It's New Year's Eve and the parties will soon be underway. Party hosts and guests not planning to drive are probably considering what cocktails to serve and drink. If you need some help deciding, the amateur mixologists at the Daily Top 10 have made this list of the best mixed drinks. Feel free to disagree or weigh in with your own choices in our comments section and online poll.
1. Long Island Iced Tea -- Is the name of this drink discriminatory? Do people from Long Island really consider vodka, rum, tequila, triple sec and gin mixed together to be iced tea?
2. Manhattan -- A real cocktail. A manhattan is basically the whiskey version of a martini. This drink packs flavor and bite into a 4 oz. glass.
3. Margarita -- Jimmy Buffett songs aside, the margarita's popularity is unquestionable. Frozen or on the rocks, with or without salt, flavored or served in the jumbo, fishbowl-sized glasses, this drink is a hit no matter the occasion.
4. Irish Car bomb -- Need two drinks in one?
5. Martini -- Classic. Food for thought: Contrary to James Bond style, a martini should never be shaken, as that makes the drink weaker. They should always be stirred (unless you like watered-down drinks).
6. Cosmopolitan -- This was kind of the precursor to the flavored martinis. A cosmo sweetens the vodka with cranberry juice, lime juice and orange liquer. A warning for guys: This drink is pink.
7. White Russian -- Vodka adds some kick to the sweet tastes of Kahlua and milk. This is a nice drink to carry around, because if you want, you can tell everyone you're drinking milk.
8. Pina Colada/Blue Sky -- A variation on an old, cliched song lyric: If you like pina colodas, then you will likely enjoy a Blue Sky. Substitute peach schnapps for the rum and add blue caracao to the bottom of the glass before pouring the frozen mixture in. The result looks like a blue sky swirled with clouds. A cherry garnish completes the drink.
9. Sex on the Beach -- You know, there are a number of different recipes for this classic drink. However, most follow some basic guidelines. Whatever is in it, it's just fun to order (and usually sets up lame joke at the same time).
10. Mudslide -- Ice cream! Kahlua already tastes good, but ice cream makes it better. In fact, ice cream has a tendency to make everything better - of course, some will say that about alcohol, as well.
Originally published BY MATTHEW CAHILL 757-247-4730
8:37 AM EST, December 31, 2008 http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-now-top10list.d31,0,5537055.story
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Armed Forces Bowl Brings Houston and Air Force Football to Ft. Worth
With all the attention in the Mountain West Conference going to the undefeated and BCS-crashing Utah Utes, the Air Force Falcons will have to work a little bit harder to garner attention for their Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl against the Houston Cougars on New Year's Eve at Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.
The Falcons were one of five teams from the MWC to make it to the postseason as they finished fourth in the league standings with a record of 5-3. After opening the 2008 campaign with three straight wins, Troy Calhoun's group dropped back-to-back games before stringing together another five consecutive triumphs. However, the Falcons had to close out the regular season against BYU and TCU, games that resulted in setbacks, so at this point the team is trying to snap a two-game slide.
As for the Cougars, representatives from Conference USA, they took part in some of the wildest games of the season, twice giving up 56 points (Rice and Oklahoma State) and also scoring 70 points (Tulsa). First-year head coach Kevin Sumlin managed to get the Cougars to third place in the West Division of the standings in Conference USA with a record of 6-2, but had the team not lost to the Owls in the finale then the postseason picture could have been entirely different.
Houston is playing in the postseason for the 19th time, dating back to the 1952 Salad Bowl when they program defeated Dayton (26-21). More recently the squad has hit a huge dry spell, losing eight straight bowl games since blanking Navy in the 1980 Garden Bowl. In the postseason for the fourth straight year, the Cougars bowed to TCU in last year's Texas Bowl by a final of 20-13, pushing the team to 7-10-1 in the postseason overall.
As for the Falcons, they played in this very same bowl last year against California and were defeated by a score of 42-36. The loss was the second in a row for the Falcons in the postseason, dropping the team below .500 in the process at 8-9-1.
These teams actually met earlier this season for the first time ever, with the Falcons picking up a 31-28 victory over Houston back on September 13. Due to the threat of Hurricane Ike the contest was moved to Ford Stadium in Dallas.
