HBT: Astros aren't changing name after all

Remember how new Astros? owner Jim Crane created a mini-controversy last week when he said he?planned to conduct a study on whether to change the team?s name? ?Well, the results are in.?The Astros aren?t going anywhere?except the American League West, that is.

According to Astros??Sr. Director of Social Media Alyson Footer, Crane said the following in a taped video message to season-ticket holders:

?You asked for change and we added several fan friendly initiatives last week and we hope you like them,? Crane said. ?We will continue to listen, and to look for additional ways to improve on and off the field.

?One thing that we are not going to change is the name. We received strong feedback and consensus among season ticket holders and many fans, and we will not change the name Astros. The Houston Astros are here to stay.?

This whole thing probably got more attention that it really deserved, as a name change never appeared to be a serious consideration in the first place, but it?s easy for things to take on a life of their own during the cold and boring days of winter. Still, I doubt many would complain if they made some changes to their uniforms.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/30/the-astros-arent-changing-their-name/related/

favicon.ico footloose best iphone 4 case best iphone 4 case sonic youth sonic youth make your mark

Afghan woman killed, apparently for bearing girl

FILE - In this Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011 file photo, an Afghan woman, center, peeks inside a hospital while she and others wait for an employee to let them enter, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. An Afghan woman has been strangled to death, apparently by her husband, who was upset that she gave birth to a second daughter rather than the son he wanted, police said Monday. It was the latest in a series of grisly examples of subjugation of women that have made headlines in Afghanistan in the past few months including a 15-year-old tortured and forced into prostitution by in-laws and a female rape victim who was imprisoned for adultery. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011 file photo, an Afghan woman, center, peeks inside a hospital while she and others wait for an employee to let them enter, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. An Afghan woman has been strangled to death, apparently by her husband, who was upset that she gave birth to a second daughter rather than the son he wanted, police said Monday. It was the latest in a series of grisly examples of subjugation of women that have made headlines in Afghanistan in the past few months including a 15-year-old tortured and forced into prostitution by in-laws and a female rape victim who was imprisoned for adultery. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen, File)

FILE - In this Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011 file photo, an Afghan woman carries her sick child to the emergency room at Indira Gandhi Children's Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan. An Afghan woman has been strangled to death, apparently by her husband, who was upset that she gave birth to a second daughter rather than the son he wanted, police said Monday. It was the latest in a series of grisly examples of subjugation of women that have made headlines in Afghanistan in the past few months including a 15-year-old tortured and forced into prostitution by in-laws and a female rape victim who was imprisoned for adultery. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen, File)

FILE - In this Thursday, March 8, 2007 file photo, Afghan women look at photographs on display during a fair organized by United Nation Assistance Mission in Afghanistan to mark Women's Day at a women's park in Kabul, Afghanistan. An Afghan woman has been strangled to death, apparently by her husband, who was upset that she gave birth to a second daughter rather than the son he wanted, police said Monday. It was the latest in a series of grisly examples of subjugation of women that have made headlines in Afghanistan in the past few months including a 15-year-old tortured and forced into prostitution by in-laws and a female rape victim who was imprisoned for adultery. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? An Afghan woman has been strangled to death, apparently by her husband, who was upset that she gave birth to a second daughter rather than the son he wanted, police said Monday.

It was the latest in a series of grisly examples of subjugation of women that have made headlines in Afghanistan in the past few months ? including a 15-year-old tortured and forced into prostitution by in-laws and a female rape victim who was imprisoned for adultery.

The episodes have raised the question of what will happen to the push for women's rights in Afghanistan as the international presence here shrinks along with the military drawdown. NATO forces are scheduled to pull out by the end of 2014.

In the 10 years since the ouster of the Taliban, great strides have been made for women in Afghanistan, with many attending school, working in offices and even sometimes marching in protests. But abuse and repression of women are still common, particularly in rural areas where women are still unlikely to set foot outside of the house without a burqa robe that covers them from head to toe.

The man in the latest case, Sher Mohammad, fled the Khanabad district in Kunduz province last week, about the time a neighbor found his 22-year-old wife dead in their house, said District Police Chief Sufi Habibullah. Medical examiners whom police brought to check the body said she had been strangled, Habibullah said.

The woman, named Estorai, had warned family members that her husband had repeatedly reproached her for giving birth to a daughter rather than a son and had threatened to kill her if it happened again, said Provincial women's affairs chief Nadira Ghya, who traveled to Khanabad to deal with the case. Estorai gave birth to her second daughter between two and three months ago, Ghya said. Officials did not have a family name for either Sher Mohammad or Estorai.

Police took the man's mother into custody because she appears to have collaborated in a plot to kill her daughter-in-law, Habibullah said. Ghya, who visited the man's mother in jail, said that she swears that Estorai committed suicide by hanging. Police said they found no rope and no evidence of hanging from the woman's wounds.

Boy babies are traditionally prized much more highly than girls in Afghanistan, where a son means a breadwinner and a daughter is seen as a drain on the family until she is married off. Even so, a murder over the gender of a baby would be rare and shocking if proved true.

The U.S. Embassy issued a statement Monday praising the Afghan government for recent declarations supporting women's rights in the wake of the latest abuse cases that have garnered media attention.

