Rotblat's pursuit of nuclear peace

Edwin Lyman, contributor

NOBEL laureate and eminent scientist Joseph Rotblat was a man of inexhaustible energy, optimism and dedication. In this new biography, author and radiation oncologist Andrew Brown faithfully captures his character. Keeper of the Nuclear Conscience chronicles Rotblat's journey from his beginnings in a prosperous Jewish family in Warsaw, Poland, before the first world war, to his rapid rise from electrician to internationally prominent nuclear physicist, and ultimately his committed opposition to nuclear weapons.

A prot?g? of neutron discoverer James Chadwick, Rotblat had been one of the scientists on the Manhattan Project. Yet he left in 1944, and after the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan in 1945, his concern about the misuse of nuclear science drove him to become a vocal opponent of nuclear weapons. He went on to pursue a career in medical physics, and with the like-minded Bertrand Russell, organised the first Pugwash conference in 1957 in Canada.

Even as cold war mistrust reached fever pitch, this path-breaking and audacious event brought together Soviet and western scientists to discuss risks from weapons of mass destruction. Its success led to a series of conferences, continuing to this day, that helped lay the groundwork for a number of arms control agreements, including the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty. Rotblat and the Pugwash conferences were jointly awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1995.

Brown's great respect for his subject is apparent, but this is no hagiography. He hints at a personality that could be prickly and arrogant, and also takes a closer look at Rotblat's famous resignation from the Manhattan Project. By Rotblat's own account, he lost interest when Allied intelligence was convinced the Nazis had abandoned their own atomic bomb project. Although his moral qualms clearly were a major motivating factor, Brown presents a more complex story.

Whatever his motivations, Rotblat's departure from the Manhattan Project sealed his fate as an outsider: he learned about its "success" from a news report. Still, he was determined to play a major role in establishing policies to control the bomb that he had helped to develop.

His stature as a nuclear physicist enabled him to provide high-level expert advice and his public warnings about the dangers of fallout from hydrogen bomb tests soon rankled with the US and UK nuclear weapons establishments.

At times, Keeper of the Nuclear Conscience seems as much a history of the Pugwash conferences as a biography of Rotblat. Yet Brown makes a convincing case that the two were so closely intertwined that Rotblat deserves some credit for all its accomplishments.

Beyond its successes, the book also details Pugwash's many internecine conflicts - such as whether the organisation should pursue Rotblat's vision of an internationally verified nuclear weapon-free world or a more pragmatic, incremental approach to arms control. Rotblat, who periodically flirted with the idea of world government, was long concerned that the concept of national sovereignty enshrined in the UN charter hindered the international inspection and enforcement necessary to abolish nuclear weapons, and ultimately war itself. Today, when many nations routinely invoke "national sovereignty" to block international initiatives to slow the proliferation of sensitive nuclear facilities, increase the security of nuclear materials and strengthen the safety of nuclear power plants, it is hard to deny that Rotblat had a point.

Though he could do without so much speculation about the feelings of various players, Brown's use of numerous interviews, including one with Rotblat himself, make for compelling reading. Overall, Keeper of the Nuclear Conscience is a fine work that lucidly depicts the challenges faced by Rotblat and his Pugwash colleagues as they relentlessly pursued a more peaceful world.

Edwin Lyman us a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, DC.

Book Information
Keeper of the Nuclear Conscience: The life and work of Joseph Rotblat
by Andrew Brown
Published by: Oxford University Press
?18.99/$29.95

Follow @CultureLabNS on Twitter

Like us on Facebook

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/1c406915/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cculturelab0C20A120C0A10Crotblats0Epursuit0Eof0Enuclear0Epeace0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

fracking drosselmeyer drosselmeyer pacific standard time local time when is daylight savings 2011 what time is it

Scherzinger, Jones not returning to 'X Factor' (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones are out at "The X Factor."

A Fox spokeswoman said Monday that the judge and host will not return for the show's second season. No other details were provided.

Jones, a British TV personality, called his departure "a shame" on Twitter and added that he couldn't complain, "as I've had a great time." He gave no reason why he wasn't returning to the singing contest.

Jones was originally slated to host "X Factor" alongside Scherzinger, who replaced British pop star Cheryl Cole as a judge when executive producer Simon Cowell and other producers had second thoughts about Cole joining the series.

Cowell, Paula Abdul and L.A. Reid served as the other judges on the show's first season.

Despite consistent viewership, "X Factor" has failed to achieve popularity similar to "American Idol," which Cowell left to import "X Factor" from the U.K. to the U.S.

A spokeswoman for Scherzinger did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

The second season of "X Factor" is set to debut later this year.

___

AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.

___

Online:

http://www.thexfactorusa.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_en_ot/us_tv_x_factor_jones_scherzinger

the raven lawrence o donnell fresno state fresno state psa test psa test real steel

Police: No evidence to support Maine tot abduction (AP)

WATERVILLE, Maine ? Police who confirmed the discovery of blood from a missing toddler in the basement of her father's home said Monday they've found no evidence to support an abduction, and they believe adults in the home know more than what they're telling investigators.

Six weeks after Ayla Reynold's disappearance in Waterville, state and local detectives believe the father, Justin DiPietro, and two other adults in the home on the night Ayla was last seen are not giving a full account of what happened, said Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

The idea that someone sneaked into the small house and took Ayla without awakening any of the adults "doesn't pass the straight-face test," McCausland said.

"We've followed every conceivable piece of evidence that would follow their version of events, and we have found not one piece of evidence that supports an abduction," he said Monday.

Ayla was 20 months old when she disappeared on the night of Dec. 16. She had been staying with her father at the time in the house where DiPietro lives with his mother. Ayla's mother, Trista Reynolds, lives in Portland.

DiPietro reported Ayla missing the following day. He'd put her to bed the night before and said she wasn't there the next morning.

Over the weekend, state police confirmed that blood was found in the basement where the father slept and that some of the blood was Ayla's. Relatives reported on a family-run website that they were told the blood was "more than a small cut would produce" but police declined Monday to say how much blood was discovered.

On the night Ayla was last seen, DiPietro was in the home with his girlfriend, Courtney Roberts, and they slept with Roberts' child in the partially finished basement where the blood was found, McCausland said. DiPietro's sister was sleeping with her young child on the main level of the one-story home, and Ayla was in a bedroom by herself on the main level, McCausland said Monday. DiPietro's mother was not home that night.

Trista Reynolds' father said the family was told late Saturday by McCausland that blood found in the home was determined to be Ayla's.

"It was a surprise," Ronald Reynolds said.

He said police didn't give any indication what the discovery means.

Ronald Reynolds said he is convinced the adults in DiPietro's house have more information than they have shared.

"Every day, it gets hotter and hotter," he said. "I hope they pull them back in, set them down and give them the opportunity to say something."

The family-run website issued an appeal for anyone with information about Ayla to come forward.

"Even in light of this evidence we are more determined than ever to find out what has happened to Ayla and we still cling to the hope that she is alive and will be returned to us," the website said. "We urge anyone that has information about Ayla to come forward now and unburden yourself of the truth."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_re_us/us_missing_toddler

hank williams bruins steve jobs stanford commencement speech black star joan baez gravitas steve jobs and bill gates

The problem with democracy is all the debating (Unqualified Offerings)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/192684581?client_source=feed&format=rss

conrad murray verdict tappan zee bridge jessica chastain jessica chastain nook tablet eagles magic johnson

Army chief lays out Army cuts in Europe (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The Pentagon's decision announced Friday to take two heavy armor brigades out of Europe in 2013 and 2014 will not necessarily force NATO allies to shoulder more of the load if ground forces are needed for a large-scale conflict in the region, Gen. Raymond Odierno, the Army chief of staff, said Friday.

Odierno said the military will work hard to mitigate the impact of the shift on European allies, who rely heavily on U.S. military might to provide the bulk of the forces in a ground campaign.

The move to shift brigades out of Europe is part of a broader Pentagon plan to cut the size of the Army by 80,000 soldiers and restructure the service to ensure the military has the capabilities it needs to go to war. Odierno said the mandate to reduce the force from 570,000 soldiers during the height of the Iraq war to 490,000 by 2017 will force the military to rely more on the National Guard and reserves, particularly if the U.S. gets into two major, long-term combat operations at the same time.

Odierno said he is comfortable with the reduction in the force. But he suggested that the U.S. will now have to keep its reserve forces at a higher level of readiness than it did before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan pressed tens of thousands citizen soldiers into service to buttress the active duty Army.

He also said his support for the force cuts hinges on the fact that the Army will have more than five years to make the reductions, largely through normal attrition. He acknowledged, however, that a small number of officers may have to be forced to leave.

As the Iraq war dragged on, the Pentagon had to recruit thousands of additional active duty soldiers and beef up and repeatedly tap reserve brigades in order to meet the combat demands there and in Afghanistan. For roughly eight years, the U.S. battled in both countries at the same time, stretching and straining the Army.

Meeting that type of commitment with an Army of 490,000 would not work, Odierno said.

"Do I have the capability to go into Korea and meet the requirements? Yes," he said, when asked about the risks of a smaller force. "Do I have the ability to stay there for 10 years? No."

If the military had to fight two large, simultaneous, long-term wars, he said, the U.S. would rely more heavily on its allies in the region and call for a massive mobilization of the reserves.

"Because of the fact that they (Guard and reserves) have been involved in combat operations for very long period of time, we are going to come up with a readiness model that will keep them at a little bit higher level than they have been in the past," Odierno told reporters during an interview in his Pentagon office. And if needed, he said, the U.S. would use reserves to "buy us time to increase the active component" to wage two large, intensive wars.

NATO allies have long relied on the U.S. ground forces to wage such conflicts, so cutting the European-based force in half will be met with reservations from those leaders.

But one senior defense official said the U.S. is working on a variety of options to compensate for the loss. Those could include further U.S. commitments to NATO's rapid response force, which includes up to 25,000 forces provided by the allies. There also will likely be additional multinational military exercises. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the details have not been finalized.

