Cleveland State men's basketball team cruises past Loyola

Cleveland State moves to 3-0 in the Horizon League with a comfortable win over Loyola.

Joshua Gunter | The Plain DealerGary Waters' CSU Vikings are off to a 14-1 start.

The roll continues for Cleveland State, and once again the Vikings were not seriously challenged. They built a comfortable lead by halftime over the Loyola Ramblers then cruised like a drop top Cadillac in a summer breeze to a 73-55 Horizon League victory before a second-straight solid crowd, 4,044, Thursday night in the Wolstein Center.

The Vikings did this with leading scorer Norris Cole, nursing a stinger in his shoulder, scoring just 12 points, well under his 21.5 scoring average. Taking up the slack was center Aaron Pogue. The 6-9, 265-pound pivot had his way in the paint from beginning to end scoring 16 points to tie his career high. This was bolstered by another six points from freshman post Devon Long as the Ramblers offered absolutely no physical resistance inside.

This came on the heels of a one-on-one talk with CSU head coach Gary Waters where he told the Pogue, "now it's time for them to know who you are," Waters said. "And he did it."

Pogue was 8-of-11 from the field and also had 12 rebounds. Waters said the center from Dayton is finally rounding into good physical shape and the sky suddenly seems to be the limit.

"Not many people can guard me one-on-one," Pogue said. "I feel I can destroy any man one-on-one."

The Vikings (14-1, 3-0) started slow, and did not score until nearly five minutes into the game when Pogue scored inside. That triggered a 7-0 run that gave the Vikings a 7-5 lead. The lead grew to 13-6 as CSU's pressure defense began to tighten and the fast-break layups began to fall through the hoop. And when CSU found itself in its half-court offense, the Vikings found Pogue.

"I was more than disappointed the way we competed against him inside," Loyola head coach Jim Whitesell said.

The Vikings went from cold to hot in a hurry after the slow start, making six of their next seven in that flurry. But just when the Ramblers looked to be on their heels, they regrouped and closed within 17-15. No matter. The defensive press and trap for Cleveland State delivered once again, leading to more layups and a 28-15 cushion.

The CSU lead grew to 18 and the Vikings lead at halftime, 41-24. But Pogue and Co. gave the Ramblers more of the same in the second half as the Vikings lead grew to 71-40 with more than six minutes to play before CSU put the top up and parked it for the night.

Guard Trey Harmon followed Pogue in scoring with 14 points while Jeremy Montgomery added another 12. The Vikings also had a 38-32 rebounding edge. The Vikings now get a one-day break before hosting Illinois-Chicago at 2 p.m. Saturday. Illinois-Chicago lost Thursday night at Youngstown State, 71-69.

Moscow Social care Ireland Lisa Allardice Banks and building societies Radio industry

Local athletes shine at Brecksville wrestling tournament

There was plenty of pushing and shoving during the finals of the 50th annual Brecksville Holiday Invitational Tournament on Thursday night at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School; giving fans the excitement they came for.

Roy Hodgson Terrorism policy UK security and terrorism Women Road trips Bank of England

Some good news

new applications for unemployment benefits are at their lowest level since June of 2008.

International criminal justice Italy Simon Cowell Financial crisis England rugby union team Food and drink

Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy gets second shot at Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday

Colt McCoy comes full circle and finishes his rookie season playing the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team against which he broke in on Oct. 17.

The Browns are 2-9 in division games in two seasons under coach Eric Mangini. He volunteered one reason for that inferiority this week.

John Kuntz / The Plain DealerThe Browns are hoping that by having one game against the Steelers under his belt, Colt McCoy will be better able to avoid situations such as this, where he is hit by the Steelers' James Farrior (right) and Lawrence Timmons after throwing an incomplete pass.

"This will be, I think, the first time in the two years where we've actually had a quarterback face the same division opponent two consecutive games," Mangini said.

Not technically accurate, but close. Brady Quinn started both games against Baltimore in 2009, but was yanked at halftime in the first meeting.

Colt McCoy, who made his NFL debut in Pittsburgh on Oct. 17, gets another shot against the Steelers on the Browns’ home field Sunday. So he should become the first Browns quarterback under Mangini to play a full game against them — or any division opponent — twice in the same season.

Last season it was Derek Anderson starting in the first meetings against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh with Quinn getting the rematches. This year, Seneca Wallace started the first Baltimore and Cincinnati games. McCoy has started the rest.

"It does help because he does have familiarity with their scheme," Mangini said. "He's played against it. He's seen the speed with which they bring their pressure. It's a different speed."

Expectations were low for McCoy when he was pressed into the starting role for the first Pittsburgh game because of high ankle sprains suffered by Wallace and Jake Delhomme. McCoy was supposed to be figuratively buried somewhere beneath Heinz Field.

Instead of a mutilation, the game was a revelation and inspiration. McCoy not only survived, he competed. He went from rookie "redshirt" to franchise hope in the span of three hours.

Yes, he was sacked six times and tossed two interceptions in the 28-10 Pittsburgh win. But the poise and composure he showed in the face of Pittsburgh coordinator Dick LeBeau's "Blitzburgh" scheme earned him instant respect. McCoy completed 23 of 33 passes for 281 yards and one touchdown.

The Browns' 327 yards offense were their most in a Steelers game since the 36-33 loss to them in the 2002 season playoffs.

"I can tell you this, I wasn't surprised he was able to represent himself as well as he did," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "This guy's no stranger to big stages. He comes from a program where he's been in some big football games. He's extremely smart guy and has great football intelligence and passion for the game. So, to put together a performance like that is not surprising at all."

McCoy's 23 completions in the first Steelers' game exceeded the combined total of Anderson (nine) and Quinn (six) in the two Steelers games last season.

And yet.

"I watched the tape when we played earlier in the season and thought, 'Man, I've come a long ways from that,' " McCoy said. "I'm playing a lot better. There are still a lot of things that I can improve on and work on. I just look forward to the opportunity to get out there again, get this sour taste out of my mouth, take care of the football and lead the team."

McCoy was referring to the debacle last week against Baltimore, his worst of seven starts. He was intercepted three times, twice by safety Ed Reed, and produced a career-low passer rating of 27.0.

This week, McCoy may have to contend with another All-Pro safety in Troy Polamalu. The Steeler has missed the past two games with an Achilles injury and has not practiced this week, but is expected to try to go today. Polamalu was largely quiet in the first meeting.

"They play a little bit different spots, but they play the same way," McCoy said of Reed and Polamalu. "They're [risk-takers]. They strive to make plays and that's what has made them who they are. They're the best safeties in the league. I'll have to be better, more sharp looking off, finding the open guy without them being around."

Five of McCoy's seven interceptions have come in two games against Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

"I have to eliminate those mistakes," he said. "I have to take those away, and if you take those away and you look at the game, it's like, 'Wow, we stayed on the field. We converted on third downs.' We made a couple of bad decisions and it cost us. I understand that fully."

Besides Polamalu, McCoy has to contend with the Steelers' vise-like run defense, which is No. 1 by far in the NFL, and their pass rush, tied for the NFL lead with 44 sacks, led by linebacker James Harrison's 11.

Related stories

• Cleveland Browns nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin playing at a high level
• Browns coach Eric Mangini's press conference: Transcript
• SB TV: Colt McCoy's arm strength has to be a concern
• Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot preview Browns vs. Steelers
• 'You Pick the Winners': Branson Wright's lead shrinks to three games over Chuck Yarborough

"Those guys play so well together," McCoy said. "They know their blitzes, know their gaps. They come in and out and their scheme is based around them and what they do. We are going to have to handle that.

"A lot of guys are confident in this locker room. A lot of guys are going out to practice, working and competing. We are going to finish strong and finish the right way."

McCoy is known as a quick study. Many others before him have learned the hard way that playing the Steelers doesn't always get easier the second time around.

Blackpool Sir Alex Ferguson Pakistan cricket team Lake District Sri Lanka Iran

Local athletes shine at Brecksville wrestling tournament

There was plenty of pushing and shoving during the finals of the 50th annual Brecksville Holiday Invitational Tournament on Thursday night at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School; giving fans the excitement they came for.