"The rights of women cannot be relegated to the margins of international affairs, as this issue is at the core of our national security and the security of people everywhere," the statement said. It did not address the killing of the young woman in Kunduz.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-30-AS-Afghanistan/id-9ed9aa939f88461c869074e74cfc937d

west memphis three shaun white taxes game of thrones season 2 trailer george washington carver sag award winners irs

Twitter, Democracy, and Internet Freedom

Twitter has taken fire in recent days from activists and bloggers who fear that the company?s new censorship policies will muffle online freedom. News reports recall the ways in which protestors have had made use of Twitter to oppose dictatorships, and dissidents express concern that their ability to communicate will be harmed. The more immediate issue, however, may lie elsewhere. Twitter?s new policies demonstrate vividly the complicated relationship between Internet freedom and democratic government.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/l24os-CX6KM/

roger williams roger williams tyler bray tyler bray

Ron Paul Says He Has No Intention Of Dropping Out Of Republican Presidential Primary

GORHAM, Maine -- Ron Paul said Saturday the Republican presidential race has "a ways to go" and he doesn't intend to get out or get behind another candidate anytime soon.

The Texas congressman was campaigning Saturday in Maine, which holds caucuses beginning Feb. 4. He spoke to an overflow crowd at the University of Southern Maine and held an outdoor rally outside the famed L.L. Bean store in Freeport. He picked up the endorsement of Linda Bean, the granddaughter of the Bean company founder and a prominent Republican activist in the state.

Paul told reporters that it didn't make sense for him to campaign in Florida, which holds its primary Tuesday and awards all its 50 delegates to the winner. Polling indicates Mitt Romney is leading the field there.

"Some other campaigns have many, many millions of dollars to run a campaign," Paul said. "We maximize the delegates the way we're doing it."

Paul planned to campaign next week in other caucus states, including Nevada, which also holds its caucus on Feb. 4, and Colorado and Minnesota, which hold caucuses Feb. 7.

Paul dismissed suggestions he would back any of his GOP rivals.

"I think that's premature. We have a ways to go," Paul said, adding he was glad they were speaking favorably about some of his libertarian-leaning views.

"I'll work with anybody who wants to come in the direction of Constitutional government," Paul said.

He noted that Newt Gingrich had endorsed his views on monetary policy in a nationally televised debate this week. Paul has called for the Federal Reserve to be audited and ultimately eliminated, and wants the value of the dollar tied to gold.

Paul said he hoped the former House speaker and others would also adopt his noninterventionist foreign policy views, which are far outside the Republican Party mainstream.

"If he says `I agree with Ron Paul, we should bring the troops home from Afghanistan,' my ears would pop up," Paul said.

___

Also on HuffPost:

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/28/ron-paul-2012_n_1239177.html

tj houshmandzadeh san onofre the little couple bubba smith bubba smith oakland strike new gmail

Fireworks send Beijing air pollution soaring (AP)

BEIJING ? Clouds of smoke from Lunar New Year fireworks sent air pollution in Beijing soaring under a new more sensitive measurement system, reports said Sunday.

Readings of fine particulate matter called PM2.5 reached 1.593 milligrams per cubic meter on the Jan. 22 eve of the holiday, about 100 times worse than the amount considered good for 24-hour exposure, the city's environmental bureau said.

The reading drew wide publicity in the local media on Sunday. The popular Beijing Youth Daily praised the city government for taking a more critical look at air pollution, while urging residents to consider the environmental effects of setting off fireworks.

By noon on Sunday, as people headed back to work after the weeklong holiday, the level stood at a relatively good 0.039.

Concern has grown over air pollution from automobiles and other sources, prompting the city this month to begin announcing measurements of PM2.5 ? particles less than 2.5 micrometers in size. That's about 1/30th the width of an average human hair.

Because of their small size, the particles can lodge deeply in the lungs and are believed to pose the greatest risk to health.

Beijing is frequently cloaked in yellow haze, with buildings a couple of blocks away barely visible.

On particularly bad days, schools cancel outdoor activities due to the risk of respiratory problems and hospitals report increased numbers of people ? particularly the elderly ? seeking help because they're having trouble breathing. Long-term exposure can cause a range of illnesses, especially to the cardiovascular system.

The city previously only released readings of the coarser PM10 standard that often indicated pollution was "light," leading to accusations it was hiding the true extent of the problem.

The U.S. Embassy began independently monitoring PM2.5 from a device on its rooftop and releasing the results via Twitter. Some residents even tested the air in their neighborhoods and posted the results online.

Beijing is now releasing hourly readings of PM2.5 that are taken from a monitoring site about 4 miles (7 kilometers) west of central Tiananmen Square.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_re_as/as_china_air_quality

nfl cruise ship italy patriots broncos game gisele bundchen saints willis mcgahee willis mcgahee

Czechs sign deal to host EU's satellite navigation

PRAGUE (AP) ? The Czech government has signed a deal for Prague to host the headquarters of an ambitious satellite navigation system that is meant to become the main rival to the U.S. Global Positioning System.

