Hot Dog Marketing Online - ShoeMoney Internet Marketing Blog

A lot of people call me ?The Hotdogman.? I got my nickname from working in the food business, just like Shoemoney. Last week, all the buzz at Affiliate Summit West was about Shoemoney?s book, Nothing?s Changed But My Change, The Shoemoney Story. I picked one up at the Summit and read it on my flight home, it was a pretty good read and a great American Dream kind of tale. I met up with Jeremy on the exhibit hall floor and we had a chat. As it invariably does, the conversation swung around to hot dogs. Since I am The Hotdogman, I guess that?s a good thing; I have branded myself well in the internet marketing world.

As we were talking, Jeremy remarked that being a hot dog vendor and an internet marketer have a lot of similarities. We tossed that idea around for a minute or two, and the more I thought about it, the more I thought he was right. I was a hot dog truck owner and operator for 6 years and I started fiddling around with blogs, the internet, and affiliate marketing back in 2007 when a particularly harsh winter kept the truck closed for a few months.

That?s when I started The Hot Dog Truck, a blog about ?the life and times of a Hotdogman.? I started monetizing my site with Adsense (thanks in part to a certain blogger?s famous photo), did a lot of paid posting, and began experimenting with affiliate marketing. My wife thought I was wasting my time, but she changed her tune when I used my first few months blog earnings to take the family to Las Vegas to visit her folks! She?s been on board with my ?online thing? since. Six years later, the hot dog truck is gone, but the website remains. I also have a stable of 20 or so niche sites and I do freelance writing.

Hot Dogs and Marketing

My transition from hot dog man to The Hotdogman online was fairly easy, I have always been a decent writer and I was in sales since I was ten years old. Marketing online was understandable and doable for me. I decided to give the internet marketing thing a serious whirl when a series of bad luck left me essentially disabled for nearly a year; I got Lyme Disease, bad blood clots, and I broke my knee! The immobility this caused lent itself to spending my days at the computer. I sold my hot dog truck and dove right in to creating websites and marketing various products online.

My first ventures were geared toward what I know, most notably hot dogs. I sold hot dog related courses and products across a series of websites with success. When I was doing this, I?d think back to what made me successful in the hot dog business and applied what I could. The most notable similarity between online marketing and selling hot dogs is the autonomy for the entrepreneur. Both businesses can be one man (or one woman) ventures. As many people who read this know, there is nothing quite like working for yourself. You don?t have to answer to a boss, you do things your own way, and you reap all the financial rewards from your ventures.

Going into the hot dog business is a low investment proposition. Even a shiny new hot dog cart can be bought for less than three grand; if you buy used, that number goes lower. Compared to opening a brick and mortar restaurant, starting up a hot dog cart is short money. The same is true for starting out in internet marketing. I got started with eight bucks and a free host. As time went on, I invested in premium WordPress themes, an email program, more domains, private servers, and other tools, but other than that first eight bucks, I never paid for any of that stuff ?out-of-pocket.? Investments into my growing online ?empire? always came from profits. I don?t know any other legitimate business you can start for eight bucks!

The Hot Dog Cart Principle in Online Marketing

Starting in the hot dog business is a bit more complicated than buying a cart, setting up shop, and hanging out a sign. There are some regulations involved and you need the appropriate permits. You also need to sell. If nobody knows you?re there, you won?t sell any hot dogs; you need to market your business. That involves getting out to the businesses nearby and giving them an incentive to stop by and try your chow. Theoretically, once someone takes a bite of your delicious hot dogs, they?ll tell their friends and co-workers and you?ll be off and running.

The same goes for online marketing. Like any business, there are rules and regulations to follow, so you need to know them before you get started. You could have the best offer or product in the world, but nobody will buy it unless they know about it. Just setting up a website and hoping won?t get you any sales. You need to use proven methods for generating traffic, the online equivalent of letting people know about your offer. Just like offering a free hot dog to get people to try you out, you can offer incentives to take a look at your offer. Think about it, how many free e-books have you downloaded? (I like mine with mustard and relish).

Whether you?re selling hot dogs or an online product, you still need to provide value to your customer. A good hot dog man will have premium hot dogs, fresh rolls and condiments, and he?ll serve them up HOT for a fair price. A good online marketer will have a quality offer or product that gives the customer what they?re looking for, whether it?s a product to solve a problem, an entertaining book, or a deal on the latest gadget, there has to be value for the customer at the right price or else you?re spinning your wheels.

Both businesses are scalable, too. I know many successful hot dog vendors who have moved on to managing multiple carts and trucks and even opened full-on restaurants. The concept is fairly simple and easily duplicated, you just need to find the right people. Online marketing is the same. Once you have a system and a set of processes in place, you can expand and duplicate your business. Hiring the right people is key here too. Make sure you hire and work with people who have complimentary skill sets. I started with one website, now I have more than 20 and I have people I call on for certain tasks that I just am not good at.

Notice in that previous paragraph ?the right people? came up a number of times. Whether you?re selling hot dogs or pitching the latest hot info product, having good people to work for/with you is key. A crappy employee can bring down any small business pretty quick if left unchecked. Whether that employee is serving food that?s under cooked or servicing online customers with an inconsistent attitude, the bad apple can be a killer. Conversely, good people can boost your business. An enthusiastic, friendly vendor brings people back to your cart. A savvy employee who ?gets out there? and helps boost business, whether it?s with good follow through or promotion through their social media networks, can be a great asset to any business.

Not ready to leave the security of a paycheck to start a business? Start part-time! Hot Dog vending can be started as a part time venture. Just work weekend events or find opportunities to set up shop within your existing schedule. The same goes for an online business. You can start on your living room couch! Spend a few hours a day building your business; you?ll know when you can transition to full-time in either venture.

Fun is Good too

Online marketing and hot dog vending are fun businesses. I was always cutting it up with my customers at my hot dog truck and I made many new friends in the six years I was in the business. Hardly a week goes by that I don?t run into an old customer. I?ve even made some good business connections from my old hot dog contacts! Online marketing is fun too. While many relationships are forged online, the same principles apply. Treat people well, be nice, offer good products and service and you?ll make new friends. The one thing online marketing has going for it in the fun department over the hot dog business is industry events. Parties at online marketing conferences ROCK! Hot dog events I?ve attended have been small; while they were fun and informative, there were never open bars in fancy nightclubs with go-go girls!

It all boils down to one thing: good old American entrepreneurship. Despite the woes afflicting our nation right now, entrepreneurship is alive and well in the US of A. Many of the hot dog vendors I encounter on a regular basis are in the business due to corporate downsizing. They chose the hot dog biz for many of the same reasons I listed here. The same goes for online marketing. Many people are content to moan about the economy and wring their hands in despair. The folks who decide to do something about it, whether they start slinging hot dogs or selling stuff online REFUSE to let macro circumstances dictate their future. No matter what the economy looks like, people still need a good, cheap lunch and they?ll continue to by all sorts of products online. Entrepreneurs who decide to capitalize on opportunities will always find success if they go about it the right way.

