Friday, November 30, 2012

PFT: Kaepernick?s parents irked by tattoo criticism

KaepGetty Images

Before Thursday, I hadn?t heard of David Whitley.? I now have.? And my first impression of his work isn?t good.

In a possible attempt by a pair of dying brands to regain relevance in a world with more digital options than eyeballs to consume them, Whitley has penned a so-stodgy-it?s-edgy column for the AOL/Sporting News joint venture that criticizes Colin Kaepernick?s ink.

Crafted carefully (for the most part) to avoid legitimate complaints of racism, Whitley?s implicit message arguably could be boiled down thusly:? He prefers NFL quarterbacks to be white, or to at least act white.

In the interests of clarity and fairness, Whitley didn?t say that.? But that?s the sense I got while reading his words, including:

1.? ?He is the CEO of a high-profile organization, and you don?t want your CEO to look like he just got paroled.?

2.? ?For dinosaurs like me, NFL quarterbacks were our little Dutch boys.?

3.? ?It?s not just a white thing, I hope.?

I?m not even sure what the last sentence means.? Reading the full column in one continuous chunk of words, it feels like he?s lamenting the disappearance of the good old days, when quarterbacks were not only tattoo-free but also pigment-free.

Regardless of Whitley?s conscious or subconscious motivations, Kaepernick?s parents aren?t happy that their adopted son has been compared to prison inmates.

?It annoyed me,? Teresa Kaepernick told USA Today.? ?You are categorizing this kid on something like tattoos?? Really?? Saying other guys are role models because they don?t have them?? Really?? Some of these other guys don?t have crystal clear reputations.? That?s how you?re going to define this kid?? It?s pretty irritating, but it is what it is.?

?This guy has probably never talked to Colin,? Rick Kaepernick said.? ?Instead of saying that Colin does all these great things and donates his time to children, this guy is going to make him out like a gangster.? Really??

I?m no stranger to the criticism that flows in response to opinions that reflect old-school attitudes that come, for example, from the days when the husbands smoked cigarettes and read Life magazine while watching Walter Cronkite in the waiting room as their kids were being born.? But the idea that quarterbacks shouldn?t have tattooed arms has no relevance to anything that would be remotely relevant to playing the sport of football, at any level.

Except for folks who prefer their quarterbacks to be fair-haired and fair-skinned, or at a minimum to behave as if they are.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/30/kaepernicks-parents-bothered-by-criticism-of-tattoos/related

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Priyanka Chopra is very close to my heart: Shah Rukh Khan | Firstpost

The ?friendship? between Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra has made headlines for almost a year now. While there have been media reports of Chopra being cornered by star wives and being shunned by Bollywood A-listers like Karan Johar, SRK has remained silent, until now.

In a recent interview to CNN IBN, Shah Rukh finally broke his silence and spoke of his relationship with Priyanka Chopra and his reaction to the reports about her. The actor said he was ?sorry? because Priyanka had not been given the respect that she deserves.

Priyanka Chopra exiting SRK?s Khar office with him at around 3.15 am on 18 Jan, 2012. Firstpost

?To me what is most disturbing is that a lady who has worked with me has been questioned and somewhere down the line has not been shown the respect that I show her, or to all women. I think it is disrespectful and I am extremely sorry about that, sorry means not because of the things that I have done but because she is a friend,? Khan said.

Speaking about the relationship they share, Shah Rukh said that she is extremely ?close to his heart?? and they are very close friends.

?She is one of the closest friends and she is very close to my heart, and will always be. I just feel, sometimes when things are said, I needed to step back from it, because I find it very banal, and very small and very minimal, and you know it tends to spoil relationships that people share while working together.?

Talking fondly about Priyanka he said,? ?She was a little girl who started her Miss World crowning with me. We have shared some of the nicest moments onscreen and off it. It is extremely unfortunate for me, you know, a friendship gets a little spoilt. ?

When asked if the rumours affected their relationships, he said, ?Not at all. she is matured beyond her years to deal with it.?

However, he did take a dig at not only at the media but also on all those industry bigwigs who had outrightly slammed Chopra.

?But having said that I think we all rush into giving names to relationships, without even understanding it at times, and that?s the strange part not only of media, but of all of us,? Khan said.

Source: http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/priyanka-chopra-is-very-close-to-my-heart-shah-rukh-khan-538189.html

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Study analyzes Maine wind power benefits

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) ? An environmental group says power generation from Maine wind farms is eliminating more than 400,000 metric tons of carbon pollution a year.

Environment Maine on Wednesday released a report that analyzes data from the U.S. Department of Energy and the wind industry to measure the environmental benefits from wind turbines operating in Maine.

The report says the turbines reduce carbon dioxide output by 403,000 metric tons a year, equivalent to the pollution from 79,000 vehicles. It further says the wind farms also reduce the output of smog- and soot-forming pollutants, while saving 155 million gallons of water annually.

The group released the analysis to support its position in favor of extending federal tax credits for wind energy that are set to expire at the end of the year.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/study-analyzes-maine-wind-power-benefits-185934150--finance.html

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Bloomberg first to deliver China Interbank FX rates globally | FX-MM

Publication date: 29 November 2012

Tagged with: Bloomberg, BNP Paribas, Renminbi

Bloomberg today announced the first global, real-time data service that provides investors access to live interbank pricing for China?s onshore renminbi (CNY) market. This service captures currency trading activity among banks and financial institutions in China, and is provided through the China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS), the official interbank trading and foreign exchange (FX) division of China?s central bank.

Bloomberg logo?The addition of the CFETS data gives investors insights into real-time tick-by-tick movement, volumes and market participant information in China?s onshore interbank market,? said Tod Van Name, Bloomberg?s Global Head of FX, Economics and Commodities. ?Given the rapid internationalisation of the Chinese Yuan, this data is imperative to global markets as it provides our clients greater transparency for smarter and more timely trading, hedging and investment decisions.?

Global currency traders, corporate treasurers and institutional investors can now view executable quotes and trades on the interbank dollar-yuan spot, swap and forward markets. The CFETS data service also features the best renminbi spot prices from participating banks, historical trade sizes, and eight other renminbi currency pairs. Combined with Bloomberg?s FX suite, market participants can connect to global counterparties and liquidity, and access Bloomberg?s global FX trading community.

?The provision of real-time China interbank FX rates to international investors is yet another step in the right direction,? said Sam Phoen, head of global markets, ANZ bank (China). ?Onshore corporations and investors will benefit from real-time executable rates, while offshore players who are invested in China will have better visibility when hedging against movements of the renminbi.?

According to CFETS? publication ChinaMoney, with renminbi cross-border inflows and outflows intensifying in 2012, development of the offshore renminbi market will drive domestic financial market reform, and aid in a fair and transparent price discovery process for renminbi foreign exchange rates.

?BNP Paribas is one of the first international banks to access Bloomberg?s CFETS service,? said Julien Martin, Deputy Head of Fixed Income, BNP Paribas China. ?Offshore players can now access accurate interbank dollar-yuan rates that better reflect market conditions, providing investors with a critical edge in foreign exchange transactions amidst today?s volatile trading environment.?

