Alex Rodriguez and Torrie Wilson: New Couple Alert?

Alex Rodriguez had been laying low since his split with Cameron Diaz and failure to come through in the 2011 playoffs, but he's apparently hitting it out of the park again.

He's reportedly dating Torrie Wilson.

A 36-year-old model and former pro wrestler, Wilson spent the holidays with her family in Boise, Idaho, where A-Rod was coincidentally spotted as well. HMM.

Boise news anchor Mike Murad even tweeted a photo of A-Rod running on the treadmill at the local gym and said, "I was told he was visiting a friend."

Moreover, eyewitness Randy Simon told the Idaho Stateman that the New York Yankees third baseman, also 36, was at the gym with Torrie Wilson.

A-Rod and Torrie's Idaho trip isn't the first time the two have been spotted together. On Dec. 4, the couple were photographed riding bikes in Miami.

Earlier this year, A-Rod was vacationing in Mexico with friends George Clooney and Stacy Keibler. Torrie, a close friend of Stacy, was also on hand.

Seems like they may have each other in a romantic choke hold, or something.

[Photos: WENN.com]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/alex-rodriguez-and-torrie-wilson-new-couple-alert/

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Google Chrome Keyboard Shortcuts

Below is a list of keyboard shortcuts that can be used in Google Chrome for Windows. These shortcuts can be utilized for a variety of purposes, ranging from opening Chrome's internal Task Manager to sending the active Web page to your printer.

• CTRL + N: Open a new window


• CTRL + <Link>: Open a link in a new tab


• CTRL + SHIFT + N: Open a new window in Incognito Mode


• SHIFT + <Link>: Open a link in a new window


• CTRL + T: Open a new tab


• CTRL + SHIFT + T: Reopen the last tab that you closed


• ALT + F4: Close current window


• CTRL + 1: Switch to the tab in position 1 on the tab strip


• CTRL + 2: Switch to the tab in position 2 on the tab strip


• CTRL + 3: Switch to the tab in position 3 on the tab strip


• CTRL + 4: Switch to the tab in position 4 on the tab strip


• CTRL + 5: Switch to the tab in position 5 on the tab strip


• CTRL + 6: Switch to the tab in position 6 on the tab strip


• CTRL + 7: Switch to the tab in position 7 on the tab strip


• CTRL + 8: Switch to the tab in position 8 on the tab strip


• CTRL + 9: Switch to the last tab on the tab strip


• CTRL + TAB: Switch to the next tab


• CTRL + PAGE DOWN: Switch to the next tab


• CTRL + SHIFT + TAB: Switch to the previous tab


• CTRL + PAGE UP: Switch to the previous tab


• CTRL + W: Close current tab or pop-up window


• CTRL + F4: Close current tab or pop-up window


• ALT + HOME: Open your home page


• CTRL + O: Open a file in the browser


• CTRL + H: View Browsing History


• CTRL + B: Toggle bookmarks display


• CTRL + J: View Downloads


• SHIFT + ESC: View Chrome's internal Task Manager


• CTRL + P: Print the current page


• F5: Reload the current page


• ESC: Stop the current page from loading


• CTRL + F5: Reload the current page, overriding the cache


• SHIFT + F5: Reload the current page, overriding the cache


• ALT + <Link>: Download link


• CTRL + F: Open the 'Find in page' dialog box


• CTRL + G: Find the next match from 'Find in page' box


• F3: Find the next match from 'Find in page' box


• CTRL + SHIFT + G: Find the previous match from 'Find in page' box


• SHIFT + F3: Find the previous match from 'Find in page' box


• CTRL + U: View source code of the current page


• CTRL + D: Bookmark the current page


• CTRL + PLUS: Make text larger


• CTRL + MINUS: Make text smaller


• CTRL + 0: Return to default text size


• BACKSPACE or ALT + LEFT ARROW: Advance to the previous page in your browsing history (for the current tab)


• SHIFT + BACKSPACE or ALT + RIGHT ARROW: Advance to the next page in your browsing history (for the current tab)


• ALT + E or ALT + F: Open Chrome's "wrench", or tools, menu


• CTRL + SHIFT + B: Activate or disable the Bookmarks Bar.


• F6 or SHIFT + F6: Advance through active components on the current page, or through items in Chrome's Address bar, Bookmarks bar, or Downloads bar.


• CTRL + SHIFT + J: Open Chrome's Developer Tools interface.


• F1: Open Chrome's Help Center in a new tab or window.


• CTRL + SHIFT + DELETE: Open the Clear Browsing Data window.


• CTRL + ENTER: Automatically add www. (at the beginning) and .com (at the end) of the text currently residing in the Address (or URL) bar


• CTRL + BACKSPACE: Remove whatever key term precedes the active cursor in the Address (or URL) bar


• CTRL + L or ALT + D: Highlight the full URL in the Address bar


• CTRL + S: Save the current page to your hard drive


• CTRL + C: Copy selected text or images to the Clipboard


• CTRL + V or SHIFT + INSERT: Paste the current contents of the Clipboard, preserving original formatting


• CTRL + SHIFT + V: Paste the current contents of the Clipboard without original formatting

Source: http://browsers.about.com/od/windowsbro5/a/chromeshortcuts.htm

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13 found dead in truck in eastern Mexico: local media (Reuters)

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) ? Thirteen bodies were found in an abandoned truck in eastern Mexico on Sunday, local media reported, as a turf war between drug cartels spreads far from the border with the United States.

The truck was found during a routine security patrol near the border between the eastern states of Veracruz, a major oil-producing region, and Tamaulipas, local media said, citing state officials.

Messages left at the site suggested the dead were killed in a rivalry between criminal gangs, local media said.

Violent drug cartels that have long menaced Mexico's northern border with the United States have moved into states like Veracruz as they battle rivals for control of drug routes and other criminality.

