romanticist cranach: December 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

How to get the most out of your new PlayStation 3 (Digital Trends)

The current generation of gaming consoles have gone above and beyond being just devices to play video games. They have become entertainment systems in their own right, that can play DVDs (and blu-rays in the case of the PPS3), stream content online, and even act as media servers.

So if you were among the lucky few that Santa left a shiny new PS3 for under the tree, but you?re still trying to get the hang of it, we cobbled together a few tips to transform your console from a gaming system into so much more.

Below we?ve provided a few suggestions for how to get the most out of your Sony PS3.

(We?d also like to note that you if you have an HDTV we recommend using an HDMI cable to connect to your TV, which is sold separately. You can use the composite hook-up but it won?t have the same picture quality.)

PlayStation Network and Store

To get the most out of your PS3, the best place to start is at the PlayStation Store (PSN). So the first thing you?ll need to do is to set up a PSN account so that you can access the store online.

For the most part, all you need is an e-mail address to access the basic package. Purchases can be made using a credit card or pre-paid PSN cards that are available in brick-and-mortar stores, and the content includes full-length games, movies, TV shows, and much more, including original content.

Unlike Microsoft?s Xbox Live service, the PlayStation Network is free to use. The friends list and features within aren?t as robust, but it is serviceable, and you can enjoy online gaming at no additional cost. There is, however, the PlayStation Plus premium service, which will run you a reasonable $49.99 per year.

Included with that, you gain access to services that those using the free service can?t get. From time to time, Plus will feature a game at an extremely discounted price, or even for free. Game demos will be available for free, as will some additional game content. Certain other services become available, like the ability to save game data to a cloud service, and early access to select beta testing opportunities for upcoming games. Included with each Plus service is a free subscription to the online magazine, Qore, which focuses on the gaming industry in general, and Sony products specifically. For those that plan to use the system often, the Plus service is worth your consideration.

Games

As mentioned there are tons of gaming options in the store. Get fun mini-games like Pixel Junk?s Monsters or Stardust HD. There?s also DLC for purchase, like map packs for current games like Battlefield 3.

Sony has also been putting full PS3 games intp the store. Not all of them are new releases, but older titles like the original Assassin?s Creed, inFamous, and BioShock are available for purchase. For long time gamers that are looking to delve into nostalgia, or gamers on a budget looking to expand their personal gaming history, Sony also offers dozens of PlayStation One and PlayStation Two games at respectable prices.

Personalize your PS3

Using the store, players can download new themes and wallpapers that add your own unique touch to the system. Themes change the background image and icons on the XMB bar and offer your system a bit of aesthetic personalization. If you?re a little more on the creative side, you can create your own theme and upload it to the system. You will need the PS3 custom theme toolbox first though, which is available on the PlayStation website.

Movies and more

Using the store you can rent movies and TV shows that are produced under the Sony label along with any other companies that they have deals with, mostly though its Sony movies. You can also buy them outright in SD or HD quality at varying prices. The selection is huge, and the playback is top notch.

PlayStation Home

The PS Home both is and isn?t part of the store. What it is, is a virtual world that you can play in with an avatar. The avatar gets his or her own digital apartment that players can use to store game props, posters, and furniture to customize your avatar?s look and lifestyle. Inside of Home, there are tons of areas to explore that relate to games or companies like the EA Sports Bar, the Uncharted room, or the inFamous city streets. Playable games are scattered throughout Home, and Sony does big events that let users win avatar items or even early access to demos and games.

We should note that Home does take up a significant amount of memory on the PS3, and it does slow-down from time to time, so an Ethernet connection instead of the built-in wi-fi may be worth considering.

Find your friends

Of course, the PlayStation also allows for online gaming, both with and without the Plus subscription. A friend?s list will come in handy for this. If you know you?re friends? PSN screen names, make sure to add them to your list, which can be found on the far right of the XMB menu. Once you?ve added your friends, you can chat with them, or join in any game like Little Big Planet 2 or Modern Warfare 3 that features online play.

Entertainment

Movies and TV

To get the most entertainment out of your PS3, we recommend downloading the Netflix and Hulu Plus apps. Yes, you do need to have paid accounts (assuming you don?t already have an ?existing account) with these companies for the the services to work, but it?s worth it to get the latest movies and TV shows streamed right to your console. Plus, once you have an account the service will work on any computer you log in to.

Even if going online isn?t your thing, the PS3 is an ideal device for a home entertainment system, thanks to the built in blu-ray player. The most recent update to the player allows for 3D blu-ray playback (as long as your TV is compatible), so that alone makes the PS3 a good purchase for home theater fans.

Sports

Sports fans will love the options available to them with the PS3. MLB.tv, NFL Sunday Ticket, and NHL Gamecenter are all available on the system. All three apps stream live games (from a list you can choose from), show highlights, and have archives of past games. They also provide the latest scores, stats and schedules. While the apps are free to download, the services are not free?prices vary based on service. Still, if you?re a fan and were considering purchasing these packs on your cable service, these are must haves.

Music

Briefly, we?ll note that music can be put on to the PS3 in a variety of ways, including directly loading songs on to the system, using the Music Unlimited app (paid subscription required), or setting up the PS3 as a media center.

Move

If you didn?t get a PlayStation Move with your system, you can always go grab a bundle for about $100 that ccomes with a PlayStation Eye and the Move controller. The Move adds motion gaming that is similar to the Nintendo Wii. Some of the better games on the system for the Move include Dead Space: Extraction and the Time Crisis games. It?s up to you if motion gaming is something that you want or not.

Media Server

One really nice feature about the PlayStation 3 is that you can turn it into a media server. This means that you can stream movies, music, TV shows, and other similar files from your home PC (or Mac) to the console (see the link above for details on how to set it up).

You?ll need to do some set-up on the computer side of things as well as the PS3 to get this working, but once it?s done you can play almost any movie or music file that you have on your PC on your PS3. It?s great for home movies, photos, and any other digital content that you want to see on your TV.

For tips on how to set up the PS3 as a media center check out our advice for PC and Mac.

Parental Controls

We do want to mention that while you can access tons of great content with the various apps and store options, you might not want everyone in your family accessing some of that content.

The PS3 comes with parental controls that you can set up from the system options menu ? this is on the far left of the XMB menu. You can rate what types of content that you children can access. For some this system is a bit confusing because Sony used a number system. You can find what the numbers mean in the manual, but as a brief guide here?s what they mean for games:

0 ? ESRB RP ? Rating Pending

2 ? ESRB EC ? Early Childhood

3 ? ESRB E ? Everyone

4 ? ESRB 10 ? Everyone 10+

5 ? ESRB T ? Teen

9 ? ESRB M ? Mature

10 ? ESRB AO ? Adults Only

If, however, this seems to confusing you can always set up separate accounts that are password protected with specific parental controls for the youth account.

