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Sunday, December 30, 2012
James Harden Deserves Legitmate Love for 2012-13 NBA MVP Award
James Harden deserves legitimate consideration for the 2012-13 NBA MVP award.
With 2013 just around the corner, many have begun to speculate which athlete is bound to become the league's Most Valuable Player. While the usual suspects have garnered their fair share of attention, there is an up-and-coming force to consider.
Harden.
As the leader of a 16-13 franchise, Harden may not be the first name that comes to mind. After all, the likes of Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Chris Paul are posting equally as impressive numbers and leading better teams.
With that being said, we cannot allow a win-loss record to entirely determine one's value.
Keep in mind, the Houston Rockets are the youngest team in the NBA. They're also an unexpected postseason contender due to this past offseason's massive roster overhaul.
Even with the star power of Harden and Jeremy Lin, very few expected the team to make a significant impact on the structure of the postseason standings.
Regardless of their external preseason expectations, Harden has elevated the Rockets to a level of consistency.
Eight of their 13 losses have come by single-digits. Two of their defeats have come in overtime.
The question is, what makes Harden any different from the others? Much like LeBron James in 2011-12, the key is adversity.
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Brand New Squad
Not only has James Harden taken the NBA's youngest team to the brink of postseason legitimacy, but he's led a team that has limited familiarity with one another. Allow this number to prove that.
Eleven of the 15 players on the Houston Rockets' roster were not with the team in 2011-12.
The players returning from a season ago are Chandler Parsons, Patrick Patterson, Marcus Morris and Greg Smith. To put that into perspective, Smith and Morris played a combined 25 games in 2011-12.
Parsons was a rookie, and the oft-injured Patterson had been recovering from ankle surgery (via The Houston Chronicle). Patterson started just one game.
In other words, the Rockets have started from scratch.
Is James Harden an MVP Candidate?
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No. He pales in comparison to others.
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Yes. The numbers and the value are both there.
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No. Harden deserves recognition, but not a candidate.
Is James Harden an MVP Candidate?
Houston lost five starters this offseason. As for how that is possible with Parsons returning, point guards Goran Dragic and Kyle Lowry both started in 2011-12 and found new homes for 2012-13.
Other starters lost include leading scorer Kevin Martin, locker room leader Luis Scola and starting center Samuel Dalembert.
Chase Budinger and Courtney Lee also signed elsewhere, which leaves Houston in an unparalleled predicament.?Their top six leading scorers all left town.
In fact, each of their statistical leaders from 2012 are now playing for another franchise.
Dalembert led the team in rebounds and blocks. Lowry was tops in assists and steals, while Martin took control in scoring.
Marcus Camby also started 13 games and led the team in rebounds, albeit unqualified for true consideration. He's now with the New York Knicks.
To make matters worse, they've replaced the previously-listed veterans with youth. Nothing but youth.
You can thank James Harden for overcoming this massive roster overhaul.
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Individual Numbers
Like it or not, the MVP award has just as much to do with one's individual statistics as it does their impact. That could be where we draw the line with the award and it becomes the "Most Outstanding Player."
Fortunately for The Bearded One, he has the numbers to contend.
Thus far in 2012-13, Harden is averaging 26.1 points, 5.4 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He also has four double-doubles and 10 games with at least 30 points.
Most important of all, Harden is improving with each passing game. Specifically with his shot selection.
Entering December, Harden had posted a slash line of .426/.341/.831. With two games remaining in the final month of 2012, he sits at?.475/.410/.893 for December.
No matter how surprising they may be, these are numbers that Harden is capable of sustaining. It's all a matter of maintaining this approach from a shot selection standpoint.
Which brings us to his value to team success.
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With and Without
With James Harden on the floor, the Houston Rockets are posting per 48 averages of 105.5 points for and 101.8 points against. Although they're struggling defensively, the Rockets are outscoring their opponent with Harden active.
The self-explanatory key to a victory.
When Harden is on the bench, however, the Rockets are averaging 101.4 points scored and 102.9 points allowed per 48. In other words, the Rockets are creating a formula for defeat when Harden is resting.
What more evidence do you need?
As it presently stands, the Rockets are 16-13 with a slight edge over the Denver Nuggets for sixth in the Western Conference. One can only imagine where the team would be without Harden, who has proven to be the star and glue guy.
Harden has the outstanding statistics to prove his individual greatness and team-specific value. What more will it take for him to receive MVP consideration?
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Monday, December 24, 2012
Analysis: Egypt's Islamists tighten grip on power
An Egyptian man reads a newspaper at a coffee shop in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. Egypt's opposition called Sunday for an investigation into allegations of vote fraud in the referendum on a deeply divisive Islamist-backed constitution after the Muslim Brotherhood, the main group backing the charter, claimed it passed with a 64 percent "yes" vote. Official results have not been released yet and are expected on Monday. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
An Egyptian man reads a newspaper at a coffee shop in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. Egypt's opposition called Sunday for an investigation into allegations of vote fraud in the referendum on a deeply divisive Islamist-backed constitution after the Muslim Brotherhood, the main group backing the charter, claimed it passed with a 64 percent "yes" vote. Official results have not been released yet and are expected on Monday. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Egyptian journalists tape their mouths and raise their pens during a demonstration against the draft constitution in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. Egypt's opposition called Sunday for an investigation into allegations of vote fraud in the referendum on a deeply divisive Islamist-backed constitution after the Muslim Brotherhood, the main group backing the charter, claimed it passed with a 64 percent "yes" vote. Official results have not been released yet and are expected on Monday. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Egyptian election workers count ballots at the end of the second round of a referendum on a disputed constitution drafted by Islamist supporters of president Mohammed Morsi at a polling station in Giza, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012. Egypt's Islamist-backed constitution headed toward likely approval in a final round of voting on Saturday, but the deep divisions it has opened up threaten to fuel continued turmoil. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
Egyptian election workers count ballots at the end of the second round of a referendum on a disputed constitution drafted by Islamist supporters of president Mohammed Morsi at a polling station in Giza, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012. Egypt's Islamist-backed constitution headed toward likely approval in a final round of voting on Saturday, but the deep divisions it has opened up threaten to fuel continued turmoil. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
Egyptian election workers empty a ballot box for counting at the end of the second round of a referendum on a disputed constitution drafted by Islamist supporters of president Mohammed Morsi at a polling station in Giza, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012. Egypt's Islamist-backed constitution headed toward likely approval in a final round of voting on Saturday, but the deep divisions it has opened up threaten to fuel continued turmoil. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
CAIRO (AP) ? With the passage of a divisive constitution, Egypt's Islamist leadership has secured its tightest grip on power since Hosni Mubarak's ouster nearly two years ago and laid the foundation for legislation to create a more religious state.
