LeBron James, Heat Beat Maverickss 105-94

DALLAS -- While Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks were on the court celebrating the championship they won over LeBron James and Dwyane Wade last season, the Miami Heat were gathered in another part of the building.

It wasn't because they dreaded watching the ceremony, they insisted.

They were simply getting ready to show everyone why they are favored to win it all this season.

James and Wade led a series of scoring waves that put Miami ahead by 35 points midway through the third quarter, the lead peaking when James soared to the rim and tipped an alley-oop pass to Wade so he could have the dunk instead. The game was essentially over then, although the Mavs reserves fueled a late rally that made the final score look close, 105-94.

"We tried to play aggressive," James said. "We're a focused team. We had a great training camp. We came in with the same mindset we had at practice, use our speed and play with mental focus."

James finished with 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Wade had 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Miami scored at least 30 points in each of the first three quarters.

"Celebration or not, we had a game plan and implemented it," Wade said. "We came out and played a good game."

Maybe the pregame festivities left the Mavs emotionally drained because they were down by 15 after one quarter and 21 at halftime. They then gave up 14 straight points early in the third quarter.

The blowout had less to do with an emotional hangover and more to do with exposing the slow process of breaking in a new rotation. Dallas lost center Tyson Chandler and backup point guard J.J. Barea and added guard Vince Carter, do-it-all Lamar Odom and backup guard Delonte West.

"We're going to have to forge an identity with this team; it's a different team," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "That's work, and it's going to take honesty, and it's not going to be easy."

Carter took Dallas' first two shots, an 18-footer and a layup. Both missed. West started the second half in his place and finished with 10 points. Carter had five points, two rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes.

Odom ? the NBA's reigning Sixth Man of the Year, who was acquired from the Lakers a few weeks ago for merely a trade exception ? entered to a standing ovation, and got fans roaring again when he made a 3-pointer that tied the game at 11. He missed his next five shots before getting ejected midway through the third quarter, but still left to loud cheers. He had four points and four rebounds in 13 minutes.

"We've got to get better and it will take a little time to get better," Odom said.

Jason Terry sparked a Dallas rally, that started after Odom was tossed, and wound up leading Dallas with 23 points. Nowitzki scored 21 in three quarters. Shawn Marion scored 12 and broke the pinky finger on his left hand.

NBA Commissioner David Stern attended the game and took part in the banner raising ceremony. Fans greeted him with boos, perhaps showing disgust over the lockout that delayed the start of the season from Nov. 1 and shrunk the season by 16 games.

Fans had plenty more to cheer, such as Terry proclaiming, "Thirty-one years you waited ? 31 years! ? to call your team a champion, ladies and gentlemen. A champion!"

Nowitzki, Terry, Jason Kidd and many more players, coaches and staff each got a strand to yank as part of the unveiling of the banner at court level. Nowitzki and Kidd seemed awed as they watched it rise to the rafters. They couldn't take their eyes off it ? or didn't want to.

Championship tie-ins were everywhere, from the Mavs' warmup jackets proclaiming them the 2011 NBA Champions to jerseys featuring a patch of the championship trophy, with the words on the front and back of their jerseys all outlined in gold. Terry even wore gold high-tops.

But Dallas was more style than substance, especially compared to a Miami team that returns the core of its rotation.

The Heat scored 18 points in the paint in the first quarter, while the Mavs scored a total of 17 that period ? none in the paint. Both Miami's 18 and Dallas' 0 are an indication of how badly the Mavs will miss Chandler.

Miami went on a 12-0 run late in the first quarter, a 15-1 spurt in the second quarter, then the 14-0 binge in the third period. At the end of that final surge, James made a spin move to free himself for a 17-foot jumper off the glass, then followed with his alley-oop tip to Wade.

"It was showtime," said Heat point guard Mario Chalmers, who had the initial pass to James. "That comes from playing a whole season together last year and working out during the offseason with each other."

