'Argo' finally tops box office with $12.4M

Actor Ben Affleck poses for photographers during a photocall to present his movie "Argo" in Rome, Friday, Oct. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Actor Ben Affleck poses for photographers during a photocall to present his movie "Argo" in Rome, Friday, Oct. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? It took three weeks, but "Argo" finally found its way to the top of the box office.

The Warner Bros. thriller from director and star Ben Affleck, inspired by the real-life rescue of six U.S. embassy workers during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, made nearly $12.4 million this weekend, according to Sunday studio estimates. "Argo" had been in second place the past two weeks and has now made about $60.8 million total.

Debuting at No. 3 was the sprawling, star-studded "Cloud Atlas," which made a disappointing $9.4 million. The nearly three-hour drama, also from Warner Bros., was co-directed by siblings Lana and Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer and features an ensemble cast including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Hugh Grant playing multiple roles over six story lines.

Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner Bros., said the studio thought there might be a good chance of "Argo" coming out on top this weekend.

"We're thrilled. An accomplishment like that is well deserved, they don't happen very often. You would probably have to do a lot of searching to find a movie that opened in wide release to have two No. 2 weekends in a row and hit No. 1 in the third week," Fellman said. "It's a tribute to the film. Word-of-mouth has taken over the campaign. We have a long way to go, we have a lot of year-end accolades which will approach, and we'll see what happens in terms of the Academy."

On the flip side, Fellman acknowledged that "Cloud Atlas" underperformed compared to hopes that it would end up in the $11-12 million range domestically. The movie had an estimated budget of $100 million. But he pointed out that it had a higher per-screen average than any other film opening in the top 10 with $4,681.

"We did very well on the East and West coasts in a number of major cities," he said. "We're challenged in the Midwest and the South."

It was a soft weekend all around, though, with several newcomers opening poorly, Hollywood.com box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian pointed out. The horror sequel "Silent Hill: Revelation 3-D" from Open Road Films debuted at No. 5 with $8 million and the Paramount Halloween comedy "Fun Size" arrived in 10th place with just over $4 million. "Chasing Mavericks," an inspirational surfing drama from Fox 2000, didn't even open in the top 12 ? it came in at No. 13 with $2.2 million.

The World Series might have been a factor in keeping folks away from the theaters; also, potential moviegoers along the East Coast in the path of Hurricane Sandy might have stayed home this weekend.

"The whole marketplace felt more like September than October. Back in September, we had four down weekends in a row. There was no momentum in the marketplace," Dergarabedian said. "When a holdover is No. 1, it reflects a lack of strength in the marketplace. Every week should have a new movie topping the chart."

As for the philosophical, centuries-spanning "Cloud Atlas," he said: "To have a) a big budget, b) Tom Hanks and c) it's a big, epic film, it doesn't necessarily follow that it's going to be a big box office hit. I admire that they went for it."

But there's hope on the horizon with the animated comedy "Wreck-It Ralph" coming next weekend, the latest James Bond film, "Skyfall," opening Nov. 9 and the final installment in the "Twilight" saga due out Nov. 16. "Skyfall" opened this weekend overseas with a whopping $77.7 million in 25 countries.

"This is just one of those box office weekends we'd rather forget," Dergarabedian said. "Unless you're 'Argo.'"

Estimated ticket sales are for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "Argo," $12.4 million. ($5 million international.)

2. "Hotel Transylvania," $9.5 million. ($18.1 million international.)

3. "Cloud Atlas," $9.4 million.

4. "Paranormal Activity 4," $8.7 million. ($14.1 million international.)

5. (tie) "Silent Hill: Revelation 3-D," $8 million.

6. "Taken 2," $8 million. ($10.1 million.)

7. "Here Comes the Boom," $5.5 million.

8. "Sinister," $5.07 million.

9. Alex Cross," $5.05 million.

10. "Fun Size," $4.1 million.

___

___

Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

___

1. "Skyfall," $77.7 million.

2. "Hotel Transylvania," $18.1 million.

3. "Paranormal Activity 4," $14.1 million.

4. "The Bourne Legacy," $11.5 million.

5. "Taken 2," $10.1 million.

6. "The Impossible," $8.7 million.

7. "Madagascar 3," $8.4 million.

8. "Asterix et Obelix: Au Service de Sa Majeste," $5.3 million.

9. (tie) "Argo," $5 million.

10. "Ted," $5 million.

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-10-28-Box%20Office/id-696b1dbfd6f340e794b7cbecc72a32ce

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Vigilant Citizen: Is Die Antwoord's ?Fatty Boom Boom? Going Against ...

http://vigilantcitizen.com/musicbusiness/is-die-antwoords-fatty-boom-boom-going-against-the-evil-music-industry/

For months, I?ve been receiving e-mails about the South-African rap-rave group Die Antwoord, saying something like??OMG theirr illumanaty!!??Since the release of their new video?Fatty Boom Boom,?e-mails now say??OMG therre anti-illumanaty!!?.?So are they for it? Against it? Don?t care about it? What?s the answer? (Get it? Die Antwoord means ?the answer? in Afrikaans ? so clever).

At first glance, it is hard not to be weirded-out by the visual esthetics of the group, which seem to be tailor-made to piss-off the parents of rebellious kids. Their videos always deliver a whole lot of shock-value coupled with a ?don?t give a damn? attitude that is pleasing audiences around the world.

They are credited for having popularized Zef, a South-African counter-culture movement that I can only describe as ?South-African-trailer-trash-ghetto-fabulous?. Yolandi Visser of Die Antwoord said,??It?s associated with people who soup their cars up and rock gold and shit. Zef is, you?re poor but you?re fancy. You?re poor but you?re sexy, you?ve got style.??In short, it is about glorifying and making stylish the cheap things that are associated with the lower class.

Continue here:?http://vigilantcitizen.com/musicbusiness/is-die-antwoords-fatty-boom-boom-going-against-the-evil-music-industry/

????

?In short, it is about glorifying and making stylish the cheap things that are associated with the lower class.?

hmm..cant see that catching on down main street..

not sure whats going on with the?appendages..

401

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~ by seeker401 on October 28, 2012.

Posted in Music, Sport & Entertainment, South Africa, World News
Tags: entertainment, politics, videogames

Source: http://seeker401.wordpress.com/2012/10/28/vigilant-citizen-is-die-antwoords-fatty-boom-boom-going-against-the-evil-music-industry/

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SQUACKETT A Life Within A Day music review by R-A-N-M-A

Normally, I am inclined to be charitable towards albums I don't really like. I can usually finds some aspect or musical section where I am willing to offer the benefit of the doubt. I just can't do that in this case. I hate Squackett and It's Hackett and Squires own faults. This album falls impressively short of expectations. It is an over wrought disaster of new wave self indulgence. It manages to be both long boring and insubstantial. It breaks new ground in progressive adult contemporary. If this album had been released in the 70s, we would call it the Nadir of progressive rock rather than the actually quite good Tales from Topographic Oceans and the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.

