Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Syrian troops push back in fight on Damascus edges (AP)

BEIRUT ? Syrian forces pushed dissident troops back from the edge of Damascus in heavy fighting Monday, escalating efforts to take back control of the capital's eastern doorstep ahead of key U.N. talks over a draft resolution demanding that President Bashar Assad step aside.

Gunfire and the boom of shelling rang out in several suburbs on Damascus' outskirts that have come under the domination of anti-regime fighters. Gunmen ? apparently army defectors ? were shown firing back in amateur videos posted online by activists. In one video, a government tank on the snow-dusted mountain plateau towering over the capital fired at one of the suburbs below.

As the bloodshed increased, with activists reporting more than 40 civilians killed Monday, Western and Arab countries stepped up pressure on Assad's ally Russia to overcome its opposition to the resolution.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the British and French foreign ministers were heading to New York to push for backing of the measure during talks Tuesday at the United Nations.

"The status quo is unsustainable," Clinton said, saying the Assad regime was preventing a peaceful transition and warning that the resulting instability could "spill over throughout the region."

The draft resolution demands that Assad halt the crackdown and implement an Arab peace plan that calls for him to hand over power to his vice president and allow creation of a unity government to pave the way for elections.

If Assad fails to comply within 15 days, the council would consider "further measures," a reference to a possible move to impose economic or other sanctions.

British Prime Minister David Cameron called the situation in Syria "appalling" and appealed Monday to Russia to back the U.N. Security Council resolution.

"It is time for all the members of U.N. Security Council to live up to their responsibilities instead of shielding those who have blood on their hands," Cameron said.

Moscow, which in October vetoed the first council attempt to condemn Syria's crackdown, has shown little sign of budging in its opposition. It warns that the new measure could open the door to eventual military intervention, the way an Arab-backed U.N. resolution led to NATO airstrikes in Libya.

A French official said the draft U.N. resolution has a "comfortable majority" of support from 10 of the Security Council's 15 members, meaning Russia or China would have to use its veto power to stop it. The official said Russia had agreed to negotiate on the draft, but it was not yet clear if it would be willing to back it if changes were made.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with department rules.

The Kremlin said Monday it was trying to put together negotiations in Moscow between Damascus and the opposition. It said Assad's government has agreed to participate; the opposition has in the past rejected any negotiations unless violence stops.

Western countries cited the past week's escalation in fighting to pressure Moscow.

"Russia can no longer explain blocking the U.N. and providing cover for the regime's brutal repression," a spokeswoman for British Prime Minister David Cameron said, on customary condition of anonymity in line with policy.

The United Nations estimated several weeks ago that more than 5,400 people have been killed in Syria's crackdown on the uprising against Assad's rule, which began in March. It has been unable to update the figure, and more than 200 people have been killed in the past five days alone, according to activists' reports.

Pro-Assad forces have fought for three days to take back a string of suburbs on the eastern approach to Damascus, mostly poorer, Sunni-majority communities. In past weeks, army defectors ? masked men in military attire wielding assault rifles ? set up checkpoints in the communities, defending protesters and virtually seizing control.

Late Sunday, government troops retook two of the districts closest to Damascus, Ein Tarma and Kfar Batna, said Rami Abdul-Rahman, the London-based head of the Syrian Human Rights Observatory, which tracks violence through contacts on the ground.

On Monday, the regime forces were trying to retake the next suburbs out, pounding neighborhoods with shelling and heavy machine guns in the districts of Saqba, Arbeen and Hamouriya, he said.

At least five civilians were killed in the fighting near Damascus, according to the Observatory and another activist group, the Local Coordination Committees.

Regime forces also heavily shelled buildings and battled dissidents in the central city of Homs, one of the main hot spots of the uprising, activists said.

The Observatory reported 28 killed in the city Monday. The Local Coordination Committees put the number at 27.

The reports could not be independently confirmed. Syrian authorities keep tight control on the media and have banned many foreign journalists from entering the country.

The Syrian Interior Ministry, in charge of security forces, said Monday that its three-day operation in the suburbs aimed to track down "terrorist groups" that have "committed atrocities" and vowed to continue until they were wiped out. Damascus had remained relatively quiet while most other Syrian cities have slipped into chaos since the uprising began.

Regime forces, backed by tanks and armored vehicles, heavily outgun and outnumber the defectors, organized into a force known as the Free Syrian Army. However, the military can't cover everywhere at once, and when it puts down the dissidents in one location, they arise in another. The dissidents' true numbers are unknown.

The result has been a dramatic militarization of a crisis that began with peaceful protests demanding the ouster of the Assad family and its regime. The army defectors began by protecting protesters, but over the weeks they have gone more on the offensive.

The dissidents have seemed increasingly confident in hit-and-run attacks.

On Monday, they freed five imprisoned comrades in an assault on a military base in the northeastern province of Idlib, the Observatory and Local Coordination Committees reported. Other defectors attacked a large military checkpoint outside Hama, destroying several transport trucks and claiming to kill a number of troops, the two groups said.

Six government soldiers were killed in an ambush on their vehicles in the southern region of Daraa, the state news agency SANA reported. The Observatory reported two other soldiers and 10 defectors killed in fighting elsewhere.

Attackers also blew up a gas pipeline near the border with Lebanon, SANA reported, the latest in numerous attacks on Syria's oil and gas infrastructure.

Because of the upsurge in violence, the Arab League halted a month-old observer mission, which had already come under heavy criticism for failing to stop the crackdown. The League turned to the U.N. Security Council to throw its weight behind its peace plan, which Damascus has rejected.

The move resembles the turn of events before last year's NATO air campaign in Libya, when Western countries waited for Arab League support before winning U.N. cover for intervention.

But so far, there has been little appetite for a similar campaign in Syria. There is no clear-cut geographical divide between the regime and its opponents as there was in Libya, and the opposition is even more divided and unknown than it was in the North African nation. Syria is intertwined in alliances with Iran, Hezbollah and Palestinian militant groups, and borders Israel ? making the fallout from military action more unpredictable.

___

AP correspondents Bradley Klapper in Washington and Jamey Keaten in Paris contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/terrorism/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_syria

eric johnson russell pearce russell pearce emergency alert system 21 jump street 19 kids and counting 2011 election results

Stock futures rise on Greek debt hopes

In this Jan. 30, 2012 photo, specialists Mark Otto, left, and Christopher Malloy work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Markets clawed back lost ground Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, on hopes that Greece is heading toward a conclusion of debt-reduction talks with private creditors and that it may secure its second bailout package this week. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

In this Jan. 30, 2012 photo, specialists Mark Otto, left, and Christopher Malloy work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Markets clawed back lost ground Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, on hopes that Greece is heading toward a conclusion of debt-reduction talks with private creditors and that it may secure its second bailout package this week. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

(AP) ? Markets clawed back lost ground Tuesday on hopes that Greece is heading toward a conclusion of debt-reduction talks with private creditors and that it may soon secure its second bailout package.

