bil keane storm in alaska storm in alaska asteroid eric johnson eric johnson russell pearce
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Why That Fancy Password Isn't Nearly as Safe as You Thought [Humor]
Monday, January 30, 2012
Arab League halts observer mission in Syria (AP)
BEIRUT ? The Arab League halted its observer mission to Syria on Saturday, sharply criticizing the regime of President Bashar Assad for escalating violence in recent days that has killed at least 80 people across the country.
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.
Syrian government forces clashed with anti-regime army defectors across the country on Saturday. At least nine were reported killed in the clashes and other violence. The new deaths come after two days of bloody turmoil killed at least 74 people, including small children.
The month-old Arab observer mission in Syria had come under widespread criticism for failing to bring a halt to the regime's crackdown. Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia pulled out of the mission Tuesday, asking the U.N. Security Council to intervene.
League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby said in a statement that after discussions with Arab foreign ministers, the organization decided to halt the observers' work immediately because of the increasing violence, until the League's council can meet to decide the mission's fate.
He blamed Damascus for the spike in bloodshed, saying the regime has "resorted to escalating the military option in complete violation of (its) commitments" to end the crackdown, Elaraby said. He said the victims of the violence have been "innocent citizens," in an implicit rejection of Syria's claims that it is fighting "terrorists."
Elaraby's deputy, Ahmed Ben Heli, told reporters that the around 100 observers will remain in Damascus while their mission is "reevaluated."
Ben Heli suggested the observers could resume their work later. Asked if the mission would be withdrawn, he said the halt was "forced by events" and aimed to ensure the observers' safety, but he spoke of a possible "new map" of places where the teams would visit, and said the mission would wait to see what new personnel and logistical help the League would give it.
Elaraby and the prime minister of Qatar were set to leave for New York on Sunday to seek U.N. support for the latest Arab plan to end Syria's crisis. The plans calls for a two-month transition to a unity government, with Assad giving his vice president full powers to work with the proposed government.
Syria has rejected the proposal, saying it violates its sovereignty. Elaraby had previously been due to travel Saturday, but his trip was pushed back to Sunday with no explanation.
The U.N. Security Council began closed-door negotiations Friday on a new Arab-European draft resolution aimed at resolving the crisis, but Russia's envoy said he could not back the current language as it stands.
Any resolution faces strong opposition from China and Russia, and both nations have veto power. Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters that the text introduced by new Arab Security Council member Morocco has "red lines" for Moscow, but he's willing to "engage" with the resolution's sponsors.
Churkin said those lines include any indication of sanctions, including an arms embargo. "We need to concentrate on establishing political dialogue," he said.
Arab League chief Elaraby has been holding talks with Russia's foreign minister over the crisis ahead of the visit to the U.N., Ben Heli said.
In the bloodiest incident reported on Saturday, Syria's state-run news agency SANA said "terrorists" ambushed a bus carrying army officers near the tense Damascus suburb of Douma, killing seven of them.
Although Damascus has been relatively quiet since the uprising began, its suburbs have witnessed intense anti-regime protests and army defectors have become more visible and active in the past few months.
Syrian opposition groups had no immediate reports on the ambush in Douma, but the Local Coordination Councils activist network said government troops were attacking several other Damascus suburbs ? Kfar Batna, Saqba, Jisreen and Arbeen ? using tanks and armored personnel carriers. It added that defectors were fighting advancing troops.
In the eastern oil-rich province of Deir el-Zour, an oil pipeline took a direct hit and caught fire as government troops shelled a town, activists said.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the LCC said the early morning shelling of the town of Qoriah killed at least one person and set the pipeline on fire.
Syria's state-run media blamed anti-government "terrorists" for the attack, saying the fire was extinguished four hours later. It said the pipeline carried crude oil from al-Omar field to a station in the area.
SANA also reported that Syrian troops prevented gunmen from crossing from neighboring Turkey into the northwestern province of Idlib. SANA said a Syrian soldier was wounded while many of the infiltrators were either killed or wounded, adding that the rest returned to Turkey.
The Free Syrian Army force of anti-regime military defectors is based in Turkey, and its fighters frequently try to cross into Syria through the mountainous border area in the northwest.