Avoid this album. It will only make you sad. If you like a bunch of egoists who actively eschew what is expected of them for what made them more money in the 80s, then get Squackett. If you like progressive rock, then stay away. Stay far away. This is for completionists only about all it is good for is plugging a hole. One out of Five stars.

R-A-N-M-A | 1/5 | 2012-10-26

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Source: http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=845555

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A Checklist For Your Exotic Hunting Trip In Texas

Exotic game hunting is a big business in the state of Texas generating nearly a billion dollar or more in revenue. The terrain and climate of Texas and the availability of large fenced-in ranches have made the state a perfect place to raise breeds of antelopes, deer, sheep and other such grass-eating or plant-eating, single-hoofed or cloven-hoofed mammals that are originally not native to the state or even to the continent! In fact, some of these animals have become extinct in their native land like the scimitar-horned Oryx that used to roam the Sahara desert. Today, 127 such animals are roaming freely in the State of Texas and it is legal to hunt them in For more information on lodges made for such purpose, as long as you have the necessary permits and licenses.
So if you are planning an exotic hunting trip to Texas, here is a checklist of what you have to bring and what you may expect from the ranch or hunting lodge you are visiting:
What You Have To Bring
* Your own gun and ammunition. Some lodges offer guns on rental; but a good hunter will always bring his own guns.
* Texas hunting license. There is a different license for those from the state and those from other states.
* Gun cleaning kit
* Any medication that you need
* Field bag (small)
* Sunscreen/sunglasses
* Shooting glasses
* Gun cleaning kit
* Binoculars
* Insect repellants
* Good sturdy boots
* Camera and related products like memory sticks, battery, and charger
* Hearing protection
* Small flashlight
* Pocket knife
* Bow if you want to go for bow hunting

What You Can Expect From The Hunting Lodge/Ranch
* Accommodation and meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
* Service of experienced guide
* Transport to and from the hunting ranch
* Transporting and cleaning of your hunt to Taxidermist/Meat Processor
Apart from these, most lodges and ranches offer optional services like Skinning, Capping, and Quartering.

Source: http://www.artipot.com/articles/1416904/a-checklist-for-your-exotic-hunting-trip-in-texas.htm

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Soccer star, pop diva run in Ukraine's election

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) ? An extravagantly dressed pop diva, a retired football star, the son of a famous actor, an opposition leader suspiciously cozy with the government. Meet some members of the eclectic cast running in Sunday's parliamentary election in Ukraine.

Ukrainian political parties have brought in celebrities or even created fake opposition in an effort to boost their ratings and split their rivals' vote. Such tactics raise questions about Ukraine's commitment to democracy and its hopes of integrating with the West.

The two main pro-Western opposition parties hope to challenge President Viktor Yanukovych's nearly three-year grip on power. They aim to wrestle the parliamentary majority away from his Party of Regions and undo actions that have been judged undemocratic by the West, such as the imprisonment of charismatic former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

The Party of Regions has tried to raise its profile by offering the No. 2 spot on its candidate list to pop diva Taisia Povaliy, which guarantees her a seat in Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. The 47-year-old blonde, who wears low-cut, floor-length gowns and sings about the pain of lost love, acknowledges that politics had never been her calling.

"I never thought that I would run for parliament, I never planned it. And then I discovered that people ? the people themselves ? want me to represent them," Povaliy said on a TV celebrity gossip program. "What difference does it make if I work on stage or in the Verkhovna Rada?"

Ukraine Forward, led by former Tymoshenko ally Natalia Korolevska, is widely believed to be supported by the ruling party and aimed at siphoning off opposition votes. Korolevska, a 37-year-old businesswoman-turned-politician, was ousted from Tymoshenko's party in the spring after she refused to support a motion calling for the jailed leader's release.

She went on to found her own party, hoping to attract Tymoshenko voters looking for an attractive, pro-Western female leader. Even though she denies any government links and is calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Azarov, Korolevska gets so much airtime on government-friendly television channels that she is viewed as a tool of Yanukovych's team.

To lead her party's candidate list, Korolevska brought in retired football star Andriy Shevchenko and actor Ostap Stupka, the less illustrious son of late renowned actor Bohdan Stupka. Giant billboards of her and the two celebrities went up along streets and roads.

Shevchenko, the 36-year-old striker known as Sheva, is extremely popular in Ukraine, but many wonder how he would make the transition to lawmaker.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Shevchenko said he planned to concentrate on sports and health issues in parliament and cited the poor athletic condition of many Ukrainian school students as one of the top problems in the country.

"What has Ukraine come to? Today, 70 percent of children cannot do a simple set of physical exercises," Shevchenko said.

Andreas Umland, a political scientist at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, said that political shenanigans are corrupting the democratic process in this former Soviet republic.

"Obviously, the readiness to manipulate politics with all sorts of dubious strategies is high, and includes the active use of politically incompetent, but famous figures," Umland said.

And the celebrities are only happy to oblige. It seems that many of them run for parliament to get the perks and parliamentary immunity enjoyed by Ukrainian lawmakers rather than a desire to serve their nation ? a trend evidenced by the fact that legislators regularly ditch parliament sessions and simply hand their voting cards to their colleagues.

World boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, 40, is also running for parliament, but he has years of political experience and a record of challenging Yanukovych's party in the Kiev city council ? "like a burr under the saddle," as he puts it. With Tymoshenko in prison, his Udar, or Punch, party has gained popularity in recent months and is running neck-and-neck with Tymoshenko's Fatherland party. The two parties' failure to join forces plays into the hands of Yanukovych.

Klitshchko, a tower of muscle, says that competing on Ukraine's political arena, with its dirty tricks and below-the-belt punches, can be harder than fighting in the boxing ring.

"We have declared a fight for Ukraine and we will win it!" he told hundreds of cheering supporters at a campaign rally in Kiev last week.

With the campaign almost over, pollsters say that the use of celebrities has largely failed to sway Ukrainian voters. Korolevska's party is now less popular than before recruiting Shevchenko, prompting her to replace posters showing him and Stupka with just her face.

"This demonstrates the stupidity of our politicians," said Iryna Bekeshkina, head of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, a polling agency. "At the end of the day our voter, of course, is still far from being rational, but still he is not that stupid."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/soccer-star-pop-diva-run-ukraines-election-072850379.html

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First Tours In Beijing That I Suggest You To Take The Beijing ...