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

soccerway: Sion hit back in FIFA battle: Swiss club Sion have filed a criminal complaint against FIFA aft... http://t.co/Rf4Z1ZKK #soccer #football

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

Sion hit back in FIFA battle: Swiss club Sion have filed a criminal complaint against FIFA aft... bit.ly/synCnX #soccer #football Il y a environ 3 heures via twitterfeed

soccerway

Soccerway News

Pied de page

Source: http://twitter.com/soccerway/statuses/152609103527677952

mirror mirror tanuki mirror mirror trailer bob knight bob knight lavar arrington hope solo dancing with the stars

Friday, December 30, 2011

No Ticker Tape Parade for Iraq War Troops ? Per Obama Administration

British troops are celebrated in London after returning from Iraq. (Daily Mail)

Officials in Washington and New York say they are open to a ticker tape parade for the Iraq War troops but Pentagon officials say they haven?t been asked to plan for one.
Obama pulled US troops from Iraq in a politically motivated move to appease his far left base.
The Army Times reported:

Americans probably won?t be seeing a huge ticker-tape parade anytime soon for troops returning from Iraq, and it?s not clear if veterans of the nine-year campaign will ever enjoy the grand, flag-waving, red-white-and-blue homecoming that the nation?s fighting men and women received after World War II and the Gulf War.

Officials in New York and Washington say they would be happy to help stage a big celebration, but Pentagon officials say they haven?t been asked to plan one.

Most welcome-homes have been smaller-scale: hugs from families at military posts across the country, a somber commemoration by President Obama at Fort Bragg, N.C.

With tens of thousands of U.S. troops still fighting a bloody war in Afghanistan, anything that looks like a big victory celebration could be seen as unseemly and premature, some say.

?It?s going to be a bit awkward to be celebrating too much, given how much there is going on and how much there will be going on in Afghanistan,? said Don Mrozek, a military history professor at Kansas State University.

Two New York City councilmen, Republicans Vincent Ignizio and James Oddo, have called for a ticker-tape parade down the stretch of Broadway known as the Canyon of Heroes. A similar celebration after the Gulf War was paid for with more than $5.2 million in private donations, a model the councilmen would like to follow.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said last week that he was open to the idea but added, ?It?s a federal thing that we really don?t want to do without talking to Washington, and we?ll be doing that.?

Source: http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2011/12/no-ticker-tape-parade-for-iraq-war-troops-per-obama-administration/

bcs rankings week 13 philadelphia marathon rhodes scholar cranberry sauce recipe mls cup amas 2011 black friday

Record number of ivory seizures in 2011: WWF (Reuters)

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) ? A record number of large scale ivory seizures will be recorded globally in 2011, pointing to a surge in elephant poaching in Africa to meet Asian demand for tusks for use in jewelry and ornaments, a monitoring group said Thursday.

TRAFFIC, a conservation group which tracks trends in wildlife trading, said there have been at least 13 large-scale seizures of over 800 kg (2,000 pounds) of ivory in 2011, more than double the 6 recorded in 2010.

"A conservative estimate of the weight of ivory seized in the 13 largest seizures in 2011 puts the figure at more than 23 totonesnnes, a figure that probably represents some 2,500 elephants, possibly more," it said in a statement.

Zimbabwe-based Tom Milliken, who manages TRAFFIC's Elephant Trade Information System, said it was the worst year for large seizures he had seen in the over two decades he has been running the database.

He said the poaching and illegal trade were consequences of China's investment drive into Africa to secure the mineral and energy resources it needs to fuel its economic growth.

"We've reached a point in Africa's history where there are more Asian nationals on the continent than ever before. They have contacts with the end use market and now they are at the source in Africa," he told Reuters.

"This is all adding up to an unprecedented assault on elephants and other wildlife," he said.

Milliken said some of the ivory that was making its way to illicit markets may be coming from African government stockpiles from previous seizures but the trade numbers and data from other wildlife monitors pointed to a rise in elephant killings.

"The trade data suggest that thousands of elephants are being killed a year ... I think central Africa has been brutally affected, especially Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)," he said.

Milliken said elephant poaching was also taking place in Zimbabwe, Zambia, northern Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya.

A global ban that was placed on the ivory trade in 1989 was widely credited with stemming a relentless slaughter of African elephants in countries such as Kenya. Occasional auctions from African government stockpiles have since been sanctioned.

Most of the illegal African ivory winds up in China or Thailand, according to TRAFFIC. Ivory is used in the making of jewelry and art carvings.

Estimates of Africa's elephant population vary widely from around 400,000 to 700,000.

In some southern African states such as Botswana there are large and growing populations and in South Africa there are concerns that elephant numbers have swelled to the point that they are damaging the environment in enclosed reserves.

But elsewhere the situation is far more bleak. In lawless regions of the DRC poaching is rampant.

(Editing by Giles Elgood)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/pets/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111229/sc_nm/us_africa_ivory

carlos the jackal namibia namibia hell on wheels hell on wheels new york city marathon andy williams

2011's top 11 twists from the world of science

Fabrice Coffrini / AFP - Getty Images

Visitors watch an on-screen presentation at the "Universe of Particles" exhibition at CERN, where physicists are trying to track down the Higgs boson as well as faster-than-light neutrinos.

By Alan Boyle

The past year brought us the supercomputer that trounced?flesh-and-blood champions on the "Jeopardy" TV show ... genetic discoveries that showed us the tangles in humanity's family tree ... a tsunami that shouldn't have been as catastrophic as it was ... and neutrinos that shouldn't be going as fast as they seem to. Which scientific twist of 2011 do you find most intriguing? Now's the time to cast your vote for the top science story of 2011.

This year's crop of top stories is trickier than usual because they cross so many lines. I've pared them down to a list of 11, but the only reason I'm able to do that is because of the way the lines are being drawn. I've already touched on two of the biggest science stories of 2011 in our "Year in Space" roundup: the end of the space shuttle era and the avalanche of extrasolar planets.?Our "Ancient Mysteries" roundup casts a spotlight on the big stories in archaeology, anthropology and paleontology.?I'm also leaving out?some big?stories with technology angles, such as the Arab?Spring protests?and the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

So what's left? In this list, I'm stressing the twists in science and technology that go against expectations ? or set up great expectations for the year ahead. I'm also including some personal favorites that you can feel free to quibble over. Check out this chronological?list, review the details by clicking on the links, then cast your vote for the year's top science story:

Japan hit by quake, tsunami, nuclear crisis: The magnitude-8.9 quake that hit Japan in March qualifies as a top story on any scale, but the safety gaps at the Fukushima nuclear facility showed scientifically how nature can confound engineers' best-laid plans. It was just this month that Japan's prime minister announced the facility was in a stable state of "cold shutdown."?Fukushima may be an albatross around the neck of the nuclear power industry for years to come.?Or maybe not. Check out "After the Wave," msnbc.com's special report about the?earthquake's aftermath.?

