Obama's tough-guy foreign policy: Will it help in 2012? (The Week)

New York ? It's usually Republicans whom voters trust to keep America safe. But this time around, Democrats may have the edge on national security

On the campaign trail this week, Republican presidential candidates tore into?President Obama's foreign policy record, saying, for instance, that they would take a far more aggressive approach to stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Despite these criticisms, Obama is able to point to a string of successes abroad, from the toppling of Libya's Moammar Gadhafi to the killing of Osama bin Laden. While the GOP has traditionally defined itself as the tough party that protects Americans ? and scares our enemies ? will Obama's foreign-policy edge put him over the top in a tight 2012 election?

Yes. Obama's tough-guy image could save him: In an economy like this, foreign policy won't be the first thing on voters' minds, says Michael A. Cohen at?Foreign Policy. But none of the GOP candidates has convincingly passed the "commander-in-chief test" yet, and they're going up against an incumbent Democrat who has made huge strides in wiping out the top echelons of al Qaeda. "Not since the 1940s, has foreign policy performance or acumen been seen as a Democratic advantage. This year it is."
"The new national security party"

Are you kidding? Obama is a weakling: The president has demonstrated nothing but "self-abasement and weakness" with his foreign policy, says Michael Filosof at The American Thinker, apologizing for Americans at every turn. The trouble is, the Republican candidates have failed to point out his failings, such as the "illegal war in Libya" that America led from behind. If the GOP field wises up, it can paint Obama as the "Second Coming of Jimmy Carter."
"Prepare yourself for Obama's second term"

But GOP promises to do better aren't credible:?Republican candidates pledge they'll have more successes abroad, says James M. Lindsay at Council on Foreign Relations. They say they'll get Iran to buckle, and convince Pakistan to stop supporting terrorists. They'd also supposedly bring regime change to Syria, and force China to "end its predatory trade practices." But the truth is that Obama's failures reflect the world's complexities, not his own weakness. Republicans can't credibly promise anything better.
"The 2012 elections and the Republicans' foreign policy"

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Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface available for pre-order in 23 countries, expected to ship in 2012

Microsoft's Surface hasn't exactly exploded on the sales figure front, but with next-gen model pricing estimated at $7,600 and limited availability, we're not surprised that the table of the future hasn't begun popping up in hotels and retails stores the world over. That may slowly change, however, with one of the most recent models -- Samsung's SUR40 -- finally coming up for pre-order today. Enterprise customers (or deep-pocketed individuals) can reach out to dedicated sales reps in any of 23 countries to place an order, including the U.S. and Canada, parts of Asia, and most of Europe. An exact ship date has yet to be released, but don't expect the 40-inch 1080p multitouch table to start popping up until early next year. Want to start touching and tapping today? Check out our hands-on with an early SUR40 from CES.

Continue reading Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface available for pre-order in 23 countries, expected to ship in 2012

Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface available for pre-order in 23 countries, expected to ship in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Glam Slam: Ho! Ho! Ho? No! No! No! (omg!)

It's not a case of Bah, Humbugs! But, why are people starting to celebrate the holidays so early? -- Getty Images

"It's already begun. Christmas non-stop." That's the email I got yesterday from one of my co-workers letting me know a local radio station started playing holiday songs 24/7. I feel like I always say this, but I swear, the Christmas Holiday season starts earlier and earlier every year.

No Bah, Humbugs from me, I'm no Scrooge or the Grinch, I LOVE Christmas! But even I am bothered by how celebrating the holidays has spread from December to November and now October. (Poor Thanksgiving has completely gotten lost in the shuffle!)

PLAY IT NOW: Access Hollywood Live: Fight Off That Holiday Weight Gain!

I went to the Los Angeles shopping complex, The Grove, on the weekend BEFORE Halloween and they were already putting up the massive Christmas Tree. A couple of little displays here or there doesn't bother me so much...but a 110-foot tree, plus Santa's Cottage (he's already open for business) and a life-size Santa and sleigh flying over the Grove's big pond, well, that's holiday'd-to-the-hilt.

My husband joked that soon we'll start celebrating Christmas in July. At the rate things are going, I'd say that he's not that far off! Fireworks and eggnog, oh boy, can't wait!

VIEW THE PHOTOS: 2011 Sundance Film Festival: Stars Bundle Up In The Snow!

I complained about the Christmas tree going up so early to my boss and he said, well, they are doing that because retailers really need the business during the tough economy. Point taken, but couldn't we at least get past Halloween?