Dow Jones industrial futures are up 55 points to 12,655. The broader S&P 500 futures are up 6 points to 1,315. The Nasdaq composite picked up 10 points to 2,472.

Late Monday, after a large majority of countries in the European Union agreed to sign a new treaty designed to stop overspending in the eurozone, Greece's prime minister indicated that progress was being made in his country's debt negotiations.

The U.S. futures followed gains in European and Asian markets.

Oil prices tracked stocks higher. Benchmark oil for March delivery was up 98 cents to $99.76 per barrel.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-31-Wall%20Street/id-e3750d113e944615837a0294214a2020

miss universe 2011 contestants hells angels hells angels las vegas weather whole foods whole foods blood pressure

Monday, January 30, 2012

Obama as Much for Big Business as Republicans (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | Ener1 is the third "clean energy" company to file for bankruptcy after receiving stimulus money from President Barack Obama, according to Fox News. As a political scientist, I have always found it odd when people accuse Republicans for being the party for big business. President Obama and the Democrats are just as much for big business as Republicans. They just support different types of corporations.

The "clean energy" companies are a perfect example when you look at how President Obama tossed money at companies like Solyndra, EnerDel (part of Ener1) and Beacon Power. All three went bankrupt after blowing through taxpayer money. If Republicans gave handouts and loans like this to oil companies, the media would rip them apart.

Over the years, the Democrats have been successful in painting perceived reality in which many people believe Republicans only have the interests of big business in mind. Money and support given by the unions (which are a big business themselves) add to this perceived reality. President Obama constantly presses support for "clean energy" to divert more money to the type of corporations the Democrats have become the lapdogs of. This also pulls attention and money away from supporting the oil industry which supports the Republicans.

Since President Bill Clinton began actively supporting environmentalist companies, the market has exploded. Global warming, recycling, ozone holes and "clean energy" have led to a multibillion-dollar industry. Occasionally, requests for padded numbers or padded numbers of environmental studies have leaked in the media such as the accusations of ECSI or the hacked global warming emails. These reports are rarely covered by the mainstream media but still exist.

When President Obama makes statements about how he is for the people and is trying to fight the big corporations of the Republicans, think about the corporations which he supports. Think about how he supports an industry that is based on the fear of environmental backlash. Note how the scientists who support their theories of "clean energy" have to pad their numbers to look more important so they can get more of your money.

President Obama and the Democrats have pressed us on the need for "clean energy." This corporation has padded numbers and given their execs large bonuses with our money. Both parties are backed by large corporations. Don't give into the lie that one party is not.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120128/pl_ac/10896619_obama_as_much_for_big_business_as_republicans

osama bin laden dead picture sept 11 never forget flight 93 shot down remembering 9/11 nfl picks 911 conspiracy

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Toshiba announces color e-reader in Japan, hopes people buy more e-books from its store

Toshiba announces color e-reader in Japan, hopes people buy more e-books from its store
If you're gonna be late to a party, you should at least be fashionably late. That's the mindset behind Toshiba's entry into the dedicated e-reader space with its new 7-inch BookPlace DB50. Toshiba hopes adding an e-reader alongside its existing AT200 and Thrive tablets will push more eyeballs towards the 100,000 or so titles in its BookPlace online bookstore. The ¥22,000 ($284) BookPlace DB50 sports a TFT-LCD screen with an LED backlight, a 1GHz Freescale i.MX535 processor, 8GB of internal flash memory and a microSD slot. The device also measures 120mm wide, 190mm tall, 11mm thick and weighs 330 grams (11.6 ounces), with battery life rated at up to 7.5 hours. Toshiba did not mention the operating system in its release though the hubbub in the Interwebs is that it will use customized versions of Linux and Android Gingerbread. The Japanese debut is pegged for February 10th and the company is apparently considering a release outside the country, too.

Toshiba announces color e-reader in Japan, hopes people buy more e-books from its store originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PCWorld, TechCrunch  |  sourceToshiba (Japan)  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/zK6zPLejDoc/

kathy griffin weather channel road conditions newt gingrich wives weather gina carano al green

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Behind Obama's financial aid 'shopping sheets' (AP)

NEW YORK ? President Barack Obama wants to make it easier to size up the cost of college.

As part of his broad plans to make college more affordable, Obama said Friday that he would push for financial aid "shopping sheets" that make it easier for families to comparison shop between schools.

Federal education officials say the goal is make adoption of the form mandatory for schools to maintain access to federal aid. That would be a powerful incentive, as the federal government issued more than $140 billion in grants and loans last year.

As it stands, officials say the financial aid award letters that schools mail out to students in the spring can be unclear or even misleading. That can result in students signing up for more debt than they realize.

For example, schools usually state an "out of pocket" cost in award letters after subtracting aid such as grants and scholarships. But some schools also subtract loans from the out-of-pocket cost. That's despite the fact that loans actually push up costs because of interest charges.

Schools also may not spell out the type of loans that's included in the aid package, even though the terms on federal and private loans can differ significantly.

To address the issue, the Department of Education and the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rolled out a model financial aid form in October and asked for the public's comments on how it could be improved. On Friday, the CFPB said feedback indicated the most important figure for students is the amount of debt they would have upon graduation.

The Department of Education was required to develop the model form as part of federal education reforms in 2008. The adoption of such a form has also been widely supported by student advocates.

The push to standardize financial aid award letters comes at a time when students are graduating with more debt than ever before. The Institute for College Access & Success estimates that two-thirds of graduates have student loans, with an average debt of about $24,000.

___

Follow Candice Choi at http://www.twitter.com/candicechoi

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_bi_ge/us_comparing_college_costs

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

Philippines studying U.S. offer to deploy spy planes (Reuters)

MANILA (Reuters) ? The Philippines is considering a U.S. proposal to deploy surveillance aircraft on a temporary, rotating basis to enhance its ability to guard disputed areas in the South China Sea, the Philippine defense minister said on Friday.

Ongoing talks in Washington on security ties between the two allies include plans to deploy more littoral combat ships and spy aircraft, said Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.

An expanded U.S. military presence in the region should raise the Philippines' capability to deter border intrusions, he said.

"I would rather look at it from the positive point of view that there would be stability in the region, that we would have enough deterrent," Gazmin told reporters.

