EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Phil Jackson is retired, the triangle offense is out, and Mike Brown is in. And the Los Angeles Lakers are still Kobe Bryant's team.
Brown made it clear Tuesday during his introduction as Jackson's successor that Bryant's role won't change under his regime. Authentic Soccer Jerseys He said his first meeting with the superstar who owns five NBA championships "went very well."
"This is still his team. We'll make sure that he'll have the ball in the sweet spots that he likes," Brown said. "He has a great understanding of my vision and he's onboard."
Bryant, Derek Fisher and Andrew Bynum had publicly supported longtime Lakers assistant Brian Shaw in his bid to replace Jackson, arsenal jersey who retired after Dallas swept the two-time defending champions out of the second round.
Besides meeting with Bryant and talking on the phone with his wife, Vanessa, Brown said he's talked to Fisher and his wife, Pau Gasol, Bynum and Ron Artest.
Public reaction to Brown's hiring has been mixed.
"Everybody is entitled to their opinion, I respect that," he said. "Winning will cure all of that."
General manager Mitch Kupchak said he, owner Jerry Buss and Jim Buss, chelsea jersey the owner's son and an executive with the team, interviewed three people for the unenviable job of following Jackson, who owns the most titles in NBA history.
Besides Shaw and Brown, Rick Adelman also was in the running.
The elder Buss said that initially he didn't think Brown "would be the man."
"Then when he started talking to us, he said how he would handle this team. He was very prepared," Buss said. "I liked his X's and O's, his visions for our future. Very few people understand that our job is to try and remain on top forever. He likes that philosophy. I like that."
Shortly before his introduction, Brown signed a four-year deal worth roughly $18 million.
Matt Barnes was the only player on hand for Brown's introduction at the Lakers' practice facility, stopping after a rehab session nearby.
"Coming here is tough. He's coming to LA, one of the biggest markets, barcelona jersey one of the best teams in sports history," Barnes said. "To carry himself the way he did, and answered all the questions and didn't really shy away from anything just showed a lot that he's ready and hope he's got his thick skin."
The 41-year-old Brown led Cleveland to the 2007 NBA finals and went 272-138 with the Cavaliers, becoming the most successful coach in franchise history while compiling the league's best regular-season record in each of his last two seasons.
He got fired last year before LeBron James packed his bags for Miami. Brown had been working as an ESPN analyst.
Brown knows there will be endless comparisons and references to Jackson, spain soccer jersey and he's ready for it.
"I'm not sure what size shoe he wears, but I'm not here to fill his shoes," he said. "I'm here to help this team and organization carve our own path to success."
That includes dumping the famed triangle offense that Jackson employed to such success in both Los Angeles and Chicago. Unlike Jackson, Brown may call more timeouts, too.
"We're not going to run the triangle offense, brazil soccer jersey but we will have bits and pieces of it that will be incorporated," said Brown, adding that his offense will be tailored to 7-footers Bynum and Gasol, similar to what was run for big men Tim Duncan and David Robinson during his time as an assistant in San Antonio.
Brown ticked off his top three essentials on both offense and defense.
"If they don't buy in right away, they will," he said. "If they don't, there's going to be a problem because I'm going to hold people accountable."
Brown said he wants to foster a culture that includes trust, argentina soccer jersey communication, defense, a no-excuses mentality, a family environment, and a determined work ethic.
"As long as the group is willing, which it sounds like it is, we'll get it done," he said. "We want to be at the top forever."
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Spanish cucumbers ruled out as source of illness
MYSTERY SURROUNDED the source of Germany’s E.coli epidemic yesterday after authorities ruled out Spanish cucumbers as the source of the contamination.
Yesterday a 50-year-old woman in Sweden became the first casualty outside Germany, Custom Soccer Jerseys where already 15 people have fallen victim to the enterohaemorrhagic E.coli (EHEC) bacterium.
Swedish authorities said the woman had recently returned from Germany. Meanwhile, the latest German victim was an 87-year-old woman, who died early on Tuesday morning in a hospital in Paderborn. Of the 15 fatalities so far, only two were men. In total around 1,400 people are being treated for suspected infection in Germany with 353 confirmed E.coli cases.
“The source of the infection is, as before, unidentified,” said Cornelia Prüfer-Storcks, ac milan jersey state health minister in Hamburg. “Our hope to discover the source of serious HUS (haemolytic uraemic syndrome) complications unfortunately was not realised.” The four cucumbers confiscated last week at a vegetable wholesale market in Hamburg, and attributed to two Spanish suppliers, were contaminated with a variation of E.coli, she said, but not with the strain behind the ongoing epidemic in northern Germany.
Spanish agriculture minister Rosa Aguilar has called for compensation to cover the losses sustained by Spanish farmers – estimated at €200 million weekly – caused by the false claims about their vegetables . “One should stop looking to Spain, Spanish vegetables are safe,” she said, criticising authorities in Hamburg for making claims about Spanish cucumbers “without any proof”.
“We are disappointed with the way Germany has dealt with this.” arsenal jersey The Hamburg health minister dismissed the Spanish criticisms yesterday as without foundation.
“It was right to make public the results of our investigation as the contamination could very well cause EHEC,” chelsea jersey said Ms Prüfer-Storcks. “It would have been irresponsible with this number of ill people to keep quiet about a well-grounded suspicion.
“Protecting people’s lives is more important than economic interests.” The E.coli bacterium has its origins in cattle and other ruminants and usually enters the food chain through faecal contamination. In humans the bacterium generates toxins that cause the haemolytic uraemic syndrome in humans, causing potentially fatal kidney failure.
Doctors in the Hamburg University Clinic say their HUS patients in treatment are “increasingly displaying nervous system problems” like slurred speech, england soccer jersey twitching, and epileptic fits.
Meanwhile, doctors at the Hygiene Institute at Münster University Clinic announced yesterday they had developed a quick test to identify the EHEC toxins within hours. “This strain can be described as a hybrid or a chimera that combines different virulent traits,” said Prof Helge Karch of the Münster clinic.
Despite continued uncertainty in Germany about the source of the epidemic, spain soccer jersey health authorities said warnings remained active and urged consumer to continue to observe good hygiene habits and avoid raw vegetables.
That recommendation has renewed frustration among German vegetable producers, who are shredding millions of tonnes of unsold produce daily.
“It’s always us left sitting on the mess,” said producer Rudolf Behr to Der Spiegel website. brazil soccer jersey“It makes no sense to ruin the reputation of the healthiest foods going.”
Yesterday a 50-year-old woman in Sweden became the first casualty outside Germany, Custom Soccer Jerseys where already 15 people have fallen victim to the enterohaemorrhagic E.coli (EHEC) bacterium.
Swedish authorities said the woman had recently returned from Germany. Meanwhile, the latest German victim was an 87-year-old woman, who died early on Tuesday morning in a hospital in Paderborn. Of the 15 fatalities so far, only two were men. In total around 1,400 people are being treated for suspected infection in Germany with 353 confirmed E.coli cases.
“The source of the infection is, as before, unidentified,” said Cornelia Prüfer-Storcks, ac milan jersey state health minister in Hamburg. “Our hope to discover the source of serious HUS (haemolytic uraemic syndrome) complications unfortunately was not realised.” The four cucumbers confiscated last week at a vegetable wholesale market in Hamburg, and attributed to two Spanish suppliers, were contaminated with a variation of E.coli, she said, but not with the strain behind the ongoing epidemic in northern Germany.
Spanish agriculture minister Rosa Aguilar has called for compensation to cover the losses sustained by Spanish farmers – estimated at €200 million weekly – caused by the false claims about their vegetables . “One should stop looking to Spain, Spanish vegetables are safe,” she said, criticising authorities in Hamburg for making claims about Spanish cucumbers “without any proof”.
“We are disappointed with the way Germany has dealt with this.” arsenal jersey The Hamburg health minister dismissed the Spanish criticisms yesterday as without foundation.
“It was right to make public the results of our investigation as the contamination could very well cause EHEC,” chelsea jersey said Ms Prüfer-Storcks. “It would have been irresponsible with this number of ill people to keep quiet about a well-grounded suspicion.
“Protecting people’s lives is more important than economic interests.” The E.coli bacterium has its origins in cattle and other ruminants and usually enters the food chain through faecal contamination. In humans the bacterium generates toxins that cause the haemolytic uraemic syndrome in humans, causing potentially fatal kidney failure.
Doctors in the Hamburg University Clinic say their HUS patients in treatment are “increasingly displaying nervous system problems” like slurred speech, england soccer jersey twitching, and epileptic fits.
Meanwhile, doctors at the Hygiene Institute at Münster University Clinic announced yesterday they had developed a quick test to identify the EHEC toxins within hours. “This strain can be described as a hybrid or a chimera that combines different virulent traits,” said Prof Helge Karch of the Münster clinic.
Despite continued uncertainty in Germany about the source of the epidemic, spain soccer jersey health authorities said warnings remained active and urged consumer to continue to observe good hygiene habits and avoid raw vegetables.
That recommendation has renewed frustration among German vegetable producers, who are shredding millions of tonnes of unsold produce daily.
“It’s always us left sitting on the mess,” said producer Rudolf Behr to Der Spiegel website. brazil soccer jersey“It makes no sense to ruin the reputation of the healthiest foods going.”
Monday, May 30, 2011
Defections, protests hit Libyan regime
South African President Jacob Zuma met Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi Monday but appeared to make no breakthrough in his attempt to broker a peace deal, as the regime was hit by a wave of high-level defections and the reemergence of protests in the capital.
Zuma, who also visited Tripoli in April, reiterated that Gaddafi had accepted an African Union peace plan calling for a cease-fire and dialogue, a plan explicitly rejected by rebels and implicitly by NATO, who maintain Gaddafi has to leave before any cease-fire can take effect.
Underlining NATO’s ultimate objective, Authentic Soccer Jerseys
the alliance’s Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told a conference in Bulgaria on Monday that Gaddafi’s “reign of terror” was coming to an end.
Hours later in Rome, eight Libyan army officers, including five generals, appeared at a news conference arranged by the Italian government, saying they were part of a group of 120 military officials and soldiers who had defected in recent days.
“What is happening to our people has frightened us,” arsenal jersey one of the defecting officers, who identified himself as General Oun Ali Oun, told reporters, according to news agencies. “There is a lot of killing, genocide violence against women. No wise, rational person with the minimum of dignity can do what we saw with our eyes and what he [Gaddafi] asked us to do.”
In Tripoli, hundreds of people took to the streets in the Souk al-Juma neighborhood after the funeral of two rebel activists killed in a clash with security forces, a dissident said, in a protest captured on video. It was the third peaceful protest to have erupted in Tripoli in the past week, he said, but the first to be filmed.
“There is no god but Allah, and Moammar is the enemy of Allah,” they chanted. “The blood of martyrs will not be shed for nothing.”
The timing of the protest could not be independently confirmed, chelsea jersey given restrictions on foreign reporters in Tripoli.
Protests in Tripoli were violently suppressed in February, with scores of people killed, human rights group say. Since then the city has been relatively subdued, with many people saying they were scared to speak out for fear of being arrested.
But the reappearance of protesters on the streets in broad daylight could be a sign that the security forces are now struggling to keep a lid on dissent. Monday’s protest was dispersed after members of the feared Katiba security forces arrived in their trademark Toyota Tundra trucks and fired over people’s heads, the dissident said.
“Public anti-regime sentiment is increasing day by day in a progressive manner, spain soccer jersey which may culminate in an acute flare-up and an outpouring of people onto the streets of Tripoli,” he said by Skype. “I cannot say how close we are to ‘zero hour’ but there are all the signs that we are moving steadily towards it.”
The defections announced in Rome may reignite hope among Gaddafi’s opponents that the regime is nearing collapse, coming two months after that of Libya’s foreign minister and former espionage chief Moussa Koussa.
One of the officers, Gen. Melud Massoud Halasa, claimed that Gaddafi’s military forces are “only 20 percent as effective” as they were before the revolt broke out in mid-February, and that “not more than 10” generals remain loyal to the Libyan leader.
NATO has at times appeared to be struggling to ratchet up the pressure on Gaddafi, brazil soccer jersey with the regime often sounding as defiant as ever and rebels struggling to make military advances.
But airstrikes on Tripoli have increased in recent weeks, and Britain and France have said they are ready to deploy attack helicopters.
NATO’s Rasmussen said the military mission was achieving its objectives. “We have seriously degraded Gaddafi’s ability to kill his own people,” he said. “He is increasingly isolated at home and abroad. Even those closest to him are departing, defecting or deserting.”
With Russia’s decision to withdraw its support for the regime on Friday, most of Gaddafi’s few remaining allies are now in sub-Saharan Africa.
Although South Africa voted for the U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing the enforcement of a no-fly zone, Zuma has since criticized NATO for going beyond its mandate and attempting to engineer Gaddafi’s ouster. He is advocating an African Union proposal that calls for cease-fire and dialogue with the opposition.
On Monday, argentina soccer jersey images of Zuma meeting Gaddafi at the leader’s sprawling Bab al-Aziziyah residential and administrative complex appeared on state television. Avoiding Western reporters, Zuma spoke afterwards only to South African and Libyan television. “He is ready to implement the road map,” Zuma said.
But Sheikh Khalifa Zuwawi, the chairman of the city council in the rebel-held city of Misurata, said the only proposal the rebels were interested in hearing from Zuma was that Gaddafi should stand down. “There is just one offer — that he leaves,” he said.
Special correspondent Portia Walker contributed from Misurata.
Zuma, who also visited Tripoli in April, reiterated that Gaddafi had accepted an African Union peace plan calling for a cease-fire and dialogue, a plan explicitly rejected by rebels and implicitly by NATO, who maintain Gaddafi has to leave before any cease-fire can take effect.
Underlining NATO’s ultimate objective, Authentic Soccer Jerseys
the alliance’s Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told a conference in Bulgaria on Monday that Gaddafi’s “reign of terror” was coming to an end.
Hours later in Rome, eight Libyan army officers, including five generals, appeared at a news conference arranged by the Italian government, saying they were part of a group of 120 military officials and soldiers who had defected in recent days.
“What is happening to our people has frightened us,” arsenal jersey one of the defecting officers, who identified himself as General Oun Ali Oun, told reporters, according to news agencies. “There is a lot of killing, genocide violence against women. No wise, rational person with the minimum of dignity can do what we saw with our eyes and what he [Gaddafi] asked us to do.”
In Tripoli, hundreds of people took to the streets in the Souk al-Juma neighborhood after the funeral of two rebel activists killed in a clash with security forces, a dissident said, in a protest captured on video. It was the third peaceful protest to have erupted in Tripoli in the past week, he said, but the first to be filmed.
“There is no god but Allah, and Moammar is the enemy of Allah,” they chanted. “The blood of martyrs will not be shed for nothing.”
The timing of the protest could not be independently confirmed, chelsea jersey given restrictions on foreign reporters in Tripoli.
Protests in Tripoli were violently suppressed in February, with scores of people killed, human rights group say. Since then the city has been relatively subdued, with many people saying they were scared to speak out for fear of being arrested.
But the reappearance of protesters on the streets in broad daylight could be a sign that the security forces are now struggling to keep a lid on dissent. Monday’s protest was dispersed after members of the feared Katiba security forces arrived in their trademark Toyota Tundra trucks and fired over people’s heads, the dissident said.
“Public anti-regime sentiment is increasing day by day in a progressive manner, spain soccer jersey which may culminate in an acute flare-up and an outpouring of people onto the streets of Tripoli,” he said by Skype. “I cannot say how close we are to ‘zero hour’ but there are all the signs that we are moving steadily towards it.”
The defections announced in Rome may reignite hope among Gaddafi’s opponents that the regime is nearing collapse, coming two months after that of Libya’s foreign minister and former espionage chief Moussa Koussa.
One of the officers, Gen. Melud Massoud Halasa, claimed that Gaddafi’s military forces are “only 20 percent as effective” as they were before the revolt broke out in mid-February, and that “not more than 10” generals remain loyal to the Libyan leader.
NATO has at times appeared to be struggling to ratchet up the pressure on Gaddafi, brazil soccer jersey with the regime often sounding as defiant as ever and rebels struggling to make military advances.
But airstrikes on Tripoli have increased in recent weeks, and Britain and France have said they are ready to deploy attack helicopters.
NATO’s Rasmussen said the military mission was achieving its objectives. “We have seriously degraded Gaddafi’s ability to kill his own people,” he said. “He is increasingly isolated at home and abroad. Even those closest to him are departing, defecting or deserting.”
With Russia’s decision to withdraw its support for the regime on Friday, most of Gaddafi’s few remaining allies are now in sub-Saharan Africa.