The most important thing any entrepreneur can do is get started NOW! No business gets started by thinking about it. If you want to sell hot dogs, start scouting locations, research carts, and learn about your business. If you want to get going in the online marketing game, start learning the basics (I hear Shoemoney has a course or two about that). You can have a website up in an hour or two. I know many online entrepreneurs who built a website in one night and were doing business the very next day. Don?t fall into the ?paralysis by analysis? trap, if you want to start a business, START NOW!

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Michelle recommends you check out these amazing posts:

1. Men (And Women) Of Honor ? In An Industry That Does Not Have Much
2. Perception is Everything (or ?Fake It ?Til You Make It?)
3. Should I sell my website?

Source: http://www.shoemoney.com/2013/01/30/hot-dog-marketing-online

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Tornado rips through Georgia city

Amateur video taken from inside a Food Lion store captures a tornado as it tears through Adairsville, Georgia. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

By John Newland and Andrew Mach, NBC News

A violent tornado that ripped through Adairsville, Ga., on Wednesday, killed at least one person, overturned cars, littered Interstate 75 with debris, and forced officials to shut down a 10-mile stretch of the road, officials said.

Numerous buildings in nearby Bartow, Ga., some with people inside, were also damaged in the powerful storm, and police have received multiple calls of injuries and trauma, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

A man was killed in the state when the tornado hit his mobile home, Bartow County officials said.

Eight people went to the hospital with injuries following the storm, officials at Gordon Hospital in Calhoun, Ga., said. The storm also left at least 10,500 without power statewide, utilities providers said.

That twister was only one of a handful that touched down in the South and the Midwest Wednesday, as storms throughout the region caused widespread power outages, structural damages and were blamed for another death in the region.

The National Weather Service also confirmed another twister touched down in Sardis, Miss., heavily damaging homes in Solsberry, Ind.

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Severe winds and rain threatened along a thousand-mile line stretching from Cleveland, Ohio, to New Orleans, The Weather Channel reported. Tornado warnings were issued in areas from central Tennessee and Kentucky to northern and western Georgia and were in effect until Wednesday afternoon. The National Weather Service issued tornado watches across large swaths of Georgia, as well as parts of southeastern Alabama and western portions of the Carolinas, until Wednesday night.

Earlier, a 47-year-old man in Nashville, Tenn., was killed when a tree fell on a shed he was in, according to local fire department officials.

Meanwhile, in Monticello, Ark., a woman was struck by lightning late Tuesday but only had minor injuries, according to police, and a 32-year-old woman and a 7-year-old boy were treated for minor injuries in Marion County, Ky., the emergency management division reported.

Wild weather with high winds and torrential downpours rolled through central and southern states toppling trees and leaving thousands without power. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

Packing quarter-size hail and powerful winds, the storms also knocked out power to thousands of people throughout the region early Wednesday.

In Memphis, Tenn., more than 13,000 customers lost power as high winds tore down power lines and at least two tornado warnings were issued in the area, but later expired, according to the National Weather Service.

And more than 7,300 Nashville customers were without power, according to Nashville Electric. Utilities reported another 8,000 outages in Arkansas, 7,000 in Mississippi, and nearly 12,000 in Indiana.

In Arlington, Tenn., downed power lines sparked a fast-spreading grass fire that caused the evacuation of a small mental-health facility, Arlington Fire Department Lt. Chad Wiseman said.

"The wind was pushing everything really fast," Wiseman said, adding that gusts reached 50 mph as the fire was burning. "The wind feeds everything. The wind will turn a little grass fire into something that was shooting 15- or 20-foot flames in the air. It looked pretty scary."

The fire was brought under control within an hour, officials said.

A number of factors have helped build the storm system, according to meteorologists. Unseasonably warm, wet air has been pushed up from the Gulf of Mexico by southerly winds, and that is being met by cold air coming in from the Plains via Canada, The Weather Channel?s Chad Burke said, adding that the cold air is being driven eastward by unusually high winds.

"It's not a normal pattern for this time of year," said Burke. "The warm air has changed the dynamic. On the back end of the storm, you have high temperatures in the 50s and 60s in places like Chicago. By tomorrow night, they'll be at 11 (degrees)."

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/30/16766531-tornado-rips-through-georgia-city-as-storms-wreak-havoc-in-the-south?lite

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Playing Racist or Sexist Characters

Here's one that just occurred to me, I am pretty much liberal in my mindset, but I see writing as a way to indulge or explore darker side of our natures, roleplaying especially. Has anyone ever done characters who may be sexist or racist in some way and if so how far did you go? Was it subtle or extreme, explain your experience of trying this and what you found from it and do you still play them?

I admit this is quite controversial a question, but really rather curious and wonder how did you manage playing them as such? Was it soul-crushing or was it little too easier than you thought it would be.

We help the multi-nationals
when they cry out protect us.
The locals scream and shout a bit,
but we don?t let that affect us.
We?re here to lend a helping hand
in case they don?t elect us.
How dare they buy our products
yet still they don?t respect us.

Billy Bragg - The Marching Song Of The Covert Battalions

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/NZVgEx5urG8/viewtopic.php

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Moody?s could downgrade debt rating for Energen Corp. and Alabama Gas Corp.

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Apple boosts fourth-generation iPad to 128GB for $799

Apple's iPad line has topped out at 64GB since it was born. That perennial ceiling has been smashed: the company is hiking the capacity of the fourth-generation iPad to a whopping (and only recently rumored) 128GB. The hardware hasn't otherwise changed and preserves both the performance and dimensions that we already know. The WiFi and cellular versions get equal treatment, although we'll pay dearly for the increase at $799 for the base WiFi version and $929 for the cellular edition. Both of the extra-capacious tablets will be available February 5th.

Show full PR text

Apple Increases iPad with Retina Display to 128GB

Offers Twice the Storage Capacity to Create & Enjoy Even More Incredible Content

CUPERTINO, Calif., Jan 29, 2013 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Apple(R) today announced a 128GB* version of the fourth generation iPad(R) with Retina(R) display. The 128GB iPad with Wi-Fi and iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular models provide twice the storage capacity of the 64GB models to hold even more valuable content including photos, documents, projects, presentations, books, movies, TV shows, music and apps.

"With more than 120 million iPads sold, it's clear that customers around the world love their iPads, and everyday they are finding more great reasons to work, learn and play on their iPads rather than their old PCs," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "With twice the storage capacity and an unparalleled selection of over 300,000 native iPad apps, enterprises, educators and artists have even more reasons to use iPad for all their business and personal needs."

iPad continues to have a significant impact on business with virtually all of the Fortune 500 and over 85 percent of the Global 500 currently deploying or testing iPad. Companies regularly utilizing large amounts of data such as 3D CAD files, X-rays, film edits, music tracks, project blueprints, training videos and service manuals all benefit from having a greater choice of storage options for iPad. The over 10 million iWork(R) users, and customers who rely on other incredible apps like Global Apptitude for analyzing team film and creating digital playbooks, Auria for an incredible 48 track recording system, or AutoCAD for drafting architectural and engineering drawings, also benefit greatly from having the choice of an iPad with more storage capacity.

"Our AutoCAD WS app for iOS was designed to give customers seamless access to their designs anywhere, anytime," said Amy Bunszel, vice president of AutoCAD products for Autodesk. "These files are often large and highly detailed so having the thin and light iPad with its Multitouch display, integrated camera and all-day battery life, is a real advantage for iPad users to view, edit and share their AutoCAD data."