By: Beijing Travel

Looking for excellent travel places during the holiday? Why not join the group of China Tour? Choosing your favorite destinations, taking the China Tour Packages, during your short stay in China, you will learn much more about the old city and fall in love with it. Nowadays, professional China travel agency usually offers high quality of services including airport or train station transfer which will bring you much more convenience. Also if you choose private tours, with private tour guide and driver, you could tailor made your tour itinerary.
Is this your first visit to China? If so, I still recommend Beijing Travel to you although there are innumerable sightseeing located in different parts, different cities of China. For travel in China, there is no doubt that rich capital Beijing city will leave you a deep impression. Tired of traveling with big group of tourists together from different countries? Then just join the Beijing Private Tour which could departure on your own decision and much tailor.
For first Tours in Beijing, if time allows I suggest you to take the Beijing vacation packages like I was. And during the tour, the Great Wall and the Forbidden City are the two symbols of Beijing which should not be missed. Compared with the most famous Badaling Great Wall, I prefer Mutianyu section better. Less crowded with steep steps and slopes, as well as enjoying hiking, you will also be attracted by the beautiful and magnificent mountain scenery around. Though the cable car is available, I suggest you to climb up. And the climbing process will certainly deeply impress you. Also you will understand the popular saying: He who has not been to the great wall is not a true man!
For the Forbidden City, I would like to say it is the largest courtyard in China and the most resplendent and magnificent building I have ever seen. During the half day tour here, I learnt much more about the history and the imperial stories about the ancient life in China. Many palaces have been decorated as the exhibition halls and in the halls there display a lot of precious antiques and calligraphy and painting which all show the prosperity of ancient China.
Seeing is believing! Just come to enjoy a wonderful holiday in Beijing and in China!

---

About the Author:
Join Beijing vacation packages is the luxury way to taste of the essence of old Beijing during your China travel. Real 24/7 online service together with private tour guide, driver, and hotel transfer will let your Beijing sightseeing tours comfortable and full of enjoyment!

Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com

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German movie star tips Rwandan filmmakers - In2EastAfrica - East ...

Eight ambitious young Rwandan filmmakers have concluded a ten-day workshop conducted by renowned German filmmaker Peter Heller.

Peter Heller demonstrates during the workshop. The New Times / Andrew Israel Kazibwe.

It was held at the Goethe-Institut liaison office in Kigali, where participants trained in both theory and practical on directing, writing, shooting of videos and editing.

It ended on Thursday.

The New Times caught up with Peter Heller and below are the excerpts.

Some of the young directors in a practical session.

Qn: What was the workshop about?

A: It was about documentary filmmaking. Most people in Africa don?t have the experience and opportunity in the art of creation of documentaries, let alone watching movies. So, I was invited to pass on the skills I have in film onto Rwandans.

Qn: How was it carried out?

A: We started with a week of theory, and later practiced how to produce documentaries.

Qn: How would you summarise your experience working with African filmmakers?

A:? My first time in Africa was 1974 while I was doing my research.

Honestly, I wasn?t interested in people but later it all changed; I had a much better connection with the people. It?s a good experience and I?ve loved it.

By Andrew Israel Kazibwe, The New Times

Do you have a story or an article to publish? Please email us to submit@in2eastafrica.net.

Source: http://in2eastafrica.net/german-movie-star-tips-rwandan-filmmakers/

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Sandy leaves Bahamas after killing 40 in Caribbean

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) ? Hurricane Sandy spun away from the Bahamas late Friday after causing 40 deaths across the Caribbean, churning northward toward the U.S. East Coast, where it threatens to join with winter weather fronts to create a super storm.

The Category 1 hurricane toppled light posts, flooded roads and tore off tree branches as it spun through Cat Island and Eleuthera in the scattered Bahamas archipelago, with authorities reporting one man killed, the British CEO of an investment bank.

The death toll rose again in impoverished Haiti, reaching 26 on Friday as word of disasters reached officials and rain continued to fall.

Joseph Edgard Celestin, a spokesman for Haiti's civil protection office, said some people died trying to cross rivers swollen by rains from Sandy's outer reaches. While the storm's center missed the country as it passed by Wednesday, Haiti's ramshackle housing and denuded hillsides make it especially vulnerable to flooding.

Officials at a morgue in the western town of Grand Goave said a mudslide crashed through a wooden home Thursday, killing 40-year-old Jacqueline Tatille and her four children, ranging in ages from 5 to 17.

"If the rain continues, for sure we'll have more people die," said morgue deputy Joseph Franck Laporte. "The earth cannot hold the rain."

Officials reported flooding across Haiti, where 370,000 people are still living in flimsy shelters as a result of the devastating 2010 earthquake. Nearly 17,800 people had to move to 131 temporary shelters, the Civil Protection Office said.

Sandy was a Category 2 hurricane when it wreaked havoc in Cuba on Thursday, killing 11 people in eastern Santiago and Guantanamo provinces as its howling winds and rain destroyed thousands of houses and ripped off roofs. Authorities said it was Cuba's deadliest storm since July 2005, when category 5 Hurricane Dennis killed 16 people and caused $2.4 billion in damage.

Cuban authorities said the island's 11 dead included a 4-month-old boy who was crushed when his home collapsed and an 84-year-old man in Santiago province. Near the city of Guantanamo, two men were killed by falling trees, the Communist Party newspaper Granma reported.

Official news media reported Friday that the storm caused 5,000 houses to at least partially collapse while ripping the roofs off 30,000 others. Banana, coffee, bean and sugar crops were damaged.

Sandy also killed a man in Jamaica on Wednesday when a boulder crashed through his house, and police in the Bahamas said a 66-year-old man died after falling from his roof in upscale Lyford Cay late Thursday while trying to repair a window shutter. Officials at Deltec Bank & Trust identified him as Timothy Fraser-Smith, who became CEO in 2000.

One death was reported in Puerto Rico. Police said a man in his 50s was swept away Friday by a swollen river in the southern town of Juana Diaz, where rain from Sandy's outer bands has been steadily falling.

Late Friday, Sandy was about 90 miles (145 kilometers) north of Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas and 395 miles (635 kilometers) south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina. It was just above the threshold for being a hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph), and was moving north at 7 mph (11 kph).

With the storm projected to hit the U.S. Atlantic Coast early Tuesday, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned it could merge with two other systems to become a hybrid, monster storm.

Government officials in the Bahamas said the storm seemed to have inflicted the greatest damage on Cat Island, which took a direct hit, and Exuma, where there were reports of downed trees, power lines and damage to homes.

"I hope that's it for the year," said Veronica Marshall, a 73-year-old hotel owner in Great Exuma. "I thought we would be going into the night, but around 3 o'clock it all died down. I was very happy about that."

On Long Island, farmers lost most of their crops and several roofs were torn off, legislator Loretta Butler-Turner said. The island was without power and many residents did not have access to fresh water, she said.

Power also was out on Acklins Island and most roads there were flooded, while the lone school on Ragged Island in the southern Bahamas was flooded.

Russell, the emergency management official in Nassau, said docks on the western side of Great Inagua island had been destroyed and the roof of a government building was partially ripped off.

Jennifer Savoie, a New Orleans native who lives in Eleuthera, said her fiance's resort, The Cove Eleuthera, was spared major damage but that power is out across most of the island.

