শুক্রবার, ১৭ মে, ২০১৩

Individual Investors And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad ...

I have always had an affinity for children?s books. In fact, so much so, I think my mother was still reading me Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak when I was in middle school. Go ahead -- make fun of me. But the book that constitutes the title of this article reminded me that I?m having a... Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

The truth of the matter is, I recently wrote an article titled Don?t Stop Believing in US Equities, primarily because I truly believe that longer term, there are certain dynamics in place that support the potential for a secular bull market, akin to the recent 30-year run in bonds. These dynamics are:?

1. Aging global populations.

2. Ten thousand baby boomers?retiring per day?in the US -- boomers?who have been hand-fed stock data and market color via a 24/7 deluge from media outlets, that is.

3. The relative lack of yield or income to support these people, or ?the yield grab.? ?This poses the question: Will income-oriented equities be the core of most portfolios??

4. The massive change in the capital structures of corporate balances sheets as companies continue to lock in cheap/long-term financing in order to retire higher-yielding debt and give back to shareholders via massive equity buybacks and dividends, and/or dividend increases. Revenues in general, may not be growing robustly from an organic perspective, but the change in capital structure could serve to offset that factor for some time to come, as buybacks reduce stock floats and buoy bottom-line earnings. David Goldman, a brilliant macro strategist, recently pointed out that, ?All-in corporate yields of 2.7% (for the Bank of America/Merrill Lynch Index) mean that the cost of carrying corporate debt is the lowest on record, down from 40% of cash flow in the early 2000s to a projected 13% by the end of 2015."

5. Finally, as rates creep higher -- mainly in relation to the most recent smoke signals being sent by the Federal Reserve -- and duration begins to take an adverse effect on bond portfolios, we may in fact start to see the ?Great Rotation? ?(out of bonds into stocks). David ?Dr.? Tepper alluded to this fact recently in his CNBC rant in support of being long stocks. As a result, that same day, Dow theorists were dancing in the streets as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) reached a new all-time high at 15,215.25, and, this new high was confirmed by a new all -time high for the Dow Jones Transportation Average (INDEXDJX:DJT), which climbed 121.78 to 6465.78, keeping the potential for a secular bull market intact. ?


However, I?m a bit bummed out today. Todd Harrison recently wrote a very cogent article titled The Most-Hated Rally of All Time. Todd and many others are talking about the fact that underneath the surface of the explosive rally we have seen across most markets, people just do not feel that good. This rally has been inspired mainly by monetary policy, the likes of which this global economy has never seen. I sat down at my computer one morning this week and was made aware of more layoffs in the financial service sector. On a personal level, these particular layoffs hit me hard. I will admit that by virtue of working in financial services for the better part of 19 years, my perspective may seem a bit skewed, or myopic to some. But with every passing week, I learn of another peer, contact, or friend who has been affected by the commoditization of trading and consequent lower commission rates, the compressed margins financial service companies are dealing with from both a primary and secondary standpoint, and the effects of increased regulation as Dodd/Frank and Basel III take effect in earnest. ?

I ask readers to please not misconstrue what I?m trying to convey. Changes in marketplace structure, low-cost trading vehicles, and financial products are necessary and, overall, good for the investing public. Throughout history, all industries have gone through dynamic changes, resulting in margin compression and consolidation. I?m just trying to convey that the changes taking place affect many on a personal level, which is a great segue to my next point: The underlying economic recovery that has taken place in general is not making people feel a whole lot better.

First on the topic of jobs, we can look at the most recent non-farm payroll numbers and glean that under the surface there?s some caveats that make the gains seem hollow. Delving a bit deeper into the report, we see that Americans worked less in April than in March. The drop in average weekly hours (from 34.8 to 34.6) for all private employees outweighed the 165,000 increase in the headline jobs number. According to the survey, weekly hours worked totaled 4.683 billion in April vs. 4.704 billion in March. The increase in employment combined with lower hours worked probably reflects an increase in poor quality jobs -- a shift in hiring in low-wage industries (retail and hospitality) to reduce the cost of health and other benefits. ?In essence, goods-producing employment fell, which is not a good sign. Moreover, we know the unemployment rate has been trickling lower, but this is due in part to many Americans dropping out of the workforce, or saying, ?I give up.?

In response to this, some will say, "But look at my portfolio! Stocks are going to the moon. Housing is improving. And the Fed seems to be remaining accommodative." Yes, that is true, but that?s if in fact one is actually invested or continuing to invest at all. Again, in general terms, many people are not benefiting from the rally in stocks and bonds at all. The truth is that the dynamic of lower-quality jobs being created also offers fewer benefits. In general, people are paying more for health care, making less money, and less is being contributed to 401(k) plans and IRAs on both corporate and personal levels. Just yesterday, Gallup released the results from a study that asked Americans the following question:??Do you, personally, or jointly with a spouse, have any money invested in the stock market right now ? either and individual stock, a stock mutual fund, or in a self-directed 401(k) or IRA?"

The results showed 52% responded yes, 47% responded no, and 1% had no opinion. To put that result into context, it?s the lowest reading since the poll was first conducted in September 1998. Moreover, at the last market peak, in 2007, 65% of respondents answered yes to having stock exposure. Now, again, although I?m having a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day,? this low reading can be construed as a positive, as market tops are typically defined by the odd lot theory or retail panic into markets. This most recent Gallup poll tells us the most recent rally has been institutional in nature.

As far as real estate is concerned, there is no denying that the housing market is improving; 70% of Americans own a home. I have reached out to many industry experts on both the commercial and residential side with questions.The general message has been that there?s still a long way to go up.

Depressed markets in Florida, Nevada, and Arizona are still recording double-digit gains, and housing prices overall are up 8% year over year. However, the caveat here is that most of the buying to this point has again been at the institutional level, as the big homebuilders spent most of their time at the lows of the cycle acquiring land and permits and are now benefitting as the cycle begins to turn. Just recently, the NAHB Index rang in at 44 vs. a survey result of 41. We know that 50+ signals expansion, so there?s still a ways to go to even get to equilibrium. Most origination to this point has been flipping foreclosures, or the larger institutional players buying distressed properties and sitting on the purchases by renting them. Just now they?re starting to sell. On a personal level, we know that credit remains tight, and overall, potential buyers are having a hard time getting a loan. Moreover, the loan process is as cumbersome as ever, and appraisals as well are creating a lot of issues. These dynamics need to ease a bit for the positive trend to continue, or so one would think. So again, to this point, the rally in real estate has been primarily beneficial for the larger institutions, and therefore the benefits are being felt less at the individual level. ?