The deal was signed Friday in Prague by Czech Transport Minister Pavel Dobes and Carlo des Dorides, executive director of the European GNSS Agency.

The EU wants to dominate the future with a system known as Galileo that is more precise and more reliable than GPS, while controlled by civil authorities.

It foresees applications ranging from precision seeding on farmland to pinpoint positioning for search-and-rescue missions. On top of that, the EU hopes it will reap a financial windfall.

The system with a network of 30 satellites is expected to become operational in 2014.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2012-01-27-EU-Czech-Satellite-Navigation/id-4503963cd0164ddd9a6d7546feedaa3d

mayweather vs ortiz ncaa football 12 ncaa football 12 direct tv

NZ court bails two associates of Megaupload founder (Reuters)

WELLINGTON (Reuters) ? A New Zealand court granted bail on Thursday to two associates of the founder of online file-sharing website Megaupload, accused of being involved in a scheme that allegedly made more than $175 million from Internet piracy and illegal file sharing.

Dutchman Bram van der Kolk, 29, and Finn Batato, a 38-year-old German, who were arrested last Friday along with Megaupload's founder, Kim Dotcom, were freed on bail. A decision on another accused, Mathias Ortman, was put off until Friday pending further submissions on his bail application.

"I am satisfied that the risk of flight here is minimal and such risk as remains can be met by the imposition of strict bail conditions including electronic monitoring," Judge David McNaughton said in a written judgment.

A lawyer for the men had argued their role in the company was different from that of Dotcom, and they did not have secret sources of funds or multiple identities.

The United States wants to extradite all four on charges of Internet piracy, copyright infringement, racketeering and money laundering.

Dotcom, 38, was refused bail on Wednesday because the judge believed there was a significant risk he could try to flee New Zealand. He will reappear in court on February 22. His lawyer is preparing to appeal that decision, maintaining that Dotcom does not have the means to leave the country.

The defendants have said they are innocent of the piracy and other charges, asserting the company simply offered online storage.

An extradition application must be lodged within 45 days of an arrest, and the U.S. must show the alleged offences would be crimes in New Zealand punishable by at least 12 months in jail.

Legal experts have said the extradition process is likely to be long and complex.

(Reporting by Gyles Beckford)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120126/wr_nm/us_internet_piracy_megaupload_bail

discovery channel lea michele michael buble michael buble teddy roosevelt rita hayworth rita hayworth

Chief tech officer to leave W.H. (Politico)

Aneesh Chopra, who as the first U.S. chief technology officer has been the face of Obama's tech policy, is leaving the White House, an administration official confirmed to POLITICO.

The White House confirmed Friday that Chopra?s last day will be Feb. 8.

Continue Reading

In his role, Chopra has been an advocate for integrating government and technology to create new products and services. He was a frequent visitor to Silicon Valley, where he promoted the Obama administration?s tech policies.

Most recently, Chopra was one of three authors of the White House blog post critical of controversial copyright legislation, the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House and the Senate?s PROTECT IP Act.

Chopra joined the administration in May 2009 with experience moving between government and technology as Virginia?s secretary of technology. He previously had been managing director at The Advisory Board Co., a publicly traded health care think tank.

He appeared Zelig-like wherever the tech industry gathered, promoting the idea that the federal government is changing and it needs innovators to work on the nation?s biggest policy problems.

It was unclear Friday morning where Chopra is headed after the White House, but sources said he has been rumored to be mulling a political career.

President Barack Obama thanked Chopra for his service in a statement Friday. ?As the federal government?s first chief technology officer, Aneesh Chopra did groundbreaking work to bring our government into the 21st century. Aneesh found countless ways to engage the American people using technology, from electronic health records for veterans, to expanding access to broadband for rural communities, to modernizing government records,? Obama said. ?His legacy of leadership and innovation will benefit Americans for years to come, and I thank him for his outstanding service.?

This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 11:13 a.m. on January 27, 2012.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories0112_72080_html/44328162/SIG=11mjs5m4e/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/72080.html

tesla model s tesla model s prohibition alex honnold koch industries dexter season 6 andy rooney 60 minutes

Late Night Open Thread: Pointing & Laughing (Balloon Juice)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/191644602?client_source=feed&format=rss

whole foods whole foods blood pressure uhs

Bill Gates injects $750 million into troubled AIDS fund (Reuters)

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) ? Microsoft chairman and philanthropist Bill Gates pledged a further $750 million to the troubled global AIDS fund on Thursday and urged governments to continue their support to save lives.

"These are tough economic times, but that is no excuse for cutting aid to the world's poorest," he said in Davos at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria announced two days ago that its executive director, Michel Kazatchkine, was stepping down early following criticism over misuse of funds and cuts in funding.

The public-private organization, which has the backing of celebrities like rock star Bono, accounts for around a quarter of international financing to fight HIV and AIDS, as well as the majority of funds to fight TB and malaria.

But it has been forced to cut back and said last year it would make no new grants or funding until 2014.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is giving $750 million through a promissory note -- a fresh injection in addition to the $650 million that the Gates charity has contributed since the fund was launched 10 years ago.

While that will give an immediate boost, more is needed from governments, which have provided the bulk of the $22.6 billion that has been raised by the Geneva-based organization to date for its work in 150 countries.

