Sirius XM Radio

Sirius XM Radio Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) is an American broadcasting company that provides two satellite radio services (SDARS) operating in the United States, Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio. The company also owns interests in XM Canada and Sirius Canada, two satellite radio providers in Canada. The company in its current incarnation was formed following the acquisition of XM Satellite Radio, Inc. by Sirius Satellite Radio, Inc. on July 29, 2008.

On February 19, 2007, Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio announced a merger that would combine the two radio services and create a single satellite radio network in the United States. The merger brought the combined companies a total of more than 18.5 million subscribers based on current subscriber numbers on the date of merging.

The proposed merger was controversial because, in 1997, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted only two licenses and, in order to ensure a state of competition, stipulated that one of the holders would not be permitted to acquire control of the other.
Each share of XM stock was replaced with 4.6 shares of Sirius. Each company's stockholders initially retain approximately 50% of the joined company. Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin became CEO of the new company, and XM chairman Gary Parsons was named chairman. XM CEO Hugh Panero stepped down in August 2007.


July 29, 2008 — Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin hosts a town-hall type meeting at XM Radio's Washington, D.C. headquarters which is broadcast companywide. Karmazin reveals that the management team would consist of him with a second tier of as many as 26 Executive Vice Presidents.

July 30, 2008 — Karmazin hosts a town-hall meeting with Sirius employees after appearing on several Sirius and XM shows, explaining the future of the new company. Karmazin also thanked the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) for the strong opposition to the merger which, in his words, established that terrestrial radio and satellite radio were still competitors.

September 9, 2008 — Sirius XM announces new "Best of Both" content, and would be available to most satellite radio customers on October 6, 2008 at a monthly cost of $16.99. The Sirius programming included in Best of Both being aired on XM: Howard 100, Howard 101, Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius NFL and NASCAR Radio, and Playboy Radio. XM programming included in Best of Both being aired on Sirius: NBA, NHL Home Ice, Oprah & Friends, The Virus, Public Radio with Bob Edwards, College Sports, and the PGA Tour.

November 12, 2008 — Sirius XM begins broadcasting a new combined channel lineup across both the Sirius and XM platforms. (On January 15, 2009, some stations previously dropped were added back to the line-up, due to subscriber demand.)
February 10, 2009 — It is reported that Sirius XM has hired advisors to prepare for a possible Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.

February 17, 2009 - Liberty Media (49%-owner of DirecTV) acquires 40% of Sirius XM, with rights to acquire another 11%.
March 11, 2009 — Subscriptions for multiple radios (i.e., 2nd–4th radios) increase from $6.99 per month to $8.99 per month. The base subscription rate did not increase. The online listening platform was upgraded to a higher quality digital audio and is no longer included as part of a base subscription (i.e., at no charge).

June 16, 2009 — Sirius XM announces that beginning July 29, 2009 (as accounts renew after that date) subscribers would have to pay an additional $1.98 per primary account radio and $0.97 for each additional radio for radios 2–5 on an account as a Music Royalty Fee per month.
November 12, 2009 — Gary Parsons resigned as chairman. He is replaced by Eddy W. Hartenstein, Los Angeles Times publisher and CEO, as non-executive chairman.

February 9, 2010 -- DirecTV removed all Sirius XM music channels and replaced them with offerings from Sonic Tap.
December 21, 2010 - Sirius XM receives approval from the FCC to begin adding service to Alaska and Hawaii; Sirius XM also announced on January 17, 2011 that it will place repeaters in those states and adjust three of its satellites to cover those areas. The move finally gives Sirius XM coverage in all 50 states.
January 12, 2011 - XM Satellite Radio, Inc. is dissolved and merged into Sirius XM Radio.

May 4, 2011 - Sirius XM announced that it will streamline its channel lineup with both Sirius and XM services sharing the same channel, with some exceptions.


February 19, 2007, the merger was officially announced to shareholders of the company. This came after many months of speculation by industry watchers. On February 20, an open conference call was organized between the top executives of both companies.
March 20, 2007, the two companies filed a "Consolidated Application for Authority to Transfer Control" at the FCC.

June 8, 2007, the FCC's Mass Media Bureau gave "Public Notice" that it had accepted the application for filing and started its informal six-month merger review clock. The notice also set a pleading cycle requiring comments or petitions be filed by July 9, 2007, and responses or oppositions be filed by July 24, 2007.
October 4, 2007, Sirius and XM satellite radio announced that both companies will conduct a shareholder vote. Sirius scheduled its meeting for Tuesday November 13, 2007, for shareholders to vote on the proposed merger. XM scheduled a similar shareholder vote in Washington, D.C., on the same date.
November 13, 2007, Shareholders of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. approved the company's $5 billion acquisition of rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. 96% of Sirius Satellite Radio shareholder's votes cast approved the acquisition.

