NASA's rover Curiosity lands on Mars (VIDEO)

(CNN) -- NASA's rover Curiosity successfully carried out a highly challenging landing on Mars early Monday, transmitting images back to Earth after traveling hundreds of millions of miles through space in order to explore the Red Planet.

The $2.6 billion Curiosity made its dramatic arrival on Martian terrain in a spectacle popularly known as the "seven minutes of terror."

This jaw-dropping landing process, involving a sky crane and the world's largest supersonic parachute, allowed the spacecraft carrying Curiosity to target the landing area that scientists had meticulously chosen.

The mission control in NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California burst into cheers as the rover touched down. Team members hugged and high-fived one another as Curiosity beamed back the first pictures from the planet, some shed tears.

"The successful landing of Curiosity -- the most sophisticated roving laboratory ever to land on another planet -- marks an unprecedented feat of technology that will stand as a point of national pride far into the future," President Barack Obama said in a statement congratulating the NASA employees who had worked on the project.

The scientific community reacted to the achievement with a mixture of elation and relief.

"Rationally I know it was supposed to work all along, but emotionally it always seemed completely crazy," said James Wray, assistant professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, who is affiliated with the science team of Curiosity. "So to see all those steps being ticked off and actually working, it's a huge relief."

The initial images the SUV-sized rover sent back to Earth were black and white and grainy, but one showed its wheel resting on the stony ground and the vehicle's shadow appeared in another. Larger color images are expected later in the week, NASA said.

The spacecraft had been traveling away from Earth since November 26 on a journey of approximately 352 million miles (567 million kilometers), according to NASA.

Curiosity, which will be controlled from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has a full suite of sophisticated tools for exploring Mars. They include 17 cameras, a laser that can survey the composition of rocks from a distance and instruments that can analyze samples from soil or rocks.

The aim of its work is "to assess whether Mars ever had an environment able to support small life forms," NASA says.

Meet a rover driver: His car is on Mars

Curiosity's first stop is Gale Crater, which may have once contained a lake. After at least a year, the rover will arrive at Mount Sharp, in the center of the crater. The rover will drive up the mountain examining layers of sediment. This process is like looking at a historical record because each layer represents an era of the planet's history, scientists say.

The phenomenon of sedimentary layers is remarkably similar to what is seen on Earth, in California's Death Valley or in Montana's Glacier National Park, says John Grotzinger, chief scientist of the Mars Science Laboratory mission.

Rocks and minerals found on Earth are different than on Mars, but the idea of a mountain made of layers is familiar to scientists. Unlike on Earth, however, Mars has no plate tectonics, so the Martian layers are flat and not disrupted as they would be on Earth. That also means that Mount Sharp was formed in a different way than how mountains are created on Earth -- no one knows how.

Images: Exploring Mars

In these layers, scientists are looking for organic molecules, which are necessary to create life. But even if Curiosity finds them, that's not proof that life existed -- after all, these molecules are found in bus exhaust and meteorites, too, says Steve Squyres, part of the Mars Science Laboratory science team.

If there aren't any organics, that may suggest there's something on the planet destroying these molecules, said Wray, of Georgia Tech. But if Curiosity detects them, Wray said, that might help scientists move from asking, "Was Mars ever habitable?" to "Did Mars actually host life?"

Curiosity's mission is also significant in an era when NASA's budgets are shrinking and China is becoming more ambitious in its space exploration program.

"I feel like it's a signal that we have the capability to do big and exciting things in the future." said Carol Paty, assistant professor at Georgia Tech's School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. "You can't not be excited."

Liquid water is not something scientists expect to be apparent on Mars because the planet is so cold and dry, Squyres said. If the planet does harbor liquid water today, it would have to be deep below the surface, perhaps peeking out in a few special places, but not likely to be seen by Curiosity, Squyres said.

Rover to search for clues to life on Mars

It's hard to know how long ago liquid water would have been there because there's no mechanism to date the rocks that rovers find on Mars, Squyres said.

Evidence from the spacecraft NASA has sent to Mars so far suggests that the "warm and wet" period on Mars lasted for the first billion years of the planet's history.

"In order to create life, you need both the right environmental conditions -- which includes liquid water -- and you need the building blocks from which life is built, which includes organics," Squyres said. The Mars Science Laboratory is a precursor mission to sharper technology that could do life detection, Grotzinger said.

There aren't specific molecules that scientists are looking for with Curiosity. The attitude is: "Let's go to an interesting place with good tools and find out what's there," Squyres said.

