What will sink wild-card hopefuls?

Some teams on the edge of playoff race have weaknesses that could be costly

ANALYSIS

updated 3:24 p.m. ET Dec. 13, 2011

Mike Tanier

You know the NFL has hit its ?Any Given Sunday? sweet spot when the Cardinals are still alive in the wild card race.

That?s right, parity fans: the 6-7 Cardinals are still in the hunt, as are the 6-7 Chargers and, by mathematical fiat, the 5-8 Eagles. Some of the win-loss combinations needed to keep these teams alive are as unlikely as a meteor striking Tom Brady on Sunday, but the Patriots are facing the Broncos, so you cannot rule anything out.

This article is not about those long shots, though. It?s about real wild card contenders such as the Falcons and Giants, and about division leaders such as the Ravens who are hanging by their knuckles. A handful of minor issues could have a major impact on how the wild card race shapes up.

The following five teams have flaws that their upcoming opponents will be able to exploit, and with a playoff picture this crowded, even a small problem can develop into a major issue:

The Falcons: Open the Screen
The Falcons' offense has always been a little bit predictable: Michael Turner runs up the gut, Roddy White catches deep passes (with help this year from rookie Julio Jones), tight end Tony Gonzalez polishes his Hall of Fame bust while working the middle, rinse and repeat. In recent weeks, the Falcons have grown a little too predictable. An important component has been missing from their offense for most of the season: the screen passing game.

On passes thrown behind the line of scrimmage this season ? including running back and receiver screens, dump-offs, and other short tosses ? Matt Ryan and the Falcons are 38-of-54 for 205 yards: just 3.7 yards per pass attempt. The average team gains about 4.7 yards per attempt on passes these passes and attempts about 6.2 of them per game. The Falcons average one less yard per play and two fewer attempts per game: they aren?t good at screens, and they don?t use them much.

The Falcons lack an ideal screen pass threat at running back. Rookie Jacquizz Rodgers is best suited for the role, but he has had trouble holding on to the ball. Workhorse Michael Turner has just 45 receptions in eight seasons. Jason Snelling has good hands but no moves, making him the perfect receiver if you only hope to gain 3.7 yards per attempt. Snelling is responsible for the Falcons? only ?big gain? by a running back on a pass behind the line of scrimmage: a 17-yard reception against the Packers. Roddy White took a receiver screen 32 yards, but tossing the ball to the fast guys on the edge hasn?t helped: the Falcons average just 3.7 yards per pass on wide receiver and Gonzalez screens.

A great deep passing team needs to also be a good screen team: when the secondary is deep and the linebacker is blitzing, the screen pass is an ideal counterpunch. The Texans beat the Falcons by intercepting some deep passes and forcing the Falcons to search for Plan B. Future Falcons opponents certainly took notice.

Chris Trotman / Getty Images

Jets: Stop that Tight End
The Jets have solved the run defense problem that plagued them in a few early season losses. Now they have only one defensive weakness: they have trouble stopping tight ends.

At Football Outsiders, we break down each pass defense by how it performs against No. 1 receivers, No. 2 receivers, tight ends, running backs and slot receivers. You may have heard of a place called Revis Island, and sure enough the Jets have the best defense in the league against No. 1 receivers. They rank fourth against No. 2 receivers and fourth against running backs, but the Jets rank just 27th against tight ends and 22nd against ?other? receivers. Chalk their ranking against the others as the residue of design: slot receivers get a lot of work as opponents try to avoid the Jets starting cornerbacks. But the tight end problem is real.

If you looked at those rankings and said ?Ah, Gronkowski? you are only partially right. Patriots star Rob Gronkowski caught 12 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns in two games against the Jets, and teammate Aaron Hernandez pitched in another nine catches. But these statistics are adjusted to account for the fact that the Jets face the league?s most tight end-happy passing game twice per season. The Jets also allowed a six-game, 110-yard effort by Jason Witten early in the season and a combined eight-catch, 99-yard, one-touchdown game against Antonio Gates and Randy McMichael of the Chargers. Opponents know the Jets have trouble with tight ends, so even teams that don?t have a Gronkowski or Witten try their luck over the middle: the Ravens threw 12 passes to Ed Dickson in their meeting with the Jets, though Dickson came away with just four receptions.

