LONDON — It is not often that the president of the United States needs to seek fashion advice.
But when Ronald Reagan was getting ready for a visit to England as a guest of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1982, his people had an important question for the Brits: Just what does one wear to go riding with the queen in the magnificent horse country surrounding Windsor Castle?
The answer: Something smart, but casual, of course. Riding boots, breeches and a turtleneck sweater would do fine — no need for formal riding attire.
The fashion inquiry is but one tidbit contained in nearly 500 pages of formerly Confidential documents relating to the Reagan visit being made public Friday by Britain's National Archives. The dossier shows the British government — led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher — to be extraordinarily interested in pleasing the relatively new president on his two-day visit. British leaders also fretted that perennial cross-Channel rivals might triumph in the tug-of-war for presidential face time in a visit that had to be sandwiched between two summits on the European mainland.
The papers show that top Reagan adviser Michael Deaver had a way of annoying his British counterparts with last-minute changes and requests, and also surprised them with some of his objectives. Deaver, remembered as a shrewd image-builder, said he wanted Reagan to be photographed outside of formal venues, so he wouldn't be seen "exclusively in white tie" at palace functions, even suggesting that Reagan go to a village pub to soak up the atmosphere
There were raised eyebrows, and bruised feelings, when the White House failed to formally reply in a timely fashion to an official invitation from the queen — the sort of invite that usually commands respect and a prompt reply the world over. The queen's invite was left to languish for weeks and weeks, something that the British believe is simply Not Done.
"It is really for the president to respond to her invitation, which he has not done personally, something that I have pointed out several times here," writes Nicholas Henderson, Britain's ambassador to Washington, in a memo to the British Foreign Office. "As you know those surrounding the president are not deliberately rude: It is simply that they are not well-organized and do not have experience of this sort of thing."
William F. Sittman, a special assistant to Reagan who was involved in planning the trip, told The Associated Press that it is possible the delay in responding to the queen was caused by first lady Nancy Reagan's insistence on consulting her astrologer before travel plans were finalized.
"You have to remember that Mrs. Reagan was very strict about his schedule, and she would consult her astrologer to see if this was the right time to travel," he said. "Sometimes she would back up departures."
The documents make clear that Europe's leaders were desperate for Reagan's attention at a time of high Cold War tensions. A memo from U.K. Cabinet Secretary Robert Armstrong on Feb. 5 expresses concern that a gala, summit-closing dinner at the palace of Versailles outside Paris could delay Reagan's arrival in London. But he warns against pressuring the Reagan entourage to skip the meal at Versailles' Hall of Mirrors because "that would not please the President of the French Republic."
Reagan's aides also worried the British by suggesting the president might have to skip the stop in London because accepting it might anger the Germans, who had offered a similar invitation. But feelings are smoothed over a bit when the Americans assure the British contingent that the Germans are not America's top priority.
"Eagleburger emphasized how much the president himself wanted to go to London," stresses one confidential memo from the British ambassador, referring to senior U.S. diplomat Lawrence Eagleburger. "There should be no doubt about that. Eagleburger also said that at the moment the Germans were not America's favorite allies."
The prospect of a chance to relax from international summitry with a bit of horseback riding with the queen seems to have helped carry the day for the Brits. Asked for the president's favorite type of horse, British planners are told simply that he wants a thoroughbred. He ended up riding Centennial, one of the queen's favorites, and wearing a perfectly fitted sports jacket above his sweater, going for an old-time Hollywood look he carried off with ease.
Much of the actual visit was devoted to pomp and pageantry, or to relaxation, but Reagan did make one speech of consequence. He became the first American president to address a meeting of both houses of Parliament and used the occasion to trumpet his distaste for the Soviet Union, calling it an economic catastrophe.
He said Marxism-Leninism would be left on the ash-heap of history — a prediction that would come to pass in the following decade.
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U.S. suspends embassy operations in rebel-hit Central African Republic
Labels: World The United States said on Thursday it was suspending operations at its embassy in the Central African Republic as rebels appeared poised to move on the capital of the impoverished but resource-rich nation.
U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the U.S. embassy had temporarily suspended operations and that the U.S. ambassador and other embassy personnel had left the country.
"This decision is solely due to concerns about the security of our personnel and has no relation to our continuing and long-standing diplomatic relations with the CAR," Ventrell said in a statement.
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CAR appeals for French help against rebels, Paris balks
Labels: World The president of the Central African Republic appealed on Thursday for France and the United States to help push back rebels threatening his government and the capital, but Paris said its troops were only ready to protect French nationals.
The exchanges came as regional African leaders tried to broker a ceasefire deal and as rebels said they had temporarily halted their advance on Bangui, the capital, to allow talks to take place.
Insurgents on motorbikes and in pickup trucks have driven to within 75 km (47 miles) of Bangui after weeks of fighting, threatening to end President Francois Bozize's nearly 10-year-stint in charge of the turbulent, resource-rich country.
French nuclear energy group Areva mines the Bakouma uranium deposit in the CAR's south - France's biggest commercial interest in its former colony.
The rebel advance has highlighted the instability of a country that has remained poor since independence from Paris in 1960 despite rich deposits of uranium, gold and diamonds. Average income is barely over $2 a day.
Bozize on Thursday appealed for French and U.S. military support to stop the SELEKA rebel coalition, which has promised to overthrow him unless he implements a previous peace deal in full.
He told a crowd of anti-rebel protesters in the riverside capital that he had asked Paris and Washington to help move the rebels away from the capital to clear the way for peace talks which regional leaders say could be held soon in Libreville, Gabon.
"We are asking our cousins the French and the United States, which are major powers, to help us push back the rebels to their initial positions in a way that will permit talks in Libreville to resolve this crisis," Bozize said.
France has 250 soldiers in its landlocked former colony as part of a peacekeeping mission and Paris in the past has ousted or propped up governments - including by using air strikes to defend Bozize against rebels in 2006.
But French President Francois Hollande poured cold water on the latest request for help.
"If we have a presence, it's not to protect a regime, it's to protect our nationals and our interests and in no way to intervene in the internal business of a country, in this case the Central African Republic," Hollande said on the sidelines of a visit to a wholesale food market outside Paris.
"Those days are over," he said.
Some 1,200 French nationals live in the CAR, mostly in the capital, according to the French Foreign Ministry, where they typically work for mining firms or aid groups.
CEASEFIRE TALKS
The U.N. Security Council issued a statement saying its members "condemn the continued attacks on several towns perpetrated by the 'SELEKA' coalition of armed groups which gravely undermine the Libreville Comprehensive Peace Agreement and threaten the civilian population."
U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the U.S. embassy had temporarily suspended operations and the U.S. ambassador and other embassy personnel had left the country.
Officials from around central Africa are due to meet in Bangui later on Thursday to open initial talks with the government and rebels.
A rebel spokesman said fighters had temporarily halted their advance to allow dialogue.
"We will not enter Bangui," Colonel Djouma Narkoyo, the rebel spokesman, told Reuters by telephone.
Previous rebel promises to stop advancing have been broken, and a diplomatic source said rebels had taken up positions around Bangui on Thursday, effectively surrounding it.
The atmosphere remained tense in the city the day after anti-rebel protests broke out, and residents were stocking up on food and water.
Government soldiers deployed at strategic sites and French troops reinforced security at the French embassy after protesters threw rocks at the building on Wednesday.
In Paris, the French Foreign Ministry said protecting foreigners and embassies was the responsibility of the CAR authorities.
"This message will once again be stressed to the CAR's charge d'affaires in Paris, who has been summoned this afternoon," a ministry spokesman said.
He also said France condemned the rebels for pursuing hostilities and urged all sides to commit to talks.
Bozize came to power in a 2003 rebellion that overthrew President Ange-Felix Patasse.
However, France is increasingly reluctant to directly intervene in conflicts in its former colonies. Since coming to power in May, Hollande has promised to end its shadowy relations with former colonies and put ties on a healthier footing.
A military source and an aid worker said the rebels had got as far as Damara, 75 km (47 miles) from Bangui, by late afternoon on Wednesday, having skirted Sibut, where some 150 Chadian soldiers had earlier been deployed to try and block a push south by a rebel coalition.
With a government that holds little sway outside the capital, some parts of the country have long endured the consequences of conflicts in troubled neighbors Chad, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo spilling over.
The Central African Republic is one of a number of nations in the region where U.S. Special Forces are helping local forces try to track down the Lords Resistance Army, a rebel group responsible for killing thousands of civilians across four African nations.
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US shuts embassy in Central African Republic
Labels: World The State Department has closed its embassy in the Central African Republic and ordered the ambassador and his diplomatic team to leave the country as rebels there continue to advance and violence escalates, U.S. officials said Thursday.
A Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale, said that at the State Department's request, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta had directed U.S. Africa Command to evacuate U.S. citizens and designated foreign nationals from the U.S. Embassy in Bangui "to safe havens in the region."
State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the U.S. Embassy had temporarily suspended operations, but not diplomatic relations with the country.
"This decision is solely due to concerns about the security of our personnel and has no relation to our continuing and long-standing diplomatic relations" with the Central African Republic, Ventrell said in a statement.
Shortly after announcing the evacuation Thursday, the State Department warned U.S. citizens against travel to the Central African Republic, saying it could not "provide protection or routine consular services to U.S. citizens" and urging Americans who have decided to stay to "review their personal security situation and seriously consider departing" on commercial flights. Four days earlier, the State Department had issued a warning recommending against travel to the country and authorizing its non-emergency personnel in Bangui to leave.
U.S. officials said about 40 people were evacuated on an U.S. Air Force plane bound for Kenya. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the details of the operation.
The departure of Ambassador Laurence Wohlers and his staff comes as the president of the Central African Republic on Thursday urgently called on France and other foreign powers to help his government fend off rebels who are quickly seizing territory and approaching this capital city, but French officials declined to offer any military assistance.
Rebels have seized at least 10 towns across the sparsely populated north, and residents in the capital of 600,000 people fear insurgents could attack at any time.
The developments suggest the Central African Republic could be on the brink of another violent change in government, something not new to the impoverished country. The current president, Francois Bozize, himself came to power nearly a decade ago in the wake of a rebellion.
Speaking to crowds in Bangui, Bozize pleaded with foreign powers to do what they could. He pointed in particular to France, Central African Republic's former colonial ruler.
About 200 French soldiers are already in the country, providing technical support and helping to train the local army, according to the French defense ministry.
French President Francois Hollande said Thursday that France wants to protect its interests in Central African Republic and not Bozize's government. Paris is encouraging peace talks between the government and the rebels.
President Barack Obama late last year sent about 100 U.S. special operations forces to the region — including Central African Republic — to assist in the hunt for Joseph Kony, the fugitive rebel leader of the notorious Lord's Resistance Army. Forces have been hunting the elusive warlord in Central African Republic, South Sudan and Congo.
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AP Exclusive: Photos show NKorea nuclear readiness
Labels: WorldSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Recent satellite photos indicate North Korea has repaired flood damage at its nuclear test facility and could conduct a quick atomic explosion if it chose.
But analysis provided by the 38 North website to The Associated Press on Friday also shows water streaming out of a test tunnel that may cause problems.
Washington and others are pushing for U.N. sanctions in response to North Korea's successful long-range rocket launch Dec. 12 that outsiders consider a cover for a banned ballistic missile test.
But there's worry that Pyongyang may respond to punishment by conducting its third nuclear test.
The analysis of GeoEye and Digital Globe satellite photos from Dec. 13 and earlier was conducted by 38 North, the website for the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
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State tax revenues continue growing in third quarter
Labels: BusinessWASHINGTON (Reuters) - State tax revenues have grown for more than two years, but they are still suffering the effects of the 2007-2009 recession, according to a report released by the Rockefeller Institute of Government on Thursday.
Using preliminary data, the New York research group found that collection from major taxes increased in 47 states in the third quarter of 2012 from a year before, marking the 11th straight increase.
The recession caused states' revenues to plummet to lows not seen in decades over the course of five quarters. That forced almost all states to make emergency spending cuts, raise taxes, borrow and turn to the federal government for help just as the newly jobless and homeless increased demand for their services.
While revenues have been growing, the increases have been small. According to the institute, revenues "are still far below where they would have been in the absence of the Great Recession." Moreover, when adjusted for inflation, revenues are 5 percent below the peaks they reached in fiscal 2008, the last year before the recession devastated their budgets.
Rockefeller found that personal income tax collections were up 4.5 percent in the quarter ending in September, and sales taxes grew 3.1 percent. Corporate income taxes, which provide only a sliver of revenues, fell 0.5 percent.
In the third quarter of 2011, personal income tax collections surged 10.2 percent.
Delaware had the largest increases in overall tax collections in the third quarter, 11.7 percent, followed by Colorado, 10.3 percent.
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Using preliminary data, the New York research group found that collection from major taxes increased in 47 states in the third quarter of 2012 from a year before, marking the 11th straight increase.
The recession caused states' revenues to plummet to lows not seen in decades over the course of five quarters. That forced almost all states to make emergency spending cuts, raise taxes, borrow and turn to the federal government for help just as the newly jobless and homeless increased demand for their services.
While revenues have been growing, the increases have been small. According to the institute, revenues "are still far below where they would have been in the absence of the Great Recession." Moreover, when adjusted for inflation, revenues are 5 percent below the peaks they reached in fiscal 2008, the last year before the recession devastated their budgets.
Rockefeller found that personal income tax collections were up 4.5 percent in the quarter ending in September, and sales taxes grew 3.1 percent. Corporate income taxes, which provide only a sliver of revenues, fell 0.5 percent.
In the third quarter of 2011, personal income tax collections surged 10.2 percent.
Delaware had the largest increases in overall tax collections in the third quarter, 11.7 percent, followed by Colorado, 10.3 percent.
Muni tax break under threat from bipartisan scrutiny in congress
Labels: BusinessThe tax break that U.S. states, cities and counties get on the bonds they issue is in growing jeopardy now that Republicans, in addition to Democrats, are considering limits on the exemption.
As part of the "fiscal cliff" negotiations to raise more federal government tax revenue, Republican lawmakers have joined Democrats in reevaluating the costly tax break, said Republican congressional aides and lobbyists.
Municipal bonds issued by states and localities are a $3.7 trillion U.S. market underpinned by a law that exempts their interest income from taxation. This allows states and localities to tap capital markets more cheaply than private-sector borrowers such as banks and corporations.
"The muni bond exemption is on the table, not only during tax reform, but also during the 'fiscal cliff,'" said Mike Nicholas of the Bond Dealers of America, a lobbying group for fixed-income securities dealers and banks.
That the tax break - deeply embedded in the economy and vital to state and local governments - would draw the interest of Republicans shows how far Washington has come in a short time in considering potentially dramatic tax-and-spending changes.
As the United States grapples with a huge budget deficit and a complex tax code that has not been revamped in 26 years, even once politically untouchable tax breaks are being questioned.
The "fiscal cliff" refers to sharp tax increases and spending cuts that take effect in 18 days unless Congress intervenes soon.
Some lawmakers from both parties are calling for a comprehensive tax code overhaul in 2013 and groups concerned with the muni bond exemption are worried.
"We have not felt this threat level being this real in a long time," said David Parkhurst, legislative director with the National Governors Association, which represents the leaders of U.S. states that rely heavily on the muni bond tax exemption.
SUBSIDIZING STATES, LOCALITIES
The exemption benefits bond investors on one side of the market and state and local governments on the other. Effectively a subsidy for states and localities, the muni exemption cost U.S. taxpayers about $26.2 billion in 2011.
President Barack Obama in 2011 included the exemption among items subject to his proposed 28-percent cap on deductions and other tax breaks for individuals earning more than $200,000.
That proposal alarmed muni bond issuers and investors, who were already on edge because of a proposal to kill the exemption entirely in 2010's Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction plan.
Now, Republicans are rethinking their traditional reluctance to tinker with muni bonds, largely because they want to find ways to increase federal revenues without raising tax rates.
Phasing out the muni bond tax break for individual taxpayers earning more than $200,000 could raise about $10 billion a year - or about $100 billion over a decade - Republican aides said.
In the fight over the "fiscal cliff," Republicans hope to refute Obama's argument that real deficit reduction cannot be achieved without raising tax rates on high-income Americans.
Senator Orrin Hatch, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said tax breaks of all sorts need to be weighed in the effort to raise revenue and cut the deficit, but that "they are not easy to get rid of."
FROM STATES TO SCHOOLS
New issuance of tax-exempt bonds is expected to hit about $400 billion in 2013, up from about $370 billion this year, according to investment bank Loop Capital Markets LLC.
Jurisdictions that issue tax-exempt bonds range from states to cities, counties and school districts. They defend the bonds as vital to transportation, infrastructure and other public projects, which would be threatened by an exemption roll-back.
"It certainly couldn't come at a worse time," New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli told Reuters last week, referring to the devastation the region suffered during Hurricane Sandy.
"Even before the storm, we had tremendous infrastructure needs that localities were trying to address and now we're going to have even more."
It is unclear exactly what sort of limitations Republicans have in mind. The Obama proposal would apply to all bond issues.
Citigroup Inc muni bond strategist George Friedlander has estimated that Obama's cap, if enacted, would raise state and local government borrowing costs.
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As part of the "fiscal cliff" negotiations to raise more federal government tax revenue, Republican lawmakers have joined Democrats in reevaluating the costly tax break, said Republican congressional aides and lobbyists.
Municipal bonds issued by states and localities are a $3.7 trillion U.S. market underpinned by a law that exempts their interest income from taxation. This allows states and localities to tap capital markets more cheaply than private-sector borrowers such as banks and corporations.
"The muni bond exemption is on the table, not only during tax reform, but also during the 'fiscal cliff,'" said Mike Nicholas of the Bond Dealers of America, a lobbying group for fixed-income securities dealers and banks.
That the tax break - deeply embedded in the economy and vital to state and local governments - would draw the interest of Republicans shows how far Washington has come in a short time in considering potentially dramatic tax-and-spending changes.
As the United States grapples with a huge budget deficit and a complex tax code that has not been revamped in 26 years, even once politically untouchable tax breaks are being questioned.
The "fiscal cliff" refers to sharp tax increases and spending cuts that take effect in 18 days unless Congress intervenes soon.
Some lawmakers from both parties are calling for a comprehensive tax code overhaul in 2013 and groups concerned with the muni bond exemption are worried.
"We have not felt this threat level being this real in a long time," said David Parkhurst, legislative director with the National Governors Association, which represents the leaders of U.S. states that rely heavily on the muni bond tax exemption.
