Ada Lovelace's 197th birthday on Google Doodle: First Programmer and Math Enchantress

Ada Lovelace, who has been called the world's first computer programmer and the "enchantress of numbers," was honored by Google on Monday with a Google Doodle marking her 197th birthday.
If you've never heard of this mathematical pioneer, you are not alone. Megan Smith, a vice president at Google, and Lynette Webb, senior manager of external relations, write that as of last year, most people at Google hadn't heard of her either.
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace was born on December 10, 1815 in London--the daughter of Anne Isabelle Millbanke, and George Gordon Noel Byron--better known as Lord Byron, the poet.

Lovelace never had a relationship with her father. He and her mother separated when she was still an infant. Her mother, who was a mathematician herself, insisted her daughter be tutored in math and music in the hopes that Lovelace would not follow in her father's amoral footsteps.
Lovelace showed an aptitude early on for mathematics, and when she was 17, she met and befriended Charles Babbage, who is now considered the "father of the computer." She was fascinated by a contraption he was building -- the Difference Engine, one of the earliest attempts to create a machine that could calculate a series of values automatically.
Babbage never finished the Difference Engine. Before it was completed he started work on the Analytical Engine, which could be programmed using punched cards. In 1843 Babbage asked Lovelace to translate a French article about the Analytical Engine by an Italian engineer named Luigi Manabrea. While translating the article, Lovelace added copious notes of her own -- including the first step-by-step sequences of operations for solving certain mathematical problems. It was these sets of instructions that have led to her be called the first computer programmer.
Lovelace also saw potential in Babbage's machines that he may not have seen himself. As Smith and Webb write on Google's official blog, "While Babbage saw [the analytical engine] as a mathematical calculator, Ada understood it had much more potential. She realized it was, in essence, a machine that could manipulate symbols in accordance with defined rules, and -- crucially -- that there was no reason the symbols had to represent only numbers and equations. ... This was an astounding conceptual leap from calculation to computing."
"The Analytical Engine weaves algebraic patterns just as the Jacquard loom weaves flowers and leaves," she wrote in 1843 in a lovely synthesis of mathematics and poetry.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-ada-lovelace-google-doodle-20121210,0,1375011.story

Pacquiao vs Marquez 4: Manny Defeated in Round Six

Pacquiao vs. Marquez 4 Contract: Details on Prize Fight Money and Purse

Nevermind the result of Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez 4; both sides will walk away happy. After all, their contracts ensure they'll be doing so with millions.

And in Pacquiao's case, it could be up to $30 million.

The fight, won by Marquez on a sixth-round KO, took place at MGM Grand Garden in Nevada and was expected to draw a heavy pay-per-view audience.

Pacquiao's contract with the Nevada Athletic Commission for this fight is $8.595 million. Marquez's contract is quite a bit smaller, but he's still taking away a guaranteed $3 million.

But that's just the beginning. The eventual purse for both fighters could be much, much larger.
This event was broadcast on HBO pay-per-view and was projected to garner over one million buys. The last Pacquiao-Marquez fight earned 1.3 million buys.

Pacquiao is perhaps the biggest draw in the sport, and the views reflect that.
A large chunk of Pacquiao's sum will come from his upside of the pay-per-view sales. And if it does well, Pacquiao will earn multiple millions from HBO.

Add that to his potential earning from the international broadcast of the fight and Pacquiao is easily projected to clear the $25-million barrier. Marquez is also expected to receive a significant sum from pay-per-view sales.




Saturday, December 8th was the Pacquiao vs Marquez 4 fight, broadcast on HBO's Pay-Per-View service, so obviously, not everyone got a chance to watch the event. The fight happened at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Manny Pacquaio had won the two most recent meetings with Juan Manuel Marquez, and this was their fourth time facing off.

This fourth match-up of two great fighters is an exciting one for fans, and in the day of modern, instant technology people are able to watch it live via pay-per-view as it happens, if they are not able to get tickets or make a trip to Las Vegas. But HBO is charging ridiculous rates for these fights (around $50), which could be considered a fair price for actual seats in the arena at the MGM Grand.
The fight results were a surprise to many, with Pacquaio being knocked out in the sixth round at 2:59. Below is a link to the video highlights of the fight, as well as a recap of the event, round-by-round.

Round One: Pacquiao starts out strong, aggressively taking the fight to Marquez, and lands three lefts and an uppercut for a round end score of 10-9 Pacquiao.
Round Two: Marquez misses a left hook and Pacquiao isn't as aggressive as he was being in the first round. Both are landing punches on the inside. Once again 10-9 Pacquiao.
Round Three: This is where things heat up a little. Marquez tries for a left hook but it is blocked by Pacquiao, who lands a right and a left. Marquez lands a left on the body and then another. Marquez tosses a hard overhand right that throws Pacquiao for a loop. This round 10-8 Marquez.
Round Four: Pacquiao seems to have lost the energy and aggressiveness he came out with in the first round. Marquez seems to be landing the majority of punches but the scoreboard reads 10-9 Pacquaio at the end of the round.
Round Five: Pacquiao lands a great left as the round begins, and knocks down Marquez. Both fighters throw some massive punches and amazingly they are still able to push back, even though the room must be spinning with the power of some of those blows. This round goes to Pacquiao 10-8.
Round Six: Manny Pacquaio lands a flurry of punches which Marquez survives, but then Manny has him on the ropes with punch combinations. Then, Marquez sees his opportunity and sends out a massive left punch, right after being hit hard. Pacquiao goes down, KO's at 2:59 in Round Six.
Some of the greatest fights in history have happened on HBO's Pay-Per-View service, but if they keep hiking the price up in pursuit of even more millions of dollars in revenue, people may stop watching boxing altogether. The November 13th fight between Pacquiao and Marquez generated nearly a million and a half buy-ins. You'd think with that many people paying to watch the fight, HBO could lower their prices to a reasonable rate.