I love Nordstrom. Every year they hold off putting up holiday decorations until Black Friday. How refreshing! Santa--can we have more of that!?

Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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[OOC] Gantz Players Info Board

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--> Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
Head Quarters:
Gantz Apartment

Intro:
This morning you woke up, showered, ate breakfast, went to school/work, left school/work, crossed the street and suddenly you are hit by a bus. You're dead. Or at least you're supposed to be. Next thing you know you awake in an empty apartment filled with a random group of people who all have similar stories. At the center of the room is a huge black sphere.

After some time in the room, music is played, and the sphere opens up, revealing a bald naked man with a breathing mask and wires attached to his head, and three racks protruding from it, that offer various items for them to use. These include the custom fitting black suits Gantz makes for each of them, giving them great strength, speed, jumping ability, and some level of protection from harm, a controller which act as a radar and stealth unit, and three types of guns.

Time to Hunt! Working with or against your team, you have to hunt various aliens in order to gain points that you can use to either upgrade on gear, bring a dead Gantz player back to life, or gain your freedom with the cost of losing every memory dealing with the Gantz game. Its all up to you.

Equipment:
starter-equipment-t58205.html

Character Sheet:

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Name:
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Home: (Please place Home State or other Country if Not a Japanese citizen, *optional: Please add city/town name)
Back-story: (This is not required to be filled out if its for Killable character.)
Main or Killable:
How you died:(Character has to have died in Japan)
Player Status: (Veteran/ Noobie)
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Enbridge sticks with Michigan oil spill estimate (AP)

MARSHALL, Mich. ? Enbridge Inc. is sticking with its previous estimate that about 843,000 gallons of oil were spilled from a pipeline in southern Michigan last year.

A posting this week on a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website says about 1.1 million gallons of oil have been recovered since a July 2010 pipeline rupture near Marshall. Much of the oil wound up in the Kalamazoo River.

The EPA said Wednesday the recovered oil total includes oily water, soil, sediments and debris. The agency says it can't state how much oil was lost from the pipeline.

An Enbridge spokesman says the 1.1 million gallons includes oil lost from the pipeline and other material recovered from the spill site, including non-petroleum and potential petroleum-based materials.

The pipeline runs from Griffith, Ind., to Sarnia, Ontario.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111117/ap_on_re_us/us_michigan_river_oil_spill

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Social Gaming Numbers Grow by 71 Percent [with chart]

Social Gaming Numbers Grow by 71 Percent [with chart]

Updating U.S. and the U.K. research from 18 months ago, PopCap Games found that 118.5 million people now play social games at least once a week, 71 percent more than the previous report. Out of everyone online, 41 percent of them have played a social game during the previous three months.

People also are much more likely to spend real money on in-game content, a segment up 86 percent to 31 million players.

More people are playing them than before as well. About 35 million of those now playing social games ? 30 percent of the total ? were not playing them last time the study was done. The ages are balancing out, too. Players under 30 years old jumped from 19 percent to 30 percent of all social gamers. Therefore, even though the average first-time social gamer is a woman older than 50, the overall average social gamer?s age has gone down to 39 from 43 previously.

Most people know that females outnumber males on these games, but the differential is now only 10 percent (55 percent to 45 percent).

Once people discover the fun of social games, they really get hooked on them. About 68 percent (81 million people) play at least once a day, 41 percent (49 million) play multiple times every day, and 17 percent play at least six hours each week.

Information Solutions Group conducted this research exclusively for PopCap Games. The report examines play habits, attitudes and regional/demographic differences among social gamers, who represent the fastest-growing segment of the video game industry.

Based in Seattle, PopCap was founded in 2000 and was acquired by Electronic Arts in July. It has a worldwide staff of more than 500 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Vancouver, Dublin, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo. PopCap is best known for Plants vs. Zombies, Bookworm, Zuma and Bejeweled, the latter franchise of which has sold more than 50 million units.

Related links:

http://www.popcap.com

http://www.informationsg.com

Download the 2011 PopCap Social Gaming Research report here [PDF].

?


Source: http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2011/11/15/social-gaming-numbers-grow-by-71-percent-with-chart

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Sandusky TV interview could haunt him at trial (AP)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. ? Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky's admission that he showered with and "horsed around" with boys could be used by prosecutors trying to convict him of child sex-abuse charges.