The opposition's response ? a vow to keep fighting the charter and the program of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi ? ensured that the turmoil of the past two years will not end as many, especially the tens of millions of poor craving stability, had fervently hoped.
"The referendum is not the end game. It is only a battle in this long struggle for the future of Egypt," the opposition National Salvation Front said in a strongly worded statement on Sunday.
"We will not allow a change to the identity of Egypt or the return of the age of tyranny," added the front, which claims the new constitution seeks to enshrine Islamic rule in Egypt and accuses the Islamists of trying to monopolize power.
Critics say the new constitution does not sufficiently protect the rights of women and minority groups and empowers Muslim clerics by giving them a say over legislation. Some articles were also seen as tailored to get rid of Islamists' enemies and undermine the freedom of labor unions.
Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's most powerful political organization in the post-Mubarak era, claimed early Sunday that the charter it had backed was approved in the two-stage vote with a 64 percent "yes" vote overall. Though official results will not be announced until Monday, there is little doubt they will confirm the passage.
Once the official result is out, Morsi is expected to call for a new election of parliament's lawmaking lower house within two months.
And if all of the elections since Mubarak's February 2011 ouster are any predictor, Islamists will again emerge dominant. In the last parliamentary vote in late 2011, the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies the Salafis ? ultraconservative Islamists ? won about 70 percent of seats.
If Islamists win the overwhelming majority again, there is nothing to stop their lawmakers from legislating in support of their longtime goal of turning Egypt into an Islamic state. The Salafis will likely seek to enlist the support of the less radical Brotherhood for legislation that would nudge Egypt closer to a religious state.
Khalil el-Anani, a British-based expert on Islamic groups, said the Salafis are likely to insist that every piece of legislation conforms with Islamic Shariah law, especially with regard to questions of morality, culture, personal freedoms and the nation's identity.
"The Salafis will want the Brotherhood to reward them for their campaigning for the 'yes' vote," said el-Anani. "The Brotherhood, meanwhile, will want to rebuild their image as a credible democratic group after a period in which it seemed in complete alignment with the Salafis."
The Islamists could also move early to pass laws restricting vibrant and outspoken privately owned media organizations that have flourished since the uprising and reported critically on Morsi and the Brotherhood.
Egypt analyst Michael W. Hanna said, however, that enduring political tensions will make it difficult for the Islamists to push ahead with any major or sensitive legislation.
"There will be a huge domestic backlash to any unpopular legislation, especially when it comes to the economy or the media," said Hanna of New York's Century Foundation.
Until the lower house is elected and seated, parliament's upper chamber, the Shura Council, will temporarily assume legislative powers and may give priority to more pressing issues.
After the opposition brought hundreds of thousands of protesters to the streets in the past four weeks, including tens of thousands outside Morsi's presidential palace in Cairo, the Shura Council is expected to hurriedly debate and vote on a legislation that would place tight restrictions on the right to demonstrate.
More serious challenges to Morsi's leadership may lie ahead. The millions who voted "yes" for the constitution are hoping for stability, jobs and business opportunities that may be slow in coming.
The president will soon have to introduce painful economic reforms to salvage a deal with the International Monetary Fund for a $4.8 billion loan that was delayed at Egypt's request because of the political turmoil of the past month.
A glimpse of what may be in store on that front emerged Sunday after Prime Minister Hesham Knadil met with the Cabinet's economic team.
"The current financial and economic situation is in grave danger," said Cabinet spokesman Alaa el-Hadidy. "Leaving things the way they are is not something we can afford to do," he said, hinting at the necessity of structural reforms. These will include price and tax hikes as well as lifting subsidies on fuel.
Morsi recently rescinded a package of price and tax hikes hours after he decreed them, saying he did not want to burden poor Egyptians with a higher cost of living. But economists say it is only a question of time before the package is re-introduced.
With foreign currency reserves around half of what they were two years ago and tourism revenues hard hit by resurgent political turmoil, the economy has been in a free-fall for months. Deepening the nation's economic plight is the seemingly endless series of strikes and demands for salary increases and better benefits.
Price hikes, warn many analysts, could prove to be the last straw for the nearly half of Egypt's 85 million people who live around the poverty line of surviving on $2 a day.
Many Egyptians want to see Morsi's government moving aggressively to tackle the nation's pressing problems such as security and reviving the vital tourism sector.
"We want factories to work again so we can find jobs here instead of traveling abroad to find work," said Mohammed Sweilam, a metal worker who spent seven years working in oil-rich Saudi Arabia. "When stability prevails, I will consider coming home to stay. Let us give the Brotherhood a chance. We owe them this," he said as he waited in line on Saturday to cast his vote in the town of El-Saf in Cairo's neighboring Giza province.
Another pressing issue for the new legislators may be the anti-Islamist editorial policy of the independent media, particularly privately owned TV networks whose political talk shows are watched nightly by millions and shape public perceptions.
Already, Morsi's allies have been filing numerous complaints against media celebrities who criticize or mock the president and the Brotherhood, including hosts of satirical shows and newspaper columnists. Several of them are on trial or being investigated on charges of "insulting" the president or undermining national security.
Since Morsi took office nearly six months ago, Brotherhood members or sympathizers have been named editors of most of the roughly 50 state-owned publications. The powerful information minister is a prominent Brotherhood leader.
A recent court ruling also shut down a TV network whose owner is a harsh critic of Morsi. Salafis who support Morsi have been staging a sit-in outside a media complex in Cairo for weeks to protest against what they say is the anti-Islamist policies of private TV networks housed there.
The constitutional crisis has re-energized and united the once-fractured opposition, turning it into a force to be reckoned with in the fight over Egypt's future. In a sign of its newly found strength, the National Salvation Front, the main opposition group, on Sunday scornfully rejected a Brotherhood invitation for dialogue.
The opposition has dismissed the constitution as the fruition of an illegitimate process.
The low turnout for the referendum ? 32 percent of the more than 51 million eligible voters, or 20 percent of Egypt's 85 million people, according to unofficial results ? has shown the limitations Islamists face in marketing an Islamic state in a nation still largely loyal to secular traditions.
Morsi could be tainted by allegations of voting violations instigated by Islamists and reported by rights groups. The charges could cast doubt on the democratic credentials of the Islamists and lead to damaging analogies between Morsi's administration and Mubarak's authoritarian regime, which oversaw massive electoral fraud for years.
The opposition is demanding an investigation of alleged wrongdoing in the vote.
The Brotherhood insisted violations were limited and should not affect the referendum's integrity.
