Ronaldo's decision to wait didn't help Portugal

By CHRIS LEHOURITES

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 9:56 a.m. ET June 28, 2012

WARSAW, Poland (AP) -Cristiano Ronaldo is the kind of player that can change a game with one moment of excellence, the kind of player every team wants to have when the game is on the line.

Until, maybe, when it comes down to a penalty shootout.

The Portugal captain was one of the best players at the year's European Championship. Some would argue he was THE best, while others wouldn't even deign to argue about something that so many believe to be pure fact.

But against Spain, on the big stage of the Euro 2012 semifinals, there was no shot from Ronaldo in the penalty shootout. No chance for the Real Madrid winger to lift his team to victory.

And not even a reason why.

After his team was eliminated at the Donbass Arena, Ronaldo said he told Portugal coach Paulo Bento he wanted to take the fifth kick. That's the same spot he was in back in 2006, when Portugal beat England in a shootout in the World Cup quarterfinals.

"He said to me, 'You want a kick?' And I said, 'Yes, in the fifth,"' Ronaldo said late Wednesday night, shortly after Portugal lost the match. "We missed two penalties so it's frustration."

Before the shootout, Ronaldo was improving with every match. He had scored three goals in his previous two games at Euro 2012, and had several chances to break the scoreless draw against Spain - including a 90th-minute shot from just inside the area that he sent high over the bar. He also sent a pair of free kicks into the same space way above the crossbar, somewhat closer to the top row of spectators than Spain's goal.

And then came the shootout, football's version of a coin toss.

Ronaldo hasn't had the best of times in shootouts in recent years. While still with Manchester United, his spot kick against Chelsea in the Champions League final was saved. And this year, his attempt against Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals was again saved.

Two big misses for a big player on the big stage, and no chance for redemption in Donetsk.

"If it would have been 4-4, he would have taken the last penalty and we would have talked in another way (now)," Bento said through a translator. "We defined beforehand what would be the best conditions to succeed and now we didn't. I don't regret anything."

Ronaldo came into Wednesday's match on a roll. He was less-than-stellar in Portugal's opening two matches, but he scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over the Netherlands to guarantee a spot in the quarterfinals. Then he scored the lone goal in the win over the Czech Republic.

Those two displays certainly quieted the distracting chants of "Messi, Messi" that he endured earlier in the tournament. And they went a long way to easing the somewhat commonly held view that Ronaldo is no good on the international stage.

But his decision to wait - possibly only in the hope that he would be the hero - in the shootout did nothing to keep the team in the tournament.

And in the end, the lasting image from the shootout - maybe even more memorable than Cesc Fabregas' winning shot off the post - will be Ronaldo with his face hidden in his hands, probably wondering what went wrong.

"It's always difficult moments," Ronaldo said. "I expressed myself in the way that I feel."

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement

Kai Pfaffenbach / Reuters

mike brown jacoby ellsbury jacoby ellsbury lionel richie morosini death

Exclusive: Venezuela wants OPEC price band restored

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

jon huntsman bit coin huntsman w.e. episodes idris elba kelsey grammer

My Boyfriend is Asian: Guest Post: Cross Cultural Dating in Singapore

Ugh, still feeling a little shitty because of my cold/flu thing, but wanted to get some blog posts out. Here's a guest post! This time around it's about dating...in Singapore! For those of you that have forgotten, yes Singapore is an Asian country, just not Korea or Japan--looking at you ladies that are stuck on those? countries. : P Although I have to say that I haven't really come in contact with too many folks from Singapore, it is a place that I'm curious to visit in general whenever Shen and I get out of our "broke ass people" mode and get out to traveling. This post was written by Louise Mitchell, a relationship expert that has dished out some good advice about on Lovestruck.com. Lovestuck is an international online dating site, and y'all know me, I'm not one to shy away from them. coughcough. Anyway here's what Louise has to say when it comes to cross cultural dating in Singapore:

Cross cultural dating is now a global phenomenon and in all parts of the world people are able to find romance with new people who do not necessarily share their cultural background, race or religion. This is a testimony to the strength of love it can break down any barrier and overcome any obstacle to bring two people together from different background and make them stronger together than they are apart.