"Without a deterrent force, we can be easily pushed around, our territories will be violated. Now that we have a good neighbor on the block, we can no longer be bullied," he said, referring to the United States.

U.S. and Philippine officials are discussing the expansion of military cooperation as the Philippines grapples with the growing assertiveness of China.

The talks with the Philippines, a U.S. ally which voted to remove huge American naval and air bases 20 years ago, follow Washington's announcement of plans to set up a Marine base in northern Australia and possibly station warships in Singapore.

The Obama administration describes the moves as part of a "pivot" toward economically dynamic Asia designed to reassure allies who felt neglected during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

But China sees the deployments as part of a broader U.S. attempt to encircle it as it grows into a major power.

The South China Sea could be a flash point.

China claims the entire sea, while the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan all have claims to parts of the area believed to have rich deposits of oil and gas.

PROTEST

Gazmin confirmed a U.S. offer to deploy surveillance aircraft in the Philippines but he said there was no plan for any new U.S. bases. The Philippines has a constitutional ban on foreign military bases on its soil.

Gazmin said there would be more exercises with U.S. forces and a rotating presence through port visits for exercises, repairs and resupply.

Since 2002, about 600 U.S. commandos have been stationed in the south of the Philippines to help train and advise Philippine

troops in fighting a small Islamist militant group with ties to al Qaeda.

A Philippine military source told Reuters the head of the U.S. Pacific Command had proposed last August the deployment of P-3C Orion surveillance aircraft.

More talks are due in Washington in March.

Left-wing Philippine groups are planning to hold protests outside the U.S. embassy in Manila on Saturday to denounce what they describe as the "treacherous" negotiations with the United States.

"They say that they will not bring back the U.S. bases but the proposal aims for virtual basing just the same," Renato Reyes, secretary-general of left-wing Bayan (Nation) group, said in a statement.

The Philippines hosted major U.S. military facilities with tens of thousands of airmen and sailors for nearly a century until 1992 when U.S. forces pulled out after a vote in the Philippine Senate to terminate the bases treaty.

In 1998, the Philippines and the United States signed a Visiting Forces Agreement that allows U.S. troops to visit for exercises and rest and recreation.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda also said the talks would not include the creation of any new U.S. bases.

(Editing by Rosemarie Francisco and Robert Birsel)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120127/wl_nm/us_philippines_usa

new orleans jazz fest dwight howard louis ck michelle duggar heisman cp3 lakers news

Friday, January 27, 2012

Video: Obama's Economic Approval Rating Rising?

Vin Weber, Clark & Weinstock; Meghan McCain, Daily Beast; and Matt K. Lewis, Daily Caller, discussing the President's economic approval rating, and whether his State of the Union address, gained him some points.

Related Links:

Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com

Top of page

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46140321/

solar storm terrell owens terrell owens aapl mitt romney tax return elizabeth smart flip saunders

Judge: BP contract shielded Transocean in spill (AP)

NEW ORLEANS ? The rig owner involved in drilling the ill-fated well that blew out in the Gulf of Mexico and spewed more than 200 million gallons of oil will not have to pay many of the pollution claims because it was shielded in a contract with well-owner BP, a federal judge ruled on Thursday. The ruling comes as BP, the states affected by the disaster and the federal government are discussing a settlement over the nation's largest offshore oil spill.

The decision may have spared Transocean from having to pay potentially billions of dollars in damage claims. However, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said the driller still is not exempt from paying punitive damages and civil penalties that arise from the April 20, 2010, blowout 100 miles off the Louisiana coast. Those penalties could amount to billions of dollars.

Law experts were split over who is a clear-cut winner.

BP has been pursuing agreements with multiple parties to reach settlements that would make an upcoming trial involving hundreds of spill lawsuits in New Orleans unnecessary, or at least resolve as many of the issues as possible.

The Justice Department also is involved, working with the states to create an outline for a settlement that would resolve their potentially multibillion dollar claims against BP and the other companies involved in the disaster, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange told The Associated Press.

Justice led a meeting last week in Washington among the states in an effort to formulate an agreement that would satisfy government and state claims, including penalties and fines, Strange said. He also indicated if there is a settlement that officials are discussing what to do with the $20 billion fund set up by BP to pay victims.

The lead attorneys for individuals and businesses suing BP were not at the meeting.

According to Strange, a federal magistrate judge has been asked to expedite settlement discussions. The Louisiana attorney general's office said in a statement to the AP that it is in settlement discussions with BP, which would not comment on any deals in the works. A first phase of the trial is set for Feb. 27 to determine liability for the spill.

"The closer you get to a trial date, the more pressure builds to reach a settlement," Strange said.

Despite the decision, BP claimed victory and said Barbier's ruling "at a minimum" left Transocean facing "punitive damages, fines and penalties flowing from its own conduct."

Transocean spokesman Lou Colasuonno said in an emailed statement that the company was pleased to see its position affirmed.

"This confirms that BP is responsible for all economic damages caused by the oil that leaked from its Macondo well, and discredits BP's ongoing attempts to evade both its contractual and financial obligations," he said.

Blaine LeCesne, an associate professor at Loyola University law school, however, said Barbier's ruling was a "major victory" for Transocean.

"If anything is going to compel the parties toward settlement, it's going to be this," he said. "I think BP is in a very bad position now, and they don't have a lot of leverage."

A University of Michigan Law School professor who served as chief of the Justice Department's environmental crimes section said the ruling had no clear-cut winner. David Uhlmann said it prevents BP from collecting billions of dollars from Transocean to help cover cleanup costs and pay for claims over economic losses and environmental damage from the spill. But the decision leaves Transocean facing potentially billions of dollars in civil and criminal penalties under the Clean Water Act, he added.

"It's a partial win for each side and a partial loss for each side," Uhlmann said.

BP PLC, Transocean Ltd. and Halliburton Co. have been sparring over who was at fault for causing the blowout. The out-of-control well was capped in July, 2010. Federal investigators have said that BP bears ultimate responsibility for the spill, but has faulted all three companies to some degree.

Under a drilling contract, BP and Transocean agreed to indemnify each other in the case of an accident, with BP taking responsibility for pollution originating from the well and Transocean for any pollution or accidents aboard the rig.

However, in court BP argued that the contract did not shield Transocean if the drilling company acted in manner that was grossly negligent.

Barbier said the contract was a "clear and unequivocal agreement" to provide "broad indemnity."

"As we have said from the beginning, Transocean cannot avoid its responsibility for this accident," BP said.

The British oil giant said it had "stepped up" and admitted its role in the spill and paid billions of dollars in claims.

