KANNEKTED

Anna Hazare Won 50%

noreply@blogger.com (Yashwanth) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 10:02:28 PDT

NEW DELHI: Anna Hazare declared on Saturday that the nation's people had won a great victory as he announced he would end his fast at 10am on Sunday.

Hazare thanked people for their support on the Lokpal agitation but cautioned that only half the battle had been won.

"We have won only half the battle," said Hazare standing before wildly cheering crowds and flanked by his key aides and Union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, former Maharashtra chief minister who has been an interlocutor.

"I congratulate every MP on what has happened today." Anna Hazare said.

Earlier, Union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, along with Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit, reached theRamlila Maidan and handed over a copy of the Lokpal resolution and a letter of the Prime Minister to Anna Hazare.

"Parliament has spoken. It is the will of the people," a smiling Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said while coming out of the House after the debate that ended at 8pm.

Both Houses of Parliament, after daylong discussions, adopted the sense of the House accepting the three demands of civil society, namely a citizens' charter, creation of Lokayuktas in the states and inclusion of lower bureaucracy in Lokpal's ambit.

Sarah Ferguson caught on tape

noreply@blogger.com (Yashwanth) — Mon, 24 May 2010 00:24:33 PDT

Sarah Ferguson, Britain’s Duchess of York, was filmed allegedly using her ties to ex-husband Prince Andrew to help her bring in the dough!

In fact, for 500,000 pounds, she promised an undercover reporter posing as a businessman access to the Duke of York - Queen Elizabeth II’s son - News of the World reported yesterday. Buckingham Palace refused to comment on the allegations but the tab said Ferguson had promised to introduce the fake businessman to the prince, who happens to be Britain’s special representative for international trade and investment. “I can open any door you want,” she allegedly says in the video. “He knows that he’s had to underwrite me up to now because I’ve got no money. So if you want to meet him in your business, look after me and he’ll look after you. . . . you’ll get it back tenfold.” The Duke and Duchess of York divorced in 1996 but have remained close friends

Love Sweeps you always

noreply@blogger.com (Yashwanth) — Wed, 12 May 2010 03:52:38 PDT

When the time comes for you to leave me, just say so! I can let you go. But let me embrace you while saying, " You'll go back to me, okay! When he leaves you."

Love - A Beautiful pain given only to Human Being by the Supremacy . Love is the only feel which will never go from your heart till you the survive in this world. It will be in lower part of the Heart which makes you to feel, when you see things or situations . Love a feel which makes us to cry rather for any other relation in this world for your beloved one. Whatever you are and However you are The feel of love will strike your heart constantly when u listen to music or see things or places where you spent time with your loved one. All Humans will pretend as they are happy when they are not with beloved one but the Internal Feel will make them cry inside that " I missed My Love" Getting a Beloved one is Boon Missing them is a Curse" .... All of us will for the beloved one to get back to them where situations made them to get alone.

Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney injured in loss to Bayern Munich

noreply@blogger.com (Yashwanth) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:06:19 PDT

The England striker turned his right ankle in the second minute of stoppage time just before Ivica Olic scored to give Bayern a 2-1 victory. In the long run, the most telling image to come out of the Allianz Arena in Munich on Tuesday might not have been Ivica Olic's delighted celebration of his game-winning goal for Bayern Munich but of Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney dejectedly being helped off the field.

The England striker, who had given United the lead only 64 seconds into the European Champions League first-leg quarterfinal, turned his right ankle in the second minute of stoppage time just before Olic scored to give Bayern a 2-1 victory.

The severity of the injury was not immediately known, but the sight of Rooney hopping one-footed off the field supported by two trainers would certainly have caused England Coach Fabio Capello to wince. England's World Cup hopes ride on Rooney.

"It's too early to say," Manchester United Coach Alex Ferguson said of Rooney's injury. "I don't think it's terribly serious, but we'll wait and see."

Rooney has been one of the most prolific strikers in the world this season, matching Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi almost goal for goal. United's hopes of winning both the English Premier League and Champions League titles also depend on Rooney.

His goal in the second minute of Tuesday's game was his 34th of the season in all competitions and his 19th goal in his last 15 games. If he is sidelined, even briefly, the timing could not have been worse.

Manchester United leads the Premier League by a single point over Chelsea, 72-71, with six games remaining. It has a potentially decisive home game against Chelsea on Saturday, followed by the second leg Champions League game against Bayern Munich in Manchester four days later.

Ferguson's side seemed to have Tuesday's game in the bag, but the defense allowed two goals in the final 15 minutes of regulation and stoppage time to bring about the loss.

First, French international Franck Ribery tied it up for Bayern in the 77th minute when his free kick deflected off Rooney and into the back of goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar's net.

Then, when a tie seemed likely, Bayern kept up the pressure and a mistake by the United defense allowed Olic to slip in and steal the ball from among a group of four defenders and steer a shot inside the right post.

"Incredible," said Louis van Gaal, Bayern's coach. "I am very proud of my players. We really deserved this win. The goal against us was a shock. We took 10 minutes to recover, then we were the better side."

Ferguson said he was "disappointed" by the outcome, even though United still has something of an upper hand because of the road goal it scored.

"We didn't play well enough and kept giving the ball away," he said. "We caused our own defeat really, but Bayern were the better team and we can't complain about that."

In other Champions League play Tuesday, French champion Bordeaux was beaten, 3-1, by Olympique Lyon in Lyon. Bordeaux's only consolation was the away goal scored on a header by Marouane Chamakh that tied the game at 1-1 in the 14th minute.

Argentine forward Lisandro netted two goals for Lyon, scoring in the 10th minute and putting the game out of reach with his second goal on a 76th-minute penalty kick. In between, Michel Bastos also scored for Lyon with a left-foot strike 32 minutes into the game at the Stade de Gerland.

The only sour note for Lisandro was that he received a yellow card and will miss the return leg in Bordeaux on April 7.

Both goalkeepers, Bordeaux's Cedric Carrasso and Lyon's Hugo Lloris, pulled off exceptional saves.

"After the early goals, all the plans we had were blown away," said Lyon Coach Claude Puel, whose team knocked Real Madrid out of the competition in the last round. "We had one thing to do: take control of the game and win it."

That Lyon did, and if it can hold its nerve and its lead in Bordeaux it will play the winner of the Manchester United-Bayern Munich series in the semifinals.

The Champions League continues Wednesday with two more quarterfinals when Arsenal is at home in London against defending champion Barcelona and Inter Milan entertains CSKA Moscow in Italy.

Power glitch delays full-energy test of LHC

noreply@blogger.com (Yashwanth) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 02:14:12 PDT

he first attempt Tuesday to ramp the Large Hadron Collider to its full energy level was set back temporarily by an anomaly detected in the huge underground particle accelerator.
The particle accelerator at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva, is a massive machine designed to probe the nature of dark matter, antimatter, an elusive particle called the Higgs boson, and any number of physics issues about how they relate to the history of the universe.
However, it appeared likely there would be a delay of about two hours in the attempt to push the accelerator to its full energy level of 7 trillion electron volts (7 TeV). The accelerator has 9,300 superconducting magnets, each cooled to 2 degrees above absolute zero, and a monitoring system detected a problem with one magnet.
However, it appeared the problem was not with one of the magnets, but rather a broader issue with the electrical system that supplies not just the LHC but also other experiments at CERN, representatives on the Webcast said. Consequently, the delay wasn't expected to be too long.
"Midday, with a bit of luck, we'll be back in the machine," said operations head Mike Lamont on the Webcast. The accelerator could reach full power at 1:30 p.m. European time, he said.