Live Poll

What's the top twist of 2011?

171741
Japan's nuclear crisis.
13%
171742
AIDS virus on the run.
9%
171743
Climate highs and lows.
5%
171744
Quest for the Higgs boson.
8%
171745
Faster-than-light neutrinos.
38%
171746
Watson wins on 'Jeopardy.'
4%
171747
Protein puzzlies untangled.
6%
171748
Our tangled genetic tree.
6%
171749
Personalized medicine works
6%
171750
Heaviest antimatter created.
3%
171751
Prehistoric fingerpainting.
1%
171752
None of the above.
3%

VoteTotal Votes: 2913

AIDS virus on the run? An international study finds that people who take antiretroviral drugs ? medicine that weakens the HIV virus that causes?AIDS ? not only benefit from treatment but are far less likely to?infect their sexual partners. The finding?was so remarkable that the results were made public four years early, and last week the editors of the journal Science hailed it as the year's top breakthrough.

Climate highs and lows:?This month, a U.N. climate conference?reached agreement on a new plan to control greenhouse-gas emissions, but it's not clear whether the plan will pay off. Meanwhile, a former climate skeptic says he no longer doubts the reality of global warming, the climate issue creates a controversy on the GOP campaign trail, "Climategate 2.0" fails to gain traction, and Arctic sea ice is?close to?record lows.??

Goodbye, Tevatron ... hello, Higgs boson? After 28 years of service, the Tevatron collider was shut down in Illinois in September, leaving the Large Hadron Collider as the only experiment hunting for the elusive Higgs boson. Discovery of that particle could show scientists how mass arose in the universe. Researchers at the LHC suspect that they've got the?subatomic bugger cornered, but the actual discovery (or determination that it doesn't exist after all) will have to wait until next year.

Faster-than-light neutrinos? Physicists at CERN and Italy's Gran Sasso laboratory say they've clocked bunches of neutrinos traveling between the two labs at a speed that's just a bit faster than the speed of light ? something that relativity theory contends should be impossible. Most observers are confident that the claim will be proven wrong in 2012, due to some sort of experimental error. But a rerun of the test in November, under somewhat different conditions, came up with the same result. Stay tuned...

Watson wins on 'Jeopardy': IBM programmed a supercomputer named Watson?to dominate the "Jeopardy" TV trivia game, and dominate it did. The point of the exercise wasn't to win the $1 million prize, which was donated to charity; rather, the technology behind Watson is being applied to medical diagnoses and other applications. We puny humans can take heart in the fact that Watson is not infallible. After all, it thought Toronto was a U.S. city, and it actually lost a game to U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (although, come to think of it, that might have been a political move on Watson's part).

Gamers untangle protein puzzles: Game-playing humans struck back this year by figuring out the molecular structure of a key enzyme in an AIDS-like virus that afflicts rhesus monkeys. The protein-folding?achievement, accomplished by the players of an online game called Foldit,?served as further evidence that non-scientists can help conduct valuable scientific research through collaborative software. Foldit's game-playing teams even came up with new mathematical algorithms for solving?biochemical puzzles more efficiently.

Genetic family tree gets tangled: Late last year, researchers announced that they found genetic twists in our DNA that pointed to a previously unknown branch of our ancient family tree. Some of our ancestors interbred?with?creatures in Siberia that were not like modern humans or Neanderthals, but were of a distinct strain now known as the Denisovans. This year, geneticists reported that interbreeding with Denisovans and Neanderthals gave a big boost to our ancestors' immune systems. There's also evidence that our ancestors swapped genes with other now-extinct populations even before they left Africa. "Everywhere you look now, we find a little bit of interbreeding," said University of Arizona geneticist Michael Hammer.

Personalized medicine really works: Scientists have been saying for years that someday we'll all have our entire genomes sequenced, and that genomic analysis will open up a brave new world of personalized medicine. This year, it really happened. Physicians found a flaw in a California teen's genetic code that guided them to prescribe new medication for her bouts of sudden breathlessness. The success story serves as "the leading edge of what will become, pretty soon, a deluge of such reports," said Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health.

Heaviest antimatter created: Researchers at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider reported seeing traces of antihelium-4 nuclei, made up of two antiprotons and two antineutrons. These are the heaviest bits of antimatter ever detected on Earth, and that record's likely to stand for a long, long time. Sorry, Dan Brown: The antimatter bomb you wrote about in "Angels?& Demons" will have to remain firmly in the realm of fiction.

Fingerpainting at prehistoric preschool: Here's something completely different: Researchers measured the widths of finger marks? to figure out that kids as young as?2 years old?exercised their artistry?on prehistoric cave walls, with an occasional boost from the grown-ups. It's amazing how archaeology can bring a 13,000-year-old culture to life.

So what am I forgetting? Space-time cloaking devices? New York's new bee species? Remember that I have a whole 'nother list of top stories?for space exploration as well as for ancient mysteries, and that I'm putting the Arab?Spring and Steve Jobs' death in a different category.?Let me know what else is?missing by leaving a comment below, and get ready to take a walk on the wild side later this week when it's time to judge the 2012 Weird Science Awards.

More year-end reviews:

Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

Source: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/27/9748604-11-scientific-twists-from-2011

scion fr s elf on a shelf elf on a shelf carrier iq carrier iq linda perry world aids day

Thursday, December 29, 2011

2011 Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Preview from the Sports Mac

These must be interesting times for the folks who run the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl.? In the past, this matchup usually had paired two of the top teams from the Big 12 and Pac-12 and it was one of the bowls to watch in between Christmas and New Year?s Day.?

But then a couple of years ago, a lot of the BCS conferences started to shift when their respective teams would end the season and, unfortunately, the Holiday Bowl was one of the bowls that got the short straw.? While they still have teams from the Big 12 and Pac-12 participating, the teams are further down each conference?s pecking order.? For this year, the Holiday Bowl features two teams that had up and down seasons.

California certainly got 2011 off to a great start winning their first three games, including a three-point overtime win in their Pac-12 opener on the road at Colorado.? Then the rough patch came and the Golden Bears lost four of their next five with blowout conference losses at Pac-12 champion Oregon, home against USC and at Pac-12 South champion UCLA.? But California was able to right the ship and finish strong, winning three of their last four games with the only loss being on the road at rival Stanford.? That finish allowed the Golden Bears to finish the season with seven wins and participate in the Holiday Bowl for the third time and the first time since 2006.

It?s been a rough couple of years for the University of Texas.? After playing in the 2010 BCS Championship Game, the Longhorns had a big letdown the following season, winning only five games and missing bowl eligibility.?

