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Friday, April 4, 2025
Home Blog Page 1200

Steve Jobs resigns forced by pancreatic cancer?

Steve Jobs resigned as Apple’s CEO. Tim Cook is the new CEO.

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales in Europe blocked by Apple

 

iCloud – a new platform for developers

 

Steve Jobs, the man who had visions with people loving the iPod (2001), iPhone (2007), iPad (2010), has resigned from Apple CEO, possibly because of an [googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”dreapta”] aggravation caused by pancreatic cancer.

 

Steve Jobs has been perceived as an technology’s oracle, thus his health and medical condition have been considered strong related with Apple’s stock position. Right after he announced his retirement as CEO, Apple Inc. (AAPL) shares dropped fell 5.4 percent and Walt Disney Co. (DIS) stock fell 1.5 percent.

 

Steve Jobs was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer (pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor) in 2004. Since then he only took three medical leaves from company. He underwent surgery (pancreaticoduodenectomy) intended to cure the malignancy, and a liver transplant in 2009.

 

Perhaps  Steve Jobs pancreatic cancer forces resignation.

“About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn’t even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. […]

[googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”stanga”]I lived with that diagnosis all day.[…] I had a biopsy […] I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now.” Said Steve Jobs (Stanford Commencement speech 2005).

 

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor develops from hormone-producing cells (islet cell) of the pancreas. Around 5% of the pancreatic cancers diagnosed each year are neuroendocrine. It is less aggressive and more curable than other types of pancreatic cancer, but if the cancer metastasizes (spreads into other organs), the survival rate decrease dramatically.

 

The researchers of Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University have deciphered the genetic code of neuroendocrine tumors. This open the way for personalized cancer therapy. Also, this year, Food and Drug Administration approved two new drugs for neuroendocrine tumors, sunitinib and everolimus.

Steve Jobs resigned possibly because of an aggravation caused by pancreatic cancer
Steve Jobs resigned possibly because of an aggravation caused by pancreatic cancer

 

The billionaire with $1 salary a year co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976. In 1985 Steve Jobs was head of the Macintosh division and he was fired by John Scully who was Apple CEO.[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]  

Then he founded NeXT Computer, bought Pixar, which would be bought by Disney, making Steve Jobs Disney’s largest single shareholder with (around 7 percent). In 1996 Apple bought NeXT and Jobs returned to the company.

The youth, perseverance, vision, and hard work of the man who “never graduated from college” made Time (1982) to describe him as “the most famous maestro of the micro”. Also, Steve Jobs has been a character played by Noah Wyle in Triumph of the Nerds (1996), Nerds 2.0.1 (1998), Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999).

 

Steve Jobs resigned as Apple’s CEO. Tim Cook is the new CEO.

Steve Jobs resigns forced by pancreatic cancer?

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales in Europe blocked by Apple.

 

iCloud – a new platform for developers.

 

Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, has announced his resignation as CEO of the company and decision to serve as Chairman of the Board last night.

 [googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]

 

Steve Jobs, who has fought a long-running battle with cancer, wrote in the resignation letter sent to the Apple’s board and community:

 

“To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.”

 

Steve Jobs dropped out of college and founded Apple with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in April 1st 1976. For many years, Steve Jobs’ name was synonymous with Apple.

Steve Jobs has announced his resignation as Apple's CEO and decision to serve as Chairman of the Board
Steve Jobs has announced his resignation as Apple's CEO and decision to serve as Chairman of the Board

Apple shares were suspended last night. [googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”dreapta”]

Tim Cook, who was named by Steve Jobs as his successor, ran Apple when Jobs went on medical leave and has essentially been running day-to-day operations since early this year.

Art Levinson, Apple board member praised Steve Jobs’ leadership. [googlead tip=”lista_mare” aliniat=”dreapta”]

“Steve’s extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world’s most innovative and valuable technology company,” he said in a statement.

“The board has complete confidence that Tim is the right person to be our next CEO,” Art Levinson added.

Kenny Chesney’s Foxboro Show rescheduled due to hurricane.

Ocracoke Island evacuations ahead of Hurricane Irene.

 

Kenny Chesney’s concert at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts planned for Sunday, August 28 was rescheduled for Friday, August 26 due to Irene Hurricane threat.

 

Gillette Stadium officials and promoters decided to reschedule the country singer Kenny Chesney’s “Goin’ Coastal Tour” to Friday night for safety reasons, due to upcoming hurricane threat. [googlead tip=”lista_mare” aliniat=”stanga”]

“Due to the US National Hurricane Center’s forecast that hurricane-level storms may occur in New England on Sunday, August 28, local officials, promoters, Kenny Chesney, and his team have decided for safety reasons to push Chesney’s Sunday, August 28 concert at Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium to Friday, August 26.”

Kenny Chesney's Foxboro Show was rescheduled for Friday, August 26.
Kenny Chesney's Foxboro Show was rescheduled for Friday, August 26.

[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”] Promoter Louis Messina of TMG/AEG Live said:

“Our first and foremost priority is the fans’ safety, so, we have made the difficult decision to reschedule the show.”

“All tickets for Sunday’s show will be honored on the new date, and the line-up and set-times will remain the same. There will be no show on Sunday, August 28th.”

 

“I want the last weekend of the ‘Goin’ Coastal’ Tour to be a great expierence for everybody. But I also want it to be the safest experience for everyone,” said Kenny Chesney.

 

“I’ve always said Foxboro is a highlight of our tour, because the fans are ready for a great night of music and fun no matter what night it is!”

 

James Nolan, Gillette Stadium Senior Vice President of Finance, Administration and Operations said:

“I think it was a combination of safety as well as fan enjoyment, if we do have hurricane type weather, we don’t want people on the roads, we don’t want people in the parking lot, we don’t want them in the building, but more so with the rain we’re projected to get it makes for a really bad experience for people, so moving it seemed like the right decision.”

[googlead tip=”patrat_mare”]

Crews were already constructing the stage for Kenny Chesney’s show on the field Wednesday afternoon.

James Nolan added:

“Logistically it’s a pretty big deal, on easier side is the stage behind us, we were scheduled to be done on Friday anyways, but really shifting staffing from all the public safety officials, all the support teams and then all the stadium staff and security – from parking to food and beverage, that’s kind of the difficult piece of the equation.”

 

As crews continue their work inside Gillette Stadium, officials are asking Kenny Chesney’s concert goers to plan accordingly now that the first concert will be on a weekday.

 

“We ask people to come early, our parking lots open at two o’clock, to avoid rush hour traffic, our stadium gates open at four pm, and the show is scheduled to start at five,” Nolan said.

For fans, who are not able to make Kenny Chesney’s Friday show, refunds will be offered at point of purchase.

[youtube BWSn0JFRiPI]

Ocracoke Island evacuations ahead of Hurricane Irene.

Hurricane Irene: 10 deaths and millions of power outages.

 

Hurricane names: how and why scientists named hurricanes?

 

Kenny Chesney’s Foxboro Show rescheduled due to hurricane.

 

Tourists on 16-mile-long Ocracoke Island off the coast of North Carolina have been evacuated ahead of Hurricane Irene.

 

Residents were asked to leave their homes Thursday morning as Hurricane Irene strengthened to a major Category 3 storm over the Bahamas with the East Coast in its sights. North Carolina Governor, Beverly Perdue said today at a news conference.

 

“It’s a standard precaution.”

“We want folks [in eastern North Carolina] to take this storm seriously and to get prepared.”

 

Perdue also urged coastal residents to be prepared and fill up their gas tanks, collect their prescription drugs and have cash in case the region is without power or other basics. Hurricane kits also should include water, canned food and other supplies.

[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”stanga”] However, Governor Perdue tried not to discourage tourists from visiting North Carolina’s coast, saying at this point the state’s southern beaches would avoid the brunt of the storm and predicted Irene would pass the state by Sunday morning – leaving intact the week leading up to the Labor Day holiday.

Governor defended comments she made Tuesday asking the media not to scare away tourists and urging tourists to keep visiting North Carolina.

“You will never endanger your tourists, but you also don’t want to overinflate the sense of urgency about the storm. And so let’s just hang on,” she said.

Tourists on 16 mile long Ocracoke Island off the coast of North Carolina have been evacuated ahead of Hurricane Irene
Tourists on 16 mile long Ocracoke Island off the coast of North Carolina have been evacuated ahead of Hurricane Irene

 

The today’s Ocracoke Island evacuation served as a “test” to see whether people would leave when faced with the possibility of a hurricane, according to the Associated Press.

 

The North Carolina Department of Transportation said in a tweet that ferries leaving the barrier island, part of the popular Outer Banks, are only half-full and traffic is moderate. They expect traffic to increase as the day goes on.

Hurricane Irene has passed through Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean, and is headed for the East Coast, the Capital Weather Gang reports.

Hurricane current trajectory suggests that it will hit North Carolina directly, but nothing is certain. Should Irene stay on its current path, the National Hurricane Center’s forecast predicts that it will make landfall Saturday.

[googlead tip=”vertical_mare” aliniat=”stanga”]

 

In Ocracoke Island cars were lined up at gas pumps to fill tanks before leaving ahead of Irene, which had winds near 120 mph (193 kph) as of Wednesday afternoon.

 [youtube i9_2bPLxPWI]

Irene is expected to get stronger over warm ocean waters and could become a Category 4 storm with winds of at least 131 mph (211 km/h) by Thursday.

As Irene churned in the Caribbean, tourists scurried from hotels in the Bahamian capital of Nassau to catch flights off the island before the airport’s expected afternoon closure.

The first ferry to leave Ocracoke Island in North Carolina arrived just before 5:30 a.m. in nearby Hatteras with around a dozen cars on board.

