text:
says Ekman, who has studied people's facial expressions and how they relate to what they are thinking for over 40 years
I wonder what he would make of this. [ytmnd.com]
Perhaps I missed it, so could someone kindly point out where the New "Scientist" article quantified "spin"? Thanks in advance.
It's defined in the customary way -- As anything which runs contrary to the listener's political views, or is said by someone whom they personally dislike.
The way the article describes it, this is just an algorithm which counts how closely the speaker's diction and delivery match those used by McCain and assigns a value for the McCaininess of the speech. Calling it "spin" is, well, an interesting spin.
Know how to tell if a politician is lying?
He has his mouth open....
Actually I think this has all been solved with the definitive answer many years ago...
Know how to tell if a politician is lying?
He has his mouth open....
That's not true at all. There is nothing more true to the soul of a politician than an act that requires an open mouth.
Of course, when the corporate overlord zips up and our beloved senator wipes his mouth, it's back to business as usual.
Know how to tell if a politician is lying?
On Monday, I was watching CNN while eating my lunch, and there was video of John McCain talking about the economy.
In the lower right hand corner, there was a little graphic showing real-time DOW and Nasdaq numbers. As McCain was saying that the "fundamentals are strong", the Dow was dropping by about 2 points per second. There was a big red arrow pointing down. It seemed to be providing a live evaluation of the senator's remarks.
To be fair, though, Senator McCain
The algorithm does seem to consist primarily of a bunch of intuitions that David Skillicorn has had about what textual attributes correlate with spin.
And I'll note here that Skillicorn is a computer scientist, not a cognitive scientist. If we're just talking about his intuitions, then I'm not seeing why I should trust his over anybody else's.
He seems to hang a lot on Obama's use of "we" instead of "I". It seems to me that heavy use of "we" is exactly how community organizers would talk. Not because they're spinning, but because they're trained to generate collective action.
And heck, that's what I like about him. After 9/11, a great national tragedy, I wanted to serve, to help, but George Bush told me to go shopping. It was a bit of a letdown. This election, I'm really excited that both McCain and Obama truly believe in public service. But I think Obama's much better at getting people to actually do it.
He seems to hang a lot on Obama's use of "we" instead of "I". It seems to me that heavy use of "we" is exactly how community organizers would talk. Not because they're spinning, but because they're trained to generate collective action.
It's interesting you think of it like that. I tend to associate heavy use of "we" with corporate speak, where rather than generate collective action, the speaker is attempting to impress collective responsibility for some action.
The catch with the analysis of spin is of course, cultural differences, in language usage and expressions. In addition a good speech writer and of course speech presenter are required to alter their language and presentation to suit different audiences. Language and expressions and well as the content of the message needs to be different for, blue collars workers than to a group of students and educators or a broad community group, whilst the intent might be be same, the content will vary for each group and the focus of the presentation will shift to those areas each group has greater interest in.
Now as to the interpretation of the level of spin, the baseline will be shifted to align with the professor cultural baseline, his choice of language and expressions as well as his political alignment, not necessarily consciously but it is inevitable that it will occur subconsciously.
The is only one way to detect and clear away spin, record the speech and fact check it for lies and when lies / spin is discovered publish it all over the internet. Attempting it any other way just doesn't make any real sense, especially without knowing any of the speech writers and their cultural biases.
It's defined in the customary way -- As anything which runs contrary to the listener's political views, or is said by someone whom they personally dislike.
That's possible. And if we're cynical, we might even say it's probable.
But it's entirely possible that a very objective criteria was used based on known psychological information. Psychologists and others are very good at learning quite a few things about people by things that most of us don't know--at least not consciously... body language, speech inflections, eye contact, handwriting, etc.
I'm not at all an expert in this field but unless you have evidence that the algorithm was truly biased and based on the way McCain talks, I think it would behoove you to consider the possibility that just maybe the algorithm picked up on something about Obama that you hadn't picked up on yourself. At least consider the possibility before smearing the article/algorithm/etc.
"Spin" is just euphemism for 'lying' and/or 'exaggeration'. As someone who was once an avid poker player, I can tell you that everyone has little 'tells'. See the movie "Maverick" for information about tells. Even the best of the best bullshitters have tells. Another of Bill Clinton's tells is that he bites his lower lip when he's about to lie.
Spin isn't lying so much as it is making something look good for you whether or not they really are. Good spin doesn't lie.
Example: Katrina was a disaster. Someone wanting to blame FEMA spins the story so FEMA is the bad guy. Someone else can tell the same story (same facts) and make the mayor of N.O. the bad guy. No one is lying so much as they are carefully ignoring certain facts and emphasizing others.
Lying by omission is still lying.
No one is lying so much as they are carefully ignoring certain facts and emphasizing others.
A definition I was once given by my high school principal (and one that I myself now tell young people) is: "A lie is the intent to deceive."
When you frame it that way...
It depends on whether you define a lie as a) a deliberately false set of words or b) a communication intended to deceive or give a wrong impression.
Both definitions are in the dictionary. Those who like to deceive favor the first definition, as they can deceive without getting called out for it. Those who have a commitment to clear understanding favor the second.
Using that second definition, which is the one I favor, spinning is just a fancy form of lying, in that deception and manipulation are still the go
If that's the case, I don't recall seeing either candidate utter a statement that *wasn't* a lie, misrepresentation, or extreme exaggeration. Softer that could hunt for and identify words or phrases that *weren't* spin might be more useful, statistically speaking.
Countdown until someone links last weeks xkcd, just in case someone here managed to miss it...
when a person "presents themselves or their content in a way that does not necessarily reflect what they know to be true".
So the definition they give for "spin" is actually spin of just saying "lies."
Metadefinitions FTW.
The algorithm counts usage of first person nouns - "I" tends to indicate less spin than "we", for example. It also searches out phrases that offer qualifications or clarifications of more general statements, since speeches that contain few such amendments tend to be high on spin. Finally, increased rates of action verbs such as "go" and "going", and negatively charged words, such as "hate" and "enemy", also indicate greater levels of spin. Skillicorn had his software tackle a
there are more important things to talk about in this race - economy, Iraq, education, health, science policy, Saturday Night Live.
Why focus on this pseudoscience?
Because its new scientist Thursday, as a teenager i used to read new scientist but as i went to university whenever they covered something i knew, i realized how ridiculous the articles were. newscientist should be treated like wikipedia, if an article is interesting link to a more indepth review on the topic elsewhere (preferably with less bs)
I could write the logic myself
if( politician.isAlive() && mouth.isOpen() )
isSpinning = true;
return isSpinning;
Never heard the term "Spinning in his Grave".
I bet we could harness the power of every dead idealist by hooking them up to generators and solve all the worlds problems... But once that happens the spinning stop and we loose the power and the world fall in chaos, thus it starts spinning again.... I guess we just cant have a perfect world.
From reading the article, it appears that by spin, they mean "adhering to the rules your old English teacher laid down for rhetorical arguments." For example, don't qualify statements, since it waters down your argument needlessly. Don't use "I"; it makes it sound like you're the only one who holds your opinion, so use "we" when needed to help draw others in.
What this doesn't seem to do is provide any insight into how much the person in question shades the truth. Telling a bald-faced lie plainly won't set it off; wrapping up the truth in an eloquent package will.
I'm repeating something that also happens to be in some of the comments on TFA, but: Since when does use of "we" instead of "I" indicate spin or deception? If that's your standard, the guy who thinks in terms of a movement, who sees the country as a grand collaboration, is always going to come out as dishonest. And the guy who talks about rugged individualism is going to look like a straight shooter, even if his statements on policy are self-contradicting nonsense.
How is "Yes we can!" so much worse than "I won't raise your taxes"?
because the "movement" won't be in office. The politician will.
"Yes we can" is a crap soundbite that sways people who listen to crap soundbites, and it also has the advantage of allowing every (potential) voter to fill in their own definition of what "we" can do, while sticking the polit. with zero accountability.
"I won't raise your taxes", or "I won't attempt to further restrict the right to bear arms" would be widely regarded as a campaign promise, and would be damaging if broken.
If you say nothing of substance, it's harder to be accused of lying.
This doesn't necessarily mean any use of "we" is bad, but your chosen examples are vastly different statements.
> because the "movement" won't be in office. The politician will.
Not quite. The politician brings the "movement" into office with him.
John Ashcroft, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleeza Rice, Paul Wolfowitz, Alberto Gonzales, etc, etc. (I don't lump Dick Cheney in because he was on the ticket and was "elected", and I don't lump Colin Powell because I don't think he was really part of the "movement".)
No President does the job alone - (since Carter tried and failed) this is a team effort. Perhaps one of
Saying "we" instead of "I" is a way of distancing yourself from what you are saying. I was a part of a. .
A political speech is not (supposed to be) a twelve-step meeting.
If that's your standard, the guy who thinks in terms of a movement, who sees the country as a grand collaboration, is always going to come out as dishonest. And the guy who talks about rugged individualism is going to look like a straight shooter, even if his statements on policy are self-contradicting nonsense.
That's communist thinking there citizen.
http://skillicorn.wordpress.com/ [wordpress.com]
check out this entry:
http://skillicorn.wordpress.com/2008/09/05/comparing-the-democratic-and-republican-convention-spin/ [wordpress.com]
As usual, high spin is indicated by the red end of the line. Here are the spin scores for all of the speeches analyzed (positive numbers are high spin):
1. Bush 0.40
2. Thompson 1.71
3. Lieberman -0.73
4. Romney 4.36
5. Huckabee -1.8
6. Giuliani 2.97
7. Palin -0.62
8. McCain -7.38
9. M. Obama -1.24
10. Hillary Clinton 2.43
11. Bill Clinton 0.99
12. Biden -1.35
13. Obama 0.31
seems like a bit of discrepancy with what's reported in the article.
However, they do state:
It also searches out phrases that offer qualifications or clarifications of more general statements, since speeches that contain few such amendments tend to be high on spin.
The statement is not supported, but it would have us believe that some previous studies indicated a correlation between spin and qualificating/clarifinating.
(put the emphasis on the second syllable, and those last two almost sound like real words)
Even though I'm a Republican, I have to concede that Obama is one of the most gifted speakers to come along for quite some time. He's an absolutely magnetic speaker and a great advocate for that which he believes, and when I watch him, I almost have to smack myself to snap out of it. I can't stand the guy's politics, but I am proud that he's an American.
At the other end of the political spectrum, I think Alan Keyes is at least in the same league at Obama as a gifted speaker.
At the other end of the political spectrum, I think Alan Keyes is at least in the same league at Obama as a gifted
See, I don't really like Keyes that much because he's too religious right for me. I'm more libertarian neo-con right wing. Republicans though, as a rule, are terrible public speakers and we really haven't had a good one since Reagan. I mean, look at the national buzz in our party over Palin. She gave a speech that didn't sound horrible and now she's a conservative rock star.
Actually, I always thought he was a terrible speaker. He's living proof that, in America, regardless of one's race, class, or upbringing, you too can aspire to sound like Elmer Fudd on national television.
And the man has no political sense whatsoever. When he opposed Obama in the last Illinois Senate race (he was drafted at the last minute) he called staunch GOP ally Mary Cheney a "shameless hedonist" for being lesbian. ( Good move, Alan: alienate both sides of the debate at the same time. Schmuck.)
Yeah, also there's the fact that he was running for the Senate, despite advocating for appointment of senators by state legislatures (which presumably means he's advocating the repeal of the 17th amendment).
I don't think Keyes is that great a public speaker, but I can't decide if it's cause he's objectively not that great, or if it's the fact that some of the shit he says comes of as totally insane/dishonest and it predisposes me against him.
and when I watch him, I almost have to smack myself to snap out of it
I think this says more about you than Obama.
They have the balls to claim Democrats will spend more when they currently hold the record for spending!
No argument there. Bush has just been a fiscal disaster. I think the lesson is, never elect a president from Texas again. Honestly, if Hillary had won the nomination, I might have crossed party lines to vote for her because of her husband's economics. I really, really like the way Clinton did the budget. He said he was going to balance the budget and -did-.
Now, I should point out that if Bush had vot
Clinton balanced the budget but gutting the military
"Gutting" the military? During the Clinton years we still spent far and away more on "defense" than any other nation; the "defense" budget remained bloated. During the Clinton years, American military spending made up a larger percentage of the world's total military spending than it did in the Regan years [truthandpolitics.org].
Had we really trimmed it, we would probably have reduced the number of troops overseas. Including those in the Middle East. Like in Saudi Arabia. Y
Let's see, McCain voted against the Bush tax cuts
You mean the tax cuts he now wants to make permanent [realclearpolitics.com]?
"they currently hold the record for spending!"
I have news for you. The next administration will hold the new record on spending, and the next after that, and the next after that and so on and so fourth for the next forty years or so. The problem is Social Security, which pushed our budget over $3 trillion this year and continue to push it up as more people retire. You can blame Bush for not cutting other programs, but we would've probably still passed the $3 trillion mark no matter what he did.
In all fai
What policies do you disagree with?
- NOT firing our best Arab linguists when we're at war in the Middle East?
- Providing mandatory healthcare to children?
- Making healthcare affordable but optional for adults?
- Reforming the tax code so it doesn't take a graduate degree to know how much your bill should be?
- Investing in science and research so China doesn't kick our asses so handily in the next decade as they have in the past decade?
- Increasing funding for charter schools so that even poor people can have school choice?
- Moving race-based affirmative action toward a more socioeconomic-based affirmative action, so that his daughters are judged more fairly compared to a rural white boy with an underfunded school?
- Ending an immoral war by setting concrete timelines, but recognizing that they may have to be modified depending on the conditions on the ground?
- Reducing the incidence and unfairness of the death penalty, while understanding that certain heinous crimes deserve the full outrage of the nation?
- Better sex education, so that there are fewer unexpected pregnancies, and so that when there are unexpected pregnancies, the women know there are options BESIDES abortion?
Exactly what policy do you object to?
I can't think of a single reason to support McCain's platform unless a) you make over $250,000/year; AND b) you're of the mind that you should keep all of it, no matter the cost to your community and country.
Well, since I want to reduce the role of government (especially the federal government) I would say that I'm opposed to most of the points you've listed.
Most of the items in his list would not increase government. You sound like you just blindly used a a Republican talking point to discount someone.
(I am a registered Republican, and it annoys me to hear people use this line meaninglessly)
Specifically, one of the items in that list would reduce the government more than any of the others would add, if combined. Hint, it involves another country...
Then you're just, quite simply, un-American. It is the purpose of the Federal government to "promote the general welfare." It is our duty as citizens to protect each other from outside threats, and our duty as humans not to let the poor among us die in the streets.
