Reader: Downloaders don't hurt rich musicians

Our readers continue to contribute some funny, smart and incisive comments to our Today Entertainment Facebook page. Every Friday, we'll highlight those that really stood out. If you see a great comment throughout the week, click the ?Like? button underneath it to draw it to our attention.

On "NPR intern has 11,000 songs, paid for few"
Barbara Scaff: "(Musicians) deserve to get paid, but do they deserve millions upon millions upon millions? NOPE. The rest of us schlubs have to deal with min. wage or being underpaid, why should people who SING for a living get a break from that? And please keep it real, they are still raking in money from perfume sales, magazine covers, movies, selling pics of their babies, and other ridiculous JOBS. I'm supposed to feel sorry for someone who might not have AS MUCH money as they use to but still wears shoes that cost as much as a house payment WHILE people fighting for our freedom, putting out fires, doing backbreaking labor all have to deal with $23,000 or less a year? Get real."

On "Could Alec Baldwin face criminal charges in photographer incident?"
Alison Parson: "(Paparazzi) are low-life divas that think they have the right to go as close to people as they want.? Celebrities ask for you to listen to their music, see their movies, etc.? Not violate their personal lives and camp out every single place they may be.? GET A REAL JOB!"

On "Jon Gosselin to ex-wife: I'm sorry"
Laura E. Platte: "Though I do think it is overdue ... I also feel that sometimes people really need to hit rock bottom before they realize what they have done, and there is nothing left but to apologize for their wrongdoings."

On "Check out Emma Stone's 'Amazing' looks"
John Bales: "Cute, pretty and perky looking but I wouldn't include her in a list of the great beauties of the ages. She's part of a crop of pretty ingenues in Hollywood that have a brief time in the spotlight before fading into bit parts in movies."

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New cause of spinal muscular atrophy described

ScienceDaily (June 21, 2012) ? Over 15 years ago, researchers linked a defect in a gene called survival motor neuron -- or SMN -- with the fatal disease spinal muscular atrophy. Because SMN had a role in assembling the intracellular machinery that processes genetic material, it was assumed that faulty processing was to blame.

Now, University of North Carolina scientists have discovered that this commonly held assumption is wrong and that a separate role of the SMN gene -- still not completely elucidated -- is likely responsible for the disease's manifestations. The research appears June 21, 2012 in the journal Cell Reports.

"There are a number of gene therapies and RNA therapies in the pipeline that may still work regardless of the underlying cause of the disease," said senior study author Gregory Matera, PhD, professor in the departments of biology and genetics and a member of the Program in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in the UNC School of Medicine.

"But if those approaches don't pan out, it could be that the therapy isn't reaching the precise tissues where defective SMN is most damaging," he added. "Our result is exciting because we now have a starting point to uncover what is truly causing this disease so we can more effectively treat it."

Spinal muscular atrophy is characterized by muscle weakness and wasting (atrophy) resulting from the progressive loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord. The disease is due to a partial loss of function in the SMN gene that normally loads up the "splicing" machinery with the proteins necessary for cutting and pasting the cell's genetic instructions together. Cells that completely lack SMN fail to correctly generate and process the genetic blueprint for the proteins needed to carry out the rest of the body's activities.

But in addition to roles in splicing, SMN has been implicated in a number of other processes that occur only in specific tissues, such as the formation of the junction between muscle and nerve cells or the maintenance of muscle architecture. Thus Matera and his colleagues wondered if defective splicing was really responsible for spinal muscular atrophy or if one of these tissue-specific roles was the cause.

In this study, the researchers investigated whether they could disconnect SMN's "primary" role in splicing from the physical characteristics typical of spinal muscular atrophy. To do so, they first created fruit flies carrying the same genetic mutation that causes the disease. The mutant flies didn't survive to the larval stage and showed significant defects in locomotion as well as reductions in those important splicing proteins.

But when the researchers re-introduced functional SMN, only the larval lethality and locomotor defects -- not the level of splicing factors --were rescued. Therefore, this splicing function of SMN is not a major contributor to spinal muscular atrophy. Right now Matera and colleagues are using a number of highly sophisticated "-omics" methods such as proteomics and RNomics to pin down the real culprit.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association. Study co-authors from UNC were Kavita Praveen and Ying Wen.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Kavita Praveen, Ying Wen, A.?Gregory Matera. A Drosophila Model of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Uncouples snRNP Biogenesis Functions of Survival Motor Neuron from Locomotion and Viability Defects. Cell Reports, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2012.05.014

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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Bare Oaks News and Weather: First day of summer!!!

Hot the past few days... as you can see by the thermometer below.

I've had my air conditioning on for days... phew.? I don't think I could survive without air.? I hope everyone with pets has air.