The 16-mile-long barrier island is accessible only by boats that can carry no more than 50 cars at a time.

Ocracoke Island is home to about 800 year-round residents and a tourist population that swells into the thousands when vacationers rent rooms and cottages.

It wasn’t clear how many people on the first arriving ferry Wednesday morning were tourists, but the first two cars to drive off had New York and New Jersey plates.

State workers questioned people who tried taking the ferry to the island and turned a few cars around. In addition to the ferry line to Hatteras, there were two other ferry lines that went to and from the island.

Ocracoke is part of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a roughly 200-mile stretch of fragile barrier islands off the state’s coast. Pristine beaches and wild mustangs attract thousands of tourists each year. Aside from Ocracoke, the other islands are accessible by bridges to the mainland and ferries. The limited access can make the evacuation particularly tense. Officials in counties covering the rest of the Outer Banks were to decide later Wednesday or Thursday whether to evacuate.

[googlead tip=”lista_mare” aliniat=”stanga”] All the barrier islands have the geographic weakness of jutting out into the Atlantic like the side-view mirror of a car, a location that’s frequently been in the path of destructive storms over the decades. In 1999, Hurricane Floyd made landfall as a Category 2 storm and caused a storm surge that wiped out scores of houses and other properties on the Outer Banks.

It’s been more than seven years since a major hurricane, considered a Category 3 with winds of at least 111 mph (179 km/h), hit the East Coast. Hurricane Jeanne came ashore on Florida’s east coast in 2004.

Wednesday, at 2 p.m. EDT, Irene was centered about 250 miles (402 km) southeast of Nassau in the Bahamas and was moving northwest near 12 mph (19 km/h).

[youtube yFKdkGHO7os]

Carrie Fisher lost 50 pounds in 9 months.

Carrie Fisher unveiled her new 8 size figure after losing 50 lb at 54 this morning at the NBC’s Today Show.

 

Carrie Fisher, the Star Wars actress, 54, has shown off her slimline new look after losing of 50 lbs during an appearance on the Today Show.

Carrie Fisher, former Princess Lea of Star Wars, appeared in a black pantsuit and a cleavage-baring pink top. [googlead tip=”vertical_mare” aliniat=”dreapta”]

The Star Wars actress said she lost 50 pounds in 9 months since becoming the face of diet company, Jenny Craig.

Carrie Fisher lost 50 lb in nine months.
Carrie Fisher lost 50 lb in nine months.
Carrie Fisher said she topped the scale at 180 lbs
Carrie Fisher said she topped the scale at 180 lbs

 

When Carrie Fisher announced last January the deal with Jenny Craig and weight loss goals, she explained:

 

“I’m pretty fearless, but my scale is frightening. So I would go to the doctor and I would stand not facing it. That’s an adult! I have a child. So that’s something I’d like to not do anymore, be frightened of the scale.”

 

During her Today Show appearance, she told Ann Curry:

“I couldn’t leave the house to go bra shopping. I exhausted the alphabet on bra sizes.” [googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”stanga”]

 

[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”] Carrie Fisher had joked about trying on her iconic gold metal bikini she wore as Princess Lea in Return of the Jedi in 1977.

“I want to get back in it and walk around the house like an idiot.”

“You know, answer the doorbell, [and say], <<What, this old thing? I’m just wearing my home style metal bikini>>.”

“I’ll come out with a line of metal bikinis for women over 40.”

But she said women above the age of 50 should not ever go sleeveless.

“I’m still probably not gonna wear a lot of sleeveless things. I lost 50 pounds. The Jenny Craig food is good….It tastes like you’re cheating!”

While Carrie didn’t say anything about her rejuvenated features, she was certainly forthcoming about her decision to lose weight.

Carrie Fisher, who is now a size 8, told the Today Show:

 

“I couldn’t look in the mirror. I saw pictures of myself where I didn’t look like myself.

I thought I was getting old. It turns out [I] was mostly getting fat.”

 

Now, Carrie Fisher, 54, is feeling more confident than ever, and is even ready to find love again.

“I’m putting myself on the market,” she told America’s People during an interview in the latest magazine’s issue.

 

“I’m ready to date again; this is my announcement.”

 

Carrie Fisher relations include Blues Brothers co-star Dan Aykroyd, singer-songwriter Paul Simon and casting agent Bryan Lourd, with whom she has a 19-year-old daughter, Billie.

At one moment in time, Carrie topped the scales at 180 lbs, she has said in the past.

To achieve her actual body, she reduced her intake to 1,500 calories per day.

Her favourite snacks include Skinny Cow Cookies ‘n Cream ice cream and Kozy Shack rice pudding.

Carrie Fisher also embarked on a fitness regime, doing 40-45 minutes of cardio 5 times a week.

“I’m not in love with the treadmill,” Carrie Fisher said.

“We’re in a truce situation. But I really like elliptical because I can read.”

[youtube GQfJwcS6qrQ]

Teacher sues State of Missouri over the Facebook law.

A teacher from Missouri has sued the state over so called Facebook law, a new law that prevents contacts between teachers and their students over the Internet.

 

[googlead tip=”patrat_mare”] Christina Thomas, Missouri teacher argued that the new law will make it illegal for her to chat with her own child over Facebook.

The law, which has been nicknamed the Facebook law, prohibits teachers from having exclusive communications with students over non-work Internet sites.

According to the Facebook law, the term “student” is defined as every person under 18 who attend or used to attend the school where the teacher works.

Facebook law prevents contacts between teachers and their students over the Internet
Facebook law prevents contacts between teachers and their students over the Internet

 

Christina Thomas alleges in her suit that the Ladue, Missouri, school district where she works has told teachers that they cannot have “exclusive communications” with their own children on Facebook if their children meet the Facebook law’s definition of former or current student.

Christina Thomas claims the new Facebook law is violating her rights under the 1st and 14th amendments.

 

However, there are teachers that do not agree the Facebook law goes too far.

[googlead tip=”vertical_mic”] Charol Shakeshaft, a professor of educational leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University, told the Huffington Post that Facebook law is an useful tool to stop sexual abuse in schools. Shakeshaft found that about 10 % of public school students in 2000 reported that they experienced unwanted sexual harassment or abuse from an educator.

 

“Exclusive and private contact with your students isn’t educationally necessary,” she told the site.

“In the same way that in a school we would say, <<No, you may not lock yourself into a room with a student>> this law effectively says, <<No you may not lock yourself into a website where only you can get to the student>>.”

 

Christina Thomas is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, organization that argued that there are better ways to prevent teacher misconduct than infringing on free speech by blocking contact on social media sites.

Banning Facebook conversations or other restrictions on students’ ability to communicate with their teachers and the extent to which school officials can dictate students’ behavior online has been a controversial subject, even in the courts. [googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”stanga”]

In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that administrators could punish a student who raised a “Bong hits 4 Jesus” banner across the street from his school, saying the banner created a “substantial disruption” within the school.

The 7th Circuit sided with two high school students who were punished for posting racy photos of themselves online.

Last June, the 3rd Circuit ruled that two students should not have been suspended for creating MySpace profiles while at home that mocked school administrators.

“It would be an unseemly and dangerous precedent to allow the state, in the guise of school authorities, to reach into a child’s home and control his/her actions there to the same extent that it can control that child when he/she participates in school-sponsored activities,” the judges wrote.

However, the 2nd Circuit ruled in April that a school district was within its rights to prevent a student from running for class secretary after she wrote on her personal blog while at home that “jamfest is cancelled due to douchebags in central office.”

The 4th Circuit ruled in July that a West Virginia school district could suspend a student for creating a MySpace group that accused a fellow student of having herpes.

Early-onset dementia: symptoms and the importance of early diagnosis.

Insulin could slow Alzheimer’s pregression.

 

Happiness can deter non violent crime and drug use in adolescents.

 

Bipolar disorder: new hope from stem cell research.

 

Brandon Marshall diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder.

 

People should be aware of early-onset dementia, learn what its symptoms are and how important is the early diagnosis.

 

Pat Summitt, 59, Tennessee women’s basketball coach has been recently diagnosed with early-onset dementia (Alzheimer’s type) when she visited the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”]Last May, Mayo Clinic doctors performed a spinal tap and other tests that eventually produced the diagnosis of early-onset dementia.

In a statement released by the university on Tuesday, Pat Summitt said:

 

“I plan to continue to be your coach. Obviously, I realize I may have some limitations with this condition since there will be some good days and some bad days.”

“But I have been honest and shared my health concerns with you and now we will move on with the business involved. I hope that you will respect my privacy regarding this matter.”

 

Pat Summitt initially chalked up her memory problems to side effects from medicine she was taking to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Pat Summitt talked about her early-onset dementia diagnosis.
Pat Summitt talked about her early-onset dementia diagnosis.

 

Early-onset dementia is a term used for progressive dementia that begins before age 65, so, to be aware of its symptoms and visiting doctor for an early diagnosis are crucial.

 

[googlead tip=”vertical_mare” aliniat=”dreapta”] Linda Johnson, director of programs for Alzheimer’s Tennessee Inc. has some hope to offer to the people who have been diagnosed with early-onset dementia and call her office for help and : better treatments, education and support.

Over the past fifteen years, medications have improved for people diagnosed with “early-onset Alzheimer’s,” or “early-onset dementia”, a term used for progressive dementia that begins before age 65.

Most people diagnosed with early-onset dementia are in their 40s and 50s, though some are in their 30s. It accounts for only 5% to 10% of all Alzheimer’s disease cases.

[googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”stanga”]

Let’s see some of the early-onset dementia symptoms.

