Wednesday, December 28, 2011

A Guide to the American Federal Debt

A satirical short film taking a look at the national debt and how it applies to just one family. Starring Brian Stepanek & Eddie Jemison, Produced by Seth William Meier, DP/Edited by Craig Evans, 1st AC Brian Andrews, Sound Mixer Gus Salazar, Written and Directed by Brian Stepanek.

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li0no7O9zmE&feature=player_embedded

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Some NFL players still willing to hide concussions (AP)

Ask Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew whether he would try to play through a concussion or yank himself from a game, and he'll provide a straightforward answer.

"Hide it," the NFL's leading rusher said.

"The bottom line is: You have to be able to put food on the table. No one's going to sign or want a guy who can't stay healthy. I know there will be a day when I'm going to have trouble walking. I realize that," Jones-Drew said. "But this is what I signed up for. Injuries are part of the game. If you don't want to get hit, then you shouldn't be playing."

Other players say they would do the same: Hide it.

In a series of interviews about head injuries with The Associated Press over the last two weeks, 23 of 44 NFL players ? slightly more than half ? said they would try to conceal a possible concussion rather than pull themselves out of a game. Some acknowledged they already have. Players also said they should be better protected from their own instincts: More than two-thirds of the group the AP talked to wants independent neurologists on sidelines during games.

The AP spoke to a cross-section of players ? at least one from each of the 32 NFL teams ? to gauge whether concussion safety and attitudes about head injuries have changed in the past two years of close attention devoted to the issue. The group included 33 starters and 11 reserves; 25 players on offense and 19 on defense; all have played at least three seasons in the NFL.

The players tended to indicate they are more aware of the possible long-term effects of jarring hits to their heads than they once were. In a sign of the sort of progress the league wants, five players said that while they would have tried to conceal a concussion during a game in 2009, now they would seek help.

"You look at some of the cases where you see some of the retired players and the issues that they're having now, even with some of the guys who've passed and had their brains examined ? you see what their brains look like now," said Washington Redskins linebacker London Fletcher, the NFL's leading tackler. "That does play a part in how I think now about it."

But his teammate, backup fullback Mike Sellers, said he's hidden concussions in the past and would "highly doubt" that any player would willingly take himself out of a game.

"You want to continue to play. You're a competitor. You're not going to tell on yourself. There have been times I've been dinged, and they've taken my helmet from me, and ... I'd snatch my helmet back and get back on the field," Sellers said. "A lot of guys wouldn't say anything because a lot of guys wouldn't think anything during the game, until afterward, when they have a headache or they can't remember certain things."

San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Justin Smith captured a popular sentiment: Players know of the potential problems, yet would risk further damage.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out if (you have) a concussion, you're probably damaging your brain a little bit. Just like if you sprain your wrist a bunch, you're going to have some wrist problems down the road. Yeah, I'd still play through it. It's part of it. It's part of the game," Smith said. "I think if you're noticeably messed up, yeah, they'll take you out. But if you've just got some blurry vision, I'd say that's the player's call. And most guys ? 99 percent of guys in the NFL ? are going to play through it."

Smith said he sustained one concussion in high school ("You don't know who you are," is how he described it) and another in college ("Walking around the whole time, but I don't remember anything until six hours later").

The NFL likes to say that views about concussions have shifted from simply accepting they're part of the sport to doing what's possible to lessen impacts. Commissioner Roger Goodell talks about "changing the culture," so players don't try to "walk it off" after taking hits to the head.

Yet the AP's conversations with players showed there is room for more adjustments, which did not surprise Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, co-chairman of the NFL's head, neck and spine committee.

"The culture change takes awhile," Ellenbogen said in a telephone interview. "Why would these guys want to go out? They love playing the game. They don't want to leave their team. They want to win. I understand all that. And that's why we have to be on our toes with coming up with exams that are hard to beat, so to speak."

New Orleans Saints offensive lineman Zach Strief put it this way: "We all grew up with, `Hey, get back in there. You (only) got your bell rung.' And while it's changing now, I think it's going to take time for the mindset to change."

A few players said they'd be particularly inclined to hide a concussion if it happened in a playoff game or the Super Bowl. Some said their decision would depend on the severity of a head injury ? but they'd hide it if they could.

Clearly, there is a stigma associated with leaving the field, no matter the reason. Indeed, one player who said he'd exit a game if he thought he might have a concussion didn't want to be quoted on the subject.