The US embassy cables Energy Taxonomy Protest World Cup 2022 Slovakia

USF Bulls lose 64-55 at snowy Seton Hall in Big East opener

By Mike Vorkunov, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, December 28, 2010

NEWARK, N.J. — There was no rest for weary-eyed USF. The team made it into New Jersey at 3 a.m. Tuesday, its schedule thrown off by the snowstorm that enveloped the Northeast.

The Bulls then played like they could have used a full night's sleep.

In its Big East opener Tuesday, USF fell 64-55 to Seton Hall at the Prudential Center. The Bulls struggled against the sputtering Pirates, continuing their season-long shooting woes. They shot 40 percent and were undone by errors in the final minutes of the game.

"If I had a tape recorder from three of our last four games, I can almost replay the same story," USF coach Stan Heath said. "We've been a team that hangs in there in last three or four minutes. We haven't learned what it takes to win. Down the stretch we made some plays that make you scratch your head."

In the final 5:30 of a six-point game, USF (6-8) turned the ball over three times, and Jowanza Poland was called for a charge on back-to-back possessions. Those were backbreaking mistakes in a game in which Seton Hall (7-6) led throughout the second half but never had complete control.

"It's our guard play," Heath said. "To win in this league you have to have good guard play. Your guards have to be the leaders, they have to exude some confidence and they've got to make good decisions down the stretch.

"We're not getting that right now. Especially down the stretch. We had a lot of transition opportunities that came up empty."

Hugh Robertson led the Bulls with 14 points, his fourth straight game in double figures. Augustus Gilchrist scored 12 off the bench for the second straight game after returning to the team, and Jarrid Famous had 11 points and seven rebounds. Poland added 10 points.

The Bulls went down 10 midway through the second half but responded by cutting the lead to 50-46 after a Gilchrist fadeaway jumper. But USF could not break the Pirates.

Heath refused to blame the loss on the Bulls' travel schedule or say it had an effect on how they played. The team had to fly into Washington then take a bus the rest of the way. It was not something Heath had ever experienced.

"I couldn't tell you the effects of what it does to your team," Heath said. "We didn't look like we were slow at all, but I didn't think we had the enthusiasm that you need to have in your Big East opener.

"I don't necessarily blame that on getting in at 3 in the morning. I give my team a lot of credit, nobody whined or complained. They came to play."

London Folk music Russia Climate change Occupational pensions Lloyds Banking Group

In this bowl, it's FSU vs. Spurrier

Orlando Sentinel
Monday, December 27, 2010

TALLAHASSEE — If Steve Spurrier isn't the most despised man in Florida State history, then T.K. Wetherell doesn't know who is. And Wetherell might know these things better than anyone.

He played for the Seminoles in the mid 1960s against Spurrier's Florida Gators. Years later, Wetherell became FSU's president. He struggled to identify a man who has inspired more rage among FSU supporters than Spurrier. Maybe Tim Tebow.

"But Spurrier made it so easy," Wetherell said. "And part of it is I think he wanted to make it easy."

FSU and South Carolina meet in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Friday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, but that might as well be the undercard. The main event is FSU vs. Spurrier, the Gamecocks' coach. The Seminoles and their old nemesis, bound by 46 years of history and hatred.

FSU fans might have thought nine years ago they had rid themselves of the man. That's when, after the 2001 season, Spurrier left Florida to coach the Washington Redskins.

In the final game he coached against FSU, Spurrier led the Gators to a 37-13 victory in Gainesville. In the days that followed, Spurrier accused the Seminoles' Darnell Dockett of trying to injure Florida players.

That prompted Dave Hart, a former FSU athletic director, to say: "It would probably be good if somebody just spanked (Spurrier) and put him to bed and hoped that he wakes up all grown up."

Dialogue like that wasn't all that uncommon back then, when the FSU-Florida rivalry was at its height and when Spurrier seemed to figure a new way to annoy the Seminoles and their loyalists every season.

The incidents and one-liners are well-documented. "Free Shoes University." Spurrier's accusations of dirty play against Danny Wuerffel. Doug Johnson firing a ball toward Bobby Bowden's head during a pregame brawl. And on and on it went.

"Everybody needs a villain," Wetherell said. "And if you don't have one, you can create one. Steve was always easy to create as a villain as he got older."

He was one when he was younger, too. Long before he coached at Florida, Spurrier was a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback at the school. He helped lead the Gators to two victories against Florida State in the mid 1960s. One was the infamous Lane Fenner game in 1966 when Fenner's late touchdown catch was incorrectly disallowed.

Two years earlier, Spurrier and the Gators lost to FSU for the first time. Longtime FSU supporters still remember what the Gators stuck on their helmets in practice in the days before that game: "Never, FSU, Never."

The message implied mighty Florida could never — and should never — lose to the likes of a former women's college that didn't begin playing football until 1949. That was the environment in which Spurrier arrived in Gainesville. And that was the attitude some say he carried to Florida when he became the coach there in 1990.

"When Spurrier came back in '90, we had come of age, and we'd become a national player on the national scene," said Charlie Barnes, executive director of Seminole Boosters. "And he brought with him when he returned that traditional Gator disrespect and looking down the nose at FSU. … It was that Gator arrogance left over from the '60s."

Spurrier helped transform the Seminoles-Gators rivalry into one of the nation's most passionate. Jimbo Fisher is in his first season as FSU's coach, but in the early '90s, he was a Seminoles fan. And a Spurrier fan, too. Fisher, a former quarterback, admired Spurrier's pass-oriented offense. He didn't mind the trash-talking, either.

"I used to laugh at it," Fisher said. "I used to wait and see what he had to say. He had some good ones. But a lot of it now, if you go back and think of some of it, I think a lot of it was to take some attention off players, put pressure on himself."

Spurrier said recently he did hate the Seminoles, but that day has passed. He emphasized how he's not at Florida anymore and that the history he shares with FSU is just that.

Seminoles fans might have mellowed, too. But there's a part of Spurrier that still represents what FSU supporters love to hate. It's the part of him deep down that's still a Gator — the part that 46 years ago might have inspired him to wear a sticker on his helmet: "Never, FSU, Never."

Animals Recession The X Factor Newspapers Aston villa Cobham

'You Pick the Winners' video: Branson Wright's lead shrinks to three games over Chuck Yarborough

Contest enters the final week of the regular season. Watch video

 
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Renee Novak of Cleveland was last week's finalist, won a $25 gift card and qualified for a spot in the finals in our "You Pick the Winners" football pick 'em contest.

Host Branson Wright saw his lead over co-host Chuck Yarborough shrink to three games.

Chuck has picked three games differently this week in a last-week attempt to draw even.

Each week, fans can go online to cleveland.com/footballpicks and make their predictions. The winning prognosticator gets that $25 gas card and the opportunity to be the guest of SBTV hosts Chuck and Branson on "You Pick the Winners," streaming on cleveland.com.

In the event of a tie, we'll use the total score of the Browns game as a tiebreaker. Whoever comes closest to the total without going over will prevail. If there's still a tie after that, we'll do a random drawing. See official contest rules for further details. Whoever makes the most correct picks will become a finalist for a $250 gift card to be awarded at the end of the season. (OK, it's not much; this is mostly for fun.)

St Petersburg Credit cards Peter Atherton Republicans Pakistan cricket betting scandal Mergers and acquisitions

Families urged to save water as burst pipes put supplies under pressure

PEOPLE are being asked to ration their water following the loss of tens of millions of gallons because of burst pipes.

Yorkshire Water is urging people not to waste water with unnecessary baths and showers, with the company losing around 30 million litres of water a day – around the same as 12 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The loss amounts to 2.5 per cent of the water that is used in Yorkshire on a daily basis.

Pipes have been damaged by the big freeze but the problem has only arisen with the warmer weather causing the ice to thaw.

While temperatures fell to well below freezing a week ago, the region is now experiencing temperatures of up to 7 or 8C.

Residents of Hull and the East Riding are being asked to carefully consider how often they use dishwashers and washing machines, as the company battles an unprecedented number of burst pipes.

