Syria forces retake Damascus suburbs; showdown at U.N. (Reuters)

AMMAN/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) ? Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces have taken the upper hand in escalating battles on the outskirts of the capital Damascus, while top Western and Arab diplomats are seeking a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for him to go.

Rebels who seized suburbs of Damascus were driven out after three days of fighting that activists say killed at least 100 people.

Activist organizations said 25 people were killed on Monday in Damascus suburbs and dozens more died in other parts of the country, mostly in raids in Homs and the surrounding countryside.

Events on the ground are difficult to confirm, as the Syrian government restricts most access by journalists.

The Arab League wants the Security Council to pass a resolution backing an Arab peace plan that calls on Assad to relinquish power to his deputy and prepare for elections.

Its Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby and the prime minister of Qatar will make the case at the world body on Tuesday.

The Arab delegation will be supported in person by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, British Foreign Secretary William Hague and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe as the West presents a united front.

The resolution's fate depends on whether the Arabs and their Western backers can persuade Russia not to veto it.

NEW PHASE

A 10-month uprising against Assad - one of the most violent revolts of the "Arab Spring" - has entered a new phase in recent weeks, with an increasingly armed and organized opposition attempting to hold territory.

A last-ditch bid by Moscow to broker talks between Assad's government and rebels foundered when the opposition refused to attend, citing the continued killing, torture and imprisonment of the president's opponents.

Washington said countries needed to accept that Assad's rule was doomed and stop shielding him in the Security Council.

"It is important that the Security Council take action," White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Monday. "We believe that the Security Council should not permit the Assad regime to assault the Syrian people while it rejects the Arab League's proposal for a political solution."

"As governments make decisions about where they stand on this issue and what further steps need to be taken with regards to the brutality of the Assad regime, it is important to calculate into your considerations the fact that he will go," Carney said. "The regime has lost control of the country and will eventually fall."

Syria was dismissive of the U.S. remarks.

"We are not surprised at the lack of wisdom or rationality of these statements and regret that they are still issued by countries that are used to making the Middle East an arena for their follies and failures," the state news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry source as saying late on Monday.

A draft of the U.N. Security Council resolution, obtained by Reuters, calls for a "political transition" in Syria, and says the Security Council could adopt unspecified "further measures" if Syria does not comply with its terms.

It endorses the Arab League power transfer plan. So far Moscow has shown little sign of being persuaded to let it pass.

"The current Western draft is only a step away from the October version and can by no means be supported by us," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told Interfax. "This document is not balanced ... and above all leaves the door open for intervention in Syrian (internal) affairs."

Nevertheless, some Western diplomats said they hoped Russia and China could be persuaded not to block the draft.

An abstention by Russia and China last March paved the way for the Security Council to authorize force against Muammar Gaddafi's military in Libya with Arab League support.

Making the Arab League's case, Elaraby will be joined by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, whose country heads the League's committee dealing with Syria.

ASSAULT ON DAMASCUS BEATEN BACK

Assad's forces appear to have decisively beaten back an attempt by the opposition to march on the outskirts of Damascus.

Activists and residents said Syrian troops now had control of Hamouriyeh, one of several districts where they have used armored vehicles and artillery to push back rebels who came as close as 8 km (5 miles) to Damascus.

An activist said the Free Syrian Army (FSA) - a force of military defectors with links to Syria's divided opposition - mounted scattered attacks on government troops who advanced through the district of Saqba, held by rebels just days ago.

Rebels are risking heavier clashes and speaking of creating "liberated" territories to force diplomatic action. In the past three weeks they have taken Zabadani - a town of 40,000 in mountainous near the border with Lebanon.

"God willing, we will liberate more territory, because the international community has only offered delayed action and empty threats," said a lieutenant colonel who had defected to the FSA and asked not to be identified.

Homs residents said fighting erupted on Monday in the al-Qusour neighborhood, and several armored vehicles belonging to loyalist forces where destroyed.

In the northern commercial hub of Aleppo, which had remained mostly on the sidelines in the uprising as an alliance between Assad and the city's Sunni Muslim merchant class held, demonstrations erupted for a fourth day in several districts.

Tension rose there after pro-Assad militiamen killed 10 people following a pro-democracy demonstration on Friday.

Security forces cut off electricity from Fardos neighborhood of Aleppo and arrested 100 youths on Monday after a demonstration demanding the removal of Assad, activists said.

Syria's state news agency said six soldiers died in an attack near Deraa in the south and a gas pipeline was blown up.

The state news agency SANA has reported funerals of more than 70 members of the security forces members since Friday.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said Syria agreed to Russian-brokered negotiations over the crisis, but senior members of the council set up to speak for a fragmented Syria opposition said there was no point in talking to Assad, who must quit.

"We rejected the Russian proposal because they wanted us to talk with the regime while it continues the killings, the torture, the imprisonment," Walid al-Bunni, foreign affairs chief for the Syrian National Council, told Reuters.

The escalating bloodshed prompted the Arab League to suspend the work of its monitors on Saturday. Arab foreign ministers, who have urged Assad to step down and make way for a government of national unity, are due to discuss the crisis on February 5.

The United Nations said in December more than 5,000 people had been killed in the protests and crackdown. Syria says more than 2,000 security force members have been killed by militants.

(Writing by Peter Graff)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120131/wl_nm/us_syria

zooey deschanel and joseph gordon levitt debra messing ayaan hirsi ali rachel uchitel strait of hormuz new years eve party ideas mars needs moms

China says 29 abducted in Sudan still being held (AP)

BEIJING ? Chinese state media say that none of the 29 Chinese workers abducted after an attack in a volatile region of Sudan have been freed despite reports saying some of the workers have been released.

The official Xinhua News Agency said Tuesday that the 29 road workers are still being held. It says 18 others fled, and 17 of those were rescued. One is still missing.

The workers were abducted Saturday by militants in a remote region in Sudan's south. Sudanese state media said Monday that 14 of them had been freed.

The Chinese ambassador to Sudan, Luo Xiaoguang, said on Chinese state television that anti-government rebels attacked the road project the Chinese were working on.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_on_re_as/as_china_sudan

risky business weather nj weather nj nyc weather nyc weather philadelphia weather chris carpenter

Exxon selling Japan unit for $3.9B to cut refining

Sherman Glass, president of ExxonMobil Refining, right, speaks as Philippe Ducom, lead country manager of ExxonMobil Japan Group, left, and Jun Mutoh, representative director of TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K., listen during a press conference in Tokyo, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012 . Exxon Mobil Corp. is selling its Japanese refining and marketing business to partner TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K. in a deal valued at $3.9 billion as the energy giant seeks to shed some of its refining operations globally amid declining oil demand in Japan's mature market. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Sherman Glass, president of ExxonMobil Refining, right, speaks as Philippe Ducom, lead country manager of ExxonMobil Japan Group, left, and Jun Mutoh, representative director of TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K., listen during a press conference in Tokyo, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012 . Exxon Mobil Corp. is selling its Japanese refining and marketing business to partner TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K. in a deal valued at $3.9 billion as the energy giant seeks to shed some of its refining operations globally amid declining oil demand in Japan's mature market. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Sherman Glass, president of ExxonMobil Refining, right, and Philippe Ducom, lead country manager of ExxonMobil Japan Group, left, shake hands with Jun Mutoh, representative director of TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K., center, during a press conference in Tokyo, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. Exxon Mobil Corp. is selling its Japanese refining and marketing business to partner TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K. in a deal valued at $3.9 billion as the energy giant seeks to shed some of its refining operations globally amid declining oil demand in Japan's mature market. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Sherman Glass, president of ExxonMobil Refining, right, and Philippe Ducom, lead country manager of ExxonMobil Japan Group, left, shake hands with Jun Mutoh, representative director of TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K., center, during a press conference in Tokyo, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. Exxon Mobil Corp. is selling its Japanese refining and marketing business to partner TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K. in a deal valued at $3.9 billion as the energy giant seeks to shed some of its refining operations globally amid declining oil demand in Japan's mature market. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Representative Director of TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K. Jun Mutoh speaks as Philippe Ducom, lead country manager of ExxonMobil Japan Group listens during a press conference in Tokyo, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. Exxon Mobil Corp. is selling its Japanese refining and marketing business to partner TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K. in a deal valued at $3.9 billion as the energy giant seeks to shed some of its refining operations globally amid declining oil demand in Japan's mature market. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Sherman Glass, president of ExxonMobil Refining, right, and Philippe Ducom, lead country manager of ExxonMobil Japan Group, left, shake hands with Jun Muto, representative director of TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K., during a press conference in Tokyo, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. Exxon Mobil Corp. is selling its Japanese refining and marketing business to partner TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K. in a deal valued at $3.9 billion as the energy giant seeks to shed some of its refining operations globally amid declining oil demand in Japan's mature market. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