Sorry this blog is so late.? I've been a tad busy this week.? On Monday I broke my toe, snapped it in half (gross, I saw the x-ray), reset (reduced) it myself, had it x-rayed yesterday and it was perfectly reduced. The doctor said I should have been an orthopaedic surgeon.? HAH.? Limping now... with 6 weeks of healing time ahead of me.? Thanks Bruce for watering?my plants for the next?while?(grin).

Ho hum.

On to the news.?

The day visit fees at the park have incresed to $48.67 + HST? or $55. effective June 28th.???I don't remember what they were before.? Hold on, it is still on the website - $40.71/day (family or single) plus HST = $46. for the day. So the fees have gone up about 20%.? I found this on the Rates page on the Bare Oaks website.? I also found this at the bottom...

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Fees that we?d prefer to never charge:

Late payment: (more than 30 days overdue) $40 admin plus 2% per month from invoice date.

Mowing the lawn on a permanent site: $20/week (unless other arrangements are made in advance)

Seizing a vehicle/trailer for non-payment: $500 + expenses

Reconnecting electricity if disconnected for non-payment: $50

Site cleanup: $250 - $500 plus expenses

Trailer/vehicle storage or parking: $20/day (unless other arrangements are made in advance)

Parking a vehicle improperly or without a valid permit: $100

Visiting without registering: $50 plus applicable visitor fees (and possible expulsion & permanent ban)

Driving (in any type of vehicle) at an excessive speed or dangerously: $50 - $200 (and possible driving ban)

Rowdy or extremely inappropriate behaviour: $100 (and possible expulsion & permanent ban)

---------------------------------------------

So, mow your lawn and register your?visitors.

Below is a photo of a white admiral butterfly.? Thanks J and D for the photos!

This is the butterfly on an arm... very tame!?

Judy sent me the photo below of the first lily pad flower!? Pretty pretty.? It is in front of their place in the lake.? I had a flower coming up on the lily pad in front of my place a few days ago.? I haven't been down the stairs to check yet.?

I received the newsletter from the Toronto Wildlife Center (to which I subscribe).? This month they had this blurb.

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Keeping all animals safe

Domestic animals aren?t mentioned that often at TWC (apart from our own, of course, and they are mentioned embarrassingly often) but the truth is that they play a role in many?of the hotline calls we receive at this time of year. Calls?regarding small birds and mammals?attacked by cats are flooding the hotline.

We?ll start with cats, but don?t worry, dogs?aren?t off the hook. Cats are stealthy and strong and will hunt and kill for sport not survival. Each year, they decimate small mammal and songbird populations, killing more than a billion in the U.S. alone, some of which are species-at-risk.
?

Baby cottontails are often attacked by cats

Our cats have an unfair advantage over wildlife, because they are immune to the ways that nature controls her populations. The standards: famine, disease, and predation hardly affect?them?not when they can come running home. They are fed well, given medicine when sick, and can curl up inside when the weather?s bad. A catch scratch or bite, even if very minor, will kill a baby wild animal because of infectious bacteria present in their saliva.?Baby wild animals don?t stand a chance.

Keep your beloved cat safe inside. Species population decimation aside, cats are unfairly matched?against car tires, coyotes, or cruel humans. On average, indoor cats live much longer lives than outdoor cats.

As a cat lovers (and many of us?owners) we?know that it can be difficult to keep a determined cat inside; consider a leash (if you?ve got a tolerant cat) or cat enclosure for outdoor time. At the very least, keeping them indoors or closely monitored outside while summertime babies are taking their first hops will make a big difference.

Visit keepanimalssafe.ca for tips

Dogs. With an incredible sense of smell, they can root out sleeping baby bunnies, when other predators can?t. Their love of the chase can frighten many species of parents away from their babies, orphaning a litter. As a society, we already don't allow our dogs to wander the??streets alone. But remember to?keep them on a leash, unless at the dog park, and watch them?closely?when they?re in the backyard.

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Just got this photo from Judy...? I have NO idea what kind of flowers these are but they are?pretty. They show their flowers every day and close up at night.

Potholes are bad again, go slow.

Due to a speed complaint, S. is not riding his bike around the park anymore.? I think?they?should?continue this but telling certain?staff members to slow down on the golf carts. ??Not all staff, only the ones who are SPEEDING.

Is the main floor shower open yet?

I hear the monument is done... but I haven't walked over to see it yet.

Thanks Bruce for watering the flowers around the pool and office and front entrance.

If you would like to see a list of events at the park... go here:?http://www.bareoaks.ca/index.php/en/events.html

There is a photo exhibit on Friday?June 22: "We are pleased to present Never Not Naked: Natural Nudes, a solo exhibition of Art Nudes by award-winning Oakville, Ontario photographer Michael Willems.