Experts in criminal law and crisis management questioned Sandusky's decision to give a TV interview in which he said there was no abuse and that any activities in a campus shower with a boy were just horseplay, not molestation.

"Mr. Sandusky goes on worldwide television and admits he did everything the prosecution claims he did, except for the ultimate act of rape or sodomy? If I were a prosecutor, I'd be stunned," said Lynne Abraham, the former district attorney of Philadelphia. "I was stunned, and then I was revolted."

Abraham, who led a grand jury probe involving 63 accused priests from the Philadelphia archdiocese, was retained this week to lead an internal investigation of The Second Mile, the children's charity founded by Sandusky, from which he allegedly culled his victims.

The child sex-assault charges filed against Sandusky this month have toppled Penn State's longtime football coach, Joe Paterno, and the university's president, Graham Spanier. The school's athletic director and vice president are accused of not reporting what they knew to police and have left their posts.

Sandusky is charged with abusing eight boys over the span of 15 years. He told NBC on Monday that he was not a pedophile but, in retrospect, should not have showered with boys.

"I could say that I have done some of those things. I have horsed around with kids. I have showered after workouts. I have hugged them, and I have touched their legs without intent of sexual contact," Sandusky said Monday on NBC News' "Rock Center." "I am innocent of those charges."

When NBC's Bob Costas asked him whether he was sexually attracted to underage boys, Sandusky replied: "Sexually attracted, no. I enjoy young people, I love to be around them, but, no, I'm not sexually attracted to young boys."

Sandusky apparently decided to talk to Costas by phone Monday at the last minute, with the blessing of his attorney, Joseph Amendola, who was in the studio.

"What was especially astonishing about Sandusky's interview is ? and this will be the big moment in court ? is when he stumbled over the question about whether he was sexually attracted to children," said crisis management expert Eric Dezenhall, who runs a Washington consulting firm. "That may not be legal proof that he's guilty, but it is certainly not helpful, to struggle with the question."

The state grand jury investigation that led to Sandusky's arrest followed a trail that goes back at least 13 years, leading to questions from some quarters about whether law enforcement moved too slowly.

The grand jury report detailed a 1998 investigation by Penn State police, begun after an 11-year-old boy's mother complained that Sandusky had showered with her son in the football facilities. Then-District Attorney Ray Gricar declined to file charges.

Another missed opportunity came in 2002, the grand jury said, when then-graduate assistant Mike McQueary told Paterno that he had witnessed Sandusky sodomizing a child in the team's showers. McQueary later spoke to Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and vice president for business Gary Schultz. They are now accused of breaking the law by not going to police.

McQueary's actions also have been scrutinized, with some suggesting he didn't do enough after witnessing child sex-abuse.

McQueary told a friend from Penn State that he stopped the alleged assault and went to the police about it. The friend made an email from McQueary available to The Associated Press on Tuesday on the condition of anonymity.

In the email dated Nov. 8 from McQueary's Penn State account, the former Nittany Lions quarterback wrote: "I did stop it, not physically ... but made sure it was stopped when I left that locker room... I did have discussions with police and with the official at the university in charge of police....no one can imagine my thoughts or wants to be in my shoes for those 30-45 seconds...trust me."

Added McQueary: "Do with this what you want...but I am getting hammered for handling this the right way...or what I thought at the time was right...I had to make tough impacting quick decisions."

Emails to McQueary from AP were not immediately answered.

The case apparently took on new urgency two years ago, when a woman complained to officials at her local school district that Sandusky had sexually assaulted her son. School district officials banned him from school grounds and contacted police, leading to an investigation by state police, the attorney general's office and the grand jury.

Gov. Tom Corbett took the case on a referral from the Centre County district attorney in early 2009 while he was serving as attorney general.

He bristled Tuesday when asked whether it was fair for people to criticize the pace of the probe.

"People that are saying that are ill-informed as to how investigations are conducted, how witnesses are developed, how backup information, corroborative information is developed, and they really don't know what they're talking about," he told reporters.

The attorney general's office declined to comment on the pace of the investigation.

The Patriot-News of Harrisburg reported Monday that only one trooper was assigned to the case after the state took it over in 2009. It wasn't until Corbett became governor early this year that his former investigations supervisor in the attorney general's office, Frank Noonan, became state police commissioner and put seven more investigators on it, the newspaper said.

Noonan's spokeswoman, Maria Finn, said Tuesday that manpower was increased in the case this year, but she could not confirm the numbers reported by the newspaper.

