woodlouse methoxy: 2011

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

droidfeed: Which Android Devices Did You Receive This Holiday Season? http://t.co/utmNQoKU #android

Passer la navigation
Twitter sur votre mobile ? Cliquez ici m.twitter.com!
Passer cette ?tape
Connexion

Which Android Devices Did You Receive This Holiday Season? goo.gl/fb/nwA57 #android Il y a environ 3 heures via Google

droidfeed

Planet Android

Pied de page

Source: http://twitter.com/droidfeed/statuses/151637027501248512

krzyzewski childish gambino sandusky interview with bob costas sandusky interview with bob costas live oak mark kelly mark kelly

Nigerian blasts mar pope's Christmas peace appeal (AP)

VATICAN CITY ? Pope Benedict XVI issued pleas for peace to reign across the world during his traditional Christmas address Sunday, a call marred by Muslim extremists who bombed a Catholic church in Nigeria, striking after worshippers celebrated Mass.

The assault on the Catholic church left 35 dead in Madalla, near the Nigerian capital. A failed bombing also occurred near a church in the city of Jos, followed by a shooting that killed a police officer. The blast came a year after a series of Christmas Eve bombs in Jos claimed by Islamist militants killed 32.

Benedict didn't refer explicitly to the Nigerian bombings in his "Urbi et Orbi" speech, Latin for "to the city and to the world" in which he raises alarm about world hotspots. But in a statement, the Vatican called the attacks a sign of "cruelty and absurd, blind hatred" that shows no respect for human life.

Elsewhere, Christmas was celebrated with the typical joy of the season: In Cuba, Catholics had plenty to cheer as they prepared for Benedict's March arrival, the first visit by a pontiff to the Communist-run island since John Paul II's historic tour nearly 14 years ago.

"We have faith in God that we will be allowed to have this treat," said Rogelio Montes de Oca, 72, as he stood outside the Cathedral in Old Havana. "Not every country will have the chance to see him physically and receive his blessing."

And in the Holy Land, pilgrims and locals alike flocked to Jesus' traditional birthplace in numbers not seen since before the Palestinian uprising over a decade ago, despite lashing rains and wind.

"We wanted to be part of the action," said Don Moore, 41, a psychology professor from Berkeley, California, who came to Bethlehem with his family. "This is the place, this is where it all started. It doesn't get any more special than that."

The holy town of Bethlehem is no stranger to violence. Like the rest of the West Bank, it fell on hard times after the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation broke out in late 2000.

But as the violence has subsided, tourists have returned in large numbers. On Saturday, turnout for Christmas Eve festivities in Bethlehem was at its highest since the uprising began driving tourists away. An estimated 100,000 visitors streamed into Manger Square on Christmas Eve, up from 70,000 the previous year, according to the Israeli military's count.

The Holy Land and the entire Mideast were very much on Benedict's mind as he delivered his Christmas speech from the the sun-drenched loggia of St. Peter's Basilica. The 84-year-old pontiff appeared in fine form, just hours after celebrating a two-hour long Christmas Eve Mass that ended around midnight.

"May the Lord come to the aid of our world torn by so many conflicts which even today stain the earth with blood," Benedict said.

He said he hoped that the birth of Jesus, which Christmas celebrates, would send a message to all who need to be saved from hardships: that Israelis and the Palestinians would resume peace talks and that there would be an "end to the violence in Syria, where so much blood has already been shed."

He called for international assistance for refugees from the Horn of Africa and flood victims in Thailand, among others, and urged greater political dialogue in Myanmar, and stability in Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa's Great Lakes region, which includes Congo, Uganda and Rwanda.

After his speech, Benedict delivered Christmas greetings in 65 different languages, from Mongolian to Maori, Aramaic to Albanian, Tamil to Thai. He finished the list with Guarani and Latin, as the bells tolled from St. Peter's enormous bell towers.

In the piazza below, thousands of jubilant tourists and pilgrims, and hundreds of colorful Swiss Guards and Italian military bands mingled around the Vatican's giant Christmas tree and larger-than-life sized nativity scene.

In the U.K., the leader of the world's Anglicans, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said the summer riots in Britain and the financial crisis had abused trust in British society.

In his Christmas Day sermon, Rowan Williams appealed to those congregated at Canterbury Cathedral to learn lessons about "mutual obligation" from the events of the past year. He said Sunday that "the most pressing question" now facing Britain is "who and where we are as a society."

"Bonds have been broken, trust abused and lost," he said.

Britain's royal family, meanwhile, celebrated Christmas with one notable absence. Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip remained hospitalized after having a coronary stent put in after doctors determined the heart pains that sent him to the hospital on Friday were caused by a blocked artery.

Elizabeth's annual Christmas message dealt with the theme of family. The message was recorded Dec. 9, before Philip went into the hospital.

Wearing a festive red dress, the Queen said that the importance of family was driven home by the marriages of two of her grandchildren this year. Elizabeth spoke of the strength family can provide during times of hardship and how friendships are often formed in difficult times.

She pointed to the Commonwealth nations as an example that family "does not necessarily mean blood relatives but often a description of a community."

And in the United States, members of the loose-knit hacking movement known as "Anonymous" claimed to have stolen a raft of e-mails and credit card data from U.S. security think tank Stratfor, promising a weeklong Christmas-inspired assault on targets including the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, Goldman Sachs and MF Global.

The group has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on companies such as Visa, MasterCard and PayPal, as well as others in the music industry and the Church of Scientology.

___

Jon Gambrell in Lagos, Nigeria, Dalia Nammari in Bethlehem, Paul Haven in Havana and Cassandra Vinograd in London contributed.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111225/ap_on_re_eu/world_christmas

boxing news boxing andy dalton corporal kelsey de santis corporal kelsey de santis ufc on fox juan manuel marquez

Monday, December 26, 2011

Lions rejoice after clinching playoff spot

DETROIT (AP) ? Forget next year's draft. The Detroit Lions have something different to look forward to this December.

The Lions are headed to the playoffs for the first time since the 1999 season.

"This is an accomplishment," coach Jim Schwartz said. "It's a big step for our team and our organization."

Detroit clinched a postseason berth with a resounding 38-10 win over San Diego on Saturday, and now the Lions can sit back and contemplate any number of possible first-round match-ups. There's one more regular-season game, at Green Bay next weekend, but Detroit will be a wild card win or lose.

The Lions will be on the road for the first round ? and probably for as long as they're still playing. But Detroit did get to celebrate its playoff berth with a home win and a victory lap by Schwartz and some players.

"Unless something really strange happens, it's probably the last home game that we're going to play this year. So our crowd's made a big difference," Schwartz said. "We've said a lot about how they don't just go to the games, they participate in the games. I'd like a few less waves when our offense has the ball when we're holding the lead and we don't want to get any penalties, but our crowd's been great and they deserve to celebrate it and that's why we stayed out."

