Pac-12 Championship: Oregon Ducks fans, mascots, officials, coaches from ...

Greatest Plays in Oregon Football History - New! (HD)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. From the parking lot to the field at Levi"s Stadium, Oregon Ducksfans dominated from the tailgate parties to the luxury suite deserts.

Check out all the ways fans showed their school colors and their team pride.

The Pac-12 mascots got into the act, too.

Want to see what the game officials look like without stripes? It"s in there.

And several Oregon coaches walk the field before kickoff in suits you have to see to believe.

Molly Blue|@mollyablue

Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2014/12/pac-12_championship_pregame_or.html

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Splashdown! NASA"s Orion Spaceship Survives Epic Test Flight as New Era ...

NASA launches new Orion spacecraft
NASA Aeronautics tweeted this photo on Dec. 5, 2014, following the successful re-entry of Orion spacecraft, writing: "#Ikhana coverage of #Orion shows great use for UAVs; this is part of our work. #Flynasa."Credit: NASA Aeronautics (via Twitter as @NASAAero)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. NASA"s new Orion spaceship, a capsule built to take humans farther into space than ever before, survived its first test flight Friday, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean to usher in a new era of deep-space exploration for the U.S. space agency.

The Orion space capsule NASA"s first capsule built for a trip to Mars made a bull"s-eye splashdown in the Pacific Ocean at 11:29 a.m. EST (1629 GMT)after a 4.5 hour uncrewed test flight. Orion"s key systems were put to the test during the flight, which launched atop a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Heavy rocket, from a pad here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 7:05 a.m. EST (1205 GMT).

U.S. Navy officials are now fishing Orion out of the ocean, about 275 miles (442 kilometers) west of Baja California, before bringing it to port in San Diego, California. NASA wants to retrieve the capsule to use the valuable flight data recorded during the test. [See stunning photos from Orion"s first test flight]

"Orion is back on Earth," NASA spokesman Rob Navias said during live commentary. "America has driven a golden spike as it crosses a bridge into the future."

A return to deep space NASA"s first Orion space capsule launches into space atop a Delta 4 Heavy rocket to begin Exploration Flight Test-1 from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Dec. 5, 2014. Credit: collectSPACE.com/Robert Z. Pearlman

Today"s flight, called Exploration Flight Test-1, marks the first time a spacecraft built for humans has traveled out of low-Earth orbit since Apollo 17 launched to the moon in 1972.

Orion seemed to function well during its first flight. NASA officials tested many of the major systems that could be needed for future crewed missions with the capsule. In total, 55 percent of the capsule"s technology needed for a manned flight was tested Friday.

"It"s tremendously exciting. It"s so nice to see this happen and to see everything go so well," NASA astronaut Rex Walheim, who represented the astronaut corps during Orion"s development, told Space.com. "We"re going to learn so much from this flight To see it [Orion] coming back in was just an absolute thrill."

Orion"s giant heat shield, the largest of its kind ever made, needed to withstand temperatures of up to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,200 degrees Celsius) when the craft hit Earth"s atmosphere as the capsule was flying through space at about 20,000 mph (32,000 km/h). The spacecraft"s parachute system also deployed well, slowing the capsule before splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

A NASA drone flying above the Pacific during splashdown captured some amazing views of the capsule"s red and white parachutes descending into the Ocean.

Just after launch, Orion successfully jettisoned its launch abort system technology designed to propel the capsule and its future astronauts to a safe distance in case of a problem during launch.

At a little more than 3 hours after launch, the second stage of the Delta 4 Heavy rocket also propelled Orion to an altitude of slightly over 3,600 miles (5,793 kilometers), about 14 times farther than the orbit of the International Space Station.

NASA officials used the approximately 1,200 sensors aboard Orion to monitor the way the capsule"s computers and other technology behave in the harsh space environment. Orion flew through belts of radiation twice during the flight (once on the way out, and again on the way back to Earth), allowing scientists to see how the spacecraft"s computers behave in high-radiation.

Orion: NASA"s new spaceship

Orion built for NASA by Lockheed Martin looks somewhat like the capsules flown during NASA"sApollo moon landing program, which took humans to the moon for the first time. The feeling on the ground is also somewhat reminiscent of launches during the space agency"s shuttle era, the last time humans flew to space from U.S. soil.