But prominent lawyer and rights activist Negad Borai described the violations as systematic.
"What happened in the referendum could lead to violence and bloodshed if repeated in a parliamentary election when the stakes are higher," he warned.
___
Hendawi is the Associated Press chief of bureau in Cairo.
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Saints hold off Cowboys rally for 34-31 OT win
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) ? This miserable season without their suspended coach won't end in a playoff appearance for Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.
So they helped damage Dallas' chances of making the postseason.
Playing near Sean Payton's home in a Dallas suburb, Brees threw for 446 yards and three touchdowns and led a drive to Garrett Hartley's winning 20-yard field goal in overtime for a 34-31 overtime victory Sunday.
But the Cowboys (8-7) regained control of their postseason hopes when the New York Giants lost at Baltimore later Sunday. Dallas will make the playoffs as the NFC East champion with a victory at Washington next weekend. A wild-card spot is no longer a possibility for the Cowboys.
The Saints, who started 0-4 after being stunned by the yearlong ban for Payton in the team's bounty scandal, lost their faint playoff hopes when Minnesota beat Houston, and had to hold off a two-touchdown rally in the final 3:35 from the Cowboys.
Tony Romo had 416 yards passing and four touchdowns, including a 19-yarder to Miles Austin with 15 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime.
"We're never going to let anyone tell us we're not playing for something," Brees said. "We knew there were a lot of things that had to happen. We wanted to worry about the things we could control. What would have been worse is if Minnesota had lost and we had lost."
After New Orleans (7-8) forced a punt on the first possession of overtime, Brees moved the Saints to the Cowboys 33. He completed a pass to Marques Colston, who took a couple of steps before Morris Claiborne stripped the ball, sending it rolling about 20 yards to the Dallas 2.
Jimmy Graham, who said he dislocated a finger on a 26-yard catch to start the drive, won a scrum with Dallas' Eric Frampton. The completion that started the bizarre play was held up on review, clearing the way for Hartley's kick.
"I looked at the replay and I knew there was a fumble," Claiborne said. "I was looking at it saying, 'Please, let the pass be incomplete.'"
The Cowboys started the day with their playoff fate in their hands, and ended it the same way thanks to the Ravens, who beat the Giants 33-14. A Dallas win over the Redskins would guarantee a tie atop the NFC East, and the Cowboys hold the tiebreaker edge.
"When you are in this situation, you have to go forth like you are playing for a playoff spot," Dallas defensive end Marcus Spears said. "Trying to determine what will happen, all of that will get in the way of us preparing for the Redskins."
The Cowboys pulled within a touchdown on a 16-yard pass from Romo to Dwayne Harris and got the ball back with 1:29 remaining. Romo led the Cowboys 64 yards in seven plays, capped by the tying toss to Austin, who caught the ball on his knees in the end zone. It was Dallas' third overtime game in the past five at home.
"There was no panic," Brees said. "It was almost like we knew the game would come down to something like this. We just wanted that opportunity and the defense gave it to us."
Romo also had a pair of 58-yard scoring passes to Dez Bryant, who had a career-high 224 yards receiving. Romo was 26 of 43 and broke his own franchise record for passing yards in a season. He has 4,685.
The Saints, coming off a 41-0 blowout of Tampa Bay, took the lead in the third quarter after a 54-yard punt pinned Dallas at its 3. On the first play, Curtis Lofton stripped DeMarco Murray and Lofton recovered at the 5. Brees found Pierre Thomas open at the goal line for a 24-17 lead.
Brees was 37 of 53 in the ninth 400-yard game of his career.
"I don't know how many more accolades I have to say about him," Saints interim coach Joe Vitt said. "You want me to put them on my W2 form or what?"
The Cowboys put the Saints at their 2 with a 63-yard punt on their next possession, but Brees responded with a touchdown drive keyed by a 60-yard completion to Colston, who had 153 yards receiving. Colston broke a tackle by Gerald Sensabaugh before Sterling Moore ran him down at the Dallas 3.
The Saints turned a 14-7 deficit late in the first half into a 17-14 halftime lead in the final 1:11.
Brees led a 90-yard scoring drive that included Vitt changing his mind and going on fourth-and-1 from the Dallas 23. A completion to Colston was overturned on replay, but Cowboys linebacker Anthony Spencer lined up offside to give the Saints a first down anyway. Brees threw a 6-yard scoring pass to Lance Moore three plays later.
NOTES: Dallas tight end Jason Witten had two catches in OT, breaking Tony Gonzalez's NFL season record of 102 catches for a tight end set in 2004. Witten has 103. ... Cowboys LB Ernie Sims left in the first half with dizziness a week after sustaining a concussion. ... Saints CB Jabari Greer, who had two interceptions last week, left the game with a concussion.
___
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/saints-hold-off-cowboys-rally-34-31-ot-214620627--spt.html
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Thursday, December 13, 2012
Healthy dieting and losing weight tips -5 | Health and Fitness Tips ...
If you?ve ever found yourself polishing off a pint of ice cream or stuffing yourself with cookies or chips after spending a whole day virtuously eating salads, you know how restrictive diet plans usually end. You probably blame yourself, but the problem isn?t your willpower?it?s your weight loss strategy. Deprivation diets set you up for failure: you starve yourself until you snap, and then you overdo it, cancelling out all your previous efforts.
In order to successfully lose weight and keep it off, you need to learn how to enjoy the foods you love without going overboard. A diet that places all your favorite foods off limits won?t work in the long run. Eventually, you?ll feel deprived and will cave. And when you do, you probably won?t stop at a sensible-sized portion.
Tips for enjoying treats without overeating
Combine your treat with other healthy foods. You can still enjoy your favorite high-calorie treat, whether it?s ice cream, chips, cake, or chocolate. The key is to eat a smaller serving of it along with a lower-calorie option. For example, add strawberries to your ice cream or munch on carrot and celery sticks along with your chips and dip. By piling on the low-cal option, you can eat a diet-friendly portion of your favorite treat without feeling deprived.
Schedule your treats. We are creatures are habit, and you can use this to your advantage when trying to lose weight. Establish regular times when you get to indulge in your favorite food. For example, maybe you enjoy a small square of chocolate every day after lunch, or a slice of cheesecake every Friday evening. Once you?re conditioned to eat your treat at those times?and those times only?you?ll stop obsessing about them at other times.
Make your indulgence less indulgent. Find ways to reduce fat, sugar, or calories in your favorite treats and snacks. If you do your own baking, swap out half the butter or oil in the recipe with applesauce, and cut back on the sugar, making up for it with extra cinnamon or vanilla extract. You can also eliminate or reduce high-calorie toppings and sides, like whipped cream, cheese, dip, and frosting.
