wheeze flan: November 2012

Friday, November 30, 2012

TEXT-S&P revises outlook on ACR to stable;affirms rating

Nov 29 -

Overview

-- ACR's capitalization is likely to remain moderately strong for the

rating for the next 12-24 months.

-- We are revising the rating outlook on the Singapore-based insurer to

stable from negative.

-- We are also affirming our 'A-' local currency long-term financial

strength and issuer credit ratings.

-- We are also raising our ASEAN regional scale rating on ACR to 'axAA'

from 'axAA-'.

Rating Action

On Nov. 29, 2012, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services revised the rating

outlook on Singapore-based Asia Capital Reinsurance Group Pte. Ltd. (ACR) to

stable from negative. Standard & Poor's also affirmed its 'A-' local currency

long-term financial strength and issuer credit ratings. At the same time, we

raised our ASEAN regional scale rating on ACR to 'axAA' from 'axAA-'.

Rationale

The outlook revision reflects our view that ACR's capitalization is likely to

remain moderately strong for the rating for the next 12-24 months. This is due

to a capital injection by a strategic investor, ACR's quota-share agreement

with U.S.-based National Indemnity Co. (local currency AA+/Negative/--), and

its greater use of retrocession to protect its capital base.

We do not expect loss claims related to the floods in Thailand in 2011 to

increase significantly since we believe the company has received notification

of all substantial claims. ACR has adjusted for the notified claims following

consultations with independent loss adjustors. However, the possibility of

loss development from the adjusted claims still exists. We have accounted for

possible increases in these claims while assessing the company's credit

profile.

We expect ACR's operating performance to recover to satisfactory levels, given

the company's de-risking exercise and the increase in reinsurance premium

rates. The fluctuation in underwriting performance in recent years was mainly

due to the impact of catastrophes in the region. In line with the rest of the

reinsurance industry, ACR has tried to manage its exposure by tightening terms

and conditions on its business, requesting more information on clients'

underlying exposures, and increasing retrocession protection. We expect these

initiatives to lower the volatility in the company's operating performance.

Losses due to the floods in Thailand pushed the company's combined ratio to

134.7% in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012 (fiscal 2011).

In our opinion, ACR's competitive position is satisfactory. Our view is

despite the company's short operating history and its significant business

growth. ACR's premium growth slowed in fiscal 2011 as it focused on managing

claims, catastrophe exposure, and capital. The company has since shifted focus

back to business growth. In our view, losses related to the Thai floods

weakened clients' confidence in ACR. However, we believe the impact is

manageable and the company's overall business profile is not significantly

affected.

Outlook

The stable outlook reflects our view that ACR's losses related to the floods

in Thailand have stabilized and that the company has sufficient capital buffer

to absorb further increases in claims. We believe the probability of ACR

facing losses similar to those in late 2011 are low due to the tightening of

terms and conditions on new business and higher protection of capital from

retrocession.

We may lower the ratings if ACR's capitalization deteriorates to a level that

is not supportive of the rating and if its underwriting performance weakens

due to significant underwriting losses. We may also lower the ratings if the

company's business profile deteriorates in the upcoming renewals due to

declining confidence of clients in the company.

We may upgrade ACR if its capital is extremely strong, it achieves its

business projections profitably, and its risk management is resilient to

insurance events. We consider the possibility of an upgrade to be remote for

the next two to three years.

Related Criteria And Research

-- Refined Methodology And Assumptions For Analyzing Insurer Capital

Adequacy Using The Risk-Based Insurance Capital Model, June 7, 2010

-- Interactive Ratings Methodology, April 22, 2009

-- Group Methodology, April 22, 2009

-- Summary Of Standard & Poor's Enterprise Risk Management Evaluation

Process For Insurers, Nov. 26, 2007

Ratings List

Ratings Affirmed; Outlook Action

To From

Asia Capital Reinsurance Group Pte Ltd.

Counterparty Credit Rating

Local Currency A-/Stable/-- A-/Negative/--

Financial Strength Rating

Local Currency A-/Stable/-- A-/Negative/--

Upgraded

To From

Asia Capital Reinsurance Group Pte Ltd.

ASEAN Rating Scale axAA/--/-- axAA-/--/--

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/text-p-revises-outlook-acr-stable-affirms-rating-094326486--sector.html

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Fox News Contributor Wildly Overreacts To Gay Marriage Changes ...

video

With same-sex marriage now the law in Washington state, Olympia has eliminated the terms ?bride? and ?groom? from their wedding license application. The terms used are now gender-neutral so as not to offend the gay couples who can now legally apply for full married status. For Fox News Channel legal analyst Peter Johnson Jr., the changes are not welcome ? not because gay marriage itself offends per se, but because the elimination of those eons-old and culturally specific terms has the potential to rend sunder the fabric of American identity.

In a segment on Fox & Friends discussing the changes to Washington state?s marriage license application, Johnson said that he thought these amendments have the potential to usher in a wave of cultural animus towards all gender-specific titles.

?This is a sea change. This is a big anthropological change. This will change society and Washington and other states forever,? Jonson said. ?The issue becomes, in terms of gender neutrality, in terms of saying ?I?m a spouse, I?m not a husband or wife, I?m not a bride or groom, I?m someone about to be married? ? where does it go??

Do we no longer say father and mother? Do we only say parent? Do we no longer say brother and sister? Do we say sibling? Do we no longer say widow or widower? What does it mean in terms of our relationships and how we view each other ? people who chose to be engaged in heterosexual marriages?

Steve Doocy asked if the changes to a bureaucratic form in Washington state will ripple across America and tear asunder the social fabric with which we have become accustomed. ?It will,? Johnson replied categorically.

?Right.

When I turned 17 years old and received my driver?s license for the first time, my fragile teenage sense of identity was shaken greatly when my friends began referring to me as ?organ donor.? Since no one told me that we are all defined by the boxes we check on government forms, my new moniker came as a shock.