Detroit won its first five games and is closing fast as well with three straight victories. After beating the Vikings on a last-second defensive stand and rallying from a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit at Oakland, the Lions beat San Diego in drama-free fashion. Detroit led 24-0 at halftime. There was one anxious moment in the third quarter when the Chargers scored a touchdown and recovered an onside kick, but the Lions' defense allowed only three points the rest of the way.

For Detroit (10-5) to earn the No. 5 seed in the NFC, it needs to finish with a better record than Atlanta (9-5), which plays at New Orleans on Monday night. The Falcons beat the Lions this season for the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Lions center Dominic Raiola, who has been with the team since being drafted in 2001, was more interested in savoring Saturday's win than looking ahead to the next challenges.

"I'm just going to enjoy this one tonight ? let it soak in," he said. "This is awesome."

Detroit's offensive stars, Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson, were terrific as usual, and the line gave Stafford plenty of time to throw. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew caught nine passes for 80 yards and a touchdown.

The defense was also much improved after struggling to hold off Joe Webb and Carson Palmer in the previous two games. Defensive back Chris Houston, who has been battling a left knee problem, was particularly active.

"I knew what was at stake with this franchise wanting to get into the playoffs," Houston said. "It's December. Everybody's hurt. I had to go for my team. I tried to go last week but it wasn't all the way there, so I took myself out. ... This game I was feeling 100 percent, no thoughts of pulling myself out."

Next weekend's game at Green Bay could still be emotionally charged. The Packers beat the Lions 27-15 on Thanksgiving Day in a game remembered for Ndamukong Suh's stomp at Green Bay offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith. The Detroit defensive tackle was suspended two games for the incident.

But no matter what happens, the Lions can go on the road knowing their postseason spot is safe.

"Once you get to the playoffs, it's anybody's ballgame," defensive end Cliff Avril said. "The city of Detroit needs it. They've been waiting on us to win for a while. It's such a football town and we haven't been winning, so it's huge. We owe the fans thanks for supporting us through the ups and downs. We're there, so just have to celebrate with them."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-25-FBN-Playoff-Bound-Lions/id-dcd7f35d570b436ba1812fe5faa75ff1

storm in alaska storm in alaska asteroid eric johnson eric johnson russell pearce russell pearce

'Mr. O Canada' in concert

South Surrey's famed anthem singer Mark 'Mr. O Canada' Donnelly will have a showcase on his home turf this Christmas season.

Donnelly will be back in White Rock Dec. 29, 7:30 p.m. at the Coast Capital Playhouse, 1532 Johnston Rd., for Mark Donnelly and Friends, presented by Rock.It Boy Entertainment.

Tickets ($39.50, plus facility fee and service charges) are available at the Coast Capital? Playhouse box office (604-536-7535) or online at www.whiterockplayers.ca

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } google_ad_client = 'pub-9774721429222771'; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_ad_channel ='3389691084'; google_max_num_ads = '4'; google_feedback = 'on'; google_ad_type = 'text'; google_adtest = 'on'; google_image_size = '300x250'; google_skip = '3'; // -->

Source: http://www.surreyleader.com/entertainment/136162373.html

howard stern howard stern free shipping day free shipping day golden globe nominations 2012 war in iraq war in iraq

Sunday, December 25, 2011

asiamediawriter: Reading: India?s ?missed call? mobile ecosystem http://t.co/khfeAE98

Passer la navigation
Twitter sur votre mobile ? Cliquez ici m.twitter.com!
Passer cette ?tape
Connexion

Reading: India?s ?missed call? mobile ecosystem gigaom.com/mobile/indias-? Il y a environ 5 heures via Tweetbot for iPhone

asiamediawriter

Jaime Mendoza

Pied de page

Source: http://twitter.com/asiamediawriter/statuses/150659316309958656

los angeles clippers charlize theron telenav telenav wade phillips wade phillips new orleans hornets

[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, ?Eternity Evening?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

is it too late to join?

I'll See You In Your Dreams......

Watertears: Member for 0 years

Return to Out of Character

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: Adig01, ?SIR Society, ajemokid, Alasund De'astio*, Amigamaru, AmiOfTheRain, Aniihya, Annaky*, Archlkan*, Ashes, azoicennead, AzricanRepublic*, Bashie L. Craft, BekaL101, bellelaine, BilgeWater*, Blackbird26*, BlackCommand*, blackwolf, Breyerluv*, brigitteanncastro, Caelus, Chulance*, claw*, CriminalMinds*, DarkRumours, Demonoid*, dig17*, Dragoon, D?mon, Eleera Cain*, Felicity, Forget~Me~Not, Fortune Walking, Frozen Soul*, gaiadarkstar, Gasmask*, Gigabot [Bot], Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, hayleymaee, Hinasil*, HisDyingBride, Horseygirl*, iApple, Iggi*, Imagine That!, inara1917, Ironman11, ItchySweater, jadenlove, Kallas Redwater, kikodakitty*, Kirinak*, Magix, MilkHoney*, Misuteri_Akurei*, MSN [Bot], MSNbot Media, mummydove, Nevan*, nightscapture, nltniko*, Nocte*, NorthernSoul, Patcharoo*, Perilute, Phoenix6000, Princess Awinita*, Prose*, RainbowMotorcycles, RavenQueenofShadows*, RebornAncient12, RedRaine, Regret, Rem?us*, Ropeburn*, RydeDawg, Sebastian Vettel, Seijun13, Sench, SkunkishBlue, Slendyman*, smrtazz13, snipergirl24*, Sora112112, Spiral Thoughts, Statement, Steffix, Steppin' Razor*, stormwolf321, SunshinexDeath, Sweet Angel Jocelyn, TheNoremac42, Tiko*, Trickster, ViceVersus, VitaminHeart, ViviOrunitiaFF9, warlord001, wednesdaysun, WillowWolf, Wing06Twilight, Wudgeous, XavierDantius32*, xXPaper-AngelXx, Zammy

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/nPBYPGXVh1Q/viewtopic.php

greg halman greg halman love and hip hop dancing with the stars results there will be blood there will be blood walmart black friday sales

Saturday, December 24, 2011

lvgolfblogger: Gary Woodland up, Sean O'Hair down http://t.co/vsoUVfYu #Golf

Passer la navigation
Twitter sur votre mobile ? Cliquez ici m.twitter.com!
Passer cette ?tape
Connexion

Gary Woodland up, Sean O'Hair down bit.ly/rxDaPB #Golf Il y a environ 7 heures via twitterfeed

lvgolfblogger

Pied de page

Source: http://twitter.com/lvgolfblogger/statuses/150052714276061184

ali fedotowsky ali fedotowsky krill oil krill oil black friday 2011 rhodium uppity

Dr. Peter Breggin: The Psychiatric Drugging of America's Foster Children (Huffington post)

Share With Friends:

| Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/178075731?client_source=feed&format=rss

duggars kyle orton kyle orton j r martinez j r martinez giants long island serial killer

Friday, December 23, 2011

Giving babies salty food may create a lifelong preference

Feeding young babies solid foods such as crackers, cereals and bread, which tend to be high in salt, may set them up for a lifelong preference for salt, researchers reported Tuesday.