Conclusively, I?m far from a Debbie Downer. I?m a glass-half-full fella. Overall, the economy is improving; the stock market and housing market are soaring. But there are also reminders on a daily basis that underneath the surface, a different story can exist. We continue to see collateral damage that has resulted from the fragile recovery underpinning this massive rally in most asset classes. So in the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, we know it?s a Murphy?s Law day for Alexander. ?From the moment he wakes up, things go wrong -- gum gets stuck in his hair; he trips on the skateboard and drops his sweater into the sink while the water is running; at school his teacher does not like the picture he drew. But in the end, young Alexander is reminded by his mother that ?everybody has bad days, even people who live in Australia.? ?We also know that although it may seem a bit trite, there?s another side to every story and?we must stay cognizant of it. ?????????????????????????????????????????????

No positions in stocks mentioned.

Source: http://www.minyanville.com/business-news/markets/articles/individual-investors-us-stock-market-economy/5/16/2013/id/49840

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মঙ্গলবার, ১৪ মে, ২০১৩

Judge delays decision on Holmes insanity plea

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) ? Lawyers for the Colorado theater shooting suspect told a judge Monday he wants to change his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity, but the judge won't immediately rule on whether to allow it.

Attorney Daniel King made the request in court, saying the defense now has a diagnosis for James Holmes, though he didn't specify what it was.

Holmes, with bushy hair and beard, didn't speak during the hearing after entering the courtroom with his eyes downcast.

Before deciding whether to accept a new plea, Judge Carlos Samour said, he would consider arguments about constitutional questions the defense has raised about Colorado's insanity and death penalty laws.

He isn't expected to announce his decision until May 31, when another hearing is scheduled.

At the heart of the dispute is a list of cautions Samour has prepared advising Holmes of the ground rules of an insanity defense.

It includes an advisory that Holmes must cooperate with doctors during a mandatory mental health evaluation or he won't be able to present mitigating evidence about his mental state if he is convicted and a jury considers whether he should be executed. Just how much cooperation is required hasn't been tested in court since the laws were changed in the late 1990s.

A not guilty by reason of insanity plea is widely seen as Holmes' best hope ? perhaps his only hope ? of avoiding the death penalty. But his lawyers have held off until now, fearing a wrinkle in the law could cripple their ability to raise his mental health as a mitigating factor during the sentencing phase.

Two judges, including Samour, have previously refused to rule on the constitutionality of the law, saying the attorneys' objections were hypothetical because Holmes had not pleaded insanity. The defense had little choice but to have Holmes enter the plea and then challenge the law.

Holmes' lawyers announced last week that Holmes would ask to change his plea at the hearing.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. They say Holmes, a former neuroscience graduate student, spent months acquiring weapons and ammunition, scouting a theater in the Denver suburb of Aurora and booby-trapping his apartment.

Then on July 20, dressed in a police-style helmet and body armor, he opened fire during a packed midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises," prosecutors say. Twelve people died and 70 were injured.

No motive has emerged in nearly 10 months of hearings, but Holmes' attorneys have repeatedly said their client is mentally ill. He was being treated by a psychiatrist before the attack.

The insanity plea carries risks for both sides. Holmes will have to submit to the mental evaluation by state-employed doctors, and prosecutors could use the findings against him.

"It's literally a life-and-death situation with the government seeking to execute him and the government, the same government, evaluating him with regard to whether he was sane or insane at the time he was in that movie theater," said attorney Dan Recht, a past president of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar.

Among the risks for prosecutors: They must convince jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that Holmes was sane. If they don't, state law requires the jury to find him not guilty by reason of insanity.

"That's a significant burden on the prosecution," Recht said.

If acquitted, Holmes would be committed to the state mental hospital indefinitely.

A judge entered a standard not guilty plea on Holmes' behalf in March, and he needs court permission to change it.

The mental evaluation could take weeks or months. Evaluators would interview Holmes, his friends and family, and if Holmes permits it, they'll also speak with mental health professionals who treated him in the past, said Dr. Howard Zonana, a professor of psychiatry and adjunct professor of law at Yale University.

Evaluators may give Holmes standardized personality tests and compare his results to those of people with documented mental illness. They will also look for any physical brain problems.

Zonana estimates he has conducted around 200 mental evaluations of criminal defendants, including some death penalty cases.

"All cases are tough," he said.

Meticulous planning, as in the scenario prosecutors laid out against Holmes, doesn't necessarily mean a defendant is sane, Zonana said.

___

Follow Dan Elliott at http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/judge-delays-decision-holmes-insanity-plea-161219187.html

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মঙ্গলবার, ৭ মে, ২০১৩

NCAA hoops semifinal games moving to cable in 2014

(AP) ? The Final Four's first two games are moving to cable next year.

The national semifinals will air on TBS in 2014 and 2015, with the title game remaining on CBS, the companies said Tuesday.

Under the 14-year deal that CBS and Turner Sports signed with the NCAA in 2010, CBS and TBS were scheduled to start alternating broadcasts of the entire Final Four starting in 2016, but Turner had the option to move that up to 2014.

Network executives decided in recent months that the best approach for both companies was to split the coverage for the next two years before beginning to take turns. TBS will televise the entire Final Four in 2016 and CBS in 2017.

"It was a nice opportunity to have a transition," Turner Sports chief David Levy said during a conference call.

The two companies recently completed the third year of their contract, which televised every game in the tournament for the first time using CBS and three Turner channels ? TBS, TNT and truTV. The new model has drawn strong ratings and proved viewers are comfortable finding the games on cable.

That success made Turner eager to get in on the Final Four early. Sports fans have become increasingly accustomed to major events on cable, include college football's title game.

Basketball's NCAA final will stay on a traditional broadcast network for two more years before making its cable debut. Meanwhile, TBS will add more big games: The channel will also begin airing two of the four regional finals starting next season. They had all been on CBS.

"We both win in this scenario," CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus said.

The original financial terms of the deal won't change under the new arrangement, McManus said.

Network executives have yet to decide which announcers will call the Final Four games next season. Steve Kerr of Turner had joined Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg of CBS in the booth for the semifinals and final in the first three years of the partnership.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-05-07-Final%20Four-TV/id-fbbc3e5789c14137bf30dc4ce24a028f

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GOP Pushes Bogus Workplace Bill From 1996

Salon:

This week, House Republicans are rolling out a plan they hope will boost the party's appeal among working families, by giving private sector workers the option of converting overtime pay to paid time off. Pushing the bill, which is expected to get a vote this week, is House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who made it a key item in his big February speech pitching the GOP to working families. The speech was meant to kick off the GOP's new, softer agenda, but if the party is looking for fresh ideas after their defeat in the 2012 election, this isn't one.