Although South Africa voted for the U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing the enforcement of a no-fly zone, Zuma has since criticized NATO for going beyond its mandate and attempting to engineer Gaddafi’s ouster. He is advocating an African Union proposal that calls for cease-fire and dialogue with the opposition.
On Monday, argentina soccer jersey images of Zuma meeting Gaddafi at the leader’s sprawling Bab al-Aziziyah residential and administrative complex appeared on state television. Avoiding Western reporters, Zuma spoke afterwards only to South African and Libyan television. “He is ready to implement the road map,” Zuma said.
But Sheikh Khalifa Zuwawi, the chairman of the city council in the rebel-held city of Misurata, said the only proposal the rebels were interested in hearing from Zuma was that Gaddafi should stand down. “There is just one offer — that he leaves,” he said.
Special correspondent Portia Walker contributed from Misurata.
Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki speaks softly but carries a big game
Dirk Nowitzki takes the microphone out of its stand and holds it with a sly smile on his face, as if he's ready to begin zinging at a roast.
But that's about as exciting as the Dallas Mavericks forward gets. He sinks into a chair on a dais and stares vacantly at the table in front of him while answering reporters' questions with a slightly accented monotone.
Not much had happened 30 minutes earlier, only the Mavericks' second-ever trip to the NBA Finals in the franchise's 31-year existence.
Nowitzki's deceptive, though. Custom Soccer Jerseys It's too clichéd to say he's a man of actions, not words, as Dallas begins the NBA Finals on Tuesday against the Miami Heat.
Before judging Nowitzki, you'd have to experience the action part in person on a night before one of their playoff games.
He will arrive at a quiet arena and soon have a ball in hand. No shot clock, no defenders, no All-Star votes or championship trophies to be earned that particular night.
"He constantly works on his game," Dallas Coach Rick Carlisle said. "Look, he shoots every night during the playoffs so he keeps things tuned up."
Then Carlisle pauses.
"He's really into winning."
Winning a championship, however, ac milan jersey is the last thing left to accomplish in a 13-year career that's been on a strong enough uptick the last six weeks to draw comparisons to the sacred Larry Bird.
Nowitzki has been sublime since the playoffs began, averaging 28.4 points, shooting an identical 52% from two-point and three-point range, and missing only 10 of 140 free throws (93% accuracy).
He's a little down on himself for his rebounding (7.5 a game), arsenal jersey but it's hard to criticize anybody who averaged 25 points in a sweep of the Lakers and 32 points against the supposedly speedier Oklahoma City Thunder.
And to think people wondered about him at the midpoint of the season after a mysterious injury sidelined him for three weeks. It was officially called a sprained right knee, but it seemed more than that, costing him more games (nine) than he'd ever missed in his career for an injury.
He came back slowly, dragging his leg behind him and putting together a strange string of games in February, including a 12-point effort against Cleveland followed by 10 points against Sacramento.
Nowitzki, who turns 33 in a few weeks, chelsea jersey is definitely back, trailing compliments behind him in his remarkable postseason run.
"I don't think no one can singlehandedly stop Dirk," said Miami forward LeBron James. "He's a shot maker, one of the best shot makers we've ever had in this league. It looks like a bad shot if you don't know basketball or you don't know his game — one-legged fade-aways off the glass and pull-up jumpers off the dribble, pump fake, pump fake, fade-away. Things like that."
Things that have been especially notable in the playoffs.
Nowitzki practically ended Oklahoma City's hopes with his Game 4 effort in the Western Conference finals. He had 12 points in the final 3 minutes 15 seconds, including a pair of off-balance, up-and-under moves as Dallas came back from a 15-point deficit to win in overtime.
"I thought he was good . . . now he's phenomenal," england soccer jersey Miami guard Dwyane Wade said. "Obviously, the shot-making ability is one of the best this league has seen. But I think what he's gotten better at is taking over games in the fourth quarter. It seems like he's taking more shots or he's made a bigger impact. I think he's a hungrier player and even a more efficient player than in '06."
That's a time and place Nowitzki doesn't like to talk about.
Dallas had a 2-0 series lead on Miami in the 2006 Finals and led by 13 late in Game 3 before completely collapsing and somehow losing four consecutive games.
"I almost felt like we had unfinished business after '06," spain soccer jersey Nowitzki said. "We're here again at the big stage. Hopefully, we can turn it around this year and finish strong."
Only Nowitzki and Jason Terry remain from that Dallas team. Wade and Udonis Haslem are the only ones still with Miami.
This collection of Mavericks seems more balanced than that one.
"It's tough to double [Nowitzki] because they have so many great shooters around him," brazil soccer jersey Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant grumbled after being eliminated. "They have a great team."
It might be enough to get that first elusive title for Nowitzki. If that happens, it's easy to foresee his words catching up to his actions.
But that's about as exciting as the Dallas Mavericks forward gets. He sinks into a chair on a dais and stares vacantly at the table in front of him while answering reporters' questions with a slightly accented monotone.
Not much had happened 30 minutes earlier, only the Mavericks' second-ever trip to the NBA Finals in the franchise's 31-year existence.
Nowitzki's deceptive, though. Custom Soccer Jerseys It's too clichéd to say he's a man of actions, not words, as Dallas begins the NBA Finals on Tuesday against the Miami Heat.
Before judging Nowitzki, you'd have to experience the action part in person on a night before one of their playoff games.
He will arrive at a quiet arena and soon have a ball in hand. No shot clock, no defenders, no All-Star votes or championship trophies to be earned that particular night.
"He constantly works on his game," Dallas Coach Rick Carlisle said. "Look, he shoots every night during the playoffs so he keeps things tuned up."
Then Carlisle pauses.
"He's really into winning."
Winning a championship, however, ac milan jersey is the last thing left to accomplish in a 13-year career that's been on a strong enough uptick the last six weeks to draw comparisons to the sacred Larry Bird.
Nowitzki has been sublime since the playoffs began, averaging 28.4 points, shooting an identical 52% from two-point and three-point range, and missing only 10 of 140 free throws (93% accuracy).
He's a little down on himself for his rebounding (7.5 a game), arsenal jersey but it's hard to criticize anybody who averaged 25 points in a sweep of the Lakers and 32 points against the supposedly speedier Oklahoma City Thunder.
And to think people wondered about him at the midpoint of the season after a mysterious injury sidelined him for three weeks. It was officially called a sprained right knee, but it seemed more than that, costing him more games (nine) than he'd ever missed in his career for an injury.
He came back slowly, dragging his leg behind him and putting together a strange string of games in February, including a 12-point effort against Cleveland followed by 10 points against Sacramento.
Nowitzki, who turns 33 in a few weeks, chelsea jersey is definitely back, trailing compliments behind him in his remarkable postseason run.
"I don't think no one can singlehandedly stop Dirk," said Miami forward LeBron James. "He's a shot maker, one of the best shot makers we've ever had in this league. It looks like a bad shot if you don't know basketball or you don't know his game — one-legged fade-aways off the glass and pull-up jumpers off the dribble, pump fake, pump fake, fade-away. Things like that."
Things that have been especially notable in the playoffs.
Nowitzki practically ended Oklahoma City's hopes with his Game 4 effort in the Western Conference finals. He had 12 points in the final 3 minutes 15 seconds, including a pair of off-balance, up-and-under moves as Dallas came back from a 15-point deficit to win in overtime.
"I thought he was good . . . now he's phenomenal," england soccer jersey Miami guard Dwyane Wade said. "Obviously, the shot-making ability is one of the best this league has seen. But I think what he's gotten better at is taking over games in the fourth quarter. It seems like he's taking more shots or he's made a bigger impact. I think he's a hungrier player and even a more efficient player than in '06."
That's a time and place Nowitzki doesn't like to talk about.
Dallas had a 2-0 series lead on Miami in the 2006 Finals and led by 13 late in Game 3 before completely collapsing and somehow losing four consecutive games.
"I almost felt like we had unfinished business after '06," spain soccer jersey Nowitzki said. "We're here again at the big stage. Hopefully, we can turn it around this year and finish strong."
Only Nowitzki and Jason Terry remain from that Dallas team. Wade and Udonis Haslem are the only ones still with Miami.
This collection of Mavericks seems more balanced than that one.
"It's tough to double [Nowitzki] because they have so many great shooters around him," brazil soccer jersey Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant grumbled after being eliminated. "They have a great team."
It might be enough to get that first elusive title for Nowitzki. If that happens, it's easy to foresee his words catching up to his actions.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
'Hangover' sequel tops box office
The raucous comedy sequel "The Hangover: Part II" captured $86 million at the North American box office in its first weekend, blowing past another newcomer "Kung Fu Panda 2" to capture the top spot, estimates showed Sunday.
The critically-panned sequel, described as uninspiring and a repeat of the original, Authentic Soccer Jerseys follows four men celebrating a pre-wedding brunch in Bangkok, much like the bachelor party in Las Vegas in the first movie "The Hangover" that made stars of underground comedian Zach Galifianakis and actor Bradley Cooper.
It came far ahead of DreamWorks' sequel to the original "Kung Fu Panda," with the 3-D second-take -- which reprised the voice talents of Jack Black and Angelina Jolie -- collecting $48 million in its opening weekend, arsenal jersey according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.
The fourth installment in the Johnny Depp-starring "Pirates of the Caribbean" series finished third, taking in $39 million after pulling $90 million in its opening a week ago.
The Disney romp, which has earned mixed reviews, chelsea jersey has taken in a total of $152 million in the past two weeks.
The surprise hit "Bridesmaids," barcelona jersey an oddball comedy about a group of women preparing for their wedding day supporting roles, grossed $16 million in its third week to take the fourth position.
Epic action adventure "Thor," starring Chris Hemsworth as the mythical hero banished to Earth from the mystical world of Asgard, took in $9 million to become the fifth-highest grossing movie of the week, while its four-week total climbed to $159 million.
"Fast Five," spain soccer jersey the fifth volume in the high-speed car chase series, earned $7 million to reach the sixth spot, and after five weeks of release saw its total receipts climb to $196 million, the highest total take of any movie in this week's top ten.
In its second week out, brazil soccer jersey Woody Allen's latest film, the whimsical "Midnight in Paris," climbed to seventh place from 13th, with $1.91 million.
"Jumping the Broom," which explores what happens when two African-American families from different socio-economic backgrounds get together for a wedding celebration, fell to eighth place, grossing $1.9 million, argentina soccer jersey while romantic comedy "Something Borrowed" carried the ninth spot, earning $1.8 million.
Rounding out the top ten was the family comedy "Rio," an animated film from the makers of the "Ice Age" series, which brought in $1.8 million. The film has so far earned $135 million during its seven-week run.
The critically-panned sequel, described as uninspiring and a repeat of the original, Authentic Soccer Jerseys follows four men celebrating a pre-wedding brunch in Bangkok, much like the bachelor party in Las Vegas in the first movie "The Hangover" that made stars of underground comedian Zach Galifianakis and actor Bradley Cooper.
It came far ahead of DreamWorks' sequel to the original "Kung Fu Panda," with the 3-D second-take -- which reprised the voice talents of Jack Black and Angelina Jolie -- collecting $48 million in its opening weekend, arsenal jersey according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.
The fourth installment in the Johnny Depp-starring "Pirates of the Caribbean" series finished third, taking in $39 million after pulling $90 million in its opening a week ago.
The Disney romp, which has earned mixed reviews, chelsea jersey has taken in a total of $152 million in the past two weeks.
The surprise hit "Bridesmaids," barcelona jersey an oddball comedy about a group of women preparing for their wedding day supporting roles, grossed $16 million in its third week to take the fourth position.
Epic action adventure "Thor," starring Chris Hemsworth as the mythical hero banished to Earth from the mystical world of Asgard, took in $9 million to become the fifth-highest grossing movie of the week, while its four-week total climbed to $159 million.
"Fast Five," spain soccer jersey the fifth volume in the high-speed car chase series, earned $7 million to reach the sixth spot, and after five weeks of release saw its total receipts climb to $196 million, the highest total take of any movie in this week's top ten.
In its second week out, brazil soccer jersey Woody Allen's latest film, the whimsical "Midnight in Paris," climbed to seventh place from 13th, with $1.91 million.
"Jumping the Broom," which explores what happens when two African-American families from different socio-economic backgrounds get together for a wedding celebration, fell to eighth place, grossing $1.9 million, argentina soccer jersey while romantic comedy "Something Borrowed" carried the ninth spot, earning $1.8 million.
Rounding out the top ten was the family comedy "Rio," an animated film from the makers of the "Ice Age" series, which brought in $1.8 million. The film has so far earned $135 million during its seven-week run.
Bullpen Rests as Sabathia Helps Yankees Avoid a Sweep
If nothing about their first two games at Safeco Field qualified as relaxing for the Yankees, Custom Soccer Jerseys then Sunday allowed Manager Joe Girardi to sit in his figurative Adirondack chair, sip a tall glass of iced tea and just watch and enjoy.
His starter, C. C. Sabathia, worked eight innings to rest a taxed bullpen. Every member of the starting lineup contributed a hit, including three by Curtis Granderson. The Yankees scored first and, for a change, ac milan jersey did not return the lead. That combination produced a 7-1 victory against the Seattle Mariners, a welcome change from the misery that had defined their weekend.
In averting a three-game sweep, the Yankees avoided the problems that had knocked them out of first place in the American League East. After failing to take advantage of decent showings against the Mariners’ best pitchers, Michael Pineda and Felix Hernandez, they battered the left-hander Jason Vargas for six runs in three innings, with Andruw Jones delivering the decisive hit, arsenal jersey a bases-clearing double in the third.
No lead has been safe for the Yankees this series, from 3-0 on Friday night to 3-1 on Saturday, when a stalled comeback resulted in a 12-inning loss. The length of that game, combined with an early exit by Ivan Nova, forced Girardi to exhaust nearly his entire bullpen, using six of seven relievers. Three of them — Luis Ayala, Hector Noesi and Dave Robertson — were unavailable Sunday, chelsea jersey placing the burden on Sabathia to provide distance and excellence.
The Mariners were no match for Sabathia, who gave up a sixth-inning homer to Justin Smoak but little else. He struck out five while allowing five hits and three walks, two in the fifth inning when the Mariners loaded the bases with one out. But Sabathia induced a comebacker from Ichiro Suzuki, fired home for the force out before Francisco Cervelli completed the double play with a throw to first. Even though the Yankees were leading, 7-0, Sabathia pumped his fist and pointed at Cervelli as he walked off the field.
The Yankees went ahead, 1-0, in the second on a home run by Nick Swisher, before piling on Vargas in the third. After Granderson scored on a two-out single by Robinson Cano, his eighth hit in 12 career at-bats against Vargas, england soccer jersey Swisher drew a walk to load the bases for Jones. He ripped an outside fastball into the right-field corner, easily scoring Alex Rodriguez and Cano. Swisher also came around to score, ruled safe despite replays showing that catcher Chris Gimenez tagged him on the left arm as he slid by. The missed call cost the Mariners another run, when Eduardo Nunez followed by belting a triple into the gap in left-center field, driving in Jones to put the Yankees up, 6-0.
In his last two starts, spain soccer jersey Jones has homered twice and driven in seven runs, a surge likely to earn him regular playing time against left-handers and bury Jorge Posada deeper into a part-time role at designated hitter. With the Oakland left-handers Brett Anderson and Gio Gonzalez scheduled to work the final two games of the series that begins Monday, Girardi suggested that he would continue to rotate right-handed hitters like brazil soccer jersey Derek Jeter and Rodriguez into the D.H. spot, shifting Jones into outfield duty.
INSIDE PITCH
Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson are the first set of Yankees teammates to combine for at least 15 home runs during the team’s first 50 games since Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in 1961, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
His starter, C. C. Sabathia, worked eight innings to rest a taxed bullpen. Every member of the starting lineup contributed a hit, including three by Curtis Granderson. The Yankees scored first and, for a change, ac milan jersey did not return the lead. That combination produced a 7-1 victory against the Seattle Mariners, a welcome change from the misery that had defined their weekend.
In averting a three-game sweep, the Yankees avoided the problems that had knocked them out of first place in the American League East. After failing to take advantage of decent showings against the Mariners’ best pitchers, Michael Pineda and Felix Hernandez, they battered the left-hander Jason Vargas for six runs in three innings, with Andruw Jones delivering the decisive hit, arsenal jersey a bases-clearing double in the third.
No lead has been safe for the Yankees this series, from 3-0 on Friday night to 3-1 on Saturday, when a stalled comeback resulted in a 12-inning loss. The length of that game, combined with an early exit by Ivan Nova, forced Girardi to exhaust nearly his entire bullpen, using six of seven relievers. Three of them — Luis Ayala, Hector Noesi and Dave Robertson — were unavailable Sunday, chelsea jersey placing the burden on Sabathia to provide distance and excellence.
