Derek Fisher signs with Oklahoma City Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) ? After winning five NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, Derek Fisher chose the West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder as the team where he wants to go for No. 6.

Fisher signed with the Thunder for the remainder of the season on Wednesday, not quite a week after he was traded to Houston by the Lakers and subsequently bought out of his contract instead of playing with the Rockets.

He picked jersey No. 37, the same as his age, and hoped to play right away and perhaps be able to maintain his streak of consecutive games played.

More importantly, he wants to continue his run of postseason success.

"Right now, they sit on top of the Western Conference and I'm just hopeful that the things that I do, the things that I've always brought to every team I've ever played on, can be the right mix to help these guys continue to do whatever it is that they're already doing," Fisher said before the game.

The Thunder lost their backup point guard, Eric Maynor, to a season-ending knee injury in January but hadn't made any moves to address the position. All-Star Russell Westbrook had been taking on extra minutes as the starter, with rookie Reggie Jackson taking over as his backup.

Then Fisher became available when the Lakers decided to acquire Ramon Sessions from Cleveland and promote Steve Blake to the starter. Fisher had won five titles alongside Kobe Bryant in two separate stints with the Lakers, with stops in Utah and Golden State in between.

He had played 13 of his 16 NBA seasons with Los Angeles before getting dealt away at last week's trade deadline.

"I think that I was surprised by it, but since then I've very much realized that it's not so much about what went wrong and why it happened but more so where I'm going next and the next chapter of my life," Fisher said, declining to speak in depth about his divorce with the team until later.

Fisher figures to take over Jackson's backup minutes, although coach Scott Brooks called the 2011 first-round draft pick one of the Thunder's "important pieces going forward." Fisher has averaged 8.7 points and 3.1 assists during his career and has played in 209 playoff games in 13 trips to the postseason.

"He has winner all over his DNA," Brooks said. "You can never have enough winners in your locker room, and we have a locker room full of them. He just gives us one more winner."

Fisher played with the Lakers when they knocked Oklahoma City out in the first round of the 2010 playoffs on their way to a second straight championship. He said he's always respected the team because he's observed that the players play with energy every single game.

That approach was reinforced when he met with general manager Sam Presti while he was going through the process of clearing waivers and becoming a free agent.

"It's very clear that there's one common goal, and that's to maximize the abilities of every player on the team and try to bring, at some point, a championship to Oklahoma City," Fisher said.

Oklahoma City made room for Fisher by waiving forward Ryan Reid, a second-round pick in 2010 who had played in only five games over the past season and a half.

"He's got great poise, he's got a great basketball IQ, great recognition on both ends of the floor," Presti said of Fisher. "He understands the league, he's a well-regarded corner shooter and someone that we feel like can settle you down and make plays for you throughout the body of the game."

Presti praised Jackson and reserve Royal Ivey for filling Maynor's minutes over the past two months well enough to give Oklahoma City the league's third-best record, behind Miami and Chicago, heading into Wednesday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

"We have a lot of confidence in the group that we have in place, obviously, to be where we are right now," Presti said. "We know we can improve. ... We feel like Derek's someone that can help enhance where we are currently."

Two-time scoring champion Kevin Durant endorsed Fisher's arrival even before he had officially signed and envisioned him as a mentor to the young team who's still able to hit clutch shots and defend. He was hesitant to look forward and assess Fisher's impact on the Thunder's championship hopes.

"You can ask as many questions as you want, but it's a little different if you go through it yourself," Durant said. "I'm just going to just try to pick his brain as much as I can about the game of basketball but at the same time, of course if I want to get to that goal, I'll have to experience it myself."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/derek-fisher-signs-oklahoma-city-thunder-224556345--spt.html

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Boyish look kicks off Paris fashion week (AP)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]AP - Paris fashion week is rarely known for understatement, as confirmed by Portuguese designer Fatima Lopes who opened the fall-winter 2012 season with a proverbial bang at the iconic war museum Invalides that houses canons and artillery.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/fashion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120228/ap_on_en_ot/eu_france_fashion_day1

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New Jersey Personal Injury Lawyers ? COMPUTERS AND ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]COMPUTERS AND TECHNOLOGY Only Directory which has Articles Related to COMPUTERS AND TECHNOLOGY · Home · About Us · Privacy Policy · Contact Us. Welcome to article directory. We have 142724 published ...

Source: http://computersandtechnology.us/2012/02/new-jersey-personal-injury-lawyers/

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Why does health insurance through employers cost so much less ...

Why does health insurance through employers cost so much less than individual health insurance?
In the US, if your employer doesn't offer health insurance, you can still get health insurance for yourself, but it's much more expensive. Why is that? Why wouldn't it be the same cost per person regardless of whether it's through your employer or not?
1. Insurance through your employer is "group health insurance". The premium is based on the health of the entire group and not on you as an individual.