What do you think about the Mars mission? Go to iReport

Curiosity is supposed to last for two years on Mars, but it may operate longer -- after all, Spirit and Opportunity, which arrived on Mars in 2004, were each only supposed to last 90 Martian days. Spirit stopped communicating with NASA in 2010 after getting stuck in sand, and Opportunity is still going.

"You take what Mars gives you," said Squyres, also the lead scientist on the Mars Exploration Rover Mission, which includes Spirit and Opportunity. "If we knew what we were going to find, it wouldn't be this much fun."

Via:CCN

Serena Williams and Bryan Brothers Win, Earning Golden Slam

LONDON — It was Saturday afternoon at Wimbledon, and Serena Williams, Olympic gold medal already around her neck, spotted Bob and Mike Bryan heading for their final on Centre Court.

“She said, ‘Guys, come on!’ ” Bob Bryan said. “And she gave me like a fist and this really tough face, and I thought, ‘We have to adopt that persona.’ ”

It was a fine model to follow.

Williams, who has dominated many a tournament in her remarkable emotional roller coaster of a career, has perhaps never been more dominant than she was in singles at these Olympics.

“I honestly don’t think I have ever played better from start to finish,” she said.

In six matches, she did not come close to losing a set and came very close to not losing a game in the final against Maria Sharapova, a four-time Grand Slam singles champion and former world No. 1 who is one of the most ferocious competitors and most aggressive baseliners in the women’s game.

Sharapova, representing Russia in her first Olympics, shrieked and hustled. She maintained her focus and her composure, but Williams was simply in a different league.

Her 6-0, 6-1 victory required just 1 hour 3 minutes.

“One of the most dominating performances in the history of the sport,” said Jay Berger, the men’s tennis coach of the United States Olympic team. “She just showed she’s the best player in the world right now.”

The rankings still do not confirm that. Victoria Azarenka, who won the bronze medal here, will still be No. 1 and Sharapova still No. 2 come Monday, but Williams, who will be No. 4, has taken full advantage of the historic opportunity to play for big titles twice on the grass of the All England Club this summer.

After winning Wimbledon last month, she capitalized on her return visit to win her first Olympic singles gold medal. Williams had already won gold medals in doubles in 2000 and 2008, but at age 30, she now has the last major singles prize she lacked.

“I love bling-bling but this is like the ultimate,” Williams said, fingering her gold medal.

Williams withdrew from the 2004 Olympics because of a left knee injury. She was beaten in the singles quarterfinals in 2008 in Beijing. But she was an unstoppable force here: losing an astonishing 17 games in six matches and never being pushed beyond 6-3 in any set.

“Basically, she took the momentum from Wimbledon and improved on it,” said Patrick Mouratoglou, the French coach who began advising Williams after her shocking first-round defeat at the French Open in May.

Since then, she has not lost a match, winning Wimbledon, flying to the West Coast to win in Stanford, Calif., then returning to Europe to win the Olympics.

For a star who has often played sparingly during her career, this was working overtime, but it worked beautifully — jet lag or no jet lag — for Williams.

“Look, she playing incredibly confident tennis,” said Sharapova, who has lost eight consecutive matches to Williams. “After winning Wimbledon, you’ve seen her level progress so much here over this tournament. With every match she’s played, she’s playing better, hitting harder, so much power on the ball. Even against the wind today, her shots were very powerful. I mean, she’s done an incredible job of keeping that up.”

At one stage late in the first set, Williams had as many aces as Sharapova did points. In the end, she finished with 10 aces and 24 total winners and — most remarkable of all for those who have followed Williams’s first-strike tactics over the years — just seven unforced errors.

 And yet it was not quite a perfect occasion. During the medal ceremony, as a recording of the national anthem of the United States was played, the flag of the United States broke loose from its horizontal pole in the gusting wind and unceremoniously floated to the ground, landing behind the fence separating the clubhouse from the court.

The other two flags — those of Russia and Belarus — remained affixed to their poles as the ceremony concluded. Williams kept her composure and later explained that the incident had not spoiled her long-awaited moment.

But there was a second chance to get the ceremony just right — Star Spangled Banner and flag included — after the Bryans followed Williams’s lead and defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Michael Llodra of France in the men’s doubles final.

Their 6-4, 7-6 (2) victory gave them, at age 34, their first Olympic gold medal after winning all of the other major titles in tennis, including the Davis Cup with the United States in 2007.

“This is the top of the mountain for us,” Bob Bryan said. “Winning Wimbledon was awesome, but this is a different level.”

Via: NYTimes

Aly Raisman Looks Ahead to Her Remaining Olympic Events

Aly Raisman has long been known as a mentally tough, incredibly consistent gymnast. 