Read the whole story at Salon

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/06/gop-pushes-bogus-workplace-bill_n_3226082.html

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'I'm here and I'm free now'

Three women, two of them missing for a decade since they were teens in Cleveland, have been found alive, according to police.

A 52-year-old man has been arrested, police say. The women were being treated at the hospital. One of the women reportedly had a baby since she came up missing, according to reports.?

One of the women, Amanda Berry, was last heard from in 2003, when she called her sister to say she was getting a ride home from the Burger King restaurant where she worked, reported the Cleveland TV station WEWS. She was to turn 17 the day after she disappeared.

The other woman, Gina DeJesus, was 14 when she went missing on April 2, 2004. She was walking home from school.

The third woman, Michelle Knight, 32, was missing since she was 20.

Ariel Castro, the owner of the home where the women were found, has been arrested, according to The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer. Live TV reports showed hundreds of people and media gathered outside the Cleveland home, where the women were found.?

A recording of the 911 call reveals a frantic Berry calling for police.

"Help, I'm Amanda Berry ... I need police. I've been kidnapped," she says. "I've been missing for 10 years. I'm here and I'm free now." She asked that police respond quickly, before Castro returned to the home.

The women were being evaluating by doctors at the MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. At a press conference outside the hospital, Dr. Gerald Maloney said the three women appeared to be in fair condition at the moment.

"They are safe; we are evaluating their medical needs," Maloney said. As he spoke, a man in the crowd of onlookers shouted, "We love you, Amanda," and the crowd cheered.

Police have scheduled a press conference for Tuesday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/three-women-missing-decade-found-alive-234338530.html

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Knicks not planning lineup change vs bigger Pacers

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) ? The New York Knicks will not concede they have a "big" problem ? yet.

They know the Indiana Pacers have a size advantage, realize that Carmelo Anthony is going to get beat up banging against a bulkier body, and understand that a change to a lineup with a conventional power forward may become necessary.

Not now, but check back if they lose Game 2 on Tuesday night.

"I'm not saying I won't do that. But I'm just saying right now we've only got one game under our belt. ... The small lineup that we started didn't cost us," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Monday. "And I don't consider Melo a small. You guys might, but I don't."

He is, though, when it comes to his matchup against the Pacers.

Listed at 6-foot-8 and 235 pounds, Anthony has a quickness advantage playing against power forwards, and he's big enough to defend many of them. But Indiana's David West is 6-9 and 250, playing his natural position he's been an All-Star at, and he's one of the toughest competitors around.

The Pacers outrebounded the Knicks 44-30 on Sunday in their 102-95 victory in the opener of the second-round series.

"We're a big, physical team," Pacers center Roy Hibbert said. "Their specialty is their offensive firepower and we've got guys that could hold down the paint and the perimeter, too. So we just try to make everything as hard as possible for those guys and use our length and athleticism."

Anthony was in foul trouble and shot only 10 of 28, and a couple of his teammates even expressed concern about the pounding he took. But Anthony offers no excuses and his coach makes no concessions, saying the guys who started weren't the problem since the Knicks led after the first quarter.

"I thought we came out, we held our own the start of the game, had nothing to do with who started at the 4 or the 5," Woodson said.

"Melo's played big guys all year. Last I checked, statistics-wise we've been pretty damn good this year with Melo playing at the 4 spot, so I don't see any reason to change at this point right now."

But something is affecting Anthony. The NBA's leading scorer has made just 35 of 110 shots over his last four games and his shooting percentage for the postseason is down to 38 percent overall and 26 percent from 3-point range.

Point guard Raymond Felton wondered if the Pacers were targeting Anthony's sore left shoulder that he wore a strap over in Game 1 to keep in place. Teammate Kenyon Martin said he didn't think Anthony should have to "wrestle and tussle" with West and that perhaps the Knicks should start a bigger lineup. (He would be the obvious candidate to start).

"I think K-Mart is coming from a concerned standpoint as a teammate from me getting beat up so much, but we've been going through and dealing with the same thing all year long," Anthony said.

"I'm fine. I've been bruised up, beat up all year long, so as far as them guys targeting the shoulder, I can't worry about that."

Martin is only an inch taller and weighs less than Anthony, who shifted from his normal small forward spot to the power forward last season when Amare Stoudemire was injured and stayed there this season when Stoudemire remained out. The Knicks flourished with the small lineup and an emphasis on 3-point shooting.

"Kenyon is no bigger than Melo, that's kind of how I look at it," Woodson said. "We'll just gauge it and see how it goes tomorrow and if we've got to make that adjustment, I'll be the one to make that call."

Stoudemire could become an option to get big man minutes later in the series if he's cleared to return from right knee surgery. He took part in 3-on-3 scrimmages Monday, looking winded but expecting to practice Thursday and be in uniform Saturday.

"Game 1 was tough for us, but we're going to retaliate in Game 2 and see how that goes, and then from that game we'll see what type of adjustments we need to make. And then if I'm able to play, then I will," Stoudemire said.

The Knicks said most of their problems stemmed from being outworked, but they've got other issues. Hibbert (14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks) dominated his matchup with Tyson Chandler (4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 6 fouls), and Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith continued his shooting woes by going 4 of 15.

"I thought both teams played extremely physical. It's going to be that kind of series," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "I don't think we've won that physicality battle or anything like that. I think they played extremely hard and physical, and so did we."

With the Knicks unable to hit from the perimeter, they were forced to drive at Hibbert and other big defenders, which plays into the Pacers' hands. But Anthony said he'll keep doing it, insisting again the Knicks' effort was more of a problem than the Pacers' execution.

"For the most part, everything came down to effort yesterday," he said. "In our minds, we cannot get outworked like we did yesterday and that will be the adjustment."

___

Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/knicks-not-planning-lineup-change-vs-bigger-pacers-231919446.html

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সোমবার, ৬ মে, ২০১৩

Mad Men, Season 6

Last week the world was on fire. But this week everyone got religion. Not anything Judeo-Christian; these people are hardly churchgoers?think about how Sylvia Rosen sticks out, praying for Don?s soul. But they work in marketing, and if there?s one thing in which they believe, it?s markets. If, as Seth pointed out last week, things fell apart in the last episode, then perhaps going public will make SCDP whole again. They have called in the bankers; they?re already imagining the wealth an IPO will bring. It?s a pleasure to see the partners revel in their own potential riches; Joan marvels at the idea of herself with a million dollars (about $6.5 million today)?as rich as Roger, or Don. The only thing they?ve yet to do before they take the firm public at $11/share is to tell Don.

