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Joe Johnson and Luol Deng (Getty Images)

Can we start off by reintroducing ourselves to the idea of how ridiculous this is? The NBA is hosting an All-Star game in the midst of a 66-game season, with the starters picked after just one month of play and the reserves selected after most teams had played about a third of their season. With every bit of that third being used to get into the sort of shape that the typical month-long training camp and exhibition season only helps to nearly take care of.

Then, the league mandates that coaches select a center, two forwards, two guards and two wild cards. Apparently the "wild cards" must be eligible NBA players, so it's not as if coaches could select a demolitions expert or wacky neighbor. This is silly in itself, because sometimes the centers or guards or even forwards aren't great. So, to force positional categorization in an exhibition game like this … OK, we'll stop.

We are the judging types, though. So click the jump for our take on who the coaches got it right with, and what they fell short on. Our take on the West can be found here.

Eastern Conference

Chris Bosh, Miami Heat

Bosh, really, should be starting this game. It does seem a bit odd the Heat would have three deserved All-Star starters (with Dwyane Wade, Bosh and LeBron James) and only the East's second-best record, but this is what happens when you run a top-heavy outfit. Free from some of the criticism that dogged him last season, Bosh has actually dipped a bit in the rebounding department (per-game and percentage-wise), but his 19-point and eight-rebound averages (with 51 percent shooting) make him the best big forward in the East right now.

Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls

This is a tough one, and I'm pretty sure you know where I'm heading with this.

Luol Deng might be my favorite person in the NBA. That's not throwaway praise, as I dismiss his credibility as an NBA All-Star. Also, in terms of pure aesthetics? I might not have a player I enjoy watching more. He does everything. Absolutely everything. Defends like mad, holds his team together regardless of the four on the court with him, plays through injury, plays through pain, plays and plays and plays.

Topping all those intangibles is the fact that even though it often ranks as an intangible, defense is half the game and Luol is an all-league defender in ways that don't show up in typical box scores. His Chicago Bulls have held up in his absence, and that easy-ish schedule has helped, but he means the world to them. There's a reason for all this fawning.

I don't think he's been amongst the 12 best players in the Eastern Conference this season, even though defense counts for a full 50 percent of how we should be judging things. I don't think he's far off, but I don't think he's been better than Tyson Chandler, perhaps Rajon Rondo, or even at times Luol's polar opposite in Orlando's Ryan Anderson. Toss in the fact that he's missed a quarter of Chicago's games, and this makes his inclusion a dodgy one in my eyes.

Nasty bits, over.

Luol Deng is an All-Star. He contributes in enough ways to make his inclusion a deserved one. At Deng's best (and when he's not tired and has legs to shoot with), his offensive gifts make him a borderline All-Star and his defensive acumen puts him over the top. The idea of rewarding players for being part of a great team (each of Chicago's players, every damn one of them, have a Player Efficiency Rating in double figures) with a great record with All-Star berths is a silly one. You shouldn't be handed a certain amount of All-Star berths for every 100 percentage points you are over .600, but I'm fully on board with the idea that Luol Deng, at his absolute best, does enough on either side of the ball to have earned this selection.

Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers

Hibbert, even to pivot play freaks like us, is not the most thrilling watch in the NBA. He does a lot of stuff correctly, he comes and goes as a game-changing passer and he holds his own on either end while limiting the foul trouble that severely plagued his first few years in the NBA. I wouldn't have taken him over Tyson Chandler, who has just about completely reformed the New York Knicks defensively. Per-minute? Hibbert has played quite well in the middle this year, but he still only churns out 30 minutes a contest. And he needs the rest at times, if you know what I mean.

Don't sleep on the guy as an All-Star game factor, though. Yes, these exhibitions are lob-fests, out of tune with Hibbert's at-times plodding play, but we're just eight years removed from another only-picked-because-we-had-to-pick-a-center choice in Jamaal Magliore dropping 19 points and eight rebounds in the 2004 All-Star Game mainly by just hanging around the paint while everyone else tried to connect on 3-pointers and alley-oop dunks.

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia 76ers

Frankly, 'Dre hasn't deserved an All-Star berth thus far in his career. He's been close more than a few times, essentially a coin flip guy that fell short in most seasons save for 2010-11, but I'm more than OK with leaving him off the roster until now.