The Mariners were no match for Sabathia, who gave up a sixth-inning homer to Justin Smoak but little else. He struck out five while allowing five hits and three walks, two in the fifth inning when the Mariners loaded the bases with one out. But Sabathia induced a comebacker from Ichiro Suzuki, fired home for the force out before Francisco Cervelli completed the double play with a throw to first. Even though the Yankees were leading, 7-0, Sabathia pumped his fist and pointed at Cervelli as he walked off the field.
The Yankees went ahead, 1-0, in the second on a home run by Nick Swisher, before piling on Vargas in the third. After Granderson scored on a two-out single by Robinson Cano, his eighth hit in 12 career at-bats against Vargas, england soccer jersey Swisher drew a walk to load the bases for Jones. He ripped an outside fastball into the right-field corner, easily scoring Alex Rodriguez and Cano. Swisher also came around to score, ruled safe despite replays showing that catcher Chris Gimenez tagged him on the left arm as he slid by. The missed call cost the Mariners another run, when Eduardo Nunez followed by belting a triple into the gap in left-center field, driving in Jones to put the Yankees up, 6-0.
In his last two starts, spain soccer jersey Jones has homered twice and driven in seven runs, a surge likely to earn him regular playing time against left-handers and bury Jorge Posada deeper into a part-time role at designated hitter. With the Oakland left-handers Brett Anderson and Gio Gonzalez scheduled to work the final two games of the series that begins Monday, Girardi suggested that he would continue to rotate right-handed hitters like brazil soccer jersey Derek Jeter and Rodriguez into the D.H. spot, shifting Jones into outfield duty.
INSIDE PITCH
Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson are the first set of Yankees teammates to combine for at least 15 home runs during the team’s first 50 games since Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in 1961, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Soccer All-Stars Put on a Show for Fans
More than 300 fans turned out to see the show put on by the inaugural DeKalb Soccer Coaches Association All-Stars on Wednesday at James R. Hallford Stadium in Clarkston.
The girls’ All-Stars were showcased first as Druid Hills’ Jane Neiswande scored a pair of goals in leading the Inside The Perimeter (ITP) squad to a 4-1 victory over the Outside The Perimeter (OTP) team.
Chamblee’s Allison Jones drew the OTP defense to her Authentic Soccer Jerseys and found Neiswander for the first goal of the game on a nice pass past the goalie with 19:45 left in the first half to give ITP a 1-0 lead. The game went to the half tied at 1-1 as Dunwoody’s Becka Kilbourne nettea shot for the Outside The Perimeter (OTP) team with 2:21 to play in the half to knot the score.
Chamblee senior Taylor Smith got into the scoring act arsenal jersey just two and half minutes into the second half as she got a rebound off a corner kick to give ITP a 2-1 lead it would never relinquish. Neiswander made it 3-1 just seven minutes later when she took a pass off a header in front of the goal and netted the ball.
Jones followed suit four minutes later as she picked up argentina soccer jersey a deflection off the goalie to score the final goal of the game for the 4-1 final. Lakeside’s Raleigh Knight and Towers Shayla Rogers teamed up for seven saves in goal for the ITP squad and allowed just one goal.
The boys’chelsea jersey All-Stars battled to a 2-2 tie in the second game of the night bringing cheers from the crowd as the game see-sawed in favor of both teams throughout.
The ITP All-Stars drew first blood in the game as Cross Keys barcelona jersey junior Moises Medina picked up a deflection off OTP goalie Luis Sanchez of Stone Mountain to score just four minutes into the game for a 1-0 ITP lead.
Miller Grove’s Roy Dixon got past the defense on a pin point pass from Dunwoody’s spain soccer jersey Falcundo Gurdit to tie the game at 1-1 for the OTP All-Stars at the 19:54 mark as he beat goalie Jimmile Jackson of Towers. The teams went into the half tied at 1-1 just as the girls’ All-Stars had done earlier.
The OTP players turned up the heat in the second half getting eight shots
on goal to just two for the ITP team. One of the shots deflected off ITP goalie Roberto Ramos to OTP’s brazil soccer jersey Robel Davis Jr. for an easy tap in and a 2-1 lead for OTP with 18:35 to play in the game.
The OTP All-Stars continued to keep the ball in the ITP zone through most of the next six minutes, but ITP’s Jordy Banegas of Cross Keys split a pair of defenders on a nice pass from Sol Samuel of Druid Hills to get a shot on goal. Banegas made good with a shot into the left corner past a diving Grey LaRose of Dunwoody to knot the score at 2-2 with 12:15 to play.
The two teams battled with OTP having the advantage with shots on goal, but Ramos was solid after giving up the go-ahead goal as he turned away five shots on goal in the final 12 minutes to preserve the tie.
The girls’ All-Stars were showcased first as Druid Hills’ Jane Neiswande scored a pair of goals in leading the Inside The Perimeter (ITP) squad to a 4-1 victory over the Outside The Perimeter (OTP) team.
Chamblee’s Allison Jones drew the OTP defense to her Authentic Soccer Jerseys and found Neiswander for the first goal of the game on a nice pass past the goalie with 19:45 left in the first half to give ITP a 1-0 lead. The game went to the half tied at 1-1 as Dunwoody’s Becka Kilbourne nettea shot for the Outside The Perimeter (OTP) team with 2:21 to play in the half to knot the score.
Chamblee senior Taylor Smith got into the scoring act arsenal jersey just two and half minutes into the second half as she got a rebound off a corner kick to give ITP a 2-1 lead it would never relinquish. Neiswander made it 3-1 just seven minutes later when she took a pass off a header in front of the goal and netted the ball.
Jones followed suit four minutes later as she picked up argentina soccer jersey a deflection off the goalie to score the final goal of the game for the 4-1 final. Lakeside’s Raleigh Knight and Towers Shayla Rogers teamed up for seven saves in goal for the ITP squad and allowed just one goal.
The boys’chelsea jersey All-Stars battled to a 2-2 tie in the second game of the night bringing cheers from the crowd as the game see-sawed in favor of both teams throughout.
The ITP All-Stars drew first blood in the game as Cross Keys barcelona jersey junior Moises Medina picked up a deflection off OTP goalie Luis Sanchez of Stone Mountain to score just four minutes into the game for a 1-0 ITP lead.
Miller Grove’s Roy Dixon got past the defense on a pin point pass from Dunwoody’s spain soccer jersey Falcundo Gurdit to tie the game at 1-1 for the OTP All-Stars at the 19:54 mark as he beat goalie Jimmile Jackson of Towers. The teams went into the half tied at 1-1 just as the girls’ All-Stars had done earlier.
The OTP players turned up the heat in the second half getting eight shots
on goal to just two for the ITP team. One of the shots deflected off ITP goalie Roberto Ramos to OTP’s brazil soccer jersey Robel Davis Jr. for an easy tap in and a 2-1 lead for OTP with 18:35 to play in the game.
The OTP All-Stars continued to keep the ball in the ITP zone through most of the next six minutes, but ITP’s Jordy Banegas of Cross Keys split a pair of defenders on a nice pass from Sol Samuel of Druid Hills to get a shot on goal. Banegas made good with a shot into the left corner past a diving Grey LaRose of Dunwoody to knot the score at 2-2 with 12:15 to play.
The two teams battled with OTP having the advantage with shots on goal, but Ramos was solid after giving up the go-ahead goal as he turned away five shots on goal in the final 12 minutes to preserve the tie.
Pakistan shuts down U.S. 'intelligence fusion' cells
In a clear sign of Pakistan's deepening mistrust of the United States, Islamabad has told the Obama administration to reduce the number of U.S. troops in the country and has moved to close three military intelligence liaison centers, setting back U.S. efforts to eliminate insurgent sanctuaries in largely lawless areas bordering Afghanistan, U.S. officials said.
The liaison centers, also known as "Intelligence Fusion cells," in Quetta and Peshawar are the main conduits for the U.S. to share satellite imagery, target data and other intelligence with Pakistani ground forces conducting operations against militants, including Taliban fighters who slip into Afghanistan to attack U.S. and allied forces.
U.S. special operations units have relied on the three facilities, two in Peshawar and one in Quetta, to help coordinate operations on both sides of the border, senior U.S. officials said. The U.S. units are now being withdrawn from all three sites, the officials said, and the centers are being shut down.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the steps are permanent. Adm. Mike Mullen, Custom Soccer Jerseys the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, flew Thursday to Pakistan for a hastily arranged meeting with Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, the head of the Pakistani army. A Pentagon official said the two will probably discuss Pakistan's demands for a smaller U.S. military presence.
The closures, which have not been publicly announced, remove U.S. advisors from the front lines of the war against militant groups in Pakistan. U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus spearheaded the effort to increase the U.S. presence in the border areas two years ago out of frustration with Pakistan's failure to control the militants.
The collapse of the effort will probably hinder the Obama administration's efforts to gradually push Pakistan toward conducting ground operations against insurgent strongholds in North Waziristan and elsewhere, U.S. officials said.
The Pakistani decision has not affected the CIA's ability to launch missiles from drone aircraft in northwest Pakistan. ac milan jersey Those flights, which the CIA has never publicly acknowledged, receive assistance from Pakistan through intelligence channels separate from the fusion centers, current and former officials said.
The move to close the three facilities, plus a written demand to the Pentagon on Wednesday to reduce the approximately 200 U.S. military personnel in the country, follows mounting anger in Pakistan over a series of incidents.
In January, Raymond Davis, a CIA contractor, shot dead two men in Lahore who he said were attempting to rob him. He was arrested on charges of murder but was released and left the country in mid-March, prompting violent protests in several cities.
Soon after, Pakistan ordered several dozen U.S. arsenal jersey special operations trainers to leave the country in what U.S. officials believe was retaliation for the Davis case, according to a senior U.S. military officer.
Then, on May 2, five U.S. helicopters secretly entered Pakistani airspace and a team of U.S. Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden and four others at a compound in Abbottabad, a military garrison city near the capital, Islamabad. The raid deeply embarrassed Pakistan's military and inflamed anti-U.S. sentiment across the country.
Javed Hussain, a retired Pakistani brigadier, blamed the decision to close the three intelligence centers on the mistrust that has plagued U.S.-Pakistani relations in recent months. Washington's decision to carry out the raid against Bin Laden without informing Pakistan's security establishment brought that mistrust to a new low, he said.
"There is lot of discontent within Pakistan's armed forces with regard to the fact they've done so much in the war on terror, chelsea jersey and yet they are not trusted," Hussain said. "Particularly after the Abbottabad raid … the image of the armed forces in the eyes of the people has gone down. And they hold the U.S. responsible."
The two intelligence centers in Peshawar were set up in 2009, one with the Pakistani army's 11th Corps and the other with the paramilitary Frontier Corps, which are both headquartered in the city, capital of the troubled Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
The third fusion cell was opened last year at the Pakistani army's 12th Corps headquarters in Quetta, a city long used by Taliban fighters to mount attacks in Afghanistan's southern provinces. U.S. troops have staffed the Quetta facility only intermittently, U.S. officials said.
The closures have effectively stopped the U.S. training of the Frontier Corps, england soccer jersey a force that American officials had hoped could help halt infiltration of Taliban and other militants into Afghanistan, a senior U.S. military officer said.
The Frontier Corps' facility in Peshawar, staffed by a handful of U.S. special operations personnel, was located at Bala Hissar, an old fort, according to a classified U.S. Embassy cable from 2009 that was recently made public by WikiLeaks.
The cable, which was first disclosed by Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, hinted at U.S. hopes that special operations teams would be allowed to join the paramilitary units and the Special Services Group, a Pakistani army commando unit, in operations against militants.
"We have created Intelligence Fusion cells with embedded U.S. Special Forces with both the SSG and Frontier Corps" at Bala Hissar, spain soccer jersey Peshawar, the 2009 cable says. "But we have not been given Pakistani military permission to accompany the Pakistani forces on deployments as yet. Through these embeds, we are assisting the Pakistanis [to] collect and coordinate existing intelligence assets."
Another U.S. Embassy cable said that a "U.S. Special Operations Command Force" was providing the Frontier Corps with "imagery, target packages and operational planning" in a campaign against Taliban insurgents in Lower Dir, an area of northwest Pakistan considered an insurgent stronghold.
In September 2009, then U.S. ambassador, Anne W. Patterson, wrote in another classified message that the fusion cells provided "enhanced capacity to share real-time intelligence with units engaged in counter-insurgency operations" and were "a significant step forward for the Pakistan military."
The intelligence fusion cell in Quetta was not nearly as active as the facilities in Peshawar, brazil soccer jersey current and former U.S. officials said. Pakistan has long resisted pressure to intensify operations against Taliban militants in Quetta. The city, capital of Baluchistan, is outside the tribal area, which explains Pakistan's reluctance to permit a permanent U.S. military presence, a U.S. official said.
Despite the ongoing tensions, Pakistani authorities have agreed to allow a CIA team to inspect the compound where Bin Laden was killed, according to a U.S. official. The Pakistanis have signaled they will allow U.S. intelligence analysts to examine documents and other material that Pakistani authorities found at the site.
A U.S. official briefed on intelligence matters said the reams of documents and electronic data that the SEALs seized at the compound have sparked "dozens" of intelligence investigations and have produced new insights into schisms among Al Qaeda leaders.
The liaison centers, also known as "Intelligence Fusion cells," in Quetta and Peshawar are the main conduits for the U.S. to share satellite imagery, target data and other intelligence with Pakistani ground forces conducting operations against militants, including Taliban fighters who slip into Afghanistan to attack U.S. and allied forces.
U.S. special operations units have relied on the three facilities, two in Peshawar and one in Quetta, to help coordinate operations on both sides of the border, senior U.S. officials said. The U.S. units are now being withdrawn from all three sites, the officials said, and the centers are being shut down.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the steps are permanent. Adm. Mike Mullen, Custom Soccer Jerseys the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, flew Thursday to Pakistan for a hastily arranged meeting with Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, the head of the Pakistani army. A Pentagon official said the two will probably discuss Pakistan's demands for a smaller U.S. military presence.
The closures, which have not been publicly announced, remove U.S. advisors from the front lines of the war against militant groups in Pakistan. U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus spearheaded the effort to increase the U.S. presence in the border areas two years ago out of frustration with Pakistan's failure to control the militants.
The collapse of the effort will probably hinder the Obama administration's efforts to gradually push Pakistan toward conducting ground operations against insurgent strongholds in North Waziristan and elsewhere, U.S. officials said.
The Pakistani decision has not affected the CIA's ability to launch missiles from drone aircraft in northwest Pakistan. ac milan jersey Those flights, which the CIA has never publicly acknowledged, receive assistance from Pakistan through intelligence channels separate from the fusion centers, current and former officials said.
The move to close the three facilities, plus a written demand to the Pentagon on Wednesday to reduce the approximately 200 U.S. military personnel in the country, follows mounting anger in Pakistan over a series of incidents.
In January, Raymond Davis, a CIA contractor, shot dead two men in Lahore who he said were attempting to rob him. He was arrested on charges of murder but was released and left the country in mid-March, prompting violent protests in several cities.
Soon after, Pakistan ordered several dozen U.S. arsenal jersey special operations trainers to leave the country in what U.S. officials believe was retaliation for the Davis case, according to a senior U.S. military officer.
Then, on May 2, five U.S. helicopters secretly entered Pakistani airspace and a team of U.S. Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden and four others at a compound in Abbottabad, a military garrison city near the capital, Islamabad. The raid deeply embarrassed Pakistan's military and inflamed anti-U.S. sentiment across the country.
Javed Hussain, a retired Pakistani brigadier, blamed the decision to close the three intelligence centers on the mistrust that has plagued U.S.-Pakistani relations in recent months. Washington's decision to carry out the raid against Bin Laden without informing Pakistan's security establishment brought that mistrust to a new low, he said.
"There is lot of discontent within Pakistan's armed forces with regard to the fact they've done so much in the war on terror, chelsea jersey and yet they are not trusted," Hussain said. "Particularly after the Abbottabad raid … the image of the armed forces in the eyes of the people has gone down. And they hold the U.S. responsible."
The two intelligence centers in Peshawar were set up in 2009, one with the Pakistani army's 11th Corps and the other with the paramilitary Frontier Corps, which are both headquartered in the city, capital of the troubled Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
The third fusion cell was opened last year at the Pakistani army's 12th Corps headquarters in Quetta, a city long used by Taliban fighters to mount attacks in Afghanistan's southern provinces. U.S. troops have staffed the Quetta facility only intermittently, U.S. officials said.
The closures have effectively stopped the U.S. training of the Frontier Corps, england soccer jersey a force that American officials had hoped could help halt infiltration of Taliban and other militants into Afghanistan, a senior U.S. military officer said.
The Frontier Corps' facility in Peshawar, staffed by a handful of U.S. special operations personnel, was located at Bala Hissar, an old fort, according to a classified U.S. Embassy cable from 2009 that was recently made public by WikiLeaks.
