Danica Patrick Bulks Up Bigtime for Super Bowl 2014

NASCAR diva Danica Patrick turned heads on Wednesday — and not for modeling in a bikini (which she's done twice for Sports Illustrated) or her signature acid-green racing togs. The 31-year-old was spotted

Jacoby Ellsbury agrees to 7-year, $153 million deal with Yankees

Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury and the New York Yankees agreed to a massive seven-year, $153 million contract Tuesday night, capping a wild day that saw a number of trades and the Yankees lock up their
second big prize of the offseason.
Ellsbury's deal is pending a physical that could come Wednesday, a formality for the 30-year-old leadoff hitter who spurned Detroit, Seattle and his former team, the Boston Red Sox, to abscond to the Bronx.
The $153 million includes a buyout for an eighth-year option, a source told Yahoo Sports, and will count as a $21.86 million luxury-tax hit. If exercised, the option would take the deal’s total value to $169 million.
[Also: A flurry of trades, signings and agreements highlight wild day in MLB]
New York isn't done, either. Sources told Yahoo Sports the Yankees will continue to pursue the other pricey outfield client of agent Scott Boras, Shin-Soo Choo, along with the top free agent on the market, second baseman Robinson Cano. The Yankees believe they can sign one or the other, sources said, still have room to pursue a starting pitcher and stay within the $189 million luxury-tax threshold.
Much of that belief, sources said, stems from the likelihood that third baseman Alex Rodriguez will be suspended and open up a significant amount of payroll for next season. Still, it would create another hole, albeit one in a lineup that looks to be massively improved from the disappointing 85-77 season in 2013.
Between the arrival of Ellsbury and free-agent catcher Brian McCann, who signed a five-year, $85 million deal with a sixth-year option, the Yankees have added to a group that will see the return of first baseman Mark Teixeira and shortstop Derek Jeter.

 

 

 

 

 

Auburn says someone dumped cremation ashes on the field after Iron Bowl win

When fans rushed the field in jubilation after Auburn's win over Alabama on Saturday, one fan apparently left
a loved one on the field.

According to Birmingham's Fox 6, it's the second time that the crew has found ashes on the field after the game.
If you were an Auburn fan and wanted your ashes left at Jordan-Hare, the aftermath of Saturday's game has to be the pinnacle, right?
We can't imagine a scenario that gets any better than that. And hopefully that other game wasn't either the Western Carolina or the Florida Atlantic games. That would be an ultimate case of eternal regret.
 Frantic 4th quarter in Alabama-Auburn showdown
Yahoo Sports’ Evan Doherty recaps the wild finish in the Tigers’ 34-28 victory.

Spygate II? Texans’ Smith ‘suspicious’ about Patriots’ halftime adjustments

 

On Sunday the Texans were pushing the Patriots around the field in the first half.But much like the Denver-New England game the week before the Patriots made some halftime adjustments and ended up winning the game 34-31.There are two possibilities here: that the Patriots are exceptionally good at changing game plans on the fly or as Texans defensive end Antonio Smith suggests there's something suspicious going on.I'm very suspicious Smith said to a group of reporters after the game.I just think it will be a big coincidence if that just happened by chance.I don't know for sure but I just know it was
something that we practiced this week Either teams are spying on us or scouting us.Or possibly the Texans are a terrible football team but we understand why Smith wouldn't take that explanation.Smith said the team had practiced new defensive schemes this week that would not have shown up on film but the Patriots appeared prepared for the new look.The Texans were up by 10 at halftime but gave up 27 second-half points.Tom Brady brushed off Smith's critique with the dismissiveness that he usually reserves for second-rate secondaries.We've kind of been through a lot of this before he told WEEI on Monday morning.I don't really think much of it truthfully.I just kind of have moved on.Of course the Patriots have been through a lot of this before during the first Spygate controversy.Back in 2007 the Pats were found to be taping the Jets during a September game and the resulting firestorm and allegations even involved Congress.Belichick was fined $500,000 the Patriots were fined $250,000 and the team forfeited a first-round draft pick.