This season got off to a fine start as they won their first four games.? Then came the Red River Shootout with Oklahoma.? It turned into a nightmare as the Sooners ran all over the Cotton Bowl and destroyed Texas by 38 points.? As the Longhorns were reeling from that loss, red hot Oklahoma State came to Austin and walked out with a 12-point victory.? That set the tone for the second half of the season as Texas was a mediocre 3-3 and capped the regular season by getting blown out again, this time at Baylor.?

Regardless, the Longhorns won seven games and are back in the postseason.? This will be the Longhorns fifth Holiday Bowl and first visit here since 2007.

So, who will win their eighth game of the season and carry momentum into 2012?? Read on for the preview of the 2011 Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl.

California Offense vs. Texas Defense

California?s offense has been fairly good all season long.? They have been able to move the ball and score points, averaging almost 420 yards and just under 30 points per game this season.? But they did struggle in that bad stretch in the middle of the year mentioned above, when they scored just 38 points in those three defeats.? Zach Maynard is the man under center and he has been fairly effective, accounting for 245 yards of total offense per game, which was 41^st nationally.? He has help from RB Isi Sofele, who ran for over 105 yards per game, and WR Keenan Allen, who had 105 receiving yards per game.? They?ll be facing a Texas defense that has been very good all season.? They finished in the top 15 in rushing defense, pass efficiency defense and scoring defense.? They have had bad outings this year, including the regular season finale.? They?ll be looking for redemption and will want to prove that this is one of the better defenses in the country.

Edge: Texas

Texas Offense vs. California Defense

The Longhorns have been well balanced all season, but that can be deceiving.? They averaged just over 400 yards per game and while they ran for over 210 yards per game, they were only able to throw for 194 yards per contest, which was only 85^th nationally.? David Ash and Case McCoy have both had shots at quarterback and McCoy seems to have become the man to lead the offense and there have been growing pains.? The Longhorns have had a running back by committee this season led by Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron.? Jaxon Shipley is the leading receiver, but he has under five receptions per game.? California?s defense has been fairly good finishing just outside the top 25 in total defense.? But they have had a tendency to give up points, as the Golden Bears have given up more the 30 points seven times this season.? This matchup is too close to call as both units have been OK and nothing more.

Who will win the 2011 Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl?

California
Texas

Total votes: 0

Edge: Even

Special Teams

Each team has an area of strength here that they?ll be looking to exploit in San Diego.? For California, they have had one of the stronger kicking games in the nation this year.? P Bryan Anger averaged over 44 yards per kick and K Giorgio Tavecchio finished tied for 11^th in FG per game.? For Texas, they finished eighth in the nation in punt returns and 18^th in kickoff returns.? Either unit has a chance to make a big impact in what should be a tight contest.

Edge: Even

Coaching

Jeff Tedford has California back to his winning ways after a down year in 2010 and he has now guided the Golden Bears to their eighth bowl game in his 10 seasons, winning five of them.? Mack Brown has got Texas back to a winning season after suffering his first losing one in his 13 seasons as the head Longhorn.? He is still 100 games over .500 in Austin and has won two-thirds of the games in his career.

Edge: Texas

This and That

Both teams should be motivated as they are back in the postseason after missing out last year.? While California fans have the shorter trip, the Longhorns might have the crowd advantage as Texas fans will show up in droves no matter where the team plays.? Texas might also have motivation because with a good performance here, they could end the season in the final Top 25, something they could not say last season.

Edge: Texas

So, What Will Happen in the 2011 Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl

While California won three of its last four and Texas lost three of its last four, the Longhorns are the better team here this night.? While it won?t be an easy victory, Texas will continue its climb back toward the top of the Big 12 and use this game as a springboard for 2012.

Line: Texas by 3

The Sports Mac Prediction: Texas 24, California 17

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/998766-2011-bridgepoint-education-holiday-bowl-preview-from-the-sports-mac

neverland shaun white phoebe prince marlins marlins kourtney kardashian pregnant kourtney kardashian pregnant

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

A Little Help from His Friends (TIME)

Share With Friends:

| Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/179453992?client_source=feed&format=rss

david lee roth joe bodolai ben nelson haywire extreme couponing taylor lautner timberwolves

Thumbs Up Canada: Merry Christmas

It's that time of the year again!

It's Christmas time! ?:)

I wish each and everyone a very Merry Christmas. I hope you are feeling loved and are with people that you care for and love - family, friends, partners, chosen families, etc. If you are spending it alone, I hope you are still able to find comfort and joy in being alone. Sometimes it's great to be alone!

Oh, by the way, I read this article on the DailyMail about elderly people spending Christmas time alone. Here's the link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2078261/250-000-elderly-people-ll-spending-Christmas-alone.html

So, I will be in Mexico City for a couple of weeks. I will try to upload some pictures when I am there athough I really want to take the opportunity to spend it with people I love so I may not be able to post pictures until I am back. We'll see... Although I will be mostly with friends, I also want to spend some time with myself ?some alone time! :) A lot has happened to my life this year. I want to spend part of this holiday vacation to do some self-reflection and meditation.

Anyway, I wish each and everyone of us a 2012 full of happiness, success, love, and all things amazing and wonderful! :)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/dUXza/~3/gXnuse7m8sM/merry-christmas.html

storm in alaska asteroid eric johnson eric johnson russell pearce russell pearce emergency alert system

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Brees draws confidence from coach, Saints

NEW ORLEANS ? Ever since Drew Brees arrived in the Big Easy, he?s made playing quarterback in the NFL look easy.

Brees has 27,698 passing yards since arriving in New Orleans in 2006, more than any other NFL quarterback during that span.

Before that, though, he had never thrown for as many as 4,000 yards in a season, and spent much of his first five years in the NFL looking over his shoulder in San Diego.

?We had experienced success in San Diego in my last two years there, but I just never got the feeling that everybody there was all in with me,? Brees said last week as he prepared for tonight?s meeting with Atlanta.

Brees now believes he needed what Matt Ryan has had since being drafted by the Falcons in 2008 ? the full and unwavering support of not just his head coach, but the entire organization.

Brees found that in New Orleans, which in the months after Hurricane Katrina needed someone like him ? someone with something to prove ? as much as he needed a team that believed he could be the cornerstone of its success.

?It was nice to ? walk into an organization where I just got the feeling like everybody believed in me,? Brees said. ?Sometimes that?s all you need. All you need is somebody to believe in you and then, obviously, my mindset was I?m not going to let these guys down. They have a lot invested in me, so I want to prove them right.?

He?s certainly done that.

Brees has thrown for no fewer than 4,388 yards in a single season with New Orleans. In 2008, he threatened Dan Marino?s 1984 single-season passing yards record of 5,084, finishing with 5,069. In 2009, Brees set an NFL record for single-season completion percentage with 70.6 while leading the Saints to their first Super Bowl, in which Brees was selected MVP.

This season, Brees is completing 71.5 percent of his passes, threatening his own record, and with two games left is only 305 passing yards away from breaking Marino?s mark.

