thereon ellipsoid: January 2012

Monday, January 30, 2012

Private creditors: Deal with Greece close

Charles Dallara, left and Jean Lemiere from the Institute of International Finance leave Maximos Mansion after meeting Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos in Athens on Saturday Jan. 28 2012. Talks between Greece and private creditors on halving the country's privately held debt load have ended and a deal is very close, according to the creditors' representatives. (AP Photo)

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos leaves Maximos Mansion after a meeting with Greek Prime minister Lucas Papademos, Charles Dallara and Jean Lemiere from the Institute of International Finance in Athens on Saturday Jan. 28 2012. Talks between Greece and private creditors on halving the country's privately held debt load have ended and a deal is very close, according to the creditors' representatives. (AP Photo)

Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, left, and Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos leave Maximos Mansion after a meeting Charles Dallara and Jean Lemiere from the Institute of International Finance in Athens on Saturday Jan. 28 2012. Talks between Greece and private creditors on halving the country's privately held debt load have ended and a deal is very close, according to the creditors' representatives. (AP Photo)

Charles Dallara managing director of the Institute of International Finance arrives at Maximos Mansion for a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos in Athens on Saturday Jan. 28 2012. Talks between Greece and private creditors on halving the country's privately held debt load have ended and a deal is very close, according to the creditors' representatives. (AP Photo)

ATHENS, Greece (AP) ? Greece and its private creditors are very close to a deal that will significantly reduce the country's debt and give it more time to repay the rest of what it owes.

After three hours of talks with Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos on Saturday, creditor representatives Charles Dallara and Jean Lemierre issued a statement saying the two sides were "close to the finalization of a voluntary (private sector involvement) ... We expect to conclude next week as discussions on other issues move forward."

The statement also referred to "the framework expressed publicly earlier this week by Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker in his capacity as Chairman of the Eurogroup."

The reference suggested the creditors had agreed with Juncker's proposal that the new bonds to be issued by Greece in place of the old ones should have an interest rate "clearly below 4 percent." The rate had been the main sticking point in the two-week-long talks as creditors had demanded a higher one.

Dallara, managing director of the Institute of International Finance (IIF) and Lemierre, senior adviser to the chairman, Banque BNP Paribas, represented banks, insurance companies and other private holders of some euro206 billion ($270 billion) in Greek bonds.

While the details are not yet final, it is expected these bondholders will accept a 50 percent writedown in the value of their bondholdings, meaning Greece's debt will be reduced by just over euro100 billion. The maturities in the new bonds will also be longer.

An agreement with private creditors is also seen as a prerequisite for Greece to get a second, euro130 billion bailout from its EU partners and the International Monetary Fund, although there are other issues involved before Greece can get that aid.

The EU and the IMF have already signed off on a euro110 billion aid package, in May 2010, most of which has already been disbursed.

Dallara and Lemierre will leave Greece on Sunday and "will remain in close consultation with Greek and other authorities," the creditors' statement said.

___

Elena Becatoros in Athens and Gabriele Steinhauser in Brussels contributed.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-28-EU-Greece-Financial-Crisis/id-1c8b5bc017e8450183ca37171f9f71e3

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

France wants faster NATO Afghanistan exit

PARIS?? France and Afghanistan agree NATO should speed up by a year its timetable for handing all combat operations to Afghan forces in 2013, President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday, raising new questions about the unity of the Western military alliance.

Sarkozy also announced a faster-track exit for France, the fourth-largest contributor of troops in Afghanistan ? marking a distinct break from previous plans to adhere to the U.S. goal of withdrawing combat forces by the end of 2014. The proposal comes a week after four unarmed French troops were killed by an Afghan soldier described as a Taliban infiltrator.

Sarkozy, alongside Afghan President Hamid Karzai who was in Paris for a previously planned visit, said France had told the U.S. of its plan, and will present it at a Feb. 2-3 meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels. He said he would call President Barack Obama about it Saturday.

"We have decided in a common accord with President Karzai to ask NATO to consider a total handing of NATO combat missions to the Afghan army over the course of 2013," Sarkozy told reporters.

A sense of mission fatigue has been growing among some European contributors to the 10-year allied intervention in Afghanistan. The new idea floated by Sarkozy would accelerate a gradual drawdown of NATO troops that Obama has planned to see through until the end of 2014.

France's announcement could step up pressure in other European governments like Britain, Italy and Germany, which also have important roles in Afghanistan ? even if the U.S. has the lion's share by far. But the leaders of those European nations don't face elections anytime soon: Sarkozy does.

Sarkozy said France will withdraw combat troops by the end of 2013, a reversal from his repeated commitment in recent months to stick with other allies on a U.S.-led schedule.

At the same time, he said France will restart its training missions of Afghan troops Saturday. After the shootings Jan. 20, he immediately suspended the training and joint French military patrols with Afghan forces.

