PFT: Foster cleared by doctors, returns to practice

Reuters

Well, it?s officially over.

With an eight-game gap and one week of games left, MDS and yours truly disagree on only five games.? Which means that, even if MDS sweeps, I?ll still be three games ahead.? (Math continues to be my strong suit.)

Of course, if I sweep I?ll finish with a 13-game lead.? And based on the five disagreements, I think I will.

Read on to see our picks and our takes for the final week of the regular season.? It all re-sets to 0-0 for the playoffs, at which time MDS will have a chance to exact revenge.? Or to fail again.

Last week, I was 11-5 and MDS went 10-6.? For the year, I?m now at 157-82-1, good for 65.4 percent.? MDS is 149-90-1, which keeps him at 62.0 percent.

Buccaneers at Falcons

MDS?s take: The Falcons wrapped up home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, but they say they?re playing to win in Week 17. They shouldn?t have much trouble winning against the Bucs, who have collapsed at the end of the season.

MDS?s pick: Falcons 34, Buccaneers 13.

Florio?s take:? The Bucs haven?t been the same team since they nearly beat the Falcons in Tampa.? The Falcons are still trying to prove that they?re one of the best teams in the league.

Florio?s pick:? Falcons 27, Buccaneers 17.

Jets at Bills

MDS?s take: Football fans, the Greg McElroy-Ryan Fitzpatrick quarterback matchup you?ve all been waiting for is finally here. Fitzpatrick will throw a couple of touchdown passes in what may be his final start in Buffalo.

MDS?s pick: Bills 20, Jets 10.

Florio?s take:? The Jets have folded the tents, even though the circus is still in town.? Buffalo celebrates the news of a new lease with a home win to end the season, just in time for plenty of changes.

Florio?s pick:? Bills 27, Jets 14.

Ravens at Bengals

MDS?s take: At first glance this might look like a big game, matching up two playoff teams. But with the Bengals locked into the No. 6 seed and the Ravens highly likely to end up with the No. 4 seed, neither of these teams has a lot to play for. I think the Ravens, however, will be a little more motivated to build on the momentum from last week?s win over the Giants and will take this one.

MDS?s pick: Ravens 21, Bengals 14.

Florio?s take:? This meaningless game has plenty of meaning for the Bengals, who need to convince themselves that they can beat the Ravens, in order to obtain the confidence that they can do something else they haven?t done in an even longer time ? win in the playoffs.

Florio?s pick:? Bengals 27, Ravens 20.

Bears at Lions

MDS?s take: In 2000, the Lions were 9-6 heading into Week 17 and needed only to beat the 4-11 Bears to make the playoffs. Instead, the Bears pulled the upset and Lions owner William Clay Ford cleaned house and began the disastrous Matt Millen era. This year it?s the 9-6 Bears who need to beat the 4-11 Lions to have a shot at the playoffs. I?ll take the Lions to get their revenge in an upset.

MDS?s pick: Lions 28, Bears 24.

Florio?s take:? Rodney Harrison declared while watching the Lions lose to the Falcons that Detroit?s body language suggests the Lions have quit.? The Bears haven?t.? Sometimes, it?s that easy.

Florio?s pick:? Bears 24, Lions 10.

Texans at Colts

MDS?s take: The Texans are playing for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, while the Colts are already locked into the No. 5 seed in the AFC. Houston has more to play for and is a better team and will win this one going away.

MDS?s pick: Texans 36, Colts 17.

Florio?s take:? The Texans have never won in Indianapolis.? They need it this time more than ever.? But the Colts will have coach Chuck Pagano back, and even if the Colts leave so much on the field that it will make it harder to win in the playoffs, they?ll leave it all on the field to beat the Texans.

Florio?s pick:? Colts 27, Texans 23.

Packers at Vikings

MDS?s take: This is the biggest game played in Minnesota since Brett Favre led the Vikings to a divisional playoff win over the Cowboys three years ago. Unfortunately for Vikings fans, they?re hosting a Packers team that?s peaking at the right time. I like Aaron Rodgers to lead the Packers to a high-scoring win.

