Round 1-A of the playoffs begins this Sunday.? In this tournament, though, a win doesn?t guarantee advancement.?
Here are the five teams still fighting for the final two postseason seeds in the AFC, their odds and what needs to happen for them to sneak in.
?
Denver Broncos
With a win, the Denver Broncos are in.? In their house against an untalented Kansas City Chiefs squad, it?d be surprising if they didn?t take care of business.? Even if the Broncos do lose, though, they can still win the AFC West if the San Diego Chargers defeat the Oakland Raiders.
Odds: 75%
?
Cincinnati Bengals
With a win, the Cincinnati Bengals are in too, but their competition is about 10-times tougher than Denver?s.? Cincinnati is at home, but invading are the 11-4 Baltimore Ravens who are hungry to claim victory to the AFC North.?
If the Bengals can?t pull the upset, they?d need either the Jets and Raiders to lose or the Jets and Broncos to lose to make it to the postseason.
Odds: 50%
Oakland Raiders
It may be difficult for Raiders fans to stomach rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs, but they may not need to.? If the Broncos win, Oakland can still earn the Wild Card with a win of their own and some help.? That help would include a loss by the Bengals and Titans or a loss by the Bengals and Jets.
Odds: 50%
?
Tennessee Titans
The Indianapolis Colts may just be the team that keeps the Tennessee Titans out of the playoffs.? Beating the Houston Texans will be hard enough for the Titans, but they need plenty of help as well.?
Write this down: they?d get in with a Jets win and Raiders loss, a Jets win and a Broncos loss, or a Jets loss and Raiders and Broncos win.
Which team is least likely to be able to win their own game on Sunday?
Which team is least likely to be able to win their own game on Sunday?
Broncos
Bengals
Raiders
Titans
Jets
Odds: 15%
?
New York Jets
It would take a miracle for the Jets to steal the second Wild Card spot.? If they can pull off a win against the Miami Dolphins in South Beach, New York must get more help than anyone to make the postseason.?
What would do the trick would be a Bengals loss, a Titans loss and either a Raiders or a Broncos loss.
Odds: 10%
?
David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer. Follow?him?on Twitter.
TEHRAN, Iran ? An Iranian surveillance plane has recorded video and photographed a U.S. aircraft carrier during Iran's ongoing navy drill near a strategic waterway in the Persian Gulf, the official IRNA news agency reported on Thursday.
The report did not provide details and it was unclear what information the Iranian military could glean from such footage. But the announcement is an indication Iran is seeking to cast its navy as having a powerful role in the region's waters.
IRNA quoted Iran's navy chief, Adm. Habibollah Sayyari, as saying the action shows that Iran has "control over the moves by foreign forces" in the area where Tehran is holding a 10-day military exercise.
"An Iranian vessel and surveillance plane have tracked, filmed and photographed a U.S. aircraft carrier as it was entering the Gulf of Oman from the Persian Gulf," Sayyari said.
He added that the "foreign fleet will be warned by Iranian forces if it enters the area of the drill."
State TV showed what appeared to be the reported video, but it was not possible to make out the details of the carrier because the footage was filmed from far away.
The Iranian exercise is taking place in international waters near the Strait of Hormuz ? the passageway for one-sixth of the world's oil supply.
Beyond it lie vast bodies of water, including the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet is also active in the area, as are warships of several other countries that patrol for pirates there.
Lt. Rebecca Rebarich, a spokeswoman for the U.S. 5th Fleet, said the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis and guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay headed out from the Gulf and through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, after a visit to Dubai's Jebel Ali port.
She described the passage through the strait as "a pre-planned, routine transit" for the carrier, which is providing air support from the north Arabian Sea to troops in Afghanistan.
Rebarich did not directly address Iranian claims of possessing the reported footage but said the 5th Fleet's "interaction with the regular Iranian Navy continues to be within the standards of maritime practice, well known, routine and professional."
Thursday's report follows U.S. warnings over Iranian threats to choke off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz if Washington imposes sanctions targeting Iran's crude exports. On Wednesday, Rebarich said the Navy was "always ready to counter malevolent actions to ensure freedom of navigation."
Gen. Hossein Salami, the acting commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard rejected the warning.
"The U.S. is not in a position" to affect Iran's decisions, Salami told the semi-official Fars news agency Thursday. "Iran does not ask permission to implement its own defensive strategies."
___
Associated Press Writer Adam Schreck contributed to this report from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Lindsay Lohan is threatening to take legal action against a party planning company over allegations her name has been used to promote a New Year's Eve bash in Dubai.
Lohan's representatives are to send a cease and desist letter to the unnamed firm to clear up false reports suggesting she will ring in 2012 at a massive party on a cruise ship in the United Arab Emirates, according to TMZ.com.
The actress' spokesman Steve Honig is adamant the story is untrue as Lohan plans to ring in the new year in California.
He tells the website, "Lindsay is not going to Dubai, nor had she ever considered doing so. She will be spending New Year's Eve in Los Angeles with a few close friends and family."