January 15, 2008, it was reported that the FCC expects to come to a decision in Q1 2008.

March 24, 2008, the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division announced it closed its investigation of the merger of the two companies, citing no harm to consumers or competition.
May 23, 2008, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said at a press conference that "the Commission could act by the end of the second quarter", which ends June 30, 2008. Earlier that week senators called upon the FCC to enact strict requirements on the merger such as returning some of the radio spectrum to competitors and open its service to all manufacturers of satellite radio players.


Because both companies will operate as one, this may reduce the cost of licensing the broadcast material. It will also almost certainly reduce the staff required to run the company. Also, programming can be spread out among the companies' combined satellite constellations.

If all of the non-duplicate channels are kept, this will result in more programming being made available to subscribers of both services.
New development
With only one company to develop products for, the new company can afford to spend more money to develop new products. So far, services have been developed which were not even conceived of when satellite radio was launched. XM and Sirius now carry satellite weather and traffic, and Sirius launched television programming in 2007. Likewise, it is expected that new technologies and products will continue to be developed and integrated in to the combined infrastructure of XM and Sirius Rad

Both companies were losing money before the merger, and were rumored to be facing bankruptcy. The company argued that merger was the way to avoid bankruptcy, and that bankruptcy would result in diminished competition for existing terrestrial radio and streaming services like Pandora.


Sirius and XM have both used star power to attract consumers. Howard Stern, Opie and Anthony, Bubba the Love Sponge, Scott Ferrall, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Ron & Fez, Broadminded, Bam Margera, Tony Hawk, Jason Ellis, Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey are among the stars that have signed contracts with one of the two companies. Exclusive sports programming (The National Football League, Barclays Premier League, Canadian Football League and NASCAR on Sirius and Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, PGA Tour, and Indy Racing League on XM) also drives consumers to one network or the other. Sirius and XM executives hope to lower the cost of this programming by merging; critics argue that the lowered cost will result in less total programming being made available. In particular, marquee sports and talk shows could be offered a la carte, similar to premium digital/satellite television tiers and out-of-market sports packages.


In Canada, Sirius Canada and XM Canada are partially owned by Sirius XM (20% and 23.3% respectively)  in joint ventures with Canadian companies. The two Canadian ventures have not yet agreed to a merger.Complicating matters is that Sirius Canada has nearly 80% of the total satellite radio subscribers in that country, and feels they deserve greater than a 50/50 split of the new company, whereas XM Canada feels that their deal with the NHL warrants a significant amount of value in the new company.

Even if the two Canadian systems combined, they still would not be able to provide the same channel line-up as Sirius XM in the US because of Canadian Content laws. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and the Canadian Competition Bureau would have to approve any merger between XM Canada and Sirius Canada.


Sirius XM has been developing a software application for use on the Apple iPhone and Apple iPod Touch devices that will allow its subscribers and users of those devices to listen to its programming. An email from Sirius XM customer service began circulating the internet that said the application would be available in the Apple iTunes store on June 18, 2009
“ Thank you for contacting SIRIUS regarding whether or not there is a SIRIUS iPhone application available. We are here to help! We appreciate the time you have taken to contact us in regards to this matter! We are happy to inform you that beginning June 18th a SIRIUS Internet Radio application will be available at the Apple iTunes App-Store for the iPhone and the iPod Touch! All Premium SIRIUS Internet Radio subscribers will be able to download the application from the Apple iTunes App-Store for free on their device and access the service at no additional cost! Subscribers who are listening to the Basic Online Service for free must first upgrade to the Premium Online Service for $2.99 per month to access the application on the iPhone or iPod Touch.

Sirius XM has also developed an application for use on certain 3G enabled Rim BlackBerry smartphones. Much like its iPhone and iPod Touch counterpart, it features a restricted 120 channel lineup featuring most of the music channels and selected talk programming. As with the iPhone app, some select programming, including MLB® Play-by-Play, and SIRIUS NASCAR® Radio, are not available at this time on the Blackberry. However, NFL Play-by-play was added in late 2010, as before you could only hear the talk-oriented daily programming. due to licensing and exclusivity deals, some play-by-play is not avalible, such is the case for both MLB and NASCAR, both online rights being owned by Turner Sports Interactive.