Source:
http://sports.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981806062

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1438227-pacquiao-vs-marquez-4-contract-details-on-prize-fight-money-and-purse

Victoria Secret: Hottest pics of Sexy Models 2012

Tonight's the night! The annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show airs Tuesday and you'll be able to witness all of the hot models and musical acts on the tube. However, we've got a sneak peek of the action, which actually went down in early November.

 

One of the standout Angels from the show is a seasoned Angel Miranda Kerr. It definitely wasn't her first time on the catwalk for an event like this. She strutted her stuff with big feathers and glittering jewels and the whole nine yards and didn't so much as flinch in her stilettos. Now that's talent!

The brunette wore a variety of sexy ensembles down the runway and we have pictures all of her best looks, plus shots of all the other hot ladies

It's the end of the year and time for what is possibly the sexiest fashion night on television - the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. We would be kidding ourselves if we said this was just a regular fashion show.
Mix fantasy with fashion and a dose of sexiness to come up with leggy runway models/angels showcasing the latest in glittery underwear. For those who wonder what the secret is, Victoria will defnitely be spilling it all tonight.

Tonight's show features gorgeous models, ridiculously expensive underwear featuring diamonds, glitter and wings. Whether or not your daily bedtime routine involves angel wings, diamond bras or six inch heels is not the point. The point is that somewhere tonight, in between the blackberry and the ice cream, women everywhere are going to be subjected to someone's fantasy and another's heightened insecurity - the perfectly oiled, coiffed, lingerie model on the Victoria's Secret fashion runway. Where else do women wear heavy wings, high heels and barely there underwear? If you do this regularly, then don't respond.
Tonight's show features singers, including Bruno Mars, Justin Beiber and Rihanna; and of course, the angels, including Cameron Russell, Mirander Kerr, Candice Swanepoel, Alessandra Ambriosio and many others. With themes from dangerous liasons to the circus and old world Hollywood glam, there is something for everyone; well, maybe not everyone.
Tonight's sexy spectacle promises to be another spectacular night of sexy lingerie fashion. And we will be watching of course. Only Victoria's Secret can make an overdose of glitter and rhinestones make sense on underwear. Someone had too much fun with the glue gun.

 Cara Delevingne attending the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012 held at the Lexington Armory in New York

 Erin Heatherton attending the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012 held at the Lexington Armory in New York

 Miranda Kerr attending the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012 held at the Lexington Armory in New York

 Candice Swanepoel attending the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012 held at the Lexington Armory in New York

 Doutzen Kroes and Rihanna attending the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012 held at the Lexington Armory in New York


 




More pics below:

 


 Pictures Courtesy of Zimbio.com
Source:
http://www.zimbio.com/Victoria+Secret+Angels+Names+And+Pictures/articles/BWOgoecOdQw/Victoria+Secret+Models+2012+Hottest+Pictures

Jovan Belcher, Kansas City Chiefs player from Long Island, kills girlfriend and self

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend Saturday morning, and minutes later, holding a gun to his head, thanked his general manager and coach before shooting himself outside the team's practice complex, authorities said.

Authorities did not release a motive for the murder-suicide, though police said that Belcher and his girlfriend, 22-year-old Kasandra M. Perkins, had been arguing recently. The two of them have a 3-month-old girl who was being cared for by family.

Belcher thanked general manager Scott Pioli and coach Romeo Crennel before pulling the trigger, police spokesman Darin Snapp said. Officers had locked down the Chiefs facility by midmorning.

The team said it would play its home game against the Carolina Panthers as scheduled on Sunday at noon local time ''after discussions between the league office, Head Coach Romeo Crennel and Chiefs team captains.''

 

A spokesman for the team told The Associated Press that Crennel plans to coach on Sunday.

Belcher was a 25-year-old native of West Babylon, N.Y., on Long Island, who played college ball at Maine. He signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2009, made the team and stayed with it for four years, moving into the starting lineup. He had played in all 11 games this season.

''The entire Chiefs family is deeply saddened by today's events, and our collective hearts are heavy with sympathy, thoughts and prayers for the families and friends affected by this unthinkable tragedy,'' Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement.

''We sincerely appreciate the expressions of sympathy and support we have received from so many in the Kansas City and NFL communities, and ask for continued prayers for the loved ones of those impacted,'' Hunt said. ''We will continue to fully cooperate with the authorities and work to ensure that the appropriate counseling resources are available to all members of the organization.''

 

The NFL released a statement that also expressed sympathy and said, ''We have connected the Chiefs with our national team of professional counselors to support both the team and the families of those affected. We will continue to provide assistance in any way that we can.''

Authorities reported receiving a call Saturday morning from a woman who said her daughter had been shot multiple times at a residence about five miles from the Arrowhead Stadium complex. The call came from Belcher's mother, who referred to the victim as her daughter, leading to some initial confusion.

''She treated Kasandra like a daughter,'' Snapp said. Belcher's mother, who is from New York, had recently moved in with the couple, ''probably to help out with the baby,'' Snapp said.

Police then received a phone call from the Chiefs' training facility.

''The description matched the suspect description from that other address. We kind of knew what we were dealing with,'' Snapp said. The player was ''holding a gun to his head'' as he stood in front of the front doors of the practice facility.

''And there were Pioli and Crennel and another coach or employee was standing outside and appeared to be talking to him. It appeared they were talking to the suspect,'' Snapp said. ''The suspect began to walk in the opposite direction of the coaches and the officers and that's when they heard the gunshot. It appears he took his own life.''

The coaches told police they never felt in any danger, Snapp said.

''They said the player was actually thanking them for everything they'd done for him,'' he said. ''They were just talking to him and he was thanking them and everything. That's when he walked away and shot himself.''

At the home of Belcher's mother on Long Island, relatives declined to talk to reporters. An SUV in the home's driveway was flying a small Kansas City Chiefs flag.

The somber mood lightened somewhat as darkness fell, with music playing and people drinking from Styrofoam cups. Belcher's family turned the front yard into a shrine, with a large poster of the player, an array of his trophies, and jerseys and jackets from Kansas City, Maine and West Babylon High.

''He was a good, good person ... a family man. A loving guy,'' said family friend Ruben Marshall, 42, who said he coached Belcher in youth football. He was stunned by the shooting and suicide. ''You couldn't be around a better person.''

