Friday, December 30, 2011

Spain king's son-in-law subpoenaed in graft probe (AP)

MADRID ? A judge subpoenaed the son-in-law of Spain's King Juan Carlos on Thursday to testify as a suspect in a corruption case, deepening a public relations nightmare for the royal family at a time of acute economic crisis for everyday people.

The case surrounding Inaki Urdangarin, husband of the king's daughter Cristina, has been front-page news for weeks. But it went a big step further Thursday when Judge Jose Castro on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca named Urdangarin as a formal suspect in a criminal probe.

The Balearic Islands Superior Court of Justice said in a statement that Urdangarin has been called to testify Feb. 6 in Palma, the capital of the archipelago. The one-page document did not mention allegations.

But Spanish media say Urdangarin, 43, is suspected of siphoning money from public contracts awarded from 2004 to 2006 to a nonprofit foundation he then headed. He has not been charged with a crime.

An official at the Royal Palace declined comment Thursday other than to say it "respects the decisions of judges."

Spain has nearly 22 percent unemployment, a stagnant economy, mountains of debt and many other woes, so alleged shady business dealings by a member of the royal family look terrible for the Spanish monarchy.

On Dec. 12 the Royal Palace shocked the country by announcing Urdangarin would for the time being stop taking part in official ceremonies involving the royal family.

And in an unprecedented show of transparency, the palace this week made public the details of the stipend the royal family receives from the national budget. It said, for instance, that King Juan Carlos earns euro292,552 ($382,597) a year in salary and expenses and his son, Crown Prince Felipe, roughly half that amount.

In his yearly Christmas Eve speech, the king expressed concern over what he described as the declining confidence among Spaniards in public institutions, a remark seen as a reference to the scandal surrounding his son-in-law, a commoner who used to be a professional handball player.

Judge Castro's order Thursday made public an until-now sealed case file that the newspaper El Pais said contains 2,700 pages.

Spanish newspapers have quoted investigators as saying Urdangarin is suspected, among other things, of having taken some of about euro6 million ($8 million) his nonprofit foundation received from the regional governments in Valencia and the Balearic Islands for organizing events such as sports seminars and diverting it to for-profit companies Urdangarin ran.

The case is part of a broader, long-running corruption probe involving the regional government in the Balearic Islands.

Since 2009 Urdangarin, the princess and their four children have lived in Washington, D.C., where Urdangarin works for the Spanish telecommunications company Telefonica, S.A.

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia have three children. Crown Prince Felipe is the youngest, Princess Cristina is the middle child and the eldest is Princess Elena.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_on_re_eu/eu_spain_royal_family

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Video: Help your neighbor, help yourself

Like a lot of places, the folks in Portland, Maine don't have the cash to get all the goods and services they need, so they are taking an old-school approach to help their friends and neighbors get through these tough times. NBC?s Ron Mott reports.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/45800316/

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Thursday, December 29, 2011

Former WJZ Reporter Passes Away Of Cancer ? CBS Baltimore

BALTIMORE (WJZ) ? Former WJZ reporter Debbie Wright died after a battle with cancer.

She was an education reporter in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Wright spent more than a decade working here.

Her mother says a memorial service is being planned in Arkansas.

Source: http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/12/27/former-wjz-reporter-passes-away-of-cancer/

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Cruise's 'Mission' accomplishes box-office win (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Hollywood has picked up a little Christmas bonus.

Studios generally underestimated the size of their movie audiences over the weekend, and they're now revising the holiday revenues upward.

Leading the way is Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible ? Ghost Protocol," which pulled in $29.5 million for the weekend. That Monday figure is $3 million more than distributor Paramount estimated a day earlier.

For the four-day period Friday to Monday, Paramount estimates "Ghost Protocol" will have taken in $46.2 million to raise its domestic total to $78.6 million. That's on top of $140 million the film has taken in overseas, giving it a worldwide haul of $218.6 million.

Studios Monday also reported stronger results than they did a day earlier for Robert Downey Jr.'s "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," which was No. 2 at $20.3 million for the three-day weekend and $31.8 million for the four-day period; Steven Spielberg's "The Adventures of Tintin" at No. 5 with $9.7 million over three days and $16.1 million for four days; and Matt Damon's "We Bought a Zoo" at No. 6 with $9.5 million over three days and $15.6 million for four days.

In a tight race for the No. 4 spot were David Fincher's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and the family sequel "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked."

"Dragon Tattoo" did $12.8 million over three days and $19.4 million for four days. "Chipwrecked" took in $12.7 million over three days and $20 million for four days.

A few films debuted on Christmas Day, among them Spielberg's World War I epic "War Horse," which took in $7.5 million Sunday. Through Monday, its estimated two-day total is $15 million.

Also debuting was Emile Hirsch's action thriller "The Darkest Hour," which earned $3 million Sunday and had a two-day total of $5.5 million through Monday.

Opening solidly in just six theaters was Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock's Sept. 11 drama "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," which took in $71,000 Sunday and $136,000 through Monday. The film expands to nationwide release in January.

Despite the upward revision on some movies' revenues, the Christmas weekend continued a box-office slide that has persisted since Thanksgiving. Overall revenues from Friday to Sunday totaled $128 million, down 10 percent from Christmas weekend last year, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Monday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com are:

1. "Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol," Paramount, $46,210,000, 3,448 locations, $13,402 average, $78,645,000, two weeks.

2. "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," Warner Bros., $31,810,000, 3,448 locations, $9,226 average, $90,564,000, two weeks.

3. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked," Fox, $20,000,000, 3,734 locations, $5,356 average, $56,940,187, two weeks.

4. "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," Sony, $19,400,000, 2,914 locations, $6,658 average, $27,716,000, one week.

5. "The Adventures of Tintin," Paramount, $16,100,000, 3,087 locations, $5,215 average, $24,107,000, one week.

6. "We Bought a Zoo," Fox, $15,600,000, 3,117 locations, $5,005 average, $15,600,000, one week.

7. "War Horse" (opened Sunday), Disney, $15,025,000, 2,376 locations, $6,324 average, $15,025,000, one week.