On Thursday, three American citizens were killed in Veracruz when gunmen attacked the bus in which they were traveling.

On Friday, the tortured bodies of ten people were found in Veracruz as a turf war between the Zetas gang and Gulf drug cartels intensifies.

In September, 35 bodies were dumped along a downtown highway in the Veracruz city of Boca del Rio.

More than 45,000 people have been killed in drug violence since President Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006. (Reporting by Patrick Rucker; editing by Todd Eastham)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111226/wl_nm/us_mexico_dead

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Fuhu Nabi Kids Tablet

With tablets?finding their way into more and more households, there is a sensible need for a child-friendly solution. For most, giving your child free rein over an expensive device like the iPad 2?($499-$829, 4.5 stars) may not be the best idea. Not only are parents afraid of damage to their precious pads, but they should also be concerned about exposure to inappropriate content. That's where Fuhu's Nabi Kids Tablet ($199.99, sold exclusively at Toys R Us) steps in. The 7-inch? tablet features two distinct Android environments; one sheltered interface catering to kids and one nearly full featured, traditional Android interface. The Nabi is not a toy, but it is also not quite a tablet either. Its collection of pre-loaded apps and content, a customizable child-safe interface, in a tablet that comes with a thick rubber bumper. And some problems with functionality and responsiveness hold the Nabi tablet back.??

Design and Display
The first thing you will notice about the Nabi is its striking red, oversized rubber bumper. This thing is really solid and looks like it could withstand most anything a child might throw at it (or throw it at). But the bumper isn't integrated into the tablet; it's just a peel-off gel case. It's too easily removable and doesn't make the tablet waterproof. It does offer solid drop protection, but it also makes the Power and Volume buttons difficult to press.

Under the rubber bumper is an unassuming white plastic slab. Together with the bumper, the Nabi measures 10.6 by 7.7 by 3.5 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.2 pounds; bigger and heavier than the Kindle Fire?($199, 4 stars) at 7.5 by 4.7 by .45 inches (HWD) and 14.6 ounces, but far better equipped for the rigors of playtime. The Nabi sports a 7-inch, 800-by-480-pixel TFT display, a low resolution you're more likely to find on a phone than a tablet. It's an upgrade over child-oriented tablets like the LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer's ($99, 4.5 stars) 480-by-272-pixel display, but not as nice as the 1,024-by-600 screens on high-quality 7-inch tablets like the the Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet?($249, 4 stars). The screen is bright, and viewing angles are pretty narrow. The biggest problem with the Nabi's display is unresponsiveness. In my tests, it often took multiple touches to get the desired response. This was while navigating through the tablet's interface, and playing games like Cut the Rope.

The tablet is equipped with a mini HDMI port, so you can connect it to an HDTV for playback, and a front-facing camera. For connectivity, there's 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

OS, Apps, Performance
The real draw of the Nabi Kids Tablet is the kids-only interface it lays on top of the now-obsolete Android 2.2. Kidz Mode is a child-safe, stripped-down environment that basically consists of oversized app icons, as well as shortcuts to Nabi's child-friendly Web and multimedia content. Any parent worried about what kind of trouble their kids can get into will appreciate the walled-off nature of Kidz Mode.

Parents can customize what apps appear in Kidz Mode, deciding for themselves what is or is not appropriate for their child. The tablet comes preloaded with games, educational apps, and childrens' books and videos. You get Angry Birds and Cut the Rope, 30 preloaded childrens' books with audio tracks for reading along, and Fooz Kids University, which is math training software for elementary schoolers. Kidz Mode also features a section of kid-safe Web shortcuts to third-party sites like Cartoon Network.

Though the browser supports Flash, which is used heavily in the third-party websites, the games and content didn't work very well on the Nabi in my tests. The sites were clearly meant to be enjoyed on a real computer, with little mobile, let alone tablet, optimization. For instance, one Cartoon Network link leads to a Flash-based game, which loads properly, but requires keyboard and mouse controls to work, which the Nabi lacks.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/x3r4SDvt9vo/0,2817,2397906,00.asp

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Romney sidesteps tax dispute; Gingrich dives in (AP)

DES MOINES, Iowa ? Mitt Romney refused to be pinned down Wednesday on how Congress should break an impasse that threatens to raise taxes for 160 million workers ? the latest pressing policy debate the Republican presidential hopeful has sidestepped. Rival Newt Gingrich, in contrast, castigated Congress for "an absurd dereliction of duty."

With less than two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, the two rivals exchanged ever sharper words over a barrage of negative ads coming from Romney's allies as they took a divergent approach on the payroll tax dispute deadlocking Washington.

"I'm not going to get into the back-and-forth on the congressional sausage-making process," Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, said in Keene, N.H., as the day began. "I hope they're able to sit down and work out a solution that works for the American people. My hope is that the solution includes extension of the payroll tax holiday."

But Romney left open the terms for an extension, which is the crux of the stalled debate in Washington. He suggested it should last more than two months and ideally a year, but called such details "deep in the weeds."

House Republicans rejected a bipartisan compromise in the Senate that would have kept the tax cuts going for two months, instead calling for talks seeking a one-year extension. The cuts expire Jan. 1 unless Congress acts, and there is little chance of achieving that in time to head off a hit in people's paychecks.

In Iowa, Gingrich called a two-month extension "insufficient" and scolded the Democratic-controlled Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Barack Obama's administration for "lurching from failure to failure" and marveled: "They can't figure out how to pass a one-year extension, so the Senate leaves town?"

"It's game-playing," added the former House speaker, who stopped short of criticizing House Republicans and their leader Ohio Rep. John Boehner. Gingrich also did not criticize Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate leader who signed off on the short-term extension.