The cable, which was first disclosed by Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, hinted at U.S. hopes that special operations teams would be allowed to join the paramilitary units and the Special Services Group, a Pakistani army commando unit, in operations against militants.
"We have created Intelligence Fusion cells with embedded U.S. Special Forces with both the SSG and Frontier Corps" at Bala Hissar, spain soccer jersey Peshawar, the 2009 cable says. "But we have not been given Pakistani military permission to accompany the Pakistani forces on deployments as yet. Through these embeds, we are assisting the Pakistanis [to] collect and coordinate existing intelligence assets."
Another U.S. Embassy cable said that a "U.S. Special Operations Command Force" was providing the Frontier Corps with "imagery, target packages and operational planning" in a campaign against Taliban insurgents in Lower Dir, an area of northwest Pakistan considered an insurgent stronghold.
In September 2009, then U.S. ambassador, Anne W. Patterson, wrote in another classified message that the fusion cells provided "enhanced capacity to share real-time intelligence with units engaged in counter-insurgency operations" and were "a significant step forward for the Pakistan military."
The intelligence fusion cell in Quetta was not nearly as active as the facilities in Peshawar, brazil soccer jersey current and former U.S. officials said. Pakistan has long resisted pressure to intensify operations against Taliban militants in Quetta. The city, capital of Baluchistan, is outside the tribal area, which explains Pakistan's reluctance to permit a permanent U.S. military presence, a U.S. official said.
Despite the ongoing tensions, Pakistani authorities have agreed to allow a CIA team to inspect the compound where Bin Laden was killed, according to a U.S. official. The Pakistanis have signaled they will allow U.S. intelligence analysts to examine documents and other material that Pakistani authorities found at the site.
A U.S. official briefed on intelligence matters said the reams of documents and electronic data that the SEALs seized at the compound have sparked "dozens" of intelligence investigations and have produced new insights into schisms among Al Qaeda leaders.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
More Severe Weather Expected Across Region Pummeled Tuesday
Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas picked up the pieces after damaging storms and tornadoes moved through Tuesday night, but national weather forecasters predicted more severe weather Wednesday evening for parts of the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys.
Around 7:03 p.m. central time, trained weather spotters reported a tornado near midtown Memphis, Tennessee, according to the National Weather Service.
Tornado warnings were issued for eastern Arkansas, Authentic Soccer Jerseys areas of western Tennessee and southeast Missouri.
The jet stream disturbance that was partly responsible for Tuesday's tornado outbreak could cause storms on Wednesday eveningfrom Louisiana northeastward to the lower Great Lakes region, according to a statement from the weather service. Numerous tornadoes were expected to develop, accompanied by widespread damaging winds and large hail, in a region that stretches from northern Mississippi, across parts of Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Indiana, all the way to central and southern Illinois.
Huge swathes of the region have face a "particularly dangerous situation," arsenal jersey according to designations by the weather agency. This means that destructive tornadoes, hail up to 3 inches in diameter, wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour and dangerous lightening are possible.
This is bad news for an area still reeling from deadly storms that rolled through less than 24 hours earlier.
Sixteen people were killed by the latest string of severe storms. Ten were in Oklahoma, four in Arkansas and two in Kansas, authorities said.
In Arkansas' Franklin County, chelsea jersey a tornado touched down shortly after midnight, killing at least two people, according to Tommy Jackson, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management.
The two other deaths were in Johnson County, said Renee Preslar, a spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management.
In Stafford County, Kansas, two motorists died when an uprooted tree slammed into their van, according to the state adjutant general's office.
In Oklahoma, seven people were killed in Canadian County, according to Sheriff Randall Edwards.
Ronnie Funck, barcelona jersey a spokesman for the county emergency management office, said more than 100 people were injured.
Two people died in Oklahoma's Logan County, and one was killed in Grady County, according to Cherokee Ballard with the state medical examiner's office.
A 3-year-old who went missing during the ferocious weather in Canadian County remains unaccounted for.
Ryan Hamil was with his mother and his siblings in their home when the storm hit, said Pam Capener, the boy's great-aunt. "Cole, the 15-month-old, did not survive," she said. "Cathleen, who is 5, is in the hospital in stable condition."
Their mother, spain soccer jersey Catherine Hamil, "has a lot of broken bones, bruises and cuts, but I believe she's stable now, last I heard," Capener said. Hamil is pregnant, and her baby is due in October, she said. "They did get the heartbeat of the baby yesterday, so the baby's stable."
The children's father, Catherine's husband Hank Hamil, was out of town Tuesday but has returned and is searching for Ryan, Capener said.
"Last I heard, they're searching a 16-mile stretch," she said.
She added that she believes the family had taken refuge in a bathtub when the storm barreled through. "I don't know if they were thrown out," she said.
The family has started a fund to raise money for hospital expenses. The Hamil Family Assistance Fund already had $2,225 in pledges even though it was created only Wednesday.
Teams of rescuers were out Wednesday continuing the search on both land and water.
But there were unexpected tales of joy amid the devastation and destruction.
In Piedmont, Oklahoma, brazil soccer jersey a family now has its beloved dog, Roxie, back, even if there isn't a home to bring her to.
Frank Wood said he was forced to shut the door to their safe room Tuesday evening with Roxie still outside. "I couldn't get her," he told CNN. "The storm was basically just circulating right around the corner. I didn't really have a choice. She just kept running away from me. She was so scared and skittish."
When Wood and his two children emerged, the house had been ripped to shreds, and Roxie was nowhere to be seen.
She was found the next morning, however, at a work site nearly two miles from the Woods' family home. Chesapeake Energy worker David Franco scooped up the boxer and got Woods number from Roxie's tag.
It's been a historic tornado season in the U.S. More than 500 people have been killed, according to figures from the National Weather Service and local authorities. That makes 2011 the deadliest season since 1953, when 519 people were killed in twisters.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency Wednesday in 68 Oklahoma counties hit by the tornadoes and other severe weather. Only nine counties in the state were not included in the declaration.
"Our hearts go out to those who lost their loved ones in the storms last night, argentina soccer jersey and our thoughts and prayers continue to be with all the families and communities that have been affected," Craig Fugate, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said in a statement issued Wednesday.
"These historic storms have highlighted the incredible resolve of the American people, especially the first responders, emergency workers, firefighters, volunteers and neighbors who have been working around the clock for days to respond to these storms and conduct search and rescue efforts. Their efforts have been extraordinary," he said.
Chickasha, Oklahoma, is one of the towns where a tornado was spotted Tuesday night.
"Thank God we weren't (there)," said Pastor Gary Rogers of the Grand Assembly of God church in Chickasha. "No one was there." Half the church's roof was torn off, he said.
Twenty-four hours later, the church would have been bustling with Wednesday activities, he said.
Chickasha is about 40 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.
The tornado "came right past the store," said Chickasha AutoZone employee Nathaniel Charlton. "They had a little debris thrown across the parking lot. It was on the ground, but it wasn't bad."
The tornado that passed through Chickasha also damaged several other communities.
Jeremy Morrison, a truck driver from McAlester, Oklahoma, was hauling a load of freight to Oklahoma City Tuesday night when he spotted a twister. He pulled over and started climbing out of his truck, preparing to enter a ditch for safety, when the tornado disappeared from his sight, he said. He then climbed back into the truck and was set to keep driving when the tornado suddenly struck, lifting the entire rig and throwing it onto its side.
Morrison fell out of the window -- or was sucked out, he's not sure which. He said he ran to check on a nearby car, where he found two people hiding underneath.
Morrison survived with a fractured shoulder bone, he said. His trailer was destroyed.
Aerial video of the incident was captured by CNN affiliate KOCO.
"We could see debris in the radar returns we were receiving, and that gave us a good indication the tornado was strong and large," said Steve Piltz, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Tulsa, Oklahoma, adding that the tornado was anywhere from a half-mile to a mile wide.
The powerful storms also struck Joplin, Missouri, where a weekend tornado killed more than 120 people, making it the deadliest single U.S. twister since modern record-keeping began 61 years ago.
The city was briefly under a tornado warning late Tuesday before it was raked by blustery winds and peppered with lightning.
Around 7:03 p.m. central time, trained weather spotters reported a tornado near midtown Memphis, Tennessee, according to the National Weather Service.
Tornado warnings were issued for eastern Arkansas, Authentic Soccer Jerseys areas of western Tennessee and southeast Missouri.
The jet stream disturbance that was partly responsible for Tuesday's tornado outbreak could cause storms on Wednesday eveningfrom Louisiana northeastward to the lower Great Lakes region, according to a statement from the weather service. Numerous tornadoes were expected to develop, accompanied by widespread damaging winds and large hail, in a region that stretches from northern Mississippi, across parts of Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Indiana, all the way to central and southern Illinois.
Huge swathes of the region have face a "particularly dangerous situation," arsenal jersey according to designations by the weather agency. This means that destructive tornadoes, hail up to 3 inches in diameter, wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour and dangerous lightening are possible.
This is bad news for an area still reeling from deadly storms that rolled through less than 24 hours earlier.
Sixteen people were killed by the latest string of severe storms. Ten were in Oklahoma, four in Arkansas and two in Kansas, authorities said.
In Arkansas' Franklin County, chelsea jersey a tornado touched down shortly after midnight, killing at least two people, according to Tommy Jackson, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management.
The two other deaths were in Johnson County, said Renee Preslar, a spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management.
In Stafford County, Kansas, two motorists died when an uprooted tree slammed into their van, according to the state adjutant general's office.
In Oklahoma, seven people were killed in Canadian County, according to Sheriff Randall Edwards.
Ronnie Funck, barcelona jersey a spokesman for the county emergency management office, said more than 100 people were injured.
Two people died in Oklahoma's Logan County, and one was killed in Grady County, according to Cherokee Ballard with the state medical examiner's office.
A 3-year-old who went missing during the ferocious weather in Canadian County remains unaccounted for.
Ryan Hamil was with his mother and his siblings in their home when the storm hit, said Pam Capener, the boy's great-aunt. "Cole, the 15-month-old, did not survive," she said. "Cathleen, who is 5, is in the hospital in stable condition."
Their mother, spain soccer jersey Catherine Hamil, "has a lot of broken bones, bruises and cuts, but I believe she's stable now, last I heard," Capener said. Hamil is pregnant, and her baby is due in October, she said. "They did get the heartbeat of the baby yesterday, so the baby's stable."
The children's father, Catherine's husband Hank Hamil, was out of town Tuesday but has returned and is searching for Ryan, Capener said.
"Last I heard, they're searching a 16-mile stretch," she said.
She added that she believes the family had taken refuge in a bathtub when the storm barreled through. "I don't know if they were thrown out," she said.
The family has started a fund to raise money for hospital expenses. The Hamil Family Assistance Fund already had $2,225 in pledges even though it was created only Wednesday.
Teams of rescuers were out Wednesday continuing the search on both land and water.
But there were unexpected tales of joy amid the devastation and destruction.
In Piedmont, Oklahoma, brazil soccer jersey a family now has its beloved dog, Roxie, back, even if there isn't a home to bring her to.
Frank Wood said he was forced to shut the door to their safe room Tuesday evening with Roxie still outside. "I couldn't get her," he told CNN. "The storm was basically just circulating right around the corner. I didn't really have a choice. She just kept running away from me. She was so scared and skittish."
When Wood and his two children emerged, the house had been ripped to shreds, and Roxie was nowhere to be seen.
She was found the next morning, however, at a work site nearly two miles from the Woods' family home. Chesapeake Energy worker David Franco scooped up the boxer and got Woods number from Roxie's tag.
It's been a historic tornado season in the U.S. More than 500 people have been killed, according to figures from the National Weather Service and local authorities. That makes 2011 the deadliest season since 1953, when 519 people were killed in twisters.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency Wednesday in 68 Oklahoma counties hit by the tornadoes and other severe weather. Only nine counties in the state were not included in the declaration.
"Our hearts go out to those who lost their loved ones in the storms last night, argentina soccer jersey and our thoughts and prayers continue to be with all the families and communities that have been affected," Craig Fugate, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said in a statement issued Wednesday.
"These historic storms have highlighted the incredible resolve of the American people, especially the first responders, emergency workers, firefighters, volunteers and neighbors who have been working around the clock for days to respond to these storms and conduct search and rescue efforts. Their efforts have been extraordinary," he said.
Chickasha, Oklahoma, is one of the towns where a tornado was spotted Tuesday night.
"Thank God we weren't (there)," said Pastor Gary Rogers of the Grand Assembly of God church in Chickasha. "No one was there." Half the church's roof was torn off, he said.
Twenty-four hours later, the church would have been bustling with Wednesday activities, he said.
Chickasha is about 40 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.
The tornado "came right past the store," said Chickasha AutoZone employee Nathaniel Charlton. "They had a little debris thrown across the parking lot. It was on the ground, but it wasn't bad."
The tornado that passed through Chickasha also damaged several other communities.
Jeremy Morrison, a truck driver from McAlester, Oklahoma, was hauling a load of freight to Oklahoma City Tuesday night when he spotted a twister. He pulled over and started climbing out of his truck, preparing to enter a ditch for safety, when the tornado disappeared from his sight, he said. He then climbed back into the truck and was set to keep driving when the tornado suddenly struck, lifting the entire rig and throwing it onto its side.
Morrison fell out of the window -- or was sucked out, he's not sure which. He said he ran to check on a nearby car, where he found two people hiding underneath.
Morrison survived with a fractured shoulder bone, he said. His trailer was destroyed.
Aerial video of the incident was captured by CNN affiliate KOCO.
"We could see debris in the radar returns we were receiving, and that gave us a good indication the tornado was strong and large," said Steve Piltz, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Tulsa, Oklahoma, adding that the tornado was anywhere from a half-mile to a mile wide.
The powerful storms also struck Joplin, Missouri, where a weekend tornado killed more than 120 people, making it the deadliest single U.S. twister since modern record-keeping began 61 years ago.
The city was briefly under a tornado warning late Tuesday before it was raked by blustery winds and peppered with lightning.
SPOTLIGHT: Teen who lost legs plays soccer, swims
Her mind foggy from a concussion, her body recovering from one surgery after the next and her soul adjusting to the idea of life without her left leg or childhood friend, Lexi Youngberg felt broken.
The emptiness briefly consumed the St. Charles teen as she lay in her hospital bed with no memory of the accident that put her there, Custom Soccer Jerseys listening as her mom described the otherwise beautiful September 2009 evening on Michigan's Spring Lake.
How a ski boat full of teenagers going 50 mph ran over the Sea Doo carrying Lexi and her two longtime friends.
How the collision knocked her unconscious and severed her leg mid-shin.
How the friend, 15-year-old Robby Jerovsek, was crushed and died in the water.
She'd never get to do anything again, Lexi recalls saying.
But she knew the words weren't true as soon as she uttered them, ac milan jersey and right then she decided to accept her new reality and try to excel in it. She figured God doesn't make mistakes, and He wasn't about to start with her.
More than 20 months later, the Wheaton Academy senior -- a stylish social butterfly, arsenal jersey talented varsity soccer player and devout Christian -- continues to embrace her new path and the different models of prosthetic legs she's using to walk it.
"Some people don't believe that I'm happy, that my smile's not genuine, that I don't get discouraged and depressed, that I never lose my faith," said Lexi, now 18. "Well, believe it. That's just me."
From the beginning, Lexi made it her mission to blow past milestones doctors thought might take her a lifetime of struggle to achieve.
By Thanksgiving after the accident, chelsea jersey she was walking without crutches, thumbing her nose at the recommendation to use a cane. She rotates between customized athletic, dress, wakeboard and swimming legs, and soon will add a fifth prosthetic for running.
"I toughed it out," she said. "What girl my age wants to use a cane? My friends gave me piggyback rides if the pain was too much to take."
This spring, thanks to her unparalleled work ethic and countless rehab and training sessions, Lexi left the sideline where she'd spent all of last season for a spot on the soccer field as a forward for the Wheaton Academy Warriors.
Her tactical game has changed, of course, england soccer jersey as has the team's approach around her.
Instead of playing outside midfielder where long passes and lots of running are required, she's moved to a center spot up front so there's less ground to cover. And she has to come off the field several times during a game to wipe away sweat that pools in her prosthesis.
Despite her limitations, coach Scott Marksberry said he has yet to read an ounce of frustration, spain soccer jersey negativity or disappointment on Lexi's face. He recalls an especially difficult preseason workout last spring when Lexi, just a few months removed from the accident, jumped in.
"Somebody was complaining about how tough it was, and then we all realized Lexi was doing the core work and push-ups, too," Marksberry said. "Her resolve to come back has eliminated anybody else's ability to complain."
When she plays, Robby, the Michigan friend who, brazil soccer jersey before he died, told others to leave him and check on Lexi, is never far from her heart.
