Saturday, June 30, 2012

Djokovic rallies past Stepanek at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) ? Novak Djokovic is tough to beat at Wimbledon, indoors or out.

Playing the day's first Centre Court match Friday under the retractable roof, defending champion Djokovic rallied past Radek Stepanek 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.

When a drizzle delayed the start of the third round, tournament officials decided Djokovic's match should be played inside. An odd spectacle ensued: The roof closed as the sun came out and outside court covers came off.

"I was a little bit surprised, when I saw sunshine, that the roof is closed," Djokovic said. "Obviously they're relying on a forecast that I don't think is very reliable here. But OK."

The No. 1-ranked Djokovic missed opportunities to seize an early lead, failing to convert his first five break-point chances before he lost serve at love to drop the opening set. But he dominated from there, breaking in the first game in each of the final three sets.

Also advancing to the second week was top-ranked Maria Sharapova. She rallied from a break down in the second set to beat Hsieh Su-wei 6-1, 6-4.

American Sam Querrey hit the last of his 21 aces on match point and beat No. 21-seeded Milos Raonic, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (7), 7-6 (8), 6-4. That second-round match had been suspended in the third set Thursday because of rain.

Kim Clijsters led 6-3, 4-3 when No. 12 Vera Zvonareva retired struggling with a cough. The unseeded Clijsters, who plans to retire after the U.S. Open, is a four-time Grand Slam seeking her first berth in a Wimbledon final.

"It's a pleasure to be a part of the second week of a Grand Slam, especially at Wimbledon," she said.

Americans Sloane Stephens and Christina McHale were eliminated in the third round. The 19-year-old Sloane Stephens was beaten by Sabine Lisicki 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-2, and the No. 28-seeded McHale lost to No. 8 Angelique Kerber 6-2, 6-3.

No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska defeated Britain's Heather Watson under the roof, 6-0, 6-2.

Djokovic has the weekend off and said he might squeeze in a round of golf. His fourth-round opponent will be 34th-ranked Viktor Troicki in an all-Serbian match. Troicki beat No. 15-seeded Juan Monaco 7-5, 7-5, 6-3.

Fans were still buzzing about Rafael Nadal's second-round defeat, which ended under the roof Thursday night, when Djokovic stepped onto the same court. His slow start briefly stirred speculation about another upset.

"I was a set down but managed to make the crucial break in the opening game of the second set," Djokovic said. "And then I thought I played really well."

Stepanek, at 33 the oldest man left in the tournament, repeatedly played serve and volley and had Djokovic on his heels in the early going. Djokovic hit an improbable winner that skipped off the top of the net post and still lost the first set.

Then the match quickly swung his way, and the 28th-seeded Stepanek couldn't compete with Djokovic's mistake-free play. The Serb committed just 13 unforced errors in 221 points.

The match remained entertaining even as it became lopsided. One game in the final set lasted 26 points and had Djokovic smiling at Stepanek's unconventional style, which included a belly flop in pursuit of a shot.

"The fourth set from Novak's side was very impressive," Stepanek said. "I was battling until the end, but the fourth set I felt like no matter what I do on the court, he always answers."

The victory made it two in row under the roof for Djokovic.

"I thought I played great," he said. "But, look, this is an outdoor tournament, so I think everybody wants to play when the roof is open."

Perhaps not Sharapova ? she was outdoors struggling with her serve on windy Court 1 and sent one shot over the net on the bounce for a double-fault.

Has she done that before?

"I'm sure I have," she said. "A lot in practice."

The misfire came on break point and put her behind 2-3 in the second set. She rallied by sweeping the final four games.

Sharapova finished with five double-faults but committed only seven unforced errors on her groundstrokes.

"Considering the conditions, I'm pretty happy with the way I played," she said.

Sharapova won the French Open this month to complete a career Grand Slam title. She won Wimbledon at age 17 in 2004 and has reached the final at three of the past four majors.

The half of the men's draw opposite Djokovic opened up when two-time champion Nadal lost to No. 100-ranked Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic, 6-7 (9), 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Nadal had reached the past five Grand Slam finals and won his seventh French Open title this month. He also had reached the final in his past five Wimbledons, winning the title in 2008 and 2010.

His departure creates an opportunity for three-time Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick and Andy Murray, who seeks to become the tournament's first British champion since 1936. Both are on Nadal's side of the draw.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/djokovic-rallies-past-stepanek-wimbledon-155305389--spt.html

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Friday, June 29, 2012

Video: More on June 27: Courting the right?

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Startup Accelerator MuckerLab To Present During Variety's Venture ...

LOS ANGELES, June 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ ??MuckerLab, a privately funded startup accelerator focused on incubation-stage Internet software, services and media ventures in the Los Angeles market, today announced Erik Rannala, MuckerLab Co-Founder, will be a speaker during Variety?s Venture Capital New Media Summit on Wednesday, June 27 at the Sofitel Hotel in L.A. The summit will explore how the investment community is driving technology innovation critical for the growth of the evolving entertainment industry and will also feature top investors, business and studio leaders and start-up founders.

Rannala will join confirmed speakers Mike Jones, Founder, Science and Former CEO, MySpace; Taylor McPartland, Co-Founder and President, FilmBreak; Aber Whitcomb, CTO, SGN; and, Josh Brooks, CEO and Founder, Postcards on the Run, to co-present ?The Burgeoning L.A. Venture Capital and Start-Up Landscape.? The presentation will take place during the Summit, from 3:30-4:15 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time). The speakers will address how technology plays a major role in how the media industry evolves. They also will discuss who the major players are in L.A., and who is having success at creating new businesses. In addition, the panel will discuss what makes the L.A. VC scene different from better-known hubs in Silicon Valley and New York, as well as what sort of innovative digital media products are coming out of L.A.

Founded in October 2011, privately funded MuckerLab recruits Internet software, services, and media entrepreneurs through an open, but selective, application process, similar to the models employed by Y-Combinator. MuckerLab?s 12-week program provides early-stage startups with up to $21K in funding, office space, access to world-class mentors, and hands-on product, and marketing, legal and fundraising support.? At the end of the program, companies present their businesses to potential investors at a Demo Day event.

Last July 2011, Variety?s?Venture Capital??New Media?Summit featured speakers including, Entrepreneur Mark Cuban, Vice Chair of the Board of Viacom; CBS/President of National Amusements, Shari Redstone;?Bridesmaids? Director Paul Feig; and, Sony?s Chief Digital Strategy Officer Mitch Singer. Special guests were the Royal Couple Prince William and Kate who made the VC event their first stop on their inaugural visit together to the United States.

About MuckerLab

MuckerLab is a privately funded startup accelerator focused on incubation-stage Internet software, services and media ventures in the Los Angeles market. Based on a mentorship-driven model, MuckerLab provides entrepreneurs with funding, puts them through a structured, three-month-long program and gives them access to a deep network of top-tier mentors and advisors. MuckerLab works side-by-side with Southern California?s best technology entrepreneurs to enable them to build, launch, and finance their exceptional businesses, while helping to cultivate a more vibrant technology ecosystem in Los Angeles. For more information, go to http://www.muckerlab.com.