Odierno said the two brigades being taken out of Europe ? both heavy armor units ? will be eliminated rather than reassigned somewhere in the United States. Both are based in Germany ? the 172nd Infantry Brigade, currently in Grafenwoehr, and the 170th Infantry Brigade in Baumholder. That will leave two U.S. Army combat brigades permanently stationed in Europe, one in Germany and one in Italy.

Baumholder Mayor Peter Lang noted that the German military ? which did away with conscription last year and is downsizing significantly ? is closing two barracks in the area already.

"This is a second tough blow for our region," he told the dapd news agency. The Rhineland-Palatinate state interior minister, Roger Lewentz, said he was holding out hope, however, that the U.S. troops may not leave the area entirely, saying he planned a trip in May to Washington, where he would lobby for at least some logistical facilities to remain open

"In reality, I think in the long run this will benefit all of us," Odierno told reporters. He said U.S. Army units will be rotated in and out of Europe based on the training and other needs of the NATO partners. That system, he said, will allow more U.S. units to work with the allies and "we will be able to tailor our engagements based on their needs."

Over the long-term, U.S. officials said they are planning to slash the number of combat brigades from 45 to possibly as low as 32. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss planning. Odierno said eight brigades will be shelved over the next several years, and officials will decide in the next six months or so if additional units should go.

Officials said the changes will likely increase the size of each combat brigade ? generally by adding another battalion ? in a long-term effort to ensure that those remaining brigades are robust and able to perform their missions without straining the force.

A brigade is usually about 3,500 soldiers but can be as large as 5,000 for the heavily armored units. A battalion is usually between 600 and 800 soldiers.

"We will make our brigades more capable to operate across missions, will eliminate unnecessary overhead, and allow us to sustain more combat capability if we do this right," said Odierno, who did not provide any details about the restructuring.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/usmilitary/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_army_cuts

twas the night before christmas norad santa epic beard man new york jets nfl standings giants vs jets ny jets

Man gets car ban after 4 children found in trunk (AP)

LONDON ? A British court has banned a man from driving for a year after he was caught traveling with four children in the trunk of his car.

Britain's Press Association news agency said Thursday that police found a total of 11 people in Zoltan Lakatos' Audi A4 when they stopped him in the English city of Leicester last year.

One passenger was in the driver's seat, three adults and two children were squeezed into the back, and officers discovered four more children in the trunk.

The news agency says Lakatos was convicted of endangering his passengers and of driving without insurance earlier this week at Leicester Magistrates' Court. He also was fined 1,325 pounds (about $2,080).

The agency said the 38-year-old was not in court for the ruling.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_kids_in_the_trunk

don lapre aladdin weird al yankovic bling ring bling ring melissa mccarthy green river killer

Syria: Are Captured Iranians Military Men or Engineers? (Time.com)

Claims that Iranians and Lebanese Hizballah members are aiding President Bashar Assad's troops in their ferocious crack down against dissent are almost as old as the 10-month Syrian uprising. Yet despite the thousands of amateur videos that have captured so much of the gruesome, bloody repression, precious little evidence has emerged to back the allegations of foreign assistance, beyond the assertions of antigovernment activists and the testimony of Syrian refugees fleeing the violence.

On Thursday, al-Jazeera, the Arabic-language satellite channel, broadcast amateur footage purportedly showing five of seven Iranians captured by Syrian military defectors belonging to the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in the besieged central city of Homs. A Syrian rebel who gave his name as Abu Bassem told the channel that the seven were nabbed by the FSA's Farouk Brigade on two separate occasions. Five of the men were allegedly Iranian soldiers, operating as snipers under the direct supervision of Syria's much feared Air Force Intelligence branch in Homs, Bassem told al-Jazeera in a phone call from the city, while the other two were civilians working at a local power plant in Jandar, near Homs. (See photos of protests in Syria.)

Five of the men are shown in a six-minute, 20-second snippet. Bearded and cloaked in black, they sit against a white wall, with a lone rifle propped up between the second and third man. A scrolling red ticker on the screen says that they are Iranian Revolutionary Guards and calls on "all Iranian Revolutionary Guards to immediately withdraw from Syrian territory." One of the five men holds up a laminated photo identification card. The Enduring America website posted a Farsi-to-English translation of his comments: "My name is Sajjad (Haider Ali) Aminan and I am a member of the revolutionary armed forces of Iran. I am leader of a five-member special team. I entered Syria on Oct. 16, 2011. The others entered Syria on different dates."

The men then all state their names: Ahmad Aziz Askari, Hasan Hasani, Majid Qanbari, Kyumars Qobadi. One says that they have killed "many civilians in the city of Homs, including many women and children."

The footage then cuts to two laminated photo ID cards, showing their back and front, as well as three passports. The pages are flipped, one by one, including all of the blank pages. (Read "The Arab League to Syria's President: It's Time for You to Go.")

Is this proof of Iran sending military reinforcement to prop up its main Arab ally? Or could something else be happening there? On Dec. 21, Syrian state media reported that eight foreign engineers, including five Iranians, were abducted "by terrorists" as they traveled on a company bus to their place of work, the Jandar power plant on the outskirts of Homs. The nationalities of the other three engineers were not stated. Shortly afterward, Iran's Press TV reported that "two more Iranian experts, who were trying to clarify the situation of the five abducted engineers," were kidnapped. Their whereabouts are unknown. On Jan. 2, an unknown group called the Movement Against the Expansion of Shiism in Syria sent a claim of responsibility for the abductions to the Agence France-Presse office in Nicosia, Cyprus.

The men in the video bear a resemblance to the five engineers abducted in December, as portrayed in a photo circulated in the Syrian and Iranian press. Their names also appear to match. The men, who are all dressed casually in jeans, jackets and track pants pose alongside a man identified as their Syrian cook. They are not the only Iranians nabbed in Syria. "Eleven Iranian pilgrims traveling by road to Damascus were kidnapped by an unknown group," Ramin Mehmanparast, spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, was quoted as saying on Thursday by the state news agency IRNA. "We call on the Syrian government to use all means ... to release the Iranian nationals," he said. (Read "The Crisis in Syria: No Immunity for Bystanders.")

Sectarian tensions have been rising in the multiethnic, multisectarian patchwork of the Syrian state as the death toll spirals beyond 5,000. Resentment toward Assad and some of his Alawite co-religionists is strong among certain quarters of the majority Sunni population. Although Alawites, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam, comprise some 12% of Syria's 22 million people, they are disproportionately represented in the upper echelons of Syria's political, business and military communities. There is also rising anger toward Assad's staunchest regional backers, Shi'ite Iran and the Shi'ite Lebanese militant group Hizballah (Party of God), which is now frequently referred to by Syrian activists, refugees and defectors alike as the "party of the devil." It's not inconceivable that a busload of Iranian pilgrims were nabbed by antigovernment elements, perhaps as bargaining chips.

Bassem of the FSA's Farouk Brigade stressed during his interview with al-Jazeera that he and his group were not against Shi'ites. "We are not sectarian," he said. "We ask Iran to admit they sent members of Revolutionary Guards to Syria. He said that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had until Jan. 28 to withdraw all Revolutionary Guards from Syria.

Pressed by the anchor about what would happen should the deadline lapse, Bassem said: "We are not terrorists, criminals or killers. We are against anyone who threatens innocent Syrians. We caught these people, they were armed. They are snipers. They were killing our Syrian brethren. We will try, God willing, to return them to their families safely, but given the difficult circumstances Homs is experiencing, we cannot guarantee their safety."

Watch TIME's video "Why They Protest: Egypt, Libya and Syria."

Read "Syria: Who Is the Real President Assad?"

View this article on Time.com

Most Popular on Time.com:

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/time/20120127/wl_time/08599210551000

aptera facebook ipo facebook ipo national defense authorization act national defense authorization act seven days in utopia seven days in utopia

Witchcraft in London? Tragically, it happens

By Annabel Roberts, NBC News

LONDON ? At London's Old Bailey, the highest criminal court in Britain, a desperate family tragedy is unfolding in courtroom number five.

It involves torture, death ? and witchcraft.

Harrowing sobs have echoed round the old courtroom as different members of one family have given evidence in the case of Magalie Bamu and her boyfriend Eric Bikubi, both accused of torturing Magalie's 15-year-old brother, Kristy Bamu, to death because they believed he was a witch.

Tale of torture
A horrifying picture has emerged of the last days of the boy?s life.

Kristy came to Britain with four brothers and sisters from his home in Paris to spend Christmas 2010 with his older sister Magalie. They stayed with her at the flat she shared with Bikubi, 28, in a section of eastern London.

That, prosecutors allege, is when things went bad.? The court heard that Bikubi accused three of the young visitors of witchcraft, and started taunting and beating them. Then he found some urine soaked underwear hidden in the flat's kitchen, which Kristy admitted was his. At that point, prosecutors said, Bikubi allegedly started to focus his accusations on Kristy and began to torture and beat the teenager in an attempt to oust out the evil in him.

Details of the torture have been spelled out to the jury by the children. They say Bikubi pulled Kristy's ears with pliers, rammed a metal tube into his mouth to dislodge his teeth, hit him with a hammer, and dropped tiles on to his head while forcing some of his siblings to hold him down and take part in the attacks.

Prosecutor Brian Altman described the pitting of sibling against sibling as "a staggering act of depravity and cruelty.?

One child, who has not been named, told the court the attacks wore Bikubi out to the point where he said he needed a rest and asked his girlfriend Magalie, Kristy's 28-year old sister, to take over.

"He said 'I've had enough, I need to have a rest. And Magalie hit him hard and quickly.'"

Eventually Bikubi filled a bathtub and instructed Kristy to get into it. According to the same sibling, as the water level rose Kristy tried to lift his body out, but was too weak. Eventually he slipped under the surface of the water, and drowned. It was Christmas Day.

One sister, Kelly Bamu, 21, told the court that Magalie could have stopped the abuse, but did nothing.

"Kristy asked for forgiveness. He asked again and again. Magalie did absolutely nothing. She didn't lift a finger," she said. "Magalie deserves to die for what they have done. I have no pity for her. She had no pity for us."

According to police, Kristy's body was covered in cuts and bruises; they say he had 101 injuries.

Bikubi denies murder, but has admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Magalie denies murder.

