hot news , latest issues: 2011

ST. LOUIS — When the Cardinals’ brain trust recalculated the direction they’d take after Albert Pujols signed with the Angels, general manager John Mozeliak and his staff consulted their lists of free agents who could fill their sudden needs.

Carlos Beltran’s name kept coming up as a fit.

"He was on top," Mozeliak said.

Now he could be No. 2 in their lineup.

Beltran, a switch-hitting outfielder, agreed to a two-year, $26-million contract with the Cardinals on Thursday night. Mozeliak described how the club sees the six-time All-Star as a potential No. 2 hitter, ahead of thumpers Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman.

The deal, according to sources familiar with the negotiations, also includes a no-trade clause. Beltran brings a desired sock to the Cardinals’ lineup and adds needed depth to the outfield.

He is the first player who wasn’t already with the Cards to get a multi-year deal during Mozeliak’s tenure, and his $13-million average salary is the highest in years for a player who has not been with the organization before.

"We did not want to go into the season without addressing (the depth) in the outfield," Mozeliak said. "We saw this as an opportunity because we viewed him as another impact hitter we could bring to the lineup."

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Tuesday, 20 December 2011

Buckalew's wife, Corinne, and two children also were on the plane owned by Buckalew, an experienced pilot, according to a statement from New York-based advisory firm Greenhill. There were no survivors, New Jersey police said in a post on Twitter.

"The firm is in deep mourning over the tragic and untimely death of two of its esteemed colleagues and members of Jeff's family," Chairman Robert Greenhill and Chief Executive Officer Scott Bok said in the statement yesterday. "Jeff was one of the first employees of Greenhill. He and Rakesh were extraordinary professionals who were highly respected by colleagues and clients alike."

Buckalew, 45, led Greenhill's North American advisory activities. He started at the firm in 1996, the year it was founded, after working at Salomon Brothers, according to the company. Chawla, 36, was a managing director for the financial- services sector. He joined Greenhill in 2003 from Blackstone Group LP.

The men were traveling on business for Greenhill, said a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because that detail hadn't been made public.

The plane crashed on Interstate 287 in Harding, New Jersey, about 35 miles west of Manhattan, after taking off from Teterboro Airport, state police said on Twitter. The plane was en route to DeKalb-Peachtree Airport near Atlanta, according to flightaware.com. No one on the ground was killed, according to the New York Daily News, which quoted witnesses as saying the plane appeared to have broken up in flight

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/12/20/bloomberg_articlesLWJ76H1A1I4G.DTL#ixzz1h9U3xQj4

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The New York investment banking firm Greenhill & Co. said two of its managing directors, Jeffrey Buckalew, 45, and Rakesh Chawla, 36, as well as Buckalew’s wife and two children, were on the plane, which crashed on Interstate 287. Buckalew was the registered owner of the single-engine plane and had a pilot’s license.

Wreckage was scattered over at least a half-mile, with a section found lodged in a tree of a home about a quarter-mile away, near a highway entrance ramp. The crash closed both sides of the busy highway for hours, though several lanes were open again in time for the evening rush hour.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators said the search for wreckage was suspended after dark Tuesday and would be resumed after the Wednesday morning commute to minimize traffic problems.

NTSB officials said they don’t believe the plane had a black box, which would have recorded flight data, but they said investigators were searching for other memory devices, including GPS, collision avoidance systems or any device with a recordable chip that might yield more information.

Rockaway Township resident Chris Covello said he saw the plane spin out of control from the car dealership where he works in Morristown, near the site of the crash.

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Aspiring model Kendall, 16, put her catwalk worthy legs on show in a tiered skirt which she wore with a sheer black top over a white shirt.

Kylie, 14, slipped into a killer pair of heels and a black suit, which she wore with a pussy bow blouse.

The men - Rob Kardashian, 24, Bruce Jenner, 62, Khloe's basketballer husband Lamar Odom, 32, and Kourtney's partner Scott Disick, 28 - all wore sharp tuxedos for the occasion.

The family's matriarch Kris Jenner, 56, provided the only splash of colour with a slinky and sparkly teal dress.

But it was little Mason, 1, who stole the show in his too cute trousers, bow-tie and braces.

In an effort to ensure the card is truly eye-popping, the family also provided a 3D edition.

Kim wrote on her blog today: 'Here it is! Our 2011 Kardashian/Jenner family Christmas card!!!

'It was shot by the amazing Nick Saglimbeni and there’s a special 3D version that you can view with 3D glasses. What do you guys think?

