Archives January 2022

Former NBA ref surrenders to charges he bet on games he officiated

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Tim Donaghy, an ex-NBA referee, surrendered today for an appearance in a Brooklyn federal court. Law enforcement officials said that Donaghy allegedly placed his own bets, and also released confidential information to others, including referees’ schedules. Today, Donaghy pleaded guilty to ‘conspiracy to engage in wire fraud’ and ‘transmitting wagering information to other individuals’. These two charges could result in up to 25 years in jail.

Tim Frank, a NBA spokesman, told the Associated Press the league was informed yesterday that Donaghy would plead today but was not given any further information.

Both John Lauro, Donaghy’s attorney, and federal prosecutors did not comment. But, NBA commissioner David Stern said a month ago that the ex-referee’s lawyer told the league Donaghy was contemplating a plea. The plea was made official early today.

Donaghy has been reportedly cooperating with prosecuting attorneys who together are building a case against other people to whom Donaghy may have provided inside information to. It has also been reported that Donaghy had a biased view against the Detroit Pistons, therefore making bets against them, and then calls against them as well

Donaghy today told the court that he had a gambling problem. However, he also said that he was receiving treatment for it.

The Associated Press reports that no other NBA officials or players are suspects in this case.

The FBI contacted the NBA on June 20, 2007 to talk about a referee who was allegedly gambling on games. The FBI and the NBA officially met on June 21. Donaghy resigned from his position July 9, after over ten years as a referee

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Bbq’s And The Common Accidents}

Submitted by: Paula Gerie

Unsurprisingly barbeques can be the cause of many serious accidents throughout the summer months. As social gatherings are becoming increasingly popular during the summer, more and more people are having family gatherings and parties with friends, commonly taking place in the garden (as they do when inviting people over for a barbeque cooked meal). Unfortunately something else becoming increasingly popular is the number of casualties now beginning to take place with hundreds, if not thousands of people being admitted to A&E as a result of accidents which have involved a barbeque.

Injuries such as burns and cuts as a result of open flames and exposed equipment are fast becoming the most common forms of accidents. These barbeque related accidents are occurring within the home, however many are now reported to take place in a public setting such as a park or music festival. Understandably, as the summer months become warmer, the chances of accidents of occurring will gradually increase. Severe burns are the result of people carelessly igniting fires for their barbeques. For example, fuel is fast becoming a popular accelerant amongst many when attempting to light fires.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bLNpRLbedU[/youtube]

The fact is that barbeques should be exciting and enjoyable but above all, safe. It never hurts to take necessary precautions if it means protecting your family and friends. A barbeque should always be stable and steady on its feet especially smaller models such as the Weber One Touch BBQ; when purchasing a barbeque, always be sure to take this in to consideration. A barbeque should always be set up on a flat, level surface away from wood such as fences and sheds. Also, the heavier they are the better; unexpected gusts and gales are common during the summer, particularly in leafy areas where lengthy, over-hanging trees are known to set alight; the last thing you want is for the grill to take a tumble. If you have not used your barbeque for a lengthy period of time, ensure that it is in good condition and a usable state; always scan the grill for any loose components or damages that can put lives at risk. Several parts could do with being readjusted or even repaired. Allow an open space when lighting up the barbeque; lighting a barbeque in an enclosed space is particularly dangerous if something was to go wrong and setting it up early will ensure it can heat slowly, to a reasonable temperature, rather than rushing it and risking something going wrong.

One factor many people tend to overlook is the weather and humidity at the time of lighting the barbeque; when the weather is dry and hot (as it very regularly is in countries such as the U.S.A and Australia) care must be taken to reduce risks of grass fires which can very easily be ignited. It has already been acknowledged that using an accelerant such as fuel to light barbeque fires can have catastrophic affects; barbeques can quite literally explode as a result of this careless action.

Long-handled utensils are essential and can be purchased from Weber Accessories Online; always bear in mind that metal remains warm even after sometime, therefore keep all metal parts such as utensils and bar grills well out of the way and avoid them until you can guarantee they have significantly cooled down. Never leave a barbeque unattended in the presence of children, who must be kept away at all times; protect the grill with a Weber BBQ cover and ensure flames have been completely extinguished before packing everything up and storing the barbeque away for the summer.

About the Author: An avid BBQ and outdoor grill specialist; Paula has dealt with varieties of high quality barbeques including

weber BBQs

and a range of BBQ accesories. Paula possesses years of experience and can advise on anything and everything from tools to first time BBQ tips.

bedsbbq.co.uk//

Source:

isnare.com

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Colleges offering admission to displaced New Orleans students/OH-WY

See the discussion page for instructions on adding schools to this list and for an alphabetically arranged listing of schools.

