Jan 11 (Infostrada Sports) - Results from the NBA games on Thursday (home team in CAPS)
INDIANA 81 NY Knicks 76
Dallas 117 SACRAMENTO 112 (OT)
PORTLAND 92 Miami 90
INDIANA 81 NY Knicks 76
Dallas 117 SACRAMENTO 112 (OT)
PORTLAND 92 Miami 90
NBA standings
Labels: Sports
Jan 11 (Infostrada Sports) - Standings from the NBA on Thursday
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC DIVISION
W L PCT GB
1. NY Knicks 23 12 .657 -
2. Brooklyn 20 15 .571 3
3. Boston 18 17 .514 5
4. Philadelphia 15 22 .405 9
5. Toronto 13 22 .371 10
CENTRAL DIVISION
W L PCT GB
1. Indiana 22 14 .611 -
2. Chicago 19 14 .576 1 1/2
3. Milwaukee 18 16 .529 3
4. Detroit 13 23 .361 9
5. Cleveland 9 28 .243 13 1/2
SOUTHEAST DIVISION
W L PCT GB
1. Miami 23 11 .676 -
2. Atlanta 20 14 .588 3
3. Orlando 12 23 .343 11 1/2
4. Charlotte 9 25 .265 14
5. Washington 5 28 .152 17 1/2
WESTERN CONFERENCE
NORTHWEST DIVISION
W L PCT GB
1. Oklahoma City 27 8 .771 -
2. Portland 20 15 .571 7
3. Denver 21 16 .568 7
4. Utah 19 18 .514 9
5. Minnesota 16 16 .500 9 1/2
PACIFIC DIVISION
W L PCT GB
1. LA Clippers 28 8 .778 -
2. Golden State 22 12 .647 5
3. LA Lakers 15 20 .429 12 1/2
4. Sacramento 13 23 .361 15
5. Phoenix 12 25 .324 16 1/2
SOUTHWEST DIVISION
W L PCT GB
1. San Antonio 28 10 .737 -
2. Memphis 23 10 .697 2 1/2
3. Houston 21 15 .583 6
4. Dallas 14 23 .378 13 1/2
5. New Orleans 10 25 .286 16 1/2
SATURDAY, JANUARY 12 FIXTURES (GMT)
Charlotte at Toronto (0000)
Utah at Atlanta (0030)
Houston at Boston (0030)
Phoenix at Brooklyn (0030)
San Antonio at Memphis (0100)
Minnesota at New Orleans (0100)
Chicago at NY Knicks (0100)
Detroit at Milwaukee (0130)
Cleveland at Denver (0200)
Portland at Golden State (0330)
Oklahoma City at LA Lakers (0330)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC DIVISION
W L PCT GB
1. NY Knicks 23 12 .657 -
2. Brooklyn 20 15 .571 3
3. Boston 18 17 .514 5
4. Philadelphia 15 22 .405 9
5. Toronto 13 22 .371 10
CENTRAL DIVISION
W L PCT GB
1. Indiana 22 14 .611 -
2. Chicago 19 14 .576 1 1/2
3. Milwaukee 18 16 .529 3
4. Detroit 13 23 .361 9
5. Cleveland 9 28 .243 13 1/2
SOUTHEAST DIVISION
W L PCT GB
1. Miami 23 11 .676 -
2. Atlanta 20 14 .588 3
3. Orlando 12 23 .343 11 1/2
4. Charlotte 9 25 .265 14
5. Washington 5 28 .152 17 1/2
WESTERN CONFERENCE
NORTHWEST DIVISION
W L PCT GB
1. Oklahoma City 27 8 .771 -
2. Portland 20 15 .571 7
3. Denver 21 16 .568 7
4. Utah 19 18 .514 9
5. Minnesota 16 16 .500 9 1/2
PACIFIC DIVISION
W L PCT GB
1. LA Clippers 28 8 .778 -
2. Golden State 22 12 .647 5
3. LA Lakers 15 20 .429 12 1/2
4. Sacramento 13 23 .361 15
5. Phoenix 12 25 .324 16 1/2
SOUTHWEST DIVISION
W L PCT GB
1. San Antonio 28 10 .737 -
2. Memphis 23 10 .697 2 1/2
3. Houston 21 15 .583 6
4. Dallas 14 23 .378 13 1/2
5. New Orleans 10 25 .286 16 1/2
SATURDAY, JANUARY 12 FIXTURES (GMT)
Charlotte at Toronto (0000)
Utah at Atlanta (0030)
Houston at Boston (0030)
Phoenix at Brooklyn (0030)
San Antonio at Memphis (0100)
Minnesota at New Orleans (0100)
Chicago at NY Knicks (0100)
Detroit at Milwaukee (0130)
Cleveland at Denver (0200)
Portland at Golden State (0330)
Oklahoma City at LA Lakers (0330)
UPDATE 1-NBA-Heat evaporate in tight loss to Trail Blazers
Labels: Sports
* Trail Blazers win ninth straight game at home
* Heat slip to fifth defeat in eight games (Adds quotes, detail)
Jan 10 (Reuters) - Guard Wesley Matthews buried successive three-pointers to cap a stunning late rally as the Portland Trail Blazers stunned the NBA champion Miami Heat with a tense 92-90 win on Thursday.
Trailing 80-68 with just over eight minutes left, Portland finished with a rousing 24-10 run to record their fourth straight win and their ninth in a row at home, improving to 20-15 for the season.
Matthews' heroics put Portland ahead 91-90 and a LaMarcus Aldridge free throw then made it 92-90 with 10.4 seconds remaining.
Guard Mario Chalmers missed a late three-point attempt as the Heat slipped to their fifth defeat in their last eight games for an overall record of 23-11.
Nicolas Batum led the way for the Trail Blazers with 28 points, forward LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 20 points and 15 rebounds while Matthews finished with 18 points on seven-of-18 shooting.
"We got a lot of confidence and we are playing great at home right now," Williams told reporters after his step-back three-pointer with 26.9 seconds left put Portland a point in front.
"We are playing very well overall. We played against a great team ... and we knew they would make their run. We just got to stop the bleeding and we were able to do that."
Though Chris Bosh scored a game-high 29 points for Miami and Dwyane Wade weighed in with 18, the visitors paid the price after being outscored 29-22 in the final quarter.
JAMES STREAK ENDS
LeBron James was restricted to 15 points on six-of-16 shooting, ending a run of 54 games including the playoffs with at least 20 points dating back to last season
"It's a tough loss, no doubt about it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Our guys are disappointed about that. With seven minutes to go, we're taking control of the game and gaining some confidence in our defense.
"And then we slipped a little bit. But it's still a ballgame down to the end, and they made more plays."
Portland began the game brightly but James poured in a three-pointer to give slow-starting Miami a 21-18 lead after a closely contested opening quarter.
With the "Big Three" of James, Bosh and Wade all getting into double figures, the Heat upped the tempo and padded their advantage to 52-39 halftime.
Portland ended the third quarter on a 14-7 run to cut Miami's lead to 68-63 but the Heat appeared to have the game in control midway through the fourth before the home team took over in spectacular fashion.
"It's an understatement to say it's great to beat Miami," Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "I gotta hand it to our guys for sticking with it.
"You keep competing, playing through and finding ways to win games. That's what we did tonight, and what we've been doing most of the season.
* Heat slip to fifth defeat in eight games (Adds quotes, detail)
Jan 10 (Reuters) - Guard Wesley Matthews buried successive three-pointers to cap a stunning late rally as the Portland Trail Blazers stunned the NBA champion Miami Heat with a tense 92-90 win on Thursday.
Trailing 80-68 with just over eight minutes left, Portland finished with a rousing 24-10 run to record their fourth straight win and their ninth in a row at home, improving to 20-15 for the season.
Matthews' heroics put Portland ahead 91-90 and a LaMarcus Aldridge free throw then made it 92-90 with 10.4 seconds remaining.
Guard Mario Chalmers missed a late three-point attempt as the Heat slipped to their fifth defeat in their last eight games for an overall record of 23-11.
Nicolas Batum led the way for the Trail Blazers with 28 points, forward LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 20 points and 15 rebounds while Matthews finished with 18 points on seven-of-18 shooting.
"We got a lot of confidence and we are playing great at home right now," Williams told reporters after his step-back three-pointer with 26.9 seconds left put Portland a point in front.
"We are playing very well overall. We played against a great team ... and we knew they would make their run. We just got to stop the bleeding and we were able to do that."
Though Chris Bosh scored a game-high 29 points for Miami and Dwyane Wade weighed in with 18, the visitors paid the price after being outscored 29-22 in the final quarter.
JAMES STREAK ENDS
LeBron James was restricted to 15 points on six-of-16 shooting, ending a run of 54 games including the playoffs with at least 20 points dating back to last season
"It's a tough loss, no doubt about it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Our guys are disappointed about that. With seven minutes to go, we're taking control of the game and gaining some confidence in our defense.
"And then we slipped a little bit. But it's still a ballgame down to the end, and they made more plays."
Portland began the game brightly but James poured in a three-pointer to give slow-starting Miami a 21-18 lead after a closely contested opening quarter.
With the "Big Three" of James, Bosh and Wade all getting into double figures, the Heat upped the tempo and padded their advantage to 52-39 halftime.
Portland ended the third quarter on a 14-7 run to cut Miami's lead to 68-63 but the Heat appeared to have the game in control midway through the fourth before the home team took over in spectacular fashion.
"It's an understatement to say it's great to beat Miami," Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "I gotta hand it to our guys for sticking with it.
"You keep competing, playing through and finding ways to win games. That's what we did tonight, and what we've been doing most of the season.
Report: Apple may build less expensive iPhone
Labels: Technology
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple is trying to decide whether it makes sense to offer a cheaper iPhone as it tries to boost sales in less-affluent countries and reclaim some of the market share lost to cheaper phones running Google's Android software, according to a published report.
Wednesday's report in The Wall Street Journal speculated that Apple could lower the iPhone's price by equipping the device with an exterior that costs less than the aluminum housing on current models.
A cheaper iPhone could come out as early as this year, or the idea could be tabled for future consideration, as has previously happened. Citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, the Journal said Apple began assessing the pros and cons of making a cheaper iPhone in 2009 and has periodically revisited the notion. Apple Inc. declined to comment to The Associated Press.
Apple so far has stuck with an approach that has stamped the iPhone as the gold standard, a device that warrants a higher price than other smartphones. Under this tack favored by Apple's late CEO, Steve Jobs, the company sells a premium-priced iPhone that has been updated annually with new features since its 2007 debut.
In an attempt to appeal to more budget-conscious consumers, Apple has been selling older models of the iPhone at discounts before phasing them out.
The latest iPhones start at $199 in the U.S., but those prices are subsidized by wireless carriers, which figure they can make up the costs through monthly service fees over the life of a two-year contract.
