Don't do it! The gimmicks developers use to make their apps stickier ...

Self-improvement and learning new things are never easy, and as humans our collective record on follow-through isn?t so good. The cycle is predictable: Most of the time, the initial excitement tapers off and well-intentioned goals end up becoming distant future plans on a to-do list (or plain regret).

Because of that, as a category, aspirational apps and services that depend on real-world results have a significant built-in barrier to scaling that other apps rarely deal with: They?re subject to the frailties of human nature. Confronting users with the intent of getting them to change is a tough low-odds endeavor, and the?early drop-off period poses a significant challenge to those web services and apps that are trying to make us thinner, fitter, or smarter.

Simply put, it?s tough for your company to scale when users uniformly drop off after the first few weeks.

There?s an understandable motivation then to look for ways to keep users coming back and engaged. The issue is that otherwise smart methods can become distracting gimmicks if not employed appropriately. Here are a few trendy options developers often reflexively turn to when creating apps that can easily become a liability if they don?t make sense to your service.

Make everything a game

There?s no arguing that gamification has been employed to spectacular effect. At the same time it?s extremely hard to do well. A common complaint about Foursquare, clearly one of the foremost examples of well-crafted gamification, is that users quickly suffer from ?check-in fatigue.??Once the initial glory wears off, most people get bored of staying on top of the leaderboard.

Perhaps more treacherous is when game-play features are strapped onto an app without proper context. Such applications routinely fail to get traction from the start. For example, Google News introduced ?Google News badges? back in July 2011 to little fanfare. (I have yet to see anyone ?show a level badge for how many news articles they?ve read; not surprisingly the company mercifully put the feature to bed in September)

The bottom line: gamification can help if it makes sense to the app and is designed within a context. As a gimmick it?s never enough to keep a user base engaged over the long haul.

Drag friends into it

In the real world, aspirational businesses often use a form of peer pressure to compel people to follow through on their mission: ?personal trainers push us to keep our commitment to get to the gym, and Weight Watchers uses positive peer pressure to keep its members coming back and paying dues week after week. With?apps though it?s a far different story. No matter how entertaining or lifelike, virtual avatars simply don?t have the same psychological impact as interacting with people in the real world. So while skipping out on a real person may trigger feelings of guilt, that avatar trainer in a PlayStation or Wii fitness game? Not so much.

The other approach, linking activities and milestones to the social graph, is a similar and obvious temptation for aspirational apps. The inevitable pitfall though is that most people tend to happily share the accomplishments they?re proud of (I ran an 8K!), but inevitably and understandably bury their disappointments (I skipped a scheduled run to eat a cake). The challenge for aspirational apps then is to replicate the discipline or positive reinforcement that?s created from real world interactions with trainers, professors, and peers, and not come off like a tattletale or nag.

Go quantified

While the ?Quantified Self?movement ? succinctly described in ?The Economist? as ?an eclectic mix of early adopters, fitness freaks, technology evangelists, personal-development junkies, hackers and patients suffering from a wide variety of health problems? ??isn?t new itself, new technologies are rapidly transforming what is possible with all that personal data.

Yet while data collection is becoming a more seamless part of our daily routine, quantified self applications tend to appeal to only niche, narrow markets (i.e., an early adopter fitness freak with sleep apnea). In order to scale on any appreciable level then, aspirational apps are compelled to target a broader audience base.

Require big cash, up front

In the offline world, consumers are often willing to pay a high price for aspirational products in a weak moment. You might call it the Rosetta Stone model, for the $500 language course we imagine will soon have us chatting up an Italian supermodel. Or maybe the fitness center model, as they annually convert droves of News Years hangover cases into pricey yearly memberships.?In both cases, consumers feel great at the moment of purchase; however, only a minority of customers will actually use the product after the initial excitement and motivation wear off.

Similarly with an aspirational product, it?s possible this strategy could make for a quick initial hit (though at high price points there are low odds). But it?s unlikely you?ll maintain a happy, engaged customer base after that, which is crucial. More to the point, we?ve seen that people are hesitant to pay a lot of money upfront for most online services anyway, preferring to go with pay-as-you-go, no-commitment subscription models.

