Stock futures slip as Germany, Greece wrangle over budget (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Stock index futures fell on Monday as concerns grew about the state of Europe's finances as Greece and Germany sparred over budget measures for Athens.

Bank stocks led the way lower after a report that Germany was pushing for Greece to give up control over its budget policy to European institutions as part of discussions over a second bailout package.

The issues in Greece added to uncertainty ahead of a Monday summit where European Union leaders will sign off on a permanent rescue fund for the euro zone. The leaders are expected to agree on a balanced budget rule in national legislation.

While sentiment has improved over the euro zone lately, with the S&P 500 up 4.7 percent this month, many investors still view the region with caution as setbacks in solving its sovereign debt issues could hamper international economic growth and erode domestic bank profits.

"The inability of Greece and Germany to agree on a budget deal increases the likelihood that Greece will have to leave the euro zone, an event that would be a shock to the system," said Oliver Pursche, president at Gary Goldberg Financial Services in Suffern, New York.

"In addition, while we could still rally on good news, the recent GDP data was disappointing and earnings have been mixed."

U.S.-listed shares of Barclays Plc (BCS.N) fell 3.2 percent to $13.64, and Deutsche Bank (DB.N) sank 4.8 percent to $42.47. European shares were down 0.7 percent while an index of European banks (.SX7P) lost 2.6 percent.

Standard & Poor's late Friday issued negative ratings on three brokerage firms, including Jefferies Group Inc (JEF.N), citing the impact of a prolonged crisis in Europe.

S&P 500 futures fell 8.7 points and were below fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures lost 79 points and Nasdaq 100 futures sank 16 points.

Issues in Europe have taken a backseat to the focus on corporate earnings in recent weeks. So far a majority of companies have topped analyst consensus expectations, though by a lower rate than previous quarters.

Gannett Co (GCI.N) and McKesson Corp (MCK.N) are scheduled to report Monday, with Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) and Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) on tap for later this week.

Swiss engineering group ABB (ABBN.VX) agreed to buy U.S. electrical components maker Thomas & Betts Corp (TNB.N) for $3.9 billion in cash, sending shares of the company up 22 percent to $70.87 in premarket trading.

Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) is shaking up the leadership of its investment bank as it looks to find its footing in a difficult market environment. The stock fell 2 percent in premarket trading.

Economic indicators on tap for Monday include December personal income and consumption data, as well as a measure of U.S. Midwest manufacturing. Income is seen rising 0.4 percent after a 0.1 percent rise in November, and consumption is forecast to rise 0.1 percent from November.

U.S. stocks trimmed losses to end little changed on Friday, as investors saw dips in the market as an opportunity to buy into what has been a strong first month of 2012.

(Editing by Padraic Cassidy)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120130/bs_nm/us_markets_stocks

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If E.T. exists, he's avoiding us, scientists say

Mathematically speaking, E.T. would have found us by now ? if he exists ? so we?re being consciously avoided for some reason, a new study concludes.

?We?re either alone, or they?re out there and leave us alone,? mathematician Thomas Hair, with Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, told Discovery News.

PHOTOS: Top 10 places to find alien life

Hair, who presented his research at the Mathematical Association of America in Boston earlier this month, based his approximation of what he considered to be extremely conservative estimates for how long it would take a society to muster up the resources and technological know-how to leave its home world and travel to another star.

Even at the relatively sedate pace of 1 percent of light-speed, the aliens would arrive at their nearest neighbor star in about 500 years. (Light travels at about 186,000 miles per second.)

Figure another 500 years to build new ships, set out again, and so on and so on, and the calculations show that civilizations starting out from the oldest stars in our galaxy would have had epochs of time to reach us by now. So where are they?

VIDEO: Have a peek at these strangely familiar aliens

"They've either passed us by, or they stay around their home star systems and contemplate their navels," Hair said.

There could be several reasons why we?re not listed in intergalactic Yelp. Perhaps most important is that we don't have anything aliens need.

?Any ancient civilization is probably not biological. They don?t need a place like Earth. They don?t need to come here and steal our water. There?s plenty of it out in the outer solar system where the gravity is not so great and they can just take all they want,? Hair said.

Or perhaps modern-day extraterrestrials are following routes laid out long ago, all of which bypass Earth, he added.

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Calculate the odds of detecting E.T.

Whatever the reason we're being ignored, there is no chance E.T., if he exists, does not know we are here, Hair said, pointing to telescopes, such as NASA's Kepler observatory, which can detect planets around other stars.

If humans living on a planet that is roughly 5 billion years old have technology like Kepler, an alien civilization with another 10 million years of experience under its belt would have advanced much further, Hair maintains.

?I?m sure they?d be able to detect if this planet had life on it. Just the CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) in our atmosphere would give us away,? he said.

NEWS: NASA refutes alien discovery claim

CFCs are compounds typically found in refrigerants and aerosol products that release chlorine atoms when exposed to ultraviolet light and erode Earth's ozone layer.

University of Minnesota physicist Woods Halley, who just published a book about the prospects of extraterrestrial life, says we don?t know enough about how life got started on Earth to be able to recognize alien life, even if it were staring us in the face.

"I think there are three options," Halley told Discovery News. "Life is rare, which I think has a reasonable probability of being correct. Life is weird ? every time you run into it, it's extremely different from the last time you saw it. Life is dull, meaning you will find something that looks a lot like life on Earth and our problems (in detecting life) are technical.

"I've come to the view that they?re all possible, but the preponderance of evidence most likely fits the first ? we are rare,? Halley said.

? 2012 Discovery Channel

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46197372/ns/technology_and_science-space/

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GOP tries new strategy to get Canada pipeline

WASHINGTON?? Republican lawmakers will try to force the Obama administration to approve the Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL pipeline by attaching it to a bill that Congress will consider next month, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on Sunday.

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President Barack Obama earlier this month denied TransCanada's application for the oil sands pipeline, citing lack of time to review an alternative route within a 60-day window for action set by Congress.

The denial does not block TransCanada from reapplying and the company intends to do just that.

But Republicans have since been looking for a vehicle to claim the $7 billion project as their own, and Boehner said that would be a House Republican energy and highway bill.