8. "The Darkest Hour" (opened Sunday), Summit, $5,500,000, 2,324 locations, $2,367 average, $5,500,000, one week.

9. "New Year's Eve," Warner Bros., $4,950,000, 2,585 locations, $1,915 average, $34,287,000, three weeks.

10. "The Descendants," Fox Searchlight, $3,425,000, 813 locations, $4,213 average, $33,716,552, six weeks.

11. "The Muppets," Disney, $3,355,000, 1,752 locations, $1,915 average, $76,911,000, five weeks.

12. "Hugo," Paramount, $3,300,000, 1,256 locations, $2,627 average, $44,927,000, five weeks.

13. "Arthur Christmas," Sony, $3,100,000, 1,804 locations, $1,718 average, $44,062,000, five weeks.

14. "The Sitter," Fox, $3,000,000, 1,786 locations, $1,680 average, $23,488,202, three weeks.

15. "Young Adult," Paramount, $2,775,000, 987 locations, $2,812 average, $8,184,000, three weeks.

16. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 1," Summit, $2,150,000, 1,603 locations, $1,341 average, $270,951,901, six weeks.

17. "The Artist," Weinstein Co., $1,402,000, 167 locations, $8,395 average, $2,900,430, five weeks.

18. "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," Focus, $1,210,160, 55 locations, $22,003 average, $2,311,670, three weeks.

19. "My Week with Marilyn," Weinstein Co., $888,000, 602 locations, $1,475 average, $7,307,196, five weeks.

20. "Puss in Boots," Paramount, $685,000, 389 locations, $1,761 average, $143,935,000, nine weeks.

___

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111226/ap_en_ot/us_box_office

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

The best films of 2011

Monitor film critic, Peter Rainer, remembers the hundreds of movies he watched in 2011, and highlights his favorites ... and some he thought were overrated.

I saw about 300 movies in 2011. Hold your applause please. No matter how dismal the movies may sometimes have seemed ? "The Hangover: Part II" anyone? "Transformers 508"? ? I ended up, as always, with just enough goodies to justify all that time in the dark. (Let's see, 300 films times 100 minutes per movie....)

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Before I take the high road, a few thoughts, crammed with caveats and cavils, on the past 12 months.

The "serious picture" niche, until this year, had mostly been filled with films about 9/11 and the Iraq war. But because most of those films ("In the Valley of Elah," "Stop-Loss," etc.) were commercial and critical flops, that particular trend, especially in the nondocumentary arena, is just about over.

Taking its place is a kind post-9/11 metaphysical mumbo-jumbo gumbo. Instead of addressing global terrors directly, we have movies that are charged with an often otherworldly dread. "Melancholia," which admittedly has a visually ravishing prologue, splices a nuptials-gone-wrong story line into a high-art disaster movie scenario. A giant planet named Melancholia is heading straight for Earth, and it even has Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" as its theme song!

In "Take Shelter," a much better movie, Michael Shannon plays an ordinary man increasingly overtaken by visions of apocalyptic storms. His fears are singular and yet they connect with our larger anxieties about terrorism, the economy ? everything.

Even a movie as specific in its scare-mongering as "Contagion" moves away from the headlines and turns apocalyptic (and, in my view, borderline exploitative, using our germ-warfare fears as grist for high-toned sci-fi pulp).

Movies like "The Adjustment Bureau," "In Time," and especially "Source Code" were perhaps the most indicative and touching examples of our desire to make sense of post-9/11 dread. None of these fantasias were any great shakes as movies but, in varying ways, they were all about our need to rewind reality ? to literally stop the clock ? and make it all turn out right this time. ("Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" dealt with 9/11 trauma head-on, with decidedly mixed results.)

By comparison, films dealing with actual historical personages often seemed mundane, or, as in the case of "The Ides of March," which dealt with thinly disguised actual personages, naive. (Who knew politics could be a dirty business?) Despite advance word, "J. Edgar" didn't delve deeply into the FBI director's nefariousness or hidden sex life, leaving us in limbo. The Margaret Thatcher biopic "The Iron Lady" (which opens Dec. 30) has pitch-perfect Meryl Streep mummified by her makeup and the film's political toothlessness. At least "The Help," which was unfairly rapped for portraying the civil rights struggle through the eyes of a white Southern woman, knew enough to leaven its social consciousness with sass.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/yi1lNNTMxPg/The-best-films-of-2011

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Monday, December 26, 2011

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Video: Shearing triggers odd behavior in microscopic particles

Friday, December 23, 2011

Microscopic spheres form strings in surprising alignments when suspended in a viscous fluid and sheared between two plates ? a finding that will affect the way scientists think about the properties of such wide-ranging substances as shampoo and futuristic computer chips.

A team of scientists at Cornell University and the University of Chicago have imaged this behavior and have explained the forces causing it for the first time. Its findings appear in the Dec. 19-23 early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"The experimental breakthrough revealed that these string structures were perpendicular to the shear instead of parallel to it, contrary to what many in the field were expecting," said Aaron Dinner, associate professor in chemistry at UChicago and a study co-author.

The experiment was led by Itai Cohen, associate professor of physics at Cornell, who custom-built a device that would enable him simultaneously to exert shearing forces on suspended colloids (the spheres) and image the resulting motion at 100 frames per second with a confocal microscope. Imaging speed was critical to the experiment because the string-like structures appear only at certain shear rates.

"This issue of strings has been pretty controversial. I'm not sure that we've solved all the controversies associated with them, but at least we've made a step forward," Cohen said.

Shearing forces affect the dynamic behavior of paint, shampoo and other viscous household products, but an understanding of these and related phenomena at the microscopic level has largely eluded a detailed scientific understanding until the last decade, Dinner noted.

Futuristically speaking, these forces potentially could be harnessed to produce microscopic patterns on computer chips or biosensors via special paints that flow easily when layered in one direction, but becomes hard when layered in another direction.

Cohen's objective was more scientifically immediate: to devise an experiment that would overcome the technical difficulties associated with measuring the mechanical properties of the colloidal strings while also imaging their formation. "The holy grail is to be able to understand how the structure leads to the mechanical properties and then to be able to control the mechanical properties by influencing the structure," Cohen explained.