The Republican party likes to talk about the Bible and responsibility. What happened to "love thy neighbor," and how is monetary greed anything but the shirking of responsibility?
There's only one man in the Bible to complain about the expectation that he was his brother's keeper. He seems like a pretty good metaphor for the Republican Party.
It is the purpose of the Federal government to "promote the general welfare."
Yes, in specific ways, all of which are enumerated in the Constitution. Many of the items on the GGP's list are not Constitutional.
The following are internal government affairs or enumerated powers, and perfectly Constitutional:
The following are not within the purview of the federal government:
The last point, "reducing the incidence and unfairness of the death penalty," is too broadly worded to properly categorize. For the most part specific criminal penalties, including the death penalty, fall under state jurisdiction.
It is our duty as citizens to protect each other from outside threats, and our duty as humans not to let the poor among us die in the streets.
I have no problem with that, but what does it have to do with the federal government? It seems to me that, rather than defining and carrying out your own duty, you only wish to coerce others into performing what you unilaterally declare to be their duty toward you, or in support of your goals. Government is not a legitimate tool with which to enforce your personal views onto others--no matter how popular those views might be.
There's only one man in the Bible to complain about the expectation that he was his brother's keeper.
Yes, but Cain's sins were jealousy and murder, not indifference. There is nothing to suggest that Cain was ever expected to act as his brother's keeper; his non sequitur response was merely a futile attempt to avoid the question.
All of them.
Helathcare for children? fuck em.
Fireing the arab translartors? HELLO THEY"RE ISLAMIC!!!!
ending the way helps the terrorists.
ending affirmative action helps the terrorists
afforable healthcare helps the terrorists
making the death penalty fair helps the terrorists
better sex education helps the terrorists.
shall i continue? I'm just a poor american, I make $350,000 a year and barely can afford my 6800 sq foot small home and by 3 new escalades. I had to buy a USED hummer H2.. the neighbors look
Even if I personally don't make over 250K/year, my employer does, and that means that I will be paying these higher taxes too.
Either I will need to do the work of people that they cannot afford to hire, or they will not be able to give me the wage that they otherwise could.
Think about it, how many companies that provide reasonable jobs can exist with revenue of less than 250K?
Also, can you name a single company (that is not in the process of going out of business) on any of the major stock exchanges that ma
I've seen a few instances where he's been caught off guard, and had to actually think. Whole lotta umming and uhhing going on there.
Here's a question for you: which is better, a candidate who thinks about what he says before speaking, or one who can answer every question immediately?
Think about that one for a moment.
If he's actually thinking, then great. Unfortunately it's a lot more likely that he's trying to come up with a way to straddle the fence.
Somebody who is well versed in all arguments against a position can produce a counter-argument instantly. That doesn't make him right or wrong, but it doesn't make him worse than the guy who has to invent a position in an instant.
I love the verbal pauses, he's the one candidate I've seen who doesn't make me feel like a bumbling moron for doing it myself. He does it all the time, but he recovers for it so well.
He's more of a Joe Anybody than Kerry could have ever been, he makes mistakes and he doesn't look like an incompetent tit for making them.
I don't watch TV, but I read everything, so all my exposure to Obama was by reading transcripts his speeches. From what I said, I agreed that everyone was right, and he was a gifted speaker.
Then I saw him speak on a YouTube video and various other sources since then. He simply is not a public speaker. Period. His frequent verbal commas ("umm", "uhh") and nervous ticks would not be acceptable in a college Speech 101 class. I simply don't get where everyone thinks he's so charismatic.
Am I the only one that finds it a bit strange that the Presidential Candidates are on the opposing ends of that
"spin" graph? [newscientist.com]
It kinda gives a bit pseudoscience with political motivations feel to it.
I'm all about change, yo, that's why I'm gonna win,
It ain't nothin' to do with no political speee-in!
*Scritch-scratch, scritch-scritch-scritch-scra-scatch scritchity-scratch, scritchity-scratch, scritchity-scratch, scritch-scritch, scritch-scra-atch*
Yes, I'm most likely voting Democrat.
...software that can identify the amount of spin in a politician or candidate's speech.
The software is called O'Reilly 1.0, but it's full of bugs and hasn't been updated in years.
I'm still not at all clear on what this "spin" is. Is it using large words, or fully enunciating each syllable, or speaking in complete sentences? Or some combination of all three?
Please, someone explain it to me. I do not wish to be perceived as elitist.
Therefor saying that he expressed digust over Obama is pushing it a bit. Even if that was what his facial expression meant there could have been many other things on his (or anyone else in that situation) mind. Perhaps he just had wind, who knows. MOst of these "I know what someone is thinking from fleeting facial expression" types are just modern day snake oil sellers.
You should read up on Ekman. The guy is one of the top authorities on the subject. He has written a few books. Read one or two and check what his claims really are and how much substance and research he can put behind them.
In short: He doesn't claim he can read thoughts, he claims that emotions show up on your face. He also claims to have identified a short list of universal (world-wide, culture-independent) expressions that belong to specific emotions. He's travelled pretty much everywhere on the globe, from western society to primitive jungle tribes and made many thousands of photographs showing those expressions. And yes, the books describe in detail how the emotions were roused so they could be reasonably sure they got the proper one.
Like all mainstream media, the article simplifies things quite a lot. That doesn't mean the science behind it isn't correct.
"Software spots water in ocean!"
I mean, COME ON...couldn't they have tried for detecting something that at least just might be absent in the content they're testing? How about spin in the news, for example? Oh, wait...uh...
Does anyone actually believe this to be anything other than poor science or even worse election year propaganda masking as science?
There may be some objective simple definition of "spin" that you could use to create a automated measuring system, but is this really spin?
Human language is virtually infinitely complex, and there are layers of meaning both conscious and unconscious expressed by body language, tone, cadence, content, etc. Then there's the intention of the speaker, and the context of the speech. But no, we get a elementary school level simple bar chart [newscientist.com] that clearly shows that obama is a complete spinster, and McCain is a "straight talker". Excuse me, but what a load of horse shit! Disclaimer: I'm not voting for Obama or McCain.
Finally, increased rates of action verbs such as "go" and "going", and negatively charged words, such as "hate" and "enemy", also indicate greater levels of spin.
So every time a politician says "I'm going to do something" he's lying...
I initially thought that the Obama-smear was just a poorly written summary (and was going to tag "badsummary") but the actual article itself is slanted. I propose we start tagging these kinds of things "badarticle", since they seem to be cropping up more and more on Slashdot.
There are so many things that bug me about this "article", let's just go through it together.
The expression of disgust on former US president Bill Clinton's face during his speech to the Democratic National Convention as he says "Obama" lasts for just a fraction of a second.
First off, associating disgust with Obama. Paul Ekman says he saw it on Clinton's face. Did any of the other millions of people watching see it?
So how are we to know when they are lying?
Got it, spin = lying. OK. That's the definition we'll be using as we read.
Software programs that analyse a person's speech, voice or facial expressions are building upon the work of researchers like Ekman to help us discover when the truth is being stretched, and even by how much.
Again, spin = lying. I'm with you so far.
The algorithm counts usage of first person nouns - "I" tends to indicate less spin than "we", for example. It also searches out phrases that offer qualifications or clarifications of more general statements, since speeches that contain few such amendments tend to be high on spin. Finally, increased rates of action verbs such as "go" and "going", and negatively charged words, such as "hate" and "enemy", also indicate greater levels of spin.
I... what? "I" vs "we"? What does that have to do with lying? I thought spin = lying, since that's stated twice at the beginning of the article. Suddenly spin = rhetoric. [wikipedia.org]
In general though, Obama's speeches contain considerably higher spin than either McCain or Clinton.
First, spin = lying, and then spin = rhetoric, but we don't call it that, and then Obama's speeches have the most spin. Which by the new definition means that he is the most effective speaker, but by the original definition means that he is the biggest liar.
McCain is the purported to have the least spin, implying that he is the most truthful (except by their definition of spin, it really means he is the least effective speaker). Hands up, who thinks McCain is the most truthful candidate?
And hey, let's talk about Jeremiah Wright some more, because it's not like that story is history or anything. But hey, any chance there is to remind people that he's associated with Obama...
"When you see these crises come along, the spin goes up," Skillicorn says. "Obama is very good at using stirring rhetoric to deal with the issues."
Ah! Now they even call it rhetoric! Perhaps hoping that the intended audience doesn't know the meaning of the word? (Many people mistakenly think the word rhetoric has negative connotations.)
Indeed, Bill Clinton's fleeting facial slip was the only clear example that Ekman could recount of a politician saying something that they did not mean during both the Republican and Democratic national conventions.
Seriously, did anyone else besides Ekman see it? Did this facial slip actually exist? Where's the screencap?
This entire article is ridiculous. Decrying "spin", they use it themselves as an anti-Obama device. Absurd.
To summarize TFA:
I have a magical truth detector that can determine if a statement is true by the way a person looks when he says it. With my marvelous machine, you will no longer need to check facts. Instead, you can simply believe whomever my machine tells you to believe.
Voting record, more than written and declared policies should be the litmus test voters should use.
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Adam Zoll: For Morningstar, I'm Adam Zoll, and welcome to The Retirement Radar.
Many retirees who depend on fixed-income investments got a scare recently when interest rates shot up. Here to talk about the impact and other issues of concern to retirees and near-retirees is Christine Benz, Morningstar's director of personal finance.
Christine, thanks for being here.
Christine Benz: Adam, it's great to be here.
Zoll: Let's first talk about what exactly happened. Why did interest rates go up recently and what areas of the market were affected?
Benz: Fed Chairmen Ben Bernanke made some comments that were widely construed to mean that the Fed may end the bond-buying program. [That program] has spurred interest rates to drop and bond prices to go up. So as a result, we saw long-term government bonds and bond funds fall like a rock during this period, which was really the beginning of May through very early in July. So long-term government bonds and funds got hit hard.
Treasury inflation-protected securities were also a big casualty here, and they were hit on a couple of fronts. First, the prices for the bonds dropped in part because people aren't that concerned about inflation right now. We've seen inflation really be quite mild through this period. So in addition to being quite rate sensitive, the bonds dropped because there just isn't the demand for that inflation protection.
One category that really did drop a lot that was somewhat unexpected was the emerging-markets bond group. The reason is that, in light of the fact that rates could be rising here in the U.S., people would rather have U.S. government bonds than emerging-markets bonds. They'd rather not have to take the extra risk by investing in emerging markets. So we saw emerging-markets bonds drop pretty significantly, and in particular the ones denominated in foreign currencies. There's been a mania for some of these foreign-currency denominated bond funds recently. We saw them suffer particularly large losses, in part because some key emerging-markets currencies have actually declined in value pretty significantly relative to the dollar.
Zoll: Many retirees have been wringing their hands, worried about what would happen once interest rates start to creep up. This is actually an opportunity to test your portfolio to see how sensitive it is to that.
Benz: Exactly. I had been talking for a while about the importance of conducting this interest rate sensitivity stress test, and I think that's still a worthy exercise. So, people should look for their funds' duration, which you can find on Morningstar.com or on your fund company's website. Find that figure, find the SEC yield, which you can also find on Morningstar.com or the fund company website. Subtract the SEC yield from duration, and that's about how much you could expect to see your fund lose in a one-year period in which interest rates increased by 1 percentage point. That's still a worthy exercise.
But I also think that people can look back on this very recent real-life period to take a look at what their bond funds did. So in particular you can look from early May through early July, and you can customize a time period using the charting feature that we've got on Morningstar.com. Do this on a fund-by-fund basis just to see how much your holdings lost during that period.
By the way, I would say don't limit it necessarily to your bond funds, because we also saw some equity categories suffer pretty significant losses during this two-month period as well. Categories that people look to for income--in particular real estate, utilities would be another category--those categories suffered losses in the range of 6%-7%, because investors view them as alternatives to bonds. They suffered pretty big losses during that period as well.
Zoll: Potentially a learning experience for people who have been wondering what is going to happen in a rising-rate environment?
Benz: For all us, because we all do have bonds in our portfolio. It's a good time to get in there and just see what kinds of losses we could be in for if rates rose.
I would also remind people that rising rates aren't all bad. You do get higher yields available on money market securities, on bonds eventually, that help offset some of these principal losses that we'll incur when rates are going up.
Zoll: For people still saving for retirement and looking forward to retirement, you've identified a new online tool that can help look at retirement savings in a slightly different way.
Benz: That's right. This is a new tool that BlackRock rolled out within the past couple of weeks, and it's interesting in that it helps you look at how many dollars today you would need to have for a dollar in income for the rest of your life.
You plug in your age--and this tool is available for people who are between ages 55 and 64, so, Adam, you can't use it just yet. For example, if you're a 60-year-old person and you plug in that you're looking for a dollar in income for the rest of your life [starting] when you turn age 65, you can see that right now you would need about $16 in current savings to give you that $1 in annual income for the rest of your life. For example, if you think you need $50,000 a year, you can see that you would actually need something like [$797,000] to be able to deliver that $50,000 a year in annual income. It's another tool in investors' toolkits.
This is really the thing that investors wrestle with: How much will they need for retirement. This is another thing that you can do to stress-test your assumptions, to take a look at how many dollars today you'll need to deliver that income in retirement.
Zoll: Another recent development involves retiree health-care costs. Can you tell us about that?
Benz: Health-care expenses are obviously a huge expense in many retiree households. What we're seeing is some good news on the Medicare Part D prescription drug front. We're seeing premiums actually … projected to stay in line in 2014 with where they have been for the past three years. That's good news. The average premium is around $31. It's anticipated to stay around that range.
The other thing is that the deductibles for Medicare Part D coverage are actually declining in 2014, from $325 currently down to $310.
Another thing that we've been monitoring is the ongoing closing of this "donut hole" for prescription drug coverage. This is when coverage for basic prescription drug costs leaves off and [before] catastrophic coverage kicks in. That's gradually shrinking. So the period of vulnerability for retirees is declining, and we're expecting to see the donut hole go away altogether in the year 2020. So far, as a result of the closing of the donut hole, we've seen Medicare Part D recipients experience something like $7 billion in reduced costs. So this is all positive news in what is a very expensive category for many retiree households.
Zoll: And certainly a welcome development for many people who do have a lot of out-of-pocket costs for drugs.
Benz: Absolutely.
Zoll: Thanks so much, Christine, for being with us to share your thoughts on recent developments of interest to retirees and near-retirees.
Benz: Thank you, Adam. Great to here.
Zoll: For Morningstar, I'm Adam Zoll. Thanks for watching.


