Photo by: Thinkstock
Everybody has habits that they don't like. But breaking them is tricky because you often do them without even realizing it. That's why the first step to banishing those behaviors is recognizing that you do something irritating in the first place. Then, replace that practice with something that serves a similar purpose. Eventually, that'll become a habit. Here are other expert strategies for stopping some popular practices. Photo by Thinkstock.

1. Biting Your Nails
If you hide your hands because you've gnawed your nails to nubs, it's time to change that. Identify what you do before you bite your nails, suggests James Claiborn, PhD, co-author ofThe Habit Change Workbook: How to Break Bad Habits and Form Good Ones. Do you search for uneven or jagged edges, and then bring your hand to your mouth? Instead of moving a finger toward your face, clench your fists. Continue clenching them for a couple of minutes until the urge to bite your nails disappears. When you feel you've made progress changing this behavior, treat yourself to a well-deserved manicure. 

2. Knuckle Cracking
Even though you may love the sensation, you probably want to stop as a courtesy to people who don't enjoy that grating sound. Dr. Claiborn recommends relying on a "competing behavior," a.k.a. doing something instead of cracking your knuckles. Punching your other hand or fanning out your fingers will prevent you from going to town on your knuckles. To crack down on cracking for good, keep a record of your successes-when you substituted another behavior for your bad habit-and your relapses. Figure out why you slipped, and you'll be closer to a knuckle-cracking-free life.

3. Gum Snapping Again, you may enjoy that gratifying sound, but it's irritating to everyone who can hear it. So ask yourself how important it is to keep chewing gum, says Dr. Claiborn, and consider giving it up altogether. With a stick in your mouth, it's tough to resist snapping it. If you'll miss the pleasurable process, try deep breathing or a relaxation exercise-it may calm you just as effectively. On the other hand, if you chew gum to freshen your breath or stave off hunger, pop in a mint instead.

4. Sleeping in Your Makeup
You're just so tired by the time you go to bed, you can't even think about scrubbing your face. Keep cosmetic-remover wipes on your nightstand, so you can at least wipe off your makeup before you hit the hay, says Yael Varnado, MD, who answers health questions at AskDoctorV.com. Or create a bedtime ritual of using a face-washing product and moisturizer you love while soothing music plays. Need more motivation to remove makeup at night? Sleeping with it on can cause acne and wrinkles, because it dries out skin around your eyes.

Related: Discover 75 timeless beauty tips. 

5. Interrupting You're eager to share your thoughts, but if someone else is speaking, you've got to bite your tongue (unless you want people to think you're rude!). Focus on listening, says Dr. Varnado. The more intently you hear someone out, the less you'll feel the urge to interject. "If the speaker pauses to take a breath or collect his thoughts, don't use that as a window to speak," she adds. Instead, breathe deeply, count to ten in your head and reflect on what the speaker said. You might also ask a pal to tactfully remind you of your goal when you lapse and celebrate your successes with you.

6. Noisy Eating You're aware you make sounds while you munch, but aren't sure why. Tape-record yourself to isolate whether you hum, click or make sucking noises with your tongue. Finding the specific sounds helps you focus on the solution, which could include changing where you keep and how you move your tongue during meals, chewing more slowly, chewing smaller pieces or keeping your mouth closed while eating (which is always a good idea in front of company).

7. Being Late Conquering this habit requires a compelling reason to be on time for appointments, says Ken Lindner, author of Your Killer Emotions. Ask yourself a few questions: Do you respect other people's time? Do you want to appear to be rude? Or would you like to be perceived as thoughtful and professional? When you decide to change, start by visualizing your arrival at an event five to ten minutes early-feels good not to annoy others, right? Or try writing down appointments 15 minutes before the scheduled time to ensure your promptness.

8. Reading Over Someone's Shoulder
That invades their privacy! Putting yourself in that person's shoes could help you quash your curiosity, says Lindner. Imagine how you'd react to someone looking over your shoulder. Now picture that person calling you out in a room full of people. That kind of embarrassment will most likely push you to want to stop this behavior. If it's not enough, sign up for a free habit-changing site, like HabitForge.com, which emails you daily to see how you're doing.

Related: Check out these 9 bad habits that are good for you. 

9. Talking Loudly on Your Cell Phone
Consider what might happen if your conversation leaked to the wrong person or got posted on Facebook or Twitter. Would you lose a big client or a close relationship? When you're in public, you have no idea who might be listening or where bits and pieces of your conversation might end up. To remind yourself to take or make calls privately, write a trigger word or phrase on your smartphone in a place you'd see all the time, says Lindner. His word is "Mario Lopez," one of his biggest clients. 

10. Fidgeting
Moving around because you're anxious can be seen as a sign of weakness, says Lindner. To prevent that perception, consciously think about what you'll do with your hands in every situation before it happens. If you're standing, put your hands at your sides and imagine they're glued there so you can't move them. If you're seated at a table, place your hands on your knees under the table or fold them on top of the surface. Concentrate on not moving them until you need to use one.

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A hard-fought bipartisan compromise passed in the Senate early Tuesday to spare all but the richest Americans from painful income-tax hikes teetered on the edge of collapse as angry House Republicans denounced its lack of spending cuts.