'I love our family Christmas cards shoots and I think this one looks amazing!'

Of course, Kim is spending the holiday season as a single woman following her split from husband Kris Humphries earlier this year.

She had initially intended to release Christmas cards featuring her wedding photo and even placed an order with a high-end stationery company.

But she was forced to rethink her season's greetings after filing for divorce just 72 days into their marriage.

Khloe, meanwhile, is adjusting to a new life in Texas following her NBA star husband's transfer to the Dallas Mavericks player.

The couple are currently hunting for an apartment in the city.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2076185/Kardashian-Christmas-card-2011-Kim-wears-sleek-tuxedo-familys-black-tie-card.html#ixzz1h6D6Upeh

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Monday, 19 December 2011

CHICAGO — Bears receiver Johnny Knox will have surgery to stabilize a vetebra in his lower to mid back after being taken from the field on a cart in the opening minutes of Sunday’s 38-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Bears said the injury is not career-threatening. The surgery is scheduled for Monday.

“He has total movement throughout his body, has total use of all his extremities, which is good,” coach Lovie Smith said. “We’re doing tests right now. He has total movement. He’s not paralyzed or anything.”

Knox had just caught a pass from Caleb Hanie about four minutes into Sunday’s game when Kam Chancellor poked the ball out of his hands. As Knox made a diving attempt to retrieve the ball, he was hit by Anthony Hargrove and got bent backward. He stayed down for close to 10 minutes while being tended to by medical personnel.

The Seahawks’ Earl Thomas recovered the fumble at the Chicago 22.

Knox was eventually placed on a stretcher and taken from the field on a cart, putting his hands over his face and wiggling his fingers as he left the field.

The injury to Knox was another blow for a team that lost Jay Cutler (broken thumb) and Matt Forte (sprained knee) in recent weeks and was trying to get over the shock of receiver Sam Hurd’s arrest on federal drug charges in the days leading up to this game.

Late in the half, Bears safety Chris Conte suffered a foot injury trying to tackle Seattle’s Justin Forsett and left the game. The Seahawks didn’t come away from this game unscathed, either, with receiver Mike Williams suffering a broken ankle when he was tackled after a catch in the third quarter.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/johnny-knox-surgery-back-bears-receiver-bent-hit-seattle-article-1.993814#ixzz1h0SChdAF

maria menounos, jimmy rollins, cindy lou who, kobe bryant, jr martinez

Sunday, 18 December 2011

Leezel Tanglao

By Leezel Tanglao
@leezeltanglao
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Dec 18, 2011 9:00am
J.R. Martinez Is Going to Be a Father
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abc jr martinez diana jef 111118 wblog J.R. Martinez Is Going to Be a Father

ABC News

“Dancing With the Stars” winner J.R. Martinez has something to look forward to next spring – the birth of his daughter.

The Iraq war vet and his girlfriend Diana Jones are expecting their child together, according to People magazine.

“We found out just last week it’s a girl and we are over the moon,” Martinez told People. “Diana has a little baby bump now and it’s the cutest thing ever. With the holidays coming up, this is the biggest and best gift we could get.”

The couple met in 2008 while working on the soap opera “All My Children.”

Martinez played an Iraq war veteran while Jones worked as an executive assistant on staff.

“I just have been looking for this great guy with these great qualities and he’s been right next to me the whole time,” Jones said in a “Nightline” interview last month.

“Dancing With the Stars” winner J.R. Martinez has something to look forward to next spring – the birth of his daughter.

The Iraq war vet and his girlfriend Diana Jones are expecting their child together, according to People magazine.

“We found out just last week it’s a girl and we are over the moon,”
Martinez told People. “Diana has a little baby bump now and it’s the
cutest thing ever. With the holidays coming up, this is the biggest and
best gift we could get.”

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Saturday, 17 December 2011

Atlanta police say the rapper Slim Dunkin was gunned down Friday evening in a city music studio as he was preparing to record a video. Police Maj. Keith Meadows said the rapper, whose real name is Mario Hamilton, was fatally shot in the chest after getting into an argument with another individual. He was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Meadows told the Associated Press late Friday that police have not been able to identify the shooter. He said investigators have been interviewing those who were inside the studio. He said as many as 20 people were inside the small office-type building at the time of the shooting, which took place around 5:30 p.m., but they were in different places. Police have not recovered the handgun that was used. Investigators remained at the scene late Friday evening. “Right now we’re just trying to … identify who may have seen what, really just trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together,” Meadows said. “It seems everybody witnessed something very different. We’re just trying to go back and make sense of everything.”

