Knicks' J.R. Smith wins NBA Sixth Man award

New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith, right, drives past Boston Celtics forward Jeff Green (8) during the first half of Game 1 in the first round of the NBA basketball playoffs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Saturday, April 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith, right, drives past Boston Celtics forward Jeff Green (8) during the first half of Game 1 in the first round of the NBA basketball playoffs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Saturday, April 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) ? J.R. Smith won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award Monday after turning a role he didn't want into one of the strengths of the New York Knicks' first division championship team in nearly two decades.

Smith received 484 points, including 72 first-place votes, from a panel of 121 writers and broadcasters. The Clippers' Jamal Crawford finished second with 352 points, getting 31 first-place votes.

Smith averaged 18.1 points in 80 games, all off the bench. He had 29 games in which he scored 20 points as a reserve, tying Crawford for the NBA lead.

The 6-foot-6 swingman wanted to start, but said he accepted it fairly quickly once coach Mike Woodson told him he would be a reserve.

The New Jersey native had by far his best NBA season, helping the Knicks to their first Atlantic Division title since 1994.

"I just wanted to show everybody that I could be a team guy and it's all about the team," Smith said at a news conference attended by his family, teammates and coaches.

Smith helped the Knicks to their most victories since they went 57-25 in 1996-97. New York is the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and leads the Boston Celtics 1-0 in their first-round playoff series.

It's the second individual award in two years for the Knicks, following Tyson Chandler's Defensive Player of the Year honor last season. Smith joins former Knicks sixth-man winners Anthony Mason in 1995 and John Starks in 1997.

Despite not making a start, Smith was one of the Knicks' most important players. He played more than 40 minutes seven times and was often their only scoring threat behind Carmelo Anthony.

"Couldn't have happened to a better guy," Woodson said. "I'm so proud of him, in terms of buying into what we wanted him to do earlier in the season. And it started this summer. I wasn't going to start him, coming into this year, and I knew that. And he bought in. He didn't like it, but he bought in. And it couldn't have happened to a better person, because he put in the time and he worked his butt off to get to this point, and he got rewarded for it. I'm happy for him."

Crawford seemed to be the favorite for most of the season before Smith overtook him with his strong play down the stretch. He had three straight 30-point games from March 26-29, the first time that was done by a reserve since Milwaukee's Ricky Pierce in 1990.

"I more credit it to winning," Smith said. "We've had guys hurt, it just so happened I was one of the guys that stepped up and tried to get us through the tough times that we had."

Golden State's Jarrett Jack finished third, followed by Kevin Martin of Oklahoma City and Ryan Anderson of New Orleans.

Smith joined the Knicks in the middle of last season after returning from China, where he had signed during the lockout. But it wasn't until the middle of this season when he finally learned to stop settling for erratic jumpers, instead taking smart shots.

"The opportunity was there," said Anthony, a former teammate in Denver.

"They asked me what I thought about him, I told them we'll be fools not to go get him. At that point in time he was the only thing that was out there, he was trying to get out of China, and we had to go get him. I'd played with him for mostly all my career so I know what type of person he is, I know what type of player he is. And this right here was almost like a second chance for him."

Smith came to the NBA out of high school in 2005 and admittedly made a number of mistakes along the way. He clashed with coaches and pleaded guilty to reckless driving in a 2007 auto accident that killed his friend, spending 24 days in a New Jersey correctional facility and getting suspended by the NBA for the first seven games of the 2009-10 season.

"I've been to known to make so many mistakes I haven't been making recently," said Smith, thanking his veteran teammates and Woodson for helping him. "Just keeping my head, mentally on the court and off the court."

Teammate Kenyon Martin said the 27-year-olf Smith has "grown up a lot."

"I played with him a lot of years in Denver, he was still a kid then. He's become a grown man," Martin said. "I think he's got better people around him, which is huge, and he's learning. He's learning on the fly, that's all you can do is keep learning each and every year you're in the league."

The award is sponsored by Kia Motors, which will donate a 2014 Kia Sorento to the J.R. Smith Youth Foundation.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-22-BKN-NBA-Sixth-Man/id-bcb67bba01b440899ae73d2964b881a1

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CN Railway profit hurt by winter weather chill

By Susan Taylor

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian National Railway Co took a big winter weather hit, the country's largest rail operator said on Monday, as extreme cold and heavy snow in Western Canada slowed operations and nipped into profits.

CN said it has since turned the corner, returning to more efficient operations, but will bump up its capital spending plan by C$100 million ($97.39 million), to C$2 billion, to make its network more resilient and productive.

The company performed relatively well during brutal winter weather, but more encouraging is their prospect for growth in the burgeoning crude-by-rail market, said Raymond James analyst Steve Hansen.

"They're tracking at a 60,000 carload run rate now on the crude-by-rail side - that's up quite significantly from the 30,000 carloads they did last year. And they're just getting going on unit train volumes now," he said.

Unit trains, those which have the same origin and destination, are more efficient.

CRUDE-BY-RAIL GROWTH

CN executives said during a conference call with analysts that its crude-by-rail revenue was up 300 percent during the quarter with about C$75 million of its book business directly in crude.

"The organic growth prospects for crude-by-rail at CN are very significant. We also expect solid demand from the buoyant North American energy sector," said Executive Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer Jean-Jacques Ruest.

The company said it was in discussions with larger-scale refineries and integrated producers that are looking at building capabilities to unload at their refineries.

CN said it hopes major terminals will be built in Alberta and announced that new terminals will be opening both in the U.S. Gulf and Western Canada in the coming months.