While House Speaker John Boehner considered whether to bring the Senate-passed measure to the floor for a vote Tuesday, Majority Leader Eric Cantor told fellow Republicans in a closed-door meeting that he opposed the legislation negotiated by Vice President Joe Biden and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and passed by the Senate 89-8 shortly after 2 a.m.

Cantor told the group he could not back the bill in its current form, according to two officials in the room, which could leave open the possibility of an attempt to modify the package and send it back to the upper chamber. But Democrats there have signaled that changing the compromise risks killing it.

A report released by the Congressional Budget Office Tuesday complicated matters further still. The nonpartisan group "scored" the Biden-McConnell compromise as likely adding nearly $4 trillion to the federal deficit over 10 years, hardening opposition among many Republicans seeking further spending cuts.

The country technically went over the “fiscal cliff” at midnight, triggering across-the-board income-tax increases and deep, automatic cuts to domestic and defense programs. Taken together, those factors could plunge the still-fragile economy into a fresh recession. Financial markets were closed for New Year’s Day, potentially limiting the damage from the partisan impasse in dysfunctional Washington at least until Wednesday.

Time was running short for another reason, however: A new Congress will take office at noon on Thursday, forcing efforts to craft a compromise by the current Congress back to the drawing board.

“The Speaker and Leader laid out options to the members and listened to feedback,” Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck said in a statement emailed to reporters. “The lack of spending cuts in the Senate bill was a universal concern amongst members in today’s meeting.”

“Conversations with members will continue throughout the afternoon on the path forward,” Buck said.

As House Republicans raged at the bill, key House Democrats emerging from a closed-door meeting with Biden expressed support for the compromise and pressed Boehner for a vote on the legislation as currently written.

“Our Speaker has said when the Senate acts, we will have a vote in the House. That is what he said, that is what we expect, that is what the American people deserve…a straight up-or-down vote,” Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters.

Conservative activist organizations like the anti-tax Club for Growth warned lawmakers to oppose the compromise. The Club charged in a message to Congress that “this bill raises taxes immediately with the promise of cutting spending later.”

Under the compromise arrangement, taxes would rise on income above $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for households, while exemptions and deductions the wealthiest Americans use to reduce their tax bill would face new limits. The accord would also raise the taxes paid on large inheritances from 35% to 40% for estates over $5 million. And it would extend by one year unemployment benefits for some two million Americans. It would also prevent cuts in payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients and spare tens of millions of Americans who otherwise would have been hit with the Alternative Minimum Tax. And it would extend some stimulus-era tax breaks championed by progressives.

The middle class will still see its taxes go up: The final deal did not include an extension of the payroll tax holiday.

Efforts to modify the first installment of $1.2 trillion in cuts to domestic and defense programs over 10 years -- the other portion of the “fiscal cliff,” known as sequestration -- had proved a sticking point late in the game. Democrats had sought a year-long freeze but ultimately caved to Republican pressure and signed on to just a two-month delay while broader deficit-reduction talks continue.

That would put the next major battle over spending cuts right around the time that the White House and its Republican foes are battling it out over whether to raise the country's debt limit. Republicans have vowed to push for more spending cuts, equivalent to the amount of new borrowing. Obama has vowed not to negotiate as he did in 2011, when a bruising fight threatened the first-ever default on America's obligations and resulted in the first-ever downgrade of the country's credit rating. Biden sent that message to Democrats in Congress, two senators said.

“This agreement is the right thing to do for our country and the House should pass it without delay,” President Barack Obama said in a written statement shortly after the Senate vote.

There were signs that the 2016 presidential race shaped the outcome in the Senate. Republican Senator Marco Rubio, widely thought to have his eye on his party’s nomination, voted no. Republican Senator Rand Paul, who could take up the libertarian mantle of his father Ron Paul, did as well.

Biden's visit -- his second to Congressional Democrats in two days -- aimed to soothe concerns about the bill and about the coming battles on deficit reduction.

“This is a simple case of trying to Make sure that the perfect does not become the enemy of the good,” said Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings, one of the chamber’s most steadfast liberals. “Nobody’s going to like everything about it.”

Asked whether House progressives, who had hoped for a lower income threshold, would back the bill, Cummings said he could not predict but stressed: “I am one of the most progressive members, and I will vote for it.”

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(Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is "making excellent progress" recovering from a blood clot in her head that was discovered during a medical examination, her doctors said Monday. But Clinton remains hospitalized until a proper medication level is established, they said.

A day after announcing that Clinton had been admitted to a New York hospital for treatment of a blood clot related to a concussion she sustained, State Department spokesman Philippe Reines on Monday released a statement from Drs. Lisa Bardack and Gigi El-Bayoumi offering further detail on  Clinton's condition and how it was first diagnosed.

"In the course of a routine follow-up MRI on Sunday, the scan revealed that a right transverse sinus venous thrombosis had formed. This is a clot in the vein that is situated in the space between the brain and the skull behind the right ear. It did not result in a stroke, or neurological damage," the statement said.

To help dissolve this clot, her medical team began treating the Secretary with blood thinners. She will be released once the medication dose has been established," the statement continued. "In all other aspects of her recovery, the Secretary is making excellent progress and we are confident she will make a full recovery. She is in good spirits, engaging with her doctors, her family, and her staff."

