Reliance Life set to hire 40,000 advisors
Reliance Life Insurance today said it has hired over 10,000 advisors so far this fiscal and plans to appoint 40,000 more in the next six months.
The large-scale hiring drive is part of Reliance Life's plans to strengthen its advisor base and it is focusing on Tier II and Tier III cities to hire the insurance advisors, the private sector insurer said.
"We have added close to 10,000 insurance advisors in the past few months and are targeting to recruit 40,000 more by the end of the current financial year to increase our reach," Reliance Life (R-Life) President and Executive Director Malay Ghosh said in a statement.
"This will strengthen our distribution network and help in new customer acquisition," he added.
R-Life is part of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group's financial services arm Reliance Capital.
"Semi-urban and rural regions are on our radar for recruitment of these insurance advisors. We are attempting to create a stronger footprint across India with a view to enhancing the width and depth of our reach across the country," Ghosh said.
R-Life said it would help these new 50,000 advisors to become certified insurance advisors in the current financial year, thus adding to the pool of certified agents who will serve as growth driver for the life insurance industry in the coming years.
It had more than 1,50,000 advisors at the end of last fiscal ended March 31, 2012, with a distribution network of 1,230 offices across the country.
The company said it is investing significantly in its training and technology programmes to equip its agents with tools and help them sell better and service customers effectively and efficiently.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
UPA readies for life after Didi
UPA readies for life after Didi
The Congress-Trinamool divorce seems complete with the government ruling out any rollback of fuel hikes and FDI in retail and Mamata Banerjee insisting there was no room for negotiation.
Within minutes of finance minister P Chidambaram making an emphatic "no rollback" statement on Wednesday, Banerjee said TMC ministers at the Centre would quit on Friday. The CM's charge that the government was "distorting facts" in claiming that the PM tried to reach her only increased the acrimony. Her demand that the number of cheap cooking gas cylinders per family be hiked to 24 a year is clearly unacceptable to the government.
Chidambaram's remarks came after a meeting of the Congress core group where he argued that the diesel price hike and FDI initiatives were essential to fix the government's finances. Sonia Gandhi was informed that there was no scope for a rollback.
The FM pointed to the rupee hardening against the US dollar after last week's announcements, saying that for every Re 1 gained, the economy benefitted by around Rs 8,000 crore. The government couldn't afford to send a negative signal by undoing the reform measures.
Sources said the government is keen to send more reform signals and initiatives blocked by Mamata, like pension and insurance reform, could be back on the table. But some ministers cautioned the situation was fluid. The group of ministers on media, which met after the core committee, took note of the Congress leadership's resolve and decided to adopt an assertive strategy to counter the impression that UPA 2 might have lost stomach for reforms.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's comments at a rally that he would support any party that helped Bihar get "special state" status created a flutter too. Although he was speaking in terms of the next national election and government formation thereafter, his remarks indicated he was not wedded to his alliance with BJP and could be a potential Congress ally. Both SP and BSP also made reassuring noises. Congress also backed the "no rollback" stance and to soften the cooking gas restrictions announced by the government, said all states ruled by it will increase the cap from six to nine. With the party and government on the same wavelength, UPA began to gear up for life after Mamata.
The assessment in government circles is that while survival in Parliament is not an immediate issue, the Centre will have to work hard to quell doubts that its dependence on fickle and demanding parties has increased . Parliament is due to meet only by late November, giving the government time to recover. Congress managers will need to build bridges with smaller parties and ensure BJP's cooperation on key reform legislation.
The Congress-Trinamool divorce seems complete with the government ruling out any rollback of fuel hikes and FDI in retail and Mamata Banerjee insisting there was no room for negotiation.
Within minutes of finance minister P Chidambaram making an emphatic "no rollback" statement on Wednesday, Banerjee said TMC ministers at the Centre would quit on Friday. The CM's charge that the government was "distorting facts" in claiming that the PM tried to reach her only increased the acrimony. Her demand that the number of cheap cooking gas cylinders per family be hiked to 24 a year is clearly unacceptable to the government.
Chidambaram's remarks came after a meeting of the Congress core group where he argued that the diesel price hike and FDI initiatives were essential to fix the government's finances. Sonia Gandhi was informed that there was no scope for a rollback.
The FM pointed to the rupee hardening against the US dollar after last week's announcements, saying that for every Re 1 gained, the economy benefitted by around Rs 8,000 crore. The government couldn't afford to send a negative signal by undoing the reform measures.
Sources said the government is keen to send more reform signals and initiatives blocked by Mamata, like pension and insurance reform, could be back on the table. But some ministers cautioned the situation was fluid. The group of ministers on media, which met after the core committee, took note of the Congress leadership's resolve and decided to adopt an assertive strategy to counter the impression that UPA 2 might have lost stomach for reforms.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's comments at a rally that he would support any party that helped Bihar get "special state" status created a flutter too. Although he was speaking in terms of the next national election and government formation thereafter, his remarks indicated he was not wedded to his alliance with BJP and could be a potential Congress ally. Both SP and BSP also made reassuring noises. Congress also backed the "no rollback" stance and to soften the cooking gas restrictions announced by the government, said all states ruled by it will increase the cap from six to nine. With the party and government on the same wavelength, UPA began to gear up for life after Mamata.
The assessment in government circles is that while survival in Parliament is not an immediate issue, the Centre will have to work hard to quell doubts that its dependence on fickle and demanding parties has increased . Parliament is due to meet only by late November, giving the government time to recover. Congress managers will need to build bridges with smaller parties and ensure BJP's cooperation on key reform legislation.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Black Mesa: a love letter to Half Life
Black Mesa: a love letter to Half Life
Black Mesa, the free downloadable mod for Valve's genre-defining game Half Life, is a love letter to fans of the original Half Life.
And what a love letter it is: it is a re-imagining of the PC game that - love it or loathe it - had a huge influence on first-person shooters that followed it.
The original Half Life opened with a simple tram ride through the underground facility that is the Black Mesa research facility. Inside the train car is you - non-speaking scientist Gordon Freeman - heading to the anomalous materials laborator in the bowels of the facility.
When I played the original Half Life - I still have the game disc in a box in my garage - I paid little attention to the goings-on as Freeman and the tram travelled deeper and deeper into the Black Mesa research facility. I mean, I looked around but I didn't pay much attention to things. Playing Black Mesa, I took the time to check out what was going on: panning my mouse left and right as I absorbed the re-imagined and much better looking research facility.
Using Valve's Source graphics engine, the original Half Life has never looked so good, with the security desk now much better visualised, the test chamber looking more impressive, and the cafeteria now looking like a cafeteria (hint: activate the microwave and watch it spark)
The scientists, too, in their neat ties and white lab coats, have never looked better - and the head-crab controlled scientists have also never looked more frightening, either, as they shamble - rather quickly - towards initially unarmed Gordon. Character models look as good as they did in Half Life 2 but in familiar surroundings that so many of us wandered around back in the early days of PC gaming.
Black Mesa takes the solid ground that is Half Life and has polished it with a new look, new dialogue, subtly changed levels and all kinds of wonder. There are just so many memorable little features: the scientist performing CPR on a hapless guard after the experiment in the test chamber has gone terribly wrong; the security guard overcome by a powerful head-crab controlled scientist, tossing his pistol to you as he dies.
The labour of love for around eight years by a team of artists, designers, animators and graphics whizzes who worked, I understand, part-time on it, Black Mesa is an amazing feat and a must-have fans of the original Half Life game, or the series in general: plus it's free, which is a nice bonus.
I'm about a quarter of the way through - soaking it all in - but so far I'm amazingly impressed, although it took a few tries to get to grips using the crouch-jump for the first time. It's a big download though - around 3Gb or so - but personally, worth it if you want to see Half Life with a fresh lick of paint.
So, now we have a re-imagining of Half Life, what games from the past would you like to see re-imagined using one of today's modern graphics engines?
Other stuff you might be interested in: Game Junkie is on Twitter and you can email him here. He'll even answer your emails, not get some smart robot to do it. He also has another gaming blog here, but that needs to be updated more often than it is.
Black Mesa, the free downloadable mod for Valve's genre-defining game Half Life, is a love letter to fans of the original Half Life.
And what a love letter it is: it is a re-imagining of the PC game that - love it or loathe it - had a huge influence on first-person shooters that followed it.
The original Half Life opened with a simple tram ride through the underground facility that is the Black Mesa research facility. Inside the train car is you - non-speaking scientist Gordon Freeman - heading to the anomalous materials laborator in the bowels of the facility.
When I played the original Half Life - I still have the game disc in a box in my garage - I paid little attention to the goings-on as Freeman and the tram travelled deeper and deeper into the Black Mesa research facility. I mean, I looked around but I didn't pay much attention to things. Playing Black Mesa, I took the time to check out what was going on: panning my mouse left and right as I absorbed the re-imagined and much better looking research facility.
Using Valve's Source graphics engine, the original Half Life has never looked so good, with the security desk now much better visualised, the test chamber looking more impressive, and the cafeteria now looking like a cafeteria (hint: activate the microwave and watch it spark)
The scientists, too, in their neat ties and white lab coats, have never looked better - and the head-crab controlled scientists have also never looked more frightening, either, as they shamble - rather quickly - towards initially unarmed Gordon. Character models look as good as they did in Half Life 2 but in familiar surroundings that so many of us wandered around back in the early days of PC gaming.
Black Mesa takes the solid ground that is Half Life and has polished it with a new look, new dialogue, subtly changed levels and all kinds of wonder. There are just so many memorable little features: the scientist performing CPR on a hapless guard after the experiment in the test chamber has gone terribly wrong; the security guard overcome by a powerful head-crab controlled scientist, tossing his pistol to you as he dies.
The labour of love for around eight years by a team of artists, designers, animators and graphics whizzes who worked, I understand, part-time on it, Black Mesa is an amazing feat and a must-have fans of the original Half Life game, or the series in general: plus it's free, which is a nice bonus.
I'm about a quarter of the way through - soaking it all in - but so far I'm amazingly impressed, although it took a few tries to get to grips using the crouch-jump for the first time. It's a big download though - around 3Gb or so - but personally, worth it if you want to see Half Life with a fresh lick of paint.
So, now we have a re-imagining of Half Life, what games from the past would you like to see re-imagined using one of today's modern graphics engines?
Other stuff you might be interested in: Game Junkie is on Twitter and you can email him here. He'll even answer your emails, not get some smart robot to do it. He also has another gaming blog here, but that needs to be updated more often than it is.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Cristian Fernandez, 13-year-old Fla. boy, faces life in prison for allegedly murdering his 2-year-old half-brother
Cristian Fernandez, 13-year-old Fla. boy, faces life in prison for allegedly murdering his 2-year-old half-brother
JACKSONVILLE, Florida - Christian Fernandez, the 13-year-old Florida boy who is charged as an adult with first-degree murder in the 2011 beating death of his 2-year-old half-brother and the sexual abuse of his 5-year-old half-brother, has had a life marked by violence and neglect.
When he was just two-years-old, Fernandez was found naked and dirty, wandering a South Florida street. The grandmother taking care of him was holed up with cocaine in a motel room, while his 14-year-old mother was nowhere to be found.
His very conception resulted in a sexual assault conviction against his father, and Fernandez' life got worse from there. He was sexually assaulted by a cousin and beaten by his stepfather, who committed suicide before police investigating the beating arrived.
The boy learned to squelch his feelings, once telling a counselor: "You got to suck up feelings and get over it."
Now 13, Fernandez is accused of murder and sexual abuse. He's been charged as an adult and is the youngest inmate awaiting trial in Duval County.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Fernandez could face a life sentence, but there are complications. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this summer that it is unconstitutional for juvenile offenders to get mandatory life sentences without parole. Because of that, Fernandez' defense attorneys said they can't advise their client what kind of sentence he could face. Another complication involves whether Fernandez understood his rights during police interrogations.
"What would be a fair disposition? I don't suspect this case is going to end anytime soon," said Richard Kuritz, a former Jacksonville prosecutor who is now a defense attorney who has been following the case closely.
Some believe local State Attorney Angela Corey made a mistake by deciding to try Fernandez as an adult.
"He should be rehabilitated and have a second chance at life," said Carol Torres, 51. Her grandson attended school with Fernandez and she has created a Facebook page to support him.
In other states, children accused of violent crimes are often charged or convicted as juveniles. In 2011, a Colorado boy pleaded guilty to killing his two parents when he was 12; he was given a seven-year sentence in a juvenile facility and three years parole. A Pennsylvania boy accused of killing his father's pregnant fiance and her unborn child when he was 11 was sent this year to an undisclosed juvenile facility where he could remain in state custody until his 21st birthday.
The Justice Department said that 29 children under age 14 committed homicides around the country in 2010, the most recent year for which the statistics were available
Fernandez' judge - and jury, if the case gets that far - will have to decide whether to consider the boy's past when determining his future.
Fernandez was born in Miami in 1999 to Biannela Susana, who was 12. The 25-year-old father received 10 years' probation for sexually assaulting her.
Two years later, both mother and son went to foster care after authorities in South Florida found the toddler, filthy and naked, walking in the street at 4 a.m. near the motel where his grandmother did drugs.
In 2007, when Fernandez was 8, the Department of Children and Families investigated a report that he was sexually molested by an older cousin. Officials said other troubling incidents were reported, including claims that he killed a kitten, simulated sex with classmates and masturbated at school.
In October 2010, Fernandez and his mother were living in Hialeah, a Miami suburb, with his mother's new husband. Fernandez suffered an eye injury so bad that school officials sent him to the hospital where he was examined for retinal damage. Fernandez told officers that his stepfather had punched him. When officers went to the family's apartment, they found the stepfather dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Soon, the family moved north to Jacksonville and Fernandez enrolled in middle school, getting straight A's.