MOSCOW ? Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has sent New Year's greetings to all Russians, though with some sarcasm toward those protesting his 12 years in power and his plans to return to the presidency for at least six more years.
Putin on Saturday wished well-being and prosperity "to all our citizens regardless of their political persuasion, including those who sympathize with leftist forces and those situated on the right, below, above, however you like." In Russian, the sexual innuendo was clear.
Putin often uses crude language, especially when speaking derisively of his critics. His tough talk and the street slang that peppers his speeches have helped build his image as a man of the people.
His sarcasm toward the protesters backfired recently when he said the white ribbons they wear as an emblem looked like condoms. The protesters took their revenge at the next mass demonstration, where they held up a poster of Putin with his head wrapped in a scarf-like condom and another showing Putin and a condom with the words: "Attention! Not for re-use."
Putin, who was first elected president in 2000 and remained in charge after moving into the prime minister's seat in 2008, intends to reclaim the presidency in a March election.
Many Russians, especially young professionals in Moscow and other cities, have grown weary of Putin, who has squeezed out all political competition in centralizing his control and has allowed corruption to flourish.
Blatant vote manipulation in a Dec. 4 parliamentary election that helped Putin's party hang onto its majority caused widespread outrage and set off a wave of protests. Two vast demonstrations in December drew tens of thousands. A third demonstration has been set for Feb. 4.
Putin's return to the Kremlin still seems certain, but he is under pressure to show he can win an election that is free and fair.
Putin portrays himself as the guarantor of Russia's stability, a theme he hit again in Saturday's address. He warned of the threat posed by the global economic crisis and noted that under his leadership Russia remains an "islet of stability."
President Dmitry Medvedev will give the formal New Year's address at midnight Saturday. It is expected to be more conciliatory toward the Kremlin's opponents.
Rutgers' Austin Johnson (21) tries to control the ball in front of Florida's Erving Walker (11) during the first...
(AP Photo/Mel Evans)
Team Stat Comparison
?
FLA
RUTG
Points
83
85
FG Made-Attempted
28-62 (.452)
35-72 (.486)
3P Made-Attempted
9-27 (.333)
7-18 (.389)
FT Made-Attempted
18-19 (.947)
8-11 (.727)
Fouls (Tech/Flagrant)
16 (1/0)
18 (1/0)
Largest Lead
9
4
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Mike Rice has been waiting for his kids at Rutgers to grow up, buy into the system and start showing the talent he knew they had. They finally did against No. 10 Florida.
Freshman Eli Carter scored a season-high 31 points and hit the go-ahead basket in the second overtime as Rutgers stunned the Gators 85-83 on Thursday night after rallying from deficits in regulation and the first overtime."This is what happens when you believe," Rice said. "This is what happens when you don't think the impossible is impossible. This is what happens when you follow the formula, when you play for one another. (We) had the will and the determination."Carter showed tremendous leadership and made the tough shots. He finished 12 of 24 from the field, and 2 of 5 on 3-pointers, hitting from long range to tie it with 18 seconds left in the first overtime."My teammates had confidence in me," Carter said. "I took the big shot and made it."The Scarlet Knights (8-5) also came back from a seven-point deficit late in regulation in posting their biggest win since knocking off No. 9 Villanova at home last season."He reminds me of Bernard King," fellow freshman Jerome Seagears said of Carter. "He could have had 62 or 63 tonight if he was open."Erving Walker had a chance to tie the game for the Gators (11-2) in the final seconds, but his off-balance attempt from the foul line hit off the rim.Scarlet Knights fans stormed the court to celebrate in a game billed as the return of former Rutgers star and current Gator Mike Rosario to Piscataway.Dane Miller added 16 points, Myles Mack had 14 and Seagears 13 for Rutgers, which won its fourth straight game and snapped the Gators' five-game winning streak."I thought the difference in the game, in my opinion, was I thought their guys played the right way," said Florida coach Billy Donovan, who felt his team got off to a good start and then showed only brief flashes after that.Kenny Boynton matched his season high with 26 points for Florida. Bradley Beal added 15 and Erik Murphy had 14 points and eight rebounds for Florida, which was playing its first game at the loud and intimidating Rutgers Athletic Center."They wanted it more than us," Boynton said. "We made too many mistakes. It wasn't the underclassmen. It was the upperclassmen. That's disappointing. I take full responsibility."Carter, whose previous high was 21 points, put the Scarlet Knights ahead for good at 80-78 with a shot in the lane. He was fouled on the play but missed the free throw.After Beal missed a drive on the left side and Boynton missed a 3-point attempt, Carter scored inside again for an 82-78 edge.Beal cut the Gators' deficit to a point on a 3-pointer with 1:18 to go, but Mack came right back with a 3-pointer with 55 seconds left for an 85-81 lead.A floater by Walker with 44.8 seconds left cut the margin to a basket and Florida got a final shot when Rutgers was called for a shot clock violation with 8.7 seconds left.Rutgers knocked the ball out of bounds in the backcourt with 4.3 seconds left and Walker could not connect after taking the inbound pass and driving to the foul line for his final shot.Rutgers forced the first overtime by rallying from a seven-point deficit in the final 2:48 of regulation and the came from three points down in the first overtime with Carter tying the game at 76 with a 3-pointer with 18.2 seconds to play.Florida turned the ball over in the waning seconds and Mack's 40-footer at the buzzer wasn't close.The Scarlet Knights trailed 64-57 late in regulation before scoring the final seven points, aided by two Gators turnovers. Mack started the comeback with a 3-pointer, Carter scored in the lane and Miller tied the game with 45.7 seconds to go with a layup.After Walker's drive down the lane with about 15 seconds left hit nothing, the Scarlet Knights blew a chance to win. Mack seemed to lose track of time and his off-balance shot never had a chance.Florida had seemingly taken command when Boynton scored on a fast break after Murphy blocked a shot with Rutgers up 55-54. Then Boynton came back on the next possession to hit a 3-pointer for a 59-55 lead. The lead eventually grew to 64-57 on a three-point play by Boynton with 2:48 to play.Rosario averaged 16.4 points in his first two seasons with the Scarlet Knights before transferring to Florida. He sat out last season and has been coming off the bench for the Gators. He scored five points in 14 minutes in his return and he was booed every time he touched the ball or cheered every time he missed a shot.During warmups there were chants of "Rosario is a bum" and "Jersey hates you."The only other cheers he got were when he missed a shot or when he was called along with Miller for a double technical foul with 54.7 second left in the half.
