Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Former Colts coach Caldwell hired by Ravens

FILE - In this Dec. 22, 2011 file photo, Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Caldwell watches during second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, in Indianapolis. The Colts have fired Caldwell. The team announced the decision Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. Caldwell just finished his third and worst season as head coach of the Colts, who stumbled to a 2-14 finish without injured quarterback Peyton Manning. (AP Photo/AJ Mast, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 22, 2011 file photo, Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Caldwell watches during second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, in Indianapolis. The Colts have fired Caldwell. The team announced the decision Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. Caldwell just finished his third and worst season as head coach of the Colts, who stumbled to a 2-14 finish without injured quarterback Peyton Manning. (AP Photo/AJ Mast, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 4, 2011, file photo, Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell gestures during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass. The Colts fired Caldwell on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. Caldwell just finished his third and worst season as head coach of the Colts, who stumbled to a 2-14 finish without injured quarterback Peyton Manning. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) ? Jim Caldwell is back in the NFL, this time as the Baltimore Ravens quarterbacks coach.

The 57-year-old Caldwell was hired on Monday by the Ravens. The appointment comes less than two weeks after Caldwell was fired as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts following a 2-14 season.

Caldwell went 26-22 in three years with Indianapolis, including a Super Bowl appearance.

After working with Colts standout quarterback Peyton Manning for 10 seasons, Caldwell will turn his attention toward improving Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco and teaming with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to strengthen Baltimore's passing game, which ranked 19th this season.

"After spending considerable time with Jim over the last week, we think he will be an excellent fit with our team, coaching the quarterbacks and helping with our offense," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "We believe he enhances our staff. Jim has a tremendous history coaching at the college and pro level, especially working with quarterbacks and providing help with offenses.

"The timing is right to add a quarterbacks coach after Cam and Joe worked so closely and well together this year. It's the right step for us now."

Before taking over as head coach at Indianapolis, Caldwell spent seven seasons as the team's quarterbacks coach. Under his direction, Manning won three NFL MVP awards. In 2004, Indianapolis went 12-4 behind Manning, who threw for a career-high 49 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions.

"I am really excited to work with coach Harbaugh, Cam and the rest of the coaching staff," Caldwell said. "It's a great fit for me, and I'm happy they saw it that way. I can't wait to get started with the Ravens, an organization that from top to bottom is one of the NFL's best."

Baltimore is the only NFL team to reach the playoffs in each of the last four seasons. The Ravens were eliminated this year by New England in the AFC title game.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-30-Ravens-Caldwell/id-3b1375ccfab245b2ae7960497ebf9524

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Samsung Galaxy Note coming to Bell, Rogers and Telus in February

Those of you who seem to be more closely connected to the Maple Leaf than the pine needle might've jumped on the envious side at the news that folks across the border are getting their hands on the LTE Galaxy Note. Envy no more. Via blog post, Rogers has announced that Samsung's "phablet" creation will be surfing through its fresh 4G waves in the upcoming month. Aside from the Rogers branding we expect to see, it'll be hard to distinguish this Note from its AT&T brother, as it'll be identical in the specs department. Based on a page thrown up at Best Buy Canada, it looks as if it'll sell for $249.99 on a three-year contract (with Bell and Telus getting in on the fun, too), with the first of 'em shipping out on Valentine's Day. Desperate to be the first to try and fit this in your pocket? Head on to the source to join the carrier's reservation system.

Samsung Galaxy Note coming to Bell, Rogers and Telus in February originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/30/samsung-galaxy-note-lte-rogers-bell-telus-canada-release-date/

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Monday, January 30, 2012

Soldiers, rebels killed in battle for Damascus suburbs

The crisis in Syria takes a dramatic turn for the worse. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports.

By msnbc.com's Alastair Jamieson and news services

At least 11 people were killed early on Sunday in separate attacks as Syria's government forces battle rebels for control of areas around the capital, Damascus, according to reports by the state news agency and activists.

The violence followed Saturday's announcement that the Arab League has halted its monitoring mission in the country, sharply criticizing the regime of President Bashar Assad for the escalating armed conflict.

The uprising against Assad has become increasingly militarized recently as some frustrated protesters and army defectors arm themselves against the regime. Last week, more than 70 were killled in a single day.

The rising bloodshed has added urgency to new attempts by Arab and Western countries to find a resolution to the 10 months of violence that according to the United Nations has killed at least 5,400 people as Assad seeks to crush persistent protests demanding an end to his rule.

But the initiatives continue to face two major obstacles: Damascus' rejection of an Arab peace plan which it says impinges on its sovereignty, and Russia's willingness to use its U.N. Security Council veto to protect Syria from sanctions.

Chris Doyle, director of the

Syria's state-run news agency SANA said "terrorists" ambushed a bus carrying soldiers on a road south of Damascus on Sunday morning, killing six soldiers and wounding six others.

It said an explosive device was detonated by remote control as the bus was traveling in the suburb of Sahnaya, some 12 miles (20 km) south of the capital. SANA says those killed include two first lieutenants. Six other soldiers were injured.