TOKYO (AP) ? Exxon Mobil Corp. is selling its Japanese refining and marketing business to partner TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K. in a $3.9 billion deal that reflects a long-term decline in Japan's demand for fuel and a global strategy to refocus on exploration.

TonenGeneral Sekiyu will buy 99 percent of the shares of Exxon Mobil Yugen Kaisha, which refines and sells fuel and lubricants, the Japanese refiner said about the deal, announced Sunday. Exxon Mobil's stake in TonenGeneral will drop to 22 percent from 50 percent.

Large oil and gas companies have been shedding refining operations in recent years and turning to oil exploration and production in the hope of bigger profits. Tighter rules for car and truck fuel efficiency are expected to weigh on growth in demand for fuel in developed countries for years to come.

Sherman Glass, president of ExxonMobil Refining, told a press conference Monday in Tokyo that it was a restructuring move amid a changing global energy market, but said the company remained "very committed" to its refining ? or downstream ? operations.

"What we continue to do is try to restructure ? in some cases invest, in some cases divest and in some cases restructure ? to make it a strong group of operations in our downstream" business, Glass told reporters.

Exxon has a "long-term strategy of moving away from refining, where the margins are wafer thin, and into exploration," said Nicholas Smith, a strategist at CLSA in Tokyo. "Refining is something that anybody can do. You can buy the tech off the shelf."

TonenGeneral said the move would give it more flexibility and competitive in a challenging environment.

"The Japanese market is getting tougher," said Jun Mutoh, the company's managing director. "The decision-making within the company will be more effective in the newly integrated production-distribution operation."

TonenGeneral will continue to deliver products and services under the Esso, Mobil and General brands and continue to rely on Exxon Mobil's technology and technological support in the refining and petrochemicals businesses.

Other major oil companies are making similar moves.

Marathon Oil spun off its refining operations last July. This summer ConocoPhillips also plans to split itself in two, separating its refining operations from its more profitable oil and gas exploration and production business. BP and Shell are selling refineries in the U.S. and Western Europe.

Exploring and producing oil and gas offers investors a chance for faster growth. Also, oil prices are high and are expected to remain so, which has helped producer profits and funded a boom in new exploration.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-30-AS-Exxon-Japan/id-5b6ea289c9e344fb9b259a8a8c5010db

winter classic 2012 2012 nfl draft order rashard mendenhall rachel zoe penn state football mt rainier national park rose parade

3 killed in Sacramento SUV-light rail train crash

Officials test the signals and lights at an intersection where an SUV and Light Rail train collided in Sacramento, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. Authorities say a light-rail train has collided with a sport utility vehicle in Sacramento, killing a man, a woman and a baby and injuring seven other people. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)

Officials test the signals and lights at an intersection where an SUV and Light Rail train collided in Sacramento, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. Authorities say a light-rail train has collided with a sport utility vehicle in Sacramento, killing a man, a woman and a baby and injuring seven other people. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)

Officials test the signals and lights at an intersection where an SUV and Light Rail train collided in Sacramento, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. Authorities say a light-rail train has collided with a sport utility vehicle in Sacramento, killing a man, a woman and a baby and injuring seven other people. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) ? The driver of an SUV veered around a crossing arm and ignored flashing warning lights before the vehicle was struck by a light-rail train in Sacramento on Saturday, killing an infant and two adults, authorities said.

The other person inside the Nissan Pathfinder, a woman in her 30s, was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries, said Niko King, assistant chief with the Sacramento Fire Department. Six of the roughly 50 passengers on the light rail train suffered minor injuries and were taken to a hospital, he said.

King and a spokeswoman for the transit line said video from a camera at the crossing clearly shows the SUV driving around the crossing arm. The light rail followed two Union Pacific freight trains, which use separate tracks, and the arms had remained down during the interval, said Alane Masui, spokeswoman for the Sacramento Regional Transit District.

"They were down after the UP trains and before the (light rail) train approached, so the crossing arms were properly working," she said.

She said the length of time between the freight trains clearing the intersection and the light rail train crossing it had not yet been determined and would be part of the investigation. Investigators also were reviewing video from a camera mounted on the light rail train.

The collision, in a working class neighborhood south of downtown, occurred shortly after 4 p.m. and pushed the Pathfinder about 30 yards from the point of impact.

"All I heard was a big bang, and I saw a light-rail train heading south with a big truck smashed on it," said Ravin Pratab, 42, of Davis, whose car was among those waiting for the train at the rail crossing, on the opposite side of the tracks from the Pathfinder.

The train was going about 55 mph at the time, a typical speed for that location.

Authorities did not release the identities of those in the Pathfinder or their relationship. A man and woman in the vehicle, both in their 40s, died at the scene while the baby was pronounced dead at a hospital. Firefighters said one had been ejected.

The University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento would say only that the woman remained in serious condition late Saturday.

The light rail system carries an average of 50,000 passengers a day, with lines stretching from the state capital to its suburbs in the north, south and east.

Masui said there are four sets of tracks at the crossing ? two for freight and two for light rail so trains from both systems can run in either direction.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-29-SUV-Light%20Rail%20Crash/id-a4c9e17df39d489cab2c5b8a0f6688d6

bob costas jerry sandusky chelsea clinton kat von d tiki barber minnesota vikings packers vs vikings packers vs vikings

Video: Researchers show how viruses evolve, and in some cases, become deadly

Friday, January 27, 2012

In the current issue of Science, researchers at Michigan State University demonstrate how a new virus evolves, which sheds light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations.

The scientists showed for the first time how the virus called "Lambda" evolved to find a new way to attack host cells, an innovation that took four mutations to accomplish. This virus infects bacteria, in particular the common E. coli bacterium. Lambda isn't dangerous to humans, but this research demonstrated how viruses evolve complex and potentially deadly new traits, said Justin Meyer, MSU graduate student, who co-authored the paper with Richard Lenski, MSU Hannah Distinguished Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics.

"We were surprised at first to see Lambda evolve this new function, this ability to attack and enter the cell through a new receptor ? and it happened so fast," Meyer said. "But when we re-ran the evolution experiment, we saw the same thing happen over and over."

Researchers at Michigan State University demonstrate how a new virus evolves, shedding light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations. Credit: Michigan State University/Jeremy Polk, National Science Foundation

This paper follows recent news that scientists in the United States and the Netherlands produced a deadly version of bird flu. Even though bird flu is a mere five mutations away from becoming transmissible between humans, it's highly unlikely the virus could naturally obtain all of the beneficial mutations all at once. However, it might evolve sequentially, gaining benefits one-by-one, if conditions are favorable at each step, he added.

Through research conducted at BEACON, MSU's National Science Foundation Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Meyer and his colleagues' ability to duplicate the results implied that adaptation by natural selection, or survival of the fittest, had an important role in the virus' evolution.