Posted: 5:05 pm Wed, December 28, 2011 By Burl?Gilyard Tags: Borders, Christoph & Banks, Craig Hoium, Dick Grones, Gander Mountain, Gordmans, Herberger's, Jess Myers, Katie Cody, Kmart, Lowe's, Ned Rukavina, Sears, Walmart, Whole Foods
Home improvement retailer Lowe?s closed its store in Rogers at 13800 Rogers Drive in November. The store was open for five years. (Staff photo: Bill Klotz)
While some retail observers see encouraging signs in the market, store closings continue to cloud the big picture outlook for retail commercial real estate.
At the end of the holiday shopping season, retailer Sears Holdings Corp. announced plans this week to close 100 to 120 Kmart and Sears stores across the country. The Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based retailer has not yet detailed which stores it plans to close in response to sagging sales.
?It?s the time of year when we see a lot of shakeout,? said Dick Grones, a veteran retail broker and principal with Edina-based Cambridge Commercial Realty.
According to its most recent annual report, at the end of January, Sears Holdings operated 28 Kmart stores, 12 ?full-line? Sears locations and 41 Sears specialty stores in Minnesota.
Grones said Kmart is not well-positioned in today?s retail landscape.
?I think Kmart?s been out of business for many years and didn?t know it,? Grones said.
A Sears Holdings website lists 58 stores across the U.S. that have already been closed currently listed for sale or lease. That includes former Kmart locations in Austin and Fairmont in southern Minnesota. The retailer is also offering to lease portions of some currently operating stores.
But Sears isn?t alone in closing stores.
Mooresville, N.C.-based home improvement retailer Lowe?s Cos. Inc. closed its store in Rogers on Nov. 13, one of 20 underperforming locations being shuttered by the retailer. Lowe?s owns the 120,000-square-foot store on a 13-acre site at 13800 Rogers Drive in Rogers. Lowe?s spokeswoman Katie Cody said the store opened in October 2006.
In November, Plymouth-based Christopher & Banks Corp., a women?s apparel retailer, announced plans to close about 100 of its 761 stores. In Minnesota, the company is closing its Albert Lea store and consolidating two Roseville locations into a single outlet.
St. Paul-based Gander Mountain has announced plans to close a 37,000-square-foot store in Maple Grove.
?It?s basically just a matter of size. This store opened in 1995; it was one of our smaller-format stores ? it?s in a retail location where it can?t be expanded,? said Jess Myers, a spokesman for Gander Mountain. The specific timing of the store closing has not yet been announced.
Myers said the typical new Gander Mountain store is now about 90,000 square feet, adding that Gander Mountain has 115 stores and will have 11 in Minnesota after the Maple Grove store closes.
This year, Borders Group Inc. filed for bankruptcy and was ultimately liquidated. Borders operated seven Twin Cities stores when it filed for bankruptcy in February.
The San Francisco-based Gap Inc. announced plans in October to continue to trim its store count in North America while it expands internationally. At the end of 2013, the company expects to have 34 percent fewer U.S. Gap stores than it had in 2007.
Retail broker Ned Rukavina of Bloomington-based Cushman & Wakefield/NorthMarq Real Estate Services said the announced closings of Sears and Kmart locations are hardly a surprise.
?We?ve been watching Kmart and Sears for the last five to six years because it just didn?t seem to be sustainable,? Rukavina said.
But Rukavina said the overall retail numbers are encouraging. Cushman & Wakefield/NorthMarq?s midyear market report showed positive absorption ? the increase in occupied space ? of 509,000 square feet of retail space from July 2010 through June 2011.
