Last week we declared that the European recession had come to an end, or at least was on the verge of ending.
That wasn't to say that things weren't a gigantic mess. Unemployment is still enormous, and the political situation is tenuous in many countries.The Euro is still deeply flawed.
But the data is turning the corner left and right, and banks are beginning to expand available credit again.
And now (via Josh Brown) comes more evidence in the form of car sales.
Nina Bains at WSJ rounds up what the automakers are saying about the European market:
Daimler AG said it expects its passenger car sales to rise further in the second half of the year alongside ?significantly better? earnings as Europe?s battered car market starts to turn a corner.
Meanwhile, French rival Renault SA's global vehicle registrations perked up in the second quarter of this year, partially offsetting a 4.7% drop in the first quarter.
Shares in Renault rallied over 5% Friday following first-half results, with analysts cheered by a strong performance in the auto division.
Auto makers across the pond are also steadily becoming more optimistic about Europe?s prospects.
Ford Motor Co. F?+0.65% brightened its outlook for the rest of the year after second-quarter profit raced ahead, helped by an improvement in its European division.
Are things still horrible? Absolutely. Does the data show they're on the mend. Clearly.
PITTSFIELD -- An Otis man and his three dogs are together again, separated following a two car crash in Pittsfield over the weekend.
Around 1 p.m. Saturday, Andrew Johnston, 37, was driving south on Hubbard Avenue when his Jeep was struck by another vehicle driven by Sarah Fellman, exiting BJ's Wholesale Club on Hubbard Avenue, according to Pittsfield police. The impact of the crash caused Johnston to crash into an utility pole, and his three dogs traveling with him to flee the accident scene.
While firefighters extricated Johnston from the Jeep, he managed to avoid serious injury as he was treated and released from Berkshire Medical Center later in the afternoon.
A passenger in the Fellman car, 80-year-old Emma Claramunt of Hinsdale, was also treated and release from BMC, hospital officials said. Fellman, 30, and an infant in her car were treated at the scene.
After leaving BMC, Johnston posted a heartfelt request to his Facebook friends to find the animals. Two of them, a black lab named Red, and Lola, a bull mastiff/lab mix, were found and turned into the Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter in Pittsfield. Shelter officials posted on their Facebook they had the two dogs and they were eventually returned to Johnston a few hours after the accident.
However, Jackson, another black lab mix, was still missing.
Johnston said he spent an anxious evening fretting about his dog, driving back to the accident scene to look for Jackson, with no luck.
Johnston reported that Jackson has a tracking chip that links to his cell phone, but it was apparently lost in the accident.
However, early Sunday, Johnston reported on Facebook that Jackson had been returned to him. He did not elaborate, but said he was happy to have all three of his "children" back home.
It is cool, I been saying this since they unveiled it months ago. I just don't see myself using it though. Even when they adjust the lighting to compensate, it still doesn't give a useful view of the action. It's a cool add-on though. Doesn't add TOO much to the game, but kids might enjoy it.
I had so much on my wall and around my entertainment center though, I just don't feel it would work for me personally. Maybe some people will really enjoy it though.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) ? Pope Francis took on the defense of the Amazon and the environment near the end of his weeklong trip to Brazil, as he donned a colorful Indian headdress Saturday and urged that the rainforest be treated as a garden.
The pontiff met with a few thousand of Brazil's political, business and cultural elite in Rio de Janeiro's Municipal Theater, where he also shook hands with Indians who said they were from a tribe that has been battling ranchers and farmers trying to invade their land in northeastern Bahia state.
In a separate speech to bishops, the pope called for "respect and protection of the entire creation which God has entrusted to man, not so that it be indiscriminately exploited but rather made into a garden."
He also urged attention to a 2007 document by Latin American and Caribbean bishops that he was in charge of drafting, which underscored dangers facing the Amazon environment and the native people living there. The document also called for new evangelization efforts to halt a steep decline in Catholics leaving for other faiths or secularism.
"The traditional communities have been practically excluded from decisions on the wealth of biodiversity and nature. Nature has been, and continues to be, assaulted," the document reads.
Several of the indigenous people in the audience hailed from the Amazon and said they hoped the pope would help them protect land designated by the government as indigenous reserves but that farmers and ranchers illegally invade for timber and to graze cattle. In fact, grazing has been the top recent cause of deforestation in Brazil.
"We got credentials for his speech and attended so we could tell the pope what's happening to our people," said Levi Xerente, a 22-year-old member of the Xerente tribe in Tocantins state in the Amazon, after he attended the pope's speech. "We hope that he will help intervene with the government and stop all the big public works projects that are happening in the region."
Xerente, speaking in broken Portuguese, said the biggest threats to Indians in the region were big agribusiness invading land and the government's own massive infrastructure projects, including the damming of rivers for hydroelectric power generation and roads being carved out of the forest, often to reach giant mines.
Francis thanked Brazilian bishops for maintaining a church presence in the rugged and vast Amazon, which is about the size of the United States west of the Mississippi River. But he pushed church leaders to refocus energies on the region.
"The church's work needs to be further encouraged and launched afresh" in the Amazon, the pope said in prepared remarks, urging an "Amazonian face" for the church.
He cited the church's long history of working in the region.
"The church's presence in the Amazon basin is not that of someone with bags packed and ready to leave after having exploited everything possible," he said. "The church has been present in the Amazon basin from the beginning ... and is still present and critical to the area's future."
Catholic priests and nuns have taken up the causes of Indians and of poor subsistence farmers in the Amazon, often putting themselves in danger. Violent conflicts over land rights are common in the region, where wealthy farmers and ranchers are known to hire gunmen to intimidate people into leaving land the government has often set aside as reserves for their use.
In 2005, U.S. nun and Amazon land-rights defender Dorothy Stang was murdered by one such gunman in the state of Para. Two ranchers were later convicted of ordering her murder so they could control a parcel of land the government had ceded to a subsistence farming group Stang worked with.
___
Associated Press writer Jenny Barchfield contributed to this report.
___
Follow Bradley Brooks on Twitter: www.twitter.com/bradleybrooks
ATLANTA (AP) -- LeBron James is taking some of his talents during the offseason to a best-selling basketball video game franchise as a music curator.