Belief in witchcraft
Kristy's family is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The jury has been told that witchcraft, or "kindoki," is widespread there and that it is condoned by some Christian churches across Africa and by their affiliated congregations worldwide.

Quite often if a family is experiencing setbacks, adults turn on a child in the belief that he or she is a vehicle for witchcraft and is responsible for their misfortunes. If the breadwinner loses a job, for example, and the family is struggling financially, or a family member has a car accident ? this may be attributed to the bad spirits that have taken hold of the child.

The response can be to abuse the child physically and emotionally, or to inflict suffering through starvation and neglect. There is a belief that the child will benefit from punishment, that they may be cured, without considering the harm this may cause.

Experts say cases often occur in situations of informal fostering ? where a child has been sent to live with an aunt, uncle or distant relative. But the extent is hard to quantify, according to Stephanie Yorath of the Victoria Climbie Foundation, an organization that promotes child protection, because of under-reporting.?

Yorath says very often the information detailing abuse is not recorded by investigating authorities, or the symptoms go unrecognized, or even more commonly, unreported by the child victims.

Autistic children are particularly vulnerable, said Thomas Bikebi of London's Congolese Family Center, who added that they are frequently picked out as witches and, along with others, can be sent back to Congo for exorcism. They often do not return.

The sanctioning of this abuse by some Christian churches is particularly alarming, according to Debbie Ariyo of AFRUCA (Africans Unite Against Child Abuse). She says some pastors are known to encourage adults to slap children or to make them fast, to rid them of evil spirits.

Bikebi believes the "problem is huge ... and fueled by poverty.? These rogue pastors are "exploiting the belief system to make money. Many people go to church to seek help with the economic situation they are facing. The pastor finds a scapegoat: the child. Parents have to pay for the pastor to perform the exorcism,? said Bikebi.

And there is concern that negative attention arising from an explosive trial like this one has the unwanted effect of driving improper practices further underground.

Such criminality occurs in many cultures and ethnic groups, including some in South America and Asia, but the majority of cases recorded in Britain occur in African communities.

Meanwhile, advocates are hoping the trial will raise awareness of the issue. Rachael Takens-Milne of the Trust for London, an organization funding solutions for vulnerable children, says there are programs to train caregivers and social workers to recognize when witchcraft is motivating child abuse.

It?s a view certainly shared by Kristy?s mother, Jacqueline, whose suffering throughout the trial has been heart-wrenchingly evident.

Toward the end of giving her evidence, she sobbed and said that she wants "to make people aware of what has happened between her children so such things don't happen to another family.???

Source: http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/25/10235297-witchcraft-in-london-tragically-it-happens

taylor martinez o brother where art thou o brother where art thou oregon state football oregon state football knocked up knocked up

Analyze this (Powerlineblog)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/191774834?client_source=feed&format=rss

alec baldwin kicked off plane alec baldwin kicked off plane mumia mumia uss arizona memorial uss arizona memorial d day

New federal map for what to plant reflects warming

In this Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 photo, Manager Jerry Holub looks at seed packages on display at the Earl May Nursery and Garden Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The USDA announced Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 new maps for plant hardiness zones, a key to determine which plants can survive in what parts of the country. The government's official guide of colorful planting zones is being updated for a warmer 21st century. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

In this Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 photo, Manager Jerry Holub looks at seed packages on display at the Earl May Nursery and Garden Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The USDA announced Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 new maps for plant hardiness zones, a key to determine which plants can survive in what parts of the country. The government's official guide of colorful planting zones is being updated for a warmer 21st century. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Map shows the USDA's new plant zone map

This Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 photo shows a tag on a tree on display at the Earl May Nursery and Garden Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The USDA announced Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 new maps for plant hardiness zones, a key to determine which plants can survive in what parts of the country. The government's official guide of colorful planting zones is being updated for a warmer 21st century. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

In this Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 photo, Manager Jerry Holub looks at trees on display at the Earl May Nursery and Garden Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The USDA announced Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 new maps for plant hardiness zones, a key to determine which plants can survive in what parts of the country. The government's official guide of colorful planting zones is being updated for a warmer 21st century. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The government's colorful map of planting zones is being updated for a warmer 21st century.

The official guide for 80 million gardeners and a staple on seed packets reflects a new reality: The coldest day of the year isn't as cold as it used to be. So some plants that once seemed too vulnerable to cold can now survive farther north.

It's the first time since 1990 that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has updated the map and much has changed. Nearly entire states, such as Ohio, Nebraska and Texas, are in warmer zones.

The new guide, unveiled Wednesday at the National Arboretum, also uses better weather data and offers more interactive technology.

"It truly does reflect state of the art," said USDA chief scientist Catherine Woteki.

Gardeners can register their zip code into the online map and their zone will pop up. It shows the exact average coldest temperature for each of the 26 zones, even though zones are based on five degree increments.

For example, Des Moines, Iowa, used to be in zone 5a, meaning the lowest temperature on average was between minus 15 and minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Now it's 5b, which has a coldest temperature of 10 to 15 degrees below zero.

"People who grow plants are well aware of the fact that temperatures have gotten more mild throughout the year, particularly in the winter time," said Boston University biology professor Richard Primack. "There's a lot of things you can grow now that you couldn't grow before."

He uses the giant fig tree in his suburban Boston yard as an example.

"People don't think of figs as a crop you can grow in the Boston area. You can do it now," he said.

An earlier effort to update the planting map caused a bit of an uproar when the USDA in 2003 decided not to use a map it commissioned that reflected warmer weather. The Arbor Day Foundation later issued its own hardiness guide that had the toastier climate zones. The new federal map is very similar to the one the private plant group adopted six years ago, said Arbor Day Foundation Vice President Woodrow Nelson.

In Des Moines, Jerry Holub, a manager for the Earl May Nursery chain, doesn't think the warmer zone will have much of an impact on gardeners. But he said this may mean residents can even try passion flowers.

"Now you can put them in safely, when you couldn't before," he said.

___

AP Writer Michael J. Crumb contributed to this report from Des Moines.

___

Online:

Plant map: http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2012-01-25-Planting%20Zone%20Map/id-224a385175e24e8c8fdecfb6fdfc21d0

kate upton winter solstice r. kelly x factor finale pro bowl voting kindle fire update college board

Review: Close almost too stoic in `Albert Nobbs' (AP)

The role of Albert Nobbs is one that's been near to Glenn Close's heart for a while. She first played it 30 years ago off-Broadway and reprises it now in a project she's been working for some time to bring to the screen.

Her dedication is obvious in watching "Albert Nobbs," based on a short story about a woman living as a man and working as a posh hotel waiter in order to survive in 19th century Ireland. Close's Albert is all quiet repression: the low monotone of her voice, the horizontal line of her mouth, the dark, conservative suit topped frequently by a prim bowler hat. The slightest gesture or facial expression is so subtle as to be practically imperceptible.

Every moment of the performance is a marvel of precision ? and yet, because she immerses herself so completely in the emotional restraint of this odd little man she's created, it's difficult to feel a connection with the character, despite the difficult life she's lived. There's no sense of the woman within ? to the extent that Albert can't even remember her real name anymore ? which would have provided crucial context for us to appreciate fully the sacrifice and sadness she's suffered for decades.

Rather, director Rodrigo Garcia ("Mother and Child"), working from a script Close herself co-wrote with John Banville and Gabriella Prekop, follows in melancholy tones as Albert goes about the duties of her day. She remembers the particular tastes of the hotel's regular guests and waits on new visitors with an impenetrable courtliness. She stashes her tips away each night in her modest bedroom with dreams of opening a little tobacco shop someday, and maybe even taking a bride. The saucy young maid Helen, played with much-needed liveliness by the ever-versatile Mia Wasikowska, catches her eye.

But Albert keeps these ideas to herself until the arrival of a brash painter named Hubert shakes up her world. You see, Hubert is also a woman disguising herself as a man, and Janet McTeer plays her with an irresistible, bawdy confidence. McTeer is electrifying in every scene she's in, to the point that "Albert Nobbs" drags noticeably in her absence.

Hubert also must hide her true identity in order to make a living ? and, like Albert, she's the victim of a physical abuse that drove her to reinvent herself. But she's found a way to reconcile the complexities of her identity and achieve real happiness. Albert inexplicably has pinned her hopes on a young woman who could never truly love her back ? as a man or a woman ? as evidenced by the volatile relationship Helen is in with the handsome but illiterate boiler repair man played by Aaron Johnson (a long way from the nerdy superhero he played in "Kick-Ass").

Other supporting players bring the film to life from time to time, including Brendan Gleeson as the hotel's resident doctor and perpetual drunk; Pauline Collins as its gossipy, social-climbing owner; and Bronagh Gallagher as Hubert's delightful, understanding wife.

But "Albert Nobbs" is clearly Close's show ? for better and for worse.

"Albert Nobbs," a Roadside Attractions release, is rated R for some sexuality, brief nudity and language. Running time: 113 minutes. Two stars out of four.

___

Motion Picture Association of America rating definitions:

G ? General audiences. All ages admitted.

PG ? Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

PG-13 ? Special parental guidance strongly suggested for children under 13. Some material may be inappropriate for young children.

R ? Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

NC-17 ? No one under 17 admitted.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_en_ot/us_film_review_albert_nobbs

showtime the prisoner the prisoner gene simmons my bloody valentine mario manningham mario manningham

iPhone 4S and iPad 2 get Corona command line jailbreak tool

If you're a little too impatient to wait for the Absinthe jailbreak tool to make its way to Windows, good news, there's another option. The iPhone Dev Team has released Corona, a command line-based option for Mac and Windows 7 that will deliver Cydia to your iOS 5.0 or 5.0.1-running iPhone 4S or iPad 2. Obviously, you'll want to be comfortable with the terminal and command prompt but, if you can handle a little CTRL+c and CTRL+v action, jailbreaking your brand new iOS device shouldn't prove too difficult. Hit up the source link for complete instructions on how to free your shiny A5 portable from Apple's shackles while still using your Microsoft machine.

iPhone 4S and iPad 2 get Corona command line jailbreak tool originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  TechnoBolt  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/23/iphone-4s-and-ipad-2-get-corona-command-line-jailbreak-tool/

ifl jerome simpson indoor football league newt gingrich wife callista rick perry travis barker

Bonus season not as festive for bank CEOs

In a Feb. 13, 2009, file photo, JP Morgan Chase and Co. President and Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon listens in the East Room of the White House in Washington. JPMorgan Chase, the largest U.S. bank, posted record profit for 2011. Morgan Stanley's latest quarter topped expectations as the bank trimmed costs and cleaned up mortgage-related problems. But CEOs Dimon and James Gorman aren't taking home bigger bonuses. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

In a Feb. 13, 2009, file photo, JP Morgan Chase and Co. President and Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon listens in the East Room of the White House in Washington. JPMorgan Chase, the largest U.S. bank, posted record profit for 2011. Morgan Stanley's latest quarter topped expectations as the bank trimmed costs and cleaned up mortgage-related problems. But CEOs Dimon and James Gorman aren't taking home bigger bonuses. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

In this Nov. 8, 2010, file photo, James P. Gorman, president and CEO of Morgan Stanley, smiles as he attends at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association "Invested in America" annual meeting, in New York. JPMorgan Chase, the largest U.S. bank, posted record profit for 2011. Morgan Stanley's latest quarter topped expectations as the bank trimmed costs and cleaned up mortgage-related problems. But CEOs Jamie Dimon, of JPMorgan Chase, and Gorman aren't taking home bigger bonuses. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? JPMorgan Chase, the nation's largest bank, posted a record profit for 2011. That didn't translate into a bigger bonus for CEO Jamie Dimon. Morgan Stanley's latest quarterly results topped expectations as the bank trimmed costs and cleaned up problems dating from the financial crisis. But CEO James Gorman saw the value of his stock awards for the year fall by half.

Across their ranks, Wall Street banks are curbing bonus pay for last year's performance, which was marked by big drops in stock prices and still-hefty costs for mortgage-related problems. In the last three months of the year, fear about the European debt crisis made the stock and bond markets volatile, and clients of all the major banks shied away from mergers and acquisitions and public offerings of stock. That sharply reduced investment banking and underwriting fees. The banks also faced a surge in populist anger, as the Occupy Wall Street movement went national.

Financial stocks were some of the worst performing in 2011. While the S&P 500 Index finished the year flat, Morgan Stanley shares plunged 44 percent, JPMorgan dropped nearly 22 percent and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. tanked 46 percent.

Compensation followed the downward trend. In a closely watched and politically charged gauge, JPMorgan Chase & Co. revealed earlier this month that it set aside 36 percent less than the year before to pay its investment bankers. Morgan Stanley shed 700 workers last year and capped the amount that workers can get in their bonuses immediately, deferring anything over $125,000. Rival Goldman eliminated 7 percent of its employees and cut 2011 pay by 21 percent.

And it appears the banks' CEOs are not immune. On Friday, Morgan Stanley's regulatory filing showed that the value of Gorman's stock award for the year dropped to $5.1 million from $10.2 million in 2010.

Gorman, who became CEO two years ago, has been slimming down the bank, selling off units like a mortgage servicing division and an asset management business. He's been emphasizing divisions like wealth management, which provide smaller returns than some investment banking operations but also carry a lot less risk because they're based on fees rather than markets. Unlike JPMorgan and some other big banks, Morgan Stanley doesn't have a large consumer deposit base to rely on when its investment bank stumbles.

JPMorgan's Dimon received restricted stock worth $12.6 million and stock appreciation rights reportedly valued at roughly $5 million for 2011, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission Friday. That compares with about $17.1 million in stock and SARs that he was granted for 2010.

For the full year, JPMorgan posted a record profit of $19 billion, up from $17.4 billion in 2010. But the bank struggled amid the choppy financial markets, which hurt investment banking fees in the fourth quarter. The bank also disclosed that it spent $3.2 billion last year to fight lawsuits, almost all of them over poorly written mortgages. That's down from $5.7 billion in 2010, but Dimon acknowledged there's still a "huge drag" on earnings five years after the bubble burst.

Complete compensation details, including the value of the executives' 2011 cash compensation, perks and benefits weren't disclosed. None of the banks have filed annual proxy statements, which include those financial details.

Dimon received a total pay package for 2010 valued at $20.8 million, including a salary of $1 million and a cash bonus of $5 million. Gorman received compensation valued at $15.2 million, including a salary of $800,000 and a cash bonus of $3.9 million.

The Associated Press formula calculates an executive's total compensation during the last fiscal year by adding salary, bonuses, perks, above-market interest the company pays on deferred compensation and the estimated value of stock and stock options awarded during the year. The AP formula does not count changes in the present value of pension benefits. That makes the AP total slightly different in most cases from the total reported by companies to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The value that a company assigned to an executive's stock and option awards for 2010 was the present value that the company expected the awards to be worth to the executive over time. Companies use one of several formulas to calculate that value. However, the number is just an estimate, and what an executive ultimately receives depends on the performance of the company's stock in the years after the awards are granted. Most stock compensation programs require an executive to wait a specified length of time to receive shares or exercise options.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-21-US-Bank-Bonuses/id-fec7f13d6e0c41d59595ab122c515502

new york city marathon andy williams andy williams nyc marathon nyc marathon coriolis effect coriolis effect

Swiss police press charges against anti-Davos protesters (Reuters)

ZURICH (Reuters) ? Swiss police will charge more than 100 demonstrators with breaching the peace after they rallied in Bern Saturday to protest against the World Economic Forum that holds its annual meeting in Davos this week.

The protesters, some wearing masks, began an unauthorized demonstration but were stopped by police in Bern, 270 km (170 miles) west of the Davos ski resort, where the global elite will gather for the forum which opens Wednesday.

Some protesters threw fire crackers and missiles at police but caused no material damage, police said in a statement.

Swiss police Wednesday arrested two men suspected of throwing red paint and scrawling "Smash WEF" in black graffiti on the walls of the Swiss National Bank in Zurich.

Anger against income inequality and the perceived greed of the rich and powerful has fed the Occupy Wall Street Movement that spurned copy-cat protests in cities in the United States and elsewhere, including Zurich.

Occupy protesters are building an igloo camp in Davos, but few demonstrations are likely at the ski resort given stringent security measures, including exclusion zones around the main congress center and air patrols by armed fighter jets.

(Reporting by Silke Koltrowitz; Editing by Sophie Hares)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120122/ts_nm/us_davos_protest

chicago weather tupelo honey weather nyc gary carter open marriage republican debate presidential debate

Book author: Kim Jong Il's eldest son wants reform (AP)

TOKYO ? The author of a new book on North Korea says late leader Kim Jong Il's eldest son believes the country now run by his young half brother could fail without economic reforms.

In his book "My Father, Kim Jong Il, and Me," which went on sale this week, Tokyo-based journalist Yoji Gomi describes the oldest son, Kim Jong Nam, as an intelligent gentleman who understands his country's problems.

Gomi says he met Kim Jong Nam by chance in Beijing in 2004. The brief encounter gave him just enough time to ask him who he was and hand him his business card. That led to over 150 emails spanning nearly eight years, and two interviews last year totaling seven hours, he told The Associated Press on Friday.

The book is a rare view into the family that has led the secretive country for decades. Since Kim Jong Il's death on Dec. 17, North Korea has been led by his youngest son, Kim Jong Un.

The book cites Kim Jong Nam's concerns over his brother's inexperience. In an email dated Jan. 3, Gomi's last contact from him, Kim Jong Nam wrote that "Jong Un will just be a figurehead, and the existing group of people who wield power are likely to take over my father's work," Gomi writes.

Kim Jong Nam believes that rigid North Korea must make Chinese-style economic reforms, and as a result fell from favor with his father, said Gomi, a Tokyo Shimbun newspaper journalist who had assignments in Seoul and Beijing.

"He dropped out of the succession race because he angered his father by calling for economic reforms and an open-door policy," Gomi said.

"Without reforms and liberalization, the collapse of the economy is within sight," he quoted Kim as saying in the book. "But reforms and opening up could also invite dangers for the regime."

Kim Jong Il is known to have three sons ? one from his second wife and two from his third.

Kim Jong Nam was seen as a possible successor until 2001, when he embarrassed the government by being caught trying to enter Japan with a fake passport. He said he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland.

He now spends much of his time in mainland China or in Macau ? the center of Asian gambling.

Gomi says his image in the media as a frivolous spendthrift is not what he really is.

"He had a very courteous demeanor, he was intelligent and very gracious in the way he spoke," Gomi said. "After having deeper conversations with him, I felt his analysis was insightful and he understands North Korea's weaknesses."

Soon after Kim Jong Il's funeral, Kim Jong Nam suggested in an interview with a Japanese TV network that he opposed the hereditary transfer of power to his young half brother ? a rare public sign of discord in the tightly choreographed succession process.

Gomi said Kim Jong Nam doesn't seem eager to become leader but is envious of his half brother's ascension.

"I get the impression that he thinks 'I used to be in that position, but now someone who's much younger than I, in his 20s, is in that seat. That isn't right. I can do a better job,'" he said.

Gomi said he thinks Kim Jong Nam is likely to continue living abroad, mostly in China.

"I would have liked to see him take the leadership. It's fun to imagine at least," he said. "If he were leader, I think North Korea would become much closer to Japan and South Korea. But because he is easy going, the country might collapse anyway."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_nkorea

bettie page harry caray northern lights maksim chmerkovskiy aurora borealis s.978 larry ellison

Apple announces free iBooks Author OS X app for publishing books to the App Store

We're here at Apple's education-themed event at the Guggenheim museum in New York City, and the company's just followed up its long-awaited textbook announcement with something unexpected: iBooks Author, a free OS X program for creating books. The intent is really for teachers and other educators to produce educational materials, but Apple says the format can apply to any genre. Aside from the free part, the real story here is ease of use, with the ability to drag and drop photos, videos and even Microsoft Word files into various templates. If you use Apple's own suite of office apps, in particular, you can drag and drop a Keynote presentation into the doc, and it'll live on as an interactive widget. (You can whip up other widgets, too, though you'll need to know Javascript or HTML.)