"If (Keystone) is not enacted before we take up the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, it will be part of it," Boehner said on ABC's "This Week" news program.

Environmentalists and some Democrats oppose Keystone, citing higher greenhouse gas emissions, while most Republicans say it would create needed jobs.

Story: With oil pipeline to US on hold, Canada eyes China

Republicans in the Senate also plan to introduce a Keystone bill. Some Senate Democrats back the pipeline, but its passage is not guaranteed in the body.

Parts of the House Republican plan, such as opening up the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration, stand little chance of passing the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate.

Attaching Keystone to a pending deal to extend payroll tax cuts for workers, which has greater bipartisan backing than the highway bills, is another vehicle Republicans are considering.

Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46181992/ns/politics-capitol_hill/

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Skywatching Guide: How to Observe the Bright Twin Stars Gemini (SPACE.com)

Gemini is the northernmost constellation in the zodiac, which places it high in the winter sky in the northern hemisphere.

Gemini represents a pair of sky map here shows how Gemini appears ?in the night sky now.

To remember which is which, look at the first letters in the stars' names. Castor is closest to the star Capella, and Pollux is closest to Procyon.

Castor is one of the prettiest double stars in the sky. Its two components are bright (magnitudes 1.9 and 2.9) and close together, only 2.2 arcseconds apart (an arcsecond is a unit of size for objects in the night sky. The full moon, for example, is about 1,800 arcseconds across).

Any telescope with an aperture of at least 60 mm (2.4 inches) should be able to see the binary as two individual stars. The bodies of the twins are marked by parallel lines of stars. [12 Must-See Skywatching Events in 2012]

About halfway down the southern twin's body is a third-magnitude star, Wasat, which is also a double star. Its components are very different in brightness, of magnitudes 3.5 and 8.2, but are much more widely separated than those of Castor, at 6.8 arcseconds apart.

At the foot of twin Castor, marked by the stars Tejat Posterior and Tejat Prior, look for the open star cluster Messier 35, one of the richest open clusters in the sky.

Located 3,000 light-years away, it is almost exactly opposite the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Because this cluster lies less than a degree from the ecliptic (the path the sun appears to follow through the sky), the moon often passes close to the cluster, sometimes passing directly in front of it and occulting it completely.

Close to Wasat is one of the finest planetary nebulae, NGC 2392, known as the "Clown Face Nebula" or the "Eskimo Nebula" because of its resemblance to a human face.

This nebula is easy to miss, as the famous star-cataloger Charles Messier did, because it is very small in size and very bright, easily mistaken for a ninth-magnitude star at low telescope magnifications. To see it clearly, try using at least 100x magnification and a narrow-band or OIII filter.

Experienced observers will want to look for another planetary nebula, NGC 2372, which is much fainter than the "Clown Face," resembling a 12th-magnitude star.

Gemini is located in a rich area of the Milky Way, and scanning it with binoculars or a rich field telescope will reveal many other star clusters and asterisms.

This article was provided to SPACE.com by Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions. Follow Starry Night on Twitter @StarryNightEdu.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/space/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/space/20120129/sc_space/skywatchingguidehowtoobservethebrighttwinstarsgemini

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Florida's GOP Primary -- Bellwether and Tiebreaker (ContributorNetwork)

When Florida chose to move up the date of its 2012 primary election from March 6 to Jan. 31, it was considered controversial and drew a storm of condemnation from Republican Party grandees. Now the media has christened the Sunshine State the tiebreaker in the red-hot Republican presidential contest, based on its bellwether, swing-state status and sheer size.

It was only in the last Republican GOP nomination race that Florida took on such importance for Republican candidates despite the state's prominence in the general election. Prior to that, Florida stuck to its early spring position in the primary schedule, and by early March the ability of even a state of Florida's importance to influence the nomination was limited. With its primary set for January, however, Florida might have even more weight in the Republican nomination race than it does in the subsequent national election.

2008 -- John McCain

Much like Mitt Romney today, in 2008 John McCain was a "front-runner" who had to fight hard for every win. He had done well enough in New Hampshire and South Carolina, but lost in Iowa, Wyoming, Michigan and Nevada. McCain needed a clear win in Florida badly, and he got it, beating Mitt Romney by 36 percent to 31 percent.

In 2008, the Florida Primary was scheduled for Jan. 29, a date very similar to this year's event. By winning in Florida, McCain gained important momentum that he carried into Super Tuesday on Feb. 5, where he won nine of the most important of 21 primary contests, bagging a majority of the delegates at stake and cementing his lead for the nomination.

2000 -- George W. Bush

Florida was positioned too late in 2000 to have much of an impact on the contest between George W. Bush and John McCain for the GOP nomination. Scheduled for March 14 (much as 2012's contest was originally scheduled for March 6), McCain had already withdrawn after being routed on Super Tuesday.

1996 -- Bob Dole

In 1996, Florida was part of the March 12 Super Tuesday slate of primaries. Although Bob Dole, the party's anointed leader, engaged in a fierce fight in January and February with publisher Steve Forbes and pundit Pat Buchanan, by Super Tuesday Dole's lead was firm. He had swept 15 of 16 primaries and caucuses, so it is hard to see how a late loss in Florida would have disrupted his momentum.

1988 -- George H.W. Bush

In the 1988 run to decide who would succeed Ronald Reagan as the party's standard bearer, Florida was once again part of a Super Tuesday slate of 17 elections. Just as in 2000 and 1996, the nomination was bitterly contested in January and February, with both Bush the Elder and Dole winning their fair share, and evangelist Pat Robertson shaving off Hawaii and Alaska. Bush clinched his nomination by winning a staggering 16 of 17, including Florida. Once again, lost in the midst of such a Super Tuesday avalanche, it is hard to see how losing Florida would have changed anything.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120129/us_ac/10899171_floridas_gop_primary__bellwether_and_tiebreaker

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Santorum Cancels Sunday Events (TIME)

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Tiny crooners: Male house mice sing songs to impress the girls

Thursday, January 26, 2012

It has been known for some time that house mice (Mus musculus) produce ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) during courtship but it has generally been assumed that these are no more than squeaks. However, recent spectrographic analyses have revealed that USVs are complex and show features of song. Although the vocalizations are inaudible to human ears, when playbacks of recorded songs are slowed down their similarity to bird song becomes striking. Frauke Hoffmann, Kerstin Musolf and Dustin Penn of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna's Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology aimed to learn what type of information is contained in males' songs for the discerning ear of the female mouse to detect. Their initial studies, the first to study song in wild mice, confirmed that males emit songs when they encounter a females' scent and that females are attracted to males' songs. Additionally, the scientists discovered that females are able to distinguish siblings from unrelated males by their songs ? even though they had previously never heard their brothers sing.