CN also said it sees continued growth in its inter modal market, which handles shipping containers, driven by growth from West Coast ports. A recovering U.S. housing market is also expected to power growth in lumber and panel demand.

The company said both offshore and domestic demand for potash remains strong and it sees robust petroleum coke shipments.

Net income for the period ended March 31 fell to C$555 million, from C$775 million, CN said, while adjusted earnings per share rose to C$1.22, from C$1.18 in the same period last year.

Revenue was up 5 percent at C$2.47 billion, while car loadings increased 2 percent, the Montreal-based company said.

On average, analysts were expecting adjusted earnings of C$1.21 a share on revenue of C$2.49 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

For its first quarter, CN said revenue growth largely reflected freight rate increases and higher freight volumes, partly offset by the impact of winter weather on operations and volumes.

Shares of CN closed down 0.85 percent at C$97.64 on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The stock, already down, dipped further after the results, which were inadvertently released before markets closed due to a time zone error, the company said.

A lower tax rate gave CN results a 7 Canadian cent per share lift, which helped mask a weak quarter, RBC Capital Markets analyst Walter Spracklin said in a note to clients.

CN's operating ratio, a core measure of railway productivity, deteriorated by 2.2 points to 68.4 percent in the quarter. A lower ratio, which measures operating costs as a percentage of revenue, indicates greater efficiency.

"At the end of it all, service was not where it needed to be, and we are going to be working hard to recover," Chief Executive Claude Mongeau said during the call.

"The outlier impact this year is something we don't want to repeat in the future, and so we are preparing ourselves to have stronger service into next year."

AFFIRMS OUTLOOK

CN maintained its 2013 forecast for earnings per share to grow in the high-single digits on a percentage basis from C$5.61 in 2012. That would mark a big slowdown from last year's 16 percent gain.

It still sees modest economic growth in North America, with carloads increasing by 3 to 4 percent, and targets free cash flow in the range of C$800-C$900 million.

CN shares have climbed about 8 percent year-to-date on broad investor support for the sector, but dramatically lagged the 24 percent increase of smaller rival Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd over the same period.

CP is expected to report its financial results on Wednesday morning.

(With additional reporting by Solarina Ho; Editing by Jeffrey Hodgson, Marguerita Choy and Phil Berlowitz)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cn-railway-reports-drop-first-quarter-profit-185526067--finance.html

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Pronk's blast powers Yanks past Snakes

By HOWIE RUMBERG

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:02 p.m. ET April 17, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) - Travis Hafner's big hit didn't surprise CC Sabathia.

Not one bit.

Hafner had a pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning to make a winner of Sabathia, who settled down after a shaky start and helped the New York Yankees beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-3 Wednesday night.

"I've seen Haf when he's locked in, so I expect him to do a lot more than he has," a grinning Sabathia said about his longtime teammate in Cleveland.

Hafner batted for Ben Francisco with two outs in the eighth. He sent the first pitch he saw from reliever David Hernandez (0-1) into the stands in right-center for his fourth home run. It was the fourth career pinch-hit homer for Hafner, and his first since joining the Yankees in the offseason.

"I'm having a lot of fun here," the player known as "Pronk" said. "I've been swinging the bat pretty well."

The rest of the Yankees have been on a pretty good run, too.

Brett Gardner had a tying, two-run single off reliever Tony Sipp in the seventh for New York. Stymied by Wade Miley for six innings, the Yankees broke through and won for the seventh time in eight games after a 1-4 start.

"With two outs and bases loaded it's kind of all on you," Gardner said. "It felt good to come through."

Sipp had the same feeling going into the at-bat against Gardner. Different result.

"I thought Wade pitched enough to get a win right there. Disappointing," Sipp said. "My job is to come in and get a batter out, and I didn't do my job."

Sabathia (3-1) gave up an opposite-field, two-run homer to Paul Goldschmidt in the first - one of three hits in the opening inning - then only three more hits and a sacrifice fly to A.J. Pollock through the eighth.

Sabathia struck out six and walked one in his third straight win after struggling on opening day. It was his second straight outing of eight innings.

Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth for his fourth save, closing out a game that took just 2 hours, 28 minutes. Injured for most of last season, Rivera posted his first back-to-back saves since April 10-11, 2012.

The Yankees rallied against Arizona for the second straight night. They trailed 2-0 Tuesday.

New York failed to get a runner to second base against Miley until Vernon Wells doubled with two outs in the sixth.

"He's a good looking pitcher," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He gets you to swing at that ball that's just above the waist and looks really tempting."

Francisco, the only member of New York's lineup to face the left-hander before Wednesday, singled with one out in the seventh to start the tying rally.

After Francisco Cervelli struck out, Brennan Boesch doubled and Eduardo Nunez walked to load the bases. Calm and working quickly early, Miley took the throw back after the walk and stomped around the mound. He then walked Jayson Nix to make it 3-1 with several high fastballs.

Miley snatched the ball and stalked around the mound some more before manager Kirk Gibson called for Tony Sipp. Miley bit down hard on a towel in the dugout while Sipped warmed up.

"He was great," Gibson said of Miley. "His pitch count was low. He just didn't throw the ball where he wanted to when he needed to in the seventh inning."

Gardner then slapped a two-run, opposite-field single to left to make it 3-all. The runners advanced to second and third on the offline throw home and side-armer Brad Ziegler relieved and got Wells to ground out.