Slim Dunkin had appeared on a number of songs with the rapper Waka Flocka Flame. The website MTV.com reported that the Brick Squad Monopoly rapper was on a solo track and had recently released a 20-track mix tape that featured Gucci Mane, Roscoe Dash and Pastor Troy.

“It appears the victim was scheduled to do a photo shoot,” Meadows said of Friday’s events. “Before the video shoot took place, it appears the victim and suspect got involved in a verbal altercation. We don’t know what that altercation was about.”

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Wednesday, 14 December 2011

Texting while driving is fatal. It's worse than stupid; it's a hazard both to yourself and to everyone around you. Forget tickets; anyone caught doing this epically dangerous activity should have their licenses suspended.

I can understand why, in the wake of an awful texting-while-driving crash, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) felt the need to weigh in. But the agency's proposed ban on all cell phone use while driving is impractical, it's overkill, and it doesn't make sense.

The best way to drive is looking at the road, with both hands on the wheel. To do anything else endangers yourself, your passengers, and the other people on the road.

So it makes sense to ban activities that take your hands off the wheel or your eyes off the road. Texting, the worst of all, makes you a non-driver for several seconds at a time. It's as bad as falling asleep. In a much-cited Virginia Tech study, texting was shown to increase the chances of "a crash or near-crash" by 23 times.

Handheld cell phone conversations are also a problem, especially when you're looking at your phone to dial or answer it—once again, you're taking your eyes off the road.

The science—and NTSB's recommendations—get much muddier, though, when we're talking about absolutely hands-free conversations. Notice that the stats the NTSB pulls out in its press release (rather than the shocking anecdotes) are about texting, emailing, and accessing the Internet.

CNN reports that "devices installed in the vehicle by the manufacturer" would be allowed, though I don't see that in the NTSB's recommendations. If CNN is right, why is talking on an OnStar or Ford Sync system less distracting than using a headset?

The Virginia Tech distracted-driving study showed talking on a phone to slightly increase chances of a crash, but didn't make any distinction between Bluetooth headsets and in-car kits, and saved the really scary stats for dialing a phone, texting, and emailing.

Furthermore, the NTSB permits "devices designed to support the driving task," which presumably means GPS devices. Staring and poking at a GPS unit or app is just as bad as texting.

prokhorov, vladimir putin, syria, misfits season 3 episode 7, rick perry

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

The political career of Mikhail Prokhorov, Russia's third-richest man, crashed and burned last September, after he quarreled publicly with the Kremlin, and subsequently lost control of his liberal Right Cause party.

Now he's going to try something even more ambitious: he says he will challenge Vladimir Putin for Russia's presidency in elections slated for March 4.

It's probably no coincidence that Prokhorov's surprise declaration came just two days after 30,000 mostly young and middle-class Muscovites — angry over alleged vote-rigging in Russia's Dec. 4 parliamentary elections — gathered on a downtown square to demand an end to the Putin-era system of "managed democracy."

Prokhorov himself played a key role in exposing that system to the world, when he briefly stood up 3 months ago and accused Kremlin political architect Vladislav Surkov of being a "puppet master," who stage-manages all political parties that are allowed on the Russian ballot. He accused Surkov of trying to tell him who could be allowed in the leadership circle of his party, Right Cause, what candidates they might run, and what political positions to take.

On Monday, in an otherwise vague and rambling press conference, Prokhorov appeared to lay down the gauntlet to the Kremlin.

"I've made probably the most serious decision of my life: I'm running for president," he told a roomful of stunned reporters in Moscow. "Society is waking up, whether we want it or not. Authorities that have proven unable to hold a normal dialogue with the population are clearly on their way out... I want to be the candidate of the middle class."

Prokhorov, 46, is worth about $18 billion, according to Forbes. He is best known in the US as the owner of the New Jersey Nets basketball team. He made his fortune in the murky privatizations of former Soviet raw materials companies in the 1990s. In Russia, the bachelor-tycoon has often been in the news for his playboy lifestyle, his love of amateur athletics, and his passionate promotion of nanotechnology and electric automobiles.

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Wednesday, 7 December 2011

Your honor, I ask you humbly with the life of my husband and the childhood of my daughters in your hands, be merciful," Patti Blagojevich wrote to U.S. District Judge James Zagel in a letter read to the court by lawyer Aaron Goldstein.

Goldstein then read an excerpt from Amy Blagojevich's letter to the judge. She also asked for mercy for her dad.

