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World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Bangladesh : Overview
|Minority Rights Group International
|Publication Date
|February 2011
|Cite as
|Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Bangladesh : Overview, February 2011, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4954ce6519.html [accessed 14 October 2015]
|This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
Last updated February 2011
Bangladesh is surrounded to the west, north-west and east by India, shares a south-eastern border with Burma and has the Bay of Bengal to its south. At the time of the independence of India (August 1947), Bengal was partitioned into East and West Bengal on religious lines. East Bengal with a Muslim majority population was designated as the Eastern 'wing' of Pakistan, the same geographical boundaries were inherited by the State of Bangladesh in December 1971.
With a population of some 144 million and a land area of approximately 144,000 square kilometres, Bangladesh is densely populated. It is the third largest Muslim majority country of the world. More significant, Bangladesh has the third largest population of poor people; according to the United Nations, 40 per cent of Bangladeshis live below the poverty line (2006).
Bangladesh is dominated by the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, and its annual monsoon periods has made the country prone to considerable flooding and devastation. As a disaster-prone region, and with so densely populated, Bangladesh also faces a range of severe environmental problems which includes air pollution, arsenic contamination, deforestation and soil erosion.
Main languages: Bangla (national language), English
Main religions: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism
Minority and indigenous groups include Hindus (9.34%, 2001 Census), Adivasis, Biharis, Christians (0.31%, 2001 Census) and Ahmadiyyas.
More than 2 million Adivasis (indigenous peoples) live mainly in the Chittagong Hill Tract and consist of at least twelve tribal groups. The predominant ones are Chakmas, Marma and Tripura.
Biharis form a small but significant minority ethnic group living in and around the capital city Dhaka.
Some 580,000 Christians adhere to at least 32 different denominations.
There are approximately 100,000 Ahmadiyyas, who regard themselves as Muslims. Recent years have witnessed increasing harassment and demands by right-wing religious parties for Ahmadiyyas to be officially declared as non-Muslims.
The People's Republic of Bangladesh emerged as an independent state on 16 December 1971 after a bitter civil war between the Bengalis and the West Pakistan army. Prior to independence, the Bengalis, who formed 54 per cent of the total population of Pakistan (98 per cent of the population of East Pakistan), had serious reason to believe that they were being discriminated against and deprived of their due share in government. Failure of the West Pakistan army and politicians to honour their promise to convene a national parliament after Pakistan's first democratically held elections in December 1970 resulted in the 1971 civil war. The civil war lasted for several months and culminated in the Indo-Pakistan War, the ultimate surrender of Pakistan forces and the creation of the state of Bangladesh.
The years following independence were difficult years for Bangladesh, with economic problems compounded by multiple natural disasters and repeated changes of government following the army take-over from, and assassination of, the founder of independent Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. Bangladesh's limited experiences with democracy were followed by the long periods of military rule. Since the restoration of democracy in 1991, political power and government has been dominated by two political parties – the BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) led by Begum Khalida Zia and the Awami League under the presidency of Shaikh Hasina Wajid. Despite considerable political upheaval, it seems probable that current BNP coalition government will survive until the next general elections scheduled for 2007.
Two long periods of military rule were brought to an end by a remarkable movement of popular protest in late 1990, which resulted in general elections in February 1991. In March 1991, Begum Khalida Zia was sworn in as the country's first woman prime minister. The presidential system installed by the former military rulers was abolished in September 1991, and in the resulting constitutional amendments full powers were restored to Jatiya Sangsad, a unicameral legislature consisting of 330 members. The return to democracy alone could not resolve the myriad problems confronting Bangladesh, however. Faced with economic and political instability, the newly formed government became an easy target for the opposition and religious fundamental parties. Persistent political unrest forced Begum Zia to call fresh elections in February 1996. The ruling Bangladesh National Party (BNP) was re-elected to office. The result of the election was, however, suspect as a result of the boycott on the part of the main opposition parties. After a period of political turmoil, protests and unrest the BNP was forced to a second general election of the year in June 1996. In the re-election the Awami League won the largest number of seats and its leader Sheikh Hasina Wajid was sworn in as the country's new prime minister. After by-elections held for fifteen seats on September 1996, the Awami League secured an absolute majority of 176 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad. As a consequence of continuous political violence, strike action and boycott by opposition parties, the Awami League was forced to step down in July 2001 and a general election was held in 1 October 2001. A four-party coalition led by the BNP won over a two-thirds majority in Parliament. Begum Khaleda Zia of the BNP took office as the country's Prime Minister, a position which she has continued to hold until now. In March 2007 Bangladesh faced yet another major political crisis. General Parliamentary elections had been planned for 22 January 2007. However, accusations of corruption and a planned rigged of these elections by the ruling BNP alliance prompted opposition parties to takeout public protests and mass demonstrations. On 11 January 2007, President Iajuddin Ahmed, head of the interim government, which was overseeing the elections, called for a state of emergency and postponed the elections indefinitely. After two years of state of emergency supported by the army the Awami League took office again in January 2009. Elections were held a month later and Zillur Rahman replaced Iajuddin Ahmed as the Head of State. Sheikh Hasina was elected as Head of Government. Some important pieces of legislation were introduced by the interim government and endorsed by the new parliament, including the Human Rights Commission Act and the Right to Information Act.
Amnesty International (AI) reported on an insurgence by the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) at the BDR headquarters in Dhaka in February 2009. According to AI, at least 74 people were killed by the rioters and possibly hundreds of BDR staff suffered human rights violations. At least 48 died in custody. AI raised concerns over alleged extrajudicial executions of 70 criminal suspects, 64 death sentences and continuous attacks, rapes, and beatings.
An unprecedented rate of population growth, massive and rising unemployment and a high rate of inflation, along with frequent natural disasters such as the devastating cyclone in April 1991 followed by serious floods two months later, have not helped democracy establish its roots. So far as the protection of the rights of minorities is concerned, the rise of religious fundamentalism has been a source of serious concern. The treatment of the Hindu community in the aftermath of the razing of the Babri mosque and other incidents reflected the tenuous position of religious minorities. More significantly, the pressure on the government of Begum Zia to bring to trial the writer-activist Taslima Nasreen for alleged blasphemy, and widespread militant Islamic factionalism, reflected the rising surge of fundamentalism. The role of the government as well as the law enforcement agencies in violating the rights of Adivasis is a matter of further grave concern. The challenge for government in Bangladesh is to find a balance between dealing with the severe economic situation, on the one hand, and ensuring social justice and the protection of the rights of all its people, on the other.
Current state of minorities and indigenous peoples
The persecution of religious minorities featured prominently within the political development of Bangladesh. In January 2004, the Bangladesh government imposed a ban on Ahmaddiya publications as a response to growing demands from mainstream Sunni Imams for Ahmaddiyas to be declared non-Muslims. On an application by the Ahmaddiya community, the High Court intervened to grant a stay of the governmental executive order in December 2004. Police and governmental authorities nevertheless continued to seize books and documents relating to Ahmaddiya faith, and colluded with Muslim extremists to remove signs referring to Ahmaddiya places of worship as 'mosques'. There was also a sustained campaign of harassment, violence and physical abuse against the Ahmaddiya minority. On 29 October 2004, a mob of around 300 men belonging to Khateme-Nabuwat party attacked a mosque in Brahmanbaria, seriously injuring 11 Ahmaddiyas. On 17 April, a crowd of religious extremists attacked another Ahmaddiya mosque in Jotidriangar injuring 25 people.
There was also harassment, abuse and physical destruction of properties belonging to religious minorities during the period 2004-2005. On 1 January 2004, local Bangladesh National Party officials set 20 houses belonging to the Hindu community on fire. This action was repeated in Sarkerpur village in Rangpur district in September 2004. During April 2004, 12 Ahmaddiya houses were destroyed and, on 18 September 2004, Christian convert Dr Joseph Gomes was killed by unidentified assailants. On 22 June 2006, leaders of the Khatme-Nabwat party published an open letter to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, reiterated demands that Ahmaddiayyas be declared non-Muslims and threatening to resort to violent actions.
Religious minorities and other groups such as the Ahmaddiyas and the Biharis continue to suffer from discrimination in key areas of public life: employment, higher education and access to justice. Violence and discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities continued through 2007, according to a US Government Report on Religious Freedom. The report released in September said Hindu, Christian and Buddhist minorities experienced discrimination and on occasion violence. It also said that Ahmaddiyas, an Islamic sect, faced harassment and protesters demanded that they be declared non-Muslims. The report restated that attacks on religious and ethnic minorities continued to be a problem in the 2009 reporting period too. According to the 2009 US State Report on Religious Freedom, there were no reported demonstrators or attacks against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, although isolated instances of harassment continued. The state is said to have 'acted in an effective manner to protect Anmadis and their property' against sporadic demands that Ahmadis to be declared as non-Muslims.
The Hindu and Christian minorities and the indigenous peoples (particularly those from the Chittagong Hill Tracts) have blamed the government for being complicit in continued seizure of their lands by the so-called Muslim vigilantes and those belonging to extremist religious parties. Amnesty International reported on the government's efforts to implement accords of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, which was signed in 1997 and recognised the rights of indigenous peoples living in the area. In August 2009, major army bases were dismantled but no further action was taken to settle a dispute over land ownership which indigenous peoples claim was given to non-indigenous Bangladeshi settlers.
Furthermore the current government has introduced several substantial restrictions on Christian communities. The most significant restriction is that all Christian organisation (including churches and Bangladesh Bible Society) have to be registered as an NGO whose charter and board remains open to governmental scrutiny and approval. The board can be dismissed at any given time and be replaced by a new board appointed by the government. This regulation is in breach of the Constitution, Article 41 (b) of which provides that 'Every religious community or denomination has the right to establish, maintain or manage its own religious institutions'.
There have also been recent reports of human rights violations against indigenous tribal leaders. Amnesty International expressed grave concern over reports of alleged torture and death in custody following the imposition of emergency rule in early 2007. In March 2007, a leader of the Garo indigenous community, Cholesh Richil, reportedly died in custody following torture carried out by military personnel, Amnesty said. The Garo community live in Modhupur, and since 2003 have been opposing the construction of a national park in their traditional homeland. The Garo community is also predominantly Christian.
Continuing violations in Burma has resulted in the influx of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government does not recognise the Rohingya living outside refugee camps as refugees and instead considers them as economic migrants. Rohingya outside the camps do not have access to food or medical assistance from the government, the UNHCR or any other non-governmental agency.
A survey conducted by researchers including those from the Jahangirnagar University's Department of Anthropology was released in May 2008, documenting extensive land loss by indigenous and minority peoples in ten north-western districts. The survey reflected that most of the ancestral land taken from 1,983 mostly Buddhist tribal families landed in government hands as part of a 'social forestation' scheme. Private individuals also were involved in stealing land from indigenous and minority groups through force or forged documents, the survey found.
The humanitarian news agency, AlertNet reported in September 2010 that after cyclone Aila hit the region in May 2009, nearly 50,000 people in Bangladesh's Khulna and Satkhira districts are still living without shelter and are eating at best once or twice a day. The cyclone killed at least 300 people and more than 87,000 people lost their houses and traditional livelihoods. With climate change driving a growing number of farmers from their land because their fields are under salt water, people depend on relief aid as they have no way to earn a livelihood.


