2013 NFL combine: AFC West primer

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NFL scouting combine starts Thursday. Let?s look at some key storylines that affect the AFC West:

It starts with the Chiefs: The Chiefs have the No. 1 pick in the draft for the first time in the modern era. It?s been well documented that this is not an ideal year for the Chiefs to have the top pick. Even though a quarterback has been selected with the top pick in 12 of the past 15 years, there are no quarterbacks who currently have a chance to be the top choice. Yes, quarterback is the Chiefs? greatest need. The Chiefs would probably like to trade out of the first pick. But because the lack of a top quarterback and the fact that most of the top prospects are fairly equally rated, the trade market may not be robust. The Chiefs will likely test the trade waters this week at the combine, but don?t be surprised if they leave Indianapolis resigned to the fact that they will keep the pick.

The Raiders are not far behind: Welcome to the AFC West, where third place equals the No. 3 overall draft pick. Unlike the Chiefs, the Raiders are in a great spot because this is a defense-heavy draft. Oakland needs all kinds of defensive help. It will spend the week scouting the best defensive talent and then go from there.

Will Floyd rise all the way to Oakland? That leads us to this question: Could Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd get on Oakland?s radar at No. 3? Floyd is considered a fast riser. He started as a late first-round prospect. However, there's talk he could move all the way up to the Raiders' pick and bypass Utah?s Star Lotulelei as the top interior defensive lineman. This is a big week for Floyd, and Oakland will be watching closely.

New philosophies abound: Don?t look now, but John Elway is the most senior decision-maker in the AFC West. It?s just the third year in this role for the legendary former quarterback, but he is the dean of AFC West executives. We have new general managers in San Diego?s Tom Telesco and Kansas City?s John Dorsey. Both men are first-time general managers. Both Telseco and Dorsey are highly regarded. It will be interesting to see them operate this week at the combine.

Will Denver trade down again? Last year, the Broncos traded out of the first round. Could they do it again? Elway has shown he values picks and tries to pick a player where there is value. The Broncos have a lot of options at No. 28, but this week starts the process for Elway to see whether he will be flexible to move down.

Second-round QB options for the Chiefs: Unless West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith steals the combine, the Chiefs will likely consider taking a quarterback in the second round. If I had to guess, three quarterbacks to watch in the second round may be USC?s Matt Barkley, Syracuse?s Ryan Nassib and Arkansas' Tyler Wilson. Barkley could be a great fit for Andy Reid?s West Coast offense. Barkley?s shoulder is still not healed enough for him to throw, but I?m sure the Chiefs will quiz him this week.

Chargers have options: San Diego may be in a position of strength at No. 11. We may not see the Chargers? draft plan unfold after they do their free-agent shopping. Left tackle is San Diego?s top need. The free-agent class is solid. If the Chargers answer their left tackle needs before the draft, they could operate from a position of strength in the first round. They could let the draft board play out and see if guards Chance Warmack of Alabama or Jonathan Cooper of North Carolina fall to them. Both are considered top prospects, but the truth is, guards often drop. So, either player could be a steal at No. 11. I think the same could be said for Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner. But it starts with the Chargers looking at this class of left tackles and deciding if free agency is the way to go.

Will Patterson be one of them? A dark horse for the No. 11 spot is Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. This is not a strong class for receivers, but Patterson is supremely talented. If he blows the doors off at the combine, he could intrigue the Chargers. They badly need a playmaker for Philip Rivers as he enters a critical time in his career. The Chargers will surely poke around Patterson.

Will Oakland get more picks? The Raiders, who didn?t pick until the end of the third round last year, have more picks this season, but they are missing second- and fifth-round picks because of failed trades for veterans. Oakland has one of the thinnest rosters in the NFL. It needs talent everywhere. The Raiders would like to trade down from No. 3 to acquire more picks. But similar to Kansas City with the No. 1 pick, trading down from No. 3 will not be easy. But I?m sure Oakland will put feelers out this week.

Great year to need linemen: Many folks around the league do not think this is a great overall draft. But it seems strong for offensive and defensive linemen. Several could be taken in the top 40 picks. Each team in the division could use help in both areas. It will be interesting to see if the feeling about these positions remains strong after the combine.