Fancy Eid Shoes Collection 2013 for Ladies

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Congress' top Republicans praise Obama on Syria

WASHINGTON (AP)  Leading congressional Republicans praised President Barack Obama's decision to seek lawmakers' approval before punishing
Syria for a chemical attack. But it was far from clear whether they would support such a strike in a region rife with warfare and the specter of retaliation.
"I do believe (Syria) should not have impunity," for the Aug. 21 attack near Damascus, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said by telephone. "But we need to understand what the whole scope of consequences is. What the president may perceive as limited...won't stop there."
The White House was expected to brief members of Congress throughout the weekend, part of what's certain to be a full-court press to persuade lawmakers to sign off on what Obama described as a narrowly-focused operation that could be carried out anytime over the next few weeks.
Obama's decision to consult Congress came after lawmakers widely demanded he seek authorization under the War Powers Act. The specter of the Iraq war hovered too, with lawmakers skittish over the Bush administration's claim  later disproved  that Saddam Hussein's government possessed weapons of mass destruction.
"And all of us should be accountable as we move forward, and that can only be accomplished with a vote," Obama said Saturday. "And in doing so, I ask you, members of Congress, to consider that some things are more important than partisan differences or the politics of the moment."Secretary of State John Kerry said the chemical weapons attack killed 1,429 people, of which he said 426 were children.
For now, many lwmakers were praising Obama for putting the question to Congress. But it is not expected to act until the House returns from recess Sept. 9.
"Under the Constitution, the responsibility to declare war lies with Congress," said House Speaker John Boehner in a statement. Boehner, who is second in line to the presidency, said his chamber would consider the question the week of Sept. 9.
"We are glad the president is seeking authorization for any military action in Syria in response to serious, substantive questions being raised," he said.
"The President's role as commander-in-chief is always strengthened when he enjoys the expressed support of the Congress," agreed the top Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Rep. Peter King, however, said Obama was abdicating his role as commander-in-chief. King, R-N.Y., suggested the president was undermining the authorities of future presidents and seeking a political shield for himself by going through Congress.
"The president doesn't need 535 Members of Congress to enforce his own redline," he said.

Rex Ryan says he put Mark Sanchez in because Jets were ‘trying to win the game’

The decision to put Mark Sanchez in a meaningless preseason game, after Geno Smith played poorly and it was clear that Sanchez was the Jets' best option to
begin the regular season at quarterback, was a little strange.Rex Ryan's explanation was much, much strangr.Play Y! Sports Fantasy Football: Create or join a league today!]Sanchez was inserted in the game in the third quarter, and was under constant pressure with the backup offensive line protecting him. He got crushed by Giants defensive lineman Marvin Austin and hurt his shoulder. That was his last play. Ryan said he didn't know the extent of the damage to Sanchez's shoulder.So why was a cold Sanchez in this preseason game with the backup line, which was a recipe for disaster? Take it away, Rex ...

The sports drink exercise trick

wishing a sports drink around in your mouth and then spitting it out might sound like a nonsensical way to boost performance, but it's been nearly a decade since research
first suggested that rinsing improves your workout. A study by sports scientists at University of Central Lancashire this April found that during an hour-long workout, cyclists who swished carbohydrate-rich sports drinks for longer covered more distance and felt less tired than after a five-second rinse or rinsing with water.
How the trick works may surprise you. Brain scans show that specific regions light up when carbs are in your mouth. The longer you rinse, the more time the carbs have to stimulate sensors in your brain, says study author Lindsay Bottoms. The concept of mouth rinse supports the idea that the brain is very much playing a key role in fatigue, says Bottoms.
Swishing is most beneficial during relatively short, intense workouts. Not only can the rinse give you a performance boost of about 2 percent, but it also helps avoid indigestion from swallowing carbs during workouts. "When performing high-intensity exercise lasting less than 60 minutes, using a carbohydrate rinse for 5-10 seconds can improve performance, says Bottoms. "It could potentially allow you to train harder." If you're doing a couple hours of exercise, however, rinsing will start to lose its effect since your muscles really do need more carbs.

An Odd Crown for Atlanta: Most Guns at the Airport

ATLANTA  For most fliers, the standard slap-your-forehead moment occurs after opening a suitcase upon arrival and discovering that they forgot to pack their prescription medicine, running shoes or perfect necktie.
Then there are the travelers, few but growing in number, who have a similar reaction, albeit more severe, over an item that they forgot to unpack before boarding. The forehead slap is usually followed by a fine and sometimes a night in jail.