A few months later on March 14, 2011, deputies were called to the apartment: Fernandez' baby brother, 2-year-old David, had died at a local hospital. The medical examiner determined that the toddler had a fractured skull, bruising to his left eye and a bleeding brain.
Susana, then 25, admitted to investigators that she had left Fernandez, David and her other children home alone. When she returned, she said she found David unconscious. She waited eight-and-a-half hours before taking him to the hospital and searched "unconsciousness" online and texted friends during that time.
Susana also revealed that two weeks before David's death, Fernandez had broken the toddler's leg while wrestling.
Susana was charged with aggravated manslaughter; the medical examiner said David might have survived if she had taken him to the hospital sooner for the head injury. She pleaded guilty in March and could get 30 years.
Fernandez, who had first been questioned as a witness, was soon charged with first-degree murder. The other felony charge was filed after his 5-year-old half-brother told a psychiatrist that Fernandez had sexually assaulted him.
The boy has talked openly to investigators and therapists about his life; the gritty details are captured in various court documents.
"Christian denied any plans or intent to kill his brother," one doctor wrote. "He seemed rather defensive about discussing what triggered his anger. He talked about having a 'flashback' of the abuse by his stepfather as the motive for this offense ... Christian was rather detached emotionally while discussing the incident."
Based on psychological evaluations, prosecutors say that Fernandez poses a significant risk of violence. That's why he is being detained pre-trial and why they charged him with two first-degree felonies.
Yet difficult questions remain for Judge Mallory Cooper: Should a child so young spend his life in prison? Does Fernandez understand his crimes, and can he comprehend the complex legal issues surrounding his case?
In August, Cooper ruled that police interrogations of Fernandez in the murder and sexual assault cases are not admissible, because the boy couldn't knowledgeably waive his rights to remain silent and consult an attorney. Prosecutors are appealing.
The defense wants the charges dismissed, saying the U.S. Supreme Court ruling banning sentences of life without parole for juveniles makes it impossible for them to advise Fernandez since the Florida Legislature has not changed state law. Prosecutors say they never said they would seek a mandatory life sentence - they say the old Florida law that called for a 25-year-to-life sentence could apply.
Mitch Stone, a Jacksonville defense attorney who is familiar with the case, said Corey and her prosecutors are in a tough position.
"I know they're good people and good lawyers," he said. "But if a resolution short of trial doesn't occur, this case is on a collision course to sending Cristian Fernandez to life in prison. That's why this is one of those very difficult cases. It's hard to understand what the appropriate measure is."
JACKSONVILLE, Florida - Christian Fernandez, the 13-year-old Florida boy who is charged as an adult with first-degree murder in the 2011 beating death of his 2-year-old half-brother and the sexual abuse of his 5-year-old half-brother, has had a life marked by violence and neglect.
When he was just two-years-old, Fernandez was found naked and dirty, wandering a South Florida street. The grandmother taking care of him was holed up with cocaine in a motel room, while his 14-year-old mother was nowhere to be found.
His very conception resulted in a sexual assault conviction against his father, and Fernandez' life got worse from there. He was sexually assaulted by a cousin and beaten by his stepfather, who committed suicide before police investigating the beating arrived.
The boy learned to squelch his feelings, once telling a counselor: "You got to suck up feelings and get over it."
Now 13, Fernandez is accused of murder and sexual abuse. He's been charged as an adult and is the youngest inmate awaiting trial in Duval County.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Fernandez could face a life sentence, but there are complications. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this summer that it is unconstitutional for juvenile offenders to get mandatory life sentences without parole. Because of that, Fernandez' defense attorneys said they can't advise their client what kind of sentence he could face. Another complication involves whether Fernandez understood his rights during police interrogations.
"What would be a fair disposition? I don't suspect this case is going to end anytime soon," said Richard Kuritz, a former Jacksonville prosecutor who is now a defense attorney who has been following the case closely.
Some believe local State Attorney Angela Corey made a mistake by deciding to try Fernandez as an adult.
"He should be rehabilitated and have a second chance at life," said Carol Torres, 51. Her grandson attended school with Fernandez and she has created a Facebook page to support him.
In other states, children accused of violent crimes are often charged or convicted as juveniles. In 2011, a Colorado boy pleaded guilty to killing his two parents when he was 12; he was given a seven-year sentence in a juvenile facility and three years parole. A Pennsylvania boy accused of killing his father's pregnant fiance and her unborn child when he was 11 was sent this year to an undisclosed juvenile facility where he could remain in state custody until his 21st birthday.
The Justice Department said that 29 children under age 14 committed homicides around the country in 2010, the most recent year for which the statistics were available
Fernandez' judge - and jury, if the case gets that far - will have to decide whether to consider the boy's past when determining his future.
Fernandez was born in Miami in 1999 to Biannela Susana, who was 12. The 25-year-old father received 10 years' probation for sexually assaulting her.
Two years later, both mother and son went to foster care after authorities in South Florida found the toddler, filthy and naked, walking in the street at 4 a.m. near the motel where his grandmother did drugs.
In 2007, when Fernandez was 8, the Department of Children and Families investigated a report that he was sexually molested by an older cousin. Officials said other troubling incidents were reported, including claims that he killed a kitten, simulated sex with classmates and masturbated at school.
In October 2010, Fernandez and his mother were living in Hialeah, a Miami suburb, with his mother's new husband. Fernandez suffered an eye injury so bad that school officials sent him to the hospital where he was examined for retinal damage. Fernandez told officers that his stepfather had punched him. When officers went to the family's apartment, they found the stepfather dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Soon, the family moved north to Jacksonville and Fernandez enrolled in middle school, getting straight A's.
A few months later on March 14, 2011, deputies were called to the apartment: Fernandez' baby brother, 2-year-old David, had died at a local hospital. The medical examiner determined that the toddler had a fractured skull, bruising to his left eye and a bleeding brain.
Susana, then 25, admitted to investigators that she had left Fernandez, David and her other children home alone. When she returned, she said she found David unconscious. She waited eight-and-a-half hours before taking him to the hospital and searched "unconsciousness" online and texted friends during that time.
Susana also revealed that two weeks before David's death, Fernandez had broken the toddler's leg while wrestling.
Susana was charged with aggravated manslaughter; the medical examiner said David might have survived if she had taken him to the hospital sooner for the head injury. She pleaded guilty in March and could get 30 years.
Fernandez, who had first been questioned as a witness, was soon charged with first-degree murder. The other felony charge was filed after his 5-year-old half-brother told a psychiatrist that Fernandez had sexually assaulted him.
The boy has talked openly to investigators and therapists about his life; the gritty details are captured in various court documents.
"Christian denied any plans or intent to kill his brother," one doctor wrote. "He seemed rather defensive about discussing what triggered his anger. He talked about having a 'flashback' of the abuse by his stepfather as the motive for this offense ... Christian was rather detached emotionally while discussing the incident."
Based on psychological evaluations, prosecutors say that Fernandez poses a significant risk of violence. That's why he is being detained pre-trial and why they charged him with two first-degree felonies.
Yet difficult questions remain for Judge Mallory Cooper: Should a child so young spend his life in prison? Does Fernandez understand his crimes, and can he comprehend the complex legal issues surrounding his case?
In August, Cooper ruled that police interrogations of Fernandez in the murder and sexual assault cases are not admissible, because the boy couldn't knowledgeably waive his rights to remain silent and consult an attorney. Prosecutors are appealing.
The defense wants the charges dismissed, saying the U.S. Supreme Court ruling banning sentences of life without parole for juveniles makes it impossible for them to advise Fernandez since the Florida Legislature has not changed state law. Prosecutors say they never said they would seek a mandatory life sentence - they say the old Florida law that called for a 25-year-to-life sentence could apply.
Mitch Stone, a Jacksonville defense attorney who is familiar with the case, said Corey and her prosecutors are in a tough position.
"I know they're good people and good lawyers," he said. "But if a resolution short of trial doesn't occur, this case is on a collision course to sending Cristian Fernandez to life in prison. That's why this is one of those very difficult cases. It's hard to understand what the appropriate measure is."
Monday, September 17, 2012
Astronaut re-enters life on Earth
Astronaut re-enters life on Earth
An international three-man crew onboard a Russian-made Soyuz capsule touched down successfully on the cloudless central Kazakhstan steppe Monday morning after 123 days at the International Space Station.
A fleet of Russian Mi-8 helicopters deployed from towns near the landing site ahead of the capsule's arrival early Monday morning to ensure swift interception.
NASA's Joe Acaba and Russian colleagues Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin undocked from the orbiting laboratory somewhere over Nairobi, Kenya, some 3 ½ hours before touchdown. The Soyuz craft remains the only means for international astronauts to reach the space station since the decommissioning of the U.S. Shuttle fleet in 2011.
The size of the three-person complement currently at the space station will be doubled when they are joined next month by U.S. astronaut Kevin Ford and Russians Oleg Novitsky and Yevgeny Tarelkin.
NASA's Sunita Williams took over command at the station Saturday from Padalka, becoming the second woman in history to do so. Williams, veteran Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and Aki Hoshide of Japan are due to return to Earth in the middle of November.
Padalka, who piloted the Soyuz craft back to Earth, was the first to be pulled out of the capsule, which rolled onto its side after coming down softly in the flat Kazakh countryside some 50 miles north of the town of Arkalyk.
Upon their return, astronauts are typically lifted onto reclining chairs to ensure comfortable acclimatization after months of living in gravity-free conditions.
Looking relaxed and smiling broadly while sipping a mug of tea and basking in the mild sunny conditions, Padalka waved at cameras that descended on the site soon almost immediately after landing.
"We honestly could not have asked for better weather out here today. The temperature's really good (and) the crew is obviously enjoying this weather," NASA spokesman Josh Byerly said in an online link-up from the landing site. "I have never seen the amount of clarity we had today."
With this mission complete, Padalka becomes the fourth most seasoned space traveler, having spent 711 days in space over four missions.
An international three-man crew onboard a Russian-made Soyuz capsule touched down successfully on the cloudless central Kazakhstan steppe Monday morning after 123 days at the International Space Station.
A fleet of Russian Mi-8 helicopters deployed from towns near the landing site ahead of the capsule's arrival early Monday morning to ensure swift interception.
NASA's Joe Acaba and Russian colleagues Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin undocked from the orbiting laboratory somewhere over Nairobi, Kenya, some 3 ½ hours before touchdown. The Soyuz craft remains the only means for international astronauts to reach the space station since the decommissioning of the U.S. Shuttle fleet in 2011.
The size of the three-person complement currently at the space station will be doubled when they are joined next month by U.S. astronaut Kevin Ford and Russians Oleg Novitsky and Yevgeny Tarelkin.
NASA's Sunita Williams took over command at the station Saturday from Padalka, becoming the second woman in history to do so. Williams, veteran Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and Aki Hoshide of Japan are due to return to Earth in the middle of November.
Padalka, who piloted the Soyuz craft back to Earth, was the first to be pulled out of the capsule, which rolled onto its side after coming down softly in the flat Kazakh countryside some 50 miles north of the town of Arkalyk.
Upon their return, astronauts are typically lifted onto reclining chairs to ensure comfortable acclimatization after months of living in gravity-free conditions.
Looking relaxed and smiling broadly while sipping a mug of tea and basking in the mild sunny conditions, Padalka waved at cameras that descended on the site soon almost immediately after landing.
"We honestly could not have asked for better weather out here today. The temperature's really good (and) the crew is obviously enjoying this weather," NASA spokesman Josh Byerly said in an online link-up from the landing site. "I have never seen the amount of clarity we had today."
With this mission complete, Padalka becomes the fourth most seasoned space traveler, having spent 711 days in space over four missions.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Life Went on Around Her, Redefining Care by Bridging a Divide
Life Went on Around Her, Redefining Care by Bridging a Divide
In 1988, when Anne Fadiman met Lia Lee, then 5, for the first time, she wrote down her impressions in four spare lines that now read like found poetry:barefoot mother gently rocking silent child
diaper, sweater, strings around wrist
like a baby, but she’s so big
mother kisses and strokes her
The story of Lia, the severely brain-damaged daughter of Hmong refugees who had resettled in California, became the subject of Ms. Fadiman’s first book, “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down,” published in 1997.
Its title is the English translation of the condition known as qaug dab peg (pronounced “kow da pay”), the Hmong term for epilepsy, from which Lia had suffered since infancy.
In traditional Hmong belief, qaug dab peg, like many illnesses, is spiritual in origin, caused when the soul becomes separated from the body. A traditional cure might entail visits from a shaman, who would attempt to reunite body and soul.
A work of narrative nonfiction, Ms. Fadiman’s book is a cautionary tale about the cultural chasm between Lia’s family, with its generations-old animist beliefs, and her rationalist American doctors.
“In some sense, I was trying to provide a way of controlling her seizures with Western methods and Western medicines,” said Dr. Neil Ernst, who with his wife, Dr. Peggy Philp, was one of the pediatricians who treated Lia early on. “And in some sense, the Lees were giving up control of their child to a system that they didn’t understand.”
That cultural divide — despite the best intentions of both sides, Ms. Fadiman wrote — may have brought about Lia’s condition, a consequence of a catastrophic seizure when she was 4.
Over the years, whenever Ms. Fadiman lectured about the book, readers would press a single question on her before any other: “Is Lia still alive?”
Lia Lee died in Sacramento on Aug. 31. (Her death was not widely reported outside California.) The immediate cause was pneumonia, Ms. Fadiman said. But Lia’s underlying medical issues were more complex still, for she had lived the last 26 of her 30 years in a persistent vegetative state. Today, most people in that condition die within three to five years.
Acclaimed by reviewers, “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” won a National Book Critics Circle Award. It has sold almost 900,000 copies, according to its publisher, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, and remains widely assigned in medical schools and in university classes in social work, anthropology, journalism and other fields.
