Analysis: US overtures may lure Myanmar from China (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The first visit to Myanmar in a half-century by the top U.S. diplomat will open a door for that nation's military-dominated government to reduce its international isolation and dependence on China, a staunch but mistrusted ally.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to travel to Myanmar, also known as Burma, on Dec. 1-2, to meet with government and opposition leaders. It is the culmination of a two-year effort to engage with a repressive government the U.S. long had shunned.

Washington hopes to encourage further democratic reform rose after Myanmar staged elections last year that ushered in a government of civilians, albeit one dominated by a military structure that had directly ruled the country since 1962.

The new government also freed and began high-level talks with Nobel laureate and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Obama administration's diplomatic overtures have a strategic intent, too, of seeking to expand U.S. ties in economically vibrant Southeast Asia as a counter to the growing influence of China.

China has been an all-weather friend to its southern neighbor, Myanmar, and its ruling generals. After a bloody 1988 crackdown on democracy protesters that heralded Myanmar's descent into pariah status, China provided diplomatic support, investment and weaponry, while Western nations imposed tough economic, trade and political penalties.

Despite that backing, Myanmar's fiercely nationalistic leaders have an ingrained suspicion of China and are wary of becoming in thrall to another power. They have sought to balance China's influence by building ties with a neighbor to the west, India.

"Burma has always been uncomfortable with both of those relationships and wants to balance them with others," said Priscilla Clapp, who served as the top U.S. diplomat in the country between 1999 and 2002. "That's the choice they are making now."

She said that many of the older generation of army officers that now hold senior positions in the government first gained their military experience fighting insurgents who once controlled large tracts of the vast country's north, backed by China under then-ruler Mao Zedong.

China has long since ended that support. Its economic footprint has grown in the past two decades, particularly in the north of the country, through investments and exploitation of natural resources, such as oil, gas, minerals and timber.

The Chinese influence has bred resentment among the wider population, said Aung Din, a former political prisoner in Myanmar and now executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Burma.

Probably the single most significant decision made by the new government of President Thein Sein has been to suspend work on a massive, China-backed hydropower dam in northern Kachin State that would have yielded major revenues from electricity exports.

Thein Sein said the project, which would have flooded an extensive area and disrupted the flow of the nation's main Irrawaddy River, was against the will of the people.

His decision also sent a powerful signal at a time the U.S. was making energetic efforts to engage Thein Sein's government: Myanmar was not beholden to China.

Myanmar will have to do more to get what it really wants from Washington, which is the lifting of sanctions.

That would require the approval of Congress, where some influential lawmakers have strong personal interest in restoring democracy to Myanmar. The country will first need to fully reconcile with Suu Kyi, release its political prisoners and make peace with ethnic insurgents.

In the meantime, the Obama administration can reward progress with significant gestures.

Clinton's visit, the first by a U.S. secretary of state since John Foster Dulles in 1955, is a diplomatic boost to Thein Sein and rewards the tentative reforms he has initiated so far that could yet face resistance from hard-liners in the military establishment.

Clinton's visit also should strengthen the hand of Suu Kyi, who gave her green light for the trip and whose approval will be key to further U.S. steps to deepen ties with the government.

Even if Myanmar's government unclenches its fist to meet the extended hand that the Obama administration says it is offering, do not expect lightning political change.

Washington has welcomed the decision of Suu Kyi's party to contest coming by-elections after unfair regulations were amended. But even if it should fare well, her party will have limited leverage. The military-proxy party controls nearly 80 percent of the seats.

___

Online:

U.S. Campaign for Burma: http://uscampaignforburma.org

____

EDITOR'S NOTE ? Matthew Pennington covers U.S.-Asian affairs for The Associated Press.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111119/ap_on_an/us_us_myanmar_analysis

houston nutt peter marshall peter marshall zombie boy zombie boy harvard yale julia child

This resume article is a dynamic team player

If you?ve applied for a job recently, you?ve probably looked over that 8? x 11? summary of your career more times than you can count ? and tweaked it just as often ? in pursuit of the perfect resume.

But before you add another bullet point, consider this: It?s not always about what you add in ? the best changes you can make may lie in what you take out.

The average resume is chock-full of sorely outdated, essentially meaningless phrases that take up valuable space on the page. Eliminate them, and you?ll come off as a better, more substantial candidate ? and your resume won?t smack of that same generic, mind-numbing quality found on everyone else?s.

Forbes.com: Visible tattoos and other corporate no-nos

Every word ? yes, every word ? on that page should be working hard to highlight your talents and skills. If it?s not, it shouldn?t be on there. So grab a red pen, and banish these words from your resume for good.

Career objective
My first few resumes had a statement like this emblazoned top and center: ?Career objective: To obtain a position as a (insert job title here) that leverages my skills and experience as well as provides a challenging environment that promotes growth.?

Yawn. This is not only boring, it?s ineffective (and sounds a little juvenile, to boot). The top of your resume is prime real estate, and it needs to grab a hiring manager?s attention with a list of your top accomplishments, not a summary of what you hope to get out of your next position.

Forbes.com: Best cities for women in business

Experienced
You can be ?experienced? in something after you?ve done it once ? or every day for the past 10 years. So drop this nebulous term and be specific. If, for example, you?re a Client Report Specialist, using a phrase such as ?Experienced in developing client reports? is both vague and redundant. But sharing that you ?Created five customized weekly reports to analyze repeat client sales activity? ? now that gives the reader a better idea of where exactly this so-called experience lies, with some actual results attached.

Also eliminate: seasoned, well-versed

Team player
If you?ve ever created an online dating profile, you know that you don?t just say that you?re nice and funny ? you craft a fun, witty profile that shows it. Same goes for your resume: It?s much more effective to list activities or accomplishments that portray your good qualities in action than to simply claim to have them.

Forbes.com: Best-paying work-at-home jobs

Instead of ?team player,? say ?Led project team of 10 to develop a new system for distributing reports that reduced the time for managers to receive reports by 25 percent.? Using a specific example, you show what you can actually accomplish. But simply labeling yourself with a quality? Not so much.

Also eliminate: people person, customer-focused

Dynamic
While resumes are meant to highlight your best attributes, some personality traits are better left to the hiring manager to decide upon for herself. There is a difference between appropriately and accurately describing your work skills and just tooting your own horn. Plus, even the most introverted wallflower will claim to be ?dynamic? on a piece of paper because, well, why not? When it comes to resumes, keep the content quantifiable, show tangible results and successes, and wait until the interview to show off your ?dynamism,? ?enthusiasm,? or ?energy.?

Forbes.com: Ten cliches to ditch on the job market

Also eliminate: energetic, enthusiastic

References available upon request
All this phrase really does is take up valuable space. If a company wants to hire you, they will ask you for references ? and they will assume that you have them. There?s no need to address the obvious (and doing so might even make you look a little presumptuous!). Use the space to give more details about your talents and accomplishments instead.