Moving beyond the main text, authors can also arrange glossaries by highlighting and clicking words, and clicking again to add a definition. In a surprise move, Apple also said authors can publish straight to the store, though we're waiting for clarification that textbook writers and other scribes are actually exempt from Cupertino's notorious approval process. In any case, the app is available now in the App Store (for OS X Lion only, sadly) so you can cracking on that definitive Kurt Vonnegut glossary you never knew you had in you.

Update: We've got our hands-on up!

Update 2: Apple has confirmed some key approval and revenue-sharing details. First, authors will be subject to the same App Store approval process as developers. Writers can offer their books for free, or for as much as $14.99 -- the same price cap for textbooks sold in the store. And, like developers, authors must agree to a 70/30 revenue split, with writers pocketing 70 percent after Apple takes its share.

Gallery: iBooks Author

Continue reading Apple announces free iBooks Author OS X app for publishing books to the App Store

Apple announces free iBooks Author OS X app for publishing books to the App Store originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/19/apple-announces-ibooks-author-app-for-os-x/

time magazine person of the year 2011 good morning america new orleans jazz fest new orleans jazz fest dwight howard louis ck michelle duggar

Illinois unemployment rate drops to 9.8 percent (AP)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. ? Unemployment in Illinois dropped to 9.8 percent in December. It was the second month in a row with a decrease

The Illinois Department of Employment Security said Friday that the unemployment rate fell despite the overall number of jobs in the state dropping by 4,100 in December. Statewide unemployment had fallen slightly in November to 10 percent after six straight months of increases.

Federal officials said earlier this week that national unemployment fell to a three-year low of 8.5 percent in December.

For all of 2001, Illinois unemployment rate averaged 9.4 percent. That was down almost a full percentage point from 2010.

Manufacturing employers added 2,200 jobs in December. That was more than any other type of employer. The biggest jobs losses were in construction, where firms cut 4,300 jobs.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_bi_ge/us_illinois_unemployment_illinois

pink yvette vickers yvette vickers ronald reagan sidney crosby nhl mph

Perry says he's dropping out of presidential race

Anita Perry, wife of Republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry listens at left, during a news conference in North Charleston, S.C., Thursday,Jan. 19, 2012, where Perry announced he was suspending his campaign and endorsing Newt Gingrich. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Anita Perry, wife of Republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry listens at left, during a news conference in North Charleston, S.C., Thursday,Jan. 19, 2012, where Perry announced he was suspending his campaign and endorsing Newt Gingrich. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

El gobernador texano Rick Perry anuncia su abondono de la campa?a por la candidatura presidencial republicana y su apoyo a Newt Gingrich, en conferencia de prensa el jueves 19 de enero de 2012 en North Charleston, Carolina del Sur. (AP Foto/David Goldman)

Republican presidential candidate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, accompanied by his wife Anita, right, and son Griffin, announces he is suspending his campaign and endorsing Newt Gingrich, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, during a news conference in North Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) ? Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday dropped out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination and endorsed Newt Gingrich, adding a fresh layer of unpredictability to the campaign two days before the South Carolina primary.

"Newt's not perfect, but who among us is?" Perry said. He called the former House speaker a "conservative visionary" best suited to replace Barack Obama in the White House.

While the ultimate impact of Perry's decision was unclear, it reduced the number of conservative challengers to Mitt Romney. The decision also reinforced the perception that Gingrich is the candidate on the move in the final hours of the South Carolina campaign, and that front-runner Romney is struggling to hold onto his lead there.

Perry had scarcely finished speaking when Gingrich issued a statement welcoming the endorsement. "I ask the supporters of Governor Perry to look at my record of balancing the budget, cutting spending, reforming welfare, and enacting pro-growth policies to create millions of new jobs and humbly ask for their vote," Gingrich said.

Romney reacted by praising Perry for running "a campaign based upon love of country and conservative principles" and saying he "has earned a place of prominence as a leader in our party."

Perry said he decided to suspend his campaign after concluding "there is no viable path forward for me."

Spokesman Ray Sullivan said money was also a factor: "We have spent the bulk of our funds." Perry chose to drop out before Saturday's primary because he wanted to "respect" the state's voters by giving them a choice among other candidates, Sullivan said.

Perry made his decision Wednesday night and began telling staff and supporters, spokesman Ray Sullivan said. The Texas governor called Gingrich with the news Thursday morning to inform the former House speaker of his endorsement.

Sullivan wouldn't say whether Perry intended to hurt Romney but noted that Perry and Gingrich have a long-standing relationship and said Perry is enthusiastic about the possibility of a Gingrich presidency. But Perry will support the candidate who wins the Republican nomination, Sullivan said.

Perry's exit marked the end of a campaign that began with soaring expectations but quickly faded. He shot to the head of the public opinion polls when he announced his candidacy last summer, but a string of poor debate performances and campaign flubs soon led to a decline in support.

His defining moment came during one debate when he inexplicably could not recall one of three federal agencies he had pledged to abolish. He joked about it afterward, telling reporters, "I stepped in it," but never recovered from the fumble.

Also problematic for conservative supporters: Perry's support of a Texas policy to allow children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates and his 2007 order to require schoolgirls in Texas to be vaccinated against human papillomavirus, an order later overturned by state lawmakers.

Perry also risked backlash from elderly voters after calling Social Security a fraud and a "Ponzi scheme." He said the popular federal retirement program for seniors was financially unsustainable and pledged to retool it if elected president.

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor considered the more moderate candidate in the race, has benefited thus far from having Perry and several other conservative challengers competing for the same segment of voters. New polls show Romney leading in South Carolina but Gingrich gaining steam heading into Saturday's contest in a state where conservatives hold great sway in choosing the GOP nominee.

Perry's decision to endorse Gingrich does not necessarily mean conservatives will rally behind the former House speaker. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, an anti-abortion champion, is still in the race and last weekend was endorsed by a group of evangelical Christian leaders.

And there is no guarantee the Texas donors who fueled Perry's bid will shift to Gingrich, even if the governor asks them to.

Romney has been working to court them in recent weeks and has also won the backing of former President George H.W. Bush. Several Perry supporters, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid publicly discussing their next steps before Perry's announcement, said they have been approached by Romney's campaign and will support him as the candidate most likely candidate to face President Barack Obama in November.

Also in play are at least three influential "super" political action committees supporting Perry. One so-called super PAC, called Make Us Great Again, aired more than $3.3 million worth of ads in Iowa and South Carolina supporting Perry. A spokesman for the group did not immediately return calls from the AP seeking comment about whom the PAC will support with Perry out of the GOP race.

Perry, 61, was relatively unknown outside Texas until he succeeded George W. Bush as governor after Bush was elected president in 2000. A former Democrat, Perry had already spent about 15 years in state government when he became governor. He went on to become the state's longest-serving chief executive, winning the office three times, most recently in 2010.

Part of Perry's appeal came from his humble beginnings in tiny Paint Creek, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M University and was a pilot in the Air Force before winning election in 1984 to the Texas House of Representatives. He switched to the GOP in 1989 and served as the state's agriculture commissioner before his election as lieutenant governor in 1998.

Perry's success as a politician suggested he would be a strong competitor to Obama. He had never lost a race in Texas, and his fight against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2010 showed how tough he could be on a rival.

___

Associated Press writer Chris Tomlinson in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-19-Perry/id-9bcabb594c1c4e2dbdd717d01cc01081

ladainian tomlinson merle haggard emily maynard mark wahlberg yu darvish apple announcement peyton manning

NCAA Basketball Gambling: Indiana exposed on defense in Big Ten play

College Basketball Handicapper Game Previews 1-18-2012

Submitted by Rob VenoGames that just missed the cut for tonight?s college basketball card. To purchase official selections, click here. Mississippi State at Mississippi OVER 130.5? Looks as if we?ll see contrasting philosophies in this game where the overall tempo is concerned. MSU head coach Rick Stansbury would prefer to get his electric PG Dee Bost and athletic running post man Arnett Moultrie out on the break as much as possible to avoid down low infighting with Ole Miss brawlers Murphy Holloway and Reginald Buckner. Meanwhile, Andy Kennedy would like is Rebels to feature more offensive ball movement and good shot selection. Mississippi is not without its desire to push pace when the opportunity exists and they?ll certainly look for quick outlet and easy bucket transition opportunities. Free throws could be in abundance here because of the intense post play and the potential for aggressive late game fouling. Mississippi State?s 78.3% from the line in conference play (4 regulars 72% or better) is strong enough to negate Mississippi?s weak 64.2% SEC number and garner enough points to get this game beyond the necessary 130.5. Each game plan is likely to be a successful contributor to pushing this game OVER the total.? Tulsa -7.5 vs. Tulane? Find value in the home side which has seemingly regrouped with nice back-to-back SU and ATS wins at East Carolina and vs. UTEP. Look for that momentum to carry over here against a Tulane squad which has now learned that leading scorer Kendall Timmons is gone for the rest of the season. In their first contest without him last Saturday at home against Rice, Tulane held the Owls to an outstanding 29% FG shooting yet lost 50-49. The fact that they could only muster 49 points immediately showed the effects of losing Timmons and that should continue on the conference road against defensively stingy Tulsa. The recent increase of three-point shooting prowess (13-22 59.1%) led by guards Scotty Haralson, Jordan Clarkson and Eric McClellan combined with the uptick in play of 6-11 pivots Kodi Maduka and Steven Idlet figures to be too much for Tulane to overcome. The Green Wave likely need some time to realign and get comfortable without their star player to lean on. This is not the time or the setting to be in and even though tonight?s game pace will be methodical, covering -7.5 isn?t that much of a task for Tulsa.?? Murray State at Morehead State OVER 128.5? Murray State?s offense has yet to be slowed down this season and the defensive credentials of Morehead State don?t appear capable of changing that. For the season the Racers are shooting 50.1% from the field and 43% from 3-point range. Those numbers have increased in OVC play to 52.4% and 44.1% respectively. Morehead coach Donnie Tyndall?s Eagles (9-10) have regressed this season and that has really shown up on the defensive end where they have allowed 52.2% on 2-point field goals and 38.5% on threes. While both numbers are very permissive, it?s the latter that is the most troublesome here. Murray State?s sharpshooting duo of Isaiah Canaan (48.6% 3-point) and Donte Poole (41.1% 3-point) can repeatedly exploit this weakness which should push their team to 70+ points. Morehead has some shooting prowess of its own, connecting on 51.1% from inside three in six conference games and for all their attributes, Murray State has yielded 47.9% on 2-pointers this season. Each team is efficient at the foul line shooting 74% for the year which will help point production. Morehead?s slower tempo isn?t likely to win out here as Murray will push and in all likelihood force the Eagles to do the same when they?re in second half chase mode. Tags: College Basketball Rob Veno