With that, the two Republicans leading the GOP primary field in polls took different approaches to an urgent issue that has ramifications for millions of Americans. Gingrich jumped in ? though saving his scorn for Democrats ? while Romney avoided the fray.

The different postures over the payroll tax extension played out against a backdrop of intensifying rancor ? and a dispute over negative advertising ? between Romney and Gingrich with the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses drawing close.

Romney argued that Gingrich wasn't strong enough to withstand the criticism coming his way, especially from $2.8 million in ads by the pro-Romney group Restore Our Future. The group is going after Gingrich relentlessly in Iowa and exacting a price in the former speaker's standing in polls.

"I'm sure I could go out and say, `Please, don't do anything negative,'" Romney said on Fox News. "But this is politics. And if you can't stand the heat in this little kitchen, wait until Obama's Hell's Kitchen turns up the heat."

Gingrich shot back from Manchester, N.H.: "If he wants to test the heat, I'll meet him anywhere in Iowa next week." He went on: "If he wants to try out the kitchen, I'll be glad to debate him anywhere. We'll bring his ads and he can defend them."

Gingrich tried to show he was aiming for a higher road. He started collecting petition signatures from like-minded people who don't want to see the Republican candidates ripping into each other.

"Attacking fellow Republicans only helps one person: Barack Obama," the petition states.

Gingrich has complained that the Restore Our Future ads, most painting him as an ethically challenged Washington power broker, are untrue. But he declined to say during a news conference in Des Moines on Wednesday what specifically is inaccurate about the ads, instead citing independent reviews that have questioned their validity.

"It would be nice if Governor Romney was either honest about his former staff and his supporters running negative ads, and either disown them ? ask that they take them off the air ? or admit this is his campaign," Gingrich said.

For his part, Romney largely took a pass on the payroll tax matter despite casting himself as an outsider with the business expertise necessary to fix Washington and the economy. He has spent much of the year declining to weigh in on the hot-button fiscal issues Congress has wrestled over.

He stayed out of the summertime fight over raising the federal debt ceiling, urging cooperation but stopping short of endorsing the House GOP's one-year extension or the Senate's two-month extension. He eventually opposed the deal.

In the spring, he was initially reluctant to embrace Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan's budget proposal, which would have essentially transformed Medicare into a voucher system. Since then, he's endorsed parts of it.

Gingrich, conversely, hasn't shied away from injecting himself into the latest debates on Capitol Hill, eager to show that he has the leadership qualifications necessary to run Washington and the country ? even when it was politically perilous.

He supported raising the debt ceiling, anathema to many conservatives, and castigated the Medicare portion of the Ryan plan, popular with the GOP's right flank, as "right-wing social engineering," a phrase he later apologized for using. On the latest issue, Gingrich favors a one-year extension of the payroll tax cut.

He has argued that he's a proven national leader for having battled Democratic President Bill Clinton in the 1990s. He usually doesn't mention that as House speaker back then, he bore much of the blame for the federal government twice shutting down when he could not agree to a budget with the Clinton White House.

On Wednesday, in Iowa, he tried to use the latest stalemate to his advantage, saying: "This is an example of why people are sick of Washington, and sick of politics."

Meanwhile, in eastern Iowa, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, vying for the conservative crown in Iowa, blasted the extension as "a very bad proposition" that's too costly.

Gingrich is trying to end his slide in Iowa, where the attacks have taken hold in the past two weeks, with a show of force from establishment Republican leaders in early voting states endorsing his candidacy. He also was dispatching former Oklahoma Rep. J.C. Watts to Iowa to meet privately with GOP leaders and the media in an attempt to stabilize the campaign.

The spat between Romney and Gingrich over third-party ads has dominated the GOP campaign in recent days and highlighted the role of super PACs, independent groups that may accept unlimited donations but are not supposed to directly coordinate with candidates.

Such groups have sprung up to support every serious Republican candidate following a Supreme Court decision last year that said individuals, unions and corporations can donate unlimited sums of money to outfits advocating the election or defeat of candidates.

Two pro-Gingrich groups have started raising money and Gingrich's longtime aide Rick Tyler just signed on with one of them. But Romney's supporters have had a head start in raising money and are slated to spend $3 million this month in Iowa alone, most on anti-Gingrich ads.

Gingrich, who trails Romney badly in fundraising, said he would disavow any group that runs negative ads on his behalf.

Signaling a possible softening of ads just before the holiday, Gingrich this week began showing a Christmas greeting commercial while Texas Gov. Rick Perry launched one featuring his wife Anita.

But the spirit hadn't hit with a group supporting Perry, which launched an ad criticizing Romney for his past support of abortion rights and Gingrich for ethics violations while in Congress.

In a sign of his fundraising and organizational deficiencies, Gingrich was rushing home to Virginia later Wednesday to help ensure he has the needed signatures to get on the ballot there.

___

Hunt reported from Keene, N.H. Steve Peoples contributed from Manchester, N.H.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111221/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_campaign

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/177183891?client_source=feed&format=rss

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PFT: Wallace likely to start for McCoy

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Well, I?m finally gaining some ground.

Not much, but some.

A stellar 14-2 weekend could have been 15-1, but for that late collapse by the Cowboys.? In that moment, a three-game win over Rosenthal slid to a one-game edge.

I?m nine back with three weeks to go. ?For the season, he?s 142-66.? I?m 133-75.

This week, we disagree on four games.? This is my last chance to make a push.

Hopefully, God likes me better than him.

Jaguars at Falcons

Florio?s take:? If the Falcons can?t beat the Jaguars, the Falcons have no shot at winning at New Orleans on December 26.? And if the Falcons can?t win at New Orleans on December 26, the Falcons won?t have to worry about another one-and-done performance in the playoffs.

Florio?s pick:? Falcons 31, Jaguars 16.