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggests that efforts to reduce salt intake among Americans should begin early in life.

It is even possible, the authors said, that infancy contains a "sensitivity window" in which exposure to certain foods and tastes programs the brain to desire them in the future.

Americans' fondness for salt, a source of dismay for health experts, is well known. A 2010 report from the Institute of Medicine concluded that the average intake of 3,436 milligrams a day for Americans over age 2 is more than double what is recommended, and that new government standards are needed to reduce the salt content in processed and restaurant food.

But little is known about the biology behind our love affair with salt. Researchers don't even know what receptors are involved in tasting it. And though babies are born with a clear preference for sweet foods and an absolute distaste for bitter foods, they appear indifferent to salt in the first few months of life, said Leslie Stein, the lead author of the study and a senior research associate at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia.

"When you give 2-month-old babies salt water, they have no facial expression," Stein said. "This could mean that the baby doesn't detect the salt or just doesn't give a hoot about it."

To get at the issue, Stein and her colleagues first gave 61 healthy 2-month-old infants a mild solution of salt water: Based on facial expressions and how much they drank, the authors concluded the infants indeed were indifferent to the taste.

When the babies were 6 months old, they were brought back to the Monell clinic by their parents. They were presented with three bottles containing water, a mild salt solution or a slightly saltier solution. Researchers recorded how much fluid they drank from each bottle during a one-minute period ? an indication of how much they preferred each solution.

Parents were also asked what, if any, baby food and table foods the children received. Table food is considered regular food that other members of the family might eat.

Almost half of the infants ? 26 ? had been exposed to starchy foods such as crackers, soft bread or cereal, which are often high in salt. During the bottle test, those babies consumed 55% more salt compared with babies who had not yet been exposed to these kinds of foods.

The scientists also reexamined 26 of the children at preschool age and surveyed their mothers about the children's salt preferences, such as whether they licked salt from foods, ate plain table salt or added salt to food before eating it. Children who had been exposed early to the starchy, salt-rich foods clearly had a greater liking for salt, they found.

"It's absolutely possible that exposure early on in life could change the way the salt taste signal is transmitted to the brain," said Dr. James F. Battey Jr., director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, which funded the study. "The brain is very plastic at that time of life."

The study doesn't prove this, however ? it merely shows a correlation between early exposure and a taste for salt later on, Battey added. But if it turns out to be true, "then parents have a way of reducing the risk," he said.

Research on infant feeding practices has shown that babies will learn to like a food if exposed to it at least 10 times. But that doesn't mean they prefer a food, Stein said; they just learn to tolerate it.

And, Stein said, studies have also shown that babies are learning about the flavors in Mom's diet even before birth, in the uterus, as well as afterward through the taste of their mother's breast milk.

"This very early exposure helps them learn to like those flavors as well," Stein said.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends mothers breast-feed exclusively for the first six months and continue to breast-feed even after introducing solid foods. Doctors usually recommend introducing solid foods to babies about 6 months of age, but there are few rules over which foods to introduce first and which to offer later.

A 1990 Dutch study showed persistently higher blood pressure for children whose early sodium consumption was highest, said Dr. Stephen R. Daniels, chief of pediatrics at Children's Hospital Colorado, who was not involved in the new study.

"We don't have as much science as we want or need about the best way to introduce babies to solid food," Daniels said. "There's a tremendous opportunity to think of the period during which a baby is being introduced to solid foods as a time to get babies and toddlers on the road to the most healthful diet."

shari.roan@latimes.com

Times staff writer Melissa Healy contributed to this report.

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/science/~3/pSkzi4tEIiw/la-he-babies-salt-20111221,0,1572822.story

college football scores arkansas razorbacks arkansas football maggie daley black friday online deals black friday news gamestop

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Sony Ericsson LT28at specs suggest 4.55-inch, 720p screen, 13MP camera, AT&T LTE

We've seen leak after leak of the Sony Ericsson Nozomi (aka Xperia Arc HD) over the past couple of months, but now it seems we may have some early details of the device's American cousin, the as yet nameless LT28at. A Bluetooth SIG listing for the phone, spotted by XperiaBlog, suggests that it'll sport an impressive list of specifications. Apparently the LT28at will ship with a 4.55-inch 720p Sony Reality Display, a stonking 13 MP back-illuminated camera and LTE support, presumably on AT&T.

The Bluetooth listing doesn't mention AT&T by name, but Sony Ericsson has historically added the "at" suffix to its AT&T devices, so we think it's safe to assume this one will be headed to AT&T's LTE network rather than Verizon's. Equally, no CPU is listed, but given the way SE likes to streamline things across its product line, our money would be on the LT28at using a 1.5GHz dual-core chip, like the Nozomi.

However, the most unique thing about this phone is its purported camera setup -- 13MP is just insane for a smartphone camera. Sure, megapixels aren't everything, but SE has a great track record with its Exmor R sensors on devices like the Arc and the Ray. XperiaBlog managed to dig up a few example shots from the LT28at on Picasa (check the source link), and even after compression the pictures are pretty impressive.

Here's hoping we'll get to see more of the LT28at in the flesh at CES in just a few weeks time.

Source: Bluetooth SIG, XperiaBlog

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/sT8KhLmpIX4/story01.htm

trazodone voting sharon bialek call of duty elite dragonfly courtney stodden drake take care

Monday, December 19, 2011

9 killed in gas explosion at Chinese coal mine (AP)

BEIJING ? A gas explosion at a mine in central China has killed nine workers.

The accident happened Saturday afternoon at a mine in Hunan province's Sandu township.

A Hunan work safety official says all nine workers underground at the time were confirmed dead.

The official, surnamed Zhang, says the cause of the explosion is being investigated. He says the mine is privately run.

China's coal mines are the deadliest in the world. Their safety record has improved in recent years as smaller, illegal mines have been closed.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111218/ap_on_re_as/as_china_mine

happy thanksgiving dwts cnn debate kennedy assassination kennedy assassination jfk assassination pie crust recipe

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Zynga dips below IPO price (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Zynga Inc shares opened as much as 10 percent above their offer price on Friday but then rolled back below the IPO price, showing that investors were still concerned about its dependence on Facebook and its growth prospects and that demand for hot tech IPOs may be waning.