There are many people who find themselves attracted to certain ethnicities or cultures and will look to date someone within this area. You can look for people via the internet or go traveling to look for love. There are several large cities throughout the globe renowned for being a multicultural place, New York, London, Sydney, Sao Paulo, Hong Kong, Singapore and many more.

Singapore is one of the most exotic and beautiful destinations on earth. As a popular haven for tourists and guests, the city-state features a diverse blend of cultures. This includes Asians, Indians, Europeans and a whole host of other cultures as well. Singaporeans love their freedoms, however, are somewhat strict on preserving the environment. This is one of the reasons why Singapore maintains the integrity of both its cultural and environmental surroundings. As a result, guests and tourists must abide with Singapore?s laws in order to enjoy a memorable experience like no other. With its exciting and exquisite nightlife, the city-state features a range of popular restaurants, clubs and singles bars. In fact, the latter is full of locals and visitors alike--all hoping to meet and date interesting people.

Cross-cultural dating in Singapore has also become very common. With the influx of Westerners living and working in Singapore, many are dating and even marrying native Singaporeans. With this in mind, the dating realm is no longer exclusive to just Singaporeans or ex-pats. In fact, the cultural exchange has seen countless online dating sites connect people of all cultures and backgrounds. From Chinese and Taiwanese to English and French, language and cultural barriers are being torn down as well. Asian women are known for both their inner and outer beauty. This is one of the reasons why so many Westerners flock to Singapore and other Asian destinations. Not only do they want to date and get to know these women, they also want to settle down and have families as well.

The same can also be said of Western women that want to date Singaporean men. No matter the reason, there are many firms that specialize in cross-cultural dating in Singapore. While most are listed online, there are a few physical establishments that offer the same type of service. These venues cater to those that want to date Singaporeans, however, also want to learn the language and cultural traits. When it comes to cross-cultural dating, there must always be a common middle ground. In other words, both parties must want to learn about each other?s values, traditions, and cultures. In order for this to work, there must also be mutual respect and understanding. It is not easy for one to simply blend into another culture. Therefore, patience is simply essential when wanting to forge lasting relationships with men or women of other cultures.

According to cross-cultural dating experts, both parties should never compare the pros and cons of each culture as well. Remember, the goal is to secure compatibility between both parties?not both cultures. In essence, the individuals have to refrain from leaning on each other, while making unnecessary demands or ultimatums. Cross-cultural dating in Singapore has worked for many years, and continues to attract visitors and ex-pats from all over the world.

eric decker eric decker dallas cowboys cheerleaders leftover turkey recipes leftover turkey recipes the muppets percy harvin

When does a headache need an engineer to fix it?

Public release date: 27-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Denise Henry
henryd@uakron.edu
330-972-6477
University of Akron

University of Akron receives funding for research center to help heal patients with Chiari malformation

Akron, Ohio, June 27, 2012 Expertise in fluid mechanics at The University of Akron has attracted funding for a new research center designed to help physicians better diagnose and treat an unusual cause of pain in the head, neck and shoulders. Chiari malformation is a disorder of the neurologic system caused in part by an imbalance in brain and spinal fluid. UA engineers are able to probe the "hydraulics behind the headaches" and develop new diagnostic methods to detect which patients are most likely to benefit from surgery.

Chiari gets its name from a pathologist who discovered a malformation in the brain in which the bottom part of the brain (the cerebellum) bulges out of the base of the skull and crowds the spinal cord, blocking the normal flow of spinal fluid, and creating unusual pressure and sometimes excruciating headaches and nerve damage. CM is similar to multiple sclerosis in its frequency, but has received little attention until recently when advanced diagnostic imaging has increased the incidence of detection and understanding.