Although Ryan is not quite operating on Brees? level, he has done just what Atlanta needed lately to keep New Orleans from running away with the NFC South.

Ryan passed for 320 yards in a win at Carolina two weeks ago. In a lopsided victory over Jacksonville, he completed 73 percent of his passes (19 of 26) for 224 yards.

If the Falcons pull out a win, they?ll clinch a wild card and remain in the hunt to defend their NFC South title. The Saints would wrap up their second division crown in three seasons if they win.

Oddsmakers have made the Saints 7-point favorites, which is understandable, given that Brees is in the midst of one of the greatest seasons an NFL quarterback has ever had.

In reflecting on his remarkable run in New Orleans, Brees was quick to give much credit to coach Sean Payton.

?He brought out a confidence in me that I didn?t have before,? Brees said of Payton. ?I?ve always been a really confident guy, but I think there were certain things that might not have ever come out unless I was with him.

?Obviously this (offensive) system allows us to do some pretty cool stuff,? Brees continued. ?We?ve got a lot of great skill position players that you just get the ball in their hands, they can do something special with it. And an offensive line that has been one of the most consistent in the league, I believe, over the past six years, even though there have been some different faces.?

Source: http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20111226/SPORTS20/312269946/1008/SPORTS

lakers rumors kellie pickler alfa romeo giulietta alfa romeo giulietta xbox update xbox update nba schedule

[OOC] RotG Lore: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Welcome to the "Roots of the Genesis" Lore on Nixae

This is an informational topic explaining about the dangerous enemies feared by the faeries, known as the nixae (nixi in singular form). These shadow beings deserve its own lore thread, and must be known to all faeries before adventuring into the mysterious lands and caves within Kiden. This lore thread will update according to the discovery of more nixae in the roleplays.

Past and Current RotG Roleplays

The world of Kiden is not one without monsters. Among those monsters are the feared nixae, the spawns of the shadow lands. Created by the figures representing the Darkness, these monsters hate light in general. Some will react painfully towards light, while others are just plain irritated by it. These beings can be spawned near the presence of true darkness, as long as either type of dark is shrouded over the area. The only time a figure of Darkness will spawn beings of their own is when they are needed for a planned raid, called a Shadow Invasion, against the faeries and the giant tree. Each type of dark spawn is from one of the nine figures of Darkness, all based on a certain theme. The people of Kiden must work together to fight the creatures of Darkness, and defend the sacred tree for everlasting life.

Types of Nixae

Dauhan
- Dauhans are considered the most simplistic form of a nixi, due to their body structures being a huge resemblance to the Hymas of either gender.
- Appearances vary on each Dauhan individual. They can have different genders, clothes, hairstyles, body builds, etc. They lack antennae of the Hymas, but have stapled features that define them as a nixi. The skin color of a Dauhan is pitch-black, their hair color is white, and their eye color is red.
- The one thing people will recognize immediately is their blank and emotionless faces. They are silent, and rarely make gestures. Their silence, however, makes them unable to cast magic.
- Their skin reacts violently toward sunlight, hurting them. One of the basic weaknesses of a nixi.
- Dauhans are commonly found in underground caves or near cave entrances. In rare cases, they can be found outside at night or during Rumiaury.
- Dauhans are usually seen wandering or working (like mining, pushing carts, making equipment, patrolling, etc.). They are generally aggressive, attacking any faery they see.
- They're the most common type seen in Shadow Invasions, because Dauhans have knowledge of wielding various weapons and tools. They make decent soldiers in big numbers.
- Dauhans might as well be the main infantry working for the shadows, but each one of them offers a horrifying expression on their faces: a feeling of nothing.

Berzerkr
- The Berzerkrs are fearsome giants bent on destroying any living being or object in their path. They are feared among common warriors, and can be dealt with by much more experienced fighters.
- A Berzerkr resembles a huge, fat ogre with a gray skin tone. There are bloody bandages wrapped around their bodies and a metal mask that covers their faces, only leaving a thin visor line and a few holes around the mouth area. Some Berzerkrs wear blood-stained, broken shackles on their arms, and only a few carry around a big, blunt weapon of some sort with them.
- Berzerkrs exhale fumes of darkness out of their masks. When fighting against faeries, they usually yell and scream in anger.
- These monsters are quite rare, even in the underground caves where most nixae are found at. When found, they will easily attack back.
- Berzerkrs under sunlight is a very rare case. It still hurts them, though. When such a case happens, they will begin destroying everything around them until the sunlight weakens them or found refuge from the light.
- One of the good facts about those giant nixae is that they are mindless. There are attempts by faeries to tame them, and most actually succeed.
- This type of nixi in the wilderness is a rare case, but they are quite frequent in Shadow Invasions. These ogres are the brute forces of the attack, as they can easily destroy city walls, towers, buildings, siege defenses, and groups of soldiers.
- One of their abilities, when angered enough, is to let out a violent roar, blowing away objects and people. Upon using this ability will break the mouth part of the mask, revealing their bloody mouths.
- Some say the Berzerkr represents the destructive nature of Darkness.

Reppalvarine
- Dare I say it? The Token Loli of the nixi types. They can look like innocent little girls, but they are still affiliated with Darkness.
- The Reppalvarines' overall appearances have a monochromatic tone. Their skin is white, hair color is black, eye color is black as well, dresses are white, etc. They vary in types of dresses, and some might have socks and dress shoes. Regardless, they will always have that monochrome look. A dangerous feature about them is their very sharp, deadly claws.
- Reppalvarines are always seen happy, whether it be smiling, laughing, or giggling. They just only want some fun.
- During the day, most are inside the underground caves. When the night time comes, the nixae come out and play around in areas like forests and swamps.
- Their skin does not react violently towards sunlight, but they hate being in places that are too bright.
- Unlike most nixi types, Reppalvarines are one of the two creature types that can communicate with faeries. Unfortunately, because of their nature, they're very stubborn and will only want to play.
- Reppalvarines aren't generally spawned for Shadow Invasion purposes. When there is a raid on a faery city, a couple of Reppalvarines would likely come there to seek joy.
- When Reppalvarines feel threatened or attempt to attack, they primarily pounce on their targets and shred their chests or faces with their own claws.
- Upon being provoked too much, they will start crying and enter a very dangerous state. Reppalvarines spawn huge black spikes out of their backs that act as spider legs. Upon spawning them, it loses large amounts of black blood and will eventually die. Before death, they will tear up the provoker and any being, faery or nixi, near them.
- The little Reppalvarines can express feelings depending on situation and act innocent at times, but they know no morals. Not that they ever will, since they belong to the Darkness.

??????r??????n???
- The ??????r??????n???s and their love songs... were they singing about each victim they meet?

B??????????n????????h?e?????
- If there is anything that defines fear, the B??????????n????????h?e????? just might fit that term.

????t?????a???l??k?????????r????