It is a safe bet that Americans will continue to defy bureaucratic classification methods. Many will even maintain the secret, underground use of such descriptors as ?husband? and ?wife? or ?bride? and ?groom? in spite of Washington state?s cultural Dadaism.

Chances are that Americans will still be able to identify their neighbor?s gender no matter how politically correct state and federal governments become. Mr. Johnson?s hyperbolic objections to these changes in Washington state render most of his argument hollow.

Watch the clip below via Fox News Channel:

> >Follow Noah Rothman (@Noah_C_Rothman) on Twitter

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Source: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/fox-news-contributor-wildly-overreacts-to-gay-marriage-changes-to-washington-state-wedding-license/

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Harry Potter Actor Sentenced to Jail for 2011 London Riots

(From L) Jamie Waylett as Vincent Crabbe and Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy
Photo Uploaded from heise.de

As if being in trouble with the law twice for growing cannabis weren?t enough, Jamie Waylett, more popularly known as the sidekick of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films ? Crabbe (left) ? has been sentenced to two years for his dangerous participation in the 2011 London riots. NY Times reports.

Mr. Waylett, 22, who played the all-around Hogwarts bully Crabbe in six ?Harry Potter? films, was [sentenced to two years in jail, after having been] found guilty of violent disorder during the July riots by a London court, but cleared of intending to destroy or damage property, after video footage showed him holding a gas bomb.

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Source: http://www.thebachelorgirl.com/2012/13234/harry-potter-actor-sentenced-to-jail-for-2011-london-riots/

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Top 6 Common College Grammar Mistakes From Grammarly

Writing is difficult, especially under exam duress. So how do you make sure your final paper is as great as it can be when you only have two days to write it (we know you put it off)?

At the very least, you can avoid the most common grammar mistakes. Grammar advice website Grammarly has compiled a list of the most pedestrian errors, based on those of its 3 million registered users.

Check out Grammarly's tips below. Then tell us, what mistakes are you always making?

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/28/common-college-grammar-mistakes_n_2206723.html

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Top Three Residential Property Sales for the Past Seven Days ...

Tuesday, November 27, 2012, by Sally Kuchar

Listed for: $4,750,000
Received: $4,575,000
Size: 4-bed, 4.5-bath, 5,246 square foot single-family home
Location: 350 Collingwood Street, Eureka Valley
The skinny: This Mid-Century modern home has a lot going on, meaning no surface was left untouched. The house itself is set well above the street on a double lot that's almost a quarter of an acre. Property highlights include a rooftop deck and an elevator to all floors.

Listed for: $6,500,000
Received: $4,800,000
Size: 3-bed, 3.5-bath, 4,676 square foot penthouse
Location: #5 at 2170 Jackson Street, Pacific Heights
The skinny: Reduced more than one and a half million bucks, this co-op in Pacific Heights just couldn't catch a break. The sellers were motivated, and finally a buyer was nabbed.

Listed for: $11,500,000
Received: $9,600,000
Size: 6-bed, 6-bath, single-family home with unlisted square footage
Location: 3377 Pacific Avenue, Presidio Heights
The skinny: While $9.6M certainly isn't chump change, it's still a far cry from $11.5M.

Source: http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2012/11/27/top_three_residential_property_sales_for_the_past_seven_days.php

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Users Abandon Ship If Online Video Quality Is Not Up To Snuff, Says Study

An anonymous reader writes "The first large scientific study of how people respond to poor video quality on the Internet paints a picture of ever rising user expectations and the willingness to abandon ship if those expectations are not met (PDF). Some nuggets: 1) Some users are willing to wait for no more than 2 seconds for a video to start playing, with each additional second adding 6% to the abandonment rate. 2) Users with good broadband connectivity expect faster video load times and are even more impatient than ones on mobile devices. 3) Users who experience video freezing watch fewer minutes of the video than someone who does not experience freezing. If a video freezes for 1% of its total play time, 5% less of its total play time is watched, on average. 4) Users who experience failures when they try to play videos are less likely to return to the same website in the future. Big data was analyzed (260+ million minutes of video) and some cool new data analysis techniques used."

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/U42wEN6r6mU/story01.htm

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Texans still top AP Pro32 rankings; others gaining

NEW YORK (AP) ? The New England Patriots are moving up in the AP Pro32 power rankings, thanks to another second-half-of-the-season winning streak.

While the Houston Texans remained on top for the third straight week, the Patriots jumped three places to fourth Tuesday in voting by The Associated Press' panel of 12 media members who regularly cover the league.

San Francisco and Atlanta stayed second and third, respectively.

"Pats are on fire, scoring a combined 190 points in their last four wins. Defense is getting better, too," said Bob Glauber of Newsday. "Ready for another Super Bowl run?

New England (8-3) routed the New York Jets 49-19 on Thursday night for its fifth straight win. Tom Brady and the Patriots closed out the previous two regular seasons by winning their final eight games.

"Why worry about defense when you average 37 points per game?" said Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune.

The Texans (10-1) won their second overtime game in five days last week, topping Detroit 34-31 on Thursday. Houston received seven first-place votes and 370 points.

"Their defense looks more vulnerable, but Matt Schaub is on a roll," said Clifton Brown of The Sporting News after listing Houston sixth on his ballot.

"Two straight wins in overtime shows this team knows how to finish," countered Rich Gannon of CBS Sports/Sirius XM after voting the Texans first.

The 49ers, 8-2-1 after their 31-21 win at New Orleans with Colin Kaepernick at quarterback, had three-first place votes and 365 points. The Falcons, who edged Tampa Bay 24-23, had 354 points ? two more then the Patriots, who received the other two first-place votes and 352 points.

"49ers have "hot hand" BOTH sides of the ball," said Chris Berman of ESPN after listing San Francisco first on his ballot.

"Harbaugh makes the move to a second year quarterback with no road experience and they just keep winning," added Pat Kirwan of SiriusXM NFL Radio/CBSSports.com. "Aldon Smith looks unblockable coming off the edge."