This announcement follows Bloomberg?s leadership in the evolution of the offshore renminbi (CNH) market, which includes the development and adoption of the CNH code, provision of its price history and introduction of the offshore renminbi bond listing and index.

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Source: http://www.fx-mm.com/20947/news/bloomberg-first-to-deliver-china-interbank-fx-rates-globally/

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Pics or it Didn't Happen: Noe Valley Open House Attracts the ...

Thursday, November 29, 2012, by Sally Kuchar





401943_0.jpeg[The scene outside of 41 Clipper as its open house started]

In case you needed photographic proof that San Francisco's real estate scene is currently a s**tshow, check the above photo of a recent open house for 41 Clipper. That's the actual photo used in the listing to show the exterior of the home, a 2-bed, 1-bath fixer-upper in Noe Valley. The home, which we should add is in dire condition, was listed on October 11 asking $789,000. It went into contract less than two weeks later and sold yesterday for $1,050,000. Yes, darlings. A two-bedroom fixer with one bathroom sold for over a million bucks. Kudos to the agent for showing us how truly terrible open house attending can be.
? 41 Clipper [Redfin]

41 Clipper Street, San Francisco, CA

USA

37.7491 -122.426

Source: http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2012/11/29/pics_or_it_didnt_happen_noe_valley_open_house_attracts_the_masses.php

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Windows Phone 8 "Bringing Phone Into the Windows Family"

Formally launching Windows Phone 8 today, Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Windows Phone project head Joe Belfiore and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer showed off some new features. They spent much of the time talking about how the OS is integrated with Windows itself and how it is designed for personalization. Indeed, both said that instead of trying to create one phone for everyone, the company wanted to create a phone that would be different for each user. (Due to Hurricane Sandy, I watched the announcement via webcast, instead of attending in person.)

In addition to showing off previously seen features such as Live Tiles and "lenses" for the camera, Belfiore showed off some new features, including Live Apps, apps that can run on the lock screen, a children's mode, new music options, a method for checking data usage, and a way of segmenting the people you follow into separate "rooms."

Joe Belfiore
Above: Windows Phone chief Joe Belfiore

Belfiore discussed how Windows Phone has a "different point of view" than the "icons for apps" focus of iPhone or Android (which he called a copy of the iPhone experience); instead, he said Windows Phone is focused on people first, not on apps. He said there are now 120,000 apps available for Windows Phone, which will now be available in 50 languages and 191 countries.

He highlighted the Live Tiles concept that lets you pin your favorite people and apps, allowing them to constantly update. He noted that with Windows Phone 8, the tiles can be resized and moved around. We've seen this and several other features before, including improved camera applications, a new Wallet feature, and a shared core with the Windows 8 operating system.

He followed with the concept of Live Apps that can integrate into the wallet, other hubs, and now into the lock screen of the phone itself. Belfiore highlighted this with a new version of Facebook, which he said will automatically show photos from your Facebook feed and Facebook notifications on your lock screen. You can choose which application appears on the lock screen. This looks cool, if not crucial.

In addition to Facebook, Belfiore talked about new applications from Twitter and Skype. Skype, he said, will be "always on"?able to receive messages at any time without running in the background and using battery life. With new things like Words with Friends and Draw Something, Microsoft now has 46 of the top 50 applications. The Unity games development environment is coming, with games like Temple Run. Urban Spoon is coming with speech enabled directly. He talked about Angry Birds Star Wars and Fairway Solitaire, which runs on Xbox, Windows 8, and Windows Phone 8. Pandora is coming in early 2013, he said, with one year of free music with no ads. The Software Development Kit for creating Windows Phone 8 applications will be free and publically available at the Build conference tomorrow (which I also will be unable to attend, due to the storm, but hope to follow online).

Another new feature is called Data Sense, which he said "helps you use less data so you get the most of out of your data plan."

Data Usage

This compresses every webpage you view and finds nearby Wi-Fi hot spots so you can offload data. It shows you data usage so you can see where you are getting near your plan limit, and which applications are using data. Microsoft's testing showed that users will be able to get 45 percent more Web browsing on a data plan. This will initially be offered on Verizon, but will be coming to other carriers soon. Depending on how well this works, this could be a rather important feature.

Kid's Corner creates a "separate place on your phone," where your kids can run their applications, games, and music, without impacting the rest of the phone or letting them download or post things you don't want them to.

Kids Corner

Belfiore brought his own kids on stage to show this off. He was then joined by actress Jessica Alba, who explained an incident in which her daughter accidentally sent a tweet to her four million followers. (She was promoting her new firm, The Honest Company, which is working on a new app.)

Belfiore, Ballmer, Alba

I do like a new feature called "Rooms" within the People hub of the phone, which sounds a lot like "circles" in Google+ where you can gather just a few people you want to communicate with. It comes initially with a Family room, with members of your family, and lets you send private messages or share locations just with people in that room. Belfiore noted that you can use this to make a grocery list, for instance. You can create other rooms, and this will work even with people who have other phones through an app. Perhaps most importantly, Belfiore mentioned that this was designed to be "the perfect companion" for your Windows PC. You should think about your phone, your tablet, and your PC together as a "virtual office," he said, noting how using SkyDrive when you are editing a document on one machine, you can resume work on it on another, whether it is a phone, tablet, or PC. (I have been using SkyDrive that way on multiple machines for a bit lately, and it is convenient).

He pointed out how this works with OneNote, allowing you to take a quick voice note on your phone, which is transcribed into text and immediately available on your phone, tablet, or PC. And if you take a photo, it automatically shows up on all these devices. He contrasted it with other cloud services, saying it works not only with photos and videos, but also with documents. It comes with 7GB free and gives you complete control over your content (unlike iCloud, which only saves your photos for 30 days). The service is also available for Xbox.

Belfiore only briefly mentioned the camera features, but spent a bit more time talking about the new Xbox music service, which connects your music across devices. He mentioned new Sync companion software for Windows 7, 8, and the Mac, which allows you to move your music and playlists from your iTunes library to your phone. Ballmer spent much of his time on stage talking about the "killer hardware" and carriers. He started by showing the Nokia Lumia 920, where he highlighted the camera with optical image stabilization and continued with the Samsung Ativ S, where he talked about the large screen and its light weight. He also brought up the HTC Windows Phone 8X, which has built-in Beats audio, amps, and an wide angle lens on the front of the camera. The first Windows Phone 8 models will go on sale in Europe this weekend.

Steve Ballmer

In the United States, Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T will be offering phones. Verizon will offer the HTC 8X and the Nokia Lumia 822 by Thanksgiving, and the Samsung Ativ Odyssey in December; T-Mobile will offer the Lumia 810 and 8X by November 14; and AT&T will offer the Lumia 920, 820, and 8X in November. Ballmer said the 65 Microsoft stores will sell every Windows Phone available in the U.S., with the online store offering every phone in every color. Windows Phone will be supported by hundreds of mobile operators and retailers around the world.

Ballmer's big focus, though, was on the personalization possibilities with Windows Phone 8 and how it works with Windows PCs. There has been an incredible response to Windows 8 and Microsoft Surface during this launch weekend, and preliminary demand is above what it was for Windows 7, since there is a special demand for touch designs. Between Windows 8, Surface, and Windows Phone 8, he said, "you won't be able to turn on a TV or open a magazine without seeing a Microsoft ad."