In the opening minutes of trading on the Nasdaq the stock rose 10 percent to $11.00. But then they fall back and were down 1 percent at $9.90.

When asked about the price drop, CEO Mark Pincus said in an interview there were "no regrets."

"Our approach has always been to focus on the longterm," Pincus said. "We thought this was the right time to go public."

"We're going to focus on the products and business results we deliver in the next four to eight quarters and hope the stock market values and appreciates that as they see us deliver it," he added.

The company, which competes with Electronic Arts, sold 100 million shares of Class A common stock at $10 per share in the IPO, roughly 11 percent of its shares on a diluted basis, at the top end of the $8.50 to $10 indicative range.

Zynga wants to avoid what happened to Groupon Inc, another closely watched Internet IPO that rose on its first day of trading in November but slumped below its $20 issue price about three weeks later

Zynga's IPO had been highly anticipated because it is seen as a way for investors to get a slice of Facebook's growth before the social network itself goes public. About 95 percent of its revenue comes from Facebook, where it makes money from selling virtual items such as virtual jewelry and poker chips in its games.

Unlike Groupon, Zynga is profitable, but less than 3 percent of its players spend money on items in its free games.

At $1 billion in proceeds, Zynga's IPO would still be the largest from a U.S. Internet company since Google Inc raised $1.9 billion in 2004.

(Reporting By Liana B. Baker)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111216/wr_nm/us_zynga

los angeles angels lindsay lohanâ€™s playboy cover leaked online lindsay lohanâ€™s playboy cover leaked online kevin martin va tech shooting 2011 cj wilson coriolanus

Chelsea slips, Dempsey scores

updated 8:38 p.m. ET Dec. 17, 2011

LONDON - Chelsea missed a chance to put pressure on the two Manchester clubs at the top of the Premier League on Saturday, yielding a goal with two minutes left in a 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened Wigan.

Chelsea looked on course for a fourth straight Premier League victory when Daniel Sturridge scored his eighth goal of the season in the 59th minute. But Wigan dominated the second half and Jordi Gomez tapped in from close range after a mistake by Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech.

The result left Chelsea with 32 points from 16 matches, four behind second-place Manchester United and six behind longtime leader City.

Defending champion United could take first place for the first time since mid-October if it wins at Queens Park Rangers on Sunday and Manchester City loses to visiting Arsenal. Sunderland is at fourth-place Tottenham and Liverpool is at Aston Villa in Sunday's other matches.

The draw left Wigan in the relegation zone with Blackburn and Bolton, which remained anchored to the bottom of the league after a 2-0 loss at Fulham

Two weeks after becoming the most prolific American scorer in England's top division, Clint Dempsey scored his 38th Premier League goal to get Fulham rolling. He scored his fifth league goal this season and eighth overall with a 32nd-minute header from Bryan Ruiz's cross. Costa Rican forward Ruiz chipped over goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen to make it 2-0 two minutes later.

Last-place Bolton has only nine points from 16 games. That's one fewer than Blackburn, which lost 2-1 to visiting West Bromwich Albion. Peter Odemwingie scored West Brom's winning goal with a minute left.

Wolverhampton is one place and one point above the relegation zone after giving up two second-half goals in a 2-1 loss against Stoke. Stoke is three points behind Newcastle, which spent three months in the top four but is now without a win in five matches after drawing 0-0 with visiting Swansea.

In the League Championship, American defender Daniel Potts made his debut for West Ham in a 1-0 home win against Barnsley. A member of the U.S. Under-20 team, Potts is captain of the Hammers' Under-18 team and signed a 2?-year professional contract on Friday. He overcame leukemia two years ago.

___

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) ? Cristiano Ronaldo scored his fifth hat trick of the season as Real Madrid won 6-2 at Sevilla to bounce back from last weekend's loss to Barcelona and regain first place in the Spanish league.

Ronaldo put Madrid ahead off a perfectly weighted pass from Angel Di Maria in the 10th minute, made it 3-0 with a 25-yard shot in the 41st and converted a penalty kick in the 85th minute after Federico Fazio fouled Karim Benzema in the area. Jose Callejon (37th minute), Di Maria (66th), Hamit Altintop (89th) also scored for Madrid, which allowed goals by Jesus Navas (69th) and Alvaro Negredo (90th).

Ronaldo, heavily criticized for failing to score on a pair of open shots against Barcelona, leads the league with 20 goals, three more than Barcelona's Lionel Messi. With his 13th hat trick since joining Madrid in the 2009-10 season, Ronaldo increased his season total to 25 goals in all competitions.

"This is to shut the mouths of my critics," Ronaldo said. "I am used to it, so it doesn't matter. I am focused on my team and I don't care what people say about me. ... Those who criticize me don't understand football."

Through 16 games, Madrid has a three-point lead over Barcelona, the three-time defending league champion.

In other games it was Mallorca 1, Getafe 2; Sporting Gijon 1, Espanyol 2; and Athletic Bilbao 2, Zaragoza 1. After Sunday, the league breaks until Jan. 7.

___

MILAN (AP) ? Defending champion AC Milan moved into the Italian league lead, winning 2-0 at home over Siena.

Antonio Nocerino scored his sixth league goal of the season in the 54th and Zlatan Ibrahimovic converted a penalty kick nine minutes later after goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic was called for a foul on Kevin-Prince Boateng. Ibrahimovic has 10 league goals this season.

Milan moved a point ahead of Udinese, which is at Lazio on Sunday, and Juventus, which hosts Novara. Siena remained two points above the relegation zone after five defeats in six games.

In a dramatic finish in Florence, goals by German Denis in the 81st and Andrea Masiello in the 86th appeared to have given Atalanta victory over Fiorentina, but Stevan Jovetic's goal in the 88th gave the host a 2-2 draw. Chievo won 2-0 at home over Cagliari on goals by Cyril Thereau and Gennaro Sardo.

___

BERLIN (AP) ? Defending champion Borussia Dortmund will go into the Bundesliga's four-week winter break three points behind leader Bayern Munich after beating last-place Freiburg 4-1.

Robert Lewandowski scored the first of his two goals in the seventh minute. Jan Rosenthal tied it in the 34th but Ilkay Guendogan restored the visitors' lead in the 44th, before Kevin Grosskreutz added another goal in the 59th and then crossed for Lewandowski to complete the scoring in the 70th.

On Friday, Bayern clinched the unofficial title of "winter champion" with a 3-0 win over Cologne on Friday.

Raul Gonzalez scored a hat trick to help Schalke rout Werder Bremen 5-0, with Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Klaas Jan Huntelaar also scoring to complete a miserable evening for Werder goalkeeper Tim Wiese on his 30th birthday. Schalke and Dortmund have 34 points.