NFL Playoff Gambling Notes: New England TE Hernandez upgraded to probable

Submitted by Otto SportsBaltimore at New England -6.5 O/U 50 With news trickling out today that Aaron Hernandez is expected to suit up this weekend it looks like New England will feature its ultra tough, two tight end attack. Hernandez was a question mark?heading into the week due to concussion concerns but was recently upgraded to probable. The former Florida Gators standout has combined with Rob Gronkowski for 169 receptions this season ? 24 of which went for touchdowns. Just how impressive have these guys been this year? Gronkowski finished fifth in the league in total receptions and slipped past Calvin ?Megatron? Johnson for the league lead in touchdowns. Hernandez, despite being the second option in terms of tight ends and third option overall, managed to record more receptions than stud receiver Hakeem Nicks and was tied with the explosive Steve Smith (who had a monster year for Carolina) for both receptions and touchdown grabs. Not many teams have slowed the combo down this season but here?s an interesting read about?a potential scheme for keeping the duo under wraps. ? Tags: NFL Baltimore Ravens New England Patriots

NCAA Basketball Betting Alert: Rice?s leading scorer may be out for season

UAB at Rice -4 O/U 123 Reports have surfaced that Rice's leader scorer (14.3 ppg) and rebounder (12.0 rpg) Arsalan Kazemi may be done for the year with a knee injury. The Houston Chronicle is reporting that Kazemi posted the news on his Twitter account. He's currently listed as doubtful for tonight's game against UAB. Tags: College Basketball Rice Owls UAB Blazers Arsalan Kazemi

College Basketball Betting Free Play: Rhode Island Rams at Fordham Rams

Submitted by Alatex SportsRhode Island at Fordham -3.5 O/U 135? Recommendation: Fordham Rhode Island has been a complete disaster this year as it limps into this road contest with a 3-15 record. Head coach Jim Baron is taking heat and grasping at straws to turn this season around, but none of his lineup changes have worked. The Rams? wins thus far came against Boston College, James Madison and Hofstra. They kicked their best player, Jamal Wilson, off the team in December and added transfers Andre Malone and Baron?s son Billy who have had little to no impact. RI?s defense has been atrocious allowing 48.9 % from the field and 49.9% on the road. Fordham has made some improvements under head coach Tom Pecora, including home wins against Georgia Tech and Harvard. The Rams are coming off an 80-62 loss at St. Joe's and should be ready for a nice effort at home against an opponent that they should be able to beat. Take the home side.? ? Tags: College Basketball Fordham Rams Rhode Island Rams Brent Crow

Sports Betting Podcast 1-18-2012 with Brent Crow and Erin Rynning

Tags: College Basketball NBA Brent Crow Erin Rynning

College Basketball Betting Trends: Marshall looks to maintain ATS success vs. WVU

West Virginia -3.5 vs. Marshall O/U 135 Marshall and West Virginia renew their rivalry tonight in Charleston, WV. The Thundering Herd have owned the series from a pointspread perspective but tonight's matchup has seen a massive adjustment in the line compared to previous meetings. West Virginia vs. Marshall Series History 2005-11 Year Score SU Winner ATS Winner 2011 75-71 Marshall Marshall +10 2010 68-60 West Virginia Marshall +12.5 2009 87-76 West Virginia Marshall +15.5 2008 66-64 West Virginia Marshall +15.5 2007 77-63 West Virginia West Virginia -10 2006 58-52 Marshall Marshall +16 2005 59-55 Marshall Marshall +13.5 ?Tags: College Basketball West Virginia Mountaineers Marshall Thudering Herd

NFL Playoff Gambling: California bettors show support for 49ers at Reno sportsbooks

-NY Giants- at San Francisco -2.5 O/U 42 Reno's Peppermill and Cal Vena sportsbooks have seen a lot of betting support for the San Francisco 49ers. "Are you putting your money on the 49ers this weekend?" asked reporter Andrew Del Greco. "Of course," said Reyes. "Good luck," said Del Greco. "I'm going to bet my whole check if I have to," said Reyes. "The 49ers are going to the Super Bowl!" "Our ticket counts are up about 20 percent, it's mostly 49er fans," said Cox. Tags: NFL San Francisco 49ers New York Giants

College Basketball Betting: Oklahoma State has trouble lasting 40 minutes

Oklahoma State at Iowa State -8 O/U 137 Oklahoma State's youth and lack of depth really showed in last week's 106-65 loss at Baylor. But it wasn't the first time those shortcomings were exposed. The Cowboys are 2-2 in Big XII play, but?have been?outscored in the second half in all four games by a combined 45 points. Fatigue obviously could be a favor tonight with Iowa State looking to push the tempo. The Cyclones aren?t an ideal mid-range favorite, but perhaps we'll have?a halftime opportunity with a cheaper adjusted price. Following the loss to Baylor, OSU head coach Travis Ford dropped this gem of a quote... ?I told our guys and I want them to understand this, ?It?s not about winning and losing at this point, it?s about how you are playing,?? Ford said. ?Because we can play well and still not maybe win the game. ?About eight to 10 minutes to go in the (Baylor) game, we didn?t have much fight in us.? ? ? Tags: College Basketball Oklahoma State Cowboys Iowa State Cyclones

NBA Handicapping: Clippers blasted in Utah sans Paul, return home to face Dallas

Dallas at LA Clippers Without Chris Paul, or any real desire to put forth an effort, this happened to the Los Angeles Clippers last night. Head coach Vinny Del Negro wasn't shy about voicing his disappointment. The Clips still trail a majority of the team in terms of games played but will be facing the third game of a back-to-back-to-back tonight against Dallas. As of this morning, Paul (hamstring) was listed as questionable. ? "I didn?t like our approach," Del Negro said. "I didn?t like our focus. I didn?t like our toughness. I didn?t like our energy to start the game. We dug ourselves a hole. "We?re not going to win a lot of games playing with that type of effort. I don?t care if it is a back-to-back game, where we?re playing, how much rest they have. We have to play better than that." "We just came out and played poorly. We didn?t have good energy," Del Negro said. "We weren?t aggressive. They were more aggressive. Give Utah credit, but our starters didn?t get off to a good start with their energy defensively and Utah got into a rhythm. "There?re no excuses. We?ve got to bounce back tomorrow night and play much harder, play smarter, play tougher, and that?s what I expect." Tags: NBA Los Angeles Clippers Dallas Mavericks

NCAA Basketball Gambling: Indiana exposed on defense in Big Ten play

Indiana -4.5 at Nebraska O/U 131 Despite dropping back-to-back games, Indiana isn't going into panic mode as it travels to face Nebraska tonight. Despite some impressive wins this season, the Hoosiers continue to be exposed on the defensive end of the floor. Through six games in league play, IU ranks 12th in points per possession allowed (1.12), 11th in effective FG% (54.9) and 10th in 2-point FG% defense (55.3). The numbers should improve with their next three games against offensive challenged Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin. But the Hoosiers have built a rep in the betting markets and if they want to continue to win games (and cover pointspreads) they'll need to improve on the stopping the opposition. ?I think this is an important game because it?s the next game,? said IU freshman Cody Zeller. ?We?re just going to take this one game at a time whether we?re on a big winning streak or on a two-game losing streak. I think every game is important to us.? ?We?ve had two tough losses and now we have to bounce back from them,? Oladipo said. ?The most important game is our next one and that?s (today). We have to come out with an edge and with some energy.? ?Tags: College Basketball Indiana Hoosiers Nebraska Cornhuskers

NFL Playoff Betting News: High-octane offenses drop like flies

Baltimore at New England -7.5 O/U 50.5 Despite all of the offense that took place during the regular season, the postseason has already weeded out two of the top three offenses (Green Bay and New Orleans). The Patriots are the only team remaining but are they on borrowed time or will their situational defense be enough to survive? Don't forget that the Saints, Patriots and Packers ranked 30th, 31st and 32nd respectively against the pass this season. Also note that the New England is just 1-6 ATS in its last seven postseason contests (the lone cover last week vs. Denver). ? Tags: NFL New England Patriots Baltimore Ravens

NBA Handicapping: Dallas Mavericks one of many teams struggling to score

Some startling numbers?on how bad offenses have been in the NBA with a focus on the Dallas Mavericks who shot 35% in last night's ugly 73-70 loss to the Lakers. There are currently 21 teams shooting 45% or worse ? up from last year's 13. Nineteen teams are averaging 96 ppg or less. "Hasn't been there all year," Terry said of a Mavs offense that ranks 21st in scoring at 92.6 points a game and 22nd in field-goal percentage at 43.1. "But defensively, we're doing our job. We just have to make shots. Stay encouraged; defensively we're playing our ass off. We'll get there. Again, it was just an uncharacteristic, off-shooting night for us. I'm not really concerned." "Throughout the season," said Dirk Nowitzki, averaging just 17.9 points on 46.9 percent shooting and 19.2 percent from 3-point range, "I expect a lot of ugly games like that to happen. It's just normal." Tags: NBA Dallas Mavericks

Handicapping the NFL Playoffs: Statistical percentages vs. Betting lines

Quick look at the comparison between Football Outsiders' DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) playoffs odds and CRIS's betting lines. Here are the moneyline to percentage calculations based on CRIS's lines. New England (-350) is 78% to beat Baltimore San Francisco (-135) is 57% to beat New York Here are the odds to win the Super Bowl; moneyline and percentages. New England (+105) 48.7% New York Giants (+240) 29.4% San Francisco (+240) 29.4% Baltimore (+650) 13.3% ? Tags: NFL