As a result, Lia’s story, as few other narratives have done, has had a significant effect on the ways in which American medicine is practiced across cultures, and on the training of doctors.
“A lot of people in medicine were talking about that book for a very long time after it was published,” Sherwin B. Nuland, the physician and National Book Award-winning author, said on Wednesday. He added:
“There’s a big difference between what we call ‘disease’ and what we call ‘illness.’ A disease is a pathological entity; an illness is the effect of the disease on the patient’s entire way of life. And suddenly you read a book like this and you say to yourself, ‘Oh, my God; what have I been doing?’ ”
A labor of eight years, “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” is also the story of the immense benefits of tradition, which can furnish, Ms. Fadiman makes clear, a level of familial devotion less often seen among modern Americans. Lia spent her entire life at home, assiduously cared for by her family, and it was this devotion, Ms. Fadiman came to feel, that kept her alive for so long.
“She was never shunted to the periphery,” Ms. Fadiman, the daughter of the author and television personality Clifton Fadiman and the journalist Annalee Jacoby Fadiman, said on Wednesday. “I remember her most in her mother’s arms. Family life went on around her and in some ways revolved around her.”
The 14th of 15 children born to her mother, Foua Yang, and her father, Nao Kao Lee, Lia Lee was born on July 19, 1982, in Merced, Calif. — the first of her parents’ children born in the United States, and the first born in a hospital. She was plump, porcelain-skinned, lively and beautiful.
The Lees had arrived in the United States two years earlier with their seven living children, a blanket, a mortar and pestle and little else. They had been farmers in their native Laos; three of their children died there when they were very young.
During the Vietnam War, many Hmong were recruited by the United States to fight the North Vietnamese in Laos; after Laos fell to the Communists in 1975, 150,000 Hmong, in fear of their lives, fled the country. The Lees were among them.
It took the family until 1980 to reach the United States. Along the way they endured a perilous odyssey that included an attempt to flee their village before being forced back at gunpoint by Vietnamese soldiers, and a later attempt, culminating in a 26-day walk to Thailand, where they spent a year in refugee camps. During these five years, three more of their children died.
In the United States, the Lees eventually settled in a modest apartment in Merced, about 120 miles southeast of San Francisco. By the time Ms. Fadiman met them, Merced’s population was one-sixth Hmong.
Lia had her first seizure when she was about 3 months old. At Merced Community Medical Center, a resident misdiagnosed her condition. Communication was impossible: the Lees spoke no English, and the hospital had no Hmong interpreter.
“My parents weren’t able to convey exactly that she was having seizures,” Lia’s sister Mai, now 32, said in an interview on Wednesday. “The word ‘seizure’ didn’t come out. To them, they saw it as her soul being tampered with by something of a different realm.”
Lia’s seizures continued; epilepsy was eventually diagnosed and anti-seizure medication prescribed. But to her parents, qaug dab peg was literally a mixed blessing: on the one hand, Lia’s soul had been taken from her and she needed it back; on the other, her condition portended spiritual giftedness, something many traditional cultures ascribe to epilepsy. Perhaps, the Lees believed, Lia was destined to become a shaman herself.
The Lees did not always give Lia her medication, Ms. Fadiman wrote, because they did not want to interfere with qaug dab peg entirely.
To encourage her soul’s return, her parents gave her herbs and amulets. She was sometimes visited by a Hmong shaman, who performed a ritual that included chanting, beating a gong and sacrificing a chicken or pig. (The strings around Lia’s wrist noted by Ms. Fadiman are used in Hmong tradition to help protect people from malevolent spirits.)
All this baffled Lia’s doctors. “I felt that I was trying to penetrate a very dense wall — a cultural wall — and didn’t have the tools to do it,” Dr. Ernst said.
The seizures worsened; by the time Lia was 4 ½, she had made more than 100 outpatient visits to medical facilities and been admitted to the hospital 17 times. When she was not quite 3, in frustration at what he viewed as her parents’ refusal to administer her medication, Dr. Ernst had Lia legally removed from the family home.
She spent a year in foster care — a time, Ms. Fadiman reported, of great trauma for Lia and great bitterness for her family — before being returned to her parents. (In recent years, Dr. Ernst and Mai Lee said, there has been a rapprochement between Lia’s family and her doctors.)
In 1986, when Lia was 4, she suffered a grand mal seizure that lasted nearly two hours before doctors were able to bring it under control. At some point, amid the many procedures her condition required that day, an infection set in. She went into septic shock, and her organs began to fail.
By the time she was stabilized, Lia had lost higher brain function. Her doctors expected her to die.
She did not die. She could breathe and whimper but could not speak; she was capable of little voluntary movement but could still feel pain. It was unclear how much she could see or hear.
Lia no longer had seizures, because she now had vastly reduced electrical activity in her cerebral cortex, the brain’s outermost layer. She grew only slightly, as is typical of children with severe brain damage: by the age of 30, she was 4 feet 7 inches and weighed 47 pounds.
For 26 years, her days varied little: her parents bathed her, fed her, flexed her stiffened limbs, kissed, caressed and tenderly talked to her. There were visits to doctors in Merced and later in Sacramento, where the family moved in 1996. There were periodic visits from a shaman, intended not so much to cure Lia as to ease her suffering.
“Everything that my parents had done for her is all manual labor,” Mai Lee said on Wednesday. “Carrying her from place to place, transporting her to appointments here and there, it was all done manually. They did that for a very long time.”
Nao Kao Lee, Lia’s father, died in 2003. Besides her mother, Foua Yang, and her sister Mai, her survivors include a brother, Cheng, and six other sisters, Chong, Zoua, May, Yer, True and Pang.
In Merced and far beyond, Lia’s legacy is pervasive. In 1996, largely in response to her case, Healthy House, a social-service agency that facilitates medical care for Merced County’s non-English-speaking residents, was founded in Merced, the county seat. Among its services is an interpreter training program, which provides medical interpreters in a half-dozen languages, including Hmong.
At Mercy Medical Center Merced, the current incarnation of Merced Community Medical Center, Hmong shamans are now allowed to visit patients and practice a limited number of their traditional arts. (Animal sacrifice is excluded.)
“The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down,” continuously in print and released this year in an updated edition, has extended Lia’s reach to a new generation of doctors. At the Yale School of Medicine, for instance, the incoming class is required to read it — a tradition that was begun a dozen years ago, well before Ms. Fadiman herself began teaching at Yale, where she is the Francis writer in residence.
And as hospital wards across the country become ever more diverse, seasoned doctors, too, have found there is much to be learned from Lia’s story. Among them is Dr. Nuland, the son of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, who received his medical training in New Haven in the 1950s.
“Most wards were filled with Italians, Irish and Jews,” he said, recalling those years. “We had an occasional Gypsy, an occasional Chinese person and some Hispanics, and we would walk among them with our lordly presence. You’d learn a couple of words of Italian, a couple of words of whatever, and you’d use them with patients and think you were being very clever.”
He added: “In our day, the whole thing was to assimilate, to look and act like a WASP. We could have provided so much comfort to patients who looked like our parents. And we just didn’t.”
In 1988, when Anne Fadiman met Lia Lee, then 5, for the first time, she wrote down her impressions in four spare lines that now read like found poetry:barefoot mother gently rocking silent child
diaper, sweater, strings around wrist
like a baby, but she’s so big
mother kisses and strokes her
The story of Lia, the severely brain-damaged daughter of Hmong refugees who had resettled in California, became the subject of Ms. Fadiman’s first book, “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down,” published in 1997.
Its title is the English translation of the condition known as qaug dab peg (pronounced “kow da pay”), the Hmong term for epilepsy, from which Lia had suffered since infancy.
In traditional Hmong belief, qaug dab peg, like many illnesses, is spiritual in origin, caused when the soul becomes separated from the body. A traditional cure might entail visits from a shaman, who would attempt to reunite body and soul.
A work of narrative nonfiction, Ms. Fadiman’s book is a cautionary tale about the cultural chasm between Lia’s family, with its generations-old animist beliefs, and her rationalist American doctors.
“In some sense, I was trying to provide a way of controlling her seizures with Western methods and Western medicines,” said Dr. Neil Ernst, who with his wife, Dr. Peggy Philp, was one of the pediatricians who treated Lia early on. “And in some sense, the Lees were giving up control of their child to a system that they didn’t understand.”
That cultural divide — despite the best intentions of both sides, Ms. Fadiman wrote — may have brought about Lia’s condition, a consequence of a catastrophic seizure when she was 4.
Over the years, whenever Ms. Fadiman lectured about the book, readers would press a single question on her before any other: “Is Lia still alive?”
Lia Lee died in Sacramento on Aug. 31. (Her death was not widely reported outside California.) The immediate cause was pneumonia, Ms. Fadiman said. But Lia’s underlying medical issues were more complex still, for she had lived the last 26 of her 30 years in a persistent vegetative state. Today, most people in that condition die within three to five years.
Acclaimed by reviewers, “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” won a National Book Critics Circle Award. It has sold almost 900,000 copies, according to its publisher, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, and remains widely assigned in medical schools and in university classes in social work, anthropology, journalism and other fields.
As a result, Lia’s story, as few other narratives have done, has had a significant effect on the ways in which American medicine is practiced across cultures, and on the training of doctors.
“A lot of people in medicine were talking about that book for a very long time after it was published,” Sherwin B. Nuland, the physician and National Book Award-winning author, said on Wednesday. He added:
“There’s a big difference between what we call ‘disease’ and what we call ‘illness.’ A disease is a pathological entity; an illness is the effect of the disease on the patient’s entire way of life. And suddenly you read a book like this and you say to yourself, ‘Oh, my God; what have I been doing?’ ”
A labor of eight years, “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” is also the story of the immense benefits of tradition, which can furnish, Ms. Fadiman makes clear, a level of familial devotion less often seen among modern Americans. Lia spent her entire life at home, assiduously cared for by her family, and it was this devotion, Ms. Fadiman came to feel, that kept her alive for so long.
“She was never shunted to the periphery,” Ms. Fadiman, the daughter of the author and television personality Clifton Fadiman and the journalist Annalee Jacoby Fadiman, said on Wednesday. “I remember her most in her mother’s arms. Family life went on around her and in some ways revolved around her.”
The 14th of 15 children born to her mother, Foua Yang, and her father, Nao Kao Lee, Lia Lee was born on July 19, 1982, in Merced, Calif. — the first of her parents’ children born in the United States, and the first born in a hospital. She was plump, porcelain-skinned, lively and beautiful.
The Lees had arrived in the United States two years earlier with their seven living children, a blanket, a mortar and pestle and little else. They had been farmers in their native Laos; three of their children died there when they were very young.
During the Vietnam War, many Hmong were recruited by the United States to fight the North Vietnamese in Laos; after Laos fell to the Communists in 1975, 150,000 Hmong, in fear of their lives, fled the country. The Lees were among them.
It took the family until 1980 to reach the United States. Along the way they endured a perilous odyssey that included an attempt to flee their village before being forced back at gunpoint by Vietnamese soldiers, and a later attempt, culminating in a 26-day walk to Thailand, where they spent a year in refugee camps. During these five years, three more of their children died.
In the United States, the Lees eventually settled in a modest apartment in Merced, about 120 miles southeast of San Francisco. By the time Ms. Fadiman met them, Merced’s population was one-sixth Hmong.
Lia had her first seizure when she was about 3 months old. At Merced Community Medical Center, a resident misdiagnosed her condition. Communication was impossible: the Lees spoke no English, and the hospital had no Hmong interpreter.
“My parents weren’t able to convey exactly that she was having seizures,” Lia’s sister Mai, now 32, said in an interview on Wednesday. “The word ‘seizure’ didn’t come out. To them, they saw it as her soul being tampered with by something of a different realm.”
Lia’s seizures continued; epilepsy was eventually diagnosed and anti-seizure medication prescribed. But to her parents, qaug dab peg was literally a mixed blessing: on the one hand, Lia’s soul had been taken from her and she needed it back; on the other, her condition portended spiritual giftedness, something many traditional cultures ascribe to epilepsy. Perhaps, the Lees believed, Lia was destined to become a shaman herself.
The Lees did not always give Lia her medication, Ms. Fadiman wrote, because they did not want to interfere with qaug dab peg entirely.
To encourage her soul’s return, her parents gave her herbs and amulets. She was sometimes visited by a Hmong shaman, who performed a ritual that included chanting, beating a gong and sacrificing a chicken or pig. (The strings around Lia’s wrist noted by Ms. Fadiman are used in Hmong tradition to help protect people from malevolent spirits.)
All this baffled Lia’s doctors. “I felt that I was trying to penetrate a very dense wall — a cultural wall — and didn’t have the tools to do it,” Dr. Ernst said.
The seizures worsened; by the time Lia was 4 ½, she had made more than 100 outpatient visits to medical facilities and been admitted to the hospital 17 times. When she was not quite 3, in frustration at what he viewed as her parents’ refusal to administer her medication, Dr. Ernst had Lia legally removed from the family home.
She spent a year in foster care — a time, Ms. Fadiman reported, of great trauma for Lia and great bitterness for her family — before being returned to her parents. (In recent years, Dr. Ernst and Mai Lee said, there has been a rapprochement between Lia’s family and her doctors.)
In 1986, when Lia was 4, she suffered a grand mal seizure that lasted nearly two hours before doctors were able to bring it under control. At some point, amid the many procedures her condition required that day, an infection set in. She went into septic shock, and her organs began to fail.
By the time she was stabilized, Lia had lost higher brain function. Her doctors expected her to die.
She did not die. She could breathe and whimper but could not speak; she was capable of little voluntary movement but could still feel pain. It was unclear how much she could see or hear.
Lia no longer had seizures, because she now had vastly reduced electrical activity in her cerebral cortex, the brain’s outermost layer. She grew only slightly, as is typical of children with severe brain damage: by the age of 30, she was 4 feet 7 inches and weighed 47 pounds.