"We know the protocol and how to prepare," she said. "It's in our blood. We were hit pretty hard though."

___

Associated Press writers Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Trenton Daniel in Port-au-Prince and Pierre-Richard Luxama in Grand Goave, Haiti; Seth Borenstein in Washington; and Anne-Marie Garcia in Havana contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sandy-leaves-bahamas-killing-40-caribbean-213841809.html

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PFT: Packers' Jennings may opt for surgery

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Week Seven was a very lucky week for yours truly.? With an unlucky 13 games on the schedule, I got 12 of them correct, with only a late comeback from the Titans blocking an unprecedented piece of perfection.

More importantly, MDS and I disagreed on three games.? Thanks to the Cowboys, Saints, and Colts, my two-game season-to-date lead has been extended to five games.

For the year, I?m now 67-37, and MDS is 62-42.

MDS will join Thursday?s PFT Live to discuss this week?s picks.? There will be no gloating.

At least not by him.

Buccaneers at Vikings

MDS?s take: After I was burned by picking the Bucs last week on the way to going 0-for-3 on games where I disagreed with Florio, I?m playing it safe this week. Tampa Bay still looks to me like a team that?s headed in the right direction, but right now the Vikings have too much for the Bucs on both sides of the ball and should win this one comfortably.

MDS?s pick: Vikings 27, Buccaneers 13.

Florio?s take:? The Vikings get a chance to show how different they are this year against one of the teams to whom the Vikings blew a big halftime lead last year.? This time, if the Vikings are up by 10 or more at the break, look for them to close it out with a defense that finally is good enough to hold leads.

Florio?s pick:? Vikings 21, Buccaneers 19.

Panthers at Bears

MDS?s take: Cam Newton is going to bounce back from this slump he?s in eventually. He?s too talented not to. But the Bears are the wrong team for a young quarterback to bounce back against. Chicago?s relentless pressure will force a few turnovers and lead to another loss for the Panthers.

MDS?s pick: Bears 20, Panthers 10.

Florio?s take:? Rattled by the ouster of G.M. Marty Hurney, racked by injuries, and reeling from the sad-sack demeanor of Cam Newton, the Panthers are poised to get plastered.

Florio?s pick:? Bears 31, Panthers 10.

Chargers at Browns

MDS?s take: The Chargers have had two weeks to lick their wounds after that disastrous Monday night meltdown against the Broncos. They?ll come in to Cleveland focused and motivated and win this one comfortably.

MDS?s pick: Chargers 31, Browns 17.

Florio?s take:? If Mike Holmgren?s current team can knock off the Chargers, the Chargers could be Mike Holmgren?s next team.? Though a house-cleaning could still be coming, the Chargers will likely do enough to reverse a bad two weeks of blown leads and stickum, allegedly.

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

Seahawks at Lions

MDS?s take: Mistakes keep killing the Lions, whether it?s penalties, turnovers or special teams coverage breakdowns. If the Lions could get out of their own way they could go on a run down the stretch and still contend for a wild card berth, but that doesn?t look likely at this point. Seattle is the team that looks like a playoff contender, and the Seahawks will take another step in that direction with a win on the road.

MDS?s pick: Seahawks 17, Lions 14.

Florio?s take:? If this one were set for Seattle, it would be a no brainer.? In Detroit, the Seahawks have an opportunity to prove that they?re capable of beating better-than-bad teams in a place other than CenturyLink Field.

Florio?s pick:? Seahawks 17, Lions 16.

Jaguars at Packers

MDS?s take: In the biggest mismatch of the week, the Jaguars? offense will look even worse than usual without Maurice Jones-Drew, and Aaron Rodgers will have his third consecutive huge game.

MDS?s pick: Packers 34, Jaguars 3.

Florio?s take:? The Packers have never beaten the Jaguars at Lambeau Field.? Then again, these teams have played there only once.? The Jags will want to forget their second trip to town.

Florio?s pick:? Packers 45, Jaguars 21.

Dolphins at Jets

MDS?s take: I?m impressed that the Jets aren?t going down without a fight. When they lost Darrelle Revis and got blown out by the 49ers, I figured the Jets were finished, but they?ve played good football for the last three weeks, even if they have only one win to show for it in those three games. The Jets will beat the Dolphins in a low-scoring game and get back to .500.

MDS?s pick: Jets 13, Dolphins 10.

Florio?s take:? Despite the injuries and the ineffectiveness and the uncertainty, the Jets have improved over the past few weeks.? They?re good enough to complete the sweep of a Dolphins team that has improved even more discreetly.

Florio?s pick:? Jets 30, Dolphins 20.

Falcons at Eagles

MDS?s take: The Eagles know their backs are against the wall, and the Falcons have been scraping by with three straight close wins. This looks to me like the day when the Falcons? luck runs out, and the last unbeaten team in the league gets beaten.

MDS?s pick: Eagles 24, Falcons 21.

Florio?s take:? Andy Reid is 13-0 after the bye week.? Sometimes, there?s no need for elaboration.

Florio?s pick:? Eagles 24, Falcons 23.

Redskins at Steelers

MDS?s take: The Steelers took a big step toward the playoffs with last week?s win in Cincinnati, and I like them to keep it going against the Redskins. Look for Steelers tight end Heath Miller to have a big game against the Redskins? defense, just as Giants tight end Martellus Bennett, Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph and Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez have in the Redskins? last three games.

MDS?s pick: Steelers 28, Redskins 27.

Florio?s take:? The Steelers are 20-2-1 at Heinz Field against NFC teams.? But Heinz Field has never seen anything like RG3, who?ll run circles around a Polamalu-free Pittsburgh defense.

Florio?s pick:? Redskins 23, Steelers 20.

Patriots at Rams

MDS?s take: The Rams? secondary has been playing well and the Patriots? secondary has been leaving receivers wide open, and I?m tempted to pick the upset for that reason. But with Danny Amendola hurt I don?t think the Rams have the ammunition to take advantage of the Patriots? problems on defense, and I think New England?s running game can churn up yardage at Wembley Stadium and lead the Patriots to a low-scoring win.

MDS?s pick: Patriots 16, Rams 10.

Florio?s take:? The team whose name pays homage to the men who kicked the butts of the Brits like to kick butt in Britain.? Though it won?t be a blowout like it was three years ago against the Bucs, the Pats should be able to build a fourth-quarter lead.? And hold it.? For a change.

Florio?s pick:? Patriots 27, Rams 21.

Colts at Titans

MDS?s take: Titans running back Chris Johnson took advantage of a bad Bills defense last week, and he should be able to take advantage of a bad Colts defense this week. Johnson will go for about 150 yards and the Colts? offense won?t be able to keep up.

MDS?s pick: Titans 28, Colts 21.

Florio?s take:? The winner of this one won?t likely challenge the Texans for the division crown but would be very much alive for a wild-card berth.? The Titans continue their knack for playing in ? and winning ? exciting games.

