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Sunday, May 27, 2012

BUSINESS: Hollywood dreams led Chinese firm to buy into US

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Home Based Business University/ My Biz University Radio Show 05 ...

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Saturday, May 26, 2012

Allen Frances: Spitzer Recants: Why Can't APA Admit Mistakes and Correct Them

Ben Carey's front page story in the New York Times movingly recounts Bob Spitzer's apology for an ill-advised study he conducted more than a decade ago.

The background is dramatic. Spitzer had been a hero to the gay and lesbian community because he was the person most responsible for removing homosexuality from DSM II. Lifting the cloud of mental disorder from sexual choice was a big step in the civil rights movement that only now is bringing full equality. I once attended an award dinner honoring Bob for his contributions to the gay/lesbian cause. I never saw a group more appreciative or a recipient so proud.

How surprising then that Spitzer would later publish a methodologically flawed paper suggesting that psychotherapy might have some value in changing sexual orientation. Bob had serious misgivings almost immediately when fundamentalists exploited the paper to pursue their anachronistic agenda. He decided recently to make a very public apology. "I believe I owe the gay community an apology for my study making unproven claims of the efficacy of reparative therapy. I also apologize to any gay person who wasted time and energy undergoing some form of reparative therapy because they believed that I had proven that reparative therapy works with some `highly motivated' individuals."

Let's compare Bob's forthrightness to the consistently evasive stonewalling that has characterized every step in the development of DSM 5. The American Psychiatric Association has a lot to apologize for -- but instead maintains a doggedly defensive posture that prevents insight and self correction.

Bob was the first to point out the absurdity of the DSM 5 confidentiality agreements and to predict the poor results that would come from the resulting secretive and closed process. Each of his dire predictions has turned out to be right on target. DSM 5 badly missed every one of its deadlines -- then with time running short, it quietly cancelled its quality control step because publishing profits trumped the public trust of producing a safe product. No apology for that.

When its field trial results were unacceptably low by historical standards, DSM 5 lowered its standards rather than working to improve its product to meet them. Again no apology.
DSM 5 persists in offering proposals that would inappropriately inflict the label mental disorder on many millions of people now considered normal. These suggestions are unsupported by science and are strongly opposed by 51 mental health associations -- but APA continues to refuse demands for independent external review.

The shabby DSM 5 enterprise has reduced the credibility of psychiatry and the stature of the APA. It may well have forfeited APA's right to continue as custodian of the DSM franchise. Yes, indeed, APA has a lot to apologize for and DSM 5 has a long way to go before it will be safe and scientifically sound.

There are two small rays of hope. First, DSM 5 has belatedly dropped its worst proposal- psychosis risk -- opening the door to the possibility that it is finally ready to make much needed concessions.

Secondly, the APA leadership changed hands at the recent annual meeting. Perhaps the new leaders will finally bring responsible governance to what has heretofore been the almost fatally flawed DSM 5 process.

The smart play for them now is also the only right thing to do. APA should, like Bob, come clean that many mistakes have been made and that it will take the time and make the effort to correct them. APA should cancel the arbitrary DSM 5 publication date and continue to work on DSM 5 until it can produce a quality document. It should drop the proposals that have drawn such widespread opposition or open them up to independent scientific review. Someone who can write clean and consistent criteria sets should be recruited and, after the badly needed editing is completed, previously poorly performing criteria sets need to be retested.

Unless it delays and reforms DSM 5, the new leadership will be left holding the bag -- having to defend the truly indefensible when a fourth rate DSM 5 is published next May. The new leaders are not responsible for this mess and don't deserve to be the butt of the harsh criticism that will follow. But if they don't fix DSM 5, they will own it and be tainted by it.

APA should clean the DSM 5 house now before its too late. Were he alive today that's what Mel Sabshin, its long term and much revered leader, would certainly recommend.

And Bob Spitzer has shown the way. A clear parallel can be drawn between Bob's openly apologizing and withdrawing his paper and the need for APA to apologize and to withdraw its untenable proposals, end its closed process, and drop its slavish adherence to unrealistic timelines.