The LCC and the Observatory also reported intense fighting between troops and defectors in the town of Rastan near the restive central city of Homs.
The observatory said at least two people were killed across the country in Saturday's violence while the LCC said six died, most of them in the central city of Homs, which has been one of the areas hardest hit by government crackdowns.
____
Associated Press writers Aya Batrawy in Cairo, and Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, contributed to this report.
___
Bassem Mroue can be reached on twitter at http://twitter.com/bmroue
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Myanmar's Suu Kyi making first campaign tour (AP)
DAWEI, Myanmar ? Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi made her first campaign tour for parliament Sunday in Myanmar's countryside, advancing a bid that shows how quickly and dramatically politics is changing in this long-repressed Southeast Asian nation.
Thousands of cheering supporters crowded the airport to greet Suu Kyi in the southern town of Dawei and lined the roads shouting: "Long Live Daw Aung San Suu Kyi!" "Daw" is a title of respect in Myanmar.
Many waved bouquets of flowers, and some hoisted babies on their shoulders to glimpse the Nobel Peace laureate, who is revered as Myanmar's icon for democracy. Banners with pictures of Suu Kyi decorated the town.
"People had been afraid to discuss politics for so long," said Aung Zaw Hein, an environmental activist. "Now that she's visiting, the political spirit of people has been awakened."
Suu Kyi, 66, has devoted much of her life to the struggle against authoritarian rule, but spent 15 of the past 23 years under house arrest and has never held elected office. If she wins, Suu Kyi will have limited power in the legislature, which remains dominated by the military and the ruling party, but victory would be highly symbolic and give the longtime political prisoner a voice in government for the first time.
The one-day campaign stop in Dawei follows a series of unprecedented reforms enacted by the nominally civilian government that took over when a military junta ceded power last year. The government has released hundreds of political prisoners, reached cease-fire deals with ethnic rebels, increased press freedoms and eased censorship laws.
The April 1 by-election is being held to fill 48 seats in the lower house of parliament that were vacated after lawmakers were appointed to the Cabinet and other posts last year.
Her party boycotted the last vote in 2010, but registered earlier this month for by-elections after authorities amended electoral laws, enabling her party to legally participate.
The Election Commission must still accept Suu Kyi's candidacy. A ruling is expected in February.
Suu Kyi is hoping to run for representative for the constituency of Kawhmu, a poor district just south of Yangon where villagers' livelihoods were devastated by Cyclone Nargis in 2008.
The vote is being closely watched at home and abroad because it is seen as a crucial test of the regime's commitment to change.
Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her nonviolent struggle for democracy, has rarely traveled over the last two decades outside Yangon, the country's main city.
Although she conducted one successful day of rallies in two small towns north of Yangon last August, a previous political tour to greet supporters in 2003 sparked a bloody ambush on her convoy that saw her forcibly confined to house arrest at her lakeside home.
Suu Kyi was finally released from house arrest in late 2010, just days after the country's military rulers organized elections widely viewed as neither free nor fair.
In Dawei, a coastal town south of Yangon, Suu Kyi will campaign on behalf of another candidate running for a parliament seat, party spokesman Nyan Win said.
She will make similar campaign trips to other Burmese towns, including the country's second city, Mandalay, in early February before campaigning for her own seat, Nyan Win said.
In Dawei, Suu Kyi will meet party supporters and conduct rallies. The town is home to activists who recently helped persuade the government to ditch construction of a 4,000-megawatt coal-fired power plant over environmental concerns.
A 400-megawatt coal plant is still planned, however, because it will be needed to fuel a massive industrial complex project that includes construction of a deep sea port, a steel mill and a petrochemical plant. The project also includes railroads and highways that will connect Burma's coast directly to Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia.