"I need my father," she wrote. "I need him there for my high school graduation.... I'll need him when my heart gets broken."

Earlier, prosecutor Reid Schar called Blagojevich "a very clever criminal," and defense attorneys conceded that Blagojevich had committed crimes.

Defense attorney Sheldon Sorosky told the judge that Blagojevich committed four wrongs, chiefly the attempted sale of the Senate seat held by Barack Obama until his election as president. Blagojevich made a mistake by asking for a job in return for possibly appointing Obama's friend, Valerie Jarrett, to the Senate, Sorosky said.

"We accept the fact that's a crime. It's illegal. He should not have done it," Sorosky said.

But Blagojevich's lawyers contend he was not the leader of a criminal conspiracy and did not profit from the corruption of which he was convicted. They argue that he faces up to a little more than four years in prison under the sentencing guidelines but that he should get significantly less time, perhaps even probation.

hot news , latest issues: heisman, matt barkley, andrew luck, espn, bowl games,light year, kepler, nasa, how far is a light year, earth 2.0

Tuesday, 6 December 2011

hot news , latest issues: heisman, matt barkley, andrew luck, espn, bowl games,light year, kepler, nasa, how far is a light year, earth 2.0
http://tracking.dandingo.com/SHWz

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he two star quarterbacks will join fellow finalists Trent Richardson, Tyrann Mathieu and Montee Ball at the Heisman presentation Saturday night in Manhattan.

Luck is the only repeat finalist this season, while Griffin is the first Baylor player to get an invite to the ceremony. The school that never has had a player finish better than fourth in the Heisman voting now seems to have the front-runner.

"I'm sure it will be a really close vote," Griffin told reporters in Waco, Texas, after watching the announcement with teammates and coaches on Monday.

Richardson is the second Alabama running back to be a finalist in the past three years. Former teammate Mark Ingram won the Heisman in 2009.

Ball has scored 38 touchdowns for Wisconsin and needs one more to match Barry Sanders' NCAA record.

Mathieu, the LSU defensive back nicknamed "Honey Badger," has made numerous game-changing plays for the top-ranked Tigers.

kepler, light year, nasa, another earth, birdy

Monday, 5 December 2011

That is the first planet confirmed in the habitable zone for Kepler, which already had found Earth-like rockyplanets elsewhere. Twice before astronomers have announced a planet found in that zone, but neither has been as promising.

"This is a phenomenal discovery in the course of human history," Geoff Marcy of University of California, Berkeley, one of the pioneers of planet-hunting outside Earth's solar system, said in an email. "This discovery shows that we Homo sapiens are straining our reach into the universe to find planets that remind us of home. We are almost there."

The new planet, named Kepler-22b, has key aspects it shares with Earth. It circles a star that could be the twin of Earth's sun and at just about the same distance. The planet's year of 290 days is even close to Earth's. It probably has water and rock.

The only trouble is the planet's a bit big for life to exist on the surface. The planet is about 2.4 times the size of Earth. It could be more like the gas-and-liquid Neptune with only a rocky core and mostly ocean.

"It's so exciting to imagine the possibilities," said Natalie Batalha, the Kepler deputy science chief.

Floating on that "world completely covered in water" could be like being on an Earth ocean and "it's not beyond the realm of possibility that life could exist in such an ocean," Batalha said in a phone interview.

Kepler cannot find life itself, just where the conditions might be right for it to thrive. And when astronomers look for life elsewhere, they are talking about everything ranging from microbes to advanced intelligence that can be looking back at us.

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THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.—The birdie putt on the final hole to win. The sweeping fist pump. The red shirt.

It all looked so familiar Sunday afternoon in the Chevron World Challenge, where Tiger Woods ended a drought that once would have seemed inconceivable. He went 749 days and 26 tournaments without winning as he tried to repair his image, his personal life and a golf game that used to be the best in the world.

When the final birdie putt from 6 feet disappeared into the cup, Woods swept his arm across the air, yelled through the din of the gallery and slammed his fist in a celebration that was a long time coming.

He birdied the last two holes for a 3-under 69 and won against an 18-man field at Sherwood Country Club. It was a two-man race against former Masters champion Zach Johnson over the final hour. Even so, winning is all that ever mattered to Woods -- now perhaps more than ever before.

"Any different?" Woods asked about his win. "It feels great. Kind of hard for me to elaborate beyond that. I know it's been awhile, but for some reason, it feels like it hasn't. As far as making the putt and the feeling afterward, I think I was screaming something. But it was just that I won the golf tournament. I pulled it off with one down, two to go.