Engage all your senses?not just your taste sense. Instead of chowing down mindlessly, savor and prolong the experience. You can make snack time more special by setting an attractive table, lighting candles, playing soothing music, or enjoying your treat outdoors in a beautiful setting. Get the most pleasure?and the most relaxation?out of your treat by cutting it into small pieces, taking time to smell what you are eating, and by chewing slowly and thoroughly.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 12th, 2012 and is filed under Health Tips, Weight Loss. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Source: http://www.hhtip.com/healthy-dieting-and-losing-weight-tips-5/
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Thumbs down to deferred payment offers
12 hrs.
This holiday season, you will be flooded with ?special financing? offers: ?Buy now and pay no interest on your purchase for six, 12 or even 18 months ? if paid in full.?
A new survey from the website Card Hub.com finds that nearly two-thirds of the major retailers are offering a deferred interest plan this holiday shopping season. Some are from the store itself, others are provided by a store-branded credit card.
It?s mighty tempting to buy this way, especially when you don?t have the money for a big purchase. ?Why not let them finance our new TV or computer or refrigerator?? you say to yourself.
Before you take the plunge ? make sure you understand how that ?no interest? offer works. It?s different from the 0% interest rate promotions used by some credit card companies to get new customers.
With a 0% credit card, the interest is waived during the introductory period. After that, the regular interest rate applies to any remaining balance.
With a retailer?s deferred interest program, if you don?t pay off the balance in full by the end of the term, the regular interest rate applies to the entire purchase.
That?s right, they go back and retroactively charge you interest on the balance you?ve already paid off, as if you?d never been offered that zero percent financing.
?That?s just crazy,? said Card Hub CEO and founder, Odysseas Pappadimitriou. ?This is one of the most glaring ?gotcha? practices that exist in consumer finance today. No customer would think that a store could do this. That?s what makes this so dangerous.?
And if this happens, the interest rate you pay will be painful.
?It will be much higher than if you had a low-interest credit card,? said Gerri Detweiler, a personal finance expert with Credit.com. ?Most deferred payment offers start at 17 percent interest and go as high as 25 percent or more.?
Look at the numbers. Let?s say you buy a $1,000 TV and take advantage of the six-month deferred interest offer. After that, the regular rate of 25 percent kicks in. You expect to pay off the set during that grace period, but something comes up and it takes you nine months.
In this scenario, you?ll be charged 25 percent interest for nine months: $108. It?s as if the no-interest financing never existed.
If you?d purchased that TV using a traditional credit card with a 14 percent APR, you?d only pay $60 interest during those nine months. That?s a big difference and it gets worse the longer the term of the deferred interest.
The bottom line?
The best way to avoid this trap is the old-fashioned method of buying things when you?ve saved up the money to pay for them.
?Debt is debt, regardless of any deferment of interest,? noted John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com. ?Getting into deferred interest debt still means you're in debt, period. The fact that the interest is deferred should be meaningless to the smart consumer.??
Play it smart. If you are going to charge it, avoid financing from retailers or their co-branded credit cards and rely on traditional credit cards.
If you qualify for a card that offers zero percent interest on new purchases, Card Hub suggests the Slate Card from Chase (no interest on new purchases for 15 months) and the Citi Diamond Preferred Card (no interest on new purchases for 18 months).
My two cents?
The ability to charge interest on balances that have already been paid is abusive and should be stopped. The CARD Act already prohibits this with most credit card offers. Why is this allowed for these transactions? It?s a giant loophole that needs to be closed, either by Congress or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitteror visit The ConsumerMan website.
Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/thumbs-down-deferred-payment-offers-1C7529220
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Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The E-Commerce Web Design Revolution - VizionOnline
As we enter the last 2 weeks for getting our Christmas shopping done, many of us will be heading online in search of presents. Whether it?s to find a bargain or to hunt down an unusual present for our loved ones, there are few better ways to do so than from the comfort of our homes, knowing that online retail is safer, quicker and easier than ever before. The fact that online retailers can often offer hugely competitive prices and large discounts also has a significant bearing on where we spend our hard-earned money at this time of year.
Even 20 years ago it would have been unthinkable that some of the biggest retailers in our country would be able to operate without having a single store on a British High Street. The rise of E-Commerce has completely transformed the retail landscape in this country. This is having huge implications on the way that web design is changing and helping to accelerate this progression. 10 years ago you might have used a retail company?s website to find your nearest store or their opening hours. Today, we expect that with a few simple clicks we will be able to purchase what we?re looking for.
It?s amazing to think that when Tim Berners-Lee invented the world wide web in 1990 commercial enterprise using the internet was strictly prohibited. Indeed Amazon, today the world?s largest online retailer, founded in 1994, didn?t register a profit until 2003. As 2012 draws to an end it is anticipated that E-Commerce will have accounted for around 14% of all retail trade. However, the more revealing statistics are those showing the number of people who are taking part in online retail. This year marked the first time that over 50% of adult Americans will have planned to buy gifts over the internet.
One of our responsibilities as a creative web design agency is to help our clients engage with E-Commerce for themselves, building websites that enable companies to successfully trade through an online store. This encompasses a wide range of processes, from the initial web design consultation and choosing a suitable E-Commerce platform (we love Magento and Opencart) right through to delivering a fully functional, highly responsive online store that customers will love using. We?re committed to helping you manage every facet of your online business.
If a new website is on your Christmas list this year then we would love to chat to you. We have a superb team of web designers ready to work with you. It will also be quicker, cheaper and more hassle-free than you might have expected. You can contact us by clicking here.
Tags: amazon, Business, eCommerce, web design
Source: http://www.viziononline.co.uk/blog/?p=2047
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Video: Former GOP gov. switches sides: Crist joins Democratic Party
The moon rises again as future destination
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: In the 40 years since NASA's last lunar landing, the moon has had its ups and downs as the target for humanity's next giant leap ? but the idea of returning to the moon is on the rise again.
Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/hardball/50151477/
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No one retreating; cliff talks seem at standstill
President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks to workers about the economy during a visit to Daimler Detroit Diesel in Redford, Mich., Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks to workers about the economy during a visit to Daimler Detroit Diesel in Redford, Mich., Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks to workers about the economy during a visit to Daimler Detroit Diesel in Redford, Mich., Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
FILE - This Nov. 16, 2012 file photo shows President Barack Obama shaking hands with House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, during a meeting to discuss the deficit and economy. Congress and the White House can significantly soften the initial impact of the ?fiscal cliff? even if they fail to reach a compromise by Dec. 31. One thing they cannot control, however, is the financial markets' reaction, which possibly could be a panicky sell-off that triggers economic reversals worldwide. The stock market's unpredictability is perhaps the biggest wild card in the political showdown over the fiscal cliff. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
President Barack Obama walks with Plant Manager and Vice President of Operations Jeff Allen, left, and UAW NW Local 163 Detroit Diesel Engine Unit Shop Chairperson Mark "Gibby" Gibson, right, during a visit to the Daimler Detroit Diesel plant in Redford, Mich., Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks to workers about the economy during a visit to Daimler Detroit Diesel in Redford, Mich., Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? A year-end deadline approaching, quiet negotiations to avoid an economy-rattling "fiscal cliff" yielded no tangible signs of progress on Monday as Republicans pressed President Barack Obama to volunteer spending cuts he will support while the White House insisted the GOP endorse higher tax rates on upper incomes.
At a campaign-style event in Michigan, Obama warned his listeners their taxes will rise on Jan. 1 without action by the Congress. "That's a hit you can't afford to take," he declared.
He spoke one day after meeting privately at the White House with House Speaker John Boehner, whose office expressed frustration with the talks to date.
"We continue to wait for the president to identify the spending cuts he's willing to make as part of the 'balanced' approach he promised the American people,'" said a written statement from the Ohio Republican's office.
The negotiations are designed to prevent across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to begin at the turn of the year, a combination that economists say poses the threat of a new recession.
While leaders in both parties say they are eager to avoid that "cliff," efforts to agree on a plan to cut deficits by other measures have turned into a major postelection showdown between opposing sides in a divided government.
After meeting with Boehner on Sunday, Obama dispatched a top aide to the Capitol to continue talks with the speaker's staff, but officials in both parties said they knew of no progress as a result.
Obama spoke with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., by phone on Monday, as he has consulted with House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California in recent days. The White House did not dispute that the president was prepared to modestly scale back his initial demand for $1.6 trillion in new tax revenue over a decade, twice as much as Boehner has offered.
Many Republicans agree that Obama and the Democrats hold most of the political leverage, given the president's re-election more than a month ago after a campaign in which he said the wealthy should pay more in taxes.
If anything, the president has toughened his demands in recent days, insisting not only that tax rates must rise, but also that Congress give him and future presidents the authority to raise the government's borrowing limit without prior approval by lawmakers.
Boehner, while claiming his own election mandate for the Republican majority in the House, said within a few days of the voting he was prepared to buck many in his party and support additional tax revenue as part of a fiscal cliff agreement.
The Ohio Republican has said repeatedly he opposes Obama's plan to raise tax rates for anyone, adding that he prefers to raise revenue by closing loopholes. Yet he has not yet ruled out giving the president his way, and some Republicans have said they are prepared to do so ? encouraging Democrats to say they anticipate the speaker will eventually yield on the point.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters as Obama went to Michigan that "the president believes that a deal is possible. It requires acceptance and acknowledgement in a concrete way by Republicans that the top 2 percent will see an increase in their rates."
In his remarks at the Daimler Detroit Diesel Plant, Obama said the Democrats would "make some tough spending cuts on things that we don't need" as part of his budget plans, although he didn't mention any of them by name.
Republicans have increasingly expressed frustration in recent days as they accuse Obama and the Democrats of failing to talk in specifics when it comes to spending cuts that many of their constituencies are likely to balk at.
In talks that ended in failure 18 months ago, according to aides in both political parties, Obama had tentatively agreed to a proposal to raise the age of Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67 beginning in a decade, and had also said he would accept a change to slow the annual cost-of-living increases that go to recipients of Social Security and other federal benefits.
This time, the two sides have advanced opening proposals that are short of specifics and reflect different priorities.
Obama's plan would raise $1.6 trillion in revenue over 10 years, in part by raising tax rates on incomes over $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples.
He has recommended $400 billion in spending cuts over a decade.
He also is seeking extension of the Social Security payroll tax cut due to expire on Jan. 1, a continuation in long-term unemployment benefits and steps to help hard-pressed homeowners and doctors who treat Medicare patients.
Boehner's plan, in addition to calling for $800 billion in new revenue, envisions $600 billion in savings over a decade from Medicare, Medicaid and other government health programs as well as $300 billion from other benefit programs and another $300 billion from other domestic programs.
It would trim annual increases in Social Security payments to beneficiaries, and it calls for gradually raising the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67, beginning in a decade.
___
AP White House Correspondent Ben Feller in Redford, Mich., and Ken Thomas in Washington contributed to this report.
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Monday, December 10, 2012
Workers' Compensation: Is Your Workers' Compensation Check Late?
Today's post comes from guest author Brody Ockander from Rehm, Bennett & Moore.
My work comp check was late or hasn?t come yet. Now what?
If you are entitled to workers? compensation checks, and the insurance company has not paid them on time, you might be entitled to a penalty from the insurance company in addition to the amount that you are owed.
The penalties for late payments vary from state to state, but most states have laws to help workers when this problem arises.
In Nebraska, the work comp insurance company has 30 days to pay benefits from the day that it has notice of the disability, or 30 days from the day that the Court entered an Order, Award, or Judgment. If the insurance company does not pay the benefits within those 30 days, you may be entitled to a 50% penalty in addition to what you are owed.?
For example, if the Court enters an Award on January 1 that you are entitled to $20,000, and if the insurance company does not pay, or at least mail the check, by January 31, you would be entitled to a total of $30,000 ($20,000 plus $10,000 for the 50% penalty). In addition, if an attorney is able to secure this penalty on your behalf, the insurance company may be required to pay an attorney?s fee for the amount of time your attorney spent securing the penalty and interest on the amount of the award.
?Penalties are very rarely paid voluntarily, so if your check is late, a lawyer will most likely be needed to enforce and collect a penalty. Also, benefit checks are often delayed by administrative problems, and our legal staff regularly helps clients with this type of problem.
Source: http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/2012/12/is-your-workers-compensation-check-late.html
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Sabotage or error? Pakistan?s visually-impaired cricket captain consumes acid in India
A major cricket controversy between arch sports rivals India and Pakistan is brewing after Zeeshan Abbasi, captain of Pakistan?s T20 visually-impaired cricket team was admitted to a Bangalore hospital after consuming acid.
Pakistan is in India to play the World T20 Cricket Tournament and Abbasi was admitted to M S Ramaiah hospital.
Major news sites in India and Pakistan, however, reported two completely different versions of what happened.
The News from Pakistan carried a report which claimed a sabotage plan where a glass of a cleaning liquid was purposely kept in front of Abbasi.