MDS?s pick: Packers 35, Vikings 27.

Florio?s take:? The Vikings are playing for a postseason berth.? The Packers are playing for a bye.? The Packers remain the better team, and they have every reason to demonstrate that on Sunday.? To the delight of the Bears.

Florio?s pick:? Packers 34, Vikings 21.

Dolphins at Patriots

MDS?s take: A win probably won?t be enough to earn New England a first-round playoff bye, but the Patriots will be motivated to try ? and to wash out the bad taste of back-to-back disappointing performances, in a loss to the 49ers and a close win over the Jaguars.

MDS?s pick: Patriots 41, Dolphins 14.

Florio?s take:? The Pats still have a crack at a bye.? That?s all the incentive they need to take out the Dolphins for the second time this month.

Florio?s pick:? Patriots 34, Dolphins 17.

Panthers at Saints

MDS?s take: It?s a meaningless game for both teams, but that doesn?t make it a bad game: Both of these teams have been playing good football in recent weeks, despite falling short of the playoffs. I like the Panthers to keep their winning streak going and make a statement that they?re a team to keep an eye on in 2013.

MDS?s pick: Panthers 24, Saints 21.

Florio?s take:? New Orleans is trying to finish on a high note.? And they are succeeding.

Florio?s pick:? Saints 34, Panthers 10.

Eagles at Giants

MDS?s take: The Eagles quit on Andy Reid months ago. The Giants have looked in the last couple weeks like they quit on Tom Coughlin. Both of these teams are slouching toward the end of the season, but the Giants have more to play for.

MDS?s pick: Giants 14, Eagles 10.

Florio?s take:? The Giants are playing for pride, along with a sliver of hope that they could make it to the playoffs if enough other teams lose.? If the Giants find a way in, there?s a pretty good chance they won?t lose again.

Florio?s pick:? Giants 27, Eagles 20.

Browns at Steelers

MDS?s take: This game is meaningless, and I?m tempted to pick the Browns on the theory that the Steelers will be feeling a hangover from their disappointing Week 16 loss. But the Browns have gone in the tank over the last couple of weeks, and at this point I?m not sure I?d pick them to win on the road against anyone.

MDS?s pick: Steelers 17, Browns 9.

Florio?s take:? The Browns haven?t swept the Steelers since 1988, 11 years before the current edition of the Browns was born.? With rampant changes looming in Cleveland, the Steelers still have enough gas in the tank to avoid getting punked by the franchise they?ve owned since 1999 (even though the Browns are now technically owned by a guy who still owns a chunk of the Steelers).

Florio?s pick:? Steelers 20, Browns 10.

Jaguars at Titans

MDS?s take: Last time the Titans suffered a humiliating blowout loss and were called out by their owner, they responded by winning the next game. I think they?ll do it again.

MDS?s pick: Titans 24, Jaguars 14.

Florio?s take:? Bud Adams isn?t happy with his coaching staff.? He?ll be slightly less unhappy after Sunday, but still unhappy enough to clean house.

Florio?s pick:? Titans 27, Jaguars 16.

Chiefs at Broncos

MDS?s take: Knowing they need to win in order to earn a first-round playoff bye, the Broncos will pound the Chiefs, who have nothing to play for other than the first pick in next year?s draft ? which Kansas City will earn by losing.

MDS?s pick: Broncos 27, Chiefs 10.

Florio?s take:? With 10 straight wins each by at least seven points, the Broncos could be the best team in the playoff field.? They?re definitely good enough to continue chasing a bye week.

Florio?s pick:? Broncos 34, Chiefs 10.

Raiders at Chargers

MDS?s take: With Norv Turner virtually assured of being fired after the game, his team will send him out a winner in an AFC West contest that doesn?t really matter for much of anything.

MDS?s pick: Chargers 24, Raiders 10.