C?????????o????v????????s???

????h???i?????????l????????a???

D????e??m????????n???t????o??s???

Information may be updated at anytime. Also, some may be subject to change.

World of Kiden and "Roots of the Genesis" ? 2011
This material belongs to wamken619 and CiksKayVolts and Lucaris.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/WnFIcU1GtcE/viewtopic.php

robert schuller guy fawkes day jesse ventura stevie williams steve williams koch brothers dash diet

Monday, December 26, 2011

wbaltv11: NCAA Hoops: Wagner Stuns No. 13 Pitt http://t.co/izUamLg8 http://t.co/97pzY2n3

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

NCAA Hoops: Wagner Stuns No. 13 Pitt dlvr.it/11yHZC wbaltv.com Il y a environ 6 heures via dlvr.it Retweeted by 1 person

wbaltv11

wbaltv.com

Pied de page

Source: http://twitter.com/wbaltv11/statuses/150478096997425152

ponder loretta lynn extract extract bobby jindal bobby jindal talladega

NFL scouts have eyes on some Tigers

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Source: clemson.greenvilleonline.com --- Sunday, December 25, 2011
Pro scouts attending the Discover Orange Bowl won?t be lounging around the talent pool. It?s barely deep enough to wet ... ...

Source: http://clemson.greenvilleonline.com/content/story/11339/nfl-scouts-have-eyes-on-some-tigers/

james garner veteran aircraft carrier apocalypse now happy veterans day happy veterans day brian eno

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Daily App Deals: Get Camera360 Ultimate for Android for Free in Today's App Deals [Deals]

Daily App Deals: Get Camera360 Ultimate for Android for Free in Today's App Deals The Daily App Deals post is a round-up of the best app discounts of the day, as well as some notable mentions for ones that are on sale.

The Best

Daily App Deals: Get Camera360 Ultimate for Android for Free in Today's App Deals Camera360 Ultimate (Android Market) Previously $3.99, now Free. Camera360 Ultimate for Android is a camera app that features scenery and funny modes, along with several effects, including the popular HDR effect. The app also lets you share your creations to Facebook and Twitter. Get it for Free. (via apps-aholic)

Free

iOS

Windows

The Rest

iOS

Android

Windows

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/9y60vjZqL9A/daily-app-deals-get-camera360-ultimate-for-android-for-free-in-todays-app-deals

boise state anencephaly texans jordans houston texans houston texans prometheus movie

Friday, December 16, 2011

Video: Macy's CEO Bullish on Men's Retail

Insight on how Macy's is doing this holiday season and what's ahead in 2012, with Terry Lundgren, chairman, president & CEO, and Mad Money host Jim Cramer. "We're hitting the ball out of the park in every category of our organization," he says. He also...

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/45690889/

al davis edmund fitzgerald vincent brown vincent brown willow smith tom bradley tom bradley

Italy 5-year auction yields soar to record 6.47 percent (Reuters)

MILAN (Reuters) ? Italy paid a euro era record yield of 6.47 percent to sell five-year paper at its first auction of longer-term debt after the EU moved towards greater fiscal integration at last week's summit, but failed to convince markets it can solve the debt crisis.

The average yield at Wednesday's sale compares with an auction rate of 6.29 percent Italy paid a month ago, which was also a euro lifetime record high.

Rome sold 3 billion euros of the September 2016 BTP bond, the top of an unusually small range of 2 billion to 3 billion euros for the sale.

Italy has trimmed the size of its auctions in reaction to market pressure but it will have to step up issuance in coming months if it is to meet a gross funding goal of around 440 billion euros next year.

(Reporting by Valentina Za)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111214/bs_nm/us_italy_bonds_auction

alton brown weather los angeles caleb hanie nascar bcs standings 2011 rhodes scholarship rhodes scholarship

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Dan Walters: Jerry Brown's tax plan tries easy political route (Sacramento Bee)

Share With Friends:

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/170892875?client_source=feed&format=rss

andrew mason once in a blue moon gwar guitarist gwar guitarist tower heist daylight savings time humpback whale

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Mugger left bloodied after attempt on MMA fighter

NBCChicago.com

Chicago police say Anthony Miranda tried to rob an MMA fighter.

By NBCChicago.com

CHICAGO -- A convicted felon decided to mug an MMA fighter on the Southwest Side of Chicago, police say, and ended up paying a steep price.

Police did not release the victim's name but said he was able to ward off Anthony Miranda, 24, who ended up with two black eyes and a gunshot wound to the ankle after a tussle.

The victim was sitting in his parked car near 55th St. and Kenneth when Anthony Miranda, 24, walked up to the car asking for a lighter, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

When the victim did not have one, Miranda pulled out a handgun and demanded money, police officials said. He then demanded the victim get out of the car.

Read original story on NBCChicago.com

At some point, the victim was able to grab control of the gun while Miranda's attention was diverted. The two men wrestled on the ground and during the fight, Miranda accidentally discharged his gun, shooting himself in the ankle, police said.

The victim was able to pin down Miranda until police arrived and later told officials he was a martial arts expert and ultimate fighting champion.

Miranda was taken to Holy Cross Hospital with a face full of cuts and two black eyes, police said. He has been charged with armed robbery and aggravated discharge of a firearm, a class X felony.

Records show Miranda has several convictions, including at least one for a residential burglary. He was ordered held on $350,000 bond Sunday.

Read more content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/06/9246414-mugger-left-bloodied-after-attempt-on-mma-fighter

spanier jorge posada walmart black friday ad walmart black friday ad rick perry gaffe rick perry gaffe graham spanier

Reyes, Marlins agree to $106M deal

FILE - In this Sept. 29, 2010, file photo, New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes reacts after hitting a double during the first game of a baseball doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field in New York. A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that Reyes and the Miami Marlins have agreed to a $106 million, six-year contract. The deal includes a club option for a seventh season that, if exercised, would make it worth $120 million. The person spoke Sunday Dec. 4, 2011 on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

DALLAS (AP) ? All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes and the Miami Marlins provided quite a warmup for the winter meetings.

A day before the annual swap session officially began, the NL batting champion and the Marlins reached agreement on a $106 million, six-year deal, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Sunday night.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the free-agent deal had not yet been announced.

The 28-year-old Reyes had spent his entire career with the New York Mets. But the Marlins courted him hard, even though they already had All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez. Reyes will join another key free-agent acquisition, All-Star closer Heath Bell, when the Marlins move into their new ballpark next year.

Reyes, Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder were the top free agents available going into the weekend, all with a chance of finding a landing spot for the future. Gil Hodges, Ron Santo and Minnie Minoso could lock up a legacy forever this week.

Baseball's four-day gathering starts in earnest Monday, and speculation about more moves was rampant.

