Saturday, December 31, 2011

Nigeria: Christmas attacks death toll rises to 42 (AP)

LAGOS, Nigeria ? Gunmen killed two civilians in a northeast Nigeria town plagued by attacks from a radical Muslim sect, an official said Friday, as a hospital official said one more person died from Christmas attacks blamed on the sect, raising the toll to 42.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Hassan Ifijeh Mohammed told The Associated Press that the attack occurred after Friday afternoon prayers in a market near a mosque in the city of Maiduguri. Mohammed said the gunmen wounded a third person.

He said authorities believe the incident could either be a robbery attempt or another attack by a feared radical sect known as Boko Haram which has carried out a series of attacks and assassinations in the area.

Also on Friday, a hospital official said one more person died of injuries after a Christmas Day blast that struck St. Theresa Catholic Church near Nigeria's capital, bringing the death toll from Christmas attacks to 42.

The official, who asked not to be named because he is not permitted to speak to the press, said the victim died late Thursday after Sunday's blast outside the church.

A spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency reported 37 deaths as of Thursday evening in the blast near Abuja.

Four more people were killed in other Christmas violence blamed on a radical Muslim sect that wants to impose Shariah law in Africa's most populous nation.

The Boko Haram sect claimed responsibility for the coordinated Christmas Day attacks launched across Africa's most populous nation.

__

Associated Press writer Lekan Oyekanmi contributed to this report from Abuja.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111230/ap_on_re_af/af_nigeria_violence

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Paul Sends Pastor Down Memory Hole (talking-points-memo)

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LeGrand-inspired Rutgers wins Pinstripe Bowl 27-13

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano holds up the trophy Pinstripe Bowl trophy after his team defeated Iowa State 27-13 in an NCAA college football game on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, at Yankee Stadium in New York. ( AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano holds up the trophy Pinstripe Bowl trophy after his team defeated Iowa State 27-13 in an NCAA college football game on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, at Yankee Stadium in New York. ( AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Rutgers running back Jawan Jamison (23) holds up the player of the game trophy after his team defeated Iowa State 27-13 in the Pinstripe Bowl NCAA college football game onFriday, Dec. 30, 2011, at Yankee Stadium in New York. ( AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Rutgers running back Jawan Jamison (23) walks on the field after the Pinstripe Bowl NCAA college football game against Iowa State, Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, at Yankee Stadium in New York. Rutgers won 27-13 and Jamison was the game's MVP. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Rutgers running back Jawan Jamison (23) runs with the ball as Iowa State defensive back Darian Cotton (23) defends in the first quarter of the Pinstripe Bowl NCAA college football game on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, at Yankee Stadium in New York. Jamison was the game's MVP as Rutgers took a 27-13 victory. ( AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Iowa State running back Jeff Woody (32) scores on a touchdown run in the fourth quarter of the Pinstripe Bowl NCAA college football game against Rutgers, Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, at Yankee Stadium in New York. Rutgers won 27-13. ( AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

(AP) ? All year long Eric LeGrand inspired Rutgers from his wheelchair.

How could the Scarlet Knights ever slack off when their former teammate stayed so positive, was so sure he could overcome a devastating spinal injury and one day walk again?

After Rutgers completed its season with a 27-13 victory over Iowa State in the Pinstripe Bowl on Friday, it was time for the Scarlet Knights to thank LeGrand.

"Hey Big E! Hey Big E!" coach Greg Schiano shouted into the microphone as he stood at midfield at Yankee Stadium with the bowl trophy and pointed toward the press box. "This one's for you buddy."

LeGrand, paralyzed after making a tackle during a game last season, was shown on the huge video scoreboard while Schiano spoke ? busting out a wide grin.

"My heart kind of jumped because I wasn't expecting it," LeGrand told the AP in a phone interview.

He then went to the locker room and celebrated his friends. He said he even did a little shoulder dancing.

"That's our brother before and after the injury, and that's how we're going to treat him forever," Rutgers linebacker Khaseem Greene said. "Just having his presence around, it's amazing. He makes the locker room glow."

On the field, a couple of redshirt freshmen lit it up for the Scarlet Knights. Brandon Coleman hauled in an 86-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter after Iowa State trimmed the lead to 20-13, and Jawan Jamison ran for 131 yards and two scores on 27 carries.

"That's what we love to do. That's who we want to be," Schiano said about a running game that struggled much of the season, but seems to be in good hands going forward.

The Scarlet Knights (9-4) ran their bowl winning streak to five and improved to 2-0 this season at Yankee Stadium, where they beat Army last month. Rutgers, which played in one bowl game before 2005, is 5-1 in the postseason under Schiano.

The Cyclones (6-7) finished on a three-game losing streak, their last win coming Nov. 18 in Ames, Iowa, when they pulled off the biggest upset of the season against Oklahoma State.

That night Jared Barnett threw for 376 yards. In this game, Steele Jantz, who started the first six games, relieved Barnett in the second quarter and helped pull the Cyclones to 20-13 in the fourth on Jeff Woody's 20-yard touchdown run with 10 minutes left.

"We were not executing in a manner that I felt was going to lead us to a win, and from what we've seen in December's practices, made the switch," Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads said about the quarterbacks.

After an exchange of punts left Rutgers deep in its own end, Chas Dodd went deep to Coleman. The 6-foot-6 Coleman went over 5-7 cornerback Jeremy Reeves, then outran the corner to the end zone to make it 27-13 with 5:47 left.

It was Coleman's only catch, but it turned out to be the play of the game.

"I didn't go out there trying to make a play. I just went out there trying to do my job," Coleman said. "The number was called but I was still calm, cool and collected."