BP also is eager to resolve its disputes with its partners on the doomed rig. The companies have sued and countersued each other for billions of dollars to protect themselves when it comes to paying damages to victims and penalties to the government.

Months ago, BP offered to resolve its dispute with Transocean if Transocean paid BP roughly $4.5 billion, according to a person briefed on the discussions who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the talks are confidential. Transocean rejected the offer, and there have been no substantive discussions between the companies about figures since then, the person said, adding that Thursday's ruling could spur further talks.

Eric Schaeffer, who led the Environmental Protection Agency's civil enforcement office from 1997 to 2002, said Thursday's ruling will put even more pressure on BP.

"If BP is less able to shift some of those costs to Transocean, if they understand they are going to bear Transocean's share of compensatory damages, I'd want to get it settled," Schaeffer said. "That's no longer a wild card."

___

Associated Press writer Michael Kunzelman contributed to this report. Weber reported from Atlanta.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_re_us/us_gulf_oil_spill_litigation

kim delaney dead sea scrolls new jersey nets all my children online all my children online sly and the family stone sly stone

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Solar storm brings fireworks, but few problems

A storm from the broiling sun turned the chilly northernmost skies of Earth into an ever-changing and awe-provoking art show of northern lights on Tuesday night.

Even experienced stargazers were stunned by the intensity of the aurora borealis that swept across the night sky in northern Scandinavia after the biggest solar flare in six years.

"It has been absolutely incredible," British astronomer John Mason cried from the deck of the MS Midnatsol, a cruise ship plying the fjord-fringed coast of northern Norway.

"I saw my first aurora 40 years ago, and this is one of the best," Mason told The Associated Press, his voice nearly drowning in the cheers of awe-struck fellow passengers.

U.S. space weather experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday evening that so far they had heard of no problems from the storm that triggered the auroras, which made it as far south as Wales, where the weather often doesn't cooperate with good viewing.

It was part of the strongest solar storm in years, but the sun is likely to get even more active in the next few months and years, said physicist Doug Biesecker at the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colo.

"To me this was a wake up call. The sun is reminding us that solar max is approaching," Biesecker said. "A lot worse is in store for us. We hope that you guys are paying attention. I would say we passed with flying colors."

Those who got to see Tuesday night's colorful display marveled at the brilliance.

"It was the biggest northern lights I've seen in the five, six years that I've worked here," said Andreas Hermansson, a tour guide at the Ice Hotel in the Swedish town of Jukkasjarvi, above the Arctic Circle.

He was leading a group of tourists on a bus tour in the area when a green glow that had lingered in the sky for much of the evening virtually exploded into a spectacle of colors around 10:15 p.m. local time

"We stopped the bus. And suddenly it was just this gigantic display of dancing lights and Technicolor," said Michele Cahill, an Irish psychologist who was on the tour. "It was an absolutely awesome display. It went on for over an hour. Literally one would have to lie on the ground to capture it all."

But in temperatures of 30 below zero Fahrenheit (-35 degrees Celsius), that didn't seem like a good idea.

How auroras arise
An aurora appears when a magnetic solar wind slams into the Earth's magnetic field, exciting electrons of oxygen and nitrogen.

  1. More space news from msnbc.com

    1. Space station sees the southern lights

      We've been talking a lot about the northern lights lately, but here's a must-see view of the southern lights, as captured by the crew of the International Space Station on Jan. 3.

    2. Solar storm brings fireworks, but few problems
    3. 8 years later, Opportunity still roving on Mars
    4. GOP debate spotlights commercial spaceflight

The northern lights are sometimes seen from northern Scotland, but they were also visible Monday night from northeast England and Ireland, where such sightings are a rarity.

"The lights appear as green and red mist. It's been mostly green the past few nights. I don't know if that's just special for Ireland," said Gerard O'Kane, a 41-year-old taxi driver and vice chairman of the Buncrana Camera Club in County Donegal in Ireland's northwest corner.

He and at least two dozen amateur photographers were meeting after dark at a local beach for an all-night stakeout. They've been shooting the horizon from dozens of locations since Friday night.

Scientists have been expecting solar eruptions to become more intense as the sun enters a more active phase of its 11-year cycle, with an expected peak in 2013.

But in recent years the sun appeared quieter than normal, leading scientists to speculate that it was going into an unusually quiet cycle that seems to happen once a century or so.

Effects on Earth
The electromagnetic burst associated with the start of this week's storm occurred at about 11 p.m. ET Sunday, reaching medlum levels. Then, on Monday and Tuesday, the proton radiation from the eruption hit strong levels, the most powerful since October 2003. That mostly affects astronauts and satellites, but NASA said the crew on the International Space Station was not harmed, and Biesecker said only a few minor problems with satellites were reported.

Some airplane flights over the North Pole were rerouted because of expected communication problems from the radiation.

Geomagnetic storms cause awesome sights, but they can also bring trouble. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, problems can include current surges in power lines, and interference in the broadcast of radio, TV and telephone signals. No such problems were reported Tuesday.

A few more days of fireworks
Peter Richardson, a 49-year-old bar manager and part-time poet at the 17th-century Tan Hill Inn in northern England, said the pub ? normally dead on a Monday night in January ? was thronged until the wee hours of the morning with people who came to look at the lights.

"I just thought: 'Oh my God, this is just absolutely amazing,'" he said. "You do get a lot of spectacular skylines out here, but that was just something out of the ordinary. Very different."

Ken Kennedy, director of the Aurora section of the British Astronomical Association, said the northern lights may be visible for a few more days.

The Canadian Space Agency posted a geomagnetic storm warning Tuesday after residents were also treated to a spectacular show in the night sky. John Manuel, a scientist with the Canadian Space Agency, said there was an increased chance of seeing northern lights over northern Canada.

"It's not likely people in the major Canadian cities further south will see a significant aurora tonight," he said Tuesday. "There's always a possibility but the current forecast is for a good show for people who live further north. It should be a particularly good night tonight."

More about solar storms:

AP Science Writer Borenstein reported from Washington. AP writers Louise Nordstrom in Stockholm, Shawn Pogatchnik in Dublin, Raphael Satter in London and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.

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

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46124525/ns/technology_and_science-science/

bigfoot tony romo twilight zone sandra dee nfl draft 2012 december 21 2012 mayan calendar

Lots of $50 million dollar men in 2011

By msnbc.com staff

A slew of?corporate captains have joined?one of the most exclusive?clubs in corporate America: Call them the?$50 million men.

A combination of bonuses, retention packages and?other perks pushed several?CEOs above the $50 million mark for compensation in 2011, according to an analysis?of Securities and Exchange filings published by USA Today Tuesday.