 

At least 20 people gathered for a large group hug in the driveway.

''I still can't believe it,'' neighbor Roy Brown said. ''I don't believe it.''

Perkin's Facebook page shows the couple smiling and holding the baby.

''His move to the NFL was in keeping with his dreams,'' said Jack Cosgrove, who coached Belcher at Maine. ''This is an indescribably horrible tragedy.''

Dwayne Wilmot, who was Belcher's position coach at Maine and is now an assistant coach at Yale, said, ''He was a tremendous player and all those things, and his accolades speak for themselves, but he lit up when he spoke about his mom, or when he hugged his family after games.

''It's difficult to talk about Jovan in the past tense,'' he told the AP. ''There's going to be unanswered questions, the why's of this tragedy. It'll never be truly known to us.''

Wilmot said he'd stayed in touch with Belcher the past few years through social media.

''He was someone who took genuine pleasure in bringing happiness to others,'' Wilmot said. ''I was so excited when he became a father, because I knew he'd be a great father.''

Belcher is the latest among several players and NFL retirees to die from self-inflicted gunshot wounds in the past couple of years. The death of the beloved star Junior Seau, who shot himself in the chest at his California home last May, sent shockwaves around the league.

Seau's family, like those of other suicide victims, has donated his brain tissue to determine if head injuries he sustained playing football might be linked to his death.

Belcher did not have an extensive injury history, though the linebacker showed up on the official injury report on Nov. 11, 2009, as being limited in practice with a head injury. Belcher played four days later against the Oakland Raiders.

Earlier this year, the NFL provided a grant to help establish an independently operated phone service that connects players, coaches, team officials and other staff with counselors trained to work through personal and emotional crises. The NFL Life Line is available 24 hours a day.

Kansas City Mayor Sly James said that he spoke to Pioli after the shooting.

''I can tell you that you have absolutely no idea what it's like to see someone kill themselves,'' James said. ''You can take your worst nightmare and put someone you know and love in that situation, and give them a gun and stand three feet away and watch them kill themselves. That's what it's like.

''It's unfathomable.''

The season has been a massive disappointment for the Chiefs, who were expected to contend for the AFC West title. They're just 1-10 and mired in an eight-game losing streak marked by injuries, poor play and fan upheaval, with constant calls the past several weeks for Pioli and Crennel to be fired.

The Twitter account for a fan group known as ''Save Our Chiefs'' recently surpassed 80,000 followers, about 17,000 more than the announced crowd at a recent game. The group was organizing a ''Can Scott Pioli'' food drive for Sunday that has since been canceled.

 SOURCE: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/jovan-belcher-kansas-city-chiefs-kills-self-suicide-kills-girlfriend-team-facility-120112

Sons Of Anarchy: Death Comes To SAMCRO

Don't read on unless you've seen Season 5, Episode 3 of FX's "Sons of Anarchy," entitled "Laying Pipe."

 


I hadn't planned on writing weekly review of any show this fall -- it's just too busy for me to commit to that -- but my hope is to write about individual episodes of various shows that stand out in one way or another, and "Laying Pipe" qualifies.
The title is another example of "Sons of Anarchy's" pitch-black humor at work: Opie was, of course, killed with a length of pipe, but the term also refers to the ways in which TV shows sets up future plots and machinations. No doubt what happened in this week's hour will resonate down the line, perhaps with more deaths down the road. (What, am I stupid? Of course there will be more deaths to come, and without question the prison guard will be one of them.)
But the future's already here, in a way: We saw the effects of Opie's death in this hour. We saw Jax die a little more, we saw the light go out in his eyes even more. We saw his hardness and his misery grow until they were fused into one driven mass of pain and determination.
I was very, very hard on "Sons of Anarchy" in my Season 5 review, and I stand by what I wrote in it, but the Opie-Jax storyline in "Laying Pipe" is the kind of thing that both gives me hope and makes me crazy. It gives me hope that "SOA" is still capable of telling stories that are not so bedazzled with external manipulations and nonsensical plot gyrations that the characters seem like innocent bystanders in the middle of an overcaffeinated snarl of story threads.
My God, in that cell, Charlie Hunnam did such a fine job of selling the Rico-Ireland-cartel nonsense that I almost bought it myself. And overall, in "Laying Pipe," it really helped that the Jax-Opie-Tig-Chibs storyline was economical and focused. There was a clarity of purpose to the story that the first two episodes -- concerned as they were with re-establishing the old stories, jamming in new ones and adding moments of ultraviolence -- lacked.
But in "Laying Pipe," we had Jax and Opie, two friends who have been through so much together, losing each other in the most painful and yet the most noble way possible. Hunnam and Ryan Hurst have always been great together, and the loss of Hurst is going to be a great blow to the show. Of course, I'm not arguing that the show shouldn't kill off key characters -- Season 4 was ultimately such a misfire because it gave us a bunch of reasons that Clay should die, then the show didn't kill him off. (I'm glad Opie and I are in agreement about that.)
But this is Jax's journey, and who is Jax without Opie -- even an angry, bitter Opie -- by his side?
And what makes me crazy? The show has turned Gemma into a cartoon character, and that makes me sad, because Katey Sagal is a capable of so much more than the kind of material that she's being given these days. "SOA's" female characters don't really have arcs; their stories -- such as they are -- fit in around those of the men. The women are who the show needs them to be that season or that week, and thus their personalities go through inexplicable shifts almost week to week. Quite often "SOA" doesn't even know what to do with them, so it gives them terrible stories like Tara's abduction in Season 3 or Gemma's general tendency to keep secrets and start trouble ... well, just because.
These days, Gemma exists to stir up sh*t in the "SOA" universe, and that's about it. The stuff with Jax's kids, the stuff with Clay's prostitute (hello, Ashley Tisdale!) -- I mean, she's just a hair-pulling, one-note character these days, and Stern Tara isn't much better. It's a testament to both these actresses that they made their characters work as long as they did, but I've just grown increasingly tired of their repetitive fights and shrill shenanigans. Isn't it interesting to contemplate the fact that the show's finest season gave Gemma a prominent and well-conceived storyline? Ah, Season 2, those were the days.
But back to Opie, who was the real focus here. Here's a possibly interesting fact: Before I watched the episode, I knew that someone was going to die in "Laying Pipe," and I knew it was going to be Opie. But it didn't matter. His death still had an impact, thanks to great performances and thanks to the kind of restraint that "SOA" can still pull off: The second most memorable moment in the episode was Jax turning away from the window where Opie was being beaten, as total silence descended. There were no words or music that could convey the pain of that moment.
I'm actually glad I knew that Opie was going to be the one who died; it made me appreciate Hurst's performance all the more. I think Opie decided early on in that episode, around the time of his confrontation in the cell with Jax, that he would be the one to sacrifice himself. He had nothing left to live for -- what kind of father would he be to his kids, as broken as he was by this point -- and this death would give two people (Opie and Jax) some kind of awful relief.
The most memorable moment, of course, was Opie, smiling-grimacing at Jax just before the end. Opie chose his death. Well, "SOA" chose his death, because there was really no way that Clay, Opie and Jax could sit around that table this season.