Florio?s take:? Norv Turner has one last chance to change the owner?s mind.? It won?t matter.

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

Cardinals at 49ers

MDS?s take: San Francisco will shake off Sunday night?s thrashing in Seattle to clinch the NFC West.

MDS?s pick: 49ers 28, Cardinals 3.

Florio?s take:? The Niners are on the brink of squandering the NFC West title that we were ready to hand them back in September.? If they can?t beat the Cardinals and Brian Hoyer at home, San Fran doesn?t even deserve to be in the playoffs.

Florio?s pick:? 49ers 31, Cardinals 13.

Rams at Seahawks

MDS?s take: No one wants to play the Seahawks right now. They?re destroying everything in their paths. The Rams will be no different.

MDS?s pick: Seahawks 45, Rams 7.

Florio?s take:? The Seahawks, who lost their first round of NFC West games, have been exacting revenge in a big way.? They finish the job on Sunday.

Florio?s pick:? Seahawks 41, Rams 17.

Cowboys at Redskins

MDS?s take: In the biggest game of the day, the Cowboys will ride Tony Romo and Dez Bryant to a high-scoring win. I suspect that Robert Griffin III is hurting more than he?s letting on and won?t be able to move as effectively as he did in the Redskins? Thanksgiving win over the Cowboys. Dallas will take the NFC East crown.

MDS?s pick: Cowboys 31, Redskins 28.

Florio?s take:? For the second straight year, the NFC East title game returns to prime time in Week 17.? For the second straight year, the home team advances.? For the second straight year, the Cowboys come up short.

Florio?s pick:? Redskins 24, Cowboys 21.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/arian-foster-cleared-by-doctors-returns-to-practice/related

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Taylor Swift Named Most Charitable Celebrity of 2012

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/taylor-swift-named-most-charitable-celebrity-of-2012/

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Manning, Peterson?make Pro Bowl

Robert Griffin III also Pro-Bowl bound after standout rookie season

/ Getty Images

Peyton Manning (L)?and Adrian Peterson capped their comeback seasons with Pro Bowl nods.

By BARRY WILNER

updated 7:51 p.m. ET Dec. 26, 2012

NEW YORK - Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson want to cap their sensational comebacks with Super Bowl appearances. For now, they can be proud of Pro Bowl spots.

So can Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, one of two rookies chosen Wednesday for the Jan. 27 NFL all-star game.

Manning missed all of the 2011 season with neck and back problems that required several operations. He then signed with Denver as a free agent and has led the Broncos on a 10-game winning streak to take the AFC West.

"I know there's great players out there in the NFL, but there's some great players on this team this year that deserve to go," said Manning, whose 12th Pro Bowl is a record for quarterbacks. He ranks fourth in league passing this year, has thrown 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Four other Broncos made the AFC roster: DE Elvis Dumervil, linebacker Von Miller, CB Champ Bailey and tackle Ryan Clady. Bailey's 12th appearance is a record for defensive backs.

"My goal has always been to go out and help the team win and play at a high level," Manning added. "Anything that comes along with that, like being honored as a Pro Bowl selection, is very humbling."

Minnesota's Peterson tore up his left knee on Christmas Eve last year, underwent major surgery, then was back for the season opener. He's gone from uncertain to unstoppable, running away with the rushing title with a career-high 1,898 yards and lifting the Vikings toward an NFC wild card.

"Coming into the season after going through the rehab process, I just told myself that I wanted to lead my team to a championship and make sure that I contribute and do my part," Peterson said. "I've been doing it."

Griffin is one of three rookie QBs who had superb debut seasons, along with Andrew Luck of Indianapolis and Russell Wilson of Seattle. Luck and Wilson weren't voted to the Pro Bowl by players, coaches and fans, although their teams are in the playoffs; Griffin can get to the postseason if Washington beats Dallas on Sunday.

"You can't play down those kind of things," Griffin said. "I've always said my whole football career that you don't play for awards. They just come. You don't say you're going to win the Heisman. You don't say you're going to win MVP. You go out and you prove it on the field, and if everyone feels that way then they'll give you that award."