SUBSIDIZING STATES, LOCALITIES
The exemption benefits bond investors on one side of the market and state and local governments on the other. Effectively a subsidy for states and localities, the muni exemption cost U.S. taxpayers about $26.2 billion in 2011.
President Barack Obama in 2011 included the exemption among items subject to his proposed 28-percent cap on deductions and other tax breaks for individuals earning more than $200,000.
That proposal alarmed muni bond issuers and investors, who were already on edge because of a proposal to kill the exemption entirely in 2010's Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction plan.
Now, Republicans are rethinking their traditional reluctance to tinker with muni bonds, largely because they want to find ways to increase federal revenues without raising tax rates.
Phasing out the muni bond tax break for individual taxpayers earning more than $200,000 could raise about $10 billion a year - or about $100 billion over a decade - Republican aides said.
In the fight over the "fiscal cliff," Republicans hope to refute Obama's argument that real deficit reduction cannot be achieved without raising tax rates on high-income Americans.
Senator Orrin Hatch, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said tax breaks of all sorts need to be weighed in the effort to raise revenue and cut the deficit, but that "they are not easy to get rid of."
FROM STATES TO SCHOOLS
New issuance of tax-exempt bonds is expected to hit about $400 billion in 2013, up from about $370 billion this year, according to investment bank Loop Capital Markets LLC.
Jurisdictions that issue tax-exempt bonds range from states to cities, counties and school districts. They defend the bonds as vital to transportation, infrastructure and other public projects, which would be threatened by an exemption roll-back.
"It certainly couldn't come at a worse time," New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli told Reuters last week, referring to the devastation the region suffered during Hurricane Sandy.
"Even before the storm, we had tremendous infrastructure needs that localities were trying to address and now we're going to have even more."
It is unclear exactly what sort of limitations Republicans have in mind. The Obama proposal would apply to all bond issues.
Citigroup Inc muni bond strategist George Friedlander has estimated that Obama's cap, if enacted, would raise state and local government borrowing costs.
Boehner plan would bring top U.S. income tax rate to 39.6 percent: source
Labels: BusinessWASHINGTON (Reuters) - House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner's latest "fiscal cliff" proposal to President Barack Obama would see the top income tax rates rise to 39.6 percent from 35 percent for those with net incomes above $1 million a year, according to a source familiar with the talks.
The source, who asked not to be identified, emphasized that the income tax rate increase would be in exchange for "significant entitlement reforms/spending cuts." Entitlement programs include Medicare and Medicaid healthcare for the elderly and poor and Social Security retirement benefits.
The White House has not accepted Boehner's proposal, according to another source. Under current law, the top tax rate is scheduled to rise to 39.6 percent on January 1, unless Congress extends the current 35 percent, as Republicans had been urging.
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The source, who asked not to be identified, emphasized that the income tax rate increase would be in exchange for "significant entitlement reforms/spending cuts." Entitlement programs include Medicare and Medicaid healthcare for the elderly and poor and Social Security retirement benefits.
The White House has not accepted Boehner's proposal, according to another source. Under current law, the top tax rate is scheduled to rise to 39.6 percent on January 1, unless Congress extends the current 35 percent, as Republicans had been urging.
House Republicans eye limited fiscal cliff bill
Labels: BusinessWASHINGTON (Reuters) - With time running short before a Dec. 31 deadline, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner will begin work on legislation that simply would extend current low income tax rates for all families with incomes below $1 million a year, according to an aide.
Negotiations will continue with the White House on a broader tax and spending deal, the Boehner aide said.
Boehner is presenting the plan to rank-and-file Republicans in a closed-door session.
On January 1, income tax increases for most Americans will begin unless Congress acts.
Last July, the Democratic-controlled Senate passed a bill to extend the current low rates for all families with net incomes below $250,000 a year. The House Republican proposal, if passed by the House, would require agreement by the Senate or force a round of negotiations on a compromise between the two chambers.
In excerpts of remarks Boehner was delivering to his Republican members Tuesday morning, the speaker complained that "the White House just can't seem to bring itself to agree to a 'balanced' approach" to deficit-reduction in negotiations. At the same time, Boehner said Republicans were "leaving the door wide open for something better" than just the limited extension of current low tax rates for most Americans.
"Current law has tax rates going up on everyone January 1. The question for us is real simple: How do we stop as many of those rate hikes as possible?" Boehner said.
For months, Democrats have been urging House Republicans to pass a bill protecting middle-class taxpayers from a January 1 rate increase.
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Negotiations will continue with the White House on a broader tax and spending deal, the Boehner aide said.
Boehner is presenting the plan to rank-and-file Republicans in a closed-door session.
On January 1, income tax increases for most Americans will begin unless Congress acts.
Last July, the Democratic-controlled Senate passed a bill to extend the current low rates for all families with net incomes below $250,000 a year. The House Republican proposal, if passed by the House, would require agreement by the Senate or force a round of negotiations on a compromise between the two chambers.
In excerpts of remarks Boehner was delivering to his Republican members Tuesday morning, the speaker complained that "the White House just can't seem to bring itself to agree to a 'balanced' approach" to deficit-reduction in negotiations. At the same time, Boehner said Republicans were "leaving the door wide open for something better" than just the limited extension of current low tax rates for most Americans.
"Current law has tax rates going up on everyone January 1. The question for us is real simple: How do we stop as many of those rate hikes as possible?" Boehner said.
For months, Democrats have been urging House Republicans to pass a bill protecting middle-class taxpayers from a January 1 rate increase.
Senator Reid rejects Boehner "fiscal cliff" backup plan
Labels: BusinessWASHINGTON (Reuters) - House Speaker John Boehner's backup plan that would simply extend low income tax rates for households with incomes below $1 million a year "cannot pass both houses of Congress," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Tuesday.
Reid, a Democrat, said Boehner instead should focus on reaching a broad deficit-reduction deal with President Barack Obama. "Now is the time to show leadership, not kick the can down the road," Reid said.
Last July, Reid's Democrats passed a bill in the Senate that would have continued low tax rates, which are set to expire on December 31, for families with net incomes below $250,000.
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Reid, a Democrat, said Boehner instead should focus on reaching a broad deficit-reduction deal with President Barack Obama. "Now is the time to show leadership, not kick the can down the road," Reid said.
Last July, Reid's Democrats passed a bill in the Senate that would have continued low tax rates, which are set to expire on December 31, for families with net incomes below $250,000.
Column: Seattle isn't just sleepless, it's loud!
Labels: SportsThat dull roar still rumbling between your ears a day later is not your imagination.
It's the echo from the 49ers-Seahawks game Sunday night, when an already notoriously loud hometown crowd outdid itself. How?
Start with CenturyLink Field, a U-shaped stadium with cantilevered roofs extending over most of the 67,000 seats in the grandstands, a configuration designed to bounce back sound. Then throw in some fans presumably hopped up on espresso and, thanks to a later starting time, some more who stopped at Safeco Field on the way over to quaff 24-oz. beers offered through a promotion at a mere $4.50 each.
Next, mix in their dislike for a nasty NFC West rival and especially coach Jim Harbaugh, who smacked the Washington Huskies every chance he got when he was at Stanford and has been tormenting Seahawks coach Pete Carroll ever since.
Finally, throw in that early, unexpected lead and — voila! — a near-perfect sound storm.
Just know it could have been worse.
"Obviously, they were jacked up last night," said Fred Gaudelli, the innovative producer of "Sunday Night Football" on NBC. "But in my mind, it's one of the underrated sports towns in America. Actually, the special challenge there is always to convey how loud it actually is.
"We knew that going in, plus we knew the 49ers were the team their fans hate the most. So at Wednesday's regular 'brainstorming session,' we turn to our head audio engineer and said, 'How do we make viewers understand you can't hear the person next to you most of the time, even if he's yelling?' We wanted to be ready."
Gaudelli knows what can happen to a team that ventures into Seattle without preparing for the wall of noise.
In 2005, the visiting New York Giants collected 11 false-start penalties in a single game, the start of a five-year span when opponents piled up league-leading totals, averaging twice as many there as the Seahawks. The Carolina Panthers once practiced for a game there by dragging loudspeakers down to the practice field and simulating the sound of a jet engine. If that sounds over the top, it is, by about 18 decibels. Jets are routinely measured at around 130, Century Link's best is only 112.
Gaudelli and his crew hatched a plan to demonstrate that by having sideline reporter Michele Tafoya speak into a microphone as the sound reverberated, then take a step back and try again. When they ran through it before the game, he had a stadium staffer simulate the crowd noise over the PA system. At the point Tafoya's words were drowned out the system was cranked to 50 percent of volume.
"So I asked the guy, is it really going to be that loud? He looked at me," Gaudelli chuckled into the phone, "and said, 'Double it.'"
The guy was right. That much was apparent at the start of the broadcast, when Tafoya interviewed Carroll — remember, the game hadn't even begun — and didn't dare stand anywhere but uncomfortably close.
Uncomfortable might be the right word to describe the 49ers as well, at least in the early going, when they had to burn timeouts as relatively inexperienced quarterback Colin Kaepernick was having trouble getting the play calls from his sideline. Right about then, he probably wished the 49ers had devoted more time to mastering their silent snap counts.
"The crowd's explosive, it really is," Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson said. "They love us so much, and it brings so much energy to our football team. They keep us in the game, obviously, and they keep us alert."
Experts have been arguing over the worth of home-field advantage for decades. Most concluded that in those places where it's statistically significant, it's usually because of a number of factors and not just one, such as noise. Since CenturyLink opened up in 2002, Seattle is 58-29 at home, a 67 percent winning clip that ranks the Seahawks sixth in the NFL over that span. That's a far cry from New England's league-best 72-15 record (83 percent).
But the Seahawks haven't had Tom Brady at quarterback, and their road record is dismal enough (33-55) that the boost the fans at CenturyLink have provided might be best measured by their last four playoff appearances. If that's not exact enough, try this: After a 2001 earthquake shook a viaduct that runs along the water and near the stadium, the University of Washington set up a lab to track future "seismic events." One of them actually occurred during Marshawn Lynch's thundering, winning, 67-yard touchdown run in a memorable upset of the then-defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints on Jan. 9, 2011.
Yet while we know how Seattle fans make so much noise, why remains the subject of much speculation. Gaudelli, like a lot of people, blames coffee. But I'm going with a theory advanced Sunday night by announcer Al Michaels, who suggested the locals roar non-stop because showcase games gives them a rare chance to remind the rest of the country they're there.
"For media people on the East Coast," he said half in jest, "Seattle might as well be Bulgaria."
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It's the echo from the 49ers-Seahawks game Sunday night, when an already notoriously loud hometown crowd outdid itself. How?
Start with CenturyLink Field, a U-shaped stadium with cantilevered roofs extending over most of the 67,000 seats in the grandstands, a configuration designed to bounce back sound. Then throw in some fans presumably hopped up on espresso and, thanks to a later starting time, some more who stopped at Safeco Field on the way over to quaff 24-oz. beers offered through a promotion at a mere $4.50 each.
Next, mix in their dislike for a nasty NFC West rival and especially coach Jim Harbaugh, who smacked the Washington Huskies every chance he got when he was at Stanford and has been tormenting Seahawks coach Pete Carroll ever since.
Finally, throw in that early, unexpected lead and — voila! — a near-perfect sound storm.
Just know it could have been worse.
"Obviously, they were jacked up last night," said Fred Gaudelli, the innovative producer of "Sunday Night Football" on NBC. "But in my mind, it's one of the underrated sports towns in America. Actually, the special challenge there is always to convey how loud it actually is.
"We knew that going in, plus we knew the 49ers were the team their fans hate the most. So at Wednesday's regular 'brainstorming session,' we turn to our head audio engineer and said, 'How do we make viewers understand you can't hear the person next to you most of the time, even if he's yelling?' We wanted to be ready."
Gaudelli knows what can happen to a team that ventures into Seattle without preparing for the wall of noise.
In 2005, the visiting New York Giants collected 11 false-start penalties in a single game, the start of a five-year span when opponents piled up league-leading totals, averaging twice as many there as the Seahawks. The Carolina Panthers once practiced for a game there by dragging loudspeakers down to the practice field and simulating the sound of a jet engine. If that sounds over the top, it is, by about 18 decibels. Jets are routinely measured at around 130, Century Link's best is only 112.
Gaudelli and his crew hatched a plan to demonstrate that by having sideline reporter Michele Tafoya speak into a microphone as the sound reverberated, then take a step back and try again. When they ran through it before the game, he had a stadium staffer simulate the crowd noise over the PA system. At the point Tafoya's words were drowned out the system was cranked to 50 percent of volume.
"So I asked the guy, is it really going to be that loud? He looked at me," Gaudelli chuckled into the phone, "and said, 'Double it.'"
The guy was right. That much was apparent at the start of the broadcast, when Tafoya interviewed Carroll — remember, the game hadn't even begun — and didn't dare stand anywhere but uncomfortably close.
Uncomfortable might be the right word to describe the 49ers as well, at least in the early going, when they had to burn timeouts as relatively inexperienced quarterback Colin Kaepernick was having trouble getting the play calls from his sideline. Right about then, he probably wished the 49ers had devoted more time to mastering their silent snap counts.
"The crowd's explosive, it really is," Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson said. "They love us so much, and it brings so much energy to our football team. They keep us in the game, obviously, and they keep us alert."
Experts have been arguing over the worth of home-field advantage for decades. Most concluded that in those places where it's statistically significant, it's usually because of a number of factors and not just one, such as noise. Since CenturyLink opened up in 2002, Seattle is 58-29 at home, a 67 percent winning clip that ranks the Seahawks sixth in the NFL over that span. That's a far cry from New England's league-best 72-15 record (83 percent).
But the Seahawks haven't had Tom Brady at quarterback, and their road record is dismal enough (33-55) that the boost the fans at CenturyLink have provided might be best measured by their last four playoff appearances. If that's not exact enough, try this: After a 2001 earthquake shook a viaduct that runs along the water and near the stadium, the University of Washington set up a lab to track future "seismic events." One of them actually occurred during Marshawn Lynch's thundering, winning, 67-yard touchdown run in a memorable upset of the then-defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints on Jan. 9, 2011.
Yet while we know how Seattle fans make so much noise, why remains the subject of much speculation. Gaudelli, like a lot of people, blames coffee. But I'm going with a theory advanced Sunday night by announcer Al Michaels, who suggested the locals roar non-stop because showcase games gives them a rare chance to remind the rest of the country they're there.
"For media people on the East Coast," he said half in jest, "Seattle might as well be Bulgaria."
Manning, Peterson, Pagano: 2012 a year to remember
Labels: SportsFrom Peyton Manning overcoming four neck surgeries to Adrian Peterson's rebound from a shredded knee to Chuck Pagano's fight with leukemia, this has been the Year of the Comeback in the NFL.
A season besmirched by tragedies, replacement officials and a bounty scandal also will go down as one in which some of the game's greats not only regained their old form but somehow surpassed it.
There are always feel-good stories about those who overcome long odds and broken bodies to regain at least a sliver of their past glory. This season provided an abundance of them.
When the season started, who could have expected Manning to recapture his MVP play so quickly with a new team? Or for Peterson to come back less than nine months after shredding his left knee. Or for Jamaal Charles to return better than ever after suffering a similar injury.
Then there's Pagano beating the biggest opponent of his life.
A year ago, Manning was in the midst of four neck operations to fix a nerve injury that had caused his right arm to atrophy and had sidelined him for an entire season. Soon, he would say a tearful farewell to Indianapolis, a city he'd put back on the NFL map, and hook up with John Elway in Denver.
Peterson's left knee was still swollen after he'd shredded it on Christmas Eve, an injury similar to the one Charles suffered earlier last season. Yet both would defy medicine and conventional wisdom alike to rebound as better runners than they were before getting hurt.
Pagano's fight started three months ago when it was disclosed he had cancer, forcing the first-year Colts coach to take time off for chemotherapy treatments. He returned to work this week, taking the reins from assistant Bruce Arians, who guided the team to a surprising playoff berth in his absence.
"When I asked for Bruce to take over, I asked for him to kick some you-know-what and to do great. Damn Bruce, you had to go and win nine games?" Pagano said. "Tough act to follow."
If all goes well at practice this week, Pagano will be on the sideline for the regular-season finale against Houston. That's a final tuneup for the AFC wild-card playoffs that nobody saw coming for the Colts so soon after cutting ties with Manning, who switched teams, coaches, cities and colors and didn't miss a beat in 2012.
Despite a new supporting cast and a 36-year-old body he insists continues to confound him, the quintessential quarterback has had one of the best seasons in his storied career. Manning set franchise or NFL records just about every week while completing 68 percent of his passes for 4,355 yards with 34 TDs and just 11 interceptions.
And yet, he insists he's not anything close to what he used to be, that all he can do is maximize what's left in a body that's been slowed by so many surgeons' scalpels, and trips around the sun.
"I know you don't believe me when I say this; I'm still learning about myself physically and what I can do, it's still the truth," Manning said after guiding Denver to its 10th straight win. "I still have things that are harder than they used to be, so (there's) things I have to work on from a rehab standpoint and a strength standpoint. That's just the way it is and maybe that's the way it's going to be from here on out, I don't know."
Maybe Manning's being modest, maybe he's suckering opponents into blitzing him more often so he can burn them again. Either way, it's a remarkable rebound for a man whose right arm was so weakened after one of his neck surgeries that he could hardly throw the football 15 yards.
Long before Manning ever dreamed he'd be wearing the orange-mane mustang on his helmet instead of the blue and white horseshoe, Manning met up with college buddy Todd Helton of the Colorado Rockies for a workout during last year's NFL lockout. They retreated to an indoor batting cage at Coors Field with a trainer in tow, and Manning's first pass nose-dived so badly that Helton told him to quit goofing around.
Manning wasn't messing with him. He was dead serious. His arm was shot, his future in football in doubt. A few days later, he underwent spinal fusion surgery and would miss the entire 2011 season.
If doctors had told him that was it, Manning said he would have called it a career without regret. But they gave him a bit of hope and that's all he needed to embark on his comeback in Colorado.
Coach John Fox, never one to lobby for awards, suggested this week that Manning deserves a fifth MVP honor for the numbers he's put up, the obstacles he's overcome, the shift of culture he's engineered.
Manning isn't interested in talking about MVPs or comeback awards. He just wants enough wins to get a shot at hoisting another Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans in six weeks.
Peterson, on the other hand, is unabashedly clear in his desire for some recognition after overcoming torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee, requiring the kind of reconstructive surgery that usually turns dominant players into ordinary ones.
