Leonid meteor shower late tonight: Stay up, bundle up, look up

The Leonid meteor shower peaks tonight in the first of what may be two viewing climaxes this year. The sky at 3 a.m. Eastern time will be moonless, as long as you can see it. Face east.

By Pete Spotts / November 16, 2012

Colorful streaks of Leonid meteors are seen in the sky over suburban Beijing in 2001. The Leonid meteor shower will peak Saturday Nov. 17 at 3 a.m. E.T. in the US..

(AP Photo/Xinhua, Li Jundong)

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Grab the chaise lounge, a Thermos of hot chocolate, and a blanket or two ? the Leonids are coming to a night sky near you tonight.

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Or, more precisely, the peak of this well-known meteor shower is coming. The annual event is predicted to climax around 3 a.m. Eastern Standard Time Saturday. But at least one forecaster, Russian astronomer Mikhail Maslovof, is predicting a second peak at around 1 a.m. Eastern time on Nov. 20.

Weather permitting, viewing conditions should be good, since the moon will have long-since set. Which is too bad, in a way, because it's presenting only a thin sliver of itself, making it possible to see the Earth's glow faintly reflecting back from the dark portion of the lunar surface.

The meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Leo ? the apparent region of origin for the display. But the tiny bits of space debris that are heated to incandescence as they enter Earth's atmosphere actually come from Comet Tempel-Tuttle, a clump of rubble and ice about a mile across that orbits the sun every 33 years.

The comet last made its closest approach to the sun, when it sheds dust and gas most profusely, in 1998. This led to some spectacular showers between 1999 and 2002 that sent as many as 3,000 objects an hour hurtling through the atmosphere.

This weekend's display is expected to be decidedly more modest, with perhaps as many as 10 meteors an hour Saturday morning, and as many as 15 an hour Tuesday morning ? a rate comparable to other Leonid showers in more recent years. Astronomers estimate that the comet shed the material for Tuesday's encounter in 1,400 AD.

The best places to view the show are in locations with little light pollution from cities or towns. At the time the shower peaks, the Leonids' apparent point of origin will be about 55 degrees above the eastern horizon. That's a bit more than halfway between the horizon and straight up, or zenith.

Bundle up and find your spot far enough in advance to allow your eyes to adjust to the dark. Your eyes become fully adapted to viewing in the dark after about 20 or 30 minutes. And if you take a flashlight, cover the lens in red cellophane to speed the process of dark-adapting once you switch off the light.

Comet Tempel-Tuttle was discovered independently by two astronomers in the mid 1860s. But it wasn't until 1981 that Donald Yeomans, a researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., tied the Leonids to Comet Tempel-Tuttle.

Yet even before the comet was discovered, the Leonids played a key role in bringing science in a young United States to wider international attention.

In 1833, the Leonids put on a breathtaking display. By some estimates, meteors were flitting through the atmosphere at rates of 100,000 to 200,000 an hour. The peak was brief enough to be visible throughout North America, but not in Europe.

The shower caught the attention of Denison Olmstead, a professor at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. He spent time gathering as much information as he could from eyewitnesses ? some of whose fields now sported meteorites ? as well as his own observations that Leo seemed to be the location in the sky from which the shower originated. Because his quest got picked up by newspapers, he was inundated with reports from up and down the East Coast.

His conclusion: Meteors were not an atmospheric phenomenon, as many long believed. Rather, they came from beyond the atmosphere. He essentially has gotten the nod for bringing the study of meteors into astronomy's fold.

So, if you happen to be watching tonight's shower from Connecticut, consider it a native-son show.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/5I7MT8UBJWg/Leonid-meteor-shower-late-tonight-Stay-up-bundle-up-look-up

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'DWTS' judges rip Shawn, Derek for rule breaking

Adam Taylor / ABC

Shawn Johnson and Derek Hough danced their week three quickstep again in the finals and displeased the judges by breaking the rules.

By Anna Chan, TODAY

Rules are made to be broken, right? Apparently, the answer is no if you're competing in the finals of "Dancing With the Stars: All-Stars." It was a lesson that Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson?and pro Derek Hough learned the hard way -- again -- on Monday ?night.