In a crummy job market with a record number of people applying for the same positions, it takes more than a list of desirable-sounding qualities to warrant an interview. Specific examples pack a punch, whereas anything too dependent on a list of buzzwords will sound just like everyone else?s cookie-cutter resume. So, give your resume a good once-over, and make sure every word on that page is working hard for you.

Forbes.com: Nine types of coworkers to avoid

? 2011 Forbes.com

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45279330/ns/business-careers/

the music man nfl nfl steve smith weather san antonio weather san antonio jerry brown

Penn State scandal "opens wound" in Catholic Church (Reuters)

BALTIMORE (Reuters) ? The top U.S. Catholic bishop said on Monday that a child sex abuse scandal at Penn State University "opens a wound" within the church, which remains scarred from its own similar controversies and cover-ups.

"We know what you're going through," Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, told a news conference in Baltimore where hundreds of bishops have gathered for their national meeting.

Dolan declined to offer advice to Penn State University on how to deal with its scandal, because the church "has not been a good example of how to deal with this in the past," he said. "No one has suffered more than the Catholic community."

"Whenever this issue has come into public view again as it has with Penn State, it opens a wound," Dolan said."

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was charged on November 5 with sexually abusing eight boys over more than a decade. Two university officials have also been charged with failing to tell police when a graduate assistant told them he saw Sandusky raping a boy in a campus shower.

The Penn State scandal has drawn comparisons to the child abuse controversies that rocked the Catholic Church, whose top officials were also accused of a decades-long cover-up of the abuse of children by priests.

The U.S. Catholic Church has paid out some $2 billion in settlements to victims, bankrupting a handful of dioceses.

Dolan said the Penn State scandal was proof that sex abuse was "widespread" and not associated with a particular faith. "One of the things we've learned is, tragically, it's people who have earned positions of trust," he said.

Before becoming archbishop of New York, Dolan served as archbishop of Milwaukee, following a large sex abuse scandal there. At a previous post as bishop of St. Louis, Dolan also dealt with sex abuse allegations within that diocese. (Editing by Michelle Nichols and Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111114/us_nm/us_usa_crime_coach_church

ahava kelly cutrone kelly cutrone bill buckner dancing with the stars 2011 dwts christmas island

Merkel wants change to EU charter by end 2012: sources (Reuters)

BERLIN (Reuters) ? German Chancellor Angela Merkel is seeking to speed up reform of the European Union treaty and wants all 27 EU member states to give their approval by the end of 2012, government sources said on Sunday.

Merkel won a victory last month in getting the EU to consider amending the Lisbon treaty, which took more than eight years to negotiate, arguing it was necessary if the bloc was to set up a permanent system for handling financial crises.

Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council, is due to report back in December on how limited treaty change proposals might be carried out. The initial aim was to get the amendments ratified by all member states by mid-2013.

Now Germany wants concrete proposals to be ready at the latest by spring 2012, so that a so-called government convention can be agreed.

"The government is pushing for a limited amendment to the treaty to allow greater influence over states that bust budget rules and agreed obligations on stability and consolidation," a source told Reuters. "This should be done and dusted by the end of 2012."

Many of the EU's 27 member states are opposed to altering a charter which they struggled to ratify and fear difficult referendums on further change.

Some states also believe more stringent action can be taken against profligate euro zone members without changing the charter.

Merkel has suggested she would like to see the EU have the right to interfere in national budgets in extreme cases where euro zone stability is put at risk. But Germany has stopped short of that in its proposals and asks rather for sanctions for those that breach deficit rules to be written into the treaty.

This would involve the right to challenge states at the European Court, to have their budgets declared void, without meddling further in the details.

Under the German proposals, the EU commission would also play a stronger role in monitoring budgets.

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111113/bs_nm/us_germany_eu_charter

papelbon kentucky basketball anita hill penn state football schedule carrier classic j edgar hoover j edgar hoover

Wearable defibrillator can prevent death in people with arrhythmias

Public release date: 13-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: AHA News Media Office
214-706-1396
American Heart Association

A wearable defibrillator can prevent sudden death in people with dangerous heart arrhythmias, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011.

Wearable cardioverter defibrillators are used by people who may be at higher risk for sudden cardiac arrest, including those with weakened heart function, awaiting cardiac transplant or with a condition that prevents or delays them from receiving an implanted defibrillator.

The device monitors heart rhythm, emits alarms if a serious arrhythmia occurs, delivers an electric shock to the heart if needed and alerts bystanders to help if the heart's electrical activity has stopped.

About 5,000 patients are using wearable defibrillators at any one time, usually for about 60 days, said Vincent N. Mosesso Jr., M.D., professor of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and principal investigator of the study.

"In these patients, the wearable defibrillator is a non-invasive 'insurance policy' against sudden arrest during their vulnerable period," he said.

Researchers gathered heart rhythm records and calls about shocks from a registry of 14,475 patients with wearable defibrillators listed from 2007 through 2009. Of those, 185 (about 1 percent) received an appropriate shock and 91.6 percent survived one or more episodes of ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia, the most common abnormal rhythms during cardiac arrest.

Wearable defibrillators delivered 223 inappropriate shocks to 213 people who weren't experiencing ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia. However, no one died as a result. Researchers attribute the inappropriate shocks to signal noise, rapid non-VT rhythms, and rhythm misinterpretation.

Only about 7 percent of people in the United States who have sudden cardiac arrest outside the hospital survive to hospital discharge, and only about 21 percent who have them in the hospital survive to discharge.

"This study confirms the effectiveness of very early defibrillation as therapy for sudden cardiac arrest in high-risk patients when delivered by a wearable defibrillator," Mosesso said. "These defibrillators provide patients the critical advantage of not having to wait for a bystander or emergency responder to recognize the cardiac arrest and use an automated external defibrillator or manual defibrillator both of which can lead to delays in treatment and markedly worse survival rates."

###

Co-authors are: Jie Li, M.S.; Douglas Landsittel, Ph.D. and Leonard I. Ganz, M.D. Author disclosures are on the abstract.

ZOLL LifeCor of Pittsburgh, which makes the wearable defibrillator used in the study, funded the research.

Statements and conclusions of study authors that are presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The association makes no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at www.heart.org/corporatefunding.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 13-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: AHA News Media Office
214-706-1396
American Heart Association

A wearable defibrillator can prevent sudden death in people with dangerous heart arrhythmias, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011.

Wearable cardioverter defibrillators are used by people who may be at higher risk for sudden cardiac arrest, including those with weakened heart function, awaiting cardiac transplant or with a condition that prevents or delays them from receiving an implanted defibrillator.

The device monitors heart rhythm, emits alarms if a serious arrhythmia occurs, delivers an electric shock to the heart if needed and alerts bystanders to help if the heart's electrical activity has stopped.

About 5,000 patients are using wearable defibrillators at any one time, usually for about 60 days, said Vincent N. Mosesso Jr., M.D., professor of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and principal investigator of the study.