Bank of America website downtime issue prolonged

 

Bank of America

Bank of America's website

was sluggish and intermittently unavailable for many users on Tuesday, in an outage that the bank hadn't explained by the end of the day.
Bank of America spokesman Mark Pipitone said the company is "working to ensure full availability," and that online banking is available "although some customers may experience occasional slowness."

The majority of Bank of America's customers were able to access the site, which remained online throughout the day, Pipitone said. Still, many customers were unable to connect because of the site's slowness.
Data from Keynote, a testing and monitoring company, showed that the problems began around 10 a.m. ET and were still ongoing as of 6:10 p.m.

"It's possible that something Bank of America has done on its end, some kind of change, caused the problem," said Aaron Rudger, Keynote's senior marketing manager of Web performance. The bank's homepage looked different before the trouble began, he said.

As of about 6 p.m. Tuesday, Rudger said, a "small percentage" of website requests were being fulfilled successfully, but the majority were still met with errors.

On Wednesday morning, Rudger said that the bank appeared to have "rolled out some change that improved the situation and modestly reduced the long time-out failures" on Tuesday night. By mid-morning on Wednesday, Keynote's data showed the site's performance had stabilized.

If the problem is indeed due to system updates that Bank of America rolled out, it wouldn't be the first time. The bank experienced nearly a full week of outages in October 2011, and later explained that the problems stemmed from a combination of technical difficulties and heavier than normal traffic. The bank had been migrating its online banking to a new platform and deploying new tools for customers when the problems began.

On blogs and Twitter, some hacker groups were claiming responsibility for the outage. But there was no evidence to support those claims, and several recent ones turned out to be hoaxes.

Earlier this month, a person affiliated with the hacktivist collective Anonymous said the group took down the web hosting service GoDaddy, and in June the group UGNazi claimed responsibility for downing Twitter. Both outages were later revealed to be technical issues.

"I can assure you we continuously take proactive measures to secure our systems," Bank of America's spokesman said in response to a question about whether the company had seen any signs on Tuesday of a cyberattack.

LIVE: NFL menu offers 13 games in first Sunday of season

8:10 p.m.: Thanks for hanging with us. Enjoy Peyton Manning's return tonight vs. the Steelers.

8:01 p.m. (Cardinals 20, Seahawks 16): Kevin Kolb comes off the bench to throw the winning TD to Andre Roberts with 5 minutes to go as the Cards overcome the loss of John Skelton (and the replacement refs?) to beat their division rivals.

7:56 p.m. (Refs losing control?): It seems the referees lost track of the timeouts in the Arizona-Seattle game and may have given the Seahawks an extra timeout. Keep an eye on this one.

7:52 p.m. (49ers 30, Packers 22): NFC Championship Game preview? The Niners survived Green Bay's fourth-quarter charge and showed more offensive diversity in winning at Lambeau Field for the first time in more than two decades. Alex Smith matches Aaron Rodgers with two TD passes.

7:30 p.m. (Buccaneers 16, Panthers 10): Tampa Bay wins its debut under new coach Greg Schiano in workmanlike fashion. The Bucs' revitalized defense picked off Cam Newton twice and held him to 4 rushing yards. On the flip side, Tampa rookie RB Doug Martin (a.k.a. Ray Rice South) ran for 95 yards and Josh Freeman threw a TD pass to Mike Williams.

7:24 p.m. (Skelton out): After losing the Cardinals quarterback competition this summer, Kevin Kolb is back at the helm after John Skelton was carted off the field with a right leg injury. Kolb led the Cards right down the field and fired a go-ahead TD pass against Seattle.

7:15 p.m. (Panthers also clawing back): Carolina has come out flat today, but a Justin Medlock FG has them within 16-10 even as the clock ticks below the 3-minute mark. Credit the Bucs and new HC Greg Schiano, who are turning around a defense that allowed a league-worst 494 points in 2011.
7:10 p.m. (Pack clawing back): Randall Cobb's 75-yard punt return for a TD (and a subsequent two-point conversion) has Green Bay within 23-15 after getting outclassed by the 49ers all day.

6:56 p.m. (PHOTOS): Take a spin around this photo gallery for Week 1 highlights.

6:47 p.m. (Photo of Davis blowing the dunk): TE Vernon Davis caught a 4-yard TD pass from Alex Smith to give the 49ers a 23-7 third-quarter lead at Lambeau. But good thing the Niners didn't need Davis to go for two ... because he blew the post-TD dunk attempt over the crossbar. We hope to bring you the video later.

6:40 p.m. (Video of Brady's broken nose): If you missed Titans DE Kamerion Wimbley re-arranging the face of Patriots QB Tom Brady earlier in the afternoon, here's the evidence ... much to Gisele's chagrin.

