Monday, February 18, 2008

Eastern Conference 134 128 Western Conference

The Eastern Conference defeated their Western Conference counterparts at the 2008 National Basketball Association All-Star Game held at New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sunday. The final score was 134-128.

The East took an early 11 point lead in the first 5 minutes, due to an injured Kobe Bryant only playing 2 minutes before sitting on the bench for the rest of the game. “There’s one player we really, really missed, and that was Kobe,” said West coach Byron Scott. The West later reduced the lead to 2 points, but at halftime, the East led 74-65.

The West trailed by 13 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but rallied behind New Orleans point guard Chris Paul, who had seven assists in the final period. With 2:48 remaining, Brandon Roy scored a layup on an assist from Paul, giving the West a 122-119 lead, their biggest lead of the game.

The East then answered back with two three-pointers from Ray Allen, before Chris Paul tied the game with a three-pointer of his own. However, the East would then take the lead and the game with layups from Dwyane Wade and Allen, as well as a driving dunk from LeBron James. A Brandon Roy three-pointer put the game within three points with 8.7 seconds left, but 3 free throws from Ray Allen sealed the win for the East.

“The fourth quarter was crazy,” said Chris Paul. “We were down 13. We picked up the intensity. We took the lead a few times but Ray Allen was unbelievable the way he shot the ball. And that last dunk by LeBron, we had two people on him but that still wasn’t enough.”

With 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists, James was named the All-Star Game’s Most Valuable Player for the second time in his career. Some television commentators also considered Ray Allen a likely choice for the award, with 14 of his 28 points coming in the final 3 minutes of the game. “I think Ray Allen had a heck of a shooting night,” James said after being presented the award.

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Sunday, November 6, 2005

Belfast — An Irish construction worker accused of a record breaking £26.5 million (US$45 million) bank robbery committed in December 2004 was formally charged in a court in Belfast on Friday. Dominic McEvoy was charged with possession of a firearm and false imprisonment in connection with the case.

On December 20, 2004, McEvoy allegedly held an assistant bank manager’s family hostage while the manager and a colleague were forced to admit thieves to a branch of the Northern Bank in Belfast. The thieves then emptied the vault. Police have blamed the robbery on the IRA which has repeatedly denied any connection to the theft. Sinn Féin, a political party linked with the Provisional IRA, has protested the arrests, accusing police of targeting IRA sympathizers and supporters in their investigation.

The Northern Bank heist is one of the largest in Europe since the theft of more than US$65 million from a London bank in 1987.

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Sunday, August 26, 2012

London, England — With the 2012 Summer Paralympics due to start in London later this week, Algeria’s athletics competitors are ready to earn medals in their events.

According to the team’s athletics coaches in a conversation with Wikinews, the runners have been well prepared and have international experience that has prepared them for the Games, having won eleven medals at the 2011 IPC World Championships, eight of which were gold. The coaches believe their runners should easily defeat their African counterparts from Nigeria and Kenya.

The team is comprised of 17 male competitors and six female competitors. Athletics events commence on Thursday.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Algerian_2012_Paralympic_coaches_express_optimism&oldid=4576428”

Submitted by: Bary Dawn

Refinancing is the act of getting another loan to replace an existing loan. Usually, this is employed so that borrowers who are on a high-interest-rate mortgage can take advantage of the lower rates of the current times. Considering the fact that any mortgage goes as long as thirty (30) years, it is not far-fetched to realize that interest rates then may not be the best mortgage rate Toronto residents or just about anyone can avail of today. With current rates reaching their ultimate lows, interest rates could really vary from at least a half to 2 points.

Because of this, it is a good idea to resort to refinancing – Thornhill or anywhere else. And for people who have been making a “habit” out of mortgages, the idea of taking one loan after another may not shake them. But for others, it is one decision that they don’t want to make. The thought of getting another loan to replace an existing one seems too stressful.

The good news is, refinancing need not be burdensome. This particular mortgage is created to provide breathing room for people who are attached to high-interest loans and take advantage of today’s lows. But mind you, refinancing is not for everyone. So before you rush to a lender and avail of this, make sure that you equip yourself with more than sufficient information on refinancing.

The Difference in Interest Rates

Refinancing would only make sense if the difference between the interest rate of your current loan and prevailing market rate is at least 2 percentage points. Make sure that this is the case; else, it would be better if you just stick with your existing loan.

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Your Length of Stay

Experts are unanimous in saying that for you to feel the benefits refinancing, you need to stay in the house for at least three years. You would be lucky if you can recoup the costs of this type of mortgage at a shorter time. Still, it goes without saying that only when you plan to stay in that house longer shall the decision of refinancing make sense.