NBA Betting Free Pick: Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers

Submitted by Teddy CoversGolden State +2.5 at Cleveland O/U 196.5? Recommendation: Golden State Expect another strong effort out of Golden State tonight as they continue their road trip with a game in Cleveland against the Cavs.? Here?s what forward David Lee said on the eve of the trip: ?If we come back with a losing record from this road trip, it should be a huge disappointment. This is a road trip to places where we need to go take care of business and get three or possibly four victories. I don't see it any other way at this point." But Mark Jackson?s squad started the trip with a complete no-show in Charlotte, blown off the court by the lowly Bobcats.? They were outscored 66-46 before halftime, and never came close to making up the deficit in the final 24 minutes of play.? Forward Dominic McGuire: ?We took it for granted. We came out thinking this was an automatic win?.I don't think it was anything they did. They were hitting shots but ... 38 points for the Bobcats in the first quarter? C'mon." The Warriors bounced back strong against the Pistons on Sunday, coming away with an eight point road win as a 4.5 point underdog.? And their primed to do it again tonight, facing a tired Cleveland squad, playing on the second night of back-2-backs with their ninth consecutive court change as they return home following a grueling seven game road trip.? The Cavs stepped up in the second half to earn a much needed win at Charlotte yesterday, leaving them a tad bit ?fat and happy' here, as evidenced by this quote from head coach Byron Scott: ?I told the guys that if we can come off this seven-game trip with three wins, it?d be pretty good. And we did that. And we had some other close ones, so the road trip pretty much was a success.?? Look for the Cavs to really struggle matching the Warriors intensity this evening, especially without injured sharpshooting starter Anthony Parker in the lineup. Tags: NBA Golden State Warriors Cleveland Cavaliers Teddy Covers

Gambling on the NFL Playoffs: Baltimore prepares for trip to New England

Baltimore at New England -7.5 O/U 50.5 New England has defeated Baltimore six out of the last seven in the series, but the Ravens did win in Foxboro during the 2009 playoffs. Winning on the road during this year's regular season proved to be difficult for Baltimore but the team is instead focusing on its past success on the highway during the postseason (4-3 SU/ATS last four years). "The last four times we played them, going back to `97, all four of them have been wars," Johnson said. "Even though they've won three of the four, they had to earn it. This one is not going to be any different. It's going to be an extremely intense situation and environment, and we're looking forward to it. It's going to be fun." "I think it helps just by the fact that we've done it," he said. "Most of our team has been there before. Those young guys can relate to the older guys, and the older guys can share some wisdom. "But it's not going to impact necessarily this game except to the extent that our guys have been there before and it's certainly not going to be anything new to them. And that's a good thing." ?Tags: NFL Baltimore Ravens New England Patriots

NFL Betting News: Sportsbooks in fear of a New York Giants Super Bowl run

Both offshore and Las Vegas sportsbooks are facing some hefty payouts if the New York Giants continue to win. The Giants right now are our biggest loser if they were to win the Super Bowl,? Kevin Bradley, Bovada sportsbook manager told the New York Post last week. ?Before the first Cowboys-Giants game (in Week 14), we actually had a big customer put down a large bet on the Giants to win both the NFC crown and the Super Bowl,? Chris Andrews, assistant director of Club Cal Neva Sports Books, said. ?This customer took 60-1 for the Super Bowl and 30-1 for the conference." ?If the Giants win the Super Bowl, it will be a very nice score for the betting public,? says David Mason, spokesperson for Panama-based BetOnline.com. ?It seems like no matter the sport, there is just so much public money coming out of the Big Apple, we are more often than not exposed a bit. This year is no different. Even a season like this one, when the Giants had to go down to the wire to even make the playoffs, their faithful bettors always saw value in their long odds.? Tags: NFL New York Giants

Sports Betting Podcast 1-17-2012 with Rob Veno and Erin Rynning

Tags: College Basketball NBA Rob Veno Erin Rynning

Gambling on the NFL Playoffs: San Francisco well aware of different Giants team

The red hot Giants, led by quarterback Eli Manning, look to be a different bunch than the ones that traveled to San Francisco earlier in the year. The 49ers have taken notice. Some quotes and notes here from the Mercury News: "Eli's not throwing many interceptions," said 49ers cornerback Tarell Brown, who had one of the 49ers' two interceptions against Drew Brees in Saturday's 36-32 divisional win over the New Orleans Saints. Manning tallied nine touchdown passes, one interception and 953 yards as the Giants won their past three elimination games: A 31-14 victory over Dallas to clinch the NFC East, a 24-2 rout of the Atlanta Falcons in the wild-card round and Sunday's dethroning of the Packers. Manning had two passes intercepted in the Nov. 13 loss. His fateful 40th attempt was knocked down by lineman Justin Smith's right hand on fourth down with 34 seconds left. "Eli has been money all year," Smith said Monday. "(When) we played him, he was dropping balls in there that only the receiver could get to. It's going to be a tough matchup." Tags: NFL New York Giants San Francisco 49ers

NBA Betting Trends: Chicago Bulls fit strong profile for matchup vs. Phoenix

Pretty impressive betting trend in action tonight in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls off a game in which they allowed more than 100 points* (102-86 loss at Memphis). Over the last two seasons, the Bulls are an amazing 14-3 ATS and 4-13 O/U in this profile. The two 64-point performances came this season. The rest during the 2010-11 season. No line yet on tonight's game against Phoenix ? Derrick Rose currently listed as doubtful. *In regulation Chicago Bulls Betting Results Last Two Season After Allowing 100 points Opponent Points Allowed Bulls ATS Over/Under Phoenix ??? ??? ??? Washington 64 Win Under Memphis 64 Win Under Atlanta 83 Win Under Atlanta 73 Win Under Phoenix 94 Loss Under Sacramento 92 Win Over Washington 79 Win Under Miami 89 Win Under Portland 109 Loss Over Boston 79 Win Under Detroit 92 (OT) Loss Under Philadelphia 76 Win Over Oklahoma City 90 Win Under Denver 98 Win Under Dallas 83 Win Under Boston 110 (OT) Win Over Detroit 91 Win Under Results 86.2 pgg 14-3 ATS 4-13 O/U Tags: NBA Chicago Bulls Phoenix Suns

NBA Handicapping: Phoenix Suns continue to struggle on offense

Phoenix at Chicago Article of Phoenix's struggles on offense this year. The Suns are averaging 11.2 ppg below last year's mark and don't feature a player in the top 50 in scoring. ?I think everyone is going to score more,? said Nash, who posted 20 points and 10 assists despite a sore quadriceps. ?There?s going to be more cohesion. We?ll see more balance, and we?ll see more guys scoring. It?ll get better.? ?We?ve got to have Channing shoot the ball better than he is,? Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. ?JD (Dudley) is starting to come into his own, shoot better and make plays. We?ve just got to get ourselves running and get easy layups. The history of our team and how it has shot well came from how we would get layups and dunks. To be in a half-court situation so often is not good.? ? Tags: NBA Phoenix Suns Chicago Bulls

College Basketball Betting: Analyzing close against the spread results

Submitted by Fairway JayThis is Part I of a series of articles to be posted on college basketball results and the impact against the spread (ATS). I?m often asked about close results and usually emailed, tweeted or text a message about a close win or loss (usually loss). It?s important to understand some of the random variances that can take place in betting sports, and in this case college basketball. Over the course of a college basketball season the average margin of a final score will fall with 8-9 points from the betting line. Over the past few weeks we have suffered our share of close ATS losses, including 0-5 the past three days for results that landed within five points of the betting line. Along with some service selections, my personal wagering has resulted in a 0-5 recent run for games that landed within one point of the betting line.? Yet despite some recent less than desired results, we?ve been on quite a run on our top-rated Big Drive plays. Since late November the record stands 25-7. Through the winning run and full season, I spend many hours logging and tracking scores, stats and lines. I?ve been tracking scores and documenting the results as it relates to ATS wins and losses. In November I wrote a blog about ATS results. Over the years, I?ve used a 5-point result from the betting line as a pretty solid standard for random ATS results. Over the course of a college basketball season, approx. 40-42% of the games and final scores will land within five points of the betting line. In the opening month of the season covering over 580 lined games, 34.6% of the CBB games fell within five points of the betting line, proving that early season college basketball can be more beatable as the oddsmaker is not as sharp as it relates to final scores ATS. Understand that betting lines move based on market activity, and I?m usually grading from the closing line. But the results shown would still be close even to the opening line. In the month of December, there were over 660 CBB games. Of those games, 41.4% landed within five points of the betting line, and exactly 10% of the games landed within one point of the line; which is usually the average over the course of a CBB season. Regardless of your level of handicapping ability, long term results of these close ATS games should produce close to 50% ATS winners and losers. If you?re results are more losers than winners on these close ATS results, then you?re just having a negative random variance and unfortunate results. Along with line moves, bookmaker juice and other challenges in preparing to win and beat the bookmaker, it can be frustrating if you are suffering too many close ATS losses. We?ve experienced that first hand recently, going 5-13 on results that have landed within five points of the betting line in the month of January.?? We?ll review January results in Part II along with additional ATS parameters as we continue to evaluate the results, stats and match-ups, and work to become even more proficient in point spread prognosis in our never-ending pursuit of profit. Check back throughout each week for additional articles, analysis, insight and ?Fairway Forecasts? along with the best sports betting information at sportsmemo.com/blogs. Fairway Jay is a recognized leader and one of the sports industries insightful point spread prognosticators. He?s having another winning and profitable season in 2011-12 highlighted by 16-units of profit in December alone (1 and 2 unit scale). Fairway Jay?s current top-play Big Drive run is a bankroll-building 25-7 including 11-3 on his top-rated 20* Big Drive plays. Fairway Jay has won 67% of his top-rated Big Drive selections this college basketball season. Fairway Jay is a proven pro and performer in the college basketball game with a 5-year stretch of consecutive winning seasons and profits that placed him on the leaderboard among the nation?s top college basketball handicappers. With documented success and experience to battle with the best and beat the bookmaker, join Fairway Jay on the college basketball court and profit from his experience and well-rounded game. Follow on Twitter: @FairwayJay Tags: College Basketball Fairway Jay

