An emotional start as Philbin takes over Dolphins (AP)

DAVIE, Fla. ? New Miami Dolphins coach Joe Philbin stood at a lectern, swallowed hard and began to talk about his son's recent drowning. His wife and their five surviving children sat to the side with somber expressions reflecting a loss worse than any game.

Moments later everyone was laughing as Philbin joked about his good fortune in becoming a first-time head coach. He and his family are counting on a bright future to ease the pain of the recent past, and his introductory news conference Saturday was part of the healing process.

"All people suffer loss," said Philbin's wife, Diane. "When you lose someone, it's part of life, but you have to be resilient. You have to take the bad things and difficult times and turn them into good, and that's what we will do. And we'll do it with the Miami Dolphin family."

Philbin, the Green Bay Packers' offensive coordinator for the past five years, said he's eager to lead the Dolphins back to the top of the NFL. He noted they haven't been there since 1973, the year of their most recent Super Bowl championship season.

He also did a little math regarding his career. He has been an assistant since 1984 ? 10,061 days, by his count ? and said that gives him sufficient experience to succeed as a head coach.

"I have a lot of faith in what I'm capable of doing," he said. "I've been fortunate to work with a lot of good people. I've been fortunate to be around winning programs, places where we developed players, we developed men, we had good teams. I'm just confident we'll be able to build the same thing here in Miami."

And then, 22 minutes into the news conference, the subject turned to his son's death.

Philbin interviewed with the Dolphins for the first time Jan. 7. The next day, the body of 21-year-old Michael Philbin was recovered from an icy Wisconsin river.

"You're heartbroken. You're devastated. It's hard to comprehend," Philbin said.

He spent a week away from the Packers, drew comfort from a funeral that included 68 family members, then rejoined his team last Sunday for its divisional playoff loss to the New York Giants.

Philbin said he went home that night uncertain whether to remain a candidate for the Dolphins' job ? or whether the position was even still open.

"I had no idea," he said. "The TV hadn't been on in our house for a week."

Philbin then received a pep talk from his 16-year-old son, Tim.

"He said, `You're going to go after the job, aren't you?'" Philbin recalled. "I said, `I don't know what I'm going to do.' I was dejected on a lot of different fronts. He said, `You'd better go after that job. Michael would want you to.'

"That was the start of me getting back and getting moving again."

Philbin met Wednesday for a second interview with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and general manager Jeff Ireland, who admired the way the coach dealt with the family tragedy.

"You find out what a person is all about in times like that," Ross said. "He's a strong person, a family person. He has a lot to look forward to. I think this opportunity and change of scenery is probably great for him."

Ross said Philbin reminds him of the only coach to lead Miami to a Super Bowl, Hall of Famer Don Shula. Philbin played a significant role in the development of Pro Bowl quarterback Aaron Rodgers and helped the Packers rank in the top 10 in the NFL in yardage each of the past five seasons.

They won the Super Bowl a year ago and went 15-1 this season.

"When I first met Diane Philbin today, she said something I took to heart," Ross said. "She said, `You hired Joe to win, because that's what he's all about.' I think that sums it up."

Not that Philbin was the Dolphins' first choice. Jeff Fisher turned them down a week ago to become coach of the St. Louis Rams.

With a coach finally in place, Ross couldn't resist taking a jab at Fisher.

"We interviewed six people in person," Ross said. "With the exception of one, they were all excited about wanting to lead the Miami Dolphins."

Ross fired Tony Sparano last month with three games to go in his fourth year as coach. The Dolphins finished 6-10, their third consecutive losing season, and haven't won a playoff game since 2000.

Philbin becomes Miami's seventh coach ? including two interim coaches ? in the past eight years. Ross is desperate for some stability, which sounds good to Philbin.

"I'm 50 years old," the coach said. "I anticipate this being the last job I ever take."

When the news conference ended, Philbin posed for photos holding a Dolphins helmet and wearing a smile. Off to the side, his wife thought of their late son and fought back tears.

"Michael's looking down," she said. "And Michael's happy."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_dolphins_philbin

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Croatia votes on EU membership amid concerns (Reuters)

ZAGREB (Reuters) ? Croatia voted on Sunday on joining the European Union, a move the government says offers the former Yugoslav republic its only chance of economic recovery despite turmoil in the 27-state bloc.

Opinion polls suggest the binding national referendum should pass, but opponents have appealed to many by playing up fears that membership would end 20 years of Croatia's sovereignty and result in a selloff of its assets and national resources.

Supporters say a 'No' vote will leave Croatia stuck with its struggling fellow ex-Yugoslav republics in the western Balkans, which was ravaged by war in the 1990s.