Across the country, people are increasingly being caught at security checkpoints with firearms in their carry-on bags. Nowhere does this happen more often than at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, the nation’s busiest airport and a magnet of sorts for gun-carrying fliers.
Through last week, the Transportation Security Administration had seized 67 guns this year at Hartsfield-Jackson, putting it ahead of last year’s pace and giving the airport a comfortable lead over Dallas-Fort Worth International in its defense of a dubious title. (Not every seizure results in an arrest; the exceptions include some military personnel.) Nationwide, security agents had seized 862 through the first half of 2013, a rate likely to eclipse last year’s record of 1,556.
For Atlanta airport officials and law enforcement authorities, the increase in gun seizures poses a vexing problem, one that strains their security resources even as they continue to search, seemingly in vain, for a way to persuade travelers to leave their guns at home.
Typical was the experience of William Henry Murphy III, the bishop of an Atlanta church and a frequent flier. One morning in June, Pastor Murphy rushed through packing in what he recalled as a stressful period. He had arrived home from ministering at 2:30 a.m. with the 9-millimeter handgun that the church board advises him to carry as a late-night safety measure.

“I didn’t go through my normal routine; the bag I carry at church on a day-to-day basis was thrown into my carry-on without me repacking,” said Pastor Murphy, also a gospel singer who has a recording on YouTube with nearly five million clicks.
There wa no intention of storing the gun with his toothbrush and trying to whisk it through security.
Pastor Murpy was bothered by what he said were assumptions in the news media that the gun was consciously packed.
“Anybody who’s ever been through the airport knows that was not the case,” he said.
That would certainly include John Turner, a lawyer with 40 years of experience and who routinely passes through courthouse metal detectors. But knowledge of the law did not prevent Mr. Turner from the same fate.
Two years ago, Mr. Turner hurriedly donned his usual airplane uniform — jogging suit and fanny pack — for a flight with his wife to a niece’s graduation. The previous evening, as usual, he had tucked his small handgun into the pack for protection during his daily walk with the family dog.
“I didn’t thik it was in there,” he said. “I had always removed it.Like Pastor Murphy and the others, Mr. Turner was arrested and taken to the Clayton County jail near the airport. It was a place he was familiar with. Turner is a former prosecutor for the county.
Tasha Mosley, the county’s solicitor general, is mystified at the regularity with which the gun violations come across her desk. After all, licensed gun owners can store weapons in checked luggage after filling out paperwork.
“It’s just mind-boggling. Just stupid,” she said, considering the projected number of seizures for the year. “There can’t be a hundred people who are that clueless.
You need to know where your gun is at all times.Ms. Mosley, who decided to consider prosecuting violators starting in 2011, rattled off some commonly heard excuses: hiding the gun from children and forgetting about it, and grabbing the wrong briefcase while leaving the office.Lots of sob stories  people crying, saying it was a sentimental gun given to them by their father,” she said. “I just smile at them.Those without a record, besides forfeiting the firearm, are generally directed to pretrial diversion. That means attending classes and performing community service to avoid criminal charges.
The parade of violators has been sprinkled with at least two rappers and a pro football player, a priest and an off-duty pilot, a chamber of commerce president and a higher-up with a sports collectibles company. There also was an executive with a Fortune 500 company and an owner of an equestrian farm.She was hard to handle, thinking she was going to get it her way,” Ms. Mosley said. “I had to explain this wasn’t Burger King.Most bewildering of all to Mosley is the handful of repeat customers — two-time arrestees.
Me and my guys kind of chuckle when that happens,” she said.
Infractions can be costly. Besides court and lawyer fees, the T.S.A. imposes a fine of $200 to $11,000. Factors determining the amount include the significance of the security risk, whether the violation was negligent or deliberate, the attitude of the offender and previous indiscretions. Last year, the agency collected $1,887,745 nationwide.
Ms. Mosley suggested that denying flight privileges to offenders would pose a greater deterrent.
“That’s the only way to get these people’s attention and make them stop,” she said.
But only the F.B.I. operates a no-fly list, and it is aimed at suspected terrorists. The T.S.A.’s lone hammer is suspending the expedited screening courtesy for violators who have paid for the service.
At Hartsfield-Jackson, signs wer recently installed near the screening areas that depict a firearm with a red slash across it and other items banned from carry-on bags.
“We just want to provide them with an aditional warning,” the airport’s general manager, Louis Miller, said, adding that the burden of making arrests cuts significantly into law enforcement resources as well as temporarily shutting down security lanes. “I think they’ll do some good.”
Mr. Turner expressed doubt on the signs, saying they would have not affected his situation because he had forgotten he had a gun in his possession.
“It doesn’t hurt anything, but how effective it will be is another issue,” he said.
Pastor Murphy, by contrast, endorsed the visual reminder. “I’m absolutely for more signage within the lines of sight,” he said.
If the signs turn out to have minimal effect, more and varied alerts are possible. Mr. Miller indicated that he would weigh the option of an audio heads-up for those in the security queue.
For reasons other than its high traffic, Atlanta’s airport is the logical leader for seizures.
The state has relatively lenient gun-carry laws, approving possession by registered owners just about everywhere but schools, bars and places of worship during services.
Firearms were prohibited from all airport property until late 2010, when the state Legislature and the courts agreed that they should be permitted. As a result, warning signs on the airport perimeter were removed.
If the system is adjusted, Pastor Murphy said, it should be to allow first-time transgressors to return the firearms to their vehicles or leave the premises without consequence.
At least Mr. Turner, who now triple-checks his fanny pack before falling into the security line, drew some benefit from his ordeal. Mr. Turner became well prepared to defend a client  who was arrested at the airport with a weapon in his carry-on.

