"If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them."

 - Isaac Asimov -

By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer Randolph E. Schmid, Ap Science Writer 2 hrs 2 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The length of a man's ring finger may predict his success as a financial trader. Researchers at the University of Cambridge in England report that men with longer ring fingers, compared to their index fingers, tended to be more successful in the frantic high-frequency trading in the London financial district.

Indeed, the impact of biology on success was about equal to years of experience at the job, the team led by physiologist John M. Coates reports in Monday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The same ring-to-index finger ratio has previously been associated with success in competitive sports such as soccer and basketball, the researchers noted.

The length ratio between those two fingers is determined during the development of the fetus and the relatively longer ring finger indicates greater exposure to the male hormone androgen, the researchers noted.

Previous studies have found that such exposure can lead to increased confidence, risk preferences, search persistence, heightened vigilance and quickened reaction times.

In a separate study last year, Coates and colleagues reported that the hormone that drives male aggression and sexual interest also seemed able to boost short term success at finance.

They studied male financial traders in London, taking saliva samples in the morning and evening. They found that those with higher levels of testosterone in the morning were more likely to make an unusually big profit that day. Testosterone, best known as the male sex hormone, affects aggression, confidence and risk-taking.

In the new study, the researchers measured the right hands of 44 male stock traders who were engaged in a type of trade that involved rapid decision-making and quick physical reactions.

Over 20 months those with longer ring fingers compared to their index fingers made 11 times more money than those with the shortest ring fingers. Over the same time the most experienced traders made about 9 times more than the least experienced ones.

Looking only at experienced traders, the long-ring-finger folks earned 5 times more than those with short ring fingers.

While the finger ratio, showing fetal exposure to male hormones, appears to signal likely success in high-actively trading that calls for risk-taking and quick reactions, it may not indicate people who would do well at other sorts of financial activities, the researchers said.

Some traders require additional skills on dealing with clients and sales workers.

And the advantage may even reverse for some, Coates team said, such as traders taking a more analytical and long-term approach to the markets.

One study, which looked at average finger ratios in university departments found that faculty from math, science and engineering exhibited longer index finger ratio, rather than ring finger, they noted.

Midday & Evening

** until 1-14-09 **

016  025  029  034  038  047  056  079  124  128 

137  146  169  178  236  245  259  268  349  358 

389  479  569  578  002  007  011  115  119  223 

227  133  448  155  668  277  088  488  889  299 

Midday & Evening

** until 1-13-09 **

017 018 026 027 035 036 045 089 125 126 134 135 179 189 234 269 278 279 359 368 369 378 458 459 467 468 567 008 009 116 117 224 225 233 044 144 449 557 558 566 377 477 188 288 099 899 000 333 666 999

Midday & Evening

** until 1-15-09 **

0126, 0128, 0135, 0137, 0146, 0189, 0234, 0236, 0245

0279, 0369, 0378, 0389, 0459, 0468, 0479, 0567, 0569

0578, 1235, 1269, 1278, 1289, 1359, 1368, 1379, 1458

1467, 1469, 1478, 1568, 2349, 2358, 2367, 2369, 2378

2457, 2459, 2468, 2567, 3458, 3789, 4689, 5679, 5789

  

:l Sol's Day l: Midday & Evening

** until 1-13-09 **

086, 186, 286, 386, 486, 586, 686, 786, 886, 986

660, 661, 662, 663, 664, 665, 666, 667, 668, 669

200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290

220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229

111, 333, 555, 888, 999

"For most folks, no news is good news; for the press, good news is not news."

                                                                                                          - Gloria Borger - 

Well, the Arizona Cardinals truly stunned the Carolina Panthers who looked lethargic and out of sync to say the least. The final score was 33 - 13 and the Cardinals go on to the NFC Championship game next week and the Panthers go home for vacation. Our final record was 12-4 (regular season), 0-1 (playoffs)Maybe next season Panthers Fans.

   

Thursday 1-8-09

175, 265, 743, 639, 249, 357, 158, 015

430, 750, 196, 186, 205, 908, 194, 560

659, 174, 075, 275, 165, 365, 627, 405

Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Sparks' Parker expecting first child
Associated Press

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Candace Parker is expecting her first child this spring, and the WNBA star will keep working out leading to the 2009 season. The announcement was made Wednesday by the University of Tennessee, where Parker starred before going on to the Los Angeles Sparks. Her husband is Shelden Williams of the Sacramento Kings.

 

In 2008, Parker was the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft and captured rookie of the year and MVP honors. She also won an Olympic gold medal and was the AP's female athlete of the year.

 

Parker's coach at Tennessee, Pat Summitt, and Sparks general manager Penny Toler congratulated Parker. Summitt told Parker that if she has a girl, she hopes she'll be a future Lady Vol.

Who is the only person that can have a NOTION??