"The features and capabilities of iPad give us the ability to set a new standard for multitrack recording and editing on a mobile device," said Rim Buntinas, WaveMachine Labs' CEO. "Users of the Auria app can play 48 mono or stereo 24bit/96 kHz tracks simultaneously, record up to 24 of those tracks simultaneously, and also edit and mix with familiar tools. With its portability and all-day battery life, iPad has revolutionized recording for audio professionals allowing artists to record anywhere."

"The bottom line for our customers is winning football games, and iPad running our GamePlan solution unquestionably helps players be as prepared as possible," said Randall Fusee, Global Apptitude Co-Founder. "The iPad's unbeatable combination of security, being thin and light, having an incredible Retina display and also being powerful enough to handle large amounts of data enables us to deliver a product that takes film study to a new level and ultimately gives our users the best opportunity to prepare, execute and win."

The fourth generation iPad features a gorgeous 9.7-inch Retina display, Apple-designed A6X chip, FaceTime(R) HD camera, iOS 6.1 and ultrafast wireless performance**. iOS 6.1 includes support for additional LTE networks around the world***, and iTunes Match(SM) subscribers can download individual songs to their iOS devices from iCloud(R).

iPad runs over 800,000 apps available on the App Store(SM), including more than 300,000 apps designed specifically for iPad, from a wide range of categories including books, games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. iPad also supports the more than 5,000 newspapers and magazines offered in Newsstand, and the more than 1.5 million books available on the iBookstore(SM).

Pricing & Availability

The new 128GB versions of the fourth generation iPad will be available starting Tuesday, February 5, in black or white, for a suggested retail price of $799 (US) for the iPad with Wi-Fi model and $929 (US) for the iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular model. All versions of the 128GB iPad will be sold through the Apple Online Store ( www.apple.com ), Apple retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

Filed under: Tablets, Apple

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Source: Apple

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Thick smog hits Beijing; dozens of flights canceled

The pollution levels in China's capital have gotten so bad that sometimes airline pilots lose visibility, and there has been a surge in respiratory illnesses. NBC's Brian Williams reports.

By Louise Watt, The Associated Press

Thick, off-the-scale smog shrouded eastern China for the second time in about two weeks Tuesday, forcing airlines to cancel flights because of poor visibility and prompting Beijing to temporarily shut factories and curtail fleets of government cars.

The capital was a colorless scene. Street lamps and the outlines of buildings receded into a white haze as pedestrians donned face masks to guard against the caustic air. The flight cancellations stranded passengers during the first week of the country's peak, six-week period for travel surrounding the Chinese New Year on Feb. 10.

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The U.S. Embassy reported an hourly peak level of PM2.5 ? tiny particulate matter that can penetrate deep into the lungs ? at 526 micrograms per cubic meter, or "beyond index," and more than 20 times higher than World Health Organization safety levels over a 24-hour period.

Liu Peng, an employee at a financial institution in Beijing, said he will keep his newborn baby indoors.

Ng Han Guan/AP

A man wears a mask as he walks through the thick haze on Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Jan. 29.

"It's really bad for your health, obviously," Liu said. "I bike to work every day and always wear a mask. The pollution in recent years is probably due to the increase in private cars and government cars."

Visibility was less than 100 yards in some areas of eastern China, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. More than 100 flights were canceled in the eastern city of Zhengzhou, 33 in Beijing, 20 in Qingdao and 13 in Jinan.

Petar Kujundzic/Reuters

Cars drive along a street on a hazy day in Beijing on Jan. 29.

Every year, China's transport system bursts at the seams as tens of millions of people travel for the Lunar New Year holiday, in the world's largest seasonal migration of people.

Ren Haiqiang, a bank worker in his early 30s, said he had booked tickets to fly out of Beijing on Thursday to visit family in the coastal city of Dalian, but now worried about flight cancellations.

"Traveling over the holiday is already a huge hassle, along with all the gift-giving and family visits. We thought flying would be the best way to avoid the crush, but if the weather continues like this we'll be in real trouble," Ren said as he waited in line at a bakery in downtown Beijing.

Beijing's city government ordered 103 heavily polluting factories to suspend production and told government departments and state-owned enterprises to reduce their use of cars by a third, Xinhua said. The measures last until Thursday.

Beijing's official readings for PM2.5 were lower than the embassy's ? 433 micrograms per cubic meter at one point in the afternoon? but even that level is considered "severe" and prompted the city government to advise residents to stay indoors as much as possible. The government said that because there was no wind, the smog probably would not dissipate quickly.

Patients seeking treatment for respiratory ailments rose by about 30 percent over the past month at the Jiangong Hospital in downtown Beijing, Emergency Department chief Cui Qifeng said.

"People tend to catch colds or suffer from lung infections during the days with heavily polluted air," he said.

Air pollution has long been a problem in Beijing, but the country has been more open about releasing statistics on PM2.5 ? considered a more accurate reflection of air quality than other pollutants ? only since early last year. The city hit its highest readings on Jan. 12, when U.S. Embassy readings of PM2.5 reached as high as 886 micrograms per cubic meter.

Celebrity real estate developer Pan Shiyi, who has previously pushed for cities to publish more detailed air quality data and who is a delegate to Beijing's legislature, called Tuesday morning for a "Clean Air Act." By late afternoon, his online poll had received more than 29,000 votes, with 99 percent in favor.

On Monday, Wang Anshun was elected Beijing's mayor after telling lawmakers the municipal government should make more efforts to fight air pollution, according to Xinhua.

Last week, he announced plans to remove 180,000 older vehicles from the city's roads and promote government cars and heating systems that use clean energy.

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/29/16756407-thick-smog-hits-beijing-dozens-of-flights-canceled?lite

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Rockets hand Jazz worst home loss, 125-80

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) ? The Houston Rockets had plenty of trouble getting to Salt Lake City as a blizzard left them grounded for a while in western Colorado.

Once they arrived, they made the Jazz pay, rolling to a 125-80 victory on Monday night and handing Utah the most-lopsided home loss in franchise history.

"We could have had Michael Jordan in his prime with us tonight . and it wouldn't have mattered (the way we played)," Jazz center Al Jefferson lamented.

"It was like everything went wrong. They came ready to play. I don't know where our energy was."

The Rockets, after recently suffering through a seven-game slide, are out of that funk. They have now won three straight and four of their last five.

"That's the way we have to play," Houston coach Kevin McHale said. "We have to play with pace. We have to move the ball. The ball can't get sticky. It's got to go from side to side. And guys just got to make plays."

James Harden continued to do most of the damage, scoring 25 points despite sitting the entire fourth quarter with the rest of the Rockets starters.

Harden, selected as an All-Star for the first time recently, has averaged 27.2 points in his last five games.

When he wasn't driving the lane, the Rockets were pouring in 3-pointers.

They hit 16 of 34 on the night to tie their season high for shots made beyond the arc.

But it was their pace that floored the Jazz, outscoring Utah 26-2 on the break.

"That's how we play," Harden said. "If you watch Rockets basketball, you know we get out in transition and we get some stops. We just try to do a good job of that for 48 minutes."