In the first ever all-female finale (and with incredibly strong contenders at that), the finalists selected their favorite routines to perform once more, and each of them chose to do an encore of their week three "iconic" dances. For Shawn and Derek, that meant resurrecting their jaw-dropping, crowd-pleasing version of Helio Castroneves' quickstep -- complete with broken rules.

Footage from rehearsal showed the Olympian asking her pro whether they could afford to break hold again during the dance (a big no-no) and possibly risk the judges' wrath for a second time. The pair decided it would be worth the chance. Turns out they were mighty wrong.

Sure, her quickstep was once again filled with energy, great lines, sharp kicks and neat flips, but as perfect as those moves were, the judges weren't pleased to see the pair break hold again, especially after they had deducted points in week three because of the broken rules.

"It's a fan favorite," judge Carrie Ann Inaba admitted of the routine, "but I'm sad you didn't choose to follow the rules. The points do matter. It's basically the same thing I saw last time. I'm a little disappointed."

Head judge Len Goodman echoed her sentiments. "You're not allowed to break hold, you're not allowed to do lifts," he reminded the two. "You leave me nowhere to go."

"Our scores are bound by the rules," judge Bruno Tonioli added. "But it takes nothing away from your achievements."

Though the comments were tough, the scores didn't completely reflect the negative talk. The dance earned a 9 from Carrie Ann, 8.5 from Len (oddly, that's a 1/2 point more than he gave in week three) and a 9.5 from Bruno for a total of 27.

But all hope for the mirror ball trophy wasn't lost for Shawn after her first dance. Her gymnastics-filled freestyle -- complete with her Fierce Five teammates -- earned nothing but raves from the panel.

Len called it "a medley of Derek and Shawn's greatest hits," Bruno called it "fierce, flawless, exciting, explosive, brilliant," and Carrie Ann declared it to be "sensational." (Interestingly, as fun as the dance was, none of them pointed out that the routine was packed with gymnastics and a bit lacking in actual dance moves.) Not surprisingly, the routine earned a perfect 30.

On the subject of "perfect," reality personality Melissa Rycroft was just that with both her iconic and freestyle dances. Her redo of week three's samba was much cleaner this time around, with well-placed arms, great hip movements and a proper booty shake. (Though there was a barely-there missed hold.) The judges all praised her technique and awarded her three 10s.

In her freestyle, Melissa and pro Tony Dovolani decided to take a big chance and perform a contemporary routine filled to the brim with lifts and great extension. In what might be a first, the dance left the head judge speechless. "It was wonderful" was about all he could mutter. The judges gave Melissa and Tony another set of 10s for a perfect 60 out of 60 for the night.

Actress Kelly Monaco also surprised with her finals routines. She chose to perform her paso doble from week three because, as pro Val Chmerkovskiy explained, "This was a huge turning point for us ... she gained a lot of confidence from that week." Save for a minor missed hold that Bruno pointed out was "masked beautifully," the star improved upon her dance and had the judges raving. Len and Carrie Ann both called it her "best dance." Despite the teensy mess up, Len and Bruno awarded her with her first 10s of the season, while Carrie Ann handed out a 9.5.

For their freestyle, Kelly and Val kicked off the performance with some romance (perhaps a little nod to their amazing chemistry and rumors of love on set?), with the actress spinning beautifully in the air and the pro serenading her on his violin before launching into a "Dirty Dancing" inspired routine to the tune of "Time of My Life."

"Patrick (Swayze) is smiling on you," declared Bruno.?

The only nitpick came from Len, who thought the routine lacked a bit of originality. Nevertheless, the pair earned a 29.5 for a total of 59 out of 60, leaving ... (gasp!) ... Shawn at the bottom of the leaderboard for the first time all season with a total of 57 points.

On Tuesday's finale, the finalists will have to perform the tricky insta-dance. The couples will be picking their music and dance style during the live show, leaving little time to perfect their moves.

Do you think breaking the rules again will cost Shawn and Derek the mirror ball trophy? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page! Then join us Tuesday at 12:30 PT / 3:30 ET to chat about who you think will be victorious!

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Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2012/11/26/15465640-dancing-with-the-stars-judges-rip-shawn-and-derek-for-breaking-rules-again?lite

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Business Plan Writing Tips for WAHMs to Secure Funding

writing tips woman Business Plan Writing Tips for WAHMs to Secure Funding

So, you?re a Work-At-Home-Mom who has come up with a great idea for a business. Congratulations! There is nothing more empowering and affirming as having a vision and putting the steps in place to see it manifest.