6:10 p.m. (Record-tying field goal): K David Akers' 63-yard FG at the halftime gun gave the 49ers a 16-7 lead at Green Bay. Akers boot bounced straight up off the crossbar before falling over for three points, tying the previous marks of Tom Dempsey, Jason Elam, and Sebastian Janikowski.

6:09 p.m. (Jets' Scott flips script on reporters): Everybody in the Jets' locker room was smiling after Sunday's 48-28 whipping of the Bills. Everyone except LB Bart Scott, who was steaming, then venting about the Jets being portrayed by a New York newspaper as a summer-long circus.

"I've got a media mutiny,'' Scott said when approached by USA TODAY Sports at his MetLife Stadium locker.

You mean a media boycott?

"Yeah, a boycott.''

Can you explain why?

"You guys treat us like we're a (bleeping) joke,'' the 32-year-old defensive leader said. "You all want us to feed your papers, but then you all talk (bleep) about us. So why would I want to give you all quotes to sell papers with if you all treat us like (bleep)? That doesn't make sense. ... You all talk stuff about us and then when we win, you flip the story. You all win either way.''

So you're boycotting the media because you take exception to the circus references?

"I'm just going to be quiet,'' Scott says.

Even coming off a great all-around, season-opening team performance in all phases?

"You're all going to screw us next week or the week after, you're all going to get us eventually,'' Scott said.


5:53 p.m. (Seattle's Wilson serves up his own INT): Seahawks rookie QB Russell Wilson lofted his first career INT to end the half at Arizona (it amounted to a harmless jump ball that Cardinals S Adrian Wilson came down with, though it could have become disastrous had CB Patrick Peterson not been tackled after taking Adrian Wilson's lateral). Rookie QBs have now accounted for 11 combined INTs today: Andrew Luck (3), Ryan Tannehill (3) and Brandon Weeden (4).

5:20 p.m. (Schaub cashes in): Texans QB Matt Schaub passed for 266 yards and a TD in his first game since a Lisfranc (foot) injury ended his 2011 campaign after 10 games. But that was mere prelude to Schaub's biggest score of the day after Houston announced signing him to a contract extension. Per NFL Network's Steve Wyche, Schaub's new deal is worth up to $62 million over four years with nearly $30 million guaranteed. "We've got a tremendous organization," Schaub said, "an owner that really cares about us as players in providing an environment to win. I'm really excited about that."

5:16 p.m. (Revis hurt): It wasn't all roses for the Jets. All-pro CB Darrelle Revis suffered an apparent head injury after being accidentally kicked by teammate Bart Scott. Revis did not speak with reporters following the game.

5:11 p.m. (No Moss? not exactly): Welcome back, Randy Moss. He terrorized the Lambeau faithful again by snaring his first TD pass in two years to stake the 49ers to a 10-0 lead at Green Bay. It was Moss' 154th career TD grab, breaking his tie for second place all-time in that category with currently unemployed Terrell Owens.

5:02 p.m.: We referenced Rex Ryan's sideline collision with Bills TE Scott Chandler earlier.

4:56 p.m. (Jets 48, Bills 28): And if you haven't been reading along all day, tales of the Jets' demise and Bills' ascent in the AFC East seem to be premature for now. Jets QB Mark Sanchez passed for 266 yards and three TDs (Tim Tebow rushed five times for 11 yards) and Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was intercepted three times in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicates.

4:52 p.m. (Patriots 34, Titans 13): The defending AFC champs had little trouble handling the Titans on the road, limiting RB Chris Johnson to 4 yards on 11 carries. Tom Brady threw two TDs, and Jake Locker was forced from the game with a left shoulder injury.


4:45 p.m. (Redskins 40, Saints 32): In the stunner of the day, Redskins rookie QB Robert Griffin III outgunned the Saints and Drew Brees, handing New Orleans its first Superdome loss in two years ... a defeat that obviously stings on the heels of the franchise's Bountygate-dominated offseason. Griffin (320 passing yards, 2 TDs, 42 yards rushing) was the only first-year QB in the early games who played like a veteran. The Saints' remade defense clearly has a lot of work ahead of it.

4:41 p.m. (Eagles 17, Browns 16): Eagles QB Michael Vick atoned for his four INTs by leading his team on a 16-play, 91-yard touchdown drive for the go-ahead TD with 1:18 left. Vick capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to TE Clay Harbor. Browns rookie QB Brandon Weeden was picked off four times himself but didn't throw a TD pass.-- John Perrotto for USA TODAY Sports (@jperrotto) from Cleveland

4:36 p.m. (Bears 41, Colts 21): Colts QB Andrew Luck looked like a rookie, throwing three INTs as Indianapolis was overrun by the Bears and their new weapons. Chicago got a combined four TDs from players who weren't on the roster last year: Michael Bush (2), Brandon Marshall and rookie Alshon Jeffery.

4:32 p.m. (Vikings 26, Jaguars 23 OT): Rookie K Blair Walsh's 38-yard FG in OT put a cherry on top of RB Adrian Peterson's triumphant return. Peterson ran for 84 yards and two TDs in his first game since tearing two knee ligaments on Christmas Eve.

4:26 p.m. (Lions 27, Rams 23): In what seemed like a mismatch going in, the Lions needed aTD pass from Matthew Stafford (who overcame 3 INTs) to Kevin Smith with 10 seconds left to overcome the plucky Rams.

4:21 p.m. (Scary injury): Rams LT Rodger Saffold was carted off the field Sunday with what appeared to be a neck injury. Per AP, he crumpled to the ground after a block and didn't appear to be moving much as he was lifted into the ambulance (UPDATE: Saffold has movement in his limbs but will undergo a CT scan).

See more from the source:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2012/09/live-nfl-menu-offers-13-games-in-first-sunday-of-season/1#.UE03ua5jvYg

Star Trek: The Original Series' surprising role in US civil rights

The Google logo today pays homage to the legendary TV show Star Trek: The Original Series.