Quoting a Geo News report on Saturday, the site reported that Chairman of the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council Sultan Shah has alleged that the glass filled with acid was deliberately placed on the table.
However, The Times of India website reported that Abbasi accidentally drank the diluted acid, it named as phenyl.
The site, quoting official sources reported that the phenyl was kept in a plastic bottle on a table where usually mineral water bottle is kept at Abbasi?s hotel.
The TOI report also reported that Abbasi has been treated and is alright now.
Abbasi is the fast bowler of Pakistan blind cricket team and comes under partially blind B2 category.
?
He made his International debut in 2000 and has played a pivotal role in the success of the Pakistan team on many occasions.
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Pakistan defeated India on Friday by eight wickets at the Twenty-20 World Cup Cricket Tournament.?
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China November CPI Rises To 2 Percent - Business Insider
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's annual consumer inflation sped to 2 percent in November from 33-month lows, data showed on Sunday, dampening the chance for further policy easing as the economy recovers.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast November inflation to climb to five-month highs of 2.1 percent, compared with October's 1.7 percent.
The National Bureau of Statistics said in the same release China's producer price index dropped 2.2 percent in November from a year ago, narrowing from October's 2.8 percent annual fall but sharper than forecasts for a 2 percent decline.
A recovery in factory-gate prices bodes well for China's corporate sector, which has been battling falling profits.
Sunday's price data support earlier indications that China's economy is finally stirring from a slump stretched over seven straight quarters, thanks in part to the central bank's policy loosening.
To reinvigorate economic growth, the central bank cut interest rates twice this year, lowered banks' reserve requirements by a 100 basis points, and pumped cash into the banking system.
(Reporting by Koh Gui Qing and Aileen Wang; Editing by Paul Tait)
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/china-november-cpi-rises-to-2-percent-2012-12
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Sunday, December 9, 2012
Illness forces Clinton to briefly delay trip to meeting on Syria
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been taken ill with a stomach virus and will delay by one day her trip to Morocco for a meeting on the future of Syria's opposition, the State Department said on Sunday.
Clinton, who had been due to depart for the meeting in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh on Monday, will now leave on Tuesday, spokesman Philippe Reines said in an emailed statement.
"Because she has a stomach virus, our departure for Morocco has been moved from Monday to Tuesday. She will not have any schedule tomorrow in Washington," Reines said.
Clinton is due to join foreign ministers from allied nations in Morocco to discuss the 20-month old Syria crisis as rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad push forward on the battlefield and take steps to unify the political opposition.
The Morocco meeting of the "Friends of Syria" group is expected to focus on new moves to strengthen and legitimize the recently formed Syrian opposition coalition.
Clinton may announce formal U.S. recognition of the group as "the legitimate representative" of the Syrian people. Such an endorsement could pave the way for it to become a government-in-waiting and to receive fresh U.S. humanitarian help for a mounting refugee crisis spilling across Syria's borders.
Clinton is scheduled to continue from Morocco to Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.
She has kept up a punishing pace in her final weeks as secretary of state, a position she says she intends to leave once President Barack Obama begins his second term in late January.
She returned to the United States late on Friday from a trip to Europe, which included a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. She stopped in Ireland where she met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss whether Washington and Moscow can resolve sharp disagreements over the way forward on Syria.
Russia and China have vetoed three United Nations Security Council resolutions aimed at pressuring the Assad government to halt the violence and begin a political transition. Moscow, a longtime ally of Syria, has accused the United States and its allies of seeking to destabilize the Damascus government.
Both Clinton and Lavrov emerged from the Dublin meeting indicating that no immediate breakthrough was at hand, but U.S. and Russian officials have held more talks as rebels appear to bringing the fighting to the doorstep of Syria's capital.
(Reporting By Andrew Quinn; editing by Christopher Wilson)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/illness-forces-clinton-briefly-delay-trip-meeting-syria-010236014.html
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Turkey - Bogart - Medium - Young - Male - Bird | Grass Valley | eBay ...
Turkey - Bogart - Medium - Young - Male - Bird
Bogart is a beautiful royal palm turkey. He is a little nervous around people however. Bogart is the alpha male, and would need to be in a home without other male turkey's unless supervised. Although he doesn't do the best with other turkey's, he is still a wonderful bird and is being adopted into a companion home only. If you have room for a beautiful turkey, please consider giving this sweet heart a loving home. Bogart is located in Grass Valley CA Please fill out an application or call 5307985115 http://animalplace.org/adoptable_birds.html
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Saturday, December 8, 2012
Hands-On: Rearth Ringke Slim case for the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 [VIDEO]
With the release of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and more recently, the Galaxy Note 2 on just about every cellphone provider with a network, I figured it?d be a good time to show you guys some protection available from Rearth, one of my favorite accessories maker. I honestly couldn?t be more clueless on how to pronounce their company name. No matter. They make some of the best cases on the market for a wide variety of devices, in a plethora of colors and finishes. I recently received a few of their cases in the mail ? one in a matte finish for my Galaxy Note 2, and one glossy for my Galaxy S3. Let?s take a look.
Finishes and Build Quality
Because Rearth is a South Korean manufacturer, I feel like some things like descriptions tend to get lost in the translation on their site or on their Amazon store. So you don?t get confused, I?ll attempt to explain the 3 finishes they offer, often times represented with the SF or LF acronyms.
SF basically means the case you?re looking at comes in a ?soft touch? finish, similar to the rubbery finish found on the OG EVO 4G, or the back of the Nexus 7. Because it?s soft touch and anything and everything will stick to it (dirt, grime, grease), Rearth only makes these in darker colors like black or dark grey. This type of finish provides the most grip in your hand or pocket.
LF refers to a finish Rearth calls ?light touch? and more closely resembles the finish found on the polycarbonate shell of the HTC One X.?It?s matte, but there?s no special coating. This is the case I received for the Galaxy Note 2 (pictured) and if you?re looking for the same finish on the Galaxy S3, Rearth addly refers to it as ?Happy.? Because it?s non-gloss, it?s very slippery. Freshly washed hands make matters even worse, but it feels oh-so soft in the hand, like a little cloud. Hmmm? Maybe ?happy? makes sense after all. Of course, white and matte aren?t always the best when matched up, but in my short time with the case, I didn?t experience much rub off or dye transfer from my jeans. The little I did see was easily cleaned up with some rubbing alcohol (something I make a point of wiping down my phones with daily).
Glossy are most likely Rearth?s most popular finish and in some instances, can be found pleasantly discounted from their Amazon store (more on that covered in ?Value? below). These are the ones that come in a wide variety of colors like bright orange, yellow, or more subdued pastel colors like mint. While these can develop surface scratches over time, these are also the easiest for cleanup. Get these if you?re a dirty little piggy.