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CeBIT to demo AMD Socket M2-equipped mobos
Show to host formal launch too?
AMD's 940-pin, DDR 2 SDRAM-supporting Socket M2 (also known as Socket AM2) will be presented to the public at the CeBIT show next month.
So claim unnamed industry sources cited by DigiTimes. The sources also suggest motherboard makers will receive sample socket by the end of this month, allowing them to demonstrate their wares at CeBIT in March, but it's clear from pictures leaked out last week that some manufacturers already have product.
MSI, for example, has a K9N Premium mobo in the pipeline. It's equipped with an M2 socket and Nvidia system logic. This week, Anandtech published further shots of the socket infrastructure and noted that it will require a new heatsink and fan design.
AMD is expected to update its CPUs to add DDR 2 support in Q2. The chips will also feature 'Pacifica', the company's answer to Intel's Virtualisation Technology. This week, AMD said "all" its CPUs will gain Pacifica support in mid-2006. ®
Sponsored: Minds Mastering Machines - Call for papers now open


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Arsenal reject Denilson could make his loan move to Sao Paulo permanent this month, according to talkSPORT.
The 24-year-old midfielder joined Arsenal in 2006, and despite a promising couple of years, the Brazilian ultimately failed to make the grade at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsene Wenger shipped Denilson out on loan to Sao Paulo in 2011, a deal that was extended this season, and the report claims the Brazilian club are ready to make the move permanent in the next couple of weeks.
Sao Paulo vice-president Joao Paulo de Jesus Lopes told UOL: "I believe we'll reach an agreement with Arsenal. We have heard from Denilson that he doesn't want to return to England, that he wants to stay here with us.
"I think our relations with Arsenal with help that to happen."
The young midfielder has a handful of caps for Brazil under-17s, but has never lived really up to the promise he showed, and the promise that convinced Wenger to bring him to London from Sao Paulo seven years ago.
Back in his home country, Denilson has rediscovered some of that form, and has become an important part of a successful Sao Paulo squad.
After a difficult start - he was sent off twice in his first three matches - Denilson has gone on to make 45 league appearances for the Brazilian club, helping them to win the Copa Sudamericana last year.
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms


text:
Model: Hot Spring Spas - Solana TX - Year: Unknown
Replacement Hot Tub Spa Covers for the Hot Spring Spas - Solana TX. Largest U.S. manufacturer. Lowest price guaranteed. Free shipping! 970-703-3074
Shape: Rounded Triangle; A (Length) - 78.5; B (Width) - 62.5; C (Corner) - 0; Skirt - 0; Straps - 0; ? - Replacement Solana hot tub cover dimensions not provided
0 - Unknown or variable dimension
The dimensions for the Solana TX spa cover above are from the spa maker. They are provided as a reference only.
BeyondNice can not verify their accuracy. Please measure your spa and enter your exact dimensions - over 80%
of the covers we manufacture are made from client provided measurements.


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Students of The Hockessin Montessori School are joining together to help with relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
Hockessin Montessori students are decorating sea shells that will be used to make lapel pins to help with relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Each pin will represent "A Shell for the Shore." Along with the seashells pins, the children are offering buttons and seashell note cards. The cost per item is $5.00, but additional donations are welcome.
All the money will go to the New Jersey Food Bank, which desperately needs monetary donations to help feed people who have lost their homes, as well as supplying meals for the workers helping with the cleanup effort.
In just the first day of the donation drive, the school has already collected approximately $850 in donations.
In addition, the school is collecting cold weather clothing such as coats, sweaters, and sweatpants for the victims in the devastated communities of New Jersey. The clothing will be donated to area churches who will then distribute the items directly to the families in need. The students and families have already gathered and delivered approximately 8 large bags of winter clothing.
In an effort to get this money and clothing to the victims in a timely fashion, the school plans to run both drives until Tuesday, Nov. 20 so that the donations will be received before the Holiday.
Fore more information on the fundraiser, call the school at 234-1240.


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i am asked two similar problems. my question is how it was done as the example in the book i am reading is useless in explaining.
the first question is:
(sin^3t+cos^3t)/(sint+cost)=1-sint cost
the example plays out to what i assume is factoring sint+cost out of it to look like (sint+cost)(sin^2t-sint cost+cos^2)/(sint+cost)
my question is, where did the "sin^2t-sint cost+cos^2" come from? when i factor it it doesnt look like that.
the next problem is (cos^4t-sin^4t)/(cos[2t]) how do i get rid of the ^4?
thanks for any help provided.


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Where did the "O" come from in "OAntiX" ? Was that a typo, reproduced in the first page index too?
I have AntiX on an old PC, and I mean a Pentium II, just for fun. In GUI mode it is too slow but I just use it as a terminal. It is a slimmed version of Mepis (both are based on Debian) which ironically is not mentioned.
But why did they put "Ultimate Edition" in the "beginner-friendly" when they describe it as "disorienting .... comprehensive ... can confuse users"?
I am also suprised how dismissive they are of CentOS : "Nearly superceded by alternatives lke scientific Linux". In Distrowatch : Centos 11th, Scientific 46th. CentOS is a fixture in the corporate server world - I believe that Netcraft runs on it for example.


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A new technology allows docs to see missing connections in the brain
By Jenelle Pifer
Imagine you're talking to a coworker about what you'd like to eat for lunch—a salad. You can see the salad in your mind—the greens, the cherry tomatoes, the dressing on the side. You can visualize the word, anticipate the consonants rolling around in your mouth. You go to say it aloud—salad. But the word you know, can see, can feel, can practically taste, escapes you. What's that thing called again? You start to feel like you're losing it.
This was one symptom presented by a recent stroke patient seen by Juan Fernandez-Miranda, an MD and assistant professor of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and director of Pitt's Surgical Neuroanatmy Lab. "He has expressive aphasia," says Fernandez-Miranda. "He has trouble articulating words."
The patient underwent an MRI, which confirmed the damage was concentrated in the left, language-storing side of the brain. "Some of the areas of the left hemisphere are smaller than normal," says Fernandez-Miranda. But that's really all the MRI could reveal—a thinning of white matter. What the picture didn't show was the nature of the damage: which connections were broken and what exactly was blocking the word's passage from brain to mouth. "Language is a dynamic process, so you need to understand the connectivity between areas to understand the problem."
A new technology developed at Pitt is making that connectivity clear for the first time.
High-definition fiber tracking (HDFT) runs data from a top-end MRI machine through computational software so that, instead of producing a flat, black-and-white scan of tissue, it generates intricate 3-D images of connective fibers in the brain. Formerly, scientists could only study these connections during post-mortem dissection, or in vague detail through less-precise scans. Now, brain connectivity can be measured, much more thoroughly and accurately, in live patients.
"In warfare and in medicine, it's hard to defeat an enemy you cannot see," says Pitt professor of psychology and neurosurgery Walter Schneider, a PhD, whose team developed the technique. "That doesn't mean you don't try and do things, but it's certainly quite difficult."
Doctors and neuroscientists around the world might use a scanning technique called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), which measures the movement of water through the brain. The idea is that by watching the way water flows, you can determine the shapes of the fibers it runs through.
The problem lies in the mathematics: DTI software can't account for instances where the fibers cross. And fibers cross all the time. So when the technology detects water moving in one direction and then another, it simply takes the average. The resulting scans show the major stems of fiber tracts—a valuable and revolutionary breakthrough—but the details are still hazy and can lead to inaccurate diagnoses.
"A fuzzy image doesn't help you any clinically," says Schneider, also a senior scientist in Pitt's Learning Research and Development Center. "[DTI] had the right intent but wasn't powerful enough to accomplish the goals that were intended."
Doctors need a technology that can follow a fiber through its crossings, so five years ago Schneider and Sudhir Pathak, a programmer in his lab, set about refining the math. They'd alter the computational method, scan a brain, and show the image to Fernandez-Miranda, one of the world's preeminent neuroanatomists. "He'd say, 'Well, that's good, but it's wrong,'" recalls Schneider.
Fernandez-Miranda knew enough about fiber tracts from studying dissections to know when the maps were off. Year after year the method got better. "Juan would say, 'Hey, you got this one right. How about this one?'" says Schneider. By September 2010, the technique was so precise it could out-predict Fernandez-Miranda. "We could noninvasively get fiber tracts that were better than what he could do with cadaver tissue.
"At that point we hit a critical point of utility and quality, and a lot of the clinical work began," Schneider says.
Everyone has the same 40 major fiber tracts, connecting certain parts of the brain to others, but—like the way arms and eyes differ in size and shape—the way each tract's fibers connect can vary enormously. So studying cadavers could only go so far in helping doc•tors understand what might be happening in their own live patients.
Now the Schneider lab partners with a team of basic scientists (researching things like vision, language, and attention), as well as a team of 10 neurosurgeons who are applying HDFT in the clinic to help people with conditions as diverse as traumatic brain injuries, tumors, autism, and Alzheimer's. More than 120 patients have been scanned so far.
"For surgery, the application is much more immediate," says Fernandez-Miranda. A recent patient, for example, presented with a tumor in the left corticospinal tract, which controls movement. A traditional MRI clearly revealed the location of the tumor, but not what surrounded it.
"I have a tumor here," says Fernandez-Miranda, pointing to a mass on an MRI. "But do I have motor fibers here, or not? How about inside the tumor?" HDFT revealed that only a few fibers passed through the tumor and that most of the important ones had been pushed toward the outside of the skull. Knowing this, they determined that the best approach was from the midline.
In presurgical planning, HDFT can also present patients with the profound opportunity to choose which side effects they'd prefer to deal with. A surgeon can say, for example: If we approach this way, we risk losing mobility; if we go in that way, we might compromise mood control. "Now we have a basis from which to have a meaningful discussion with the patient," says Schneider.
One of Schneider's primary partnerships at Pitt is with David Okonkwo, an MD/PhD, associate professor of neurological surgery, and clinical director of the Brain Trauma Research Center. They are using HDFT to guide treatment of traumatic brain injury. In the United States, TBI occurs in 1.7 million people annually and is the most common cause of death between ages 2 and 35. In most TBI cases, an MRI doesn't show doctors much—maybe some swelling or bleeding, but not the actual damage. This leads to a diagnosis that doesn't tell patients, with much certainty, what's wrong or how they can expect to heal.
"Having an ambiguous diagnosis is really problematic," says Schneider.
"It's okay to say, 'You have swelling in your head. It's a head cold, and it'll clear up in three days.' But not to say, 'We don't know, you may never work again in your life.'"
Because doctors can't see what's broken in the brain, they rely on outward manifestations—the symptoms—to determine therapy. Recently a patient with TBI (who'd flipped his ATV, end-over-end) presented with limited mobility in his arm, hand, and leg. Traditionally he would have started intensive physical therapy in each area, in the blind hope of regaining function. But with HDFT, his doctors can be more realistic, and strategic.
By mapping what percentage of a given fiber tract is damaged, Schneider can determine whether or not function is likely to return. For the patient in question, HDFT revealed projection to the hand was 97 percent lost, to the arm 67 percent, and to the leg 60 percent. Although he could still move his arm, the man's club hand would likely never heal. "People can get over losing a limb: They understand it. They grieve the visible loss. They move on," Schneider says. "You do nobody any good to tell them to work hard at something that's impossible. We need to know how much is left so we know how best to invest hard but limited hours of rehabilitation to bring back function."
The good news: Even though the patient couldn't move his leg at the time, Schneider knew he had enough fibers remaining to walk again. "That's going to take months of hard physical therapy," Schneider says. "We would tell a patient, 'It's not going to be easy, but we have scientific evidence that suggests it's going to come back. It's still okay to work on the hand but concentrate on the leg.'"
The technology can monitor how well a particular therapy works by keeping track of which fibers regrow. It's probably not possible to grow a new fiber if all the fibers of a tract are gone, Schneider says, but it is possible to increase the size of an existing fiber. "If you have a dirt road, we can make it into a highway. If you don't have the dirt road, we can't."
In the case of Fernandez-Miranda's stroke patient mentioned at the start— he'll likely begin language therapy similar to what would have been prescribed without HDFT. But with HDFT, his doctor can see, in detail, whether the therapy is changing anatomy. "You can first understand better the disease," says Fernandez-Miranda. "By doing that, eventually, I think we'll be able to design better therapies."
While HDFT is more accurate than any other technique available, there are still blind spots. "We can detect a 20 percent loss of a tract, but it has to be a reasonable size tract," Schneider says. There are some tracts where if you lose 1 millimeter, you'll never come out of a coma. "We aren't that good yet," Schneider says.
"We've made enormous improvements in the last three years, but we certainly haven't run out of ideas." His goal, Schneider says, is to make what his team developed 18 months ago obsolete.


