Would Colleges Be Better Off Without Football? (The Atlantic)

Would Colleges Be Better Off Without Football? (The?Atlantic)

"Everything we think we know about college football's impact on students' grades, graduation rates, rankings, and school finances adds up to this: Football might be bad for some colleges"

Very interesting article that includes, of course, the Hail Mary and the ensuing 30% bump in freshman applications BC saw the following year. Equally interesting finding that public universities that win major bowls or in-state rivalries receive more funding from state legislators...

Source: http://www.bcinterruption.com/2011/12/30/2670974/would-colleges-be-better-off-without-football-the-atlantic

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Molecular mechanism links temperature with sex determination in some fish species

ScienceDaily (Dec. 29, 2011) ? A study led by the CSIC's Institute of Marine Sciences, in collaboration with researchers from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), has found the epigenetic mechanism that links temperature and gonadal sex in fish. High temperature increases DNA methylation of the gonadal aromatase promoter in female.

The environmental temperature has effects on sex determination. There are species, such as the Atlantic silverside fish, whose sex determination depends mainly on temperature. And there are other species whose sex determination is written within its DNA but still temperature can override this genetic 'instruction'.

Previous studies with the European sea bass, a fish whose sex determination depends on a combination of genetic and environmental factors, had shown that starting with a normal sex ratio population -equal proportions of male and females, it was possible to obtain an all-male group just through an increase in water temperature during a critical period of early development.

The most intriguing observation was that effects of temperature were maximum at a moment when gonads were not differentiated nor had they even started to form. Why was this happening, what makes temperature override the genetic component and so early was, until now, a long-standing puzzle.

Now, a research lead by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) has found out the answer. The team, lead by Francesc Piferrer, a CSIC professor at the Institute of Marine Sciences, in Barcelona, describes the mechanism which is induced by increased temperatures and triggers aromatase gene silencing.

Aromatase is an enzyme that transforms androgens into estrogens, which are essential for the development of ovaries in all non-mammalian vertebrates. If there is no aromatase there are no estrogens, and without estrogens the development of ovaries is not possible. The research, that has been realized with the contribution of the Center for Genomic Regulation, in Barcelona, is being published this week in PLos Genetics.

Early effects

In the experiment, scientists exposed two groups of European seabass larvae at different temperatures, normal and high temperature, during their first weeks of life.

Results show that high temperature increases the DNA methylation of the gonadal aromatase promoter (cyp19a), which, in turn drives its silencing as its transcriptional activation is inhibited. In the group exposed to high temperature there were genetic females that were only partially affected and yet developed as females. However, there were other genetic females with the highest level of DNA methylation that therefore developed as males because aromatase was fully inhibited.

This is the first time that an epigenetic mechanism linking an environmental factor to a cellular mechanism related to the sexual determination has been described in any animal. Previously, only a similar mechanism had been described in some plants.

As researcher Francesc Piferrer points out, 'animals are affected very soon, before differences between females and males become visible in histological samples, which happens on the 150th day of life, and even before the gonads start to form, which happens on the 35th day of life'.

This work explains why a few degrees of temperature rise masculinize these animals, something relevant in a context of global change.

It also explains why many fishes raised on farms are males, since farmers raise larvae in warmer waters in order to accelerate their growth. Piferrer adds that 'sex determination by temperature is very common in reptiles. It will be interesting to see if a similar mechanism to the one described exists in this group of vertebrates'.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Centre for Genomic Regulation.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Navarro-Mart?n L, Vi?as J, Ribas L, D?az N, Guti?rrez A, Di Croce L. DNA methylation of the gonadal aromatase (cyp19a) promoter is involved in temperature-dependent sex ratio shifts in the European sea bass. PLoS Genetics, Dec 29 2011 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.10021002447

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111229203027.htm

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IsraelLA: IDFSpokesperson: Update: a rocket hit southern #Israel, terrorizing civillians in their homes this morning #terror # via @IDFSpokesperson

IDFSpokesperson: Update: a rocket hit southern , terrorizing civillians in their homes this morning # via @ Il y a environ 3 heures via web

Source: http://twitter.com/IsraelLA/statuses/151902335596105728

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Rookie mistake: Markieff Morris' NBA debut ends on tough turnover

Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris by ngerik

Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns) played 25 good minutes and one bad second for the Suns in a close loss to the New Orleans Hornets on Monday. Markieff scored seven points (1 of 3 threes) with nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks (full stats here).

Markieff?s NBA debut was equal parts good and bad.

The good? Markieff showed off his all-around game again, but didn?t foul out (only four fouls after collecting six in each of the Suns? two preseason games). Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry also trusted Markieff enough to leave him on the floor in a one-point game with 4.2 seconds left.

The bad?

Markieff tried to get the ball to Suns point guard Steve Nash, threw the ball away with a second left and the Suns lost (video).

After the game, Markieff talked to the Arizona Republic:

?I just rushed it,? Morris said. ?It was my first situation. I just tried to get the ball out of my hands basically and made a bad pass.?

Nash took some responsibility for the turnover, too. From the Republic:

The play was designed for Nash to inbound to Morris and get a return pass, but Nash widened out to avoid an area where Trevor Ariza was guarding Grant Hill.

?I told him it was a tough play when we haven?t really played together,? Nash said. ?It?s as much my fault as his.?

After the game, Gentry called Markieff ?a work in progress.? But both Nash and Suns center Robin Lopez praised Markieff for his hustle and physical play.

You can watch Markieff?s full postgame interview here (listen for a Kansas mention at the end).

---

More from Monday

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) played another solid game for the Warriors on Monday. Rush logged 26 minutes (fifth-most on the team) and scored five points with three rebounds, two blocks, an assist, a steal and a three (full stats here). Warriors coach Mark Jackson spoke to the Bay Area News Group about Rush?s playing time:

"He's earned those minutes from the first day he came to this team," Jackson said. "He's not going to hurt you. He's going to make solid plays. He's going to rebound the basketball and he's going to battle defensively. ... There's a reason why we wanted him."