The Value of your Home

Because refinancing is a mortgage and any mortgage has to do with the value of your property, it makes sense then to check the value of your home once in a while. Before refinancing can make sense, you have to ensure that you have kept your borrowing at less than 80% of your home equity. Home equity is the monetary value of your house minus the debts and mortgages attached to it. If you have been constantly taking out your home equity, then refinancing would only make matters worse.

Length of Time on the Loan

When you have been paying the loan for a long time, say 25 years, then it would not make sense to take out another loan. Not only will doing so mean more costs, but such would also prolong your agony of having a debt on your roof, literally! So if there’s only 5 years left for you to pay off a mortgage, continue that, and don’t consider refinancing.

Refinancing is not a universal answer to your loans needs. Some people would benefit from it, while others won’t. So before you take your business to a refinancing lender, carefully evaluate your situation first.

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Monday, May 17, 2010

A seven year-old girl was shot and killed Sunday during a police raid in Detroit, Michigan, United States when one of the officer’s guns was accidentally set off during an argument with the girl’s grandmother. Police were raiding the home in search of a 34 year-old male suspect accused of murdering teenager Jarean Blake near a local liquor store the previous night.

According to police reports, Mertilla Jones got into a verbal confrontation with a police officer, which quickly turned physical. The woman, according to the police, then came into contact with the officer which inadvertently set off the gun that he was carrying. The bullet then struck the girl, Aiyana Jones, in the neck while she was sleeping on the family’s couch.

The murder suspect was apprehended later that day. However, the family and public became outraged at the killing of seven year-old Aiyana. In response, the Detroit Police Department held a press conference.

“We cannot undo what occurred this morning […] All we can do is to pledge an open and full investigation and to support Aiyana’s family in whatever way they may be willing to accept from us at this time,” said Assistant Police Chief Goodbee speaking on behalf of the Police Chief, who was on vacation at the time of the shooting.

Meanwhile the girl’s father, Charles Jones, was outraged about the incident. “She had a lively, free spirit,” said Jones. “They came into my house with a flash grenade and a bullet […] They say my mother [Mertilla] resisted them, that she tried to take an officer’s gun. My mother had never been in handcuffs in her life. They killed my baby and I want someone to tell the truth,” he added.

The incident is currently under investigation by the Detroit Police Department. It is not known who fired the shot that killed the girl, or whether or not they will receive any disciplinary action from the department.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Seven-year-old_girl_killed_in_Detroit,_Michigan_police_raid&oldid=4638914”

By Greg Garner

Wooden flooring is gaining lots of attention among people all over the world in the recent years. Although this type of flooring can be a bit expensive when compared to other kinds of flooring, the increase in preference for it is due to some of the product’s main features. These features include durability (long life), easy to maintain product, natural wood choices, ecologically friendly product, stylish choices, it adds a warm and comfortable look, it’s traditional yet luxurious, and many more reasons.

If all these reasons above plus others come to mind as you make a remodelling decision, why not opt for wooden flooring and explore the comforts and luxuries it has to offer your home?

There are different kinds of wood that are generally used for wooden floors, each having its own characteristic features and advantages. When you go to a hardwood store like the Denver hardwood flooring store to look for wooden flooring, you are shown an array of hardwoods of different colors, textures, grain content, durability factors, etc. to choose from.

10 Kinds Of Wood Used For Flooring

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1.

Oak (Red) – The color of this hardwood and sapwood are mostly similar, with the sapwood, a bit lighter in colour, most of the pieces have a reddish hue. This Oak is a bit redder than the normal, basic variety.

2.

Oak (White) – Heartwood is light brown in color, whereas the sapwood is whitish to cream. Some of the wooden planks may have a pinkish tint or a light greyish cast.

3.

Teak – Heartwood color varies from yellow- brown to dark golden brown. When this wood is exposed to sunlight, it turns to rich brown. Sapwood is of light cream color.

4.

Maple – Heartwood is tinted creamy white to soft reddish brown, while the sapwood is pale to a sort of creamy white.

5.

Walnut – The color of heartwood ranges from a rich, deep and dark brown to the colour of purplish black, whereas the sapwood is almost white to tan. The contrast between the heartwood and the sapwood colour is great and noteworthy. For this reason, some of the flooring manufacturers bleed the deeper hardwood color to merge with the sapwood by steaming lumber, resulting in uniformity.

6.

Pine – The heartwood color varies from the touch of light yellow/orange to that of reddish brown or a yellowish brown, sapwood varies from light tan colour to that of yellowish white.

7.

American Cherry – The color of Heartwood is light to deep reddish brown, which is also lustrous. Sapwood is mostly light brown coloured to pale with light pinkish shade. Some floor manufacturers bleed the richer heartwood color merge with the sapwood by steaming lumber, which results in a much more uniform color.

8.