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/startup-accelerator-muckerlab-present-during-143000674.html

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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Small business owner: 'I will be outsourcing'

(Washington Post) Today, in a stunning 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled on the constitutionality of Obamacare. This will now go down in my memory as was one of the saddest days for our country, for our individual liberty, our freedoms, and our way of life in America.

I am a small business owner, and I still believe, as do the dissenting judges, that this ruling gives the federal government far too much power. It strips the American people of their liberty and individual freedom. As some commentators argued before the ruling, ?If they can do this, they can do anything to the American people.?

The brakes are off, and I fear the Obama administration will put the pedal to the metal and push through even more distasteful mandates ? sorry, ?taxes? ? to force us to follow the route toward Europe?s economic crisis.

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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Injecting life-saving oxygen into a vein

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Patients unable to breathe because of acute lung failure or an obstructed airway need another way to get oxygen to their blood?and fast?to avoid cardiac arrest and brain injury. A team led by researchers at Boston Children's Hospital has designed tiny, gas-filled microparticles that can be injected directly into the bloodstream to quickly oxygenate the blood.

The microparticles consist of a single layer of lipids (fatty molecules) that surround a tiny pocket of oxygen gas, and are delivered in a liquid solution. In a cover article in the June 27 issue of Science Translational Medicine, John Kheir, MD, of the Department of Cardiology at Boston Children's Hospital, and colleagues report that an infusion of these microparticles into animals with low blood oxygen levels restored blood oxygen saturation to near-normal levels, within seconds.

When the trachea was completely blocked? a more dangerous "real world" scenario?the infusion kept the animals alive for 15 minutes without a single breath, and reduced the incidence of cardiac arrest and organ injury.

The microparticle solutions are portable and could stabilize patients in emergency situations, buying time for paramedics, emergency clinicians or intensive care clinicians to more safely place a breathing tube or perform other life-saving therapies, says Kheir.

"This is a short-term oxygen substitute?a way to safely inject oxygen gas to support patients during a critical few minutes," he says. "Eventually, this could be stored in syringes on every code cart in a hospital, ambulance or transport helicopter to help stabilize patients who are having difficulty breathing."

The microparticles would likely only be administered for a short time, between 15 and 30 minutes, because they are carried in fluid that would overload the blood if used for longer periods, Kheir says.

Kheir also notes that the particles are different from blood substitutes, which carry oxygen but are not useful when the lungs are unable to oxygenate them. Instead, the microparticles are designed for situations in which the lungs are completely incapacitated.

Kheir began investigating the idea of injectable oxygen in 2006, after caring for a little girl who sustained a severe brain injury resulting from a severe pneumonia that caused bleeding into her lungs and severely low oxygen levels. Despite the team's best efforts, she died before they could place her on a heart-lung machine. Frustrated by this, Kheir formed a team to search for another way to deliver oxygen.

"Some of the most convincing experiments were the early ones," he says. "We drew each other's blood, mixed it in a test tube with the microparticles, and watched blue blood turn immediately red, right before our eyes."

Over the years, Kheir and his team have tested various concentrations and sizes of the microparticles to optimize their effectiveness and to make them safe for injection. "The effort was truly multidisciplinary," says Kheir. "It took chemical engineers, particle scientists and medical doctors to get the mix just right."

In the studies reported in the paper, they used a device called a sonicator, which uses high-intensity sound waves to mix the oxygen and lipids together. The process traps oxygen gas inside particles averaging 2 to 4 micrometers in size (not visible without a microscope). The resulting solution, with oxygen gas making up 70 percent of the volume, mixed efficiently with human blood.

"One of the keys to the success of the project was the ability to administer a concentrated amount of oxygen gas in a small amount of liquid," Kheir says. "The suspension carries three to four times the oxygen content of our own red blood cells."

Intravenous administration of oxygen gas was tried in the early 1900s, but these attempts failed to oxygenate the blood and often caused dangerous gas embolisms.

"We have engineered around this problem by packaging the gas into small, deformable particles," Kheir explains. "They dramatically increase the surface area for gas exchange and are able to squeeze through capillaries where free gas would get stuck."

###

Children's Hospital Boston: http://www.childrenshospital.org/newsroom

Thanks to Children's Hospital Boston 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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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

MMA shirt at the center of assault trial

A shirt "popular with MMA fans" set off a fight in Illinois that left a man blind and paralyzed. No, for real.

Anna Minette, a friend of the victim Eric Bartels, pointed out a spot on the shirt of Joe Messina, the man charged with assault. Messina responded it was just blood, and here's where it got ugly.

Minette testified that she and Bartels both thought "that's odd" and Bartels told Messina "he should take care of that."

The comment sent Messina into a rage, she testified. "He kind of just (started) yelling," she said. "'It's going to be your blood.'"

Bartels and Minette were moving away when she heard "a loud crack" behind her and turned to see Bartels sprawled out on the pavement, with "blood pooling around his head," she testified.

Bartels survived the attack but is now blind and paralyzed.

Cagewriter has made many, many jokes about MMA apparel. Some of the shirts are truly appalling, but never a reason for violence.

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Sunday, June 24, 2012

India overtakes US as Nigeria's biggest export market

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Map of Nigeria.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Gwalior Hotels - History And Heritage

Gwalior is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh and is popular all over the world for its rich culture and history. Gwalior, an erstwhile princely state, is well known for its abundant historical and religious significance, apart from its numerous forts, palaces, museums, temples and kunds.

The major attraction of Gwalior is the Gwalior fort that was built in the 8th century. It houses numerous museums, temple and forts. Kunds or pools are the other attraction of Gwalior. Many kunds like the Mansarovar Tal, Gangola Tal, Katora Tal, Ek Khambha Tal, Rani Tal, Jauhar Kund and Chedi Tal can be found in Gwalior.

The main attractions of Gwalior include the Scindia Museum, Gujari Mahal, Teli-ka-Mandir, Surya Mandir, Tansen Memorial, Gurudwara Data Bandi Chhod, Dargah Khwaja Kanoon Sahib, Chhatris, and the Samadhi of Rani Lakshmi Bai.

Playing a key role in Indias freedom struggle, Gwaliors name is etched in the 1857 mutiny.

Gwalior, being a popular tourist destination and on the main trade route, is teeming with hotels in all possible ranges.

Gwalior is dotted with various palaces and royal mansions which have been converted into heritage hotels. These Gwalior hotels promise you all the luxury as well as a glimpse of the true Gwalior tradition. These luxury hotels are in the range of Rs. 10,000. The Usha Kiran Palace is a 120 year old palace converted into a heritage hotel.
Hotel Grace Gwalior is a heritage property set amidst a 10 acre property. These 5 star Gwalior hotels have amenities like business centre, free parking, complimentary breakfast, Wi Fi access, room service, restaurant, gym, spa, jogging areas, and casinos.