In their recent studies, Penn's group recorded and analysed the courtship calls of wild-caught male house mice for the first time, using digital audio software to examine parameters such as duration, pitch and frequency. They found that males' songs contain "signatures" or "fingerprints" that differ from one individual to another. Moreover, they confirmed that the songs of siblings are very similar to one another compared to the songs of unrelated males, which helps explains how females can distinguish unrelated males. This finding could potentially lead us to understand how female mice avoid inbreeding.

Interestingly, in some species of birds the males with the most complex songs appear to be most successful at attracting females. Further studies are needed to determine whether the complexity of male mouse vocalizations has an effect on females that is similar to that of "sexy syllables" in birds.

The vocalizations of wild house mice differ significantly from those of inbred strains of laboratory mice. Wild male mice produce more syllables within high frequency ranges than laboratory mice, a result that is consistent with other studies that find genetic effects on mouse song. "It seems as though house mice might provide a new model organism for the study of song in animals," says Dustin Penn. "Who would have thought that?"

###

The article "Spectrographic analyses reveal signals of individuality and kinship in the ultrasonic courtship vocalizations of wild house mice" by Frauke Hoffmann, Kerstin Musolf and Dustin J. Penn is published in the journal Physiology & Behavior (Volume 105, Issue 3, pp. 766-771).
Abstract of the article online (full text for a fee or with a subscription): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.10.011

University of Veterinary Medicine -- Vienna: http://www.vetmeduni.ac.at

Thanks to University of Veterinary Medicine -- Vienna for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/117093/Tiny_crooners__Male_house_mice_sing_songs_to_impress_the_girls

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'Red Tails' Proves All-Black Cast Can Soar At Box Office

'I feel like this was a matter of just proving them wrong,' Ne-Yo tells MTV News of the George Lucas-produced flick.
By Rob Markman

Ne-Yo in "Red Tails"
Photo: Lucasfilm Ltd.

It wasn't easy getting "Red Tails" into theaters, but singer/actor Ne-Yo believes that after opening at #2 at the box office, it was well worth the fight.

"I feel like we definitely did what we set out to do, which was make sure these incredible men, the Tuskegee Airmen, got the recognition that they deserved for the incredible things that they did for this country," Ne-Yo told MTV News of the George Lucas-produced film on Wednesday. "And [we] proved to Hollywood that an ensemble cast of black faces can put asses in the seats, basically," he laughed. "So I feel like we served our purpose."

"Red Tails" tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American fighter pilots who battled deep-rooted racism, while fighting in World War II. Both Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. star in the flick, while Ne-Yo, Method Man and Tristan Wilds have supporting roles. The historical piece hit theaters January 20, the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day and opened second behind "Underworld: Awakening." Not bad for the singer/songwriter, who was also named senior vice president of A&R at Motown Records.

Considering the movie wasn't especially well-received by critics, "Red Tails" did well in its first weekend, surpassing initial expectations. Lucas appeared on "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" earlier this month and claimed that major studios showed no interest in the film when he went to pitch it.

"It's because it's an all-black movie," he said. "There's no major white roles in it at all. It's one of the first all-black action pictures ever made."

"We've come a long way from when Martin was marching in the streets and getting rocks thrown at him. We've come a very, very long way," Ne-Yo said. "However, even with that being said, we got a long way to go. As a black person, period, we're kinda constantly in a state of proving, which is something that I came to wraps with a long time ago."

Despite the studios' lack of interest in the film, Ne-Yo decided to let the success of "Red Tails" speak for itself. "At the end of the day, you complain about it, or you prove them wrong," he said. "I feel like this was a matter of just proving them wrong."

Check out everything we've got on "Red Tails."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Related Videos

• MTV Rough Cut: Red Tails

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• Ne-Yo

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1678007/ne-yo-red-tails-box-office.jhtml

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Gingrich promises US moon colony by 2020

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said on Florida's space coast that if he is elected president he will create a moon colony by 2020.

By NBC's Alex Moe

COCOA, Fla. -- Newt Gingrich promised Wednesday on Florida?s space coast to create a moon colony by 2020 if elected president.

"By the end of my second term, we will have the first permanent base on the moon. And it will be American," Gingrich told the crowd of roughly 700, taking them to their feet in applause.

The former House speaker said the current space program in the country is a "tragedy" and believes his "grandiose" ideas can help fix it.

"I am sick of being told we have to be timid and I'm sick of being told we have to be limited to technologies that are 50 years old," he said, noting that by 2020 he wants to be capable to go to Mars.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney seemed to question Gingrich?s desire to put lunar mining colonies on the moon during a debate last month but the speaker says these are bold ideas the governor doesn?t understand.

"I was attacked the other night for being grandiose. I would just want you to note: Lincoln standing at Council Bluffs was grandiose. The Wright Brothers standing at Kitty Hawk were grandiose. John F. Kennedy was grandiose. I accept the charge that I am grandiose and that Americans are instinctively grandiose," Gingrich said.

Stan Honda / AFP - Getty Images

Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, center, speaks at a Space Coast-Space Industry roundtable Wednesday at Brevard Commnunity College in Cocoa, Fla.

Speaking about space is not new for Gingrich. In stump speeches, he often references his ideas to change the struggling American program,?but this was the first event he?completely dedicated to the topic, hoping this is "the second great launch of the adventure John F. Kennedy started."