Humans are complex. We?re a convoluted mix of big plans and inertia. For self-improvement and learning apps to successfully scale, they need to find a way to keep their users happy, motivated,and committed over a long period. While there?s a large market awaiting apps and services that can overcome these challenges and can tap into age-old human needs for peer recognition, achievement, and self-improvement, designers need to consider the very real limitations of the methods they choose to keep users motivated.

Boris Wertz is the founder of Version One Ventures. Follow him on Twitter @bwertz.

?

Source: http://gigaom.com/2012/11/18/dont-do-it-the-bad-things-developers-do-to-make-their-apps-stickier/

xi jinping matt bomer westminster kennel club dog show jeremy lin game winner chocolate covered strawberries shrimp scampi kate upton si cover

The bell tolls at St. John's Church

BELLAIRE -- St. John Catholic Church is ringing in an old tradition.

The church bell has been silent for many years. Thanks to the generosity of a family with longstanding ties to the church, that silence will soon be no more.

Parishioners and nearby residents will now be hearing the bell at noon and 6 p.m. daily. Thanksgiving day is targeted as the ringing debut.

Article Photos

Pastor Daniel?Heusel programs the control board for bell-ringing automation.

The times are in conjunction with the Angelus (Latin for "angel"). It is a Christian devotion in memory of the Incarnation. The devotion was traditionally recited in Roman Catholic churches, convents and monasteries three times daily: 6 a.m., noon and 6 p.m.

The 900-pound bronze bell at St. John's stopped ringing years or decades ago. No one seems to know the exact date when silence set in.

The ringing came to a halt simply because it became a manual chore. It is no easy task finding people willing and able to pull the rope on a consistent basis. In the 1960s, 70s and 80s, the Foster family, which resided on Tallman Avenue across from the church, handled much of the bellringing.

The resumption of ringing gained new life through the Doyle family, which also resided years ago on Tallman Avenue near the church.

Mary Ellen Doyle was a devout church-goer, attending Mass daily. When she passed away this past year she left money in her estate, specifically targeted for St. John's Church.

So one of her nephews, Mike Doyle, was the executor of the estate and took the bull by the horn. He wanted to put the bequeathed money to use in a fashion "everyone could benefit."

He and St. John's Pastor Fr. Dan Heusel found common ground on the Angelus and the automation of the bell-ringing system.

"The ringing of the bell is a call to worship. It will also be used for Sunday Mass, funerals and weddings," Fr. Heusel noted. "It is also a source of community pride. We are thankful for the generosity of the Doyle family."

The Virden Bell Co. of Cincinnati recently completed the project. Also assisting the Queen City firm was parishioner Dave Jingle, who donated his electrical expertise to do the necessary wiring. The control panel is located in the rectory.

Doyle, a prominent Eastern Ohio businessman, was a catalyst in making the project come to fruition in his aunt's memory. He also takes great family pride in it becoming reality. Doyle and one of his brothers "Dub", financially aided the project.

"St. John's Church is a big part of the Doyle family. My aunt was very devoted to the church and would be quite proud of the bell project," Doyle said. "Her generosity and love for the church spearheaded the project and it was a labor of love for us to make certain it was completed. It is nice knowing that a lot of people will get joy from hearing the bells again."

The bell was originally cast in 1872 by Van Duzen Foundry of Cincinnati.

The bell features the following inscription: DEUM LAUDO ("I PRAISE GOD"); CHRISTIANOS VOCO ("I CALL CHRISTIANS"); PRO DEFUNCTIS ORO ("I PRAY FOR THE DEAD").

It also has the following: IN HONORE SANCTI JOANNIS ("IN HONOR OF SAINT JOHN") PRO ECCLESIA SANCTI JOANNIE BELLAIRE OHIO AD 1872(?) P STEYLE ("FOR ST JOHN CHURCH, BELLAIRE, OH AD 1872).

The history of St. John's Church dates back to the early 1840s. On April 2, 1924, ground was broken for a new church. The cornerstone was laid June 29, 1924, and on Nov, 8, 1925, the church was dedicated by the late Most Rev. James J. Hartley, D. D., Bishop of Columbus.

The former church was converted into a school and that building still serves today.

Kapral may be reached at bkapral@timesleaderonline.com.