Among the Gwalior hotels, budget hotels are in the range of Rs. 700 and some even go up to Rs. 1,600 depending upon the kind of rooms available. The Gwalior hotels in the budget range are found around the railway station and bus stand. The amenities offered by the budget Gwalior Hotels include a/c or non a/c rooms, TV, front desk, room service, restaurants, cafes and hot water in the attached bathrooms.

Some of the Gwalior hotels coming under the budget category are Hotel Surabhi, Hotel Navratan, Hotel Shubham, Hotel Sita Manor, Priya Inn, Raj Deluxe, Bhojpal Retreat, Rama Residency, Vijaya Inn and Hotel Sun Beam.

For the travellers who can afford a mid range budget, Gwalior hotels like the Regency Square and Hotel Ambassador cost up to Rs. 3,000 a night.

Gwalior is on the main train route and is well connected to most Indian stations. Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia Vimantal is just 8 kilometres away from the city centre. Private and state owned buses run frequently from most major towns nearby. The Golden Quadrilateral also passes through Gwalior.

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Garcelle Beauvais?s Blog: Meet Me and My Boys!

In her first blog, the Franklin & Bash star introduces readers to her three sons - Oliver, Jax and Jaid.

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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

New findings could rewrite scientists' model of how universe hangs together

An experiment led at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory suggests that the Standard Model, which describes how subatomic particles interact, may have some flaws.

By Clara Moskowitz,?LiveScience / June 19, 2012

This illustration shows a an electron and positron colliding, resulting in a B meson (not shown) and an antimatter B-bar meson, which then decays into a D meson and a tau lepton as well as a smaller antineutrino. In findings reported in June 20.

Greg Stewart, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Enlarge

The reigning theory of particle physics may be flawed, according to new evidence that a subatomic particle decays in a certain way more often than it should, scientists announced.

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This theory, called the Standard Model, is the best handbook scientists have to describe the tiny bits of matter that make up the universe. But many physicists suspect the Standard Model has some holes in it, and findings like this may point to where those holes are hiding.

Inside the BaBar experiment?at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, Calif., researchers observe collisions between electrons and their antimatter partners, positrons (scientists think all matter particles have antimatter counterparts with equal mass but opposite charge). When these particles collide, they explode into energy that converts into new particles. These often include so-called B-bar mesons, which are made of both matter and antimatter, specifically a bottom quark and an antiquark. If that wasn't too much of a headache, this process has the impenetrable moniker "B to D-star-tau-nu."

The BaBar researchers were looking for a particular decay process where B-bar mesons decay into three other particles: a?D meson (a quark and an antiquark, one of which is "charm" flavored), an antineutrino (the antimatter partner of the neutrino) and a tau lepton (a cousin of an electron). [Graphic: Nature's Tiniest Particles Explained]

What they found is that this process apparently happens more often than the Standard Model predicts it will.

"The excess over the Standard Model prediction is exciting," BaBar spokesperson Michael Roney of the University of Victoria in Canada said in a statement. "But before we can claim an actual discovery, other experiments have to replicate it and rule out the possibility this isn't just an unlikely statistical fluctuation."

While the BaBar findings are more sensitive than previous studies of these decays, they are not statistically significant enough to claim they present a clear break from the Standard Model.

To confirm the findings, more data will be needed from other experiments, such as the Belle project at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) in Tsukuba, Japan, which also produces B mesons.

"If the excess decays shown are confirmed, it will be exciting to figure out what is causing it," said BaBar physics coordinator Abner Soffer of Tel Aviv University. "We hope our results will stimulate theoretical discussion about just what the data are telling us about new physics."

The BaBar experiment observed particle collisions between 1999 to 2008, but physicists are still analyzing the data. Researchers from the team presented their findings at the 10th annual Flavor Physics and Charge-Parity Violation Conference in Hefei, China, and detailed them in a paper submitted to the journal?Physical Review Letters.

Follow Clara Moskowitz on Twitter?@ClaraMoskowitz?or LiveScience?@livescience. We're also on Facebook?&?Google+.

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Draft: G-20 will produce plan for global growth

LOS CABOS, Mexico (AP) ? The leaders of the world's largest economies will say they are united behind efforts to boost growth and job creation to repair a global economy roiled by fears over the European financial crisis, according to a draft of the statement to be released Tuesday at the end of the Group of 20 annual meeting.

The proposed declaration, however, stops short of committing the nations to greater spending unless conditions worsen. The draft, which could still be modified, urges fiscal responsibility while looking to education, innovation and infrastructure investment to spur economies.

It's far from certain, however, that the reassuring words will soothe markets whose harsh judgment of the official response to the crisis appears to be pushing Europe closer to catastrophe by the day.

On Monday, less than 12 hours after a Greek election quelled worries that the country could make a devastating exit from the Euro, fears about Spain drove that massive economy's borrowing costs dangerously close to the level where it would need a bailout, above 7 percent.

The draft statement by the G-20 leaders includes language that appears aimed at easing the Spanish crisis. It tries to reassure investors that Spain's treasury won't end up eating the costs of the up to ?100 billion rescue of Spain's banks announced this month.

"Euro area members of the G20 will take all necessary policy measures to safeguard the integrity and stability of the area ... and break the feedback loop between sovereigns and banks," the statement says.

It singles out China and Saudi Arabia for commitments to global economic well-being, lauding a Saudi pledge to keep oil prices from going too high by amping up production from its massive reserves. It praises China for a promise to move away from policies that keep its currency artificially low, giving Chinese exports a price advantage on world markets.

"We welcome Saudi Arabia's readiness to mobilize, as necessary, existing spare capacity to ensure adequate supply," the statement says. "We also welcome the commitment by China to allow market forces to play a larger role in determining movements" in the Chinese currency.

Germany must shoulder a large share of contributions to international bailouts of economically weaker European countries that overspent for years and, in exchange, it has been insisting on steep cutbacks from aid recipients such as Greece.

Those cutbacks have led to dramatic economic hardship for voters in Greece and other countries. A growing number of European countries have been advocating spending and growth, not austerity, and the G-20 statement appears to place the group of the world's largest economies into that camp.

"We are united in our resolve to promote growth and jobs," the draft says, declaring that the leaders will announce the "coordinated Los Cabos Growth and Jobs Action Plan" to achieve those goals, although the draft does not provide details of the plan.

"Strong sustainable and balanced growth remains the top priority of the G20, as it leads to higher job creation and increases the welfare of people across the world," the statement reads.

It throws its support specifically behind greater government spending in countries that can afford it if conditions get significantly worse, saying countries with "sufficient fiscal space stand ready to coordinate and implement discretionary fiscal actions to support domestic demand."

The plan also hints at flexibility by asking that governments "take into account evolving economic conditions," which could open the way for more latitude in troubled countries such as Greece.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel repeated on Tuesday that Greece has to hold to its side of the bargain.

"It's obvious that the reforms that were agreed in the past are the right steps and that they therefore must be implemented," she told reporters, though she avoided directly answering the issue of giving Greece more time.

Merkel said the G-20 leaders had a "very balanced" discussion on growth, though she stressed once again that growth "is not just about money. "

"We need the right mix of budget consolidation ... and at the same time efforts for growth," she said.