On May 28, 2010, Sirius XM released an application for mobile devices using the Android operating system. It features the same 120 channels of commercial-free music, news, talk radio, sports talk, and entertainment channels as found on the iPhone/iPod Touch and Blackberry applications. In August 2010, the Froyo release of Android broke the Sirius XM application. Sirius XM has since released an updated client that works with Froyo.
Receivers
Currently, XM and Sirius use different compression and conditional access systems, currently making their receivers incompatible with each other's service, though both companies have guaranteed that existing receivers will be able to receive content from both services after the merger.

Executives from both companies have stated that XM and Sirius will continue to operate as separate services. Buying another radio to receive programming from the other service will be optional. However, a unified receiver that can receive programming from both networks would allow subscribers to listen to the entire range of channels. Interoperable Technologies, a joint venture of both companies, was formed in 2003 and announced such a receiver in 2006. Mel Karmazin has confirmed the existence and operation of the radio, "We have one. It's in my office." Karmazin's dual system radio can expect competitors—according to tech-site Gizmodo, Onkyo is entering the interoperable radio arena.
Subscriber growth is expected to slow significantly as consumers wait for interoperable receivers.

Currently, there are 9 satellites in orbit; 5 XM and 4 Sirius satellites. Each company also has a ground spare, of identical construction to its first generation of satellite. The most recent satellite is XM-5, which was launched by Proton on October 14, 2010.
There are no publicly available facts concerning the cross-compatibility of the satellites themselves. If it is possible to use XM satellites to propagate Sirius's signal, this would give Sirius immediate access to a second geostationary satellite, which would improve reception for stationary receivers, such as those at businesses and homes. In the long term, consolidating transponders on to fewer satellites will reduce infrastructure costs significantly: to build and launch one satellite can cost more than US$300 million, with a lifetime of approximately 15 years. Once the next generation of satellites is constructed and operating, combining satellite networks could result in a savings of US$40 million a year.

Sirius XM radio content is also available over the Internet, competing for listeners of Internet radio stations and other online music services. The Internet-only option is offered for US$12.95 a month and does not require a stand alone radio receiver or additional computer hardware.


Executive compensation
Executives who are not offered jobs in the new combined company are assured generous golden parachutes due to severance agreements approved in 2007.
Former XM Radio Chief Executive Officer Nate Davis had a severance package worth $10 million.
Gary Parsons, the former Chairman of Sirius XM Radio, received $9 million.
Erik Toppenberg, Executive Vice President of Programming for XM Radio, has a severance package worth $5.34 million.
Joseph Euteneuer, Chief Financial Officer for XM Radio, has a severance package worth $4.9 million.
Vernon Irvin, Chief Marketing Officer, has a severance package worth $4.5 million.

Water for Elephants (film)

(States Twitter)-Water for Elephants is a 2011 American romantic drama film based on Sara Gruen's novel of the same name, directed by Francis Lawrence, from a screenplay by Richard LaGravenese. It stars Reese Witherspoon as Marlena Rosenbluth, Robert Pattinson as Jacob Jankowski and Christoph Waltz as August Rosenbluth.
The film was released in the United States and Canada on April 22, 2011 and received mostly mixed reviews from film critics; it garnered a "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based upon aggregated reviews, and a rating of "Mixed or average reviews" at Metacritic.


Filming
On a budget of $38 million, filming began on May 20, 2010 in Los Angeles, Piru, Fillmore in California; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Kensington and Chickamauga in Georgia. The filming wrapped up on August 4, 2010. This is the second time Witherspoon and Pattinson have costarred together as they had filmed a deleted scene from 2004's Vanity Fair in which he was her estranged son. Reshoots for the film were scheduled for mid January, 2011.


Box office
Water for Elephants was released in theaters on April 22, 2011. In the United States and Canada, Water for Elephants was released theatrically in 2,817 conventional theaters. The film grossed $6,924,487 during its opening day on April 22, 2011, with midnight screenings in 2,817 locations.Overall the film made $16,842,353 and debuted at #3 on its opening weekend.


Critical response
Water for Elephants has received mostly mixed reviews. Review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reports that 54% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 125 reviews, with an average score of 6.2 out of 10. The critical consensus is: "It's a tale tastefully told and beautifully filmed, but Water for Elephants suffers from a pronounced lack of chemistry between its leads." Among Rotten Tomatoes Top Critics, which consists of popular and notable critics from the top newspapers, websites, television and radio programs, the film holds an overall approval rating of 42%, based on a sample of 33 reviews. Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 reviews from film critics, the film has a rating score of 52% based on 35 reviews.
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three stars out of four, stating: This is good sound family entertainment, a safe PG-13 but not a dumb one, and it's a refreshing interlude before we hurtle into the summer blockbuster season. Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review. He stated: "The Reese Witherspoon-Robert Pattinson film will please fans of Sara Gruen’s best seller, but it lacks the vital spark that would have made the drama truly compelling on the screen.
Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a positive review, stating that "despite the stars' lack of romantic chemistry, there's much to enjoy in this cinematic retelling of Sara Gruen's big top bestseller, starting with the spectacular circus setting.