The exhibition is open from June 22 to July 8, 2012: please join us Saturday June 23rd from 11AM-2PM for the official opening and to meet the artist."
Also on Saturday June 23:?? Ports of Call Progressive Pot Luck Lunch
When: 12:30 - 16:00

Join us for our annual Ports of Call Progressive Luncheon. This year we will be starting in the Mediterranean for hors d'oeuvres, followed by a visit to the Orient for the main course and wrapping up in Switzerland for desert.

If you would like to participate but are unable to contribute a dish of your own, you can purchase a Passport at the front office for $10.00 from June 16 through June 22 (this Friday). After June 2, you will only be able to purchase a passport prior to the cruise staring port in the Mediterranean from 12:30 - 1:00 on June 23 for $15.00.
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Well... as you need to walk during this event, I won't be going.

I'm also supposed to be walking in the 'Relay for Life' this coming Friday.? Maybe I will still go and watch :-D

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Huge Problem For Monetization: Lawsuit Forces Facebook To Let You Opt Out Of Sponsored Story Ads

Facebook's business model just hit a massive stumbling block, as the social network is being forced to let users opt out of having their likenesses repurposed as endorsements in Sponsored Stories ads. The requirement of opt out controls comes as part of a settlement of a class action lawsuit where five Californians said they did not consent to having their names, faces, and activity used to promote companies who paid Facebook.?Fortunately for Facebook, it could have been even worse as it appears that these controls will work on an story-by-story basis, and won't allow users to opt out of all future Sponsored Stories. The news comes just days after?TechCrunch published data showing Sponsored Stories could be the answer to the big question mark of how Facebook will monetize mobile. Sponsored Stories mix naturally into the mobile and web news feeds, but now Facebook will be vulnerable to privacy activist campaigns to get masses of users to opt out of being included in the ad unit.

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Salvation Army continues to offer relief for survivors of New Mexico fires

Home ? Disaster Relief, Headline

New Mexico fire, photo by Doug Williams, Jr.

The Salvation Army continues to offer three meals a day at Bonito Park Nazarene Camp to fire survivors and volunteers. The Salvation Army has been providing meal service since Friday, June 15.

The Salvation Army will begin providing various forms of recovery assistance to those affected by the Little Bear Fire. The Salvation Army has a long-standing presence in the community through our Service Extension office in Ruidoso.

?I have been able to speak with many individuals who have been affected by this devastating fire. Many of them are uninsured/underinsured, lost, and fearful of what the future holds. The Salvation Army is here to help provide the services necessary to get people back on their feet and lend an ear to listen,? said Dave Sherman, The Salvation Army?s Incident Commander.

The community can support the efforts of The Salvation Army by making a monetary donation. Checks can be sent to The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 7725, Ruidoso, NM 88355. Credit card donations can be made by calling (602) 302-7177 or visiting us online at tsasw.org.

No donations of material goods are being collected at this time.

Click on the white arrow below to view a gallery of images taken by staff photographer, Doug Williams, Jr.

Related posts:

1. San Diego staff serves quake survivors in Mexico
2. Salvation Army Donation options in support of Haiti relief
3. Sally One provides disaster relief in the wee hours
4. Dodgers and fans ?line up? to help tornado survivors
5. Fundraising t-shirt to benefit tornado survivors in Central US

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New Swype update brings 'four kinds of keyboard', sync-able voice-text dictionaries

If it's one thing Android does right, it's the sheer range of keyboard apps and skins available -- something its competitors haven't quite latched on to just yet. While SwiftKey has charmed us with its latest iteration, Swype's also been in the testing labs and it wants to show you what it's been up to. The new version packs the same next-word prediction from Nuance's XT9 heritage and a new voice-text dictionary sync feature will add new words to both speech and text databases. You can even get the app to crawl around your emails and texts for some extra (familiar) personalization. The latest version can now download over 55 languages, while Nuance has crystallized all of its know-how into a four-in-one keyboard. This includes the typical letter-to-letter swiping that the keyboard cut its teeth on, a more typical predictive text input run through XT9, integrated dictation through a Dragon button and the simple (but slower) fingertip input, where you can trace each individual letter. You can find the beta version of Swype's latest at the source link below. Take it for a test-drive and let us know if it's enough to nudge SwiftKey out of favor.

(Update: The beta version hasn't gone live just yet. We're expecting it launch soon.)

Continue reading New Swype update brings 'four kinds of keyboard', sync-able voice-text dictionaries

New Swype update brings 'four kinds of keyboard', sync-able voice-text dictionaries originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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