The commitment of governments was shaken last year when the fund reported "grave misuse of funds" in four recipient nations, prompting some donors such as Germany and Sweden to freeze their donations.

Gates, however, played down the problem and praised the fund's transparency, which he said had exposed corruption problems that might well have remained hidden at other organizations.

"If you are going to do health programs in Africa you are going to have some percentage that is misused," he said.

"We've looked at where they've found money that wasn't applied properly and how they tracked that ... the fact is the internal checks and balances have worked."

Recent scientific studies have shown that getting timely AIDS drug treatment to those with HIV can significantly cut the number of people who become newly infected with the virus, increasing the case for maximum access to drugs.

So the decision in 2011 to cancel fresh funding, due to waning political commitment, has alarmed healthcare activists like Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

"Now that new scientific evidence shows that HIV treatment itself could be one of the best ways to turn the epidemic around, it's time for governments to roll up their sleeves and commit to getting the Global Fund back on track," said Tido von Schoen-Angerer, MSF's head of access.

(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Jon Boyle and Kirstin Ridley)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aids/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120126/hl_nm/us_davos_aids

joplin tornado there will be blood there will be blood extreme makeover home edition friday the 13th jimmy fallon jimmy fallon

Futures add to gains after Fed promise (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Stock index futures rose on Thursday, adding to gains from the previous session when the Federal Reserve boosted equities by saying it was likely to keep interest rates near zero until at least late 2014.

S&P 500 futures rose 3.7 points and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures were up 17 points, and Nasdaq futures rose 4.75 points.

(Reporting By Edward Krudy; Editing by W Simon)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120126/bs_nm/us_markets_stocks

dog the bounty hunter doppler radar tacoma narrows bridge db cooper tupelo honey chicago weather weather nyc

New 'Hunger Games' Still: Effie, Peeta & Katniss Prepare For Tribute Parade (PHOTOS)

www.celebuzz.com:

As the countdown continues until Hunger Games hits theaters, a new movie still has been released on the Capitol Couture site.

Read the whole story: www.celebuzz.com

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/24/new-hunger-games-still-effie-tribute-parade_n_1229869.html

role models animal house big ten championship game big ten championship game ultimate fighter 14 ultimate fighter 14 2011 bowl projections

'UFO video' from L.A. throws up red flags

Friday the 13th ended up being a very lucky day for a California man who videoed several UFOs flying near Los Angeles. The video, allegedly shot by a freelance photographer going by the name Nerdumb, shows several bright lights in the sky over Hermosa Beach that disappear as a helicopter crosses below them. It was posted to YouTube and is making the rounds in UFO circles.

Many people noted that the lights look very much like planes taking off from Los Angeles International Airport, a few miles north of Hermosa Beach. Could they simply be aircraft? Probably not, because the lights seem to be stationary, and there's no reason commercial airplanes would suddenly switch off their lights in that pattern.

Tracey Parece, a writer for Examiner.com, wrote, "The video shows six bright lights suspended across the sky at sunset in an almost perfect straight line. The unidentified flying objects were so bright that they are very easy to spot in the video. ... A close-up of one of the objects shows a UFO that emanated red rays of light from its body." Parece concluded that Nerdumb's video "looks very convincing."

While some seem convinced the video may represent the best evidence of UFOs in 2012, others smell a hoax. For someone who claims to be a professional photographer the videos are very poorly shot and composed. Nerdumb holds the camera unsteadily, and amateurishly zooms in and out. The camera movements are very suspicious, especially the way he pans left to right as the UFO lights go out one by one, also from left to right. Instead of holding the frame steady to see if the lights reappear, he just keeps panning right for no particular reason ? almost like he knows exactly what's going to happen.

Another red flag is that the anonymous photographer is a "repeater" ? someone who has made multiple UFO reports. In fact, his YouTube channel has several other similar videos featuring a series of approximately equidistant lights in the sky that appear and flicker out in more or less the same sequence as the newest video. The credibility of witnesses is suspect when they claim to see Bigfoot or UFOs over and over again, while most people never see them at all.

1. More science news from msnbc.com

   1. Tiny quantum dots could give big boost to solar power

      Itsy bitsy particles with a built-in charge could provide a big boost to the efficiency of solar cells, according to researchers aiming to take their innovation to market.

   2. Magic mushrooms trip up brain activity
   3. Dolphins talk in their sleep ? in whale songs
   4. If? you see a Bigfoot, should you shoot him?

This brings us to another curiosity: Why is Nerdumb apparently the only person seeing and videotaping these mysterious lights in the sky? For such a high-profile event in such a populated area, it's suspicious that there seem to be no reports or videos taken by anyone else of these UFOs. How does Nerdumb know where in the sky to look, and when to see the extraterrestrial craft? He claims it's not luck ? the aliens communicate with him in his dreams, telling him where to go. If his videos are real, Nerdumb would gain a lot of credibility by publicizing his alien meet-up information so that the public and other UFO researchers could be at the right place and time to see and record it for themselves.