There's a long, long list of players who had shortened careers because of such injuries. But Peterson returned to the Vikings lineup less than nine months after his operation, and with a league-high 1,898 yards, he's 207 yards shy of Eric Dickerson's single-season record. He can topple it with another big game Sunday when Minnesota faces Green Bay with a playoff berth on the line for the Vikings.
With typical unflinching confidence, Peterson said in a recent interview with The Associated Press he's expecting to win the comeback award.
"I kind of have that in the bag, especially how I've been telling people I'm going to come back stronger and better than ever," he said.
Carrying the Vikings to the playoffs without a potent passing game in a league dominated by strong-armed, accurate quarterbacks would only burnish the credentials of this thoroughbred throwback.
In any other year, the zenith of comebacks might be that of Carolina linebacker Thomas Davis, who battled back from three torn right ACLs — in 2009, 2010 and 2011 — to be a major contributor to the Panthers this year. No player in NFL history has returned after tearing the same ACL three separate times.
Charles missed nearly all of 2011 with a torn left ACL. Yet the former All-Pro running back has run for 1,456 yards, the seventh-best season in franchise history. He can break his single-season-high set in 2010 with 12 yards against the Broncos on Sunday.
Charles ran for 226 yards last weekend, when he surpassed 750 career carries, which also qualifies him for the NFL record for yards per carry. Charles is averaging 5.82 yards on 770 attempts, which far surpasses the 5.22 yards that Hall of Famer Jim Brown averaged in 2,359 attempts from 1957-65.
Charles, Peterson and Davis are all better than ever. Manning might be, too, but he'll never say it.
"I'm trying to be as good as I can at this stage," Manning said. "A 36-year-old quarterback coming off a year and a-half off, playing on a new team, I'm trying to be as good as I possibly can in this scenario.
"It's a different kind of body I'm playing in and just a different kind of quarterback play for me."
Yet, as transcendent as ever.
"If he's lost anything, I can't see it," said Broncos receiver Brandon Stokley, who played with Manning in his prime in Indianapolis. "I'm sure in some ways he's better than he ever was. And he's always been great."
Read More..
A season besmirched by tragedies, replacement officials and a bounty scandal also will go down as one in which some of the game's greats not only regained their old form but somehow surpassed it.
There are always feel-good stories about those who overcome long odds and broken bodies to regain at least a sliver of their past glory. This season provided an abundance of them.
When the season started, who could have expected Manning to recapture his MVP play so quickly with a new team? Or for Peterson to come back less than nine months after shredding his left knee. Or for Jamaal Charles to return better than ever after suffering a similar injury.
Then there's Pagano beating the biggest opponent of his life.
A year ago, Manning was in the midst of four neck operations to fix a nerve injury that had caused his right arm to atrophy and had sidelined him for an entire season. Soon, he would say a tearful farewell to Indianapolis, a city he'd put back on the NFL map, and hook up with John Elway in Denver.
Peterson's left knee was still swollen after he'd shredded it on Christmas Eve, an injury similar to the one Charles suffered earlier last season. Yet both would defy medicine and conventional wisdom alike to rebound as better runners than they were before getting hurt.
Pagano's fight started three months ago when it was disclosed he had cancer, forcing the first-year Colts coach to take time off for chemotherapy treatments. He returned to work this week, taking the reins from assistant Bruce Arians, who guided the team to a surprising playoff berth in his absence.
"When I asked for Bruce to take over, I asked for him to kick some you-know-what and to do great. Damn Bruce, you had to go and win nine games?" Pagano said. "Tough act to follow."
If all goes well at practice this week, Pagano will be on the sideline for the regular-season finale against Houston. That's a final tuneup for the AFC wild-card playoffs that nobody saw coming for the Colts so soon after cutting ties with Manning, who switched teams, coaches, cities and colors and didn't miss a beat in 2012.
Despite a new supporting cast and a 36-year-old body he insists continues to confound him, the quintessential quarterback has had one of the best seasons in his storied career. Manning set franchise or NFL records just about every week while completing 68 percent of his passes for 4,355 yards with 34 TDs and just 11 interceptions.
And yet, he insists he's not anything close to what he used to be, that all he can do is maximize what's left in a body that's been slowed by so many surgeons' scalpels, and trips around the sun.
"I know you don't believe me when I say this; I'm still learning about myself physically and what I can do, it's still the truth," Manning said after guiding Denver to its 10th straight win. "I still have things that are harder than they used to be, so (there's) things I have to work on from a rehab standpoint and a strength standpoint. That's just the way it is and maybe that's the way it's going to be from here on out, I don't know."
Maybe Manning's being modest, maybe he's suckering opponents into blitzing him more often so he can burn them again. Either way, it's a remarkable rebound for a man whose right arm was so weakened after one of his neck surgeries that he could hardly throw the football 15 yards.
Long before Manning ever dreamed he'd be wearing the orange-mane mustang on his helmet instead of the blue and white horseshoe, Manning met up with college buddy Todd Helton of the Colorado Rockies for a workout during last year's NFL lockout. They retreated to an indoor batting cage at Coors Field with a trainer in tow, and Manning's first pass nose-dived so badly that Helton told him to quit goofing around.
Manning wasn't messing with him. He was dead serious. His arm was shot, his future in football in doubt. A few days later, he underwent spinal fusion surgery and would miss the entire 2011 season.
If doctors had told him that was it, Manning said he would have called it a career without regret. But they gave him a bit of hope and that's all he needed to embark on his comeback in Colorado.
Coach John Fox, never one to lobby for awards, suggested this week that Manning deserves a fifth MVP honor for the numbers he's put up, the obstacles he's overcome, the shift of culture he's engineered.
Manning isn't interested in talking about MVPs or comeback awards. He just wants enough wins to get a shot at hoisting another Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans in six weeks.
Peterson, on the other hand, is unabashedly clear in his desire for some recognition after overcoming torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee, requiring the kind of reconstructive surgery that usually turns dominant players into ordinary ones.
There's a long, long list of players who had shortened careers because of such injuries. But Peterson returned to the Vikings lineup less than nine months after his operation, and with a league-high 1,898 yards, he's 207 yards shy of Eric Dickerson's single-season record. He can topple it with another big game Sunday when Minnesota faces Green Bay with a playoff berth on the line for the Vikings.
With typical unflinching confidence, Peterson said in a recent interview with The Associated Press he's expecting to win the comeback award.
"I kind of have that in the bag, especially how I've been telling people I'm going to come back stronger and better than ever," he said.
Carrying the Vikings to the playoffs without a potent passing game in a league dominated by strong-armed, accurate quarterbacks would only burnish the credentials of this thoroughbred throwback.
In any other year, the zenith of comebacks might be that of Carolina linebacker Thomas Davis, who battled back from three torn right ACLs — in 2009, 2010 and 2011 — to be a major contributor to the Panthers this year. No player in NFL history has returned after tearing the same ACL three separate times.
Charles missed nearly all of 2011 with a torn left ACL. Yet the former All-Pro running back has run for 1,456 yards, the seventh-best season in franchise history. He can break his single-season-high set in 2010 with 12 yards against the Broncos on Sunday.
Charles ran for 226 yards last weekend, when he surpassed 750 career carries, which also qualifies him for the NFL record for yards per carry. Charles is averaging 5.82 yards on 770 attempts, which far surpasses the 5.22 yards that Hall of Famer Jim Brown averaged in 2,359 attempts from 1957-65.
Charles, Peterson and Davis are all better than ever. Manning might be, too, but he'll never say it.
"I'm trying to be as good as I can at this stage," Manning said. "A 36-year-old quarterback coming off a year and a-half off, playing on a new team, I'm trying to be as good as I possibly can in this scenario.
"It's a different kind of body I'm playing in and just a different kind of quarterback play for me."
Yet, as transcendent as ever.
"If he's lost anything, I can't see it," said Broncos receiver Brandon Stokley, who played with Manning in his prime in Indianapolis. "I'm sure in some ways he's better than he ever was. And he's always been great."
Soccer-Del Piero dismisses Sydney exit talk
Labels: SportsAlessandro Del Piero's uncertain future in Australia could be close to being resolved, with the former Italy striker pledging his support for struggling Sydney FC.
The 38-year-old former World Cup winner arrived at the club to much fanfare this season but has failed to prevent Sydney's plummet to the foot of the A-League.
But with negotiations to take up the option to extend his lucrative one-year deal dragging on, Del Piero appeared keen to dismiss rumours he would leave at the end of the season.
"Everything is clear for me and the club," the former Juventus forward, who has struggled recently with a hamstring tweak, told local media on Wednesday.
"We can do earlier than we think about the contract. It's not a stress here for me. I want to put all my knowledge and my heart into games."
Del Piero asserted his management team, including brother Stefano, were working hard on negotiating a second season at the A-League side.
"My brother talks about that," he said of his contract.
"It's his problem, not mine.
"I've spent a really good time here. At the moment the best thing for me, the club and for teammates and everyone here is to concentrate about the games.
"We have to put all of our energy, mentally and physically (into games)," added Del Piero, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006.
"Not about other things. I'm really enjoying it here. Now we have to win a couple of games for more enjoyment."
Del Piero's signing was hailed as ground-breaking for the A-League but the expectations heaped on the club as a result led to the resignation of former manager Ian Crook.
Sydney have won just three times this season but Del Piero, making A$2 million ($2.07 million) a year, vowed to fight on.
Read More..
The 38-year-old former World Cup winner arrived at the club to much fanfare this season but has failed to prevent Sydney's plummet to the foot of the A-League.
But with negotiations to take up the option to extend his lucrative one-year deal dragging on, Del Piero appeared keen to dismiss rumours he would leave at the end of the season.
"Everything is clear for me and the club," the former Juventus forward, who has struggled recently with a hamstring tweak, told local media on Wednesday.
"We can do earlier than we think about the contract. It's not a stress here for me. I want to put all my knowledge and my heart into games."
Del Piero asserted his management team, including brother Stefano, were working hard on negotiating a second season at the A-League side.
"My brother talks about that," he said of his contract.
"It's his problem, not mine.
"I've spent a really good time here. At the moment the best thing for me, the club and for teammates and everyone here is to concentrate about the games.
"We have to put all of our energy, mentally and physically (into games)," added Del Piero, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006.
"Not about other things. I'm really enjoying it here. Now we have to win a couple of games for more enjoyment."
Del Piero's signing was hailed as ground-breaking for the A-League but the expectations heaped on the club as a result led to the resignation of former manager Ian Crook.
Sydney have won just three times this season but Del Piero, making A$2 million ($2.07 million) a year, vowed to fight on.
Del Piero dismisses Sydney exit talk
Labels: SportsREUTERS - Alessandro Del Piero's uncertain future in Australia could be close to being resolved, with the former Italy striker pledging his support for struggling Sydney FC.
The 38-year-old former World Cup winner arrived at the club to much fanfare this season but has failed to prevent Sydney's plummet to the foot of the A-League.
But with negotiations to take up the option to extend his lucrative one-year deal dragging on, Del Piero appeared keen to dismiss rumours he would leave at the end of the season.
"Everything is clear for me and the club," the former Juventus forward, who has struggled recently with a hamstring tweak, told local media on Wednesday.
"We can do earlier than we think about the contract. It's not a stress here for me. I want to put all my knowledge and my heart into games."
Del Piero asserted his management team, including brother Stefano, were working hard on negotiating a second season at the A-League side.
"My brother talks about that," he said of his contract.
"It's his problem, not mine.
"I've spent a really good time here. At the moment the best thing for me, the club and for teammates and everyone here is to concentrate about the games.
"We have to put all of our energy, mentally and physically (into games)," added Del Piero, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006.
"Not about other things. I'm really enjoying it here. Now we have to win a couple of games for more enjoyment."
Del Piero's signing was hailed as ground-breaking for the A-League but the expectations heaped on the club as a result led to the resignation of former manager Ian Crook.
Sydney have won just three times this season but Del Piero, making A$2 million a year, vowed to fight on.
"This is our moment," he said. "We have to jump over this moment with heart, with fight and pressure and a little luck for us."
Read More..
The 38-year-old former World Cup winner arrived at the club to much fanfare this season but has failed to prevent Sydney's plummet to the foot of the A-League.
But with negotiations to take up the option to extend his lucrative one-year deal dragging on, Del Piero appeared keen to dismiss rumours he would leave at the end of the season.
"Everything is clear for me and the club," the former Juventus forward, who has struggled recently with a hamstring tweak, told local media on Wednesday.
"We can do earlier than we think about the contract. It's not a stress here for me. I want to put all my knowledge and my heart into games."
Del Piero asserted his management team, including brother Stefano, were working hard on negotiating a second season at the A-League side.
"My brother talks about that," he said of his contract.
"It's his problem, not mine.
"I've spent a really good time here. At the moment the best thing for me, the club and for teammates and everyone here is to concentrate about the games.
"We have to put all of our energy, mentally and physically (into games)," added Del Piero, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006.
"Not about other things. I'm really enjoying it here. Now we have to win a couple of games for more enjoyment."
Del Piero's signing was hailed as ground-breaking for the A-League but the expectations heaped on the club as a result led to the resignation of former manager Ian Crook.
Sydney have won just three times this season but Del Piero, making A$2 million a year, vowed to fight on.
"This is our moment," he said. "We have to jump over this moment with heart, with fight and pressure and a little luck for us."
Fans’ support brought tears to my eyes: Tendulkar
Labels: SportsCalcutta: Overwhelmed by the tributes that have poured in ever since he announced his retirement from one-day cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, on Tuesday, said that the “love and support” of fans brought tears to his eyes.
The 39-year-old, who retired from the limited-overs format last Sunday, is in Mussourie for holidays, after announcing his decision.
Opening up on his Twitter page after the decision that left quite a few surprised, Tendulkar said the emotional reaction to his retirement left him overwhelmed.
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Tendulkar showed us how to be humble, says Dhoni
“Words are not enough to express my thanks to each of you for all the love & support I have received over the years...& especially now in the last couple of days. Your expressions have brought joy to my heart...& at times a tear to my eye!” Tendulkar wrote.
“... Those magical moments of our ODI journey will stay with me for the rest of my life. Thank you so much :-),” he added.
Tendulkar retired from the one-day format at the top of the run-getters’ list with 18,426 runs, which included 49 hundreds and 96 half centuries.
The Master, who played six World Cups, was also the first batsman to score a double hundred in the 50-over format.
Considered the most complete batsman in modern cricket, Tendulkar celebrated the biggest moment of his ODI career last year when India won the World Cup for the second time in the history of the competition.
Tendulkar remains active in the Test arena where he has 15,645 runs from 194 matches, including 51 hundreds.
Cricket-Revolving pace door no problem for Australia - Siddle
Labels: WorldMELBOURNE, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Paceman Peter Siddle has backed Australia's attack to shrug off a glut of injuries that have hit the team's fast bowling stocks ahead of the second test against Sri Lanka starting on Wednesday.
Australia, who have won just one of their past four tests, have enjoyed precious little continuity in their pace attack due to injuries and fatigue, and are set for another reshuffle with Ben Hilfenhaus ruled out of the Boxing Day test in Melbourne.
Left-armers Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnston, and the uncapped Jackson Bird are vying to join Siddle in a three-man pace attack at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with selectors likely to retain spinner Nathan Lyon.
Siddle, man of the match with nine wickets in Australia's last-gasp defeat of Sri Lanka in Hobart on Monday, said the hosts' reserves were strong enough to step up to the challenge.
"That's probably been the big thing that we've done well in especially the past 18 months," Siddle told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday.
"Whoever's come into the squad they've known what they had to do.
"The guys that have come in have shown that they can execute their skills and work with the rest of the players in the squad to maintain that pressure.
"That's what the success that we've had in that time has come down to.
"The squad has changed a lot with the bowlers, but we've stuck together, we've worked well as a team."
ROTATION POLICY
Australia have lost young pacemen Pat Cummins and James Pattinson for the home series, and selectors have stoked controversy by adopting a rotation policy to preserve the fitness of the remaining bowlers.
Both Hilfenhaus and Siddle were rested for Australia's loss against South Africa in the third test in Perth, which cost them the series 1-0, while local media have speculated 22-year-old Starc could be dropped for the Melbourne test despite taking a five-wicket haul in the second innings in Hobart.
Siddle backed the rotation policy, however, and said would-be debutant Bird would be well suited to the MCG, where has taken 14 wickets at an average of 12.07 in two Sheffield Shield games.
"It's a very patient ground," 28-year-old Siddle said.
"I guess I've had my success a similar way to (Bird) - you bowl nagging lengths and be patient, you bowl tight lines - that's sort of been the go-to here for us.
"He's a very similar type to those sort of styles."
Read More..
Australia, who have won just one of their past four tests, have enjoyed precious little continuity in their pace attack due to injuries and fatigue, and are set for another reshuffle with Ben Hilfenhaus ruled out of the Boxing Day test in Melbourne.
Left-armers Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnston, and the uncapped Jackson Bird are vying to join Siddle in a three-man pace attack at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with selectors likely to retain spinner Nathan Lyon.
Siddle, man of the match with nine wickets in Australia's last-gasp defeat of Sri Lanka in Hobart on Monday, said the hosts' reserves were strong enough to step up to the challenge.
"That's probably been the big thing that we've done well in especially the past 18 months," Siddle told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday.
"Whoever's come into the squad they've known what they had to do.
"The guys that have come in have shown that they can execute their skills and work with the rest of the players in the squad to maintain that pressure.
"That's what the success that we've had in that time has come down to.
"The squad has changed a lot with the bowlers, but we've stuck together, we've worked well as a team."
ROTATION POLICY
Australia have lost young pacemen Pat Cummins and James Pattinson for the home series, and selectors have stoked controversy by adopting a rotation policy to preserve the fitness of the remaining bowlers.
Both Hilfenhaus and Siddle were rested for Australia's loss against South Africa in the third test in Perth, which cost them the series 1-0, while local media have speculated 22-year-old Starc could be dropped for the Melbourne test despite taking a five-wicket haul in the second innings in Hobart.
Siddle backed the rotation policy, however, and said would-be debutant Bird would be well suited to the MCG, where has taken 14 wickets at an average of 12.07 in two Sheffield Shield games.
"It's a very patient ground," 28-year-old Siddle said.
"I guess I've had my success a similar way to (Bird) - you bowl nagging lengths and be patient, you bowl tight lines - that's sort of been the go-to here for us.
"He's a very similar type to those sort of styles."
Cricket-Herath hopes to put Australia in a Melbourne spin
Labels: WorldDec 22 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan slow bowling spearhead Rangana Herath believes that Australia's limited opportunities to face quality spinners in domestic cricket will enhance his side's chances of success in next week's second test.