Don?s forced into a dinner with the relentlessly gauche Herb Rennet of Jaguar, and we meet Herb?s excruciating wife, Peaches. Which, Peaches and Herb, good going. Roger is off chasing General Motors across the friendly skies, so Don, trapped with Herb, does some first-class gurning, then proceeds to the insults. Jaguar is lost, and Marie, in one of the show?s great lines, describes Peaches as ?the apple that goes in the pig's mouth.?

It comes to a head with a lot of yelling and stomping around the well-appointed SCDP offices. Pete, angry over some other events, blurts out news of the IPO; Don is predictably annoyed and also promises to bring in new business to replace Jaguar. But Joan is the most hurt. ?Just once,? says Joan to Don, who we must remember made the ultimate sacrifice for Jaguar, by letting Herb have his way, ?I would like to hear the word ?we?.? One minute the reward for an evening of prostitution with Herb is a million 1968 dollars; the next Draper has screwed it up again. One moment Pete is out at the bordello having a fine time; the next he sees his father-in-law?one of SCDP?s biggest clients?and sets in motion the loss of millions of dollars in annual billing. (One important and oft-repeated lesson of this show is that if you have sex with another human being it will ruin everything ever.)

As the lesser partners suffer Don is in fine fettle. He?s insulted a client and romped with his wife, who is taking pains to please him. Into the maelstrom walks Roger Sterling to announce that they will be pitching GM a campaign for the car that will, eventually, become the Chevy Vega. And very unfortunately this sets into motion a great tidal wave of plot, more plot than this episode can handle, for as fortune would have it Ted Chaough?s firm is also pitching Chevy. We learn one of his partners has cancer. In the universe of this television show it suddenly becomes obvious that SCDP and Cutler, Gleason, and Chaough must merge. It?s a neat solution to a lot of dramatic constraints that were created by sending Peggy away from Don.

Hanna, Seth, what did you think of that the scene in which Don and Ted meet at the bar? I found it off-puttingly cute. More true, to me, was Don in the elevator with the demoralized Dr. Rosen, who has lost his chance to do the first American heart transplant. ?I had a heart and a kid,? he said.

?You make your own opportunities,? replies Don.

There?s a verse in Proverbs that describes Don so perfectly that it?s hard to imagine that it?s not pasted up somewhere in the Mad Men writer?s room. ?Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.? Don doesn?t want to stand before shareholders, or Herb Rennet. He wants to stand before kings. He wants to stand before GM. Even if it means standing next to Ted Chaough.

As things tie up, too neatly, Peggy is asked to write the press release (back to the title of the episode??For Immediate Release?); she is told to ?make it sound like the agency you want to work for.? That is the best part of advertising, the ability one has to recast the world in the most pleasurable light, to tell the story that everyone wants to hear. Peggy, adrift, in a bad apartment and unsatisfying relationship, has been placed, by her merging mentors, in charge of reality.

The external reality is pretty bleak. King was shot. Bobby Kennedy will follow, and the Nixon presidency looms. But regardless of what is happening on the larger stage of the world, the characters on this smaller stage, even the dying, need to get back to work.

I don?t want to draw any more rockets,

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=4e9ced00ff3afef331d235e735d0674a

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Big election lead for Malaysia ruling coalition

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) ? Malaysia's long-governing coalition commanded a formidable lead in national elections Sunday after a record number of voters cast ballots, capturing 80 of the 112 seats it needs to extend its 56-year rule.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's three-party alliance seized 37 of the 222 parliamentary seats in results released so far by Malaysia's Election Commission.

The alliance is the most unified challenge yet to Prime Minister Najib Razak's National Front coalition, which has triumphed in 12 consecutive general elections since independence from Britain in 1957.

The opposition hoped to capitalize on widespread allegations of arrogance, abuse of public funds and racial discrimination against the ruling coalition.

Many of the seats won so far were in the National Front's traditional rural strongholds, especially in Borneo, where Anwar's alliance had been hoping to make major inroads to bolster its chances of victory.

More than 10 million Malaysians cast ballots for a record turnout of 80 percent of about 13 million registered voters, the Election Commission said in preliminary estimates. They were also voting to fill vacancies in 12 of Malaysia's 13 state legislatures.

Even if it retains power, the National Front showed clear signs of vulnerability compared to its peak in 2004, when it won 90 percent of Parliament's seats.

The opposition stayed in control of northern Penang state, one of Malaysia's wealthiest territories, and remained strong in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's biggest city, where middle-class voters have clamored for national change.

Three well-known Cabinet ministers and at least one state chief minister were likely to lose their seats. The Malaysian Chinese Association, the second-biggest party in the ruling coalition, saw many of its candidates defeated as Malaysia's ethnic Chinese minority community continued to abandon the National Front.

Some people lined up for more than an hour at schools and other voting centers, showing off fingers marked with ink to prevent multiple voting after they had finished.

The National Front held 135 seats in Parliament before this month. It is anxious to secure a stronger five-year mandate and regain the two-thirds legislative majority that it held for years but lost in 2008.

"The government has made some mistakes but the prime minister has made changes and I believe they (the National Front) will do their best to take care of the people's welfare," said Mohamed Rafiq Idris, a car business owner who waited in a long line at a central Selangor state voting center with his wife and son.

Andrew Charles, a Malaysian businessman working in Australia, flew home to vote for the opposition because he believes it can end corruption and mistrust between the Malay Muslim majority and ethnic Chinese, Indian and smaller minorities.

"I am really fed up. There are more abuses in the system and there is no equality among the races. After 56 years, it is time to give others a chance to change this country," he said after voting in a suburb outside Kuala Lumpur.

Najib says only the National Front can maintain stability in Malaysia, which has long been among Southeast Asia's most peaceful countries.

"Your support is paramount if we are to keep to our path of development, if we are to continue our journey toward complete transformation," Najib said in a statement to voters. "This election is about fulfilling promises, bringing hope and upholding trustworthiness."

An opposition win would mark a remarkable comeback for Anwar, a former deputy prime minister who was fired in 1998 and subsequently jailed on corruption and sodomy charges that he says were fabricated by his political enemies. He was released from jail in 2004.

Anwar and other opposition leaders voiced deep fears Sunday about electoral fraud. Claims of bogus ballots and an apparent ease in which some voters cleaned the ink stains off their fingers dominated social media.

Opposition leaders said the National Front was using foreign migrants from Bangladesh, the Philippines and Indonesia to vote unlawfully. Government and electoral authorities deny the allegations.