When the genomes of the adaptable virus were sequenced, they always had four mutations in common. The viruses that didn't evolve the new way of entering cells had some of the four mutations but never all four together, said Meyer, who holds the Barnett Rosenberg Fellowship in MSU's College of Natural Science.

"In other words, natural selection promoted the virus' evolution because the mutations helped them use both their old and new attacks," Meyer said. "The finding raises questions of whether the five bird flu mutations may also have multiple functions, and could they evolve naturally?"

###

National Science Foundation: http://www.nsf.gov

Thanks to National Science Foundation for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 35 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/117147/Video__Researchers_show_how_viruses_evolve__and_in_some_cases__become_deadly

michael jackson kids father of the bride father of the bride bluebeard blue angels weather miami angus t. jones

Activists: Shells hit oil pipeline in east Syria (AP)

BEIRUT ? Syrian opposition activists say an oil pipeline took a direct hit and caught fire as government troops shelled a town in the eastern oil-rich province of Deir el-Zour.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees say Saturday's shelling of the town of Qoriah killed at least one person.

The groups also reported intense clashes between troops and anti-regime army defectors in the central province of Homs and suburbs of the capital Damascus.

The Syrian uprising, which began last March with mostly peaceful protests, has become increasingly violent in recent months.

The United Nations estimates that more than 5,400 people have died in the turmoil.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/energy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_syria

james arthur ray james arthur ray elisabeth shue avastin avastin robert wagner robert wagner

Choosing Information technology Finance as a Career

As with most selection interviews, candidates has to be prepared to attract the corporation with their mind and competencies, but moreover, they must prove that they are Ratenkreditrechner any likeable person that works well together with the firm?s staff. For candidates who acquire offers, it is time to get ready for lifetime as an financial commitment banking connect.

The finance companies come toward advance payday advance no credit look at even to the people who have reduced credit rating, because the advances are created against the paycheck, that is definitely, against his or her paycheck on the next month. Additionally, it is true that these kinds of finance is offered during unsecured variety. This is so that you can imply that a guarantee is not necessary designed for payday advance simply no credit check.

The web plays this kind of big component in everyday life. A lot of employers currently advertise their very own open careers online. It is a good grasp to find occupation boards which will post jobs opportunities. The nice thing about occupation boards is that you may find possibilities all around the united states and even the entire world. If you don?t mind relocating, it is possible to find job in other places if there?s nothing Tagesgeldkonto Test easily obtainable in your local area.

Co-Managed the Change Manage process for your project in its entirety by aiding group meetings, one-on-one meeting sessions as well as email messages with do the job stream keepers to discuss a impact for Change Ask on the project.

While there is your dearth regarding financial services websites around, discovering the right one for you as well as your needs is not always that easy, and you also get bogged down by the amazing array of services proposed by impressive websites all vying for ones patronage.

The industrial banking marketplace employs a lot more people than almost every other facet of your financial services industry. Bankers offer folks the opportunity to have interaction with a large spectrum of an individual and the chance to develop a consumers. People in banking usually commence as tellers in addition to shift to bank services for instance leasing, credit greeting card banking, industry credit and international finance.

Buying a automotive is a big relocate financially, and if you?re able to talk the best deal on your car, you very well may end up saving hundreds and hundreds. That is why whenever you approach an automobile dealer, you will need to be prepared with each and every price details, to make sure you determine what you are getting started with, and precisely what benefits have you been getting out of the item.

Mark Zandi, leading economist of Moddy?s Economy, estimated that the lack of employment rate would likely reach 5% at the end of Next year, from 6% with end Economy is shown, the average home values would fall 20% on the already achieved 27% and the financial process losses would likely more than treble, to $7 billion. The chief global economist of Final decision Economics, Allen Sinai preserved that the economy is already on depression. He / she added of which Washington?s assumption with the 2% hike this year should only be a wish, not a affirmation. And in it, the government could be bound to reduce expenditure, boost taxes as well as run bigger deficits. The government Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke forecast the rise with unemployment fee to touch 8% the coming year as against the actual speculated price of 3%.

The past statistics to the job-cut given by the actual Labor Team in March this year reflected the worse picture as compared with was theorized in The month of january. The previous 1 registered 598,Thousand job-cuts in the personalized sector, which the February statistic projected 650,000. The figures as outlined by Briefing were being somewhat distinctive, which anticipated a stroll of 11% within the unemployment rate from January?s 614,Thousand to February?s 697,Thousand. This getting rid of scenario would create facial lines in the brow of Barack obama and would dent his or her administration?s futuristic outlay plans envisioning the dynamicity from the stumbling autokreditrechnereconomy in the long term.

Source: http://www.aquaticentomology.net/choosing-information-technology-finance-as-a-career/

university of alabama national championship game bcs game lsu vs alabama college football college football ncaa football

Epson PowerLite 96W Multimedia Projector

The Epson PowerLite 96W Multimedia Projector ($899 direct) is a classroom projector loaded with bells and whistles, providing a wealth of connectivity choices. Teachers can hook it to a LAN (it has an Ethernet port and supports an optional Wi-Fi module), run presentations off a USB thumb drive, control it and other networked projectors via a Web browser, and more. The 96W?s image quality, for both data and video, was so-so in our testing, but its versatility should make it a welcome addition to many classrooms.

The PowerLite 96W?s light source, based on the 3LCD technology developed by Epson, is rated at 2,700 lumens. The projector provides WXGA (800 by 600 pixel) native resolution, at a 16:10 aspect ratio. It has a similar feature set to the Editors? Choice NEC NP-M260W ($850 street, 4 stars), a WXGA projector rated at 2,600 lumens.

The two-tone (white and gray) PowerLite 96W measures 4.2 by 13.6 by 10.3 inches (HWD), including feet, and weighs 7.2 pounds. It?s large enough that you won?t want to carry it around much, and it lacks a carrying case. It?s best used on a table or cart, or mounted on a ceiling (it has holes to fit a ceiling mount), which Epson sells separately. The projector has manual focus and zoom wheels accessible through an indentation above the lens; I was able to bring the projector to a reasonably sharp focus.

The PowerLite 96W has an abundant selection of ports: two VGA-in (with audio jacks to match) for connecting to computers, a monitor-out VGA port (with an audio-out jack); HDMI-in; 3 RCA plugs for composite video and audio; S-video; a type B USB port for connecting with a PC (USB Plug'n'Play provides easy connectivity with both Macs and Windows PCs); a type A port that fits a USB thumb drive; RS-232; an Ethernet port for LAN connectivity; and a microphone jack.

Still and Video Image Testing

From a distance of about 8 feet away, the PowerLite 96W filled our test screen with an image about 64 inches on a diagonal. The image was bright in a darkened room, and held its own even with a considerable amount of ambient light. The projector should be fine for small to mid-sized classrooms.

In our DisplayMate testing, the PowerLite 96W?s data image quality was adequate for typical classroom presentations, though not without flaws. There was occasional tinting; some bright white areas had a slight yellowish tinge, and grays sometimes looked a bit greenish. White-on-black text appeared slightly fuzzy and red tinted at the two smallest sizes.

Video quality is good enough for showing short clips, but I wouldn?t recommend it for longer clips, let alone for screening movies. I saw some loss of detail in bright areas in our test clips, as well as posterization?abrupt changes in color where they should be gradual. Skin tones sometimes looked a bit pasty, and occasionally I?d see artifacts in the form of a mild hatching, particularly in scenes portraying motion.

The PowerLite 96W?s single 16-watt built-in speaker easily gets the job done, providing sound of reasonably good audio quality loud enough to fill a mid-sized classroom.