"To go birdie-birdie is as good as it gets."

The last time Woods won was Nov. 15, 2009, at the Australian Masters for his 82nd title worldwide, and his seventh win that year, back when winning at least looked routine for him. Twelve days later, Woods crashed his car into a fire hydrant outside his Florida home, and stunning revelations of extramarital affairs soon emerged. It cost him his impeccable image, his marriage and four major sponsors.

He has added three sponsors in the last five months. He showed signs of coming back with nine solid rounds in the wind in Australia, finishing third at the Australian Open and delivering the clinching point for the Americans in the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.

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She released another statement Friday afternoon indicating she had withdrawn the petition "upon prayerful reflection," but on Friday night, her attorney released a statement saying the divorce was back on.

A spokesman from New Birth Missionary denied rumors Long was stepping down from his position as senior pastor in a statement to WSB.

"As any loving and committed husband would do, Bishop Long will take some time to focus on his family but he will continue to be the senior pastor of New Birth," it said.

In September 2010, four young men connected to Long's church -- based in the Atlanta suburb of Lithonia -- accused the pastor of coercing them into having sex.

He denied the allegations and a settlement was reached in May before the matters were dismissed.

A fifth man, Centino Kemp, said he had been sexually involved with Long for years and was paid a $150,000 settlement despite not being involved in the four other accusers' lawsuit, according to myFOXatlanta.com.

Long boasts a membership at his church of between 25,000 and 30,000 people. He has spoken vehemently in the past of his opposition to homosexuality and called for a ban on same-sex marriage.

His church also hosts seminars promising to "cure" homosexuality.

Vanessa and Eddie Long were married in 1990. They have three children together.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/04/eddie-long-takes-leave-from-atlanta-megachurch-due-to-family-issues/#ixzz1feAFOe2d

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Sunday, 4 December 2011

As for those not looking forward to another defensive slugfest, Saban countered, "Two great defensive teams, no doubt. … There are so many good players on both sides for both teams …I think there's a lot of opportunity for the game to be completely different and have a completely different flavor from what the first game did."

A rematch seemed like a foregone conclusion heading into conference championship weekend until Oklahoma State narrowed the gap behind Alabama in the polls. But the Crimson Tide edged No. 3 Oklahoma State by .0086 in the final BCS rankings released Sunday, the closest margin in the eighth year under the current formula. The previous closest margin between No. 2 and 3 was .0157 separating No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 3 Auburn in 2004.

While the BCS title game selection held to form, the Sugar Bowl provided the controversy. The Sugar bypassed BCS No. 7 Boise State and No. 8 Kansas State in favor of No. 11 Virginia Tech and No. 13 Michigan. The Hokies, the most baffling pick, were routed by Clemson 38-10 in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship gam

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Embattled Republican candidate Herman Cain announced he was suspending his presidential bid Saturday, a move that’s most likely to impact the caucus race in Iowa by helping Newt Gingrich.

But the effect on the race here likely won’t be dramatic, because Cain’s poll numbers already had dropped like a rock, a new Des Moines Register Iowa Poll shows.

As cable news broadcast Cain’s announcement live Saturday for the nation to watch, Cain presented himself as a man victimized by media coverage about allegations of a 13-year extramarital affair.

The retired business executive spoke at length about his status as an unconventional, not-politics-as-usual candidate.

But he also said he’s at peace with God, himself and his wife, Gloria, who held his hand as he walked to the microphone.

“And she is at peace with me,” he said.

Cain, who has never held elective office, skyrocketed to front-runner status by touting his business credentials in a down economy and his status as a Washington outsider. He spoke in Atlanta, Ga., his home state, on what had been scheduled as the opening day for his campaign headquarters there.

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Minutes after Brooke Mueller allegedly assaulted someone Friday night, she sashayed her ass into an Aspen nightclub like nothing just happened -- and TMZ has the hilarious security cam footage.

TMZ broke the story ... Brooke was arrested Friday night outside Aspen's Escobar nightclub on suspicion of felony cocaine possession. She was also booked for third degree assault after allegedly attacking someone at a different nightclub nearby.

But right before all that happened, Brooke DANCED HER FACE OFF.

There's no sound -- but you can totally make out Brooke doing her thing ... twirling around, drink in hand, bumping into other dancers. Moments later, cops show up and drag her outside.