The offense for the Cougars begins with the talented Case Keenum at the quarterback position. The sophomore, who was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, threw for at least 300 yards in every outing and led the nation in total offense with nearly 5,000 yards, ranking second with 4,768 yards through the air and 43 touchdown passes. Last year's Conference USA Freshman of the Year, Keenum has converted two-thirds of his pass attempts for 397.3 ypg, making it easy to see how the team ranks second in the country in passing and is first in overall offense with an astounding (575.1 ypg). The team has none players that have logged no less than 237 yards receiving, with Tyron Carrier registering a team-best 977 yards on 75 receptions, leading to nine scores. Mark Hafner paced the group with his 85 grabs for 892, resulting in a team-best 11 touchdowns.
"It has been a fun season," Hafner has said of the team's success. "With running a new system and getting new coaches, I think it benefited everyone as a player."
The Cougars are much more than just a pass-happy bunch, they also have Bryce Beall available coming out of the backfield and his change of pace has resulted in 1,112 yards and 12 touchdowns, with an average of almost six and a half yards per attempt. For his effort Beall was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year.
With all the attention in the Mountain West Conference going to the undefeated and BCS-crashing Utah Utes, the Air Force Falcons will have to work a little bit harder to garner attention for their Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl against the Houston Cougars on New Year's Eve at Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.
The Falcons were one of five teams from the MWC to make it to the postseason as they finished fourth in the league standings with a record of 5-3. After opening the 2008 campaign with three straight wins, Troy Calhoun's group dropped back-to-back games before stringing together another five consecutive triumphs. However, the Falcons had to close out the regular season against BYU and TCU, games that resulted in setbacks, so at this point the team is trying to snap a two-game slide.
As for the Cougars, representatives from Conference USA, they took part in some of the wildest games of the season, twice giving up 56 points (Rice and Oklahoma State) and also scoring 70 points (Tulsa). First-year head coach Kevin Sumlin managed to get the Cougars to third place in the West Division of the standings in Conference USA with a record of 6-2, but had the team not lost to the Owls in the finale then the postseason picture could have been entirely different.
Houston is playing in the postseason for the 19th time, dating back to the 1952 Salad Bowl when they program defeated Dayton (26-21). More recently the squad has hit a huge dry spell, losing eight straight bowl games since blanking Navy in the 1980 Garden Bowl. In the postseason for the fourth straight year, the Cougars bowed to TCU in last year's Texas Bowl by a final of 20-13, pushing the team to 7-10-1 in the postseason overall.
As for the Falcons, they played in this very same bowl last year against California and were defeated by a score of 42-36. The loss was the second in a row for the Falcons in the postseason, dropping the team below .500 in the process at 8-9-1.
These teams actually met earlier this season for the first time ever, with the Falcons picking up a 31-28 victory over Houston back on September 13. Due to the threat of Hurricane Ike the contest was moved to Ford Stadium in Dallas.
The offense for the Cougars begins with the talented Case Keenum at the quarterback position. The sophomore, who was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, threw for at least 300 yards in every outing and led the nation in total offense with nearly 5,000 yards, ranking second with 4,768 yards through the air and 43 touchdown passes. Last year's Conference USA Freshman of the Year, Keenum has converted two-thirds of his pass attempts for 397.3 ypg, making it easy to see how the team ranks second in the country in passing and is first in overall offense with an astounding (575.1 ypg). The team has none players that have logged no less than 237 yards receiving, with Tyron Carrier registering a team-best 977 yards on 75 receptions, leading to nine scores. Mark Hafner paced the group with his 85 grabs for 892, resulting in a team-best 11 touchdowns.
"It has been a fun season," Hafner has said of the team's success. "With running a new system and getting new coaches, I think it benefited everyone as a player."
The Cougars are much more than just a pass-happy bunch, they also have Bryce Beall available coming out of the backfield and his change of pace has resulted in 1,112 yards and 12 touchdowns, with an average of almost six and a half yards per attempt. For his effort Beall was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year.
Originally published by the Sports Network on 12/31/2008 http://www.kansascity.com/467/story/959538.html
The Falcons were one of five teams from the MWC to make it to the postseason as they finished fourth in the league standings with a record of 5-3. After opening the 2008 campaign with three straight wins, Troy Calhoun's group dropped back-to-back games before stringing together another five consecutive triumphs. However, the Falcons had to close out the regular season against BYU and TCU, games that resulted in setbacks, so at this point the team is trying to snap a two-game slide.