The Conquer Chiari Research Center will open this summer at UA's new engineering research facility, with $275,000 in initial funding from the Conquer Chiari foundation, based in Pittsburgh, and a pledge for $140,000 in annual renewal funding. The funding supports the work of mechanical engineer and associate professor Dr. Francis Loth: "Essentially, we're developing new MRI methods using computational fluid dynamics to simulate the flow of fluids from the intracranial space into the spine. We can visualize the blockages that prevent normal flow of fluid and determine if surgery is warranted."

Working with physicians and patients from the Cleveland Clinic and University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Loth has tested his imaging model on 10 patients during the past two years with positive results.

An earlier grant from the National Institutes of Health, totaling nearly a half-million dollars, supporting Dr. Loth's research helped inspire funding for the new UA research center.

"It's clear to us that the University and the Greater Akron area represent a hub of biomedical activity parallel with our priorities," says Rick Labuda, founder and executive director of Conquer Chiari. "This is a critically important project and it is spreading a great deal of excitement."

Patients with CM often suffer from head, neck and shoulder pain, trouble swallowing, sleep apnea, loss of bladder, bowel or fine motor control, weakness in arms and legs, balance problems, numbness in hands and feet, and progressive nerve damage. The symptoms can be relieved after surgery to create a more normal flow of spinal fluid with a reported 70 percent success rate in reduction of symptoms.

"Physicians have come to understand that a dynamic movement of fluids in and around the brain plays a vital role in maintaining the brain's shape and vital blood supply. Dr. Loth's work addresses the critical question of how fluid movement may actually push the posterior portion of the brain out of the skull, as seen in Chiari malformation," says Cleveland Clinic neurosurgeon Dr. Mark Luciano, who has partnered with Loth on this research. "Understanding this process is our best hope for the treatment of a disease, which is being increasingly diagnosed and can have devastating neurological consequences. His work on the dynamic fluid flow through the brain may also add insight to the treatment of other neurological disorders such as hydrocephalus and traumatic brain injury."

Dr. Bryn Martin, a former scientist with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne and former postdoctoral research fellow at UA, returned to Akron earlier this week to lead the center.

"Frank Loth has been an inspiration to me as an engineer and a longtime mentor," Martin says. "As an engineer, it's a true pleasure to work on Chiari because it doesn't involve building bombs or automobiles. We work with people and can have an impact on lives."

###

About The University of Akron

The University of Akron is the public research university for Northeast Ohio. The Princeton Review listed UA among the "Best in the Midwest" in its 2011 edition of Best Colleges: Region-by-Region. Nearly 30,000 students are enrolled in UA's 300 associate, bachelor's, master's, doctorate and law degree programs and 100 certificate programs at sites in Summit, Wayne, Medina, Cuyahoga and Holmes counties. For more information, visit www.uakron.edu.

---

[ | E-mail | 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.

Public release date: 27-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Denise Henry
henryd@uakron.edu
330-972-6477
University of Akron

University of Akron receives funding for research center to help heal patients with Chiari malformation

Akron, Ohio, June 27, 2012 Expertise in fluid mechanics at The University of Akron has attracted funding for a new research center designed to help physicians better diagnose and treat an unusual cause of pain in the head, neck and shoulders. Chiari malformation is a disorder of the neurologic system caused in part by an imbalance in brain and spinal fluid. UA engineers are able to probe the "hydraulics behind the headaches" and develop new diagnostic methods to detect which patients are most likely to benefit from surgery.

Chiari gets its name from a pathologist who discovered a malformation in the brain in which the bottom part of the brain (the cerebellum) bulges out of the base of the skull and crowds the spinal cord, blocking the normal flow of spinal fluid, and creating unusual pressure and sometimes excruciating headaches and nerve damage. CM is similar to multiple sclerosis in its frequency, but has received little attention until recently when advanced diagnostic imaging has increased the incidence of detection and understanding.