San Francisco had the most players selected, nine, including six from its second-ranked defense. Houston was next with eight, six on offense.

Kansas City, despite its 2-13 record that is tied with Jacksonville for worst in the league, had five Pro Bowlers, including RB Jamaal Charles, who like Peterson is coming back from a torn ACL.
One other rookie, Minnesota kicker Blair Walsh, was chosen. Walsh has nine field goals of at least 50 yards, an NFL mark.

The AFC kicker is at the other end of the spectrum: Cleveland's Phil Dawson earned his first selection in his 14th NFL season.

"I deliberately tried not to know," Dawson said. "We wanted to watch the show with my kids. I had a really good idea what was going on, but it was a pretty priceless moment when we saw the name flash up on the screen. My kids went nuts `cause my wife went nuts. That makes these 15 years of waiting worth it."

Another record setter will be heading to Honolulu: Detroit WR Calvin Johnson.

Johnson broke Jerry Rice's single-season yards receiving record and has 1,892 yards with a game left.

Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez set the record for Pro Bowls at his position by being chosen for the 13th time.

The league's top two sackmasters, DEs Aldon Smith of San Francisco and J.J. Watt of Houston, were first-time selections. Watt has 20 1-2 sacks, one ahead of Smith; the NFL record is 22 1-2.

Other newcomers, along with Griffin, Walsh and Dawson, were AFC players tackle Duane Brown and guard Wade Smith of Houston; safety LaRon Landry of the Jets; kick returner Jacoby Jones of Baltimore; and punter Dustin Colquitt of Kansas City.

For the NFC, first-timers were Giants WR Victor Cruz; Atlanta WR Julio Jones; Seattle tackle Russell Okung and center Max Unger; San Francisco guard Mike Iupati, linebacker NaVorro Bowman and safety Donte Whitner; Chicago cornerback Tim Jennings and defensive tackle Henry Melton; Washington tackle Trent Williams and special teamer Lorenzo Alexander; Minnesota fullback Jerome Felton; Tampa Bay DT Gerald McCoy; and New Orleans punter Thomas Morstead.

Eight teams had no Pro Bowl players: Carolina, Philadelphia and St. Louis in the NFC, Tennessee, Buffalo, Jacksonville, San Diego and Oakland in the AFC.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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A lot on the line in finale

Week 17 offers numerous playoff scenarios, the last two playoff berths, and one more attempt to rewrite the NFL record book. Here is your handy guide to what to watch for this Sunday.

PFT's picks: Vikings won't stop Packers

The Vikings are playing for a postseason berth. The Packers are playing for a bye. The Packers remain the better team, and they have every reason to demonstrate that on Sunday.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/50300637/ns/sports-nfl/

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(unixd1401s) Astro Speak is an online astrology web portal owned and operated by Indiatimes.com providing astrology services and products to the consumers. All Astrology Reports ? Palmistry Detailed Life Predictions ? Astrology Jupiter in Aquarius ? Tarot Readers Love and Marriage Reports ? Relationship Ask a Question Services ? Rune Reading Mangal Dosha Report ? Ask a Question Doshas and Astro Remedies ? Numerologists Janampatri / Horoscope ? Love Horoscopes Ask a Question ? Palmist

Source: http://orientalads.com/vedic-astrology-hindu-astrology-india-vedic-astrology-5/

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Brawl in the Family is home for the holidays - Destructoid

As Christmas wraps up and MAGFest fast approaches, we celebrate the Yuletide season with the gift of song.

The previous four strips of Matthew Taranto's Brawl in the Family (454, 455, 456, and 457) have seen Dedede, Pok?mon's Bug Catcher, Ganondorf, and Luigi traveling to adjoining universes for their holiday vacations. My favorite was Luigi's trip to Hyrule, where he successfully supplanted Link as the Hero of Time, but they were all charming as BitF comics tend to be.