So it was quite a shock for fans to see Raisman, 18, make a major, uncharacteristic error in the women's gymnastics all-around final on Thursday, leaving her just shy of a medal. 

But Raisman's Olympic experience isn't over yet. She'll compete on the balance beam and floor individual finals on Tuesday. 

"I'm really excited about that," Raisman (who won team gold earlier in the week) told reporters after a tie-breaker left her off the podium Thursday. "I'm just going to keep working hard and move past it." 

"It is what it is, it's a learning experience," she added. "I'm only human – everyone makes mistakes." 

Her coach had a more detailed explanation. "When it is about the team, she's giving everything," says Mihai Brestyan. "When it's about herself, something gets wrong there. I don't know what. It's a shame. But being third [or] fourth in the world, in Olympic Games, still it's a good thing even if you don’t have the medal on your neck."

The Jordyn Wieber Factor?

Brestyan says he also wonders whether the drama over Jordyn Wieber (who is blogging for People.com) being edged out of the all-around had something to do with Raisman's performance. (Each country can only send two athletes to the all-around, so despite high scores, Wieber was bumped by Raisman and Gabby Douglas's higher scores.) 

Before the all-around competition, "She was fine, she did her normal routine, her warm up was perfect – I don't know what happened," says Brestyan. "The big pressure was, you take Jordyn's place first and everybody feels bad because you take the World Champion's place. They are not happy for you, they are mad for Jordyn, and you feel really bad and you carry this with you."

"You come here to prove yourself ... and you are more under pressure than anybody else, and this is part of that. I try to encourage her. She's usually very calm and studied in her execution." 

Team coordinator Marta Karolyi weighed in as well, telling reporters, "Oh, I'm extremely disappointed for Aly. She is so calm and so solid. I honestly could not know what happened. Just hitting her normal routine, she would be categorically on [the podium]. It was a little bit of a mental break." 

But Raisman isn't making any excuses as she reflects on the medal she missed – demonstrating an impressive display of sportsmanship in the process. 

"I was hoping they'd give [me and Aliya Mustafina] both the bronze medal, but obviously they didn't, so it's definitely upsetting, but I'm still happy for the girls who were on the podium," says the gymnast. "I'm happy for Gabby and really excited for her." 

Via: People

Gabby Douglas poised to reap sponsorship windfall after London Olympics - VIDEO

Aug. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Gabby Douglas won her second gymnastics gold medal, an American first, and is poised to reap a sponsorship windfall after the London Olympics.

By adding the all-around title yesterday to the team crown she helped the U.S. win two days earlier, the 16-year-old from Virginia Beach, Virginia, became the first American woman to win both golds at a single Olympics.

Douglas -- nicknamed the “Flying Squirrel” -- would be a great saleswoman for everything from toothpaste to cosmetics to airline tickets, said Bob Dorfman, executive creative director at San Francisco-based Baker Street Advertising.

“All-around gold means serious green for Douglas, in the neighborhood of at least one to three million dollars a year,” Dorfman said in an e-mail interview. “The U.S. gymnastics darling always seems to be the girl who comes out with the greatest endorsement success after the games.”

Douglas beat Victoria Komova of Russia to win the title at the North Greenwich Arena. Russia’s Aliya Mustafina won the bronze medal in a tiebreaker over Aly Raisman of the U.S. after they finished with the same score.

Douglas’s win marked the third straight all-around title for a U.S. woman at the Olympics following Nastia Liukin in 2008 and Carly Patterson in 2004. Mary Lou Retton is the only other American woman to win the all-around, at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

‘Success Story’

“It really is that great American success story,” Peter Shankman, founder of the Geek Factory marketing firm in New York, said in a telephone interview. “As soon as she won, she put her hand on her heart. How can that photo not be on the back page of every paper in America?”

Douglas, who also won the U.S. Olympic trials all-around title, led the competition from her vault in the first round. The crowd drowned out the announcer’s voice as she was welcomed to the floor for the final routine that would seal the American’s second gold medal.

“A lot was going through my mind, I was like, ’Yes all the hard work has paid off,’” Douglas told reporters after the medal ceremony. “I was speechless. Tears of joy and just waving to the crowd.”

The Americans won the team event for the first time since the 1996 Atlanta Games earlier this week, led by Raisman, the squad’s captain, who performed the final floor exercise that sealed gold for the U.S.

U.S. First

Never before had U.S. women gymnasts won the team and all- around competitions at the same Olympics. That may change now, according to Douglas.

“I think we can go on for a very long time,” she told reporters. “Team USA and United States of America are very strong, we have some very good gymnasts, so it’s going to continue.”

