A deeper look at Hong Kong's new chief executive

Leung Chun-ying is due to take office as Hong Kongs chief executive Sunday, anointed by Chinese President Hu Jintao, just at the time Tropical Storm Doksuri appears to be scheduled to arrive and head directly up the Pearl River.

There is more than one storm brewing. Hu has expressed confidence in Leung despite the fact that the incoming official is mired in controversy after the Chinese-language Ming Pao Daily reported last week that Leungs residence on Victoria Peak, the lofty enclave for the rich, powerful and famous, featured an illegal glass canopy extension. Buildings Department inspectors found five other violations. The rest of Hong Kongs press has taken up the chase although Leungs supporters say the violations are relatively minor and were added to the place before he bought it 10 years ago.

However, what the revelations do is add to concerns that go beyond the violations in themselves. Leung so far has shrugged off allegations of being a closet communist, of conflict of interest in the West Kowloon design selection process, of urging riot police action on the 2003 public rally against a proposed draconian security bill that brought an estimated half million protesters onto the streets, of taking instructions from the united front plotters at the China Liaison Office and now of violating the buildings code.

Much of this has slid off without sticking -- so far. Conducting a media pack through his HK$500 million residence, Leung explained that when he bought the twin-lot property, he had an authorized person inspect it for compliance with buildings regulations. He promised to rectify the infringements immediately.

Leung talks the talk

There is only one law for all in Hong Kong, rich or poor, Leung said on Newsline, the ATV interview program hosted by Michael Chugani last Sunday. He made the comment in the context that the same rule should apply to himself and to the New Territories villagers who claim they should be exempt.

Leung has the ability to say the right things even when caught with his pants down. In politics that is a rare gift. Comparisons with the Teflon President Bill Clinton, who could look people in the eye and lie with a straight face, are not amiss.

Leung rarely gets flustered in public. He takes it all in stride like a hardened politician. He will not be scuppered. He puts on the long-suffering look of the misunderstood. Colleagues who have worked for decades with him have difficulty penetrating his inscrutable personality. Nobody really knows him. The old establishment of senior civil servants, property tycoons and university academics have major reservations.

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Leung Chun-ying stumbles on illegal additions to his Peak home

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns hold their first 2012 training camp practice on July 28 in Berea, and play their first exhibition game on Aug. 10 in Detroit against the Lions.

The Browns open their 60th NFL season -- that's not counting the All-America Football Conference (1946-49), but the 1950-95 seasons and from 1999 until the present -- on Sept. 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles at Browns Stadium.

The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com cover the Browns. Tom Reed writes that the Browns shouldn't be in a hurry to trade quarterback Colt McCoy, who as of now stands to be the backup to rookie Brandon Weeden.

Included on cleveland.com is the Browns history database, which features the Plain Dealer game stories for every regular season and playoff game in Browns history, from 1946 through 2010.

For the Browns to improve on their recent history -- a 4-12 record last season and a combined 18-46 over the last four campaigns -- they must get more production from a wide receiver group that has a rather thin NFL resume.

Fred Greetham writes for Scout.com's Orange and Brown Report that the Browns hope Greg Little, about to begin his second season, will emerge as a difference-making wideout:

Little, who just turned 23 on May 30, officially became a starter after the first four games of his rookie season. He responded with 61 receptions for 709 yards and two touchdowns, including a season long 76-yard score against the Cardinals in December. Little was second in the AFC among rookies only to the Bengals A.J. Green, who had 65 receptions.

Overall, Little ranked 17th in the AFC in receptions. His 709 yards was the fourth highest in Browns history among rookies. His reception totals were second best only to Kevin Johnsons 66 grabs in 1999. Little had six receptions in three games, with his high being 131 yards against the Cardinals.

Most Browns fans feel Little can be a fine NFL receiver, but not all outside the Browns front office consider him a sure-fire top tier receiver. However, Little has shed 11 pounds and the Browns are hoping one year of experience will help him to become one of the top receivers in the league.