"In these patients, the wearable defibrillator is a non-invasive 'insurance policy' against sudden arrest during their vulnerable period," he said.

Researchers gathered heart rhythm records and calls about shocks from a registry of 14,475 patients with wearable defibrillators listed from 2007 through 2009. Of those, 185 (about 1 percent) received an appropriate shock and 91.6 percent survived one or more episodes of ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia, the most common abnormal rhythms during cardiac arrest.

Wearable defibrillators delivered 223 inappropriate shocks to 213 people who weren't experiencing ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia. However, no one died as a result. Researchers attribute the inappropriate shocks to signal noise, rapid non-VT rhythms, and rhythm misinterpretation.

Only about 7 percent of people in the United States who have sudden cardiac arrest outside the hospital survive to hospital discharge, and only about 21 percent who have them in the hospital survive to discharge.

"This study confirms the effectiveness of very early defibrillation as therapy for sudden cardiac arrest in high-risk patients when delivered by a wearable defibrillator," Mosesso said. "These defibrillators provide patients the critical advantage of not having to wait for a bystander or emergency responder to recognize the cardiac arrest and use an automated external defibrillator or manual defibrillator both of which can lead to delays in treatment and markedly worse survival rates."

###

Co-authors are: Jie Li, M.S.; Douglas Landsittel, Ph.D. and Leonard I. Ganz, M.D. Author disclosures are on the abstract.

ZOLL LifeCor of Pittsburgh, which makes the wearable defibrillator used in the study, funded the research.

Statements and conclusions of study authors that are presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The association makes no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at www.heart.org/corporatefunding.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/aha-wdc110311.php

radiohead tour cbsnews ufc on fox fight card duke basketball whitney duncan florida marlins ncaa basketball

Berlusconi ally won't back a Monti govt in Italy (AP)

ROME ? Economist Mario Monti won some pledges of support Sunday to lead a new technocratic government to rescue Italy from the brink of financial disaster, but not from the Northern League, the party that represents Italy's productive north.

President Giorgio Napolitano, who was talking Sunday with all party leaders, could tap Monti as soon as Sunday evening, just 24 hours after former Premier Silvio Berlusconi resigned.

After days of being pummeled by international investors skittish about Italy's massive debts, Italy faces severe pressure from the financial markets to have a new government before markets open.

Umberto Bossi, the longtime ally of Berlusconi, said his Northern League party won't back any Monti-led government "for now." Bossi told reporters he informed Napolitano that his party, whose support kept Berlusconi's conservative coalition in power in three governments, will be a "vigilant" opposition to any Monti government until the economist spells out his program to rescue Italy's troubled economy.

"For now, we said, 'no.' Then we'll see the program and decide, time by time" whether to lend support on specific legislation, Bossi said, whose party had been demanding early elections instead.

Whoever leads Italy faces a monumental task: an Italian default could tear apart the coalition of 17 countries that use the euro and deal a strong blow to the economies of Europe and the U.S., which are trying to avoid new recessions.

In addition, the Italian economy ? the third largest in the 17-nation eurozone after Germany and France ? is considered too big for Europe to bail out like it did Greece, Portugal and Ireland. It totals $2 trillion, more than twice as much as the other three bailout countries combined.

The next Italian government needs to push through even more painful reforms and austerity measures to deal with Italy's staggering debts, which stand at euro 1.9 trillion ($2.6 trillion), or a huge 120 percent of economic output. In addition, Italy has to roll over more than euro300 billion ($410 billion) of its debts next year alone.

The yield on benchmark Italian 10-year bonds fell to 6.48 percent Friday, below the crisis level of 7 percent reached earlier this week, the same rate that forced other EU nations into international bailouts.

Most centrists and center-left parties in the opposition have pledged their support for a Monti government, saying the former European Union competition commissioner has the moral authority and economic know-how to finally start Italy on the long-delayed structural reforms of its economy.

Monti was reserved Sunday as he and his wife headed to church in Rome. Asked whether he was excited at the prospect of being Italy's next premier, he responded: "Have you noticed what a beautiful day it is?"

Roberto Maroni, a founder of the Northern League, said he personally esteems Monti.

"But Parliament must have the guarantee of an opposition," Maroni told Italy's Sky TG24 TV in an interview. Otherwise it won't be a democratic parliament."

Pressured for days by the markets, which lost faith in the once charismatic Berlusconi, the 75-year-old media mogul stepped down Saturday night after anti-crisis measures won final approval in Parliament. He slipped out of the presidential palace through a side door after handing Napolitano his resignation, as a hecklers jeered in the square outside the main entrance.

Maroni said he spoke with Berlusconi Saturday night and found him "very tried, physically tired. But he is always a great fighter."

"It was an ugly show to see. People spitting, throwing" objects, Maroni said of the hecklers.

"This phase is over, a blank page is being opened," Maroni said, holding out hope that the League and Berlusconi's forces might again join in a future political coalition.

The League is pressing for elections earlier than their spring 2013 due date.

Several leaders in Berlusconi's own conservative party have openly said they either want the outgoing premier's political heir, Angelino Alfano, or some Italian veteran politician like former premier Lamberto Dini. Others in Berlusconi's party are demanding elections now.

Berlusconi's longtime nemesis, former anti-corruption prosecutor Antonio Di Pietro said his small Italy of Values Party would be willing to back a strictly "technocrat" government with no politicians in the cabinet "to respond to the (economic) emergency and give back this country its credibility."

Without mention Monti by name, Di Pietro insisted after meeting with Napolitano that elections must be held as soon as possible. But, he acknowledged, "in these hours of emergency, it's very hard" to carry out an electoral campaign.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111113/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_italy_financial_crisis

national grid andrew luck andrew luck day light savings time 2011 hocus pocus hocus pocus bj penn

Religion Doesn?t Make People Immoral, Being Human Does

DW: Let me put it this way. In one sense, there are no winners for such a debate because there?s so much evidence to go around. How you massage the facts depends on where you stand. If you judge by the votes, my sense is that the temper of the times among the people who come to such debates is that religion is a negative force. I think we?re fighting an uphill battle. I?ve sort of come to believe that people who are religious tend not to come to such debates, and that people who are opposed to religion come to see religion take a proper bashing. My guess is that in New York, we?re going start off at a disadvantage. Whether we?ll be able to make up some ground, I don?t know.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=226ff39dd8198450ad100fcd71ae2625

dexter mccluster dexter mccluster david beckham maurice sendak tyche tyche jejune

Mario Monti emerges as favorite to lead Italy (Reuters)

ROME (Reuters) ? Former European Commissioner Mario Monti emerged on Thursday as favorite to replace Silvio Berlusconi and form a new government to stave off a run on Italian bonds that is endangering the entire euro zone.

Monti, a highly respected international figure, has been pushed by markets for weeks as the most suitable figure to lead a national unity government that will urgently push through painful austerity measures.

