Puig & Pirates, Homer & Harper highlight 1st half

NEW YORK (AP) ? Just for fun, let's turn back the baseball clock a few months.

A well-rested Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals are destined to face Josh Hamilton and the Los Angeles Angels in the World Series. The Houston Astros have the best record in baseball. Manny Ramirez is playing in Taiwan. And no one is quite sure how to pronounce the name of this Puig guy.

Well, a few things are still the same: Homer Bailey is pitching no-hitters, Miguel Cabrera swings the most devastating bat in the majors and, well, the drug cloud isn't going away anytime soon.

As the All-Star game approaches next week at Citi Field, a look at the first half of the season:

___

EXTRA! EXTRA!

By the time Matt Harvey and the New York Mets let the hovering seagulls take over AT&T Park well past midnight, they were wiped out. This week's win at San Francisco took 16 innings ? the Mets already had lost a 20-inning game and a pair of 15-inning contests.

"I've never heard of anything like this. It's unbelievable," manager Terry Collins said. "At least we're used to it."

All over, fans are getting way more than their money's worth. Going into this weekend, 19 games had lasted at least 14 innings; there were a total of 20 last year, according to STATS.

"Is a lunar eclipse coming?" Oakland outfielder Josh Reddick wondered. "I have no idea. Probably more of a coincidence than anything. That's how the game goes sometimes."

___

WACKY WEATHER

Even in ski country, this was a bit extreme: When the Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies started up at Coors Field in late April, it was 23 degrees. That made it the coldest game-time temperature in STATS' records, dating back more than two decades.

Braves pitcher Mike Minor threw six innings and won ? in short sleeves, no less. He figured long sleeves wouldn't help much. He also got a trainer to rub his arms, back and thighs with a heating ointment.

"I was burning up there," he said, smiling.

Snow at Target Field, hail at Yankee Stadium and buckets of rain from coast to coast. More than 30 games postponed so far, going in the weekend. Last year? Just 21, the whole season.

The crummy conditions have wreaked havoc with the schedule. With interleague games most every day, there's not a lot of wiggle room for makeups. So there's been a push to get the games in ? Tampa Bay waited out almost five hours of rain delays in Cleveland to win a game that started on a Friday night in May and finished on an early Saturday in June. The Mets, meanwhile, played in three different time zones in three days.

In St. Louis, there was a 4?-hour rain delay in the ninth inning before Kansas City outlasted the Cardinals. The game ended at 3:14 a.m. at Busch Stadium, and created travel trouble for the umpires, too ? they worked at Wrigley Field in Chicago the next afternoon.

"We worry about that game when we get to that one," crew chief Joe West said. "We had to worry about this game tonight."

And recently, a Giants-Reds rainout in Cincinnati had the teams talking about making it up at Coors Field, of all places. A neutral site in Denver might indeed be the most convenient spot for both clubs later this year.

___

NEW WAVE

Be it Manny Machado, Bryce Harper or Mike Trout, the face of baseball is changing. Young stars are dominating, and also revving up the debate: Should Dodgers sensation Yasiel Puig ? that's "Pweeg" ? be on the All-Star team?

Jeff Locke is trying to pitch Pittsburgh toward its first playoff spot in two decades, Shelby Miller is dealing in St. Louis and Wil Myers is finding his stroke in Tampa Bay while Paul Goldschmidt and Patrick Corbin are leading Arizona. They were all excelling at the same time former perennial All-Stars Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Ramirez were toiling in the minors.

Oh, and let's salute Orioles slugger Chris Davis, who's proven HR-or-K hitters can learn the strike zone. Davis hit his major league-best 36th homer in Baltimore's 7-3 loss to Toronto on Saturday night.

___

SUMMER SURPRISES

Overhauled Toronto and R.A. Dickey, the powerized Angels and Hamilton, plus the revamped Dodgers have all struggled to reach the .500 mark. The Nationals also hit a wall ? rather, Harper did while chasing a ball and landed on the disabled list.

Houston moved to the American League and got off a terrific start, beating Texas in the major league opener. Reality quickly set in, however. Their next time out, the overmatched Astros came within one out of having Yu Darvish throw a perfect game against them.

Much harder to figure, Matt Cain and the World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

A year ago, Cain pitched a perfect game. This year, he had one start when he gave up nine runs in an inning, another start when he permitted nine hits in an inning and, earlier this week, he was chased in the first inning.

Added up, the pitching-rich Giants fell far below the break-even point as the All-Star break neared ? even with Tim Lincecum's no-hitter late Saturday night.

"For the way we think we are as a group and the team that we are, we feel like this is really, really funky," Cain said.