1. Meet the Trekkers Welcome to the bridge, where so much of Star Trek: The Original Series takes place. Forgive appearances – the crew is not quite itself today. Google swapped out our usual heroes for a band of alphabetical stand-ins. You may recognize the capital G as Mr. Spock, complete with pointy ears and thick eyebrows. Next, we have O playing the roll of Lt. Uhura, chief communications officer. Standing boldly in the center is Captain Kirk, with his blonde coif in perfect order. Filling out the right flank are Dr. McCoy, Sulu, and a nameless redshirt (more on him in a moment).

The Google on Friday depicts cartoon versions of the crew of the Starship Enterprise – an homage to the legendary television show Star Trek: The Original Series, which celebrates its 46th anniversary on Saturday. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Google designer Ryan Germick said he intended the doodle (pictured above) to be the ultimate geek homage.

"For me, [Star Trek] was a vision for the future," Germick said. "I think it was also that it was multicultural, pro-science, and full of curiosity and passion. I think like a lot of good science-fiction, it sort of says a lot about its present era. We can really appreciate what Star Trek did in its time. As an adult, you can appreciate how progressive it was. You learned to be compassionate towards all kinds of people – even alien creatures."

Germick is right: As a television series, Star Trek was far ahead of its time. For starters, there was the multiethnic cast, which included Asian-American and African-American actors. And then in November of 1968, there was "Plato's Stepchildren," an episode that featured one of the first interracial kisses in television history. The participants? Captain Kirk, played by William Shatner, and Lieutenant Uhura, played by Nichelle Nichols.

"It didn't hit me at the time until somebody told me," Nichols told The Huffington Post earlier this year. "I splashed onto the TV screen at a propitious historical moment. Black people were marching all over the South. [Martin Luther King, Jr.] was leading people to freedom, and here I was, in the 23rd century, fourth in command of the Enterprise."

In fact, Nichols later revealed in an interview with NPR, King was actually a driving force in persuading her to stay on the show when she was mulling other career opportunities. This happened in the 1960s, at an NAACP fundraiser in Beverly Hills. Nichols was approached by King, who claimed to be a "Trekkie" himself, as well as her "greatest fan."

Little League World Series 2012: Complete Guide to Tournament Finale

Japan and Tennessee are the two teams in the 2012 Little League World Series to survive pool play and thrive during the knockout round. On Sunday afternoon, they’ll battle in the championship game for the ultimate Little League crown.

Both Japan and Tennessee have had incredible runs to this point, and both have yet to lose in Williamsport. Making it thus far is something to be proud of, but doing so without losing a game is that much more impressive. It wasn’t easy, though.

The championship game on Sunday will be played at Lamade Stadium at 3:00 p.m. ET. The game can be viewed on ABC or online via ESPN3.

Let’s take a deeper look at Japan and Tennessee, how they’ve gotten to this point, which players to watch and who will go back to school as Little League champions.

How They Got Here Japan

Japan has been the most impressive team in Williamsport this year, featuring deep pitching and outstanding hitting. They won their opening-round game easily over Curacao and then defeated Chinese Taipei in a classic duel. A win over Panama clinched them a berth into the international championship game, and they ended up taking on Panama yet again.

The Japanese champions scored early and often against Panama on Saturday, backed by two home runs by their star player, Kotaro Kiyomiya. A strong four innings by Yuta Ishida propelled them to a 10-2 victory to clinch a berth into Sunday’s title game. Hi-res-150732612_crop_exact Rob Carr/Getty Images

As great as the Japan offense has been, the pitching has been better.

They have used six pitchers who have combined for 50 strikeouts and just four walks in 27 innings of work. They’ve allowed just two earned runs in four games and those two came in their most recent matchup. Kiyomiya is expected to take the mound for Japan on Sunday since he hasn’t thrown since their opener.

Tennessee

Tennessee’s path to Sunday’s championship game has been about as crazy as they come. They defeated the Mountain West 12-1 in their opening-round matchup and then took down California 9-6 in a wild game. A 4-3 victory over Texas gave them the opportunity to play for the United States championship on Sunday against California.

If you missed the United States championship game on Saturday, you missed the game of the year. Tennessee took leads, but continued to allow the West champions back into the game. They led California 15-5 going into the last of the sixth inning.

No problem, right? Wrong. California struck for 10 runs in the inning to send the game into extra innings.

Tennessee wouldn’t pout about California’s comeback, though, and they erupted for nine runs in the top of the seventh to take another commanding lead. The Southeast champions wouldn’t allow another comeback as they would take the final 24-16. Hi-res-150739218_crop_exact Rob Carr/Getty Images

Tennessee clearly can hit, but will they be too tired from Saturday’s ridiculous game? That’s a major question going into Sunday and could be the reason that they don’t win it all.

Neil Armstrong, first man to walk on moon, dead at 82

Neil Armstrong, first man to walk on moon, dead at 82 The astronaut, who radioed the famous "one giant leap" line, died of surgery complications.

Armstrong was a pilot first and foremost, and with the dust flying, craters looming and fuel running low on July 20, 1969, he never wavered. As everyone else on Earth held their breath on that day, his heartbeat never changed as he and co-pilot Buzz Aldrin made the first piloted landing upon the moon.

"Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed," Armstrong informed mission controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center, with the restrained aplomb that marked his life. Two and a half hours later with the words, "That's one small step for (a) man. One giant leap for mankind," he stepped upon the moon for the first

Armstrong, 82, died Saturday after surgery earlier this month for blocked arteries. A fighter pilot in the Korean War, a test pilot and an engineering professor, he will also be remembered as the astronaut who fulfilled the goal that President John F. Kennedy set out — to put a man on the moon by end of the 1960's — and the first among equals in the pantheon of astronauts from the moon race.



"Neil was among the greatest of American heroes — not just of his time, but of all time," President Obama said in a statement. "When he and his fellow crew members lifted off aboard Apollo 11 in 1969, they carried with them the aspirations of an entire nation."

Armstrong became the symbol of the dream not just of one country but of a whole world to reach beyond our own planet . "Even though we were farther away from earth than two humans had ever been, we were not alone," Aldrin said in a statement on Saturday. "Virtually the entire world took that memorable journey with us. I know I am joined by millions of others in mourning the passing of a true American hero and the best pilot I ever knew."