In mid-December, the State Department announced Clinton had suffered a concussion after fainting at home. She has not been seen publicly for several weeks, but was scheduled to return to work shortly.

Clinton is expected to step down from her post later in January. President Barack Obama has name Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry as his choice to succeed Clinton.

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A hard-fought bipartisan compromise passed in the Senate early Tuesday to spare all but the richest Americans from painful income-tax hikes teetered on the edge of collapse as angry House Republicans denounced its lack of spending cuts.

While House Speaker John Boehner considered whether to bring the Senate-passed measure to the floor for a vote Tuesday, Majority Leader Eric Cantor told fellow Republicans in a closed-door meeting that he opposed the legislation negotiated by Vice President Joe Biden and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and passed by the Senate 89-8 shortly after 2 a.m.

Cantor told the group he could not back the bill in its current form, according to two officials in the room, which could leave open the possibility of an attempt to modify the package and send it back to the upper chamber. But Democrats there have signaled that changing the compromise risks killing it.

A report released by the Congressional Budget Office Tuesday complicated matters further still. The nonpartisan group "scored" the Biden-McConnell compromise as likely adding nearly $4 trillion to the federal deficit over 10 years, hardening opposition among many Republicans seeking further spending cuts.

The country technically went over the “fiscal cliff” at midnight, triggering across-the-board income-tax increases and deep, automatic cuts to domestic and defense programs. Taken together, those factors could plunge the still-fragile economy into a fresh recession. Financial markets were closed for New Year’s Day, potentially limiting the damage from the partisan impasse in dysfunctional Washington at least until Wednesday.

Time was running short for another reason, however: A new Congress will take office at noon on Thursday, forcing efforts to craft a compromise by the current Congress back to the drawing board.

“The Speaker and Leader laid out options to the members and listened to feedback,” Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck said in a statement emailed to reporters. “The lack of spending cuts in the Senate bill was a universal concern amongst members in today’s meeting.”

“Conversations with members will continue throughout the afternoon on the path forward,” Buck said.

As House Republicans raged at the bill, key House Democrats emerging from a closed-door meeting with Biden expressed support for the compromise and pressed Boehner for a vote on the legislation as currently written.

“Our Speaker has said when the Senate acts, we will have a vote in the House. That is what he said, that is what we expect, that is what the American people deserve…a straight up-or-down vote,” Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters.

Conservative activist organizations like the anti-tax Club for Growth warned lawmakers to oppose the compromise. The Club charged in a message to Congress that “this bill raises taxes immediately with the promise of cutting spending later.”

Under the compromise arrangement, taxes would rise on income above $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for households, while exemptions and deductions the wealthiest Americans use to reduce their tax bill would face new limits. The accord would also raise the taxes paid on large inheritances from 35% to 40% for estates over $5 million. And it would extend by one year unemployment benefits for some two million Americans. It would also prevent cuts in payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients and spare tens of millions of Americans who otherwise would have been hit with the Alternative Minimum Tax. And it would extend some stimulus-era tax breaks championed by progressives.

The middle class will still see its taxes go up: The final deal did not include an extension of the payroll tax holiday.

Efforts to modify the first installment of $1.2 trillion in cuts to domestic and defense programs over 10 years -- the other portion of the “fiscal cliff,” known as sequestration -- had proved a sticking point late in the game. Democrats had sought a year-long freeze but ultimately caved to Republican pressure and signed on to just a two-month delay while broader deficit-reduction talks continue.

That would put the next major battle over spending cuts right around the time that the White House and its Republican foes are battling it out over whether to raise the country's debt limit. Republicans have vowed to push for more spending cuts, equivalent to the amount of new borrowing. Obama has vowed not to negotiate as he did in 2011, when a bruising fight threatened the first-ever default on America's obligations and resulted in the first-ever downgrade of the country's credit rating. Biden sent that message to Democrats in Congress, two senators said.

“This agreement is the right thing to do for our country and the House should pass it without delay,” President Barack Obama said in a written statement shortly after the Senate vote.

There were signs that the 2016 presidential race shaped the outcome in the Senate. Republican Senator Marco Rubio, widely thought to have his eye on his party’s nomination, voted no. Republican Senator Rand Paul, who could take up the libertarian mantle of his father Ron Paul, did as well.

Biden's visit -- his second to Congressional Democrats in two days -- aimed to soothe concerns about the bill and about the coming battles on deficit reduction.

“This is a simple case of trying to Make sure that the perfect does not become the enemy of the good,” said Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings, one of the chamber’s most steadfast liberals. “Nobody’s going to like everything about it.”

Asked whether House progressives, who had hoped for a lower income threshold, would back the bill, Cummings said he could not predict but stressed: “I am one of the most progressive members, and I will vote for it.”

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Twice a week, The Chronicle features a local home on the market that caught our eye for its architecture, history or character. 

Address: 1234 Howard St., Unit 4B, San Francisco.

Asking price: $1.08 million.