Other findings from the interviews:

_Asked whether the NFL should have independent neurologists at games to examine players and determine if they should be held out because of concussions, 31 players said "yes," and 10 said "no." Three didn't answer.

"They've got guys looking at your uniform to make sure you're wearing the right kind of socks," St. Louis Rams safety Quintin Mikell said. "Why not have somebody there to protect your head? I think we definitely should have that."

He said he's tried to clear his head and stay on the field "many times."

"I'll probably pay for it later in my life," Mikell said, "but at the same time, I'll probably pay for the alcohol that I drank or driving fast cars. It's one of those things that it just comes with the territory."

_Specifically regarding concussions, 28 of the 44 players think playing in the NFL is safer now than in 2009, while 13 think it's the same, and two think it's more dangerous. One wasn't sure. Those who think safety has improved gave credit to the rise in awareness; more fines for illegal hits; this season's changes to kickoff rules that have cut down on the number of returns; and the new labor contract's reduction in the amount of contact allowed in practice.

"When I first came into the league, it was like, `Whatever goes.' It was more of that old-school, just `beat-him-up' football. Not wanting to hurt anybody, but show how tough you were. Back in the day, it was like if you come out (of a game) with (a) slight concussion, then you weren't giving it all for your team," Buffalo Bills linebacker Andra Davis said. "But now, they're taking that option away from you."

Davis, a 10th-year veteran who turned 33 on Friday and said he's had a couple of concussions, is one of those whose view on seeking help for such injuries has changed.

"The younger me would definitely hide it," Davis said. "But the older me now ? with wife and kids and looking more at life after football ? I would say something about it."

_Asked whether more can be done to protect players from head injuries, 18 players said "yes," and 24 said "no." Two did not respond.

Not surprisingly, there were divisions according to position, and players on opposite sides of the ball generally drifted toward opposing views: Those on offense seemed more likely than those on defense to say more can ? and should ? be done to improve safety. Linemen, meanwhile, often complained that there is no way to improve their plight, with the helmet-to-helmet banging that takes place at the snap on play after play. One player described those collisions as "micro-episodes that build up over time."

Nearly three-quarters of the players who told the AP they think safety can improve ? 13 of 18 ? suggested equipment can be improved, too. Helmet technology, mouth guards and chin straps all were mentioned.

Two players suggested more education about concussions is needed.

Dr. Robert Cantu, a senior adviser to Ellenbogen's NFL committee who said he is consulted regularly by the league, insisted that while there has been progress, there is still work to be done.

"Has there been a culture change overall? I think the answer is, unquestionably, `yes.' Could there be more done? Yes. Do all the players get it? No. Do they want to get it? No," said Cantu, a clinical professor of neurosurgery and co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University School of Medicine.

CTE is a degenerative disease increasingly found in football players and other athletes who have absorbed repeated blows to the head. It has been linked to memory loss, disorientation, poor decision-making, and depression that can lead to drug use and, as in the case of former Chicago Bears defensive back Dave Duerson, even suicide.

The league distributed informational posters in 2010 to warn about the dangers of head injuries, but Cantu said: "Just because the posters are in every locker room, it's not mandatory reading. Or people can say they read it but not really have read it."

"More stress needs to be placed ? and I believe this is the players association's responsibility as much as it is the NFL's ? on the dangers of playing symptomatic with a concussion and more knowledge needs to be imparted on chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which obviously does exist in the NFL. ... All of those sub-concussive blows count, and you need to minimize the amount of brain trauma that you take," Cantu said.

Union spokesman George Atallah declined a request for comment about concussions.

Little-discussed until reporting by The New York Times led to an October 2009 congressional hearing on concussions in the NFL, head injuries are now part of the daily conversation about professional football. On Saturday alone, two starting quarterbacks, Cleveland's Colt McCoy and Arizona's Kevin Kolb, sat out because of head injuries, while a third, Minnesota's Christian Ponder, left his team's game with what his coach called "concussionlike symptoms."

According to data from STATS LLC, from 2000-09, an average of 3.1 NFL players ? and never more than nine in an entire season ? went on injured reserve because of a concussion or head injury. That number rose to 18 last season, and stood at 17 through Week 15 this season.