?There was positive absorption. Luckily there are retailers looking. We still see a trend of things improving,? Rukavina said.
Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is among retailers who are expanding locally. A Walmart superstore will anchor Shingle Creek Crossing, the redevelopment of the former Brookdale shopping mall in Brooklyn Center.
The York, Pa.-based Bon-Ton Stores Inc. opened a new Herberger?s store at Southdale in November in a former Mervyn?s space that stood empty for seven years.
Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market Inc. opened a store in Minnetonka in October, taking over a former Circuit City space. The grocer has a store opening in Edina set for the spring of 2012 and is known to be looking for other Twin Cities locations.
Omaha, Neb.-based Gordmans Stores Inc. will open its third local location next year with a 65,000-square-foot store at the Crossroads of Roseville.
But south of the Twin Cities, in Austin, city leaders are still hoping that someone will move into the 90,000-square-foot former Kmart that has been vacant for a few years.
Craig Hoium, community development director for the city of Austin, said the store is in an area of town with other big-box retailers such as Target, Walmart and ShopKo. He said the city would like to see a home improvement retailer take the space, but at the moment there?s nothing on the horizon.
?The city did have some conversations with another big-box retailer about it,? Hoium said. ?Obviously, we?d like to see it being utilized.?
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FILE - In the Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011 file photo Houston Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, center, shakes hands with Tim Jamison (96) as he walks off the field along with Shaun Cody (95) and J.J. Watt (99) after an NFL football practice, in Houston. Phillips again proved why he is among the best at coaching one unit. Houston's defensive improvement, even without Mario Williams for much of the season, has been sensational. And when Phillips was sidelined for kidney/gall bladder surgery in December, Houston promptly lost two straight. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
FILE - In the Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011 file photo Houston Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, center, shakes hands with Tim Jamison (96) as he walks off the field along with Shaun Cody (95) and J.J. Watt (99) after an NFL football practice, in Houston. Phillips again proved why he is among the best at coaching one unit. Houston's defensive improvement, even without Mario Williams for much of the season, has been sensational. And when Phillips was sidelined for kidney/gall bladder surgery in December, Houston promptly lost two straight. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
HOUSTON (AP) ? Two weeks ago, Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips cracked jokes about going on medical leave to have surgery on his kidney and gall bladder.
The 64-year-old Phillips returned to practice Wednesday in a more somber mood, though he's confident he'll be able to work from the press box Sunday when Houston (10-5) plays Tennessee (8-7) in the regular-season finale.
"It's good to be back," Phillips said. "It's not as funny now as it was before I was going in. I'm a little more sore than I thought I'd be. It's taken a lot out of me, but I'm working my way back, doing what the doctors say."
Phillips went on medical leave Dec. 14, and had surgery the next day. Linebackers coach Reggie Herring ran the defense in his absence, and the Texans lost their next two games.
The players got a pleasant surprise Monday when Phillips showed up at a meeting, and they got another emotional lift when he joined them on the practice field Wednesday.
"Even just seeing him out there and smiling and making calls," linebacker Brian Cushing said, "I know that means a lot for him, as well. To be away from football like that, it really hurt him. For him to be back out there, all of us are just happier to see him out there."
Phillips mingled with his players during the practice, but walked to the sideline late in the workout to sit on a golf cart with his father, Bum, the former coach of the Houston Oilers.
Phillips was hospitalized for eight days, and says he's only now getting back to eating regular food.
"I'm starting to feel better and better," Phillips said. "I'll feel good, and then all of a sudden, my energy level does go down a little bit. But that'll get better as it goes."
Houston's defense has made a dramatic turnaround from 2010 in Phillips' first season, ranking second overall (281 yards per game). The Texans have already set a single-season record for sacks (41) and rank 10th in takeaways (26).
Phillips said the hardest part of his recovery is over, and returning to his regular schedule this week has boosted his spirits.
"Once you get into your routine, once you get to start eating and start being with the players and with the team, in the meetings and so forth, then everything gets easier," he said. "I'm just starting out, solid foods now. Once I get back to normal, which seems to be the case right now, that will get better and better."
Coach Gary Kubiak visited Phillips in the hospital and was relieved to see him back on the field.
"Just for me, knowing what he went through, to see where he was then and where he's at right now, it's a great feeling," Kubiak said . "It's one thing you can't take for granted in life, your health. It's good to see him back out here, and I know we all appreciate it. The players are glad to see him back."
Phillips said earlier this season he was getting too much credit for reviving a defense that ranked 30th overall last season (376.9 yards per game). Fired as coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the middle of last season, Phillips was hired last January, implemented a 3-4 alignment and moved Mario Williams to outside linebacker.
The defense showed instant improvement and was ranked No. 1 in the league for several weeks. But the unit gave up long touchdown drives in the fourth quarters of the two games he missed.
Phillips broke down film of the two games, and defensive end Antonio Smith said he downplayed his condition and got back to business Monday.