Source: http://www.timesleaderonline.com/page/content.detail/id/542806.html

samuel adams snowy owl one for the money 10 minute trainer sarah burke death etta james funeral erin brockovich

International team discovers likely basis of birth defect causing premature skull closure in infants

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 18-Nov-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Phyllis Brown
phyllis.brown@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
916-734-9023
University of California - Davis Health System

Genetic differences identified in children with sagittal craniosynostosis

This release is available in Chinese on EurekAlert! Chinese.

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) -- An international team of geneticists, pediatricians, surgeons and epidemiologists from 23 institutions across three continents has identified two areas of the human genome associated with the most common form of non-syndromic craniosynostosis ? premature closure of the bony plates of the skull.

"We have discovered two genetic factors that are strongly associated with the most common form of premature closure of the skull," said Simeon Boyadjiev, professor of pediatrics and genetics, principal investigator for the study and leader of the International Craniosynostosis Consortium.

"These findings may one day lead to prenatal screening and diagnostic tests for this condition or early interventions to prevent it," said Boyadjiev, who is a researcher affiliated with the UC Davis MIND Institute.

The study, "A genome-wide association study identifies susceptibility loci for non-syndromic sagittal craniosynostosis near BMP2 and within BBS9," is published online today in the journal, Nature Genetics.

During fetal and early child development, the skull is made of separate bony plates that allow for growth of the head. The borders between the plates do not normally fuse completely until a child is about 2 years old, leaving temporary "soft spots" at the intersection of the seams.

If the bones fuse too early ? the condition called craniosynostosis ? a child will develop an abnormally shaped head. Left untreated, the disorder causes complications due to brain compression, such as neurologic and visual problems and learning disabilities. Typically, craniosynostosis requires extensive neurosurgical correction.

About 20 percent of cases of craniosynostosis have previously been linked to a number of different genetic syndromes, but the vast majority of cases (not associated with a syndrome involving other birth defects) arise without any known family history or cause. The most common form of non-syndromic craniosynostosis ? affecting about 1 in 5,000 newborns ? involves the sagittal suture, the main seam that runs down the center of the top of the skull. These cases were the subject of the investigation.

Although the condition has long been thought to be partially determined by genes ? it is three times more common in boys than in girls, and identical twins are much more likely to both be affected than non-identical twins ? the exact basis was unclear.

To help determine the cause, the investigators conducted the first genome-wide association study for the disorder, which involves scanning the entire genome of a group of people with craniosynostosis and comparing it to a control group of people without the condition. The study searched for single nucleotide polymorphisms (abbreviated as SNPs and called "snips") that are associated with craniosynostosis. SNPs are DNA changes in which a single nucleotide differs from the usual one at that position. There are some three billion nucleotides, the basic building blocks of DNA, in the human genome.

The study first evaluated the DNA ? extracted from whole blood or oral samples ? of 214 children and both of their parents, who did not have the condition, and restricted their final analysis to a group of 130 non-Hispanic white child-parent trios. This approach reduces the genetic variability inherent to individuals from different ethnicities. Their results identified very strong associations to SNPs in two areas of the genome, coding for bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and Bardet-Biedl syndrome 9 protein (BBS9). Both proteins are known to play a role in skeletal development.

The findings were replicated in another population of 172 cases of children with the condition and 548 unrelated controls. The extensive international collaboration came about because of the desire to include as many cases as possible worldwide to strengthen the findings.

"No matter how we analyzed the data ? whether we included familial cases, cases with other minor anomalies, or mixed children of different ethnic groups together, these two genetic factors were highly significant," said Boyadjiev. "This provides strong evidence that non-syndromic sagittal craniosynostosis has a major genetic component and identifies where the problem is likely to originate."

Boyadjiev added that the genetic differences do not fully explain the development of the condition and that other genes and environmental factors are also likely important. He likened the condition to spina bifida: Infants who develop this defect in their spine are known to have a genetic propensity, but vitamin supplementation with folic acid of pregnant women can prevent many cases. He plans to extend the research to find the exact disease-causing genetic variants and to study other types of craniosynostosis in various ethnic groups. Boyadjiev also will search for a marker in the blood of expectant mothers to identify fetuses at risk for craniosynostosis, which one day may lead to an intervention during pregnancy to prevent craniosynostosis.

