01/05/2012 - Community Rec Fencing

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Featured Events

• 
  Saturday, 31 December, 2011
• Totally Rockin' New Years featuring Hillary Arwen - TBA
• 
  Friday, 06 January, 2012
• Out of the Woodwork Performance Review - 05:00 PM
• 
  Sunday, 08 January, 2012
• Out of the Woodwork Performance Review - 02:00 PM
• 
  Friday, 20 January, 2012
• Homer Council on the Arts Gallery Annual Meeting - 06:00 PM
• 
  Saturday, 21 January, 2012
• Eddie Wood Percussion Workshop day 1 - 10:00 AM
• 
  Sunday, 22 January, 2012
• Eddie Wood Percussion Workshop day 2 - 01:00 PM
• 
  Sunday, 29 January, 2012
• Capitol Steps at Mariner Theater - 07:00 PM

Source: http://www.newsalaska.info/Happening/events/index.php?com=detail&eID=16478

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College Football Recruiting: Alabama And Texas Battle For Top Class

By Bud Elliott

Texas and Alabama are the favorites to land the top recruiting class in the country.

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Dec 28, 2011 - Entering all-star season, let's take a look at the best recruiting classes in college football.

It's very difficult to declare a winner so far between Texas and Alabama. While other schools have a shot at finishing with the top class, Texas and Alabama are far and away the top two at the moment.

The Longhorns have an excellent class coming to Austin this season. That should be the case pretty much every year for the clear top school in the state of Texas -- and Texas is the name of the game, as 22 of the Longhorns' 25 commitments are from the Lone Star State (22 or 23 high school commitments).

Texas needed a quarterback and grabbed Connor Brewer early in the process out of Arizona. He'll enroll early and take part in Spring practice.

I'm equally impressed with what Texas did on the JUCO circuit, grabbing offensive tackle Donald Hawkins (6'5", 320) and defensive tackle Brandon Moore (6'4", 330) out of Mississippi. Texas hasn't gone after a lot of JUCO kids in recent years, but the 'Horns saw a need and patched it. That's some serious size on the lines for the Horns, which is significant as Texas has been criticized for being soft up front in recent years.

And for good measure, Texas grabbed arguably the best back in Texas in Aledo's Jonathan Gray and the top defensive tackle in the state in Malcolm Brown of Brenham.

Still on the board: Receiver Dorial Green-Beckham and athlete Daniel Brooks (an Oklahoma commitment). Green-Beckham would be an unreal grab by this staff, as Texas is thought to be trailing here.

For more on Texas recruiting, visit Burnt Orange Nation.

Alabama has put together another excellent class and Nick Saban is well on his way to giving Alabama a top-five class for a half decade. Bama has eight skill position players, one specialist, three offensive linemen, five defensive lineman, three linebackers, and three defensive backs.

This is a strange class for Bama in that the Crimson Tide's top players have not received a ton of press in the recruiting community. This is for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being that many of the top commitments committed to Bama early on and never wavered.

Eddie Williams out of Panama City's (Fla.) Arnold High school is a great prospect worthy of his universal five-star rating. At 6'4" and 215 pounds, Williams plans to play safety for the Crimson Tide. How long he can play the position at that size remains to be seen. And really, the uncertainty as to his position at the next level is the only question about his game.

Other Stars: Linebacker Reggie Ragland (6'4", 245) and JUCO cornerback Travell Dixon.

Still on the board: Bama is still very much in the running for the services of defensive tackle Eddie Goldman out of Washington, DC. Goldman is thought to be between the Tide and the Florida State Seminoles, with Auburn and perhaps Miami on the outside looking in. And the Tide is hard charging for Florida State QB commitment Jameis Winston, who is also a serious baseball prospect.

For more on Alabama recruiting, visit Roll Bama Roll.

Then there are a few other teams with excellent classes who, if the chips fall in their favor, could snag the top spot.

Fresh off grabbing quarterback Gunner Kiel, LSU is squarely in the hunt. Kiel gives the Tigers a top signal-caller to go with a wealth of defensive talent, including cornerback Dwayne Thomas and defensive end Danielle Hunter. The Tigers are expected to add top safety Landon Collins to the mix as well. If they add defensive end Mario Edwards, Jr. (currently committed to Florida State), they have a shot at number one.

For more on LSU football recruiting, visit And The Valley Shook.

Brady Hoke's first year at Michigan really could not have gone any better, as the Wolverines scratched and clawed their way into a BCS game. Off the field, things have been even better. Hoke is trying to transition Michigan away from the spread offense and into a more traditional pro-style offense. That mean selling playing time.

So far, recruits are buying what Hoke is selling -- especially offensive linemen. Kyle Kallis and Erik Manguson are two blue-chip tackle prospects, while Ben Braden, Caleb Stacy and Blake Bars have impressive offer sheets as well. And the Wolverines aren't done, as they continue to chase more top offensive linemen.

.

Read More: texas football recruiting, texas recruiting, michigan football recruiting, lsu recruiting, lsu football recruiting, michigan recruiting, alabama football recruiting, alabama recruiting, LSU Tigers, Michigan Wolverines, Alabama Crimson Tide, Texas Longhorns, Florida St. Seminoles

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Source: http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting/2011/12/28/2666358/college-football-recruiting-alabama-texas-battle-top-class

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China urges tighter Internet security after hacking attacks (Reuters)

SHANGHAI (Reuters) ? The Chinese government is working with domestic Internet search engines like Baidu Inc and Sohu.com, and financial institutions to prevent phishing attacks on unsuspecting Chinese web users.

The Ministry of Public Security said on Friday it would work with 10 Chinese search engines to protect the website rankings of financial institutions to lessen the chances that Internet users will be duped by phishing websites.

A phishing attack occurs when the user is persuaded to part with his or her username and password via a fake webpage that closely resembles the original.

Through the collaboration, the official websites of several Chinese banks, such as Agricultural Bank of China and China Construction Bank will be ranked first in the search engine when a user searches for the related keywords, the Ministry said in an online circular on Friday.

The move comes as China urged tighter Internet security on Wednesday, after a spate of personal data leaks that alarmed the online community and prompted calls for tougher scrutiny of who has access to online information.

China claims the most Internet users in the world at 485 million, state media reported last month, and despite widespread censorship and monitoring online, many users have been up in arms about the reported data leaks and their implications.

The user IDs, passwords and e-mail addresses of more than 6 million accounts registered on CSDN -- a site for programmers -- were leaked, Xinhua New Agency reported last week, citing an anti-virus software provider which discovered the problem. The popular social-networking site Tianya was also hit.