Protection
As you no doubt already figured out from the ?Slim? name, the Rearth Ringke SLIM Cases might not keep your phone very safe if your?e working on the construction construction site. They will, however, keep your phone safe and in pristine condition for 99% of whatever life throws at your phone (as long as you don?t throw it). There?s still a minute chance your phone could fall from your pocket and land at just the right spot, shattering your entire screen. Again, you aren?t really paying for screen protection with these cases ? you?re paying to protect the rest of your phone without adding to much bulk in the process. The Ringke Slim cases will protect the corners and back of your device from nicks, scrapes, bumps, and bruises.
Value
It can be a little confusing but Rearth offers either ?full retail? or ?eco friendly? packaging with some of their cases. The discounted cases (typically around $10) come in the eco friendly packaging at the cost of the bonus screen protector and lanyard. Full retail versions come in at a little under $20 with all those little extras and while I?ll admit, that is a bit steep for a hard shell case, the quality of Rearth?s cases could be enough to warrant a purchase (just not multiple cases for the same device). If you?re frugal, there are thousands of cases that can be found for cheaper, but you?ll more than likely sacrifice overall thinness and craftsmanship. If you like what Rearth is cookin, hit up the links below to purchase from either their Amazon or official web store.
[Rearth USA | Rearth on Amazon]
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College football notebook: Cincinnati?s Jones finds ?dream job? at Tennessee
Butch Jones wasn?t Tennessee?s first choice as its next football coach. The Volunteers believe the former Cincinnati coach will prove he?s the right choice.
Tennessee introduced Jones yesterday as its successor to Derek Dooley, who was fired on Nov. 18 after going 15-21 in three seasons. Jones called Tennessee his dream job and said he was taking over ?the best college football program in America.?
It hardly mattered to Jones that he wasn?t Tennessee?s first choice.
?I think I was my wife?s third choice, and it?s worked for 20 years,? Jones said.
Jones, 44, has a 50-27 record in six seasons as a head coach. He went 27-13 in three seasons at Central Michigan and was 23-14 at Cincinnati the past three years. He now faces the task of rebuilding a former Southeastern Conference power that has posted three consecutive losing seasons.
Jones agreed to a six-year contract worth $18.2 million, ending a tumultuous couple of days for both himself and his new school. Colorado had offered him a five-year deal worth at least $13.5 million.
Tennessee went after at least two other candidates before hiring Jones.
During the 19-day search to replace Dooley, the Volunteers contacted ESPN analyst and former Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden, who indicated he wasn?t interested. The Vols then pursued Charlie Strong, who said on Thursday he had turned down their offer and would stay at Louisville.
?Rarely in life is anything exactly what it seems to be,? Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart said. ?Life doesn?t throw us all fastballs. It throws us curves, and then you?ve got some screwballs. ? You?ve got to be able to adjust.?
Jones, meanwhile, was apparently waiting for a job like Tennessee.
On the same day Strong made his announcement, Jones rejected Colorado?s offer. He also had been linked to the Purdue coaching job before removing himself from consideration.
Cincinnati athletic director Whit Babcock said Jones told him on Thursday morning that he was turning down Colorado. Minutes later, Hart called Babcock to express his interest in Jones. Babcock said Jones notified him yesterday at 5:15 a.m. that he was accepting Tennessee?s offer. Jones informed Cincinnati?s players at a 7:30 a.m. team meeting.
?It?s been kind of a whirlwind,? Jones said.
Jones will be Tennessee?s fourth coach in a six-season stretch, not including offensive coordinator Jim Chaney?s stint as interim head coach in the season finale after Dooley?s dismissal. Phillip Fulmer was fired after the 2008 season. Lane Kiffin coached Tennessee in 2009 before leaving for Southern California. Dooley lasted three years.
After winning at least eight games for 16 consecutive seasons from 1989-2004 and posting double-digit wins in nine of those years, Tennessee hasn?t won more than seven in any of its past five seasons. The Vols went 5-7 this fall for their fifth losing season the past eight years.
Jones believes Tennessee can recapture its past glory.
?Our fan base and myself have the same expectations,? Jones said. ?We?re working to be the best. We?re working to be No. 1 every day. We?re working to be national champions, and we?re working to be SEC champions. This program has done it, and we?ll do it again.?
Jones, the third straight Cincinnati coach to leave after three years, signed a contract extension after the 2011 season that included a $1.4 million buyout if he left before Jan. 1. Mark Dantonio went 18-17 at Cincinnati from 2004-06 before Michigan State hired him away. Brian Kelly was 34-6 before leaving for Notre Dame.
Cincinnati has made defensive line coach Steve Stripling its interim head coach for the Dec. 27 Belk Bowl against Duke in Charlotte, N.C., while it begins searching for Jones? successor.
Penn State and Pitt announced they will play each other in 2018 and ?19, extending a previous deal that revived the dormant series.
The Panthers and Nittany Lions, originally slated to resume their rivalry in 2016-17, will also play at Heinz Field in 2018 and Beaver Stadium in 2019.
? New North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren brought in Ryan Nielsen to coach the defensive line and serve as recruiting coordinator.
Nielsen spent the past two seasons at Northern Illinois under Doeren.
? New Auburn coach Gus Malzahn brought in 29-year-old protege Rhett Lashlee to be offensive coordinator and 60-year-old former Southern Miss coach Ellis Johnson as defensive coordinator.
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X-ray vision can reveal moment of birth of violent supernovae
Dec. 7, 2012 ? A team of astronomers led by the University of Leicester has uncovered new evidence that suggests that X-ray detectors in space could be the first to witness new supernovae that signal the death of massive stars.
Astronomers have measured an excess of X-ray radiation in the first few minutes of collapsing massive stars, which may be the signature of the supernova shock wave first escaping from the star.
The findings have come as a surprise to Dr Rhaana Starling, of the University of Leicester Department of Physics and Astronomy whose research is published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Dr Starling said: "The most massive stars can be tens to a hundred times larger than the Sun. When one of these giants runs out of hydrogen gas it collapses catastrophically and explodes as a supernova, blowing off its outer layers which enrich the Universe. But this is no ordinary supernova; in the explosion narrowly confined streams of material are forced out of the poles of the star at almost the speed of light. These so-called relativistic jets give rise to brief flashes of energetic gamma-radiation called gamma-ray bursts, which are picked up by monitoring instruments in Space, that in turn alert astronomers."
