Coach Troy Calhoun wants future Air Force Falcons to be bigger

Air Force kicker Parker Herrington reaches for the ball on a botched two-point try late in the Military Bowl. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette)

With the Air Force Falcons having completed the 2011 season, coach Troy Calhoun wants to see more time in the weight room for his players and a sharper eye by staff members while on the recruiting trail.

Air Force's 42-41 loss to Toledo in Wednesday's Military Bowl still fresh in his mind, Calhoun said Friday that changes are needed in the shape of future Falcons.

"It's evident that across the board in college football that the players are bigger and faster than they've ever been," said Calhoun, 41-24 in five years with the Falcons, including a 2-3 record in bowl games. "To meet that challenge, we have to become a bigger football team."

To start with, Calhoun talked of recruiting players with bigger body frames. More time in the Air Force weight room seems ensured to help achieve the necessary increase in player size. Calhoun also wants to see the Falcons develop better ball-handling skill.

But enough about the future. Calhoun piled on the praise for his 2011 team, which was 7-6.

"This group had a warrior spirit in them," Calhoun said. "They were great competitors that never detoured from wanting to win every single game we played. They embraced the challenges while playing a pretty sturdy schedule."

But for some, the Falcons were disappointing in 2011 because they didn't pull off one or two of their patented "big upsets." They lost 35-19 to Texas Christian, 59-33 to Notre Dame, 41-27 to San Diego State, 37-26 to Boise State, 25-17 to Wyoming and to Toledo in a wild bowl game. None of the seven wins came against teams that finished with a winning record.

Calhoun faces a significant rebuilding job, with 28 seniors awaiting graduation. They include quarterback Tim Jefferson, tailback Asher Clark, offensive lineman A.J. Wallerstein, receiver Jonathan Warzeka and defensive backs Anthony Wright Jr. and Jon Davis, all four-year mainstays. Brady Amack, another senior, was a force at middle linebacker.

"For some, coming here was their only chance to play Division I college football, and they proved they could," Calhoun said. "We'll enormously miss being around them day in and day out. We'll see a bunch of new faces next year that don't have a significant amount of game-playing experience. I think we went through more changes in personnel during the course of the season than before. We had a lot of different contributors."

The departure of Jefferson is eased somewhat by the return of QB Connor Dietz, who has played in 20 games. Dietz was granted an extra semester next fall because he missed academic and military requirements while recovering from a football-related injury.

Asked if he had any second thoughts about calling for a two-point conversion try with 52 seconds left against Toledo at RFK Stadium in Washington, Calhoun said, "No, sir."

The bold two-point try ? a run to the left by holder David Baska on a fake extra-point attempt ? failed after the Falcons scored a 33-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-3 pass play to pull within one point of the Rockets.

Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com

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AFA position breakdown

Quarterback

Starters back: None.

Starters lost: Tim Jefferson (6-foot, 205 pounds).

One to watch in 2012: Connor Dietz (6-0, 190), senior.

Running back

Starters back: None.

Starters lost: Asher Clark (5-8, 190).

One to watch in 2012: Anthony LaCoste (5-10, 190), sophomore.

Fullback

Starters back: Wes Cobb (5-9, 195), junior.

Starters lost: None.

One to watch in 2012: Mike DeWitt (6-1, 220), junior.

Wide receiver

Starters back: None.

Starters lost: Jonathan Warzeka (5-10, 180) and Zack Kauth (6-4, 210).

One to watch in 2012: Mikel Hunter (5-9, 170), junior.

Tight end

Starters back: None.

Starters lost: Joshua Freeman (6-3, 200).

One to watch in 2012: Austin Briehl (6-5, 240), junior.

Offensive line

Starters back: Tackle Jason Kons (6-4, 255), junior; Jordan Eason (6-3, 255), junior.

Starters lost: Center Jeff Benson (6-0, 250), guard A. J. Wallerstein (6-4, 285) and tackle Kevin Whitt (6-3, 260).

One to watch in 2012: Tackle Alex Huskisson (6-6, 235), sophomore.