Until about Jan. 9 or so, actually. Because Iguodala has been absolutely brilliant on both sides of the ball this season for a surprise Philadelphia team that is on pace to set all sorts of records defensively. If the coaches selected Iguodala because he's the most famous player on what has turned into a great team, that's a shame, because he's more than earned this selection regardless of Philly's sterling record.

And he's going to be great -- GREAT -- in this game.

Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks

Johnson, to me, is a dodgy pick only in relation to selecting him over teammate Josh Smith. Smith might turn coaches off with his shot selection at times, but it's a pity that (deserved) reputation covers up the other 90 percent of the game that he plays at an All-Star level on both sides. Choosing Joe (and, to a greater extent, Luol Deng) over Smith is an oversight.

Joe, as usual, is right there. He's scoring 18 points per game on a pretty good team, and that's often enough. It isn't the worst oversight, but the combination of factors that happens to include a more-deserving teammate makes this a tough one. And Rajon Rondo, Brandon Jennings, Ryan Anderson and even Greg Monroe should raise a hackle or two as well.

Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics

Rajon Rondo has missed eight of his team's games, and Paul Pierce has cobbled together a terrific all-around season in spite of a tough start and heel issue that you know hasn't gone away. I understand that teammates should be judged against each other with these seven spots to fill, but it does make for a tidy column point.

We've spent quite a bit of time discussing Pierce's career and impressive season this week, but it bears repeating this guy continues to find new ways of adding to his overall game. Pierce probably doesn't have many 40-point games left in him, but he's also going to slide over defensively, find someone with the perfect pass and start the break with the needed leak-out lob.

He might have an All-Star game MVP left in him.

Deron Williams, New Jersey Nets

Struggling with a terrible Nets team, Wil
liams has actually played down to their level at times this season. But he's also dribbled around the perimeter, into the paint and back out looking for anyone that remotely resembles not just an NBA starter, but a rotation-worthy teammate. And, by and large save for fleeting moments from Kris Humphries, reserve Jordan Farmar and MarShon Brooks (on offense, at least) they just aren't there.

Williams has forged ahead, though. He's a sound pick over Rajon Rondo even if Rondo had played in more games, and he's on par with Brandon Jennings once you factor in Jennings' marvelous defense. Williams, as a former All-Star, clearly won this coin flip over the much-improved Bucks guard. We'll just have to see who pulls out ahead the next time Milwaukee and New Jersey play.

Or, you'll have to see who wins that one. Because there's no way we're sitting through a Milwaukee-New Jersey game.

More sports news from the Yahoo! Sports Minute:

Read more:
Judging the choices for the Eastern Conference All-Star team reserves

WHEN Ducky the Duck set off a metal detector her owners knew she was in trouble.

The four-year-old mallard had been suffering from a mystery illness and was struggling to walk and eat.

Duck swallowed an american penny Robin Creighton with X Ray

shock: Jack Bussey with Ducky

So when the domesticated duck 'beeped' after being passed under a hand-held metal detector, Kelly Howard and partner Jack Bussey rushed her to the Millennium Veterinary Practice in Braintree.

Cue emergency x-rays, pioneering gizzard surgery and the removal of a one-cent coin – complete with the engraved picture of former US president Abraham Lincoln.

Vet Robin Creighton, 38, said: "I have never done anything like it or even heard of anything like it.

"I did a bit of research in a few anatomy books and just dived in."

The operation took over an hour and required an assistant vet to ventilate Ducky. Robin was amazed to find that the pet had eaten a US coin.

"The duck was having difficulty walking and was anorexic because of zinc poisoning from the coin. Birds don't have teeth so usually they eat stones to help them digest. I must admit I was pretty surprised to find an American penny inside her," Robin said.

But even more surprising was that Kelly and Jack had not visited the States for over a year.

Kelly, 28, said: "We were really worried because Ducky hadn't eaten for two days before Christmas – not even her favourite, cucumber. My partner had a hand-held metal detector and it went off near her stomach.

"We took her to another vet and they said it must be a stuck egg and it would get better.

"I was so terrified for Ducky." But after taking her to Robin for a second opinion, an emergency operation to remove the coin from her pet's gizzard was ordered and Ducky was given a general anaesthetic.

"He just sprang into action," said businesswoman Kelly. "I know he had never dealt with a situation like this before but he was fantastic.

"Every step of the way he was amazing and I can't thank him enough."

Robin, a vet for 16 years, said: "It was tricky. The gizzard is a very muscular area so it's very difficult to get into and to sew up.

"I was pretty relieved when it was all done and dusted."

