3 10.1/8.0
Transfer iTunes, Digital Copy, Amazon Videos to Galaxy Note 3
Sync Amazon Videos/Movies to iTunes for iPhone 5S/5C, iPhone 5, iPod 5...

Pros:
1. Instead of transcode/encode/decrypt DRM files, Pavtube ChewTune records your source DRM files to any video and audio format you like for multiple portable devices.
2. Latest ChewTune abandons the old way to encode DRM videos; instead, it is a DRM Removal Recorder now.
3. Since ChewTune records DRM videos to strip off DRM protection, it performs in a much stable way so that each recorded iTunes video or Digital Copy movie is available and valid for your computer hard drive and portable device.
4. The recorded movies using ChewTune are included with better video quality than any other DRM Converter since it legally frees DRM files with 1:1 video and audio quality of the originals.

Cons:
1. A given audio driver has to be installed to enable ChewTune remove DRM protection, which may sound a little complicated and troublesome.
2. A complete DRM free file will not be created unless you do not abort during ChewTune whole DRM recording process, otherwise no file will be generated.
3. When DRM removal process starts, a window will pop up and play the source DRM file. This window would be persistently exist and show at the left right corner of your computer desktop the whole recording time, which cannot be minimized or closed; meanwhile, your computer would be muted till ChewTune finishes the work.

4. When converting iTunes DRM files, you can minimize the iTunes window, but cannot move or close it.

How to free from DRM protection with Pavtube ChewTune?

Step 1: Authorize your computer

Authorize computer for iTunes M4V files:

1.?Open iTunes on your computer, click the Store menu, and then select Authorize This Computer.
2. A window will pop up and prompt you for your Apple ID and password. Fill in the appropriate information, and then click Authorize.
3. After your submission, the whole authorization process completes and now your computer will be authorized for playback. If you have reached your 5 computers limits, you can deauthorize another machine.

Authorize and transfer Blu-ray Digital Copy to computer hard drive

1. Insert the Digital Copy disc into your computer's DVD drive.
2. Wait for the DVD icon to appear on your computer. Do double-click and it will take you to the digital copy interface.
3. Decide whether to transfer Digital Copy to iTunes or Windows Media Player. Note that it requires iTunes 9 or Windows Media Player 11 and later version to download digital copy movies to PC. Here I choose Windows Media Player.
4. Put in the unique Digital Copy redemption/registration code, which you will find on an insert inside of your Blu-ray/DVD packaging. The computer must be connected to the Internet in order for the Digital Copy code to be verified.
5. Choose source movie and target folder to transfer Digital Copy to. Then start syncing movies from Digital Copy to computer.

It usually takes less than 5 minutes to download a Digital Copy movie to hard drive.
After Digital Copy transfer completed, the movie can be played instantly with Windows Media Player.

Step 2: Load the DRM video

Run Pavtube DRM Video Recorder, drag and drop the source DRM video from local computer to ChewTune. Or hit the "Add Video" button to import your iTunes, Amazon, or Digital Copy, etc.

Step 3: Select output format

Pavtube ChewTune includes various profiles under "Format" list and you could always find the optimized one for your need.

Meanwhile, you can enter "Settings" option to adjust profile parameters, such as video codec, bitrate, frame rate, size, etc to get better video and audio quality.

Step 4: Start DRM-free recording process

Click the "Convert" button on software main UI to start recording DRM video. When it completes, click the "Open" icon to locate the DRM-free movie, and transfer it from PC to anywhere you like for playback.

Tips:

1. To ensure the stability of Pavtube ChewTune trial version, make sure you have turned off iTunes before running this app.

2. Because of 1:1 video recording, it takes as long as the source movie length to finish the whole ChewTune DRM-free process, it's better to select a small sample video for testing.

3. Since Pavtube ChewTune supports batch processing facility, you could import more than one DRM videos and run overnight, and you would get all videos recorded the next morning. Don't forget to set up Windows power options to never turn off monitor or never let the computer system standby.

4. Click Pavtube Special Offer page, you can get more Money-saving Tips, such as:

ChewTune ($29) + Blu-ray Video Converter Ultimate($65) = Only $75, Save $19
ChewTune for Mac($29) + iMedia Converter for Mac($65) = Only $75, Save $19
ByteCopy($42) + ChewTune($29) = Only $54, Save $17

Ellen DeGeneres to host Oscars

NEW YORK (AP) ? Comic and daytime television host Ellen DeGeneres was picked to host the Academy Awards for the second time.

Show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced DeGeneres' selection Friday. The movie awards show will air on ABC on March 2.

"There are few stars today who have Ellen's gift for comedy, with her great warmth and humanity," the producers said in a statement. "She is beloved everywhere.