Rutgers grabbed a 7-6 lead early in the second quarter when Jamison powered through a tackler and scored on fourth-and-goal from the 1. On the next possession, Iowa State couldn't handle one of Rutgers' many blitzes, and Greene and Wayne Warren swarmed and stripped Barnett. Scott Vallone scooped up the fumble and returned it 12 yards to the Iowa State 4. The Cyclones managed to hold Rutgers to San San Te's 21-yard field goal.

Jantz replaced Barnett on the next Iowa State series.

The Cyclones didn't hold up as well on Rutgers' next possession. The Scarlet Knights marched 66 yards, 49 on the ground, and Jamison juked his way into the end zone from 12 yards out to make 17-6.

Justin Francis finished Rutgers' strong second half by blocking Zach Guyer's 44-yard field- goal attempt with 57 seconds left.

Iowa State jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first quarter, with Guyer kicking field goals of 40 and 46 yards on the Cyclones' first two possessions. Inaccurate throws by Barnett were key to stalling each drive.

The redshirt freshman was 2 for 7 before giving way to Jantz, who was 15 for 31 for 197 yards and ran for 36 yards.

"Most of it falls on the offense not executing and not what they did," Jantz said. "Not to take away anything from them because they have a great defense, but then again it ultimately comes back to me because I run the offense."

The Scarlet Knights missed the postseason last year for the first time since 2004, but rebounded this season to challenge for the Big East title behind a defense that came in ranked 14th in the nation.

Greene led the charge Friday with 13 tackles, three for losses, before being carted off in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. The junior was on crutches after the game and said he thinks he'll be OK in the long run.

Just like LeGrand.

"To have him in the locker room right now with all his buddies, that's special," Schiano said. "That's his senior class."

After Schiano made his short postgame speech, the fans in Yankee Stadium chanted "Eric! Eric!"

"Honestly, this was picture perfect," LeGrand said. "The only thing that would have made it better is if it could have run out there with them."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-31-FBC-Pinstripe-Bowl-/id-b03393e742384e878c51cc8a1ac8d48d

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Friday, December 30, 2011

Columbus Voyage Tied to Syphilis Spread? (HealthDay)

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 28 (HealthDay News) -- A new examination of the origin of syphilis supports the theory that the sexually transmitted disease was carried to Europe aboard Christopher Columbus' ships as they sailed home from the New World.

The disease was not spread through sexual contact at the time, but adapted to survive once it got to Europe, Emory University researchers say.

"Syphilis has been around for 500 years," study co-leader Molly Zuckerman, a former Emory graduate student who is now an assistant professor at Mississippi State University, said in an Emory news release. "People started debating where it came from shortly afterwards, and they haven't stopped since. It was one of the first global diseases, and understanding where it came from and how it spread may help us combat diseases today."

After analyzing skeletal evidence in 54 published reports, the researchers found that syphilis did not exist in Europe until after Columbus' historic voyage to the New World in 1492. They said that most of the skeletal material lacked characteristics that would meet standard diagnostic criteria for chronic syphilis, such as small holes on the skull and long bones.

It appears that skeletons previously considered evidence of syphilis in Europe before Columbus' trip were dated incorrectly because of seafood consumption, which would have altered the collagen levels of the skeletons, the researchers said.

Their appraisal is published in the Yearbook of Physical Anthropology.

"This is the first time that all 54 of these cases have been evaluated systematically," said study co-author George Armelagos, an anthropologist at Emory, in the news release. "The evidence keeps accumulating that a progenitor of syphilis came from the New World with Columbus' crew and rapidly evolved into the venereal disease that remains with us today."

The researchers suggested someone sailing with Columbus brought Treponema -- the bacteria that causes syphilis -- to Europe. This type of bacteria also causes other diseases that are spread through skin-to-skin or oral contact in tropical climates. Their theory is that the bacteria mutated into the sexually transmitted form to survive in the cooler and more sanitary conditions of Europe.

"In reality, it appears that venereal syphilis was the byproduct of two different populations meeting and exchanging a pathogen," Zuckerman said. "It was an adaptive event, the natural selection of a disease, independent of morality or blame."

The researchers said more study is needed to confirm their findings. "The origin of syphilis is a fascinating, compelling question," Zuckerman said. "The current evidence is pretty definitive, but we shouldn't close the book and say we're done with the subject. The great thing about science is constantly being able to understand things in a new light."

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides more information on syphilis.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111229/hl_hsn/columbusvoyagetiedtosyphilisspread

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Intel Debuts 'Cedar Trail' Atom Processor (NewsFactor)

Intel on Wednesday rolled out its latest Atom mobile processor. Formerly codenamed Cedar Trail, the new processor targets on-the-go computing devices with the promise of great battery life, affordability and new features.

In early 2012, devices from major OEMs including Acer, Asus, HP, Lenovo, Samsung and Toshiba will feature the new Atom processor. The processor dons a media engine that makes possible full 1080p high-definition playback of videos and Blu-ray content. The new Atom also includes additional digital display and output options, including HDMI and DisplayPort.

Intel's integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 3600/3650, combined with an integrated memory controller, works to improve performance and system responsiveness. The new Atom offers graphics performance up to two times faster than Intel's previous generation platform.

Practical Atom Applications

In terms of practical applications, here are a few details: Mobile systems that use the new Atom processors may have up to 10 hours of battery life and weeks of standby. With the new processors, Intel offers stronger overall system performance and up to 20 percent lower power consumption than its previous platform. All this means consumers can use their mobile devices all day without having to plug them into a power source.

Features-wise, Intel relied on its 32nm process technology to bring new functions to the platform. Some of those include a Wireless Display and Wireless Music. With these new features and wireless enabled devices, mobile consumers can share videos or photos wirelessly from their netbooks to a television, or stream music through their home stereo speakers.