Rosenthal?s take: The Jaguars are back in prime time! Atlanta is a 10-point favorite, which seems crazy until you look at the state of the Jags. An undrafted rookie and journeyman will cover Roddy White and Julio Jones.? At wideout for Jacksonville: Chastin West and Jarrett Dillard. Interim coach Mel Tucker isn?t playing with a stacked deck.

Rosenthal?s pick: Falcons 28, Jaguars 13.

Cowboys at Buccaneers

Florio?s take:? The best way for Dallas to avoid blowing a close game late in the fourth quarter is to never allow it to be close in the fourth quarter.? If this one gets too out of hand, Tampa coach Raheem Morris could be the fourth coach to go before Christmas.

Florio?s pick:? Cowboys 34, Buccaneers 17.

Rosenthal?s take: The Bucs are slump busters. The Panthers defense couldn?t stop anyone, but they could stop the Bucs. Jacksonville?s offense couldn?t score on anyone, but they could score on Tampa. This game is exactly what Jason Garrett and the ?Boys need.

Rosenthal?s pick: Cowboys 40, Buccaneers 27.

Dolphins at Bills

Florio?s take:? Nothing takes the steam out of a team that is playing hard down the stretch to try to save its coach?s job than the coach losing his job.? The Bills end a six-game losing streak with their sixth, and likely last, win of the season.

Florio?s pick:? Bills 28, Dolphins 21.

Rosenthal?s take: It?s weird and a little sad that J.P. Losman?s status decides my pick. If Matt Moore is out, I like Buffalo. Bills fans will happily tell you not to bet on J.P. Losman in Buffalo. (Especially with Jake Long out.) If Matt Moore starts, I like the Dolphins. (Can we make conditional picks, Florio?)

Rosenthal?s pick: Dolphins 20, Bills 17.

Seahawks at Bears

Florio?s take:? If the Bears had Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, they?d be the clear pick to win.? But they don?t, and if they can?t beat the Chiefs at home without these key players, they?ll have a rough time handling an underrated Seahawks team.? The bell continues to toll for the Bears, whose only remaining hope will be to do to the Packers on December 25 what the Dolphins did to the Bears in 1985.

Florio?s pick:? Seahawks 14, Bears 7.

Rosenthal?s take: Bears fans swore Chicago could go 4-2 or 3-3 at worst with Caleb Hanie to close the season. They haven?t won a game yet. Seattle, meanwhile, has won four of five because of a physical defense and running game. After this game, the Seahawks will have a better chance to make the playoffs.

Rosenthal?s pick: Seattle 16, Bears 13.

Panthers at Texans

Florio?s take:? The Texans keep losing key components.? And the Texans just keep winning.? This one won?t be easy without defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, but the Texans simply continue to find a way.

Florio?s pick:? Texans 34, Panthers 24.

Rosenthal?s take: If Cam Newton and T.J. Yates faced off last year, Yates? team would not be favored by a touchdown. Things change quickly. The Texans are a defense tough enough to withstand the loss of their best pass rusher. They can survive losing their playcaller for a week or two.

Rosenthal?s pick: Texans 21, Panthers 17.

Titans at Colts

Florio?s take:? It?s time.? Call it a gut feeling.? Call it a hunch.? Call it clinical insanity.? But it?s time for the Colts to win a game.? Especially since this very well could be their last chance to avoid going 0-16 and getting everyone not named Jim Irsay fired.

Florio?s pick:? Colts 19, Titans 17.

Rosenthal?s take: The Colts look likely to face three straight rookie quarterbacks. Unfortunately, Jake Locker isn?t a huge downgrade from Matt Hasselbeck. The Titans offense is different with Locker, but not necessarily worse. The Titans are just mediocre enough to let the Colts make this interesting.

Rosenthal?s pick: Titans 24, Colts 21.

Packers at Chiefs

Florio?s take:? Interim coach Romeo Crennel could go a long way toward securing the permanent job by winning his first game.? He likely wishes Todd Haley had lasted one more week.

Florio?s pick:? Packers 35, Chiefs 10.

Rosenthal?s take: The Chiefs have enough secondary talent to give the Packers offense some issues. Kansas City certainly upgrades this week at quarterback with Kyle Orton. And that ends the portion of this preview where I try to convince myself this game will stay interesting.

Rosenthal?s pick: Packers 31, Chiefs 14.

Saints at Vikings

Florio?s take:? From epic NFC title game to overhyped season opener to Cornell-Hofstra slaughter.? Les Steckel gets closer and closer to getting off the hook.

Florio?s pick:? Saints 34, Vikings 14.

Rosenthal?s take: Drew Brees is peaking at the right time. The Vikings are peeking at the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.? This is the game where Brees makes sure he wins the yardage crown for the season.

Rosenthal?s pick: Saints 33, Vikings 17.

Redskins at Giants

Florio?s take:? After the Redskins beat the Giants in Week One, safety Antrell Rolle said that Washington would win five out of 100 games between the two teams.? More recently, Rolle dropped that number to one.? Though we?re not ready to agree with a 99-percent success rate, we?re comfortable with 50.

Florio?s pick:? Giants 28, Redskins 14.

Rosenthal?s take: A Giants? loss Sunday could make next week?s Jets-Giants game almost inconsequential. A win against the Redskins would guarantee Big Blue a ?win and in? scenario in Week 17 against Dallas. Washington is feisty, but they are one-win-in-seven-games feisty. Rex Grossman is just good enough to get you beat.

Rosenthal?s pick: Giants 33, Redskins 28.

Bengals at Rams

Florio?s take:? It won?t be easy to keep a young Bengals team focused and motivated after losing a heartbreaker to the Texans.? But the Bengals are playing the Rams.? The Rams.? Yes, the Rams.

Florio?s pick:? Bengals 34, Rams 14.