"This is a big day for Croatia and 2013 will be a turning point in our history. I look forward to the whole of Europe becoming my home," President Ivo Josipovic said after voting.

The EU has said Croatia can become its 28th member on July 1, 2013, after completing seven years of tough entry talks in June last year. It would become the second former Yugoslav republic to join, following Slovenia in 2004.

Croatia was left out of the EU's expansion to ex-communist eastern Europe in 2004 and 2007.

The last opinion poll, released on Saturday, put support for accession at 61 percent. The 'Yes' camp this week won the endorsement of Croatia's powerful Roman Catholic church.

Residents were out in force on the streets of the capital Zagreb on Sunday, enjoying the sparse winter sun. Most of those interviewed by Reuters seemed to be in favor.

"We cannot stay out of the EU, we'll get a lot of good things out of it. Of course, there are downsides as well, but that is something we must get used to," said Josip Zavrski, a retired engineer and one of the first who cast his vote.

OPPONENTS SAY NO RUSH

The 'No' camp says the timing is all wrong because the EU is not what it once was given the debt crisis threatening the single currency. Others complain they are unsure what membership will mean for the country of 4.3 million people.

"The EU is politically and economically unstable. We should vote against and then have a public debate about the pros and cons and inform the citizens properly before holding a next referendum," one of the right-wing parties, the Party of Rights (HSP), said in a statement on the eve of the referendum.

Danijela Rozic, 40, who sells cheese at Zagreb's market, said she did not know how accession might affect farming.

"I am against. I've heard many people say the EU is not all that great, that prices will rise if we join," she said.

Croatia broke away from Yugoslavia in a 1991-95 war, and saw strong growth on the back of foreign lending and waves of tourists to its Adriatic coast.

But its economy has been hit hard by the global economic crisis. Analysts and government officials say a rejection of EU accession on Sunday would bring down the country's credit rating, deter investors and further dampen any prospect of a quick economic recovery.

If the referendum passes, all EU member states must ratify Croatia's accession before it can join, and then it will take several more years before it adopts the euro.

Its current GDP per capita is 61 percent of the EU average. It expects millions of euros from EU funds for infrastructure and regional development.

Voting ends at 7 p.m. (1800 GMT) and first results are expected around an hour after polls close.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120122/wl_nm/us_croatia_eu_referendum

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The Best Video Card Overclocking App for Windows [Windows App Directory]

Overclocking is a great way to eke a bit more gaming power out of your computer, and Windows users have quite a few tools to help them do it easily. Our favorite of the bunch is the insanely easy to use, feature-filled MSI Afterburner.

• Change your core clock, shader clock, memory clock, and fan speed using simple sliders
• Works on nearly any video card, not just MSI-manufactured cards
• Turn on voltage tuning for super high overclocks
• Built-in access to MSI's Kombustor benchmarking tool
• Monitor your clocks, voltage, fan speeds, frame rate, and more from the app's drawer or from an on screen display during games
• Save your settings to 5 different profiles for quick loading
• Take screenshots and capture videos from your games with hotkeys
• Fine tune the automatic fan control so you stay at the temperatures you want
• Multiple different skins for changing the interface
• Start with Windows or apply settings at boot, so your card is always overclocked

MSI Afterburner is so easy, a caveman could use it. Even without delving into the settings, you can overclock your card just by tweaking the sliders on the main window, hitting apply, and moving on to your game. The built-in access to a benchmarking program is great too, and being able to see your fan speeds and FPS levels in-game is super useful, especially when you first start overclocking. MSI Afterburner has just about everything you could want from a modern overclocking program.

My only beef with Afterburner is that the interface is very large. Many people probably won't find this to be an issue, but as someone who uses dual monitors to keep an eye on other things while I game?including my overclocking settings?it irks me that it takes up so much space. The interface also seems a little hard to read at times, what with all the cool colors jumping out at you. It also only has 5 profiles, and while that's more than I'll ever use, its competitors offer more. These are very tiny nitpicks, though, and would only really apply to people in specific situations.

EVGA Precision is nearly identical to MSI Afterburner in every way. It has all the same features (save the one-click access to Kombustor), but is branded with the EVGA logo instead of the MSI logo. I prefer it for its interface, which takes up half the size of MSI's and looks a little better. However, Precision's voltage tuning is buried in the settings rather than on the main window of the app, which is kind of weird. Afterburner's better placement of the voltage tuner and its one-click access to Kombustor is why we think it just edges out Precision, though they both have their perks. And seriously, other than that, they're the exact same.

ATITool is another popular program, though it isn't quite as powerful as Afterburner or Precision. It has simple core and memory clock sliders, as well as a built-in benchmarking tool, but neither are as good as the above. I've included it for completeness, but unless you're having problems with the other two, I'd skip ATITool.