The unsubsidized prices start at $649. That is proving to be too much for many people looking to stay connected on the go, prompting them to snap up more affordable smartphones, including Android devices made by Samsung Electronics Co. and others. Google Inc. doesn't charge for the Android mobile operating system, making it easier for device makers to undercut the iPhone. Apple doesn't allow rivals to use the iPhone's iOS operating system at all.
Android devices accounted for 75 percent of smartphone shipments during the three months ending in September, up from 58 percent at the same time in 2011, according to the research firm IDC. The iPhone's share stood at 15 percent in September, up from 14 percent in the previous year.
Google says more than 500 million Android devices have been activated since the software's release four years ago. By comparison, Apple had sold about 271 million iPhones through last September.
Apple could fall further behind as it focuses more on markets outside the U.S. and Europe. That's because many households in some of the most promising markets, including China, can't afford iPhones at their current prices. Apple CEO Tim Cook, who took over the helm shortly before Jobs died in October 2011, is currently visiting China.
"The Western markets are saturated and Apple has to look at emerging growth markets and develop a product that meets the demands of the region and affordability," said N. Venkat Venkatraman, chairman of the Information Systems Department at Boston University's school of management.
Under Cook's leadership, Apple already has deviated from Jobs' philosophy by selling less-expensive versions of its products. Late last year, Apple introduced a smaller model of its iPad. The iPad Mini sells for $329, or about a third less than what the latest full-size iPad starts at. Even so, Apple is still charging $80 to $130 more for the iPad Mini than similar-sized tablets, including Google's Nexus 7.
Analysts are divided on whether a cheaper iPhone would be good for Apple. Some believe Apple needs to expand the choices to preserve market share and sustain revenue growth. Others fear a less-expensive iPhone would siphon sales from the premium model and diminish the company's profit margins. That same concern raised by the recent introduction of the iPad Mini is one of the reasons that Apple's stock price has fallen 26 percent from a peak reached in late September, just as the latest iPhone went on sale.
Apple's stock fell $8.21 Wednesday to close at $517.10.
The iPhone and related products generated $80 billion in sales during Apple's last fiscal year, which ended in September. It accounted for more than half of the Cupertino, Calif., company's total revenue.
Wednesday's report in The Wall Street Journal speculated that Apple could lower the iPhone's price by equipping the device with an exterior that costs less than the aluminum housing on current models.
A cheaper iPhone could come out as early as this year, or the idea could be tabled for future consideration, as has previously happened. Citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, the Journal said Apple began assessing the pros and cons of making a cheaper iPhone in 2009 and has periodically revisited the notion. Apple Inc. declined to comment to The Associated Press.
Apple so far has stuck with an approach that has stamped the iPhone as the gold standard, a device that warrants a higher price than other smartphones. Under this tack favored by Apple's late CEO, Steve Jobs, the company sells a premium-priced iPhone that has been updated annually with new features since its 2007 debut.
In an attempt to appeal to more budget-conscious consumers, Apple has been selling older models of the iPhone at discounts before phasing them out.
The latest iPhones start at $199 in the U.S., but those prices are subsidized by wireless carriers, which figure they can make up the costs through monthly service fees over the life of a two-year contract.
The unsubsidized prices start at $649. That is proving to be too much for many people looking to stay connected on the go, prompting them to snap up more affordable smartphones, including Android devices made by Samsung Electronics Co. and others. Google Inc. doesn't charge for the Android mobile operating system, making it easier for device makers to undercut the iPhone. Apple doesn't allow rivals to use the iPhone's iOS operating system at all.
Android devices accounted for 75 percent of smartphone shipments during the three months ending in September, up from 58 percent at the same time in 2011, according to the research firm IDC. The iPhone's share stood at 15 percent in September, up from 14 percent in the previous year.
Google says more than 500 million Android devices have been activated since the software's release four years ago. By comparison, Apple had sold about 271 million iPhones through last September.
Apple could fall further behind as it focuses more on markets outside the U.S. and Europe. That's because many households in some of the most promising markets, including China, can't afford iPhones at their current prices. Apple CEO Tim Cook, who took over the helm shortly before Jobs died in October 2011, is currently visiting China.
"The Western markets are saturated and Apple has to look at emerging growth markets and develop a product that meets the demands of the region and affordability," said N. Venkat Venkatraman, chairman of the Information Systems Department at Boston University's school of management.
Under Cook's leadership, Apple already has deviated from Jobs' philosophy by selling less-expensive versions of its products. Late last year, Apple introduced a smaller model of its iPad. The iPad Mini sells for $329, or about a third less than what the latest full-size iPad starts at. Even so, Apple is still charging $80 to $130 more for the iPad Mini than similar-sized tablets, including Google's Nexus 7.
Analysts are divided on whether a cheaper iPhone would be good for Apple. Some believe Apple needs to expand the choices to preserve market share and sustain revenue growth. Others fear a less-expensive iPhone would siphon sales from the premium model and diminish the company's profit margins. That same concern raised by the recent introduction of the iPad Mini is one of the reasons that Apple's stock price has fallen 26 percent from a peak reached in late September, just as the latest iPhone went on sale.
Apple's stock fell $8.21 Wednesday to close at $517.10.
The iPhone and related products generated $80 billion in sales during Apple's last fiscal year, which ended in September. It accounted for more than half of the Cupertino, Calif., company's total revenue.
Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile all confirm upcoming BlackBerry 10 launches
Labels: Technology
Research In Motion’s (RIMM) next-generation smartphone platform has received all-important nods from three of the four major nationwide carriers in the United States. Following official endorsements from some international carriers, executives at Verizon Wireless (VZ), AT&T (T) and T-Mobile have each confirmed to Reuters that they will carry BlackBerry 10 devices some time after the new operating system’s debut later this month.
[More from BGR: iPhone 5 now available with unlimited service, no contract on Walmart’s $45 Straight Talk plan]
The carriers didn’t sound terribly enthusiastic in all cases — ”We’re hopeful it’s going to be a good device,” was all Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam would offer Reuters — but RIM did get an exuberant thumbs-up from at least one chief executive. ”We’re extremely optimistic that it’s going to be a successful product and our business customers are extremely interested in it,” T-Mobile CEO John Legere said.
[More from BGR: iPhone 5 now available with unlimited service, no contract on Walmart’s $45 Straight Talk plan]
The carriers didn’t sound terribly enthusiastic in all cases — ”We’re hopeful it’s going to be a good device,” was all Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam would offer Reuters — but RIM did get an exuberant thumbs-up from at least one chief executive. ”We’re extremely optimistic that it’s going to be a successful product and our business customers are extremely interested in it,” T-Mobile CEO John Legere said.
Why you should be rooting for RIM and BlackBerry 10 to succeed
Labels: Technology
It's time to start paying attention to RIM again. For innovation's sake
It's time to stop making fun of RIM. Seriously. Full stop. After years of devolving into a laughingstock of a tech company, Research in Motion is somehow finding its way back to the brink of relevance, and will soon embark on a make-or-break mission that just a couple of months ago would've sounded impossible: RIM wants you to like it again. And I think it has a shot.
To be fair, the Canada-based phone-maker hasn't exactly made it easy for you, the consumer, to cheer the company onward, especially with the smothering shadows cast by Google and Apple. In fact, RIM's downward spiral presents a compelling case study for boneheaded decision-making and public relations thoughtlessness. There were the endless delays (BlackBerry 10 was first teased in 2011); the embarrassing incident in which two company executives got too drunk and had to be restrained on a plane bound for China; the recent layoffs that some insiders called "inhumane." Depressing article after depressing article only seemed to crescendo the BlackBerry's death knell, replete with graphs and lifeless arrows all pointing the same direction. Down.
This week, RIM announced that after more than a year of product delays — egregious, considering new Android phones are released days apart — a line of new budget-friendly BlackBerrys sporting a new operating system, BB10, are ready to be formally unveiled (not shipped) at the end of January. (Note: Like many users, I made the switch from a BlackBerry Curve to an iPhone two years ago. It is one of the best decisions I've ever made. And no, I couldn't care less about the physical keyboard.)
That's something to be excited about. Over at Gizmodo, there's a surprisingly neat walkthrough of some of the new features BB10 will use. At first glance it looks like the baffling stepchild bred from a weird love triangle between Android, iOS, and a grizzled old Windows XP.
Yet the redesigned OS has some good features and flourishes worth noting: The ability to minimize apps that run simultaneously. The ability to keep your finger pressed down to slide panes side-to-side (handy for peeking around). A well-spaced, digital keyboard that skeuomorphically draws inspiration from BlackBerry's celebrated keypads. The easy-to-set alarm clock is unlike anything we've seen yet. The phone's camera looks intuitive and snappy with some smart editing features. Cosmetically speaking it's not the prettiest UI in the world, but it's not supposed to be. As a business device, BB10-equipped phones will be all about cold, mechanical efficiency. And you can bet Android and Apple are taking notes.
No, BlackBerry 10 won't change the world like the iPhone did in 2007. But it doesn't have to. The reason we should be rooting for RIM is because, quite honestly, it's beginning to look more and more like the current duopoloy of iOS and Android isn't going anywhere, not even with Microsoft's tile-based Windows Phones beginning to surge. According to ComScore, the two operating systems have a stranglehold on the smartphone market, accounting for nearly 90 percent of all devices.
The sad truth about all the legal mudslinging between Apple and Android licensees like Samsung is that patents matter right now, whether the system is broken or not. "We think that these patent wars are not helpful to consumers," Google public policy director Pablo Chavez said in August last year, lamenting the litigiousness that's plaguing the world of mobile technology. "They're not helpful to the marketplace. They're not helpful to innovation," he added.
But competition is.
We need RIM and Windows to keep the current leaders on their toes, to push innovation forward, albeit from behind. Whether it's a just a new way to swipe or organize an application is inconsequential. Variety breeds stronger victors.
I'm not saying we shouldn't criticize RIM. We should. It's our duty to keep the companies making our gadgets honest. But BlackBerry, like Microsoft and the Windows Phone, is in the unique but difficult position of providing phone-buyers with something fresh but familiar. New, but not quite groundbreaking.
We had our fun, but it's time to start rooting for companies like RIM, Windows, and others experimenting with new ideas instead of kicking them when they fail. This would give consumers a voice in the one forum that matters — the marketplace. That's why, against the odds, I'm pulling for the new batch of BlackBerrys to succeed. I hope I'm not alone.
It's time to stop making fun of RIM. Seriously. Full stop. After years of devolving into a laughingstock of a tech company, Research in Motion is somehow finding its way back to the brink of relevance, and will soon embark on a make-or-break mission that just a couple of months ago would've sounded impossible: RIM wants you to like it again. And I think it has a shot.