Rosenthal?s take: Despite winning seven games last year, the Rams are on pace to have the worst five-year run of any team in NFL history. Steve Spagnuolo coached the worst NFL team in 2009 and the second worst team this year. It may not be fair, but it?s hard to imagine any coach surviving that combination.

Rosenthal?s pick: Bengals 23, Rams 13.

Lions at Raiders

Florio?s take:? The Lions have struggled lately, but the Raiders have struggled more.? Neither team may make it to the postseason after promising starts, but the Lions have at least shown a recent ability to find a way to win.? Plus, while he?s not as dominant as he was in 2010, the return of Ndamukong Suh should help.? The ongoing absence of Darren McFadden doesn?t.

Florio?s pick:? Lions 24, Raiders 20.

Rosenthal?s take: These are two desperate teams that peaked too early. At least the Lions are getting players back: Ndamukong Suh, Kevin Smith, and cornerback Chris Houston all look likely to return for Detroit. The Raiders might get Denarius Moore back. The Lions win that trade.

Rosenthal?s pick: Lions 27, Raiders 24.

Browns at Cardinals

Florio?s take:? Though a little too late, the Cardinals have found their groove, regardless of whether Kevin Kolb or John Skelton is playing quarterback.? With a couple more wins, they?ll be one of the teams we?re all picking to make the playoffs in 2012.? The Browns, on the other hand, continue to be the Browns.

Florio?s pick:? Cardinals 30, Browns 17.

Rosenthal?s take: Skeltonmania is sweeping the nation. The Cardinals are 4-1 in the former Fordham quarterback?s games, winning insane, inexplicable games late in the fourth quarter. They are 2-5 without him. Skelton fever could last into the playoffs. I?d bet on a 9-7 team making the playoffs and the Cardinals should be 7-7 after this one.

Rosenthal?s pick: Cardinals 22, Browns 13.

Patriots at Broncos

Florio?s take:? The list of ?thou shalt nots? now includes a line regarding picking against Tim Tebow.? New England?s defense stinks, and Denver?s defense is good enough to keep it close.? If the Broncos keep it close, the guy who says God has spoken to him will overcome the once little-known sixth-round pick who possibly struck a deal with the devil.

Florio?s pick:? Broncos 24, Patriots 23.

Rosenthal?s take: The Patriots defense can barely slow down Grossmania, so Tim Tebow should have a big day. Tom Brady should be even better. There are weak spots in this Broncos? secondary that Brady can exploit, especially at safety. This result will test Florio?s Tebow man-crush.

Rosenthal?s pick: Patriots 31, Broncos 27.

Jets at Eagles

Florio?s take:? The Dream Team is waking up too late, but not late enough to crush the dreams of Team Rex.? And that will make next week?s Giants-Jets game even more intriguing.

Florio?s pick:? Eagles 27, Jets 23.

Rosenthal?s take: The Eagles won last week, but Michael Vick looked very rusty. The offensive line got pushed around. The Jets are not a defense you want to face when your passing game is out of synch and your line is not recognizing blitzes. The Dream should finally die for good, to the delight of many Eagles fans.

Rosenthal?s pick: Jets 22, Eagles 10.

Ravens at Chargers

Florio?s take:? The Ravens finally realize the connection between beating inferior foes and hosting home playoff games.? Chargers fans finally realize that they could have a new coach and G.M. in 2012.? Both could be very happy after Sunday night.

Florio?s pick:? Ravens 24, Chargers 17.

Rosenthal?s take: This is Norv?s last stand, and he has a shot to win. Philip Rivers? pinpoint accuracy returned the last two weeks. So did his pass protection. This is a dangerous game for the Ravens, but it?s hard to imagine Rivers? rag-tag linemen holding up against the Baltimore pass rush.

Rosenthal?s pick: Ravens 27, Chargers 24.

Steelers at 49ers

Florio?s take:? When the Steelers enter the red zone at Heinz Field, giant ketchup bottles unleash their contents onto the scoreboard.? When the 49ers get into the red zone on Monday night, the Steelers will be putting ketchup on Frank Gore?s legs and Alex Smith?s arm.

Florio?s pick:? Steelers 20, 49ers 13.

Rosenthal?s take: The Cowboys? 3-4 defense gave the 49ers problems. Baltimore?s 3-4 defense ate up the 49ers line. Arizona?s defense ? coordinated by former Steelers coach Ray Horton ? allowed two first downs to the 49ers in the second half last week. You see where I?m going with this one.

Rosenthal?s pick: Steelers 13, 49ers 10.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/15/seneca-wallace-on-track-to-start-for-browns/related/

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US to use foreign aid to promote gay rights

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Obama administration is announcing a wide-ranging effort to use U.S. foreign aid to promote rights for gays and lesbians abroad, including combating attempts by foreign governments to criminalize homosexuality.

In a memorandum issued Tuesday, President Barack Obama directed U.S. agencies working abroad, including the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, to use foreign aid to assist gays and lesbians who are facing human rights violations. And he ordered U.S. agencies to protect vulnerable gay and lesbian refugees and asylum seekers.

"The struggle to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons is a global challenge, and one that is central to the United States' commitment to promoting human rights," Obama said in a statement.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is also expected to speak about the announcements in Geneva later Tuesday.

The White House said Tuesday's announcement marked the first U.S. government strategy to combat human rights abuses against gays and lesbians abroad.

The order also directs U.S. government agencies to use foreign assistance to protect human rights and advance non-discrimination, and work with international organizations to fight discrimination against gays and lesbians.

Obama's announcement is part of the White House's outreach to gays and lesbians, a core Democratic constituency. Since taking office, Obama has advocated for the repeal of the military's ban on openly gay service members and ordered the administration to stop enforcing a law defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

However, Obama has stopped short of backing gay marriage, saying only that his personal views on the matter are evolving.