The top five things that messed up the Browns' 2011 season, and where those matters stand now....and other observations. (By Steve Doerschuk, Canton Repository)

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Cleveland Browns P.M. links: Greg Little needs to emerge as a top wideout

June 25, 2012 - Carolina League (CarL) Wilmington Blue Rocks Woodbridge, VA - The three newest Wilmington Blue Rocks (30-45, 1-4) played the hero role as Lane Adams, Matt Fields and Orlando Calixte drove in a combined six runs over the final two innings in a 7-3 win over the Potomac Nationals (34-41, 3-2) on Monday night. The Rocks did not have a hit entering the eighth, but rallied for their first road win since May 28. The win snapped a seven-game slide overall and a 10-game road skid, one short of the franchise record.

Big leaguer Cole Kimball tossed two hitless frames in a rehab start while Adam Olbrychowski followed with five frames of no-hit ball until the eighth. Potomac held a 2-0 lead at that time thanks to Kevin Keyes' second-inning homer.

Angel Franco singled sharply past the dive of Adrian Sanchez at second to spoil the no-hit bid. An out and a walk later, Potomac skipper Brian Rupp removed Obrychowski in favor of the league leader in strikeouts per nine innings, Rob Wort (1-3). The slider specialist issued a full-count walk to Cheslor Cuthbert to load the bases, retired Brett Eibner on an infield pop, and then saw the wheels come off.

Adams worked the count full before laying off a pitch down and away for a run-scoring walk. Fields followed and ripped a 3-2 pitch through the left-side hole for a two-run single and Wilmington's first lead of the night, 3-2.

That had starter Yordano Ventura in line for the win. In seven innings, he struck out seven and allowed just two runs on four hits. However, the lead would not last long. Potomac tied the game without a hit in the eighth. In his Carolina League debut, Matt Ridings walked Blake Kelso to start the inning. A sacrifice and a groundout got him over, while a wild pitch pushed him home for a 3-3 draw.

The rollercoaster ride still had another loop coming. Consecutive hits by Juan Graterol and Franco started the ninth and chased Wort. Rupp brought in sidearmer Neil Holland and two batters later, Calixte brought the wood. The shortstop prospect blasted his first home run as a Blue Rock to left field, a three-run job that put the rocks on top to stay, 6-3. Eibner later added window dressing with a well-hit RBI double. Ridings (1-0) closed it out with a scoreless ninth.

The four-game series continues at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday night. Right-hander Brooks Pounders (0-2, 5.25) will get the nod for Wilmington against southpaw Robbie Ray (3-3, 4.84). Broadcast coverage begins at 6:35 p.m. as studio host Rob Cunningham brings fans the Rocks Report Pre-game Show, presented by Wawa, on 89.7 WGLS-FM and online at wgls.rowan.edu.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

Wilmington nearly suffered its second nine-inning no-hitter in less than 40 days. On May 19, Nick Tepesch and Jimmy Reyes of Myrtle Beach combined on the feat at Frawley Stadium. Now in its 20th season, the Blue Rocks franchise had not endured a no-hitter on its history until that Saturday night.

This series marks the start of divisional foes only for Wilmington over a stretch of 13 straight and 17 of 20. The Rocks are 17-34 against Southern Division squads and 13-11 against their brothers in the North.

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Latest Additions Snap Long Slide

Long Beach, CA (PRWEB) June 25, 2012

Today, Ignify proudly announced it has won the 2012 worldwide Microsoft Dynamics Partner of the Year Award in the Retail category. The company was honored among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology. With over 600,000 Microsoft partners worldwide, winning Microsoft Partner of the Year is a very unique distinction.

The Microsoft Dynamics Retail Partner of the Year Award honors the Microsoft Dynamics partner who exhibited excellence in providing superior solutions based on Microsoft Dynamics to customers in the retail industry. The winner demonstrated industry knowledge and expertise, as well as consistent, high-quality, predictable service to Microsoft Dynamics customers. They also demonstrated business leadership and success through strong growth in new customer additions and revenue.

Microsoft is pleased to present the Microsoft Dynamics Retail Partner of the Year Award to Ignify. Ignifys Microsoft-powered CRM and ERP solutions provide value across multiple verticals and help retailers drive success in the areas of e-commerce and order management, said Doug Kennedy, vice president, Microsoft Dynamics Partners and Support Services.