To be fair, the Canada-based phone-maker hasn't exactly made it easy for you, the consumer, to cheer the company onward, especially with the smothering shadows cast by Google and Apple. In fact, RIM's downward spiral presents a compelling case study for boneheaded decision-making and public relations thoughtlessness. There were the endless delays (BlackBerry 10 was first teased in 2011); the embarrassing incident in which two company executives got too drunk and had to be restrained on a plane bound for China; the recent layoffs that some insiders called "inhumane." Depressing article after depressing article only seemed to crescendo the BlackBerry's death knell, replete with graphs and lifeless arrows all pointing the same direction. Down.
This week, RIM announced that after more than a year of product delays — egregious, considering new Android phones are released days apart — a line of new budget-friendly BlackBerrys sporting a new operating system, BB10, are ready to be formally unveiled (not shipped) at the end of January. (Note: Like many users, I made the switch from a BlackBerry Curve to an iPhone two years ago. It is one of the best decisions I've ever made. And no, I couldn't care less about the physical keyboard.)
That's something to be excited about. Over at Gizmodo, there's a surprisingly neat walkthrough of some of the new features BB10 will use. At first glance it looks like the baffling stepchild bred from a weird love triangle between Android, iOS, and a grizzled old Windows XP.
Yet the redesigned OS has some good features and flourishes worth noting: The ability to minimize apps that run simultaneously. The ability to keep your finger pressed down to slide panes side-to-side (handy for peeking around). A well-spaced, digital keyboard that skeuomorphically draws inspiration from BlackBerry's celebrated keypads. The easy-to-set alarm clock is unlike anything we've seen yet. The phone's camera looks intuitive and snappy with some smart editing features. Cosmetically speaking it's not the prettiest UI in the world, but it's not supposed to be. As a business device, BB10-equipped phones will be all about cold, mechanical efficiency. And you can bet Android and Apple are taking notes.
No, BlackBerry 10 won't change the world like the iPhone did in 2007. But it doesn't have to. The reason we should be rooting for RIM is because, quite honestly, it's beginning to look more and more like the current duopoloy of iOS and Android isn't going anywhere, not even with Microsoft's tile-based Windows Phones beginning to surge. According to ComScore, the two operating systems have a stranglehold on the smartphone market, accounting for nearly 90 percent of all devices.
The sad truth about all the legal mudslinging between Apple and Android licensees like Samsung is that patents matter right now, whether the system is broken or not. "We think that these patent wars are not helpful to consumers," Google public policy director Pablo Chavez said in August last year, lamenting the litigiousness that's plaguing the world of mobile technology. "They're not helpful to the marketplace. They're not helpful to innovation," he added.
But competition is.
We need RIM and Windows to keep the current leaders on their toes, to push innovation forward, albeit from behind. Whether it's a just a new way to swipe or organize an application is inconsequential. Variety breeds stronger victors.
I'm not saying we shouldn't criticize RIM. We should. It's our duty to keep the companies making our gadgets honest. But BlackBerry, like Microsoft and the Windows Phone, is in the unique but difficult position of providing phone-buyers with something fresh but familiar. New, but not quite groundbreaking.
We had our fun, but it's time to start rooting for companies like RIM, Windows, and others experimenting with new ideas instead of kicking them when they fail. This would give consumers a voice in the one forum that matters — the marketplace. That's why, against the odds, I'm pulling for the new batch of BlackBerrys to succeed. I hope I'm not alone.
Liberty Mutual’s Coach Of The Year Finalist And Head Football Coach At Lake Forest College, Jim Catanzaro Is Back To Direct The 2013 Contact Football Camp In Illinois
Labels: Business
The Contact Football Camp at Lake Forest College, June 16-20, is an established location where Head Coach Jim Catanzaro works with youth football players to ensure they gain insight on the game and improve their skills.
San Rafael, CA (PRWEB) January 09, 2013
The Contact Football Camp at Lake Forest College June 16-20, is an established location where Head Coach Jim Catanzaro works with youth football players to ensure they gain insight on the game and improve their skills.
Jim Catanzaro has been directing Contact Football Camps for the past six summers and heads into his seventh camp as a Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Finalist. Along with a reputable coaching career, Coach Catanzaro demonstrates a high level of enthusiasm, passion, and energy.
“We look forward to another summer at Lake Forest College with Coach Catanzaro leading the way,” Mike de Surville, Vice President of US Sports Camps and operators of the Contact Football Camps stated. “His coaching style exemplifies our company mission and he always gets campers fired up about working hard and improving their game.”
As with all Contact Football Camps across the country, campers have the opportunity to train each day, work hard, improve, make new friends, and have fun. "Contact" is introduced in a slow, gradual progression with campers being divided according to age, weight and ability. Instruction (3 times a day) takes place on the beautiful fields of Lake Forest College and stresses both individual positions and team play. Camper’s housing and meals take place on campus.
About Contact Football Camps and US Sports Camps
Established in 1977, Contact Football Camps enters its 37th summer operating full contact summer football camps for young players aged 8-18. Thousands of our previous football campers played, or are now playing college football (many at schools represented by our coaching staff).
US Sports Camps (USSC), headquartered in San Rafael, California, is America’s largest sports camp network and the licensed operator of NIKE Sports Camps. The company was started in 1975 with the same mission that defines it today: to shape a lifelong enjoyment of athletics through high quality sports education and skill enhancement.
US Sports Camps has partnered with the DeBartolo Football Academy to bring Elite Quarterback and Wide Receiver camps across the United States. Players, coaches, parents and others interested in Contact Football Camps can visit contactfootball.com or call 1-800-433-6060.
San Rafael, CA (PRWEB) January 09, 2013
The Contact Football Camp at Lake Forest College June 16-20, is an established location where Head Coach Jim Catanzaro works with youth football players to ensure they gain insight on the game and improve their skills.
Jim Catanzaro has been directing Contact Football Camps for the past six summers and heads into his seventh camp as a Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Finalist. Along with a reputable coaching career, Coach Catanzaro demonstrates a high level of enthusiasm, passion, and energy.
“We look forward to another summer at Lake Forest College with Coach Catanzaro leading the way,” Mike de Surville, Vice President of US Sports Camps and operators of the Contact Football Camps stated. “His coaching style exemplifies our company mission and he always gets campers fired up about working hard and improving their game.”
As with all Contact Football Camps across the country, campers have the opportunity to train each day, work hard, improve, make new friends, and have fun. "Contact" is introduced in a slow, gradual progression with campers being divided according to age, weight and ability. Instruction (3 times a day) takes place on the beautiful fields of Lake Forest College and stresses both individual positions and team play. Camper’s housing and meals take place on campus.
About Contact Football Camps and US Sports Camps
Established in 1977, Contact Football Camps enters its 37th summer operating full contact summer football camps for young players aged 8-18. Thousands of our previous football campers played, or are now playing college football (many at schools represented by our coaching staff).
US Sports Camps (USSC), headquartered in San Rafael, California, is America’s largest sports camp network and the licensed operator of NIKE Sports Camps. The company was started in 1975 with the same mission that defines it today: to shape a lifelong enjoyment of athletics through high quality sports education and skill enhancement.
US Sports Camps has partnered with the DeBartolo Football Academy to bring Elite Quarterback and Wide Receiver camps across the United States. Players, coaches, parents and others interested in Contact Football Camps can visit contactfootball.com or call 1-800-433-6060.
Save the Date: eMazzanti Announces NRF Networking Party at Frames NYC Jan 14th
Labels: Business
eMazzanti Technologies and WatchGuard join together to offer NRF attendees a night of luxurious relaxation at the Frames Bowling and Games Lounge, NYC January 14th 6:30pm.
Hoboken, NJ / New York, NY (PRWEB) January 10, 2013
eMazzanti Technologies, a Hoboken, New Jersey and New York City area IT expert and computer consultant, announces a networking and technology party for all NRF attendees. The party, named the NRF-O-Rama, will be held at the luxurious new Frames Bowling and Game lounge, 550 9th Avenue, NYC at 6:30 pm., Monday, January 14th. WatchGuard, eMazzanti’s security OEM partner will also help sponsor the evening’s activities which will include free eating, drinking, bowling, games and networking at one of NYC’s most trendy game lounges which includes a full bar and bistro.
“Whether you want to relax in the plush lounge, bowl in the state-of-the-art lanes or explore the billiards and game room; this event—which we call the NRF-O-Rama, will be one that you will surely remember,” said Carl Mazzanti, CEO, eMazzanti Technologies. “It’s one of the best ways we can think of to unwind from a busy day at the NRF Show.”
The NRF-O-Rama Party is open to all NRF show visitors and exhibitors. Space is limited, so party attendees should register early at: http://www.emazzanti.net/events/nrf-o-rama-the-premier-nrf-networking-event-party.
About eMazzanti Technologies
With a company name that sounds more like a purebred, high-performance sports car than a IT support and consulting firm, eMazzanti Technologies is all about delivering powerful solutions such as Outsourced IT, Office cloud technology 365, computer network management, network troubleshooting, business continuity and disaster recovery, green computing, mobile workforce technology, information security and business information optimization in the most efficient manner possible. The Hoboken, N.J., firm is located in one of the most densely populated - and competitive - regions in the U.S. It provides business technology consulting services for companies ranging from home offices to multinational corporations throughout the New York metropolitan area and in three countries. For more information contact: Carl Mazzanti 201-360-4400 or emazzanti.net. Twitter: @emazzanti, Facebook: Facebook.com/emazzantitechnologies.
Hoboken, NJ / New York, NY (PRWEB) January 10, 2013
eMazzanti Technologies, a Hoboken, New Jersey and New York City area IT expert and computer consultant, announces a networking and technology party for all NRF attendees. The party, named the NRF-O-Rama, will be held at the luxurious new Frames Bowling and Game lounge, 550 9th Avenue, NYC at 6:30 pm., Monday, January 14th. WatchGuard, eMazzanti’s security OEM partner will also help sponsor the evening’s activities which will include free eating, drinking, bowling, games and networking at one of NYC’s most trendy game lounges which includes a full bar and bistro.
“Whether you want to relax in the plush lounge, bowl in the state-of-the-art lanes or explore the billiards and game room; this event—which we call the NRF-O-Rama, will be one that you will surely remember,” said Carl Mazzanti, CEO, eMazzanti Technologies. “It’s one of the best ways we can think of to unwind from a busy day at the NRF Show.”
The NRF-O-Rama Party is open to all NRF show visitors and exhibitors. Space is limited, so party attendees should register early at: http://www.emazzanti.net/events/nrf-o-rama-the-premier-nrf-networking-event-party.
About eMazzanti Technologies
With a company name that sounds more like a purebred, high-performance sports car than a IT support and consulting firm, eMazzanti Technologies is all about delivering powerful solutions such as Outsourced IT, Office cloud technology 365, computer network management, network troubleshooting, business continuity and disaster recovery, green computing, mobile workforce technology, information security and business information optimization in the most efficient manner possible. The Hoboken, N.J., firm is located in one of the most densely populated - and competitive - regions in the U.S. It provides business technology consulting services for companies ranging from home offices to multinational corporations throughout the New York metropolitan area and in three countries. For more information contact: Carl Mazzanti 201-360-4400 or emazzanti.net. Twitter: @emazzanti, Facebook: Facebook.com/emazzantitechnologies.