Gamma-ray bursts are known to arise in stellar deaths because coincident supernovae are seen with ground-based optical telescopes about ten to twenty days after the high energy flash. The true moment of birth of a supernova, when the star's surface reacts to the core collapse, often termed the supernova shock breakout, is missed. Only the most energetic supernovae go hand-in-hand with gamma-ray bursts, but for this sub-class it may be possible to identify X-ray emission signatures of the supernova in its infancy. If the supernova could be detected earlier, by using the X-ray early warning system, astronomers could monitor the event as it happens and pinpoint the drivers behind one of the most violent events in our Universe.
The X-ray detectors being used for this research, built partly in the UK at the University of Leicester, are on the X-Ray Telescope on-board the Swift satellite. Swift is named after the bird because, like its namesake, it is able to swiftly turn around to catch a gamma-ray burst in action. Data from Swift of a number of gamma-ray bursts with visible supernovae have shown an excess in X-rays received compared with expectations. This excess is thermal emission, also known as blackbody radiation.
Dr Starling added: "We were surprised to find thermal X-rays coming from a gamma-ray burst, and even more surprising is that all confirmed cases so far are those with a secure supernova identification from optical data. This phenomenon is only seen during the first thousand seconds of an event, and it is challenging to distinguish it from X-ray emission solely from the gamma-ray burst jet. That is why astronomers have not routinely observed this before, and only a small subset of the 700+ bursts we detect with Swift show it."
"It all hangs on the positive identification of the extra X-ray radiation as directly emerging from the supernova shock front, rather than from the relativistic jets or central black hole. If this radiation turns out to be from the central black-hole-powered engine of the gamma-ray burst instead, it will still be a very illuminating result for gamma-ray burst physics, but the strong association with supernovae is tantalising."
The team, comprising scientists from the UK, Ireland, USA and Denmark, plan to extend their searches, and make more quantitative comparisons with theoretical models both for stellar collapse and the dynamics of fast jet-flows.
Astronomers will continue to view supernovae at their visible-light peak, when they are already tens of days old, but for the most energetic among them it may become possible to routinely witness the very moment they are born, through X-ray eyes.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Leicester.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal References:
- R. L. C. Starling, K. L. Page, A. Pe'er, A. P. Beardmore and J. P. Osborne. A search for thermal X-ray signatures in gamma-ray bursts ? I. Swift bursts with optical supernovae. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 28 NOV 2012 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.22116.x
- Martin Sparre and Rhaana L. C. Starling. A search for thermal X-ray signatures in gamma-ray bursts ? II. The Swift sample. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 28 NOV 2012 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21858.x
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
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Friday, December 7, 2012
Egypt's president offers nothing to defuse crisis
CAIRO (AP) ? An angry Mohammed Morsi refused Thursday to call off a referendum on a disputed constitution that has sparked Egypt's worst political crisis in two years, drawing chants of "topple the regime!" from protesters who waved their shoes in contempt.
The Egyptian president's uncompromising stand came a night after thousands of his supporters and opponents fought pitched battles outside his Cairo palace, leaving at least six dead and 700 injured.
Speaking in a nationally televised address, Morsi accused some in the opposition of serving remnants of Hosni Mubarak's authoritarian regime and vowed he would never tolerate anyone working for the overthrow of his "legitimate" government.
That brought shouts of "the people want to topple the regime!" from the crowd of 30,000 Morsi opponents ? the same chant used in the protests that brought down Mubarak.
Morsi also invited the opposition to a "comprehensive and productive" dialogue starting Saturday at his presidential palace, but gave no sign that he might offer any meaningful concessions.
The opposition has already refused to engage Morsi unless he first rescinds decrees giving him nearly unrestricted powers and shelves the draft constitution hurriedly adopted by his Islamist allies in a marathon session last week.
Morsi said the referendum on the disputed charter would go ahead as scheduled on Dec. 15. He also refused to rescind the Nov. 22 decrees.
Reading from prepared notes, Morsi frequently broke off to improvise. He wore a black tie in mourning for the six people killed in Wednesday's clashes.
From Washington, President Barack Obama called Morsi to express "deep concern" about the deaths and injuries of protesters in Egypt, according to a White House statement.
The statement Thursday night said that Obama told Morsi that he and other political leaders in Egypt must make clear to their supporters that violence is unacceptable. Obama welcomed Morsi's call for a dialogue with opposition leaders in Egypt but stressed that such a dialogue should occur without preconditions. The United States also has urged opposition leaders to join in talks without preconditions.
Earlier Thursday, Morsi's troubles grew when another of his advisers quit to protest his handling of the crisis, raising to seven the number of those in his 17-person inner circle who have abandoned him. The only Christian in a group of four presidential assistants has also quit.
Violence persisted into the night, with a group of protesters attacking the Cairo headquarters of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, ransacking the ground floor. Another group of protesters attacked the Brotherhood's offices in the Cairo district of Maadi. Outside the president's house in his hometown of Zagazig, 50 miles north of Cairo, police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters, security officials said.
During his speech, Morsi repeated earlier assertions that a conspiracy against the state was behind his move to assume near unrestricted powers, but he did not reveal any details of the plot.
"It is my duty ... to protect institutions of the nation," he said. "I will always fulfill this role, no matter how much pressure or what the situation."
Opposition protesters jeered and raised their shoes in contempt.
"We have two simple demands: Cancel the decrees and change the draft constitution. Other than that he can just go away," shouted one protester, Osama El-Sayyed.
"I have no hope in this man" shouted another as thousands chanted "Erhal! Erhal!" ? "Leave! Leave!" in Arabic.
Later, a photograph of Morsi giving his speech was circulated on social networking sites alongside one of Mubarak addressing the nation during the 18-day uprising that toppled his 29-year rule in February 2011. Both wore black ties and dark suits.
The opposition issued a statement rejecting Morsi's offer of a dialogue, and spokesman Hussein Abdel-Ghani dismissed Morsi's address.
"Tonight, he proved that he is not a president for all Egyptians, but merely the representative of the Muslim Brotherhood in the presidency," Abdel-Ghani said on state television.
Earlier Thursday, the Egyptian army and elite Republican Guard sealed off the presidential palace with tanks and barbed wire, following the worst night of violence of the two-week crisis.
Responding to a call to "protect" the presidential palace, thousands of Brotherhood members and other Islamists descended on the area Wednesday, beating and chasing away some 300 opposition protesters who had been staging a peaceful sit-in there. Hours of street battles followed.
"We raise Egypt's flag but they raise the Brotherhood flag. This is the difference," Cairo protester Magdi Farag said as he held the tri-colored national flag stained with blood from his friend's injury in the clashes.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-president-offers-nothing-defuse-crisis-210524609.html
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