Florio?s pick:? Titans 27, Colts 24.

Raiders at Chiefs

MDS?s take: I?m not a believer in Brady Quinn as the Chiefs? long-term answer at quarterback, but as a short-term fix who won?t turn the ball over as often as Matt Cassel, Quinn should be able to lead Kansas City to a home win over a bad team.

MDS?s pick: Chiefs 20, Raiders 16.

Florio?s take:? Oakland has won five straight times at Arrowhead Stadium.? With an extra week to prepare and everyone on the hot seat, if the Chiefs don?t beat the Raiders at home now, they possibly never will.

Florio?s pick:? Chiefs 24, Raiders 10.

Giants at Cowboys

MDS?s take: Completing a season sweep of the Giants would go a long way toward getting the Cowboys into playoff contention, but I don?t see it happening. The Cowboys? defense will miss linebacker Sean Lee, Giants quarterback Eli Manning will have a big day, and the Giants will improve to 4-0 all time at Cowboys Stadium.

MDS?s pick: Giants 31, Cowboys 20.

Florio?s take:? The Cowboys aren?t nearly as good as they were in Week One, when they beat the Giants in New Jersey.? The Giants are the same, but this time they won?t get complacent.

Florio?s pick:? Giants 35, Cowboys 27.

Saints at Broncos

MDS?s take: Two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks will be on the field in Denver, but Drew Brees has to play against a good Broncos secondary, while Peyton Manning gets to play against a terrible Saints secondary. Advantage Peyton.

MDS?s pick: Broncos 42, Saints 21.

Florio?s take:? When he was the head coach of the Panthers, John Fox held his own against Sean Payton?s Saints.? This time, Fox has a great quarterback ? and the Saints don?t have Payton.

Florio?s pick:? Broncos 38, Saints 28.

49ers at Cardinals

MDS?s take: The Cardinals? great start to the season may come to a screeching halt on Monday night.? A home loss to a division rival would be tough for Arizona to overcome, and a win at Arizona will be another step for the 49ers toward establishing themselves as the clear favorites to win the NFC West.

MDS?s pick: 49ers 20, Cardinals 13.

Florio?s take:? Once atop the NFC West, the Cardinals are close to completing their slide to the basement.? Blame it on the lack of a high-end quarterback and an offensive line to protect him.

Florio?s pick:? 49ers 24, Cardinals 13.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/10/25/surgery-is-an-option-for-greg-jennings/related/

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CSN: Rodgers-Cromartie defends fired Castillo

October 25, 2012, 2:17 pm

Not everyone on the Eagles' defense believes that former coordinator Juan Castillo wasn?t cut out for the job.

One day after defensive end Brandon Graham characterized Castillo?s schemes as vanilla and predictable (see story), cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie rose to his former coach?s defense.

Rodgers-Cromartie portrayed Castillo as a scapegoat who became the fall guy for a multitude of problems plaguing a 3-3 team and an easy target for backlash.

?Of course that?s what you're going to say when things tend to go bad, you're going to pin-point someone,? the Pro Bowl corner said. ?I don?t feel that way. You look at statistics, shoot, we?re still in the top of the running. I can?t do nothing about it. But I didn?t see no problems.?

Rodgers-Cromartie also suggested that anyone throwing Castillo under the bus isn?t taking enough personal responsibility for the team?s struggles.

?I feel like every man should be accountable for [himself],? he added. ?I learned from early in life any time things go wrong it?s easy to say, ?He did this, he did that? instead of saying, ?I did this, I did that.? Whatever the case may be I ain?t got no say-so over none of that. It was a decision that happened and it happened.?

Castillo was replaced by secondary coach Todd Bowles, whose message to the defense has centered on less predictability and finishing games, the areas where Castillo had his most problems.

In the former coordinator?s final game, a 26-23 overtime loss to the Lions, the Eagles blew a 10-point lead in the final five minutes. The loss was Castillo?s sixth when leading going into the fourth quarter in a career of just 22 games.

The perception of Castillo going into 2012 was that his duties were relegated to mainly coaching linebackers as defensive line coach Jim Washburn and Bowles presided over their respective positions.

But Rodgers-Cromartie called Castillo the most central figure in his transition from an off corner to a press corner. Rodgers-Cromartie, who spent his first three years in Arizona, said he never played press coverage until he came over to the Eagles last year in an offseason trade.

?No question. He changed my game,? said Rodgers-Cromartie, whose three interceptions is tied with several others for the NFL?s fourth-most picks. ?He brought me to a press corner. He?s one of them guys that will take the time with you to let you understand the weaknesses in your game and keep you after practice and make you work on it.

?This is the NFL. You?re accountable for yourself. Not too many people ... [say] ?Hey, you need to do this and let me see you do it.? They tend to let you do it on your own.?

Rodgers-Cromartie added that ?Juan played a major part in every position -- from the D-line to the linebackers. He?s always trying to keep guys after practice and make them work.?

If it sounds like Rodgers-Cromartie is disappointed or angered by some of the anti-Castillo sentiment that?s emerged over the past few days, he insisted that he?s not ticked off at teammates.

"That?s their own opinion," he said. ?I can?t do nothing about that. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. I can?t be mad because you think he sucks. That?s your opinion.?

E-mail Geoff Mosher at gmosher@comcastsportsnet.com

Tags: nfl, philadelphia eagles, Brandon Graham, juan castillo, Todd Bowles, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, geoff mosher

Source: http://www.csnphilly.com/football-philadelphia-eagles/eagles-talk/Day-after-Grahams-criticism-DRC-defends-?blockID=793415&feedID=704

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Windows 8 Embarks on Perilous Journey

Some 1,000 people gathered in New York City to see the long-ballyhooed Windows 8 unveiling on Thursday, and countless others watched a live stream from the Microsoft website. "Windows 8 shatters perceptions of what a PC really is," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told the audience. "We've truly reimagined Windows."

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/24e2a6b3/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C764840Bhtml/story01.htm

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WH spokesman tries to explain Obama?s 'BS' remark

RICHMOND, Va.?After President Barack Obama reportedly suggested during an interview with Rolling Stone magazine that?Republican challenger Mitt Romney was "a bullshitter," adviser Dan Pfeiffer said his comment points to underlying "trust" issues with Romney.

"What is true is that trust is a very important part of the election," Pfeiffer, who said he had not yet seen the article, told reporters during Obama's campaign swing through Florida, Virginia and Ohio Thursday. "The president is someone who says what he means and does what he says, and Gov. Romney's answers in the debates on domestic issues and foreign policy raise real questions about that."

In a forthcoming article in Rolling Stone, Obama reportedly told author Douglas Brinkley that children can instinctively tell that his opponent is "a bullshitter." Politico published an excerpt Thursday morning.

Since Monday's presidential debate, Obama has made an effort to raise questions about Romney's integrity. Last week he coined the word "Romnesia" to describe what he claims to be Romney's tendency to shift and moderate his positions closer to the election.