"In the sense that we are beginning a new mission, it is, I think, consistent with the beginning of [the space] shuttle [program], the beginning of Apollo," Mark Geyer, NASA"s Orion program manager, said during a news conference before launch. "It"s a new mission for us starting in the region of the moon and beyond. I think it"s in that same category. Certainly the team is excited at that level. We"re going to learn a lot on this flight."

About 27,000 spectators were expected to watch the launch on Thursday, its original launch date, from Kennedy Space Center"s grounds, with thousands more expected to observe from the beaches and other viewing sites along Florida"s Space Coast here, NASA officials said. Officials aren"t yet sure how many viewers came back for the launch Friday.

A Delta 4 Heavy rocket carrying NASAs Orion spacecraft lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at at 7:05 a.m. EST, Dec. 5, 2014, in Florida.Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

This is the first flight for Orion, but it shouldn"t be the last. NASA is planning on launching another uncrewed mission with the capsule sometime in 2017 or 2018.

That mission, dubbed Exploration Mission-1, will be the first flight of Orion with NASA"s new mega rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), currently in development. After that, Orion and SLS are expected to fly together again in 2021 for their first crewed mission.

The Orion capsule cannotdeliver astronauts to Marson its own. The spacecraft will need to be outfitted with a functional service module and a habitat module in order to make a trip to the Red Planet comfortable for the four astronauts on the journey, officials have said.

Editor"s Note: This story is an updated version of an earlier story published after launch here -NASA Launches First Orion Deep-Space Capsule in Historic Test Flight

Follow Miriam Kramer@mirikramer.Follow us@Spacedotcom,FacebookandGoogle+. Original article on Space.com.

Source: http://www.space.com/27936-nasa-orion-spaceship-survives-test-flight.html

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Jim McElwain to coach Florida

FootballScoop - Thoughts on Jim McElwain"s candidacy at Florida

Updated: December 4, 2014, 4:21 PM ET

By Chris Low | ESPN.comMcElwain A Good Hire For Florida?

Jim McElwain"s representatives and Colorado State have cleared up the issues surrounding his buyout, and McElwain has agreed to become the next head coach of the Florida Gators.

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New Florida Gators coach Jim McElwain"s success at Colorado State and Alabama is a good sign for Florida fans, Chris Low writes. Story

Jim McElwain is a rising offensive mind at a school that needs to be fixed quickly, Edward Aschoff writes. Story

The coach, who will be introduced at a news conference Saturday, will be paid an average of $3.5 million per season over a six-year contract, according to sources.

"Coach McElwain was someone we targeted from the beginning of the search," Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley told the school"s official website. "The more we worked through the process and did our due diligence, coupled with our meeting and conversations with him and those around him, it was obvious he is the right person to lead the Florida Gator football program."

To settle the dispute over McElwain"s $7.5 million buyout, Florida agreed to pay $3 million over six years to Colorado State and also agreed to a future game -- with a $2 million guarantee -- in Gainesville sometime between the 2017 and 2020 seasons, sources told ESPN"s Brett McMurphy.

In addition, McElwain has agreed to pay $2 million to Colorado State over time, sources told McMurphy.

The $5 million being paid from Florida to Colorado State marks the largest school-to-school buyout ever.

McElwain, 52, was in his third season at Colorado State. The Rams (10-2) have won 16 of their last 20 games dating to last season. That"s after losing 27 of 36 games in the three seasons prior to McElwain"s arrival in 2012.

An emotional McElwain, who was named Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year on Tuesday, met with his team and assistants one final time Thursday in the auditorium where he"s gone over many a game plan. There was a roar from inside the room before McElwain exited in tears.

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The SEC Network"s Tim Tebow talks about Florida"s decision to hire Jim McElwain and more. Tebow says that McElwain knows how to handle the pressure in Gainesville and the SEC.

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McElwain hasn"t finalized his staff, but he does expect to interview some of the Gators" current assistants, sources said.

Foley was looking for somebody with a strong offensive background, and McElwain fits that bill.

"He has a proven track record on the offensive side of the ball, has coached in the SEC, won two national championships and has had success as a head coach," Foley told the school"s website. "He has recruited the South and the state of Florida and has spent time coaching at the highest level in the NFL.

"He has an engaging personality and is someone who can connect with a variety of audiences, and he operates with a high level of integrity. I welcome him and his family to The Gator Nation, and I"m looking forward to working alongside him and his staff as they build a championship program both on and off the field."