Similarly, STATS LLC said, over that same 10-year span at the start of the century, an average of 26 NFL players each season were listed on the weekly injury report and missed games because of a concussion or head injury. That number rose to 89 in 2010, and stood at 75 this season through Saturday's games.

At least eight lawsuits have been filed against the NFL in recent months ? including three within the last week ? by dozens of former players who say they have medical problems related to brain injuries from their time in professional football. The NFL's stance, in part, is that players knew there were risks of injury, and there was no misconduct or liability on the league's part.

"It's a physical sport. Guys are going to get hit in the head. When we're young, when we start playing this sport, we know what we're getting into," Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek said. "It's not like, `Oh, I'm going to play this because my head's going to be fine when I'm done playing.' It's a risk you take playing this game, but I think the league is doing everything in their power to make it as safe as possible."

The NFL certainly has found itself adjusting on the fly.

One example: After San Diego Chargers offensive lineman Kris Dielman got a concussion but stayed in the lineup in October, then had a seizure on a team flight, the NFL said it would give game officials "concussion awareness training" so they could keep an eye out for players.

A few players interviewed by the AP mentioned the recent case of Cleveland's McCoy, who has missed two consecutive games after a shot to the helmet from Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison. McCoy was not checked for a concussion during the game against Pittsburgh and went back in; Harrison was suspended for a game; starting with this week's games, the league put certified athletic trainers in booths above the field to watch for injuries. The trainers aren't there to diagnose or prescribe treatment, the NFL said, but are supposed to call down to team medical staffs to alert them there could be a problem.

Some think the league could go further.

"I don't think it's sufficient. I think it's a great first step," BU's Cantu said, mentioning a study that showed concussions were noticed more in junior hockey when there was an observer at the rink.

While Cantu, like players interviewed by the AP, is in favor of having independent neurosurgeons at games rather than only team-employed doctors ? something raised as a possibility in 2009 but never done ? NFL committee co-chairman Ellenbogen said the more pressing issue was "the ability to see all the players on the field."

"Team doctors are pretty concerned about concussions, and I don't think they're people that are going to be bought and sold. ... If the real problem is the doctors are being influenced by the coaches, then we've got to fix that," said Ellenbogen, chairman of the department of neurological surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine. "If the (players' union) says, `We want independent neurologists,' we'll discuss that. ... To be honest with you, we ain't done. When our committee meets with the team physicians after the Super Bowl, everything's on the table. You think this is the last rendition of what we do? Heck, no. We're not done."

As it is, while the players the AP spoke to tend to feel better about the way concussions are handled now than in 2009, they won't deny that dangers lurk.

"You're never going to be totally safe from concussions in this game," Oakland Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt said. "This is the only place where you can actually legally assault people."

___

AP Sports Writers Bob Baum, Tim Booth, Tom Canavan, Chris Duncan, Josh Dubow, R.B. Fallstrom, Dave Ginsburg, Fred Goodall, Pat Graham, Will Graves, Stephen Hawkins, George Henry, Chris Jenkins, Joe Kay, Jon Krawczynski, Larry Lage, Mark Long, Rob Maaddi, Michael Marot, Brett Martel, Janie McCauley, Steve Reed, Andrew Seligman, Dave Skretta, Howard Ulman, Teresa M. Walker, Dennis Waszak Jr., John Wawrow, Bernie Wilson, Steven Wine, and Tom Withers contributed to this report.

___

Howard Fendrich is on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111225/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_nfl_concussions_two_years_later

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President, Vice President greet nation on Christmas

Pratibha Devisingh Patil () (born 19 December 1934) is the 12th and current President of the Republic of India and first woman to hold the office. She was sworn in as President of India on 25 July 2007, succeeding Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and after beating her rival Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.

She is a member of the Indian National Congress (INC), was nominated for the presidency by the ruling United Progressive Alliance and Indian Left.

Early life

Pratibha Devisingh Patil was born on December 19, 1934 in Nadgaon village of Jalgaon District, Maharashtra. She got her early education from RR Vidyalaya, Jalgaon and later obtained her Master's degree in Political Science and Economics from the Mooljee Jetha College, Jalgaon. She obtained the degree of Bachelor of Laws from Government Law College, Mumbai. She always took part in sports and won several shields at various inter-collegiate tournaments. Even as a MLA, she pursued her studies as a law student.