Due to the damage by Hurricane Katrina and subsequent flooding, a number of colleges and universities in the New Orleans metropolitan area will not be able to hold classes for the fall 2005 semester. It is estimated that 75,000 to 100,000 students have been displaced. [1]. In response, institutions across the United States and Canada are offering late registration for displaced students so that their academic progress is not unduly delayed. Some are offering free or reduced admission to displaced students. At some universities, especially state universities, this offer is limited to residents of the area.

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Australian Paralympians cycling around Fiji for people with disabilities

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Two Australian Paralympic wheelchair basketball players, Shelley Chaplin and Leanne Del Toso, are cycling around Fiji to raise money for people in Fiji with disabilities. They hope to cover the route, which is roughly 500 kilometers (300 miles) long, in just ten days. They started on June 7, 2013 and plan to finish by June 16.

Along the way, they intend to do outreach, and mentor people with disabilities. They hope to raise A$13,000. So far, they have raised over A$12,400. They are using crowdfunding to finance their sporting event.

Del Toso suffered muscle deterioration in her legs and hands due to a degenerative neurological condition when she was 19, and rides her bike with the aid of orthotics. Chaplin was born a paraplegic, and is using a handcycle.

They won silver medals at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London with the Australia women’s national wheelchair basketball team, commonly known as the Gliders.

Both also played for Victoria in Round One of the Australia Women’s Wheelchair Basketball League (WNWBL) competition last weekend. Victoria won all four of its games. They expect to be back in action again in Round Two in Perth on June 21–23.

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What Is Payroll Software? Singapore Payroll Basic &Amp; Requirement

By Ramya Dilip

What Is Payroll Software?

Payroll software is the one which computes the employee salaries every month. The employee may be paid by hourly rate / daily rate/ monthly fixed salary. The employee may have some additions and deductions in every month like overtime pay, daily allowances, advance payment, medical claim, special allowance, etc And the employee unpaid leave, lateness & early leaving pay needs to be deducted from his salary.

Every month the payroll software should able to generate the pay slip for the employees. And payroll software must have useful management reports like, Monthly Salary Summary Report, Overtime Payment Report, Taxation Report, Yearly Summary Report, and Monthly Reconciliation Report.

And different countries have their own computation for taxation & provident funds. So the payroll system should comply with the local government regulation for salary calculation.

Payroll for Singapore:

Payroll in Singapore country should be complying with Singapore government regulations as below.

CPF – CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHfNPFH3na4[/youtube]

An employee who is Singaporean / permanent resident of Singapore must contribute CPF to the CPF board. The CPF amount comprises of employer & employee contribution. There are different percentage of calculation based on the employee salary and age. The information can be found in CPF BOARD website.

Ethnic Funds: (SINDA / CDAC / MBMF / ECF):

Based on the employee ethnic group there is a need of ethnic fund needs to be contributed by the employee. This contribution amount will be deducted from the employee salary every month and this fund directly goes to the relevant ethnic group welfare. The ethnic funds are SINDA (for Indians) CDAC (for Chinese), MBMF (for Malays), ECF (for Eurasians). The contribution amount will vary depends on the employee salary. The information can be found at the relevant ethnic group web sites.

SDL- (SKILL DEVELOPMENT LEVY):

This levy must be paid for all the employees working in Singapore. Currently the SDL is 0.25% for salary up to S$4500 (as of 2010). This amount must be paid by the employer to the SDL board. The SDL board uses this fund to provide subsidy for employees training programs / upgrade skills, etc Usually there are many training courses will be run by SDL approved vendors. A company can able to get up to 90% subsidy from SDL board while the company sends their employees for training.

FWL- (FOREIGN WORKERS LEVY):

This levy must be paid by employer for the foreign workers working in their company based on the worker skill level. Currently (as of 2010) LOW / MEDIUM /HIGH levels of levy need to be paid by the employer. The levy amount can be found from the FWL website.

Income Tax:

Based on the employee salary, income taxes are needed to be paid by the employee. Currently Singapore income tax board makes mandatory condition that the employer must submit their employees yearly income details to the income tax board directly which is called auto inclusion. There are various forms like IR8A, IR21, IR8S, APPENDIX-A needs to be submitted based on the requirement.

National Service:

It is mandatory that the all eligible Singaporean & permanent resident must go for the national service on request. During the national service period the employee salary will be paid by the government (MINDEF Ministry of Defense) and the relevant CPF must be paid by the employer.