Custody Battle Continues This Month for Priceless Bahia Emerald
Labels: Business
Bahia Claimant & Global Quest TV’s Jerry J. Ferrara in Recent Media for Missing Mayan Codex Discovery. Bahia Emerald valued at over $400,000,000
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) January 09, 2013
Over a decade after its discovery, the high profile legal battle continues for ownership of the rare Bahia Emerald, an 840-pound gem that is considered to be the world’s largest and heaviest emerald. Recognized as one of the most renowned lawsuits in California history, the case has gained an international following. Per court documents, a half-dozen or so claimants have already settled out of court with FM Holdings, Inc. (Ferrara Morrison Holdings). The remaining three respondents, FM Holdings, Inc., Mark Downie and Anthony Thomas, will face off again on case number BS118649 in January at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in the Los Angeles Superior Court district.
After nearly six years of court dates and hearings, January’s case is an extension of the April 2011 case where, per court documents, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John A. Kronstadt found Anthony Thomas’ claim of ownership of the Bahia Emerald not credible. After the ruling, Kronstadt was sworn in as a federal district judge and was replaced by Judge Michael Johnson. Wishing to hear the case himself and make an independent ruling, Judge Johnson has brought the case to light yet again.
Per court documents, FM Holdings, Inc., comprised of real life “Indiana Jones” Jerry J. Ferrara, Kit Morrison, a private equity financier, and accounting and financial expert Todd Armstrong, maintains it has the valid legal title to the Bahia Emerald and alleges that it also has an equitable claim to title as bona fide purchasers of the Bahia Emerald. Law firms Greene Broillet & Wheeler and Balaban & Spielberger represent FM Holdings, Inc.
“We stand behind our claim and are confident that we will prevail as the legal and rightful owner of the Bahia Emerald,” said Jerry J. Ferrara, founder of Global Quest TV and prominent historical researcher.
In the National Geographic Special "The 400 Million Dollar Emerald," researchers and experts follow the Bahia Emerald from the mines of Brazil’s Bahia Region in 2001. The emerald, which contains more than 180,000 carats of emerald crystals, is being held at the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department evidence locker until the case is resolved. The Bahia emerald has been appraised as high as $900 million dollars.
Ferrara and Morrison are no strangers to priceless artifacts. Ferrara’s Global Quest team of researchers were responsible for uncovering the fourth authentic Mayan Codex in Sept. 2012. To date, this is the only complete Mayan Codex discovered and includes both the front and back hand carved wood covers. The missing codex has been safeguarded for almost three centuries by a family who are direct blood descendants of the House of David. Forensic analysis and micron auger testing dates the codex to 1540 AD (+/- 70 years) which places it towards the end of the Mayan civilization.
"I have had the opportunity to work with some of the top researchers and archaeologists in the world and I’ve never seen anything quite like this piece. Preliminary research with leading period scholars lend me to believe the piece might be directly related to the Mayan Calendar, particularly the Mayan T'zolkin Spiritual Calendar," said Ferrara who serves as the custodian of antiquities and ancient texts for the family who owns the codex.
Several renowned national museums are vying to purchase the codex but with the final destination still being determined, it is currently back in the safety of the family. A private meeting is being arranged to translate the codex which will consist of the top archaeologists, scientists and academics from around the world. Visit TheMayanCodex.com for more information on the missing codex, as well as never before seen photos and video taken during the analysis process.
Ferrara and the Global Quest team are also working on a project that features what is said to be the only existing unrestored Leonardo Da Vinci painting of Jesus Christ. With preliminary analysis and signature authentication on the piece already showing promise, researchers are preparing for X-ray analysis to shed light on what even a highly trained eye cannot depict.
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) January 09, 2013
Over a decade after its discovery, the high profile legal battle continues for ownership of the rare Bahia Emerald, an 840-pound gem that is considered to be the world’s largest and heaviest emerald. Recognized as one of the most renowned lawsuits in California history, the case has gained an international following. Per court documents, a half-dozen or so claimants have already settled out of court with FM Holdings, Inc. (Ferrara Morrison Holdings). The remaining three respondents, FM Holdings, Inc., Mark Downie and Anthony Thomas, will face off again on case number BS118649 in January at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in the Los Angeles Superior Court district.
After nearly six years of court dates and hearings, January’s case is an extension of the April 2011 case where, per court documents, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John A. Kronstadt found Anthony Thomas’ claim of ownership of the Bahia Emerald not credible. After the ruling, Kronstadt was sworn in as a federal district judge and was replaced by Judge Michael Johnson. Wishing to hear the case himself and make an independent ruling, Judge Johnson has brought the case to light yet again.
Per court documents, FM Holdings, Inc., comprised of real life “Indiana Jones” Jerry J. Ferrara, Kit Morrison, a private equity financier, and accounting and financial expert Todd Armstrong, maintains it has the valid legal title to the Bahia Emerald and alleges that it also has an equitable claim to title as bona fide purchasers of the Bahia Emerald. Law firms Greene Broillet & Wheeler and Balaban & Spielberger represent FM Holdings, Inc.
“We stand behind our claim and are confident that we will prevail as the legal and rightful owner of the Bahia Emerald,” said Jerry J. Ferrara, founder of Global Quest TV and prominent historical researcher.
In the National Geographic Special "The 400 Million Dollar Emerald," researchers and experts follow the Bahia Emerald from the mines of Brazil’s Bahia Region in 2001. The emerald, which contains more than 180,000 carats of emerald crystals, is being held at the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department evidence locker until the case is resolved. The Bahia emerald has been appraised as high as $900 million dollars.
Ferrara and Morrison are no strangers to priceless artifacts. Ferrara’s Global Quest team of researchers were responsible for uncovering the fourth authentic Mayan Codex in Sept. 2012. To date, this is the only complete Mayan Codex discovered and includes both the front and back hand carved wood covers. The missing codex has been safeguarded for almost three centuries by a family who are direct blood descendants of the House of David. Forensic analysis and micron auger testing dates the codex to 1540 AD (+/- 70 years) which places it towards the end of the Mayan civilization.
"I have had the opportunity to work with some of the top researchers and archaeologists in the world and I’ve never seen anything quite like this piece. Preliminary research with leading period scholars lend me to believe the piece might be directly related to the Mayan Calendar, particularly the Mayan T'zolkin Spiritual Calendar," said Ferrara who serves as the custodian of antiquities and ancient texts for the family who owns the codex.
Several renowned national museums are vying to purchase the codex but with the final destination still being determined, it is currently back in the safety of the family. A private meeting is being arranged to translate the codex which will consist of the top archaeologists, scientists and academics from around the world. Visit TheMayanCodex.com for more information on the missing codex, as well as never before seen photos and video taken during the analysis process.
Ferrara and the Global Quest team are also working on a project that features what is said to be the only existing unrestored Leonardo Da Vinci painting of Jesus Christ. With preliminary analysis and signature authentication on the piece already showing promise, researchers are preparing for X-ray analysis to shed light on what even a highly trained eye cannot depict.
Jones still Japan-bound despite arrest
Labels: Sports
TOKYO (Reuters) - Former Major League Baseball player Andruw Jones's Christmas morning arrest on a battery charge will not endanger his move to Japan's Rakuten Eagles, the club's president said on Thursday.
The Curacao-born outfielder was taken into custody in an Atlanta suburb on Tuesday after police were called to his home following a domestic dispute with his wife.
"We received a report it was a domestic fight which escalated," Eagles president Yozo Tachibana told Japanese media of the former Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees slugger.
"Unless there is any more big surprises, we intend to go ahead as planned with his contract."
The 35-year-old Jones began his stellar MLB career at Atlanta and won 10 Gold Glove awards, cracking 434 home runs in MLB with five different clubs.
He joined Japan's Eagles, based in the country's quake-hit northeast, earlier this month on a one-year contract worth $3.5 million.
The Curacao-born outfielder was taken into custody in an Atlanta suburb on Tuesday after police were called to his home following a domestic dispute with his wife.
"We received a report it was a domestic fight which escalated," Eagles president Yozo Tachibana told Japanese media of the former Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees slugger.
"Unless there is any more big surprises, we intend to go ahead as planned with his contract."
The 35-year-old Jones began his stellar MLB career at Atlanta and won 10 Gold Glove awards, cracking 434 home runs in MLB with five different clubs.
He joined Japan's Eagles, based in the country's quake-hit northeast, earlier this month on a one-year contract worth $3.5 million.
Baseball: Matsui announces retirement from Major Leagues
Labels: Sports
(Reuters) - Hard-hitting Hideki Matsui, who set milestones for Japanese players in Major League Baseball, announced his retirement on Thursday, the organization's website reported.
The 38-year-old Matsui played 10 seasons in MLB, seven of them with the New York Yankees, producing the most home runs, runs batted in and walks by a Japanese player in the league.
A two-time All-Star with the Yankees, he was the first Japanese-born player to win World Series MVP honors in 2009, going 8-for-13 with three homers and eight runs batted in as the Yankees beat the Phillies for the title in 2009.
One of Japan's most dominant hitters with the Yomiuri Giants from 1993-2002, he joined the Yankees in 2003.
In 10 Major League seasons, he batted .282 with 760 runs batted in while playing with the Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays.
Nicknamed "Godzilla" for his powerful swing, Matsui belted 332 home runs in Japan and hit 175 more in the Major Leagues.
He spent his last season with the Rays, playing in 34 games and batting .147.
"This is a Hall of Fame-caliber player, based on the body of work that he's done," Rays manager Joe Maddon told reporters last summer.
"Had he done all of that in the United States, which he may have done had he started here sooner, you're definitely talking about a player of that kind of stature."
Matsui played 1,250 consecutive games to finish his Japanese career and did not miss a game in his first three seasons with the Yankees, playing 518 consecutive games.
He was a three-time MVP and nine-time All-Star in the Central League in Japan before signing with the Yankees.
The 38-year-old Matsui played 10 seasons in MLB, seven of them with the New York Yankees, producing the most home runs, runs batted in and walks by a Japanese player in the league.
A two-time All-Star with the Yankees, he was the first Japanese-born player to win World Series MVP honors in 2009, going 8-for-13 with three homers and eight runs batted in as the Yankees beat the Phillies for the title in 2009.
One of Japan's most dominant hitters with the Yomiuri Giants from 1993-2002, he joined the Yankees in 2003.
In 10 Major League seasons, he batted .282 with 760 runs batted in while playing with the Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays.
Nicknamed "Godzilla" for his powerful swing, Matsui belted 332 home runs in Japan and hit 175 more in the Major Leagues.