As for the Cougars, representatives from Conference USA, they took part in some of the wildest games of the season, twice giving up 56 points (Rice and Oklahoma State) and also scoring 70 points (Tulsa). First-year head coach Kevin Sumlin managed to get the Cougars to third place in the West Division of the standings in Conference USA with a record of 6-2, but had the team not lost to the Owls in the finale then the postseason picture could have been entirely different.
Houston is playing in the postseason for the 19th time, dating back to the 1952 Salad Bowl when they program defeated Dayton (26-21). More recently the squad has hit a huge dry spell, losing eight straight bowl games since blanking Navy in the 1980 Garden Bowl. In the postseason for the fourth straight year, the Cougars bowed to TCU in last year's Texas Bowl by a final of 20-13, pushing the team to 7-10-1 in the postseason overall.
As for the Falcons, they played in this very same bowl last year against California and were defeated by a score of 42-36. The loss was the second in a row for the Falcons in the postseason, dropping the team below .500 in the process at 8-9-1.
These teams actually met earlier this season for the first time ever, with the Falcons picking up a 31-28 victory over Houston back on September 13. Due to the threat of Hurricane Ike the contest was moved to Ford Stadium in Dallas.
The offense for the Cougars begins with the talented Case Keenum at the quarterback position. The sophomore, who was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, threw for at least 300 yards in every outing and led the nation in total offense with nearly 5,000 yards, ranking second with 4,768 yards through the air and 43 touchdown passes. Last year's Conference USA Freshman of the Year, Keenum has converted two-thirds of his pass attempts for 397.3 ypg, making it easy to see how the team ranks second in the country in passing and is first in overall offense with an astounding (575.1 ypg). The team has none players that have logged no less than 237 yards receiving, with Tyron Carrier registering a team-best 977 yards on 75 receptions, leading to nine scores. Mark Hafner paced the group with his 85 grabs for 892, resulting in a team-best 11 touchdowns.
"It has been a fun season," Hafner has said of the team's success. "With running a new system and getting new coaches, I think it benefited everyone as a player."
The Cougars are much more than just a pass-happy bunch, they also have Bryce Beall available coming out of the backfield and his change of pace has resulted in 1,112 yards and 12 touchdowns, with an average of almost six and a half yards per attempt. For his effort Beall was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year.
With all the attention in the Mountain West Conference going to the undefeated and BCS-crashing Utah Utes, the Air Force Falcons will have to work a little bit harder to garner attention for their Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl against the Houston Cougars on New Year's Eve at Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.
The Falcons were one of five teams from the MWC to make it to the postseason as they finished fourth in the league standings with a record of 5-3. After opening the 2008 campaign with three straight wins, Troy Calhoun's group dropped back-to-back games before stringing together another five consecutive triumphs. However, the Falcons had to close out the regular season against BYU and TCU, games that resulted in setbacks, so at this point the team is trying to snap a two-game slide.
As for the Cougars, representatives from Conference USA, they took part in some of the wildest games of the season, twice giving up 56 points (Rice and Oklahoma State) and also scoring 70 points (Tulsa). First-year head coach Kevin Sumlin managed to get the Cougars to third place in the West Division of the standings in Conference USA with a record of 6-2, but had the team not lost to the Owls in the finale then the postseason picture could have been entirely different.
Houston is playing in the postseason for the 19th time, dating back to the 1952 Salad Bowl when they program defeated Dayton (26-21). More recently the squad has hit a huge dry spell, losing eight straight bowl games since blanking Navy in the 1980 Garden Bowl. In the postseason for the fourth straight year, the Cougars bowed to TCU in last year's Texas Bowl by a final of 20-13, pushing the team to 7-10-1 in the postseason overall.
As for the Falcons, they played in this very same bowl last year against California and were defeated by a score of 42-36. The loss was the second in a row for the Falcons in the postseason, dropping the team below .500 in the process at 8-9-1.
These teams actually met earlier this season for the first time ever, with the Falcons picking up a 31-28 victory over Houston back on September 13. Due to the threat of Hurricane Ike the contest was moved to Ford Stadium in Dallas.