A senior U.S. defense official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue that U.S. forces are continuing to plan to transition to the Afghans at the end of 2014, and that nothing has changed.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the timetable announced by France was worked through by both the Afghans and NATO as part of efforts to transfer security authority to Afghanistan.

"We, obviously, want to continue to work together to ensure that this is implemented in a way that is consistent with the efforts of all of NATO to give increasing authority to the Afghans, and that it is smooth," she said.

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Nuland said the U.S. was pleased the move was not "precipitous."

"So you know, this was a national decision of France. It was done in a managed way. We will all work with it. As the president has said, with regard to our own presence, we are working on 2014," she said.

"The alliance as a whole is working on 2014. But we are also going to work within this French decision," she added.

NATO reacted tersely to Sarkozy's statement.

"We have taken note of the statement," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in Brussels.

Sarkozy said France will speed up its withdrawal timetable, pulling out 1,000 of its current 3,600 soldiers by year-end ? the previous target was 600 ? and bring all combat forces out by the end of 2013.

Karzai had said previously that the goal was to have Afghan security forces in charge of security across the entire nation by the end of 2014. Afghan forces started taking the lead for security in certain areas of the country last year and the plan has been to add more areas, as Afghan police and soldiers were deemed ready to take over from foreign forces.

According to drawdown plans already announced by the U.S. and more than a dozen other nations, the foreign military footprint in Afghanistan will shrink by an estimated 40,000 troops at the close of this year. Washington is pulling out the most ? 33,000 by the end of the year. That's one-third of 101,000 U.S. troops that were in Afghanistan in June, the peak of the U.S. military presence in the war, Pentagon figures show.

Sarkozy also said France would hand over authority in the strategic province of Kapisa east of Kabul, where nearly all French troops are deployed, to the Afghans in March.

"A new phase is starting with the Afghans in which civilian and development projects will progressively take the handoff from our military presence," Sarkozy said, adding Afghan security "is the business of Afghans."

Karzai, who praised the role of France and other NATO allies, didn't object when Sarkozy said the 2013 timetable was sought by the two countries.

But the Afghan leader appeared to suggest that it was a high-end target.

"Yes, Mr. President, it is right that Afghanistan has to provide for its own security and for the protection of its own people, and for the provision of law and order," Karzai said.

"We hope to finish the transition ? to complete this transition of authority to the Afghan forces, to the Afghan government, by the end of 2013 at the earliest ? or by the latest as has been agreed upon ? by the end of 2014," Karzai said.

The NATO-led international force in Afghanistan has been steadily handing over responsibility for security to the government's army and police ever since the alliance's last summit in Lisbon in 2010. There, NATO leaders decided to move the Afghans into the lead role in fighting the Taliban by 2014 and end the coalition's combat role.

Afghan forces have started a process of taking the lead in over half of the country's population of 30 million in terms of security, and the transition remains on track.

Britain and Germany said France's announcement didn't change their pullout plans.

Britain said it's keeping to plans to withdraw all its 9,500 troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

"We set out our long-term plans for no combat role by the end of 2014," a Foreign Office spokesman said on customary condition of anonymity. "We have already set out plans for some withdrawals in 2012."

Prime Minister David Cameron will hold talks with Karzai on Saturday. The Foreign Office said their meeting "is about long-term partnership and commitment beyond 2014 and the need for progress on the political track."

In Berlin, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Germany's government had recently affirmed its troops' mandate "with a wide majority."

"We are in agreement with the international goal to hand over security responsibility fully by the end of 2014 and withdraw combat troops," the spokeswoman said on customary condition of anonymity.

During Karzai's stop Thursday in Italy as part of his European tour, Premier Mario Monti said his country would give economic and civilian support after a 2014 withdrawal. The two signed a long-term cooperation agreement.

Sarkozy's government has been under political pressure to withdraw French troops before the United States' pegged pullout in 2014. Polls show most French want an early pullout ? and he may soon be up for re-election.

Francois Heisbourg, an analyst at the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research think tank, told The Associated Press this week that a quick exit would also pose logistical problems for French forces, who hope to bring home much of the heavy equipment they have deployed in Afghanistan.

Francois Hollande, the Socialist nominee for France's presidential elections, repeated on French TV on Thursday his hope to bring all French forces home this year. Polls show him leading the conservative Sarkozy, who has not formally announced whether he will run in the two-round election in April and May ? though most political observers believe he will.

Nick Witney, a senior policy fellow at the Paris-based European Council on Foreign Relations, said public support of the war in Europe started sliding fast after the coalition agreed to end the combat mission in 2014.

"It has become more and more difficult to justify every single casualty, since it's now clear that these are wasted lives," said Witney, a former head of the European Defense Agency.

"Most European policymakers realize that on a purely cost-benefit assessment, we would all leave Afghanistan tomorrow," Witney said, adding that "it's difficult for any single government to break with its allies without being accused of lack of solidarity."

At the news conference with Karzai, Sarkozy didn't respond to a reporter's question about whether he believed France's announcement could weaken the alliance.