For 26 years, her days varied little: her parents bathed her, fed her, flexed her stiffened limbs, kissed, caressed and tenderly talked to her. There were visits to doctors in Merced and later in Sacramento, where the family moved in 1996. There were periodic visits from a shaman, intended not so much to cure Lia as to ease her suffering.
“Everything that my parents had done for her is all manual labor,” Mai Lee said on Wednesday. “Carrying her from place to place, transporting her to appointments here and there, it was all done manually. They did that for a very long time.”
Nao Kao Lee, Lia’s father, died in 2003. Besides her mother, Foua Yang, and her sister Mai, her survivors include a brother, Cheng, and six other sisters, Chong, Zoua, May, Yer, True and Pang.
In Merced and far beyond, Lia’s legacy is pervasive. In 1996, largely in response to her case, Healthy House, a social-service agency that facilitates medical care for Merced County’s non-English-speaking residents, was founded in Merced, the county seat. Among its services is an interpreter training program, which provides medical interpreters in a half-dozen languages, including Hmong.
At Mercy Medical Center Merced, the current incarnation of Merced Community Medical Center, Hmong shamans are now allowed to visit patients and practice a limited number of their traditional arts. (Animal sacrifice is excluded.)
“The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down,” continuously in print and released this year in an updated edition, has extended Lia’s reach to a new generation of doctors. At the Yale School of Medicine, for instance, the incoming class is required to read it — a tradition that was begun a dozen years ago, well before Ms. Fadiman herself began teaching at Yale, where she is the Francis writer in residence.
And as hospital wards across the country become ever more diverse, seasoned doctors, too, have found there is much to be learned from Lia’s story. Among them is Dr. Nuland, the son of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, who received his medical training in New Haven in the 1950s.
“Most wards were filled with Italians, Irish and Jews,” he said, recalling those years. “We had an occasional Gypsy, an occasional Chinese person and some Hispanics, and we would walk among them with our lordly presence. You’d learn a couple of words of Italian, a couple of words of whatever, and you’d use them with patients and think you were being very clever.”
He added: “In our day, the whole thing was to assimilate, to look and act like a WASP. We could have provided so much comfort to patients who looked like our parents. And we just didn’t.”
Friday, September 14, 2012
TEXT-Fitch affirms Sumitomo Life's IFS at 'A'; outlook stable
TEXT-Fitch affirms Sumitomo Life's IFS at 'A'; outlook stable
Fitch Ratings has affirmed Sumitomo Life Insurance Company's (Sumitomo Life) Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) rating at 'A' and its Long-Term Issuer Default Rating at 'A-'. The Outlook is Stable.
The ratings reflect Sumitomo Life's overall steadily improving life insurance underwriting performance and strengthened capitalisation. The company is also strengthening its economic value based enterprise risk management (ERM).
Its capital adequacy has improved due to the company's greater control of capital and risks. Efforts to accumulate capital and reserves and to further reduce its domestic equity holdings have led Sumitomo Life's statutory solvency margin ratio (SMR) to improve to 708.6% at end-March 2012 from 636.5% at end-March 2011, despite a weak domestic equity market. Also, its adjusted debt leverage improved to 18.4% from 22.3% during the same period. To better manage risk, the company continues to refrain from accumulating variable annuity-type products.
Sumitomo Life has demonstrated continuous premium growth in profitable third sectors such as medical and care insurance. Annual premium of in-force policies of Sumitomo Life's profitable third sectors continued to grow 0.8% in the year to March 2012, faster than most other traditional Japanese life insurers. In addition, its surrender and lapse rate continued to decline to 5.33% at end-March 2012 from 5.77% a year ago.
The ratings may be upgraded if adjusted debt leverage improves to below 15% on a sustained basis or if the current new statutory SMR remains well above 700% and Fitch's internal capitalisation measures improve further on a sustained basis, or if sensitivity to interest rate volatility is substantially reduced.
Key negative rating drivers include material erosion of capitalisation, deterioration in profitability or volatility in the embedded value. Specifically, Sumitomo Life's ratings may be downgraded if Fitch's internal capitalisation measures drop sharply, if adjusted debt leverage increases to a level consistently above 35% or if the embedded value becomes volatile for a prolonged period.
Sumitomo Life is a mutual company established in 1907, and is one of the four major Japanese domestic life insurers. Its market share was 7.4% by total assets and 8.7% by total premium at end-March 2011.
Fitch Ratings has affirmed Sumitomo Life Insurance Company's (Sumitomo Life) Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) rating at 'A' and its Long-Term Issuer Default Rating at 'A-'. The Outlook is Stable.
The ratings reflect Sumitomo Life's overall steadily improving life insurance underwriting performance and strengthened capitalisation. The company is also strengthening its economic value based enterprise risk management (ERM).
Its capital adequacy has improved due to the company's greater control of capital and risks. Efforts to accumulate capital and reserves and to further reduce its domestic equity holdings have led Sumitomo Life's statutory solvency margin ratio (SMR) to improve to 708.6% at end-March 2012 from 636.5% at end-March 2011, despite a weak domestic equity market. Also, its adjusted debt leverage improved to 18.4% from 22.3% during the same period. To better manage risk, the company continues to refrain from accumulating variable annuity-type products.
Sumitomo Life has demonstrated continuous premium growth in profitable third sectors such as medical and care insurance. Annual premium of in-force policies of Sumitomo Life's profitable third sectors continued to grow 0.8% in the year to March 2012, faster than most other traditional Japanese life insurers. In addition, its surrender and lapse rate continued to decline to 5.33% at end-March 2012 from 5.77% a year ago.
The ratings may be upgraded if adjusted debt leverage improves to below 15% on a sustained basis or if the current new statutory SMR remains well above 700% and Fitch's internal capitalisation measures improve further on a sustained basis, or if sensitivity to interest rate volatility is substantially reduced.
Key negative rating drivers include material erosion of capitalisation, deterioration in profitability or volatility in the embedded value. Specifically, Sumitomo Life's ratings may be downgraded if Fitch's internal capitalisation measures drop sharply, if adjusted debt leverage increases to a level consistently above 35% or if the embedded value becomes volatile for a prolonged period.
Sumitomo Life is a mutual company established in 1907, and is one of the four major Japanese domestic life insurers. Its market share was 7.4% by total assets and 8.7% by total premium at end-March 2011.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Man in life threatening condition after fire
Man in life threatening condition after fire
One man is clinging to life and three others were stuck on the roof after a fire broke out at a boarding house near downtown Calgary.
Around 9:30 p.m., emergency services responded to the 300 block of 25th Avenue S.W. with reports of a fire stranding three men on the balcony, according to battalion chief Larry Fisher.
The three men, in their late 20s early 30s, were able to be rescued but fire fighters found another man in the same age range in an upstairs bedroom.
Fire fighters successfully got him out of the house as well, and was transported by EMS to Foothills Hospital.
Duty inspector Darren Leggatt said the victim is now in critical, life threatening condition.
The fire broke out on the main floor of the house, and fire fighters quickly knocked down the blaze.
Fisher said there are seven rooms in the boarding house and different agencies rent them out.
No other injuries were reported.
Investigators have been brought in to determine the cause of the blaze and a damage estimate has not been released.
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Police+officer+walks+away+uninjured+after+being+boned/7234085/story.html#ixzz26Krt0JIl
One man is clinging to life and three others were stuck on the roof after a fire broke out at a boarding house near downtown Calgary.
Around 9:30 p.m., emergency services responded to the 300 block of 25th Avenue S.W. with reports of a fire stranding three men on the balcony, according to battalion chief Larry Fisher.
The three men, in their late 20s early 30s, were able to be rescued but fire fighters found another man in the same age range in an upstairs bedroom.
Fire fighters successfully got him out of the house as well, and was transported by EMS to Foothills Hospital.
Duty inspector Darren Leggatt said the victim is now in critical, life threatening condition.
The fire broke out on the main floor of the house, and fire fighters quickly knocked down the blaze.
Fisher said there are seven rooms in the boarding house and different agencies rent them out.
No other injuries were reported.
Investigators have been brought in to determine the cause of the blaze and a damage estimate has not been released.
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Police+officer+walks+away+uninjured+after+being+boned/7234085/story.html#ixzz26Krt0JIl
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Pakistan girl fears life in blasphemy case: Reports
Pakistan girl fears life in blasphemy case: Reports
A Christian family and their daughter, who was bailed after spending three weeks in a Pakistan jail on blasphemy charges, fear for their lives despite government promises to protect them, media reports said.
Rimsha Masih was arrested on August 16 for allegedly setting fire to papers that contained Koranic verses in an impoverished neighbourhood of Islamabad.
Her plight attracted an international outcry because she is underage, illiterate and said to suffer from learning difficulties.
"I'm scared" CNN quoted her as saying on Tuesday by telephone, from a secret hiding place with her family. "I'm afraid of anyone who might kill us."
But she said she would never leave the country.
"I love Pakistan," said Rimsha, who is thought to be 14.
According to CNN, she often answered just "yes" or "no" in a shy and nervous voice, and firmly denied she had burnt pages of Koran.
She said she was falsely accused, but would not answer questions about what exactly happened on August 16.
Blasphemy is hugely sensitive in Pakistan, where 97 percent of the population are Muslims, and allegations of insulting Islam or the prophet Mohammed prompt fury.
Insulting the prophet Mohammed is punishable by death and burning a sacred text by life imprisonment. Two politicians who spoke out on the matter were killed last year.
According to CNN, Rimsha's father -- a Christian house painter who earns a few dollars a day -- said no one in his family would dare dishonour the Koran.
The BBC quoted him as saying the family were threatened by neighbours.
"They were saying: 'We are going to burn you inside the house,'" he said. "'We are not going to spare you or your kids. Then we will burn the homes of the other Christians.'
"Even after we left the area they were saying: 'Bring the girl and the family to us. We want to kill them.'"
"We are worried that we can be attacked and killed any time," Rimsha's father said. "Before, when cases like this have arisen, people who were accused were killed."
According to the BBC, Rimsha's mother said she was assaulted after a mob tried to enter the house before her daughter was arrested.
"A woman hit me," she said, "and slapped my face. People started running into the house to catch my daughter. I was scared they might kill us. We were all crying. My daughter was very upset."
The family said Rimsha's 14-year-old sister was also traumatised.
"A lot of people had gathered," the BBC quoted her as saying, "and they were saying: 'We will cut off the hands of the people who burned the Koran.' Rimsha wouldn't come out of the bathroom. Later the police came and took her away."
A Christian family and their daughter, who was bailed after spending three weeks in a Pakistan jail on blasphemy charges, fear for their lives despite government promises to protect them, media reports said.
Rimsha Masih was arrested on August 16 for allegedly setting fire to papers that contained Koranic verses in an impoverished neighbourhood of Islamabad.
Her plight attracted an international outcry because she is underage, illiterate and said to suffer from learning difficulties.
"I'm scared" CNN quoted her as saying on Tuesday by telephone, from a secret hiding place with her family. "I'm afraid of anyone who might kill us."
But she said she would never leave the country.
"I love Pakistan," said Rimsha, who is thought to be 14.
According to CNN, she often answered just "yes" or "no" in a shy and nervous voice, and firmly denied she had burnt pages of Koran.
She said she was falsely accused, but would not answer questions about what exactly happened on August 16.
Blasphemy is hugely sensitive in Pakistan, where 97 percent of the population are Muslims, and allegations of insulting Islam or the prophet Mohammed prompt fury.
Insulting the prophet Mohammed is punishable by death and burning a sacred text by life imprisonment. Two politicians who spoke out on the matter were killed last year.
According to CNN, Rimsha's father -- a Christian house painter who earns a few dollars a day -- said no one in his family would dare dishonour the Koran.
The BBC quoted him as saying the family were threatened by neighbours.
"They were saying: 'We are going to burn you inside the house,'" he said. "'We are not going to spare you or your kids. Then we will burn the homes of the other Christians.'
"Even after we left the area they were saying: 'Bring the girl and the family to us. We want to kill them.'"
"We are worried that we can be attacked and killed any time," Rimsha's father said. "Before, when cases like this have arisen, people who were accused were killed."
According to the BBC, Rimsha's mother said she was assaulted after a mob tried to enter the house before her daughter was arrested.
"A woman hit me," she said, "and slapped my face. People started running into the house to catch my daughter. I was scared they might kill us. We were all crying. My daughter was very upset."
The family said Rimsha's 14-year-old sister was also traumatised.
"A lot of people had gathered," the BBC quoted her as saying, "and they were saying: 'We will cut off the hands of the people who burned the Koran.' Rimsha wouldn't come out of the bathroom. Later the police came and took her away."
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
'Life of Pi' actor Suraj Sharma is a DU student
'Life of Pi' actor Suraj Sharma is a DU student
Training, training and training! Delhi University student Suraj Sharma swam for hours, worked on his body and his dialect and even had rats run all over him to prepare for his role in Oscar-winning director Ang Lee's adventure film 'Life of Pi'.
For the 19-year-old second year student of Philosophy (Hons) at St Stephen's College, working in the film, based on Yann Martel's Booker Prize winning book, has been life-changing.
"There was a lot of training. There was acting training with Ang Lee...he used to give me certain scripts to read with him. As I had to get accustomed to that period, I had to watch a lot of movies of the 1960s and 1970s; I read a lot of books and there was dialect training too," Suraj told IANS in an exclusive interview.
"I also had to learn how to swim. I used to swim for four to five hours until I was completely comfortable with the water. There were a lot of workout sessions too because I had to gain weight first and then, as the shooting happened, I had to lose weight. I had trained with rats and had them run over me. It was a lot of fun. I was enjoying each and everything," he added.
