Indians win day-night opener from Twins 8-2 (AP)

CLEVELAND ? Shelley Duncan is giving the Cleveland Indians a late-season boost.

Duncan drove in three runs to lead Cleveland over Minnesota 8-2 Saturday in the opener of a day-night doubleheader and send the Twins to their 17th loss in 19 games. At 60-97, the Twins matched their 1999 mark for the second-most losses since the team moved to Minnesota, ahead of only a 60-102 record in 1982.

Duncan leads the Indians this month with 17 RBIs and six homers. He has been particularly effective in the clutch all season, getting 20 of 41 RBIs with two outs.

"Getting more playing time has helped," Duncan said. "Now, if I don't get a hit I can say, 'Well, there's always tomorrow.' Before, it was there's always maybe next week. I've always believed I can play well up here. I'm 31 going on 32, but I want to play as long as I can."

Duncan had a two-out, two-run single in the first inning and a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in Cleveland's six-run sixth.

"With so many guys out, Shelley has picked us up," manager Manny Acta said.

The Indians lost another player when center fielder Trevor Crowe strained his left shoulder trying to make a diving catch in the first inning on a double by Ben Revere. Acta said Crowe, who missed t five months recovering from right shoulder surgery in March, was taken for tests and will not play in Cleveland's final five games.

Cleveland scored five runs off reliever Francisco Liriano (9-10) in a six-run sixth and won for the seventh time in 10 games. The Indians have won seven straight from the Twins.

"One minute everything was fine," Liriano said. "I think I was rushing and trying to overthrow. The ball was moving everywhere. It was one of those days."

Zach Putnam (1-1) struck out three in 1 1-3 innings for his first major league win. Three Cleveland pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts and no walks.

"I'm glad I could contribute and getting a win is exciting," said Putnam, whose father and mother were among several family members watching.

Minnesota's Danny Valencia and Denard Span were back in the lineup after missing one game. They were involved in a minor car accident on the way to the airport on Thursday, when Span drove into the back of Valencia's car.

Trevor Plouffe's RBI double tied the score 2-all in the sixth before the Indians broke away in the bottom half.

Liriano loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batter, and Duncan's sacrifice fly regained the lead. Matt LaPorta's RBI double and Jack Hannahan's run-scoring bloop single made it 5-2, and Jim Hoey was greeted by Kosuke Fukudome's RBI single and Kipnis' two-run single.

Cleveland's David Huff struck out a career-high seven in 5 2-3 innings. He gave up two runs and eight hits. He wild-pitched home a run in the fourth and yielded an RBI double to Trevor Plouffe in the sixth to tie it at 2.

"David did a good job," Acta said. "He was more aggressive with his fastball, had good life on it and that made him able to use his changeup and curve."

Twins starter Brian Duensing allowed two runs and three hits in five innings, his first start since leaving a game Sept. 3 with a strained right oblique. He had worked three times in relief since.

NOTES: Huff is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in two starts against the Twins this year. ... Twins rookie 1B Chris Parmelee was 0 for 4 with four strikeouts. ... Minnesota placed C Joe Mauer (pneumonia), 1B Justin Morneau (concussion symptoms) and IN Tsuyowshi Nishioka (strained oblique) on the disabled list. All the moves were retroactive to mid-September. ... The Twins were set to send LHP Scott Diamond (1-5) to the mound in the second game against Cleveland RHP Mitch Talbot (2-6). ... Cleveland closes its home season Sunday with RHP Fausto Carmona (7-15) opposing Twins RHP Liam Hendricks (0-2).

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110924/ap_on_sp_ba_ga_su/bba_twins_indians

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Fla. millionaire convicted of murdering wife (AP)

ORLANDO, Fla. ? A millionaire developer who lived in the same central Florida neighborhood as Tiger Woods and other celebrities was convicted Saturday of murdering his wife in their mansion.

The six jurors deliberated more than 12 hours over two days before finding Bob Ward guilty of second-degree murder. The two-week trial took place in the same courthouse where the Casey Anthony case was tried this summer.

Ward was stoic as the verdict was read. Before the verdict, he hugged his two college-aged daughters as the women wept.

He faces up to life in prison when he's sentenced in November.