The offense for the Cougars begins with the talented Case Keenum at the quarterback position. The sophomore, who was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, threw for at least 300 yards in every outing and led the nation in total offense with nearly 5,000 yards, ranking second with 4,768 yards through the air and 43 touchdown passes. Last year's Conference USA Freshman of the Year, Keenum has converted two-thirds of his pass attempts for 397.3 ypg, making it easy to see how the team ranks second in the country in passing and is first in overall offense with an astounding (575.1 ypg). The team has none players that have logged no less than 237 yards receiving, with Tyron Carrier registering a team-best 977 yards on 75 receptions, leading to nine scores. Mark Hafner paced the group with his 85 grabs for 892, resulting in a team-best 11 touchdowns.
"It has been a fun season," Hafner has said of the team's success. "With running a new system and getting new coaches, I think it benefited everyone as a player."
The Cougars are much more than just a pass-happy bunch, they also have Bryce Beall available coming out of the backfield and his change of pace has resulted in 1,112 yards and 12 touchdowns, with an average of almost six and a half yards per attempt. For his effort Beall was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year.
Originally published by the Sports Network on 12/31/2008 http://www.kansascity.com/467/story/959538.html
Sassy Water and the Flat Belly Diet
Women are scrambling for the recipe for Sassy water, touted to reduce bloating, and give us a flat belly in just four days. The flat belly diet recipe is circulating the Internet.
The ingredients in Sassy water are so healthy, you should experience absolutely no side effects. Prevention editor-in-chief, Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, and author of the bestselling book, Flat-Belly Diet,recommends Sassy water as a means to jumpstart the Flat Belly diet, guaranteed to show results in just thirty-two days.
Given the extreme interest, and the healthy benefit of the Flat Belly Diet, here is the Sassy water recipe, as near as we can find. We cannot completely guarantee the accuracy.
2 liters water (approximately 8 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber sliced thinly and peeled
1 medium lemon sliced thinly
12 small spearmint leaves
The Flat Belly Diet appears to be one of the most popular, effective and healthy diets in America. One week after releasing her book, the Flat Belly Diet became a best seller , for good reason. The diet is high in MUFA's, (Monounsaturated fatty acids), and is well backed by research that shows MUFA's target belly fat, and promote overall health. MUFA rich foods include all nuts, peanut butter, olives, dark chocolate, and all oils except palm and coconut oil.
The Flat Belly Diet mandates that you drink Sassy water for four days before beginning the diet. Sassy water soothes the GI tract, and helps the body eliminate water. During the first four days of the Flat Belly Diet, women are told to avoid foods that cause bloating – highly processed foods, white breads and pasta, salt, gas producing vegetables and fruits, and carbonated beverages. Chewing gum is also to be avoided for four days. The result of just drinking Sassy water has yielded seven pounds of weight loss in just four days.
The healthy Flat Belly Diet then limits calories to 1600 calories a day, divided into four meals. It is a change of eating habits, designed to make sure you are never hungry. The meals include a MUFA food every four hours.
Researchers put nine overweight women on the Flat Belly Diet for twenty-eight days. The Flat Belly Diet resulted in a thirty-three percent weight loss. MRI images, before and after, excited researchers when they saw a definite reduction in belly fat, as well as an increase in overall better health, including lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Fat in the mid-section has repeatedly been shown to release a series of hormones that promote metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that ultimately causes diabetes, heart disease and possibly cancer.
We think the Flat Belly Diet is a great way to get a jump on the New Year. We are all tired of diets that either do not work, leave us hungry, or have unwanted and unhealthy effects . Better health and a slimmer waist are great goals for the New Year. Please consider the real benefits of the diet, rather than taking the Sassy water recipe as a quick fix for bloating. Eating right, combined with regular exercise, is the only sure way to keep belly fat off, and maintain good health.
Click here to buy Flat-Belly Diet book now!