Cast


Reese Witherspoon as Marlena Rosenbluth
Robert Pattinson as Jacob Jankowski
Christoph Waltz as August Rosenbluth
Tai as Rosie, the elephant
James Frain as Rosie's caretaker
Hal Holbrook as Older Jacob Jankowski
Paul Schneider as Charlie O'Brien
Ken Foree as Earl
Tim Guinee as Diamond Joe
Mark Povinelli as Kinko/Walter
Scott MacDonald as Blackie
Jim Norton as Camel
Richard Brake as Grady

Water for Elephants

(States Twitter)-Water for Elephants is a historical novel by Sara Gruen. Gruen originally wrote the novel as part of National Novel Writing Month.
Characters
Jacob Jankowski – The novel’s protagonist. He is a "ninety or ninety-three"-year-old nursing home resident reminiscing on the time he spent as a circus veterinarian during the Great Depression.
Marlena – The main love interest and a star performer with the circus. Marlena joined the circus after she ran away from home to marry August. She enjoys a special rapport with the horses and cares for them deeply.
August – Marlena’s husband and the head animal trainer. He is alternately charming and brutal, both to the humans and animals aboard the Benzini Brothers train. Later in the book, it is explained that he is a paranoid schizophrenic.
Uncle Al – The violent, abusive owner of the circus. He is known for redlighting circus workers – having them thrown off the moving circus train in the middle of the night to avoid paying them. If these roustabouts are deemed to have committed some particularly egregious offense, they were thrown off while the train was passing over a trestle, presumably with the hope that they would die or be seriously injured.
Kinko/Walter – A dwarf with whom Jacob shares living quarters on the circus train. Initially, their relationship is rocky, but they develop a strong friendship. At the beginning of the story, he is known as Kinko. Walter is his real name and he only lets his friends call him this. He has a Jack Russell Terrier named Queenie to which he is very attached.
Camel – One of the first people Jacob meets when he jumps the train. Camel is a drunk who is instrumental in getting Jacob a job with the circus. When Camel gets "Jake Leg" from drinking contaminated Jamaican ginger, Jacob and Walter hide him in their train car and care for him.
Rosie – An elephant that Uncle Al buys from another circus. She is believed to be useless until it is discovered that she understands commands only in Polish. She is often the target of August’s rage.
Rosemary – A nurse in the nursing home where Jacob lives who is especially kind to Jacob. But Jacob is sometimes rude to her, even though she is very kind to him.


Plot
The story is told as a series of memories by Jacob Jankowski, a "ninety or ninety-three year-old" man who lives in a nursing home. Jacob is told what to eat and what to do.
As the memories begin, Jacob Jankowski is twenty-three years old and preparing for his final exams as a Cornell University veterinary student when he receives the news that his parents were killed in a car accident. Jacob’s father was a veterinarian and Jacob had planned to join his practice. When Jacob learns that his father was deeply in debt because he had been treating animals for free as well as mortgaging the family home to provide Jacob an Ivy League education, he has a breakdown and leaves school just short of graduation. In the dark of night, he jumps on a train only to learn it is a circus train. The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, in fact. When the owner of the circus, Uncle Al, learns of his training as a vet, he is hired to care for the circus animals. This consequently leads Jacob to share quarters with a dwarf named Walter (who is known as Kinko to the circus) and his dog Queenie. A few weeks later Jacob is summoned to take a look at Camel, an old man who, after drinking Jamaican ginger extract for many years, can't move his arms or legs. Fearing Camel will be "red-lighted" (referring to the practice of throwing circus workers off a moving train as either punishment or as severance from the circus to avoid paying wages), he hides him in his room.
The head trainer, August, is a brutal man who abuses the animals in his care (such as the new elephant Rosie) as well as the people around him. Alternately, he can be utterly charming. Jacob develops a guarded relationship with August and his wife, Marlena, with whom Jacob falls in love. August is suspicious of their relationship and beats Marlena and Jacob. Marlena subsequently leaves August and stays at a hotel while she's not performing. Uncle Al then informs Jacob that August is a paranoid schizophrenic and then utters a threat: reunite August and Marlena as a happily married couple or Walter and Camel get red-lighted.