Ward was accused of shooting of his wife, Diane, in September 2009.The slaying happened days before she was to give a deposition in a lawsuit alleging that he blew millions of dollars on big houses and expensive cars while his business failed. Defense attorneys said that Ward's wife was suicidal, and that he was trying to stop her from killing herself. Ward never took the stand in his defense.

Defense attorney Kirk Kirkconnell said he plans to appeal the verdict and request a new trial.

Kirkconnell said jurors may have been more likely to convict Ward as the result of Casey Anthony's trial. The Florida mother was acquitted this summer of killing her 2-year-old daughter in a verdict that surprised followers of the case.

"What happened to Casey Anthony certainly makes it more difficult for any defendant, probably anywhere in the state of Florida, to get a fair trial," Kirkconnell said. "I think there is a widely held belief, or prejudice, based on the Casey Anthony case because people may have felt that that verdict was not the proper verdict."

During closing arguments Thursday, prosecutor Robin Wilkinson used Ward's own words against him by playing a 911 recording in which he told a dispatcher five times, "I just shot my wife."

After Saturday's verdict, Wilkinson said she felt sorry for the Wards' two daughters, who had lost a mother and were now losing a father to prison. But she said justice had been served.

"Who wants to believe that their father killed their mother?" Wilkinson said. "I believe Diane Ward got justice today."

The Wards were under tremendous stress from the bankruptcy of his company and a lawsuit over his business practices. A broken wine glass, a wine stain on the patio and a similar stain on Ward's shirt indicated they had been fighting before Diane Ward died, Wilkinson told jurors during closing arguments.

Kirkconnell told jurors it was against Bob Ward's interests to kill his wife because her death exposed his assets to his creditors.

Bob Ward's company, Land Resource, filed for bankruptcy almost a year before the shooting. He was being sued by an insurance company that accused him of taking more than $20 million from the sale of lots in subdivisions he was building in Tennessee in 2007. The insurance company, which had issued bonds for the subdivisions, said Ward should have used the money to improve the subdivisions, but instead paid off debts and went on a spending spree.

The lawsuit says the Wards used the money to buy their 8,800-square-foot mansion in Isleworth, the same neighborhood where Woods had the notorious SUV crash that revealed his adultery and derailed his golf career.

The lawsuit also says the Wards paid off loans totaling nearly $2.5 million for two houses in Georgia, bought a house on the Georgia coast for $750,000 and purchased several vehicles, including a $140,000 Mercedes-Benz sedan. The lawsuit was dismissed last month because of a lack of action by either side.

Ward's behavior after his arrest also raised eyebrows. A jailhouse video of a visit from his daughter and sister-in-law just days after the shooting showed him cracking jokes and laughing. But the Wards' two daughters have supported their father and were in the courtroom during the trial.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110924/ap_on_re_us/us_millionaire_s_murder_trial

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Obama: Changes will help school law, not weaken it

President Barack Obama stands with Education Secretary Arne Duncan as he speaks about No Child Left Behind Reform, Friday, Sept. 23, 2011, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

President Barack Obama stands with Education Secretary Arne Duncan as he speaks about No Child Left Behind Reform, Friday, Sept. 23, 2011, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

President Barack Obama stands with educators and students as he speaks about No Child Left Behind Reform, Friday, Sept. 23, 2011, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

President Barack Obama stands with educators and students as he speaks about No Child Left Behind Reform, Friday, Sept. 23, 2011, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Also pictured are Education Secretary Arne Duncan is at left, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, is second right, and Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee is at right. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Decrying the state of American education, President Barack Obama on Friday said states will get unprecedented freedom to waive basic elements of the sweeping Bush-era No Child Left Behind law, calling it an admirable but flawed effort that has hurt students instead of helping them.

Obama's announcement could fundamentally affect the education of tens of millions of children. It will allow states to scrap the requirement that all children must show they are proficient in reading and math by 2014 ? a cornerstone of the law ? if states meet conditions designed to better prepare and test students.

And the president took a shot at Congress, saying his executive action was needed only because lawmakers have not stepped in to improve the law for years.

"Congress hasn't been able to do it. So I will," Obama said. "Our kids only get one shot at a decent education."

Under the plan Obama outlined, states can ask the Education Department to be exempted from some of the law's requirements if they meet certain conditions, such as imposing standards to prepare students for college and careers and setting evaluation standards for teachers and principals.