Will Lane Johnson continue to rise? If the Chargers do take their chances at left tackle in the draft, an answer may be Oklahoma?s Lane Johnson. He had a great Senior Bowl, and the former quarterback could be an option for the Chargers if he comes through with a strong combine.

Will the Honey Badger migrate west? One of the more talked about prospects this week will be former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu. He will be at the combine after missing last season because of reported drug issues. Known as the "Honey Badger? for his dynamic playmaking and return ability, Mathieu is a fan favorite. But the truth is, scouts had questions about him before he missed the 2012 season. He is considered an average cover man, but he has ball skills. If he has a good combine he could be taken in rounds 3 or 4. All of the AFC West teams could use a cornerback (with Oakland and San Diego having the greatest needs), so he will be watched by this division.

Injured stars will get looks: South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore and Florida State?s pass-rusher Tank Carradine would likely be top prospects if they weren?t coming off major knee injuries. Still, both will likely land in the middle rounds and could be steals if they regain their health. I could see Denver closely monitoring Lattimore, and Carradine is a type of player who could help any team. So, the focus at the combine will be on more than just the players on the workout field.

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/afcwest/post/_/id/55023/afc-west-combine-primer-3

westboro baptist church Survivor Philippines Fashion Island shooting Victor Cruz nfl standings Vicki Soto Adam Lanza

No-mail Saturdays: Plan for the change - Business Management Daily

Budget woes forced the U.S. Postal Service to announce recently that it will stop delivering letters and other mail on Saturdays, starting in August.

Package delivery will continue on Saturdays. Plus, post office hours will not change and P.O. boxes will continue to receive Saturday delivery?a key point for many small businesses.

The USPS says the plan, which is projected to save $2 billion, was announced with a six-month lead time to allow businesses to adjust their production and delivery schedules.

The announcement came on the heels of new postal rate increases that took effect on Jan. 27. Catalogs, circulars and packages cost 2.5% more this year. Stamps are up to 46 cents.

Smart mailing tactics can still save your company money on postage. Some tips:

• Sort your company?s outgoing mail by ZIP code and drop it at bulk mail centers?the USPS offers a 12% discount for such action. (Also, using the nine-digit ZIP codes can save up to 4 cents on postage.)
• Use one vendor. Some delivery firms (FedEx, UPS) offer discounts if business customers consolidate shipping with one company.
• Go electronic. Vendors such as Stamps.com and Pitney Bowes offer software to let you print postage at a lower rate.

Like what you've read? ...Republish it and share great business tips!

Attention: Readers, Publishers, Editors, Bloggers, Media, Webmasters and more...

We believe great content should be read and passed around. After all, knowledge IS power. And good business can become great with the right information at their fingertips. If you'd like to share any of the insightful articles on BusinessManagementDaily.com, you may republish or syndicate it without charge.

The only thing we ask is that you keep the article exactly as it was written and formatted. You also need to include an attribution statement and link to the article.

" This information is proudly provided by Business Management Daily.com: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/34577/no-mail-saturdays-plan-for-the-change "

Source: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/34577/no-mail-saturdays-plan-for-the-change

kids choice awards 2012 micah true kansas vs ohio state winning mega million numbers bruce weber boston globe google maps 8 bit

On Writing, with Marcel Martel | Open Book: Toronto

Marcel Martel and Martin P?quet are the authors of Speaking Up: A History of Language and Politics in Canada and Quebec (Between the Lines Books). The book examines the unique intersection between politics and language in Quebec from 1539 to the present. Unbiased and balanced, Speaking Up delves into the power of words to affect both the personal and political in Canada.

Marcel, who handles English media for Speaking Up, talks to Open Book today about the research process for the book, the early roots of multilingualism in Quebec and the diversity and abundance of French writing in Canada.

Open Book:

Tell us about your book, Speaking Up: A History of Language and Politics in Canada and Quebec.

Marcel Martel:

This book is about language and politics. We focus on how Canadians have dealt with this issue over time. Since language has become politicised in this country, we look at the role that individuals and institutions have played in shaping the views of politicians, including around language of instruction, language of communication and the role of the state in facilitating access to French and English or denying or restricting services in French and or English.