Golden State Warriors' Brandon Rush by ngerik

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) only played four minutes against the Orlando Magic in his first official NBA game. In those four minutes, Marcus committed two fouls and missed two three-pointers (full stats here).

• Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) did not start for the Bucks on Monday and played just 14 minutes against the Charlotte Bobcats before being ejected from the game. Gooden scored four points on four shots with five rebounds, two assists and a block (full stats here). Bucks coach Scott Skiles told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Gooden will be the team?s primary backup center instead of a starter.

As for the ejection: Gooden fouled the Bobcats? Gerald Henderson as Henderson was driving for a layup. The officials called a flagrant foul on the play and sent Gooden home early. Video of the foul here, with commentary by some very enthusiastic Bobcats announcers:

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) scored five points with two rebounds, two assists and a block in 22 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves (full stats here).

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) dressed but did not play (coach?s decision) in his return to his home state of Minnesota on Monday. 1500ESPN spoke to Thunder coach Scott Brooks about Aldrich, who hasn?t played in either of the Thunder?s two games this year:

"I think he came back in a good place," Brooks said. "One of the things about this league is that it's difficult to step in and play.

"Only a few players can do that and have success. Cole didn't play a lot last year, but he learned a lot. He learned how this league works and learned about our system and this personnel in this league. I thought he came back a better player."

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) also did not play (coach?s decision).

---

Other notes

• Greg Ostertag should be assigned to a D-League team this afternoon, if last week?s reports are correct. If you can?t wait until tomorrow?s recap, check out the D-League?s official Twitter account or Scott Schroeder, who originally broke the news and is on top of various D-League happenings.

• Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) is still day-to-day with his heel injury, according to the Boston Globe. He did not practice on Monday, and the Globe suggests he might be out until the Celtics? home opener on Friday.

• Since commenter kusportsdotcom asked: Sherron Collins (Hacettepe University) and Russell Robinson (Trabzonspor), who both play in the Turkish Basketball League, will face off next on March 17, 2012. The two teams played each other on Dec. 3, and Collins scored 13 points with eight rebounds and five assists while Robinson registered no points with six rebounds and three assists (full stats from that game here).

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Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Tuesday, Dec. 27

• 7 p.m., TNT, Paul Pierce (if healthy) and the Boston Celtics vs. Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat

• 7:30 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves

Source: http://www.lawrence.com/weblogs/hawks_nba/2011/dec/27/rookie-mistake-markieff-morris-nba-debut/

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Deadly Conn. fire caused by old fireplace embers

Stamford firefighter Nick Tamburro pays respect outside the home of Madonna Badger in Stamford, Conn., Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. A fire at the home on Christmas morning killed Badger's three daughters and parents. The Christmas Day fire that killed three children and their grandparents was a tragic accident related to a fireplace in the home, not the result of foul play, Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia said Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Stamford firefighter Nick Tamburro pays respect outside the home of Madonna Badger in Stamford, Conn., Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. A fire at the home on Christmas morning killed Badger's three daughters and parents. The Christmas Day fire that killed three children and their grandparents was a tragic accident related to a fireplace in the home, not the result of foul play, Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia said Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Firefighters lay a wreath in a memorial area outside the home of Madonna Badger in Stamford, Conn., Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. A fire at the home on Christmas morning killed Badger's three daughters and parents. The Christmas Day fire was a tragic accident related to a fireplace in the home, not the result of foul play, Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia said Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

People pay their respects at a memorial area outside the home of Madonna Badger in Stamford, Conn., Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. A fire at the home on Christmas morning killed Badger's three daughters and parents. The Christmas Day fire was a tragic accident related to a fireplace in the home, not the result of foul play, Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia said Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

A hand-drawn card lays on top of a memorial area outside the home of Madonna Badger in Stamford, Conn., Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. A fire at the home on Christmas morning killed Badger's three daughters and parents. The Christmas Day fire was a tragic accident related to a fireplace in the home, not the result of foul play, Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia said Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Aurelio Naranjo, a painter working for Madonna Badger, stops at a memorial area outside her home with his children Elizabeth, center, and Giovanni, right, in Stamford, Conn., Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. A fire killed Badger's three daughters and parents early Christmas morning. Naranjo last saw Badger and her children the Thursday before Christmas. He said Badger told him to take Friday off for the holiday. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) ? A Christmas morning fire that killed a couple and three of their grandchildren was accidentally started by fireplace embers that had been discarded near a first-floor entryway, officials said Tuesday.

The officials also said it wasn't clear if the home had working smoke detectors. Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia called the fire a "tragic accident," not the result of foul play.

Sometime between 3 a.m. and 3:30 a.m., a friend staying in the home put fireplace ashes in a bag and left it either in or outside a mudroom and trash enclosure attached to the rear of the house, said Barry Callahan, Stamford's fire marshal. The fire was reported just after 4:40 a.m.

"The fire entered the house quickly and spread throughout the first floor and up two interior vertical openings, trapping the occupants on the upper floors," Callahan said.

Officials described a frantic scene after rescuers arrived early Sunday.

Neighbors said they were awakened by screams shortly before 5 a.m. and rushed outside to help but could do nothing as flames devoured the large Victorian home.

Stamford acting Fire Chief Antonio Conte said the children's mother, Madonna Badger, had climbed out a window onto scaffolding and then a flat roof. She was screaming for her children and pointed firefighters to the third floor.

Firefighters climbed to the third floor twice, but the heat and flames were too intense and the children were not where they thought they would be, he said.

The friend of Badger's who had been staying in the home told investigators he actually had led two of the girls downstairs, but heat from the flames separated them, Conte said. One apparently went back upstairs and another one was found with her grandmother at the bottom of the stairwell between the second and third floors, he said.