The Diamondbacks got off to a good start against Sabathia. Pollock doubled leading off and Goldschmidt homered. They put two more on base with one out, but Sabathia struck out Alfredo Marte and got Gerardo Parra to fly out.

"I was all over the place and got a changeup up," Sabathia said of the pitch to Goldschmidt.

The Diamondbacks added a run in the fifth. Playing second base for the injured Aaron Hill, Josh Wilson hit a drive to right-center and Gardner made a long run before attempting an awkward diving catch. But the ball fell out of Gardner's big glove before he hit the warning track hard and Wilson made it to third base with a triple. He scored with a headfirst slide on Pollock's sacrifice fly to right field.

Francisco's one-out single in the seventh was his first hit with the Yankees. He was 0 for 10 with a walk and hit by pitch.

Martin Prado, who's played four positions so far this season, made two sharp plays at third to help Miley early.

NOTES: Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira and Cano received their 2012 Gold Gloves before the game. ... Arizona LHP Patrick Corbin (2-0), from the Syracuse area in upstate New York, starts Thursday against RHP Phil Hughes (0-2). ... Arizona dropped to 1-7 in the Bronx during the regular season.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Bravo Beer Restaurant, Great Food & Drink! - Belgian Beer

In one of my previous blogs, I mentioned Belgian beer and the variety of glassware designed to optimize the taste and enjoyment of each specific beer produced by the brew masters.? Please see my blog link as follows:

In my career, I worked for a Belgian High Technology years ago and I had the luxury of traveling to Belgium many times, up to 4 times a year or more.? I flew into Brussels and rented a car to drive to a beautiful old town called Leuven in the Flemish region (North) of Belgium.???

As a side note, when driving in the northern Flemish half of Belgium, all street and interstate signs are in Flemish language.? However, as soon as you cross into the Southern portion of the country which speaks French, all the signs are in French.? So, if you do not know how to write both the Flemish version and French version of the cities, towns, streets, and sites, you will have a little difficulty navigating in Belgium.? By the way, Flemish is a Belgian Dutch language of Flanders, the Northern part of Belgium.? In this Region, their are multiple Flemish dialects. For Example the Flemish Region City of Brussels is Brussel in Belgian Dutch and Bruxelles in French.? And the French city of Arlon in southern Belgium is Aarlen in Belgian Dutch and Arlon in French.

According to Wikipedia, ?the earliest mention of Leuven ("Loven") is from 891, when a Viking army was defeated by the Frankish King Arnulf of Carinthia. According to city legend, its red-white-red colors depict the blood-stained shores of the river Dijle after this battle.? Situated beside this river, and near to the stronghold of the Dukes of Brabant, Leuven became, between the 11th and 14th centuries, the most important center of trade in the duchy."

"A token of its former importance as a center of cloth manufacture is reflected in the typical Leuven linen cloth, and even today, many shops sell high quality linen cloth items? especially lace doilies.

"In the 15th century, a new golden era began with the founding of the by-now largest and oldest university in the Low Countries, the Catholic University of Leuven, in 1425.? In the 18th century, Leuven became even more important as a result of the flourishing of its brewery, now named AB InBev, whose flagship beer, Stella Artois, is brewed in Leuven and sold in many countries throughout the world.? Leuven is the worldwide headquarters of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the largest beer company in the world. InBev's Stella Artois brewery and main offices dominate the entire north-eastern part of the town, between the railway station and the canal to Mechelen."??

"Nowadays Leuven is a real "student city", as during the academic year most citizens in its center are students.? The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven; University of Leuven) is the oldest Catholic university still in existence in the world, and the largest university in Belgium.? Leuven sports one of the liveliest bar scenes in Belgium. It boasts the "longest bar" in Europe, the Old Market, and dozens of bars and caf?s crammed into a central square in Leuven."

Now I hope ?you can understand the connection to Belgian Beer and Leuven!? I drank beer in almost all of these pubs surrounding the central square in Leuven where I acquired my real taste for and enjoyment of Belgian Beer.

In the US, you can find some Belgian Beer, (like the brand Stella Artois), in stores and bars.? There are also specialty bars/restaurants that carry a handful (maybe 10 to 15 different) of different Belgian beers, but the selection is limited.? One such restaurant is BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse, a definte favorite of mine.

Well, to my surprise, I found a restaurant/pub in Taiwan called Bravo Beer that only sells Belgian Beer!!? Not just a few varieties, but at any given time, they sell almost 130 to 200 different Belgian beers (both bottle and draft) in each of their locations!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I arranged a lunch with a large group of friends at Bravo Beer?s Banqiao, Taiwan restaurant located in the HSR/MRT train station in Banqiao.? ?

They actually have two restaurants here, one in the main station, bottom floor outside area, and another in the Global Building, second floor.? We ate at the second floor location and visited the other just for pictures before we headed home on the MRT.? Bravo Beer started at this location with only 3 employees and has been successful since their inception 6 years ago.? They now have five (5) restaurants/pubs and one beer hall.

The Bravo Beer restaurant menu is both interesting and many dishes are quite authentic Belgian.? While in Brussels and Leuven, many pubs sold Belgian Pizza.? All are smaller personal pizza?s in the 6? to 10? range with crisp thin crust, and delicious sauces, cheeses, meats and other ingredients, including a raw egg cooked in the center.? Bravo Beer pizzas are quite similar in quality, taste and ingredients to real Belgian pizza.? We tried three of their pizzas varieties.? ?