OB:

Why was this the right time for a book about language relations in our country? What was the genesis of this project?

MM:

This project started as a 40-page long journal article rejected in 2004. A few days later, the federal government announced a new funding program for researchers working on minority language groups. We transformed the rejected journal submission into a successful grant proposal. With research funding, we hired several graduate history students from York University and Universit? Laval. The graduate students visited various research archives in the country and collected various letters, petitions, policy memorandums and official statements. With these documents and others that we had already in our files, we wrote a book on language and politics, which was published by Bor?al in French in 2010. The English translation is now available.

OB:

Your book goes much further back in history than many other examinations of language relations. What prompted the decision to start in the sixteenth century in your discussion of this issue?

MM:

The main goal is to demonstrate that Canadians have been debating the language issue before Prime Minister Pierre E. Trudeau introduced the Official Languages Act at the end of the sixties. Our book demonstrates that language has been debated since the arrival of the first non-Aboriginal. While trading with Aboriginals, the French had to learn their languages. After the British Conquest, British authorities maintained French, as an official language in the colony. With the arrival of thousands of immigrants at the end of the nineteenth century in the country, a majority of English Canadians felt that their language and culture were under threat. They concluded that immigrants, who chose Canada as their new home, should abandon their language and master English and value Anglo-Saxon symbols. This policy of cultural and linguistic homogenization triggered conflicts with French-speaking communities established outside of Quebec.

Since the sixties, most provinces and the federal government have embraced official bilingualism. In the case of Quebec, various governments have introduced a series of bills strengthening the status of French as the main language of communication in the province while maintaining English-speaking services and schools.

OB:

Would it be fair to say that language relations are the defining issue in Canadian history? Can you foresee a time where this could ever cease to be an issue in our country?

MM:

Language relations are not the defining issue in Canadian history. However, this is certainly one of them. How Canadians have come to deal with the language issue ? from tolerance to linguistic homogenization to bilingualism or unilingualism ? constitutes a crucial factor in understanding how Canadians have dealt with issues such as cultural diversity, minority rights and reconciling differences.

OB:

Tell us about an ideal writing day for you.

MM:

After answering email inquiries, Marcel Martel writes in the morning for two hours. He will read in the afternoon and write again in the evening. Martin P?quet writes in his office at home, where he does not have any solicitations to distract himself. He writes mostly in the morning and afternoon, and he always hears music from classical and jazz to metal and punk rock.

OB:

French books tend to get less attention in the Canadian literary landscape than those in English. Are there any great, overlooked French titles you would recommend to CanLit enthusiasts?

MM:

This is an extremely difficult question to answer. There are phenomenal fictional and non-fictional books that are published every month in French. Giving a list of French books is an impossible task because we are forced to make a selection that will be disrespectful to French-speaking authors in Canada. In fact, readers should go and find out about amazing fictional and non-fictional books, written in French or translated from French, by talking to friends, librarians, book stores owners, teachers and professors. They should take advantage of book fairs and talk to authors who are eager to chat with book lovers or curious individuals. Go and find out about the abundance and diversity of the book production in French.

OB:

What are you working on now?

MM:

Marcel Martel is writing a book on vice or how Canadians have dealt with habits and behaviours defined as vices: alcohol and drug use, gambling, tobacco, prostitution, homosexuality and abortion. This is a short book ? no more than 200 pages ? that starts with Aboriginal people to present.

Martin P?quet co-directed two collective books, one about Vatican Archives and the historian craft, the other on migration museums and the uses of the past. Martin?s next book will be about the medical doctrine of mental hygiene in Quebec between the wars. It will be a book around 240 pages.

Marcel Martel is professor of history and holds the Avie Bennett Historica-Dominion Institute Chair in Canadian History at York University.

Martin P?quet is professor of history at Universit? Laval and holds the Chair for the Development of Research in French Culture in North America (C?FAN).

For more information about Speaking Up please visit the Between the Lines website.

Buy this book at your local independent bookstore or online at Chapters/Indigo or Amazon.

Check out all the On Writing interviews in our archives.