2K Sports announced Friday that the two-time NBA champion of the Miami Heat selected 20 songs for the soundtrack of the upcoming "NBA 2K14." The league's four-time MVP is also the cover athlete of the popular video game.
James said in a statement that he is honored to be the first cover athlete to choose songs for the soundtrack. He follows his friend and Grammy-winning rapper Jay-Z, who was the executive producer of the last year's installment that sold more than 4.5 million copies.
"2K is letting me take control of some important elements in NBA 2K14, including this year's soundtrack," James said. "I love that I'm the first NBA 2K cover athlete to choose the soundtrack."
Some of the songs featured on the game's soundtrack are Drake's "Started From The Bottom," Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight," Daft Punk's "Get Lucky," featuring Pharrell Williams and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Can't Hold Us," with Ray Dalton. Other music acts featured are Jay-Z, Coldplay, Robin Thicke, The Black Keys, Eminem, Fly Union, Gorillaz, Imagine Dragons, Jada Kiss, John Legend, Kanye West, Rick Ross, Kendrick Lamar, Nas and Puff Daddy.
James is the first solo cover athlete to cover the game in two years since Michael Jordan. The game is expected to go on sale Oct. 1.
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Online:
http://2ksports.com/
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Follow Jonathan Landrum Jr. on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/mrlandrum31
Contact: Dr. Dirk F?rger presse@dzne.de 49-228-433-02260 Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Substance makes mice live longer, but hardly slows down the aging process
This news release is available in German.
The findings are reported in the current issue of the "Journal of Clinical Investigation" (published online on July 25, 2013).
The body's repair mechanisms begin to fail with increasing age. As a result, signs of wear and tear appear and the risk for many diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and cancer, increases. "Current efforts to develop therapies against age-related diseases target these disorders one by one," says Dr. Dan Ehninger, research group leader at the DZNE site in Bonn. "Influencing the aging process itself may be an alternative approach with the potential to yield broadly effective therapeutics against age-related diseases."
In this context, the substance rapamycin is noteworthy. Rapamycin is used in recipients of organ transplants, as it keeps the immune system in check and can consequently prevent rejection of the foreign tissue. In 2009, US scientists discovered another effect: Mice treated with rapamycin lived longer than their untreated counterparts. "Rapamycin was the first drug shown to extend maximal lifespan in a mammalian species. This study has created quite a stir," says Ehninger.
For Ehninger and his team, this finding motivated further studies: "We wanted to address if rapamycin slows down aging in mice or, alternatively, if it has an isolated effect on lifespan - without broadly modulating aging."
Not a youth elixir
Together with scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum Mnchen and other colleagues, Ehninger's group investigated if rapamycin influences aging in mice. The results are sobering: "Our results indicate that rapamycin extends lifespan, but it has only limited effects on the aging process itself," is Ehninger's summary of the findings. "Most aging traits were not affected by rapamycin treatment. Although we did observe positive effects on some aging traits, such as memory impairments and reduced red blood cell counts, our studies showed that similar drug effects are also seen in young mice, indicating that rapamycin did not influence these measures by slowing aging, but rather via other, aging-independent, mechanisms."
The researchers believe that such aging-independent drug effects also underlie rapamycin's effect on lifespan. "We assume that the lifespan of mice is extended because rapamycin inhibits tumor formation. This is a well-known rapamycin effect, which we were able to confirm. Cancer is the leading cause of death in the relevant mouse strains" says the specialist in molecular medicine. "Rapamycin, therefore, seems to have isolated effects on specific life-limiting pathology, but lacks broad effects on aging in mice."
A comprehensive assessment of aging
The research team assessed more than 150 traits, which typically change during the course of aging. These analyses included an assessment of vision, reflexes, cardiovascular function, learning and behavior, immune functions and the integrity of the arterial wall, to just name a few. "Aging is a complex process, which cannot be captured by assessing a single parameter. This is why we analysed a large number of structural and functional signs of aging," explains Ehninger. "The present study is one of the most comprehensive assessments of a putative anti-aging intervention."
The analysis comprised three different age cohorts, in which rapamycin treatment was either initiated in young adulthood, in midlife or late in life. "At the time, the US study showed that rapamycin extends lifespan irrespective of whether the treatment is given to young or aged animals," says the Bonn-based researcher. "We, therefore, chose a study design, in the context of which we also investigated rapamycin's effects on different age groups. This enabled us to examine whether the possible effects of rapamycin depend on the age at which treatment started."
The animals were genetically identical twin mice. All of the animals received rapamycin regularly over a period of approximately one year. For each age cohort there was also a control group, which did not take the substance.
Need for comprehensive analyses
"Generally speaking, our studies show that a number of different parameters have to be considered when assessing the efficacy of possible anti-aging interventions. The interpretation of the data depends heavily on the overall picture of findings. Lifespan measures alone are not a reliable indicator of anti-aging effects," emphasises Ehninger. "This makes the search for anti-aging medicines tedious, but it is also very promising, because such substances could open up new possibilities for medicine. However, this is still some way off."
###
Original publication
"Rapamycin extends murine lifespan but has limited effects on aging ", Frauke Neff, Diana Flores-Dominguez etc., Journal of Clinical Investigation (published online on July 25, 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1172/JCI67674
The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) investigates the causes of diseases of the nervous system and develops strategies for prevention, treatment and care. It is an institution of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres with sites in Berlin, Bonn, Dresden, Gttingen, Magdeburg, Munich, Rostock/Greifswald, Tbingen and Witten. The DZNE cooperates closely with universities, their clinics and other research facilities. Website: http://www.dzne.de/en / Twitter: twitter.com/DZNE_en
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Dr. Dirk F?rger presse@dzne.de 49-228-433-02260 Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Substance makes mice live longer, but hardly slows down the aging process
This news release is available in German.
The findings are reported in the current issue of the "Journal of Clinical Investigation" (published online on July 25, 2013).
The body's repair mechanisms begin to fail with increasing age. As a result, signs of wear and tear appear and the risk for many diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and cancer, increases. "Current efforts to develop therapies against age-related diseases target these disorders one by one," says Dr. Dan Ehninger, research group leader at the DZNE site in Bonn. "Influencing the aging process itself may be an alternative approach with the potential to yield broadly effective therapeutics against age-related diseases."