She wears a neon green band with his initials on her left shoe, while her teammates wear a band with the word "promise," a reference to one of Lexi's favorite Bible verses.
The emptiness briefly consumed the St. Charles teen as she lay in her hospital bed with no memory of the accident that put her there, Custom Soccer Jerseys listening as her mom described the otherwise beautiful September 2009 evening on Michigan's Spring Lake.
How a ski boat full of teenagers going 50 mph ran over the Sea Doo carrying Lexi and her two longtime friends.
How the collision knocked her unconscious and severed her leg mid-shin.
How the friend, 15-year-old Robby Jerovsek, was crushed and died in the water.
She'd never get to do anything again, Lexi recalls saying.
But she knew the words weren't true as soon as she uttered them, ac milan jersey and right then she decided to accept her new reality and try to excel in it. She figured God doesn't make mistakes, and He wasn't about to start with her.
More than 20 months later, the Wheaton Academy senior -- a stylish social butterfly, arsenal jersey talented varsity soccer player and devout Christian -- continues to embrace her new path and the different models of prosthetic legs she's using to walk it.
"Some people don't believe that I'm happy, that my smile's not genuine, that I don't get discouraged and depressed, that I never lose my faith," said Lexi, now 18. "Well, believe it. That's just me."
From the beginning, Lexi made it her mission to blow past milestones doctors thought might take her a lifetime of struggle to achieve.
By Thanksgiving after the accident, chelsea jersey she was walking without crutches, thumbing her nose at the recommendation to use a cane. She rotates between customized athletic, dress, wakeboard and swimming legs, and soon will add a fifth prosthetic for running.
"I toughed it out," she said. "What girl my age wants to use a cane? My friends gave me piggyback rides if the pain was too much to take."
This spring, thanks to her unparalleled work ethic and countless rehab and training sessions, Lexi left the sideline where she'd spent all of last season for a spot on the soccer field as a forward for the Wheaton Academy Warriors.
Her tactical game has changed, of course, england soccer jersey as has the team's approach around her.
Instead of playing outside midfielder where long passes and lots of running are required, she's moved to a center spot up front so there's less ground to cover. And she has to come off the field several times during a game to wipe away sweat that pools in her prosthesis.
Despite her limitations, coach Scott Marksberry said he has yet to read an ounce of frustration, spain soccer jersey negativity or disappointment on Lexi's face. He recalls an especially difficult preseason workout last spring when Lexi, just a few months removed from the accident, jumped in.
"Somebody was complaining about how tough it was, and then we all realized Lexi was doing the core work and push-ups, too," Marksberry said. "Her resolve to come back has eliminated anybody else's ability to complain."
When she plays, Robby, the Michigan friend who, brazil soccer jersey before he died, told others to leave him and check on Lexi, is never far from her heart.
She wears a neon green band with his initials on her left shoe, while her teammates wear a band with the word "promise," a reference to one of Lexi's favorite Bible verses.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Brain research new 'moon shot,' Patrick Kennedy says
In a push to advance brain science, luminaries from the world of health, politics, business, Authentic Soccer Jerseys and the non-profit sector will gather next week in Boston to create a 10-year plan that many hope will lead to a deeper understanding of brain conditions and new treatments.
Former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), son of late Mass. Sen. Edward Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, is co-chairman of the One Mind for Research Scientific Forum, which runs Monday through Wednesday.
The forum, which Kennedy calls a "moon shot into the mind," arsenal jersey launches on the eve of the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's challenge to send a man to the moon within a decade.
"We're trying to introduce a new paradigm bringing in the metaphor of my uncle's call-to-action for going to the moon," says Patrick Kennedy, chelsea jersey 43, who retired from Congress in 2010. "We're trying to repurpose that branding to something I believe is equally important."
Kennedy, who has grappled with depression and addiction and whose father died of brain cancer two years ago, says he and his family have always had an interest in brain issues. "My family's entire legacy has been interwoven with advocacy for destigmatization of these illnesses, as well as advancing research into these illnesses."
He hopes the meeting will generate a 10-year plan that speeds the path to cures and treatments for brain diseases, barcelona jersey and spurs collaboration between those in the neurosciences.
The brain health of war veterans is at the top of the agenda, he says.
"Whether it's literally saving our vets from their tragic suicide rates — which some months are greater than the number of soldiers we're losing in battle — or addressing Alzheimer's or autism, what we're saying essentially is science is the only means to taking care of the people we love," says Kennedy.
Among big names planning to attend: National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins, spain soccer jersey vice president Joseph Biden, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and actor and health advocate Martin Sheen, among others.
Attendees look forward to the diverse group the conference is attracting and the chance to address a spectrum of neurological problems that still have limited treatments, including schizophrenia and depression.
"This is a wonderful opportunity … a kind of forum to interact with advocacy groups, bench scientists,brazil soccer jersey clinical researchers, coalitions, the NIH, and those who have been affected," says Maurizio Fava, executive vice chair of the department of psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "I think it would be great if we came up with a plan of action where we come out with ideas on what the next steps should be, what we should focus on in next decade."
Kennedy says shrinking funding for brain research is a major concern, but connecting leaders and patients can help streamline the current "fragmented" approach to understanding and treating brain conditions.
"The knowledge we do possess — which is vast — is isolated in silos, brazil soccer jersey and incentives for research and collaboration are lacking," he says.
Former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), son of late Mass. Sen. Edward Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, is co-chairman of the One Mind for Research Scientific Forum, which runs Monday through Wednesday.
The forum, which Kennedy calls a "moon shot into the mind," arsenal jersey launches on the eve of the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's challenge to send a man to the moon within a decade.
"We're trying to introduce a new paradigm bringing in the metaphor of my uncle's call-to-action for going to the moon," says Patrick Kennedy, chelsea jersey 43, who retired from Congress in 2010. "We're trying to repurpose that branding to something I believe is equally important."
Kennedy, who has grappled with depression and addiction and whose father died of brain cancer two years ago, says he and his family have always had an interest in brain issues. "My family's entire legacy has been interwoven with advocacy for destigmatization of these illnesses, as well as advancing research into these illnesses."
He hopes the meeting will generate a 10-year plan that speeds the path to cures and treatments for brain diseases, barcelona jersey and spurs collaboration between those in the neurosciences.
The brain health of war veterans is at the top of the agenda, he says.
"Whether it's literally saving our vets from their tragic suicide rates — which some months are greater than the number of soldiers we're losing in battle — or addressing Alzheimer's or autism, what we're saying essentially is science is the only means to taking care of the people we love," says Kennedy.
Among big names planning to attend: National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins, spain soccer jersey vice president Joseph Biden, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and actor and health advocate Martin Sheen, among others.
Attendees look forward to the diverse group the conference is attracting and the chance to address a spectrum of neurological problems that still have limited treatments, including schizophrenia and depression.
"This is a wonderful opportunity … a kind of forum to interact with advocacy groups, bench scientists,brazil soccer jersey clinical researchers, coalitions, the NIH, and those who have been affected," says Maurizio Fava, executive vice chair of the department of psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "I think it would be great if we came up with a plan of action where we come out with ideas on what the next steps should be, what we should focus on in next decade."
Kennedy says shrinking funding for brain research is a major concern, but connecting leaders and patients can help streamline the current "fragmented" approach to understanding and treating brain conditions.
"The knowledge we do possess — which is vast — is isolated in silos, brazil soccer jersey and incentives for research and collaboration are lacking," he says.
Analysts Wary of LinkedIn’s Stock Surge
In a sizzling debut last week on the New York Stock Exchange, investors sent stock in LinkedIn, the social-networking site for business professionals, soaring 109 percent on its first day of trading. While the enthusiasm subsided a tad the next day, LinkedIn’s shares still closed the week at around $93, more than twice the company’s initial offering price. This put the value of the company, which made $15 million in profit last year, at more than $8 billion.
From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, the debate was whether this stunning performance echoed the late 1990s, when the bubble around dot-com companies began to inflate. On its first day of trading in 1995, Netscape stock doubled in price. Yahoo shares rose 154 percent on its 1996 offering. TheGlobe.com shot up to $97 from $9 in its first day of trading in 1998, giving it a valuation of about $850 million.
LinkedIn’s first-day trading gain was the fifth highest since 2001, Custom Soccer Jerseys but the top three were Chinese Internet stocks like Baidu, which zoomed 354 percent on its debut in 2005, with Nymex No. 4.
“In both cases, the Internet bubble of the late 1990s and now, investors are assigning some very optimistic valuations,” said Jay Ritter, a professor of finance at the University of Florida.
Still, many people are hesitant to proclaim that the markets are on the cusp of another tech bubble or that the markets are returning to the days when unprofitable new companies could be valued at billions of dollars. In those days, companies without earnings were assessed with measurements like “eyeballs,” the number of people who visited a site; “stickiness,” how long they visited; and even “mindshare,” how aware the public was of the company or category.
“LinkedIn is not a company you have to value on page views. ac milan jersey We’re not talking about a start-up here,” said Matt Therian, a research analyst at Renaissance Capital, based in Greenwich, Conn. “This is a company that grew revenues by 110 percent in the first quarter and, on top of that, it’s actually turned a profit.”
By far, the hottest segment of the Internet market is social media companies. The social buying site Groupon, which raised $1 billion from investors in January, is said to be considering an offering that could value the company at $20 billion.
And the barometer for the segment, Facebook, arsenal jersey which is widely expected to go public next year, has rocketed higher in the private secondary markets with its shares trading at an implied valuation of as much as $80 billion in recent months.
As the first social media company out of the gates into the public markets, LinkedIn benefited from all of the attention Facebook has ginned up.
“Do you really imagine that LinkedIn could have gotten this valuation if not for the excitement of Facebook?” asked Kevin Landis, the chief investment officer of Firsthand Funds, which rode the tech boom and bust a decade ago. “I don’t know anybody who could make that case.”
LinkedIn’s valuation, many analysts say, chelsea jersey is partly a function of investor demand for all things social media but also related to the fact that a limited number of shares — nine million — were issued. Those shares traded 30 million times in the first day.
Initial public offerings remain rare now, and this scarcity can drive up prices. Only 154 companies went public in 2010, and 63 have so far this year, compared with 486 in 1999.
Of course, the big question is whether LinkedIn is destined to become the next Google or Amazon, or whether it is another TheGlobe.com, which was a penny stock by 2001, when the dot-com bubble burst.
At LinkedIn’s current valuation, england soccer jersey investors are clearly betting the company will show phenomenal growth, analysts say. LinkedIn is trading at about 554 times last year’s earnings of $15 million (the company posted losses in 2008 and 2009).
That compares with a price-to-trailing-earnings ratio of 149 when Google made its debut in the markets or, in a more extreme example, the 947.5 ratio eBay received in its first day of trading, according to data from Mr. Ritter.
Price-to-earnings comparisons for other hot Internet companies, like TheGlobe.com or even Netscape on their opening days, are difficult as they did not have any earnings.
By another closely watched measurement, LinkedIn is trading at around 25 times this year’s expected sales, said Rick Summer, a senior equity analyst at the Chicago research firm Morningstar.
That’s high, and Mr. Summer spain soccer jersey says LinkedIn could increase its revenue to $1.5 billion in five years, from $243 million last year. That makes LinkedIn worth about $27 a share, by his estimate.
With LinkedIn shares trading at $93, investors are betting the company’s revenue will rise to $4 billion in five years, Mr. Summer said.
Impossible? No. Difficult? Yes, say analysts.
But that valuation makes sense if an investor believes someone would pay even more for the stock. And that’s how bubbles form.
LinkedIn, which has about 100 million members, brazil soccer jersey does have a revenue model. It offers what is called a freemium business model: users can create free profiles or they can pay a subscription fee for a premium account with special features.
LinkedIn also charges businesses and recruiters for hiring. Although the company is still growing quickly, it faces tough competition from other sites, like the job listing services Monster and CareerBuilder.
The company has repeatedly said it plans to invest in its platform, at the expense of short-term profit, a move that is potentially good for the company over the years, but could make it tough for investors to justify current market valuations, analysts warn.
Mr. Summer said, “We think it’s a very good financial model and a good business, but at these valuations, it’s potentially, ‘Watch out below.’ ”
From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, the debate was whether this stunning performance echoed the late 1990s, when the bubble around dot-com companies began to inflate. On its first day of trading in 1995, Netscape stock doubled in price. Yahoo shares rose 154 percent on its 1996 offering. TheGlobe.com shot up to $97 from $9 in its first day of trading in 1998, giving it a valuation of about $850 million.
LinkedIn’s first-day trading gain was the fifth highest since 2001, Custom Soccer Jerseys but the top three were Chinese Internet stocks like Baidu, which zoomed 354 percent on its debut in 2005, with Nymex No. 4.
“In both cases, the Internet bubble of the late 1990s and now, investors are assigning some very optimistic valuations,” said Jay Ritter, a professor of finance at the University of Florida.
Still, many people are hesitant to proclaim that the markets are on the cusp of another tech bubble or that the markets are returning to the days when unprofitable new companies could be valued at billions of dollars. In those days, companies without earnings were assessed with measurements like “eyeballs,” the number of people who visited a site; “stickiness,” how long they visited; and even “mindshare,” how aware the public was of the company or category.
“LinkedIn is not a company you have to value on page views. ac milan jersey We’re not talking about a start-up here,” said Matt Therian, a research analyst at Renaissance Capital, based in Greenwich, Conn. “This is a company that grew revenues by 110 percent in the first quarter and, on top of that, it’s actually turned a profit.”
By far, the hottest segment of the Internet market is social media companies. The social buying site Groupon, which raised $1 billion from investors in January, is said to be considering an offering that could value the company at $20 billion.
And the barometer for the segment, Facebook, arsenal jersey which is widely expected to go public next year, has rocketed higher in the private secondary markets with its shares trading at an implied valuation of as much as $80 billion in recent months.
As the first social media company out of the gates into the public markets, LinkedIn benefited from all of the attention Facebook has ginned up.
“Do you really imagine that LinkedIn could have gotten this valuation if not for the excitement of Facebook?” asked Kevin Landis, the chief investment officer of Firsthand Funds, which rode the tech boom and bust a decade ago. “I don’t know anybody who could make that case.”
LinkedIn’s valuation, many analysts say, chelsea jersey is partly a function of investor demand for all things social media but also related to the fact that a limited number of shares — nine million — were issued. Those shares traded 30 million times in the first day.
Initial public offerings remain rare now, and this scarcity can drive up prices. Only 154 companies went public in 2010, and 63 have so far this year, compared with 486 in 1999.
Of course, the big question is whether LinkedIn is destined to become the next Google or Amazon, or whether it is another TheGlobe.com, which was a penny stock by 2001, when the dot-com bubble burst.
At LinkedIn’s current valuation, england soccer jersey investors are clearly betting the company will show phenomenal growth, analysts say. LinkedIn is trading at about 554 times last year’s earnings of $15 million (the company posted losses in 2008 and 2009).
That compares with a price-to-trailing-earnings ratio of 149 when Google made its debut in the markets or, in a more extreme example, the 947.5 ratio eBay received in its first day of trading, according to data from Mr. Ritter.
Price-to-earnings comparisons for other hot Internet companies, like TheGlobe.com or even Netscape on their opening days, are difficult as they did not have any earnings.
By another closely watched measurement, LinkedIn is trading at around 25 times this year’s expected sales, said Rick Summer, a senior equity analyst at the Chicago research firm Morningstar.
That’s high, and Mr. Summer spain soccer jersey says LinkedIn could increase its revenue to $1.5 billion in five years, from $243 million last year. That makes LinkedIn worth about $27 a share, by his estimate.
With LinkedIn shares trading at $93, investors are betting the company’s revenue will rise to $4 billion in five years, Mr. Summer said.
Impossible? No. Difficult? Yes, say analysts.
But that valuation makes sense if an investor believes someone would pay even more for the stock. And that’s how bubbles form.
LinkedIn, which has about 100 million members, brazil soccer jersey does have a revenue model. It offers what is called a freemium business model: users can create free profiles or they can pay a subscription fee for a premium account with special features.
LinkedIn also charges businesses and recruiters for hiring. Although the company is still growing quickly, it faces tough competition from other sites, like the job listing services Monster and CareerBuilder.
The company has repeatedly said it plans to invest in its platform, at the expense of short-term profit, a move that is potentially good for the company over the years, but could make it tough for investors to justify current market valuations, analysts warn.
Mr. Summer said, “We think it’s a very good financial model and a good business, but at these valuations, it’s potentially, ‘Watch out below.’ ”
Friday, May 20, 2011
Tyler Hamilton hands over gold medal
LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Tyler Hamilton turned over his 2004 cycling gold medal to the United States Anti-Doping Agency on Friday, putting Russian Viatcheslav Ekimov in line for an upgrade from silver.