The Rockets held Utah to 39.5 percent shooting, and the Jazz made just 5 of 18 3-pointers.

Carlos Delfino and Marcus Morris each hit four 3-pointers alone for Houston and Omer Asik tied a career high with 19 rebounds.

Every Rockets player scored, including six in double figures, with Morris adding 16 and Delfino 14.

"It was just fun because everyone was getting involved," said Chandler Parsons, who added 12 points. "And it was right from the tip. We wanted to emphasize transition defense and taking care of the ball. We did those two things beautifully tonight and played unselfish. Everyone was just having fun out there and it's a lot more fun to play that way."

Houston led by 21 points in the second, by 35 in the third and kept pouring it on in the fourth.

The Rockets closed the third with three straight 3s ? two by Morris and one by Harden ? then saw Morris drain another 3 to open the fourth.

By then the fans were already booing and heading for the exits.

"We should have been booing ourselves," said Jefferson, who had 10 points on 5-of-13 shooting.

Randy Foye led Utah with 12 points.

Utah trailed by 50 points before a driving layup by Alec Burks and 3-pointer by rookie Kevin Murphy in the final 20 seconds.

Utah's previous most-lopsided loss at home was by 33 points to Milwaukee on Nov. 18, 1980. It was the fifth worst overall for the franchise.

"I don't think this ruins us," said Gordon Hayward, who did not play because of a sprained shoulder.

Still, the Jazz hardly looked like the team that had won nine of their previous 12.

They had been undefeated at home in January ? 6-0 ? with their last loss in Salt Lake City coming Dec. 28 against the Los Angeles Clippers in which they blew a 21-point lead.

Unlike the Jazz, the Rockets weren't about to blow this one.

"I think this is something we definitely needed," said guard Jeremy Lin, who took only five shots Monday but made all five to finish with 12 points.

It was a special trip for Lin, who arrived in Salt Lake City early enough Sunday night to slip in for the last screening of the documentary "Linsanity" during the Sundance Film Festival.

The movie premiered about a year after Lin began catapulting to worldwide stardom in New York. He was an afterthought only a month before, cut by the Rockets on Christmas Day and claimed by the Knicks off waivers.

If his rise to fame was crazy, so was Monday's game.

"It's a testament to how the ball moved tonight and how everyone was looking for everybody. When you have a team play like that, play so unselfishly, it's a beautiful thing to watch," Lin said.

NOTES: Eighty-nine-year-old Wataru Misaka, the first player of Asian descent to play in the NBA, was at Monday's game to watch Lin warm up. Misaka, once discriminated against because of his Japanese ancestry, recalled writing Lin a note of encouragement "when he was with Oakland back in the dark days when things didn't look too good for him. He didn't have all these fans at this time but he's made a lot of progress since then and I think he's in a much better place now." Misaka, who lives in nearby Bountiful, is a former point guard who played for the New York Knicks in the 1947-48 season and led the University of Utah to the 1944 NCAA championship. "He broke a lot of barriers and racial stereotypes," Lin told the Houston Chronicle of Misaka. "You have to pay respect to the people who came before you." Lin is the first American-born NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rockets-hand-jazz-worst-home-loss-125-80-042405302--spt.html

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Digital Music News - Metallica: When Streaming Hits 20 Million ...

Tuesday, January 29, 2013
by ?paul

Is there an imaginary sweet spot where it all makes sense? ?Yes, according to longtime Metallica manager Cliff Burnstein, who recently orchestrated an exclusive deal with Spotify. ?Burnstein postulates that once streaming subscription services hit 20 million subscribers, payouts to artists will suddenly make sense -- even if iTunes downloads get completely wiped out. ?"There is a point at which there could be 100 percent cannibalization, and we would make more money through subscription services," Burnstein told the New York Times. ? ??

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Early stats show a rather immediate cannibalization effect following Metallica's Spotify ingestion late last year. ?But insiders say Metallica, now independent and in control of their masters, definitely isn't getting screwed by its recent Spotify deal. ?In fact, Spotify likely added substantial sweeteners to the deal to secure Metallica's exclusive participation. ?

But what about those that are less fortunate? ?This is the point where Spotify (and Pandora, and other streaming) executives might want to consider things carefully. ?An angry comment section on Digital Music News is one thing, but now, massive outlets like the New York Times are taking notice (yeah, they have internet access, too). ?"But as the companies behind these digital services swell into multibillion-dollar enterprises, the relative trickle of money that has made its way to artists is causing anxiety at every level of the business," Times journalist Ben Sisario wrote.

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Indeed, Sisario was interviewing industry-influential musicians like Zoe Keating, whose paltry payouts have ignited a discussion about what's fair. ?"In certain types of music, like classical or jazz, we are condemning [musicians] to poverty if this is going to be the only way people consume music," Keating starkly warned.

The question is whether this leads to more mainstream awareness of the payout problem, including the inconvenient truth that many artists never get paid - at all. ?Coverage by mega-papers like the New York Times could snowball, and shift the discussion entirely for millions of existing and potential subscribers.

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There's also another inconvenient truth: the industry is closer to 20 million than you might think. ?According to a tally compiled by Digital Music News earlier this month, worldwide streaming subscription numbers are already comfortably over 10 million, and quickly careening towards the 15 million mark. ?Which raises the question of whether 20 million is a happy tipping point, or another dissillusionment waiting to happen. ?

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Source: http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2013/20130129metallica

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Michael J. Stover appointed vice president of operations services for Marathon Oil Corporation

Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO) announced today that Michael J. Stover, currently manager of the Company?s mid-continent production operations, has been appointed to the newly established position of vice president, Operations Services effective Feb. 1, 2013. In this role, Stover will?have oversight responsibility for Marathon Oil?s Upstream Development, Technology, Technical Excellence, Global Procurement, Land and Commercial Services, and Drilling and Completions activities. Stover will be based in Houston and report to Marathon Oil Corporation chairman, president and CEO Clarence P. Cazalot Jr.?Establishing this new position and capturing the increased organizational alignment associated with it is consistent with our ongoing drive to achieve greater efficiencies throughout Marathon Oil,? said Cazalot. ?Mike possesses a strong blend of operations, technical and planning experience and expertise that will play an important role in our ability to further optimize the contributions of these key services to our continued success.?

Stover earned a Bachelor of Science degree in petroleum and natural gas engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1986.? He joined Marathon Oil that same year, initially as a roustabout, followed by operations and reservoir engineering assignments for the Yates Field located in West Texas. In 1991, he transferred to the Company?s international group in Houston and was responsible for reservoir and economic studies for fields in Ireland, Tunisia, and Norway. From 1995 thru 2000, Stover was located in Anchorage, Alaska, where he worked both development and exploration projects associated with Marathon Oil?s operations on the Kenai Peninsula.

In 2000, he joined Marathon Oil?s Corporate Strategic Planning group in Houston. In this assignment, his responsibilities included business planning and corporate portfolio modeling to support the reorganization of USX Corporation that lead to the establishment of Marathon Oil Corporation as a standalone company.

Following that assignment Stover relocated to Aberdeen, Scotland, where he held the position of European Business Unit Subsurface and Business Planning Manager. In 2005, he relocated to Houston where assumed the role of East Texas/North Louisiana Asset Manager. In 2006, his area of responsibility was expanded to include Marathon Oil?s Oklahoma oil and gas properties.