Understanding that retail clients have demanding needs and require a multi-channel solution, Ignify works closely with clients in developing and delivering the optimal solutions for serving their mobile, online, phone, product catalog, and in-store requirements. Ignify provides a comprehensive software system for every facet that a retail business requires, combining technologies such as Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP, Ignify eCommerce, Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail Point-of-Sale (POS), and Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Earning this award two years in a row is truly a reflection of the diligence, hard work, and exceptional creativity of our implementation and product development teams. Their devotion toward creating powerful and user-friendly software solutions that improve productivity affirms Ignifys dedication to our customers success, said Sandeep Walia, CEO of Ignify.

Continual investment in Ignifys technology offerings is a key factor in the innovation and implementation excellence that give Ignify clients a business advantage. Ignify has invested over $6 million dollars in developing the intellectual property for the Ignify eCommerce product, creating a multi-currency, multi-country, global packaged e-commerce solution. Based on Microsoft technology, the Ignify eCommerce system provides out-of-the-box support for merchandising functionality, marketing promotions, catalog management etc., providing a comprehensive system for advancing brand awareness and ensuring a higher outreach to both existing and potential customers.

Ignify has made over 25 releases of Ignify eCommerce, with the last major version version 6.0 marking a significant upgrade that contained more than 300 new features. As a reflection of the success of these product developments, Ignify eCommerce has currently processed over $10 billion in online revenues for retailers across 350 web stores.

In addition, Ignify launched Order Entry for Microsoft Dynamics, a solution that provides customers with the ability to do phone and catalog orders through a web interface. The Order Entry solution is tablet optimized and allows for highly efficient order entry with a Microsoft Excel grid like format. Overall, this system provides a rich set of features for salespersons and customer service representatives to quickly and easily create new orders, view order history for a customer, and edit or update orders.

As a testament to its commitment to customer learning, Ignify has invested in building a Microsoft Dynamics Experience Center in its Downtown Long Beach office that brings together a complete solution in an environment that allows customers to try them out.

Read more here:
Ignify Wins 2012 Microsoft Dynamics Partner of the Year Award

Posted: Jun. 24, 2012 | 2:21 p.m.

Here is a listing of events designed for book lovers. Information is subject to change or cancellation without notice. Additions or changes to this listing must be submitted at least 10 days in advance of Sunday publication to Bookmark, Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125. For more information, call 383-0306.

SIGNINGS

Andrew McLean will sign "The Las Vegas Chronicles" at 1 p.m. today in the gift shop at the Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave. Admission is free for book signings only.

Tera Lynn Childs will sign "Just For Fins" and "Tempest Unleashed" at 4 p.m. Thursday at Barnes & Noble, 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd.

Lindsey Leavitt will sign "A Farewell to Charms (A Princess for Hire Book)" at 5 p.m. Friday at Barnes & Noble, 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd.

Lani Woodland will sign "Indelible" and "Intrinsical" at 1 p.m. Saturday at Barnes & Noble, 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd.

Shawn Bowman will sign "Criminal Crafts: Outlaw Projects for Scoundrels, Cheats, and Armchair Detectives" at 1 p.m. Saturday in the gift shop at the Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave. The signing will include a craft demonstration. Admission is free for book signings only.

EVENTS

The Amazing Reads Book Club meets at 5:30 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of each month at West Charleston Library, 6301 W. Charleston Blvd.

See the original post here:
Book Signings And Events, June 24-30

War... War never changes.

Despite my colorful history with the Fire Emblem franchise, I never got around to playing Sacred Stones. Considering I started around the time Radiant Dawn came out on the Wii, Id heard for a while about how merciful the game was compared to other, more brutal Fire Emblem games, and I had missed the boat on getting it when it initially released. In addition, I had seen everything in Sacred Stones described as less memorable and of lower quality, be it the class system, the story, or what have you.

The first thing I noticed in Sacred Stones is an easy option, which supposedly spells out many of the game's mechanics, along with providing an easier overall difficulty. I decided to go straight into hard modenot because I'm good at Fire Emblem (I'm not at all), but because I wanted to see everything the game had to offer.