The Rams are 13th nationally in total offense (497.8 yards per game) and have the country"s second-most efficient quarterback in Garrett Grayson, who has thrown 32 touchdown passes and only six interceptions. Colorado State"s top receiver, Rashard Higgins, leads the country in receiving yards per game (149.1) and receiving touchdowns (17). The Rams scored more than 30 points in eight of their 12 games this season and are one of two Group of 5 teams with two wins over Power 5 teams, defeating Boston College and Colorado.

McElwain"s Turn To Succeed?

Of the last four Florida head coaches, Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer were both big hits but their replacements struggled. Jim McElwain hopes to continue the trend of every other Florida coach being successful.

CoachWin Pct.SeasonsWill Muschamp.5712011-14Urban Meyer*.8132005-10Ron Zook.6222002-04Steve Spurrier*.8171990-2001* Won national titles (1996, 2006, "08)-- ESPN Stats & Information

"He couldn"t turn down this job," Colorado State senior guard Mason Myers said. "We know. We seniors know how it works."

It didn"t take McElwain long to transform Colorado State into an offensive powerhouse. In his second season, the Rams went from 100th nationally in scoring offense to 22nd and from 100th in total offense to 24th.

"We wish him well and are confident we can recruit a coach who is committed to a sustained program of excellence at Colorado State over the long term," CSU president Tony Frank said.

Colorado State offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin will step in as interim coach for the Rams" upcoming bowl game.

McElwain replaces Will Muschamp, whose Gators never finished higher than 90th nationally in total offense in his four seasons in Gainesville. Muschamp was fired last month after going 10-13 over the past two seasons.

Originally from Montana, McElwain tutored first-year starting quarterbacks (Greg McElroy and AJ McCarron) in two of his four seasons as Alabama"s offensive coordinator. The Crimson Tide were known for their offensive balance under McElwain.

McElroy, who is currently an SEC Network analyst, congratulated Florida, saying the school has the "real deal" in McElwain.

Florida fans rejoice. @CoachMcElwain is the real deal and will have tremendous success in Gainesville. Congratulations to Gators everywhere.

Greg McElroy (@GVMcElroy) December 4, 2014

In McElwain"s final season at Alabama in 2011, the Tide were the only team in the SEC that averaged more than 200 rushing yards and 200 passing yards per game on their way to what was then coach Nick Saban"s second national championship in Tuscaloosa.

ESPN"s Brett McMurphy, ESPN.com"s Darren Rovell and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

• ESPN.com SEC reporter.
• Joined ESPN.com in 2007.
• Graduate of the University of Tennessee.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNH4IiLZTbjHYPYOkUVYmO8piccKaQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778674104279&ei=BteBVLDeBYby8AGj6YDIAw&url=https://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11977425/jim-mcelwain-becomes-florida-gators-coach

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Cape Watch: Will Smith and Tom Hardy Sign Up for the Suicide Squad

7 Things That Need To Happen In Suicide Squad Movie

Just when you thought superhero movies were taking it easy after Thanksgiving, Warner Bros. decides to drop a casting bomb or six for its 2016 movie that doesnt feature Ben Affleck, and Marvel quietly plans an extension to its much-anticipated Avengers: Age of Ultron. What tryptophan hangover were you talking about? Here are the highlights of this weeks superhero movie news.

SUPER IDEA: Warner Bros. Making a Suicide Pact With Will Smith, Tom Hardy, and Jared Leto

Ending weeks of speculation, Warner Bros. announced on Tuesday that, yes, almost everyone youd heard connected with a Suicide Squad role would actually be in the movie. That means that well see Will Smith as Deadshot, Tom Hardy as Rick Flagg, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Cara Delevingne as the Enchantress, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, and Jared Leto as the Joker. You have to admit, thats a kind of crazy cast list.Why this is super: Didnt we just say that was a crazy cast list? Its hard to imagine what the eventual movie will turn out like with all of those actors on the screen together, but were looking forward to finding out. Oh, and thats not the only Suicide Squad piece of news this week