Concept
Sara Gruen has said that the backbone of her story parallels the biblical story of Jacob in the Book of Genesis. The book contains multiple references to Ringling Brothers as the premier circus of the time. Also, photos of actual circuses and circus performers of the time are included throughout the book.
Major themes and symbols
The major themes explored in this novel include circus life during the depression (Gruen did extensive research on the subject[5]), the testing of a man’s moral compass, self worth, mental illnesses, acting on emotions, illusion vs. reality, and love triangles.
Water – A symbol of purification and self worth which is portrayed many times. Before Jacob jumps on the train the book states:
"When I first submerged my feet into frigid water, they hurt so badly I yanked them out again. I persisted, dunking them for longer and longer periods, until the cold finally blistered.
train tracks – Are a symbol of choosing one's direction in life. For instance, the book states:
This is so odd...I'm running beside a moving train in the middle of nowhere.
Title
In the beginning of the novel, Jacob mocks another resident of the nursing home who claims to have worked in the circus and carried water for the elephants. We are led to believe that this is a popular, but untrue, claim.


Release
2006, USA, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, a division of Workman Publishing, ISBN 1-56512-499-5, Pub date 26 May 2006, Hardback
2006, USA, Thorndike Press, ISBN 0-7862-9027-7, Pub date 15 December 2006, Large print hardback
2007, USA, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, a division of Workman Publishing, ISBN 1-56512-560-6, Pub date 1 May 2007, Paperback
2006, USA, Highbridge Audio, ISBN 1-59887-062-9, Pub date 1 June 2006, Audiobook
Film adaptation


A film adaptation produced by Flashpoint Entertainment and Fox 2000 Pictures was released in theaters on April 22, 2011. The film was directed by Francis Lawrence, and starred Robert Pattinson as Jacob Jankowski, Reese Witherspoon as Marlena, and Christoph Waltz as August. Hal Holbrook played the older Jacob Jankowski. Other cast members include Mark Povinelli as Kinko/Walter and Jim Norton as Camel, James Frain as Rosie's caretaker, Ken Foree as Earl and Paul Schneider as Charlie O'Brien.
The movie featured Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum #610 and former McCloud Railway No. 18. No. 18 was repaired to operational condition for filming. Once her scenes were finished, she was returned to her owners, the Virginia & Truckee Railroad in Virginia City, Nevada. Afterwards, she was put into service on July 24.

Cerebral palsy

(States Twitter)-Cerebral palsy (CP) is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement.
Cerebral refers to the cerebrum, which is the affected area of the brain (although the disorder most likely involves connections between the cortex and other parts of the brain such as the cerebellum), and palsy refers to disorder of movement. However, "paralytic disorders" are not cerebral palsy — the condition of quadriplegia, therefore, should not be confused with spastic quadriplegia, nor Tardive dyskinesia with dyskinetic cerebral palsy, nor diplegia with spastic diplegia, and so on.
Cerebral palsy's nature as an umbrella term means it is defined mostly via several different subtypes, especially spastic, and also mixtures of those subtypes.
Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the motor control centers of the developing brain and can occur during pregnancy, during childbirth or after birth up to about age three. Resulting limits in movement and posture cause activity limitation and are often accompanied by disturbances of sensation, depth perception and other sight-based perceptual problems, communication ability, and sometimes even cognition; sometimes a form of CP may be accompanied by epilepsy. CP, no matter what the type, is often accompanied by secondary musculoskeletal problems that arise as a result of the underlying etiology.
Of the many types and subtypes of CP, none of them has a known cure. Usually, medical intervention is limited to the treatment and prevention of complications arising from CP's effects. A 2003 study put the economic cost for people with CP in the US at $921,000 per individual, including lost income. In another study, the incidence in six countries surveyed was 2.12–2.45 per 1,000 live births, indicating a slight rise in recent years. Improvements in neonatology, or the medical specialty which is involved with treatment of neonates, have helped reduce the number of babies who develop cerebral palsy, but the survival of babies with very low birth weights has increased, and these babies are more likely to have cerebral palsy.


Spastic
Spastic cerebral palsy is by far the most common type of overall cerebral palsy, occurring in 70% to 80% of all cases. Moreover, spastic CP accompanies any of the other types of CP in 30% of all cases.
People with this type of CP are hypertonic and have what is essentially a neuromuscular mobility impairment (rather than hypotonia or paralysis) stemming from an upper motor neuron lesion in the brain as well as the corticospinal tract or the motor cortex, this damage impairs the ability of some nerve receptors in the spine to properly receive gamma amino butyric acid, leading to hypertonia in the muscles signaled by those damaged nerves.
As compared to other types of CP, and especially as compared to hypotonic or paralytic mobility disabilities, spastic CP is typically more easily manageable by the person affected, and medical treatment can be pursued on a multitude of orthopedic and neurological fronts throughout life. Spastic CP is classified by topography dependent on the region of the body affected; these include:
Spastic hemiplegia is one side being affected. Generally, injury to muscle-nerves controlled by the brain's left side will cause a right body deficit, and vice versa. Typically, people that have spastic hemiplegia are the most ambulatory of all the forms, although they generally have dynamic equinus (a limping instability) on the affected side and are primarily prescribed ankle-foot orthoses to prevent said equinus.