The International Olympic Committee had said it could strip Hamilton of his time trial gold at the Athens Olympics after he told CBS' "60 Minutes" he doped and said Lance Armstrong did as well. But USADA released a statement Friday saying Hamilton had already handed over the medal.
"USADA continues its ongoing investigation into the sport of cycling,'' Authentic Soccer Jerseys USADA CEO Travis Tygart said in an emailed statement. "Where there is credible evidence of doping, a fair and thorough process exists for resolving such violations. We do not comment on the substance of an active investigation, but as always we remain committed to protecting the rights of clean athletes and preserving the integrity of sport."
Tygart added: "As stated by the IOC, I can confirm that Tyler Hamilton has given his gold medal from the 2004 Athens Olympic Games to USADA and that we will continue to work with the IOC and the USOC as appropriate concerning the final implications of our overall investigation."
The IOC can retroactively strip Olympic medals if proof of doping emerges later or an athlete admits to cheating. The IOC took away Marion Jones' five medals from the 2000 Sydney Games after she admitted using performance-enhancing drugs.
The IOC had provisionally investigated Hamilton for doping after he won in 2004. chelsea jersey An initial test at the Athens Games suggested the American had received an endurance-boosting blood transfusion. But the case was dropped after his backup sample was mistakenly frozen, leaving too few red blood cells to analyze.
In the interview with "60 Minutes," which will be aired more extensively Sunday, Hamilton said that he saw Armstrong use performance-enhancing drugs, including the banned blood-booster erythropoietin, in 1999 and two subsequent seasons to help prepare for the Tour de France.
"I saw (EPO) in his refrigerator .. I saw him inject it more than one time like we all did, like I did many, many times," Hamilton told Scott Pelley of "60 Minutes." "(Armstrong) took what we all took ... the majority of the peloton. There was EPO ... testosterone ... a blood transfusion."
"20+ year career. 500 drug controls worldwide, barcelona jersey in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case," Armstrong tweeted Thursday night.
Armstrong told The Daily Beast website Friday that "60 Minutes" "basically reneged" on promises made to him, saying he "would not call (the '60 Minutes' producer) a straight shooter."
CBS News chairman Jeff Fager, brazil soccer jersey who is also executive producer of "60 Minutes," told The Daily Beast: "We have been so thorough and fair to Lance Armstrong."
Fager added: "We have shared with them every single allegation in our story ... This is a PR game. Our reporters have done a first-class job."
Hamilton, 40, wrote and sent a letter Thursday -- also provided to ESPN.com -- to his close friends and family in what he called a "long overdue" confession, admitting to his own doping history after years of vigorous denials.
"During my cycling career, argentina soccer jersey I knowingly broke the rules," Hamilton wrote. "I used performance-enhancing drugs. I lied about it, over and over. Worst of all, I hurt people I care about. And while there are reasons for what I did -- reasons I hope you'll understand better after watching ('60 Minutes') -- it doesn't excuse the fact that I did it all, and there's no way on earth to undo it."
Hamilton, who retired in April 2009 after announcing he had knowingly committed a second doping offense, had previously described his own and his famous teammate's alleged doping in six hours of closed-door testimony before a federal grand jury after being subpoenaed last July.
Hamilton told his family and friends in the letter that testifying before the grand jury felt like "the Hoover Dam breaking." In addition to clearing his own conscience, he said he elected to be interviewed by "60 Minutes" because he hopes it will help bring long-term change to a sport plagued by scandal, dishonesty and corruption.
Also Friday, two former Armstrong teammates told The Associated Press that they never saw Armstrong or Hamilton use banned substances. But Pascal Derame, a Frenchman who was on the 1999 Tour-winning team with Armstrong and Hamilton, said he wasn't in Armstrong's "inner circle."
"I never saw (Armstrong) take anything," arsenal jersey Derame said. "I cannot say what I didn't see."
Another former teammate of Armstrong and Hamilton, Steffen Kjaergaard of Norway, rode on U.S. Postal's Tour de France team in 2000 and 2001.
"I didn't feel any pressure of doing any prohibited thing to be stronger, to do doping," Kjaergaard said. "I didn't have any hints, 'You should do this. You should do that.'"
The Russian Olympic Committee failed in a 2006 appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to have Hamilton's gold given to Ekimov, Hamilton's former U.S. Postal Service teammate.
Ekimov, spain soccer jersey a longtime member of Armstrong's U.S. Postal and Discovery Channel teams, already has two Olympic golds. He won in track team pursuit at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, when the Soviet Union edged East Germany for gold. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, he won the road time trial ahead of silver medalist Jan Ullrich and Armstrong in third for bronze.
Armstrong posted a message for Ekimov on his Twitter page late Thursday.
"Congratulations to @eki-ekimov on his 3rd Olympic Gold Medal!!" the seven-time Tour de France champion wrote.
The International Olympic Committee had said it could strip Hamilton of his time trial gold at the Athens Olympics after he told CBS' "60 Minutes" he doped and said Lance Armstrong did as well. But USADA released a statement Friday saying Hamilton had already handed over the medal.
"USADA continues its ongoing investigation into the sport of cycling,'' Authentic Soccer Jerseys USADA CEO Travis Tygart said in an emailed statement. "Where there is credible evidence of doping, a fair and thorough process exists for resolving such violations. We do not comment on the substance of an active investigation, but as always we remain committed to protecting the rights of clean athletes and preserving the integrity of sport."
Tygart added: "As stated by the IOC, I can confirm that Tyler Hamilton has given his gold medal from the 2004 Athens Olympic Games to USADA and that we will continue to work with the IOC and the USOC as appropriate concerning the final implications of our overall investigation."
The IOC can retroactively strip Olympic medals if proof of doping emerges later or an athlete admits to cheating. The IOC took away Marion Jones' five medals from the 2000 Sydney Games after she admitted using performance-enhancing drugs.
The IOC had provisionally investigated Hamilton for doping after he won in 2004. chelsea jersey An initial test at the Athens Games suggested the American had received an endurance-boosting blood transfusion. But the case was dropped after his backup sample was mistakenly frozen, leaving too few red blood cells to analyze.
In the interview with "60 Minutes," which will be aired more extensively Sunday, Hamilton said that he saw Armstrong use performance-enhancing drugs, including the banned blood-booster erythropoietin, in 1999 and two subsequent seasons to help prepare for the Tour de France.
"I saw (EPO) in his refrigerator .. I saw him inject it more than one time like we all did, like I did many, many times," Hamilton told Scott Pelley of "60 Minutes." "(Armstrong) took what we all took ... the majority of the peloton. There was EPO ... testosterone ... a blood transfusion."
"20+ year career. 500 drug controls worldwide, barcelona jersey in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case," Armstrong tweeted Thursday night.
Armstrong told The Daily Beast website Friday that "60 Minutes" "basically reneged" on promises made to him, saying he "would not call (the '60 Minutes' producer) a straight shooter."
CBS News chairman Jeff Fager, brazil soccer jersey who is also executive producer of "60 Minutes," told The Daily Beast: "We have been so thorough and fair to Lance Armstrong."
Fager added: "We have shared with them every single allegation in our story ... This is a PR game. Our reporters have done a first-class job."
Hamilton, 40, wrote and sent a letter Thursday -- also provided to ESPN.com -- to his close friends and family in what he called a "long overdue" confession, admitting to his own doping history after years of vigorous denials.
"During my cycling career, argentina soccer jersey I knowingly broke the rules," Hamilton wrote. "I used performance-enhancing drugs. I lied about it, over and over. Worst of all, I hurt people I care about. And while there are reasons for what I did -- reasons I hope you'll understand better after watching ('60 Minutes') -- it doesn't excuse the fact that I did it all, and there's no way on earth to undo it."
Hamilton, who retired in April 2009 after announcing he had knowingly committed a second doping offense, had previously described his own and his famous teammate's alleged doping in six hours of closed-door testimony before a federal grand jury after being subpoenaed last July.
Hamilton told his family and friends in the letter that testifying before the grand jury felt like "the Hoover Dam breaking." In addition to clearing his own conscience, he said he elected to be interviewed by "60 Minutes" because he hopes it will help bring long-term change to a sport plagued by scandal, dishonesty and corruption.
Also Friday, two former Armstrong teammates told The Associated Press that they never saw Armstrong or Hamilton use banned substances. But Pascal Derame, a Frenchman who was on the 1999 Tour-winning team with Armstrong and Hamilton, said he wasn't in Armstrong's "inner circle."
"I never saw (Armstrong) take anything," arsenal jersey Derame said. "I cannot say what I didn't see."
Another former teammate of Armstrong and Hamilton, Steffen Kjaergaard of Norway, rode on U.S. Postal's Tour de France team in 2000 and 2001.
"I didn't feel any pressure of doing any prohibited thing to be stronger, to do doping," Kjaergaard said. "I didn't have any hints, 'You should do this. You should do that.'"
The Russian Olympic Committee failed in a 2006 appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to have Hamilton's gold given to Ekimov, Hamilton's former U.S. Postal Service teammate.
Ekimov, spain soccer jersey a longtime member of Armstrong's U.S. Postal and Discovery Channel teams, already has two Olympic golds. He won in track team pursuit at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, when the Soviet Union edged East Germany for gold. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, he won the road time trial ahead of silver medalist Jan Ullrich and Armstrong in third for bronze.
Armstrong posted a message for Ekimov on his Twitter page late Thursday.
"Congratulations to @eki-ekimov on his 3rd Olympic Gold Medal!!" the seven-time Tour de France champion wrote.
Tens of thousands of protesters defy ban in Spain
Tens of thousands of people are defying a pre-election ban on demonstrations and protesting unemployment in squares around Spain in defiance of an order to quit at midnight.
The government avoided saying if it would order police to break up the crowds on Saturday, Custom Soccer Jerseys but at the stroke of midnight officers kept a discreet presence on the edges of the demonstrations.
Demonstrators kept quiet as city clocks chimed the beginning of a new day, many with sticky tape over their mouths in a gesture organizers said suggested they have things to say but were being gagged by the ban.
People are angry over Spain's high unemployment rate and what they see as the national political parties' ineptitude in dealing with a deep economic crisis. ac milan jersey Protesters built a camp in Madrid's central Puerta del Sol square Sunday, a week ahead of nationwide elections. Since then good-natured, peaceful and colorful gatherings have sprung up and grown around the country under the banner of "Real Democracy Now."
Many protesters have said they were influenced by recent pro-democracy uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East and one popular chant is "Join us."
Friday was the last day for candidates to campaign for the election for municipal and regional government positions in much of the country. arsenal jersey Citing the mandatory end of campaigning, the national election commission banned protests Saturday and on Sunday, voting day.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero did not say whether he would order police to break up demonstrations.
Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba was also cagey about how the government would deal with the protesters, although he said the police would not act to make things worse.
Initially he said the government will "enforce the law," but he then toned down this stance, england soccer jersey saying "The police are not going to resolve one problem by creating another."
The ruling Socialist party is widely expected to suffer big losses at the polls, perhaps even in traditional strongholds, having been forced by the crisis to introduce austerity measures.
"They want to leave us without public health and public education. spain soccer jersey Half of our youth is unemployed and they have raised the age of retirement," said protester Natividad Garcia, who declined to give her age and profession.
The government is presiding over an economy struggling to overcome recession and create jobs to chip away at a 21.3 percent jobless rate, the highest in the eurozone.
In Spain, rallies called to urge people to vote one way or another are typically banned the day before an election, called "days of reflection."
The election commission was deeply divided this time, barcelona jersey and upheld the ban by just a one-vote margin. The panel was convened to give a blanket ruling for all of Spain because provincial election bodies had issued contradictory rulings, with some allowing protests this week and some banning them, as was the case in Madrid.
Organizers of the protests say that they have no party affiliation, are not trying to affect the election outcome in any way, argentina soccer jersey and are not even urging people to abstain from voting.
"Campaign posters are still going to be up, so why ban people from freely mingling to exchange ideas," said graphic designer Antonio Quiroga, 27.
The government avoided saying if it would order police to break up the crowds on Saturday, Custom Soccer Jerseys but at the stroke of midnight officers kept a discreet presence on the edges of the demonstrations.
Demonstrators kept quiet as city clocks chimed the beginning of a new day, many with sticky tape over their mouths in a gesture organizers said suggested they have things to say but were being gagged by the ban.
People are angry over Spain's high unemployment rate and what they see as the national political parties' ineptitude in dealing with a deep economic crisis. ac milan jersey Protesters built a camp in Madrid's central Puerta del Sol square Sunday, a week ahead of nationwide elections. Since then good-natured, peaceful and colorful gatherings have sprung up and grown around the country under the banner of "Real Democracy Now."
Many protesters have said they were influenced by recent pro-democracy uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East and one popular chant is "Join us."
Friday was the last day for candidates to campaign for the election for municipal and regional government positions in much of the country. arsenal jersey Citing the mandatory end of campaigning, the national election commission banned protests Saturday and on Sunday, voting day.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero did not say whether he would order police to break up demonstrations.
Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba was also cagey about how the government would deal with the protesters, although he said the police would not act to make things worse.
Initially he said the government will "enforce the law," but he then toned down this stance, england soccer jersey saying "The police are not going to resolve one problem by creating another."
The ruling Socialist party is widely expected to suffer big losses at the polls, perhaps even in traditional strongholds, having been forced by the crisis to introduce austerity measures.
"They want to leave us without public health and public education. spain soccer jersey Half of our youth is unemployed and they have raised the age of retirement," said protester Natividad Garcia, who declined to give her age and profession.
The government is presiding over an economy struggling to overcome recession and create jobs to chip away at a 21.3 percent jobless rate, the highest in the eurozone.
In Spain, rallies called to urge people to vote one way or another are typically banned the day before an election, called "days of reflection."
The election commission was deeply divided this time, barcelona jersey and upheld the ban by just a one-vote margin. The panel was convened to give a blanket ruling for all of Spain because provincial election bodies had issued contradictory rulings, with some allowing protests this week and some banning them, as was the case in Madrid.
Organizers of the protests say that they have no party affiliation, are not trying to affect the election outcome in any way, argentina soccer jersey and are not even urging people to abstain from voting.
"Campaign posters are still going to be up, so why ban people from freely mingling to exchange ideas," said graphic designer Antonio Quiroga, 27.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Paralysed baseball star steps into medical history
Baseball champion Rob Summers was hit by a speeding car in Portland, Oregon, three years ago, Authentic Soccer Jerseys which smashed into his legs and left him with appalling injuries. He was told he would spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair at best. But the 25-year-old is now making history – as the first person paralysed from the chest down to stand and take a step unaided.
The small and shaky movements that Summers has achieved spell real hope for all those who have suffered a spinal cord injury, and possibly even for those paralysed by other causes such as stroke.
When he was in hospital, chelsea jersey doctors told Summers he would never walk again, he said. "They said that I had no hope and to just give up. My comment was you don't know me very well. I'm going to fight until I get well again." To stand again and take steps, he said, "felt incredible. It was amazing. It made me optimistic and hopeful again for the future. I'm excited at being a part of this."
Summers' legs are able to move because of electrical stimulation from a device implanted in his lower spine. Two hard years of training, suspended over a treadmill with physiotherapists manipulating his legs to stand and walk have helped build up the spinal cord neural network which processes signals to and from his legs.
The real discovery has been that it is not the brain that is in charge of movement, barcelona jersey but the legs and the spinal cord.
His achievement is the culmination of many years of hard work and intense scientific endeavour funded by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, set up to try to find a way to restore movement to the former Superman star Christopher Reeve – who was paralysed in 1995 as the result of a riding accident – and others like him.
Summers, brazil soccer jersey a college baseball player for Oregon state who had helped his team win the college world series just six weeks before the hit and run driver wrecked his life, was exceptionally fit when he was injured.
Although unable to move any part of his legs or feet, he has some residual feeling. This may mean that the astonishing progress made in his case may not be replicable in everybody. But there is now more than hope.
"This is a breakthrough. It opens up a huge opportunity to improve the daily functioning of these individuals ... but we have a long road ahead," said Professor Susan Harkema from the Kentucky spinal cord research centre at the University of Louisville, one of two leading neurologists involved in Summers' treatment.
Harkema describes the impulse from the brain to start walking as "facilitatory". argentina soccer jersey What really starts the walking process, she says, is probably the shifting of weight to one foot.
"The brain is not controlling movement to the extent we thought it was. If you think about walking, it sets up the nervous system to expect information related to walking," she said. That sensory information comes from the legs.
This has been known and accepted in animals for some time, she added, but it was thought it might not be so in humans because of the highly developed brain.
"The spinal cord is smart," said Harkema's chief collaborator, ac milan jersey neurologist Professor V Reggie Edgerton from the David Geffen school of medicine at UCLA.