Geely to buy Volvo from Ford for $1.8 billion

noreply@blogger.com (Yashwanth) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 01:52:03 PDT

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group signed a binding deal Sunday to buy Ford Motor Co.'s Volvo Cars unit for $1.8 billion, representing a coup for the independent Chinese automaker which is aiming to expand in Europe.
The purchase gives Geely a European luxury car brand with a reputation for safety and quality at a time when China, which last year surpassed the U.S. as the world's largest car market, is eager to improve its competitiveness by acquiring foreign automotive brands that might help it improve its technology and expand into overseas markets.
The price, which includes a $200 million note with the remainder to be paid out in cash, is far less than the $6.45 billion Ford paid for the Swedish automaker in 1999. The U.S. automaker has been trying to sell Volvo since late 2008 to focus its resources on managing its core Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands.
"We think it's a fair price for a good business, and yes, we're happy with the deal we've achieved with Geely," said Ford Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth on Sunday at a news conference at Volvo Cars headquarters in Goteborg, on Sweden's west coast. Booth added that his company believes that, under Geely, "Volvo can continue to build its business and return to profitability."
The agreement was signed by Booth and Geely's chairman, Li Shufu, and witnessed by Li Yizhong, the Chinese minister of industry and information technology, as well as Swedish Minister for Enterprise and Energy Maud Olofsson.
In a statement, Geely said it has secured all the financing necessary to complete the deal, as well as "significant working capital facilities to fund Volvo Cars' ongoing business." The sale is expected to be completed in the third quarter, subject to regulatory approvals.
The deal also covers further agreements on intellectual property rights, supply, and research and development arrangements between Volvo Cars, Geely and Ford. The U.S. automaker has committed to provide engineering support, information technology, access to tooling for common parts and certain other services for a transition period to smooth the separation.
Li, whose comments were translated by an interpreter, described the deal as "a milestone" for both Geely and Volvo, adding that his group will make a Volvo CEO public "in due course."
Geely said it aims to keep Volvo's existing manufacturing facilities in Sweden and Belgium, but that it also will explore manufacturing opportunities in China. Volvo Cars will remain separate from Geely's other operations, with its own Sweden-based management team and a new board of directors, the company said.
"China, the largest car market in the world, will become Volvo's second home market. Volvo will be uniquely positioned as a world-leading premium brand, tapping into the opportunities in the fast-growing China market," Li said.
As Western automakers unload unprofitable assets, they are finding keen buyers in Asia.
In 2008, Ford sold its Jaguar and Land Rover brands to India's Tata Motors Ltd. for $1.7 billion, a third of what it paid for them. In addition, General Motors Co. attempted to sell its rugged Hummer brand to a Chinese heavy equipment maker, but is now winding that brand down as the deal collapsed. China's Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings has also agreed to buy some powertrain technology from GM's Swedish Saab unit.
Geely, an independent automaker that has struggled to upgrade its image in overseas markets, has long coveted a bigger foothold in Europe and has earlier been rumored to be bidding for Opel and Saab. The long-awaited Volvo acquisition is therefore important for the company, which has gradually built its business with little government support.
Analyst Zhang Xin, with Guotai Junan Securities in Beijing, said Geely's pledge to keep Volvo's factory and business teams in Sweden after the takeover limits its leeway to cut costs.
"Reality is always much crueler than what people would wish. Geely wants to build itself as a new 'international Geely,' so they sought a strong foreign brand like Volvo," Zhang said. "Geely should foresee many difficulties. How will it manage to run Volvo well? How will it deal with the factory and employees? How much more will Geely have to spend to operate Volvo?"
Volvo, whose first car left its Swedish factory in 1927, employs nearly 20,000 workers, most of them based in Sweden. The group, initially a subsidiary of ballbearing maker SKF, was listed on the stock exchange in 1935. In 2009, it sold 334,808 cars. It currently has 10 models on the global market, with its crossover XC60 being the best-seller. The United States, Sweden and Britain account for its three biggest markets.
In a statement Sunday, Volvo Cars CEO Stephen Odell said Volvo managers fully endorse the sale to Geely.
"We believe this is the right outcome for the business, and will provide Volvo Cars with the necessary resources, including the capital investment, to strengthen the business and to continue to move it forward in the future," he said.
Volvo dealers in the U.S. said Sunday that Geely's assurance that the cars will still be made in Sweden has allayed customers' concerns about quality control. Chinese automakers seeking to expand into U.S. markets have faced quality questions from consumers concerned about defects and problems with a number of Chinese exports ranging from drugs and foods to furniture and appliances.
"They do show concern, but we are assuring them the quality of the car is still going to be there," said Chris Gastmeyer, sales manager at Volvo of Orange County in Santa Ana, California, on Sunday.
He said customers are comforted by the fact that the cars are still made in Sweden and that it's business as usual at this point.
Mike Kessler, new car sales manager at Volvo of Santa Monica, said he isn't seeing much worry from shoppers as it appears the manufacturing will remain the same. But staff are eager to see what changes are in store after the transfer in ownership.
"We are dying to see what happens because we need a jump-start," he said.
The sales staff hasn't received any information yet about the plans of its new owners but Kessler hopes Geely has plans to help build new car sales and leases.
"We are basically on hold," he said. "I'm hoping it gets exciting."

Earth Hour 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Yashwanth) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:31:32 PDT

arth Hour is a global event organized by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature, also known as World Wildlife Fund) and is held on the last Saturday of March annually, asking households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change. Earth hour was conceived by WWF and The Sydney Morning Herald in 2007, when 2.2 million residents of Sydney participated by turning off all non-essential lights. Following Sydney's lead, many other cities around the world adopted the event in 2008. Earth Hour 2010 will take place on March 27, 2010 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., local time.

Earth Hour 2010 will be held from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time, March 27.[4]

Earth Hour 2010 will continue to be a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community. Essential cultural events like Canadian hockey matches will carry on regardless of Earth Hour. According to the Vancouver Sun, "TV, particularly when tuned to the Canucks, is classified as an essential use of power."[5]

Earth Hour 2010 is reportedly on track to become the largest Earth Hour yet, aiming to garner more than the one billion participant goal of 2009's Earth Hour.[6] 121 countries have signed up for Earth Hour 2010.