He spent his last season with the Rays, playing in 34 games and batting .147.
"This is a Hall of Fame-caliber player, based on the body of work that he's done," Rays manager Joe Maddon told reporters last summer.
"Had he done all of that in the United States, which he may have done had he started here sooner, you're definitely talking about a player of that kind of stature."
Matsui played 1,250 consecutive games to finish his Japanese career and did not miss a game in his first three seasons with the Yankees, playing 518 consecutive games.
He was a three-time MVP and nine-time All-Star in the Central League in Japan before signing with the Yankees.
Giants rule American sports in 2012
Labels: Sports
NEW YORK (Reuters) - In a country driven by the mantra 'bigger is always better', it was fitting that Giants dominated America's professional championships in 2012.
Two of the four major leagues were won by teams with the supersized moniker, with the New York Giants capturing the National Football League's Super Bowl and the San Francisco Giants landing Major League Baseball's World Series.
The Los Angeles Kings finally lived up their regal nickname when they won National Hockey League's Stanley Cup for the first time while LeBron James silenced his critics by winning a first National Basketball Association title with the Miami Heat.
The New York Giants set the tone for a year of comebacks when they reclaimed the greatest prize in North American sports with a nail-biting 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots in Indianapolis.
Inspired by their dynamic quarterback Eli Manning, named the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the second time in four years, the Giants stole victory with a last-minute touchdown from Ahmad Bradshaw.
"The greatest feeling in professional sports is to win the Super Bowl," said 65-year-old Tom Coughlin after becoming the oldest coach to land the prize.
What made their victory remarkable was the Giants had looked to have no hope of even competing for the title after losing four consecutive games late in the regular season, putting them in danger of missing the playoffs.
They needed to win their last two games to make the playoffs and then won four straight to claim the Super Bowl in early February and cap a fairytale run that captivated America's biggest city.
For the Patriots, losing to fierce rival New York in the championship game for the second time in four years was unpalatable.
"You don't feel good after you lose this game," said New England head coach Bill Belichick.
WILD RIDE
San Francisco, led by MVP-winning catcher Buster Posey, also endured a wild ride through the playoffs before winning the World Series in late October for the second time in three seasons.
The team won six elimination games, three against the Cincinnati Reds and another three against the St Louis Cardinals, before sweeping the talent-packed Detroit Tigers in the best-of-seven Fall Classic.
"It just so happens we got kind of hot and scored some runs at the right time," said Matt Cain who pitched the first perfect game in Giants history during the regular season.
Cain was not the only who achieved a rare feat in 2012 with Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera becoming the first player in 45 years to win the Triple Crown, leading the American League in batting average, home runs and runs batted in (RBI).
The Venezuelan-born slugger had a .330 batting average, 44 home runs and 139 RBI and was the 15th player to accomplish the feat, and the first since Boston's Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.
'LOWEST MOMENTS'
The Kings also timed their run to perfection after scraping into the playoffs as the Western Conference's lowest-ranked team and going on to win the first Stanley Cup in the franchise's 45-year existence.
They upset the top three seeded teams, the Vancouver Canucks, the St Louis Blues and the Phoenix Coyotes, to win the Conference before beating the battle-hardened New Jersey Devils 4-2 in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup finals.
"At our lowest moments the biggest thing is nobody ever turned on someone else, everybody stuck with it," said goaltender Jonathan Quick, named MVP in the finals in June.
"You just can't say enough about the resiliency that it took to get through those times during the season and still make the playoffs."
After losing the first three games of the series, the Devils clawed their way back with two straight wins but that momentum was swiftly undone by a game-changing penalty that led to three first-period goals in less than four minutes as the Kings cruised to victory.
For hockey fans it was the last real action they would see for the immediate future with a labor dispute between owners and players indefinitely delaying the start of the 2012-13 season.
Despite his incredible talent and athleticism, James has been derided by American sports fans since he walked out on his hometown team two years ago to join the Miami Heat.
His rationale for deserting Cleveland, a city battered by unemployment, high taxes, lousy weather and poor sports teams, was that he wanted to win a championship to help cement his place among the game's greats.
But in 2012 James proved that in a sport played by giants, he towers above everyone else, cleaning up the four biggest team and individual honors in the sport.
In addition to winning his first NBA title against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he was named MVP during the regular season for the third time.
James also won the MVP award for the finals in June and a gold medal with the United States at the London Olympics in August. Only Michael Jordan, the player LeBron is constantly compared with, has completed the same grand slam.
"It was definitely a journey," James said. "I can finally say I'm a champion and I did it the right way. I didn't shortcut anything.
"I put a lot of hard work and dedication in it and hard work pays off. It's a great moment."
Two of the four major leagues were won by teams with the supersized moniker, with the New York Giants capturing the National Football League's Super Bowl and the San Francisco Giants landing Major League Baseball's World Series.
The Los Angeles Kings finally lived up their regal nickname when they won National Hockey League's Stanley Cup for the first time while LeBron James silenced his critics by winning a first National Basketball Association title with the Miami Heat.
The New York Giants set the tone for a year of comebacks when they reclaimed the greatest prize in North American sports with a nail-biting 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots in Indianapolis.
Inspired by their dynamic quarterback Eli Manning, named the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the second time in four years, the Giants stole victory with a last-minute touchdown from Ahmad Bradshaw.
"The greatest feeling in professional sports is to win the Super Bowl," said 65-year-old Tom Coughlin after becoming the oldest coach to land the prize.
What made their victory remarkable was the Giants had looked to have no hope of even competing for the title after losing four consecutive games late in the regular season, putting them in danger of missing the playoffs.
They needed to win their last two games to make the playoffs and then won four straight to claim the Super Bowl in early February and cap a fairytale run that captivated America's biggest city.
For the Patriots, losing to fierce rival New York in the championship game for the second time in four years was unpalatable.
"You don't feel good after you lose this game," said New England head coach Bill Belichick.
WILD RIDE
San Francisco, led by MVP-winning catcher Buster Posey, also endured a wild ride through the playoffs before winning the World Series in late October for the second time in three seasons.
The team won six elimination games, three against the Cincinnati Reds and another three against the St Louis Cardinals, before sweeping the talent-packed Detroit Tigers in the best-of-seven Fall Classic.
"It just so happens we got kind of hot and scored some runs at the right time," said Matt Cain who pitched the first perfect game in Giants history during the regular season.
Cain was not the only who achieved a rare feat in 2012 with Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera becoming the first player in 45 years to win the Triple Crown, leading the American League in batting average, home runs and runs batted in (RBI).
The Venezuelan-born slugger had a .330 batting average, 44 home runs and 139 RBI and was the 15th player to accomplish the feat, and the first since Boston's Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.
'LOWEST MOMENTS'
The Kings also timed their run to perfection after scraping into the playoffs as the Western Conference's lowest-ranked team and going on to win the first Stanley Cup in the franchise's 45-year existence.
They upset the top three seeded teams, the Vancouver Canucks, the St Louis Blues and the Phoenix Coyotes, to win the Conference before beating the battle-hardened New Jersey Devils 4-2 in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup finals.
"At our lowest moments the biggest thing is nobody ever turned on someone else, everybody stuck with it," said goaltender Jonathan Quick, named MVP in the finals in June.
"You just can't say enough about the resiliency that it took to get through those times during the season and still make the playoffs."
After losing the first three games of the series, the Devils clawed their way back with two straight wins but that momentum was swiftly undone by a game-changing penalty that led to three first-period goals in less than four minutes as the Kings cruised to victory.
For hockey fans it was the last real action they would see for the immediate future with a labor dispute between owners and players indefinitely delaying the start of the 2012-13 season.
Despite his incredible talent and athleticism, James has been derided by American sports fans since he walked out on his hometown team two years ago to join the Miami Heat.
His rationale for deserting Cleveland, a city battered by unemployment, high taxes, lousy weather and poor sports teams, was that he wanted to win a championship to help cement his place among the game's greats.
But in 2012 James proved that in a sport played by giants, he towers above everyone else, cleaning up the four biggest team and individual honors in the sport.
In addition to winning his first NBA title against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he was named MVP during the regular season for the third time.
James also won the MVP award for the finals in June and a gold medal with the United States at the London Olympics in August. Only Michael Jordan, the player LeBron is constantly compared with, has completed the same grand slam.
"It was definitely a journey," James said. "I can finally say I'm a champion and I did it the right way. I didn't shortcut anything.
"I put a lot of hard work and dedication in it and hard work pays off. It's a great moment."
Rate on 30-year fixed mortgage falls to 3.98 pct.
Labels: Business
WASHINGTON (AP) — The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage hovered above its record low for a fourth straight week. But cheap mortgage rates have done little to boost home sales or refinancing.
Freddie Mac says the rate on the 30-year fixed loan fell to 3.98 percent from 4 percent the previous week. Seven weeks ago, it dropped to a record low of 3.94 percent, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.
The average rate on the 15-year fixed mortgage edged down to 3.3 percent from 3.31 percent. Seven weeks ago, it too hit a record low of 3.26 percent.
Rates have been below 5 percent for all but two weeks this year. Yet this year could be the worst for home sales in 14 years.
Freddie Mac says the rate on the 30-year fixed loan fell to 3.98 percent from 4 percent the previous week. Seven weeks ago, it dropped to a record low of 3.94 percent, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.
The average rate on the 15-year fixed mortgage edged down to 3.3 percent from 3.31 percent. Seven weeks ago, it too hit a record low of 3.26 percent.
Rates have been below 5 percent for all but two weeks this year. Yet this year could be the worst for home sales in 14 years.
U.S. Housing Market Still On Life Support
Labels: Business
With each passing year, the former Oracle of the Fed, Alan Greenspan, is reminded that there really was a housing bubble and lowering interest rates to record lows just matters worse. Nearly four years after the housing market peak in 2007, record low mortgage rates are no match for falling incomes and 9% unemployment.
The Case-Shiller Home Price Index, released on Tuesday, showed that nation wide home prices did not register a significant change in the third quarter of 2011, with the U.S. National Home Price Index up by only 0.1% from its second quarter level. Home prices are down 3.9% across the board and are now back to their first quarter of 2003 levels.
From August to September, housing prices have fallen the most in Atlanta, with a 5.9% decline, followed by Tampa Bay and San Francisco, both with a 1.5% drop in housing prices.
Boston, New York, Washington and Los Angeles remain the most expensive cities in the lower 48 states.
"The plunging collapse of prices seen in 2007-2009 seems to be behind us," says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Indices. "Any chance for a sustained recovery will probably need a stronger economy.
The Case-Shiller Home Price Index, released on Tuesday, showed that nation wide home prices did not register a significant change in the third quarter of 2011, with the U.S. National Home Price Index up by only 0.1% from its second quarter level. Home prices are down 3.9% across the board and are now back to their first quarter of 2003 levels.