Description: A streamlined, minimalist design characterizes this ultramodern loft in San Francisco's stylish South of Market neighborhood. Exposed ductwork and trusses decorate the luxury building, which also features floor-to-ceiling windows and open floor plans. The building's innovative style can be noted from the street. A glass facade coupled with anodized aluminum helps filter light into the loft throughout the day. Residents can control the metal louvers on the building's exterior, allowing its look to change during daylight hours. The loft's two bathrooms and two bedrooms are separated from the living room and kitchen by partitions. A soaking tub is the centerpiece of the European master bathroom; the master bedroom is located at the rear of the loft. Bulthaup cabinetry and Sub-Zero and Miele appliances complement the kitchen. A European shower-sink, toilet and shower are hidden behind a heavy glass door in the unit's second bathroom.

Don't miss: Stylish and contemporary features throughout the loft; the austere design enabling residents to put their own spin on their living space.

Built: 2007.

Size: Two bedrooms and two bathrooms, 1,295 square feet of living space.

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• This image shows the old logo of the University of California, left, with the new logo. The university's original logo -- with its open book, 1868 date stamp and "Let there be light" script -- will still be in circulation, appearing on president's letters and official university documents. But marketing materials and websites will feature a radically simple and more contemporary symbol: a little "C" nesting inside a shield-shaped "U." (AP Photo/Oakland Tribune) Photo: Associated Pin

ince 1868, the University of California's motto hasbeen "Let there be light." Now the university's new logo is bringing plenty of heat.

Critics have compared the recently unveiled logo - a yellow, half-realized "C" inside a stylized blue "U" - to a napkin doodle, a bidet or a banana label. One online commenter said it "looks like it's still loading."

The logo would be appropriate for "a shady online startup, not one of the top universities in the world," said Jacob Horn, a medical recruiter in Arcata and a Berkeley native who is among 40,000 signers of an online petition asking UC to scrap the new logo. "It devalues the university totally. If they had done even a little research, they would have found that people don't like it."

And like it, they don't. From the fields of Davis to the beaches of San Diego, students, alumni and staff have resoundingly voiced their disapproval.

The gist of the complaints is that the logo resembles a corporate brand and is a symbol of the university's continued trek toward privatization.

"It is everything our school is against. Might as well have slapped a McDonald's 'M' on top of it," Sheila Lam of Berkeley wrote on the petition. "It looks so corporate, and it looks cheap."

'Creative, flexible logo'

But the logo is not pervasive, and if it looks like a corporate brand, well, that's the reality in which the university finds itself, said Steve Montiel, media relations director for the university president's office.

"We've seen $900 million in cuts over the last four years," Montiel said. "We need to reach out directly to the people of California with a simple, creative, flexible logo that symbolizes the university as a whole and how it affects their lives."

For more than a century, diplomas, acceptance letters and a multitude of other official UC paraphernalia have been emblazoned with the traditional "Let there be light" seal, a circle around an open book illuminated by a shining star.

That logo isn't going anywhere. It will still adorn diplomas and other UC documents, Montiel said.

Demands of high tech

But about a year ago, the university's communications office found the seal had too many details and small print to reproduce well on small screens, such as the smartphones and tablets favored by prospective students.

The university also saw a need for a logo that would appeal to those who are not necessarily affiliated with UC as a way to drum up support for the entire system - not just its 10 campuses, but also its medical centers, agriculture projects, laboratories and research centers.

The new logo, created in-house at minimal public expense, Montiel said, was vetted among prospective students, parents, alumni and some of the chancellors, and is the result of much effort and consideration, he said.

About six months ago, the new logo started appearing on the UC admissions website. No one complained. But then a news story brought it to the public's attention last week, and the boom landed.

"There's been a brushfire of opinion," Montiel said. "It's not surprising that people feel passionately about this. We are paying attention to the feedback. We are listening."

But UC has no plans to drop the new logo, he said.

The logo has several versions, but the one most widely circulated shows a blue U shape, topped with a silhouette of an open book. At the bottom of the U is a yellow block C fading into the blue.

'Utterly forgettable'

Mark Fox, a graphic design professor at California College of the Arts who designed that school's logo and has done work for UC in the past, panned the new effort.

"The visual language is generic, commercial and utterly forgettable," he said. "It is a complete mismatch for the university's history and reputation. (It) has no visual or conceptual gravitas."

A good logo should be distinct and memorable, create positive associations, reflect well on the company and work easily and inexpensively in all media, he said.

"The new UC logo," Fox said, "fails in most of the above criteria.

11:28 AM / 0 comments

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Let's momentarily put aside the grumbling about the state of Syrah (still ... complicated) and the esoteric nature of Grenache (even if it's the basis of all those Chateauneufs du Pape) and just take a moment to enjoy how well the inspirations of southern France have taken hold on the West Coast.

Taken hold? Or have they been here all along? It appears that Syrah, Mourvedre and many others have been in California soil for a long time - even if no one could quite remember, in the years after Prohibition, that they were here.

No matter. These are grapes custom-fit for the state's climate, although Washington certainly is in the game in a big way, too. And as Grenache finds ever more partisans, the full inspirations of the Rhone are evolving into something with a very promising future.