Before you start to think about the kind of letterhead that you want or you begin thumbing through catalogs to pick out office furniture for your new endeavor, the first thing that you need to do is come up with a business plan so that you can secure funding for your company. This is vitally important being that over 50 percent of businesses close their doors within the first five years of opening them due, largely in part, to financial woes.

If you need some business plan writing tips, we have five that will definitely make getting your company off of the ground a lighter load:

Prepare. Before writing out your plan, the first thing that you have to do is prepare to do it. By this we mean putting in a bit of time to research just what needs to go into your plan to begin with. Some of the topics that you should seek information on are marketing strategies, the legal documents that you will need and the kind of companies that are similar to yours that already exist. Some of the websites that can provide you with some statistical data include the United States Department of Statistics, Bureau of Labor and Statistics and the United States Census Bureau, Statistics of U.S. Businesses.

Look at other models.?If you would like to look at some other models in order to get an idea of what kind of business plan is best for you, there are five main ones that you can Google for reference?s sake: the Subscription Business Model, the Pyramid Scheme Model, the Online Auction Model, the Monopoly Model and the Bait and Hook Model.

Get some software. Thanks to the internet, while you will definitely need to come up with an outline for your business plan, you won?t have to construct an entire business plan from scratch. There is actually business plan software that can help you to create the kind of plan that you need. Some websites worth checking out include Business Plan Pro and Plan Write.

Don?t forget four key components.?As things are starting to come together, don?t forget to put four key components into your business plan. They include an executive summary (your vision, what your services will provide, etc.); a business description (overview of your business, what will impact it, what your project?s competitive edge will be); market analysis (marketing demographics, target market, etc.) and your financial statements (income statements, cash flow sheets, if you plan on getting funding via?business loans, etc.).

Have someone review it. After you have put a draft of your business plan together, it?s a good idea to have someone who runs their own company to review it. Not only is it an extra pair of eyes that can check for errors, but they also may be able to provide you with some tips that you wouldn?t have thought about otherwise. There is wisdom in seeking wise counsel, so don?t hesitate to get as much professional advice as you need.

Photo credit: writingtipsonline.com

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I used to use this URL for my home page - Family Woodworking ...

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First 'breathing lung' transplant in United States

ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2012) ? First there was the "heart in a box," a revolutionary experimental technology that allows donor hearts to be delivered to transplant recipients warm and beating rather than frozen in an ice cooler.

Now that same technology is being used to deliver "breathing lungs."

The lung transplant team at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical successfully performed the nation's first "breathing lung" transplant in mid-November. The patient, a 57-year-old who suffered from pulmonary fibrosis -- a disease in which the air sacs of the lungs are gradually replaced by scar tissue -- received two new lungs and is recuperating from the seven-hour surgery.

The groundbreaking transplant involved an experimental organ-preservation device known as the Organ Care System (OCS), which keeps donor lungs functioning and "breathing" in a near-physiologic state outside the body during transport. The current standard involves transporting donor lungs in a non-functioning, non-breathing state inside an icebox.

With the OCS, the lungs are removed from a donor's body and are placed in a high-tech OCS box, where they are immediately revived to a warm, breathing state and perfused with oxygen and a special solution supplemented with packed red-blood cells. The device also features monitors that display how the lungs are functioning during transport.

"Organs were never meant to be frozen on ice," said Dr. Abbas Ardehali, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery and director of the heart and lung transplantation program at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. "Lungs are very sensitive and can easily be damaged during the donation process. The cold storage method does not allow for reconditioning of the lungs before transplantation, but this promising 'breathing lung' technology enables us to potentially improve the function of the donor lungs before they are placed in the recipient."

UCLA is currently leading the U.S. arm of the international, multicenter phase 2 clinical INSPIRE study of the OCS, developed by medical device company TransMedics; Ardehali is the principal investigator for UCLA. The purpose of the trial is to compare donor lungs transported using the OCS technology with the standard icebox method. The INSPIRE trial is also underway at lung transplant centers in Europe, Australia and Canada and will enroll a total of 264 randomized patients.

According to Ardehali, in addition to potentially improving donor-lung function, the technology could help transplant teams better assess donor lungs, since the organs can be tested in the device, over a longer period of time.