Ballmer talked about how one of Microsoft's big goals is "bringing phone into the Windows family," and it struck me how just a few years ago, such a statement might be seen as anti-competitive. Now, Microsoft is actually an underdog in the mobile world, so this is part of a comeback plan. There are a lot of cool features here?I've long liked Live Tiles, and I think the "Kid's Corner" and Windows integration parts could be incredibly useful?but Microsoft needs to prove it can get great new applications and build a critical mass here. This is clearly a pivotal time for the company.

Source: http://forwardthinking.pcmag.com/none/304439-windows-phone-8-bringing-phone-into-the-windows-family

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Interview: R.I.P.D. Writer Jeremy Barlow on 'City of the Damned ...

Jeremy Barlow has written Star Wars comics, Mass Effect comics, Deathlok, and more, but this time he?s taking us out west with R.I.P.D.: City of the Damned, a prequel to the R.I.P.D. movie that will star Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds when it debuts this summer.

I spoke to Barlow about picking up where Peter Lenkov left off with R.I.P.D., what he thinks about the future of Star Wars, the possibility of more Deathlok, going freelance, and what it takes to write a comic book.?

For those who aren?t familiar with Peter Lenkov?s original R.I.P.D. story, how does this pivot off of that and how does the film pivot off of City of the Damned?

Jeremy Barlow: Peter Lenkov?s first story introduced the Rest in Peace Department through protagonist Nick Cruz? (now Nick Walker) eyes. He was a troubled Boston PD officer killed in the line of duty and recruited into the R.I.P.D. to patrol the afterlife. Nick?s senior partner is Roy Pulsipher, a gunfighter from the old west and now 100-year veteran of the force. It?s a great story, equally full of horror and heart, and it?s the basis for the upcoming film.

City of the Damned takes us back and tells the story of how Roy joined the R.I.P.D., and how the disturbing events of his first case shaped his personality. Through this we expand the R.I.P.D. universe and dig deeper into its mythology, while still keeping the terrifying/sentimental tone that Peter established.

You?ve written for pre-established voices like Star Wars before, but here you sort of get to be out front with it. How involved were the filmmakers and Lenkov in the plotting stage and did you feel like you had to speak with Ryan Reynolds or Jeff Bridges? voice at times??

Barlow: The movie?s production was well underway when we started City of the Damned, but I was given autonomy to build the world. I pitched a prequel to give us some space, and once we had the green light, artist Tony Parker and I just went for it and didn?t hold anything back. Peter Lenkov has been involved at every step too, making sure everything lines up. He digs what we?re doing.

As for writing the characters, it was less a case of ?having? to write to Bridges? and Reynolds? voice than ?getting? to. One of the challenges of writing is creating vivid characters that speak to you, whose voices you hear in your head, and whose reactions to any situation you?d know by heart. Having those voices already in place is golden.

That said, Nick Walker (the Ryan Reynolds character) appears only in a modern-day bookend sequence in the first and final issues. Otherwise, Roy is teamed up with his own senior partner, an intense Puritan named Crispin Mather, who?s a new character. For Roy?s voice, I?ve been leaning toward a younger and more brash, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot era Bridges. Throwing him together with a stoic Solomon Kane type has been fun.

Staying with a ?voice? question, we go back 100 years to the old west in City of the Damned, you?ve visited that time in your writing before with They?ll Bury You Where You Stand, what is it about that time that appeals to you as a writer?

Barlow: Hey, thanks for mentioning ?TBYWYS!? (my original short story with artist Dustin Weaver, which ran in Image Comics? Outlaw Territory vol. 2 anthology). I?m glad someone read it!

I?m not at all interested in traditional westerns, actually. In fact, I grew up hating them ? the cheap sets, the overly simplistic morality, the bombastic musical scores ? just not for me. The western is a purely American mythology, but by its nature it can?t escape the concepts of Manifest Destiny and the John Wayne/good guys wear white fantasy. Which just kills it dead for me.

However, I love, LOVE, European westerns from the 60s and 70s. Respect to Sergio Leone and all, but those ?Man with No Name? movies don?t even scratch the surface of that genre?s greatness. The original Django?s opening credit sequence opened a trapdoor in my brain the first time I saw it, and I fell right in. Through the European filter, that American mythology becomes something else entirely. Something more honest and true, more brutal and surreal, and the visual language knocks you on your ass.

The short answer to your question is, I use this ?wrong? western genre for the same reasons I like writing science fiction?the freedom to go anywhere and do anything. I love creating wholly unique worlds, going places that couldn?t exist otherwise, and using familiar symbols in unfamiliar contexts.

Complete 180, more Dethklok comics or other Metalocalypse projects? Ever?

Barlow: Oh, man ? I wish. I really hope so. I haven?t heard anything from Dark Horse on that front, but I get the sense that the books didn?t do as well as we hoped, so I don?t know. That was easily the best and most fun job I?ve ever had, and I could write 100 more issues of Dethklok, easily. Cut off your fingers and cross them.

You were with Dark Horse for a while and then you went freelance and you?aligned?with Periscope studios. What kind of advantage does joining with a collective give you in terms of booking work and what are the benefits of working freelance as opposed to having one set home?

Barlow: The networking advantages are indirect, at least for me, and I?m not sure that being a studio member has led to getting hired for something. The true benefit of joining Periscope, though, is simply spending time with like-minded and insanely talented artists and writers. It?s having a place to go and having people to interact with when the isolation of working from home is too much. It?s been a lifesaver, and Periscope is like a second family.

Writing at the studio can be challenging, depending on what I?m working on, but that?s only because the room is full of creative, really wonderful people having a great time, and who?d want to block that out?

In terms of your process, how long does it take you from first letter to last to write a script and how do you avoid distractions?

Barlow:?Too long. I used to beat myself up for being a slow writer, but I?ve accepted that it?s not so much that I?m slow as I am extremely thorough. I can write a 22-page script in about ten days, but only after I?ve already spent at least as much time working out the ideas, breaking down the dramatic beats, and solving all of the logic and consistency problems. I go on long walks daily to work things out in my head (and to convince myself that I?m not terrible at what I do).

I script using a program called Movie Magic Screenwriter, with a personally customized template. While scripting, I also have a Word doc open, which I use for general outlining and problem solving. If I get stuck, I talk it out in the Word doc until the solution presents itself, then I jump back over to the script.

My first drafts are loose and crappy. The pages are paced out with one-sentence panel descriptions and placeholder dialogue. Once that?s down I?ll expand that draft into a full script, along with reference web links for the artist, and everything. Then I?ll print that out, proof it, and use it as a reference to rewrite a third draft from scratch. Which is crazy, I know, but it gets the best results. You can stare at a thing for so long that you lose sight of it, and retyping it finds the blind spots and tightens everything up. This is time consuming, especially when I?m juggling multiple projects, but maintaining quality is worth it. The upside is that because I?m so thorough, I?m very rarely asked to do rewrites. So maybe I save a little time on the backend.