The Global Times newspaper on Friday described the state of Internet security in China as "very dangerous," saying the leaks had "struck Chinese society's alarm bells."

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Wednesday that it would investigate the hacking incidents.

"The department believes the recent leak of user information is a serious infringement of the rights of Internet users and threatens Internet safety. The department strongly condemns such behavior," the ministry said in the statement.

China is widely suspected of being the origin of many hacking attacks on government and commercial websites abroad, but officials have repeatedly dismissed reports that the government or military could be behind such attacks.

China bans numerous overseas websites, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and some foreign media outlets, fearing the uncensored sharing of images and information could cause social instability and harm national security.

(Reporting By Sisi Tang in Hong Kong and Melanie Lee in Shanghai; Editing by Chris Lewis and Ron Popeski)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/security/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111230/wr_nm/us_china_internet

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TheWilsonTimes: Wilson, Edgecombe, Wayne and Sampson counties are under a tornado watch until 7 p.m.

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Wilson, Edgecombe, Wayne and Sampson counties are under a tornado watch until 7 p.m. Il y a environ 15 heures via web Retweeted by 3 people

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College basketball roundup | Notre Dame upsets No. 22 Pitt

Alex Dragicevich hit four 3-pointers and scored a career-high 22 points to lead host Notre Dame to a 72-59 win over No. 22 Pittsburgh on Tuesday night in the Big East opener for both teams.

Jerian Grant added 15 points and nine assists, and Eric Atkins also scored 15 points for the Fighting Irish (9-5, 1-0), who trailed 26-25 at intermission but rallied with a 18-for-25 performance from the field in the second half.

The loss was Pitt?s second straight after a 59-54 loss to Wagner at home on Friday, while Notre Dame extended its home winning streak to 28 games.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Pittsburgh guard Cameron Wright drives the lane as Notre Dame forward Jack Cooley defends during Tuesday?s game in South Bend.

Talib Zanna had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Panthers (11-3, 0-1), who shot 40 percent from the field (24 for 60). Nasir Robinson and Ashton Gibbs added 12 points apiece for Pitt.

Dragicevich, Grant and Atkins each had just five points in the first half for Notre Dame, which was outrebounded 39-30 but made up for it with seven 3-pointers -- compared to just one for Pitt on 14 attempts.

(23) VIRGINIA 69, MD-E. SHORE 42 -- Mike Scott scored 10 of his 17 points during a 12-point spurt early in the second half to help Virginia overcome a sluggish start.

Darion Atkins added 13 points and Joe Harris had 10 for Virginia, off to an 11-1 start for the first time since the 2000-01 season. The host Cavaliers were playing their first game since KT Harrell and redshirt freshman James Johnson announced last week they were transferring. It hardly mattered against the Hawks (3-10), who trailed 30-20 at halftime and saw it quickly get out of hand in the second half.

Hillary Haley led the Hawks with 11 points.

Source: http://www.bradenton.com/2011/12/28/3751859/notre-dame-upsets-no-22-pitt.html

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Chile daily must pay readers for exploding churros

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) ? Chile's Supreme Court has ordered a newspaper to pay $125,000 to 13 people who suffered burns while trying out a published recipe for churros, a popular Latin American snack of dough fried in hot oil.

The publisher of La Tercera must pay individual damages to 11 women and two men ranging from as little as $279 to $48,000 for one woman whose burns were particularly severe.

The high court's ruling was announced Monday, seven years after the readers burned themselves while trying out the recipe.

Judges determined that the newspaper failed to fully test it before publication, and that if readers followed the recipe exactly, the churros had a good chance of exploding once the oil reached the suggested temperature. Grupo Copesa, which publishes the paper, said it will abide by the ruling.

Days after the recipe was published in the paper's "Woman" magazine in 2004, hospitals around the country began treating women for burns suffered when the dough boiling in oil suddenly shot out of kitchen pots.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2011-12-26-LT-Chile-Churro-Accidents/id-7d19a49676bd4aab8eede96c07117058

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Seven adults shot dead at Dallas-area apartment (Reuters)

GRAPEVINE, Texas (Reuters) ? Police in Texas found the bodies of seven people in a Dallas-area apartment on Sunday, all shot to death and surrounded by newly unwrapped Christmas presents, authorities said.

Police in the town of Grapevine said the dead included four women and three men, one of them the apparent gunman, and that all were believed to be members of the same family.

Two handguns were recovered from the apartment, said Sergeant Robert Eberling of the Grapevine police department, who called it a "gruesome crime scene" and the worst massacre in that town's history.

A community of about 46,000 people some 20 miles northwest of central Dallas, Grapevine is best known for its vineyards and quaint historic downtown.

"This is tragic. It's something our department hasn't seen before, especially in a city like Grapevine," Eberling said. "It's something we're used to reading about. We're shocked."

Police responding to a 911 emergency call at around 11:30 a.m. local time found the bodies in the living room of a first-floor unit of the Lincoln Vineyards apartments, Eberling told Reuters. No one reported hearing any gunshots, he said.

The 911 caller never spoke to police, and officers did not see the telephone when they went into the home. Eberling said he believed police had to kick in the door to enter.

The circumstances of the shooting remained unclear. However, the victims appeared to have been opening Christmas gifts when the shooting occurred, and there was no visible sign of forced entry or a struggle, police said.

"By all appearances, they're all part of the same family," Eberling said, adding that the victims were believed to have been "celebrating Christmas" when the shooting unfolded.

"It's a gruesome crime scene to say the least, with that many victims in that area suffering gunshot wounds," he said.

Two of the dead appeared to be in their 60s, while the others were young adults, around 18 to 20 years old, according to police.

Authorities did not immediately identify the victims and did not speculate on a possible motive for the shooting.

Police said there were no survivors at the apartment when they arrived. Eberling said none had been dead for very long.

As of 7:30 p.m., about eight hours after they were found, all seven bodies remained in the apartment, and investigators were expected to continue processing the crime scene late into the night, Eberling said.

Lincoln Vineyards is a middle-income complex near Colleyville Heritage High School, one of the area's most highly regarded schools.

Several neighbors told Reuters that children frequently played in front of the apartment, and they regularly saw young adults leaving for work. They added that they did not know the residents personally.

Several apartment residents stood outside, visibly shaken, and one of them crying, while investigators gathered evidence from the crime scene.

Vanessa Barerra said the killings were especially disturbing in light of Grapevine's reputation as a place to live.

"I did research and chose to live here because of the safety and the school district," she said. "I'm glad my kids weren't here. They're with their dad."