A list of 812 icons and landmarks worldwide will turn off their lights for Earth Hour, including:

    * Abu Simbel temples , Aswan
    * Atomic Bomb Dome, Hiroshima
    * Bank of America Tower, Miami
    * Big Ben, London
    * Brandenburg Gate, Berlin
    * Burj Al Arab, Dubai
    * Burj Khalifa, Dubai
    * Cairo Tower, Cairo
    * Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro
    * CN Tower, Toronto
    * Colosseum, Rome
    * Coca Cola Billboard, Kings Cross, Sydney
    * Eiffel Tower, Paris
    * El Ángel, Mexico City
    * Empire State Building, New York
    * Forbidden City, Beijing
    * Four Seasons Hotel, Miami
    * Gateway Arch, St. Louis
    * Grand Palace, Bangkok
    * Hanoi Opera House, Hanoi
    * Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pisa
    * London Eye, London
    * Malacanang Palace, Manila
    * Manila City Hall, Manila
    * Nhà Rồng Harbour, Ho Chi Minh City
    * Niagara Falls, Niagara Falls
    * Padrão dos Descobrimentos, Lisbon
    * Piccadilly Circus, London
    * Pyramids of Giza, Cairo
    * Red Fort, Delhi
    * Reunification Palace, Ho Chi Minh City
    * Rialto Tower, Melbourne
    * Q1 Tower, The Gold Coast
    * Saigon Opera House, Ho Chi Minh City
    * Sky Tower, Auckland
    * SM Mall of Asia, Manila
    * Space Needle, Seattle
    * Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney
    * Sydney Opera House, Sydney
    * Tokyo Tower, Tokyo
    * Torre dos Clérigos, Porto
    * Trevi Fountain, Italy
    * Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
    * Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign, Las Vegas
    * Willis Tower, Chicago

Celebrity Earth Hour ambassadors who are supporting the Earth Hour message include:

            * Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Nobel laureate), Helen Clark (former New Zealand Prime Minister, head of UNDP)
            * Presidents/Mayors: Valdas Adamkus (Lithuania), Nguyễn Minh Triết (Vietnam)[7], Boris Johnson (London)
            * Entertainer: The Cranberries (Ireland), Andox and Box (Hong Kong), former Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm, and a panda named Mei Lan. At the moment 214 ambassadors have signed on to support EH 2010.

Earth Hour has garnered global support from over fourty five international corporations such as IKEA, HSBC, PwC, Accenture and Nokia Siemens Networks.

Google Search Engine Features

noreply@blogger.com (Yashwanth) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:04:04 PST

Hi All, We All do googling , but most of us will not a do a research of the features available in google Classic Search Engine ..

Let me do that For you .

1. Web- Which helps you to get Desired Search Results

2. Images- Which helps you to get ur desired images

3. Maps - Which Helps us to find out the Exact locations using GPS all over the World

4. News- Where we get all latest updates takes

5. Orkut- Wich all of us know, No need to Explain

6. Books-
Think about how you use a book. You want to read it, sure--but there are a host of other ways for you to interact with the words between the covers. You might want to flip through the pages to find an image. You might want to open right up to the table of contents so you can find your favorite chapter. And you might want to pass it along to a friend so they can have a look at it, too.

Today I'm excited to announce that we're rolling out changes to Google Books that give readers and book lovers everywhere new ways to interact with the words and images contained within the books we've brought online. We've also made it easier for users to share previews of their favorite books on their blogs or websites. Here's a tour of some of the enhancements we've made to the way you search, browse, and share the books that we've digitized:

1. Embeds and links - This new toolbar option allows you to embed a preview of a full view or partner book in any of your websites or blogs--all with a simple html snippet. It's a lot like the embed tag that makes it so easy to share YouTube videos. Programmers comfortable with API tools could accomplish this via our Embedded Viewer API, but this new solution is much easier for everyone to use. You can also choose to grab a URL link to email or IM to friends that takes them to the same book and page on Google Books. For readers, this means they can more easily share pages from books you love, while publisher partners can gain even more awareness across the web to promote their books.

2. Better search within each book - You've always been able to search inside books you find on Google Books. Now, for public domain and partner books, we've made it easier to see exactly where your search term appears within the book by showing you more context around the term, including an image from the part of the page on which it appears. You can click on those images to navigate directly to the pages inside the book. You can also sort your search results by relevance in addition to page order in the book or magazine.

3. Thumbnail view - Click on the thumbnail view button in the toolbar to see an overview of all the pages in a public domain book or in a magazine. Clicking on a thumbnail image will take you to that page in the reading view (available for "full view" books).

4. Contents drop-down menu - Above the book itself, you'll find a Contents drop-down that allows you to jump to chapters within the book--or articles within a magazine. (In case you're wondering, we built this using the same structure extraction technology that supports our mobile version of Google Books.)

5. Plain Text Mode - We've made it easier to find our plain text versions of public domain books. If a book is available in full view, you can click the 'Plain text' button in the toolbar to see our HTML version of the text (derived via OCR for full view books). This is especially useful for visually impaired Google users, who can use this format for text-to-speech and other types of software.

6. Page Turn Button and Animation - In addition to scrolling through the book, you can now also click the page turn button at the bottom of the screen, even if you haven't yet finished the page. An animated line moves with the page turn to make it easier to keep track of your location in the text.

7. Improved Book Overview Page - On the Overview page you'll find an assortment of useful data about the book, including reviews, ratings, summaries, related books, key words and phrases, references from the web, places mentioned in the book, publisher information, etc.

8. Gmail- We All know about Superb Mailing feature of Google

9. Even More - Where You can get All services of Google

Pentagon Shooting Suspect Died of Injuries

noreply@blogger.com (Yashwanth) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:20:53 PST

A man who was shot by police after opening fire outside the Pentagon's subway entrance has died of his injuries, according to US media reports.
Officials said the man pulled a gun from his pocket Thursday evening and injured two police officers before he was shot and seriously wounded.
Neither the medical examiner's office nor Pentagon police would immediately confirm the death on Friday.
The shooting occurred during the crowded evening rush-hour outside the busy subway station which is just outside the large Department of Defense building, triggering a temporary security lockdown at the US military headquarters.
The suspect "appeared to be pretty calm" as he approached the entrance, Chief Richard Keevill of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency told reporters.
"As the officers started to ask him for his pass... he drew a weapon from his pocket and started shooting," Keevill said.
"He did not say anything."
Police returned fire and the suspected shooter was critically wounded, Keevill said.
The injuries to the two police officers appeared to be grazing wounds and not life threatening, he said.
Keevill said the suspect was believed to be an American citizen.
Authorities were also reportedly investigating whether there was a second person involved.

WWE Elimination Chamber PPV Results, 2/21/10

noreply@blogger.com (Yashwanth) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:07:40 PST

- The 2010 WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view kicks off with a video about the Road to WrestleMania and the Chamber itself. We go to the arena where the pyro explodes and Michael Cole welcomes us to the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. The Elimination Chamber starts lowering over the ring for our first match.

WWE Elimination Chamber for the WWE Title: Sheamus vs. John Cena vs. Ted DiBiase vs. Randy Orton vs. Triple H vs. Kofi Kingston

The Chamber lowers over the ring as Justin Roberts goes over the rules for this match. Out first comes John Cena to a big pop from the St. Louis crowd.

Out next is Ted DiBiase, who gets boo'd. Randy Orton is out next and he gets a massive pop from his hometown crowd. Ted, Cena and Orton all enter their separate pods and are locked away. Out next is Triple H to a pretty big pop also. Triple H enters his pod as Kofi Kingston makes his way out. Out last is the WWE Champion Sheamus, who taunts those in the pods. It will be Sheamus and Kofi starting things out.

Sheamus goes for the big kick right off the bat, but Kofi moves and comes back with a flurry of offense of his own. Kofi hits a crossbody for a near fall, and a beautiful dropkick for another near fall. Kofi works over Sheamus with a series of fairly stiff kicks, but it's still not enough to keep the Champion down. Sheamus comes back with a clubbing blow across Kofi's back and a knee to the head. Sheamus hits a European uppercut, but Kofi is quick to fight back. Kofi kicks Sheamus square in the chest, but he immediately falls victim to a back elbow and a big shoulder block.