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PHP - Number: Converting Between Degrees and Radians
PHP Number Tips - Part 16: If you want to convert an angle measurement from degrees to radians or vice versa, so you only have to use PHP's rad2deg( ) and deg2rad( ) functions such as:
<?php //result: "90 degrees = 1.57079632679 radians " $degrees = 90; $radians = deg2rad($degrees); echo "$degrees degrees = $radians radians "; //result: "1.57079632679491 radians = 90 degrees" $radians = 1.57079632679491; $degrees = rad2deg($radians); echo "$radians radians = $degrees degrees"; ?>
The formula to convert an angle measurement in degrees (D) to radians (R) is D = R*180/pi. Fortunately, PHP comes with a function to do it for you automatically: the deg2rad( ) function or if you have a value that is already in radians, you can convert it to degrees with the rad2reg( ) function.
Tag: number. degree, radian Category: PHP Basic Post : March 16th 2008 Read: 3,619
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Interventions in Community Health and Development III focuses on how to improve program implementation and share lessons learned using the preliminary evaluation findings from on-going program. This quarter closes the loop on the program planning, implementation, and evaluation cycle with a series of workshops that reinforce the skills learned throughout the Series. The quarter will end with a career skills workshop.
Interventions in Community Health and Development II focuses on building effective community health program planning skills. Course participants apply selected principles and methodological techniques to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of sustainable community health and development programs in order to address health disparities.
This quarter introduces basic techniques of program monitoring (i.e., evaluation and research design). Course participants develop and submit a group proposal based on the results of assessment from the fall quarter. Monitoring strategies will focus on producing information to inform on-going program improvement and sustainability while documenting lessons learned.
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Interventions in Community Health and Development I class is the first of the 3-part sequential series. The goal of this course is to develop the skills of GLBH students to assess individuals, groups, and neighborhoods in to order to inform interventions that aim to address health disparities. The key deliverable for this course is an assessment report related to each group's community engagement projects.
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This course introduces and examines diversity and cultural responsiveness in public health and health care. The first part of the course will provide an introduction to health disparities. The roles played by population diversity, health profession diversity, and cultural responsiveness in addressing and eliminating health and health care disparities in both national and global health will be explored. The historic context of social inequities and the role of biological inheritance, race and ethnicity identifiers, socioeconomics, socio-environment, and health care beliefs and behavior in impacting health outcomes will be discussed. The second part of the course will provide an introduction to cultural competency in public health and tenets for developing and applying cultural awareness in the field. Culture (defined as the values and beliefs that generate patterned behaviors, expectations, and worldview) and its function in accessing, utilizing, and delivering positive outcomes in health care will be examined.