Relegation-threatened Nuremberg ended Bayer Leverkusen's six-game unbeaten run in the league with a 3-0 win, Wolfsburg beat Stuttgart 1-0, Hamburger SV drew 1-1 with Augsburg and Roman Hubnik scored in injury time to rescue a 1-1 draw for Hertha Berlin at Hoffenheim.

___

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) ? Carlos Bocanegra scored to help first-place Rangers defeat visiting Inverness 2-1 in the Scottish Premier League.

Bocanegra, one of three Americans starting for the defending champions, put Rangers ahead in the 55th minute with a close-range shot. Andrew Shinnie evened the scores 12 minutes later. Shinnie had a goal ruled out for offside before substitute Kyle Lafferty scored in the 87th minute.

Americans Maurice Edu and Alejandro Bedoya also started for Rangers.

Rangers have 48 points to 41 for Celtic, which plays at St. Johnstone on Sunday.

___

PARIS (AP) ? French league leader Montpellier wasted an early lead and was held to a 1-1 draw by Toulouse, allowing Lyon to narrow the gap and giving big-spending Paris Saint-Germain a chance to move into first place Sunday.

Geoffrey Dernis converted a rebound in the sixth minute to put the hosts ahead, but Toulouse defender Cheikh M'Bengue stole the ball from Dernis and tied it with a curling shot in the 40th.

PSG, which trails by one point, hosts Lille on Sunday. Lyon is two points off the lead after beating visiting Evian 2-1 on goals by Jimmy Briand in the 35th and Lisandro Lopez on a header off Briand's cross in the 70th. Yannick Sagbo had tied it in the 43rd.

Marseille rallied for a 2-1 win over Lorient, Saint-Etienne beat Dijon by the same score, and Nancy held on for a 2-1 victory over Caen. Brest edged Auxerre 1-0 and Nice defeated Valenciennes 2-0.

___

ATHENS, Greece (AP) ? Sebastian Leto scored once in each half and set up a goal by Jean-Alain Boumsong to lead Panathinaikos to a 3-1 victory over visiting Asteras in the Greek league.

Fernando Usero scored a late goal for Asteras.

Panathinaikos overtook AEK for second place and is a point behind defending champion Olympiakos, which has played one more game. Olympiakos hosts Giannena and AEK plays at Atromitos on Sunday.

Ergotelis won 1-0 at Levadiakos and Xanthi beat visiting Panionios by the same score.

More news

Chelsea slips, Dempsey scores

Euro roundup: Chelsea missed a chance to put pressure on the two Manchester clubs at the top of the Premier League on Saturday, yielding a goal with two minutes left in a 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened Wigan.

Mike Stobe / Getty Images

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45708628/ns/sports-soccer/

dramamine nba season we bought a zoo we bought a zoo iron bowl iron bowl bo jackson

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Sleep Through Your Alarm in This Week's Open Thread [Open Thread]

Sleep Through Your Alarm in This Week's Open Thread We may have slept through our proverbial open thread alarm this morning, but better late than never, right? Come on in and chat with us in this weeks (slightly belated) open thread.

Same drill as always, open-threaders: You can chat and ask questions with your fellow readers all week long at the #openthread hashtag page, but our weekly open thread post is your opportunity to reach the most people. Ask questions, offer advice, discuss productivity tips, or just chat about whatever's on your mind. You'll need a commenter account to participate, then you're ready to roll.

An extra reminder: If you're not quite satisfied with the interaction in the weekly open thread or in #tips, remember that you can also share your expertise every day on our Expert Pages. Photo by Bev Sykes.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/RVlQbcid2RM/sleep-through-your-alarm-in-this-weeks-open-thread

cabin in the woods dan quayle brett favre packers stock packers stock mastectomy st. nicholas

6 ways Mitt Romney is trying to prove he's 'human' (The Week)

New York ? Goodbye, Rombot. Hello, sensitive human? Here's how Team Romney is trying to make the super-rich, often-wooden candidate seem like the rest of us

"Meet Mitt Romney, human," says Reid J. Epstein in Politico. With the GOP nomination seemingly fading from sight, Team Romney has been working overtime to soften the so-called "Rombot" candidate who's been on display all year. The push to "humanize" Romney ? a strategy his campaign team disavows ? has its skeptics. But it's pretty clear, says Ashley Parker in The New York Times, that the often "inscrutable, overly polished, and occasionally robotic" candidate "is striving mightily to humanize himself just three weeks before the first round of voting begins." How? Here are six ways:

1. Deputizing his family
The humanizing effort began last week with a spate of TV ads emphasizing Mitt the Family Man. And to "show his softer side," says Philip Rucker in The Washington Post, Romney "has been campaigning more frequently with his wife, Ann, and their family." He's had various of his five sons introduce him at events, and is telling more personal anecdotes about his family life. The subtext may be a swipe at thrice-married GOP frontrunner Newt Gingrich, but it's also tactically "good to remind Iowans of how strong he is from a family standpoint," says unaligned Iowa GOP congressman Steve King.

SEE MORE: Mitt Romney: 'Boring' by design?

2. Sending his wife to talk about his unseen side
Beyond featuring wife Ann in ads, Romney is sending her out to smaller private fundraisers to talk about "the side of Mitt people don't see or don't hear about." In other words, says Jessica Grose in Slate, "she's trying to make Mitt seem less stiff, and more fun." It might work, but if she wants to improve on "her first attempt at Mitt humanization circa 2007," Ann Romney is going to have to be a little more "specific, intimate, and revealing." It's nice that Mitt stood by her through breast cancer and multiple sclerosis, but Ann will have to "up the personal disclosures if she wants to crack that lacquered image that most people have of her husband."

3. Talking about his Mormonism
The Dec. 10 debate marked the first time in four years that Romney brought up being a Mormon, and he's only upped the religion talk since, discussing his stints as a missionary in France and as a stateside counselor to struggling Mormons. In "racing to humanize a distant and sometimes awkward politician...," say Ben Smith and Maggie Haberman in Politico, Team Romney just "smashed personal red lines the candidate spent decades erecting." He's even joking about his religion, claiming that he "encouraged the guys" who created the lewd, satirical Broadway hit The Book of Mormon, "because I thought that'd be really helpful."

SEE MORE: Why Fox News viewers don't like Mitt Romney: 4 theories

4. Talking (maybe too much) about his hardships
Mitt's Mormon remembrances included new details about his two-year missionary stint that weren't even in his autobiography. Insisting he wasn't "living high on the hog" in France, Romney told a crowd on Sunday that he'd subsisted on $110 a month, in bare-bones apartments often without refrigerators, showers, or even toilets. Instead of toilets, he had "little pads on the ground, OK?" he elaborated. "You know how that works, all right. There was a chain behind you with a bucket ? it was a bucket affair." I get that he's trying to "shed his robotic image,"?says Zeke Miller in Business Insider. But that's "a definitional case of the phrase 'Too Much Information'."