Lastly, if you have an older card, you can try RivaTuner. RivaTuner was long the king of overclocking programs, but hasn't been updated in a few years, so it doesn't work with newer cards. And, while Afterburner and Precision are built off RivaTuner, RivaTuner has a lot of advanced options like plugins for CPU monitoring, monitoring cheat programs, and others. Its interface is not nearly as good as the others, though, so unless you see RivaTuner features you absolutely must have (and have an older video card), Afterburner is still your best bet.

These are the best tools out there for overclocking, but you'll need more than just an overclocking program to make it happen. Check out our full guide to overclocking your video card for more information, and share your own tips and favorite programs in the comments.

---

Lifehacker's App Directory is a new and growing directory of recommendations for the best applications and tools in a number of given categories.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/5aRepZ5B-sY/the-best-video-card-overclocking-app-for-windows

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Rafa, Roger rift emerges at Australian Open

Spain's Rafael Nadal listens to a question during a press conference at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Spain's Rafael Nadal listens to a question during a press conference at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Spain's Rafael Nadal gestures during a press conference at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Switzerland's Roger Federer walks down the court during a practice session at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Sarah Ivey)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) ? Rafael Nadal has criticized Roger Federer for letting other players "burn themselves" by complaining about tour conditions while maintaining his good reputation by rarely making negative comments about tennis.

The two have always been respectful rivals, but the ongoing debate about the overcrowded tennis calendar has exposed a difference of opinion on the eve of the Australian Open.

After telling a pre-tournament news conference Sunday he had no intention of being the frontman for the players' grievances because it has reflected badly on him in the past, Nadal was then critical of 16-time Grand Slam winner Federer in a Spanish-language interview.

Responding to the suggestion that Federer disliked players complaining openly about problems on the tour because it tarnished the image of tennis, Nadal said he took another view.

"No, I totally disagree," he said in comments translated from Spanish. "For him it's good to say nothing. Everything positive. 'It's all well and good for me, I look like a gentleman,' and the rest can burn themselves.

"Everyone is entitled to have their own opinions."

Nadal and No. 4-ranked Andy Murray are among the players who have been outspoken in recent months on issues including an overcrowded calendar and the scheduling of Davis Cup matches. Some players have talked of strike action as recently as Saturday's player meeting in Melbourne; Nadal has said players may have to resort to "strong action" if there isn't an "evolution" in the calendar.

Federer and Nadal, who has 10 Grand Slam titles, dominated men's tennis for the seven years before Novak Djokovic won three of the four majors in 2011 and passed them both for the No. 1 ranking.

They're both key ambassadors for the tour, helping with promotional work and appearances at tournaments around the globe.

Nadal thinks that when players highlight problems on the tour, the intention is to make it better, not run it down.

"He (Federer) likes the circuit. I like the circuit," Nadal said. "It's much better than many other sports but that doesn't mean that it couldn't be better. It doesn't mean there are some things about the tour that could change. The tour is fine, but there are some things that are bad. That's all we're saying.

"And the vast majority of players have this same opinion. He's got a different opinion ... if the vast majority have one opinion, and a small minority think differently, maybe it's them who are wrong."

For the first time since the 2005 French Open, Federer and Nadal are on the same side of the draw at a major, which means only one of them can reach the final on Jan. 29.

They both start Monday. Third-seeded Federer, a four-time Australian Open winner, is on Rod Laver Arena in a night match against Russian qualifier Alexander Kudryavtsev.

No. 2-ranked Nadal has the last match on Hisense Arena ? the second show court at Melbourne Park ? against Russian Alex Kuznetsov.

Defending champion Djokovic doesn't start until Tuesday. Women's champion Kim Clijsters is third match on Rod Laver Arena on Monday against Maria Joao Koehler of Portugal.

Li Na, who lost the Australian final last year but rebounded to win the French Open to become China's first Grand Slam singles champion, has a first-round match against Ksenia Pervak of Kazakhstan and No. 1-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, still searching for a maiden major title, faces Australia's Anastasia Rodionova.

While the last eight women's Grand Slam titles have been won by six women and the draw in Melbourne is wide open, the men's tournament is widely tipped to go to one of the top four.

Since winning the Australian title in 2009, Nadal lost in the quarterfinals the last two years, both times hampered by injuries. He has had a sore left shoulder since late last season and is planning on taking a rest after the Australian Open.

Many players are calling for more rest due to the increasing pace of the game and the physical strength and endurance required to compete at the highest level.

Federer, now 30, quickly earned a reputation as a tennis statesman when he started accumulating major titles with such a graceful and seemingly effortless style that critics wondered if anyone could challenge him on any surface except clay.