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STATS: Collins' clearances for West Ham vs Mariappa's blocks for Reading
West Ham v Reading 16:00
– West Ham may have been forgiven for thinking they were extras to the David Moyes show in their last outing, as the Hammers lost 2-0 to Everton in Moyes' last home game in charge of the Toffees. However, Kevin Nolan twice went close to raining on the soon to be Manchester United manager's parade.
– Andy Carroll has been a handful for defences all season, and the game against Everton was no different. He won 8 duels, more than any other player on the pitch.
– That aerial prowess combined with Matt Jarvis' frequent deliveries (he contributed six crosses against Everton, the most of last weekend in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index) suggests that if both stay at Upton Park next season, and stay fit, then Hammers fans can expect that partnership to start delivering more goals next season.
– At the other end of the pitch, James Collins made six clearances in the game, the most by any player in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index this weekend.
– Reading were on the receiving end of Man City's FA Cup final payback on Tuesday night, losing to them 2-0. Reading won just 37% of duels in the game, their lowest of the season so far, as City took out their frustration on the Royals.
– Alex McCarthy's palms will also be stinging from City's strikers taking their revenge on the Reading goal mouth. He made 13 saves in the game, the joint highest in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for the last round of games and the third highest of the season.
– Adrian Mariappa, meanwhile, made four blocks, the most by a player in the last round of games. Mariappa sits second in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for interceptions this season, having disrupted opposition play with 221 interceptions this season.
– Mikele Leigertwood, meanwhile, is the second highest ranked midfielder for defensive contributions this season having made 242 across tackles won, blocks, clearances and interceptions.
– Adam le Fondre hit an excellent run of goal scoring form early in the season but has had fewer opportunities as the season has gone on. However, he looks likely to end the season with some of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index's most impressive goal scoring stats. Of the 25 players who have scored ten or more goals this season Le Fondre has taken the fewest efforts at goal (45) to do so.
STATS: Sidwell's challenges for Fulham vs Mariappa's defensive contributions for Reading
Fulham v Reading, 15:00
– Fulham left Merseyside with nothing last weekend following a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Everton at Goodison Park.
– Hugo Rodallega continues to compile some impressive figures this season, despite spending the large majority of it in the shadow of the in-form Dimitar Berbatov. The Colombian front man has the best shooting accuracy rate in the Fulham squad, managing to get 68.1% of his 47 efforts on target, at an average rate of one every 48.8 minutes.
– Midfielder Steven Sidwell remains the Cottagers most enthusiastic defender this season, racking up a squad-high 127 attempted challenges this term nearly double that of his nearest team mate (Sascha Reither – 69). However Sidwell has also concede the greatest number of fouls in the Fulham squad at 51. He must keep his defending tight to prevent the ball from returning to a Reading side with nothing to lose this weekend.
– Although noted for his finishing ability, Bryan Ruiz has been highly effective in his link-up play this season. He's completed 588 passes in the opponent's half this season, at an average rate of one every 3.9 minutes. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index this is the third best rate of any striker in the Premier League to have broken the 500-pass barrier so don't be surprised if he registers an assist this weekend.
– Reading's fate was confirmed for next season as they were relegated to the Championship along with fellow bottom side QPR following a 0-0 draw last weekend.
– Captain Jobi McAnuff will want his Reading side to finish the season on a high for the sake of the fans after a disappointing season which resulted in their relegation from the top flight. Expect him to be driving their play forward against Reading, especially given his record of providing more attacking contributions (assists, shots on target, crosses or dribbles) that any other Royals player this season with 139.
– A lack of goals has been one of the key factors in Reading's drop to the Championship for next season, which makes it difficult to understand why leading goalscorer Adam Le Fondre hasn't featured more as a regular starter. Despite having a slightly wasteful 47.7% shot accuracy rate from 44 attempts, Le Fondre has still managed to get a shot on target on average once every 35.5 minutes. That this is the best rate in the Reading squad becomes even more impressive when you consider that most of Le Fondre's appearances this season have come as a second-half substitute.
– Although their defence has at times been found wanting this term, Adrian Mariappa has certainly put in his fair share of shifts at the back. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index he's made a squad-leading 316 defensive contributions this season (block, clearance, interceptions, successful tackles), at an average rate of one every 8.2 minutes, another squad-best.
STATS: Leigertwood's tackles for Reading vs Taarabt's dribbles for QPR
Reading v QPR, 13:30
– Despite a second-half goal from Gareth McCleary, Reading were left clinging to their hopes for Premiership football next season after a 2-1 defeat away to Norwich.
– Adam Le Fondre's ability to score goals at vital times could be the key to Reading's hopes of remaining in the top flight, the 'super-sub' chipping in with 10 goals this season. His success has come off the back of a solid work rate and knack of being able to get his shots off in and around the box, given that he's managed a shot on goal once every 35.6 minutes he's been on the pitch, a squad-high.
– The defensive efforts of Mikele Leigertwood have stood out particularly this season, despite Reading's struggles at the back. Aside from Matthew Lowton and James McClean, Leigertwood has the best tackle success rate of any player in the Premier League to have made more than 100 attempted challenges, with 66.4% ending in his favour according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– Adrian Mariappa is another who has made something of a name for himself despite Reading's turbulent season, the Englishman having made the the 5th highest number of defensive contributions of any player in the league this season with 306 according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– QPR's status as a Premier League side next year was left in tatters after a 0-2 defeat at home to Stoke left them with an almost impossible mountain to climb between now and the end of the season.
– With QPR's Premier League survival now in more danger than ever, the club may be hard pushed to retain some of their prized assets come the summer. Adel Taarabt is one who has caught the eye in particular, the Moroccan's quick feet contributing to his 46 dribbles this season, a figure placing him 3rd on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– Captain Clint Hill can certainly not be faulted for a lack of effort or quality in QPR's long battle this season, the defender acquiring some admirable defensive statistics. He's averaged a defensive contribution once every 7.9 minutes this season, a best from players with more than 200 to their name.
– Stephane Mbia will be desperate to see his tackling statistics improve somewhat before the end of the season. Despite being QPR's most enthusiastic defender, with 110 attempted challenges to his name, Mbia unfortunately also has the third lowest tackle success rate in the league for players with 100 or more tackles to their name (44.5%).
STATS: Turner's defensive contributions for Norwich vs McCarthy's saves for Reading
Norwich v Reading, 15:00
– Norwich came within five minutes of beating Arsenal at the Emirates in their last league outing just to find themselves undone by a late salvo from the Gunner and leave on the end of a 3-1 defeat.
– Michael Turner's 56th minute goal had given the travelling Canaries fans reason to cheer, but they now find themselves just four points clear of the relegation zone ahead of what could be a vital game against bottom club Reading.
– That was Turner's third goal of the season, despite having had just nine efforts at goal. Turner has been more effective in employing his defensive duties this season, making 114 interceptions, 47 clearances and 20 blocks.
– Robert Snodgrass has had a strong first season for Norwich, though he may be forgiven for being frustrated that his hard work hasn't come to more. Of the 38 players in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index who have had 50 or more shots at goal this season, Snodgrass is one of six to have a return of just five or fewer goals to his name. However, with a 63% on target rating more goals will surely come for the former Leeds winger.
– Snodgrass is also the leading player in the EA SPORTS Player Performance for crosses delivered this season with 128, 13 more than Leighton Baines and 20 more than Gareth Bale. Those crosses have resulted in 6 assists.
– Snodgrass has also won 66 tackles this season, the fifth highest for a midfielder in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– Alex McCarthy drew all the plaudits after a string of sensational saves in Reading's last game to earn them a 0-0 draw against Liverpool. McCarthy made 12 saves in total, the sixth highest by a goalkeeper in a single game in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index this season.
– That takes McCarthy's number of saves this season to 67 from just 766 minutes of football. With most goalkeepers having played around 3,000 minutes this season, that would take McCarthy to the top of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for saves this season if he had averaged the same performances for the whole season.
– At the other end of the pitch Noel Hunt and Jobi McAnuff both brought the best out in McCarthy's Liverpool counterpart Pepe Reina. Hunt has two goals to his name this season, though he has had just 14 shots at goal this season with 10 on target.
– McAnuff, meanwhile, is running out of time to break his Premier League duck, still being goalless despite 31 shots at goal with 20 on target.
– Adam le Fondre has been stuck on ten goals this season for a long time, but still boasts the best shots per goal rating in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for those hitting ten goals this season, needing just 4.3 shots per goal, something Norwich will need to be wary of.
STATS: McAnuff's crosses for Reading vs Lucas' passing/tackling for Liverpool
Reading v Liverpool, 15:00
– Reading's hopes of avoiding the drop as they fell to a 0-2 defeat at home to new manager Nigel Adkins' old side Southampton.
– Captain Jobi McAnuff may well be the man Nigel Adkins' side turns to help them get something out an uphill task this weekend. McAnuff has been leading from the front this campaign, delivering a squad-high 66 crosses and 8 assists, as well as chipping in with 111 defensive contributions at the other end of the pitch. His box-to-box style will be crucial for the Royals against a talented Liverpool midfield.
– Whilst many around him have been failing to put in a defensive shift this season, the same cannot be said of Mikele Leigertwood and he will need to be on top of his game to deal with the likes of Luis Suarez and Phillippe Coutinho. The midfielder has attempted 115 tackles this season, at a success rate of 63.5%, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– Despite repeatedly starting games on the bench, super-sub Adam Le Fondre has been consistently coming to Reading's rescue this season and Nigel Adkins may well see fit to use him against a strong Liverpool side. The striker has had an effort on goal once every 35.2 minutes, the best average in the Royals squad and his ability to carve out a chance or two could be vital this weekend.
– An excellent defensive display from West Ham saw them shut out Liverpool last weekend in a 0-0 draw which damaged the Reds' hopes of European football next season.
– Liverpool's talisman Luis Suarez continues to rack up the impressive statistics this season and he will be looking to test what has been a shaky Reading defence this season. His movement and pace has seen him have a shot on goal on average once every 18.9 minutes to complement a shot accuracy rate of 59.6% from 156 attempts.
– Brazilian midfielder Lucas this week signed a new long-term deal to keep on Merseyside for the next stage of his career. The Reds will be hoping he can overcome the niggling injuries that have held him back recently given his ability to dictate the pace and possession of a game when fully fit. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index Lucas has completed a pass on average once every 4.45 minutes this season and is also Liverpool's most frequent tackler with 94 attempted challenges.
– Fellow Brazilian Phillippe Coutinho may well mature into the perfect foil for Lucas' ability to read the game and control possession, the young attacker already showing signs of possessing the talent to unlock Premier League defences. Despite his small stature and diminutive frame, Coutinho has already managed to adapt to the physical defences of the Premier League, compiling a 73.3% shot accuracy rate from 15 attempts. This means a shot on target once every 43.7 minutes he's been on the pitch this season.
STATS: Gervinho's goal rate for Arsenal vs Shorey's crossing for Reading
Arsenal v Reading 15:00
– Arsenal return from the international break having last played in the Premier League against Swansea, coming away with a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Nacho Monreal and Gervinho
– Gervinho may have had a hard time from sections of the Arsenal fans this season, but he has averaged a goal every 208 minutes 15 seconds in the Premier League this season, within seconds of being equal to Podolski's goal scoring record and better than Giroud's goal every 225 minutes 7 seconds.
– While Arsenal fight for fourth in the Premier League, Santi Cazorla looks set to finish the season top of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for passes in the opposition half. Cazorla has completed 1115 passes this season, 117 more than his nearest rival Yaya Toure. Behind Cazorla and Toure, Mikel Arteta is ranked third with 943 passes completed.
– Monreal has also taken on his team mates' passing philosophy, and despite having only played 484 minutes for the Gunners has completed 102 passes in the opposition half, also now having a goal and an assist to his name.
– Reading are known for their wing play, but they will find an unlikely obstacle to their crosses in Olivier Giroud. Giroud has made more clearances this season than any other striker with 28. To put that in context, that's just 3 fewer than Spurs' centre back Jan Vertonghen.
– Nigel Adkins has 8 games to make up the 7 points on Aston Villa and clear the relegation zone after Reading fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester United in their last game.
– One player who may yet haul the Royals clear of trouble is striker Adam le Fondre. Le Fondre has scored ten goals this season, averaging one every 141 minutes 54 seconds this season. Le Fondre has played 1419 minutes this season, but if he had maintained that minutes per goal rating while playing every minute available to him he would have 20 goals to his name and be the league's second top scorer after Luis Suarez.
– Of the players in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index to have scored ten goals Le Fondre has also taken the fewest shots at goal to hit the milestone, needing just 39 shots for 10 goals. Compare that to Spurs and England striker Jermain Defoe, who has taken 98 shots to hit ten goals this season.
– Hal Robson-Kanu came close to scoring against Manchester United and adding to his four goals already this season. Robson-Kanu has hit his goals from an efficient 23 efforts.
– Reading's main threat will come from the wings, with Nicky Shorey having delivered 56 crosses, the joint second highest from a full back in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index after Leighton Baines. Gareth McLeary, meanwhile, has delivered 40 crosses, second only to Robin van Persie among the league's strikers.
STATS: Hernandez's goals per minute for Manchester United vs McAnuff's assists for Reading
Man Utd v Reading, Saturday 17:30
– United were leading 2-0 against Chelsea last weekend but ending up conceding twice to draw 2-2 with Chelsea. Chicarito Hernandez and Wayne Rooney were on target in that game.
– Hernandez continues to top the minutes per goal rating in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index having scored 8 times in the Barclays Premier League this season averaging a goal every 93 minutes and 30 seconds.
– Rooney's goal was his 11th of the season, coming from 64 shots at goal with 67.2% on target and an average of 145 minutes per goal.
– As importantly, Rooney has worked tirelessly for his team mates this season, averaging a pass completed in opposition territory every 3 minutes and contributing 9 assists to add to his 11 assists.
– Rio Ferdinand was recalled to the England squad this week, and the stats suggest he could still do a job for the Three Lions. Ferdinand has made 133 defensive contribution this season across tackles, clearances, blocks and interceptions. That averages as one every 14 minutes 15 seconds, a good rate for a player used to playing in a team that dominates possession.
– Ferdinand has always been comfortable on the ball, and has demonstrated that again this season, completing 208 passes in the opposition half, an average of one every 9 minutes 8 seconds.
– Reading suffered a heavy blow in their relegation battle in their last game, losing 2-1 to Aston Villa. Jobi McAnuff forced an own goal from Nathan Baker in that game, but it wasn't enough and Reading are now level on points at the bottom of the league with QPR.
– That forced own goal is the closest McAnuff's name has come to the score sheet this season, having had 27 shots at goal including 10 on target without scoring. Only Swansea's Sung Yeung Ki has had more shots without scoring.
– McAnuff has, however, contributed 7 assists and delivered 64 crosses, the 8th highest among the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– Reading's wide play has been a feature this season, and Nicky Shorey is also ranked highly for crosses delivered with 53, the fourth highest from a defender this season. Gareth McCleary, meanwhile, is second only to Robin van Persie among the Index's strikers for crosses delivered with 37.
– Mikele Leigertwood became one of six players to have attempted 100 or more tackles this season against Villa. He has now attempted 103 tackles. Of those six players, Leigertwood has the best tackles won percentage, coming away with the ball after 64.1% of his tackles.
Everton v Reading, Saturday 15:00
– Two late goals stunning Everton as they lost 2-1 to Norwich at Carrow Road last weekend. Leon Osman's first-half header formed part of a largely dominant performance by David Moyes' side, but their superiority in possession counted for little as they left East Anglia with nothing.
– Reading have been loose in defence at times this season so Everton will be seeking to impose their attacking prowess at home this weekend. It will be no surprise to see Kevin Mirallas get involved in the action as he boasts the best shot accuracy rate in the Everton squad this season, with 71.1% of his 38 attempts being on target.
– Phil Jagielka remains David Moyes' defensive titan this season, leading the squad for defensive contributions with 280 according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. His nearest teammate is 90 contributions behind him.
– Midfielder Steven Pienaar has been one of the creative fulcrums for Everton this season. He leads the Toffees squad for passes completed in the opponents half with 758, at an excellent rate of one every 3.2 minutes.
– Leighton Baines became part of an exclusive club last weekend, as he joined Robert Snodgrass as one of only two players to have delivered more than 100 crosses this season (101).
– Reading were propelled further into the relegation dogfight last weekend, a 3-0 defeat at home to Wigan piling the pressure on Brian McDermott and his players.
– One wonders where Reading might be without the contribution of 'super-sub' Adam Le Fondre's ten goals this season. He's forcing himself into a starting berth in Brian McDermott's side with his performances, having had a shot on target once every 63.2 minutes, the lowest in the Reading squad.l
– Mikele Leighterwood has impressed many with some of his attacking forays this season, consistently getting himself involved in Reading's play moving forward. He leads the squad for passes completed in the opponent's half with 394, one every 6.1 minutes.
– Defender Shaun Cummings has the best tackle success rate of any player in the league who's made more than 20 challenges. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index reveals he's come out on top in a superb 91.7% of his 24 challenges this season.
– Reading captain Jobi McAnuff has taken the bull by the horns this season and is clearly intent on driving his team forwards. He's completed more dribbles (21) and crosses (58) than any other Royals player.
– Reading face Wigan on the back of consecutive 2-1 defeats at the hands of Manchester United in the Cup and Stoke in the Barclays Premier League.
– Jobi McAnuff was on target against United and Adrian Mariappa against Stoke. Despite his cup goal, McAnuff is yet to score in the Premier League despite 23 efforts at goal, the third highest number of shots without return in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– Mariappa has been more used to excelling in his own box than the opposition box this season. He is ranked 5th in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for clearances with 153, and 6th for blocks with 24.
– Jimmy Kebe is currently Reading's top ranked player in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index in 151st, just one place ahead of Mariappa. Kebe has 5 goals this season from just 16 efforts at goal, an incredible conversion rate of 3.2 shots per goal (the best rating in the Premier League among players with 5 or more goals to their name).
– Kebe has also won an impressive 64.5% of the tackles he's attempted, howing the midfielder excelling in both his offensive and defensive duties.
– Wigan have also had the same scoreline in their last two games, although they were on the winning end the second time around as they bounced back from a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League to win 4-1 in the Cup against Huddersfield.
– Shaun Maloney scored his fourth Premier League goal of the season against Chelsea. His goals have come from 32 efforts at goal. While his 8 shots per goals is not the most efficient rating in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, his on target percentage of 65.6% suggests he will add to his tally before the season is out.