Meanwhile, Syrian government forces killed at least five civilians on Sunday in an attack to take back large suburbs of the capital Damascus that had fallen under rebel control, activists said.

Around 2,000 soldiers in buses and armored personnel carriers, along with at least 50 tanks and armored vehicles moved at dawn into the eastern Ghouta area on the edge of Damascus to reinforce troops surrounding the suburbs of Saqba, Hammouriya and Kfar Batnba, they said.

In recent days, Syrian government forces killed at least 33 people in a rebel town near the Lebanese border.

Rankous, a mountain town of 25,000 people, 19 miles (30 km) north of Damascus, has been under tank bombardment since Wednesday, when it was besieged by several thousand troops led by the elite Fourth Division, under the command of President Bashar al-Assad's brother Maher, they said.

A resident of the nearby town of Sednaya, who did not want to be identified, said the 33 were killed since Wednesday and that no casualty figures were yet available for Sunday.

"We have managed to get through to people there who say the bombardment has brought down at least 10 buildings," he said, adding that tens of soldiers have defected and went in to help defend the town.

"A tented army camp has been set up near the entrance of Rankous. Most of the town's residents have fled to nearby villages," he added.

There was no immediate comment from the Syrian authorities.

It was the second major attack on Rankous since November when it was stormed by troops after a demonstration demanding Assad's removal was broadcast on the Arab news channel al-Jazeera, activists said.

As foreign powers consider their next move, Russia has put itself in conflict with the West as it shields Assad's regime from United Nations sanctions and continues to provide it with weapons even as others impose arms embargoes.

Russia's defiance of international efforts to end Syrian President Bashar Assad's crackdown on protests is rooted in a calculation that it can keep a Mideast presence by propping up its last remaining ally in the region ? and has nothing to lose if it fails.

But Moscow's relations with Washington are already strained amid controversy over U.S. missile defense plans and other disputes. And Prime Minister Vladimir Putin seems eager to defy the U.S. as he campaigns to reclaim the presidency in March elections.

"It would make no sense for Russia to drop its support for Assad," said Ruslan Pukhov, head of the independent Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies. "He is Russia's last remaining ally in the Middle East, allowing it to preserve some influence in the region."

Moscow may also hope that Assad can hang on to power with its help and repay Moscow with more weapons contracts and other lucrative deals.

And observers note that even as it has nothing to lose from backing Assad, it has nothing to gain from switching course and supporting the opposition.

"Russia has crossed the Rubicon," said Igor Korotchenko, head of the Center for Analysis of Global Weapons Trade.

He said Russia will always be marked as the patron of the Assad regime regardless of the conflict's outcome, so there's little incentive to build bridges with the protesters.

"Russia will be seen as the dictator's ally. If Assad's regime is driven from power, it will mean an end to Russia's presence," said Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of the magazine Russia in Global Affairs.

Syria has been Moscow's top ally in the Middle East since Soviet times, when it was led by the incumbent's father, Hafez Assad. The Kremlin saw it as a bulwark for countering U.S. influence in the region and heavily armed Syria against Israel.

While Russia's relations with Israel have improved greatly since the Soviet collapse, ties with Damascus helped Russia retain its clout as a member of the Quartet of international mediators trying to negotiate peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

After Bashar Assad succeeded his father in 2000, Russia sought to boost ties by agreeing to annul 73 percent of Syria's Soviet-era debt. In the mid-2000s, Putin said Russia would re-establish its place in the Mideast via "the Syria route."

The most powerful Russian weapon reportedly delivered to Syria is the Bastion anti-ship missile complex intended to protect its coast. The Bastion is armed with supersonic Yakhont cruise missiles that can sink any warship at a range of 300 kilometers (186 miles) and are extremely difficult to intercept, providing a strong deterrent against any attack from the sea.

Reuters, the Associated Press and msnbc.com's Alastair Jamieson contributed to this report.

Source: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/29/10262653-soldiers-rebels-killed-in-fight-to-control-damascus-suburbs

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Awards-Season Action! Behind-the-Scenes Celeb Twitpics

Take a look at the stars' cute and candid Twitter photos as they rock red-carpet season

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/celebrity-twitter-pictures-awards-season-2012/1-b-422367?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Acelebrity-twitter-pictures-awards-season-2012-422367

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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Is identity fraud rampant in baseball?

In the wake of the ?Leo Nunez? and ?Fausto Carmona? identity fraud incidents, the New York Times has a story in which people around baseball talk about how widespread the problem is feared to be:

Few in baseball were surprised that two well-established players had misrepresented themselves. The fear is that the problem could be much more widespread. One agent said more than a dozen players could soon lose their contracts because of age and identity issues.

?These are like time bombs,? Mark Newman, the Yankees? senior vice president for baseball operations, said by telephone from the Dominican Republic while scouting there last week.