The draft plan also says the Obama administration pledged to prevent sharp tax increases and government spending cuts from kicking in at the end of the year, as scheduled under current law, to avoid sending the U.S. into another recession.

Repeatedly, the plan stresses shoring up banking systems. It calls for a "more integrated financial architecture, encompassing banking supervision, resolution and recapitalization, and deposit insurance."

As G-20 officials wrangled over last-minute changes in the wording of the statement, European leaders at the summit struggled to reassure the world that they were on the path to solving their relentless economic crisis.

The cost of bailing out Spain's ?1.1 trillion ($1.39 trillion) economy would likely outstrip current global ability, even after the International Monetary Fund announced late Monday that a round of contributions had increased its lending capacity to $456 billion, exceeding a round of pledges made in April. The countries making the biggest IMF contributions will be Japan, at $60 billion, Germany, at $54.7 billion, and China, at $43 billion. The United States is notably not contributing in the latest round.

The Spanish delegation to the G-20 bemoaned the rise in the country's borrowing costs and said the market reaction didn't correspond to the reality of Spain's economic strength.

The IMF said in a staff report Monday that Europe is unlikely to conquer its budget problems without a greater focus on policies that promote growth. European governments should make it easier to hire and fire workers, simplify government regulations of the economy, and make it easier for workers to move to other European countries for jobs, the fund said, reforms could boost growth in the region by 4.5 percent over the next 5 years.

______

Associated Press writers Jack Chang contributed to this report from Los Cabos, Mexico, Christopher S. Rugaber and Jim Kuhnhenn from Washington, Geir Moulson from Berlin and Sarah DiLorenzo from Brussels.

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Arkansas ends S. Carolina's NCAA tournament streak

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) ? Advantage, Arkansas.

The Razorbacks, who lost two of three to SEC rival South Carolina in the regular season, now find themselves one win from the College World Series finals after beating the Gamecocks 2-1 on Monday night.

Ryne Stanek and Barrett Astin combined on a four-hitter, and Arkansas ended the Gamecocks' NCAA tournament record winning streak at 22 games.

"It's almost unimaginable that you could win 22 games in a row in the postseason. It's incredible," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. "Hats off to coach (Ray) Tanner and his group. They've done a tremendous job. But our guys just came out and did what they do ? play hard and throw a lot of strikes."

The Gamecocks (46-18) will have to beat Kent State on Wednesday to keep alive their hopes of winning a third straight national title. Even if they defeat the Golden Flashes, they still would have to win two more games against Arkansas to get back to the championship round.

The Razorbacks (46-20) have won their first two games at the CWS for the first time since their initial appearance in Omaha in 1979. They've been here six times since.

They earned two days off while they wait to see who they'll play Thursday.

"It was the biggest game of the year, and they've heard that 15 times now," Van Horn said of the win. "Each time you get along, it is. Being 2-0 gives you a chance to rest a little bit."

Matt Vinson's RBI single in the fourth inning gave Arkansas a 2-0 lead. Evan Marzilli's two-out triple pulled the Gamecocks within a run in the fifth, but they got just one hit the rest of the way.

Stanek (8-4) allowed three hits and turned the game over in the seventh inning to Astin, who earned his 11th save.

Arkansas pitchers have allowed just two runs over their last 32 1-3 innings. The Hogs have an ERA of 1.75 in eight NCAA tournament games.

Stanek was effective with four pitches, but neither he nor Astin was overpowering. They combined to induce 14 outs on groundballs and nine on flies. They struck out four.

"I was able to throw my fastball for a strike and mix early, and continue to mix and throw everything for a strike throughout the game," Stanek said. "It's just good to be effective."

Stanek had faced the Gamecocks in May and got no decision after allowing five runs in five innings of an 8-6 loss.

He was Most Outstanding Player of the Houston Regional after throwing seven shutout innings against Rice. He struggled against Baylor in super regionals, walking four in a four-inning start.

"He was a little more under control with his mechanics," Van Horn said. "It just seemed easy, smooth. He just looked like a polished pitcher tonight. I thought he did a great job on a tough stage."

South Carolina starter Colby Holmes (7-2) allowed two runs on four hits in 3 2-3 innings. Tyler Webb shut down Arkansas on two hits over a season-high 5 1-3 innings, but his teammates couldn't get much going against the hottest pitching staff in the nation.

South Carolina came from behind to win 11 times during the 22-game streak that started at the 2010 CWS.

"It was a great run," Tanner said. "These guys, some are still here, and the guys that had come before, it's one of those things that you don't know if it could happen or if it will ever happen again. It's been a pretty good run. I'm proud of what these guys did and how they battled. But Arkansas tonight was a better team."

The Hogs had only six hits after banging out 10 in an 8-1 win over Kent State on Saturday.

They opened the scoring in the first on Dominic Ficociello's double. Their winning run came home in the fourth. Holmes walked Brian Anderson leading off, and he scored on a single by Vinson, who was hitting .209 out of the No. 8 hole.

Vinson also had a two-run double in Saturday's win over Kent State to end a 4-for-26 slump.

"It's a great feeling," Vinson said. "I'm trying to help my team out the best I can. I keep doing my best. If there's a guy in scoring position, I'm going to try to get him in any way I can. So I just happened to get a hit in a couple of games."

South Carolina went three up, three down three of the last four innings.

"I thought our guys battled hard up there, but their stuff was very special, at least from my vantage point," Tanner said. "Tyler pitched his rear end off and gave us a chance to maybe get something going, but we just weren't able to punch in any runs."

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What we expect from Windows 8 tablets

A score of Windows 8 tablets were showcased at Computex this year, most of which adopted the hybrid design as if they wanted to bring back the netbook era. These tablets looked chic and seemed powerful with their ability to transform from a sleek tablet to a powerful keyboard-clad computing device. Enter Microsoft?s 'BIG' announcement that compelled us all to ?wear and tighten? our speculative caps. But all Microsoft had to say was: ?This will be a major Microsoft announcement ? you will not want to miss it?. Following this announcement, rumours surfaced about a new tablet from Microsoft - touted to be an iPad-killer. Yes, Microsoft?s own tablet, and why not, with competitor Google building the Nexus tablet (Google branded). Speculations and rumours just don?t seem to end; some speculate it to be an Xbox tablet (in that case Microsoft could have unveiled it at the E3).

Adding fuel to the speculative fire is Nokia, who have also put up an image on their official Facebook page with the date reading 06.18.12, which means that the Finnish company also is planning on something for the same day. So, is Nokia launching its new smartphone, or is it a new tablet from the Microsoft-Nokia partnership along with Microsoft announcing some content partnerships? But didn?t Nokia call the Windows tablet report ?misconstrued? earlier? On the other hand, Nokia wouldn?t steal Microsoft?s thunder, and it could rather be a collaborative event. And so, we will have to wait until Microsoft spills the beans on the announcement. However, recent speculation has raised our expectations from the Windows 8 tablets - be it Microsoft?s own tablet or other Windows 8 tablets. The Windows 8 tablets showcased at Computex had some nifty specs, but we yearn for more. Here are a few features that we expect and speculate for the Windows 8 tablets.