This 12-second video shows the formation of particle strings at angles perpendicular to the direction of shear flow. Many scientists had predicted that the strings would form parallel to the direction of shear flow. Experiments at Cornell and computer simulations at the University of Chicago show that the strings form perpendicular to the direction of shear. Credit: Xiang Cheng, Cornell University

Cohen, PhD'01, received his doctorate in physics at UChicago, as did lead author Xiang Cheng, PhD'09, a postdoctoral associate at Cornell who assembled the team; and co-author Xinliang Xu, PhD'07, a postdoctoral scholar at UChicago. The study co-authors also included Stuart Rice, the Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in Chemistry at UChicago and a 1999 recipient of the National Medal of Science.

As members of UChicago's Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Rice and Dinner are part of a larger effort to determine how materials behave under the influence of various dynamic forces. Some of their physics colleagues analyze forces operating on macroscopic scales, while chemists such as Rice and Dinner attempt to assess how those findings might apply to microscopic phenomena.

Rice and his UChicago co-authors used computer simulations to develop a precise explanation for the string-like colloidal structures that formed in the Cornell experiment. "The previous simulations all left out the consequences of the flow created in the supporting fluid as the particles move, the so-called hydrodynamic forces," Rice said.

"A very large fraction of the work in the field neglects hydrodynamic forces because it's hard. You try and get away with what you can," Rice noted with amusement. "But in this case it turns out that the inclusion of those forces is the crucial element."

The simulations allowed the UChicago team to control various experimental parameters to assess their relative importance. "You can play God," Rice said. "The important finding is the overwhelming role of the lubrication forces and the anti-intuitive result that they create."

The lubrication force comes into play when two colloids come together to behave much like macroscopic ball bearings soaking in a reservoir of goopy fluid.

"Pulling them apart would be working against the fluid and so it would be very hard," Dinner said. "So actually, when you get a collision in these colloidal systems, those lubrication forces hold them together much longer, and that actually allows for some of the unique dynamics that give rise to the structure. That was specifically what the simulations showed."

Xu, the UChicago postdoctoral scholar, adapted a mathematical formula developed by John Brady at the California Institute of Technology to simplify the simulations, which ran for days and weeks at a time. "Every time you rearrange the particles, the interactions are different," Rice said. "If you were to calculate that directly, it would be extremely tedious."

But Xu's adapation of Brady's formula enabled him to generate a table of hydrodynamic interactions that listed each particle configuration. Xu found that he could accurately simplify the simulation by focusing on just two of the experiment's seven layers of colloids.

The simulations and the experiment showed that even after three centuries of study, the field of hydrodynamics continues to yield surprising discoveries. "We are still discovering novel behavior that is fundamentally determined by the hydrodynamics," Rice noted.

###

University of Chicago: http://www-news.uchicago.edu

Thanks to University of Chicago for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116308/Video__Shearing_triggers_odd_behavior_in_microscopic_particles

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

Apple iPad 3 might be launched on Steve Jobs' birthday

1. Droid_X_Doug posted on 2 hours ago 0 1

That is a bit of a stretch. Maybe a 1Q2012 launch, but February 24th? Sounds like someone is needing to find ways to fill their day....

2. Droid_X_Doug posted on 2 hours ago 0 0

And further, what is the Economic Times' track record with iPad rumors they publish being correct?

3. SoMuchBetter posted on 1 hour ago 1 1

Wow can't wait- to my eyes the ipad is the only true tablet everything tablet made and is running on android kinda SUCKS. Maybe oneday the android community can build a competitive tablet but non as of now.

6. xiobnb posted on 49 min ago 0 0

i like android phones better than iphones..but i have to agree on this one.. apple make the best tablet ...not spec wise but the apps ...the android app for phones are awsome but not so sure for tablets

4. snowgator posted on 1 hour ago 0 0

Without meaning to sound cold hearted in any way, the pace at which Apple has been moving the iPad3 has a better chance to be launched on the anniversary of his death next year as opposed to his Birthday. I truly hope for Apple loyalists that the last 18 months or so have been just a bump in the road. I do not think that anything they did on the iPad 2 or the iPhone 4S was groundbreaking or risky. This company can easily just sit back and enjoy a very profitable 2012 without doing much of anything. But it would be great to see them kick it up a notch and truly attack the mobile industry with cutting edge tech in a totally revamped iPad3 and a iPhone 5. We know they have it in them.

5. Pings posted on 1 hour ago 0 3

Isn't the the Kindle Fire out selling the iPad? Hold on isn't that competitive? It's competitively beating the iPad... I give it a year before Apple can not compete with Android. Like it is now with monthly to yearly phone sales. There is no way a single product can compete with an OS. Sorry Apple it's just a matter of time and that time stared this holiday season.

"The iPad 2 also moved a million units in its first week, but Apple had trouble meeting demand after that. The original iPad sold well, but not anywhere near this rate. The tablet is selling at a rate of a million units a week. Even more impressively, they have managed to meet all of that demand, letting consumers purchase it without wait throughout the holiday shopping season." - phonearena.com

Apple can't say that. What was that about competitive? Just because you bought an Apple product doesn't mean that Android can't compete. The truth is it's just a matter of time before Apple can't compete with Android and is competing with Windows tablets... lol

7. thebikerboi2 posted on 45 min ago 2 0

the fact of the matter is dude is that apple has sold millions more tablets than any other manufacturer, and thaey hold the biggest tablet marketshare, the current succes of the kindle fire will probably level out and it may still be not as big as the ipad. the only reson that android has a bigger marketshare in the smartphone sector is that there are over 200 diferent android smartphones in the on the market, therefore more people are likely to pick an android phone over something like a windows, blackberry or symbian phone. and if you look at the statistics you probably will find that most of the android powered handsets sold are mid level smartphones.

8. tacohunter posted on 43 min ago 0 0

Y i don't really care about sale numbers. But the kindle fire is kinda new to the market while the ipad 2 is from march launch.