For his part Newman, as well as others in baseball, believe that the problem will get better. Still: as long as there are millions to be gained by an 18 or 19 year-old passing himself off as 16, this problem is going to persist.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/29/dominican-players-and-identity-fraud-these-are-like-time-bombs/related/

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If Round 1 is the war of words, Phil Davis leads 10-8 over Rashad Evans

CHICAGO -- In most interviews Phil Davis comes off as a reserved young man. He's not out to ruffle any feathers, but those of us who've had a chance to speak to him repeatedly always knew there was a potential media darling behind that conservative facade.

In the lead-up to Saturday's UFC on Fox 2 card, Rashad Evans has brought out the beast in Davis and the former UFC light heavyweight hasn't reacted too well.

It started last week when Evans flipped out on Davis calling him a "boy." Yesterday during the UFC on Fox 2 prefight press conference, Evans shook his head, appeared annoyed and even looked flustered on several occasions.

As the banter began, Evans tried to play it cool.

"For the most part, I've got nothing against Phil, but you we've got a fight so I've got a lot against him right now. It's personal, but not really PERSONAL personal," said Evans, who had heated prefight words with previous opponents like Tito Ortiz and Quinton Jackson.

Evans got irked when the issue of college wrestling came up. Phil Davis, a more accomplished NCAA star at Penn State than Evans was at Michigan State, laughed when someone asked if his opponent could beat him in a straight wrestling match. Evans kept saying "your technique is trash."

Then Davis was asked about missing the opportunity to face Evans back in August in Philadelphia. Davis quickly pointed out that he didn't get to fight in front of his friends and family from nearby Harrisburg, Pa. Evans took issue with the fact that Davis didn't say he was sad to lose out on the opportunity to fight him. Davis fired back, "Nobody heard me say that!"

Evans snapped again when Davis explained his understanding of what the result of a win could be, a possible title shot against Jon Jones.

"The winner of this fight will fight for the title, but in the event that I hit him too hard and break my hand ... it might lead to somebody else getting the title shot first," said Davis.

"You don't punch nobody hard. Phil can't hit. Phil punches with his hands open and everything," Evans said. "He couldn't bust a grape. You look like Arsenio Hall."

Davis laughed.

"Give him a hand y'all. Give him a hand," said Davis.

That opened the door for a female fan to ask Davis whether he looked more like Hall or NBA star Dwight Howard? Davis handled it gracefully as he done throughout the lead-up to Saturday's tilt. We'll see if his poise remains intact in the fight. Either way, this week showed he'll be a valuable asset on main cards for years to come in the UFC.

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? Cole: Giants chasing history instead of imploding
? Video: Shaq shows off his underwear on TV
? Video: Teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble watch

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/round-1-war-words-phil-davis-10-8-154948395.html

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Russian investigators probe election violations (AP)

MOSCOW ? Russia's top investigator says his agency is investigating a few dozen alleged electoral violations, even though opposition parties and election monitors have said they numbered thousands.

Claims that last month's parliamentary vote was manipulated to allow Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's party to retain its majority in parliament sparked Russia's largest anti-government protests in two decades.

Investigative Committee chief Alexander Bastrykin said Friday that almost half of the 36 alleged violations involve Putin's United Russia party.

Lawmakers from the Communist, Just Russia and Liberal Democratic parties dismissed Bastrykin's report and said they had reported thousands of violations including ballot stuffing and forcible removal of observers from polling stations.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/russia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_elections

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Sony Xperia S jogs past the FCC carrying AT&T 3G radios

The FCC boys were clutching at their multimeters in horror when they saw how much work they'd have to do when Sony's new Xperia S rolled into the bunker. Still, their loss is connectivity's gain, as the Ericsson-branded (for now, at least) phone packs quad-band GSM / EDGE, 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 UMTS and HSPA, RFID, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, 802.11 WiFi b/g/n and GPS. ANT+ is also included, which is a healthy sign that support for the fitness tracker will carry on through Ericsson's departure.

In related news, thanks to a post on the company's Facebook wall we know that the unit will be clad in an "anti-stain shell," -- hinting at a similar nano-coating to what we've seen on the Droid Razr. We've also heard rumors of a fast-charging mode that'll provide an hour's usage with just ten minutes of cable-time. Either way, it won't be long until we find out what's true, since the unit's sashayed past the FCC then it's most certainly on for that promised Q1 launch.

Sony Xperia S jogs past the FCC carrying AT&T 3G radios originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/27/sony-xperia-s-jogs-past-the-fcc-carrying-plenty-of-atandt-t-mobi/

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Rhapsody officially acquires Napster International, eyes European launch

After having already acquired Napster here in the US, Rhapsody has taken its expansion one step further, with the acquisition of Napster International. Under the deal, announced today, Rhapsody will continue to offer Napster-branded services across the UK and Germany, as promised, and will eventually migrate Napster subscribers to its own infrastructure in March, with existing personal libraries remaining intact (Napster is already live in the UK, but has yet to make its official German launch). The move will also bring changes to Napster users' mobile apps and web clients, with Rhapsody promising improved offline playback and enhanced library management tools "in the coming months." For more details, check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Rhapsody officially acquires Napster International, eyes European launch

Rhapsody officially acquires Napster International, eyes European launch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fresh iPhone Apps for Jan. 26: Paper Monsters, Ant Raid, One Epic Game (Appolicious)

This week?s big crop of games has seen quite a few quality entries. Paper Monsters leads the group, bringing a 2-D platforming experience with great 3-D graphics. Ant Raid successfully makes the strategy genre easy, casual and hard to put down, and One Epic Game adds lots of power-ups and goodies to the endless runner genre.