tough love patriots jets patriots jets the music man the music man steve smith weather san antonio
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Japan posts first annual trade deficit since 1980
In this photo taken Jan. 19, 2012, Japanese cars are unloaded from trailer trucks before being shipped for export at a port in Kawasaki near Tokyo. Japan reported Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 its first annual trade deficit since 1980 as it imported expensive energy to offset the impact of its devastating tsunami and exporters grappled with the rising value of the yen. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
In this photo taken Jan. 19, 2012, Japanese cars are unloaded from trailer trucks before being shipped for export at a port in Kawasaki near Tokyo. Japan reported Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 its first annual trade deficit since 1980 as it imported expensive energy to offset the impact of its devastating tsunami and exporters grappled with the rising value of the yen. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011 file photo, photovoltaic modules and a windmill of the wind farm are seen when residents of the radiation-stricken area around Japan's tsunami-hit nuclear reactors of Fukushima are visiting the village of Feldheim near Berlin, Germany. Japan reported Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 its first annual trade deficit since 1980 as it imported expensive energy to offset the impact of its devastating tsunami and exporters grappled with the rising value of the yen. A major factor behind the figures was the impact of the expensive energy imports Japan turned to after the March disaster touched off a nuclear crisis and led the country to shut down, or not restart, a large portion of its reactors, said Martin Schulz, senior economist with the Fujitsu Research Institute. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)
TOKYO (AP) ? Japan reported its first annual trade deficit since 1980 as it imported expensive energy to offset shortfalls caused by the devastating tsunami and manufacturers shifted production overseas to avoid the damage inflicted by the strong yen.
The 2.49 trillion yen ($32 billion) deficit for 2011 reflected a 2.7 percent decline in the value of Japan's exports to 65.55 trillion yen ($843 billion). In December, the trade balance was a deficit of 205.1 billion yen, according to the Ministry of Finance figures released Wednesday.
"It reflects fundamental changes in Japan's economy, particularly among manufacturers," said Hideki Matsumura, senior economist at Japan Research Institute. "Japan is losing its competitiveness to produce domestically."
"It's gotten difficult for manufacturers to export, so they're they've moved production abroad so that products sold outside the country are made outside the country," he said.
The yen's surge to record levels against the dollar and euro has made Japanese exports more expensive and also erodes the value of foreign earned income when brought home. Recently, Nissan Motor Co. and Panasonic Corp. have shifted some of their output to factories overseas.
At the same time, Japan is facing intense competition from South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore, where labor and production costs are cheaper.
Japanese manufacturers have been battered by a host of negatives in the past year. The tsunami temporarily disrupted the production of automobile makers and others. Weakness in the U.S. economy and Europe's debt problems and recent flooding in Thailand, where many Japanese automakers have assembly lines, also contributed to export declines.
Another major factor behind the figures was the impact of the expensive energy imports Japan turned to after the March disaster touched off a nuclear crisis and led the country to shut down, or not restart, a large portion of its reactors, said Martin Schulz, senior economist with the Fujitsu Research Institute.
He said pressure to import energy will continue to weigh heavily on Japan for the next year, but will subside as the country pursues greater efficiency measures.
Much of Japan's oil and natural gas is imported from the Middle East, with which Japan had a 10.88 trillion yen trade deficit last year, up 33 percent, figures showed.
Japan still has a trade surplus with the U.S., although that is shrinking. For 2011, exports exceeded imports by 4.10 trilion yen ($52.6 billion), down 8.2 percent from a year earlier. Exports to the U.S. declined 2.8 percent to 10.02 trillion yen during the year, while imports inched up 0.2 percent to 5.9 trillion.
Japan had a 1.57 trillion yen trade surplus with China for the year. A breakdown of figures showed a trade deficit with mainland China, but a big surplus with Hong Kong.
Trade with Germany was fairly balanced last year as imports grew nearly 10 percent to 1.86 trillion yen. Exports came to 1.87 trillion yen, giving Japan a relatively small trade surplus of 16 billion yen.
The turmoil in Europe and the U.S. has driven up the yen as global investors flock to the currency as a relative safe haven. The yen hit multiple historic highs against the dollar, and touched a record against the euro earlier this month as well.
The yen is trading at around 78 to the dollar recently, a level that is extremely painful for exporters. Five years ago, the dollar was trading above 120 yen.
Matsumura believes that Japan will likely log another trade deficit this year amid prospects for high energy prices and a persistently strong yen, but that renewed strength in the global and Asian regional economies could put Japan back into the black in 2013.