The Conquer Chiari Research Center will open this summer at UA's new engineering research facility, with $275,000 in initial funding from the Conquer Chiari foundation, based in Pittsburgh, and a pledge for $140,000 in annual renewal funding. The funding supports the work of mechanical engineer and associate professor Dr. Francis Loth: "Essentially, we're developing new MRI methods using computational fluid dynamics to simulate the flow of fluids from the intracranial space into the spine. We can visualize the blockages that prevent normal flow of fluid and determine if surgery is warranted."

Working with physicians and patients from the Cleveland Clinic and University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Loth has tested his imaging model on 10 patients during the past two years with positive results.

An earlier grant from the National Institutes of Health, totaling nearly a half-million dollars, supporting Dr. Loth's research helped inspire funding for the new UA research center.

"It's clear to us that the University and the Greater Akron area represent a hub of biomedical activity parallel with our priorities," says Rick Labuda, founder and executive director of Conquer Chiari. "This is a critically important project and it is spreading a great deal of excitement."

Patients with CM often suffer from head, neck and shoulder pain, trouble swallowing, sleep apnea, loss of bladder, bowel or fine motor control, weakness in arms and legs, balance problems, numbness in hands and feet, and progressive nerve damage. The symptoms can be relieved after surgery to create a more normal flow of spinal fluid with a reported 70 percent success rate in reduction of symptoms.

"Physicians have come to understand that a dynamic movement of fluids in and around the brain plays a vital role in maintaining the brain's shape and vital blood supply. Dr. Loth's work addresses the critical question of how fluid movement may actually push the posterior portion of the brain out of the skull, as seen in Chiari malformation," says Cleveland Clinic neurosurgeon Dr. Mark Luciano, who has partnered with Loth on this research. "Understanding this process is our best hope for the treatment of a disease, which is being increasingly diagnosed and can have devastating neurological consequences. His work on the dynamic fluid flow through the brain may also add insight to the treatment of other neurological disorders such as hydrocephalus and traumatic brain injury."

Dr. Bryn Martin, a former scientist with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne and former postdoctoral research fellow at UA, returned to Akron earlier this week to lead the center.

"Frank Loth has been an inspiration to me as an engineer and a longtime mentor," Martin says. "As an engineer, it's a true pleasure to work on Chiari because it doesn't involve building bombs or automobiles. We work with people and can have an impact on lives."

###

About The University of Akron

The University of Akron is the public research university for Northeast Ohio. The Princeton Review listed UA among the "Best in the Midwest" in its 2011 edition of Best Colleges: Region-by-Region. Nearly 30,000 students are enrolled in UA's 300 associate, bachelor's, master's, doctorate and law degree programs and 100 certificate programs at sites in Summit, Wayne, Medina, Cuyahoga and Holmes counties. For more information, visit www.uakron.edu.

---

[ | E-mail | 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.

did the groundhog see his shadow groundhog day 2012 serrano ground hog donald trump staten island chuck dr jekyll and mr hyde

Square Card Reader App Gets Top-Requested Feature: Admin Accounts & Permissions

Today, mobile payments startup?Square?is rolling out what the company says is the most heavily-requested feature by its merchants to date: user permissions. What this means is that business owners will now be able to enable their staff to use Square devices to accept payments without having to provide those employees with access to the same sensitive information that a business owner may see on their end. Until now, owners who wanted to set up their employees to also accept Square payments on the business's behalf would actually have to hand over their username and password - yes, the same username and password that allows them to login and see the the details of their business's account, all the transactions, and even their banking information. Um, yikes.

lra lra eric johnson eric johnson big east tournament ashley olsen new apple tv

Student Portals: Why It Works And How It Works

One way for educational institutions to reach their target enrollees is to go online. They usually hire web developers to create an eye-candy of a website representing their school. The more interesting it is, the more online users will know about them.

And because schools want to keep people engrossed, links to other school services have been added to each website. Links to resources as well as to the student?s own personal educational information or the so-called student portals.

Gateways, this is what portals are all about. Many tertiary level educational institutions have made it a point to create an online student portal mainly for convenience ? for the students and the school as well.

