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The Boston-area special needs school Judge Rotenberg Center enrolls students ages 3 to adult, all of whom are either autistic children or are struggling with severe emotional, behavioral or psychiatric disorders. Those students who display undesirable behavior, reports ABC News, are subjected to a treatment which the United Nations is calling "torture." Judge Rotenberg students, including autistic kids, are subject to shock treatment.

Article resource: Autistic kids subjected to shock treatment at Mass. School by Personal Money Store

'Aversive therapy' for autistic kids doesn't count as torture, claims JRC.

Calling the JRC's treatment of autistic kids in extreme situations torture is just like calling a physician using a scalpel on a patient assault with a deadly weapon, claim JRC representatives. They claim that shock treatment in short bursts is humane when compared with the alternatives of either allowing emotionally disturbed to cause themselves or any others physical harm or otherwise medicating them into a lobotomized state. Head JRC doctor Matthew Israel explained to ABC that the real torture for autistic children and others is the latter. He said that JRC's shock treatment "has no detrimental effects whatsoever."

Shock that is a two second skin

The Judge Rotenberg Center uses a small device that administers a shock when necessary as a form of behavioral therapy, says Israel. Students are only subjected to the device after a court and parents or caregivers approve. Allegedly, the short shock hurts just enough to dissuade JRC students from destructive behavior. After periods of good behavior, students are rewarded with points that they can use later on to buy prizes. In total, the Judge Rotenberg Center houses such students for only about $200,000 per year, taxpayer financed.

UN condemns treatment

Eric Rosenthal, an advocate for the disabled, created a report that really wanted the United Nations to become involved within the JRC's activities. Massachusetts Sen. Brian Joyce has tried to shut down the Judge Rotenberg Center but was unsuccessful. The United Nations reference America's international treaty stance on torture when they are referring to the JRC's shock treatment of autistic kids and other students. The argument appears to be that if the United States shouldn't be administering shock treatment to prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, how can any home soil organization be allowed do it to children?

Discover more data here:

ABC News

abcnews.go.com/Nightline/shock-therapy-massachussetts-school/story?id=11047334

Surgeon Sherwin Nuland discusses the development of electroshock therapy (Editor's Note: A small amount of NSFW language is used):

youtube.com/watch?v=oEZrAGdZ1i8

Within the spirit of the season, since heat waves are roasting major cities around the world, solar energy is a hot topic. From residential rooftops to power plants to experimental aircraft, solar energy is having its season within the sun. Thursday, after spending 26 hours aloft, a solar powered airplane landed. And this week the Obama administration pledged $ 1.85 billion in guaranteed loans to develop a solar energy power plant and solar panel factories. But there's a cloud. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, ever the bearers of bad news these days, won't accept any mortgage loans that use a government funded program to finance solar energy installation costs.

Source of article: Solar plane is latest breakthrough as solar energy gains momentum by Personal Money Store

Solar plane with its day within the sun

A solar plane landed in Paris after flying continuously for 26 hours, 9 minutes. It was reported by the New York Times that the Solar Impulse reached an altitude of more than 28,000 feet and reached a maximum speed of 78 miles per hour during a day over Switzerland. The solar energy plan was powered overnight by energy that was collected during the day from solar panels on its 210-foot wingspan. Organizers said the flight was the longest and highest by a solar-powered craft.

Solar plane – the poster child for solar energy

The Solar Impulse record-breaking flight took seven years of planning and brings the Swiss-led project one step closer to its ultimate goal of flying Solar Impulse around the world powered only by solar energy. It was reported by the Associated Press that although the aim is to prove that emissions-free air travel is possible with Solar Impulse, the flight team said it doesn't see solar energy replacing jet propulsion any time soon. The project is designed to test and promote new energy efficient technologies.