Badger's father, Lomer Johnson, was found outside. It appears he had been planning to help one of the girls get out; she had been placed on a pile of books, so he could reach in and grab her, officials said.

"When he went out the window, that's when he succumbed and she died just inside the window," Conte said.

Flames were shooting out of the house when firefighters arrived, said Brendan Keatley, a Stamford firefighter who was at the scene and president of the local firefighters union.

"Two sides of the structure were walls of flame," Keatley said.

Firefighters used a ladder and construction scaffolding outside the house to reach the third floor, but they ran into extreme heat and poor visibility in a hallway, Keatley said. Four firefighters were injured as they searched for the victims, including a captain who suffered second-degree burns on his face, Keatley said.

Fighting the fire took a physical and an emotional toll, he said, and counselors were being made available to firefighters.

"We are devastated, just like everybody else is devastated," Keatley said Tuesday.

Badger, a New York advertising executive who owned the home, and her male acquaintance escaped. Her parents, Lomer and Pauline Johnson, who were visiting for the holidays, were killed, as were her three daughters ? 10-year-old Lily and 7-year-old twins Grace and Sarah.

The home's second floor was being renovated and Badger was awaiting a final inspection before she could get a final certificate of approval, said Ernie Ogera, director of operations for the city of Stamford.

There were plans for hard-wired smoke alarms, but they had not been hooked up, Ogera said. Officials did not know whether battery-operated ones were being used.

The Johnsons lived in Southbury, about 45 miles northeast of Stamford. Lomer Johnson had worked as a department store Santa Claus this season after a long career as a safety chief at Louisville, Ky.-based liquor maker Brown-Forman Corp., which he retired from several years ago.

The acquaintance who escaped, Michael Borcina, is a contractor who had done work on the home.

The severely damaged Victorian house situated along the Connecticut shoreline was torn down Monday after the buildings department determined it was unsafe and ordered it razed, Stamford fire Chief Antonio Conte said.

Badger, an ad executive in the fashion industry, is the founder of New York-based Badger & Winters Group. She was treated at a hospital and was discharged by Sunday evening, a hospital supervisor said. Her whereabouts were unknown.

A person answering the phone Tuesday at the Badger & Winters Group said it had no statement or comment.

Borcina was listed in fair condition Tuesday at Stamford Hospital, meaning his vital signs were normal but he may be uncomfortable. He declined to comment through a hospital spokeswoman.

Borcina, 52, of New York City, is the owner of Tiberias Construction Inc., which renovates expensive homes and businesses. The company's projects have included a Donna Karan store and artist Alex Beard's studio, both in New York City, and the White House Christmas wishing tree, according to the construction firm's website.

Borcina and Badger are friends on Facebook, and he said on his Facebook page that he enjoys skydiving and scuba diving.

Property records show Badger bought the five-bedroom, waterfront home for $1.7 million last year. The house was situated in Shippan Point, a wealthy neighborhood that juts into Long Island Sound.

The lot where the house stood was covered with charred debris and cordoned off by police with tape on Monday. Passers-by left floral bouquets, stuffed animals and candles.

Badger previously spent time on Shelter Island, a small, exclusive community at the eastern end of Long Island, N.Y. Town Supervisor James Dougherty said Tuesday that Madonna Badger served a few years ago on the town's deer and tick committee, which oversees the town's program to maintain healthy deer while eliminating tick-borne diseases.

___

Associated Press writers Stephen Singer and Dave Collins in Hartford, Bruce Schreiner in Louisville, Ky., and Tom Hays in New York contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-12-27-Fire-Five%20Dead/id-ccd03d8982b6467c90ffad7d79a61c08

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Outside groups air barrage of ads in Mass. race (The Arizona Republic)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/179378919?client_source=feed&format=rss

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UK's Prince Philip leaves hospital after heart surgery (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? Queen Elizabeth's 90-year-old husband Prince Philip left a British hospital on Tuesday after undergoing successful surgery to clear a blocked heart artery.

With the window of the jeep he was travelling in wound down, Philip waved at the media as he left Papworth hospital near Cambridge.

Philip, who was rushed into hospital by helicopter on December 23, has missed most of the royal family's Christmas festivities. The queen and Philip's grandchildren, including Prince William and Prince Harry, have visited him in hospital.

Philip was on his way to his family's rural Sandringham estate in eastern England, Buckingham Palace said.

(Reporting by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Alessandra Rizzo)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111227/wl_nm/us_britain_philip

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Training stepped up for Afghan special forces

In this Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011 photo, members of the growing Afghan special forces, practicing a house raid, prepare to enter and clear the building of suspected insurgents on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Deb Riechmann)

In this Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011 photo, members of the growing Afghan special forces, practicing a house raid, prepare to enter and clear the building of suspected insurgents on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Deb Riechmann)

CAMP SCORPION, Afghanistan (AP) ? "Attention! Attention! You are surrounded by Afghan forces. Come out with your hands up."

The order barked by an Afghan soldier launched a training exercise last week that pitted members of the nation's growing elite force against actors posing as Taliban fighters.

Afghanistan and the U.S.-led coalition have stepped up training of the Afghan special forces unit to fill the vacuum that will be left by foreign troops slated to end their combat mission in 2014. In the future, it will be Afghan special forces countering insurgents in villages across the country.

As the force expands, they will also lead more of the controversial house searches ? something that could mitigate Afghan President Hamid Karzai's intense opposition to the nighttime raids by international troops that Afghans have found culturally offensive.

Even though Afghan troops have been along for the more than 2,800 raids during the past year, Karzai has argued that the teams often treat innocent Afghans as if they were insurgents and violate citizens' privacy in the conservative Afghan society.

Karzai wants all raids halted. He wants foreign troops to stop entering Afghan homes. The thorny issue is being negotiated by U.S. and Afghan officials crafting a strategic agreement that will govern how remaining American forces operate in Afghanistan after 2014.