"We have in fact jointly condemned this, which is not only fraudulent but virtually attempting to steal the elections, which is unconstitutional, disregard for the law," Anwar told reporters.

The National Front's aura of invincibility has been under threat since three of Malaysia's main opposition parties combined forces five years ago. In recent years the National Front has been increasingly accused of complacency and heavy-handed rule.

Najib, who took office in 2009, embarked on a major campaign to restore his coalition's luster. In recent months, authorities have provided cash handouts to low-income families and used government-linked newspapers and TV stations to criticize the opposition's ability to rule.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/big-election-lead-malaysia-ruling-coalition-163122693.html

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Rep. Steve King won't seek Iowa Senate seat (Washington Bureau)

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Fitbit Flex activity tracking wristband now shipping for $100

Fitbit Flex activity tracking wristband now shipping for $100

Fitbit's freshest fitness fob, the Flex wristband, may not be the most comprehensive activity tracker on the market, but it does deliver quite a bit of bang for your buck, as we discovered during our review. The company's latest gadget is set to compete with the Nike FuelBand and Jawbone Up, but at $100, it's more affordable than either of them. A single Benjamin buys you step, distance, calorie and moderate-intensity cardio time tracking, with wireless Bluetooth 4.0 syncing to Android and iOS apps. It can also keep tabs on your snoozing habits, including how long and how well you sleep, offering up tips should you need to make some tweaks. There's also a vibration alarm that'll shake you awake without disturbing others. Fitbit Flex is available through major retailers and at the source link below -- for an up-close work at how it works, be sure to check out our full review.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/06/fitbit-flex-wristband-now-shipping/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Telstra says Windows Phone 8 GDR2 update should reach testing in mid-May

Telstra mentions Windows Phone 8 GDR2 update coming in midMay

We've heard talk of a GDR2 update coming to Windows Phone 8, including more recent claims of restored FM radio support and a double-tap-to-wake feature, but it's been unclear when the mid-cycle refresh would show up. Telstra may have just given us a better clue: the Australian carrier tells customers on its support forums that Nokia should deliver its version of GDR2 for testing sometime in mid-May. That suggests the upgrade is relatively close, although we wouldn't make too many assumptions beyond that -- Telstra is just one of many networks that needs to sign off on GDR2, and it's likely neither the first nor the last. Nonetheless, it's apparent that Microsoft is relatively close to delivering a big tune-up.

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রবিবার, ৫ মে, ২০১৩

AP PHOTOS: Few know story of Jews in Red Army

In this photo made Thursday, April 11, 2013, Soviet Jewish World War Two veteran Boris Ginsburg poses for a portrait at his house in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod. Ginsburg, born in Belorussia, was kept by a German garrison in the Lenin ghetto since 1941 until its destruction by partisan units in September 1942. In 1942 he joined the partisans for two years and in 1944 he joined the Red Army as a combat soldier and fought till the and of the war. Ginsubrg demobilized in 1947 and immigrated to Israel in 2001. About 500,000 Soviet Jews served in the Red Army during World War Two, and the majority of those still alive today live in Israel. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

In this photo made Thursday, April 11, 2013, Soviet Jewish World War Two veteran Boris Ginsburg poses for a portrait at his house in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod. Ginsburg, born in Belorussia, was kept by a German garrison in the Lenin ghetto since 1941 until its destruction by partisan units in September 1942. In 1942 he joined the partisans for two years and in 1944 he joined the Red Army as a combat soldier and fought till the and of the war. Ginsubrg demobilized in 1947 and immigrated to Israel in 2001. About 500,000 Soviet Jews served in the Red Army during World War Two, and the majority of those still alive today live in Israel. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

In this photo made Thursday, April 11, 2013, Soviet Jewish World War Two veteran Gregory Stinman, 87, poses for a portrait at his house in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod. Stinman joined the Red Army in 1943 and served in the First Belorussian Front, a Soviet formation equivalent to an Army group, until he was wounded on January 23, 1945. Stinman demobilized in 1950 and immigrated to Israel in 1991 from Belorussia. About 500,000 Soviet Jews served in the Red Army during World War Two, and the majority of those still alive today live in Israel.(AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

In this photo made Wednesday, April 17, 2013, Soviet Jewish World War Two veteran Michael Sandler, 93, poses for a portrait at his house in Jerusalem, Israel. Sandler joined the Red Army, in 1939, serve the 3rd Guards Tank Army, 91st Separate Tank Brigade; in Stalingrad, then in Berlin and Prague until the end of the war. Sandler immigrated to Israel in 1991. About 500,000 Soviet Jews served in the Red Army during World War Two, and the majority of those still alive today live in Israel. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

In this photo made on Thursday, April 11, 2013, Soviet Jewish World War Two veteran Yaakov Vilkovich, 90, poses for a portrait at his house in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod. Vilkovich joined the Red Army in 1941, served in the 31st Army?s infantry battalion and fought in the Battle of Berlin in 1945. He immigrated to Israel in 1998. About 500,000 Soviet Jews served in the Red Army during World War Two, and the majority of those still alive today live in Israel. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

In this photo made on Friday, April 12, 2013, Soviet Jewish World War veteran Aharon Kavishaner poses for a portrait at his house in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. Kavishaner joined the Red Army in 1942, as an air force mechanic and served in the 4th Ukrainian Front, a Soviet army group. Kavishaner immigrated to Israel in 1991. About 500,000 Soviet Jews served in the Red Army during World War Two, and the majority of those still alive today live in Israel. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Once a year, Israel's Jewish war veterans don suit jackets and uniforms dripping in Red Army medals, the shiny bronzes and silvers pinned to their chests in tight rows like armor.

About 500,000 Jews served in the Soviet Red Army during World War II. Most of those still alive today ? about 7,000 ? are said to live in Israel.

Every year on Victory Day, which falls on Thursday this year, they parade in uniform throughout Israel to celebrate Nazi Germany's surrender to the Soviet Union.

Afterward, they return home to their modest apartments, where some tick off the days in solitude ? and poverty.

"The ceremonies are beautiful. People like to come and say nice words. But nice words don't put food on your plate," said Abraham Michael Grinzaid, 87, head of an association of Soviet war veterans. "The rest of the year, no one thinks of us."

About 1.5 million Jews fought in Allied armies, including 500,000 in the Red Army, 550,000 in the American army, 100,000 in the Polish army and 30,000 in the British army, according to Israel's Holocaust museum Yad Vashem.

Some of those who fought in the Red Army served in the highest levels of command. About 200,000 Soviet Jewish soldiers fell on the battlefield or into German captivity. Those who survived built families and careers in the Soviet Union, until the Communist regime collapsed and many of them ended up in Israel.