The tight end problem will only get worse with safety Jim Leonhard injured: he often drew man coverage in the middle of the field. Upcoming opponents will test Leonhard?s backups. The Eagles like to use screens to Brett Celek to punish over-aggressive defenses. Jake Ballard of the Giants may not look like a deep threat when he is waddling down the field, but he averages 15.9 yards per catch. The Jets have not given themselves much wild card breathing room, so one long rumble buy a guy like Celek or Ballard could have major consequences.

Julio Cortez / AP

Giants: Riding of the Reserves
Watching a Giants game inspires numerous questions, but the biggest one may be, ?Who the heck are these guys??

The Giants started eight players on Sunday against the Cowboys who were not in their opening-day lineup. Every team has had to cope with injuries, but the Giants have been playing mix-and-match since the start of camp, and the setbacks just keep on coming.

Some of the changes have helped. Victor Cruz has developed into one of the best young receivers in the NFL, supplanting Mario Manningham in the starting lineup. Cruz has become Manning?s go-to target on third down, catching 23 of the 34 passes thrown to him for 457 yards, three touchdowns and 15 first downs. Without Cruz, the Giants would not even be close to the playoff picture.

But most of the new starters are emergency replacements. Kevin Boothe has stepped in for David Baas at center, making shotgun snaps an occasional adventure. Mitch Petrus is a stopgap at guard, replacing David Diehl, who is now a stopgap at left tackle in place of Will Beatty. With four sacks, Dave Tollefson has held his own on the defensive line, but he is no substitute for Osi Umenyiora. And the linebacking crew is a duct tape masterpiece: starters Michael Boley and Greg Jones were replaced by rookies Jacquain Williams and Mark Herzlich, with special teams ace Chase Blackburn then subbing for the injured Herzlich. The Giants compensated by using backup safety Deon Grant as a hybrid linebacker in midseason (a look they used often in 2010), but Grant is now needed at free safety in relief of Kenny Phillips.

The Giants survived their injury rash because of veteran depth: the team made a point of re-signing Boothe, Grant and Tollefson early in training camp as insurance policies. But with Justin Tuck dealing with yet another injury (his toe this time), the Giants are running out of bodies. After this week?s Redskins game, they face the Jets and Cowboys, two rivals with serious playoff aspirations of their own. The reserves have held their own, but three weeks can feel like forever when you?ve dug this deep into the bench.

Don Wright / AP

Bengals: Goal Line Woes
If the Bengals fade from the playoff picture, they can blame their red zone offense. In the last three games, they have scored just three touchdowns in nine trips inside the 20-yard line and are 0-for-5 on touchdown conversions in goal-to-go situations.

A drive against the Steelers that reached the four-yard line ended with a blocked field goal. Maybe that play didn?t make much of a difference in a 35-7 game (though it would have given the Bengals a 3-0 lead and changed the complexion of the game), but red zone woes were a huge problem in the last-second loss to the Texans. By settling for six points when they should have scored 14, the Bengals let the Texans stay in the game and pull off a last-second miracle.

The two failed goal-to-go drives against the Texans were very similar. On both drives, the Bengals started with a power run that went nowhere. Then, Andy Dalton rolled out and completed a pass well short of the end zone. On third down, Dalton fired incomplete into the end zone. The failed Steelers drive was similar: a short power run by Cedric Benson, a pass that did not reach the end zone by Dalton, and an incomplete pass, plus a few penalties. Maybe opponents have figured out what is coming.

A little quality control can keep the Bengals from being too predictable in the red zone. They have the tools to score in short yardage situation: Benson can push the pile, A.J. Green could outjump Spider-Man, and Jermaine Gresham adds a post-up option in the middle of the end zone. The Bengals catch a break this week against the Rams, but they end the season with the suddenly-tough Cardinals and the Ravens. If they leave touchdowns on the table against those opponents, they may also be leaving behind a Wild Card berth.