Gay rights groups praised the order as a significant step for ensuring that gays and lesbians are treated equally around the world.

"Today's actions by President Obama make clear that the United States will not turn a blind eye when governments commit or allow abuses to the human rights of LGBT people," said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay advocacy organization.

The presidential directive applies to all U.S. agencies involved in foreign aid, assistance and development, including the Departments of States, the Treasury, Defense and Homeland Security.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-12-06-Obama-Gay%20Rights/id-b80007004aa74cfe8219bcadef66ffa9

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Jason Aldean parties hard with 6 wins at ACAs

In this photo provided by the Las Vegas News Bureau, Carrie Underwood walks the red carpet at the American Country Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Las Vegas News Bureau, Glenn Pinkerton)

In this photo provided by the Las Vegas News Bureau, Carrie Underwood walks the red carpet at the American Country Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Las Vegas News Bureau, Glenn Pinkerton)

In this photo provided by the Las Vegas News Bureau, Scotty McCreery arrives at the American Country Awards Monday, Dec. 5, 2011, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Las Vegas News Bureau, Glenn Pinkerton)

In this photo provided by the Las Vegas News Bureau, the Pistol Annies, from left, Ashley Monroe, Angaleena Pressley and Miranda Lambert walk the red carpet at the American Country Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Las Vegas News Bureau, Glenn Pinkerton)

In this photo provided by the Las Vegas News Bureau, The Band Perry, from left, Neil Perry, Kimberly Perry and Reid Perry walk the red carpet at the American Country Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Las Vegas News Bureau, Glenn Pinkerton)

The American Country Awards were Jason Aldean's kinda party. Country music's newest superstar won six awards Monday in Las Vegas, including the night's top honors artist of the year and record of the year for "My Kinda Party."

It's true, 2010 has been a non-stop party for Aldean. More than a million fans turned out for his arena tour, his platinum album has spawned four hits so far and the awards are starting to pile up after years of being ignored.

"This is getting a little ridiculous now," Aldean said on his second visit to the stage. "I don't know what else to say. It's been a crazy year."

Carrie Underwood's fans came through for her again at the fan-voted awards a year after she was the top winner on the inaugural show with six trophies. She picked up three awards this year, including female artist of the year and female single of the year for "Mama's Song."

"You guys vote like crazy," Underwood said during her second trip to the stage.

As expected, the show's focus was mostly on country music's emerging stars. Thompson Square also won three trophies ? blue Fender Telecasters with an embossed silhouette of the U.S. The husband-and-wife duo of Shawna and Kiefer Thompson rode their breakthrough single "Are You Going to Kiss Me Or Not?" to group single, new artist single and new artist video of the year awards.

"This is the first time we've won anything, so be patient," Kiefer Thompson joked.

Chris Young won two awards, breakthrough artist and single of the year for "Voices," ''American Idol" winner Scotty McCreery was named new artist of the year and Lady Antebellum won a second straight group of the year.

Along with the night's top two honors, Aldean also was named touring artist of the year and won male single of the year for "My Kinda Party" and vocal collaboration single of the year for "Don't You Wanna Stay" with Kelly Clarkson.

Alabama won a Greatest Hits Award and Toby Keith was named artist of the decade as the most-played country star on radio over the past 10 years.

Blake Shelton won video of the year for "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking." He dedicated the win to his father, Dick, who is in the hospital with pneumonia. He then appeared to tear up at the end of his performance of "God Gave Me You."

"I want to say 'hi' to my dad back home," Shelton said. "He's been having a pretty rough couple of weeks. I know he's watching back at home and I love you, dad, and want to dedicate this to you."

___

Online:

http://www.theacas.com

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-06-US-Music-American-Country-Awards/id-c4c85602a6424fd282f6cba4c9890056

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Egypt election turnout 62 percent, protesters honor dead (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) ? More than eight million Egyptians voted in the opening round of their first free vote in six decades in what the election chief said Friday was a turnout of 62 percent, far higher than in the rigged polls of deposed President Hosni Mubarak.

The Muslim Brotherhood's party and its ultra-conservative Salafi rivals looked set to top the polls, to the alarm of many at home and abroad. Moderate Islamists have won elections in Tunisia and Morocco in the past two months.

The emergence of ambitious Salafi parties is one of the starkest measures of change in post-Mubarak Egypt.

The world is watching the election for pointers to the future in Egypt, the most populous Arab nation and one hitherto seen as a firm U.S. ally committed to preserving its peace treaty with Israel and fighting Islamist militancy.

Abdul Moez Ibrahim, the head of the election committee, joked that the turnout was the highest in any Egyptian election "since the pharaohs." It was even greater than in the "forgeries of the past elections," he added, referring to the Mubarak era.

He said 8.3 million of 13.6 million registered voters in areas that voted in the first round had cast their ballots. Other parts of the country will vote in two more rounds, and run-offs must also be held in a six-week election process.

"The blood of martyrs has watered the tree of freedom, social justice and the rule of law. We are now reaping its first fruits," Ibrahim said in tribute to more than 850 people killed in a popular revolt that toppled Mubarak in February.

Protesters were out again in Cairo's Tahrir Square Friday to mourn 42 people killed in the 10 days before the vote at rallies demanding the generals who replaced Mubarak give way to civilian rule.

"Without Tahrir, we wouldn't have had these elections," said Mohamed Gad in the square that cradled the revolt. "God willing, the elections will succeed and the revolution will triumph."

But many of the young people who took to the streets early this year now fear their revolution risks being stolen, either by the army rulers or by well-organized Islamist parties.

"NO DEALS"

Ibrahim announced the results of only a handful of clear-cut victories for individual candidates, with most going to run-offs next week, and gave no figures for party lists in the polls.

He said four candidates, two from the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and two liberals, won over 50 percent of votes for outright victory out of 56 individual seats at stake.