Brazilian Cherry – Heartwood colour is salmon red to that of orange brown, when fresh, and turns russet or reddish brown when it is seasoned, mostly marked with dark colored streaks.

There are many more woods that are uses in wooden flooring like Birch, Bamboo, Cedar, Cork, Douglas Fir, Hickory Pecan, etc. With the facility of online shopping, you can get free quotes that give a detailed description of the grain content in each type of wood for rough estimates for completing your flooring work. So, choose the color of your choice, also taking the durability factor into consideration, and bring home the luxuries, comforts and joys of a trendy lifestyle.

About the Author: For more information please visit our

Denver Carpet Store

and

Denver Hardwood Floors Store

web pages.

Source:

isnare.com

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Wednesday, October 4, 2006

The US Army Corps of Engineers decision to place restrictions on issuance of nationwide pollution permits has been upheld by a federal court. In National Association of Home Builders v. Army Corps of Engineers, the District Court for the District of Columbia found that the Corps of Engineers had not acted in an “arbitrary” or “capricious” manner in changing the terms and conditions for issuance of a national pollution permit, including reducing the size of area into which pollutants may be discharged from 10 acres to 1 acre, raising the threshold for requiring additional permits from 1 acre to 1/10 acre,

A nationwide permit allows an organization to engage in certain industrial activities on a national basis (such as mining and construction), reducing the amount of paperwork and filings needed for otherwise minor environmental impacts, as opposed to an ordinary permit for a specific location which will engage in activities which generate water pollution.

Due to concerns over the amount of discharge taking place in waterways, the Corps of Engineers began in the 1980s to reduce the authority granted by nationwide permits and to bar use of the permits in certain ecologically sensitive areas.

Some industry groups, including the plaintiff in the above case, The National Association of Home Builders, sued the Corps of Engineers in 2000 over the change in an attempt to block its implementation. Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, were given permission to intervene in the case in support of the actions of the Corps.

Environmental groups were pleased with the decision, but are concerned over other actions of the Bush Administration, such as the attempts to weaken provisions of the 2002 Clean Water Act to allow additional dumping of construction and mining waste into waterways as fill material.

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Sunday, January 27, 2008

Viktor Schreckengost, the father of industrial design and creator of the Jazz Bowl, an iconic piece of Jazz Age art designed for Eleanor Roosevelt during his association with Cowan Pottery died yesterday. He was 101.

Schreckengost was born on June 26, 1906 in Sebring, Ohio, United States.

Schreckengost’s peers included the far more famous designers Raymond Loewy and Norman Bel Geddes.

In 2000, the Cleveland Museum of Art curated the first ever retrospective of Schreckengost’s work. Stunning in scope, the exhibition included sculpture, pottery, dinnerware, drawings, and paintings.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Viktor_Schreckengost_dies_at_101&oldid=2584756”

byadmin

Heat pumps are a viable option for homeowners looking for energy efficient heating and cooling options. A heat pump converts energy from around your home and uses this transferred energy to heat and cool as necessary. Heat pump systems require very little fuel, earning them a reputation in the heating and cooling industry as an energy saving option. If you’re looking to stabilize your energy spending, while still staying comfortable throughout the winter and summer, a heat pump may be the right option for you. If you’re in the market for heat pumps Woodbridge VA, HVAC specialists of this area can provide an energy efficient option that can save you money on your utility bills and help maintain a constant temperature in your home.

One Combined System

A heat pump offers homeowners the benefits of both an air conditioner and a furnace, while allowing them to save money on their energy bills. A heat pump has a thermostat that cycles the heat pump on and off to maintain the selected temperature. This temperature is consistently maintained, instead of the home’s temperature going up and down with the weather.

Maintains Consistent Temperature

It takes far less energy to maintain a home at a consistent temperature than it does to make dramatic adjustments. A heat pump transfers the energy from the air around your home to heat or cool it as necessary, making small adjustments as needed. Because your home stays at one temperature consistently, your energy bills remain lower than they would with traditional types of heating.

Efficiency Depends on Climate

The overall efficiency of a heat pump depends on the climate you live in. Homeowners in very hot or cold areas may find that they need supplemental heating or cooling equipment, while those who live in more temperate climates may find that they can keep their home at a consistent temperature with the heat pump alone. Your HVAC contractor should be able to advise you as to whether or not you’ll need supplemental heating alongside your heat pump, or if you’ll be fine with it alone.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

While nearly all cover of the 2008 Presidential election has focused on the Democratic and Republican candidates, the race for the White House also includes independents and third party candidates. These parties represent a variety of views that may not be acknowledged by the major party platforms.

As a non-partisan news source, Wikinews has impartially reached out to these candidates, throughout the campaign. The most recent of our interviews is Gaithersburg, Maryland’s Richard H. Clark (b. 1960), a senior software engineer and member of MENSA.

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