Denver was fifth, followed by Baltimore the New York Giants, Chicago, Indianapolis and Green Bay, which fell four spots after its 38-10 loss to the Giants.

"When they click, no team is better, as the Packers and 49ers could attest," Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune said of the Giants.

As for the surprising Colts (7-4), Clark Judge of CBSSports.com said, "This is better than a feel-good story. This is a pretty good football team."

Cincinnati was the biggest gainer ? up six spots to 11th after another convincing win, this time 34-10 over Oakland. The Colts moved up five spots after beating Buffalo 20-13 for their highest ranking of the season after starting out 32nd and last.

The Philadelphia Eagles continued their slide, dropping three more spots to 29th after their seventh loss in a row. The Eagles opened the season ranked eighth.

Kansas City (1-10) was a near unanimous choice for 32nd and last.

"A strong showing against Peyton Manning and the Broncos gets the Chiefs out of the cellar this week," said John Lynch of Fox Sports.

___

Follow Richard Rosenblatt on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/rosenblattap

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texans-still-top-ap-pro32-rankings-others-gaining-231002672--nfl.html

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Mexico surpasses targets for tourist arrivals and private investment in tourism projects

Nov 27, 2012

MEXICO CITY, Mexico - The Mexico Ministry of Tourism reports that private investment for the development and maintenance of tourism projects in the period January 2007 to September 2012 reached $20,129,900,000 USD, a figure that exceeds the established six-year target of 20 billion dollars.

In the period from January to September alone, cumulative investment reached $1,820,340,000 USD.

This investment was directed to the development of 1,146 projects, strengthening Mexico's tourism offering in order to attract a greater number of visitors and fulfill the commitments outlined in the National Agreement on Tourism.

Of the total investment during the month of September, 75.9 percent corresponds to national capital, while the remaining investment corresponds to foreign capital.

Destinations in central Mexico captured 30.7 percent of total resources, beach destinations 35.1 percent, Mayan regions 20.9 percent, and the northern border 13.3 percent.

These private sector investments are complemented by the tourist programs and products developed during the administration of President Felipe Calderon, such as the ten Routes of Mexico, the Mundo Maya program, the 18 Gastronomic Routes and the strengthening of the Magic Towns, among others, that strengthen Mexico's tourism offering.

The Mexico Ministry of Tourism reports that from January 2007 to September 2012, Mexico received 130.6 million international tourists, up 12.1 percent compared to the same period of the previous administration.

The flow of tourists staying overnight in Mexico registered an increase of 18.3 percent reaching 75.5 million people, compared to 63.8 million registered from January 2001 to September 2006.

Foreign exchange earnings from international visitors totaled $71,027,000,000 USD, representing an increase of 22.1 percent compared to $58,163,000,000 during the previous administration.

From January 2007 to September 2012, the average expenditure of cruise passengers to Mexico reached 81.7 dollars, an increase of 30.6 percent compared to the same period the prior term.

Cruise passenger spending generated revenues of $2,793,000,000 USD, 41.6 percent higher than $1,972,000,000 USD generated in revenue from January 2001 to September 2006.

During the month of September, the flow of tourists staying overnight in Mexico showed an increase of 6.2 percent compared to the same month the prior year.

Foreign exchange earnings from international visitors increased from 678 million dollars during 2011 to 748 million dollars in September 2012, representing an increase of 10.3 percent.

The accumulated foreign exchange earnings from international visitors through September registered at 6.2 percent higher than the $8,818,000,000 USD achieved during 2011.

Tourism with travelers staying overnight in Mexico through the month of September registered an increase of 3.1 percent compared to the period January to September during 2011.

International visitors increased their average spending by 6.8 percent, while international tourism has registered an increase of 8.0 percent.

Tourism with visitors staying overnight in Mexico increased average spending through the month of September by 3.7 percent, while border tourism increased average spending by 8.1 percent.

During January to September, day visitors increased average spending by 4.7 percent, compared to the same period in 2011.

According to data provided by the Integrated System for Migration Operations (SIOM), 8.1 million international visitors traveled to Mexico by air from January to September 2012, representing an increase of 6.1 percent over the same period in 2011.

From January to September, SIOM registered an increase in the number of visitors of 137 nationalities.

The Electronic Authorization System (SAE) promoted an increase in the flow of international tourists to Mexico by permitting travelers from Brazil, Russia and Ukraine to electronically obtain authorization to enter the country for tourism, transit or business without obtaining a visa.

In the first nine months of the year, the flow of travelers from Brazil, Russia and Ukraine benefitted from this procedural change, registering an increase of 120.7 percent compared to the first nine months of 2011.

In September 2012, the number of air travelers from the United States increased by 3.7 percent over the same month of 2011. The accumulated number of US visitors through September registered an increase of 2.8 percent over the 4.4 million visitors received during January to September of 2011.

During the period January to October 2012, the flow of cruise passengers was 11.0 percent higher than the same period the prior year.

From January to October this year, Mexico received an average of 2,726 passengers per cruise, while last year cruises averaged 2,456 passengers.

The port of Manzanillo registered an increase of 30.1 percent during the period January to October, Chiapas an increase of 27.3 percent, and Zihuatanejo an increase of 26.6 percent.

According to data recorded by Airports and Auxiliary Services, the arrival of passengers on domestic flights increased 10.3 percent during January to September 2012 compared to the same period the previous year.

Similarly, international flights registered a 5.4 percent higher number of passengers to Mexico compared to January to September of 2011.

During 2011, Mexico surpassed the target of 165.8 million domestic tourists, reaching a total of 168.1 million domestic tourists. According to current trends, this goal will be surpassed again in 2012.

From January to September 2012, the number of domestic tourists totaled 133.2 million, 6.0 percent higher than the same period in 2011.

Source: http://www.eturbonews.com/32473/mexico-surpasses-targets-tourist-arrivals-and-private-investment

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

'Two and a Half Men' actor apologizes

NEW YORK (AP) ? Teenage actor Angus T. Jones of the comedy "Two and a Half Men" apologized Tuesday for a series of interviews denouncing his own show, an episode that has rivaled former colleague Charlie Sheen's meltdown as an off-screen oddity.