NOTES: Miami had lost 14 straight regular-season games to the Mavericks and nine straight in Dallas, dating to March 2004. ... The Mavericks were sold out for the 400th straight regular-season game, extending their NBA record. ... The championship-defense-opening rout might seem familiar for Heat fans. After Miami beat Dallas in the 2006 finals, the Heat were clobbered 108-66 at home by the Bulls in the 2006-07 opener. ... The Mavericks had fun connecting Christmas and their championship, such as a parody of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" that kept coming back to the line "and a Larry O'Brien tro-phy." ...The Heat showed their holiday spirit by wearing green laces with their red shoes.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/26/lebron-james-heat-beat-mavericks_n_1170099.html

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Source: http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r5662871335&f=378

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US weighs Yemen leader's travel request

HONOLULU?? The U.S. government would only allow Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to travel to the United States for "legitimate" medical treatment, and is now considering the request, a senior Obama administration official said on Monday.

The official said Saleh's office recently contacted the U.S. embassy in Sanaa to say the president plans to leave Yemen soon and wants to get specialized care in the United States related to injuries he sustained in a June assassination attempt that forced him into hospital in Saudi Arabia.

"The request for approval for President Saleh to travel to the United States is currently under consideration. The only reason that travel to the United States by President Saleh would be approved would be for legitimate medical treatment," the official said.

On Saturday, just hours after his forces killed nine people who had demanded he be tried for the killings of demonstrators over the past year, Saleh said he would leave for the United States and give way to a successor. He did not say when he would depart.

The Yemeni leader said he would undergo some medical tests but characterized his intended trip as one of temporary exile.

"I will go to the United States. Not for treatment, because I'm fine, but to get away from attention, cameras, and allow the unity government to prepare properly for elections," he said.

"I'll be there for several days, but I'll return because I won't leave my people and comrades who have been steadfast for 11 months," Saleh said.

Increasing bloodshed and political uncertainty in Yemen is a major concern to its neighbor Saudi Arabia and Saleh's former supporters in Washington, who worry the country's al Qaeda wing could gain control of key oil shipping routes in the chaos.

President Barack Obama's top counter-terrorism official John Brennan called Yemen's acting leader on Sunday to emphasize the need for Yemeni forces "to show maximum restraint" when dealing with demonstrations, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement issued in Hawaii where Obama is vacationing.

In his phone conversation with Yemeni Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Brennan also called for all sides in Yemen's political transition to avoid "provocative acts that could spur further violence."

Hadi told Brennan he has launched an investigation into the deaths and injuries that occurred and said he would do his utmost to prevent further bloodshed, Earnest said, adding both officials agreed it was important to stick to the transition path leading to the February 21, 2012, presidential election.

"Mr. Brennan told Vice President Hadi that the United States remains a strong and fervent supporter of the Yemeni people in their quest to realize their richly deserved aspirations for security, political stability, representative government, and economic prosperity," Earnest said.

Hadi on Sunday urged Saleh's foes and loyalists to commit to a truce.

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45789820/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

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Forecast favorable for most holiday travelers

Holiday travelers throughout most of the United States are getting the gift of good weather to help their travel plans this Christmas Eve.

On Sunday, Christmas Day, at least 99-percent of the country will not have any snowflakes in the air, AccuWeather reported.

"It doesn't get much quieter than this, this time of year," said Tom Kines, a meteorologist with AccuWeather.

But winter storm warnings in the southern Plains, rain and snow in Texas, and rain in the Pacific Northwest could snarl some travel plans in those areas.

Moderate to occasionally heavy snow will continue on Saturday to blanket parts of the southern Plains where winter storm warnings remain in effect, according to the National Weather Service.

The greatest accumulation is expected in far southeast New Mexico and areas west of Midland, Texas.

Along with the southern Plains, parts of Colorado, areas of the Northeast and the Great Lakes region will see a white Christmas with the snow that's already on the ground.

Video: Dry vs. white Christmas (on this page)

But most of the country will have no new snow on Sunday, with the exception of parts of the Northeast and Great Lakes region, which may see some snow showers. Rain is also expected in parts of the Southeast, reported AccuWeather.

"A large part of the country is going to be green or brown on Christmas Day," said Kines. "It stinks for Santa because he doesn't have the snow for his sleigh."

Kansas City, like most cities in the Midwest, is no exception. Temperatures there were forecast for 47 on Saturday and 48 on Sunday, under sunny skies.

Snowless Minneapolis
While snowless Christmases are not that unusual in Kansas City, they are more so for Minneapolis. Last year a winter storm 12 days before Christmas dumped 17 inches of snow on the city and caused the roof of the Metrodome, the Minnesota Viking's football stadium, to collapse.