Douglas and her Olympic teammates will make a base salary of more than $100,000 each for participating in the 40-city Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions that begins Sept. 8 in San Jose, California, and ends Nov. 18 in Brooklyn, New York.

Steve Penny, the president of USA Gymnastics, said before the Olympics that gymnasts who won team or individual medals at the London Games could earn as much as $500,000 each on the tour.

American Flags

The 4-foot-11 (1.50-meter) Douglas beamed as she completed each dismount, routine and flourish during the final. American flags outnumbered the host nation’s Union Jack among the crowd in Greenwich.

“Her fresh face is perfect for a cosmetics deal, her infectious smile could sell toothpaste, and her nickname -- The Flying Squirrel -- is ideal for any airline,” Dorfman said. “Ka-ching. That’s the sound of America’s newest gymnastics darling being born.”

Via: WashingtonPost

Opening ceremony London 2012 celebrated by Google doodle

New Delhi: Opening ceremony London 2012 is marked by Friday's Google doodle. The doodle shows 5 athletes - incidentally also the number of rings in the Olympic logo - playing different Olympic sports.


Olympics 2012 | Schedule | India at Olympics | Medals Tally


The stage is set and the athletes are primed as the seven-year countdown to the London 2012 Olympics reaches its finale with Friday's much-anticipated opening ceremony.


The three-hour spectacle, expected to be watched by a global television audience of up to one billion, will mark the beginning of 17 days of athletic endeavour which will create heroes, shatter dreams and fire national pride.


But London is preparing for its own intense examination as questions over the city's creaking transport system and the ever-present security threat hang over the event, ready to overshadow on-track achievements.


Sneak previews of the £27 million ($42 million, 35 million euros) opening ceremony - filmed at Wednesday's final rehearsal - suggest it will be a grand but quirky production, reflecting the philosophy of director Danny Boyle.


The Slumdog Millionaire Oscar-winner has promised to create a "picture of us as a nation" and revealed the eccentric show will feature live sheep and dancing surgeons from the National Health Service.


In depicting Britain, warts and all, Boyle has drawn from William Shakespeare, British pop culture, literature and music, and other sources of inspiration that will speak not just to Anglophiles but to people across the globe. One segment involves actor Daniel Craig's James Bond, and former Beatle Paul McCartney will lead a sing-along.


Boyle's Isles of Wonder show will celebrate the green and pleasant land of meadows, farms, cottages, village cricket matches and bird song, but also dwell on Britain's darker industrial past. That's not a surprise from a movie director who depicted Scottish heroin addicts in "Trainspotting" and Indian poor in Slumdog Millionaire.


As well as thousands of athletes and performers, some 60,000 spectators will pack the Olympic Stadium. Political leaders from around the world, U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and her daughters, and a sprinkling of European and celebrity royalty will also attend.


According to the Sunday Times, one section will feature characters from children's fiction classics including Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan - and a showdown between Lord Voldemort, the villain of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, and a horde of flying magical nannies based on Mary Poppins.


Many of the juiciest and most significant details from the three-hour show, including the identity of the person or people who will light the Olympic cauldron - if, indeed, there is one - remain secret. That is, in itself, remarkable for the first social media Olympics, where the urge to tweet anything and everything is putting more scrutiny than ever on organisers and the 10,902 athletes from 204 countries.


Thousands of VIPs including some 120 national leaders are in town for the event, with guests ranging from Angelina Jolie and US First Lady Michelle Obama to the king of Swaziland.


Germany's Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda are among the leaders set to attend while Michelle Obama will head the US delegation.

London 2012 Archery: Google doodle 'aims' at the 'target'

New Delhi: The London 2012 Archery action began as Men's and Women's played their ranking rounds. Google too takes a women archer aiming at the target in their 'Google Doodle'.

Legally blind South Korean archer Im Dong-hyun set the first world records of the London Olympics, breaking his own record in the 72-arrow mark and participating in the team shoot record during Friday's ranking round.

Olympics 2012 | Schedule | India at Olympics | Medals Tally

Im broke the 72-arrow record he had set in Turkey in May by three points with a score of 699, hours before the 2012 Games official opening ceremony.

He combined with Kim Bub-min and Oh Jin-hyek, smashing the record for 216 arrows with a total 2,087. That was 18 better than the mark South Korea set in May.

Im, 26, won gold medals in the team event in both the Beijing and Athens Olympics. He has only 10 percent vision in his left eye, and 20 percent in his right, meaning he is considered legally blind.

India's campaign at the London Olympics got off to a disappointing start after both the men and women's archery teams finished at the bottom of the table in the ranking rounds at the Lord's Cricket Ground here on Friday.