 

Early on, people may have difficulty with language, mixing up words. Later, they may fail to recognize something they should: a favorite restaurant, an article of clothing. They may start to have difficulty performing complex tasks, such as bookkeeping.

“Many times, it’s the co-workers of people with early-onset dementia who notice something is wrong, because most people are taxed with more complex tasks at work than at home,” Linda Johnson said.

“It’s very important to get a diagnosis as soon as possible,” she said, to rule out other things that sometimes cause dementia — vascular problems, for example, some blood clots and tumors, iron deficiency.

Starting medications, which can slow memory loss and other symptoms, ”EARLY is key”, Linda Johnson said.

“It can slow down the progression for years, in certain individuals, though there is no cure,” Johnson said,

But then, there’s the maxim Johnson heard from a trainer: “If you’ve seen one Alzheimer’s case, you’ve seen one Alzheimer’s case.”

She knows a person who lived with Alzheimer’s for 25 years, another who had only 18 months. 10 years seems to be average.

About 50% of early-onset dementia cases are linked to the mutation of certain genes, which means people can have a hereditary disposition to the disease. The other 50% of cases are similar to later-onset Alzheimer’s, and it’s not clear why they begin earlier in life.

[youtube 09AF-KMk4Ng]

DSK freed to return to France.

DSK under police investigation in France.

 

DSK is back to France.

 

French politician and former IMF chief, DSK (Dominique Strauss-Kahn) walked free from New York court yesterday, after charges against him for alleged sexual assault on a hotel maid have been dropped.

 

Yesterday, Cyrus Vance Jr., Manhattan’s district attorney told justice in the State Supreme Court in Manhattan that prosecutors could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt because of serious credibility issues with Nafissatou Diallo, the Sofitel hotel’s housekeeper who had accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), of sexually assaulting her.

DSK walked free from New York court yesterday, after charges against him for alleged sexual assault on a hotel maid have been dropped
DSK walked free from New York court yesterday, after charges against him for alleged sexual assault on a hotel maid have been dropped

[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” ]Joan Illuzzi-Orbon, the assistant district attorney, called Nafissatou Diallo’s testimony “surreal” and said the accuser lied to prosecutors on several occasions, even denying she had made declarations previously witnessed by several law officials.

Judge Michael Obus told the court he would comply with a request from the prosecution to throw out the case:

 

“The indictment is dismissed.”

 

Hotel maid’s lawyers appealed against the judge’s decision not to appoint a special prosecutor. That appeal was quickly dismissed.

 

After the judge decision, DSK‘s lawyers attacked the fact that the case had gone so far.

 

[googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”dreapta”]

Benjamin Brafman said: “This was not a forcible encounter … This case was treated as a crime when it was not.”

Lawyer Benjamin Brafman also spoke of the toll the process had taken on the accused. He called it a “horrific nightmare” and said Strauss-Kahn and his family had handled the ordeal with “class”.

Another DSK’s lawyer, William Taylor, attacked Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s treatment by the US justice system and the media.

“What a tragedy in the life of Dominique Strauss-Kahn. This is not about wealth, nor power, nor race … There was a collective rush to judgment by not only law enforcement but also by the media,” said William Taylor.

 

Outside court large groups of protesters were gathered, most of them being against DSK, waving placards and chanting slogans such as “DSK! Shame on you!”

 

At the moment DSK left the building, one woman screamed at him: “You dirty bastard! You dirty bastard!”

Ken Thompson, Diallo’s lawyer told press outside court: 

“No man, no matter how much power, money and influence he has, has a right to sexually assault a woman,” Thompson said. “We are disappointed that District Attorney Vance apparently does not believe in equal justice under the law and has denied an innocent woman a day in court.”

 

Michael Greys, co-founder of the group 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement, was furious at the dismissal.

 

 “American justice is not blind. Race and class still play a part. This was a case of a millionaire against a poor black woman with no education.”

 

DSK, 62 year-old former IMF chief, was arrested last May in New York, after Nafissatou Diallo, 32 year-old hotel maid, said he had forced her to perform oral sex when she arrived to clean his suite at the Sofitel hotel in Manhattan. DSK was arrested on a plane scheduled to fly to Paris.

 

DSK has never contested that a sexual encounter took place but has denied claims it was forced.

 

The French Socialist Party was freed to return to France, where the authorities are investigating another case, claiming that DSK tried to rape a French journalist, Tristane Banon, in 2003. DSK’s lawyers have dismissed French journalist accusations as “fantasy”.

Tristan Banon’s lawyer, David Koubbi, who travelled to New York to meet prosecutor Cyrus Vance and Nafissatou Diallo, said he was dismayed by the decision to drop the sexual assault charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

 

“I regret this outcome. I regret it for Nafissatou Diallo because I believed what she said,” he said. “I spoke to Tristane on Monday evening by telephone then during the night, then this morning [Tuesday].

“She is in a fighting mood. She isn’t ready to let this drop. But she feels sorry for what has happened to Nafissatou Diallo because she also believed her.”

 

David Koubbi added: “The credibility of my client is not, and has never been, called into question because of this.”

[googlead tip=”lista_mare”] At the beginning of DSK’s trial in Manhattan, office of district attorney initially called hotel maid’s statement “compelling”, claiming that she had provided “very powerful details”.

Diallo’s story was buttressed by forensic evidence: DSK semen was found on her uniform and her lawyer said doctors had taken photographs of her bruised vagina.

Things were changing when prosecutors found out that Diallo had lied to them and other US officials about her past, including giving a false account of having been gang-raped in her native country, Guinea. Diallo told interviewers she had used the false story to get herself and her daughter a chance of a better life in the US.

There were also other lies that appeared after the alleged attack. Diallo told a grand jury she had stayed in the hallway outside DSK’s room after the attack when evidence showed she had actually returned to his room, and to another one, before consulting her boss.

It then emerged she had discussed DSK’s wealth in a recorded phone conversation after the supposed attack.

Diallo’s lawyers said prosecutors were misinterpreting the conversation, conducted in Fulani, her native language, and that her account of the assault during the call had not differed.

A court document filed on Monday by prosecutors contained a devastating and detailed account of how Diallo had misled investigators.

 

“In virtually every substantive interview with prosecutors, despite entreaties to simply be truthful, she has not been truthful on matters great and small,” the document said, adding that the cumulative effect of Diallo’s misleading statements would prove “devastating” at any jury trial on the case.

“If we do not believe her beyond a reasonable doubt, we cannot ask a jury to do so.”

 

Diallo also sued DSK in civil court on August 8, a move that the Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers claimed the suit proved she was out for money.

The civil case is continuing, is unaffected legally by the dropping of criminal charges, and has a lesser burden of proof. Diallo’s lawyers will have to prove merely that it was “more likely than not” that DSK committed an assault.

AWOL: Suspect soldier admits to wanting to attack troops stationed at Fort Hood, before going awol

A private gone AWOL of Muslim American descent was detained near Fort Hood.

He informed police investigators that he wanted to damage fellow members of the military from the military services base, law enforcement boss in Killeen, Texas, claimed Thursday.

[googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”]

Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo is expected to face federal government criminal charges soon after his police arrest, Chief Dennis Baldwin claimed. Baldwin mentioned that he knew of no additional threats for the location and also that Abdo had not any accomplices, “as far as I know.” The Chief officer made no other comments about the AWOL status of the detained soldier.

AWOL Campbell
AWOL Campbell

Fbi representatives detected a bevy of potential bomb-making elements inside Abdo’s room, FBI spokesman Erik Vasys mentioned. Abdo, twenty-one, turned down deployment to Afghanistan and later had gone absent out of Fort Campbell in Kentucky following being accused of possessing child porn material, Vasys mentioned.

After a tip-off from a neighborhood weapon shop, Killeen police force detained Abdo at a traffic stop Wednesday, Vasys stated.

Two years ago, during 2009, that very same Texas army base had been the target of the firing spree that mortally wounded 13 individuals. Nidal Hasan had been charged with those killings. He’s yet another Muslim American soldier.

Gun store alerts police force to AWOL soldier

 

“Thanks to quick action by a Texas firearm dealer in alerting local police force to a suspicious character, and a prompt and vigorous response by the Killeen Law enforcement officials Department, we may well have averted a repeat of the tragic 2009 radical Islamic terror attack on our nation’s largest military installation,” stated Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, the House Army Caucus chairman.

Carter mentioned: “We now have an example of what works to prevent these type attacks, and as the coming days reveal more details about this attempt, we can determine better ways to thwart similar efforts in the future”

Carter’s office mentioned Killeen firearm supplier Guns Galore, the same store utilized by Hasan to acquire guns allegedly utilised in his assault, tipped off law enforcement officials with regards to a “suspicious male” whom obtained gunpowder, shotgun ammo, as well as a newspaper for a semiautomatic pistol.
Greg Ebert, a retired police force officer who works at Guns Galore, mentioned a young man showed up in the store Tuesday afternoon and browsed for about 20 minutes. He selected six one-pound canisters of smokeless gunpowder, Ebert explained.

AWOL soldier
AWOL soldier

Then, Ebert reported, the man asked the store owner questions about the nature of smokeless powder. 

“That is a red flag for me,” Ebert mentioned. “He should know. Why is he buying that much?”

Ebert reported the man also picked up one magazine and shotgun shells, and then left in a cab. After discussing the matter at length with the owner, Ebert called police force.

The soldier also purchased uniforms with Fort Hood unit patches from the neighborhood military surplus store, Carter’s office stated, citing police.

After Abdo’s arrest, police searched his hotel room and backpack and found six pounds of smokeless powder, Christmas lights and battery-operated clocks – which were apparently intended to create a timing and triggering device – sugar, shrapnel, a pressure cooker, and shotgun shells that were being dismantled for raw explosives.