In 2009, he assumed the position of Director of Central Evaluation and Financial Planning. In this role, Stover was responsible for providing financial and portfolio analysis across the business enterprise. In late 2011, he assumed his current role of Mid-Continent Asset Manager with responsibility for Marathon Oil?s assets and operations in Oklahoma, East Texas, North Louisiana and Colorado.

Source: Marathon Oil Corporation

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Source: http://www.yourindustrynews.com/blog/?p=17946

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Glance: 5 teasers to watch before the Super Bowl

This screenshot provided by Kraft shows the Super Bowl teaser advertisement for Volkswagen called ?Get In. Get Happy. (AP Photo/Volkswagen)

This screenshot provided by Kraft shows the Super Bowl teaser advertisement for Volkswagen called ?Get In. Get Happy. (AP Photo/Volkswagen)

This screenshot provided by Kraft shows the Super Bowl teaser advertisement for Kraft's Mio water enhancing drops. Tracy Morgan seemingly curses in the spot introducing him as the spokesman for the drops. (AP Photo/Kraft)

This screenshot provided by Kraft shows the Super Bowl teaser advertisement for Kraft's Mio water enhancing drops. Tracy Morgan seemingly curses in the spot introducing him as the spokesman for the drops. (AP Photo/Kraft)

At least 15 advertisers are expected to launch teasers for their ads running during Super Bowl XLVII. The goal is to create interest for ads without spilling the beans on the Game Day spot. Here are 5 teaser ads to seek out online before the game on Sunday:

1. Mercedes-Benz: In a spot that has gotten 5.4 million views on Youtube.com, supermodel Kate Upton wears a low-cut tank top as she oversees football players washing her car.

On the Web: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPq7jVGPs3g

2. Volkswagen: Volkswagen's teaser spot shows people who have starred in videos online previously erupting in temper tantrums on a sunny hilltop to sing "Get Happy" with reggae singer Jimmy Cliff

On the Web: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfCm9P8naDQ

3. Gildan Activewear: First-time Super Bowl advertiser Gildan Activewear teases a spot that shows a man waking up dazed in a bedroom with furry handcuffs around his wrist.

On the Web: http://www.youtube.com/user/GildanTV?v=_KIKjcMTKPk

4. Kraft's Mio: "30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan appears to say a bleeped out profanity in a teaser to introduce Mio's sports drink drops, Mio Fit.

On the Web: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eenSfU7YYnY

5. Toyota: "Big Bang Theory" star Kaley Cuoco grants wishes to a peppy song in the teaser for Toyota's spot.

On the Web: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKnuMIIEtoo

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-29-US-Super-Bowl-Advertising-Art-of-the-Tease-Glance/id-acbff5508f2e4b88b3b4e6ac895c4381

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DNA and quantum dots: All that glitters is not gold

Monday, January 28, 2013

A team of researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has shown that by bringing gold nanoparticles close to the dots and using a DNA template to control the distances, the intensity of a quantum dot's fluorescence can be predictably increased or decreased.* This breakthrough opens a potential path to using quantum dots as a component in better photodetectors, chemical sensors and nanoscale lasers.

Anyone who has tried to tune a radio knows that moving their hands toward or away from the antenna can improve or ruin the reception. Although the reasons are well understood, controlling this strange effect is difficult, even with hundred-year-old radio technology. Similarly, nanotechnology researchers have been frustrated trying to control the light emitted from quantum dots, which brighten or dim with the proximity of other particles.

The NIST team developed ways to accurately and precisely place different kinds of nanoparticles near each other and to measure the behavior of the resulting nanoscale constructs. Because nanoparticle-based inventions may require multiple types of particles to work together, it is crucial to have reliable methods to assemble them and to understand how they interact.

The researchers looked at two types of nanoparticles, quantum dots, which glow with fluorescent light when illuminated, and gold nanoparticles, which have long been known to enhance the intensity of light around them. The two could work together to make nanoscale sensors built using rectangles of woven DNA strands, formed using a technique called "DNA origami."

These DNA rectangles can be engineered to capture different types of nanoparticles at specific locations with a precision of about one nanometer. Tiny changes in the distance between a quantum dot and a gold nanoparticle near one another on the rectangle cause the quantum dot to glow more or less brightly as it moves away from or toward the gold. Because these small movements can be easily detected by tracking the changes in the quantum dot's brightness, they can be used to reveal, for example, the presence of a particular chemical that is selectively attached to the DNA rectangle. However, getting it to work properly is complicated, says NIST's Alex Liddle.

"A quantum dot is highly sensitive to the distance between it and the gold, as well as the size, number and arrangement of the gold particles," says Liddle, a scientist with the NIST Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology. "These factors can boost its fluorescence, mask it or change how long its glow lasts. We wanted a way to measure these effects, which had never been done before."

Liddle and his colleagues made several groups of DNA rectangles, each with a different configuration of quantum dots and gold particles in a solution. Using a laser as a spotlight, the team was able to follow the movement of individual DNA rectangles in the liquid, and also could detect changes in the fluorescent lifetime of the quantum dots when they were close to gold particles of different sizes. They also showed that they could exactly predict the lifetime of the fluorescence of the quantum dot depending on the size of the nearby gold nanoparticles.

While their tracking technique was time consuming, Liddle says that the strength of their results will enable them to engineer the dots to have a specific desired lifetime. Moreover, the success of their tracking method could lead to better measurement methods.

"Our main goals for the future," he concludes, "are to build better nanoscale sensors using this approach and to develop the metrology necessary to measure their performance."

###

*S.H. Ko, K. Du and J.A. Liddle.Quantum-dot fluorescence lifetime engineering with DNA origami constructs. Angewandte Chemie (Int. Ed.), 52: 1193?1197. doi: 10.1002/anie.201206253.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): http://www.nist.gov

Thanks to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126476/DNA_and_quantum_dots__All_that_glitters_is_not_gold

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New breeds debut on Westminster 'red carpet'

Russell terriers Pepper and Madison make their pre-Westminster Dog Show debut (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW YORK?At certain moments it had the air of a red-carpet event, with camera shutters clicking in rapid fire and flashbulbs igniting the room in white light. But there were no famous celebrities here?only a pair of Russell terriers named Pepper and Madison, who grew sleepier and sleepier on their handler?s lap as photographers jostled back and forth to take their picture.

It was the dogs? official debut as part of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, which held a press conference Monday to show off the two new breeds competing in next month?s show. In addition to the Russell terrier, a breed called the treeing Walker coonhound?so named for its ability to run raccoons up trees?will also compete for the first time at Westminster, which kicks off Feb. 11 in New York.

Organizers announced Monday that 2,721 dogs will compete at the show?making it the largest in 15 years?with 187 breeds vying for the ultimate title of best in show. Also for the first time in its 137-year history, the event will be split up into two venues: Madison Square Garden, and New York?s Piers 92 and 94 along the Hudson River. The additional space means more people can see the dogs up close.

Westminster has long been considered the most famous dog show in the country?a fact that was evident on Monday as dozens of reporters and photographers crammed into a tiny conference room at the Affinia Hotel across the street from Madison Square Garden to eye the new breeds.