We also had dishes including, appetizers, mussels, beef, lamb, two pasta dishes, European sausage, shrimp, chicken, shish kabob, and more!? The photos below are certain to ?wet? your appetite to visit a Bravo Beer restaurant.? Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

We were very fortunate to meet the owners Cherry Yu and Simon Lee at the restaurant, and to have them sit down and have a beer with us during our lunch.?

?

Now the Beer??? Below are pictures of just some of the great beers we drank with some very special glasses designed just for the beers we drank.? Please note: Belgian beer has a high alcohol content of 4% to 8% or more.??

This location has about 130 different beers available to their customers, mostly in bottles, and a few great ones on draft.? I was pleasantly surprised that they carry many abbey and Trapist monk beers in their selection as well as an incredible selection of fruit beers.?? Below are just two of their main coolers for their beer.

Most Belgian fruit beers are the lambic style with almost no ?head?.? ???

They also sell large bottles of beer, in the ?wine bottle and magnum bottle? sizes.? These range up to $1000TWD per bottle (~$30 USD) .? For our group, we decided to try a Gulden Draak beer,?

..........and a ?sour? beer , Liefmans Gounenband Beer.? Now this is a very different beer and one I have never tried before.

Liefmans Gounenband Beer 8% Alcohol by Volume (ABV) Flanders Old Brown Beer

is also known as a ?Provision Beer? or an aged Strong Belgian Brown Ale.

This beer is a balance of oak and sour to create one of the world?s most complex beers,

& has been brewed over 330 years, since 1679.

I started out with a unique Satan Red Ale.? Please note that some of these beers I only had a small glass or taste, while others I enjoyed the entire bottle!!!!

I next tried a Chimay Red and Chimay Blue.? ?

Then I had a Dorval Amber and a then a draft Hoegaarden Blond Ale.? ?

One of my favorites when I visited Belgium was the Leffe Blond Ale.? So, I then sampled the Leffe Blond.? (They also sell a very comparable Afflingem Blond Ale.? I'll try that one next time) ?

Needless to say, I was in Belgian Beer HEAVEN!!!!

?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Their second location in Banqiao offers an area to enjoy their offerings inside and out.?

?A street level view of the Banqiao District's, New Taipei City Hall - Courtesy of Wikipedia

One special experience that they offer at this Bravo Beer restaurant location is to use a non-tobacco/nicotine Hookah. ?(I think they may even use beer instead of water! Please do not take my word as I did not have time to try this.)? If you are interested in trying their Hookah, just ask.

The Hookah originated somewhere in the 16^th century or so in the India or Persian Empire.? I am told it was designed to ?filter? tobacco smoke through water to ?purify? the tobacco smoke.?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well if you like delicious European style food (some with a Taiwan twist), and great tasting Belgian Beer, this is certainly a place I would recommend as a must visit restaurant.?? Bravo Beer certainly brought back special memories of my many trips to Belgium and if you have not been to Belgium before, Bravo Beer will certainly create some special food and beer tasting memories for you two!

Enjoy, and as always, ?Drink in Moderation? and if you do drink, be safe, and take the Taipei MRT or a taxi home or back to your hotel.

Edward C.

Source: http://letssoarwitheagles.blogspot.com/2013/04/bravo-beer-restaurant-great-food-drink.html

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FAA sees lessons from Boeing 787 battery woes

By Andrea Shalal-Esa

NEW YORK/COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Reuters) - U.S. regulators are discussing whether the batteries that burned on Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner hold any lessons for other aircraft or vehicles.

George Nield, associate administrator for commercial space transportation at the Federal Aviation Administration, said a dialogue is taking place about whether the overheating of two lithium-ion batteries on the 787 could have broader implications.

"Everyone's looking to see if there are any lessons to be learned from this," Nield told Reuters during a conference hosted by the Space Foundation this week.

The discussion marks a shift for the agency. Two months after the Dreamliner was approved for service in 2011, a lithium-ion battery caught fire on a Cessna business jet, prompting the FAA to order that lithium-ion batteries be replaced with less hazardous cells on all of those jets within a week. But the agency concluded there were no broader lessons to be learned for the 787 or other aircraft.

Nield, who noted that the International Space Station is among the platforms that use the batteries, said the discussion is different now.

"There might not have been a lot (of dialogue) in the past, but I can assure you there will be going forward," Nield said.

POPULAR BUT TRICKY

Lightweight and power-packed, lithium-ion batteries are used to power electric cars, laptops, tablets, cell phones, satellites. They are even used on the Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jet. The number of cells manufactured globally has leapt to 4.4 billion in 2012 from 800 million in 2002.

But safety remains an issue. The battery industry still does not have a foolproof way to predict or prevent internal short circuits in the cells, according to experts who spoke about the issue this week at the National Transportation Safety Board forum.

The NTSB is investigating what caused one of the 787 batteries to overheat and catch fire in January. A second battery smoldered and emitted smoke during a flight in Japan, prompting the pilots to make an emergency landing and evacuate the plane.

When the FAA initially approved Boeing's lithium-ion battery system in 2007, it lacked rules to govern their use on planes, and set "special conditions" for Boeing to follow to ensure they would be safe.

When the two batteries failed in January, the FAA's process came under scrutiny and critics said the agency could have applied lessons from past battery incidents.

The NTSB has set April 23-24 for an investigative hearing on the Boeing battery that caught fire.

The FAA also has launched an extensive review of Boeing's manufacturing, production and design process for the 787, aimed at addressing the batteries and other problems that have cropped up during the first year of service by the new high-tech plane.