In this context, the substance rapamycin is noteworthy. Rapamycin is used in recipients of organ transplants, as it keeps the immune system in check and can consequently prevent rejection of the foreign tissue. In 2009, US scientists discovered another effect: Mice treated with rapamycin lived longer than their untreated counterparts. "Rapamycin was the first drug shown to extend maximal lifespan in a mammalian species. This study has created quite a stir," says Ehninger.
For Ehninger and his team, this finding motivated further studies: "We wanted to address if rapamycin slows down aging in mice or, alternatively, if it has an isolated effect on lifespan - without broadly modulating aging."
Not a youth elixir
Together with scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum Mnchen and other colleagues, Ehninger's group investigated if rapamycin influences aging in mice. The results are sobering: "Our results indicate that rapamycin extends lifespan, but it has only limited effects on the aging process itself," is Ehninger's summary of the findings. "Most aging traits were not affected by rapamycin treatment. Although we did observe positive effects on some aging traits, such as memory impairments and reduced red blood cell counts, our studies showed that similar drug effects are also seen in young mice, indicating that rapamycin did not influence these measures by slowing aging, but rather via other, aging-independent, mechanisms."
The researchers believe that such aging-independent drug effects also underlie rapamycin's effect on lifespan. "We assume that the lifespan of mice is extended because rapamycin inhibits tumor formation. This is a well-known rapamycin effect, which we were able to confirm. Cancer is the leading cause of death in the relevant mouse strains" says the specialist in molecular medicine. "Rapamycin, therefore, seems to have isolated effects on specific life-limiting pathology, but lacks broad effects on aging in mice."
A comprehensive assessment of aging
The research team assessed more than 150 traits, which typically change during the course of aging. These analyses included an assessment of vision, reflexes, cardiovascular function, learning and behavior, immune functions and the integrity of the arterial wall, to just name a few. "Aging is a complex process, which cannot be captured by assessing a single parameter. This is why we analysed a large number of structural and functional signs of aging," explains Ehninger. "The present study is one of the most comprehensive assessments of a putative anti-aging intervention."
The analysis comprised three different age cohorts, in which rapamycin treatment was either initiated in young adulthood, in midlife or late in life. "At the time, the US study showed that rapamycin extends lifespan irrespective of whether the treatment is given to young or aged animals," says the Bonn-based researcher. "We, therefore, chose a study design, in the context of which we also investigated rapamycin's effects on different age groups. This enabled us to examine whether the possible effects of rapamycin depend on the age at which treatment started."
The animals were genetically identical twin mice. All of the animals received rapamycin regularly over a period of approximately one year. For each age cohort there was also a control group, which did not take the substance.
Need for comprehensive analyses
"Generally speaking, our studies show that a number of different parameters have to be considered when assessing the efficacy of possible anti-aging interventions. The interpretation of the data depends heavily on the overall picture of findings. Lifespan measures alone are not a reliable indicator of anti-aging effects," emphasises Ehninger. "This makes the search for anti-aging medicines tedious, but it is also very promising, because such substances could open up new possibilities for medicine. However, this is still some way off."
###
Original publication
"Rapamycin extends murine lifespan but has limited effects on aging ", Frauke Neff, Diana Flores-Dominguez etc., Journal of Clinical Investigation (published online on July 25, 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1172/JCI67674
The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) investigates the causes of diseases of the nervous system and develops strategies for prevention, treatment and care. It is an institution of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres with sites in Berlin, Bonn, Dresden, Gttingen, Magdeburg, Munich, Rostock/Greifswald, Tbingen and Witten. The DZNE cooperates closely with universities, their clinics and other research facilities. Website: http://www.dzne.de/en / Twitter: twitter.com/DZNE_en
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Former “Facts of Life” star Kim Fields has revealed she is expecting a baby boy. The 44-year-old actress and husband Christopher Morgan, 37, have another son on the way, revealing the big news on an episode of “The Real”. Kim Fields said, “This is Quincy Xavier,” she said pointing to her baby bump on an ...
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At least 16 people were killed and 12 injured when a truck overturned on a highway in China's Jiangxi province, said authorities Wednesday. The accident occurred on a highway in Nanfeng county Tuesday evening when the truck, loaded with pears and carrying 28 people, including 24 women, overturned, reported Xinhua citng the Nanfeng County government. Fifteen people were killed on the spot, and ...
China to deploy new class of strategic missile submarines next year
Beijing News.Net - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
The Chinese Navy is expected to begin the first sea patrols of a new class of strategic missile submarines next year. The development highlights a new and growing missile threat to the U.S. homeland, U.S. defense officials have said. According to the Washington Times, one official familiar with recent intelligence assessments of the Chinese strategic submarine force said they are anticipating ...
77000 students affected in China quake
Beijing News.Net - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
More than 360 schools and 77,000 students have been affected by the earthquake in China's Gansu province, said the education ministry Wednesday. A total of 16,100 students will not be able to return to school as their classrooms and dormitories were damaged in the 6.6-magnitude quake, which jolted Minxian and Zhangxian counties in the city of Dingxi Monday, leaving at least 95 dead and 1,001 ...
Two die in blast at Beijing bakery
Beijing News.Net - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
Two people were killed and 19 injured in an explosion Wednesday at a bakery in downtown Beijing, official sources said. Four people were severely injured, Xinhua quoted sources as saying. The explosion occurred at 7.33 a.m. in Golden Phoenix Bakery store on Guangming road. The fire has been put out and two gas tanks containing 50 kg of liquefied gas have been ...
India-China to discuss border issue at delegation level today
Beijing News.Net - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
Indian and Chinese officials will continue their third round of talks here today, to discuss ways to secure peace on the border. According to reports, the two-day meeting of working mechanism for consultation and coordination on India-China border affairs will focus on ensuring better coordination and communication between the two countries. Chinese forces had crossed into Indian territories ...
China manufacturing drops to 11-month low HSBC
Beijing News.Net - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
China's manufacturing operating conditions deteriorated at the quickest pace since last August, with HSBC's flash purchasing managers' index (PMI) dropping to 47.7 in July, an HSBC report showed Wednesday. HSBC said flash PMI this month fell to 47.7, down from a final 48.2 in June and the lowest in 11 months. Flash China Manufacturing Output Index also fell from 48.6 in June to 48.2 this month, ...