A Projector for the Teacher

The Epson PowerLite 96W Multimedia Projector has a wealth of connectivity features befitting a classroom: wired or (optional) WiFi connectivity; an abundance of input choices including an HDMI port; the ability to accept input from more than one PC; a port to run presentations off of a USB thumb drive, and more. The Editors? Choice NEC NP-M260 is similar in price, brightness, and features but is slightly lighter, comes with a soft carrying case, and has better image quality for both data and video. The Editors? Choice Optoma TW675UTi-3D ($1,800 street, 4 stars) or the Epson Brightlink 450wi ($2,200, 4 stars) are pricier, but they?re geared to letting you create interactive presentations. As is, the 96W is a versatile and solid choice as a projector useful in a variety of classroom situations.

More Projector Reviews:

??? Epson PowerLite 96W Multimedia Projector
??? Acer X1261P
??? NEC NP-V260
??? NEC NP-V260X
??? Epson EX5210 Multimedia Projector
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/hGJGcaLoXp8/0,2817,2399424,00.asp

naomi wolf social security increase menagerie columbus dispatch social security social security adderall

Pelosi hints, then denies she has Gingrich secrets (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Does House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi know some dark secrets about GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich? Twice, she offered tantalizing hints that she does. And then said she doesn't. Gingrich said Wednesday that the House Democratic leader should come out with it or shut up.

The latest back-and-forth in the contest of two former House speakers came in a CNN interview Tuesday night, when host John King suggested to Pelosi that she "could come back here next January or next February with a President Gingrich?"

"Let me just say this. That will never happen," Pelosi said.

When King asked, "Why are you so sure?" Pelosi responded: "There's something I know. The Republicans, if they choose to nominate him, that's their prerogative. I don't even think that's going to happen."

On Wednesday, Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said: "The `something' leader Pelosi knows is that Newt Gingrich will not be president of the United States. She made that clear last night."

Hammill's statement, however, acknowledged that this wasn't the first time that Pelosi hinted that she knows something about Gingrich that she hasn't revealed.

In December, Pelosi reminded an interviewer that she served on the ethics panel that investigated Gingrich's use of tax-exempt organizations. That case ended with a reprimand by the House and a $300,000 penalty against the then-speaker for misleading the committee and prolonging its investigation.

Pelosi said last month: "One of these days we'll have a conversation about Newt Gingrich. I know a lot about him. I served on the investigative committee that investigated him, four of us locked in a room in an undisclosed location for a year. A thousand pages of his stuff."

Hammill repeated the explanation provided after those comments.

"Leader Pelosi previously made a reference to the extensive amount of information that is in the public record, including the comprehensive committee report with which the public may not be fully aware," the spokesman said.

Gingrich said Wednesday that Pelosi should come out with her information or stop talking.

"Look, I think if she knows something she ought to say it. If she doesn't know something she ought to quit saying it. But this is baloney. I don't think any Republican is going to be threatened by Nancy Pelosi. Frankly, I'd rather have her threaten me than endorse me. So I feel pretty good about it. If she has something, bring it out," he said.

Mitt Romney, Gingrich's chief rival for the GOP presidential nomination, has asked that all records from Gingrich's ethics investigation be released. In January 1997, when the case ended, the committee did make public its final report as well as exhibits ? which amounted to a comprehensive account of the committee's findings.

The chairman of the ethics committee during the Gingrich investigation, former Republican Rep. Nancy Johnson, said the committee traditionally does not publicly release investigative documents.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_el_pr/us_pelosi_gingrich

roger federer drake corset andy murray jerusalem nadal xmen first class

Okay, this one is cool. I promise!

Okay so this idea I dreamed up and I thought it was so awesome I'd share it with you guys! The setting is somewhat cyberpunk but has the 'reclaimed tech' feel of panzerdragoon orta to make an example, think about that for a second, watch a few videos. Got the idea? Great!

The basic plot will probably be something around the people of a small island getting brought into the conflict of two bigger countries who are vying for control of the whole world obviously. They're trying to accomplish this with the use of 'mex' living creatures of organic metal who were created by a far superior civilisation before the fabled 'fall of the world' some hundreds of years ago. At the roleplay start you'd ether be from one country, the other, or the neutral island and forced to pick sides eventually, you'd also start off with a mex or get found by one in need of a rider, even if you think you don't have the talent to ride one. Neutral people don' start off with one since they've been out of the loop.

Also to avoid people going all dragon wars on this I'm thinking of limiting the amount of dragons, maybe giving better options. Good idea? All mex are winged regardless after all.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/7-a4FYi9jAM/viewtopic.php

robert schuller guy fawkes day stevie williams steve williams koch brothers weather phoenix dippin dots

33 whales shot in New Zealand after rescues failed

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) ? Conservation staff in New Zealand have put down 33 stranded whales after several attempts to refloat them failed.

The pilot whales shot Thursday were the last of 99 that stranded themselves Monday on Farewell Spit on the South Island. Department of Conservation area manager John Mason says staff and hundreds of volunteers had tried all week to get the whales refloated.

He says they thought they were successful Wednesday when they got the whales into deep water ? but were saddened Thursday to find that they had swum back ashore. He says the condition of the whales had significantly deteriorated.

As well as the 33 whales that were shot, 36 had died naturally since Monday and 17 were successfully refloated. Thirteen remain unaccounted for.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-25-AS-New-Zealand-Stranded-Whales/id-9850d4a7f20440c7bf2ed9262b5b9c0c

angola harvest moon alyssa campanella alyssa campanella nbc dr phil squash

Jenna Benn: A Series of Markers, Dates, Finish Lines and Moments in Time

My life has become a series of markers, dates, finish lines and moments in time.

The days no longer bleed into each other, but rather stand out -- waiting to be counted -- hoping to be acknowledged, and eager to be added to my list of memories, hardships, challenges and victories.

The list is growing -- because I need it to -- because I want it to -- because I am not sure I remember how to live without the acknowledgment of what was and what is.

And so I honor, I remember, I celebrate and I mourn these makers, these dates, these finish lines, these moments in time.

The date I was told I have cancer, the date I was told there was no sign of disease, the date I was told I was infertile, the date I had my eggs extracted, the date I started treatment, the date I finished treatment, the date I thought I was going to die, the date I knew I was going to live, the date I entered the hospital for the first time, the date I left the hospital for the last time, the date I shared my story with the world, the date I felt I had lost my voice, the date when I could do the running man and the Roger Rabbit, the date when all I could do was the twist, the date when I was able to run for 13.1 miles, the date when I was unable to climb a flight of stairs, the date when I returned to work, the date when I couldn't remember where I lived, the date I started to accept and embrace this new self, the date when I let myself mourn my former self, the date my eyebrows mysteriously grew back, the date when I decided to shave my head, the date when I found refuge in running, the date when I nearly passed out after walking a block, the date when my white blood count was 0.0, the date my blood count was 8.1, the date when I raised $18,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the date when I was billed $18,000 for a CT Scan, the date when my toes reconnected with sand, the date when I was unable to wiggle my toes, the date when I felt grounded and still, the date when I finally was able to take flight, the date when I fell out of love, the date where I found love again, the date where I felt everything had been taken and the date where I felt everything had been found.

As I continue to choose to be surrounded by markers, by dates, by finish lines -- and by moments in time, I am reminded that it is the acknowledgment of these events, it is the the list that keeps on growing, and it is the experiences of what was and what is that reminds me that I am here, that I am alive, that I am present and that I am ready for what what is and what will be.

For more by Jenna Benn, click here.

For more on consciousness, click here.

?

Follow Jenna Benn on Twitter: www.twitter.com/twistoutcancer

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jenna-benn/a-series-of-markers-dates_b_1222220.html

east river harry shum jr workaholics workaholics new iphone 5 release mary j blige cole hamels

In video, Giffords' firm and touching farewell (AP)

PHOENIX ? In part, the short video has the feel of a campaign ad: the strains of soft music, the iconic snapshots of rugged Arizona desert, the candidate earnestly engaged with her constituents.

Interspersed with the slick montage of photos and sound, though, is a video close-up of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords gazing directly at the camera, offering not a campaign promise but a goodbye, a thank-you message to her supporters in a voice that is both firm and halting.