The materials were sufficient to create a couple of bombs, a Department of Defense official reported to BelleNews. The awol soldier did not comment.

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Inside of the soldier’s rucksack, law enforcement officials also uncovered “Islamic extremist booklets,” a .40-calliber gun along with a grocery list of elements to get a bomb, a law enforcement officials official reported.

The investigation is still on-going in this case. It’s extremely likely that Abdo acted on his own and there is no evidence up to this point that links him to any terrorist groups, law enforcement officers declared.

“Islam is a much more peaceful and tolerant religion than it is an aggressive religion,” he explained. “I don’t believe that Islam allows me to operate in any kind of warfare at all, including the U.S. military and any war it partakes in. I believe that our first duty as a Muslim is to serve God.”

Hasan, the prime suspect in the 2009 Fort Hood killings, could face the death penalty. His trial is set to begin March 5, 2012.

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Witnesses at a preliminary hearing identified Hasan as the man who walked calmly through a medical building on the country’s largest military base, shooting and sometimes reloading his handgun as he shouted “Allahu akbar,” which means “God is great” in Arabic.

A statement on the Fort Hood website acknowledged Abdo’s arrest but said it had no connection to the base.

It reported Abdo had been assigned to Company E of the 101st Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team.

“Since he is in the custody of civilian authorities, jurisdiction over any potential new charges is yet to be determined. If returned to military control, he may face additional charges including AWOL,” the statement reported.

Fort Hood spokesman Chris Haug said base officials have no indication that Abdo ever tried to obtain onto Fort Hood between the time he went AWOL and the time of his arrest.

A June 15th hearing recommended that Abdo be court-martialed.  He went AWOL after that.

In an interview this past year, Abdo explained felt compelled to remain true to his faith.

“We have two things that I believe make us American, and that’s freedom of religion and freedom of choice,” he explained.

When he first signed up for the military, Abdo did not think his religion would be an issue. “I was under the impression that I could serve both the U.S. Army and my God simultaneously,” he mentioned.

But as his deployment neared, he began to rethink things and eventually worked up the courage to approach his unit and tell them how he felt. AWOL soldier is currently in custody, awaiting a trial.

Viorica Bucur, Romanian film critic, dies at 65

Viorica Bucur, member of the FIPRESCI (The International Federation of Film Critics), died on Monday, August 22. She had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer two months ago.

Viorica Bucur produced "Cartoon Gala"
Viorica Bucur produced "Cartoon Gala" at the Romanian National Television

[googlead tip=”vertical_mic”]Viorica Bucur was a professor with a PhD at the  Bucharest University of Theatrical and Cinematographic Art (UNATC). As a moderator, producer and scriptwriter, Viorica contributed to lots of popular TV shows.

In 1969, she began to work with the Romanian National Television (the only television in Romania at that time). She created (along with Octavian Sava) the title sequence of “Telecinemateca”, a TV series started in 1968. “Telecinemateca” (TV cinemateque), aired weekley, has featured classical films, with  shorts introductions made by film critics. The title sequence’s soundtrack, an excerpt from “This is my song” by Charlie Chaplin (“A Countess from Hong Kong” theme song), has become very popular and even in present days  lots of  Romanians associate “This is my song” with  “Telecinemateca”.

“A TV series cannot be distinguished without title sequence.” Said Viorica Bucur.

Viorica Bucur become famous with “Gala desenului animat” (“Cartoon Gala”).

[googlead tip=”lista_mica” aliniat=”stanga”]She produced “Cartoon Gala” for 15 years. They say this brought her nicknames like “Cartoon mother” or “Donald’s mother”. “Popeye the Sailor”, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “101 Dalmatians”, “Lady and the Tramp”, “The Jungle Book”, “Bambi”, “Tom and Jerry”, “Heckle and Jeckle”, “Bugs Bunny”, and other animated films enchanted the children.

Viorica Bucur also produced a series of shows dedicated to cinema history and news, such as “Istoria filmului mut”(“Silent Film History”) and “Istoria filmului sonor”(“Sound Film History”), “Premiere cinematografice” (“Cinema Premieres”), “Ecranul” (“The Screen”). In the late years she wrote film reviews.

Viorica Bucur was born on February 15, 1946 in Bucharest, Romania. She wished to be an astronomer, but when she learned that studying astronomy involves studying mathematics, she embraced her other love: cinematography.

“In the high-scool years… I was going to nearby “Mihai Eminescu” cinema … to watch famous movies like “Carmen la de Ronda”, with Sarita Montiel,  “Rocco and His Brothers” directed by Luchino Visconti. I had a revelation: I understood what a Film really means!” Viorica Bucur told to Historia magazine.[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]

Will Smith says his marriage is “intact”. Jada Pinkett denies affair with Marc Anthony.

HawthoRNe, Jada Pinkett Smith’s show cancelled after three seasons.

 

“Will Smith caught Jada and Marc Anthony in his own home” In Touch said.

 

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have separated?

 

Will Smith denies recent reports claimed his marriage to Jada Pinkett Smith is finished.

 [googlead tip=”patrat_mare” aliniat=”centrat”]

 

Will Smith, 42, decided to release a statement to the press via his representative after an In Touch Weekly magazine report claimed the pair had separated.

The statement said:

 

“’Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumours circulating about our relationship are completely false. We are still together, and our marriage is intact.”

 

Will Smith’s statement came few hours after Jada denied having affair with her Hawthorne co-star, Marc Anthony.

Will Smith denies recent reports claimed his marriage to Jada Pinkett Smith is finished
Will Smith denies recent reports claimed his marriage to Jada Pinkett Smith is finished

Jada Pinkett Smith, 39, addressed show-biz whispers of a liaison with Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez’s ex husband, who joined her TV show as a love interest last year.

 

“All the rumours regarding Marc Anthony and Jada are false. Completely untrue,” said Karynne Tencer, Jada’s spokesperson.

“As for [the reports of a split between] Will and Jada, I’m not commenting on their personal life.”

 

Marc Anthony spokesperson also addressed the rumours, saying:

 

“We unequivocally deny this. Enough is enough. There are families involved, children involved, friendships involved. This is NOT true.”

 

Marc Anthony, 42, divorced from Jennifer Lopez last month after a 7 years marriage. They are parents to twins Emme and Max, 3.

In Hawthorne TV series, Jada plays widowed chief nursing officer Christina, who juggles the demands of her career with bringing up a teenage daughter. She is also an executive producer the show.

Marc Anthony was initially introduced as a guest star playing police detective Nick Renata, but is now a series regular. He also serves as the show’s executive music producer.

Jada Pinkett Smith and Marc Anthony in Hawthorne TV series
Jada Pinkett Smith and Marc Anthony in Hawthorne TV series

 

[googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”] Will Smith’s older son from the previous marriage, Trey was the first to defend the couple, who married in 1997.

 

Trey Smith, 18, posted on Twitter today:

“Will and Jada getting a DIVORCE .. NOT TRUE AT ALL !!”

Trey later added:

“ #Did #WillandJada split? No they did NOT split ! False information ..its not true RETWEET!!!”

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have two children together – Jaden, 13, and Willow, 10.

Will Smith had been divorced before he met Jada . Will split from Trey’s mother – former fashion design student Sheree Zampino in 1995 – after 3 years of marriage.

Will Smith and Jada first met in 1990 when she auditioned for the part of his girlfriend on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air TV series.

Jada Pinkett was rejected at the audition because she was considered too short.

Will Smith married Jada in 1997, having a lavish ceremony at a mansion near her hometown of Baltimore in front 100 friends and family.

Jada was two months’ pregnant with Jaden at the time.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett, who recently went on a family holiday in Hawaii, were last seen in public together on the set of US daytime show The Talk.

Last week, Will Smith made a surprise appearance on the show as Jada gave an interview, and they shared a public kiss.

[googlead tip=”lista_mare” aliniat=”centrat”]

Earthquake on US East Coast.

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake, which lasted 45 seconds, rocked the US East Coast Tuesday afternoon, hitting areas from North Carolina to as far north as Ottawa, Canada.

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The earthquake, which hit at about 1:51 p.m. ET, measured a preliminary 5.9 and lasted up to 45 seconds, according to the US Geological Survey. It shook office buildings and homes and rattled residents.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) warned of aftershocks.

 

Earthquake epicenter was reported about 4 miles southwest of Mineral, Virginia, near Richmond, Virginia, and about 80 miles south of Washington, D.C.

The earthquake in Virginia felt in Washington, New York City, North Carolina.

Witnesses reported a low rumble that grew to distinct and sustained shaking, rattling windows and fraying nerves.

Earthquake epicenter was reported about 4 miles southwest of Mineral, Virginia, near Richmond and about 80 miles south of Washington D.C.
Earthquake epicenter was reported about 4 miles southwest of Mineral, Virginia, near Richmond and about 80 miles south of Washington D.C.

No people injured were reported after earthquake hit.

Federal officials say two nuclear reactors at the North Anna Power Station in Louisa County, Virginia, were automatically taken offline by safety systems around the time of the earthquake.

Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Sprint say their networks were congested as the quake sent people scrambling for the phones. Twitter lit up with personal earthquake reports up and down the East Coast.

 

The earthquake was one of the largest ever recorded in the Washington, D.C., area. [googlead tip=”vertical_mare” aliniat=”dreapta”]

[youtube RfTxpxXaf1A]

The depth of the quake was only 0.6 miles which partly explains the widely felt shaking.

“On the East Coast you have this old, hard, cold crust that does a lovely job of transmitting the waves … the energy. … This large of an eathquake could definitely have been felt hundreds of miles away,” said Lucy Jones, a seismologist at the USGS.