Suraj was just 16 when Lee signed him for the big screen adaptation of the bestselling novel. After three years, the film is complete and "being a part of the film has been a life-changing experience", he said. "It has really changed me and how I perceive the entire world in many ways."
"People say that I have grown up personally after this film. Like, I went there as a 16-year-old boy. Now, sometimes I feel like I am 40 years old and my perception about the world has changed completely.
"Earlier, I used to live in my own little shell and everything was small. Now I have realised that the world is this open place with opportunities. Now I know how to deal with situations in a better way and I can work five times harder without it affecting me because I have already worked like that. I've just become more ready for things," he added.
Acting was luck by chance for Suraj. It was his younger brother who went to audition for the role and took Suraj along. Little did Suraj know that he would end up auditioning for it himself and bag the role.
The story of the film revolves round a teenage boy, who is forced to survive on a lifeboat with a tiger after the ship he was travelling in sinks. Interestingly, Suraj never had to shoot with a tiger.
Asked how he managed to give the shots with tiger, Suraj told IANS, "...I never acted with a tiger. Ang used to give me an eyeline as in where the tiger would be and how it would move at that point of time; so I used to imagine that in my head and give the shot."
"Moreover, the way Ang talks to you, it never feels that you are acting, everything automatically seems real," added the youngster, looking relaxed in jeans and a T-shirt.
Though the film is complete and is due to hit the screens soon, Suraj says the feeling is yet to sink in.
"I really don't know what to expect. It has not yet sunk in. And the story is such that everybody can come up with their own interpretations because it's open-ended in the end. I just hope that when people leave the hall, they'll feel inspired. I have really put in a lot of me into this," he said.
Suraj is unsure if he would like to act again, and is now focussing on his studies. "I don't know whether I am doing more movies or not, though I know I like acting. First it's college."
Training, training and training! Delhi University student Suraj Sharma swam for hours, worked on his body and his dialect and even had rats run all over him to prepare for his role in Oscar-winning director Ang Lee's adventure film 'Life of Pi'.
For the 19-year-old second year student of Philosophy (Hons) at St Stephen's College, working in the film, based on Yann Martel's Booker Prize winning book, has been life-changing.
"There was a lot of training. There was acting training with Ang Lee...he used to give me certain scripts to read with him. As I had to get accustomed to that period, I had to watch a lot of movies of the 1960s and 1970s; I read a lot of books and there was dialect training too," Suraj told IANS in an exclusive interview.
"I also had to learn how to swim. I used to swim for four to five hours until I was completely comfortable with the water. There were a lot of workout sessions too because I had to gain weight first and then, as the shooting happened, I had to lose weight. I had trained with rats and had them run over me. It was a lot of fun. I was enjoying each and everything," he added.
Suraj was just 16 when Lee signed him for the big screen adaptation of the bestselling novel. After three years, the film is complete and "being a part of the film has been a life-changing experience", he said. "It has really changed me and how I perceive the entire world in many ways."
"People say that I have grown up personally after this film. Like, I went there as a 16-year-old boy. Now, sometimes I feel like I am 40 years old and my perception about the world has changed completely.
"Earlier, I used to live in my own little shell and everything was small. Now I have realised that the world is this open place with opportunities. Now I know how to deal with situations in a better way and I can work five times harder without it affecting me because I have already worked like that. I've just become more ready for things," he added.
Acting was luck by chance for Suraj. It was his younger brother who went to audition for the role and took Suraj along. Little did Suraj know that he would end up auditioning for it himself and bag the role.
The story of the film revolves round a teenage boy, who is forced to survive on a lifeboat with a tiger after the ship he was travelling in sinks. Interestingly, Suraj never had to shoot with a tiger.
Asked how he managed to give the shots with tiger, Suraj told IANS, "...I never acted with a tiger. Ang used to give me an eyeline as in where the tiger would be and how it would move at that point of time; so I used to imagine that in my head and give the shot."
"Moreover, the way Ang talks to you, it never feels that you are acting, everything automatically seems real," added the youngster, looking relaxed in jeans and a T-shirt.
Though the film is complete and is due to hit the screens soon, Suraj says the feeling is yet to sink in.
"I really don't know what to expect. It has not yet sunk in. And the story is such that everybody can come up with their own interpretations because it's open-ended in the end. I just hope that when people leave the hall, they'll feel inspired. I have really put in a lot of me into this," he said.
Suraj is unsure if he would like to act again, and is now focussing on his studies. "I don't know whether I am doing more movies or not, though I know I like acting. First it's college."
Monday, September 10, 2012
Robert Griffin III breathes life into Redskins
Robert Griffin III breathes life into Redskins
The defense doesn't always watch its own offense very closely, choosing instead to spend its time on the sideline getting its rest, going over the plays of the drive just past and the plans for the next one. But now that Robert Griffin III is their quarterback, the Washington Redskins' defenders find they can't help themselves.
"He's captivating," Redskins nose tackle Barry Cofield said after Griffin led the Redskins to a 40-32 upset victory over the Saints in the first game of his NFL career. "I'm always watching that kid, all week in practice. You can't help but watch him."
Linebacker London Fletcher is in his sixth season with the Redskins, and during his time in Washington, he has played on defenses that have had very little margin for error, so unreliable was the play of their offenses in general and their quarterbacks in particular. Fletcher smiled when asked what it was like to watch Griffin's debut -- he was 19-of-26 for 320 yards and two touchdowns -- from that sideline bench.
"From our standpoint, defensively," Fletcher said, "he's a sight for sore eyes."
Mike Shanahan is in his third year as the Redskins' head coach. The first two did little to enhance his reputation as an offensive mastermind. But he was practically giddy after the game when asked about Pierre Garcon's 88-yard touchdown catch.
"This is the first time we've had a receiver who, when he catches the ball on the slant, can run all the way to the end zone," Shanahan said.
What's changed about the Redskins with the arrival of Griffin? How about everything? The feeling this team has about its quarterback right now can be summed up in many different words. Faith. Confidence. Hope. Pride. Excitement. But every single one of them is an upgrade over what they felt about their quarterbacks last year. Or the year before that. Or the year before that. And no offense to Rex Grossman or John Beck or 2010 Donovan McNabb or Jason Campbell, but this is what it looks like to have a real NFL quarterback taking snaps for your team. It makes your pregame meal taste better, the artificial turf under your feet seem greener. When you don't have a quarterback in the NFL, life is week-to-week misery. When you do, everything feels that much better.
"This was a good start," Shanahan said of the victory. "By no means did we play perfect, but we have a lot of things to build on and a lot of things to feel good about."
The quarterback is front and center among them. Yes, the Redskins' defensive backs looked great in man coverage against the Saints' receivers. Yes, the defensive front was able to pressure Drew Brees. And yes, rookie running back Alfred Morris played very well. But the story of this game, and of this Redskins season, is Griffin. Not a single person in the Redskins' locker room deflected a Griffin question with a trite "team effort" cliché. Everybody was perfectly happy to gush.
"Just the way he handled the game, you know?" Garcon said. "This is a very difficult place to play and to run your offense. The crowd noise, the emotion all working against you. But he just gives you so much confidence that he's got it under control."
This is a rookie quarterback, in his first game, and he's got veteran teammates believing that he can do whatever is needed on a given play. Fletcher started ticking off specific plays. The second-and-9 when he sidestepped the rush and found Fred Davis for 26 yards on the right side. The third-and-6 on which he could have run for the first down but instead waited a beat and found Santana Moss for 27 yards up the left side. The fourth-and-1 from the Saints' 33-yard line on which he fired a strike to Aldrick Robinson and drew a pass-interference call that set up the touchdown that made the score a mind-boggling 27-14.
"When you see a play breaking down and he's able to roll out of the pocket, stay cool, be patient and turn it into something, that's talent," Fletcher said. "He made some plays today where you see why we were so excited to get him."
First game. Rookie quarterback. Growing pains. All of that is true and worth pointing out. It won't always look as good as it did Sunday for Griffin. This is a difficult league in which to play, and teams will watch him and find ways to beat him. The Redskins are not going 16-0, and they remain a work in progress.
But there's no way not to be impressed. The three other rookie quarterbacks who were making their debuts at the same time threw a combined total of 10 interceptions in their three losses, and none of them was playing in the Superdome. It is clear that Griffin is legit -- a real quarterback, of whom big things can justifiably be expected. And the Redskins and the way they felt when they boarded their flight home Sunday night are living proof of just how much it means to have a real quarterback at long last.
"Nothing's ever perfect," Griffin said as he spoke to the media, holding the ball he'd thrown to Garcon for his first career touchdown. "There are some passes I wish I had back, some plays I'd like to try again. But we won the game and we did a good job, so I'm going to be happy about that."
A lot of people in Washington are going to be happy about what Griffin did Sunday, and what it appears he's set up to do going forward. RG3 has undoubtedly arrived, and just by doing so he has changed everything for the Redskins.
The defense doesn't always watch its own offense very closely, choosing instead to spend its time on the sideline getting its rest, going over the plays of the drive just past and the plans for the next one. But now that Robert Griffin III is their quarterback, the Washington Redskins' defenders find they can't help themselves.
"He's captivating," Redskins nose tackle Barry Cofield said after Griffin led the Redskins to a 40-32 upset victory over the Saints in the first game of his NFL career. "I'm always watching that kid, all week in practice. You can't help but watch him."
Linebacker London Fletcher is in his sixth season with the Redskins, and during his time in Washington, he has played on defenses that have had very little margin for error, so unreliable was the play of their offenses in general and their quarterbacks in particular. Fletcher smiled when asked what it was like to watch Griffin's debut -- he was 19-of-26 for 320 yards and two touchdowns -- from that sideline bench.
"From our standpoint, defensively," Fletcher said, "he's a sight for sore eyes."
Mike Shanahan is in his third year as the Redskins' head coach. The first two did little to enhance his reputation as an offensive mastermind. But he was practically giddy after the game when asked about Pierre Garcon's 88-yard touchdown catch.
"This is the first time we've had a receiver who, when he catches the ball on the slant, can run all the way to the end zone," Shanahan said.
What's changed about the Redskins with the arrival of Griffin? How about everything? The feeling this team has about its quarterback right now can be summed up in many different words. Faith. Confidence. Hope. Pride. Excitement. But every single one of them is an upgrade over what they felt about their quarterbacks last year. Or the year before that. Or the year before that. And no offense to Rex Grossman or John Beck or 2010 Donovan McNabb or Jason Campbell, but this is what it looks like to have a real NFL quarterback taking snaps for your team. It makes your pregame meal taste better, the artificial turf under your feet seem greener. When you don't have a quarterback in the NFL, life is week-to-week misery. When you do, everything feels that much better.
"This was a good start," Shanahan said of the victory. "By no means did we play perfect, but we have a lot of things to build on and a lot of things to feel good about."
The quarterback is front and center among them. Yes, the Redskins' defensive backs looked great in man coverage against the Saints' receivers. Yes, the defensive front was able to pressure Drew Brees. And yes, rookie running back Alfred Morris played very well. But the story of this game, and of this Redskins season, is Griffin. Not a single person in the Redskins' locker room deflected a Griffin question with a trite "team effort" cliché. Everybody was perfectly happy to gush.
"Just the way he handled the game, you know?" Garcon said. "This is a very difficult place to play and to run your offense. The crowd noise, the emotion all working against you. But he just gives you so much confidence that he's got it under control."
This is a rookie quarterback, in his first game, and he's got veteran teammates believing that he can do whatever is needed on a given play. Fletcher started ticking off specific plays. The second-and-9 when he sidestepped the rush and found Fred Davis for 26 yards on the right side. The third-and-6 on which he could have run for the first down but instead waited a beat and found Santana Moss for 27 yards up the left side. The fourth-and-1 from the Saints' 33-yard line on which he fired a strike to Aldrick Robinson and drew a pass-interference call that set up the touchdown that made the score a mind-boggling 27-14.
"When you see a play breaking down and he's able to roll out of the pocket, stay cool, be patient and turn it into something, that's talent," Fletcher said. "He made some plays today where you see why we were so excited to get him."
First game. Rookie quarterback. Growing pains. All of that is true and worth pointing out. It won't always look as good as it did Sunday for Griffin. This is a difficult league in which to play, and teams will watch him and find ways to beat him. The Redskins are not going 16-0, and they remain a work in progress.
But there's no way not to be impressed. The three other rookie quarterbacks who were making their debuts at the same time threw a combined total of 10 interceptions in their three losses, and none of them was playing in the Superdome. It is clear that Griffin is legit -- a real quarterback, of whom big things can justifiably be expected. And the Redskins and the way they felt when they boarded their flight home Sunday night are living proof of just how much it means to have a real quarterback at long last.
"Nothing's ever perfect," Griffin said as he spoke to the media, holding the ball he'd thrown to Garcon for his first career touchdown. "There are some passes I wish I had back, some plays I'd like to try again. But we won the game and we did a good job, so I'm going to be happy about that."
A lot of people in Washington are going to be happy about what Griffin did Sunday, and what it appears he's set up to do going forward. RG3 has undoubtedly arrived, and just by doing so he has changed everything for the Redskins.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
A's McCarthy still in 'life-threatening' situation
A's McCarthy still in 'life-threatening' situation
Oakland Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy remained in a "life-threatening" situation in a Bay Area hospital two days after being hit in the head by a line drive.
Struck on the right side of his head by a hard shot from the Angels' Erick Aybar on Wednesday, McCarthy suffered an epidural hemorrhage, brain contusion and skull fracture. He had two hours of surgery to relieve pressure on his brain late Wednesday night.
A's athletic trainer Nick Paparesta was asked Friday if McCarthy was still in a life-threatening situation.
"Absolutely he is. It's brain surgery," Paparesta said. "It's life-threatening. At any possible moment something could go wrong, he could have a complication. Absolutely."