"I have more work to do on my recovery," the congresswoman says at the end of the two-minute-long "A Message from Gabby," appearing to strain with all of her will to communicate. "So to do what's best for Arizona, I will step down this week."

Arizonans had to know in their hearts that this day was coming.

A bullet to the brain, from point-blank range, is a nearly impossible obstacle to overcome, even for a congresswoman known for pluckiness and fight. Giffords seemed to accept that reality in the video announcing her resignation from Congress, which also included a promise to return one day to her mission to help Arizonans.

The clip, posted to YouTube and on her Facebook page, pastes together 13 sentences into a fluid announcement. Giffords wears a bright red jacket eerily similar to the one she was wearing a year ago when she was nearly assassinated. She looks straight into the camera, almost begging the viewer to listen.

But the video also includes images of the 41-year-old struggling at rehab and walking along a leafy street with husband Mark Kelly with an obvious limp. And Giffords acknowledges that, at least for now, she isn't up to taking on a re-election challenge.

The announcement sets off not one but two election cycles to replace her. The first will be a special primary election that Gov. Jan Brewer must call sometime in April, with a general election in June to fill out the remainder of Giffords' term.

The second cycle will concern the regular full two-year term, with the primary scheduled for August and the general election in November.

In between, the 8th Congressional District that Giffords currently represents will change under redistricting. It will be remapped to cover most of the current district but renumbered as the 2nd Congressional District.

"We've got someone that's going to move in, hold that seat for the remainder of her (term,) and then we'll have people out there ? probably at the same time ? running for that seat ... with different lines," Brewer said. "So it will confuse some people."

Brewer said she spoke with Kelly before the announcement and understood the decision. "...As her husband said, they have sat, and they have discussed this, and that it would be the best thing for her and for her recovery," Brewer said. "And I indicated on the telephone with him that knowing Gabby and what she has accomplished in this last year in her recovery, who knows what's going to happen in the next two years."

The announcement came just over a year after a gunman opened fire at Jan. 8, 2011, meeting with constituents in front of a Tucson grocery store. Six people were killed, and Giffords and 12 others wounded.

Giffords' office said she will return to Tucson Monday to complete the meet-and-greet political event that erupted in the shooting. Among those attending will be some of the wounded, those who helped them and those who subdued the gunman.

At the time of the shooting, the Democrat had just eked out a razor-thin victory against a tea party candidate in her conservative-leaning district. She won a third term with less than 1 percent margin.

Many in Arizona believed she would be handed an easy victory if she chose to seek another term this year. But Giffords elected not to try.

"A lot has happened over the past year. We cannot change that," she said.

For days after the shooting, it was touch and go. A huge memorial grew in front of the Tucson hospital where she was fighting for her life.

Then, almost miraculously, just two weeks after she was shot, she was whisked off in a jet to a rehabilitation hospital in her astronaut husband's hometown of Houston.

Months of rehab began, with Giffords struggling to learn how to walk and talk again. Just over four months after she was shot, she flew to Florida to watch Kelly, an astronaut, pilot the nation's next-to-last space shuttle mission.

But she remained out of view.

Slowly, in carefully choreographed bits, she began to emerge. The first photos in June. Her surprise August appearance in Congress to vote to raise the federal debt limit. The first halting TV shots, just a few words at a time, then a more complex recording released in November.

Sunday's recording was slightly more elaborate, but it was not a campaign Q&A or an appearance before a tough interviewer.

She's clearly not yet ready for another run for Congress. But she said in Sunday's video that she's not done yet, an assessment that she shared with a small group of supporters in Tucson just hours after her announcement Sunday.

Jim Woodbrey, who was part of that group and a state Democratic Party official, called the meeting "very tough."

"It was Gabby's individual decision, and she was not in any condition to make that decision five months ago," said Woodbrey, a senior vice chairman of the state party.

And the congresswoman said in the video that she was getting better.

"Every day my spirit is high. I will return, and we will work together for Arizona and this great country," she said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/uscongress/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_el_ho/us_giffords_the_announcement

solar flare freddie mac kristin cavallari jay cutler oscar nominations tax refund calculator gop debate

Lena Headey Teases Loss For Cersei In 'Game Of Thrones' Season Two

For all of the things that we love and obsess over on HBO's brilliant "Game Of Thrones", there are definitely a couple elements that we love to hate. Cersei Lannister, played by Lena Headey, is one of them.

George R.R. Martin gets the lion's share of credit here for Cersei's creation, but we also have [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/01/24/game-of-thrones-lena-headey/

boxer rebellion boxer rebellion stanford football lsu football schedule lsu football schedule terrapin terrapin

Tracy Morgan of '30 Rock' collapses at Sundance (AP)

PARK CITY, Utah ? The publicist for comedian and "30 Rock" cast member Tracy Morgan says the actor suffered from a combination of exhaustion and altitude when he collapsed at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah.

Publicist Lewis Kay says Morgan is grateful to the medical center staff for their care Sunday in Park City, where the elevation is 7,000 feet.

Morgan was escorted from the Creative Coalition Spotlight Awards ceremony Sunday night at the festival.

Kay says Morgan is seeking medical attention and is with his fiancee. He says hospital officials report no drugs or alcohol were found in Morgan's system.

Morgan is attending Sundance in connection with the comedy film "Predisposed," one of the 100 films at the festival, in which he plays a drug dealer named Sprinkles.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_en_ot/us_film_sundance_tracy_morgan

jessica biel west virginia tim howard rob roy gaslight justin timberlake michael dyer

Autism redefined: New diagnostic criteria more restrictive

ScienceDaily (Jan. 20, 2012) ? Getting an autism diagnosis could be more difficult in 2013 when a revised diagnostic definition goes into effect. The proposed changes may affect the proportion of individuals who qualify for a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, according to preliminary data presented by Yale School of Medicine researchers at a meeting of the Icelandic Medical Association.

The proposed changes to the diagnostic definition would be published in the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)."

"Given the potential implications of these findings for service eligibility, our findings offer important information for consideration by the task force finalizing DSM-5 diagnostic criteria," said Yale Child Study Center (CSC) director Fred Volkmar, M.D., who conducted the study with CSC colleagues Brian Reichow and James McPartland.

Volkmar and his team found that in a group of individuals without intellectual disabilities who were evaluated during the 1994 DSM-IV field trial, it was estimated that approximately half might not qualify for a diagnosis of autism under the proposed new definition.

Volkmar stressed that these preliminary findings relate only to the most cognitively able and may have less impact on diagnosis of more cognitively disabled people. "Use of such labels, particularly in the United States, can have important implications for service," he said. "Major changes in diagnosis also pose issues for comparing results across research studies."

Volkmar first presented the preliminary research results in September at Yale and in October at the Institute On Autism American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry Meeting In Toronto. Volkmar and colleagues will publish full study results in the April print edition of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The study may be available online as early as late February or early March.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Yale University.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/mH-niMgzEAA/120120184525.htm

kobe bryant wife bonjovi dead amber portwood sam shepard sam shepard johnny knox johnny knox

GoPano micro Review

The iPhone continues to be my favorite smartphone almost entirely due to the fact that I love the built in 8MP camera and all the photography apps devoted to it. But it isn’t just the apps that keep me interested, it’s also the camera accessories created specifically for the iPhone. We’ve reviewed a few of [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/01/20/gopano-micro-review/

tampa bay bucs cowboys cowboys slim dunkin slim dunkin will rogers ohio university

Six dead in bomb blasts in Nigeria's second city (Reuters)

KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) ? At least six people were killed in a series of bomb blasts in Nigeria's second biggest city Kano on Friday, officials and witnesses said.

One blast gutted the police headquarters for the north of the city, killing at least three people, while another at the passport office also killed three, witnesses said.

At least four other explosions echoed across the city in quick succession, as some residents ran around shouting and screaming. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks.