This year, Minneapolis has no snow and will have temperatures in the high 30s over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

According to AccuWeather, El Paso, Texas, and Chicago are tied for seasonal snowfall so far with a total of 1.7 inches.

Video: Americans hit the road for holidays (on this page)

In a typical December, Chicago sees 8.5 inches of snow. To date this December, Chicago has seen the lowest amount of snow since 2003, according to Victor Murphy with the National Weather Service.

Drought-weary Texans are welcoming the snow and rain there. The worst one-year drought in the state's history sparked devastating wildfires, killed as many as half a billion trees, and prompted the most serious urban water use restrictions ever.

Story: Little to no snow this Christmas for northern US

Some of the most extreme water rationing will be lifted this weekend because of the rain. But Roland Ruiz, Vice President of the Edwards Aquifer Authority, which manages the underground reservoir, a main source of drinking water for millions of Texans, said the severe drought is still very much alive.

"Aquifer levels remain well below historic averages, and a return to severe restrictions is possible early in 2012," he said.

Texas needs 10 to 20 inches of rain in some areas just to return to normal levels for the year, and forecasters are not expecting anything close to that.

The National Weather Service's latest Seasonal Drought Outlook forecasts the drought to 'persist or intensify' across all but northeast Texas through March.

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45783537/ns/weather/

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Vienna Girardi Storms Off Relationship Rehab Set After Lee Smith Shows Up

Bachelor train wreck Vienna Girardi ripped off her microphone and walked off the set of Relationship Rehab last week after producers shocked her by having her ex show up.

No, not Jake Pavelka, though that would've done the trick too.

Vienna and boyfriend Kasey Kahl, her Bachelor Pad partner in crime and the second half of the world's douchiest couple were hammering out their issues on the show.

Of course they were. But, things got awkward on Relationship Rehab (a new show debuting soon on VH1) when she was blindsided by the arrival of ... Lee Smith.

For those who don't keep tabs on Vienna Girardi - we're actually jealous of you - Lee dated V before she went on The Bachelor and got engaged to Pavelka.

Lee is also the guy she was allegedly sending flirty emails to - and exchanging bodily fluids with, according to him - while she was still engaged to Pavelka.

In any case, it got ugly last week. Vienna had an emotional breakdown and walked off the show, screaming at producers that she "hates" them. Ouch!!

She hasn't been back since and the show has finished shooting.

It's unclear if she violated her contract by ditching the show early, or if anyone cares, but you have to love that Vienna was surprised by such a move.

She's not smart.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/vienna-girardi-storms-off-relationship-rehab-set-after-lee-smith/

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Pandigital Personal Scanner/Converter?5x7 PanScn04

The Pandigital Personal Scanner/Converter?5x7 PanScn04 ($99.99 direct) is one of about 10 scanners Pandigital sells that are basically variations on a theme, with some branded with the Pandigital name and others branded as Kodak. The models vary primarily in the maximum size photo each can scan and whether they can scan strips of film and slides as well as prints. The PanScn04 is one of two models that scans prints only but can scan at up to 5 by 7 inches, making it the obvious choice if your collection of photos includes 5 by 7 inch prints, and you don't need to scan film.

The PanScn04 is nearly identical to the Kodak P570 Personal Photo Scanner ($99.99 direct, 3 stars) that I recently reviewed. In fact, the two differ even less than the Pandigital Personal Photo & Negative Scanner/Converter PanScn05 ($109.99 direct, 4 stars) and it's near twin, the Kodak P460 Personal Photo Scanner ($99.99 direct, 4 stars). At least the PanScn05 and P460 come in different colors, one black and one white. The only obvious physical difference between the PanScn04 and the P570 is the name on the front panel.

This isn't to say that there aren't any differences at all. The PanScn05 comes with a 1GB memory card to scan to instead of the P570's 2GB card. It also comes without Kodak EasyShare, which is basically a photo album program. EasyShare includes commands to print, send to email, and send to Kodak's Creative Center, where you can order photo books, photo mugs, and other products with your photos on them, as well as turn your photos into greeting cards and other items you can print yourself.

Whether Kodak EasyShare comes with your scanner or not isn't much of a difference, however, given that you can download the program from Kodak for free. In every other way, the two scanners seem to be almost identical. I saw little to no difference for setup or scan quality, although I saw a slight difference in speed.