"He just told us the situation," Smith said. "He told us about how he missed us and how he missed football most of all. And then he told us what he thought of the games he missed, because he said he watched all of them. And he told us what we need to do in the future."
Smith said the Texans were keeping each other updated on Phillips' condition throughout the last two weeks. Seeing him back at work, Smith said, has put everyone at ease this week.
"You can hear somebody tell you that somebody's all right," Smith said, "but when you see him talking and he's in good spirits, it gives you an easier heart for the people who are really just worried about him as a person, and his health. That was good, just to see that he's all right."
TEMPE, Ariz. ? A camera hanging from a wire over Sun Devil Stadium fell onto the field at the Insight Bowl.
The camera, which provides overhead shots for ESPN, fell Friday night when the wire it was attached to appeared to snap with 2:22 left in the game between Oklahoma and Iowa.
The camera bounced off the field around the 20-yard line on the south end and narrowly missed Iowa receiver Marvin McNutt Jr., who got tangled in the wire after the camera hit the turf. McNutt wasn't injured and the camera had to be dragged off the field, causing a delay of about 5 minutes.
"First, I looked: What is it that fell from the sky?'" McNutt said. "The next thing I know, the camera kind of scratched me a little bit. It was just pulling me and I knew I didn't want to keep going with it."
The No. 19 Sooners went on to beat the Hawkeyes 31-14.
The legal battle for relatives of four people killed by a Marine Corps jet that crashed into their San Diego home ended Wednesday in a $17.8 million judgment against the federal government. The struggle for compensation continues, however, for several other families whose homes and possessions were damaged in the Dec. 8, 2008, accident.
The Navy has resolved 33 claims related to the crash in University City and paid about $1.7 million, said Jennifer Zeldis, a spokeswoman for the Navy Judge Advocate General?s office in Washington, D.C.
Those who were unable to come to terms with the Navy Department sued in federal court, where five lawsuits are pending.
The Marine Corps had concluded that a chain of errors caused the crash, but the government was unable to agree with several families about how much compensation was owed.
Owners of the two homes that were destroyed by the jet crash are among those whose claims were rejected by the Navy. Three other houses were significantly damaged.
One of the destroyed homes was the residence of John Wu, his wife, Sunny Zhuang-Wu, and their two daughters. No one was home at the time of the crash.
After two years in temporary housing, the family moved into the rebuilt home about a year ago. Their homeowners? insurance did not cover all costs of construction, temporary rental housing or the replacement of their personal possessions, Zhuang-Wu said.
To make matters worse, Zhuang-Wu, a scientist for a biotech firm, and her husband, an information technology specialist, were both laid off from their jobs after the crash.
To her surprise, the Navy paid them nothing for the damages, she said. ?I didn?t know the military would be so difficult.?
The Navy is unable to comment on the Wu case or other pending litigation, Zeldis said, referring questions to the Department of Justice.
The Wu girls were ages 13 and 9 at the time of the crash. Losing their home and their belongings, and the deaths of their neighbors, ?it is very, very hard for them,? said Zhuang-Wu. ?It affected their school, their achievability, all those things.
?They are still very scared. They still cannot sleep by themselves. Not when they see airplanes over the sky here all the time,? she said.
Her only consolation has been that everyone in their family was at work or school at the time of the crash. ?At least we are still here,? she said.
Don Yoon?s wife, Youngmi; daughters, 15-month-old Grace and 7-week-old Rachel; and mother-in-law, Seokim Lee perished in the crash.
?I feel so sad every time I think of them,? Zhuang-Wu said.
Charlie Kindel, a former Windows Phone GM, wrote a post explaining the reasons he believed were behind Windows Phone 7?s continued struggles in sales even though ? according to him ? it was a superior platform to Google?s mobile OS. He says it all comes down to control ? and that is what has limited WP7?s sales potential to date.
Kindel?s reasoning
Kindel explains that there are four primary sides of the mobile market ? the users, the OS providers, the device manufacturers and the mobile carriers. He explains that they all own and control different parts of the market, while in conflict in other parts. He explains that where Google gives the device manufacturer and the carrier control ? leading to more Android devices being made and carrier retail sales people punting Android phones ? Microsoft restricts this control, meaning manufacturers and carriers support it less. In turn users do not have the devices marketed to them by the carriers, hence Microsoft?s week sales position.
What this means
Charlie Kindel explains that this means that Windows Phone 7 is able to provide a superior end user experience, though it comes with a price. ?This is why, despite being a superior PRODUCT to Android, Windows Phone has not sold as well.? Spending marketing dollars on advertising Android devices is and easy decision for the carriers. Pushing RSPs to push Android is easy,? he writes.
In the long run, he believes this model ? putting users first ? could trump over Google?s ?do what you will approach?, which he says has resulted in the platform becoming extremely fragmented.
A comeback unlikely?
Tech writer turned venture capitalist MG Siegler says that, even if WP7 is marginally better than Android or iOS, it?s not enough, especially given how late to market it is. ?Two to three years in the hole, the only way Windows Phone can win the market now is to make a product that is leaps and bounds better than what?s out there. They need something that?s an iPhone-in-2007 type product. The product they have, while good, isn?t that,? Siegler writes.