"At one point early in my career I introduced the northwest ordinance for space and I said when we got -- I think the number is 13,000 -- when we have 13,000 Americans living on the moon they can petition to become a state," Gingrich said, telling the crowd this was the "weirdest" thing he has ever done. "And I will as president encourage the introduction of the northwest ordinance for space to put a marker down that we want Americans to think boldly about the future?"

Gingrich finished off his public schedule for the day with a Space Industry Roundtable at Brevard Community College.

More about space, politics ... and the moon:

Source: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/25/10237875-gingrich-promises-us-moon-colony-by-2020

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'30 Rock' star back at work after hospitalization (AP)

SALT LAKE CITY ? Comedian and "30 Rock" cast member Tracy Morgan is back at work in New York after a brief hospitalization in Utah.

Morgan's publicist, Lewis Kay, says Morgan appreciates fans' concern. The actor was hospitalized Sunday while attending the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, where the elevation is 7,000 feet.

Kay says Morgan suffered from exhaustion and altitude. Morgan also has diabetes.

Kay says no drugs or alcohol were found in Morgan's system.

Recordings of 911 calls made on the night he collapsed, and obtained by The Associated Press, indicate Morgan passed out at the Blue Iguana restaurant.

One caller says he didn't know if the actor had been drinking, but said he was unconscious. An ambulance later took him to a nearby hospital. He was released a day later.

___

AP Writer Jennifer Dobner contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_en_ot/us_film_sundance_tracy_morgan

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Russia to keep blocking UN sanctions on Syria (AP)

MOSCOW ? Russia will stonewall any U.N. sanctions on Syria and will push for a quick start of talks between the Syrian government and the country's opposition, the Russian foreign minister said Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would block any attempts to get the U.N. approval for sanctions against Syria that have been imposed by other nations, saying that such a move would be "unfair and counterproductive."

The U.S., the European Union, the Arab League and Turkey all have introduced sanctions against Damascus in response to Syrian President Bashar Assad's violent crackdown on opponents. The uprising has left more than 5,400 people dead, according to the U.N. estimates.

The U.N. Security Council has been unable to agree on a resolution since the violence began in March because of a strong opposition from Russia and China.

Lavrov said Russia's own draft of a U.N. Security Council resolution on the violence in Syria, which circulated earlier this month, remains on the table, and that Moscow was open for any "constructive proposals." Western diplomats said the Russian proposal fell short of their demand for a strong condemnation of the Syrian regime's crackdown on civilians.

But Lavrov reaffirmed that any U.N. resolution must say clearly it "couldn't be interpreted to justify any foreign military interference in the Syrian crisis."

"We believe that our approach is fair and well-balanced, unlike the attempts to pass one-sided resolutions that would condemn only one party and, by doing so, encourage another one to build up confrontation and take an uncompromising stance," Lavrov said. "We have seen that in Libya, and we will not allow the repetition of the Libyan scenario."

Russia abstained in the U.N. vote authorizing military intervention in Libya, but harshly criticized NATO for what it saw as an excessive use of force and civilian casualties during the NATO bombing campaign against strongman Moammar Gadhafi's regime. The NATO-backed rebels in Libya eventually succeeded in overthrowing Gadhafi.

Russian officials have strongly warned the West against emulating the Libyan experience in Syria.

Lavrov called for a quick start of talks between the Syrian government and the opposition, suggesting they could be hosted by Egypt, the Arab League, Turkey or Russia.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/russia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_syria

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Video: Video: What could have been for the Ravens

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Dutch court refuses to ban sales of Samsung tablet

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) ? Dutch appeals judges ruled Tuesday that Samsung's Galaxy Tab tablet is not a copy of Apple's popular iPad, handing the Korean consumer electronics maker its latest legal victory over its American rival.

The Hague Appeals court ruling upheld a lower court's refusal to grant Apple Inc. an injunction banning the sale of Galaxy Tabs in the Netherlands.

Apple argued that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and earlier 10.1v model copied the iPad that dominated the tablet market from its 2010 launch.

An Apple spokesman didn't immediately return a telephone call seeking the company's comment. A call to Samsung was not immediately answered.

Last year, Apple sued Samsung Electronics Co. in the United States, alleging its Galaxy devices "slavishly copy" the iPhone and iPad.

Samsung fought back with lawsuits of its own, accusing Apple of patent infringement of its wireless telecommunications technology.

A Dutch court refused last year to grant Samsung an injunction banning Apple from selling iPhones and iPad tablets in the Netherlands.

The civil court in The Hague rejected Samsung's argument that Apple should not be allowed to sell devices such as tablets and smartphones that use 3G mobile technology patented by Samsung because the Cupertino-based company does not have licenses to use the technology.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-01-24-EU-Netherlands-Samsung-Apple/id-aae7677d05d9424cb7cd052ec3c9d587

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Clijsters beats Wozniacki to move into semifinals (AP)

MELBOURNE, Australia ? Kim Clijsters is moving on to the Australian Open semifinals, and Caroline Wozniacki is moving out of the top spot.

Two days after saving four match points and spraining her left ankle in a fourth-round win over French Open champion Li Na, Clijsters showed no signs of weakness as she continued her title defense at Melbourne Park with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) quarterfinal win over Wozniacki.

The four-time major winner next plays third-seeded Victoria Azarenka, who beat No. 8 Agnieszka Radwanska 6-7 (0), 6-0, 6-2 earlier Tuesday to move into the semis of a Grand Slam for the second time.

Wozniacki needed to reach the semifinals to retain the top ranking she has held at the end of the last two seasons. Her place in the rankings has attracted some criticism because the 21-year-old Dane has never won a major.

But even after another major setback, Wozniacki remained confident she'll not only reclaim the top ranking but will get her Grand Slam breakthrough.

"You know, I will get it back eventually, so I'm not worried," she said. Critics "talk to me like I'm finishing my career and I only have one year left and time is running out.

"The fact is I still have quite a few good years in front of me."

Clijsters slipped to No. 14 after beating Li Na in the last Australian final, losing in the second round at the French Open and then missing the next two majors due to injuries. But after losing her first four finals in the majors, she's learned how to win them.

She set an example for Wozniacki of how to go about it.