Listeners should not be "distracted by the word" but should "focus on the issue," Pfeiffer added. "The president addressed that issue in his stump speech today and he's done it throughout this trip."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/white-house-spokesman-explains-obama-bs-remark-romney-163003909--election.html

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Video: Vote for the week?s top viral video

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/49566713/

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Demon Roleplay with a Twist

Ok guys. I've been thinking about this particular roleplay I'd like to do involving a demon, a possessed person, and a priest. I know you're probably thinking, "Not another demon roleplay!!! -.-" but this one has a bit of a twist to it, so please give this a read and then if you're still not interested in it, that's alright.

Now for the specifics. I'm thinking that this will be a one on one roleplay in which each of us plays two characters, one of each gender. It would start out with one of us playing a masculine demon in whatever form that person would like to use while the other person plays a human female that will be eventually possessed. Then after she is officially taken control of, the person originally playing the demon would take control of the female character and effectively roleplay being possessed while the person that played the female will move to roleplay a male priest that will exorcise the demon from the woman.

Now I'm not thinking some Nickelodeon demon stuff here... I'm thinking the darker, the more disturbing, the more twisted the better.

I'd prefer to play the woman pre-possession and the priest while my partner plays the demon and possessed woman. I'm also looking for more detail per post, so one-liners aren't really going to work here unless it's dialogue and extremely witty, heh. I will be able to post roughly once a day, sometimes more and sometimes less depending on what I've got going, so someone close to that would work best. I also want to do some planning OOCly first to make sure we understand what's going on in the IC and if we have anything we want to discuss about future plot points and stuff, so please be willing to talk OOC with me :)

Hmm I think that's pretty much it for right now. If you're interested please send me a PM and we'll chat! Feel free to post any questions you have here and I'll be sure to answer them as soon as I can!

Thanks so much <3

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/cbTrZIAsITk/viewtopic.php

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Insight: Bomb blast brings Lebanon's party capital to juddering halt

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Luxury yachts line the glitzy seafront marina of Beirut's Zaytouneh Bay where owners would sip champagne at sunset before stepping out for dinner - spoilt for choice between going Italian at Signor Sassi or French at Cro Magnon.

Across the street, the Whisky Mist night club at the Intercontinental Phoenicia Hotel would normally be swinging with Beiruti night clubbers. Gulf Arabs would head for the oriental Awtar night club at the Monroe Hotel for a belly dancing show.

The real estate market, meanwhile, defies not just the laws of economics but geopolitical gravity. "How people can ask for $100,000 in rent when the country is on the edge of the abyss I find extraordinary," said Michael Karam, a wine writer.

Lebanon would seem to have it all: a cosmopolitan society, beach resorts, mountains, friendly weather, good food and wine, and buzzing bars.

The party capital of the Arab world, Beirut is a freewheeling city where Gulf Arabs, expatriates and Lebanese ?migr?s fly in to enjoy its luxury hotels. But under the veneer of modernity lie sectarian demons coiled to strike.

The car-bomb assassination last Friday of intelligence chief Wissam al-Hassan - an attack almost universally blamed on Syria and its local allies - brought the merry-go-round to a juddering halt.

Gunmen and protesters filled the streets, reflecting the antagonisms fuelling the conflict in next-door Syria and reviving memories of the sectarian hatreds that sunk Lebanon into its 1975-90 civil war, a conflict whose wounds have far from healed.

It is not just the sectarian poison - reflecting the regional struggle between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims and, in Lebanon, the Christians split into alliances with both sides - but the shocking social contrasts that lie beneath the surface.

'MANY LEBANONS'

Not far from the glamour of the Beirut seafront lie shanty towns where destitute people fight for daily survival.

Two apartments in the gleaming skyscrapers overlooking Zaytouneh Bay sold only a few months ago for $18 million and $14 million. Apartments for rent were non-negotiable a month ago at a price of $100,000. Real estate agents claimed demand was high from rich Syrians fleeing the conflict at home, but now they admit they may not see such fat deals for some time.

"There are many Lebanons. We live in a true disconnect. This place is on a respirator. We live in a bubble within the bubble," said Maria, 47, an interior designer who left Lebanon aged 9 and returned after 17 years abroad.

Even before last Friday's blast, the spillover from Syria had started to have a knock-on effect in Lebanon.

Security was deteriorating as the rule of law crumbled. Bank robberies and kidnappings for ransom picked up and sectarian rumblings between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims heightened as Lebanon's main Muslim factions lined up with the opposing sides of the Syrian conflict.

Tourists who come for the Roman ruins stayed away this year, leaving frightened Lebanese to contemplate another round of sectarian strife.

The Christian-Muslim bigotry that triggered Lebanon's own war is now buried within the overarching Sunni-Shi'ite struggle convulsing the region. The battle lines in Syria are drawn between the heterodox Shi'ite Alawite minority underpinning Bashar al-Assad and the rebellious Sunni majority, with minorities such as Christians and Druze caught in the crossfire.

Like other Lebanese, Karam has had enough. He will leave the country in which he married, had children and lived through three wars and a popular revolution.

"What prompted me to say this summer that it is time to go is the fact that Syria is in crisis. I am not for one second one of those people who say the Assad regime has to stay, No, but I think while Syria is in crisis Lebanon will be in a more dangerous situation," he said.

GREAT CITY

Karam moved to Lebanon from London in 1992, two years after the war ended and the rebuilding of Beirut by former premier Rafik al-Hariri, a billionaire construction tycoon, started.

The first tremor under this resurrected Beirut shook the city in 2005, when Hariri was killed by a massive bomb. The attack was blamed on Syria and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.

"Now my kids are 15 and 14. They want to go out and I don't want them going out because I don't want to worry every time they go out," said Karam.

Maria, the interior designer, has already sent her two sons to school abroad. A Sunni Muslim with Shi'ite kids, she said sectarianism was embedded in Lebanese life and she did not want her children to subscribe to this culture.

"For me it is a personal choice but for them they have no place in this society. They don't subscribe to the grammar of this place," said Maria.

Beirutis are in a state of shock at the renewed violence, which is reviving memories of the civil war which claimed more than 150,000 lives.

RESILIENT CITY

Like many others Karam believes that unless the Lebanese rebuild a state not based on religion, tackle the security vacuum and revive the comatose economy, the country will lurch from periods of growth and prosperity to periods of instability.

Syria is the epicenter at the moment. Sectarian hostility is on the rise across the region. It began in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein, a Sunni Muslim, and the takeover of power by majority Shi'ites. This shift in the balance of power reinforced the influence of Shi'ite Iran and revived historic tensions in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon and Syria.

That ugly side was on display last week after the car bomb that killed Hassan, a Sunni Muslim opposed to the Syrian leadership.