(Reporting by Mike Oboh; writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Jon Boyle)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120120/wl_nm/us_nigeria_blast_toll

sherri shepherd sean avery east river east river harry shum jr workaholics workaholics

Google results fall short, rare miss hurts shares (Reuters)

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) ? Google Inc's quarterly results fell short of Wall Street's heightened expectations for the holiday season as declining search advertising rates contributed to a rare miss, triggering a 9 percent slide in its shares.

The No. 1 Internet search engine underperformed on both revenue and earnings in the fourth quarter, disappointing investors who had counted on record U.S. online-commerce to prop up results.

Several analysts zeroed in on an 8 percent drop in cost-per-click, or money paid by marketers to the company for search ads, versus analyst estimates of a slight increase.

"The major question is: Is this a one-time thing or is this something that is going to continue because the nature of the business has changed," said Mayuresh Masurekar, an analyst at Colins Stewart.

Google executives reeled off a number of figures during the conference call that highlighted the company's progress in newer businesses such as display advertising, mobile and social networking.

But the good news did not offset concerns about Google's first year-on-year decline in its CPCs in more than two years, leading to nearly a half-dozen questions from analysts during the call and a terse one-liner from Chief Executive Larry Page who at one point requested that "maybe we can get our next question not about CPCs."

Google executives said the decline in search ad rates was primarily due to the impact of foreign currency exchange fluctuations and changes to the company's advertising formats.

The new ad formats drove a sharp increase in the total number of clicks by websurfers on Google's search ads - up 34 percent year-on-year - even though some of the format changes impacted prices negatively, Google executives explained.

But many analysts wondered whether Google's mobile advertising, which is generally believed to command lower ad rates, played a bigger part in the CPC decline than Google let on.

"This was the first time we've seen a decline in CPC rates since 2009," said Needham & Co analyst Kerry Rice. "It's been a long time and the one thing that's really changed about this is mobile."

Google's shares dived to about $583 in after-hours trade, from the Nasdaq close of $639.57 before the results.

Dave Rolfe, manager of RiverPark-Wedgewood Fund which counts Google as one of its largest holdings, said the stock decline was an "egregious overreaction" by Wall Street and that the declining ad rates did not shake his confidence in the company.

"The company tried to clarify it as best as they could, but it's Google and they're not going to give you every little nuance of it," he said.

"Google is famous for making improvements for their end-users that have short term negative results," he said.

SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

Google is increasingly investing in mobile and social networking initiatives as it positions its business for new technology trends and squares off against rivals Apple and Facebook.

Google's business providing graphical display ads is generating revenue at a $5 billion annualized run rate, Page said during the call. That's up from the $2.5 billion run rate in October 2010, the last time Google provided a peek at the display business's financial performance.

Google+, the company's recently-launched social network, now has more than 90 million users, compared to 40 million users three months ago.

Perhaps more importantly, Google for the first time provided details about how often people actually use Google+.

According to the company, 60 percent of Google+ members use the service every day, and 80 percent use it every week.

That "engagement" on the social network, which Google hopes can eventually take on Facebook, is key to determining future revenue potential.

"Google+ investments are showing some results. They are investing in future revenue growth," said Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry.

Operating expenses increased to 32 percent of revenue during the fourth quarter, from 30 percent of revenue in the year-ago quarter.

Google said on Thursday it earned $2.71 billion, or $8.22 per share, in the fourth quarter, compared with $2.54 billion, or $7.81 per share, a year earlier.

Excluding certain items, Google earned $9.50 per share, lagging estimates for $10.49 a share.

Page, who took over as CEO in April, said the company was making tough choices about where to focus its efforts, pulling the plug on less successful products so that Google can "double down on the really big bets we have made."

Wall Street is still uneasy about one of Google's biggest bets: its planned $12.5 billion acquisition of smartphone maker Motorola Mobility Holdings. Investors are worried that Google is entering a lower-margin business in which it has no experience, and that the deal might alienate partners that license Google's Android mobile software.

In response to a question on the subject, Page said that he expected Google's relationships with its partners to remain strong once the deal closed, and reiterated that Motorola would be run as a separate company.

Google executives said more than 250 million devices powered by Android, Google's freely distributed smartphone operating system, had been activated since its inception.

"Android is quite simply mind boggling," said Page.

Google's net revenue, which excludes fees shared with partner websites, was $8.13 billion in the fourth quarter, versus $6.37 billion a year earlier. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S were looking for $8.4 billion.

That shortfall marks an unusual slip-up for a company that has exceeded Wall Street's revenue targets for eight consecutive quarters.

(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic in San Francisco; Editing by Phil Berlowitz, Edwin Chan and Steve Orlofsky)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120120/tc_nm/us_google

als disease brittany norwood lindsay lohan condoleezza rice road house who do you think you are frank mccourt

Fed spells out how it will forecast rate changes (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The Federal Reserve has specified how it will begin signaling when its benchmark interest rate will rise and what the rate will be at points in the future.

Four times a year starting Wednesday, the Fed will show in a chart the year when Fed officials predict they will begin raising the rate. Another chart will show individual Fed members' predictions for the rate at the end of 2012, 2013 and 2014.

More guidance on rates might help lower long-term yields further ? in effect providing a kind of stimulus. Lower rates could lead consumers and businesses to borrow and spend more. The economy would likely benefit.

The Fed has left its key short-term rate at a record low near zero for the past three years. In August, it said it planned to leave the rate there until at least mid-2013, unless the economy improved.

Many private economists believe the rate is likely to remain near zero for longer than the mid-2013 target. Many are forecasting the first rate hike will not occur until sometime in 2014.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_bi_ge/us_fed_rate_forecasts

crystal cathedral sarah vowell fire in reno kelly ripa reno wildfire reno wildfire osu

[OOC]

Forum rules
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.

Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?The Hunter and The Hunted?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

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

yeah, is it dead? it looks awesome..

Blackrose11

Member for 0 years

---

---

Post a reply

RolePlayGateway is a site built by a couple roleplayers who wanted to give a little something back to the roleplay community. The site has no intention of earning any profit, and is paid for out of their own pockets.

If you appreciate what they do, feel free to donate your spare change to help feed them on the weekends. After selecting the amount you want to donate from the menu, you can continue by clicking on PayPal logo.

Who is online

Registered users: 4ndy5ixx, Abalyth, ?SIR Society, Agent*, Airanea*, AliceHearts, allimagination, Aniihya*, aprilmasterson, aquajets1, Arietta*, AzricanRepublic*, BaconPies, BaronVonFruitypants*, BekaL101, Blackbird26*, blackwolf, Brony Otaku, Cadounus, Cerberus1616, ChaosxChild13, Chulance*, cmpuncle, Corvan, CountessMomo, CriminalMinds*, Crystal Flamedance, danm36*, DarkCookie97*, dig17*, Dr. Seuss*, DumbDora, Edwinfirefox, EmbracingIllusions*, Erlanis*, Esana*, Essence, Eteles*, Evangeline_Taylor, Fatal_Flaw_Enki*, GenericUserName, Gigabot [Bot], Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, Harute, Hitomi-san, iderray, Imagine That!, inara1917, jackrules158*, jkin, Jo_Tunn*, Juso, Kai, Kai_Hibiki, Kansiov, kathrin*, Kesteven*, KethryMoondragon, Khannea, kingjpc*, LittleMissGeorgia*, LSunday, Majestic-12 [Bot], mart123, McDevious*, meim, Metal4Life*, Moonscar*, Mr. Crow*, MSNbot Media, Nabu, Namaru*, Nevan*, nibblesnbits, nightwolf, nltniko, Nocte*, NotAFlyingToy, Oblivian, Oborosen*, Otowar, OurLadyofSorrows*, Patcharoo*, Planter777*, poeticjustice8012, Princess Awinita*, Rarikou, Regret, Romaneck, Saarai*, Sameshitdifferentday*, Setsugie, shadrox, SilentButterflies, SinAngel*, Sivermist*, Skylark Kai*, Something?, Soul_Alchemist*, Spanner, Starryskies*, StefanLF, Stilts, Sullenkiller*, SuperQ19, sweetgal*, Tanman, Tebanasu, technicolourstardust, The Angry Penguin, The Illusionist*, The Painkiller, TheDarkWorgen, TheFlag, Thorait*, Tiko*, TinnaOsp, Trickster, True Grave, Usui*, ViceVersus, vintagedarksoul, ViviOrunitiaFF9, WadeJackel, Wing06Twilight, wolfoftheage, Wolfy Girl*, Wudgeous, Xiiver, xoxMissClairexox, Yahoo [Bot], Zenia, Zitacamron95

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/S1En2Q9ygxY/viewtopic.php

rule 34 steve jobs bill gates frances bean cobain bill gates michael lewis

Kim & Kourtney Kardashian Arm Wrestle Each Other!