___

Slobodan Lekic in Brussels, Deb Riechmann in Kabul, Jill Lawless in London, David Rising in Berlin, Colleen Barry in Rome, and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46169115/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

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Ex-aides to Wisconsin governor charged with misconduct (Reuters)

MADISON, Wis (Reuters) ? Two former aides to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker were charged on Thursday with political fundraising on public time in a move that could give fresh ammunition to critics seeking to unseat him over controversial curbs on public sector bargaining imposed last year.

The charges against the women, both aides to Walker when he was Milwaukee County executive, stemmed from a probe into allegations of misconduct in public office as well as political solicitation by public officials and employees, according to the criminal complaint.

The investigation found that a private e-mail network had been set up and run out of Walker's office in 2010 to communicate campaign and government-related information to "select individuals," Milwaukee County district attorney John Chisholm's office said in a statement.

The charges, against former deputy chief of staff Kelly Rindfleisch and former executive assistant Darlene Wink, are the latest to involve former staffers close to the first-term Republican governor.

Earlier this month, another former deputy chief of staff to Walker was charged with fraud, accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from a fund for families of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The charges against the former aides follow a fierce partisan battle in the state last year in which Republican lawmakers successfully pushed through controversial measures to curb the collective bargaining power of public sector workers.

A spokeswoman for a Walker campaign group, Friends of Scott Walker, said the policy at the county executive's office under Walker was that employees could not use county "time or resources to conduct any political activity."

"Scott Walker expected everyone to follow the law and made that clear publicly and privately," the spokeswoman, Ciara Matthews, said. Walker's office did not immediately respond to a voicemail and e-mail requesting comment.

ILLEGAL FUNDRAISING ALLEGATIONS

The charges come as opponents of Walker who are seeking to unseat him submitted petitions with more than a million signatures last week to force a recall, far more than needed. Democrats have yet to settle on an opponent to face Walker in any recall, and he retains a strong base.

Organizers are also seeking to recall four Republican state Senators, including Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch.

Officials at the state's Government Accountability Board are working to verify the petitions, which could trigger special elections in the late spring or early summer.

The illegal fundraising charges stem from the execution of a search warrant at Walker's Milwaukee offices on November 1, 2010 -- just a day before Walker beat Democrat Tom Barrett in the race to replace outgoing Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle.

On the laptop of Rindfleisch, Walker's then-deputy chief of staff, authorities found what they said were hundreds of e-mails and instant messages showing Rindfleisch raising money for Brett Davis, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor favored by the Walker campaign, while she was being paid by Milwaukee taxpayers, the criminal complaint said.

In one instant message chat with a friend in January 2010, Rindfleisch confides that "really half of what I'm doing" on the clock was related to the Davis campaign.

Rindfleisch, 43, has been charged with four felony counts of misconduct in public office. Each charge carries a maximum term of 3-1/2 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

Wink, a former executive assistant in the county executive's office, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of political solicitation for engaging in fundraising for Walker while in a county building and using county equipment, prosecutors said.

The charges against Wink, 62, carry a maximum six months in prison and up to a $1,000 fine.

Wink was accused of working on a 42nd birthday party and fundraiser for Walker's gubernatorial campaign in 2009, timed for a year before the November 2010 election. The fundraiser was canceled due to a scheduling conflict, but replaced by a holiday fundraiser also arranged by Wink partly on government time.

Wink also prepared Republican political press releases, discussed phone banks and ordered political merchandise for sale at events including the Republican Convention and State Fair while at work in the executive's office, prosecutors said.

(Reporting by Jeff Mayers, Brendan O'Brien, David Bailey and James B. Kelleher; Writing by James B. Kelleher and David Bailey. Editing by Paul Thomasch and Cynthia Johnston)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120126/us_nm/us_crime_wisconsin_walker_aides

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Occupy protesters barred from camping in DC squares (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The National Park Service will bar Occupy DC protesters from camping in the two parks where have been living since October, in a blow to one of the highest-profile chapters of the movement denouncing economic inequality.

The Occupy DC protesters must stop camping in McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza, both a few blocks from the White House, starting at about noon on Monday, the Park Service said on Friday.

The Park Service will start to enforce regulations that "prohibit camping and the use of temporary structures for camping in McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza," the agency said in a flyer distributed at the sites.

"Although 24/7 demonstration vigils and the use of symbolic temporary structures, including empty tents used as symbols of the demonstration, may be permitted in the park areas, camping and the use of temporary structures for camping is not."

The protesters have been in the two sites since around the start of October. They have spearheaded numerous protests in Washington, including a demonstration that drew hundreds of people to the Capitol this month.

The McPherson Square site has drawn increasing criticism from Congress and the District of Columbia administration.

The park bordering K Street, a symbol of Washington lobbyists, has been criticized because of squalor and rats, and the protesters' numbers have been swelled by homeless people.

Sara Shaw, a McPherson Square protester handling contacts with the media, said the group would discuss its response at an evening meeting. She said 50 to 100 people were living in the square.