Derek Serra, a Hollywood visual effects artist who analyzed previous UFO videos (including the infamous "Jerusalem UFO" hoax last year), told Life's Little Mysteries that the video was probably faked. "The video looks similar to a photograph, with the lights and helicopter added later as separate elements," Serra said. "The camera controls and hand-held feel would be added later to make it appear as recorded video. The software to do this is readily available, and it doesn't take an expert. The video has many qualities typical of amateur visual effects artists ... it lacks finesse. That finesse may not be obvious to the average viewer, but sticks out like a sore thumb to experienced artists."

Short of a confession from Nerdumb, it's impossible to know for certain whether this video is a hoax, but red flags abound. Maybe it's an ingenious double-deception, and aliens really are here but cleverly disguising their spacecraft to look exactly like faked video images.

7 Things That Create Convincing UFO Sightings

Russian Scientist's Claim of Life on Venus Debunked

Will We Really Find Alien Life in 20 Years?

Follow Life's Little Mysteries on Twitter @llmysteries, then join us on Facebook.

Benjamin Radford is deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer science magazine and author of Scientific Paranormal Investigation: How to Solve Unexplained Mysteries. His Web site is www.BenjaminRadford.com.

? 2012 LifesLittleMysteries.com. All rights reserved. More from LifesLittleMysteries.com.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46119327/ns/technology_and_science-science/

home depot center the replacements fleet week scarecrow festival scarecrow festival oklahoma state football oklahoma state football

Inmates, guards clash in Sri Lanka prison, 28 hurt (AP)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka ? Inmates and guards clashed at a Sri Lankan prison Tuesday, injuring at least 28 people before soldiers restored control after five hours, officials said.

Reporters outside heard gunshots from within the compound in Colombo, and police fired tear gas before order was restored. Prisoners also set fire to the records room.

The inmates were protesting a move to curtail drug smuggling into the prison, police spokesman Ajith Rohana said. He said 24 prisoners and four guards were hurt.

Rohana did not describe the anti-drug measures, but a man who lives near the prison who gave only his first name, Kumara, said there had been disturbances for several days after authorities banned food brought by relatives for the inmates.

Some prisoners were seen on the roof shouting slogans and holding a banner demanding the removal of the prison chief. Some threw stones at vehicles on a nearby main road, forcing police to close the road.

Dr. Prasad Ariyawansa of Colombo National Hospital said most of the injured prisoners had gunshot wounds. Three officers were hit by stones and another had a broken leg, he said, adding that the injuries were not life threatening.

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

adobe air 2005yu55 advanced search alexander the great personhood amendment haynesworth haynesworth

GOP wants private sector to rescue space program

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) ? Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich want to revive Florida's space coast.

But the Republican presidential contenders, eager to address a key local concern in Monday's debate, say they don't want the federal government to spend too much in the effort.

Romney says the space exploration should be a priority. He's calling on NASA to partner with the military and private business interests and educational institutions to help pay for it.

Gingrich wants to offer the private sector special prizes. He says that such incentives, as opposed to a government spending, would help Americans go back to the moon, explore Mars, and develop extraterrestrial space exploration.

Gingrich says the prizes could create a romantic and exciting future for the space program.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-23-GOP-Debate-Space%20Coast/id-63010ea79ad54928bcebdb8b51d7ffdb

angus t. jones belgian malinois girl fight jacoby brissett danielle staub last of the mohicans last of the mohicans

This 350 Piece K'Nex Value Tub Is Your Creative-Building Deal of the Day [Dealzmodo]

When I was a wee pup, my parents told me to always stay open minded. Be accepting, try everything and don't ever discriminate. I think that was some sort of life lesson about people but I took it as COOL, I'LL EAT PIZZA, BURGERS AND ICE CREAM. Not really. I didn't eat ice cream. I actually don't even like ice cream. ANYWAY. It's good to grow up with an open mind. You fall in love with every sport. You play every game console. You drink every soda, eat every candy and get every cavity on every teeth. Ah too be young and open minded! The best part was the toys. Oh the toys! If you were open minded, you got to play with Lego bricks, Erector sets and even *gasp* K'nex sets. Man I forgot about those. You can buy a K'Nex Value Tub of 350 pieces for only $10 right now. Do it if you're open minded. -CC More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/oDSosRtfXg0/this-350-piece-knex-value-tub-is-your-creative+building-deal-of-the-day

beanie wells beanie wells dina manzo dina manzo once upon a time once upon a time demarco murray

Megaupload kingpin tells New Zealand court he is innocent (Reuters)

AUCKLAND (Reuters) ? The founder of online file-sharing website Megaupload argued in a New Zealand court Monday he was innocent on charges of internet piracy and money laundering and said authorities were trying to portray the blackest picture of him.

Kim Dotcom, a German national, also known as Kim Schmitz, argued for bail saying through his lawyer that he posed no threat of absconding or restarting his businesses.

"Mr Dotcom emphatically denies any criminal misconduct or wrongdoing, and denies the existence of a Mega Conspiracy," defense lawyer Paul Davison told the court Monday.

But prosecutor Anne Toohey said Dotcom posed a flight risk "at the extreme end of the scale" because it was believed he had access to funds, could easily arrange transport, had multiple identities and had a history of fleeing criminal charges.