?Now, now, play nice,? David Friel, Westminster?s communication director and longtime announcer, declared at one point as the room descended into chaos. Friel wasn?t talking to the dogs, but to photographers and videographers who pushed and shoved each other trying to get close to the dogs while the canines surveyed the scene calmly.

At one point, Meg, a brown-and-white treeing Walker coonhound from Pennsylvania, delivered an impromptu kiss on the mouth to her owner Curt Willis as Friel spoke to reporters.

?DO THAT AGAIN!? a photographer yelled, and Meg whined and promptly licked her owner?s face?resulting in a deluge of shutter clicks.

Friel was careful to note that Russell terriers and treeing Walker coonhounds aren?t exactly ?new? breeds, but rather had finally met the strict qualifications of the American Kennel Club, which determines which types of dogs are allowed to compete at Westminster. Among other things, AKC weighs inclusion on the breed?s popularity and its geographic distribution around the U.S.

Fifteen Russell terriers will compete this year along with 13 treeing Walker coonhounds. But that?s a small number compared to other breeds. The golden retriever, for instance, has 61 entries, and the Labrador retriever, 54.

Asked why it took so long for Westminster to include Russell terriers, Sue Sobel, owner of Pepper and Madison, looked down at her sleepy dogs and shrugged. ?I don?t know,? she said. ?Just look how cute they are.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/two-breeds-westminster-dog-show-debut-215824657--finance.html

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The Light That Shines: Showing Cancer Patients They're Beautiful ...

<embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=57648966" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="300"></embed>

Jill Conley was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 31. Only six months into her marriage, she and her husband had to go through the horrors of chemo, radiation, a double mastectomy and a problematic reconstruction before she finally entered remission. Now 35, she has been diagnosed with incurable stage 4 bone cancer.

Photographer Sue Bryce was moved after hearing of Conley?s story, and offered Jill and her friends a trip to Paris. Bryce?s idea was to use her photographic talents to uplift Conley and cancer patients around the world. The documentary above, titled ?The Light That Shines,? shows the beautiful work that resulted from that trip and the time the two women spent together (Warning: the video contains some strong images).

The documentary is heart wrenching, and will be particularly moving to those of you who have been affected by cancer in one way or another. At the same time, it?s incredibly uplifting to see a photographer use her art to make a positive impact on the lives of others.

As Conley?s friend Nikki puts it, Bryce?s dream was ?to inspire other women to feel ok with their body whether they have any form of cancer or anything that has caused their body to look different from how society says [their] body should look.? In that she?s succeeded in spades.

The title of the project (?The Light That Shines?) is a further manifestation of that goal. To Bryce, beauty is ?the light that shines out from inside you. When you hold someone?s gaze, you see it. Everybody has it, it is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.? Clearly, she was able to capture that light in Conley?s eyes, and hopefully they together will inspire others to see it in their own.

---

Thanks for sending in the tip, Jon!

Source: http://www.petapixel.com/2013/01/28/heart-wrenching-breast-cancer-documentary/

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Would You Buy a Google Chromebook? | DailyTekk

Since their launch in 2011,?Chromebooks?have slowly been gaining steam. Lenovo just thew their hat into the Chrome OS arena along with Acer and Samsung with a?Chromebook designed for education. Starting at $199, Chromebooks do one thing: launch Chrome and connect to the web. In a world of tablets and smartphones, do Chromebooks matter?at all?in your opinion? Would you buy one/recommend buying one? What do you like or dislike about the idea of a Chromebook? Will businesses get on board? Consumers? What do you think Google is trying to accomplish with the Chromebook? Are Chromebooks (and Chrome OS) an important challenger to Microsoft and Apple? Here?s the Think Tank to give you their opinion:

No, But It?s Perfect for the Google Universe

As of now, I would not buy a Google Chromebook. This is not to say everyone should not buy a one. For most people, the Chromebook is a perfect device since 95 percent of the time the only app most people use is a browser to access the Internet and; for those who primarily live in the Google universe, this is the perfect portable device.

As for me, I?m firmly entrenched in the Apple ecosystem so a Chromebook really would not be a good choice for me. I also work with and edit photography and video so my computers needs are more than just a browser. Along with a 27 inch iMac, the MacBook Air is my notebook computer of choice.

I believe the Chromebook is a transitional device. As tablets and other tablet like device (like smartphones) gain more power and usability, these are the devices that will continue to gain traction. It?s ultimately about portability, versatility and connectivity. A tablet is portable in that you can tuck it under your arm (or in your pocket in the case of the iPad Mini and other 7 inch models,) versatile in that you can use peripherals such as keyboards to add specialized functionality when needed and connected in that most tablet devices have 3G and LTE data connectivity built-in and all have wifi so you can be online from anywhere.

So to answer the question: Would I buy a Google Chromebook? My answer is no but I suspect for most average people who have data needs that are mostly satisfied through a web browser, the answer is a resounding YES!

Marty (@martymcpadden) is the founder and CEO of PodJamTV Productions who also?blogs for the Huffington Post.

Yes and No; It Depends

I ordered a couple of Acer Chromebooks to test out (I wanted to give the Samsung model a try, but they were consistently sold out all across the web) and I have to say I really like them, surprisingly. I can?t replace my normal computing routine with a Chromebook at the moment? I?m too dependent on Adobe Creative Suite which demands a lot more power and obviously needs to be installed locally. But, for many people I know and work with, the Chromebook is perfect?it not only does everything they need, it?s cheap. I wouldn?t be surprised if the Chromebooks became free someday as Google does it?s best to keep people using it?s search, especially in the face on new Facebook Graph Search competition. I wish I could get away with just a web browser? but I still can?t quite do it. If I could, I?d happily use a Chromebook (although I still prefer my MacBook Air, given a choice). It turns on quick, has some nice built-in features like the ability to snap windows (ie Chrome) to either side of the screen. I have an iPad, and I love it, but I am a device guy?a Chromebook is nice to have around just cause? I can pick up and use it anywhere without really worrying if it gets messed up/dropped/scratched/stolen. It?s almost disposable. Secretary?s (and who are we kidding, some executives) can get by on a Chromebook no problem (it has an HDMI out as well for connecting to a monitor or TV). So, yes, and no.

No, But I?d Recommend a Chromebook to My Grandma

It?s not in my budget because if I bought a Chromebook, I?d have to buy another laptop to get actual work done. I don?t need two laptops.

When I think of netbooks, I associate them with crappier versions of every other computer on the market. Who wants one laptop for getting stuff done, and one craptop for checking email and tweeting? No thanks. I?ll use my iPad for that.

So, no. I would not buy a Chromebook. I thought netbooks were dead anyway now that we have iPads. That said, I would recommend a Chromebook to my Grandma if she asked me what kind of computer she should get that isn?t an Apple.

I?m not entirely sure what Google?s M.O. is with Chromebook, but tablets like the iPad have clearly struck a cord with a demographic that historically hasn?t considered using social media or even getting online. The Chromebook may be able to do something that netbooks couldn?t ? get people to buy them. If they do, it will be the OS that earns Google a win for netbooks.

Chad Halvorson (@chadworks)?is the CEO of?thisCLICKS, makers of?When I Work, a cloud-based mobile employee scheduling software.