Speaking before the team's game against Seattle, Paparesta also said McCarthy got out of bed three times, sat up in a chair and his bed, ate solid foods, recognized visitors, and although he can talk he isn't talking yet because of continued pain.
Paparesta said the doctors and medical team have told him that the biggest issue with this type of injury is the patient's reaction the first two or three days.
"We're coming up on day three (Saturday), so by the evening time there's still the possibility of reoccurring or increase of swelling back again," Paparesta said. "If that happens, they can do different measures or techniques to keep that down. He's not out of the woods but he showing great progress."
The 29-year-old McCarthy was 8-6 with a 3.24 ERA this season, his sixth in the big leagues and second with the A's. He was 9-9 with a 3.32 ERA last season.
"We definitely have some heavy hearts here," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "I don't think there's a guy on this team who's not close to Mac. It was hard to watch that at the time. Then you think to yourself, he's getting up and walking off, that's a good sign. But with head injuries you just never know. The good news is each and every day he's getting better."
Paparesta said McCarthy's baseball career is his least concern.
"First and foremost, we need to look at his life and make sure he stays alive. This is serious stuff and we want him to live," Paparesta said. "I think the next phase we would go through is to look at his simple gross motor mechanics and skill set so to get him through his normal active life.
"For me, the way I look at it and the way and I think the doctors and medical staff looks at it, is we're worried about keeping him alive right now and making sure everything functions the way they need to be then we'll worry about the motor skills and going through normal daily stuff. Then later on down the road we'll worry about his fine motor skills. We're just going day to day and making sure he's making progress."
Aybar talked about McCarthy before the Angels' game Friday night against Detroit.
"It has been a tough last two days for me as I keep replaying in my head when the ball struck Brandon," Aybar said in a statement released by the team. "I am encouraged and thankful to know he has made significant progress, and I keep praying to God to help him recover quickly and fully. I also pray for him and his wife. Our game is a tight brotherhood, and right now we all wear the same uniform colors."
Angeles general manager Jerry Dipoto also issued a statement.
"From the moment Brandon was struck by that line drive, he has remained in the thoughts and prayers of not only our organization but countless others throughout the baseball community," Dipoto said. "That support will continue for Brandon and his wife, Amanda, as he begins the recovery process from yesterday's surgery. I am certain the discipline, commitment and inner strength Brandon has had to become an elite athlete will serve him well in the days and weeks ahead."
Oakland Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy remained in a "life-threatening" situation in a Bay Area hospital two days after being hit in the head by a line drive.
Struck on the right side of his head by a hard shot from the Angels' Erick Aybar on Wednesday, McCarthy suffered an epidural hemorrhage, brain contusion and skull fracture. He had two hours of surgery to relieve pressure on his brain late Wednesday night.
A's athletic trainer Nick Paparesta was asked Friday if McCarthy was still in a life-threatening situation.
"Absolutely he is. It's brain surgery," Paparesta said. "It's life-threatening. At any possible moment something could go wrong, he could have a complication. Absolutely."
Speaking before the team's game against Seattle, Paparesta also said McCarthy got out of bed three times, sat up in a chair and his bed, ate solid foods, recognized visitors, and although he can talk he isn't talking yet because of continued pain.
Paparesta said the doctors and medical team have told him that the biggest issue with this type of injury is the patient's reaction the first two or three days.
"We're coming up on day three (Saturday), so by the evening time there's still the possibility of reoccurring or increase of swelling back again," Paparesta said. "If that happens, they can do different measures or techniques to keep that down. He's not out of the woods but he showing great progress."
The 29-year-old McCarthy was 8-6 with a 3.24 ERA this season, his sixth in the big leagues and second with the A's. He was 9-9 with a 3.32 ERA last season.
"We definitely have some heavy hearts here," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "I don't think there's a guy on this team who's not close to Mac. It was hard to watch that at the time. Then you think to yourself, he's getting up and walking off, that's a good sign. But with head injuries you just never know. The good news is each and every day he's getting better."
Paparesta said McCarthy's baseball career is his least concern.
"First and foremost, we need to look at his life and make sure he stays alive. This is serious stuff and we want him to live," Paparesta said. "I think the next phase we would go through is to look at his simple gross motor mechanics and skill set so to get him through his normal active life.
"For me, the way I look at it and the way and I think the doctors and medical staff looks at it, is we're worried about keeping him alive right now and making sure everything functions the way they need to be then we'll worry about the motor skills and going through normal daily stuff. Then later on down the road we'll worry about his fine motor skills. We're just going day to day and making sure he's making progress."
Aybar talked about McCarthy before the Angels' game Friday night against Detroit.
"It has been a tough last two days for me as I keep replaying in my head when the ball struck Brandon," Aybar said in a statement released by the team. "I am encouraged and thankful to know he has made significant progress, and I keep praying to God to help him recover quickly and fully. I also pray for him and his wife. Our game is a tight brotherhood, and right now we all wear the same uniform colors."
Angeles general manager Jerry Dipoto also issued a statement.
"From the moment Brandon was struck by that line drive, he has remained in the thoughts and prayers of not only our organization but countless others throughout the baseball community," Dipoto said. "That support will continue for Brandon and his wife, Amanda, as he begins the recovery process from yesterday's surgery. I am certain the discipline, commitment and inner strength Brandon has had to become an elite athlete will serve him well in the days and weeks ahead."
Friday, September 7, 2012
Alien life could be found within 40 years, says royal astronomer
Alien life could be found within 40 years, says royal astronomer
Alien life beyond our solar system could be discovered within the next 40 years according the Queen's astronomer, Lord Martin Rees, said last night.
The question of whether earth is alone in supporting living organisms has dogged scientists, philosophers and amateur stargazers for centuries.
But Lord Rees, president of the Royal Society, believes that developments in astronomy mean that astrophysicists could be able to view images of distant planets outside of our solar system as soon as 2025, and potentially discover whether there is some form of life on them.
He said: 'We know now that stars are orbited by retinues of planets just as our sun is. We have learned this in just the last decade, essentially.
'Within 10 or 20 years we will be able to image other planets like the earth, orbiting other stars.
'That will be a really exciting subject to see if there is evidence for [extra-terrestrial] life or not.'
Speaking at a debate on the meaning of life for the launch of Professor Stephen Hawking's new show Grand Design, he added that finding out more about the "origin of life, the place where it exists, and whether aliens exist, is going to be crucial over the next four decades.
Professor Hawking was guest of honour at the debate, which also featured Cambridge University Professor Dame Athene Donald, writer Will Self, and geneticist Dr Adam Rutherford.
Based on his best-selling book Grand Design, his new programme for the Discovery channel will tackle the key to the cosmos, taking in everything from Isaac Newton's law of gravity to the recent Higgs Boson findings.
He also looks at the relationship between God and science, and what the meaning of life is for humans.
Professor Hawking, who has previously described the notion of heaven as a "fairytale" will cause further controversy with religious bodies, with his comments during his new series.
He said: 'I think science can explain the universe without the need for God.'
Lord Rees admitted that there may be some scientific challenges that are "beyond human brains" and that we may even need alien interaction to help us learn more.
He said: 'There may be some questions that our brains will never understand, in the same way that chimpanzees couldn't understand quantum theory, that are just beyond human brains.
'It could be some of the challenges [we face] may not be fully solved, we may have to wait the post-human era. That is evolution beyond humans – and we are not the culmination of evolution on the earth.
Or we will have to wait till we can learn from some aliens who may be some way ahead of us.
Last year Lord Rees said it was possible that aliens were "staring us in the face" in a in a form humans are unable to recognise.
He commented: 'The problem is that we're looking for something very much like us, assuming that they at least have something like the same mathematics and technology
'I suspect there could be life and intelligence out there in forms we can't conceive.'
Alien life beyond our solar system could be discovered within the next 40 years according the Queen's astronomer, Lord Martin Rees, said last night.
The question of whether earth is alone in supporting living organisms has dogged scientists, philosophers and amateur stargazers for centuries.
But Lord Rees, president of the Royal Society, believes that developments in astronomy mean that astrophysicists could be able to view images of distant planets outside of our solar system as soon as 2025, and potentially discover whether there is some form of life on them.
He said: 'We know now that stars are orbited by retinues of planets just as our sun is. We have learned this in just the last decade, essentially.
'Within 10 or 20 years we will be able to image other planets like the earth, orbiting other stars.
'That will be a really exciting subject to see if there is evidence for [extra-terrestrial] life or not.'
Speaking at a debate on the meaning of life for the launch of Professor Stephen Hawking's new show Grand Design, he added that finding out more about the "origin of life, the place where it exists, and whether aliens exist, is going to be crucial over the next four decades.
Professor Hawking was guest of honour at the debate, which also featured Cambridge University Professor Dame Athene Donald, writer Will Self, and geneticist Dr Adam Rutherford.
Based on his best-selling book Grand Design, his new programme for the Discovery channel will tackle the key to the cosmos, taking in everything from Isaac Newton's law of gravity to the recent Higgs Boson findings.
He also looks at the relationship between God and science, and what the meaning of life is for humans.
Professor Hawking, who has previously described the notion of heaven as a "fairytale" will cause further controversy with religious bodies, with his comments during his new series.
He said: 'I think science can explain the universe without the need for God.'
Lord Rees admitted that there may be some scientific challenges that are "beyond human brains" and that we may even need alien interaction to help us learn more.
He said: 'There may be some questions that our brains will never understand, in the same way that chimpanzees couldn't understand quantum theory, that are just beyond human brains.
'It could be some of the challenges [we face] may not be fully solved, we may have to wait the post-human era. That is evolution beyond humans – and we are not the culmination of evolution on the earth.
Or we will have to wait till we can learn from some aliens who may be some way ahead of us.
Last year Lord Rees said it was possible that aliens were "staring us in the face" in a in a form humans are unable to recognise.
He commented: 'The problem is that we're looking for something very much like us, assuming that they at least have something like the same mathematics and technology
'I suspect there could be life and intelligence out there in forms we can't conceive.'
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Tobey Maguire 'Life Of Pi' Role Recast With 'Prometheus' Co-Star
Tobey Maguire 'Life Of Pi' Role Recast With 'Prometheus' Co-Star
Tobey Maguire was all set to star in two Oscar contenders this fall, "Life of Pi" and "The Great Gatsby," but now he won't take part in awards season at all. As first reported by THR.com, Maguire's part in Ang Lee's adaptation of "Life of Pi" has been recast. The actor won't appear in the finished film when it's released on Nov. 21.
"To be consistent with the other casting choices made for the film, I decided to go with an entirely international cast," Lee said in a statement about the decision. "I very much admire Tobey and look forward to working with him again in the future." According to IMDb, Maguire was initially set to star as "Life of Pi" author Yann Martel in scenes that would serve as a framing device for the film. Rafe Spall, who played an ill-fated crew member in "Prometheus," will now play "The Writer."
The "Life of Pi" news comes roughly one month after "The Great Gatsby," Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's famed novel, was moved off its Dec. 25 calendar slot and into summer 2013. In that film, Maguire is set to star as Nick Carraway opposite Leonardo DiCaprio's Jay Gatsby.
Of course, Maguire is far from the only actor to get bumped out of a film this year. Uma Thurman was cut out of "Savages," while Rachel Weisz, Amanda Peet, Barry Pepper, Michael Sheen and Jessica Chastain were all excised from Terrence Malick's "To the Wonder."
"[I]t seems that my part has been cut," Weisz said to an Italian publication, "so I had the experience of working with [Terrence Malick] but I will not have the pleasure of seeing my work."
For more on Maguire's "Life of Pi" role, including what the actor thought of the decision, head over to THR.
Tobey Maguire was all set to star in two Oscar contenders this fall, "Life of Pi" and "The Great Gatsby," but now he won't take part in awards season at all. As first reported by THR.com, Maguire's part in Ang Lee's adaptation of "Life of Pi" has been recast. The actor won't appear in the finished film when it's released on Nov. 21.
"To be consistent with the other casting choices made for the film, I decided to go with an entirely international cast," Lee said in a statement about the decision. "I very much admire Tobey and look forward to working with him again in the future." According to IMDb, Maguire was initially set to star as "Life of Pi" author Yann Martel in scenes that would serve as a framing device for the film. Rafe Spall, who played an ill-fated crew member in "Prometheus," will now play "The Writer."
The "Life of Pi" news comes roughly one month after "The Great Gatsby," Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's famed novel, was moved off its Dec. 25 calendar slot and into summer 2013. In that film, Maguire is set to star as Nick Carraway opposite Leonardo DiCaprio's Jay Gatsby.
Of course, Maguire is far from the only actor to get bumped out of a film this year. Uma Thurman was cut out of "Savages," while Rachel Weisz, Amanda Peet, Barry Pepper, Michael Sheen and Jessica Chastain were all excised from Terrence Malick's "To the Wonder."
"[I]t seems that my part has been cut," Weisz said to an Italian publication, "so I had the experience of working with [Terrence Malick] but I will not have the pleasure of seeing my work."
For more on Maguire's "Life of Pi" role, including what the actor thought of the decision, head over to THR.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Life sentence for Jessie Cate killer
Life sentence for Jessie Cate killer
A 20-year-old man will spend at least 18 years behind bars for the "ferocious" and "unprovoked" murder of Dawesville teenager Jessie Cate.
Kyle Rohan Garth, of Pinjarra, was sentenced to a life jail term in the Supreme Court today, with a non-parole period of 18 years. This means Garth will still be aged in his 30s when he becomes eligible for release.
Details of how and why Garth murdered his ex-girlfriend's 15-year-old sister were revealed in court for the first time today, including how Garth strangled Jessie twice in his car - the second time with an intention to kill her to avoid being caught.
He told police he and Jessie were fighting in his car, after he picked her up from her part-time job at Woolworths in Falcon on December 12 last year, when within minutes he pulled the car over, lost his temper and lashed out.