"The identification of two biologically plausible candidate genes affecting susceptibility to non-syndromic sagittal craniosynostosis provides promising leads in the search for understanding how these conditions develop," said Emily Harris, chief of the translational genomics research branch at the National Institutes of Health's Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

###

Other study authors include the following: Cristina M. Justice, Yoonhee Kim and of the U.S. National Human Genome Research Institute; Garima Yagnik, Craig Senders, James Boggan, Marike Zwienenberg-Lee, Jinoh Kim and Alexander F. Wilson of UC Davis School of Medicine; Inga Peter, Ethylin Wang Jabs, Monica Erazo, Xiaoqian Ye, Edmond Ainehsazan, Lisong Shi and Peter J. Taub of Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Michael L. Cunningham of University of Washington and Seattle Children's Research Institute; Virginia Kimonis of UC Irvine School of Medicine; Tony Roscioli of University of New South Wales, Australia; Steven A. Wall and Andrew O.M. Wilkie, John Radcliffe Hospital, United Kingdom; Joan Stoler of Children's Hospital Boston; Joan T. Richtsmeier and Yann Heuz of Pennsylvania State University; Pedro A. Sanchez-Lara of University of Southern California; Michael F. Buckley of SEALS, Australia; Charlotte M. Druschel, Michele Caggana and Denise M. Kay of the Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health; James L. Mills of Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Paul A. Romitti of University of Iowa; Ophir D. Klein of UC San Francisco School of Medicine and Cyrill Naydenov of the Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria.

The research was supported by grants from several components of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the National Center for Research Resources, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, and the National Human Genome Research Institute (some of the NIH funding was provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). NIH also supported the study through its Intramural Research Program and through a contract to the Johns Hopkins University. Other support for the research was provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the University of Southern California Child Health Research Career Development Program and the UCLA Child Health Research Career Development Program. Boyadjiev also is supported by the Children's Miracle Network endowed chair in pediatric genetics.

The UC Davis School of Medicine is among the nation's leading medical schools, recognized for its research and primary-care programs. The school offers fully accredited master's degree programs in public health and in informatics, and its combined M.D.-Ph.D. program is training the next generation of physician-scientists to conduct high-impact research and translate discoveries into better clinical care. Along with being a recognized leader in medical research, the school is committed to serving underserved communities and advancing rural health. For more information, visit UC Davis School of Medicine at medschool.ucdavis.edu.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 18-Nov-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Phyllis Brown
phyllis.brown@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
916-734-9023
University of California - Davis Health System

Genetic differences identified in children with sagittal craniosynostosis

This release is available in Chinese on EurekAlert! Chinese.

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) -- An international team of geneticists, pediatricians, surgeons and epidemiologists from 23 institutions across three continents has identified two areas of the human genome associated with the most common form of non-syndromic craniosynostosis ? premature closure of the bony plates of the skull.

"We have discovered two genetic factors that are strongly associated with the most common form of premature closure of the skull," said Simeon Boyadjiev, professor of pediatrics and genetics, principal investigator for the study and leader of the International Craniosynostosis Consortium.

"These findings may one day lead to prenatal screening and diagnostic tests for this condition or early interventions to prevent it," said Boyadjiev, who is a researcher affiliated with the UC Davis MIND Institute.

The study, "A genome-wide association study identifies susceptibility loci for non-syndromic sagittal craniosynostosis near BMP2 and within BBS9," is published online today in the journal, Nature Genetics.

During fetal and early child development, the skull is made of separate bony plates that allow for growth of the head. The borders between the plates do not normally fuse completely until a child is about 2 years old, leaving temporary "soft spots" at the intersection of the seams.

If the bones fuse too early ? the condition called craniosynostosis ? a child will develop an abnormally shaped head. Left untreated, the disorder causes complications due to brain compression, such as neurologic and visual problems and learning disabilities. Typically, craniosynostosis requires extensive neurosurgical correction.

About 20 percent of cases of craniosynostosis have previously been linked to a number of different genetic syndromes, but the vast majority of cases (not associated with a syndrome involving other birth defects) arise without any known family history or cause. The most common form of non-syndromic craniosynostosis ? affecting about 1 in 5,000 newborns ? involves the sagittal suture, the main seam that runs down the center of the top of the skull. These cases were the subject of the investigation.