Setup and Scanning
The PanScn04 measures just 1.8 by 7.6 by 3.3 inches (HWD) and offers a 5-inch-wide manual-feed slot in the front with a straight-through path to the back. Setup consists of inserting the supplied 1GB memory card in the front slot and plugging in the power cable.

To scan, you turn the scanner on, optionally set the resolution using a button that toggles between 300 and 600 pixels per inch (ppi), put a photo in one of the two supplied protective sleeves, and insert the sleeve into the input slot. Everything else is automatic, with the scanner grabbing the photo, feeding it, and scanning it to a JPG file, automatically cropping and otherwise choosing settings.

After you finish scanning, you can move the files to your computer on the memory card or connect to your system with the supplied USB cable, wait for the computer to see the memory card as a USB drive, and copy the files. You can also optionally install a utility that will let you scan directly to your computer.

As with the P570, the PanScn04 comes without a photo editor. However, that's consistent with the emphasis on ease of use, since having a photo editor would mean having to invest some time in learning how to use it. The assumption is that you can use the built in tools in your operating system, like the Windows ability to manage, print, and, to some minor extent, edit photos.

Scan Speed
The PanScn04 shares the P570's ability to let you scan almost as fast as the scanner can go. This is usually not true for manual-feed scanners, because the timed speed doesn't include the extra time you'll spend preparing each original or carefully feeding it so it will go in straight.

The PanScn04 eliminates that extra time by coming with two protective sleeves. Start scanning with the photo inserted into one, and you'll have plenty of time to remove the photo from the other sleeve, put the photo away, insert a new photo in the sleeve, and have it ready when the first scan finishes. You'll need a little extra time to insert each photo, but that shouldn't be more than a second or two per photo.

In my tests, whether scanning to its memory card or to a computer, the PanScn04 took a consistent 15 to 17 seconds to scan at 600 ppi, and 15 to 16 seconds at 300 ppi. These times are essentially the same as for the P570 with one exception. Scanning to a computer at 600 ppi took almost twice as long for the P570, a result that was surprising enough so that I retested both scanners to confirm that I had the times right. There are several possible reasons for the difference, including both hardware and software issues, but Pandigital was unable to provide an explanation.

Also, to put these speeds in context, note that the P460 and PanScn05, which both use a smaller sleeve because of their 4 by 6 maximum scan size, took 10 seconds with the same photos at 300 ppi. Even so, the key point is that the PanScn05 is fast enough so it won't leave you feeling like your waiting for it.

Scan Quality
Scan quality, unfortunately, is a close match to the P570's quality, which means it shares the same limitations, with a loss of resolution that comes out as soft focus if you reprint the scans and a loss of both shadow detail (detail based on shading in dark areas) and detail based on shading in bright areas. As with the P570, however, the quality is good enough for casual photographers who just want to get their snapshots into digital format, and don't mind losing some quality in the process.

If you care more about good quality than ease of scanning, you should consider a flatbed scanner, like the Editors' Choice Epson Perfection V300 Photo ($99.99 direct, 4 stars). However, scanning with a flatbed is more cumbersome than using a sheet feeder. Lower quality is the tradeoff you get for the easier scanning. As with the Kodak P570, if you don't mind losing a little image quality and want an easy way to scan your 5- by 7-inch photos, the Pandigital Personal Scanner/Converter?5x7 PanScn04 can do the job, and it may well be the right scanner for your needs.

More Scanner Reviews:

??? VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand PDS-ST415-VP
??? Pandigital Personal Scanner/Converter-5x7 PanScn04
??? IRISphoto 4
??? Kodak i2600
??? Kodak i2400
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/6jcRPwHoqEE/0,2817,2397974,00.asp

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Moody's keeps Austria's triple A rating (AP)

VIENNA ? Moody's says it is keeping Austria's triple-A status due to the nation's robust economy and plans to cap budget deficits.

A statement on the rating agency's web site notes Austria's "very high economic strength ... skilled labour force and a competitive export sector ... have helped Austria to grow faster than the European average in recent years."

The statement, issued Friday, says the agency "views positively the recent announcement by the government to introduce a balanced budget requirement into the constitution as well as attempts to limit the sovereign's exposure to the banking system's foreign operations."

Moody's says Austria's outlook remains stable but warns that could depend on the length and severity of the eurozone financial crisis, which could spill over into triple-A countries.

___

Online: http://www.moodys.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111223/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_austria_financial_crisis

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