2010 Bokisch Vineyards Clements Hills-Lodi Garnacha ($18, 14.5% alcohol): For all their Spanish inspirations in Lodi, Markus and Liz Bokisch continue to show the beauty of Grenache near the delta, in this case from a planting sourced to Rioja vine selections. The young vines, on volcanic, loamy soils, yielded a wine with more backbone, surprising for the vintage but with a gutsy charcoal edge, plus robust strawberry and dried apricot.

2010 Skinner El Dorado Grenache ($26, 14.8%): Winemaker Chris Pittenger continues to show the beauty of the foothills at this upstart label. The Grenache hails from two estate parcels plus two notable sites, Sumu Kaw and Fenaughty, at 2,500 and 2,850 feet, and the 2010 shows a particular perfume: iris, cedar and strawberry blossoms to match its deep berry flavors and a stony side.

2010 Failla Estate Sonoma Coast Syrah ($62, 13.9%): Ehren Jordan's dry-farmed estate parcel on the very edge of the coast never fails to deliver a powerhouse, and it's no different in this cooler year. Fermented all with whole clusters and a healthy dose (40 percent) of new oak, it's as dramatic as ever, full of candied lavender, green peppercorn, black olive, layered raspberry and wild blueberry. It smells like the best part of a coastal thicket, with an intensity that might wink at the Rhone but is unabashedly California.

2010 Gramercy Cellars Walla Walla Valley Syrah ($55, 13.9%): While you could easily be in bliss with Greg Harrington's 2009 Cabernet or his Lagniappe Syrah, his latest interpretation of Walla Walla's stony ground is deep, stunning and full of sweet spice. The inky blueberry fruit and briny tones are quintessential Washington, and its layers are dense without being outsized.

2010 Bonny Doon Vineyard Clos de Gilroy Central Coast Grenache ($18, 13.1%): The name of Randall Grahm's tribute to Grenache is a bit of a geographic shuffle, as the fruit currently comes from Soledad and Greenfield. But with a bit of Cinsault and Syrah, it shows both brooding, tar-like aromas and the bright fruit of Grenache. The blackberry and plum flavors make it instantly appealing.

2009 Landmark Sonoma Valley Grenache ($25, 13%): Even amid the success of its lavish Chardonnay, this Sonoma Valley winery, now owned by Fiji Water owner Stewart Resnick, has bet big on a Rhone inspiration. This young-vine example proves their wisdom, with its warm coffee and nutmeg aromas and surprisingly delicate berry and pomegranate fruit. Subtle and fulfilling.

2010 Sandler Connell Vineyard Bennett Valley Syrah ($20, 11.6%): A great example of Bennett Valley being a sweet spot for this grape. Winemaker Ed Kurtzman (August West) tapped an otherwise Pinot-dominant site near Santa Rosa's Grange Road for a version that's racy and packed with white pepper and sandalwood aromas, plus wild blueberry fruit and a chewy side perfect for the table.

2009 Peay Les Titans Sonoma Coast Syrah ($47, 13.5%): In a year with standout Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the Peay brothers and winemaker Vanessa Wong have come up with a version of powerful Syrah from their Annapolis estate that trumps those other grapes. An inky density, with fine black pepper and leather, and a sleek, but ripe, blackberry fruit that's edged by black-olive and herb savoriness. A stylish, perfect expression of coastal California Syrah.

2011 La Clarine Farm Cedarville Sierra Foothills Mourvedre ($22, 11.7%): Hank Beckmeyer offered two exceptional Mourvedres from the foothills (Sumu Kaw being the other), but this late-picked bottling, from granitic soils at around 2,500 feet elevation near Fair Play, is downright explosive in its aromas: bay leaf, wild sage and aniseed, matched by bright cranberry and pomegranate. Mourvedre doing a delicious impersonation of Jura wine.

2009 Buty Rediviva of the Stones Walla Walla Valley Red ($60, 13.8%): From winemaker Caleb Foster, this might be Washington's quintessential wine. Mostly Syrah, with a bit less than one-quarter Cabernet, this leads with Syrah-like pungency: intense pepper spice and roasted game, with a Cabernet camphor accent and inky fruit that shows the warmer vintage. Deep and almost contradictory in its identity, and yet completely a sign of all the good things from the Northwest.

2009 The Ojai Vineyard Solomon Hills Vineyard Special Bottling Santa Maria Valley Syrah ($65, 13%): Adam Tolmach is having some fun with this site along Highway 101 outside Orcutt. This is fancy stuff, but it's also a tribute to Tolmach's love of the northern Rhone. Tapping a special block, he pulls off verdant aromatics - bay leaf, green peppercorn - that are matched with ripe blackberry fruit, glossy cured black olive, a subtle touch of oak and licorice warmth. An amazing benchmark for Santa Barbara.

2009 Wind Gap Sonoma Coast Syrah ($36, 12.6%): This wine is a library of Pax Mahle's greatest hits. From the Nellessen and Majik vineyards he used in his Pax Wine Cellars days, plus the Armagh vineyard, this is the quintessence of edgy coastal Syrah. Aged in old oak and fermented with whole clusters, it brims with big, warm spice on the nose: coriander, bacon fat, oily black olive and plum skin. It's daring but never austere, with gorgeous blue fruit and minerality.