Bob Vogel, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, said in a statement: "The National Park Service takes very seriously its tradition of providing opportunities for First Amendment activities.

"We have a long history spanning several decades of 24-hour First Amendment vigils."

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Paul Thomasch)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120127/us_nm/us_occupy_washington

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Sports bar owner killed

The owner of a popular East Palo Alto sports bar was shot to death late Wednesday.

John Farmer, 56, was shot once in the chest and died at the scene, said police Lt. Tom Alipio. Farmer owned the Doctor's Sports Bar & Grill, 2240 University Ave.

Authorities have not made any arrests, Alipio said. Detectives spent much of Thursday at the restaurant, which was shut down temporarily, investigating the crime scene. The shooting was the fifth homicide of the year in East Palo Alto. Last year, 14 people were killed in the city.

Authorities are also trying to figure out what happened in a different shooting late Wednesday. Just after 11, two 17-year-old East Palo Alto residents were found hurt in a car at Newbridge Street and Willow Road in nearby Menlo Park.

They told officers they were stopped at a red light when someone in another vehicle opened fire on them, then sped away, Alipio said.

The victims told officers they were on their way to Stanford University Hospital to get treatment but had a flat tire. They could not describe the vehicle, authorities said.

It is unclear whether the two shootings are related, Alipio said.

Anyone with information on either incident may call the police department at (650) 853-3131.

Contact Joshua Molina at jmolina@mercurynews.com or (650)688-7581.

Source: http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_4886612?source=rss_viewed

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Sprint's move to roaming agreements sends AT&T to angry town

Despite all Sprint's efforts to promote its Network Vision plans, the carrier has been much more coy about its intentions for subscribers in the rural midwest. It was recently revealed that the company plans to divest some of its infrastructure in Oklahoma and Kansas, where the carrier will instead rely on roaming agreements for voice and data. The move is primarily a cost-cutting measure, but one network -- AT&T -- is none too happy about the revelation. Ma Bell argues that Sprint is being too opportunistic following the FCC's shuttering of the Home Market Rule, which (once upon a time) required carriers to build up infrastructure rather than rely on roaming agreements in areas where they held spectrum licenses.

With the Home Market Rule a thing of the past, AT&T suggests this move will merely be the tip of the iceberg for Sprint, as the carrier may now essentially piggyback on the investments of other providers. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals is currently set to hear arguments on the matter this spring, and AT&T hopes the Court will "reject the FCC's market intervention." In the meantime, according to Ma Bell, Sprint's actions are, "Nice work, if you can get it." These are fighting words, indeed.

Naturally, Sprint isn't taking these accusations lying down. In response, it states, "It's disappointing, but not surprising, that AT&T wants to challenge a consumer's right to access email, the Internet and other mobile broadband services wherever they may travel in the U.S." Those interested can read the text in its entirety after the break.

Continue reading Sprint's move to roaming agreements sends AT&T to angry town

Sprint's move to roaming agreements sends AT&T to angry town originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: What Romney?s tax returns say about him

Mystery disease Morgellons: No clear cause

A strange disease in which sufferers say they find fibers, fuzz and other debris sprouting from sores on their skin is not contagious and has no clear cause, the largest-ever study of the condition called Morgellons has found.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/46122317#46122317

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Security in Tibetan region tightened, wounded hide (AP)

BEIJING ? About 30 Tibetans injured after Chinese police fired into a crowd of protesters in a restive southwestern region were seeking shelter Tuesday in a monastery while military forces surrounded the building, a Tibetan monk said.

Chinese authorities said Monday's unrest was caused by a "mob" and that overseas advocacy groups were twisting the truth about what happened in order to undermine the government.

The violence in Luhuo county in the politically sensitive Ganzi prefecture of Sichuan province comes amid high tensions after at least 16 Buddhist monks, nuns and other Tibetans self-immolated in the past year. Most have chanted for Tibetan freedom and the return of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who fled to India amid an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

A monk from Luhuo county's Shouling monastery, one of the most famous monasteries in the region, told The Associated Press by phone that 33 wounded people were being cared for in a clinic within the religious compound. At least 50 military vehicles were parked outside the monastery, he said.

"They want to take the injured people away but we won't let them because we don't trust them, we don't know what will happen to them," said the monk, who would not give his name out of fear of government retaliation. He said the monks worried about the massive security response.

"We are all in the monastery. Without the local residents around, the monks don't dare to go out," he said.

Accounts of Monday's violence differ, and independent confirmation is impossible due to a heavy security presence and lack of access to outsiders. Tibet activist groups said police opened fire on thousands of peaceful protesters, while the Chinese government says a far smaller number of Tibetans and police clashed after the Tibetans attacked a police station and smashed cars.

The monk at the Shouling monastery told the AP that the protesters had been peaceful until police fired into the crowd, killing one man. "When it all started we were only standing in the streets shouting slogans," he said. After police opened fire, the Tibetans responded by smashing police cars and windows, he said. But he rejected official accounts that five police were also injured in the clash.