No, Because I Have an iPad

Personally, I wouldn?t buy one, but that?s only because I have an iPad already. As a parent and educator, I think there?s absolutely a market for an affordable tool like this. With its low price point, it could even help to bridge the ?Digital Divide? by enabling more people to access the Internet. The Chromebook doesn?t directly compete with Microsoft or Apple, because those companies are reaching for a higher-end market. This could be a useful tool for consumers who otherwise would be priced out of the tablet or laptop market.

Essentially, Chromebooks are good for one thing: accessing the Internet using Chrome. This is fantastic, provided users can do all the things they?d generally want to do online. Video playback on some major sites ? including Netflix ? doesn?t work properly on the Chromebook, which limits the appeal of this tool for recreational and educational purposes. If they can sort that out, this could be a viable option for a largely untapped market.

Kerry O?Shea Gorgone (@KerryGorgone) is an attorney, new media specialist, and educator teaching Internet marketing at Full Sail University in Florida.

No, But I?d Buy One for My Son

No, I wouldn?t buy a Google Chromebook, well, at least not for myself. I?m seriously considering buying one for a certain someone in my family who just happens to have a birthday right around the corner, though (hint, hint).

I have a Macbook Pro that I?m very happy with. However, I do wish the Google Chromebook had been an option back when I purchased my Mac laptop, which certainly didn?t come cheap. Ranging between $199 and $249, a Chromebook would have been a much more budget-appropriate choice.

I would consider purchasing a Samsung Chromebook for my almost 12-year-old. (Shh! Don?t tell him.) It would be a perfect low-cost first laptop for him. As a 6th grader who wrestles a grip of homework, reports, and presentations, he has to quickly create, edit, cloud share, and email text documents, spreadsheets, and image and video files on the fly. He could easily do all of that (via Google Drive, Gmail and such) and much more (IM and explore the web, hopefully not too much) with a Chromebook, all while seamlessly syncing it with with his Android smartphone.

Despite rumors that Chromebooks only do one thing (access the Internet and not much more), they?re actually packed with quite a few top notch built-in apps and utilities, including a native media player, photo editor, and many more built-in geeky goodies. Plus, I hear they?re pretty much bulletproof when it comes to viruses and malware.

Bonus: With a Chromebook, my tween (and don?t tell him I called him that, he?d be mortified) could easialy listen to music and stream movies via YouTube and Google Play. Both are nearly impossible to sanitize in terms of age-appropriate content, though. Chromebook at his fingertips, my son could even chat with up to nine friends all at once via Google Hangouts, though I?m not sure I?m quite ready for him to take the way-too-public required Google+ social media plunge.

And how could he survive without a million games to conquer? It?s a good thing the Chrome Web Store features countless fun (and free!) games, including a few of my son?s favorites, like Motocross Nitro, Mini Ninjas, Need for Speed World, and, yes, the almighty Minecraft.

Final verdict: I?d definitely buy a budget-friendly Google Chromebook over a pricey Macbook for my kids (the other two will want what their big brother has, no doubt). If someone spills Gatorade on it or drops it in the pool, I won?t be out a thousand bucks. As you can see, a killer price is far from the only reason I?d pick one (or three) up for my brood. Now to figure out where I can get one within walking distance of my home?

Kim Lachance Shandrow?(LinkedIn) is a?Los Angeles-based tech journalist who specializes in writing about social media marketing, startups, smartphones, streaming TV, mobile apps and green technology.

Source: http://dailytekk.com/2013/01/28/would-you-buy-a-google-chromebook/

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Who are these guys at QB in Super Bowl?

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick talks with reporters during a news conference on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in New Orleans. The 49ers will face the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game on Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick talks with reporters during a news conference on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in New Orleans. The 49ers will face the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game on Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick talks with reporters during a news conference on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in New Orleans. The 49ers will face the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game on Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco records a send-off rally for the team on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013 in Baltimore. The NFL football team is leaving for New Orleans to face the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco speaks at an NFL Super Bowl XLVII football news conference on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in New Orleans. The Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? No Tom Brady. No Aaron Rodgers. No Ben Roethlisberger. Not a Manning in sight.

Super Bowl has a pair of fresh faces at quarterback, bona fide nobodies as far as the NFL title game goes. One will leave New Orleans as football's newest star.

For Colin Kaepernick and Joe Flacco, this is new territory. And, of course, exactly where they want to be.

"To be AFC champs feels good," Flacco said Monday. "We move on now to this challenge."

Flacco, the only quarterback to win a playoff game in each of his first five NFL seasons, will lead the Baltimore Ravens into Sunday's matchup against the NFC-winning San Francisco 49ers and Kaepernick, a backup for most of his two seasons.

It's the first time in a decade that the big game doesn't feature one of the big five household names in the glamour position.

You can't get much fresher than quarterbacks who never have gotten this far before.

"At the start of the season, I was just hoping to get on the field some way, somehow," said Kaepernick, the backup for Alex Smith, who took the 49ers to the conference final last season.

He got that chance after Smith sustained a concussion on Nov. 11, and hasn't seen the bench since.

Win this one and he'll have a piece of history, joining a heady quarterback club that includes Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young, who guided the 49ers to five NFL titles ? a victory every time they played. No. 6 would tie the team with Roethlisberger's Pittsburgh Steelers ? a record for most Super Bowl wins.

A second-round draft pick in 2011 out of Nevada ? not exactly Alabama ? Kaepernick has the shortest pro resume of any Super Bowl quarterback. It's impressive, nonetheless. His legs (181 yards rushing against Green Bay, a record for the position) and his arm (105.9 passer rating in the postseason) are the main reasons San Francisco is in its first NFL title game in 18 years.

"Anybody that is out there on the football field, you want to see them produce and get results," left tackle Joe Staley said. "With Colin, his first couple of starts, you did not know what to expect because we had not seen him out there as a starting quarterback. He did amazing and he has all season, as well as the playoffs. I think it was one of those things where we saw him in practice and we just wanted to see how he was going to handle the situation in the games. He has done that."

Still, he's new to this environment and that hardly seems to faze Kaepernick.

"One thing I've always said about him from the start is he comes off as a guy that has a lot of confidence," said center Jonathan Goodwin, who won a Super Bowl snapping for Drew Brees and the Saints three years ago. "I'm not just saying that. You can feel it by the way he acts and talks."

Flacco has that air of certainty, too, but at least it's built on a more substantial foundation, including an 8-4 mark in the playoffs, with six road wins ? the most for any quarterback, Montana and Young included. That goes for Baltimore's John Unitas, too.

Nobody is comparing Flacco to them just yet, except for the self-belief he brings to the job.

"You naturally become more of the guy when you spend a number of years in the league," he said at the Ravens' first Super Bowl news conference Monday. "As a quarterback, it's my job to lead from Day 1."

As a five-year starter, that's exactly what Flacco did after Baltimore drafted him out of Delaware ? yep, not exactly Alabama.

As has become the custom in the NFL, Flacco represents the high draft pick who steps behind center early in his career and, usually, stays there. Both Mannings did it, as did Roethlisberger. Just this season, the top two picks in the draft, QBs Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, were anointed starters at the outset and played sensationally.