In a key development on Thursday, Berlusconi's ruling PDL party softened its insistence on early elections as the way out of a deep political crisis and said it was considering the option of a Monti-led government.

President Giorgio Napolitano appointed Monti a senator for life on Wednesday, in a move widely seen as a sign he would ask the academic to try to form a broad-based government as soon as Berlusconi goes within the next few days.

With Italy's borrowing costs now clearly deep in the danger zone, support for a national unity government appeared to be gaining support among members of the PDL with Foreign Minister Franco Frattini indicating cautious support.

"The PDL can't just follow the cry for elections from the hard core in support of going to the polls. There's a national interest, which comes before anything," he said in an interview with the Corriere della Sera daily.

The head of the PDL's parliamentary group, Fabrizio Cicchitto told Reuters the party was discussing the two options of pressing for elections or supporting a Monti-led government but had not yet reached a decision.

"There's a discussion going on. We have to decide whether to support elections or a Monti government," he told Reuters. "We haven't yet untied the knot."

The next test of market sentiment is due later on Thursday, when the Treasury is due to offer up to 5 billion euros of 12 month Treasury bills (BOTs). On Wednesday, yields on the 12 month BOTs were over a red line of 7 percent.

IMF head Christine Lagarde added her voice to calls for an end to the impasse, saying that lack of political clarity in Italy was fuelling uncertainty in the markets.

In a highly unusual step, the sober business daily Il Sole 24 Ore carried a huge banner headline reading: "Hurry Up," in a call to Italy's political class to forget their own interests and save the country.

Napolitano tried desperately to calm markets on Wednesday after Italy's borrowing costs reached levels that could close its access to market funding, a development which would threaten the future of the euro zone.

He gave assurances that Berlusconi would honor his pledge to step down after parliament approved reforms geared to placate markets. He would then waste no time in either appointing a new government or calling new elections, he said.

However market pressure on Italy continued with yields on its 10 year bonds at around 7.3 percent, around the levels seen when Ireland, Portugal and Greece were forced to seek a bailout.

TURNAROUND

Monti, 68, has long been cited as the most likely leader if an emergency executive can gain broad, cross-party support. Such governments have had success in previous crises.

The new administration would then aim to rush through market-friendly reforms, free of political crossfire, although commentators said Monti might still face difficulty getting support for unpopular measures.

Commentator Ferruccio de Bortoli described Napolitano's appointment of Monti to the Senate as a "sensational turnaround" that was indispensable after the dramatic market reaction on Wednesday.

"But the road from here is very much uphill. There are several unknowns, starting with the political forces that will have to support a possible technical government," de Bortoli wrote in the Corriere della Sera.

Berlusconi, who has said he sees new elections as the only realistic next step, countersigned Monti's appointment, which was made formally for his past services to the country, a statement from Napolitano's office said.

Media said Berlusconi may now be open to the idea of a Monti government -- something he previously strongly opposed.

Monti, a respected economist who is currently head of Milan's prestigious Bocconi university, is a tough negotiator with a record of taking on powerful corporate interests as European Competition Commissioner.

A Monti-led government is seen as the preferred option by investors, though it may be too late to turn markets around with the borrowing costs of the euro zone's third biggest economy already looking out of control.

With markets fixated on the political chaos in Italy, lawmakers are racing to pass the package of budget and reform measures that Berlusconi has pledged to see through parliament before he steps down.

Lower House Speaker Gianfranco Fini said that parliament would pass reforms by Sunday aimed at boosting growth and shoring up public finances in a so-called "maxi amendment" to the 2012 budget currently before parliament.

Those reforms, which Berlusconi promised to Italy's increasingly worried partners last month, will be the government's last piece of business before the prime minister tenders his resignation.

(Editing by James Mackenzie and Barry Moody)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111110/wl_nm/us_italy1

jesse ventura 60 minutes ohio state football stevie williams steve williams mike wallace mike wallace

First Lady Announces Pledge to Hire 100K Veterans and Military Spouses by 2014 (ABC News)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/160545949?client_source=feed&format=rss

david ortiz matthew shepard matthew shepard aaron curry aaron curry ios 5 features ios 5 features

Striiv Pedometer Lightning Review: Step It Up [Fitmodo]

It's been a hectic week. I had to travel, and work has been pressing. Consequently I'm missing workouts. But at least I'm staying active. Seriously: It's due in large part to the fitness tracker in my pocket. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/H8BZfT1piSo/striiv-pedometer-lightning-review-step-it-up

x factor results x factor results do a barrel roll jimmy kimmel tilt do a barrel roll. florida state football

Greek leaders to pick PM of new government

Greece's Prime Minister George Papandreou waves to journalists while exiting the Presidential Palace after a meeting with Greek President Karolos Papoulias and opposition leader Antonis Samaras, in Athens Sunday, Nov. 6 2011. Greece's embattled prime minister and the head of the main opposition party reached an initial agreement to form an interim government that will ensure the country's new European debt deal and then lead Greece to early elections, the president's office said. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis)

Greece's Prime Minister George Papandreou waves to journalists while exiting the Presidential Palace after a meeting with Greek President Karolos Papoulias and opposition leader Antonis Samaras, in Athens Sunday, Nov. 6 2011. Greece's embattled prime minister and the head of the main opposition party reached an initial agreement to form an interim government that will ensure the country's new European debt deal and then lead Greece to early elections, the president's office said. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis)

Three journalists reach out to secure a copy of the communiqu? issued by Greece's presidency in Athens Sunday, Nov. 6 2011. Greece's embattled prime minister and the head of the main opposition party reached an initial agreement to form an interim government that will ensure the country's new European debt deal and then lead Greece to early elections, the president's office said. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis)

A clerk in Greece's presidency tries to distribute copies of an official communiqu? to a throng of waiting journalists, in Athens Sunday, Nov. 6 2011. Greece's embattled prime minister George Papandreou and the head of the main opposition party Antonis Samaras reached an initial agreement to form an interim government that will ensure the country's new European debt deal and then lead Greece to early elections, the president's office said. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis)

Opposition leader Antonis Samaras looks on during a meeting at the Presidential Palace with Greek President Karolos Papoulias and Greece's Prime Minister George Papandreou, in Athens on Sunday, Nov. 6 2011. Greece's embattled prime minister and the head of the main opposition party reached an initial agreement to form an interim government that will ensure the country's new European debt deal and then lead Greece to early elections, the president's office said. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis)

Greece's Prime Minister George Papandreou, attends a meeting at the Presidential Palace with Greek President Karolos Papoulias and opposition leader Antonis Samaras in Athens on Sunday, Nov. 6 2011. Greece's embattled prime minister and the head of the main opposition party reached an initial agreement to form an interim government that will ensure the country's new European debt deal and then lead Greece to early elections, the president's office said. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis)

ATHENS, Greece (AP) ? The leaders of Greece's two biggest parties are due to resume talks Monday to agree on who should be the country's new prime minister, after reaching a historic power-sharing deal to push through a massive financial rescue deal and prevent imminent bankruptcy.