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Welcome back to the Santa Tantrum Awards, celebrating the growing toddler war against St. Nick since 2006.

I’m convinced that every year will be the last for this contest. The holidays are a very busy time at the newspaper. I’m still handing out prizes for the Halloween contest. And while our other contests generally result in a comments love fest (by SFGate standards), the Santa Tantrum Awards are steeped in controversy.

But after looking at last year’s winners, the passion returned again. There’s nothing I’d rather do for the next 13 days than collect your photos of children throwing a fit on an overworked, underpaid mall Santa’s lap. Preferably with a handful of his fake beard in their tiny fist.

My defense of the Santa Tantrum Awards is below. But first …

The Rules: E-mail a photo of your baby or toddler — or yourself as a baby or toddler — crying on Santa’s lap to phartlaub@sfchronicle.com. No repeats from previous years, don’t send someone else’s photo and please don’t do anything to make your child cry. Feel free to write a short e-mail to describe the scene — unless you note otherwise, I’ll assume your name and anything you write is OK to post on the blog. Please pick just one photo, no bigger than 1 MB if possible. Horizontal photos are preferred over vertical ones. There will be prizes for the winners.

In defense of the Santa Tantrums …

I know there are readers who find this exercise cruel, so I’ll present my defense up front.

1. I don’t believe parents are setting out to make their children cry. The tears, tantrums and Santa attacks often happen late in the game, after a relatively peaceful wait in a long line.

2. I would be stoked if my parents had a photo like this of me as a kid, and I believe most of these children will someday enjoy these photos immensely.

3. This is a stressful season, with a lot of pressure for everything to be perfect. I think it’s good to celebrate the fact that things don’t always go as planned. Sometimes you don’t get the present you want. Sometimes you have to work through the holidays. Sometimes a screaming 3-year-old stabs a mall Santa with a candy cane.

I don’t have room in the above slideshow for all of the stories and my (allegedly) witty captions describing each winner, so I’ll provide links to the original posts. The 2011 Santa Tantrum Award winners are here. The 2010 winners are here. The 2009 winners are here. The 2008 winners are here. The 2007 winners are here. The 2006 winners are here.

Enjoy the photos. Thanks to everyone who entered past contests. I’m looking forward to seeing what we get in 2012.

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Occupation: Referral coordinator at A Home Within, and barista at Sweet Inspiration Bakery.

Activity: Walking meditation.

Where do you do walking meditation? I walk the labyrinths (both indoor and outside) at Grace Cathedral every weekday after work. I start at the beginning of the labyrinth and, usually at a slow pace, make my way toward the center. I concentrate on my breath and on my walking. Once I reach the middle, I usually try to clear my head; it's often a time of gratitude for being able to be present with myself in this way. I walk back out the same way, concentrating on my breath and walking. I usually do the outside labyrinth first and then move inside, take off my shoes and do it all over again.

Benefits: The routine and ritual of it is important. I dedicate this time to being with myself and wherever I am at the time, with no distractions. My job, at times, can be intense, and walking the labyrinth after work is a great way to separate my work and life modes. I get to feel my body physically move toward something, even as I try to empty myself. It's a very grounding experience. It's just me, my breath and my body, no matter who else is around. I love the labyrinths at Grace, especially since I can choose between indoors or outdoors, and I get to be part of the city (there's a great view, and the grounds, as well as the buildings, are beautiful) but separate enough from the chaos of it.

Info about Grace Cathedral labyrinths: The outdoor labyrinth is made of terrazzo stone and is located to the right of the cathedral doors. The indoor labyrinth is open during cathedral hours, which are normally 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, when no special events or services are being held. One Friday evening each month (usually the second Friday), people are invited to walk the labyrinth by candlelight and music. To check dates

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Jonathan Ross hosts the British Comedy Awards 2012 Photo: Channel 4

 

The last big awards show of the year has arrived. By its very nature The British Comedy Awards is usually the most entertaining of the crop. No turgid bad jokes and emotional speeches here. Jonathan Ross hosts the proceedings tonight, but who are the nominees?

Best Comedy Entertainment Programme
Alan Carr Chatty Man
Celebrity Juice
Harry Hill's TV Burp
The Graham Norton Show

A category for those who prefer their humour with a big slice of camp. Alan Carr, Keith Lemon (played by Leigh Francis) and Graham Norton do ladle it on at times but the camp does a decent job of bringing their guests out of themselves. Norton may be the most polished - having hosted his own chat show for 14 years - but Harry Hill may well take this one as his much loved TV Burp recently came to an end after 11 years on air.
Who will win: Harry Hill’s TV Burp
Who ought to win: The Graham Norton Show

 

Best Sitcom
Hunderby
Rev
The Thick of It
Twenty Twelve

Julia Davis’s deliciously dark period comedy is a new arrival this year - and it has three sitcom heavyweights to beat off if it wants that gong. Its airing on Sky Atlantic means that not everyone will have seen it but, if you haven’t, rest assured it is one to watch. Rev appeared to be on the cosy end of the sitcom spectrum at its outset, being set in an east London parish with lovely Tom Hollander as the eponymous reverend, but became increasingly dark in its second series. The Thick of It, on the other hand, is black but with far more inventive swearing. Although a strong contender, this fourth series has by no means been its strongest. Twenty Twelve has been something of a surprise hit - sending up the planning of the 2012 Olympic Games perfectly. It’s certainly the most timely of the four – but is that enough? ~
Who will win: Twenty Twelve
Who ought to win: Twenty Twelve