Defensive line

Starters back: Nick Fitzgerald (6-4, 255), freshman.

Starters lost: Harry Kehs (6-4, 255) and Ryan Gardner (6-2, 260).

One to watch in 2012: Nick DeJulio (6-2, 230), junior.

Outside linebacker

Starters back: Alex Means (6-5, 230), junior.

Starters lost: Patrick Hennessey (6-2, 225).

One to watch in 2012: Jamil Cooks (6-4, 210), sophomore.

Inside linebacker

Starters back: None.

Starters lost: Brady Amack (6-0, 227) and Jordan Waiwaiole (6-3, 230).

One to watch in 2012: Austin Niklas (6-2, 230), junior.

Defensive back

Starters back: Anthony Wooding Jr. (6-2, 183), sophomore.

Starters lost: Anthony Wright Jr. (5-10, 200), Jon Davis (6-1, 210) and Josh Hall (6-0, 185).

One to watch in 2012: Steffon Batts (6-0, 180), sophomore.

Kicking game

Starters back: Place-kicker Parker Herrington (6-1, 185), junior; and punter David Baska (6-0, 182), sophomore.

Starters lost: None.

One to watch in 2012: Briceton Cannada (5-9, 170), sophomore.

Source: http://www.denverpost.com/afa/ci_19649826?source=rss

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Get Ready for Wednesday Live (TIME)

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Romney plans aggressive push before Iowa caucuses (AP)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa ? Feeling optimistic, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Thursday was positive on TV with an upbeat, new ad but in person went negative against President Barack Obama. He also announced an aggressive schedule of campaign events for the days leading up to next week's caucuses.

Romney, who is wrapping up a bus tour of eastern Iowa on Friday, planned to campaign in New Hampshire early Saturday before returning to Iowa that evening for a series of events on the economy. Those events are to be followed by six campaign rallies, mostly in eastern Iowa, from Sunday through Tuesday's caucuses, including an early morning one before voters start gathering to declare their candidate preferences.

Romney will then spend caucus night in Des Moines before flying to New Hampshire on Wednesday morning.

The newly planned events show a confident Romney campaign in the final five days of the campaign for Iowa. While Romney had spent months working to lower expectations that he would win here, the latest polls show him in strong position to win outright or finish in second place behind Texas Rep. Ron Paul.

Romney's six rallies begin New Year's Day in Council Bluffs, in the western part of the state. In 2008, he did well in nearby counties where agribusiness drives the economy. He'll hold another set of rallies in eastern Iowa, where he also performed well.

The plans come as Romney began running a new, minute-long TV ad in Iowa. The spot shows clips from Romney's announcement speech in June. Romney also talks in the ad about the "spirit of enterprise" and focuses on the opportunities America has provided its people.

Romney repeated the pitch from the ad during an early-morning stop at a diner. He ignored his Republican rivals, who are also campaigning furiously in the state, and focused instead on the Democratic president.

"We have a choice in this coming election of what kind of America we're going to have," Romney told the crowd at J's Homestyle Cooking. "It's not just about replacing a president. It's about saving the soul of America. Are we going to change America into something we don't recognize?"

The former Massachusetts governor had two other events scheduled Thursday, including at Music Man Square in Mason City, the birthplace of playwright Meredith Willson. Willson set his play, "The Music Man," in a fictional Iowa town that he based on Mason City.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_on_el_pr/us_romney

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President & Mrs. Obama Thank Troops, Encourage Spirit of Giving in Holiday Address

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama offered a special tribute to those who serve our nation and the families who support them unconditionally, while encouraging all Americans to give in their own way in his weekly address.

"Giving of ourselves; service to others – that’s what this season is all about. For my family and millions of Americans, that’s what Christmas is all about," he said.

"It reminds us that part of what it means to love God is to love one another ... to be our brother’s keeper and our sister’s keeper. But that belief is not just at the center of our Christian faith, it’s shared by Americans of all faiths and backgrounds."