Asked about the Cessna fire, the FAA told Reuters its investigation at the time "determined the fire was caused by mishandling and misuse of the battery while the aircraft was in a maintenance hangar. The battery size, composition and design were different than those of the 787 battery."

Cessna declined to comment.

Since the 787 was grounded last January 16, Boeing has tapped engineers from its airplane and space divisions as well as outside experts as part of a 200-member team that developed a package of measures aimed at preventing further battery problems aboard the 787. The FAA is now evaluating the revamped battery system to determine whether it is safe for the 787 to resume flights.

Ray Conner, who heads Boeing's commercial aircraft division, told an investor conference last month that Boeing tapped the expertise of engineers from other divisions who were familiar with lithium-ion batteries to develop the new battery system.

In the Cessna case, the FAA required that lithium-ion batteries in the Cessna Citation Model 525C, be replaced with nickel-cadmium or lead-acid batteries, older technologies that are not as volatile. Airbus officials have said they think lithium-ion batteries can eventually be made safe, but that the company was shifting to nickel-cadmium for its forthcoming A350 jet, because it doesn't want to risk a delay in bringing the plane to market.

Boeing has said it isn't considering shifting away from lithium-ion batteries.

(Reporting By Andrea Shalal-Esa. Additional reporting by Peter Henderson and Alwyn Scott.)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/faa-sees-lessons-boeing-787-battery-woes-165629474--finance.html

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Guards, detainees clash at Guantanamo Bay

MIAMI (AP) ? The U.S. military says guards have clashed with prisoners amid a hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay, leading officers to move detainees from communal to single cells at Camp 6.

The military accuses detainees of covering surveillance cameras, windows and partitions, preventing guards from observing them during a hunger strike that has dragged on for more than two months. Lawyers have alleged that most of the 166 prisoners are participating.

The U.S. military said in a statement Saturday that detainees used improvised weapons to resist the transfer, leading guards to fire four less-than-lethal rounds. Officials said no guards or detainees were seriously injured.

The military also said that medical personnel have evaluated each detainee.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-04-13-CB-Guantanamo-Hunger-Strike/id-f0a6f9c06f454fb2a96327f8742ece46

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Tips to improve credit | Finance Guide

It is very important to have a good credit history. A good financial future depends on what you do day to day management of your debts. If your credit history is not good, the bank or the lender may refuse to give you the loan you need so. It is also possible that, if necessary, you get it ? but paying very high interest rates by the amount you have requested.

So very difficult to have a mortgage for a new house, buy the car you need to be very difficult to rent an apartment or hire a service. The credit rating agencies consider a good score if you are on 689 points. Here are some tips that will be of great help to improve or rebuild your credit and get an optimal score.

Check Credit Report

It is advisable that you check your credit report. First you must know what information is registered on your person at the credit rating agencies. Make sure the updated data included and correctly. If the report of your credit history contained any incorrect data or a loan that you have not requested, be careful. You could be a victim of a phishing scam. Immediately report any bugs you find in your credit history.

Request reports

It is very important that you apply at least 2 times a year, your credit history to credit rating agencies. You may do so by mail, for free or for a small fee Internet. So you will always have your information updated and you will have time to correct any error it committed in your history.

Contesting report

If you want to dispute a credit report, send a letter to the rating agency specifying the reasons why you think they made a mistake on your credit history. Do it with a ?return receipt requested? (return receipt requested).

Keep documents

To avoid headaches with possible errors in your credit history always CANNED all original documents of your purchases, specially purchase invoices, receipts and billing statements, will serve to provide proof for any inconvenience

Pay your bills on time

Pay your bills and bills on time, whether it is before the deadline, the better. The arrears of fees or bills, in addition to carrying high interest for late payment, what they do is to pay much more for what you bought, a very negative effect on your credit score.

Pay more

It is recommended to pay more than the minimum amount required each month for the debts of your credit purchases. Not own all credit granted. You hold down your credit card balances and other revolving credit. Debts outstanding high you have to cancel you deduct points on your credit score.

Do not apply for new credit

Do not apply for or open new credit unless absolutely necessary or necessary. Always look for other alternatives, or bring your priorities changed for later this purchase, if not look so compromised your financial future. Neither apply for a new credit to improve your record, most likely will not affect at all to your credit score.

Pay your credit

Given the choice of paying your credit or apply for another in order to move it, do not hesitate, pay the entire credit. With more open accounts owing the same amount the lower your credit score.

There are no magic solutions

Beware of companies that offer instant or magical solutions to solve your credit problems. Desiree of financial product offerings that help improves your credit score. There is no easy or immediate way to do it. To improve your credit history or solve your financial problems will need time, effort and care.If you?re not with the capacity to manage your budget efficiently, it resorts to a credit counseling service. Many organizations offer counseling services in person and are free.

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Source: http://finance4founders.com/tips-to-improve-credit.html

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Family Handyman Magazine Subscription for $4.99

12

Apr

2013

by Jaime. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Disclosure Policy.

Get a one year subscription to Family Handyman?Magazine for?$4.99. To get this deal, just use coupon code SAVINGWITHSHELLIE at checkout. You can buy up to 4 years at $4.99 per year. This deal is only valid today (4/12). This is valid on new or renewal subscriptions.

About Family Handyman?Magazine:

Family Handyman Magazine is for people who take an active interest in home improvement, yard and garden care, maintenance and repair, and remodeling. Family Handyman also features information on woodworking, auto maintenance, energy efficiency, and decorating.