Rain kills 11 in China
Beijing News.Net - Tuesday 23rd July, 2013
Severe rain has killed at least 11 people and injured 23 others in northwest China's Shaanxi province, officials said. Around 570,000 people have been affected by the rains since last week, Xinhua cited the provincial government as saying. The rains have resulted in economic losses of 1.75 billion yuan ($285 million). Nine people died and 11 were injured in Yan'an city. The downpour caused ...
Royal Baby Worth his Weight in Gold to the Firm
Beijing News.Net - Tuesday 23rd July, 2013
LONDON The Firm, as Britain's royal family calls itself, has a new asset.
With the world media in a frenzy over the birth of Prince William and his wife Kate's son, companies from airlines to champagne-makers have jumped on the chance to cash in on the wave of popularity sweeping over the royal family.
From royal potties to blue-cream-filled doughnuts to china commemorative ...
Why Beijing is targeting multinationals in new phase of the anti-corruption campaign
World Tribune - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
East-Asia-Intel.com The high-profile exposure of alleged corruption practices by the China division of pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) indicates that Beijing's anti-graft campaign has entered a new ...
China must be part of long-term Australian political narrative
Global Times - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
Most Chinese would be amazed at the image their country has in Australia. To many people living here, China is a wealthy, powerful, dominant country, poised to be the major power in the next few decades. Australia is about to go through a national election in September. Almost certainly, one of the key issues for the country in the coming years will be the management of its relationship with ...
Official China Commemorating The Birth Of Royal Baby
Forbes - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
Three of the four pieces of China that will commemorate the birth of the royal baby. Even before the royal baby boy of Prince William and the Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, has a name, the official trust of the royal family unveiled a four-piece china set to commemorate his ...
Why China Is Banning Construction of New Government Buildings
The Atlantic - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
China's Communist Party took another swipe at excessive government spending late on Tuesday, with a five-year ban on the construction of state buildings. "We really must use our limited funds and resources for the development of the economy and the improvement of people's ...
Chinas Middle Class Is Fueling A Boom In This Overlooked Sector
Nasdaq - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
There's a sector in China that's booming right now, and U.S. companies are just now starting to take advantage. Consider a few statistics. In 2000, a mere 4% of urban Chinese households were considered middle class. By 2012, that figure had grown to 66%. If current trends continue, by 2022 the middle class populationwill be 75% of urban households. That's nearly 630 million ...
China readies updated version of disputed islands game
Middle East Times - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
Developers of an online military game based on a territorial dispute between Japan and China are planning to release an update next month. The game called Mission of Honor features an aircraft carrier and the disputed Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea, the Xinhua News Agency reported. In its original version a soldier named Qiangjun boards China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning with ...
China stocks plunge on US debt train crash
People's Daily - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
Chinese stocks tumbled Monday as investors sold off holdings increasingly worried about a possible default of government debt by the United States which is to bring the global economy back to a serious slowdown. Also, railway shares plunged after the weekend deadly high-speed train wrecking accident in East China's Zhejiang Province which has killed at least 36 people and injured more than ...
Glaxo says China bribery probe to hit performance
West Australian - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
LONDON (AFP) - GlaxoSmithKline expects its performance in China to take a hit from Beijing's probe into bribery allegedly carried out by senior staff, the British drugs firm said Wednesday, and described the matter as "shameful"."Clearly, we are likely to see some impact to our performance in China as a result of the current investigation, but it is too early to quantify the ...
AP names Edelsten to top China editorial position
Miami Herald - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
BEIJING -- The Associated Press has named veteran Asia-based journalist and video producer Miles Edelsten to the new position of news director for Greater China.The appointment was announced Wednesday by John Daniszewski, senior managing editor for international news; Sandy MacIntyre, AP's director of global video news; and Santiago Lyon, AP's global director of photography."China ...
China to fully open railway construction market
Global Times - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
Upcoming reforms will completely open China's railway construction market, according to a statement released Wednesday after an executive meeting of the State Council presided over by ...
Apple?s Q3 China revenue dives
Global Times - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
Apple Inc saw its revenue from greater China - which includes the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan - plummet 43 percent in the fiscal third quarter ended June 29 from the previous quarter and 14 percent from the same period last year, according to the company's quarterly report published on its website Wednesday. "The main cause of the decline in revenue is the company's ...
China Resources ?rumors? a setup
Global Times - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
The Hong Kong-based State-owned conglomerate at the center of a real-name tip-off confirmed to the Global Times Wednesday that it has sent all its employees an e-mail saying the whole thing was orchestrated behind the scenes and aimed at tarnishing the company's image.The Monday e-mail by China Resources (Holdings) was sent five days after Wang Wenzhi, a reporter with the Economic ...
Thein Sein vows close China ties
Global Times - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
Fan Changlong , vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission.He said Fan's choice of Myanmar as his first foreign trip after taking office shows the friendly ties between the two countries and their armed forces.He expressed the Myanmar government and armed forces' thanks to the Chinese counterparts for their support and assistance, and the country will make tireless ...
Beijing land deal sets record
Global Times - Wednesday 24th July, 2013
COFCO Property (Group) Co, the real estate unit controlled by State-owned food company COFCO Corp, bought a 206,000 square meter plot of land in Beijing's Chaoyang district at 2.36 billion yuan ($384.68 million), the company said in a filing on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange Wednesday.The price of the 49,000 square meter commercial building portion of the plot was around 46,000 yuan per square ...
Time flies, huh? This week marks the 52nd episode of Raw since its three-hour expansion at Raw 1,000, meaning it?s been one full year since WWE?s flagship show grew to its current, plus-sized three hours. Though the move was met with controversy at the time (we believe CM Punk referred to it once as ?insufferable? in one of his grumpier moments), there?s no denying the quality of competition has increased along with the show?s running time.
Over the past year, the WWE Universe has been treated to a cornucopia of classic matches on Monday nights, from the emergence of The Shield to the return of The Undertaker. So, in celebration of the big one-year anniversary, WWE.com has put our heads together to bring you the 10 best matches of the expansion era so far.
The Vice President of the European Commission, European Justice and Fundamental Rights Commissioner Viviane Reding is in Sofia Monday to participate in the public Citizens' Dialogue.
The dialogue is part of the debates with EU citizens across the "Old Continent" in the frame of the "European Year of Citizens."