5. Meeting the press more
After facing criticism for avoiding the press, and then blowing an on-air chat with Fox News'?Bret Baier, Romney has dramatically boosted his access to reporters. More is needed, American University political scientist Leonard Steinhorn tells the Boston Herald. "If he wants to humanize himself, he better work as quickly as possible and work as many media outlets as possible," especially Jon Stewart's Daily Show. Romney himself seems cool to the idea, telling the Herald he'd "much rather have a setting that's fun, and give-and-take."

SEE MORE: How Romney could lose to Gingrich... just like Romney's dad lost to Nixon

6. Talking about how equally un-human his rivals are
Romney's estimated $200 million in wealth may make him seem removed from everyday Americans, but he "doesn't want to be cast as the only rich person in the race for the Republican presidential nomination," says Brian Montopoli in CBS News. On Wednesday Romney pointed out that Gingrich is also "a wealthy man, a very wealthy man," adding that "if you have a half a million dollar purchase from Tiffany's, you're not a middle class American." Zing! Gingrich is worth at least $6.7 million.

View this article on TheWeek.com
Get 4 Free Issues of The Week

Friday, December 16, 2011

'War on Christmas' seems to be fading

Macy's, which features a large tree above the entrance to its flagship store in New York, is among the retail chains listed as "for Christmas."

By Martin Wolk

Based on the heavy rotation of Christmas music we hear in retail outlets?beginning in mid-November, we never had many concerns about the "war on Christmas" supposedly being waged in the nation's malls and chain stores.

Now comes the latest evidence that Christmas is indeed?winning the war.

The American Family Association, a Christian group,?has taken the leading role in alerting?the media to the grave danger posed by retailers who avoid using the word "Christmas" in marketing materials in favor of the more neutral "holidays."

Now the AFA says the vast majority of major chain retailers are "pro-Christmas," a reversal from the situation six years ago.

According to the group's latest "naughty or nice" list, 54 retail chains rank as "Christmas friendly," apparently based?mainly on the fact that they?"use?the term 'Christmas' on a regular basis."

The group lists 14 retail chains as "against Christmas," meaning they use the word Christmas only sparingly and do not "recognize" Christmas as a company. That is up from just eight retailers listed last year?although the numbers can fluctuate from week to week. Another eight are considered "marginal" on Christmas.

Randy Sharp, director of special projects for the AFA, says the percentage of retailers on the "naughty" side of the ledger has been getting smaller every year, reflecting the fact that "86 percent of Americans want to see Christmas" in the stores.

Gap Inc.,?which?operates three chains ranked as "against" Christmas, has been called out repeatedly by the Tupelo, Miss.-based AFA even though?its stores?play Christmas music, use Christmas themes in marketing and are decorated with?"displays that include Christmas trees, reindeers, wreaths, wrapped Christmas presents and ornaments," according to company spokeswoman Louise Callagy.

Sharp said the Gap displays are essentially window-dressing applied only in the final days before Christmas, partly to satisfy the AFA, which updates its list throughout the, ahem, holiday season. Most Gap advertising refers to "holiday" sales, Sharp said.

"If the companies are going to market the holiday to the consumer they should at least acknowledge?the reason for it," he said.

"As a global retailer, we embrace diversity across all of our customers and respect a variety traditions and faiths during the holidays," said Callagy of Gap Inc.

Here are some of the big chains as ranked by the AFA:

"For" Christmas:
ACE Hardware
Amazon.com
Bed Bath & Beyond
Best Buy
Costco
JC Penney
Kmart
Macy's
Nordstrom
Sears
Target
Wal-Mart/Sam's Club

"Against" Christmas:
Banana Republic
Barnes & Noble
Gap Stores
Office Depot
Old Navy
Radio Shack
Staples
Victoria's Secret

"Marginal":
Safeway
Starbucks
Whole Foods

Do you think any retailers are 'against' Christmas?

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/13/9421835-war-on-christmas-waning-list-shows

cabin in the woods dan quayle brett favre packers stock packers stock mastectomy st. nicholas

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

FAA chief resigns after drunken driving arrest (San Jose Mercury News)

Share With Friends:

| Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/170811343?client_source=feed&format=rss

turkey recipes sweet potato pie sweet potato pie stuffing recipe happy thanksgiving dwts cnn debate

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

[OOC] Room Assinments

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, ?Gold Canyon Rehab Center?. 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.
The room go as such: Pod number then Room Number. The Pod numbers go from the top left side, down, and around the floor to the right.
The rooms coding also has the letters G or B in front of them, G for girls floor, and Bo for boys floor. You don't need to know this, but when staff gossip about students they often will use the letters. Keep this in mind, when "Over Hearing" gossip

Girls Floor

Pod 1
Room 101: Oliver Raines
Room 102
Room 103
Room 104
Room 105: Adayla "Ada" Johnson

Pod 2
Room 201
Room 202
Room 203: Indirah Naiya Elean
Room 204
Room 205

Pod 3
Room 301
Room 302: Devil Dante Marie
Room 303
Room 304
Room 305

Pod 4
Room 401
Room 402
Room 403
Room 404
Room 405

Pod 5
Room 501
Room 502
Room 503
Room 504
Room 505

Boys Floor
(The 2nd Pod, on the floor plan, is broken into Pod 2 and 3; 2 being on top)