2. Employers often subsidize at least a portion of your premium as part of your compensation.
The answer is that it doesn't cost less?..if you don't consider what the employer is paying. That's why so many people think COBRA is expensive. COBRA isn't expensive, it's just that when you continue your group plan under COBRA it's the same plan, at the same cost (plus maybe 2% for admin), but it seems expensive because your employer is no longer contributing.

Individual plans ARE CHEAPER than group because you can be turned down. In group plans nobody can be turned down, so the cost to cover all the health problems escalates.

The biggest mistake people make is assuming that their work coverage is more competitive without shopping. It's not uncommon, especially for young, health people, to be able to get cheaper plans on their own even when the employer is picking up half the cost.

Finally, most small companies will just have their employees buy individual plans because it's a fraction of the cost?.though either way it's always nicer when someone else is picking up the tab.
First, it is not always more expensive individually than through an employer. In some places, for some individuals, the opposite is true.

Second, most individuals who do not use health insurance very much do not buy individual health insurance policies; most of the buyers use it a lot, so it is expensive. With an employer plan, many of the employees do not use it, so the average price, per person who has it (whether or not they use it) is less.

Third, many employers subsidize the cost, so the employee does not pay all of it, and the employer pays a lot.
Because the employers are paying a HUGE chunk of the bill ? usually 50% to 90%. It doesn't actually cost LESS, it costs MORE. You just don't SEE it, because they're footing the tab.

As to why it doesn't cost the same per person . . . because with an employer, the healthy young employees pay the same as the old sick ones, they AVERAGE the rate. So the rate for an employee might be $500 a month (and the employer pays $300 of it).

When the healthy young employee shops around and buys private coverage, it might cost them $125 a month ? less even than their share. But when the old sick employee shops around, it might cost THEM $1200 a month.

Health insurance, after all, is ONLY "sharing of cost". Everyone pools their money, and the claims are paid out of the pool. The more claims that get submitted, the more the rates have to go up.
there is a great answer provided, but also companies find insurance brokers who will get you the best possible rates because why waste time energy enrolling a single person in the insurance when they can get employers with 50+ 100+ 1000+ employees.

Source: http://www.health-insurance-with-pre-existing-conditions.com/why-does-health-insurance-through-employers-cost-so-much-less-than-individual-health-insurance.html

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Gilman football star Cyrus Jones Jr. commits to Alabama

Cyrus Jones Jr. always strives to test his football skills against the best, from playing up an age group in Pop Warner to playing for No. 1 Gilman.

It will be no different in college. Jones is headed to No. 2 Alabama, which has appeared in and won more bowl games than any other program.

Jones announced his commitment to a national television audience at Thursday night?s Under Armour All-America game in St. Petersburg, Fla., during which he returned an interception for a touchdown.
?It?s Alabama. As far as football, you can't get any better than that,? Jones said before the game. ?It?s the top notch conference in America. My goal since I was a little kid was to make it to the NFL and if I?m going to have a shot at that, I?m going to put myself in the best position to get there.?

The Baltimore Sun?s Offensive Player of the Year and the Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year, Jones opted for the Crimson Tide, which will play No. 1 LSU for the BCS national championship Monday night, over more than 40 other offers. His top five also included Virginia Tech, Auburn, Ohio State and Maryland.

The first day for football recruits to sign their national letters of intent is Feb. 1.

Jones, a versatile 5-foot-10, 195-pound speedster who gained 2,365 yards and scored 24 touchdowns this fall, said he fell in love with Alabama on his first visit to the Tuscaloosa campus. He finally made up his mind last month after whittling his list to Alabama and Virginia Tech.

Although Jones played five positions this fall for Gilman ? running back, receiver, cornerback, wildcat quarterback and returner ? he said he will play slot receiver for the Crimson Tide.

?I just think I?m such an explosive offensive player and with the ball in my hands I need to be on the offensive side of the ball,? Jones said. ?I think I easily could play corner if offense doesn?t work out, but I?m going to go with my heart first and that?s to play offense. That?s what I started out as and that?s what I love the most.?

Jones said he picked Alabama, ?first and foremost [because] I just bonded most with the people down there,? especially assistant head coach Sal Sunseri, who has been recruiting Jones since his junior year.

?He?s a great guy, real enthusiastic, cares about his players,? Jones said. ?I trust him a lot and all the people down there that?s been involved in my recruiting. Not only is it a great football school but a great place to spend four years of college.?

Planning to major in business or athletic training, Jones said he likes head coach Nick Saban?s commitment to academics.

He also likes the possibility of getting on the field as a freshman.