DeGeneres quipped, "I am so excited to be hosting the Oscars for the second time. You know what they say ? the third time's the charm."

Last year's host, "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane, drew mixed reviews for an edgy performance that included a song-and-dance number, "We Saw Your Boobs," about actresses who had gone topless on screen. He had already taken himself out of the running for a return engagement next year.

Academy Awards organizers had hoped to attract a younger audience with MacFarlane, and the ratings showed they succeeded.

With DeGeneres, they went for a star that Hollywood and television viewers were familiar and comfortable with.

About her first hosting role in 2007, television critic Frazier Moore of The Associated Press wrote that "like her, the evening was easygoing, comfortable and relatively unsurprising."

DeGeneres was nominated for an Emmy Award for her last gig. Her daytime talk show has won 45 Daytime Emmys during a decade on the air.

The Oscars, with 40.3 million viewers this year, is very often the year's most-watched television event after the Super Bowl.

___

Online:

http://www.oscars.org/

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ellen-degeneres-host-oscars-153226486.html

The Last of Us Yeezus Flag Day 2013 UFC 161 College World Series Alex Cobb superman

Aug 4, 2013 1:33:13 PM

The election isn't for another 15 months, yet the California Medical Association...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151534809973247&set=a.79659553246.78407.18642913246&type=1

dennis rodman rand paul Lauren Silberman Sim City Manchester United Alvin Lee mila kunis

Aug 2, 2013 6:21:13 AM

Video: Maria's Market Insight: Fed, GDP & jobs ahead

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/video/cnbc/52625232/

garth brooks george strait Peyton Siva rick warren Final Four 2013 final four Ray J I Hit It First

Aug 2, 2013 4:16:05 AM

Shiny new teeth concocted from mice and human urine

Is a missing tooth ruining your smile? Here's an unlikely recipe for cooking up a replacement ? with the help of a mouse and some of your own urine.

Duanqing Pei from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Guangzhou and colleagues took stem cells from human urine and used them to grow teeth inside mouse kidneys. The stem cells were mixed with mouse connective tissue cells and grown for two days before being implanted under the outer layer of the mouse's kidney. There they transformed into dental epithelial tissue, which develops into the enamel, while the rest of each tooth was formed from mouse cells.

Pei claims that a method for using mice to grow teeth containing only human cells "could be easily designed".

The work is promising but figuring out what governs the size and shape of different teeth is going to be a big problem in making it useful, says Mark Bartold from the University of Adelaide in Australia, who works on regenerative dental medicine. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out there's a big difference between an incisor and a molar tooth," he says. "That's going to be very tricky, because we don't really fully understand what's involved in that development."

Pei agrees, but says having natural replacement teeth available to fit into the right slots in the mouth may be of benefit. He also notes that the teeth his team grew were a bit softer than real teeth, which might be because they were not being used as they grew. "We do not have the physical stimulations found in the mouth," he says.

Bartold says there are already very good titanium dental implants available today, but the work is still useful as it could help us understand the development of teeth, which could in turn boost other areas of regenerative medicine. "The tooth, believe it or not, for decades has been used as a wonderful tool for understanding development biology," he says.

Pei and colleagues agree, writing that the tooth represents "one of the best models in organogensis".

But why did they grow the teeth from cells in urine? "This is the most convenient source," says Pei.

Journal reference: Cell Regeneration, in press

Correction: Details of how the stem cells were used have been clarified since this article was first published on 30 July.

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

Have your say

Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.

Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article

Subscribe now to comment.

All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.

If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/2f53dbb5/sc/3/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cdn239570Eshiny0Enew0Eteeth0Econcocted0Efrom0Emice0Eand0Ehuman0Eurine0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

fisker atlantic social darwinism wisconsin recall election april 4 wisconsin primary dallas fort worth airport texas tornados

Aug 1, 2013 9:27:54 AM

janardan0's blog

10/24/2013

VP Biden: Country on cusp of mental health changes

10/21/2013

Payday lenders: Labour will impose new tax to fund cheaper ...

10/19/2013

A-Rod grievance hearing recesses until November

10/16/2013

These Next Generation Drones Carry Gear and Machine Guns into Battle

10/14/2013

Shutdown drags on: 'It's taken far too long' (CNN)

10/12/2013

Top DRM Video Recorder Review + Guide: Pavtube ChewTune

08/04/2013

Ellen DeGeneres to host Oscars

08/02/2013

The election isn't for another 15 months, yet the California Medical Association...

Video: Maria's Market Insight: Fed, GDP & jobs ahead

08/01/2013

Shiny new teeth concocted from mice and human urine

Have your say

janardan0

Search

Recent Comments