Career

Pratibha Patil started her professional career as a practising lawyer at the Jalgaon District Court and worked on various social activities, especially, for the upliftment of poor women.

She was elected for the Jalgaon Assembly constituency when aged 27. She was elected four times consecutively for Muktainagar (formerly Edlabad), Maharashtra, as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly between 1962 and 1985. Thereafter, she served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from 1985 to 1990. In 1991 she was elected as a Member of Parliament in the tenth Lok Sabha, representing the Amravati constituency and stayed in the role until 1996. She has the distinction of not having lost a single election that she contested to date.

She was the 24th Governor of Rajasthan between 2004?2007, and the first woman to hold that office.

Presidential Election 2007

On 14 June 2007, United Progressive Alliance (UPA), the ruling alliance of political parties in India headed by the Indian National Congress, and the Indian left nominated her as their candidate for the Presidential Election to be held in July that year. She emerged as a compromise candidate after the Left parties would not agree to the nomination of former Home Minister Shivraj Patil. UPA chairwoman Sonia Gandhi proposed her: her loyalty to the Nehru-Gandhi family was widely perceived to be a major factor in her nomination. With the possibility that she might become the first female President of India, Sonia Gandhi described her nomination as a "historic occasion".

Before leaving Jaipur for New Delhi, she thanked Gandhi for choosing her and said that her first job as president would be to make the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) started by UPA a success. In Delhi she asserted that she would not be a rubber stamp president.

She faced Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, the NDA candidate, in a straight contest. Her campaign was boosted by the decision of UNPA to abstain from voting.

The Leader of the Opposition, L K Advani, unsuccessfully sought the intervention of Election Commission of India to force Patil to declare her assets.

Shiv Sena, an important ally of NDA, declared its support of Patil on the grounds that she would be the first Maharashtrian to hold the office. This decision caused problems for the BJP-Sena alliance.

Presidency

NamePratibha Patil
DipstyleHer Excellency Pratibha Patil, President of the Republic of India
OffstylePresident Patil
AltstyleMadame President }}
She won the presidential election held on 19 July 2007 defeating her nearest rival Bhairon Singh Shekhawat by over 300,000 votes. She took office as India's first woman president on 25 July 2007.

Philanthropy

Along with her husband, she set up Vidya Bharati Shikshan Prasarak Mandal, an educational institute which runs a chain of schools and colleges in Amravati, Jalgaon and Mumbai. She also set up Shram Sadhana Trust, which runs hostels for working women in New Delhi, Mumbai and Pune; and an engineering college in Jalgaon. She also founded a cooperative sugar factory known as Sant Muktabai Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana,muktainager and a cooperative bank named after herself as Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank. The bank ceased trading in February 2003 due to having its license revoked as a consequence of financial irregularities.

Controversies

BJP campaign

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have opposed her in its political campaigning. BJP leader Arun Shourie wrote two articles published as a booklet titled Does This Tainted Person Deserve to Become President of India?, and another BJP leader, Arun Jaitley, announced the launch of a website called Know Pratibha Patil, which contains various media reports and documents concerning the alleged questionable financial dealings of both Patil and her family.

While the BJP tried to build a strong moral opposition to her nomination in 2007, it was advised not to challenge the nomination on legal grounds.

Legal challenges to candidature

A Public Interest Litigation was filed before the Supreme Court of India challenging her 2007 presidential nomination. The claim was referred to the various allegations against Patil and her family members and sought the cancellation of her nomination papers on the constitutional grounds of her being an undischarged bankrupt who had not cleared a debt to the public exchequer and others.

The court ruled that it could not act on unsubstantiated allegations, and rejected the petition as being without merit at the admission stage. Furthermore, it queried the intention of the petitioner and said that it was more of a "private interest litigation". The court ruled:

The petitioner then approached the Election Commission of India seeking her disqualification. The Election Commission response was that:

Following this, the petitioner again approached the court, contending that the Election Commission had not applied its mind to the matter, and sought quashing of the commission's order.

In another case a Delhi-based NGO has also filed a petition before the Delhi High Court alleging that Patil being Managing Trustee of Mumbai-based Shram Sadhana Bombay Trust, which is under the control of state government, was holding the office of profit making her ineligible to contest the President's election. The High Court deferred the hearing until after election.