Ducky's owners had adopted her after Kelly's cousin, 20-year-old Jack Heeney, had rescued her from drowning in a park as a duckling. She lives in a little wooden house in their kitchen.

"She's been living inside so long – she doesn't know she's a duck," Kelly said.

Ducky spent three nights at the Millennium Veterinary Practice, on Millennium Way, Braintree, before making a full recovery at Kelly and Jack's home in Harlow. The owners kept the one-cent coin.

Read more:
Essex Chronicle published Lucky Ducky is saved by vet's quick thinking

by Department of Social Care

The Department of Social Care has published the report of the latest review of the Isle of Man National Insurance Fund (the Fund) which covered the 5-year period to 31st March 2007.  This report will be laid before Tynwald at its February sitting.

The results of the review were not surprising:  the population is living longer, with life expectancy predicted to continue to increase by over one year each decade, and consequently drawing their state pension for longer.  As a result, if no action was taken, the Fund (which is currently valued at £650million) would be exhausted by around 2050.

However this is not a cause for undue concern as Isle of Man Government, like its counterpart in the UK, is already taking action.  The Isle of Man has reciprocal arrangements with the UK on social security including the state pension and therefore, subject to Tynwald approval, will mirror the measures taken to sustain the Fund into the future.

These will raise the state pension age for women to 65 by 2018 and to 66 for both men and women by 2020.  The UK has also announced its intent for a further rise of the state pension age to 67 by 2028 followed by appropriate rises periodically thereafter.  These further rises in state pension age are expected to be in line with rises in life expectancy. 

The Chief Minister recently announced that the Island’s benefits system and pension policy will be reviewed and other options for the future sustainability of the Fund will be further considered as part of these reviews.  The Department of Social Care and the Treasury have commenced this work and will report to Council and Tynwald later this year.

The Department of Social Care and the Treasury are also taking this opportunity to make an announcement concerning pension policy.  The two Departments continually monitor legislative changes in the UK.  One recent legislative change made in the UK compels employers to offer an occupational pension to employees who are then automatically enrolled and must make contributions from earnings.  The Isle of Man does not have the same issues as the UK as more employees have access to such occupational pensions and also the state pension is more generous due to the Manx Pension Supplement.  As a result, the two Departments and Council of Ministers are satisfied the UK policy is not required in the Isle of Man. 
 
The Minister for Social Care Hon Chris Robertshaw MHK said:  “This review of the Manx National Insurance Fund has highlighted the need to review our pension policy and address the fact that people are living longer and therefore should expect to work longer to fund their retirement.  This is fair as it will enable each generation to enjoy the state pension for roughly the same number of years as is the case currently.”

The Treasury Minister Hon Eddie Teare MHK said:  “I believe the policy proposals to raise the state pension age in line with life expectancy are the right way to ensure we can all enjoy an adequate state pension that is sustainable for future generations.  Also I am content that the UK’s policy of auto-enrolment into workplace pension schemes is not right for the Island.  Together, these policies will stand us in good stead.  My Department will work closely with the Department of Social Care on what further policy changes we may need to ensure our state pensions and social security benefits continue to meet the Island’s needs on an affordable basis.”
 
- Ends -

In Other Isle of Man News

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© Manx Telecom Ltd 2012

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Registered in the Isle of Man Reg no.5629V Vat Reg no GB 003-2919-12

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Report Issued on the Latest Review of the Isle of Man National Insurance Fund

BLUE BELL, Pa., Feb. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS - News) today announced that its UK subsidiary has completed an innovative data center transformation project for The Isle of Man Government. The government's modernized IT environment has delivered multiple cost savings to date and reduced provisioning times for new network and service availability -- from 90 days to less than one.

The solution was designed and delivered on budget by Unisys to underpin the Isle of Man's public service initiative to transform public services and provide 24/365 access to all applications, including online services, for the island's 80,000 citizens. The project started in the fourth quarter of 2010 and was delivered within 12 months without additional capital expenditure (capex). The new technology instantly enabled the government to identify savings in operating expenditure (opex) and as a result should cover its delivery costs and provide ongoing savings for the Government over the next five years.

The Isle of Man Government's IT infrastructure is now a hybrid cloud environment, where Unisys private cloud services are utilized across its nine departments, and 12 statutory boards and commissions, alongside public cloud services for email and security events monitoring.