Stephen Brashear / Getty Images

Ravens: Road Worriers
The Ravens are on a four-game winning streak and hold the AFC North lead thanks to their season sweep of the Steelers. But no division leader is in a more precarious position than the Ravens. The Steelers? late-season schedule is very easy: after facing a 49ers team that has clinched its division, they get two easy games against the Rams and Browns. The Ravens also play the Browns once more, but they must face Chargers and Bengals teams fighting for their playoff lives. And they must play both of those teams on the road, where the Ravens are 3-3 this season.

The Ravens have had a pronounced home-field advantage since the start of the John Harbaugh era. Last year, they were 7-1 at home and 5-3 on the road. In 2009, they were 6-2 at home, 3-5 on the road. Since 2008, they are 26-5 in Baltimore and 17-13 on the road. Every team has a home field advantage, but the Ravens go from a Super Bowl caliber team to a wild card also-ran the moment they board a plane.

There is no easy explanation for the Ravens? road difficulties. In past seasons, they had tough road schedules, facing the Patriots in Foxboro in 2009 and 2010 for example. Both of their ?trip and fall? losses this year ? against the Seahawks and Jaguars ? came on the road. We all know that Seattle can be a tough place to play because of the noise and the long plane ride. But Jacksonville?

If the Ravens lose the AFC North to the Steelers, it could set off an AFC chain reaction. First of all, Ravens losses would give the Bengals, and possibly the Chargers, new playoff life. It could also complicate matters for the Jets, because the Ravens hold a tiebreaker advantage over them. In the unlikely event that the Ravens lose three straight games and the Titans win out, guess what? The Titans would hold the tiebreaker advantage thanks to a head-to-head win: in Tennessee, of course.

The Ravens and Steelers are most likely to each finish in the neighborhood of 12-4, then face each other at some point in the playoffs. It?s what they do. But put the Ravens on a cross-country flight to a city like San Diego, and you?ll never know what might happen.

Mike Tanier writes for NBCSports.com and Rotoworld.com and is a senior writer for Football Outsiders.

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More newsKevin C. Cox / Getty Images

What will sink wild-card hopefuls?

Tanier: Some teams on the edge of the wild card race have flaws that their upcoming opponents will be able to exploit, and maybe cost them their seasons.

Achilles heels

??What is the vulnerabilities of the contenders heading into the final stretch of the NFL season

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45657830/ns/sports-nfl/

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Genetic markers help feds enforce seafood regulations

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

New discoveries in "marine forensics" by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) will allow federal seafood agents to genetically test blue marlin to quickly and accurately determine their ocean of origin.

The test is needed to ensure that the blue marlin sold in U.S. seafood markets were not taken from the Atlantic Ocean. The import and sale of blue marlin from the Pacific or Indian oceans is legal in the U.S., while the marketing of Atlantic blues can bring civil or criminal penalties, including fines, seizure of a catch, or the loss of a fishing permit. Regulation of Atlantic blue marlin reflects overfishing and a troubling drop in population within Atlantic waters.

Blue marlin?magnificent billfish that can grow to 13 feet long and weigh up to 2,000 pounds?are frequently taken as by-catch in tuna and swordfish fisheries, and are also targeted by recreational anglers. Marlin is sold in restaurants, and at stands in the Caribbean as BBQ fish-on-a-stick or as filling for fish fritters.

The VIMS research team?graduate student Laurie Sorenson, molecular biologist Jan McDowell, and professor John Graves?reports the findings of their study, "Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers for blue marlin, Makaira nigricans," in a recent issue of Conservation Genetics Resources.

Sorenson completed the work as part of her Master's research in the College of William and Mary's School of Marine Science at VIMS, with Graves and McDowell as her co-advisors.

Graves, who chairs the U.S. Advisory Committee to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), says "Blue marlin from the Atlantic can be illegally marketed as originating from the Indo-Pacific stock, which is currently unregulated. Laurie and Jan identified 10 new microsatellite markers that enforcement agencies can use to readily discriminate between Indo-Pacific and Atlantic fish."

Genetic tests to determine the origin of blue marlin and other marine species are conducted by the Marine Forensics Program within NOAA's Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research in Charleston, South Carolina. The Center is part of the National Ocean Service's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.

Trey Knott, a forensic biologist responsible for testing blue marlin at the Charleston lab, says "our relationship with the researchers at VIMS has been invaluable. We wouldn't have been able to tackle an R&D project like this given the casework load in our lab, and the folks at VIMS bring a wealth of historical experience and knowledge of billfish."