Methodology: How It Works

Almost all these portals require the student to enter their username and then a password. It is just like accessing your own e-mail account except it leads you to the school database instead. Log in details can either be the student?s own email address, student ID number or their complete name. All of these, including the password are unique to the student and only the individual should know about it.

Schools have reserved the privilege of the utilization of student portals only to their enrolled students. With it, students can get resources from the library, learn how to enroll for a prerequisite subject and even inquire about why they got such grade. With student portals, all the concerns of the students are met and quickly answered.

The Importance Of Student Portals

It has tremendously decreased the need to make face-to-face appointments especially when a student only need to ask about how to get into a course and what to do about it. Not that it is creating a gap because of the diminished interaction but rather it is solidifying the dedication of the school to the needs of its students.

In this world when time is of the essence and when people are always almost online, student portals become the easiest way to get answers. Real time updates can keep students in the know whether they would be abroad or just at their dormitories.

Educational institutions use student portals to allow their scholars? access to their own grades, curriculum, class schedule as well as other pertinent links dedicated to better their stay with the institution.

Other Advantages Of The These Portals That Benefits The School

One great thing about student portals is that it is able to direct the students to a single direction of information released by the school. Students, once logged in, are given only one specific kind of information which lessens the need o explain or even giving out the wrong information.

Furthermore, schools need not always have to print out their brochures. It lessens expenditure on paper advertising. Student portals are not just windows that enable virtual access but rather a means for both students and schools to engage in more productive ways of communication.

If you are an ITT Tech Student and are looking for information about careers, have a look online at the available websites out there!

thomas kinkade brewers pat summit courtney stodden matt cain adastra holocaust remembrance day

Syria: TV station attacked, 7 staffers killed

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

virginia beach jet crash ridiculously photogenic guy amanda bynes dui ghost ship tiger woods masters jet crash virginia beach petrino

How Winamp Disappeared Into Obscurity [Music]

This year marks the 15th birthday of Winamp. During that time it went from being a must-have piece of software to languishing in complete obscurity. But where did it all go wrong? More »

contraband denver vs new england denver broncos vs new england patriots cruise ship sinking vernon davis starship troopers starship troopers

Google backs online project to preserve endangered languages

20 hrs.

Devin Coldewey

Google's thirst for data doesn't end with?your shopping and searching habits.?The tech giant?digitizes books and art and, of course, our cities and roads ? and now Google?is?looking to digitally archive languages that may otherwise disappear entirely for lack of speakers.

Language preservation is a thriving institution, but the number of skilled linguists and dedicated historians may not be enough to save the thousands of languages (half those extant in the world today) that are in serious danger of disappearing altogether. Google has worked with preservation-minded groups to produce the Endangered Languages Project.

It's a?platform on which preservationists can store and access media related to fading languages like Campidanese Sardinian and Jonkor Bourmataguil. You can see where the languages?are spoken, how many people speak them, and learn other linguistic data. There are over 3000 languages plotted on the site's map, though as the site is new, few have many multimedia resources available. Others, like Navajo and Aragonese, have video samples, word lists, and more.

For now, the project is governed by Google, but in the company's blog post announcing the service, they state that "the long-term goal is for true experts in the field of language preservation to take the lead." So once things get rolling, the specialists can take over and do what needs to be done to make it a world-class resource.

You can watch the video introducing the service below.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. His personal website is coldewey.cc.

statins chardon sean young juan pablo montoya free pancakes at ihop martina navratilova high school shooting

Clemens risked prison when he rejected plea offer

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Roger Clemens smiles as he speaks to members of the media outside federal court in Washington, Monday, June 18, 2012. Clemens was acquitted on all charges by a jury that decided that he didn't lie to Congress when he denied using performance -enhancing drugs. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Roger Clemens smiles as he speaks to members of the media outside federal court in Washington, Monday, June 18, 2012. Clemens was acquitted on all charges by a jury that decided that he didn't lie to Congress when he denied using performance -enhancing drugs. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