Dotcom, 38, and three others, were arrested Friday after police raided his country estate at the request of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Police cut Dotcom out of a safe room he had barricaded himself in.

The court adjourned the hearing until later in the day as it considered certain legal issues in closed court.

The judge treated Dotcom's bail application separately from that of the other three accused. Dotcom, dressed in black pants and a tracksuit top, sat quietly in the dock with hands clasped looking at the judge as his lawyer argued for bail.

The court hearing comes as media reported that Dotcom ordered around NZ$4 million ($3.2 million) of renovations to the sprawling mansion that he leased near Auckland, with its manicured lawns, fountains, pools, palm-lined paths and extensive security.

Defense lawyer Davison argued that Dotcom's passports had been seized, his funds frozen, had co-operated with authorities, and wanted to make New Zealand his permanent home.

U.S. authorities want to extradite Dotcom on charges he masterminded a scheme that made more than $175 million in a few short years by copying and distributing music, movies and other copyrighted content without authorization. Megaupload's lawyer has said the company simply offered online storage.

The case is being heard as the debate over online piracy reaches fever pitch in Washington where Congress is trying to craft tougher legislation.

Lawmakers stopped anti-piracy legislation Friday, postponing a critical vote in a victory for Internet companies that staged a mass online protest against the fast-moving bills.

The movie and music industries want Congress to crack down on Internet piracy and content theft, but major Internet companies like Google and Facebook have complained that current drafts of the legislation would lead to censorship.

Critics of the U.S. Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, and Protect IP Act (PIPA), quickly showed their opposition to the shutdown of Megaupload.com, with hackers attacking the public websites of the Justice Department, the world's largest music company Universal Music, and the two big trade groups that represent the music and film industries.

Dotcom's New Zealand lawyer Davison said in court that Megaupload's business was being misrepresented and authorities were being aggressive to add drama to the case.

"His business did not reproduce or copy material as alleged," he told the court, adding that copyright holders had been given access to Megaupload to identify improper posting of material, which had been taken off the site.

In New Zealand, questions are being asked about how Dotcom, who moved to the country in 2010, could be given permanent residency under a business investor scheme despite criminal convictions for insider trading.

Prime Minister John Key said Dotcom's criminal past had prevented him buying the NZ$30 million mansion and 20 hectare property because he was not a "person of good character."

However, he said immigration authorities took into account the wiping of Dotcom's criminal record under Germany's 'clean-slate' laws.

"The New Zealand officials contacted the German police. They confirmed that was the situation, that they had no further concerns and so, on that basis, they made the call to grant him residency. That's not unusual," Key said on TVNZ.

EXTRADITION AGREEMENT STANDARD

A legal expert said extradition arrangements between New Zealand and the United States were reasonably straightforward and standard, but there were some important factors.

"The offence for which extradition is sought must be an offence in the jurisdictions of both states," said Otago University law professor Kevin Dawkins, adding that an accused must be tried on the offence for which they are extradited.

New details emerged about Dotcom's lavish lifestyle and tastes, with reports that he had a heated lap pool built just off the master ensuite, with underwater speakers, imported spring water and a custom ladder worth around NZ$15,000.

"It's insane, and it gets more insane inside. When we were there we called it 'extreme home makeover, millionaire edition'," a source close to the teams that did renovation work the New Zealand Herald.

The anonymous source said other features inside the house included a graffiti-style painting depicting Dotcom and his wife, Mona, on the wall of one room, which also had about seven 60-inch television screens - each with its own X-box and luxury, recliner chair.

A film posted on the Internet shows Dotcom, surrounded by topless women and men spraying champagne on board a super yacht during a "crazy weekend" in Monaco reported to have cost $10 million.

"Fast cars, hot girls, super yachts and amazing parties. Decadence rules," said the commentary accompanying the so-called fun documentary, which Dotcom dedicated to "all my fans."

The FBI estimates that Dotcom personally made around $115,000 a day during 2010 from his empire. The list of property to be seized, includes nearly 20 luxury cars, one of them a pink Cadillac, works of art, and NZ$10 million invested in local finance companies.

(Additional reporting by Gyles Beckford in Wellington; Editing by Ed Davies)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/wr_nm/us_internet_piracy_megaupload

chick fil a liquor store how to tie a bow tie brock lesnar vs alistair overeem times square new years eve buffalo chicken dip diverticulitis

[OOC] Sleep all day , drink all night

Forum rules
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.

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

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.

---

---

Post a reply

RolePlayGateway is a site built by a couple roleplayers who wanted to give a little something back to the roleplay community. The site has no intention of earning any profit, and is paid for out of their own pockets.

If you appreciate what they do, feel free to donate your spare change to help feed them on the weekends. After selecting the amount you want to donate from the menu, you can continue by clicking on PayPal logo.