Source: http://www.openbooktoronto.com/news/writing_with_marcel_martel

the temptations rush limbaugh sandra fluke green book some like it hot duke university whale shark whale shark

The new HTC One and Sense: Hello, gorgeous!

Rosa Golijan , NBC News ? ? ? 18 hrs.

During events simultaneously held in New York City and London Tuesday, HTC unveiled its latest phone, the slender HTC One, along with the newest version of the HTC Sense user experience. The upgrades ? everything from a new camera and powerful quad-core processor to a Windows Phone-style tile interface ? make this quite the desirable handset.

Jason MacKenzie, president of global sales at HTC, handled the unveiling in New York City. He proudly declared that the HTC One "improves every part of the smartphone experience."

The HTC One has a quadcore processor, 2GB of RAM, a stunning 4.7-inch 1080p HD display, and a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera. In the back, the One has what's being dubbed the HTC Zoe camera with Ultra Pixel. (HTC didn't reveal how many megapixels the main camera packs, but we've heard rumors that it's a 13-megapixel monster.)

There are front-facing stereo speakers (which supposedly give significantly clearer sound) and dual-microphones. Those dual-microphones may help you record typically overwhelming sound, such as in a concert hall, and also offer crisper calls.

HTC's design director, Jonah Becker showed off the new HTC Sense ? version 5, in case you're wondering. He made it a point to emphasize BlinkFeed, which puts something resembling tiles containing social updates, photos, news and other relevant details onto your homescreen, to keep you up to date on things. (Yes, yes. we've seen features like this before, but in our early look, it appears that HTC implemented it quite nicely.)

HTC also redesigned its music player, which "takes advantage of the cloud" to provide extra info. Lyrics can appear in real time with music, for instance. This seems rather useful ? especially if you're a rising karaoke star.

What's truly fantastic about the One is something called HTC Zoe. I accidentally discovered this feature while playing with the One prior to HTC's event. Zoe lets you create "live galleries," by recording three-second snippets of video every time you take a photo. (Yes, this instantly reminded me of Twitter's Vine, but it's significantly lower effort ... since the video snippets are recorded without a user needing to do anything other than take a photo.) The resulting clips are clear and gorgeous, even in dimly lit environments.

I have to say, I am rather impressed with the new HTC One. The phone is slender and light ? despite its gigantic display ? and its aluminum unibody is gorgeous. Even though I've had qualms about prior variations of HTC Sense, I found the latest version to be snappy and responsive. My initial impressions have me enamored with this Android device ? and that's definitely high praise coming from an iPhone fangirl.

T-Mobile and AT&T chimed in to say that they will offer the HTC One. A press release from HTC revealed that Sprint will carry the device as well. (No luck for Verizon customers though? We asked the carrier and received a "no comment." Here's hoping that just means Verizon is still testing the device, and won't confirm until it passes muster.) No details on pricing, but we do know that the HTC One should start shipping in late March. When the time comes, you'll be able to get the One in black or silver, in 32GB or 64GB variations.

Want more tech news or interesting links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/new-htc-one-sense-hello-gorgeous-1C8422405

apple tv update new ipad release pregnant jessica simpson international womens day joe the plumber lra lra

Is This Extraordinary Image of NYC a Photograph, a 3D Render, a Painting, or All of the Above?

Check out this spectacular image focusing on the Mandarin Oriental hotel, located at 80 Columbus Circle in New York City, showing Central Park in all its perfect early October sunset glory. Isn't it too exquisite to be just a photograph? Perhaps. Maybe it's a 3D rendering—I can see stuff that makes me think of that. Could it be a really meticulous painting? I can see the hint of brushstrokes here and there. Or a Photoshop... or maybe it's all of the above. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/qukU4qOIxXM/is-this-extraordinary-image-of-nyc-a-photograph-a-3d-render-a-drawing-or-all-of-the-above

Aaron Paul packers Dancing With The Stars All Stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt space shuttle Torrey Smith Brother fiona apple

Playing Fact or Fiction with Monday Night's NBA Trade Rumors

Thanks to the emergence of Rookie of the Year front-runner Damian Lillard and another All-Star season from LaMarcus Aldridge, the Portland Trail Blazers are once again a playoff contender in the West.