They formed a veterans' association, opening 50 chapters across the country. Today, most of them are nearly 90 years old, but they gather regularly for lectures and concerts. Some sing in the 42 veterans' choirs nationwide.

Israel is home to the world's largest population of Holocaust survivors. Memorials to Holocaust victims and underground partisans are aplenty. But only in recent years has the Jewish state begun to salute its Jewish war veterans.

That's mostly because many of the veterans immigrated just two decades ago and key war archives are only now being opened, allowing researchers to discover the full extent of Jewish soldiers' role in fighting the Nazis, said Red Army scholar Yitzhak Arad.

It wasn't until last year that Israel erected its first monument to Soviet Jewish soldiers who served in WW II. A museum dedicated to Jewish Allied fighters is still under construction.

Grinzaid, of the veterans association, complained that some Soviet war veterans in Israel receive government stipends amounting to just $50 a month, a pittance compared to the financial support Israeli Holocaust survivors receive.

But Roman Yagel, the head of another group of Soviet veterans, countered that veterans receive generous Israeli support. He accused Grinzaid of securing stipends for undeserving veterans who did not fight on the battlefield with weapons in hand ? one example of bitter political infighting within the Soviet veteran community.

Holocaust survivors are frequently invited to speak about the horrors they experienced. But Soviet war veterans arrived in Israel as pensioners and most never learned Hebrew so few Israelis know their stories.

Grinzaid was 17 ? when he enlisted in the Red Army. He was a paratrooper and served in an intelligence unit, earning five medals for his participation in battles across Europe. When Russian President Vladimir Putin came to Israel last year, he shook his hand.

Another Soviet veteran, Matvey Gershman, 87, helped liberate the Majdanek concentration camp in Poland. He remembers walking past storerooms filled with women's hair and children's shoes.

Suddenly, he stumbled upon a woman sitting and crying.

"I said, 'Grandmother, why are you crying? It's all over,'" Gershman recalled. "She lifted her head, looked at me, and said, 'I am 20 years old.'"

Gersham used to march in Israel's annual Victory Day parade before he had heart problems.

One year, he walked to the parade with his daughter and grandson, wearing his navy blue uniform featuring a cascade of medallions. Israeli teenagers on the street pointed at him and laughed.

"They treated him like he was a clown," said his daughter, Rimma. "He doesn't want to go out with these medals on anymore. He's embarrassed. They don't know what it is at all."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-05-05-Israel-Jewish%20Vets-Photo%20Essay/id-e82163dadb684cccb508a90d8356a37a

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Facebook Blocks Path's ?Find Friends? Access Following Spam Controversy

photo (1)Facebook's social graph went missing from yesterday's update to Path's smartphone app, and Facebook now confirms it has restricted Path's API access. Path can no longer look up your Facebook friends, which prevents it from sending them invitations or suggesting you follow them. The damaging blow to Path's growth may be in response to Path spamming user's contacts with invites last week.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/ug5kzIlJJHg/

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Outgoing Alibaba CEO Ma says he's 'old' for Web

(AP) ? Alibaba founder Jack Ma, the billionaire who has run the Chinese e-commerce giant since 1999, says he's getting "a bit old" for the Internet.

That's what the outgoing chief executive told a charitable event in Santa Monica Thursday as he pledged $5 million toward a China-based fund that supports environmental conservation projects outside China.

"I'm young for new things but I'm a bit old for the Internet," the 48-year-old said.

Ma's gift doubles the amount raised for the China Global Conservation Fund, an offshoot of the Arlington, Va.-based organization, The Nature Conservancy.

Ma steps down as CEO from Alibaba Group on May 10, ahead of a widely expected initial public offering of stock that could create a windfall for Yahoo Inc., which owns nearly a quarter of the company.

Ma said that he prepared for his retirement for the last nine years and is looking forward to working on philanthropic causes such as environmental conservation.

He said he was inspired to act after visiting his home in China six years ago. A lake he nearly drowned in as a boy had mostly dried up. He also spoke to a farmer who used chemicals on produce that he wouldn't feed his family. "I know something is wrong," Ma said.

Ma will chair the Chinese board overseeing the fund once he steps down as CEO.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-05-03-AP-US-Jack-Ma-Retirement/id-7fce9cc92da04897bc58e71cf1153ae7

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Patrón Saint

A general view of atmosphere at the Tequila Tasting during the Bash To Banish Bullying Benefiting It Gets Better, a Matrix Chairs Of Change Event - Day 1 at Saguaro Hotel on March 16, 2013 in Palm Springs, California.

A general view of atmosphere at the tequila tasting during the Bash to Banish Bullying Benefiting It Gets Better, in Palm Springs, Calif.

Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Matrix

It?s spring, and the U.S. is once again girding itself for Cinco de Mayo, our annual celebration of an attractively bastardized version of Mexican drinking culture. Cocktail sophisticates will explore the possibilities of mixing smoky mezcal with herbal Chartreuse and white tequila with freshly fashionable Cynar. The grapefruity cooler called the paloma, historically underappreciated at these latitudes, will parch an unprecedented number of thirsts. And of course many millions will encounter tequila in its most familiar forms: as the active ingredient in margaritas, and as the live ammunition in a deadening number of shots.

As ever, the holiday is marked by a flood of news items and press releases regarding the liquor. This year, many of these concern premixed margarita-flavored beverages ranging from the burp-making fizzy sparklers of Sauza to the intriguingly not-bad frozen pouches produced by Mike?s Hard Lemonade. But the giddiest buzz of the season emanates from the printed word. Anyone desirous of making sense of tequila?s current status will be well served by chugging The Patr?n Way: The Untold Inside Story of the World?s Most Successful Tequila. This is a major minor publishing event: an explanation of marketing sleight-of-hand tricks delivered by the magician?s lovely assistant. Our guide to the brand?s ascendance as the world?s best-selling ultrapremium tequila?the conspicuous choice of consumers hoping to project machismo?is Ilana Edelstein, once the girlfriend of the late Martin Crowley, who, with hair care billionaire John Paul DeJoria, founded the company in 1989. The author writes,

?Even though I am no longer officially connected to the brand, it?s a part of me. I will forever be:
?The Widow Patr?n.? ?

Edelstein proves herself an innovator in a most peculiar literary subgenre?the pulp business book. Her four-page author bio gives a hint of the tone that makes the book such a hoot: ?Creative and street-smart, the stunning young blonde with the piercing blue eyes made her way to the United States from her native South Africa more than three decades ago through sheer grit and determination.? Imagine a b-school case study written by Jacqueline Susann.