Europe's markets and government, however, remained cautious that the power deal would resolve the country's political turmoil and alleviate concerns over Greece's membership of the euro.

Socialist Prime Minister George Papandreou and conservative leader Antonis Samaras are to hold fresh talks to hammer out the composition of the new 15-week government, which will be tasked with passing the euro130 billion ($179 billion) package from the country's international creditors before elections.

Former European Central Bank vice president Lucas Papademos is being tipped as the most likely new head of the government that would serve until a Feb. 19 general election.

Officials in Greece's two main political parties have confirmed that the 64-year-old former central banker is a candidate though there's no indication yet he would want the job, for however short a period.

None of the people being considered have been announced publicly.

Papandreou and Samaras agreed on the interim coalition late Sunday under mounting international pressure for cross-party acceptance of the deal following a week of turmoil in the markets as investors fretted over a disorderly Greek default and the country's possible exit from the euro.

As part of the deal, Papandreou agreed to step down halfway through his four-year term. Elected after a landslide victory a little over two years ago, Papandreou's stock took a big battering last week after his call for a referendum on Greece's latest rescue package, that was agreed less than two weeks ago.

Though the referendum pledge was pulled after Greece's main conservative opposition said it agreed to the broad outlines of the rescue deal, markets remain in a jittery state, especially as the country needs the next batch of bailout cash within weeks to pay off debts.

"There are cool-headed people in both parties," Justice Minister Miltiadis Papaioannou told private Antenna television. "This was not a card game; it was about keeping the country on its feet."

Senior conservative officials conceded they had come under strong pressure from European Union officials before withdrawing their demand for an immediate general election."

All European markets have opened sharply lower Monday, though shares on the Athens Stock Exchange bucked the trend, trading 2 percent higher.

European governments also remained cautious as they awaited developments on the composition of Greece's new government. Finance ministers from the 17 eurozone countries are due to meet later in Brussels, and will be awaiting an update from Greece's Evangelos Venizelos.

"What is clear is that the European partners are becoming more and more intransigent with Greece and they will want evidence of concrete advances on Monday evening," said Silvio Peruzzo, an analyst at Royal Bank of Scotland.

Germany's vice chancellor Philipp Roesler again warned Greece not to delay in pushing through reforms.

"The Greeks themselves have the choice: reforms in the eurozone or no reforms, and out. There is no third way," he told the popular German daily Bild

Frustrated with Greece's protracted political disagreements, the country's creditors have threatened to withhold the next critical euro8 billion ($11 billion) loan installment until the new debt deal is formally approved in Greece.

Greece is surviving on a euro110 billion ($150 billion) rescue-loan program from eurozone partners and the International Monetary Fund. The new government's main task is to push through the second euro130 billion deal, that involves private creditors agreeing to cancel 50 percent of their Greek debt.

Punishing austerity imposed in exchange for the rescue loans, brought Papandreou's government to its knees. Its efforts to keep the country solvent have prompted violent protests, crippling strikes and a sharp decline in living standards for most Greeks.

"I don't expect anything," Athens resident Stavros Stournaras said for the new political agreement. "When people truly go hungry and there's an uprising, then things will change."

___

AP Television producer Theodora Tongas contributed.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-11-07-EU-Greece-Financial-Crisis/id-2af4da4b181e46ae9667ed2d3715f556

ellen degeneres patti stanger washington redskins doritos confederate flag confederate flag eddie cibrian

Justin Bieber denies charges he fathered a child (AP)

NEW YORK ? Justin Bieber has denied allegations he fathered a child in a backstage bathroom and says he has never met the woman who filed the paternity suit against him.

"To set the record straight, none of it is true," the teen heartthrob declared Friday during a brief appearance on NBC's "Today" show.

As mobs of fans screamed adoringly in Rockefeller Plaza, Bieber called it "crazy" that anyone would make up such a story.

"I know I'm going to be a target, but I'm never going to be a victim," Bieber told "Today" host Matt Lauer. "It's crazy, because every night after the show I've gone right from the stage right to my car. So it's crazy that some people want to make up such false allegations."

The paternity suit was filed in San Diego Superior Court by Mariah Yeater earlier this week. She had just turned 19 when she says she and Bieber, then 16, had a brief sexual encounter after one of the singer's concerts last fall at Los Angeles' Staples Center.

She said she gave birth to a boy in July and believes Bieber is the father because there were no other possible men she had sex with at that time.

Asked if he knows Yeater, Bieber told Lauer, "Never met the woman."

Yeater is asking a judge for child support and a paternity test. A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 15. Her lawyer has described her as a stay-at-home mother who is looking for adequate child support if a paternity test determines Bieber is the father.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles police have said Yeater could be investigated for having had sex with a minor. It's illegal in California to have sex with someone under age 18. If the other person is not more than three years older, it is a misdemeanor, which carries up to a one-year jail sentence.

Bieber, 17, attracted what appeared to be hundreds of fans as he briefly chatted with "Today" hosts, straining to be heard above the earsplitting screams.

Along with knocking down rumors, Bieber's appearance was apparently timed to the release of a Christmas album.

"It's hard to record a Christmas album in September," he said.

Bieber returns to "Today" for a live musical appearance on Nov. 23.

___

NBC is owned by NBC Universal.

___

Online:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111104/ap_en_mu/us_people_bieber

americas got talent winner guinness book of world records gears of war 3 release date up all night dr. oz lingual braces joe mcginniss

Ethics committee to investigate Rep. Richardson (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Rep. Laura Richardson charged Friday the House Ethics Committee has singled her out for scrutiny because she's African-American.

Richardson, D-Calif., effectively announced the committee's investigation before the panel revealed it, accusing fellow lawmakers of ignoring wrongdoing by others in order to focus on her.

The Ethics Committee is looking into whether she improperly used staff for political purposes.

The committee is composed of five members from each party. The ranking Democrat is a Hispanic, Rep. Linda Sanchez of California. Other Democratic members are Rep. Donna Edwards, an African-American from Maryland; Rep. Pedro Pierluisi, who represents Puerto Rico; John Yarmuth of Kentucky; and Joe Courtney of Connecticut. The five Republicans are all white men. They are Rep. Jo Bonner of Alabama, the committee chairman; Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas; Rep. K. Michael Conaway of Texas; Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania; and Gregg Harper of Mississippi.

Since the beginning of 2010, an Associated Press count shows the House Ethics Committee has announced investigations or investigative results for at least 33 House members, 12 of whom are African-American. There are 43 African-Americans in the 435-member House. Some investigations involve multiple lawmakers.

The Ethics Committee had no comment on Richardson's allegations. The committee leaders did announce that the vote Thursday to establish a four-member investigative subcommittee was unanimous. Dent will head the panel. The other members are Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, and Democrats Yarmuth and Rep. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico. Bishop and Lujan are not members of the Ethics Committee.