– Maynor Figueroa made 17 interceptions in the game against Chelsea, the fourth highest by a Wigan player so far this season. That took his tally for the season to 93 interceptions.
– Ali al Habsi made 8 saves against Chelsea, his sixth busiest game of the season. That took his tally for the season to 137 saves, the 5th busiest goalkeeper in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– James McCarthy is ranked 11th in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for passes completed in the opposition area, keeping company with a top 15 passers compiled exclusively from players from Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea.
STATS: Stoke vs Reading – Fastest players, hardest workers, most shots
Stoke v Reading 15:00
– Stoke came within 12 minutes of holding Arsenal in their last Premier League game, before losing out to a deflected Lukas Podolski free kick.
– Up until then Asmir Begovic had been in inspired form to keep the Gunners out. He's made 130 saves this season, the 5th highest so far this season in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross has been putting his body on the line for Stoke this season, and has made the third highest number of blocks in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index with 27. Team mate Robert Huth is in 7th with 22.
– Stoke winger Matt Etherington has been unlucky with his deliveries this season, he has delivered 29 crosses without being credited an assist, more than any other midfielder in the league.
– Reading have made a habit of late winners recently, taking ten points from twelve in their last four games. Their latest victims were Sunderland, with Jimmy Kebe scoring both goals in a 2-1 win.
– Kebe's goals took his tally for the season to five, from an efficient 16 efforts at goal with 68.8% on target. In fact, of the players in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index to have scored five or more goals Kebe has needed the fewest shots per goal, with an average of 3.2 shots for each goal scored.
– Team mate Adam le Fondre has the fifth best shots per goal ratio in the league, averaging 3.6 shots for each of his ten goals this season, making them one of the most dangerous strike pairings in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– In the middle of the park, Jem Karacan is one of only 16 players in the league to have attempted 25 or more tackles while still maintaining a 75% + success rate for tackles won. Karacan has won 77.1% of the 35 he has attempted.
– Ian Harte is undergoing a renaissance of form this season at Reading, and delivered 9 crosses against Sunderland. Only Leighton Baines delivered more in the last round of games with 10.
– New signing Hope Akpan has made the step up to Premier League football seamlessly for Reading, contributing 3 assists in 3 appearances at an average of one every 48 minutes 20 seconds.
Reading came from a goal behind against Newcastle to win 2-1 thanks to a brace from Adam le Fondre.
Le Fondre's goals took his tally for the season to eight coming from an efficient 32 shots at goal averaging exactly 4 shots per goal. To put that in context, league top scorer Robin van Persie averages 4.39 shots per goal.
Reading had Adam Federici to thank for keeping them in the game up til that point. The Reading 'keeper made 11 saves during the game, the busiest goalkeeper in the last round of matches.
Mikele Leigertwood has excelled in the role of midfield enforcer this season, winning 62 tackles so far, the joint second highest in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. He has also made more interceptions than any other midfielder with 104.
Jobi McAnuff has had an impressive season for Reading, but will be hoping the goals start to flow soon. The midfielder has had 23 shots at goal including 8 on target without scoring, the third highest in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
Chelsea will need to put the drama of their League Cup exit and Eden Hazard's red card behind them and return to concentrating on the Premier League. Their last league outing saw them beat Arsenal 2-1 thanks to goals from Juan Mata and Frank Lampard.
Mata and Lampard now have eight goals each in the Premier League this season, although Lampard has secured his at a rate of one every 116 minutes 53 seconds (the best ratio of any midfielder in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index) compared to Mata's one every 209 minutes 45 seconds
Bot midfielders boast impressive accuracy in front of goal, with Mata getting 73% of his 41 shots at goal on target and Lampard 68% of this 28 shots.
However, Lampard is unusually yet to register an assist this season, despite having completed 245 passes in the opposition half. In comparison, Mata has 11 assists to his name having completed 689 passes in the opposition half.
Mata completes a pass in the opposition half every 2 minutes 26 seconds on average, the 6th best rating in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, discounting those players who have played less than 500 minutes.
Newcastle v Reading, Saturday 15:00
– Newcastle need to get used to life after Demba Ba, having scored just once in their two Premier League games since he left for Chelsea. Papiss Cisse scored that goal against Everton on January 2nd, before they played out a 0-0 draw with Norwich last weekend.
– Cisse's goal was his 5th of the season, coming from 35 shots at goal with 48.5% of those on target.
– Newcastle's back four have been beset by injury this season, but those players who have been brought in have excelled and have been among the league's best defensive performers. Mike Williamson is ranked joint 7th in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for clearances with 36 this season.
– Williamson overall has won 26 tackles, made 91 interceptions and 12 blocks to add to those clearances, averaging a defensive contribution every 9 minutes 59 seconds while on the pitch this season.
– Tim Krul, meanwhile, has made 111 saves, the 7th highest in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– Reading are making a habit of dramatic comebacks this season, and West Brom were the latest team to fall foul to the Royals 'never say die' attitude last weekend.
– Reading were trailing 2-0 against the Baggies before goals from Jimmy Kebe, Adam le Fondre and Pavel Pogrebnyak saw them leave 3-2 winners.
– Reading's strikers have been in efficient form this season. Le Fondre's goal was his sixth league goal of the season, having come from 30 shots at goal with exactly 50% on target. Pogrebnyak has hit five goals from 17 shots with 57.8% on target, while Kebe has hit three goals from 13 shots at goal with 69.23% on target.
– Overall, that gives the Reading strike force an impressive conversion rate of 14 goals from 60 shots, or a goal every 4.28 shots, a better conversion rate than league top scorer Robin van Persie who converts a goal every 4.53 shots.
– At the other end of the pitch, Shaun Cummings is excelling for the Royals at right back and has the best tackles won percentage in the league, discounting players who have attempted fewer than 20 tackles. Cummings has lost out on just two tackles this season to make a 91.67% success rate.
Reading v West Brom, Saturday 15:00
– Reading's troubled season continued with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Tottenham on new year's day their last Premier League outing, with Pavel Pogrebnyak scoring their only goal. However, they were able to reverse that scoreline in the FA Cup, knocking out previous giant killers Crawley with Adam le Fondre scoring a brace and Noel Hunt also on the score sheet.
– Le Fondre has scored five goals in the Premier League this season, averaging one every 200 minutes 12 seconds and taking an average of six chances for every goal scored.
– Brian McDermott has urged the club to seal a new contract for defender Alex Pearce, who is out of contract at the end of the season. Pearce has played just 899 minutes for Reading in the league this season, but has won 65.2% of tackles he has attempted, made 19 clearances and 50 interceptions.
– Adrian Mariappa has also been one of the busiest defenders in the league this season, averaging a defensive contribution (tackle won, interception made, clearance or block) every 6 minutes 54 seconds, the 4th busiest defender in the league this season.
– Midfielder Mikele Leigertwood, meanwhile, has won the third highest number of tackles in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index with 60, 63.8% of all tackles attempted overall.
– Reading have had their share of bad luck this season, with both goalkeepers Adam Federici and Alex McCarthy suffering injuries at differing stages. McCarthy has best minutes per save rating in the league, having been called into action once every 13 minutes 41 seconds.
– West Brom will be hoping for a return to early season form, as their last Premier League outing saw fall to a 2-1 defeat to Fulham, with Romelu Lukaku scoring their solitary goal, while they face an FA Cup third round replay after drawing with QPR last weekend. Shane Long scored the opening goal for the Baggies in that one.
– Lukaku has been an inspired signing since joining from Chelsea on loan, have contributed a goal or assist every 25 minutes and 3 seconds this season, the fourth highest in the league behind only Chicarito Hernandez, Luis Suarez and Wayne Rooney.
– Shane Long seems to have also benefited from the presence of the powerful Belgium striker alongside him, having scored 5 goals from 24 efforts at goal with 13 of those on target.
– Since then QPR have bid for West Brom defender Jonas Olsson, with the Baggies turning down a reported £5 million bid. Olsson has been in incredible form this season. Outside of players for the top four teams, only Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams rank above Olsson among the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index's defenders.
– This has been underpinned by Olsson's dominance in the air, which sees him lead the tables for clearances with 55 so far this season. He has been supported in that respect by fellow defender Gareth McAuley who is in third place having made 45 clearances.
Reading remain bottom of the Premier League after the Christmas period has so far given them a 0-0 draw with Swansea and 1-0 loss to Man City.
Mikele Leigertwood has covered more ground than any other player for Reading this season, and has also attempted the third highest number of tackles in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index with 80 tackles attempted and 61.25% won
Adam le Fondre was unlucky to be denied by a sensational goal line clearance by Chico in the game against Swansea. The striker has five goals this season, from 30 efforts at goal with exactly half on target.
His rate of a goal every 195 minutes is comparable with Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez, who averages one every 192 minutes, suggesting that if le Fondre gets the chances then he could help fire Reading off the bottom of the Premier League table
West Ham's inconsistent start to the season continues after a 2-1 loss to Everton in their last game, with a Carlton Cole goal early on wasn't enough to prevent Everton bouncing back to win 2-1
Cole has been impressive in his role deputizing for injured West Ham strike duo of Andy Carroll and Mohammed Diame. Cole has scored twice for West Ham this season, though he has needed 20 efforts at goal to score them. However, a healthy on target ratio of 60% suggests that more goals will come for the striker if he keeps testing goalkeepers
Mark Noble has been one of West Ham's most impressive performers this season. Of the top twenty players to have attempted the most tackles, Noble has the best percentage of tackles won. He has attempted 71 and won 64.8% of them.
Young defender Winston Reid has also been a stand out performer, and has contributed 80 interceptions, 20 clearances and 14 blocks this season
Silva's hard work for Manchester City vs Cummings' tackling for Reading
Man City v Reading, Saturday 15:00
– Man City rebounded in some style from their disappointing loss to bitter rivals Man Utd last week with a fine 1-3 win away to Newcastle. Samir Nasri in particular shone before being injured following an under-par showing against the Red Devils, whilst Yaya Toure produced a performance of guile and force to suggest he is reaching his peak form once again.
– Yaya Toure's performance against Monday was symptomatic of a midfield powerhouse at the peak of his powers and the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index confirms this rise in form. The big Ivorian has completed 699 passes in his opponent's half this season and also recently joined the select group of player to pass the 100 mile mark for distance covered with 101.61 miles recorded.
– No striker in the Premier League has provided more opportunities for his team mates to score than Carlos Tevez, the Argentinian front man already recording 10 assists placing him joint 1st on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
– Spaniard David Silva complemented his vision and technique with a workmanlike performance against Newcastle, grafting harder than any other player on the pitch as he ran for 6.55 miles.
– Samir Nasri will be keen to get back on the pitch as soon as possible to keep on improving upon his early form against Newcastle last weekend. The talented Frenchman will be determined to build on his statistics this season which have been slightly underwhelming at 3 assists and only a 8% conversion rate from 12 attempts on goal.
– Gareth Barry is often described as the player that helps his teammates shine, but the England international will be seeking greater consistency from his defensive playing for the remainder of the season. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index he's recorded 17 fouls and has a 43% tackle success rate from 28 challenges.
– A poor Reading performance led to a crushing defeat at the hands of Arsenal on Monday evening, the Royals falling to a 2-5 defeat. Whilst Adam Le Fondre and Jimmy Kebe did manage to make it onto the scoresheet, Reading never looked like containing a slick Arsenal side.
– Adam Le Fondre once again made a strong case for his inclusion to Brian McDermott this week, improving his goals per minute total to one every 189 minutes, the best in the Reading squad.
– Midfielder Mikele Leigertwood continues to be Reading's most consistent force in the engine room this season, racking up a squad-high 245 successful passes in the opponent's half this season.
– The imposing midfielder has also been putting in a shift in defence for the Royals this season, racking up an impressive 40 tackles at a success rate of 63%. He's now made a defensive contribution every 12.5 minutes.
– Jay Tabb once again turned in another tireless performance against Arsenal, running for 6.94 miles according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. This was the 7th time he's topped the Reading leaderboard for distance run in a match this season.
– Hai Robson-Kanu has been Reading's biggest threat on goal in this campaign so far, netting 3 goals and establishing a shot accuracy rate of 63% from 16 attempts.
– Defender Shaun Cummings may find himself under the scrutiny of the England management if he continues to turn in performances like those in the first half of the season. He has an incredible tackle success rate of 92% and has the best foul-to-tackle ratio in the league, conceding only once every 12 tackles.
Gorkss' defensive contribution for Reading vs Podolski's shots on target for Arsenal
Reading have been playing catch up for much of the season after having their game against Sunderland delayed because of a water logged pitch. That game finally took place on Tuesday night, and while the result didn't go in Reading's favour now they have played the same amount of games as their Premier League rivals there are some interesting stats emerging about the Royals
Reading are now one of only two teams in the league to have covered over 1,000 miles this season. 64.71 miles covered against Sunderland takes them to 1,000.6 miles this season, a figure bettered only by fellow newly promoted side Southampton.
That charge has been led by Mikele Leigertwood and Jobi McAnuff who are now both in the top 20 players in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for distance covered this season with 95.25 and 91.36 miles respectively
Catching up on the game in hand means Reading players have moved up the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index in other categories as well. Kaspars Gorkss is now ranked 15th for the most defensive contributions so far this season. Gorkss has won 63.2% of his 38 attempted tackles this season and made an impressive 84 interceptions.
Jobi McAnuff, meanwhile, is now ranked 8th for completed dribbles this season with 16 and is joint 4th for assists with 6. He also joins team mate Nicky Shorey in the top 5 for crosses delivered, with Shorey in 3rd with 53 crosses delivered and McAnuff 5th with 49. Norwich are the only other club to have two players in the top ten crossers of the ball.
Arsenal got a much needed three points courtesy of two Mikel Arteta penalties in their last outing against West Brom, but will need to bounce back from a disappointing league cup exit in midweek.
Arteta has worked tirelessly to turn around Arsenal's fortunes this season, and last weekend was one of four players to break the 100 mile barrier for distance covered over the season, totaling 101.3 miles so far, the fourth highest total in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index
Arteta has also completed 626 passes in the opposition half this season, the third highest in the Premier League so far this season, just one place behind team mate Santi Cazorla who has completed 658
Cazorla and Arteta have continued to build a formidable midfield pairing, with Arteta dong the defensive work and Cazorla proving the greater threat at goal. Cazorla has had 51 efforts at goal 60.7% on target, compared to Arteta's 11 efforts with 54.5% on target. Defensively these stats are reversed, with Arteta attempting 62 tackles compared to Cazorla's 22.
Arsenal fans bemoaning a lack of killer finishing may point the finger at new summer signings Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski who between them have had 77 shots at goal and just 7 goals, averaging 11 shots per goal. However, with 41 of those shots on target the pair must surely feel that they are due a change in fortune soon.
It was cold last night at the Stadium of Light, when Reading came into town. It began like a dream, when our own James McClean put the visiting side one nil down. After such a great start, the defence played their part and Mignolet seldom looked troubled. Before very long, with our wide men on song, Sunderland's lead was doubled. Young Danny Rose as his confidence grows, gets forward more and more. It was his measured kick and Fletcher's deft flick, that effectively slammed closed the door. There was more of the same as we went through the game, Reading rarely looked in it. And how the crowd roared when Sessegnon scored again, in the ninety third minute. So with a win to our name, we can face the next game, with hopes and ambitions anew. Our hiccups now cured, three points are assured – after all it's only Man U.
Peter Sixsmith, whilst delighted with the result is however, not going overboard…
It was a pleasure to get up this morning and select a white shirt for work. That, along with a Sunderland tie, is my usual apparel after a win. They have been lingering at the bottom of the shirt draw since March, making only fleeting appearances.
As are Reading in the Premier League if last night was anything to go by. They were as poor a side as they were the last time they visited us and they went down at the end of that season, while we finished 15th. I can see the same happening this year.
Our performance was good enough to beat Reading. We scored three goals for the first time since Manchester City away last season. That all three came from players we expect to score is a bonus. No own goals or spectacular attempts from full backs, but solid goals from McClean, Fletcher and Sessegnon, names that should be appearing regularly on the scoresheet, gives some grounds for optimism.
McClean took the first one well, courtesy of some wretched goalkeeping from Federici. He should have caught the corner from Johnson and should have reacted quicker to the Derry man's shot. He didn't, and that gave us a perfect start.
Fletcher's goal was a real striker's goal. He reacted quickly to Rose's through ball and finish was a sublime flick that left the keeper standing. At 2-0, it would have taken a Herculean effort by our defence to allow the Biscuitmen anything but crumbs.
We did help them by giving the ball away with regular monotony. It is infuriating to watch the players retain possession by playing it sideways and backwards and then, when the killer ball is required, giving it back to the opposition. All four midfielders were responsible for this and they were aided by O'Shea, whose distribution is on a par with Gary Breen of the fondly remembered 15 point season.
The back four were rarely threatened by a limp Reading attack and this gave Rose plenty of opportunities to move forward. He really does look a good player and my initial doubts about him are disappearing rapidly. He tackles well, goes forward effectively and excites the crowd – something that the likes of Gardner, Colback and Larsson rarely do.
I am sure that MON would like to put him on the permanent staff in January, but that depends on Spurs willingness to sell at a reasonable price and if Rose is willing to come to a club that still has a relegation battle on its hands. His Northern roots will hopefully pull him towards Sunderland rather than any other London club.
However, the real priority is a midfield player who will energise us. The current centre midfield pairing of Larsson (who had a good game last night – but he should have scored) and Colback, does not play at a high enough tempo. A player who can seize a game and score a couple of goals is required – from where I know not. It's time for Pop Robson and Gordon Chisholm to rack up a few air miles to find us a Ukrainian or a Belgian who can do it.
Our rhythm, what there was of it, was not helped by injuries and subsequent reshuffles. Adam Johnson failed to reappear after half time due to a mean and unpleasant tackle by Jodi McAnuff, who put his leg across Johnson to stop him moving sideways.
It was a nasty challenge, totally unnecessary and reminiscent of one that I made on Barry Thompson in the school yard circa 1967. Barry picked himself up and punched me hard, three times, before saying "You won't do that again, will you?" Had we a Kevin Ball or Jimmy McNab in this team, McAnuff would have spent the second half hiding in the showers. We are a bit of a soft touch at times.
So, we are out of the bottom three and trail our (allegedly) illustrious neighbours by a point. There is still a long way to go and we must start to pick up points between now and the end of January.
We go to Old Trafford on Saturday. I don't think the white shirt will be needed on Monday.