Originally Published By: Kathleen Blanchard RN - Wed, 12/31/2008 http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/11/28124/sassy-water-and-flat-belly-diet-jumpstart-your-new-year.html
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Recent Yellowstone Earthquakes are Possible Sign of Supervolcano
Any disaster fiend will tell you that Yellowstone National Park is long overdue for a monster eruption that could leave as much as half the U.S. under a blanket of ash. And there are rumblings the big one could be imminent in the wake of a series of 30-plus mini-earthquakes in the park over the past few days—too weak to be felt by humans for the most part but picked up by the seismometers at the University of Utah. After all, the geologic record shows that the giant caldera we affectionately call Yellowstone has blown every 600,000 years or so over the past 2 million years. The last big eruption? About 640,000 years ago when the park spit out about 240 cubic miles worth of rock, dirt, magma and other stuff.But don't panic yet. Although the earthquake swarm continues, according to the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, the volcano alert level remains normal. And a slew of larger earthquakes have occurred throughout the western U.S., Alaska, Puerto Rico and even Pennsylvania in the past week without incident, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.In recent years, Yellowstone's caldera has been rising thanks to uplifting magma beneath it—leading to more cracks, hot springs and even more frequent eruptions of Steamboat Geysers. Paired with the earthquakes, such magma movement might presage an eruption—either big or small. Unfortunately, scientists can't really predict when the next such eruption will happen, and the range of possibilities is large: from later today to a million years from now. How will we know if we should start worrying? The real warning signs will be rapid changes in the shape of the ground as well as volcanic gases leaking from the ground, neither of which have been sighted—yet. "Eruptions are far enough apart that there is a very low probability of the next eruption happening in our lifetimes or anytime soon," Daniel Dzurisin of the USGS told me in 2006. "The flipside is: [Yellowstone] has been active for millions of years and it's going to erupt again sometime."
Originally published by David Biello on 12/30/2008 http://www.sciam.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=multiple-tiny-earthquakes-rattle-ye-2008-12-30
Originally published by David Biello on 12/30/2008 http://www.sciam.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=multiple-tiny-earthquakes-rattle-ye-2008-12-30
NASA Columbia Report Reveals A Slew of Much Needed Improvements
HOUSTON -- NASA has completed a comprehensive study of crew safety equipment and procedures used during the space shuttle Columbia accident with recommendations for improving the safety of all future human spaceflights.
A media teleconference will be held at 3 p.m. CST Tuesday to discuss the report. To participate, reporters must contact NASA's Johnson Space Center newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 2 p.m. Space may be limited. Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live at: http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio
The teleconference participants are Wayne Hale, deputy associate administrator for strategic partnerships; astronaut Pam Melroy, deputy project manager for the investigation team; Nigel Packham, project manager for the investigation team; and Jeff Hanley, Constellation program manager.
The Spacecraft Crew Survival Integrated Investigation Team report is available at:
http://www.nasa.gov/reports
"The members of this team have done an outstanding job under difficult and personal circumstances," said Johnson Space Center Director Michael L. Coats. "Their work will ensure that the legacy of Columbia and her heroic crew continues to be the improved safety of future human spaceflights worldwide."
The team's final report includes 30 recommendations to improve spacecraft design and crew safety. The recommendations cover a broad range of subjects from crew training, procedures, restraints and individual safety equipment to spacecraft design methods and recommendations regarding future accident investigations.
NASA already has implemented some of the report's recommendations and is evaluating others. A fact sheet describing actions that have been taken or are in work by both the Space Shuttle Program and Constellation Program as a result of the investigation is available at the same web link as the report.
This was the first-ever in-depth crew survival study of a spaceflight accident. The investigation was conducted by a multi-disciplinary NASA team based at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The study team also consulted experts outside of NASA for portions of its work.
Originally Published 12/30/2008 http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=27271
A media teleconference will be held at 3 p.m. CST Tuesday to discuss the report. To participate, reporters must contact NASA's Johnson Space Center newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 2 p.m. Space may be limited. Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live at: http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio
The teleconference participants are Wayne Hale, deputy associate administrator for strategic partnerships; astronaut Pam Melroy, deputy project manager for the investigation team; Nigel Packham, project manager for the investigation team; and Jeff Hanley, Constellation program manager.
The Spacecraft Crew Survival Integrated Investigation Team report is available at:
http://www.nasa.gov/reports
"The members of this team have done an outstanding job under difficult and personal circumstances," said Johnson Space Center Director Michael L. Coats. "Their work will ensure that the legacy of Columbia and her heroic crew continues to be the improved safety of future human spaceflights worldwide."
The team's final report includes 30 recommendations to improve spacecraft design and crew safety. The recommendations cover a broad range of subjects from crew training, procedures, restraints and individual safety equipment to spacecraft design methods and recommendations regarding future accident investigations.