Both players started nervously on Tuesday, with three service breaks until Clijsters held in the fourth game. The 28-year-old Belgian dictated play from her first hold until she was serving for the match while a break up in the second.

She had the rally on her racket at 30-30, but let her guard down and allowed Wozniacki back into the match. Wozniacki took a chances and got back level, going into the tiebreaker with momentum.

Clijsters had never lost any of her eight previous tiebreakers at Melbourne Park, and she hit a backhand down the line to take a 5-4 lead. She set up double match point with a cross-court forehand winner and sealed it with a volley.

"It definitely didn't feel like being up a set and 5-2," Clijsters said. "I had to work really hard for it. Caroline is a great fighter.

"I was happy to get through, and not in a three-setter because it's so hot," she said.

The crowd at Rod Laver Arena was solidly behind Clijsters from the start, shouting "C'mon Kimmie" in between nearly every point and cheering when Wozniacki missed a shot.

Four-time Australian Open champion Roger Federer is another crowd favorite. He had the next scheduled match on Rod Laver against U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro. No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal played Tomas Berdych in a night match.

Azarenka opened the action on Rod Laver in a match that contained 15 breaks of serve, including eight in the first set.

After being comprehensively outplayed in the opening tiebreaker, Azarenka won seven straight games to move closer to the victory that kept her among the three players who can overhaul Wozniacki at No. 1.

The 22-year-old Belarusian, who makes a distinctive hooting sounds as she hits the ball, extended her winning streak this season to 10 matches, including a title at Sydney, where she beat Radwanska in the semifinals. She served six double-faults and had 38 unforced errors, but showed maturing mental resolve but holding her nerve on the big points.

"I'm really happy with my win. I think it was very important to see how I could adjust after not playing really well in the first set," she said. "I completely turned it around.

"Today I really tried to forget about the first set and start from zero and really fight hard. So I think that was a different mental approach a little bit."

Five-time champion Serena Williams is already out of the tournament. Her 17-match winning streak at the Australian Open ended in a 6-2, 6-3 loss to No. 56-ranked Ekaterina Makarova.

The margin equaled the biggest Grand Slam defeat of Williams' 17-year career.

Makarova will face three-time major winner Maria Sharapova in an all-Russian quarterfinal.

Sharapova rallied past Sabine Lisicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 before defending men's champion Novak Djokovic fended off a resurgent Lleyton Hewitt in a dramatic last match of the day, winning 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

With Hewitt's loss, Australia's chances of celebrating a home singles winner were over. American hopes had already evaporated with the defeat of Williams ? her first in Melbourne since 2008 and earliest since 2006.

"I can't even describe how I served, to be honest," said Williams, who finished with seven double-faults, including four in one game in the second set. "My lefty serve is actually better than that. Maybe I should have started serving lefty."

Williams tried not to blame her left ankle injury from a tuneup tournament in Brisbane two weeks ago. But she didn't move well and seemed to have particular difficulty running to her left. She said if it hadn't been a Grand Slam, she wouldn't have played at all.

"Usually I play myself into the tournament," Williams said. "But I don't have a huge problem with an injury. So this is a completely different situation. Usually it's easier for me to play myself in because I'm usually physically OK."

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova had a 6-2, 7-6 (2) win over former top-ranked Ana Ivanovic on Monday and will next play Sara Errani of Italy, who beat 2010 semifinalist Zheng Jie 6-2, 6-1.

Djokovic had won 23 straight sets at Melbourne Park before he suddenly wobbled against Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam champion who has slipped to No. 181 in the rankings after a series of injuries.

Hewitt, a wild-card entry in his 16th straight Australian Open, rallied from 3-0 down in the third set in front of a raucous home crowd to force a fourth set, but Djokovic gathered his composure.

Next up for Djokovic is fifth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain, who had a surprisingly easy 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 win over Richard Gasquet.

Two-time finalist Andy Murray advanced when Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan retired after 49 minutes with a left hip injury while trailing 6-1, 6-1, 1-0. After knocking out the first player from Kazakhstan to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam, Murray's next opponent will be another history-maker.

Kei Nishikori beat sixth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to become the first Japanese man to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open since the Open era began in 1968.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_sp_te_ga_su/ten_australian_open

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Rap group 2 Live Crew to reunite, tour this summer (AP)

PARK CITY, Utah ? The rap group that inspired controversy in the early 1990s with songs like "Me So Horny" is reuniting and hitting the road.

Luther Campbell says 2 Live Crew is back together and will tour this summer.

The rapper and producer made the announcement Saturday at the Sundance Film Festival, where he is promoting his appearance in the short film "The Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke."

Campbell describes the film as "an art piece" that he did to help young filmmakers who were inspired by his hip-hop work.

Campbell says he "just can't wait to just start practicing" with his old crew. But don't expect them to be "As Nasty As They Wanna Be."

Campbell says the group will "perform the songs and everybody's going to be excited."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120121/ap_en_ot/us_film_sundance2_live_crew

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Obama's State of the Union: Jobs, re-election time (AP)

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

As his most powerful chance to make a case for a second term, the prime-time speech carries enormous political stakes for the Democratic incumbent who presides over a country divided about his performance and pessimistic about the nation's direction. He will try to offer a stark contrast with his opponents by offering a vision of fairness and opportunity for everyone.

In a preview released Saturday, Obama said in a video to supporters that the speech will be an economic blueprint built around manufacturing, energy, education and American values. He is expected to announce ideas to make college more affordable and to address the housing crisis still hampering the economy three years into his term, people familiar with the speech said.

His policy proposals will be less important than what Obama hopes they all add up to: a narrative of renewed American security with him at the center, leading the fight.

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

That line of argument is intended to tap directly into concerns of voters who think America has become a nation of income equality, with rules rigged to help the rich. The degree to which Obama or his eventual Republican opponent can better connect with millions of hurting Americans is expected to determine November's presidential election.

Obama released his video hours ahead of the South Carolina primary, where Republican candidates fought in the latest fierce contest to become his general election rival.

The White House knows Obama is about to get his own stage to outline a re-election vision, but carefully. The speech is supposed to an American moment, not a campaign event.