Now Flacco and Kaepernick try to join those big-name quarterbacks who own all those Super Bowl rings.

"We try to pass tests every day," Flacco said.

That's how you become a Super Bowl quarterback.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-28-Super%20Bowl%20QBs/id-44bdd8fbd47640d9a55960038ccbbee3

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Widow of Robert Kardashian Fires Back at Kim, Khloe

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/widow-of-robert-kardashian-fires-back-at-kim-khloe/

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Maine gas prices up almost 3 cents per gallon

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) -- The cost of a gallon of gas in Maine has jumped nearly three cents in the past week.

Price-monitoring website MaineGasPrices.com reports Monday that the average retail cost of a gallon of gas rose to $3.55. The price is based on a survey of more than 1,200 gas stations in the state.

Even though the national average rose more than four cents in the same time span, the average price in Maine remains 24 cents higher per gallon.

Current prices in Maine are just about the same as they were a year ago.

A company analyst says prices are rising because this is traditionally refinery maintenance season, when production drops.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/maine-gas-prices-almost-3-160929839.html

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Obama: Gun-control advocates have to listen more

FILE - In this Jan. 16, 2013, file photo, President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, talks about proposals to reduce gun violence at the White House in Washington. Obama has called for a ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines and is pushing other policies in the wake of the mass shooting last month at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. In response, gun-rights advocates have accused Obama and others of ignoring the Second Amendment rights of Americans. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

FILE - In this Jan. 16, 2013, file photo, President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, talks about proposals to reduce gun violence at the White House in Washington. Obama has called for a ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines and is pushing other policies in the wake of the mass shooting last month at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. In response, gun-rights advocates have accused Obama and others of ignoring the Second Amendment rights of Americans. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

People walk from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, during a march on Washington for gun control. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

People walk from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, during a march on Washington for gun control. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

People walk from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, during a march on Washington for gun control. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama says gun-control advocates should be better listeners in the debate over firearms in America.

In an interview with The New Republic, Obama says he has "a profound respect" for the tradition of hunting that dates back for generations.

"And I think those who dismiss that out of hand make a big mistake. Part of being able to move this forward is understanding the reality of guns in urban areas are very different from the realities of guns in rural areas," he says.

Obama has called for a ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines and is pushing other policies following the mass shooting last month at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. In response, gun-rights advocates have accused Obama and others of ignoring the Second Amendment rights of Americans.

The president says it's understandable that people are protective of their family traditions when it comes to hunting.

"So it's trying to bridge those gaps that I think is going to be part of the biggest task over the next several months. And that means that advocates of gun control have to do a little more listening than they do sometimes," he says.

Has Obama himself ever fired a gun?

"Yes," the president says, "in fact, up at Camp David, we do skeet shooting all the time."

His daughters don't shoot skeet at the presidential retreat in Maryland, he adds, "but oftentimes guests of mine go up there."

The interview appears in the Feb. 11 issue of The New Republic.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-01-27-US-Obama-Guns/id-edd0fdb2cdce49218973a8bcc5bc8728

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UFC on Fox 6 results: Demetrious Johnson retains title, ?Rampage? loses in Octagon finale

CHICAGO -- The UFC's stop in the Windy City had two great knockouts, a champion holding onto his belt, and the last fight of a one-time champ.

Despite a strong start by John Dodson, Demetrious Johnson held onto his championship belt with a unanimous decision. The judges saw it 48-47, 49-46, 48-47 for Johnson.

Unsurprisingly, Johnson and Dodson fought a fast-paced first two rounds. Johnson tried to slow things down in the first round with a takedown. While he did get Dodson to to the ground, the challenger popped back to his feet quickly.

Dodson dropped Johnson twice in the second round, and shook off Johnson's take down attempts with a great sprawl. Johnson seemed to have a hard time even getting close to Dodson to land a punch.

[Related: T.J. Grant and Ryan Bader shine at UFC on Fox 6]

A Johnson knee in the fourth round caused a small fight stoppage. Dodson's hand was on the ground as Johnson threw a knee to Dodson's head, which is an illegal strike. The bout was stopped as doctors checked Dodson's eye and Johnson was warned. The fight went on, but not without plenty of boos from the crowd in Chicago.

When the fight restarted, it was all Johnson. He controlled Dodson against the cage, and threw knees that busted up Dodson's face. Johnson was able to get a takedown at the beginning of the fifth round, too. Though boos rained down, Johnson kept the fight against the cage.

Later, the crowd got behind him as Johnson elevated, tightened his legs around Dodson's torso and threw elbows. It was a creative move that likely could only happen in the flyweight division. Johnson finished the round with Dodson against the cage, and knee after knee after knee to the body and face.

Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira

If this really was Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's last fight in the UFC, it wasn't one to remember. He was outstruck and outwrestled by Glover Teixeira throughout their bout. Teixeira took the fight 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 on the judges' cards.

Teixeira's first round was his best, as he was able to take Jackson down early and mount him and take his back. Late in the round, Teixeira knocked Jackson down with a punch and looked close to finishing, but wasn't able to end the fight.

The rest of the fight featured a worn out Jackson trying to avoid Teixeira's takedown attempts unsuccessfully. Jackson threw some big punches, and even jawed at Teixeira during the bout, but he wasn't able to score any big offense.

While this fight will be remembered for being Jackson's last UFC bout, Teixeira scored his third straight UFC win on Saturday night. He looked impressive against the former champ.

Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone

Anthony Pettis won his much anticipated bout with Donald Cerrone by landing big, memorable strikes. Pettis was getting the better of their striking exchanges early, which set him up for a big finish. Pettis threw a kick that landed hard on Cerrone's body, then finished with a punch. Cerrone fell to the ground in a heap, and the fight was stopped at 2:35 in the first round.

Pettis lost his first fight in the UFC after coming from the WEC as the champ, but he's been winning ever since. He has wins over Joe Lauzon, Jeremy Stephens and now Cerrone. After the fight, he made a pitch to UFC president Dana White.

"I want my title shot. I should have had it years ago. People say I can?t wrestle because of the Guida fight, but I had a serious shoulder injury. Now I am 100 percent. No one can do in the Octagon what I can do."

While lightweight champion Benson Henderson has a fight set up with Gilbert Melendez, a shot for Pettis isn't unwarranted. It would be a rematch of their WEC title fight, which Pettis won in the promotion's final fight.

Ricardo Lamas vs. Erik Koch

Lamas won the first round by constantly pressuring Koch against the cage. It wasn't exactly the most thrilling round to have start a card on network television, but it led to a thrilling second round. Lamas took advantage of Koch's slip, and then finished the fight with nasty, nasty ground and pound. Lamas started with elbows, then started with strikes that cut open Koch's face. Koch had no answer for Lamas' relentless strikes, and the bout was stopped at 2:32 in the second round.

Lamas thought his performance warranted a title shot.

"I?ve beat Cub Swanson, I?ve beat Hioki and now I?ve beat Koch. All those guys were supposed to be fighting for the title at one point. I beat them all. We?re all here to be world champ and I am no different. I want the winner of Aldo vs Edgar next week. I don?t care who wins, I want the winner."

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-fox-6-results-demetrious-johnson-retains-title-032827859--mma.html

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