"So whatever you believe, wherever you’re from, let’s remember the spirit of service that connects us all this season – as Americans. Each of us can do our part to serve our communities and our country, not just today, but every day."

Here's Barack and Michelle's address to the nation:

Obama Christmas Address

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/president-and-mrs-obama-thank-troops-encourage-giving-in-christm/

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TRENDING: Potential Iowa GOP kingmaker conflicted about endorsing

Washington (CNN) - Iowa GOP Congressman Steve King, whose support is coveted by Republican presidential candidates, said he hoped to endorse one of them months ago. But like many other Iowa Republican voters, he is having a hard time picking a horse in this Republican field.

"I've said all along I want my head and my heart to come together, and when that happens I'll jump in with both feet. That just hasn't happened yet," King told CNN.

? Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker

King spoke by phone from his car as he was arriving for a hunting outing with former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania ? someone he calls a good friend, but not a candidate he's ready to endorse for president.

The Iowa Republican is a prominent conservative with rock solid credentials. Although Iowa voters are known for their independence, several Iowa Republican operatives tell CNN King's endorsement would be a big boon to any GOP candidate.

But King spoke with a mixture of bewilderment and lament about his inability to make a decision about which candidate to support. He even said he may change his mind and not endorse anyone at all.

"I have not come to the conviction where I can throw my energy behind a single candidate," said King.

Four years ago, King endorsed Fred Thompson, who was lagging behind but then went on to come in third in the Iowa caucuses.

King says this year he very much likes three of the lower tier candidates: Santorum, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann. Bachmann is one of King's closest friends and political allies in Congress and someone he says he has "great respect for." He made clear one issue he is weighing is whether to back one of these candidates who may not be viable this year, but could be someone he could help position for the next presidential election.

When it comes to Iowa's frontrunners, King had praise for former Speaker Newt Gingrich's economic plans, but called his immigration policies "troubling."

King is one of the biggest hardliners in Congress when it comes to illegal immigration, and Gingrich supports a path to legality for some illegal immigrants.

King said that's not a "deal breaker" but said it does "make it harder" to endorse Gingrich.

The Iowa Republican had the harshest words for his congressional colleague, Ron Paul ? particularly on the issue of foreign policy.

King recalled asking Paul what he would do with the military as commander in chief, and said Paul effectively answered that he would bring U.S. armed forces serving overseas back home.

"I do not want the Chinese knocking at our door, who would fill the power vacuum, as would the Russians, as would anybody else out there with aspirations. I think that would dramatically upset the balance of power in the world and would be something that could go down in history as one of the greatest mistakes this country would have potentially ever made," said King.

With little more than a week until the Iowa caucuses, King is well aware that time is running out for him to endorse, and if he does, for it to have an impact.

"I just haven't gotten to the point where I am convinced that one is so much better than the others and it's different for me than it is for someone going to the caucus to vote. They can put their vote up and walk away," King told CNN.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_politicalticker/~3/J-6Jtgm56oo/

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Santa rally may face test next week (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Get ready. The last trading week of the year will be a test for stocks to prove whether they have the strength to carry a rally into next year.

The broad S&P 500 index broke through its 200-day moving average on Friday after turning positive for the year as a four-day rally lifted stocks following a spell of better-than-expected economic data. At Friday's close, the S&P 500 was up 0.6 percent for the year.

But despite the recent economic data that suggest the U.S. economy is on the right track to recovery, Europe's sovereign debt crisis is troubling investors and weighing on the market.

Many market participants are reluctant to believe in a "Santa Claus rally" this year, which refers to stocks' seasonal tendency to gain in the final five trading days of the year and first two trading days of the new year.

Warnings from major credit rating agencies on a potential downgrade of several European nations have kept investors on edge. After Standard & Poor's surprised financial markets back in August with a downgrade of the United States' triple-A credit rating on a Friday evening, investors worry a similar move could come at any time - even between Christmas and New Year's.

But the absence of European sovereign bond auctions for the next two weeks could lend support to stocks.