Any surge in water use could result in a shortage.

The company's manager of community engagement, Richard Sears, said: "We're working really hard to fix these bursts as soon as possible and it's very challenging.

"The sheer volume of water being lost through bursts means that it is proving difficult to maintain pressure in the water supply system.

"The less water people use, particularly at teatime and at breakfast, the quicker the system will recharge and things will return to normal for everyone.

"So if customers could use water wisely for the next few days, this would greatly assist the recovery effort."

But he is also asking people not to panic.

He insists there will be no repeat of what has happened in Northern Ireland – where thousands of residents have been left without any water for almost two weeks, resulting in people queuing up to replenish bottles of water at filling points.

He said: "The water supply is under considerable pressure at the moment, but we are not in the realms of what has happened in Northern Ireland.

"There are signs of recovery and it is important people do not panic and start storing baths of water.

"We have more people than ever before out finding and fixing leaks.

"We have fixed 400 leaks in just three days."

Hull and the East Riding's local authorities have also been urged to check schools and other public buildings for potential flooding.

In North Yorkshire, 80 schools were found to have leaking pipes.

Landlords and neighbours are also being urged to check properties which have lain empty over the festive period to check for any leaks.

Mr Sears said: "We have already sat down with the local authorities and told them to check all the public buildings and schools for any leaks.

"We are also asking landlords and neighbours to report any leaks they see in empty properties. The damage they can cause could be huge.

"We suspect that there are lots of leaks hidden behind closed doors as businesses have shut for the Christmas period, or homeowners have gone off to visit relatives.

"We would urge people to check on their neighbours' properties if they know they're away to see if there are signs of a leak.

"If there are, they should contact the owners or Yorkshire Water, who will come out and turn the water off.

"While we are losing 30 million litres a day, it will be considerably more in the pipes of private properties."

Yorkshire Water has also seen a massive rise in calls, jumping from 1,000 a day to 10,000.

There has also been a widespread operation to get bottled water to the homes of vulnerable people who have lost their water supply through leaks or frozen pipes.

But Mr Sears has warned that, with such demand, Yorkshire Water is having to prioritise jobs.

He said: "We sympathise with all those customers affected by the recent cold weather.

"While a lot of the problems experienced by people were as a result of problems on their own pipework, we have tried wherever possible to give them helpful advice and support."

Katherine Gardiner has had to spend much of the festive season in a bed and breakfast due to burst pipes.

Miss Gardiner, 23, of north Hull, said: "I came back a few days ago to find water ankle-deep in my home.

"The ceiling in the kitchen is falling down and I can't get in to cook or wash my clothes.

"It has been an absolute nightmare.

"Unfortunately, my boiler isn't working properly so the pipes froze and then burst."

People can report leaks by calling on 0800 1 24 24 24.

Belarus Xabi Alonso Top 10s Manchester City Employment law JLS

Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Dan Ellis has improved positioning in net

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, December 30, 2010

TAMPA — Coach Guy Boucher has said a key to G Dan Ellis playing well throughout a recent stretch of five straight starts is his improved positioning in net.

And Ellis, who is 3-1-1 in his past five games with a 2.33 goals-against average, couldn't agree more.

"It's a night-and-day difference," Ellis said. "I was playing the whole first half of the season thinking about where I was. I started out being deep (in the crease), then I went out high, then I just said, 'You know what? I can't play where I'm not used to.' So I got back to playing my own distances and stuff. You know where the pucks are around you.

"When you're changing that, it's a huge adjustment that people don't think of, and you don't always get the results you want. So I've been getting back to my comfort zone in positioning and stuff and have felt a lot better and been able to put up better results."

Though Ellis would like to have some shots back, including the winner by the Bruins' Mark Recchi on Tuesday, he believes the string of consecutive starts helped him develop a comfort zone.

"The more you get in, the more rhythm you get," he said. "The legs and conditioning all get stronger, and you kind of roll with it from game to game."

MEDICAL MATTERS: RW Steve Downie (high ankle sprain) skated with the team Thursday for the first time since sustaining the injury Dec. 2. Boucher said there's a "high probability" he could be ready to play in a game on next week's road trip to Washington and Pittsburgh.

Downie said it was fun being back on the ice with his teammates but acknowledged he needs more hard practices to get his legs back into game shape.

"No matter what you say, I was in a cast for a week. I've been in a (walking boot)," Downie said. "My legs have got to come. It won't take too long, but I definitely need some time to get skating; some more hard practices. Time will tell."

THANK YOU: Rookie G Cedrick Desjardins was gracious before making his NHL debut against the Canadiens on Thursday even though he never got a call-up during the four seasons he spent in the organization.

"I respect Montreal. It's one of the greatest organizations in the league," Desjardins said. "They were the only team that gave me a chance when I was 20 years old, and I'll always be thankful for them as well. I never played for them, really, but … I had a great time there, met great people."

MISCELLANY: D Pavel Kubina's second-period goal gave him the most goals by a defenseman in franchise history (67), passing Dan Boyle. … D Randy Jones returned to the lineup after missing one game due to an upper-body injury. The Lightning went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen with D Matt Smaby in and C Mattias Ritola a scratch.

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com.

Lee Bowyer Theatre Tottenham Hotspur Mark Zuckerberg Rugby league Laws of football

Wonkbook: Elizabeth Warren looking for CFPB chief; Banks increasing lending; revolving door spinning faster; Republicans attack EPA regs as 'gas tax'

Top Stories

Elizabeth Warren is hunting for a chief to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, reports Damian Paletta and Victoria McGrane: "White House adviser Elizabeth Warren and a top lieutenant are quietly asking business and consumer groups for names of people who might run the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, people familiar with the matter said. The hunt suggests that Ms. Warren, a lightning rod for some bankers, might not be selected to lead the bureau... The feelers to business groups serve as a reminder that any nominee would likely need support from at least seven Republicans in the Senate to win confirmation. Among the names being discussed are Iowa's attorney general, Tom Miller; New York state bank regulator Richard Neiman; and former Office of Thrift Supervision director Ellen Seidman."

Big banks are stepping up their lending, reports Ruth Simon: "Some big U.S. banks are starting to increase their lending to businesses as demand for loans rises and healthier banks seek to grab customers from weaker rivals. After declining steadily for most of the past two years, the amount of commercial and industrial loans held by commercial banks inched upward during the past two months, according to the Federal Reserve. Moody's Analytics estimates that commercial and industrial lending in the fourth quarter has grown 0.2% from the third quarter, to $1.22 trillion, the first quarterly increase in two years. Moody's predicts such lending will rise 3% next year. An uptick in business lending is an optimistic sign for the economy and can help to make the recovery self-sustaining."

More government regulators are bolting to the industry they regulate, reports Zachary Goldfarb: "The president's recently departed budget director is joining Citigroup. The New York Federal Reserve Bank's derivatives expert is joining Goldman Sachs. And numerous investigators from the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are joining Wall Street's top law firms. The vast overhaul of financial regulations and the renewed intensity of investigations into white-collar crime has been a boon for regulators, prosecutors and financial policymakers looking to cash in on their government experience and contacts...Lawyers making the move, who often were in the private sector before joining the government, can reasonably expect their income to go from less than $200,000 to $400,000 or more, legal recruiters say."

Republicans are seeking to characterize new EPA rules as a de facto "gas tax", reports Andrew Restuccia: "Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to delay plans to implement new greenhouse-gas standards on oil refineries, arguing the regulations would amount to 'a new gas tax.' The new greenhouse-gas standards 'will hurt every American driver, trucker, farmer and flier with higher gasoline, diesel and jet fuel prices,' Hutchison said in a letter sent Wednesday to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. 'Higher prices passed on to consumers will feel like a new gas tax.' It's the latest example of Republicans criticizing EPA's plans to impose climate-change regulations. Republicans have made plans to attempt to block the agency's climate change authority next year."