He said Tibetans were frustrated by the government's tight restrictions on their religious practices.

"The Chinese government says we have religious freedom but we have no freedom at all. If we did, then they would not be talking badly about the Dalai Lama. They say you cannot listen to the Dalai Lama, if we have pictures of the Dalai Lama we have to take them down," he said. "This really hurts our feelings; they hurt our self-esteem."

The London-based International Campaign for Tibet said three Tibetans were killed and nine wounded, while another group, Free Tibet, said one died and up to 30 others were shot and wounded in Luhuo, also known as Draggo in Tibetan.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei slammed such groups, accusing them of exaggeration. Hong said order has been restored after one Tibetan died and four others were injured, and that five police were also wounded.

"Overseas forces of 'Tibet independence' have always fabricated rumors and distorted the truth to discredit the Chinese government with issues involving Tibet," Hong said in remarks carried by the official Xinhua News Agency.

Xinhua said more than 100 people, including monks, some armed with knives and stones, gathered to attack a police station after hearing rumors that three monks would set themselves on fire. They smashed two police vehicles and two fire engines and stormed shops, it said.

Ganzi is a rugged, deeply Buddhist region filled with monasteries that has been at the center of dissent for years. It is among the traditionally Tibetan areas of Sichuan province and other parts of western China that have been closed to outsiders for months amid a massive security presence.

Many Tibetans resent Beijing's heavy-handed rule and the large-scale migration of China's ethnic Han majority to the Himalayan region. While China claims Tibet has been under its rule for centuries, many Tibetans say the region was functionally independent for most of that time.

___

Gillian Wong can be reached on http://twitter.com/gillianwong

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_re_as/as_china_tibet

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Video: Orange Juice Futures Hit Record

Orange juice futures surged to a record on mounting supply concerns and natural gas prices spiked on Chesapeake's outlook for lower output, with CNBC's Bertha Coombs.

Overnight Video: Yosemite HD (Little green footballs)

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Monday, January 23, 2012

[OOC] A Forbidden Love

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

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?A Forbidden Love?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

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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.
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "A Forbidden Love"

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Pretty: Member for 0 years

uhm...May I reserve a male demon? This is the scenario I image:

A demon is sent into the Between Realm to find the Demon Prince a new slave. As he found a girl/boy and thought that he/she is suitable for the position he reported back to the prince and was told to collect that girl/boy in 4 days. When he comes back to the Between Real to collect he/she, he begins to fall for her/him? Will he disobey the Demon Prince or will he take the girl/boy he loves back to the Demon Realm to become a slave?

What do you think?

blackwolf: Member for 1 years

Oh...I forget...Do you have a char sheet or we can do whatever we want?

blackwolf: Member for 1 years

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Vanilla Ice Project returns for new TV season (omg!)

MIAMI (AP) ? An unlikely home improvement show hosted by 1990s rapper Vanilla Ice is set to premiere its second season with the remodeling of another South Florida home.

During the 13-episode run of "The Vanilla Ice Project" on the DIY Network, the artist ? whose real name is Rob Van Winkle ? and his crew will take a dilapidated Palm Beach County mansion along the Intercostal Waterway and bring it into the 21st century with technology that isn't on the market yet.

Van Winkle's passion for real estate and renovation took hold in the early 1990s, after his hit "Ice Ice Baby" made him an international star with millions in the bank. He first bought a home on Miami Beach's exclusive Star Island. He later bought homes in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles, New York's Greenwich Village and Snowbird, Utah, a skiing and snowboarding destination.

"I went on tour for three years and never saw any of those houses," Van Winkle said.

Fearing they may have been a waste of money, he decided to sell them ? and a new career was born.

"I literally made millions of dollars on them," Van Winkle said. "I was like, you gotta be kidding me. It can't be that easy. Let's go buy some more."

After Van Winkle's early 1990s stardom faded, he became more heavily involved in real estate. While he acknowledges that the housing market is different than it was 15 years ago, Van Winkle said he's been able to make money over the years by educating himself, studying markets and taking advantage of short sales and foreclosures. The longtime Miami resident estimates that he's bought and sold more than a hundred homes, mainly in Florida.

"The Vanilla Ice Project" came together after a producer remembered Van Winkle talking about his real estate experience during an interview for another show.

Matt Levine, with Departure Films, said he had done a special on Vanilla Ice for the Biography Channel several years ago. So when the production company was looking to duplicate the success of "Flip This House," a hit on the A&E Network, Levine said he remembered Van Winkle talking about his real estate experience. When Levine called, he learned that Van Winkle was in the process of buying a large, completely gutted foreclosure in Palm Beach.

"I flew down with a camera, and we shot a little demo of him (Van Winkle) showing off the place and talking about his experience in real estate and what he wanted to do with this house," Levine said. "It was really very impressive, and it became this little teaser reel. And DIY was immediately interested in it."