Knott is scheduled to visit VIMS this winter to be introduced to the new method. He will then transfer the testing procedure to the Charleston Lab, where he plans to put it into operational use later next year.

According to NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement, illegal marketing of Atlantic blue marlin is known to occur when fish landed in the recreational fishery are sold at the dock to markets or individuals as Pacific-caught fish.

Jeff Radonski, Acting Deputy Special Agent in charge of NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement's Southeast Division, says, "Domestically, commercial fishing operations generally aren't a problem. But a black market does exist that may be supplied with recreationally harvested billfish. In some places, recreational anglers opportunistically target Atlantic marlin and sailfish for sale as a means to cover their expenses. The potential issue is locally harvested marlin being comingled with legally imported marlin through fraudulent Certificates of Eligibility or invoices."

Microsatellite markers

The new test uses "microsatellite markers"?repeating sequences of genetic material along the strands of DNA that lie within an organism's cells. Closely related individuals?such as those within either the Atlantic or Indo-Pacific stock?tend to share similar patterns of repetition, thus providing a "genetic fingerprint" for identification.

"These new markers amplify well using samples from Atlantic and Pacific blue marlin," says Sorenson. "That means that they have value and utility in studies of both stocks. Use of these markers will provide a more powerful means of identifying the ocean of origin, allowing enforcement of regulations for this species."

The team identified the new markers by examining blue marlin heart tissue, and tested their effectiveness by analyzing tissues from 40 blue marlin?20 from mid-Pacific waters near Hawai'i, and 20 from the coast of Ghana in the equatorial eastern Atlantic. They isolated the microsatellite markers using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and other techniques common to the geneticists' toolbox.

"The new test provides more power to discriminate Atlantic and Indo-Pacific blue marlin," says Sorenson. "It uses a suite of markers to identify a sample's ocean of origin with enough accuracy to be able to enforce the prohibition on the sale of Atlantic blue marlin."

Current genetic markers for blue marlin?also developed at VIMS?are only partly effective. "Our earlier research showed that about 40% of Atlantic blue marlin have mitochondrial gene fragments that are unique to the Atlantic stock," says McDowell. "We used that fact to develop an assay to quickly determine if a sample was in that 40%, so that we could unambiguously say it was of Atlantic origin. But that left a large percentage of samples whose origin remained unknown and unknowable."

The VIMS research team has also generated a reference database?a collection of genotypes for the Atlantic and Pacific stocks?that totals 344 individuals. They are currently working to publish these results, which include statistical analyses (assignment tests) to determine ocean of origin.

###

Virginia Institute of Marine Science: http://www.vims.edu

Thanks to Virginia Institute of Marine Science for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/115771/Genetic_markers_help_feds_enforce_seafood_regulations_

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Cain suspends campaign shifting GOP race

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, right, bows and his wife Gloria applauds as Cain arrives on stage for a scheduled announcement Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Atlanta. "I am suspending my presidential campaign because of the continued distractions and the continued hurt caused on me and my family," Cain told several hundred supporters gathered at what was to have been the opening of his national campaign headquarters. (AP Photo/David Tulis)

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, right, bows and his wife Gloria applauds as Cain arrives on stage for a scheduled announcement Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Atlanta. "I am suspending my presidential campaign because of the continued distractions and the continued hurt caused on me and my family," Cain told several hundred supporters gathered at what was to have been the opening of his national campaign headquarters. (AP Photo/David Tulis)

Supporters from left, Marianne Sanderson, Lisa Shiflett, and Michelle McDonald, react to the announcement by Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain that he is suspending his campaign at an event Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain announces he is suspending his campaign as his wife Gloria, left, looks on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Atlanta. "I am suspending my presidential campaign because of the continued distractions and the continued hurt caused on me and my family," Cain told several hundred supporters gathered at what was to have been the opening of his national campaign headquarters. (AP Photo/David Tulis)

ATLANTA (AP) ? A defiant Herman Cain suspended his faltering bid for the Republican presidential nomination Saturday amid a drumbeat of sexual misconduct allegations against him, throwing his staunchly conservative supporters up for grabs with just one month to go before the lead-off caucuses in Iowa.