Why Shia LaBeouf Can't Stop Wearing This Outfit

Over the weekend, Shia LaBeouf was spotted grocery
shopping in Tarzana, California, wearing army fatigue pants and a dirty-looking Bud Light t-shirt. And then we noticed..

Upside Down Race Car flips spectators lids at Lemons endurance race

You don't go to a 24 Hours of LeMons race for the speed. Because for race cars that cost no more than $500, speed isn't a thing. You go to a LeMons race to witness the barking mad,
clapped-out vehicles perilously navigate turns at 6 mph. You go to watch the officiators utilize the "Wheel of Misfortune" to decide a punishment for lousy driving, such as the "Mime Your Crime" penalty, where the driver must paint their face in white and mime their infraction before being allowed back on course.
And if you went to last weekend's LeMons race at New Jersey Motorsports Park, you could tell your friends you saw the premier of the Upside Down Race Car, a Speedycop production created by the wackiest of LeMonsters, Jeff Bloch.Under his Speedycop banner, Bloch and his cronies have been famed for their Franken-wheel creations, leading up to the debut of the Spirit of LeMons--a 1956 Cessna 310 and a minivan engine blended to create a road-racing airplane. All in, Speedycop has built 14 lemons over the years.
The Upside Down Race Car, despite looking like the results of a rough street race, is a 1999 Chevy Camaro flipped on its lid and fitted with a beat-up, 190,000 mile 1.3 liter Ford Festiva engine and subframe. Given the sheer weight of the machine and the tiny engine, the power appears on par with a AMF Roadmaster moped. Or perhaps even slower. Speedycop confirms: "Putting this thing on a race course with real race cars would be tantamount to suicide, were it not for the stringent safety rules. Now, it's merely extremely hazardous, and highly ill-advised.For Speedycop, this is simply the next vehicle in a long list of potential upcoming nutty concepts: "I'm an 8 year-old kid trapped in a 40 year-old body," he says, "with just enough talent to pull off my wacky ideas." We can't wait to see what he pulls off next.

Red Sox trio watches an Athletics-Blue Jays game on their day off

Astute watchers of Monday's Oakland Athletics-Toronto Blue Jays game might have noticed three guys sitting behind home plate who looked like they could run out on the field and play some ball.
That's because they could.A trio of Boston Red Sox  Dustin Pedroia, Jonny Gomes and Jarrod Saltalamacchia  were spotted watching the Jays and A's, from two row behind home plate, proving that some ballplayers can't stay away from the game, even on their day off.The Red Sox just finished a stretch of 17 games in 17 days on Sunday, then flew from Kansas City to Toronto, where they'd have an off day before starting a series with the Blue Jays on Tuesday. It was their first day off since July 25.What to do with that free time? Sleep in? Go to the mall and buy some new underwear? Get a haircut? Saltalamacchia more than Pedroia. Well, maybe  but these three Red Sox took in some matinee baseball first. How often do you see that?
Worth a note: That's Rush singer and Blue Jays megafan Geddy Lee two seats down from the Boston bros. The guy in the middle? Not sure. But now he has a good story to tell about that time he sat between Geddy Lee and Dustin Pedroia at a Blue Jays game.