It's traditional Fire Emblem for the most parta strategy RPG with a fantasy-military setting and lots of plot surrounding the relationships of each and every character. The draw of Fire Emblem is that, in almost every entry in the series, when you lose a unit, they either die or are "wounded" and show up only in necessary plot points. There are hit points, random number generators for stat boosts between levels, and a neat rock-paper-scissors system involving axes, lances, and swords (i.e., lances>swords>axes>lances). But if you want to know more about Fire Emblem as a series, that's on you. This whole article is just about Sacred Stones.

Although the combat in Sacred Stones is the same stuff present in the other games, its easiness comes into play outside combat. You can enter shops at any time, so stockpiling weapons isn't an issue (as it was with Shadow Dragon, in some cases). Rather than keep the ability exclusive to missions and the occasional arena, Sacred Stones has two dedicated grinding areas you can visit without limit. For players invested in class promotion, these locations must be an absolute dream. In my opinion, the difficulty of Sacred Stones is determined by how much you use these places to level units up. Even so, I did notice fewer times in which I had to restart chapters than in other Fire Emblem games, and I usually play on the lowest difficulty.

Despite its lower level of difficulty, the game is still a load of fun, and I think story is actually much better than in many of the other Fire Emblem games. Because Sacred Stones is shorter than many of the newer Fire Emblems (with the exception Shadow Dragon, and possibly one more), there are fewer plot lines to deal with, and the main story is much shorter and easier to follow than in other games, especially if you're new to Fire Emblem or RPG storytelling. From beginning to end, it's fairly engaging, albeit a bit simplisticthere's war, attempted conquest, and an ancient evil. It sure is Fire Emblem.

If anything, my biggest issue with the title is that it doesn't introduce anything new. Much of the music and art is unmemorable (though with excellent animation, as per usual in Intelligent Systems games), and the mechanics and class layouts hold few surprises. It's just more Fire Emblem, with brisker pacing, more explanation, and additions intended to make the game less brutal for newcomers (I'm looking at you, Seth!).

It's not the worst Fire Emblem I've played (and in my book, the worst Fire Emblem was still a rather enjoyable experience), but it is certainly not one of the best either. If you haven't played Fire Emblem, this is likely the best place to start (something the excellent RFN RetroActive can attest to). If you have played a game or two in the series before, Sacred Stones is still worth experiencing despite its low difficulty, but at the end of the day, it's just more Fire Emblem.

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EXTRA LIFE: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

Copyright 2010. The Associated Press. Produced by NewsOK.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

JOPLIN, Mo. A casino that sits in the tri-state area of Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas is adding a seven-story hotel to its casino complex that officials say will boost the local economy by bringing in hundreds of jobs into the area.

Downstream Casino Resort, operated by the Quapaw Tribe, is building a hotel in the tri-state area. DRAWING PROVIDED

Downstream Casino Resort is planning to build a second hotel that will add 400 construction jobs and 40 casino-related employment jobs, said Sean Harrison, casino spokesman.

The expansion takes aim at raising the bar for destination resorts in this part of the country, Harrison said. The extravagant amenities are designed to add to the overall attraction of the casino so as to reach beyond its current 100-mile radius.

The casino and resort, operated by the Quapaw Tribe is located four miles west of Joplin, Mo., in the northeastern corner of Oklahoma with its parking lot located in Kansas and the main entrance located in Missouri.

With 2 million visitors a year to the casino, it quickly outgrew its current 222-room motel. The casino-resort employs more than 1,200 full-time workers and has a $42 million payroll, including benefits and tips.

We have a strong economic impact in this region, Harrison said referring to the tri-state area.

Harrison said the new $50 million hotel would be open in December and have 152 rooms, a spa and an indoor pool.

View post:
Tri-state casino adding hotel, Oklahoma jobs

By RONNIEBLAIR | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 22, 2012

NEW PORT RICHEY - When school resumes in August, anytime Principal Ken Miesner wants to make sure his students are where they are supposed to be it might not be that difficult.

He can just step out onto a second-story balcony overlooking a courtyard between two classroom buildings at Richey Elementary.

Most of the student comings-and-goings will be right before his eyes.

That view wasn't a possibility in the past. But then, the 2012-13 version of Richey Elementary won't be the same school the community has known since the 1950s.

Richey is undergoing a $15.6 million reconstruction. The project began after the school district conducted a study to determine whether it was more cost effective to renovate the aging school or tear it down and start over.

The verdict: Tear it down.