Pod 1
Room 101
Room 102
Room 103: Egan Henderson
Room 104
Room 105

Pod 2
Room 201
Room 202
Room 203
Room 204
Room 205

Pod 3
Room 301
Room 302
Room 303
Room 304
Room 305

Pod 4
Room 401
Room 402
Room 403
Room 404
Room 405

Pod 5
Room 501
Room 502
Room 503
Room 504
Room 505

candykitten: Member for 0 years

Return to Out of Character

Post a reply

Who is online

Registered users: Acedude58*, Adig01, ?SIR Society*, affliction, Airanea*, Akantha*, Akita*, alles-ist-gut, almostinsane*, Alucroas*, Animality Opera, Annaky, Arceius*, Archlkan*, Artik, AugmentationAudit*, Avey, AzricanRepublic*, badboyej, bananaramma, barney_fife, BBClock*, BekaL101, BelleOceane*, Beta Type Jakuri, birdguard, Black, Blackbird26, Blackfridayrule*, Blacx*, breemee, Breyerluv*, BriBriBearx*, candykitten, Chaos_Rose, Chari, CherryRed, chikyuutenshi*, Choclate~Pyrus, Cloasse*, Commisar_Gaunt, CreaturesOfTheNight*, CriminalMinds*, CrowboyToTheRescue, Cypher*, Danica_of_Elwes*, danm36*, DarkManticoreX2, Darkshadowmark*, DarthV, DaughterOfTheNight, dealing with it, deathrisesagain, demonpuppluto*, Derdy808*, dig17*, digs, Donny, Dragon*, drampire, Draruto, DreamlandDenizen, Druidfish*, Dyrim, D?mon*, Eisenhorn, Eleera Cain*, Erasmus*, Everscale, Fallen*, Felicity*, feralfairy, Forget~Me~Not, freakofnature, Fredalice, Gamer_Templar*, Germancest<3, Gintoki Sakata, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, GracieGray, Guardian Angel, HarleyPudding, HeavensBolt*, HeroOfAwesomeness*, Hinasil*, IgnisHeart*, Ikiros, Irish Wolf, jackrhien, jackrules158*, jajganker, JayZeroSnake, Jo_Tunn, Johnathan Alexander, Just Sayin', Karri Khaos*, Kenzi, Kohananinja, kotaro7914, kris0the0girl*, Krisuvial*, Kuixote, Kuukakulily*, Kyouing, Kyumori*, Lattia*, Laura-Dora*, LavenderMistress, LeiaHair, lexileigh, Lifecharacter*, Lost Boy, Lovely ?, LSunday, Luce, Lufia*, Lupine*, Lux_Disraeli*, Magix, Majestic-12 [Bot], Marcus*, Marine3950, MaxStokes*, MeliSnail, Midnightclub, Mike53210*, minibear*, missfightingfork, Missing Link, Misuteri_Akurei*, miyumi, Mojito*, Mr_Doomed, MSNbot Media, NarrowEye, Nemmy826, Nevan*, Nightgem, nightstar_, nightwolf, Nocte, NotAFlyingToy*, Nyghtfang*, oetunianne, Oran Tarlin, Ottoman*, Perilute, pieluver*, poeticjustice8012, Princess Awinita*, PrincetheRipper, Purtywhipper, Queequeg, RainbowMotorcycles, RainWish, Raize*, reap, rebal2, RedPinkCyanOrange, RedShereKhanChick*, Rem?us*, rizzyrat, rockerr69, Ropeburn*, RydeDawg, Ryoko Storm, R?tshreck, Saken*, Saxious*, Script*, Sench, Shaodow*, Shi-chan, shmband, Shpleem*, SilentButterflies, SkullJester*, SkullsandSlippers, SkunkishBlue*, SkyRight*, smrtazz13*, Something?*, Sora112112*, Sorella, StarStruck, Steppin' Razor*, Stilts, SunshinexDeath, Sweet Angel Jocelyn, sweetgal, SylentStand*, T?far?s*, Talisman*, TasteLikeSnozberries, thedawg199370, TheLastPancake, TheRaven&ThePawn, Thorait, Tiko*, Trickster*, Tyliana*, utahann, vampyre_smiles, ViceVersus*, victim130, VitaminHeart, WadeJackel*, wednesdaysun, Wheatley*, Wild1, William Krypt*, Winterwolf, Wolfee*, Wudgeous, XavierDantius32*, Yahoo [Bot], Ylanne, Yolo, Yoru-Senpai*, ZeroTolerance, Zetta, Zodia195, Zombicide93*, Zutechugan

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/zhyF1600k04/viewtopic.php

footloose best iphone 4 case best iphone 4 case sonic youth sonic youth make your mark make your mark

Flying robots build a 20-foot-tall tower

The first installation to be built by flying machines opened its doors to the public Dec. 4. The installation, called "Flight Assembled Architecture", was conceived and built by teams led by Fabio Gramazio & Matthias Kohler as well as Raffaello D'Andrea at ETH Zurich.

By John Roach

Robotic quadrocopters ? that is flying machines with four rotors ? have built a 20-foot-tall tower of polystyrene blocks at a museum in France.

This may come as bad news for unemployed construction workers hoping for a bright future building next-generation skyscrapers, but it's yet another way robots are aiming to re-shape the global workforce.

In this case, an architect still draws up a blueprint for the building, but computers and robots do the rest ? interpreting the blueprint and controlling the crew of robotic copters, for example.?

The first public job for this system was the "Flight Assembled Architecture" exhibit at the FRAC Center Orleans,?billed as the "first installation to be built by flying machines."

The exhibit is the work of ETH Zurich roboticist Rafaello D'Andrea and architects Fabio Gramazio and Matthias Kohler.

Like any construction site, a safe operating environment is essential. To avoid collisions, the robots reserve air space on one of two "freeways" before they fly.?

"The system ensures that while a space is reserved, only the reserved flying vehicle has access ? all other vehicles must wait before flying through the space," the team explains in a media release.

This system also prevents collisions with the tower, since the tower itself is considered reserved airspace.

Each robot has a specially designed gripper to hold and place the bricks. The researchers also figured that quick flights are essential to prevent factors such as air turbulence resulting in a misplaced brick.

Perhaps the speed will also cut down on construction delays, giving the robotic workforce another edge over their human counterparts.

The tower on exhibit is 20 feet tall and made of 1,500 blocks. It's a model of a futuristic 2,000-foot tall "vertical village" that could house 30,000 people ? assuming 30,000 people want to live in a building assembled by robots.

[Via CNET]

More on the robotic workforce of the future:

John Roach is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. To learn more about him, check out his website. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.

Kids' play has moved to tablets and PCs. In this new age, toy makers and researchers alike are sorting out the benefits ? and detriments ? of playful educational interaction in virtual space.

Source: http://futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/05/9225996-flying-robots-build-a-20-foot-tall-tower

turkey map walter isaacson walter isaacson zodiac killer battlefield 3 review battlefield 3 review real housewives of new jersey

Monday, December 5, 2011

Ron Paul ad: Other politicians ???whimpering like little shih tzus??? (Daily Caller)

GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul is back with another hard-hitting TV advertisement, in which he says politicians are ?whimpering like little shih tzus? in their approach to debt reduction.

Paul?s latest 30-second campaign ad, which will air on broadcast and cable television in Iowa and New Hampshire, portrays the Texas congressman?as a budget-cutting, federal-agency-smashing ?big dog,? in contrast to the rest of the GOP field.

?What?s up with these sorry politicians?? says a narrator whose deep voice may be more suited to truck commercials than to political TV spots. ?Lots of bark, but when it comes to showtime, whimpering like little shih tzus.?

The high-energy ad touts Paul?s promise to cut ?a trillion with a ?T?? dollars from the federal budget and eliminate a number of federal agencies.

In the ad, the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Education, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, and Interior are shown going up in smoke.