Swedish gamers nab record $1.4 million video game prize

Think gaming is a big waste of time? Don’t bother telling the members of Sweden’s Alliance pro gaming team, because they will laugh in your face. And possibly throw money in it.

The five-man squad won a staggering 1.4 million at the Defense of the Ancients 2 DOTA 2 world championships in Seattle this weekend  the largest single-event prize in pro gaming history.
Created by Valve Software, DOTA 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game pitting two teams of five against one another in strategic, fortress-destroying fights. Valve put up the lion’s share of The International DOTA 2 Tournament’s total prize money, which came out to nearly $3 million.
Sixteen teams from a dozen countries slugged it out over the course of the five-day even, with Alliance and the Ukranian team Na’Vi winding up on top. Over 1,700 spectators crowded Seattle's Benaroya Hall to watch the five-game Finals, which culminated in a match so awesome it left the DOTA 2 official blog gasping for air.“In a Tournament filled with great games, it was the greatest game we have ever seen,” they wrote. 'Not one single action by one team went uncountered by the other.Alliance’s win isn’t exactly shocking: the Stockholm-based team has won a stunning nine DOTA 2 tournaments since forming in April of this year. But none of those smaller contests compare to this one, which lends credence to the notion that international eSports players should be treated similarity to pro athletes.
Back in May, Canadian gamer Danny “Shiphtur” Le, recognized as one of the world's top players of competing MOBA League of Legends, became the first eSports athlete to be granted a U.S. visa in order to practice with his team in California.
It wasn’t easy, but League of Legends developer Riot Games successfully argued that their eSports League met the standards for a major sports league, which includes a minimum of six teams and at least $10 million in revenue.
"We had to show this was a profession," Riot VP Dustin Beck told the LA Times. "We had to make a case that this is just like Major League Baseball or the National Hockey League.

Jeff Saturday has lost a lot of weight, looks much different than when he played

For many athletes, retirement means no more year-round training, and getting fat on the couch.
For many NFL linemen, it's the opposite. Years of keeping
on as much weight as possible to battle in the trenches takes a toll, and they want to get back to being at a healthier size.
Such is the case for Jeff Saturday, who looks a whole lot different than the last time we saw him on a football field in the Pro Bowl.

Saturday, the longtime Colts center who was with Green Bay last year, took in Sunday's Colts-Bills preseason game and it was shocking to see the picture of him from Indianapolis Star photographer Matt Kryger on Twitter. Here's a side-by-side comparison:A couple weeks ago, ESPN's Ed Werder reported Saturday was 230-240 pounds, after weighing a listed 295 last season. That's a lot of weight to drop in about six months, and good for Saturday. We can also rule out any idea of a NFL comeback, unless he wants to play safety or something.