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2012 Men's Soccer
Transylvania 4, Bluffton 0
Transylvania earns #1 seed in HCAC tourney with 4-0 win at Bluffton
October 27, 2012
By: Keisha Holtsberry, sports information assistant
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University men's soccer team was defeated 4-0 by Transylvania University on Saturday, Oct. 27. The Beavers ended their 2012 campaign 2-15 overall and 0-8 in the Heartland Conference, while Transylvania improved to 15-1-2 overall and 8-0-1 in the HCAC.
The first half showcased the defense for both teams as neither squad was able to capitalize during the first 45 minutes of play. Bluffton fired six shots in the first half compared to 10 for Transylvania.
The second half started out with both teams fighting hard to put a goal on the scoreboard. The visitors knocked in their first tally at the 50:09 mark with an unassisted goal from Taylor Ballard. At the 69:07 mark, a scuffle broke out between Bluffton's Dylan Matthews and Transylvania's Daniel Mudd. Matthews received a second yellow card which removed him from the game, while Mudd earned a red card which also took him out of the competition. For the rest of the match both teams had to play with 10 players.
Transylvania's second goal was scored at the 75:00 mark by Robbie Gorham. Less than four minutes later, Transylvania made it 3-0 when Christian King hit paydirt. With eight minutes to play, King put Transylvania's fourth and final goal in the back of the net.
The Pioneers outshot Bluffton 18-8 while also forcing four more corner kicks (5-1). The total fouls for the game were 38 with Transylvania called for 20. Bluffton was led by Wes Corbin (Arlington) who had three shots. Matthews and Caleb Berlon (Kettering/Farimont) each took two and Neil Mast (Millersburg/Hiland) had one.
The Bluffton men's season comes to a close following the Senior Day matchup with Transylvania.


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I've been thinking lately about how much I really ride my Road Bike.. which is very little at this point. I also collect old 80's BMX/Freestyle bikes, and enjoy the simplicity of single speed.
I've been looking through all the threads here, and wondering if anyone has set up their Niner for the road. Either commuting, or simply for fitness?
I'm sort of envisioning a rigid carbon 1x, or SS, with slick tires.
In MN, especially last year, we had a decent amount of rain. The roads dry up fast, but the trails are closed, and they don't allow riding until things dry up.. so I bought a road bike, but just didn't enjoy, or use it.
So.. I'm thinking of a fun little, slow build project of a Niner Road set-up.
Anyone done it? Anyone done something similar?
Thanks for any feedback!


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Rain raises concerns about Ohio flooding, ice jams
- Written by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FINDLAY, Ohio (AP) — Ohio residents are being urged to keep an eye out for potential flooding along rivers and low-lying areas after rain storms helped melt what's left of the recent heavy snowfalls.
At least 10 sections of northern Ohio rivers were under a flood warning Friday from the National Weather Service. That list included the flood-prone Blanchard River near Findlay in northwest Ohio, which was expected to crest just above moderate flood stage.
Morning commuters were warned about the potential for waterlogged roadways, and officials were watching for ice jams along partially frozen rivers.
Wind gusts forecast at up to 55 mph also are a concern as a cold front moves into the region, dropping temperatures closer to the freezing point and ushering more cold weather next week.


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As a high school head wrestling coach for 34 years and a high school and college wrestler before that, it isn't hard to pin down Bill Hyson when it comes to talking about the sport.
"Wrestling is an unique ...sport," said Hyson, a coach and teacher at Francis Scott Key High School. "In wrestling, you're putting it all out there on the mat."
The sport that places strict demands on an athlete on and off the mat, especially in terms of diet and conditioning, has been part of Hyson's life since he arrived at the school in Union Bridge in the early 1970s.
As a freshman entering Key, he had no interest in wrestling after some bad experiences in his early school days in Baltimore County.
"I was a junior kid paired with big kids. It didn't interest me," Hyson said.
He joined the Eagles' football team and one of his coaches encouraged him to try out.
His sophomore year, he did.
"I got hooked," Hyson said.
He wrestled three years at Key. After graduating in 1973, he wrestled for three years at then-Frostburg State College. The program was canceled in his senior year.
His love for the sport continued, and he accepted his first coaching job as the freshman wrestling coach at Key.
"I had a great experience growing up here," said Hyson, whose two daughters and son all graduated from Francis Scott Key. "It was a great opportunity for me.
"I was a big sports guy and I liked the outdoors. Fishing and hunting were right out my back door," he said.
In 1980, he became the school's head wrestling coach and he also has been teaching health or physical education at the school for 34 years.
He also has coached football and girls lacrosse at the school.
His dedication to wrestling and to his students was recognized earlier this fall by the Maryland State Wrestling Association's when he was inducted into its Hall of Fame.
Hyson appreciates the recognition and the accolades, but shrugs it off.
Tim Harrison, now a crisis counselor at Key, has coached wrestling with Hyson for 20 years.
"He's always even keel," Harrison said. "He's more about helping kids learn life lessons. He sees the big picture."
Hyson's first year as head coach at Key was Harrison's final season as a high school senior.
"You see a lot of coaches come and go, especially today," Harrison said. "He's been a constant here for many years."
Hyson's teams at Francis Scott Key have posted winning records in 30 seasons, according to a release from Carroll County Public Schools, and featured 12 individual state champions and more than 80 place winners in the state tournament.
The wrestling program at Key has had its highs and lows during Hyson's reign, but one thing has remained constant — Hyson's dedication to his team and students.
For David Dodson, the former wrestling coach at North Carroll High School, Hyson was an important part of his high school years at Key before he graduated in 1987.
"He's been a big part of whom I am," Dodson said. "He made a difference, no question."
Meetings with former team members are among the highlights for Hyson during the winter season.
"The random contacts you have with wrestlers from the past," Hyson said. "There is a feeling of camaraderie within the sport."
He admits the sport has lost of its attraction for students, especially now when many athletes concentrate on one sport.
"Wrestling is a tough sell right now," Hyson said, citing factors ranging from the competitor's uniform to the one-on-one aspect of the sport. "Competition can be intimidating."
But he sees benefits for those who compete. More important than wrestling, the goal for coaches is for the sport to contribute to students' success and progress when they leave here, Hyson said.
"I hope the kids feel that way," he said.