If a legendary figure like Bob can correct his mistakes, surely the APA can do the same -- for the sake of protecting our patients and keeping the mental health field united.

There is always regret for having made errors along the way, but the far greater shame is in pressing forward when your own results reveal them. Inertia is one of the most powerful forces in nature -- it takes real courage to oppose it. If APA changes gears, none of us is going to say, "I told you so!" We're going to applaud and feel proud that APA is finally on the right track. As with Bob Spitzer, sometimes the greatest honor is to admit mistakes and do the very best we can to correct them.

If it fails to reform DSM 5 now, the APA leadership will have much more to apologize for in the future -- to its members, to our colleagues, and of course most important to our patients.

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Santander Consumer USA Expands With Full-Spectrum Auto Lending

DALLAS, May 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --?Santander Consumer USA Inc. ("Santander"), an industry leader in auto financing, has expanded its Santander Auto Finance lending program to include the prime tiers. This new "full spectrum" of auto lending will make it easier for dealers to sell more vehicles while helping more consumers purchase a car or truck.

In the past, the Santander Auto Finance program has primarily focused on auto loans for customers with near-prime, non-prime and sub-prime credit. The new program allows Santander Auto to fund car loan deals inclusive of consumers in upper or "prime" tiers. The program will provide competitive market pricing for any approved loan application received from the Santander dealer base.

For the dealer, the new program simplifies the process of auto lending by creating a one-click destination for every application/customer. Dealers can send all of their applications through Santander Auto Finance for decisioning without having to think through which lender or program is best suited for a customer based on credit type.

"As leaders in automotive lending, adding the prime tier to the Santander Auto program is a natural extension to our business," says Matt Fitzgerald, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Santander Consumer USA. "This will be a huge benefit for dealers, because it takes the guesswork out of matching customers with lenders based on credit quality."

This new program is beneficial for car buyers as well. For more than a decade, Santander has specialized in lending to consumers with less-than-perfect credit, and that won't change.

"Because we have broad buying power and are truly a full-spectrum lender, we are still dedicated to financing the consumer who needs help," explains Fitzgerald. "Historically, our company has been the place where credit-challenged buyers can go and get a second chance. We won't walk away from that responsibility."

About Santander Auto Finance and Santander Consumer USA Inc.
Santander Consumer USA Inc., owner of the Drive?, Santander Auto Finance? and RoadLoans.com? brands, is a leading company in the automotive finance sector, whose core business is indirect, direct and third-party originations and servicing of auto loans. The company has a serviced auto loan portfolio of approximately $21 billion and relationships with nearly 13,000 dealers in the U.S. The company began originating loans in 1997 and is headquartered in Dallas. (http://www.santanderconsumerusa.com and http://www.roadloans.com)

Banco Santander (SAN.MC, STD.N, BNC.LN) is a retail and commercial bank, based in Spain, with a presence in 10 main markets. Santander is the largest bank in the euro zone and is among the top fifteen in the world by market capitalization. Founded in 1857, Santander had EUR 1.383 trillion in managed funds, more than 102 million customers, 14,760 branches ? more than any other international bank ? and 193,000 employees at the close of 2011. It is the largest financial group in Spain and Latin America. Furthermore, it has significant positions in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Germany, Poland and the U.S. northeast. Santander Consumer Finance operates in the Group's core markets as well as in the Nordic region. In 2011, Grupo Santander registered EUR 7,021 million in recurring net profit.

Media Contact:
Laurie Kight?
Santander Consumer USA Inc.?
214-237-3690
lkight@santanderconsumerusa.com ?????????????????????????????????????

SOURCE Santander Consumer USA Inc.

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Friday, May 25, 2012

It's True! Nicole Kidman Pees on Zac Efron in New Movie

Zac Efron is officially done being a teen idol, and he chose an unusual rite of passage: being peed on by an Oscar winner. In the '60s-era drama The Paperboy, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival Thursday, Efron, 24, gets a "golden shower" from Nicole Kidman, 44. And naturally, it's all that anybody can talk about!