In addition, it could help expand the donor pool by allowing donor lungs to be safely transported across longer distances.

"For patients with end-stage lung disease, lung transplantation can dramatically improve the patient's symptoms and offer relief from severe shortness of breath," said Dr. David Ross, professor of medicine and medical director of UCLA's lung and heart-lung transplantation program and UCLA's pulmonary arterial hypertension and thromboendarterectomy program. "The 'breathing lung' technology could potentially make the transplantation process even better and improve the outcomes for patients suffering from lung disease."

The "breathing lung" device follows on the heels of TransMedics' "heart in a box" technology, which delivers donor hearts in a similar manner. The multi-center national study of the heart technology, also led by UCLA, is ongoing.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences. The original article was written by Amy Albin.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Gregor Warnecke, Javier Moradiellos, Igor Tudorache, Christian K?hn, Murat Avsar, Bettina Wiegmann, Wiebke Sommer, Fabio Ius, Claudia Kunze, Jens Gottlieb, Andres Varela, Axel Haverich. Normothermic perfusion of donor lungs for preservation and assessment with the Organ Care System Lung before bilateral transplantation: a pilot study of 12 patients. The Lancet, 2012; 380 (9856): 1851 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61344-0

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/heart_disease/~3/TdvW1mgobUI/121126130928.htm

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The Case Against Robots With License to Kill

Battlefield drones and robots capable of choosing their targets and firing without any human oversight won't arrive for a few decades, experts say. But a new Human Rights Watch report calls for an international ban on fully autonomous "killer robots" before they ever become a part of military arsenals around the world.

The thousands of drones and robots that the U.S. military already has deployed alongside troops are all controlled remotely by human operators, who can take responsibility if the machines accidentally injure or kill civilians. Fully autonomous robots capable of choosing targets and firing weapons on their own may come online within the next 20 or 30 years, if not sooner.

"Giving machines the power to decide who lives and dies on the battlefield would take technology too far,? said Steve Goose, the Arms Division director at Human Rights Watch. ?Human control of robotic warfare is essential to minimizing civilian deaths and injuries."

"Fully autonomous weapons" operating without oversight won't have the artificial intelligence, human judgment or empathy necessary to distinguish between armed soldiers and cowering civilians in murky battlefield conditions, Human Rights Watch says. Its joint report with Harvard Law School's International Human Rights Clinic argues robots could never follow rules of international humanitarian law. [5 Reasons to Fear Robots]

The report released on Nov. 19 suggests the following to stop the "killer robots" future:

  • Ban development, production and use of fully autonomous weapons through an international agreement.
  • Adopt national laws to ban the creation and use of fully autonomous weapons.
  • Keep watch on technologies and components that could lead to fully autonomous weapons.
  • Make a professional code of conduct to oversee research and development of autonomous robotic weapons.

The report also highlights concerns about the possible use of fully autonomous robots by dictators to brutally suppress their civilian populations, and about the easier decision to go to war when leaders aren't worried about troop casualties.

Robots may lack human empathy, but history already has shown that human soldiers are capable of committing the world's worst atrocities despite their supposed humanity. Ronald Arkin, a robotics researcher at Georgia Tech, even has argued that fully autonomous robots could make the battlefield safer: They wouldn't fall prey to the fatigue that can result in misidentifying targets, or to the anger that could lead to sadistic abuse of prisoners and civilians.

The U.S. military spends about $6 billion each year on developing and deploying thousands of drones and robots. Its huge arsenal includes ground robots rolling or walking along under direct human control, Reaper drones that can fly parts of their mission without human control, and robot boats capable of firing missiles.

Automatic defense weapons such as the U.S. Navy's Phalanx turret can fire thousands of rounds at incoming missiles without a human order and with only the barest human supervision. Israel's "Iron Dome" defense detects incoming threats and asks human operators to make a split-second decision on whether to give the command to fire missiles that can intercept enemy rockets and artillery shells.

Both Israel and South Korea also have deployed robot sentry turrets that could, in theory, operate on automatic mode.

This story was provided by TechNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow TechNewsDaily on Twitter @TechNewsDaily, or on Facebook.

Copyright 2012 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/case-against-robots-license-kill-174231900.html

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Egypt's stock market tumbles after Morsi's decree

CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's benchmark stock index on Sunday plunged by more than 9.5 percent in the first trading session since the country's Islamist president issued decrees to assume sweeping new powers, while police in central Cairo fired tear gas at protesters who accuse the Egyptian leader of a blatant power grab.