"The neural networks in the lumbosacral spinal cord are capable of initiating full-weight bearing and relatively coordinated stepping without any input from the brain. This is possible, in part, due to information that is sent back from the legs directly to the spinal cord."
The details of the neurologists' work with Summers are published in the Lancet medical journal.
The results need to be replicated in other patients and the neurologists also hope to work with paralysed patients with other kinds of injury. But, said Susan Howley, executive vice president for research at the Reeve Foundation, it demonstrates proof of concept. "It's an exciting development. Where it leads from here is fundamentally a matter of time and money," she said.
Other neuroscientists applauded the work in a commentary in the Lancet. england soccer jersey Dr Grégoire Courtine and Dr Rubia van den Brand from Zurich University and Dr Pavel Musienko from St Petersburg wrote that they expected "this novel phenomenon of electrically enabled motor control" would inspire new thinking. They added: "We are entering a new era when the time has come for spinal-cord injured people to move."
Meanwhile, Summers hopes to run and play baseball again one day. It has been, he acknowledged, "one great emotional rollercoaster with highs and lows. There were points of anger and frustration, but I would refocus on my goals." His family, he said, had been incredibly supportive.
He hopes now to make a movie. "My goal is that through making a movie of my life story, I will help the millions of people around the world, paralysed and in wheelchairs, who have lost hope, and show them there is a brighter future ahead."
The small and shaky movements that Summers has achieved spell real hope for all those who have suffered a spinal cord injury, and possibly even for those paralysed by other causes such as stroke.
When he was in hospital, chelsea jersey doctors told Summers he would never walk again, he said. "They said that I had no hope and to just give up. My comment was you don't know me very well. I'm going to fight until I get well again." To stand again and take steps, he said, "felt incredible. It was amazing. It made me optimistic and hopeful again for the future. I'm excited at being a part of this."
Summers' legs are able to move because of electrical stimulation from a device implanted in his lower spine. Two hard years of training, suspended over a treadmill with physiotherapists manipulating his legs to stand and walk have helped build up the spinal cord neural network which processes signals to and from his legs.
The real discovery has been that it is not the brain that is in charge of movement, barcelona jersey but the legs and the spinal cord.
His achievement is the culmination of many years of hard work and intense scientific endeavour funded by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, set up to try to find a way to restore movement to the former Superman star Christopher Reeve – who was paralysed in 1995 as the result of a riding accident – and others like him.
Summers, brazil soccer jersey a college baseball player for Oregon state who had helped his team win the college world series just six weeks before the hit and run driver wrecked his life, was exceptionally fit when he was injured.
Although unable to move any part of his legs or feet, he has some residual feeling. This may mean that the astonishing progress made in his case may not be replicable in everybody. But there is now more than hope.
"This is a breakthrough. It opens up a huge opportunity to improve the daily functioning of these individuals ... but we have a long road ahead," said Professor Susan Harkema from the Kentucky spinal cord research centre at the University of Louisville, one of two leading neurologists involved in Summers' treatment.
Harkema describes the impulse from the brain to start walking as "facilitatory". argentina soccer jersey What really starts the walking process, she says, is probably the shifting of weight to one foot.
"The brain is not controlling movement to the extent we thought it was. If you think about walking, it sets up the nervous system to expect information related to walking," she said. That sensory information comes from the legs.
This has been known and accepted in animals for some time, she added, but it was thought it might not be so in humans because of the highly developed brain.
"The spinal cord is smart," said Harkema's chief collaborator, ac milan jersey neurologist Professor V Reggie Edgerton from the David Geffen school of medicine at UCLA.
"The neural networks in the lumbosacral spinal cord are capable of initiating full-weight bearing and relatively coordinated stepping without any input from the brain. This is possible, in part, due to information that is sent back from the legs directly to the spinal cord."
The details of the neurologists' work with Summers are published in the Lancet medical journal.
The results need to be replicated in other patients and the neurologists also hope to work with paralysed patients with other kinds of injury. But, said Susan Howley, executive vice president for research at the Reeve Foundation, it demonstrates proof of concept. "It's an exciting development. Where it leads from here is fundamentally a matter of time and money," she said.
Other neuroscientists applauded the work in a commentary in the Lancet. england soccer jersey Dr Grégoire Courtine and Dr Rubia van den Brand from Zurich University and Dr Pavel Musienko from St Petersburg wrote that they expected "this novel phenomenon of electrically enabled motor control" would inspire new thinking. They added: "We are entering a new era when the time has come for spinal-cord injured people to move."
Meanwhile, Summers hopes to run and play baseball again one day. It has been, he acknowledged, "one great emotional rollercoaster with highs and lows. There were points of anger and frustration, but I would refocus on my goals." His family, he said, had been incredibly supportive.
He hopes now to make a movie. "My goal is that through making a movie of my life story, I will help the millions of people around the world, paralysed and in wheelchairs, who have lost hope, and show them there is a brighter future ahead."
Swimmer's Ear Costs U.S. Half a Billion Yearly
Swimmers often regard inflammation of the external ear canal, known as swimmer's ear, as an inevitable, minor nuisance. But a new study finds that the problem adds substantially to health care costs and the number of annual doctor visits.
"For swimmer's ear, Custom Soccer Jerseys there are 2.4 million health care visits and it costs half a billion dollars in health care costs each year," says Emily Piercefield, MD, DVM, an epidemiologist with the CDC who co-authored the report.
That doesn't include lost time from work and school activities, she tells WebMD.
The condition is often preventable, ac milan jersey she says, by following simple hygiene measures and other tips.
The research is published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Swimmer's Ear: By the Numbers
The new study is believed to be the first report to describe the overall number of cases in children and adults and the costs associated with the condition.
Swimmer's ear, arsenal jersey known to doctors as acute otitis externa, is an inflammation of the external ear canal. Bacterial infection is the typical cause. The symptoms include pain, tenderness, redness, and swelling of the ear canal. There can also be discharge from the ear.
Piercefield and her team used databases such as the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and a database of emergency room visits. They used an insurance claim and payment database to estimate costs.
The $200 cost per infection was for those who didn't need to be hospitalized. england soccer jersey Less than 3% of visits to the emergency department for swimmer's ear during 2007 ended in hospital admission.
Among other findings:
One in 123 Americans visited a doctor in 2007 for swimmer's ear.
From 2003 to 2007, children ages 5 to 14 had the highest annual visit rates for swimmer's ear, but more than 50% of visits were by adults 20 and older.
Cases peaked during summer swimming season, spain soccer jersey not surprisingly. June, July, and August are peak months.
Swimmer's Ear: Stopping It
Swimmers can reduce their risk of the infection, Piercefield says. Being aware of risk factors is one way.
"Risk factors are frequent swimming," she says. "The longer you are in the pool and more frequently, those increase your risk. If you are in a warm, humid environment, that increases your risk."
Infection can set in, she says, chelsea jersey when bacteria accumulate in the water sitting in the ear canal. Keeping the ears dry is the goal.
Among the ways to help prevent the condition:
Keep your ears as dry as possible while swimming. Use a bathing cap, ear plugs, or custom-fitted swim molds.
Dry ears thoroughly after a shower or a swim.
Keep objects out of your ears. brazil soccer jersey This includes cotton-tip swabs.
Leave earwax alone. It protects the ear canal from infection. If the wax is interfering with hearing, see your doctor.
Ask your doctor about using a homemade mixture of equal parts of rubbing alcohol and white vinegar after swimming. This remedy is not recommended for those with damaged eardrums, ear ventilating tubes, ear infection, or ear drainage.
Be sure the pool you swim in is properly disinfected. You can use pool test strips to check or ask the pool operator
"For swimmer's ear, Custom Soccer Jerseys there are 2.4 million health care visits and it costs half a billion dollars in health care costs each year," says Emily Piercefield, MD, DVM, an epidemiologist with the CDC who co-authored the report.
That doesn't include lost time from work and school activities, she tells WebMD.
The condition is often preventable, ac milan jersey she says, by following simple hygiene measures and other tips.
The research is published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Swimmer's Ear: By the Numbers
The new study is believed to be the first report to describe the overall number of cases in children and adults and the costs associated with the condition.
Swimmer's ear, arsenal jersey known to doctors as acute otitis externa, is an inflammation of the external ear canal. Bacterial infection is the typical cause. The symptoms include pain, tenderness, redness, and swelling of the ear canal. There can also be discharge from the ear.
Piercefield and her team used databases such as the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and a database of emergency room visits. They used an insurance claim and payment database to estimate costs.
The $200 cost per infection was for those who didn't need to be hospitalized. england soccer jersey Less than 3% of visits to the emergency department for swimmer's ear during 2007 ended in hospital admission.
Among other findings:
One in 123 Americans visited a doctor in 2007 for swimmer's ear.
From 2003 to 2007, children ages 5 to 14 had the highest annual visit rates for swimmer's ear, but more than 50% of visits were by adults 20 and older.
Cases peaked during summer swimming season, spain soccer jersey not surprisingly. June, July, and August are peak months.
Swimmer's Ear: Stopping It
Swimmers can reduce their risk of the infection, Piercefield says. Being aware of risk factors is one way.
"Risk factors are frequent swimming," she says. "The longer you are in the pool and more frequently, those increase your risk. If you are in a warm, humid environment, that increases your risk."
Infection can set in, she says, chelsea jersey when bacteria accumulate in the water sitting in the ear canal. Keeping the ears dry is the goal.
Among the ways to help prevent the condition:
Keep your ears as dry as possible while swimming. Use a bathing cap, ear plugs, or custom-fitted swim molds.
Dry ears thoroughly after a shower or a swim.
Keep objects out of your ears. brazil soccer jersey This includes cotton-tip swabs.
Leave earwax alone. It protects the ear canal from infection. If the wax is interfering with hearing, see your doctor.
Ask your doctor about using a homemade mixture of equal parts of rubbing alcohol and white vinegar after swimming. This remedy is not recommended for those with damaged eardrums, ear ventilating tubes, ear infection, or ear drainage.
Be sure the pool you swim in is properly disinfected. You can use pool test strips to check or ask the pool operator
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Lawyers Move to Get Strauss-Kahn Out of Jail
A lawyer for Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, filed papers late Wednesday for a new bail application to get him out of Rikers Island, where he has been in protective custody and under a suicide watch.
Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers indicated he would be willing to be confined to a location in Manhattan and wear an electronic ankle bracelet to monitor his movements, and was prepared to post $1 million cash bail on charges he sexually assaulted a housekeeper at a Manhattan hotel.
“We believe this is a very,Authentic Soccer Jerseys very defensible case,” Benjamin Brafman, a lawyer representing Mr. Strauss-Kahn, along with William W. Taylor of Washington, said at the arraignment on Monday. (Mr. Brafman was out of the country on Wednesday.) The papers were filed with Justice Michael J. Obus, the chief administrative judge for the criminal division of State Supreme Court in Manhattan.
Lawyers for Mr. Strauss-Kahn said Monday that they believed the forensic evidence would be inconsistent with a “forcible encounter.”
On Tuesday, a person briefed on the case, chelsea jersey who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s legal strategy, said the defense believed that any sex act might have been consensual.
The housekeeper, 32, whose name has not been publicly released by the authorities in New York, ac milan jersey testified before the grand jury Wednesday, people briefed on the case said. The panel is expected to vote on whether to indict Mr. Strauss-Kahn, 62, a prominent French Socialist, by Friday, when he is due back in court.
The woman’s lawyer, Jeffrey J. Shapiro, barcelona jersey said that she had been interviewed by the police and prosecutors on a number of occasions and that her account of being attacked when she went to clean Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s suite at the Sofitel New York on Saturday had been unwavering.
“She is testifying before the grand jury today,” Mr. Shapiro said Wednesday morning.
Several other people, including hotel staff members, were also expected to testify.
The defense team is likely to be back in Criminal Court on Friday, when a grand jury is expected to hand up an indictment against Mr. Strauss-Kahn. If an indictment is not issued this week, he would be eligible for immediate release.
Since Tuesday, brazil soccer jersey Mr. Strauss-Kahn has been at Rikers under a suicide watch, which was put in place not because of any action or gesture on his part but because it was based on an evaluation performed when he arrived.
Mr. Taylor, the lawyer, met with Mr. Strauss-Kahn on Wednesday at Rikers, where he is being held in the West Facility, one of nine jails on the 400-acre island operated by the New York City Department of Correction.
The jail, which was built in 1991, argentina soccer jersey was designed to house inmates with tuberculosis and other communicable diseases. It is largely empty, and Mr. Strauss Kahn was placed there because it would be easy to isolate him. He is housed in his own wing, an official said.
Mr. Strauss-Kahn has a television in his room, and has access to an adjacent day room with a television. He is entitled to an hour of exercise outside, england soccer jersey but it was unclear if he took advantage of it on Wednesday, when a driving rain fell in New York for much of the morning and afternoon.
It was also unclear if inmates in the other parts of the jail were aware of Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s identity, but given the availability of newspaper and television news, it seems most likely.
Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers indicated he would be willing to be confined to a location in Manhattan and wear an electronic ankle bracelet to monitor his movements, and was prepared to post $1 million cash bail on charges he sexually assaulted a housekeeper at a Manhattan hotel.
“We believe this is a very,Authentic Soccer Jerseys very defensible case,” Benjamin Brafman, a lawyer representing Mr. Strauss-Kahn, along with William W. Taylor of Washington, said at the arraignment on Monday. (Mr. Brafman was out of the country on Wednesday.) The papers were filed with Justice Michael J. Obus, the chief administrative judge for the criminal division of State Supreme Court in Manhattan.
Lawyers for Mr. Strauss-Kahn said Monday that they believed the forensic evidence would be inconsistent with a “forcible encounter.”
On Tuesday, a person briefed on the case, chelsea jersey who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s legal strategy, said the defense believed that any sex act might have been consensual.
The housekeeper, 32, whose name has not been publicly released by the authorities in New York, ac milan jersey testified before the grand jury Wednesday, people briefed on the case said. The panel is expected to vote on whether to indict Mr. Strauss-Kahn, 62, a prominent French Socialist, by Friday, when he is due back in court.
The woman’s lawyer, Jeffrey J. Shapiro, barcelona jersey said that she had been interviewed by the police and prosecutors on a number of occasions and that her account of being attacked when she went to clean Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s suite at the Sofitel New York on Saturday had been unwavering.
“She is testifying before the grand jury today,” Mr. Shapiro said Wednesday morning.
Several other people, including hotel staff members, were also expected to testify.
The defense team is likely to be back in Criminal Court on Friday, when a grand jury is expected to hand up an indictment against Mr. Strauss-Kahn. If an indictment is not issued this week, he would be eligible for immediate release.
Since Tuesday, brazil soccer jersey Mr. Strauss-Kahn has been at Rikers under a suicide watch, which was put in place not because of any action or gesture on his part but because it was based on an evaluation performed when he arrived.
Mr. Taylor, the lawyer, met with Mr. Strauss-Kahn on Wednesday at Rikers, where he is being held in the West Facility, one of nine jails on the 400-acre island operated by the New York City Department of Correction.
The jail, which was built in 1991, argentina soccer jersey was designed to house inmates with tuberculosis and other communicable diseases. It is largely empty, and Mr. Strauss Kahn was placed there because it would be easy to isolate him. He is housed in his own wing, an official said.
Mr. Strauss-Kahn has a television in his room, and has access to an adjacent day room with a television. He is entitled to an hour of exercise outside, england soccer jersey but it was unclear if he took advantage of it on Wednesday, when a driving rain fell in New York for much of the morning and afternoon.
It was also unclear if inmates in the other parts of the jail were aware of Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s identity, but given the availability of newspaper and television news, it seems most likely.
The mother of a young boy found dead on the side of a desolate road near the Maine-New Hampshire border reportedly has confessed to killing the boy, Custom Soccer Jerseys MyFoxBoston.com reported. The woman, who the TV station identified as Julianne McCrery, reportedly told a Massachusetts state trooper that she killed her son and was contemplating killing herself, ac milan jersey MyFoxBoston.com reported Wednesday evening , citing unnamed sources. FoxNews.com could not independently confirm the report with police. Earlier Wednesday, without identifying the woman, a Massachusetts State Police spokesman confirmed that a woman was being questioned by police, arsenal jersey and she was moved late in the afternoon from the Concord Barracks to a nearby hospital for a mental evaluation. The spokesman said the woman was in custody but not charged. However, he did refer further questions about the matter to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, possibly indicating charges are pending. At 10:12 a.m., england soccer jersey state police received a tip about a navy blue Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, which led them to the woman. The public was aware that a similar truck was seen in the area the boy was found. Meanwhile, spain soccer jersey investigators are working to identify the boy, believed to be between between 4 and 6 years old. The U.S. Navy's elite police unit joined the investigation after a witness reported seeing a Navy emblem on the license plate of a pickup truck that was spotted in the area. Investigators from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are going to military installations in the Northeast in hopes of being able to identify the boy, barcelona jersey his body discovered Saturday beside a back road in South Berwick. Investigators say the boy may have been placed on Dennett Road -- just off Route 4 -- at around 7:30 a.m. Saturday. The child, described as 3 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 45 pounds, likely died about two hours earlier, police said. Authorities have not yet released how the boy died. There is no missing person's report that matches the description of the child, argentina soccer jersey authorities say, and a computer-generated photo of the boy has been released in hopes it will garner leads.