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Video of the world's smartest dog and dog IQ quizzes for your pup!
Personally, I have never doubted the superior intelligence of myself or my canine cousins, as a matter of fact I think our brilliance is quite obvious.
Take me for example, Bo Obama - The First Dog of the United States of America, who wields the power to influence our leader on important world issues like creating a worldwide "Give Your Dog a Bone and All the Treats He Can Eat Day." Granted, humans are not always quick to pick-up on the golden bones of wisdom we so generously toss their way but given enough time, they usually come around.
I present Exhibit A: NOVA's "How Smart Are Dogs" video. Sit back and prepare to be amazed by Chaser, a six-year-old female Border Collie, who understands more than 1,000 words! Still not convinced canines are wicked smart? Then check-out the deductive reasoning acumen she demonstrates during the "Darwin test."
And what about those chimps?! ROTFLOL! Cheetah's got nothin' on me and my dawgs! Boo-ya!
In case the video has you wondering how smart your faithful fur-ball is, try a couple of these dog intelligence tests:
Dog Under Towel Test
How to do the test
1. Your dog should be awake and reasonably active
2. Let the dog sniff the towel
3. With a quick smooth motion throw the towel over the dogs head, so it's head and shoulders are completely covered (you may want to practice this without the dog first). Start timing and watch silently.
|If the dog frees itself in 5 seconds or less ..................................................................................
5 points
|In 5 to 15 seconds .........................................................
|4 points
|In 15 to 30 seconds .......................................................
|3 points
|In 30 to 60 seconds .......................................................
|2 points
|If the dog hasn't freed itself after 60 seconds ..........................................................................
|1 point
Retrieving from Under a Barrier Test
For this test you will need to create a table low enough to stop your dogs head from getting under it, but high enough off the ground to get it's paw under. You can make it out of some bricks or large books and a board.
How to do the test
1. Make sure your dog is watching you from nearby.
2. Show your dog the tidbit of food and even let it sniff it.
3. With the dogs full attention slowly place the tidbit just far enough under the table, that the dog can use its paws to retrieve it
4. Start timing and encourage your dog to get the food.
|If your dog uses its paws to retrieve the food in 60 seconds or less......................................
5 points
|If your dog uses its paws to retrieve the food in 1 to 3 minutes............................................................................
|4 points
|If your dog uses it's muzzle only and fails to get the bait, or if it uses it's paws and hasn't retrieved the food after 3 minutes ...............................................................
|3 points
|If your dog doesn't use it's paws, simply sniffs and gives one or two tries with it's muzzle ..........................
|2 points
|If your dog has made no attempt to retrieve the bait after 3 minutes ...............................................................
|1 point
Does Your Dog Know Its Name Test
How to do the test
1. Your dog should be settled comfortably around two meters in front of you.
2. In the voice tone you use to call your dog call "refrigerator"
|If the dog shows some response to come....................
3 points
|If the dog does not come, call "movies" in the same tone. If the dog comes......................................................
|2 points
|If the dog still has not responded call it's name. If the dog comes or shows any tendency to move to you .....
|5 points
|If the dog has not moved, call it's name a second time. If the dog comes ..............................................................
|4 points
|If the dog still doesn't come ............................................
|1 point
For more dog intelligence tests and final score results visit Dog IQ Tests.
Bo Obama's Dog Blog sources: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABCNews.com, NOVA Science Now