Cain condemned the accusations as "false and unproven" but said they had been hurtful to his family, particularly his wife, Gloria, and were drowning out his ability to deliver his message. His wife stood behind him on the stage, smiling and waving as the crowd chanted her name.

"So as of today, with a lot of prayer and soul-searching, I am suspending my presidential campaign because of the continued distractions and the continued hurt caused on me and my family," a tired-looking Cain told about 400 supporters.

Cain's announcement came five days after an Atlanta-area woman, Ginger White, claimed she and Cain had an affair for more than a decade, a claim that followed several allegations of sexual harassment against the Georgia businessman.

"Now, I have made many mistakes in life. Everybody has. I've made mistakes professionally, personally, as a candidate, in terms of how I run my campaign. And I take responsibility for the mistakes I've made, and I have been the very first to own up to any mistakes I've made," he said.

But Cain intoned: "I am at peace with my God. I am at peace with my wife. And she is at peace with me."

White's attorney said in a statement after the announcement that Cain had disparaged his client and should apologize. Cain had called her a "troubled Atlanta businesswoman" whom he had tried to help.

"We continue to encourage Mr. Cain to retract these statements and apologize for the way he has characterized these women in the media," Edward Buckley said. Cain's campaign had no immediate response.

Cain's announcement provides a new twist in what has already been a volatile Republican race. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has, so far, been the biggest beneficiary of Cain's precipitous slide. Polls show Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney atop the field in what is shaping up as a two-man race heading into early voting states.

But others, such as Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, will likely make a strong play for Cain's anti-establishment tea party backing as they look to rise as a viable alternative to Romney, whose conservative credentials are suspect in some GOP circles.

Cain said he would offer an endorsement, and his former rivals were quick to issue statements on Saturday praising his conservative ideals and grassroots appeal.

At a tea party rally in Staten Island, Gingrich praised Cain for bringing optimism and big ideas to the race.

"He had the courage to launch the 9-9-9 plan, which, whether you liked it or disliked it, was a big idea and started to elevate the debate toward big solutions and not the usual nitpicking, consultant-driven negativity," Gingrich said. He was referring to Cain's catchy but controversial plan to scrap the current tax code for a 9 percent tax on personal and corporate income as well as a new 9 percent national sales tax.

Some disappointed Cain supporters were clearly in search of a candidate on Saturday following his withdrawal.

"I don't know where I will go now," Janet Edwards, 52, said following Cain's announcement. "I guess I have to start looking at the rest of them."

Cain told supporters he planned to continue his efforts to influence Washington and announced "Plan B" ? what he called a grassroots effort to return government to the people.

"I am not going to be silenced, and I am not going away. And therefore, as of today, Plan B," he said.

Plan B includes formation of TheCainSolutions.com, which he described as a grassroots effort to bring government back to the people. It would also continue to push his signature 9-9-9 plan.

Cain's announcement was a remarkable turnabout for a man that just weeks ago vaulted out of nowhere to the top of the GOP field, propelled by a populist, outsider appeal and his tax overhaul plan.

Saturday's event was a bizarre piece of political theater even for a campaign that has seemed to thrive on defying convention.

Cain marked the end of his bid at what was supposed to be the grand opening of his new campaign headquarters in Atlanta. Minutes before he took the stage to pull the plug, aides and supporters took to the podium to urge attendees to vote for Cain and travel to early voting states to rev up support for his bid.

"Join the Cain train," David McCleary, Cain's Georgia director, urged the audience.

Volunteers had been up through the night preparing the former flooring warehouse to open as the new hub of Cain's early-state outreach.

He marveled at rising from a childhood in Atlanta marked by segregated water fountains and poverty to what he called "the final four" of the presidential contest.

The former Godfather's Pizza chief executive, who has never held elective office, rose just weeks ago to lead the Republican race. But he fumbled policy questions, leaving some to wonder whether he was ready for the presidency. Then it was revealed at the end of October that the National Restaurant Association had paid settlements to two women who claimed Cain sexually harassed them while he was president of the organization.

A third woman told The Associated Press that Cain made inappropriate sexual advances but that she didn't file a complaint. A fourth woman also stepped forward to accuse Cain of groping her in a car in 1997.