Although the condition has long been thought to be partially determined by genes ? it is three times more common in boys than in girls, and identical twins are much more likely to both be affected than non-identical twins ? the exact basis was unclear.

To help determine the cause, the investigators conducted the first genome-wide association study for the disorder, which involves scanning the entire genome of a group of people with craniosynostosis and comparing it to a control group of people without the condition. The study searched for single nucleotide polymorphisms (abbreviated as SNPs and called "snips") that are associated with craniosynostosis. SNPs are DNA changes in which a single nucleotide differs from the usual one at that position. There are some three billion nucleotides, the basic building blocks of DNA, in the human genome.

The study first evaluated the DNA ? extracted from whole blood or oral samples ? of 214 children and both of their parents, who did not have the condition, and restricted their final analysis to a group of 130 non-Hispanic white child-parent trios. This approach reduces the genetic variability inherent to individuals from different ethnicities. Their results identified very strong associations to SNPs in two areas of the genome, coding for bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and Bardet-Biedl syndrome 9 protein (BBS9). Both proteins are known to play a role in skeletal development.

The findings were replicated in another population of 172 cases of children with the condition and 548 unrelated controls. The extensive international collaboration came about because of the desire to include as many cases as possible worldwide to strengthen the findings.

"No matter how we analyzed the data ? whether we included familial cases, cases with other minor anomalies, or mixed children of different ethnic groups together, these two genetic factors were highly significant," said Boyadjiev. "This provides strong evidence that non-syndromic sagittal craniosynostosis has a major genetic component and identifies where the problem is likely to originate."

Boyadjiev added that the genetic differences do not fully explain the development of the condition and that other genes and environmental factors are also likely important. He likened the condition to spina bifida: Infants who develop this defect in their spine are known to have a genetic propensity, but vitamin supplementation with folic acid of pregnant women can prevent many cases. He plans to extend the research to find the exact disease-causing genetic variants and to study other types of craniosynostosis in various ethnic groups. Boyadjiev also will search for a marker in the blood of expectant mothers to identify fetuses at risk for craniosynostosis, which one day may lead to an intervention during pregnancy to prevent craniosynostosis.

"The identification of two biologically plausible candidate genes affecting susceptibility to non-syndromic sagittal craniosynostosis provides promising leads in the search for understanding how these conditions develop," said Emily Harris, chief of the translational genomics research branch at the National Institutes of Health's Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

###

Other study authors include the following: Cristina M. Justice, Yoonhee Kim and of the U.S. National Human Genome Research Institute; Garima Yagnik, Craig Senders, James Boggan, Marike Zwienenberg-Lee, Jinoh Kim and Alexander F. Wilson of UC Davis School of Medicine; Inga Peter, Ethylin Wang Jabs, Monica Erazo, Xiaoqian Ye, Edmond Ainehsazan, Lisong Shi and Peter J. Taub of Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Michael L. Cunningham of University of Washington and Seattle Children's Research Institute; Virginia Kimonis of UC Irvine School of Medicine; Tony Roscioli of University of New South Wales, Australia; Steven A. Wall and Andrew O.M. Wilkie, John Radcliffe Hospital, United Kingdom; Joan Stoler of Children's Hospital Boston; Joan T. Richtsmeier and Yann Heuz of Pennsylvania State University; Pedro A. Sanchez-Lara of University of Southern California; Michael F. Buckley of SEALS, Australia; Charlotte M. Druschel, Michele Caggana and Denise M. Kay of the Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health; James L. Mills of Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Paul A. Romitti of University of Iowa; Ophir D. Klein of UC San Francisco School of Medicine and Cyrill Naydenov of the Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria.

The research was supported by grants from several components of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the National Center for Research Resources, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, and the National Human Genome Research Institute (some of the NIH funding was provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). NIH also supported the study through its Intramural Research Program and through a contract to the Johns Hopkins University. Other support for the research was provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the University of Southern California Child Health Research Career Development Program and the UCLA Child Health Research Career Development Program. Boyadjiev also is supported by the Children's Miracle Network endowed chair in pediatric genetics.