While the trio of Jayanta Talukdar, Tarundeep Rai and Rahul Banerjee finished at the bottom of the heap at 12th in the men's competition, their women counterparts were a shade better at ninth spot.

World number one Deepika Kumari was the best-placed Indian of the day as she finished eighth with a score of 662 in the women's individual event.

Starting the proceedings earlier, the Indian men's trio combined for a score of 1969 on a day when defending champions Korea shattered the team world record with a tally of 2087 to lead the rankings.

In the men's individual event, Tarundeep Rai finished 31st with 664 points from 72 shots, while Banerjee was at 46th with 655 points, followed by Talukdar at 53rd with 650 points.

In the women's individual competition, L Bombayla Devi's score of 651 (327+324) helped her to the 22nd spot, while Swuro Chekrovolu finished at the 50th place after scoring 625 (309+316).

Michael Phelps-Ryan Lochte set for first London duel

Five things to know about Saturday, when 12 gold medals are awarded on Day 1 of the 2012 Olympics:

-Phelps-Lochte headed for first London showdown.

-Surprise torch lighters highlighted a dazzling start to the games.

-Legally blind archer has a new world record.

-A headscarf standoff poses a problem for a Saudi judo fighter.

-The IOC calls London's prep for games "excellent."

-----

The opening ceremony provided a rousing start to the games, but the focus quickly shifts to the pool.

Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte face off Saturday in the 400-meter individual medley, a grueling race encompassing all four strokes and an appropriate next chapter in this most intriguing of rivalries.

"A very rough race," said Phelps' coach, Bob Bowman. "It will be a coach's dream, but also a spectator's dream. It will be fantastic."

Phelps wants to add to his record total of 14 gold medals and become the first male swimmer to win the same event at three straight Olympics. But Lochte is the defending world champion and defeated Phelps rather easily at the U.S. trials last month.

Lochte is certainly not lacking for confidence.

"Right after Beijing, I had a four-year plan for getting here to London," he said. "I thought I could go a lot faster. I knew I could, just because of the training I've done. That's why I knew this was going to be my year."

There will be four finals at the Aquatics Center on Saturday. Medals also will be awarded in archery, cycling, fencing, judo, shooting and weightlifting.

The cycling gold goes to the winner of the road race, where Mark Cavendish is the favorite, tasked with providing a memorable start for the host country.

After days of speculation, there's an answer to the question that dominated London in the run-up to the games: Who would light the Olympic torch?

Was it Roger Bannister? Steve Redgrave? David Beckham?

Nope, nope and nope.

Seven teenage British athletes lowered torches to trumpet-like tubes that spread into a ring of fire during one of the signature moments of director Danny Boyle's $42 million show. The copper "petals" then rose skyward and came together to form the elegant cauldron.

Fireworks erupted over the stadium to music from Pink Floyd. With a singalong of "Hey Jude," Beatle Paul McCartney closed a show that ran 45 minutes beyond its scheduled three hours.

The other big highlight? A clever video that gave the illusion of Queen Elizabeth II parachuting into the Olympic Stadium with James Bond, aka actor Daniel Craig playing Britain's most famous spy.

A South Korean athlete is celebrating a London first: He recorded the first world record of the games. Im Dong-hyun, who is legally blind, broke his own record Friday in the 72-arrow mark and helped South Korea set a team record in the ranking round.

"This is just the first round, so I will not get too excited by it," said Im, who has 10 percent vision in his left eye and 20 percent in his right.

Im bettered the record he set in Turkey in May by three points with a score of 699. He also combined with Kim Bub-min and Oh Jin-hyek, smashing the record for 216 arrows with a total 2,087. That was 18 better than the mark South Korea set in May.

Im has said that when he looks at the targets, he sees colors with blurred lines between them. He doesn't wear glasses in competition, saying he relies on distinguishing between the bright colors of the target.

Talks are also under way to allow judoka Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani to compete after the sport's governing federation said she would not be allowed to wear a headscarf.

Saudi Arabia, which sent its first two female athletes to the games, had only agreed to let women participate if they adhered to the kingdom's conservative Islamic traditions, including wearing a headscarf.

Nicolas Messner, a spokesman for the International Judo Federation, said there was "good collaboration" to find a solution among judo officials, the International Olympic Committee and Saudi Arabia.

Messner said wearing a headscarf could be dangerous because the sport includes chokeholds and strangleholds.

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge praised the local organizing committee, saying the preparations were "excellent."

"The key ingredients for successful games are good security, a good village, venues and transportation that works," he said. "If we have all that, we will have very good games. I am optimistic and confident."

Rogge was asked how ready London was at this stage compared with previous host cities.

