unique news: Too much red meat may shorten lifespan

unique news: Too much red meat may shorten lifespan:  Want to live longer? Trade some of the red meat in your diet for fish, nuts, whole grains, and other healthier protein sources, Harvard res...

media reports and trends: Trayvon Martin's Last Phone Call Triggers Demand f...

media reports and trends: Trayvon Martin's Last Phone Call Triggers Demand f...: "He said this man was watching him, so he put his hoodie on. He said he lost the man," Martin's friend said. "I asked Trayvon to run, a...

Alex Smith, 49ers close to deal

"It's a very strong relationship," Harbaugh told reporters while leaving team headquarters Tuesday, noting nothing had changed in Smith being "our guy." He declined to discuss negotiations.

Last spring, Harbaugh handed over his playbook to Smith during a brief lifting of the lockout — a show of confidence in the QB even though he wasn't under contract. Smith wound up re-signing for $4.9 million, then earned a $1 million bonus for making the playoffs as the 49ers ended an eight-year stretch without a postseason berth or winning record.

"I don't think there will be any bad blood because he went to Miami for an interview," former 49ers running back great Roger Craig said Tuesday. "That's part of the process, it's the nature of the beast. He has to do what's best for him and his family. I'm pretty sure the 49ers are going to work something out. Players love him, fans love him. I love him.

"I think Alex wants to get this put to bed so he can focus on having a great year, an All-Pro year this year," Craig said. "He doesn't want this dark cloud over him. It's really his time, and he understands the business. He knows it's a good situation."

49ers CEO Jed York had said the team's three-year offer still stood despite the pursuit of Manning, and it was just up to Smith to sign.

Long booed by his home fans at Candlestick Park, Smith threw for 3,150 yards and 17 touchdowns with only five interceptions last year as San Francisco went 13-3 to win its first division title since 2002. That was a remarkable turnaround under first-year coach and 15-year NFL quarterback Harbaugh — the NFL coach of the year — who declared his confidence in Smith as a winner from Day 1 when hired away from Stanford in January 2011.

Ostara is a celebration of the vernal equinox

Ostara, or the vernal equinox, is upon us and night and day are in perfect balance.

Ostara is just one of the names given to the celebration of the spring equinox. The word Ostra derives from Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility, whose festival at the spring equinox celebrates rebirth.

Ostara is associated with the coming of spring and the dawn, and Eostre’s festival is celebrated at the spring equinox because she brings renewal and rebirth from the death of winter.

Many symbols are associated with Ostara, including colored eggs and, what else? Rabbits.

If you haven’t already recognized the similarities, Ostara and Easter occur around the same time and a lot of the customs we celebrate today as part of Easter “tradition” actually have roots in Pagan customs.

Wiccans, Heathens, and modern Pagans celebrate the vernal equinox as Ostara, Lady Day, Shubun-sai, or the spring equinox as a time of renewal and rebirth.

Trayvon Martin's Last Phone Call Triggers Demand for Arrest 'Right Now'

"He said this man was watching him, so he put his hoodie on. He said he lost the man," Martin's friend said. "I asked Trayvon to run, and he said he was going to walk fast. I told him to run, but he said he was not going to run."

Eventually, he would run, said the girl, thinking that he'd managed to escape. But suddenly the strange man was back, cornering Martin.

"Trayvon said, 'What are you following me for,' and the man said, 'What are you doing here.' Next thing I hear is somebody pushing, and somebody pushed Trayvon because the head set just fell. I called him again, and he didn't answer the phone."

The line went dead. Besides screams heard on 911 calls that night as Martin and Zimmerman scuffled, those were the last words he said.

Trayvon's phone logs, also obtained exclusively by ABC News, show the conversation occurred five minutes before police first arrived on the scene. Crump said the girl's identity was being withheld because "her parents are gravely concerned about her health and her safety." Her parents asked that only an attorney be allowed to ask her questions.

Amelia Earhart mystery attracts Hillary Clinton

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had encouraging words Tuesday for a new investigation into one of the 20th century's most enduring mysteries: the fate of American aviator Amelia Earhart, who went missing without a trace over the South Pacific 75 years ago.

Clinton and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood gave their support and encouragement on Tuesday to historians, scientists and salvagers from The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, which is launching a new search for the wreckage of Earhart's Lockheed Electra plane in the waters off the remote island of Nikumaroro, in what is now the Pacific nation of Kiribati.

Earhart was an inspiration to Americans in difficult times as the nation struggled to emerge from the Great Depression, Clinton said, adding that her legacy can serve as a model for the country now.

"Amelia Earhart may have been a unlikely heroine for a nation down on its luck, but she embodies the spirit of an America coming of age and increasingly confident, ready to lead in a quite uncertain and dangerous world," Clinton said at a State Department event to announce the new search. "She gave people hope and she inspired them to dream bigger and bolder."

SPRING EQUINOX GOOGLE DOODLE: Spring, and a young Google’s fancy turns to creatively fertile logos

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Today is the day that all things are equal. Day equals night, night’s the same span as day, and the new season bursts into bloom like a bold Finnish flower.

It’s the first day of spring, and at Google, vernal and verdant creativity springs eternal. So today, the company’s homepage Doodle reportedly draws inspiration from a textile company to create a logo that warmly says farewell to winter with a light and bright tone.

Team Google Doodle tells Comic Riffs that for each special logo, its illustrators marry technique with topic — the style is summoned from the substance. And so it is today, Google reportedly draws from Marimekko, the half-century-old Helskinski firm whose designs include brilliant