The opinions of people will help the EC in the preparation of future reforms in the EU, changes in agreements and new legislation. One of the main goals of the dialogue is the groundwork related to the elections for European Parliament in 2014.
The Commissioner will meet with President, Rosen Plevneliev, and with Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister, Zinaida Zlatanov.
Speaking in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio Sunday, she said Bulgaria must have a working justice system and that she expected from the President to seek political consensus for the sake of his country.
Reding has already commented on the peaceful, but mass and relentless anti-government protests in Bulgaria.
"My sympathies are on the side of Bulgarian citizens, who are in the streets to protest against corruption," said the EC Vice President in an interview for the Bulgarian 24 Chassa (24 Hours) daily published on Friday, July 19.
The Citizens' Dialogue discussion in Sofia will be held in the Military Club between 10 and 11:45 am.
Those wishing to participate can register at: COMM-REP-SOF-CITIZENSDIALOGUE@ec.europa.eu.
The debate can be followed online; social networks users can participate via Twitter with hashtag #EUdeb8 or on Facebook through the official page of the European Commission Representation in Sofia.
The Bulgarian National Television will air it live on BNT2.
New York Yankees' Ichiro Suzuki, left, passes Boston Red Sox's Junichi Tazawa after grounding out to end the top of the seventh inning of a baseball game in Boston, Sunday, July 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
New York Yankees' Ichiro Suzuki, left, passes Boston Red Sox's Junichi Tazawa after grounding out to end the top of the seventh inning of a baseball game in Boston, Sunday, July 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Boston Red Sox's Jonny Gomes, right, celebrates his solo home run in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees in Boston, Sunday, July 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
New York Yankees' CC Sabathia watis as Boston Red Sox's Jonny Gomes, left, rounds third base on a three-run home run in the third inning of a baseball game in Boston, Sunday, July 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Boston Red Sox's Jonny Gomes, right, celebrates his three-run home run with David Ortiz, left, who scored on the homer, in the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees in Boston, Sunday, July 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
BOSTON (AP) ? Mike Napoli's teammates weren't so concerned about what he did in the middle innings after his two home runs ? one to start things off, the other to finish it.
Napoli hit a three-run shot after the Red Sox fell behind early, then he ended the game with a solo shot with two outs in the 11th inning, and Boston beat the New York Yankees 8-7 on Sunday night.
"He's a dangerous batter," Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said. "He can do damage at any point in the game."
Napoli ended the 4-hour, 46-minute game at 12:53 a.m. Monday.
The Red Sox scored seven runs after falling behind 3-0, thanks in part to Napoli's three-run homer in the third inning that cleared the seats above the Green Monster and the billboard above them. But they coughed up the lead when New York scored two in the sixth and two in the seventh to tie it 7-all.
It stayed that way until Napoli hit a 3-2 pitch from Adam Warren (1-1) into the center field bleachers. Napoli also struck out three times and grounded into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the eighth.
"I had a chance to win it in the eighth ? to put a run across with a sac fly," said Napoli, who has four homers in his last 12 games and 13 for the season. "That's what is so great about this game, you always get another chance. You've just got to keep going. You can't do anything about it."
Pedro Beato (1-0) pitched the 11th for the win, giving up a single to Eduardo Nunez before he was erased trying to steal second; replays showed he was barely safe.
Nunez, Brett Gardner and Robinson Cano had three hits apiece for the Yankees. New York had runners at first and second with one out in the 10th but Drake Britton, making his second major-league appearance, got Lyle Overbay to ground into a double play.
"Only his second time out there, against a good club and our rivals," Saltalamacchia said.
The Red Sox are 60-40 through their first 100 games, 1? games in front of the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East and seven in front of the fourth-place Yankees. Boston won the three-game series between the longtime rivals on a weekend when New York learned that both shortstop Derek Jeter and third baseman Alex Rodriguez won't be able to return from the disabled list any time soon.
"We battled back and gave ourselves an opportunity to win that game," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It's a shame we had to lose in extra innings."
Boston moved Ryan Dempster up in the rotation to give Jon Lester a couple of extra days' rest after the All-Star break, but things started off poorly for the Red Sox right-hander.
Gardner, who also had three hits on Saturday, led off the game with a single, and then went to third when Dempster fielded Ichiro Suzuki's comebacker and threw it into center field for an error. Suzuki stole second, and Saltalamacchia threw the ball into center for another error that allowed Gardner to score and Suzuki to move to third. He scored on Vernon Wells' single to make it 2-0.
New York took a 3-0 lead in the second on Cano's RBI single.
The Red Sox rallied with a four-run third inning, taking the lead on Napoli's three-run homer. Shane Victorino added a two-run single in the fourth on a high chopper that bounced over the third baseman's head, and Jonny Gomes homered in the fifth to make it 7-3.
But The Yankees scored two in the sixth on RBI singles by Gardner and Cano before Overbay hit into an inning-ending double play. They tied it 7-all in the seventh on two singles, two walks ? one of them a 15-pitch at-bat by Gardner ? and third baseman Jose Iglesias' error when he charged a bunt and threw the ball into the photographers' box.
That saved CC Sabathia from the loss, despite following up his worst start of the year with one almost as bad. He allowed seven runs on nine hits, two walks and two hit batters, striking out five in five-plus innings.
Notes: The Yankees said Rodriguez wouldn't be activated from the disabled list on Monday but would instead return to Tampa, Fla., for "rest and treatment" on his strained left quadriceps muscle. ... The Red Sox confirmed that former closer Andrew Bailey would have season-ending surgery on his right shoulder. He would finish the season with eight saves and a 3.77 ERA. ... Boston RHP Clay Buchholz was scheduled to see Dr. James Andrews for a lingering neck strain that has had him on the DL since early June. ... Sabathia, who was pitching on his 33rd birthday, is 0-2 with a 7.48 ERA on July 21. ... David Ortiz recorded his fourth stolen base of the year, a career-high. ... Gardner fouled off eight straight pitches with a 3-2 count before drawing a walk in the seventh. ... The crowd of 38,138 was the largest of the season at Fenway Park. ... Dempster allowed five runs ? three earned ? on six hits and four walks, plus his own throwing error in the first inning. He struck out four in 5 1-3 innings and earned his fourth consecutive no-decision.