Despite allowing states to do away with the approaching 2014 deadline, Obama insisted he was not weakening the law, but rather helping states set higher standards. He said that the current law was forcing educators to teach to the test, give short shrift to subjects such as history and science, and lower standards as a way of avoiding penalties and stigmas.

The law is a signature legacy of President George W. Bush's administration and was approved with strong bipartisan support nearly a decade ago. But its popularity tanked as the years went on, as disputes over money divided Congress, schools said they were being labeled "failures," and questions soared over the testing and teacher-quality provisions.

"The goals behind No Child Left Behind were admirable, and President Bush deserves credit for that," Obama said during a statement from the White House.

"Higher standards are the right goal. Accountability is the right goal. Closing the achievement gap is the right goal. And we've got to stay focused on those goals," Obama said. "But experience has taught us that in its implementation, No Child Left Behind had some serious flaws that are hurting our children instead of helping them."

Obama said better education was at the heart of a solid American economy of middle-class jobs, and that compared with other nations, the United States was slipping.

Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., who chairs the House Education Committee, has questioned whether the Education Department has the authority to offer waivers in exchange for changes it supports. He's said Obama has allowed "an arbitrary timeline" to dictate when Congress should get the law rewritten and that the committee needs more time to develop its proposals.

Kline on Thursday called the administration's plan a political move and said he could not support a process that sets a precedent by granting the education secretary "sweeping authority to handpick winners and losers."

Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., the ranking member on the Senate committee that oversees education, said the president's plan would undermine the policymaking authority of Congress.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan has said the plan would not undermine efforts in Congress because the waivers could serve as a bridge until Congress acts.

In Obama's plan, states granted waivers would have more control over how troubled schools are handled, although to qualify for a waiver they would have to show they had a plan to help low-performing schools. A majority of states are expected to apply for waivers, which will be given to qualified states early next year.

Critics say the law placed too much emphasis on standardized tests, raising the stakes so high for school districts that it may have driven some school officials to cheat. In particular, the requirement that all students be on grade level in math and reading by 2014 has been hugely unpopular.

Duncan has warned that 82 percent of schools next year could fail to reach proficiency requirements and thus be labeled "failures," although some experts questioned the figure.

The law has been due for a rewrite since 2007. Obama and Duncan had asked Congress to overhaul it by the start of this school year but a growing ideological divide in Congress has complicated efforts to do so.

The GOP-led House Education Committee has forwarded three bills that would revamp aspects of the law but has yet to fully tackle some of the more contentious issues such as teacher effectiveness and accountability.

___

Associated Press writers Ben Feller and Julie Pace contributed to this story.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-09-23-No%20Child%20Left%20Behind/id-274d88cd7eff4f1db5b8828e2c34ae46

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Boardwalk Empire's Kelly Macdonald: Is Margaret Really on Board With Nucky's Dirty Dealings? (omg!)

At the end of last season's Boardwalk Empire, forces were aligning against Atlantic City kingpin Nucky (Steve Buscemi), just as Margaret (Kelly Macdonald) had decided to return to him and his life of seeming ease. With the Commodore (Dabney Coleman) hellbent on turning those closest to Nucky against him, things are about to get infinitely more dangerous for the newly reunited couple. "Things get pretty bad for him, and they got a lot worse for Margaret," Macdonald says. "She really struggles this season with her choices."

Boardwalk Empire Season 2 promo: Who's out to get Nucky?

TVGuide.com spoke with the Scottish actress, 35, about how Margaret will change now that she's chosen Nucky, why theirs isn't a romantic love, and how some new players on the boardwalk will make her second-guess what she's trying to accept.

Why do you think Margaret returns to Nucky? It can't be all about getting the rag in the cake last season...
Kelly Macdonald: I don't think that's all there is to it. I do know that theirs is not a love story. Although I think there is something. There is a connection. She reaches something in Nucky that nobody else has managed ? and she's aware of it. He's a good man to her, and I don't think she's had that before, you know? He's pretty respectful and knows that she's smart.

Where is her mind at when Season 2 starts? What has she adapted to, and what has she been willing to overlook?
Macdonald: She's been willing to overlook a lot, but he falls within her family now ? they're living like a family, so if something is going wrong for him, which it is -- everybody is turning against him -- she'll protect him the way she protects her children. As the season goes on, she'll struggle more and more with the lifestyle. The stress of various things starts to get to her.