Associated Presscorset andy murray jerusalem nadal xmen first class warrior novak djokovic
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The mutant bacteria that turns seaweed into fuel (The Week)
New York ? Kelp is a desirable alternative to land-farmed biofuels, but scientists have had trouble harvesting it. Now, with specially outfitted E. coli, they may be able to
Experts have long hoped that the ocean's plentiful stores of seaweed could be turned into renewable biofuels. Now that goal is one step closer: Scientists have engineered a special bacteria to break down the previously inaccessible sugar in seaweed, which can then be transformed into biofuels similar to ethanol. Here's how they did it:
First off: Why seaweed??
Kelp is appealing as a fuel alternative for several reasons. Environmentally sustainable, it doesn't require farmland or freshwater to grow and it boasts a naturally high sugar content, says Wendy Koch at USA Today. And harvesting the ocean's plant life could produce considerable yields. "Cultivating seaweed along three percent of the world's coastlines, where kelp already grows, could produce 60 billion gallons of ethanol," says Wynne Parry at Live Science.
SEE MORE: The clothes that clean themselves in sunlight
?
But why couldn't we harvest it before?
The problem, says Parry, is that one of its primary sugars, alginate, could not be "broken down efficiently enough to produce biofuel on an industrial scale" ? until now. Alginate is used in everything from ice cream to textiles, but it "has proved difficult to break down and metabolize into fuel," notes Rachel Ehrenberg at Science News.
What changed?
Scientists from the Bio Architecture Lab headquartered in Berkeley, Calif., genetically engineered a special strain of E. coli bacteria capable of digesting the kelp's sugars into more accessible glucose. The new system is like a "Lego platform," says Parry, because the system's microbial components can be rearranged to produce different types of fuel, like butanol ? "an alcohol like ethanol, which is blended into gas" ? or even a biodiesel similar to conventional gas.?
SEE MORE: Get ready for... poo-powered lights?
?
So what's next?
"Does this change everything? No," Chris Somerville, director of the Energy Biosciences Institute, tells Live Science. Farming seaweed on an industrial scale raises new industrial concerns, and the process will have to be refined until it's economically viable. What it offers, says Somerville, is "the beginning of opening up a new area."
Sources: Live Science, Science News, USA Today
SEE MORE: The furnace of the future: Computer servers?
?
View this article on TheWeek.com
Get 4 Free Issues of The Week
Other stories from this topic:
Like on Facebook?-?Follow on Twitter?-?Sign-up for Daily Newsletteralicia sacramone occupy chicago occupy chicago ron white ron white alcs alcs
Monday, January 23, 2012
Swag suites abound at the Sundance Film Festival (omg!)
PARK CITY, Utah (AP) ? Where there are celebrities, there is swag, and the Sundance Film Festival is no exception. Nearly a dozen gift suites opened their doors Friday afternoon along the city's Main Street.
Kate Bosworth, Andy Samberg, Emma Roberts and Rashida Jones are among the famous folks who stopped by the VEVO PowerStation SOREL Suite, where they could indulge in moisturizing facials and lip treatments from Fresh cosmetics and outfit their feet in snow-ready footwear.
"I think we belong here," said Kimberly Barta, global brand director for SOREL snow boots. "It just makes sense."
The company is also offering a 24-hour concierge service that will deliver boots around the clock to stars who can't stop by the suite.
At the Alive Expo Green Pavilion, guests could pick up natural skincare products and handmade handbags by Kenyan artisans from Tembo Trading Co.
The Bertolli Meal Soup Chalet served up bowls of hot soup and handed out sunglasses and Lumene skincare products to visitors. Joe Pastorkovich of Lumene said Sundance is the perfect place to introduce the European brand to an American audience.
"We're expanding into the U.S., and our brand connects well to Park City," he said. "It's a good fit because of the naturalness of the product, and we're unpretentious. This festival is about independent film, and we're an independent brand."
Italian shoe company Carlo Pazolini also exhibited (and gifted) its wares at the Sundance fest as a means of expanding its market reach.
"We're a European company launching in the U.S., so we wanted to get our name out there," company executive Jennifer Damiano said from the Miami Oasis suite, where she gave away high-end leather shoes and handbags. Guests at the suite were also treated to gluten-free snacks, hair styling by got2B, and cocktails from DiSaronno and Patron.