"The fact that there won't be a (European) bond auction until the second week of January, that takes away some spotlight from Europe, at least for a little while," TD Ameritrade chief derivatives strategist J.J. Kinahan said.

"Unless we get earth-shattering news, the S&P could go up to (the) 1,300 levels," he said.

The S&P 500 closed on Friday at 1,265.33.

The correlation between U.S. stocks and European sovereign bond yields has been high, especially the link with Spanish, Italian and German bonds. A poor bond auction in any one of these countries could trigger an instant selloff in the U.S. stock market.

SANTA CLAUS VS BEAR CLAWS

What happens next week is important as it sets a tone for the coming year.

"If Santa should fail to call, bears may come to Broad & Wall," so goes the Wall Street adage, according to the Stock Trader's Almanac.

Ari Wald, a technical strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman, said the key level on the S&P 500 to watch is 1,260, which is a resistance from the index's downward sloping 200-day moving average and the downtrend connecting its October and December peaks.

"A breakout above this supply would argue for continued seasonal strength through the first quarter of 2012," he said.

He also noted that 1,200 is support from the index's downward sloping 100-day moving average and the uptrend connecting its October & November lows.

"A breach of this demand could stir additional technical selling to 1,130-1,150 intermediate-term support," Wald said.

With many investors absent until the start of 2012, trading volume is expected to be light, creating more volatility.

Next week's data includes the S&P 500 Case-Shiller House Price Index and consumer confidence data on Tuesday.

The Chicago Purchasing Managers Index and pending home sales data are due on Thursday. After a strong gain in November, the Chicago index is seen giving back a modest amount in December.

(Reporting By Angela Moon; Editing by Jan Paschal)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111224/bs_nm/us_markets_stocks_weekahead

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Krystalle: I'm watching Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade (3754 others checked-in) http://t.co/tEuzTovQ @GetGlue #DisneyParksChristmasDayParade

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Xinhua website planning $158 million IPO: sources (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) ? China's state news agency Xinhua plans to list its online portal in a 1 billion yuan ($157.8 million) stock market offering in Shanghai with China International Capital Corp underwriting the deal, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Friday.

The exact timing of the initial public offering of Xinhuanet.com has not been fixed, the sources told Reuters.

"It's around 1 billion yuan," one of the sources said.

Xinhua was not immediately available for comment.

Other state news outlets are also looking to list their online operations. People.com.cn, the online news portal run by the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party -- the People's Daily -- is looking to list in Shanghai, sources have told Reuters.

(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Nick Edwards)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111223/wr_nm/us_xinhua_ipo

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Gingrich out of Virginia primary election (reuters)

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Minneapolis church connects hip-hop to ministry

Minneapolis church connects hip-hop to ministry

NIKKI TUNDEL
Minnesota Public Radio News

MINNEAPOLIS ? Many urban churches are finding it increasingly difficult to get young adults through their doors.

But one Minneapolis minister is engaging religion-wary teens and twenty-somethings by mixing a little hip-hop in with the holiness.

On a recent Saturday night, disco lights blasted colored rays around the room at Urban Jerusalem, a Pentecostal church in north Minneapolis. The DJ settled in behind a stack of vinyl. Stacey Jones, the senior pastor at Urban Jerusalem, commanded the microphone.

"Every time the religious leaders came to Jesus to try to catch him," he told the congregation, "Jesus would just blow their mind. Jesus would just throw one or two lines and they were like, `Oh, snap.' "

Here, turntables stand in place of a pulpit. Graffiti art, rather than stained glass, frames the sanctuary. And the hymns are the kind which can, and do, move congregants to breakdance.

Stacey and his wife, Tryenyse, launched this Twin Cities church five years ago, with the goal of connecting urban youth with Christ. The best way to do that, they figured, was to incorporate a culture many kids already worshipped ? hip-hop.

"Drop the track, man," the preacher calls. "Praise God! Yeah!"

In many ways, the Jones' are just like generations of pastors before them ? they're using modern music to make religion more relatable.

"We still bring the word," Gerald Shepherd said. He's the evening's emcee, or minister of music, as he likes to be called. But he's just one of the worshippers who bring their faith to the dance floor.