Herath, the leading test wicket-taker in 2012 with 60 victims from nine matches, has carried the burden of leading the Sri Lankan attack since the retirement of spinning great Muttiah Muralitharan.
The left-armer grabbed a second innings five-wicket haul in the first test in Hobart, which Sri Lanka lost by 137 runs, and is likely to be a handful in the Boxing Day test in Melbourne, on a pitch expected to offer help for slow bowlers.
"I know that the Australians, even in domestic cricket, they are 80-90 percent playing against fast bowlers," Herath told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday.
"So with that, I have chances to get wickets bowling spin."
Sri Lanka are still chasing their first test victory Down Under and need a win to square the series going into the third and final match in Sydney on Jan. 3.
The visitors will take heart from the fact that they won a test in South Africa last year while trailing 1-0 in the series with Herath claiming nine wickets in a man-of-the-match performance.
"In South Africa, (it was) the same scenario," he said.
"We lost... in the first test and we came back strongly and we did well and we won against South Africa in that Boxing Day test match," added the 34-year-old, who has taken 179 wickets in 43 tests.
Read More..
Herath, the leading test wicket-taker in 2012 with 60 victims from nine matches, has carried the burden of leading the Sri Lankan attack since the retirement of spinning great Muttiah Muralitharan.
The left-armer grabbed a second innings five-wicket haul in the first test in Hobart, which Sri Lanka lost by 137 runs, and is likely to be a handful in the Boxing Day test in Melbourne, on a pitch expected to offer help for slow bowlers.
"I know that the Australians, even in domestic cricket, they are 80-90 percent playing against fast bowlers," Herath told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday.
"So with that, I have chances to get wickets bowling spin."
Sri Lanka are still chasing their first test victory Down Under and need a win to square the series going into the third and final match in Sydney on Jan. 3.
The visitors will take heart from the fact that they won a test in South Africa last year while trailing 1-0 in the series with Herath claiming nine wickets in a man-of-the-match performance.
"In South Africa, (it was) the same scenario," he said.
"We lost... in the first test and we came back strongly and we did well and we won against South Africa in that Boxing Day test match," added the 34-year-old, who has taken 179 wickets in 43 tests.
Cricket-Herath hopes to put Australia in a Melbourne spin
Labels: WorldDec 22 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan slow bowling spearhead Rangana Herath believes that Australia's limited opportunities to face quality spinners in domestic cricket will enhance his side's chances of success in next week's second test.
Herath, the leading test wicket-taker in 2012 with 60 victims from nine matches, has carried the burden of leading the Sri Lankan attack since the retirement of spinning great Muttiah Muralitharan.
The left-armer grabbed a second innings five-wicket haul in the first test in Hobart, which Sri Lanka lost by 137 runs, and is likely to be a handful in the Boxing Day test in Melbourne, on a pitch expected to offer help for slow bowlers.
"I know that the Australians, even in domestic cricket, they are 80-90 percent playing against fast bowlers," Herath told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday.
"So with that, I have chances to get wickets bowling spin."
Sri Lanka are still chasing their first test victory Down Under and need a win to square the series going into the third and final match in Sydney on Jan. 3.
The visitors will take heart from the fact that they won a test in South Africa last year while trailing 1-0 in the series with Herath claiming nine wickets in a man-of-the-match performance.
"In South Africa, (it was) the same scenario," he said.
"We lost... in the first test and we came back strongly and we did well and we won against South Africa in that Boxing Day test match," added the 34-year-old, who has taken 179 wickets in 43 tests.
Read More..
Herath, the leading test wicket-taker in 2012 with 60 victims from nine matches, has carried the burden of leading the Sri Lankan attack since the retirement of spinning great Muttiah Muralitharan.
The left-armer grabbed a second innings five-wicket haul in the first test in Hobart, which Sri Lanka lost by 137 runs, and is likely to be a handful in the Boxing Day test in Melbourne, on a pitch expected to offer help for slow bowlers.
"I know that the Australians, even in domestic cricket, they are 80-90 percent playing against fast bowlers," Herath told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday.
"So with that, I have chances to get wickets bowling spin."
Sri Lanka are still chasing their first test victory Down Under and need a win to square the series going into the third and final match in Sydney on Jan. 3.
The visitors will take heart from the fact that they won a test in South Africa last year while trailing 1-0 in the series with Herath claiming nine wickets in a man-of-the-match performance.
"In South Africa, (it was) the same scenario," he said.
"We lost... in the first test and we came back strongly and we did well and we won against South Africa in that Boxing Day test match," added the 34-year-old, who has taken 179 wickets in 43 tests.
Dec 23 (Reuters) - Prolific batsman Kevin Pietersen has been left out of England's limited-overs squad for next year's New Zealand tour as part of a policy to better manage the workload of players, the country's cricket board said on Sunday. Former skipper Pietersen, who will play in the five-match one-day international series in India next month, will not be part of the three Twenty20 internationals and three ODIs in New Zealand. Meanwhile, James Anderson, Jonathan Trott and Graeme Swann were named in the ODI squad after being rested for the five-match series against India, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement. "There are a number of players who we have decided not to select... as we look to manage their workloads effectively while ensuring we remain competitive across all formats," national selector Geoff Miller said. "We feel this is the best way of keeping players as physically and mentally fresh as possible during a demanding 2013 and beyond. "Kevin Pietersen will miss the limited-overs tour of New Zealand with Graeme Swann missing the T20 leg of the tour. "This approach also provides an opportunity for talented young players to gain more international experience which will be important for their development and the development of England sides in the future." All-rounder Stuart Broad will return to lead the T20 side after missing the two-match series against India. England will also play three tests against New Zealand during their tour which starts with the first T20 match in Auckland on Feb. 9. England T20 squad: Stuart Broad (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, James Tredwell and Luke Wright.
Labels: World Sri Lankan slow bowling spearhead Rangana Herath believes that Australia's limited opportunities to face quality spinners in domestic cricket will enhance his side's chances of success in next week's second test.
Herath, the leading test wicket-taker in 2012 with 60 victims from nine matches, has carried the burden of leading the Sri Lankan attack since the retirement of spinning great Muttiah Muralitharan.
The left-armer grabbed a second innings five-wicket haul in the first test in Hobart, which Sri Lanka lost by 137 runs, and is likely to be a handful in the Boxing Day test in Melbourne, on a pitch expected to offer help for slow bowlers.
"I know that the Australians, even in domestic cricket, they are 80-90 percent playing against fast bowlers," Herath told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday.
"So with that, I have chances to get wickets bowling spin."
Sri Lanka are still chasing their first test victory Down Under and need a win to square the series going into the third and final match in Sydney on January 3.
The visitors will take heart from the fact that they won a test in South Africa last year while trailing 1-0 in the series with Herath claiming nine wickets in a man-of-the-match performance.
"In South Africa, (it was) the same scenario," he said.
"We lost... in the first test and we came back strongly and we did well and we won against South Africa in that Boxing Day test match," added the 34-year-old, who has taken 179 wickets in 43 tests.
"That was a remarkable one, because that's the only (test) we have won against South Africa on their soil."
Read More..
Herath, the leading test wicket-taker in 2012 with 60 victims from nine matches, has carried the burden of leading the Sri Lankan attack since the retirement of spinning great Muttiah Muralitharan.
The left-armer grabbed a second innings five-wicket haul in the first test in Hobart, which Sri Lanka lost by 137 runs, and is likely to be a handful in the Boxing Day test in Melbourne, on a pitch expected to offer help for slow bowlers.
"I know that the Australians, even in domestic cricket, they are 80-90 percent playing against fast bowlers," Herath told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday.
"So with that, I have chances to get wickets bowling spin."
Sri Lanka are still chasing their first test victory Down Under and need a win to square the series going into the third and final match in Sydney on January 3.
The visitors will take heart from the fact that they won a test in South Africa last year while trailing 1-0 in the series with Herath claiming nine wickets in a man-of-the-match performance.
"In South Africa, (it was) the same scenario," he said.
"We lost... in the first test and we came back strongly and we did well and we won against South Africa in that Boxing Day test match," added the 34-year-old, who has taken 179 wickets in 43 tests.
"That was a remarkable one, because that's the only (test) we have won against South Africa on their soil."
Cricket-England's Pietersen rested for New Zealand ODIs
Labels: WorldDec 23 (Reuters) - Prolific batsman Kevin Pietersen has been left out of England's limited-overs squad for next year's New Zealand tour as part of a policy to better manage the workload of players, the country's cricket board said on Sunday.
Former skipper Pietersen, who will play in the five-match one-day international series in India next month, will not be part of the three Twenty20 internationals and three ODIs in New Zealand.
Meanwhile, James Anderson, Jonathan Trott and Graeme Swann were named in the ODI squad after being rested for the five-match series against India, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement.
"There are a number of players who we have decided not to select... as we look to manage their workloads effectively while ensuring we remain competitive across all formats," national selector Geoff Miller said.
"We feel this is the best way of keeping players as physically and mentally fresh as possible during a demanding 2013 and beyond.
"Kevin Pietersen will miss the limited-overs tour of New Zealand with Graeme Swann missing the T20 leg of the tour.
"This approach also provides an opportunity for talented young players to gain more international experience which will be important for their development and the development of England sides in the future."
All-rounder Stuart Broad will return to lead the T20 side after missing the two-match series against India.
England will also play three tests against New Zealand during their tour which starts with the first T20 match in Auckland on Feb. 9.
England T20 squad: Stuart Broad (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, James Tredwell and Luke Wright.
Read More..
Former skipper Pietersen, who will play in the five-match one-day international series in India next month, will not be part of the three Twenty20 internationals and three ODIs in New Zealand.
Meanwhile, James Anderson, Jonathan Trott and Graeme Swann were named in the ODI squad after being rested for the five-match series against India, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement.
"There are a number of players who we have decided not to select... as we look to manage their workloads effectively while ensuring we remain competitive across all formats," national selector Geoff Miller said.
"We feel this is the best way of keeping players as physically and mentally fresh as possible during a demanding 2013 and beyond.
"Kevin Pietersen will miss the limited-overs tour of New Zealand with Graeme Swann missing the T20 leg of the tour.
"This approach also provides an opportunity for talented young players to gain more international experience which will be important for their development and the development of England sides in the future."
All-rounder Stuart Broad will return to lead the T20 side after missing the two-match series against India.
England will also play three tests against New Zealand during their tour which starts with the first T20 match in Auckland on Feb. 9.
England T20 squad: Stuart Broad (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, James Tredwell and Luke Wright.
"Castle" star Nathan Fillion to preside over Writers Guild Awards show
Labels: EntertainmentPretend writer Nathan Fillion will help honor real writers on February 17, when he hosts the Writers Guild Awards West Coast show, the Writers Guild of America, West said Monday.
Fillion, who plays a mystery novelist on ABC's "Castle," joked that he was "confused" when he was tapped for the hosting gig.
"When I first accepted the honor of hosting the Writers Guild Awards, I was confused and actually thought I was receiving one. Since I play a writer on TV, I felt perhaps someone was under the impression I deserved an award and I wasn't about to correct them," Fillion said. "However, now I'm in the perfect position to present myself with whichever award I choose. Who's going to know?"
The Writers Guild Awards West Coast show will take place February 17, 2013 at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live. The East Coast show will take place simultaneously at B.B. King Blues Club in New York City.
Writers Guild Awards executive producer Cort Casady praised Fillion's multiple talents - along with his thriving Twitter account - in the announcement.
"Not only does he play a writer brilliantly on 'Castle,' but also, in addition to acting, he sings, dances, is a popular voice talent, and has a great gift for comedy," Casady said. "And with over 1.5 million Twitter followers, Nathan brings a smart, enthusiastic audience to our celebration of writing
Read More..
Fillion, who plays a mystery novelist on ABC's "Castle," joked that he was "confused" when he was tapped for the hosting gig.
"When I first accepted the honor of hosting the Writers Guild Awards, I was confused and actually thought I was receiving one. Since I play a writer on TV, I felt perhaps someone was under the impression I deserved an award and I wasn't about to correct them," Fillion said. "However, now I'm in the perfect position to present myself with whichever award I choose. Who's going to know?"
The Writers Guild Awards West Coast show will take place February 17, 2013 at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live. The East Coast show will take place simultaneously at B.B. King Blues Club in New York City.
Writers Guild Awards executive producer Cort Casady praised Fillion's multiple talents - along with his thriving Twitter account - in the announcement.
"Not only does he play a writer brilliantly on 'Castle,' but also, in addition to acting, he sings, dances, is a popular voice talent, and has a great gift for comedy," Casady said. "And with over 1.5 million Twitter followers, Nathan brings a smart, enthusiastic audience to our celebration of writing
"Best Funeral Ever" premiere delayed after Newtown school shootings
Labels: EntertainmentFans of death-centric reality TV will have to wait a little longer to dig into TLC's "Best Funeral Ever."
TLC has pushed back the premiere of the special to January 6 at 10/9c in light of the school shootings in Newtown, Conn. last week.
"Best Funeral Ever" was initially scheduled to premiere on December 26 at 8/7c.
"Best Funeral Ever" centers around the Golden Gate Funeral Home in Dallas, which specializes in elaborate specialty funerals catering to the deceased's interest. In the special, a doo-wop singer famous for his rib-sauce jingle receives a barbecue-themed sendoff, while a disabled man who was unable to ride roller coasters in mortal life receives a State Fair-themed funeral.
Since last Friday's horrific shootings, a number of programs and other entertainment-related events have been moved out of sensitivity. Syfy, for one, decided not to air its scheduled episode of "Haven" on Friday night, because it contained elements of fictionalized school violence.
Read More..
TLC has pushed back the premiere of the special to January 6 at 10/9c in light of the school shootings in Newtown, Conn. last week.
"Best Funeral Ever" was initially scheduled to premiere on December 26 at 8/7c.
"Best Funeral Ever" centers around the Golden Gate Funeral Home in Dallas, which specializes in elaborate specialty funerals catering to the deceased's interest. In the special, a doo-wop singer famous for his rib-sauce jingle receives a barbecue-themed sendoff, while a disabled man who was unable to ride roller coasters in mortal life receives a State Fair-themed funeral.
Since last Friday's horrific shootings, a number of programs and other entertainment-related events have been moved out of sensitivity. Syfy, for one, decided not to air its scheduled episode of "Haven" on Friday night, because it contained elements of fictionalized school violence.
Amazon adds episodes of alt-comedy show "UnCabaret"
Labels: Entertainment Amazon Instant Video has added four exclusive episodes of "UnCabaret," an alt-comedy showcase for the likes of Margaret Cho and Andy Dick, to its Prime Instant Video service.
The show was created and hosted by comedian and entertainer Beth Lapides and features performances by such comedy stars as Sandra Bernhard, Garfunkle and Oates, Greg Fitzsimmons and Rob Delaney. Instead of punch-line driven sets, performers are encouraged to show off story-based stream-of-consciousness acts.
Amazon Prime members will get free access to the titles. The episodes will be available for rental or purchase for Amazon Instant Video customers on an a la carte basis.
Amazon Prime costs $79 annually and gives members free two-day shipping as well as streaming access to movies and shows from the likes of Paramount and Disney-ABC. The catalog of titles grew a little larger Monday. In addition to "UnCabaret," Amazon announced an exclusive content licensing agreement with Turner Broadcasting System and Warner Bros. TV to add two TNT shows, "Falling Skies" and "The Closer" to its service.
Read More..
The show was created and hosted by comedian and entertainer Beth Lapides and features performances by such comedy stars as Sandra Bernhard, Garfunkle and Oates, Greg Fitzsimmons and Rob Delaney. Instead of punch-line driven sets, performers are encouraged to show off story-based stream-of-consciousness acts.
Amazon Prime members will get free access to the titles. The episodes will be available for rental or purchase for Amazon Instant Video customers on an a la carte basis.
Amazon Prime costs $79 annually and gives members free two-day shipping as well as streaming access to movies and shows from the likes of Paramount and Disney-ABC. The catalog of titles grew a little larger Monday. In addition to "UnCabaret," Amazon announced an exclusive content licensing agreement with Turner Broadcasting System and Warner Bros. TV to add two TNT shows, "Falling Skies" and "The Closer" to its service.
"The Playroom" lands distributor
Labels: EntertainmentFreestyle Releasing and Freestyle Digital Media have acquired the theatrical, DVD and VOD rights to "The Playroom," a drama directed by Julia Dyer ("Late Bloomers"), which stars John Hawkes ("Winter's Bone," "The Sessions") and Molly Parker ("Dexter," "The Firm").
The film is slated for a day-and-date theatrical release and on DVD/VOD on February 8, 2013.
"The Playroom" premiered in the gala/spotlight section of this year's Tribeca Film Festival. It was produced by Stephen Dyer ("Hysteria") and Angie Meyer ("Wuss").
Set in the suburbs during the1970s, the family drama tells the story of Maggie (Olivia Harris), a vulnerable teenager who acts as a big sister to her three younger siblings. Upstairs in the attic, she tells them stories to mask what is happening downstairs with their hard-drinking parents.
"Julia Dyer has created a beautiful time machine back to the '70s," said Susan Jackson, president of Freestyle. "The film is a bird's eye view of a tumultuous period told from the perspective of children."
Freestyle Digital Media's slate of releases includes "Samsara," from Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson, as well as the recently released "You May Not Kiss the Bride," starring Katharine McPhee and Rob Schneider.
Read More..
The film is slated for a day-and-date theatrical release and on DVD/VOD on February 8, 2013.
"The Playroom" premiered in the gala/spotlight section of this year's Tribeca Film Festival. It was produced by Stephen Dyer ("Hysteria") and Angie Meyer ("Wuss").
Set in the suburbs during the1970s, the family drama tells the story of Maggie (Olivia Harris), a vulnerable teenager who acts as a big sister to her three younger siblings. Upstairs in the attic, she tells them stories to mask what is happening downstairs with their hard-drinking parents.
"Julia Dyer has created a beautiful time machine back to the '70s," said Susan Jackson, president of Freestyle. "The film is a bird's eye view of a tumultuous period told from the perspective of children."
Freestyle Digital Media's slate of releases includes "Samsara," from Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson, as well as the recently released "You May Not Kiss the Bride," starring Katharine McPhee and Rob Schneider.
"The Office" head Greg Daniels sells tennis comedy to Fox
Labels: EntertainmentThe Office" might be preparing to close up shop, but the series' creator is most definitely still open for business.
Greg Daniels, who birthed the American version of "The Office" - which is preparing to wrap up its run at the end of this season - has sold a half-hour comedy to Fox via Universal Television and his own Deedle-Dee Productions.