Will the New York Yankees work out a swap for Cubs pitcher Matt Garza? Will some bullpen add A's All-Star closer Andrew Bailey? Will C.J. Wilson or Mark Buehrle strike riches?

A couple of trades have already been made since Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series. Huge swaps, not yet.

Going into the weekend, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson had a theory on why there had been a lack of movement.

"It may have something to do with the top free agents not having moved, Pujols and Fielder and Jose Reyes," Alderson said then. "It may just be the tension ? not the tension, but the dynamic between clubs and free agents. The free agents would like to think that a certain market exists. And the clubs, at this point, are holding out some hope that that market doesn't exist."

"But it can all change in three days in Dallas," he said.

As Alderson's team discovered, it can happen even faster than that.

Surely, there were other general managers itching to get busy. Six teams have hired new GMs, and Houston will become the seventh.

A big name who will be available, if any team wants to take the risk: Manny Ramirez.

Major League Baseball announced Sunday the All-Star slugger had applied to be reinstated from the voluntary retired list and his drug suspension had been cut from 100 games to 50. MLB and the players' union agreed to trim the penalty because he sat out most of last season, when he played a week for Tampa Bay. He turns 40 in May and has 555 career home runs.

Detroit manager Jim Leyland was among the early arrivals Sunday at the 1,606-room Anatole, a familiar baseball site. The hotel is hosting the meetings for the sixth time ? inside its walls in 2000, more than a half-billion dollars was spent in a hurry as Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez and Mike Hampton each got nine-figure contracts.

Last year's meetings got off to a rousing start, too, when free-agent outfielder Jayson Werth and the Washington Nationals reached a $126 million, seven-year deal. The agreement came on a Sunday, a day before the official opening. In fact, workmen were still assembling the podium when the Nationals and agent Scott Boras walked into the press room to make the announcement.

Also in town early this year were former Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals president Stan Kasten, and Chicago White Sox special assistant Dennis Gilbert, both part of groups lining up to bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Kasten is aligned with former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson and investor Mark Walter in a group called Guggenheim Baseball Management. Gilbert, a former agent, is aligned with former talk show host Larry King and Jason Reese of Imperial Capital.

Earlier Sunday, representatives from MLB and the umpires' union met, and replay was a prominent subject. Baseball is still figuring out when and how to expand the system, with fair-or-foul calls and trapped balls likely to be reviewed next season. Also under discussion is how to pick umpires for extra wild-card playoff games that could occur as early as next year.

On Monday morning, history is at stake. The Hall of Fame's Veterans Committee will reveal whether it has elected any new members.

Hodges, Santo, Luis Tiant and Jim Kaat are on the 10-person Golden Era ballot covering 1947-72. The 16-member voting panel talked about the candidates Sunday and turned in the secret ballots. The announcement is set for 11 a.m. EST.

Minoso, Ken Boyer, Tony Oliva, Ron Santo, Charlie Finley and Buzzie Bavasi also are under consideration. It takes 75 percent for election, and those picked will be inducted into Cooperstown next July.

At next year's meetings in Nashville, Tenn., retired managers Tony La Russa, Joe Torre and Bobby Cox could gain election when the Expansion Era from 1973 on is considered.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-04-Winter%20Meetings/id-1eb7cb8c9d5d461b929925bc7876726a

lsu game lsu game animal house role models big ten championship game big ten championship game ultimate fighter 14

Monday, December 5, 2011

Late Red Sox clubhouse chief accused of '90s abuse

BOSTON (AP) ? Two more men are accusing a now-dead former Red Sox clubhouse manager of sexually abusing them.

Boston attorney Mitchell Garabedian says he has informed the Red Sox of the allegations and is asking for a $5 million settlement for each man.

The men were teenage clubhouse attendants in 1991 when they say Donald Fitzpatrick molested them in the clubhouse of Fenway Park. The statute of limitations has expired to file a lawsuit or seek criminal charges.

Fitzpatrick died in 2005. In 2003, the team settled a lawsuit with seven Florida men who said Fitzpatrick molested them during spring training beginning in the 1970s.

Garabedian said team lawyers have asked to meet with the two men. A message was left with Red Sox attorney Daniel Goldberg.

The allegations were first reported by The Boston Globe.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-05-Red%20Sox-Abuse%20Allegations/id-d59fda76980b43b1841423828e23e4f0

carlos the jackal pittsburgh steelers steelers namibia namibia hell on wheels hell on wheels

9 men deny plot to mount London bomb attacks (AP)

LONDON ? Nine men have denied plotting to launch bomb attacks on landmarks including Britain's Parliament and busy shopping areas.

The men were detained in several British cities Dec. 21 in the country's largest counterterrorism raids for two years.

The British suspects, aged between 20 and 29, pleaded not guilty Friday to preparing for acts of terrorism and conspiring to cause explosions.

Prosecutors accuse the men of agreeing on targets, discussing materials and methods, carrying out reconnaissance, attending operational meetings and downloading and researching files "containing practical instruction for a terrorist attack."

Several also are accused of having copies of the al-Qaida magazine Inspire.

They are due to stand trial Jan. 23 at London's Woolwich Crown Court.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111202/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_terrorism

11 11 11 meaning miracle berry billy crystal veterans day thank you veterans day thank you nigel tufnel day black friday deals

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Rice University student in prank gone awry seeks donations (Reuters)

HOUSTON (Reuters) ? A Rice University student has started an online campaign called Save Duncan's Butt to help him pay for the $15,000 worth of school property he damaged with his derriere while streaking.

Rice junior Duncan Eddy's problems began on Halloween night, when he and a group of fellow students stripped, lathered themselves in shaving cream and stormed a campus library as part of a student tradition that involves leaving body prints on the library windows.

Eddy's trip to the library, however, ended with a shattered window and a bloody rear end. He is now seeking help from friends and Rice alumni to help him pay the bill.

"Quite simply, if I cannot raise the money, I will not be able to remain at Rice," he wrote on his website, saveduncansbutt.com. As of midday on Friday, the site had generated more than $8,000 and had been shared on Facebook more than 1,600 times.

For $20, donors receive a T-shirt commemorating the naked run.

"I would like to thank all of my friends from Baker, as well as the rest of the Rice community, who have been incredibly supportive during this stressful time - even if I have been the butt of a few asinine jokes," Eddy wrote on the website.

The streak, known as Baker 13, is named after one of the university's residential colleges and is held on the 13th and 31st of each month.

"The movement to support Duncan spread really fast," said Claire Garney, a Rice University junior in Baker College.

Ian Chmar, who is also a junior in Baker, contributed $50 to the campaign. He said he was Eddy's roommate last year and that he streaked with Eddy and some 200 others this Halloween.

"From what I hear, the university is cracking down on him pretty hard," Chmar told Reuters on Friday.

A similar incident happened in 2008 during Baker 13, and the student was charged $15,900, said B.J. Almond, a university spokesman.