(Additional reporting and writing by Steve Gorman and Karen Brooks; Marice Richter also contributed to this report; Editing by Tim Gaynor and Peter Bohan)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111226/us_nm/us_bodies_texas

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Lamb born on Christmas Eve at Ohio nativity scene

CINCINNATI (AP) ? A lamb has been born unto a Cincinnati nativity display.

The Krohn Conservatory says that a night watchman oversaw the Christmas Eve delivery for a sheep that was part of the live-animal display.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports (http://cin.ci/vYkP2y ) that conservatory officials say the birthing went well and the mother and lamb were doing fine. The conservatory's director says they are thinking of calling the female lamb "Merry," for "Merry Little Christmas."

Other details weren't immediately available.

___

Information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, http://www.enquirer.com

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2011-12-27-Nativity%20Lamb/id-b308ab4fd0404d32b62828ca5217ecce

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Diplomat_APAC: RT @ChinaNewsDaily: Unlikely Allies China and Japan Unite Over N. Korea http://t.co/tmblNWz2

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Indie Box Office: Wim Wenders' "Pina" opens big (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? "Pina," Wim Wenders' 3D documentary about dancer-choreographer Pina Bausch, opened to an impressive $88,399 at three New York locations over the weekend, leading the specialty market.

The PG-rated movie, distributed by IFC films, had a per-location average of $29,466.

Angelina Jolie's directorial debut, "In the Land of Blood and Honey," struggled to attract moviegoers in its first days of release. Jolie wrote, directed and produced the R-rated love story set during the Bosnian war. Distributed by FilmDistrict, it opened at three locations and grossed $27,827 over the four-day holiday weekend -- a per-location average of $9,276.

"The film garnered great reviews and important editorial coverage for a recent war that was overlooked by many," Bob Berney, FilmDistrict's president, theatrical distribution, said in a statement. "Angelina has made a great directorial debut with this beautiful and brutal film that pulls no punches and features an amazing cast."

In its third week of release, Roman Polanski's R-rated "Carnage," from Sony Pictures Classics, expanded from five screens to seven, and grossed $88,216 -- a per-location average of $12,602. The movie has grossed $205,871 so far.

In wider release, Focus Features expanded "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" from 16 locations in its second week to 55 in its third. The R-rated movie, directed by Tomas Alfredson, grossed $1.2 million -- a $22,000 per-location average.

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," an adaptation of John le Carre's espionage novel set in Cold War Britain, stars John Hurt, Gary Oldman and Colin Firth.

"It's just really satisfying a whole lot of moviegoers, making it the most in-demand specialized release in the marketplace," Jack Foley, Focus's distribution chief, told TheWrap Monday.

"The Artist," nominated for six Golden Globes, jumped from 17 locations in its fourth weekend to 167 in its fifth, averaging a solid $8,395 per house. The movie, directed by Michel Hazanavicus, grossed $1.4 million over the long weekend. It now has a total of $2.9 million.

David Glasser, the chief operating officer of the Weinstein Company, which released "The Artist," told TheWrap Monday that the company is pursuing "a very slow, methodical rollout and allowing audiences to see and enjoy this really beautiful picture."

Like with the Weinstein Co.'s Academy Award-winning "The King's Speech," audiences for "The Artist" are getting younger as the film moves into more theaters.

The Weinstein Co.'s other movie now in release, "My Week With Marilyn," had a softer weekend, grossing $888,000 while expanding from 244 to 602 locations in its fifth weekend. Its per-location average was $1,475. The movie, which stars Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe, has grossed $7.3 million so far.

Other holdovers include "Shame," Steve McQueen's NC-17 movie starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan. Fox Searchlight's film, now in its fourth week of release, dropped by one location, from 51 to 50, and grossed $191,000 over the weekend -- a per-location average of $3,604. It now has grossed $1.6 million.

Sony Pictures Classics' "A Dangerous Method," increased from 17 locations to 58, and grossed $292,230 over the weekend -- a per-location average of $5,038. It has taken in $1.1 million since its November 23 release.

Fox Searchlight's other movie, Alexander Payne's "The Descendants," dropped from 878 locations to 813 in its sixth week of release, and grossed $3.4 million -- an average of $4,213 per location.

The R-rated movie, which earned George Clooney and director Alexander Payne Golden Globe nominations, has grossed $33.7 million in its six weeks.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111227/film_nm/us_boxoffice_indies

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Sony Ericsson lanza juego de plataforma-puzzle gratis para el Xperia Play

Experiment 13 es unjuego que te pone en los zapatos de Roy Tate, un aprendiz de laboratorio que por accidente se transporta a otra dimensi?n llena de peligros, monstruos y rompecabezas a resolver para poder regresar a la tierra.

El modo de juego es de aventura-plataforma, donde el protagonista brinca y escala, as? como tambi?n controla la gravedad y puede rotar los escenarios para resolver los rompecabezas planteados.

El t?tulo lo desarrolla Southend Interactive y lo publica SonyEricsson, lo mejor es que es totalmente gratis, as? que si no recibiste el regalo de Navidad que esperabas ya puedes autoregalarte (gracias a SonyEricsson) Experiment 13, el cual ya est? disponible en el Android Market.

Link: Sony Ericsson self-publishes new Xperia Play physics-puzzler Experiment 13 (Pocket Gamer)

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Top Oversold US-Listed Chinese Stocks for the Week Ended Dec 25, 2011 ? China Analyst

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Cowboys play it safe, rest Romo, Felix vs. Philly

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo stands on the sideline after leaving the game with an injury to his hand during the first half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Sharon Ellman)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo stands on the sideline after leaving the game with an injury to his hand during the first half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Sharon Ellman)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo stands on the sideline after leaving the game with an injury to his hand during the first half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Sharon Ellman)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Stephen McGee (7) prepares to take the snap from Cowboys center Phil Costa (67) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. Cowboys starting quarterback Tony Romo left the game after injuring his throwing hand on the first series. The Eagles won 20-7. (AP Photo/Waco Tribune Herald, Jose Yau)

Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Curtis Marsh (31) tackles Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dwayne Harris (17) after a kick return during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/The Waco Tribune-Herald, Jose Yau)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Stephen McGee (7) throws against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. Cowboys starting quarterback Tony Romo left the game after injuring his throwing hand on the first series. The Eagles won 20-7. (AP Photo/Waco Tribune Herald, Jose Yau)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) ? Tony Romo was in the locker room dealing with a passing hand that wasn't broken, but was swelling.

At the same time, the New York Giants were polishing off a victory that rendered the result of this game just about meaningless, and turned their game against the Cowboys in New York next weekend into a battle for the NFC East title.