Competition is needed. Small difference apple wants iOS only on apple devices. Google wants android on all most every tablets and smartphones. Thank god not every company wants that. Good that their is wp, symbian and bb also to compete.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/phonearena/ySoL/~3/vxdrDdTnibM/Apple-iPad-3-might-be-launched-on-Steve-Jobs-birthday_id25088

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Rome for the Holidays

December 25, 2011, 6:00 am By KATIE PARLA

The traditional inauguration of the Christmas season got underway early this month in Rome, but travelers can visit vestiges of those early celebrations, and still take in a few more ceremonies, after the gifts have been opened.

At Piazza Mignanelli near the Spanish Steps, a statue of the Madonna, which rises above a 100-foot-high column, was embellished with a wreath on Dec. 8 by Pope Benedict XVI, who led a ceremony there for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Other wreaths were laid around the base, where they will remain until next year.

At St. Peter?s Square, a 100-foot-tall spruce, a gift from Ukraine, is on display through Jan. 6. It is decked out in 2,500 white and gold ornaments and lights, evoking the colors of the Vatican flag. Beside it is a Nativity scene featuring 19th-century statues.

There are more celebrations on hand: On Christmas Day, the Pope will appear at the loggia on St. Peter?s facade at noon for the ?Urbi et Orbi? address; St. Stephen?s Day celebrations will be held in the square the following day.

And on New Year?s Eve, First Vespers and Te Deum will be held inside St. Peter?s Basilica, followed by Mass in the square on New Year?s Day. The bulk of the Christmas festivities conclude Jan. 6 with a papal Mass in St. Peter?s Basilica for the Epiphany.

?

Source: http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/rome-for-the-holidays/

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Prep QB inspiring others after leg was amputated

In this Sept. 18, 2010, photo, Woodberry Forest's Jacob Rainey breaks away from Bishop Ireton defenders for a rushing touchdown during a high school football game in Orange, Va. On Sept. 3, 2011, Rainey suffered a severe knee injury and a severed artery after being tackled during a scrimmage, requiring part of his right leg to be amputated a week later. The once-promising quarterback is now using his courage rather than his athletic prowess to inspire, moving the likes of Alabama coach Nick Saban, Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews and Denver quarterback Tim Tebow. (AP Photo/The Daily Progress, Andrew Shurtleff)

In this Sept. 18, 2010, photo, Woodberry Forest's Jacob Rainey breaks away from Bishop Ireton defenders for a rushing touchdown during a high school football game in Orange, Va. On Sept. 3, 2011, Rainey suffered a severe knee injury and a severed artery after being tackled during a scrimmage, requiring part of his right leg to be amputated a week later. The once-promising quarterback is now using his courage rather than his athletic prowess to inspire, moving the likes of Alabama coach Nick Saban, Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews and Denver quarterback Tim Tebow. (AP Photo/The Daily Progress, Andrew Shurtleff)

Jacob Rainey is inspiring people all across the sports world.

The Virginia prep quarterback who had to have part of his right leg amputated has moved the likes of Alabama coach Nick Saban, Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews and Denver quarterback Tim Tebow.

A highlight film of Rainey on YouTube shows why college coaches had taken notice. It shows the once-promising quarterback at Woodberry Forest School throwing a 40-yard dart for a touchdown, running into the line on a quarterback sneak, then emerging from the pile and sprinting 40 yards for a TD. There is also of clip of him running a draw for another 35-yard score.

All that was taken away, without warning when he was tackled during a scrimmage on Sept. 3. He suffered a severe knee injury and a severed artery and part of his right leg had to be amputated.

Now it's his courage that has people taking notice.

Saban has sent Rainey a Crimson Tide jersey with his name and number on it, along with a note encouraging him to "keep fighting." Matthews sent him an autographed jersey and Tebow will meet him this weekend.

The Denver quarterback's foundation is flying Rainey and his family to Buffalo this weekend "to hang out with me before and after" the Broncos-Bills game, Tebow said. The foundation has brought a child and his family to every Broncos game this season.

"What an amazing kid and what an amazing outlook that he has," Tebow said of the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Rainey, whose playing style was frequently compared to Tebow. "I'm so proud to have the opportunity to spend time with him and his family. We're very excited about that."

With football gone, Rainey isn't sure what's next ? but he knows what isn't: Moping around.

"I don't know why me," he said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I've never really asked myself that question. I think that would just make me feel sorry for myself, and that's the last thing I want to do."

A week after he suffered the injury ? and after several surgeries ? part of Rainey's right leg was amputated on Sept. 10.

His high school teammates say they were worried, until they talked to Rainey.

"I think talking to him right after surgery was when I really realized that everything was going to be ok because he was still joking and cutting up and kind of making everyone realize that he was still the same person," said Nathan Ripper, one of Rainey's closest friends on the team.

Rainey returned to school after Thanksgiving break having missed the entire first trimester, and said putting others at ease about his situation seems like the right approach to take.

"I feel like if I was in their shoes, I'd feel awkward about it and stuff, like talking about it, so I kind of joke about it," Rainey said. "I mean, it is what it is. I can't change anything. There's no point (complaining) about it, so I think it makes everyone more comfortable about it if I just joke about it like it's alright. That's how it's always been."

Seeing his friend adapt has made Ripper realize that things will only get better.

"He's the last person I ever would have wanted this to happen to, but if I had to pick one person that I know could get through it, it would be him just because he's going to work hard to do rehab, work hard to get used to whatever has changed," he said, noting that he and Rainey spent a good deal of time together over the summer, working to get ready for the football season.

Rainey had 4.6 speed in the 40, and "a cannon for an arm," Ripper said. Rainey was on the recruiting radar of several major schools, and this season was going to be important. He had drawn the attention of college recruiters, who were likely going to watch him closer this season to determine if he was a BCS-level prospect.

His highlight clips on YouTube have been seen nearly 200,000 times. And with such a bright future, Rainey's teammates initially didn't want to believe the news.

Rainey had told Ripper and another teammate, Greg McIntosh, that amputation would be necessary via text message the night before his operation. The football team was on a bus back to campus after a season-opening victory against Benedictine in Richmond.

McIntosh was stunned by the message, and went and found Ripper on the bus.