Leaves (Annual Leave, Medical Leave, Child care Leave, Maternity Leave):

There are certain types of leaves mandatorily provided as employees benefit. Like annual leave (7 days), Medical Leave (14 days), Child care Leave (6 days for Singaporean & 2 days for non Singaporean), Maternity leave (60 days)

Payroll Software for Singapore:

Payroll software suitable for Singapore should have all the above features built-in. In addition to that a good payroll software for Singapore should have the below additional features.

Remainders:

There are many foreigners working in Singapore. Those foreigners having work permit pass / employment pass / professional pass. Usually this passes is valid for certain years. So the payroll software should show the remainders when it is due.

Online Bank GIRO:

For employee salaries Writing cheques / paying cash are very outdated. The payroll software should able to generate the interface file to the banks with their employees salary details. Then the bank can directly credit their salaries to their account.

About the Author:

Payroll Software System Trusted by 1500 Singapore Companies Infopay – Singapore Payroll Software | Singapore Payroll System Infopay – Singapore Payroll Software System

Source:

isnare.com

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Windshield Replacement In Conroe Protects A Car’s Structural Integrity

byAlma Abell

Even the smallest chip in a windshield can be dangerous if it is not repaired properly. Many people don’t understand how a tiny chip can affect their safety and they simply ignore it. Windshields are made up of two layers of glass. They are bonded to a safety layer in between them. The safety layer is made of transparent vinyl resin. During a collision it helps keep the windshield in place and it minimizes flying glass. It is possible for a small crack or chip in the glass to spread to the safety layer. Once the resin is weakened, it no longer performs its safety functions effectively. Windshield Replacement Conroe is necessary to ensure that the car is safe to drive.

Windshields play an important role in the structural integrity of the car. Windshields actually helps hold the roof of the car up, because car frames are smaller and lighter than they used to be. If a windshield pops out during a car cash, there is more likelihood that the people in the car would be crushed. It’s important that the car owner ensure that an experienced and certified technician is in charge of their Windshield Replacement services Conroe procedure. The technician should use a windshield from the factory that made the car. An OEM or Original Equipment from the Manufacturer part ensures the best possible fit. The curve of the windshield will also fit the windshield wiper blade the best. This ensures the best visibility in the worst conditions.

The proper adhesives must be used and installed properly. All technicians need to wear gloves during the entire windshield installation process. Even the oil on their hands can cause the adhesive to weaken and fail. The technician must completely remove the old windshield and clean the adhesive off of the car frame. He then should install rubberized weather stripping and coat it with adhesive. The windshield is then inserted into the car frame. Depending upon the adhesive used, it may have to set for a short time, before the car is driven. Discount Brake & Auto Repair is one of the shops that installs new windshields in cars and trucks. The are happy to discuss their credentials and experience with car owners.

Kansas School Board has copyright withheld over teaching Intelligent Design

Monday, October 31, 2005

Kansas has been denied permission to use two key documents commonly used in the writing of science education standards for states, the National Science Education Standards (published by the National Research Council) and Pathways to Science Standards (published by the National Science Teacher Association). The respective organizations argued that they could not grant the state of Kansas permission to use these documents in the current form of the Kansas Science Educational Standards, as these overemphasize controversy between the scientific theory of Evolution and the argument of Intelligent Design. Moreover, the organizations criticize that the standards in their current form distort the definition of science. The American Association for the Advancement of Science has expressed its support for the decision to deny Kansas the use of copyrighted material, as “the proposed standards misrepresent both the content and the standing of evolution as a scientific organizing principle”.

Proponents of Intelligent Design have characterized the refusal as “an effort to censor the discussion of scientific criticism of Darwinian theory by intimidation and threat”.

This is likely to further delay the ratification of the final vote on the Kansas Science Educational Standards as they will have to be rewritten either to not violate any copyright restrictions or modify their account of evolution and outlook on science. According to University of Kansas professor Steve Case, rewriting the standards will be very difficult, as “there is copyrighted material on every page” of the current document.

This is the second time that Kansas was denied the right to use copyrighted materials in their state standards, following the case in 1999, when Kansas included Creationism, a precursor of Intelligent Design, into the school curriculum. A later school board overturned that directive.

The dispute in Kansas has brought nationwide responses, ranging from a rebuke by the American Association for the Advancement of Science to the creation of internet-sensation Flying Spaghetti Monster mythology (which is lobbying the Kansas School Board to give equal time teaching their creationism theory as well.)