Best New Comedy Programme 
Alan Partridge: Welcome to the Places of My Life
Cardinal Burns
Hunderby
Moone Boy
Alan Partridge returned with a new one-off special after testing the waters with a few episodes of Mid Morning Matters last year. Fortunately, he’s still funny and has no shortage of fans remaining from his Nineties heyday. Cardinal Burns is a slightly surreal sitcom which may not be to everyone’s tastes but certainly has its moments. Sky1’s Moone Boy, starring movie star Chris O’Dowd, is the most gentle and charming of the four - telling of a young boy and his tall, Irish imaginary friend (O’Dowd). Each nominee is very different. The winner - hard to predict.
Who will win: Moone Boy may just take it
Who ought to win: Hunderby

Best TV Comedy Actor 
Hugh Bonneville - Twenty Twelve
Peter Capaldi - The Thick of It
Steve Coogan - Alan Partridge: Welcome to the Places of my Life
Tom Hollander - Rev
Four strong contenders from four much-loved British actors. Hugh Bonneville has had quite a year, with Downton Abbey’s ever-growing popularity along with this hit sitcom. As mentioned above, Steve Coogan is still a force to be reckoned with. Tom Hollander also remains one of our more understated comedy performers but this one is likely to go to Peter Capaldi for his brilliantly vitriolic performance as spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It. Only co-nominee Alan Partridge can rival Tucker for quoteability.
Who will win: Peter Capaldi
Who ought to win: Peter Capaldi

Best TV Comedy Actress
Jessica Hynes - Twenty Twelve
Olivia Colman - Rev
Olivia Colman - Twenty Twelve
Rebecca Front - The Thick of It
Well, statistically speaking Olivia Colman is likely to take this one. She also happens to be brilliant is just about everything she appears in - were she still in PeepShow, she’d probably be nominated for that too. However, she shares the nominations with two other comedy heavyweights. Jessica Hynes as the clueless, PR guff-spouting brand manager rang all too true for anyone who has had a passing association with public relations. As the leader of the Opposition in The Thick of It, Rebecca Front has often been the straight character - but has increasingly been given her own choice swear words too.
Who will win: Olivia Colman
Who ought to win: Olivia Colman

Best Male Television Comic
David Mitchell
Harry Hill
Lee Mack
Sean Lock
Harry Hill may have left TV Burp behind, but you can still find him presenting our finest home movie bluffs on You’ve Been Framed. David Mitchell, Lee Mack and Sean Lock are all regulars on the panel show circuit - with Mack and Mitchell both having their own sitcoms in Not Going Out and Peep Show, respectively. Your favourite will probably depend on your tolerance for puns and cringemaking one-liners - Lee Mack, in particular, has carved his whole career based on them.
Who will win: Harry Hill
Who ought to win: David Mitchell

Best Female Television Comic
Jo Brand
Nina Conti
Sarah Millican
Sue Perkins
To make life tougher for the judges, each of these comedians is excellent. Jo Brand’s dry humour has only improved with her gentle NHS sitcom Getting On. Nina Conti marks the only ventriloquist on the nominee list. Wonderfully funny Geordie Sarah Millican began hosting her own entertainment show this year, though it’s often when she is guesting on other people’s that she is at her wittiest. Sue Perkins, on the other hand, has spent most of her year presenting the hugely popular The Great British Bake Off with old comedy partner Mel Giedroyc.
Who will win: Hard to call, but probably either Jo Brand or Sarah Millican
Who ought to win: Jo Brand

Best Comedy Entertainment Personality
Charlie Brooker
Graham Norton
Harry Hill
Stephen Fry

Arguably Charlie Brooker’s acerbic wit isn’t as biting as it once was and 10’o’Clock Live was not as funny as it should have been - but he can still raise and laugh when needed. And the Black Mirror trilogy was brilliant (though that’s not why he’s nominated). Graham Norton, however, still manages to be consistently funny, while bringing out the best in his guests, week after week. In his sole category, Stephen Fry is another consistent entertainer - always funny, always informative.
Who will win: Graham Norton
Who ought to win: Graham Norton

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LONDON (AP) -- Fernando Torres scored his second double of the week and Chelsea's search for a Premier League win under Rafa Benitez ended with a 3-1 win at Sunderland on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta's pair of penalties secured Arsenal's victory over highflying West Bromwich Albion.

Chelsea halted a seven-game winless run in the league - three under Benitez.

Torres, who scored twice in midweek as the defending champions exited the Champions League, scored his first domestic goals in two months at Sunderland and then set up Juan Mata after the break.

Chelsea remains third but went seven points behind leader Manchester United, which is at second-place Manchester City on Sunday.

Arsenal rose from 10th to sixth after Arteta scored twice from the spot in a 2-0 victory over fifth-place West Brom.

Queens Park Rangers remains stuck at the bottom without a win after being held to a 2-2 draw at Wigan. But Southampton climbed out of the relegation zone and moved past Wigan on goal difference by beating Reading 1-0.