Refutation

The leaders of Indian National Congress and Indian left tried to repudiate these charges. They have also said that these issues have never been raised in the past while she was a deputy chairwoman of the Rajya Sabha, or during her tenure as a governor. They accused the BJP of launching a "malicious, unsubstantiated and deliberate" slanderous campaign just to damage her reputation. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh defended Pratibha Patil and dismissed the charges as "mud-slinging". On Monday 2 July 2007 breaking her silence Patil described the allegations leveled against her as "false, malicious and baseless".

Prominent allegations against her that have been controversial are:

Allegations of shielding her brother on a murder charge

On 22 June 2007, Rajni Patil, a professor at a Jalgaon college, claimed that Pratibha Patil's brother G.N.Patil was the person who had murdered her husband, Jalgaon congressman Vishram G Patil. She accused Pratibha Patil of shielding her brother. She further said that she had provided details of her allegations to Sonia Gandhi and President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam. Copies of her letter to the President were distributed to the press by Sudheendra Kulkarni, an aide of Leader of the Opposition L. K. Advani.

On 13 July 2007 Rajani Patil petitioned the Bombay High Court, demanding that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigate Pratibha Patil and her brother in connection with the allegations before the presidential election. The court directed the CBI accordingly in order to remove the possibility that presidential immunity might come into play if Prabitha Patil were elected.

The lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani said that two CDs have surfaced which contain incriminating material against Patil's brother. The CDs contain footage of the elections for the district Congress presidentship in Jalgaon. Jethmalani offered to place both CDs on record, saying "These contain vital information showing the political link behind the murder."

Pratibha Women Cooperative Bank

Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank was a cooperative bank set up by Patil in 1973 to empower women. The license for it to operate as a bank was revoked in 2003 by the Reserve Bank of India for alleged financial irregularities. Among the irregularities listed were the loans policy of the bank and loan interest waivers given, among others, to Patil's relatives. Patil was one of the chairpersons of the bank and a number of her relatives were also directors.

She is currently one of 34 respondents in a legal case at the Bombay High Court relating to allegations of mismanagement of the bank and misappropriation of funds by its directors.

In her defence, her supporters point out that she was not the founding president of the bank, and that she held the job of the chairwoman for a little over a month. They also point out that the RBI has never mentioned Patil's name in the report, and the court has not charge-sheeted her. Communist leader A.B. Bardhan cast doubts on the credibility of the official employees' union of the bank, which has been highlighting the issue of mismanagement since 2002, drawing attention to the fact that it is associated with the BMS union led by the BJP.

Sant Muktabai Cooperative Sugar Factory

A cooperative sugar factory ? Sant Muktabai Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana ? of which Pratibha was a founder member, was declared a defaulter for failing to repay a Rs 17.5 crore (Rs 175 million) bank loan. Pratibha Patil had been its chairwoman and director until she became the Governor of Rajasthan. The loan was taken in 1994 when Pratibha was its chairwoman, but the factory has failed to repay the full amount. The bank sealed the factory on 23 January 2007 after issuing many reminders. This was the second occasion the mill had been sealed. Earlier, it was sealed in January 2006, but was reopened after the board of directors headed by G. N. Patil - younger brother of Pratibha Patil - requested for an opportunity to improve the performance of the mill.

In 2002 the chief commissioner of central excise and customs, Pune, issued notice to the factory for evading excise duty resulting from diversion of export-oriented sugar by the factory into domestic market.

Dubbing as "malign campaign" the allegations, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, defended Pratibha and noted that there was never any enquiry under Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act against her. He also pointed out that as many as 74 mills were issued notices in December 2006, and it was "unfortunate that only one particular case has been brought up in the media". Pawar said most of the mills had failed to repay the loans because of persistent drought affecting sugarcane production, leading these mills to go sick.

Nevertheless in 2007, Manohar Lal Sharma, an independent advocate, filed a public interest litigation petition in the Supreme Court alleging that Mrs Pratibha Patil was an undischarged insolvent relating to the Sant Muktabai Sugar Factory and hence disqualified to remain in the office of the presidency.

Party loyalty

In February 2011, Rajasthan state minister Amin Khan addressing a meeting of the district INC party was quoted by the local media as saying Pratibha Patil was rewarded with the presidency because "she used to make tea and cook food at Indira Gandhi's residence" without expecting anything in return. Khan later said that he was misquoted and did not mean any disrespect, and resigned from his post over the controversy.