The editors of Family Handyman Magazine have also put out a book called 101 Saturday Morning Projects. Inside you?ll find easy-to-follow, sensible projects like building a summer lounge chair, installing a dimmer switch and adding extra storage space. All the projects will keep your home and yard in tip-top shape and all can be done in less than 4 hours.

If you already subscribe and want more great ideas, check out 101 Saturday Morning Projects. It has great reviews and might make a nice gift for the project man in your life.

Find more Great Deals happening now. Don?t miss any of these fabulous finds!

Tagged as: Magazine Deals, Today Only

Source: http://www.savingwithshellie.com/family-handyman-magazine-subscription-for-4-99-8/

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RealClearMarkets - If You're Thinking About Buying Stocks Now, Stop

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- As I pointed out in my last article, there is a palpable anxiety afflicting investors who haven't benefited from this year's rally. Based on market action during the first two days of this week, it's clear their worries are overpowering those of investors who want to protect their profits.

Those who have been on the sidelines are now in a process of capitulation. They see the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrials and Nasdaq rising and they say: "I can't take this anymore!"

If you find yourself in this situation, heed my warning: If you buy stocks now, there is no hope for you.

Investing Is a Craft That Requires More Emotional Than Logical Resources

Let me be clear: Stocks will probably rise further from current levels.

Stocks are not expensive now; they are actually well within ranges considered to be "normal" by historical standards, if we look at price-to-earnings ratios based on trailing earnings, forward earnings and even properly constructed estimates of normalized earnings. In addition, despite some recent hiccups, medium-term economic fundamentals in the U.S. are actually improving, and the economy could be growing by over 3% by the end of 2013.

Furthermore, most technical indicators suggest that the market is in the midst of a prolonged uptrend.

So why do I say that there is no hope for sidelined investors who buy stocks now?

It has nothing to do with their analysis of fundamental or technical indicators. It has to do with their emotional endowment.

You see, successful investing is not just about the ability to rationally analyze fundamental and technical indicators. Success in investing has more to do with certain emotional traits and skills. For example, the ability to: A) Not sell when seemingly everybody else is selling and every fiber of your body is screaming at you to sell whatever you can before it is too late. B) Not buy when seemingly everybody else is buying and every fiber of your body is screaming at you to buy before it is too late.

If you have been on the sidelines for all of 2013, you are currently being put to a test. You are experiencing the situation described in point B above, and you can hardly stand it.

However, if you cannot pass this emotional test, if you cannot resist the urge to buy, you simply have no business investing in stocks at all. Ever.

If you cannot emotionally take "not making money," then you will definitely never be able to handle the moments when you will be losing money (a situation that is totally inevitable). Because the psychological distress from prospective a loss is far more intense than the distress caused by foregone gains. If you can't take the latter, then get out of the kitchen because you certainly cannot take the former.

If you're an investor/trader who has been sidelined of all of 2013 and you can pass this test, then there is hope for you. There is lots of hope, in fact. Because the laws of human nature and markets are such that investors always get a second, third, fourth and fifth chance. For as long as financial markets exist, stocks will go up and down. They will become expensive and cheap. Therefore, there is absolutely no doubt that you will have another opportunity to buy stocks when they are down and cheap. Today is not the last day that stocks will be at these valuations. In fact, it is guaranteed that no matter how high stocks rise from here, valuations will eventually be lower than they are today. You can bank on that.

What If You Are Already Long?

Conventional investment advice would be that, when making investment decisions, it should make no difference whether you are already long or not. If stocks are attractive based on fundamental or technical indicators, then investors in cash should buy stocks, while current owners of stock should hold.

But the conventional wisdom comprehends very little about the role of emotions in investing. People who are currently on the sidelines are simply not in the same situation, from an emotional point of view, as people that bought in 2012 or before. Therefore, giving these two sets of people with different emotional situations, the same investment advice is a mistake.

Conclusion

The person who has been on the sidelines this year simply needs to accept that he did not catch the big up move in stocks and index ETFs such as SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), SPDR Dow Jones (DIA) and PowerShares QQQ Trust (QQQ). That is history. Now they really need to step back, take a deep breath and focus on capitalizing on the next opportunity that will present itself, because there will be one.

So do you feel that you are at the station and that you just missed the train to gains on Wall Street? Don't worry. Go over to the concession shop, pick up a book and have a nice cup of tea. The next train leaves in 22 minutes.

This article was written by an independent contributor, separate from TheStreet's regular news coverage.

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Source: http://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2013/04/11/if_youre_thinking_about_buying_stocks_now_stop_100254.html

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Explore Porto Cesaro A True Gem Of Puglia

There are several large cities in the coastal region of Puglia, Italy, but some of the smaller towns have just as much to offer, especially when it comes to beautiful scenery. Travellers looking for a true Italian experience along its gorgeous shoreline should not miss the chance to journey to Porto Cesaro and stay in some of the best hotels in Puglia. This charming and quaint area is on the border of the Ionian Sea, offering calm waters and scenic views from both the town and its surrounding beaches. It is the ideal place to admire Italys rich history, interact with friendly locals, dine on culinary delights and simply immerse in the cultural wonders of such a vibrant destination.

Porto Cesaro is on the southernmost tip of the boot of Italy, boasting some of the most stunning hotels in Puglia along its iconic coast. Guests to the area can partake in a wide variety of daytime activities, then tuck into an authentic Italian meal and retreat to their cosy accommodations. It has a quiet, fishing village atmosphere and also offers travellers the chance to explore some surrounding islands for more sunning and swimming.