“Central Virginia does get its share of minor earthquakes, but an earthquake of this size on the East Coast is certainly very unusual,” said seismologist Karen Fischer of Brown University.

 

“Virginia is not on an active earthquake fault and is roughly in the middle of the North American continental crustal plate. But it has residual fault scars left over from 200 million to 300 million years ago, when it was an earthquake zone, at the time when the Atlantic Ocean rifted apart from Europe. An earthquake that registered 3.9 hit in 2003 was followed by a 4.5 that same year,” she said.

“We are just seeing pressure build up and release on those scars. There is a lot of debate on exactly what is going on down there and exactly how quakes this big happen in this kind of crustal zone.”

“Because the crust under the East Coast is colder and firmer than the West Coast, shocks travel more efficiently through it, accounting for the widely felt shaking.”

 

[googlead tip=”lista_mare” aliniat=”stanga”] Karen Fischer said the shallow depth of the Virginia quake is only a first estimate and will likely be revised.

“One lesson of this quake is that building codes will likely need to be revisited on the East Coast,” Fischer said.

“Because we are not as conscious of earthquakes here as the West Coast, we will have to see about structural damage to buildings, although I have not heard any damage reports so far.”

 

David Oppenheimer, a seismologist for the USGS at the Earthquake Science Center in Meno Park, California, said Tuesday’s temblor was not expected “in fact, we don’t even know about the faults in that part of the world.”

David Oppenheimer also said the earthquake is a big concern because the infrastructure in the region is not build to handle the shaking.

 

“This is the kind of thing that we worry about, infrequent large earthquakes in highly population areas with an old inventory of brick buildings, structures built before there were earthquake codes,” he said.

“You put this earthquake under a more urban area you would have had perhaps loss of life and more damage.”

 

Officials in the region scrambled to evacuate buildings.

The control towers at John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty airports were evacuated by the Federal Aviation Administration as a precaution, an FAA spokesman said. Flights out of both airports were canceled.

People from the State Department building in the Foggy Bottom area of Washington were evacuated too.

[youtube 2AnNlyDcySY]

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have separated?

“Will Smith caught Jada and Marc Anthony in his own home” In Touch said.

 

Will Smith says his marriage is “intact”. Jada Pinkett denies affair with Marc Anthony.

 

“Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have separated,” In Touch Weekly reported.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are married for more than 13 years and have two children together, the famous budding pop stars, Jaden and Willow. [googlead tip=”lista_mica” aliniat=”stanga”]

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have separated?
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have separated?

 

Will Smith met Jada Pinkett when she auditioned for “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,”and married her on December 31st, 1997.

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 [googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”stanga”]

Will Smith has another son, Trey, from a previous marriage.

According to TMZ reporters, who called Jada’s representative, Karynne Tencer said:

 

“What? In Touch said that? I know nothing about this … Lord. I’m going back to bed.”

 

Jada Pinkett told YourTango in 2007 how she and Will Smith first got together.

 

“After we had known each other for many years, we went out for dinner one night with mutual friends and I saw that he had grown from this lanky kid to this really responsible man,” she said.

“We started courting each other and our friendship turned into romance.”

 

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are married for 13 years and have two children together, budding pop stars, Jaden and Willow
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are married for 13 years and have two children together, budding pop stars, Jaden and Willow

 

In 2008, Will Smith spoke with Ellen Degeneres about their marriage, which he implied would last forever.

 

“What I found is divorce just can’t be an option,” he said.

“It’s really that simple. And I think that’s the problem with L.A. – there are so many options. So a huge part of the success for [Jada] and I is that we just removed the other options.”

 

Whether it was cause or effect is uncertain, but that dedication certainly coincided with an active sex life, including a romp on the way to the Oscars in 2010.

Last June, speaking to Uptown Magazine, Jada said:

 

“People think that Will and I don’t spend a lot of time together. Too much time, actually, if you ask me. It’s always nice to have a little time apart. Sometimes you need that.”

Amy Winehouse: toxicology results showed no illegal drugs in her body.

VMA 2011: tribute to Amy Winehouse.

 

Amy Winehouse toxicology tests results showed absence of ”illegal substances” in her body at the time of her death, according to a today family statement.

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Amy Winehouse was found dead at her residence in north London on 23rd of July 2011.

 

Amy Winehouse family’s today statement said:

 

”Toxicology results returned to the Winehouse family by authorities have confirmed that there were no illegal substances in Amy’s system at the time of her death

Results indicate that alcohol was present but it cannot be determined as yet if it played a role in her death.

The family would like to thank the police and coroner for their continuing thorough investigations and for keeping them informed throughout the process. They await the outcome of the inquest in October.”

 

An initial post-mortem examination of Amy Winehouse’s body proved inconclusive and subsequently an inquest was opened and adjourned with no cause of death given for the 27-year-old singer.

Amy Winehouse toxicology results showed "no illegal substances" in her body.
Amy Winehouse toxicology results showed "no illegal substances" in her body.

[googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”dreapta”] Amy Winehouse’s drink and drugs addiction was very well known and made the news of her death to be immediately followed by speculations it could be related to one or the other.

Mitch Winehouse, Amy’s father told mourners at her funeral on July 26 his daughter had been the happiest she had been in a long time in the weeks before her death.

Her father added she had “conquered” her drug addiction and was “trying hard to deal with her drinking” and his daughter had recently “completed three weeks of abstinence.”

 

Amy Winehouse had told her father: “Dad I’ve had enough of drinking, I can’t stand the look on your and the family’s faces anymore.”

 [googlead tip=”lista_mica” aliniat=”stanga”]

During Amy’s funeral service at Edgwarebury Cemetery in north London, Mitch Winehouse said:

 

“She was the happiest she has been for years. We all remember that great night at the 100 Club on Oxford Street, her voice was good, her wit and timing were perfect. She told me that she had <<thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed herself>>.

But knowing she wasn’t depressed, knowing she passed away, knowing she passed away happy, it makes us all feel better.”

 

Mitch Winehouse has also revealed family’s plans to set up an “Amy Winehouse” foundation to help people struggling with addiction.

Jerry Leiber, Elvis Presley’s hits lyricist, has died

Elvis Presley’s 34th commemoration held at Graceland

 

Jerry Leiber, legendary songwriter of rock’n’roll music, died of cardiopulmonary failure on Monday, August 22, at Cedar Sinai medical Centre in Los Angeles. He was 78.

Jerry Leiber passed quickly and with minimum discomfort, surrounded by his family. He is survived by his three sons, Jed, Oliver, and Jake, and his two granddaughters, Chloe and Daphne. You can honor his memory by committing your life to excellence and joy. Of course, Jerry would never have said anything like that. He would have said:

‘Let’s break out the booze, and have a ball…’

That works, too. L’chaim, Unca Jer.” Wrote Peter Stoller on Leiber & Stoller’s website.

Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller have been writing songs for almost sixty years. They created classics in various genres, Rhythm & Blues, Pop, Jazz, Cabaret, and they could said they had contributed to the birth of Rock&Roll.

Jerry Leiber was born on April 25, 1933, in Baltimore, Maryland and he met Mike Stoller in 1950.

“Hound Dog”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “Stand By Me”, “Spanish Harlem”, “Yakety-Yak”, “Young Blood”, “On Broadway”, “Poison Ivy”, “Stand By Me”, “Love Potion No. 9”, ” Love Me”,  “King Creole”, “There Goes My Baby”, “Charlie Brown” are some of their most known songs.

Jerry and Mike were teenagers back then, they shared a passion for blues and wrote songs for amusement. Jerry Leiber was writing mostly the lyrics and Mike Stoller was composing the music.

“Jerry was an idea machine. For every situation, Jerry had 20 ideas.” Mike Stoller said in their autobiography “Hound Dog” (2009).

Their songs were recorded by Jimmy Witherspoon, Little Esther, Little Willie Littlefield, Charles Brown,  Ray Charles, the Drifters, Coasters and the Robins. In 1953 Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton recorded “Hound Dog” and the Atlantic Records became interested in them.

Mike Stoller, Elvis Presley and Jerry Leiber studying "Jailhouse Rock" song sheet
Mike Stoller, Elvis Presley and Jerry Leiber studying "Jailhouse Rock" song sheet

 

Elvis Presley made “Hound Dog” a huge hit in 1956, but Jerry Leiber was upset because Elvis had change the lyrics.

“The song is not about a dog; it’s about a man, a freeloading gigolo. Elvis’ version makes no sense to me, and, even more irritatingly, it is not the song that Mike and I wrote. Of course, the fact that it sold more than seven million copies took the sting out of what seemed to be a capricious changes of lyrics.” Said Jerry Leiber in their memoir “Hound Dog”.

In 1959 the Coasters’ “Poison Ivy” went to number 1 on the R&B chart and number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“Pure and simple, ‘Poison Ivy’ is a metaphor for a sexually transmitted disease – or the clap – hardly a topic for a song that hit the Top Ten in the Spring of 1959.” “But the more we wrote, the less we understood why the public bought what it bought.” Jerry Leiber said.

In 1964 the Beatles became popular in US and the music trends changed, however in 1972 their Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck In The Middle With You” was a hit.

“Is That All There Is?” won Grammy award in 1969 and same did the cast album of “Smokey Joe’s Café”, a 1995 Broadway musical. They were inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985.

American Idol, reality television singing competition, dedicated an evening to Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller’s music on May 11, 2011.

 

Nick Ashford of legendary duo Ashford & Simpson dies at 69

Nick Ashford (Nickolas Ashford), famous songwriter of Motown, died on Monday, August 22, in a New York hospital.