___

AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/puig-pirates-homer-harper-highlight-1st-half-223017294.html

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Amanda Seyfried ? Elle USA August 2013 [IPAD Edition]

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Source: fashionscansremastered.net --- Friday, July 12, 2013
Editorial is entitled, ?Risque Business? (not ?Dual Nature?) and is shot by Carter Smith and styled by Joe Zee. . ...

Source: http://fashionscansremastered.net/2013/07/12/amanda-seyfried-elle-usa-august-2013-ipad-edition/

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Jurors deliberating in Florida teen murder

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8689283/jurors-deliberating-in-florida-teen-murder

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Decision in Montana boosts GOP chances in Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Republicans received a boost in their attempt to win back the majority in the Senate next year when a former Democratic governor bowed out of Montana's open Senate race, a development that could further hamper President Barack Obama's agenda during his final two years in office.

Former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer said Saturday he would not run for the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Max Baucus in 2014, dealing a blow to Democrats who considered the popular ex-governor their best chance of keeping the office. Republicans have not settled on a candidate in GOP-leaning Montana.

Republicans need to pick up six seats to recapture the Senate majority and are trying to take advantage of geography and history in their quest. Democrats must defend 21 seats, including seven in largely rural states that Obama lost in 2012, and the party that controls the White House typically loses seats during the midterm elections of a second-term president.

"For the first time in a couple of years, you can see the Democratic majority has never been on shakier ground," said Rob Jesmer, a Republican strategist and former executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Democratic retirements in Republican-leaning states like West Virginia and South Dakota have given Republicans an advantage. The GOP has recruited popular Republicans for those seats, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and former South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds.

In Montana, Republicans hope to persuade Rep. Steve Daines or perhaps former Gov. Marc Racicot to mount a campaign, which could give them an edge in three of the six states they would need to win the majority.

The fate of the Senate could then be decided in four states that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney won in 2012 and are held by Democratic incumbents: Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Mark Begich of Alaska and Kay Hagan of North Carolina.

Republicans view Rep. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana as a strong challenger to Landrieu, a perennial GOP target, and hope Rep. Tom Cotton, a Harvard-educated lawyer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, will challenge Pryor in Arkansas.

Alaska and North Carolina could offer unpredictable primaries. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the party's 2008 vice presidential nominee, said she may run for the Senate in the Republican primary against Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell and Joe Miller, a tea party favorite. In North Carolina, state House Speaker Thom Tillis and Greg Brannon, a physician with tea party support, want to challenge Hagan, but they could be joined by others, including Rep. Renee Ellmers.

Prominent Republicans have passed up opportunities to run in states like Iowa and Michigan, where Democratic incumbents have announced their retirements. Reps. Bruce Braley of Iowa and Gary Peters of Michigan are seeking the open seats, giving Democrats an edge in keeping them.

Schweitzer's decision surprised many Democrats, who viewed him as their best chance in Montana despite recent reports about the ex-governor's ties to nonprofit groups that Republicans intended to raise in the Senate campaign. It jumbles the primary with a potential field of largely untested candidates that could include state auditor Monica Lindeen, state school Superintendent Denise Juneau, Brian Morris, a Montana Supreme Court justice, and Stephanie Schriock, the president of EMILY's List, the powerful fundraising group for Democratic women.

Democrats said they remained confident they could hold onto Montana's seat and maintained that Republicans would need to pull off major election victories to win back control.

"Only three Democratic incumbents have lost re-election in the last decade," noted Guy Cecil, the executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, a reference to the defeats of Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota in 2004 and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin in 2010.

Obama's party, however, has fewer ways of going on offense. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky remains one of their top priorities for 2014, but Obama is unpopular in Kentucky and McConnell is building a large financial advantage against his likely Democratic opponent, Alison Lundergan Grimes, Kentucky's secretary of state.

Democrats also view potential success in Georgia, where Michelle Nunn, the daughter of former Democratic Sen. Sam Nunn, may enter the race. Georgia remains a Republican stronghold and several Republicans are vying for an open seat created by the retirement of Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

Fifteen months before the 2014 midterms, Democrats say history could repeat itself. They say Republicans could face more polarizing primaries like the ones that created problems in 2012, when some tea party Republicans won bruising primaries over more mainstream Republican candidates and then faltered against Democrats.

"The map was always going to be a challenge but the Democratic incumbents are seasoned political veterans who have run difficult campaigns before and are not taking anything for granted," said Penny Lee, a Democratic strategist and former adviser to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "As 2012 proved, those who predict outcomes a year out do so at their own peril."

___

Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-07-13-US-Senate-2014/id-c9903f281c36453e8b0b5008ae59280b

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Japan?s Mitsubishi Tanabe taking majority stake in Medicago

Vaccine developer Medicago Inc. is being acquired by Japan?s Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma in a friendly transaction valued at $357-million.