Margaret will begin to search for her Irish family this season. Why does that suddenly become important to her?
Macdonald: Well, I feel a bit sorry for Margaret because she doesn't have any friends! Nucky is very new in her life and she has her children but she kind of wants to have a relationship with people that know her, people she has history with. Her husband's gone, no matter what their history was, and I think she's just finding herself a bit lost in this new life. She thinks by finding her family she'll be able to gain something. But family is family; they can hurt you more than anyone else in the whole world...

She'll also meet Owen Slater (Charlie Cox), who is also from Ireland and who will become an aide to Nucky. They size each other up early on. What's ahead for them? Macdonald: She's a bit freaked out having him around and about in the house. They're from the same place and they both immediately know who the other person is. He knows she's playing the lady of the manor in a way and he gets who she is and where's she's from. She can't stand that. She can't stand feeling like the rug's going to be pulled from her feet in a way. They'll interact a lot more as the season goes on.

At one point in the beginning of the season, Nucky will use his influence to help out one of Margaret's children after a school incident. It's a telling moment for her.
Macdonald: She's totally shocked, and she's kind of appalled at the power Nucky wields and therefore is entitled to benefit from. Also, the nun at the school who informs her that Nucky handled the situation makes it very clear she disapproves, and I think religion is important to Margaret. It definitely becomes moreso. Disapproval from the nun is something she can't really shake.

What's fascinating is very soon after that she saves Nucky from being caught by keeping his dirty dealings hidden, so to speak.
Macdonald: I know! She's very complicated. She thinks she's just a really good person but she does things that really good people wouldn't be able to do. She does it with her family in the forefront of her mind really, but she's capable of things that she finds quite difficult. When Nucky comes home after a "late night," it's like, she can't do anything about it. This is his life and who he is and this is kind of what she signed up for. She's finding her way, she's learning and dealing it with it the best way she can.

Can romantic love ever come into the picture for them?
Macdonald: Love really isn't spoken about but I think whatever connection they've got develops into something deeper, and it's surprising to both of them. I don't think they're romantic ? any romantic notions Margaret may have had have been knocked straight out of her. They're supportive of each other in ways that no one else has managed to be.

Check out a preview of the new season of Boardwalk Empire, premiering Sunday, Sept. 25 at 9/8c on HBO:

What do you think is ahead for Margaret?

Related Articles on TVGuide.com

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Do I really want a structured settlement company? | ZIVIS ...

M?s noticias sobre: Uncategorized | | Trackback
Tags: structured settlement, structured settlement company, who receives a large cash award

An individual who receives a large cash award can take the services of a structured settlement company and avail the cash in a variety of ways. The settlement amount is paid by a defendant in litigation and it takes a long time for the beneficiary to acquire the total amount. A structured settlement company, in its capacity as a third party financial service provider, can help those who receive substantial amounts of money by offering them the money in a short period of time.

A plaintiff who is to obtain a monetary award from a court in the form of a structured settlement may be in need of immediate cash to cover medical expenses or the cost of litigation. This may not be possible with a structured settlement; structured settlement companies can help in such situations by offering a lump sum for either the entire amount of the settlement or a portion of it.

Structured settlement companies also offer the option of equity annuities that provide protection to the principal which earns an interest as per a guaranteed minimum or in relation to the stock market. Structured settlement companies are also capable of offering manageable access to large amounts of cash to those who win lotteries and sweepstakes. It is in the interest of the beneficiary to do a background check on the structured settlement companies they are comparing; one should go for a company that offers the most competitive rates and has a reputation for ethical dealing.

All said and done it is important for an individual to first understand whether he actually needs the service of a structured settlement company. This is because these companies operate at a profit and the lump sum offered by them is less than the amount of structured settlement sold. Also, structured settlements are guaranteed and tax-free. This is not the case with a lump sum payment, which once in the hands of an individual may be difficult to manage.

One should take the help of an attorney while evaluating structured settlement companies; attorneys help with the paperwork that can include Structured Settlement Agreement, Annuity Applications, and Qualified Assessments.

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Wilkinsons Work Opportunities and Position Openings To be found ...