"We argue that the committee has chosen to unjustly target its investigations concerning use of official House resources for political purposes on certain members, while overlooking the well-publicized misuse of official House resources for personal purposes by numerous other members of Congress," Richardson said in a statement.

"Specifically, numerous members have used their House offices for personal lodging, in some cases for years, saving tens of thousands of dollars personally at taxpayers' expense," her statement said. "Under House rules, personal use of House resources is as impermissible as political use."

A number of House members have publicly acknowledged sleeping in their offices, but the Ethics Committee has not prohibited the practice.

Richardson also said she would "explore the issue of whether the Ethics Committee has engaged in discriminatory conduct in pursuing two investigations against me while simultaneously failing to apply the same standards to, or take the same actions against, other members ? of whom the overwhelming majority are white males."

The Ethics Committee last year concluded after a seven-month investigation that Richardson did not receive an improper gift from a lender, nor did she fail to disclose real property, income and liabilities on her financial disclosure forms.

This is not the first time the committee has investigated use of congressional staff for political purposes.

The committee in 2006 concluded an investigation of Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., with a statement that the lawmaker agreed to specific steps to ensure that his staff was not used for political purposes. The committee did not issue a finding that Conyers misused his staff but noted that the lawmaker acknowledged a "lack of clarity" in his communications with staff regarding their official duties.

The statement said Conyers "accepted responsibility for his actions."

.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/uscongress/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111104/ap_on_go_co/us_richardson_ethics

thomas kinkade the shining stanford stanford when does daylight savings time end world series mvp rocky horror picture show

Sadr says to resist any U.S. presence in Iraq (Reuters)

BAGHDAD (Reuters) ? Anti-U.S. Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said Thursday he would resist any American presence in Iraq, including a civilian one, beyond year-end when all U.S. forces depart nearly nine years after the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

Sadr, whose Mehdi Army militia once battled U.S. and Iraqi troops, has opposed any U.S. military footprint and his bloc is a key part of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's fragile coalition.

"We do not accept any kind of U.S. presence in Iraq, whether it is military or not," Sadr said in an interview aired on al-Arabiya television.

"If they stay in Iraq, through a military or non-military (presence) ... we will consider them an occupation and we will resist them whatever the price will be. Even a civilian presence, we reject it," the cleric said.

United States President Barack Obama said on October 21 all remaining U.S. troops, currently around 33,000, would be withdrawn from Iraq by December 31 after Washington and Baghdad failed to agree on immunity for American soldiers.

But a huge U.S. embassy will be maintained in Baghdad along with consular operations in Arbil in the northern Kurdish zone and in the southern oil city Basra.

Thousands of private contractors will also work as guards and trainers for Iraqi troops using U.S. hardware such as tanks and F-16 fighters.

Sadr galvanized anti-U.S. sentiment after the overthrow of Sunni dictator Saddam and led two uprisings against U.S. forces in 2004.

His Mehdi Army was crushed by Maliki in 2008 and has for the most part been demobilized, although U.S. officials say splinter groups have continued to attack U.S. soldiers.

In September, Sadr called on his followers to suspend attacks against U.S. troops to ensure they leave Iraq by the year-end deadline.

Although overall violence in Iraq has fallen from the peak of sectarian fighting in 2006-7, Iraqi security forces continue to battle a stubborn Sunni insurgency and Shi'ite militias still capable of lethal attacks.

October was the bloodiest month this year, with 161 civilians, 55 police officers and 42 soldiers killed in a series of major attacks.

Thursday, six people were killed and dozens wounded when two bombs exploded in the northern city of Baquba while 12 people died and at least 70 others were wounded in triple explosions in Basra late Wednesday.

(Writing by Serena Chaudhry; Editing by Sophie Hares)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111103/wl_nm/us_iraq_politics_sadr

kevin durant miranda lambert philip rivers kim kardashian divorce generators generators lesean mccoy

Books flow from an American teen to African schools

High school junior Tatiana Grossman founded 'Spread the Words' to send books, both paper and digital, to schoolchildren in Africa.

Tatiana Grossman, a high school junior, says she?s having a busy year so far, what with a full homework load.

Skip to next paragraph

But she has another demand on her time: her non-profit organization Spread the Words, an initiative Ms. Grossman founded that encourages people to send books to children in Africa, for which she recently won the 2011 World of Children Youth Award along with two other honorees. She's in New York City today to receive the award.

Grossman, who lives in Palo Alto, Calif., says she first found out about the high rate of illiteracy in Africa when she was 12. Her mother had told her about a book drive that was being organized by a local library aiming to donate books to schoolchildren in Africa.

?I was like, 'Wait, why would they need a book drive?? ? Grossman says.

Her mother told her some of the statistics, and Grossman says they were a revelation.?

?I was stunned,? she remembers.

Soon after, Grossman started a book drive on her community library lawn after contacting the African Library Project, an organization founded in California that works with partners in Africa to donate books and compile libraries at African schools. The African Library Project gave her suggestions on how to set up the book drive and an address where she could send the books, Grossman says.

She eventually collected 3,500 books in 10 days, many of which were books from parents whose children had outgrown them.

Grossman says the results blew her away.

?I didn't even think I would get a thousand,? Grossman says. ?I was like, 'I'm just a kid. How am I going to do this?' I was really shy.?

Today, Spread the Words has compiled libraries to serve 99 African villages and schools. Grossman was able to travel to Africa when she was 13 and see some of the results of her work.

?It was an unforgettable experience,? she says. ?It was amazing to see how [the students] were using the books.?

Grossman has also spoken publicly about the organization, including at a literacy conference in Africa, where she delivered a speech in front of thousands of people. She found that was difficult, at first.

?I was pretty nervous about it,? she says. ?But once I got up there, the message was more important than my shyness.?

Currently, she?s working on a project with Silicon Valley experts, open source digital content providers, and teachers that would enable classrooms in Africa to have digital textbooks ? a difficult challenge when many don?t have electricity. The plan would involve classrooms installing projectors that would project textbooks and children?s books onto a screen.

According to the current plan, schools that lack electricity will power their projectors using solar panels. Now that she's won the World of Children Award, Grossman says, the financial support that comes from winning the prize will make it possible for projectors to be installed in African classrooms.

?[The projectors will] have the largest impact on classrooms,? Grossman says. ?Right now, the teachers are teaching from memory.?

In her spare time, Grossman enjoys swimming on her school team, playing oboe, and reading. Her favorite book is a children's book by Pam Munoz Ryan, ?Esperanza Rising,? about a young girl who moves to America from Mexico. Its message about conquering adversity spoke strongly to her.