Solar energy companies get billions from stimulus package

Speaking of new energy-efficient technologies, President Obama announced during his weekly address the U.S. Department of Energy will pledge $ 1.85 billion from the economic stimulus package to two solar energy companies: Abengoa Solar and Abound Solar Manufacturing. It was reported by the International Business Times that Abengoa Solar will build the first ever large-scale solar energy power plant in Arizona with $ 1.45 billion in funding. Developers say the project should be able to create more than 1,600 construction jobs and clean energy for 70,000 homes. Abound Solar Manufacturing will build a plant that manufactures solar panels in Colorado and in Indiana with $ 400 million in funding. The solar panel factories are expected to create more than 2,000 construction jobs, conserve energy for 200,000 homes, and produce more than 1,500 permanent clean energy jobs.

For home, PACE provides solar panels

Clean energy initiatives focusing on solar energy are gaining momentum on many fronts. But the U.S. housing market, which is the ball and chain for of economic recovery, is running true to form. Trading Markets reports the Obama administration's Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program is falling to the black hole of Freddie Mac and Fanny Mae. The PACE program is distributing about $ 150 million in loans for local governments which they can then lend to you to cover the upfront costs solar panels for home. The loans are paid off over time through property tax bills.

Fannie and Freddie cast a cloud over solar energy

Residential solar energy might have been headed in a good direction with PACE. But Fannie and Freddie, federal agencies that guarantee more than 50 percent of U.S. mortgages, are overwhelmed with millions of foreclosures. Officials in charge of the agencies, which have cost U.S. taxpayers at least $ 145 billion in losses, assume individuals will start defaulting on PACE mortgages as well. Both Fannie and Freddie have issued letters to mortgage sellers stating that they will not accept loans for homes using the program.

More info accessible at these sites:

New York Times

nytimes.com/2010/07/09/world/europe/09plane.html?_r=1&hp

Associated Press

google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5goDxf8Obh9y8tOk6Nse1GMEmSXWgD9GQNU181

International Business Times

ibtimes.com/articles/33502/20100708/obama-s-commitment-to-solar-technology-job-creation-and-economic-recovery.htm

Trading Markets

tradingmarkets.com/news/stock-alert/fnm_us-energy-solar-initiatives-threatened-by-white-house-dissonance-1028938.html

Plunging consumer credit spawns deceptive new credit card fees

Consumer credit dropped in May further than was forecast, with the decline being led by significant drop in credit card debt. Credit card delinquencies fell to their lowest rate since 2002. As Americans conserve more and borrow a whole lot less, desperate credit card companies are coming up with new methods to gouge customers. New credit card rules aimed at curbing the usurious behavior of credit card companies may be giving some of their consumers a false sense of security.

Post resource: Plunging consumer credit spawns deceptive new credit card fees by Personal Money Store

Consumer credit drop more than forecasted

A Federal Reserve report released Thursday showed that much consumer credit dropped at a rate of 4.5 percent in May--the fourth consecutive month of declining credit. Revolving debt, which contains credit card debt generally, dropped by 10.5 percent ($ 7.3 billion) in May, according to the Fed's report. Non-revolving debt, including car loans, fell by $ 1.8 billion in May. Business Week reports that economists' projections in a Bloomberg survey ranged from a decrease of $ 5.2 billion to a rise of $ 2 billion in May. Since 2008, consumer credit increased only twice. Consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of the economy and is what The US is counting on to revive the economy, can be weak as Americans pay down their debt.

Credit card delinquencies also drop

Right now, credit card delinquencies are declining with consumer credit. It was reported by the American Bankers Association (ABA) that late payments for bank credit cards fell in the first quarter to the lowest level in eight years. It was reported by Market Watch that bank card delinquencies--card payments at least 30 days overdue, fell to 3.88 percent of all credit card accounts within the first quarter, in contrast to 4.39 percent within the fourth quarter of 2009. The credit card delinquency rate, the lowest it is been since the first quarter of 2002. They also said that overall consumer loan delinquencies declined, but only job creation will bring further improvement.

New credit card rules are to be broken

For credit card companies, revenues are declining. But besides new credit card rules that are supposed to protect consumers going into effect next month, credit card companies are trying harder than ever to burn customers with creative new fees. CNNMoney.com reports that banks can be able to get around numerous of the new rules. For example, new rules cap late fees at $ 25 and do away with inactivity fees, but now more credit card companies are charging annual fees.