A recent national assembly of elders advised the Karzai government to allow the raids to continue as long as they are conducted solely by Afghans. If so, many more Afghan special forces soldiers need to be trained.

Neither NATO nor the Afghan Ministry of Defense would disclose how many Afghan special forces had been trained or how large the force will become. Jalaluddin Yaftali, a special forces team leader at the training site, said the force currently numbered 1,000 to 1,500.

"It takes time. It's like nation-building ? an endless task. It will take years, but the will is there and right now the force is growing," said Afghan army Col. Mohammad Farid Ahmadi.

"The program started two years ago, but now we are jointly working with the coalition forces to Afghanize as soon as possible. We have already started. It's growing."

So far, most have been recruited from the Afghan National Army Commandos, a quick reaction force regarded as the most professional unit in the Afghan army. Commandos receive 10 weeks of training on top of the roughly 10 weeks they completed to become an Afghan soldier. Moreover, Afghan soldiers usually serve about four years as commandos before being selected for special forces training.

Their training is further refined while partnered with American forces. Eventually, they will be tasked with a variety of operational missions, including night raids, throughout the country.

"It not only takes a long time to select the right people for the job, but also to bring them through a training program so they are capable of operating with other special forces or on their own," German Brig. Gen. Carsten Jacobson, a NATO spokesman, said at the training site on the outskirts of Kabul, the Afghan capital.

While some are already conducting solo operations, the Afghan special forces will continue to need coalition air power, intelligence and other support for years to come, he said.

Seth Jones, a RAND Corp. political scientist who advised the commander of U.S. Special Operations forces in Afghanistan, said it's hard to rush special forces training.

"The Afghan program, which was first conceptualized in 2009 and established in 2010, is relatively new. I remember participating in the brainstorming sessions as we helped build the Afghan special forces," Jones said.

"Focusing on numbers, rather than quality, and trying to mass produce Afghan special forces would be a serious mistake. I'm not suggesting anyone is doing this yet, but it should be monitored very closely."

The Afghan soldiers conducting the training exercise crouched in shadows at the foot of man-made hills surrounding the practice compound. The residential compound resembled a western cowboy movie set.

"Drop your weapons!" the Afghan soldier barked into a bullhorn. "Keep your hands raised and come out."

Trying to give the occupants time to cooperate, the more than 20-man Afghan special forces team waited patiently, their guns drawn. When nobody came out, they tossed two harmless grenades that made loud bangs when they landed in front of the house.

A few minutes later, an actress covered in a red shawl slowly emerged with her hands raised. The soldier with the bullhorn asked her to reveal her face so the troops could be sure she was a woman and not a man. When it was clear that she was female, she was led away to be searched by a female Afghan soldier.

Having male troops search females is taboo in Afghanistan. So is touching a family's Quran, the Muslim holy book, or entering a home without being invited ? things that foreign forces have learned in the decade-long war.

Soon after the woman left, two men walked from the house with their hands held high. Making sure they weren't armed, the troops ordered them to lift their shirts and pant legs. The would-be Afghan suspects then were cuffed and taken away.

"We are asking the Defense Ministry to make one special forces platoon of just female soldiers so they can go talk to the families, the children, the women," Yaftali said. "If you are a female, you can talk openly with the family."

It was clear to onlookers that the more than 20 Afghan special forces soldiers who conducted the house search and did a live ammunition training exercise with M4 rifles and 9mm pistols were the best of the elite force. With their dark glasses, night vision headsets, microphones and radios, they looked just like their U.S. Special Operations forces counterparts.

Jones said the first Afghan special forces soldiers trained were very competent because they were recruited directly from the Afghan National Army Commandos.

"In practical terms, this suggests that there will be some variation in the competence of Afghan special forces by 2014," Jones said. "Some will be fully capable ... but others may struggle."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-12-25-AS-Afghanistan-Elite-Force/id-ef5001aeaad141229da9a8255344bf9a

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Royal grandkids visit Prince Philip in hospital (omg!)

LONDON (AP) ? Queen Elizabeth II emphasized the importance of family in her Christmas message this year and her grandchildren brought some Christmas cheer to her husband, Prince Philip, as he recovered in a hospital after a heart procedure.

The 90-year-old prince was forced to miss the royal family's traditional Christmas festivities ? opening presents together, going to a morning church service and viewing the Queen's Christmas broadcast ? after doctors put a coronary stent in. Philip had gone to the hospital on Friday complaining of chest pains, which doctors determined were caused by a blocked coronary artery.

Buckingham Palace said it does not know yet when Philip will be released.

"The Duke is in good spirits and will remain in hospital under observation for a short period," the palace said.

Prince William and his brother Prince Harry drove in separate cars to Papworth Hospital from Sandringham, Elizabeth's sprawling estate where the royal family gathered to celebrate Christmas.

Prince Andrew's daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, also came to the hospital, along with Princess Anne's children, Zara and Peter.

The 45-minute visit from the royal grandchildren came after Elizabeth's annual, pre-recorded Christmas message to the nation aired. The royal family reportedly watches the broadcast together every year.

The theme of her broadcast ? family ? was especially poignant with Philip in the hospital recovering. The message was recorded Dec. 9, before Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, went into the hospital.

Wearing a festive red dress, the Queen said the importance of family was driven home by the marriages of two of her grandchildren this year ? William and Zara. William's royal wedding at Westminster Abbey captivated the world in April, and Zara had a quiet but elegant celebration in July.

The 85-year-old queen has made a prerecorded Christmas broadcast on radio since 1952 and on television since 1957. She writes the speeches herself, and the broadcasts mark the rare occasion on which the queen voices her own opinion without government consultation.

Elizabeth spoke of the strength family can provide during times of hardship and how friendships are often formed in difficult times.

She pointed to the Commonwealth nations as an example that family "does not necessarily mean blood relatives but often a description of a community."

With one notable absence ? Philip's ? the royal family kicked off their Christmas earlier Sunday with a traditional morning service at St. Mary Magdelene Church, on the Sandringham Estate.