Ripper had worn Rainey's jersey in the victory. He and Rainey both transferred to Woodberry Forest from St. Anne's Belfield, a private school nearby.

"I figured that Jacob was just pulling some kind of sick joke on us all, so I texted Jacob and that's when he told me that all the tissue had died from lack of blood flow," Ripper said.

Once Rainey confirmed to Ripper that he wasn't joking, they told a few other teammates. McIntosh said he and Ripper "just sat the rest of the way back crying in each other's arms."

Back at school, coach Clint Alexander gathered the team in the gym and told them all.

"It was very emotional," Ripper said. "Most people were broken down and just sobbing and everyone else was just consoling those people. It was a pretty mournful time for everybody."

Suddenly, that narrow 16-13 opening victory meant little.

"Just everything stops," McIntosh said. "I just didn't think that that was something that could actually happen. I just felt that sinking feeling in my heart."

Rainey's recollections of his week in the hospital before the surgery are fuzzy, but there are some things he recalls.

"The doctors told me a couple times that I wasn't going to get amputated, so I was feeling pretty good until Friday," the athletic 6-foot-3, 215-pound Rainey said. "I don't remember a lot, but I just remember them telling me it was going to get amputated and I was just like, 'All right, well, that sucks.'"

Doctors told Rainey he had developed compartment syndrome, a painful condition in which swelling cut off blood flow to certain areas, causing the muscles and the nerves to die.

"Once I got compartment syndrome, that changed everything," he said.

The amputation was performed at Fairfax Inova Hospital, and McIntosh, Ripper and several others made the 70-mile trip from Orange.

The trip was positive, for everybody.

"As soon as we walked in the room ? he was very out of it. He was doped up on pain killers, but he recognized us," McIntosh said. "His heart monitor was just doing normal beeps, but when he saw us, it jumped pretty high. He was pretty excited to see us."

Ripper said Rainey has lifted not only himself, but everyone around him.

"Just talking to him and realizing that he has the same personality and he's going to do everything he can to get better and get through this makes us all realize that he's still with us, and what could have happened," Ripper said. "With all that infection, he could not be with us anymore, so just having him around is just a reminder that things are going to be OK."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-24-FBH-Prep-Quarterback-Amputation/id-4e0092c84f894d8197b4cf14bb9b894e

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Saturday, December 24, 2011

Netflix CEO's stock options slashed after bad year (AP)

SAN FRANCISCO ? Netflix CEO Reed Hastings will pay a $1.5 million penalty for blunders that alienated the video subscription service's customers and pulverized its stock.

The punishment will be delivered with a 50 percent reduction in his stock option awards next year, according to regulatory documents filed Thursday. Instead of the $3 million stock option allowance he received this year, Hastings will get $1.5 million in 2012. His base salary will remain unchanged at $500,000.

It would have been difficult to make a case for giving Hastings a raise coming off a year in which his decisions transformed Netflix from Wall Street darling to bum. The company's stock price plunged, and subscribers fled in a rebellion against a U.S. price increase of as much as 60 percent. The aftershocks of the subscriber exodus are expected to saddle Netflix with a net loss next year, the first time that has happened in a decade.

Netflix Inc. declined to comment on the changes to Hastings' compensation.

Hastings has repeatedly taken the blame for mismanaging the announcement of the price increase in July and then making things worse two months later by trying to spin off Netflix's DVD-by-mail rental service into a separate website called Qwikster. Since scrapping that idea in October, Hastings has been trying to repair some of the damage.

That will probably take a while. Netflix's stock price has plunged 75 percent since mid-July to wipe out $12 billion in shareholder wealth. The backlash surprised and humbled Hastings, who revealed at an investor conference this month that he once thought Netflix's stock would hit $1,000. Netflix's stock gained $2.87 Thursday to close at $73.84, down from its July high of just under $305.

The stock's downfall elicited some gallows humor from Hastings on his Facebook page. "In Wyoming with 10 investors at a ranch/retreat. I think I might need a food taster," Hastings posted two days after announcing his Qwikster plan.

Hastings' missteps also have cost Netflix at least 800,000 subscribers. That's how many customers Netflix lost during the July-September period. Netflix has said the exodus extended into October and November, though it isn't providing specifics until it reports fourth-quarter earnings next month.

Some analysts have suggested Netflix should consider rescinding at least part of its price increase, but Hastings has brushed aside the notion so far. At the investor conference, he predicted his bad moves will eventually forgotten if Netflix's service for streaming video over high-speed Internet connections keeps growing throughout the world as DVDs slowly fade into obsolescence.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111222/ap_on_hi_te/us_netflix_executive_compensation

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Golf Pro Tour :: Several venue, date changes on 12 Champions schedule

More stories from websites on Golf Pro Tour. This information is all you need if you are interested in Golf Pro Tour. If your need stories on Golf Pro Tour these news updates are just what you need.

Golf Pro Tour and related information is what these news updates are all about. Do not hesitate to browse these pages that are filled with stories and information on Golf Pro Tour.

2011-12-22 Several venue, date changes on 12 Champions schedule

All official events will be televised nationally in the United States, with most receiving complete coverage on GOLF Channel, the Tours exclusive cable-television partner that reaches some 83 million homes in the United States. Four events will have network coverage on the weekend (NBC: Senior PGA Championship, Senior U. S. Open; CBS: Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf; ESPN: Senior British Open). Champions Tour telecasts are distributed internationally in Canada, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Australasia, and Latin America through various distribution partners. The events air live, tape-delayed or in a highlights-package format in excess of 117 countries, reaching more than 133 million households.

www.pgatour.com

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The Champions Tour announced Wednesday the tournament schedule for the 2012 Champions Tour season. - 2011 Jack Nicklaus Tom Lehman

2011-12-21 Press Tent: Truth and Rumors: Lexi says her dad will stay on as caddie

Professional sports have always been carried by stars, and golf is no different. All you have to do is check out the TV ratings when Tiger isnt in the field for proof that star power is king. Unfortunately for the LPGA Tour, true stars have been few and far between since Annika Sorenstam left the scene. There have been a few pretenders, like Michelle Wie and Paula Creamer, but a real crossover celebrity just hasnt turned up in womens golf, until maybe now. Lexi Thompson is tall and blonde and drives the ball as long as most men. At age 16, she just became the youngest player ever to win an offical LPGA event. Shes now a full member of the LPGA Tour, since the commissioner waived the 18-year-old age requirement and let Thompson become a full member of the Tour in 2012.

blogs.golf.com

2011-12-18 Smugglers Glen hosts Canadian Tour - Brockville Recorder and Times - Ontario, CA

There is going to be a Canadian Tour pro golf event at Smugglers Glen Golf Club in Gananoque in .