In Sunni neighborhoods, gunmen set up roadblocks of burning tires, stopping passers-by and asking whether they were Sunni or Shi'ite - a chilling throwback to the civil war.

A Reuters cameraman was asked about his religion. Despite confirming he was Sunni he was prevented from filming because he was told he had a "Shi'ite beard".

Sectarian anger boiled over, with protesters chanting slogans insulting Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. "The blood of Sunnis is boiling," they said.

Yet despite all its troubles, there is a resilience to Beirutis, whose city could scarcely have survived without it.

"Beirut has tremendous energy, it is a city that picks itself up in few hours. It is like a very ugly woman with lots of charm and lots of character, extremely imperfect," said Maria.

"As imperfect as it is with all these people trying to live together, for better or for worse, they attempt to," she said.

(Editing by Giles Elgood)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/insight-bomb-blast-brings-lebanons-party-capital-juddering-153836105.html

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Kacsmar: Just what is going on with the AFC?

NFC best conference, and not only because 3 AFC teams have winning records

Elaine Thompson / AP

Tom Brady's Patriots have beaten just one team with a winning record in their last 19 victories.

OPINION

By Scott Kacsmar

NBCSports.com contributor

updated 1:57 p.m. ET Oct. 25, 2012

You had a great run, AFC. But the NFC has taken the torch ? by force. The 2012 season is the year we will remember as when the NFC reclaimed their spot as the league?s best conference.

The NFL is cyclical. When the NFC was the dominant conference, their teams won 13 consecutive Super Bowls (1984-1996 seasons). After the 1997 Denver Broncos broke the dry spell, the AFC won nine of the next 12 Super Bowls.

As is usually the case, the balance of power swung back and stayed with the AFC thanks to superior talent at the two key positions of head coach and quarterback. Bill Belichick found Tom Brady in New England, Tony Dungy was the best coach for Peyton Manning, and Ben Roethlisberger won Super Bowls under Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh.

Those three teams and quarterbacks have started the last nine Super Bowls for the AFC, and 10 of the past 11. They have also been the class of the AFC, enjoying three of the most successful runs in NFL history.

But nothing stays the same forever. All three lost their most recent Super Bowl over the last three seasons, shifting the power back to the NFC and their prolific combinations at coach and quarterback.

Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning have bested Brady and Belichick in two Super Bowls. Two 2006 rookie coaches, Sean Payton and Mike McCarthy, paired up with dominant quarterbacks like Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. They have won the last three championships (four of the last five).

More than just the Super Bowl wins, the NFC has recently been dominating the AFC in the regular season.

Season AFC Record Pct. 2002 34-29-1 0.539 2003 34-30 0.531 2004 44-20 0.688 2005 34-30 0.531 2006 40-24 0.625 2007 32-32 0.500 2008 34-29-1 0.539 2009 37-27 0.578 2010 34-30 0.531 2011 31-33 0.484 2012 9-19 0.321 Total 363-303-2 0.545

Even when the AFC was at its best, 2004 (14-9) and 2006 (12-15), their non-conference record through seven weeks was never as gaudy as the 19-9 (.679) mark the NFC holds this season. It comes after winning the 2011 season series, 33-31, for the first time since the league went to eight divisions in 2002.

Last year appeared to be an aberration for the AFC with Peyton Manning?s neck surgeries derailing the Colts? season. Matt Schaub went down after 10 games in Houston. Philip Rivers? play deteriorated. Ben Roethlisberger had a high-ankle sprain late in the season. Things should have improved this year through healing alone.

But that has not been the case, and it shows up in the marquee match-ups.

• Peyton Manning threw three interceptions in Atlanta (4-0 against the AFC West) on a Monday night game. He has one interception the rest of the season.
• Baltimore?s first loss of the season was to Philadelphia after leading 17-7 at halftime.
• Houston, widely considered the best AFC team, was blown out at home 42-24 by a Green Bay team who came in struggling.
• New England has already lost to Arizona and Seattle.

Teams buried in the NFC playoff race right now could be leading or tied for the lead in certain AFC divisions.

How did the NFC take control?
These changes do not happen overnight. Without much consistent winning, the NFC has used high draft picks to add significant talent since 2007, such as Calvin Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford, Ndamukong Suh, Clay Matthews, Sam Bradford, Cam Newton, Aldon Smith, Jason Pierre-Paul, Earl Thomas, Julio Jones, and Robert Griffin III.

In that time the NFC has also acquired through trade or free agency former AFC players such as Jared Allen, Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Michael Turner, Marshawn Lynch, Vincent Jackson, Tony Gonzalez, Cortland Finnegan, and Darren Sproles.

• Nine teams this season are averaging over 25.0 points per game, and six are from the NFC.
• Of the 11 teams allowing fewer than 21.0 points per game, nine are from the NFC, including the top four.
• Eight of the 10 teams allowing the most points per game are from the AFC.
• Seven of the top 10 teams in turnover differential are from the NFC.

The NFC only has two teams (at best) with serious quarterback issues. The Eagles already have a successor behind Michael Vick (Nick Foles), while the Cardinals deal with injuries and inconsistencies from John Skelton and Kevin Kolb. St. Louis (Bradford), Carolina (Newton) and Detroit (Stafford) each wish their No. 1 overall pick was playing better right now, but those players are not going anywhere next year.

The AFC could see quarterback changes (this year or next) in Buffalo, New York, Kansas City, while situations with Tennessee, Jacksonville, Oakland and even San Diego are anything but stable. That is seven of the 16 teams.

The five best quarterbacks in the AFC were all drafted in 2004 or earlier. The cupboards have not been properly restocked around the conference, leading to the NFC?s resurgence.

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Broncos to pick apart Saints

PFT: Two future Hall of Fame QBs will be on the field in Denver, but Drew Brees has to play against a good Broncos secondary, while Peyton Manning gets to play against a terrible Saints secondary. Advantage Peyton.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/49554620/ns/sports-nfl/

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Sports journalists join 'Discerning Voters' to back President Mahama

Discerning Voters, a group of independent professionals of the National Democratic Congress, on Tuesday stated their commitment to rally undecided voters to ensure victory for the party in the December 2012 polls.

?We are committing to win 80% of undecided voters for the President through an ongoing peaceful, yet robust and massive strategy that will change the dynamics of Ghanaian politics.?

The Discerning Voters said this at a media briefing to inaugurate the Group in Accra.

Mr Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, a sports journalist and the Convener of the group noted that the group was inspired by President John Mahama's sense of maturity, humility, competence and continuous dedication to the needs of Ghanaians.

?If there ever was a man who has made such tremendous impression and impact as President of his country in just four months, then that man is President John Mahama, and surely this man deserves to continue in office as our President?

He noted that the group had begun massive campaign in villages to inform the electorate about what the NDC had to offer, adding ?we want to encourage you to join us to stand up for Ghana, stand up for truth and stand for President John Mahama?.

According to Mr Ampofo Ankrah, the decision to campaign for the NDC was not instigated by any form of financial gains, as speculated among a section of the public.