The FJP said 39 of its candidates would fight run-off races. The party dominates a coalition with other smaller parties. Their coalition will be contesting 45 seats.

Yousry Hamad, a senior official of the Salafi Nour Party said 26 of its contenders were involved in run-offs, 24 of them going head-to-head with FJP candidates.

"We will go into the run-offs with all our might and there will be no deals with anyone. We will aim to do better than we have already," Nour leader Emad Abdel Ghafour told Reuters.

In Egypt's complex election process, two-thirds of the 498 seats will go proportionately to party lists, with the rest to individual candidates.

The Muslim Brotherhood, banned but semi-tolerated under Mubarak, has said its FJP expects to win 43 percent of party list votes in the first stage, building on the Islamist group's decades of grassroots social and religious work.

But the Brotherhood's website also forecast that the Salafi al-Nour party would gain 30 percent of the vote, a shock for some Egyptians, especially minority Christian Copts, who fear it will try to impose strict Islamic codes on society.

Nour said Thursday it expected 20 percent of the vote.

As in Saudi Arabia, Salafis want to bar women and Christians from executive posts. They would also ban alcohol, mixed beach bathing and "un-Islamic" art and literature.

Such curbs would wreck Egypt's vital tourism industry, which employs about one in eight of the workforce.

More secular-minded Egyptian parties, some of which were only formed after Mubarak's fall, had always feared that they would not have enough time to put up a credible challenge to their experienced and better-funded Islamist rivals.

The liberal multi-party Egyptian Bloc has said it is on track to secure about a fifth of votes for party lists.

Ibrahim, the election chief, acknowledged several violations in Monday and Tuesday's voting, notably campaigning outside polling stations, long queues, failure to stamp some ballots, and late arrival of ballot papers and of a few of the supervising judges. He said these did not affect the results.

PROMISE OF CIVILIAN RULE

Egypt's ruling generals, who have promised civilian rule by July, have said they will keep powers to appoint or fire a cabinet even after an elected parliament is installed.

The United States, which still gives Egypt about $1.3 billion a year in mostly military aid, has urged the ruling generals to step aside swiftly and make way for civilian rule.

The leader of the Brotherhood's FJP appeared to set the stage for a political tussle with the military this week by saying the majority in parliament should form the government, but the party later said it was premature to discuss the issue.

The FJP says its priorities are ending corruption, reviving the economy and establishing a true democracy in Egypt.

Ever pragmatic, the Brotherhood may avoid allying with Salafis in parliament and seek more moderate coalition partners to reassure Egyptians and foreigners of its intentions.

Senior FJP official Essam el-Erian said before the vote that

Salafis, who had kept a low profile and shunned politics during Mubarak's 30-year rule, would be "a burden for any coalition."

Kamal al-Ganzouri, asked by the army to form a "national salvation government," aims to complete it soon. State television said the cabinet was still being formed, but included at least half of the outgoing team.

Protesters in Tahrir have rejected Ganzouri, 78.

"It is unacceptable that after the revolution, an old man comes and governs. We don't want the army council anymore. they should go back to barracks," said Menatallah Abdel Meguid, 24.

(Additional reporting by Yasmine Saleh, Tom Perry and Edmund Blair; Writing by Alistair Lyon; Editing by Peter Millership and Peter Graff)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111202/wl_nm/us_egypt_election

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Netspot for Mac Makes Diagnosing Wi-Fi Signal Problems Quick, Easy, and Free [Video]

Mac: Everyone has decent Wi-Fi signal when they're sitting in the same room as their wireless router, but what about across the apartment, or in the basement? If you think you should have signal but don't, free site survey app Netspot is a utility that gives you the tools to draw out your floorplan, walk about your home or office with your laptop, and survey network strength, available networks, and channels in use along the way.

The app starts you off with a drawing tool where you can lay out the floorplan of your home or office. Once you've given it a rough idea of how your space is laid out, you can click any spot on the map to have the app scan the area for available wireless networks, their network type, the signal strength for each network, and more. The app will save the information behind the scenes, and you can move on to the next spot in your space to test. After you've covered the whole area, Netspot will show you where your wireless signal is the strongest, where it seems to drop off, and even give you a color-coded heatmap of your space so you can see where signal is the strongest and where you may need to install a repeater for a little signal boost.

Netspot is pretty powerful for a free utility, and gives you a great deal of information about the wireless networks in your area that you can use to decide which channel your network should be on and where you should position your wireless router. Best of all, it's completely free.

Netspot

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You can reach Alan Henry, the author of this post, at alan@lifehacker.com, or better yet, follow him on Twitter or Google+.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/e0BXJWt0knA/netspot-for-mac-makes-diagnosing-wi+fi-signal-problems-quick-easy-and-free

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China eases lending curbs to shore up growth (AP)

BEIJING ? China reduced bank reserve levels Wednesday to release money for lending and help shore up slowing growth in the world's second-largest economy as Europe's debt crisis and high U.S. unemployment hurt export demand.

Beijing is gradually easing controls imposed to cool an overheated economy and politically dangerous inflation. Chinese leaders worry economic growth that eased to 9.1 percent in the quarter ending in September from 9.5 the previous quarter might fall too abruptly, leading to job losses and possible unrest.

The amount of money China's commercial lenders must hold in reserve will be cut by 0.5 percent of their deposits, effective Dec. 5, the central bank said. It was the first easing of monetary policy in three years.

"We see this as a decisive shift in policy stance," said Capital Economics analyst Mark Williams. "Bank lending will pick up."

Analysts have expected Beijing to loosen lending controls after inflation eased to 5.5 percent in October from a three-year high and a surge in housing prices leveled off.

Battered by weak demand in Europe, China's biggest foreign market, export growth declined to 15.9 percent in October, the lowest level this year following a steady decline from March's high of 36 percent.