A Canadian Tour tournament attracts 156 players, 20 staff and officials to a typical event. That means hotel rooms and meals for the players and the estimated 3,500 spectators. There are more than 300 volunteers -- 200 local and 100 caddies -- involved in an event where the economic impact is judged to be usd. 1. 2 million for the region.

www.recorder.ca

Its an exciting and early Christmas present. There is going to be a Canadian Tour pro golf event at Smugglers Glen Golf Club in Gananoque in. - Brockville Ontario Canada News Community Events Alerts Mobile Photos Blogs Image Picture article comments reviews amber sports music classified careers obituaries wheels business arts life

2011-12-16 Breakout Players of 2011: Charl Schwartzel

The Masters was the official breakthrough moment in America for Schwartzel, 27, whod proven himself an up-and-coming player on the European Tour, where hed won seven times since turning pro at 18. For serious golf observers, the Masters was more of a what-took-you-so-long moment. I tagged Charl as a potential "Next Big Thing"

Then, while hanging out at the Old Palm Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. , where a number of international players who are clients of agent Chubby Chandler either have second homes or use the course as a base to play and practice, he got some putting advice from Nick Price, a Hall of Famer from Zimbabwe, and David Frost, another South African now on the senior circuit who was known for his putting prowess in his younger days.

www.golf.com

- Charl Schwartzel Masters

2011-12-15 Insider: The most wonderful time to remember Crosby

Four faces that belong on golfs Mount Rushmore. The tournament began at Rancho Santa Fe Country Club in the San Diego area and moved to the Monterey Peninsula after World War II, where it endures today as the ATandT Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. First televised in 1957, today millions of viewers tune in for the pleasure of seeing the scenery from the Pebble Beach area.

Thats because Der Binger probably loved golf more than almost anything else. He was most known as a singer and "White Christmas" is one of the seasons seminal songs. He was also an accomplished actor who appeared in 86 titles and won an Oscar for his performance as Father OMalley in "Going My Way. " He produced albums and movies, owned race horses and was one of the worlds most popular figures.

www.pgatour.com

The holiday season wouldnt be complete without a viewing of "White Christmas. " The days would be neither merry nor bright without watching the classic movie starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye and filled with some of the greatest songs ever written by Irving Berlin. - 2011 Bob Wallace Ben Hogan Sam Snead Byron Nelson Jimmy Demaret Don Massengale Tom Shaw Manuel Pinero Stan Awtrey Contributor

2011-12-14 Gulfnews : Davies calls for change in rules

Asked how to combat it, Davies said: "Have a minimum requirement. Obviously the Evian Masters and the British Open carry huge amounts of prize money and obviously Dubai is big prize money, but its over and euro;360,000 Ai got for winning. You could win nine tournaments and not pick that amount up. "So what you could do about it is make a points system, but thats no fun because everyone likes to see in professional golf how much people have won. Thats always been the judgement.

gulfnews.com

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2011-12-12 Sharmila Nicollet best local performer at Hero Womens Indian Open Womens Golf

On her immediate plans, she said, "Well, I have a tournament to play at the Qutab Golf Course next week, after which I head out to Spain for the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School. Its going to be tough there with a 90 hole Pre-Qualifier and a 72 hole Qualifier. The weather is going to play a huge part too but I am ready for the challenge with my long game. "

Sharmila Nicollet maintained her current position as Indias top professional with an excellent 68 on the final day for tied 22nd as the curtain came down on the Hero Womens Indian Open on Sunday. She totaled 217 and jumped from overnight 50th to 22nd place and picked up 2,565 euros. Swedens 23-year-old Caroline Hedwall stayed calm and patient through the day for a fine 69, following 67 and 68 on the first two days to finish at 12-under 204 and run out a two-shot winner over the fighting second-placed Phatlum Pornanong whose two bogeys on the ninth and 16th cost her dear. The champion of 2008 and 2009 finished in top-6 for the fourth year running.

www.thesportscampus.com

Sharmila Nicollet best local performer at Hero Womens Indian Open - Sharmila Nicollet Hero Womens Indian Open

2011-12-07 Retired Deerpath golf pro reflects on shooting a 61, working at the course - Lake Forester

He started working at Deerpath in 1977 and became the courses fourth head pro during the 1980s. He and his wife Sandra have three children: Christin, Jacqui, and Rosemary. He wants to stay in the golf business and teach during his retirement years -- and play a bit more golf than he has been able to.

Deerpath Golf Course Pro Christopher Marszalek, 57, retired after a lengthy career at the Lake Forest par-70 layout.

lakeforest.suntimes.com

Deerpath Golf Course Pro Christopher Marszalek, 57, retired after a lengthy career at the Lake Forest par-70 layout. He started working at Deerpath in 1977 and became the courses fourth head pro during the 1980s. He and his wife Sandra have three children: Christin, - News COURSE GOLF HOLE DEERPATH PRO SAND CLUB FAVORITE LOT MOMENT

2011-12-06 GW Monday: Bittersweet start to Konos pro career: Local Knowledge: Golf Digest

Still, why did the LPGA have to be so rigid with its protocol Given their role in the mix-up, officials could have made an exception for Kono and let her join the tour after her college season. Kono certainly has a bright future as a pro. Too bad it starts under such bittersweet circumstances.

The UCLA senior simply wanted a Futures Tour card so she could play there after finishing college this spring. Had she been told correctly before the final stage that she had achieved that just by advancing to the five-day final -- instead of after the start of the competition -- Kono said she wouldnt have bothered to come to LPGA International.

www.golfdigest.com

Of the 20 golfers who earned full LPGA status at last weeks Qualifying School, Stephanie Kono is likely the only one disappointed about it. The UCLA senior simply wanted a Futures Tour card so she could play there after finishing college this spring. Had she been told correctly before the final stage that she had achieved that just by.