Platformer Paper Monsters has a lot in common with the PlayStation 3 game LittleBigPlanet, including a similar art style and protagonist. You play a hero made up of cardboard, running through a 2-D platforming world and searching for hidden objects to collect in each one. The more exploring you do, the better you?ll be able to discover the things you need to buy new stuff for your hero, as well as pull down the best scores in each stage.

Paper Monsters? best feature is its smart level design. You?ll find warp tunnels that rocket you into caves or the clouds, or take you into areas visible in the distant background. The game includes 16 big levels across four worlds, and includes Game Center support as well as Airplay mirroring, allowing you to play the game on your other iOS devices.

Ant Raid (iPhone, iPad) $0.99

As bees, snails and other critters attack various ant royalty strongholds, the only hope of the tiny insects and their queen lies with the battlefield abilities of one commander: you. In Ant Raid, you command a battalion of ants, tapping their groups and assigning them to attack enemies on the screen to destroy them. Ant Raid is partially an action game and partially a strategy title, scratching the itch for both and using simple, easy-to-pick-up touch controls to do it.

A former iPad-only offering that just made its way to the iPhone and iPod Touch, Ant Raid packs 100 levels spread across two game modes. There?s also a lengthy campaign (it stretches on for 60 levels) and a challenge mode, as well as Game Center support that?ll provide achievements and leaderboards to reward your command skills.

Endless runner One Epic Game will probably feel a bit familiar to you. It?s a lot like other entries in the genre, notably Monster Dash, although the game features levels with definitive ends that makes it a little different from its counterpart from Halfbrick. It also separates itself with its comic book art style and a number of power-ups that change the way the game handles, like lots of different guns and a short-term jetpack.

One Epic Game includes three game modes: a comic-like story mode, the pick-up-and-play freeplay mode, and a challenge mode that ups the difficulty of the game. It also includes five big worlds to run through and plenty of enemies to blast for big points.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/appolicious_rss/rss_appolicious_tc/http___www_appolicious_com_articles10873_fresh_iphone_apps_for_jan_26_paper_monsters_ant_raid_one_epic_game/44312497/SIG=13kpq227k/*http%3A//www.appolicious.com/games/articles/10873-fresh-iphone-apps-for-jan-26-paper-monsters-ant-raid-one-epic-game

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Tim Cook: Apple TV IS Still A Hobby, But I Couldn?t Live Without It

apple-openApple TV is still a hobby. The word comes from Apple's Chief, Tim Cook who nevertheless championed the company's current offering. He stated that Apple sold more than 2.8 million Apple TV units last fiscal year with 1.4 million moved within Q1 2012 (a new record for the device). ?Our Apple TV product is doing quite well? but in the scheme of things, we still classify Apple TV as a hobby. We continue to add things to it. If you?re using the latest one ? I don?t know about you, but I can?t live without it. Other than that, no comment.? said Cook.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/A-j5CpDOi2c/

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Romney?s inheritance lie (Americablog)

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Antioch Shooting: Six Hurt During Attack At California 'Sweet Sixteen' Party

ANTIOCH, Calif. -- Six people, including five teens, were injured when gunfire erupted at a girl's 16th birthday party in the San Francisco Bay area, authorities said Sunday.

Police in Antioch believe three or four male partygoers opened fire Saturday night when two groups began arguing, said police Lt. Scott Willerford. Violence is not common in the neighborhood in Antioch, which is about 38 miles northeast of San Francisco.

"Weapons were brandished and numerous shots were fired from multiple guns," Willerford said.

The gunfire wounded a 13-year-old boy, two 16-year-old boys, two 18-year-old men and a 21-year-old woman, police said. Their injuries ranged from a minor grazing wound to an abdomen wound, police said. Police did not say how many shots were fired, or specify what kind of weapons were used.

Three of the wounded have been released from hospitals, but the 13-year-old, an 18-year-old and the woman remained in serious but stable condition, police said. Their names have not been released.

Police are looking for three or four suspects described as "young men," but acknowledge they haven't been able to obtain more detailed descriptions. Willerford said callers reporting the shooting had said between 70 and 80 people were at the party, but many of them ran away when the gunfire broke out.

Authorities said the party was being thrown by the girl's parents.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/23/antioch-shooting_n_1222815.html

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Drawing thousands, Gingrich goes hardest at Obama (AP)

NAPLES, Fla. ? Buoyed by strong crowds, Republican Newt Gingrich put a greater emphasis Tuesday on a possible matchup with President Barack Obama and spent less time drawing contrasts with GOP presidential rival Mitt Romney.