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Digital Art by Antonio Caparo
Antonio Caparo is an illustrator, graphic designer and comic Artist from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His work is composed of comic illustrations, Calligraphic Works, Steampunk, etc. He has also worked in the Animation field as a Character Designer and Background Creator.
Digital Art using the Tags: Antonio Caparo


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In this topic of study, we examine the basics of how to write a network server in Python. To use one of my favorite idioms, this topic is the biggest can of worms that we tackle in this course. That is to say, there are some really complex issues with servers. We will identify some of those issues and will talk about strategies for writing useful programs without getting drug into theoretical computer science research.
A server is program that listens and accepts connections on a particular TCP or UDP port and provides information or services to the connecting clients. A server typically will run continuously as a background process; and more importantly, it does not impose limits on the number of simultaneous connections that can be served.
I thought we already did servers?
Well, yes, we did already write programs that use sockets to listen on a port and accept connections; but that server could only accept one connection at a time. A server must be able to handle many clients at one time. This matter of dealing with multiple clients at once is what makes server programs complex.
Three basic approaches are used to solve this problem.
- Process creation with forks
- Multi-threading
- Asynchronous I/O
We will pretty much skip the first of these options (see Chapter 20 – Forking) because it does not work on Windows platforms and is of limited value on Unix based systems. In addition, we will also discuss situations where the best design is a hybrid solution, which uses both multi-threaded and asynchronous techniques. (see Combined Asynchronous and Threaded Servers)
See also


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PHILADELPHIA -- Weather permitting, NHL Senior Facilities Operations Manager Dan Craig told reporters this afternoon that he hopes to start spraying water on the hockey rink here at Citizens Bank Park sometime after 3 p.m. tomorrow.
"Right now I know for a fact I won't be starting anything until 3 p.m. tomorrow," Craig said. "I know I can't work on this floor before 3. Anything after 3, and probably until 8 a.m. tomorrow morning, that's when we'll do it."
Craig said he hopes to have the ice truck start pumping the glycol coolant into the aluminum ice trays sometime around 7 or 8 p.m. tonight, which eventually will bring the floor of the rink to the right temperature to start making ice.
"Probably within the next 3-4 hours we're going to start filing up the main header pipes and the truck is ready to fire up and hopefully sometime tonight we'll get the floor back down to temperature we require and do a good test run tonight," Craig said. "And we'll take a look at seeing if we can make ice tomorrow."
Eventually, Craig said he'll make two inches of ice for the Flyers and Rangers to skate on. At 10,000 gallons of water per inch of ice, that takes a lot of work and a lot of time to freeze. That's the reason the flood starts eight days before the first official on-ice event -- the media skate on Dec. 30.
"Can we do it in three days? Yes, we can do it in three days," Craig said. "Do I want to do it in six? I want to do it in six."
Contact Adam Kimelman at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK


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October 10, 2015
State authorities report a medical helicopter crash in western Tennessee has killed three crew members.
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency spokesman Jeremy Heidt in Nashville says it was a medical flight that crashed into a field shortly after 6 a.m. CDT during a rainstorm Thursday morning near Brownsville.
Heidt said the Hospital Wing helicopter had flown a patient from Parsons to a Jackson hospital and was returning to its base in Brownsville when it went down. All those aboard were crew members.
The crash scene is near U.S. 70 and about 55 miles northeast of Memphis.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
We're working to gather new details and will have an update beginning on Volunteer TV News at Noon, with developments throughout the day on VolunteerTV.com.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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How You Can Help Lessen Smog, Bad Air
Tips for Your Home (cont'd)
- Plant a tree near your house. Backyard trees may cut your need for air conditioning by 40 per cent, and your need for heating by 10 per cent.
- Turn down the thermostat. In winter months, the EPA recommends turning down the furnace's thermostat to 68 degrees F in the day and 60 degrees F at night.
- Reduce your use of oil-based paints, lawn pesticides and cleaning solvents. When they dry, they release VOCs. By 2010 they will contribute to more than twice the amount of VOCs from all transportation sources.
- Purchase "green power" for your home's electrical needs. Green power, generated by water, sun and wind, does not create smog.
- Buy energy efficient appliances.
- Use compact fluorescent lights. They require one-fifth to one-quarter of the energy of the old incandescent bulbs.