For productivity, I use a variation on the Pomodoro Technique. Which is that I have a pair of timer widgets on my Macbook?s dashboard ? one set for twenty-five minutes and the other for six. While the longer one runs, I work. I focus on the task and ignore the stress and the urge to web surf. When it goes off, I take a six-minute break?no matter what. I walk around the house, drink some water, do some pushups, anything to refresh the brain. When those six minutes are up, I?m back at the desk for another twenty-five.

Before working like this, I?d lose days to anxiety. Days! I?m easily overwhelmed, and my workload this year has been crazy ? if I think about everything ahead of me, I lock up and can?t get anything done. It?s a bad cycle. Breaking it down into small, timed chunks instead has worked wonders.

Advice for aspiring comic writers on how to get published?

Barlow:?Get an Internet connection. Okay, that?s the smartass answer ? but what I mean is that digital is as viable an option for getting your work out there as is trying to get a publisher to pay attention to you. Get online, meet some artists, and just get your stuff out there. Digital is the future ? I don?t buy monthly comics anymore, I read everything on my iPad ? and there?s no barrier to sharing your work with the world. If you?re good, people will pay attention. If you?re not good, keep at it and eventually you will be.

If the question you?re really asking, though, is how does an aspiring writer get to do this for a living? Again, it goes back to becoming really good at what you do ? so good that someone will want to pay you to do it ? and getting there takes a lot of time working and a lot patience sweating through your amateur phase. I?ve been at this for ten years, and I feel like I?m only just getting my sea legs under me.

What existing character would you like to get your hands on and what would you do with them?

Barlow: Mad Max. In a heartbeat. That character and his whole world are rich and so much fun, you could go in all kinds of directions with them. I?d put him on a ship and send him around the world, starting with Asia and the Middle East, and dig into how the rest of the world is living in the post-apocalypse. How great would that be? Wow. Okay, I have to do this, if even just for myself.

How do you feel about the upcoming Star Wars film??

Barlow: It?s exciting. I?ve written a handful of all-ages Star Wars graphic novels, and my approach was always ?what would Pixar do?? Meaning, how best to find the stories? meaning and heart, and to make them ?all-ages? in the truest sense of the word ? enjoyable to everyone, regardless of how old the reader was.

I have no inside information, but the rumors are pointing toward Disney and Lucasfilm actually kicking it over to some of the Pixar guys, and that?s fantastic. As a fan, I?m stoked, and I?m looking forward to Star Wars again in a way I haven?t been in a long, long time.

Is there a Star Wars story or character you worked on that you think would be fantastic on the big screen? Would you sell your soul to work on that movie? Keep in mind I am not the devil or an agent of, so any affirmation does not constitute a binding agreement.

Barlow: As a professional, I?m not interested in working on the movie, to be honest. I?ve said what I had to say about Star Wars, and I haven?t written anything for them in quite a while. I?m looking forward to just being a fan again, no longer seeing behind the curtain, and doing my best to stay on media blackout until the movie hits, because I like to be surprised.

That said, if I could have one of my characters built into their future plans, it?d have to be BoShek ? the pilot with the sideburns who refers Luke Skywalker and Ben Kenobi to Han Solo in the Mos Eisley cantina. He gets three seconds of screen time, but I wrote a story setting him up as the Star Wars version of The Transporter, which was a blast. So either him, or Shon-Ju ? a failed Jedi padawan turned martial artist who creates his own system of hand-to-hand Force-powered combat, and who has an enormous chip on his shoulder toward his former teachers. He has a lot of depth and potential. I say humbly.

Otherwise, yeah. I?m right in line with you guys on opening night 2015!

R.I.P.D.: City of the Damned from Barlow, Peter Lenkov, and Tony Parker?debuts tomorrow (11/28). You can pick up a copy online or at your local comic book shop. For more information on Jeremy Barlow, check out his website.

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Source: http://nerdbastards.com/2012/11/27/interview-r-i-p-d-writer-jeremy-barlow-on-city-of-the-damned-star-wars-and-more/

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Differences Between Online Auctions and In-Person Auctions

By Craig Merwood

If you are new to auctions you may well be wondering what the differences between online auctions and in-person auctions are. Of course the most obvious difference is one is on the internet and one is live near you. There are a number of other factors that make them different as well.

First, for an in-person auction, you must find a location near you that hosts such an event. In-person auctions can be hard to find and oftentimes, you must be willing to drive some distance to attend. Online auctions are at your finger tips on the nearest computer or even your personal mobile device. Yes, many auctions can even be seen on your mobile phone wherever you are, making them very convenient. In-person auctions are also only open at set times, whereas online auctions are often going 24 hours a day.

Another major difference is the amount of available items at the auctions. Pickings may be slim if you are after the newest Samsung product or Android phone at an in-person auction. For most in-person auctions, however, you can arrive early and look over the lots that are to be auctioned off that day. This allows you to really see what you will be bidding on, and to give it a thorough inspection. Online auctions are usually endless when it comes to the amount of items you can find, you will often find multiples of items so you can compare and find the one you want to bid on. Online, you cannot physically inspect the item, but you are often provided with multiple photographs of all angles of the item. Most sellers will also often allow returns if an item is not as described in the listing.

The return policy can be another big difference between online and in-person auctions. Most in person auctions are ?as is?, meaning if you bid and win, there are no returns. Online auctions vary with this rule, sometimes based on seller and sometimes based on which online auctions sites you are using. Returns up to 30 days after the item is received is a common practice.

At live auctions you will also have an auctioneer who will ask for bids, see a person signal and will continue until there are no further interested parties. This is typically a very fast process. Online there is usually no auctioneer, just a timer that slowly counts down. At penny auctions, for instance, as the timer gets close to the end people will place a bid at the last second, and often this will extend the time for another minute or less allowing others to place a final bid.

These are some of the big difference between the two options. The best way to see which is right for you is to try them out for yourself.

These are some of the big difference between the two options. The best way to see which is right for you is to try them out for yourself! http://pennydealsdaily.com

Source: http://ninjaseomethods.com/differences-between-online-auctions-and-in-person-auctions/

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Insurers seek to cash in on unhealthy lifestyles

LONDON (Reuters) - British pension providers are asking insurers to identify people likely to die young in a bid to reduce the amount of retirement income they have to pay out.

Pension trustees ask people to provide private medical information. The data is then given to an insurer which may take on the brunt of the liabilities of the pension scheme if it believes members will die shortly after retirement.

So-called enhanced buy-ins are gaining traction for defined-benefit pension plans which promise staff a pension based on salaries. A deal allows a pension plan to transfer the risk of people living longer than expected to an insurer.

"We have found pension plans can save between 15-20 percent using an enhanced buy-in over a traditional insured approach," said Will Hale, director of corporate partnerships at pension provider Partnership, one of the few insurers quoting on enhanced buy-in transactions.

Insurers are targeting pension schemes heavy with expensive executive pensions or those with about 300 members and liabilities of 30-50 million pounds ($48-$80 million) - usually made up of blue-collar workers - to try to weed out the unhealthy and bring down the cost of an insurance transfer deal.

Pension plans ask members to answer a handful of questions requiring a 'Yes/No' response and to give permission for insurers to request a medical report from their doctor.

Insurers may then underwrite the scheme, based on the health information volunteered by the employees.

Hale said Partnership have quoted on more than 50 schemes.