Speaking to religious media outlets, the 19-year-old Jones has called the CBS comedy "filth" and "very inappropriate" and talked about how his religious awakening has affected his attitude toward life and work.

"Two and a Half Men," television's third most popular comedy, remains heavy on sexual innuendo even with Ashton Kutcher replacing bad-boy Sheen following his firing for drug use and a subsequent public meltdown. Jones, who started on the show when he was 10, plays Jake Harper, son of the uptight character portrayed by Emmy winner Jon Cryer.

In a statement issued late Tuesday, Jones said he had the highest regard for all of the people he has worked with on the comedy, including creator Chuck Lorre and Warner Bros. studio chief Peter Roth.

"I apologize if my remarks reflect me showing indifference to and disrespect of my colleagues and a lack of appreciation of the extraordinary opportunity of which I have been blessed," said Jones, who reportedly makes $350,000 an episode. "I never intended that."

Jones wasn't at the studio lot for a rehearsal on Tuesday. He's not scheduled to appear on the two episodes that are being filmed before the end of the year, said a person close to the show who spoke on condition of anonymity because Warner Bros. and CBS haven't commented publicly on Jones. His character has recently joined the Army and his airtime has been cut down.

His real-life adventure came to light on Monday, when he said in a video posted by the Forerunner Chronicles in Seale, Ala., featured him talking about not wanting to be on "Two and a Half Men" anymore.

"Please stop watching it," Jones said. "Please stop filling your head with filth."

In a radio broadcast, "The Voice of Prophecy," recorded for the Seventh-day Adventist Church on Jones' birthday in October, Jones described his religious path. He has been attending a Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Los Angeles area.

Jones said he felt drawn to God after a tough time in his life when his parents were going through a divorce and he experimented with drugs.

"I never drank," he said. "That was one thing God protected me from, and I'm still a virgin. God protected me from those things."

Jones said that "it's very weird that I'm on a television show, especially now that I am trying to walk with God. My television show has nothing to do with God and doesn't want anything to do with God." Still, he said he had no plans to get out of his contract.

In another interview posted on Tuesday with Christianity Today, Jones described himself as a "paid hypocrite."

"Even though it's my job to be an actor, I have given my life to God," he said. "I am very comfortable and firm in that, but I still have to be on this show. It's the No. 1 comedy, but it's very inappropriate and the themes are very inappropriate. I have to be this person I am not."

"Two and a Half Men," which has seen its ratings tumble this fall with a move to Thursdays, is now behind "The Big Bang Theory" and "Modern Family" in the comedy ratings.

____

AP Religion Writer Rachel Zoll in New York contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/two-half-men-actor-apologizes-022918218.html

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Card firms' block on WikiLeaks did not break rules: EU

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A block on processing donations for WikiLeaks by Visa Europe and other credit card companies is unlikely to have violated EU anti-trust rules, the European Commission said on Tuesday.

DataCell, a company that collected donations for WikiLeaks, complained to the Commission about Visa Europe, MasterCard Europe and American Express Co after they stopped processing donations for WikiLeaks in December 2010. Their decisions followed criticism by the United States of WikiLeaks' release of thousands of sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables.

"On the basis of the information available, the Commission considers that the complaint does not merit further investigation because it is unlikely that any infringement of EU competition rules could be established," said a spokesman for the Commission, the EU executive.

He added, however, that the Commission would look at new information from DataCell before taking a final decision.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been staying in Ecuador's embassy in central London since June to avoid extradition to Sweden to face rape and sexual assault allegations.

Assange said there were no lawful grounds for the card companies' actions, which he said had cost Wikileaks 95 percent of its revenue and threatened his organization's existence.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee and Adrian Croft; Editing by Louise Heavens)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eu-says-card-firms-block-wikileaks-did-not-105841227--sector.html

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Gaza cease-fire raises hopes for reconstruction

A Palestinian boy looks from the rooftop of a destroyed house in Gaza City, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. A leading Islamic cleric in the Gaza Strip has ruled it a sin to violate the recent cease-fire between Israel and the Hamas militant group that governs the Palestinian territory according a religious legitimacy to the truce and giving the Gaza government strong backing to enforce it. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) ? Mohammed Falah Azzam has been through this before.

His mother's home was bombed in the 2008-09 Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which left hundreds dead and thousands of homes destroyed. In renewed fighting last week, an entire block of buildings housing his extended family was badly damaged in an airstrike that Israel said was aimed at a militant.

While none of his relatives was hurt, the 61-year-old retired schoolteacher once again has to worry about providing shelter for his family. Some relatives are sleeping in an empty shop, squeezed in with other family members. Others are spending their nights in rooms covered in plastic wrap to shield them from the winter rain because all the windows were blown out.

"This is going to cost thousands," Azzam said. "The longer I wait, the more damage will happen," he added, pointing to a heavily damaged building sitting atop tilting concrete columns.

Azzam finds himself caught again in a pile of paperwork to seek assistance, trying to secure hard-to-get construction materials. This time, he hopes the process will be smoother, thanks to both Israel's pledges to ease its longstanding border blockade and the newfound political clout of Gaza's Hamas rulers in the region.

Israel promised to ease the blockade as part of a cease-fire last week that ended eight days of intense fighting. But difficult negotiations lie ahead, and there is no firm timeline for lifting the restrictions.

Israel launched its offensive Nov. 14 in response to months of rocket fire out of Gaza. It carried out some 1,500 airstrikes during the fighting, while Palestinian militants lobbed a similar number of rockets into Israel.

The damage to buildings in Gaza appears less extensive than it was four years ago. The United Nations estimates 10,000 homes were destroyed or damaged, while Hamas has put the number at about 8,000, including 500 that were destroyed or heavily damaged. In comparison, U.N. relief agencies said as many as 40,000 homes were affected in the earlier round of fighting.