Wow! Christina Aguilera Reveals Dramatic Beauty Makeunder

Christina Aguilera is back!
All eyes were on the 32-year-old "Your Body" singer when she appeared at an NBC press event in Beverly
Hills on Saturday to promote her big return to "The Voice." Not only was the show mentor showing off her slim, trim new frame, which there has been buzz about in recent months, but she also unveiled a serious style makeunder.Wearing a curve-accentuating pink minidress with a flirty ruffled bottom, Aguilera looked like she did in her early days. The subtle, natural look (including her barely there makeup!) was a departure from how we've come to expect her on the reality series. There were no rhinestones, bustiers, hotpants, spiked berets, or other attention-grabbing fashions which have become part of her signature style on "The Voice." Just a beautiful, fresh-faced Aguilera, looking tanned, toned, rested, and ready for Season 5.
This isn't the first inkling we've had that her return (after sitting out Season 4) will bring new things. Earlier this month she rocked another more demure look at a press junket for the show. That style, which more business chic than rock star, had her in a hip-hugging black and white skirt and a black blouse that was significantly more conservative than her usual over-the-top fashions.I'm the type of person that I cannot live in front of the camera 24 hours a day," the singer told the Television Critics Association panel on Saturday about her hiatus from the show and new look. "I have to take breaks and stay connected with myself. I think it’s important so that I can then be [my] best on camera and find [my] own happiness with it.
Aguilera said her time off was also about spending time with her son, Max  and noted that when she's home with the 5-year-old, her personal style is stripped down and very simple.I'm a mom and … the cameras go off, I go home, I put on sweats and a T-shirt. The red lips come off. I check out and I’m mom," she said. "I needed some time to do that. He starts kindergarten this fall. ... I wanted to also, for myself, [to] have a moment … for me. It's really important to take that time in this business, when everything’s give, give, give  especially when you’re on camera so much  you need to take it back for a second and bring it back to yourself and just realign some things. I’ve been on a really incredible journey the past six months and I just feel revived.

Well, not only does she feel revived, but she also looks it. And we can't wait to see her with Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Cee Lo Green when "The Voice" returns on September 23.

Egypt warns sit-ins as weekend death toll climbs

CAIRO (AP)  Egypt's interior minister on Sunday pledged to deal decisively with any attempts to destabilize the country, a thinly veiled warning to supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi occupying two
squares in Cairo in a month-long stand-off with the security forces.The warning came as authorities said that the death toll in weekend clashes between Mohammed Morsi's Islamist backers and security forces near one of those sit-ins had reached 72, in the deadliest single outbreak of violence since the July 3 military coup.
"I assure the people of Egypt that the police are determined to maintain security and safety to their nation and are capable of doing so," Mohammed Ibrahim told a graduation ceremony at the national police academy. "We will very decisively deal with any attempt to undermine stability," said Ibrahim, who is in charge of the police.Ibrahim's comments added pressure on Morsi's backers three weeks after the Islamist president was ousted in a military coup that followed days of street protests by millions calling on him to step down.
On Friday, millions again took to the streets in a show of support for Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the military chief who ousted Morsi. Those protests were in response to Abdel-Fattah's call for a mandate for him and the police to tackle what he called violence and potential terrorism.View gallery."In this Friday, July 26, 2013, photo released on Saturday, …In this Friday, July 26, 2013, photo released on Saturday, July 27, by the Egyptian army, opponentsIbrahim, who had been appointed by Morsi, took an uncompromising stance in a news conference on Saturday, accusing the pro-Morsi side of provoking bloodshed to win sympathy and suggesting that authorities could move against the two main pro-Morsi protest camps: one outside the Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque in eastern Cairo and another in Nahda Square near the main campus of Cairo university.He depicted the two encampments as a danger to the public, pointing to a string of nine bodies police have said were found nearby in recent days. Some had been tortured to death, police have said, apparently by members of the sit-ins who believed they were spies.
"Soon we will deal with both sit-ins," Ibrahim said.On Tuesday, Khaled el-Khateeb, head of the ministry's emergency and intensive care department, said that beside the 72 killed in the Cairo clashes, eight were killed in clashes in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria also over the weekend.A total of 792 people were wounded in both incidents, which spanned Friday and early Saturday, he said.View gallery."In this Friday, July 26, 2013, photo released on Saturday, …
In this Friday, July 26, 2013, photo released on Saturday, July 27, by the Egyptian army, opponents  …
The Cairo violence took place when pro-Morsi protesters sought to expand their sit-in camp by moving onto a nearby main boulevard, only to be confronted by police and unidentified armed men in civilian clothes.
Civilians, sometimes with weapons, are frequently seen alongside police in Cairo demonstrations. In some cases, they appear to be police auxiliaries or plainclothesmen, in others residents who back the security forces.
Authorities concede that the vast majority of the dead in Cairo were demonstrators, but the Interior Ministry says some policemen were wounded and it is not clear if civilians who sided with police were among the dead.
The extent of the bloodshed pointed to a rapidly building confrontation between the country's two camps, sharply divided over the coup that removed Egypt's first freely elected president following protests by millions of Egyptians demanding he step down.
Officials from Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and their allies decried what they called a new "massacre" against their side, only weeks after July 8 clashes with army troops in Cairo that left more than 50 Morsi supporters dead.
View gallery."
In this Friday, July 26, 2013, photo released on Saturday, …
In this Friday, July 26, 2013, photo released on Saturday, July 27, by the Egyptian army, opponents  …
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that he spoke to Egyptian authorities, saying it is "essential" they respect the right to peaceful protest. He called on all sides to enter a "meaningful political dialogue" to "help their country take a step back from the brink."
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also asked security forces to "act with full respect for human rights" and demonstrators to "exercise restraint."The U.N.'s human rights chief Navi Pillay issued also condemned the violence.
In a Sunday statement, she said: "Despite all the warnings, all the calls for restraint, more than 150 Egyptians have died during protests over the past month, not just in Cairo but in other cities as well," she said. "I fear for the future of Egypt if the military and other security forces, as well as some demonstrators, continue to take such a confrontational and aggressive approach. Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood have the right to protest peacefully like anyone else."
Pillay called for a "credible, independent investigation" into the killings and punishment for those responsible. "Given what has happened in recent days, further protests are inevitable, and the onus is clearly on both the security forces and the protesters to ensure there is no repetition of yesterday's terrible and deeply tragic events."
View gallery."
In this Friday, July 26, 2013, photo released on Saturday, …
In this Friday, July 26, 2013, photo released on Saturday, July 27, by Egyptian army, opponents of E …
Neither side in the Egyptian conflict, however, has shown much taste for reconciliation. Islamists staunchly reject the new leadership and insist the only possible solution to the crisis is to reinstate Morsi. Meanwhile, the interim leadership is pushing ahead with a fast-track transition plan to return to a democratically elected government by early next year.