Obama didn't mention national security or foreign policy in his preview, and he is not expected to break ground on either one in his speech.

He will focus on the economy and is expected to promote unfinished parts of his jobs plan, including the extension of a payroll tax cut that is soon to expire.

Whatever Obama proposes is likely to face long odds in a deeply divided Congress.

More people than not disapprove of Obama's handling of the economy, and he is showing real vulnerability among the independent voters who could swing the election. Yet he will step into the moment just as the economy is showing life. The unemployment rate is still at a troubling 8.5 percent, but at its lowest rate in nearly three years. Consumer confidence is up.

By giving a sneak peek to millions of supporters on his email list, Obama played to his Democratic base and sought to generate an even larger audience for Tuesday's address. He is unlikely to getter a bigger stage all year.

More people watched last year's State of the Union than tuned in to see Obama accept the Democratic presidential nomination in Denver in 2008.

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

The State of the Union will be the details to back that up.

But even so, the speech will still be a framework ? part governing, part inspiration.

The details will be rolled out in full over the next several weeks, as part of Obama's next budget proposal and during his travels, which will allow him more media coverage.

On national security, Obama will ask the nation to reflect with him on a momentous year of change, including the end of the war in Iraq, the killing of al-Qaida terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and the Arab Spring protests, with people clamoring for freedom. He is expected to note the troubles posed by Iran and Syria without offering new positions about them.

Despite low expectations for legislation this year, Obama will offer short-term ideas that would require action from Congress. For now, the main looming to-do item is an extension of a payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits, both due to expire by March.

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

Both Phoenix and Las Vegas have been hard hit by foreclosures. Denver is where Obama outlined ways of helping college students deal with school loan debt. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Detroit are home to a number of manufacturers. And Michigan was a major beneficiary of the president's decision to intervene to rescue the American auto industry.

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

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

The address remains an old-fashioned moment of national attention; 43 million people watched it on TV last year. The White House website will offer a live stream of the speech, promising extra wrinkles for people who watch it there, and then invite people to send in questions to administration officials through social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

Obama's campaign is also organizing and promoting parties around the nation for people to watch the speech.

__

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

__

Online:

White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov

___

Follow Ben Feller at http://twitter.com/BenFellerDC

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120121/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_state_of_the_union

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Vending machine based on the barter economy

Courtesy of Fast Company

By Andrew Price, Fast Company

There are about 7 million vending machines in America. And what do the vast majority of them sell? Sodas and sodium- or sugar-heavy snacks (which aren?t good for you), packaged in plastic or PET and shipped around the country (which isn?t good for the planet). We?ve all used vending machines. But despite their convenience, they certainly aren?t a solution to humanity?s problems.

Or are they? The Swap-o-Matic, created by the New York City-based designer Lina Fenequito, is a vending machine that lets you ?recycle things you no longer need and get things you want ? all for free.? You create a Swap-o-Matic account by entering an email address on the machine?s touch screen. You?re then issued three credits. You can earn more credits by donating items to the machine and spend them by getting items in the machine that someone else has donated.

Fenequito, who worked for Americorps before earning an MFA at Parsons School of Design, says the project is about promoting ?a shift in culture away from an emphasis on unconscious consumption towards a more sustainable way of life through reusing and trading.?

The Swap-o-Matic is currently migrating around New York City. You can look up its location on the project?s website and, if you?re in New York, drop by to donate or peruse what?s available. Soon you?ll be able to see what?s in the machine online as well.

With the recent rise of information technology ? and decline in disposable income ? several online-based swapping tools have already emerged, including Swap.com, Freecycle, and Netcycler. The Swap-o-Matic is admittedly more of an art project, but it?s in the same spirit. And while it may not ?save the Earth? (we?ll need cap-and-trade for that), it may get people thinking about their consumption habits in a helpful way.

Follow Fast Company on Twitter.

More from Fast Company:

Source: http://gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/20/10202145-swap-o-matic-vending-machine-based-on-the-barter-economy

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Malaysia prosecutors appeal Anwar's acquittal (AP)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia ? Malaysian prosecutors Friday filed an appeal to challenge the acquittal of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on sodomy charges earlier this month, prolonging a court battle that cast a shadow over his political future.

After a two-year trial that had polarized the country, Anwar was acquitted on Jan. 9 after the High Court ruled that the prosecution's DNA evidence was not enough to convict him of sodomizing a male former aide in 2008.

Solicitor General Idrus Harun said the attorney-general's chambers decided to challenge the decision in the Appeals Court but declined to give further details.

Defense lawyer Sankara Nair slammed the move as "most regrettable and atrocious," because the High Court judge had clearly said in his verdict that crucial DNA evidence had been tampered with.

"The substratum of the prosecution's case is fatally demolished, rendering any appeal, no matter how many times, a desperate act in futility. It appears to be a continuing case of political persecution of Anwar, not prosecution," he said.

The prosecution's appeal has come as a surprise, just as Anwar's acquittal had.

"It's back to square one. It is a setback to Anwar because he will have to spend time in the appeal process and won't be able to focus fully on forthcoming elections," said James Chin, a political science lecturer at Monash University in Malaysia.

Chin said it also reflected negatively on Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has earlier claimed he does not interfere with the judiciary and that his promises of ensuring civil liberties are serious. National elections are not due till 2013 but Najib is widely expected to call early polls this year.

Anwar, 64, has long maintained the charges were trumped up by Najib's long-ruling coalition to prevent his opposition alliance from coming to power.

Anwar previously was imprisoned for six years after being ousted as deputy prime minister in 1998 on charges of sodomizing his former family driver and abusing his power. Sodomy, even consensual, is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia, but the law against it is seldom enforced.

Anwar was freed in 2004 after Malaysia's top court quashed the sodomy conviction. He then led a three-party alliance to unprecedented gains in 2008 elections, but his future was thrown into jeopardy months later when Saiful Bukhari Azlan, a 26-year-old former aide, accused Anwar of forcing him to have sex in an apartment.

Saiful wrote on his blog Friday that he was thankful for the appeal and that he would continue to pray and be patient for justice.