"We are hopeful we will complete the first deal in the next few months," he said.

Currently, around 3-5 billion pounds of business per year is completed via traditional pension transfer deals under which liabilities are transferred to an insurer. Pension consultants expect 10 percent of that market could become enhanced annuities in the near future.

Critics of enhanced buy-ins say the move will distort the marketplace and make it harder to insure healthy members of the scheme.

"It creates a non-level playing field if one insurer has obtained far more information than other insurers", said Jay Shah, co-head of origination at Pension Insurance Corporation.

"Traditional insurers are reluctant to quote on these transactions."

(Editing by Dan Lalor)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/insurers-seek-cash-unhealthy-lifestyles-103802255--sector.html

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'Two and a Half Men' actor apologizes

FILE - In this March 12, 2012 file photo, actor Angus T. Jones arrives at the Paleyfest panel discussion of the television series "Two and a Half Men" in Beverly Hills, Calif. Jones, the teenage actor who plays the half in the hit CBS comedy "Two and a Half Men" says it's "filth" and through a video posted by a Christian church has urged viewers not to watch it. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg, File)

FILE - In this March 12, 2012 file photo, actor Angus T. Jones arrives at the Paleyfest panel discussion of the television series "Two and a Half Men" in Beverly Hills, Calif. Jones, the teenage actor who plays the half in the hit CBS comedy "Two and a Half Men" says it's "filth" and through a video posted by a Christian church has urged viewers not to watch it. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Teenage actor Angus T. Jones of the comedy "Two and a Half Men" apologized Tuesday for a series of interviews denouncing his own show, an episode that has rivaled former colleague Charlie Sheen's meltdown as an off-screen oddity.

Speaking to religious media outlets, the 19-year-old Jones has called the CBS comedy "filth" and "very inappropriate" and talked about how his religious awakening has affected his attitude toward life and work.

"Two and a Half Men," television's third most popular comedy, remains heavy on sexual innuendo even with Ashton Kutcher replacing bad-boy Sheen following his firing for drug use and a subsequent public meltdown. Jones, who started on the show when he was 10, plays Jake Harper, son of the uptight character portrayed by Emmy winner Jon Cryer.

In a statement issued late Tuesday, Jones said he had the highest regard for all of the people he has worked with on the comedy, including creator Chuck Lorre and Warner Bros. studio chief Peter Roth.

"I apologize if my remarks reflect me showing indifference to and disrespect of my colleagues and a lack of appreciation of the extraordinary opportunity of which I have been blessed," said Jones, who reportedly makes $350,000 an episode. "I never intended that."

Jones wasn't at the studio lot for a rehearsal on Tuesday. He's not scheduled to appear on the two episodes that are being filmed before the end of the year, said a person close to the show who spoke on condition of anonymity because Warner Bros. and CBS haven't commented publicly on Jones. His character has recently joined the Army and his airtime has been cut down.

His real-life adventure came to light on Monday, when he said in a video posted by the Forerunner Chronicles in Seale, Ala., featured him talking about not wanting to be on "Two and a Half Men" anymore.

"Please stop watching it," Jones said. "Please stop filling your head with filth."

In a radio broadcast, "The Voice of Prophecy," recorded for the Seventh-day Adventist Church on Jones' birthday in October, Jones described his religious path. He has been attending a Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Los Angeles area.

Jones said he felt drawn to God after a tough time in his life when his parents were going through a divorce and he experimented with drugs.

"I never drank," he said. "That was one thing God protected me from, and I'm still a virgin. God protected me from those things."

Jones said that "it's very weird that I'm on a television show, especially now that I am trying to walk with God. My television show has nothing to do with God and doesn't want anything to do with God." Still, he said he had no plans to get out of his contract.

In another interview posted on Tuesday with Christianity Today, Jones described himself as a "paid hypocrite."

"Even though it's my job to be an actor, I have given my life to God," he said. "I am very comfortable and firm in that, but I still have to be on this show. It's the No. 1 comedy, but it's very inappropriate and the themes are very inappropriate. I have to be this person I am not."

"Two and a Half Men," which has seen its ratings tumble this fall with a move to Thursdays, is now behind "The Big Bang Theory" and "Modern Family" in the comedy ratings.

____

AP Religion Writer Rachel Zoll in New York contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-11-27-TV-CBS-Half%20Man/id-bc34324de2a249c39b3e3b16a5e444c5

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Featured Android Game Review: Star Girl [Casual]

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Source: http://www.mobileunderground.info/showthread.php?t=111523&goto=newpost

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Achieving and Maintaining Peace in the East China Sea

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Post-election, Obama to appeal to the public on how to deal with the fiscal cliff (Star Tribune)

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Britney Spears Shows Off Smallest, Cutest Fan: Hannah the Dog!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/11/britney-spears-shows-off-smallest-cutest-fan-hannah-the-dog/

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Russia sent tons of cash to Damascus, flight records show

Muzaffar Salman / Reuters file

A man counts Syrian currency notes in Damascus on Nov. 13. Plunging public revenues are a sign of the fiscal pressures Damascus is facing in the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

By Dafna Linzer, Michael Grabell and Jeff Larson ProPublica

This summer, as the Syrian economy began to unravel and the military pressed hard against an armed rebellion, a Syrian government plane ferried what flight records describe as more than 200 tons of ?bank notes? from Moscow.

The records of overflight requests were obtained by ProPublica. The flights occurred during a period of escalating violence in a conflict that has left tens of thousands of people dead since fighting broke out in March 2011.

The regime of Bashar al-Assad is increasingly in need of cash to stay afloat and continue financing the military?s efforts to crush the uprising. U.S. and European sanctions, including a ban on minting Syrian currency, have damaged the country?s economy. As a result, Syria lost access to an Austrian bank that had printed its bank notes.


?Having currency that you can put into circulation is certainly something that is important in terms of running an economy and more so in an economy that is become more cash-based as things deteriorate,? said Daniel Glaser, assistant secretary of the Treasury for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes.? ?It is certainly something the Syrian government wants to do, to pay soldiers or pay anybody anything."

According to the flight records, eight round-trip flights between Damascus International Airport and Moscow?s Vnukovo Airport each carried 30 tons of bank notes back to Syria. There are records relating to the flights in Arabic and English as well as copies of over-flight requests sent to Iran, which are in Farsi.

Syrian and Russian officials did not respond to ProPublica's questions about the authenticity and accuracy of the flight records. It is not possible to know whether the logs accurately described the cargo or what else might have been on board the flights. Nor do the logs specify the type of currency.

But ProPublica confirmed nearly all of the flights took place through international plane-tracking services, photos by aviation enthusiasts and air traffic control recordings.

Andrea Mitchell talks with the U.S. Institute of Peace's Stephen Hadley, former national security adviser to President George W. Bush, about the unrest in the Middle East stretching from Israel to Cairo.

Each time the manifest listed ?Bank Notes? as its cargo, the plane traveled a circuitous route. Instead of flying directly over Turkish airspace, as civilian planes have, the Ilyushin-76 cargo plane, operated by the Syrian Air Force, avoided Turkey and flew over Iraq, Iran and Azerbaijan.

The flight path between Syria and Russia described in the manifests.