The mother of a young boy found dead on the side of a desolate road near the Maine-New Hampshire border reportedly has confessed to killing the boy, Custom Soccer Jerseys MyFoxBoston.com reported.
The woman, who the TV station identified as Julianne McCrery, reportedly told a Massachusetts state trooper that she killed her son and was contemplating killing herself, ac milan jersey MyFoxBoston.com reported Wednesday evening , citing unnamed sources. FoxNews.com could not independently confirm the report with police.
Earlier Wednesday, without identifying the woman, a Massachusetts State Police spokesman confirmed that a woman was being questioned by police, arsenal jersey and she was moved late in the afternoon from the Concord Barracks to a nearby hospital for a mental evaluation.
The spokesman said the woman was in custody but not charged. However, he did refer further questions about the matter to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, possibly indicating charges are pending.
At 10:12 a.m., england soccer jersey state police received a tip about a navy blue Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, which led them to the woman. The public was aware that a similar truck was seen in the area the boy was found.
Meanwhile, spain soccer jersey investigators are working to identify the boy, believed to be between between 4 and 6 years old.
The U.S. Navy's elite police unit joined the investigation after a witness reported seeing a Navy emblem on the license plate of a pickup truck that was spotted in the area.
Investigators from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are going to military installations in the Northeast in hopes of being able to identify the boy, barcelona jersey his body discovered Saturday beside a back road in South Berwick.
Investigators say the boy may have been placed on Dennett Road -- just off Route 4 -- at around 7:30 a.m. Saturday. The child, described as 3 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 45 pounds, likely died about two hours earlier, police said. Authorities have not yet released how the boy died.
There is no missing person's report that matches the description of the child, argentina soccer jersey authorities say, and a computer-generated photo of the boy has been released in hopes it will garner leads.
The woman, who the TV station identified as Julianne McCrery, reportedly told a Massachusetts state trooper that she killed her son and was contemplating killing herself, ac milan jersey MyFoxBoston.com reported Wednesday evening , citing unnamed sources. FoxNews.com could not independently confirm the report with police.
Earlier Wednesday, without identifying the woman, a Massachusetts State Police spokesman confirmed that a woman was being questioned by police, arsenal jersey and she was moved late in the afternoon from the Concord Barracks to a nearby hospital for a mental evaluation.
The spokesman said the woman was in custody but not charged. However, he did refer further questions about the matter to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, possibly indicating charges are pending.
At 10:12 a.m., england soccer jersey state police received a tip about a navy blue Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, which led them to the woman. The public was aware that a similar truck was seen in the area the boy was found.
Meanwhile, spain soccer jersey investigators are working to identify the boy, believed to be between between 4 and 6 years old.
The U.S. Navy's elite police unit joined the investigation after a witness reported seeing a Navy emblem on the license plate of a pickup truck that was spotted in the area.
Investigators from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are going to military installations in the Northeast in hopes of being able to identify the boy, barcelona jersey his body discovered Saturday beside a back road in South Berwick.
Investigators say the boy may have been placed on Dennett Road -- just off Route 4 -- at around 7:30 a.m. Saturday. The child, described as 3 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 45 pounds, likely died about two hours earlier, police said. Authorities have not yet released how the boy died.
There is no missing person's report that matches the description of the child, argentina soccer jersey authorities say, and a computer-generated photo of the boy has been released in hopes it will garner leads.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
BC Place to host Olympic soccer qualifier
West Coast soccer fans are in for a surprise treat come January, Authentic Soccer Jerseys as the city’s revamped stadium with a retractable roof will play host to a key Olympic qualifying round for women’s soccer.
Eight teams from North and South America and the Caribbean will battle for two spots at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, including Canada’s top-flight team, currently ranked sixth in the world.
The tournament, chelsea jersey which is likely to feature a grudge match at some point between Canada and top-ranked, arch-rival United States, is a feather in the cap for the controversial BC Place Stadium at a time of year when little sports activity would be expected.
However, the stadium’s expensive retractable roof – costing, barcelona jersey along with renovations, more than $450-million – will shelter players from the vagaries of Vancouver’s January weather.
The revamped, brazil soccer jersey previously-domed facility is scheduled to open Sept. 30 with a BC Lions game, while the Grey Cup is to take place there in late November.
BC Place, with a capacity of about 55,000, argentina soccer jersey also hopes to host a number of games in the 2015 Women’s World Cup hosted by Canada, including, possibly, the tournament final.
The pre-Olympic qualifying tournament involves teams from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association (CONCACAF).
“This international tournament will provide a superb opportunity for British Columbians to support our summer athletes,” B.C. Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister Ida Chong said Tuesday in a statement.
The province is providing $250,000 to help stage the event.
Eight teams from North and South America and the Caribbean will battle for two spots at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, including Canada’s top-flight team, currently ranked sixth in the world.
The tournament, chelsea jersey which is likely to feature a grudge match at some point between Canada and top-ranked, arch-rival United States, is a feather in the cap for the controversial BC Place Stadium at a time of year when little sports activity would be expected.
However, the stadium’s expensive retractable roof – costing, barcelona jersey along with renovations, more than $450-million – will shelter players from the vagaries of Vancouver’s January weather.
The revamped, brazil soccer jersey previously-domed facility is scheduled to open Sept. 30 with a BC Lions game, while the Grey Cup is to take place there in late November.
BC Place, with a capacity of about 55,000, argentina soccer jersey also hopes to host a number of games in the 2015 Women’s World Cup hosted by Canada, including, possibly, the tournament final.
The pre-Olympic qualifying tournament involves teams from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association (CONCACAF).
“This international tournament will provide a superb opportunity for British Columbians to support our summer athletes,” B.C. Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister Ida Chong said Tuesday in a statement.
The province is providing $250,000 to help stage the event.
Parenting: How to talk to kids about Arnold Schwarzenegger's infidelity
The revelation that Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child with a household staff member can go from shocking to nerve-wracking when your child is sitting beside you. For a certain type of parent, Custom Soccer Jerseys questions abound: Should I turn off the radio or television and try to limit my child's exposure to the sex scandal? Or is it OK to let my kid listen and absorb? Do I use it as the basis to start a conversation? And if I do start a conversation, what should that conversation be about?
Rabbi Laura Novak Winer, ac milan jersey director of curriculum and planning for the Youth Programs Department of the Union for Reform Judaism, said if a child is old enough to ask questions about the ex-governor's infidelity, he or she is old enough to hear an honest answer. The answer, however, should reflect a child's age and also relate to the type of question he or she asked. If a 7-year-old asks, "Why is this in the news?" a parent might simply reply, "Arnold made a mistake and hurt his family."
Parents can assume that children in sixth grade and above will understand what is going on and will have questions. arsenal jersey Winer identified three types of conversations that this moment in the news cycle might inspire:
1. Talk about monogamy and sex: If you believe that monogamy is the key (or at least one key) to a happy relationship, now is the time to talk about what monogamy means, and the importance of honoring the commitments we make to our boyfriend, girlfriend or spouse.
2. Talk about the importance of forgiveness: Remember, this may not be the first time your kid has heard this type of story. Perhaps a friend or family member has been through a similar experience. england soccer jersey This is an opportunity to talk about the types of mistakes people make, the consequences those mistakes can have, and how we can forgive people for their mistakes.
3. Talk about the ugliness of gossip: It's time to discuss how real people are involved in this situation and how hurtful gossip about them can be.
What if, like a colleague of mine, spain soccer jersey you have a daughter and are wondering how to reassure her that some men are indeed trustworthy? Julie Cederbaum, an assistant professor at USC and an expert in family relationships, suggested reminding your child that this is a case of one person doing something hurtful, and that some people make choices we don't agree with, but that doesn't mean all people are bad.
Rabbi Laura Novak Winer, ac milan jersey director of curriculum and planning for the Youth Programs Department of the Union for Reform Judaism, said if a child is old enough to ask questions about the ex-governor's infidelity, he or she is old enough to hear an honest answer. The answer, however, should reflect a child's age and also relate to the type of question he or she asked. If a 7-year-old asks, "Why is this in the news?" a parent might simply reply, "Arnold made a mistake and hurt his family."
Parents can assume that children in sixth grade and above will understand what is going on and will have questions. arsenal jersey Winer identified three types of conversations that this moment in the news cycle might inspire:
1. Talk about monogamy and sex: If you believe that monogamy is the key (or at least one key) to a happy relationship, now is the time to talk about what monogamy means, and the importance of honoring the commitments we make to our boyfriend, girlfriend or spouse.
2. Talk about the importance of forgiveness: Remember, this may not be the first time your kid has heard this type of story. Perhaps a friend or family member has been through a similar experience. england soccer jersey This is an opportunity to talk about the types of mistakes people make, the consequences those mistakes can have, and how we can forgive people for their mistakes.
3. Talk about the ugliness of gossip: It's time to discuss how real people are involved in this situation and how hurtful gossip about them can be.
What if, like a colleague of mine, spain soccer jersey you have a daughter and are wondering how to reassure her that some men are indeed trustworthy? Julie Cederbaum, an assistant professor at USC and an expert in family relationships, suggested reminding your child that this is a case of one person doing something hurtful, and that some people make choices we don't agree with, but that doesn't mean all people are bad.
Monday, May 16, 2011
IMF power shift may end Europe's hold on top job
The issue leaped unexpectedly into the spotlight with Strauss-Kahn's arrest in New York on sexual assault charges, which fueled speculation he will not survive as the global lender's top official. If he leaves, that would advance a succession decision from 2012 when his term was set to end.
Since Strauss-Kahn's selection in 2007 as managing director, there has been a major shift within the International Monetary Fund that has elevated China to No. 3 in voting power and given countries such as India, Russia and Brazil a greater voice.
IMF board officials, Authentic Soccer Jerseys who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue, told Reuters there was a push by some countries for a speedy resolution to Strauss-Kahn's future as head of the organization, although others cautioned against judging him so soon.
Strauss-Kahn, who was denied bail on Monday, is fighting the charges.
"No matter how it plays out, it is going to be very difficult for Strauss-Kahn to be an effective leader of the IMF," said Eswar Prasad, a former IMF official now at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington.
"It is a matter of days while we wait for this matter to be resolved," he told Reuters Insider.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that while it was not yet time to discuss succession, there was a good case for a European to be in the job.
Germany pointed to the debt crisis that has engulfed Ireland, chelsea jerseyGreece and Portugal in pressing its argument a European could bring a fuller understanding of one of the world's most pressing economic problems.
Strauss-Kahn has been deeply involved in talks over European Union and IMF bailouts for debt-strapped countries.
But another of his signature achievements has been reforming the IMF's voting structure to give emerging market economies more power.
In the past, barcelona jersey emerging economies had not been unified enough to put forward a consensus candidate. Some think this time could be different.
Margaret-Anne Orgill, an analyst at IHS Global Insight in London, said China may decide to flex its new-found muscle to try to get an emerging market candidate into the job. It has contributed significant resources to the IMF in recent years in exchange for more voting power.
TWO JOBS IN PLAY
The IMF sought on Sunday to soothe concerns over Strauss-Kahn's absence by naming the fund's deputy, John Lipsky, as acting managing director. Lipsky often runs the financial institution when the managing director is away.
Japan, the United States and Canada all expressed confidence on Monday in Lipsky's ability to run the fund, but senior Europeans at the IMF said he would not be as influential as Strauss-Kahn in dealing with Europe's debt crisis because he is an American.
Lipsky announced last week, brazil soccer jersey however, that he was stepping down when his term expires in August, putting more pressure on the IMF to quickly resolve questions over its leadership.
"It is going to be a very complicated and hard-fought battle," Prasad said. "Right now, the top job is in play and so is the number two position."
In Europe, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde emerged as a front-runner for the top position, although her nationality may count against her. A French national has run the IMF for 26 out of the past 33 years and the embarrassment over the Strauss-Kahn incident may make it difficult for Paris to make a case.
In Washington inner circles, former Turkish Finance Minister Kemal Dervis, who now runs an economic program at the Brookings Institution, is a leading name. Turkey's status as a large emerging market country within the European continent could ease concerns by developing nations that feel shut out of the selection process.
Other possibilities are Agustin Carstens, argentina soccer jersey governor of Mexico's central bank, and Montek Singh Ahluwlia, an influential economic adviser to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Emerging market countries have tried to break Europe's hold on the job during the past two succession battles.
Egypt twice nominated Mohamed El-Erian, now co-chief executive of PIMCO, the world's largest bond fund, and Russia nominated former Czech central banker Josef Tosovsky to head the institution.
In a blog post on Reuters.com, El-Erian said the quickest way to replace Strauss-Kahn was to maintain the status quo and choose a European. Throwing open the selection process to everyone would be slower and complicated.
"Under either approach, the IMF would inevitably operate under a huge cloud," El-Erian said. "It would undermine its effectiveness in responding to new challenges."
Since Strauss-Kahn's selection in 2007 as managing director, there has been a major shift within the International Monetary Fund that has elevated China to No. 3 in voting power and given countries such as India, Russia and Brazil a greater voice.
IMF board officials, Authentic Soccer Jerseys who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue, told Reuters there was a push by some countries for a speedy resolution to Strauss-Kahn's future as head of the organization, although others cautioned against judging him so soon.
Strauss-Kahn, who was denied bail on Monday, is fighting the charges.
"No matter how it plays out, it is going to be very difficult for Strauss-Kahn to be an effective leader of the IMF," said Eswar Prasad, a former IMF official now at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington.
"It is a matter of days while we wait for this matter to be resolved," he told Reuters Insider.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that while it was not yet time to discuss succession, there was a good case for a European to be in the job.
Germany pointed to the debt crisis that has engulfed Ireland, chelsea jerseyGreece and Portugal in pressing its argument a European could bring a fuller understanding of one of the world's most pressing economic problems.
Strauss-Kahn has been deeply involved in talks over European Union and IMF bailouts for debt-strapped countries.
But another of his signature achievements has been reforming the IMF's voting structure to give emerging market economies more power.
In the past, barcelona jersey emerging economies had not been unified enough to put forward a consensus candidate. Some think this time could be different.
Margaret-Anne Orgill, an analyst at IHS Global Insight in London, said China may decide to flex its new-found muscle to try to get an emerging market candidate into the job. It has contributed significant resources to the IMF in recent years in exchange for more voting power.
TWO JOBS IN PLAY
The IMF sought on Sunday to soothe concerns over Strauss-Kahn's absence by naming the fund's deputy, John Lipsky, as acting managing director. Lipsky often runs the financial institution when the managing director is away.
Japan, the United States and Canada all expressed confidence on Monday in Lipsky's ability to run the fund, but senior Europeans at the IMF said he would not be as influential as Strauss-Kahn in dealing with Europe's debt crisis because he is an American.
Lipsky announced last week, brazil soccer jersey however, that he was stepping down when his term expires in August, putting more pressure on the IMF to quickly resolve questions over its leadership.
"It is going to be a very complicated and hard-fought battle," Prasad said. "Right now, the top job is in play and so is the number two position."
In Europe, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde emerged as a front-runner for the top position, although her nationality may count against her. A French national has run the IMF for 26 out of the past 33 years and the embarrassment over the Strauss-Kahn incident may make it difficult for Paris to make a case.
In Washington inner circles, former Turkish Finance Minister Kemal Dervis, who now runs an economic program at the Brookings Institution, is a leading name. Turkey's status as a large emerging market country within the European continent could ease concerns by developing nations that feel shut out of the selection process.
Other possibilities are Agustin Carstens, argentina soccer jersey governor of Mexico's central bank, and Montek Singh Ahluwlia, an influential economic adviser to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Emerging market countries have tried to break Europe's hold on the job during the past two succession battles.
Egypt twice nominated Mohamed El-Erian, now co-chief executive of PIMCO, the world's largest bond fund, and Russia nominated former Czech central banker Josef Tosovsky to head the institution.
In a blog post on Reuters.com, El-Erian said the quickest way to replace Strauss-Kahn was to maintain the status quo and choose a European. Throwing open the selection process to everyone would be slower and complicated.
"Under either approach, the IMF would inevitably operate under a huge cloud," El-Erian said. "It would undermine its effectiveness in responding to new challenges."
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