From August to September, housing prices have fallen the most in Atlanta, with a 5.9% decline, followed by Tampa Bay and San Francisco, both with a 1.5% drop in housing prices.
Boston, New York, Washington and Los Angeles remain the most expensive cities in the lower 48 states.
"The plunging collapse of prices seen in 2007-2009 seems to be behind us," says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Indices. "Any chance for a sustained recovery will probably need a stronger economy.
U.S. Housing Market Still On Life Support; Prices At 2003 Levels
Labels: Business
With each passing year, the former Oracle of the Fed, Alan Greenspan, is reminded that there really was a housing bubble and lowering interest rates to record lows just made matters worse. Nearly four years after the housing market peak in 2007, record low mortgage rates are no match for falling incomes and 9% unemployment.
The Case-Shiller Home Price Index, released on Tuesday, showed that nation wide home prices did not register a significant change in the third quarter of 2011, with the U.S. National Home Price Index up by only 0.1% from its second quarter level. Home prices are down 3.9% across the board and are now back to their first quarter of 2003 levels. The market consensus was for a 3% decline year over year.
From August to September, housing prices have fallen the most in Atlanta, with a 5.9% decline, followed by Tampa Bay and San Francisco, both with a 1.5% drop in housing prices.
Boston, New York, Washington and Los Angeles remain the most expensive cities in the lower 48 states.
"The plunging collapse of prices seen in 2007-2009 seems to be behind us," says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Indices. "Any chance for a sustained recovery will probably need a stronger economy."
The Case-Shiller Home Price Index, released on Tuesday, showed that nation wide home prices did not register a significant change in the third quarter of 2011, with the U.S. National Home Price Index up by only 0.1% from its second quarter level. Home prices are down 3.9% across the board and are now back to their first quarter of 2003 levels. The market consensus was for a 3% decline year over year.
From August to September, housing prices have fallen the most in Atlanta, with a 5.9% decline, followed by Tampa Bay and San Francisco, both with a 1.5% drop in housing prices.
Boston, New York, Washington and Los Angeles remain the most expensive cities in the lower 48 states.
"The plunging collapse of prices seen in 2007-2009 seems to be behind us," says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Indices. "Any chance for a sustained recovery will probably need a stronger economy."
Chile: Couple dies defending home amid protests
Labels: WorldSANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — An elderly couple whose family's vast landholdings have long been targeted by Mapuche Indians in southern Chile were killed in an arson attack early Friday while trying to defend their home. The president quickly flew to the scene and announced new security measures, including the application of Chile's tough anti-terrorism law and the creation of a special police anti-terror unit backed by Chile's military.
No one claimed responsibility for the attack, which some Mapuche Indians repudiated Friday as senseless and abhorrent. But Chile's interior minister said pamphlets condemning police violence and demanding the return of Mapuche lands were left at the scene. The presidentially appointed governor of the remote southern region of Araucania, Andres Molina, called the attackers "savages."
"This attack affects the entire country and causes gigantic damage, for the pain and the delays that it means for thousands of families who want to live in peace," Pinera said. "This government is united in its effort to combat terrorism that affects the region. We will not hesitate to apply the full weight of the law."
"It should be completely clear," Pinera added, "that this fight is not against the Mapuche people. It's with a minority of violent terrorists who must be fought with everything the law allows."
Werner Luchsinger, 75, fired a weapon in self-defense, and struck a man from the nearby Mapuche community of Juan Quintrupil before his home burned to the ground, regional police chief Ivan Bezmalinovic said.
Luchsinger's wife Vivian McKay called relatives for help during the attack, but when they arrived just 15 minutes later the house was already in flames and she didn't answer her phone, according to the victim's cousin, Jorge Luchsinger.
The attack began Thursday night as one of many political protests around Chile commemorating the death five years ago of Mapuche activist Matias Catrileo, who was shot in the back by an officer who served a minor sentence and then rejoined the police. The Indians scattered pamphlets related to the anniversary while on the Luchsinger property, Interior Minister Andres Chadwick said.
The victims' Lumahue ranch is just 16 miles (25 kilometers) from the spot where Catrileo was killed on Jan. 3, 2008.
Celestino Cordova Transito, 26, was detained near the scene early Friday. Police have him under arrest in a hospital in Temuco, where he was being treated for a gunshot wound in the neck, the chief said.
Gov. Molina said that Werner Luchsinger's gunshot, by enabling police to capture the wounded suspect, may help solve not only the couple's death but previous arson attacks as well.
"I want to thank Don Werner, because probably thanks to him we're closer to finding these savages who have done such damage to Araucania," he said.
Pinera also met briefly with the Luchsinger family as well as other local landowners next to the burned-out home, but Chile's El Mercurio said the meeting was cut short when some fled due to a false rumor that Mapuche activists were targeting their properties even as the president spoke. Other landowners shouted out in anger, asking for tougher security measures, and then briefly blocked the main highway in protest.
Jorge Luchsinger said earlier Friday that masked Indians have repeatedly attacked his and other relatives' properties as well, despite the considerable police presence in the area. "It's obvious that the authorities are completely overwhelmed," he told radio Cooperativa.
Many of Chile's Mapuche activist groups were silent Friday about the murders, repeating instead their complaints about continuing police violence of the kind that killed Catrileo years ago.
But Venancio Conuepan, who described himself as a law student who comes from a long line of Mapuche leaders, wrote an editorial Friday condemning the violence, rejecting the idea that armed conflict can win their demands, and calling for the killers to be identified and tried in court. He said the vast majority of the Mapuche people agree with him.
"Enough of people using violence in the name of the Mapuche people. Our grandfathers never covered their faces. The Mapuche created parliaments, and always put dialogue first," wrote Conuepan on Radio BioBio's web site, titling his editorial, "Although you don't believe me, I'm Mapuche and I'm not a Terrorist."
The Luchsinger family has been among the most outspoken in defending the property rights of the region's landowners against ancestral land claims by the Mapuche. But Jorge said his cousin had taken a lower profile and refused police protection.
Lorena Fries, the director of Chile's official Human Rights Institute, warned Friday against cracking down using the anti-terror law, which allows for holding suspects in isolation without charges, using secret witnesses and other measures that have been discredited by Chile's courts in previous cases of Mapuche violence. Instead, she said Pinera should reach out to the Indians, and honor their demands for self-governance and the recovery of ancestral land. "Something has to be done so that everyone puts an end to the violence," she said.
The Mapuches' demands for land and autonomy date back centuries. They resisted Spanish and Chilean domination for more than 300 years before they were forced south to Araucania in 1881. Many of the 700,000 Mapuches who survive among Chile's 17 million people still live in Araucania. A small fraction have been rebelling for decades, destroying forestry equipment and torching trees. Governments on the left and right have sent in police while offering programs that fall far short of their demands.
The Luchsinger family also arrived in Araucania in the late 1800s, from Switzerland, and benefited from the government's colonization policies for decades thereafter, becoming one of the largest landowners in Chile's Patagonia region. Their forestry and ranching companies now occupy vast stretches of southern Chile, and impoverished Mapuches live on the margins of their properties.
Read More..
No one claimed responsibility for the attack, which some Mapuche Indians repudiated Friday as senseless and abhorrent. But Chile's interior minister said pamphlets condemning police violence and demanding the return of Mapuche lands were left at the scene. The presidentially appointed governor of the remote southern region of Araucania, Andres Molina, called the attackers "savages."
"This attack affects the entire country and causes gigantic damage, for the pain and the delays that it means for thousands of families who want to live in peace," Pinera said. "This government is united in its effort to combat terrorism that affects the region. We will not hesitate to apply the full weight of the law."
"It should be completely clear," Pinera added, "that this fight is not against the Mapuche people. It's with a minority of violent terrorists who must be fought with everything the law allows."
Werner Luchsinger, 75, fired a weapon in self-defense, and struck a man from the nearby Mapuche community of Juan Quintrupil before his home burned to the ground, regional police chief Ivan Bezmalinovic said.
Luchsinger's wife Vivian McKay called relatives for help during the attack, but when they arrived just 15 minutes later the house was already in flames and she didn't answer her phone, according to the victim's cousin, Jorge Luchsinger.
The attack began Thursday night as one of many political protests around Chile commemorating the death five years ago of Mapuche activist Matias Catrileo, who was shot in the back by an officer who served a minor sentence and then rejoined the police. The Indians scattered pamphlets related to the anniversary while on the Luchsinger property, Interior Minister Andres Chadwick said.
The victims' Lumahue ranch is just 16 miles (25 kilometers) from the spot where Catrileo was killed on Jan. 3, 2008.
Celestino Cordova Transito, 26, was detained near the scene early Friday. Police have him under arrest in a hospital in Temuco, where he was being treated for a gunshot wound in the neck, the chief said.
Gov. Molina said that Werner Luchsinger's gunshot, by enabling police to capture the wounded suspect, may help solve not only the couple's death but previous arson attacks as well.
"I want to thank Don Werner, because probably thanks to him we're closer to finding these savages who have done such damage to Araucania," he said.
Pinera also met briefly with the Luchsinger family as well as other local landowners next to the burned-out home, but Chile's El Mercurio said the meeting was cut short when some fled due to a false rumor that Mapuche activists were targeting their properties even as the president spoke. Other landowners shouted out in anger, asking for tougher security measures, and then briefly blocked the main highway in protest.
Jorge Luchsinger said earlier Friday that masked Indians have repeatedly attacked his and other relatives' properties as well, despite the considerable police presence in the area. "It's obvious that the authorities are completely overwhelmed," he told radio Cooperativa.
Many of Chile's Mapuche activist groups were silent Friday about the murders, repeating instead their complaints about continuing police violence of the kind that killed Catrileo years ago.
But Venancio Conuepan, who described himself as a law student who comes from a long line of Mapuche leaders, wrote an editorial Friday condemning the violence, rejecting the idea that armed conflict can win their demands, and calling for the killers to be identified and tried in court. He said the vast majority of the Mapuche people agree with him.
"Enough of people using violence in the name of the Mapuche people. Our grandfathers never covered their faces. The Mapuche created parliaments, and always put dialogue first," wrote Conuepan on Radio BioBio's web site, titling his editorial, "Although you don't believe me, I'm Mapuche and I'm not a Terrorist."
The Luchsinger family has been among the most outspoken in defending the property rights of the region's landowners against ancestral land claims by the Mapuche. But Jorge said his cousin had taken a lower profile and refused police protection.
Lorena Fries, the director of Chile's official Human Rights Institute, warned Friday against cracking down using the anti-terror law, which allows for holding suspects in isolation without charges, using secret witnesses and other measures that have been discredited by Chile's courts in previous cases of Mapuche violence. Instead, she said Pinera should reach out to the Indians, and honor their demands for self-governance and the recovery of ancestral land. "Something has to be done so that everyone puts an end to the violence," she said.