The former House speaker saw his crowd sizes swell into the thousands, including an event at a U.S. flag-draped Sarasota airport hangar and another overflow event at a town square in Naples. He also enjoyed a burst of fundraising with a week to go before Florida's presidential primary. An official at a political action committee backing his White House bid said they were buying $6 million in Florida ad time.

All day, Gingrich made brief mentions of Romney. Gingrich referred to his rival as the moderate in a race where conservative credentials matter most. He linked Romney to Florida's former Republican governor-turned-independent, Charlie Crist, by talking about campaign staffers common to both men.

But he swung harder at Obama, saying he would offer the most striking choice against the incumbent in a November election.

Gingrich's remarks were partially timed to Tuesday night's State of the Union address. Gingrich said Obama should stop blaming his Republican predecessor for the country's economic woes.

"This is the fourth year of his presidency. He needs to get over it," Gingrich said. "A friend of mine says, `He has shifted from Yes We Can to Why We Couldn't.'"

Barely a half-year after his campaign all but imploded, Gingrich is reveling in a surge. He rebounded from disappointing showings in Iowa and New Hampshire to trounce Romney in South Carolina. Since then, he has shot to the front of many polls in Florida and nationally.

It's showing in his campaign finances, too. Gingrich officials said they raised more than $2 million since his win Saturday in South Carolina and expected hundreds of thousands more from finance events Tuesday.

A fundraising appeal sent out to supporters Tuesday underscored the new-found confidence.

"There is no longer any doubt that we can win the GOP nomination," Gingrich says in the pitch.

Winning Our Future, a Super PAC run by former Gingrich adviser Rick Tyler, said separately it would use its newly purchased ad time to criticize Romney on health care. Romney approved a health law as governor of Massachusetts that some have described as a model for the controversial insurance mandate achieved by Obama.

The PAC is financed largely by the family of a Las Vegas casino magnate.

___

Associated Press writer Shannon McCaffrey in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_el_pr/us_gingrich

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Disney OKs staff beards, goatees -- to a point

David McNew / Getty Images

Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., is among the Disney parks where visitors reportedly will soon see some staff sporting well-kept beards and goatees.

By msnbc.com staff

Ending a?rule that dates back to?their founding in 1955, Disney theme parks will allow employees to wear goatees?or beards as long as they?"create an overall neat, polished and professional look,"?the company announced Monday in a memo to staff.

The update to the guidelines known as the "Disney Look" go into effect on Feb. 3, according to the memo, parts of which were published?by insidethemagic.net.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts confirmed?to msnbc.com that the change had been made.

There is,?however, a well-defined?limit to the facial hair.?The memo states that any facial hair must be "neatly groomed and well-maintained at no longer than a quarter of an inch in length."

Disney in the memo added that it?also is starting a "Casual Friday" attire for staff not working directly with park visitors.

Disney last updated its "look" two years ago, the Orlando Sentinel reported, when it allowed female workers to forego panty hose when wearing skirts.

In 2000, Disney allowed staff to wear moustaches. Insidethemagic.net noted that Disney seemed to be behind the times back then, given that founder Walt Disney himself had one.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/23/10217843-disney-oks-staff-beards-goatees-to-a-point

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Monday, January 23, 2012

GOP race turns to new terrain in Florida (The Arizona Republic)

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Steelers QB settles lawsuit alleging '08 rape

(AP) ? Lawyers for Ben Roethlisberger and a woman who accused him of raping her at a Lake Tahoe hotel-casino in 2008 have reached a settlement that ends her civil lawsuit against the Steelers quarterback.

Cal Dunlap, the Reno lawyer representing the woman, told The Associated Press on Friday "the matter has been resolved." He said he had no further comment.

The Reno Gazette-Journal first reported the settlement. It also dismisses claims against Harrah's employees whom the woman had accused of covering up the alleged sexual assault in Roethlisberger's penthouse suite.

Dunlap said in papers filed in Washoe District Court that his client wanted to have the case dismissed because all the parties had reached a resolution of all claims and counterclaims.

The Pittsburgh quarterback's lawyer has had no comment.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-20-Roethlisberger%20Lawsuit-Settled/id-620f54df290944cfa3be85953871cf9b

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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Fired Penn State coach Joe Paterno dead at 85

FILE - In this Oct. 22, 2011 file photo, Penn State coach Joe Paterno stands on the field before his team's NCAA college football game against Northwestern, in Evanston, Ill. Paterno, a sainted figure at Penn State for almost half a century but scarred forever by the child sex abuse scandal that brought his career to a stunning end, died Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, at age 85. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 22, 2011 file photo, Penn State coach Joe Paterno stands on the field before his team's NCAA college football game against Northwestern, in Evanston, Ill. Paterno, a sainted figure at Penn State for almost half a century but scarred forever by the child sex abuse scandal that brought his career to a stunning end, died Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, at age 85. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 1, 1983 file photo, Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno takes a victory ride from his players after defeating Georgia 27-23 in the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game at the Supderdome in New Orleans, to win the national championship. On Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, family says Paterno, winningest coach in major college football, has died. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - In this Jan. 2, 1987 file photo, Penn State coach Joe Paterno is carried off after defeating Miami, 14-10, in the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game to win the national championship, in Tempe, Ariz. On Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, family says Paterno, winningest coach in major college football, has died. (AP Photo/Jim Gerberich, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011 file photo, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno arrives home in State College, Pa. On Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, family says Paterno, winningest coach in major college football, has died. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