?It was the first time I remember being exposed to a young girl who faced adversity and prevailed,? Grossman says. ?It opened my eyes to the problems other kids have and how strong they have to be to overcome them.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/mUdzVuj8mgw/Books-flow-from-an-American-teen-to-African-schools

dolphin tale one for the money crock pot recipes crock pot recipes bob ward bob ward susan lucci

NBA talks set, but decertification reports surface

FILE - In this Sept. 15, 2011 file photo, Los Angeles Lakers' Derek Fisher, center, president of the NBA players union, is joined by union executive director Billy Hunter, right, and NBA players during a news conference in Las Vegas. With progress stalled since talks broke off over the revenue split, the union's executive committee is to meet in New York. Union President Fisher and executive director Hunter sent separate letters to members this week denying reports about a rift. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)

FILE - In this Sept. 15, 2011 file photo, Los Angeles Lakers' Derek Fisher, center, president of the NBA players union, is joined by union executive director Billy Hunter, right, and NBA players during a news conference in Las Vegas. With progress stalled since talks broke off over the revenue split, the union's executive committee is to meet in New York. Union President Fisher and executive director Hunter sent separate letters to members this week denying reports about a rift. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)

FILE - In this Sept. 24, 2011, file photo, former Kansas players and current NBA player Mario Chalmers salutes the crowd as former Kansas star and current Boston Celtic's player Paul Pierce, right, grabs him after Chalmers scored a last-second three-point shot in "overtime" to tie the Legends of the Phog basketball game at Allen Field House in Lawrence, Kan. With the NBA in a labor dispute, players are going back to their old schools for workouts and practices. (AP Photo/Lawrence Journal-World, Richard Gwin, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Talk about a backdoor cut.

The announcement Thursday that negotiations to end the NBA lockout would resume were followed by reports that some players are investigating the possibility of decertifying the union.

The NBA players union said it would begin negotiating with the owners again on Saturday, maintaining that the players are unified as they seek to end the lockout.

Union president Derek Fisher, executive director Billy Hunter and executive committee members said after meeting for about three hours Thursday that there was no truth to reports of a rift among them.

"We've had no problems, and that's the reality," Hunter said.

Hunter said they spent no more than 10-15 minutes total on a conference call earlier this week and during Thursday's gathering discussed the reports questioning Fisher's allegiances.

"The battle is not within our union," Bucks guard Keyon Dooling said. "Derek Fisher's the best president our union has ever seen. We'll stand as committee members ? I'm the first vice president and I stand behind him."

Later Thursday, however, there were reports that a group of about 50 disgruntled players held a conference call with an antitrust lawyer about the possibility of pursuing decertification of the union. Yahoo! Sports and The New York Times reported that the players would consider employing the tactic if union leaders made more concessions in negotiations.

Thirty percent of players would have to sign a petition and then a majority would have to vote in favor for decertification. Mere talk of decertification could give the players' side leverage in negotiations.

On Wednesday, the NBA had asked federal Judge Paul Gardephe to rule that the NBA's lockout will not be considered an antitrust violation if the players dissolve the union. Gardephe did not immediately rule, but appeared skeptical of the arguments made by league attorney Jeffrey Mishkin.

Owners and players haven't met since talks broke off last Friday. Hunter said federal mediator George Cohen contacted him earlier this week about possibly rejoining the negotiations. The conversation led to Hunter calling Commissioner David Stern on Wednesday about resuming talks, though it has yet to be determined whether Cohen will be involved.

Hunter said union leaders had spent the last several days cautioning players that the sides were still far apart on several system issues, so completing a deal was not as simple as a compromise on the revenue split.

"Our guys are in a position of they still want us to negotiate a fair deal," Fisher said. "They've given us that power. They've given us that support.

"Obviously, we're going to have individual members in individual sets of circumstances that want to get back to play. We want to get back to play. But we realize the ramifications of agreeing to a bad deal at this moment. ... This particular collective bargaining agreement will forever impact the circumstances of NBA basketball players. We can't rush into a deal we feel is a bad deal just to save this season."

The lockout, which began July 1, has already led to the cancellation of a month of regular-season games. The sides met for three days last week, but again the talks stalled when they turned to the revenue split.

They will get back at it Saturday, though neither side seems to be shifting its stance.

"It's not wise or prudent for us to not meet or let huge gaps of time go by and let the clock run and not meet, because then we just become more entrenched in our respective positions," Hunter said. "At least if we're around the table something might happen; I can't predict if anything will."

Hunter said he told Fisher after negotiations broke down Friday: "You will see the kind of friend I have been and will continue to be."

___

Follow Rachel Cohen at http://twitter.com/RachelCohenAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-11-04-NBA%20Labor/id-55caa55ef7554d1195158892a9ddf126

the addams family blue bloods temple grandin albert pujols texas rangers marie osmond st louis cardinals

14 Mexican soldiers sentenced in killing of 5 (AP)

MEXICO CITY ? Mexico's military says 14 soldiers have been convicted and sentenced to prison in the fatal shooting of two women and three children whose vehicle failed to stop at an army checkpoint in 2007.

The Defense Department says a commanding officer received a 40-year sentence in a court martial and another officer received 38 years. A judge gave 12 enlisted soldiers 16-year sentences.

Two soldiers were acquitted.

A military announcement Thursday says the verdicts and sentences were handed down last week.

The case was among the first of suspected abuse by soldiers deployed by President Felipe Calderon when he launched an offensive by federal security forces against drug cartels in late 2006.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111104/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_mexico_soldiers_sentenced

rumpelstiltskin rumpelstiltskin day light savings day light savings mark herzlich malawi malawi

Looking for a RP partner!(:

So, I've just recently returned, annnnnnnd I'm itching to do a RP. I don't have any actual ideas ATM, but if any comes to mind I'll post them here.+ If you continue reading, I do have some requirements and guidelines. FYI... I'm a super great RPer and I'm super easy to get along with, ask anyone who knows me here!(: and I'm super flexible as well.

Requirements&&Guidelines
- I do prefer playing females, but if you would like to play one as well there are two options
? Girl x Girl
ORRRRR
? I can play a girl/guy and you can also play a girl/guy, either works.
- You don't have to do lengthy posts every single time, but at the same time no one-liners.
- I do prefer threads then PM, it's not going to get nasty or anything (haha). But threads is easier, for me anyways.
- Images will be acquired, to see what the person looks like.

And that's it. Feel free to give idea suggestions and post here if your interested! Thaaaaaank you and I hope someone's up for the offer!!!<3333

**SHHHHHHH** I got cookies too... and ice cream!(:

Should've known you was trouble...
from the first kiss...
I'd catch a grenade for you...
throw my hand on a blade for you...

Yes, I would die for you.

You won't do the same.

Black, black, black and blue.
To give me all your love...
Is all I ever asked...
I'd catch a grenade for you!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/yPKV2ndzEzg/viewtopic.php

direct tv lion king photon plane crash plane crash lake powell reno nevada

Sculpture of Ai WeiWei "corpse" spooks German town (Reuters)

BERLIN (Reuters) ? A mock corpse of Chinese dissident artist Ai WeiWei in an art gallery has caused commotion in a small German town, leading some panicked residents, mistaking the statue for a real body, to alert the police.

The life-size sculpture of a dead-looking Ai -- which lies face-down on the floor in front of large glass windows -- has shocked passersby on the street.