So Jerry Jones left his midfield viewing booth and marched right to coach Jason Garrett on the sideline. Neither would give a clear explanation of their conversation, but it's obvious how the chat went considering Romo didn't return and oft-injured running back Felix Jones soon joined him on the sideline.

Missing those crucial players, and lacking intensity, the Cowboys came within 7 seconds of being shut out at home for the first time in 20 years, losing 20-7 to the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday.

"You have to step back and understand what the situation is," Garrett said. "We need to be as healthy as we can be next week."

New York's victory eliminated the Eagles from the playoffs and meant the Cowboys couldn't clinch the division title with a win. Dallas could've still been playing for a wild-card backup plan, but was clearly more concerned about getting ready for the "win and you're in" route to the playoffs, especially after Romo banged his hand on the helmet of a defender.

Garrett said the club had decided earlier in the week who would and wouldn't play if the Giants won. Garrett said Romo's injury added a new wrinkle.

The question of why Jones decided to personally go over the plan with Garrett again, and in light of the Romo injury, wasn't really answered.

"I did want to go and communicate real good and we did communicate real good," Jones said. "These are decisions made by Jason, ultimately."

Michael Vick threw touchdown passes on his first drive and just before halftime, which was all the scoring the Eagles would need. They added a pair of field goals in the second half, while their defense prevented an offense powered by Stephen McGee, Sammy Morris and Chauncey Washington from sustaining any drives.

Dallas' only points came after a blocked punt set up McGee on the Philadelphia 16-yard line with 19 seconds left. He ran for 12 yards, then hit Miles Austin for a 4-yard touchdown pass to avoid the first shutout since November 2003, and the first at home since September 1991, also against Philadelphia.

"I just feel like we dodged a bullet ? Romo is healthy, that's critical to us," Jones said. "I certainly agree with how we played the game tonight, and who played what, when and how they played ? complete agreement with it."

Dallas (8-7) lost for the third time in four games, guaranteeing another losing record after Thanksgiving. If the Cowboys end up missing the playoffs, this flop at the finish will loom large all offseason. Of course, if they win the division, it'll only be a footnote.

The upcoming week will be filled with all sorts of similar high-stakes ramifications that will be riding on the finale for both Dallas and New York. Anticipating huge interest ? and high ratings ? that game has been moved to NBC's prime-time Sunday night showcase.

"If at the beginning of the year you told us we would have a chance to win the division in Week 17, we would have jumped at it," tight end Jason Witten said. "We will have to play our best football. It's on the road. It's going to be tough. But that's the environment you have to take. The Giants have been in these situations, too. It's going to be a huge challenge."

When this game kicked off, the Giants were up by only six points midway through the fourth quarter, so the Cowboys and Eagles still had a lot to play for.

Philadelphia got the ball first and Vick picked up where he left off the last time these teams met, cruising 80 yards in eight plays for a 7-0 lead. Then the Eagles snuffed Romo, forcing a punt from around midfield.

On the final play of that series, Romo rushed a third-down pass to avoid a sack. On his follow-through, he smacked his passing hand on Jason Babin's helmet. That's when things got about as interesting as they'd be the rest of the afternoon.

The drama began with Jones leaving his midfield viewing booth to chat with Garrett. He returned to his booth about the same time Romo returned to the sideline.

Romo couldn't grip the ball or take a snap, so he got his hand and wrist wrapped. While he was trading his helmet for a baseball cap, team vice president Stephen Jones arrived on the sideline and spoke with trainers. Felix Jones then joined Romo as being done for the day.

McGee ? who moved up from third-stringer to backup when Jon Kitna went on injured reserve ? took over for Romo and went 24 of 38 for 182 yards, with four runs for 28 yards.

McGee beat the Eagles in last season's finale, but he struggled to even sustain drives this time. It didn't help that his running backs were Morris (pulled from retirement before last week's game) and Washington (signed off the street this week).

"It took me a little while to get comfortable," McGee said. "I don't get very many reps, basically never in a real game. I felt like I made progress through the game."

Philadelphia (7-8) won its third straight, giving the preseason "Dream Team" and midseason nightmare the chance to break even if it can beat the Redskins at home in its finale next weekend. The Eagles also swept the season series against the Cowboys for the first time since 2006, having clobbered Dallas 34-7 in October.

"If we had gotten into the playoffs we would have definitely done some damage," Vick said. "It's unfortunate we didn't. That's the game of football. We made some mistakes early (this season) and got behind in the win-loss column. But we're just happy we're finishing strong."

The defense sure is. Philadelphia has allowed just 36 points and 683 yards over the last three games, with 16 sacks.

"I think it took a little time to gel," said defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins, one of the offseason additions whose arrival raised expectations. "I guess it took longer than we anticipated. We just didn't get the job done. You can make all the excuses in the world, but they really don't mean anything. At the end of the season when you look at our final record, there's not going to be asterisk by it. You just have to own up to it. We let a lot of opportunities get away from us early. All we can do now is control what we do in the future."

Vick was 18 of 32 for 293 yards, with the touchdowns going to Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek. Jason Avant nearly had another TD, but fumbled inches before touching the pylon, resulting in a touchback for the Cowboys.

DeSean Jackson caught five passes for 90 yards, and ran for 27 yards on two end arounds, both on consecutive plays.

Alex Henery kicked field goals of 43 and 51 yards for the Eagles' only points in the second half.

"They're disappointed we don't have a shot at the playoffs," coach Andy Reid said. "At the same time I was pleased with the energy they brought to the football field. They wanted to dominate and play aggressive football. Nobody was hanging their heads."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-25-FBN-Cowboys/id-68a23c2126b648c0a9a3e0160eee67e3

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Schwartz named Canada's captain

Team Canada's Jaden Schwartz skates during the Canadian national junior hockey team practice in Banff, Alberta, December 16, 2011. The Canadian national team will play in the upcoming World Junior Hockey tournament in Calgary and Edmonton, December 26 to January 5, 2012.

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CALGARY?-?

Jaden Schwartz?s leadership skills were obvious before he even arrived at Team Canada?s training camp.

He was the obvious choice as captain and had the C stitched onto his Team Canada jersey Thursday.

Coaches love guys who have character and experience, guys who have battled.

Schwartz has fought through an emotional battle most teenagers, luckily, don?t have to deal with.

The Colorado College winger did everything he could to help his sister, who played hockey at Yale, during a two-and-a-half year fight with acute myeloid leukemia.

His 23-year-old sister, Mandi, died last April.

?It just puts everything in perspective,? Schwartz said of the hard lessons he?s learned over the past few years.