President Mohammed Morsi edicts, which were announced on Thursday, place him above oversight of any kind, including that of the courts. The move has thrown Egypt's already troubled transition to democracy into further turmoil, sparking angry protests across the country to demand the decrees be immediately rescinded.

The judiciary, which was the main target of Morsi's edicts, has pushed back. Judges and prosecutors stayed away from several courts in Cairo and the southern cities of Assiut and Luxor to protest the presidential decrees.

With the opening bell of the country's stock market on Sunday, the first day of the workweek in Egypt, the turmoil spread from the country's bitter politics to its already ailing economy. The Egyptian Exchange's EGX30 index dropped 9.59 percentage points, making the losses among the biggest since the turbulent days and weeks immediately after the ouster in a popular uprising of authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak last year.

Morsi, who narrowly won the presidency in June, says his measures were designed to "protect the revolution," but they triggered an uproar among non-Islamist political groups now vowing to press on with street protests to force him to back down.

Prominent Egyptian democracy advocate Mohammed ElBaradei warned Saturday of increasing turmoil that could potentially lead to the military stepping in unless Morsi rescinds his new powers, as the country's long fragmented opposition sought to unite and rally new protests.

Egypt's liberal and secular forces ? long divided, weakened and uncertain amid the rise of Islamist parties to power ? are seeking to rally themselves in response to the decrees.

On Sunday, protesters clashed with police in Cairo's Tahrir square, birthplace of the uprising that toppled Mubarak, and in the side streets and avenues leading off the plaza. The Interior Ministry, which is in charge of the police, said a total of 267 protesters have been arrested and 164 policemen injured since the protest began a week ago, initially to mark the anniversary of street protests a year ago against the nation's then-military rulers. Forty-two protesters were killed in those demonstrations.

The ministry did not say how many of protesters were injured in the latest clashes, but they are thought to be in the dozens.

Several dozen protesters are staging a sit-in in Tahrir, vowing not to leave before Morsi rescinds his decrees. The two sides have called for rival massive protests on Tuesday at two Cairo locations less than a mile apart, raising the possibility of renewed clashes between supporters and opponents of Morsi.

In the latest sign of the unrest sweeping the country, suspected militants blew up a military installation under construction in the central Sinai Peninsula area of al-Qaseema early Sunday, wounding three workers, according to security officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

It was the second blast to target a military building in Sinai in as many days. On Saturday, another border guard structure under construction was blown up in Rafah, close to the Israeli border.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility in either attack, but authorities have been battling al-Qaida-inspired militants in Sinai who have stepped up attacks against Egyptian security forces, and even on occasion staged cross-border raids targeting Israelis.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-stock-market-tumbles-morsis-decree-135821153--finance.html

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No. 2 Alabama steamrolls Auburn 49-0

Alabama running back Eddie Lacy (42) scores a touchdown as Auburn defensive end Dee Ford (95) pursues during the first half of a NCAA college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Alabama running back Eddie Lacy (42) scores a touchdown as Auburn defensive end Dee Ford (95) pursues during the first half of a NCAA college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Auburn coach Gene Chizik reacts to a call during the first half of a NCAA college football game against Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Auburn coach Gene Chizik, left, greets Alabama coach Nick Saban at midfield prior to their NCAA college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Auburn coach Gene Chizik, left, watches as quarterback Jonathan Wallace (12) warms up before the first half of an NCAA college football game against Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron (10) celebrates with receiver Kevin Norwood after throwing him a 7 yard touchdown pass during the first half of a NCAA college football game against Auburn at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

(AP) ? Alabama left no doubt it's tops in the state.

Proving it's the best team in the Southeastern Conference and perhaps the nation won't be nearly so easy.

AJ McCarron passed for four touchdowns and Eddie Lacy rushed for 131 yards and two scores to lead the second-ranked Crimson Tide to a 49-0 beatdown of rival Auburn on Saturday, the most lopsided Iron Bowl in 64 years.

The Tide (10-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) clinched the Western Division title outright and a spot in the conference title game against No. 3 Georgia with the winner likely getting a BCS national championship shot.