Obama recess appointed six officials, report Jay Solomon and Jared Favole: "President Barack Obama, sidestepping Congress, named the first U.S. ambassador to Syria in nearly six years and a deputy attorney general in recess appointments after the nominations ran into trouble among Republicans...At the Justice Department, James M. Cole was appointed to the No. 2 post of deputy attorney general. The nomination of Mr. Cole, a partner at the law firm Bryan Cave LLP, was blocked by Republicans amid concerns over his role as an independent monitor at American International Group Ltd., the insurance giant the government bailed out."

Got tips, additions, or comments? E-mail me.

Want Wonkbook delivered to your inbox or mobile device? Subscribe!

Dance video interlude: Neon Indian's "Mind, Drips".

Still to come: Government mortgage assistance is winding down; conservatives are upset about a recent FDA ruling; new House rules require bills to cite the Constitution; gas-guzzling SUVs are still the top-selling cars in America; and the world's youngest Scott Pilgrim fan.

Economy

Government mortgage assistance is tapering off, reports Alan Zibel: "The number of troubled U.S. homeowners receiving assistance with their mortgages fell in the third quarter as the government's foreclosure-prevention effort tapered off. Federal bank regulators reported Wednesday that about 470,000 homeowners received loan assistance in the July to September quarter, down 17% from the second quarter and down 32% from the same quarter a year earlier. Banks have largely sifted through a big pool of eligible borrowers who weren't getting any assistance before the Obama administration launched its effort to combat foreclosures in early 2009, officials said."

Foreclosures jumped in the third quarter: http://bit.ly/eVv3zn

State and local tax revenues are on the rise: http://on.wsj.com/ihJBLd

Veterans are facing a tough job market, reports Michael Fletcher: "Some experts say the grim employment landscape confronting veterans challenges the veracity of one of the central recruiting promises of the nation's all-volunteer force: that serving in the military will make them more marketable in civilian life. 'That [promise] works great in peacetime,' said Lawrence J. Korb, an assistant secretary of defense for manpower under President Ronald Reagan who is now a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. 'But that does not work too well in war.'...The unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans was 10 percent in November, compared with 9.1 percent for non-veterans, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics."

Obama signed a bil to help veterans with foreclosures: http://politi.co/heapBq

The unemployment problem is not structural, writes James Suroweicki: "If the problems with the job market really were structural, you?d expect job losses to be heavily concentrated in a few industries, the ones that are disappearing as a result of the bursting of the bubble. And if there were industries that were having trouble finding enough qualified workers, you?d expect them to have lots of job vacancies, and to be paying their existing workers more and working them longer hours. As it happens, you don?t see any of those things. Instead, jobs have been lost and hiring is slow almost across the board. Payrolls were slashed by five per cent or more not just in the bubble categories of construction and finance but also in manufacturing, retail, wholesale, transportation, and information technology."

Corporations should cut their board size, writes Robert Pozen: http://on.wsj.com/h4Q8FQ

America's recovery will start in cities, writes Edward Glaeser: "America must stop treating its cities as ugly stepchildren, and should instead cherish them as the engines that power our economy. America?s 12 largest metropolitan areas collectively produced 37 percent of the country?s output in 2008, the last year with available data. Per capita productivity was particularly high in large, skilled areas such as Boston, where output per person was 39 percent higher than the nation?s metropolitan average. New York and San Francisco enjoy similar per capita productivity advantages. Boston also seems to be moving past the current recession, with an unemployment rate well below the national average of 9.8 percent."

Small children being awesome interlude: A little girl pretends to be Kim from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

Health Care

A recent FDA ruling is a warning of rationing to come, write Douglas Revkin and Elizabeth Foley: "Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration banned doctors from prescribing Avastin, a potent but costly drug, to patients with advanced-stage breast cancer. According to the FDA, the drug doesn't offer 'a sufficient benefit in slowing disease progression to outweigh the significant risk to patients.' Yet in some clinical trials Avastin has halted the spread of patients' cancer for months, providing respite to women and their families wracked by physical and psychological pain...The FDA made a crude cost calculation; as everyone in Washington knows, it wouldn't have banned Avastin if the drug cost only $1,000 a year, instead of $90,000."

A Republican Congressman who complained about not receiving government health care soon enough has been rejected from a committee with health care jurisdiction: http://bit.ly/grnkFb

Domestic Policy

New House rules put more emphasis on the Constitution, report Philip Rucker and Krissah Thompson: "When Republicans take over the House next week, they will do something that apparently has never been done before in the chamber's 221-year history: They will read the Constitution aloud. And then they will require that every new bill contain a statement by the lawmaker who wrote it citing the constitutional authority to enact the proposed legislation. Call it the tea party-ization of Congress. 'It appears that the Republicans have been listening,' said Jeff Luecke, a sales supervisor and tea party organizer in Dubuque, Iowa. 'We're so far away from our founding principles that, absolutely, this is the very, very tip of the iceberg. We need to talk about and learn about the Constitution daily.'"

Meat packaging will have to include a calorie count come 2012: http://wapo.st/hCcw4M

Discipline is key to Shanghai's success on international education testing, reports David Barboza: "In Li Zhen?s ninth-grade mathematics class here last week, the morning drill was geometry...One by one, a series of students at this medium-size public school raised their hands. When Ms. Li called on them, they each stood politely by their desks and usually answered correctly. They returned to their seats only when she told them to sit down. Educators say this disciplined approach helps explain the announcement this month that 5,100 15-year-olds in Shanghai outperformed students from about 65 countries on an international standardized test that measured math, science and reading competency."

Liberals should work to add to Obama's achievements, not to minimize them, writes E.J. Dionne: "Too often progressives have spent more time complaining about what wasn't done than in finding ways to build on what has been achieved. It took decades to complete the modern Social Security system and years to move from tepid to robust civil rights laws and from modest to comprehensive environmental regulation. Impatience is indispensable to getting reform started; patience is essential to seeing its promise fulfilled. And both the liberals and Obama need to escape the bubbles of legislative and narrowly ideological politics and re-engage the country on what can only be called a spiritual level. Modern American liberalism is not some abstract and alien creed."

Adorable animals makin' pictures interlude: The first film directed by cats.

Energy

SUVs still lead US car sales, reports Peter Whoriskey: "If U.S. consumers are in the midst of a green revolution, the news hasn't reached car buyers. With the end of the recession, bigger vehicles have made a comeback, sales figures show, and it has come at the expense of smaller, more-efficient cars. Leading the growth were sales of midsize sport-utility vehicles, which jumped 41 percent through the first 11 months of the year, led by vehicles such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Honda Pilot, each of which get about 18 miles per gallon. Sales of small cars, by contrast, remained flat despite otherwise surging demand for automobiles."

The House Natural Resources subcommittee chairmen have been announced: http://politi.co/fbcE1m

Congressional Republicans are split on nuclear energy, reports Darius Dixon: "Signs point to a nuclear power surge on Capitol Hill: A newly empowered House Republican majority and several influential senators ready to make a push for the climate-friendly source of energy. But the tea-party-led charge to cut spending and pull back the hand of the government could stand in the way. Although several tea-party-supported winners in the House espoused an 'all of the above' approach to energy policy that included nuclear energy during their campaigns, it remains to be seen how new members will react to the sticker shock from new reactors and the massive role the federal government plays throughout the industry."

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton has announced the committee's new staff: http://bit.ly/hdqjJH

China's coal consumption voids the US' duty to act on climate change, writes George Will: "China, which imported about 150 million tons this year, was a net exporter of coal until 2009, sending abroad its low-grade coal and importing higher-grade, low-sulfur coal from, for example, the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana. Because much of China's enormous coal reserves is inland, far from coastal factories, it is sometimes more economical to import American and Australian coal...A climate scientist told Fallows that stabilizing the carbon-dioxide concentration in the atmosphere would require the world to reduce its emissions to Kenya's level - for America, a 96 percent reduction. Nations with hundreds of millions of people in poverty would, Fallows says, have to 'forgo the energy-intensive path toward wealth that the United States has traveled for so many years.'"

Closing credits: Wonkbook is compiled and produced with help from Dylan Matthews, Mike Shepard, and Michelle Williams. Photo credit: Photo credit: Susan Walsh-AP.