2011-12-05 PDGA: Results of Disc Golfs 7th DISContinuum in Gurnee, Illinois - Yahoo. Sports

The first time K. C. Dermody played disc golf was in the spectacular Black Hills of South Dakota. She has since become addicted to the sport, and enjoys playing in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She welcomes comments and suggestions, with the goal of promoting the sport of disc golf throughout the world. Find her on /KCDermodyWriter.

Sitting in third place in the Advanced division was Andy Rasmussen of Libertyville, Illinois, scoring 3-under par. Rasmussen had a second place finish at the IOS no. 5 Tour Finale at Fairfield in October. Following at fourth place, there was a tie between Tyler Williams of South Elgin, Illinois and Eric Willhite of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, both scoring at even par. Williams had a fourth place finish in the same division at the IOS no. 3 Sinnissippi Open, and Willhite had a second place finish in the Recreational division at the Shot Down in Flames in May.

sports.yahoo.com

The 7th DISContinuum Club Invite took place in Gurnee, Illinois at the Warren Township Park Disc Golf Course on . This was a PDGA sanctioned C-Tier event that consisted of two rounds of 24 holes, and it was Dave Naspinski of Gurnee, who was the winner of. - news

Source: http://www.onlygolfnews.com/golf-tournament-pro-tour.htm

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India urged to promote interest-free banking system

By P. K. ABDUL GHAFOUR | ARAB NEWS

JEDDAH: A senior leader of the ruling Congress Party of India has emphasized the need to introduce an interest-free Islamic banking and financial system in the country in order to improve the economic condition of its poor through microfinance and mobilize funds required for the country's infrastructure projects.

"If we are able to make Islamic finance available it would bring great benefits for our country and people," said M. M. Hassan, who is also a former state minister of overseas Indians' affairs.

?The Kerala government intends to make use of Islamic finance for infrastructure and industrial development in the state,? he said.

Hassan said his party, under the leadership of Chief Minister Oomen Chandy, would work for promoting Islamic finance in the state and press on the central government and Reserve Bank to get approval for the purpose. The previous LDF government in the state had taken the initiative to establish an Islamic finance company, with state-owned Kerala State Industrial Development Corp. (KSIDC) contributing 28 percent of the capital.

Hassan also spoke about his Janasree Sustainable Development Mission, a non-banking financial institution, to fund small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of its members.

?We are thinking of making use of Islamic finance for this venture. The availability of interest-free loans would be a big blessing for common people,? he added.

Janasree Microfinance has won approval from the Reserve Bank to operate as non-banking finance firm with a capital of 50 million rupees mobilized from 200,000 shareholders. It will provide microfinance services to small-scale projects including agriculture and industries. "I think our company can operate in accordance with Islamic banking principles,? he added.

The Jeddah Chapter of the Indian Forum for Interest Free Banking (IFIB) recently submitted a memorandum to State Minister for Overseas Indians' Affairs K. C. Joseph in the presence of Hassan, conveying the feelings of 2 million Indian expatriates working in Saudi Arabia to take a better decision on investment of their hard-earned money in financial institutions of their choice.

The memorandum was presented by V.K. Abdul Aziz, director of Al-Hayat International School, and O. P. K. Kutty, regional financial controller of AA Turki Group, both are members of IFIB. They also presented a copy of the memorandum to Hassan.

The memorandum, addressing Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Reserve Bank of India Governor Subba Rao, Minister for Overseas Indians' Affairs Vayalar Ravi, and the general manager, State Bank of India, Jeddah Branch, requested that a notification may be published in the Official Gazette of India to include interest-free banking as a form of business and advise the Reserve Bank to issue necessary instructions to all banks to introduce interest-free banking or open interest-free banking windows.

Speaking to Arab News, Kutty said: ?Being a pluralistic society India should welcome the interest-free finance system as it would benefit the country's poor a lot.?

He called for changing Reserve Bank regulations to make Islamic finance available on a wide scale.

?The Islamic financial system can operate as a parallel system in the country,? Kutty said, adding that it would help attract funds from NRIs working in the Gulf.

He urged Indian authorities to take quick steps to make use of these huge funds.

Source: http://arabnews.com/economy/article552204.ece

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Friday, December 23, 2011

Football: North All-Stars crushed by South

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Source: www.forsythnews.com --- Thursday, December 22, 2011
JOHNS CREEK?? Fortunately for some of the best senior Football players in Forsyth County, Saturday afternoon?s North Fulton/Forsyth Touchdown Club Chamber Bowl All-Star Game was merely an exhibition. The South squad?s 49-0 slaying of the North culminated in the worst way imaginable an otherwise enjoyable experience for local seniors. ?It was fun ? that?s pretty much it,? North team and West Forsyth safety Trevor Guthrie said. ?Of course, I wanted to win. I don?t like losing. None of us do.? South team quarterback Jimmy Meyer, a Centennial senior headed to Harvard next year, sandwiched a touchdown pass to Chris Dore and a 2-yard rushing touchdown around Joe Bartlett?s 5-yard, end-around run in the first quarter. The three scores all came in the same six-minute time frame, giving the navy-blue clad home team a 21-0 first-quarter lead it never looked back from. Dore caught six passes for 76 yards and two scores. His second touchdown reception, this one a 14-yarder from Riverwood quarterback Robert Beckley, made it 35-0 with 1:21 left in the third. The lack of cohesion stemming from just four organized practices together was evident. The teams combined for 432 yards of offense and seven fumbles. Four straight possessions ended in a lost fumble during a five-minute, first-half stretch. The North?s offense gave the ball away six times via three Spencer Transue (Forsyth Central) interceptions, and fumbles by Lambert quarterback David Br ...

Source: http://sports.forsythnews.com/ttp%3A//sports.forsythnews.com/prep-sports/article/2378/

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Investing in volatile times

Investing in volatile times?? ?Thumbs Up

July 2010

When stock markets are volatile, what should unit trust investors do? Should they take on more risks and ride on the economic and market recovery? This article examines the issues that investors should look out for.