NASA already has implemented some of the report's recommendations and is evaluating others. A fact sheet describing actions that have been taken or are in work by both the Space Shuttle Program and Constellation Program as a result of the investigation is available at the same web link as the report.
This was the first-ever in-depth crew survival study of a spaceflight accident. The investigation was conducted by a multi-disciplinary NASA team based at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The study team also consulted experts outside of NASA for portions of its work.
Originally Published 12/30/2008 http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=27271
Monday, December 29, 2008
Alabama suspends Andre Smith for Sugar Bowl
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Alabama All-America left tackle Andre Smith has been suspended from the Sugar Bowl for violating team rules, possibly signaling an end to the Outland Trophy winner's college career.
"The University of Alabama, the team and the football program are more important than any individual player," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said in a statement Monday. "Every one on our team depends on each other to be responsible, to make good choices and decisions relative to their actions."
Saban did not specify Smith's violation leading up to Friday night's game against No. 7 Utah.
The junior is expected to be one of the top players selected in the NFL draft if he opts to skip his final season at Alabama. Smith has been noncommittal about his future plans, but Saban offered a hint in his statement that the player wouldn't be back.
"Andre Smith has done an outstanding job in our program as a person, student and a player and we will do all we can as an institution to support him in all future endeavors," Saban said.
"Our priority and focus as a team is to play the best football game of the season in this Sugar Bowl, and to support our players to overcome any adversity this unfortunate situation has created."
An instant starter with the Tide, Smith has allowed only one sack this season and seven during his 38-game career.
He won the Southeastern Conference's Jacobs Blocking Trophy as a sophomore and was a finalist for the Lombardi Award this season.
Earlier this month, he said he submitted his name to the NFL draft advisory board for feedback on his draft status.
"I'm not worried about it at all," Smith said at the time, adding that his focus was on the Sugar Bowl.
By JOHN ZENOR
AP Sports Writer
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5im5Yp4Ztt1Tbko-Dri67zFQvOFogD95CIVV00
"The University of Alabama, the team and the football program are more important than any individual player," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said in a statement Monday. "Every one on our team depends on each other to be responsible, to make good choices and decisions relative to their actions."
Saban did not specify Smith's violation leading up to Friday night's game against No. 7 Utah.
The junior is expected to be one of the top players selected in the NFL draft if he opts to skip his final season at Alabama. Smith has been noncommittal about his future plans, but Saban offered a hint in his statement that the player wouldn't be back.
"Andre Smith has done an outstanding job in our program as a person, student and a player and we will do all we can as an institution to support him in all future endeavors," Saban said.
"Our priority and focus as a team is to play the best football game of the season in this Sugar Bowl, and to support our players to overcome any adversity this unfortunate situation has created."
An instant starter with the Tide, Smith has allowed only one sack this season and seven during his 38-game career.
He won the Southeastern Conference's Jacobs Blocking Trophy as a sophomore and was a finalist for the Lombardi Award this season.
Earlier this month, he said he submitted his name to the NFL draft advisory board for feedback on his draft status.
"I'm not worried about it at all," Smith said at the time, adding that his focus was on the Sugar Bowl.
By JOHN ZENOR
AP Sports Writer
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5im5Yp4Ztt1Tbko-Dri67zFQvOFogD95CIVV00
Lingerie Football League Player Melissa Berry Sues Ex-Boyfriend Over Nude Pictures
TAMPA - Melissa J. Berry doesn't mind prancing around in public in her underwear.
But the 24-year-old model and lingerie football league player draws the line at a former boyfriend - a safe dating expert - posting nude and intimate photos of her on the Internet.
Berry sued her former paramour Mark C. Dawson in Hillsborough County Circuit Court today, saying he tried to extort, humiliate and hurt her by showing the photographs to her mother and friends and posting them on MySpace.com without her permission.
She said he should know better because he markets himself as an expert on "healthy relationships" who has studied "success, performance and human behavior for over 25 years."
Dawson said Berry, who used to be a dancer at Thee Dollhouse, willingly posed for the photos and that he "never made anything public.