Then Nadal started winning majors away from Roland Garros, with a high-energy game well suited to his muscular physique. But he thinks that has come at a cost.

"I love the game and there's a lot of things I'm grateful for. The game has allowed me to lead a fantastic lifestyle," he said. "But to finish your career with pain all over your body, is that a positive? No.

"Maybe (Federer) has got a super body and he'll finish his career like a rose. Neither myself, nor Murray, nor Djokovic are going to finish our careers like a rose.

"Tennis is an important part of my life, but it's a tough sport. We're not like him where it's effortless to play. All of us, it's a battle."

Nadal said his knees, hips, back and ankles were prone to soreness because "every year the ball flies quicker, there's more intensity. The surfaces are hard."

The ATP, which runs men's tennis, declined comment on the player meeting in Melbourne on Saturday where concerns were raised again. Other players, including former top-ranked Lleyton Hewitt, didn't want to discuss the meeting because they were concentrating on the Grand Slam tournament.

While not wanting to represent the group, Nadal did say he was confident small changes could be made to the calendar without any drastic effects on the sport.

___

AP Sports Writer Caroline Cheese contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-15-TEN-Australian-Open/id-223e195b2a33470e80282c485b3b5816

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Pets With Newt? - First Draft

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Source: http://www.first-draft.com/2012/01/pets-with-newt.html

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Lone Ranger to begin filming in NM (AP)

SANTA FE, N.M. ? Although reports of Johnny Depp sightings have already begun, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez says filming of The Lone Ranger will begin next month.

The film, which became a symbol of the flap between Martinez and the film industry, will shoot in and around Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Shiprock through the middle of August.

In a press release Friday, Martinez says, "The Lone Ranger is proof New Mexico's film industry is alive and well. She says it also proves her commitment to the industry.

A number of productions went to other states last year after the governor proposed legislation to slash tax breaks. And Lone Ranger Producer Jerry Bruckheimer had threatened to take his film to Louisiana. A compromise with lawmakers to cap annual payouts eased tensions with the industry.

Depp has been cast to play Tonto in the Walt Disney production.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120113/ap_en_mo/nm_lone_ranger

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Mysterious death of astrophysicist shocks Oxford

LONDON | Fri Jan 13, 2012 12:08pm EST

LONDON (Reuters) - The case of an Oxford University astrophysicist who was found dead in mysterious circumstances took a dramatic twist on Friday when his wife said she believed the death was an accident and not murder as initially suspected.

The body of Professor Steven Rawlings, 50, was found on Wednesday night at the home of his close friend and fellow Oxford academic Dr Devinder Sivia, 49, after a neighbor called police to report an incident.

Sivia was arrested on suspicion of murder that night and released on bail on Friday morning until April 18. Police said an autopsy conducted on Rawlings' body was inconclusive and further examinations were needed.

Later on Friday, Rawlings' wife Linda said she did not believe her husband had been murdered.

"Steve and Devinder were best friends since college and I believe this is a tragic accident," Linda Rawlings said in a statement emailed to journalists by the police on her behalf.

"I do not believe Devinder should be tarnished in this way," she said.

Police made no comment on her statement.

Rawlings' sudden death has shocked the 900-year-old university, where he held a prestigious post as professor of physics and had led the astrophysics department from 2006 to 2010.

"The entire university community has been profoundly saddened and shocked by the tragic and untimely death of Professor Steve Rawlings," said Oxford's Vice-Chancellor Andrew Hamilton, the university's senior officer.

Sivia is a lecturer in mathematics for the sciences at Saint John's, one of the 38 colleges that make up the university.

"The college is shocked and distressed by this tragic event," said Sir Michael Scholar, president of Saint John's.

Rawlings, who lectured on vector calculus to first-year undergraduates, was based at another Oxford college, Saint Peter's.

"He was a much-liked and admired tutor and colleague within the college and will be greatly missed," said Mark Damazer, master of Saint Peter's, in a statement.

Rawlings was one of the lead scientists in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), an international project to create the world's largest radio telescope.

"The SKA will give astronomers insight into the formation and evolution of the first stars and galaxies after the Big Bang, the role of cosmic magnetism, the nature of gravity, and possibly even life beyond Earth," says the project's website.

Sivia teaches maths for natural sciences to physics and chemistry undergraduates.

"My research interests revolve around the application of Bayesian probability theory to all sorts of data analysis problems, mainly in the physical sciences," he says on the Saint John's College website.

(Reporting by Estelle Shirbon,; editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/W7jiRiYwHY4/us-britain-crime-oxford-idUSTRE80C1LT20120113

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