The newspaper said that among those CEOs?in the club are:

  • Disney Corp CEO Robert Iger, with compensation valued at more than $52 million
  • Apple's Tim Cook, who got $378 million, which includes $376 million in restricted stock he got after replacing Steve Jobs
  • Tyco International's Ed Breen - $68.9 million
  • J.C. Penney's Ron Johnson -?$51.5 million
  • Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs - $50.6 million

The salaries?may irk many in the U.S. who are already angry about rising corporate compensation while the unemployment rate remains stuck above 8 percent and wages for most workers are stagnant.

University of Toronto business school dean Roger Martin, author of "Fixing the Game: Bubbles, Crashes, and What Capitalism Can Learn from the NFL," told USA Today:?"Corporate boards are tone deaf to the times, as are CEOs who justify this much compensation."

??

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/24/10224179-lots-of-50-million-dollar-men-in-2011

florida state football ben breedlove kid cudi ben breedlove matt barnes jim jones hcm loretta lynn

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

How to live with the Facebook Timeline

By Rosa Golijan

Facebook

You can pout and you can shout, but there's no avoiding it: You'll soon be forced to use a new profile page design?? better known as the Timeline???on Facebook. It'll be alright though,?because I'm here to (virtually) hold your hand through this big life change.

Woah! Wait! What is this Timeline thing?
Odds are that you've already?heard about?the Facebook Timeline, but let's have a quick review for the sake of those who might've been on a really long vacation or have a (dangerous) tendency to tune out Facebook-related news.

The Facebook Timeline is a new approach to the profile page. According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, it's a way to better present "the story of your life."

When someone looks at your Timeline, he or she will be able to see summaries of the most important events in your personal history ? instead of having to scroll through years of silly status updates. You're able to feature (or hide)?"Stories" ? life?events, images, and other details ??in order to create what you feel is the best representation of your life.

Since your personal history no longer starts with the day you joined Facebook, but the date of your actual birth, you are encouraged to go back and add events which weren't previously on Facebook. Please choose what you enter with absolute care, and bear in mind that what you enter (ahem, place of birth, mother's maiden name) could be used for nefarious purposes.

While a lifelong timeline may seem convenient and logical, our own privacy-minded Helen Popkin said this may be "the ultimate Trojan horse,"?a way for Facebook to squeeze even more personal information out of you by posing as an unrequested but alluring feature.

Oh, and you can also?augment your Timeline by using apps which track books you've read, movies you've watched, music you've listened to, and so on. (Yeah, this can get a bit creepy?? so you'll probably want to fiddle with your privacy settings. More on that later.)

I don't really want this! How do I avoid it?
As I said when we started our journey down the Timeline rabbit hole: You can pout and shout as much as you want, but there's no avoiding Timeline.

As?Paul McDonald, an engineering manager on the Timeline team, explained recently:

Over the next few weeks, everyone will get timeline. When you get timeline, you'll have 7 days to preview what's there now. This gives you a chance to add or hide whatever you want before anyone else sees it. ...?

?You can also choose to publish your timeline at any time during the review period. If you decide to wait, your timeline will go live automatically after seven days. Your new timeline will replace your profile, but all your stories and photos will still be there.

A warning whistle, a seven-day head start, and ... that's it, that's all you're getting. If anyone is trying to convince you that there's a loophole or a way to outsmart Facebook on this particular issue, odds are that he or she is trying to scam you.

Facebook

Fine. I'll live with this somehow, but can I at least hold on to my privacy?
As Lifehacker's Whitson Gordon points out, the?"one big downside to the Timeline layout is that you can easily see every post you've ever made or received on Facebook. All anyone needs to do is go to a certain year on your profile and click the "All Posts" button."

Yes, that particular downside could lead to quite a bit of embarrassing moments, awkward confrontations, and so on.

Thankfully there are two ways to minimize humiliation. Neither of them is particularly perfect, but they help a bit.

Facebook

As tedious as it is, you could go through your Timeline and hide (or delete) individual posts. All you have to do is click the little pencil icon on a post and you'll be presented with the different options.

Of course, this process could take forever and a day if you're a particularly active Facebook user. (I told you it wasn't perfect.)

Facebook

The other action you can take to prevent some embarrassment involves the posts which are visible to the general public or friends of friends. You can change the privacy setting for all of those posts to "friends only" with just one click.?

Live Poll

Are you properly prepared for the arrival of the Timeline?

  • 174337

    Wait. What? This is actually happening?

    0%

  • 174338

    I've been ready for this since it was first announced. Wake me up when there's real news.

    0%

  • 174339

    I ... I think so. I am, right? Did I forget about something?

    0%

  • 174340

    Ready? I was born ready (and made myself some custom Timeline cover images later on).

    0%

VoteTotal Votes: 0

You just have to head to the "Privacy Settings" menu, select the "Manage Past Post Visibility" button next to "Limit the Audience for Past Posts." You'll see a little popup which will confirm that you really want to limit the visibility of your old posts and you're done.

But, as?Gordon notes, this particular move "won't hide those posts from your friends, but it will at least keep everyone else on Facebook from being able to browse every post you've ever made public."

Unfortunately that's about all you can do to shelter what little bit or privacy you have left when you're forced to switch over to the Timeline layout. You can?? and should?? be vigilant about what you post in the first place and what sort of state your general privacy settings are in though, of course. (For more details on that, I recommend checking out Lifehacker's "always up-to-date guide to managing your Facebook privacy.")

Facebook

New York Times columnist Nick Bilton gets creative with his Timeline cover image.

Can I at least make this thing look pretty?
One of the first things you'll notice about the Timeline is that it puts a gigantic photo front and center. This is called the "cover" photo and you're prompted to select one as soon as your profile is converted to this new design. (You can change the cover image as often as you want.)

You can use (or abuse) this feature to make your little corner of the social network look as unique as a snowflake.

Your decorating options include ready-made images ??such as the geeky or intense illustrations arist Sam Spratt made available on BuzzFeed?? or your own creations.

Facebook

Buzzfeed's Director of Creative Services Tanner Ringerud shows how a profile photo can interact with a cover image on Facebook.

If you're really itching to have a one-of-a-kind image, then the best thing to do is is to brainstorm until you find a way to make the large cover image interact with your profile photo. The only tricky part ? aside from actually coming up with a clever idea ? is that you need to keep the proportions of the images in mind to make sure that everything looks perfect.

So make note that the large cover image is 851 x 315 pixels and that the smaller profile photo is 125 x 125 pixels.

That's really all there is to it?
Yes, that's all you really need to know about the Facebook Timeline??? what it is, why you can't avoid it, how to keep it from embarrassing you, and how to make it look pretty.