Armstrong flew dangerous mission attacking bridges during the Korean War, piloted the experimental X-15 rocket plane that ascended to the edges of space and once returned to the office after ejecting from a crashed test lunar lander, famously to complete paperwork.

"A lot of people couldn't figure out Armstrong," the author Tom Wolfe wrote in his novelization of the space race, The Right Stuff. Maybe that was because there was nothing to figure out, he was exactly who he said he was, a pilot and an engineer.

"He had nerves of steel. If anyone ever had the 'Right Stuff', it was Neil Armstrong," says space historian Roger Launius of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. "But he was a dignified, quiet man. He could have had the world at his feet but he went back to teaching, that was what was important to him."

Armstrong taught engineering at University of Cincinnati from 1971 to 1979, after retiring from NASA. He served on the presidential commission that investigated the 1986 loss of the space shuttle Challenger, living quietly in Ohio until recent years, when he spoke out against NASA's current plans to not pursue a return to moon landings and to rely upon private spacecraft.

"He wasn't political in his concerns. He was speaking out from his experience ," say John Logsdon, author of John F. Kennedy and the Race to the Moon. "He avoided the public spotlight as the first man on the moon. But his name will be famous forever. He is gone but his footprints are still up there and will be remembered centuries from now."

London 2012 Closing Ceremony: Get ready for the greatest after-party

London: Get ready for a star-studded spectacular: Olympic Stadium is being transformed into a giant jukebox of British pop and pizazz for the closing ceremonies of the London Games.

The Spice Girls and The Who are among the acts prepping performances to celebrate the end of the Olympics. Although organizers have tried to the ceremony under wraps, many details have leaked out in the British media, and some of the performers have let the cat out of the bag themselves.

Director David Arnold is calling the production "the greatest after-party in the world."

"If the opening ceremony was the wedding, then we`re the wedding reception," Arnold said.



The Who, George Michael, Muse and Ed Sheeran have all said they will take part in a show that will include performances of 30 British hit singles from the past five decades. The Pet Shop Boys, Annie Lennox and Fatboy Slim will also be on hand to get people dancing.

Do the Olympics really need to end?

As amazing as these Games have been, I wish they didn't have to come to a close. But all good things must run their course, and the 2012 Summer Olympics are no exception. Which means we have one more thing to look forward to before London says goodbye: the closing ceremony.

I may not be one to get excited for opening and closing ceremonies, but it's hard to argue with some British humor and music to close what was an excellent two weeks of competition. From Usain Bolt to (spoiler alert) The Spice Girls, London will leave us with all sorts of interesting performances.

Below, you'll find info on how and when to watch and a whole lot of spoilers as well. Here's to hoping the closing ceremony does the Games that preceded it some justice.

When: Sunday, August 12 at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Television: The closing ceremony will be shown on tape delay on NBC at 7:00 p.m. ET and 7:00 p.m. PT.

Streaming: The closing ceremony will be shown live on NBCOlympics.com at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Perseid meteor shower 2012 peaks tonight

Perseid meteor shower 2012: Video shows where to look for planetary alignment

Sometimes it is good to have a bit of a heads-up when it comes to stargazing, like in the case of the Perseid meteor shower that peaks in the early morning hours of August 12, otherwise one might miss something of interest. In the case of the Perseids, what one could have missed without a mention might have been the planetary alignment of Venus and Jupiter with the crescent moon. But would you know where they were in the night sky? Science@NASA put together a little video primer that shows you where to look for the planets while viewing the meteors streaking across the sky. All can be seen with the naked eye, but since the planets will appear as mere points of light and relatively motionless against the dark backdrop of space, it might be a plus for the amateur starwatcher to know where they are and just how they line up.



They align first on August 11. As the Perseid meteor shower seems to emanate from the constellation of Perseus (thus the name), the alignment will occur below the central emanation point in the Eastern sky in the early morning, with Venus holding a central position below the center of the dispersal region. Jupiter will be seen further up the sky to the viewer's right, and the crescent moon will finish the alignment in what appears to be roughly a 50 degree angle. The red giant star Aldebaran can be seen as well just slightly below and to the right of Jupiter. On August 12, as the meteor shower peaks, the crescent moon, which is waning, moves to place itself in between the two planets, which, given their distances from Earth, appear to be nearly stationary. On the following night -- and last of the alignment -- the crescent moon moves to a position relatively close to Venus but still between the second planet and the fifth.

2012 Olympic Medal Count

U.S. Will Try To Extend Medal Count Lead As Closing Ceremonies Approach

The United States extended their lead in the 2012 Olympic medal count Friday and they will look to pull even further ahead of China on Saturday.

With closing ceremonies set for Sunday, Saturday is the last day with a full schedule of events. A total of 32 gold medals will be up for grabs on Sunday, making it one of the busiest days of the 2012 London Olympics. The United States figures to have another strong day.

The U.S. women's basketball team will play France for the gold medal. It would be team USA's fifth straight Olympic gold medal. The United States will also play for gold in women's vollyeball as the Americans will take on Brazil in the gold medal match.

So far, the United States has racked up 26 medals in track & field and that total is likely to grow on Saturday. The men's 4x100m relay, women's 4x400m relay and the men's 5000m are just a few of the events the United States is expected to contend for a medal in.