Content accessibility...

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Connectivity
Whether it?s Microsoft?s own in-house tablet or a Windows 8 tablet, good connectivity could help the software giant win those extra brownie points. Microsoft could raise the connectivity bar by making all their tablets support backward-compatible USB 3.0 standard ports. Another advanced feature that it could bring to the table is Thunderbolt, which is aimed at swifter connectivity with other peripheral devices. While a couple of Windows 8 devices may feature Bluetooth 3.0 or Thunderbolt, we expect all manufacturers building Windows 8 or Windows RT tablets, along with the mystery Microsoft tablet (if it happens to be true), to feature it. Android and iOS devices have been there and have been dealing with a fair share of criticism that have come their way in the mobile world. Whether one likes it or not, Windows 8 devices will be judged, compared, and will even face criticism for the minutest dislikes of its users and experts.

Content Accessibility
Content has become one of the essential factors that not only allures users, but also keeps them hooked on the device. We?ve seen Amazon and Barnes and Noble, companies known for ebook readers, sell their devices like hot cakes owing to content access. The Kindle Fire is known to run their device on Android and sideline all Google services over its own. Microsoft had earlier invested in Barnes and Noble, surfacing another wave of speculation that the new Microsoft product is being developed in conjunction with Barnes and Noble. This means either Microsoft is crafting a Kindle Fire-killer (Amazon and B&N are rivals) in the form of a new B&N tablet, or plans on making some cool B&N content available for Windows 8 users. We would like to see the former. The tablet could be an eReader-tablet with lots of content accessibility. Moreover, we can consider this possibility as we've already seen the Microsoft's Courier Secret tablet. Moreover, Microsoft doesn?t have an appetizing App store, at least not when compared to the mighty Apple App Store or even the Google Play store. We also expect Microsoft to make content accessibility easier, be it to apps, videos, music or other content.

Microsoft's own tablet on the way?

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Office 2010 Apps
Amidst explaining Windows 8 like there?s no tomorrow, the company recently gave a glimpse of the Office 2013 on Windows RT. While Office 2013 has a little while to go until it is made available for users, Office 2010 apps are speculated to make it to Windows tablets. Microsoft clearly planned for a seamless experience across all platforms, including desktop where it rules. There have been reports about Office 2010 being the first Microsoft desktop application to come to Windows 8 platform, so we expect it make it to Windows 8 tablets too.

Specifications
The minimum specs requirements for the Windows 8 tablet are fine, but with Windows tablets rumoured to carry higher price tags. The specs need to attract tech savvy users. There are requirements of minimum 1366 x 768 resolution, 720p or above camera, one USB port, Bluetooth 4.0, speakers and accelerometer, but the company may have implemented some strict rules for the battery life too. It would be nice to see the Windows 8 tablets with some additional gigabytes on the internal memory front, compared to other tablets available in the market. Also, a spec sheet that supports effective multitasking.

Even if the speculated Microsoft tablet is true, we don?t know if Microsoft will opt for Windows 8 or ?Windows RT? ARM-based tablet (if it is ever launched). Windows 8 tablets are likely to come integrated with the Ivy Bridge and the processor could preferably be dual-core, as quad-core-Ivy Bridge is a demanding combination for the battery life.

Good pricing..please...

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Pricing
A slew of Windows 8 tablets were displayed at Computex, but ?mum' was the word on its pricing. We expect Microsoft tablets to feature competitive prices (inclusive of the detachable keyboards in case of hybrid designs), rather than hefty price tags. Pricing is going to be one of the essential make-or-break factors for its tablets. Earlier, it was believed that with the new OS, Microsoft plans to change its strategy for the pricing structure. It was rumoured to charge OEMs around INR1,953 for Windows RT. However, it reportedly was not true, and the Windows RT will cost OEMs somewhere between 80 and 95 USD, while around INR4,734 is the most commonly quoted price. A sub-$500, which is approx.? INR27,914) Windows RT tablet is out of question,?while it is expected to be priced between approx.? INR30,569 to?INR44,490. So, we could expect Windows 8 tablets to be slightly more expensive. This would put it in the high-end tablet market and draw constant comparisons with the reigning iPad. This would also mean that the low-end tablet market, which is expected to grow in developing countries will continue to be dominated by Android.?

Although we have seen some nifty features already available, we think Microsoft can put forth a promising device if it adheres to some of the factors mentioned above.

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Onkyo mid-range networking home theatres flaunt 4K image, multi-source PIP

onkyo-mid-range-networking-home-theatres-flaunt-4k

We've seen the high and low ends, and now Onkyo has thrown its alphabet soup of networking and A/V tech into its mid-range HT-S6500 5.1 surround ($799) and HT-S7500 7.1 ($899) home theater systems. For starters, the systems will support 4K displays, and use a Marvell Qdeo to automatically upscale HD to the higher resolution. Audio-wise, they'll pump out 80 watts of WRAT sound with 192Khz 24-bit TI DACs and a 32-bit DSP processing chip, and 120 watts of thump through the subs. There's a plethora of connectivity options with up to seven HDMI inputs -- and PIP to see them all at once -- along with direct iDevice connections, optional WiFi adapter and other digital and analog I/O. On top of full DNLA support and most internet radio options, Onkyo will also allow iPhone or Android handsets to control either receiver with its remote control app. So if you've been jonesing on TrueHD 5.1 Audio or those new 4K displays, now you'll have two more options to play them through.

Continue reading Onkyo mid-range networking home theatres flaunt 4K image, multi-source PIP

Onkyo mid-range networking home theatres flaunt 4K image, multi-source PIP originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Greece pro-bailout parties could form govt

ATHENS, Greece (AP) ? The pro-bailout New Democracy party came in first Sunday in Greece's national election and could gather enough support to form a pro-bailout coalition to keep the country in the eurozone.

As central banks stood ready to intervene in case of financial turmoil, Greece held its second national election in just six weeks to try to select a new government after an inconclusive ballot on May 6.

Sunday's vote was seen as crucial for Europe and the world, since it could determine whether Greece is forced to leave the joint euro currency, a move that could have potentially catastrophic consequences for other ailing European nations and the global economy.

Although official projections late Sunday showed that no party will win enough seats in the 300-member parliament to form a government on its own, Greece's two traditional parties ? the conservative New Democracy and the socialist PASOK ? would have enough seats to form a coalition together.

They have both expressed a willingness to work with other European nations to stay in the 17-nation eurozone.

The projections showed New Democracy winning 29.5 percent and 128 seats. The radical left Syriza party, which has vowed to repeal Greece's international bailout deal, was expected to come in second with 27.1 percent and 72 seats. PASOK trails with 12.3 percent and 33 seats.

To form a majority government, a coalition would need at least 151 seats.

The parties vying to win have starkly different views about what to do about the ?240 billion ($300 billion) in bailout loans that Greece has been given by international lenders.