?So confident are we in the Better Ghana Agenda that many of us have resigned from our jobs and put our businesses on hold to ensure this humble desire by President Mahama to continue to save the ordinary Ghanaians??

Nana Yaw Agyemang, a television sports commentator, who also declared his support for President Mahama, stated that he had a mind of his own and therefore decided on what he considered to be right.

?I cannot be pushed around by anybody, neither can anyone influence me to do anything, but this is to set an example for those who are afraid to declare their stand. I believe President Mahama is the best person to lead the country.

Source: http://www.modernghana.com/sports/425838/2/sports-journalists-join-discerning-voters-to-back-.html

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Fish's 'spitting mystery' solved

25 October 2012 Last updated at 07:50 By Michelle Warwicker BBC Nature

Italian scientists say they have solved the mystery of how archer fish can spit powerful jets of water.

Archer fish shoot water jets with enough force to knock prey into the water from overhanging vegetation.

Research by a team from the University of Milan shows that the fish's forceful strike is formed externally using water dynamics, rather than using the body's internal muscles.

This technique allows the animals to take accurate shots from up to 2m away.

For years scientists studied archer fish (Toxotes jaculatrix), searching for evidence of specialised internal organs that are adapted to this water-pistol-like hunting technique.

But previous studies have ruled out this idea.

The new research, published in the PLoS ONE journal, demonstrated that archer fish "modulate" the water they spit out so that the jet increases in velocity (speed in a given direction) as it travels from the fish's mouth through air.

The team used high-speed video recordings to make their discovery.

Professor Alberto Vailati, a member of the research team from the University of Milan, Italy, described the action as being similar to "when you shoot water... using a water pistol or by squeezing a rubber toy".

Underwater Olympians

It is the accuracy with which archer fish shoot deadly darts of water at prey that earned the species its name.

The jets of water are produced when archer fish press their tongues against a groove in their mouths to form a gun-barrel-like shape, and close their gills to force out a spurt of water.

The water jet travels through the air, increasing in velocity, and forms into a single large drop of water, Prof Vailati explained. The energy gathers at the head of the water jet, for maximum impact when it hits the prey.

The water spurts are up to six times stronger than the fish's muscular power - strong enough to abruptly knock even firmly anchored prey into the water so that the archer fish can devour them.

Other animals, such as chameleons, use a "catapult" technique by storing energy in collagen fibres within their bodies.

These internal structures "act as a kind of spring", allowing chameleons to suddenly shoot their tongues out to capture prey, said Prof Vailati.

The findings by Prof Vailati and his colleagues are the first to suggest that it is external powers of physics rather than biological causes that afford archer fish with their deadly darts.

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Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/20068607

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Christian sister trio Barlowgirl calling it quits

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) ? Christian sister trio Barlowgirl is retiring after nearly a decade of chart-topping success.

Alyssa, Lauren and Rebecca Barlow are releasing their final song, "Hope Will Lead Us On," on Oct. 30. They will hold an online chat with fans Oct. 29 on Ustream, where they will take questions and perform acoustically.

No reason was given for the decision to retire. A spokesman says, simply, "They're ready for a new season."

In a statement, the sisters call their music career "one of the most incredible adventures." They thanked fans for sharing their dream.

Barlowgirl has sold over a million copies of their self-titled debut album released in 2004. They earned four No. 1 hits, including 2005's "I Need You to Love Me," which spent a record 13 weeks at the top.

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Online: www.barlowgirl.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/christian-sister-trio-barlowgirl-calling-quits-120418218.html

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Stock futures point to modest bounce on China data, Boeing

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures advanced on Wednesday, pointing to a bounce from declines a day earlier when the Dow suffered its biggest drop in four months, after data from China and Boeing earnings eased concerns about sluggish global growth.

The China HSBC Flash Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) showed that growth shrank for a 12th straight month in October, but output was at a three-month high of 49.1 and order books at their most robust since April, signaling a strengthening recovery.

The data offset some concerns triggered by the Markit's composite Purchasing Managers Index, which showed Germany's private sector shrank for a sixth month in October.

Boeing Co shares climbed 3.3 percent to $75.20 in premarket trading after the commercial jet and defense giant reported earnings and raised its full-year 2012 outlook.

"With few bits of information that can motivate investors to begin buying again, when you consider you have the election coming up, you have the fiscal cliff and the problems that remain in Europe and China, you are just not getting enough good news to avoid air pockets like we've had the last couple of days," said Rick Meckler, president of investment firm LibertyView Capital Management in Jersey City, New Jersey.

"For the market to really tick up, you are going to need to a few very positive or at least some positive forecasts."

Corporate profits will remain in focus after declines on Tuesday. There have been a ream of disappointments in the earnings reported so far, particularly in the results of large multinationals.

A total of 43 S&P 500 companies are scheduled to report earnings on Wednesday, including Citrix Systems Inc , F5 Networks Inc and Symantec Corp after the close.

AT&T Inc posted third-quarter revenue that was below analysts' expectations, but its earnings increased from a year earlier.

Dow Chemical Co , the largest chemical maker in the United States, said Tuesday it would cut 5 percent of its workforce and shut 20 plants to counter a slowing global economy. Its shares advanced 3.3 percent to $29.50 in premarket trade.

Eli Lilly and Co reported quarterly earnings and sales below Wall Street expectations, hurt by higher taxes and generic competition for its Zyprexa schizophrenia drug.

S&P 500 futures rose 3 points and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures added 30 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures added 7.25 points.

EMC Corp slumped 6.4 percent to $23.10 in premarket trading after the data-storage equipment maker reported third-quarter earnings that missed analysts' expectations.

With results in from 29 percent of S&P 500 <.spx> companies, 37 percent have exceeded revenue forecasts, far below the 62 percent average, and just 57.2 percent of the S&P 500 names reporting so far have beaten earnings forecasts, according to Thomson Reuters data through Tuesday morning.

The current reporting season has seen the lowest percentage of companies exceeding estimates since the fourth quarter of 2001.

Economic data expected on Wednesday includes the U.S. flash Markit Manufacturing PMI for October at 8:58 a.m. EDT. Economists in a Reuters survey expect a 51.5 reading for the October Flash index versus 51.1 in the final September report.

At 10:00 a.m., investors will peruse September new home sales and the August home price index for continued signs the industry is returning to health.

Economists in a Reuters survey expect new home sales to show a total of 385,000 annualized units compared with 373,000 in August. The home price index had risen 0.2 percent in July.

European shares advanced on Wednesday, encouraged by Chinese data and bouncing back after a steep sell-off on Tuesday. <.eu/>

The China data helped trim declines in Asian shares, though investors remained wary due to weak corporate earnings worldwide and enduring worries over a global slowdown.

(Editing by Bernadette Baum)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stock-index-futures-signal-mixed-wall-street-open-084646921--finance.html

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