Hope you won't notice – credit card companies

When it comes to the new rules, consumers may think that credit card companies can't raise interest rates on existing cards anymore. But in reality, they can do anything that they really want to with new balances, as long as they give 45 days' notice. If your credit card company sent you a letter a when back and you see your interest rate skyrocket on your latest charges, that's what happened. Plus, credit card companies can still cut credit limits and close credit cards without advance notice, which will really hurt a credit score.

Immediately open credit card mail

Numerous of the other credit card companies have most recently hiked balance transfer fees; cash til payday loan fees and foreign transaction fees. Gerri Detweiler told CNN that read the mail you get from your credit card company is more essential now than ever. Do not automatically assume its junk mail, since you really only have the 45 days to opt out if you actually read the fine print. And as credit card companies become more desperate, they will not only raise existing fees but create all kinds of new fees.

More info about this topic at these websites:

Businessweek.com

businessweek.com/news/2010-07-08/consumer-credit-in-u-s-declined-more-than-forecast.htmlv

Marketwatch.com

marketwatch.com/story/credit-card-delinquencies-fall-to-8-year-low-aba-2010-07-07?reflink=MW_news_stmp

CNN Money.com

money.cnn.com/2010/06/30/news/economy/credit_card_act_new_rules/index.htm?postversion=2010063007

Recession cutback city - Even the rich people are doing it!

Wealthy people have been doing the spending with the economy needing to be stimulated. Even those who have many money have quit spending money casually, reports the New York Times. The American economy has come deadly close to halting as noted by the Federal Reserve. Another stimulus could possibly be around the corner with the economy getting any worse.

Wealthy spend, jobs created

Spending by the top 5 percent of income earners within the US is needed to give demand for new jobs. Moody's explained that those earning $ 210,000 are in the top five percent and are "one-third of consumer outlays, including spending on goods and services, interest payments on consumer debt and cash gifts.". The economy depends on 60 percent of spending meaning that one 3rd matters quite a bit. Gallup found that those earning $ 90,000 or more – their "upper income" classification – spent $ 145 per day in May 2010.

That's 33 percent more than was reported in May 2009. The numbers dropped in June 2010 the Times discovered. Rich individuals decided to drop the number to $ 119 per day. Were they leaning upon bank loans more than was their custom?

Losing a customer base are all luxury businesses

Luxury businesses were nevertheless doing great at the beginning of 2010. Hotels like Four Seasons and also the Ritz Carlton lost a lot of sales as summer came around. Sales at luxury retailers like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue slowed at about the very same time. To add to this stop in spending on luxury, real estate in Manhattan and the Hamptons has dropped significantly. Sure, those who aren't rich are forced to be more frugal and use the occasional fast loan, but if rich people stop spending, it is panic time.

Going where you've to for the Dow

When it comes to deciding how the economy is doing, wealthy individuals consider different things than the average person. The Dow Jones is going to mean a lot to those who are invested than anyone else. The psychological affect happened right after the numbers got back to 10,000 after being in the 7,000s for so long. Spending rose in all avenues, including car sales. 15 percent of sales staff were let go lately now that luxury dealers are no longer doing well. Even for those rich individuals who can nevertheless afford to spend, the psychological impact of looking like a glutton while the majority of the country pinches its pennies keeps them from spending more, as outlined by studies by the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington.

Economic apocalypse on the rise?

Despite the fact that "apocalypse" might seem too strong, you may want to consider it. $ 15.95 tube wringer sells the best as outlined by Linda Stasiak, a top saleswoman for skin care products. Everyone feels the recession now and days, meaning this tube that will squeeze every last drop out of it sells great. Fast loans for tube squeezers, anyone?

Sources:

New York Times

nytimes.com/2010/07/17/business/economy/17consumers.html?_r=1

Has the recession changed our perception of wealth?

youtube.com/watch?v=aCsIoHMxazs

In today's fast life, a salaried class person does not have the time and energy to visit the office of the money lender time and again in search of quick money. In such a situation, he can apply for payday loans online. In this monetary facility, you can solve your troubles with electronic money in a day.