Greece has been dependent on rescue loans since May 2010, after sky-high borrowing rates left it locked out of the international markets following years of profligate spending and falsifying financial data. The spending cuts made in return have left the country mired in a fifth year of recession, with unemployment spiraling to above 22 percent and tens of thousands of businesses shutting down.

New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras says his top priority is to stay in the euro but has promised to renegotiate some terms of the bailout.

Syriza head Alexis Tsipras, a 37-year-old former student activist, has vowed to cancel the terms of Greece's international bailout deal and repeal its austerity measures.

"There are many power-sharing possibilities that include a vote of tolerance from parties," Syriza member Nikos Voutsis said on state television. "But we'll see.'"

The party that comes first in Sunday's vote gets a bonus of 50 seats in the 300-member Parliament and gets the first try at forming a new government with a majority in Parliament. If they fail, the next highest party gets to try.

Earlier, the exit polls projected seven parties in all beating the 3 percent threshold for seats in Parliament, including the extremist right-wing Golden Dawn party, which vehemently rejects the neo-Nazi label but has been blamed for numerous violent attacks against immigrants.

Golden Dawn was projected at winning between 6 and 7.5 percent, roughly maintaining the level of the nearly 7 percent it won in May ? a meteoric rise for a fringe party that had polled at just 0.3 percent.

The small Democratic Left party was projected at winning between 5.5 and 6.5 percent, with the right-wing Independent Greeks tied with Golden Dawn at 6-7.5 percent.

There are no rules governing a country's exit from the eurozone. A Greek exit could cause economic chaos in Europe, prompt investors to flee stocks in the U.S. , and spark a panic that other debt-strapped European nations ? Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Italy ? might also have to leave the eurozone.

That domino scenario ? known in economic terms as contagion ? could engulf the euro, causing a global financial panic not unlike the one that gripped the world in 2008 after the investment firm Lehman Brothers failed in the U.S.

Virtually unknown outside of Greece four months ago, Tsipras and his party shot to prominence in the May 6 vote, where he came a surprise second and quadrupled his support since the 2009 election.

Tsipras, has vowed to rip up Greece's bailout agreements and repeal the austerity measures, which have included deep spending cuts on everything from health care to education and infrastructure, as well as tax hikes and reductions of salaries and pensions.

But his pledges, which include canceling planned privatizations, nationalizing banks and rolling back cuts to minimum wages and pensions, have horrified European leaders, as well as many Greeks. Tsipras' opponents argue that the inexperienced young politician is out of touch with reality.

"We have beaten fear. Today we open a road to hope," Tspiras said, adding that he was confident of victory. "Today we open a road to a better tomorrow, with our people united, dignified and proud. In a Greece of social justice and prosperity, an equal member of a Europe that is changing."

Samaras, meanwhile, cast Sunday's choice as one between the euro and returning to the drachma. He has vowed to renegotiate some of the bailout's harsher terms but insists the top priority is for the country to remain in Europe's joint currency.

"Today the Greek people speak. Tomorrow a new era for Greece begins," Samaras said after voting in southern Greece.

Earlier Sunday, about 10 men armed with sledgehammers and wooden bats attacked a polling station in central Athens, wounding two policemen guarding it and setting fire to the ballot box shortly before polls closed. The attack ? the only one reported so far ? took place in the Athens neighborhood of Exarhia, a traditional haven for leftists and anarchists.

Greek police were also investigating the discovery Sunday of two unexploded hand grenades outside private Skai television station on the outskirts of Athens. Greek government spokesman Demetris Tsiodras denounced the devices as an attempt to spoil the smooth running of the election.

___

Menelaos Hadjicostis, Demetris Nellas and AP television in Athens contributed.

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Monday, June 18, 2012

Yankees sweep Nationals, win 4-1 for 9th straight

New York Yankees starting pitcher Ivan Nova throws during the second inning of a baseball game with the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Sunday, June 17, 2012, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

New York Yankees starting pitcher Ivan Nova throws during the second inning of a baseball game with the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Sunday, June 17, 2012, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Edwin Jackson throws during the first inning of a baseball game with the New York Yankees at Nationals Park, Sunday, June 17, 2012, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Washington Nationals' Adam LaRoche (25) reacts with upcoming batter Michael Morse after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game with the New York Yankees at Nationals Park, Sunday, June 17, 2012, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

(AP) ? The New York Yankees are used to big crowds, used to so-called "playoff atmospheres" in the regular season. The clubhouse is stocked with players who know what it's like to be in first place.

Those are relatively new sensations for the on-the-rise Washington Nationals, who received a lesson or two in the Yankees' first trip to the nation's capital in six years. New York swept the series between division leaders, capping the three-game set Sunday with another solid performance from starter Ivan Nova in a 4-1 win.

"When you're playing as well as we are, no matter what the situation is, you feel like you're going to get it done," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Both teams entered the series riding six-game winning streaks. The Yankees are now up to nine, their longest since May 2009. The series drew the eighth, ninth and 10th largest crowds in the 4?-year history of Nationals Park, with fans in pinstripes trying to outshout the locals in red.

"I think that's the one good thing that came this weekend," said first baseman Adam LaRoche, whose second-inning homer accounted for Washington's lone run Sunday. "That's about as close to a playoff atmosphere as you're going to get. ... You get the place packed, people going crazy and obviously it draws a lot of media attention. It'll be good for these guys, especially the young guys, to get used to that."

Nova (9-2) gave up seven hits and a run in an efficient, mostly trouble-free 7 2-3 innings to win his fifth straight start. He is also unbeaten in his last 15 road starts ? a streak that's been going for more than a year. He is 12-0 away from Yankee Stadium since losing to the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim on June 3, 2011.

The offense, as usual, came from the long ball. Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano hit the 98th and 99th Yankees homers of the season ? both solo shots ? to make up for another abysmal day (0 for 12) with runners in scoring position. New York is hitting a mere .216 with men on second and third this season.

"We're still not happy about that," said Mark Teixeira, who went 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. "I wish I could tell you the issue. We just have to be better at hitting with runners in scoring position. We can talk about offense all we want; the fact is our pitching staff is why we are here today."

Granderson homered off Edwin Jackson (3-4) in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie. Cano made it a two-run cushion in the seventh off Tom Gorzelanny. Another run came in the seventh on a passed ball by Nationals catcher Jhonatan Solano, who had another passed ball later in the inning.

Nova was pulled with two outs and a runner on base in the eighth. Boone Logan finished the inning, and Rafael Soriano pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save.

The Yankees maintained a 1? game lead over the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East. The Nationals also remain in first ? four games clear of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East ? but they hit a buzz saw, getting swept at home for the first time this season and scoring only six runs in the three games.

"We've got to play better than that," Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman said, "if we want to beat teams like that."

In particular, Zimmerman needs to hit better. He went 0 for 4 Sunday and 1 for 13 in the series to drop his average to .229.

"What really concerns me is we've got to get Zim going," Washington manager Davey Johnson said. "We've got to get Zim to a happy place."