But a recent five-game skid has them sitting on the outside looking in, and an encouraging effort of late from the Los Angeles Lakers threatens to slide Portland further down the conference ladder.

As talented as the Portland starters are, its bench is equally horrific. That's led to Portland gauging interest for their starting center, J.J. Hickson:

This isn't a bad strategy for Portland GM Neil Olshey?on paper.

In reality, though, the expected losses in a potential Hickson deal far outweigh the gains.

For starters, one would assume the trade would not be for an upgrade at the center position, but rather multiple pieces to shore up that second unit. While Hickson has put forth a respectable season (12.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game), he's not likely to bring back massive improvements over those already on Portland's woeful bench.

And if Portland fails to replace Hickson in a trade, it's putting a lot of pressure on the shoulders of rookie Meyers Leonard. Maybe Leonard is a beast on the practice floor, because his 14.8 minutes per game has not shown near enough to comfortably assume that he's up for a dramatic increase in responsibility.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1534760-playing-fact-or-fiction-with-monday-nights-nba-trade-rumors

us open tennis us open tennis Empire State Building shooting Republican National Convention Karlie Redd guild wars 2 adrian gonzalez

Multimillion-dollar diamond heist at Brussels airport

BRUSSELS (AP) ? Eight armed and masked men made a hole in a security fence at Brussels' international airport, drove onto the tarmac and snatched millions of dollars' worth of diamonds from the hold of a Swiss-bound plane without firing a shot, authorities said Tuesday.

The gang used two vehicles in their daring raid Monday, grabbed the cache of stones and sped off into the darkness, said Anja Bijnens, spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor's office.

Police found a burnt-out vehicle close to the airport later Monday night and said they were still looking for clues.

The heist was estimated at some $50 million in diamonds, said Caroline De Wolf of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre.

"What we are talking about is obviously a gigantic sum," De Wolf told VRT network.

An airport spokesman said the robbers made a hole in the perimeter fence and drove up to the Swiss passenger plane, which was ready to leave. The robbers got out of the car, flashed their weapons and took the loot from the hold, said airport spokesman Jan Van Der Crujsse. Without firing a shot they drove off through the same hole in the fence, completing the spectacular theft within minutes, he said.

Van Der Crujsse could not explain how the area could be so vulnerable to theft. "We abide by the most stringent rules," he said.

The Swiss flight, bound for Zurich and operated by Helvetic Airways, was canceled. Swiss, an affiliate of Germany's Deutsche Lufthansa AG, declined to comment on the heist, citing the ongoing judicial investigation.

The insurance for air transport ? handled sometimes by airlines themselves or external insurance companies ? is usually relatively cheap because it's considered to be the safest way of transporting small high value items, logistics experts say.

Unlike a car or a truck, an airplane cannot be attacked by robbers once it's on its way, and it is considered to be very safe before the departure and after the plane's arrival because the aircraft is always within the confines of an airport ? which are normally highly secured.

Philip Baum, an aviation security consultant in Britain, said the robbery was worrying ? not because the fence was breached, but because the response did not appear to have been immediate. That, he said, raised questions as to whether alarms were ringing in the right places.

"It does seem very worrying that someone can actually have the time to drive two vehicles onto the airport, effect the robbery, and drive out without being intercepted," Baum said.

That amount of time would also allow someone to board the plane, he said.

A decade ago the Belgian city of Antwerp, the world capital of diamond-cutting, was the scene of what was probably one of the biggest diamond heists in history, when robbers took precious stones, jewels, gold and securities from the high-security vaults at Antwerp's Diamond Center, yielding loot that police in 2003 estimated to be worth about $100 million.

Antwerp's Diamond Center stands in the heart of the high-surveillance diamond district where police and dozens of cameras work around the clock, and security has been beefed up further since the spectacular 2003 robbery.

___

Juergen Baetz and Don Melvin contributed to this report from Brussels.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/multimillion-dollar-diamond-heist-brussels-105956646.html

park slope food coop anchorman sequel safety not guaranteed lifehouse al gore la dodgers lawrence o donnell