The project was sold through Daniels by Tom Gormican ("Are We Officially Dating?") and Richie Keen ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"), who are also writing.
The as-yet-untitled project will revolve around Richie, a so-so tennis pro who returns to his college town to get a fresh start on life. There, Richie finds himself torn between living the carefree life with his bar-owning brother and growing up to pursue Kristen, the love of his life.
Daniels will executive-produce the project via his Deedle-Dee Production, along with Gormican and Keen.
Read More..
Greg Daniels, who birthed the American version of "The Office" - which is preparing to wrap up its run at the end of this season - has sold a half-hour comedy to Fox via Universal Television and his own Deedle-Dee Productions.
The project was sold through Daniels by Tom Gormican ("Are We Officially Dating?") and Richie Keen ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"), who are also writing.
The as-yet-untitled project will revolve around Richie, a so-so tennis pro who returns to his college town to get a fresh start on life. There, Richie finds himself torn between living the carefree life with his bar-owning brother and growing up to pursue Kristen, the love of his life.
Daniels will executive-produce the project via his Deedle-Dee Production, along with Gormican and Keen.
Analysis: Democrats' discord undercuts Obama estate tax push
Labels: BusinessWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Divisions among Democrats are undermining President Barack Obama's push to raise the U.S. estate tax on inherited wealth, just weeks before the arrival of the "fiscal cliff" could drive the present estate tax rate even higher than Obama proposes.
Action on the estate tax could be postponed. But in his successful re-election campaign, Obama called for wealthy Americans to pay more in taxes - and it is overwhelmingly the wealthy who pay the estate tax.
The outcome may hinge on whether Obama insists on his estate tax proposal - or something close to it - as forcefully as he has insisted on raising individual income tax rates for high income-earners, or whether he lets the issue be put off.
If a single facet of the complicated partisan stand-off over taxing the wealthy best captures Capitol Hill's fiscal gridlock, it may be the estate tax - a long-standing and volatile issue - that may finally be coming to a head.
"If you look at where the public is on tax issues compared to the last time this was debated - it is night and day," said Frank Clemente, campaign manager for left-leaning Americans for Tax Fairness. "They are deep into this tax fairness position."
The "fiscal cliff" is a collection of federal tax increases and automatic government spending cuts that, if allowed to take effect as scheduled early in 2013, could push the U.S. economy into recession, according to economists' forecasts.
Part of the picture is the estate tax.
Under laws signed a decade ago by former Republican President George W. Bush, the estate tax is applied to inherited assets at 35 percent after a $5 million exemption. That means a deceased person can pass on an inheritance of up to $5 million before any tax applies.
Inherited wealth passed to a spouse or a federally recognized charity is generally not taxed.
Obama wants to raise the rate to 45 percent after a $3.5 million exemption. If the Bush rates are allowed to expire and Congress does nothing, the rate will shoot up next year to the pre-Bush levels of 55 percent after a $1 million exemption.
SCHUMER ON ESTATE TAX
New York Senator Charles Schumer on Thursday said the Democrats' proposal to avert the "fiscal cliff" involves $1 trillion in immediate deficit reduction that includes new revenue from raising the estate tax to the level proposed by Obama.
No less a power broker than Democratic Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said this week, however, that he wants to hold the estate tax steady at current rates.
Baucus is up for re-election in 2014 from Montana. He says ranch and farm owners in his state would stand to lose if federal taxes rose on passing property to heirs.
"Rural Montana is much different than urban America," Baucus told Reuters in a brief interview in the U.S. Capitol.
He told a Montana newspaper on Sunday that he would even support scrapping the estate tax altogether, as most Republicans favor. A spokesman for Baucus - the Senate's top tax law writer - said he will seek as much estate tax "relief" as he can get.
At least three other rural-state Democratic senators have proposed extending current estate tax rates: Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Jon Tester of Montana and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.
Spokesmen for Pryor and McCaskill said everything is on the table as Congress struggles to deal with the "fiscal cliff."
But one thing is clear: the voice of farming lobbyists is registering with Democrats on the volatile estate tax issue, although it is only marginally about farms and ranches.
BEYOND FARMS AND RANCHES
The estate tax's impact extends beyond farmers and ranchers. It applies mostly to very wealthy Americans, whose taxes have been specifically targeted for increase by a president whom voters returned to the White House just three weeks ago following a tough campaign in which taxes were a key topic.
Of the 3,600 estates subject to the estate tax this year, only 100 are classified as farming estates, according to the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation.
The wealthiest 10 percent of Americans pay nearly all of the estate tax under current rates, according to the Tax Policy Center, a non-partisan fiscal policy think tank.
The number of estates subject to the tax would double under the plan proposed by Obama. About 300 farming estates would be subject to the tax under Obama's terms, which would raise about $100 billion in new revenue for the government over 10 years.
Republicans have benefited previously from Democratic division over the tax. In July, Senate Democrats shelved a plan to raise the estate tax with a symbolic extension of the Bush tax rates for the middle-class.
A senior Senate Democratic aide said the tax was pulled from the bill because Obama felt strongly about boosting the tax. It is unclear how hard he will fight for his position this time.
BY ANY OTHER NAME
The divide between the political parties over the tax is so wide that they cannot even agree on a name for it. Democrats call it the estate tax, as it is described in law.
Republicans, who generally want to repeal it, have another, more provocative name. They call it the "death tax" and characterize it as a penalty on being wealthy and successful.
First enacted nearly a century ago to combat the rise of dynastic wealth and check income disparity, the estate tax is the most progressive tax there is. That means it hits the wealthy much more than lower income groups.
It was a Republican president, Teddy Roosevelt, that proposed the first permanent inheritance tax, arguing that inheritance of "enormous fortunes" does a society no good.
"No advantage comes either to the country as a whole or to the individuals inheriting the money by permitting the transmission in their entirety of the enormous fortunes which would be affected by such a tax," Roosevelt said.
Another decade passed before it was adopted in 1916, partly to fund World War I. The rate has waxed and waned, hitting a high of 77 percent prior to World War II.
Read More..
Action on the estate tax could be postponed. But in his successful re-election campaign, Obama called for wealthy Americans to pay more in taxes - and it is overwhelmingly the wealthy who pay the estate tax.
The outcome may hinge on whether Obama insists on his estate tax proposal - or something close to it - as forcefully as he has insisted on raising individual income tax rates for high income-earners, or whether he lets the issue be put off.
If a single facet of the complicated partisan stand-off over taxing the wealthy best captures Capitol Hill's fiscal gridlock, it may be the estate tax - a long-standing and volatile issue - that may finally be coming to a head.
"If you look at where the public is on tax issues compared to the last time this was debated - it is night and day," said Frank Clemente, campaign manager for left-leaning Americans for Tax Fairness. "They are deep into this tax fairness position."
The "fiscal cliff" is a collection of federal tax increases and automatic government spending cuts that, if allowed to take effect as scheduled early in 2013, could push the U.S. economy into recession, according to economists' forecasts.
Part of the picture is the estate tax.
Under laws signed a decade ago by former Republican President George W. Bush, the estate tax is applied to inherited assets at 35 percent after a $5 million exemption. That means a deceased person can pass on an inheritance of up to $5 million before any tax applies.
Inherited wealth passed to a spouse or a federally recognized charity is generally not taxed.
Obama wants to raise the rate to 45 percent after a $3.5 million exemption. If the Bush rates are allowed to expire and Congress does nothing, the rate will shoot up next year to the pre-Bush levels of 55 percent after a $1 million exemption.
SCHUMER ON ESTATE TAX
New York Senator Charles Schumer on Thursday said the Democrats' proposal to avert the "fiscal cliff" involves $1 trillion in immediate deficit reduction that includes new revenue from raising the estate tax to the level proposed by Obama.
No less a power broker than Democratic Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said this week, however, that he wants to hold the estate tax steady at current rates.
Baucus is up for re-election in 2014 from Montana. He says ranch and farm owners in his state would stand to lose if federal taxes rose on passing property to heirs.
"Rural Montana is much different than urban America," Baucus told Reuters in a brief interview in the U.S. Capitol.
He told a Montana newspaper on Sunday that he would even support scrapping the estate tax altogether, as most Republicans favor. A spokesman for Baucus - the Senate's top tax law writer - said he will seek as much estate tax "relief" as he can get.
At least three other rural-state Democratic senators have proposed extending current estate tax rates: Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Jon Tester of Montana and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.
Spokesmen for Pryor and McCaskill said everything is on the table as Congress struggles to deal with the "fiscal cliff."
But one thing is clear: the voice of farming lobbyists is registering with Democrats on the volatile estate tax issue, although it is only marginally about farms and ranches.
BEYOND FARMS AND RANCHES
The estate tax's impact extends beyond farmers and ranchers. It applies mostly to very wealthy Americans, whose taxes have been specifically targeted for increase by a president whom voters returned to the White House just three weeks ago following a tough campaign in which taxes were a key topic.
Of the 3,600 estates subject to the estate tax this year, only 100 are classified as farming estates, according to the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation.
The wealthiest 10 percent of Americans pay nearly all of the estate tax under current rates, according to the Tax Policy Center, a non-partisan fiscal policy think tank.
The number of estates subject to the tax would double under the plan proposed by Obama. About 300 farming estates would be subject to the tax under Obama's terms, which would raise about $100 billion in new revenue for the government over 10 years.
Republicans have benefited previously from Democratic division over the tax. In July, Senate Democrats shelved a plan to raise the estate tax with a symbolic extension of the Bush tax rates for the middle-class.
A senior Senate Democratic aide said the tax was pulled from the bill because Obama felt strongly about boosting the tax. It is unclear how hard he will fight for his position this time.
BY ANY OTHER NAME
The divide between the political parties over the tax is so wide that they cannot even agree on a name for it. Democrats call it the estate tax, as it is described in law.
Republicans, who generally want to repeal it, have another, more provocative name. They call it the "death tax" and characterize it as a penalty on being wealthy and successful.
First enacted nearly a century ago to combat the rise of dynastic wealth and check income disparity, the estate tax is the most progressive tax there is. That means it hits the wealthy much more than lower income groups.
It was a Republican president, Teddy Roosevelt, that proposed the first permanent inheritance tax, arguing that inheritance of "enormous fortunes" does a society no good.
"No advantage comes either to the country as a whole or to the individuals inheriting the money by permitting the transmission in their entirety of the enormous fortunes which would be affected by such a tax," Roosevelt said.
Another decade passed before it was adopted in 1916, partly to fund World War I. The rate has waxed and waned, hitting a high of 77 percent prior to World War II.
Canadian year-to-date budget deficit narrows in September
Labels: BusinessOTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's federal budget deficit dropped in the first six months of the fiscal year, falling to C$8.9 billion ($9.0 billion) in April to September from a C$11.8 billion shortfall in the same period of last year, the Department of Finance said on Friday.
The monthly deficit in September fell slightly to C$2.69 billion from C$2.75 billion in September 2011.
Revenues in the first six months of the fiscal year were up by 2.8 percent, compared with the same period in 2011, reflecting higher income tax revenues, excise taxes and duties, the finance department said.
Program expenses rose by 1.4 percent, mainly due to higher transfer payments.
September revenues fell by 0.1 percent from September 2011 while program expenses increased by 0.6 percent. Public debt charges fell by 7.6 percent.
Read More..
The monthly deficit in September fell slightly to C$2.69 billion from C$2.75 billion in September 2011.
Revenues in the first six months of the fiscal year were up by 2.8 percent, compared with the same period in 2011, reflecting higher income tax revenues, excise taxes and duties, the finance department said.
Program expenses rose by 1.4 percent, mainly due to higher transfer payments.
September revenues fell by 0.1 percent from September 2011 while program expenses increased by 0.6 percent. Public debt charges fell by 7.6 percent.
Number of ND 'income millionaires' jumps by 102
Labels: BusinessBISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A record number of North Dakotans reported seven-figure incomes last year, many of whom are benefiting from the state's oil bonanza, the state Tax Department says.
Figures released to The Associated Press show a record 634 people reported incomes of more than $1 million on their 2011 individual tax returns, up from 532 in 2010 and 384 in 2009. In 2006, while North Dakota's oil boom was in its infancy, there were 339 so-called "income millionaires."
About 90 percent of the drilling in western North Dakota occurs on private land.
Tax Department analyst Kathy Strombeck said the increase in the number of North Dakotans with million-dollar incomes comes largely from royalties paid to mineral owners by oil companies.
"Oil has a lot to do with it," she said. "I imagine we'll see growth for a while as we ratchet up projection."
Through September, North Dakota already has set an oil production record for the fifth consecutive year and the state is on pace to best the previous mark by more than 50 million barrels. The state Department of Mineral Resources said crude production through September totaled more than 173.9 million barrels, up from the record 152.9 million barrels set last year.
Tax Department records show the average adjusted gross income in the state increased from $53,036 in 2010 to $60,947 last year. The average adjusted gross income on 2006 returns was about $43,300.
The number of returns has jumped from 339,000 in 2006 to 403,625 last year. The total reported income has increased from $14.6 billion to $21.9 billion during those years, data show.
Tax Commissioner Cory Fong said the higher incomes and the increase in the number of people filing tax returns in the state "adds to the narrative of what we've got going on here in North Dakota."
The oil industry has helped grow wages throughout the state and created hundreds of high-paying jobs. It also has an effect on other industries, including wholesale trade and manufacturing, he said.
"In a way, it's lifting all boats," Fong said.
A strong overall economy and healthy agriculture sector also are factors, Fong said.
Read More..
Figures released to The Associated Press show a record 634 people reported incomes of more than $1 million on their 2011 individual tax returns, up from 532 in 2010 and 384 in 2009. In 2006, while North Dakota's oil boom was in its infancy, there were 339 so-called "income millionaires."
About 90 percent of the drilling in western North Dakota occurs on private land.
Tax Department analyst Kathy Strombeck said the increase in the number of North Dakotans with million-dollar incomes comes largely from royalties paid to mineral owners by oil companies.
"Oil has a lot to do with it," she said. "I imagine we'll see growth for a while as we ratchet up projection."
Through September, North Dakota already has set an oil production record for the fifth consecutive year and the state is on pace to best the previous mark by more than 50 million barrels. The state Department of Mineral Resources said crude production through September totaled more than 173.9 million barrels, up from the record 152.9 million barrels set last year.
Tax Department records show the average adjusted gross income in the state increased from $53,036 in 2010 to $60,947 last year. The average adjusted gross income on 2006 returns was about $43,300.
The number of returns has jumped from 339,000 in 2006 to 403,625 last year. The total reported income has increased from $14.6 billion to $21.9 billion during those years, data show.
Tax Commissioner Cory Fong said the higher incomes and the increase in the number of people filing tax returns in the state "adds to the narrative of what we've got going on here in North Dakota."
The oil industry has helped grow wages throughout the state and created hundreds of high-paying jobs. It also has an effect on other industries, including wholesale trade and manufacturing, he said.
"In a way, it's lifting all boats," Fong said.
A strong overall economy and healthy agriculture sector also are factors, Fong said.
Obama says Republican "fiscal cliff" plan out of balance
Labels: BusinessObama says Republican "fiscal cliff" plan out of balance
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama rejected a Republican proposal to resolve a looming fiscal crisis on Tuesday as "still out of balance" and insisted any deal must include a rise in income tax rates on the wealthiest Americans.
Obama told Bloomberg Television that the Republicans' reliance on eliminating tax deductions instead of letting taxes rise on Americans making more than $250,000 a year would not raise enough money to fund the government.
House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, the top Republican in Congress, laid out a proposal on Monday that called for spending cuts but did not give any ground on Obama's call for an increase in tax rates for the top 2 percent of U.S. earners.
"Unfortunately, the Speaker's proposal right now is still out of balance. You know, he talks, for example, about $800 billion worth of revenues, but he says he's going to do that by lowering rates. And when you look at the math, it doesn't work," Obama said.
Obama, who won re-election last month, said it was important for Republicans to acknowledge that tax rates had to rise for top earners to raise revenue sufficient to balance spending cuts.
"We're going to have to see the rates on the top 2 percent go up. And we're not going to be able to get a deal without it," he said.
Obama said on Tuesday that while tax rates must go up for a "fiscal cliff" deal, it may be possible to lower rates at the top end of the scale late next year as part of tax reforms that would close loopholes and limit deductions.
"Let's let those go up," Obama told Bloomberg in an interview, referring to tax rates for the wealthiest Americans.
"And then let's set up a process with a time certain, at the end of 2013 or the fall of 2013, where we work on tax reform, we look at what loopholes and deductions both Democrats and Republicans are willing to close, and it's possible that we may be able to lower rates by broadening the base at that point."
Obama acknowledged there were more spending cuts that could be made and he pledged to work with Boehner to trim what he called excessive healthcare costs in the budget but that a deal was not possible without raising tax rates on the wealthy.
"There's probably more cuts that we can squeeze out, although we've already made over $1 trillion worth of spending cuts," he said.
Obama said there was not enough time this year to come up with an overhaul of the U.S. tax system and entitlement programs that Republicans want as a condition for an agreement to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, a combination of tax hikes and spending cuts set to start in 2013 that economists predict will throw the economy into depression.
He said that despite weaknesses in Europe and Asia, he believed the U.S. economy is "poised to take off."
Obama added he is considering bringing a top business executive onto his economic team, but that the Senate confirmation process can be so difficult that some business executives shy away from government service.
Read More..
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama rejected a Republican proposal to resolve a looming fiscal crisis on Tuesday as "still out of balance" and insisted any deal must include a rise in income tax rates on the wealthiest Americans.
Obama told Bloomberg Television that the Republicans' reliance on eliminating tax deductions instead of letting taxes rise on Americans making more than $250,000 a year would not raise enough money to fund the government.
House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, the top Republican in Congress, laid out a proposal on Monday that called for spending cuts but did not give any ground on Obama's call for an increase in tax rates for the top 2 percent of U.S. earners.
"Unfortunately, the Speaker's proposal right now is still out of balance. You know, he talks, for example, about $800 billion worth of revenues, but he says he's going to do that by lowering rates. And when you look at the math, it doesn't work," Obama said.
Obama, who won re-election last month, said it was important for Republicans to acknowledge that tax rates had to rise for top earners to raise revenue sufficient to balance spending cuts.
"We're going to have to see the rates on the top 2 percent go up. And we're not going to be able to get a deal without it," he said.
Obama said on Tuesday that while tax rates must go up for a "fiscal cliff" deal, it may be possible to lower rates at the top end of the scale late next year as part of tax reforms that would close loopholes and limit deductions.
"Let's let those go up," Obama told Bloomberg in an interview, referring to tax rates for the wealthiest Americans.