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The following crimes were reported to police on May 14 and May 15. Anyone with information call South Yorkshire Police on 101.
Thorne: Solar lights were stolen from a grave in Thorne Cemetery on Southfield Road. They were taken between 12noon on Sunday and 3.30pm on Tuesday.
Rossington: Thieves took a bike from St Michael's Primary School, Sheep Bridge Lane, on Monday night, after it had been left overnight because of the heavy rain. It was taken between 3.30pm on Monday and 8am on Tuesday.
Cantley: Household items were stolen from outside a house on Villa Park Road while the occupant was moving out of the property. They had left boxes containing items including a vacuum cleaner, and cutlery outside the property for 10 minutes, between 3pm and 3.10pm on Wednesday. They returned to find them gone.
Balby: A laptop computer and a mobile phone were stolen from a house on Burton Avenue. The burglars entered through an unlocked window between 11pm on Tuesday and 7.30am on Wednesday.
Intake: Burglars stole a child's mini motorcycle in a raid on a house on Malton Road between 5pm on Tuesday and 8.30am on Wednesday. They got into the property through an unsecured conservatory door.
Balby Bridge: A mobile phone and cash were stolen by thieves who entered a house on St James Street on Wednesday morning. They got inside through and open window between 3am and 6am.
Tickhill: A garden mower and a mountain bike were stolen from a domestic garage on Lindrick Lane. Burglars got into the garage between 6pm on Tuesday and 3pm on Wednesday. There was no damage to the garage.
Tickhill: Hinges were removed from shed doors in three separate incidents on Tuesday night, but nothing was taken in any of the cases. Two of the incidents were reported at The Oval, and one was reported at Airedale Avenue.
Intake: A bike was stolen from a doctors surgery at Sandringham Road. The black bike, with yellow insignia, had been locked on a bike stand, and was valued at £800. It was taken between 7pm and 7.20pm on Wednesday.
Thorne: Two mountain bikes were stolen from the garden of a house on Haynes Road between 11pm on Wednesday and 6am on Thursday. Neither were locked up.
Cantley: A wallet containing cash was stolen from a Vauxhall Vectra on Bardolf Road on Tuesday night. The thief got into the car between 8.30pm on Tuesday and 8am on Wednesday.
Balby: Raiders smashed a window to break into a car on Roberts Road, on Wednesday afternoon. They took power tools from the rear of the vehicle of the Fiat Dolbo between 2.30pm and 3.20pm.


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The slimmest, lightest Backland FR. Like the former Automatic 102, an easy-going powder ski for any mission.
An ultra-lightweight carbon insert that runs the length of the ski like a stabilizing backbone. This provides exceptional agility and edge hold with no extra weight.
Made from Poplar wood, this core optimizes the ski's weight without sacrificing any shock absorption or stability.
If you're looking to explore the entire mountain in search of deeper snow, the Atomic Backland FR 102 ski is your ideal companion. It's part of our new Backland FR range of freeride powder chargers – successor to the popular Automatic series. Thanks to a 102mm waist, coupled with Powder Rocker – big in the tip, smaller in the tail – it delivers awesome flotation and easy handling in soft snow. The Step Down Sidewall 2.0 construction, Carbon Backbone and Light Woodcore guarantee a smooth ride, great durability and provide stability. At the same time the pronounced camber underfoot ensures optimum edge grip and makes the ski super versatile on hard and mixed snow, too. Add some Tracker bindings and MultiFit Powder Rocker Skins on this low-weight model and you've got a superb Freeride Touring ski for your powder missions.


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Topic: Is it too much to ask
for a little guitar time?
For the past year it seems like I can't squeeze out an hour to play. Two nights a week are a regularly scheduled interruption, so I know I won't be playing those nights. Any other night I should be able to, but something always jumps in and takes my time. I've been getting home a little later than I'd like to so that pushes everything else back also. Tonight I had to do some invoices so I can get paid and figure out a lumber list for a patio cover after I got home at 6pm. Off to do the dishes after I write this. All last week I had to deal with the stupid new cable boxes and re-programming our universal remote. That took a lot of time. My son goes to bed at 8:30, so by the time I get home, eat, and deal with other stuff it's already almost 9pm. There just aren't enough hours in the day. URGH!!!!!!
Thanks for letting me rant!!!!
(I could have been playing instead of posting this)


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Hello guys, I'm new to Java Programming, I only recently started a couple of days ago. I have been watching "thenewboston", on YouTube, who is quite the famous Java mentor. So I know the absolute basics of Java. But I'm still quite confused, and I don't really understand the whole concepts of everything.
So, too whoever reads this 'Thread', I would be rather grateful if you were to message me, or add me as a friend and converse with me about Java Programming. If you're a newbie, or even if you're a skilled Programmer, I would appreciate all feedback.
Thank you everyone!


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ACRL releases Value of Academic Libraries report
For Immediate Release
Thu, 09/09/2010
David Free
CHICAGO – The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) announces the release of "Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report." Developed for ACRL by Megan Oakleaf of the iSchool at Syracuse University, this valuable resource reviews the quantitative and qualitative literature, methodologies and best practices currently in place for demonstrating the value of academic libraries. The full report, along with supplemental materials, is available online at http://www.acrl.ala.org/value/.
Increasing recognition of the value of libraries and librarians by leaders in higher education, information technology, funding agencies and campus decision makers is one of ACRL's six strategic priorities. Recognizing the sense of urgency around this issue, the report is intended to help academic librarians participate in the conversation and to identify resources to support them in demonstrating the value of academic libraries in clear, measurable ways.
"This report presents the vision and the reality of the value of academic libraries and their contributions to institutional goals and outcomes," said ACRL President Lisa Hinchliffe of the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign. "Through it, we have a shared knowledge base for the association and our members as we pursue this strategic priority."
The primary objective of this comprehensive review is to provide academic librarians and institutional leaders with a clearer understanding of what research about the performance of academic libraries already exists and where gaps in this research occur. The report additionally identifies the most promising best practices and measures correlated to performance and represents a starting point to assist college, university and community college librarians in gathering evidence to tell the story of their libraries and promote dialogue on the value of the academic library in higher education.
"Documenting the evidence we have for the impact of academic libraries on student, faculty and institutional success will enable library leaders to respond proactively to calls for accountability and return on investment. Identifying the gaps charts a path for the data we need to gather and analyze," explained Hinchliffe. "In the coming months, ACRL will be turning its attention to strategies for pursuing the research agenda recommended in the report, identifying funding sources for projects and developing training and support materials for our members."
The full report is now available on the ACRL website, along with a separate executive summary for distribution to campus decision makers, a bibliography of sources consulted in the development of the report, a podcast interview with Hinchliffe and Oakleaf and links to additional resources. Visit http://www.acrl.ala.org/value/ for complete information on this exciting new resource.
Hinchliffe and Oakleaf are available for media interviews and group presentations highlighting the report. Contact ACRL Communications Specialist David Free at firstname.lastname@example.com for more information and to schedule interviews and presentations.
The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) is a division of the American Library Association (ALA) representing more than 12,000 academic and research librarians and interested individuals. ACRL is the only individual membership organization in North America that develops programs, products and services to meet the unique needs of academic and research librarians. Its initiatives enable the higher education community to understand the role that academic libraries play in the teaching, learning and research environments. ACRL is on the Web at http://www.acrl.org/, Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ala.acrl and Twitter at @ala_acrl.


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Latest Features
Tyrell WHL Player of the Week
(WHL.ca) The BOSTON PIZZA WHL Player of the Week is forward Dana Tyrell of the Prince George Cougars.
Tyrell picked up seven points in three games during the week of October 29th through to November 4th. He scored six goals, one assist and was plus one, helping the Cougars to a 3-0 record in that span.
On Monday, October 29th, the WHL Western Conference leading Vancouver Giants rolled into the CN Centre to face the Cougars. Tyrell picked up 2 power play goals to secure the Cougars 3-0 victory over the Giants. He also was named the games 2nd Star.
On Friday, November 2nd, the Cougars travelled into the Okanagan area to face division rival the Kamloops Blazers. Tyrell scored the hat trick netting three goals and one assist in the convincing 8-3 win over the Blazers. He also was named the games 1st Star.
On Sunday, November 4th, back at the CN Centre in Prince George, the Cougars hosted the Red Deer Rebels. Tyrell potted one goal and was named the games 1st Star in the Cougars 3-2 overtime victory over the Rebels.
With the Prince George Cougars three victories this past week, they bring their season record back to .500 and have won seven of their last 10 games.
Tyrell, the 18 year old Airdrie, Alberta product is in his third season in the Western Hockey League and with the Prince George Cougars. At the 2007 NHL Entry Draft Tyrell was selected in the 2nd round - 47th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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Sweet Heat Drumettes Recipe
VERIFIED BY Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup chili sauce
- 1/2 cup minced chives
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 pounds frozen chicken drumettes or wingettes, thawed
- In a bowl, combine the syrup, chili sauce, chives, soy sauce, mustard and cayenne. Set aside 2/3 cup for basting. Divide remaining marinade between two large resealable plastic bags; add chicken. Seal bags and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Drain and discard marinade. Place chicken in two greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 30 minutes; drain. Turn chicken over; baste with some of the reserved marinade. Bake for 10 minutes; turn and baste again. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until juices run clear and sauce is thickened. Yield: about 4 dozen.
Originally published as Sweet Heat Drumettes in Taste of Home's Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook Annual 2005, p207
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Who will be named the next Legends of Lahainaluna?
November 29, 2012
LAHAINA — The Lahainaluna High School Foundation will announce the 2012 Legends of Lahainaluna Award winners at a ceremony on Monday, Dec. 3, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the historic Pioneer Inn....
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Help! It's 5:30 p.m., dinner needs to be on the table in less than an hour and you forgot to put the chicken breasts into a marinade before you left for work in the morning.
Don't despair. A flavorful grilled feast is as close as your spice cabinet.
"Marinating takes hours, with glazes and sauces you're mixing this and heating that. A rub is the fastest way of adding flavor to food," says grilling guru Jamie Purviance, whose latest cookbook "Weber's New Real Grilling" just hit shelves.
A rub is simply a blend of seasonings massaged -- rubbed -- onto food.
"Salt and pepper is sort of a rub," Purviance says. "And then there are rubs with dozens of ingredients."
Depending on the spice and herb combos, rubs can introduce a number of ethnic flavors to your grilling fare. A blend with cumin, cayenne and garlic leads you down a Tex-Mex path while cardamom, turmeric and ginger can take you to the Middle East. Mustard, paprika and a bit of brown sugar evoke traditional barbecue notes.
Salt, Purviance explains, is an essential ingredient.
Salt draws moisture out of the meat and that moisture mingles with the herbs and spice. Then, when the meat reabsorbs the salt (a process called dry brining), the herbs and spices go along for the ride.
"Letting it sit 30 minutes is good; 60 minutes is even better," Purviance says.
Doug Tomek, a resident of Hampshire and founder of Uncle Dougie's, a maker of grilling rubs, sauces and marinades (as well as kick-butt Bloody Mary mixes), says cooks shouldn't be afraid to get rough. Rubs are called rubs because they should be rubbed into the meat, not just sprinkled on top. A bit of olive oil can help that along.
"You want to get the seasoning into the meat, into all the crevasses," Tomek says.
Here's the Uncle Dougie's method: Drizzle some olive oil onto the meat and put it in a plastic bag. Dump the rub -- he recommends Downright Tasty (a proprietary blend of 14 herbs and spices) -- into the bag, seal it, pressing out as much air as you can. Now massage the meat through the bag.
"It's a nice way to keep clean," adds Uncle Dougie's partner Tim Condon.
So, get some chicken thighs, pork chops, T-bones or whatever else you crave out of the fridge when you walk in the door at 5:30. Massage in the rub -- whether your own concoction or a favorite store-bought blend -- and let it rest on the counter for a bit. Cold meat shouldn't hit a hot grill anyway.
Now heat the grill, toss tomatoes wedges and cucumber slices in balsamic vinaigrette for a quick cold salad, steam some broccoli and call the family to the table for a tasty meal.
Phew! Dinner time has been saved again.