Shrama Sadhna Trust

MPLADS

It was alleged that as a Member of Parliament for Amravati between 1991 and 1996 Patil diverted Rs 36 lakh (Rs 3.6 million) from her MPLADS fund to a trust run by her husband Devisingh Shekhawat. This was in violation of Government rules which barred MPs from providing funds to organisation run by their relatives.

Views on sterilisation

On 10 December 1975, when she was the Health Minister of Maharashtra, Patil advocated in Maharashtra Assembly that people with hereditary diseases should be compulsorily sterilised.

Divine indication

Patil claims to have spoken to the spirit of the deceased leader (Baba Lekhraj) at their headquarters in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.

"Dadiji ke shareer mein baba aye ... Maine unse baat ki (Baba entered Devi?s body and he communicated to me through her)," she said on TV camera. Reporters began to report on the message she received of a "divine indication" of great responsibility coming her way.

Positions held

Period ! Position
1967-72 Deputy Minister,N.H.E.A.,Scav, Public Health, Prohibition, Tourism, Housing & Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Maharashtra
1972-74 Cabinet Minister, Social Welfare, Government of Maharashtra
1974-75 Cabinet Minister, Public Health & Social Welfare, Government of Maharashtra
1975-76 Cabinet Minister, Prohibition, Rehabilitation and Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra
1977-78 Cabinet Minister, Education, Government of Maharashtra
July 1979 to February 1980 Leader of Opposition, CDP (I), Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
1982-85 Cabinet Minister, Urban Development and Housing, Government of Maharashtra
1983-85 Cabinet Minister, Civil Supplies and Social Welfare, Government of Maharashtra
18 November 1986 to 5 November 1988 Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha
1986-88 Chairperson, Committee of Privileges, Rajya Sabha; Member, Business Advisory Committee, Rajya Sabha
1991-96 Chairperson, House Committee, Lok Sabha
8 November 2004-June 2007 Governor of Rajasthan
25 July 2007 to date President of India

See also

  • Devisingh Ransingh Shekhawat
  • Indian presidential election, 2007
  • Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank
  • Sant Muktabai Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana
  • References

    |- }} |-

    Category:1934 births Category:Current national leaders Category:Female heads of state Category:Governors of Rajasthan Category:Indian National Congress politicians Category:Indian women in politics Category:Living people Category:Maharashtra politicians Category:Marathi people Category:Presidents of India

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    Source: http://article.wn.com/view/2011/12/25/President_Vice_President_greet_nation_on_Christmas/

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    Monday, December 26, 2011

    Paulryburn: WTF Dos Equis Lager is .50 cheaper at the Little Rock Saucer. Not that it matters, I'll be drinking Boulevard and Diamond Bear beers

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    WTF Dos Equis Lager is .50 cheaper at the Little Rock Saucer. Not that it matters, I'll be drinking Boulevard and Diamond Bear beers Paulryburn

    Paul Ryburn

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    Source: http://twitter.com/Paulryburn/statuses/150779157603827712

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    How does Cody Rhodes measure up to Booker T's past?

    Booker T has stood toe-to-toe with the best Superstars in WWE history. How does Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes measure up to some of the legend's greatest opponents??

    The Rock: Rocky Maivia became the iconic Rock when he embraced his egocentric side ? speaking of himself in the third person, channeling the ?millions and millions? of fans shouting his name as he deemed himself The People?s Champion. This attitude gave him a strong advantage against any opponent. Cody Rhodes has embraced this same egocentric philosophy, making his voice heard with a righteous indignation that belittles Superstars and the WWE Universe alike. Although self-centered, there is no doubt the confidence he exudes has become a valuable trait, not unlike The Great One.?

    ?Stone Cold? Steve Austin: The Texas Rattlesnake gained a huge advantage over his adversaries by launching an all-out rebellion against WWE, doing whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted to do it. Rhodes also carries a strong disregard for the rules, laughing in the face of what is considered acceptable behavior. He continuously questions authority figures such as SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, refuses to stand silent whenever the actions of other Superstars rub him the wrong way and takes every advantage he can ? from attacking his opponents before a match to using weapons. This is something Booker, no doubt, learned at WWE TLC.