Israel says its airstrikes are aimed at militants, and it blames Hamas for the damage, accusing the group of using residential areas for cover.

Reconstruction since the 2008-9 fighting has been slow, in large part because of Israel's blockade. Israel imposed the restrictions in 2007, after Hamas, a militant group sworn to its destruction, wrested power over the coastal strip from the government of Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Under international pressure, Israel loosened the blockade in 2010 but maintained tight restrictions on imports of glass, cement, metal and other construction materials, saying they could be diverted for military use. Only U.N agencies and international organizations in the Palestinian territory are allowed to import such material from Israel for their own projects.

To make up the shortage, a bustling smuggling industry through underground tunnels along the Egyptian border has sprung up. While prices for key construction goods have come down, they still remain expensive for the majority of the population in Gaza, where the unemployment rate is over 30 percent and 80 percent of the people rely on U.N. handouts.

"The blockade in terms of housing impacts us primarily ? the U.N. ?and the people who are most vulnerable who don't have access to jobs or economic opportunity," said Scott Anderson, deputy director of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency. "People who have money, it is easily available."

In the short term, there is no relief in sight. During the recent offensive, Israel heavily targeted the tunnels, which are also used to bring weapons into Gaza. Residents along the border say that smugglers and tunnel owners are still inspecting the damage but that many of the tunnels still operate, though at reduced capacity.

An Egyptian security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, estimated that half the tunnels are not functioning.

With a sullied face and wearing only his undergarments, Azzam gave up his search for valuables in the rubble of his destroyed home on a recent day. He sat down to take a break and do some math.

His mother's house was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in 2009. Since then, he has barely managed to rebuild one of its two floors. A $25,000 grant he received from an Arab fund did not cover the costs, and materials for the project have been hard to come by.

The Hamas government has given him $1,000 to find a place to live for now, and each member of the extended family received a similar amount. With housing in tight supply and rents skyrocketing, Azzam said the money will not last long.

"As we look there are no places to begin with," he said. "If we find a place, rent will be around $300 or $400. Before it was $200."

Yasser al-Shanti, deputy of the ministry of public works and housing in the Hamas government, said construction materials will start flowing into Gaza again once the tunnels are up and running again.

But Hamas' real hope is that Israel and Egypt will lift border restrictions to allow large quantities of goods into the territory through proper border crossings. Hamas has high hopes for Egypt's new Islamist government, which is far more sympathetic to the Islamic group than the ousted regime of Hosni Mubarak.

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt is currently limited to foot traffic. Hamas, an offshoot of Egypt's ruling Muslim Brotherhood, wants Egypt to turn the crossing into a bustling cargo terminal.

"We expect that international and Arab institutions are ready to help. We don't expect to have a problem," al-Shanti said.

Hamas has put the damage to Gaza's civilian infrastructure at roughly $750 million, a sum that will probably have to be raised through special U.N. emergency appeals and donations from wealthy Arab countries.

The future of the crossing will be a central issue in indirect, Egyptian-brokered negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Under the cease-fire, Israel made a vague commitment to ease its closing of Gaza. But the details must be negotiated.

With Hamas rejecting Israel's key demand ? that arms smuggling into Gaza be halted ? it remains far from certain whether Hamas will get what it wants. Egypt also has not been clear how far it is willing to open its border, fearing that this will allow Israel to "dump" Gaza on Egypt and undermine hopes for reconciliation between Hamas and Abbas' rival government in the West Bank.

Ayman el-Kholi, whose two-story home was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike aimed at militants, said Hamas government representatives and fighters, including Hamas strongman Mahmoud Zahar, visited him and promised compensation.

"They promised that after things calm down, they will begin to reconstruct all homes destroyed and not just ours," he said.

In the meantime, the 41-year-old banker has sent his six children to sleep at various relatives' homes, and he is staying with a friend. The rubble from the destroyed building was still in a heap on Sunday as he waited for the only government tractor to come remove it.

The entire block was damaged by airstrike. Shops were buried and a nearby workshop for electrical appliances was severely damaged.

"We don't save in banks. All my money was in the house. All of it is now under the rubble, around $10,000 plus my wife's gold," el-Kholi said. "We are waiting for an opening of the crossing. We are waiting for donor countries, from Arab countries, to help us rebuild the house again."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-11-25-Palestinians-Rebuilding%20Gaza/id-92022b1aea614820bb0dd91caeb64a42

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Hybrid 3D printer could fast-track cartilage implants

Most of the attention surrounding 3D printers in medicine has focused on patching up our outsides, whether it's making skin to heal wounds or restoring the use of limbs. The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine has just detailed a technique that could go considerably deeper. By mixing natural gel put through an inkjet printer with thin and porous polymer threads coming from an electrospinner, researchers have generated constructs that could be ideal for cartilage implants: they encourage cell growth in and around an implant while remaining durable enough to survive real-world abuse. Early tests have been confined to the lab, but the institute pictures a day when doctors can scan a body part to produce an implant that's a good match. If the method is ultimately refined for hospital use, patients could recover from joint injuries faster or more completely -- and 3D printers could become that much more integral to health care.

Filed under: Science, Alt

Comments

Via: Gizmag

Source: Institute of Physics

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/25/hybrid-3d-printer-could-fast-track-cartilage-implants/

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Saturday, November 24, 2012

Camacho's mother says life support will end

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) ? Hector "Macho" Camacho will be taken off life support, his mother said Friday night, indicating she would have doctors do that Saturday. It was a decision the former championship boxer's eldest son opposed.

The boxer's mother, Maria Matias, told reporters outside the hospital where Camacho lay unconscious since being shot in the face that she had decided doctors should remove life support, but only after three of his sons arrived in Puerto Rico early Saturday and had a chance to see him a last time.

"I lost my son three days ago. He's alive only because of a machine," Matias said. "My son is not alive. My son is only alive for the people who love him," she added.

The three other sons were expected to arrive from the U.S. mainland around midnight Friday. "Until they arrive, we will not disconnect the machine," Matias said.