Medicago announced Friday that Mitsubishi Tanabe has agreed to pay $1.16 in cash for each of the company?s outstanding shares other than those indirectly held by Philip Morris International Inc.

More Related to this Story

Quebec-based Medicago says the deal represents a 22.1-per-cent premium to Thursday?s closing price of 95 cents per share on the Toronto Stock Exchange and an almost 47 per cent premium over the company?s 30-day, volume-weighted average of 79 cents.

After the transaction, MTPC would own 60 per cent of Medicago and Philip Morris International 40 per cent.

Directors of Medicago have unanimously recommended acceptance of the deal and the company?s principal shareholder ? with 38.5 per cent of all outstanding shares ? has agreed to tender to the deal, as have directors and company officers holding an additional 1.6 per cent.

Terms of the agreement give Mitsubishi Tanabe a right to match any superior offer and there is a two-way break fee of $9.25-million payable by either partner under certain circumstances. Medicago could also receive up to $1.5-million for expenses if certain regulatory approvals are not obtained.

The arrangement is subject to the approval by two-thirds of all votes cast and by holders of more than 50 per cent of minority shareholders.

Medicago president and CEO Andy Sheldon described Mitsubishi Tanabe as a top-30 global pharmaceutical company and a solid partner of the company in the past.

?Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma?s capabilities in biopharmaceutical research, development, and commercialization along with its financial stability offer us the ideal opportunity to realize the full potential of our platform,? Sheldon said.

?These resources provide us the ability to foster the development of innovative vaccines with the financial stability to expand our Quebec, Canadian, U.S. and global operations.?

Medicago is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing vaccines and therapeutic proteins based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and virus-like particles to address a broad range of infectious diseases worldwide.

Mitsubishi Tanabe is a research-driven pharmaceutical company specializing in research, development and marketing of products focused on the field of autoimmune disease, diabetes and kidney disease, and CNS disease.

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Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/japans-mitsubishi-tanabe-taking-majority-stake-in-medicago/article13188482/?cmpid=rss1

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Air China connects Houston and Beijing with new nonstop service

Air China, the exclusive national flag carrier for the People?s Republic of China, begins its four weekly nonstop services between Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) in Beijing, China and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas today.

The inaugural flight from Beijing, CA 995, arrived at 3:40 this afternoon to a Texas-sized welcome which included a traditional water cannon salute. Houston Mayor Annise Parker was on hand to greet the delegation from China led by Ms. Yinxiang Wang, Co-Chairwoman of Air China Limited; Chinese Consul General for Texas and seven U.S. southern states and Puerto Rico, Ms. Erwen Xu; and former Houston Rockets star and now Houston?s Honorary Goodwill Ambassador, Yao Ming.

?Houston continues to enhance its position as a key global gateway and the arrival of Air China speaks volumes about the potential for even more growth in the future,? says Mayor Annise Parker. ?The cultures and economies of Beijing and Houston continue to draw closer together than ever before and nonstop air service between the two cities will help both sides maximize the benefits associated with new partnerships and greater connectivity.?

With the launch of the nonstop service, Houston becomes Air China?s fifth gateway in North America, joining Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Vancouver. Air China will operate inside Terminal D at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston?s gateway for all foreign carriers.

?As the only airline that provides direct connection between Houston and the south central region of the United States and China via Beijing, we are honored to be the cultural, social and economic bridge between our two great destinations. This new service demonstrates Air China?s commitment to expanded connectivity for the mutual benefits of our countries and people,? Ms. Wang stated.

Houston and Beijing have enjoyed a strong relationship for several decades. China?s paramount leader, the late Deng Xiaoping, visited Houston during his historic trip to the United States in 1979.

?The entire Houston region will benefit from this new Air China flight, both economically and from a cultural standpoint,? says Houston Aviation Director Mario Diaz. ?Four weekly nonstop flights between the two destinations will not only strengthen the business ties between Houston and Beijing but will also enhance the level of cultural enrichment and exchange that already exists between these two dynamic cities.?

Air China will operate the nonstop flights, CA 996, from Houston to Beijing on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, departing at 1:00 AM local time and arriving in Beijing at 4:50 AM local time, next day. The chart below shows the schedule of the new service.

Source: http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/air-china-connects-houston-and-beijing-with-new-nonstop-service/

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How do you know when you've finally reached burnout? ? Business ...

Question: "I?ll sometimes have weeks when I feel like I?ve totally lost my spirit and enthusiasm, only to bounce back the following week when things at work go well. It seems like every time I think I just don?t have what it takes to keep going with this job, it was just a phase?but I sure do keep experiencing those phases! What are the signals that I need to move on because the point of real, no-going-back burnout has finally come?? ? Tula, Administrative Assistant of Budget

See comments below, and send your own question to Admin-Pro@nibm.net.

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