NOTES: The Yankees have swept three consecutive series of three games or more for the first time since 1998. ... The sweep leaves the Cincinnati Reds (7-5) as the only major league team with an all-time winning record against the Yankees. ... Washington's 19-year-old Bryce Harper, who went 0 for 7 with five strikeouts in Saturday's 14-inning loss, rebounded with a double and a single. ... Washington SS Ian Desmond booted a grounder in the fourth, giving him an error in each game of the series. ... Yankees OF Nick Swisher sat out with a bruised quad sustained on a slide into home in Saturday's game. He was limping badly in the clubhouse after Sunday's game. ... The Nationals designated struggling reliever Brad Lidge for assignment. Lidge, 35, went 0-1 with two saves and a 9.64 ERA in 11 appearances and gave up five runs in the first two games of the Yankees series. ... Ryan Mattheus, activated to take Lidge's roster spot, pitched 1-3 inning Sunday.

___

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

Associated Press

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EURO 2012 LIVE: Final Group A matches

WARSAW, Poland (AP) ? Co-host Poland plays the Czech Republic, and Russia takes on Greece in the final Group A matches at the European Championship. The four teams are battling for two spots in the quarterfinals.

Here is a running account of Saturday's action. All times are local to Poland.

___

2118: GREECE VS. RUSSIA: Russia goes close again in Warsaw, where it's a lovely summer's evening and the stadium roof is open. Arshavin plays the ball into the center and fellow forward Kerzhakov is waiting to prod home, but the Greek defense clears.

___

2112: Still 0-0 in both matches.

CZECH VS. POLAND: Actually, the weather appears to be getting worse in Wroclaw. There were just rumbles of thunder and flashes of lightning. There's not going to be another suspension, is there? The players are absolutely soaked!

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2105: CZECH VS. POLAND: It's raining in Wroclaw, but nothing like the downpour we saw in Donetsk on Friday for the France vs. Ukraine match. The Czechs have managed to take the sting out of a bright start from Poland.

GREECE VS. RUSSIA: Russia captain Arshavin tries his luck with a low shot from outside of the penalty area, but drags it wide.

___

2100: CZECH VS. POLAND: Lewandowski misses a great chance to give Poland the lead! On a quick break, Obraniak picks out the run of the striker in the penalty area and he holds off the challenge of Gabre Selassie but slices his left-foot shot wide. He should have tried to shoot across Cech there. That was a great chance to give the co-host a dream start.

GREECE VS. RUSSIA: Kerzhakov goes close now for Russia, which has come back into the game. Dzagoev tries to burst into the penalty area but he's blocked off by the Greek defense. The ball bounces out to Kerzhakov, who hits the ball on the bounce and it slowly curls wide of the far post.

___

2055: GREECE VS. RUSSIA: Early attempt for Greece through Katsouranis. He runs to the near post to flick the ball on from a corner and the ball loops toward the Russia goal. Goalkeeper Malafeev gets a fist to it at the last moment, pushing it away. The Greeks have started the brighter ? remember, they have to win to go through.

___

2050: We are up and running. Both matches are make-or-break ? one team will go through and one will go out in each game. After two matches, Russia is top of the group on four points, the Czechs three, Poland two and Greece one.

___

2044: And here are the teams for Greece vs. Russia:

Greece: Michalis Sifakis, Vassilis Torosidis, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Giorgos Tzavelas, Yiannis Maniatis, Giorgos Karagounis, Kostas Katsouranis, Dimitris Salpingidis, Georgios Samaras, Fanis Gekas.

Russia: Vyacheslav Malafeev, Alexander Anyukov, Alexei Berezutski, Sergei Ignashevich, Yuri Zhirkov, Igor Denisov, Roman Shirokov, Denis Glushakov, Andrey Arshavin, Alexander Kerzhakov, Alan Dzagoev.

___

2040: Here are the lineups for the Czech Republic vs. Poland:

Czech Republic: Petr Cech, Theodor Gebre Selassie, Michal Kadlec, Tomas Sivok, David Limbersky, Jaroslav Plasil, Vaclav Pilar, Tomas Hubschman, Daniel Kolar, Petr Jiracek, Milan Baros.

Poland: Przemyslaw Tyton, Sebastian Boenisch, Marcin Wasilewski, Damien Perquis, Lukasz Piszczek, Dariusz Dudka, Eugen Polanski, Ludovic Obraniak, Rafal Murawski, Jakub Blaszczykowski, Robert Lewandowski.

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Greek, Spanish savings flee eurozone crisis

ATHENS, Greece (AP) ? In Europe's most economically stricken countries, people are taking their money out of their banks as a way to protect their savings from the growing financial storm.

Worried that their savings could be devalued, or that banks are on the verge of collapse and that governments cannot make good on deposit insurance, people in Greece, Spain and beyond are withdrawing euros by the billions ? behavior that is magnifying their countries' financial stresses.

The money is being hoarded at home or deposited in banks in more stable economies.

It's a steady bank "jog" at the moment, not a full-bore run. But it threatens to undermine the finances of those countries' already-stressed lenders. And if it does turn into a full bank run after Greece's crucial election on Sunday, it could hasten financial disaster in Europe and help spread turmoil around the world.

Since the Greek debt crisis broke in late 2009, deposits have fallen by 30 percent cent, as savers have slowly pulled some ?72 billion ($90.24 billion) from local lenders, with total household and corporate deposits standing at ?165.9 billion ($207.94 billion) in April, according to the latest data from the Bank of Greece.

Spanish deposits have fallen about six percent over the past year. They dipped suddenly in April by about ?3.1 billion, or 1.8 percent, to ?1.624 trillion as problems with the country's troubled banks stated to grow to alarming proportions.

This is despite the fact that deposits are guaranteed by the government up to ?100,000 across the eurozone.

Spain's financial turmoil quickly worsened in late May, when the country's second-largest lender announced it needed capital of ?19 billion to stay afloat. Bankia denied reports of a rush by its customers to withdraw, but the bailout scared Spaniards who assumed their money was safe.

Bankia client Rosa Monsivais panicked and decided she had to move her savings from Bankia to one she thought would be safer. She chose a foreign bank with Spanish operations, the Dutch owned ING bank.

It took longer than she thought, leading to anxious days until she knew her money was in her new account.

"It scared me a little. I took all my money out and put it in ING," said Monsivais, a 41-year-old graphic artist who would not say how much money she moved. "But it took a full week to do this kind of transaction. I was reading the newspaper each day and it worried me."

The money across Europe is headed different places.

Some has simply been withdrawn and spent out of urgent need as people lose their jobs due to recessions. Some is winding up in bank accounts or invested in countries that are more stable such as Germany. The rest is being invested in property or bonds being issued by other eurozone countries.

In the U.K., the eurozone crisis was seen as one factor pushing up central London house prices, according to Knight Frank, a real estate agency dealing in high-end property.

"While it looks very much that the surge in Greek buyers has fallen off sharply since the beginning of the year ? those who had the funds to buy have done so ? we are now seeing a noticeable uptick in interest from France, Italy, Spain and even German-based purchasers looking at the prime London market," the company said in its Prime Central London Index report.