Interim Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei, a longtime pro-democracy campaigner who backed the military's ouster of Morsi, raised one of the few notes of criticism of Saturday's bloodshed.

"I highly condemn the excessive use of force and the fall of victims," he wrote in a tweet, though he did not directly place blame for the use of force. He added that he is "working very hard and in all directions to end this confrontation in a peaceful manner."

But the image of the Islamists as dangerous and not the peaceful protesters they contend they are has had a strong resonance. Over past weeks, there have been cases of armed Islamist Morsi backers attacking opponents — though the reverse also has occurred. Before Saturday, some 180 people had been killed in clashes nationwide.

Great white shark tagging expedition said to be most ambitious in U.S. history

Imagine a world in which people can keep tabs on all of the large great white sharks that roam the world’s oceans.Lots more would be learned about apex predators that, by and large, remain mysterious.

While tht day may never come, scientists are getting closer, and this week a group called OCEARCH has announced that it will embark on the most ambitious tagging project in U.S. history.
OCEARCH, led by Chris Fischer and Greg Skomal, on Tuesday will embark on a month-long expedition off Cape Cod, during which it plans to capture, tag, and release as many as 20 great white sharksDuring the tagging process, a team of scientists will take samples and conduct other studies they say will help answer a lot of unknowns.

 

 It’s hoped that more knowledge will help scientists pursue greater protections in areas the sharks frequent.

On the West Coast, different scientists have determined that many adult white sharks that gather seasonally at seal rookeries off California and at Mexico’s Guadalupe Island venture to a vast featureless area each spring and summer. It’s not yet known why.
Off the East Coast, OCEARCH is learning that white sharks spend lots more time off the Southeast than previously believed. One shark shocked scientists, however, when it ventured far up the coast in the winter, at which time the water temperature was 38 degrees.
Fisher, who was interviewed on CBS about the project (video posted above), said that in order to obtain a clearer picture of where these sharks travel, a larger sample size is required.
Because white sharks are an embattled species around the world, scientists everywhere agree, more research and a greater understanding of their habits is needed.
Said Fischer: “They are the balance keeper, the lion of the ocean. There is no robust path forward for the ocean, without a robust path for their sharks. And we must understand their lives to be able to impact their future.