Aston Villa is between between Wigan and Southampton after being held to a 0-0 draw at home by Stoke, which had defender Ryan Shotton sent off in stoppage time for a second bookable offense.

Reading and QPR were joined by Sunderland in the drop zone after the northeast side helped Chelsea to bounce back from its European setback.

Unlike Torres' goals against FC Nordsjaelland, which couldn't help Chelsea progress in the Champions League, his double on Saturday were crucial.

The Spain striker volleyed the ball into the net with the studs of his boot in the 11th minute at Sunderland.

And he converted his first penalty kick in English soccer on the stroke of halftime after Seb Larsson had fouled Ramires as the ball was just about to go out for a goal kick.

Torres had seven goals in 21 matches in all competitions this season under Roberto Di Matteo, but has now scored four in five games under Benitez, his former manager at Liverpool who replaced the Italian last month.

At Emirates Stadium, Arsenal halted a three-game run without a win after fortuitously being awarded the first penalty, which Arteta converted in the 26th.

Santi Cazorla went down lightly under Steven Reid's challenge when his shin only appeared to be clipped slightly.

West Brom manager Steve Clarke said there was ''zero contact.''

''I'm not sure what the referee saw but it was a bad decision for us,'' he said. ''It changed the shape of the afternoon.''

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his player told him there was contact.

''I'm sorry if it wasn't a penalty, but I have spoken to Santi and he said he had been touched and lost his balance,'' Wenger said.

No one disputed Arteta's second penalty in the 64th after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was brought down by Chris Brunt.

''I'm proud of the victory today because it's important for our season when our backs are to the wall, because our spirit has been questioned because of the flat performance last week,'' Wenger said.

Swansea, Arsenal's conquerors last weekend, lost for the first time in six weeks on Saturday as Norwich won 4-3 in south Wales.

A Swansea fan was later arrested for allegedly making a racial gesture toward Norwich defender Sebastien Bassong.

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FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - Bayern Munich won 2-0 in Augsburg to extend its lead in the Bundesliga as defending champion Borussia Dortmund went down 3-2 with 10 men at home against Wolfsburg on Saturday.

Goals from Thomas Mueller and Mario Gomez helped to lift Bayern 11 points ahead of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, which plays on Sunday in Hannover.

In Dortmund, the defending champion got off to a fast start, with Marco Reus scoring from a free kick in the sixth minute, but Wolfsburg pulled level half an hour later when Marcel Schmelzer was sent off for handling and Diego converted the resulting penalty.

Naldo volleyed Wolfsburg in front before half time, but Jakub Blaszczykowski canceled it out from the penalty spot in the 61st after Robert Lewandowski was pushed down by Simon Kjaer.

But Wolfsburg went in front again when Bas Dost slotted home past Roman Weidenfeller, and the team rose to 14th.

Vedad Ibisevic scored a hat trick for Stuttgart in a 3-1 victory over Schalke 3-1, which is winless in five matches and is now fourth, 16 points behind Bayern. Stuttgart pulled even on points with its third consecutive victory.

Both teams finished with 10 men, with red cards for Stuttgart's Gotoku Sakai and Schalke's Jermaine Jones. Both were sent off for rough tackles, although there appeared little contact when Jones was ruled to have upended Ibrahima Traore.

''Sorry for the red card!! But I'm not 100% on the ref side,'' Jones wrote on Twitter.

Also Saturday Freiburg beat Greuther Fuerth 1-0 and Nuremberg beat Fortuna Duesseldorf 2-0.

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BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Malaga thrashed struggling Granada 4-0 at home on Saturday to provisionally rise into fourth place in the Spanish league.

Joaquin Sanchez and Javier Saviola scored in the first half, and Ignacio Camacho and Roque Santa Cruz were on target after the break.

Malaga is level on points with Real Betis, which hosts league leader Barcelona on Sunday. Granada is winless in four games and one point from safety in 17th place.

Real Sociedad defender Carlos Martinez scored an injury-time equalizer to secure a 1-1 home draw with Getafe.

Sociedad remained undefeated in five rounds and moved up into eighth place, two spots behind Getafe in sixth.

Real Madrid was at Valladolid in the late match on Saturday.

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Celtic cemented its place at the top of the Scottish Premier League with a 3-1 win at Kilmarnock on Saturday.

Captain Scott Brown fired Celtic in front in the 27th minute, before Joe Ledley and Georgios Samaras netted in the second half.

Former Celtic striker Cillian Sheridan grabbed a late consolation for Kilmarnock.

The defending champions have a three-point lead and a game in hand over Inverness, which beat third-place Hibernian 3-0.

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ROME (AP) - Atalanta beat Parma 2-1 Saturday to move into a tie for seventh place in Serie A.

German Denis put Atalanta ahead with a header four minutes in, and Federico Peluso doubled the lead in the 38th from a rebound of a shot from Denis. Amauri pulled one back for Parma on the stroke of half time.

Atalanta is tied with AC Milan, 14 points behind Italian league leader Juventus, which visits Palermo on Sunday in coach Antonio Conte's return from a four-month sideline ban.

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