Almond confirmed that Eddy has been charged $15,000, but he declined to comment further, saying that the university does not discuss student disciplinary matters. Eddy told Reuters in an e-mail he was not giving interviews.

"This whole thing has turned into a circus," he wrote. "Right now, I'm just trying to get through exams."

(Editing by Corrie MacLaggan and Cynthia Johnston)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111202/us_nm/us_student_prank_houston

rick perry gaffe graham spanier graham spanier penn state board of trustees joe pa joe pa brett ratner

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Chavez: New regional group revives Bolivar's dream

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, left, and Cuba's President Raul Castro raise hands prior to the inauguration ceremony of a summit by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, CELAC, in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday Dec. 2, 2011. The two-day, 33-nation summit welcomes nations from Brazil to Jamaica, adding one more bloc to a region with other smaller organizations like Unasur, Mercosur and the Caribbean Community. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, right, talks to Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez during the inauguration ceremony of the Latin American and Caribbean States Community, CELAC, summit in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. At back is Guatemala's President Alvaro Colom. The two-day, 33-nation summit welcomes nations from Brazil to Jamaica, adding one more bloc to a region with other smaller organizations like Unasur, Mercosur and the Caribbean Community. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Brazil?s President Dilma Rousseff, left, speaks with Venezuela?s President Hugo Chavez during an agreement signing ceremony at Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011. Rousseff is in Venezuela to attend the Latin American and Caribbean Community, CELAC, summit that starts Friday in Venezuela?s Capital. The woman at center is a translator. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

In this photo provided by Miraflores Presidential Press Office, Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez, left, stands with Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez in front of a painting of her late husband Nestor Kirchner after signing bilateral agreements at the presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011. (AP Photo/Miraflores Presidential Office)

Presidential guards stand at the entrance of the Teresa Carreno theater before the start of a presidential summit in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday Dec. 2, 2011. Presidents of Latin American and Caribbean nations will attend the Community of Latin American and Caribbean (CELAC) summit starting Friday in Caracas. The two-day, 33-nation summit welcomes nations from Brazil to Jamaica, adding one more bloc to a region with other smaller organizations like Unasur, Mercosur and the Caribbean Community. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ? South American independence hero Simon Bolivar once dreamed of unifying several nations as a counterweight to their powerful hemispheric neighbor, the United States.

Two centuries later, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez tapped into that legacy Friday as he hosted leaders from across the Americas at a two-day summit. Chavez described the new regional bloc that excludes the U.S. as a tribute to his idol Bolivar, saying the time has come to put an end to U.S. hegemony.

"Only unity will make us free," Chavez said to applause at the opening ceremony. "This is the path: Unity, unity, unity!"

He called it an achievement that Latin America has been seeking for 200 years, and shouted: "Viva Bolivar!"

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega echoed Chavez's sentiments, saying Latin American and Caribbean countries should ensure that the policy of U.S. intervention to protect the region's nations, declared by President James Monroe in 1823, is never revived.

"We are sentencing the Monroe Doctrine to death," Ortega said.

The 33-nation Community of Latin American and Caribbean States includes every country in Latin America and the Caribbean. Unlike the Washington-based Organization of American States, or OAS, it will have Cuba as a full member and exclude the U.S. and Canada.

Cuban President Raul Castro said that if it's successful, the creation of the new bloc known by its Spanish initials CELAC will be "the biggest event in 200 years."

"I'm sorry it isn't Fidel who is occupying the place that I am, because he is the one who deserves it," Castro said of his elder brother, who permanently stepped down from Cuba's presidency in 2008.

Castro condemned this year's NATO airstrikes in Libya as a crime and said Latin American and Caribbean nations should declare themselves a "territory of peace and free of foreign militaries."

Other Latin American leaders said they see CELAC as a forum to build closer economic and political relations across the region, but not as a platform for challenging U.S. policies.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon said it will be a group "to work in favor of unity and prosperity." Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who is a U.S. ally but also has friendly relations with Chavez, said that "CELAC isn't being born to be against anyone."

Daniel Restrepo, President Barack Obama's senior adviser on Latin America, told reporters in Miami that the U.S. government would watch to see what direction CELAC takes.

"There's one sector that wants an anti-American project, and that isn't sustainable. There are others who want to use it to face the challenges they have," Restrepo said.

At the summit, Chavez embraced leaders one-by-one, and later launched into a wide-ranging speech discussing poverty-reduction efforts as well as reading excerpts of Bolivar's letters and a passage from Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel "One Hundred Years of Solitude."

The summit was Chavez's international debut after months of cancer treatment that forced him to postpone the meeting originally scheduled for July.

Talking about his struggle with cancer, Chavez credited Fidel Castro with saving his life by insisting he undergo thorough medical tests that turned up a tumor during a June visit to Cuba.

Chavez said he had wanted to go ahead with the summit in July, but Castro had advised him: "You choose: the summit or your life. ... The summit can wait."

Following surgery to remove the tumor in his pelvic region, Chavez finished chemotherapy in September and declared himself to be cancer-free. He drew a standing ovation from the leaders when he referred to the recent cancer diagnosis of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, saying: "Lula will win that battle, too."

After initial speeches, the Venezuelan government treated the leaders to a concert by conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Outside the summit, small groups of Chavez opponents including university students put up protest signs on Caracas overpasses. Denouncing the country's high crime rate, some signs read: "Presidents, welcome to the crime capital." Police swiftly removed the signs.

Many leaders referred to Bolivar's legacy, including Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who focused on calling for a coordinated response to safeguard the region's growing economies from the global financial crisis.

"Together we can be stronger, together we can grow, and that should be beneficial for everyone," Rousseff said. "The economic, financial crisis should be at the center of our concerns."

Plans for the new organization, which grew out of the 24-nation Rio Group, have been in the works since a 2008 summit hosted by Silva.

Chavez has long sought inspiration in the legacy of Bolivar, who in the early 1800s served as president of Gran Colombia, a republic made up of much of northern South America and modern-day Panama until it broke up into individual states following years of dissent and political upheaval.

Chavez calls his political movement the Bolivarian Revolution and in 1999 promoted the approval of a new constitution that changed the country's name to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Last year, Chavez even oversaw the opening of Bolivar's coffin to re-examine the cause of his death, and the Venezuelan government is building a new mausoleum to house Bolivar's remains.

Bolivar was an admirer of the American Revolution, although he warned that the unrivaled power of the United States could eventually pose a threat to the young nations of Latin America that had won independence from Spain.

___

Associated Press writers Ian James and Jorge Rueda in Caracas and Gisela Salomon in Miami contributed to this report.

___

Christopher Toothaker on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ctoothaker

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-12-02-LT-Venezuela-Summit/id-dd5432917cc04a518b48aaf082fadad6

iraq war iraq war loma prieta loma prieta harold camping kim kardashian and kris humphries kim kardashian and kris humphries