Tensions have been rising ?between Syria and Turkey since the spring. Last month, Turkey forced down a Syrian passenger plane traveling from Moscow. Turkey suspected the flight of carrying military cargo but officials have not said what, if anything, was confiscated.

If the flight manifests are accurate, a total of 240 tons of bank notes moved from Moscow to Damascus over a 10-week period beginning July 9 and ending on Sept. 15.

U.S. officials interviewed said evidence of monetary assistance, like military cooperation, point to a pattern of Russian support for Assad that extends from concrete aid to protecting Syria from U.N. sanctions.

In September 2011, six months into the violence, the European Union imposed sanctions that prohibited its members from minting or supplying new Syrian coinage or banknotes. In a statement, the EU said the sanctions aimed ?to obstruct those who are leading the crackdown in Syria and to restrict the funding being used to perpetrate violence against the Syrian people.? At the time, Syria?s currency was being minted by Oesterreichische Banknoten- und Sicherheitsdruck GmbH, a subsidiary of Austria?s Central Bank.

President Obama has issued five Executive Orders that prevent members of the Assad regime from entering the United States and accessing the U.S. financial system.

??Increasingly, it is more difficult to finance the war machine and the cost of the war is becoming more expensive for the Assad regime,? said one U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. ?Targeted sanctions on those leading the violence are working and start to bite into their pocket books.?

Russia appears to be helping Syria blunt the impact of the sanctions.

In June, Reuters reported ?that Russia had begun printing new Syrian pounds and that an initial shipment of bank notes had already arrived.? The report was denied by the Syrian Central Bank, which claimed the only new money in circulation were bills that had replaced damaged or worn bank notes. Such a swap, the bank contended, would have no effect on the economy.

On Aug. 3, the official Syrian news agency SANA, reporting from a news conference in Moscow with Syrian and Russian economic officials, quoted Syrian officials acknowledging that Russia is printing money. Qadr Jamil, Syria?s deputy prime minister for Economic Affairs, was quoted by SANA as calling the deal with Russia a ?triumph,? over sanctions.

Syrian Finance Minister Mohammad al-Jleilati said that Russia was providing both replacement notes and additional currency to, as SANA put it, ?reflect the country?s changing GDP.??

Al-Jleilati said the money would have no effect on inflation. Printing new notes beyond simply replacing old ones could undermine Syria?s already battered currency.

At the time of the meeting, at least 30 tons of currency had already been delivered, according to the flight records, and another 210 tons would be delivered in subsequent flights.

In its regional economic outlook released earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund noted that Syria?s currency has lost 44 percent of its value since March 2011, trading for about 70 Syrian pounds to the dollar compared with about 47 pounds when the conflict began.

Ibrahim Saif, a political economist based in Jordan and a resident scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center said 30 tons of bank notes twice a week is a significant amount for a country like Syria.

?I truly believe it?s not only that they?re exchanging old money for new notes. They are printing money because they need new notes,? Saif said.

?Most of the government revenue that comes from taxes, in terms of other services, it?s almost now dried up,? noted Saif. Yet, ?They continue to pay salaries. They have not shown any signs of weakness in fulfilling their domestic obligations. The only way they can do this is to get some sort of cash in the market.?

Before the unrest broke out, Syria had about $17 billion in foreign currency reserves. Saif said he and other economists in the region estimate they now have about $6 billion to 8 billion in reserves, dwindling about $500 million a month for salaries and supplies to keep the government running.

In Moscow, the Syrian finance minister had said that his country required additional foreign currency reserves, which Russia may provide in the form of loans.

?It?s possible the Syrians are acquiring foreign currency reserves, either Euros or US dollars, which they would need to conduct any serious commerce,? said Juan Zarate, who served as assistant secretary of the Treasury for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes during the Bush administration.

Zarate noted that other countries, when faced with economic sanctions, have leaned on allies for foreign currency reserves. China supplied North Korea with such funds in the past and Venezuela agreed to sell reserves to Iran.

Syria?s currency is still traded on open markets, but there is limited on-the-ground information about the economy, including inflation.

Officials at the IMF ?have not been able to get direct information about Syria for at least a year,? Masood Ahmed, director of the group?s Middle East and Central Asia department, told reporters at a conference in Tokyo last month.

Glaser, at Treasury, declined to put a figure on Syria?s current reserves, but said the Syrian economy is suffering in part from a lack of tourism and a ban on oil sales, both of which provided Damascus with foreign currency. ?There is significant inflation in the country. It can be caused by adding new currency or not having foreign reserves to prop up the existing currency.?

Quinn Norton contributed to this story.

ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

More from Open Channel:

Source: http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/26/15459691-as-battle-raged-in-syria-russia-sent-tons-of-cash-to-damascus-flight-records-show?lite

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Palestinians say no rush to join international court after U.N. vote

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The Palestinians will not rush to sign up to the International Criminal Court if they win a U.N. status upgrade on Thursday, but warned that seeking action against Israel in the court would remain an option, said the Palestinian U.N. observer.

The Palestinians appear certain to earn approval in the 193-member U.N. General Assembly for a status upgrade to "observer state" - similar to the Vatican's rank - from observer "entity." The move would implicitly recognize Palestinian statehood.

The change would allow the Palestinian territories to access bodies like the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which prosecutes people for genocide, war crimes and other major human rights violations, where it could complain about Israel.

"I don't believe that we are going to be rushing the second day to join everything related to the United Nations, including the ICC," Palestinian U.N. observer, Riyad Mansour, told a news conference at the United Nations on Tuesday.

But if Israel continued to violate international law, particularly by building settlements in the West Bank - territory Israel captured in a 1967 war - then Mansour said the Palestinians would consult with friends, including Europe, on "what should we do next to bring Israel into compliance?"

"We're not in the business of trying to prolong this conflict and settle scores," Mansour said. "But we are not fools nor dummies. If they don't move in that direction ... then all of us should be considering all other possible options in order to bring them into compliance."

Israel and the United States oppose the U.N. move by the Palestinians and have called on President Mahmoud Abbas to return to peace talks that collapsed in 2010 over the Israeli settlement construction. Abbas says he is ready for an unconditional resumption of talks after the U.N. upgrade.

In April, the ICC rejected a Palestinian request to examine alleged crimes in Gaza and the West Bank because the Palestinian territories were not a full U.N. member. But the Palestinian move on Tuesday to downplay their ICC aspirations appeared to be a bid to build European support ahead of the U.N. status vote.

France said on Tuesday it would support the Palestinians bid for U.N. non-member status, but the European vote at the United Nations is split. One senior diplomat said he expected between 11 and 16 European states to vote for the Palestinians, while the rest would be a mix of abstentions and no votes.

"When the question is asked, France will vote yes," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announced in the French National Assembly, the lower house of parliament.

WRONG TIME

After Israeli, British and U.S. diplomats unsuccessfully tried to persuade the Palestinians to drop their bid for a U.N. status upgrade, they then focused on trying to get the Palestinians to guarantee that they would forego complaining about Israel to the ICC. The Palestinians refused.

Israel is concerned the Palestinians could ask the ICC - which is not an official U.N. body - to prosecute its leaders.

Britain, which recently pushed European countries to abstain on the U.N. vote, has asked the Palestinians to forego joining the ICC in return for its vote. Britain's U.N. Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said London had not yet decided how to vote.