Not so bad after all, right?

Now go on and pass this handy-dandy guide on to your confused friends and family members so that you can enjoy your last seven Timeline-free days in peace.

Related stories:

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

Source: http://digitallife.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/25/10232841-facebook-timeline-what-you-need-to-know

mississippi personhood issue 2 ohio issue 2 ohio election results 2011 election results 2011 board of elections board of elections

RIM's CEOs Finally Step Down [Rim]

RIM's co-CEOs, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie aka the keyboard loving odd couple, are finally realizing they're running BlackBerry into the ground and jumping ship before it's too late. That is, Lazaridis and Balsillie are out at RIM. Done. Gone. Bye bye. The new CEO is former COO Thorsten Heins. He has quite the job ahead of him. [The Globe and Mail More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/F7EaRO3lRJc/rims-ceos-finally-step-down

bedlam cotto vs margarito 2 cotto vs margarito cotto vs margarito miguel cotto cotto ncaa bowl games

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Lita Smith-Mines: Begging to Borrow

The closing location appeared as empty as if the bomb squad had just evacuated the building. What else could explain the choice of parking outside and the absence of people inside?

Usually, stepping into the waiting room at this attorney's office felt like wiggling into too-small jeans. You might get in, but you couldn't get comfortable as you jammed in amidst buyers, sellers, and home equity borrowers all involuntarily breathing each other's anxiety-tinged air, waiting to get their hands on mounds of mortgage money.

When I arrived recently, representing a client selling her home, I didn't need the 10 minutes I allotted to find a parking spot. I didn't have to clear my throat to gain the attention of the perennially disinterested receptionist who'd carelessly flick a hand towards the huddled mortgage masses as she semi-sneered, "We're running a bit behind... you'll have to wait your turn."

The imposing reception desk was empty, so I breezed into the nearest conference room. Surprisingly, the paperwork was prepared and waiting, as was the paralegal conducting the closing. I expressed delight at the express entrance; he set me straight on why there was no longer a lobby logjam.

"We don't have anywhere near the amount of closings we used to," said Mr. Paralegal. "You're the only one today."

He confirmed that the receptionist was history, terminated along with the swarm of secretaries and the colony of closers. I expressed empathy, noting how my real estate transactions had dwindled, too. Obviously lonely and apparently angry, Mr. P. emphatically let me know where he placed the blame for the real estate market's present predicament.

"It's the freakin' banks who are screwing us all up," he seethed. " They don't want to lend. They just won't make deals. They won't give out money!"

Uncomfortably, I looked out the window, but there was still no sign of the others. I warily told Mr. P. that I could certainly relate, as many of my clients' deals fell apart because of lender apathy.

"You can bet they're not suffering," he shouted. "We hear about this lawyer and that real estate agent sending [sorry, can't share the lender] deals and requesting that we get the closing. But do we get the business? No! They don't give us any closings because they won't lend a freakin' dime! They don't care if I can't make my car payments!"

My client arrived, and the tense t?te-?-t?te terminated. However, when the other attorney arrived, remarking on how quiet the place seemed, Mr. P.'s floodgates bubbled over.

"We can't fix our problems until the banks let the money flow. My boss keeps calling everyone he knows, begging them to let the money flow, but they don't give a damn."

Heads were nodding all around as I reflected on the underlying irony. This place never hesitated to treat mortgage borrowers like beggars when money gushed, but resented it once the banks dammed up the stream.

?

Follow Lita Smith-Mines on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@LitaTweets

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lita-smithmines/banks-lending_b_1222302.html

joe frazier dead joe frazier dead topamax lexapro trazodone voting sharon bialek

Monday, January 23, 2012

Study finds tablet, e-book ownership soared (AP)

SAN FRANCISCO ? Tablets and e-readers were a popular gift over the holidays, so much so that the number of people who own them nearly doubled between mid-December and January, a new study finds.

A report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project set to be released Monday found that 29 percent of Americans owned at least one tablet or e-reader as of the beginning of this month. That's up from 18 percent who said the same in December.

The iPad from Apple Inc. is perhaps the best-known example of these gadgets, along with Amazon.com's various Kindle devices and the Nook from Barnes and Noble. The iPad put tablets on the map and the cheaper Kindle Fire and Nook devices helped get them in the hands of more people.

The percentage of people who own a tablet jumped to 19 from 10 between mid-December and early January. E-book reader ownership also rose to 19 percent from 10 percent of U.S. adults.

Men and women were equally likely to own tablets, and the likelihood of tablet ownership was higher for people with higher household incomes, the report found. Those with higher levels of education were also more likely to own tablets than those who completed fewer years of school.

E-readers, meanwhile, were slightly more common among women.

The figures are from ongoing surveys conducted by Pew about tablet and e-reader ownership. They were conducted between November 2011 and January 2012. The first, pre-holiday survey was conducted among 2,986 Americans 16 and older. Two post-holiday surveys were conducted among about 2,000 adults in January.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_pew_tablets

bill maher denver nuggets stephen colbert palmetto rob lowe sturgis sturgis

Analysis: Rivals to "The Artist" are down to their last shot (Reuters)

PARK CITY, Utah, Jan 22 (TheWrap.com) ? One more chance.

That's all that remains for the films hoping to throw a roadblock in the way of the inexorable march to the Oscar stage by "The Artist."

When Michel Hazanavicius' black-and-white silent film won the top award from the Producers Guild on Saturday night, it silenced the last nagging notion that the charming film might be too slight to win Oscar's Best Picture award.

Now that the producers have voted it the year's best, on ballots that were tallied using the same system that the Academy uses, it's all but inevitable that Oscar voters will do the same.

The only obstacle that remains is next Saturday's Directors Guild of America Awards, where Hazanavicius will be competing against Woody Allen ("Midnight in Paris"), David Fincher ("The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"), Alexander Payne ("The Descendants") and Martin Scorsese ("Hugo").

That's a quartet of directors with far more experience in the United States, and far more ties to the other directors, assistant directors, stage managers and directorial team members who make up the DGA.

In that company, the little-known Frenchman seems like an uneasy favorite. But then, Tom Hooper was in the same position last year with "The King's Speech," and he won -- essentially because voters liked his movie better than the other guys' movies, the same way they seem to like "The Artist" better.

But the DGA does offer the possibility of an intriguing scenario, particularly if Scorsese or Payne wins.

In that case, the win could create a clear No. 2, an alternative to "The Artist" for Oscar voters to rally around. And maybe, just maybe, the film's curious aura of inevitability could start to fade.