?It?s hard to play as a freshman anywhere you go,? Jones said, ?especially a team that?s playing in a national championship, but I definitely think there?s a shot. Coach told me from day one that he?s going to put his best players on the field. Anybody who knows me, they know I think I can play with the best of them any day of the week. The hype doesn?t really bother me. I?m just going to go down there and play my game and try to get better.?

Jones? father, Cyrus Jones Sr., knows a lot about the recruiting process through his role as Dunbar?s boys basketball coach and his own experience playing basketball at West Virginia, but he kept a lot of opinions too himself through his son?s recruitment. He encouraged his son to make his own decision, so he pointed out some things but did more listening than talking.

In the end, he agreed Alabama was a good fit for his son.

?He?s always been a kid who challenged himself,? Jones Sr. said. ?He was always the one who was hardest on himself. My expectation of him is not necessarily for him to be a star or stand out the most, but it?s mostly based on effort. Whatever he did, he gave it his all. Along with the talent he has, I knew that was something that could take him a long way if he could understand that on the field and in the classroom you have to give 100 percent and he does.?

Jones Jr. won?t be able to attend the BCS championship game Monday night in New Orleans. He will get back to school and the Greyhounds? basketball team after missing a week for the Under Armour game, but he?ll be watching on TV ? a much more relaxed young man than he was a month ago.

?It was a big weight lifted off my shoulders,? he said of making his final decision. ?I enjoyed the recruiting process. You only get recruited once and you have the make the best of it and enjoy it, but I wanted to be smart about it and not drag it out. It was a blessing to know where I was going. I could just relax and focus on school and the rest of my senior year.?

katherine.dunn@baltsun.com

Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bal-cyrus-jones-commits-to-alabama-20120105,0,7168793.story?track=rss

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Samsung to release white Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, Galaxy Nexus (Digital Trends)

Samsung is about to release a bunch of white phones. That?s right, white! But not just regular ol? white ? ?Frost White.? Don?t get too excited.

According to a press release out this morning, the robustly named Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch will be available in Frost White through Sprint staring on January 8, this coming Sunday. Customers can purchase the device at Sprint retail stores, through Sprint.com, or over the phone (1-800-SPRINT1). Like the black version of the Epic 4G Touch, the white model will go for $200 with the signing of a new two-year contract, or for customers who have an eligible upgrade.

Sprint will also offer the ?simple and practical? Samsung M370 flip-phone in ?Pewter Gray? starting on Sunday. That device only costs $20 with a two-year contract or ?upgrade.?

Moreover, Phandroid reports that a white version of the Galaxy Nexus will arrive at select mobile retailers in the UK in February. The lucky retailers will include Clove and MobileFun, and the device will sell for around ?500. So far, we?ve heard nothing about a white Galaxy Nexus making its way to the US. And considering how long it took Verizon to release the device in the first place, we wouldn?t recommend holding your breath.

As a side note: We?d like to request that Samsung, Sprint, and whoever else is in charge of naming these devices, goes with something that?s not so ridiculous as the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch. It?s ever-so confusing, especially when the same basic device has different names depending on which carrier is offering it. We can?t imagine that does anything to help sales. And as a customer, we?d likely just go with the iPhone, since you don?t need a thesaurus to know what device you?re purchasing.

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20120105/tc_digitaltrends/samsungtoreleasewhitegalaxysiiepic4gtouchgalaxynexus

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U.N. tries to reach 60,000 fleeing South Sudan violence (Reuters)

KHARTOUM (Reuters) ? The United Nations said on Friday it was trying to reach some 60,000 people who have fled tribal violence in a remote area of South Sudan and urgently need food, shelter and medical assistance.

South Sudan declared independence in July under a 2005 peace agreement with Khartoum that ended decades of civil war. But the new African nation has been struggling to end tribal and rebel violence that killed thousands last year.

Fighting broke out last week between members of the Lou Nuer tribe and the rival Murle tribe. Some 6,000 armed Lou Nuer members attacked the town of Pibor in Jonglei state bordering north Sudan on Monday.

U.N. sources said fighting had now almost died down after the army took control of Pibor but 60,000 people were now hiding in the bush or trying to return to their communities.

"The government says this is a disaster and we make every effort to reach them," Lise Grande, U.N. humanitarian coordinator for South Sudan, told Reuters.

"We are concentrating on five locations of which four we can only reach by air. Three of these locations have been burned to the ground," she said.

South Sudan Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin said the number of casualties was still unclear because officials and aid workers had not reached all parts of the affected area.

"So far, we have around 20 dead but we cannot say for sure because we need to assess first the situation on the ground," he said, adding that around 160 wounded were being treated in hospitals in the capital Juba.

Doctor Without Borders (MSF), the only aid group active in the area, said last week it had suspended its work in the area after two of its clinics were damaged by fighting.

(Reporting by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Roger Atwood)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120106/wl_nm/us_sudan_tribal

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