[googlead tip=”lista_mare”]Ashford has been suffering from throat cancer for years and was undergoing radiation therapy. His wife, Valerie Simpson and their daughters were with him when he died on Monday afternoon, said Liz Rosenberg, publicist and friend of Nick Ashford.

Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson were inducted into the “Songwriters Hall of Fame” in 2002.

Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson
Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson

The duo, performers and songwriters, had a great contribution on setting the golden standard for R&B duets. [googlead tip=”vertical_mare” aliniat=”dreapta”]

They broke out as R&B stars in the late ’70s and ’80s, with hits like Don’t Cost You Nothing, It Seems to Hang On, Found a Cure, Street Corner and their signature song, Solid.

Nick and Valerie recorded eight albums with Warner Bros., (four of them went gold), five with Capitol and two independently. Been Found, recorded in 1996, was created along with Maya Angelo, poet.

In 1966 they started to work with Motown. Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson wrote or produced most of the songs of Motown’s Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, including Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, You’re All I Need to Get By, Your Precious Love. They also wrote hits for Chuck Jackson, The Shirelles, Maxine Brown and the Fifth Dimension.

Let’s Go Get Stoned, Ray Charles’ 1966 number one R&B hit, was written by Nick Ashford and Valerie together with Josie Jo Armstead.

They wrote and produced Diana Ross’ solo hits, including Diana’s first solo Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand) and I’m Every Woman for Chaka Khan (Whitney Houston recorded it later).

In the recent years they performed occasionally. In 2001 they sang, with various artists, We are a family, a song by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers re-recorded as a benefit record for the September 11 attacks. Also they often hosted events at Sugar Bar.  Bruce Willis, Michael Douglas, Steve Wonder, Whoopi Goldberg, David Rockefeller Jr., and many others attended their New York restaurant. [googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”centrat”]

Nick Ashford was born on May 4, 1942, in Fairfield, South Carolina, New York, and he wished to be a dancer. In 1963 he met Valerie at Harlem’s White Rock Baptist Church and they married in 1974. They have two children, Nicole (born in 1975) and Asia (born in 1987).

In the link below you can find pictures of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson children:

Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson Photo Album

Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson performing Found a Cure (the album Stay Free went gold):

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck are expecting the third child.

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, 39 year-old actors, are expecting their third child. [googlead tip=”patrat_mare”]

 

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s representatives confirmed the news that they are expecting the third child to the Associated Press on Monday.

According to the Associated Press, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck couple is “thrilled” over the news.

Jennifer Garner is pregnant with the third child.
Jennifer Garner is pregnant with the third child.

 

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, who married in 2005, have two children – Violet, 5, and Seraphina, 2.[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”stanga”]

 

Jennifer Garner told Parents magazine in 2009 about her joy over being a mom that “it opened her heart.”

 

“The best part of being a mom is the kid herself — that you get to have this little person be your friend and hang out with you (and drive you crazy!),” Jennifer Garner told Parents magazine at the time.

“Obviously your life changes and your heart expands, and it’s something you can’t even put into words without sounding incredibly sentimental and cliched — both of which I am! But what it really is, is this new being is there, which is just the most fun ever.”

 

While Jennifer was pregnant with Seraphina, she used pregnancy as an excuse to enjoy more sweets.

 

“I always have cravings,” Jennifer Garner told Parents magazine.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m pregnant or not! I use pregnancy as an excuse to say I’m craving ice cream and chocolate, but really, that’s just me.”

 

[googlead tip=”lista_mica” aliniat=”stanga”]Jennifer Garner spent last weekend promoting a new movie — “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” co-starring “Warrior’s” Joel Edgerton — at Disney’s D23 Expo in Anaheim, California.

Jerry Lewis NOT back to the MDA Labor Day Telethon hosting.

What Happened At The MDA Telethon? Tribute To Jerry Lewis.

 

MDA Labor Day Telethon 2011 Programme.

 

Jerry Lewis Is Missing From Today Telethon.

 

MDA Labor Day Telethon 2011: first time without Jerry Lewis.

 

Jerry Lewis reinstalled as MDA Labor Day Telethon host?

 

Jerry Lewis, the comedy veteran was reported Sunday to be returning as host and chairman of Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Labor Day annual Telethon, but Monday, the newspaper which published the information, made the correction.[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”dreapta”]

 

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal Sunday report, Jerry Lewis had been “reinstated” at the annual fundraising MDA event after, based on a source close to the comedian report.[googlead tip=”lista_mica” aliniat=”dreapta”]

On Monday, Las Vegas Review-Journal came back on the subject and said that the source “intended to say Lewis and the MDA had reconciled, not that Lewis had been reinstated.”

Jerry Lewis is not back for 2011 MDA Labor Day Telethon.
Jerry Lewis is not back for 2011 MDA Labor Day Telethon.

 

Candi Cazau, a Jerry Lewis representative said:

 

”Jerry Lewis being reinstated as the host of the MDA telethon is not accurate.”

 

Last May, it had been announced that Jerry Lewis, who hosted the MDA Telethon for 45 years, would be retiring after the 2011 show.

At the beginning of August, came the surprising news that Jerry Lewis was no longer the MDA’s national chairman and would not take part in 2011 MDA Telethon.

 

 [googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”] Jerry Lewis first telethon in 1966 was carried by a single New York station and raised more than $1 million.

 

In 2010, telethon brought in nearly $59 million for muscular dystrophy and ALS research.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association has already announced its star-studded lineup for the event which will be held on September 4.

JerryLewis was presented with a lifetime achievement award Saturday night at the Nevada Broadcasters Association’s Hall of Fame ceremony in Las Vegas, where he made no mention of the telethon.

Best known for his slapstick humor in multiple entertainment formats, Jerry Lewis launched his career with Dean Martin in 1946 when the duo created the comedy team of Martin and Lewis.

Richard Branson’s Caribbean Great House on fire. Kate Winslet was among his guests.

Fire broke out last night at Richard Branson’s Caribbean Great House on Necker, his private isle in the British Virgin Islands.

 

Actress Kate Winslet was among the Richard Branson’s 20 guests who were forced to run after a fire sparked by a lightning strike swept through the Virgin’s boss opulent home on the tycoon’s private Caribbean island.[googlead tip=”patrat_mare”]

Richard Branson said about 20 guests were accommodated in the eight-bedroom Great House on Necker, where fire broke up.

Richard Branson’s daughter, Holly, who will marry shipbroker Freddie Andrews on the island at the end of this year, and his 90-year-old mother, Eve, were also among guests forced to flee the Great House.

The Virgin’s boss, 61, his wife, Joan, and son, Sam, were on the island but were staying in another house about 100 meters away from Great House.

Fire broke out last night at Richard Branson's Caribbean Great House on Necker, his private isle in the British Virgin Islands
Fire broke out last night at Richard Branson's Caribbean Great House on Necker, his private isle in the British Virgin Islands

 

Richard Branson said the fire broke out during a storm, and his son Sam managed to help evacuate Kate Winslet and other guests.

 

“The Great House was completely destroyed and the fire was not yet entirely extinguished this morning.”

 

Caribbean has been buffeted by tropical storms in recent days, with the one passing over Necker Island last night today picking up speed to become the first hurricane of the season.[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]

Hurricane Irene hit Puerto Rico this morning, sending residents fleeing for shelter in refuges and knocking out electricity across half of the US administered island, including the capital San Juan.

 

From his ablaze Great House on Necker Island, Sir Richard Branson said:

 

“We had a really bad tropical storm with winds up to 90mph. A big lightning storm came around 4am and hit the house.

My son Sam rushed to the house and helped get everyone out.

Kate Winslet, her boyfriend and her family were there, and Holly and some of her friends were also staying.

Many thanks to Kate Winslet for helping to carry my 90 year mum out of the main house to safety – she was wondering when a Director was going to shout CUT!

The main house is completely destroyed and the fire is not yet completely out. My office was based in the house and I have lost thousands of photographs and my note books which is very sad.

But all family and friends are well – which in the end is all that really matters.”

 

Kate Winslet was among Richard Branson's 20 guests at Great House on Necker Island
Kate Winslet was among Richard Branson's 20 guests at Great House on Necker Island

 

 

Sir Richard Branson added:

 

“It’s very much the Dunkirk spirit here. We want to rebuild the house as soon as we can.

We have a wonderful staff here and we want them to stay in work. There’s a lot of damage but we’ll create something even more special out of the ruins.

Thanks again for all the kind messages you have sent – they mean a lot.

Currently just huddled up with family and friends in the continuing tropical storm realizing what really matters in life.”

 

According to a Virgin spokesman today’s statement:

 

“In the early hours of this morning, a fire took place on Necker Island, causing substantial damage to the Great House.

While the cause at this stage is unknown, it is thought most likely due to a lightning strike.

While substantial damage was caused to the building, no guests or members of the Necker Island staff were hurt.

Sir Richard Branson, members of his family and guests were on the island at the time.

They are all safe and currently being accommodated elsewhere on the island.”

 

[googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”stanga”]Richard Branson bought Necker Island in the early 1980s, when he was just 28, and work on the Great House began in 1982.

 

3 years of work and an estimated $10million turned into a private island retreat.

In 2010, Richard Branson gave Oprah Winfrey show presenter Nate Berkus a tour of island. He told Nate Berkus the reason of buying the island was the pursuit of his wife, Joan.

 

“I was about 26-years-old, I was chasing this beautiful lady, trying to persuade her to come live with me and we discovered this beautiful island.

I somehow managed to get the island, get the lady and get the mother of my children.

I appreciate every moment of my life. I was born under a lucky star.”

 

[youtube pOzgqkpw9qc]

The Necker Island complex is used by the Branson family as well as friends, but can also be rented out – but at huge prices.