“This expedition brings together an amazing team of researchers with broad experience in multiple disciplines,” said Skomal, a senior scientist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. “In doing so, we will be conducting over a dozen studies on white sharks, ranging from broad and fine scale migratory patterns to sonograms.
Our knowledge base on Atlantic white sharks will grow exponentially, helping both science and public safety.”Thanks to a permit issued by Massachusetts, the group will be working close to the Cape Cod coast, where 15,000 seals gather seasonally, attracting predatory white sharks. The expedition, funded largely by Caterpillar, will be aboard the 126-foot MV/OCEARCH.
OCEARCH, through its Shark Tracker website, is already monitoring the movements of 38 sharks worldwide. Among the handful that has already been tagged off the East Coast are Mary Lee and Lydia.
Mary Lee is a 3,500-pound female who was tagged last year, and scientists, students, and shark fans have plotted a course that extends as far north as Boston to her current position off Georgia.
Lydia is a 2,000-pound female who was tagged last March, and has since traveled eastward, far beyond Bermuda, as far north as Rhode Island, and is presently off the Southeast, like Mary Lee.At one point Lydia was right up along the coast of Jacksonville, Florida.
While the OCEARCH tagging program is somewhat controversial, because it entails bolting a large satellite SPOT tag to the predators’ dorsal fins, it is beginning to give scientists a better understanding of where these iconic sharks travel.

Gone batty: David Ortiz ejected after arguing balls and strikes, destroys bullpen phone

Boston Red Sox designed hitter David Ortiz officially flipped his lid on Saturday night.
After striking out in the seventh inning against Jairo Asencio, Ortiz turned his attention to home plate umpire
Tim Timmons to argue a 3-0 strike call earlier in the at-bat. To Timmons' credit, he let Ortiz show him up by pointing to his helmet  indicating he felt the pitch in question was too high  and give him an earful all the way back to the dugout without reacting. In most cases, Ortiz's actions constitute an immediate ejection, but Timmons was willing to move on had he dropped his case peacefully.
Instead, Ortiz went bonkers and ended up smashing the bullpen phone in the visiting dugout at Camden Yards into smithereens with his bat (see: 1:22 in the video).
Ortiz's violent meltdown didn't really fall under the entertainment category. It was actually very dangerous and a little scary as shrapnel from the bat and phone flew all over the dugout. In fact, some of the shrapnel nearly took a chunk out of teammate Dustin Pedroia.

Woah. Easy there, big fella.
With the dust and particles now settled, I think it's safe to say a suspension will be coming Ortiz's way in the coming days. It probably won't be a lengthy ban, but it's a good time to send another reminder that such violent outbursts can't and won't be tolerated by Major League Baseball.
Fortunately for the Red Sox, a suspension is the only thing they have to worry about right now. That's a much better outcome than setting a timetable for Pedroia's return had one of those pieces of shrapnel found its way into his eye.

Couple Born on Same Day, Married 75 Years, Die One Day Apart

 A California couple born on the same day and married for 75 years, died only one day apart.
According to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Helen and Les Brown died on July 16 and 17 respectively
, both were 94.Zach Henderson, owner of the Ma N'Pa Grocery in Long Beach, Calif., said he saw the couple almost daily and called their relationship "a wonderful blessing.About a year ago, [Helen] had her hand on his face and they were cheek to cheek," Henderson said. "She said, 'Isn't he the most handsome man you've ever seen?' hat's exactly how they were. They were full of love and passion."
According to the Press-Telegram, the couple also shared the same birthday of Dec. 31, 1918, and eloped in 1937 after they met in high school.Henderson said that even though the couple were in their 90s they remained active in their community and insisted a local band set up in their driveway during a residential block party.They were fun-loving and beautiful people," Henderson said.
The couple were Jehovah's Witnesses and their oldest son, Les Brown Jr., told the Press-Telegram their faith strengthened their marriage.
"t was a real love match, wasn't it," said Les Brown Jr. "They were together every day for 75 years."
'Hope Springs' Eternal for Long Married Couples
When they died, the Press-Telegram reported that Les Brown was suffering from Parkinson's disease and Helen Brown had stomach cancer. However, Henderson said he never realized that Helen Brown was sick, even though he dropped off groceries to their home almost on daily basis.
She was completely cognitive," Henderson said, describing how he found Helen Brown a few days before she died. It seems like she was waiting for Les to be comfortable and they were going to move on to something else with each other.A public service will be held for the couple on Saturday afternoon in Long Beach, Calif.