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Conflicting Stories - Native Vignettes of the Civil War
May 17, 2013 – July 7, 2013
An Exhibition Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War
Conflicting Stories
Native Vignettes of the Civil War
In conjunction with the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of American Civil War events of 1863, the Custom House Maritime Museum presents an exhibition exploring personal episodes of bravery, charity, courage and service involving those for whom Newburyport was home.
Regarded as the first modern war, the American Civil War consumed an outsized proportion of Newburyport citizens during its several years of conflict. Their stories are universal and unique, personal as well as impactful, illuminating yet at times confusing. Taken together they provide insight and perspective into a life-changing era, a conflict in which their participation in and contribution to the War Between the States determined the very future of the Union.
May 17th
July 7th, 2013
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison; Legal Advisor to U.S. Secretary of State William Seward and Diplomatic Counsel to the Alabama Accords, Caleb Cushing; Newburyport Mayor and Shipbuilder, George Washington Jackman; Regimental and Brigade Leader of the Army of the Potomac, William S. Tilton
Captain Raphael Semmes (foreground) and his First Lieutenant John Kell (background) aboard the raider CSS Alabama
© 2018 Custom House Maritime Museum Admin


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Ted Gay, editor emeritus of the Taunton Daily Gazette, died Tuesday morning at Morton Hospital. He was 85.
Edgar A. "Ted" Gay Jr. began his career at the Gazette when he was hired as a reporter in 1950.
He first covered courts, police and politics for the Gazette, according to his New England Newspaper and Press Association Hall of Fame listing.
He was appointed the Taunton Daily Gazette's city editor in 1963, managing editor in 1968, and "retired" in 1991.
Gay wrote columns from his retirement until his death, his last one appeared on Monday.
He worked as a Silver City newspaperman during 15 mayoral administrations, recalled his daughter, Vicki-Ann Downing.
"He just lived and breathed everything going on in the city of Taunton," Downing said Tuesday afternoon. "And he felt people needed to hear his opinion."
As managing editor, Gay launched the Gazette's first editorial page. For decades, he kept it populated with editorials and columns.
His popular Saturday Notebook column ran consistently, never missing an installment, for nearly a half-century.
When Gay occasionally embarked on a two-week vacation, he'd leave a stack of 14 editorials with the Gazette staff, to keep his hungry readers well fed until he returned.
"It's a sad day for the Taunton Daily Gazette and for the larger GateHouse family," Publisher Lisa Strattan said. "Even though he retired years ago, Ted remained at least a weekly presence in the newsroom. I know he was a mentor to so many journalists, young and old, and he was an institution in the community as well. I think he might have preferred to be remembered as a 'newsman' as opposed to 'journalist,' because that was what he truly was. News was what mattered to him."
Gay died Tuesday from complications suffered after a fall at his home one week ago.
Funeral arrangements have been made with Silva Funeral Home, Downing said. Calling hours will be from 4-7 p.m. on Friday at the funeral home on Broadway. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Andrew the Apostle Church, Kilmer Avenue.
"He was a dear friend," Taunton attorney Frank O'Boy said. "He was a terrific editor and he had a great love for Taunton, although he grew up in Middleboro. He started out as a rock-ribbed Republican but he became more liberal as he grew older. He had newsprint in his blood. He was a voice of reason at a time of extremism. This is a loss to the community. And I've lost a friend."
Joseph L. Amaral, Taunton's mayor from 1978-81, said Gay's death "will be felt by the city of Taunton for years to come."
"His inquisitive nature and sincere interest in our city resulted in his newspaper column being very stimulating for decades," Amaral said. "Ted's strength was in the area of communication skills and he was consistently able to make his views and thoughts known in a clear and concise manner. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ted's family and friends as they struggle to cope with our loss."
Gay left the Gazette shortly after he started with the paper, to serve in the U.S. Army in Korea in 1951.
Downing recalled Gay "did not enjoy" his stint in the service.
He wrote home faithfully, though, and on July 19, 1952, a young reporter named Eleanor Menice wrote a small piece on Gay's experiences overseas.
"This week came a letter from Korea from army staffer Ted Gay," Menice wrote. "Among other things he wrote about, he asked fellow staffers to do him a favor. 'If you have time, you might write my draft board and tell them they've carried this 'joke' a mite too far!'"
When Gay returned home, he met and eventually married that young reporter, and together they had two children, Vicki-Ann and Ted Gay III.
His wife died in 2010.
"Ted Gay worked very hard to uphold the high standards of journalism throughout his career," recalled former Taunton mayor and local historian Charles Crowley. "Ted made it a point to examine all sides of the issues that help shape our city's future during his tenure as a reporter and an editor, but with a keen eye towards our precious history. Ted Gay kept his readers informed and involved in current events and kept all of the politicians on their toes."
Gay championed any endeavor he felt would strengthen the city he loved.
"Ted Gay was and will always be one of my best friends," said City Councilor Gerald Croteau, a former Taunton Schools superintendent. "I felt perfectly comfortable discussing anything with him. He had a total love and commitment to the people who lived here. And what governed his writing was fairness and the belief that people, especially those in elected or appointed positions, should work in the interest of the people he also served. He was a man of integrity to the fullest. Some would say he was a stubborn New England Yankee, but he was a class act. I will continue to have conversations with him. He was one of the best friends I'll ever have."
Gay served as president of the Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce. He helped found The Friends of the Library, and served on the library's Board of Trustees. Many other boards and organizations helped fill Gay's few free hours.
The late Tim Taylor, a former Gazette reporter, press secretary to three Speakers of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and graduate of the "Ted Gay School of Journalism," recalled meeting Gay as he was transitioning from reporter to city editor in the early 1960s.
"He was an imposing ruddy-faced, pipe-smoking fellow with big, round, black-framed Clark Kent glasses, and a coat sweater intended to add some patina of age and experience to the new city editor who was all of 29," Taylor wrote in the program for a Testimonial event held in 1992 to commemorate Gay's retirement a year earlier. "The old Gazette building where Ted reigned reeked of ink and well-oiled presses and epitomized the rough and tumble world of newspapering."
That historic structure was demolished, and the current Gazette building built in its place.
"We reporters knew only a little about Ted Gay," Taylor wrote. "We knew he was from Middleboro, was a graduate of Boston University School of Journalism, joined the Gazette in 1950, and served in the infantry on the frontline in Korea. And we knew one other thing. Ted Gay could write like hell."
For many well informed city residents, the Gazette and its longtime editor were practically indistinguishable.
"Even their names," said Downing, who spent so much time growing up in the newsroom. "Taunton Gazette. Ted Gay. They both had 'T' and 'G' as initials. It just worked out that way. The two were synonymous in a lot of ways."