"Several people had already called within days of the exhibition going up," said Peter Steger from the police office in Bad Ems, the town where the work can be seen.

The Chinese artist He Xiangyu said he intended to praise Ai WeiWei's efforts to criticize corruption and censorship in the Chinese government despite the threat of imprisonment.

Ai was detained without charge for 81 days earlier this year, a move by China that drew heavy criticism from Western governments.

Ai said on Tuesday that China's communist government had ordered him to pay 15 million yuan ($2.4 million) in taxes and fines allegedly due from the company he works for.

He Xiangyu used actual human hair hand-knotted onto plastic and fiberglass to create the statue's realistic qualities. The statue in Bad Ems is one of three copies.

(Reporting By Natalia Drozdiak, editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/arts/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111101/stage_nm/us_germany_art

steve jobs commencement speech sarah palin espn body issue ijustine visionary guy kawasaki jani lane

Droid Bionic maintenance update coming ... eventually

Pop quiz: Which one of the following is true about the upcoming maintenance update for the Motorola Droid Bionic:

1. It'll likely be out by the end of the year.
2. It'll likely be out by Christmas.
3. It's coming in the next 30 to 60 days.
4. Nobody really knows when it's coming.

You're right. It's a trick question. Moto Matt, everybody's favorite Motorola support forums manager, this afternoon dropped the following regarding the Bionic:

I know everyone is eager for updated software. We have been working diligently on a software update for DROID BIONIC and have a version in the testing stage; we expect to deliver it to users in 30 to 60 days. The update is targeting issues identified through owner feedback and we’re confident it will improve device performance.

Presumably we'll see one of those "soak tests" when things are really ready to roll. Stay tuned.

Source: Motorola support forums; via Droid Bionic Forums

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/1VEp752fNnY/droid-bionic-maintenance-update-coming-eventually

earthquake california torrey smith torrey smith packers bears boeing 787 mike wallace mike wallace

Succop's FG in OT lifts Chiefs over Chargers (AP)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. ? Up and down the sideline, the Kansas City Chiefs were telling each other the game wasn't over. Didn't matter that Philip Rivers was under center with less than a minute left, and that Nick Novak was poised to kick the winning field goal for San Diego.

The Chiefs have had their backs against the wall enough this season.

They certainly weren't going to just quit.

With first down at the Kansas City 15, Rivers called for the snap ? and the ball never got into his hands. It squirted loose on the field, bounced under a scrum, and finally emerged in the hands of Chiefs linebacker Andy Studebaker, who was running to the sideline in joy.

The game headed for overtime, and Ryan Succop eventually knocked through a 30-yard field goal to give the Chiefs a dramatic 23-20 victory over the Chargers on Monday night.

"Our guys were saying, 'It ain't over 'till it's over. Keep playing, and digging,'" Chiefs coach Todd Haley said. "You never know what will happen."

Kansas City (4-3) became the first team in NFL history to lose its first three games and share at least part of a division lead after four more. The Chiefs are also the first team since the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2000 to win four straight games after losing their first three.

Rivers could have prevented all of it from happening.

"I haven't had one in years," Rivers said of the fumbled snap. "It's unfortunate. I dropped it. This one is rough. You blow it on a play that never should have happened."

Kansas City had its own chance to win in regulation, but Matt Cassel overthrew his wide receiver in Chargers territory and Eric Weddle's second interception sent the game to overtime.

San Diego won the toss but failed to pick up a first down, and Cassel calmly led Kansas City down field. Succop's field goal with 5:16 remaining gave the Chiefs their fourth straight win and moved them into a tie with San Diego (4-3) and the idle Oakland Raiders (4-3) in the division.

"We were saying, 'Don't quit,'" Studebaker said. "You never quit, even if it looks ugly. If you quit every time something looks ugly, you miss an opportunity to do something special."

Boy, was this one ever ugly.

Rivers wound up throwing for 369 yards, but he also had two interceptions and one big fumble.

The teams combined for eight turnovers, matching the most in an NFL game this season. The Chargers were called for 12 penalties worth 105 yards in a gruesome game on Halloween night.

One that looked pretty in the end to Kansas City.

The Chiefs got off to an abysmal start this season, losing their first two games by a combined 89-10 and then dropping their third game on the road, at San Diego. Along the way, the Chiefs lost Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles, safety Eric Berry and tight end Tony Moeaki for the season.

They started moving in the right direction against division doormats Minnesota and Indianapolis, and then romped to a 28-0 win over Oakland last week.

Now, they are tied for the lead in the AFC West.

"It's everybody," Haley said. "And I hate to mention one without mentioning them all, because everybody fought their tail ends off to make that result what it was."

The Chiefs had things going early, getting a 36-yard field goal from Succop in the first quarter and then capitalizing on Rivers' second interception in the first few minutes.

With the ball at the Chargers 39, Cassel dropped back to pass and saw Jonathan Baldwin streaking for the end zone. The wide receiver out-jumped fellow rookie Marcus Gilchrist for his first career touchdown catch, giving the Chiefs a 10-0 lead.

Novak kicked a field goal midway through the second quarter for San Diego, but he missed another late in the second quarter, and Succop hit one with just a few ticks on the clock for a 13-3 halftime lead.

The Chargers defense kept them in the game in the third quarter, holding the Chiefs to two three-and-outs and picking off Cassel for the second time. Kansas City only managed 44 yards of offense in the second and third quarters combined.

Novak kicked three field goals in the third quarter, drawing the Chargers within 13-12, but their inability to get into the end zone cost them dearly.

Kansas City finally got its offense in gear, marching 74 yards in 10 plays early in the fourth quarter. Jackie Battle finished off the drive by leaping over the scrum from a yard out, giving the Chiefs a 20-12 lead with 12:01 left.

It sure didn't last long.

Rivers completed four straight passes covering 74 yards ? one for 27 yards to Vincent Jackson on third-and-13 ? before Curtis Brinkley leaped in from 2 yards out for the Chargers' first touchdown.

Going for the 2-point conversion and the tie, Rivers floated a pass to Brinkley in the flat and he was thrown back by cornerback Brandon Carr. The officials ruled that Brinkley nudged the ball over the goal line, though, and the decision was upheld by video review.

It was the fourth replay call that went against the Chiefs.

Rivers' butterfingers made that a moot point.

"They had no timeouts. We were in position to go kick the game-winning field goal," Chargers coach Norv Turner said. "It didn't happen. It looked to me like Philip got a little anxious and came out early. That's a very unusual way to not win a game."

Notes: The Chargers signed LB Bront Bird from the practice squad and released WR Bryan Walters before the game. ... Chiefs S Jon McGraw left the game with a shoulder injury. ... San Diego CB Quentin Jammer left the game in the second half with cramps.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111101/ap_on_sp_fo_ga_su/fbn_chargers_chiefs

day of the dead rocksmith blackbeard widespread panic widespread panic richard stallman richard stallman