The UC Davis School of Medicine is among the nation's leading medical schools, recognized for its research and primary-care programs. The school offers fully accredited master's degree programs in public health and in informatics, and its combined M.D.-Ph.D. program is training the next generation of physician-scientists to conduct high-impact research and translate discoveries into better clinical care. Along with being a recognized leader in medical research, the school is committed to serving underserved communities and advancing rural health. For more information, visit UC Davis School of Medicine at medschool.ucdavis.edu.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/uoc--itd111512.php

Gary Collins bus driver uppercut Argo joe biden Alex Karras BCS Rankings 2012 the walking dead

USC-UCLA football: In-game report

UCLA 24, USC 20 (13:53 left in third quarter)

Just kidding about that 50-0 crack.

What I meant was that sooner or later that team that won 50-0 last year would have to straighten itself out.

USC opened the second half in a similar way UCLA opened the first: by taking advantage of a turnover.

On UCLA?s third play from scrimmage in the third quarter, the snap from center toward Brett Hundley in shotgun formation never got airborne.

Running back Johnathan Franklin picked up it, but lost the handle and the ball got batted around until it rolled into the end zone, where USC defensive lineman George Uko fell on it for a touchdown. Andre Heidari was wide left on the point-after try.

By the way, it?s now raining at the Rose Bowl -? the first time it?s rained during a UCLA-USC game since 1961.

UCLA won that game, 10-7.

UCLA 24, USC 14 (halftime)

UCLA spent much of the first half looking unstoppable, yet somehow USC has made it a game.

Some halftime stats:

--UCLA has outgained USC, 234-216 and has the advantage in time of possession, 18 minutes 38 seconds to 11:22.

--Quarterback Brett Hundley has been a model of efficiency, completing 16 of 19 passes ? to six different receivers ? for 141 yards and a touchdown.

--Johnathan Franklin has rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown in 10 carries.

--Matt Barkley has completed nine of 15 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns ? and one costly interception ? for USC.

--Curtis McNeal has 76 yards rushing in 10 carries.

Then there's Marqise Lee, USC's recently hyped Heisman Trophy candidate, who has been absolutely no factor. He has two receptions for 30 yards and lost three yards and fumbled in his only carry. And he hasn?t touched the ball on a kickoff return because Jeff Locke keeps booming the ball through the end zone.

UCLA 24, USC 14 (1:07 left in second quarter)

Would you believe 50-14?

USC has made something of a game of it again ?- for now.

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/sports/~3/lltw4G85EnU/la-sp-sn-usc-ucla-football-game-20121117,0,157542.story

mega millions results louisville lotto numbers susan powell megamillions winners university of louisville louisville ky

NBA: Kobe Bryant questions Lakers passing on Phil Jackson

With all the things Kobe Bryant has learned from Phil Jackson over the years, there's still one unanswered question that seems to gnaw at him.

How could a keeper of 11 NBA championships ever be passed up for a coaching job? More important, how could the Lakers ever dismiss Jackson's accomplishments when he's won of five his 11 titles here in two separate stints?

"It's very strange," Bryant said after the Lakers' 84-82 loss Tuesday to the San Antonio Spurs. "You would think that organizations and other coaches would try to learn from Phil. That's what they should do.

"If you have a coach that has won more than anybody, you would want to study and analyze them and wonder why that is the case. They haven't done it."

Yes, Bryant is still excited about the Lakers hiring Mike D'Antoni as their new head coach. He even revealed he was the first choice he recommended to the Lakers' front office. But that was because, at the time, Bryant said he didn't know Jackson even was considered a candidate since he had retired from the game two years ago.

Once Bryant learned he was in the mix, though, he campaigned hard.

He relished the "We Want Phil" chants showering down from the Lakers fans at Staples Center. Bryant glowingly sang his praises in news conferences.

He acknowledged the unsettled feeling that his injured right knee partly contributed to the Lakers falling in a four-game sweep to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 Western

Conference semifinals in Jackson's last season.

The reason for Bryant's want for Jackson to return? Easy. Bryant provided a startling admission on whether he'd have five NBA titles if not for Jackson's guidance.

"Probably not," Bryant said.