FILE - In this Aug. 24, 2007, file photo, New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens throws against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning of a baseball game in Detroit. Clemens was acquitted on all charges, Monday, June 18, 2012, by a jury that decided he didn't lie to Congress when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson, File)

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Roger Clemens and his wife Debbie Clemens leave a news conference outside federal court in Washington, Monday, June 18, 2012, after he was acquitted on all charges by a jury that decided that he didn't lie to Congress when he denied using performance -enhancing drugs. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Roger Clemens rejected a plea deal that would have spared him prison time, and instead took his chances by going to trial.

Clemens lawyer Rusty Hardin said in a telephone interview Thursday that prosecutors offered to let the former pitcher plead guilty to one count of lying to Congress when he denied using human growth hormone. In exchange, Clemens would have received probation.

The seven-time Cy Young Award winner was indicted in August 2010 on six counts for allegedly lying to Congress for denying he used HGH as well as steroids. At the time, Hardin revealed that his client had rejected a plea offer, but the lawyer declined to provide the details.

In the interview Thursday, Hardin said his client was offered the deal in December 2009 and immediately rejected it.

"His reason was, 'I didn't lie to Congress,'" Hardin said. On Monday, a jury in Washington acquitted Clemens on all counts.

Under U.S. sentencing guidelines, Clemens probably would have faced up to 15 months to 21 months in prison if convicted.

The first attempt to try Clemens last year ended in a mistrial when prosecutors played a snippet of video evidence that had previously been ruled inadmissible, and U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton indicated back then that Clemens was looking at jail time.

Explaining why he was calling a mistrial, Walton said, "Because if this man got convicted, from my perspective, knowing how I sentence, he goes to jail. And I'm not going to, under the circumstances, when this has happened, put this man's liberty in jeopardy."

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia declined comment.

___

Follow Fred Frommer on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ffrommer

Associated Press

rock and roll hall of fame severe weather wichita national weather service weather radar brian wilson storm chasers

Ron Paul wins Iowa! Does that matter?

Ron Paul's final victory in Iowa ? Mitt Romney won the caucuses, but Paul got most of the delegates ? could affect how hard Paul supporters push to get their issues on the agenda at the GOP's national convention.

By Peter Grier,?Staff writer / June 18, 2012

US Rep. Ron Paul (R) of Texas smiles as he takes the stage to speak during a breakout session of the Texas Republican Convention in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 7. Congressman Paul suspended his presidential campaign in May, but he gave a speech to the Texas GOP convention. His supporters have continued amassing delegates to the party's national convention.

LM Otero/AP

Enlarge

Ron Paul won Iowa! At the Iowa GOP convention over the weekend, supporters of the Texas libertarian walked away with 23 of the state?s 28 national convention delegates. Under state Republican rules, those delegates are unbound, meaning they can vote for Congressman Paul in August in Tampa, Fla., if they please. It?s another example of how Paul?s strategy of getting his people organized at the grass-roots level has (somewhat) paid off in the end.

Skip to next paragraph Peter Grier

Washington Editor

Peter Grier is The Christian Science Monitor's Washington editor. In this capacity, he helps direct coverage for the paper on most news events in the nation's capital.

Recent posts

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "off"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

But does this Hawkeye State victory come too late to really much matter in the larger scheme of GOP politics?

We?d say yes, no, and no. But before we explain that, let?s stop for a moment to consider Iowa?s multiple 2012 Republican caucus results. We don?t know what they?re putting in the pork cutlets there these days, but looked at as a whole this year?s Iowa vote was positively hallucinatory.

Remember? The first announced result following Iowa?s traditional caucus kickoff to the presidential nomination cycles was that Mitt Romney won by eight votes. Then two weeks later Rick Santorum was certified as winner by 34 votes.