The Mapuches' demands for land and autonomy date back centuries. They resisted Spanish and Chilean domination for more than 300 years before they were forced south to Araucania in 1881. Many of the 700,000 Mapuches who survive among Chile's 17 million people still live in Araucania. A small fraction have been rebelling for decades, destroying forestry equipment and torching trees. Governments on the left and right have sent in police while offering programs that fall far short of their demands.
The Luchsinger family also arrived in Araucania in the late 1800s, from Switzerland, and benefited from the government's colonization policies for decades thereafter, becoming one of the largest landowners in Chile's Patagonia region. Their forestry and ranching companies now occupy vast stretches of southern Chile, and impoverished Mapuches live on the margins of their properties.
Venezuela's Chavez fighting severe lung infection
Labels: WorldCARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan lawmakers will meet Saturday in a session that could shed light on what steps may be taken if President Hugo Chavez is too sick to be sworn in for a new term next week.
Legislators will choose a president, two vice presidents and other leaders of the National Assembly, which is controlled by a pro-Chavez majority. Whoever is elected National Assembly president could end up being the interim president of Venezuela if Chavez is unable to be inaugurated on Thursday as scheduled.
Brewing disagreements over how to handle a possible transition of power also could be aired at the session, coming just five days before the scheduled inauguration day specified in the constitution. Chavez's health crisis has raised contentious questions ahead of the swearing-in, including whether the inauguration could legally be postponed.
The government revealed this week that Chavez is fighting a severe lung infection and receiving treatment for "respiratory deficiency" more than three weeks after undergoing cancer surgery in Cuba. The announcement suggests a deepening crisis for the 58-year-old president and has fed speculation that he likely is not well enough to travel to Caracas for the inauguration.
National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello called on Chavez backers to show up for the legislative session and demonstrate their support.
"This National Assembly is revolutionary and socialist. It will remain beside the people and our commander," Cabello said in one of several messages on his Twitter account. "If the opposition thinks it will find a space in the National Assembly to conspire against the people, it's mistaken once again. It will be defeated."
Opposition leaders have demanded that the government provide more specific information about Chavez's condition, and say a new election should be held within 30 days if the president doesn't return to Venezuela by inauguration day.
Some Chavez allies say the inauguration date is not a hard deadline, and argue that the president should be given more time to recover from his surgery if necessary.
Chavez hasn't spoken publicly or been seen since his Dec. 11 operation in Cuba. In a Thursday night update, the government for the first time described the president's respiratory infection as "severe," the strongest confirmation yet that Chavez is having serious trouble breathing after days of rumors about his condition worsening.
"Chavez has faced complications as a result of a severe respiratory infection. This infection has led to respiratory deficiency that requires Commander Chavez to remain in strict compliance with his medical treatment," Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said Thursday night, reading a statement on television.
The government's characterization raised the possibility that Chavez might be breathing with the assistance of a machine. But the government did not address that question and didn't give details of the president's treatment.
Independent medical experts consulted by The Associated Press said the government's account indicated a potentially dangerous turn in Chavez's condition, but said it's unclear whether he is attached to a ventilator.
"It appears he has a very severe pneumonia that he suffered after a respiratory failure. It is not very specific," said Dr. Alejandro Rios-Ramirez, a pulmonary specialist in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Dr. Gustavo Medrano, a lung specialist at the Centro Medico hospital in Caracas, said he has seen similar cases in cancer patients who have undergone surgery, and "in general it's very bad, above all after a surgery like the one they performed on him."
"I don't know the magnitude of the infection he has, how much of his lungs have been compromised, how much other organs are being affected. That's not clear," Medrano said.
"What's most likely is that he's on mechanical ventilation," Medrano added. However, he said, while respiratory deficiency means there is an abnormally low concentration of oxygen in the blood, depending on the severity it can be treated in various ways.
Dr. Michael Pishvaian, an oncologist at Georgetown University's Lombardi Cancer Center in Washington, agreed that such respiratory infections can run the gamut from "a mild infection requiring antibiotics and supplemental oxygen to life-threatening respiratory complications."
"It could be a very ominous sign," Pishvaian said. He said it's possible Chavez could be on "life support," but added it's impossible to be sure without more details.
The government expressed confidence in Chavez's medical team and condemned what it called a "campaign of psychological warfare" in the international media regarding the president's condition. Officials have urged Venezuelans not to heed rumors about Chavez's condition.
Opposition leaders have blamed vague information coming from the government for the rumors, and demanded a full medical report.
The Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional criticized what it called an "information vacuum" in an editorial on Friday, saying Venezuelans are in the dark because "no one speaks clearly from the government." The newspaper called the situation reminiscent of secrecy that surrounded the deaths of Josef Stalin in the former Soviet Union and Mao Zedong in China.
State television repeatedly played video of a song in which rappers encourage Venezuelans to pray, saying of Chavez: "You will live and triumph." A recording of a speech by Chavez appears during the song, saying: "I will be with you always!"
Chavez has undergone four cancer-related surgeries since June 2011 for an undisclosed type of pelvic cancer. He also has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
He was re-elected in October to another six-year term, and two months later announced that the cancer had returned. Chavez said before the operation that if his illness prevented him from remaining president, Vice President Nicolas Maduro should be his party's candidate to replace him in a new election.
This week, Cabello and the president's elder brother Adan joined a parade of visitors who saw Chavez in Havana, and then returned to Caracas on Thursday along with Maduro.
Brazil's state-run Agencia Brasil news agency reported Friday that President Dilma Rousseff's top international adviser, Marco Aurelio Garcia, made a one-day visit to Cuba and spoke with Venezuelan and Cuban officials about Chavez's health. It was unclear if Garcia actually saw Chavez, or what day he visited Cuba.
Telephone calls placed after hours to Brazil's Foreign Ministry and presidential offices were not immediately answered.
The Venezuelan Constitution says the presidential oath should be taken Jan. 10 before the National Assembly. Government officials have raised the possibility that Chavez might not be well enough to do that, without saying what will happen if he can't. The constitution also says that if the president is unable to be sworn in before the National Assembly, he may take the oath office before the Supreme Court.
The constitution says that if a president or president-elect dies or is declared unable to continue in office, presidential powers should be held temporarily by the president of the National Assembly and a new election should be held within 30 days.
On the streets of Caracas, some of Chavez's supporters say they're still holding out hope he can recover.
"He's the only leader of the revolution," said Miriam Bolivar, who belongs to a grassroots pro-Chavez group. "We can't imagine life without him. He's our life. This is one more battle and we have faith that he'll come out it unscathed once again."
Other Chavez supporters say they're unsure what to believe about his condition and express misgivings about the president's lieutenants.
"We hope that what they're telling us is true," said Ricardo Maya, a supporter who was reading a newspaper in a city square. "Chavez has all my confidence. He always speaks the truth. I can't say the same about the people around him.
Read More..
Legislators will choose a president, two vice presidents and other leaders of the National Assembly, which is controlled by a pro-Chavez majority. Whoever is elected National Assembly president could end up being the interim president of Venezuela if Chavez is unable to be inaugurated on Thursday as scheduled.
Brewing disagreements over how to handle a possible transition of power also could be aired at the session, coming just five days before the scheduled inauguration day specified in the constitution. Chavez's health crisis has raised contentious questions ahead of the swearing-in, including whether the inauguration could legally be postponed.
The government revealed this week that Chavez is fighting a severe lung infection and receiving treatment for "respiratory deficiency" more than three weeks after undergoing cancer surgery in Cuba. The announcement suggests a deepening crisis for the 58-year-old president and has fed speculation that he likely is not well enough to travel to Caracas for the inauguration.
National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello called on Chavez backers to show up for the legislative session and demonstrate their support.
"This National Assembly is revolutionary and socialist. It will remain beside the people and our commander," Cabello said in one of several messages on his Twitter account. "If the opposition thinks it will find a space in the National Assembly to conspire against the people, it's mistaken once again. It will be defeated."
Opposition leaders have demanded that the government provide more specific information about Chavez's condition, and say a new election should be held within 30 days if the president doesn't return to Venezuela by inauguration day.
Some Chavez allies say the inauguration date is not a hard deadline, and argue that the president should be given more time to recover from his surgery if necessary.
Chavez hasn't spoken publicly or been seen since his Dec. 11 operation in Cuba. In a Thursday night update, the government for the first time described the president's respiratory infection as "severe," the strongest confirmation yet that Chavez is having serious trouble breathing after days of rumors about his condition worsening.
"Chavez has faced complications as a result of a severe respiratory infection. This infection has led to respiratory deficiency that requires Commander Chavez to remain in strict compliance with his medical treatment," Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said Thursday night, reading a statement on television.
The government's characterization raised the possibility that Chavez might be breathing with the assistance of a machine. But the government did not address that question and didn't give details of the president's treatment.
Independent medical experts consulted by The Associated Press said the government's account indicated a potentially dangerous turn in Chavez's condition, but said it's unclear whether he is attached to a ventilator.
"It appears he has a very severe pneumonia that he suffered after a respiratory failure. It is not very specific," said Dr. Alejandro Rios-Ramirez, a pulmonary specialist in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Dr. Gustavo Medrano, a lung specialist at the Centro Medico hospital in Caracas, said he has seen similar cases in cancer patients who have undergone surgery, and "in general it's very bad, above all after a surgery like the one they performed on him."
"I don't know the magnitude of the infection he has, how much of his lungs have been compromised, how much other organs are being affected. That's not clear," Medrano said.
"What's most likely is that he's on mechanical ventilation," Medrano added. However, he said, while respiratory deficiency means there is an abnormally low concentration of oxygen in the blood, depending on the severity it can be treated in various ways.
Dr. Michael Pishvaian, an oncologist at Georgetown University's Lombardi Cancer Center in Washington, agreed that such respiratory infections can run the gamut from "a mild infection requiring antibiotics and supplemental oxygen to life-threatening respiratory complications."
"It could be a very ominous sign," Pishvaian said. He said it's possible Chavez could be on "life support," but added it's impossible to be sure without more details.
The government expressed confidence in Chavez's medical team and condemned what it called a "campaign of psychological warfare" in the international media regarding the president's condition. Officials have urged Venezuelans not to heed rumors about Chavez's condition.
Opposition leaders have blamed vague information coming from the government for the rumors, and demanded a full medical report.
The Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional criticized what it called an "information vacuum" in an editorial on Friday, saying Venezuelans are in the dark because "no one speaks clearly from the government." The newspaper called the situation reminiscent of secrecy that surrounded the deaths of Josef Stalin in the former Soviet Union and Mao Zedong in China.
State television repeatedly played video of a song in which rappers encourage Venezuelans to pray, saying of Chavez: "You will live and triumph." A recording of a speech by Chavez appears during the song, saying: "I will be with you always!"