?Later, bureaucrats!? the ad concludes. ?That?s how Ron Paul rolls.?

The Paul campaign hasn?t hesitated to release attack ads against fellow candidates, most likely because Paul has little to lose. He has announced that this will be his last run for president, and he won?t be running for reelection in the House.

YouTube Preview Image Follow CJ on Twitter

Decision time for EU, with euro's future at stake (Reuters)

PARIS (Reuters) ? The euro faces a decisive week as European Union leaders, urged on anxiously by the United States, seek agreement on a convincing rescue plan that has eluded them for two years.

Despite short-term market optimism about a possible deal to tackle Europe's sovereign debt crisis and underpin the survival of the single currency, the outcome is far from certain as the EU gears up for a summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.

"This week, the stable future of the euro and thus the economic recovery in Europe and employment are at stake," EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn told Reuters. "This calls for a convincing package of measures from the European Council (summit)."

Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho went further.

"We have to find a response" to the crisis, he told the daily Publico. "If we don't, clearly that could represent the end of the European Union."

If all goes according to plans being hatched in Berlin and Paris, the EU will have taken a step towards fiscal union by Friday night, agreeing on a treaty change to anchor coercive budget discipline for the 17-nation currency area.

The European Central Bank will have cut interest rates on Thursday to counter a looming recession and taken new measures to provide longer-term funding for Europe's teetering banks.

And new prime ministers in Italy, Greece and Spain will have demonstrated their commitment to tough austerity measures and structural economic reforms to tackle their debt problems and restore investor confidence.

World financial markets rallied last week on the prospect of such a masterplan after ECB chief Mario Draghi signalled that in response to a new "fiscal compact" in the euro zone, the central bank could act more decisively to fight the crisis.

A convincing show of political determination to stand behind the euro and surmount the crisis through closer euro zone integration could prompt the ECB to do more to support Italian and Spanish bonds, cementing that reversal of market sentiment.

"It all comes down to what the ECB does, and whether political leaders produce a sufficiently convincing plan to give the ECB a basis to intervene," a senior EU government source said, speaking on condition of anonymity to respect the independence of the central bank.

However, if the 27-nation EU is unable to agree, or settles for another half-measure after months of dithering, the flight from euro zone bond markets may accelerate, confidence may ebb further and the crisis could become acute in January, when Italy has to start a massive refinancing campaign.

The chief executives of leading Dutch multinationals published a joint newspaper ad warning it was now "one minute to midnight" for the euro zone.

"There is almost 1,000 billion euros in refinancing that needs to be done next year, while the risk premium on interest rates is increasing strongly. That means that it will be almost impossible for many countries to refinance. That indicates how urgent it is to take measures now," Frans van Houten, CEO of electronics giant Philips told TV programme Buitenhof.

MERKEL PERMISSIVE?

Underlining Washington's vital interest in averting a euro zone meltdown, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will visit Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris, Marseille and Milan from Tuesday -- his fourth trip to Europe since early September -- to urge key European officials to take decisive action.

Sources close to German Chancellor Angela Merkel say she is prepared, despite hostility from the German Bundesbank, to see the ECB step up buying of troubled states' bonds as a short-term bridging measure until stricter budget controls take hold.

But things may not go entirely according to plan.

Merkel visits French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris on Monday to outline joint proposals on economic governance, but Berlin and Paris still have significant differences about how the euro zone would control national budgets.

Merkel wants to empower the executive European Commission to veto national budget plans that breach EU limits before they go to parliament, with automatic sanctions for deficit sinners and the possibility to take serial offenders to the European Court of Justice for punishment.

Sarkozy, struggling to win re-election next May, wants euro zone leaders to have the final say, with no new supranational powers for EU institutions.

Several other governments, notably Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands, do not want treaty change at all because of the domestic political risks. Some fear it would be hard if they have to win public backing in referendums.

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, who chairs the crucial end-of-week summit in Brussels, will present options for stricter budget control without touching the treaty, as well as steps that would require amendments, aides said.

European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek warned last Friday that treaty change could be divisive and "dangerous." But diplomats say it is a political must for Merkel.

Veteran former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, 92, urged Germans on Sunday to soothe growing fears of German dominance in Europe and help rescue debt-stricken euro zone partners, warning that Berlin faced isolation otherwise.

For British Prime Minister David Cameron, the choice is between enraging eurosceptics at home by letting treaty change go ahead without winning a return of key powers to London, or seeing the 17 euro zone states reach a separate agreement outside the treaty that could cement a two-speed Europe.

SHORT-CIRCUIT

Germany and France want to short-circuit the complex treaty amendment procedure by wrapping the new budget procedures into a single amended protocol 14 on the euro zone. They hope to avoid a parliamentary convention and spare most, if not all, countries the need for a referendum on ratification.

That has outraged some lawmakers who say the EU's major powers are sidelining national parliamentary budget sovereignty without any democratic accountability.

In their defence, Paris and Berlin argue the debt crisis is an emergency that requires swift executive action to avert disaster, and that member states already signed up to the budget rules in the 1992 Maastricht Treaty.

New Prime Minister Mario Monti brought forward to Sunday a cabinet meeting to approve rigorous austerity measures and economic reforms designed to save Rome from requiring the next international bailout. And bailed-out Ireland will be presenting an eye-watering 2012 austerity budget.

Italy has become the centre of the debt crisis since yields on its 10-year bonds shot up above 7 percent, levels at which Greece, Ireland and Portugal were forced to seek EU/IMF help.

Government sources say Monti's mix of cuts and tax rises will total some 20 billion euros ($27 billion) over two years. About half will go to reduce the deficit and balance the budget by 2013 despite an economic downturn and rising borrowing costs.

The rest will free up resources to try to regenerate Italy's recession-bound economy.

On Tuesday, the Greek parliament is due to give final approval to a draconian 2012 austerity budget that is a condition for a second bailout package still under negotiation with private creditors, euro zone governments and the IMF.

On Wednesday and Thursday, centre-right leaders who control most EU governments meet in Marseille, France. That will provide the platform for incoming Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to outline his commitment to radical budget cuts and economic reforms to restore Madrid's parlous public finances.

It will also give "Merkozy" -- as the Franco-German leadership team has become known -- a last chance to lobby reticent partners, with Geithner in the wings, to accept treaty change as a crucial part of the long-term plan to secure the euro before the summit starts with a dinner on Thursday evening.

(Additional reporting by Madeline Chambers and Andreas Rinke in Berlin, Catherine Hornby in Rome and Gilbert Kreijger in the Netherlands; Writing by Paul Taylor, Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111204/bs_nm/us_eurozone

we bought a zoo iron bowl iron bowl bo jackson bo jackson ibogaine michigan football