SUPER IDEA: Oprah Winfrey Could Be DCs Nick Fury

Also hidden in Varietys write-up of the Suicide Squad casting news was this gem: The studios shortlist of actresses being eyed for the role [of Amanda Waller, the major doom behind the Squad itself] includes Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Oprah Winfrey, whom sources say would be WBs first choice for the part. Yes, you read that right: Warner Bros. might want Oprah Winfrey to play Amanda Waller.Why this is super: Lets be real here: This is a piece of genius casting. Weve all heard rumors that Winfrey, behind the scenes, is more of a badass than her televisual persona would suggest, and here would be a role in which she could take charge and make grown men cry on a regular basis. Not to put Viola Davis or Octavia Spencer down in the slightestwho would? Spencer in particular would make an amazing Wallerbut the very idea of Winfrey taking on the role is more exciting than all of the casting announcements of Marvels last four movies put together. How can we make this happen?

SUPER IDEA: Guillermo del Toro Making His Supernatural DC Superhero Movie

Its been a while since weve heard anything about Guillermo del Toros Dark Universe, which brings together supernatural characters from the DC Comics stable including the Demon, Zatanna, and Swamp Thing. When it wasnt mentioned during Warners big DC presentation in October, many assumed the project was dead, but the Pacific Rim director told Forbes that wasnt the case, and that the script is with the studio even as you read these words. He later confirmed to Collider that the project is intended to be part of Warners shared universe of DC properties.Why this is super: If youve seen any of his movies, its self-evident why del Toro developing a project using DCs supernatural characters is a good thing. Just imagine how great it could look, if nothing else.

MEH IDEA: Blogger Doom Modeling His Look After a Videogame Character

So, we already know next years Fantastic Four movie will remake Doctor Doom from a melodramatic dictator of a small Eastern European country into a very anti-social programmer called Victor Domashev, and now it turns out that sources from the movie are describing his look as Halos Master Chief with a Doctor Doom mask and that hooded cape.Why this is villainy: Look, were not claiming the original design was anything more than a suit of armor with a bright green tunic over it, but still: Hes a programmer with a grudge who looks like a videogame character? Its like youre not even trying anymore, everyone involved with the Fantastic Four movie. Come on, people.

SUPER IDEA: Avengers 2 Is Maybe Still Filming

Theres just six months until Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters, and weve already seen the first trailer, but apparently Marvel isnt done with the movie just yet. A report from the Daily Mail newspaper claims that the cast will return for another two weeks of shooting next month, ahead of production beginning on the third and fourth Avengers movies at the end of 2015.Why this is super: Last-minute reshoots are becoming a Marvel Studios tradition, but its hard to argue with the quality of the result, with Captain America: The Winter Soldier leading the argument for staying open to the idea. If Joss Whedon and company think that they missed something important after watching a rough assembly (no pun intended, etc.) of the footage to date, who are we to argue? Well, until the movies released, of course. Then everyone will argue, because thats what we do.

SUPER IDEA: Marvel Finally Confirms Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange

Ending months of speculation about the identity of the Sorcerer Supreme, Marvel Studios announced today that Sherlock Holmes himselfaka Benedict Cumberbatchwould be playing Dr. Stephen Strange in Scott Derricksons 2016 adaptation of the magical character. Cumberbatchs name had been linked to the role for months, although countless othersamongst them, Ryan Gosling, Jared Leto and Tom Hardyhad also been reported as being in the running. Of course, now that we finally have a Strange, its time to start thinking about who will play the villain of the piece, and just who that villain will be. Baron Mordo? Dormammu? Maybe even the faux Satan named Mephisto?Why this is super: If nothing else, its good to finally have the uncertainty behind us. And, lets be honest, wed watch Cumberbatch in almost anything, as Star Trek Into Darkness has already proven.

Source: http://www.wired.com/2014/12/cape-watch-14/

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Jimmy Fallon inspires college kids to invent "hashtag gloves"

Pyramid with Jeff Daniels, Usher and Nick Jonas

College kids are often inspired by late-night television inspired to order a pizza or put off a term paper. Four freshman at Olin College in Needham, Massachusetts, used the "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon as the catalyst for a new way to use social media.

Their invention: hashtag gloves. Instead of pulling out a phone, Twitter users just need to tap their fingers twice using the "hashtag" symbol and speak out loud.

"We were watching Jimmy Fallon and he did this sketch where they said "hashtag" every time they spoke and made this motion with their fingers," Keenan Zucker told TODAY.com. "It was pretty silly, so that was part of the inspiration for the idea."