With the use of the borrowed money one can effortlessly get rid of his small interim monthly needs. Use the money to its fullest till the time you get your salary pf the next month. Plan a small family outing, send money to your ailing parents, buy essential commodities, pay your household and other utility bills, completes the pending house repair, get your car repaired and so on with payday loans online. Here, the borrower can get finance in the range of £80 to £1500, which can be repaid in the settlement duration of 1 to 30 days.

In order to apply, make use of the fastest online application method. No need to stand in long queues and waste your time. Just fill the form from the comfort of your office or home with your authentic personal detail. As soon as the applicant submits the form, the verification process is started by the money lender. Within a span of a day, the lender gives an approval and cash advance gets transferred into your bank account.

There are no strict rules as far as paperwork and credit check is concerned. The work of documentation that is required is almost negligible. You would be saving your time with least amount of filling and faxing of credentials. Also, the lenders do not require any kind of credit confirmation from the borrower. Your adverse credit status of any of the defaults or debts is over looked by them.no fax payday loan

Will the iPad be killed by Google Editions? The Kindle slayer? Google Editions is a browser based upon e-book platform that could keep Apple and Amazon looking for some no fax pay day loans. The launch date of late June or July for Google Editions was announced earlier this week. Google Editions is a digital publishing service offering books that customers can read on any device and purchase from whoever it is that wants to sell it to them, as opposed to Amazon and Apple. Publishers are probably the most anxious about Google Editions e-books. Also, Google Editions, unlike Amazon and Apple business, will let publishers name their own prices.

The Google Editions eBooks

This Google Editions was announced at Random House’s New York offices by Chris Palma who is Google’s strategic partner development manager. The Wall Street Journal reports that Google Edition users could be able to read Google Editions e-books they discover through Google's book-search. Google editions could be allowing book retailers, including many independent shops, to sell Google Editions on their own web sites and will let them keep the majority of the money.

Google Editions and its launch date

Amazon and Apple’s goals of dominating e-publishing is being seriously threatened by the Google Edition launch date. Right now, Amazon already has more than 500,000 titles for its kindle device. For the iPad you will find tens of thousands and counting. Google has already digitized 12 million books, including out-of-print titles, a far greater selection than Amazon or Apple. Consumers can only buy Kindle titles at Amazon or iPad titles at Apple. Google Editions will make it so titles are accessible everywhere, to be read on any device that has a browser.

Google Editions e-pub

In just a couple of short months, Google Editions e-pub might turn the whole publishing world upside down, including online and in real life. In an article published within the New Yorker in April, Dan Clancy of Google Books said that in trying to dominate the market, Amazon and Apple were taking the wrong approach to business online. "It’s much more of an open ecosystem, where you find a way for bricks-and-mortar stores to participate in the future digital world of books," he said. "We’re quite comfortable having a diverse range of physical retailers, whereas most of the other players would like to have a less competitive space, because they’d like to dominate."

Amazon reality check

One of the greatest things about the Google Editions is that it lets publishers set the price of their books, and gives local bookstores a chance to compete with behemoths like Amazon, Apple and Barnes and Noble. The book pricing policy of Amazon is causing ill-will within the publishing world. Because Amazon is insisting on selling e-books for a flat $ 9.99, they are really losing money. The New Yorker reports that with 80-90 percent market share, Amazon thinks it can later bend publishers to its will.

Google Editions - iPad killer?

Will Google Editions be the iPad killer? With the Google Editions launch date approaching, the Wall Street Journal reports that publishers have not officially agreed to participate, but most industry insiders think it’s an offer they cannot refuse. Books have to be sold in more outlets for publishers. Even the smallest corner bookstore can make cash on millions of titles. You also don't need to purchase a Kindle or an iPad to read them. So what would be the reason to?

Article Sources

Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870386670457522423241793181...