"I would think in terms of readiness these games equal the readiness of Sydney and Beijing definitely," he said. "But the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Ask me again at the closing ceremony."

Via: Sports.NdTV

Chick-fil-A sandwiches become a political symbol

FILE - This Thursday, July 19, 2012 photo shows a Chick-fil-A fast food restaurant in Atlanta. Chick-fil-A, whose founder distinguished the fast-food chain by closing on Sunday out of religious piety, continues to mix theology with business and finds itself on the front lines of the nation’s culture wars after its president, Dan Cathy, confirmed his opposition to gay marriage in June 2012. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Boycotts » The company president’s criticism of gay marriage triggers an uproar.
By BILL BARROW | The Associated Press

First Published Jul 26 2012 02:13 pm • Updated 40 minutes ago
ATLANTA • All of a sudden, biting into a fried chicken sandwich has become a political statement.


Chick-fil-A, the fast-food chain known for putting faith ahead of profits by closing on Sundays, is standing firm in its opposition to gay marriage after touching off a furor earlier this month.


Gay rights groups have called for a boycott, the Jim Henson Co. pulled its Muppet toys from kids’ meals, and politicians in Boston and Chicago told the chain it is not welcome there.

Across the Bible Belt, where most of the 1,600 restaurants are situated, Christian conservatives have thrown their support behind the Atlanta-based company, promising to buy chicken sandwiches and waffle fries next week on "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day."


The latest skirmish in the nation’s culture wars began when Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy told the Baptist Press that the company was "guilty as charged" for backing "the biblical definition of a family." In a later radio interview, he ratcheted up the rhetoric: "I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.’"


That fired up gay rights advocates, including a group that waged a campaign against the company in recent years by publicizing $3 million in contributions that the Cathy family foundation has made to conservative organizations such as the Family Research Council.


"This solidifies Chick-fil-A as being closely aligned with some of the most vicious anti-gay voices in the country," said Carlos Maza of Equality Matters.


A Chicago alderman vowed to block a Chick-fil-A proposed in his district, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel supported him, saying, "Chick-fil-A values are not Chicago values." Boston Mayor Thomas Menino wrote in a letter to Cathy: "There is no place for discrimination on Boston’s Freedom Trail and no place for your company alongside it."


In announcing it was pulling its toys, the Jim Henson company said it has "celebrated and embraced diversity for over 50 years." It directed its revenue from the Chick-fil-A toys to GLAAD, a leading gay rights organization.


On the other side of the debate, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister, declared next Wednesday "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day" to support a business "whose executives are willing to take a stand for the Godly values." Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who like Huckabee ran for president as a darling of social conservatives, joined the cause along with religious leaders.


"As the son of a dairy farmer who milked many a cow, I plan to ‘Eat Mor Chikin’ and show my support by visiting Chick-fil-A next Wednesday," the Rev. Billy Graham said in a statement, referring to the slogan in the company’s ads, which feature cows urging people to eat poultry.


Via:SLtrib

British Open 2012: Ernie Els Wins As Adam Scott Falters Late

Ernie Els of South Africa plays a shot off the first tee at Royal Lytham & St Annes golf club during the third round of the British Open Golf Championship, Lytham St Annes, England, Saturday, July 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England — Ernie Els plucked the ball from the hole after one last birdie and heaved it into the grandstand. At the time, it looked like nothing more than a classy gesture by a former British Open champion – not the next one.

The name on the claret jug was supposed to be Adam Scott, who had a four-shot lead with four holes to play.

But in a shocking turnaround Sunday, Els returned to the 18th green less than an hour later to claim the oldest trophy in golf. Scott joined a list of players who threw away a major.

That was not lost on Els, whose heart sank when he looked over at the 32-year-old Australian.

"Sorry," Els told him. "You're a great player, a great friend of mine. I feel very fortunate. You're going to win many of these."

Scott might not get another chance like this.

After hitting a 3-wood into a pot bunker on the final hole, Scott had one last chance when he stood over a 7-foot par putt to force a playoff. It stayed left of the cup, and Scott dropped into a crouch. Standing off to the side, his chin quivered as the magnitude of the meltdown hit him. Instead, he mouthed one word: "Wow."

Wow, indeed.

Even though Els had gone more than two years without winning, and had thrown away two tournaments in recent months with shaky putting, the Big Easy felt all along that something special was going to happen at this British Open.

And it did – all because of a collapse by Scott that no one saw coming.

"I know I let a really great chance slip through my fingers today," Scott said.

On a wind-swept afternoon at Royal Lytham & St. Annes that blew away the hopes of Tiger Woods and a handful of others, Scott looked steady as ever by going eight straight holes without making bogey. And that's when it came undone.