 

Midday 1-7-09 Evening

** until 1-11-09 **

014 015 017 018 023 025 026 028 035 038 045 048 056 057 058 059 068 078 089 123 124 126 127 134 135 137 145 146 147 148 149 157 159 167 168 178 179 189 234 235 236 237 238 239 246 256 259 267 268 269 289 358 359 368 389 459 468 489 568 569 579 589 678 689 789 001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 114 117 223 226 233 044 144 244 448 449 055 559 266 668 077 177 277 778 779 088 688 889 599 899 000

  

Midday 1-7-09 Evening

** until 1-11-09 **

015 016 017 018 019 026 028 035 037 038 046 048 058 068 078 089 126 127 129 135 137 139 146 147 149 157 159 167 169 178 179 189 235 236 237 246 256 267 268 269 289 345 346 347 356 357 358 359 367 378 379 389 456 467 468 469 489 589 006 007 008 009 117 119 226 335 337 044 144 244 344 445 446 447 448 449 055 155 255 355 455 556 557 558 559 266 466 177 377 088 199

  

Midday 1-7-09 Evening

** until 1-9-09 **

015 016 017 018 019 026 028 035 037 038 046 048 058 068 078 089 126 127 129 135 137 139 146 147 149 157 159 167 169 178 179 189 235 236 237 246 256 267 268 269 289 345 346 347 356 357 358 359 367 378 379 389 456 467 468 469 489 589

Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Sources: BC set to fire coach
ESPN.com news services

Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski did indeed interview with the New York Jets and he will therefore not be retained by the school, two people close to the situation told ESPN's Joe Schad on Tuesday.

 

Boston College athletic director Gene DiFilippo, who told Jagodzinski he would be fired if he interviewed, had not spoken with the coach as of 6 p.m. this evening, but he was hoping to meet with Jagodzinski face-to-face as early as Wednesday.

 

DiFillipo, sources say, thought that Jagodzinski was "disloyal" by not speaking with him before scheduling the Jets interview. One source said on Tuesday that Jagodzinski's decision to follow through on the interview made his fate "a done deal."

 

DeFilippo said late Tuesday afternoon that he called Jagodzinski in the morning and was waiting for a return phone call. At that time, he didn't know if Jagodzinski already had met with the Jets, who are seeking a replacement for Eric Mangini.

 

"Haven't heard a word,'' DeFilippo said, according to the Boston Globe.

 

Sitting in his office late Tuesday afternoon, a relaxed DeFilippo told The Associated Press he last spoke to Jagodzinski on Sunday.

 

"Sometimes two people who really, really like each other can disagree on an issue. That's OK. Nothing wrong with that," DeFilippo said. "I really like Jags a lot and I've enjoyed working with him here for two years and he did a wonderful job here.

 

"So we're going to sit down, hopefully, and talk and we'll see where we come out."

 

The Jets declined comment Tuesday through a team spokesman, neither confirming nor denying that Jagodzinski was interviewing for the coaching vacancy.

 

Sources told the Globe that Jagodzinski has made multiple inquiries into returning to the NFL, where he was a coach for the eight seasons before taking over the head coaching job at BC. The newspaper reported that Jagodzinski has put out feelers for offensive coordinator positions as well as head coaching spots.

 

The Globe also reported that Jagodzinski had told members of his staff that he would give them an update sometime on Tuesday. But nobody had publicly acknowledged speaking to the coach.

 

Jets owner Woody Johnson did formally meet with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer on Tuesday about the team's coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the search told The Associated Press.

 

Johnson was out of the country last Friday when general manager Mike Tannenbaum began the first round of interviews with Schottenheimer and assistant head coach/offensive line coach Bill Callahan.

 

Callahan will sit down with Johnson on Wednesday, according to the person, who requested anonymity because the individual wasn't authorized to discuss the search to replace the Mangini.

 

Johnson and Tannenbaum will fly to Arizona on Thursday to interview Cardinals offensive line coach Russ Grimm. The former four-time Pro Bowl guard with Washington is in his second season with the Cardinals, who play at Carolina in the NFC divisional playoffs Saturday.

 

The Jets had no other interviews scheduled as of early Tuesday night.

 

The Jets will interview Indianapolis defensive coordinator Ron Meeks on Friday at the team's practice facility in Florham Park, N.J.

 

Meeks, 54, has been in charge of the Colts' defense for the last seven sevens and was a candidate for the Washington job last offseason that went to Jim Zorn. He's the first minority candidate to speak with New York, putting the Jets in compliance with the NFL's Rooney Rule.

 

 

New York met on Saturday with Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who has also interviewed for the vacancies in Cleveland and Detroit. The Jets have also received permission to speak with Baltimore defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, but haven't set a date for an interview. The Ravens play at Tennessee in the AFC divisional playoffs Saturday.

 

Jagodzinski, 45, led the Eagles to the Atlantic Coast Conference title game in his two seasons, losing both times to Virginia Tech.

 

BC finished this season with a 9-5 record after a 16-14 loss to Vanderbilt in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 31, ending an eight-game bowl winning streak for the Eagles. They were 11-3 in Jagodzinski's first season.

 

Jagodzinski spent two years as BC's offensive coordinator, starting in 1997 when Matt Hasselbeck was the quarterback. Hasselbeck is now with Seattle, which must put together a staff under new coach Jim Mora.

 

Jagodzinski was an assistant under Mora in Atlanta and has experience as an NFL offensive coordinator with Green Bay in 2006.

 

If Jagodzinski leaves, Frank Spaziani looms as a possible replacement. He has been a BC assistant for 12 years, the last 10 as defensive coordinator. Sources told Schad that other in-house candidates Steve Logan and Jack Bicknell will also be considered to succeed Jagodzinski.

 

"I want a coach who wants to be at BC for a long time," DeFilippo said Monday.