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

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Jon Stewart, Dramatic Chipmunk call out congressional nerd bashing

By Helen A.S. Popkin

"A series of tubes" is how then-Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) described the Internet in 2006 while defending his anti-neutrality position, and it seems not a whole lot has changed up on Capitol Hill since then.

Six years later, at least half a dozen congressmen referred to?those?who actually understand the global system of?computer networks connected by?the standard?Internet protocol suite as "nerds." This smart people-bashing took place during discussions of the nerd-hated Stop Online Privacy Act currently before Congress. ?

Jon Stewart shared a montage of left-handed congressional compliments on Wednesday's "Daily Show" in a piece about?the day's Internet blackout by websites protesting the bill. He even brought Dramatic Chipmunk ? aka Dramatic Prairie Dog ??to help, and included a montage revealing how "stealing" copyrighted content can age even a host of a fake news TV show.

More on the annoying way we live now:?

Helen A.S. Popkin goes blah blah blah about the Internet ? at least until the Stop Online Piracy Act becomes a law, making snark a libelous felony. Tell her to get a real job on Twitter and/or Facebook. Also, Google+.

Source: http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/19/10190893-jon-stewart-dramatic-gopher-call-out-congressional-nerd-bashing

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More Than Half of Teens Who Gave Birth Weren't Using Contraception: CDC (HealthDay)

THURSDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Slightly more than half of U.S. teenaged girls who had a child between 2004 and 2008 did not use birth control, and a third didn't think they could get pregnant at the time, a new government study finds.

Although the number of teens who get pregnant in the United States has fallen in recent years, the U.S. teen birth rate is still the highest of any developed country, with more than 400,000 births in 2009, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"These are the girls who had risky sex and ended up getting pregnant and giving birth," said study co-author Lorrie Gavin, a health scientist with the CDC's Division of Reproductive Health. "This is the group that we should pay most attention to, because they're the ones who experienced unintended births."

According to the report, 50.1 percent of girls aged 15 to 19 who had an unintended pregnancy were not using any form of contraception when they got pregnant, and 31.4 percent thought they could not get pregnant at the time.

Commenting on the findings, Lawrence Finer, director of domestic research at the Guttmacher Institute in New York City, had this to say: "The fact that they found such a low level of contraceptive use says a number of things about what we need to do to try to improve adolescent reproductive health."

Finer said more teens should be using IUDs and implants because they take the decision-making out of the equation.

"In the past, these methods have been seen as ones for older women, but those methods should be considered first-line methods for adolescents and young adults," Finer suggested. "Historically, it's been condom and pill for young people, but we need to expand our thinking on that."

The girls who didn't think they could get pregnant have misconceptions about pregnancy, Finer added. "That clearly reflects on education and awareness," he said.

The reason some girls think that they can't get pregnant is probably a combination of factors, Finer explained.

"The risk of becoming pregnant from one act of sex is relatively small," he noted. "It may be the case that, for some teens, they had unprotected sex and didn't become pregnant so then they think they won't become pregnant based on their past experience," he said.

"This is a lack of recognition that if you don't get pregnant one time you may get pregnant at another time," Finer pointed out. In addition, some girls may think that either they or their partner is infertile.

Finer said more education about pregnancy and contraception is needed.

Another co-author of report pointed out other scenarios that might explain why these teens did not use contraception.

"Other reasons for not using contraception were their partner did not want to use it, or because they didn't mind getting pregnant," said Ayanna T. Harrison, who is also with the Division of Reproductive Health.

Among teens who got pregnant despite saying they used birth control, 24 percent said they used condoms and 21 percent said they used an IUD, implant or a birth control pill, said Harrison.

"When we looked at age, race and ethnicity, we didn't see a huge difference," Harrison said. However, among those who thought they couldn't get pregnant, 42 percent were Hispanic compared to almost 27 percent of white teens and 32 percent of black teens, she said.

Gavin added that most were not using the most effective methods of birth control, such as IUDs.

"They were using methods that require some kind of ongoing behavior, such as taking a pill every day or using a condom every time you have sex," she said. "We know that consistent use of the pill or a condom is a major problem."

Efforts are needed to dispel myths about becoming pregnant and to increase motivation to avoid pregnancy, Gavin said.

"We need to do a better job for sexually active teens," Gavin said, including providing better access to contraception, encouraging the use of more effective methods and increasing the motivation to use birth control consistently.

"Teen pregnancy is a public health concern because teen mothers are more likely to experience negative social outcomes, and infants of teen mothers have higher risks for preterm birth, low birth weight and related complications," the authors wrote.

The report was published in the Jan. 20 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

More information

For more on teen pregnancy, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120120/hl_hsn/morethanhalfofteenswhogavebirthwerentusingcontraceptioncdc

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Giants' Manning, 49ers' Smith overcome scrutiny

El quarterback de los Giants de Nueva York, Eli Manning, lanza un pase en un entrenamiento el jueves, 19 de enero de 2012, en East Rutherford, Nueva Jersey. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

El quarterback de los Giants de Nueva York, Eli Manning, lanza un pase en un entrenamiento el jueves, 19 de enero de 2012, en East Rutherford, Nueva Jersey. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith passes during practice at the NFL football team's training facility in Santa Clara, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. The 49ers are scheduled to play the New York Giants on Sunday in the NFC championship game. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning speaks to the media after NFL football practice, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants are scheduled to play the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game on Sunday, Jan. 22, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning loosens up during an NFL football practice Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants travel to San Francisco to play the 49ers in the NFC championship game on Sunday, Jan. 22. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith addresses the media during a news conference at the team's NFL football training facility in Santa Clara, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. The 49ers host the New York Giants on Sunday, Jan. 22, in the NFC championship. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) ? The Giants' Eli Manning has been forced to escape the shadow of superstar big brother, Peyton. San Francisco's Alex Smith? He only has a pair of Hall of Famers in Joe Montana and Steve Young hanging over him in 49ers lore.

Two No. 1 pick quarterbacks a draft apart, Manning and Smith meet Sunday in the NFC championship game with a shot at the Super Bowl after each has faced immense scrutiny over the years while playing on opposite coasts.