That meant this past school year, much of the campus was blocked off to students and teachers. They remained in the old Richey Elementary while construction workers from Cutler Associates Inc. of Tampa were building the new Richey Elementary on the other side of a fence.

John Petrashek, the school district's director of new construction, said it can be difficult, but worth it, for a principal to give up most of the campus over the course of a school year while construction crews swarm the place.

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New school passes

By RONNIE BLAIR | The Tampa Tribune Published: June 22, 2012 Updated: June 22, 2012 - 12:00 AM

When school resumes in August, anytime Principal Ken Miesner wants to make sure his students are where they are supposed to be, it might not be that difficult.

He can just step out onto a second-story balcony overlooking a courtyard between two classroom buildings at Richey Elementary.

Most of the student comings-and-goings will be right before his eyes.

That view wasn't a possibility in the past. But then, the 2012-13 version of Richey Elementary won't be the same school the community has known since the 1950s.

Richey is undergoing a $15.6 million reconstruction. The project began after the school district conducted a study to determine whether it was more cost effective to renovate the aging school or tear it down and start over.

The verdict: Tear it down.

That meant this past school year, much of the campus was blocked off to students and teachers. They remained in the old Richey Elementary while construction workers from Cutler Associates Inc. of Tampa were building the new Richey Elementary on the other side of a fence.

John Petrashek, the school district's director of new construction, said it can be difficult, but worth it, for a principal to give up most of the campus over the course of a school year while construction crews swarm the place.

"It's a small inconvenience to pay for the great things that lie ahead," he said.

Here is the original post:
New Pasco school nearly complete

June 21, 2012 - California League (CalL) Inland Empire 66ers San Bernardino, CA - The Inland Empire 66ers are reloaded for the second half of the 2012 season with three additions to the active roster. Angels 2010 first round pick Kaleb Cowart leads the class of new additions which includes two returning 66ers, Drew Heid and Daniel Tillman. Travis Witherspoon and Brian Hernandez were promoted to AA Arkansas during the All Star break, and pitchers Baudilio Lopez and Brian Diemer were placed on the disabled list.

Kaleb Cowart was the 18th overall pick of the 2010 draft out of high school in Adel, Georgia. Baseball America rated him the best infield arm in the Angels system to start the season and penciled him into the projected lineup for the Angels in 2015. So far he hasn't disappointed in 2012, leading the Cedar Rapids Kernals in RBI (54, 2nd in the Midwest League),and total bases (126, 3rd in the league) among others prior to his promotion.

Andrew Heid returns to the 66ers after a 25 game stint with the AAA Salt Lake Bees. While with Inland Empire he hit .263 with two home runs, nine RBI and two walk off game winning hits prior to being promoted. He was batting .224 with a home run and seven RBI for Salt Lake.

Daniel Tillman pitched in seven games for the 66ers at the tail end of the 2011 season, adding one of the best fastballs in the Angels system to the Inland Empire bullpen for the playoff run. He started the season in AA Arkansas but struggled through 20 appearances. Baseball America had him as the Angels 8th ranked prospect to start the season.

Brian Hernandez and Travis Witherspoon have both left the 66ers for AA Arkansas in countermoves. Witherspoon was a California League All-Star getting the starting nod for the California League team. He left the team in the top five in the league in stolen bases and hits, and was 10th in batting average hitting .319. Brian Hernandez was one of the top defensive players in the California League at the time of his promotion and was a 66ers offensive leader as well. He went from utility infielder to every day starter and number three hitter in the batting order in a matter of weeks. He leaves the 66ers hitting .292 with three home runs and 33 RBI.

Inland Empire is also placing two pitchers on the disabled list. Brian Diemer with a right labrum injury and Baudilio Lopez with a left quad strain. Their departure from the active roster leaves the 66ers a man down to begin the second half of the season with only 24 active players.

Inland Empire is opening the second half of the season with a seven game homestand featuring a Bernie Bobble Belly Giveaway Sunday, June 24th. Tickets are on sale now both at the 66ers box office and online at http://www.66ers.com for the 66ers second half schedule . For more information on the Inland Empire 66ers please contact Sam Farber, Director of Broadcasting, at 909-495-7632.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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Inland Empire Adds Angels 1st Round Pick