Following the release of iOS 6.1.4, many users are searching for a jailbreak iPhone 4/5/4S/3Gs iOS 6.1.3 and iOS 6.1.4 and take advantage of some of the great new things it allows you to do, especially with the Notification Center. We are once again sitting right in the middle of that beautiful time period when updated jailbreaking tools are available, which allow us to free our iOS devices from their technical shackles. For those who have been sitting with an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad running Apple?s iOS 6.1.3/6.1.4 firmware, you will no doubt be aware that after days of hard work and research, team has released an untethered jailbreak iPhone 4/5/4S/3GS iOS 6.1.3 by the name of TeamRa1n excluding the third-generation Apple TV.
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So what is unlocking of iPhone 5/4 4S 3Gs iOS 6.1.3/6.1.4 and 6.1? If you unlock your iPhone, you will be able to use the SIM card from any network carrier of your choice. All you need to do is download Unlock-Jailbreak App and follow the few simple steps. Unlocking is even simpler than jailbreaking of iPhone. People who frequently travel abroad will find this extremely useful. Also, the official network carrier can prove to be expensive at times. Unlock-Jailbreak App is an excellent unlocking tool for the iPhone. There are some steps that need to be followed and you will be ready to use your iPhone 5/4/4S/3Gs iOS 6.1.3/6.1.4 and 6.1 on any network of your choice. Sometimes it is just good to have the options open.
President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks about the death of Trevyon Martin at the beginning of the daily White House briefing in the Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, July 19, 2013. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks about the death of Trevyon Martin at the beginning of the daily White House briefing in the Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, July 19, 2013. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks to reporters in the Brady Press Briefing room of the White House in Washington, Friday, July 19, 2013. Obama says black Americans feel pain after the Trayvon Martin verdict because of a "history that doesn't go away." Obama spoke in a surprise appearance Friday at the White House, his first time appearing for a statement on the verdict since it was issued last Saturday. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Barack Obama speaks to reporters in the Brady Press Briefing room of the White House in Washington, Friday, July 19, 2013. Obama says black Americans feel pain after the Trayvon Martin verdict because of a "history that doesn't go away." Obama spoke in a surprise appearance Friday at the White House, his first time appearing for a statement on the verdict since it was issued last Saturday. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks during his daily news briefing at the White House, Friday, July 19, 2013, in Washington, about the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks to reporters in the Brady Press Briefing room of the White House in Washington, Friday, July 19, 2013. Obama says black Americans feel pain after the Trayvon Martin verdict because of a "history that doesn't go away." Obama spoke in a surprise appearance Friday at the White House, his first time appearing for a statement on the verdict since it was issued last Saturday. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama kept his own counsel after the six women deciding whether George Zimmerman deserved prison time for the shooting death of Trayvon Martin delivered their verdict, releasing just a written statement appealing for calm the day after the ex-neighborhood watchman had been cleared of all charges.
But the president was quietly keeping tabs on the country's response to the outcome of the racially charged trial, particularly in the black community. He discussed it with his family. He was ready to address it during a series of interviews with Spanish-language TV stations earlier in the week, if asked. He wasn't.
By Thursday, aides said Obama was telling top advisers the country needed to hear from him, not in a way the White House would script it but in a frank discussion of his views and experiences as a black man in America.
On Friday, he stepped up to the podium in the White House briefing room and delivered a rare and extensive reflection on race by a president who has shied away from the issue even as he is constantly dogged by it.
"When Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son," Obama said. "Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago."
For Obama, the product of black-white parentage who has written about his own struggles with racial identity but has kept the subject at arm's length in office, his remarks represented an unusual embrace of his standing as the nation's first black president and of the longing by many black Americans for him to give voice to their experiences.
"When you think about why, in the African-American community at least, there's a lot of pain around what happened here, I think it's important to recognize that the African-American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that ... doesn't go away," he said.
"There are very few African-American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me," Obama said.
A Florida jury last Saturday acquitted Zimmerman, 29, of all charges in the February 2012 shooting death of Trayvon, who was 17 and unarmed. The outcome cheered those who agreed that Zimmerman had acted in self-defense and angered and disappointed those who believe the teenager was targeted and pursued by Zimmerman because he was black.
Despite the emotional aspect to his comments, Obama appeared to signal that the Justice Department is unlikely to charge Zimmerman with violating Trayvon's civil rights, despite intense pressure to do so from the NAACP and others. An NAACP petition urging the department to charge Zimmerman has collected more than 1.5 million signatures.
Obama said people should have "some clear expectations" about any Justice Department action because issues regarding the criminal code traditionally "are issues of state and local government."
Obama, too, had been under pressure from civil rights leaders and others to speak out, but he resisted doing so until Friday. His only comment on the verdict was the paper statement issued Sunday calling Trayvon's death a tragedy for the country and urging the public to heed the "call for calm reflection" from the boy's grieving parents.
Even as the president urged the public to accept the verdict ? "once the jury's spoken, that's how our system works" ? he gave voice to the feelings of those who were angered by the decision.
Obama said there's a sense "that if a white male teen was involved in the same kind of scenario, that, from top to bottom, both the outcome and the aftermath might have been different."
He said he was considering a number of steps, including law enforcement training, examining state and local "stand your ground" laws to see if they encourage the kinds of confrontations that ended with Trayvon's death and how to give black boys "the sense that their country cares about them and values them and is willing to invest in them."
He also called on the country to search its soul.
Obama said Trayvon's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, had shown incredible grace and dignity throughout. He did not mention the feelings of Zimmerman, who relatives say has been threatened with death.
Trayvon's parents released a statement calling Obama's comments "a beautiful tribute to our boy."
Zimmerman's brother, Robert, also welcomed the president's remarks. He told Fox News "the American people need to have some time to digest what really happened and to do that soul searching the president spoke of."
Despite that fact that Obama's race has been central to the story of his political rise, he has rarely addressed the matter as a public figure. He last spoke about race in substantive and personal terms as a presidential candidate in 2008 when he addressed criticism over incendiary comments by his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
In 2009, Obama stumbled when commenting on the arrest of a black Harvard professor in the professor's home, saying the police "acted stupidly." He was forced to retract his comment, then held an awkward "beer summit" at the White House with the professor, Henry Louis Gates, and the white arresting officer.