The Miami Oasis is just one part of the brand-heavy T-Mobile Village at the Lift, which includes McDonald's McCafe Lounge, the Puma Social Lounge and a temporary Tao nightclub.
Actress Blythe Danner stopped by the Fender Music Lodge, which offered live music and swag including Bear Paw boots and Park Lane jewelry.
Sundance sponsors HP, Acura, Chase Sapphire and the Sundance Channel also hosted suites along Main Street.
Alex Wilson, who produced the VEVO suite, said brands love Sundance because of the concentrated star power and media presence.
"In one location for five days, you can't get any bigger as far as names and exposure," he said. "With the heat of Park City, word travels fast."
And the number of branded suites keeps growing, too, much to the chagrin of Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford. He lamented that the success of the festival has attracted what he calls "leveragers" who muddle its mission of nurturing and celebrating independent film.
"They come in with their own agendas to use the festival to piggyback their agendas," he said. "It's a free country and there's nothing we can do about that ... but we have to work harder and harder to point to the fact that this is about the filmmakers. This is about their work and showing their work to you."
Many of the gift suites will close by Monday. The Sundance Film Festival continues through Jan. 29.
___
AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen is on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/APSandy .
___
Online:
http://www.sundance.org/festival
ecri stacey dash the time machine cloverfield take shelter take shelter dressage
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Crews contain Reno fire that claimed 29 homes (AP)
RENO, Nev. ? As rain helped crews surround a brush fire that destroyed 29 homes and forced thousands to flee, the family of the blaze's only known fatality said Saturday that prosecuting the man who admitted to starting it wouldn't "do any good."
June Hargis, 93, was found dead in a studio apartment next to her daughter's home in Washoe Valley, where the fire started Thursday. Sheriff Mike Haley said her cause of death has not been established, so it's not known if it was fire related. No other fatalities or major injuries were reported.
Fire officials say an "extremely remorseful" elderly man admitted Friday to accidentally starting the fire when he improperly discarded fireplace ashes outside his home in the valley's north end.
Hargis's son, Jim Blueberg, 68, told The Associated Press that he didn't think filing criminal charges against the elderly man "would do any good."
"The man had the courage to come up and say he did this. He's remorseful. I think he's punished himself enough. It was a silly, stupid mistake to make, there's no doubt about that. But I just want him to know I forgive him, and my heart goes out to him," he said.
His sister, Jeannie Watts, 70, had returned home from an errand to find the apartment next door and a barn with three horses inside engulfed in flames. She agreed that there was probably no need to file charges against the man.
"What good is that going to do? Everything is already gone," Watts said.
"He'll pay the rest of his life for that," she added.
The fire, which grew to more than 6 square miles, burned through sagebrush, pastures and pines in a rural area with scattered small neighborhoods south of Reno.
Gov. Brian Sandoval, who toured the area Friday, said "there is nothing left in some of those places except for the chimneys and fireplaces."
Fire officials declared the blaze contained Saturday after a storm brought precipitation that the region hasn't seen in months. All evacuations were lifted and U.S. 395 reopened through the 3,200-acre fire zone.
But in addition to two inches of rain, the storm also brought another challenge for emergency workers. Officials fear its potential for causing flooding in burned areas, after one of the driest winters in Reno history.
"I'm confident we'll be able to respond successfully if necessary," Washoe County Manager Katy Simon said, adding that hydrologists and officials were monitoring the situation.
Fire officials have said the blaze was "almost a carbon copy" of a blaze that destroyed 30 homes in Reno during similar summer-like conditions in mid-November. It moved quickly, fueled by strong wind gusts that sent flames as high as 40 feet.
Watts said it took only about 15 minutes for her three-bedroom farmhouse to burn down, though the fire reached her mother's apartment and the barn first. She said her mother appeared to be mentally alert when she last saw her.
"Before I got home, my son told her, `Get your stuff and get out of here,'" Watts told the AP. "She said to him, `Well, I can smell smoke but I can't see any fire,' and she went back inside. She probably suffocated from the smoke because it was so thick."
She said that when she got home, she shouted: "Where's my mom? Where's my mom?"
"The firefighters didn't know," she said. "Later, an official came to me and said, `Yes, she was in (the burned studio).' Then they called the coroner. I was just crying and screaming. I still can't believe it."