"We have made consistently clear that it is wrong for the Palestinians to bring this resolution to a vote at this time and that it isn't likely to be a helpful contribution to the peace process in the Middle East," he told reporters on Tuesday.

One envoy from a European country, as yet undecided on how it will vote, said the Palestinian comments on the ICC were "unlikely to be sufficient" to win broad European backing. "A vague promise not to go to the ICC won't cut it," he said.

Mansour said there were currently almost 60 co-sponsors of the Palestinian resolution and that he expected that to increase by the time it is put to a vote in the General Assembly.

"We tried very hard to win the largest number of European countries to vote in favor, we are delighted a certain number have declared their support for our draft resolution," he said.

European countries were split in voting for a successful Palestinian bid to join the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO in October 2011. The United States cut funding to UNESCO after it admitted the Palestinians as a full member.

The United States has suggested aid for the Palestinians - and possibly some funding for the United Nations - could also be at risk if the Palestinians win the U.N. upgrade. Israel has said it may cancel the Paris Protocol, a key economic accord it maintains with the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority.

A 1990s U.S. law prohibits American funds going to U.N. organizations that grant full membership to any group that does not have "internationally recognized attributes" of statehood. The Palestinians are not seeking U.N. membership.

The Palestinians launched their watered-down bid for recognition as an "observer state" after an attempt to gain full U.N. membership last year failed amid U.S. opposition in the U.N. Security Council.

(Additional reporting by Noah Browning and Ali Sawafta in Ramallah, John Irish in Paris and Crispian Balmer in Jerusalem; Editing by Douglas Hamilton and Jackie Frank)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/days-vote-france-backs-state-palestine-u-n-173911855.html

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Millions chase record $500M Powerball jackpot

A customer fills in his numbers on a Powerball ticket for a chance to win the $450,000 jackpot Monday, Nov. 26, 2012, in Houston for a chance to win the $450,000 jackpot. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

A customer fills in his numbers on a Powerball ticket for a chance to win the $450,000 jackpot Monday, Nov. 26, 2012, in Houston for a chance to win the $450,000 jackpot. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Manager Julie Rebennack, left, and customer service representative Megan Horn wish Lori Soule, 48, right, good luck after Soule purchased a Powerball ticket Monday, Nov. 26, 2012, at a Speedway convenience store in Marion, Ind. Wednesday's Powerball jackpot will be a predicted $425 million, the game's largest jackpot ever. (AP Photo/The Chronicle-Tribune, Jeff Morehead)

(AP) ? Eight months after a trio of ticket buyers split a $656 million Mega Millions jackpot to set a world lottery record, Powerball is offering up a prize that would be the second highest.

The $500 million jackpot, the largest in Powerball's history, represents a potential life-changing fortune. But before shelling out $2 for a ticket, here are some things to consider:

___

A GOOD BET: SOMEONE WILL WIN

It's the gambler's mantra: Somebody's gotta win, so why not me?

The first part is true; somebody will win the Powerball jackpot.

Chuck Strutt, executive director of Multi-State Lottery Association, predicts there's about a 60 percent chance it'll happen Wednesday ? maybe better if there's a flurry of last-minute ticket purchasers picking unique numbers.

The jackpot already has defied long odds by rolling over 16 consecutive times without anyone hitting the big prize, which now stands at $500 million ($327 million cash value). Strutt puts the odds at around 5 percent there would be no winner in the entire run through Wednesday.

As the drought increases, so too will the chances of it ending on the next draw, because ticket sales spike with a growing jackpot.

Someone will win. Eventually.

___

A BAD BET: IT'LL BE YOU

It's true to say that you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than winning the Powerball. But that woefully understates the danger of lightning.

Tim Norfolk, a University of Akron mathematics professor who teaches a course on gambling, puts the odds of a lightning strike in a person's lifetime at 1 in 5,000. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot: 1 in 175 million.

While weather is the go-to analogy for such astronomical odds, Norfolk suggests there are better ones.

For example, you'd have a slightly better chance of randomly picking the name of one specific female in the United States: 1 in 157 million, according to the latest census.

___

VICTORY LOVES COMPANY

Should you win the jackpot, there's a good chance you'll have to share ? and not just with family, friends and Uncle Sam.

The odds of someone winning increase as the ticket sales do. So, too, do the odds of duplicate tickets, especially for people who choose their own numbers rather than letting the computers pick.

Prefer the lucky numbers of seven or 11? You're not alone. How about a loved one's birthday? It's 31 or lower ? digits more frequently duplicated than 32 and up. (There are 59 white balls and 35 red balls in the draw).

Norfolk predicts that if there is a winner, there will be multiple ones because mathematical theory shows that numbers have a way of clustering, even at much smaller sample sizes.

If you take 23 random people, there's about a 50-50 chance that at least two will have the same birthday, Norfolk said. Throw choice into the equation ? about 20 percent of players typically select their own numbers ? and the clusters could be even more defined.

That played out in March, when three tickets from Kansas, Maryland and Illinois split the world-record $656 million Mega Millions jackpot.

A single ticket holds Powerball's current record of $365 million in 2006, shared by several ConAgra Foods Workers in Lincoln, Neb.

___

FEELING LUCKY IN A BAD ECONOMY

Gambling experts say a majority of Americans will play some lottery game at least once in a given year.

Clyde Barrow, director of the Center for Policy Analysis at UMass-Dartmouth, says addicted gamblers are less likely to turn to massive jackpot ticket games like Powerball than scratch-off games.

"Scratch-off players are looking for instant gratification and an instant win," Barrow said. "A lot of those people don't like playing lotto because you have to wait. You have to sit on it for a few days."

While it may seem counterintuitive, Barrow says gambling activity often increases as the economy gets worse and people have less disposable income. However, his research ? which focused mainly on New England ? found the trend reversed in the latest downturn.

"The Great Recession has been so deep and so long, it's suppressed any kind of discretionary spending across the board," said Barrow, who added about the same percentage of people are playing the lottery ? they're just buying fewer tickets.

Strutt, Powerball's executive director, said sales largely stayed flat during the peak of the recession in 2008 and 2009, but picked up since.

"Our biggest factor is gas prices," he said. "If people go to a gas station and put 80 bucks of gas in their car, they're not feeling happy to buy a lottery ticket."

___

RIG-PROOF LOTTERY?

It's conceivable you could win Wednesday night's drawing, just not the right one.

In addition to the official one televised nationally from Tallahassee, Fla., there are four practice runs. The reason, Strutt says, is to make sure the machines are running properly and the numbers are being distributed properly.

The balls used in the game are regularly measured, weighed and X-rayed. Then they're locked up in a room that's under 24/7 surveillance. Only the organizers and their auditors have a key.

___

IS IT A GOOD INVESTMENT?

You already know the answer to that. Yet people play anyway.

Strutt is estimating that there will be $214 million in sales for Wednesday's drawing (up from $140 million from Saturday's drawing).

Half the proceeds go to the prize pool ? about a third of that to the big jackpot, with the rest to lower ones, including a new $1 million second prize. The other half goes to the lottery operations in the 42 states plus Washington, D.C., and the Virgin Islands where Powerball is played. This funds charitable efforts such as education, in addition to paying for overhead and compensating winning stores.