"This is nothing but an ex-girlfriend trying to cause problems," he said. "For her to say that these pictures were taken against her knowledge is untrue because she is smiling in them. She takes her clothes off for a living and tells people I am doing all this other stuff. What she's doing now is creating a drama because there are pictures out there of her."
Berry sees it differently.
"If I wanted to take my clothes off for a living, that's what I would do,'' she said. "There's not a photographer that has ever taken those sorts of shots of me. It's more of a privacy thing. It's not for everyone else to see."
Berry, a rookie linebacker with the Tampa Breeze franchise of the Lingerie Football League, said she and Dawson, 45, started dating this fall.
She said in her lawsuit that Dawson used his cellular telephone to take several nude photographs of her, including one taken without her knowledge of her "engaged in a particularly private, intimate sexual act."
Berry's lawsuit says she never agreed the photos would be shown to anyone else.
Shortly after the photos were taken, the lawsuit contends, the couple broke up.
Two of Berry's friends were later at the club Dolce Vita Lounge in Channelside when, according to the lawsuit, Dawson approached them and showed them the photographs on his phone.
The friends called Berry. She said she was horrified and emotionally distraught, so she approached Dawson, took his phone and destroyed it.
Unbeknownst to Berry, the lawsuit said, Dawson had downloaded copies of the photographs from the phone.
The lawsuit contends that destroying the cell phone was "an obvious indication" Berry wanted the images to remain private, especially to a motivational speaker who specializes in communication; interpreting body language and mixed signals; and promoting respect and personal responsibility.
On his Web site, on which he touts that he "leaves a lasting impression," Dawson said he has shared the stage with motivational speaker Deepak Chopra, author Marcus Buckingham and performance psychologist James Loehr. He said he has been a contract speaker for Rockhurst University Continuing Education Center and "devotes much of his time to speaking to college and high school students about issues of dating, relationships, consent and sexual assault awareness and education."
Berry said Dawson sent her mother an electronic message Nov. 10 saying that if Berry wouldn't pay him $500 to replace his phone, Dawson would make the photos public.
When Berry refused, the lawsuit said, Dawson or someone acting on his behalf posted the photographs on MySpace. Berry said the photos also were e-mailed to her mother.
Later, she says in the suit, he approached her employer – the Tampa Bay Breeze - in an attempt to post them on her employer's MySpace page.
Dawson said he sent the pictures to her personal MySpace page and that Berry gave approval for them to be posted.
He also acknowledged sending the e-mail to Berry's mother with the picture attached.
"I could have had her arrested and I didn't," he said. "All I wanted was this phone back. I am a decent guy. … It's girls like this I fight against in the work that I do."
Berry is seeking unspecified damages in excess of $15,000.
"I am scared of what he will do to my career," she said.
Jeff Brown, Berry's attorney, said the legal question is one of privacy.
"The question is does she have an expectation of privacy in these photos and any woman or man would say absolutely these are not photos you are going to want the public or anyone else to see," Brown said.Marc Rotenberg, executive director of Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington D.C., said individuals face an uphill battle keeping their privacy in the Internet age.
"It's not easy," he said.
Rotenberg said Internet companies are generally protected from what people post on their sites and are reluctant to get in the middle of personal disagreements. It usually is up to the individual to convince the poster to take the offending material down, he said.
He also said the act of objecting could work against the person seeking to remove the item.
"It may call attention to the material, and you risk having even more copies being made," he said.
Rotenberg, speaking on the general issue of Internet privacy, said people still have traditional remedies such as the civil lawsuit Berry filed.
The Lingerie Football League is an outgrowth of the Lingerie Bowl, an alternative half-time television entertainment show that airs during the Super Bowl. The sixth edition will be played in Tampa on Feb. 1. The Breeze is one of four teams to compete.
By TOM BRENNAN and SAMARA SODOS
tbrennan@tampatrib.com and slsodos@wfla.com
Published: December 24, 2008
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/dec/24/242335/lingerie-bowl-player-sues-ex-boyfriend-over-nude-p/news-breaking/
But the 24-year-old model and lingerie football league player draws the line at a former boyfriend - a safe dating expert - posting nude and intimate photos of her on the Internet.
Berry sued her former paramour Mark C. Dawson in Hillsborough County Circuit Court today, saying he tried to extort, humiliate and hurt her by showing the photographs to her mother and friends and posting them on MySpace.com without her permission.