Tesco India Children Nuclear weapons Moscow Social care

Girls basketball: Gilmour 61, Bartow (Fla.) 48

 Yes, the final score indicates a solid 13-point win for the Lancers in the Indian Rocks Holiday Tournament in St. Petersburg, Fla., but it was defense that led the way. Gilmour’s senior post Brittany Layton had 13 rebounds and two blocks, a nice complement to her 32-point outpouring. Abbey Deckard, a junior post, added eight rebounds. Kelsey Dugger, the Lancers’ freshman point guard, snared four rebounds to go along with five assists and two steals.

Sir Alex Ferguson Pakistan cricket team Lake District Sri Lanka Iran Reckitt Benckiser

Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Seattle Seahawks game: What they're saying

Times staff
Sunday, December 26, 2010

Bucs coach Raheem Morris:

"It's gratifying to win meaningful games in December, gratifying to win games after Christmas. The guys had a great week of preparation, and we can only control what we can control, so on to New Orleans to play our 16th game."

Morris, on TE Kellen Winslow:

"To see him come out and do the things he was able to do today didn't shock me one bit. Now it's up to me to find ways to make him do it more often and to help him do it more often, as often as we can do it for as long as we can do it."

Bucs OT Donald Penn, on QB Josh Freeman:

"I told him on that last series on the sideline, 'You have set a standard.' I said, 'I don't want anything less from now on.' I said, 'You have messed up. You show me you're the best, now every game I want that. Every day in practice I want that.' "

WR Mike Williams, on Freeman's five TD passes:

"We always feel when we get down, there's no one better quarterback to have the ball than No. 5. Once he's got the ball, we feel like we can come back and win anything."

Seahawks WR Mike Williams, on whether his team deserves to be in the playoffs with a losing record:

"People want to talk and say this and that, but rules are rules. You don't just change the rules all of a sudden because the situation is not what you expect."

Jim Moore, Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

Imagine how Freeman will feel in two weeks if he's watching the Seahawks in the playoffs after throwing five touchdown passes against them on the day after Christmas. Talk about quarterback envy after seeing Freeman — (Charlie) Whitehurst will never be what this guy is already.

Pat Yasinskas, ESPN.com's NFC South blogger:

I was driving to Tampa International Airport about the time Freeman was throwing two second-quarter touchdowns and the road runs pretty close to Raymond James Stadium. The wind was making my car sway and forcing me to keep both hands on the wheel. If you can throw a football with precision through that kind of wind, you have a big-time arm.

Ann Widdecombe Family finances BBC International criminal justice Italy Simon Cowell

Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose Arrelious Benn for the season

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Monday, December 27, 2010

TAMPA — The Bucs need help to make the playoffs, all right.

Not just from the Bears and/or Redskins. They will require more contributions from young players to replace their growing list of injured starters.

The Bucs learned Monday that they lost rookie receiver Arrelious Benn for the remainder of the season — and most of the offseason as well.

Coach Raheem Morris said Benn tore a ligament in his left knee during the second quarter of the 38-15 win over the Seahawks when he was hit by cornerback Marcus Trufant after a 16-yard reception.

Benn was placed on injured reserve, the seventh starter lost in the past five weeks.

And the Bucs might be without Earnest Graham on Sunday at New Orleans. The starting fullback suffered a neck injury against Seattle and is considered "week to week."

The Bucs have lost eight starters to injured reserve, including four members of their 2010 draft class: Benn, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, defensive tackle Brian Price and safety Cody Grimm.

Despite the long odds and even longer injury list, receiver Micheal Spurlock said the NFL's youngest team can't take its opportunity to reach the playoffs with a win in Week 17 for granted.

"If we don't get in this year, then we have to build everything back up next year," Spurlock said. "It's like everything gets erased no matter what you did last year. You have to start back at the bottom and climb your way back up the hill. We are right there with a chance to get to the top. It would (stink) to not get to the top."

As much as a buzzkill as Benn's injury is for Morris, he said what makes it worse is that the second-round pick from Illinois can't spend the offseason working on his game.

"I'm more sour for the fact that I knew what Rejus was going to be able to do this offseason because of how he works," Morris said. "Now he's going to spend some time rehabbing and doing some things for his knee in order to come back to where he was. I'm more discouraged about the fact that I know he was going to be able to grow in the offseason in the offense and working with guys.

"There's just something about throwing with Josh Freeman and throwing with these guys every day. They got a unique chemistry from that forum starting last year, and there was going to be a new wave of guys that came in and would be able to join that with Mike Williams and Rejus and (Dezmon) Briscoe. I'm just more sad for him because I know how he likes to work."

Benn had progressed as a playmaker after catching just two passes or fewer in nine of his first 10 games. Two weeks ago, he had four catches for 122 yards in a win at Washington. He finished with 25 catches for 394 yards and two touchdowns.

Morris said Benn will be replaced by veteran Maurice Stovall, Preston Parker or Briscoe, who had two catches for 28 yards Sunday.

"It was really a crushing blow," offensive coordinator Greg Olson said of Benn's injury. "He'd been playing so well as of late. He was getting better every week and was becoming a big part of our game-planning. It'll be a big loss for us in the offseason and not have a chance to spend a lot of time with him in the offseason and see him progress that way, too."

There's a slim chance Graham might play at New Orleans, Morris said. And he did not suffer a concussion.

Morris said Graham will be week to week — "Hopefully we've got week to week."

Rookie fullback Erik Lorig, a seventh-round pick from Stanford who began the season at defensive end, would replace Graham.

"I think the best-worst thing that we have is that a lot of guys don't understand that you might not get back," Spurlock said. "That's also a good thing because they are just having fun and there is no pressure. It's really a double-edged sword."

Executive pay and bonuses WikiLeaks Cricket Julian Assange Guantánamo Bay Radio 1

Support for Zivojinovic

Slobodan Zivojinovic, the president of the Serbia Tennis Federation, is currently on vacation, but come election day at the Serbian tennis governing body he will be able to rely on the support from a considerable number of clubs, tennis officials, as well as entrepreneurs. Among the president?s backers is Philip Zepter, the owner of Zepter International.

Tobin tax Belarus Xabi Alonso Top 10s Manchester City Employment law

Charity offered City tickets

A developer has donated �1,500 and pledged ongoing support to a blind charity.

Lee Quinn, director of Quinn Construction, is supporting Vista, the main provider of services for almost 6,000 blind and partially sighted people in Leicestershire and Rutland.

His grandfather is supported by the charity.

Lee, who has an executive box at the Walkers Stadium, said he would donate two tickets for every Leicester City home game to patients and staff from the charity.

"It's really nice to help them out and they are great to my granddad, so it's nice to give them something back," said Lee.

Former Leicester City player Steve Walsh has been made an ambassador for the charity.

He said: "It's a fantastic Leicester charity and it's enjoyable to be involved."

Vista spokesman Lorna Allen said: "It doesn't matter whether you've got sight or not, you can still go and enjoy a football.

"To be able to visit an executive box is fantastic."

Celebrity Liverpool Sweden Amir Khan Lee Carsley Jonny Wilkinson

Magic breaks another streak

Times wires
Saturday, December 25, 2010

ORLANDO — The remolded Magic is the NBA's new streak-buster.

Brandon Bass had 21 points, Hedo Turkoglu had 15 and Orlando ended the Celtics' winning streak at 14 games 86-78 on Saturday for back-to-back wins against the NBA's best.

A Magic team that had lost eight of nine and orchestrated two blockbuster trades suddenly looks awfully scary in the Eastern Conference after victories over Boston and San Antonio.

"You see what the possibilities are," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "You see that you have a chance to be a really good team. We're not there yet by any means, but you have a chance to be a very good team. And I think that right there, that belief and that confidence that, if we will stay with it, we can be very good.

"That's a great thing for our team to get that belief that, yeah, this can work. We can do this."

Jameer Nelson (12 points) and J.J. Redick (10 points) made jumpers in the final minutes to help Orlando rally from 12 points down in the second half to cap another big comeback. The Magic ended the Spurs' 10-game winning streak Thursday night.

Kevin Garnett had 22 points and Paul Pierce 18, but injuries finally caught up with the Celtics against the team they beat last season in the East finals.