Sheamus tries to hip toss Kofi over the ropes, but Kofi lands on his feet, delivers and enzugiri, and executes a springboard crossbody that's good for a two count. Sheamus reverses a whip into the corner, but he walks right into a big kick from Kofi. Sheamus takes Kofi down to the mat and pounds away on him, he tries for a quick pin, but he can't hold Kingston down for three. Sheamus tries to choke Kingston and rub his face into the mat. Kofi rolls to the outside and Sheamus follows. Kofi is able to put up a bit of a fight, but Sheamus backs him up into one of the pods and put him down. Sheamus hits a uranage backbreaker, but it's still not good enough for three.

The timer counts down, and the first entrant into the match is Triple H. Hunter has a big smile on his face. He walks out of the pod and stares Sheamus down.

Sheamus and Triple H come toe to toe staring each other down. Sheamus goes for a punch, but Hunter blocks and unloads with a couple of his own. Sheamus goes low with a knee, but it's not good enough to keep down Hunter, who comes back with a high knee, and a knee drop. Hunter hits a clothesline in the corner, and pounds on Sheamus for a bit, before stomping for a little bit. Hunter hits a short arm clothesline, but it's only good for a near fall. Hunter throws Sheamus over the top rope out to the steel grate. Hunter tries to throw Sheamus into the Chamber, but Sheamus blocks, Sheamus tries but Hunter blocks and he clotheslines Sheamus over the top rope.

Back in the ring, Sheamus goes for a razor's edge out of nowhere, but Hunter reverses into a DDT. Kofi is back in and he's going to work on both men, chopping each before hitting a dropkick on Sheamus, and whipping Hunter into Sheamus in the corner. Kofi launches himself up to hit nine punches on Sheamus in the corner before connecting with a leaping lariat. Kofi hits a slingshot boom drop over the top rope to the outside on Hunter. Sheamus takes Kofi out, out of nowhere, and it's good for a near fall. The clock ticks down again, and the next entrant is Randy Orton.

Orton goes right to work on everyone, then focuses his attention on Sheamus, stomping away. Orton hits a knee drop on Sheamus, and he tries for a cover but he only gets a two count. Orton tosses Sheamus over the top rope and he hits a quick kick to Hunter's ribs. Orton goes to the outside, where he slams Sheamus against the Chamber wall three times in a row. Hunter comes out and he too goes into the Chamber three times at the hands of Orton. Orton chokes Sheamus with his boot for a bit, before going to work on Hunter with a couple of right hands. Kingston comes out of nowhere with a huge slingshot crossbody. Kingston tries for another springboard crossbody back in the ring on Orton, but Orton counters with a dropkick.

Hunter is now back in this with right hands, and a face buster to Orton, but Orton comes back with a big powerslam. Orton looks to be setting up for the RKO on Hunter. Orton goes for it, but Hunter pushes him into Kofi. Kofi tries for TIP, but Orton ducks. Orton tries for the RKO on Kofi, but Kofi pushes him into an almost pedigree. Orton backdrops Hunter over the top rope to counter, the backdrops Kofi over the top rope. On the outside, Orton goes after Sheamus, but he ends up being backed up into the ring post. The clock counts down again and the next entrant is Ted Dibiase.

Dibiase goes right to work on Sheamus, Kingston, then Triple H, hitting Hunter with a couple of fist drops. Dibiase goes over to Orton in the corner and he offers his hand after a bit of a staredown. It looks like Legacy may be working together. Orton and Dibiase go right to work on Hunter, stomping away on him in the corner. They the turn their attention to Sheamus, pounding away, and hitting a series of knees, before Orton throws him shoulder first into the ring post. Dibiase chokes Kingston against the bottom rope. Orton picks up Kofi and he tries to shove Kingston's head through the Chamber wall, eventually succeeding and wrenching at his neck, before Dibiase locks in a Boston crab while Orton kicks away.

Orton and Hunter trade blows in the middle of the ring, but Dibiase comes in from behind to turn the tide. Orton holds Hunter while Dibiase stomps away at his midsection. Orton tosses Hunter to the outside and he and Dibiase follow. Orgon and Dibiase throw Hunter, back first, into the Chamber wall, before doing it again. Orton goes for his rope assisted DDT, but Dibiase stops him and tells him he should do it on the outside. He sets it up, and he connects, driving Hunter's head into the steel grate.

Legacy stare Cena down outside of his pod, and decide to wait out the last 10 seconds outside of his door. Cena fights his way out with no problem, taking down Dibiase and tossing Orton in the ring before coming alive with a series of flying shoulder blocks and a belly to back suplex. Cena connects with the five knuckle shuffle on Orton, and a throwback and top rope rocker dropper to Dibiase. Cena goes for the AA on Dibiase, using him as a battering ram on Orton. Dibiase grabs the ropes, so Cena AA's him over the ropes. Orton lightly tosses Cena to the outside, and he follows. Orton tries to send Cena into the Chamber wall, but Cena reverses. Back in the ring, Cena locks in the STF on Dibiase, but Orton is able to break it up and hit his nasty backbreaker.

Cody Rhodes runs down to ringside and tosses a pipe into the Chamber. Orton goes for the RKO on Cena, but Cena reverses into the AA. Dibiase uses the pipe and accidentally hits Orton, then hits Cena. Dibiase looks at both men, and pins Orton, getting the three count.

Orton has been eliminated.

Orton and Dibiase share a staredown while Orton makes his way to the back. Sheamus goes to work on Kofi on the outside, but when he tries to come back in the ring with what looks to be a spinebuster, Kingston reverses, and hits the TIP on Dibiase. Kofi goes for the pin and gets the three.

Dibiase is eliminated.

Right away, Sheamus hits his big boot, follows it up with the razor's edge, pins Kofi, and gets the three count.

Kingston is eliminated.

Sheamus turns his attention to Cena, working him over with strikes. Cena gets Sheamus in AA position out of nowhere, but Sheamus fights out. Sheamus hangs Cena up in the tree of woe, before charging into the corner with a low knee, and following up with a series of knees. Sheamus sets Cena up on the rope rope, and he tries for a rope assisted Razor's edge, but Hunter is there with a low blow to prevent it. Hunter hits the pedigree, covers Sheamus, and gets the three count.

The Champion Sheamus has been eliminated.

It's down to Cena and Hunter and both men are down on the mat. Cena is the first to get up, and he goes right to work with the STF. Hunter furiously tries to reach the ropes, having a lot of trouble. Hunter looks to be fading. Hunter is forced to tap out, and we have a new Champion.

Winner and New WWE Champion: John Cena

- After the match, Vince McMahon's music hits as soon as the belt is put in Cena's hands. He congratulates Cena and says he's going to WrestleMania, just as long as he can defend the championship right now against... Batista!

WWE Title Match: Batista vs. John Cena

Batista heads down to the ring and Cena isn't even up on his feet yet. They go back and forth a bit until Batista hits the spear and the Batista Bomb for the pinfall and the win.

Winner and New WWE Champion: Batista

- After the match, Batista takes the WWE Title and heads up the ramp as the crowd boo's him. Cena is in pain, still trying to get to his feet as we go to replays.