Signs and symptoms


All types of cerebral palsy are characterized by abnormal muscle tone (i.e. slouching over while sitting), reflexes, or motor development and coordination. There can be joint and bone deformities and contractures (permanently fixed, tight muscles and joints). The classical symptoms are spasticities, spasms, other involuntary movements (e.g. facial gestures), unsteady gait, problems with balance, and/or soft tissue findings consisting largely of decreased muscle mass. Scissor walking (where the knees come in and cross) and toe walking (which can contribute to a gait reminiscent of a marionette) are common among people with CP who are able to walk, but taken on the whole, CP symptomatology is very diverse. The effects of cerebral palsy fall on a continuum of motor dysfunction which may range from slight clumsiness at the mild end of the spectrum to impairments so severe that they render coordinated movement virtually impossible at the other end the spectrum.
Babies born with severe CP often have an irregular posture; their bodies may be either very floppy or very stiff. Birth defects, such as spinal curvature, a small jawbone, or a small head sometimes occur along with CP. Symptoms may appear or change as a child gets older. Some babies born with CP do not show obvious signs right away. Classically, CP becomes evident when the baby reaches the developmental stage at six and a half to 9 months and is starting to mobilise, where preferential use of limbs, asymmetry or gross motor developmental delay is seen.


Pain and sleep disorders
Pain is common, and may result from the inherent deficits associated with the condition, along with the numerous procedures children typically face. There is also a high likelihood of suffering from chronic sleep disorders associated with both physical and environmental factors. Pain is also associated with tight and/or shortened muscle, abnormal posture, stiff joints, unsuitable orthosis etc.


Causes


While in certain cases there is no identifiable cause, typical causes include problems in intrauterine development (e.g. exposure to radiation, infection), asphyxia before birth, hypoxia of the brain, and birth trauma during labor and delivery, and complications in the perinatal period or during childhood. CP is also more common in multiple births.
It has been hypothetized that many cases of cerebral palsy are caused by the death in very early pregnancy of an identical twin. This may occur when twins have a joint circulation through sharing the same placenta. Not all identical twins share the same blood supply (monochorionic twins), but if they do, the suggestion is that perturbations in blood flow between them can cause the death of one and damage to the development of the surviving fetus. It is common knowledge amongst obstetricians and midwives that a small dead fetus (fetus papyraceus) may sometimes be found attached to a placenta following birth. In the past, this has not been considered important and knowledge of the so called ‘vanishing twin’ has been suppressed to avoid triggering feelings of loss, grief, or guilt in mothers and especially the surviving twin.[citation needed] The pathological consequences depend on the severity and the stage of development of the fetus when the imbalances in blood flow between the fetuses occur.
Between 40% and 50% of all children who develop cerebral palsy were born prematurely. Premature infants are vulnerable, in part because their organs are not fully developed, increasing the risk of hypoxic injury to the brain that may manifest as CP. A problem in interpreting this is the difficulty in differentiating between cerebral palsy caused by damage to the brain that results from inadequate oxygenation and CP that arises from prenatal brain damage that then precipitates premature delivery.
Classification


Cerebral palsy (CP) is divided into four major classifications to describe different movement impairments. These classifications also reflect the areas of the brain that are damaged. The four major classifications are


Diagnosis


The diagnosis of cerebral palsy has historically rested on the patient's history and physical examination. Once diagnosed with cerebral palsy, further diagnostic tests are optional. The American Academy of Neurology published an article in 2004 reviewing the literature and evidence available on CT and MRI imaging. They suggested that neuroimaging with CT or MRI is warranted when the etiology of a patient's cerebral palsy has not been established - an MRI is preferred over CT due to diagnostic yield and safety. When abnormal, the neuroimaging study can suggest the timing of the initial damage. The CT or MRI is also capable of revealing treatable conditions, such as hydrocephalus, porencephaly, arteriovenous malformation, subdural hematomas and hygromas, and a vermian tumor (which a few studies suggest are present 5 to 22%). Furthermore, an abnormal neuroimaging study indicates a high likelihood of associated conditions, such as epilepsy and mental retardation.