?To go through adversity like that, it was one of the hardest things ever to deal with.

?If you can get through that, you can get through anything.?

When Schwartz was drafted ? 14th overall by the St. Louis Blues at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft ? he used his moment in the sun to direct traffic to a website (Become Mandi?s Hero) that helped during a worldwide search for a bone marrow match.

That search didn?t produce the match the Schwartz family was hoping for, but with everyone from the New York Times to ESPN picking up the story, more than 10,000 people signed up as donors.

Other lives have been saved.

?I learned a lot from that and I learned a lot from Mandi,? Schwartz said.

?I?m just trying to lead by example and be a good guy off the ice.?

Schwartz said his family was excited to hear he had been named Team Canada captain.

?It?s a tremendous honour and a huge privilege,? he said. ?It feels pretty special, but I?m not going to change who I am or the way I play.

?I?m just going to be myself.?

Brett Connolly, Devante Smith-Pelly, Quinton Howden and Brandon Gormley will rotate as alternate captains.

Schwartz is one of four returning players, but he broke his ankle in the second game of last year?s tourney.

Showing the character of a future captain, he came back on the ice and even scored a goal.

But once team doctors saw the fracture, his tournament was over.

He?s not taking this second kick at the can for granted.

?It?s a second chance and something you dream of,? he said. ?Last year, it was a tough way to go out.

?I?ve been waiting for this since last year?s tournament ended.?

Head coach Don Hay said handing the C to Schwartz wasn?t a difficult decision.

?With Jaden, he?s a real mature young man,? Hay said. ?He seemed to be a logical choice.

?The players gravitate towards him and he?s a personable young man, and he?s got experience.?

Hay said he expects his new captain will lead through action rather than words.

?He seems very mature in his approach to the game and his approach to life,? Hay said. ?He?s prepared and he works hard.

?Those are important things, to have someone who?s prepared to practice and then in the games, he quietly goes about his job.

?He?s not going to be a big vocal guy, but when he talks, the players will listen.?

Hay was intent on giving his most experienced players the remaining letters.

?I think it?s a strong leadership group,? he said. ?The guys have world junior experience, Memorial Cup experience, NHL experience.

?So we?re comfortable with the group of guys we?ve chosen as leaders.?

Source: http://www.torontosun.com/2011/12/22/schwartz-named-canadas-captain

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Vin Diesel Says Fast 6 and 7 Are on the Way

Back when Screen Rant chatted with Vin Diesel on the set of Fast Five, the brawny actor briefly discussed how that film was being fashioned to serve as the middle chapter in a trilogy ? with Fast and Furious 6 bringing the tale of Dominic Toretto (Diesel), Brian O?Conner (Paul Walker), and their fellow professional criminal/car racer types to a conclusion of sorts.

Rumors popped up in Fall 2011 that not only was Fast and Furious 7 also on the way, but that the sixth and seventh installments in the high-octane thrills franchise could shoot back-to-back and feature the addition of Jason Statham to a cast that already includes macho leading men like Diesel and Dwayne ?The Rock? Johnson.

The Statham rumors are (officially) just hot air right now; similarly, there?s been no confirmation about the possibility of the Fast Five sequels being filmed together. However, new comments from Diesel do reveal that Fast and Furious 7 is being actively developed ? in fact, Chris Morgan (who penned the last three chapters in the franchise) has begun scripting both the sixth and seventh movies, according to the actor.

Here is what Diesel told THR, with regards to how the planned (second) Fast and Furious trilogy evolved into a quadrilogy:

?With the success of ['Fast Five'], and the inclusion of so many characters, and the broadening of scope, when we were sitting down to figure out what would fit into the real estate of number six, we didn?t have enough space??We have to pay off this story, we have to service all of these character relationships, and when we started mapping all that out it just went beyond 110 pages. The studio said, ?You can?t fit all that story in one damn movie!??

Universal is (certainly) also anxious to keep this particular cash cow alive and well, especially if?Fast and Furious 6 proves to be a box office smash ? which it almost unquestionably will be. Thus, having a seventh installment written and ready to go before cameras quickly (assuming it isn?t simply shot simultaneously with Part 6) is something the studio would definitely approve of, regardless of any potential plot contrivances needed to make it happen.

That said: Diesel does have a point about Fast Five vastly expanding the ?scope? and number of character-based subplots in the series, so a seventh chapter doesn?t (per se) require a huge stretch.

Vin Diesel and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in 'Fast Five'

Fast Five left the door open for Johnson?s relentless federal agent Luke Hobbs to continue his pursuit of Dominic and Co. in Fast and Furious 6; by all accounts, the semi-antagonist will be brought back for the sixquel (?), which has long been expected to take place in Europe ? a possibility also set up directly by Fast Five?s mid-credits scene ? and see the return of certain characters from previous installments in the series.

Universal chairman Adam Fogelson has likewise suggested that Fast and Furious 6 (and, by default, Part 7) will also continue the trend established in Fast Five ? by moving the series closer to the classic heist/caper genre, while still incorporating the hyper-kinetic chase sequences that the franchise is so well-liked for.

Fast and Furious 6 is slated to hit U.S. theaters on May 24th, 2013, so expect to hear more about both that film and Fast and Furious 7 over the upcoming months.

Source: THR

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1924187/news/1924187/

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Rep. DeBerry Says She's Free of Cancer - Memphis Daily News

VOL. 126 | NO. 248 | Wednesday, December 21, 2011

LUCAS L. JOHNSON II | Associated Press

Updated 2:54PM

NASHVILLE (AP) ? State Rep. Lois DeBerry of Memphis has a lot to be thankful for this holiday season ? mainly being alive.

After nearly three years of battling pancreatic cancer, DeBerry was told by her doctors last month that they couldn?t find any trace of the terminal disease.

?It?s the best Christmas present I could get,? the Democrat told The Associated Press.

DeBerry, a lawmaker for nearly 40 years, has been a powerful influence on Capitol Hill. As the first female speaker pro tempore in the House, legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle have sought her support to pass key legislation.

She?s worked tirelessly to pass bills of her own that seek to benefit the poor, children and senior citizens. Some days she?s so busy she doesn?t even have time to eat.

It took cancer to slow her down ? for a while, at least.

DeBerry discovered she had early stages of the disease in 2009. A fellow lawmaker noticed her eyes were yellow, or jaundiced, and suggested she see a doctor.

After being diagnosed, DeBerry underwent several weeks of chemotherapy before having surgery. She followed that up with several months of more chemo treatments and the cancer seemed to have gone into remission. But there was a setback.

?I was told if this cancer comes back, it comes back within your first two years,? DeBerry said. ?I was one month from two years when it came back.?