New Yorker

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/04/26/100426fa_fact_auletta

publishers set the price of their books

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10444878-93.html?tag=mncol;txt

InterMune Needs Breath Of The outdoors After FDA Rejection.The FDA has been having a busy week, after approving Provenge for use and taking Tylenol to task, it has given InterMune a cold shot. InterMune had previously submitted a drug to treat pulmonary fibrosis for approval, and the FDA has turned InterMune down. The drug, which happens to be called pirfenidone, was denied by the Food and Drug Administration because supposedly it had failed to live up to expectations in a second clinical trial. InterMune stock plummeted and investors went scrambling for unsecured loans to get back on board.

InterMune wonder drug deflated by FDA

The InterMune corporation had previously had soaring stock prices. Prices went plummeting as the FDA did not see sufficient evidence of efficacy in a second trial. For the last few months, the company stock had been on a high, and earlier this week had been trading at $45.44 a share, according the New York Times. InterMune stock went plummeting after word from the FDA losing 80 percent of its value of $36 per share.

Wonder drug to treat Pulmonary Fibrosis

The drug in question, pirfenidone, would have treated symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis, especially idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease which causes scarring and hardening of lung tissue. (No known cause is what idiopathic means.) This specific disease is fatal and will cause those that have it to live only a couple of years after diagnosis. Esbriet would have been the trade name the drug would are sold under. The article in the Times said the drug postponed death for a short period without slowing any of the symptoms. Therefore, there would be dubious benefit.

Back to the drawing board to figure it out

Considering the vicious nature of the disease, there were numerous who felt the FDA should are a lot more lenient. This isn’t bad news since it means InterMune will return to work on the drug. This may very well lead to a more effective treatment than pirfenidone, which had only undergone the second round of clinical trials. Even within the first, it did not reverse the disease or damage caused by it.

Resources

New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/business/05lung.html?src=busln

It is with great sadness that I report that Madelyn Dunham, Obama's Grandmother passed away.  Please keep Barack Obama and his families in your thoughts and prayers.

McCain envy is the term used to describe a candidate's negative reactions towards another candidates success in fund raising activities.  While this type of envy is nothing new it definitely has reached levels never before seen and therefore this term was coined in response to the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, John McCain.  During the race Mr. McCain consistently failed to realize that the success of his opponent, Barack Obama, was a result of Obama's ability to reach out to the people.  McCain could not comprehend how his own misguided Republican philosophies had proven to be dangerous and how they had nearly bankrupted the United States.  Being unable to recognize these facts and being incredibly jealous of Obama, he began to imagine sinister alternatives which included Obama accepting funds from foreign entities and illegal donations, exceeding the federally mandated maximums, from the super wealthy.  It was impossible for McCain to accept that millions of people from across the country all made relatively small contributions which gave Obama an unprecedented financial advantage.

Today, Sarah Palin and John McCain started ranting about a connection between Rashid Khalidi and Barack Obama.  The dual are claiming that Khalidi and Obama were “friends” and that this is disturbing since Khalidi is a PLO spokesman.  First of all ties between Khalidi and the PLO have not been proven, they are just allegations.  However, most importantly, there is no proof that Obama and Khalidi are friends.  The connection between the two is because they both worked together at the University of Chicago and the event that Palin and McCain are alluding to in their propaganda was a going away party for Khalidi.

I myself have been present at many going away parties and at them I have always spoken favorably of the person.  It is considered the professional thing to do, even if I was overjoyed by the fact that the person was leaving the organization.  I myself have had many friends who have held beliefs which I find bothersome and have worked with people who's political views were definitely opposed to my own.  I believe that this is true of most people in the world considering the numerous people I have met  and interacted with during my college and working years.

The danger of people like McCain-Plain is that they try to draw conclusions for the most tenuous of relationships.  We should not only be appalled but also realize the danger of having elected officials which hold these views.  Based on their rhetoric most of us should be investigated and have our views and patriotism questioned simply because we may have talked to someone who held extreme fringe views.  I would ask everyone who is currently supporting McCain to think seriously about whether or not this country can survive another four years of this hateful rhetoric.  I would ask you to support Barack Obama but if you can not then please vote for a third party candidate or write someone in.