"The investigation, at the time, was gaining momentum," Finn said. "There were more leads, there were more things to do at that point. It's not that the state police weren't doing anything and Noonan comes in and changes things."

With the case now drawing global media attention and potential civil litigants watching from the sidelines, Sandusky went on the offensive in the NBC interview.

"I would knock my client over the head with a two-by-four before I would let them do it, but it cuts both ways," said criminal defense lawyer Mark Geragos, who represented O.J. Simpson and other celebrity defendants. "If prosecutors use it, it can end up being testimony without cross examination."

He called the Penn State an unusual case that may call for unusual tactics, given the "instantaneous uproar to convict the guy."

Penn State's trustees have hired the public relations firm Ketchum, which through corporate communications director Jackie Burton said only that "the details of all our client assignments are confidential."

Paterno, who authorities say fulfilled his legal responsibilities and is not considered an investigative target, has hired Washington lawyer Wick Sollers. Sollers told the AP on Tuesday he was "not in a position to comment just yet."

Also Tuesday, lawyers for Schultz and Curley issued a statement in which they said it was "a travesty" that prosecutors sought to delay their clients' preliminary hearing until next month.

"Mr. Curley and Mr. Schultz are anxious to face their accusers, clear their good names and go on with their lives," said attorneys Caroline Roberto and Tom Farrell.

The attorney general's office declined to comment.

Sandusky's next court date is Dec. 7, when he is due for a preliminary hearing in which a judge would determine if there's enough evidence for prosecutors to move forward with the case.

___

Dale reported from Philadelphia. Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pa. AP College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo in New York contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111115/ap_on_sp_co_ne/fbc_penn_state_abuse

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Japan exits recession as quake scars heal; outlook dim (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) ? Japan's economy rebounded from an earthquake-triggered recession in the third quarter by expanding 1.5 percent, a pace that is likely to slow down though as a strong yen and weak global growth darken the outlook.

The growth -- the fastest among major industrial nations -- was fueled by robust exports and consumption after companies restored supply chains wrecked by the March earthquake and tsunami, bringing output and overseas sales to pre-disaster levels.

On an annualised basis, the economy expanded 6.0 percent. The growth figures were in line with market expectations and came after three straight quarters of contraction.

But just as the world's third-biggest economy has emerged from recession it faces new headwinds from the euro zone debt crisis, a fresh shock to supply chains from the Thai floods and the strong yen, which has blazed a trail of successive record highs against the dollar.

"The situation surrounding Japan's economy is increasingly severe due to weakening global economic recovery, effects of Thai floods and rapid yen rises," Economics Minister Motohisa Furukawa told reporters.

"We'll continue to watch risks to the economy."

With the economic bounce tailing off, the onus is now on public spending in the nation's biggest rebuilding effort since World War Two to sustain the recovery.

A 12.1 trillion yen ($157 billion) supplementary budget is now in parliament and the government hopes it will be passed by the end of this month.

Much longer term, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's government hopes a U.S.-led effort to forge an Asia Pacific free-trade pact will help lift the country's economic growth, which has largely stagnated since a property bubble burst in the late 1980s.

SLOWDOWN AHEAD

Economists polled by Reuters earlier this month saw Japan's economic growth slowing down to 0.5 percent this quarter.

Some said the economy may even shrink again as floods in Thailand -- a major production base for Japanese manufacturers -- disrupt production and as emerging economies cool.

"Looking further ahead, public works spending is likely to start rising as reconstruction work gathers pace and this will contribute to GDP," said Yasuo Yamamoto, senior economist at Mizuho Research Institute in Tokyo.

"However, external demand isn't likely to contribute much to Japan's growth in the future due to Europe's problems."

Net exports contributed 0.4 percentage point to GDP growth in the third quarter, the first positive contribution in five quarters, thanks to companies' rebuilding efforts following the earthquake and tsunami.

Private consumption, which makes up about 60 percent of economic activity, grew a stronger-than-expected 1.0 percent, lifted by a pick up in automobile sales as supply bottlenecks eased.

Corporate capital spending was up 1.1 percent in line with forecast.

While reconstruction after the disaster is expected to support economic growth, the corporate mood is less optimistic.

A Reuters Tankan survey and machinery orders data last week showed companies were pessimistic about the outlook for the coming months.

Manufacturers forecast that core machinery orders would fall in the fourth quarter after three straight quarter of rises.