In this photo taken with a fisheye lens, people gather around a statue of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno on the Penn State campus in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Paterno's doctors say the former coach's condition has become "serious" after he experienced complications from lung cancer in recent days. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

(AP) ? Joe Paterno, the longtime Penn State coach who won more American football games than anyone in major college history but was fired amid a child sex abuse scandal that scarred his reputation for winning with integrity, died Sunday. He was 85.

His family released a statement Sunday morning to announce his death: "His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled."

"He died as he lived," the statement said. "He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community."

Two police officers were stationed to block traffic on the street where Paterno's modest ranch home stands next to a local park. The officers said the family had asked there be no public gathering outside the house, still decorated with a Christmas wreath, so Paterno's relatives could grieve privately. And, indeed, the street was quiet on a cold winter day.

Paterno's sons, Scott and Jay, arrived separately at the house late Sunday morning. Jay Paterno, who served as his father's quarterbacks coach, was crying.

Paterno built his program on the credo "Success with Honor," and he found both. The man known as "JoePa" won 409 games and took the Nittany Lions to 37 bowl games and two national championships. More than 250 of the players he coached went on to the NFL.

"He will go down as the greatest football coach in the history of the game," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said after his former team, the Florida Gators, beat Penn State 37-24 in the 2011 Outback Bowl.

Paterno's son Scott said on Nov. 18 that his father was being treated for lung cancer. The cancer was diagnosed during a follow-up visit for a bronchial illness. A few weeks after that revelation, Paterno also broke his pelvis after a fall but did not need surgery.

Paterno had been in the hospital since Jan. 13 for observation for what his family had called minor complications from his cancer treatments. Not long before that, he conducted his only interview since losing his job, with The Washington Post. Paterno was described as frail then, speaking mostly in a whisper and wearing a wig. The second half of the two-day interview was conducted at his bedside.

"As the last 61 years have shown, Joe made an incredible impact," said the statement from the family. "That impact has been felt and appreciated by our family in the form of thousands of letters and well wishes along with countless acts of kindness from people whose lives he touched. It is evident also in the thousands of successful student athletes who have gone on to multiply that impact as they spread out across the country."

The final days of Paterno's Penn State career were easily the toughest in his 61 years with the university and 46 seasons as head football coach.

It was because Paterno was a such a sainted figure ? more memorable than any of his players and one of the best-known coaches in all of sports ? that his downfall was so startling. During one breathtaking week in early November, Paterno was engulfed by a scandal and forced from his job, because he failed to go to the police in 2002 when told a young boy was molested inside the football complex.

"I didn't know which way to go ... and rather than get in there and make a mistake," he said in the Post interview.

Jerry Sandusky, the former defensive coordinator expected to succeed Paterno before retiring in 1999, was charged with sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years. Two university officials stepped down after they were charged with perjury following a grand jury investigation of Sandusky. But attention quickly focused on an alleged rape that took place in a shower in the football building, witnessed by Mike McQueary, a graduate assistant at the time.

McQueary testified that he had seen Sandusky attacking the child and that he had told Paterno, who waited a day before alerting school authorities. Police were never called and the state's top cop later said Paterno failed to execute his moral responsibility by not contacting police.

"You know, (McQueary) didn't want to get specific," Paterno said in the Post interview. "And to be frank with you I don't know that it would have done any good, because I never heard of, of, rape and a man. So I just did what I thought was best. I talked to people that I thought would be, if there was a problem, that would be following up on it."

On the morning of Nov. 9, Paterno said he would retire following the 2011 season. He also said he was "absolutely devastated" by the abuse case.

"This is a tragedy," the coach said. "It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."

But the university trustees faced a crisis, and in an emergency meeting that night, they fired Paterno, effective immediately. Graham Spanier, one of the longest-serving university presidents in the nation, also was dismissed.

According to Lanny Davis, an attorney retained by the trustees as an adviser, board vice chairman John Surma regretted having to tell Paterno the decision over the phone.

The university handed the football team to one of Paterno's assistants, Tom Bradley, who said Paterno "will go down in history as one of the greatest men, who maybe most of you know as a great football coach."

Thick, smoky-lens glasses, rolled up khakis, jet-black sneakers, blue windbreaker ? Paterno was easy to spot on the sidelines. His teams were just as easy to spot on the field; their white helmets and classic blue and white uniforms had the same old-school look as the coach.

Paterno believed success was not measured entirely on the field. From his idealistic early days, he had implemented what he called a "grand experiment" ? to graduate more players while maintaining success on the field.

He was a frequent speaker on ethics in sports, a conscience for a world often infiltrated by scandal and shady characters.