- Cena gets a pop as he heads up the ramp. Cole and Lawler lead us into a video package of Bret Hart, showing the accident from RAW this past week.

WWE Intercontinental Title Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Kane

Out first comes the WWE Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre with his new theme song. The pyro explodes next as the challenger, Kane, makes his way out to a nice pop.

Kane charges McIntyre right at the bell, but Drew ducks and throws a couple of punches and kicks of his own. Kane hits a chop to the throat, and he takes McIntyre to the corner, working him over with a couple of strikes before hitting a low dropkick. Kane locks in a side headlock and applies pressure to McIntyre. McIntyre fights out, but he's put right down with a shoulder block. Kane goes right back to work with the headlock.

McIntyre fights out again, but this time walks into a swinging neckbreaker that's good for a two count. Kane charges McIntyre in the corner, but McIntyre avoids it and goes to work on Kane with lefts and rights. McIntyre's offense is short lived though, as Kane puts him right back down. McIntyre tries to come back again, this time kicking at Kane's knee, which seems to work for a bit. McIntyre then snaps Kane's arm across the top rope and he goes to work in the corner with a series of right hands. Drew walks right into a right hand from Kane, but he kicks the knee and goes right back to work on the arm.

McIntyre locks in a top wrist lock, but Kane is able to fight out of it, and launch McIntyre over the top rope to break the hold. Back in the ring, Kane goes for a back body drop, but it allows McIntyre to go right back to work with a kick to the shoulder. McIntyre locks in a modified rear chin lock, grabbing the arm for extra leverage. Kane is able to fight out of it with a series of right hands, and he sends McIntyre into the ropes only to recieve a big boot. McIntyre tries for the underhook DDT, but Kane back body drops him out of it, and hits a big boot of his own, before hitting a running clothesline in the corner. McIntyre is able to hit a back elbow, but when he goes for a high risk move, he jumps into a right hand from Kane. Kane follows up with a big back body drop.

Kane goes to the top rope and he connects with the leaping clothesline. Kane tries for the chokeslam, but McIntyre is able to escape out to the ring apron. Kane sends McIntyre into the ring apron, follows out and hits a big boot that sends him to the floor. Kane follows down to the floor, where he sends McIntyre's head into the ring steps before sending him back in the ring. Kane stomps away at McIntyre, but Drew bails and starts walking up the ramp. Kane follows, but he walks into a right hand. McIntyre tries to send Kane into the barricade, but Kane reverses it, and brings McIntyre back into the ring. Kane tries for the chokeslam again, but McIntyre hits a thumb to Kane's eye, and connects with the underhook DDT. McIntyre covers Kane, and this one is over.

Winner: Drew McIntyre

- Backstage we see Gail Kim walking when Maryse walks up. Maryse says something in French, then tells her in English that means she's looking for a good match tonight and puts over her and Gail compared to the SmackDown Divas. Gail says something in French and tells Maryse she knows that Maryse has been trash talking her this whole time in French. Gail says she's going to beat Maryse tonight and walks off.

Michelle McCool & Layla vs. Maryse & Gail Kim

Out first for the WWE Divas Title match is Maryse, followed by Gail Kim. They get ready to go but Vickie Guerrero appears on the stage to huge heat. She says the RAW Divas have been talking trash about the SmackDown Divas and she defends the SmackDown Divas. She says she's officially changing this match to a tag team match. Out comes their opponents, Michelle McCool and Layla.

Kim and Layla start things off with Kim hitting a couple of quick arm drags and locking in an arm bar. Kim hits a couple of forearms, but Layla blocks a hip toss and turns it into a pinning predicament. Layla charges Kim in the corner, but Kim is able to avoid it and score a near fall of her own. Maryse goes after Layla, and the referee is distracted, allowing McCool to knock Kim off the apron with a big boot. Layla makes the tag, and her and McCool connect with a double baseball slide. Back in the ring, McCool goes for the pin, and when she can't get it, she slams Kim's head against the mat and locks in a rear chin lock.

McCool hits a series of knees to Kim's back, but when she tries for a back body drop, Kim kicks her in the chest and hits a bulldog. Kim starts crawling to her corner, but she pie-faces Kim into McCool who hits a clothesline. McCool hits the Faithbreaker, and rolls it over into the pin.

Winners: Layla and Michelle McCool

- After the match, Maryse avoids McCool and Layla leaving to slide in the ring. She trash talks Gail and hits her with the French Kiss. Maryse poses to heat from the crowd before making her way to the back.

- We go backstage with Josh Matthews, who talks about NXT. He's interviewing The Miz and asks him about Daniel Bryan. The Miz calls him an internet sensation and King of the Indies, but a guy with no personality, a loser and the first guy in line at a Star Wars convention. Miz says if Bryan listens to him, he will have the charisma and look to be a star in WWE. MVP walks up and says they agree on something, personality goes a long way in WWE. MVP talks about he and Henry beating ShowMiz in a non-title match on RAW. MVP informs Miz that he will be defending his Unnited States Title tonight.

- We go to the ring where William Regal is introduced. Cole says Regal has been trying to get on RAW now that ECW is gone. Regal talks about WWE NXT and being a pro on the show. He says he has the most experience out of anyone on NXT. Regal demands that he be treated with respect and says everyone on the show can learn something from him. Regal says the fans can learn something from him also. The music hits and out comes Edge to interrupt.

Edge hits the ring and Regal asks him what he wants. Edge says Regal was boring everyone to death. Edge talks about being able to pick his opponent for WrestleMania and says he will announce that decision on RAW tomorrow night. Edge says he's here to do something different tonight and out of nowhere, he spears Regal and lays him out. Edge's music hits again and he heads to the back.

WWE United States Title Match: The Miz vs. MVP

Out first for the next match is one-half of the Unified Tag Team Champions and WWE United States Champion The Miz. His partner Big Show is with him. Out next is the challenger, MVP. Mark Henry comes out with MVP and they get a decent pop.

Miz and MVP stare each other down at the bell, with Miz talking smack. MVP responds with a slap to the face and he goes right to work, beating down Miz, sending him into the corner, stomping away at him. MVP hits a couple of knees to Miz's stomach, slams him down and hits a knee drop. MVP connects with an overhead belly to belly suplex and Miz rolls to the outside. MVP follows, and he slams Miz's head into the barricade before sending him back into the ring. Miz tries for a quick baseball slide, but MVP avoids it and connects with a clothesline. Back in the ring, Miz hits a back elbow and a kick to the side of the head, before raking at MVP's face with his boot.

MVP is able to fight back, and he locks in an interesting submission, focusing on Miz's arms, shoulders and neck. Miz is able to fight out of it as Big Show cheers along. Miz sends MVP into the corner and MVP tries for some kind of headscissors, but Miz comes back with a pretty cool looking gut buster. Miz chokes MVP against the middle rope, before running and jumping into MVP, hanging him up against the rope. Miz tries for the cover, but he can only get two. Miz locks in a rear chin lock, but MVP is able to fight out of it, only to be taken right back down to the mat.

MVP comes up with a small package out of nowhere, but Miz kicks out at two and comes back with a running knee. MVP comes up with another quick pin, but Miz kicks out at two and again goes right back to work, stomping, then punching MVP. Miz kicks at MVP's head, and MVP responds with a huge right hand out of nowhere. MVP buries his shoulder in Miz's midsection in the corner, but Miz is able to send MVP into the corner and hit a big clothesline that's good for a two count.