But those caucus votes were a straw poll. Now, months later, it turns out that the people who stuck around and get themselves picked to go to this week?s state convention were overwhelmingly Paul supporters. So that brings us to the third and final Iowa victor, Ron Paul. (Too bad they couldn?t figure a way to let Newt Gingrich win it for a few days, too, just as a gesture to GOP inclusiveness.)

Ron Paul?s campaign is hailing the Iowa results as a big win. ?Dr. Paul?s victory in the Hawkeye State affirms his delegate-attainment strategy and it has the added benefit of having occurred in the first-in-nation voting state, also a swing state,? asserts a campaign press release.

But we?d argue the straw poll results had a bigger impact on the GOP horse race than this late-in-the-day delegate win. Michele Bachmann had to do well to survive, and didn?t. Rick Santorum, by contrast, did do well, and kept rising.

?Santorum?s tie/win/close second in the January vote was what affirmed him as the anti-Romney,? writes Timothy Carney on the Washington Examiner?s Beltway Confidential blog.

However, we?d also argue that the final Iowa results could have an impact on how Ron Paul?s army views their candidate ? and that in turn could influence the tone of the pro-Ron Paul rally in Tampa now scheduled for Aug. 26.

Paul himself announced Paulstock (our term) in a video to supporters last week.

?We?d really like a large turnout for this. Numbers are important... We should not be disruptive but neither should we be pushed around,? he said.

The Iowa results could also affect how hard Paul's forces push inside the convention to get some of their pet issues ? control of the Federal Reserve, Internet freedom ? recognized in the party platform.

Interestingly, the Paul forces may have identified an adversary in this effort, and it isn?t Mitt Romney. It?s Rick Santorum.

In the aforementioned video to supporters, Paul mentioned that Santorum has vowed to rally conservatives to oppose some of Paul?s moves. At this, Paul took umbrage.

?It is true the Santorum people are principled. They?re also authoritarians. They want to use the government to impose their will on us as individuals,? said Paul.

Paul generally has refrained from punching at Romney, and his son, Sen. Rand Paul (R) of Kentucky, has endorsed Romney. Holding up Santorum as an opponent could give his supporters someone on whom to vent their ire without jeopardizing a possible Ron Paul speaking slot at the convention or Rand Paul?s future in the party.

adrian peterson darlene love free kindle books roasted potatoes turkey recipes turkey recipes happy holidays

Canada needs to show leadership at Earth Summit, Charest says

It is being billed as a "once in a generation" chance to design a blueprint for the Earth's future.

But negotiators at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development here in Rio de Janeiro are clearly struggling to live up to that billing. And in the process, Canada's environmental reputation is taking another beating.

As many as 50,000 people, including more than 130 world leaders, are descending on Rio this week for the summit known as Rio+20 ? 20 years after the original Earth Summit was held in this city in 1992.

It was a heady time back then. World leaders agreed to tackle tough environmental challenges, including climate change and protection of the Earth's biodiversity, and Canada was leading the way.

Canadian conference chair Maurice Strong, then prime minister Brian Mulroney and environment minister Jean Charest were praised for brokering behind-the-scenes deals and setting the example for other nations to follow.

A boy from the Paresi tribe slings a rock while playing in the Kari-Oca village, where indigenous groups are staying during Rio+20 conference in Brazil. (Felipe Dana / Associated Press)

Twenty years later, however, a different Canadian Conservative government is being singled out as a villain by many here. Even Quebec Premier Jean Charest has shown up to say Canada should be demonstrating more environmental leadership on the world stage.

As a resource economy, Canada felt compelled to show leadership back in 1992, Charest told reporters here in Rio, and out of pure self-interest, if nothing else, it should do the same now.

"If we don't make that demonstration to the rest of the world," he said, "we put ourselves in a position where we're vulnerable to markets, where the perception of our products can be criticized."

At the Rio conference, which begins officially on Wednesday, Canada is being accused of blocking a compromise deal on a number of high-profile issues, including phasing out subsidies for oil and gas exploration, and taking no initiative to help find agreement on the differing points of view.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is not even coming to the summit. Though neither are U.S. President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel nor the U.K.'s David Cameron.