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Lumintop HL01 Global Testing Campaign
Lumintop has successfully developed its first headlamp with latest XM-L2 U2 LED, that is, Lumintop HL01, which will be launched soon. In order to make the enthusiasts be the first ones to experience Lumintop new product, we are now collecting those who are interested in participating in Lumintp HL01 Global Testing Campaign. Lumintop will select some participants to test the HL01 (finished products) which will be sent for free. Look forward to your participation and support!
1.Lumintop HL01 Description
Lumintop HL01 is a multifunctional headlamp applying the latest cree XM-L2 U2 LED(Nature white and white light available). Lumintop HL01 turns a 18650 battery into a powerful flashlight with an 610-lumen max output, max 150h runtime with more than 100 meters shot range. Waterproof to IPX-8 standard can protect the headlamp well underwater 2 meters. Three light modes plus strobe meet your different illumination needs. Taking long runtime into consideration, you have 0.8-lumen ultra low lighting mode of HL01 for 30days continue using outdoor. Light weight is another feature for such high power headlamp. So we believe lumintop HL01 will be your choice for your outdoor adventure.
2. Declaration of the Testing Campaign
2.1 Registration Period: 23th July,2014 – 5th Aug.,2014
2.2 Please download the global testing application form from website
2.3 Please follow the Lumintop Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/lumintop) and fill out the application form, send it back to lumintop email@example.com
2.4 Lumintop will send the HL01 (finished products) for free to the participants who are selected to test the HL01,after they receive the flashlight, they need to test it and publicize the reports on the relevant media according to lumintop requirements.
2.5 Announcement of the qualified tester list
Time: 7th Aug.,2014
Website: http://www.lumintop.com/list/high-power-cree-led-flashlight-manufacturers/lumintop-wholesale-flashlight-news
Face book: http://www.facebook.com/lumintop
2.6 It is preliminarily decided that the HL01 will be sent out at the beginning of August, 2014 (depending on the shipment condition),and the mailing fees for the HL01 will be paid by Lumintop.
3. Requirements for the Testers and the testing report
3.1 Requirements for the Testers
A. All kinds of fans, including outdoor sports enthusiasts or consumers who can write reviews or reports for flashlights, edit them with words and pictures, or take videos when they are testing the flashlight.
B. Individuals that have already posted more than one review (including but not limited to flashlights)
C. Individuals who can post their testing reports on more than one internet media or other relevant, such as the websites or forums of flashlight, outdoor, photography, magazines and newspapers etc.
3.2The contents of your reports should include:
A. Description and your personal feeling of the product;
B. Images and video of the products, including appearance, function, details and trial run environment;
C. Description of the testing environment and process;
D. Description of the merits and shortcomings of the product and advices
3.3Requirements for writing and publishing the testing report
A. Testers should publicize the report on one or more internet media or other relevant media, such as the website of outdoor, flashlight, photography, magazines and newspapers etc. within 20 days after receiving the HL01, and send the relevant link to Lumintop by email for our reference.
4. Notice
4.1 Lumintop will contact those selected testers by sending emails. If no replies are received within seven working days, we'll regard them as giving up testing the Lumintop product.
4.2. Lumintop has the ownership of the testing report provided by the selected testers (including words, images, videos, etc).
4.3 Lumintop reserves the rights of final interpretation of this testing campaign.


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Tangier: A rich blend of cultures, exotic souks, colorful riads, the Kasbah, lively markets
Tangier is a city in northern Morocco situated on the North African coast.
Tangier's rich history dates back to the 5th century BC and many civilizations have left their mark.
Tangier strengthened its position in the 1920's when it was given international status by foreign colonial powers, making it a popular destination for many Europeans and Americans.
Famous characters that have passed through Tangier include Henri Matisse, Tennessee Williams, Samuel Beckett and Orson Welles. This ancient city is currently undergoing rapid development; projects include new five-star hotels, a modern business district, a new airport terminal, and a soccer stadium. However, your day away from your luxury MSC cruise ship will offer a journey back in time.
You are warmly invited to join us on any of our excursions packages, which offer the best deals on the sights of Tangier and on outings in the region. Tangier's location at the crossroads of Europe and Africa provides a rich blend of cultures and the exotic souks, colorful riads, the Kasbah, lively markets and magical back streets will lend a strong sense of romance and atmosphere to your holiday here.
Your senses will truly be awakened as you listen in to the myriad of dialects, inhale the scent of spicy Moroccan tea and feast your eyes upon the magnificent residential quarters of the city and major sights, such as the Caves of Hercules or Mendoubia Gardens.
Ensure you take a souvenir, such as pottery or spices, back to the ship as a lasting reminder of your vacation in Tangier.
Book your cruise to Tangier with MSC Cruises today!
Port average temperature
The temperate figures shown are based on monthly average weather conditions for the selected port. Weather data is not real-time, and sometimes no data is shown for a specific date, month or port in general.


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Romney Wins CPAC Straw Poll
The results for the Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll:
38% - Mitt Romney
31% - Rick Santorum
15% - Newt Gingrich
12% - Ron Paul
Jim may be surprised, but I'm actually not: The crowd for Romney's speech was more enthusiastic than the crowd for Santorum's or Gingrich's, and the students waving Romney signs and chanting "Mitt! Mitt! Mitt! Mitt!" in the hall outside the ballroom yesterday outnumbered the ones waving Santorum signs and trying to drown out their counterparts with "Flip!-Flop! Flip!-Flop!" I suspect the Romney campaign made a quiet effort to turn out their supporters.
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Available soon at US retailers starting later this month is the new Xbox 360 Spring Value Bundle.
The following is included in each Spring bundle:
• Xbox 360 250GB E Console
• Borderlands 2 (Digital)
• Forza Horizon (Disc)
• 1 month of Xbox Live Gold
The new bundle will be $50 off for a limited time, making it $249.99. It'll be available at various retailers and is already up for purchase at the Microsoft Store.
Source: Major Nelson


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THE SALVATION ARMY 77th ANNUAL DONUT DAYS TO BENEFIT PEOPLE IN NEED
Lake County, IN (May 21, 2014) – The Salvation Army will commemorate the 77th annual National Donut Days on two consecutive weekends, Friday, May 30 – Saturday, May 31, and Friday, June 6 – Saturday, June 7. Salvation Army Donut Day volunteers will be throughout the Lake County area collecting donations and in turn giving coupons for six free donuts with the purchase of a dozen from, Strack & Van Til, Ultra Foods, Munster Donuts and Calumet Bakery. Donations to Donut Day will help support programs for area children, seniors, the homeless and families in need who are served by The Salvation Army.
The Donut Day holiday, observed nationally on the first Friday of June, was established by The Salvation Army in 1938 to honor The Salvation Army's "Donut Lassies" who served the comforting treats to soldiers during World War I. This significant occasion established the donut as a long-standing symbol of the services The Salvation Army continues to provide and helped popularize the donut in America after soldiers returned home.
As local residents enjoy a tasty treat for this year's Donut Day, we ask everyone to remember the importance of giving back to their local community, our veterans, as well as their neighbors who are facing hunger, homelessness and crisis.
" The Donut Day tradition began on the battlefields of France during World War One, when Salvation Army workers went to the front to deliver spiritual aid and comfort to US soldiers and their allies and serve as a link between the soldiers and their families back home. Salvation Army "Donut Lassies" served coffee and donuts to soldiers in the trenches to bring them cheer.
Milford Christenson, president of Christenson Chevrolet in Highland, former Sergeant in the 87th Infantry Division during World War II and long-time donor to The Salvation Army, remembers when The Salvation Army helped him. "I remember pulling into Union Station with no more than five dollars in my pocket. The Salvation Army was waiting with donuts and care packages for anyone who served, not just the officers," Christenson said. "The Salvation Army cares for the common man."
Funds raised during Donut Days enable The Salvation Army to provide meals to the hungry, assist disaster victims, shelter the homeless and provide crisis assistance and support to people in need. To make a donation please call 1-800-SAL-ARMY, text "DONUT" to 41444 to give $10 or go to http://salarmychicago.org/gary-merrillville/www.salarmychicago.org/lakecounty/http://www.salarmychicago.org/donutday.
About the Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the Universal Christian Church, has been supporting those in need, in His name, without discrimination for more than 130 years. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broad array of social services such as providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, and outreach to the elderly/ill, clothing, drug and alcohol recovery, shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. For more information, visitwww.salarmylakecounty.org.
Contacts: Captain Rebecca Simmons at (219) 838-1328 or (219) 588-2501
Email: email@example.com


text:
- Written by Zeus @MiddleEasy
- Published in MMA
Watch Ross Pearson drop his sparring partner with a head kick
Ross Pearson has enough ink on his arms to illustrate a small children's coloring book. That's all I have for you this morning. One single joke placed in the front of a brief article so that you won't have to read the rest of the words. I would like to thank my parents for not drowning me in a bath tub when I was young. I would also like to thank my philosophy teacher at the University of Arizona for giving me an A in the class just because I asked. That really helped out my GPA that year. Last but not least, I would like to thank my Acer monitor for providing me with this Instagram video so I could see Ross Pearson use arcane magic and levitate his sparring partner with a well-placed head kick.
Zeus @MiddleEasy
Zeus is represented by Galactus in his avatar image because he has an immature obsession with Marvel when they went all sci-fi back in the mid 80s. I'm the creator of MiddleEasy and Nickelodeon's The Adventures of Pete and Pete. Just kidding about the Nickelodeon stuff, but that would be really cool.
Latest from Zeus @MiddleEasy
- The 20 most historical UFC posters in all of MMA history
- Dana White's UFC 175 vlog is here, and the guy is a social butterfly
- Pat Barry released another one of his weird videos, if you're into that sort of thing
- Blast to the Past: Lyoto Machida drinks a female reporter's urine, nasty!
- Ben Askren brings up some pretty valid points regarding the 2014 World Cup