Miz locks in what looks to be a single arm camel clutch, but MVP fights out of it and hits an electric chair drop, bridging into a cover that's good for two. Miz and MVP trade blows, with Miz kicking at MVP's knee and hitting a low DDT that's good for a two count.

Miz locks in the submission again, but MVP stands up and backs Miz into the corner. MVP charges Miz in the corner, but Miz gets a boot up, then kicks MVP in the ribs. Miz chokes MVP against the bottom rope, before hitting a kick to the side of the face. Show jaws at MVP while he stands up. Miz hits his running dropkick in the corner, before climbing to the top rope. MVP is able to run into the ropes, throwing Miz off balance and crotching him on the top turnbuckle. MVP tries for a superplex, but Miz is able to fight it off, sending MVP down with a headbutt. Miz sets himself again, and MVP charges up, launching Miz with a super belly.

Miz looks to have busted his head open. MVP is a house of fire as he fights off Miz. MVP connects with the ballin elbow, and he goes for the cover, but Miz gets his foot on the rope. Big show pulls Miz to the outside, and MVP responds by hitting a baseball slide into Big Show's back. Show and Henry get into it on the outside, and Henry ends up charging through one of the ringside barricades. MVP is abel to hit a series of forearms on Miz, but he misses the Yakuza kick. Miz tries to take advantage, distracting the ref. Big Show hits the knockout punch on MVP. Miz covers MVP and this one is over.

Winner: The Miz

- We go to replays from earlier of how Batista won the WWE Title as the Chamber is lowered back down over the ring.

Elimination Chamber for the World Heavyweight Title: Undertaker vs. Rey Mysterio vs. John Morrison vs. R-Truth vs. CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho

Out first for tonight's main event is Rey Mysterio to a nice pop from the crowd. Out next is John Morrison followed by Chris Jericho and then the World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker, who gets a massive pop. Taker does things different tonight as he runs out to the ring and makes it a quick entrance. All four of them are locked inside their pods. It looks like it will be R-Truth and CM Punk starting the match off. Out next is CM Punk with Serena and Luke Gallows by his side. CM Punk takes the mic before the match and says four extremely weak individuals are locked inside their pods like they're locked inside their addictions. Punk says tomorrow morning when they are nursing their injuries, they can realize that Punk saved them and set them free. Punk is interrupted by R-Truth's music and out he comes.

Truth put Punk in a headlock at the bell, then hit a shoulderblock. Punk came back with a leg lariat, then hit a back suplex for a one count. Punk hit some punches, but Truth ducked under a clothesline and hit a side kick for two. Truth clotheslined Punk over the top rope to the platform. They fought on the outside, and Truth gave Punk a catapult into the chain wall. Truth tossed Punk into the wall of a pod, then dove off the top rope into a senton on a standing Punk on the platform. Truth whipped Punk into the cage wall twice, then bounced him off the ropes and into the chains a third time. Back in the ring, Truth hit a faceplant, but missed an axkick. Punk went for GTS, but Truth got out of it. Truth missed a spinning forearm, and Punk hit him with a hard kick to the head. Punk hit Truth with the GTS for the pin.

R-Truth is eliminated.

Punk grubs the mick. He goes to Taker and he says that he better pray to come out last, because he's going to make him tap out, like he did before. Punk says he'll prove that Morrison's rockstar lifestyle is a joke. Punk says tonight he'll prove that straight edge means he's better than you, and no one can stop him. The clock counts down, and Mysterio is the next man in the match. Mysterio comes right in with a springboard senton and a slingshot crossbody that's good for two. Mysterio hits a huge kick to the side of the head for another two count.

Mysterio hits the drop toe hold and sets up Punk for the 619, but Punk coes back with a powerslam out of nowhere. Punk tries for the G2S again, but Mysterio counters with a hurricarana into a pin, that's good for two. Mysterio kicks at Punk's leg and Punk rolls to the outside. Mysterio follows and he tries for a hurricarana, but Punk counters, holding Mysterio and slamming him into the cage side to side.

Back in the ring, Punk tries for the cover, but he can only get two. Punk hits the running knee in the corner, and he taunts Jericho before sending Mysterio headfirst into the ring post, and Chamber pod. Punk tries for another cover, but Mysterio kicks out at two. Punk sets Mysterio on the top rope, and he goes for the superplex, but Mysterio fights out, sending Punk to the mat. Mysterio looks up to the pod, and he goes for it, but Punk grabs hit, and gets him into G2S position. Mysterio fights out of it, and both men are on the top turnbuckle. Mysterio drops to the mat and Punk ends up crotching himself. Mysterio goes up top and connects with a hurricarana to the outside, before sending Punk back in, and hitting a springboard splash. Mysterio pins Punk, and gets the three.

Punk has been eliminated.

The clock counts down, and the next man in the match is Jericho.

Jericho goes right to work, squaring off with Mysterio and taking advantage of being the fresh man. Jericho tries for the lionsault, but Mysterio rolled out of the way, hits the drop toe hold and connects with the 619. Jericho rolls to the outside and Mysterio tries for a springboard senton but Jericho ducks. Mysterio grabs on and holds onto the cage, but Jericho grabs him by the foot and Mysterio crashes to the Chamber floor. Jericho sends Mysterio into the Chamber wall before sending him back into the ring, hitting a slingshot splash, and getting a near fall.

Jericho chokes Mysterio against the second rope, standing on his back. Mysterio tries to get back into with a couple of quick kicks, but Jericho responds with a big forearm, and locks in a modified rear chin lock. Mysterio is able to fight up to his feet, and he ducks a clothesline and hits an asai moonsault, that's good for a two. Mysterio tries for a hurricarana, but instead turns it into a guillotine choke. Jericho is able to slam him back into the corner to break the hold, and Jericho locks in the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring.

John Morrison entered the match.

Morrison's entry causes Jericho to break the hold, and he and Jericho square off. Morrison turns his attention to Mysterio, throwing Kericho to the outside first. Mysterio tries to fight back, but Morrison connects with a big kick to the face. Morrison goes back to Jericho, he tries for a low knee, but Jericho turns it into a pin for a two count. Jericho slaps Morrison's face, and he charges him in the corner, but he eats a boot. Morrison goes up top, but Mysterio pushes him back off into one of the pods, breaking some of the glass. Jericho back body drops Mysterio to the outside.

Jericho continues to work on Mysterio, and Morrison is back out of nowhere attacking both men. Back in the ring, a standing shooting star press from Morrison to Mysterio is still not enough to put the little man away. Mysterio hurricarana's Morrison into the ropes and tries for a 619, but Jericho catches him in a spinning backbreaker that's good for a near fall. Jericho eats a boot from Mysterio in the corner, and the a boot to the face from Morrison. Mysterio hits a headscissors to send Morrison face first into the turnbuckle. Mysterio puts Morrison on the top rope and tries for a hurricarana, but Morrison hangs on, hits starship pain, and gets the three count.

Mysterio has been eliminated.