At that point DeBerry said she felt like giving up. Instead, she said she relied on her faith and the overwhelming support of family, friends and political colleagues who strengthened her ?will to fight to live.?

Republican Gov. Bill Haslam was one of those who prayed with DeBerry.

?I think sometimes the way that things happen in life, maybe the best way you can judge people is when things aren?t going well,? Haslam said. ?And Lois ... never let it drag her down.?

During a second major surgery, doctors removed DeBerry?s pancreas, which produces several important hormones, such as insulin. The removal left her with Type 1 diabetes and a daily practice of giving herself insulin shots, but she said she?s just thankful to be alive.

?This is the most challenging thing that I?ve undertaken, and it is the one thing that really put life into perspective for me,? said DeBerry, who earlier this year joined former House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh of Covington in being given the honorary title of speaker emeritus.

DeBerry said her 55-year-old cousin also battled the aggressive cancer, but wasn?t as fortunate.

?She was diagnosed on Monday, in hospice on Friday, dead on Monday,? she recalled.

According to the National Cancer Institute, there were about 44,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer in the U.S. in 2011 and more than 37,000 deaths. Among those killed by the disease was Apple founder Steve Jobs and Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Adolpho A. Birch, who DeBerry said encouraged her before he died even though he was ailing.

Despite the numbers, medical experts say advances in technology are helping doctors treat pancreatic cancer more effectively, and in some cases cure patients. DeBerry credited the research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for her remission.

?In the last 10 to 20 years, there has been significant advancement in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, in addition to many other cancers,? said Kelly Wright, whose expertise is liver and pancreas surgery at Vanderbilt.

?Part of that advancement is better understanding of when we utilize surgery and when we utilize other treatment strategies to help the patients stay stable and to keep their symptoms under control, which allows them to live longer.?

Wright added that the curative rate for people with pancreatic cancer is now 1 in 4, compared to once being 1 in 8.

DeBerry?s colleagues noted that she didn?t let her chemo and radiation treatments slow her down. She missed only a few days of the legislative sessions, and would often drive more than three hours to Memphis after having treatments on a Thursday and return to Nashville on time the following Monday for session.

?I don?t know that there?s anybody that I admire more than Lois DeBerry,? said Republican House Speaker Beth Harwell of Nashville. ?We?re proud of the message that she sends to a lot of other people that suffer from cancer: that you can lick this.?

DeBerry said she feels like she?s been given a new lease on life and she?s not taking it for granted.

She encourages people who might have symptoms of pancreatic cancer ? such as jaundice of the eyes or stomach cramps ? to not hesitate seeing a doctor. And she?s joined an effort to pass legislation in Congress that seeks to invest more money in the fight against pancreatic cancer.

?God has given me a chance to make a difference in somebody?s life,? she said. ?And I intend to do that.?

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/dec/21/rep-deberry-says-shes-free-of-cancer/

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The First Legit Intel-Powered Smartphone Plays Blu-ray Quality Video Without Breaking a Sweat [Intel]

Intel is late to the smartphone game, sure, but its Medfield system-on-chip has been touted as the firm's make-or-break venture into the market. Now the first working Intel phone is in the wild — and it seems promising. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/vvCn-YqA1Eo/this-is-the-first-intel+powered-smartphone

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Android 4.0.3 announced, bringing 'variety of optimizations and bug fixes' to phones and tablets

Merely a day after Verizon's version of the Galaxy Nexus was gifted with v4.0.2, Google itself is announcing Android 4.0.3, a so-called " incremental release of the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) platform." We're told that the new release includes a variety of optimizations and bug fixes for phones and tablets, as well as a small number of new APIs for developers. For those curious, the new API level is 15, and some of those new ones include social stream API in Contacts provider, Calendar provider enhancements, newfangled camera capabilities (apps can now check and manage video stabilization and use QVGA resolution profiles where needed) and accessibility refinements (improved content access for screen readers and new status and error reporting for text-to-speech engines). Moreover, we're promised minute improvements in "graphics, database, spell-checking, Bluetooth, and more." Finally, the company makes clear that going forward, it'll be "focusing its partners on Android 4.0.3 as the base version of Ice Cream Sandwich," with rollouts expected for both phones and tablets in "the weeks ahead."

Android 4.0.3 announced, bringing 'variety of optimizations and bug fixes' to phones and tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/16/android-4-0-3-announced-brings-variety-of-optimizations-and-bu/

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Video: Volunteers scramble to bring Christmas joy

We'll focus on?efforts to help veterans find?jobs and deal with health and family problems. "One of the great blessings in my life has been the exposure I've received to the military?active duty, in the field and veterans,"?says Brian Williams. "They are America?s genuine heroes, and it's a privilege to use our platforms at NBC News to honor all that they have done."

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40153870/vp/45703844#45703844

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Egypt's military police clash with protesters (AP)

CAIRO ? Security forces stormed a protest camp outside Egypt's Cabinet building, expelling demonstrators calling for an end to military rule, just as officials were counting votes Friday in the second round of Egypt's parliamentary elections.

The clashes underlined simmering tensions between activists and security officers and threatened to ignite a new round of violence after two peaceful days of voting in an election considered the freest and fairest vote in the country's modern history.

Clashes erupted as demonstrators were camped out in front of the Cabinet building, demanding that the country's military rulers transfer power immediately to a civilian authority. The sit-in was in its third week.

The military took over after longtime President Hosni Mubarak was ousted in a popular revolt in February. Rights groups and activists charge that the military is carrying on the practices of the old regime, including arresting and beating dissidents.

Protesters at the Cabinet building said the clashes began Thursday evening after soldiers severely beat a young man who was taking part in the sit-in.

Hundreds of people rushed to join the protest after online video and photos showed people carrying the wounded man. The pictures showed his face and eyes bruised and swollen, his head wrapped in gauze and blood dripping from his nose.

Witnesses accused military police of snatching the man from near the sit-in and beating him inside parliament, near Cabinet headquarters. Then protesters threw rocks and firebombs at military police.

Activist Hussein Hammouda said the military responded by throwing rocks and aiming water cannons from inside the gates of the nearby parliament building.

"Tensions between the people and security officers is so enflamed that anything that happens just blows up. There is no trust between the two sides," said Hammouda, who resigned from the police in 2005 to protest police practices.

Egypt's state news agency said at least four wounded people were taken to a nearby hospital and that a fire had broken out in a nearby government building as a result of the clashes.

State TV broadcast images of plainclothes security officers throwing rocks at protesters from the parliament building.