    The Undertaker: For more than two decades, The Phenom has set his adversaries off-balance before the bell even rings, largely because of the ominous mystique that surrounds him. If there is one thing Rhodes shares with The Deadman, it?s this mysterious dark side. The Intercontinental Champion's career was redefined following his accidental injury at the hands of Rey Mysterio. Though he has since dropped the protective mask and self-loathing, traces of the scars still remain on his psyche, giving Rhodes a dangerous focus that breeds intimidation and keeps the competition guessing about what to expect from him.

    Batista: The mighty Batista was called "The Animal" because he could channel pure rage capable of overpowering any opponent. Rhodes does not carry the size of the former World Champion. But, despite his good looks and smooth ability on the mic, he too is driven by an inner fury. When backed into a corner, he attacks with a vicious aggression that many opponents don't see coming until it's too late.

    ?

    Christian: Say what you want about Christian?s constant insistence that he should have ?one more match? or his complaints about a lack of concern for his recent injuries. But regardless, no one can deny the extraordinary ability of this two-time World Heavyweight Champion in the squared-circle. Likewise, in spite of what anyone thinks of Rhodes' antics, he is as sound a ring technician as anyone in the locker room, strategic and cunning as they come.

    One could argue that with his many dominant attributes, Cody Rhodes is as strong a threat to Booker T as any Superstars he has faced before. If the Intercontinental Champion brings the full force of these characteristics to fruition in further altercations with the Master of the Spin-a-Roonie, it could present the greatest challenge of Booker's career.

    Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2011-12-20/cody-brooker-past-foes

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    Sunday, December 25, 2011

    Attorneys for teen accused of golf course slaying want client in juvenile detention

    Attorneys for a teenager accused of the gang-related shooting of 18-year-old JoJo Lee Brandstatt at a West Valley City golf course nearly three years ago are again lobbying to have the teenager housed in juvenile detention instead of the Salt Lake County jail.

    The request follows a ruling earlier this week by the Utah Court of Appeals, which said the case of Antonie "Hunter" Farani should be returned to the juvenile court system ? at least temporarily ? while a judge reconsiders his prior decision to certify the teen as an adult.

    The appeals court said 3rd District Juvenile Court Judge Andrew Valdez relied on a juvenile probation department report containing information considered inadmissible hearsay in his December 2009 determination that Farani should be tried as an adult.

    The appeals court remanded the case back to Valdez, who will consider whether there is enough evidence to certify Farani as an adult under stricter rules of evidence.

    Attorneys met Friday in 3rd District Court to discuss the detention issue. Farani?s defense attorney, Richard Van Wagoner, was told to prepare the appropriate order to request to have Farani, 17, moved.

    Farani ? charged with aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated kidnapping and five counts of aggravated robbery, all first-degree felonies ? was 14 years old when he allegedly killed Brandstatt on the night of Feb. 6, 2009.

    Farani was with three older gang members who kidnapped another man, Gregory Brown, who is now 21.

    Brown claims he was told by the group that if he was able to get $2,000 by the end of the night through robberies, they wouldn?t kill him. Brown said he called Brandstatt, who agreed to meet the group with the address of a gang member they could rob.

    Story continues below

    When Brandstatt arrived, he was wearing a red T-shirt and red shoelaces, indicating a connection to Norte?o gang members. Farani allegedly said, "Let?s just finish off this Norte."

    The group drove to a West Valley City golf course, where Farani allegedly shot and killed Brandstatt. Driving away from the body, the group then forced Brown to rob three convenience stores with a pellet gun.

    Police say Farani confessed to the crime during a videotaped interview with West Valley City police, according to prior court testimony. The teen said he was high on marijuana and pressured to pull the trigger by 20-year-old Spencer Isaiah Cater, who allegedly believed the victim "knew too much."

    All four were arrested, and two others ? 29-year-old Jeremiah "Jay" Ha?k Williamson and 21-year-old Shardise "Kaiso" Malaga ? have since pleaded guilty and been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Cater was convicted at trial last week on aggravated kidnapping and robbery charges and is to be sentenced in February. The jury acquitted Cater of the murder count.

    mrogers@sltrib.com

    Twitter: @mrogers_trib

    Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53176657-78/farani-court-brandstatt-brown.html.csp

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    IBJTheScore: Colts owner Jim Irsay says if Peyton Manning puts on an NFL helmet again it will have a horseshoe on the side of it.

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    Colts owner Jim Irsay says if Peyton Manning puts on an NFL helmet again it will have a horseshoe on the side of it. IBJTheScore

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