The complex offers accommodation for 28 people and could be hired at $53,000 to $54,000 a day.

The price includes 2 private beaches, private pools, tennis courts, breathtaking views, a personal chef, about 60 staff and a wide array of water sports equipment.

Each bedroom has its own balcony, four-poster bed and en-suite bathroom.

All have open walls giving a 360-degree view and cooling winds from any direction in the house.

Todd Green wing walker fell 200 feet to death at an air show in Michigan.

Todd Green, a Silver Wings Wingwalking Team stuntman, has died after falling about 60 metres (200 feet) at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base Air Show in Harrison Charter Township, about 32 km (20 miles) northeast of Detroit, Michigan.

 

[googlead tip=”vertical_mare” aliniat=”stanga”] Wing walker, Todd Green was trying to move from a plane to a helicopter when he fell at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base Air Show, according to the air base spokesman, Technical Sergeant Dan Heaton.

The horrible accident happened while wing walker Todd Green was flying on John Mohr’s Stearman aircraft during a stunt at the air show. An ambulance brought stuntman Todd Green to Mount Clemens Regional Medical Centre.

Diane Kish, Mount Clemens Regional Medical Centre spokeswoman said the stuntman died from lethal injuries during accident. [googlead tip=”patrat_mare” aliniat=”stanga”]

Wing walker Todd Green fell 200 feet to death at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base Air Show in Harrison Charter Township, Michigan.
Wing walker Todd Green fell 200 feet to death at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base Air Show in Harrison Charter Township, Michigan.

 

Few minutes before wing walker Todd Green’s fall, the air show announcer told the public address system mentioned winds were becoming a factor in the performance, reminding the audience about the inherent risk of danger in the stunt manoeuvres.

 

Some people from the audience, who saw the stuntman’s fall thought it was part of the show, but quickly learned from the announcer that something had gone wrong, The Macomb Daily of Mount Clemens reported.

Jennifer Bradley from Linden attended the show accompanied by her sons, ages 7 and 11, when the fall happened.

 

“There were lots of tears,” Jennifer Bradley told the newspaper.

“We sat and prayed together.”

 

Republican Candice Miller, who lives in Harrison Township, also was watching as Todd Green fell and told the newspaper she watched the stuntman perform on Saturday, the day before his death.

 

“It was very surreal,” Candice Miller said of the fall.

“It takes a moment to get your mind around what just happened. I know he was a big part of this show, a lot of people came just to see him.”

 

Wing walker Todd Green was a Michigan native, started performing aerial stunts over 25 years ago. Todd was the son of prominent aerial stuntman Eddie Green. He left behind his wife, Dawn, his son Tyler and his stepson Derrick.

 [googlead tip=”lista_mare” aliniat=”stanga”]

“During his 45 year career as a stuntman, Eddie performed with pilots Harold Krier, Bill Barber, Bob Barden and Jimmy Franklin,” the Silver Wings Wingwalking Team posted on its website, adding that Todd Green “continues the tradition his father founded.”

[youtube irDWd5Xy3Xk]

8 Ways The Market Collapse Will Affect People’s Lives.

[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”stanga”]Are you among those who don’t invest in the stock market? Do you think stock market crashes doesn’t concern you?

But… the truth is… they do!

It’s not only those who actively trade who lose money. The average person loses money and opportunities as well. To show how, 24/7 Wall St. put together a list of eight ways market collapses affect people’s lives:

Stock market collapse affects average people's lives.
Stock market collapse affects average people's lives.

 

[googlead tip=”vertical_mare” aliniat=”stanga”] 1. Employee benefits cut

Stock market collapses hurt employee benefits in several ways. Initially, when the market is soft, companies tend to pull back on retirement benefits, eliminating pensions and matching 401(k)s. Motivated by the same concern, they also reduce other types of benefits, like health care and dental plans. The 2008 Employee Benefits study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce showed that “employers began scaling back on employee benefits as the economy slowed down in 2007, even before last fall’s economic tailspin partly unleashed by the constriction of the credit markets,” according to The Wall Street Journal. “The average dollar amount of employee benefits fell 14% to $18,496 in 2007 from $21,527 the year before.”

 

2. Retirement deferred

Nothing kills retirement like a cratering 401(k) — when the value of savings meant to fund life after people stop working plummets. The difference between a $1 million portfolio and a $500,000 portfolio can be the difference between retiring at 65 or working until 70 — as large numbers of people found out when the market collapsed in 2009. According to USA Today, a 2009 AARP study found that “35% of those ages 45 to 54 have stopped putting money into their 401(k), IRA or other retirement accounts, 25% said they have prematurely withdrawn funds from their retirement accounts.”

 

3. Home sale

Are the stock markets and home markets tied to one another? Absolutely. Over 20% of home loans in the U.S. are underwater. To sell those homes, owners have to come up with the difference between what they can sell the house for and what they owe the bank. That difference can certainly be well into the tens of thousands of dollars. If the money needed to bridge that difference is tied to the stock market, owners will have a hard time selling.

 

4. Home purchase

It has become difficult to get a mortgage even though rates are at historic lows. Banks are leery of lending when house prices continue their free fall. A down market makes the banks even more cautious: they tend to tighten lending standards, require higher credit scores, shrink credit limits, raise minimum payments and make it generally more difficult to qualify for a loan. On top of it, any assets potential home owners set aside for down payments are often partially in equities.

 

5. Education deferred

College funds, kept by many parents for their children’s higher education, are generally comprised in part of equities. A correction in the stock market drags the value of these funds down, and as a result makes paying for tuition harder. During the middle of the last recession, enrollment in low-cost colleges, and public community colleges increased an average 16 percent in 2009, according the U.S. News & World Report. “One reason: ‘reverse transfers.’ Students at expensive four-year universities are switching to lower-cost two-year schools to get their basics completed inexpensively.”

 

6. Unemployment

Businesses feel the ripple effects of a market collapse fairly fast. Some hold the money on their balance sheets in cash, but that is often mixed in with equities. A rapid and sharp drop in the markets can erode a company’s assets. This, in turn, makes it more cautious about expenditures, which includes payroll. The other reason companies review employment levels when the markets sell off is that the drop is likely to be the precursor of an economic slowdown. If a company sees a recession in its business coming it may lay off workers preemptively.

 [googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”stanga”]

7. Car purchase

One thing that car companies found out three years ago is that consumer confidence is harder to come by when the market corrects by 30% or 40%. The psychological effect is only part of it. People with a part of their net worth in the stock market usually curtail their spending on anything more than the essentials until they see a rebound in value. And, after a huge correction, a rebound can take years. Added to that, much like a home loan, getting financing becomes much more challenging. J.D. Power & Associates lowered its estimate for U.S. auto sales in 2011 by 300,000 light vehicles to 12.6 million.

 

8. Small business start-up

Small business start-ups are not funded by venture capital money. People use their own savings or borrow from friends and family the seed capital needed to start a new company. A market sell-off hurts start-ups in two ways. First, it shrinks the nest eggs people might use to begin a new enterprise. Second, it makes it hard for the start-up to flourish as business and consumer confidence are low. The Wall Street Journal reports that according to the Census Bureau, the number of new companies that were started in the 12 months ended March 2009 was down 17.3% from a prior year — the fewest since 1977, when the Census Bureau began keeping records.

Jerry Lewis reinstalled as MDA Labor Day Telethon host?

What Happened At The MDA Telethon? Tribute To Jerry Lewis.

 

Jerry Lewis Is Missing From Today Telethon.

 

MDA Labor Day Telethon 2011: first time without Jerry Lewis.

 

Jerry Lewis NOT back to the MDA Labor Day Telethon hosting.

 

[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”]Muscular Dystrophy Association has reconsidered its recent decision to drop comedian Jerry Lewis as the chairman and host of MDA Labor Day Telethon?

 

In an unexpected reversal, Jerry Lewis was reinstated Saturday to the MDA Labor Day Telethon he has hosted since 1966, according to a source close to comedian, Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

 

Jerry Lewis, 85, has been MDA’s national chairman since the early 1950s and has hosted the MDA Labor Day Telethon since 1966.[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]

Jerry Lewis reinstated as MDA Labor Day Telethon host
Jerry Lewis reinstated as MDA Labor Day Telethon host

Last May, Jerry Lewis made the announcement that he was retiring as host of the telethon, but added that he would make a final appearance on 2011 show and planned on continuing to serve as Muscular Dystrophy Association’s national chairman.

R. Rodney Howell, MDA Chairman of the Board said in a statement that Lewis “will not be appearing on the telethon” and “we will not be replacing him as MDA national chairman.”

Rodney Howell added that Lewis “is a world-class humanitarian and we’re forever grateful to him for his more than half century of generous service to MDA.” [googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”stanga”]

 

Jerry Lewis received a lifetime achievement award from the Nevada Broadcasters Association Saturday, claiming that he made his reputation in show business by saving lives.

 

“I made my reputation in this business caring for what I did, caring for the people that I did it for,” Jerry Lewis said.

 

Jerry Lewis made no mention of coming back to MDA Telethon while accepting his lifetime achievement award.

Happiness can deter non violent crime and drug use in adolescents.

Risk of autism recurrence in siblings is higher than thought.

 

Bipolar disorder: new hope from stem cell research.

 

A new University of California Davis study has found that happiness and well-being in adolescents report less involvement in crime and drug use than other youth.[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]

 

To reach this finding, researchers at the University of California Davis used 1995 and 1996 data from nearly 15,000 seventh- to ninth-grade students in the federally funded National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.

[googlead tip=”lista_mica” aliniat=”stanga”]About 29% of the students surveyed reported having committed at least one criminal offence, and 18% claimed they had used at least one illegal drug.