Zucker along with fellow 18-year-old freshmen Andrew Deaver, Patrick Huston and Byron Wasti were also interested in wearable technology, a hot topic in recent years as gadgets like Google Glass, Apple Watch and FitBit have come to market.

They decided to test out their idea for tweeting gloves last month at the Hack Holyoke event at Mount Holyoke College. As their Twitter feed shows, it was a success:

"This is not a groundbreaking technology," Huston told TODAY.com. "It"s more a fun project we thought up for a hackathon."

Both gloves are made with a conductive material on the fingers. One glove has a current running through it. When fingers from the second glove disrupt that current, it knows to start transcribing your words via voice recognition into a tweet.

@HashtagGlove/Twitter

During their event, the microphone the students wanted to use was busted, so they used their computer instead. The next step is to connect a smaller microphone and Arduino controller to the gloves and pair them to the wearer"s smartphone, making for tweeting on the go. The challenge is to keep shrinking the parts until they are all small enough to fit on normal-looking gloves.

In the meantime, the students stressed that their hashtag gloves are just a prototype and they can"t promise that they will ever be sold at a store near you.

"We still have a lot of school in front of us," Zucker said. "We"re going to work on it more, but we don"t know how far it"s going to go."

Still, it"s a fun idea that has garnered a decent amount of press attention at least more than most ideas college students have while watching late-night TV. And the idea of tapping gloves or other items of clothing to access the Internet or social media could have benefits for the elderly and people with disabilities.

"We don"t necessarily see the gloves as a super-serious invention," Huston said, " but maybe more as a jumping off point for some other cool ideas."

Source: http://www.today.com/money/jimmy-fallon-inspires-college-kids-invent-hashtag-gloves-1D80337731

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Life-Changing Career Advice From LinkedIn"s Billionaire Founder Reid Hoffman

LinkedIn Tutorial 2014 - Creating a Profile

Reid HoffmanReid Hoffman, cofounder of LinkedIn and coauthor of "The Startup of You."

In December 2002, Reid Hoffman launched a professional networking site that would becomea $20 billion-plus company, calledLinkedIn.

Hoffman reveals the career wisdom that helped lead him to that success in a book called "The Start-Up of You."Thoseideas have been visualized in the following slideshow, which he"s allowed us to republish on Business Insider.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/career-advice-from-linkedin-founder-reid-hoffman-2014-12

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Annie Lennox Questions Madonna"s t*****s Shoot, Thinks It"s "Attention-Seeking"

LE JOURNAL DU CINEMA MADONNA SEPT 1992

Annie Lennox is a little wary of the ways in which Madonna is choosing to express herself lately. After the Material Girl"s t*****s photo shoot for Interview magazine was released on Monday, Dec. 1, the "No More I Love You"s" singer appeared on ITV"s Loose Women, where she questioned what Madonna hoped to accomplish with the racy pics.

PHOTOS: Celebrity feuds

Lennox, 59, who was on the Dec. 2 show to promote her new album, Nostalgia, is no stranger to skimpy outfits -- remember that red bra? -- but says she never took it as far as the Queen of Pop. "I did get things off occasionally, but not to that extent," she argued on Loose Women (via the Daily Mail).

PHOTOS: t*****s stars

"I don"t think it"s down to me [to judge Madonna]..." she continued. "I think the verdict is probably out. Would you not agree on that one? I think the question is, "What is Madonna telling us?" Anybody know?"

PHOTOS: Madonna wannabes

Panelist Janet Street-Porter then volunteered her thoughts, saying, "I think it"s attention-seeking." And Lennox -- who came to fame around the same time as Madonna in the 1980s -- agreed. "I think it is," she noted.

This is not the first time the former Eurythmics singer has taken issue with the current state of the music industry. Back in September, she called out young pop stars for their sexed-up onstage antics.

PHOTOS: Madonna"s craziest controversies

"I think for many it"s very convenient and it looks great and it looks radical, but I have some issues with it...I think it"s a cheap shot. I think what they do with it is cheap and...yeah. What can I tell you?" she told Pride Source. "s*x always sells. And there"s nothing wrong with s*x selling, but it depends on your audience. If they"re 7-year-old kids, I have issues with it."

Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/annie-lennox-thinks-madonnas-t*****s-shoot-is-attention-seeking-2014312

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