Another news conference was scheduled for Saturday morning at Centro Medico, the main trauma center for San Juan.

The former champion's mother has the final say in the matter, but his eldest son, Hector Jr., said he wants to keep his father alive.

"He's going to fight until the end. My father is a boxer," the son said.

Doctors have said Camacho is clinically brain dead from a shooting Tuesday night in his hometown of Bayamon. But relatives and friends told The Associated Press they were still wrestling with whether to remove him from life support.

"It is a very difficult decision, a very delicate decision," former pro boxer Victor "Luvi" Callejas, a longtime friend, said in a phone interview. "The last thing we lose is hope and faith. If there is still hope and faith, why not wait a little more?"

Aida Camacho, one of the boxer's aunts, said in an interview that the family could decide by late Friday whether to donate his organs.

As some relatives and friends continued to pray for a miracle, condolences kept coming in for Camacho's family and preparations began for memorials and a funeral Mass.

Gov. Luis Fortuno lamented what he called a sudden loss. "'Macho' will always be remembered for his spontaneity and charisma in and out of the ring," he said.

Also offering condolences was governor-elect Alejandro Garcia Padilla, who defeated Fortuno in November.

"The life of Macho Camacho, like other great athletes of ours, united the country," he said. "We celebrated his triumphs in the streets and we applauded him with noble sportsmanship when he didn't prevail."

Camacho was shot as he sat in a car with a friend, 49-year-old Adrian Mojica Moreno, who was killed in the attack. Police spokesman Alex Diaz said officers found nine small bags of cocaine in the friend's pocket and a 10th bag open inside the car.

Police reported no arrests and said investigators continued to interview potential witnesses. Capt. Rafael Rosa told reporters Friday that they are tracking down several leads, but added that very few witnesses were cooperating. He declined to say whether police had identified any suspects.

Hector Camacho Jr. lamented the violence that grips Puerto Rico, a U.S. island territory of nearly 4 million people that reported a record 1,117 homicides last year.

"Death, jail, drugs, killings," he said. "That's what the streets are now."

Camacho's sisters have said they would like to fly Camacho's body to New York and bury him there. Camacho grew up mostly in Harlem, earning the nickname the "Harlem Heckler."

He won super lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight world titles in the 1980s and fought high-profile bouts against Felix Trinidad, Julio Cesar Chavez and Sugar Ray Leonard. Camacho knocked out Leonard in 1997, ending the former champ's final comeback attempt. Camacho had a career record of 79-6-3.

Camacho battled drug, alcohol and other problems throughout his life. He was sentenced in 2007 to seven years in prison on burglary charges, but a judge eventually suspended all but one year of the sentence and gave Camacho probation. He wound up serving two weeks in jail, though, after violating that probation. A wife also filed domestic abuse complaints against him twice before their divorce.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/camachos-mother-says-life-support-end-014633011--spt.html

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How to set alarms and timers using Siri

Complete guide to Siri commands for alarms, timers, and the clock

Siri ties right into the iOS Clock app on your iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad 4, iPad mini, and iPod touch 5, which means if you want to be woken up at 7am, have a timer set for 10 minutes so the cookies don't burn, or find out what the hour is in Australia before you call, Siri can keep you alerted and on time.

How to set an alarm with Siri
How to set a repeating alarm with Siri
How to show current alarms with Siri
How to change alarms with Siri
How to turn off alarms with Siri
How to delete alarms with Siri
How to set a timer with Siri
How to show, stop, or re-start a timer with Siri
How to change a timer with Siri
How to find out the time with Siri

How to set an alarm with Siri

Siri can set alarms quickly and easily.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.
Tell Siri to set an alarm, along with the time. For example: "Set an alarm for 8pm", "Set an alarm for 5 minutes from now", "wake me up at 9am".

Siri will display the alarm widget on the screen. If you change your mind about the alarm, you can simply toggle it to "off". You can also tap the widget to be taken to the Clock app.

Note: Siri can?t set an alarm for more than one day in advance. If you try to use Siri to set an alarm further in advance, you'll be asked if you want to set a Reminder instead.

How to set a repeating alarm with Siri

If you want an alarm to repeat, for example, to wake you up at the same time every day, Siri can set that up for you as well.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.
Tell Siri to set an alarm, along with the time. For example: "Set an alarm for 6pm every weekday" or "wake me up at 9am ever day".

When Siri displays the alarm widget, the repetition interval is show about the on/off toggle switch.

How to show current alarms with Siri

Over time, you may lose track of all the alarms you've set, especially inactive ones. Siri can show you list of all alarms, and their current status -- on or off.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.
Tell Siri to: "Show all alarms".

You can quickly toggle any of the alarms shown from on to off or vice versa, or ask Siri to change or delete them. (See below.)

How to change an alarm with Siri

If you set an alarm, but later need to change it, Siri can handle that for you as well.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.
Tell Siri which alarm you want to change, and what time you want to change it to. For example: "Change my 9am alarm to 9:30am."

How to turn off alarms with Siri

Nights get late, meetings get canceled, and plans change. If you no longer need an alarm, you can ask Siri to turn it off.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.
Tell Siri which alarm you want to turn off. For example: "Turn off my 8am alarm" or even "turn off all alarms."

Note: Turning off is different than canceling or deleting. When you turn an alarm off, it remains available for you to quickly turn back on at any time, even manually. When you cancel or delete an alarm, it's gone completely and needs to be recreated if you ever want to use it again.

How to cancel alarms with Siri

When turning off alarms isn't enough, and you want them completely gone from your Clock system entirely, Siri a fast way to delete a specific alarm, and an incredibly fast way to delete all of them.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.
Tell Siri which alarm you want to cancel. For example: "Cancel my 9:30am alarm" or go for the nuclear option and "cancel all alarms".

How to set a timer with Siri

Since the Clock app can set timers as well as alarms, Siri can set timers as well as alarms. Whether you're waiting for your cookies to bake, or your next set of circuit training to begin, Siri can make sure you always alerted at exactly the right time.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.
Tell Siri to set the timer, and for how long. For example: "Set a timer for 10 minutes".