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Burnsville Minnesota High Speed Internet - ConnectNationwide

By Connect, on May 25th, 2012

Burnsville Minnesota

Only one choice in Burnsville Minnesota when it comes to entertainment and great Internet Connections (Cable Bundles) ? and that choice is Charter Communications. ??Get cable TV, high-speed Internet, and home phone service for less when you bundle them in the Charter Communications Triple Play.? One low price for three exceptional high speed digital services in Burnsville, MN. ?

In BurnsvilleMinnesota? Charter has 4 different tiers of service for a customer to pick from depending on their needs and how they use the internet.? Regardless of if the Minnesota customer is just using the internet for websurfing and light emailing or if the customers has multiple people online at the same time using various devices like PCs, laptops, iPads, connected TVs, etc.,? Charter-Burnsville,? has the right service for all Minnesota customers.

Minnesota Charter Internet Express is increasing from up to 8 Mbps to up to 12 Mbps and Burnsville Charter Internet Plus speed is raising from up to 16 Mbps to up to 18Mbps ? a free enhancement for Minnesota customers.? Charter Business Minnesota customers in Burnsville, Minnesota will also experience a free increase in Internet speeds: Pro 40 Mbps increases to Pro 50 Mbps, and Pro 75 Mbps service advances to Pro 100 Mbps.

Great Burnsville upload speeds remain up to 1 Mbps for Express and up to 2 Mbps for Plus. Max and Ultra60 Minnesota services are also available with download speeds up to 25 Mbps and 60 Mbps. Charter Business Minnesota customers have access to download speeds up to 100 Mbps and upload speeds up to 5 Mbps. Charter Communications also provides Minnesota commercial customers fiber-optic Internet services of up to 1 Gbps (some of the best in Burnsville Minnesota)

Minnesota High Speed Broadband Internet from cable provider ? CharterCommunications.com

Charter High speed Broadband lets you surf around the Web at speeds that make surfing, shopping and gaming a breeze. Now you can chat with your friends in Burnsville, email your friends and shop online at Burnsville, Minnesota boutiques, all at the same time! High Speed Internet Burnsville ?service from Charter truly brings the world to your fingertips, and lets you enjoy it in a way that just isn?t possible with a Burnsville, Minnesota dial-up connection. ?Charter Internet features up to ten email addresses so every member of your family is covered, as well as a free security software suite for your peace of mind.? Go ahead and order super fast Internet today.? Our Burnsville, Minnesota specials mean you?ll pay the lowest price available for Internet as a standalone service or as part of the Minnesota ? Charter Triple Play Bundle.

Charter Internet ? ?Burnsville, MN Special Offers & Bundles

Trust? your High Definition Television (HDTV) from Charter Communications ? you will get not only the best Minnesota HD picture quality available, but the best HD channels and over 3,000 HD choices On Demand. You?ll have instant access to a library of hit movies, TV shows, music videos and local Burnsville ? sports all with crystal-clear picture and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. When you add Charter Communications- Burnsville, MN ? DVR (Digital Video Recorder) service to your Burnsville, Minnesota Digital Cable, you can record any TV program with the touch of a button and watch it whenever you want. Plus, rewind then fast-forward live TV, pause to get a snack, even create your own instant replays or watch in slow motion. And with Charter Communications DVR service no extra cable box is needed, even if you want HDTV.

Burnsville, Minnesota ? Charter Communications ? Digital Voice Service.

Charter High-Speed Internet offers the fastest download speeds out there over our enhanced Minnesota fiber-optic network. It?s way faster than Burnsville DSL. And you?ll enjoy even faster download and upload speeds. Plus, you?ll get valuable extras like online security, the Universal Address Book and more. Welcome to an unparalleled online experience. Incredibly fast speed Watch Charter Communications HD movies online, game in real time, download music, and more -

Burnsville ? Charter TV in Digital allows customers to customize television packages to get exactly what they want, at affordable prices, with a 30 day risk free experience for Minnesota.? Charter TV in Digital provides customers with the most advanced high definition technology available today, with On Demand access, an interactive program guide, parental controls, and the option of digital video recorder (DVR) service in Burnsville, MN or your neighborhood.

Photo courtesy *Micky