It is the consensus view of booze professionals that Patr?n is, in gastronomical terms, merely pretty good. It is a matter of historical fact that the brand benefited from being in the right place at a benighted time; it was the first tequila company to encourage mainstream America to sip, rather than to slam, its distilled agave juice. But Patr?n?s success as ?the first spirit brand in its price point to sell over a million cases? and as a force driving tequila?s current status as the fastest-growing liquor category is a triumph of image, not taste. Much of the book?s value lies in its candid acknowledgment and explication of that fact. It diagrams the cultivation of a mystique that this week enabled Chipotle to begin selling Patr?n margaritas that are two or three dollars more expensive than the fast-food chain?s extant Sauza-based offering. Let us examine three notable tequila-related noticias through the eye of a woman who claims to have revolutionized the techniques of liquor-industry trade-show promotion by having a tailor stitch ?Team Patr?n? logos onto two black Lycra minidresses from her personal collection.

1.?We love tequila. On the rocks, by the shot, at times straight from the bottle,? says Rande Gerber, who, along with George Clooney, has taken his passion for the spirit to the next level, by creating Casamigos, a private label launching nationwide this winter.

Edelstein credits much of Patr?n?s success to its Hollywood connections. The Spago launch party in 1991 was a hit, and the Golden Globes swag bags shortly thereafter were a sure coup. But its greatest early triumph was to cultivate the loyalty of Clint Eastwood, who gave the liquor a free product placement in In the Line of Fire in 1993: ?In the movie?s most intricate scene, when Clint?s character is negotiating with a terrorist over the phone, Patr?n gets a close-up that lasts about a minute.?

Such is the historical context for Clooney lending his aura to a new line of Mexican hooch. The Casamigos team sent Slate a bottle of its reposado, and we took it to a party. A graphic designer remarked that its label was perfectly of the moment in having been overdesigned to appear underdesigned. Women in their early 20s appreciated its notes of vanilla. Women in their late 30s declared that its big nose gave way to a vague body, cast doubt on its sweetness, and finally decided that it might be best for cooking?preparing bananas Foster, say. All the while, these women expressed sharp disappointment in Clooney for degrading his profile thusly, while simultaneously making clear that this misstep was only fractionally as embarrassing as the Chanel ads that find Brad Pitt looking unprecedentedly kinda crappy.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=793e5822ce9d6fab00674dd704082165

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Boston bombing probe: Three suspects told stories that don't match

In broad terms, the three suspects arrested and charged with obstructing justice in the Boston bombing investigation told the same story. But the accounts varied on some important details.

By Mark Trumbull,?Staff writer / May 2, 2013

This courtroom sketch shows defendants Dias Kadyrbayev (l.) and Azamat Tazhayakov appearing in front of Federal Magistrate Marianne Bowler at the Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston on Wednesday.

Jane Flavell Collins/AP

Enlarge

On the evening of April 18, college student Dias Kadyrbayev sent an out-of-the-ordinary text message to a classmate, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Mr. Kadyrbayev told his friend that he looked like one of the bomb suspects whose faces has been publicized by the FBI a few hours earlier.

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Over the next few minutes, between 8:43 and 8:48 p.m., the exchange continued, with Mr. Tsarnaev sending messages including ?lol,? ?you better not text me,? and ?come to my room and take whatever you want.?

Those details are included in a criminal complaint against Kadyrbayev by the FBI, released Wednesday. But the complaint against Kadyrbayev and two other friends of Tsarnaev, who are all facing criminal charges of obstructing justice, in some ways raises as many questions as it answers about the events of April 18.

The FBI alleges that the three friends, acting together that night, recognized Tsarnaev as a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings and agreed to remove a backpack and other items from his college dorm room in Dartmouth, Mass. All three of their accounts align around the claim that Kadyrbayev was the one who threw the backpack away.

Yet there are also glaring inconsistencies in their stories. The three 19-year-olds gave the FBI differing accounts about when they went to Tsarnaev?s dorm room that evening, when they came to the conclusion that Tsarnaev was likely involved in the Boston bombings, and when the backpack ? which contained fireworks that had been emptied of explosive powder ? was thrown away.

Kadyrbayev?s defense attorney denies that his client believed that Tsarnaev was one of the marathon bombers or that he understood that he was potentially destroying evidence that night.

So, what did these individuals understand about what they were doing?

Here?s a timeline of events, contradictions and all, as reported in the FBI criminal complaint against Kadyrbayev and the other two friends, Azamat Tazhayakov, and Robel Phillipos.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/w2TRrE_auTU/Boston-bombing-probe-Three-suspects-told-stories-that-don-t-match

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শনিবার, ৪ মে, ২০১৩

ForeverMap2, Google Now, Timeless, and More.

Between work, leisure, travel, and everything in between, we've barely got enough time in the day to breathe, much less handle the little surprises life throws at us at the same time. Fortunately, you don't have to go through it alone. This week's set of iPhone apps are all about making your life easier, more organized, and with all the information you'll need just a finger swipe away.

Read more...

    


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ZfU5WzP6p0M/forevermap2-google-now-timeless-and-more-489509845

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In Menendez's troubles, echoes of past scandals (The Arizona Republic)

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GUSA: A Year in Sport ? Glasgow Guardian

Beatrice Cook

It has been yet another successful year for the Glasgow University Sport Association; alongside the University?s recent triumph at the Glasgow Taxis Cup for the third consecutive year, there has been consistent victory in other areas of club sport, with Glasgow University Women?s Football ?team remaining undefeated in the British University and College Sports (BUCS) Championships ?since February 2011, and the Glasgow University Netball BUCS team dominating over Edinburgh seconds, securing a place in the Conference Cup final to fight to retain their title. However, it is not all about club and competitive sport here at the University of Glasgow. A recent drive to focus on health and wellbeing at the University has been seen in the restructuring of the association?s Council with the introduction of the position of Welfare Convenor, as well as the Sports and Wellbeing Week at the beginning of the second semester. In addition to that, emphasis has been placed on recreational sports and clubs, with the creation of the Recreational Sports League in 2012, opening up sport to a wider collective. GUSA has strived to remain an open and equal institution, and with the coming construction of the new Stevenson Hive Building Project meaning more gym space and increased service levels for all members, it seems that there has never been more of an exciting time for sport at the University of Glasgow.