Planning a beach day in Port Cesaro

The biggest draw that brings in Italians and travellers alike is the towns 17 kilometres of unspoilt beaches. The tropical side of the Mediterranean Sea gives beaches there a serene blue colour, especially in spots such as Punta Prosciutto. Clear, turquoise waves lap up against smooth sands, setting the stage for an unforgettable day at the beach. The rough vegetation on the dunes creates privacy as well and blocks the sand from harsh winds, creating a gentle environment.

The main beach of Porto Cesaro is also popular, largely due to the fact guests can swim and float to the neighbouring Rabbit Island. Aptly named, the island used to be overrun with wild bunnies and now is a favoured place for those staying in nearby hotels in Puglia to soak up the Mediterranean sun close to the mainland.

Porto Cesaros must-see attractions

Steeped in a history dating back hundreds of years, the locals of Porto Cesaro have taken pride in their past by protecting its best assets and landmarks. Visitors today can head to the towers of Porto Cesaro and Torre Lapillo, both of which were used to defend the town in times gone past and have amazing views of the ocean.

With a nod to the towns rich coastal and nautical background, there is an oceanographic museum in the centre of Porto Cesaro open to guests who want to learn about local marine life. Not only are there exhibits for travellers to admire, this also is a hub for marine biologists to study plants and animals around the region and learn how to protect them. Besides the sea, there are two beautiful nature reserves in place to offer a local sanctuary for wildlife. One is a marshy area called the Porto Selvaggio e Palude del Capitano (ideal for hiking), and also the Palude del Conte e Duna Costiera - a park filled with tall grasses, dunes and Mediterranean salt meadows.

For those staying in any of the wonderful and diverse hotels in Puglia, there is much to see and do. Porto Cesaro is just one picturesque location amongst a host of others to enjoy.

About the Author:
Helen Forbes is from Essential Italy, a company specialising in Italian holiday villas, apartments and hotels. If youre looking for the perfect hotels in Puglia we can help. Our handpicked accommodation offers distinctive Italian qualities, great comfort and convenience.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Explore-Porto-Cesaro-----A-True-Gem-Of-Puglia/4536319

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'Hangover Part III' Trailer Hints At How Trilogy Will End

The Wolfpack gets into the same inebriated trouble in a brand-new trailer for the final movie.
By Kevin P. Sullivan

Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Bradley Cooper in "Hangover III"
Photo: Warner Bros

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1705447/hangover-3-trailer.jhtml

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Signs the Housing Recovery Has Moved Into ... - AOL Real Estate

Just because all the talking heads are saying "housing is back!" doesn't mean everyone is buying it. There's a high degree of skepticism surrounding the housing recovery, according to a recent survey by the MacArthur Foundation. According to the survey, 77 percent of homeowners don't believe the housing crisis is over, with some saying the worst is yet to come. That hasn't stopped the overwhelming chorus of economists and housing experts chanting about the real estate market being in a full-swing recovery. So how do you know if the housing recovery is real? Well, see for yourself.

There are a number of signs just outside your front door that can tell you whether your own neighborhood is experiencing a recovery. Housing is local, after all, and just because some parts of California are experiencing a housing frenzy doesn't mean people living on the opposite coast are. Click through the gallery below to see seven signs that can tell you whether your neighborhood is being nursed back to housing health.

Find homes for sale in your neighborhood.

More on AOL Real Estate:
Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.
Find homes for sale in your area.
Find foreclosures in your area.
Find homes for rent in your area.

Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook.

Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/on/housing-recovery-signs-your-neighborhood/

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Cuba hands over U.S. parents accused of abducting their sons

TAMPA, Florida (Reuters) - Cuba allowed U.S. authorities to land a plane in Havana and retrieve an American couple accused of kidnapping their two young sons and sailing to the communist island with them, Florida officials said.

The plane returned to Tampa, Florida, early on Wednesday with Joshua Michael Hakken, his wife, Sharyn Hakken, and their sons, 4-year-old Cole and 2-year-old Chase, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said.

The parents, who had lost custody of their children, were jailed on kidnapping and other charges. The children were returned to their maternal grandparents, from whose home they were allegedly abducted last week.

Cuba's Foreign Ministry issued a terse statement on Tuesday saying the family had arrived by boat at the Hemingway Marina near Havana on Sunday and would be turned over to U.S. authorities. Cuba handed them over to officials from the U.S. State Department and the FBI a few hours later.

A State Department official said earlier that the United States was receiving "very good cooperation from the Cuban authorities," who had provided "all appropriate assistance to the family."

Washington and Havana have no extradition agreement and tensions flared between the two Cold War enemies during the Elian Gonzalez child custody battle more than a decade ago.

But there were few if any parallels between the Hakken case and Gonzalez saga, which involved a boy plucked from an inner tube off the Florida coast after his mother and others drowned while fleeing Cuba. He was ultimately returned to his father in Cuba.

Joshua Hakken is accused of breaking into his mother-in-law's home north of Tampa a week ago, tying her up and fleeing with his sons, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said.

Hours later, Hakken, his wife, and the children left from a dock in Madeira Beach, Florida, aboard the Salty, their recently purchased 25-foot (7.6-meter) sailboat, investigators said.

The boys had been placed in the legal custody of their grandparents, Patricia and Robert Hauser, after the Hakkens attended an "anti-government" rally in June in Louisiana, where police said they found Hakken in the family's hotel room with a gun, marijuana and a knife, talking about a "journey to Armageddon," according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Joshua Hakken, 35, was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail in Tampa on Wednesday on charges of burglary with assault, false imprisonment, stealing his in-laws' car, child neglect, interference with child custody and kidnapping.