October exports to Italy tumbled 17 percent from a year earlier, while the growth rate for exports to Germany, France and Britain fell to single digits.

The communist government repeatedly hiked interest rates and tightened lending curbs to cool economic growth that soared to 10.3 percent last year.

Wednesday's reserve cut should free up 400 billion yuan ($63 billion) for lending, according to Williams.

That could help struggling entrepreneurs and small companies that have been squeezed by a clampdown on lending that pushed many into bankruptcy and wiped out thousands of jobs.

But Chinese authorities also will need to prevent the newly eased credit from igniting a binge in real estate and stock market speculation. They lack the tools used by other major economies to fine-tune lending.

Analysts blamed the spike in consumer prices over the past two years in part on a bank lending boom they said was allowed to run too long after it helped China rebound quickly from the 2008 global crisis. Authorities said billions of dollars of stimulus money was diverted into speculation.

"Authorities will be grappling with the fine details of economic policy, treading a fine line between a hard landing and another credit boom," said IHS Global Insight in a report last week.

Beijing began its round of loosening lending controls last week by cutting reserve requirements for rural credit cooperatives.

The government also has adjusted tax rates in recent weeks to give small companies and transportation and service companies a boost.

___

People's Bank of China: http://www.pbc.gov.cn

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111130/ap_on_bi_ge/as_china_economy

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Remembering George Harrison 10 years later

Ten years ago today, George Harrison died at age 58. To mark the occasion, we've collected a few classic images of the legendary musician?and excerpted his bio from our friends over at Rolling Stone.

Juergen Vollmer / Getty Images

George Harrison in Hamburg, Germany, in April, 1961.

Known first as "The Quiet Beatle," George Harrison was a great songwriter who had the misfortune to be surrounded by two stone cold geniuses whose work often obscured his talents. Yet Harrison compositions such as "Something" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" are as good as anything the Beatles ever recorded. And with his solo debut All Things Must Pass, he stepped completely out of the shadows of his Beatle band mates to reveal himself a powerfully spiritual songwriter with an expansive sense of melody. Harrison was also a gifted, fluid guitarist and hugely influential in introducing the Beatles ? and, by extension, the entire Sixties generation ? to Eastern religion and musical influences.

Before all that, Harrison was a teen guitarist in thrall to Britain's 1950s skiffle revival ? a working class kid with a band called the Rebels. It was Paul McCartney, a schoolmate one year ahead of Harrison, who invited the 15-year-old to jam with the Quarrymen, a group led John Lennon. (Harrison had come three years behind Lennon at his previous school.) This band would become the Beatles ? and Harrison would himself become, like Lennon and McCartney, one of his generation's great seekers. His response to fame, however, was to direct that search inside of himself

Read the full bio here.

Popperfoto / Getty Images

Harrison on stage during The Beatles' 1964 tour of the United States.

Terry O'neill / Getty Images

Harrison attends a UNICEF gala in Paris in December 1967.

Terry O'neill / Getty Images

Harrison in 1975, on the grounds of his home, Friar Park, near Henley-on-Thames, south Oxfordshire, England.

John Livzey / Getty Images

What are your memories of Harrison? Were?you a fan of his music after The Beatles? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Related content:

Source: http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/29/9091312-remembering-george-harrison-10-years-after-his-death

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VIDEO: Mt. Pleasant artist has artwork diplayed in Rome

By Lisa Satayut
Sun Special Writer

Mt. Pleasant cultural-contemporary artist Lily Kostrzewa explains one of her artworks at her studio downtown Mt. Pleasant. One of her paintings titled ?Lying Nude? was chosen to be part of an international contemporary art exhibition at the ?Museo Storico della Fanteria? Historical Museum of Infantry in Rome, Italy from Nov. 26 to Dec.14. Sun photograph by LISA SATAYUT.

Mt. Pleasant cultural-contemporary artist Lily Kostrzewa is making her way around the world by way of artwork.

One of her paintings titled ?Lying Nude? was chosen to be part of an international contemporary art exhibition at the ?Museo Storico della Fanteria? Historical Museum of Infantry in Rome, Italy from Nov. 26 to Dec. 14.

The exhibition, ?Fragments of stories between the History,? celebrates the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy.

?It is a great honor to be on such a wonderful international stage with contemporary artists from all over the world,? Kostrzewa said.

She describes the painting as a cross-cultural piece.

?I try to bring the Chinese culture to my contemporary art,? Kostrzewa said from her studio in downtown Mt. Pleasant.

?It?s a beautiful foreground with a shiny blue background with Chinese writing and has gold and silver colors,? she said.

?I am so glad this piece is going to be showing in Rome.?

Art has been a passion for Kostrzewa since she was a child. Continued...

?Everybody has their different passion. For me, art has always been a part of my passion since I was a child.?

The purpose of the exhibition in Rome is to join the past with the present through national and international artists.

Kostrzewa was born in Taiwan and moved to the United States when she was 25 years old. Her artwork has also been exhibited in Taiwan, Austria, Canada and Greece.

She also participated in the largest international art competition, ArtPrize 2011, in Grand Rapids.

Kostrzewa recently also landed an art exhibition in Chicago?s Bridgeport art district. Her work will be shown at 4ART INC GALLERY of Zhou B Art Center in Chicago. Her one-minute art video can be viewed at http://www.lilykostrzewa.com/Gallery.html and her biography and other works can be seen at www.lilykostrzewa.com.

Kostrzewa welcomes any visitors to her studio located at 204 Court St. in downtown Mt. Pleasant.

Kostrzewa holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in modern painting, a Master of Arts degree in computer graphics, a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Chinese art as well as an art teaching degree.

Source: http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2011/11/27/news/doc4ed170528fa3a424004179.txt

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