text: Listen Global responsibility to meet health needs of people with intellectual disabilities on World Health Day It is essential as equal citizens that people with intellectual disabilities receive the proper services they need and deserve in order to lead healthy and happy lives. Special Olympics has provided 1.2 million health screenings in more than 100 countries. 90,000 free pairs of eyeglasses have been given to athletes.Statement from Mary Davis, Regional President of Special Olympics Europe Eurasia on World Health Day:Zuebeyde Horus, a Special Olympics athlete from Turkey, exemplifies the power of Special Olympics to transform lives. Like many people with an intellectual disability, Zuebeyde was living with a serious heart condition, but nobody was aware of it. A volunteer doctor discovered it by simply listening to her heart with a stethoscope at a Special Olympics Healthy Athlete event. At a follow-up appointment, Zuebeyde was diagnosed with Atrioventricular Septal defect.The condition means there is a hole between the various chambers and valves of the heart which causes abnormal blood flow and forces the heart to work much harder than it normally should. Zuebeyde underwent life saving surgery within days of being diagnosed. This type of defect is associated with intellectual disabilities and it is estimated that 45% of children with Down Syndrome have some type of congenital heart disease. Without the volunteer health care professionals who carry out these screenings, the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes programme would not exist and athletes like Zuebeyde would not have been helped so today on World Health Day, Special Olympics athletes, families, coaches and staff, sincerely thank these extraordinary volunteers.World Health Day is celebrated on April 7th every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organisation in 1948. The Day is a global campaign inviting everyone from world leaders to the general public to focus on health issues and challenges that have global impact and which protect people's health and well-being. Today I encourage people to focus on the health needs of people with intellectual disabilities."You can't compete if your feet hurt, if your teeth hurt or if your ears ache."This quote from a Special Olympics athlete correctly sums up the motivation behind the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Programme. People with intellectual disabilities have a 40 per cent higher risk than the rest of the population of having several preventable health conditions, which is why the Healthy Athletes Programme is so necessary.For more than 14 years, Special Olympics has been serving athletes by offering free health screenings and health information at local, regional and World Games and in many cases lives, limbs, eyesight and hearing have been saved. Special Olympics has become the world's largest public health organization dedicated to serving people with intellectual disabilities and maintains the largest database of health information in existence. The Healthy Athletes Programme is responsible for: 120,000 healthcare professionals trained; more than 1.2 million screenings provided to athletes in more than 100 countries; more than 90,000 free pairs of eyeglasses given to athletes. The most moving aspect of the Healthy Athletes programme is that so many athletes screened did not know they had any health problems. Health screenings are offered in seven areas: Fit Feet (podiatry), FUNfitness (physical therapy), Health Promotion (better health and well-being), Healthy Hearing (audiology), MedFest (sports physical exam) Opening Eyes (vision) and Special Smiles (dentistry). World Health Day is an opportunity for everyone to emphasis the urgency for a much greater understanding and an informed debate on the medical needs and challenges faced by people with intellectual disabilities and their families. The reality is that people with intellectual disabilities have more specialised health care needs and greater difficulty accessing health care services and health care professionals compared to the wider general public. A major study in the US revealed that 80 per cent of medical school students receive no clinical training in treating people with intellectual disabilities. Research conducted by Special Olympics has found that doctors have difficulty in diagnosing and prescribing treatment for people with intellectual disabilities for many reasons but poor bodily awareness and depressed pain responses are revealed as prominent factors.The impact on many volunteer doctors and nurses after getting involved in the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Programme is significant. They drastically alter the way they work, teach and conduct research in order to be more inclusive of patients with intellectual disabilities. The power of Special Olympics is change -- the power to change lives for the better -- and health is a cornerstone of our programming and research.It is essential as equal citizens that people with intellectual disabilities receive the proper services they need and deserve in order to lead healthy and happy lives. Ends.


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New Delhi: Nobody said it to his face but when All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel said last week India's goal was to qualify for the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar, his sunny optimism bordered on grim absurdity. Latest News from Sports News Desk
With FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke sitting next to him, the AIFF chief announced it minutes before signing a 10-year agreement with soccer's governing body to develop the game in the world's second most populous nation enamoured otherwise with cricket.
"Indian football is poised for a big leap after a long period of hibernation," stressed Patel, also the India government's Heavy Industries minister.
"There's going to be a long time before India truly comes up to the expectations of the football-loving community of the country but one thing I must say is that we are certainly on the right track."
The timing of his remarks could not have been worse, coming on the same day India slumped to their lowest place, 169th, in the FIFA rankings.
The sport also remains popular only in certain geographic areas while the television appetite is restricted to the English Premier League or Spain's La Liga.
Patel, however, insisted the rankings were not the true reflection of India's team, who beat a second-string Cameroon team to win a five-nation tournament earlier this month and he remained optimistic FIFA's support would help develop the game.
Valcke also sounded convinced of soccer's potential in India.
"You are 1.2 billion people and it's impossible that 1.2 billion people are just playing cricket. There is definite space for football," Valcke said.
Populist Statement
Lack of infrastructure, a struggling national league, low television viewership and scant sponsorship mean it's easier said than done, according to a local soccer author.
"I think it was a populist statement," said Jaydeep Basu, who has authored "Stories From Indian Football", an anecdotal history of the game in the country.
"India rank 32nd in Asia and the immediate goal should have been to be among the top 10 in the continent which would ensure a better draw in international tournaments.
"You have a struggling national league and a pool of less than 90 Indian players to choose your national team from - so much for a country of 1.2 billion!
"In a vast country like ours, you need 50,000 'C' licence coaches but you have only 2500. Only 12 of the 32 states have a proper local league.
"If you can solve all these problems and qualify for 2022 World Cup, you (have) got to be a genius," Basu said.
He added the country needed to strengthen the domestic competitions in all the states and improve training for children if it is to repeat the feats of the past.
India won Asian Games gold in 1951 and 1962 and finished runners-up in the 1964 Asian Cup in what is considered the golden era of Indian soccer.
The game is still popular in some areas and a Mohun Bagan v East Bengal derby in the eastern metropolitan city of Kolkata still draws up to 100,000 fans.
Nearly 120,000 fans gave a memorable farewell to Oliver Kahn in the German goalkeeper's 2008 Bayern Munich swansong in Kolkata and Argentina great Diego Maradona brought the city to a standstill during his visit in the same year.
Long Road
Valcke promised FIFA would do whatever it could to help the country, which is also bidding to host the 2017 under-17 World Cup, tap into that potential audience and player pool.
"We in FIFA believe that if there is one country in Asia we have to focus, it's India," said the FIFA official.
"The best way to promote India would definitely be to organise the under-17 tournament... We will work with AIFF to make sure you have the structure to become a player at the highest level.
"We are not coming to India because we think that in 10 years' time our money will come from India. We are not looking for return on investment," stressed Valcke, promising to consider AIFF's request for 12 more artificial pitches in addition to the eight already allotted.
Basu said AIFF must make the most of the FIFA investment.
"We missed the bus in the 1970s and cannot afford to err again. FIFA has indeed gone out of its way to help India and AIFF needs to make the most of it."
Even then, he felt India would fall well short of the 2022 World Cup target.
"AIFF is day-dreaming," Basu added.
New Delhi: Nobody said it to his face but when All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel said last week India's goal was to qualify for the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar, his sunny optimism bordered on grim absurdity.
Latest News from Sports News Desk


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The family of a man who died after a hit-and-run collision in West Ashley last year is suing the drunk driver who struck him and the bars and restaurants where he was served that night.
The wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of the estate of Gerard Nieto targets the driver, Jason Frank Marion, 32, of Summerville; King Street Grille; Market Street Saloon; Wild Wing Cafe; D.I.G. in the Park; and Gene's Haufbrau. The suit seeks unspecified damages.
Marion is serving a 6-year state prison sentence on a reckless homicide charge after pleading guilty in January to causing Nieto's death.
The lawsuit alleges that Marion went on a more than seven-hour drinking binge at the five bars before taking to the road around 1:20 a.m. May 4, 2012. He then slammed his truck into Nieto, who was thrown from his bicycle along Savannah Highway, near White Oak Drive, the lawsuit stated.
Brian Mahoney is the owner of D.I.G. in North Charleston, the third establishment Marion allegedly visited that night. Mahoney said he has no recollection of Marion being there.
Mahoney called Nieto's death a horrible tragedy and said he feels for the man's family. "There is nothing worse in the world," he said. But as a small businessman, he said, he was "petrified" by the lawsuit.
Mahoney said his restaurant goes to great lengths to police alcohol consumption and cut people off if they over-indulge. But it can be difficult to tell how much someone has had to drink before they arrive, he said.
Gene's manager declined to comment on the lawsuit. King Street Grille and Wild Wing did not return messages seeking comment. Market Street Saloon had not received the lawsuit Friday.
Sandy Senn, attorney for the Nieto estate, was in court this week and unavailable for comment, her office stated.
The case comes on the heels of an August 2012 settlement in which the parent company of Husk restaurant in Charleston agreed to pay $1.1 million to end a suit brought by the family of man killed in a fiery car wreck on the Ravenel Bridge. It was allegedly caused by a restaurant worker drunk behind the wheel.
In the more recent case, Marion started his drinking expedition at King Street Grille in downtown Charleston, where he hung out with several co-workers, starting at 5:30 p.m., the lawsuit stated. During his three hours there, he purchased five or six pitchers of beer, the suit stated.
From there, he and his co-workers went to Market Street Saloon and downed at least two drinks of liquor, the lawsuit stated. He and a friend then proceeded to D.I.G., where he had more liquor drinks before heading on to Wild Wing in Mount Pleasant for additional booze, the suit stated.
After leaving Wild Wing, Marion's buddy, who was in a separate car, was pulled over by Mount Pleasant police and charged with driving under the influence, according to the lawsuit. Marion continued on to Gene's Haufbrau and allegedly drank three more drinks and shots with the bartender, becoming so intoxicated that "he experienced an alcoholic blackout upon leaving," the lawsuit stated.
Marion struck Nieto from behind soon after, which threw Nieto off his bicycle onto the road, prosecutors said. His truck dragged the bike for about a quarter-mile and then drove off, they said.
Marion did not render aid, wait for police or report the accident, warrants said. A few days later Marion turned himself in to the Charleston Police Department.
The lawsuit states that Marion lied to his wife, his co-workers and his insurance carrier about how his truck got damaged. He finally came forward after a friend who knew the truth threatened to tell police if Marion failed to own up to what he had done, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit alleges that Marion was guilty of negligence and recklessness, while the bars were negligent for continuing to serve him past the point of intoxication. The lawsuit singles out Gene's for particular criticism, alleging that the staff should have known Marion posed a risk because he had worked there as a bartender and had two previous DUI charges on his record.
Reach Glenn Smith at 937-5556 or Twitter.com/glennsmith5.


text: Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services RID Certified Sign Language interpreters are provided upon request. When possible, make your request in advance. When calling Scheduling (240-566-3400) to make your medical appointment. Otherwise, notify your nurse at any time throughout your admission. Contact your nurse or have someone call Interpreting Services at 4351 to request an interpreter. Our Statement to Patients (Patient Rights and Responsibilities) is also available on videotape presented in sign language. In some instances, VRI (Video Remote Interpreting) may be utilized if the staff or agency interpreters are not immediately available. Video Phones, provided by Sorenson Communications, are available upon request to be brought to the patient bedside.