A Reuters Tankan survey, which mirrors the Bank of Japan's tankan report, showed sentiment worsened in November for the second straight month and companies were pessimistic about the outlook for the next three months.

One factor weighing on corporate sentiment is the strength of the yen, which hit a record high against the dollar of 75.31 late in October prompting authorities to intervene in markets to sell the currency.

Several car makers and electronics firms have warned they might be forced to move more production abroad to cope with the currency.

Japanese authorities sold an estimated record 7.7 trillion yen ($100 billion) in the intervention and the Bank of Japan eased monetary policy last month, steps that have had only a short-lived impact.

The central bank meets again on November 15-16 and is expected to leave policy unchanged this time, saving up its increasingly limited policy arsenal in case Europe's debt crisis turns into a global shock similar to that sparked by Lehman Brothers' collapse in 2008.

"Some people think the BOJ can weaken the yen with aggressive monetary easing, but I think this is a dream. It didn't happen when the BOJ did it before, so I see no reason why it would happen now," said Hiroaki Muto, senior economist at Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management Co.

Japan told its APEC partners this weekend that it was ready to join talks on efforts to forge an Asia-Pacific trade pact.

"As a trading country that has build its prosperity of today, we must take advantage of growth in the Asia-Pacific region," Noda said in Tokyo before leaving for the summit in Hawaii.

The Asia-Pacific leaders hope the pact will help boost growth and shield their economies in the future from economic shocks, such as the euro zone debt crisis.

(Additional reporting by Stanley White, Kaori Kaneko and Lisa Twaronite; Writing by Rie Ishiguro and Tomasz Janowski; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Neil Fullick)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111114/bs_nm/us_japan_economy

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PFT: Falcons back Smith's 4th-down gamble

New York Giants v San Francisco 49ersGetty Images

Through 10 Sundays, the two conferences couldn?t be any more different.? The best teams in the NFC are obvious; in the AFC, the proposition changes on a weekly basis.

So let?s take the current temperature of the entire league by looking at the 10 story lines that caught our attention on Sunday.

Or at least the ones that caught my attention.

1.? Jim Harbaugh needs to teach John a thing or two.

It?s impossible to know whether the 49ers would have won their third through ninth games if they hadn?t lost to the Cowboys in Week Two.? Safety Donte Whitner recently pointed to the blown lead against Dallas as the biggest moment of the year for the Niners, propelling them to their string of seven straight wins, and counting.

Along the way, the 49ers have had plenty of chances to lay something other than a golden egg.? But stubbornly obsessive head coach Jim Harbaugh won?t let his team have a letdown.

And John Harbaugh would be smart to ask his brother how in the heck he does it.

John?s Ravens follow big wins with flat performances, losing winnable games after signature victories.? Beat the Steelers?? Lose in Nashville.? Beat the Texans?? Lose in Jacksonville.? Beat the Steelers again?? Lose in Seattle, um, ville.

Though I?ve previously blamed the inability to avoid playing down to the level of the competition on linebacker Ray Lewis, given that he?s the guy who has assumed the responsibility for ensuring that the dogs are indeed in the house, the head coach is responsible for finding ways to get grown men to take care of their business.

Yes, the Seahawks are hard to beat at home.? But when Jim Harbaugh goes there on Christmas Eve, a week after facing (and perhaps beating) the Steelers, he?ll likely make the locals feel like the unsuspecting residents of Whoville.

2.? Despite down year, DeSean?s absence hurt the Eagles.

Some Philly fans likely shrugged at the decision to deactivate receiver DeSean Jackson.? Since he?s having a down year and given that he primarily runs one route (i.e., deep), the Eagles had the weapons to win without him.

They didn?t.

After the game, running back LeSean McCoy confirmed that the Eagles missed DeSean.? ?With the type of player he is, he plays a big role for this offense,? McCoy said, via comments distributed by the team.? ?Any player that says we didn?t miss him is not being honest.?

Quarterback Mike Vick agreed.? ?Anytime you [don't] have one of your premier players, one of your go-to guys, it does, yeah it does,? Vick said, via comments distributed by the team.? ?But we have to respect the decisions that are made.? We wish it never had to come to that, but it is what it is and you still have to go out and win the football game.?

Per a league source, Vick privately expressed after the game that his 128-yard passing effort resulted from an inability to find a rhythm early.? So can any of that be blamed on the absence of Jackson, given that he wasn?t exactly having a Pro Bowl season?