"And then let's set up a process with a time certain, at the end of 2013 or the fall of 2013, where we work on tax reform, we look at what loopholes and deductions both Democrats and Republicans are willing to close, and it's possible that we may be able to lower rates by broadening the base at that point."
Obama acknowledged there were more spending cuts that could be made and he pledged to work with Boehner to trim what he called excessive healthcare costs in the budget but that a deal was not possible without raising tax rates on the wealthy.
"There's probably more cuts that we can squeeze out, although we've already made over $1 trillion worth of spending cuts," he said.
Obama said there was not enough time this year to come up with an overhaul of the U.S. tax system and entitlement programs that Republicans want as a condition for an agreement to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, a combination of tax hikes and spending cuts set to start in 2013 that economists predict will throw the economy into depression.
He said that despite weaknesses in Europe and Asia, he believed the U.S. economy is "poised to take off."
Obama added he is considering bringing a top business executive onto his economic team, but that the Senate confirmation process can be so difficult that some business executives shy away from government service.
Republicans see some leverage in "fiscal cliff" talks
Labels: BusinessWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republicans may have some leverage in their fiscal cliffhanger with President Barack Obama: the threat of forcing a disproportionate number of Democrats to pay the so-called alternative minimum tax.
Under U.S. law, taxpayers each year must pay the greater of regular federal income tax, or the AMT. The latter requires taxpayers to give up certain tax breaks, typically exemptions and deductions for state and local taxes and medical costs.
Only about 4 million taxpayers pay the AMT because Congress routinely passes a law to adjust for inflation, to spare middle-income and upper-middle income taxpayers. Without this legislative fix, called a "patch" by lawmakers, up to 33 million taxpayers will have to pay an AMT liability for 2012, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
That is one in five taxpayers.
The number of taxpayers affected by the AMT would jump because the AMT exemption amounts and income brackets do not automatically rise with inflation and also because across-the-board individual tax cuts a decade ago did not cut AMT rates.
States with the wealthiest taxpayers and the steepest state taxes, which typically cannot be deducted under the AMT, include New York, California and Illinois - Democratic strongholds.
That may make the threat of a lapse one of the Republicans' strongest cards after Obama's re-election last month on a theme of tax fairness.
"The AMT is one of the more significant pieces of leverage that the Republicans have," said Evan Liddiard, a former tax adviser to Orrin Hatch, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. "It will pinch harder in the blue states."
That may make Republicans less likely to agree to a bill that addresses only the AMT.
Obama's Democrats and Republicans, led by House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, have been battling while trying to keep from falling over a $600 billion "fiscal cliff" - a combination of tax increases and spending cuts due to be implemented early next year.
Now at a standstill, talks on how to avert the fiscal cliff have been largely focused on whether to renew low tax rates for the wealthiest taxpayers along with everyone else.
In a brief interview in the Capitol, Hatch said voters in the Democratic-leaning states will not be amused if their taxes go up unexpectedly.
"When they find out they are going to get hammered because of the AMT and the lack of plan by this administration to resolve that problem, yes, I think that will cost them (the Democrats) a few votes," Hatch said.
Because the latest AMT patch expired in 2011, it is in some ways more urgent to address the AMT than the Bush-era tax cuts expiring at the end of December.
Congress last patched the AMT in the lame-duck session in 2010. A bipartisan bill passed by the Senate finance committee to patch AMT for 2012 and 2013 was estimated to cost $132.2 billion.
The cost is one reason the AMT never gets patched permanently. Republicans generally want to scrap the AMT altogether; Obama's latest budget calls for adjusting it for inflation.
IRS WARNINGS
Further complicating the AMT picture is the chaos predicted for the tax-filing season due to begin on January 22, the first working day after Obama's inauguration ceremony in Washington.
A letter from the tax-collecting IRS Commissioner Steve Miller on potential agency problems related to the fiscal cliff focuses almost exclusively on the AMT.
Failure to "patch" the AMT could lead to 60 million taxpayers not being able to file tax returns or get a refund, in addition to a software nightmare for the IRS computer systems.
Miller wrote lawmakers on November 13 warning them of serious repercussions for taxpayers, including 28 million with a "very large unexpected tax liability," and delays in refunds for millions.
"Consistent with past practice, I have instructed IRS staff again this year to leave our core systems "as-is" with respect to the AMT, and hold off on the substantial design and engineering work" required otherwise, he wrote.
Miller last briefed the Senate Finance Committee about the need for action late last month, according to a Senate source.
Representative Richard Neal, a senior Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee who represents parts of Massachusetts, said fixing the AMT was an absolute must.
"It has to be done. It reaches too many people if it's not," Neal said. "I think it is again being used as (a) bargaining (chip)."
Republicans say they are holding out for a bigger deal.
"That is not going to solve the fiscal cliff," said Republican Representative Pat Tiberi, who leads the revenue sub-panel of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee.
Read More..
Under U.S. law, taxpayers each year must pay the greater of regular federal income tax, or the AMT. The latter requires taxpayers to give up certain tax breaks, typically exemptions and deductions for state and local taxes and medical costs.
Only about 4 million taxpayers pay the AMT because Congress routinely passes a law to adjust for inflation, to spare middle-income and upper-middle income taxpayers. Without this legislative fix, called a "patch" by lawmakers, up to 33 million taxpayers will have to pay an AMT liability for 2012, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
That is one in five taxpayers.
The number of taxpayers affected by the AMT would jump because the AMT exemption amounts and income brackets do not automatically rise with inflation and also because across-the-board individual tax cuts a decade ago did not cut AMT rates.
States with the wealthiest taxpayers and the steepest state taxes, which typically cannot be deducted under the AMT, include New York, California and Illinois - Democratic strongholds.
That may make the threat of a lapse one of the Republicans' strongest cards after Obama's re-election last month on a theme of tax fairness.
"The AMT is one of the more significant pieces of leverage that the Republicans have," said Evan Liddiard, a former tax adviser to Orrin Hatch, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. "It will pinch harder in the blue states."
That may make Republicans less likely to agree to a bill that addresses only the AMT.
Obama's Democrats and Republicans, led by House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, have been battling while trying to keep from falling over a $600 billion "fiscal cliff" - a combination of tax increases and spending cuts due to be implemented early next year.
Now at a standstill, talks on how to avert the fiscal cliff have been largely focused on whether to renew low tax rates for the wealthiest taxpayers along with everyone else.
In a brief interview in the Capitol, Hatch said voters in the Democratic-leaning states will not be amused if their taxes go up unexpectedly.
"When they find out they are going to get hammered because of the AMT and the lack of plan by this administration to resolve that problem, yes, I think that will cost them (the Democrats) a few votes," Hatch said.
Because the latest AMT patch expired in 2011, it is in some ways more urgent to address the AMT than the Bush-era tax cuts expiring at the end of December.
Congress last patched the AMT in the lame-duck session in 2010. A bipartisan bill passed by the Senate finance committee to patch AMT for 2012 and 2013 was estimated to cost $132.2 billion.
The cost is one reason the AMT never gets patched permanently. Republicans generally want to scrap the AMT altogether; Obama's latest budget calls for adjusting it for inflation.
IRS WARNINGS
Further complicating the AMT picture is the chaos predicted for the tax-filing season due to begin on January 22, the first working day after Obama's inauguration ceremony in Washington.
A letter from the tax-collecting IRS Commissioner Steve Miller on potential agency problems related to the fiscal cliff focuses almost exclusively on the AMT.
Failure to "patch" the AMT could lead to 60 million taxpayers not being able to file tax returns or get a refund, in addition to a software nightmare for the IRS computer systems.
Miller wrote lawmakers on November 13 warning them of serious repercussions for taxpayers, including 28 million with a "very large unexpected tax liability," and delays in refunds for millions.
"Consistent with past practice, I have instructed IRS staff again this year to leave our core systems "as-is" with respect to the AMT, and hold off on the substantial design and engineering work" required otherwise, he wrote.
Miller last briefed the Senate Finance Committee about the need for action late last month, according to a Senate source.
Representative Richard Neal, a senior Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee who represents parts of Massachusetts, said fixing the AMT was an absolute must.
"It has to be done. It reaches too many people if it's not," Neal said. "I think it is again being used as (a) bargaining (chip)."
Republicans say they are holding out for a bigger deal.
"That is not going to solve the fiscal cliff," said Republican Representative Pat Tiberi, who leads the revenue sub-panel of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee.
YEARENDER-Basketball-Lebron shines brightest on every stage
Labels: SportsDec 21 (Reuters) - LeBron James finally captured an elusive National Basketball Association title to cap a year where he silenced his critics and shared the spotlight with some unlikely players.
"Linsanity" became one of the new buzzwords in the NBA while a collegiate player took a sledgehammer to the record books and the Los Angeles Lakers made a blockbuster trade that rekindled memories of the team's "Showtime" era.
James, long considered the NBA's heir apparent to Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, finally delivered a performance worthy of that status with a championship in his ninth season, followed by a gold medal with the United States at the London Olympics.
A dominant force on the court, James had already earned the NBA's scoring title, Most Valuable Player honors and All-Star nods, but it took an elusive title, MVP honors for the regular season and NBA Finals to prove his detractors wrong.
The self proclaimed 'King James' became a player many NBA fans love to hate after going on national television in 2010 to announce his much-publicized move to Miami, but there is no denying his status as one of the game's greatest players.
"It was the hardest thing I've ever done as a basketball player," James said after winning the NBA title in June, beating Oklahoma City in the finals. "You just put a lot of hard work into it and you hope that one day it will pay off for you."
'LINSANITY' CRAZE
Basketball's marquee names were forced to share the limelight with undrafted Taiwanese-American Jeremy Lin, who went from an unknown to an overnight sensation after being thrust into the New York Knicks' starting lineup in February.
Lin burst onto the public consciousness after a masterful series of dynamic displays, scoring at least 20 points in nine of 10 games during a season-high seven-game win streak for the Knicks that sparked the "Linsanity" craze around the globe.
Crowds at New York's Madison Square Garden held an array of pun signs declaring "To Lin-finity and Beyond," "The Sky's the LINit" and "LINCREDIBLE," while a mid-February game in Toronto had one spectator holding a "By my VaLINtine" sign.
Lin's incredible run was undone by a late-season injury but that did not stop Time Magazine from naming him as one of the world's 100 most influential people. He was the only basketball player on a list that included President Barack Obama and billionaire investor Warren Buffet.
At the London Games, a star-studded American team led by James were one of the hottest favorites but were tested by an inspired Spain team before prevailing 107-100 in the gold-medal game to retain their Olympic title.
The victory capped a remarkable run for James, who was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, an award whose previous winners include boxer Muhammad Ali, golfer Jack Nicklaus and swimmer Michael Phelps.
GOLD MEDAL
It also put the finishing touches on an American sweep of basketball gold as the U.S. women collected their fifth consecutive Olympic gold, solidifying the country's dominance in a sport that has become much more competitive since active NBA players first participated in the Olympics in 1992.
The Lakers were the biggest story during the NBA's offseason after landing Dwight Howard in a 12-player trade that rekindled memories of the team's "Showtime" era from 1979-1989 with Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Howard, a three-time defensive player of the year, joined a Lakers team that was already bursting with talent in the form of Kobe Bryant and Spain's Pau Gasol and still revelling in the acquisition of two-time league MVP Steve Nash a month earlier.
The massive trade immediately bolstered the Lakers championship credentials, a welcome development for a franchise that has suffered two straight early playoff exits since winning a 16th NBA title in 2010.
But despite the formidable Lakers lineup, the team stumbled out of the gate and their head coach was fired after a 1-4 start to the 2012-13 NBA as players were unable to grasp his new offensive system.
Some of the year's top stories even came from outside the professional ranks as Jack Taylor, a sophomore guard at Iowa's Grinnell College, shattered the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) scoring record with a 138-point performance in a Division III game.
The 22-year-old guard from Iowa's Grinnell College, drew national attention for his performance, which shattered the previous record of 113 points set in 1954.
Read More..
"Linsanity" became one of the new buzzwords in the NBA while a collegiate player took a sledgehammer to the record books and the Los Angeles Lakers made a blockbuster trade that rekindled memories of the team's "Showtime" era.
James, long considered the NBA's heir apparent to Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, finally delivered a performance worthy of that status with a championship in his ninth season, followed by a gold medal with the United States at the London Olympics.
A dominant force on the court, James had already earned the NBA's scoring title, Most Valuable Player honors and All-Star nods, but it took an elusive title, MVP honors for the regular season and NBA Finals to prove his detractors wrong.
The self proclaimed 'King James' became a player many NBA fans love to hate after going on national television in 2010 to announce his much-publicized move to Miami, but there is no denying his status as one of the game's greatest players.
"It was the hardest thing I've ever done as a basketball player," James said after winning the NBA title in June, beating Oklahoma City in the finals. "You just put a lot of hard work into it and you hope that one day it will pay off for you."
'LINSANITY' CRAZE
Basketball's marquee names were forced to share the limelight with undrafted Taiwanese-American Jeremy Lin, who went from an unknown to an overnight sensation after being thrust into the New York Knicks' starting lineup in February.
Lin burst onto the public consciousness after a masterful series of dynamic displays, scoring at least 20 points in nine of 10 games during a season-high seven-game win streak for the Knicks that sparked the "Linsanity" craze around the globe.
Crowds at New York's Madison Square Garden held an array of pun signs declaring "To Lin-finity and Beyond," "The Sky's the LINit" and "LINCREDIBLE," while a mid-February game in Toronto had one spectator holding a "By my VaLINtine" sign.
Lin's incredible run was undone by a late-season injury but that did not stop Time Magazine from naming him as one of the world's 100 most influential people. He was the only basketball player on a list that included President Barack Obama and billionaire investor Warren Buffet.
At the London Games, a star-studded American team led by James were one of the hottest favorites but were tested by an inspired Spain team before prevailing 107-100 in the gold-medal game to retain their Olympic title.
The victory capped a remarkable run for James, who was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, an award whose previous winners include boxer Muhammad Ali, golfer Jack Nicklaus and swimmer Michael Phelps.
GOLD MEDAL
It also put the finishing touches on an American sweep of basketball gold as the U.S. women collected their fifth consecutive Olympic gold, solidifying the country's dominance in a sport that has become much more competitive since active NBA players first participated in the Olympics in 1992.
The Lakers were the biggest story during the NBA's offseason after landing Dwight Howard in a 12-player trade that rekindled memories of the team's "Showtime" era from 1979-1989 with Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Howard, a three-time defensive player of the year, joined a Lakers team that was already bursting with talent in the form of Kobe Bryant and Spain's Pau Gasol and still revelling in the acquisition of two-time league MVP Steve Nash a month earlier.
The massive trade immediately bolstered the Lakers championship credentials, a welcome development for a franchise that has suffered two straight early playoff exits since winning a 16th NBA title in 2010.
But despite the formidable Lakers lineup, the team stumbled out of the gate and their head coach was fired after a 1-4 start to the 2012-13 NBA as players were unable to grasp his new offensive system.
Some of the year's top stories even came from outside the professional ranks as Jack Taylor, a sophomore guard at Iowa's Grinnell College, shattered the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) scoring record with a 138-point performance in a Division III game.
The 22-year-old guard from Iowa's Grinnell College, drew national attention for his performance, which shattered the previous record of 113 points set in 1954.
Lebron shines brightest on every stage
Labels: Sports(Reuters) - LeBron James finally captured an elusive National Basketball Association title to cap a year where he silenced his critics and shared the spotlight with some unlikely players.
"Linsanity" became one of the new buzzwords in the NBA while a collegiate player took a sledgehammer to the record books and the Los Angeles Lakers made a blockbuster trade that rekindled memories of the team's "Showtime" era.
James, long considered the NBA's heir apparent to Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, finally delivered a performance worthy of that status with a championship in his ninth season, followed by a gold medal with the United States at the London Olympics.
A dominant force on the court, James had already earned the NBA's scoring title, Most Valuable Player honors and All-Star nods, but it took an elusive title, MVP honors for the regular season and NBA Finals to prove his detractors wrong.
The self proclaimed 'King James' became a player many NBA fans love to hate after going on national television in 2010 to announce his much-publicized move to Miami, but there is no denying his status as one of the game's greatest players.
"It was the hardest thing I've ever done as a basketball player," James said after winning the NBA title in June, beating Oklahoma City in the finals. "You just put a lot of hard work into it and you hope that one day it will pay off for you."
'LINSANITY' CRAZE
Basketball's marquee names were forced to share the limelight with undrafted Taiwanese-American Jeremy Lin, who went from an unknown to an overnight sensation after being thrust into the New York Knicks' starting lineup in February.
Lin burst onto the public consciousness after a masterful series of dynamic displays, scoring at least 20 points in nine of 10 games during a season-high seven-game win streak for the Knicks that sparked the "Linsanity" craze around the globe.
Crowds at New York's Madison Square Garden held an array of pun signs declaring "To Lin-finity and Beyond," "The Sky's the LINit" and "LINCREDIBLE," while a mid-February game in Toronto had one spectator holding a "By my VaLINtine" sign.
Lin's incredible run was undone by a late-season injury but that did not stop Time Magazine from naming him as one of the world's 100 most influential people. He was the only basketball player on a list that included President Barack Obama and billionaire investor Warren Buffet.
At the London Games, a star-studded American team led by James were one of the hottest favorites but were tested by an inspired Spain team before prevailing 107-100 in the gold-medal game to retain their Olympic title.
The victory capped a remarkable run for James, who was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, an award whose previous winners include boxer Muhammad Ali, golfer Jack Nicklaus and swimmer Michael Phelps.
GOLD MEDAL
It also put the finishing touches on an American sweep of basketball gold as the U.S. women collected their fifth consecutive Olympic gold, solidifying the country's dominance in a sport that has become much more competitive since active NBA players first participated in the Olympics in 1992.
The Lakers were the biggest story during the NBA's offseason after landing Dwight Howard in a 12-player trade that rekindled memories of the team's "Showtime" era from 1979-1989 with Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Howard, a three-time defensive player of the year, joined a Lakers team that was already bursting with talent in the form of Kobe Bryant and Spain's Pau Gasol and still revelling in the acquisition of two-time league MVP Steve Nash a month earlier.
The massive trade immediately bolstered the Lakers championship credentials, a welcome development for a franchise that has suffered two straight early playoff exits since winning a 16th NBA title in 2010.
But despite the formidable Lakers lineup, the team stumbled out of the gate and their head coach was fired after a 1-4 start to the 2012-13 NBA as players were unable to grasp his new offensive system.
Some of the year's top stories even came from outside the professional ranks as Jack Taylor, a sophomore guard at Iowa's Grinnell College, shattered the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) scoring record with a 138-point performance in a Division III game.