Kim & Kourtney Kardashian put their strength to the test! Plus, check out more stars' cute, candid and crazy Twitter photos

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/celebrity-twitter-pictures/1-b-229669?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Acelebrity-twitter-pictures-229669

911 9/11 ground zero world trade center university of michigan university of michigan nadal murray

Sponsored By:

We were unable to forward you to the advertisement you clicked on.

The likely cause for this is that your browser, feed reader, or email application is configured to not accept cookies, or your reader may launch an external browser to view links without sharing cookies.

• If you're using Internet Explorer, make sure your privacy setting is at medium or below.
  • Select 'Internet Options' from the 'Tools' menu in your browser window
  • Click the Privacy tab
  • Adjust your privacy setting if necessary
    ?
• If you're using a reader that embeds Internet Explorer (examples: Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Feed Demon), you'll also need to select Internet Explorer as your default web browser.
  • Open Internet Explorer
  • Select 'Internet Options' from the 'Tools' menu in your browser window
  • Click the 'Programs' tab and check the box for Internet Explorer to check if it is the default browser and save your change
  • Close your browser, re-open it, and when prompted, select Internet Explorer as your default
  • You can then click on an ad in your newsletter and visit the site you wish to view

Source: http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=c905ece98ceb916f989eace4aae16cdc&p=4

triumph the insult comic dog tucson weather tucson weather peyton hillis cl p cl p andy rooney

Todd Brewster: What Would Dr. King Say?

Underlying Question in Texas Redistricting Case Is Whether the South Can Finally Be Said to Be Free of Its Racist Past

Is it time to finally declare Dixie "changed"? That is at the heart of the Texas redistricting decision now before the Supreme Court. The case, which went to oral argument last week, is focused on the Texas legislature's re-drawn Congressional district map which, thanks to a population explosion over the past decade, had to be re-drafted to accommodate four new Congressional districts. But the question lying underneath it all is whether nine states named under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 Act as "covered jurisdictions," suspect for their history of discriminatory practices, can now be relinquished from federal oversight. Certainly champions of state sovereignty think so. Many tend to think the federal supervision of their electoral decisions was unconstitutional to begin with.

When it became law, the Voting Rights Act was aimed at tearing down the barriers to African American voter registration, particularly in the Deep South, where literacy tests and poll taxes were being used to discourage African American voters from voting. In Mississippi, for instance, only six percent of eligible black voters were registered in 1965; in Alabama, only 19 percent.

A key part of the Act was its enforcement provision, Section Five. There it outlined the nine states, Texas among them, that were now required by federal law to submit any change in voting practices to either the Department of Justice or a federal court for approval. That is why last year, when the Republican-controlled Texas legislature re-drew the Congressional districts in that state, seeming to protect existing Republican districts and even create some new ones, it had to get pre-clearance on the map before instituting it. It was not the partisan nature of the map that required review, but whether the re-drawn districts effectively diluted minority representation.

While it waited for the special court in Washington to determine the fate of its map, Texas faced a separate challenge in a San Antonio federal district court. There, Hispanic voters were already arguing that the re-drawn districts disenfranchised minority voters. Since the clock is ticking -- Texas needs to schedule its primary and the court in Washington has indicated that it needs more time for study -- the San Antonio court drew its own interim map, one that established more majority-minority districts, justifying its decision on the fact that the legislature's map did not appear to reflect the fact that Texas's population boom was largely among new Hispanic voters. The Supreme Court must now decide -- and decide quickly -- whether this interim map can be instituted or whether in the absence of a decision by the special Washington court charged with the pre-clearance, the legislature's map must prevail.

Of course, the question that many Texas legislators have is, why can't the federal government just let Texas be Texas? Why must it "parent" their state on decisions like these when it doesn't do the same to Vermont or New Jersey? And while the technical answer is, of course, because the law says it must, the bigger issue is whether at least this section of the Voting Rights Act, which was renewed in 2006 for another 25 years, has any purpose in an age when the truly egregious discriminatory practices of the 1960s, the ones that prompted Section Five in the first place, have gone the way of history.

Attorney General Eric Holder has an answer to that question. To him, and many others, the barriers to minority voting continue to prosper. In a speech last month in Austin, Texas, at the presidential library of Lyndon Baines Johnson -- the president who signed the Voting Rights Act -- Holder cited the rash of new state voter photo ID laws as veiled attempts to frustrate minority vote. Republican supporters of such measures insist that they are only trying to prevent voter fraud, but, since minority voters are disproportionately more likely to lack such basic photo identification cards as a driver's license, these laws, say Holder, will have the effect of shutting minorities out of the polls. Instead, he recommends the automatic registration of all eligible voters, the removal of legislators from decisions involving the drafting of their own state districts, and a federal law barring the dissemination of fraudulent information intended to keep people from voting.

In 2003, three years before the Voting Rights Act was renewed, the Supreme Court, ruling in a challenge to the University of Michigan Law School's affirmative action admissions policies, found that diversity remained a compelling interest in government policy. Building off of the Court's doctrine that a race-conscious program is constitutional only as a "remedy" of some "duration," Justice Sandra Day O'Connor asserted that the day for race-neutral decision-making would come perhaps 25 years from now, when, she expected, "it will no longer be necessary to "further the interest" of racial minorities. The math on that puts us at 2028, just three years before the Voting Rights Act will be up for renewal once again. Perhaps then, in what may be a different America, Section Five will finally go the way of the dinosaur.

?

Follow Todd Brewster on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ConDailyBlog

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/todd-brewster/what-would-dr-king-say_b_1208777.html

bot foot locker cats funny pics funny pics contagion contagion

Royal crackdown on fascinators at Ascot racecourse (AP)

LONDON ? They're good enough for the former Kate Middleton, but apparently not good enough for her husband's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Fascinators ? the delicate, whimsical pieces of headwear favored by the young and posh in Britain and beyond ? have been banned from the royal enclosure at Royal Ascot, one of the most exclusive events in Britain's social calendar.

Organizers said Wednesday that those hoping to rub shoulders with the queen at the horse racing meet would have to stick to hats, no fascinators.

It's the latest in a series of rules aimed at tightening the dress code at Ascot, where organizers have tried to push back against the proliferation of provocative outfits, outrageous accessories and revealing tops.

Other rules introduced or reinforced Wednesday include the requirement that women at the royal enclosure wear dresses that fall below the knee and that the men accompanying them must wear a top hat (gray or black).

The queen can wear whatever she wants, but the guidelines affect the royal enclosure, which usually includes a few hundred invited guests, not just the royal family.

Some of the rules ? no bare midriffs or strapless dresses for example ? fall in line with organizers' attempts to roll back the nouveau-riche nightclub look, but fascinators are favored by the highest reaches of the upper-crust.

The headgear can consist of flowers, fabric, feathers, lace, netting, or just about anything else that catches the eye and matches the dress. Unlike hats, which generally just sit on the wearer's head, fascinators tend to be smaller and are often fastened using barrettes or headbands.