Heat pounds Lakers

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James had 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists while hitting a season-high five 3-pointers, and the Heat thrived on the holiday stage in a 96-80 victory over Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

Chris Bosh had 24 points and 13 rebounds, Dwyane Wade added 18 points on a sore knee and Miami won its 14th in 15 games while flustering the two-time defending champions into a terrible offensive performance.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Amare Stoudemire and Raymond Felton had 20 points each, and the host Knicks held the Bulls to two baskets in the first 10 minutes of the fourth quarter, pulling away for a 103-95 victory. … NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant had a season-high 44 points, 21 in the third quarter, and the host Thunder beat the Nuggets 114-106.

AROUND THE LEAGUE: The Wizards suspended forward Andray Blatche and center JaVale McGee for tonight's game for conduct detrimental to the team. The Washington Post reported that the two were involved in an altercation outside a Washington-area club early Friday.

Magic 86, Celtics 78

BOSTON (78): Pierce 6-14 4-4 18, Garnett 10-14 2-4 22, S.O'Neal 1-3 0-0 2, Robinson 2-15 2-2 7, R.Allen 3-13 2-3 9, Davis 4-12 8-8 16, Daniels 1-6 0-0 2, J.O'Neal 1-4 0-0 2, Bradley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-81 18-21 78.

ORLANDO (86): Turkoglu 6-10 0-0 16, Bass 8-15 5-6 21, Howard 1-4 4-10 6, Nelson 3-9 4-4 12, J.Richardson 2-8 0-0 5, Anderson 2-9 5-6 10, Redick 4-7 1-1 11, Arenas 2-9 0-2 5. Totals 28-71 19-29 86.

Boston 20 26 17 15— 78

Orlando 19 17 21 29— 86

3-Point Goals—Boston 4-17 (Pierce 2-4, R.Allen 1-5, Robinson 1-7, Daniels 0-1), Orlando 11-29 (Turkoglu 4-8, Redick 2-4, Nelson 2-6, J.Richardson 1-3, Arenas 1-3, Anderson 1-5). Fouled Out—S.O'Neal. Rebounds—Boston 53 (Pierce, Davis 8), Orlando 56 (Howard 11). Assists—Boston 15 (Pierce 5), Orlando 16 (Turkoglu 4). Total Fouls—Boston 24, Orlando 18. Technicals—Pierce, Boston Coach Rivers, Boston defensive three second, Howard, Orlando Coach Van Gundy, Orlando defensive three second. A—19,013 (18,500).

Heat 96, Lakers 80

MIAMI (96): James 8-14 6-6 27, Bosh 11-17 2-3 24, Ilgauskas 3-5 0-0 6, Arroyo 1-5 0-0 2, Wade 6-17 6-6 18, Howard 0-2 1-2 1, Jones 1-6 0-0 3, Dampier 1-1 0-0 2, Chalmers 4-11 2-3 13, Anthony 0-0 0-0 0, Miller 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 35-79 17-20 96.

L.A. LAKERS (80): Artest 3-8 0-0 8, Odom 6-12 2-6 14, Gasol 8-17 1-1 17, Fisher 2-3 0-0 6, Bryant 6-16 4-5 17, Barnes 1-4 0-0 2, Bynum 3-5 0-0 6, Blake 0-5 0-0 0, Brown 3-9 3-3 10, Walton 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-79 10-15 80.

Miami 20 27 28 21— 96

L.A. Lakers 14 24 26 16— 80

3-Point Goals—Miami 9-25 (James 5-6, Chalmers 3-9, Jones 1-6, Wade 0-1, Arroyo 0-3), L.A. Lakers 6-19 (Artest 2-2, Fisher 2-3, Brown 1-3, Bryant 1-3, Barnes 0-1, Odom 0-2, Blake 0-5). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Miami 52 (Bosh 13), L.A. Lakers 47 (Odom 9). Assists—Miami 25 (James 10), L.A. Lakers 22 (Bryant 7). Total Fouls—Miami 17, L.A. Lakers 23. Technicals—James, Miami defensive three second, Artest, Bryant. A—18,997 (18,997).

Knicks 103, Bulls 95

CHICAGO (95): Deng 5-12 4-4 15, Boozer 11-25 4-7 26, Thomas 2-5 0-0 4, Rose 12-28 1-3 25, Bogans 1-3 0-0 3, Brewer 3-5 0-3 6, Asik 0-0 0-0 0, Gibson 2-2 0-0 4, Watson 2-5 1-1 5, Korver 2-6 1-2 7. Totals 40-91 11-20 95.

NEW YORK (103): Gallinari 5-9 2-4 15, Chandler 6-14 2-2 15, Stoudemire 10-18 0-2 20, Felton 9-18 0-0 20, Fields 5-7 2-2 14, Williams 2-2 0-0 6, Douglas 3-8 0-0 8, Turiaf 2-3 1-2 5. Totals 42-79 7-12 103.

Chicago 20 34 29 12— 95

New York 21 31 33 18— 103

3-Point Goals—Chicago 4-14 (Korver 2-4, Bogans 1-3, Deng 1-4, Watson 0-1, Rose 0-2), New York 12-22 (Gallinari 3-4, Williams 2-2, Fields 2-2, Douglas 2-3, Felton 2-7, Chandler 1-4). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Chicago 53 (Boozer 19), New York 49 (Fields 11). Assists—Chicago 15 (Rose 8), New York 25 (Felton 12). Total Fouls—Chicago 20, New York 16. A—19,763 (19,763).

Thunder 114, Nuggets 106

DENVER (106): Smith 1-4 4-4 6, Martin 4-8 2-4 10, Nene 8-13 5-7 21, Billups 10-16 7-7 30, Afflalo 1-4 0-0 2, Lawson 7-13 3-4 19, Harrington 3-5 0-0 9, Forbes 2-4 2-2 6, Andersen 1-3 1-2 3. Totals 37-70 24-30 106.

OKLAHOMA CITY (114): Durant 14-20 12-15 44, Green 5-15 2-3 12, Krstic 2-4 0-0 4, Westbrook 7-19 5-7 19, Sefolosha 1-2 2-2 4, Ibaka 2-2 0-0 4, Harden 6-11 7-8 21, Collison 0-3 0-0 0, Maynor 3-5 0-0 6. Totals 40-81 28-35 114.

Denver 34 24 27 21— 106

Oklahoma City 26 30 32 26— 114

3-Point Goals—Denver 8-17 (Billups 3-4, Harrington 3-4, Lawson 2-5, Forbes 0-1, Afflalo 0-1, Smith 0-2), Oklahoma City 6-17 (Durant 4-7, Harden 2-6, Green 0-4). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Denver 44 (Nene 12), Oklahoma City 43 (Krstic 8). Assists—Denver 15 (Lawson 5), Oklahoma City 22 (Green 6). Total Fouls—Denver 25, Oklahoma City 21. Technicals—Oklahoma City defensive three second. A—18,203 (18,203).

Stephen Carr Foreign currency Global economy Redrow Tesco India

Leicestershire boy's gooey toy invention is a stocking-filling hit

A gooey toy invented by a Leicestershire schoolboy has proved a stocking-filling hit.

Putty Monsters – bug-eyed aliens which can be manipulated into different shapes – are the idea of Tom Spring, from Rothley.

Earlier this year, the 13-year-old beat 1,200 people in a competition run by online toy and gadget retailer Firebox to design a new toy for 2010.

And the judges' choice turned out to be right – Tom's creation was among Firebox's biggest Christmas sellers, despite getting little publicity compared to the other festive hits.

Claire Wood, of Firebox, said: "Putty Monsters have definitely been one of our top sellers and did especially well in the run-up to Christmas.

"We've sold more than 5,000 since the launch in July, which is amazing – especially as the idea came from one of our young customers."

Sale of Putty Monsters are on a par with two of Firebox's other crazes, wrist bands called Silly Bandz, which come in the shape of animals, and the Magic Wand universal remote control.

Claire said: "Putty Monsters' success is a huge credit to Tom.