That house became the project for the first season, which aired in the fall 2010. The show became an instant hit for the DIY Network, and the home sold a short time later.

Levine acknowledged that the oddness of the show's premise ? Vanilla Ice doing home improvement ? was probably the original draw for most viewers. They kept watching because of Van Winkle's charisma and expertise, Levine said.

"It was unexpected, his likeability and how much he knew," Levine said. "Once it became clear that he really knew his stuff, people started to look at him in a different way. Instead of seeing him as a one-hit wonder or a blast from the past, people started to appreciate him much more than they expected."

Although Van Winkle has been rebuilding his celebrity over the past decade with appearances on reality shows like "The Surreal Life," Van Winkle and Levine are both quick to point out that "The Vanilla Ice Project" isn't really a reality show.

"'The Surreal Life' is reality TV: no plot, not informative, not anything, just a bunch of celebrities running around, seeing how crazy they can get."

Levine describes "The Vanilla Ice Project" as more of a home renovation show, where the expert just happens to be Vanilla Ice.

"We're not manipulating the story line or coming up with ideas," Levine said. "We're crafting episodes so it's coherent. Beyond that, it's his deal."

Both houses featured on the show were purchased by Van Winkle.

"This is all my own money," Van Winkle said. "It's basically just them following me around, doing what I do."

Van Winkle acknowledges that having the film crew around has given him a chance to boost the scale of his renovations. In the past, the work he did to homes was generally limited to painting, minor repairs and landscaping.

"Since the cameras are on it, these are the best houses I've done," Van Winkle said.

The new season promises to be even bigger and better than the first.

"I'm showcasing a lot of modern, state-of-the-art home features that you can't even get until 2013," Van Winkle said.

Following the renovation, the mansion will have a helicopter pad, a pneumatic elevator, electronically controlled beds and a 3D movie theater. They're also tearing out an old swimming pool and replacing it with a lazy river and Tiki hut. The home will be wired so that everything from the televisions to the thermostat to the curtains can be controlled with a smartphone from anywhere in the world.

"Bill Gates wishes he had a house like this," Van Winkle said. "There's stuff he can't even get."

Most viewers might not have the inclination ? or the money ? to turn their home into a high-tech, rock-star pad, but that doesn't mean they can't enjoy the show or learn from it.

"You don't have to put in the elevator; you don't have to put it the lazy river or the huge 3D cinema," Van Winkle said. "But you might like the flooring we used in the garage. It's just snap-in tiles. It's really simple. You can order them anywhere and make your garage a really cool man cave. There are a lot of cool little things that you're going to be inspired by and have ideas to do to your own home."

The second season of "The Vanilla Ice Project" begins Saturday on the DIY Network.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_vanilla_ice_project_returns_tv_season161134231/44249960/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/vanilla-ice-project-returns-tv-season-161134231.html

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Sunday, January 22, 2012

The Fink?s Royal Rumble Memories: 2003-2007

The Royal Rumble has been one of WWE?s most unusual and unpredictable events. From what I would call the ?best seat in the house,? I?ve witnessed - and on many occasions introduced - a number of defining occurrences through the years. Therefore, as we celebrate the 25th edition of this long-running WWE staple on Jan. 29, WWE.com revisits some of the magical moments that took place over the past 24 Royal Rumbles - some from the Royal Rumble Matches themselves, others?from clashes that took place in?the titularly named pay-per-view?event.

BROCK 'N' ROLL TO 'MANIA
1/20/03 - Boston, Mass.
Brock + Boston = Brilliant. The Superstar known as ?The Next Big Thing? had two mountains to climb that night, and succeeded. Lesnar first won a qualifying match against Big Show that punched his ticket into the Royal Rumble Match, then continued his momentum by winning the 30-man event, thus earning him a WWE Championship Match at WrestleMania XIX.

LAST MAN STANDING OVATION
1/24/04 ? Philadelphia, Pa.
There was no ?brotherly love? between Triple H and Shawn Michaels on this occasion. The two squared off in a Last Man Standing Match for the World Heavyweight Championship. However, both men?s human energy tanks were emptied out in this intense battle, and the end result was that neither man could answer the ring official?s 10-count. By that point, only the capacity crowd remained standing in appreciation.

TIE GOES TO THE ANIMAL
1/22/05 - Fresno, Calif.
Another brutally competitive Royal Rumble Match took place in Fresno. As was the case between Lex Luger and Bret Hart 11 years earlier in Providence, R.I., the final two competitors in this match, John Cena and Batista, were simultaneously eliminated, once again evoking a controversy between referees and fans alike. However, when an irate Mr. McMahon demanded that this match continue, The Animal barely succeeded in sending Cena over the top rope.

REY OF HOPE
1/23/06 ?Miami, Fla.
Having drawn the No. 2 entry, the dynamic Rey Mysterio competed for more than an hour ? a record time that remains. By out-lasting the other 29 entrants, The Master of the 619 won his first-ever Royal Rumble Match ? a victory he dedicated to his late friend, Eddie Guerrero.