The huge crowds that gathered outside the church to catch a glimpse of the Queen got an early peek when the royals made a quick private visit to the church ahead of the services. Less than two hours later, they were back ? in different clothes ? for the Christmas service.

The Queen arrived first ? dressed in a lavender-colored coat and hat ? in a royal limousine, leading the way into the church. Her oldest son, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla, trailed behind.

Harry walked in with his brother William and new sister-in-law Kate ? now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Kate, whose style is closely watched around the world and who sends any dress she wears flying off the shelves in Britain, wore an eggplant-colored coat and matching hat.

Among the other royals, Zara was joined by her new husband Mike Tindall, an English rugby player.

After the service, local children lined up to give bouquets of flowers to the queen. Thanking each well-wisher, the queen then handed the bouquets to granddaughters Beatrice and Eugenie.

Well-wisher Camilla Fitt, 71, said Charles told her that his father was "very determined" to get well.

"Charles said he is coming on," said Fitt.

The royal family then traveled back to the house for lunch, an integral part of their celebration.

___

Cassandra Vinograd can be reached at http://twitter.com/CassVinograd

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_royal_grandkids_visit_prince_philip_hospital165300768/44003188/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/royal-grandkids-visit-prince-philip-hospital-165300768.html

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Tweetbot wins TUAW Best of 2011 voting for best iPhone social networking app

The team at Tapbots is going to get an early Christmas present today -- their Twitter client Tweetbot (US$2.99) was voted the best iPhone social networking app by readers in our continuing TUAW Best of 2011 polling.

The app, which launched in April of this year into a crowded Twitter client market, quickly became a favorite of many iPhone users. How popular was it in our voting? Tweetbot pulled in 56.7 percent of all of the votes from over one thousand readers.

As with the rest of the Tapbots product line, the user interface for Tweetbot shows that a remarkable amount of thought went into the design. Moving between timelines is fast and easy, there are configurable gestures to perform certain actions, and even the sounds and animation in the app are designed to give Tweetbot personality that doesn't get in the way of communicating with the world.

Congratulations to Mark Jardine and Paul Haddad, the brains behind Tweetbot and the other great Tapbots apps. We can't wait to see what you have in store for 2012.

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Source: http://www.tuaw.com/2011/12/24/tweetbot-wins-tuaw-best-of-2011-voting-for-best-iphone-social-ne/

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Three U.S. citizens killed in Mexico attacks (Reuters)

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) ? Three U.S. citizens were among those killed when gunmen attacked buses in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz, said a U.S. State Department official said on Saturday.

The three were traveling for the holidays when they and several other passengers on the bus were killed by gunmen on Thursday, according to the U.S. official and local media.

The incident was one of several that day in which gunmen attacked busses in the eastern state, a major oil export hub that has lately become a flashpoint for drug gang violence.

On Friday, the tortured bodies of 10 people were found in northern Veracruz, local media reported, as attacks in the region intensify between the Zetas gang and Gulf drug cartels.

In September, 35 bodies were dumped along a downtown highway in the Veracruz city of Boca del Rio.

More than 45,000 people have been killed in cartel-related violence since President Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006.

(Reporting by Patrick Rucker)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111224/us_nm/us_mexico_dead

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Design your own Boeing 787 Dreamliner... but good luck affording one

Ever wanted to cruise the friendly skies on a 787 Dreamliner? Ever wanted to do precisely that on a Dreamliner of your own? Fantasies aren't always easy to achieve, but at least a new interactive portal is giving frequent fliers the ability to customize a virtual model of Boeing's new hotness. Of course, if you grow tired of tinkering in the source link, there's always our own hands-on experience to dive into.

P.S. - Drop us a line in comments if you find a 'Buy Now' section that takes The Centurion Card.

Design your own Boeing 787 Dreamliner... but good luck affording one originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/hhxRfIQxgRc/

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Jamie Dupree's Washington Insider: Congress Wraps Up 2011

It was definitely a messy end to the work year for the Congress, as the House and Senate quietly approved a two month extension of a payroll tax cut, capping off a post-Thanksgiving session that was marked mainly by political posturing and maneuvering.

Republicans stayed away from the TV cameras and microphones after final action by Congress, as instead Democrats dominated the airwaves.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) labeled the battle a "good learning experience" - aiming that remark at Republicans.

?I am glad the Republican leadership of the House finally did what they should have done in the first place," said Rep. John Lewis (D-GA).

As for Speaker John Boehner, he refused to answer questions from reporters as he left the House floor.

No Republican showed up during the short House sessions to even threaten the possibility of objecting to the two month deal, which deals not only with the payroll tax cut, but also long term jobless benefits and the Medicare "Doc Fix."

The plan also includes a provision on the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada, which gives the Obama Administration 60 days to make a decision on the project - one that has strong backing from Republicans and a number of Democrats.

The pipeline wasn't mentioned by President Obama before he left the White House to join his family in Hawaii.

"This is some good news, just in the nick of time for the holidays," Mr. Obama said in the White House Briefing Room.

The President urged Congress to quickly come up with a deal to extend the tax cut for all of 2012; those negotiations are set to begin after the holidays.

"Let's make sure that we extend this tax break," the President said, "for our families, but also for our economy."

The President didn't take any extra jabs at Republicans in Congress - instead he merely celebrated what many on Capitol Hill believe was a technical knockout against the GOP over the past week.

Mr. Obama then wrapped up with one word:

"Aloha."

Source: http://www.krmg.com/weblogs/jamie-dupree/2011/dec/23/congress-wraps-2011/

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U.N. condemns Damascus bombs, expresses grave concern (Reuters)

BEIRUT (Reuters) ? The United Nations expressed grave concern about twin suicide car bombings in Damascus and condemned the attacks that killed 44 people and lent a grim new face to the uprising in Syria.