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Choosing The Outdoor Bbq Grill For Yourself.}

Choosing the Outdoor BBQ Grill for Yourself.

by

David T Smith

Like most people we do on occasions like to cook outdoors, but selecting the right one from the many outdoor bbq grills on the market can be a daunting process. Well, there is no need to get all tensed or overwhelmed. We will help and guide you through some of the options that are available.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aUNmtSgB0c[/youtube]

You can certainly spend a large sum of money on outdoor bbq grills. Keeping this in mind you need to set your budget before venturing out. It doesn’t matter whether it is a few hundred dollars or a few thousand dollars, it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of purchasing your new outdoor grill. Be strong and firm with yourself and stay within your budget.Is this for yourself and your family to enjoy an occasional outdoor meal, or do you love to entertain large groups? There are outdoor grills that are perfect for just two people and some that have hundreds of square inches of cooking space, so decide ahead of time what you’re going to need the grill for.A tabletop model that is meant for one or two people may well suit your needs if you rarely entertain, or you just want to cook outside on the odd occasion. However on the other hand the tabletop outdoor bbq grills will make it difficult if you plan on cooking a meal for several people.Which type of outdoor bbq grills will you decide to purchase, the charcoal grill or gas grill? The old school will be adamant that the charcoal gives the food that special flavor. The dripping from the meat mixes with the charcoal to create a more tasty smoke. And in turn the smoke add flavor to the meat while cooking. There are plenty of outdoor charcoal bbq grills on the market too choose from.However, propane is usually much safer to deal with than charcoal. Outdoor grills that run on gas light with the touch of a button rather than needing lighter fluid and matches. They can also be controlled much easier. And when that juice from the meat drips down in a charcoal grill, this can cause flame flare-ups. If you have young children or pets that may be running around the grill, you might opt for gas and learn how to season your meat to make up for the lack of flavor.It doesn’t matter what type of outdoor bbq grills you are thinking of buying, the important aspect is to stay with your budget, and it meets your needs, and learn how to use the bbq grill by following the manufacturers instructions.

Some tips and ideas on

outdoor bbq grills

also we have many other articles on

great outdoor bbqs

.

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Choosing the Outdoor BBQ Grill for Yourself.}

Ontario Votes 2007: Interview with Green Party candidate Torbjorn Zetterlund, Willowdale

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Torbjorn Zetterlund is running for the Green Party of Ontario in the Ontario provincial election, in the Willowdale riding. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed him regarding his values, his experience, and his campaign.

Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.

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Wikinews Shorts: May 7, 2007

A compilation of brief news reports for Monday, May 7, 2007.

A 30 meter section of a gas pipeline in Luka (near Kiev) in Ukraine has been destroyed by an explosion. Although supplies to Europe via this pipeline have stopped, Ukrainian Energy Minister Georgi E. Boyko said that supplies to Europe would not be affected.

“There are no changes in volumes of gas being transported,” Yuri Korolchuk said. “Volumes due to pass through the damaged section are being redirected through the Soyuz pipeline.”

Normal flows are reported in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania.

Sources

  • “Blast damages pipeline in Ukraine” — Russia Today, May 8, 2007
  • Natalya Zinets, Reuters. “Blast hits Ukraine gas pipeline” — The Scotsman, May 7, 2007

Copper prices are rising. Between record copper imports from China, and a mining strike in Peru, the prices have climbed to over $8100 (United States dollars) a tonne, for a gain of $575 dollars over the last week. However the upward trend is not new, it has been climbing for quite some time. In April 2003, the price of copper was under $2000 a tonne.

The metal market has been tending up due to growth in the Chinese industrial production. This trickles down to the local level, where the buying price at scrap yards is ever climbing, making scrap metal collection a more profitable endeavour for individual people using pick up trucks or other such vehicles to collect and cash in the scrap metal at metal buying yards. It can be collected via agreements with businesses, from the garbage, or, sometimes, by theft.

Copper prices fell today on the NYMEX commodity exchange from US$3.7545 per pound to US$3.7125 based on the July futures contract.

Sources

This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.
This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.
  • “Copper up but crude oil down” — Financial Express, May 6, 2007
  • Millie Munshi. “Metals Bubble Poised to Burst on Increasing Supplies” — Bloomberg L.P., May 7, 2007
  • “Commodity Futures” — Bloomberg L.P., accessed May 7, 2007

One man was killed and another injured by an exploding backpack in the parking lot of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The explosion happened at 4 a.m. PDT when the victim tried to remove a the object left on top of his car.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are on the scene. Aerial images did not show any apparent damage.

“We believe the victim was the intended target of this,” Bill Cassell said, spokesperson for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. “This is being treated as a homicide in which the weapon used to cause death is a non-traditional weapon.”

Both of the victims worked at the Luxor.

Sources

  • Associated Press. “1 dead, 1 hurt in Las Vegas parking lot blast” — MSNBC, May 7, 2007
  • “Explosion kills man in Vegas outside Luxor hotel” — Reuters, May 7, 2007

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