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Those were the famous words of Howard Cosell during the Larry Holmes vs. Rex Cobb affair. And in most circumstances, a fair description of referee Steve Smoger: a man known to allow for unnecessary brutality. Replace the word "referee" with the word "boxing match", and you have to think Cosell's outrage would have been just as applicable for the participants at Madison Square Garden.

I'll review the fight in a bit, but it's a testament to the primal allure of combat sports that the politics surrounding the fight were so easily discarded once it was decided that whatever offense from one man and professional athlete to another, all of it could be forgotten just to see the scrutiny reach a verdict with fists. Deep down, we enjoy a public execution whether underlined by metaphor, or by physical violence.

Nevermind that Margarito's offense, having had calcium and sulphur in his handwraps to create plaster of paris before the Mosley fight and theoretically against other combatants, was a criminal one. Luis Resto, in 1983, famously got caught with a similar offense, having had his gloves tampered with, and it got him banned. He also served 2 and half years in prison. Granted, Margarito never actually used loaded wraps in the ring, but the only reason he didn't is because of an observant trainer. It's difficult, however, to shake the suspicion that he might have in the past.

But Cotto wanted blood, and educated fans, suspecting Margarito only found success as a result of cheating, wanted to see him have it. I wonder how the public perception would have changed if they felt like Cotto didn't stand a good chance of beating Margarito. If Antonio wasn't coming off a brutal loss to Manny Pacquaio. It's a question worth asking, and the answer paints an unflattering picture of human nature. We knew deep down Cotto was the better boxer. We knew Margarito was coming off a loss, and was deteriorated. In short, we had that strong hunch: Cotto was gonna make him pay. In a sick and twisted way, perhaps it's Margarito who came out the winner.

World Series guarantee: There will be a hero and a goat Read more

Sunday, 16 October 2011

The 107th edition of baseball’s modern World Series begins Wednesday.

At its conclusion, a committee of baseball insiders will glance at the stats and officially anoint a fall hero, who will be named Series MVP and presented with a car he wouldn’t be seen driving.

Last year — if anyone remembers — it was San Francisco Giants shortstop Edgar Renteria, a 35-year-old veteran on the downside of his career, who batted .412 with a couple of home runs in the Series.

Nice, but hardly the stuff of baseball legend.

What is the stuff of baseball legend are the characters chosen not after the fact by some backroom committee, but instantly and irrevocably on the field of play by fate itself.

Regardless of whatever else you’ve done — or will do — in the game, one timely play, one untimely strikeout, one good hop or one bonehead play in a World Series and you, too, can become a permanent part of baseball lore.

• It’s Bill Wambsganss’ unassisted triple-play for the Indians against the Dodgers in 1920.

(“Funny thing,” ‘Wamby’ once said, “I played in the big leagues for 13 years … and the only thing that anybody seems to remember is that once I made an unassisted triple-play in a World Series. … You’d think I was born on the day before and died on the day after.”)

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/World+Series+guarantee+There+will+hero+goat/5558278/story.html#ixzz1b0FF2v6G

NLCS: Cardinals, Red Hot Pujols Win Game 3

Thursday, 13 October 2011

A four-run first inning for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Milwaukee Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo was enough to give the wildcard red birds a 2-1 lead in the NL championship series Wednesday night.

Chris Carpenter matched a franchise record set by Bob Gibson with a most un-Gibson-like outing.

Far from his best, the Cardinals ace lasted just five innings in a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night that gave St. Louis a 2-1 edge in the NL championship series.

The bullpen that got no work in Carpenter's division-series clinching win over Roy Halladay and the Philadelphia Phillies came up aces with four relievers retiring the last 12 Milwaukee batters in order.

Broncos start Tim Tebow in 2nd half

Sunday, 9 October 2011

DENVER -- The Denver Broncos went with Tim Tebow at quarterback to start the second half Sunday against San Diego and he nearly led them to a comeback win.

More From ESPN.com

Williamson Broncos coach John Fox has played his hand and now he has to stick with it. It's "Tebow Time" in Denver, writes Bill Williamson. Blog

Tebow ran for a touchdown and threw for another after replacing Kyle Orton to start the third quarter and had one final shot for the win before his pass fell incomplete in the end zone on the final play. The Chargers held on to win 29-24.

"Tim Tebow sparked the team today. (But) we haven't had a chance to watch the tape, we haven't had a chance to watch the film, we haven't had a chance to visit as a staff," coach John Fox said after the game. "So, I think at this point -- we have a bye week -- we do need to improve offensively, and it will all be up for discussion."