His teams consistently ranked among the best in the Big Ten for graduating players. As of 2011, it had 49 academic All-Americans, the third-highest among schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision. All but two played under Paterno.

"He teaches us about really just growing up and being a man," former linebacker Paul Posluszny, now with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, once said. "Besides the football, he's preparing us to be good men in life."

Paterno certainly had detractors, as well. One former Penn State professor called his high-minded words on academics a farce. He was criticized for making broad critiques about the wrongs in college football without providing specifics. A former administrator said his players often got special treatment compared to non-athletes. His coaching style often was considered too conservative. Some thought he held on to his job too long. There was a push to move him out in 2004 but it failed.

But the critics were in the minority, and his program was never cited for major NCAA violations. However, the child sexual abuse scandal prompted separate investigations by the U.S. Department of Education and the NCAA into the school's handling.

Paterno played quarterback and cornerback for Brown University and set a defensive record with 14 career interceptions, a distinction he boasted about to his teams all the way into his 80s. He graduated in 1950 with plans to go to law school. He said his father hoped he would someday be president.

When he was 23, a former coach at Brown was moving to Penn State to become the head coach and persuaded Paterno to come with him as an assistant.

"I had no intention to coach when I got out of Brown," Paterno said in 2007 at Beaver Stadium in an interview before being inducted into the Hall of Fame. "Come to this hick town? From Brooklyn?"

In 1963, he was offered a job by the late Al Davis ? $18,000, triple his salary at Penn State, plus a car to become general manager and coach of the AFL's Oakland Raiders. He said no. Rip Engle retired as Penn State head coach three years later, and Paterno took over.

At the time, the Lions were considered "Eastern football" ? inferior ? and Paterno courted newspaper coverage to raise the team's profile. In 1967, PSU began a 30-0-1 streak.

But Penn State couldn't get to the top of the polls. The Lions finished second in 1968 and 1969 despite perfect records. They went 12-0 in 1973 and finished fifth. Texas edged them in 1969 after President Richard Nixon, impressed with the Longhorns' bowl performance, declared them No. 1.

"I'd like to know," Paterno said later, "how could the president know so little about Watergate in 1973, and so much about college football in 1969?"

A national title finally came in 1982, in a 27-23 win over Georgia at the Sugar Bowl. Penn State won another in 1986 after the Lions picked off Vinny Testaverde five times and beat Miami 14-10 in the Fiesta Bowl.

They have made several title runs since then, including a 2005 run to the Orange Bowl and an 11-1 campaign in 2008 that earned them a berth in the Rose Bowl, where they lost 37-23 to Southern California.

In his later years, physical ailments wore the old coach down. Paterno was run over on the sideline during a game at Wisconsin in November 2006 and underwent knee surgery. He hurt his hip in 2008 demonstrating an onside kick.

An intestinal illness and a bad reaction to antibiotics prescribed for dental work slowed him for most of the 2010 season. Paterno began scaling back his speaking engagements that year, ending his summer caravan of speeches to alumni across the state.

Then a receiver bowled over Paterno at practice in August, sending him to the hospital with shoulder and pelvis injuries and consigning him to coach much of the season from the press box.

"The fact that we've won a lot of games is that the good Lord kept me healthy, not because I'm better than anybody else," Paterno said two days before he won his 409th game and passed Eddie Robinson of Grambling State for the most in Division I. "It's because I've been around a lot longer than anybody else."

Paterno could be conservative on the field, especially in big games, relying on the tried-and-true formula of defense, the running game and field position.

"They've been playing great defense for 45 years," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said in November.

Paterno and his wife, Sue, raised five children in State College. Anybody could telephone him at his modest ranch home ? the same one he appeared in front of on the night he was fired ? by looking up "Paterno, Joseph V." in the phone book.

He walked to home games and was greeted and wished good luck by fans on the street. Former players paraded through his living room for the chance to say hello. But for the most part, he stayed out of the spotlight.

Paterno did have a knack for joke. He referred to Twitter, the social media, as "Twittle-do, Twittle-dee."

He also could be abrasive and stubborn, and had his share of run-ins with his bosses or administrators. And as his legend grew, so did the attention to his on-field decisions, and the questions about when he would retire.

Calls for his retirement reached a crescendo in 2004. The next year, Penn State went 11-1 and won the Big Ten. In the Orange Bowl, PSU beat Florida State, whose coach, Bobby Bowden, left the Seminoles after the 2009 season after 34 years and 389 wins.

Like many others, he was outlasted by "JoePa."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-22-Obit-Joe%20Paterno/id-4141ede6757b4343bc1e9da95abd0d88

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Samsung Will Obliterate Apple with This Very Lame Super Bowl Ad [Video]

Samsung doesn't seem to be able to beat Apple in their legal copycat battle. But at the very least, they'll have this slightly insulting, mostly obvious, certainly expensive Super Bowl ad to help propagandize. War is all hell. More »


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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Obama: State of the Union an economic blueprint

President Barack Obama sings before speaking at a campaign event, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, at the Apollo Theatre in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

President Barack Obama sings before speaking at a campaign event, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, at the Apollo Theatre in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

(AP) ? Vilified by the Republicans who want his job, President Barack Obama will stand before the nation Tuesday night determined to frame the election-year debate on his terms, promising his State of the Union address will offer an economic blueprint that will "work for everyone, not just a wealthy few."