"His toy had only a fraction of the publicity, with celebrities being photographed with Silly Bandz and the Magic Wand appearing on the Dragon's Den TV show.

"The beauty of Putty Monsters is their simplicity. It's a traditional idea but with a new twist and helps bring out children's creative side."

Interest in the toy has been fuelled by a Facebook page, where owners post and share pictures of their creations.

Tom, who attends Stonehill High School, in Birstall, said: "I only entered the competition to show them my idea. I didn't expect to win so it feels great to know there are so many other people out there who like it."

He stands to make a small fortune from his creation, receiving half of the profits on all sales.

Following its initial success, Firebox said it is looking at selling Putty Monsters in shops next year as well as launching it in America and mainland Europe.

Tom, whose granddad, Les Cooke, is a former marketing director for county toy-maker Palitoy, said: "It's very exciting. I have plenty of other ideas too and would like to have a career as an inventor."

Tom's father, Gary, said: "Tom is incredibly focused for someone of his age. I think he's had his mind set on designing and inventing things since he was about seven.

"To see your son's idea made into reality and enjoyed by thousands of other people is fantastic.

"Tom may have to wait a while to make his first million but we're all extremely proud of him."

Classical music Birmingham City Electronic music Art Labour Julio Arca

Archaeologists hope wind farm works could unearth our long-lost secrets

OFFSHORE wind farms could help reveal the ancient secrets of East Yorkshire.

Archaeologists believe plans to connect a network of huge wind farms in the North Sea to an existing sub-station in Cottingham offer the chance to unearth dozens of previously unknown settlements.

The Creyke Beck sub-station will be the connection point to the National Grid for up to 1,700 wind turbines expected to constructed in a 3,500 square-mile area of sea on the Dogger Bank.

A consortium of energy companies behind the ambitious project have yet to decide whether to lay underground cables from the coast to Cottingham or build overhead power lines.

A proposed route has also yet to be finalised.

But an expert from the Humber Archaeology Partnership said recent underground gas and water pipeline schemes in the area had revealed over 50 previously unrecorded settlements, monuments and ancient burial mounds.

Partnership manager Dave Evans said close liaison between project engineers and archaeologists would be essential over the next few years.

"Such an approach has paid dividends on both the Easington to Ganstead gas pipeline and the Easington to Paull gas pipeline," he said.

"The on-site aspects of these two major schemes were undertaken between 2007 and 2010 and both passed through much the same landscape within the Holderess Plain."

Mr Evans said before extensive fieldwork was carried out on both schemes, a desk-based survey of known records identified mainly medieval and post-medieval features along the routes.

However, geophysical surveys and subsequent trenching and excavations uncovered over 50 Iron Age and Roman settlements and burial sites.

Archaeologists also discovered evidence of major flint-working site near Wawne thought to date from at least 4000 BC.

In a consultation submission on the offshore wind farm scheme, Mr Evans added: "Precisely because the current proposed cable trenches would pass through much the same landscape, a similar density of archaeological settlement, funerary and early agricultural activity may be expected.

"It is clear that any proposed developments within this large area would have substantial archaeological implications, some of which would be readily apparent from visible and recorded remains, others of which may be currently masked beneath the surviving medieval landscape."

Credit crunch Google China Cheltenham festival Switzerland Global terrorism

NFL news and notes, Week 16

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, December 25, 2010

Upset special

Raiders over Colts

The Colts, coming off a big victory over the Jaguars, could be in for a tough game with the Raiders in the Black Hole.

Headline of the week

“Joe Flacco looked like Trent Dilfer, but it was a good thing."

In Baltimore Sun, on Ravens QB Joe Flacco

Did you know?

Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez became the first player in NFL history to boast 60 catches or more for 12 consecutive seasons. That's one more season than Jerry Rice, the best receiver of all time. "It's incredible," Gonzalez told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "That's one where I can look back on and say, 'Wow, Jerry Rice! I got to break a record of his?' That's something that I thought would never be possible."

What they're saying

"You need to call (Bob) Woodward and (Carl) Bernstein 'cause I don't know if that's as groundbreaking as Watergate, but the fact that the Lions got the benefit of a couple calls, that might be a major story the way this season's gone. … It seems like a lot of things haven't gone in our favor this year, but you need to be able to react to them, and you need to be able to adjust."

Lions coach Jim Schwartz, joking about getting favorable calls in a win over the Bucs (including the pass-interference one on TE Kellen Winslow that cost the Bucs a TD)

Talking Tebow

Though it was just one start, Florida legend Tim Tebow made quite an impression in Denver. The Broncos rookie quarterback didn't post eye-popping numbers (216 yards total and a 100.5 rating) at Oakland, but as Denver Post columnist Woody Paige wrote, "This could be the start of something big."

"Tim Tebow started … for the first time in his NFL career and proved he will be the Broncos' starter for a long time in this man's league. Those people who wondered if Tebow even belonged in the NFL will be quiet today. The kid is a QB-in-progress, but many people in the bay area were reminded at the dank tank of another left-handed quarterback who used to run wild and, occasionally, throw wild hereabouts. Steve Young made the Hall of Fame."

Nice gesture of the week

Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger has been a part of tons of wins in his 16-year coaching career. But after last week's victory over the Texans, coach Jeff Fisher awarded him his first game ball.

Considering Heimerdinger is battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy — an illness revealed in late November — the little gesture meant a lot.

"I appreciate it," Heimerdinger told AOL Fanhouse. "It probably should have gone to our assistants. The whole staff did a great job in helping us get ready. But what a nice surprise.

"I took it home. It's on my mantel. But I've got to bring it back and get it painted up. Since I never had one before, I wasn't sure what to do with."

Milestone watch

The Cowboys' Jason Witten quietly moved up the ranks among the best at his position last week, becoming the fourth tight end in league history to reach 600 receptions. Witten, who now has 605, is the fastest to get there, needing only 125 games. By comparison, it took Tony Gonzalez 134, Shannon Sharpe 155 and Ozzie Newsome 160. "It's humbling for sure when you see those guys on that list," Witten told the Dallas Morning News. "It's a heck of an accomplishment, but I have a lot of great people around me … and was very fortunate to be able to do it because those are three great tight ends."

Information from Times wires and the NFL was used in this report.

Power rankings

1. Patriots

2. Falcons

3. ravens

4. eagles

5. steelers

6. saints

There was a time not too long ago when the Bears were afterthoughts in the NFC North. And their coach, Lovie Smith, was on the hot seat.

Heading into this season, the Packers were the popular pick to win the division and, potentially, the Super Bowl (full disclosure: They were my pick, too). If not Green Bay, maybe the Vikings would send QB Brett Favre out on top.

Instead, it is Smith and the Bears who put on the NFC North championship hats Monday night in Minnesota and are heading for their first playoff game since their Super Bowl run in the 2006 season."You assume you'll be back (in the playoffs) every year, but it doesn't work like that," Smith told the Chicago Tribune. "You realize how hard it is to get there."

But how far can they go? The Bears (10-4) might not have the MVP candidate, like Eagles QB Michael Vick or Patriots QB Tom Brady. They won't boast homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, like the Falcons probably will. But they do have a talented defense, one that former Bucs LB Derrick Brooks said on ESPN last week compares favorably to the unit on Tampa Bay's 2002 Super Bowl championship team.

The Bears have a shot, as Chicago Tribune columnist David Haugh points out, and are "back where they belong."

Banks and building societies Radio industry Winter sports Gender West Bromwich Albion Arsenal

A look at the 24 previous Outback Bowls

By Joey Knight, Times Staff Writer
Friday, December 24, 2010

The Jan. 1 Outback Bowl between Penn State and Florida is the 25th bowl game staged in Tampa (not including the old college All-Star contests at Tampa Stadium).

What was called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986-95 has evolved into the Outback, with capacity crowds (most of the time) and an afternoon time slot on ABC.

To commemorate the occasion, we rank the first 24 Tampa bowl games in order of excitement.

1. 2010: Auburn 38, Northwestern 35 (OT)

In their final game B.C. (Before Cam Newton), the Tigers had to snuff out a Northwestern fumblerooski attempt on the final play to escape.