MAGIC GRIEVES

After staying silent for two days about the D'Antoni hire, Magic Johnson took to Twitter.

"I've been mourning Phil Jackson not being hired as the Lakers head coach," Johnson tweeted. "My mother always taught me that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

HIGHLIGHT REEL

If his time with the New York Knicks indicated anything, Chris Duhon wouldn't be surprised if D'Antoni spends his first day presenting a highlight film of each player.

"It gave all the guys a lot of confidence," said Duhon, who played for D'Antoni from 2008-10. "It was definitely a first for me. It really lightened the mood."

Still, Duhon scoffed at the widely held perception D'Antoni's system will entail little defense.

"You have Kobe, you have Metta (World Peace), you have Pau (Gasol) and you have Dwight Howard, obviously, protecting the paint," Duhon said.

"These guys have pride. They're not going to give up 157 points."

INJURY UPDATE

Lakers reserve forward Jordan Hill, who has a sprained right wrist, is considered probable for Friday's game against the Phoenix Suns.

"It's not bad," Hill told this newspaper following the Lakers' loss Tuesday. "It's tolerable."

The Lakers had the day off Wednesday, but Hill spent that time receiving treatment.

He wore a brace to support the wrist. Immediately after the game, Hill sat by his locker stall receiving stimulation treatment. Hill, who also has monitored a herniated disk in his back, said he couldn't remember how he injured his wrist.

Source: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_22000384/nba-kobe-bryant-questions-lakers-passing-phil-jackson?source=rss_viewed

osu football osu football oklahoma state santonio holmes raheem morris winter classic mt rainier

University of Saskatchewan Shutting Down Emma Lake Campus

University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan has suspended classes at one of its satellite campuses. Activities at the Kenderdine campus at Emma Lake are on hold until at least 2016. University officials say the site needs millions of dollars in repairs and there's no money to make those repairs.

"We simply don't have the funds at this time to make the significant capital investment that this campus needs," said Greg Fowlyer, acting vice-president of finance at the University of Saskatchewan.

The Emma Lake campus opened in 1935. About 200 students were taking parts of their courses there last summer, and for several generations it has been a summer retreat for hundreds of artists. The campus also offered experimental learning opportunities in a number of studies.

The shutdown will also save the university about 500,000 dollars a year in operating expenses.

Source

Source: http://newsfeed.huydang.com/2012/11/University-of-Saskatchewan-Shutting-Down-Emma-Lake-Campus.html

morgellons nhl all star draft touch nitrous oxide rihanna thug life tattoo arizona governor seal team 6

Shadowgun: Deadzone has been rejected by Apple

For those waiting for Deadzone, bad new. From the mouth of Marek Rabas, we know that the game has been rejected on Apple's side and we won't be getting it today.

Quote:

Anyway SAD NEWS for iOS players.. We have some issues with ios version and APPLE didnt approved it. I dont want to go to details, but we are working with them to solve this issue... I hope it will be solved soon.

Android version will be out Today..

Best

Marek R.

PS: This may be due to a weapon called "Shitstorm". Or some other reason.

Source: http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=166281&goto=newpost

sc primary bill moyers heidi klum and seal divorce craigslist killer extremely loud and incredibly close south carolina primary squirrel appreciation day

Microsoft releases IE 10 for Windows 7

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The latest version of Microsoft's Web browser is now available to the vast audience connecting to the Internet on personal computers running on the Windows 7 operating system.

The redesigned browser, Internet Explorer 10, made its debut last month when Microsoft released Windows 8, which makes dramatic changes to an operating system that has been powering PCs for decades.

Internet Explorer 10 initially is being introduced Tuesday to Windows 7 users in a "preview," or test, mode. The new browser isn't compatible with XP, Vista and any other older Windows version.

Although Microsoft is staking its future on Windows 8, far more PCs rely on Windows 7. Microsoft Corp. says more than 670 million licenses for Windows 7 have been sold since its release in 2009. Windows 8 is unlikely to approach that level of usage until at least 2014, based on analyst forecasts.

Desktops, laptops and tablet computers running on Windows 8 are sold with Internet Explorer 10 already installed. Those with older Windows versions will have to download and install the new browser separately.

Although Internet Explorer 10 is supposed to process Web pages more quickly and smoothly than its predecessors, it may have limited appeal to Windows 7 users.