A feature called Intel Smart Technology gives mobile users an Instant Internet connection as soon as they open their netbook, and updates e-mail, Twitter and RSS feeds automatically even in sleep mode. And Intel Rapid Start Technology empowers fast resume from standby mode and helps conserve battery life.

Industrial Applications

Intel is betting its new Atom will make mobile devices that run on processors more appealing to a broader audience with its dual-core Intel Atom processor N2600 and Intel Atom processor N2800. With lower thermal design power and power management features like Deeper Sleep and SpeedStep Technology, Intel points to expected interest from industries like healthcare equipment, retail systems and even entry-level digital signage.

In health care settings, Intel said the improved battery life and enhanced graphics means medical professionals can offer better patient care and bring infotainment services to a patient's bedside.

ARBOR technology plans to release a new patient infotainment bedside terminal based on the Intel Atom processor N2800 that helps clinicians improve workflow management and work efficiency, reduce human error and enhance healthcare quality. Patients can also access multimedia entertainment, hospital information and communication services on the system.

Intel said the new Atom's always-on, always-connected capabilities are also ideal for entry-level point-of-sale systems. Atom offers the ability to boot up instantly to serve customers at a moment's notice. Point-of-sale terminals based on the Intel Atom processor D2700 and manufactured by NCR Corporation will be installed in restaurant and retail locations throughout the U.S. beginning in the first quarter of 2012.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/semiconductor/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20111228/bs_nf/81567

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Thursday, December 29, 2011

Finmin rejects Air India debt recast plan- paper

Dec 28 (Reuters) - India has opposed the plan to recast debt of ailing state-run carrier Air India as it will force state-owned banks to take a big hit, the Economic Times reported on Wednesday, citing the financial services secretary.

According to the debt restructuring plan, banks will be required to set aside about 96 billion rupees ($1.8 billion) as provisions against total loans outstanding of 224.50 billion, the paper said.

'Banks do not have the capacity to take such a huge sacrifice on their books,' D.K. Mittal told Economic Times, adding there were plans to work out a package where the risk allocation was 'proper' and provision requirement 'lower'.

Air India spokesmen were not immediately reachable for a comment by Reuters.

A consortium of lenders to Air India has broadly approved its financial restructuring plan which includes extension of the tenure of about $4 billion of working capital loans as well as converting some of the loans into equity.

The consortium has 26 banks and is led by state-run State Bank of India, the largest in the country. IDBI and Bank of Baroda are others in the consortium with exposure to the loss-making carrier.

($1 = 53.03 rupees)

(Reporting by Swati Pandey in MUMBAI; Editing by Subhadip Sircar) Keywords: AIRINDIA DEBT/

(swati.pandey@thomsonreuters.com)(+91-22-6636 9123)(Reuters Messaging: swati.pandey.reuters.com@reuters.net)

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The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://www.xe.com/news/2011/12/28/2370697.htm?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=TL&utm_content=NOGEO&utm_campaign=News_RSS_Art5

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Golf: Baker-Finch?s Driver ?Yips?

?Golfers of quality are not immune to the "yips" but in 99 cases out of 100 it?s the putting "yips. For Baker-Finch, born in Queensland in October, 1960, it was the "yips" with a driver in his hand.? So writes Colin Farquharson at Scottish Golf View.

I have it on good authority; from a golfing mate from St Andrews who returned home for the event and witnessed that, ?At an Open championship over the Old Course, St Andrews before Ian's plight forced him to give up the game for a number of years, he hooked out of bounds from the first tee, i.e. across the first fairway, across the 18th fairway and over the white posted fence, more than 100 yards off line!

Ken, my mate, confirms that it?s most definitely more than 100 yards however he was seated too far away to see the look on Arnold Palmer?s face. Baker-Finch?s playing partner bidding farewell to the Open Championship at the Home of Golf.

There?s several solutions for putting ?yips? and now Baker-Finch is working on curing his driver ?Yips?.

Kiwi golfer, Jim Lapsley, who partnered Baker-Finch in a seniors' tournament this past year, says the Aussie can still be a brilliant golfer and now plays his tee shots off the ground to avoid duck hooking the ball.

"I played with Baker-Finch in Western Australia and the guy's short game is amazing. I played two days with him and he put the ball into the greenside bunkers nine times?He got up and down in the first seven, and they would have all been gimmes. The last two would have both been from40-45 metres, and he knocked them to 10 feet too?It was an absolute masterclass??

Bob Warters also has an interesting story about the first tee on the Old Course.

?Worst golfer gets his reward?A businessman from North Carolina, who once had an air shot on the first tee at St Andrews in front of a group of spectators, has been named the worst golfer in his area.?

?Readers of Star News in Wilmington named Paul Greenham as hacker extraordinaire after a poll in the local newspaper whittled dozens of applicants down to seven? and Paul?s reward is a series of lessons from Masonboro Country club professional Jason Waffle.

Good luck Jason. Since Paul is quoted as saying, ?After 34 years playing golf, I?d like to break 100 just once.?

34 years is a long time regardless of how many or few games Paul has played. But perhaps he?s chosen to play on really hard courses; Carnoustie, Royal Aberdeen, Crail and Turnberry to name a few he?s played on and left evidence of his efforts on the course and its caddies.

There?s one Old Course caddie who?ll never forget Paul?s presence. After having whiffed on the first tee Paul proceeded to, ?hit my caddie, who had never been hit in 30 years of bag-carrying, before we?d reached the burn.?

?Here?s the link to Colin?and to Bob Warters??

Quote of the Day

A ?heads up? for Paul during his golf lessons.