To quote one of the most famous residents of Philadelphia, ?Absolutely.?

In the West Coast offense, a receiver who can run fast in a straight line and pull both a corner and a safety deep helps open up the various underneath routes for guys like Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek, Jason Avant, and Riley Cooper.? Even if Jackson doesn?t catch a single pass, his presence helps fuel the overall passing game by creating passing lanes for his teammate, and for his quarterback.

What else can explain the curious career of Todd Stinkston?

For DeSean and the Eagles, the long-term relationship took a major hit on Sunday based not on what he would have done with the ball in his hand, but based on what his presence would have meant for the ability of his teammates to get the ball into theirs.

3.? Schedule makers stick it to the Jets.

This year?s Thursday night schedule omits a quirk that had worked to the disadvantage of past teams operating on a short week.? In the past, road teams in a Thursday nighter sometimes played a road game the preceding Sunday, requiring them to travel home and then travel to another city between the end of the Sunday game and the start of the Thursday contest.

This year, every Thursday road team will have played at home the prior Sunday.? (Ideally, every home team on a Thursday would play on the road the prior Sunday, balancing out the time lost to travel on a short week.? But we?ll fight our windmills one at a time.)? The Jets, for example, played at home in Week 10 before going to Denver on Thursday night to kick off Week 11.

But the Jets still got shafted by the league office.

By playing a Sunday night game that ended close to midnight in New York, the Jets have eight hours less to recover and refocus than they would have had if the game had begun at 1:00 p.m. ET.? Though it may not seem like much, every minute counts when there are only 92 hours between the end of one game and the start of another.

Though the flexing dynamic can?t completely erase this possibility, Sunday night games should be scheduled with sensitivity to the Thursday night schedule, and decisions to slide games to Sunday night should take into account whether either of the teams in the late Sunday game will have to hit the road for another one only four days later.

4.? Deja vu for Kolb.

Last year, a concussion for Kevin Kolb in Week One opened the door for Mike Vick in Philly.? Though Kolb was assured by coach Andy Reid that Vick wouldn?t keep the job, Reid thereafter decided to stick with the hot hand ? which eventually resulted in the Eagles giving Kolb the cold shoulder.

Now that he?s the quarterback of the present and future (supposedly) in Arizona, another injury has allowed another quarterback to go on another hot streak, and it could be another long year on the bench for Kolb.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated said during Sunday?s edition of Football Night in America that John Skelton will get at least another start, as the Cardinals try to topple the 8-1 49ers.? While it may be difficult if not impossible for Skelton?s redbirds to beat San Fran at Candlestick Park, the fact that Skelton has led the Cards to a 2-0 record after a 1-6 start under Kolb can?t be disregarded.

The key figure in all of this could be receiver Larry Fitzgerald.? Though the trade for Kolb surely helped Fitz decide to sign a long-term deal in lieu of hitting the market in 2012 (the Cardinals had no ability under his prior contract to use any tags to hold him in place), it hadn?t been clicking for Kolb and Fitzgerald, prompting Fitzgerald to recently complain about the absence of a high-end receiver who could absorb some of the attention.

On Sunday, operating against a defense that features Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Fitzgerald had seven catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns.? (He arguably had a third score late in the game, but coach Ken Whisenhunt opted not to challenge the ruling that Fitzgerald was touched before sliding across the goal line.)

Though it?s not Fitz?s style to make power plays, the powers-that-be in Arizona are smart enough to know that keeping their key player happy is one of the team?s top priorities.? And if Skelton, despite throwing more than a few ugly passes that looked more like volleyball serves, can deliver victory and energize Fitzgerald, Kolb will get extra time to recover from a stubborn case of turf toe.

In fact, team doctors may give the front of the foot an extra twist or two every time they examine it.

5.? Mike Smith makes a contract extension decision.

Some agree with the decision by Falcons coach Mike Smith to roll the dice on fourth and short from his own 29 in overtime.? Some don?t.? Regardless of whether Smith is compared to the genius Bill Belichick circa 2009 or the jester Barry Switzer circa 1995, the move took a lot of guts.? (Actually, Switzer had the last laugh in 1995; the Cowboys rebounded from that blown game against the Eagles to win the Super Bowl.)

It took the kind of guts that become much easier to muster when a guy has received a contract extension.

And that?s likely one of the reasons why Smith felt sufficiently comfortable to do it.? Signed to a new three-year extension in February, Smith has the kind of security that lets him take the kind of chances that would be hard for a lame duck to take.