That's because Microsoft primarily designed Internet Explorer 10 for tablet computers and other devices, including a new breed of PCs that have touch-screen displays. Relatively few Windows 7 PCs can be controlled with fingers on a display screen.

Microsoft is hoping many website developers will download and install Internet Explorer 10 on their Windows 7 machines and see the browser's potential for making online services more compelling and dynamic. If that happens, more website may include features that take advantage of Internet Explorer 10's full capabilities on the bevy of Windows 8 machines expected to be sold during the next year, said Ryan Gavin, Microsoft's general manager for the browser.

Internet Explorer 10's main purpose is to make viewing websites as enjoyable and convenient as using applications tailor-made for specific mobile devices.

For instance, when reading an article on a news site, users of Internet Explorer 10 can just swipe across the screen to continue reading the next page instead of having to scroll down to click on a link, as most browsers require. Microsoft also says games such as "Contre Jour" played on Internet Explorer 10 will work as well, or even better, than those packaged in applications.

Realizing that goal is crucial to Microsoft as it tries to make a bigger splash in the smartphone and tablet markets. It probably will take years before mobile devices running on Windows 8 boast as many applications as their competitors, giving Microsoft an added incentive to build a superior Web browser. The mobile operating systems designed by Apple Inc. and Google Inc. each boast more than 700,000 applications.

Microsoft also hopes Internet Explorer 10 can reverse recent trends in the Web browser market. By some estimates, Google's Chrome browser has supplanted Internet Explorer as the world's most popular browser. Other research firms still assert that Internet Explorer remains the most widely used, although all measures show it has been losing market share to Chrome, Mozilla's Firefox and Apple's Safari.

Source: http://www.kimatv.com/news/tech/Microsoft-releases-IE-10-for-Windows-7-179131221.html

c mitt romney mark zuckerberg mark zuckerberg maurice jones drew Yash Chopra George McGovern

NY's National Toy Hall of Fame to reveal inductees

FILE - "Star Wars" action figures Darth Vader, right, and Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi, left, are displayed in this April 7, 1999 file photo, with Princess Leia Organa in her ceremonial dress in front of other packaged characters from the new film. The National Toy Hall of Fame announces its class of 2012 Thursday Nov. 15, 2012. Two toys will be inducted into the Rochester hall from among 12 nominees. (AP Photo/ Victoria Arocho, File)

FILE - "Star Wars" action figures Darth Vader, right, and Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi, left, are displayed in this April 7, 1999 file photo, with Princess Leia Organa in her ceremonial dress in front of other packaged characters from the new film. The National Toy Hall of Fame announces its class of 2012 Thursday Nov. 15, 2012. Two toys will be inducted into the Rochester hall from among 12 nominees. (AP Photo/ Victoria Arocho, File)

(AP) ? Will the Magic 8 Ball knock over the tea set? Will little green Army men outmuscle "Star Wars" action figures?

The answers come Thursday when the National Toy Hall of Fame announces its class of 2012. Two toys will be inducted into the Rochester hall from among 12 nominees.

To date, 49 toys have made the cut. They range from classics, like Play-Doh and Slinky, to the less obvious, like the stick and cardboard box.

Officials at the Toy Hall of Fame say anyone can nominate a toy and thousands of suggestions come in every year. An internal committee of curators, educators and historians chooses the finalists and then a national selection committee votes for the winners.

Longevity is a key criterion for getting into the 14-year-old hall. Each toy must be widely recognized, foster learning, creativity or discovery through play, and endure in popularity over generations.

The rest of the 2012 nominees are: the board game Clue, dominoes, Fisher-Price's rolling Corn Popper, Lite-Brite, the pogo stick, sidewalk chalk, the electronic game Simon, and Twister.

Sidewalk chalk, which traces its roots to the 16th Century, and dominoes, which originated in China in the 1300s, have been around the longest among the nominees. Simon and "Star Wars" action figures, which showed up in the 1970s, are the youngest of the class.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-11-15-Toy%20Hall%20of%20Fame/id-e67cd6c69eeb49d38ef7436da246de45

the unit bob weston bill obrien reggie mckenzie epiphany exorcism jersey shore season 5