Sudden Resignation Stuns University of Alabama Basketball

The University of Alabama's head men's basketball coach, Mark Gottfried, has resigned effective immediately. This is the word from UA Director of Athletics Mal Moore. The Crimson Tide assistant men's basketball coach Philip Pearson will take over as interim coach until further notice.
"My number one priority is to do what is best for the University of Alabama, this basketball program, and these young men," Gottfried said. "Mal and I sat down today and we talked. At that point, I notified him of my intention to resign as head coach of the men's basketball program. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity and the privilege to lead our men's basketball program at Alabama for the past 10 and a half seasons. It has been a wonderful decade for me and my family, and I love the University of Alabama, but I feel that it is in the best interests of everyone involved. I want to thank our players, their families, our coaching staff and their families, and our great fans for all of their support over these last 11 seasons."
"I accepted Coach Gottfried's resignation," Moore said. "I respect Mark's decision and will begin immediately working on a permanent replacement. I agreed with him that it is in the best interests of the men's basketball program for us to move in a different direction. I want to extend my sincerest best wishes to Mark and his family, along with my personal thanks to Mark for his many years of dedicated service to our men's basketball program. "Out of respect for our players, I will make no further comment on Coach Gottfried's decision. I want to extend my complete support to our players and our coaching staff, which will be headed by interim head coach Philip Pearson. We fully expect them to compete hard the rest of this season and I ask our loyal fans to rally in support of these coaches and players over the coming weeks of SEC play. "Our process towards finding a new head coach will begin immediately. Out of respect for our players and coaches, I will not comment on the progress of our search until it has concluded."
Gottfried was named head coach at Alabama on March 25, 1998, and compiled a record of 210-131 (.616 winning percentage) with the Crimson Tide, including a mark of 83-82 in Southeastern Conference (SEC) games, winning one SEC regular season championship and leading the team to five NCAA Tournament appearances. He joined the Crimson Tide after three seasons as head coach at Murray State (Ky.) where he compiled a record of 68-24 while leading the Racers to three Ohio Valley Conference championships (1995, 1996, and 1997) and three NCAA Tournament appearances. Gottfried's career record stands at 278-155 for a winning percentage of .642 in 14 seasons as a college head coach.
Gottfried, a 1987 Alabama graduate, played guard for the Crimson Tide for three seasons (1984-85, 1985-86, and 1986-87) while starting 98 consecutive games for then-head coach Wimp Sanderson after starting his college career at Oral Roberts University (1982-83 season).
No word yet on the reason for this sudden departure. Stay tuned for more facts on this developing story.

Happy New Year! It's The Year Of The Ox

Today, January 26, 2009 is a very special day in the Chinese lunar calendar - it is Chinese New Year! This tradition, celebrated for thousands of years, is marked by 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals, celebrated in a 12 year cycle. As legend has it, they respond to an invitation from the Buddha to meet him on the new year.This year it is the Year of The Ox.
According to Chinese lore, the Ox represents a solid, hardworking and steadfast individual. So if you were born in 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, or 2009, you are said to carry these traits.
Some interesting facts about Chinese New Year:It is also know as Spring Festival, it is the lunar new year and falls on the first day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar.The festival is 15 days long and requires certain visits to family members on certain days.It is a major holiday in China and people make changes ahead of the new year to welcome it, including cleaning house and cutting their hair. Certain foods such as Mandarin oranges, uncut noodles and melon seeds are eaten to bring wealth, health, happiness and good luck to the family.Festivities include dragon dances, during which loud drums and cymbals are said to ward off evil spirits.For good luck, people open windows and doors, turn on night lights, wear new slippers, clean house and eat sweets.To avoid bad luck, they do not say certain words that in Chinese sound like bad things such as death and loss.
The Chinese Zodiac Symbols, their traits and recent years are:
Rat: quick-witted, clever, charming

1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008

Ox: steadfast, solid, hard-working

1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009

Tiger: authoritative, self-possessed, charming

1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998

Rabbit: popular, compassionate, sincere

1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999

Dragon: energetic, warm-hearted, charismatic

1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000

Snake: seductive, gregarious, generous

1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001

Horse: energetic, self-reliant, money-wise

1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002

Goat: creative, wandering, unorganized

1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003

Monkey: upbeat, good at listening, lacking self-control

1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004

Rooster: practical, resourceful, observant

1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005

Dog: faithful, honest, distrustful

1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006

Pig: extremely nice, good-mannered and tasteful

1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007

Happy New Year! If you were born in the year of the Ox, you're probably hard at work!