With world powers arguing about details of a U.N. resolution on Syria, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate end to the bloodshed and urged the Syrian government to implement a peace plan proposed by the Arab League.

The first batch of 50 Arab League monitors will head to Syria on Monday to assess whether Damascus is abiding by an Arab peace plan, Egypt's state news agency reported on Friday.

European and U.S. officials want the U.N. Security Council to impose an arms embargo and other sanctions on Syria's government because of its nine-month-old crackdown on protesters against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, which U.N. officials say has killed more than 5,000 people.

The suicide bombs, aimed at two security buildings, sent human limbs flying and streets in Syria's capital were littered with human remains and the blackened hulk of cars.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdesi said the attacks were carried out by "terrorists (trying) to sabotage the will for change" in Syria, and followed warnings from Lebanon that al Qaeda fighters had infiltrated Syria from Lebanese territory.

Some of Assad's opponents said the suicide attacks could have been staged by the government itself.

The U.N. Security Council condemned the "terrorist attacks."

"Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and ... any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable," its statement said.

"EXTREME OPPOSITION"

Western powers say government security forces have been responsible for most of the violence in Syria. But Russia, an old ally of Damascus, wants any resolution to be even-handed.

"If the requirement is that we drop all reference to violence coming from extreme opposition, that's not going to happen," U.N. ambassador Vitaly Churkin said in New York after Russia submitted a revised draft resolution to the council.

"If they expect us to have arms embargo, that's not going to happen," he said. "We know what arms embargo means these days. It means that - we saw it in Libya - that you cannot supply weapons to the government but everybody else can supply weapons to various opposition groups."

German Ambassador Peter Wittig said the latest Russian draft did not go far enough. "We need to put the weight of the council behind the Arab League," he said.

"That includes the demands to release political prisoners, that includes a clear signal for accountability for those who have perpetrated human rights violations."

Assad has used tanks and troops to try to crush the street protests inspired by other Arab uprisings this year. Such rallies are now increasingly eclipsed by an armed insurgency against his security apparatus.

But Friday's blasts signaled a dramatic escalation.

"It's a new phase. We're getting militarized here," said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma who felt Friday's bombs were a "small premonition" of what may come in a country that some analysts see slipping towards civil war.

"This is when the Syrian opposition is beginning to realize they are on their own," he added, referring to Western reluctance to intervene militarily in Syria.

MANGLED BODIES

The interior ministry spokesman said 166 people were wounded by the Damascus explosions. It broadcast footage of mangled bodies being carried in blankets and stretchers into ambulances, a row of corpses wrapped in sheets lying in the street.

The United States condemned the attacks, saying there was "no justification for terrorism of any kind" and that the work of the Arab League should not be hindered.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Al Qaeda are Sunni Muslim militants. Assad and Syria's power elite belong to the Alawite branch of Shi'ite Islam while the majority of Syrians, including protesters and insurgents, are Sunnis.

"I'm defending my people," Ali, 45, an Alawite factory worker issued by police with a gun which he has used against protesters in the city of Homs, said in comments passed on to Reuters. "We can't let them topple the regime, they'll go after us and kill us all."

Syria has generally barred foreign media from the country, making it hard to verify accounts of events from either side.

The opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 15 civilians were killed outside the capital on Friday, eight of them in Homs.

The Arab League peace plan stipulates a withdrawal of troops from protest-hit cities and towns, release of prisoners and dialogue with the opposition.

Damascus says more than 1,000 prisoners have been freed since the Arab plan was agreed and the army has pulled out of cities. Anti-Assad activists say no such pullout has occurred.

Syrian Oil Minister Sufian Alao said on Saturday that his country's oil production had fallen by about 30 to 35 percent as a result of sanctions imposed on Syria over its crackdown.

The European Union has stepped up its sanctions against Syria's oil industry, including blacklisting state-owned firms. The Arab League has also imposed sanctions on financial and other dealings with Syria.

(Additional reporting by Dominic Evans and Louis Charbonneau; Writing by Andrew Roche; Editing by Peter Millership)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/un/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111224/wl_nm/us_syria_attacks

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Self-healing electronics trialled

21 December 2011 Last updated at 19:07 ET

Self-repairing electronic chips are one step closer, according to a team of US researchers.

The group has created a circuit that heals itself when cracked thanks to the release of liquid metal which restores conductivity.

The process takes less than an eye blink to bring the circuit back to use.

The researchers said that their work could eventually lead to longer-lasting gadgets as well as solving one of the big problems of interplanetary travel.

The work was carried out by a team of scientists and engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is published in the journal Advanced Materials.

The process works by exploiting the stress that causes the initial damage in the chips to break open tiny reservoirs of a healing material that fills in the resulting gaps, restoring electrical flow.

Cracked circuits

To test their theory the team patterned lines of gold onto glass to form a circuit.

They then either placed microcapsules 0.01mm wide directly onto the lines or added a thin laminate into which they embedded larger 0.2mm microcapsules.

In both cases the microcapsules contained eutectic gallium-indium - a metallic material chosen for its high conductivity and low melting point.

This device was then sandwiched between another layer of glass and acrylic and connected to electricity.

The researchers then bent the circuit until it cracked causing the monitored voltage to fall to zero.

They said the ruptured microcapsules then healed most of the test circuits within one millisecond and restored nearly all of the measured voltage.

The smaller capsules healed the device every time but were a little less conductive than the larger ones which had a slightly lower success rate. The team suggested that a mix of differently sized capsules would therefore give the best result.

The devices were then monitored for four months during which time the researchers said there was no loss of conductivity.

Safe space travel

The leader of the group said the theory could prove a boon to the space industry.

"The only avenue one has right now is to simply remove that circuitry when it fails and replace it- there is no way to manually go in and fix something like this," aerospace engineering professor Scott White told the BBC.

"I think the real application area that you'll see for something like this is in electronics which are incredibly difficult to repair or replace - think about satellites or interplanetary travel where it's physically impossible to swap out something."