Positives linked to Being employed For Wilkinsons. Wilkinsons employment opportunities make available many benefits. They really care about the employees and also have a phrase its ?the men or women that matter? into the future success of the business. Which means you quickly discover you are in wonderful hands and will have all the support along with encouragement you might need during the job role with this business enterprise.

In spite of the latest economic climate the corporation continues to increase and even strive. The foregoing may well be primarily because by which a whole lot more and more people are converting to better value products and services which generally Wilkinsons Businesses offer. There?re at this time able to successfully supply approximately several million visitors a week within there 335 sites nationally. These guys have actually progressed significantly considering that founder James Wilkinson popped open these doors in 1930.

Accompanied by a job at this business you will discover: ? gracious personnel to work alongside ? nice ambiance where you work ? effective managing team whom know very well what they do ? day to day coaching and help support so you?re able to develop. You will notice a job at Wilkinsons delivers: -a reasonable take home pay -a decent type of pension programme -job protection of doing work for a well accredited as well as dependable boss. Plus there is much much more: ? fantastic employee deductions ? brilliant 12-monthly holiday for employees ? low cost travel and leisure opportunities ? price cut getaway hotel.

Sorts of employment openings. You?ll discover occupation openings within retail contained in the well known shopping locations in addition to their head office plus distribution centers. Job opportunities extend right from retail outlet staff to hgv driver operators and also site administrators. Whatever the vacancy you are looking at you are certain to access the right career available at Wilkinsons.

Wilkinsons in addition provide all their team members an ?Employee Assistance Programme?. That?s where enrolled employees can now work out any existing hardships or just special things they can suffer from here in comprehensive confidentiality by using a devoted helpline. That as before implies that inside Wilkinsons they really care about the companies work and in regards to individuals that are employed by them.

Wilkinsons Employment Opportunities Retraining System. The actual workforce individuals created this business enterprise and made it what it now is. That?s the key reason why this company have devoted a very useful deal of energy being sure that all new staff members take the training in order to complete their vocations competently.

This type of training ranges starting from practical on the job training sessions to management education along with leadership training. This is in computer system based training, guidance and mentoring basically by a skilled personnel associate, own research if not training from a prevailing manager directly.

Wilkinsons often encourage their personnel to carry on with professional aswell as academic certifications and might offer financial help based on individual circumstances. Simply put this company can support and train the actual working people and helps men and women within their job and throughout their careers.

Graduate Job Opportunities. If you are a graduate then Wilkinsons offer a spectacular graduate training plan. This included all within an 18 calendar month training programme. Within this career training you?ll be given a sponsor or maybe even provide you with a committed co-ordinator which will help you along. More information can be acquired using the SIFE UK website online.

Get your latest wilkinsons jobs in one place.

Source: http://www.at-jobs.com/employment-2/wilkinsons-work-opportunities-and-position-openings-to-be-found-at-wilkinsons/

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RightNow Positioned as Leader in Gartner's CRM Web Customer ...

September 23rd, 2011 12:05 pm

RightNow takes the lead in the Gartner?s 2011 Web Customer Service Magic Quadrant. To place in a leading position on the Magic Quadrant, vendors must possess a vision that defines their market, as well as the ability to execute this vision with products and services backed by sales figures and references in multiple industries and geographies. Leaders on the Magic Quadrant are often characterized by their innovations, as well as for delivering functionally diverse and rich solution suites.

RightNow?s innovative solutions help companies enjoy such benefits as improved efficiency, increased revenues, and stronger loyalty. RightNow CX, a customer experience suite, seamlessly integrates the customer experience across social networks, the web, and the contact center. RightNow Web Experience is a feature-rich web customer service solution that easily interfaces with both mobile devices and computers.

This latest accolade is one in many that RightNow has recently won. RightNow has received recognition as a leader in Gartner?s Magic Quadrant for CRM Customer Service Contact Centers, as well as winning other honors, such as the CRM Magazine Service Leader Award and the IQPC Call Center Excellence Award.

RightNow is dedicated to helping organizations deliver quality experiences in their customer interactions. Serving nearly 2000 organizations around the world, RightNow solutions have facilitated and enhanced over ten billion customer interactions.

Gartner?s Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace, depicting Gartner?s analysis of how certain vendors measure against their criteria. The Magic Quadrant is intended as a neutral research tool and is not meant as an endorsement or a specific guide to action.

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