Tsonga Forces Blake Out In Australia

The laest new at the Australian Open is the number 5 seed Jo-Tsonga, the losing finalist last year, defeated the number 9 seed, James Blake of the United States, 6-4 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in two hours and 24 minutes. Blake's unforced errors caused him big time.
Tsonga is from France and his official name is Wilfried Tsonga Petsonga. He was born in LeMans on April 17, 1985. His best career high ranking of No. 7 was achieved on November 17, 2008, which is his current ranking. He is the number one tennis player from France.
James Riley Blake was born in Yonkers, N.Y. on December 28, 1979. He is currently the second highest ranked American, 9th in the world. Blake is known for his speed and powerful, flat forehand. He reached the final of the 2006 Tennis Masters Cup but lost to the then World No. 1 Roger Federer in straight sets, 6–0, 6–3, 6–4.
Tsonga next plays Fernando Verdasco, who produced the upset of the men's singles draw by knocking No.4 seed Andy Murray out of the tournament.

Miss Indiana - Katie Stam Wins The 2009 Miss America Pageant

Tonight was the night. The 2009 Miss America Pageant was crowned live from the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas tonight. 52 women competed in the 87th annual pageant, hosted by Mario Lopez.

The winner was Miss Indiana - Katie Stam

The final 12 contestants (in random order) were:
Miss Georgia - Chasity Hardman
Miss Indiana - Katie Stam
Miss Michigan - Ashlee Baracy
Miss Arkansas - Ashlen Batson
Miss Hawaii - Nicole Fox
Miss DC - Katie Marie Grinold
Miss Iowa - Olivia Myers
Miss New York - Leigh Taylor Smith
Miss California - Jackie Geist
Miss Florida - Sierra Minott
Miss Kentucky - Emily Cox
Miss Tennessee - Ellen Carrington

What was unique about this year's Miss America Pageant is that the final four four contestants where voted directly into the pageants finals by viewer of Miss America "Countdown to the Crown."
A Miss pageant has always been and will probably continue to be considered the ultimate event celebrating beauty, by crowning only one woman who fits certain standards and who is, thus, the epitome of everything a woman should represent. Nevertheless, the Preliminaries for the Miss America Pageant have revealed the ascent of a new type of woman: slender is out, beefy is in.
“The Miss America pageant 2009 was expected to be the fiercest fight in history, contested almost exclusively by Amazonian gym buddies with seriously sculpted figures - and it lived up to expectations. The swimsuit segment of the show in the heats at the Planet Hollywood resort in Las Vegas confirmed that a new breed of female athletes are going for glory, a far cry from the very natural looking girls-next-door who have competed down the 80 years of the competition’s history.
The girls were not only seriously in top shape, they were seemingly competing for the title of the fittest ever, as the swimsuit competition for the Preliminaries has showed. There were no more slender, delicate-looking bodies as there were in the past years, having now been replaced by fitness trainer arms, clearly delineated abdominal muscles, and legs that would make even the most dedicated jogger bow their head in shame.
Nevertheless, fans of the long-running competition were shown a fun time, especially since they were able to take part in deciding the most beautiful girl by placing their votes. “America’s going to have a much greater impact than they’ve ever had before. We thought it would be great to really make the whole scheme of the reality show about America getting to know these women and letting them focus in on the women they would vote in to the finals.” Brent Zackey, vice president for production and development at TLC, explained.
The first Miss America Pageant was held in 1921 to promote Atlantic City, New Jersey and was a part of the glitz and glamour of the famed boardwalk until 2005, when it was announced that Las Vegas would be the new home of Miss America.
Miss America premiered on the new medium - television! - in 1954. The following year, legendary host Bert Parks added his showmanship and singing voice to the event. He would host the Miss America Pageant for the next twenty five years, and for a generation of pageant fans his rendition of "There she is, Miss America..." became closely identified with the beautiful women who walked the runway wearing the Miss America crown.

Geron Gets Green Lignt On Human Stem-Cell Trials

Geron Corp (stock symbol GERN) said today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the company approval for it to start trials for what it says is the world's first study of a human embryonic stem cell-based therapy for people. Geron said it will begin a Phase I multicenter trial designed to establish the safety of its treatment, currently referred to as "GRNOPC1," in patients with complete Grade A subacute thoracic spinal cord injuries.

The trials will allow Geron to inject 8 to 10 patients with cells derived from embryonic cells. The recipients will be paraplegics. They will receive a single injection within two weeks of them suffering this particular injury. Research is expected to occur in a handful of medical centers across the nation.

The trials are said to be a milestone and will delve into the benefits and limitations of using embryonic stem cells on spinal cord injuries.

Embryonic stem cells can develop into any cell of the body, and scientists have long hoped to harness them for creating replacement tissues to treat a variety of diseases. But research has been controversial because embryos must be destroyed to obtain them.

The granting of this clinical trial may be a indication of things to come. President Barack Obama has promised to relax the Bush administration's restrictions on federal financing for such research. In fact, Obama has mentioned that science needs to be put back where it should be.

Based on animal testing using embryonic stem cells, researchers are hoping to inject the cells in the spine. As they mature, they expect it to repair damaged nerves and provide substances that nerves need to function and grow.