Barrow says it's no secret that it's not a prudent investment to regularly buy lottery tickets, but he contends it's a little more defensible as the amount skyrockets.

If the jackpot amount approached $600 million, and if you had the means to buy enough tickets until you won, AND if you could guarantee you wouldn't have to share with anyone, then it might be a wise investment, he said.

That's a lot of ifs, Barrow acknowledges. Still, he says he'll likely join the throngs of ticket buyers.

"For two bucks, it's worth a chance," he said. "What else am I going to do with that $2? I'll just waste it on something else."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-11-27-Powerball-News%20Guide/id-585db2d5f2594820b7b23f8573752cf7

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Monday, November 26, 2012

IOC chief backs plan for 4-year doping bans

AMSTERDAM (AP) ? IOC President Jacques Rogge supports proposals to double the length of doping bans to four years as a way of keeping drug cheats out of the Olympics.

The World Anti-Doping Agency is planning to raise the penalty from two to four years for serious drug violations in the next version of the global anti-doping code, which comes up for approval next year and goes into effect in 2015.

"We are waiting for the final text but already what is on the table today is something that is heartening for us," Rogge said Monday at conference in Amsterdam.

Rogge said the proposal "is something that satisfies us in that it endorses increasing sanctioning for what I would call heavy doping."

He said the change would be in line with the International Olympic Committee's previous failed attempt to bar any athlete slapped with a ban of more than six months from competing in the subsequent Olympics.

The so-called "Osaka Rule" was thrown out last year by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on grounds that the sanction represented a second penalty for the same offense and did not comply with the WADA code.

WADA's proposed four-year bans should serve the same purpose as the IOC rule.

"This is something that is completely in line with the Osaka Rule, because the Osaka Rule was to stop the athletes to participate in the next games if their penalty was higher than six months," Rogge said. "Now with this high penalty of four years, automatically you don't participate in the next games."

Rogge also said the IOC is still studying the case against Lance Armstrong to see if it can strip the American cyclist of the bronze medal he won in the time trial at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Armstrong has already been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for involvement in what the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency called the biggest doping conspiracy in sports.

The IOC must consider its eight-year statute of limitations before deciding whether to take away Armstrong's Olympic medal.

"There is still legal work to be done," Rogge said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ioc-chief-backs-plan-4-doping-bans-115437035--oly.html

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Surveillance Grid Moves Ahead With VoIP Spy Technology ...

Brandon Turbeville
AP

Once upon a time, privacy was not a word that was foreign to the English language. In that time long ago, police and governments would often have to manufacture an incident (like 9/11) in order to successfully push for more legal powers to monitor private conversations or access data without a warrant.

However, in 2012, the premise of the invasion of privacy is no longer necessary. Now, the debate itself is a foregone conclusion that agencies will be granted greater power to surveil the populace. The only question taken into consideration is what might be the best method that these organizations can utilize in order to take advantage of these coming powers.

Such is now the case with various Internet chat services like Skype and other companies or products utilizing Voice over IP technology, which law enforcement complains makes the task of eavesdropping on ?suspects?? communications much more difficult.

As explained by MassPrivateI in the article, ?Police want to covertly eavesdrop (spy) on voice over IP chats,? Voice over IP software allows for individuals to ?make phone calls over the Internet by converting analog audio signals into digital data packets.?

The article continues by stating,

Because of the way the packets are sent over the Web, sometimes by a ?peer-to-peer? connection, it can be complex and costly for law enforcement agencies to listen in on them. This has previously led some countries, like Ethiopia and Oman, to block VoIP services on ?security? grounds. In the United States and Europe, too, VoIP has given authorities a headache. The FBI calls it the going dark problem? and is pushing for new powers to force Internet chat providers to build in secret backdoors to wiretap suspected criminals? online communications.

In other words, law enforcement is irate that a technology exists that does not allow them to easily and illegally monitor the private conversations of American citizens. This, of course, ignores the fact that government technology is light years ahead of anything available to the average person. Thus, to believe that surveillance technology for VoIP software does not exist already is clearly naive.

Regardless, as is always the case when law enforcement and government claim they do not have enough sweeping power to ?keep us safe,? they are swiftly granted more.

In this case, however, it is the private sector (joined at the hip with the government, military, and intelligence agencies at the highest levels) that is rushing in to save the day. Specifically, Dennis Chang, President of Sun Valley-based company VOIP-PAL, has recently obtained patents to what has been termed a ?legal intercept technology? that would allow a host of government agencies to ?silently record? VoIP communications.

Predictably, Microsoft has also applied for a similar patent that would allow an agency to ?secretly intercept? communications via VoIP, amend the communications content, and store it. Although only recently announced to the public, the patent was filed as far back as 2009.

Chang?s VOIP-PAL patent was filed even earlier in 2007.

In the Microsoft patent, Patent Number 20110153809, it is stated that data that is linked with a request to establish a communication is ?modified to cause the communication to be established via a path that includes a recording agent.?

Among the possibilities of the types of modification that may occur during this process, ?adding, changing and/or deleting data within the data? are all potential methods of alteration.

After the data has been modified, it is then passed to a protocol entity which uses the data to establish a communications pathway than includes a recording agent which is then ?able to silently record the communication? according to the patent application.

Yet one should not be under the impression that this secret intercept surveillance technology is directed only at programs like Skype. As MassPrivateI writes,

The technology could allow the monitoring of conversations, voice messages and video conferences over a variety of devices, including smartphones, laptops and gaming devices.

. . . . . . .

Communications that can be intercepted may be conducted over computers, laptops, set-top boxes, programmable consumer electronics devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smartphones, gaming devices, printers, computing devices in automobiles and home media centers, the application states.

With this new technology, individuals can be identified by their usernames and subscriber data, as well as by billing records that can associate usernames with names and addresses. This would make not only calls available for easy interception, but also ?any other data streams such as pure data and/or video or multimedia data.?

Of course, it is now becoming well-known that governments and other militant privacy violators do not necessarily even need such technology. Nor do they even need the legal authority for access. This is because major companies like Skype have been notorious for easily surrendering users? personal data, even at times volunteering to submit the information to the requesting agencies. In a recent report by RT, it was described how Microsoft-owned Skype eagerly handed over the data of one of its users to a Texas-based intelligence firm.

Yet the legal authority to grind the boot of the state further into the face of American privacy is not being neglected either. Considering the recent announcement regarding the infamous Senator Patrick Leahy?s revision of a bill allegedly designed to protect American?s privacy into one that actually eviscerates privacy even more, there should be little doubt that the global surveillance control grid is moving ahead unabated.

In the end, the new VoIP surveillance software is yet one more block in the Berlin wall of surveillance and globalized control. As the Brookings Institution has already stated, the labor and cost needed to monitor, evaluate, and store every form of communication and data within the borders of the United States is minuscule when compared to other products.

With this in mind, anyone who believes those in control of these technologies are merely making wish lists for the future will find themselves both surprised and disappointed soon enough.

Source: http://www.pakalertpress.com/2012/11/25/surveillance-grid-moves-ahead-with-voip-spy-technology/

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