?The reason the golf pro tell you to keep your head down is so you can?t see him laughing.? ? Phyllis Diller

Source: http://www.voxy.co.nz/sport/golf-baker-finch%E2%80%99s-driver-%E2%80%9Cyips%E2%80%9D/844/111578

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Video: Life as a combat grunt

At 36 and on his first combat tour in Afghanistan, "DP" is years older than many of his commanders. NBC?s Jim Maceda reports from Kandahar.

Related Links:

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/45792273/

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Picky Eaters Are Thwarting The L.A. School District's Attempts To Improve School Lunches

www.slate.com:

Getting kids to eat right may take more than simply replacing junk food with healthier options. That's what the Los Angeles Unified School District has learned this year, according to this article in the L.A. Times. Swept up in a Michelle Obama-led tide of enthusiasm for healthy eating, the school district kicked off this year by banning nachos and chicken nuggets from the cafeterias, and feeding the kids healthy and often vegetarian food. Many kids seem to be responding by skipping lunch entirely, and eating bags of chips brought from home instead.

Read the whole story: www.slate.com

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/27/picky-eaters-are-thwartin_n_1171662.html

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

GG, MacKay visit Canadian troops, civilians in Italy, Afghanistan over Christmas

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Source: www.globalnews.ca --- Sunday, December 25, 2011
OTTAWA - Canadians stationed overseas received a special visit over Christmas. ...

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inspiredmag: Texas Drought Kills As Many As Half A Billion Trees - Jim Forsyth via Planet Ark http://t.co/Qn36F3Go

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LG says Ice Cream Sandwich updates will start no earlier than April 2012, second push in Q3

LG Optimus 2X

It's been about a month since LG first announced which of its phones would be getting Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. And it's going to be at least three more months or so before any of them actually see it.

LG on its Facebook page today announced that the Optimus LTE, Prada Phone by LG 3.0, Optimus 2X, Optimus Sol, myTouch Q and Eclipse would start to see ICS upgrades in the second quarter of 2012 -- that's as early as April, as late as June. And coming in the third quarter -- that's sometime between July and September -- the Optimus 3D, Optimus Black, Optimus Big, Optimus Q2 and Optimus EX will start to see their updates.

That LG has committed to updates is great. That it's going to take a minimum of six months for a number of its current phones to even begin to see official updates is far less great.

Source: Facebook



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/iaC0cDSN-L4/story01.htm

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Monday, December 26, 2011

aashkingstonn: RT @mondell_: aw I got a new house, a ferrari, two jeeps, an ipad, 4 laptops, a playstation, an xbox and a swimming pool for my new hous ...

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GOP: Perry off Virginia ballot, Gingrich unclear (AP)

RICHMOND, Va. ? Texas Gov. Rick Perry has failed to make it onto Virginia's March 6 Republican presidential primary ballot, and the fate of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich hung in the balance, party officials said Friday.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul made the ballot, they said. But Republican Party of Virginia volunteers were still working late Friday to verify signatures Gingrich had submitted to the State Board of Election.

It's unclear how long it will take party officials to finish the process, Virginia GOP spokesman Garren Shipley said. He said it could be early Saturday before Gingrich's status was known.

Gingrich represented Georgia in Congress for two decades, but has lived in McLean, Va., an upscale Washington suburb, while he's worked in the private sector.

Failing to get on the ballot would be a major setback for Gingrich, who has tried to use his recent upsurge in popularity to make up for a late organizing start.

Shipley said the party was validating petitions the candidates submitted by the Thursday 5 p.m. deadline to the state elections board. It began validating signatures Friday morning.

The 10,000 registered voters must also include 400 signatures from each of Virginia's 11 congressional districts.

Perry's campaign fell short of the 10,000 signatures, the state party said.

It was unclear if Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum or former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman submitted petitions to the state board.

Meanwhile, Virginia's Democrats said President Barack Obama's re-election campaign gathered enough signatures to get him on the state's primary ballot.

As he is the only candidate who qualified, the state's Board of Elections will likely cancel the scheduled primary election.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111224/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_ballot

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

Mexico makes huge meth precursor chemicals seizure (AP)

MEXICO CITY ? Mexico said Friday that it seized 229 metric tons of precursor chemicals used to make methamphetamine, the third such huge seizure this month at the Pacific port of Lazaro Cardenas, all of which were bound for a port in Guatemala.

The seizure brings to more than 534 tons the amount of meth chemicals detected at the Mexican port in less than a month.

Authorities announced on Dec. 19 that they had found almost 100 metric tons of methylamine at Lazaro Cardenas, and earlier said that 205 tons of the chemical had been found there over several days in early December.

Experts familiar with meth production call it a huge amount of raw material, noting that under some production methods, precursor chemicals can yield about half their weight in uncut meth.

The Attorney General's Office said the most recent seizure was found in 1,600 drums, and had been shipped from Shanghai, China. All three shipments originated in China and were destined for Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala.

The office has not indicated which cartels may have been moving the chemicals, but U.S. officials have noted that the Sinaloa cartel, Mexico's most powerful, has moved into meth production on an industrial scale.

Sinaloa also has operations in Guatemala, and given recent busts by the Mexican army of huge meth processing facilities in Mexico, the gang may have decided to move some production to the Central American country.

Lazaro Cardenas is located in the western Michoacan state, which is dominated by the Knights Templar cartel and previously by the La Familia gang.

However, a series of arrests, deaths and infighting may have weakened those gangs' ability to engage in massive meth production.

Also Friday, the attorney general's office in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz reported that it had found ten bodies in an area along the border with the neighboring state of Tamaulipas. The office said investigators were alerted to the bodies by a tip, and are working to identify them and the cause of death.