"We still believe Jesus died, he rose, everything like that," Shepherd said. "We bring a different style to worship."

About 30 twenty-somethings in baseball caps and baggy jeans supplement the sermon with their own songs and poems ? anything that expresses their spiritual side.

"The king of angels, the messiah, the sacrifice," raps a singer. "Why in this whole universe was he willing to pay this price?"

One of the rappers introduces himself as Brad Peglow. "My rap name is B.P. the Preacher Man," he said. "I had some secular hip-hop artists ask me one time, `How can you flow for a whole song and not curse and keep it clean?' And I tell `em, `Well, I don't listen to any of that other stuff.

"Therefore it's not hard for me at all. I put the word in me and surround myself with godly influences so when the beat drops that's what comes out. Music kinda flows out of what you allow yourself to influence.' "

Jones can't help but tap his Bible to the beat. But the way he sees it, hip-hop worship requires more than just spinning records to the scriptures.

"Our mission statement is to present the word of God in relevant form," Jones said. "Relevancy is not just the musical aspect. Relevancy is dealing with everyday life issues. You have drugs. You have people struggling with depression. Those are real life things. And one thing about hip-hop: hip-hop deals with everyday issues." "Say hello to my little friend," sings a congregant. "The one who washed away my little sins, the one who kept from sipping a little gin." "If there is any place you can talk about issues of struggle, why not the church?" Jones asks.

Since Pastor Jones hit the scene, at least five new hip-hop churches have popped up the in Twin Cities.

There are traditionalists who find beat boxing akin to blasphemy. But for the worshippers at Urban Jerusalem, spirituality just seems to go better with strobe lights.

???

Information from: Minnesota Public Radio News,

http://www.mpr.org

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

?

Source: http://ap.brainerddispatch.com/pstories/state/mn/20111224/932727752.shtml

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Steve Jobs - "Billion Dollar Hippy" BBC Documentary

Posted by Tom Foremski - December 20, 2011

The BBC's documentary "Billion Dollar Hippy" about Steve Jobs has some great content even for those that already know a lot about Steve Jobs.

One very interesting point is made by Larry Tesler, a former Xerox PARC researcher. Apple has often been accused of stealing ideas from Xerox PARC but Mr Tesler points out (around 19.40 minutes) that PARC did not invent the mouse or graphical user interface, that they had been around for more than 15 years.

There's a lot of yelling in the Steve Jobs story. "Billion Dollar Uptight Hippy" might be a better title.

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Journalist: CNN star must have known about hacking

LONDON?? A former Daily Mirror journalist is challenging CNN star Piers Morgan's testimony to a media ethics inquiry, saying Morgan must have known about phone hacking at the tabloid he once edited.

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James Hipwell said Wednesday that Morgan was intimately involved in the day-to-day operation of his paper, where he claims phone hacking took place as a matter of routine.

"I witnessed journalists carrying out repeated privacy infringements using what has now become a well-known technique ? to hack into the voicemail systems of celebrities, their friends, publicists and public relations executives," Hipwell said in a statement read to the inquiry, according to BBC News.

"The openness and frequency of their hacking activities gave me the impression that hacking was considered a bog-standard journalistic tool for gathering information," he added.

Video: CNN host testifies about UK phone hacking scandal (on this page)

On Tuesday, Morgan claimed tabloid editors only knew about 5 percent of what went on at their papers.

Morgan denies being connected to the phone hacking scandal, which has shaken Britain's media establishment.

Hipwell and Morgan have a long history. Both were investigated as part of an inquiry into market manipulation after it emerged that Morgan had made a quick profit by buying shares which were promoted in the next day's edition of the paper.

Morgan was cleared of wrongdoing, but Hipwell and another tipster, Anil Bhoyrul, were convicted in 2005.

Hipwell said that he always believed that his former boss had been as guilty as he was.

"I can understand why people think that I have an axe to grind against him," Hipwell told the inquiry.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45748766/ns/world_news-europe/

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