Meanwhile, some money appears to be simply hoarded at home, despite the risk of theft. Last month, police in Athens arrested a gang that specialized in breaking into basement storage spaces under apartment blocks, netting a rich haul in stashed cash and valuables.

"What the average Greek has in mind is to secure the euros they currently hold," said Theodore Krintas, managing director at Attica Wealth Management. "That has been going on for a long time, and will continue as long as the uncertainty increases concerning Greece's position in the near future in the eurozone and the European Union."

Sunday's vote could determine whether Greece stays in the euro or leaves in chaos. Since 2010, Greece has been dependent on two bailouts totaling ?240 billion in loans to pay its bills. In return, the government had to promise to make deep spending cuts to lower its deficit. That has helped put the country in a deep recession. Leading political figures have called for renegotiating or rejecting the bailout deal, which could lead to a payment cutoff from mistrustful eurozone governments and the IMF.

A bailout cutoff could lead to a complete collapse of government finances and a euro exit meaning the country would have to print its own money to pay bills or recapitalize banks.

A large-scale bank run in Greece could further wreck government finances and push the country closer to leaving the euro. T

So far it's been a trickle rather than a flood in Greece, underlining its slow-motion nature. Many have kept their deposits because they don't believe Greece will leave the euro.

Wealthy Germans also are concerned that inflation will surge if Europe's central bank has to step in and spend huge amounts of money propping up the single currency. So they are putting more money into their own country's high-end real-estate in hope it will keep its value.

Well-heeled Spaniards have been moving money to Switzerland and the U.S. for months amid mounting worries about Spain and the safety of the eurozone, said Bruce Goslin, managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for K2 Intelligence consulting group.

"As we are circulating and talking to people, some things are becoming clear. Everyone says 'There is nothing going on in Spain, the economy is contracting so fast we're going to have to go out of Spain.'" said Goslin.

Spain's banking problems come from the collapse of a real estate boom. Banks that made reckless loans are not being paid back and are seeing the value of the properties they invested in tumbling. This is making the country's banking system increasingly financially insecure ? heightening savers' fears that their money is not safe.

Fernando Encinar, head of research at real estate website Idealista.com, said some wealthy people who didn't have money to buy during the boom are now taking advantage of prices that have fallen 26 percent in four years.

Many Spaniards can't move money abroad because times are so tough, said Vincent Forest at the Economist Intelligence Unit. With unemployment now at nearly 25 percent, Spaniards with jobs and savings are increasingly helping out less fortunate relatives.

"Most Spaniards have huge savings, but they have someone in the family who needs money and isn't earning anything," Forest said.

Many Italians ? some of Europe's most devoted savers ? are also moving money. They are worried their government will be the next victim of the crisis through its heavy debt load, even though Italy's banks, government finances and economy are in better shape than Spain's.

Some 60,000 to 70,000 small investors have bought property abroad, mostly in Germany but also on the Spanish islands, in the last three months, for a total investment of ?400 million on an annual basis, said Paolo Righi, president of the Italian Federation of Real Estate Professionals.

Ruth Stirati, who runs a business helping Italians buy property in Berlin, said she gets about 10 emails a day asking about properties.

"Over the last two or three weeks, there has been a new panic," she said. "They have a thousand fears: That the banks won't have money, that the euro will fail. It is without substance, their doubts. But they worry there will be one strong euro in Germany, and one that is weak.'

Wealthy Germans aren't worried about seeing their money disappear due to collapsing banks, but they are concerned that their savings will be eaten away through inflation. As a result, they are putting money into real estate ? at home.

Even though inflation currently is moderate at 2.2 percent in May, there is concern about the risk of rising prices in Germany's media. There is speculation that inflation could jump if the European Central Bank has to take drastic measures to keep the eurozone from breaking up ? such as printing large amounts of money to buy government bonds and cover bankrupt governments' financing needs.

The current EU treaty bars that. But that hasn't stopped German newspaper headlines warning about possible inflation to come.

According to the Europace real estate financing platform, German home prices rose 5.46 percent in the first quarter over a year ago.

__

Paphitis contributed from Athens, McHugh from Frankfurt, and Barry from Milan. Also contributing were Harold Heckle in Madrid and Robert Barr and Cassandra Vinograd in London.

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For Father's Day, See TV Dads Who Make Us Grateful For Our Own

Tv Dads Fathers Day

This Father's Day, be grateful your father isn't one of these TV dads.

It's the time of year to celebrate fathers all over the world ... even the fictional ones on our TV screens.

But when HuffPost TV took a look at some of the dads from our favorite TV shows, we realized that many of them aren't the best fathers. So this Father's Day, we rounded up 17 small screen paternal figures who make us appreciate our own dads.

Next time you're frustrated with your father, just think: At least he ... doesn't cooking meth (We're look at you, Walter White), doesn't keeping your zombified family locked up in a barn (Cough cough, Hershel Greene, cough cough) and many more "at leasts."

From Dexter to Don Draper, take a look at the TV dads we're lucky aren't ours this Father's Day.

  • Dexter Morgan, "Dexter"

    ... Isn't a sociopathic serial killer.

  • Don Draper, "Mad Men"

    ... Doesn't bring multiple moms into your life (only to cheat on them).

  • Frank Gallgher, "Shameless"

    ... Isn't drunk more than he's sober.

  • Walter White, "Breaking Bad"

    ... Doesn't cook meth.

  • Tywin Lannister, "Game of Thrones"

    ... Doesn't blame you for your mom's death and take all the glory in the game.

  • Peter Hastings, "Pretty Little Liars"

    ... Didn't lie to you about secret siblings and didn't seemingly try to cover up your best friend's murder.

  • Tad Horvath, "Girls"

    ... Doesn't leave it up to you to help him up after having sex with your mom in the shower.

  • Tracy Jordan, "30 Rock"

    ... Didn't name you George Foreman.

  • Frank Reynolds, "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia"

    ... Didn't cut you off and not help you when he found you crack-addicted in an alley.

  • Cornelius Hawthorne, "Community"

    ... Didn't hide a brother -- his illegitimate son -- from you until his death, when his will forced the two of you to battle for your inheritance in a twisted 8-bit video game.

  • Peter Florrick, "Thee Good Wife"

    ... Didn't cheat on your mom with hookers and her soon-to-be best friend.

  • Nelson Van Alden, "Boardwalk Empire"

    ... Didn't pay your mom to stay inside your apartment while she was pregnant with you.

  • Jack Donaghey, "30 Rock"

    ... Didn't have a thing with your grandma.

  • Byron Montgomery, "Pretty Little Liars"

    ... Didn't cheat on your mom with a student and force you to move to Iceland and then hate your boyfriend who hypocritically did the same thing.

  • Hershel Greene, "The Walking Dead"

    ... Doesn't keep your zombified family in a barn.

  • Hank Moody, "Californication"

    ... Isn't a sex addict.

  • Teen Dads, "Teen Mom"

    ... Isn't featured on "Teem Mom."

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