Chavez has undergone four cancer-related surgeries since June 2011 for an undisclosed type of pelvic cancer. He also has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
He was re-elected in October to another six-year term, and two months later announced that the cancer had returned. Chavez said before the operation that if his illness prevented him from remaining president, Vice President Nicolas Maduro should be his party's candidate to replace him in a new election.
This week, Cabello and the president's elder brother Adan joined a parade of visitors who saw Chavez in Havana, and then returned to Caracas on Thursday along with Maduro.
Brazil's state-run Agencia Brasil news agency reported Friday that President Dilma Rousseff's top international adviser, Marco Aurelio Garcia, made a one-day visit to Cuba and spoke with Venezuelan and Cuban officials about Chavez's health. It was unclear if Garcia actually saw Chavez, or what day he visited Cuba.
Telephone calls placed after hours to Brazil's Foreign Ministry and presidential offices were not immediately answered.
The Venezuelan Constitution says the presidential oath should be taken Jan. 10 before the National Assembly. Government officials have raised the possibility that Chavez might not be well enough to do that, without saying what will happen if he can't. The constitution also says that if the president is unable to be sworn in before the National Assembly, he may take the oath office before the Supreme Court.
The constitution says that if a president or president-elect dies or is declared unable to continue in office, presidential powers should be held temporarily by the president of the National Assembly and a new election should be held within 30 days.
On the streets of Caracas, some of Chavez's supporters say they're still holding out hope he can recover.
"He's the only leader of the revolution," said Miriam Bolivar, who belongs to a grassroots pro-Chavez group. "We can't imagine life without him. He's our life. This is one more battle and we have faith that he'll come out it unscathed once again."
Other Chavez supporters say they're unsure what to believe about his condition and express misgivings about the president's lieutenants.
"We hope that what they're telling us is true," said Ricardo Maya, a supporter who was reading a newspaper in a city square. "Chavez has all my confidence. He always speaks the truth. I can't say the same about the people around him.
Venezuela VP: Chavez can be sworn in by Court
Labels: WorldCARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez can take the oath of office for his next term before the Supreme Court at a later date if the ailing leader isn't fit to be sworn in next week, his vice president said.
Vice President Nicolas Maduro sent the strongest signal yet that the government may seek to postpone Chavez's inauguration as the 58-year-old president fights a severe respiratory infection more than three weeks after undergoing cancer surgery in Cuba.
Maduro's position in a televised interview on Friday night generated new friction between the government and opposition over the swearing-in, which the constitution says should occur Thursday before the National Assembly. Some opposition leaders have argued that if Chavez doesn't make it back to Caracas by that date, the president of the National Assembly should take over as interim president.
Such brewing disagreements were expected to be aired on Saturday as the National Assembly, which is controlled by a pro-Chavez majority, prepared to convene to choose its president and other legislative leaders.
Maduro's comments shed more light on potential scenarios. If the government succeeds in delaying the swearing-in and Chavez's condition improves, the president and his allies could have more time to plan an orderly transition and prepare for a new presidential election. If Chavez dies or is declared incapacitated, the constitution says that a new election should be called and held within 30 days.
The National Assembly president chosen on Saturday could end up being the country's interim president under some circumstances. Anyone elected by the Chavez-dominated legislature is expected to remain loyal to the president.
But Information Minister Ernesto Villegas reiterated on Saturday that Chavez is still in office, saying in comments reported by the state news agency that "Chavez has won a thousand battles and has reappeared when no one expected."
Speaking on television, Maduro held up a small blue copy of the constitution and read aloud passages as he argued that opponents were using erroneous interpretations to try to drive Chavez from power.
"They should respect our constitution," the vice president said. "The formality of his swearing-in can be resolved before the Supreme Court of Justice, at the time (the court) deems, in coordination with the head of state, Commander Hugo Chavez."
Maduro echoed other Chavez allies in suggesting the inauguration date is not a firm deadline, and that the president should be given more time to recover from his cancer surgery if needed.
"Maduro's comments are not surprising. The government holds all the cards in the current situation, particularly given the compassion for Chavez's serious illness. It has interpreted the constitution loosely, to its own political advantage," said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington. "In this way Maduro is able to buy some time, assert his authority and rally support within Chavismo. He puts the opposition on notice and throws it off balance."
Chavez was re-elected in October to another six-year term, and two months later announced that his pelvic cancer had returned. Chavez said before the operation that if his illness prevented him from remaining president, Maduro should be his party's candidate to replace him in a new election.
Maduro reiterated on Friday that the president is fighting a "complex" battle for his health but expressed hope that eventually, "we'll see him and we'll hear him."
"He has a right to rest and tranquility, and to recuperate," Maduro said. "The president right now is the exercising president. He has his government formed."
Maduro read a portion of the constitution detailing procedures for declaring an "absolute absence" of the president, which would trigger a new election within 30 days, and declared that "none of these grounds can be raised by the Venezuelan opposition."
The Venezuelan Constitution says the presidential oath should be taken Jan. 10 before the National Assembly. It also says that if the president is unable to be sworn in before the Assembly, he may take the oath before the Supreme Court, and some legal experts have noted that the sentence mentioning the court does not mention a date.
Others disagree. Ruben Ortiz, a lawyer and opposition supporter, argued that the inauguration date can't be postponed.
If Chavez is not in Caracas to be sworn in on Thursday, Ortiz said in a phone interview, "the president of the National Assembly should take charge." He added that "there is a formal separation between one term and the other."
Shifter said the opposition is on the defensive, with its only tactic being to insist that Jan. 10 is the established date.
"Chavez controls all the key institutions, and it's doubtful that most Venezuelans will get too upset about defying what seems a fairly minor constitutional provision," Shifter said. "Attacking the government because it has no objection to the Supreme Court swearing in Chavez after Jan. 10 is not exactly a winning political strategy for the opposition."
A delay also serves the government's purposes, Shifter said. "The government wants more time, whether to see if Chavez gets better, or to consolidate their ranks and further splinter and demoralize the opposition."
Chavez hasn't spoken publicly or been seen since his Dec. 11 operation. The government revealed this week that Chavez is fighting a severe lung infection and receiving treatment for "respiratory deficiency."
That account raised the possibility that he might be breathing with the assistance of a machine. But the government did not address that question or details of the president's treatment, and independent medical experts consulted by The Associated Press said the statements indicated a potentially dangerous turn in Chavez's condition, but said it's unclear whether he is attached to a ventilator.
Chavez has undergone four cancer-related surgeries since June 2011 for an undisclosed type of pelvic cancer. He also has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
Read More..
Vice President Nicolas Maduro sent the strongest signal yet that the government may seek to postpone Chavez's inauguration as the 58-year-old president fights a severe respiratory infection more than three weeks after undergoing cancer surgery in Cuba.
Maduro's position in a televised interview on Friday night generated new friction between the government and opposition over the swearing-in, which the constitution says should occur Thursday before the National Assembly. Some opposition leaders have argued that if Chavez doesn't make it back to Caracas by that date, the president of the National Assembly should take over as interim president.
Such brewing disagreements were expected to be aired on Saturday as the National Assembly, which is controlled by a pro-Chavez majority, prepared to convene to choose its president and other legislative leaders.
Maduro's comments shed more light on potential scenarios. If the government succeeds in delaying the swearing-in and Chavez's condition improves, the president and his allies could have more time to plan an orderly transition and prepare for a new presidential election. If Chavez dies or is declared incapacitated, the constitution says that a new election should be called and held within 30 days.
The National Assembly president chosen on Saturday could end up being the country's interim president under some circumstances. Anyone elected by the Chavez-dominated legislature is expected to remain loyal to the president.
But Information Minister Ernesto Villegas reiterated on Saturday that Chavez is still in office, saying in comments reported by the state news agency that "Chavez has won a thousand battles and has reappeared when no one expected."
Speaking on television, Maduro held up a small blue copy of the constitution and read aloud passages as he argued that opponents were using erroneous interpretations to try to drive Chavez from power.
"They should respect our constitution," the vice president said. "The formality of his swearing-in can be resolved before the Supreme Court of Justice, at the time (the court) deems, in coordination with the head of state, Commander Hugo Chavez."
Maduro echoed other Chavez allies in suggesting the inauguration date is not a firm deadline, and that the president should be given more time to recover from his cancer surgery if needed.
"Maduro's comments are not surprising. The government holds all the cards in the current situation, particularly given the compassion for Chavez's serious illness. It has interpreted the constitution loosely, to its own political advantage," said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington. "In this way Maduro is able to buy some time, assert his authority and rally support within Chavismo. He puts the opposition on notice and throws it off balance."
Chavez was re-elected in October to another six-year term, and two months later announced that his pelvic cancer had returned. Chavez said before the operation that if his illness prevented him from remaining president, Maduro should be his party's candidate to replace him in a new election.
Maduro reiterated on Friday that the president is fighting a "complex" battle for his health but expressed hope that eventually, "we'll see him and we'll hear him."
"He has a right to rest and tranquility, and to recuperate," Maduro said. "The president right now is the exercising president. He has his government formed."
Maduro read a portion of the constitution detailing procedures for declaring an "absolute absence" of the president, which would trigger a new election within 30 days, and declared that "none of these grounds can be raised by the Venezuelan opposition."
The Venezuelan Constitution says the presidential oath should be taken Jan. 10 before the National Assembly. It also says that if the president is unable to be sworn in before the Assembly, he may take the oath before the Supreme Court, and some legal experts have noted that the sentence mentioning the court does not mention a date.
Others disagree. Ruben Ortiz, a lawyer and opposition supporter, argued that the inauguration date can't be postponed.
If Chavez is not in Caracas to be sworn in on Thursday, Ortiz said in a phone interview, "the president of the National Assembly should take charge." He added that "there is a formal separation between one term and the other."
Shifter said the opposition is on the defensive, with its only tactic being to insist that Jan. 10 is the established date.
"Chavez controls all the key institutions, and it's doubtful that most Venezuelans will get too upset about defying what seems a fairly minor constitutional provision," Shifter said. "Attacking the government because it has no objection to the Supreme Court swearing in Chavez after Jan. 10 is not exactly a winning political strategy for the opposition."
A delay also serves the government's purposes, Shifter said. "The government wants more time, whether to see if Chavez gets better, or to consolidate their ranks and further splinter and demoralize the opposition."
Chavez hasn't spoken publicly or been seen since his Dec. 11 operation. The government revealed this week that Chavez is fighting a severe lung infection and receiving treatment for "respiratory deficiency."
That account raised the possibility that he might be breathing with the assistance of a machine. But the government did not address that question or details of the president's treatment, and independent medical experts consulted by The Associated Press said the statements indicated a potentially dangerous turn in Chavez's condition, but said it's unclear whether he is attached to a ventilator.
Chavez has undergone four cancer-related surgeries since June 2011 for an undisclosed type of pelvic cancer. He also has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
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