But for that to happen, either "The Descendants" or "Hugo" would have to establish itself as the alternative. "The Descendants" has come closer than "Hugo" to doing that so far, and it has an outside chance to actually establish a little momentum with a DGA win, a SAG ensemble victory and a Writers Guild Award (for which "The Artist" is ineligible).

But it has to start with the DGA, or the game really will be over.

The tricky thing is that the guy who's the master of the "we're No. 2" strategy, Harvey Weinstein, is the guy who doesn't need to use it this year, because his film is No. 1.

Weinstein began using the strategy when he ran Miramax Films back in 1994, and managed to position a movie that was way too daring for the conservative academy, Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," as the chief rival to frontrunner (and eventual winner) "Forrest Gump."

And he did it again and again over the next decade. When "Saving Private Ryan" was the frontrunner in 1998, Miramax kept pushing "Shakespeare in Love," making it the movie of choice for everybody who couldn't quite endorse the war movie -- which, in the end, was enough to give "Shakespeare," and Harvey, a Best Picture victory.

When "American Beauty" had all the momentum but seemed awfully dark and adventurous for the more conservative side of the Academy, Miramax pulled out all the stops to position "The Cider House Rules" as the safer alternative, even if that meant misrepresenting a film whose hero was a drug-addicted doctor who performed abortions.

And when the battle seemed to be between "The Hurt Locker" and "Avatar" two years ago, Weinstein began trumpeting how his film, "Inglourious Basterds," was actually the one that could pull off the upset.

The strategy doesn't usually work. (It didn't for "Pulp Fiction," "The Cider House Rules" or "Inglourious Basterds.") But when you're dealing with a frontrunner like "The Artist," somebody needs to persuade voters that if you can't fully endorse the silent flick, there's only one real alternative.

And the fact that nobody has done that is one of the main reasons why "The Artist" now seems all but preordained as a winner.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120122/film_nm/us_theartist_oscars

best buy we bought a zoo we bought a zoo ipad accessories derrick rose port charlotte florida kit homes

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Telescope Gets New Gear to Bring Stars Into Focus (SPACE.com)

Stars viewed by an observatory in South America have just lost their twinkle. Images from this ground-based telescope are brighter and clearer than ever before, thanks to a new instrument on the Gemini South observatory that reduces the blurring, or twinkle, caused by Earth's atmosphere.

Earth's atmosphere may create beautiful sunsets, but the movement of warm and cold gases makes seeing distant astronomical sources a challenge. By relying on a combination of light-wave sensors and deformable mirrors known as adaptive optics (AO), astronomers have been able to subtract out the turbulence, improving their images.

Numerous telescopes have already been fitted with adaptive optics systems, but a recent upgrade to the Gemini South telescope, located in Chile, takes adaptive optics to a new level.

Gemini is a collaboration between seven member countries:?the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Chile, Australia, Brazil and Argentina.

Some proponents of the telescope are hoping the new system will help pull the observatory out of a productivity rut, according to Nature News. Compared to other facilities of comparable size, such as Subaru and Keck of Hawaii, and the Very Large Telescope in Chile, Gemini has produced significantly fewer scientific papers every year since 2005, Nature News reported. However, its groundbreaking new optics system could change that.

Laser stars

Like many other systems, the Gemini Multi-conjugate Adaptive Optics System, or GeMS, doesn't rely on luck to provide it with an ideal star to calibrate its measurements?it uses lasers to make its own.

Unlike other systems, GeMs doesn't trust its measurements to just one guide star. Instead it uses a technique called Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics (MCAO) to place four stars at the corners of its field of view and one in the middle. [Video ? Twinkle No More: Lasers Clear Up Star View]

"We use laser guide stars instead of natural guide stars because it's very difficult to find several bright stars in the patch that can be handled by MCAO," Francois Rigaut, Gemini Adaptive Optics senior scientist, told SPACE.com in an email. "The probability is basically zero."

By determining how much the laser guide stars have blurred and changed, astronomers can calculate the atmospheric turbulence that makes the stars and other distant sources twinkle, and remove the distortions from the data.

"Hubble-quality" images

The resulting images are a significant improvement over previous ground-based images, the researchers said. In a statement, Rigaut calls Gemini's new photos "Hubble-quality," a significant step for a telescope stuck on Earth.

"Large ground-based telescopes plus AO can provide a very attractive alternative to space, especially in the near-infrared," Rigaut said. "AO from the ground is several order of magnitudes cheaper than sending telescopes into space."

But that doesn't mean that Gemini South will put the space-based telescopes out of a job.

In addition to causing twinkling stars, Earth's atmosphere also blocks light in the ultraviolet wavelength and some infrared bands. Yet some of the universe's most interesting processes are only visible in these types of light, which can't be seen from the ground.

"What is filtered can never be recovered," Rigaut said.

And adaptive optics does not yet work well with light in the visible range, so Gemini won't be bringing home the beautiful optical images the Hubble is famous for. [Spectacular Photos From the Revamped Hubble Space Telescope]

"Space is not replaceable for many things," Rigaut cautioned.

But in the wavelengths that adaptive optics works for, GeMS excels.

All telescopes are limited by the amount of what Rigaut calls "detector real estate."

"Whether you are in space or on the ground, you are mostly limited by the number of pixels you can put behind your telescope, or telescope-plus-AO-system," he said. "There, we're about on par with space."

Paving the way

The Gemini telescope's new optics could help pave the way for better quality images from all branches of astronomy, including stellar evolution, star formation in nearby galaxies, black holes, and the study of the movement and composition of distant galaxies. GeMS can also provide more precise weather monitoring on Mars and Jupiter from the surface of Earth.

And such a system isn't limited only to Gemini South.

"The principle is generic and can be used on any ground-based telescope," Rigaut explained.

So although GeMS is specifically designed for Gemini, other telescopes should be able to use a similar process. According to Rigaut, the Thirty Meter Telescope being planned for Hawaii, and the European Southern Observatory's European Extremely Large Telescope intended for Chile both have MCAO systems in the works.

Pretty soon, the familiar children's song may need a new refrain.

Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/space/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/space/20120120/sc_space/telescopegetsnewgeartobringstarsintofocus

dos santos waterboarding boxing news boxing andy dalton corporal kelsey de santis corporal kelsey de santis

[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, ?--Dollhouse-->?. 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.
Hey, i'm glad ya'll are posting so soon! I can already tell this is going to be a kick-ass RP :)

Oh, and SmileyCassandra, I got your message, but for some reason the site's not letting me respond.
So, to anyone who needs to tell me anything just write it on here. If it's private then send me a message and i'll find some way to respond :)

User avatar
amyreinreaper
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: Abraxas, Agent*, Airanea, Alasund De'astio, allimagination, Ambreose*, Anansi, Andreis, Annaky, ArcticFox, Armageddon, Athra*, AutomailJunkie, AzricanRepublic*, Bashie L. Craft*, BBClock*, Beta Type Jakuri, blackwolf*, Brony Otaku*, BSDJoker*, Buddywazzizname*, ChaosxChild13, ChaoticMarin, Choclate~Pyrus, Chrome Shiny, Chulance*, CiksKayVolts*, CountessMomo, Crooked Thoughts, Cynique, dealing with it, Dr. Seuss*, Dragoon*, Draruto, Eteles*, Fallo, Fatal_Flaw_Enki, feral gale, Gintoki Sakata, girlwt*, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, Harlequin Smile, HeroOfAwesomeness, Hushh, Iamdeadpool, jackrules158*, Kansiov, kathrin*, KenXin, Kestrel, KrazyTigger, Lainpinky131*, Leif Cauldor, Light_of_the_Fallen, Lloyd999, LostInFantasy, Lucaris*, Magix, Marionette, Markas_Graves, Missing Link, Movintarget, MusicLover, Myst5981*, Nevan*, nightwolf, Nocte*, NorthernSoul, OdiOdi, Patcharoo*, Phoenix6000, Pichu-Chan, PirateofPie*, Pretty*, Princess Awinita*, Prose, RainWish, Rem?us*, Renmiri, RosexXxStarlight*, RubyBlue*, Ryand-Smith*, RydeDawg, Saken, Seerow, Shaodow, Shavnia_Velmount, SilverStar89, Sivermist, SkullJester, Smileybird*, Sorella*, speckles32shido, Starryskies, Stilts*, SuperQ19, supertoastgirl, sweet_peach1995, Sylwyn*, The Angry Penguin, The Illusionist*, The Painkiller, The Protagonist*, TheAngelSisters, TheDarkWorgen, Tiko*, Tom Ice, Tonks, True Grave, Tyliana, Usui*, Valerie_Nix, vampyre_smiles, ViceVersus, Wake, Walking-travesty*, wednesdaysun, WeFoundLove, Whiskey Go Dark, Whispering_Words, Wing06Twilight, wolfoftheage, Wren, Wudgeous, XianEvermor, XKanojoOokamiX, Yami Kilmore, Ylanne, Yoru-Senpai, Zentose, Zodia195, ~Tempo~, ? Reality ?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/UqU2UpMlbjw/viewtopic.php

oc professor professor zanzibar arizona state university nsa fsi

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Daughter says life of Ukraine's Tymoshenko "at risk" (Reuters)

KIEV (Reuters) ? The daughter of jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko says her mother's life is now at risk after President Viktor Yanukovich "crossed a fine line" when he rejected all early chances of compromise to free her.

In an interview, Yevgenia Tymoshenko urged the West to consider applying personal sanctions against officials of the Yanukovich leadership, such as visa bans, to stop it driving Ukraine further into isolation in Europe.

Tymoshenko, Yanukovich's arch-rival who was twice prime minister, is serving a seven-year jail sentence for abuse of office following a trial widely seen as a settling of scores between rival groups of influence in the ex-Soviet republic.

The United States and the European Union say the trial was politically motivated; in December the EU withheld completion of agreements on political association and a free trade zone with Ukraine in protest over her jailing.

But despite diplomatic pressure from EU countries for her release, fresh criminal cases have been opened against her by justice officials and she has been moved from police detention in Kiev to a remote prison camp some 500 km (310 miles) east.

"It (the situation) is unpredictable now ... They have crossed the line where my mother's life now is at risk," said Yevgenia, speaking in English in Kiev at the riverside headquarters of her mother's party, Batkivshchyna.

"This line is a kind of fine line and once the regime crossed it we do not know now what could be the consequence of this war ... against political opponents. The regime is doing all it can to break her morale, to break her psychologically."

Tymoshenko's husband, Olexander, took asylum in the Czech Republic earlier this month out of fear he also was about to be arrested, leaving the English-educated, 31-year-old Yevgenia the only close relative left in Kiev.

"CONSTANT PAIN"

Yevgenia, who is married to a British rock singer, now makes a six-hour car trip from Kiev to the prison in Kharkiv twice a week to see her mother, whose health and conditions are the subject of an information battle between her lawyers and officials.

Yevgenia says her mother is in constant pain from a recurring back problem and has not been able to get up unaided since early November.

"The health ministry denies this. They say she does not require medical treatment, that she needs exercise. When I see her, I have to pick her up. I have to move her, to help her stand up and it is evident that any slight movement causes very sharp pain," she said. "She is much paler and weaker."

The family has also complained that she is under constant surveillance from a video camera with a light on in her cell round the clock.

"The video camera is a microscopic one that can see what she is writing in bed. Whatever she writes they can see and this causes a lot of psychological, moral strain ...," said Yevgenia.

The charismatic 51-year-old Yulia Tymoshenko, a political power-house, was the field marshal of the Orange Revolution street protests which thwarted Yanukovich's first bid for the presidency in 2005.

Though self-confident and equally stylish, Yevgenia is far less forceful than her mother and denies media reports that she has ambitions to step into her mother's shoes.

"I am far from being a public person. I see my mother continuing her political career ... She is the one in our family who is going to continue this," she said.

All the same, she does not shy from criticizing the Yanukovich leadership's record, repeating the mantra of her mother that its policies are alienating Ukraine within Europe.

"It seems like there are deliberate attempts by the Yanukovich regime to isolate Ukraine from the European Union," she said. "Only some direct action now can signal to the Yanukovich regime that they are going in the wrong direction."

She urged the West to restrict access to visas and foreign bank accounts for senior Ukrainian officials and investigate high-level corruption. "The only way to change the way the regime is acting now is by direct sanctions ... some sort of personal pressure," she said.

Tymoshenko was convicted of exceeding her powers as prime minister by railroading through a gas deal with Russia in 2009 which the Yanukovich leadership says saddled Ukraine with a huge price for gas that has become a millstone for the economy.

Political insiders say her prosecution was driven by Yanukovich who has been Tymoshenko's political enemy since the Orange Revolution overturned his election as president.

He later made a comeback and narrowly beat Tymoshenko for the presidency in 2010 after a bitter campaign.

(Writing By Richard Balmforth; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

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

prime numbers prime numbers lithium texas wildfires rain boots rain boots dear abby

'12ers Reax to Perry Dropping Out (TIME)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/188585363?client_source=feed&format=rss

jeffrey eugenides jeffrey eugenides volcker rule matthew stafford brady quinn brady quinn nick fairley