Blueberg said the death of their mother comes after his sister had been through "one hard knock after another" in recent years.
The fire left her financially strapped, with virtually no earthly possessions, he said. "She told me the other day, `All I have is my purse, that's all I have,'" he said.
She and her husband, Pat, met with an insurance agent on the property. In addition to the destroyed buildings, three horses in her barn died, though firefighters rescued all five dogs from her home.
"My stomach is up in the air," Watts said. "I want to cry and I can't. I want to say, `Why us? Why anybody? Why does anything like this have to happen to anybody?"
___
Associated Press writers Scott Sonner in Reno, Michelle Rindels in Las Vegas and Sandra Chereb in Carson City contributed to this report.
money ball bill cunningham vladimir putin vladimir putin rampage jackson prius c crocodile dundee
Friday, January 20, 2012
Murdoch to pay Jude Law and others hacking damages
[unable to retrieve full-text content]LONDON (AP) ? Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper company on Thursday agreed to pay damages to 36 high-profile victims of tabloid phone-hacking, including actor Jude Law, soccer player Ashley Cole and former British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.
sonic the hedgehog imagine imagine watch movies online for free
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Penn State hires Patriots' O'Brien as new football coach
State College, Pa. ?
Penn State has hired New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien as its head coach, the first change in leadership for the storied football program in nearly a half-century.
The announcement caps a turbulent two-month period that began with the firing of Hall of Famer Joe Paterno on Nov. 9 in the aftermath of child sex abuse charges against retired assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
Not only is O'Brien replacing Division I's winningest coach, but he must also guide a program shrouded in uncertainty. Besides the criminal investigation into Sandusky, the NCAA has launched its own inquiry.
The 42-year-old O'Brien will be formally announced at a news conference on Saturday in the Nittany Lion Inn ballroom on campus. It begins at 11:30 a.m.
But some fickle, fed-up Penn State fans did not wait for the official introduction to take to Twitter to start debating O'Brien's resume and qualifications. While instrumental in running the Patriots' high-powered offense, O'Brien has never been a head coach.
Now he's taking over for Paterno, who had been on the job 46 seasons. In between, the 85-year-old Paterno won 409 games and was elected to the Hall of Fame.
"I am thrilled to be the head coach of the Penn State football program," O'Brien said in a statement. "As head coach of this special football program, it is my responsibility to ensure that this program represents the highest level of character, respect and integrity in everything we do."
He said that encompassed coaches, players and anyone else involved in the 125-year-old football program.
"There is tremendous pride in Penn State football and (we) will never, ever take that for granted," O'Brien said.
The new head coach also faced skepticism from some alumni and prominent former players. Some supported interim coach Tom Bradley to be elevated permanently; others criticized the search process for not taking into account enough the opinions of those affiliated with the program who backed Bradley, a 33-year veteran of the staff.
Others still, including former quarterback Kerry Collins, asked for lettermen to give O'Brien a chance.
"Whether you agree or disagree with his hiring, we should support him," Collins said in a statement Friday night, according to the Reading Eagle. "Instead of chastising him for not being a Penn Stater, let's show him what it means to be a Penn Stater. ... Let's support him in any way we can."
O'Brien has no apparent previous ties to Penn State and a proud program tarnished by a scandal that also led to the departure of President Graham Spanier.
O'Brien and Paterno do share at least one connection though ? both coaches attended Brown University.
"I understand Bill O'Brien has been named head coach and I want to congratulate him on his appointment," Paterno said in a statement to The Associated Press provided by his family. "I don't know Bill, but I respect his coaching record, and I am particularly pleased we share a connection to my alma mater, Brown."
"Despite recent commentary to the contrary, Penn State football has always been about more than winning," Paterno added, citing what he said was the program's commitment to education and community service.
"I am hopeful this tradition will continue."
This was O'Brien's first year coordinating the Patriots' legendary offense, but he has also coached star quarterback Tom Brady since 2009 and spent 2008 coaching receivers.
O'Brien recently was in the spotlight when he and Brady got into a heated argument, shown on national television, after Brady threw an interception in the end zone in the fourth quarter of the Patriots' 34-27 win over the Washington Redskins on Dec. 11.