The Windows Phone 7 sales problem has been on my mind for some time now. The mobile OS platform is, in my view, at least on par with Google?s Android, if not superior. What?s for certain is Android OS isn?t manifold better warranting the major sales gap between the two platforms. So what then is Microsoft to do to mitigate their current sales problem?
Kindel does a good job outlining how, in simple terms, the mobile devices market is structured. His argument for Windows Phone 7 sales issues is well articulated, but the proactive steps the WP7 team need to take to kick start sales outside of throwing money at the problem and waiting is not explained at all.
Source: events.uwo.ca --- Wednesday, December 28, 2011 The Chinese Program at Huron University College ? Tea and Conversation. Anyone wishing to speak Chinese and meet people who study Chinese at Huron is welcome. 5:30-6:20 p.m. Mondays. International Lounge, Huron. E-mail hwu1@huron.uwo.ca. ...
Evraz in August announced plans to expand capacity at Evraz Oregon Steel in Portland, shown in this 2007 photo, to make pipe used in energy exploration.
Russian steel-maker Evraz on Wednesday said its North American subsidiary, formerly based in Portland, may borrow as much as $610 million to refinance its debt.
Evraz North America Inc., which relocated earlier this year from Portland to Chicago, has agreed to a new five-year revolving credit facility that will replace existing credit agreements of $225 million in U.S. currency and $300 million in Canadian currency.
The new credit agreement will also finance the company?s working capital needs.
GE Capital Markets, Inc., GE Capital Markets (Canada) Ltd., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. and UBS Loan Finance LLC served as joint lead arranges and bookrunners in the transaction.
Bloomberg on Wednesday reported that Evraz, which had $7.2 billion in debt at the end of September, is refinancing in an attempt to expand while protecting its credit ratings.
The company earlier this month said it will increase rail production at its plant in Pueblo, Colo., Bloomberg reported.
And in August it announced plans to expand capacity at its steel tube manufacturing plant in Portland to make pipe used in energy exploration.
Formerly Oregon Steel Mills Inc.? ?Oregon Steel Mills Inc.Latest from The Business JournalsFallout from an NYSE-Deutsche B?rse merger Kitzhaber: Boost economic developmentEvraz nets M in incentives for move Follow this company , the North American subsidiary of Russian steel giant Evraz Group S.A. relocated its headquarters earlier this year from Portland to Chicago, though it still employs around 400 workers at its North Portland manufacturing op
Russian steel-maker Evraz on Wednesday said its North American subsidiary, formerly based in Portland, may borrow as much as $610 million to refinance its debt.
Evraz North America Inc., which relocated earlier this year from Portland to Chicago, has agreed to a new five-year revolving credit facility that will replace existing credit agreements of $225 million in U.S. currency and $300 million in Canadian currency.
The new credit agreement will also finance the company?s working capital needs.
GE Capital Markets, Inc., GE Capital Markets (Canada) Ltd., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. and UBS Loan Finance LLC served as joint lead arranges and bookrunners in the transaction.
Bloomberg on Wednesday reported that Evraz, which had $7.2 billion in debt at the end of September, is refinancing in an attempt to expand while protecting its credit ratings.
The company earlier this month said it will increase rail production at its plant in Pueblo, Colo., Bloomberg reported.
And in August it announced plans to expand capacity at its steel tube manufacturing plant in Portland to make pipe used in energy exploration.
Formerly Oregon Steel Mills Inc.? ?Oregon Steel Mills Inc.Latest from The Business JournalsFallout from an NYSE-Deutsche B?rse merger Kitzhaber: Boost economic developmentEvraz nets M in incentives for move Follow this company , the North American subsidiary of Russian steel giant Evraz Group S.A. relocated its headquarters earlier this year from Portland to Chicago, though it still employs around 400 workers at its North Portland manufacturing operation.
Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, speaks during a campaign stop in Dubuque, Iowa, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, speaks during a campaign stop in Dubuque, Iowa, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Chris Noth, a Ron Paul supporter, holds up a sign outside Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign stop in Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Traffic passes a campaign sign for Republican presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, at an instersection in Ankeny, Iowa Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
SAN ANTONIO (AP) ? Ron Paul wants to legalize pot and shut down the Federal Reserve. He thinks the federal government has no authority to outlaw abortion, no business bombing Iran to keep it from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and no justification to print money unless it's backed up by gold bars.
And he might win the Iowa caucuses.
The closer the first votes of the 2012 presidential campaign get, the more competitive the Texas congressman has become. It's a moment his famously fervent supporters have longed for. Plenty of others are asking: What's Ron Paul about, again?
As in his two prior quixotic campaigns for president, Paul has toiled for months as a fringe candidate best known for staking out libertarian positions. As every other Republican candidate lined up to attack President Barack Obama's health care law and to promise tax cuts, Paul again demanded audits of the Federal Reserve and a return to the gold standard.