The area has been the scene of bloody battles between the Gulf and Zetas cartels.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111224/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_drug_war_mexico

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Microsoft's quick start guide to Windows Phone at Christmas

Published by Ewan Spence at

Just in time for all the Windows Phone presents being opened for Christmas, Microsoft's Windows Phone YouTube channel has uploaded a bundle of getting started videos covering all the important areas of Windows Phone for the many new users around the world.

Here's the Live Tiles video, showing off one of the more popular elements in Metro that gives Windows Phone such a distinctive look and feel:

Also available on the channel are introductions for...

That should be more than enough to get all the new Windows Phone users up to speed - I wonder what they'll do next? That's the new users... and Microsoft!

Source / Credit: Microsoft's YouTube Channel

Filed: Home > Flow > Microsoft's quick start guide to Windows Phone at Christmas

Platforms: Windows Phone 7.5
Categories: Video
?

Source: http://allaboutwindowsphone.com/flow/item/13908_Microsofts_quick_start_guide_t.php

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Somerset College Information Evening

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Saturday, December 24, 2011

A Year Since Tornado Hit Cincinnati

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POSTED: 7:08 pm CST December 23, 2011
UPDATED: 7:13 pm CST December 23, 2011

A Year Since Tornado Hit Cincinnati

?

It's been just about a year since an ef-3 tornado hit the small town of Cincinnati in Washington County.

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Source: http://www.4029tv.com/video/30067063/index.html

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

Japan's exports fall for second straight month (AP)

TOKYO ? Japan's exports fell for the second straight month in November, hit by faltering demand from Asia and Europe.

Exports shrank 4.5 percent from a year earlier to 5.198 trillion yen ($66.7 billion), according to a finance ministry report released Wednesday. The result is steeper than October's 3.8 percent decline.

The data underscore the growing pressures facing the world's third-largest economy, which relies heavily on exports to drive growth. A persistently strong yen, Europe's debt problems and the recent flooding in Thailand are eroding gains made since the March earthquake in Japan disrupted manufacturing.

Economists predict economic growth will slow this quarter after the economy expanded at an annualized rate of 5.6 percent in the July-September period.

Shipments to Asia ? usually a source of robust demand ? fell 8 percent in November. Exports to the European Union and the Middle East also retreated, while those to North America rose slightly.

Goldman Sachs economist Chiwoong Lee described the falloff in shipments to Europe as "especially pronounced."

"This suggests that the deterioration in financial conditions in Europe may be having a negative impact on demand there," he said in a research note.

By sector, electrical machinery exports took a 10.7 percent hit as demand for semiconductors and audio equipment tumbled. Motor vehicles shipments slipped 0.6 percent from a year earlier.

Meanwhile, imports jumped 11.4 percent to 5.882 trillion yen as Japan bought more fossil fuels to meet electricity demand.

That resulted in a November trade deficit of 684.7 billion yen. It was the second straight monthly deficit.

The turmoil in Europe and the U.S. has driven up the yen as global investors flock to the currency as a relatively safe haven. The yen hit multiple historic highs against the dollar this year.

A rising yen shrinks the value of overseas earnings when repatriated and makes Japanese products less competitive in overseas markets. The yen has weakened to around 78 to the dollar recently, but exporters say it is still too high.

The currency levels have forced manufacturers including Nissan Motor Co. and Panasonic Corp. to shift some production overseas, a trend that could further undermine Japan's exports.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111221/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_economy

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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

November service sector cools, factory orders fall (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Growth in the U.S. service sector eased last month, and new orders for factory goods fell in October, tempering recent optimism that the U.S. economy may be poised for a more vigorous rebound.

The Institute for Supply Management said on Monday its services index fell unexpectedly to 52.0 last month from 52.9 the month before, dragged lower by a decline in employment.

Although the headline number for the services index was at its weakest since January 2010, business activity and new orders both improved, showing the mixed nature of expansion that also was evident in the upbeat jobs report for November.

An ISM reading above 50 indicates expansion.

"The economy has improved, (but) it is still not growing very quickly," said Cary Leahey, managing director at Decision Economics in New York.

"This is the first disappointing indicator we've seen in the last couple of weeks."

Most economists continue to forecast that the United States will gradually expand at roughly a 2 percent rate next year, steering clear of recession as long as the euro-zone debt crisis is contained.

Following a series of positive readings for factory output and consumer spending, some economists think the U.S. economy will accelerate in the fourth quarter.

Macroeconomic Advisers, for example, raised its forecast for fourth quarter growth to a 3.0 percent annual rate, citing underlying strength in factory orders and shipments.

Pointing to growth in services, the ISM's gauge of new orders rose to 53.0 from 52.4.

"It's not as if we went into negative territory. It's just not as strong as you would like to see," said Marc Pado, a U.S. market strategist at Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. in San Francisco.

U.S. stocks held onto gains following the ISM report as optimism grew that an upcoming Europeans Union summit would break new ground to resolve the euro zone debt crisis.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Monday that France and Germany have agreed on a series of reforms to address the crisis. He was speaking after holding a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Resolving the euro zone's debt troubles would lift a dark cloud looming over the U.S. economy. Failure on the part of the Europeans, however, could still derail the U.S. recovery.

U.S. government debt prices fell, while the dollar weakened against the euro.

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Graphic: U.S. services sector:http://link.reuters.com/ham45s

Graphic: U.S. and world services PMI: http://link.reuters.com/gam45s

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FACTORY ORDERS FALL

The United States is still limping back from the punishing 2007-2009 recession, with economic growth hampered by a mountain of household debt and high unemployment.

After a dismal first half of the year marred by high gasoline prices and a Japanese earthquake disaster that stung global manufacturing, U.S. economic growth rebounded in the third quarter to a 2.0 percent annual rate.

That is weaker than in previous recoveries, although growth could pick up in the last three months of the year.