The Timer widget will remain visible on your screen until the timer goes off, or you leave Siri. Tap the timer widget to launch the Clock app and access the manual controls.

Note: Siri can only run one timer at a time. If you try to set another, Siri will ask you if you want to keep the current one or change to the new one. (See below.)

How to show, stop, or re-start a timer with Siri

If Siri is no longer displaying your timer, you can easily ask it to show you the timer again, and to pause/stop or start it whenever you like.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.
Tell Siri what you want to do with the current time. For example: "Show timer", "stop timer", "start timer".

How to change a timer with Siri

Siri can also change the duration of a timer, if you need to increase or decrease the length for any reason.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.
Tell Siri to change the timer. For example: "Change timer to 5 minutes".

How to find out the time with Siri

What if you need to know the time in Cupertino, California so you don't miss that Apple keynote? Or you want to find out the time in Rome, Italy, so you don't wake up nono too early? Just ask Siri.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.
Ask Siri the time in any location around the world. For example: "What's the time in Rome, Italy?"

Tap the clock widget to go to the Clock app for more options.

How to get more help with Siri

How to set alarms and timers using Siri

If you still need help with setting up or using Siri with your iPhone Contacts, or any other Siri feature, head on over to our Siri Forum and ask away!

Note: This article is an updated version of a previous how-to, adding video as well as new features from iOS 6, and newly supported devices.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/PrrIPXkWMj4/story01.htm

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Friday, November 23, 2012

andazmarka: Media Release 12 ? Early Childhood Education Brings ...

Media Release 12 ? Early Childhood Education Brings Social Drawbacks, Uncertain Benefits

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- Make A Submission
- Making an Oral Submission to the Select Committee
- Submission Form
- List Of Members Of Parliament September 2012
- Submissions
  - Submission: Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
  - Submission made online
  - Against forced child care from age 3
  - Don?t want our rights to raise our children taken from us
  - Children?s best interests would NOT be served by compulsory attendance at E.C. E. facilities
  - One size does not fit all.
  - The bill actively discriminates against beneficiaries
  - Blatant discrimination of those receiving a benefit
  - Young children do best in all aspects of life in the care of their family
  - Healthy people build healthy communities. Healthy family attachments build healthy people.
  - From a single Mother
  - ECE doesn?t seem to suit every child
  - It is institutional misogyny
  - I strongly disagree that children so young (3 years) need to be in Early Childhood Centre
  - From a Solicitor and Notary Public and mother of four children
  - Importance of establishing secure attachment relationships during infancy in order to optimise brain development
  - I feel my own family will suffer majorly if this Bill was to pass.
  - I am a 20 year old single male
  - For many children ?later? is better than ?earlier? when it comes to institutional education
  - Three year olds are far too young to be away from their parents
  - This is unfair and discriminatory
  - The Bill is discriminatory and marginalises beneficiaries
  - Motherless and Fatherless children of NZ forced to have the only parent they have taken away!
  - An enforced separation of parent and child at the hands of government in exchange for financial assistance is both cruel and contrary to the nature of our free society
  - Every child and every family is different!
  - This legislation targets good parents ? not the bad ones
  - The government is saying that because I?m a solo parent I?m unable to make the right decisions for my children
  - This is the worst kind of government interference into how people choose to raise their families
  - It is offensive that the job my mother has done and so many other single parents do, is so under-valued
  - ECE is not beneficial and is not and can not be a substitute for a caring, loving home environment
  - Trust good parents to make good decisions
  - I am a mother, not a babysitter and I absolutely oppose this bill
  - Trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, slavery and deception
  - This is invasive legislation discriminating against excellent parents and removing their freedom to raise their children in a secure loving environment and not going to achieve better lives for neglected children
  - This proposed bill will show the New Zealand Government to be punitive and untrustworthy
  - Children do not belong to the state
  - From Romania: Please learn from the mistakes others did in history! Thank you!
  - Children need to be with their family, and nurtured, they must not be treated as tools to force parents to comply with this bill.
  - I also believe it enforces the detachment of children from their parents at an age which can be detrimental for many
  - The bill falsely presumes that all beneficiaries? children are at risk
  - A child?s right is to be with their parents. To be loved and nurtured and protected.
  - Family Integrity?s submission
  - In it?s breadth it overshoots and impinges on the basic rights of dedicated and thinking parents such as myself
  - Please do the right thing and don?t sully New Zealand?s reputation: vote down this bill
  - It is a well researched, known and documented fact that it is parental involvement that makes the difference in regards to educational outcomes, not the institutional education of a child
  - Keep our mana intact, don?t steal our children
  - Reject compulsory ECE
  - From a small Home Education Support Group
  - This National government would be well advised and warned to examine carefully the agendas of those who have promoted, lobbied for and recommended the actions in this bill in order to maintain peace, good relations, civility and lawful behaviour in our communities
  - Introducing this bill will not achieve a healthy end result for the wonderful country we live in
  - Staying in the home saves everyone money including the government money in not having to fund ECE?s
  - New Zealand jails are full of people who went to school not people who were home-educated
  - Submission from the USA ? Author of ?Raising Real Men: Surviving, Teaching and Appreciating Boys?
  - To be a beneficiary in Christchurch with an added ?bonus? of this reform will utterly destroy some
  - Those Who Would Give Away Their Children for Money, Deserve Neither Children NOR Money
  - I believe the Welfare Reform Bill to be invalid not only for human rights breaches but also as a Maori for the breach of Article 2 of the Treaty and the breach of the UNDRIP which was endorsed by government in 2010.
  - Home-educated children do HALF of all the BAD CITIZEN things and DOUBLE all of the GOOD CITIZEN things
  - Stephen?s submission
  - We are people, Real People
  - Home Education Foundation?s submission
  - I worked at an Early Childhood Center before our little ones were born, we would never send our children to an Early Childhood Education Center
  - The negative impact of early education is well documented and well ignored by government
  - What a step backwards this bill is!
  - If you are deprived of love and affection as a child then key areas of your brain which are responsible for your personality don?t get wired up correctly
  - Children, again are the victims ? and I call that child abuse
  - A good government does not come into people?s homes and tell them how to raise their children
  - I see this Bill as an abuse on young children and their parents
  - Samuel Blight?s submission
  - Submission from Poland
  - Tarnya?s submission
  - This is a poor attempt at trying to tackle New Zealand?s benefit problems!
  - Is this law about the mighty dollar or about social engineering?
  - Are 100% of beneficiaries to be treated as though they need to be kept away from their children
  - Barbara Smith?s submission
  - We need your help