A PHENOMENAL WIN
1/24/07 -San Antonio, Texas
It was an extremely successful evening for The Undertaker for two reasons: Not only did he win his very first Royal Rumble Match, but The Phenom also became the first Superstar in WWE history to have won this prestigious event after entering at No. 30. Many would also surmise that it fueled the fire for two historic WrestleMania confrontations between The Phenom and runner-up Shawn Michaels.

MORE ROYAL RUMBLE MEMORIES: 1988-1992 | 1992-1997 | 1998-2002

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/2012/finkel-royal-rumble-16-20

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Venture capital investments up 19 percent in 4Q (AP)

SAN FRANCISCO ? Funding for startups rose 19 percent in the fourth quarter as venture capitalists fueled money into more companies in the Internet, clean technology and other sectors.

According to a study released Friday, startup investments grew to $6.57 billion in the October-December quarter from $5.52 billion in the same period in 2010. The volume of deals, though, did not keep up with the amount of money invested. There were 844 deals completed in the fourth quarter, down from 861 a year earlier.

Called the MoneyTree report, the study was conducted by PriceWaterHouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association based on data from Thomson Reuters.

For all of 2011, venture investments jumped 22 percent to $28.43 billion, in 3,673 deals. That's up from $23.26 billion in 2010, when the money went to 3,526 deals.

Venture capitalists piped $133.9 million into 80 seed-stage companies in the fourth quarter. That's down from $233.2 million going to 90 such startups in the fourth quarter of 2010. The decline suggests some caution on the part of venture capitalists looking at the newest, often most risky, startup investments.

A total of 364 early-stage companies snapped up $2.27 billion in venture funding during the quarter. That compares with $1.48 billion going to 318 early-stage startups in the last three months of 2010. The report said 222 companies in the expansion stage received $2.36 billion in funding, compared with 270 companies snagging about the same amount a year earlier. In the later stage, 178 startups received $1.8 billion in the fourth quarter, while $1.4 billion went to 183 companies a year earlier.

By industry, software companies received the most funding with $1.76 billion snagged in the fourth quarter, followed by biotechnology with $1.27 billion.

San Francisco-based internet storage locker Dropbox Inc. got the single-largest investment during the quarter, $250 million. In second place was Better Place Inc., which is based in Palo Alto and builds infrastructure and systems for electric vehicles, with $200 million.

John S. Taylor, head of research at the National Venture Capital Association, said the figures show "cautious optimism."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_venture_investments

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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Players reportedly arrested over sexual assault

Associated Press Sports

updated 9:21 a.m. ET Jan. 19, 2012

BRIGHTON, England (AP) -Police have arrested six men - widely reported to be footballers - on suspicion of sexual assault.

Sussex Police say five men from Brighton and one from Dorset were arrested Thursday and "will be questioned in relation to an alleged sexual assault on a woman in July last year."

Police would not comment upon the identities of the men but British media said five play for Brighton in England's second-tier League Championship and the other is a footballer with third-tier side Bournemouth.

Police said the men were aged between 18 and 24.

More news

Mourinho's 'woeful Barca loss

??Another loss to Barcelona has piled pressure on Jose Mourinho, with support for the Real Madrid coach ebbing after another ill-tempered and ineffective display against its biggest rival.

Robert Cianflone / Getty Images

He's back

David Beckham has re-signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy, agreeing to a new two-year contract with the Major League Soccer club.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46054306/ns/sports-soccer/

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Environmentalism and the Leisure Class (Powerlineblog)

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

A political tip sheet for the rest of us outside the Washington Beltway (Star Tribune)

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Sunday, January 15, 2012

Barseghyan's Business - Automobile Finance

Automobile Finance

The Auto market in India working with more than 35 financers that offers auto financing solutions to the customers who are interested in buying a personal vehicle. Since the Indian Automobile business is one of the most growing market in the world and lots of new auto companies has entered in the field to support the aspirations of the people. Additional, the manufacture of passenger vehicles is predictable to boost further by the year 2012-13.

There is only new companies are stepping into the automobile finance sector, already established financial companies has also realized the importance of auto finance and has started to focus on the loans for cars and other automobile. During 2000s, the auto finance sector was cup of tea of the private banks like Citibank and ruling over the market. However, many public sector banks have also made their presence in the auto finance division and the names of top companies in the auto finance segment in India includes State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Bajaj Auto Finance Limited, Citibank, Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank and Kotak Mahindra Prime Limited.

State Bank of India is one of the admired banks in India and considered as leader in the auto finance sector of India. Freshly, their auto finance trick has concerned a large of clients and this was accomplished by this financial institution by reducing the rates of interest for brand new cars. Their standing and long repayment alternative offered by them has permitted them to reach this altitude in the auto finance sector in India.