A report last week showed the U.S. jobless rate fell to 8.6 percent in November, although it remains well above its pre-recession trend.

In a separate report on Monday, new orders for U.S. factory goods fell in October for the second straight month, suggesting a possible softening in manufacturing. That area of the economy has been a key support for the recovery.

The Commerce Department said orders for manufactured goods decreased 0.4 percent.

Economists had forecast orders would fall 0.3 percent after a previously reported 0.3 percent increase in September.

(Writing and additional reporting by Jason Lange in Washington; Further reporting by Ellen Freilich and Chris Reese in New York; Editing by Neil Stempleman and Padraic Cassidy)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111205/bs_nm/us_usa_economy

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Monday, December 5, 2011

Boeheim apologizes for questioning Fine accusers

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim reacts after apologizing for statements he made earlier about the Bernie Fine sexual abuse case after Syracuse defeated Florida 72-68 in an NCAA college basketball game in Syracuse, N.Y., Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim reacts after apologizing for statements he made earlier about the Bernie Fine sexual abuse case after Syracuse defeated Florida 72-68 in an NCAA college basketball game in Syracuse, N.Y., Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim reacts after apologizing for statements he made earlier about the Bernie Fine sexual abuse case after Syracuse defeated Florida 72-68 in an NCAA college basketball game in Syracuse, N.Y., Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim reacts after apologizing for statements he made earlier about the Bernie Fine sexual abuse case after Syracuse defeated Florida 72-68 in an NCAA college basketball game in Syracuse, N.Y., Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim apologizes for statements he made previously about the Bernie Fine sexual abuse case after Syracuse defeated Florida 72-68 in an NCAA college basketball game in Syracuse, N.Y., Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim arrives at the post-game press conference where he apologized for statements he made previously about the Bernie Fine sexual abuse case after Syracuse defeated Florida 72-68 in an NCAA college basketball game in Syracuse, N.Y., Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) ? Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim apologized Friday for questioning the motives of the men who accused his longtime assistant of molesting them as minors, saying he reacted out of loyalty.

"I believe I misspoke very badly in my response to the allegations that have been made," said Boeheim, who spoke slowly and paused frequently during a postgame press conference. "I shouldn't have questioned what the accusers expressed or their motives. I am really sorry that I did that, and I regret any harm that I caused."

Former assistant coach Bernie Fine has been accused of child sex abuse by three men, including two former Syracuse ballboys. Fine, who was fired Sunday, has denied the allegations.

Boeheim said his apology and regrets came from the heart.

"No one said this is what you should say," he said. "This is what I feel."

When the allegations first surfaced, Boeheim adamantly defended Fine and accused the men of lying for money.

"What I said last week was out of loyalty," he said. "I acted without thinking. I couldn't believe what I was hearing."

Advocates for sex abuse victims had called for Boeheim to resign or be fired for his disparaging remarks.

Speaking after No. 4 Syracuse beat No. 10 Florida on Friday, Boeheim said his initial comments were "insensitive to the individuals involved and especially to the overall issue of child abuse."

It's the second time in less than a week that Boeheim has softened his stance toward the accusers.

After Fine was fired Sunday, Boeheim released a statement saying he regretted "any statements I made that might have inhibited that from occurring or been insensitive to victims of abuse."

On Tuesday, Boeheim insisted he didn't regret backing Fine when the allegations were first made public.

Boeheim said he spent time this week at the McMahon Ryan House for child abuse in Syracuse and plans to get involved to help raise awareness.

"I'm going to do everything I can to do that," he said, no matter whether he's coaching or not. "I've always been committed to kids. There's no question in my mind the issue of abuse is the No. 1 thing we should all be concerned about in this community."

One of the accusers, Bobby Davis, now 39, told ESPN last month that Fine molested him beginning in 1984 and that the sexual contact continued until he was around 27. A ball boy for six years, Davis said the abuse occurred at Fine's home, at Syracuse basketball facilities and on team road trips, including the 1987 Final Four. Davis' stepbrother, Mike Lang, 45, who also was a ball boy, told ESPN that Fine began molesting him while he was in the fifth or sixth grade.

A third accuser, 23-year-old Zach Tomaselli of Lewiston, Maine, came forward Sunday. He said he told police that Fine molested him in 2002 in a Pittsburgh hotel room after a game. He said Fine touched him "multiple" times in that one incident.

The U.S. Attorney's Office and the U.S. Secret Service are leading an investigation of child molestation allegations against Fine.

Earlier Friday, USA Basketball said Boeheim's spot on the coaching staff of the U.S. basketball team remained secure, though the U.S. Olympic Committee is monitoring the child sex abuse investigation of Fine.

Boeheim is the top assistant to Mike Krzyzewski on the team that will play at the 2012 London Olympics.

Asked about Boeheim's status, USA Basketball spokesman Craig Miller said, "Jim Boeheim is a member of the USA Men's National Team coaching staff.'"

The USOC declined comment, though a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press the federation is following the issue. The person spoke to The AP on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

Two high-profile Olympic sports have dealt with allegations of child sex abuse in the past two years.

In 2010, USA Swimming was hit by a number of sex-abuse allegations by coaches. More recently, 1984 Olympic gymnastics coach Don Peters was banned for life by USA Gymnastics after being accused of sexually abusing two athletes in the 1980s.

Over the past 18 months, the USOC has increased efforts to ensure safe environments for children who participate in Olympic sports.

The federation adopted a task force that encouraged the national governing bodies to adopt standardized policies to prevent abuse. It also hired an attorney to serve as the director of ethics and safe sport.

Boeheim was on the U.S. coaching staff in 1990 and returned in 2006.