Who is online

Registered users: 4ever_dreaming, 88HoloTheWiseWolf88, Abalyth, aipsylon*, allimagination*, Alpha Type Shurelia, Ambreose*, amyreinreaper, Andreis, Animality Opera*, Annalysa Jones, ArcticFox*, Armageddon, atleastsmile, austyn101, AutomailJunkie, AzricanRepublic*, Bani, barney_fife*, Beach-Born-Boy, BellatrighxSlander, Beta Type Jakuri*, Blackangel22, Blacklight1991, blackwolf, BlueWind_22*, Bonjour51, Buddywazzizname*, Canibelle, cass-isnt-here*, Chulance*, CiksKayVolts*, clone8642, codemaster23, CountessMomo*, DarkAngel13, dealing with it, Death of a Legend*, dig17*, Dr. Seuss*, DrVonTrip, Dyew, Elrith Eldwind, Erlanis*, Everscale, feral gale, Finalhazard3*, Forevveru, forgetmenot333*, freakofnature*, GamerX*, gezzygezzy, Gintoki Sakata, girlwt*, glmstr, GoaGreena, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, Grimpunker96, HeroOfAwesomeness*, Hinasil, Hushh, Iamdeadpool*, ichiro [Crawler], Inno, It's_Gen, jackrules158*, JayZeroSnake, jkin, KapugenWolf, KenXin, Kirinak*, kkpigs, Lifecharacter, Light_of_the_Fallen*, Liquidus, LithiumCaretaker, Lloyd999, Lord Saladin*, LRmember, LSunday, Luna Star, Mac the Impaler, MarchHare*, Marcus*, McDevious*, minibear*, Missing Link*, Moniker, Morbin, Mr. Crow*, MSNbot Media, mummydove, MusicLover, Neon.lynxie, Nightmaric_Angel*, niykin*, No-One*, Nocte*, Nulix*, Omega_Pancake, Otowar, Ottoman, Patcharoo, Pencil Eraser, Pichu-Chan, PirateofPie*, Porecomesis*, Princess Awinita*, Prose*, Protoman X, RainWish, Rem?us*, Renmiri, reveries, Revolverhelden, rizzyrat, Rougeshadow*, Ryand-Smith*, RydeDawg, R?tshreck, Safisan, Saxious, ScarletRivers, SerenityMist, Setsugie*, shadymattloz, Shan?, Shattered233, Shpleem*, silverangel_of_light, Siri Secret, SkullJester, SkyRight, Smileybird*, Smokescreen*, smrtazz13, SnowSpartan66, SoftDusk*, Solo Wing Pixy, Sora112112, Sorella*, speckles32shido, Starryskies*, SunniBunny*, Sylwyn, T?far?s, Talisman, Tearen Wover*, Tetsuya Shimazu, The Angry Penguin*, The Illusionist*, The Painkiller*, The Protagonist, the_judged, TheDarkWorgen*, TheRaven&ThePawn, ThexTwistedxOne*, Tiko*, TinnaOsp, Tokai*, Tonks*, Trickster, Usui*, Vampiric-Rage, ViceVersus, Vio-Lance, Wake, Walking-travesty*, whaoowheex3, WindOnFire*, Wren, Wudgeous, xMyAN.Jell, xXChocobeanXx, Yahoo [Bot], Ylanne*, Zodia195, zolzol*, ? Reality ?*

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/UDI2_RFPRoU/viewtopic.php

sherri shepherd sean avery east river east river harry shum jr workaholics workaholics

Friday Candidate Schedule (TIME)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/188781013?client_source=feed&format=rss

kara dioguardi thomas kinkade the shining when does daylight savings time end world series mvp rocky horror picture show risky business

Army suicides down, but violent crimes up

WASHINGTON?? The number of suicides among soldiers has been leveling off but there's been a dramatic jump in domestic violence, sex crimes and other destructive behavior in a force that has been stressed by a decade of war, a new Army report said Thursday.

1. Only on msnbc.com

   1. Updated 79 minutes ago 1/20/2012 12:15:47 PM +00:00 Poker players sue over online cheating scheme
   2. Updated 49 minutes ago 1/20/2012 12:45:15 PM +00:00 What?s next after wild day in S. Carolina?
   3. More billion-dollar disasters added to 'extreme' 2011
   4. Prince's tour of duty to reignite Falklands dispute?
   5. NBC poll: Gingrich gains ground on Romney in SC
   6. Fun in Mogadishu? Yes, it happens
   7. Chinese dissident flees to US, describes torture

"There's a lot of good news in this report, but there's also some bad news," Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli told a Pentagon press conference. "We know we've got still a lot of work to do."

Suicides among soldiers in the active duty, Guard and Reserve totaled 278 last year, down 9 percent from 2010.

"I think we've at least arrested this problem and hopefully will start to push it down," Chiarelli said.

But violent sex crimes and domestic violence have increased more than 30 percent since 2006 and child abuse by 43 percent.

"After 10 years of war with an all-volunteer force, you're going to have problems that no one could have forecasted before this began," he said.

Chiarelli was releasing a 200-page report for commanders, health care providers and other military leaders and meant to assess the physical and mental health condition of the force, disciplinary problems, and any gaps in how the Army deals with them.

Pentagon: Thousands of sex assaults unreported

It follows up on a 2010 report that said the Army was failing some soldiers by missing signs of trouble or by looking the other way as commanders tried to keep up with tight deployment schedules needed to fight in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Chiarelli said commanders are now getting more troops into substance abuse programs; are kicking more out of the service for misconduct, and are barring others with alcohol and drug convictions from joining in the first place.