Leading in some state polls, Paul is getting a look from mainstream voters in Iowa, where the 76-year-old obstetrician has emerged as a serious contender in the Jan. 3 caucuses ? and in other early voting states, should he pull off a victory.
The sudden rush of attention to Paul's resume hasn't been kind. He's spent the past week disowning racist and homophobic screeds in newsletters he published decades ago, including one following the 1992 riots in Los Angeles that read, "Order was only restored in L.A. when it came time for the blacks to collect their welfare checks three days after rioting began."
"Everybody knows I didn't write them and they're not my sentiments, so it's sort of politics as usual," Paul said during a recent Iowa campaign stop.
Looking to cut into Paul's support, rivals laid into him on Tuesday.
In an interview on CNN, Newt Gingrich said Paul holds "views totally outside the mainstream of virtually every decent American." And Rick Santorum chided, "The things most Iowans like about Ron Paul are the things he's least likely to accomplish and the things most Iowans are worried about about Ron Paul are the things he can accomplish."
Paul returns to Iowa on Wednesday, giving his impressive grass-roots organization in the state a last chance to present, and perhaps defend, positions he's staked out over a long political career and reiterated during the 13 Republican debates held this year.
Paul has served a dozen terms in Congress as a Republican, but he espouses views that have made him the face of libertarianism in the U.S. He blames both Republicans and Democrats for running up the federal debt and opposes any U.S. military involvement overseas. He wants to bring home all troops from all U.S. bases abroad.
He vows to do away with five Cabinet-level departments ? Commerce, Education, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, and Interior ? and repeal the amendment to the Constitution that created the federal income tax. He opposes federal flood insurance and farm subsidies and wants to remove marijuana from the federal list of controlled substances while allowing states to decide how to regulate it.
He says he'll cut $1 trillion out of the first budget he offers as president. He doesn't believe in a border fence but says illegal immigrants shouldn't get a free education in public schools.
He's reliably described by political pundits as non-establishment, quirky, unorthodox. During a Republican debate in Sioux City, Iowa, earlier this month, Paul defended his views and rejected the idea that they make him unelectable.
"The important thing is, the philosophy I'm talking about is the Constitution and freedom, and that brings people together," Paul said. "It brings independents in the fold and it brings Democrats over on some of these issues."
Paul doesn't always side with the most extreme conservative proposals. When it comes to Gingrich's suggestion that judges could be hauled before Congress to explain their rulings, Paul joined other Republicans in dismissing the idea.
Paul's recent surge in Iowa isn't the first time the GOP establishment has been forced to pay attention to him. A fundraising blitz that netted $5 million in one day in 2008 led Republican operatives to weigh whether he was a bigger threat to siphon votes than previously thought.
Now he may be in his best position yet to do more than just steal votes.
"I see this philosophy as being very electable, because it's an American philosophy, it's the rule of law," Paul said.
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Ah shit ?@TheAtlanticWire: President Obama wants to raise the debt ceiling again bit.ly/rHug2C?Il y a environ 3 heuresvia Twitter for iPhone from Shaker Heights, OH??
O'Reilly Automotive (ORLY) continues to rise despite lofty valuation, the stock remains a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy).
Company Description
O'Reilly Automotive is a specialty retailer of automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment and accessories.
Good Earnings
We have to go back to Oct 26 for the last quarterly report, but it was a good one. Net income increased 27% or $32 million ahead of the year ago level of $117 million. Revenue for the period was up 8% to $1.54 billion.
Earnings per share came in at $1.10, 10% ahead of what analysts polled by Zacks were expecting. After meeting earnings expectations in the June quarter of 2011, ORLY has returned to posting an earnings surprise.
More Shares to be Repurchased
On November 16, the company announced its intention to increase a share repurchase program. Adding $500 million to the existing program brings the total to $1.5 billion. Prior to the increase, the company had repurchased 14.4 million shares for $859 million for an average price of $59.81, well below current levels.
Valuations
Shares of ORLY are not cheap by most metrics, but underlying metrics such as sales per store and sales per square foot increased in the most recent quarter.
The stock is trading at a premium to its direct competitors with a 21.4x forward PE. By comparison, Autozone (AZO), a Zacks #2 Rank (Buy) stock trades at 14x forward earnings estimates.
The Chart
ORLY has a solid history of beating estimates, a key reason for its Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy). A look at the price and consensus chart below shows a consistent trend of higher earnings expecations and a higher stock price.