Morrison goes to work on Jericho, but it's short lived, as Morrison loses his focus, and ends up finding himself in the Walls of Jericho. The clock counts down, and Jericho is in the same position. Undertaker is going crazy as the clock counts down. The pod opens, and Taker goes straight to work on Jericho with some big blows, a splash in the corner, and a slam into the top turnbuckle. Taker sends Morrison over the top rope and connects with a leg drop on Jericho that's good for two. Taker signals for the chokeslam and he gets Jericho and Morrison in position, but both men fight it off and hit a double dropkick. Morrison and Jericho clothesline Taker over the top rope before turning their attention to each other.

Jericho is able to back body drop Morrison over the top rope to the outside to take him out for a bit. Jericho tries to work on Taker, slapping him on the back of the head, but it just fires up Taker. Jericho tries to go into one of the pods, but he just ends up trapped and being beat down by Taker in the pod. Back in the ring, Taker hits a big splash on Morrison, and another. Taker picks up Morrison, and drops him down on the top turnbuckle, but Morrison responds right back with a springboard kick. Morrison looks to have hurt his ankle. Morrison goes for starship pain, but Taker gets his knees up.

Undertaker sits up, and Jericho is stopped right in his tracks, retreating into back into the pod. Taker sends Morrison over the top rope, and follows to the outside, working over Morrison with big right hands and kicks. Taker slams Morrison into the pod that Jericho is in, destroying the door. The crowd chants for one more, but instead, Taker gets Morrison in Last Ride position. Jericho spears Taker, and Morrison grabs on to the cage. Taker charges Jericho, but he ends up running through one of the pods. Morrison leaps off of the cage on top of Jericho and everyone is down. Morrison hits a shining wizard in the ring, but it's only good for two.

From the outside, Taker grabs Morrison by the throat, and brings him over the top, to the outside with a chokeslam. Back in the ring, Taker pins Morrison, and gets the three count.

Morrison has been eliminated.

Taker pulls down the straps, and Jericho looks pretty intimidated.

Taker tells Jericho to bring it on, and Jericho is slow to make it back into the ring. Taker goes right to work, throwing big right hands at Jericho, trapping him in the corner, and throwing some more. Taker hits a knee in the corner, but when he goes for another, Jericho moves and Taker ends up hung up on the top rope. Jericho goes up and tries for the superplex, connecting.

Jericho goes for the pin, but Taker is able to kick out at two. Jericho hits a knee drop, and goes to work throwing right hands into the face of Undertaker. Jericho kicks at Taker's head, but another attempt and Taker catches him by the throat. Taker goes for the chokeslam, but Jericho rolls through, trying for the Walls, Undertaker is almost able to counter into Hell's gate, but Jericho ultimately locks in the Walls of Jericho. Taker is able to roll over to his back and lock in Hell's gate, but he can't get it on quite right and Jericho is able to roll out of the ring.

Taker sits right back up, and he picks Jericho up, into tombstone position. Jericho fights out of it and is able to connect with the codebreaker. Jericho crawls over and is able to pin Taker, but Taker kicks out at two. Jericho picks Taker up and sends him into the corner, trying to work him over with shoulders and right hands. Taker counters, grabbing Jericho, and connecting with the Last Ride, and both men are down.

Taker is first to his feet, and he signals that the end is near. HBK comes up out of a hidden panel in the Chamber floor, and he connects with Sweet Chin Music on the Undertaker. Jericho pins The Undertaker, and he gets the three count.

Winner and New World Heavyweight Champion: Chris Jericho

- After the match, Jericho heads to the back while Shawn Michaels stands over The Undertaker and just stares at him as the show goes off the air.

Fed Rate Move Rattles Stocks and Sends Dollar Higher

noreply@blogger.com (Yashwanth) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:22:06 PST

The Federal Reserve’s decision to raise the interest rate it charges on short-term loans to banks reverberated in the financial markets Friday, sending overseas stock indexes lower and giving fresh momentum to a recent rise in the dollar.

The Fed took the move to normalize lending after holding interest rates to extraordinary lows for more than a year to prop up the financial system. But the move, announced after the close of U.S. equities markets, sent Asian stocks lower, with the Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo dropping over 2 percent, and both the Kospi index in Seoul and the Hong Kong’s Hang Seng indexes showing similar declines.
The move also helped propel the dollar’s recent rise even further, reaching $1.35 to the Euro, its strongest level against that currency in nine months.
While the central bank had signaled its intentions to take such a step, the timing was a surprise. The announcement was made in a carefully worded statement that emphasized that the Fed was not yet ready to begin a broad tightening of credit that would affect businesses and consumers as they struggle to recover from the economic crisis.
But while the move will not directly affect home mortgage, credit card or auto loan rates, it was a clear sign to the markets, politicians in Washington and the country as a whole that the era of extraordinarily cheap money necessitated by the crisis was drawing gradually to a close.
The Fed’s board of governors raised the discount rate on loans made directly to banks by a quarter of a percentage point, to 0.75 percent from 0.50 percent, effective Friday.
It also took two steps to begin unwinding its efforts to keep the banking system functioning after the real estate bubble inflicted huge losses that were amplified by sophisticated bets made by Wall Street.
Given the slow and uneven nature of the recovery, an unemployment rate close to 10 percent and fears of a new wave of mortgage defaults, particularly in commercial real estate, few economists expect the Fed to begin a campaign of broader interest rate increases quickly or sharply. The central bank reaffirmed last month that the key short-term interest rate it controls would remain “exceptionally low” for an “extended period,” language it has used since March.
While borrowing by banks from the Fed’s discount window has already fallen to more historically normal levels from its peak in October 2008, many small and medium-size businesses still find it difficult to obtain loans, a major concern of the Obama administration and Congress.
Randall S. Kroszner, an economist at the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago and a former Fed governor, said after the announcement: “This is a technical change that makes sense as a precondition for other changes, but is not a precursor of short-term change.”
Having taken a baby step toward a return to normalcy, the Fed’s chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, now faces a delicate dance in the months ahead.
The central bank will try to drain from the financial system some of the money it created to keep banks and the economy afloat over the last two years. And at some point it will begin putting upward pressure on interest rates by raising its benchmark fed funds rate, the rate at which banks lend to each other overnight.
Uncertainty surrounds the timing and sequence of those steps. Mr. Bernanke is scheduled to present the Fed’s semiannual monetary policy report to the House on Wednesday and the Senate on Thursday — testimony the markets will watch closely.
As part of the changes disclosed Thursday, the Fed announced that the typical maximum maturity for primary credit loans, in which banks borrow from the discount window, would be shortened to overnight, from 28 days, starting March 18.
The Fed also raised the minimum bid rate for its term auction facility — a temporary program started in December 2007 to ease short-term lending — to 0.50 percent from 0.25 percent.
The central bank took pains to reiterate that it was not moving in a sudden new direction.
“The modifications are not expected to lead to tighter financial conditions for households and businesses and do not signal any change in the outlook for the economy or for monetary policy,” the Fed said in its statement.
Despite that attempt at reassurance, there were some early signs after the announcement that investors were already beginning to anticipate broader interest rate increases. Stock futures fell in after-hours trading; yields on 10-year Treasury notes rose about seven basis points, or seven-hundredths of a percentage point, to 3.8 percent.
The discount rate applies to loans the Fed makes for very short terms, to sound depository institutions, as a backup source of financing.
The Fed’s action represents a widening of the spread between the discount rate and the upper end of the target fed funds rate. The two rates typically move in lockstep, and were a percentage point apart before the crisis.