___

AP National Writer Eddie Pells in Denver contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-02-Syracuse-Fine%20Investigation/id-09c30e1a14314ae3938204c42c02d16e

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2 giant pandas from China land in Scotland (AP)

LONDON ? Two giant pandas from China landed Sunday in Scotland, where they will become the first to live in Britain in nearly two decades.

The 8-year-old pair, named Tian Tian and Yang Guang ? or Sweetie and Sunshine ? were welcomed by bagpipe players and a host of dignitaries as they touched down at Edinburgh Airport on a specially chartered Boeing 777 flight called the "Panda Express."

The pandas, from the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, are to stay for 10 years at Edinburgh Zoo, where officials hope they will give birth to cubs. The female, Tian Tian, has had twin cubs in the past, but not with Yang Guang. The male panda has previously fathered cubs as well.

The loan marked the beginning of a U.K.-China research program on the animals, and both sides have described it as a signal of a growing friendship between Scotland and China. China sometimes gives or lends the cuddly looking animals ? considered a Chinese national treasure ? to other countries to boost relations.

"It shows that we can cooperate closely not only on commerce, but on a broad range of environmental and cultural issues as well," said British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

Zoo officials have spent the past five years securing the loan of the animals, which are expected to boost Scottish tourism. The loan was announced in January, when Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang visited Britain to sign billions in trade deals.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland will pay more than 600,000 pounds ($935,000) a year to China for the loan of Sweetie and Sunshine, not including the expense of importing bamboo from the Netherlands.

The pair of pandas, which were given an in-flight meal of bamboo, apples and carrots, will have two weeks to settle at the zoo before going on display to the public. They will be kept in two separate enclosures for a few months until they are ready to be introduced to each other.

The zoo also plans to put four hidden "panda cams" in their enclosures and stream the footage online to attract viewers from around the world.

Britain's last giant panda, Ming Ming, lived in the London Zoo until 1994, when she was returned to China.

In 1974, British Prime Minister Edward Heath received two pandas from the Chinese government as a goodwill gift to mark his visit to China. Female Ching-Ching and male Chia-Chia became a much-loved attraction at the London Zoo, but never produced any cubs.

___

Sylvia Hui can be reached at: http://twitter.com/sylviahui

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111204/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_china_pandas

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Sunday, December 4, 2011

H&R Block 2Q loss widens; mortgage claims spike (AP)

NEW YORK ? A spike in claims related to bad loans written by its now-shuttered subprime mortgage unit shouldn't create any new liability for H&R Block Inc., company executives said Thursday after releasing results that showed a wider loss for its fiscal second-quarter.

The nation's largest tax preparer said claims from investors in securities backed by those mortgages, and from insurers who covered those investments, shot up to $483 million during the quarter, from $21 million a year earlier.

Sand Canyon Corp., as the former OptionOne mortgage unit is now called, reviewed $61 million in claims during the quarter, resulting in incurred losses of $3 million.

While the losses remained in line with prior quarters, the new claims totaled more than three times as many as were filed in the previous four quarters combined. But Block executives said the higher claims won't likely result in a similar increase in losses.

Chief Financial Officer Jeff Brown said since May 2009, 85 percent of claims that Sand Canyon has reviewed were found invalid, mainly because OptionOne was a pure subprime lender, which had relatively weak lending standards.

The claims increase led Sand Canyon to set aside an additional $20 million during the quarter to cover losses. But executives said that doesn't portend any increased liability to Block.

"Whether or not claim activity remains at elevated levels in the near future, we believe Sand Canyon's financial position is sufficient to satisfy all valid claims," said Block CEO Bill Cobb during a conference call to discuss the quarterly results.

He noted Sand Canyon is a "separate legal entity" from Block, and the tax preparer believes it is therefore sheltered from having to pitch in cash to cover any claims.

The issue has weighed on Block shares for some time, as Wall Street has fretted it could end up on the hook for buying back millions more in soured mortgages.

The topic's resurgence after a few quarters in the background hurt Block's shares. In afterhours trading after Block released its results, the company's shares fell 43 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $15.63. The stock closed the regular session at $16.06.

Block said it closed its previously announced sale of its RSM McGladrey business consulting unit on Wednesday. And it booked charges for the previously planned shutdown of its ExpressTax unit.

The resulting shifting of funds boosted Block's loss to $141.7 million, or 47 cents per share, for the three months ended Oct. 31. A year earlier, it posted a loss of $109 million, or 36 cents per share.

Block typically posts a second-quarter loss because most of its revenue comes during the U.S. tax season.

Excluding the ExpressTax charges and losses from discontinued operations, H&R Block said it lost 38 cents per share in the recent quarter.

On the revenue side, growth in Block's Australian tax business helped the quarter's revenue rise 8 percent to $129.2 million, from $119.6 million last year.

That performance fell short of analyst projections.

On average, analysts expected an adjusted loss of 35 cents per share, on $328.9 million in revenue, according to data provided by FactSet. Both figures included RSM McGladrey's business. Last year, the consulting unit took in revenue of $203.4 million in the quarter.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111202/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_h_r_block

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Southern Miss ruins No. 7 Houston's BCS hopes

Houston's Sammy Brown (8) and Radermon Scypion (91) watch a replay during the fourth quarter of a Conference USA championship NCAA college football game against Southern Mississippi, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Houston. Southern Mississippi defeated Houston 49-28. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

Houston's Sammy Brown (8) and Radermon Scypion (91) watch a replay during the fourth quarter of a Conference USA championship NCAA college football game against Southern Mississippi, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Houston. Southern Mississippi defeated Houston 49-28. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

Southern Mississippi's Austin Davis passes during the fourth quarter of the Conference USA championship NCAA college football game against Houston, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Houston. Southern Mississippi beat Houston 49-28. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

Southern Mississippi's Khyri Thomton (98) hits Houston quarterback Case Keenum (7) as he throws during the fourth quarter of a Conference USA championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Houston. Southern Mississippi beat Houston 49-28. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

Houston's Case Keenum (7) is pressured by Southern Mississippi's Cordano Law (49) during the third quarter of a Conference USA championship NCAA college football game on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Houston. Southern Mississippi defeated Houston 49-28. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

Southern Mississippi quarterback Austin Davis (12) celebrates after a Conference USA championship NCAA college football game against Houston, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Houston. Southern Mississippi defeated Houston 49-28. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

(AP) ? Houston lost much more than a game in Saturday's Conference USA championship.

