UPDATE 1-NBA-Paul pulls the strings as Clippers slice up Mavs

(adds quotes, detail)* Crawford returns for Clippers* Mavericks lose fourth straightJan 9 (Reuters) - Chris Paul orchestrated another Los Angeles Clippers triumph with a season-high 16 assists as he pulled the strings in a 99-93 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.With the game evenly poised heading into the closing stages, Paul scored or assisted on eight of his team's 10 field goals...

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Paul pulls the strings as Clippers slice up Mavs

(Reuters) - Chris Paul orchestrated another Los Angeles Clippers triumph with a season-high 16 assists as he pulled the strings in a 99-93 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.With the game evenly poised heading into the closing stages, Paul scored or assisted on eight of his team's 10 field goals in the fourth quarter to lift the Clippers to a franchise-record 13th straight home win.Los...

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NBA-Varejao faces two months out after operation

Jan 10 (Reuters) - The Cleveland Cavaliers' Brazilian center Anderson Varejao has been ruled out for six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery on a quadriceps muscle on Thursday, the National Basketball Association team said.Varejao suffered the injury on December 18 against the Toronto Raptors and on Thursday had an operation to repair a small split in his vastus medialis muscle, the Cavaliers...

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Tired of seeing Android sued by everyone, Google cranks up its patent output

Google (GOOG) may hate the patent suit players, but it sure doesn’t hate the patent suit game. As Network World reports, Google ramped up its patent filings last year and was granted 1,151 United States patents in 2012, a 170% increase from the number of patents it was awarded in 2011. By increasing its patent output, Google actually surpassed rival Apple (AAPL), which was granted 1,136 patents on...

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Is BlackBerry back? Strong early BlackBerry 10 demand could signal RIM comeback

After hitting a rough patch that seemed to last for most of 2012, Research In Motion (RIMM) may finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. RIM plans to unveil the finished version of its next-generation BlackBerry 10 platform at a press conference on January 30th, and at least one new smartphone is expected to be revealed during the event. Generating interest in BlackBerry 10 within the crowded...

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Nokia: Q4 mobile phone sales beat own forecast

HELSINKI (AP) -- Nokia Corp. signaled Thursday its smartphone partnership with Microsoft was starting to reap rewards as it revealed that fourth-quarter mobile phone sales exceeded expectations and that its handset business would return to profitability.The Finnish company's share price surged 11 percent to close at €3.32 on Helsinki Stock Exchange.Nokia said it sold 86 million devices in the last...

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New Novel Explores an Unusual Phenomenon in a Remote Valley

Author Helga Brendel's weaves an intricate web of mystery, suspense, folklore, romance, danger and excitement in a tale that will rivet readers from beginning to end.CHAMPION, Alberta (PRWEB) January 10, 2013Constance, Yukon lies approximately one hundred and fifty miles west of Whitehorse and is a remote predominantly native community accessible only by air. Jackson Jacobs spent most of his life...

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New Novel Follows a Young Deputy’s Struggle in His Quest for Justice

Alfred Patrick’s “Clinch River Justice” is a gripping tale that fans of suspense novels will enjoy.(PRWEB) January 10, 2013Author Alfred Patrick, in his newly published book Clinch River Justice, tells a tale about a boy who matures into manhood, falls in love, and begins to find his way in life. Set against the backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia, this intriguing novel then...

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Author Jill Sobieska Retells Hero’s Mythic Marathon Swim in New Dream Picture Book

It is the story of modern-day athlete whose record of swimming from Moorea to Tahiti remains unmatched to this day.Rarotonga, Cook Islands (PRWEB) January 10, 2013Jill Sobieska and her picture book story Pa and the Dolphins are deeply imbued with the mana (Tahitian for power) of the doughty Polynesian race, the hardy sea people who live (and dream) in the middle of the great Pacific. Pa, who can...

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Murray Dixon’s New Book Tells the Exciting Journey of an Adventurous Ferret

New Zealand (PRWEB) January 10, 2013Dreams have always been a playground for people’s imaginations, wishes, and aspirations. Many a fanciful fantasy that seems improbable in the real world finds their resolution in the realm of dreams. Author Murray Dixon, with the help of David Ogilvie, breathes life into the characters of his picture book for children, Hornsnoggle Ferret and the Pancake Fantasy...

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Baseball-Nationals convince LaRoche to extend Washington stay

Jan 8 (Reuters) - The Washington Nationals finally persuaded Adam LaRoche to put pen to paper on Tuesday after spending the first half of the off-season courting their lead slugger.The free agent inked a two-year deal worth $24 million with an option for a third season, adding solidity to an improving Nationals team and rewarding the franchise for their patience.The 33-year-old had earlier declined...

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Nationals convince LaRoche to extend Washington stay

The Washington Nationals finally persuaded Adam LaRoche to put pen to paper on Tuesday after spending the first half of the off-season courting their lead slugger.The free agent inked a two-year deal worth $24 million with an option for a third season, adding solidity to an improving Nationals team and rewarding the franchise for their patience.The 33-year-old had earlier declined to re-sign with...

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Baseball-Record earnings for South Korean league

Jan 9 (Reuters) - South Korean baseball underlined its continuing growth by posting a record $33 million in revenue last year, local media reported on Wednesday. Winning gold at the Beijing Olympics and finishing runners-up at the 2009 World Baseball Classic boosted baseball's popularity and attendances crossed the 7 million-mark for the first time last year, Yonhap News agency reported. The league...

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The Benefits Of Buying A Home With Cash

When a 62-year-old financial advisor bought a two-bedroom Manhattan co-op recently, he showed up at the closing with a check for the full $970,000 purchase price. No mortgage? “The money I had in cash was sitting getting 0% interest,’’ explains the man, who asked not to be named. “It made absolutely no sense to borrow.”There were other benefits as well to buying for cash, he says. He figures he got...

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Rate on 30-year mortgage ticks up to 4 pct.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The average rate on the 30-year mortgage stayed hovered above the record low for a third straight week. But cheap mortgage rates have done little to boost home sales or refinancing.Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate on the 30-year loan ticked up to 4 percent from 3.99 percent. Six weeks ago, it dropped to a record low of 3.94 percent, according to the National Bureau of Economic...

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Rate on 30-year mortgage ticks up to 4 percent

WASHINGTON (AP) — The average rate on the 30-year mortgage hovered above the record low for a third straight week. But cheap mortgage rates have done little to boost home sales or refinancing.Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate on the 30-year loan ticked up to 4 percent from 3.99 percent. Six weeks ago, it dropped to a record low of 3.94 percent, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.The...

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Venezuelan lawmakers meet to choose new leaders

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan lawmakers are meeting to select a new president of the National Assembly in a session that could give clues to the future of the country amid uncertainty about ailing President Hugo Chavez.Just five days remain until Chavez's scheduled inauguration on Thursday and officials are suggesting the swearing-in could be delayed.National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello...

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Chavez party proposes same legislative chief

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Allies of President Hugo Chavez are proposing to keep the same National Assembly president — a man who could be in line to step in as a caretaker leader in some circumstances.Saturday's session could give clues to the future of the country amid uncertainty about the health of ailing President Hugo Chavez.Just five days remain until Chavez's scheduled inauguration on Thursday...

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Chavez allies re-elect legislative chief

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Allies of cancer-stricken President Hugo Chavez on Saturday chose to keep the same National Assembly president — a man who could be in line to step in as a caretaker leader in some circumstances.The vote to retain Diosdado Cabello as legislative leader signaled the ruling party's desire to stress unity and continuity amid growing signs the government plans to postpone Chavez's...

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