Treatment
Treatment for Cerebral Palsy is a life long multi-dimensional process focused on the maintenance of associated conditions. In order to be diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy the damage that occurred to the brain must be non-progressive and not disease like in nature. The manifestation of that damage will change as the brain and body develop, but the actual damage to the brain will not increase. Treatment in the life of Cerebral Palsy is the constant focus on preventing the damage in the brain to prohibit healthy development on all levels. The brain, up to about the age of 8, is not concrete in its development. It has the ability to re-organize and re-route many signal paths that may have been affected by the initial trauma; the earlier it has help in doing this the more successful it will be. Various forms of therapy are available to people living with Cerebral Palsy as well as caregivers and parents caring for someone with this disability. They can all be useful at all stages of this disability and are vital in a person with Cerebral Palsy's ability to function and live more effectively. In general, the earlier treatment begins the better chance children have of overcoming developmental disabilities or learning new ways to accomplish the tasks that challenge them. The earliest proven intervention occurs during the infant's recovery in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Treatment may include one or more of the following: physical therapy; occupational therapy; speech therapy; drugs to control seizures, alleviate pain, or relax muscle spasms (e.g. benzodiazepienes, baclofen and intrathecal phenol/baclofen); hyperbaric oxygen; the use of Botox to relax contracting muscles; surgery to correct anatomical abnormalities or release tight muscles; braces and other orthotic devices; rolling walkers; and communication aids such as computers with attached voice synthesizers. For instance, the use of a standing frame can help reduce spasticity and improve range of motion for people with CP who use wheelchairs. Nevertheless, there is only some benefit from therapy. Treatment is usually symptomatic and focuses on helping the person to develop as many motor skills as possible or to learn how to compensate for the lack of them. Non-speaking people with CP are often successful availing themselves of augmentative and alternative communication systems such as Blissymbols.


Interpersonal therapy
Physiotherapy programs are designed to encourage the patient to build a strength base for improved gait and volitional movement, together with stretching programs to limit contractures. Many experts believe that life-long physiotherapy is crucial to maintain muscle tone, bone structure, and prevent dislocation of the joints.
Occupational therapy helps adults and children maximise their function, adapt to their limitations and live as independently as possible.
Speech therapy helps control the muscles of the mouth and jaw, and helps improve communication. Just as CP can affect the way a person moves their arms and legs, it can also affect the way they move their mouth, face and head. This can make it hard for the person to breathe; talk clearly; and bite, chew and swallow food. Speech therapy often starts before a child begins school and continues throughout the school years.
Misconceptions
Spastic Cerebral Palsy, the most common form of CP, causes the muscles to be tense, rigid and movements are slow and difficult. This can be misinterpreted as cognitive delay due to difficulty of communication. Individuals with cerebral palsy can have learning difficulties, but sometimes it is the sheer magnitude of problems caused by the underlying brain injury that prevents the individual from expressing what cognitive abilities they do possess.
Media
Maverick documentary filmmaker Kazuo Hara criticizes the mores and customs of Japanese society in an unsentimental portrait of adults with cerebral palsy in his 1972 film Goodbye CP (Sayonara CP). Focusing on how the CP victims are generally ignored or disregarded in Japan, Hara challenges his society's taboos about physical handicaps. Using a deliberately harsh style, with grainy black-and-white photography and out-of-sync sound, Hara brings a stark realism to his subject.
Notable cases
Josh Blue, winner of the fourth season of NBC's Last Comic Standing, whose act revolves around his CP. Blue was also on the 2004 U.S. Paralympic soccer team.
Emperor Claudius, the Roman Emperor who was also a stutterer and walked with a limp is believed to have had CP.
Abbey Curran, American beauty queen who represented Iowa at Miss USA 2008 and was the first contestant with a disability to compete. She also made an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and CBS 'The Early Show'.
Nicolas Hamilton, younger brother of 2008 Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton and racing driver, competes in the Renault Clio Cup despite suffering from cerebral palsy.
Stephen Hopkins, signer of USA Declaration of Independence, reputed to have stated, "My hand trembles, but my heart does not.
Geri Jewell, who was the first person with a disability to have a regular role in prime-time series on The Facts of Life. She has had roles on Sesame Street, 21 Jump Street, The Young and the Restless and Deadwood.
Karen Killilea, the subject of the book Karen (1952) and its sequel, With Love from Karen (1963), by her mother Marie Killilea.
RJ Mitte, an actor who portrays Walter White Jr. on the television drama Breaking Bad

Umbrella term

Umbrella term is a word that provides a superset or grouping of concepts that all fall under a single common category. Umbrella term is also called a hypernym. For example, cryptology is an umbrella term that encompasses cryptography and cryptanalysis, among other fields. Similarly, an umbrella organization is a central and coordinating body representing a number of smaller, separate bodies.