NCAA Basketball Gambling: Michigan looks for three straight over rival Michigan State

Michigan State -1 at Michigan O/U 131.5 Notes on tonight's Michigan State-Michigan matchup in Ann Arbor. Both teams come in off of losses ?MSU fell at Northwestern 81-74 and UM was blown out at Iowa, 75-59. The Wolverines has some pretty strong ATS trends in their favor: 15-4 ATS run vs. Big Ten, 27-8 ATS run as an underdog, 15-6 ATS run at home. Michigan won both meetings last season, 70-63 (-1) and 61-57 (+11). ? Tags: College Basketball Michigan Wolverines Michigan State Spartans

College Basketball Free Play: Maryland Terrapins at Florida State Seminoles

Submitted by Andrew LangeMaryland at Florida State? Recommendation: Maryland +6.5 1st half Beating North Carolina at home wasn't that monumental of an achievement for Florida State ? despite what the Seminoles? student body showcased after the buzzer. However, hanging 90 on the Tar Heels in route to a 33-point victory is no doubt going to make FSU's players feel good about themselves. Letdowns happen all of the time in college hoops and the odds of that occurring to the Seminoles ? for at least parts of tonight's game ? are pretty good. I will say that of all of the potential letdown victims, it is the teams with elite level defenses which are typically the least susceptible ? something that FSU without question has. The one thing the Seminoles don't have though is the ability to consistently knock down shots. Against a majority of the better teams on their schedule, the Seminoles failed to top 1.0 point per possession. Maryland is a different squad than it was at the start of the year. After adjusting some to first-year head coach Mark Turgeon and going to battle with a full complement of players, we've seen the Terps play some competitive basketball with 9 out of 10 wins (lone loss, 79-74 at NC State). They take a big step up in class defensively against FSU but this is a scrappy enough team to hang around. Look for the home side to come out a little flat as we make a play on the underdog in the first half.? Tags: College Basketball Maryland Terrapins Florida State Seminoles Andrew Lange

College Basketball Betting: Kentucky Wildcats struggle to cover pointspreads

Submitted by Andrew LangeTypically, the best teams in college basketball post against the spread records around the .500 mark. They obviously win a lot which is correlated with covering spreads but on the same token, the extra "tax" and attraction to bettors often keeps them from putting up great ATS numbers. Take last year from example. North Carolina (16-17 ATS), Duke (20-16 ATS), Kansas (18-17 ATS), Pittsburgh (15-14 ATS), Syracuse (15-18 ATS), Ohio State (18-16 ATS) and Kentucky (16-16 ATS) were all right around the .500 mark. There were some expectations, most notably UConn (23-12 ATS), but the Huskies came from way off the grid to go 10-1 ATS during the postseason. But this year, something odd is taking place. Kentucky, which is considered to be one of the best teams in the country, is a horrific 3-13-1/4-12-1/4-13 ATS (depending on what numbers you go by). Based on one set of numbers I saw, the Wildcats haven't covered a game since November 19 ? after starting the season 3-0 ATS. So why has Kentucky been such a poor spread team? No question, there is a tax tacked onto the Cats ? but the same can be said about a lot teams. But unlike those teams, Kentucky is young, and winning games by margin ? which often takes a full 40 minutes of effort with already inflated lines ? can be difficult with such a young cast of characters. The Cats have missed out more than a handful of covers by laying off the pedal late, not to mention they were wildly overpriced in their first two road games in the SEC. I think some of it can be attributed head coach John Calipari and his emphasis on development and gearing his young teams for the postseason. Unlike other squads, he doesn't have multiple years to develop team chemistry and teach these kids the little things involved in being a champion. He's handed a ton of inexperience and little to no time to teach them how to win. And the learning process, which we are witnessing right now, is forced to take place in games, rather than in practice or the offseason. As a result, Kentucky is winning a lot of games on sheer talent alone, which is a big reason why they've faltered against the spread at such a high rate. And I've seen enough of Calipari to know that close wins and losses are almost a welcome sight as they better prepare his teams for a Final Four run. I think moving forward, the Cats are going to stumble upon a handful of ATS victories but their struggles are no fluke if you break down all of the factors involved. Tags: College Basketball Kentucky Wildcats Andrew Lange

NCAA Basketball Betting Trends: 71% of Missouri Valley games have gone OVER the total

Submitted by Andrew LangeBuilding on the blog we posted the other day about the increase in scoring in the Missouri Valley Conference this season. The MVC has long been known as a grind-it-out league that on occasion sees a team or two willing to play up-tempo. Below is a chart of the team-by-team yearly pace rankings according to Ken Pom. As you can see, from 2008-10, the MVC's average rank was between 233 and 241. This season however, we've seen that number climb to 173 as half the league ranks 143 or higher. I think we'll see the overall pace numbers dip once these teams play more conference games which brings us to our next point. Amazingly, 25 of the MVC's 35 league games have gone over the total thus far. The only two teams to not trend towards the OVER in league play are ironically the league's two top offense, Creighton and Wichita State. And only one team (Drake, 6-9 O/U) has trended UNDER from a season long perspective. Missouri Valley Conference Tempo Numbers Team 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2012 O/U MVC Bradley 67 216 212 166 36 6-1 Creighton 159 84 206 255 71 3-4 Drake 271 274 295 206 143 5-2 Evansville 254 121 202 139 140 5-2 Illinois State 290 239 226 310 277 6-1 Indiana State 193 256 237 190 223 6-1 Missouri State 162 280 250 309 235 5-2 Northern Iowa 328 318 343 340 291 4-3 Southern Illinois 305 229 172 263 131 7-0 Wichita State 309 291 254 231 183 3-4 Average Rank 234 231 240 241 173 25-10 Tags: College Basketball Andrew Lange

$99 The biggest special offer we've made on a 20* combo is just a click away. You get FIVE BIG 20* PLAYS for just $99 tonight. Four CBB best bets from A.Lange, Veno, Black and Otto plus one NHL best bet from Sammy P. Each is individually guaranteed to win or that capper's next report is free. $39 Andrew Lange is on a historic college hoops run, cashing 20 of his last 22 plays. Tonight he comes in with his 20* MAC Game of the Month. Pick it up for $39. It must win or Lange's next play is on the house. $39 Sammy P comes in strong tonight on the ice with a 20* Power Play Side. His current 89-59 +34.95 NHL Hot Streak has been consistently making money for clients, don't get left behind. Get on board for $39 today and this play guaranteed to cash or Sammy's next NHL report is yours absolutely free of charge. $39 Rob has been nothing but net when he releases a 20*. Across all sports he's cashed eight of his last nine two unit plays! He nails another top rated 20* tonight, this one coming in CBB. Yours for $39 it's guaranteed to win or his next hoops report is free. $39 Marty Otto nailed his 20* on MLK day and another last night to extend his strong hoops run to 28-13 68%. He follows those big wins with another strong 20* Big O Total today. Yours for $39 it's guaranteed to win or his next hoops report is free. $39 Donnie Black is firing on all cylinders with his top rated 20* Black Magic reports. Across all sports he is in the midst of a current 65% hot streak that has generated over +22 units of profit. He unleashes his strongest Big 12 play of January today. Guaranteed to win or his next hoops report is free. $29 Join top CBB producer Brent Crow tonight with his best bet 15*, his strongest Missouri Valley game of the entire week. Just $29 it's guaranteed to cash or you'll receive his top play at no charge tomorrow. Brent has posted a fantastic 95-58 62% season with over +38 units of profit! $20 Teddy swept the board last night and is 12-3 overall in all sports the last four days! Ride the hot hand tonight and pick up his 10* NBA Top Dog report. Just $20 it's guaranteed to win or his next hoops report is free. $29 Fairway's top rated Big Drives have been money in college hoops. For the season they're cashing in at a ridiculous 67% clip and they're currently in the midst of a monster 26-7 run. Pick up Jay's 15* best bet tonight for just $29. Guaranteed to win or his next hoops report is free. $29 Donnie Black has played point guard the last two years in hoops dishing out big profits. DB owns a spectacular +39 plus units record in hoops combined over the last two basketball seasons. Watch and win tonight with his ESPN NBA side. Pick up his NBA report tonight for just $29. Guaranteed to win or his next hoops report is free. $20 The best NBA handicapper on the planet showed he's only getting better with almost 40 units of profit produced last season. ER NBA is a must add to your arsenal as he comes out strong with his best NBA play on the card for Wednesday night. $20 this 10* is guaranteed to win or his next hoops report is free. $20 Teddy Covers has been smoking hot the last four days. He swept the board last night and is 12-3 80% overall during this run. Watch and win along with him in CBB tonight for just $20. This side is guaranteed to cash or his next hoops report is on the house. $29 Don't miss out on Fairway's top NBA report, he loves this total as it fits a number of proven and profitable parameters. Yours for $29 this 15* O/U is guaranteed to cash or his next hoops report is on the house. $49 Fairway Jay has long been a top producer when it comes to the NFL. His proven track record for more than eight years is also highlighted by three consecutive winning playoff campaigns, now four straight including this year. He's a perfect 3-0 with his best bets and this is the strongest 20* of the Championship round. Yours for $49 it's guaranteed to win or his Super Bowl package is free. $49 Marty swept the board with a 2-0 mark in the Divisional Round of the playoffs last week and he comes into the Conference Championships sporting an overall 66% mark with his best bets since the 2010 season. He unleashes the single strongest report of his playoff campaign this Sunday. $49 it wins or his Super Bowl package is free. $39 Fairway Jay has released three best bet Big Drive reports in the playoffs so far and he nailed all three to spark his fourth consecutive winning playoff campaign. Pick up his 15* Big Drive this Sunday and ride the hot hand. Yours for $39 it's guaranteed to win or his Super Bowl package is free.

Source: http://www.sportsmemo.com/blogs/view/?name=NCAA-Basketball-Gambling:-Indiana-exposed-on-defense-in-Big-Ten-play&blog_id=9009

craig smith eat to live eat to live ron paul money bomb ron paul money bomb bon vivant zynga ipo