Source: http://hef.org.nz/2012/media-release-12-early-childhood-education-brings-social-drawbacks-uncertain-benefits/

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Source: http://andazmarka.blogspot.com/2012/11/media-release-12-early-childhood.html

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SNAI Earnings Tumble - Online Gambling News

Steven Stradbrooke
November 22, 2012
No Comments

sg-gaming-eurobet-snai-italy SG Gaming, the umbrella under which Scientific Games Corporation grouped its Barcrest, Games Media and The Global Draw divisions last month, has inked a deal to supply online games to Gala Coral Group?s Eurobet Italia subsidiary. The deal?s first fruit will come via the launch of Crown Jewels, which has already received the blessing of Italian gaming regulator AAMS. Other games are scheduled to be rolled out ?before year end.?

Barcrest is partially to blame for the ugly figures contained in Italian operator SNAI?s Q3 earnings report, after incorrect payout glitches caused SNAI to disconnect its Barcrest video lottery terminals in April. For the three months ending Sept. 30, Snai?s revenue fell 12% to ?105.7m, while earnings tumbled a whopping 73.5% to ?4m, creating a net loss of ?18.1m for the quarter. SNAI?s sports betting turnover fell 6.7% while racing wagers fell 26%, reflecting the declines plaguing the overall market. SNAI?s overall turnover rose 13.9% to ?3.98b, thanks mainly to a 128% boost in online gaming turnover to ?663m via the launch of online casino and cash poker games. For the year-to-date, SNAI?s revenue is off 8.7% to ?369.5m and earnings are down 31.7% to ?38.3m.

We?re now less than two weeks away from the Italian government?s Dec. 3 target date for issuing the country?s first online slots licenses, with operators expected to be offering online slots play by early January. Ahead of this shift, AAMS has announced a ban on the installation of new ?totems?, the ubiquitous gaming terminals found in internet caf?s, tobacconists and other public spaces that allow punters to connect to online gaming sites. The government announced a similar edict in May 2010, but now claim they mean business this time. The totems have long been the bane of licensed slot machine and video lottery terminal operators, who have also expressed concern over the disparity in the tax rate they pay (4% of turnover) vs. the proposed tax on online slots (20% of gross profit).

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Views and opinions expressed are those of the Author and do not necessarily reflect those of CalvinAyre.com

Source: http://calvinayre.com/2012/11/22/business/sg-gaming-inks-eurobet-italia-snai-earnings-tumble-italy-bans-totems/

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Statistics Key To Success In Run-and-Gun Basketball

Faith Baptist Bible isn't even a Division III team. Everything I've read, from people in the know (http://www.d3boards.com/index.php?topic=4558.12195 -- starting around page 814) indicates that Grinnell specifically intended to have Jack Taylor set this record. He literally wasn't playing defense -- he was standing around at halfcourt to receive an outlet pass so he could jack up yet another 3.

Somebody watching the video noticed that Faith was cheering this on, and the Grinnell crowd was cheering scoring by both teams (http://www.d3boards.com/index.php?topic=4558.msg1469592). I have a suspicion that they were in on this joke. Given that their opponent was not an NCAA team, I don't think this record should count.

It's interesting that for all this, they've never won an NCAA tourney game (Division III, that is). I don't think they've even won their conference (see http://d3hoops.com/teams/Grinnell/Men/2011-12/index [d3hoops.com] and look at the other years -- usually their last game is against a conference team, and they've always lost). That kind of run and gun and press may be fun to play and watch, but it doesn't work against good teams.

And there's plenty of very good basketball being played in Division III. Yes, it's very rare for Division III teams to beat Division I, but a couple of weeks ago MIT lost to Harvard 69-54, and the game was not a blowout -- Harvard had to work hard for its W (Harvard shortly thereafter beat Manhattan College, which is also Division I, 79-45). If you watch the real power teams in Division III -- schools like MIT (yes, MIT is ranked #1 in Division III right now, and they have some damn good players, including a point guard, Mitchell Kates, who was abusing the Harvard back court all game), Amherst, Williams, Franklin and Marshall, Cabrini, UW-Whitewater (which beat MIT last year in the semifinal, and went on to win the title), it's very high quality basketball, just not the kind of athleticism you'll find in Division I. Teams like these, that play real defense and are in control on offense, would make short work of Grinnell.

And one of our (MIT) alumni, Jimmy Bartolotta '09, was Division III national Player of the Year, and is now playing professional basketball in Iceland.

(Yes, I'm an Ancient and Honorable Nerd of the Infinite Corridor -- VI-3 '87. I'm unofficially one of the team photographers. See http://rlk.smugmug.com/Sports/Basketball [smugmug.com])

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/OJtEexLq3eM/story01.htm

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Lil Wayne Reveals He?s On Anti-Seizure Meds

Lil Wayne Reveals He’s On Anti-Seizure Meds

Rapper Lil Wayne has revealed that he has been on medication to prevent seizures after he became sick on his private jet last month. Wayne’s rep previously denied the reports, playing it down as a migraine. The rapper was rushed to a hospital in Texas last month after he reportedly suffered a seizure, but at ...

Lil Wayne Reveals He’s On Anti-Seizure Meds Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2012/11/lil-wayne-reveals-hes-on-anti-seizure-meds/

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