Protester Mostafa Sheshtawy said security forces burned protesters' tents overnight and ended the sit-in calling for an end to military rule. Dozens of people had been camped out in front of Cabinet headquarters following violence in Tahrir Square in late November, when more than 40 people were killed in clashes with security personnel.

Dissatisfied with the military's handling of Egypt's transition, protesters Friday chanted "Down with military rule" and "The people want the execution of the Field Marshal," referring to Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi, head of the military council.

Sheshtawy said dozens of protesters were being treated for their wounds Friday at a nearby field hospital.

"It's pretty ironic that the military is throwing rocks at protesters from the parliament building, where a sign is hanging that says democracy is the power of the people," Sheshtawy said.

The young activists who led the protests against Mubarak have not translated that success into results at the polls, where Islamist parties won a clear majority of seats in the first round of voting last month over the more liberal parties that emerged from the uprising. Results from this week's second round are expected in the coming days, with the rest of the country set to vote next month.

Images of troops protecting polling centers and soldiers carrying the elderly to the polls have served to boost the military's image as guardians of the country among the many Egyptians who support military rule until presidential elections scheduled for next year. The military remains the ultimate authority on all matters of state in absence of a president.

The second round of voting took place Wednesday and Thursday in nine of the country's 27 provinces. It covered vast rural areas where the religious stand of Islamist parties has strong support.

The violence erupted on the same day that a campaign was launched to urge Egyptians to buy Egyptian-made goods to boost the country's battered economy in the wake of continued unrest.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111216/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt

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Police search for motive in deadly office shooting (AP)

IRWINDALE, Calif. ? Terrified employees hid under desks and barricaded themselves behind locked doors after a utility company office worker went on a shooting rampage, killing two co-workers and critically wounding two others before taking his own life, police said.

The shooting around 1:30 p.m. Friday at Southern California Edison offices in a business park outside Los Angeles forced a lockdown of a large office complex and nearby schools as officers from surrounding cities and the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's SWAT team responded.

"This is one of the most horrible days in our company's history," said Edison International Chairman and CEO Ted Craver. "We are deeply saddened by today's tragic events."

A man and a woman were wounded by gunfire and were listed in critical condition at local hospitals, said Sheriff's Lt. Holly Francisco.

Three men were killed in the shooting ? two bodies were found on the scene and a third died en route to a hospital. Four of the shooting victims were company employees and the fifth was a contract worker.

"As far as we know there was one shooting suspect, period," Baldwin Park police Capt. Michael Taylor said.

Craver was careful not to provide identifying details for the victims, saying the company was still working to contact family members.

There was no immediate word on what prompted the gunfire.

Police could not confirm media reports that at least two of the targeted victims were believed to be company managers.

No gunfire was exchanged after officers arrived.

In the hours after the shooting, police cars, ambulances and fire trucks surrounded the building, and dozens of workers emerged with their hands over their heads.

The complex is surrounded by a fence and patrolled by a security guard. Employees need a security card to get into the building, said Gil Alexander, a spokesman for Southern California Edison. About 230 employees work in the building where the shooting took place, and about 1,100 employees work in the complex.

The utility's office is in a complex of buildings that also includes a business called California Lighting Sales.

Cindy Gutierrez, the controller for that company, said employees there didn't hear gunshots and didn't realize anything was amiss until building management announced over the intercom that everyone should stay indoors.

Two nearby schools were locked for about two hours after the shooting and no one on the campuses was hurt.

Irwindale is a small industrial city of about 1,400 residents in the San Gabriel Valley, 22 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. It is home to the Irwindale Speedway auto racetrack and large rock and gravel quarries.

Southern California Edison is one of its largest companies, employing 2,100 people.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111217/ap_on_re_us/us_office_shooting_california

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Online Puppy Mills Discovered in HSUS Investigation (ContributorNetwork)

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is warning people to stay away from online dog breeders, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The results of a three-month investigation revealed many pure bred dogs for sale on the Internet are raised in puppy mills. The largest offender is a seller called Purebred Breeders which operates 800 websites, according to the Plain Dealer.

The HSUS is suing Purebred Breeders on behalf of all customers who purchased an ill or dying dog. The U.S. Congress is currently considering legislation which would regulate large breeders who sell dogs directly to consumers, according to the Plain Dealer. The USDA only regulates breeders who sell to pet stores.

Ohioans shared their thoughts on the HSUS investigation and pending puppy mill legislation via email, instant messaging, in-person interviews and Twitter.

* "The fact that Puebred Breeders have 800 websites is suspicious. Why would you ever need more than one website? The results stacking tactics do indicate a deceptive nature. The photos in the Plain Dealer story were disgusting. Animals should not be stacked in wire cages and closed away from human contact like that. I hope the HSUS wins its lawsuit and gets the company closed down." -- Rhonda Grosworth, website designer, Cincinnati.

* "The federal puppy mill legislation is long past due. Any person or business which sells living creatures should have some type of oversight. I had no idea the USDA only checked on breeders who sell to pet stores. The Internet and a lack of supervisor allows puppy mill operators to have free reign. Only sick people can enjoy making money off the misery of animals." -- Rashawna Eastman, Ohio State University graduate student, Columbus.

* "I am glad that both our state government and federal elected officials are finally getting serious about putting an end to puppy mills. It took far too many years fro animal rights organizations and concerned Americans putting the issue in front of the public for changes to occur. Pet Land in Chillicothe only buys from local breeders and keeps a book with images of the dogs with breeders and contract information to prove their pets do not come from puppy mills." -- Sean Harris, auto plant worker, Kingston.

* "There are so many dogs at local shelters and rescue centers, there is no need to go spend hundreds or a few thousands dollars on a puppy. If you absolutely must have a specific breed of dog, then search online for local breeders and go visit their kennel before making a purchase. Making a promise to care for another living creature is a serious commitment and should not be taken lightly." -- Torie Roosevelt, non-profit agency representative, Athens.