Maybe Smith would have done the same thing if he was seven games from becoming a coaching free agent.? The point for now is that a guy who believes the front office believes in him will be more likely to take a big risk.

That said, Smith now has to persuade the locker room that he opted not to punt not because he lacks belief in his defense, especially since Smith explained after the game that the move was motivated by a fear that the Saints would put together a game-winning drive on its next possession.? Though that can be regarded as respect for the New Orleans offense, it also could be viewed as a diss of the Dirty Birds? D.

6.? Glimmer of hope for Tebow.

Lost in the laughable stat line for the Broncos (55 runs, eight passes) is the significance of the 56-yard, on-the-money touchdown pass from quarterback Tim Tebow to receiver Eric Decker.

Apart from Tebow showing uncharacteristic, based on past performances, accuracy on the throw, Tebow delivered the ball without his characteristic catapult-style throwing motion.? The ball come out high and tight and it showed that the thousands of reps spent trying to reverse his muscle memory could be starting to work.? Though it doesn?t mean he?ll never revert to that looping Leftwich launcher, it?s a sign that, in time, Tebow has the potential to become a better passer.

And if he can become a better passer, he?ll become an unprecedented run-pass threat.

7.? Reid still needs to fear getting fired.

Three years ago, with his back pressed firmly against the wall following a dreadful performance in Baltimore that included the benching of Donovan McNabb, Eagles coach Andy Reid got it together on a short week, blasting the Cardinals on Thanksgiving night, 48-20.

With the Cardinals back in town after another sluggish, postseason-jeopardizing performance by the Eagles, the table was set for Reid to lead another late climb out of an unexpected hole.? Indeed, as the Giants faced the prospect of losing in San Fran (and the Giants did), a win would have given the Eagles a chance next Sunday night to close the NFC East gap down to one game.

In the days before what became a deflating defeat, a report surfaced that Reid basically will remain the head coach of the Eagles for as long as he wants to remain the head coach of the Eagles.

But is that really the smart approach?? Though it?s always wise to consider whether a new coach would make the situation better or worse, every football coach needs to fear the ultimate accountability that comes from chronic failure.

Without any real danger of being fired, Reid can continue to repeat the same old sound bites after every loss.

?[T]he way this team played is my responsibility,? Reid said Sunday.? ?We have to make sure we get it corrected.?

But what if it doesn?t?? There?s no ?or else? if owner Jeffrey Lurie isn?t willing to hold Reid responsible for failing to ever ?get it corrected.?

And since there?s no way to hold Lurie responsible for failing to address the fact that his head coach is failing to correct the team?s problems, Eagles fans simply have to deal with it.

Unless Eagles fans are willing to cast their vote of no-confidence by closing their wallets and turning off their televisions.

8.? Niners may not want the top seed.

With the 49ers knocking down every opponent placed in front of them, but for Week Two against the Cowboys, a slip-up by the 8-0 Packers could open the door for Jim Harbaugh?s team to twist the road to the Super Bowl through San Francisco.

But do the 49ers really want to be the top seed?

Though Harbaugh will never entertain the possibility that anything good could come from aiming for anything less than the best possible outcome to the regular season, the 49ers match up better with the Packers in the elements.? With Green Bay relying on a finesse passing game and with the 49ers cobbling together the championship formula of running the ball and stopping the run, facing the defending champs on frozen tundra makes more sense than playing them on the relatively pristine playing surface in the home stadium where Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers dreamed of playing as a boy.

Plus, it?ll be easier for Harbaugh to weld a chip to his players? shoulders if they enter Lambeau Field as the clear underdogs, and it?ll be far more memorable if the renewal of the playoff rivalry features an ?Owens!? Owens!? He caught it!? He caught it!? moment on Green Bay?s home turf.

9.? It doesn?t take many dots to connect Jon Gruden to D.C.

It?s impossible to know whether Redskins coach Mike Shanahan is in trouble without having access to the thought processes of owner Daniel Snyder.? But we?ve seen the manifestations of his mind in the past, with no coach other than Joe Gibbs lasting more than two seasons during Snyder?s time as owner ? and with Snyder pursuing Shanahan for nearly a year behind the back of former head coach Jim Zorn.

So it?s more than fair to wonder what Snyder may be doing behind Shanahan?s back as Shanahan approaches the non-Gibbs witching hour for Redskins head coaches with a 3-6 record and five straight losses.