For episode 458 (mistakenly numbered 358), Matthew pulled another musical number out of his magic bag of tricks. He and his wife Sarah sang a lovely rendition of the holiday classic "Home for the Holidays" as all the Nintendo vacationers returned from their journeys abroad. Very touching!

I also suppose this is as good a time as any to remind you that Matt is one of the team members on the upcoming Nintendo Force magazine! Hurray for him! And hurray for all of us for being along for the ride! Merry Christmas, duders!

458 - Home [Brawl in the Family]

---

1:00 PM on 12.24.2012 ? // ? Dale North

I can tell that this new trailer for?JoJo?s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle looks pretty incredible, but I can't?honestly?tell you that I know what is going on at all times in it. Fists and words and ... ? more

2:45 PM on 12.23.2012 ? // ? Jonathan Holmes

There was a time when my highest aspiration in life was to draw my own 2D fighting game. As I got older, I discovered that without the utmost talent, patience, and dedication, it was never going to happen (which is why it ha... ? more

11:30 PM on 12.20.2012 ? // ? Jordan Devore

Team Ninja has narrowed down the release date for Dead or Alive 5 Plus to March 19, 2013, in addition to providing screenshots taken from the PlayStation Vita title. One of the more interesting features is Touch Play Mode, a ... ? more

11:30 AM on 12.20.2012 ? // ? Chris Carter

Capcom vs. SNK 2 is one of my most played fighting games of all time (and was probably my best game, tourney wise). The cast of characters is diverse, the controls were tight, and it had a ton of content to keep you going (cu... ? more

4:00 PM on 12.14.2012 ? // ? Jordan Devore

This year, we saw a good mix of old and new among fighting games, from the humble beginnings of Skullgirls to the respectable continuation of genre giant Tekken. With any award, it's always interesting to see readers gravitat... ? more

6:00 PM on 12.12.2012 ? // ? Jordan Devore

Even for those who aren't into playing fighting games so much as watching those with far greater skill compete, the raw energy and spectacle of the genre make it one of gaming's most exciting. This year saw notable releases f... ? more

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I really enjoyed my time with PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, and I wouldn't mind a sequel somewhere down the line with more characters that helped define the platform (if Sony could work out deals with Activision to get... ? more

8:00 AM on 12.03.2012 ? // ? Chris Carter

Sony promised patches for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, and now you're getting them, starting next week with patch 1.02. Among the changes are a new item (Medusa's Gaze, presumably from God of War, and presumably somet... ? more

4:30 PM on 11.29.2012 ? // ? Jordan Devore

The latest addition to Injustice: Gods Among Us initially seemed somewhat unexpected to me, but then I remembered that oh, right, Deathstroke previously made the cut for Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. Here he is again in Net... ? more

7:00 PM on 11.28.2012 ? // ? Tony Ponce

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Source: http://www.destructoid.com/brawl-in-the-family-is-home-for-the-holidays-241267.phtml

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Japan's Abe set for second term, to tap allies for cabinet

TOKYO (Reuters) - Shinzo Abe will be voted in as prime minister by parliament's lower house on Wednesday, giving the hawkish lawmaker a second chance at Japan's top job as the country battles deflation and confronts a rising China.

Abe, 58, has promised aggressive monetary easing by the Bank of Japan and big fiscal spending by the debt-laden government to slay deflation and weaken the yen to make Japanese exports more competitive.

The grandson of a former prime minister, Abe has staged a stunning comeback five years after abruptly resigning as premier in the wake of a one-year term troubled partly by scandals in his cabinet and public outrage over lost pension records.

His Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) surged back to power in this month's election.

"I want to learn from the experience of my previous administration, including the setbacks, and aim for a stable government," Abe told reporters as he entered parliament, where he will be voted in later in the day as Japan's seventh prime minister in six years.

Abe looks set to pick a slate of close allies leavened by some LDP rivals to fend off the criticism of cronyism that dogged his first administration.