Manning made his mark by winning the 2008 Super Bowl. Smith took a significant step toward finally silencing the skeptics ? for the time being, anyway ? by leading last week's thrilling, last-second 36-32 victory over Drew Brees and the favored Saints in a spectacular playoff debut.

Early on, there were the questions about whether Manning would ever become an elite NFL quarterback like the other big-time QBs in the family, including father, Archie.

It calmed down for a time once he won a title. Then, the criticism returned last season, when Manning threw 25 interceptions. That's when he boldly let it be known he should be in the same conversation as Patriots star Tom Brady and the rest of the NFL's best lining up under center.

"I consider myself in that class," Manning said in August.

Smith, drafted No. 1 from Utah in 2005 one year after Manning was the top pick out of Ole Miss, won't begin to compare his situation out West to what Manning has endured.

"His is a little different. To be Peyton's little brother, No. 1 pick, you go to New York with the Giants, obviously that's a lot of pressure," Smith said. "I don't think anyone has been in the situation he has. Those are pretty unique circumstances. Your older brother is arguably the greatest quarterback ever and a lot of expectations on you and then you go to the big city like New York. I didn't have to face those things."

Smith got booed by his home fans at some point in nearly every game at Candlestick Park in recent seasons before leading a remarkable turnaround this year under first-year NFL coach Jim Harbaugh. He's been benched and belittled by more than one of his coaches along the way.

"I was saying this a few years ago and got laughed at, but Alex was a guy that had about 60 percent of his ability, his potential brought out in him because of all kinds of circumstances," said Trent Dilfer, ESPN analyst and Smith's former teammate. "What he was really relying upon to survive in the NFL was his mental and emotional strength, toughness, giftedness, whatever you want to call it. He is so mentally strong, so resilient, refuses to let the demons affect him negatively. ... I knew once somebody came here and was able to develop him and train him like he started to get trained with Norv (Turner) in 2006 that you would start to see some of the physical stuff come out. I'm just so happy for him because he found a guy in Jim Harbaugh who coached him the way he needed to be coached."

Sunday's game will mark the second time two former No. 1 pick QBs will square off in the conference championship. Vinny Testaverde and John Elway met in the 1998 AFC championship game.

Manning and Smith have their teams on a roll. Each led five fourth-quarter comebacks during the season, then Smith had another in last Saturday's thriller in which he hit Vernon Davis from 14 yards for the game-winning touchdown with 9 seconds left.

There was the near miss for Manning at Candlestick back on Nov. 13, a 27-20 loss to the 49ers when he had a chance to win it in the closing minute but had a fourth-down pass batted by defensive tackle Justin Smith.

That gives Manning some added incentive as he arrives again in the Bay Area.

"This is where you want to be. We always talk about finishing and playing your best football at the end of the season. That's what we're doing now," Manning said. "We're playing great football on both sides of the ball. We have to continue to do that. We're playing smart. We can't turn the ball over."

Manning threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns to stun the defending champion Packers last weekend at Lambeau Field.

49ers linebacker Patrick Willis has known Manning's potential for years ? since their one-year stint as college teammates in 2003, the last time Willis had a winning season.

"As a freshman, I thought he was the greatest quarterback ever," Willis said. "That was the best season I'd ever had in football. To see the things that he's done, he's won a Super Bowl. That's the biggest accomplishment that we all try to go for, to win that. He's done that. He led his team back to being one game closer to that."

The 49ers forced five turnovers in beating the Saints, then watched Alex Smith shine at the end. On top of his game in the biggest of moments, at last. This is the Alex Smith the 49ers drafted over Aaron Rodgers nearly seven years ago.

"I always had confidence in Alex. He'll make plays, he will," Davis said. "And since Harbaugh stepped in, he didn't do anything but help Alex, help Alex get better. And to me, Alex is still growing. He still has a lot of room to get better."

Smith became one of five quarterbacks in playoff history to throw three touchdown passes without an interception and run for another, and he helped the 49ers become the first team in the NFL to score two lead-changing touchdowns in the final 3 minutes to win a playoff game, according to STATS LLC.

What a comeback road it's been considering he has played for seven offensive coordinators in as many seasons, dealt with a shoulder injury that sidelined him and faced two head coaches questioning both his talent and toughness.

"You have to have thick skin," said Young, who visited with Smith this week. "The guy has been through hell as far as quarterbacking. He's been through quarterbacking hell where you have a different coordinator, different language. He was trying to describe it like learning French and then learning Spanish and learning Japanese and just learning every weird, new language and having to be held accountable without the support.

"And this year, all of a sudden, he gets all of the support and he feels like: 'Geez, I feel like I'm doing less. I feel like it's easier.' But yet, now he's doing remarkable things."

Smith was ready to walk away after last season, a year that began with promise only to deteriorate in a hurry with an 0-5 start. The Niners fired offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye early, wound up 6-10 and fired coach Mike Singletary with one game left. The playoff drought reached eight years.

Even this season, Smith had his share of doubters ? even after ex-NFL quarterback Harbaugh came aboard as the new coach ready to guide him.

Smith passed for a career-best 3,144 yards and 17 touchdowns with only five interceptions.

He seems unfazed with that not-so-complimentary "game manager" tag everybody put on him this season. Until his career-defining moments last weekend, Smith was known for doing just enough, nothing flashy.

"Well, he's been doing that all year, the way he's been leading this team, the way he's been playing, it's confidence," defensive tackle Justin Smith said. "It rubs off on everybody. With what he's been through here and the way he's handled himself, it's a good example for all the guys here in how to do it. Hopefully, he's got his game-manager label or whatever that label is off of him. Just put baller on there."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-19-FBN-NFC-Championship/id-c961bc7b82e8466aad9feb5f2f7428dd

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Everything You Need to Avoid Going Crazy for the Rest of Winter [Toolkit]

Sooner or later winter is going to get to you. Most people just suck it up, layer themselves in synthetics, and brave the cold. This year, you're going to give up. Don't go outside. You don't have to. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/uH93pydpMjU/

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