GUSA has over fifteen thousand members, with approximately two thousand of those students using its facilities on a daily basis; from this statistic alone it is obvious that the association is extremely popular across campus, its partnership with the Sport and Recreation Service (SRS) serving to further strengthen its reputation and influence, whilst its Council, made up of twelve university students elected by their peers, acts on behalf of the student body to ensure a bright future for sport and wellbeing. This popularity was clearly seen at the recent GUSA Council elections, where 1066 votes were cast to decide on who would take up the mantle for one of the seven remaining opposed positions; this is in stark contrast with the other Union elections occurring at the same time. Whilst the Glasgow University Union garnered a respectable 878 returned ballots, the Queen Margaret Union only managed 476 votes, with the healthy turnout for the GUSA elections, where many senior roles within the council were largely unopposed, showing the solid level of support that the association has gathered over the years. Furthermore, by comparing the Student Representative Council (SRC) sabbatical hustings with the GUSA equivalent, the latter having double the turnout, it is evident that students feel they can actively engage and be involved with the association, as well as influencing the future of university sport.

With 48 different clubs and 83 sporting teams affiliated to GUSA competing in BUCS, it is no wonder that this academic year has arguably been the biggest and best yet for the University of Glasgow. The wealth of choice and variety has given new and continuing students the opportunity to get involved in a sport they?ve never tried, or to indulge their competitive side. With groups ranging from the more competition-based hockey, swimming and rugby clubs, to their recreational counterparts, including surfing, ski and snowboarding, as well as canoeing and kayaking, there is a great deal on offer sports-wise. Also, with gym membership at just ?50 for the entire year, this is yet another reason to get involved with GUSA. Moreover, this year has seen the commencement of a recreational sports league, the Glasgow Championship, so for those of us who don?t want to feel under pressure to perform at club level, you have to the chance to participate in regular sporting fixtures in badminton, football, hockey, rugby and squash alongside people of a wide range of performance levels and abilities. This fantastic concept further widens the pool of potential new members, affording students and staff alike the opportunity to get involved in sport in an entirely new and unrestrictive level.

Although this year has seen a distinct move away from the stereotypes of sport, the University of Glasgow still retains its sporting prowess when it comes to the competition stakes; the university?s recent win at the 2013 Glasgow Taxis Cup evidently shows that GUSA has developed a finely tuned machine of sporting excellence, their success adding to Glasgow?s four previous victories at the same competition. In comparison to the previous year?s nail-biting finale, when Glasgow reigned supreme with only a point separating them from rivals Strathclyde, this year?s competition resulted in unparalleled success for Glasgow University, finishing with 49 points overall, compared with Strathclyde?s 35 points and Glasgow Caledonian?s 23.

In addition to this latest victory for the University of Glasgow, GUSA continues to oversee the nurturing of extremely talented sportsmen and women with elite athlete funding. These funds include sports bursaries and the Winning Students scholarship; whilst the former gives those honoured with the bursary both sporting and academic support, as well as taking care of them throughout their competitions and student life, the Winning Students scholarship, Scotland?s national sports scholarship programme, ?supports student athletes with annual scholarships up to ?5,500 to help them achieve their sporting and academic goals.? Furthermore, this year?s GUSA Ball, held on the 9th?of February at the Hilton Hotel, gave the University the opportunity to award these dedicated athletes with a recognition of their achievements; the Rebecca Cooke Award for female athlete of the year went to Ruth Dunn of the prestigious Boat Club, the Bob Wilson Award for best male athlete went to Calum Nicol, a rising star in the field of basketball, while the Glasgow University Triathlon Club were awarded best up and coming club. Dunn and Nicol are amongst many names to look out for in the coming years, and with the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games rapidly approaching, it will undoubtedly be the time for Glasgow University?s finest athletes to step up to the mark.

On a more grandiose scale, the Glasgow University Boat Club, established in 1867, is one of the oldest clubs at the university and arguably the most prominent. Based off-campus in Glasgow Green, it competes on both a Scottish and National level, but certainly the most exciting event in its calendar is the Edinburgh-Glasgow Boat Race. The race, taking place for the first time in 1877, is the second oldest in the UK, with only the famous Oxbridge Boat Race preceding it. According to the Glasgow University Boat Club website, ?Winning is euphoric, losing ? despair?The race is a blur. Heart rates soar, muscles scream with the effort and minds are locked in concentration? Perseverance through all adversities differentiates the winning crew.? This year sees the race taking place on the 25th?of May, and on that day, the media?s attention will turn to see which of the rival Universities will take home the highly sought after title. GUSA?s support has unquestionably helped in GUBC?s success thus far, with access to training facilities at both Glasgow Green and the Stevenson Building allowing the club to harness their full potential.

The general welfare and health of students has always been of great importance to the University, and the introduction of a Welfare Convener in the Council, taken on this year by Leah Tomlinson, as well as the Buddy System and Sport and Wellbeing Week demonstrates GUSA?s continuing dedication to look after its members. The purpose of the newly established Welfare Convener is to ?provide support in the planning and delivery of welfare associated events and initiatives such as the Sport & Wellbeing Week, [being] responsible for the administration and accreditation of the Healthy Body Health Mind award programme [and] works closely with Sport & Recreation in raising the awareness of the benefits of leading an active and healthy lifestyle to the University community.? The success of the Sport and Wellbeing Week at the beginning of the second semester emphasises GUSA?s commitment to providing a better service for all students, with keynote speakers including the inspirational Scottish track cyclist Graeme Obree and activities ranging from free exercise taster sessions, personal training, to talks on healthy eating and eating disorders, there was something to interest everyone. Starting university is a life changing experience, and GUSA strives to ensure that each and every member is given the best possible opportunity at living a healthy student life by promoting a healthy and happy lifestyle. The Buddy System, where disabled students wishing to get involved in sport are specially paired up with GUSA volunteers and given the chance to participate without any physical or mental barriers. This has proved a vital addition to GUSA?s growing list of achievements, further displaying the association?s ability to provide an open and fair service for all students at the university.

GUSA is a strong institution at the University of Glasgow; its drive to secure a bright and fair future for sport has meant that it not only remains a dominant force in competitive sport, but it also provides an open and diverse foundation for new and continuing students by promoting health and wellbeing, as well as equality within sport and a variety of clubs and leagues to interest both staff and students. From its numerous victories at BUCS, the Glasgow Taxis Cup and on a national level, as well as its creation of a recreational league and the Sport and Wellbeing Week, Glasgow University Sports Association has forged a strong relationship with its members, and continues to provide a sports and wellbeing service of unparalleled quality. As an anonymous source once told me, ?Glasgow University Sports Association IS sport.?

Source: http://glasgowguardian.co.uk/2013/05/03/gusa-a-year-in-sport/

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