"I had it in my hands with four to go," Scott said.

A bogey from the bunker on the 15th cut the lead to three. That was followed by a three-putt bogey on the 16th, where his 3-foot par putt spun in and out of the cup and made the gallery gasp. From the middle of the 17th fairway, he hit a 6-iron that turned left, ran down the slope and took one last bounce in shin-high grass.

"I thought, `Hold on. We've got a problem here,' " said Graeme McDowell, playing with Scott in the final group.

By then, Els had posted a 2-under 68 with a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole, a cheer that Scott recognized while playing the 17th. Scott failed to get up-and-down for par from the rough and suddenly was tied.

Els headed to the practice green, where it rarely works out for him. In perhaps the most crushing defeat in a career filled with them, Els was on the putting green at Augusta National in 2004 when Phil Mickelson made an 18-foot birdie putt to win the Masters.

"I just thought, `I'll probably be disappointed again,' " Els said. "You're not really hoping the guy is going to make a mistake, but you're hoping you don't have to go a playoff, you can win outright. This one was different, because I feel for Adam."

Els, who started the final round six shots behind, wound up with his second British Open – the other one was 10 years ago at Muirfield – and fourth major championship at a stage in his career when it looked as if his best golf was behind him.

"Amazing," Els said. "I'm still numb. It still hasn't set in. It will probably take quite a few days because I haven't been in this position for 10 years, obviously. So it's just crazy, crazy, crazy getting here."

The celebration was muted, unlike his other three majors.

"First of all, I feel for Adam Scott. He's a great friend of mine," Els said. "Obviously, we both wanted to win very badly. But you know, that's the nature of the beast. That's why we're out here. You win. You lose. It was my time for some reason."

The wind finally arrived off the Irish Sea and ushered in pure chaos – a mental blunder by Woods that led to triple bogey on the sixth hole, a lost ball by Brandt Snedeker that took him out of contention and a topped shot that made McDowell, a former U.S. Open champion, look like an amateur.

"I guess my disappointment kind of seems relatively stupid in relation to the guy ... I've just seen a guy lose The Open Championship," said McDowell, who played in the final group of a major for the second straight time.

Nothing was more stunning than what happened to Scott, who closed with a 75.

"I managed to hit a poor shot on each of the closing four holes," Scott said. "Look, I played so beautifully for most of the week. I shouldn't let this bring me down."

Even so, it added another chapter to Australian heartbreak, most of that belonging to his idol, Greg Norman.

Scott was the fourth Australian since the 2007 Masters to lead going into the final round of a major, yet the proud land Down Under remains without a major since Geoff Ogilvy won the U.S. Open at Winged Foot in 2006.

"Greg was my hero when I was a kid, and I thought he was a great role model, how he handled himself in victory and defeat," Scott said. "He set a good example for us. It's tough. I can't justify anything that I've done out there. I didn't finish the tournament well today.

"But next time ... I'm sure there will be a next time and I can do a better job of it."

Already in the World Golf Hall of Fame, the 42-year-old Els joined even more elite company. He became only the sixth player to win the U.S. Open and British Open twice. The others are Jack Nicklaus, Woods, Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones and Lee Trevino.

Woods came undone on the sixth hole when he tried to blast out of a bunker from a plugged lie, stayed in the bunker, and three-putted for triple bogey. Still with an outside chance after a birdie on the 12th, he stuck with his conservative plan of hitting iron off the tee and made three straight bogeys. He closed with a 73 to tie for third with Brandt Snedeker, who also had his share of problems for a 74.

Woods had his best finish in a major since he lost to Y.E. Yang in the 2009 PGA Championship, though he remains winless in the last 17.

"It's part of golf," said Woods, who moves to No. 2 in the world. "We all go through these phases. Some people, it lasts entire careers. Others are a little bit shorter. Even the greatest players to ever play have all gone through little stretches like this."

Els finished at 7-under 273. He failed to qualify for the Masters this year for the first time in nearly two decades, but that won't be a problem now. His win gives him a five-year exemption into the majors.

It was the most shocking collapse at the British Open since Jean Van de Velde took a triple bogey on the final hole at Carnoustie and lost in a playoff. But this was different. It wasn't a last-minute blowup, more of a slow bleed, similar to Jason Dufner losing a five-shot lead to Keegan Bradley in the PGA Championship last year, or Ed Sneed making bogey on the last three holes at the 1979 Masters.

There was just enough wind to make the 206 bunkers at Royal Lytham look a little bit bigger. And as the gusts increased, a calm week turned chaotic.

It started with Woods on the sixth hole, his first triple bogey at a major championship since he lost his ball on the opening hole at Royal St. George's in 2003.