In a video released Saturday to millions of campaign supporters, Obama said he will concentrate on four areas designed to restore economic security for the long term: manufacturing, energy, education, job training and a "return to American values." The release came the same day as the South Carolina primary, where four candidates competed in the latest contest to determine Obama's general election rival.

The prime-time speech will be not just a traditional pitch about the year ahead. It will be perhaps Obama's biggest stage to make a sweeping case for a second term.

"We can go in two directions," the president said in the video. "One is toward less opportunity and less fairness. Or we can fight for where I think we need to go: building an economy that works for everyone, not just a wealthy few."

That line of argument about income equality is emerging as a defining theme of the presidential race, as Republicans are in their own fierce battle to pick a nominee to challenge Obama in the fall.

By notifying the millions of supporters on his email list, Obama gave advance notice to his Democratic base and trying to generate an even larger audience for Tuesday's address.

Obama's preview did not mention national security. He is not expected to announce new policy on that front in a speech dominated by the economy ? the top concern of voters.

Obama is expected to offer new proposals to make college more affordable and to ease the housing crisis still slowing the economy, according to people familiar with the speech. He will also promote unfinished parts of his jobs plan, including the extension of a payroll tax cut soon to expire.

His policy proposals will be less important than what he hopes they all add up to: a narrative of renewed American security. Obama will try to politically position himself as the one leading that fight for the middle class, with an overt call for help from Congress, and an implicit request for a second term from the public.

The timing comes as the nation is split about Obama's overall job performance. More people than not disapprove of his handling of the economy, he is showing real vulnerability among the independent voters who could swing the election, and most Americans think the country is on the wrong track.

So his mission will be to show leadership and ideas on topics that matter to people: jobs, housing, college, retirement security.

The foundation of Obama's speech is the one he gave in Kansas last month, when he declared that the middle class was a make-or-break moment and railed against "you're on your own" economics of the Republican Party. His theme then was about a government that ensures people get a fair shot to succeed.

That speech spelled out the values of Obama's election-year agenda. The State of the Union will be the details.

The White House sees the speech as a clear chance to outline a vision for re-election, yet carefully, without turning a national tradition into an overt campaign event.

On national security, Obama will ask the nation to reflect with him on a momentous year of change, including the end of the war in Iraq, the killing of al-Qaida terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and the Arab Spring protests of peoples clamoring for freedom.

But it will all be secondary to jobs at home.

In a winter season of politics dominated by his Republican competition, Obama will have a grand stage to himself, in a window between Republican primaries. He will try to use the moment to refocus the debate as he sees it: where the country has come, and where he wants to take it.

In doing so, Obama will come before a divided Congress with a burst of hope because the economy ? by far the most important issue to voters ? is showing life.

The unemployment rate is still at a troubling 8.5 percent, but at its lowest rate in nearly three years. Consumer confidence is up. Obama will use that as a springboard.

The president will try to draw a contrast of economic visions with Republicans, both his antagonists in Congress and the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination.

Despite low expectations for legislation this year, Obama will offer short-term ideas that would require action from Congress.

His travel schedule following his speech, to politically important regions, offers clues to the policies he was expected to unveil.

Both Phoenix and Las Vegas have been hard hit by foreclosures. Denver is where Obama outlined ways of helping college students deal with mounting school loan debt. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Detroit are home to a number of manufacturers. And Michigan was a major beneficiary of the president's decision to provide billions in federal loans to rescue General Motors and Chrysler in 2009.

For now, the main looming to-do item is an extension of a payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits, both due to expire by March. An Obama spokesman called that the "last must-do item of business" on Obama's congressional agenda, but the White House insists the president will make the case for more this year.

If anything, Republicans say Obama has made the chances of cooperation even dimmer just over the last several days. He enraged Republicans by installing a consumer watchdog chief by going around the Senate, which had blocked him, and then rejected a major oil pipeline project the GOP has embraced.

Obama is likely, once again, to offer ways in which a broken Washington must work together. Yet that theme seems but a dream given the gridlock he has been unable to change.

The State of the Union atmosphere offered a bit of comity last year, following the assassination attempt against Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. And yet 2011 was a year of utter dysfunction in Washington, with the partisanship getting so bad that the government nearly defaulted as the world watched in embarrassment.

The address remains an old-fashioned moment of national attention; 43 million people watched it on TV last year. The White House website will offer a live stream of the speech, promising graphics and other bonuses for people who watch it there, plus a panel of administration officials afterward with questions coming in through Twitter and Facebook.

__

AP deputy director of polling Jennifer Agiesta and Associated Press writer Ken Thomas contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-21-Obama-State%20of%20the%20Union/id-bf3d961cbda147569efb5bac9dadfe01

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