Denver doesn't play again until Oct. 23 when they'll visit Miami.

"I have no idea," Tebow said. "Thankfully, I don't have to make those decisions. Other people do that and I just go play football."

A fan favorite, Tebow was instantly greeted with a chorus of cheers as he trotted onto the field. The crowd was so loud that Tebow couldn't hear the play call in his helmet.

"He came and gave us a spark," running back Willis McGahee said. "That's Tim Tebow. Everybody has been cheering for him for the longest. Now he finally got in and moved the ball for us."

Tebow went three-and-out in his first series and finished 4 for 10 for 79 yards. He also ran six times for 38 yards.

Orton had a horrible first half, completing 6 of 13 passes for 34 yards. He also threw one interception.

Tebow was involved in one play during the first half, gaining 2 yards on a carry.

Columbus Day weekend arts fest in Northampton

Friday, 7 October 2011

t wouldn't be Columbus Day weekend without a trip to the Paradise City Arts Festival at the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton. Founded in 1995 by Geoffrey and Linda Post, this year's edition on Oct. 8-10 boasts 275 professional craftspeople and visual artists from around the country who drive the creative economy. The array of original designs in blown glass, pottery, jewelry, furniture, wearable and decorative fiber, photographs, paintings, sculptures, and mixed media is a feast for the eyes. The hard part is deciding what to buy. An outdoor sculpture garden by exhibitors, a special "Picturing the Music" exhibit, live music, children's art activities, a silent auction benefit, and local restaurants' fare in the food tent complete the experience of a day at the fest.

Bill Gates Considers the Nuclear Options

Wednesday, 5 October 2011

“I’m an optimist,” Bill Gates says, on the subject of nuclear power. “I see materials advances, simulations, better understanding of the scientific phenomena.”

Two things hold up innovation in the nuclear sector: First, the enormous lead-time it takes to research new technology and deploy it. And secondly, a global potpourri of regulations that can constrain innovative technology in favor of tried-and-true reactor design.

U.S. Deputy Secretary Daniel Poneman got Bill Gates on the video-chat line for the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation meeting in Warsaw, and the resulting interview is now posted on Gates Notes. The theme of the conversation is “Nuclear Energy after Fukushima,” and Gates finds two controversial lessons there.

While acknowledging that the Fukushima reactors’ failure post-earthquake-and-tsunami was a “tragedy,” Gates gingerly characterizes to the overall safety record of Fukushima as being commendable for a plant commissioned in 1971. This leads to his second point: that governmental regulation is biased toward the devil of known reactor design, rather than innovative solutions that take into account advances in software simulation (making it possible to assess virtual performance in a hurricane, earthquake, or tsunami).

“As I look at the energy sector I see that in some ways it’s more complicated than the IT sector where I spent most of my career,” says Gates. He lists the drawbacks of global regulatory complexity, the lead time before return on investment, the necessarily high bar for safety.

Though people may think of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as health-driven, its mission is to improve lives globally through innovation. As he considered the challenges the world’s poor face, says Gates, “I realized the very central role that energy plays in improving their livelihood. We need breakthroughs.”

His advice for governments? You’re under-funding investment in pure energy research by a factor of three or more. This wouldn’t require a gigantic tax on the energy sector, just a few percent, and certainly a lower number than a carbon tax would likely impose. Energy innovation is unlike other areas because of its lengthy time-to-market–if you try to offer incentives on the scale of other industries, you’ll fail.

“We need to have hundreds of companies trying out different things in each sector,” Gates argues, including solar, nuclear, wind, clean coal, and more. Cheap energy that doesn’t carry the greenhouse gas burden of today’s energy sources needs to come pretty quickly.

That preference for implementation seems to have established Gates’ primary bet on nuclear power (he namechecks TerraPower twice). “When you look at the numbers and you say, what could be significantly cheaper than what we have today, and located in every area, nuclear is one of the few that may be able to achieve that.”

He has invested in solar power, but is troubled by its disadvantages as a global solution: The “solar guys” still need to make solar power ten times as cheap, and solve storage and transmission challenges.

In nuclear, “I think you have to go for a big win, because you’re going to have your money tied up for decades.” It will be crucial to harmonize regulations globally, because you need a global market size to justify the size of private investment. Urges Gates: “We’re not gonna have a ton of nuclear start-ups, but we need more.”

Brewers eye NLCS berth in Arizona

The Milwaukee Brewers try to secure their first trip to the League Championship Series since 1982 when they attempt to finish off the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 4 of the NLDS at Chase Field.