Scientists Trick Eels With Phenomenal Pheromone

The introduction of the sea lamprey in the Great Lakes has been decimating the recreational fishing industry on the Great Lakes for over 100 years. But now US researchers are using the chemicals in the male lamprey to lure ovulating females into traps.
The trickery being performed is seen as a breakthrough technique for controlling the non-native lamprey.
"There's been extensive study of pheromones in animals and even in humans," said lead researcher Weiming Li from Michigan State University in East Lansing, US. It was one of the worst things to hit the Great Lakes in the history of European settlement
"But most researchers have presumed that as animals get more complex, their behaviour is regulated in a more complex way, not by just one pheromone," he told BBC News.
The researchers, let by Professor Li, released the synthetic version of a lamprey hormone from a trap placed in a stream where lampreys come to breed.
Females scenting it would swim vigorously upstream until they found the source, some becoming trapped in the process.
The sea lamprey's natural life cycle takes it from birth in a stream to adulthood in the ocean, where it gains its vampirical appellation. Circular jaws lock on to another, larger fish, and a sharp tongue carves through its scales. From then on the lamprey feeds on the blood and body fluids of its temporary host, often killing it in the process. Eventually, the satiated lampreys - both males and females - find a suitable stream to swim up, breed and die.
In their native Atlantic Ocean, their numbers are controlled by predation; but in the Great Lakes they have no predators.
They first appeared in the 1800s after completion of the Erie Canal linking the lakes to New York. Colonization was completed a century later when other canals provided unfettered access to the upper lakes.
"It was one of the worst things to hit the Great Lakes in the history of European settlement," said Marc Gaden from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC), the body responsible for controlling the lamprey problem.
"Before it, we had a thriving fishery largely dependent on native fish such as the lake trout... but by 1940 they had colonized thousands of streams and fishermen were beginning to see the devastation."
The techique will be expanded to streams and tributaries over the next three years

The Beast, Patrick Swayze Talks The Big C With Barbara Walters

Patrick Swayze spills his guts to Barbara Walters tonight on ABC's one on one Special between Patrick Swayze and Barbara Walters. They talk about his Stage IV Pancreatic cancer and his chances of staying alive.
Barabara talks matter-of-fact to Patrick and asks him tough questions. Were you a smoker, are you still smoking, who told you you had pancreatic cancer, how was Chemotheraphy and are you trying alternative medicince?
In the interview you can hear the anger and fright in his demeanor as he responds to Barbara's questions.
Patrick Swayze has been married since 1975 to Lisa Niemi.
Swayze appeared on the ABC, NBC, and CBS simulcast of Stand Up to Cancer in September 2008, to appeal to the general public for donations for the initiative. Swayze said to a standing ovation, "I dream that the word 'cure' will no longer be followed by the words 'it's impossible'. Together we can make a world where cancer no longer means living with fear, without hope, or worse". After the show ended, Swayze lingered onstage and talked to other cancer survivors; executive producer Laura Ziskin said, "He said a beautiful thing: 'I'm just an individual living with cancer.' That's how he wants to be thought of. He's in a fight, but he's a fighter".
Swayze, who starred in the films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, is now filming a new TV show called "The Beast", where he plays an undercover FBI agent in A&E Network’s drama pilot”.

Bill Clinton To Replace Hilliary As New York Senator

It's the tactical and political right thing to do! Governor Patterson of New York should make the right decision and appoint former U.S President Bill Clinton to replace Hillary Clinton in her recently vacated New York state Senate seat. Why you might ask?
For one thing, the governor of New York can avoid any rumors of impropriety if he appointed political hungry candidates like Carolyn Kennedy, half a dozen members of Congress and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, son of former New York Senator Mario Cuomo.
Another reason is that a big fish like former president Bill Clinton can have an immediate impact for New York in the Senate while the rest of the contentors get ready for the real battle in 2010, when re-elections are to occur.
Bill Clinton can become the "caretaker" of the Senate Seat and help New York and it's governor get down to work without having to worry about media inquiries into the appointment.
Gov. Patterson can avoid having to take sides in the controversial appointment that could damage his future political ambitions.
And finally, Mr. Patterson can avoid the media hype brought on by Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich of Attorney General Roland Burris to fill President-elect Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat. He can take the lead of Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner, who picked a former aide to Vice President-elect Joe Biden to succeed him Senate - John Carney. John Carney;s appointment makes sense because by the Senate run in 2010, Joe Biden's son Beau Biden will have returned from a tour in Iraq with the National Guard and be ready to run for the seat.
But the question is, would Bill Clinton accept the appointment? And, what would President-elect Obama think? Nothing is for sure with the Clintons. Who expected them to move to New York in the first place and who have expected that Bill Clinton open an office in Harlem? As for Obama, experts think he would bless the move.
Anyway, stayed tuned! The Senate replacement sagas continue!