But on Friday, Obama spoke poignantly about public distrust of many black men, including him before he became well-known, saying they draw nervous stares on elevators and hear car locks clicking when they walk by.
He sought to end on a more positive note, saying the U.S. gets better with each passing generation despite lingering racial discord. He sees the progress when listening to his daughters and watching them with their friends.
"They're better than we were on these issues," Obama said. "We're becoming a more perfect union. Not a perfect union, but a more perfect union."
___
AP White House Correspondent Julie Pace contributed to this report.
___
Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap
In this Friday, April 19, 2013 Massachusetts State Police photo, 19-year-old Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, bloody and disheveled with the red dot of a sniper's rifle laser sight on his forehead, raises his hand from inside a boat at the time of his capture by law enforcement authorities in Watertown, Mass. (AP Photo/Massachusetts State Police, Sean Murphy)
In this Friday, April 19, 2013 Massachusetts State Police photo, 19-year-old Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, bloody and disheveled with the red dot of a sniper's rifle laser sight on his forehead, raises his hand from inside a boat at the time of his capture by law enforcement authorities in Watertown, Mass. (AP Photo/Massachusetts State Police, Sean Murphy)
In this Friday, April 19, 2013 Massachusetts State Police photo, 19-year-old Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, bloody and disheveled with the red dot of a sniper's rifle laser sight on his head, emerges from a boat at the time of his capture by law enforcement authorities in Watertown, Mass. (AP Photo/Massachusetts State Police, Sean Murphy)
In this Friday, April 19, 2013 Massachusetts State Police photo, 19-year-old Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, with the red dot of a sniper's rifle laser sight on the top of his head, leans over a part of a boat where he had been hiding moments before his capture by law enforcement authorities in Watertown, Mass. (AP Photo/Massachusetts State Police, Sean Murphy)
In this Friday, April 19, 2013 Massachusetts State Police photo, 19-year-old Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev raises his hand from a boat at the time of his capture by law enforcement authorities in Watertown, Mass. (AP Photo/Massachusetts State Police, Sean Murphy)
In this Friday, April 19, 2013 Massachusetts State Police photo, 19-year-old Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev leans over in a boat at the time of his capture by law enforcement authorities in Watertown, Mass. (AP Photo/Massachusetts State Police, Sean Murphy)
BOSTON (AP) ? After a week of chaos, the suspect in the deadly Boston Marathon bombings emerged from his hiding spot bloodied and seemingly exhausted ? the red dot of a sniper's rifle lighting his forehead. Photos of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev released by a state police officer give a long-awaited glimpse into the end of an episode that kept the city and its suburbs on edge.
The images, the first of Tsarnaev from that night in April, were released to Boston Magazine on Thursday by a state police photographer angry about a Rolling Stone cover shot of Tsarnaev and hoping to counter what he said was the music magazine's glamorization of the terror suspect.
The release was unauthorized, and Sgt. Sean Murphy faces an internal investigation and possible suspension.
Murphy's 14 photos show the 19-year-old Tsarnaev emerging from his hiding spot in a drydocked boat in Watertown, just west of Boston, his right hand up in surrender in one, his head buried in his arms in another. In every picture of Tsarnaev, the red dot of a sniper's rifle sight is trained on his head.
To Watertown resident Anna Lanzo, the photos show a teen, as weary as he appears, still capable of standing, running and doing the damage she worried he'd do when she was trapped in her house three months ago while her neighborhood was on lockdown.
"I was petrified," said Lanzo, 70, who recalled police swarming her yard, searching under her car and motioning her to get back whenever she approached her windows while they searched for Tsarnaev.
Watertown town Councilor Cecilia Lenk saw nothing she didn't expect in the pictures of Tsarnaev, but it doesn't mean the photos had no effect. Starting with the Rolling Stone cover, the pictures have revived memories of a terrifying time for Watertown residents, she said.
"It's kind of like you're not able to get away from it," Lenk said.
Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to numerous charges related to the April 15 bombing, which killed 3 and injured more than 260 others near the marathon's finish line.
He was captured April 19 after escaping during a shootout with police in Watertown the night before, running over his older brother and fellow suspect, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, in the process. Tamerlan Tsarnaev died following the shootout.
Watertown was in lockdown the next day as thousands of law enforcement officers, in helmets and Humvees, descended for a door-to-door search for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. He was captured, and caught on film by Murphy, after the lockdown was lifted and a homeowner noticed streaks of blood on his boat.
The Rolling Stone cover story on Tsarnaev was released online this week, a few days after his public court appearance. Critics blasted the magazine, saying the cover shot of Tsarnaev was reminiscent of the magazine's flattering portrayals or rock legends such as Jim Morrison. Rolling Stone says the story was part of its commitment to "serious and thoughtful coverage" of important political and cultural issues.
Murphy, in his statement to Boston Magazine, said his photos show "the face of evil" and "the real Boston bomber, not someone fluffed and buffed for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine."
Murphy has not returned calls from The Associated Press. No one answered the door Friday at the blue cottage along the coast in Biddeford, Maine, where neighbors said he spends weekends.
Christina DiIorio-Sterling, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, who is prosecuting the marathon bombing case, called Murphy's release of the photos "completely unacceptable."
Defense attorney Peter Elikann, who's not involved in the case, said that Tsarnaev's attorney could try to use Murphy's statement to try to show the investigation was biased against her client.
"If he expressed that he released those because of anger or because of hatred, that's never good to do in a criminal investigation," Elikann said.
Lanzo said she's glad Murphy released the photos, especially after the Rolling Stone cover, even though it brought back unsettling memories.
"You're almost making him look like this kid that, you know, doesn't look too bad," she said. "And then when you know the whole story and you see these pictures, I think it sheds a different light on it."
Disappointed that most entry-level solid-state drives are limited in capacity, speed or both? You'll be happy with Samsung's newly unveiled SSD 840 EVO, then. While it's badged as a starter model, the 2.5-inch SATA drive carries up to 1TB of storage, or twice as much as the regular SSD 840. Thanks to both 10nm flash memory and a multi-core MEX memory controller, the EVO range is also faster than you'd expect from the category. Depending on the model, sequential write speeds have doubled or tripled versus the original series, peaking at 520MB/s; the flagship 1TB edition can read at a similarly blistering 540MB/s. Samsung doesn't yet have US pricing for the SSD 840 EVO line, although it expects the drives to reach "major" markets worldwide by early August, with other regions coming later.