Cain has denied wrongdoing in all cases and continued to do so Saturday.

Polls suggest his popularity had suffered. A Des Moines Register poll released Friday showed Cain's support plunging, with backing from 8 percent of Republican caucus goers in Iowa, compared with 23 percent a month ago.

___

Follow Shannon McCaffrey: http://www.twitter.com/smccaffrey13

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-03-Cain/id-698d959c68da4d4ba3bc31315acfa078

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Video: November Jobs Up 120,000

CNBC's Hampton Pearson has the numbers, which reveals that non-farm payrolls are up 120,000. The unemployment rate for November is 8.6 percent. Mark Zandi, Moody's Analytics; Diane Swonk, Mesirow Financial; Austan Goolsbee, former Council of Economic...

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/45523024/

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Insert Coin: ODDIO1 straps an iPod shuffle to your head, makes you inexplicably cooler

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

Micro music players like the iPod shuffle are great when you're shredding the powder, but long cords can be a health hazard, even in the office -- if one wraps itself 'round your coffee mug, you risk having twelve ounces of hot liquid landing in your lap. Designers Jeremy Saxton & Jacob Hall have developed the ODDIO1, a pair of headphones that do away with all that unnecessary cabling -- holstering the shuffle on the right earpiece. If you're interested in getting your hands on a pair of these infuriatingly simple yet elegant cans, ride on past the break to find out more.

Continue reading Insert Coin: ODDIO1 straps an iPod shuffle to your head, makes you inexplicably cooler

Insert Coin: ODDIO1 straps an iPod shuffle to your head, makes you inexplicably cooler originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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German secure.me offers parents more control over children's Facebook accounts (Digital Trends)

A German online reputation and privacy management company, secure.me, set its sights on a global market today, announcing it will be launching in ten different languages. The company markets towards parents who want to monitor the online shenanigans of their children, as well as those who fear the social networking site they use could become an Achilles? heel for their professional repute.

The secure.me service is free of charge, but seems to be focused on Facebook only. For the worrying type of parent, the German company?s offering can seem heavenly. There?s no need to even be registered with Facebook to fully experience the service. Once a Facebook account has been linked to secure.me, around-the-clock monitoring of a profile and its network of friends can be sent to email. A maximum of three profiles can be monitored.

?We know that children and parents often don?t like being Facebook friends with each other. And we also know that parents don?t have the time to continuously monitor Facebook. We developed secure.me to solve this problem,? said secure.me founder Christian Sigl.

Among the features offered is photo monitoring which uses biometric face recognition to scan the social network for pictures of the target profile, even if not tagged. The service offers privacy setting suggestions and informs about unsafe links popping up in friend network. Interactions between friends can also be monitored, as well as apps and pretty much all activity from new friends, to liked pages or check-ins. Past data and events can be compiled and analyzed if needed.

It?s a scary level of invasive caring which some children may not enjoy, but parents in the U.S. may view this as a necessary evil. A Family Online Safety Institute study from September pointed out that 70% of U.S. parents were worried about kids stumbling across porn, and 61% were worried about creepy pedo interactions. The study also pointed out that 83% of parents in the U.S. have either friended or logged into their children?s accounts.

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

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Paul: Newt's a 'flip-flopper (Politico)

?

Via First Read, Ron Paul underscored the criticism his campaign first lobbed last night in a Web video about Newt Gingrich's position shifts:

"I think that he's getting a free ride," the Texas congressman said of Gingrich. "And I've worked with him for a long time. And I think the points I made on the various issues, he's a flip-flopper, so he can hardly be the alternative to Mitt Romney."

"What I find is a shame is look at the amount of energy the media put into talking about sex," Paul said, alluding to the ongoing controversy about Herman Cain's alleged extramarital affair and sexual harassment claims. "And how much does the media put into exposing what Newt Gingrich believes and what he's done?"

As Alex noted last night, this is the kind of message that will be played against Gingrich?? and probably not just by one candidate?? in the lead-up to Iowa. The question is whether Gingrich's support base is soft enough to be picked off, or whether he will be like a Mike Huckabee?? a figure who had plenty of oppo hits against him, but whose supporters simply liked him and couldn't be peeled away.

Continue Reading

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