The research is an offshoot of the university's research into extending the lifetime of rechargeable batteries.

The reason current systems fail after repeated use is often because microdamage inside the devices has disrupted the conductive flow of electrons from one end of the batteries to the other.

The team said that if they could solve the problem electric car batteries might last years longer than they do at present, making the vehicles much cheaper to maintain.

Greener gadgets

The group also claimed that the technique had the potential to offer more sustainable consumer electronic devices.

Professor White gave the example of mobile phone buttons that stopped working if repeated use had caused cracks in the circuitry below. He said self-healing systems would extend handsets' lifespans.

When asked whether profit-driven electronics makers would want this he replied: "I believe any company would want to provide their customer with the best performing product and if they don't, then other companies will step into the market to provide it.

"Basically what you see is that electronics are cycled now to give you added functionality.

"Maybe the way to do this is not to physically build new circuits and packages every time, but let's have longer lasting ones.

"Then the redesigns can be more software based or functionality driven, saving us from using up our precious resources by building millions of cellphones every year."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/technology-16291943

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As Obesity Rises, More Suffer From Acid Reflux (HealthDay)

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- As the obesity epidemic spreads around the world more people are suffering from acid reflux, likely increasing the number of those who will develop esophageal cancer, a new study suggests.

In Norway, the prevalence of acid reflux, also called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), has risen almost 50 percent in the past 10 years, say researchers led by Dr. Eivind Ness-Jensen, from the HUNT Research Center's Department of Public Health and General Practice at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Levanger.

The increasing number of people who are obese is "the main attributable factor," he said.

Ness-Jensen said the same trend of rising GERD symptoms is happening in the United States and all Western countries.

"The problem is that these symptoms are associated with adenocarcinoma of the lower esophagus," Ness-Jensen said. "What we are afraid of is increasing incidence of this cancer, which is increasing already. It might get worse in the future."

There are few treatments for this cancer and the prognosis is "very poor," Ness-Jensen said. "Luckily, very few people get it, but it is increasing quite rapidly."

It is possible that losing weight could reduce the risk of developing GERD and esophageal cancer, Ness-Jensen added. "That's our next study," he said.

The study appears in the Dec. 21 online edition of the medical journal Gut.

The team collected data on almost 30,000 people who took part in the Norwegian Nord-Trondelag Health Study from 1995 to 2009.

Over that time, the prevalence of those with GERD symptoms increased 30 percent and the number of those with severe symptoms increased 24 percent, the researchers found.

Those who had GERD symptoms at least once a week went up 47 percent, they add.

Both men and women of all ages experienced an increase in GERD. However, the most severe symptoms were mostly among middle-aged people, Ness-Jensen's group found.

Among those with the most severe symptoms, 98 percent took medicine to suppress the symptoms, compared with 31 percent of those with mild symptoms, the researchers noted.

Those least likely to have GERD were women under 40, but women were more likely to develop the condition as they aged. Severe symptoms were seen mostly in those aged 60 to 69.

About 2 percent of those with GERD saw their symptoms spontaneously disappear. This occurred mostly among women younger than 40, the researchers noted.

Dr. Daniel Sussman, an assistant professor of gastroenterology at the University of Miami School of Medicine, commented that "symptoms of reflux are increasing in the United States, partly because patients notice it more and doctors are better at noticing it and treating it."

Most important, lifestyle, diet and obesity are causing the increase in reflux symptoms, he said. "My suspicion is that obesity is the biggest contributor to that," Sussman said.

The biggest side effect of GERD is its effect on the patient's quality of life, Sussman said. He said that of course, it's also a risk factor for esophageal cancer.

Sussman said that there is evidence that losing weight will help improve reflux symptoms and lower the risk for cancer.

More information

For more information on acid reflux, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111222/hl_hsn/asobesityrisesmoresufferfromacidreflux

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IPad App Teaches You to Use Your SLR Camera

I have always thought that the iPad (or any other tablet) would make the perfect home for textbooks. Prose and regular writing is the same on screen or paper, but textbooks–with all their diagrams, examples, sidebars and the like–really benefit from the “interactive multimedia” features of a video display.
It turns out I was right. And [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/el5rrCkoZmI/

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McQueary: I told Penn St. officials about abuse (AP)

HARRISBURG, Pa. ? A Penn State assistant football coach testified Friday that he believes he saw former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky molesting a boy and that he fully conveyed what he had seen to two Penn State administrators.

Mike McQueary, speaking for the first time in public about the 2002 encounter in a Penn State locker room, said he believes that Sandusky was attacking the child with his hands around the boy's waist but said he wasn't 100 percent sure it was intercourse.

McQueary took the stand Friday morning in a Pennsylvania courtroom during a preliminary hearing for Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, two university officials who are accused of lying to a grand jury about what McQueary told them. The hearing was expected to last most of the day.

McQueary's story is central to the case against Curley and Schultz. They testified to the grand jury that McQueary never relayed the seriousness of what he saw.

McQueary said he had stopped by a campus football locker room to drop off a pair of sneakers in the spring of 2002 when he happened up Sandusky and the boy in a shower.

He said Sandusky was behind the boy he estimated to be 10 or 12 years old, with his hands wrapped around the boy's waist. He said the boy was facing a wall, with his hands on it.

McQueary said he has never described what he saw as anal rape or anal intercourse and couldn't see Sandusky's genitals, but that "it was very clear that it looked like there was intercourse going on."

Under cross examination by an attorney for Curley, McQueary reiterated that he had not seen Sandusky penetrating or fondling the boy but was nearly certain he knew an assault happened in part because the two were standing so close and Sandusky's arms were wrapped around the youth.

He said he peeked into the shower several times and that the last time he looked in, Sandusky and the boy had separated. He said he didn't say anything, but "I know they saw me. They looked directly in my eye, both of them."

McQueary said he reported what he saw to coach Joe Paterno but never went to police.