Milwaukee was denied a sweep in this best-of-five set on Tuesday, as rookies Paul Goldschmidt and Josh Collmenter came up big for Arizona, which staved off elimination with an 8-1 victory.

Goldschmidt hit a grand slam in the fifth inning and tied a Diamondbacks postseason record with five runs batted in.

The 24-year-old Goldschmidt hit the first grand slam in D'Backs postseason history and became only the second MLB rookie since 1998 to hit one in the playoffs (Ricky Ledee for the Yankees in '99).

Collmenter (1-0), who went 10-10 with a 3.38 ERA in the regular season, gave up one run on two hits over seven innings -- a Corey Hart homer and Jerry Hairston Jr. single. He struck out six and walked two.

"That's what the coaching staff is asking ourselves is why is this guy so tough," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of Collmenter's success against Milwaukee. "But you're right, we haven't hit him three games now, and just two hits off him. We didn't square up too many other balls, Corey Hart lined out to third. Besides that, we didn't square up a lot of balls."

Shaun Marcum (0-1), who went 13-7 with a 3.54 ERA in the regular season, allowed seven runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings for the Brewers, who won the first two games by scores of 4-1 and 9-4.

The Brewers, though, are still one win away from advancing to their first championship series since 1982, when they beat the Angels in the ALCS before falling to St. Louis in the World Series.

Tonight they turn to veteran lefty Randy Wolf, who was 13-10 on the year with a 3.69 ERA, but hasn't pitched since September 27. He also led Milwaukee's rotation in innings pitched (212 1/3).

"He had some huge games for us when we really needed him to win," Roenicke said. "Wolfy has experience. When his command is on and he's got his rhythm going, he can really throw a great ballgame."

Wolf didn't record a decision in either of his two previous postseason starts with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but did pitch to a 5.00 ERA in those games.

"I feel like, for the most part, I've been pretty consistent," Wolf said. "I think that's what I want to do when I'm out there is, day in and day out, you have a good idea what you're going to get."

Wolf is 10-5 with a 4.64 ERA in 20 games against Arizona, but allowed nine earned runs on 18 hits against the D-backs this season. He's also 7-2 with a 3.43 ERA in nine starts at Chase Field.

The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, will counter with a southpaw of their own in Joe Saunders, who was 12-13 with a 3.69 ERA this past season. Saunders is the only starter on Arizona's staff with any postseason experience, as he went 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in three playoff starts for the Angels.

"There's a ton of adrenaline," Saunders said. "I remember my first experience ... in Boston, and I just had adrenaline flowing through every inch of my body. And when you do it and you get through it and you realize it's just another baseball game, you kind of settle in and you kind of try to slow everything down."

He's faced the Brewers twice and is 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA.

Arizona won four of its seven meetings with the Brewers in the regular season.

Apple Unveils iPhone 4S With Voice-Recognition Features

Tuesday, 4 October 2011

Tim Cook is back on stage. He’s reviewing everything we’ve heard today. Now he’s pivoting from the devices to the company. “Only Apple could make such hardware and services…”

“I am so incredibly proud of this company and all of the teams that worked so hard to bring all the amazing things you’ve seen to reality.”

And that’s your Apple press event. Mr. Cook exits, stage left. “Layla” now playing over the speakers.

So, in spite of the many mockups that circulated online, and “new cases” that were “revealed,” the iPhone 4S looks exactly the same as the iPhone 4.

Investors seem unhappy with what they’ve heard. Apple’s stock is down 2.6 percent on heavy volume.

We’ll have more coverage soon. Thanks for reading.

‘Bohemian Treasure’ found in the woods

Sunday, 2 October 2011

Alberto Anton of Berwyn stormed into the Suburban Life offices in Downers Grove like a Forty Niner who had just hit the motherload today.
Nestled carefully in a wicker basket was a 25-pound mushroom commonly known as the Chicken of the Woods, Sulfur Shelf, or Chicken mushroom, that Anton found in the woods near Harlem Avenue and 45th Street.
He added the mushroom also has a nickname, the “Bohemian.”
“You don’t find them this big all the time,” Anton said. Every year, I go out to look for the giant.”
This is mushroom season, the seasoned mushroom hunter said. Picking is best between September and December, after the temperature drops to the 50s and it rains. It’s an annual ritual for Anton.
To prepare the shroom, he boils it in salted water for three minutes and it’s then ready to prepare to taste. Frozen, the mushroom will keep for months, he said.

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