Kate Middleton, now known as the Duchess of Cambridge, is a fan ? her repeat outings with feathery, frothy accouterments last year reportedly sparked a British sales surge. So too are princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and other fashion-forward royals.

Nick Smith, Ascot's head of communication, acknowledged that "there is an argument that some fascinators are formal."

"But the very fact that there is that argument" was reason enough to ban them from the royal enclosure ? where the queen gathers with the cream of British aristocracy to watch the races.

"Some fascinators have become so small that they're nothing more than a hairband and a feather," he added.

So did Elizabeth call up to say: "Off with their fascinators!"

Smith laughed.

"No, that doesn't happen," he said. "We set the rules."

Still, he noted that organizers were in touch with the queen's staff and he said it would be "unlikely that we'd put something in place that she'd be uncomfortable with."

The next Ascot takes place in June.

___

Online:

Ascot: http://www.ascot.co.uk/

___

Raphael Satter can be reached at: http://twitter.com/razhael

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120118/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_ascot_dress_code

michael oher golden globe nominees arian foster joe philbin miss america pageant 2012 shipwreck jose aldo vs chad mendes

Benjamin Franklin: 10 great quotes on his birthday

These comments are not screened before publication. Constructive debate about the above story is welcome, but personal attacks are not. Please do not post comments that are commercial in nature or that violate any copyright[s]. Comments that we regard as obscene, defamatory, or intended to incite violence will be removed. If you find a comment offensive, you may flag it.

• If you have questions about comments or comment policy, check out our FAQ page.
• When posting a comment, you agree to our Terms of Service.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/VhMSAhnbERU/Benjamin-Franklin-10-great-quotes-on-his-birthday

recess appointment eastman kodak eastman kodak richard cordray shannon de lima joe torre dog the bounty hunter

[OOC] Mounts and Companions

Forum rules
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.

Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Dragon Age: Crimson Blight?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

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

Mounts and Companions

As I stated in the introduction, certain mounts and companions are reserved for certain races or specializations.
Below is the needed information to make an informed decision on your mount or companion.

Horses -- Free for all, except for war horses (reserved for noble and warriors)
Large Wolves and Bears -- Reserved for ranger specialization
Halla -- Reserved for Dalish elves
Wargs (mean, kinda nasty looking large wolves) -- Reserved for rogue class
Mabari Warhound -- Reserved for nobility and warriors
Drakes -- Reserved for Mages

~*Do not frown, you never know who is falling in love with your smile*~

StrawberryFoxglove

Member for 1 years

---

---

Post a reply

RolePlayGateway is a site built by a couple roleplayers who wanted to give a little something back to the roleplay community. The site has no intention of earning any profit, and is paid for out of their own pockets.

If you appreciate what they do, feel free to donate your spare change to help feed them on the weekends. After selecting the amount you want to donate from the menu, you can continue by clicking on PayPal logo.

Who is online

Registered users: Abaddon, Ace*, Agent*, Airanea*, AiraValkov, Alpha Type Shurelia, AmiOfTheRain*, Anansi*, Angietoday, Animality Opera, Annaky, Annalysa Jones, Aphrimas*, Archlkan*, Arietta, Ark Reahver, Armageddon, Ashtonwolf, AthenaUndying, Athra*, AugmentationAudit, Aurelier, Auricambrflaym, AutomailJunkie*, Avey, azoicennead, AzricanRepublic*, barney_fife, Beach-Born-Boy, Beatrice Amell, Beta Type Jakuri, birdguard, Blackbird26*, blackwolf*, Blademaster_v3*, Blueshadow, BlueWind_22, Bootsie, Breyerluv*, BrienaSkysong*, brigitteanncastro*, broken-wings, Bromander Shepard*, Buddywazzizname*, Calvazara, cass-isnt-here*, Castella*, Cayleen*, Cerberus1616, ChaosxChild13*, Choclate~Pyrus*, Christa_Bishop, Chulance*, cmpuncle, codemaster23, Commisar_Gaunt, CountessMomo*, CrashQueen, Cypher, Dark Realm, DarknessToDeath23*, Darkoddjoke*, DarkSea*, dealing with it, Death of a Legend, dig17, Draruto, Drogyn*, dudedude889, Edwinfirefox*, Eisenhorn, Eleera Cain*, Elite-Tiger, Emerald.x, estrelas, Ezarael, FaithChan*, feral gale, feralfairy, Finalhazard3*, FinalHope, Firewind, FizzGig*, Forevveru, forgetmenot333, Forget~Me~Not*, freakofnature, glmstr, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, GracieGray, Grimpunker96, Hadespwr*, hayleymaee, HeroOfAwesomeness*, Higurashi, Hitomi-san, Hushh, IceMoon96*, Ikiros, Inno*, Irish Wolf, Irondude1994, IronPhoenix, It's_Gen, I'm a Radical Dame!*, JackMurlochMerridew, jackrules158*, Jadeling Hawkins*, Jaybt9*, JayZeroSnake, Jeggy, Jo_Tunn*, Kaida, Katana_Wing, Keeley, kkpigs, KuruLesperance, LavenderMistress, Lifecharacter*, Lightning Flash*, Lloyd999, lostamongtrees*, lovethelost543, LSunday, LunaTwilight, Lux_Disraeli, lyssaisanaeroplane, Maestro, Majestic-12 [Bot], Marcus*, Marionette*, Matsudaira Ry?nosuke*, McDevious*, mgoodwin2*, Mike53210, minibear, minimoe30, Moonscar*, Mr. Crow*, Mr_Doomed, MSNbot Media, mummydove, MusicLover, Nevan*, Nevermore90, NotAFlyingToy*, nour06*, Nowfaleena, Nulix, Ottoman*, P-Dub*, Patcharoo*, pieluver, PirateofPie*, Planter777*, poeticjustice8012, Porecomesis, Princess Awinita*, Prose*, Protoman X, prygus, qbsuperstar03*, Queenforaday, Quitelovely487, RainWish, Ranos*, RebornAncient12, Regret, Rem?us*, Renmiri*, RiotTerritory, Riverstyx777*, rizzyrat, RosexXxStarlight, RydeDawg, SasoriRinku, Saxious, ScarletRivers, Scumbag_Brain, Sebito, ShadtheWerepire*, Shattered233, shibosho, shihoseki, Shinku122, Shpleem*, Sirius Baren, SkullsandSlippers*, SkyRight, Smokescreen, Sneakyrio*, SoftDusk*, SoHappy, Sorella*, Soul_Alchemist, StandardFiend, Steppin' Razor, Stilts*, stormwolf321*, StrawberryFoxglove, SunshinexDeath, sweetgal, Sylwyn*, Syn.!, Syn_Maxwell*, Talisman*, Terrorer, ThaliaFae*, The Angry Penguin, The Illusionist*, The Painkiller*, TheDarkWorgen*, Thrydwulf, Tiko*, Tilting Clock*, Trickster*, True Grave, UsagiArwen, utahann, Valkyrieknight, vampyre_smiles, Velvet_Harmony, Vestiline*, ViceVersus*, victim130*, vintagedarksoul, Vio-Lance, VitaminHeart, Wake*, Walking-travesty*, wednesdaysun, Wheatley, williamfancypants*, Wing06Twilight, winged1107, wisegirl, Witless*, wolfoftheage, Wren, Wudgeous, Wyrm*, XavierDantius32, Xavirne, xFerretGirlTheThirdx*, XianEvermor*, xXChocobeanXx, Yahoo [Bot], Yonbibuns, zen_ink*, Zenia, zerr0max*, Zodia195*, Zombicide93*, ? Reality ?*

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/2MFkyPTNapM/viewtopic.php

joe paterno press conference joe paterno scandal joe paterno scandal election day 2011 mississippi personhood herman cain press conference