The researchers then correlated these reports with students’ self-assessments of emotional well-being and found that those who said they were happier were less likely to commit crimes or use drugs.

Happiness and well-being in adolescents report less involvement in crime and drug use than other youth.
Happiness and well-being in adolescents report less involvement in crime and drug use than other youth.

 

[googlead tip=”vertical_mare” aliniat=”stanga”] “Our results suggest that the emphasis placed on happiness and well-being by positive psychologists and others is warranted,” said co-author Bill McCarthy, a UC Davis sociology professor.

 

The researchers also found that youth with even minor depression were much more likely to be involved in criminal activity or drug use. And while most of teenagers have periods of happiness and depression, “it’s when negative periods begin to outnumber the more positive ones that trouble can start,” the UC Davis researchers said.

 

“In addition to their other benefits, programs and policies that increase childhood and adolescent happiness may have a notable effect on deterring non violent crime and drug use,” said Prof. Bill McCarthy.

 

Prof. Bill McCarthy and Teresa Casey, a postdoctoral researcher at UC Davis argued that positive emotions also have a role.

The UC Davis team theorized that the benefits of generally happiness – such as maintaining strong bonds with others, feeling good about oneself, and gaining good social skills – can help teenagers make good decisions.

“We hypothesize that the benefits of happiness – from strong bonds with others, a positive self-image and the development of socially valued cognitive and behavioral skills – reinforce a decision-making approach that is informed by positive emotions,” they wrote in their study.

Their research finds that happier adolescents were less likely to report involvement in crime or drug use. Adolescents with minor, or nonclinical, depression had significantly higher odds of engaging in such activities.

The study was to be presented Monday at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association in Las Vegas.

Since the study has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, the findings should be viewed as preliminary.

Bipolar disorder: new hope from stem cell research.

Happiness can deter non violent crime and drug use in adolescents.

 

Risk of autism recurrence in siblings is higher than thought.

 

[googlead tip=”vertical_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”] The University of Michigan Health System researchers said stem cell could offer new hope for unlocking the secrets of bipolar disorder.

 

A new project begins at the University of Michigan as the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Fund marks ten years in the search for a cure of bipolar disorder.

According to a University of Michigan Health System statement  posted on its website on August 22, the new stem cell lines developed from the skin of adults living with bipolar disorder are providing researchers at the University of Michigan Health System an unprecedented opportunity to delve into the genetic and biological underpinnings of the devastating mood disorder.

 Scientists will be able to link new findings – such as how gene expression is affected by different medications – to extensive clinical and demographic data from the cell donors, who are also participants in an ongoing long-term study of hundreds of individuals with bipolar disorder.

The induced pluripotent stem cells could offer new hope for unlocking the secrets of bipolar disorder.
The induced pluripotent stem cells could offer new hope for unlocking the secrets of bipolar disorder.

 

The new research comes as the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Fund, based at the University of Michigan Depression Center, prepares to mark the 10th anniversary of its establishment by Waltraud “Wally” Prechter following the July 2001 death of her husband, Heinz. Before he took his life, few people knew that the well-known automotive entrepreneur wrestled with bipolar disorder.

 

“Currently the best treatments for bipolar disorder are only effective for 30 percent to 50 percent of patients,” said Melvin McInnis, M.D., the Thomas B and Nancy Upjohn Woodworth Professor of Bipolar Disorder and Depression at the University of Michigan Medical School and associate director at the University of Michigan Depression Center.

“New discoveries have been limited, in part due to the lack of access to tissue and cells from individuals with bipolar disorder. But that is now changing because of the Prechter research program and advances in stem cell research.”

 

The new stem cell lines – among the first to be created by the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies – were made from fibroblasts from skin samples donated by adult research volunteers both with and without bipolar disorder.[googlead tip=”patrat_mic” aliniat=”dreapta”]

In the lab, scientists can coax these skin cells into behaving like embryonic stem cells. Known as induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSC, these, in turn, can be manipulated to develop into different types of body cells, including brain cells.

 

“We will be able to see if there are differences in how the neurons of a person with bipolar disorder make connections, determine how they respond to different medications and explore potential deficiencies in signaling pathways,” explained Sue O’Shea, Ph.D., a professor of cell and developmental biology at the Medical School who leads the stem cell lab with Gary Smith, Ph.D, professor of obstetrics and gynecology.

“So far, five lines have been created. The goal, is to develop 30 cell lines – 20 from people with bipolar disorder and 10 control subjects. Creating each line is a painstaking and expensive process.”

“We often think of stems cells being used in therapies to treat disease, but this is a great example of stem cells’ usefulness for studying the mechanisms of disease.”

“The iPS cells renew themselves, so they’re an unlimited source of material and offer hope to individuals with bipolar disorder.”

 

Still, the researchers caution, new treatments spurred by this work could be a decade or more away.

 

Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, affects 5.7 million adults in the United States. It is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain and marked by significant changes in mood, thoughts, energy and behavior.

 

Heinz Prechter, the well known automotive entrepreneur wrestled with bipolar disorder.
Heinz Prechter, the well known automotive entrepreneur wrestled with bipolar disorder.

[googlead tip=”lista_medie” aliniat=”dreapta”]Because bipolar disorder runs in families, research at University of Michigan (U-M) has focused on studying disease genes. There is no single gene that “causes” someone to become bipolar, but the disease has its roots in genetic vulnerabilities.

The Prechter Bipolar Genetic Repository already houses more than 1,500 genetic samples from people with bipolar disorder and healthy controls from studies at U-M along with collaborating sites: Johns Hopkins, Stanford, Cornell and Penn State. It is the first independently funded bipolar genetics repository in the nation. In addition to sharing the knowledge between the different universities, confidential, coded DNA repository samples and clinical information will be made available to scientists worldwide to accelerate and share clinical breakthroughs in evaluating and treating bipolar disorder.

The Prechter longitudinal study has already collected more than 5 years’ worth of data.

 

“I’m really proud that over the last 10 years my husband’s legacy has grown to include the strides we’re making to understand bipolar disorder and find new treatments,” Wally Prechter says.

 “Bipolar is like any other illness – cancer, diabetes, heart disease – and deserves the same urgency.”

 

“That lack of effective treatment is a big reason for the high risk of suicide or suicide attempts among people with bipolar disorder. Anywhere from 5% to 15% of bipolar patients will attempt or commit suicide sometime in their lives,” said McInnis.

 

“Depression caused by Heinz Prechter’s bipolar disorder affected his whole being,” said Wally Prechter.

“He was extremely exuberant and happy, and very, very optimistic, to the point that I thought, ‘Wow, I’ve never met anyone like that.’ But when he was depressed it was to the point that he would stay home and just sit in a chair and look out at the river,” she said.

 

The memory of how her brilliant husband was reduced to such a low, unable to tell anyone what he was going through, is part of what continues to drive her today.

U-M Health System CEO and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, M.D., points to the research as a great example of the strides that can be made when public institutions and private donors collaborate on research that benefits the public.

 

“The Prechter research shows how we continue to fuel innovation through exciting collaborations that highlight our commitment to bench-to-bedside medical advances,” Pescovitz said.

“We are very fortunate to have Wally and her family as part of our Michigan family.”

HP TouchPad Australian fire sale. Harvey Norman pulls the tablet from shelves too.

8/28 UPDATE HP TouchPad STILL IN STOCK

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales in Europe blocked by Apple.

HP tablet: Best Buy will sell TouchPad at fire sale prices.

 

HP TouchPad Australian exclusive retailer, Harvey Norman has decided to pull HP tablet from shelves, rushing the liquidation of HP’s tablet from the market barely weeks after its launch.

 

HP TouchPad launch on Australian market had happened only 4 days before Hewlett-Packard‘s unexpected decision to discontinue device operations, the Register reported.

Harvey Norman’s decision came even as Hewlett-Packard’s PR agency was sending review devices to technology writers, the report said.

 

The HP TouchPad is not currently listed on the retailer’s Web site anymore. Harvey Norman said it will offer full refund to customers who would return the tablet following the decision.

Harvey Norman has decided to pull HP TouchPad from shelves
Harvey Norman has decided to pull HP TouchPad from shelves

[googlead tip=”lista_mare” aliniat=”stanga”]The customers who decide to keep HP TouchPad have been warned that post-sales service would not be available. Only about 1000 HP TouchPad had been sold before the decision to pull them from the shelves was announced.

HP made the surprising announcement, which shocked the entire industry, on Thursday saying it was exiting the PC business and discontinuing operations for HP Touchpad tablet computer based on Palm’s webOS software.

It said HP board has “authorized the exploration of strategic alternatives for its Personal Systems Group” and plans to close down its webOS device business. The shocking announcement came only few days after Google agreed to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion.

 

HP’s decision apparently followed the poor performance of HP TouchPad just weeks into its worldwide launch. The tablet got only a small impact on the market and was unable to compete with Apple’s iPad 2 and other Android tablets in terms of both features as well as ecosystem.

 

Following negative market feedback, HP reduced HP TouchPad price by $100 to boost its sales, but that did not help. Best Buy and other HP retailers started complaining of more than 200,000 units lying unsold in their warehouses. In response to their complaints, HP credited Best Buy and other resellers about $100 million for their unsold inventory.

As a result of HP’s decision to exit personal computer business, the HP TouchPad was immediately on a fire sale, with retailers reducing prices drastically. 16GB and 32GB tablets prices were reduced considerably to $99 and $149 respectively.

 

“HP will be lowering the price of the TouchPad beginning Saturday 8/20/11. This is the lowest price ever for the TouchPad so please post it as soon as it goes live,” an HP memo had said.