At the peak of the financial crisis in 2008, the FBM KLCI fell from an all-time high of 1,516?points in January 2008 to about 800 points in October 2008. With the index having rebounded?to current levels of 1,361 points as at end July 2010, an investor would have made a handsome?return of almost 70% if he had invested when the market was at its lowest point.

Chart forFTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (^KLSE)

Chart forFTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (^KLSE)

However, it is impossible to predict the bottom of the crash and therefore timing the market is?virtually impossible for normal investors. With no crystal ball in hand, the ringgit-cost?averaging method could provide retail investors with reasonable returns as markets recovered.?This is provided that investors have a long-term perspective and are patient enough to ride?through the market?s ups and downs.

Ringgit-cost averaging strategy is designed to reduce volatility by investing fixed dollar?amounts at regular intervals, regardless of the market?s direction. Thus, as prices of securities rise, fewer units are bought, and as prices fall, more units are bought.

Depending on the risk profile and objectives of their funds, professional fund managers may?capitalise on market volatility by bargain-hunting oversold stocks and divesting stocks that?have become overvalued. By doing so, they seek to take advantage of mispricing of assets?during volatile times. Given the sophistication of these investment strategies, unit trust?investors should focus on a regular investment plan and let the fund managers deal with the?volatility of markets.

How should unit trust investors respond to volatility?

Past performance of unit trust funds should be evaluated based on returns and volatility.?Investors should try to assess whether a funds? volatility is caused by market conditions which?affect the performance of similar funds across the board or whether it is caused by the fund?managers? investment decisions to take on more risks.

It is quite clear that the primary reason for equity funds to be volatile in recent years is due to market volatility in various financial assets. As mentioned earlier, global stock markets sustained heavy losses as the US subprime crisis spread across the world in 2008, causing global financial institutions to write off US$1.7 trillion in debts. Subsequently, equities have rebounded in 2009 following signs of a recovery in economic activities in response to the fiscal and monetary stimulus measures undertaken by governments and central banks around the world.

The commodity bubble also burst in mid-2008, led by escalating crude oil prices which hit a?high of US$147 per barrel in July 2008 before plunging to US$33 per barrel in December 2008.?Volatility was also seen in the foreign exchange market as the financial meltdown forced U.S.?investors to withdraw offshore funds to be repatriated back home, causing the US$ to strengthen in 2008. Subsequently with the recovery in equity markets, the US$ weakened in 2009 as investors were willing to take on more risks.

With volatility still in the current market, how can investors plan their investments before?putting money into unit trusts?

Volatility is often viewed as negative as it is associated with risk and uncertainty. However,?with a disciplined and consistent approach, investors can position themselves to achieve?potential long-term returns from the market. In general, investors seeking above-average returns should be prepared to accept higher risks in their investments.

Before investing into a unit trust, investors should evaluate whether a fund?s volatility?suits his or her risk appetite. They can start by reading the fund's prospectus and annual?report, and compare its year-to-year performance figures. The figures can tell investors?whether the fund earned most of its returns within a short period or whether its returns were?achieved on a more consistent basis over time.

For example, over ten years, two funds may have gained 12% per year on average, but they?may have taken drastically different routes to get there. One might have had a few years of?spectacular performance and a few years of low or negative returns, while the performance of?the other may have been much steadier from year to year.

Fund volatility factor

To assist investors in their fund selection, the Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia?(FIMM), formerly known as the Federation of Malaysian Unit Trust Managers (FMUTM), introduced the fund volatility factor and fund volatility classification for funds with three years?track record, which is assigned by Lipper.

While historical performance may not predict future returns, it can tell you how volatile?a fund has been and reflect a fund manager?s track record. In using the fund volatility factor, unit trust investors should keep in mind to compare the volatility of funds against their?annualised returns. In addition, they should evaluate the returns and volatility of funds within the same peer fund category and not across different categories of funds.

Apart from the fund managers? investing style, the volatility of unit trusts differs depending on the assets that the funds are invested in. Commodities and equities are seen as more volatile compared to bonds and fixed deposits.

For equities, industry and sector factors can cause increased market volatility. For example, in the plantation sector, a major weather storm in an important plantation area can cause prices of crude palm oil to jump up. As a result, the price of palm oil-related stocks will rise accordingly. ?This increased volatility affects overall markets as well as individual stocks.

There are unit trusts that invest in specific countries or regions such as China, Australia,?Vietnam, and the emerging markets such as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China). These funds are prone to country risks such as political risk and financial events in the country. Investors have to be aware of the volatility of foreign stocks and bonds. Regional and?country-specific economic factors, such as tax and interest rate policies, also contribute to the directional change of the market and thus volatility.

Investors of a commodity fund would normally look at demand and supply conditions to access?the outlook for the commodity market. In 2008, the rally in commodity prices was partly due to?growing demand from energy-hungry China and other emerging countries. However, a sharp increase in speculative demand among hedge funds for selected commodities helped to drive up these commodity prices to record levels that were out of line with their fundamentals.

Following the financial crisis, hedge funds were scrutinised for their role in the speculation.?Meanwhile, global demand of commodities is expected to increase in line with the economic?recovery but there is no guarantee that the hedge funds will not return and create speculative?demand.

In response to the financial crisis, central banks around the world have slashed interest rates to record lows to spur economic growth. However, selected regional central banks had started?raising interest rates in the first half of 2010 to curb potential inflation as economic conditions improve.

In conclusion, unit trust investors can apply the ringgit-cost averaging method in a volatile?market environment. This strategy would effectively reduce volatility risks as it does not time?the market. Ringgit-cost averaging is most suitable for long-term investors as it requires?investors to stay invested regardless of the market?s direction. For investors with higher?risk appetite, they would need to understand specific factors that affect volatility in different asset classes and geographical areas and select their funds accordingly.

www.publicmutual.com.my

http://www.publicmutual.com.my/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=KIgoaupKUnU%3d&tabid=86

Source: http://myinvestingnotes.blogspot.com/2011/12/investing-in-volatile-times.html

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