Osama was already dead

(States Twitter)-Indonesia's hardline Islamic Defenders Front will hold a prayer service for Osama bin Laden Wednesday, two days after the world's most wanted terrorist was killed in attack at his compound in Pakistan.

Celebrations are in full swing in Washington, and the ticker tape proclaims the glittering news in New York. The American psyche requires that the cowboy good guy gets his man bad guy, preferably in a spectacular shootout. It took a decade, but Osama bin Laden has obligingly played his part. But does his death mean anything, beyond psychic satisfaction?

But elsewhere, there has been relatively little sympathy for bin Laden this week. Muslim political leaders, like others, have welcomed the news.

Sen. Diane Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said she saw no need to release an image since there is other evidence to prove bin Laden is dead.

Taliban questioned the assertion.

"Obama has not got any strong evidence that can prove his claim over killing of the Sheikh Osama bin Laden," Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mojahed said. "And secondly, the closest sources for Sheikh Osama bin Laden have not confirmed" the death.

Sen. Diane Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Tuesday. "The DNA has been dispositive.

U.S. In return for such an asset, Pakistan might well have obtained a greater role in negotiations on the outcome of events in Afghanistan, a vital Pakistani interest.

In the end, bin Laden was probably a bargaining chip in a high-stakes game of diplomacy over the future of the region.

Shooting of unarmed bin Laden

(States Twitter)-WASHINGTON — While it is not yet certain who will replace Osama bin Laden to lead Al-Qaeda, CIA Director Leon Panetta said Tuesday that whoever take his place will becomes America's new public enemy number one.

but for several Muslim leaders, the more unsettling issue is whether the al Qaeda leader's burial at sea was contrary to Islamic practice.

The White House said on Tuesday that bin Laden had resisted the U.S. team which stormed his Pakistan hideout and that there had been concerns he would "oppose the capture operation.

Officials blamed the “great haste” with which information about the operation had been gathered for errors in the briefing.

The picture of what happened both before and during the raid became even more confused when government sources in Pakistan and Afghanistan disputed key facts about the commando mission.

Panetta said the US government does not have any intelligence indicating that "Pakistan was... aware that bin Laden was there, or that this compound was a place where he was hiding."

Noting that the compound was close to an elite military academy and that bin Laden had been living there about five years, Panetta nonetheless pressed Islamabad to provide more answers.

Former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt told German TV the operation could have incalculable consequences in the Arab world at a time of unrest there.

It was quite clearly a violation of international law.

Pakistan should be declared a terrorist state, Panetta acknowledged that the US-Pakistani relationship is a "very complicated and difficult" one, but warned the ties should not be severed.

A senior Muslim cleric in New Delhi, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, said U.S. troops could have easily captured bin Laden.

America is promoting jungle rule everywhere, whether in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan or Libya. People have remained silent for long but now it has crossed all limits.

Pakistan claimed yesterday it had been sharing information about the compound where bin Laden was staying since 2009.

Officials said they were not aware that bin Laden was staying there. The US is convinced that bin Laden received support from members of the Pakistani authorities.

Who Protected bin Laden

President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday denied the suggestion that the government sheltered bin Laden before he was killed in a U.S.

Two men killed with Osama bin Laden on Sunday night in Pakistan's Abbottabad have been identified as Arshad and Tariq Khan. According to media reports they both are Pakistanis. Osama bin Laden's neighbours said, the two men were some low-key businessman and were probably brothers or cousins.

The tight security cordon that had been thrown up around the heavily fortified, three-story mansion where bin Laden apparently evaded detection for years melted away Tuesday. The media that have descended on this town nestled in the green-carpeted hills of northwest Pakistan were finally given a close-up view of the bin Laden compound from the outside.

Lawmakers are raising questions, too. Republican senator Bob Corker has written to secretary of state Hillary Clinton, asking for details - "whether or not the Pakistanis had knowledge that he was there and did not share that knowledge". Two other senators - Republican Ted Poe and Democrat Frank Lautenberg - want further aid to Pakistan.

What Islamabad knew about bin Laden residing for years in a town that is home to the country's top military academy two hours from the capital is a question that deeply troubles Washington. U.S. lawmakers are threatening a review of billions of dollars in U.S. aid that flows to Pakistan.

Bin Laden's demise is the end of a chapter. But it is the beginning of new round of deepening tension between the Unites States and nuclear-armed ally Pakistan.