Peter Clarke, chief technology officer, Isle of Man Government, says, "Making the most of public spending is as important on the Isle of Man as elsewhere in the UK. As a result of the IT transformation project we have phased out $854,000 of costs per annum, including $395,000 in operating costs and $458,000 through streamlined administration and automation. Servers can be delivered in one day where previously it took between 30 and 60 days. Obviously, the savings this environment has delivered, and will achieve in the future, gives us added stability at a time of economic pressure. We believe our model could be scaled up and replicated across the UK public sector with similarly powerful results."

In addition to enhancing public services, the project provides the government with a secure, flexible and cost-effective infrastructure for its 8,000 staff, spread across 361 locations. This includes hospitals, GP surgeries, schools and the island's central government services. To achieve this, Unisys modernized and consolidated legacy applications on a cloud platform based on Unisys enterprise servers, Microsoft virtualization technology and VPLEX-enabled EMC Unified Storage and virtual storage technology.

"Our aim is to free up budget to support enhanced public services and we are reducing our unit cost all the time," explains Allan Paterson, director of information systems, Isle of Man Government. "We've cut our average cost per server by $2,800, allowing us to focus more IT spend on service delivery rather than operations. Provisioning time and the associated costs have also been dramatically reduced by our new virtualized environment -- moving from a distributed model to shared infrastructure services. This has enabled more than 1,000 services to be delivered quickly and easily to our departments and citizens. We believe in the maxim that IT needs to enable the business, rather than drive it, and working with Unisys has allowed us to do that."

The project has also been recognized for its positive environmental impact and awarded

Energy Champion Award for the Biggest Energy Savings in the Public Sector. Best Virtualisation Project of 2010 by Techworld.com Finalist for the Datacentre Dynamics Leaders Award 2011.

Rob Chapman, managing director for UKMEA at Unisys, says, "Maximizing the efficiency of public sector projects is a priority for governments around the world and we are delighted to have been a key supplier in this successful project for Isle of Man Government. It is a test case for how virtual and cloud-based infrastructure can reduce capital and operational cost, free-up staff time and enhance the availability and delivery of public services."

The Isle of Man Government's virtualization initiative, Transforming Government, was pre-empted by the JUPITER project -- or Joined UP IT for the Electronic Resident -- which ran from 2003 to 2006 and was tasked with consolidating and enhancing back-office systems and public services, including single electronic patient records, online payments and bus ticketing.

About Unisys

Unisys is a worldwide information technology company. We provide a portfolio of IT services, software, and technology that solve critical problems for clients. We specialize in helping clients secure their operations, increase the efficiency and utilization of their data centers, enhance support to their end users and constituents, and modernize their enterprise applications. To provide these services and solutions, we bring together offerings and capabilities in outsourcing services, systems integration and consulting services, infrastructure services, maintenance services, and high-end server technology. With more than 23,000 employees, Unisys serves commercial organizations and government agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit http://www.unisys.com.

Follow Unisys on Twitter.

RELEASE NO.: 0209/9088

Unisys is a registered trademark of Unisys Corporation. Any other brands and products referenced herein are acknowledged to be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

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Unisys Helps Isle of Man Government Reduce Costs and Transform Public Services by Modernizing Server Environment and ...

The Isle of Man (Other OTC: MAGOF.PK - news) is hoping that links with the City of London (LSE: CIN.L - news) will help highlight the Manx contribution to British businesses

The Lord Mayor of the City of London has praised the Isle of Man's "longstanding and much valued partnership" with UK business.

On his first visit to the Island, Alderman David Wootton said that he appreciated the Isle of Man's "diversity" and growing involvement with business in the north-west of England and through the City itself.

"We are both small in size but punch well above our weight in the global economy," Mr Wootton said.

"We can be justly proud of the standards and governance we demand. And we are also well placed and well able to meet the challenges of the future and play our part in creating jobs and growth.

“We share the same values and the same commitment to the very highest standards of corporate governance."

The Mayor also told guests from the business community that the Isle of Man exemplified just how diverse and dynamic small economies could be. He also said he shared Chief Minister Allan Bell’s vision for the Isle of Man of maintaining a society based on fairness, opportunity for all, social cohesion and quality of life.

Mr Bell says there has been a lot of work to build the island's profile and relationships with the City.

“This visit is part of our growing friendship with the City and we are delighted that the Lord Mayor has come to see us so soon after taking up office in November (Stuttgart: A0Z24E - news) ," he said.

Read this article:
Isle of Man seeks to build on City links