She said he should know better because he markets himself as an expert on "healthy relationships" who has studied "success, performance and human behavior for over 25 years."
Dawson said Berry, who used to be a dancer at Thee Dollhouse, willingly posed for the photos and that he "never made anything public.
"This is nothing but an ex-girlfriend trying to cause problems," he said. "For her to say that these pictures were taken against her knowledge is untrue because she is smiling in them. She takes her clothes off for a living and tells people I am doing all this other stuff. What she's doing now is creating a drama because there are pictures out there of her."
Berry sees it differently.
"If I wanted to take my clothes off for a living, that's what I would do,'' she said. "There's not a photographer that has ever taken those sorts of shots of me. It's more of a privacy thing. It's not for everyone else to see."
Berry, a rookie linebacker with the Tampa Breeze franchise of the Lingerie Football League, said she and Dawson, 45, started dating this fall.
She said in her lawsuit that Dawson used his cellular telephone to take several nude photographs of her, including one taken without her knowledge of her "engaged in a particularly private, intimate sexual act."
Berry's lawsuit says she never agreed the photos would be shown to anyone else.
Shortly after the photos were taken, the lawsuit contends, the couple broke up.
Two of Berry's friends were later at the club Dolce Vita Lounge in Channelside when, according to the lawsuit, Dawson approached them and showed them the photographs on his phone.
The friends called Berry. She said she was horrified and emotionally distraught, so she approached Dawson, took his phone and destroyed it.
Unbeknownst to Berry, the lawsuit said, Dawson had downloaded copies of the photographs from the phone.
The lawsuit contends that destroying the cell phone was "an obvious indication" Berry wanted the images to remain private, especially to a motivational speaker who specializes in communication; interpreting body language and mixed signals; and promoting respect and personal responsibility.
On his Web site, on which he touts that he "leaves a lasting impression," Dawson said he has shared the stage with motivational speaker Deepak Chopra, author Marcus Buckingham and performance psychologist James Loehr. He said he has been a contract speaker for Rockhurst University Continuing Education Center and "devotes much of his time to speaking to college and high school students about issues of dating, relationships, consent and sexual assault awareness and education."
Berry said Dawson sent her mother an electronic message Nov. 10 saying that if Berry wouldn't pay him $500 to replace his phone, Dawson would make the photos public.
When Berry refused, the lawsuit said, Dawson or someone acting on his behalf posted the photographs on MySpace. Berry said the photos also were e-mailed to her mother.
Later, she says in the suit, he approached her employer – the Tampa Bay Breeze - in an attempt to post them on her employer's MySpace page.
Dawson said he sent the pictures to her personal MySpace page and that Berry gave approval for them to be posted.
He also acknowledged sending the e-mail to Berry's mother with the picture attached.
"I could have had her arrested and I didn't," he said. "All I wanted was this phone back. I am a decent guy. … It's girls like this I fight against in the work that I do."
Berry is seeking unspecified damages in excess of $15,000.
"I am scared of what he will do to my career," she said.
Jeff Brown, Berry's attorney, said the legal question is one of privacy.
"The question is does she have an expectation of privacy in these photos and any woman or man would say absolutely these are not photos you are going to want the public or anyone else to see," Brown said.Marc Rotenberg, executive director of Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington D.C., said individuals face an uphill battle keeping their privacy in the Internet age.
"It's not easy," he said.
Rotenberg said Internet companies are generally protected from what people post on their sites and are reluctant to get in the middle of personal disagreements. It usually is up to the individual to convince the poster to take the offending material down, he said.
He also said the act of objecting could work against the person seeking to remove the item.
"It may call attention to the material, and you risk having even more copies being made," he said.
Rotenberg, speaking on the general issue of Internet privacy, said people still have traditional remedies such as the civil lawsuit Berry filed.
The Lingerie Football League is an outgrowth of the Lingerie Bowl, an alternative half-time television entertainment show that airs during the Super Bowl. The sixth edition will be played in Tampa on Feb. 1. The Breeze is one of four teams to compete.
By TOM BRENNAN and SAMARA SODOS
tbrennan@tampatrib.com and slsodos@wfla.com
Published: December 24, 2008
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/dec/24/242335/lingerie-bowl-player-sues-ex-boyfriend-over-nude-p/news-breaking/
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