He said he did not give Paterno explicit details of what he believed he'd seen, saying he wouldn't have used terms like sodomy or anal intercourse out of respect for the longtime coach.

He said Paterno told him he'd "done the right thing" by reporting what he saw. The head coach appeared shocked and saddened and slumped back in his chair, McQueary said.

Paterno told McQueary he would talk to others about what he'd reported.

Nine or 10 days later, McQueary said he met with Curley and Shultz and told them he'd seen Sandusky and a boy, both naked, in the shower after hearing skin on skin slapping sounds.

"I told them that I saw Jerry in the showers with a young boy and that what I had seen was extremely sexual and over the lines and it was wrong," McQueary said. "I would have described that it was extremely sexual and I thought that some kind of intercourse was going on."

McQueary said he was left with the impression both men took his report seriously. When asked why he didn't go to police, he referenced Shultz's position as a vice president at the university who had overseen the campus police

"I thought I was talking to the head of the police, to be frank with you," he said. "In my mind it was like speaking to a (district attorney). It was someone who police reported to and would know what to do with it."

Curley and Schultz are charged with lying to a grand jury and failing to properly report what McQueary allegedly told them.

Their lawyers say the men are innocent and contest McQueary's statements.

District Judge William C. Wenner was hearing testimony Friday to help him decide whether state prosecutors have enough evidence against the pair to send their cases to trial.

Sandusky says he is innocent of more than 50 charges stemming from what authorities say were sexual assaults over 15 years on 10 boys in his home, on Penn State property and elsewhere. The scandal has provoked strong criticism that Penn State officials didn't do enough to stop Sandusky, and prompted the departures of Hall of Fame football coach Joe Paterno and the school's longtime president, Graham Spanier.

Curley, 57, Penn State's athletic director, was placed on leave by the university after his arrest. Schultz, 62, returned to retirement after spending about four decades at the school, most recently as senior vice president for business and finance, and treasurer.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111216/ap_on_sp_ot/us_penn_state_abuse

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Lowe's pulling ads from Muslim show sparks protest

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) ? Protesters descended on a Lowe's store in one of the country's largest Arab-American communities on Saturday, calling for a boycott after the home improvement chain pulled its ads from a reality television show about five Muslim families living in Michigan.

About 100 people gathered outside the store in Allen Park, a Detroit suburb adjacent to the city where "All-American Muslim" is filmed. Lowe's said this week that the TLC show had become a "lightning rod" for complaints, following an email campaign by a conservative Christian group.

Protesters including Christian clergy and lawmakers called for unity and held signs that read "Boycott Bigotry" and chanted "God Bless America, shame on Lowe's" during the rally, which was organized by a coalition of Christian, Muslim and civil rights groups.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Detroit Democrat and the first Muslim woman elected to the Michigan Legislature, said it was "disgusting" for Lowe's to stop supporting a show that reflects America ? the conservatives, liberals and even "the Kim Kardashians" in the Muslim community, she said.

"We're asking the company to change their mind," said protester Ray Holman, a legislative liaison for a United Auto Workers local. He said he was dismayed that the retailer "pulled sponsorship of a positive program."

A local rabbi extended his support to clergy at the protest and local Arab Americans, saying he and other Jews would have been at the protest had it not fallen during the Jewish Sabbath.

"I hope that they would likewise stand up and demonstrate should something outrageous like this take place against another religion," Rabbi Jason Miller said in a statement.

Lowe's spokeswoman Karen Cobb said Saturday that the company respected the protestors' opinion.

"We appreciate and respect everyone's right to express their opinion peacefully," she said.

The show premiered last month and chronicles the lives of families living in and around Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit at the heart of one of the largest Arab-American populations outside the Middle East.

Dearborn is home to the Islamic Center of America, one of the largest mosques in North America. Overall, the Detroit area has about 150,000 Muslims of many different ethnicities and is served by about 40 mosques.

It airs Sundays and ends its first season Jan. 8.

The Florida Family Association has said more than 60 companies it emailed, from Amazon to McDonalds, pulled their ads from the show, but Lowe's is the only major company so far to confirm that it had done so. The group accused the show of being "propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda's clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values."

The travel planning site Kayak.com also pulled its ads, though its marketing chief said the decision was made because the company was dissatisfied by the show's quality and TLC wasn't upfront with advertisers about how the show would be presented.

Saturday's rally was met by about 20 counter-protesters including John White, who lives in nearby Livonia and called those protesting against Lowe's "terribly misdirected." He acknowledged that he hadn't watched the show, saying he'd seen previews and read about it, but believed the company made a decision based on business, not bigotry.

"Americans are not suspicious ... of baseball-playing, apple-pie eating Muslims," he said. "It's the ones you see on the news."

The manager of the Lowe's store, Doug Casey, said the company wasn't influenced by any outside group or ideology. He said those who criticized Lowe's have a right to their opinion, but that "it's not the opinion of most of the customers I spoke to in the store today."

"I'm deeply sorry if it's caused any divide in our community," he said. "It was never our intention to offend or alienate anyone."

The hubbub didn't keep people from shopping at the store. Keith Rissman, who was buying finishing boards for windows he's installing in his mother's garage, said he supported the company.

"It's a decision they're allowed to make," the 57-year-old said. "If (people) don't want to shop here, they don't have to."

Karen Lundquist, 65, came to the store with her son even though she didn't support Lowe's decision. "It just seems like they yielded to a Christian hate group," she said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2011-12-17-Muslim%20TV%20Show-Protest/id-6c33386cee104eaa8f92a3ac77bc1e38

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This Week's Top Web Comedy Video: Sh*t Girls Say [Video]

What happens when you take one of the funniest accounts on Twitter and reproduce it in video form? A glorious, dragtastic rundown of the shit girls say. If any of this sounds familiar, well, it should. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/sGcOHQfZ8P0/this-weeks-top-web-comedy-video-sht-girls-say

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