Justice Jenkins said Garth had no real motive and this murder had not only devastated Jessie's family, but had also disturbed and impacted the wider community.
She told Garth he abused the trust Jessie and her family had in him in a "gross and awful way".
The judge described the attacks on Jessie as "ferocious", "unprovoked" and selfish.
Wearing prison greens, Garth spent his time in the dock mainly hunched over with his head bowed as Jessie's family saw him in person for the first time since he killed the high school student.
After strangling her, Garth, who had previously dated Jessie's older sister Emma for a couple of months, buried Jessie in a shallow grave in Bouvard.
In sentencing submissions today, prosecutor Carmel Barbagallo said Garth, a window tinter who used to work with the victim at Woolworths, offered to pick Jessie up from work telling her he had something to tell her alone. Those who overheard their conversation said the pair were smiling and it appeared their exchange was friendly.
Garth misled police for more than seven hours the next day when he concocted a story that he had dropped Jessie off at an oval to see friends.
Many inconsistencies were found in his story and Garth eventually confessed to murdering Jessie, saying they were arguing about his break-up with Emma, his current relationship and the fact he was no longer around as a male role model for Jessie's younger siblings when he pulled his car over and lost his temper. "I ended up suffocating her, I choked her with my hands, I don't know what came over me," he said.
When asked what was going through his mind when he was choking Jessie, Garth told detectives: "That's what disturbed me most - I was sorry and angry and that I love my partner, as that's all that was going through my head."
As he was blocking the road, another driver pulled up, prompting Garth to get out and speak to the other driver before driving off.
The court was told Garth then heard Jessie murmur and mumble and realised she was still alive.
Garth choked her with one hand whilst still driving - a position he held for more than 10km until he reached the site where he would bury her body.
Garth hid Jessie's body under logs and branches, returned home to Pinjarra to get a shovel and then went back to bury the teenager's body.
He told detectives he strangled her the second time out of fear of getting caught and when asked what his intention was at that time he replied: "kill her and I did".
The court was told Garth had spent a lot of time with Jessie's family while he was dating Emma and still remained on friendly terms with them after the break-up.
Jessie's family were in court today and saw Garth in person for the first time since he killed Jessie.
Ms Barbagallo said the impact of this senseless loss of life on Jessie's family and the wider Mandurah community was immeasurable.
Garth had no criminal record and no mention was made during sentencing submissions today of any major mental illness.
Defence lawyer Brian Mahon said his client wanted to apologise to everyone affected by his crime and he was fully aware that he shattered many lives that night.
He said his client bitterly regretted his actions and accepted he had a price to pay for ending Jessie's life. Mr Mahon said Garth conceded that during the second choking episode he intended to kill Jessie, but that the first attack was spontaneous with no planning.
"He's aware what he faces will only be a fraction of the suffering (that the Cate family will have to endure)," he said.
The murder of the popular teenager prompted a tidal wave of grief in the Mandurah community, but Mr Mahon said before this tragedy his client was also well-liked and respected in the community.
Garth had scratches on his face from Jessie during the first attack, but Ms Barbagallo said when Garth strangled her the second time "he effectively killed a girl who couldn't defend herself".
She said Garth had time to reevaluate his actions and choose a different path, but did not.
She said when Garth called Jessie's mother the morning after the murder, pretending not to know what had happened, it showed "callousness and coldness". Ms Barbagallo said Garth had also committed a breach of trust because Jessie and her family had no reason to think her life would be in danger in his company.
Justice Jenkins said while there was no pre-planning or weapon involved in this murder, it also involved a "terribly violent death" of a young person.
She said Garth still had the support of his mother, stepfather and his partner, who is 16 years his senior and who was his girlfriend at the time he murdered Jessie.
Outside court, Jessie's family welcomed the sentence, which was higher than they hoped, but showed Garth some compassion.
"It's more years that he's going to spend in prison than our gorgeous Jessie spent alive," Jessie's uncle Ric Troode said.
"Nothing is going to bring Jessie back, her memory will outlive Kyle's name forever and a day, she's never, ever going to be forgotten.
"I'm not going to be angry and say I hope he rots in hell ... I feel for him, he is a young man, we hope that he comes out of this a better person. They said that he had an unblemished character, that he was of good standing, but people of unblemished characters and good standing don't murder 15-year-olds ... there's no excuse."
Mr Troode said Garth's apology in court today provided them no solace.
Jessie's mother Judy Cate said outside court she and her family would never recover from her daughter's violent murder, saying they had lost the best thing they ever had.
"It happened so quickly, she didn't have a chance to defend herself or have a chance to get away, he took the intention to kill her without any thought towards Jessie herself and us as a family," she said.
"If he was remorseful, he should have let her live the first time."
Ms Cate said her daughter was "perfect" and "everything a parent could hope for in a child".
A 20-year-old man will spend at least 18 years behind bars for the "ferocious" and "unprovoked" murder of Dawesville teenager Jessie Cate.
Kyle Rohan Garth, of Pinjarra, was sentenced to a life jail term in the Supreme Court today, with a non-parole period of 18 years. This means Garth will still be aged in his 30s when he becomes eligible for release.
Details of how and why Garth murdered his ex-girlfriend's 15-year-old sister were revealed in court for the first time today, including how Garth strangled Jessie twice in his car - the second time with an intention to kill her to avoid being caught.
He told police he and Jessie were fighting in his car, after he picked her up from her part-time job at Woolworths in Falcon on December 12 last year, when within minutes he pulled the car over, lost his temper and lashed out.
Justice Jenkins said Garth had no real motive and this murder had not only devastated Jessie's family, but had also disturbed and impacted the wider community.
She told Garth he abused the trust Jessie and her family had in him in a "gross and awful way".
The judge described the attacks on Jessie as "ferocious", "unprovoked" and selfish.
Wearing prison greens, Garth spent his time in the dock mainly hunched over with his head bowed as Jessie's family saw him in person for the first time since he killed the high school student.
After strangling her, Garth, who had previously dated Jessie's older sister Emma for a couple of months, buried Jessie in a shallow grave in Bouvard.
In sentencing submissions today, prosecutor Carmel Barbagallo said Garth, a window tinter who used to work with the victim at Woolworths, offered to pick Jessie up from work telling her he had something to tell her alone. Those who overheard their conversation said the pair were smiling and it appeared their exchange was friendly.
Garth misled police for more than seven hours the next day when he concocted a story that he had dropped Jessie off at an oval to see friends.
Many inconsistencies were found in his story and Garth eventually confessed to murdering Jessie, saying they were arguing about his break-up with Emma, his current relationship and the fact he was no longer around as a male role model for Jessie's younger siblings when he pulled his car over and lost his temper. "I ended up suffocating her, I choked her with my hands, I don't know what came over me," he said.
When asked what was going through his mind when he was choking Jessie, Garth told detectives: "That's what disturbed me most - I was sorry and angry and that I love my partner, as that's all that was going through my head."
As he was blocking the road, another driver pulled up, prompting Garth to get out and speak to the other driver before driving off.
The court was told Garth then heard Jessie murmur and mumble and realised she was still alive.
Garth choked her with one hand whilst still driving - a position he held for more than 10km until he reached the site where he would bury her body.
Garth hid Jessie's body under logs and branches, returned home to Pinjarra to get a shovel and then went back to bury the teenager's body.
He told detectives he strangled her the second time out of fear of getting caught and when asked what his intention was at that time he replied: "kill her and I did".
The court was told Garth had spent a lot of time with Jessie's family while he was dating Emma and still remained on friendly terms with them after the break-up.
Jessie's family were in court today and saw Garth in person for the first time since he killed Jessie.
Ms Barbagallo said the impact of this senseless loss of life on Jessie's family and the wider Mandurah community was immeasurable.
Garth had no criminal record and no mention was made during sentencing submissions today of any major mental illness.
Defence lawyer Brian Mahon said his client wanted to apologise to everyone affected by his crime and he was fully aware that he shattered many lives that night.
He said his client bitterly regretted his actions and accepted he had a price to pay for ending Jessie's life. Mr Mahon said Garth conceded that during the second choking episode he intended to kill Jessie, but that the first attack was spontaneous with no planning.
"He's aware what he faces will only be a fraction of the suffering (that the Cate family will have to endure)," he said.
The murder of the popular teenager prompted a tidal wave of grief in the Mandurah community, but Mr Mahon said before this tragedy his client was also well-liked and respected in the community.
Garth had scratches on his face from Jessie during the first attack, but Ms Barbagallo said when Garth strangled her the second time "he effectively killed a girl who couldn't defend herself".
She said Garth had time to reevaluate his actions and choose a different path, but did not.
She said when Garth called Jessie's mother the morning after the murder, pretending not to know what had happened, it showed "callousness and coldness". Ms Barbagallo said Garth had also committed a breach of trust because Jessie and her family had no reason to think her life would be in danger in his company.
Justice Jenkins said while there was no pre-planning or weapon involved in this murder, it also involved a "terribly violent death" of a young person.
She said Garth still had the support of his mother, stepfather and his partner, who is 16 years his senior and who was his girlfriend at the time he murdered Jessie.
Outside court, Jessie's family welcomed the sentence, which was higher than they hoped, but showed Garth some compassion.
"It's more years that he's going to spend in prison than our gorgeous Jessie spent alive," Jessie's uncle Ric Troode said.
"Nothing is going to bring Jessie back, her memory will outlive Kyle's name forever and a day, she's never, ever going to be forgotten.
"I'm not going to be angry and say I hope he rots in hell ... I feel for him, he is a young man, we hope that he comes out of this a better person. They said that he had an unblemished character, that he was of good standing, but people of unblemished characters and good standing don't murder 15-year-olds ... there's no excuse."
Mr Troode said Garth's apology in court today provided them no solace.
Jessie's mother Judy Cate said outside court she and her family would never recover from her daughter's violent murder, saying they had lost the best thing they ever had.
"It happened so quickly, she didn't have a chance to defend herself or have a chance to get away, he took the intention to kill her without any thought towards Jessie herself and us as a family," she said.
"If he was remorseful, he should have let her live the first time."
Ms Cate said her daughter was "perfect" and "everything a parent could hope for in a child".
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Weather in Mumbai: Rains disrupt life in city
Weather in Mumbai: Rains disrupt life in city
Mumbai: Incessant heavy rain since early Monday morning in Mumbai has left several low-lying areas inundated and affected local train services and thrown normal life out of gear.
Mumbai traffic police issued an alert, asking people to avoid unnecessary travel. The BMC also deployed 110 water pumps to drain water from roads that have been waterlogged.
Heavy rainfall affected the traffic on Western and Eastern Express Highways and slow moving traffic was reported from all over the city. Heavy downpour saw western suburbs receive about 113.2 millimetres of rainfall whereas the eastern suburbs received 80.45 mms.
But the showers nonetheless brought huge relief to the city expecting severe water shortage due to less than average rainfall this year. Some parts of the city received between four to eight centimetres of rains since Monday morning, raising hopes that the water deficit would be checked this year.
Several low-lying areas in the city and suburbs were either waterlogged or flooded, delaying vehicular movement and creating massive traffic snarls on both the national highways and other major roads.
Landslide was reported at Narayan Haske chawl at Chunabhatti, one injured.
Waterlogging
Water logging is reported near Mahalaxmi temple, Goregaon, Mulund, Babulnath, Sion junction, Dadar, Kalachowkie, Mahim causeway and near Jaslok hospital. There was knee-level water in some of these areas; and the situation in Sion and Dadar was even worse. Andheri subway was closed due to the heavy rainfall.
High tide prediction for Tuesday
The Metrological department predicts high tide will be 4.03 metres at around 2.18 am and 1.02 meters at 7.39 pm.
Railways
Surburban train service on the Central line suffered heavily with delays of over one hour being reported. Trains on the Western line, meanwhile, were said to be running half an hour late. The tracks at Ghatkopar, Kurla, Matunga road, Thane Masjid Bunder, Govandi and Chembur were reportedly flooded.
Weather Forecast
The Indian Meteorological department has said that they expect heavy rains to continue battering the city for the next 24 hours.
V K Rajeev, Director, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said, "There is a cyclonic circulation around north east of Mumbai that has caused this downpour. There are signs of heavy rainfall in Mumbai and suburbs and also in the Konkan region for next 24 hours."
Rain in Thane district
Torrential downpour in Thane's major towns like Kalyan, Dombivli, Vasai, Virar, Palghar, Dahanu led to flooding on the roads with vehicular movements virtually crippled for hours.
As a precautionary measure, some schools in the district were closed early to enable students reach their homes safely.
The weather bureau has forecast similar heavy to very heavy rains over Mumbai and other parts of the state for the next two days.
Meanwhile, in news that will please Mumbaikars, there was considerable rise in lake levels with some close to the overflow mark.
Mumbai: Incessant heavy rain since early Monday morning in Mumbai has left several low-lying areas inundated and affected local train services and thrown normal life out of gear.
Mumbai traffic police issued an alert, asking people to avoid unnecessary travel. The BMC also deployed 110 water pumps to drain water from roads that have been waterlogged.
Heavy rainfall affected the traffic on Western and Eastern Express Highways and slow moving traffic was reported from all over the city. Heavy downpour saw western suburbs receive about 113.2 millimetres of rainfall whereas the eastern suburbs received 80.45 mms.
But the showers nonetheless brought huge relief to the city expecting severe water shortage due to less than average rainfall this year. Some parts of the city received between four to eight centimetres of rains since Monday morning, raising hopes that the water deficit would be checked this year.
Several low-lying areas in the city and suburbs were either waterlogged or flooded, delaying vehicular movement and creating massive traffic snarls on both the national highways and other major roads.
Landslide was reported at Narayan Haske chawl at Chunabhatti, one injured.