ICICI Bank:

ICICI Bank dominated the auto finance sector in India before 2008, eventhough the bank has lost its first position in the auto finance sector, it is still one among the top auto finance companies in India and they are making every effort to regain their first position in the auto finance sector. For this purpose, they have put their car loans on fast track and they have also doubled their auto loan disbursement amount to nearly 1500 crore.

HDFC Bank: It is another popular bank among Indians customers and they have expanded one among the top 10 ranking in the Auto finance sector in India by following numerous business ideas. One such idea that worked for them is the lessening of interest on car loans offered by them.

Anjali Singh is an author for Freeads Classifieds. Freeads Classifieds gives a one-stop solution for all your free ads. The team of free ads Classifieds in India helps you find the right and legal track to the land of your dreams worldwide.

Source: http://barseghyan.biz/85/automobile-finance

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[OOC] residentevil disparate escape

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Saturday, January 14, 2012

Sheeran leads BRIT nominations, Adele eyes return (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran led the field with four BRIT nominations on Thursday, one ahead of global chart queen Adele who is down to perform at the awards after months out for throat surgery.

The annual honors, Britain's top pop awards, will be handed out at London's O2 Arena on February 21, and Adele's live UK comeback is likely to be among the highlights.

The 23-year-old had the world's top-selling album last year with "21", which sold 5.8 million copies in the United States alone, and picked up six Grammy nominations in a triumphant year.

Adding to her list of accolades on Thursday, the "Rolling in the Deep" singer earned three BRIT nods and was bested only by the less familiar face of Sheeran.

The 20-year-old, whose debut album "+" topped the UK charts and has sold nearly a million copies in Britain so far, scooped four nominations, including for the coveted British Album of the Year prize sponsored by Mastercard.

He is also in the running for British male solo artist, British breakthrough act and British single for "The A Team".

Sheeran performed "Give Me Love" at a nominations launch in central London and confirmed he would sing it again at the main awards show.

On the red carpet before the event, he explained why he had featured Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley, in his video for the track "Lego House".

"I went to school and was a ginger (haired) kid, so you're obviously going to get the Ron Weasley comments at some point so I just thought I would take the piss out of myself and get him to play me," Sheeran told Reuters.

Just behind him with three nominations apiece were Adele and Jessie J, the 2011 winner of the Critics' Choice award for rising music stars.

Adele is up against Sheeran in the British Album category for "21" and was also nominated for British female solo artist and British single ("Someone Like You").

Jessie J competes in the female solo artist, British breakthrough and single categories, the latter for "Price Tag".

Veteran Kate Bush is also vying for best female act, sealing a remarkable comeback.

Florence & the Machine and Coldplay are each nominated twice, as are Emeli Sande, this year's Critics' Choice winner, and Americans Bon Iver and Aloe Blacc.

Playing at the awards ceremony next month are expected to be Adele, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Sheeran, Florence & the Machine, Rihanna, Noel Gallagher and Blur, recipients of the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award, according to a list released by organizers.

Following is a full list of the 2012 nominees:

BRITISH MALE SOLO ARTIST:

Ed Sheeran; James Blake; James Morrison; Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds; Professor Green

BRITISH FEMALE SOLO ARTIST:

Adele; Florence & The Machine; Jessie J; Kate Bush; Laura Marling

BRITISH BREAKTHROUGH ACT:

Anna Calvi; Ed Sheeran; Emeli Sande; Jessie J; The Vaccines

BRITISH GROUP:

Arctic Monkeys; Chase & Status; Coldplay; Elbow; Kasabian

BRITISH SINGLE:

Adele/Someone Like You; Ed Sheeran/The A Team; Example/ Changed The Way You Kiss Me; Jessie J Ft B.o.B./Price Tag; JLS Ft Dev/She Makes Me Wanna; Military Wives and Gareth Malone/Wherever You Are; Olly Murs Ft Rizzle Kicks/Heart Skips A Beat; One Direction/What Makes You Beautiful; Pixie Lott/All About Tonight; The Wanted/Glad You Came

MASTERCARD BRITISH ALBUM OF THE YEAR:

Adele/21; Coldplay/Mylo Xyloto; Ed Sheeran/+; Florence & The Machine/Ceremonials; PJ Harvey/Let England Shake

INTERNATIONAL MALE SOLO ARTIST:

Aloe Blacc; Bon Iver; Bruno Mars; David Guetta; Ryan Adams

INTERNATIONAL FEMALE SOLO ARTIST:

Beyonce; Bjork; Feist; Lady Gaga; Rihanna

INTERNATIONAL GROUP:

Fleet Foxes; Foo Fighters; Jay Z and Kanye West; Lady Antebellum; Maroon 5

INTERNATIONAL BREAKTHROUGH ACT:

Aloe Blacc; Bon Iver; Foster The People; Lana Del Rey; Nicki Minaj

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC AWARD:

Blur

CRITICS' CHOICE:

Emeli Sande

BRITISH PRODUCER:

Paul Epworth; Flood; Ethan Johns

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato and Jill Serjeant)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120113/music_nm/us_britawards_nominations

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