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My internet service is Verizon Online DSL. Everytime I want to connect
to my service, I must first go to "Network Connections", enter my
user name, enter the password, & then click "Connect". My computer
is a PC, & not a laptop.
My question is:
Is it possible
to make my computer connect to my service automatically whenever I
log on, without me having to enter my username & password
everytime I want to use the internet?
Please get back to me as soon as possible. Any help at all would
be very much appreciated. Thank you! B)
Never have used Verizon Online DSL so I am at a loss on this one. Dumb questions but I am guessing there is no checkbox for saving the login information when you sign in?
will research and see if I can find anything out for ya.
"Nobody knows what I do until I stop doing it."
Florida Web Design | Online Geek Hangout | Office Pranks and Humor


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The wife of a friend showed me her iPhone 4 at the weekend. It was a disappointment. Those rounded edges which make the iPhone 3G feel good in your hand and good to slide into your trouser pocket are gone. It's got square edges. It feels bricky.
And it's no lighter than the iPhone 3G.
The iPhone 4 does have one plus – a better screen. On the other hand it's not good at handling radio signals – kind of important in a wireless terminal.
I asked my friend's wife, who only a couple of weeks ago had acquired an iPad, what she had done to persuade my friend to buy her an iPhone 4.
Eyes twinkling, she leant across the dinner table and whispered a word in my ear:
Tut Tut.
TOMORROW MORNING: Top Ten Spenders On Fab This YearTags: ipad, tomorrow morning
Related Tech News
7 Comments
August 10, 2010 13:38
Thanks Tom that's very interesting
August 10, 2010 12:59
The figures I saw from an RF engineer who'd done some careful measurements on the iPhone 4 vs the 3GS showed the 4 was better than the 3GS no matter how you held it but in absolute terms the 4 had better performance if you held it 'correctly'.
So the iPhone 4 will let you get calls where previous phones would not but in those circumstances you have to be careful how you hold it.
My personal experience is the iPhone 4 downloads data significantly faster than my old iPhone 3G and does better with GPS. I agree its a bit slippy in the hand but overall its a big step forward, particularly the camera.
August 10, 2010 11:41
Interesting Rob, I just hope the senior vice president for engineering for the iPhone hasn't resigned unnecessarily.
August 10, 2010 11:22
I too seem to have super non conducting fingers as I cant make the signal fail on my iPhone 4 – and I usually use the phone in my left hand ensuring that I am well in contact with the supposed extra off button.
Was originally not too impressed with the slab like nature of the phone but it is sort of growing on me. Worth it for the screen and much improved speed of response.
August 04, 2010 13:57
That's one way to make sure no-one can make out what you are saying! But enough about the iPhone 4G signal quality…
August 03, 2010 18:16
Well Chris, there's no smoke without a fire or somesuch useless old saying. With the iPad it was WiFi. This does seem to have caused grief to some people, not least distinguished Apple engineers.
August 03, 2010 15:55
Ooooh is that a late passing bandwagon Mr Manners?
I have one, and had the previous 2 generations before. This one is simply better and the much media-hyped connection issues don't occur on mine, but perhaps I have super non-conducting fingers??


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Southern Wesleyan remembers fatal McDonald Hall fire
CENTRAL - It has been 50 years since a dormitory fire took the lives of two young Southern Wesleyan College students.
The school, now Southern Wesleyan University, will remember that Dec. 7, 1962, event in the coming days with two services.
McDonald Hall, built in 1941, housed 56 students and three school staff members the night flames engulfed the three-story, brick veneer building at the school in Central, according to newspaper accounts from the time and information from some who were in Central at the time. Those who were there remember cries of "fire" shattering the cold and quiet as the campus was jolted awake at 2 a.m. to witness flames leaping from the girl's dormitory.
Students quickly began evacuating, but the flames spread rapidly. In the smoke and confusion that followed, it was thought that Crystal Bennett, 19, and Myrna Stuart, 18, might have escaped to the safety of a nearby wooded area. But they had not.
Bennett's brother, Gordon, other students, and deans Claude Rickman and Paul Wood braved the flames in an attempt to rescue the girls, but were driven back by the intense heat from the blaze.
As the Central fire department arrived and tried to extinguish the fire, the building began collapsing upon itself as the volunteers battled low-water pressure and freezing temperatures.
Despite their best efforts, McDonald Hall was destroyed, marking the pre-Christmas holiday tragedy in the minds of many area residents.
Central Mayor Mac Martin was an infant when the fire swept through the dorm, but he remembers family members vividly recalling the event.
"That event is something people in Central remember to this day," Martin said.
Paul Wood was dean of students at Southern Wesleyan in 1962. He was close to Gordon Bennett and tried in vain to help get Crystal Bennett and Myrna Stuart out of the burning building.
"We couldn't do it. It was just too hot," Wood said. "This is a tragedy we have all lived with through the years."
Wood said the evening before the fire he had spoken with both of the young women who would die and encouraged them in their studies.
"They were similar people — quiet, unassuming, popular and just good students," he said.
Crystal Bennett's and Stuart's rooms were joined by a common wall. The fire started in a closet on that wall, Wood said.
"Our investigation afterward determined old wiring caused the blaze," he said. "We think a squirrel may have chewed the insulation off the wire and it created the spark."
Wood said he went to Atlanta and Oregon to attend separate funerals for the girls and remained in casual contact with the families over the years.
"People responded from all over the country afterward," he said. "I recall the Jantzen factory in Seneca sent boxes of clothing; and Bob Jones University sent furniture, desks and beds, because the students lost everything they owned. We had to shift the students to other housing, but were able to rebuild the dorm by the next September."
After the fire the school changed permanently, Wood said.
"We had been a combination high school and Bible college and were on shaky ground financially," he said. "The school became four-year college, and we expanded the curriculum. This helped make Southern Wesleyan the success it is today."
A remembrance ceremony will take place Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at Alive Wesleyan Church, at 807 Wesleyan Drive in Central. Another ceremony is scheduled for the anniversary of the fire, Dec. 7, at 10 p.m. on the lawn between Stuart-Bennett Hall and the Rickman Library on the university campus. Members of the Bennett and Stuart families are invited to both events.
For information call Bob Sears at 864-644-5064.
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Need Help? Call us at 1-864-260-1284.
Monday-Friday: 6am-4:30pm / Saturday: 7am-11am / Sunday: 7am-2pm


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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The WKU baseball team sent eight batters to the plate in the ninth inning and put the tying run at second base with only one out, but back-to-back strikeouts by Central Michigan pitcher Matt Trowbridge preserved a 4-2 win for the Chippewas over WKU in the series opener on Friday at Nick Denes Field.
WKU (1-3) scored its only two runs of the game in the ninth inning, loading the bases with just one out after Scott Wilcox reached on an error. Trowbridge would strike out the next two Hilltoppers, however, as WKU would leave the bases loaded to end the game. The Hilltoppers had opportunities throughout, leaving 10 men on base during the course of the game.
WKU starter Tim Bado kept the Hilltoppers in it early, not allowing a hit until the fourth inning. In fact, both Bado and Central Michigan starter Jordan Foley did not allow a hit through the first three innings, as Foley held WKU hitless until the fifth. Bado (0-1) went 4.2 innings, allowing a career-low two hits, while striking out seven. In Bado's two starts in 2013, the senior has 12 strikeouts and has allowed only six hits, sporting an ERA of 2.61.
Central Michigan (2-3) tacked on runs in three different innings on Friday, capped off by a two-run sixth inning to extend the lead to 4-0. WKU put runners in scoring position in six of the nine innings, including having six players reach third base, with only two coming around to score.
The WKU pitching staff as a whole struck out 11 Central Michigan batters on Friday, marking the fourth consecutive game that the WKU staff has struck out double-digit batters in a game. For the season, the Hilltopper pitchers have struck out 48, and currently boast a 3.41 ERA through four games.
WKU freshman Josh Bartley made his Hilltopper debut out of the WKU bullpen, working 3.1 innings, allowing no runs on just two hits, striking out three. For the year, the WKU bullpen has surrendered just four earned runs in 21.2 innings of work through four games.
WKU and Central Michigan will be back at it at 2:00 PM (CT) on Saturday at Nick Denes Field.


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downloadable means at one time you owned them. you can re-download them for free.
downloaded means you currently own them. if you get rid of them it will change to downloadable.
download means you haven't gotten them yet you've paid for it. usually means an error happened in download for some reason. once the error is fixed simply download it.


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Life Sciences Tools and Services
Company Overview of PsychoGenics Inc.
BOARD MEMBERS AFFILIATED WITH Eric J. Nestler M.D., Ph.D.*
Co-Founder, Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board and Principal Scientific Advisor
*Data is at least as current as the most recent Definitive Proxy.
MOST CONNECTED PEOPLE TO Eric J. Nestler M.D., Ph.D.
|Torsten N. Wiesel
|188 Relationships
|Jeffrey L. Cummings
|184 Relationships
|Richard J. Whitley
|148 Relationships
|William W. Ericson
|142 Relationships
|Henry G. Jarecki
|121 Relationships
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