Austin Davis threw four touchdown passes and No. 24 Southern Mississippi ruined Houston's perfect season and Bowl Championship Series hopes with a 49-28 victory over the seventh-ranked Cougars.

It was star quarterback Case Keenum's last home game for Houston for sure, and could've also been the finale for coach Kevin Sumlin, who's mentioned as a top candidate for virtually every higher-profile job opening.

Sumlin shot down a media report that he'll soon become the coach at Texas A&M, which fired Mike Sherman only two days ago.

"That is not true," Sumlin said. "I said a few weeks ago I wasn't going to talk to anybody, period, during the football season. Many of the things that have been reported have been found out to be false already.

"I haven't talked to anybody," he said. "I haven't said anything to anybody about it."

Houston athletics director Mack Rhoades will discuss a contract extension soon with Sumlin, who was an offensive assistant under R.C. Slocum at A&M from 2001-02. Sumlin is 35-17 in four seasons here.

"People are crazy if they don't think we are working our tails off to do what we can to keep him," Rhoades said. "He's a terrific person and a terrific head coach, and we're going to continue to (communicate), and that is all I am going to say about that."

On a grander scale, the Cougars (12-1) blew its big chance to impress a national-television audience and show that they had finally climbed to the top in their state after years of playing in the shadows of A&M and Texas.

Keenum could've also bolstered his case for an invitation to next week's Heisman Trophy ceremony.

Instead, the Golden Eagles (11-2) turned it into their showcase, shackling Houston's high-powered offense and striking with several big plays of their own to win their first league title and reach 11 victories for the first time.

"Everybody thought Houston was just going to walk away with this thing," Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora said. "So our guys obviously took objection to that. They had something to prove. They were going to play with a chip on their shoulders. They wanted everybody to know that Southern Miss is really a good football team."

Southern Miss won the C-USA championship for the first time, and the league for the fifth time overall.

Tracey Lampley caught two touchdown passes and the Golden Eagles became the first team to hold Houston, averaging more than 50 per game, below 35 points this season.

Keenum completed 41 of 67 passes for 373 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions. He became the first quarterback to reach 5,000 yards passing in three seasons, one more record to tack onto his magnificent career.

But the only goal he cared about reaching Saturday was lifting the program to its first undefeated season and first BCS berth.

Now, all he and the Cougars have to look forward to is a disappointing, lower-tier bowl.

"It was in our grasp," Keenum said, "and we let it slip away."

The Cougars nimbly played through the groundswell of rumors about Sumlin in recent weeks, and vowed that they wouldn't lose focus leading up to the biggest game in program history.

It was obvious from the start, though, that the Cougars were off-kilter.

Southern Miss jumped to a 14-0 lead before Keenum finally started clicking midway through the second quarter.

"We weren't affected at all," Keenum said of dealing with distractions. "We went out there, and it was just about the conference championship game."

Charles Sims gained 31 yards on a screen pass, and Keenum found Justin Johnson for a 9-yard touchdown pass with 7:48 left in the half.

Keenum went 3 for 3 on the next series, hitting Johnson in stride down the middle for a tying 50-yard touchdown.

Houston's defense, vastly improved from last season, never got a handle on Davis, who also rushed for 47 yards.

Southern Miss went up 21-14 at the break, and the Cougars looked just as shaky after halftime.

Golden Eagles' defensive back Furious Bradley blocked Richie Leone's punt, scooped up the loose ball and took it 11 yards for a score and Deron Wilson intercepted a Keenum pass in the end zone.

The Cougars got that one back, when Houston's Philip Steward picking off a deflected pass and returning it to the Southern Miss 5. Michael Hayes scored on the next play to cut the deficit to 28-21, and a Houston rally seemed to be coming.

Instead, Southern Miss scored twice over the next seven minutes to stretch the margin to 42-21.

Sumlin called his players together and gave them a fiery pep talk between the third and fourth quarters, but that changed nothing.

Southern Miss linebacker Ronnie Thornton intercepted a Keenum pass and returned it 26 yards for a score with 2:41 left. As the Golden Eagles celebrated, Keenum unstrapped his helmet and slowly trudged off the field.

Keenum, a sixth-year senior, set Football Bowl Subdivision career records for total offense, yards passing and touchdown passes this year after missing most of last season with a torn knee ligament.

None of that mattered on Saturday.

"I knew at halftime I had 30 minutes left," Keenum said, "and that was the last time I would walk off that field in my jersey. It was not the way we wanted to go out.

"I'm not going to accept this," he said. "Whatever bowl game that is, we are going to prepare and go out winners."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-03-T25-CUSA%20Championship/id-a9da47326c4948bab20a497054883d6b

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Saturday, December 3, 2011

TopBrewer: The Most Minimal Coffee Maker Yet?

The TopBrewer is the ultimate coffee machine for the minimal denialist. Instead of having your eyes dirtied by a scattering of coffee related gadgets across the countertop, the sole visible part of the machine is a tap which arcs elegantly up from the depths of your kitchen and delivers both coffee and milk.
Even better, it [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/7bsIYETN5MM/

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