The 22-year-old guard from Iowa's Grinnell College, drew national attention for his performance, which shattered the previous record of 113 points set in 1954.
"That's crazy," said five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, "I don't care what level you're at, you score 138 points, it's pretty insane."
Read More..
"Linsanity" became one of the new buzzwords in the NBA while a collegiate player took a sledgehammer to the record books and the Los Angeles Lakers made a blockbuster trade that rekindled memories of the team's "Showtime" era.
James, long considered the NBA's heir apparent to Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, finally delivered a performance worthy of that status with a championship in his ninth season, followed by a gold medal with the United States at the London Olympics.
A dominant force on the court, James had already earned the NBA's scoring title, Most Valuable Player honors and All-Star nods, but it took an elusive title, MVP honors for the regular season and NBA Finals to prove his detractors wrong.
The self proclaimed 'King James' became a player many NBA fans love to hate after going on national television in 2010 to announce his much-publicized move to Miami, but there is no denying his status as one of the game's greatest players.
"It was the hardest thing I've ever done as a basketball player," James said after winning the NBA title in June, beating Oklahoma City in the finals. "You just put a lot of hard work into it and you hope that one day it will pay off for you."
'LINSANITY' CRAZE
Basketball's marquee names were forced to share the limelight with undrafted Taiwanese-American Jeremy Lin, who went from an unknown to an overnight sensation after being thrust into the New York Knicks' starting lineup in February.
Lin burst onto the public consciousness after a masterful series of dynamic displays, scoring at least 20 points in nine of 10 games during a season-high seven-game win streak for the Knicks that sparked the "Linsanity" craze around the globe.
Crowds at New York's Madison Square Garden held an array of pun signs declaring "To Lin-finity and Beyond," "The Sky's the LINit" and "LINCREDIBLE," while a mid-February game in Toronto had one spectator holding a "By my VaLINtine" sign.
Lin's incredible run was undone by a late-season injury but that did not stop Time Magazine from naming him as one of the world's 100 most influential people. He was the only basketball player on a list that included President Barack Obama and billionaire investor Warren Buffet.
At the London Games, a star-studded American team led by James were one of the hottest favorites but were tested by an inspired Spain team before prevailing 107-100 in the gold-medal game to retain their Olympic title.
The victory capped a remarkable run for James, who was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, an award whose previous winners include boxer Muhammad Ali, golfer Jack Nicklaus and swimmer Michael Phelps.
GOLD MEDAL
It also put the finishing touches on an American sweep of basketball gold as the U.S. women collected their fifth consecutive Olympic gold, solidifying the country's dominance in a sport that has become much more competitive since active NBA players first participated in the Olympics in 1992.
The Lakers were the biggest story during the NBA's offseason after landing Dwight Howard in a 12-player trade that rekindled memories of the team's "Showtime" era from 1979-1989 with Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Howard, a three-time defensive player of the year, joined a Lakers team that was already bursting with talent in the form of Kobe Bryant and Spain's Pau Gasol and still revelling in the acquisition of two-time league MVP Steve Nash a month earlier.
The massive trade immediately bolstered the Lakers championship credentials, a welcome development for a franchise that has suffered two straight early playoff exits since winning a 16th NBA title in 2010.
But despite the formidable Lakers lineup, the team stumbled out of the gate and their head coach was fired after a 1-4 start to the 2012-13 NBA as players were unable to grasp his new offensive system.
Some of the year's top stories even came from outside the professional ranks as Jack Taylor, a sophomore guard at Iowa's Grinnell College, shattered the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) scoring record with a 138-point performance in a Division III game.
The 22-year-old guard from Iowa's Grinnell College, drew national attention for his performance, which shattered the previous record of 113 points set in 1954.
"That's crazy," said five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, "I don't care what level you're at, you score 138 points, it's pretty insane."
NBA-Timberwolves end Thunder's 12-games winning streak
Labels: SportsDec 20 (Reuters) - The Minnesota Timberwolves, boosted by a brilliant fourth quarter from diminutive guard J.J. Barea, beat Oklahoma City 99-93 on Thursday to end the Thunder's 12-games winning streak.
The NBA-leading Thunder battled back after an early 14-points deficit to move within a point at 76-75 early in the fourth before Barea took over.
Barea scored 10 points in a 12-2 run that restored Minnesota's double-digit lead at 88-77 and then helped the T-Wolves hold off the Thunder the rest of the way.
The loss dropped Oklahoma, last year's losing NBA Finalists, to 21-5 while Minnesota improved to 13-11, seven games behind the Thunder in the Western Conference's Northwest Division.
Kevin Love led Minnesota with 28 points and 11 rebounds, and center Nikola Pekovic had 24 points and 10 boards, while Barea came off the bench to score 18 points.
Three-times scoring champion Kevin Durant paced the Thunder with 33 points, and Russell Westbrook added 30, but Oklahoma City's reserves contributed seven points in all. (Reporting by Larry Fine in New York, Editing by Peter Rutherford)
Read More..
The NBA-leading Thunder battled back after an early 14-points deficit to move within a point at 76-75 early in the fourth before Barea took over.
Barea scored 10 points in a 12-2 run that restored Minnesota's double-digit lead at 88-77 and then helped the T-Wolves hold off the Thunder the rest of the way.
The loss dropped Oklahoma, last year's losing NBA Finalists, to 21-5 while Minnesota improved to 13-11, seven games behind the Thunder in the Western Conference's Northwest Division.
Kevin Love led Minnesota with 28 points and 11 rebounds, and center Nikola Pekovic had 24 points and 10 boards, while Barea came off the bench to score 18 points.
Three-times scoring champion Kevin Durant paced the Thunder with 33 points, and Russell Westbrook added 30, but Oklahoma City's reserves contributed seven points in all. (Reporting by Larry Fine in New York, Editing by Peter Rutherford)
UPDATE 1-NBA-Timberwolves end Thunder's 12-games winning streak
Labels: SportsT-Wolves snap Thunder winning streak
* End their own losing skid against Oklahoma City (Adds details, quotes)
Dec 20 (Reuters) - The Minnesota Timberwolves, boosted by a brilliant fourth quarter from diminutive guard J.J. Barea, got a welcome shot of confidence with a 99-93 win over Oklahoma City on Thursday to snap the Thunder's winning streak at 12 games.
The uplifting win for the T-Wolves, coming off a pair of losses on a California road trip, snapped their own 12-game losing streak against Oklahoma City.
The NBA-leading Thunder battled back after trailing by 14 to move within a point at 76-75 early in the fourth before Barea took over.
Sinking long three-pointers and scrambling under the hoop, Barea scored 10 points in a 12-2 run that restored Minnesota's double-digit lead at 88-77 and then helped the T-Wolves hold off the Thunder the rest of the way.
"The fourth quarter for us has kind of been our Achilles heel this whole season, but we fought through and J.J. Barea was awesome tonight," said Minnesota's All Star forward Kevin Love.
The loss dropped Oklahoma, last year's losing NBA Finalists, to 21-5 while Minnesota improved to 13-11, seven games behind the Thunder in the Western Conference's Northwest Division.
Love led Minnesota with 28 points and 11 rebounds, and center Nikola Pekovic of Montenegro had 24 points and 10 boards, while Puerto Rico's Barea came off the bench to score 18 points.
Three-time scoring champion Kevin Durant paced the Thunder with 33 points, and Russell Westbrook added 30, but Oklahoma City's reserves contributed just seven points in all.
"This is a big win here against one of the top teams in the league," said Love, a team mate of Durant and Westbrook on the U.S. basketball team that won gold at the London Olympics.
"We learned we can fight through and beat any team in the league if we're playing well.
"Soon as guys really get in shape, get back healthy, and Ricky (Rubio) starts playing the way he's capable of playing and gets back from that injury, we're going to be a lot better team."
Spanish guard Rubio, working his way back from a serious knee injury, played 18 minutes without scoring for Minnesota but handed out three assists and had three rebounds.
The Timberwolves used brisk ball movement to spring Pekovic for easy layups and set up Love for open looks beyond the three-point arc as they went on a 19-6 run for a 25-11 lead in the first quarter.
Oklahoma City closed within seven points in the second quarter and got within five after intermission but Minnesota responded each time to restore a cushion, with Barea doing the job in the fourth quarter.
Read More..
* End their own losing skid against Oklahoma City (Adds details, quotes)
Dec 20 (Reuters) - The Minnesota Timberwolves, boosted by a brilliant fourth quarter from diminutive guard J.J. Barea, got a welcome shot of confidence with a 99-93 win over Oklahoma City on Thursday to snap the Thunder's winning streak at 12 games.
The uplifting win for the T-Wolves, coming off a pair of losses on a California road trip, snapped their own 12-game losing streak against Oklahoma City.
The NBA-leading Thunder battled back after trailing by 14 to move within a point at 76-75 early in the fourth before Barea took over.
Sinking long three-pointers and scrambling under the hoop, Barea scored 10 points in a 12-2 run that restored Minnesota's double-digit lead at 88-77 and then helped the T-Wolves hold off the Thunder the rest of the way.
"The fourth quarter for us has kind of been our Achilles heel this whole season, but we fought through and J.J. Barea was awesome tonight," said Minnesota's All Star forward Kevin Love.
The loss dropped Oklahoma, last year's losing NBA Finalists, to 21-5 while Minnesota improved to 13-11, seven games behind the Thunder in the Western Conference's Northwest Division.
Love led Minnesota with 28 points and 11 rebounds, and center Nikola Pekovic of Montenegro had 24 points and 10 boards, while Puerto Rico's Barea came off the bench to score 18 points.
Three-time scoring champion Kevin Durant paced the Thunder with 33 points, and Russell Westbrook added 30, but Oklahoma City's reserves contributed just seven points in all.
"This is a big win here against one of the top teams in the league," said Love, a team mate of Durant and Westbrook on the U.S. basketball team that won gold at the London Olympics.
"We learned we can fight through and beat any team in the league if we're playing well.
"Soon as guys really get in shape, get back healthy, and Ricky (Rubio) starts playing the way he's capable of playing and gets back from that injury, we're going to be a lot better team."
Spanish guard Rubio, working his way back from a serious knee injury, played 18 minutes without scoring for Minnesota but handed out three assists and had three rebounds.
The Timberwolves used brisk ball movement to spring Pekovic for easy layups and set up Love for open looks beyond the three-point arc as they went on a 19-6 run for a 25-11 lead in the first quarter.
Oklahoma City closed within seven points in the second quarter and got within five after intermission but Minnesota responded each time to restore a cushion, with Barea doing the job in the fourth quarter.
Barea, Wolves snap Thunder's 12-game streak
Labels: SportsMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder have been blowing the doors off the rest of the Western Conference in these first two months, playing with the swagger born of their run to the NBA Finals last season.
J.J. Barea and the Minnesota Timberwolves tried to send a message on Thursday night that a second straight trip isn't going to come easy.
Playing with the tenacity that made him so important to the Mavericks' run to the title two years ago, Barea scored 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to help the Timberwolves snap Oklahoma City's 12-game winning streak with a 99-93 victory over the Thunder.
Kevin Love had 28 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists and Nikola Pekovic had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota. But it was Barea who was the key, scoring 12 straight at one point for the Wolves to hold off the team with the best record in the league.
"It's important," coach Rick Adelman said of beating the best in the West. "But I would like to see us get to a point where this is not a big deal. It's a big game against the best team, but this is something we can do."
Kevin Durant had 33 points, seven rebounds and six assists and Russell Westbrook had 30 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists for the Thunder, who had not lost a game since Nov. 23 at Boston.
"It's not the end of the world. A lot of people said the world is going to end today, tomorrow, but it's not the end of the world," Durant quipped. "We lost to a good team (Thursday). They came out and played extremely hard and they beat us. We're 21-5 and we've just got to go back and work."
That it was Barea, and not the Olympian Love or the sensation Ricky Rubio who was chiefly responsible was the biggest surprise of all.
Barea didn't join the Timberwolves until training camp had already started last season, then languished through the first injury plagued year of his career. Finally healthy, he's getting back to the super pest that helped the Dallas Mavericks to the title two years ago.
With the Thunder charging early in the fourth quarter, the smallest guy on the court played the biggest.
After Durant's two free throws cut Minnesota's lead to 80-77, Barea hit two 3s and scored on a putback under the rim amid the tall trees, an 8-0 run by himself that gave the Wolves a little breathing room. His long 3 with 5:26 to play made it 92-81, and the Wolves held on.
"I love it," Barea said. "We just needed a little bit more tonight, a little energy and I'm glad I was able to provide that for us tonight."
Barea was also a nuisance on defense, drawing an offensive foul on Durant with 2:24 to play. The normally super-cool Durant uncharacteristically lost his composure, picking up a technical foul for arguing the call as well.
"Seems like him and Kevin Love don't miss against us," Durant said of Barea, who tormented them in the Western Conference finals in 2011 and had a triple-double in a double-overtime loss to the Thunder last season. "Seems like every team has that guy and I think those are the guys against us. Next time we've just got to do a better job."
Serge Ibaka had 14 points and nine rebounds, but Westbrook missed 19 shots and turned the ball over eight times in an off night.
Alexey Shved had 12 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds for the Wolves, who are trying to claw their way back to respectability after years at the bottom of the Western Conference.
With a nucleus of Love, Rubio and Pekovic, there is optimism here for the first time in a long time.
The Thunder stormed into Target Center riding the longest winning streak since the team moved to Oklahoma City, bullying opponents by an average of 14.2 points per game as they warm up for a run at a second straight finals appearance.
Rubio was playing his third game since being activated from a torn ACL in his left knee that had kept him out since March 9. He had a scintillating debut last Saturday, throwing no-look passes between his legs and looking as if he'd never left. But it's been slower going in the ensuing two games. He was a non-factor in a loss in Orlando on Monday and had trouble getting going again against the Thunder.
His handle wasn't nearly as sticky as usual and he was thwarted every time he tried to penetrate, then could be seen wincing in pain after an awkward landing on a shot in the second quarter. Adelman immediately pulled him, but Rubio was able to return in the second half.
"We battled, we fought. I'm proud of our guys," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "We had a great streak, a great month going. But we lost to a very good team. We knew sooner or later they were going to get hot. They got hot tonight."
NOTES: Kevin Martin did not play for the Thunder because of a right thigh contusion. ... The Timberwolves waived G/F Josh Howard on Thursday after an MRI revealed a torn ACL in his right knee. ... The Thunder lost for the first time in six tries on the second night of a back to back.
Read More..
J.J. Barea and the Minnesota Timberwolves tried to send a message on Thursday night that a second straight trip isn't going to come easy.
Playing with the tenacity that made him so important to the Mavericks' run to the title two years ago, Barea scored 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to help the Timberwolves snap Oklahoma City's 12-game winning streak with a 99-93 victory over the Thunder.
Kevin Love had 28 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists and Nikola Pekovic had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota. But it was Barea who was the key, scoring 12 straight at one point for the Wolves to hold off the team with the best record in the league.
"It's important," coach Rick Adelman said of beating the best in the West. "But I would like to see us get to a point where this is not a big deal. It's a big game against the best team, but this is something we can do."
Kevin Durant had 33 points, seven rebounds and six assists and Russell Westbrook had 30 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists for the Thunder, who had not lost a game since Nov. 23 at Boston.
"It's not the end of the world. A lot of people said the world is going to end today, tomorrow, but it's not the end of the world," Durant quipped. "We lost to a good team (Thursday). They came out and played extremely hard and they beat us. We're 21-5 and we've just got to go back and work."
That it was Barea, and not the Olympian Love or the sensation Ricky Rubio who was chiefly responsible was the biggest surprise of all.
Barea didn't join the Timberwolves until training camp had already started last season, then languished through the first injury plagued year of his career. Finally healthy, he's getting back to the super pest that helped the Dallas Mavericks to the title two years ago.
With the Thunder charging early in the fourth quarter, the smallest guy on the court played the biggest.
After Durant's two free throws cut Minnesota's lead to 80-77, Barea hit two 3s and scored on a putback under the rim amid the tall trees, an 8-0 run by himself that gave the Wolves a little breathing room. His long 3 with 5:26 to play made it 92-81, and the Wolves held on.
"I love it," Barea said. "We just needed a little bit more tonight, a little energy and I'm glad I was able to provide that for us tonight."
Barea was also a nuisance on defense, drawing an offensive foul on Durant with 2:24 to play. The normally super-cool Durant uncharacteristically lost his composure, picking up a technical foul for arguing the call as well.
"Seems like him and Kevin Love don't miss against us," Durant said of Barea, who tormented them in the Western Conference finals in 2011 and had a triple-double in a double-overtime loss to the Thunder last season. "Seems like every team has that guy and I think those are the guys against us. Next time we've just got to do a better job."
Serge Ibaka had 14 points and nine rebounds, but Westbrook missed 19 shots and turned the ball over eight times in an off night.
Alexey Shved had 12 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds for the Wolves, who are trying to claw their way back to respectability after years at the bottom of the Western Conference.
With a nucleus of Love, Rubio and Pekovic, there is optimism here for the first time in a long time.
The Thunder stormed into Target Center riding the longest winning streak since the team moved to Oklahoma City, bullying opponents by an average of 14.2 points per game as they warm up for a run at a second straight finals appearance.
Rubio was playing his third game since being activated from a torn ACL in his left knee that had kept him out since March 9. He had a scintillating debut last Saturday, throwing no-look passes between his legs and looking as if he'd never left. But it's been slower going in the ensuing two games. He was a non-factor in a loss in Orlando on Monday and had trouble getting going again against the Thunder.
His handle wasn't nearly as sticky as usual and he was thwarted every time he tried to penetrate, then could be seen wincing in pain after an awkward landing on a shot in the second quarter. Adelman immediately pulled him, but Rubio was able to return in the second half.
"We battled, we fought. I'm proud of our guys," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "We had a great streak, a great month going. But we lost to a very good team. We knew sooner or later they were going to get hot. They got hot tonight."
NOTES: Kevin Martin did not play for the Thunder because of a right thigh contusion. ... The Timberwolves waived G/F Josh Howard on Thursday after an MRI revealed a torn ACL in his right knee. ... The Thunder lost for the first time in six tries on the second night of a back to back.
Nobel literature winner says censorship necessary
Labels: EntertainmentSTOCKHOLM (AP) — This year's Nobel literature winner Mo Yan, who has been criticized for his cozy relationship with China's Communist Party, defended censorship Thursday as something as necessary as airport security checks.