ASH WEDNESDAY

noreply@blogger.com (Yashwanth) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:02:10 PST

Ash Wednesday, in the Western Christian calendar, is the first day of Lent and occurs forty-six days (forty days not counting Sundays) before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter. It can occur as early as 4 February or as late as 10 March.

Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a sign of repentance. The ashes used are typically gathered after the Palm Crosses from the previous year's Palm Sunday are burned. In the liturgical practice of some churches, the ashes are mixed with the Oil of the Catechumens (one of the sacred oils used to anoint those about to be baptized), though some churches use ordinary oil. This paste is used by the minister who presides at the service to make the sign of the cross, first upon his own forehead and then on those of congregants.

Ritual :

At Masses and services of worship on this day, ashes are imposed on the foreheads of the faithful (or on the tonsure spots, in the case of some clergy). The priest, minister, or in some cases officiating layperson, marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes in the shape of a cross, which the worshipper traditionally retains until it wears off. The act echoes the ancient Near Eastern tradition of throwing ashes over one's head to signify repentance before God (as related in the Bible). The priest or minister says one of the following when applying the ashes:

    Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.
    —Genesis 3:19

    Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.
    —Mark 1:15

    Repent, and hear the good news.
    —Mark 1:15

A priest marks a cross of ashes on a worshipper's forehead.
The imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday

The ashes used in the service of worship or Mass are sacramentals, not a sacrament. The ashes are blessed according to various rites proper to each liturgical tradition, sometimes involving the use of Holy Water. In some churches they are mixed with light amounts of wateror olive oil, which serve as a fixative. In most liturgies for Ash Wednesday, the Penitential psalms are read; Psalm 51 (LXX Psalm 50) is especially associated with this day. The service also often includes a corporate confession rite.

In some of the free church liturgical traditions, other practices are sometimes added or substituted, as other ways of symbolizing the confession and penitence of the day. For example, in one common variation, small cards are distributed to the congregation on which people are invited to write a sin they wish to confess. These small cards are brought forth to the altar table where they are burned.

In the Roman Catholic Church, ashes, being sacramentals, may be given to anyone who wishes to receive them, as opposed to Catholic sacraments, which are generally reserved for church members, except in cases of grave necessity. Similarly, in most other Christian denominations ashes may be received by all who profess the Christian faith and are baptized.
In the Roman Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday is observed by fasting, abstinence from meat, and repentance—a day of contemplating one's transgressions. The Anglican Book of Common Prayer also designates Ash Wednesday as a day of fasting. In the medieval period, Ash Wednesday was the required annual day of penitential confession occurring after fasting and the remittance of the tithe. In other Christian denominations these practices are optional, with the main focus being on repentance. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Roman Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are permitted to consume only one full meal, which may be supplemented by two smaller meals, which together should not equal the full meal. Some Roman Catholics will go beyond the minimum obligations demanded by the Church and undertake a complete fast or a bread and water fast. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are also days of abstinence from meat (for those Catholics age 14 and over), as are all Fridays in Lent. Some Roman Catholics continue fasting during the whole of Lent,[citation needed] as was the Church's traditional requirement,[citation needed] concluding only after the celebration of the Easter Vigil.

As the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday comes the day after Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), the last day of the Carnival season

DATES:

Ash Wednesday is a moveable fast, occurring 46 days before Easter. It fell on 25 February in 2009, and 17 February in 2010. In future years Ash Wednesday will occur on these dates:

2011 – March 9
2012 – February 22
2013 – February 13
2014 – March 5
2015 – February 18
2016 – February 10
2017 – March 1
2018 – February 14
2019 – March 6

Windows Phone 7

noreply@blogger.com (Yashwanth) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:34:48 PST

Forget everything you know about Windows Mobile. Seriously, throw the whole OS concept in a garbage bin or incinerator or something. Microsoft has done what would have been unthinkable for the company just a few years ago: started from scratch. At least, that's how things look (and feel) with Windows Phone 7 Series. This really is a completely new OS -- and not just Microsoft's new OS, it's a new smartphone OS, like webOS new, like iPhone OS new. You haven't used an interface like this before (well, okay, if you've used a Zune HD then you've kind of used an interface like this). Still, 7 Series goes wider and deeper than the Zune by a longshot, and it's got some pretty intense ideas about how you're supposed to be interacting with a mobile device. We had a chance to go hands-on with the dev phone before today's announcement, and hear from some of the people behind the devices, and here's our takeaway. (And don't worry, we've got loads of pictures and video coming, so keep checking this post for the freshest updates).

First the look and feel. The phones are really secondary here, and we want to focus on the interface. The design and layout of 7 Series' UI (internally called Metro) is really quite original, utilizing what one of the designers (Albert Shum, formerly of Nike) calls an "authentically digital" and "chromeless" experience. What does that mean? Well we can tell you what it doesn't mean -- no shaded icons, no faux 3D or drop shadows, no busy backgrounds (no backgrounds at all), and very little visual flair besides clean typography and transition animations. The whole look is strangely reminiscent of a terminal display (maybe Microsoft is recalling its DOS roots here) -- almost Tron-like in its primary color simplicity. To us, it's rather exciting. This OS looks nothing like anything else on the market, and we think that's to its advantage. Admittedly, we could stand for a little more information available within single views, and we have yet to see how the phone will handle things like notifications, but the design of the interface is definitely in a class of its own. Here's a few takeaways on what it's like to use (and some video)...

Vancouver 2010 Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (Yashwanth) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 11:08:11 PST

KANNEKTED

Anna Hazare Won 50%

Sarah Ferguson caught on tape

Love Sweeps you always

Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney injured in loss to Bayern Munich

Power glitch delays full-energy test of LHC

Geely to buy Volvo from Ford for $1.8 billion

Earth Hour 2010

Google Search Engine Features

Pentagon Shooting Suspect Died of Injuries

WWE Elimination Chamber PPV Results, 2/21/10

Fed Rate Move Rattles Stocks and Sends Dollar Higher

The Federal Reserve’s decision to raise the interest rate it charges on short-term loans to banks reverberated in the financial markets Friday, sending overseas stock indexes lower and giving fresh momentum to a recent rise in the dollar.

ASH WEDNESDAY

Windows Phone 7

Vancouver 2010 Schedule

February 16, 2010

February 17, 2010

February 18, 2010

February 19, 2010

February 20, 2010

February 21, 2010

February 22, 2010

February 23, 2010

February 24, 2010

February 25, 2010

February 26, 2010

February 27, 2010

February 28, 2010

Slam Dunk Contest

History :

1980s

[edit] 1990s

[edit] 2000s

1980s

[edit] 2000s

Valentines Day 2010

GOOGLE BUZZ

Ukraine election result -- a balancing act

The likely presidential winner, Viktor Yanukovich, was once the villain of the 'Orange Revolution.' He needs to bridge deep divisions at home and abroad -- and revive a badly beaten economy.

At least two confirmed dead at U.S. power plant explosion

Sarah Palin offers Tea Party conservative message

Kite surfer killed in Florida shark attack

2010 Toyota Prius

Compare the Prius!

Prius Exterior

Bells and Whistles

Prius Interior

Obama's budget proposal draws rapid fire from legislators

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins

A. R .RAHMAN

Music style and impact :

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