Japanese media have said Abe will name former prime minister Taro Aso, 72, as finance minister, ex-trade and industry minister Akira Amari as minister in charge of a new economic revival headquarters and policy veteran Toshimitsu Motegi as trade minister. Motegi will also be tasked with formulating energy policy in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster last year.

Loyal Abe backer Yoshihide Suga is expected to become chief cabinet secretary, a key post combining the job of top government spokesman with responsibility for coordinating among ministries.

Others who share Abe's agenda to revise the pacifist constitution and rewrite Japan's wartime history with a less apologetic tone have also been floated for posts.

"These are really LDP right-wingers and close friends of Abe," said Sophia University professor Koichi Nakano. "It really doesn't look very fresh at all."

CHINA TIES, JULY ELECTION

The yen has weakened about 9.8 percent against the dollar since Abe was elected LDP leader in September. On Wednesday, it hit a 20-month low of 85.38 yen against the greenback on expectations of aggressive monetary policy easing.

Abe has threatened to revise a law guaranteeing the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) independence if it refuses to set a 2 percent inflation target.

BOJ minutes released on Wednesday showed the central bank was already pondering policy options in November, concerned about looming risks to the economy. The BOJ stood pat at its November rate review meeting but eased this month in response to intensifying pressure from Abe.

Abe also promised during the election campaign to take a tough stance in territorial rows with China and South Korea over separate chains of tiny islands, while placing priority on strengthening Japan's alliance with the United States.

Japanese media said Abe would appoint two low-profile officials to the foreign and defense portfolios.

Itsunori Onodera, 52, who was senior vice foreign minister in Abe's first cabinet, will become defense minister while Fumio Kishida, 55, a former state minister for issues related to Okinawa island - host to the bulk of U.S. forces in Japan - will be appointed to the top diplomatic post, the reports said.

Abe, who hails from a wealthy political family, made his first overseas visit to China to repair chilly ties when he took office in 2006, but has said his first trip this time will be to the United States.

He may, however, put contentious issues that could upset key trade partner China and fellow-U.S. ally South Korea on the backburner to concentrate on boosting the economy, now in its fourth recession since 2000, ahead of an election for parliament's upper house in July.

The LDP and its small ally, the New Komeito party, won a two-thirds majority in the 480-seat lower house in the December 16 election. That allows the lower house to enact bills rejected by the upper house, where the LDP-led block lacks a majority.

But the process is cumbersome, so the LDP is keen to win a majority in the upper house to end the parliamentary deadlock that has plagued successive governments since 2007.

"It's the economy, the economy, the economy," an LDP source close to Abe told Reuters. The new government plans to submit an extra budget for the fiscal year to March 31 in late January.

Financial markets expect a budget worth about 10 trillion yen ($117.93 billion), but the source said no more than half of that would be spent on public works projects, a traditional staple of LDP economic stimulus packages.

($1 = 84.7950 Japanese yen)

(Additional reporting by Leika Kihara, Kiyoshi Takenaka and Chris Meyers; Editing by Dean Yates)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/japans-abe-set-second-term-tap-allies-cabinet-005235524--business.html

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And Now Comes A 'Tense' Final Few Days Of The Year - Business ...

And now that life is returning to normal: Constant attention to the Fiscal Cliff.

Here's what UBS's Anthony Ip wrote earlier this week:

?In a statement on Friday, Obama described his plan as an ?achievable goal that can get done in 10 days? and conceded that a ?grand bargain? for deficit reduction with the GOP is unlikely before year-end. With the House and the Senate only reconvening on Thursday 27th and the President on vacation in Hawaii at the start of the week, it is fair to say that newsflow over the next 72 hours will be fairly thin before we head into a tense final few business days of the year.

Consistent with the above, Fox reports that Obama flies back to DC late tomorrow night to resume talks.

Remember, when we left thing off this weekend, the talk was that the best hope was a tiny push deal that buys more time.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/and-now-comes-a-tense-final-few-days-of-the-year-2012-12

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