Sharyn Hakken, 34, was jailed on charges of kidnapping, burglary with assault, child neglect and interference with custody.

(Reporting by Saundra Amrhein in Tampa and Jane Sutton in Miami; Editing by Eric Beech)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cuba-hands-over-u-parents-accused-abducting-sons-115020710.html

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Nobel prizewinner, IVF pioneer Robert Edwards dead

LONDON (AP) ? Robert Edwards, a Nobel prizewinner who was a pioneer of in vitro fertilization, has died. He was 87.

The University of Cambridge, where he was a professor, said Wednesday that Edwards passed away peacefully in his sleep.

Together with Dr. Patrick Steptoe, Edwards developed in vitro fertilization, or IVF, which resulted in the birth in 1978 of the world's first test-tube baby, Louise Brown. At the time, the two were accused of playing God and interfering with nature.

Since then, more than 4 million babies have been born using the technique, which creates embryos in the laboratory before transferring them into a woman.

In 2010, Edwards was awarded the Nobel prize in medicine for the development of IVF. Steptoe had already passed away; the Nobel prizes are not awarded posthumously.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nobel-prizewinner-ivf-pioneer-robert-edwards-dead-135145839.html

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Time Traveler Watch Uses Famous Landmarks To Mark the Hour

Are you a global jet-setter who still hasn't quite adopted a smartphone as your primary timekeeper? Well if you still prefer a trusty watch, and have a knack for recognizing famous landmarks around the world, Mr. Jones' new Time Traveler will guarantee you're on time no matter where on Earth you've landed. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/8rnFc8YJS4s/time-traveler-watch-uses-famous-landmarks-to-mark-the-hour

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Manulife to pay Wheelock $580M for Hong Kong office building ...

Manulife Financial Corp., Canada?s largest insurer, agreed to buy an office building in Hong Kong from a unit of Wheelock & Co. for HK$4.5 billion (US$580 million).

The Toronto-based insurer will buy the 512,000-square-foot Kowloon East building, scheduled for completion in 2015, from developer Wheelock Properties Ltd. the two companies said in a joint statement. Manulife will use the 21-story building as its Hong Kong headquarters, they said.

Demand for office space outside of the city?s Central business district, which has the world?s second-highest office occupancy cost, is rising as banks and brokerages seek cheaper locations to keep costs low amid slowing corporate finance activities. Monthly rents in Kowloon East rose 4.5% in the first three months of 2013 from the previous quarter to HK$31.71 a square foot, while those in Central gained 0.3% to HK$98.77 a square foot, according to broker Cushman & Wakefield Inc.

Manulife is buying the West Tower, one of two Wheelock is building in the One Bay East development on a site it bought for HK$3.53 billion, or HK$3,856 per buildable square foot, in a tender in 2011.

Wheelock will keep the East Tower for sale, primarily by whole floors, when the development is closer to completion, Wheelock Properties Managing Director Ricky Wong said in the statement.

CBRE Group Inc. advised on the transaction, according to the statement.

Wheelock & Co. is controlled by the family of Peter Woo, who has an estimated net worth of $8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The Hong Kong-based company is the parent of Wharf Holdings Ltd., owner of two of Hong Kong?s largest shopping malls and the city?s cable TV operator.

Bloomberg.com

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Source: http://business.financialpost.com/2013/04/10/manulife-to-buy-hong-kong-office-building-for-580-million/

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Newtown family members assail Congress over need for gun controls

Family members of the children and educators killed in the Newtown, Conn., school shooting are on Capitol Hill Tuesday, lobbying on behalf of Obama's push for gun control legislation.

By Dave Cook,?Staff writer / April 9, 2013

President Obama hugs Newtown, Conn., family members after speaking at the University of Hartford in Hartford, Conn., on Monday. The president said US lawmakers have an obligation to the children killed and other victims of gun violence to act on his proposals.

Susan Walsh/AP

Enlarge

Family members of the children and educators killed in the Newtown, Conn., school shooting are on Capitol Hill Tuesday, engaging in face-to-face lobbying as part the Obama administration?s effort to persuade reluctant lawmakers to enact stricter gun controls.

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Eleven Newtown family members flew into Washington Monday night on Air Force One, accompanying President Obama as he returned home from giving a gun control speech in Hartford, Conn. According to a pool report from Amie Parnes of The Hill newspaper, the president carried a red bag off the plane that contained T-shirts that said, ?Team Vicki Soto.? She was one of the teachers killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, and the T-shirts were given to Mr. Obama by her sister, Jillian.?

In addition to the Newtown families? lobbying efforts on the Hill, Tuesday afternoon Vice President Joseph Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder will, in remarks at the White House, call on Congress to approve gun legislation. Earlier, the two men will meet with law enforcement officials from around the country.?

The lobbying effort continues Wednesday when first lady Michelle Obama will make what the Los Angeles Times calls ?a rare foray into a contentious issue,? by hosting a summit on youth violence in Chicago, her home town.?

These efforts are aimed at trying to get legislation through the Senate that will stiffen background checks on gun buyers. It is a heavy lift. Thirteen conservative Republican senators have written to majority leader Harry Reid (D) of Nevada to say they will filibuster gun control legislation. With 53 Senate Democrats and two independents who usually vote with Democrats, Senator Reid is short of the 60 votes he would need to proceed.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/-G2mIrOyF-M/Newtown-family-members-assail-Congress-over-need-for-gun-controls

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