Brian Bolan is the Aggressive Growth Stock Strategist for Zacks.com. He is also the Editor in charge of the Zacks Home Run Investor service
Armenian and Greek Orthodox clergymen scuffle inside the Church of Nativity, believed by many to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. The two denominations each control sections of the church and fiercely guard their turf. The violence broke out when the sides accused each other of crossing into each other's territory. Similar fights have taken place in past years. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Armenian and Greek Orthodox clergymen scuffle inside the Church of Nativity, believed by many to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. The two denominations each control sections of the church and fiercely guard their turf. The violence broke out when the sides accused each other of crossing into each other's territory. Similar fights have taken place in past years. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Palestinian police officers intervene in a fight that erupted between Greek Orthodox and Armenian clergymen during the cleaning of the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. The two denominations each control sections of the church and fiercely guard their turf. The violence broke out when the sides accused each other of crossing into each other's territory. Similar fights have taken place in past years. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Palestinian police officers intervene in a fight that erupted between Greek Orthodox and Armenian clergymen during the cleaning of the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. The two denominations each control sections of the church and fiercely guard their turf. The violence broke out when the sides accused each other of crossing into each other's territory. Similar fights have taken place in past years. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) ? The annual cleaning of one of Christianity's holiest churches deteriorated into a brawl between rival clergy Wednesday, as dozens of monks feuding over sacred space at the Church of the Nativity battled each other with brooms until police intervened.
The ancient church, built over the traditional site of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, is shared by three Christian denominations ? Roman Catholics, Armenians and Greek Orthodox. Wednesday's fight erupted between Greek and Armenian clergy, with both sides accusing each other of encroaching on parts of the church to which they lay claim.
The monks were tidying up the church ahead of Orthodox Christmas celebrations in early January, following celebrations by Western Christians on Dec. 25. The fight erupted between monks along the border of their respective areas. Some shouted and hurled brooms.
Palestinian security forces rushed in to break up the melee, and no serious injuries were reported. A Palestinian police spokesman would not immediately comment.
A fragile status quo governs relations among the denominations at the ancient church, and to repair or clean a part of the structure is to own it, according to accepted practice. That means that letting other sects clean part of the church could allow one to gain ground at another's expense. Similar fights have taken place during the same late-December cleaning effort in the past.
Tensions between rival clergy at the church have been a fact of life there for centuries and have often been caught up in international politics.
In the 1800s, friction between the denominations at the church ? each backed by foreign powers ? became so fraught that Russian Czar Nicholas I deployed troops along the Danube to threaten a Turkish sultan who had been favoring the Catholics over the Orthodox.
Those disagreements threaten the integrity of the church itself, which was originally built 1,500 years ago and parts of which have fallen into disrepair. Although the roof has needed urgent work for decades, and leaking rainwater has ruined much of the priceless artwork inside, a renovation has been delayed all these years by disagreements among the denominations over who would pay.
Only recently, the Palestinian Authority brokered an agreement to move ahead with replacing the roof, and officials hope work will begin in 2012.
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Should the Little Monsters be thanking Donald Trump for discovering Mother Monster?
The reality TV star/real estate mogul says the Miss Universe pageant helped launch Lady Gaga to stardom.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Photos From ?LADY GAGA x TERRY RICHARDSON?
?I own the Miss Universe pageant,? he writes in his new book, ?Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again.? ?About four years ago, during what you call half-time, we always have an entertainer. We?ve had a lot of great people, and you don?t pay them anything because it?s one of the biggest audiences and my people told me, ?Nobody knows who she is, but there?s this woman with good talent named Lady Gaga.?
?I said, ?I don?t care ? if you like her, put her on.? So we put her on ? it was live all over the United States and all over the world and the next day, nobody was talking about Miss Universe, everybody was talking, ?Who was the woman, who was the entertainer? She was unbelievable,?? Trump continued in his book.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Fashion-Forward Looks Of Lady Gaga
The singer performed what would become her first hit, ?Just Dance,? during the ceremony in Vietnam, where Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza took home the crown.
?She?s been very gracious about it,? he added. ?I don?t want to say we made Lady Gaga, but she was incredible and that was her break.?
VIEW THE PHOTOS: The Planet?s Hottest Pop Stars Take The Stage
Copyright 2011 by NBC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
We've seen odd and law-swervingvending machines before, but none as meanspirited as Kraft's collaboration with Intel that only gives pudding samples to adults. The unimaginatively titled iSample denies the youthful its sweet nectar by taking a facial scan and determining dessert deservedness based on biometric data, like how far apart your facial features are. Part experiment, part publicity stunt, Intel is trying out technologies that could recommend products based on age. The company also claims it may retrofit the technology into existing machines to let companies study who's buying its products; Kraft is clearly in it just to deny children some pudding. To see if you have spent enough time at the fountain of youth, head down to Chicago's Shedd Aquarium or New York's South Street Seaport, and take your place in the line of parents ordering one for their progeny. Check the promo video after the break to see the machine wiping disappointment all over the kids' little faces.
Unless you buy in bulk, your run-of-the-mill office tape already comes with its own handy dispenser. While not as stylish as this Strip dispenser, it also doesn't cost you $32 for what is essentially a flat piece of aluminum. More »
Watch Live Clemson vs Hawaii online stream USA NCAA Basketball ? Internet TV - Sport: Basketball - Clemson vs Hawaii schedule: NCAA Basketball started on Sunday, December 25, 2011 at 4:30 PM ET Enjoy with the Clemson vs Hawaii live score, preview, recaps and highlights here.
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Lindsay Lohan is threatening to take legal action against a party planning company over allegations her name has been used to promote a New Year's Eve bash in Dubai. 
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