Here is how the top five looks in the latest medal count:

Following is a list of the top five countries leading the gold medal standings at the end of Day 15 competition with a breakdown by type and total of all medals: Country……..Gold...Silver...Bronze...Total

United States...44…...29…..…29…....102
China………....38…...27…..…22.........87
Great Britain…28…….15…..…19…....62
Russia………..21….…25…...…32…...78
South Korea….13…….7…...….7….....27


Following is a list of the countries which have earned at least 10 medals after the end of Day 15 competition, with a breakdown by type of medal:

Country………..Gold...Silver...Bronze...Total

United States…...44…...29.....…29…....102
China……….…...38…...27…..…22.........87
Russia……..…...21….…25…..…32….…78
Great Britain ......28……15…..…19….…62
Germany………..11……19…..…14….....44
Japan.…….…......6……14…......17….....37
Australia…….…...7……16…...…12…..…35
France……….....10…….11…..…12….….33
South Korea.…...13…....7…...….7….…..27
Italy……….……...8….….7…...….8 .........23
Netherlands….....6….….6…...….8 .........20
Ukraine…..……...5….….4…...….9 …......18
Canada.….…......1….….5…...…12 .........18
Hungary….……...8….….4…...….5 ..........17
Spain…….……...3….….9…...….4...........16
Brazil.……….......3….….4…...….8 ..........15
New Zealand…...5….….3…...….5 ..........13
Iran……….……...4….….5…...….3 .........12
Jamaica….…......4….….4…...….4...........12
Cuba…………….4….….3…...….5..........12
Belarus …..….....3….….4…...….5 ..........12
Kazakhstan….....6….….0…...….4...........10
Poland……….….2……..2……….5…..….10
View more here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2012/medals/tracker/?xid=sbnation

London 2012 soccer: How to play and beat Google (+video)

London 2012 soccer: Challenge your friends to a game on Google's homepage. Google


The Google home page on Friday has another big time-waster to bring down office productivity As the London 2012 Olympic games are coming to a close with only three days left, so does the Olympic banter with our colleagues, friends, and family.

The second week of the Olympics has been exciting watching our favorite teams and athletes represent their home country with pride and compete for the dream of winning gold, silver, and bronze medals. It was exciting when U.S. women's soccer player Alex Morgan's header was the winning goal on Monday with 30 seconds left in the semifinal against Canada.

On Tuesday, down to the last day of gymnastics, watching American Aly Raisman win on floor exercise, as she had dreamed of most of all, was amazing. As Monitor staff writer Mark Sappenfield reports, "Today has been a dream come true," she said. "I'm so glad I got the medal I wanted."

And after Jamaican Usain Bolt won the 100-meters on Sunday, all eyes were on the 200-meter dash Thursday night to see what Bolt would do next. As he crossed the finish line first in 19.32 seconds, he became the first man to win both the 100 and 200 consecutively at the Summer Games.

To celebrate the Olympic games Google-style, today's interactive-doodle features soccer, complete with goal keeper, goal scorer, and scoreboard.



Here's your chance to claim a gold medal all your own,with a link to share your results on the search engine's very own social network, Google+.

The rules are simple - to block the ball from going into the net, there are two possible ways to do so:

1.) Use the left and right arrow keys to move your keeper from side to side. To catch a high ball, press the space bar.

2.) Sliding the mouse side-to-side moves the goal keeper, click and you will jump to make that save.

As in a real-live soccer match, timing is everything.

Each time you miss the ball an X will appear on the top left of the screen, your score is on the top right, if you get 3 X's the game is over.

If the boss still isn't looking, then it's time for a rematch.

Hassle-free exit to Malaysia from Singapore

I am not sure if this post would be helpful or not but I just want to share my experiences how I exit Singapore to Malaysia and get another 30days stamp in my passport. No questions or interrogations encountered in the immigration, they just looked at my passport and in just a minute or two, I move on to the next step.. Just like others who are reading this, I am also a job seeker and not lucky enough to get employed in my first 2 months inside Singapore. I came here on March, applied for my e-extension and lastly I have to use the last option, and that is to exit to another country for a few days and come back to Singapore to try having luck in getting a job here. 10 days before my exit, I got a call from a headhunters, ask me to met the employer and said they wanted me to work for them and my start as soon as possible, but of course, I need to have my working permit processed before I start with anything stupid like working illegally here. So I waited for the headhunder company to process my pass but maybe not my luck yet and my 2nd month social visit pass has expired, but no update on my pass yet. I don't want to go back home so I have to use the last option. I have lot of choices or countries to go to for an exit. Either Thailand, Indonesia, Macau or Malaysia. They said going out might not be a problem but going back will be like hell of an experience, especially when asked by questions you don't know how to answer. I was told that I might need to show my pocket money to sustain my stay or I even have to pay the officer a certain amount just to get through. Some might work or some might not. For the first 3 country, I know no one, so I choose Malaysia which happen to be the country where my previous supervisor(boss) lives. She's a Malaysian so I have an excuse to enter the country and that is to meet her. In my short stay there, I did met here and had fun too in Kuala Lumpur. So that's it, I am now back here in Singapore and will try to get my luck further. Might be costly or should be costly but safe. Prepare return ticket: SGD 252.00 (they said can have fake one but risky when they'll try to validated) Air ticket to Kuala Lumpur: SGD 75.00 (check for air promo - all in) Hostel reservation: USD 8.00 3 days Hostel accomodation: SGD 60.00 Maybe just got lucky this time, since no interrogations from immigration officer, I did not use my return ticket nor my hostel reservation print out, but still safe to have one.

Giant Whale Shark Caught By Pakistani Fisherman

Big catch is an understatement!
A 40-foot long whale shark was found dead near Karachi, Pakistan, the Express Tribune, a Pakistani newspaper reports. Mehmood Khan, the owner of the Charai Fishery, said the whale shark was spotted unconscious 10 days ago in waters about 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the fishery.
Curious onlookers swarmed the pier while two cranes attempted to lift the shark, approximately 40 to 50-feet long and six-feet wide, out of the water. After failing to reel in the fish, more cranes, capable of lifting heavier weights, were called in for the task. The shark was finally lifted from the sea after several hours of efforts and sold for 1.7 million Rupees ($18,750).
The whale shark is found deep in warm oceans and munches primarily on plankton. The largest confirmed whale shark was 41 ft long.
The largest confirmed whaleshark was 41ft long but it is thought they can grow to considerably greater lengths.
The shark is found in tropical waters and lives for around 70 years. They feed mainly on plankton, microscopic plants and sometimes small fish.
It has a cavernous mouth that can be up to 5ft wide and contains between 300 and 350 rows of tiny teeth.
The whale shark, a gentle giant of the seas, does not pose a significant danger to humans - and in the past some have even allowed swimmers to hitch a ride on their fins.