* "I don't typically agree with handing the federal government more power or infringing upon the ability of someone to operate a business, but the puppy mill case is different. The only way a law can curtail the animal cruelty is by making mandates at the federal level. Children will play with these dogs that have not been socialized well or even kept in clean conditions. The whole scenario is horrible." -- Brook Matthews, retired pediatric nurse, Belpre.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/pets/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111215/us_ac/10681731_online_puppy_mills_discovered_in_hsus_investigation

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Bonds' sentencing brings BALCO saga near a close

FILE - This April 13, 2011 file photo shows former baseball player Barry Bonds leaving federal court in San Francisco. The sentencing of Bonds will bring the federal government?s nearly decade long investigation of a Northern California-based steroids ring to an anti-climactic end, barring an appeal. Bonds is scheduled to be sentenced Friday, Dec. 16, 2011, in San Francisco. Federal sentencing guidelines suggest a prison sentence of between 15 months and 21 months. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

FILE - This April 13, 2011 file photo shows former baseball player Barry Bonds leaving federal court in San Francisco. The sentencing of Bonds will bring the federal government?s nearly decade long investigation of a Northern California-based steroids ring to an anti-climactic end, barring an appeal. Bonds is scheduled to be sentenced Friday, Dec. 16, 2011, in San Francisco. Federal sentencing guidelines suggest a prison sentence of between 15 months and 21 months. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

FILE - In this March 22, 2011 file photo, Barry Bonds arrives at the federal courthouse for the second day of his trial in San Francisco. The sentencing of Bonds will bring the federal government?s nearly decade long investigation of a Northern California-based steroids ring to an anti-climactic end, barring an appeal. Bonds is scheduled to be sentenced Friday, Dec. 16, 2011, in San Francisco. Federal sentencing guidelines suggest a prison sentence of between 15 months and 21 months. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, file)

FILE - In this June 23, 2011, file photo, former San Francisco Giants baseball player Barry Bonds leaves the federal courthouse in San Francisco after a hearing in his trial. In court documents filed late Thursday, Dec. 8, prosecutors objected to a recommendation by a federal probation officer that Bonds get only probation when he's sentenced for obstruction of justice on Dec. 16. Federal prosecutors are urging a judge to send former baseball slugger Bonds to prison for 15 months. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? The largest federal criminal investigation into sports doping began more than nine years ago with a tax agent digging through the trash of the now notorious Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative. Barring an appeal, the government's work comes to an anti-climactic end Friday when Barry Bonds ? the probe's highest-profile catch ? is sentenced for obstruction of justice.

In between, the federal government spent millions of dollars and untold staff hours obtaining the convictions of 11 people. Six of them, including track star Marion Jones, were ensnared for lying to grand jurors, federal investigators or the court. Five men, including Bonds' personal trainer Greg Anderson, pleaded guilty to steroid distribution charges stemming from their BALCO connections.

The investigation in general ? and the pursuit of Bonds in particular ? ignited a debate over whether the government's long involvement was the best use of public resources.

More than seven years after he testified before a grand jury investigating BALCO, Major League Baseball's all-time home runs leader was convicted on just one of four remaining counts against him. And the jury deadlocked on whether Bonds lied about taking performance enhancing drugs.

Now, federal sentencing guidelines suggest a prison term of between 15 months and 21 months. But federal probation officers are recommending that Bonds receive no time, citing his charitable work, the nature of the crime and his otherwise spotless criminal record. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston has sentenced two other BALCO figures convicted of similar crimes to probation and house arrest.

Was it all worth it?

"It absolutely was," said MacGregor Scott, the former U.S. attorney for Sacramento, now in private practice at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. "It brought a focus and awareness to the steroids issue that wasn't there before."

Scott said prosecutors had to go after Bonds once they concluded he lied to the grand jury when he denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs and said he allowed only doctors to inject him. Dozens of other athletes testified truthfully, Scott said.

"There aren't two sets of laws, one for Bonds and one for everybody else," Scott said. "The grand jury is the bedrock of the criminal justice system in the United States."

The probe did lead directly to former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell's in-depth investigation of drug use in Major League Baseball and his seminal Mitchell Report, which in turn prompted MLB and its players' union to strengthen their steroids policy.

Yet the relatively short list of convictions leaves some, perhaps most notably the BALCO founder himself, unimpressed.

"Obviously, the BALCO case brought about a greater public awareness regarding the rampant use of drugs at the elite level of sport, which is a good thing," said Victor Conte, the BALCO founder and president ? who spent four months in prison after pleading guilty to steroids distribution. "As the BALCO case comes to a close, I don't think it was the highest and best use of the tens of millions of taxpayer dollars that were spent on the case."

Bonds will have 14 days after his sentencing to file a notice of appeal.

The trial itself ended ambiguously in April about three weeks after it began.

The jury concluded Bonds purposely evaded responding during testimony to a grand jury investigating steroids distribution in sports with a rambling non sequitur to a question about drug injections, and the jurors convicted him of obstruction of justice. But they couldn't reach a unanimous agreement on the heart of the case, deadlocking on three charges alleging Bonds lied to the grand jury when he denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs and testifying that no one other than his doctors ever injected him.

Prosecutors in September dropped those charges, foregoing another trial and declaring the one conviction showed the value of the Bonds prosecution.

The government's lead investigator, Jeff Novitzky, said Bonds first came to his attention during his weekly Monday night raids of BALCO's trash during the summer and fall of 2002. Novitzky, who was with the Internal Revenue Service then and is now a Food and Drug Administration investigator, said he found a magazine article quoting Bonds as crediting BALCO with helping him pump up and increase his power.

Novitzky gathered more evidence connecting Bonds to BALCO during September 2003 raids of the lab and the home of Greg Anderson, Bonds' personal trainer at the time. Three months later, Bonds was called before the grand jury and granted immunity from prosecution so long as he testified truthfully.

Despite the jury's mixed verdict, prosecutors still insist Bonds lied.

"The evidence at trial demonstrated that Bonds went into the grand jury with the intention of providing false statements and obstructing the grand jury's efforts to get to the truth in the BALCO matter," prosecutors wrote the judge last week seeking a prison sentence of 15 months for the former San Francisco Giants slugger. "Without truthful testimony, the judicial system simply cannot function properly in its mission-to get to justice."

In recommending that Bonds serve a term of house arrest, probation and community service ? but no prison time ? the federal probation department called Bonds' conviction an "aberration" and cited his "significant history of charitable, civic and prior good works" as reasons for the judge to "downward depart" from federal guidelines.

The department's report is confidential, but was cited in part by Bonds' lawyers last week in arguing for probation and volunteer work. Earlier this year, Bonds announced he would pay for the college education of the two children of Bryan Stow, the Giants fan who remains hospitalized after the highly publicized opening day beating in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium.

Bonds' lawyers quote an unidentified nurse writing in a letter to Illston that Bonds often visits sick children at the University of California, San Francisco's Benioff Children's Hospital. He paid for the 2009 renovation of what is now the Barry Bonds Family Foundation Playroom, which he visited in June.

"Barry Bonds is a hero to us at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital," the nurse wrote. "I consider being a character witness for Barry Bonds a privilege."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-14-BBO-Bonds-Steroids/id-360994ece59b4bc2ac9dd63b1e464062

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