"To me, in all those games that I've been a part of, they are about as good as any game in the country other than the national championship game," Alabama coach Nick Saban said of the SEC title matchup.

Georgia will certainly present a tougher challenge the Tide faced Saturday.

Auburn (3-9, 0-8) completed the worst season for any team within two years of winning an Associated Press national title in what might have been the last game for embattled coach Gene Chizik.

University President Jay Gogue has only said he'll evaluate the program at season's end.

Chizik met Saban briefly at midfield, hugged McCarron, and walked off the field with cameras following his every move. He declined to discuss his future afterward.

"I'm not going to go into all of the job situation with any questions," he said. "This isn't about me. I've got a locker room of guys that are here that are very disappointed. That's my focus, I'm not going to entertain any of those questions. My focus is to be back in there with them."

Chizak said the Tigers' performance was "sad."

"Obviously that was a very disappointing loss, embarrassing loss to our state rivals," he said. "It was obvious to everybody.

"The Auburn fans, the Auburn alumni, don't deserve that."

And most haven't seen a game like this one. The biggest Iron Bowl margin was Alabama's 55-0 victory in 1948, the most lopsided in a rivalry that captivates a state.

This one could have topped that but Saban played subs for much of the second half. The Tide lost a fumble inside Auburn's 10 and then ran out the final seconds after getting to the 5.

Alabama outgained the Tigers 483-163 and had 25 first downs to Auburn's seven.

"We didn't take our foot off the gas," Lacy said. "We kept playing in the fourth quarter."

Auburn hasn't scored an offensive touchdown in the last two meetings since Cam Newton & Co. completed the rivalry's largest comeback in the Tigers' last visit to Bryant-Denny Stadium two years ago. This one supplied another milestone of sorts.

It's the first time Alabama has scored 40-plus points in two straight Iron Bowls, following last season's 42-14 win when Auburn managed to score on a kick return and fumble recovery.

The 42-0 halftime score was the same as the Tide had last week against FCS team Western Carolina, which finished 1-10. The previous largest halftime margin in the Iron Bowl was 34-0 by Auburn in 1957 in a 40-0 win during its only national title run before 2010.

"We had that sick feeling in our mouth," offensive lineman Chad Slade said. "You know, you hate to feel that way. I lost it last year, and I lose it this year. It's hard, it's real hard just to speak on it. Next year has to be a different story."

McCarron completed 15 of 21 passes for 216 yards in 2-1/2 quarters, including a pair of touchdowns apiece to Amari Cooper and Kevin Norwood.

Lacy ran 18 times for 131 yards, pinballing off defenders from a defense that ranks last in the SEC against the run.

Auburn freshman Jonathan Wallace completed 5 of 14 passes with two interceptions against the nation's top scoring defense. He's only the third freshman quarterback to start an Iron Bowl for the Tigers and first since Gabe Gross in 1998.

Wallace voiced his support for Chizik.

"He should be back. I definitely love coach Chizik and the whole coaching staff," he said. "They know exactly where this program needs to go, and they know what to do. I hope they are back next year. I really have no doubt. I really do believe they will be."

Tre Mason ran 21 times for 82 yards for Auburn, topping 1,000 for the season on the game's final play.

The Tide produced an array of big plays running and passing. McCarron and Cooper ? who had five catches for 109 yards ? connected for touchdowns of 37 and 29 yards. Norwood scored on a 7-yarder and a 38-yarder that completed the scoring with 24 minutes left.

Alabama produced touchdowns on its first seven possessions until a fumble deep in Auburn territory ended that streak.

The Tide also converted its first 11 third-down tries.

The worst news for Alabama was on the injury front. Saban said wide receiver Kenny Bell sustained a broken left leg and will have to have a rod inserted.

Auburn only pushed the ball across midfield only twice, making it as far as the Tide's 41 in the first quarter before punting. The Tigers have been outscored by 129 points in their last three SEC games, all against Top 10 SEC opponents Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama.

The Tide shut out four opponents this season, the most in a season for Alabama since 1979. Last season's team also shut out LSU in the BCS title game in January.

"This was a great team victory," Saban said. "Everybody contributed. We asked for everyone to play their best game today. When you make a commitment to something, it comes from the heart, and I really thought our players did that."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-11-24-FBC-T25-Auburn-Alabama/id-bffb2b167a92464fbbad0710dd733d4e

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