"One yard," he said to his caddie, a measure of the miss. It plugged near the steep wall of a pot bunker.

Instead of chipping to the middle of the bunker, Woods tried to get out with a ferocious swing. The ball smacked into the wall, nearly hit him and wound up near the left wall. He sat on the grass, his left knee (which has gone through four surgeries) flexed underneath him, his right leg extended as he dipped his upper body toward the sand to make a swing. This one also hit the ball, and caromed around and out to the right. From there, he three-putted for a 7.

"The game plan was to fire it into the bank, have it ricochet to the right and then have an angle to come back at it," Woods said. "Unfortunately, it ricocheted to the left and almost hit me."

Just like that, he was seven shots behind. It was the second time this year that one of golf's biggest stars made triple bogey in the final round of a major while in contention. Phil Mickelson made his on the fourth hole at the Masters and never recovered.

Els made a bogey on the ninth to fall six shots behind. All that did was fire him up, and he came home in 32. His 68 is best measured in these terms – of the last 12 players who teed off in the final round, no one else had better than a 72.

Yet there was one more collapse, in the final hour, and it was the one everyone will remember from this British Open. It's one Scott will somehow need to forget. As winner and runner-up met in a portable trailer before going out to the trophy presentation, Els told him: "Don't beat yourself up."

Via:HuffingTonPost

Gustav Klimt up close and personal on his 150th birthday

On his 150th birthday, Vienna's museums offer an intimate look at Gustav Klimt, digging beneath the layers of paint and scratching away at the artist... but not without a good dose of kitsch. (See: Gustav Klimt's 150th birth anniversary marked by Google doodle)


Over the past century, Klimt has gained worldwide recognition even beyond the art world, something Vienna has been keen to exploit with ad campaigns borrowing heavily from his famous golden paintings like "The Kiss."


His work shocked early-1900s Vienna and alternated between opulence and tormented figures.


But the 400 postcards and messages that Klimt sent his lifelong friend Emilie Floege -- on display at the Leopold Museum -- also show a whimsical, laid-back personality.


"I wanted to send you a funny card but first I have to get over the... enormous stupidity of mankind. Affectionately, Gustav," he wrote in one note.


Pictures of summer holidays show him eternally clad in a shapeless painter's smock, hair dishevelled and a mischievous smile on his lips while stroking a cat.


In his cards -- he wrote to Emilie up to eight times a day, often inane observations -- he described his breakfast or complained of a hangover or a bad cold.


Not for nothing is the exhibit titled "Klimt: Up Close and Personal": the art here takes a backseat to the man.


The Wien Museum also used the occasion to examine a "star artist whose curse is that everyone thinks they know him so well."


Proof is the multitude of kitschy souvenirs depicting "The Kiss" or other famous Klimt works on sale in Vienna and elsewhere.


Earlier this year, the museum made a call on Facebook for the "worst of the worst" and the result was some 140 objects sent from around the world, including pictures of tattoos, a toilet-seat cover and a bejeweled egg with the two figures from "The Kiss" rotating to Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love."


Alongside this however, the Wien Museum has also put its entire Klimt collection on show for the first time, including the artist's death mask, his massive painter's smock -- the last in existence -- and some 400 drawings from his beginnings in art school to his last few years.


Far from the golden spirals and arabesques of his most famous work, the rough sketches -- here a leg, there a shoulder -- provide "an insight into Klimt's development and working methods: a close-up of an artist," said museum director Wolfgang Kos.


For this 150th anniversary, Vienna's museums have been falling over themselves trying to top each other, with even the respected Belvedere -- home of "The Kiss" -- organising a "Gustav Klimt and Emilie Floege lookalike contest" on the artist's birthday on Saturday.


But those keen to focus on his art are also in luck with the Secession art gallery bringing visitors right up to Klimt's famous Beethoven frieze -- situated three to five metres (10-16.5 feet) above ground and usually seen only from below -- via a temporary platform.


The work behind the massive painting, the layers of gold leaf and paint, are meanwhile revealed in a video documenting the painstaking restoration work after the piece was severely damaged.


Born on July 14, 1862, Klimt was a key figure of Vienna's art scene during its heyday as a cultural and intellectual hub, bustling with people like Sigmund Freud, Adolf Loos, Egon Schiele and Otto Wagner.


Even long after his death in 1918, he made headlines when "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer," one of his best-known works, was at the centre of a dispute over Nazis stolen art.


With his stamp now on umbrellas, magnets and pens everywhere, "Klimt is, posthumously, one of Vienna's most effective advertising agencies," as Wien Museum director Kos puts it. 

Via: Gadgets