Still, more than 130 world leaders are expected, including France's new president, Francois Hollande, Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Hu Jintao.

They arrive on Wednesday for three days of high-level negotiations. The U.S. delegation is being led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Canada's by Environment Minister Peter Kent.

A different mindset

Quebec's Charest is back in Rio to talk about his government's plan to protect a chunk of the boreal forest the size of France, an initiative that has gained considerable international attention.

He told reporters here that, in 1992, the Canadian government had a completely different mindset on the environment.

As a northern country, he said, Canada felt it would be affected more than most by climate change, so if it wanted an international agreement it would have to lead by example.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest, shown here giving a speech in Montreal earlier this month, is attending the UN summit on sustainable development in Rio. (Christinne Muschi / Reuters)

As the conference chair, businessman Maurice Strong had asked the Canadian government to help end the impasse in negotiations. "And we did," says Charest.

"Canada broke the logjam. We were the first to announce our decision to support the biodiversity convention, the climate change convention and we played a leadership role."

Charest calls it one of the defining moments of his political career. But today, 20 years later, the atmosphere in Rio is much less idealistic.

As a result of the high-profile failures of recent climate summits, such as at Copenhagen in 2009 and Durban last year (when Canada pulled out of the Kyoto accord), "negotiation fatigue" appears to have set in.

After years of failing to meet environmental targets, particularly on climate change and biodiversity, several countries are not committing themselves to any binding legal agreements here.

This summit is supposed to come up with a plan that will encourage economic growth and that doesn't devour the Earth's resources in the process.

But so far, at least, countries can't even agree on the meaning of the new catchphrase "green economy."

'Not efficient'

According to the latest World Wildlife Fund report, we need a planet-and-a-half to keep up with our current consumption rates, says Roberto Troya, the regional director for the WWF in Latin America and the Caribbean.

He also suggests that the bureaucratic UN may no longer be the place to deal with the urgency needed on environmental issues.

"In order to discuss just the title of a document, it takes several hours or days," he says. "That's not efficient. That's not what the world requires."

The WWF has singled out Canada on a couple of occasions here recently, putting it on its list of "blockers," along with leading OPEC members such as the oil-producing nations of Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Ecuador.

In the preliminary talks, the WWF accused Canada of blocking the negotiating text that included a reference to "principles of basic sustainable development, protecting high seas biodiversity and a commitment to ending fossil fuel subsidies."

Its statement claims "Canada has blocked progress so far in every realm at Rio+20" and that it "seems unwilling to make any concessions.

"It?s not clear anyone from Canada has any mandate to move in any way on any issue," the WWF statement says. "Canada appears disinterested in measures to safeguard the environment."

Other academics and activists who are keeping a close watch on the climate and energy negotiations at this Earth Summit agree that Canada has been, as one said, "very problematic" when it comes to these UN negotiations.

In some cases, instead of blatantly blocking a paragraph in the official text, they say Canadian negotiators are creating loopholes or offering language that substantially weakens the text, such as "suggest we consider" instead of "we commit."

For its part, the Canadian delegation has been unusually quiet about its Earth Summit objectives, even after Britain's Guardian newspaper leaked what it said was a draft of the Canadian negotiating position on oil and gas subsidies. (The European Union wants a full phase-out of these subsidies; Canada reportedly is only willing to commit to "considering" eliminating them.)

But it is clear that Canada is saying an absolute no to an issue that is key to getting any agreement here: Developing nations, including the host Brazil, are pushing for a technology transfer fund that would help poorer countries switch to clean technology.

Observers say Canadian negotiators are blocking all wording that asks rich nations to commit any new financial resources to sustainable development initiatives.

The WWF's Troya, who also attended the original Rio summit 20 years ago, says there has been a 180-degree change in Canada's position.

"This is a Canada that doesn't speak to the Canada my colleagues and I saw in Rio in 1992."

mike martz hokies quadrantid norv turner jerry angelo work it amy chua