In this age of scandal, there is one place to turn in college athletics. A place that has been in a constant leadership position lately. A place that oozes excellence and shows vision. A place that can lead us out of these troubled times.
The SEC.
OK, so a significant portion of you don't know whether to laugh or post another Instagram. Mine is a straight face as the conference's annual media circus kicks off Tuesday -- aka SEC media days.
Tony BarnhartSEC circus begins: Manziel, new coaches, Heisman faves
In case you haven't noticed, the Strength Everywhere Conference has quietly become the new NCAA. Not in any official capacity, but it might as well be. Without all the, ahem, baggage that has weighed down college sports' governing body.
The SEC long ago came in from the backyard, wiped its feet and donned a suit. Despite keeping the past seven glass footballs below the Mason-Dixon Line, it has become more than rich. It is worldly and sophisticated. It has coaches from both Ohio (Les Miles) and Michigan (Butch Jones).
While moving the ball it also moves ratings. ESPN, CBS and a new conference network are ready to pump the positive message directly into your brain stem.
The SEC is a leader in football, yes, but the league has done more for college athletics as a whole in the past decade than the NCAA. It has had better ideas, been more decisive and stayed largely untainted -- which is more than we can say about the kingdom in Indianapolis.
Start with stability. This will be commissioner Mike Slive's 12th football season. His conference has never been better, playing the best football and paying its coaches the most money. Those don't necessarily have to be negatives. The league has deftly shaped itself as a monster business with heart. And for the love of Chick-Fil-A, ya'll, college athletics could use some heart.
The coming college football playoff will have to go some to match the spectacle of the SEC Championship Same. That December Saturday in Atlanta has become more than an event, it is a piece of Americana. There is something to that Southern hospitality -- even if it is as simple as a conference official greeting you in the hall this week at the Wynfrey Hotel.
The league has achieved it all lately with a certain amount of, well, class; a simple human quality in short supply these days. The idea of those BCS leagues breaking off to form their own organization suddenly doesn't seem so radical. The SEC arguably has lapped the field, owning the best football and, arguably, the most progressive and admired commissioner.
Why not let SEC success be a big reason the five power leagues (with the Pac-12, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12) break off from their non-BCS brethren? They have more money, their own distinct issues and probably a need for their own rules.
Bruce FeldmanRidiculous questions you may hear at SEC media days
As it is, only three BCS schools have been slapped with a bowl ban as well as lack of institutional control since 2000 -- Southern California, California and Kentucky.
The Wildcats have cleaned up their act enough to lure a Stoops brother (Mark, Florida State's former defensive coordinator) as well as Rachel Newman-Baker, a 12-year NCAA veteran, as its new senior associate AD for compliance.
Before that, longtime enforcement director Dave Didion recently left the association, returning to Auburn. There used to be a time when working for the NCAA was the pinnacle. Now the SEC lures Indy's best and brightest.
When Slive came into office in 2002, he immediately established a mandate to rid the league of any existing major violations within five years. He essentially did it, an accomplishment once thought to be impossible.
Three SEC schools (Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee) will be on probation when the season kicks off. That's a smaller percentage than, say, the Big Ten. One third of that league (four schools) is currently enduring NCAA sanctions. That includes Penn State, which you may have heard one or two things about lately.
If the worst thing coaches can say about Nick Saban is by way of some snide remarks at a booster outing, well, that comes under the "hater" category. The Process is the standard.
Outside the conference, they're not so much worried about recruiting rule changes, they're worried how Saban will use those changes to his advantage. Inside the conference, when SEC coaches voted 13-1 against the idea of a ninth conference game, Saban won the argument by being the '1.' With that ninth game to show the playoff selection committee, the SEC will become even stronger.
The league is getting damn close to having to create an associate commissioner's position in charge of Heismans. If Jadeveon Clowney, AJ McCarron or Aaron Murray wins the trophy for the upcoming season, that would make it four Stiff Arms in five years for the conference.
SEC's 'new' trophyDoes league risk jinxing run of seven national titles?
Speaking of those best and brightest, former SEC supervisor of officials Rogers Redding is leading the charge for player safety as the secretary-editor of the NCAA rules committee. Executive associate commissioner Greg Sankey -- many think he will be Slive's successor -- sits on the NCAA's most powerful body: the infractions committee.
Slive has achieved it all with a kind of understated agenda. He was the one who adamantly favored a playoff structure that included as many SEC teams as possible. Why wouldn't he? Any playoff that didn't include the possibility of two, three, four(?) SEC teams wasn't worth staging.
Slive quietly looked around the landscape, expanded to Missouri and Texas A&M, then launched the SEC Network that threatens to blow away the competition. After working on the subject for years, it was the SEC that recently put the concussion issue in the NCAA's lap.
There is a legal term called "duty of care." While everyone has a moral obligation to help an injured person on the street, there is also the issue of the legal obligation to do so. The NCAA was founded more than 100 years ago essentially on the premise of protecting players against life-threatening injuries.
One conference source called concussions the "Teddy Roosevelt-type moment" of our time. That's possibly why Slive said the league will make a formal request "that the NCAA take the lead in organizing and spearheading a national research effort and examining possible revisions to playing rules in football and other sports."
In other words, let the liability be the NCAA's.
At the 2011 media days, NCAA president Mark Emmert texted Slive with congratulations after the commissioner's annual state of the conference speech. Slive had called for multiyear scholarships, higher academic standards and a smaller NCAA Manual.
The commissioner has also been out front on cracking down on unscrupulous agents and supporting full cost of tuition. This is not the look of a league running rampant over the student-athlete on the way to deposit revenue checks.
It is said that winners write history. Why not let evolve what is happening before our eyes? That would be the SEC becoming the de facto NCAA.
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Public release date: 25-Jul-2013
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Former “Facts of Life” star Kim Fields has revealed she is expecting a baby boy. The 44-year-old actress and husband Christopher Morgan, 37, have another son on the way, revealing the big news on an episode of “The Real”. Kim Fields said, “This is Quincy Xavier,” she said pointing to her baby bump on an ...