He also suggested he has no plans to join an appeal calling for the release of the jailed 2010 Peace Prize laureate, Liu Xiaobo.
Mo has been criticized by human rights activists for not being a more outspoken defendant of freedom of speech and for being a member of the Communist Party-backed writers' association.
His comments Thursday, made in Stockholm, appear unlikely to soften his critics' views toward him.
Awarding him the prize has also brought criticism from previous Nobel winners. Herta Mueller, the 2009 literature laureate, called the jury's choice of Mo a "catastrophe" in an interview with the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter last month. She also accused Mo of protecting China's censorship laws.
Mo said he doesn't feel that censorship should stand in the way of truth but that any defamation, or rumors, "should be censored."
"But I also hope that censorship, per se, should have the highest principle," he said in comments translated by an interpreter from Chinese into English.
Mo, a Communist party member and vice president of China's official writers association, spoke at a news conference in Stockholm, where he is spending several days before receiving his prestigious prize in an awards ceremony next Monday.
Addressing an issue that is extremely sensitive for China's authoritarian Communist regime, Mo likened censorship to the thorough security procedures he was subjected to as he traveled to Stockholm.
"When I was taking my flight, going through the customs ... they also wanted to check me — even taking off my belt and shoes," he said. "But I think these checks are necessary."
Mo also dodged questions about fellow writer and compatriot Liu Xiaobo, who won the Peace Prize in 2010 but who remains in prison.
Although he has previously said he hopes Liu will be freed soon, he refused to elaborate more on the case.
"On the same evening of my winning the prize, I already expressed my opinion, and you can get online to make a search," he said, telling the crowd that he hoped they wouldn't press him on the subject of Liu.
Earlier this week, an appeal signed by 134 Nobel laureates, from peace prize winners like South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu to Taiwanese-American chemist Yuan T. Lee, called the detention of Liu and his wife a violation of international law and urged their immediate release.
But Mo suggested he had no plans of adding his name to that petition. "I have always been independent. I like it that way. When someone forces me to do something I don't do it," he said, adding that has been in his stance in the past decade.
Mo is to receive his Nobel prize along with the winners in medicine, physics, chemistry and economics.
The Nobel Peace Prize is handed out in a separate ceremony in Oslo on the same day.
Read More..
He also suggested he has no plans to join an appeal calling for the release of the jailed 2010 Peace Prize laureate, Liu Xiaobo.
Mo has been criticized by human rights activists for not being a more outspoken defendant of freedom of speech and for being a member of the Communist Party-backed writers' association.
His comments Thursday, made in Stockholm, appear unlikely to soften his critics' views toward him.
Awarding him the prize has also brought criticism from previous Nobel winners. Herta Mueller, the 2009 literature laureate, called the jury's choice of Mo a "catastrophe" in an interview with the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter last month. She also accused Mo of protecting China's censorship laws.
Mo said he doesn't feel that censorship should stand in the way of truth but that any defamation, or rumors, "should be censored."
"But I also hope that censorship, per se, should have the highest principle," he said in comments translated by an interpreter from Chinese into English.
Mo, a Communist party member and vice president of China's official writers association, spoke at a news conference in Stockholm, where he is spending several days before receiving his prestigious prize in an awards ceremony next Monday.
Addressing an issue that is extremely sensitive for China's authoritarian Communist regime, Mo likened censorship to the thorough security procedures he was subjected to as he traveled to Stockholm.
"When I was taking my flight, going through the customs ... they also wanted to check me — even taking off my belt and shoes," he said. "But I think these checks are necessary."
Mo also dodged questions about fellow writer and compatriot Liu Xiaobo, who won the Peace Prize in 2010 but who remains in prison.
Although he has previously said he hopes Liu will be freed soon, he refused to elaborate more on the case.
"On the same evening of my winning the prize, I already expressed my opinion, and you can get online to make a search," he said, telling the crowd that he hoped they wouldn't press him on the subject of Liu.
Earlier this week, an appeal signed by 134 Nobel laureates, from peace prize winners like South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu to Taiwanese-American chemist Yuan T. Lee, called the detention of Liu and his wife a violation of international law and urged their immediate release.
But Mo suggested he had no plans of adding his name to that petition. "I have always been independent. I like it that way. When someone forces me to do something I don't do it," he said, adding that has been in his stance in the past decade.
Mo is to receive his Nobel prize along with the winners in medicine, physics, chemistry and economics.
The Nobel Peace Prize is handed out in a separate ceremony in Oslo on the same day.
Chinese Nobel literature winner: censorship a must
Labels: EntertainmentSTOCKHOLM (AP) — This year's Nobel Prize in literature winner, Mo Yan, who has been criticized for his membership in China's Communist Party and reluctance to speak out against the country's government, defended censorship Thursday as something as necessary as airport security checks.
He also suggested he won't join an appeal calling for the release of the jailed 2010 Peace Prize laureate, Liu Xiaobo, a fellow writer and compatriot.
Mo has been criticized by human rights activists for not being a more outspoken defender of freedom of speech and for supporting the Communist Party-backed writers' association, of which he is vice president.
His comments Thursday, made during a news conference in Stockholm, appear unlikely to soften his critics' views toward him.
Awarding him the literature prize has also brought criticism from previous winners. Herta Mueller, the 2009 literature laureate, called the jury's choice of Mo a "catastrophe" in an interview with the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter last month. She also accused Mo of protecting the Asian country's censorship laws.
China's rulers forbid opposition parties and maintain strict control over all media.
Mo said he doesn't feel that censorship should stand in the way of truth but that any defamation, or rumors, "should be censored."
"But I also hope that censorship, per se, should have the highest principle," he said in comments translated by an interpreter from Chinese into English.
Mo is spending several days in Stockholm before receiving his prestigious prize in an awards ceremony next Monday.
He won the Nobel for his sprawling tales of life in rural China. In its citation, the jury said Mo "with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary."
In addressing the sensitive issue of censorship in China, Mo likened it to the thorough security procedures he was subjected to as he traveled to Stockholm.
"When I was taking my flight, going through the customs ... they also wanted to check me — even taking off my belt and shoes," he said. "But I think these checks are necessary."
Mo also dodged questions about Liu Xiaobo, the jailed Peace Prize winner. Liu was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2009 for co-authoring a bold call for ending China's single-party rule and enacting democratic reforms.
China's reception of the two Nobel laureates has been worlds apart.
While it rejected the honor bestowed on Liu, calling it a desecration of the Nobel tradition, it welcomed Mo's win with open arms, saying it reflected "the prosperity and progress of Chinese literature, as well as the increasing influence of China."
Although Mo has previously said he hopes Liu will be freed soon, he refused to elaborate more on the case.
"On the same evening of my winning the prize, I already expressed my opinion, and you can get online to make a search," he said, telling the crowd that he hoped they wouldn't press him on the subject of Liu.
Some, however, have interpreted Mo's October comments as if he hoped the release of Liu would make the jailed activist see sense and embrace the Communist Party line.
Earlier this week, an appeal signed by 134 Nobel laureates, from Peace Prize winners such as South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu to Taiwanese-American chemist Yuan T. Lee, called the detention of Liu and his wife a violation of international law and urged their immediate release.
But Mo suggested he had no plans of adding his name to that petition. "I have always been independent. I like it that way. When someone forces me to do something I don't do it," he said, adding that has been in his stance in the past decade.
Mo is to receive his Nobel prize along with the winners in medicine, physics, chemistry and economics.
The Nobel Peace Prize is handed out in a separate ceremony in Oslo on the same day.
Read More..
He also suggested he won't join an appeal calling for the release of the jailed 2010 Peace Prize laureate, Liu Xiaobo, a fellow writer and compatriot.
Mo has been criticized by human rights activists for not being a more outspoken defender of freedom of speech and for supporting the Communist Party-backed writers' association, of which he is vice president.
His comments Thursday, made during a news conference in Stockholm, appear unlikely to soften his critics' views toward him.
Awarding him the literature prize has also brought criticism from previous winners. Herta Mueller, the 2009 literature laureate, called the jury's choice of Mo a "catastrophe" in an interview with the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter last month. She also accused Mo of protecting the Asian country's censorship laws.
China's rulers forbid opposition parties and maintain strict control over all media.
Mo said he doesn't feel that censorship should stand in the way of truth but that any defamation, or rumors, "should be censored."
"But I also hope that censorship, per se, should have the highest principle," he said in comments translated by an interpreter from Chinese into English.
Mo is spending several days in Stockholm before receiving his prestigious prize in an awards ceremony next Monday.
He won the Nobel for his sprawling tales of life in rural China. In its citation, the jury said Mo "with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary."
In addressing the sensitive issue of censorship in China, Mo likened it to the thorough security procedures he was subjected to as he traveled to Stockholm.
"When I was taking my flight, going through the customs ... they also wanted to check me — even taking off my belt and shoes," he said. "But I think these checks are necessary."
Mo also dodged questions about Liu Xiaobo, the jailed Peace Prize winner. Liu was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2009 for co-authoring a bold call for ending China's single-party rule and enacting democratic reforms.
China's reception of the two Nobel laureates has been worlds apart.
While it rejected the honor bestowed on Liu, calling it a desecration of the Nobel tradition, it welcomed Mo's win with open arms, saying it reflected "the prosperity and progress of Chinese literature, as well as the increasing influence of China."
Although Mo has previously said he hopes Liu will be freed soon, he refused to elaborate more on the case.
"On the same evening of my winning the prize, I already expressed my opinion, and you can get online to make a search," he said, telling the crowd that he hoped they wouldn't press him on the subject of Liu.
Some, however, have interpreted Mo's October comments as if he hoped the release of Liu would make the jailed activist see sense and embrace the Communist Party line.
Earlier this week, an appeal signed by 134 Nobel laureates, from Peace Prize winners such as South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu to Taiwanese-American chemist Yuan T. Lee, called the detention of Liu and his wife a violation of international law and urged their immediate release.
But Mo suggested he had no plans of adding his name to that petition. "I have always been independent. I like it that way. When someone forces me to do something I don't do it," he said, adding that has been in his stance in the past decade.
Mo is to receive his Nobel prize along with the winners in medicine, physics, chemistry and economics.
The Nobel Peace Prize is handed out in a separate ceremony in Oslo on the same day.
Belgian graphic artist breaks with comic tradition
Labels: EntertainmentBRUSSELS (Reuters) - Comic artist Brecht Evens decided to break away from the traditional comic strip images of clear lines and pencil sketches developed in Belgium more than half a century ago.
After surviving at first on government subsidies, in 2010 he produced a graphic novel featuring vibrant watercolours and smudged scenes of sexuality and riotous nightlife, with characters blurred into their surroundings.
"The Wrong Place" - a graphic novel about the angst-filled night-time escapades of Robbie, a mysterious party animal - became an international success and made Evens the darling of the new wave of experimental comic artists currently sweeping across Belgium.
Traditional comics "seemed limited in what they could do and show", 26-year old Evens told Reuters. "They couldn't suck you in and just looked like toys laid out, or puppets."
His new style "lends movement and hustle and bustle".
Evens' success comes as graphic fiction, or comics, search for a new direction.
Traditional comic strips - with speech bubbles and clear pencil lines giving shape to the characters - are seen as old-fashioned. Even though they have die-hard fans in Belgium, that market is declining and was anyway tiny.
In big comic markets, such as Japan, South Korea and the United States, fans have long since moved on to new media, starting with television and now taking in smart phones and tablets. But these new media have flopped in Belgium, as readers are attached to the book-and-picture format.
Without new styles, the industry will not survive, says Johan Stuyck, professor at the Sint-Lukas School of Arts in Brussels and publisher at Oogachtend in Leuven.
"Those who stick to the old fashioned way of making comics, they are doomed," he says. "They will disappear."
Reverence for the past is perhaps unsurprising in a country with such a glorious history in comics.
Georges Remi, who worked under the pen name Herge, created Tintin in 1929 while working at Belgian newspaper Le XXe Siecle.
"The Adventures of Tintin" series became an immediate success and remained a top seller until the 1970s. "Spirou", the eight-page weekly magazine that disseminated comics to the Belgian public and gave artists exposure, was created in 1938.
Belgian artists pioneered the use of clear black lines to outline characters precisely and make them stand out against the background in the earlier half of the 20th century. Belgian comics went through another boom with the advent of the Smurfs in 1959.
But when new electronic and animated media emerged from the 1980s - and Hollywood eventually turned Tintin into a movie - Belgian artists largely shunned the new forms, as their conservative readers at home weren't interested.
Recently, however, Belgian artists have innovated in their own ways. Traditional comics required solid plots, like Tintin's traditional, documentary-style. For strips appearing in newspapers, artists had to provide a daily cliffhanger.
These are now disappearing in favor of vaguer, more psychological themes.
"Artists used to think more about their audience, what will work and what won't work," says Koen Van Rompaey, general director of Strip Turnhout, a Belgian comic festival. "Artists don't do that anymore. They do whatever they want."
They no longer stick to orderly strips to arrange their stories. And they sometimes don't outline their figures. That leads some illustrations - like Evens's - to lack structure and clarity, giving them an appearance of modernist paintings.
"Some are just drawing without tracing," says Stuyck. "The text is not necessarily put in balloons. It's experimental."
The new experimental styles are commercially risky, and publishers need to be patient with new artists. Most first works flop, selling just a few hundred copies and losing money. Success often comes only with a third book.
"Without those first two, the artist wouldn't have made a third," says Stuyck. "The publisher must take risks."
Even then, the Belgian market is saturated, with comic book production at a historic high, even as overall sales decline. Around 800 professional comic artists currently live and work in Belgium, says Willem De Graeve, director of the Belgian Comic Strip Centre.
One source of support is the Flemish Literature Fund, which provides government grants for illustrators working on the national art form in the Dutch dialect spoken in the northern half of Belgium.
"Without support from the Flemish Fund, this new wave of Flemish comics would not have been possible," Van Rompaey said. "It would have been five to 10 percent of what it is now."
During his final years at art school, Evens survived with help from this fund as he struggled with early drafts of "The Wrong Place".
His new style consisted of broad swathes of color with minimal line work. He then adds details in a series of layers.
"There are no pencil sketches. It differs from traditional comics because the lines and surfaces are independent," he says. "Traditionally, artists will make a pencil sketch, then trace over it in ink and add detail, then add color."
Critics loved "The Wrong Place", which has been translated in six different languages, placing Evens in the elite group of young, experimental Belgian artists that achieve more success globally than locally.
And now Evens has found a winning formula... he's going to change it.
"I wouldn't be happy with the feeling of pedaling in place," he said.
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After surviving at first on government subsidies, in 2010 he produced a graphic novel featuring vibrant watercolours and smudged scenes of sexuality and riotous nightlife, with characters blurred into their surroundings.
"The Wrong Place" - a graphic novel about the angst-filled night-time escapades of Robbie, a mysterious party animal - became an international success and made Evens the darling of the new wave of experimental comic artists currently sweeping across Belgium.
Traditional comics "seemed limited in what they could do and show", 26-year old Evens told Reuters. "They couldn't suck you in and just looked like toys laid out, or puppets."
His new style "lends movement and hustle and bustle".
Evens' success comes as graphic fiction, or comics, search for a new direction.
Traditional comic strips - with speech bubbles and clear pencil lines giving shape to the characters - are seen as old-fashioned. Even though they have die-hard fans in Belgium, that market is declining and was anyway tiny.
In big comic markets, such as Japan, South Korea and the United States, fans have long since moved on to new media, starting with television and now taking in smart phones and tablets. But these new media have flopped in Belgium, as readers are attached to the book-and-picture format.
Without new styles, the industry will not survive, says Johan Stuyck, professor at the Sint-Lukas School of Arts in Brussels and publisher at Oogachtend in Leuven.
"Those who stick to the old fashioned way of making comics, they are doomed," he says. "They will disappear."
Reverence for the past is perhaps unsurprising in a country with such a glorious history in comics.
Georges Remi, who worked under the pen name Herge, created Tintin in 1929 while working at Belgian newspaper Le XXe Siecle.
"The Adventures of Tintin" series became an immediate success and remained a top seller until the 1970s. "Spirou", the eight-page weekly magazine that disseminated comics to the Belgian public and gave artists exposure, was created in 1938.
Belgian artists pioneered the use of clear black lines to outline characters precisely and make them stand out against the background in the earlier half of the 20th century. Belgian comics went through another boom with the advent of the Smurfs in 1959.
But when new electronic and animated media emerged from the 1980s - and Hollywood eventually turned Tintin into a movie - Belgian artists largely shunned the new forms, as their conservative readers at home weren't interested.
Recently, however, Belgian artists have innovated in their own ways. Traditional comics required solid plots, like Tintin's traditional, documentary-style. For strips appearing in newspapers, artists had to provide a daily cliffhanger.
These are now disappearing in favor of vaguer, more psychological themes.
"Artists used to think more about their audience, what will work and what won't work," says Koen Van Rompaey, general director of Strip Turnhout, a Belgian comic festival. "Artists don't do that anymore. They do whatever they want."
They no longer stick to orderly strips to arrange their stories. And they sometimes don't outline their figures. That leads some illustrations - like Evens's - to lack structure and clarity, giving them an appearance of modernist paintings.
"Some are just drawing without tracing," says Stuyck. "The text is not necessarily put in balloons. It's experimental."
The new experimental styles are commercially risky, and publishers need to be patient with new artists. Most first works flop, selling just a few hundred copies and losing money. Success often comes only with a third book.
"Without those first two, the artist wouldn't have made a third," says Stuyck. "The publisher must take risks."
Even then, the Belgian market is saturated, with comic book production at a historic high, even as overall sales decline. Around 800 professional comic artists currently live and work in Belgium, says Willem De Graeve, director of the Belgian Comic Strip Centre.
One source of support is the Flemish Literature Fund, which provides government grants for illustrators working on the national art form in the Dutch dialect spoken in the northern half of Belgium.
"Without support from the Flemish Fund, this new wave of Flemish comics would not have been possible," Van Rompaey said. "It would have been five to 10 percent of what it is now."
During his final years at art school, Evens survived with help from this fund as he struggled with early drafts of "The Wrong Place".
His new style consisted of broad swathes of color with minimal line work. He then adds details in a series of layers.
"There are no pencil sketches. It differs from traditional comics because the lines and surfaces are independent," he says. "Traditionally, artists will make a pencil sketch, then trace over it in ink and add detail, then add color."
Critics loved "The Wrong Place", which has been translated in six different languages, placing Evens in the elite group of young, experimental Belgian artists that achieve more success globally than locally.
And now Evens has found a winning formula... he's going to change it.
"I wouldn't be happy with the feeling of pedaling in place," he said.
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