Other details from the report:

? Calling post-traumatic stress disorder an epidemic, it estimates that there could be 472,000 service members with the condition, half of them in the Army.

?Some 24,000 soldiers were referred to substance abuse programs in the 2011 budget year, ended in September.

?The Army had over 126,000 diagnosed cases of traumatic brain injury from 2000 to 2010. That included more than 95,000 mild cases such as concussions, 20,000 moderate cases and more than 3,500 in which there were severe, penetrating injuries.

Chiarelli said the military has taken "a huge step forward" with new screening procedures for troops who get concussions ? a frequent injury in wars where makeshift bombs have been insurgents' weapons of choice. Troops are now taken off the battlefield and held off for days or weeks until they recover, he said.

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

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46062947/ns/us_news-life/

camaro zl1 bob sanders evan longoria janeane garofalo janeane garofalo braves braves

Real-life James Bonds used fake rock to spy on Russia (Reuters)

• Web
• Images
• Video
• Local
• Shopping
• Apps
• News
• More
  • Answers
  • Directory
  • Jobs
  • Sports
  • Finance
  • Blog
  • All Search Services
  • Advanced Search
  • Preferences
  • Advertising Programs
  • About This Page

Search query

Make Yahoo! your homepage? 2012 Yahoo!

• Privacy / Legal
• About Our Ads
• Submit Your Site

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120119/lf_nm_life/us_britain_russia_spying

national championship game bcs game university of alabama lsu vs alabama college football college football ncaa football

Weekly Mod: how to replace a home button in a GSM iPhone 4

The iPhone 4 is known to have issues when it comes to the home button. This is probably the reason they redesigned the home button assembly in the iPhone 4S

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/G6khRB20WMg/story01.htm

robert kardashian chicago weather forecast one tree hill chelsea handler weather st louis faceoff kings island

Deal on EU embargo of Iran's oil remains in doubt (AP)

BRUSSELS ? A diplomat says agreement on an EU embargo on Iranian oil remains in doubt, days before foreign ministers plan to meet in Brussels in hope of adopting such a ban.

The intent is to choke off funding for Iran's nuclear program, which many Western governments believe is geared toward developing nuclear weapons ? something Iran denies.

Under a compromise being discussed, the ban would take effect immediately but existing contracts would be honored until July 1, the diplomat said. The diplomat, accredited to the European Union, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing talks.

The full embargo would then take effect, but possibly only after further review of the impact so far on oil prices. Greece, in particular, is in economic trouble and relies on Iranian oil.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/energy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_re_eu/eu_iran_oil_embargo

bethany hamilton bethany hamilton after christmas sales macys stratfor bears vs packers after christmas sales 2011

Taco Bell's Stupidly Disrespectful MLK Day Tweet [MLK Day]

Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the greatest figures in American history, and helped kick segregation squarely in the balls. So, what's the best way to honor this brave man's legacy? How about comparing it to a fucking taco! More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/07NzXsZGbN0/taco-bells-stupidly-disrespectful-mlk-day-tweet

pawpaw pawpaw cantaloupe cantaloupe credit union greys anatomy greys anatomy

iPhone Owners Buy More Apps than Android Users

Analysts have recently discovered that Apple device owners are more likely to pay for their apps, after they have tried the free version, and much more than Android users.

Eric Setton, a founder and the chief technical officer of Tango, suggested this conclusion after comparing the evolution of the apps that his company has submitted on both the Android Market and also the Apple App Store.

Tango is a free video calling service, with over 30 million clients. Starting mid-December last year, the company announced two services: one video voice mail another allowing animation to overlay on video calling. Users had some free features, where for additional services they had to pay a fee.

More than a half (55-percent) of Tango's customers had Android powered devices, where it turned out that Apple fans became better paying clients. The conversion rate from free users to paying customers was four times higher on iOS powered devices.

The reason for this might rely in the convenience offered by iTunes, to its customers. "It comes from years of collecting credit card numbers on iTunes. People can use their stored credit card numbers and purchase things easily, punching in a credit card number on Android is more work," explained Eric Setton.

Source: http://www.itproportal.com/2012/01/18/iphone-owners-buy-more-apps-than-android-users/

packers stock packers stock mastectomy st. nicholas st. nicholas heisman finalists heisman finalists

Oregon Scientific Time & Wireless Charging Stations hands-on

Buried within the pile of gadgets at Oregon Scientific's CES booth were these two Time & Wireless Charging Stations. On the left we have the entry-level clock that's already out in the market, whereas the bigger "plus" model on the right made its debut at the show, boasting the extra clock projection and weather forecast feature. Also shown along side were the customized iPhone 4 Qi sleeves that Oregon Scientific will be offering online, and they actually had pretty high quality finish, too, especially with the texture coating on top of them. Do take a closer look in our hands-on photos below.

Gallery: Oregon Scientific Time & Wireless Charging Stations hands-on

Oregon Scientific Time & Wireless Charging Stations hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/O8KsCNozM0o/

the bachelor mary tyler moore alcatraz kim richards scott walker recall south carolina debate cruise ship