New England closed the regular season on an eight-game winning streak, and scored 513 points, the most in the AFC. Brady threw for 5,235 yards and 39 touchdowns, with just 12 interceptions.
Brady has described O'Brien as a great coach and friend. Receiver Julian Edelman on Friday in Foxborough, Mass., described O'Brien as charismatic and emotional.
"We have found the man to take Penn State football forward," acting athletic director David Joyner said. "Needless to say, we have been looking for someone with some very special qualities, beginning with a heart that beats to the values and vision of Penn State University and our Penn State football legacy and tradition."
Longevity was also a trademark at Penn State, starting with the head coach himself. He had loyal assistants, most of whom had worked for the Hall of Famer for years ? and in a couple cases, decades.
Bradley took over as the interim following Paterno's firing. He was among other candidates who interviewed for the job.
Joyner met with the assistants Friday afternoon. By dusk, several coaches had trickled out one-by-one from the glass-enclosed football building to head home. Each declined comment, though when asked, a couple assistants said they planned to return to work Saturday.
A person familiar with the discussion told the AP Friday evening that the assistant coaches were informed that a new head coach had been hired, and he was not from the current staff, though the replacement was not identified to them.
Another person familiar with the search told the AP most of the current staff could be let go. Each person spoke on condition of anonymity because no one was authorized to comment about the search or related topics.
Former standout linebackers LaVar Arrington and Brandon Short had organized a petition in support of interim coach Bradley's candidacy. Short said the petition only included about 100 names after he was informed by a member of Penn State's search committee it was enough to sway their opinions.
He said he had planned to meet with Joyner on Friday in a meeting scheduled before reports began to surface about O'Brien. He could consider cutting ties with his alma mater now that O'Brien's hire has been confirmed, and he has said some former players ? operating independently of the official Football Letterman Club for football alumni ? might consider a lawsuit that would prevent the school from using their likenesses or images in the future.
Now an investment banker in New York, Short played seven seasons with the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers. He called Bradley the best candidate for the job, citing Bradley's role in helping to maintain the program's high academic standards and ability to help Penn State through the crisis of the last two months.
"The administration is under the belief that if they hire an NFL coach, or someone flashy, that they will fill seats," Short said in phone interview Thursday. "As an NFL player, I can tell you that there is a big difference between developing young men and recruiting, then the combine and free agency.
"It's two different universes."
D.J. Dozier, a running back on the 1986 title team, said Thursday the search committee should have polled current and former players and high school coaches in the region. He planned to sign the petition if more signatures were taken.
"Give that person and that staff a chance. I believe the current staff has done a good job," Dozier said. "Unless there's politics involved, give them a chance."
Penn State ended up going in a different direction.
O'Brien joined New England in 2007 following 14 seasons on the college level, including stops at Duke, Maryland and Georgia Tech. He played football at Brown ? Paterno's alma mater.
The Patriots are third in the NFL overall in scoring (32.1 points per game), and second in total offense (428 yards) and passing (317.8 yards).
Penn State finished a 9-4 campaign with a 30-14 loss in the TicketCity Bowl to Houston on Jan. 2. The Nittany Lions relied on defense much of the year after the offense struggled with a two-quarterback system.
In a statement, President Rodney Erickson commended O'Brien as someone who would maintain the school's commitment to excellence on the field and in the classroom. "We have that leader in Coach O'Brien," Erickson said.
Source: http://www.norwichbulletin.com/x915103293/Penn-State-hires-Patriots-OBrien-as-new-football-coach
south korea baron davis duggar family dingo fidel castro gilbert arenas north korea
Monday, January 2, 2012
Whitenoise: Gizmodo Community Talkback
Welcome to Whitenoise, where you can come to talk about anything you want with other Gizmodo readers. How did you spend New Year?s? Any resolutions or tales of debauchery you?d like to share?
A new week, a new thread. Feel free to take the conversation anywhere you like. Create some whitenoise by commenting below?
Source: http://feeds.gizmodo.com.au/~r/GizmodoAustraliaAU/~3/TLLyXdgPCcs/
where do i vote wheel of fortune today show smokin joe conrad murray verdict tappan zee bridge jessica chastain
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)