The Wildcats, down by 14 points with 71/2 minutes left, made a two-point conversion to tie the score with 1:15 left on a reverse pass by receiver Andrew Brewer.

Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka set Outback Bowl records for completions (47), attempts (78), passing yards (532), total yards (566) and interceptions (five).

One interception was returned 100 yards for a touchdown by Auburn cornerback Walter McFadden.

2. 2002: South Carolina 31, Ohio St. 28

Trailing 28-0, the Buckeyes rallied to tie the score behind Steve Bellisari (320 passing yards, three total touchdowns), playing for the first time since his arrest on drunken-driving charges in November. Bellisari was picked off in the final minute by the Gamecocks' Sheldon Brown, whose return to the Buckeyes' 29-yard line set up Daniel Weaver's 42-yard field goal with no time left.

3. 2000: Georgia 28, Purdue 25 (OT)

Boilermakers quarterback Drew Brees, who set or tied six Outback Bowl records, propelled his team to a 25-0 first-half lead. But when he was intercepted in the second quarter inside the Georgia 15, the momentum shifted. By the time Georgia's Hap Hines nailed a 19-yard field goal in overtime, 22 Outback records had been set or tied, and one of the greatest comebacks in bowl history had been staged.

4. 1986: Boston College 27, Georgia 24

The first postseason bowl game in Tampa was worth the wait and weather. On a rainy Dec. 23 night at Tampa Stadium, the Eagles' Shawn Halloran hit Kelvin Martin with a 5-yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds to play. The score capped a 76-yard drive taking 2:06.

5. 1988: Michigan 28, Alabama 24

Heart surgery forced Michigan coach Bo Schembechler to miss this one. His fill-in (and eventual successor) was Gary Moeller. On fourth and 3 from the Tide 20 with 50 seconds to play, Wolverines quarterback Demetrius Brown found diving John Kolesar in the corner of the end zone for the winner.

6. 2003: Michigan 38, Florida 30

This 60-minute microcosm of the Ron Zook coaching era is remembered for the Gators' final play from scrimmage, when 5-foot-8 receiver Vernell Brown lobbed a duck on a reverse flea-flicker intended for quarterback Rex Grossman. The pass was picked off. "I okayed that call," Zook said.

7. 2005: Georgia 24, Wisconsin 21

Georgia built a 24-6 second-half lead but struggled to close the door on the Badgers. Three plays after All-America Bulldogs defensive end David Pollack forced a fumble inside his 10, Wisconsin linebacker Andy Crooks intercepted a David Greene pass and returned it for a touchdown with 4:13 to play. Nursing a three-point lead, Georgia leaned on freshman Thomas Brown (111 rushing yards) to run out the clock.

8. 2008: Tennessee 21, Wisconsin 17

The Vols' defense, nursing a four-point lead, held twice when the Badgers moved inside the red zone down the stretch. On the initial drive, with a little more than six minutes to play, Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema opted to go for it, and failed, on fourth and 2 from the 10 instead of allowing Taylor Mehlhaff, a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award given to the nation's top kicker, to try a 27-yard chip shot and make it a one-point game.

9. 1992: Syracuse 24, Ohio St. 17

The Buckeyes tied the score at 17 when Tito Paul recovered a blocked punt in the end zone with less than eight minutes to play. Roughly a minute later, however, they bit on a Marvin Graves play-action bomb to Antonio Johnson for what turned out to be a winning 60-yard touchdown.

10. 1997: Alabama 17, Michigan 14

Fittingly, Alabama coach Gene Stallings' final game was determined by a defensive play. With the Tide trailing 6-3 at the start of the fourth quarter, Alabama linebacker Dwayne Rudd stepped in front of a Brian Griese pass and went 88 yards for a touchdown. Shaun Alexander tacked on a 46-yard scoring run to seal things.

11. 2007: Penn St. 20, Tennessee 10

On an overcast day rife with precipitation and play reviews by the officials, the Nittany Lions broke a 10-10 deadlock when cornerback Tony Davis scooped up an Arian Foster fumble and returned it 88 yards for the go-ahead score with 10:01 to play.

12. 1995: Wisconsin 34, Duke 20

With his team clinging to a seven-point lead late, the Badgers' Terrell Fletcher ran untouched for a 49-yard touchdown to put the game away. Fletcher's 241 rushing yards remains an Outback/Hall of Fame bowl record.

13. 1990: Auburn 31, Ohio St. 14

The Tigers rang in the new decade auspiciously. With Auburn trailing 14-3 in the first half, Tigers running back Stacy Danley was clocked by safety Zack Dumas on a screen pass and lay motionless for several minutes. He got up, pointed at Buckeyes players as he exited, then helped his team score 28 unanswered points.

14. 1999: Penn St. 26, Kentucky 14

Wildcats quarterback Tim Couch threw for a then-Outback record 336 yards but was sacked five times. Two of the sacks were on consecutive plays in the fourth quarter by end Courtney Brown, thwarting a 17-play drive that had reached the Nittany Lions' 7.

15. 2006: Florida 31, Iowa 24

In Urban Meyer's first bowl game as coach, Dallas Baker (10 catches, 147 yards) scored on receptions of 24 and 38 yards as the Gators built a 31-7 lead. Vernell Brown even earned some Outback atonement (see No. 6) with a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown.

16. 1989: Syracuse 23, LSU 10

Before a meager Tampa Stadium crowd, game MVP Robert Drummond broke a 10-10 tie in the third quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run. Drummond (23 carries, 122 yards) and Florida's Emmitt Smith were the only players to run for 100 yards against the Tigers all season.

17. 1993: Tennessee 38, Boston College 23

Behind quarterback and game MVP Heath Shuler (276 total yards, four touchdowns), the Vols built a 31-7 lead before the Eagles scored 16 unanswered fourth-quarter points. Point of trivia: This was the first game Phillip Fulmer coached for Tennessee without an "interim" label. The school had ousted Johnny Majors 11/2 months before.

18. 2001: South Carolina 24, Ohio St. 7

The Gamecocks, 0-11 in the previous season, capped their turnaround with a big second half to finish 8-4. A Gamecocks field goal was the only score of the first half.

19. 2004: Iowa 37, Florida 17

The fireronzook.com website operated with far more proficiency than the Gators' offense. Iowa built a 34-10 third-quarter lead en route to its first January bowl triumph in 45 years.

20. 2009: Iowa 31, South Carolina 10

Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier later acknowledged he pondered retirement after this humiliation. Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia, a former Jefferson High star playing in a homecoming game, was intercepted on his first pass and eventually yanked.

21. 1998: Georgia 33, Wisconsin 6

A year before winning the Heisman Trophy, Ron Dayne struggled for 36 yards on 14 carries behind an all-freshmen line. Bulldogs quarterback Mike Bobo completed 19 passes in a row at one point.

22. 1996: Penn St. 43, Auburn 14

In the first game sponsored by Outback, the Nittany Lions, in torrential rain, scored 40 unanswered points after spotting Auburn a 7-3 lead.

23. 1994: Michigan 42, N.C. State 6

In the most one-sided game in Outback/Hall of Fame bowl history, Michigan's scoring methods included a Todd Collins-to-Amani Toomer Hail Mary on the first half's final play.

24. 1991: Clemson 30, Illinois 0

On a steamy New Year's Day (85 degrees at kickoff), Illinois' defense at least made a cameo appearance with a goal-line stand on the game's first possession. The Illini offense never showed.

Mark Bright Mafia Pop and rock Economic policy Science fiction The Archers

Matthaus?s new love

Lothar Matthaus has yet to prove his merit as a lasting husband, which is not stopping him from persistently seeking true love among much younger women.

Credit cards Peter Atherton Republicans Pakistan cricket betting scandal Mergers and acquisitions Dimitar Berbatov

Atlantic Canadians dig out from latest December storm

It may be Wednesday before all power is restored in New Brunswick after the fourth storm in as many weeks descended on Atlantic Canada.

Robert Schumann Office for National Statistics Qatar Sir Michael Lyons Darren Bent Francesca Panetta