If Snyder has fallen out of love with Shanahan, Snyder could be turning his attention to Jon Gruden.? With G.M. Bruce Allen having worked directly with Gruden both in Oakland and in Tampa, Snyder has direct access to a guy who knows what makes Gruden tick.

Given that Gruden won a Super Bowl with a quarterback that the Redskins discarded, Snyder easily could talk himself into thinking that Gruden?s single Lombardi with Brad Johnson carries greater weight than Shanahan?s back-to-back rides on the coattails of John Elway.

Throw in the fact that Philly fans will be clamoring for the Eagles to bring Gruden back to town for an assignment one level higher than offensive coordinator, and Snyder may decide that if he?s ever going to get Gruden, the time to move is now.

Either way, Shanahan has to be wondering if Snyder is currently doing what Snyder was doing when wooing Shanahan.

10.? Pay the man, Houston edition.

We?ve heard plenty this year about guys who want new contracts.? In Houston, we?re not hearing much about a guy who?ll be a restricted free agent after the season.

A year after leading the league in rushing only a year after joining the Texans as an undrafted free agent, and only two months after it appeared that a hamstring injury would relegate him to one-hit wonder status, Arian Foster looks every bit as good as he was last season.? Despite missing two games, he has 740 yards rushing, and 445 yards receiving.

He?s doing it all while getting paid the minimum salary for a third-year player.

Likely motivated by a keen awareness of the fungible nature of running backs, Foster didn?t hold out despite being an exclusive-rights free agent, which means that even though he couldn?t have signed with another team, he could have stayed away without being subject to fines or other penalties for violating his contract.

Unlike Chris Johnson, Foster showed up.? Unlike Peyton Hillis and DeSean Jackson, Foster isn?t pouting or moping or missing meetings or disappearing on a treatment day to get married.? Foster is simply lining up and doing his job, and if the Texans don?t take care of him soon, teammates will begin to wonder whether the organization is unwilling to reward the men who truly deserve it.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/14/falcons-players-stats-back-up-mike-smiths-decision/related/

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Canada, Mexico ask to join pan-Pacific trade talks (Reuters)

HONOLULU (Reuters) ? Canada and Mexico want to join talks to forge a free trade area in the Asia-Pacific region, giving a significant boost to the U.S.-led initiative to foster economic growth by tearing down trade barriers.

Japan, the world's third-largest economy, said earlier it would like to join.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Sunday he was encouraged to take part by U.S. President Barack Obama.

"We looked at the outline of the criteria set by the partnership and they are all criteria that Canada can easily meet. So it is something we're interested in moving forward on," Harper said at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit of 21 nations in Hawaii.

Mexico's economy minister told Reuters his government would also ask to join the talks.

"Mexico is interested in beginning consultations to join the Transpacific Partnership," Bruno Ferrari said, adding the agreement potentially offered his country an opportunity to boost growth.

The United States welcomed the interest of its two neighbors, with all of them already partners in the NAFTA trade pact.

The proposed TPP pact now includes nine countries -- the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Chile and Peru -- that have committed to what they call a "high-standard" trade agreement.

They must approve new applicants. The TPP goal is to complete a detailed framework in 2012 and adding new members could slow the timetable.

Japan strengthened the significance of the talks on Friday when it expressed its interest in joining the pact, which analysts see as important to ensuring the United States maintains a strong economic presence in the region as China continues to rise.

With Japan included, the proposed economic pact would be about 40 percent larger than the 27-nation European Union.

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said the administration was looking forward to talks with Canada and Mexico, as well as U.S. lawmakers and others, and "to discussing the TPP's high standards for liberalizing trade and specific issues of concern to the United States."

"Along with Japan's similar announcement this week, the desire of these North American nations to consult with TPP partners demonstrates the broadening momentum and dynamism of this ambitious effort toward economic integration across the Pacific," Kirk said in a statement.

The United States and Canada have been free trade partners since the late 1980s, first under a bilateral agreement and then the North American Free Trade Agreement that brought in Mexico in 1994.

But negotiators are addressing many issues in the TPP talks that have arisen since NAFTA went into force. Those include the role of state-owned enterprises in international trade, government innovation policies and cross-border data flows.

(Reporting by Rachelle Younglai and Doug Palmer; Editing by John O'Callaghan)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mexico/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111114/ts_nm/us_apec_canada_tpp

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