Waterlogging
Water logging is reported near Mahalaxmi temple, Goregaon, Mulund, Babulnath, Sion junction, Dadar, Kalachowkie, Mahim causeway and near Jaslok hospital. There was knee-level water in some of these areas; and the situation in Sion and Dadar was even worse. Andheri subway was closed due to the heavy rainfall.
High tide prediction for Tuesday
The Metrological department predicts high tide will be 4.03 metres at around 2.18 am and 1.02 meters at 7.39 pm.
Railways
Surburban train service on the Central line suffered heavily with delays of over one hour being reported. Trains on the Western line, meanwhile, were said to be running half an hour late. The tracks at Ghatkopar, Kurla, Matunga road, Thane Masjid Bunder, Govandi and Chembur were reportedly flooded.
Weather Forecast
The Indian Meteorological department has said that they expect heavy rains to continue battering the city for the next 24 hours.
V K Rajeev, Director, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said, "There is a cyclonic circulation around north east of Mumbai that has caused this downpour. There are signs of heavy rainfall in Mumbai and suburbs and also in the Konkan region for next 24 hours."
Rain in Thane district
Torrential downpour in Thane's major towns like Kalyan, Dombivli, Vasai, Virar, Palghar, Dahanu led to flooding on the roads with vehicular movements virtually crippled for hours.
As a precautionary measure, some schools in the district were closed early to enable students reach their homes safely.
The weather bureau has forecast similar heavy to very heavy rains over Mumbai and other parts of the state for the next two days.
Meanwhile, in news that will please Mumbaikars, there was considerable rise in lake levels with some close to the overflow mark.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Life for Michigan after Alabama
Life for Michigan after Alabama
C.J. Mosley and his Alabama teammates have never embraced the label of defending BCS national champion. Neither has coach Nick Saban.
This is the 2012 Crimson Tide, a group already establishing that it too will be a championship contender.
"We made a great statement. But we're not the defending champs," Mosley said. "That was last year's team. That's what coach put in our heads two days after the championship game."
In what was considered the marquee matchup of college football's opening weekend, the second-ranked Tide had a dominating 41-14 victory over a Michigan team with Denard Robinson coming off an 11-win season capped by a BCS bowl victory of its own.
Alabama showed it can still dominate defensively even after three starting defenders from last year's title team were first-round NFL draft picks. The Crimson Tide manhandled the eighth-ranked Wolverines while doing quick damage to the Heisman hopes for Robinson, the dual-threat quarterback who was mostly contained.
"The whole summer and camp we talked about setting an identity for this defense," said Mosley, the junior linebacker who returned an interception 16 yards for a touchdown. "Everybody was talking about 2010 and 2011. ... We came out with great intensity and great tenacity. We showed the world what the 2012 defense is going to do."
And the Crimson Tide can still run the ball after Trent Richardson was the third overall pick by the Browns. T.J. Yeldon, one of four running backs to share the load, became the first Bama freshman with a 100-yard game in his debut. He ran for 111 yards with a touchdown on 11 carries.
"It was definitely a step in the right direction. We have high hopes for this team," senior offensive lineman Barrett Jones said. "This kind of shows the nation this is not the complacent Alabama people were expecting. We're hungry and we're playing for the national championship."
Alabama is intent of avoiding another letdown like the 10-win season in 2010, the last time after a championship season.
Jones started all 14 games as a freshman on Alabama's 2009 championship team, and is among several players who were part of that title and the year that followed.
There appears to be no complacency or sense of entitlement this time.
For Michigan, which trailed 31-0 before Robinson threw a 71-yard pass to set up his 6-yard TD run just before halftime, there have to be concerns.
Second-year coach Brady Hoke long referred to the Alabama game as a measuring stick for his team. He's got to hope that this isn't really Michigan after the worst season-opening loss ever for the Wolverines.
"I would think we're on the short end of the measuring stick right now," Hoke said. "I mean, we've got a lot of things that I know we can do better. I've seen us do it better, and we've got to go back to work."
Michigan, which obviously can still recover to contend for a Big Ten title and possible Rose Bowl bid, plays its home opener Saturday against Air Force.
Without suspended running back Fitzgerald Toussaint behind him, Robinson accounted for 227 of the Wolverines' 269 total yards. But he was only 11-of-26 passing with two interceptions and got most of his 200 yards on just two throws (the 71 yarder and a 44-yard TD to Devin Gardner). He needed 10 carries for his 27 rushing yards.
"We've got to try to move forward because we've got a goal, and that is to win the Big Ten," Robinson said. "And in order for us to win the Big Ten, we can't let Alabama beat us twice."
Alabama, which has even bigger goals, had scored 70 consecutive points over three games before Michigan finally got in the end zone. The Crimson Tide scored the final 18 points in their 2011 regular-season finale against Auburn before the 21-0 victory over LSU in the BCS championship game.
While Saban believes his latest talented and tenacious team took a step toward creating its own identity, he already sees room for improvement going into the home opener Saturday against Western Kentucky.
AJ McCarron, the second-year starting quarterback, was 11-of-21 passing for 199 yards with two touchdowns. Saban said the Tide has to throw more effectively, though it's not anything he blames on McCarron.
"In the passing game, we just need to clean it up, clean up the protection," Saban said. "And if we're going to be the kind of team we're capable of, we're going to have to be able to create balance on offense, because AJ's really too good of a quarterback for us not to utilize his talents in throwing the football."
C.J. Mosley and his Alabama teammates have never embraced the label of defending BCS national champion. Neither has coach Nick Saban.
This is the 2012 Crimson Tide, a group already establishing that it too will be a championship contender.
"We made a great statement. But we're not the defending champs," Mosley said. "That was last year's team. That's what coach put in our heads two days after the championship game."
In what was considered the marquee matchup of college football's opening weekend, the second-ranked Tide had a dominating 41-14 victory over a Michigan team with Denard Robinson coming off an 11-win season capped by a BCS bowl victory of its own.
Alabama showed it can still dominate defensively even after three starting defenders from last year's title team were first-round NFL draft picks. The Crimson Tide manhandled the eighth-ranked Wolverines while doing quick damage to the Heisman hopes for Robinson, the dual-threat quarterback who was mostly contained.
"The whole summer and camp we talked about setting an identity for this defense," said Mosley, the junior linebacker who returned an interception 16 yards for a touchdown. "Everybody was talking about 2010 and 2011. ... We came out with great intensity and great tenacity. We showed the world what the 2012 defense is going to do."
And the Crimson Tide can still run the ball after Trent Richardson was the third overall pick by the Browns. T.J. Yeldon, one of four running backs to share the load, became the first Bama freshman with a 100-yard game in his debut. He ran for 111 yards with a touchdown on 11 carries.
"It was definitely a step in the right direction. We have high hopes for this team," senior offensive lineman Barrett Jones said. "This kind of shows the nation this is not the complacent Alabama people were expecting. We're hungry and we're playing for the national championship."
Alabama is intent of avoiding another letdown like the 10-win season in 2010, the last time after a championship season.
Jones started all 14 games as a freshman on Alabama's 2009 championship team, and is among several players who were part of that title and the year that followed.
There appears to be no complacency or sense of entitlement this time.
For Michigan, which trailed 31-0 before Robinson threw a 71-yard pass to set up his 6-yard TD run just before halftime, there have to be concerns.
Second-year coach Brady Hoke long referred to the Alabama game as a measuring stick for his team. He's got to hope that this isn't really Michigan after the worst season-opening loss ever for the Wolverines.
"I would think we're on the short end of the measuring stick right now," Hoke said. "I mean, we've got a lot of things that I know we can do better. I've seen us do it better, and we've got to go back to work."
Michigan, which obviously can still recover to contend for a Big Ten title and possible Rose Bowl bid, plays its home opener Saturday against Air Force.
Without suspended running back Fitzgerald Toussaint behind him, Robinson accounted for 227 of the Wolverines' 269 total yards. But he was only 11-of-26 passing with two interceptions and got most of his 200 yards on just two throws (the 71 yarder and a 44-yard TD to Devin Gardner). He needed 10 carries for his 27 rushing yards.
"We've got to try to move forward because we've got a goal, and that is to win the Big Ten," Robinson said. "And in order for us to win the Big Ten, we can't let Alabama beat us twice."
Alabama, which has even bigger goals, had scored 70 consecutive points over three games before Michigan finally got in the end zone. The Crimson Tide scored the final 18 points in their 2011 regular-season finale against Auburn before the 21-0 victory over LSU in the BCS championship game.
While Saban believes his latest talented and tenacious team took a step toward creating its own identity, he already sees room for improvement going into the home opener Saturday against Western Kentucky.
AJ McCarron, the second-year starting quarterback, was 11-of-21 passing for 199 yards with two touchdowns. Saban said the Tide has to throw more effectively, though it's not anything he blames on McCarron.
"In the passing game, we just need to clean it up, clean up the protection," Saban said. "And if we're going to be the kind of team we're capable of, we're going to have to be able to create balance on offense, because AJ's really too good of a quarterback for us not to utilize his talents in throwing the football."
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Paroled during life sentence, frequent DWI offender does it again
Paroled during life sentence, frequent DWI offender does it again
An Ellis County man who was paroled while serving a life sentence for driving while intoxicated was convicted Thursday for doing it again.
Blas Hernandez Jr., 52, served 11 years on a life sentence levied against him in 1997 for having three or more DWI convictions.
Then on Nov. 1, 2011, Hernandez Jr. was pulled over in the 700 block of Main Street when officers saw him driving a vehicle with “heavy front end damage.” Because of a 2009 Texas law, officers must take a blood sample of anyone suspected of driving while intoxicated who has two or more convictions.
Officers took his blood and tested it. Ellis County District Attorney spokeswoman Ann Montgomery-Moran said it was two and a half times the legal limit of .08.
On Thursday, an Ellis County jury took less than half an hour to convict Hernandez on his fourth DWI charge. During the punishment phase of the trial, the jury heard Hernandez “had a history of assault on police officers,” Montgomery-Moran wrote.
Montgomery-Moran said Hernandez was convicted in 1992 twice for DWI and again in 1996. He also was convicted for two felony assaults on a public servant. In 1997, he was being tried for his third DWI, she said.
The multiple DWI convictions cemented his punishment –– Hernandez received another life sentence, to be stacked and served consecutively atop the first.
The fact that Hernandez was paroled while serving a life sentence for multiple DWI convictions spurred the district attorney to issue a fiery statement promising to address the issue with elected officials.
“I have no answer for citizens who rightfully ask, ‘Why was Hernandez even on the streets again after being sentenced to life in prison?,’” Ellis County DA Patrick Wilson wrote. “Something has to be done to prevent this situation from happening again.”
Wilson goes on to lament the “tremendous waste of resources” this reoccurrence triggered as well as the “threat to the safety of the general public.”
“Everyone wants to talk about being tough on DWI. This office has shown that we are tough on DWI. Ellis County citizens have shown that they are tough on DWI,” Patrick’s statement says. “So why isn’t the Parole Board tough on DWI?”
"We can't help but shrug our shoulders and think, 'What's the point of it all?,'" he said.
In a statement to News 8, the Parole Board writes:
"…the Board often will impose special conditions such as treatment programs or, as in this case, an inter-lock device on his automobile in order to prevent the person from driving while intoxicated."
Wilson isn't convinced.
"It makes all the policymakers words ring hollow, who like to champion getting tough on DWI,” he said.
The Parole Board says it considered Hernandez four times before releasing him.
They also say using special conditions enables the Board to release more offenders while the rate of offenders returning to prison continues to drop.
An Ellis County man who was paroled while serving a life sentence for driving while intoxicated was convicted Thursday for doing it again.
Blas Hernandez Jr., 52, served 11 years on a life sentence levied against him in 1997 for having three or more DWI convictions.
Then on Nov. 1, 2011, Hernandez Jr. was pulled over in the 700 block of Main Street when officers saw him driving a vehicle with “heavy front end damage.” Because of a 2009 Texas law, officers must take a blood sample of anyone suspected of driving while intoxicated who has two or more convictions.
Officers took his blood and tested it. Ellis County District Attorney spokeswoman Ann Montgomery-Moran said it was two and a half times the legal limit of .08.
On Thursday, an Ellis County jury took less than half an hour to convict Hernandez on his fourth DWI charge. During the punishment phase of the trial, the jury heard Hernandez “had a history of assault on police officers,” Montgomery-Moran wrote.
Montgomery-Moran said Hernandez was convicted in 1992 twice for DWI and again in 1996. He also was convicted for two felony assaults on a public servant. In 1997, he was being tried for his third DWI, she said.
The multiple DWI convictions cemented his punishment –– Hernandez received another life sentence, to be stacked and served consecutively atop the first.
The fact that Hernandez was paroled while serving a life sentence for multiple DWI convictions spurred the district attorney to issue a fiery statement promising to address the issue with elected officials.
“I have no answer for citizens who rightfully ask, ‘Why was Hernandez even on the streets again after being sentenced to life in prison?,’” Ellis County DA Patrick Wilson wrote. “Something has to be done to prevent this situation from happening again.”
Wilson goes on to lament the “tremendous waste of resources” this reoccurrence triggered as well as the “threat to the safety of the general public.”
“Everyone wants to talk about being tough on DWI. This office has shown that we are tough on DWI. Ellis County citizens have shown that they are tough on DWI,” Patrick’s statement says. “So why isn’t the Parole Board tough on DWI?”
"We can't help but shrug our shoulders and think, 'What's the point of it all?,'" he said.
In a statement to News 8, the Parole Board writes:
"…the Board often will impose special conditions such as treatment programs or, as in this case, an inter-lock device on his automobile in order to prevent the person from driving while intoxicated."
Wilson isn't convinced.
"It makes all the policymakers words ring hollow, who like to champion getting tough on DWI,” he said.
The Parole Board says it considered Hernandez four times before releasing him.
They also say using special conditions enables the Board to release more offenders while the rate of offenders returning to prison continues to drop.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)